A/N: I really am struggling to find the time to write but I still feel compelled to, it's very frustrating! Anyway, enjoy and thank you for reading.

Leonardo walked back into the darkened lair much later than planned, his mind turning over everything he had seen. He passed the sofa and noticed the outline of two sleeping figures basking in the glow of the still running television. He stopped and walked around the sofa to retrieve the remote then frowned when the smaller figure nestled between his snoring brothers murmured in her slumber.

"Thanks guys," he muttered, shaking his head and scooping Jade up into his arms.

Michelangelo stirred, "Leo?" he asked. His voice was husky with sleep and he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands.

Leonardo motioned with his eyes to his daughter, "She's supposed to have been in bed hours ago," he hissed, "Quayla is going to kill me."

Raphael awoke with a start and stared accusingly at his older brother, "You're late, ya said you'd be an hour. We ain't your babysitters."

The eldest turtle gritted his teeth, Raph was right of course and honestly he had hardly ever relied solely on his brothers to look after Jade, even as a single father. Raphael couldn't know that though and he was never at his best when he first woke up, Leonardo nodded in assent. "I'm sorry, I ran into some trouble. Look I'm going to put Jade to bed and then I need to talk to you all. Don, is he still up?"

"In here Leo," Donatello's voice echoed softly from inside his makeshift lab.

Leonardo tip-toed over to the open doorway and peered in to find Donatello hunched over an assortment of components with his magnifying glasses flicked down over his eyes so he could study the intricate looking piece he clutched between his fingers.

"See you on the sofa in a minute?" Leo asked.

"Sure, did you have a good run?" Donatello replied distractedly while scooting his clattering chair to the other end of his desk and grabbing another part to inspect.

Leonardo clutched Jade a little closer and glanced at her peaceful face, "Uh, not exactly. I'll fill you in when I get back."

oOo

Leonardo sank onto the sofa, suddenly wearied by the evening's events but he willed himself to sit forward and relay the strange attack to his waiting brothers. Master Splinter had also awoken to join them and rubbed his chin thoughtfully throughout his son's recount.

"So Don," Leonardo turned to face his purple masked brother after he had finished, "I wondered if you had any ideas about what could do that to their eyes?"

Donatello's features creased into a frown as he considered the options but shook his head having ceased his deliberations. "If it were drugs I'd need a blood sample to be sure, but it sounds more like some sort of mind control…" he trailed off, lost in his thoughts again only to be refocused by Leonardo proffering one of his prized swords towards him. He gingerly took it and raised a brow in question.

Leonardo pointed at the hilt, "I hit one of them pretty hard with it. I think I drew blood, maybe you could check?"

Donatello's eyes lit up at the promise of a night's investigation, he was tired but the prospect of solving the mystery was too much to resist. "Excellent, I'll start now!" he enthused and pulled his goggles back down to examine the katana's handle while walking back to his room.

"This is troubling indeed," Splinter announced. The remaining turtles' focus shifted to their Sensei as he continued, "I wonder if some other force is at work in the minds of our enemies. As you say my son, it is not like the Purple Dragons to be so relentless without some form of motivation, their number is too few to risk such an unprovoked attack," he rose from his armchair using his stick for balance, "I will meditate on the matter and perhaps seek council with the Ancient One."

"The Ancient One?" Leonardo blurted out but quickly bowed his head, embarrassed to be questioning his Sensei's plan.

"Yeah Master Splinter," Raphael added, unabashed, "Why the Ancient One?"

Splinter turned and headed towards his chamber as he answered, "I fear we will be in need of his assistance."

Leonardo felt his stomach twist uncomfortably at the thought of involving the Ancient One, he was like family to Quayla but he was also a member of the Ninja Tribunal and their motives could not be relied upon unless it suited their cause. He hoped his father was wrong about them needing his assistance but it was unlikely, if Master Splinter sensed something he was usually right.

Michelangelo yawned and stretched out an arm from his place on the couch, "I'm beat, I'm going to bed," he looked sideways towards his tense older brother and sympathised, "Hey Leo, no biggie, this will all blow over in a few days. We'll figure out what's happening and stop it, we always do."

Leonardo gave an unconvincing smile, and replied, "Thanks Mikey. Guess I'll turn in too, Raph?" He gestured for his brother to get some rest as well but he shook his head, waved his hand dismissively and settled deeper into the couch. Leonardo rolled his eyes, "Suit yourself," he cautioned and made his way to the stairs.

He quietly padded up the steps, not wishing to disturb anyone but moving in silence was always more out of habit. He opened the door to his room, closed it softly behind him and navigated around the bed in by the slither of light emanating from the doorframe. The turtle hung his remaining katana and belt on the wall but it rested uneven, missing its partner. Leonardo reached to straighten it but the lone sword was unbalanced alone.

"Where's your other katana?" Quayla's voice rang out in the darkness, making him jump.

He gave up adjusting his weapon and sat on the bed beside her, in the dim light he could just pick out her knees tucked up under her chin.

"Don is doing some tests with it, it's a long story," He paused and struck a match to light the candles on the bedside table, "I talked to Raph earlier."

"I know," Quayla replied turning her head away from him, "I'm glad."

Leonardo gently pulled her chin back towards him. She stared straight into his eyes, daring him to speak. He fought the urge to pull her close and instead stared right back as he answered, "I told him that I miss Jade," he noted the confusion flickering across his wife's face so he continued, "She was so grown up," his smile was bittersweet in the soft glow of the room as he reminisced. "It's all still hard to process and I'm trying to put it behind me, I don't want you to think I want to be anywhere but here and now. I love both of you."

"That's all I needed to hear," Quayla whispered and slipped her fingers underneath the blue mask that shadowed her husband's eyes, deftly removing it and casting it aside. He gasped a little as she copied the motion with his belt and heard it land on the floor with a clink as the shuriken secreted in it bounced on the stone. She slowly pushed him back against the pillows and manoeuvred herself so she was again face to face and leant in for a kiss.

"Wait," Leonardo whispered.

"What?" Quayla frowned and sat back.

"Earlier, there was some trouble. Something is going on out there Cute, something strange, the Purple Dragons-," he began but was muffled by Quayla clamping a hand over his mouth. He gave her an imploring look so she slid her hand away.

"Sorry," she offered in answer, "Can't we just have a moment?"

Leonardo deliberated for a moment, blew out the candles and then drew her close mumbling between their rushed embraces, "I'll tell you later."

oOo

Raphael's eyelids were growing heavy, he blinked hard trying to refocus on the T.V; he knew his bed was calling but he fought the threat of sleep all the same. There was a news bulletin being broadcast and his foggy mind was attempting to make sense of what the reporter was saying. The sound of glass shattering and chanting voices pulled at his conscious, he squinted at the screen and, to his surprise, recognised the store fronts being smashed.

"What the...?" He exclaimed in disbelief, now alert, and reached for the remote to turn up the volume.

"Reports are coming in about seemingly random acts of gang violence and riots in both upper and East Manhattan, stores are being ransacked and anyone daring to walk the streets appears to be fair game. Police were blaming the notorious Purple Dragon gang but it seems others are joining the fray and giving the problem momentum. Vernon is on the ground for us, what can you see happening Vernon? Can the police handle it, or is this cause for serious concern?"

"Well Karen, they assure me everything is under control but they seem to be struggling to hold their own against the gangs. An eyewitness fleeing the scene moments ago stated that the gang members are ignoring the police and relentlessly perusing their intended victims. Sources say we may be seeing the effects of a terrifying new drug taking hold. We have these images taken on a witness's cell phone just a short while ago..."

A clear image of a man flanked by others walking away from a burning building appeared on the screen and Raphael immediately pressed pause, suddenly thankful for TiVo. The man's expression was dead, mimicked by his followers, black orbs sat in their sockets instead of eyeballs with angry looking red welts surrounding them.

"Oh shell," he groaned as he scrambled out of the sofa cushions and ran towards the stairs that led to their rooms. He took the stairs two at a time and found Michelangelo's room first, he thumped the door and shouted, "Wake up shell for brains, we got trouble!" Not pausing for a response he moved onto Leonardo's door and spied Donatello peering out at him from the end of the hall. "Donnie, those, those... things, it's spreading!" Raphael shouted and jabbed a finger in the direction of the television. Donatello nodded and hurried past his brother down the stairs, pulling Michelangelo with him as he emerged mid-stretch from his door.

Raphael watched his brothers and raised his fist to pound on Leonardo's door, instead of meeting metal his hand stopped inches from the eldest turtle's face, caught by the wrist. He huffed as an unmasked Leonardo quickly released him. He again pointed at the television which was just visible over their landing railings, "Leo, it's spreading, it's gettin' crazy out there. It's all over the news."

Leonardo went straight into leadership mode, "Okay, Raph you go wake Master Splinter. Quayla and I will be down in minute. Did Don find anything?"

"I don't know, he and Mikey are already downstairs," Raphael answered as he headed back downstairs too.

Leonardo slipped back inside his room where Quayla was instinctively dressing, being woken in the small hours only ever meant trouble. He scooped his mask and belt up from the floor and retrieved his lone katana from the wall, confirming her suspicions.

"How bad is it?" She asked while fixing her own sword sheath to her back and flicking her hair out from underneath the strap.

"Not sure, Raph said it's crazy up top," He replied, holding the door open for her. They walked quickly along the rattling balcony, he continued while tying his mask, "If it's like what I saw earlier it could be really bad Cute. Something had taken over the Purple Dragons. They were like mindless zombies, hell bent on violence." Leonardo stopped as they reached the couch where his family had gathered and stood with his arms folded as he took in the image paused on the screen, Quayla perched next to Michelangelo on the sofa arm.

"Don," Leonardo said, the purple masked brother looked up at him, "Did you find anything out?"

"Negative, the blood was clean Leo. It's something else, but at this point I don't know what," he answered and handed back his brother's sword.

"Sensei, is there any news from the Ancient One?" Leonardo asked as he returned his sword to its rightful place. Quayla frowned at the mention of her old master but remained silent and focused on the disturbing image in front of her.

Splinter closed his eyes momentarily then opened them, they were full of regret. "My sons there is a great evil at work in the city and the Ancient One fears it will only spread, it seems he is correct. He told me little of what he suspects is the cause but he seemed greatly troubled about what you had witnessed Leonardo. He is consulting with the Tribunal as we speak."

Leonardo swallowed hard; he wanted the Tribunal to stay as far away from his family as possible. They had saved Jade once but it turned out that was only to serve their own purpose of carrying the book. He could hardly believe how different this life was from the last one, yes they had faced many foes and overcome many trials over the years, he had fully expected to face them again, but nothing like this had taken place. He realised once again that he had to let the past, or rather the past future, go. He glanced at the frozen image on the television. They had to help those trying to escape the chaos.

"Let's go," he instructed, his voice full of authority, "Master Splinter, could you check in on Jade?"

The old rat nodded, "Be careful, all of you, we know not what those affected are capable of."

The group moved as one out of the lair, Quayla slowed and looked back over her shoulder towards Splinter, he stood stoic but was clearly worrying under his calm exterior. She bit her lip anxiously and hurried to catch up with the others.

Not a lot of action this chapter but I really wanted to spend some time setting the scene and dealing with a few little intricacies. I've usually got it all mapped out before I start a fic but I'm letting this one grow organically with just a vague outline. Not sure if that's a good thing but I'm still learning!

As always feel free to review and be honest, I can take it.