The rest of the night passed slowly for the small family.

"AHHHHHHH! Nooooo!" Mikey screamed as he rolled back and forth on the floor waking majority of the other inhabitants of the small van."Nooo! Don't! Stay away!

"Calm down, little brother." Raph soothed as he carefully gathered Mikey into his arms.

"Raph?" Mikey asked. "Is that you? Please say it's you?"

"It's me." Raph answered with a smile.

"Oh that's good," Mikey said with a sigh of relief. "I had this horrible nightmare where one of the Foot Bots was ordered to peel off my face."

"Um Mikey…" Leo answered. "That wasn't a nightmare…that actually happened."

"WHAT?!" Mikey yelled as his hands when to bandages bound about his head. "NO NOT MY FACE, NOT MY CUTE FACE! Why couldn't they do this to Raph? It would have been an improvement!"

"It's alright Mikey," Leo responded as he moved closer to his youngest brother. "We'll get through this...Dr. Rockwell suggested skin grafts could help."

"I won't be the same…" Mikey sobbed as he lurched into his oldest brother's arms.

"It will be what it will be," Leo answered soothingly.

Casey rolled over onto his stomach as he looked at his phone, "It's 7:20 am." He said with a yawn as he stretched before getting out of the van. "I guess it's a good enough time for a two-hour drive upstate."

"Anything we need to get from the lair first?" April asked as she also sat up.

"I think we have everything needed," Raph pointed out. "Anything else we have at the farmhouse or can pick up on the way there."

"What about Donnie's chem set, he'd go nuts if he doesn't have anything to work on?" Casey pointed out as he climbed into the front cab with April. Leo sighed through his nose softly as he finally noticed that his second youngest brother hadn't regained consciousness. Mikey's eyes also fell upon Donnie with some concern.

Splinter gently placed the back of one hand against Donatello's burning forehead noting how high his son's temperature had risen.

"I believe Donatello will need to focus more on his recovery." The wise rat said. "A cool bath and bed rest should be in order."

"I getting a weird vibe that something with 'D' is majorly off." Mikey pointed out. "Kinda like his brain is scattered and doesn't know how to repair itself."

"That's probably just the fever," Raph said dismissively. "That wound on his arm was infected after all, though I wouldn't rule out a stress fever after what we've been through. He'll be back to normal before you know it."

"I hope you're right on that," Leo said as he crawled closer to Donatello's side.

"Alright, next stop O'Neil farmhouse, Northampton…" Casey said. "Though we will take a pit stop for breakfast somewhere."

"Let's just get to the Farmhouse get the Turtles settled." April sighed as they pulled out into the city streets and towards the freeway out of town. She sadly eyed her friends in the back of the party wagon. "I'll make some oatmeal once everyone is situated, something tells me that would easier on their stomachs than anything else."


The journey to the farmhouse was largely quiet. The silence was occasionally punctuated by a groan, hiss, growl, or whimper from one of the Turtles. Donatello's ninja gear had been stripped away by both Raph and Splinter. Leo was currently sitting beside Donnie's sleeping form his good hand holding one of his brothers in silent reassurance that he was safe and among loved ones. Almost in Mirror to the way Donnie had hovered in worry over Leo just months ago when they had last escaped the city.

Michelangelo was cradled against Splinter's side. He his eyes were closed, but he wasn't asleep. He was trying to draw strength from his father. Raph sat with the back of his shell against the back wall of the van, his ever-present scowl plastered across his face. He was angry that his family was hurt, angry at the Foot Clan for doing this to them, angry at the Shredder for willfully tormenting his family, angry at his family for choosing to run. Everything seemed ready to set him off. There wasn't much talk among the two humans as they traveled down the road making the two-hour car trip feel like an eternity.

Eventually, the familiar track to the O'Neil Farmhouse came into sight as they pulled into the drive. April got out first, retrieving from a strong box in the barn she opened the front door. Leo and Casey helped guide Michelangelo upstairs so his bandages could be changed while Raph then entered while Splinter came in cradling Donatello's feverish body in his arms.

"Donnie should be put in the tub," Leo said. "Raph, I'll need your help bathing him." Raph didn't give any response. If it was any other time he may have had given a cutting response, but now was not the time or place for disagreements.

"I will tend to Michelangelo's injuries." The wise master said as he walked upstairs. Turning into the bath room he placed his third son in the cast iron tub and left.

"I'll get some oatmeal started!" April called as she headed to the kitchen.

"Oatmeal? Blah!" Casey complained as he sauntered down out the door. "Couldn't you make some…you know real food? Like bacon and eggs? That's what real men eat."

"If you want eggs…" April said with a firmly as she held a skillet out to Casey. "The chicken coop is outside, perhaps you can fry some yourself."

"Nah…I'm going to town and going to 'The Celler'…I hear they have a wicked five egg ultra-meat omelet, called the 'Uber Meat'" Casey said as twirled the van keys on one finger. "Five eggs with a cheddar and jack, bacon, ham, seven kinds of sausage, with a side of fried potatoes and toast."

"Fine…" April said with a huff as she went back to the kitchen. "Enjoy your heart attack on a plate."

"Fine, I will…" Casey said as he sauntered to the door. He glanced up and noticed Raph watching from the second-floor landing. "Hey Raph, want me to bring back something? The Celler has takeout."

As much as Raph liked the idea of taking Casey up on his offer, his stomach roiled at the very thought of food.

"Sorry Case…" Raph answered. "I'm going to pass."

"Fine then…" Casey said as he stalked outside slamming the door behind him. "Enjoy your lame chick food."


Leo knelt by the tub and began to fiddle with the tap to get the water to decent temperature. Not cold, but not hot either. As the water slowly filled the basin Donnie at first remained dead to the world, but then his eyes shot open with a gasp of fright as he tried to scrabble out of the tub like a cat escaping the bath.

"Donnie!" Leo placated as he tried to push his brother back into the bath tub. "Donnie, it's all right!" Donatello, unfortunately, didn't hear him as he continued to panic and thrash about as he struggled to get out of the tub.

"Don, relax," Leo pleaded in his attempts to ease his brother's distress. "You'll only injure yourself further, you need to calm down." Raph at once rushed into the room; climbing into the tub he tackled Donatello holding him against his body. Donnie continued to struggle as he tried to escape his brother's firm embrace.

"I'm not letting ya go, Don!" Raph said firmly as he continued to keep hold of his immediate younger brother. "We're not in the city anymore. No one is here to hurt ya, trust me on that one."


Donnie continued to struggle in Raph's hold, but he slowly began to tire as he began to accept the arms holding him were not going to let go of him. As he continued to be held a familiar voice began to break through the fog of exhaustion that shrouded his brain. The voice speaking to him was oddly gentle and caring…while this particular tone wasn't unheard of, this voice was known for speaking in gruffer angrier tones, often punctuating statements with threats of physical harm or insults. Another voice also broke through the fog, this one was known to be caring and gentle, but as always there was still a firm hint of command behind it.

The arms around him loosened as they began to realize he wasn't going to struggle anymore. Something sponge-like was being dabbed along his shell cautiously as though they were taking great care to reassure him they didn't mean him any harm. When the sponge was taken away it was only to the arms holding him could turn him slightly so he found himself facing Leo. One arm was held in a sling while his other arm held a dripping yellow sponge. Glancing beside him he saw the person supporting him was Raph. Raph's normally hard green eyes had taken on a rare gentleness. Glancing about him, he found he was at the farm house, but he couldn't recall arriving there. The last thing he truly remembered was being carried out of the Shredder's lair by Slash, and then catching sight of what had been done to his baby brother. He had known something horrible had been done to Mikey, but to actually see it was more than he could emotionally handle. Such horror wasn't just criminal…it was inhuman his mind almost went blank as he rushed to his brother's side before Raph's arms wrapped around him. He could hear Raph trying to coach him away from the panic that was coursing its way through his body. But the restraint of Raph's arms only increased his panic, the last thing he remembered feeling was long boney fingers felt reaching towards his collar bone...and then darkness.

Raph held out one of Donatello's arms out to Leo so he could cleanse away the blood and broken skin. Leo's eyes looked sorrowful as they examined the large open wound there. It was clearly still infected though not as infected as it had been before. But the wound was still not going heal without leaving a massive scar. Speaking of scars, Leo was brushing his thumb over a papery-looking raised area of flesh, burn scar that was caused when Donnie had been grazed by Kraang blaster fire during their escape during the second invasion.

Oddly Donnie was feeling somewhat antsy about Leo as though he were certain Leo secretly intended to hurt him. But that wasn't right…Leo could be over bearing sometimes, but he didn't often get physical with his brothers about things.

"Here…" Raph said as he took the sponge from Leo's grasp. "I'll take care of Donnie…you go check up on Mikey. He'll need a brother right now."

"Right…" Leo said with a sigh through his nose as he got up and left the room. Donnie's anxiety hadn't lessened even after Leo's departure. But he did look less likely to bolt given the first chance. No words were exchanged between the two turtles as Raph cleansed Donatello's injuries until the water in the tub was tinged an orangey pink with dried blood. Pulling the stopper, Raph climbed out first before he hoisted Donnie out and wrapping him with a towel. He hugged his immediate younger brother close as he helped dry him off. A gesture that was also out of the norm for him since he wasn't one for open displays of brotherly affection, but it was something Raph felt Donnie needed right then.


Mikey's mouth opened to accept the spoon of oatmeal mush which he eagerly chewed and swallowed from where he sat propped in bed. His wounds had been cleaned and redressed. Leo dipped the spoon back into the bowl before feeding his youngest brother again. Another bowl of oatmeal sat cooling beside him. Two other bowls sat on a bedside table waiting for Raph and Donnie.

"You sure you don't need me to fix up another room," April asked as she finished putting sheets and blankets on the second bed in the room. "You guys might be more comfortable…"

"Thanks for the offer, April," Leo said with appreciation. "But we were kept apart during this past event…Shredder wanted us to learn that our weakness is in our unity, but I know he's wrong."

"Another thing my old friend, never understood." Splinter said. "The concept of Kokoro Itosuni…of one heart." Raph entered the room supporting Donatello who was quickly ushered to the other bed. Splinter at once set to work placing a healing salve on the open cuts that decorated Donatello's body before binding them with bandages.

"Individually, each of you are strong in your own way," Splinter continued as he added hydrogen peroxide to the wound on Donatello's arm letting the fluid cook away the infection as he wrapped clean linen bandages around the injury. "But you have been able to succeed in the battles you have faced because you are all of one heart and it's only together that you can find the strength to recover from this ordeal.


A/N- Hey everyone. Thank you to all the people who have been reading this fic thus far there is still much more to come. For anyone who is interested I am hoping to make audio versions of my fics and I'm looking for people to narrate and voice each of the cast. If you are interested please send me a PM regarding that.

I am also looking for someone who would be willing to serve as a bata reader to help go over some of my fics such as hostage and others so they can be polished up.

And turtles back on Nick Aug 14th at 11 :D