Updates will probably slow down for a while. Working over the summer sucks. Hopefully I can still get one out a week though. Also, DID YOU NOTICE THE AWESOME NEW COVER ART!? The lovely ishouldgetsomestuffdone on tumblr made it for me and it is absolutely perfect. Well, enjoy!

The night is long and hard. Donnie doesn't get any sleep, forfeiting that right in order to monitor the girl closely. For the longest time things aren't looking good, but then she regains consciousness for a little while. She is in no way lucid, but at least she isn't out cold.

Her eyes slowly flutter open. Her vision blurs and there is a throbbing pain in her head and arm. She moans and lifts a trembling hand to wrap around the bandaged limb. Bandaged? Her lips twitch into a frown and her brows furrow. That's not right. But not as half as wrong as the sight before her as her eyes focus a little more.

Donnie tenses and braces himself for her reaction. He bites his lip and holds his breath.

Liz blinks slowly. When the green of his skin does not disappear and the shell peeking out over his shoulders remains she speaks. Her voice is tiny, hoarse. "Am I…dead?"

Donnie starts. "Dead?" He repeats. "No," He tentatively reaches toward her, mindful of every micro expression she makes. He lays his hand over her forehead. Still hot. "You're just sick."

"Then…" She coughs and her body is wracked violently with the backlash. "Then…I'm hallucinating?"

Donnie draws his hand away. He averts his eyes and stifles a grimace. "Not exactly." Should he lie? Eventually she'll come out of this and realize they are very much real. Still, right now she doesn't need extra mental trauma. "We…" There's no point lying. Chances are she won't even remember this conversation once she slips back into unconsciousness. "We're mutants."

"Oh." Liz smiles, a weak sentiment that she isn't even sure makes it to her face. "Just like him." She coughs again.

Donnie blinks. "Who?" He tenses as the possibility of her father comes to him. But he…he wasn't more than human. Right? At least he didn't look it.

"My…friend." Her eyes grow heavy. "He's…gone." Pain creases her face and hiccups softly.

Donnie grimaces. "You'll be ok." He rubs her head gently. "We won't hurt you. We only want to make you better."

Liz lifts a trembling hand up to his. She grasps his wrist, stilling his movements. Through half lidded eyes she meets his brown eyes. "Promise?" Her voice is a breath on the wind.

Donnie's brows knit together. But he can't blame her for her doubts. "Of course."

Liz's hand slips back to her side and her eyes close all the way. Darkness overtakes her and she is swept into a world of dreams for many nights to come.

…

After three days Donnie is confident that she will make it through this. He lays the back of his hand over her forehead. "Fever's down." He murmurs to himself. He gives a half smile as he slowly stands. "It's a good sign." He yawns and rubs at his eyes. Maybe it means he'll get some sleep tonight. God knows I need it. He turns slowly away from her, keeping his eyes on her long after he starts walking. "She'll be fine." He has to convince himself of that if he wants to get any kind of sleep. He can't be worrying. That's just not how he works.

Liz breaths are soft and regular. Her face for the longest time speaks of serenity, only slightly strained. Then her brows crease and her face contorts in severe pain. She gasps and whines softly. "No…" She moans. "No!"

She jolts upright and sucks in a sharp breath. She looks with wild eyes about her and all there is is darkness. Is this real? Maybe she died. She flinches and a deep grimace mars her features. She doesn't remember dying. Only…her father's face flashes before her, up in the blackness of the sky. She jerks backward and falls flat on her back.

His face lingers and twists into a truly horrifying expression. "Oh, baby doll." He coos, but there is an obvious edge. "Come with me." The words echo three times over. "I'll keep you safe. Just come with me." His voice drops into a growl and his eyes catch fire. "Now."

Liz yelps and rolls onto hands and knees. She leaps to her feet and sprints. Her heart pounds in her ears and her breathing quickly grows ragged. But she never goes anywhere. There's only ever darkness surrounding her as her father's laugh echoes all around her.

"Come on little Lizzie." Harold taunts. His lips curve into a vicious smile. "Your daddy loves you."

Liz gasps. She pitches forward and crumples to her knees. The breath is knocked out of her, like a punch to the gut. Now she can't fight. Her arms prickle with a sharp pain, one after the other. She screams, or at least there's the memory of a scream. She swears her mouth doesn't move.

"Go to sleep." Her father murmurs, almost tenderly so. There's a presence on her cheek, as if someone is stroking her. "Go to sleep little Lizzie." She whimpers and her eyes are suddenly heavy. "You'll be ok. You're safe now." His voice fades. Everything becomes dimmer. She can barely hold her head up. Daddy. She hears herself say, somewhere in her memory.

Liz shakes her head fervently and jerks upright. "No!" She shoves herself to her feet and rockets forward. "I won't let you!" Her voice hitches and she is quitter, "I don't want to hurt." Suddenly she sees something. It just seems to appear, there at the edge of the darkness. She sucks in a sharp breath and her eyes widen as recognition flashes over her face. A grin breaks out over her lips. No way.

She laughs and races toward him. "Slash!" She barrels into him and throws her arms around him. Her hands don't aren't long enough to lock behind him, but her hold is still tight and no one could shake her off if they tried. She nuzzles her face into his chest. "I can't believe it." Her voice is tight. "I thought…I thought you were…"

Slash stares blankly down at her. He slowly, almost mechanically, lifts his arms and wraps them around her. His hands engulf her tiny frame.

Liz blinks. The elation gives way to confusion. Something's not right. Her brows knit together and a frown twitches at her lips. His embrace, it's not as it should be. She leans back and peers up with curious eyes at his empty face. It chills her. His sea blue eyes are not soft, then again they never were, but there is a startlingly lack of ferocity. He's just…blank. "Slash?" Her tone wavers. "What's wrong?"

Slash tilts his head slight, but he does not respond. He lets his hands fall to his side and he takes a large step back. All the while his empty eyes remain locked with hers.

Liz chokes on air. Slash transforms. Suddenly there is a chunk missing from his shoulder and blood trails from it, staining his blue skin. Soft black rings his throat and gradually becomes deep and dark. His flesh smells burnt and she can't help but recoil. Her stomach drops and she shoves her hands over her mouth.

But that's not the worst thing.

A gaping hole appears in his stomach. It bleeds only slightly at first, then it pours out. It drenches the blackness around them, staining it red. "Slash," Liz stumbles back. Her knees quake beneath her. "You…you're bleeding." Her heart hammers against her chest. She starts and jerks her hands away from her face as she feels something on her hands. Her eyes widen as she sees the red smeared across them. "I'm bleeding." She very nearly works herself into hyperventilating.

"No." Slash says softly, yet sharply all the same.

Liz jumps in her skin. Her brows rise high on her head and her pupils dilate. "W-What?"

Slash turns his blank stare down to the wound in his stomach. "It's…" He lifts both hands to it and presses hard. "My blood." He gasps and pitches forward.

"Slash!" Liz cries. She leaps forward and reaches out for him.

Slash jerks upright. He stands straight and tall, his once empty eyes surging with life and ferocity. Only it is no more comforting. His lips curl into a sneer and he burns a hole through Liz with his intense gaze. "Because of you."

Liz starts. "What?" She shakes her head slowly. "No…" She shakes her head more furiously. "No! It's not! I didn't do it! I didn't do anything!"

Slash seems to grow in that moment. He towers over her and his eyes spark with disgust. "Liar." He growls. "You know you did. You know it's all your fault that I died."

Liz nearly falls over with the shock. Her throat tightens she can barely find the energy to breath. Terror twists her face and she quakes in her skin. "No," She shakes her head, a sharp jerking movement. "Y-You…You're not dead."

Slash narrows his eyes. "Yes, I am." He takes a fierce step toward her. "You saw me. I was bleeding out." Blood seeps up from the surrounding black ground. "There was no one to save me. All. Because. You were too weak."

Liz screams. She scampers backward, trying to get away from the blood. It only spreads farther, a thin layer spreading out until it encompasses all of the black. Everything goes crimson. "N-No." Her voice cracks. She grips her head with intensity, her claws digging deep into her skin.

"Yes." Slash's lips curl into a devilish smirk. "You're so weak. Pathetic. How are you supposed to help anyone when you can't help yourself?" He laughs coldly. "You stupid girl."

Liz moans. "No," She stretches the word out. Her knees wobble beneath her and she bends forward, curling inward. "I tried." She whimpers. Tears well in her eyes and sobs leap from her throat.

Slash scoffs. "Tried?" He snorts. "Screaming for me doesn't count for much of anything. It just showed how truly weak you are. You worthless girl. I don't know why I ever helped you. I never liked you. You're nothing but trouble."

Liz sinks to her knees. "No," She says it over and over again. The tears stream down her face and her sobs choke her. Her body is wracked with convulsions.

"I died because of you. You killed me." He bends down, right by her ear. "And I hate you for it."

"No!" Liz pitches forward, pressing her forehead to the ground. The blood sloshes about her and she immediately jerks upright, at least she tries. There is a presence on her back that keeps her firmly planted in the sea of red.

"Drown in it." Slash's large hand presses hard on her. "Just like I did."

The red surges upward and engulfs her. She falls deeper and deeper into it until she's lost in it. She jerks from side to side, trying to find her bearings. But there's nothing. She nearly gasps as she sees Slash's vague outline. She clamps her hands over her mouth to hold it in.

Slash only watches her with dull eyes. He's as he was at the start. His image flickers, fading slowly into nothingness.

Liz starts and flings her hand out toward him. No use. Slash floats away from her and gives her one last sneer before he disappears forever. "Slash!" The blood rushes into her lungs and she chokes on it. Everything blurs and her frenzied mind clouds. The panic ebbs, giving way to the darkness as it creeps in at the edges.

His face flashes before her dim mind. Who? She can't tell. Just…a he. Deep blue…pale…green? Cold eyes shift to demented eyes and then to something so fleeting she can place it even less than everything else. Slash…father…and green men. Green men...

The faces diverge into three separate entities, circling her and chanting. "Drown, drown, drown."Then from the stream of biting words comes a sharp cry. Wake up. Sharp, yet so far away all the same. Wake up. "Wake up!"

Liz shoots up in place and sucks in a sharp breath. She chokes on air and her hard coughs and gasps become even worse as sobs mingle with them. She clutches at her chest, reaches for the fabric of her shirt, but only finds smooth skin. Her breaths become further strangled as panic swallows her whole, just like the sea of blood.

"Hey!" Donnie snaps his arms out and grips her shoulders. "Come on, look at me."

Liz reacts to the touch and flings her arms out. She swipes at his face, vying for any kind of leverage to get him away – far away. When she sees red it only sends her further over the edge.

Donnie grunts and hisses as she breaks skin with her claws. He quickly latches his hands around her wrists and holds her hands down. "Listen." Donnie struggles to make eye contact. Her wild eyes flit every which way, but finally he manages it. "It's ok." He says slowly.

Liz's eyes are wide and pupils dilated. Her breaths come no easier to her. Still, there is a chord of knowing struck within her. This is him. The third face. The green man.

"Breathe with me." Donnie loosens his hold on her, but only slightly. He mimes what she should do, hoping that she will indeed mimic him.

Liz shudders out a tight breath, but it is quickly swallowed by hiccups and sobs. Her face contorts into an ugly grimace and she jerks her hands back. She scrunches up, her knees drawn tightly to her chest and her arms wrapped fiercely around her legs. She convulses terribly. Never once does she let her eyes leave Donnie. Can't let them too close. Never again.

Donnie lifts a hand, then stops. He bites his lip. Think. "I'm not going to hurt you." He scoots to the opposite end of the couch. "But you were screaming. And now you're…" He lets the truth hang in the air. "Please," He tentatively reaches for her.

Liz shrinks from him. "B-Blood…" Her face twists in horror. "S-So…much."

Donnie starts. His blood? He wipes at his face, hoping to rid it of the red. "It's gone."

Liz shakes her head in two stiff movements. "N-No…never gone. Never…never gone." She grips her head fiercely, digging her nails in deep. More blood. Slash's cold face flashes before her, blood smeared across his blue skin. She jerks up and yelps. She nearly flips over the arm of the couch.

Donnie lurches forward. He snatches her wrist and pulls her up. "Easy." He retracts his hand quickly, but he keeps his gaze locked on hers. "You're still sick. You don't need to be injured on top of everything they did to you."

Liz starts. What…they did? She jerks her eyes down to her arm. Oh. The dream floods back to her. The pricks in her skin, how weak she felt afterward. Sedated. A shudder rips through her. "W-Where…am I?" She tenses in preparation for a terrible answer.

Donnie moves his hands in a downward motion, trying to calm her without saying a word. "You're safe. Far away from those horrible people, from-" He cringes. "From your father."

Liz sucks in a breath, the first strong intake of air since she awoke. Gradually her breathing regulates. Still the presence of the dream is very real. Goosebumps rise on her skin and her sobs return full force. "But…he-he…he's sti-still…dead." Tears well in her bloodshot eyes and her lip trembles fiercely. She thrusts her face in her hands to hide her weakness. Slash would laugh. If he weren't dead.

Donnie struggles. He shifts backward and forward slightly, trying to choose whether he should go to her or leave her be until she wears herself out. She can't last much longer like this. While she is undeniably better, she is still very weak. It will be a while yet before she can go anywhere. And yet, "Who?"

Liz sniffles and wipes at her eyes. She peeks out from her fingers. You fool. "It doesn't matter." Her voice wavers. "He hates me now."

Donnie starts. "What?" A thought comes to him. He sighs and smiles weakly. "Hey," He lays a hand on her shoulder. "I told you – it was just a bad dream. Whatever you saw, it wasn't real." He shakes his head. "Believe me."

Liz swallows hard. Her sobs rise up once more. "N-No. He…he is dead. I saw him. Before-Before… Her breathing hitches and she presses her hand firmly over her mouth. "Harold took me." Her tears spill over the edge and run down her already tear stained face.

Donnie drops his gaze. He grimaces. What's he supposed to say to that? "Let me help you." He beckons her closer. "I can't promise that the nightmares will go away, that's just not possible, but I can be here when you wake up. I can make you feel safe."

Liz watches his carefully. Her breathing speeds up and her thoughts run wild. Men can't be trusted. Still, she remembers. He was there before. He promised. She inches closer. She sways slightly, just out of his range. At the last moment she lays herself down, her head in his lap.

Donnie blinks down at her. Not what he expected. Still, he understands it. He is careful. He only pats her shoulder slightly. He doesn't dare touch anywhere else.

"Y-You…promise?" She says suddenly.

Donnie starts. "I'm sorry?"

Liz collects herself. "That it wasn't real." She tenses and shifts her hands. She curls her fingers around his leg.

Donnie cringes as her claws dig into his skin slightly, but he does not protest. He's not the one that matters right now. "I swear. The blood isn't real. And there's no one here but me and my brothers. And we would never hurt you."

Liz nods, only perceptible as her head shifts against his leg. "O-Ok." She lets her eyes fall shut, bracing herself to fall back into the dark embrace of her dreams.

Donnie lays back against the couch. He sighs heavily, but beneath his breath so she does not hear. "You'll be ok…" He hopes. But right now she is showing some bad signs. Some mental trauma. And it's not hard to imagine why.

…

The night is still and heavy. The warm air, once calming against Slash's skin, now only suppresses him and makes him all the more aware of the urgency of his task. It's been too long. However long he was held captive plus a week. He can't remember how long the Kraang had him for. Time was meaningless in that containment unit. But he knows it's been far too long since that day he almost died. Since he lost her – Liz.

He lifts his head to the sky. He breathes in deeply, out of habit. That first day he tried to track her by her scent, but it was to no avail. Just as it is now. All traces of her are long gone. All he can do is search every nook and cranny of this vile city. Still, he must not do so carelessly. Rampaging will only bring unwanted attention to him – Kraang attention. And he can't afford to lose any more time.

He focuses his gaze on the building straight ahead of him. It looks abandoned and like it is slowly falling apart. Just like me. There won't be any humans here, at least not innocent ones. It is the perfect place to hide away from the rest of the world. Hide with Liz. Anger flashes in Slash's eyes and his lips curl into a snarl. "Maybe I'll get lucky this time." He clenches his fists.

He has the urge to slam through the door, but he reigns it in. If they're still here he doesn't want to alert them to his presence. Worse, the whole building might come down and…he can't even think about that. He takes a deep breath in and out before soundlessly entering the building.

It's darker than outside and irritatingly dank. It takes a moment, but his eyes adjust and he sees better than any human could ever hope to. He looks around the area, but it is quickly apparent that no one is here. Not on this floor. He moves to the stairs to go up and he steps on something soft, just at the foot of the stairs.

He starts and slowly tilts his head downward. He shifts his foot and from beneath it peeks out pink fabric. Slash sucks in a sharp breath. Her neckerchief. He bends down and carefully picks it up. He stares intently at it. Yes. He jerks his head up, his eyes lighting with intensity and alarm. She must be here.

Slash storms up the stairs. He bursts into the second floor room, but there's nothing. So he runs until he reaches the third floor. Here he stops dead. He trembles slightly as he puts the pieces together into a truly sickening picture. They kept her there, in the glass container – now shattered. They used that machine to do horrible things to her, things not unlike those done to him by the Kraang. She was helpless. And all because of her father.

His lips curl back to reveal bared teeth. He whirls and slams his fist into the wall. His fist goes completely through it and he swears he feels the building quiver faintly. Calm down. He shakes his head. Whatever happened though, they're all gone now. There's no one to beat…no one to save.

He looks back at the shattered glass littering the floor. But who could have taken her? This speaks not of transferring from one location to another, but brute force. Those men, they don't have her anymore. Still, someone does. He narrows his eyes into slits.

His fingers curl inward and he clenches the fabric within his hand. It reminds him it is still there. He lifts his hand up and again stares at the pink clothing. It's all that's left of her. For now. He ties the neckerchief off on his arm. It stands out brilliantly against his blue skin. "I'll find you." He says to the empty air. His eyes lock on the neckerchief and he touches it fondly. His expression tenses with traces of pain. But he quickly swallows it in place of raw fury. "I swear it."

So what did you think? I enjoyed writing the nightmare scene especially. Nightmares are always way too much fun. And hopefully next chapter will have more of all the other turtles too. Please review!