A/N: I'm still a little on the early side. Oh, well. I guess you guys are benefiting from my nervous energy. Haven't got a lot of reviews for this one yet, but thank you to the ones that have. You're gonna need those boxes of tissue from this point on. It's gonna be a roller coaster of an emotional ride.

See the bottom for a special note.

Don frowned down at Sarah, feeling her panic and grief sweep over him. He took her small hand in his and squeezed it. Reaching out with his free hand, he gently brushed away a tear that rolled down her cheek. Sarah diligently did not turn to face the couple behind her. She knew her face was flushed and her expression displayed her fear. Don sighed, steadying his nerve before turning to his brother. "Mikey, would you step outside with me for a minute?"

Both Kala and Mikey flinched. Very slowly Mikey released Kala's hand and followed his brother out of the door. Donnie walked several feet down the hall before stopping and turning to face his younger brother. Mikey stared at him with big baby blue eyes. Don swallowed hard, struggling with both his emotions and his mate's. Mikey's heart was beating a mile a minute. There had to be something very wrong for his brother to pull him from the room. "Donnie…?"

"Mikey, Kala has pneumonia – a very severe case of pneumonia."

Mikey frowned. "You already told us that."

Don took a deep breath. "Pneumonia is where fluid and puss accumulate in the lungs. It makes it hard to breathe, causes chest pains, and often bloody mucus."

Mikey was becoming frustrated. "Don, I don't need a medical lesson. I need to know what's going on with Kala."

Donnie took his brother's shoulders in both hands. "Mikey, Kala's lungs are nearly full of fluid. It's attacking her system very aggressively. It probably has something to do with her Neutrino physiology. She comes from a dry, aired planet. Her people are likely to have had very little exposure to the things she's been exposed to here. The pneumonia has caused a lot of scaring and it's also caused fluid to accumulate outside her lungs causing pleural effusion."

Mikey had gone pale in Don's hands. He didn't know what all that meant but it sounded bad – really bad. His bottom lip trembled as he tried to force words out. "But you can help her, right? You can make her better?"

Don slowly shook his head. "I….I don't know. Kala is the only Neutrino I've ever been able to examine." He let out a heavy sigh. "I just don't know enough to give you a yes on that. I wish I could. With all my heart, I wish I could. But I just don't know." He took another deep breath. "What I do know is that if a human had that much damage to their lungs…"

There was a long pause and Mikey nearly flipped. "What!"

"They wouldn't survive it." Don watched as Mikey's whole body began to tremble. He pulled him into a tight embrace. "We're going to fight this, Mikey. We'll take her back to Neutrino. They may have advanced technology or techniques that can help."

"I can't lose her, Don." Mikey's voice was choked with a sob. "I'd be lost without her."

Don shuddered. He knew the pain his brother was in. He'd felt it many times over with Sarah. The fear and desperation could take your breath away. He tightened his grip. "We'll do everything we can for her. I promise."

Kaz landed skillfully on the rooftop and knelt so Ona could climb off his shell easily. "Okay, we're home. Now tell me what's going on."

He frowned, taking her hand. "I will. I promise. But I want to talk to my dad first." Kaz was hoping he could help calm the situation and explain it to her better.

Ona's eyes narrowed. Why did he keep putting her off! "Kaz!"

He put up his hands. It was rare that she got this mad at him. "Ona, please!"

Raph and Shinta stepped out of the greenhouse, exchanging an odd look with one another. They'd never heard Ona shout at Kaz before. He took her shoulders in his hands, his blue gaze pleading with her. "Please, just…"

At that moment, the stairway door opened and Cat stepped onto the roof. She blinked in surprise at the tense scene. "Are you two, okay?"

"Do you know where my dad's at?" Kaz slid his hand down to encompass Ona's.

Cat frowned. "In the lab, I think."

Without another word, he moved past her into the stairwell. Ona followed still frowning and half thinking he was just delaying her. She began to protest again as they crossed the top floor and started down the main stairs. "Is this really necessary! Why can't you just tell me what's going on! Kaz!"

"Babe, please. It'll all make sense. Just let me-" Kaz came to an abrupt stop on the next landing, finding both his father and uncle standing near the end of the hall. "Dad, I need to…" He frowned as he took in his father's distraught expression. "What's going on?"

When Mikey didn't answer right away and instead looked off in the opposite direction, Donnie stepped in. "What's the matter?"

Kaz frowned. "He's here."

It took Don a moment to realize what he was saying. Mikey glanced at his son over his shoulder and shook his head, waving his hands. "I can't….I can't deal with this right now." He started back down the hall.

Kaz's frown only deepened. Now he knew something was wrong. He looked at his uncle. "What's going on?" He repeated emphatically.

Donnie sighed, running a hand across his head and rubbing a stress knot that was beginning to form at the base of his neck. "Kaz, Leo is downstairs watching TV with Jamie. I suggest you talk to him about…that. And tell him we need to have a family meeting." He glanced towards the lab. "Just give me about ten minutes."

"But-!"

Don shook his head firmly. "Ten minutes." He didn't give his nephew the opportunity to argue as he turned and headed back to the lab.

When Don and Mikey left the room, Kala had sat on the cot looking from the door to Sarah, who had yet to turn and look at her. After several long quiet tense minutes, Kala stood and moved to stand beside Sarah. The small brunette, hid her face behind her long locks. "Sarah?" It worried Kala that she didn't speak, it was unusual to say the least.

Suddenly, she turned, wrapping Kala in a tight embrace. "I love you, Kala. I don't say it enough, but I do. You know that, right?"

The Neutrino was surprised at first, but she quickly returned the hug. "Of course, I do. And I love you too." She pushed her back to look at her with a small smile. "You're my sister in every way that matters." She frowned, examining the other woman's appearance. Sarah's face was red with emotion and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "Please, just tell me what's going on."

Sarah took a deep breath, glancing at the door. She wondered if she should wait for Donnie, but Kala deserved to know the truth. Taking a deep breath, she locked away the torrent of emotions both she and Donnie were feeling. Using the cool crisp logical part of her mind, she forced out the explanation. She turned and pulled an erasable marker from a drawer. Leaning over the x-ray panel she drew on it. "These are your lungs. Do you see how you can see through them at the top?" She circled a small portion and Kala nodded. "You should be able to do that with your whole lung. They should be nearly transparent on the x-ray."

Kala frowned. "But they're white." Nearly seventy-five percent of the area she'd indicated in both lungs was a solid mass.

"The pneumonia has attacked your system very aggressively. Your lungs are full of fluid and there is significant scar tissue. This area here is called the pleural, it usually only has a small amount of fluid in it – like a lubricant – that helps you breathe. It is completely inflamed."

"That's why I'm having so much trouble breathing." Kala said more to herself than Sarah.

"Yes, and the scar tissue is making it worse. Think of your lung as a paper sack that has been lined with clay. After so many layers have been applied, it can no longer open and close properly and the amount of air it can hold is reduced."

"So, what can we do about it?"

Sarah frowned. "We can draw the fluid out using a syringe, but it's painful."

Kala could hear a much larger "but" in the statement. "Tell me the truth."

Sarah shook her head, tears forming in her eyes again. "In humans, we could treat the inflammation and the infection. But that will only do so much. Those patients would likely be candidates for a lung replacement. But that's something me and Donnie could never do for you. I don't even know if you could take the drugs necessary to remove the pneumonia."

Kala could feel a cold ball growing in the pit of her stomach. "Sarah, what are saying? Am I-?"

The door came open and Mikey crossed the room, pulling Kala into his arms protectively. "We're going to beat this, babe! You're going to be alright! I know it! We're going to go to Neutrino and they are going to help us make you better!" He cupped her face. "I am not letting you go without a fight!"

She stared up at him, wide-eyed and pale, her heart beating loudly in her ears. This wasn't real! It just couldn't be! Tears began to pool in her own blue eyes as the reality of what Sarah had said set in. "Mikey…I'm scared."

He took in a sharp breath, pulling her back against him and nuzzling against her cheek. "I've got you, baby. I've got you and I'm not letting go." Kala let out a deep, heart wrenching sob that was muffled in his shoulder.

Sarah swiped at the tears escaping her again as Don stepped back into the doorway. She crossed the room, wrapping her arms around his waist. He let out a heavy sigh, encompassing her in a tight embrace as she shuddered at the overwhelming emotions flowing through them.

Leo's voice filled the hall outside. "Family meeting in ten minutes in the living room."

Kaz had watched his uncle and father walk away with a slack-jaw. Ona, who'd been quietly standing behind him during the scene, moved around to face him. Her expression was now soft and concerned. "Kazzey?"

The turtle shook his head in dismay. "I've never seen my father that upset before. Something's happened."

He took a step forward and Ona placed a hand against his plastron. "Whatever it is, I think we're going to find out in a few minutes since they're calling a meeting."

Kaz frowned, his gaze shifting between his wife and the lab door. He let out a heavy sigh. "Okay, but I promised I'd tell you what's going on." He took her hand and started down to the bottom floor. Leo and Jamie were settled on the couch, snuggled up against each other watching the news. "Uncle Leo, I don't mean to bother you, but…"

Seeing the serious expression on his nephew, Leo immediately straightened. "What is it?"

Kaz was unsure which topic he should broach first. "Uh, Uncle Don said he wanted a family meeting in ten minutes. It's something serious, I think."

Leo frowned, standing. "It usually is, if it's Don calling the meeting." He moved to the wall and hit the intercom which filtered his voice into every part of the old hotel. "Family meeting in ten minutes in the living room." He released the button to turn back to Kaz, who still seemed pensive. "Is there something else you need to tell me?"

Kaz shifted from one foot to the other, his grip tightening on Ona's hand. "He's here, Uncle Leo. He spotted me and Ona at a restaurant."

Leo's eyes widened as he took in what he was being told. "Did he follow you?"

"He tried to, but I took the rooves home. He couldn't follow us that way, even if he wanted to." Kaz looked at the floor. He'd hoped this day would never come. "I was going to have dad help me, but he seemed….busy."

Leo rubbed his face. The past always seemed to have a way of catching up with them. He wondered if it was just a mutant turtle thing, or if everyone had to deal with the reopening of old wounds. "What have you told her?"

"Nothing." Kaz's voice broke slightly.

Leo moved towards them, he took Ona by the hand and pulled her over to an adjacent sofa. She was a little surprised by the act. Leo wasn't usually the touchy-feely type. He sat down and she followed suit. "Ona, what we are about to tell you, we kept from you because we care about you. In all truth, we hoped you'd never have to hear this story. But realize we decided to keep your past from you for a very good reason."

Ona pulled her hand away from the older turtle. She'd never been disrespectful to Kaz's family and in particular his uncle – the head of their family. But anger crept across her face. "You decided? Youdecided! What gives you the right to decide what I know about my own past!" She turned her head to glare at Kaz standing just behind her. "Any of you! If it's my life, I have a right to know what was in it!"

Kaz moved around to sit on the coffee table across from her. "Babe, please, just listen to us first. If you want to be mad afterwards, then you can and I'll take the blame for it. I could have told you about this at any time and I didn't."

Ona ground her teeth, her eyes still dark and angry. "Fine."

Jamie was watching them, her brow furrowed. She was just as surprised and confused by this information as Ona was. Leo took a deep breath before speaking. "When Kaz found you all those years ago, you were obviously traumatized. You were mute and frightened easily. And after Dr. Lanius wiped your mind and you came to live with us, we tried to find out who you were. At first, we had a hard time." He gently took her hand, turning it over to show her fingertips. His voice dropped slightly as he ran a large finger over one of her small ones. "You'd burnt off your fingerprints."

Ona stared at her hand. She'd never really noticed that the tips of her fingers were so smooth. She bit her lip and looked back up at Leo tentatively.

"So, Don did a facial recognition search for you. He only came up with one thing. It was an article describing the abuse your step-father had put you through." Leo's face hardened. "What that man did to you…no one should have to remember that."

"Especially not you." Kaz said softly, reaching out to put a hand on her arm. "You've always been so happy, so full of life. I didn't want to darken your heart with the memory of that monster."

Ona shook her head. "It doesn't matter. It's still my life – my decision." She jabbed a finger into her chest. "You had no right to hide this from me." Her jaw worked for a moment. "I want to see this article."

Leo exchanged a worried look with Kaz. The younger turtle frowned. "I don't think that's such a good idea." The article had been filled with gruesome details.

She glared. "I want to see it!"

Kaz felt his skin prickle under her intense gaze. "Okay, I don't think we have the paper copy anymore. I think it was destroyed with the lair. But maybe, I can pull it up on my phone."

He'd just pulled his phone out, when the door to the dojo came flying open and Mira came into the room. She looked frantic, her gaze jumping from Ona to the stairwell and back. Ona was angry and upset; but Mira could sense her parents, Kala, and Mikey were more than upset. K-three came through the door mere steps behind her, catching her arm as she started for the stairs. "Mira, wait! Just wait! They're going to tell us what's going on or there wouldn't be a meeting!"

"Let go, Kane!" She tried to tug her arm free, but he held on. She opened her mouth to protest, when the others started filing into the room. First Raph, Cat, and Shinta. Then Yoshi and Star. Finally, Sarah, Donnie, Mikey, and Kala appeared - their faces wrought with emotion.

Leo stood up and Kaz took his place beside Ona. He leaned close to whisper in her ear. "I'll pull it up for you after the meeting." He gently brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and she pulled away from him, averting her eyes. She was angry – very angry. She felt betrayed and lied to and maybe even taken for a fool. What right had they had to do this to her, to keep her from knowing her past? All her thoughts were quieted though as Donatello started to speak.

"Tomorrow Mikey, Kala, Sarah and I will be going to Dimension X to Neutrino. We may be gone for some time, days maybe weeks. We'll try to keep in contact on a regular basis. Leo, we'll schedule a set time for us to contact you on the interdimensional communicator."

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Raph waved his hands. "Back up. Why are you goin' to Dimension X? That's a warzone, ain't it?"

"We don't have a choice." Sarah responded softly and Donnie squeezed her hand.

"What do you mean, you don't have a choice?" Leo was watching them all closely and knew that something had happened. And it most likely involved Kala, judging by the way Mikey was clutching her against him.

Don sighed, exchanging a quick look with Mikey. He wasn't going to just blurt it out. This was a very personal matter. The youngest brother swallowed hard, before giving a slight nod. Don cleared his throat. "Kala is sick. In fact, she is very sick. She has a very severe case of pneumonia. It's our hope that the doctors on Neutrino can help."

There was a sharp gasp and Ona looked up at Kaz to see he'd gone pale. Slowly he stood. "Mom?"

A/N: As many of you may know, my family lives in southeast Texas. Nearly my entire family has been devastated by Harvey. I am asking from the very bottom of my heart that you donate. It doesn't matter really what it is - time, money, clothes, food, water, cleaning supplies. Please give! T_T There are many of my family that have nothing but the shirts on their backs. We are so thankful for all those that have come to help in the effort, who have saved lives and brought supplies. If you want to see pictures of the flooding at my dad's home, visit my deviantart page and click on Journals. Thank you all for your prayers on this national day of prayer.