A/N: Things are picking up pace her, so hold on tight! :D

Kala woke slowly to find Mikey settled in a chair beside her bed. He smiled at her, then lifted his head to look at something she couldn't see. "She's waking up."

"Good." Donnie came into view. "Everything went fine, Kala. But you'll need to rest for a while."

She took in a breath and realized the pressure in her chest was greatly reduced. "I can breathe easier."

"Yes, Dr. Trill did a thoracentesis while you were under. He removed as much fluid as he could from your lungs and pleural space. You should feel some relief from that alone."

Mikey leaned forward, stroking her cheek. "I'm gonna take you back to Dyna's as soon as the doc says we can leave." He smiled and there seemed to be a measure of relief behind it this time. Donnie had explained that the procedure would make her feel better, but it wasn't a temporary solution. Fluid would begin to build again, if they couldn't fix the underlying problems. But at least she'll feel better for a little while.

Dr. Trill appeared from behind the dividing wall. "Her vitals are all normal." He smiled down at Kala. "I've got everything I need for now. I suggest you rest tonight. I know you probably feel a lot better, but you're in no shape to be running around the city yet."

Mikey helped as Kala started to sit up. She gave the doctor a weak smile. "Thank you for helping."

"Don't worry, we're going to do our best to take care of you."

She nodded and Mikey walked her out of the exam room door. Dask, Zak, and Sarah were all pleased to see her. "Time to head back to Dyna's." Mikey told them.

Sarah looked up at Donnie as he shook his head. "I'm going to stay with Dr. Trill and start trying to find something that will help her."

She frowned. "Do you want me to stay?"

"No, I need you to stay with Kala." Her frown deepened but she nodded her agreement and he kissed her brow. "Will you call Leo for me and let him know what's going on?"

"Alright." She leaned up and gave him a warm kiss before stepping away.

"You have our com link, if you need a ride back later." Dask reminded him.

"Yeah, I do. Thanks." The genius watched as his wife left with his brother and sister-in-law. He had a feeling this was going to be a long night, one of many he would have in the near future.

Two Weeks Later

April sighed as she watched Yoshi place another stack of boxes on the floor of her bedroom. "What about all my furniture?"

"It's downstairs." Yoshi assured her. "K-three, Uncle Leo and Mom are almost done with the elevator. It'll probably be up in the next day or two. We can bring some of your furniture up then, if you want."

April sighed. "It would be nice to have my own bedroom furniture at least."

"I'm sure we can arrange that." Kaz smiled as he entered and set another stack of boxes on top of Yoshi's.

"Are you sure you got everything?" April asked for at least the tenth time.

Kaz rolled his eyes. "Yes, Uncle Leo went with us. He made us check every inch of your place. We got everything."

"And the apartment manager was okay with me not giving a month's notice?" April was a bit skeptical. Her apartment manager was not very nice.

Yoshi chuckled. "Uh, yeah after Mira tore him a new one, he was very… agreeable."

"Yoshi!" Cat scolded as she entered with a small box – the only thing Raph would let her tote up three flights.

Yoshi rolled his eyes now. "Come on, Mom, it's not like you haven't heard worse from Dad."

Cat snorted. "Which is probably where you learned that."

Raph stepped into the doorway, carrying several boxes of his own. He glanced from his wife to his son. "Did you just get me in trouble?"

Yoshi couldn't help the small grin. "Kinda." He was an adult, it wasn't like his mother could do much about his bad habits now.

April managed to save the day. "Whoa, wait a minute, back up. What did Mira say to him?"

It was Kaz's turn to laugh. "Let's just say she left him chasing his own tail. He didn't know which way was up when she got done with him. She even talked him into giving back half of this month's rent." He shook his head with a smile. "It's never wise to play word games with her."

April wasn't sure whether to feel appalled or relieved. She settled on the latter, a smile breaking out on her wrinkled face. "I wish I could have seen his face."

Cat looked around. "Where is Mira?"

Raph settled his stack of boxes on the floor next to the others. "She said she had to stop in the lab for something."

Mira frowned at her mother's appearance over the small video relay. She looked exhausted with dark circles under her eyes, which meant her father probably looked worse. "So, there's been no progress?"

Sarah shook her head. "They've eliminated a lot of possible treatments, but nothing so far can reverse any of the damage done."

"How much longer do you think you'll be?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. It could be days or even weeks. They're working as fast as they can. Your father is in the lab practically day and night working through as many simulations as he can. Dr. Trill is only able to join him in the evenings." Sarah sighed. "Their technology isn't as advanced as we'd hoped, but it's still far better than Earth's."

Mira didn't need her empathic powers to see how much pain that statement caused her mother. "That bad, huh?"

Sarah glanced around her to be certain she was alone. "Yes. I wish I had better news."

Mira nodded. "Alright. I'll let Uncle Leo know." They'd decided after several communications that is was better Kaz didn't hear every detail about what was happening, so they'd started making two separate calls home. The first, which would be done during the day, would be to relay pertinent details of their progress on Neutrino. The second, which was done in the evening, was so Kaz could see and talk with his parents. It might have been a little deceptive, but they all felt it was better if Mikey relayed information to his son. And he only did that when he felt he really had some news to tell.

"I'll contact you back at the usual time tonight." Sarah paused. "And, sweetheart?"

"Yeah?" The two pair of deep brown eyes held each other for lingering moment.

"We miss you."

Mira tried to smile. "We miss you too." She let out a heavy sigh as the screen went blank.

Ona grimaced at the contents of the refrigerator. How did they manage to go through so much milk, bread, and eggs? Hadn't they recently gone grocery shopping? She let out a heavy sigh. Everyone was busy right now. She could hear Kaz and Yoshi arguing in the living room, where they were bringing in April's furniture. Cat and Mira were upstairs supposedly helping April unload her boxes, while Raph and Shinta continued to carry them up the stairs. Star was chasing Katsu around the dojo, trying desperately to keep him out from under Leo and K-three.

Well, I'll just have to go get it myself. She thought briefly of her step-father, but figured that threat had passed. It had been more than two weeks since they'd seen him. Besides, the store is only two blocks away. She needed some of the deplenished items to make dinner, so she really didn't have the time to wait for someone to stop what they were doing just to walk to the store with her.

The living room grew silent and Ona decided this was her chance to slip out without being stopped or a bodyguard being forced on her, whether she thought one was necessary or not. Grabbing her purse, she checked to be sure she had cash and her cell before stepping into the living room. The room was indeed empty and she could now here Kaz and Yoshi's argument coming from the stairwell. A touch of guilt hit her. She should probably at least tell Kaz she was leaving. Then again, he'd try to go with her. No. I'll be fifteen minutes max. Nobody will even know I was gone.

Stepping out the front door of the old hotel, she found the sun shining. For a brief moment, she allowed its warmth to seep into her skin, filling her with more confidence. Squaring her shoulders, she started up the street past Jamie's music shop. She didn't notice when the older woman lifted her head and spotted her walking by. She kept her pace quick. This needed to be fast before either Kaz or Leo got wind of her leaving. Leo hadn't exactly said it was okay for them to leave the lair yet. But the incident with her step-father had been weeks ago.

She frowned as the memory of that horrible article flashed across her mind. She still couldn't understand how Kaz could look at her knowing what had happened to her. She sighed, allowing her sweet turtle to come to the forefront of her mind. He was still pretty torn up about his mother, not that anyone could blame him. He'd been rather clingy lately and she knew it was partly because of Kala but also partly because of her. He was trying desperately to reassure her that he loved her. Some part of her knew he was only trying to protect her and even appreciated it. But another part was hurt by what felt like a betrayal – a betrayal by the only person she had completely trusted from her first moment of awareness.

He loved her. That she knew very well by his soft whispers, sorrowful pleas, and desperate tears. It was a simple and eternal truth like the sun in the sky and air to breathe. A fact that could not be changed. Which made the fact that she'd just slipped out on him fill her with even more guilt. I really need to hurry up. She fumbled for her cell to check the time, not really noticing her surroundings, when she ran headlong into a solid mass.

Her cell slipped from her fingers and skidded across the cement. She cringed, knowing it would have a large scratch on it now. "Oh, excuse me. I'm terribly sorry." She looked up to see who she'd run into and gasped. "You!"

Wikoli grinned broadly. "Ah! I see you know me now."

She took a step back, preparing to make a run for it. "M-my husband told me about you."

He raised a thick dark brow. "Oh, what did he tell you? Did he tell you that I took care of you and your mother from the time you were five? Did he tell you I taught you to play the guitar? Did he tell you after your mother died that I was the one that fed you and clothed you and sent you to school?"

Ona took another step back. "I-I saw the article. I know what you did to me."

"Lies!" He growled. This time he took a step forward, pulling something from his pocket. Ona almost bolted, but paused when she saw the shimmer of gold. He dangled a heart-shaped locket in front of him. "This was your mother's. I was wearing it when they sent me away." He looked up at her. "I'll give it to you, if you'll just listen to my side of the story."

She knew it was a trick, but it didn't stop the brief moment of curiosity and longing that distracted her. That was all it took though. Something struck her in the face hard and darkness quickly swallowed her.

"We shoulda just waited for 'em to finish the elevator." Yoshi complained as he followed Kaz down the stairs.

"Aunt April said she needed it now." Kaz stepped off the bottom step and stretched his back.

Yoshi frowned. "So, Mom said they'll be done by tomorrow." He rubbed at his shoulder where he'd hit on a corner, trying to lug the heavy recliner up the stairs.

Kaz shot him a look. "Stop complainin' already, will you? It was one chair." Yoshi continued to grumble as Kaz left him, headed for the kitchen. "Babe?" He frowned at the empty room, then shrugged. She might be somewhere else. Their new home was rather large. He pulled a soda from the fridge and popped the top off, before heading into the dojo. The first person he ran across was Star. She was panting from chasing the toddler around and blocking his constant attempts at getting the tools scattered there. "Hey, where's Ona?"

Star turned to him with a giggling Katsu in her arms. She frowned. "Wasn't she in the kitchen? I saw her in there a few minutes ago."

"No."

Star shrugged. "Have you checked downstairs. She could be doing the laundry."

Kaz frowned. He was pretty certain she'd already done that today. "I'll check." After checking the basement where the washer and dryer were kept, and finding nothing, he headed for their bedroom. Finding it empty as well, he stopped beside K-three who was working on the cage at the end of the hall. "Have you guys seen Ona? I can't find her anywhere."

K-three frowned. "No." He leaned out over the gap that was the elevator shaft. "Leo, you seen Ona?"

On the top floor, Leo paused in the assemblage of his own cage. "Ona? No. It's almost dinner time, she's probably in the kitchen."

Kaz stuck his head out to meet his uncle's gaze. "She's not and I can't find her anywhere."

"I'll ask the others if she's been up here." Leo stepped away to ask everyone gathered in April's room if any of them had seen her. He returned only a few moments later. "No one else has seen her either." Leo could see worry wash over his nephew's features. "I'll be right down."

Within a few minutes everyone had gathered downstairs in the living room and a search of their home had been completed. Shinta came running in from the garage. "She's not out there either. Everything is locked up and the alarm's on."

Leo's frown deepened as he turned to eldest nephew. "She didn't say anything to you?"

Kaz shook his head, cell in hand. "No, and she's not answering my calls."

Cat put a hand on his arm. She could feel him trembling beneath her fingers. "Maybe she took off on her own to run an errand or something."

Jamie stepped in from the music shop where she'd just closed up. She stared around, knowing instantly something was wrong. "What's going on?"

Leo glanced past her. "Ona wasn't in there with you, was she?"

Jamie's brow bunched. "Of course not. I saw her leave a half an hour ago." When Leo's eyes went wide, she blinked. "You mean you didn't tell her she could leave?"

Leo scowled. "No, I did not."

"Do you know where she went?" Raph asked.

Jamie shook her head. "I saw her through the window. I just assumed it was okay. She looked like she was in a hurry."

"I've located her cell." Mira looked up from her own phone. She let out a small sigh. "It's down near the grocery store." Then she frowned as she examined the screen more intently. "But it's not at the grocery and it's not moving."

Kaz was already moving towards the door, but Leo stopped him. "Hold on, Kaz. We need to gear up. We don't know what's happened - if anything."

Kaz glared. "No way! I'm going now!"

Leo started to protest but Raph put up a hand, shaking his head. "Alright, Yoshi and I'll go with you."

Leo frowned. "Fine, Mira and K-three get whatever you think you might need. Come on, Shinta. Let's get our gear."

Kaz didn't wait to hear more as he, Raph and Yoshi flipped on their holos and raced down the sidewalk. Within minutes they were approaching the grocery. Kaz stopped when he spotted the hot pink phone laying on the sidewalk. He picked it up. "This is Ona's."

Yoshi hurried past him the last the few yards into the front of the grocery. He returned a moment later, a scowl in place. "They ain't seen her."

"So, she didn't make it inside." Raph looked around. He didn't see any major clues right off.

Kaz stood, panic overwhelming him. "Ona! ONA! ONA!" His heart pounded as he raced from alley to alley. "Ona!"

Raph caught him by the shoulders. "Kazzey, calm down. We'll find her." He growled. "I swear we will. And when we do we'll make that bastard pay."

Kaz dropped his head to hide the fear in his eyes. "What if he…?"

Raph's grip tightened, his gaze determined. "We'll find her before he can do anything to her. I know we will."

A/N: Sheesh, when will they learn to do what Leo tells them! Hahaha! Let me know if you are enjoying the story with a review!

P.S. I'm already working up a great plot for the next one. It's gonna have romance, capture and escape, and toddler mayhem!