Sorry this has taken so long. I wish that I could tell you something exciting...like I was backpacking in Europe or I had been on a secret space mission for NASA...but no, it has only been life. My dad has been sick (but he is much better now) my oldest started Middle School and my youngest starts Pre-K on Wednesday. My oldest decided that it would be best if she cut her own hair...yeah, the night before school and she also thought that it would be fun to do her own eyebrows...with scotch tape! Love her heart...it looked like a rabid wolverine got a hold of her. Anyways...I hope y'all are still with me and I if all goes well, the next update will not take so long. :)

I can't own them...they won't let me.

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Chapter 9: Forward

April was still working at the computer when Raphael stormed into the lab. Mikey wasn't far behind him.

"Was Don there?" The look on their faces told April the answer before the words left her mouth.

Raph tossed Don's shell cell on the desk, a deep frown etched on his face.

"We saw signs of a fight," Mikey spoke up. "Uh, a lot of dirt kicked around...a few shuriken."

"An' this." Raph handed April a small, silver dart with a red tip. "I found this stuck in a pile of junk."

April sighed as she turned the dart over in her hand. She knew, as well as Raphael, that they were drugged.

"Have you had any luck with the security?" Mikey asked.

April bit her lip and shook her head. "They have really beefed it up since last time. The codes are changed every thirty minutes."

"Are we even sure that the cells are in the same place?" Raph pulled up a chair beside her. He swung it around and straddled it.

April shook her head again and turned back to the computer. "What we need is someone to slip in and give us a lay out of the place, just in case they have moved anything around."

"I still have that foot uniform." Casey said.

"Why do you still have that?" Raph turned to his friend.

Casey shrugged. "I think it still in the floor of my apartment."

"Uh...eww," Mikey wrinkled his nose.

"What? A few minutes in the dryer an' it will be as good as new."

"That is disgusting." Mikey made a gagging noise.

Casey rolled his eyes. "This comin' from the guy who ate cheetos that he found in the couch!"

"I didn't eat cheetos from the couch," Mikey retorted. "It was cornchips...and I only sucked the salt off of them."

"Ok." April held her hands up. "You both are disgusting. Casey, go and get that uniform. It may be useful."

"What are you thinking, April?" Raph asked. "They won't fall for that again."

"He is not going to bring you as prisoners, he is just going to slip in and try to find them. Maybe even get an access card again."

"I can do that." Casey was on his feet and half way to the door.

"Hurry up, Case," Raph called after him. "I want to be able to leave as soon as possible."

Casey nodded and headed to the front door.

"Where is Master Splinter?" Mikey asked April.

"He has been in his room for about an hour, meditating."

Raph glanced out the door of the lab. Splinter's door was shut, soft light from the candles filtered through the cracks. Raph's jaw clenched so hard that it hurt. He was the one to make some kind of contact with Leo last time, not that he had meant to. He wondered if he could do it again. He stared down at his hands, they were wrapped tightly around the top of the chair.

"No," he thought. He knew that he couldn't sit still or concentrate.

He stood up and slid the chair back to the corner. "I'm goin' to the dojo. Just let me know if you need me for anything."

April nodded and turned back to the computer.

Mikey watched Raph leave and then turned to April. "I'll make some coffee."

"That sounds good, Mike. Thanks." April flashed Mikey a small smile.

Mikey walked to the kitchen to prepare the coffee pot, leaving behind the clickety-click sound as April's fingers flew over the keyboard. He didn't really care for coffee, but April and Donny swore by the stuff. His heart squeezed at the thought of Don and Leo. He hoped that they were Ok...alive. Tears stung his eyes as the memories of finding Leo flooded back. And now that whack-job had Donny too.

He wiped his eyes quickly and grabbed April's mug from the cabinet. He thought that Master Splinter would want some tea when he finished meditating, so he filled the tea kettle with water and placed it on one of the burners of the stove.

He leaned against the counter as the coffee maker gurgled, and waited for the tea kettle to whistle.

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Splinter was deep in meditation, searching for his missing sons. It felt like an eternity, but finally he could feel the presence of all four of his students.

Two of the spiritual presences were strong. He could feel the anger, frustration, and fear like a lead weight bearing down on him. The other two were distant and fragile. He felt as if one wrong move and the connection would snap into, like a spider web. But he dug deeper and tried to make contact.

Donatello's link was the weakest. No matter how many times he called out for him, there was nothing but silence. Still, he could feel his life force.

And for that he was relieved.

He searched further and reached out to his eldest son.

He could feel the uncertainty... the pain.

"Leonardo?"

The silence was deafening. His heart squeezed painfully. He wondered if Leonardo and Donatello were being drugged. To keep them controlled...silent.

"Leonardo?"

He couldn't give up.

"My son?"

"Sensei?"

The link was so weak, but he could hear his son. He drew in a deep breath and released it slowly.

"Leonardo, I am so happy to hear your voice. Is your brother there with you? Is he Ok?"

There was a long pause and Splinter thought that the connection had been broken, but then...

"No, I'm sorry, Master. They are not keeping us together. I am not sure how he is..."

Splinter felt his heart break at the pain in his son's voice.

"Have no fear, my son. We are coming for you."

"They know that, Sensei. It is a trap! They took my cell and...and..."

"Calm down, Leonardo. We are aware of that and we will take the necessary precautions."

"I know where they are keeping Donny. If they haven't moved him."

"Anything that you can tell us about your location will be helpful, Leonardo."

"There is an entrance way in an alley. If you find that, follow the corridor to the end and make a right. Donny's cell should be the fifth one on the left."

"What about your cell?"

Another long pause and Splinter held his breath. Fear clawed it's way up his spine.

"I don't know, Father." His voice seemed so small.

"Leonardo?"

"I wasn't awake when they brought me here."

"We will find you."

"Donny knows where the cell is. He tried to escape..." Leonardo's voice cracked. "He made it too my cell, but they caught him. Master, I'm not sure what has happened to him. Please hurry and find him."

"Be strong, Leonardo. We are coming."

"Tell Raph and Mikey to be careful. I love you, father."

"I love you too, Leonardo."

And the link was broken. Splinter's eyes snapped open and he let go of a breath that he didn't know he was holding. He slowly stood up and walked to his door. He had much too tell Raphael and Michelangelo.

As he slid the door open he was greeted with the strong smell of coffee and the whistle of a tea kettle. For a moment it seemed like Leonardo and Donatello were still home. Splinter swallowed thickly and shuffled to the lab.

Mikey came in behind him with a cup of coffee for April and tea for Splinter.

"Here ya go, Master Splinter." Mikey handed the cup to him after he sat down. He sat April's coffee mug on a coaster by the computer monitor.

"Thank you, Michelangelo."

"Thanks, Mikey."

Splinter accepted the cup and took a small sip.

"Please go and get your brother, Michelangelo. I have some very important news to tell you."