Everything was finally ready. Donatello had checked everything. The portal was stable. The crystal's energy was at maximum, and he was ready. After waiting for so long, he was going to fix everything and save his dimensional brothers.

What he hadn't counted on was the company coming with him. After many more discussions and planning, his entire family adamantly refused to let Donnie go alone. The overwhelming support and love was more than he bargained for, and consequently, couldn't refuse.

Donnie turned to face the portal, inputting the coordinates. Through his research he had discovered that he could only travel to the point in time and space that he was dumped in the first time he had traveled there.

The parallel dimensions only touched at that point and made it impossible to travel anywhere before then. By that logic they also had very limited time to accomplish their mission. When Donnie had returned to his own timeline that was the only other point of contact the parallel universes had. If they missed their chance to return home, they would never get another.

"Are you guys sure you want to do this?" Don asked for the hundredth time. "This is really dangerous."

His blue-banded brother stepped forward.

"We are with you in this Don," said Leo. "We are a family."

Donnie nodded as he hit the power switch of the portal. Soon it began to crackle and glow.

"It's now or never!" Donnie shouted over the load thrumming.

Together they stepped through the portal.

…..

Donnie looked at the wrecked lair. Debris littered the floor. Great chunks of the ceiling had fallen away like a gaping wound. He was back. He turned to his family and could see the shock plain on their faces.

"I must have looked like that too." He thought to himself.

"How could this have happened?" Leo whispered. Donnie had told them what to expect in this world, but even seeing it with his own eyes didn't make it seem real.

"This is even worse than my room," Mikey tried to joke.

"Come on guys" Donnie said. "We need to get to the warehouse."

Slowly they made their way up the ruined tunnels until they made it to the surface.

"We're going to need the tunneler," Donnie said, gesturing to the massive machine. "That's how we get in to the Shredder's tower."

Raph looked at it skeptically. "Uh Donnie, ya sure that thing is still functionin'?"

"Yeah Raph it's fine. I just need to clean her up a bit," Donnie said. That wasn't his concern right now.

How was he going to get in touch with his "older" brothers? The last time had nearly gotten them both killed, and that was without Splinter and his brothers.

"Wait here," Don said.

"Where are you going my son?" asked Splinter. This place was full of danger. He would rather die than see his sons suffer.

"I need to get the older Mikey," Don said looking away from the younger counterpart. This meeting was going to be hard.

"I promise I'll be back. I've done this before."

Without waiting for a reply he ran off towards the front of the warehouse. He knew the older Mikey was outside. It was just a matter of finding him without alerting the surrounding Shredder police.

Slinking in the shadows, Donnie peered at the rooftops. He saw a flash of orange dart down a fire escape. Slowly and carefully Donnie stood up. This was a risk, but there was no other way to get the wary older turtle to come close.

"Donnie?"

"Thank goodness," Don sighed. This time he met his older brother without fighting for his life.

"Hi Mikey. I'm back."

"Where the shell have you been?!" the older turtle cried. "It's been 30 years!"

"I know Mikey, but I'm not the Donatello you think I am. I'm from another dimension."

The orange turtle's eyes narrowed. Slowly he pulled out his weapon, ready to take down the young turtle.

"No Mikey wait, I mean I am Donatello, just not – WOAH!" Donnie leapt back as his brother took a savage swing at his head.

"Mikey wait!" he cried. "I'm Donatello!"

"The only Donatello I knew was my brother! I'm not falling for this trick Shredder!"

A solid kick sent Donnie flying.

"Unh!" Donnie looked up just in time to see Mikey bearing down on him. He shut his eyes tight. This was all wrong!

***CLANG***

Donnie opened an eye to see Leo's katanas had stopped the nunchaku in its tracks.

The older terrapin leapt back. Utter confusion on his face.

"Leo?"

The blue turtle glared back at Donnie's attacker. Dimensional brother or not, he was never going to let Donnie suffer again.

His grip tightened on his swords.

"Please. My son. We mean you no harm." From the shadows, Splinter, Raph, and the younger Mikey emerged.

The older Mikey froze. His dead master? Here? How?

Silently he dropped to his knees.

"Sensei."

The old rat stood before his dimensional son. The rugged shell. Countless scars. His missing arm. Without a word, Splinter leaned down and embraced the hardened warrior.