Hey everyone, sorry, but I'm posting this from the local library, I'm still in the process of moving so I can't get a network connection at my new house. Thanks everyone for reading! And all my spectacular reviewers. You guys rule!

Ok, I don't own TMNT.

"Guys I have to go," Leo said, glaring down at the wide eyed turtle tots below him.

Raph, was staring up with his wide blue eyes burning into his, the blue orbs contrasting the tot's fire red mask. Mikey was a different story though, he had grabbed onto Leo's leg and wouldn't let go. Donatello was still asleep in April's bedroom, where the eldest turtle had deposited the still ill turtle tot.

"Don't leave us here Aniki!" Mikey protested, clinging to Leo's leg even tighter.

Leo sighed and looked across the room where his red haired human friend was sitting with a sad look on her face. Leo sighed and bent down to pry Michelangelo off his leg. This task was rather difficult but he succeeded and scooped his red and orange masked little brothers into his arms. He walked over to April and the tots only burrowed deeper into Leo's hold when she turned her attention to them. The eldest sighed again.

"I'm sorry April," the blue clad turtle said, "I thought that as children that they would be curious and more open minded."

April smiled and spoke, "True, human children are like that, but they're turtles too, animals are naturally weary of humans and other animals they can't relate to."

"I suppose that makes sense," Leo said with a nonchalant shrug, "But I need someone to watch them while I check out that last place Stockman was seen. I hope he's not working with Bishop again, or the Foot. Karai's already out to take off my head at any opportunity."

"He could be working alone…" April said.

"True," Leo said and then turned to the door that lead to April's bedroom, "Listen Raph, Mikey? I need you guys to watch after Donatello until I get back."

"But," Raph protested, staring at April.

"She won't bother you," Leo assured them before entering the room and spotting the twisting, small form on the bed.

Leonardo sighed and walked over to the bed, bending down and setting Raph and Mikey down beside him before he reached out and rested his hand on Donatello's forehead. The purple clad turtle mumbled in his sleep and shook his head slightly before falling silent again.

"Is Donny gonna be ok?" Mikey asked.

Leo smiled and scooped up his orange and red masked younger brothers again, setting them on the edge of the bed.

"Now, I have to go somewhere for a awhile. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Aniki," Mikey whined, "Why can't we go with you?"

"It's too dangerous," Leo said, as he had many times before.

"But we'll be good," Raph joined in with the begging.

"I wouldn't put you three in danger."

"But why can't we stay with Leatherhead?" Raph asked.

"He's away from his home," Leo answered, his eyes traveling to the window, "This is the only place I trust is safe for you. So stay safe. You. Must. Stay. Here. Understand?"

"But-"

Leo narrowed his eyes and the younger turtles lowered their heads, "Yes, Aniki."

"Good," Leo said with a sharp nod then he let himself focus on the look on his little brothers' faces.

He sighed, "Raphael?"

The red clad turtle tot slowly raised his head and stared back at his older brother, his blue eyes were wider than ever before. The eldest felt a part of his heart break but he fought the feeling off and replaced his Fearless Leader mask, "Listen Raphael, I need you to watch after Donny and Mikey ok? I'm counting on you."

Leo smiled softly as Raph's blue eyes widened and his small mouth fell open before he smiled a prideful grin and clench his fists in determination, "You can count on me Aniki!"

Leo laughed and bent down to nuzzle each tot's head affectionately before he turned, opened up the window, slipped outside, turned back to close the window and disappeared into the distance of the night sky.

"So what do we do now?" Mikey asked, turning his attention to his older, red masked brother.

Raph opened his mouth to speak but shut it again at the sound of whimpers coming from his purple masked brother, who began tossing in his sleep.

"Donny?" the two tots asked as their small hands fell onto a rapidly rising and falling plastron

The young Donatello found himself looking down at…something. Desks stood around the perimeter of the white room that clouded his vision. The place felt strangely familiar to him but he couldn't decide why. Just then a whirling sound made him turn to one of the white walls that was free of desks and watched in complete awe as the wall rose up on its own. But, what shocked him more were the two figures behind what appeared to be some kind of wall of steel bars. Curious, the young tot walked up to this wall of iron and touched one of the steel bars.

Whoosh!

Donatello jumped and turned, his eyes wide with fear as another door opened. Well, this one seemed to split into two, creating a hole in the wall. His jaw then fell when someone walked inside. The thing, had a large robotic body and a simple head with dark skin and glasses resting on the edge of a slightly bent nose.

The man-or robot had a form, that looked like the others behind the iron barred wall, tucked under his arm. He crossed the room and dropped the green form in front of the cell, taking no notice of the young turtle tot, as if he wasn't really there. The robot man turned and flipped a switch by the cell and then pressed a yellow button that was beneath the switch. He laughed as a purple shaded gas started to fill the room.

The creatures behind the wall began gasping and choking but the young tot felt that the air was no different to him. It still had the same taste and texture, although his surroundings smelled different than his home. A bit of the strange gas cleared long enough for Donatello to watch as the robot man scooped up the turtle he previously had. When the light shone at the correct angle, the purple masked tot fell backwards and onto his shell in horror.

"Raph!"

"Donny wake up!"

Donatello shot strait up into a sitting position and his eyes ran around wildly until they fell onto his red masked older brother. He immediately, without warning, jumped towards his older brother, knocking him back onto the bed.

"Donny?" Raph whispered as he found his immediate younger brother curled up against him, sobbing out an inner demon.

"Donny?" a light voice asked and the purple clad tot found enough focus to turn his head and stare at his younger brother before he found himself in a two way hug. His shoulders shook violently before he buried his face in Raph's neck and told his dream through his sobs.

When the tale had ended Raph and Mikey looked to one another, "I think we should get Aniki," Raph said, continuing to hold his little brother close to him.

Mikey nodded but frowned, "But he said he wouldn't be back for awhile."

Raph let his gaze roam across the room until it fell on the door. He gulped, but voiced his thoughts, "Maybe that human could help find Aniki."

"But, Raph, she's a human, Aniki always told us to-"

"But what about Donny?"

Mikey looked down at where his still ill older brother was curled up and trembling in Raph's arms, also continuing to murmur the horrors of his nightmare.

"I don't want to go," Mikey protested, feeling fear and a small bile of shame crawl up his throat.

Raph pulled Donny from him and turned him to Mikey where the two brothers embraced and the older held on much too tightly, his nightmare was still fresh.

"Raphie?" Mikey asked as he watched his older brother walk towards the door. The young, red masked turtle had to jump up to turn the doorknob enough to open it but as the air from the rest of the apartment flew in Raph told himself to be brave like his older brother and just focus on helping his little brother. He took a deep breath, stood stoutly and walked determinedly out the door, although inside, he was trembling like crazy.

April sighed as she watched the wood of her table rot away. She could not tell that the furthest right side of the table would be the first to fall off. There wasn't much else to do except wait for Leo's return. While thinking of the blue clad ninja she frowned. She hoped he was alright and that nothing had happened to him. Bad luck did always seem to happen to Leo the most. April shivered as her memories lapsed back to her old apartment and antique store.

She would never forget that night.

Someone screamed, glass shattered, wind swept back the crimson curtains into whips as another bright crimson joined their own shades. She hadn't known the turtles that long when it happened but she saw it all, all the fears reflected in the family's eyes as their blue masked brother lay dieing.

"Leo," she thought, staring out the window in her kitchen as if it would suddenly make him return and everything would be ok again.

She had talked with his father and brothers after they had managed to wake him from his coma out at the farmhouse that belonged to April's boyfriend, the crazy headed vigilante, Casey Jones. April had believed that everything would be fine after Leo woke up but he still had to heal from his fatal injuries. Though she had not been as close as she was now with the mutant family she was shocked to see how they were acting.

April looked around, she was looking for Splinter to ask if he wanted some tea, since she had volunteered to boil a pot of tea for Leo. Unknowingly, she had grinded up a few pain pills and instilled them into the drink. The blue clad turtle was stubborn when it came to medicine. Finally, after ten minutes of searching, she found the elderly rat behind the barn, beating the crap out of a bale of hay.

"Uh Master Splinter?" April said nervously, glancing at a nearby pile of woodchips that she was certain was a tree when they arrived at the farm house.

"Yes Ms. O'Neil?" the elderly rat said, turning his blazing part angry, part caring eyes on her.

"It's awfully dark, won't you come in and have a cup of tea?"

The rat smiled sadly and shook his head shortly, "Forgive me Ms. O'Neil. Thank you for your generous hospitality but I must continue my training."

With that, Splinter turned towards a tree and rushed at , his eyes narrowed. April shook as she heard the tree crackle and grumble before it crashed to the earth. She gulped and quickly made her way to the house. She had almost reached the door when she found Michelangelo sitting on the steps, staring at the ground.

"Mikey, what's wrong?" April asked, walking over to sit down next to him, "You look like you're watching the grass grown."

Mikey pointed to a short blade to his right, "That one's the fastest."

Blinking in confusion, April tried to recognize this kind of behavior from her friends. Splinter was not normally so angry, or Mikey so crestfallen and serious.

"How about some dinner?" April suggested, knowing the quickest way to any man was his stomach.

"Maybe later," Mikey mumbled, continuing to watch the lawn in all its slow growing glory.

Concerned and greatly confused, the red head reached and set her hand on Mikey's shoulder, "He's going to be ok Mikey."

"I know, it just feels weird without him around all the time," Mikey admitted.

Curious about this, April decided to talk with Splinter when he, Mikey and Raph decided to come in for the night. She sighed, got to her feet and went back inside the farmhouse, quickly ascending the steps and walking to the furthest room of the attic. Once there, she opened the window and leaned out of it, turning her head to the left where she saw Raphael sitting on the edge of the rooftop.

"Everyone ok?" Raph asked, and for a moment April sensed fear in his voice.

"Yeah," she said softly, "Leo's sleeping, Master Splinter's training, Mikey's watching the grass grow and Don's been in the basement most of the day trying to fix the water heater.

"Hmm," replied Raph.

"It'll be nice to have a hot shower soon."

Raph growled, "It'll be a whole lot nicer when I get my hands wrapped around the throat of the first Foot ninja I can grab."

April's eyes widen before they melted into a familiar not quite an understanding a familiar acceptance and enlightenment.

"Leo's going to be ok," she said softly.

Raph scoffed, "Duh! He's Leo! Of course he's gonna be ok."

"Would you please come in and have some dinner?" April asked softly.

Raph sighed while closing his eyes, then he turned and looked at April before he said a simple, "Ok."

As the red masked turtle climbed through the window back into the house he asked, "What about the others?"

"I couldn't get them to come to the table."

Raph's eyes fell in a kind of determined, easy going look. He smiled and began whistling as he walked out the front door. Somehow, everyone sat down at the table to eat dinner that night. Raph had managed to pull Don from his work, Splinter from his training, Mikey from his new lawn watching hobby and even helped Leo walk to the table. Still, Splinter's eyes held that same anger, Leo's held the tiredness and relief of rest, Raph's held a small strip of pride but also held onto his anger slightly, but overall, stored it all away for later. Donny wouldn't eat and Mikey began picking at the chicken on his plate, choosing instead to swallow half the bowl of the fried, mixed vegetables.

Remembering was the only thing April could really focus on at this moment. She glanced at the clock on her microwave. Leo had brought the turtle tots over at 6:30, now the clock read 7:15. The eldest turtle had deposited the younger turtles in her bedroom about 15 minutes ago, the beginning half an hour, Leo had to use to convince the little ones stay with her. It was difficult for her not to look in on them. Her simple human nature had her gushing over the young toddlers, but the favor had sided with nature.

A sound behind her made April turn and to her shock, she found the red masked turtle standing in the doorway, his wide blue eyes very wide and his body slightly trembling.

"Yes, Raphael?" she asked calmly.

Raph looked down and gritted his teeth, "When is Aniki coming back?"

"I'm not sure. What's wrong?"

"Donny had a bad dream," came the whispered reply.

"Do want me to call Leo?" April asked.

Raph nodded, but his eyes were still wide with fear, since they were still young turtles, animal nature of fear began to overcome simple childlike curiosity. April got up and walked over to her purse that was sitting on the counter, she quickly found her shell cell and dialed out the familiar number.

It rang twice before the line clicked open, "Is everything ok April?" came the instant reply.

"I'm not sure," April admitted, looking over at the wide eyed, red masked turtle tot, "But Raphael came in and said for me to call you to come back. Donny's had some kind of nightmare."

"April I-" a sigh sounded next, "Ok, I'm on my way back."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just a dead end on tracking Stockman. I'll be back in about ten minutes."

"Ok, thanks Leo."

"Bye."

"Goodbye, see you in a bit."

April hung up the shell cell and looked over at Raph, "Leo will be back soon."

Raph nodded before backing up and quickly making his way back to his younger brothers, where he was handed Donny again, who was still trembling from his nightmare.

"Is Aniki coming back?"

Raph nodded and pulled his purple clad brother closer, "She said he would be back soon."

Mikey nodded. He looked around the room uneasily until a creaking outside made him turn to the window. His eyes grew wide, but-he didn't have enough time to scream.

Leo released an annoyed sigh as he dropped down onto April's rooftop.

"A dead end," he though angrily, "All these days, one lead and nada, nothing,:

He took a deep breath and slipped in the living room window.

"Leo, you're back!" April said, coming up from downstairs, having to go down to make sure all the doors were locked for the evening in her shop.

"Is Donny ok?"

"I'm not sure," April admitted, looking towards her bedroom door.

Leo walked towards the door, April following behind him, but remembering to keep a certain distance. The blue clad turtle opened the door and froze in the doorway.

"Leo? What's wrong?" April asked, since she couldn't see past him.

She received no answer. She blinked and then Leo was inside, pinning a shadow against the wall. She rushed in and flipped the light switch, revealing the unlocked and open window. When she glanced up at the shadow, she found a Foot soldier was the one being pinned against the wall with a sword against his throat.

"WHERE ARE THEY!" Leo yelled, slashing his katana against the man's neck, just enough to rip the black cloth and expose the throat, before resting the silver blade of his sword against the throat.

Oh, now how dare I do that? ^_^

Reviews please!

~Moonsetta