We snuck the painting out of there by the simple act of Caitlin folding it up and tucking it inside her shirt. Yes I know that's stealing, I had every intention of reimbursing the guy for it later...or bully Will into doing it. I suppose anyone of us could have carried it, but it just seemed right for her to do it.

April finished up her fake interview, making sure to keep the guy away from where Caitlin and I had been, then we quickly retreated. quietly signaling the others when we left that it was time to go. It didn't take long for us all to meet up back outside.

"You actually found something?" Cris asked as she drew closer with Marina.

I still really didn't trust myself to speak yet, so I just nodded.

"What's wrong with you two?" Marina had caught sight of Caitlin's pale face.

"Don't really feel like talking about it right now." I mumbled. "Let's just back before he comes out the door screaming at us."

Cris raised a brow "Oooooo-kaaaay..." She said as we began to walk towards the woodline.

I think we invented some new kind of speed walk trying to get away from that place, half scared that the dude was going to come out and yell "Thief!" before we could make our getaway. I breathed a lot easier when we disappeared into the woods.

And got all worried again when I came face to face with nine distraught looking turtles.

"Is everyone suddenly going crazy? Or is it just me?" Casey mumbled when we were met with confused and slightly frightened faces.

"Starting to wonder that myself" Dennis mumbled back.

Amy smacked them both on the back of the head "Knock it off. It's not their fault weird shit seems to be the norm the last week or so."

Leo didn't pay them any attention as he walked over to join us. "What did you find?"

Caitlin reached inside her shirt and carefully pulls out the painting, her hands shook a bit as she unfolded it.

"That's it?" Raph asked incredulously. "We come here to hijack a piece of old paper with scribbles on it?"

Leo's eyes narrowed as he looked at it, then widened as he turned to stare at Mikey.

"What?" Came the obvious question as Mikey stared back at him.

Leo didn't answer, but he did point out what I had noticed earlier. All kinds of eyes were popping out of eye sockets at that point.

"This just keeps getting more and more confusing." Dante said quietly. None of us really disagreed with him on that.

.

.

It was well past midnight when they rolled back into base, and the trip was an uncomfortable one for Ty. He, Lavi and Mother were worried about Father and Father himself had been quiet most of the trip. Hide probably enjoyed the quiet though.

It was with relief that he slipped out of Hide, taking a few moments to stretch his sore muscles. They had all been a bit worried that they would have to find another way home since the Bots couldn't approach before, but it seemed that once the painting had been placed in Aunt Cait's hand, the barrier dropped. Another thing that brought up the creepy factor when they saw the bots roll up just as they were going to go rejoin them.

And he still wasn't over that moment when his Father and Uncles had that incident. He just didn't know what to think.

"Rough trip?" Ty turned to see Cindy walking up to him. His mood immediately brightened.

"Not really, just a strange one. Why are you still up?"

She shrugged. "Got off of guard duty a bit ago and heard you guys were coming back in. Thought I'd stay up and wait for you."

"You...didn't have to do that..."

"I know." She tilted her head a little. "But you look like you could use the company. Care to take a little walk with me?"

"Now? It's like two in the morning."

"So?" She flashed a smile at him and he suddenly didn't feel so tired.

"Sure, why not." Again he offered his arm to her and she took it. "Any particular place you want to go?"

"Not really, we can just take a leisurely stroll."

As they walked off, the teasing whistles began behind him from his cousins. Since Ty had five fingers like his mother he was able to give the appropriate response over his shoulder with his free hand. Which of course set them all into fits of laughter.

He didn't notice the quiet watcher, his Father, as he watched them walk slowly off, talking easily and sharing a laugh or two. Then, with a quiet sigh that Ty didn't hear, Leo looked away.

Ty himself was now fully occupied with the woman who walked next to him, very aware of how close she was. If she shifted just a bit more, she'd run into him. He had the strange double feeling of wanting that to happen and not wanting it to happen at the same time.

The normally confident twenty year old also found himself unsure what to say to her once the trip inquiries had been answered. "It's a nice night." He lamely said, for the lack of anything better.

"It is." She agreed with another smile. "You seem a bit jittery though."

His face heated up...because she was right. He was jittery. "Just nervous I guess."

She reached behind her head with her other hand and undid her bun she normally wore in uniform. Her hair was long and curly, and her face looked so much prettier with those curls framing it. His throat suddenly went dry as she shook her hair out. "That feels sooo much better. I love my job, but those buns give me headaches sometimes. Jittery about what happened today?"

"That too." He said after clearing his throat.

She looked up at him, her eyes twinkling in amusement. "Why Titian...I wouldn't be the one making you nervous, would I?

"Honestly...yes." He admitted. "I'm...not very good at this."

"At what?"

"Talking to girls." He shrugged.

"All girls, or just me?"

"All of them, but I'm with you right now. I don't have the experience for the simple reason that I've never had a chance to meet one. I really don't know how to make small talk without feeling self conscious about it. Would you believe you are the first girl, outside of my family and close friends, that I've actually been able to have a normal conversation with?"

She tilted her head a little. "Most young men wouldn't admit that. It violates some kind of man rule or something."

"I wasn't raised like most young men. I'm not going to lie to try and impress anyone. Not even you."

They walked in silence a few steps. "That alone impresses me." Cindy quietly broke the silence. "So tell me, did you plan to spend the rest of your life a bachelor?"

"I never thought about it." He sighed. "But I guess I kind of think I might. It's not like I can walk out and just go on dates and meet someone. I am a large half turtle, that really doesn't go over well with most people."

"That's because most of them can't see past the outer shell, no pun intended. I tend to look at things a bit different since my stay here with the Bots. I don't see a large turtle. I see a kind, considerate person, even if he is a bit awkward. But I find it adorable."

Ty's face started heating up again. "I haven't been called adorable since I was four."

She laughed a little and Ty smiled at the sound. Even her laugh was pretty. "Ok, would you prefer attractive?"

That word sent a whole range of body parts into malfunction mode. What little moisture he found in his throat dried right back up again as his stomach started doing flips. If his face got much warmer it was going to burst into flames. And someone turned the faucet on to his hands because his palms were seriously starting to sweat.

"I...uh...yeah...that one will work."

Suddenly she stopped and turned him to face her. She smiled slightly as she met his eyes. "Ok, Titian. I find you attractive."

Now his mouth was gaping like a fish out of water as he tried to figure out what to say to that.

She just smiled patiently. "I know I just threw you for a loop. No need to respond to it right now. It's just, you're so honest with me and I wanted to be honest with you." She stood up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "You've had a long day, go get some sleep and I'll see you tomorrow."

Then she slipped out of his arm and walked back to her barracks, leaving Ty standing there with his hand on the cheek she just kissed and wonder in his eyes.

.

.

When I came out of the bathroom, showered and in pajamas, Leo was looking out the window again. His eyes not really seeing anything. I had by now shaken off a lot of my own befuddlement, not all of it, but most. "You keep up with this moody brooding and you are going to turn into Raph."

He smiled a little as he turned to me. "I don't think that's even possible. Takes a lot of moody and brooding to get to his level."

"You sure are working on it hard enough though."

"I know, I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"And worrying about it is going to help how?"

He sighed, then smiled at me again as his hand came up to brush the hair behind my ear. "This from the one who used to worry herself into fits."

"That doesn't mean I want you picking up my bad habits."

"Oh? So you can worry, but I'm no allowed too?"

"Damn right."

"Hypocrite."

"Damn right about that too."

"You're impossible." He laughed.

"I know." It was my turn to smile as I remembered something. "Any word on Caitlin?" Once we had gotten back Mikey had promptly dragged her over to go see Ratchet once the story came out on how we actually found the painting. He was dragging Donnie in his other hand, demanding that he and Ratchet were going to figure out what was wrong with Mikey's Kit Kat and fix it. He wasn't going to let his wife get possessed by "zombie demons"...whatever those were...

Leo seemed to forget what he was brooding over as he shook his head with amusement while laughing. "She's fine. Donnie came by while you were in the shower and told me that after numerous scans, from both of them, that they couldn't find anything wrong with her. He just freaked out is all."

"That manage to calm Mikey down?"

He snorted. "No. He still thinks there is an evil brain worm in there or something." His face took on a rueful expression. "Donnie got so fed up with him, he literally knocked Mikey out. With his staff. Now he's the one in med-bay recovering so Caitlin can get some sleep."

I was laughing before he even finished telling me that.

"Since Donnie forced him into that state, he's going to stay up and watch him, and look over the painting to see if he can find out what's so special about it."

"And in the meantime?"

"I've asked Jazz to put together any information they have on other sites they can't reach. He should have a list together of the places and what's there later this afternoon, after we all get some sleep. We'll discuss the next step from there."

"Well then, why are you not doing what you just suggested? Bed is over there."

"I was waiting for you dear one. I sleep better when you are near."

He was so sweet... He took my hand and led me to the bed where we finally settled down, his arms around me and my head on his shoulder. It took him a little bit to settle down and fall asleep, but he finally did. I just sighed as i watched him for a bit. He was so worried and confused. About a lot of things right now really. Somehow I knew that this time around I was going to be the firm support for him while he tried to puzzle this all out. It was strange to look at it that way, just because he's the one who usually is the firm foundation. I'm sure he would eventually, but I'd try to make it easier for him as best I could.