It was just Cris and I this time. Due to the simple process of elimination, we reasoned that she was the only one needed, and I refused to let anyone else escort her. Over the years I took on my own role over the humans in our family. One that was half forced on me and half done out of love.

If you really stopped and thought about it a moment, we were actually three teams. Leo led his brothers, Ty led the teens, and I led the humans. We all just automatically deferred to Leo when we were all together. I've led them countless times into situations and I've become their Leo, just as Cris was my Raph. So when it was decided that we all knew Cris was going in, I didn't even hesitate to firmly state that I was going to be the one to go with her. And since we didn't need all of us to split up and look, the rest of the human part of my family stayed back. The older turtle part still stubbornly refused and once again followed us to the edge of town. This time they even went farther than that, much to my frustration, and rooftop hopped until they were seated firmly above us on the rooftop. Leo's argument was since there was a smaller crew going in, there was a bigger potential for trouble. My logic was he worried too much and that cockamanie excuse was proof of it.

I pushed that all away as we entered the, hopefully, last museum we would have to daytime burglarize shortly after they opened. The only thing I should be worried about at that moment was getting in, find this last piece and get the hell back out. The place being almost empty at the moment because of the early hour should, hopefully again, make that easier to pull off.

This last museum was situated in northern California, and this particular one at the moment had a display of artifacts from around the world made of lava rocks. That already was a big major clue that this was the right place. You just sit there a minute and think on it. I'm sure it'll come to you on why. Here's a hint, it has nothing to do with the state sitting in the ring of fire that encircles the Pacific Ocean and everything to do with the last turtle.

"You ever drag me into another museum after this Vic, I'm going to punch you. In the face. Very hard."

I just smiled at her. "You're just scared."

"I am not!" She flared in typical Raph wife flare.

"Oh, come off it. It's your turn, and it's creeping you out."

I got glared at, but she didn't deny it. She did mumble some things under her breath that I suppose I shouldn't repeat.

We spent a short bit wandering around on the first floor, not really looking too hard at anything as we meandered along. Again, from prior experiences, we've learned there was no point in wasting time looking at each individual piece, because once we got close enough, something else would show us the way.

Which is exactly what happened once we reached the second floor that was dedicated to the Asian carvings. As soon as we hit that last step, Cris' eyes glazed over and she began that remote controlled shuffle across the floor before stopping in that now familiar pose in front of an obsidian wide bladed dagger. The thing reminded me of one of Dante's butterfly swords, but smaller. The reason for the wide blade? You guessed it. To be a canvas for the red carvings found on it. Carvings that clearly represented flames as they twisted around the blade from hilt to the tip. Carvings that almost hid the crossed sai as the red mask flared in between them.

I suppose I should have been used to all this weirdness by now, but I still jumped about three feet in the air when a small whirlwind of fire formed out of nothing under that blade and carried it to Cris' waiting hands. A fire that didn't scorch the pedestal it had been resting on, a fire that didn't burn Cris' hands, a fire that blinked out just as rapidly as it formed. A fire that was giving me another headache just thinking of everything that was going on.

Cris' eyes cleared and she looked down into her palms, then at me. "That was just plain creepy." She tucked the dagger into the waistline of her pants and covered it with her shirt.

"Tell me about it." I muttered back as I got her feet moving with a shove to the stairs.

We were just passing a window when I heard something that made me facepalm. "Psst...this way!" came at me in a not so very quiet whisper.

I turned to that window to see Mikey there, dangling from a rope, on the side of the building, in the middle of a decent sized city, in plain sight, in broad daylight. "What in the hell are you doing?!"

"Giving you a quicker way out. Come on, Leo's about to skin me out of my shell."

"I'm about to skin you out of your shell!" I was pissed, but we did scurry to the window and up the rope.

A hand reached down to me when I got to the top and I took the offered help and Raph easily hoisted me up, then pulled Cris up behind me. "You ok?" He demanded as soon as her feet hit the rooftop.

"A bit creeped out, but I'm fine." she waved his concern off. "Nothing happened to me, just like nothing happened to the others."

He just harumpft at that, then added. "But they ain't my wife."

Leo came stomping over, glaring at his little brother as he climbed over the parapet. "Mikey, when I said I wish they would hurry up so we can get out of here, I didn't mean for you to go get them..."

"Ah, but you didn't tell me not too."

"You didn't give me a chance!"

"I know...worked out pretty good."

A loud smack echoed over the rooftop...and Raph didn't do it that time.

Leo stomped back off again, grumbling under his breath as he moved towards the backside of the building.

"Ow..." Mikey muttered as he rubbed his head.

I shook my head. "One of these days Mikey, one of those smacks is going to knock some sense into you."

Cris snorted. "The day that happens the world is going to end."

"Let's go!" Leo called from where he had stopped and was peering intently over the side of the building. "The others are already on the way to pick us up."

I had to admit, I felt a little let down as we loaded up and rolled back out. After all of that, the anticlimactic ending to our treasure hunt seemed like a huge let down. Not sure what I was expecting, but a simple grab and go really hadn't been it. There was still a question floating around in our heads too and I suppose that may have put a damper on my enthusiasm. We had these silly things...now what do we do with them? Nothing gave us the slightest hint on what to do from here.

I think that lingering question may have had something to do with Optimus leading us off of the main roads and into another secluded spot where we all pulled in around him. Everyone gathered in the middle of that large ring of Will's vehicles, the bots having all gone bot by that point, and everyone was looking at us with the same expression. One that asked "now what?"

Donnie did his routine, and useless, lookover of the dagger we snitched and came up with the same unhelpful answer of "I can't find anything unusual about it."

Will was another one who was confused when he joined us, shaking his head before looking at me. "You remember when you asked me to look into reimbursing everyone for snatching those items?"

"Yes."

"I can't." He said with a wry smile.

"You can't? Why not?"

"Because for some reason...those items aren't even being missed, even the one we got today. Not one museum ever remembered, or has documented, those items ever being there."

"You said what." Raph asked him in a flat tone.

"We spent all this time sneaking and snatching...and no one is even claiming to have had them." Will shrugged. "So, as far as your conscience goes...you're off the hook."

Leo sighed in frustration. "Another question instead of an answer."

Caitlin walked over to us then, her eyes tired and her face pale. "Guys...can we stop early today? Maybe take the time to plan our next move?"

Leo was about to snap at her about the waste of time, until he got a good look at her, then his eyes filled with concern. "I'm sure we can. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm just...tired Leo. Maybe everything is getting to me and a longer break would do some good."

Now that she mentioned it, I was feeling a bit rough myself. "I'm actually leaning towards the idea myself." I admitted.

His eyes then focused on me, and the concern really didn't diminish. "You seemed fine just a short while ago."

"But we aren't now." Marina piped in, her face just as drawn and pale. A quick look at Cris told everyone that she was feeling down herself, even if she wouldn't admit it.

"Leonardo, it will not be that much of a burden to rest now if they require it." Prime said, his blue eyes studying us intently.

Leo nodded his agreement and with a few sharp orders from Epps the tents were being pitched. Once the decision had been made I found myself rapidly struggling to stay awake. They guys watched, worried, as Donnie scanned us, and again couldn't find anything wrong. But we all knew something was, because by the time Ty and Lavi had finished putting my tent up, Leo had to carry me inside because I was already falling asleep. And I was out before he even tucked me inside my sleeping bag.

.

.

She hadn't moved. Ever since this strange lethargy took a hold of her she just laid still on her cot as she rested. The only sign that she was even alive was her slow and steady breathing. She was a person who was often restless in her sleep, always had been, and for her to lay so still unnerved Leo more than a little. He had tried numerous times to get inside her head to try and find out what was causing this strange episode and kept finding himself blocked. Leo decided when whatever was doing this finally revealed itself, he was going to have some very firm words ready for them.

The others slept just as deeply from the reports that the teens gave him when they came by, frequently, to check on her. Ari had been the last one and she had left again just as the sun was sliding under the horizon. It was when the last bits of light faded that April came in.

"Still sleeping I see."

Leo nodded with a sigh. "I wish that what ever is doing this would-" he cut himself off as Vicky's eyes opened and his panic level rapidly rose.

Her eyes were glowing. Glowing a soft blue light as she woodenly sat up and removed herself from the sleeping bag.

"Vicky?" He moved closer to her. "Dear one?"

She didn't seem to hear as she stiffly got to her feet and went over to where her things were carefully stored. After moving a few items out of the way, the riverrock found itself in her hands. She stood back up and walked outside, with a stunned Leo and April following her.

It only took Leo a instant to figure out that she wasn't the only one affected. Caitlin was already out there, her eyes glowing orange and a very worried Mikey hovering next to her. Cris and Marina were already on the way by the time Vicky joined Caitlin. Their eyes glowing red and purple.

Mikey looked to his older brother, the sheer fright clearly written on his face for his wife. "Leo...what's...what's going on?"

"I don't know Mikey... I don't know..."

That was as far as the discussion got, because by the time Raph and Donnie joined them, along with quite a few onlookers, the object each woman had been sent to get was being raised in front of them and they too began to glow. To everyone's amazement the carvings themselves seemed to lift off of the objects, now nothing more than sheer patterns of light as they floated across the air, shifting and moving around each other until each light stopped in it's correct placement with the others. Individually, it just seemed like random carvings but once they were all put together, Leo was staring in open mouthed shock at what he was seeing.

Donnie also caught on. "It's a map...the four items held a friggin map..." He quickly moved to take a picture of it, and when he did the lights flashed back to the items they came from and they began to glow, very bright to the point eyes had to be turned away. When those lights dimmed, the items they had was not what was there now. In the palm of each woman was a gemstone. Vicky held a blue sapphire, Cris a red ruby, Marina a purple amethyst and Caitlin an orange topaz.

And another form took shape in front of the turtles themselves, and that had hands reaching for weapons as they glared at the apparition that was very faint and hard to make out. No matter how hard Leo tried, he could not identify the thing in front of him.

Then that same quiet voice from their dreams and visions echoed in all of their heads. 'Do not fear, the intention is not to harm them. It never was. Each of you take the gems your companion holds for it is their burden no longer. They are the keys that will aid you in what is to come, but you must find me to unlock their secrets. Come to me, and all shall be explained.'

"How do we know this isn't a trap!" Raph snapped.

'If it is, then everything we hold dear will be lost. Look inside yourself, you know I speak true.'

They looked at each other, the doubt clearly on their faces.

'If my words alone will not convince you, maybe the ones of someone you trust would bear more weight.'

Another glowing figure took shape then, one they knew very well. He was more solid as the first apparition and the turtles could clearly make out his smaller body, the quick tail that he had used so many times to get the upper hand on them, the long, narrow muzzle that sat under warm eyes that looked at them proudly, and with love.

Leo found he couldn't speak past the sudden lump that found itself in his throat as he looked at the master who had raised them, trained them and loved them like a father.

'My sons, this task is indeed needed of you. The words spoken here are true. Take the gems from my daughters and hold them close to you and follow the path that has been laid out. It is necessary, or I would not have agreed to play my part in it.'

All doubt washed away at those simple words. And four voices struggled to get the next set of words out past emotion choked blocks. "We will Father." They agreed in chorus.

Without any more hesitation they walked over to their wives who still stood enthralled in whatever was holding them, and gently took the gems they held. As soon as they did, their eyes quit glowing and each one fell forward into the arms of her husband, not even waking up from the slumber that held them until they were firmly in secure arms.

Vicky's eyes blinked open, confused and a little scared as Leo held her close to him. "What...happened this time?"

He just held her close as he looked back to where the apparitions were, only to find them both gone. "We got our marching orders." Leo told her as he helped steady her.

"We did?" she rubbed her eyes. "Where are we going now?"

Donnie had pulled up the picture he took and was looking at it intently as his arm wrapped firmly around Marina's shoulders. "By the looks of it...Japan."

Epps grinned at that. "And I got just the ride. Everyone, try and get some rest. Got something pretty awesome in store for you, he should be here by tomorrow."

Mikey looked at him curiously. "Oh? Who is that?"

Epps winked at him. "You'll see."