A/N: Thanks for all the GREAT suggestions and reviews! I am taking them into consideration and am definitely using them, though it might not be exactly like you suggested - but it got the wheels turning.

Mikey jumped when the door to the lab creaked open. It had been more than an hour since his son had disappeared into the room with the uncertainty if he would ever come out again. He bit his lip and slowly lifted his gaze to the person approaching him. Mira smiled gently as she sat on the coffee table across from them. Relief automatically washed over Mikey. If something bad had happened, his brother would have come instead. Mira touched Kala's shoulder where she was still tucked in Mikey's lap. The Neutrino blinked blurry eyes at her.

"He's okay." Mira squeezed her aunt's shoulder. "He's sleeping, but you can come see him now."

Kala stumbled clumsily out of Mikey's arms, still feeling the effects of the sedative. Mira caught her arm, helping her around the couches and towards the lab. Mikey silently wrapped an arm around her waist, taking her gently from Mira. The twenty-six-year-old released her aunt without complaint and turned to the rest of the family that had slowly edged their way back into the living room. She smiled, giving an affirmative nod.

Cat dropped her face into her hands, finally breaking down. Jamie removed her glasses to swipe at her eyes. Leo looked like he might collapse if he didn't have his arm draped across Jamie's shoulders. Shinta grinned, while both Raph and Yoshi let out heavy sighs. None were sure they could have handled another death, especially not one of their children.

Kala gasped as she stepped into the lab, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. Kaz was covered in bandages and there was IV line giving him fluids attached to his arm. And even though he was pale, he was still breathing. New tears formed in her eyes as she rushed across the room. "Kazzey! Oh, Kazzey!" She cupped his face, kissing it softly. "My baby…." She hugged his neck, careful of the bandages. She drew in her son's scent and it was better than any sedative, calming her and bringing her back to Earth. She stayed that way for a long time, just holding him. She would have given anything at that moment for him to be a toddler again, tucked safely in her arms. Heck, she would have even gone through the whole colicky phase again just to hold him.

Mikey smiled weakly as he slowly approached the cot. He couldn't help but to reach out and touch him, to reassure himself this was real and that he was alive. Sarah came to stand beside him and wrapped him in a warm hug. He sighed, relaxing into her. "He'll be fine now. But he will be out for a while." She told him softly.

Donnie put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "He was really lucky, no major damage. If the blade had struck a little more to the right it could have cut a major artery. He was extremely lucky and so were we." Sarah leaned up and kissed Mikey's cheek, before Don took her hand and led her from the lab.

Kala finally rose up, stroking her son's unmasked face. And for the first time she noticed the girl standing on the other side of the cot, holding one of Kaz's hands. "Who are you?" She hadn't seen the girl come in earlier.

The girl's eyes were rimmed in red as if she'd been crying, which she had for nearly the past hour. "Ona." She said softly, her expression sad.

Kala's eyebrows rose. "Ona? The girl Jamie mentioned?" She looked at Mikey.

"Yeah, it's the same girl, but she can talk."

Kala wasn't sure how to feel about the girl. Part of her was angry that she'd somehow dragged Kaz into the mess and got him hurt. Part of her felt sympathy for her because she knew she was a runaway. And part of her was grateful, because she'd stayed with Kaz through the ordeal. Something told her that there was a special connection between the girl and her son, and so she graced her with a tiny smile. "I'm Kala, Kaz's mom."

Ona returned the small smile. "I'm sorry. I don't remember anything. Have we met?"

Kala frowned. "No, but what do you mean you can't remember anything?"

Ona's brow scrunched up. "All I remember is waking up in Kaz's arms. I didn't know him or even who I was, but he risked his life for me. He said that he made me forget. I don't know who the he was though."

Mikey frowned. "Maybe Donnie could help you get back your memory or figure out who you really are. In any case, I'm sure Kaz will be able to tell us more when he wakes up."

Kala nodded. "Why don't you come with me? I think Jamie brought your clothes down. You could put them back on."

Ona's grip on Kaz's hand tightened. "Please, I want to stay with him. He saved my life."

Mikey and Kala exchanged a meaningful look. Kala's smile broadened. This girl truly cared for Kaz. "Alright, but I'm going to stay too. Is that okay?" Ona smiled with a small nod and Kala turned back to Mikey. "Go get some sleep. I know you're tired." She leaned up and kissed him warmly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You brought him home, just like you promised. I love you so much."

He kissed her brow. "I love you too. I just wish I'd brought him home in one piece."

She hugged him tightly. "He's alive. I couldn't have asked for more." He nuzzled against her pointed ear, taking in a breath of her scent, before releasing her and walking off to their room.

About an hour later, Donnie stepped into the lab. He smiled slightly at Kala sleeping with her head on the cot. She'd obviously lost the battle with sedatives she'd taken. Ona, however, was wide awake. He gave her a small nod as he checked the IV and monitors. Kaz was stable but it was better to keep an eye on him for a few days.

"So, how are you and Kaz related?" Ona was still trying to understand the rather large family.

"He's my nephew. Mikey is my brother. I guess we sort of missed all the formal introductions. My name is Donatello, but you can call me Don or Donnie."

"And the woman that was in here earlier with you?"

Donnie smiled. "That was my wife Sarah and our daughter Mira."

Ona frowned. "Mikey said that Kaz had called me Ona. But he didn't seem sure of it. And I don't remember."

"How much do you remember?"

She shook her head. "Nothing really. Nothing before Kaz saved me."

Donnie frowned. The equipment he'd seen in the lab where Kaz had been injured had looked like brainwashing equipment. And even the men had appeared to be brainwashed when the electricity had gone off. "I don't know exactly what happened to you but if you want, I could run a few tests."

She frowned now. "I suppose that would be best." She felt she could trust these turtles; they were Kaz's family after all.

Don nodded. "Let me have Mikey take Kala to their room first." He disappeared into the hall and a moment later Mikey returned with him. He was devoid of gear and mask, and somehow Ona liked the look. She gazed down at Kaz, wondering what he looked like without all his gear. They'd had to remove his mask which was soaked with blood in order to bandage his head. And she could tell from that small expanse of smooth skin around his eyes that she was going to like the look on him as well.

Mikey silently lifted Kala into his arms and carried her out as Don promised to keep an eye on Kaz through the day. Don then turned to Ona and they began some basic tests. She was a little glad for the distraction, not knowing what else to do to pass the time. It was definitely unsettling not knowing who she was and her only link to anything in her past was currently unconscious from his injuries.

Kaz woke several hours later to find Ona's head resting next to his on the cot. He stared up at the familiar ceiling of the lab. So, they'd found him and brought him home. He wondered how bad things had gotten, at least until he tried to sit up. Man, it hurt to move. He stared down at the bandage on his left shoulder, remembering the knife that had been there when he'd passed out. He tried to shift again and Ona's head popped up. She stared at him with her dark eyes and he tried to smile. "You stayed with me?"

Tears pooled in her eyes. "Of course I did. You saved my life."

"But I thought you didn't remember me."

"I don't have to."

His gaze fell to where her hand was wrapped tightly around his. She blushed and started to pull her hand away, but he gripped it. "Thank you." She smiled and he started to close his eyes. "I'm still tired, I think I'll sleep a little more. Will you be here when I wake up?"

She continued to smile. "Yes, I will. I have nowhere else to be."

He smiled with his eyes closed. "Ona?"

"Yeah?"

"I like your voice. It's nice."

She giggled. "Yeah?"

He grinned despite the soreness of his face. "Yeah and I like your giggle even more."

Donnie dropped the folder on the kitchen table and sat across from his brother. Leo sipped at his tea. "What's this?"

"Everything I could find on Ona."

"What did you find?"

Donnie shook his head. "Well, first off I tried to do a simple finger print search to see if maybe she was in the missing person's database. But when I took her fingerprints, she didn't have any."

Leo raised an eye ridge. "What do you mean she didn't have any?"

"I mean her fingerprints have been burned off. Every single one is gone. There wasn't even enough there to do a partial search."

"Did she do it to herself or do you think someone else did it?"

Donnie shook his head. "I couldn't tell you that for certain, but I have a feeling it was her."

"Why do you say that?"

Donnie sighed. "Because I couldn't do a fingerprint match, I did a facial recognition. I ran it through the web searching for anything. I came up with only one hit." Donnie opened the folder and turned it around so Leo could see the title of the article: Man Arrested After Assault on Twelve-Year-Old Girl.

Leo set aside his tea and picked up the folder. The more he read the more his stomach turned. Ona's mother had died leaving her in the custody of her stepfather, who apparently hadn't had any desire for children. She'd been sexually assaulted by the man, locked in a closet with her hands and feet tied and her mouth covered in tape. She had been kept there for nearly a year suffering from who-knew what kind of terrible things, before authorities had gotten wise to what was happening. When they'd finally removed her from the home, the article stated she weighed less than sixty pounds. There was a small granny photo of Ona, her face was impassive and eyes lifeless with a bandage along her neck, but it was definitely her. Leo had wondered where she'd gotten such a nasty scar. Beneath the photo it gave her name as Malani Rivers.

Leo closed the folder, fighting the desire to retch. It took a minute for him to meet Donnie's gaze. "We should at least tell Mikey."

"Okay, but I don't think we should tell Ona." Don put a hand over the folder. "These are memories best left buried."

"Agreed. What about Kaz?"

"Let's let Mikey decide. I'll go get him." Donnie stood to retrieve Mikey from the lab where he and Kala were visiting with Kaz, who'd woken up earlier in the day.

Mikey seemed pretty happy when he came into the kitchen, but his high spirits faded with one look at his oldest brother. "What's going on?"

"You better sit down, Mikey." Leo gestured to the chair next to Don. After he was seated, Mikey watched his two brother's exchange a worried look. Leo shifted a bit nervously. "We did some research on Ona, to find out who she was and if there was anyone looking for her."

"Oh, what did you find out?" Mikey reached for the folder, curious as to the girl his son was obviously fond of.

Donnie stopped him from opening the folder and Mikey looked up at him. "It's not pretty Mikey. If anyone ever had a reason to run away, it would be her."

Donnie moved his hand and Mikey frowned at the folder for a long time before opening it. He didn't get much past the title and the first few lines, before he turned yellow-green. In a flash he was at the sink, heaving. Leo frowned as he pushed back from the table and moved to his brother's side. "You okay, Mikey?"

The younger brother's shoulders shook, but whether it was from shock, grief, or rage one could only guess. "Why would anyone treat a child like that? Especially their own child?" When he looked up there was horror etched into his blue eyes.

Leo sighed. "I don't know Mike. All I know is there are monsters out there that are worse than anything we've ever faced. But that girl in there has faced them and she survived."

Donnie shifted in his chair. "It's a miracle she didn't come out of it more damaged than she did. And as much as I hate to say it, that crazy doctor Kaz mentioned that wiped her memory probably did her a favor."

Leo looked at Mikey's still pale face. "Donnie and I agree, it's best not to tell Ona this stuff. If she doesn't remember it then it's best to leave it that way. But do you want to tell Kaz?"

Mikey grimaced, gripping the edge of the sink. Although Kaz seemed to be healing quickly, he didn't want to interrupt that process by stressing him. "Maybe, but not right now. I think it'd be better to let him get well first. Maybe even let them get to really know each other before showing him that." He waved a disgusted hand at the folder.

Leo nodded. "Okay."

Mikey left the kitchen his guts still in knots, but he tried to plaster on a smile for Kaz's sake as he reentered the lab. Ona yawned, her eyes drooping a bit as he approached them. Kala frowned at the girl. "Ona, you really should get some sleep."

The girl started to protest but Kaz squeezed her hand. "It's okay, I need to talk to my dad anyways."

Kala smiled and took the teen by the arm. "Come on, you can sleep in Kaz's bedroom for now. As long as you don't mind the mess."

Kaz snorted. "It's not messy, it's creatively organized."

Ona giggled as Kala led her from the room, making Kaz grin. His gaze shifted to his father as Mikey sat on the side of the cot, causing the old springs to groan under his additional weight. For a long time, they held each other's eyes. Mikey finally broke the gaze, picking up one of Kaz's hands. "I was so scared, Kaz. I don't think I've ever been that scared before. I thought….I thought we were going to lose you."

Kaz's hand tightened around his father's. "I'm sorry I ran out like I did. But I couldn't get any of you to listen."

Mikey continued to stare at Kaz's hand, memorizing the calluses and scars. "I know and I'm sorry. You were right about everything. All those kids, they wouldn't have made it without you. And we would have never known what was happening until it was too late." He lifted his eyes to his son's again. "I can't take back what happened, but I can promise that I will always listen to you."

Kaz nodded his eyes glistening a little. "Thanks, Dad. And I promise if you'll listen, I'll talk. Okay?"

Mikey smiled. "Okay. I love you, Kaz. You know that right?"

Kaz nodded. "Yeah, I know. And I love you too." The teen's stomach rumbled loudly, breaking the solemn mood. He grinned. "I guess that means I'm hungry."

Mikey laughed. "I think there's still some leftover pizza in the fridge. How about I warm us some up?"

Kaz's grin seemed to spread. "That sounds awesome!"

A/N: I'm going to go ahead and give you guys the next chapter. It's the last one for this fic. But the next one is coming along nicely now - thanks to all my friends!