A/N: Thank you all for being so patient and the wonderful reviews. This last chapter was a bit short for my taste so I gave you guys a bit extra this time to make up for it.

2 And half hours till landfall

Splinter was relieved when the hail finally stopped. He tucked Mira into a jacket he'd found inside the box of clothes and propped her on his shoulder as he began again to sprint across the rooftops. The wind was starting to pick up now and whipped the cold rain around them. He stopped on a rooftop near the garage and gaped down at it while trying to catch his breath. He could tell even from this vantage point that the shop was flooded and there were no signs of life. My sons must have sought higher ground.

Mira shifted on his shoulder and his mind came back to his primary concern now, which was shelter. The hurricane was obviously closing in on the city and they would need better shelter than the little shed he'd found earlier. The likelihood of such a structure surviving the coming storm was very small.

Following his instincts, he climbed down the fire-escape of the building they were on. It was a small apartment building and as he glanced inside the window on the fourth floor, it appeared to be vacant. The occupants had evacuated as instructed. Splinter set Mira against the wall and tried to the window. It was locked. He glanced around himself for some item to break the pane with, but came up empty. He knelt beside Mira and tucked the jacket a little more around her. The little turtle opened her brown eyes just a slit. "Mira, do not be frightened. I must leave you for just a moment. You must stay very still."

In her feverish state the little tot had no desire to move, but she whimpered none-the-less as he ran back up the fire-escape. He had spotted several loose bricks on the rooftop, and now he grasped one. This single brick would likely save their lives.

Hurrying back down the ladder, he found Mira just where he'd left her. She gave a small sound of happiness as he moved her away from the window, before breaking it. Scooping her up, he hopped inside avoiding the glass on the floor. Splinter twitched his nose at the smell of humans. He wasn't used to the odor being so strong. Sarah and Cat smelled more like his sons than humans. April was the only one that truly smelled like the humans that dwelt on the surface.

He sighed. At least the place was warm and dry. It was a good place to ride out the storm. Checking the apartment just to be certain, he found a little girl's bedroom. Removing the jacket but leaving the sweater, he laid Mira in the small bed. She opened her eyes to gaze up at him again. "Sofu? Where's Daddy?"

Splinter took a steadying breath before attempting to answer. "With your mother." He had no idea if that were the reality or not. But if Sarah had somehow survived the storm surge then Donatello was sure to have found her by now. And if she hadn't, well they would still be together where ever they were.

His answer seemed to satisfy the little toddler and she closed her eyes, drifting off into feverish dreams.

2 Hours till landfall

April jumped at the tap on her window. She rushed over to open it and frowned at the crew that clambered inside. She let out a small cry as Donnie climbed in with Sarah. "My God! What happened!"

Leo explained what happened as Donnie laid her on the couch and tried again to see her head wound clearly. It had begun to bleed again. Her hair was so badly matted that he couldn't' make it out clearly. Sarah suddenly moaned and her eyes slowly opened. Donnie's heart pounded so hard he thought his chest would burst with joy. "Sarah!"

She blinked at him and closed her eyes again. He cupped her face, panic taking over. "No! You have to stay awake, love! You can't go back to sleep!"

She moaned again. "Tired." She whispered.

"I know, but I need you to stay awake. I need you to find Mira." He begged.

Sarah sat up so fast she had to grasp her head as the room began to spin. She gave a cry of pain as her broken ribs dug into her innards. Donnie grabbed her shoulders in two firm hands. He could sense alarm filling her heart.

Leo knelt beside them. "Sarah, do you know where they are?"

Gritting her teeth, Sarah made eye contact with him. "Master Splinter has Mira. I passed her up to him just as I got caught in the current."

"Do you know where they are now?" He pressed.

Sarah closed her eyes, trying desperately to focus. "I don't know. It's fuzzy and my head hurts."

"Sarah, if you have any idea you need to tell us." Leo insisted.

Donnie glared angrily at his brother. "She doesn't know. Back off, Leo."

"Yeah, she just woke up from a four hour forced nap." Mikey was so glad that she was awake he had to restrain himself from bear hugging her.

"No, we need to find Master Splinter and Mira before the storm hits." Leo stood up facing his brothers.

Donnie stood up and a low growl came from deep inside him. "I said, back off!"

April's eyes widened at the noise. She had never seen this before in Donnie. She was also a little surprised when Leo actually took a step back. Donnie stood over Sarah, his body tense and eyes narrowed. Primal instincts were at play as the two brothers locked gazes.

Sarah was the one that broke the tension. She grabbed Donnie's arm and started to get up. "He's right. We have to find Mira and Splinter."

Donnie looked down at her. "No." He sat back down and pressed her gently onto the couch, eliciting a hiss of pain from her. "We are not going anywhere until I've cleaned that head wound and properly wrapped your ribs."

Raph smartly pulled Leo to the side, trying to defuse the situation before it got any more out of hand. He knew Donnie wasn't likely to let anyone near Sarah for a while, at least not until he calmed down. Mikey had even given his brother a wider berth, slipping into the kitchen for something to drink.

Sarah allowed Donnie to probe her head once more, but he still wasn't making much progress. "I can't really get a good look at it. Maybe we should try to wash your hair out first."

Sarah looked over at April. "Do you have any scissors?"

April went to a nearby drawer and pulled out a pair. "What do you need scissors for?"

Sarah sat up slowly and took them from her. She didn't bother answering as she immediately started chopping away at her hair. The guys watched in shock as her long dark locks fell in chucks. It only took about four good whacks and it was gone. Donnie stared at her. "What…why?"

"No time. We need to hurry." She sucked in air, as her body fought her with every word. She laid back down. "Now stich me up so we can go find our daughter."

Donnie nodded, feeling her determination grow inside him. "Cat, bring me the bag." Cat brought over the bag with the medical supplies and he proceeded to clean the wound. "I'm sorry I can't give you anything for the pain. With your concussion it could cause you to go into a coma."

Sarah barely moved as she responded. "I understand."

He cleaned the wound, his lips pressed into a tight line. The gash was certainly deep enough that it needed stitches. He prepared the needle but as he held it ready to go his hands began to shake. His mind understood that this needed to be done, but his body wouldn't comply. Stitching her up meant he would have to hurt her. "I…I can't."

Leo's hand wrapped around his and he gently took the needle. "It's okay. I'll do it."

Raph placed his hands on Donnie's shoulders as Sarah silently took his hands in hers. The couple closed their eyes as Leo knelt to slip the needle under her skin. Raph could feel Donnie's whole body go rigid beneath his hands. He kept himself on alert in case his brother struck out. But after a few moments, he realized that some other force was restraining him. Sarah's face was scrunched with pain and concentration, and she held her mate's hands so tight that her knuckles were white. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

After the fourth stitch Leo sat back. The stitches weren't as neat as Donnie's, Sarah's or even Splinter's but they would do. It took a moment before Sarah cracked open her eye to look at him. "Done?" Unshed tears were still pooled at the corners of her eyes.

He nodded and brushed her forehead with his thumb. "Yes, you did really well." Taking a large bandage, he wrapped it around her head.

Donnie put a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, bro."

"No problem. Now we need to locate Master Splinter and Mira." Leo stood back up.

"Has anyone tried to find his cell signal?" April suggested.

"Yeah, several times, but we couldn't find it anywhere." Raph explained.

"It's probably not working. We were caught in the water." Sarah pulled her feet around to sit up fully. "My head's not hurting as bad now. I think I can find them."

"We need to wrap your ribs up first." Donnie looked at April. "Do you have any spare clothes she can barrow?"

"Yes, of course." April headed for her bedroom. Donnie picked up the duffle bag and then Sarah to follow.

Cat knelt beside the coffee table and began to pull the contents of the small backpack out. Somehow it had survived Sarah's crazy ride through the sewers. She pulled out three books, two jars of Mira's formula and a very soggy teddy bear. Mikey picked up the little bear and gave it a squeeze making a puddle on the floor. It was the one he'd given her when she had just hatched. He swallowed hard. "Guys, I'm really worried."

Leo put an arm around his youngest brother. "We'll find them Mikey."

Raph knelt beside Cat and pulled her to him as silent tears began to trickle down her cheeks. They remained quiet for some time until Donnie and Sarah emerged from the bedroom. Donnie kept a supportive arm wrapped around her as she walked beside him. She was dressed in jogging pants and a t-shirt, both of which seemed to hang off her small frame.

Leo moved towards the window. "Are you ready?" Sarah nodded and they all began to climb out the window.

Raph turned to Cat. "Stay here."

Cat's eyes narrowed. "No! I'm coming! They're my family too!"

"I know but it's too dangerous out there!" His instincts to protect her surfacing.

Her emerald eyes flared. "You're not leaving me behind!"

Her words caused him to pause in his retort. Leaving her? Donnie's words suddenly echoed in his ears. "What on God's green earth possessed me to leave them?" He glanced over his shoulder at Sarah who was struggling down the fire-escape. He wouldn't make the same mistake. "Alright, darlin'." Pulling her to him, he kissed her brow. "But stay close. I don't want to lose you."

1 Hour till landfall

Splinter sat cross-legged beside Mira's bed. Although there were perhaps more comfortable places to attempt to meditate in the apartment, the sound of his grandchild's steady breathing relaxed his nerves. She was still carrying a light fever, and although it was likely he could find medicines for children in this household, he would not risk them. He had seen his sons react adversely to human medications before.

He tried once more to settle into meditation, but the sound of wind rushing past the bedroom's window kept him from doing so. He had tried the TV, but apparently the electricity was out. So, he'd tried to find a radio, but it had had no batteries. Sighing, he had given up on trying to find out any information about the hurricane and had decided to meditate instead.

His mind wandered to his sons. He wondered if they were safe and if they had located Sarah. Even if they had, there was no way for them to contact him or find him. He had discovered his cell was missing when they'd first made it from the tunnels. It had likely been swept away in the current. So, after he'd entered this apartment he'd tried the phone. But the landlines were down as well.

No, there was nothing for it. They were stuck in this place until the storm subsided. He only prayed his granddaughter did not become more ill in the meantime.

The slider slammed into yet another car and Sarah gritted her teeth as it made pain ricochet through her entire body. Donnie held her tightly, growling low. "Shell, Leo, try to be more careful!"

Leo grunted. "I am trying!" The wind was picking up and the tide had rolled in forcing the water level to rise yet another two feet, making the slider increasingly hard to handle.

Sarah was settled in Donnie's lap in the front seat, giving directions. "They're nearby."

"We're nearly at the garage." Cat pointed out from the backseat.

"Yeah, Master Splinter must have tried to make it there after they were separated." Leo put the slider in reverse as he tried to slow them down. "Look for anything unusual, guys."

"He's probably taken shelter in one of these buildings." Donnie remarked.

Sarah pointed at an apartment building. "There! They're in there!"

Leo did his best to steer the craft into the alleyway between the two buildings. Mikey pointed above them. "Look, there's a broken window up there."

Leo attached the slider to the fire-escape. "Alright, fellas, let's be careful. It could just be some punks looting." Keeping the girls at their backs, the guys climbed the ladder and slipped quietly into the apartment. They paused, listening for signs of life.

When none were discovered, Mikey called out. "Master Splinter?"

Their father appeared at the end of the hallway. "My sons! I am so happy to see you."

They ran to embrace him. "Father!"

"Are you injured, Sensei?" Leonardo asked.

Behind them, Sarah and Cat climbed through the window. "No, but-" Splinter gasped as his heart soared for happiness. "Sarah!" She too stumbled forward to hug him. "I was so worried."

Tears slipped from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Master."

Cat moved forward as well, hugging the aged rat. He had become very important to her over the last few years. She had never really had a father figure after her own father had died. Somehow Splinter had quickly filled that piece of her life.

A heavy sigh left him as he released the girls. "It does my heart good to see all my children safe." Cat blushed to be included in such a way.

"Speaking of which, where is Mira?" Donnie looked about the room.

Splinter sighed. "She is sleeping." He frowned. "She is not well."

Sarah nodded. "I figured as much." She had sensed her daughter's unease, even before they'd left April's.

"She is down the hall." Splinter pointed to the bedroom where the door was open.

Donnie hurried up the hallway. Although he knew his wife could sense his daughter, he needed to lay eyes on her himself. Sarah followed a little slower, using the wall as a brace. Donnie let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Mira tucked beneath a pick comforter. Kneeling beside her, he touched her little round head.

Mira opened her eyes. "Daddy?"

Donnie choked back the tears that wanted to overtake him. "How are you feeling, sweetie?"

"Thirsty." Her eyes lit on Sarah behind him. "Mommy!"

Sarah knelt beside her spouse. "I'm sorry I scared you, sweetheart." Mira sat up, pulling out her arms through the sweater's neck. She reached out for her mother and Sarah leaned over to hug her. She did not make an attempt to lift her though. Her ribs were too badly damaged.

Donnie understood and picked up the tot. Little Mira wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in it. "I missed you, Daddy."

Donnie took a steadying breath and held her tightly as he stood to return to the living room. Everyone gathered round to see their smallest family member.

"We need to get back or we'll be stuck here till the hurricane passes." Leo reminded everyone.

Splinter was surprised. "Where do you intend to go, my son?"

"April is still here. I think it'd be best if we all stick together."

"Agreed, but we must hurry the storm will be upon us momentarily." Splinter moved to follow Leo out the window.

Cat looked around. Sarah had disappeared. She found her in the kitchen. "We're leaving. What are you doing?"

Sarah set down the pen she had in her hand and picked up the juice box she'd found. "Coming."

Cat glanced at the paper she'd been writing on.Thank you for the use of your home. It saved my family's life. Sorry about the window. A wad of wet bills lay next to the note. It was all Sarah had had on her. Cat looked up at her with admiration where she now stood beside the window in which Donnie was currently climbing out. Cat quickly reached into her pocket and dumped what little money she carried onto the counter as well. Even together it probably wouldn't cover the window, but it was something. Then she turned and hurried back to where Raph waited. She climbed down the ladder before him.

The slider was packed. Splinter and Leo sat in the front while in the back Donnie sat holding Mira and Sarah and Cat shared the fourth seat. Raph and Mikey knelt on the back of the slider holding on the best they could. As Leo headed back to April's the sky was becoming increasingly angry. The wind was whipping the rain so hard that it felt like bullets stinging their skin. The skiff was hard to control as the waves rocked them to and fro, and threatened to capsize them at times. By the time they reached April's everyone except Mira was soaked to the bone. Donnie had smartly tucked her back into the sweater and jacket before leaving.

As they climbed inside the thunder and lightning crackled overhead announcing landfall.

A/N: Wew, that was a long chapter. Poor Mira is still sick, but don't worry she'll get better soon. Hope you liked it. R&R please. *smooches*