He had been in his restraints for almost four days by his reckoning, but it could have been longer. It was hard to gauge exactly how much time had actually passed. To say he was uncomfortable would be a gross understatement. There wasn't a single position where we could find any relief. As more time went by without word from anyone outside, the more concerned the purple masked turtle got. Bree had understandably withdrawn to her end of the room during that first day, not speaking very much. She needed time to process and Donatello couldn't fault her for that.

He felt like he had been here so many times since he had been captured. The feeling of being on the edge, waiting for something to happen. He found himself constantly staring at the door, both anticipating and dreading the moment when it would next open. It had been quiet in the room for so long that the noise the door made when it finally did open, seemed louder than it should have.

Donatello let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding when he only saw Heidi and two other guards walk through. Relief spread him when he saw that Robert was not one of them. They completely ignored Bree and headed straight for him. He could tell they weren't here for anything good when the doctor wouldn't even look him in the eyes.

"Get him ready to move."

The two guards complied with the doctor's orders. Once he was on his feet with his hands bound behind his back, they led him out into the hallway. Donatello was so stiff from his confinement for the past several days that walking was a bit difficult. He ended up not having to go far as he was being guided to the medical lab. He froze on the threshold to the room with memories of the last time he was there flooding his mind, paralyzing him. He was pulled into the room and that's when he noticed that Bishop was there, waiting for him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Glad you could join us Donatello."

Donatello really didn't have anything to say, so he stayed silent.

"While I do enjoy silence, yours is not something I expected. I do suppose we should get started before my next appointment. Gentlemen, if you please."

The agent gestured towards the table and the two guards grabbed his arms and started dragging him towards the table. Donatello felt like a stone had dropped in his stomach and he started to resist, trying to plant his heels into the floor. He didn't want this to happen again. He couldn't let it happen again.

Watching the turtle squirm and struggle amused Bishop for a short while before he started getting impatient. He strode over to the terrapin and punched him in the stomach, putting a bit more power into the strike than he normally would. It was enough to knock the wind out of Donatello and as the turtle struggled to breathe again, Bishop was able to maneuver him onto the table.

Donatello was too concerned about getting his breath back, he wasn't able to put up much resistance as he was lifted up and slammed onto the table, face down this time. He tried to roll off the table but Bishop held firm. He felt the straps going over his legs and they were soon fully immobilized. His arms were left restrained behind his back and straps were tightly secured over his shell at the hips, shoulders and one in between, further pinning his arms behind him. Donatello didn't stop his struggles as another strap was brought over his neck, causing the collar to dig in painfully. One last strap was placed on his head, pressing it into the table. Just like before, there was no room for any movement.

"I don't know why you insist on wasting your time in fighting the inevitable." Bishop's voice was mocking but Donatello didn't care. He would never stop fighting.

"Why ...?" Donatello asked, though he hated how scared he sounded.

"Because, unfortunately the procedure was not successful and the rest of the sample you previously donated is tied up in other experiments."

The Bishop's statement confirmed what he knew was going to happen. Even though he knew it wouldn't change anything Donatello still begged. Pride was not worth anything at this moment.

"N-no. Please...don't."

Bishop ignored his plea, "Procede doctor."

Donatello couldn't stop the tears that fell from his eyes.

This time felt like it took even longer than the last time. He tried to detach himself as much as we could from what was happening. When it was over, he was left feeling numb and empty inside. For the first time during this whole ordeal, his hope dwindled beyond anything he has felt before.

He was abruptly brought back to reality when he felt his tail being grabbed. He gasped and then shuddered. Their tails were very sensitive and considered very private and personal.

"Remember," Bishop sneered, "You are mine now."

Pain exploded and he screamed as Bishop broke his tail.

The intense pain was all the purple masked turtle knew for several moments. When he finally managed to come back to himself, he realized he was left alone and still strapped down to the table. His tail throbbed painfully. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to mentally overcome the pain, so he didn't bother to open his eyes when the door opened. The sound of a single pair of footsteps told him that only one person had entered.

"Donatello."

It was so hushed that he thought he was imagining it.

"Come on Donatello, we don't have much time."

The urgency in the voice caught his attention so he opened his eyes. The doctor was looking at him with what looked like sympathy. This angered Donatello. She did this to him... twice, and she had the nerve to feel sympathy? He narrowed his eyes and gave her the most intense glare he could muster.

Heidi pulled back when Donatello glared at her. Even with him still restrained she was still a bit fearful. She knew what he was capable of but she continued anyway.

"I know that nothing I say will change what... what I did to you. Any explanations or reasons wouldn't justify my actions so I won't even bother with them."

Donatello continued to glare.

"I could never do anything that would come close to making things right, but I hope that what I am about to do will be a start."

The doctor held up a small bottle.

Donatello read the label, Hydrochloric acid.

"I know that you are very smart, so I am confident that you know what to do with it."

For a moment the hope returned and flared up inside the turtle but it came with suspicions.

"How do you expect me to just start trusting you?" He hated how weak his voice sounded.

"I can't answer that, only you can. I am going to put this in your hand and you can decide to use it or not, but you need to make your decision quickly. Bishop is leaving the facility tonight and will be gone for several hours."

He could tell there was more but saw her hesitation in telling him.

"That's not all is it? He wouldn't be leaving unless it was absolutely necessary. What could be so important?"

"I falsified the pregnancy tests to show results as negative."

When he realized what the doctor said, he forgot to breathe. He couldn't believe what he just heard. Bree was pregnant. With his child. What he once thought to be impossible has just been proven to be absolutely possible.

"Why would you do that? I don't understand."

Heidi struggled to keep the tears that had formed from falling. If she started now, she wouldn't be able to finish saying what she needed to. She was running out of time.

"I can't do this anymore. Hurting innocent people goes against everything that I am but there is no time for that. Bishop is leaving to get his investors to give him more funds so he..." Heidi took a deep breath. This was the worst part. "He's planning on expanding the program sooner than he originally planned. Donatello, he plays on returning with your brothers."

"No…" It was barely a whisper.

Donatello felt like he had been dunked into ice cold water. He has done everything in his power to prevent this very thing from happening. He failed. His breathing became faster as the panic overwhelmed him. He started to violently struggle against his restraints with every ounce of strength he had.

"Donatello, stop! You'll hurt yourself. You need to - "

"Let me go. You have to let me go now!" He didn't care that he was yelling.

"I can't."

"Yes you can!"

"No! You would never make it. And if your mind wasn't so clouded by pain and fear you would see that too."

The genius turtle stopped struggling as the truthfulness of that statement hit him. He was on the verge of a total mental breakdown. One shaky breath escaped before he got himself under control again. He hated to admit it but she was right.

"When?" He was still trying to calm his emotions and to keep them from overwhelming him again.

"Tonight. An hour after lights out there will be a shift change for the guards. That would be your best chance. If you time it right you would have about 15 minutes before they should notice you missing."

"Ok."

The doctor placed the vial of acid in his hand. It would be no problem for him to conceal the small bottle, but he flinched when her fingers brushed his hand.

"I - "

Whatever Donatello was going to say was cut off when the same two guards from before walked in.

"You may take him back now." Heidi told them without any prompt.

It was hard for Donatello to do nothing. Part of him still wanted to take his chances now, but the doctor was right. He would never make it and would probably blow any chance at getting out at all. So he pretended to still be mostly out of it as he was led back and put back in his chains. There were so many emotions that were competing for dominance, that he didn't know if he was sad, angry, scared or numb. But there was also a spark. It seems like that 'right time' he has been waiting for is now, he just has to wait a little bit longer.

Bree came over to him as soon as the guards closed the door. She could tell right away that something bad had happened, but Donatello didn't want to talk about it. He did assure her that he was alright and thankfully she didn't press the issue. After a while, Bree left him to lay down. Donatello felt bad for basically ignoring her but he wasn't ready to talk. Besides, he needed to think of a plan. He squeezed the tiny bottle still in his hand, just the feel of it gave him a new sense of determination. It was going to be dangerous and very risky. The chances of success were slim but not impossible. But there was something he had to do first. He had to warn his brothers. Remaining silent was no longer protecting them.

It looked like Bree was finally resting so Donatello decided now was as good a time as any. He sat down on his knees. This was the most comfortable position he could get in. With his eyes closed, he focused on his breathing and getting it into the right rhythm. His tail continued to throb and he was still sore everywhere and the torrent of emotions still there. He pushed all that out of his mind for now. Eventually, after struggling to calm himself enough to be able to clear his thoughts and clear his mind, he found himself slipping deeper into meditation. He opened his eyes after he felt the serenity that being on the astral plane always gave him.

Donatello concentrated a bit harder, seeking his family's spirits and sending out a message of sorts, calling to them and letting them know he was here. Now all he had to do was wait.

He felt them before they materialized not far from where he stood and before he could blink he was engulfed by his three brothers. No words were spoken for several minutes but the four turtles did reluctantly pull apart from each other. Tears had unknowingly fallen from his eyes during the exchange and he wiped them from his cheeks trying to compose himself.

"Donnie, what's happened? It's been over a month since we last saw you."

Leonardo's statement surprised the purple masked turtle. He must have interpreted the passing of time incorrectly.

"A lot has happened. Where's Master Splinter?"

His brother's hesitation did not sit well with Donatello.

"Leo, where is he?"

You could hear in his voice that he was starting to panic.

"He's resting. He's been sick with the flu for the past three days."

"How bad is it?"

"He's pretty weak and he's not eating much. We put in an IV yesterday and he is already improving."

"Sensei is gonna be fine, Don. We have it under control, now tell us what's goin' on."

Donatello was relieved, but Raphael was right. He needed to say what he came here to say.

"I need you guys to promise me that you will stay in the lair for a few days."

The question brought confusion to his brothers, he could see it.

"Why?"

Donatello looked his oldest brother in the eyes.

"Because I he's coming for you."

"Who is Donnie?" Michaelangelo could see the inner turmoil his brother was fighting against.

Donatello took a deep breath to steady his nerves before he answered. They were not going to take this well.

"Bishop."

Raphael swore while Michaelangelo noticeably paled upon hearing the name.

"Bishop has had you all this time?"

Donatello only nodded at his youngest brother's whispered question.

"That's it!"

All three brothers winced at the hot tempered turtle's outburst.

"Tell us where he's keeping you. We're busting you out tonight!"

"I can't do that Raph."

"Why the hell not?" Raphael yelled getting up into his brother's face.

Instead of getting mad and yelling back, Donatello just looked at him. He didn't hide the hurt and the pain that he has endured, letting it show for his brothers to see. He needed them to understand how important this was.

"If Bishop gets his hands on you it's all over. Not just for us…but for everyone else too. What he di - What he's trying to do, would give him all the power, all the resources he needs. The lives of thousands of people are at stake. We can't let him get his hands on all of us… we just can't."

This only enraged the red banded turtle more.

"Do you really expect us to just stay at home and forget about you? That ain't happenin' Donnie. We have never left anyone behind before and I'm not about to start now."

"I'm not asking you to forget me or leave me behind Raph, but I need you to do this for me. I need to know that you guys will be safe. I can't do this if I'm too worried about you getting caught."

"Can't do what?"

Donatello gave his brother a small smile. Leave it to Michaelangelo to notice the small details.

"Escape. I have an opening and I'm certain… well mostly certain, that I can make it. But it's going to be very dangerous, which means I will need all my focus to have any chance of getting out. If I know that you are safe in the lair, then they can't use you against me anymore. I might even be able to use those threats against them. So if you won't do it for your sake, then please, do it for mine. Please don't make everything I have been through be for nothing."

That did it.

Leonardo shared a pained look with his brothers and sighed.

"Three days Donnie. If we don't hear from you in three days then we're coming after you, consequences be damned."

Donatello nodded in acknowledgement of Leonardo's words.

"I need you guys to swear it, in the name of the Hamato clan."

Surprise was reflected on all three of his brother's faces. This was more than just a promise. This was a vow, something that cannot be broken or it would put a stain on their honor and on the honor of their clan. It would be akin to betrayal. This proved how important this promise was to their purple masked brother.

Surprisingly Raphael was the first to walk up to Donatello. He formally bowed to his brother while he swore to do as his brother asked and not leave the lair for the next three days. Leonardo was next and repeated the ritual. Michaelangelo did it last and after he was done, he captured his immediate older brother in a fierce hug. After his brother pulled away, Donatello addressed them again.

"I swear to all of you that I will try with everything I have to get back to you guys but you should know this. If I fail this time and they catch me, Bishop will kill me. So if you don't hear from me in three days it will be too late."

He hated the looks on his brothers faces after he said that, but they deserved to know. He didn't want them risking their lives for nothing.

"If… if I don't come back -"

"You're comin' back Don."

Donatello continued, despite Raphael's interruption, "If I don't come back, promise me you will keep the family together. That future… the future I was sent to can't happen and it won't if you all stay together, if you stay a family. Promise me you won't let that happen!"

Leonardo and Raphael shared a knowing look. Their brother told them everything that had happened in that future.

"We promise Donnie, nothing will drive us apart."

Leonardo embraced his brainy brother, Raphael and Michaelango soon joined in.

"I love you guys."

Donatello stayed in his brother's strong, loving arms for a few moments longer, drawing strength from being surrounded by their presence. Then he left without another word because if he stayed any longer he risked losing all of his resolve. His brothers promised him something. Now it was his turn to keep his promise to them.

He opened his eyes and all the pain and emotions came flooding back. He took a few calming breaths to get himself back under control. When he looked up, Bree was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees watching him. She looked relieved when their eyes met, but he had to look away. He knew he had to tell her but he didn't know how or even where to start. His head knew that nothing they did tohn to her was his fault but his heart still felt guilty for it.

"I was worried about you."

Donatello's eyes snapped back to hers.

"You came back looking… not well and then you zoned out."

Bree had crossed the room and taken a seat in front of him.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to worry you."

"They really hurt you this time."

Bree could see that he was in pain. More pain than she has ever seen him express. She knew that they had hurt him, very badly but he never really let it show before. He looked so vulnerable, so… young?

"How old are you?" The question left her math before she even knew what she was doing. She had just realized that his age had never come up before, but she felt compelled to ask. For some reason, she had to know.

Donatello looked a little baffled by the question.

"Why does my age matter?"

"It matters because I say it does."

Bree smirked and Donatello chuckled.

"OK, do you want my age based on human development or turtle?"

Donatello gave a broad smile at the look on Bree's face. It was a combination of confusion and surprise.

"Um, whichever one you believe is more accurate… I guess?"

He let out a small chuckle, "I'm just messing with you Bree. Besides our exterior appearance, we more closely resemble humans. Including how we age. My brothers and I had hatched as regular turtles only a few days prior to our exposure to the ooze. That was sixteen years ago."

"You are only sixteen years old? And I thought Bishop was a sicko before… but to do something like this to a kid."

"Bishop doesn't care about who or how many he hurts, just as long as he gets what he's after. He's told us that collateral damage is inevitable and oftentimes necessary to get the desired results."

Tears of pain and frustration started to gather in Donatello's eyes. He looked away from Bree so she wouldn't see until he could get himself under control again. If she saw, she didn't say anything.

Silence took the conversation over. It wasn't a tense kind of silence, but it wasn't exactly comfortable either, but it lingered for several minutes.

"So, I've got a couple things I need to tell you."

Bree noticed the hesitation in the turtle's voice so she knew this news wasn't going to be pleasant.

"What's going on?"

A small smile grew on Donatello's face, "I think I've got a way out."

Her breathing hitched and her heart started pounding at the unexpected news.

"Really? When… how… What's your plan?"

Donatello told her of the doctor's change of heart and the bottle of acid. He left at what had happened to him before that. He probably wouldn't speak of that to anyone… not even his family. He also told her when this was going to happen.

"Tonight? Do you really think we can make it?"

He looked into her hopeful eyes, "Nothing in life is ever 100% certain, but I think this will be our last and only chance to try. You do need to know that if we fail…if we're caught, that's it. He will kill us this time."

The unspoken question, Are you sure you want to do this?, hangs in the air as Bree processed this bit of information. Donatello saw the look on her face change from scared and not sure to determined.

"I would rather die trying than to stay here and be his science experiment."

Bree noticed the flinch in Donatello's facial expression when she said that.

"What? What's wrong… what aren't you telling me?"

He looked down. He couldn't look her in the eyes as he told her.

"I'm sorry." The apology came out as a whisper.

"Sorry for what Donnie?"

"The doctor falsified the results of the test when she told Bishop they were negative."

He heard the gasp she let out when she realized what he was saying.

"You're pregnant Bree."