After The Blaze

Summary: What if Tang Shen had not died in the fire...

A/N: I can't type in Japanese so bare with me.

It was brought to my attention that I made a big mistake in this chapter, so I corrected it and now it should make more sense.

Thank you Eira Day for pointing out the error.

Fifteen Years after the fire in Japan...

She walked along the streets of Japan going to her usual market place to by food, it had been fifteen years since that horrible night... the night she lost her family to anger, hatred, and pure jealousy. The breeze from the early spring morning blew her long black hair, she watched as families walked past, oh how she missed her husband and daughter dearly she only hoped that she had been wrong and they didn't parish in the fire.

She saw an old friend of hers coming her direction and she said "Good morning Mia, and how is your family today?" Mia frowned and said "Shen listen, I have learned something. Homato Yoshi is still alive! He left shortly after the blaze took down your home." Tang Shen bowed her head and felt tears in her eyes "how do you know this? Its not what I was told."

"I know my friend, but Yoshi collapsed after the blaze that took you home. He sat for too long in the yard holding you, he... He thought you were dead..."

Tang Shen didn't know what to say, officials had told her that her husband and daughter died in the fire.

"what... what of my daughter?"

Mia bowed her head and felt tears coming to her eyes "no one knows."

"How is it you have this information?"

Mia explained "my father was an officer at the time, he told no one what he saw, but he told me... He felt guilty about never telling any one what he saw, so he quit the force."

Tang Shen put her bags down and put her face in her hands, all of the hurt and pain she felt was all coming back to her. She never went out to find love again after her husband had passed, now she knew what she had to do. She had to find her husband "do you know where he might be?"

"in the United States, in a state called New York."

"then I must go, tonight."

Mia gave her a hug and said to her "good luck my friend and have safe travels."

New York City 15 years after the fire...

Homato Yoshi, better known as Splinter stood looking at the old photo of his beloved wife and daughter, he felt a tear escape his eyes as he thought about how his wife had died in the fire. How he had held her lifeless body in his arms, he could still hear his daughter's screams as Saki walked away with her. He felt he had failed... Failed as a husband and failed as a father.

But thanks to a near collision with a TCRI truck he got mutated into a rat, but what really hurt his sole was he had lost his baby turtles down into the sewers after they had come into contact with the mutagen as well. He remembered going into the sewers and looked for them, he found two that were huddled along a wall scared and cold. He picked them up, he noticed one had green eyes and one had dark blue. He smiled at them and said softly.

"i will not let anything happen to you, no need to be frightened."

He walked a little further and found another young turtle this one taller then the two he had in his arms. The little turtle shied away and Yoshi said to him.

"it's alright little one, I will not hurt you."

the small turtle looked up to him, and crawled after him as he began to walk further down the tunnel. Suddenly a cry was heard, Yoshi looked around for the source and found the forth and smallest turtle he picked the little one up. The small turtle struggled and he said softly.

"it's OK little one, I will not let any one hurt you."

The small turtle looked up at him his blue eyes shining like diamonds with tears in them, Yoshi could see the fear in his eyes. Looking down at his new wards he said to them.

"we are now a family my sons. Come let us find a better place to call home."

Leading the way still holding the smallest turtle Yoshi realized he had a second chance, looking back he saw the other three close behind crawling.

Yes this would be his new family, he would raise them the way Tang Shen would have wanted them to be raised. With love and understanding...

He was pulled from his thoughts by a small voice.

"Master Splinter? Are you alright?"

Turning he saw his youngest son Michelangelo looking up at him, he could see the concern in his eyes, Splinter wiped his eyes and said.

"yes, I am fine, did you need something?"

Shifting from one foot to the other he said softly.

"Leo says that lunch is ready."

Splinter smiled down at his son and said to him kindly.

"thank you Michelangelo, now go join your brothers I will be along shortly."

Mikey turned to leave but turned back around to see his father with his back to him, he asked timidly knowing this was a touchy subject.

"father... do you miss them?"

Splinter turned around again and said to him.

"Yes Michelangelo, I do."

"What if they are still alive?"

Splinter frowned and asked.

"how could they be my son the fire... it burned every thing... and she was lifeless in my arms..."

Michelangelo may not be the most inelegant turtle but he was far from stupid.

"father... I had a weird dream last night..."

Splinter turned to his son who now had his attention.

"was it another nightmare?"

Michelangelo looked down at the floor before saying.

"yes... and no. It was like I was there but I wasn't there."

Splinter frowned and tried to understand.

"how do you mean?"

Mikey gulped and looked up at his tall father.

"its hard to explain."

Splinter stroked his beard and stared at his son thoughtfully before telling him.

"Tell me about your dream my son, just tell me what you saw."

Mikey swallowed hard and started from the beginning:

The night before...

The Dream:

Tang Shen was walking down the streets of New York on a cool night, She seemed as though she was looking for some one. Then from out of no where twenty Foot Ninja's came out of the shadows and attacked her. She fought with the knowledge she has in the martial arts but to no avail, she had been captured by the Foot.

While the turtles were on patrol they had seen the fighting but for some reason they could not get down to her. Michelangelo was the only one that could move his legs enough to flip over the building's edge and down to the ground below. But for what ever reason he left his Nunchuks at home, he tried to fight off the Foot bravely but to no avail as he got captured him self.

While the two were being transferred to the Foot Headquarters Shen told Mikey.

"I will make sure you get free... Tell your father I am alive... and I am headed for New York..."

Mikey wakes up:

Sitting bolt upright in bed Michelangelo could feel the sweat dripping down his face, his throat was dry. Before he had time to really do anything further his bedroom door swung open and his oldest brother came inside.

"Mikey? Are you alright? I heard you scream."

Mikey looked up at his big brother and saw the worry in his blue eyes.

Leonardo sat next to him and put an arm around his shoulders, he could feel that his little brother was still scared and shaking.

Mikey took a deep breath and said.

"I had the weirdest dream dude..."

Leo knew Mikey didnt always remember his nightmares so he listened carefully.

"I dreampt that Tang Shen was in New York! And she is looking for Master Splinter! But in the dream she got attacked by the foot and caught. And that the four of us tried to help but you guys couldn't move from the rooftop. But my feet were the only ones to work so I jumped down and tried to rescue her only for them to catch me too."

Leo frowned and looked into his little brother's baby blue eyes and told him.

"You need to talk to Sensei about this, that doesn't sound like any ordinary dream Mikey. Its one of those premonition dreams you get some times..."

Back to present...

Splinter stroked his beard again as he listened to his youngest son's tale, after a few minutes he said softly.

"This is strange son, I must admit that, but if your dream is correct then Shen is in danger if she comes to New York. If Oroku Saki finds out or even knows she is alive then he will stop at nothing to get her."

Leonardo had been in the doorway listening.

Splinter sensed his eldest sons presence and said.

"Enter Leonardo."

Leo appeared sheepishly from the door way, he knew his father got annoyed when they eavesdropped in on a conversation, but Mikey's dream bothered him.

Leo walked over and sat on the floor next to his little brother, clearing his throat he said softly.

"Sensei do you think Shen could really still be alive?"

Splinter thought about it and said honestly.

"I keep telling my self no she cant be... because she was lifeless in my arms, I didnt see any life too her... But Michelangelo's dreams about future events have almost never been wrong... If it is correct then that means she is on her way here to New York."

Leo frowned deeply and asked.

"But, if you thought she was dead, then how can she be sure you survived? Why would she risk coming here to find out? Your not listed anywhere? It would be like looking for a needle in a hay stack?"

Splinter knew his son had a good point and told him.

"Go get Donatello, and ask him to bring his Laptop."

Leonardo nodded and said.

"Hai Sensei."

Leonardo went to his younger brother's lab and saw him working with some chemicals and waited patiently for him to put the eyedropper down before saying.

"Donnie, Sensei wants to see you, and bring your laptop."

Donatello looked up, wearing his protective goggles he looked up at his brother and told him.

"Sure, I will be right there, I need to finish this or there will be an explosion, and I don't feel like ticking Raph off this early in the morning."

Leo chuckled and turned from the room and went back to the dojo to wait for his brother to show, he passed Raph in the hall.

"Leo where did ya disappear too? I thought we were gonna eat breakfast?"

Leo looked over at him and said.

"We will, but something has come up for the moment, why don't you come to the dojo too. This effects all of us."

Raph frowned and said.

"What does? What is going on fearless?"

Leo looked into his green eyed brother and said gently not wanting to agitated him.

"Mikey had one of his 'dreams' last night, and Sensei thinks it means something."

Raph raised his eye ridge and said.

"OK, so bonehead had a dream so what?"

Leo turned to completely face his immediate younger brother.

"About Tang Shen."

Raphael's eyes went wide and didnt say a word as the two eldest went to the dojo to wait on Donatello.

Splinter looked up when the two entered.

As Leo sat back down beside Mikey with Raph on his left he said to their father.

"Donnie was mixing chemicals, he said unless we want an explosion he needs to finish what he is doing."

Splinter nodded his understanding and they waited.

Ten minutes later Donatello came running into the dojo with his laptop in hand, he skidded close to Raph and landed on his knees next to his hot headed brother.

"Sorry Sensei, I had too..."

Splinter put his hand up to silence him.

"It is fine Donatello, Leonardo told me you had to finish. Tell me my son, are you able to find some one on the internet."

Donnie frowned and asked.

"How do you mean? Like find their location? Of where they live and such?"

Splinter nodded and said.

"Yes that is what I mean."

Donnie nodded and said.

"Yes, you can find just about any one on the internet."

Splinter reached behind him and took the small table and put it in front of his second youngest and said.

"I would like you to do a search for Tang Shen, if you can try to get any information on the fire from 15 years ago."

Donnie was already typing away on the computer, he frowned and said.

"There were three fires, three days apart, I do not know what one was yours."

Splinter moved to sit behind his son and looked over his shoulder, he saw a link that read:

Homato Fire.

"Donatello, its the fourth paragraph down."

Donnie looked and saw what his father was seeing and clicked on it.

Raph, Mikey and Leo crowded around their brother and listened to the two talk.

Donnie was reading about the fire, then near the end he read aloud:

"In the case of the Homato Fire, there was no evidence of any human remains in or around the home, indicating that Homato Yoshi and Homato Miwa are still alive and considered missing persons. The cause of the fire is considered arson, we have not found any evidence of who started the fire. But if there is any information on Miwa or Yoshi then please contact the local authorities in Tokyo.

Tang Shen, wife of Homato Yoshi was found barely alive about 10 yards away from the home and was taken to the hospital for second degree burns and smoke inhalation, along with a concussion. She had no recollection as of right now on who could have burned her home and has no idea of where her husband and daughter are. Locals are saying that Yoshi took off with their young daughter after a confrontation just outside the home just the day before. So police are looking for a possible kidnapping as well as the arsonist."

Donnie finished reading and looked up at his father and said.

"They are blaming you? But... why?"

Raph spoke next.

"SO Shen is still alive? And so is Miwa? But where are they now?"

Splinter told his sons.

"I am not worried about the accusations, we need to find out if Shen is coming to New York. I do not want Saki to get her."

Donnie typed in a few things and hacked into the airport computer for any flights coming to New York.

Leo asked his brother.

"Can you find out who the passengers are?"

Donnie stopped typing and looked over at him and said with a sly smile.

"Does Mikey like pizza?"

Leo smiled and watched as his brother brought up a list of passengers, and sure enough there was a Tang Shen listed.

Splinter looked at departure time and then landing time. He looked up at the clock and said.

"She landed some time last night, the times listed are not for eastern time zone."

Donnie looked up again at his father and said.

"Yea and with the international date line, she could have landed yesterday or is landing tomorrow."

Splinter looked down at his sons and told them.

"Tonight's patrol I want you to keep to the shadows and look for Shen, I want to know if she is here in New York or not. If she is, then call and tell me my sons. Now remember she does not know about my transformation, she does not know about you. And she may not know I am here in New York."

Raph looked up at his father and asked.

"Do ya want us to approach her? If we find her?"

Splinter shook his head and said.

"No, not yet... if you can avoid it."

Splinter and the turtles went on about their day, then that night the turtles went on patrol. All any of the four of them wanted was for their father to be happy.