I don't own TMNT.

The turtle warrior slammed into the next metal door.

"This one's locked too," he thought and then turned to stare down the barrel of a gun.

"You're not going anywhere freak," the guard said.

The turtle smirked and calmly stated, "If that's what you think then you're already dead."

The lights flickered before the light bulbs exploded and the ninja warrior darted away as a platform fell onto the guard's head.

At the entrance of another doorway the turtle looked back and smiled sadly, "Would you wish this sensei?"

Tightening his resolve, he turned to the metal door and pushed at it. This one swung open freely and he cautiously stepped into the dark room.

"I know you're here Karai," he said, "Show yourself."

A light flashed on and the green skinned warrior turned his attention to the furthest corner of the room, there was Karai, dressed in the armor of her murderous father, the Shredder.

"You are foolish for coming this far impudent turtle. You should have run when you had the chance," she said as she raised her twin bladed gauntlet in front of her face.

It gleamed in the light and the ninja turtle simply grunted and readied for the ultimate showdown. If he died here, then it would all be worth it, as long as he took this demon with him.

"Prepare to die Karai," he said with a sneer.

The rest of the room lit up and with a glance around he realized that he was surrounded by Foot ninja. If he did manage to win, there was no way he would be able to return to his home and family before the circling ninja finished him off. A sudden yell made him return his attention to Karai. She leapt forward and their weapons met.

"You will fall, you dishonorable reptile," Karai said as they both jumped back.

"Karai," the turtle said, "I, Hamato Donatello, vow, that at this hour, the death of my brother Hamato Leonardo will be avenged by the spilling of your blood. Your death will honor his name."

Karai laughed cruelly, "You fool, you can not defeat me and you are ignorant to be tricked by your own eyes."

"I don't care, you're going to die!" Don shouted, shooting forward, the sharpened end of his bo staff pointed directly at Karai.

She laughed and sheathed her weapon, "Fool."

The world around Don exploded and he fell to his knees. He saw the surrounding Foot ninja closing around him and then his sight darkened.

Don opened his eyes and blinked away drowsiness until he could see clearly. The room he was in was dimly lit and seemed to be made of solid cement. He tried to move but he was stopped when something pulled him back. He looked behind him to see he was bound to the wall with chains.

"Oh great," he murmured and fell to his knees.

He stared at the soft gray shade of the floor and narrowed his eyes.

He was a failure. He couldn't even avenge his brother. What kind of ninja was he anyways? He was never the warrior Leonardo had been. He wasn't naturally athletic like Michelangelo or strong like Raphael. How far could intelligence actually get a being? He was ready to admit that their lives had been based on banking on that one in a million chance of every situation. That and Leo's strength, instincts, endurance and inability to give up.

Then, suddenly the air grew thick and his sight was growing blurry. Then, right before his eyes shut completely, a sudden thunder blasted out from his right side and he felt as small pieces of concrete lightly dusted his right arm. He felt a familiar hand reach out and grab onto his arm.

"Easy Don," a feminine voice said as he faded away.

"April, Casey get out of here!"

"But-" April protested.

"I'll get them out of here, just go!"

"Come on babe," Casey said, "I'm sure he can get them out."

"Well, ok but if there's any trouble?"

"I'll yell!"

With that Casey pulled April through the vent their friend had opened and slipped out of the building just as an explosion went off behind them.

"Oh no!" April shouted, her eyes scanning the building rapidly, "Do you think he?"

Casey was silent as he searched the outside of the building with his eyes as well. A second explosion followed and April's hands flew over her mouth.

"No," they both whispered.

A third explosion went off and their breaths caught in their throats. Then, just when they thought it was too late, an exit door flew open and a form flew out. They gasped and ran forward as the figure stumbled in his steps. April smiled and bent down to the gasping turtle.

"It's ok, you did it. Don't worry they're all safe," she whispered as the turtle fought for breath.

"Thank you both," he mumbled before climbing to his feet while lifting two heavy forms in his arms with another attached his shell.

----------------

Mikey opened his eyes, expecting to see the Foot ninja that had invaded his home, standing over him with a bloodstained blade. Instead, he found himself staring at a dark ceiling. It was decorated with a spider web like design and a window was at his right. The view was of something familiar but his brain still needed to catch up with the surrounding world. He was lying in a large comfortable bed and what was that smell? He looked to his left and by wonder of all wonders there was a whole pizza! He quickly gobbled it all up and sighed contently as he finished it off with a cup of orange juice.

"Now, what happened?" he asked out loud.

He glanced out of the window and was shocked to realize he was at the farm house! Had Raph managed to get them out of their home as it was invaded by Foot ninja? Had Casey and April brought them here? Mikey got out of the bed only to realize he had been tucked in like a young child. Raph wouldn't do that, maybe April?

Mikey's guess was confirmed when he descended the stairs and saw April sitting at the dining table.

She looked up and her eyes lit up, "Mikey, you're awake."

Mikey nodded and then froze as another voice followed, "Mikey, thank goodness you're awake. I was worried."

Mikey's blood froze in his veins and he slowly turned around. His heart jumped to his throat, his eyes widened, his mouth dried out, he held his breath and his limbs turned to shaking jello. There, only ten feet away was…was…was…was-

Mikey mentally slapped himself to stop his repeating thoughts and then shouted as he stumbled forward and into the arms of his eldest brother.

"LEO!" he shouted and stuck to the blue banded turtle.

Leo laughed and held his baby brother close as he cried out Leo's name repeatedly. The eldest turtle tucked Mikey's head under his chin and whispered comforting words to the orange banded turtle as he moved towards the couch. Mikey opened his eyes long enough to see Leo pull him into his lap and raise a hand to wipe away his tears.

"You're alive," Mikey mumbled through his dry throat as Leo's fingers trailed over his cheeks, wiping away the tears that still fell from his eyes.

"Yes, I'm ok and don't worry, I'm not leaving," Leo said calmly as he held the trembling form closer.

"Wait," Mikey said, his eyes traveling around the room, "Where's Raph? And Donny left the lair to-"

Leo put his hand over Mikey's mouth, "They're ok," he said quickly.

Mikey froze, that simple physical contact had been suddenly taken from them days before and now, this loving and caring being was back. His big brother was back and he would make everything ok. Mikey curled closer to Leo and smiled slightly as Leo ran a hand across his arm, the other moving to lay over his shoulders to keep him close.

Tears still falling and sobs still escaping from his throat Mikey wrapped his arms around Leo and buried his face into his neck before murmuring, "I love you big brother."

The moment of silence that followed made Mikey freeze. Had he said the wrong thing? Or the right thing at the wrong time? He trembled a bit more before he realized the slight pressure on his skull. He glanced up to see Leo pressing his face against his head.

Leo opened his eyes and pulled back a bit, "I love you too, baby brother."

Eyes sparkling Mikey tucked his head back under Leo's chin and let the rest of his tears and sobs escape his throat, clearing space so his heart could fall back into his chest. Thinking the word heart, Mikey raised a hand to press against Leo's plastron.

He heard it.

That loyal, enduring, loving heart.

This was real.

A sudden clink had Raph jumping from his bed and onto his feet. He relaxed when he noticed Mikey was in the doorway with a tray of food.

"April said you were waking up," Mikey said with a shrug.

Mikey walked across the room and jumped when Raph snatched the tray from his hands. Raph let it clatter to the ground, the meal spilling onto the floor. Raph didn't care, he enveloped his baby brother into a hug and cried into his shoulder.

"Raph?" Mikey mumbled.

"Thank goodness, you're ok," Raph muttered, tightening his hold on his baby brother.

Mikey willing hugged back and held on as Raph cried.

"Shh, it's ok Raph," Mikey said, "Don't worry, everything and everyone's ok."

"But Donny left-"

"Donny's in the next room, still asleep," Mikey said calmly.

Raph stepped back and wiped away his tears, "How'd we get here?"

With that Mikey beamed at him.

"What?" Raph said with a raised eye ridge.

"Come on," Mikey said while grabbing his arm, "There's someone you should see."

"Who?"

"Just come on," Mikey said, pulling his older brother down the staircase.

April and Casey looked up as they heard Raph's and Mikey's voices. They shared a smile and ducked into the kitchen as Leo hung up the phone he had been speaking to Angel on.

"Surprise Raphie!" Mikey shouted.

As soon as Leo glanced up he found himself being thrown back against the wall, Raphael practically glued to him.

"You're alive! You're alive!" Raph shouted, burying his head into Leo's shoulder.

Leo's arms automatically encircled Raph and pulled his whimpering little brother to him.

"Shh, it's ok Raph. I'm here. Don't worry."

Raph pulled back to look into Leo's eyes, "But- but I saw your body and all the blood! I-"

Leo pulled Raph to him again and laid a comforting hand on his right shoulder while the other rubbed soothing circles onto his shell.

"Shh, I'll explain everything later when Donny's up as well, but for now just relax," Leo whispered as Raph continued to let his tears fall silently from his eyes.

"Aw," April cooed when she walked into the living room.

Leo had very well nearly given Raph and Mikey a heart attack when he went out to cut some firewood. Sure it had been snowing a little, but nothing for a turtle to worry about. As soon as Leo walked back into the house though he was forced to the fireplace by his brothers, sealed within a thick warm blanket and Mikey rushed to him with hot chocolate. Leo shook his head and rolled his eyes but gave in and drank the hot chocolate while his brothers stared at him intently. After an hour, he set aside the warm drink and opened his arms to his little brothers. They each snuggled up to their big brother and fell asleep.

"How's Donny?" Leo asked.

"Still asleep, he should be up by tomorrow afternoon though," April said solemnly.

Leo nodded and turned his attention to Mikey when the orange banded turtle started fidgeting in his sleep.

"Goodnight," April said as she headed to the stairs, "You can just let that fire burn itself out. You've cut enough wood for the next three months."

"Shh, it's ok Mikey. I'm right here baby brother."

"Leo would you tell us what the shell happened already!?" Raph yelled as the discussion at breakfast fell to Leo's sudden return from the supposed 'dead'.

"Raph, I just don't want to repeat it," Leo explained, "So I want to wait until Donny's awake."

"Leo?" Mikey asked.

"Yes, Mikey?"

"Um, I think Donny might've been hit harder than we know."

"What?"

"Yeah," Raph cut in, "At first we thought he was taking it the easiest but one night he stalked into my room and demanded I fight him."

"Fight!?" Leo said, shocked.

Raph continued, "His head wasn't really in the battle. It was more like he just wanted to hurt someone. I told him to go out and blow off some steam but he yelled about getting revenge and ran out of the lair."

"That doesn't sound at all like Don," Leo muttered.

"Yeah, he scared me," Mikey said.

Leo sighed, "I'll see what I can do."

Leo and Raph walked into the living room while Mikey ducked into the kitchen to help April with cleaning up. Leo glanced over and noticed Raph fidgeting with his sais.

"Raph are you ok?" Leo asked as they both sat down on the couch.

Raph glanced down at the couch for a second before closing his eyes and gulping.

"What is it Raph?"

"Just, the last time we were here, you were in a coma. I can still remember…" trailing off Raph let one of his hands trace an old stain on the couch as he mentally muttered the last words of his sentence, 'that blood'.

He shut his eyes quickly and tightened his hands into fists, "I hate them."

Leo softened his gaze and pulled Raph to him, "Bro it's ok. I woke up, because of my family, because of you."

Raph's eyes flew open, "What?"

"Truthfully, I had to strain to hear the others talking but your voice always came through clear as day."

Raph couldn't take it he threw his arms around his big brother and cried into his shoulder.

"You can't leave," Raph muttered as his tears dampened Leo's shoulder.

"I promise you Raphael," Leo said, wrapping his arms around Raph, "I'm not going anywhere."

When April and Mikey walked back into the living room and Casey came down from doing some work upstairs they all awed at the scene. Raph, that hot-headed stubborn as a mule turtle, was dozing silently, his head nestled in Leo's lap. Leo had been reading a book when he heard the others aw. He glanced away from the gold dusted pages and smiled.

Mikey bounced over and sat on Leo's other side. Leo smiled, put the book on the back of the couch and wrapped an arm around Mikey as his baby brother snuggled into his shoulder.

Casey and April threw on their coats and went outside while Mikey started talking.

"He feels really guilty you know?" Mikey said as the front door closed.

"Hm?" Leo asked, absentmindedly running a hand over Raph's forehead.

"Don't you remember? The night you disappeared you and Raph had that argument and he said-"

"Oh," Leo said as his eyes lit in realization, "Yes, I remember, but don't worry, I know Raph. He was just blowing off steam and he had a right to be upset. I was being a little too dependent on you guys to help me after that accident."

"But you needed it," Mikey protested, "In fact you probably needed more. I'm sorry Leo, we should've been more patient."

"Do my ears deceive me or did you actually just say that?" Leo asked.

Mikey laughed before mock pouting, "I can be sensitive when I want to."

Leo laughed and pulled Mikey closer, "Don't you dare change Mikey. What would we ever do without you?"

"Become dark, moody and gloomy," Mikey said.

"True," Leo said before glancing down at his immediate younger brother, "I'll talk to Raph when he wakes up."

"What about Donny?"

"I'll talk to him too. It's just so hard to imagine Don going out for revenge, especially for me."

Mikey sighed, there was that low self-esteem again. Leo really needed to work on that.

"Donny's feeling guilty about the day before. He thinks I couldn't tell how sick he was getting."

"Sick?" Leo asked, instant worry interlacing his voice.

"Dude, none of us have really ate or slept and you have to remember that um giant splinter in your shell."

"Yes," Leo said, "I definitely remember. It took Don an hour to get out."

"Well, he thinks none of us remembered," Mikey said quietly.

"Remembered what?" Leo asked.

"That the only wood in that room, was Donny's bo staff."

"That was his bo staff in my shell?" Leo asked, quite perplexed.

Mikey nodded, "That's why he feels guilty."

Leo sighed as if the world had just been placed on his shoulders, "Ok, when everyone's up we're clearing this all up."

Mikey smiled and rested his head on Leo's shoulder.

Sorry but this got so long I have to break it into two chapters.

Well, I hope you keep reading.

Once again, sorry.

~Moonsetta