Welcome to my story. I started this awhile ago and finally decided to post it since season 2 is coming to a close and I am going to be needing fanfic to get me through the summer. Anyway I hope you enjoy it. As per everything on this website I do not own anything you recognize from the TMNT franchise.

"Show yourself."

The command came in the same succinct, authoritative voice he had spent years following. A voice he would have recognized in his sleep, yet, now it seemed so strange; like something he had heard once in a dream. Donatello paused, his metal bo-staff at the ready, as he stepped forward into the yellow sphere of light that spread across the rooftop.

He knew his apparel hid his identity so it was unlikely his brother's recognized him even thought his form was still very similar to the boy they had seen stolen away all those years ago. However, outwardly, he worked hard to reflect the aura of calm certainty that had served him so well in recent years. It was all a façade, an elaborate one but a façade nonetheless.

Underneath his mask his heart was hammering within his chest; even through the tinted goggles his eyes were desperate to drink in their faces. In truth, Donatello he wanted nothing more then to rush forward and throw himself at the three ninja before him. Yet, despite the intense desire to do otherwise, he kept perfectly still as they approached. He had been hoping for this moment for the better part of the last five years, praying this day would come but now that it was here he knew better then to rush into it. After all, this particular reunion was happening at the point of his eldest brother's katana blade.

Carefully, he presented his bo before his body, extending his arms to show them that he meant no harm, before bending down and placing it on the ground at Leonardo's feet.

For a moment he felt ridiculously nervous. So much had changed in the last few years.

It had been a long time since he had last been here, in New York, on a rooftop with his family around him; back then he had been one of them He had dressed like them and had as eager as they been to fight and prove himself. As he reached up to remove the goggles he kept over his eyes he realized just how drastically things had changed in recent years. The observation came into blatant contrast when he recognized that they were still as he had once been, fighting endless threats while wearing (barely) a mask almost fully exposed to the dangers around them, both mentally and physically. He had suffered for his naiveté in that respect.

His time served with the Kraang had destroyed the part of him that had been able to walk into a situation without assessing every single possible hazard. In the years he had been forcibly separated from his brothers his enemies had never been as 'kind' as the Footclan or the Kraang of his youth had been; they had left scars, both on his body and his mind that ran too deep to ignore. It had made him cautious, perhaps even a little paranoid, but it had also kept him alive.

Each element of his fully covered sozoku served a distinct purpose. First he removed the lower face cover that served as a gas mask; the Kraang had used gas on more then one occasion to sedate him. He unzipped the thick aluminum lined hood that he kept drawn around his head; the Kraang were not above telepathic warfare and he found the netting he had line the material with kept their abilities at bay. Even the colour of his clothing was specific; light reflective polymers to better camouflage himself in every possible environment, lightweight material that was water repellant for all those instances he had been caught in the rain and flame retardant material that he wished he had thought of before the Kraang had discovered the joys of napalm. Carefully he pulled the hood down, uncovering his face to both his family and the New York city skyline.

He stared at his brothers impassively as theirs morphed into different levels of shock and awe. He felt odd, knowing he lacked the purple mask he had donned so long ago. He felt a pang of regret; both the mask and his original bo staff had been lost somewhere in Dimension X, he had resigned himself to the fact that he would never hold them again, yet seeing their counterparts in his brother's hands brought on a bout of nostalgia had hadn't had the luxury of feeling for quite some time. So, Donatello stood before them, never more covered and never more exposed. He conceded it had been a long time and those years away had taught him patience more then any other lesson he had never wanted to learn, so he stood at ease with his emotions well guarded and he waited. He had become too comfortable with waiting as of late.

It was Raph who broke the silence.

"Donnie?"

His brother's normally sarcastic voice was strange to his ears, laden with thick emotion that did not seem to sit well on his tone.

Donnie couldn't help the smile it brought to his face.

"Hey guys." He said as he offered them a feeble wave, his own voice betraying the emotion his face did not.

They rushed him.

It was surprising how strange the sensation was. For a long time (years now) his world had been very inclusive and physical affection even moreso. Now an outpouring of questions followed accompanied the overwhelming sensory input of at least three pairs of arms gripping him. He let all of the sensations them fall over him as Donatello allowed himself to enjoy the moment.

It was over very quickly.

Even as he tilted his head to regard his brother's once more Donnie felt it, the telltale tingle run up the back of his spine. A sure sign that someone following him.

One look at his brothers told him that the feeling had not escaped them either. Leo's eyes narrowed dangerously as his hands reached down to his belt and produced three throwing stars with a liquid grace Donnie found himself impressed with. His brown eyes followed the path of the deadly projectiles, calculating their trajectory with pinpoint accuracy. As he followed their path he turned just in time to see a small, very familiar figure peering over the top of an old air conditioning unit, directly in the stars path.

Donnie felt his blood turn to ice as the world seemed to move in slow motion.

"Janus DROP!" he yelled into the still night.

Years of training and the instinct to obey his commands had the small figure ducking down just in time to avoid the sharp metal whizzing overhead. Donatello had already started moving before he had finished crying out, taking the short distance with long strides and easily clearing the AC unite. Within seconds he was standing over the hunched little body that had pressed itself down into the small area between the tarred roof and the dented rusted rectangle. In a panic Donnie dropped to his knees, his hands reaching out for the small hooded creature, immediately running his hands over the small arms and tilting up the tiny face.

Janus peered up at him with sea blue eyes staring through bangs of fire red hair. Donnie pushed both the mop of hair and the hood out of the way to get a better look at the small face. Even at the physical age of seven the child was more observant then he should be. He watched with eyes that lacked fear completely, instead the gaze was innocent and observational, as if he were more concerned with the experience playing out around him then the fact he had been in serious danger. Donnie cursed himself for not being more careful when he had left. He should have noticed Janus following him, especially since the boy was doing so in a pair of white striped pajama pants and torn up slippers.

He sighed heavily, as he stared down at the little face so familiar to the feminine one waiting for him at home. Pale skin, little sun kissed freckles and that endearing expression that melted him more often then not. Almond shaped eyes now focused on him, looking up at him imploringly. All in all the boy looked like an atypical human child. The only variations (other then the eye shape) were the ones that made it impossible for the boy to actually be mistaken as normal. As Donnie reached down to lift the child up he saw the tridactyl fingers and enlarged hands dig into the fabric of his own clothing. The feet were larger then they should have been on a child of this age, with three short toes opposed to the normal human five. Minor mutantations that still made his parentage evident.

He wondered if his brother's had noticed.

Donnie felt the long, coltish limbs wrap around him as his son clung to him. The legs tucked over his hips, the small arms tightened around his neck as the little face burrowed into the hollow of his shoulder. Sighing, he pressed the small head tighter into an embrace, letting the secure feeling wash over them both before he straightened up. The panic at seeing his child in danger ebbed away with each moment, replaced with something darker.

"Um, is he okay?" Leo asked.

Donnie felt rage blossom in his chest and, despite the heart-warming reunion that had just taken place he whirled on his older brother with seething anger.

"Are you insane?" he snarled, "Throwing stars at a civilian?"

"Whoa, calm down Donnie." Raph cried, rushing forward to block Donnie's path, "It was an accident. No one was hurt."

"Because he knows how to duck." Donnie replied sharply.

In his arms he felt Janus tighten his grip. Turning away from Leo he walked toward the edge of the building, calling upon every meditation technique he knew to quell the maelstrom in his mind.

"Donnie, I'm sorry." Leo called, following him, "I didn't expect him to be there. I mean, why would there be a kid on the roof top?"

Donnie didn't answer. There really was no adequate answer he could give.

"Hey, it's all good." Mikey cried, rushing over and patting Donnie on the back, while maneuvering himself in front of Leo, "You're home now and you know this little guy right? We can take him home to his mommy and daddy and then you can come home and we can get reunion pizza."

"Um, yeah I don't think that plan is going to work out." Donnie sighed, jostling the little guy in his arms until Janus pulled away from him, leaning back to stare into his eyes.

"So," Donnie stated in a stern whisper, "Why are you here?"

"Followed you." Janus replied with a look that made it clear he thought the question was absolutely ridiculous.

Donnie closed his eyes in exasperation, as he congratulated himself on just how honest his child was.

"Great." He moaned, before reaching down into his concealed pocket.

He pulled the small cellular phone from its place and grimaced at the little bright lights that flashed ten missed phone calls. He had been gone about two hours. That meant that April was, in all likelihood, loosing her mind. He had to get back now.

"Okay, I've got to go." Donnie stated, turning to look at his brothers.

They all wore identical expression so pure disbelief.

"What?" Raph ground out.

"You're not serious." Leo said.

"No way." Mikey replied.

Donnie sighed.

"Listen, I've got to take him home or April is going to murder me." He stated, ignoring the strange looks his brothers were giving him at the moment "I promise you that I will come back. In fact, we all will. Besides it's a lot better if we do this at the lair. There's a lot that's happened and honestly I don't think it's a good idea talking on a rooftop like this. I feel exposed."

They all looked at one another but Donnie was already at the ledge, his mask still out of place but Janus supported tightly in his arms. He tucked the little boy's hood back over his hair and felt the tiny arms and legs lock around him.

"April and I'll come to the lair at nine tomorrow night." Donnie replied, "There's a lot I have to tell you about and we can talk about it then. We can even have pizza."

"Wait.." he heard Leo cry out. He turned his head to look at his brother.

"Are you saying April's alive too?"

Donnie couldn't help the smile that spread over his lips and he gave them a little chuckle, "Tomorrow night. I'll see you then."

He waved at them before jumping into the night and heading towards home as fast as possible.