~Let Me In~

Summary: Sequel to Hear Me Scream. Three weeks after the horror the turtles faced in the sewers, they are in a desperate need for a distraction. Going out to the old farmhouse for a few weeks for a little R&R is sure to help them relax more, right? Well, that is, until they realize that something's followed them, something with deadly intentions. And it's not happy. Not happy at all…

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT. That right now belongs to Nickelodeon. Lucky them.

Author's Notes: Wow, believe me when I say I wasn't expecting to have written this so quickly. The ideas and files for this have been sitting on my hard drive for a while now, just a little after the first few chapters of 'Hear Me Scream.' Oh well, it's a good thing that writing for the turtles is coming back quickly for me, and inspiration is running high. Please enjoy, I hope you like this just as much as you enjoyed reading 'Hear Me Scream.'

~Chapter One~

"Hush now baby, baby, don't you cry.
Mother's gonna make all your nightmares come true.
Mother's gonna put all her fears into you."Pink Floyd

Casey Jones was a rational man. He often made irrational decisions, especially when it came to fights, but his thoughts and personal views and beliefs on anything 'mystical' or 'fabled' were always thought with a calm, and rational mind. So the knowledge that, no longer than a month ago, four of his closest friends had been attacked by a 'demon', was a little hard for him to fathom.

Of course he believed them, he trusted the turtles more than anyone else, and if Leo and Donnie both agreed that what had attacked them was indeed a demon, Casey knew instantly that they were telling the truth. It wasn't like he would take Mikey and Raph's words any less than he would Leo's and Donnie's, Raphael was his best mate, after all, but Leo...Leo was a stoic figure. He thought of everything with a calm mindset and had a rational head on his shoulders. He believed in the power of one's strength and own abilities, which was something Casey had come to appreciate during his time spent with the turtles. And Donnie...Donnie was the smartest person Casey knew. He didn't believe in deities, or the afterlife, his mind only worked scientifically and mathematically, finding the logical explanation for anything and everything. So when Donnie agreed whole heartedly that they in fact had been attacked by a demon, Casey believed them without a second thought.

But the more he thought about it now as he made his way to the turtles' lair, April walking silently beside him, he couldn't help but wonder what it had been like. Casey was no stranger to nightmares. He often work during the night, slicked with sweat and out of breath, eyes round with fear as his mind raced with the things he had seen in his dream. Often a good bottle of beer, or a cigarette before bed helped with the worst of his nightmares; raging fires that engulfed his father's store, looming shadows of adolescent punks reaching out to grab him and drag him into the flames.

Yes, Casey knew what nightmares were, and was the first to sympathize to any who experienced them. That was why he was so eager to see the turtles' again. Casey still felt a pang of guilt claw his heart at not being able to come to the turtles' call sooner. He and April had gone away to Boston for two weeks for a quiet get away together. They had stayed in a beautiful motel, went out every night for dinner, and walked the streets, taking in the sights of a new place. Casey had left his phone back in his apartment, and April's had one flat three days into their trip, and she hadn't brought her phone charger with her. So it wasn't until they stumbled back into April's apartment two weeks later that they found all the missed calls on their phone, all from the guys. Playing the messages aloud, they had been shocked and frightened by what they had heard.

By the time they had managed to get a hold of the guys, their nightmare was already over. And now, walking hand in hand with April through the dark, twisting sewers to the lair, Casey couldn't suppress the cold shiver that raced down his spine, knowing that this is where it had all happened.

Leo greeted them at the door, a tired smile on his lips. Casey could see straightaway the heavy shadows under Leo's eyes, which made him look years older than he really was; a tell-tale sign to Casey that, despite the demon being gone, they were still having bad nightmares from the experience.

"Oh Leo, we are so, so sorry," April said, wrapping her arms tightly around Leo and pulling him in for a hug. "If we had known..."

"It's alright, April," Leo said, gently untangling himself from her arms, "these things happen."

"But what if one of you had been seriously hurt, or..." April trailed off, shaking her head to get rid of the thought.

Leo said nothing, his expression unreadable. "Come on," he said after a minute, "the others want to see you."

Turning he led them into the open living area. Casey couldn't help but look at everything a little closer. He knew this is where the final struggle had happened, and he was relieved to see that there were no red stains on the floor. The furniture had been placed back to where it usually sat, and Don had managed to fix the broken TV. Mikey was lying on the floor when they walked in, his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth as he immersed himself in the colourful pages of the open comic book before him. Master Splinter sat in his favourite chair, a fresh cup of tea in his hands. Don was sitting at his desk, typing away at his ever present laptop. Raphael was stretched out on the lounge, content with watching his brothers.

Casey could see that they all had dark shadows under their eyes, and felt another pang of guilt claw at his heart.

"Hey guys, how's it going?"

"Sup, Case?" Raphael greeted, turning to face his friend.

"Nothing man, glad to see that your all okay."

"Please, we could take on a hundred demons!" Mikey boosted from the floor, glancing up briefly from his comic book.

"Yeah, whatever you say, Mikey," Raphael snorted, whacking the back of Mikey's head.

"Ow! Hey!"

"Oops,"

"So how are you guys, really?" April asked, taking the spare seat across from Master Splinter.

"We are coping, Miss O'Neil," Master Splinter said, setting aside his tea. "It has been a rough couple of weeks, but we are moving forward, together as a family."

"Yeah, we only get the occasional nightmare now," Mikey said, which was promptly followed by another loud smack. "Ow, Raphie!"

"You guys are still having nightmares?" Casey frowned.

"On and off," Don said, shrugging his shoulders. "I guess that can be expected though."

Suddenly, Casey had an idea. "You guys should take a break' there's no sign of The Foot, and I haven't seen any Purple Dragon's around either. Come out to the old farmhouse for a couple of weeks, take your mind off things."

"That is a very generous offer, Mr Jones," Master Splinter said. "I believe that is a good idea. I think we could all use a breath of fresh air."

"Sounds good to me," Raphael said with a shrug.

"It would be nice to get out of the sewers for a while," Don agreed.

"What do you think, Leo?" April asked, turning her emerald gaze to the eldest.

Leo uncrossed his arms slowly, a smile curling the corners of his lips. "I think it's just what we need."

"So we really get to go? Like a holiday?" Mikey asked eagerly, his puppy-dog blue eyes shining.

"Yeah knucklehead, just like a holiday," Raphael grinned.

"Sweet! I'm going to go pack the rest of my comic books right now!" Mikey said, his face lighting up with a brilliant smile and a flash of teeth as he leapt over the couch and raced towards his bedroom.

"All right guys start packing," Casey said with a smile. "We're going on a holiday."

A/n: Reviews are appreciated; I'd love to know what you think so far. More to come soon.

~Cat