Archive of Our Own

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Specimen 1

Disclaimer: Own them? I would if I could but I can't so I won't.

Three years. Three long years since he had last seen his eldest son. Two years with no word. One year since he had detected even a hint of that longed for presence in his meditations. He could deny it no longer, Leonardo must be dead. Now to tell his remaining sons what he had been forced to conclude. It would not be pretty.

Donatello had not faired well under the burden of leadership. In fact, he was leader only in title now. Most of the purple genius' time was now spent working on the phone or making repairs to their home. He had withdrawn from the family and only Michaelangelo seemed to be able to draw him into any conversation at all.

His youngest son had become so quiet. It was a bitter pill to swallow, how many times he had wished for the boy to be more still, more silent, more mature. Now he longed for the laughter and teasing that had once been so common. The light was still there, he still acted young and silly for his work entertaining small children, but at home he was as a lamp under a shade.

Raphael. Raphael was rarely seen. Since it had been revealed that he was patrolling alone at night as the Nightwatcher, he was only at home to sleep and eat. Occasionally he would bring home the monies taken from drug deals interrupted to help support his family, but the only one he really spoke to any longer was Casey Jones. April assured Splinter that she spoke to him as well and believed he was reaching a point that he wished to reconnect with his family once more. Splinter feared that his decision to declare Leonardo dead would drive Raphael away into the night again.

But it had to be done. There could be no healing until the sore was lanced. It would be painful, but hopefully the family would finally be able to move on afterwards. The old rat picked up the blue mask his eldest had left behind and warily stood to leave his room.

It was time, he slid back the door, raised his head and stepped into the future.

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

MIchaelangelo was really looking forward to this, he'd gone all out tonight. Fettucinine alfredo, garlic bread, salad and roasted red pepper chicken with chocolate mousse for dessert. Raphael was actually in the house at dinner time for a change and Mikey would drag Donnatello out of his lab by the headset if he had to. They were going to have a proper family dinner, and if all went well, maybe some honest to goodness conversation.

Things had been rough, the youngest turtle would be first to admit. But lately Mikey had started feeling up again, Master Splinter had always been a rock, Raph was spending more and more time around even if he wasn't really talking yet and Mike wasn't going to let Donatello stay cooped up much longer. The family chef pulled the chicken out of the oven and nearly dropped it when he saw his brothers already at the table.

"Smells good Mike. Is it ready yet?" Wow, Donnie's voice was hoarse from talking on the phone all day, but apparently his stomach and good sense had won out for a change.

His little brother beamed. "Yeah, yeah Donnie, just lemme get Sensei and we can start."

Then Master Splinter walked in. Mission Family Reunion is a go. Everyone's here on their own too. But then he saw the look on his father's face, the blue mask in his paw and everything fell apart all over again. Why now? Why tonight?

"My sons. There is no good time, no good way to say this…but…" Splinter sighed and composed himself, "I do not believe Leonardo still lives."

There it was. The secret fear they were all denying. But now, they couldn't turn away from it anymore. Their father had laid it out plain and now they were forced to acknowledge it. Not that they all would without a fight.

"No. No way Mastah. This is Leo. We would know if he was gone. 'E's probably found 'imself some little cornah 'o paradise and doesn' wanna come back is all."

Donatello couldn't help but shake his head at the contradictions in Raphael. He simultaneously believed Leo too great to be brought down and too self centered to come home to his family. It was as if he couldn't decide whether to admire or despise his older brother.

He turned to check how Mikey was reacting and sighed watching silent tears run down his little brother's cheeks. Oh Mikey. The purple turtle reached over and pulled the weeping turtle into a hug.

"Ssshhh. Easy little brother, easy."

Raised voices drew his attention back to his older brother and father.

"My son, I realize this is difficult to accept.."

"Difficult? This is my big brother you're talkin' abou' here!"

"And my son!"

Huh. So it was possible to shut Raph up.

"I wish I could say differently Raphael. More than anything I wish that. You're theory that he had simply chosen to stay away is something I wish I could believe, though I think you know as well as I that Leonardo would never do so. But we have not heard from him since before he was set to return and though I have searched deeply I have not been able to find even a trace of his presence in over a year. Please, believe me Raphael, I would not give up on his return if I did not truly believe your brother beyond hope. I am sorry my son. I am so, so sorry."

Raph shook his head twice more in denial before his seemed to curl inside himself. He glanced up at his remaining brothers and drew up again. His eyes narrowed and he asked, "Donnie? Why are you so calm? Don't you care? He's sayin' our brothah is dead."

The turtle in question heaved a sigh. "Because I'm not surprised Raph. It's been so long, I kinda figured something had happened to Leo when he didn't come home. I just didn't say anything because, well, I suppose saying it would make it real. And I didn't want to take away what hope was left." He pulled Mikey a little closer. "I guess I've already accepted he was gone and done my mourning a long time ago."

Michaelangelo started crying harder, as if the idea that his smartest brother had given up on Leonardo's return made it even more unlikely that he still lived. This seemed to be the last straw for the now eldest brother. He stood and stormed out of the Lair, woe to any crooks who crossed his path this dark night.

Splinter sighed again and sat in the chair next to his two youngest. He would do what he could to comfort them, and hopefully Raphael would be more receptive in the morning.

But this was supposed to be a good night. The broken thought echoed through the youngest turtle's whirling mind. No, no, nonononono. This isn't right. No, he can't be gone. No, he's coming home someday. He is! He promised! No. Mikey was helpless in the face of grief so long denied. All he could do was ride out the storm while clinging to his father and brother, his anchors. All he could do was try to ignore the voice whispering from somewhere inside, what do we do now?

Raphael skidded to a halt on the icy roof and wondered how he'd gotten to Casey and April's place. The mad dash from the lair and over the streets had been little more than a blur of brick and tar. He stared in through the windows. The happy couple sitting down to dinner after a hard day at work. If he went down there, that would change in an instant. Casey was closest to Raph no doubt, but he had still liked Leo, and while April was Donnie's tech buddy she'd become an older sister to them all and Raph knew that Leo had gone to her when he needed to talk with someone he wasn't responsible for or too. How, how could Raph break this to them? He suddenly had a surge of sympathy and guilt. This must be how Splintah felt before he told us. I shouldn't a gone off on him like that but… He closed his eyes and tried to brace himself. This is gonna suck.

Before he could pysch himself out too much, the emerald turtle leapt across the street and descended the fire escape to his friend's living room window. Two soft knocks and April's smiling face appeared to open it for him. She wasn't smiling long. She'd gotten to know her boys well and something was obviously very wrong.

"Sorry tah drop in on yahs like this but, well. Crud. Um."

Uncharacteristic stammering only added to April's concern.

"Raph, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"

He looked up into her eyes and felt tears swimming in his own. Casey came up behind her and reached over to put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Raphie? C'mon man, what's goin' on?"

The distressed turtle squeezed his eyes shut and forced the words out.

"Splintah has declared Leo dead."

April gasped as her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes flew to her husband. Casey lowered his head and a groan rose from deep inside his chest. Many times the couple had worried about what would happen should four ever become three, and the last few years had been an unwelcome preview. To know that one of their strange little family wouldn't be coming home was painful. But right know, they had a job to do. As one they reached out and drew Raphael into a three way hug as the tears began to flow for all of them. For now they would support each other, the next day they would tend to the rest of the clan. As for the days, weeks and months to come? They would think about that when they had too.

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

The Lair was still and dark when Raphael and the Jones' entered that evening. The turtle's sensitive nose detected yesterday's dinner cold and untouched in the kitchen. Not surprising everyone had lost their appetite. Raphael himself had only had the tea and baking soda bisquits April forced on him after he'd swayed and wretched through the end of his tears the night before. None of them had slept, only sat in silence, drawing comfort from being with the family that they could, and remembering the one that should be there.

It didn't take Raph long to find the rest of his family. They were all curled up together on Splinter's futon as they had during the long winters of their childhood. A delicate hand grasped his own and April whispered in his ear.

"You must be exhausted Raph. Join them. We'll get things sorted around out here and there'll be food ready for you guys when you get up."

His look to her was pure gratitude. All our screwed up turtle luck has to be the balance to havin' her in our lives. There's no otha answer, she's just so good to us. He just couldn't help himself, he placed a quick rare kiss on her cheek then crept into the room and under the covers with his family, limbs scaled and furry instinctively shifting to let him in.

Bittersweet tears rolled down April's face to join her hand where it sat over the most precious butterfly kiss she had ever, and suspected, would ever receive. The door was closed as quietly as a non-ninja can and the young redhead went to help her husband set the subterranean home to rights before engaging in the one custom the Japanese and the British held in common, more tea.

It took nearly twelve hours for the Lair's mutant population to surface from their father's warm den, though they had actually been awake for awhile. One by one they had woken up, then laid together, hands rubbing soothing circles on shells when the reality of the days before caught up to them. Finally hunger and a pressing need for the washroom had driven them all out into the Lair proper and the waiting arms of their favourite humans.

"April's got tea ready for all 'o yahs and breakfast will only take a minute."

Donatello managed a half smile. "Thanks Casey. I'm sorry, I don't think we'll be good company today."

The large human waved off his concerns. "Nah Donnie, taday we're company for youse, howevah you want us."

Splinter felt a wave of warmth run through him. His sons were so very lucky to have made such good friends. "Thankyou Mister Jones. We all appreciate what you are doing for us. Come let us sit and relax, I do not think any of us are up for much more than that right now."

And so the day went, all of them sitting in the living room, occasionally changing seats to sit near whoever seemed to need comfort most at any given time. The next few days were like that as a matter of fact, until slowly the need for their old routine slid to the forefront. Don's unexpected absence had already cost him his job so he wasn't too concerned about jumping right back into things, and Mikey didn't have any gigs scheduled for some time. Splinter eased his sons back into training, first with easy katas and light meditation. The healing process had begun, there was only major hurdle left. Though he could not give his lost son the burial he deserved, some sort of memorial was required. It took some time, and difficult conversations, but eventually they decided to make Leonardo's room into a sort of shrine to the kind turtle that had meant so much to them all. In actuality, the various members of the family had been going to his room ever since Leonardo had left, to think and get a sense of being near him, among his few treasured possessions and lingering scent.

Now they kept candles burning on his small writing table in front of the most recent picture they had of him, curtesy of April's tendency to grab candid photos at random. Two months later they all seemed to finally be moving on, though they all had their moments of melancholy or times when something would remind them of a time spent with Leo.

One night Raphael snuck out after an unsettling dream and found himself in older brother's room. He relit the candles that had been blown out earlier and sat cross legged on the low bed to do something he hardly ever did of his own volition. Meditate. He wasn't the best of them, but he was able to get deep enough to pick up on things the average person was never aware of, and maybe, if there was something left of his big brother out there, well, he could use the comfort after the aching loneliness he'd felt lately.

His mind threw out into the dark. Leo. Leeeeooooo! Please Leo, I miss you…..Aniki.

Splinter sighed out of his late night mediation, his second son's plaintive call still echoing through his mind. There would be no sleep tonight.

Chapter 4: Chapter 4

The pizza was sitting warmly in his stomach, April was clinging to Casey while Mikey clung to her, Raph was dozing on the floor next to him and Splinter was watching the supposed oriental demon rip through unwary teens on the riotous screen. Donatello could safely say he hadn't been this content in years. The loss of his eldest brother still weighed in the back of his mind but now it was a comfortable rememberence of one he loved rather than a sharp pang. The rest of his family was around him, drawn closer than they had been for quite some time, but something was nagging at him, oddly brought to the fore by the admittedly stupid movie they were watching. What had happened to Leo? Donatello hated unanswered questions to begin with and do have such a big one about someone he loved? It was driving him a little nuts.

The young inventor had already started a search online without his families knowledge. He didn't want to draw up sad feelings for them when they had finally moved on, and he honestly didn't know that he would ever find anything anyway. Locating a missing mutant ninja that was TRYING to hide in South America? It would've been easier to dig up proof of Atlantis. Seriously, he'd done it one night out of boredom. But something else niggled at him while searching for his lost brother. They had put a great deal of effort into Leo's shrine and memorial but, without a body, without knowing the circumstances of this brother's death, was Leo at peace? Copper eyes wandered as he thought. Donnie was a scientist at heart, but he was also a ninja and Splinter made sure his sons were aware of what else was out there. During their mediation sessions, they became very familiar with each other's presence and at this point they could even find each other over some distance. But their training had also taught him that they should be able to feel something of their lost brother and that bothered him. Was he at peace, and if not, what could he do?

Mikey's screech of terror jolted Donnie out of his thoughts and he resolved to focus on the family he had with him for now. The search would continue when he got home.

Raph craned his neck to look over his shell. Sneaking around in a house full of ninjas was enough to make even him a little nervous. He did not want to answer the questions should he be caught. Finally he decided he had made it and relaxed as he eased open the door to the lab. Crud. Really Donnie? Still on the computer? Does this guy ever sleep? Wait is thatta map… of Bolivia?

"Hey Donnie, what's shakin'?"

Raphael felt a rush of juvenile satisfaction as his little brother about came out of his skin. Yup, scarin' Donnie outta 'is shell nevah gets old.

The startled turtle had a hand on his plastron over his racing heart and a heated glare on his older brother.

"Seriously Raph! What are you, twelve?"

All he got in return was smirk.

"Really though Don, whatcha doin'?"

Dang.

"Uh nothing. Just messing around."

Raph snorted and crossed his arms as he leaned on the door jam.

"Yeah sure. Pull the othah one. I ain't the fastest turtle in the Lair bro, but I can only thinka one reason for yah to be lookin' at a map 'o Bolivia."

Caught. Donnatello sighed.

"Ok, you got me. I now it's probably too little too late but, dammit Raph I want to know what happened to our brother."

The emerald turtle sighed and walked into the room.

"I hear yah bro. So do I. I could kick mahself for not headn' down there the day aftah he didn't show up, but it's been years Don. Even I know the chances o' findin' somethin' are slim tah none. Not tah mention any unwanted attention we might get if we poke aroun' in the wrong places."

That last point actually hadn't occurred to the young genius, maybe a healthy paranoia came with being a real Leader. Raph had really stepped up as of late, and was starting to emulate Leo in a sort of spooky way. A way Donnatello himself had never managed.

"I don't disagree Raph but…" he turned begging eyes on his big brother, "Don't we owe it to Leo to at least try?"

And there was the crux of the matter. As Raph himself had pointed out, they had let their brother down when they hadn't gone looking for him years ago. Even if nothing came of it, the least they could do was try now.

His cinder block head slowly nodded. "Yeah Donnie. We do. Keep at it, if yah need anythin' lemme know. I'll tell Mikey and Splintah in the mornin'. I'm pretty sure they're gonna wan' in on this too."

With that he turned and went to the kitchen, if their resident hacker was gonna pull this one off, he was gonna need all the coffee he could get.

Michaelangelo hated the jungle. Even though it had taken his big bro, the optimist of the family had been willing to give it a chance. But after the long trip, the heat, the bugs, the parasites, dodging poisonous things of every sort and even getting bitten by one of their smaller cousins, he'd had it. The jungle bites, I don't even care if they chop it down anymore. The eco geek in him had died in this green hell.

Four months of searching and finally a lead from one of April's contacts in the antique business had led them here. I still don't get how that happened. Now the family was scouring the forest in search for any sign of their lost turtley lamb.

The orange turtle sighed and prepared to duck inside another damp bug infested cave. Ugh. So gross, the sewers are better than this. Eventually the ceiling sloped too low to stand and he turned to leave but stopped with a jolt. There in the mud was a very familiar three fingered hand print. The others were far away so it couldn't be them. Really!?

With eyes wide he practically dove into the slop and wiggled through the tiny gap. He was relieved to discover that the roof soared on the other side. As he shuffled along in the dark he became aware of a soft light ahead, and as he rounded the corner there was a fire with, and he couldn't believe this, the back of a large turtle shell facing him in the flickering light. He's alive? He's alive!

He bound across the distance hardly able to contain himself.

"Leo! Leo! We've found you! I've missed you so much!"

The threw himself to his brother's side and grabbed his shell, turning him over.

Only to recoil in horror as the scavenger picked skeleton fell apart in his hands.

Mike all but lunged out of bed in his attempt to leave the nightmare behind. He knelt on the cool stone floors of his room as he struggled to get his lungs, heart and stomach back under control. Finally he just sank to the floor and wept. Four months his family had been scouring the internet for any information on Leonardo, four months of ever worsening nightmares. Why, why did he have peace when they had given up only to be tortured while they tried to do the right thing? Eventually he calmed enough to get up and slowly make his way to the washroom. A shower, water always helped. Water meant safety and freedom to a turtle, even a mutant one.

As he stood under the soothing spray he ordered his thoughts. It was Monday, though oddly, it felt like a Sunday. A glance at the clock in his room had told him that his family had let him sleep in. After he nearly passed out in training from exhaustion, they had agreed to let him get all the rest his body told him he needed. He kinda wished they hadn't, nightmares sucked. Though, sleeping with Raph and Donnie helped, they couldn't stay with him in bed all the time. Donnie had a search to continue and, if he remembered correctly, Raph was helping Casey with some heavy lifting at April's shop today.

After drying off the sleepy turtle meandered down to the couch, not yet awake enough to eat. He lazily turned on the tv and dozed through the news. His eyes popped open, and he sat straight up.

"Donnie!"

"There."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I think. Ummm…"

"You're sure."

Raph and Casey grunted as they lowered the statue to the ground. April smiled sheepishly as they stretched sore arms and shoulders. All morning the boys had been at her beck and call setting up the new antiques she had received in preparation of a special sale she was having the next day. Normally they were happy to help, but the petite red head had been unusually picky that day and they were getting a little fed up. She ran upstairs to get them each a beer in the hopes of making it up to them and grabbed the ringing phone as she ran back down.

"Hey Raph it's Donnie for you. Forget your cell?"

He grinned, "Yeah, thanks. Don? Whas' up?"

"Get back here Raph. Get back here right now."

Raphael practically bolted as Don hung up the phone. What now?

Raphael, Casey and April all barrelled into the Lair full pelt.

"Donnie?" Bellowed Raph across the empty space.

"In here Raph." Donnatello's clipped response came from the Lab.

The three walked in to see Don, Mike and Splinter all clustered around the computer.

"What's goin' on?"

"Shut up, just get over here and watch."

They made room for the ones not in the know to gather around the screen. It was a news report. The pretty anchor turned to the screen.

"Thankyou Jess. In other news, an exciting announcement from the San Francisco Zoo. They have the first known specimen of a new species discovered in South America. Believed to be the only truly bipedal reptile since the dinosaurs and the only known arboreal turtle."

There on the screen was a ragged, thin, and beautifully alive Leonardo.

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Three years ago in a land far, far away.

Bugs, bugs and more bugs. If Raph had been here Leonardo would most likely be in real danger of dying from laughter, as it was, he was in real danger of being killed by the bugs, and by the time he got home, the young ninja wagered, he'd join his little brother in freaking out over the creepy crawlies. They were in the air, on the ground, in the plants, his bedding, even his food! Well, in all fairness, sometimes they were the food, but still, the constant creeping things was getting old. He was actually starting to miss sewer rats for crying out loud!

And that wasn't even mentioning the poisonous snakes, the parasites he kept having to pick out of his skin, the heat and dodging the locals. He was thoroughly ready to go home. Unfortunately he had another six months left in the year Master Splinter had asked him to stay away. In principle, he both understood and appreciated the reason for his "exile", after all, how could he lead and take care of his family in the future if he couldn't fend for himself. The leaf green turtle just wished that he had been able to learn this lesson in the familiar sewers of New York. But Splinter had thought that Leonardo might benefit from a warmer climate and so, one long ride as a stow away on a freighter bound for South America and an arduous trek deep into the jungle to better avoid people, here he was. Not that he really knew where here was. All he knew was to get back to the port he had to head due north for two weeks, maybe less as now he had a better grasp of how to travel in the rain forest.

Lesson one, ninjas aren't quite monkeys but they still do better in the canopy than on the ground. Lesson two, darkness may be his ally in the city, but in the jungle he really needed to be able to see his surroundings as best possible. He was a turtle after all, not a cat. Though his more animal nature had been to his advantage in other ways. For one thing, the heat would've been much worse if he'd been warm blooded. For another, the small lake he'd settle at was surrounded by a honeycomb cave system, much of which was only accessible from underwater passages, giving him a cool and secure home underground.

And the dark eyed turtle was never more thankful for his shell than the time a jaguar had caught him unawares on one of his early night time forays, pouncing on his armoured back from the darkness. If he had been human, the claws and teeth in his spine would have certainly been his end, as it was, there were some new gouges and scuffs in his shell, and a lesson well learned about staying somewhere safe at night.

Leonardo had settled into a routine of sorts now. Woken in the morning by the sun streaming through one of the small holes in the ceiling that served him as both an air shaft and a chimney. Stir the coals in the fire pit. Ease into the water and swim through the passage to the main lake. Do four laps of the lake, both in and out of the water. Indulge in a little basking. Gather wood and take it back home to dry, eat some fruit and dried meat for breakfast, then back out into the forest to gather more food. Next, meditation and katas followed by his new hobby, jungle arts and crafts, for lack of a better term. He'd started experimenting with local plant life and parts of his kills to make ropes, blankets and containers of various sorts. One last pass around the area during the early evening then dinner and bed. Rinse and repeat.

In his sleep though, he was home. Surrounded by the familiar and the ones he loved. He appreciated having a new experience, all his own, and he would have great stories to tell, but all he really wanted, needed, was his family. And maybe that was the greatest lesson of all, after all, what good was a leader without someone to lead? What good was Leonardo without his little brothers? Six months, just six more months. Then I'll be home. I miss you guys. I love you. Good night. Don't let the bed bugs, "Ack! Stupid little shell sucking critters!" sigh, bite.

Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Another day, another "C'mon! Enough already!" bug bite. Leonardo was getting desperate, lately the bugs had been getting even worse, maybe their breeding season had set in or something, but he was seriously getting eaten alive. He'd finally been driven to the point that he spent most of his waking hours under water, surfacing only to grab a quick gulp of air before his tormentors could find him again. When he did get out he made sure to coat himself with a thick layer of mud before leaving the water's edge. So far it had made a difference, though he was getting sick of mud trapped in unmentionable places. Do I seriously have to wait until I'm in a sewer again to feel clean?

Right now he was lounging on the bottom of his lake, in the shallows near enough to the surface for basking while safe under the surface. On all sides of him water weeds swayed in the gentle waves and he made sure to keep an eye out for any anaconda or caiman on the prowl. He'd had a good breakfast so he could doze here in the sun which would also help him conserve air and stay away from the bugs longer.

Eventually though, all turtles must breathe, so he surfaced quickly and sunk back down. Unfortunately, his timing was horrible. He was soon startled awake a shadow moving over him. A glance up revealed the silhouette of a local fishing boat. When did they get here? I must be slipping. It had been a couple months since the locals had fished here so he supposed he should have been more on guard. They were nearly as big a threat as the predators, since unlike the city humans he was used to, the natives knew the value of silence. They had spotted him when he'd taken his last breathe and quietly glided the boat over to investigate. They weren't strangers to turtles, but they'd likely never seen a shell a large as his.

He tried to sink lower into the weeds to hide, cursing his new addiction to the sun. Then, a long pole came down and started poking around. He slowly started moving away, trying not to overly disturb the weeds and give himself away. But Raphael's turtle luck seemed to be with him today as the sick caught him in the shell. Time to get out of here. A burst of speed launched him out of the weeds and towards the deeper water. He had enough air to hide there for some time and work his way back to his den. They wouldn't find him in that labyrinth.

There was a loud splash as one of the natives dove in and grabbed him by the shell. Are you serious! It had been a long time since anyone had tried that. What they didn't count on was that he was quite more manuverable than the average turtle, and much stronger. He didn't want them to realise his true shape so he whirled and snapped at them. The young man, he could see now, let go to avoid his teeth and Leo slipped off into the dark. It would be some time before he saw the sun again.

A month or so later, what he had dreaded arrived. Scientists. He knew the locals might tell someone. Getting to play guide would bring in money, and if something rare lived there, the government might declare the area a sanctuary, keeping out loggers and the like. So the frustrated turtle was forced to stay in his caves, but without being able to go out and forage for fuel and food, they had become cold and he was getting hungry. The crawlies not being enough to sustain a creature of his size. Finally he was forced out under cover of dark to find something. He went out into the jungle, knowing they would likely be focusing on the water. After a long night of work he returned with enough to carry him through for awhile, they couldn't stay forever after all. And on it went. For three months they stayed eventually leaving empty handed, but the natives remained. His lake was no longer safe. So one day he gathered what he could and left. Deeper into the jungle, looking for a safe place. Just two more months, then I can go home. Just two more.

Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Not what I expected. When Leonardo woke that morning to the feel of something crawling on his chest, he'd expected a very large bug staring him in the face. What he got was the tiniest monkey he'd ever seen. As he looked around the thick canopy, where he'd chosen to spend the night in the crook of a giant branch high above the ground and most predators, he saw an entire troop of the tiny primates. He wasn't sure what they were called, but Adorable would do for now. The bravest of the group was currently perched on his plastron, investigating the large new reptile, likely drawn by the smell of dried fruit that Leo had in his pouch. The moment Leonardo shifted, the monkey was gone, though not far. Ever so slowly, he reached into the pouch and pulled out some of what the small creature likely wanted. He placed it on the branch in front of him and sat back. Eventually the little one worked up the nerve to come close again and fell upon the tasty treat. Leo spent the rest of the morning earning the trust of his new friends and shortly was being tickled by tiny furry bodies climbing all over him, learning about this new creature and accepting an easy meal while they played.

Just when I write this place off as a bug infested hell, something like this happens. The young terrapin was more than ready for a rest. He'd travelled for days away from his lost sanctuary in search of a new temporary home. Long hours and little rest had gotten him far from those that were still searching for him and hopefully he would remain undisturbed until it was time to go home. He'd not yet found a definite place to stay but at the moment he was safe high up in the trees. Jaguars didn't come this high, he was too big and heavy for the aerial predators and a stiff wind was keeping the bugs away, so he finally allowed himself to relax and enjoy the company of some more pleasant jungle residents. Eventually, when they tired of their new game and moved off to find something more interesting, Leo sat and indulged in a late afternoon nap before grabbing a few edible leaves and settling down for the night once again.

This time it was his nose that woke him. Ancient instincts screamed, Fire! Hide! Under the water! And before he knew it he was on the ground, intently listening and smelling for any sign of a body of water large enough to shelter him. The sound of voices cut through the primal panic though and his reason reasserted itself. Humans and fire? Did I wind up near a village? Is there trouble? So while all the forest creatures hurried as much as they were able away from the smoke, Nice try sloth, you're screwed, Leonardo ventured forward to see what exactly was going on. It couldn't be a natural blaze, the rains had been frequent and the bush was far too wet to just catch alight. Soon he was close enough to see a group of men cutting trees and burning underbrush. I've heard of this, they're clearing space to farm. But, we're so far from anything. I'm sure I headed away from any towns or villages that farm fields.

Then he saw the guns. Now most "civilized" folks would carry a rifle or such simply to defend from the odd attacking predator, but these men were carrying something Leonardo hadn't seen since New York, automatic weapons. These aren't ordinary farmers! They're clearing land to grow drugs! They were also keeping a close eye on the bush, wary for any sign that a native or unlucky traveller had stumbled upon them. Leonardo should have been more careful.

A near wall of bullets tore through the undergrowth, and Leonardo's thigh. He grabbed a tree to steady himself and then fled for all he was worth into the darkness. After staring at the flames, his night vision needed time to refocus and the burning pain in his leg hindered him more, but he voices at his back urged him on and then, "Row! Row!" Dogs! They have dogs! Shell, shellshel shell…. He continued cursing in his mind as he continued to hobble away. All too soon though he realized he was in too deep. I can't climb, I can't run and I can't hide from the dogs. What can I do? Then it came to him. One of a ninja's greatest weapons is deception. Leonardo had never stripped so fast in his life, he hesitated briefly at the mask but that soon joined the rest of his gear under a bush. He moved away, shoved himself into the hollow of a tree and waited. It didn't take long for the men to reach him led by their dogs. The moment lights shone into the tree he raised his hackles and let his instincts loose. What came out of him was a deep rumbling growl akin to the sounds he'd heard from alligators and crocodiles on TV followed by a truly menacing hiss. It was enough to unnerve the dogs, but not the men. He wished he spoke their language but he hadn't know where in South America he was going to wind up, and there were several tongues spoken there. They shone their lights and peered in at him for what seemed an age. Any time they reached for him a snap or snarl warned them off. He hoped they would eventually give up and go away, Yeah, weird animal, it's cool, you can go back to ruining other people's lives now. Some did leave but five of them stayed and didn't seem to be in a hurry to go anywhere. What are they waiting for? They're drug growers, why do they care about some animal? Some strange animal. Some maybe rare animal? Oh crap, they want me! And all they have to do is wait for the blood loss to knock me out! The panic leant him strength, he raised his hackles again and tried to bolt only to be forced back in by the dogs that had now gotten used to him. No! No! I've gotta get out of here, I've gotta….. His efforts though only sped up the blood loss and soon, he was gone.

Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Hot, so hot, and why am I laying on a rock? Leonardo slowly clawed his way back to the waking world only to decide he'd been better off unconscious. They put me in a dog pen!? On all sides he was surrounded by high chain link fence, with a tattered tarp stretched taught between the corners and an actual dog house behind him. The bottom of the kennel was a cracked and weathered cement slab, likely to keep dogs from digging under the fence. Raging thirst awoke when he caught site of the water dish next to the little wooden house. He moved to grab it but cringed at the pain that suddenly blazed to life in his leg. His glassy eyes locked on the angry bullet wound in his left thigh. Someone had tried to treat the wound, but the stitches were messy, and an old dog kennel was hardly sanitary.

His parched throat again clambered for attention so he braced himself and carefully pulled the dish across the ground to his mouth. The dish fairly nasty, but the sensation of moisture in his dry mouth made it hard for him to resist chugging the water. He took a few mouthfuls and set the dish aside. Better to see how his stomach handled that first than drink it all only to bring it back up again. His most immediate concerns dealt with, the trapped turtle turned his attention to outside his cage.

It wasn't the only one. There were more kennels on either side of him, some were empty, but some contained dogs, such as the ones that kept him from escaping last night. Last night? Yesterday? Come to think of it, I don't really know how long it's been or even where I am. He startled as a jeep rumbled out of the bush, his eyes following it as it pulled up to a slightly ramshackle building at one end of the line of kennels. Five heavily armed men jumped out. He couldn't tell if they were the ones that caught him, the flashlights in his eyes hadn't let him see their faces clearly but they were clearly more drug men. One of them, a slight man with a bag slung over his shoulder walked over and started pulling meat out of the bag and throwing it to the dogs. Eventually he got to Leo's cage. Leonardo decided then that the best thing he could do was continue the dumb animal routine, so long as they underestimated his intelligence he had a greater chance of escaping, though that wasn't going to happen until his leg healed a bit. So he shuffled back as much as he could and hissed at the man.

Leo again wished he spoke their language as the man began talking to him in soft tones. Another chunk of meat was pushed through the fence and landed in front of the wounded turtle. The smell of raw flesh did his stomach no favours though and his focus changed to keeping the little water he'd drunk. The man's brown eyes narrowed in concern, he seemed to debate with himself for a minute and then yelled something to the others. One nodded and trotted into the building. A minute later he came back with another man and a large pair of gloves. The first man stood and talking softly again opened the cage door. Slowly they entered and came towards Leo. The sick turtle began hissing louder and tried to back away, but his leg was raging and his stomach was still trying to turn inside out. He didn't stand a chance. The first man had put on the gloves and reached for Leo's face, one ineffective bite later his jaws were being held shut and the second man had pinned him plastron down. The third man then moved in and started feeling down his body. He shook his head and tutted a bit when he got to Leo's wound. It seemed he had come to the same conclusion as Leonardo himself. The wound was infected. The man pulled a knife from his waist and slit the stiches. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a flask. The desperate turtle squirmed underneath the other two while his wound was cleaned with moonshine and then restitched with materials from another one of the man's pockets. Finally they backed away leaving a heaving Leonardo laying dazed on the cement. Oh Donnie, I'll never complain about your bed side manner again. Eventually his racing heart slowed and exhaustion pulled him under again.

The barking of dogs woke him in the evening twilight and he took a moment to just sit and stare at the stars. I thought I missed home before. He closed his eyes and imagined the lofty brick walls of the Lair. Laying on the couch, an infomercial playing low on the tv. His little brothers sprawled around him snoring and snuffling, his father dozing in the recliner, Casey passed out in the bean bag chair. Then the feeling of a woman's hand stroking his head and the scent of his sister lulling him back to sleep. The fevered turtle emerged from the memory of the last movie night he'd had with his family before leaving. Never had he wished to be back there more than he did now.

The crunch of dirt under boots registered and he looked to the side. The man that had tried to feed him was back with another bag and Leo's stomach turned just at the memory of the raw meat he'd been offered. The man had learned though and this time several fruit were presented. Well, that's better. Leo slowly pulled himself over, wary eyes never leaving the man and took the fruit. The sweet juices soothed his throat and the much needed sugars flooded his system. The man nodded and smiled, and with soft words once again left to see to the dogs. Huh, makes a living destroying people's lives but he's really good with animals. Who knew? The rush of energy from the food didn't last long in his depleted system though and soon he settled down to sleep, and hopefully heal.

Those hopes were soon dashed. The wound was truly festering now, puss and stench had become Leonardo's companions along with the fever. He couldn't even stomach water anymore, let alone any food. His keeper was getting increasingly disturbed and kept bringing the groups medic, for lack of a better term, over to try and help the ailing reptile. Finally they were forced to take drastic measures. While four of them held Leo down another heated a large hunting knife. The burning blade touched his skin and the world turned white. A blurred cycle of light and dark later, Leo came back to his senses. Is this what an old dishrag feels like? But he noticed that even though he was worn out weak, he no longer felt sick, until he looked down at his leg. A chunk of his thigh muscle the size of his hand was simply gone, leaving a charred ruin behind. His hopes for escape withered in his chest. Handicapped like that he wouldn't last two minutes in the jungle by himself, so even if he did gain his freedom, it would only be freedom to die.

Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Never let it be said that Leonardo Hamato was a quitter. Just because he'd never make it in the jungle didn't mean some other opportunity would never come his way. With that slim hope still alive he fell back on his training. His entire life had been spent training and conditioning his body, pushing to and creating new limits, and that's what he did now. Days were spent sleeping and studying his surroundings. Nights went to building strength in his wounded leg. First he virtually had to learn to walk again, muscles had to shift to support his weight in new ways. It was very painful and slow work. Not to mention he'd been put on a purely vegetarian diet, which while workable, was missing the protein he so badly needed to heal and build new muscle. He lost weight, but eventually he was mobile again, albeit with a serious limp. A walking stick would have been nice, but not an option for an "animal".

Meanwhile, things were changing in the camp. Where there had just been one small shelter and a line of kennels, there were now several buildings, many vehicles and many more men. It seems that the group he'd originally stumbled on were just the beginning of a new operation. This was both good and bad for the captive terrapin. On the one hand, more people meant more eyes he had to convince he was just a critter, and some of the new guys weren't as animal friendly as the first group. On the other hand, more vehicles, therefore more opportunities to escape. He wouldn't be able to run away, but driving away was still on the table. Once he was confident of his ability to get a jeep and disable the others he was going straight home, time limits be damned. One glance at his leg and Splinter would forgive him for sure, if he was early at all. Leo had lost count of the days during the time he was sick.

To pass the time he'd started naming the people. The first man, who was kind, he called Keeper, then there was Doc, not original, but apt. Then there was Cook, Mech, the mechanic and Boss. The farmers themselves never had anything to do with him, other than staring once in awhile and just went about their business efficiently, so he dubbed them The Collective, Donnie would love that one. Finally there was The Jerks. He had several individual names for them, varying in vulagarity depending on their cruelty. Apparently they bored easily, and one way they entertained themselves was picking on either other people or the animals. Leo was usually the last resort as Boss and Keeper generally kept them away, but sometimes at night if they were on guard duty they came knocking on his door. Often literally. They would bang on his cage, poke him with sticks to see him growl, throw rocks and rotten food at him, they would even relieve themselves in his direction.

One night, Leonardo'd had enough. One of the worst of them, the name in Leo's mind such a filthy Japanese term even thinking it made young turtle blush, was using the other's target practice to cover a little target practice of his own. Leo was reminded of old westerns when black hats would make people "dance". At least the moron had decent aim, every shot came within inches of Leonardo but he had yet to be touched by anything but small pieces of shrapnel. He didn't dare hide in the dog house, if the man couldn't see him clearly, the chances of being hit would be far greater, so he acted on another plan. The next time the man shot Leo yelped and curled in a ball as though injured. For all their bluster, the Jerks had never actually harmed him, they knew that Boss and Keeper had designated him a sort of camp mascot and valued this strange creature they'd found in the rain forest. So when he thought he'd hit the rare animal, the man panicked. He threw open the door to check and see if it was still alive, only to be met with 150lbs of raging turtle. The oily man's screams finally drew some attention and soon several others were pulling the spitting reptile off of him. Leonardo was unceremoniously dumped back in his kennel and Doc started treating the trigger happy idiot. He was fairly well mauled. Leo had decided to take every advantage and stopped trimming his nails after he was caught. The result was a decent set of claws. It didn't take the others long to figure out what had happened, if the fact that that particular moron no longer bothered Leo was any indication. As for the other Jerks, they seemed to gain a little more respect for the crippled reptile and kept their distance, all the better in Leo's mind. It meant he was left in peace to build his strength more and plan. But that changed, when the helicopter came.

Chapter 10: Chapter 10

The chirp of tree frogs, song of night birds, squeaking bugs, rustling leaves, crackling fires. These were the sounds that lulled Leo to sleep in the wee hours of the morning after a long night of working his leg. It was something very different that woke him in the daylight. It was a sound he hadn't heard in so long that it took some time for him to figure out what it was. Once he identified the "whumph, whumph, whumph" of a helicopter though, he was wide awake.

Men were scurrying back and forth across the compound like so many ants. The anxious looks on most of their faces ratcheted Leo's own nerves to high alert. Keeper came over and hurried to clean out the kennels, quickly checking over the dogs looking for any injury or dirt. There wasn't much for him to worry about, Leo may not approve of the man's choice in employers, but he was very good at his job. In short order the men lined up at the centre of the compound as the whirly bird finally came into view over the treetops and slowly settled to the ground.

Leonardo leveraged himself onto the roof of his little doghouse and craned his neck to get a better view as the obsidian blades wound down and several new men climbed out of the vehicle. They were different. For one thing, they were much cleaner than the growers and guards, for another they were wearing what to Leo's eye were very high end clothes. It wasn't hard to gather that they were higher up the totem pole then the men here, and the concern of the locals told him that this must be an inspection of some sort, the cartels ensuring that production was meeting their expectations. This was not to Leonardo's advantage. So long as these people were here security would be tighter, and they weren't the sort whose attention he would want. Even knowing that it would be out of character as he had rarely used the small shelter, the wary turtle slowly made his way into the doghouse. Better to wait for the visit to end out of sight, and hopefully out of mind. Escape would come later.

His plan worked for about a day. Obviously, the inspector's focus would be on the plants, production and security of the camp, curiosities found in the jungle wouldn't rate high in their concerns, but one was unfortunately curious enough. Oddly he happened upon the hapless turtle by accident. He had wandered over the following afternoon to see the dogs, closely shadowed by another man and Keeper. Leo watched from the shadows of his house and took the man's measure. He seemed to be the highest ranking of the visitors, the others deferred to him and appeared to guard him. Keeper was walking half a step behind him, trying and failing to not wring his hands. The leading man smiled as he got to the first cage and crouched to scratch the dog through the chain link. His tone of voice was that of a man greeting a pet, another "animal lover" perhaps? He worked his way down the line, petting each animal while taking care not to get hair or dirt on his clothes. Leo sank further into the shadows the closer he got.

Finally he reached what appeared to be an empty kennel, but the full bowls of water and fruit caught his eye. The man stopped and turned to Keeper. Soon an animated discussion in, whatever language they spoke, ensued, the man in charge getting more and more incredulous. Eventually he crouched in front of the door and peered carefully into the dark shelter at the back. His eyes widened as he spotted the large reptile lurking in the little wooden structure, he gestured to his guard and the other man circled around to the back. The beefy bodyguard reached through the fence and began to tip the house forward.

Leo braced himself as much as he could, but at nearly ninety degrees of tilt, slid through the opening onto the concrete. It wasn't really acting when he whirled and hissed at the man that had dumped him out but his attention was swiftly brought back to the instigator when the man loosed a low whistle. Dang. This is exactly what I didn't want. He gradually crabbed his way to the furthest corner of the enclosure, trying to put as much distance between himself and the men as he could.

Wide brown eyes followed his every move. A cautious hand reached to the bowl of fruit and tossed a morsel after him only to be met by a snarl. He shook his head and turned to Keeper again. A long conversation followed. Leonardo's heart sank as Keeper looked more and more resigned. The men nodded, shook hands and walked away. What was that all about?

A few more days past, the man in charge kept coming by and trying to tempt Leonardo to take any food from him, but the nervous terrapin would not oblige. One day various containers were being loaded into the chopper. Are they leaving? I hope so, with them gone the men will relax and I might finally get out of here. Then something unexpected and unwelcome, several men were walking in his direction, with a big wooden crate. No. No please no. They set it down in front of his kennel, quickly opened the door and shoved the open side of the crate up to it. If you think I'm going in there, you've got another thing coming. Keeper got close to the entrance and started calling Leo over. The young ninja was surprised to see tears in the man's eyes. Huh, guess I made more of an impression than I thought. Still he lingered at the rear of the kennel. Soon men gathered around and started prodding him forward with long sticks. Breaking the poles with either tooth or hand didn't deter them, they just grabbed more. It was decision time. I can't go in there, who knows where I'll wind up. I'll have to take my chances in the forest. Maybe I can double back and steal a jeep later. That tenuous plan in mind, Leo face the crate and tensed his muscles. The moment of truth. Let's see if they counted on a jumping turtle. He leapt as high and far as his bad leg would allow and landed on the top of the crate. Men lunged away, fearful after the damage he'd inflicted on one of their own before. He took full advantage of the opening and sprinted as fast as he could towards the green cover of the jungle. He didn't get far, several men had sterner nerves and intercepted him. They pinned him on his front as he writhed and snapped on the dusty ground. The others pulled over the crate and he was shoved inside into a mass of straw, the crate slammed shut behind him. Furious he pounded on the wood and screamed as they picked him up and loaded him with the rest of the cargo. Leo hadn't given vent to a full blown temper tantrum since he was a tot denied a coveted sweet, he made up for it now. It wasn't until they were in the air and likely far from the camp than he finally settled. Exhausted and heartbroken he slumped into the hay and wept. How am I gonna get home now?

Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Domingo sat back with a satisfied smile. His new acquisition had finally settled down in the crate, he only hoped the creature hadn't injured itself further in its distress. If he was lucky it would stay quiet until they got home. The sounds it had made were truly unnerving, the rage and fear in its yowls and screams clear, almost human. Already he was planning an event at his home, once his vet had been in to tend the rare reptile. Such a prize was meant to be shared, and used to impress.

Leo jolted awake at the feeling of descending. We must be… wherever we're going. But that was not quite the case. The nervous turtle hunkered down as his crate was shifted and carried out of the helicopter. Urgent voices spoke around him, likely coordinating the careful handling of their cargo. He was then loaded into a truck and was moving again. The ride was nearly as rough as the chopper. He tried to see through the cracks in between the slats, but all there was was the sides of the vehicle. Eventually, that journey too came to an end. The truck stopped, and the crate was unloaded again. Slowly they manuvered inside and it felt like they were going down stairs. Then someone tripped. Men yelled and Leo tried to brace himself as the crate fell and slid over people down the steps. There was an almightly smash as the crate hit a wall and bashed open. Dazed and bruised Leo slowly sat up and took stock. Nothing broken, I think. He looked up and into the eyes of a very surprised human. What are you doing just sitting Leo? Run! He bolted. Up the stairs and past several shocked humans, women screamed as he reached the main level. Light! The fleeing turtle dashed towards the sunlight shining through the open doors, but it was soon gone as the doors slammed shut. He slid to a screeching halt on the waxed floor and took off in another direction, desperately searching for a way out. He barrelled down another hallway, skidded around a corner and into two burly humans. They went down in a tangle of limbs and shell and grappled on the polished floors. Unfortunately for Leo, he was tired and worn out from the stresses of the day, not to mention the cramping in his bad leg. The two fresh humans managed to wrestle him down to the floor. The man who had taken him away rushed over with some sort of syringe and jabbed him in the shoulder. Slowly, the unknown drug flowed into his system and brought with it a lassitude that left Leo conscious but laying limp on the floor. He simply didn't care enough move.

Incredible. Injured and exhausted this creature still nearly managed to escape. This was not your normal reptile by any means. Domingo knew now, special steps would need to be taken to ensure it would not escape. Fortunately, he had methods at his disposal that most animal collectors did not, and if he was right they would keep his stress down as well. A trip to the lab was in order.

Thus began the Nothing. Nothing mattered, nothing disturbed him, nothing much registered. There were times when he became somewhat more lucid and aware of his surroundings. In those moments, is eyes rolled in their sockets and tried to focus on the soft light of the heat lamp above him, the soft earth beneath, and the plants surrounding the little pool of water just large enough for him to lay in and cool off. From what little he could recall, it was the typical reptile enclosure. He was regularly fed, watered and washed, beyond that he was content, both due to the lights above and the needles pushed into his flesh with every feeding. Whatever they were giving him, at the times he could think, it was keeping him docile, and it kept changing. Maybe they were experimenting with the composition and dosage? Sometimes, it was too much, even making it hard to breathe. Sometimes though, it was too little. Leo was loathe to admit it, when he could consider such things, but he knew that he had become addicted to the chemical cocktail they kept flooding his veins with. The incapacitated ninja had come to dread the times when it wasn't enough. He felt sick, and wound tight with both the desire to escape, and to get more of what he craved. So many times he had wondered how addicts could continue to ruin their lives with drugs, but now he understood the power of those chemicals. Unfortunately, he wasn't given the option to say no.

The passage of time no longer mattered beyond waiting for his next dose. The world around him blurred into a merry go round of feeding, and being shown off to guests at innumberable parties. He heard other animals calling and being shown off in the rest of the display room. Men whistling and admiring, woman cautiously scooching forward with wide amazed eyes. Little changed, little happened and nothing mattered, his once agile mind carried away on a river of drugs, floating the years away.

He was moving, not under his own power of course, that rarely happened any more. He was being carried. He was vaguely aware of being settled in a thick bed of straw and sealed into a crate. Distant memories of something similar said he should resist, but he simply sighed and settled into the still slightly moist vegetation.

Domingo watched as his once prized pet was packed away. The years and drugs had not been kind to the creature. Once powerful and intimidating to all, it was now limp and near emaciated. But it had served its purpose. For two years now the unusual creature had been the jewel of his collection, impressing all he had brought to see it. Now its sale would fund an expedition to the same forests it had been found in to find a replacement. The exotic animal trade was lucrative, and for something so rare, he'd netted nearly half a million dollars from a collector in America, despite the creature's condition. He patted the crate, said goodbye, and moved onto the next acquisition.

Time mattered again. It had been so long since his last shot. He was a cramping, sweating shaking ball of misery. He was becoming more aware and his firey sense were telling him that he was on a boat, the rolling of the boat not helping his poor stomach one bit. He tried to sleep away the sickness but it just wasn't possible, so he curled up and tried to focus his battered mind into meditation, but he was still to muddled to achieve that state.

The rocking of the waves went on forever and slowly he began to feel less sick, but in its place came a raging thirst and hunger that his captors had yet to slake. Then something else tickled the edge of his mind. We're slowing down. The ship came to a stop. Panicked voices reached him and the sound of cargo being hauled out. Then, more voices, but for the first time in years, words he understood.

"United States coast guard! Surrender your weapons and get on the floor!"

Chapter 12: Chapter 12

I love my job. This thought ran through Mick Gates mind several times a day with no sarcasm attached. As someone that grew up on fishing trawlers, being on the ocean was second nature, not to mention serving in the coast guard meant that he could do it and not have to deal with fish smell and crusty fishermen. The best thing though, was getting to work on the water and take down bad guys. Adventure and the ocean were the two things in life that made his blood sing. So unlike many others in law enforcement, Mick welcomed joint operations, especially with the DEA. Today was the culmination of years of investigation and undercover work. A multipoint attack on one of the drug cartels was being carried out simultaneously on many fronts, their cutter charged with stopping a shipment of drugs headed for the states off the California coast.

The small freighter had complied with their order to heave to and now it was a race to get aboard and secure the crew before they had the chance to throw the incriminating cargo overboard to the depths.

"United States coast guard! Surrender your weapons and get on the floor!"

Mick aimed his gun at the shaking sailors in front of him and followed them to the floor as they slid their knives to the side. They had been in the process of cutting crates loose when he'd come around the corner. His walkie crackled as the all clear was called and a DEA agent scooted forward to secure the prisoners. The device buzzed again, "Good work boys. The crew is secure and it looks as though they didn't get to jettison any of the cargo."

Mick sighed in relief and lowered his weapon as the satisfaction of a job well done ran through him. Agent Moran smiled, "I'm gonna take these guys over to the ship, why don't you have a look around and see what we've netted here."

"Sure, no problem."

As Moran shoved the two handcuffed men ahead through the hatch, Mick sauntered around the hold, examining the various containers and casually checking for unusual wires. This particular cartel wasn't in the habit of using booby traps on their ships, rough waves shifted cargo around after all, but there was always a slight chance. As he neared the back corner, a large wooden crate caught his eye. Handle with care? Live animal? He reached for his comm, "Gates here, are these guys known for trafficking animals?"

Moran responded, "Well, one of their bosses is known as a collector of exotic animals. Sometimes he trades in them. Why?"

"I think we've got something here. There's a crate and I think there's an animal in it. Don't know what it is or what kind of condition it's in though."

There was a pause. "Ok. I'll get ahold of the USDA. See what they say. Don't open it up, but try and see what it is."

"Got it." Mick approached the crate and called to whatever was inside. "Hey there, you okay? Hmmm? You ok in there fella?" He crouched next to the wooden slats and listened carefully, trying to ignore the smell. Whatever the poor thing was, it was either dead, or badly in need of new bedding. A soft rumbling whine reached his ears. Well, it's alive, but it really doesn't sound good. Have they even been taking care of it? The sailor cautiously leaned forward and peered through a gap in the wood, hoping he wasn't about to get a claw in the eye. The light from his barrel mounted flashlight revealed a large form covered in dirty green scales. There was no shine off a bowl, so he doubted the creature had any food or water.

"Moran? Gates here again. It's alive, I think it's some kind of reptile, but, I don't think it's in very good shape. It's not moving, I don't see any food or water in with it, and the bedding really stinks. I know you told me not to open the crate, but … I really think this thing needs some attention."

He anxiously waited for an answer.

"Moran here. I've been questioning a couple of the prisoners about it. They say it's some ultra rare turtle. But since it's a reptile, one of these genius' didn't think it would need anything. Guess they watched some thing on Discovery that said a lot of reptiles don't need much food or water and figured they could be lazy and just clean it up when they got stateside. If you're right, it might not make it to port. Open the crate, carefully. I'll be down with some water and see what we've got."

"Acknowledged."

Mick looked around and spied a crowbar. He decided to come at it from the top and pried off one of the slats that made the roof of the container. The extra light and space let him finally get a clear look at the unfortunate animal. It was easily the largest land turtle he'd ever seen, and the strangest. Long limbs connected to a body encased in a giant dark green shell. The dirt covering the scales made it hard to tell what shade of green the creature was but that wasn't what caught his attention the most. It was clearly emaciated. Limbs that thin would never support such a large shell. He pried off another slat and haunted eyes raised to meet his own. Morons! Mick wasn't really much of an animal person himself, but how could they be so stupid to neglect such an incredible creature. Another whine cut through his anger.

"Hey there big guy. It's ok. You're okay. Shhh."

He kept up a stream of soothing noises and words as he continued removing the top of the crate, no longer afraid of attack. The turtle clearly wasn't going anywhere, especially now that he could see the large gaping scar in one of its hind legs. Not going anywhere any time soon. Boots drew his attention back to the hatch where Moran was returning with a large bowl of water. "How's it look?"

Mick shook his head. "Not good, it's a turtle alright. And rare for sure, but I doubt it would have survived these idiots. Here, I'll take that."

Moran handed him the bowl and Mick carefully leaned over the side of the crate to put the bowl in reach of the now trembling reptile. "Easy big guy, it's ok, it's just water. Hey Moran back up a sec. I thinks it's more than a little afraid of us."

They both eased back a couple feet and sat on top of crates so they could still see the animal. It in turn never took its eyes off them, but the large nostrils in its beak flared. Ever so slowly it reached out with a forepaw and drew the bowl closer to itself. The nose flared again and it lowered its head to drink deeply. The men smiled at each other, the more it drank, the more chance it would make it to shore.

Gates leaned to Moran slightly, "Did you get ahold of the USDA?"

Moran nodded while still watching the turtle drink. "Yeah. They said they would contact the San Francisco zoo. They're the best facility in the area to care for something like this. Some of their people will meet us at the dock to pick him up. Before we get there though, we have to take some video for evidence. But they asked that we not take pictures with flash so we don't scare it any more than it already is."

"Sounds good. Hear that big guy? You're safe now, and soon you'll be in the best of hands."

Chapter 13: Chapter 13

As the transport van sat at the beginning of the pier, Caroline anxiously waited for the ship to dock. It wasn't like watching a car park. Docking a sea going vessel, even a relatively small one, took time. Time that left Caroline pacing. It was near torture to know an animal in distress was so close, and not be able to do anything. Her small team had been in contact with the agents aboard already, gathering information and giving instructions to care for the ailing creature, though there honestly wasn't much that could be done until they were able to examine it for themselves.

The shortish brunette sighed, and lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the scorching California sun. Armed agents had swarmed over the area minutes before, escorting their prisoners and evidence away. She understood that these things took precedence over an animal, but they weren't in any danger at the moment, the rare turtle she'd come for was. Finally, one man separated from the others and headed her way.

"Ms. Benedict? From the Zoo?"

Finally. "Yes that's me."

"We're ready for you now ma'am."

"Alright!." She turned to the dark skinned man at her side. "Geordi? Bring the squeeze cage and poles. Clair, bring the camera. Record everything to be reviewed later. Jean, blankets. We'll pad the cage. I don't think we'll cover it though. The poor thing's probably starved for sunlight and needs the warmth."

Orders issued, each grabbed their gear and followed their supervisor as she shouldered her backpack full of emergency supplies. Hopefully any medical attention could wait until they were in the sterile environment of animal hospital, but it was best to be prepared.

The agent extended a hand. "Agent Moran ma'am. Sorry to keep you waiting. The man that discovered the turtle has stayed with it though, and he tells me that the water we've been giving it has already done some good."

Caro shook his hand but kept moving forward. "And you warmed the water?"

"As you said. We didn't even think that it would be cold."

"It's a reptile. They need sunlight, not only for the vitamins, but just to warm them up. Though if it's as large as you say, it'll retain heat better than, oh, a lizard for example. The warm water will help, but we've got sunlamps set up for it back at the hospital."

Geordi and Jean needed a moment to steady themselves as they carried the large cage up the gangplank and onto the gently swaying ship. They were led to a hatch and down into the cargo hold. At the far end a dark head popped up and a man's voice called, "Over here!"

The team carefully navigated the maze of crates, not all the cargo had been contraband afterall, some of them piled onto eachother. All the while Clair recorded, they needed to take the conditions the turtle had been kept in into consideration when treating it. Eventually, they reached a large, partially opened crate at the back.

"Hi! Glad to see you. I'm Mick, we talked on the radio."

Caro smiled. "Nice to meet you in person Mick, I'm Caroline. So. How's our friend here?" She finally got her first look at the poor animal, and could hardly keep her eyes in her head. Never in her life had seen another like it. The large, dark green turtle cowered in the soiled hay, not that it could get very far. Mick had told her it was emaciated, but the limbs obviously didn't have enough muscle left on them to support the reptile's weight. It had shifted as far from the humans as it could, but even with most of the crate taken apart around it, there was no bid for freedom. Getting it in the cage is gonna be fun.

Mick must have read her face. "I know right? Believe it or not, this is a lot better. He's definitely more alert, and I don't think he's thirsty anymore. He's barely touched that bowl, but that's his fifth refill. So five bowls of water completely drunk, three of them warmed. He really liked those I've gotta say." The large man hunkered down to the turtle's eye level. "Right now he looks like a bath would do him a world of good."

Caro shook herself and nodded. "That's on the list, but first we've got to get him out of here." She swung her back pack around and dug inside it, then pulled out a large pair of heavy duty leather gloves. "Okay guys, set the cage down here, as close as you can. This guy isn't going anywhere under his own power, so open both gates. I'll drag him in."

As Clair continued filming, the agents backed off to let the Zoo personnel do their job. The men held open the gates and Caro put on the gloves. She knew this was going to stress the turtle out, but there wasn't any other way. Slowly she reached for the rear end of the carpace, carefully keeping it on it's front, as turtles generally couldn't breathe on their backs, her hands far from its beak, she started dragging it backwards. A low whine came from the fearful animal, but she kept going, paying special attention to keeping its long limbs safe. She dragged it over the edge of the cage, wrapped in blanket for safety. Once it was inside she let go, backed out, and the guys lowered the gates. Then they each threaded a pole through the cage and stood to carry it out. It all went very smoothly, but that didn't reassure the senior keeper. Aside from the verbal distress, the turtle hadn't resisted at all. That meant one of two things. Either it was very tame and used to being handled, or more likely, given this was clearly not a domesticated animal, it was so beaten down and weak, there just wasn't any fight left in it. What did they do to you? Something so amazing shouldn't be so broken. She sighed and focussed again. "Ok guys, let's get him home."

Chapter 14: Chapter 14

The trip back was uneventful. Traffic was decent, the roads chosen were smooth to avoid causing more distress. Generally, after filling the transport bowl inside the cage, they all sat back and waited to reach their destination as too much noise and movement would only make things worse. Caro sat next to the cage and kept up a steady, low hum, trying to offer some comfort for the near panicked animal that watched them all from large fearful eyes. She knew it wouldn't be ready to really bond with her, but as head keeper of the South American reptiles, she was most likely going to be heavily involved in this animal's care, and she wanted it to get used to her sooner rather than later.

As they pulled up the to the San Francisco Zoo's animal hospital the team in the back of the van positioned themselves to help the volunteers outside carrying their new patient. Able bodies carefully hoisted their precious cargo into the building and the waiting treatment room. Caro spoke to the head veterinarian.

"I don't think we'll need to use the squeeze cage, he's so weak. I haven't seen him move at all on his own. Obviously, we can't sedate him in this state, but I think I can keep him from biting without any trouble."

The taller man nodded, "Alright. Ok people! Gentle and efficient. Let's get him cleaned up first."

Thus began the long process of setting their new charge to rights. Caro sat on metal stool, holding the beleaguered animal's head steady while the others went about their work. Interns started a warm sponge bath from the bottom up so the vet could come behind them and see clearly to evaluate the animal. Technicians moved in with scanners and x-ray machines following the vet, blood samples were then taken and fed into various machines. Working in tandem this way, they shortly had the creature clean, examined and scanned. Now to analyse their findings and plan the course of treatment.

The vet shook his head, looking over several papers as Caro traded places with an intern and joined him in the corner.

"Well, how bad is it?" Her voice was an odd combination of hopeful and resigned. The turtle was very clearly in bad shape, but would they be able to make a difference?

"Pretty bad, but it could be worse. Firstly, it's not like anything on record, so we're flying a little blind here. It's male, just so you can start thinking of names. The report from the DEA says he's from somewhere in South America, so I'll use the closest turtle there as a loose reference. The most obvious thing is the starvation. I've started an IV with nutrients. The men they took prisoner said they had been instructed to feed it fruit, so we'll start there and see if any other foods catch his eye. From the teeth I'd guess he's an omnivore though. The next point of concern is the… track marks. I'd say he's been kept sedated or something for an extended period of time, but until the blood tests come back I don't want to take any chances. No drugs of any kind. The scar on his leg is old and manmade. It appears he was burned with something long and flat in overlapping layers."

He shifted to indicate a point on the x-ray. "If you look here, in the same area there's some surface trauma to the bone. I'd say he was shot and they cauterized the wound after. A fair piece of the muscle is gone, so I don't know how well he'll be able to walk once we get some meat back on him. That isn't any threat to him now though, so I say we just wait and see on that front. There are some sores from laying in that dirty hay without moving for so long, we'll clean those out and bandage them. All in all, we've got our work cut out for us, but I don't see why he can't make a reasonably good recovery."

Caro closed her eyes and sighed. She'd been afraid they were too late and would have to put him down. It was such a relief. "Let's get to work then."

Leonardo was so tired. The soft blankets underneath him smelled of baby powder. The sunlamp above was warm and soothing. His belly was as full as it could be right now with apple sauce and water. His wounds were bound and numbed with slave. He was CLEAN. But the nagging remnants of withdrawal just wouldn't let him sleep. He had tried to meditate again, now that he could think clearly, but still it eluded him. The battered young ninja was starting to think that the trauma, stress and drugs had permanently impaired his ability to reach that altered state. He wasn't even going to be able to consider escape until he'd gained some strength. That left resting, dozing and hoping to eventually drift off as his only option.

Dark eyes sat at half-mast as he studied his new quarters again. The blankets under him covered a large thick pad, to cushion him from the concrete floor. Bowls of water and more apple sauce sat in front of him for whenever he felt ready. The sunlamp was wall-mounted, most likely to keep animals from knocking it over. All in all, it was the perfect sick room for a reptile. He was relieved to finally be around English speakers again, as it meant he didn't have to guess at his true condition anymore, and he now knew what they had planned for him.

The people here were smart he'd give them that. They figured out that the usual low wall wouldn't be enough to contain a turtle like him once he was mobile again, and were being extra cautious by readying a vacant primate enclosure. He was still far from home, far from free and far from healthy, but for the first time in years, things were looking up. Finally sleep pulled him under, and dreams welcomed him home.

Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Caro, shifted slightly on her wooden stool. She didn't want to disturb her new friend, but her butt was going numb. He didn't seem to mind though. His eyes quickly glanced in her direction, then he huffed and settled back into a doze. She just kept thinking over and over, I've never seen anything like this. The little brunette had spent her lunch hours studying him and trying to solve a truly vexing problem. What should I call you? It had to be unique. She was so sick of cliché and over used names for animals, so she was wracking her brain and her tablet, scouring both for an idea. Ayotl, the Nahuatl word for turtle. Well, that's what the Aztecs would've probably called you. Ayotl…..I like it. "Ayotl it is."

"What?" a deep voice inquired. Both the woman and the turtle snapped to attention. "Whoa!" Geordi held both hands up and backed up a step. "Geordi don't do that! The last thing he needs right now is to be startled." Caro griped.

"Yeah, 'cause he's the only one I startled." The handsome, dark skinned man settled on his haunches next to her in front of the baby gate. The latticed plastic barrier was enough to hold the convalescent reptile for now, allowing observers to watch from the open door. The man in kaki and white nodded at their patient. "He's looking better."

Ayotl was looking better. Nearly two weeks of rest and good care had already improved his condition. Colour had come back into the scales, still dull but definitely a new-leaf green. He was still weak, but the dark eyes were much more alert, less haunted, and he had started moving around on his bedding all by himself. Usually, keepers had to cajole injured animals into working wasted muscle, but he seemed determined to get under his own power again. Emotionally he was a bit of a puzzle as well. Whenever they approached without warning or armed with needles he would flinch as expected, but once he had a moment to register their presence the great head would settle back down, as though he knew they intended to help rather than hurt. Maybe he was reading the difference in demeanor from his previous captors? It was certainly impressive for a reptile, generally taking them great deal of handling before they would become comfortable with humans after being so abused.

Odd though it was, Ayotl's laid back personality made him very easy to care for. It had gotten to the point, no one was at all concerned when sharing space with him, beyond not wanting to stress the injured creature too much.

A great deal of progress had been made adapting the old primate enclosure to suit a turtle's needs. Given the form of his limbs it was thought he was likely at least partially bipedal, possibly arboreal, and the San Francisco Zoo hadn't earned such an excellent reputation by taking chances with rare animals. Once he became a little more mobile, he would be taken to his new home. In that safe environment they would study him more closely, not only to better understand this newly discovered species, but in order to figure out how best to care for him.

"How long do you think until he's out of the hospital?" Geordi asked.

Caro breathed deeply. "Well, Dr. Keen said that if he keeps progressing like he has, maybe another two weeks? It all depends on how well he can move around the room. He has to be able to get himself to his food and water, and we're putting a small barrier around the pool. We figure if he's strong enough to get over it, he'll be strong enough to swim." Geordi nodded. It would be embarrassing at the least to nurse him back to health only to have him drown in his new enclosure. Then the young man remembered. "What was that you were saying when I came in? Ayyy-ooo-til?" She gestured with her head to the slightly snoring turtle. "Him. Ayotl. It's the Aztec word for turtle. He came from their neck of the woods, so it seemed appropriate."

Geordi's deep brown eyes turned thoughtful, "Ayotl… I like it."

Two weeks later, moving day had come. The halls from the animal hospital to Ayotl's new home had been cleared, and a very strict policy of non-disturbance would be enforced in around his habitat. No flash cameras, no yelling and absolutely no throwing anything in his direction. The large turtle had recovered well so far, but he still had a long way to go. He was moving under his own power, but it was clear from loose skin that there was room for far more muscle on his frame. Unfortunately, rooms in the hospital needed to be free in case of emergency, and his care had not been cheap. It was time for their newest resident to start earning his keep. A news crew was coming tomorrow to let the world in on the exciting discovery of such a special animal, by tomorrow afternoon the zoo would be packed with people wanting to get a look at him.

For today though, he would be left in peace to settle in and explore his new environment. Four bulky, male volunteers carried the sturdy cage through the hallways, taking care to give him a smooth, quiet ride. Once at the behind-the-scenes access door, they carefully filed through and set him down near the centre of the bright space. Everyone but Caroline left at that point. Ayotl had proven to be very comfortable with her, weeks of lunch hours spent sitting with and talking softly to him had made him comfortable with her. After the others were gone, she pulled up the gate of the cage and sat back to see what he would do.

Wide dark eyes took in the new space, and slowly led their owner out of the meshed crate. Leonardo still wasn't moving very fast, but he was moving and that was enough for him right now. Hunched and unsteady, he shuffled out onto the loamy soil, enjoying the feel of it under his feet and the rich scent in his nose. Other smells clamoured for his attention, the lush plants of the habitat smelled of summer and sunshine. The clean water of the pool ever so faintly carried a hint of algae. Bright sun shined down on him from the large skylight above, and he appreciated the humid heat that warmed his fragile body. There was bowls of fruit and edible leaves scattered about the area and there were some small fish in the water if he wasn't much mistaken. All in all, if he had to live in a cage for a time, at least his hosts had gilded it well.

Caro smiled with a flush of satisfaction as Ayotl slowly moved about the enclosure and inspected it. After a couple gradual circuits he picked a spot in the sun and all but flopped into the soil as he settled to bask in the sun. You dun good girl. You dun good.

Chapter 16: Chapter 16

"Holy… what the shell?" Raph whispered, stuck to the spot. "Seriously Donnie, what?!"

"Shut up and watch Raph." Donatello snapped as he focused on his computer.

Raph, returned his attention to the screen Casey and April were still watching.

"We now take you to Missy Dearborne, our reporter on location at the San Francisco Zoo."

A vaguely Latina woman appeared on screen holding a large microphone in front of what looked like a glassed in animal enclosure.

"Thankyou Robin. I'm here with Caroline Benedict," she turned to a short brunette in more casual clothes, "one of the senior keepers here at the San Francisco Zoo. Hello Caroline, thankyou for having us here today."

The brunette nodded, while awkwardly trying to look at the reporter and not the camera. "You're very welcome Robin."

The anchor flashed an artificially white smile, "So you're had some excitement here."

This earned a tight smile from the keeper. "Yes we have. Usually the discovery of new species is the work of field scientists, but we've had one land in our lap."

"And how did that happen? I'm sure something like this didn't just show up in someone's back yard."

Caroline laughed politely. "No he didn't. Unfortunately the exotic animal trade is alive and well, especially on the black market. Rare and endangered animals are captured in the wild, sold and kept in private collections, often by owners that aren't really equipped to care for them. That was the case with our new friend here. We were called in after the Coast Guard and DEA seized a drug shipment coming into the US. They also found a crate containing an amazing animal that had obviously been kept in horrible conditions for some time. We brought him here to our animal hospital and have been treating him ever since. There's still room for improvement, but we feel he is now well enough to be on exhibit.'

She moved to the side and the camera panned to focus on Leonardo. He was a far cry from the brother they'd said goodbye to nearly four years ago. The battered turtle was laying next to a pool of clear water, watching the crowds with a wary eye. His colour wasn't a vibrant as it should be, and there were new scars visible. The worst however was a clear distortion of his leg facing the camera. A large chunk of the once chiselled flesh was gone. Raph didn't need Donnie's medical knowledge to tell that his big brother would be crippled for life.

The keeper started speaking again. "He's unlike any other turtle we know of. One of the largest land turtles ever discovered, his body shape is more akin to a primate than any reptile. The armored shell is there, as you can see, but he walks upright on his hind limbs, though somewhat hunched due to his injury. In fact, his similarity to primates leads us to think he may be able to climb trees, which while very strange for a turtle, makes sense for an animal living deep in the South American rainforests." She smiled and placed her hand on the glass, the first real emotion she'd shown yet. "He's a beautiful example of what's still out there to discover, and how little we really know about our world. I just wish he hadn't suffered so much before coming to us. I'm afraid we can never let him go, as his leg would mean certain death in the wild. We'll keep studying him, and care for him well." She turned passionate eyes back to the camera. "We've decided to name him Ayotl, it's the Aztec word for turtle. So everyone please come and help us welcome our new resident, Ayotl, the South American Arboreal Turtle."

The reporter smiled and pulled back the mic. "Thankyou Ms. Benedict, I'm sure everyone will be excited to visit and learn about such an incredible creature. Back to you Robin."

The playback stopped, as the recorded interview ended. Raph groped blindly behind himself until he found a chair to sink into. "He's alive, he's alive, he's alive…" Amber eyes slid shut while their owner continued to chant his new mantra, seeking to overturn the painful reality he'd been living in and replace it with something so much better. It seemed as is the world tilted and righted itself, returning to a place where his only big brother lived. The Lair and his family came rushing back in. Big Bro was alive, but not where he belonged yet, Raph still had a job to do. "We need tah get tah San Fran."

Mikey sat in the corner, trying and failing to pull himself back together. After watching the interview on the TV he'd fallen into shock. His brain was occupied with changing how he saw EVERYTHING. For the last year or so it had been The World Without Leo, now it had to be changed to The World With Leo again. He was ashamed that in the swirling thoughts of relief and joy there was a little selfish thought of, maybe the nightmares will stop now. When Raph mentioned going after their brother though, he finally was able to pull himself out, and was heartened to see he wasn't the only one having trouble processing this.

Raph himself was slumped in a chair, flanked by two very pale, and still stunned humans. Splinter, Mikey was surprised to note, was standing with a hand on the youngest turtles shoulder, for support or offering comfort he couldn't tell, maybe both. Donatello was already hard at work. His large fingers flew over the keyboard ripping up cyberspace as he took the fastest route to forging any connection with their lost fourth.

Mikey's keen eyes could pick out a couple tabs with San Francisco Zoo on them behind the window of code flowing upwards. Then a DING, and another window flew open. It looked like security camera footage, and on it, "Leo." The longing in Donnie's voice was obvious, he even touched the screen, as if he could reach through to his trapped brother.

Donatello shook himself, and faced the Clan. "Yes Raph we do, but first, we need information."

Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Firstly a correction. I'm ashamed to say I was lax in my research. I had thought the Aztecs lived in South America when actually they lived in North and Central America, so when choosing an indigenous name I picked the wrong culture. The story is up now though, and I like the name Ayotl, so I will not be changing it. I just wanted to stop a misconception in its tracks.

"So whadda yah got Don?"

Donatello turned back to his bank of cobbled computers. "A live feed from the webcam in Leo's 'enclosure'. They're streaming it so that even people who can't make the trip to San Francisco get to see their new find. The ad revenue doesn't hurt either I imagine."

The family piled on top of each other in their desire to see Leo for themselves. The feed was slightly pixilated but clear enough. Their missing brother was currently edging towards the water in an awkward shuffle walk to accommodate his bad leg. Ever so slowly he eased into the pool and floated along the surface, then startled paddling around. It was obviously easier to manuever with the water supporting his weight, light exercise helping him recover the muscle mass he'd clearly lost.

Mikey felt sick. "Dude….what happened to him?"

He glanced sideways as Donatello began typing. "Just gimme a sec Mike…There! I'm in the Zoo's records." Another window popped up, pictures of a dark room, a busted up crate flashed across the screen. Unfortunately, the last picture was a close up of Leo laying in that crate, emaciated, and defeated. The violent explosion of Raph's temper signalled the death of a gadget that Donnie hopefully wouldn't miss too much.

Everyone flinched but remained focused on the screens, though they couldn't follow the information displayed now. Donatello was speed reading. "Ok. Ok. So, well, you can see how he was when they found him. Near as the Zoo medical staff can tell, he was captive for years and likely kept sedated most of that time." A slight creak of the computer mouse was all that betrayed his agitation. "Then the idiots that were shipping him thought that turtles didn't need much attention so he was dehydrated and starving when the boat was raided."

Splinter hissed ever so softly. Raphael's answering rumble forced Don to speak up.

"On arrival at the Zoo they determined that the damage to his leg was likely caused by a bullet."

"Pshh, only way they could bring him down." Mikey crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. Not like any lowlife, drug-dealing punk could take Leo in a fair fight. His eyes strayed from the screen his olive brother was using and focused back in on the live feed showing Leonardo. He was diving now, even chasing some of the fish in the pool, but anyone that knew him could tell he was scared. Constantly glancing at the crowd of humans watching him, deliberately trying to focus on something else. Mikey wanted nothing more than to grab his big bro and never let go, but this time, Mike would be the protector.

His thoughts were interrupted by Raph, who seemed a bit more in control. "How deep in their computers are yah Don?"

The family hacker looked over his shoulder, "They're not exactly the Foot Raph, if I could hack them, this place is no problem."

Raph smirked, "Then get ready to do what you did tah those pyjama wearing idiots. Mess with security and lead us through so we can grab our brothah. You get that all set up and we'll pack tha battleshell. Couple weeks drivin' and we'll have Leo back safe 'an sound."

Donnie twisted in the chair and held out his hand, "Hold on a second Raph. I can certainly hack their systems to get us in, but I don't think we can go right now."

There was only a hint on anger in Raphael's eyes as he turned around. He'd worked very hard to control himself better since stepping into the role of Leader, and he knew that Donnie generally had a good reason when he disagreed with a course of action, but still, it wasn't wise to outright contradict the emerald turtle when his emotions were already running high. "And why is that Donatello?"

Oooo. He called him Donatello. Mikey watched Don swallow, realising he was if not on thin ice, then slightly melted. "It just seems to me that an armored assault vehicle will attract unwanted attention on a cross country trip. Maybe we should use something a little less conspicuous?"

The red banded leader considered for moment, then nodded, much to his brother's relief. "Yeah that makes sense Don. It's not too comfortable eithah is it? Maybe an old bus? There're usually a few 'o those lying around. Mikey start packing whatevah gear you think we're gonna need. Case, can you help me get a bus and fix it up? We gotta rig it tah sleep four."

The big human smiled. "Make that five Raph. Youse gonna need a driver in the daylight, or do yah think they're gonna ignore that mug 'o yours?"

Raph chuckled then paused as a delicate hand settled on his shoulder. His sister was smiling too. "No, it's six. I can trade off driving with Casey and help Don when we get there."

This worried him a bit. "Yah sure April? It'll mean closing yah store for at least a few weeks."

His broadened her smile. "I'm sure Raph. I haven't opened after the move yet anyway. What's another month or so? We've got savings, and Casey will have time to book vacation while you guys fix the bus up."

"Are you forgetting something my sons?" Splinter's voice was just this side of stern. "If you think I will wait here while you retrieve your brother you are sorely mistaken. We will require room for seven."

Raphael bowed in apology. "Of course, Fathah."

Donatello piped up from the corner where he was already drawing up plans to retrofit a common school bus. "Honestly, though we all want to just go get him now, the delay isn't a bad thing. The Zoo personnel may think Leo is just an animal, but they honestly want what's best for him and are well equipped. The extra time will mean he's in better condition when we get there, so he'll have an easier time keeping up when we get out. It's not like he could get any more exposed at this point anyway."

"Alright! Y'all know what to do. Let's get busy!" Never had the family followed an order with more gusto. They were going to bring Leo home.

Leonardo carefully poked his head out from the foliage. They're gone. Finally! The Zoo had closed for the day, the janitor now the only person staring at him. The longer the day had gone on, the more worn Leo had become. A lifetime of hiding from humans meant that being stared at by hundreds of them left him more than a little frazzled. Contending with the staff was still nerve wracking, but at least it wasn't on the same scale.

A noise in the back of his habitat caught his attention. "Hey there Ayotl. How was our first day?" Oh, it's just Caroline. She was the one oasis of calm in all this insanity. The caring woman had never been unkind or rough with him, she even made an effort not to move too quickly and startle him. The pail in her hand was familiar too. Each day she brought a variety of foods to offer, whatever he took the most of, more of that food type found its way into his diet. So far she had expanded from fruit to a selection of vegetables, bugs and raw fish. Having something different, even uncooked, was a welcome change from years of just fruit.

She crouched near the wall and put today's offerings on the cement slab set aside for that purpose. Then she returned to the door with his water dish to rinse out and refill. While she was gone he started making his way to the feeding area. His progress was still slow, but at least he could walk now. Swimming every day had done him a world of good. Watermelon, lettuce, fish…. Mmm coconut. In the chunkier pieces he could see and feel the day's pills. At first they had made him nervous, but he couldn't very well just pick them out. He didn't want even these kind humans to know just how intelligent he was. Besides, keeping him well was in their best interests. As the days went by he realised they were just meds, painkillers and supplements, geared to improving in health. So he was a good little turtle and cleared his plate, except for any foods that he outright couldn't stand.

Caroline returned with the water as he was still picking through his food. While Leo had been learning to trust her, she'd been getting to know him. The general policy of dealing with animals at the Zoo was hands off except when necessary. Ayotl had needed help getting around at first though and had proven to be very placid if a bit nervous with his keepers. Caro however had noticed that he didn't tense up with her at all anymore and was deeply honoured to have gained the trust of this incredible creature.

She set the water bowl down within his reach and then moved through the enclosure, checking to see that he'd made waste, so she knew his digestive tract was healthy, and seeing if he'd done anything to his space. The brunette had watched during the day, seeing how he handled the crowds. They obviously made him insecure and when he was tired, the large turtle had made himself a bit of a den in the thick plants of the habitat. It was disappointing to the guests, not being able to see him all the time, but most animals needed to be able to get out of sight to relax now and then. Denying them the ability to hide would only stress the animal, Ayotl clearly being no exception.

When he was out and about though, he'd spent a lot of time in the water. She knew it would be easier for him to swim than walk right now, but he'd also seemed to really enjoy diving and twisting in the waters of his pool. In that at least, he was a typical turtle.

"Well, good night big guy. See you tomorrow." She left him to his dinner.

Chapter 18: Chapter 18

Donatello may be the tech head of the family, but he couldn't hold a candle to Raphael in metal work. Welding, shaping, mixing alloys and forming weapons was the emerald turtle's domain, and in it he was king. The others could help, but if something needed to be "just so" it was left to Raph. Thus it fell to him to reshape the interior of the bus they'd found in a scrapyard late the previous night. Casey was under the hood, working to resurrect the old diesel engine while Donnie was wiring the lights, mini kitchenette and small tech hub April would operate during their rescue mission.

The family tank squinted as he inspected his latest weld, before dropping the mask and continuing to secure another sleeping berth to the wall of the now green bus. Mikey had been busy with the exterior, freshening it up and giving it a not-quite hippy feel.

Raphael paused when he registered the tell-tale whish of his father's tail as the ninja master entered the bus. They'd learned a long time ago that welding sparks and fur were not a good combination. "How goes it my son?"

Heavy gloves flipped the mask back up again. "Pretty good Mastah. Just two more bunks an' I'm done. How're the matresses comin'?"

"Quite well," he rose onto his tip toes to check the already completed platforms. "The bedding and other supplies will be ready shortly. April has procured all that we cannot scavenge or make, and gathered the information we will need. I estimate once you and Mr. Jones are finished, we will have everything ready to move in and be on our way."

"Music tah my ears Sensei. I think we're all getting' a little squirrely."

Splinter's muzzle creased with a smile. "Indeed. I fear our journey in the confines of the bus will not help. But it will be well worth it once we have retrieved your brother." The smile faded, as sorrow bled into the wise rat's eyes.

Raphael sat up straighter. "Fathah?"

Splinter sucked in a breath and shook his head. "Nothing of import my son, only…", he sighed, "I wish I had sensed your brother. I do not understand why I cannot even now. To know he was at least alive, would have spared us all much pain."

Amber eyes narrowed in sympathy. "Aw Sensei, there was nothin' you coulda done about that. Donnie says he's been drugged a long time, maybe tha's what did it? Who knows. What matters is he IS alive, an' we ARE gonna get 'im back." , the last was grumbled, "an' nevah let 'im outta the Lair evah again."

This earned a slight chuckle. "As you say Raphael. You will find no argument here."

Donatello's arms were starting to shake. He'd been holding position, remaining a quiet as possible while waiting for the conversation above him to finish and the sound of welding to resume so he could scoot out from under the bus without being caught by his Father's sharp ears. Like many eavesdroppers before him, Donnie hadn't meant to listen in, but he'd been there and heard whether he liked it or not. The second youngest of the family was heartened by Raph's positive attitude, they would need more of that before this was done, and was so proud of how his big brother had comforted their Father. Painful as this whole experience had been, could still be, who knew what shape Leo would be in, Raphael in particular had grown and become a rock for the small family.

Ever so carefully, Don moved out from under the bus, timing his movements with the welding hiss so as to cover the sound of his shell scraping against oil stained cement. Free, he peeked through the window, relieved to see Raphael focused on his work. Ninja stealth for the win. He smirked and turned to face Splinter staring at him from the wall with a knowing look. Or not.

Just over a week of feverish work had resulted in a liveable, if not beautiful, bus rv fitted out to carry the Hamato Clan across the country and regain their missing son. It would never make the cover of Better Homes, but Popular Mechanics would've sold their collective soul for it, if they had known it existed. Donatello had tricked it out as a live-in mission hub, complete with everything he and April would need to hack the Zoo's mainframe and get the brothers in and out with nary a guard being aware. There was also a small, but well designed medical berth, ready for any issues Leonardo may still have. The compact galley was up to Michelangelo's specs and the regular bunks were set up for each of their owners.

I think we're ready. Raphael's eyes burned a little brighter. "All right, let's move out."

It was a bit like a game he supposed. Leonardo was currently basking near his pool where real sunlight from the glass dome above could reach him. There were sunlamps, but after those first years in the wild, then years as a captive, he wanted the real thing. It was a lazy way to give the humans a show, and him a chance to keep a sleepy eye on the keepers currently in his enclosure. They were hiding treats as a technique to keep captive animals active and entertained. It worked, a bit. It wasn't a challenging search for Leo, but they didn't know how smart he really was. Oh well, at least it was something to do.

They left through the rear exit and Leo started to slowly rouse himself. He'd napped through most of the hiding process, only really waking up when one of the keepers had gotten a bit close to him. Trying to ignore the kids screaming and getting all worked up just because he'd started moving, Leo absently scratched a couple dry scales and got up to find the treats left for him.

Nope, nope, nope, mmm yes.. He systematically searched the foliage, working his way across the ground, keeping his nose busy checking for the scent of fruit and raw fish. Gradually he gathered the tidbits that were scattered about behind rocks and under plants, but his nose kept leading him back to the two large trees that dominated the centre of his habitat. He could smell mango. He loved mango. It's up the tree isn't it. Leo had become very proficient in climbing during his time in the jungle, but that was years and a wounded leg ago. I want that mango….crud. The tree wasn't huge, maybe a shake?

Caro watched from the crowd as Ayotl prowled his enclosure, sniffing out his snacks as he went. She smiled as he checked old hiding places first, and followed his nose to new ones. He's moving a little easier now, I just wish we could get rid of that limp for him. Oh! There he goes. The large turtle had come back to the trees and was staring up them now, clearly having figured out that his favourite treats were in its verdant branches. A slight growl of frustration floated on the air. C'mon big fella, you can do it. There was a calculated risk in placing treats up there. They were fairly certain from his body structure that he could climb, but that was not factoring in the injured leg. He might not be able to support the weight of that massive shell in the trees with a leg out of commission. If he got part way up and fell….it could be a disaster. She had to hope that his instincts would keep him from unnecessary injury.

He circled the trees a couple more times, honing in on the tree that actually contained what he wanted. He placed his hands against the trunk and gave it a couple experimental shakes. Nope sorry. We thought of that. The effort made raised her evaluation of his intelligence though. He was aware that influencing one object could effect another. Not all reptiles got that. He lowered his head, and snorted in frustration. Please, please. He changed the position of his hands, flexed his muscled legs as much as they each could, and heaved himself up to the first branch.

The children screeching a few feet over nearly deafened the brunette. They were cute when they were quiet, but sounds like that reminded her why she wasn't Mom material. As the crowd settled again, her attention returned to its rightful owner. Ayotl had found the first treat, and was clearly relishing the succulent fruit. His nose was still flaring though, there was more mango in that tree. Holding to the trunk, he slowly stood, bad leg trembling as it fought to do its share of the work, the powerful arms bulging as he pulled himself up to another limb, and another coveted piece of fruit. That morsel found as well he continued nosing about in the branches, finding a few more bits of orange yellow flesh pressed into the bark as a reward for the effort of making it up that high. Finally the question, how would the turtle choose to get back down? There was actually a small betting pool set up whether he would go face down or face up. Most large climbing species went face up to allow their powerful hind legs to carry the weight, but the face downers argued that with his bad leg he might go their way using his able arms to compensate. They both lost, Ayotl edged along the branch until it started to bend underneath him, then used the tree as a diving platform to launch himself into the deep water of the pool. The crowd went wild. He may be shy most of the time, but the unique turtle sure had a knack for putting on a show when he felt like it.

Caro chuckled and shook her head. It was always surprises with this one.

Chapter 19: Chapter 19

I'm not dead….I think that's it.

Brrrrrp! Donatello reached forward to smack his little brother upside the head, and Raphael did not object. Both of them had warned the little buttmunch not to have chilli for dinner but he hadn't listened and now they were all paying the price. While the stench was bad enough, it was more the potential indignity of being caught because one of the supposedly trained ninjas couldn't stop breaking wind that irked the middle brothers.

Mikey winced and mouthed a "sorry". He knew he'd screwed up, and they weren't even halfway into this rescue op yet. Not to mention that everyone's nerves were already a little frazzled after 5 days confined to the crowded interior of their bus coupled with anxious anticipation of getting Leo back.

April and Casey were parked a few blocks away, leaving enough distance so that when the Zoo discovered their "theft" in the morning, they weren't likely pop up on the authorities' radar. Casey was ready near the wheel, in case the brothers needed a quick getaway. April was at the hub, in full contact with the team, monitoring the Zoo's security and feeding her boys info as necessary. The turtles had entered the facility and were slowly making their way to their brother's enclosure, Splinter ghosting behind them, keeping a watchful eye on his sons.

They were all a bit on edge. The Zoo had unfortunately increased their security after an incident just two days before. April and Casey had visited Leo, the legal way, so as to better determine his condition, "case the joint", and to give Leo a head's up that his family was there and coming for him. They'd succeed on all counts. It was all April could do to keep a straight face when Leonardo had looked up and made eye contact with her. His own obsidian pools had been comically wide in his face, his breathing stuttering for a moment. Then he'd closed down and very deliberately turned away, settling down into the turf to take a pseudo nap, ensuring that no one noticed their brief contact. They needn't have worried.

Leo didn't have to fake napping for long. His attention was grabbed by the sound of his enclosure's door opening. He wasn't expecting it. Normally the keepers only came in to check his food, water and the cleanliness of his habitat. This generally kept to the same schedule each day, and it wasn't the usual time. Leo looked up, and was startled to see a new face. She was almost painfully thin, with stringy hair, and a hollow face. She was wearing the appropriate uniform of a zoo worker, but looked very ill at ease. Leo's experienced eyes instantly pegged her as an intruder, and not a very good one. How on earth did she get this far?

Leo slowly edged toward the water, even with his bad leg, a human would have a hard time wrangling him in there. She didn't angle for him though. The stranger gave him a long look, walked to the centre of the habitat, and ripped off her top shouting "Freedom for all Gaia's Children!" while punching the air.

Amid the din of yelling parents, screaming children and various catcalls, all Leo could think was, Those are not fit for public viewing. He then shook himself and sunk into his pool. Security could deal with this.

And deal with it they did. The protestor eventually had to be full body tackled before they could haul her away. The downside was that a hole in security had been revealed, and the Zoo administration had plugged it with a vengeance. The cyber security hadn't changed, but there were a lot more bodies for the ninjas to dodge on their way in.

Splinter and his sons creeped around another corner, rat ears keeping careful track of the guards in their area. Eventually they reached the service corridor that led to the back of Leo's enclosure. Straight, barren and brightly lit, it was a ninjas worst nightmare. No shadows, alcoves, furniture or rafters to hide in, they were totally exposed. April would keep the cameras fooled, but if someone walked in on them they were screwed.

"Ok guys, there's no one nearby. Go for it."

They outright sprinted down the hall, bare feet scaled and padded slapping the smooth concrete. Donnie got there first, quickly descending on the digital lock. His brothers skidded to a stop next to him, Mikey nearly vibrating in anticipation. Raphael had a white knuckled grip on his sai, watching one end of the pearl hallway as his father monitored the other. One beep, another, the door buzzed and popped open. Donatello grabbed it before it could close again and gestured Splinter and his emerald brother forward. Don and Mike would watch the door.

Raphael took a deep breath as he entered, then almost immediately froze. There, watching the door, was Leo. He was still a bit thin, definitely scarred, but his smile was blinding as he rushed to his family. The father and immediate younger were caught in a crushing bear hug that they returned with interest.

"Leo." Raphael whispered, barely containing a sob of pure joy. He pulled out of leaf green arms with regret. "We'll do the sappy reunion thing later. Right now, we gotta go." The tears he blinked away sealed his promise. Leonardo nodded, and they were off.

He was slower. Leo had known this for awhile, he'd been partially crippled after all. But suddenly needing all his speed to try and keep up, drove that fact home like a smack in the face. His brothers caught on pretty fast too. Without a word, Splinter took the lead, Donnie right behind him working in concert with April to guide them all out past human obstacles. Mikey assumed position of rearguard, as stalwart Raphael loaned his nearly limitless strength to his hobbled older brother. Honestly, it was all the dark green turtle could do not to simply pick Leo up and whisk him to safety. He managed to restrain himself somehow, and eventually they reached the outer walls. With two turtles boosting, one more and a rat catching, they got Leo over the fence, and out to the street where they descended into the unfamiliar sewers of San Francisco.

A couple wrong turns later, Michelangelo heaved a manhole out of the way in a dark alley conveniently blocked by a large vehicle. April flung the door open then throwing herself out of the way as they all piled inside. Once Casey got the all-clear, he eased the bus into gear, driving out of the city. If he hadn't been stuck behind the wheel, he would've joined the dogpile in the back as the Hamato clan fairly smothered poor Leonardo in their enthusiasm to welcome him back. He didn't mind though. Finally. I'm home.

Caroline was devastated. Ayotl was gone, stolen in the night by who knows, likely black market dealers or some such. His enclosure was crawling with police, searching for clues as to the culprits.

All Caro could do was sit on a rock and silently cry. She'd become deeply attached to the strange reptile, losing him was a terrible blow. The news crews were everywhere again, but this time they were far from welcome. Vultures. I just… HOW did they get in? There was no sign of anything amiss when she'd arrived that morning, except of course for one turtle too little in the habitat. After a frantic search they'd called the police while the heartbroken keeper had parked herself in the last place she'd seen her rare charge.

She sniffed wetly and stood up. I can't be in here anymore. One last mournful look around the carefully naturalized space and she made for the door. Only, something caught her eye. One of Ayotl's unique footprints, except…not. It was bigger, set firmly in the substrate, which Ayotl's bad leg made impossible. She bent lower and spotted another. That's Ayotl's, but what about that one? There was yet another, smaller than the other two. But that would mean…. Caro's eyes all but engulfed her face as her agile mind raced, making connections, drawing seemingly impossible conclusions. She glanced behind herself, at the forensics team still gathering evidence, then casually slid a boot forward and wiped the footprints away.