Check out my profile page for the correct order in which to read this series.

(Starting with The Walls We Build)

For everyone that's already in the know, here's Part 8

The Peaks We Climb

Prologue:

(Donnie's POV)

I was still in a dazed state several minutes later as I continued to search the area, from a knelt position, for any sign of Karai or Zero, until I looked up to find Zira walking over to crouch in front of me.

"You okay?" She asked simply, but I just shook my head and she gave a little nod in agreement. "We're really a couple pees in a pod, aren't we?" I couldn't but smile a little as the irony of that statement sank in.

It already felt like a lifetime since that moment on Kale's ship when I had been the one comforting her after the discovery that her own brother was responsible for the destruction of her clan.

"I called Leo." Raph announced quietly as he walked up. "He doesn't want ya anywhere near Zero until we know for sure what's goin' on here." I nodded in agreement to that, but Zira wasn't so open to discussion.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing." She argued sternly.

"No, he's right," I countered. "For all we know, Shredder could have had these memories planted in my mind to throw us off course. I can't afford to get too close to this – I'm a liability."

"Yu're never a liability, Don." Raph informed me immediately, causing Zira to speak up as well.

"He's right," She added simply and I turned to look at them with a raised eye-ridge.

"Okay – nothing scares me more then when you two agree on something." I stated before moving to get to my feet.

"So what do ya want ta do?" Raph asked as I stood at my full height and turned to look at him seriously.

"I can't just do nothing, I need closure." I answered sternly and he nodded.

"Then let's find 'em." He proclaimed, causing Zira to look between us in confusion.

"Wait a minute," She ordered dryly. "I thought your leader just told you to wait?"

"You obviously didn't hear me," Raph countered as if talking of the weather. "Leo never said we couldn't go lookin', just that he didn't want us ta."

"Wait – what?" She proclaimed in bewilderment and I smiled before explaining further.

"There's something about Leo you need to be aware of, Zira." I put in seriously, causing the woman to look at me again. "What makes him such a great leader; is that he's always our brother first."

"And that makes a difference?" She asked simply and I nodded.

"All the difference in the world."

…

Despite his unspoken agreement, Leo was still furious when we called to tell him that we'd located Karai and Zero's hiding place about an hour later, but he got over it and informed us that they would be there as soon as they could.

"I swear; you guys have the most confusing family in existence." Zira proclaimed as I returned my phone to my pocket and Raph scoffed in amusement before answering.

"Not true," He countered with a smile. "We're the sane ones here; it's everyone else that's crazy."

"Oh – of course," She proclaimed mockingly with a grin in his direction and I rolled my eyes at their newfound friendship – or whatever they called it.

"Would you two mind moving this sap-fest to another area, you're dripping syrup on my foot?" I informed them sarcastically, immediately receiving two very unhappy glares in the process.

"Are you always this cynical?" Zira proclaimed in annoyance.

"Have you looked around you lately?" I countered calmly. "When one grows up in a world like this, it's the only way to open your mouth without screaming."

"True," She agreed solemnly as she turned to look at the building where we had tracked Karai and Zero; which was one that we'd become quite familiar with, as it was the same abandoned hotel where we had hidden while trying to escape the same people we were now looking for.

It was moments like this that I wish I had been born a sponge, for being a turtle was far more complicated than I ever would have though possible.

"Well, shall we?" Raph put in and I nodded before leading the way over to the front entrance and walked into the run-down, somewhat flooded reception lounge. "Okay, any idea where ta start?" He added as he looked around the room as well.

"I have a guess," I informed him distractedly before heading for the stairs and started up into the building. We had to jump over a few gaps in the floors and had a few close calls when some of the wooden planks proved that they no longer had the strength to hold our weight, but we eventually made it to the level I was looking for and carefully walked down the hall until finding the room I wanted.

"Wait a minute – this is the same room we camped out in before." Zira piped up truthfully.

"So, they knew where we were the whole time?" Raph added and I shrugged.

"I really don't know," I admitted as I reached out to push the door open and quietly walked in to have a look around.

"There's no one here." My brother put in as they followed me.

"No – he's here," I corrected, though I wasn't able to sense their presence as much as I could smell it. "He's probably lost a lot of energy so the bubble won't be very big or strong."

"What bubble?" Zira asked in confusion, but I chose not to answer for now.

"Just look for anything out of the ordinary, and tell me if you find stale air." I ordered and continued to carefully make my way around the apartment, taking in every little piece of information in an attempt to find something that technically wasn't even there.

"Don!" Raph called to me quietly after several minutes of searching and I quickly moved over to stand next to him as he pointed me into the far corner of one of the bedrooms, where we could clearly see a bulge in the air, like something had been badly photo-shopped out of the image.

"That's him," I said calmly as Zira joined us as well. "We need to be cautious, he's very protective of Karai and he might not have healed her yet."

"I'm just goin' pretend I know what yu're talkin' about." Raph proclaimed sourly as I carefully moved over to the corner in question, making sure not to touch the bubble as I didn't want to appear threatening or unintentionally break the loop.

"Zero?" I asked the space kindly, knowing that he could hear me even though I couldn't see him. "Please, come out," I added gently, cautiously moving a step closer.

However, this turned out to be a bad idea on my part, as it seemed to put me within range, causing him to suddenly appear out of thin air to take me to the ground in a tackle as his time-loop dropped behind him.

The first thing I noticed, after the fuzz of hitting my head against the ground passed, was that he had abandoned his helmet, which was likely to keep Shredder from tracking them down, but it also allowed me to really see him for the first time and I realized immediately that I hadn't been wrong.

I knew those scars, they had been injuries the last time I'd seen them, but they were all exactly how I remembered, all exactly how I saw them every time I closed my eyes for the first several years of my life.

"Donnie!" I heard Raph call as I looked up into my lost brother's eyes and I quickly held up my hand to stop him from interrupting.

"Stay there, Raph," I told him sternly. "He's not gonna hurt me." I added noticing how Zero's hands shook as he continued to hold my throat, though not so hard that he was choking me.

"It's okay," I started again, carefully reaching up to lay my hand over his. "I'm not gonna hurt her, I just want to help." This caused him to lean down and actually touch his forehead to mine and I quietly remained still, allowing him to do whatever he wanted in his attempt to figure out if I was to be trusted.

"Tokka," A weak voice suddenly interrupted and he turned to look behind him as Karai attempted to sit up, before he quickly rushed over to stop her, thus allowing Raph to do the same and helped me back to my feet.

"What's going on?" Karai asked in a panic as I took in the state of her injury. It wasn't as bad as it had been before and my bio-foam had held securely, but she was obviously suffering from some internal damage and likely shock. "Who's here?"

I tried to get closer to help, but Zero promptly snapped his beak shut in warning and I stopped. "I know you're scared," I told him kindly. "But I can help her. Please Zero – she's gonna die."

I didn't mean to distress him even more, as in response to my words he quickly leaned down to rub his beak into her neck, as if begging her not to leave, but I took the distraction for what it was and carefully moved closer again, this time actually getting near enough to touch her, only to once again be attacked, however this time it was by Karai herself.

I had to admit I was impressed by how steady her sword was when the blade suddenly materialized at my throat, and she proceeded to glare at me as if trying to see through a fog.

"Leonardo?" She asked in confusion.

"No, it's Donatello," I corrected her. "Leo's coming."

"Are you here to capture us?" She countered quickly.

"No," I answered truthfully. "I just want to help." I added again.

"I don't believe you." She proclaimed seriously.

"You don't have to." I informed her as I carefully reached up to move her sword away from my face and laid my hand over her wound to get a feel for the injury, before removing my bag from my back.

"I'm going to give you something for shock." I continued purposefully as I replaced my usual thought process with the side of my mind that didn't see the person before me or feel the panic; only the injuries and only the resolution.

It wasn't a place in my soul I liked to visit, but there was a reason doctors were forbidden from operating on family members, and given that three of the people I cared about most were also three of my usual patients,this state of mind was often required to keep my sanity.

Thankfully, she seemed to understand that she was in no position to complain, though I wasn't sure if it was because I might be the only one able to save her life or because Raph continued to closely monitor her every move, to insure she didn't do anything stupid.

Zero continued to stay close by, but out-of-the-way as he held her hand and nuzzled into her side in such a way that told me he probably wouldn't survive if she didn't make it. I couldn't help but understand that feeling myself and it was this that helped me realize that he was no longer my brother.

Though I had finally found him, I knew that it wouldn't remain that way. One way or another, I would have to give him up again.

No matter how much it hurt.

…

It took about an hour to finally get Karai into a stable state where I was comfortable that she was no longer in danger, it was during which time that Leo and Mikey arrived to offer what little aid they could, which included moving her to one of the beds so she could rest.

"Okay," I finally told the rest of the room as I reached down to insure that her pulse was still strong, causing everyone to look at me in expectation. "She'll be okay now." I finished and they all sighed in relief.

However, as I tried to get up to give Zero some time with her, I found that my legs refused to cooperate with me.

"Easy," Raph insisted, immediately at my side and gently helped me to my feet before steering me over to the other bed, where he forced me to lie down even though I complained.

"Donnie," He stated sternly. "Yu've been awake fur nearly 3 days. Ya need ta sleep." He ordered in that tone of voice that said I wasn't going to win this fight, as he had already rallied Leo and Mikey against me.

I soon decided it wasn't worth the energy to argue with him and quietly lay back as he patted my shoulder reassuringly. "It's alright bro," He added gently. "Ya did yur job, I can take over from here."

"Yeah," I agreed tiredly, causing him to smile before getting up to see to his new patient, leaving me to turn ever so slightly so I could watch Zero snuggling up into Karai's side where he proceeded to look straight at me with a set of leaf green eyes that I couldn't help but remember from my childhood. It was this that proved to be enough for me to drown the last of my fear and come to an acceptance.

Watching the way Karai had continually reached out to comfort him, even though she was essentially dying, proved that if I had to give him up again, she was the best person for the position.

He wasn't that little mutant who needed my comfort and protection anymore. Like me, he had found a family of his own and that was enough to finally help me into sleep, where I no longer feared the nightmares on the other side.

Mistystar123 has earned kudos for calling it that Zero was really Donnie's brother.

Go you!

XD