"Dad?" I could hear Michelangelo ask softly. I glance at my youngest son with curious eyes.

"What is wrong, my son?" I ask, eyes roaming over Michelangelo's figure. He was currently still in bed, blanket drawn to his plastron and covering most of the wounds he had obtained from Saki. All in all, he was healing nicely, and it didn't seem like the pain was bothering him all that much anymore. An IV was still steadily giving him painkillers.

But ever since Michelangelo had woken up, Donatello had turned it down a notch, steadily decreasing it.

"I just… how did the Mutanimals find us?" He asks softly, nose scrunching up slightly. I had to keep myself from doing the same thing. It wasn't a memory I wanted to think about again. Seeing my youngest son inside the glass, him going under the water and me being unable to help him. And the worst part was that I could do nothing, and he expected me to help him.

I had promised to protect him when he was a toddler, I had promised nothing bad would happen to him. And while I realised that he did not believe that now he was older, he understood the dangers of the world, and that some things were out of my control. Yet, I could not help but feel guilty at the thought that I couldn't help him when he needed me most.

I take a soft breath. "When we could not find you four after so many attempts, I had grown impatient" I reluctantly admit. "So I conducted a plan so the Mutanimals would know your location"

Michelangelo frowns at that. "You had a tracker on you?" He deducts, and I shook my head softly.

"I did not, we knew, or feared, that Saki would look for such trackers" I spoke softly. "We managed to fabricate a device that would enable the tracking function on your phones, but it would need to be close to the phone itself" Understanding dawned down on Michelangelo's face, and his eyes widened.

"You sacrificed yourself?" He whispers, and I nod, almost in shame.

"It was the only way my son, it was worth the risk. I would do everything to keep you four safe" I tell him, putting my hand on his hand. He glances at it, a frown still on his face. "I sought out Oroku Saki, and pretended that he had bested me, and allowed him to take me captive"

"What if he had killed you?" Michelangelo mumbles, tears shining in his eyes. I look at him with sorrow in my eyes, brushing away the tear that trailed down first. I knew I could not stop all of them, just like I could not protect my sons against everything in this world, I could not protect him from who I once considered my brother.

But I would do everything in my power to try.

"I knew he would not, he does not want to kill me, he wants to make me suffer" I say, ignoring the lump that was forming in my throat at the sentence. "I knew he would take me to the four of you" To allow me to suffer, because he knew that seeing him hurt my sons would hurt me the most.

"What happened?"

"I suppose the device worked as the Mutanimals had hoped, as they came to rescue us mere hours later." I tell him softly, squeezing his hand in assurance. "I took some time for the phone to be encrypted, but it worked." I add, unable to hold the tears at bay right now.

Yet, at the same time I did not care about being, or looking, collected. I did not care about having to put up a stern front for my sons to protect them. They knew… Michelangelo knew especially, he had a gift of understanding emotions. So I allowed my tears to fall freely, staring down at my youngest son.

Who, despite all odds being against him, survived, and was going to be okay.

TMNT

"Hey Don" I heard someone mutter behind me. I immediately whirl around in shock, because I recognised that voice.

"Mikey, you shouldn't be out of bed yet!" I yell, barely containing myself from shouting at him. Mikey shrugs at the comment. There was a thin blanket draped across his shoulder, effectively hiding most of his wounds. But there was no covering up his still swollen face from his broken nose.

Or the boot that was tightly wrapped around his ankle to stabilise his broken ankle.

"I really regret giving you that boot" I grumble, standing up and walking over to him.

"I would've crawled" Mikey jokes weakly, and I can't help but crack a smile at that. Because he absolutely would crawl if he wanted to come here, but couldn't walk on his broken ankle yet.

"I know you would" I tell him gently. "Why did you come here in the first place? I meant what I said, you shouldn't be out of bed yet." At the comment, Mikey glances down in shame. And it is then that I notice the bags that were under his eyes.

"You're having trouble sleeping?" I ask softly, and Mikey reluctantly looks up, nodding. "Nightmares?" Again he nods, albeit reluctantly. Of course he had nightmares, I should've known he was having nightmares. I would be stupid not to suspect he would after what we went through.

I would be stupid not to realise it considering-

"I know you're having them as well" Mikey bites back softly, and I blink a couple of times. I would be stupid not to realise it considering I had them as well.

"That's why you came here? What about Leo or Raph?" Or even dad. Because it was highly likely that they were having nightmares as well, or at least trouble sleeping.

"You're the only one who works himself to exhaustion. Leo and Raph don't" Mikey huffs, trying to cross his arms, but failing with the cast around his left arm. He huffs again, instead reaching for the blanket, and wrapping it tighter around himself.

"That's… fair" I mumble, shrugging after a few seconds. "But I really need to finish this first, you can sit if you want, it's not good for your ankle to have weight on it so soon. And you need to rest" I tell him starting to turn around but Mikey stopped me.

"You need rest too" He bit back, anger seeping through his voice. "And we both know you don't have to finish something, that's just an excuse. Heck, how do you even work with a broken wrist?" He spat out. I blink a couple of times again, because Mikey rarely got angry like this. Determined sure, and this wasn't the first time he tried to get me to stop working.

But he sounded angry right now, frustrated. But he was right.

I glance back at the machine I was working on, before letting out a sigh. "I guess you're right" I mumble, turning back to my only little brother again. A small smile appeared on his face. "I don't suppose I can get you to bed?" I question, and he shakes his head.

"I'm not going to bed" He mutters, a dark look appearing on his face. I nod with a sigh.

Anyone else, outside this family that is, would've written his anger off as a result of what we went through. Mikey getting angry was uncommon, but that didn't mean that it never happened. I knew Mikey was just scared right now, scared because of what happened to him, but also scared for us.

"Movie?" I ask him, and he smiled slightly, nodding. I walk over to him, putting an arm around him for both support and comfort, and he happily obliges, leaning into my side. The bruises were still on my body, but I didn't feel as weak as I did 4 days ago, and my wrist had stopped hurting after 2 days.

So I had no problem helping Mikey to the living room. I grabbed an extra blanket for myself, and put on a movie. I knew Mikey didn't care what movie we would be watching, for him it was an excuse to keep us close to him. But for his sake, I put on something he loved as well, and something we all enjoyed watching, Disney.

"Do you want me to not sleep?" Mikey asks, sarcasm dripping from his face. I laugh, sitting down next to him and wrapping the blanket around the both us. "That song is going to be stuck in my head for days" Mikey mumbles, and I smile, glancing at the screen, now showing the opening scene of Frozen.

Mikey happily snuggles against me, and I allow him. Because even though Mikey was the one often initiating hugs like this, we all enjoyed them. I felt safe with Mikey snuggled so close to me. It proved that he was still here with me, alive. I always felt safe snuggled into Leo's embrace, or Raph's.

And while I didn't initiate them as often, I understood while Mikey did. We all felt safe with each other.

For a moment I was afraid of Mikey's reaction when Elsa got captured, but even before the second song, Mikey was out already. He looked peaceful, eyes closed and softly breathing against my neck. I shift slightly, pulling the blanket around the both of us a bit tighter before closing my eyes as well.

And I allowed the distant sound of the movie, and Mike's soft breathing to lull me to sleep.

TMNT

I stir slightly, a strong scent suddenly filling my nostrils. I blink my eyes open, glancing around the room. For a second I was confused why I wasn't in my room, or in my lab for that matter. It wasn't uncommon for me to fall asleep in the lab either, especially in the last few years.

But I wasn't in any of those two rooms, I was still in the living room. Right, Mikey and I watched a movie, or rather, attempted to watch a movie.

"Morning sleepyhead" A rough voice snickered, and I snap my eyes open to look at the figure. "Easy brainiac, just me" Raph mumbles, slightly startled from my reaction. I sigh, sagging again. It was then that I realised the blanket that was around his shoulder, just like one was around mine.

"You slept here as well?" I ask softly, and Mikey chuckles against me. I glance down, seeing him wide awake.

"Told you he was out" Mikey said with a satisfying smile on his face. Raph rolls his eyes, but was interrupted by Leo walking back into the kitchen with a plate of pancakes. I blink a couple of times.

"Okay I'm officially confused." I mutter, eyeing warily at the plate Leo placed on the cough.

"I didn't make them if that's what you're asking" Leo rolls his eyes.

"I did" April smiles as she enters the room as well.

"Hey April" I smile at the sight of our human friend. April grinned, carrying 5 plates, utensils and of course the syrup.

"Morning Don" She greets me, putting down the plates next to the pancakes.

"Leo and Raph joined us during the night, they couldn't sleep either" Mikey murmurs against my collarbone softly, and I glance down at him. "It woke me up, and they thought they had woken you up as well, but I told them you were dead to the world" He snickers, and I glance at Raph, who just shrugs.

"Well if I did wake up I don't remember any of it" I mutter. Leo smiles gently, putting one of the pancakes on a plate and handing me one. Mikey sits up a bit straighter, gratefully accepting breakfast as well. I quickly glance at the clock, before mentally nodding. Yea breakfast, it was 9 in the morning.

I eat silently, not really feeling up to starting a conversation right now. And I allowed the silence that followed, despite April's initial tries to start a conversation, to drown out the ache in my heart at the memories of that place.

TMNT

(Don's POV)

I couldn't even say I was abruptly woken by Mikey's scream. I couldn't have woken up in the first place, because I wasn't asleep. I couldn't sleep, and Mikey's scream was the exact reason why I didn't want to go to sleep. I didn't want to be reminded of that place, I didn't want to see Mikey so broken, all of us so broken.

"Mikey!" I could hear Raph yell, and I whirl around towards my only younger brother. Tears were streaming down his face, and he was staring wide eyed at Raph's concerned face. "Calm down little bro" Raph rumbled low in his stomach, not breaking eye contact. Mikey's chest heaved with heavy breaths.

He didn't speak, he didn't try to say anything, just tried to keep his breathing under control.

"I-It wasn't … r-real?" Mikey stuttered, and Raph shook his head slowly. I glance at Leo with wide eyes as well. He had the same horrified expression on his face, but there was no surprise in his blue orbs, we had all expected the nightmares to return. That's why we had decided to return to the pit again last night.

"You're safe otouto, we got out" Raph said without hesitation, but I could see the subtle shaking of his arms, the fear in his eyes. Mikey burst out into tears at the sentence, and Raph brought Mikey closer, crushing him against his chest. Mikey didn't complain, burying his face in Raph's plastron.

Raph took a shuddering breath, hiding his face in the embrace as well, trying to shield himself from us. I slowly move, putting a hand on Raph's shoulder, before wrapping my arms around both of them. I could feel Leo join the hug as well, but neither of us said anything as Mikey cried.

It had been 8 days right now, 8 days since we got home. Our wounds had healed, or were still healing. My wrist was still in a cast, Leo's headache was pretty much gone by now, and Raph's bullet wound didn't bother him much anymore. Mikey's bruises were disappearing, and wounds were healing.

We would need to do surgery to remove the biggest scarring on Mikey's body, and LH and Rockwell had already volunteered to help without question. Broken bones would heal, the fatigue would eventually disappear.

But the nightmares were still there, in all of us. Every time I closed my eyes, or allowed myself to rest I could still remember Shredder hitting me, footbots dragging me back. I could remember how afraid I was, how afraid we all were when we were in that cage. I could still remember their terrified faces.

And I don't think I would ever forget.

I tighten my arms slightly, and I could feel Leo's hand reach for my hand, squeezing it softly.

But we were together, we were safe right now.

And maybe that was the best medicine against the nightmares I was sure would haunt us for the rest of our lives.

TMNT

Aaaand done! Gosh I don't actually want to finish this story, but I wrote what I wanted to write, and I said what needed to be said. Thank you all for sticking with me so long, I love you guys! (Can we get it to a 100 reviews? :3)

Next week I'll post my new story!

See ya! *hug*