***
Shredder replaced the phone to its place on the console and chuckled to himself.
"And just what is so funny?" asked Krang.
"I just put in an anonymous tip at the Bleeding Heart Mental Institute concerning the whereabouts of Miss Veronica Matthews."
Krang had his doubts about Shredder's plan. "And what good will that do? We don't even know where she is."
"Ah, but we do know she's somewhere in the city. Every law force in the area will be looking for her."
Krang watched Shredder laugh. "I ask again, what good will this do?"
Shredder grinned behind his mask. "It's strictly revenge, and it rarely does any good, well, not for the recipient at least."
***
April turned on her police scanner and sat back in her chair to do some research for her latest story. After several minutes of everyday events, she heard something that made her turn away from the computer.
"An alert from Bleeding Heart Mental Institute. Be on the lookout for Veronica Matthews, who escaped almost a year ago. An anonymous tip reported her as being spotted in the city. This is a full scale APB…"
April didn't even wait for the rest of the report before grabbing her coat and heading out.
When she got to the lair she looked at her friends' faces. "You heard too."
Splinter nodded. "Yes, April, on Donatello's radio."
Raphael folded his arms. "I knew that girl was more trouble than she was worth."
"So, what are we going to do?" Mike asked.
"I say we let them have her!" Raphael yelled.
"Can we do that?" Angel said. "I mean, we brought her into our home. Beside the fact that Leonardo is head over heals for her, she knows where we are. She might tell someone."
"There's no way they'll check the sewers," Donatello added. "We can keep her hidden."
"I don't believe this!" Raphael threw his hands in the air. "Do you realize that we are harboring an insane murderer?"
Splinter gave him a stern glare. "She has become a member of our family, Raphael, despite everything."
***
Leonardo pulled Veronica away from the doorway. "I can't believe they’re even discussing this."
"Do you think they'll turn me over?" she asked quietly.
Leonardo stayed silent as they sat on the bed. He really didn't know what his family would do.
Veronica shivered. "I don't want to go back there, Leonardo. I can't go back, you don't know what it's like…the isolation…the tests…that damn gray color."
Leonardo put his arm around her. "Don't worry, no matter what they decide, I'm going to stick by you."
***
Angel walked into Donatello's lab and found him asleep beside his microscope. She smiled and turned off the Bunsen burner he had been using. She shook his shoulder and he opened his eyes.
"Did I fall asleep?" he asked groggily.
Angel giggled. "Nah, you were just resting your eyes."
Donatello yawned and propped himself up on his elbows. "Ya know, I'm thinking of moving a bed into here, it'll be a time saver."
Angel sat down on the next stool. "Why don't you just move you're whole room into here, then you'll never have to leave."
Donatello rubbed his shoulder. "Yeah, that old tunnel's feeling kinda crowded. Your room's closer."
"Yeah." Angel paused and ran that last statement through her mind. "Donatello…did you mean that?"
Donatello rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm just really tired."
Angel frowned. "You don't need to be sorry."
Donatello looked over at her and just stared at her for a moment. "Angel, I…"
"Veronica!"
They both jumped up and ran from the room. "That woman has the worst timing," Angel mumbled.
They rushed into Leonardo's room and saw him wrestling a pillow away from the blonde. The cradle had been tipped over and Angel immediately went to make sure the baby was all right. As she picked him up he coughed and started crying.
Veronica pulled the pillow. "Let go!"
Leonardo tossed her to the ground. Splinter and the others came into the room. "What has happened?" Splinter asked.
"We came in and saw them fighting over a pillow," Donatello said.
Raphael pulled Veronica up by her arm. "A pillow?"
Leonardo just glared at his lover. "I want her to leave."
They all looked at him in surprise. "What are you saying?" Michaelangelo asked.
Veronica twisted out of Raphael's grasp and fled from the lair. Raphael started to go after her, but Leonardo stopped him. "Let her go."
Raphael knocked his brother's arm away. "And what brought on this suddenly change of heart, huh? Just this morning you were defending her."
"That's before she tried to kill Vincent."
Angel gasped and held the baby closer. "Are you sure?"
"I saw her!" Leonardo screamed. "She had the pillow over his face. If I hadn't woken up…"
Splinter put an arm around his son's shoulder. "It is all right, my son." He turned to the others. "Angel, take care of Vincent, the rest of you, go after Veronica."
"What?" Raphael exclaimed. "Why?"
"She is not well, she may hurt herself, or someone else. You must protect."
***
Veronica pushed the manhole cover up and crawled out into the alley. She dusted off her short nightgown and placed the cover back. She looked around and tried to figure out where she was. Once she knew where she was, she headed out of the alley.
***
"She went up here."
"How can you tell, Donatello?" Michaelangelo asked.
"She tore her gown on the way up. Let's go."
***
Veronica pushed past the people, most of them not giving her a second glance.
***
"Now, where, oh brilliant one," Raphael snapped.
A shriek cut through the noise of the city.
"Uh, that way."
***
"Hello, Veronica, it's good to see you again."
Veronica backed up and hit a wall. Two large men surrounded her and grabbed both her arms. She screamed before a chloroform cloth was clamped down over her mouth.
***
"Look!"
The turtles stopped and watched two large men carry an unconscious Veronica to a white van.
"They got her," Michaelangelo gasped.
"Good riddance," Raphael said, turning away.
Donatello looked at the older man who seemed to be giving directions. He had dark hair, peppered with white, and thin rimmed glasses.
"Watch it, you buffoons! I can't have her harmed. She'll be no good to us if she's injured."
"Sorry, Doctor Hube."
Donatello waved back to his brothers. "There's something fishy about this."
Raphael rolled his eyes. "Look, the authorities have her, let's go home."
Donatello memorized the license plate as the van drove away. "Yeah, but I don't think they have her best interests at heart. I have a bad feeling about that doctor."
Michaelangelo looked from one brother to the other. He knew that Raphael was right, and they couldn't interfere with the authorities, but what if they were going to hurt Veronica, who was kinda like their sister-in-law? Donatello pushed past them. "Let's go, we've got some research to do."
***