TMNT are the property of Mirage. Baker and any other O.C.s are the property of me. Hand up those who want to share a nice hot bubble bath with Mikey!

Continuation

"Mikey, hurry up! I'm freezin' my ass off out here, and I don't like how the area looks!"

Raph, keeping watch as Mikey was in the phone booth, shivered in his disguise. They had roamed out fairly far to find a place where they could place the call to Baker's friend. It had taken them several searches to find a working phone. Now, near what appeared to be a fenced off and abandoned foundry, they stood exposed in the dark winter gloom.

They had taken their time, as ordered by Sensei. Though they knew they were going to miss the opportunity of seeing Leo get his tail handed to him by Splinter, the two had jumped at the chance to leave the lair in daylight. They'd gone immediately to April's where she fed them a nice lunch and packed them a thermos of hot chocolate.

"Mikey," April had hesitantly begun, but before she could go further, Mike flashed her a winning grin.

"Here's a list of dates," he had said, fishing out the expected paper. "This one for sure! Promise! Cross my heart and hope to- well, to kiss Raph on the mouth!"

"I got a place you can kiss me," Raph had growled in reply.

Now, they were only interested in finishing their mission and returning home to the comforts of video games and hammock.

No one was around, though it was the middle of the day. The air had once again become cold, the sky thick with the clouds of a predicted blizzard-like storm that was expected to hit within the next few hours. Lights were already showing in the apartments in the distance, and Raph's breath even through the muffler that wrapped his green face was billowing large white distinct puffs as he spoke.

"Dude, I'm having trouble with the coins," Mikey grumbled, struggling with ever increasing frozen fingers to load enough of the necessary money in order to place the call. "Why can't we just use a Shell-Cell?"

" 'Cause Don said not to," Raph groused back. "Something about 'triangulation' and 'wireless tracking'. C'mon! Jeeze! I can feel my blood freezing!"

"Keep your shell on," Mikey muttered, finally getting the correct amount into the phone. The ringing at the other end abruptly cut off in mid third.

"Hello? Hello?"

A bit frantic, but at the same time the voice had the quality of someone trying to hide the fact that she was anxious.

"Um, hi!" Mikey said brightly. "See, you don't know me, but-"

CLICK

"Well?"

"She hung up on me!"

Raph bodily moved Mikey out of the way, fumbled with more change, and made the call himself.

A few rings, then: "Hello?"

"Harriet Tubman and Dolores Baker," Raph said without preamble. "The doc says to tell you he's alive and all right and in hiding."

Dead air- Raph thought for a moment that she had hung up again, but then he heard a few deep, shuddering breaths on the other end.

"How do I know you didn't torture this out of him?"

Raph stared at the phone. Good question.

"Well, 'cause I would think that he'd have a way of givin' out a phony password," Raph replied. "That way, in case someone DID torture it outta him, then you'd know it because the phony one would be the warnin' one."

"Dude, that almost made sense," Mikey said, shivering close to his brother, trying to warm up by standing practically against him. "Ow!"

"So, we gave you the message. He says he'll contact again in a few days, but for the moment he's safe. He's lost his stuff, though," Raph continued. "He needs more supplies."

"He needs to go to the proper authorities! He needs to quit this stupid game! He needs to expose this mess to the press!" The woman's voice threatened to erupt into hysteria- then Raph could hear her yet again take a deep, ragged breath.

"Okay. Where are you? I'll come over right now."

"Lady, are you nuts? It's freezin' and there's a storm about to start!" Raph protested. "He's fine right now, he just needs-"

"Where are you? I'll come over right now!"

"Nothin' doin' lady! You stay put! What makes you think no one won't follow you here?"

"Because I know, that's what, just like I know that this phone isn't bugged, and that you're using a scrambling device in case it IS bugged."

Raph stared at the phone again. What the-

"Who are you?" he finally asked. "How do I know that I just now didn't tell this guys enemies that he's alive?"

"You don't. Where are you?"

Now it was Raph's turn to hang up. He had suddenly gotten a bad feeling about the whole set up. Oh, he didn't think that she was Baker's enemy- but she sure seemed to know more than she should.

"How did she know about the scrambling device?" Mikey chattered as they made their way towards the closest manhole cover. Raph had told him what the woman had revealed, and how she kept insisting that he tell her where they were.

"Donnie could answer that one," Raph said, bending down to pop the lid. "But I doubt you'd understand his explanation. As for me, I guess she must be pretty involved in that kind of work to- What the hell? This damn thing is froze shut! Gimme a hand!"

Raph, glancing around, produced both sai, and handing one to Mikey, they proceeded to try to pry the stubborn lid up. After about ten minutes of cursing and struggling, they gave it up.

"Great. I'm so cold I can't even feel my tail, and we gotta find another way underground," Raph groused. Both looked in the direction of the apartments across the empty wasteland of abandoned fields just beyond the foundry, then in the opposite direction.

Though there wasn't much traffic, there still was traffic, and Raph and Mikey knew they couldn't risk getting closer to the human population to find a manhole that they could enter.

"L-l-lets move," Mikey suggested, as snow began to fall; the first flakes of the advancing storm. He indicated the street that ran closest to the abandoned foundry. "There's gotta be a cover there."

Raph nodded, and both of them buried themselves into their coats and made tracks, trying to jog in order to warm up. Both were feeling sluggish and Raph was debating calling Don for back up via the Battle Shell when the snow really started coming down.

"Great! At this rate we'll be diggin' through the snow to find a manhole cover!"

Wind, icy sharp, began to cut against their exposed faces. It swirled the snow, making it harder to see through the ever increasing fall of white flakes. Mikey instinctively took hold of Raph's coat, not wanting to lose contact with his bro. Raph had just about been ready to do the same.

Closer and closer they came to the foundry, until they were within easy reach of the jagged fence on its street side.

The snow was already accumulating in the street, but the steam rising from the manhole cover made it easy to find.

This one, too, was stuck, but Raph was not about to spend any more time above ground. Using his sai, he chipped around the edges, and scraped and pounded, and slowly he made progress against the stubborn melting and refreezing water that sought to prevent his entry.

Mikey, one hand clutching Raph's jacket, stared into the swirling mass, fascinated at the strange, ghostly images that they seemed to make. Faces seemed to form before his eyes, faces of long ago and of recent events. He knew it was his imagination, but it was almost as if he were being visited by spirits. Foot ninja. Hun. Zog.

Now the wind had a sound to it, and it added to the illusion of being surrounded by ghosts. That guy in charge of the slaves when they were forced to fight in the arena- what was his name? Oh, yeah! Gruel! Mikey laughed to himself, remembering Donnie's comment: "Hey, look! Gruel is serving- gruel". He could hear that guy's annoying voice in the wind, along with the threatening growl of Kluh- "Prepare for pain, turtle boy, lots and lots of pain".

Damn it, Mikey, focus! You're gonna freeze stiff if you keep this up, and Raph will catch blame for it!

Much as that thought tickled the youngest turtle, he did not want to see any part of it come true. Shaking his head, he tried to focus on the real world. Though it was dark as night and the air was thick with blinding snow, he could just make out the outline of one of the nearer buildings in the old abandoned place. The jagged fence took on a life of its own even as it began to put on a thick, fluffy coat of white. Funny how even in the dark, the snow flakes still look white.

Mikey concentrated on staring at the fence and the building- these things were rooted in the real world. They would keep him from being sucked into whatever fantasy his freezing brain would come up with.

"Ah HA!" Raph's triumphant voice cut through the vague thoughts Mikey was having, and Mikey could feel his brother moving away and down from him. He, too, moved on frozen feet to the entrance. Looking back again, he stared into the snow, remembering how it had started to mesmerize him with phantoms. A final one was taking shape before him- large and dark and familiar and strange- and suddenly, through a freak gust of wind that parted the snow like a curtain, Mikey found himself staring into those strange eyes again-

"MIKEY!" Raph's bellow, coupled with his hand firmly gripping the pants leg of Mikey's outfit and nearly yanking him off balance, snapped the turtle out of his trance. Blinking quickly, he stared hard into the storm, but now he couldn't even see the fence. "Mikey, get your ass down here NOW!"

Mikey scrambled down the ladder, nearly falling on Raph as his frozen hands lost their grip on the last few rungs.

It was dark and steamy down here- must be near some hot water pipes or something- but Raph managed to flick on his trusty flashlight, and they were out of the wind and the weather.

Mikey was temporarily blinded by the sudden glow as Raph aimed the light right into his face.

"What the hell were you doin'? I thought you froze to death for a moment!" Raph said, still a bit angry, but also concerned. Mikey had always been the most susceptible to illness from the cold. And Raph didn't like the look that was in his brother's eyes. "Mikey, what's wrong? You look like you seen a ghost."

"I- I did," he muttered, and then refused to elaborate. "Trick of the snow. C'mon, let's get home." And he led the way, snatching the light from Raph for a moment before Raph snatched it back.

No way am I telling anyone what- or who- I saw he thought to himself.

She knew where they'd called from. It hadn't taken her long to trace the number and then locate the phone booth. But the storm had started before she could suit up and head out.

"Damn!" she muttered, staring out the window, while the news people reported on this latest weather system that threatened to paralyze the city. "Well, no one will be able to do anything about him at the moment."

She reluctantly sat down and flipped the channel to a movie. She would have to wait, like everyone else.

"Master Splinter!" Raphael's voice reached Splinter in the kitchen, where the Rat was overseeing Donatello's attempts to make dinner. So far it had gone smoothly, and nothing had burned or exploded. At the sound of Raphael's call, Splinter motioned his other son to follow- first making sure everything was turned off!

Mikey was leaning on Raph. The cold had not left either one of them, not even with the action of moving, and it had taken a lot of Raph's effort to keep Mikey from going into what they laughingly referred to as "hibernation". Don and Splinter had them both on the couch within seconds, and Don had rounded up towels to dry the melted snow off of them as well as blankets to wrap them in.

Splinter was pressing hot tea on both of them, and had rummaged out the old, reliable hot water bottle. Wrapping it in a towel, he had Michelangelo hold it against his plastron.

Now Leonardo joined them, bringing the little space heater from his own room and setting it up close to the other two.

"We got careless," was Raphael's response to Splinter. "We took our time, but we misjudged the storm. We didn't wanna make the call anywhere close to April's or Casey's or here. It's my fault we went so far."

"N-n-n-n-n-n-n-no," Mikey shook his head (both voluntarily and involuntarily). "Mine- I took too long-"

"It is not important," Splinter stopped them both. "You erred on the side of caution, that is all. I understand. What do you think, Donatello? Hot baths?"

"Yes, Mikey first," Don, finishing his examination of his brothers' feet and hands, got up to draw the bath. "No frost bite, but Mikey's feet are literally icy cold to the touch. Come on, Mikey! Bath time!"

"C-c-can I have a b-b-bubble bath?"

"No, 'cause I want a hot bath after you," Raph snorted, "and I don't wanna smell like Mr. Bubbles the rest of the night."

Splinter now turned to Leonardo.

"I want you to inform Dr. Baker that dinner is ready," he said, fixing Leonardo with a mild gaze that held the silent message that he was to be obeyed. Leonardo merely nodded, and went to Don's room where the human was staying.

"I will bring your food out here, my son," Splinter told Raph, who's tough guy attitude did not fool his father. Splinter knew that Raphael was just as bad off as Michelangelo, but he would not force the issue. Besides, they were too big to bathe together.

Leo managed to deliver the message in a voice that was neither dripping with hatred or frosty with coldness. Then he returned to the living room and sat with Raph.

"Well?"

Raph told him of the conversation. Don appeared as he wound down.

"She knows how to trace calls herself," Don said at the end of the story. "She knew about the scrambler- she must have a working knowledge of all of those types of things. It's a good thing the storm started, she would have found where you called from at least."

"Yeah, I got that feelin' myself," Raph, downing his tea, nodded. "This lady is not what I expected- I don't know why, but I got a feelin' about her..."

"She is a government agent," Baker said, interrupting their conversation. "She works for a group that would like to see the end of Bishop's organization. And she is a dear friend who would never betray me."

Three turtles stared at the man.

"But that makes no sense," Donatello pointed out. "If you can trust her, and she works for such a group, why are you hiding? Why not-"

"Because I can't! I can't explain it, but I just- can't," he snapped, then calmed down. "I- I just can't talk about it now. She won't betray me. She hasn't betrayed me all this time. I- I just can't go to anyone right now- no, never!"

He made as if he were going to return to Don's room. At the ladder, he turned and looked at the turtles.

"Thanks for what you did for me. I won't betray you."

And before they could react, he was out the door and into the tunnels, grabbing Mikey's jacket from the floor where it had been unceremoniously dumped.

"Fucking hell!" Raph bolted up from the couch, only to collapse on his weak legs. Leo took off into the tunnels, but it was too late- Baker had scrambled up the first ladder he'd found, and disappeared into an upper tunnel. Leo knew that it would be difficult, but he tried to follow. But there were many exits from this one, and the man was determined.

Ten minutes later his shell cell rang.

"Any sign of him?" Splinter's voice came through the device.

"No, Sensei. I'm looking, but I lost his trail. He was very determined. I get the feeling that he had his escape route planned, but that's impossible. We blindfolded him when we brought him here."

"You are forgetting whose room he has been staying in," Splinter sighed.

Leo paused, then closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"He had access to Don's laptop."

"Yes, and it was no problem for him to locate the maps of the tunnels," Splinter confirmed. "Your brother is even now changing his passwords and readjusting the perimeter alarms. I am afraid that you will not find this man, my son. Come home for now."

"Hai, Sensei," Leo said, hanging up. Damn! If only I hadn't been so stupid! I should have insisted that he stay in someone else's room. I knew we were going to keep him, but- damn!"

Swirling snow! Beautiful- yes, that is the word, beautiful! Cold, cold, cold as the grave yet beautiful beyond all description!

He stood in the storm, seemingly impervious to the cold for the moment. His companions were buried deep under the buildings, huddled and warm against this cold yet beautiful phenomena!

Shapes! Shapes and sounds filled the air. The flakes and the wind combined, conspired with each other to put on a show of memories for him.

The man in the black coat and glasses- he had forgotten him. There was pain when he thought of this, but for once it was not bad, not crippling- was he getting better? He focused on that face, now being created by the snow and the wind. He could hear the voice of the man, sneering and prideful: "Handsome devil, even if I do say so myself."

The green man- no, not man- animal- animal of some kind, green, hard back, carried weapons- pain- book- painpainpain-

And in the swirling snow, he was suddenly face to face with the green animal of his memory!

"Mikey!" another had shouted.

Mikey- almost the name he remembered- almost remembered-

The pain stabbed him right between the eyes, but he refused to allow it to cripple him! He was strong! He would not allow this to cripple him! He would not!

He made his unsteady way back to his nest, where his particular companions immediately welcomed him and began to warm him.

To comfort him against the pain.

But this time, he would not let it cripple him!