He’d always wanted togo berry picking, he saw it on T.V. all the time and he thought it looked so fun! But there was no way, really; orchardsand farms that opened to the public only operated in the daylight hours, and Aprilsaid they were always busy besides, so there was no way for any mutant turtles topartake of the fun.

Except, there was a whole field right there, in the O’Neils’private plot of land, and that meant—

“Let’s go berrypicking!” Mikey exclaimed, spinning on his heel to face his family. “We can pick abunch, and I can make shortcake with them tonight! Can we, please?”

Leo smiled at him, strong and sturdy and without any traceof those pale, tired shadows in his eyes. And he was standing without a crutch! Didthat mean his leg was all better? When had thathappened? Mikey beamed at him, deciding it didn’t really matter as long asLeo wasn’t hurting anymore. 

Casey cameout the front door with a few wicker baskets tucked under his arm, for thesweet haul of berries they were gonna have by the end of the afternoon, andApril was sitting on the porch steps with sensei, both of them cradling cups ofcool tea in deference to the summer heat and smiling across the yard at him, andthen Leo said, “Sure, Mikey. We’ll stay out here as long as you want.”

Raph complained about bugs about a thousand times, and Caseycomplained about the muggy heat, but Donnie was laughing without any of thattired guilt in his face, and Leo was bringing April and sensei a handful ofplump, red berries without a single limp to his stride, and Mikey straightened up for a moment to smile across thestrawberry field at his family.

—

“So this is whatkeeps ‘em in the Dream Realm?”

“Yeah. Wait,what’re you—no!”

And Casey brought his bat down hard on the stupid book, theportal hidden inside splintering with a satisfying crunch. Almost immediately the turtles shifted, and a moment later theireyes were open. Leo and Raph were sitting up from their respective spots on thecouch and armchair, Donnie groaning in April’s arms. All three of them movingstiffly, but they were awake, andCasey felt tension roll off his shoulders in waves.

“You’re okay!” April exclaimed,planting a kiss on Donnie’s cheek, and Donnie—didn’t even crack a smile. Helooked right past her, wrapped large hands around her shoulders and moved hergently to one side. Casey watched the relief drain out of her face, at the sametime worry kicked its way with a vengeance back into Casey’s chest.

“Don?”

He followed Donnie’s eyes totheir youngest brother—still curled up in the rocking chair, still asleep, still dreaming.  Within seconds the older turtles were groupedaround him, Don reaching out with a practiced hand to feel for his pulse.

“I didn’t see—guys, did you seehim?” he asked, scanning Mikey’s face carefully, and Raph shook his head.

“I didn’t see him,” he returnedwith a snap, tone sharp. If Casey didn’t know him so well, he’d have thoughtRaph sounded furious—but Casey didknow him, and that wasn’t anger in Raph’s voice, not even close. Next to himLeo settled beside the chair on his knees—injury be damned, apparently— andreached out to take Mike’s face in both hands. The leader’s blue-banded eyes werefierce with fear, and that look in his eyes was the same bite in Raph’s voicewhen Raph continued, “You, me ‘an Leo were all there when they tossed us inthat dream together, but Mikey wasn’t.”

“This doesn’t make sense,” Berniesaid abruptly, on his knees with the broken pieces of the book and its hiddenportal scooped together in his hands. “With the Obturaculum broken,the beavers should be free to leave their pocket dimension and enter our world,so why haven’t they?”

“And why isn’t Mikey waking upfrom his nightmare?” Don whispered, about a hundred thoughts working franticallybehind his dark eyes. His fingers were shaking against Mikey’s throat, as thesmallest turtle’s heartbeat grew fainter and fainter. “The rest of us did, so why…”

“It’s not a nightmare,” Aprilsaid. She was pale with worry, her eyes the crisp, fierce blue before tears. “Ithink—I think it’s a good dream.” Asunderstanding dawned on the rest of them, as Leo’s hands tightened where theycradled Mikey’s head, their sister added softly, “I think he wants to keepdreaming.”