I do not own TMNT.

"I'm not making any promises, but I can see it in your eyes. You've got questions about who you are, and maybe we can answer that together."

He trembled. Struggled to keep breathing evenly. His grip on his weapons was so tight it was becoming painful, but he embraced the pain. Anything to try and block the throbbing agony in his head and heart. Slowly, slowly, Dark Leonardo took a step toward his tissue donor. Then another one and another one. Leo stood still as his clone approached him, head down, eyes on the floor. When he was close enough to touch, he let the swords slip from his fingers. They hit the floor with a clatter. Dark Leos' knees gave out and he followed them, surrendering to Leonardo completely.

"I already know what I am. Worthless biological trash." The words of Darius Dunn let loose the tears pounding against his eyes.

Hands, warm and gentle, touched his shell as Leo knelt in front of him. Never before had the Dark Turtle felt anything so kind and benevolent. He melted into them like butter. Leo allowed his clones' head to rest on his shoulder.

"You're not worthless and you're not trash. Any kind of life is beautiful and sacred," said Leo, recounting the words Splinter had told them as children when they first began to learn how different they were from the humans above that controlled the world.

"How could I have come from you?" Dark Leo whispered. "I was made to be superior to you, but you are still better than me in every way."

"Had you been brought up in another environment, I think many things about you would have been different," said Leo softly. "They still can be."

There came a sudden beep from Dark Leonardos' wrist communicator, followed by the voice of Dark Donatello. "Hey, what are you doing in there, Fearless Leader? Hurry it up!" A violent shudder ran the length of Dark Leos' body. He pulled out of the warm comfort of his tissue donors' embrace and tore the communicator from his arm. With a feral snarl, he threw it as hard as he possibly could. The communicator soared through the air, hit the wall and shattered.

Dark Leo turned to Leo. The blue masked leader was watching him warily. "I am a scorpion no matter what I do, Leo," the Dark Turtle whispered. "I would be a scorpion to destroy you and your brothers, yet I am still a scorpion now to betray my own."

Now the tears really came. The Dark Turtle shook with the force of his sobs as they tore through him brutally. Leos' arms were around him in an instant, enveloping him in warm care. Dark Leo slumped against Leo and buried his head in the crook of his neck as all strength fled his muscles. The tears flowed and flowed, a geyser of frustration, self-loathing, conflict and shame finally breaking through to the surface. And through it all, Leo held him, crooning soft words and rubbing his shell in slow, soothing strokes.

They both lost track of time. Eventually Raph appeared, curious as to why no Dark Turtles had invaded the penthouse. The red masked turtles' eyes widened in shock to see the twisted mockery of Leo sobbing in his brothers' arms. Without ceasing his ministrations Leo turned his head. The message in his eyes was clear: "I got this." Raph silently backed away and disappeared.

Gradually, the well ran dry. The quakes and shudders stilled. Dark Leo raised his head and wiped at the flood drying on his face. "Thank you." His voice came out scratchy due to his swollen throat.

"You ready to go back to the lab?" asked Leo gently. Dark Leo nodded. He handed over his weapons to Leo without being asked. They walked back in silence. Dark Leo collapsed onto his bed in the lab, numb. Leo got him a glass of water, which he downed gratefully.

"Please don't make me leave tomorrow," pleaded Dark Leo softly. "Please let me stay here with you."

Leo placed his hand on his shoulder. "If it's your choice to stay, then you will stay," he promised. He pushed him gently back into the pillows. "Just rest for now."

"Do you think..." Dark Leo trailed off.

"What?" asked Leo.

"Do you think...if we caught my brothers and did to them what you did for me...they could become good too?"

"I don't know. At the end of the day it'd be their choice," said Leo gently, unwilling to kill the childlike hope glistening in his clones' eyes. And who knew, maybe it would work for them. He leaned down and softly kissed the Dark Turtles' forehead, like he used to for his brothers when they were young and had a nightmare. "Sleep for now. All will be well, I promise."

Dark Leos' eyes drifted shut and he allowed the warmth of Leos' care to pull him under into peace.