/Leonardo/

Water dripped from the surface from the rain from the previous night into the lair with a silent 'plop.' All the house was quiet, not a creature, rat or turtle alike, stirred among the make shift home.

It was way past midnight, the moon and stars shinning brightly in the black sky, however two children, one wearing a purple bandanna, the other sporting a blue, sat huddled together in the corner of their room. The elder comforting the other with pats on the shell or whispers of kind words.

Donatello had never been one to cry, not even when he was young and his brothers knocked him down. He always got up, brushed his shell off and continued on his marry way. He knew his brothers were only playing and not once did he shead a tear.

But as he stayed huddled against his eldest brother, he couldnt help but allow the salty tears to run down his face. He'd always been senstive but since he returned home Donnie's emotions were all over the place.

"Its ok, Don, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. "

No Leo wasnt going to let anything happen the olive green turtle, it was the other way around. He was going to be the destruction of his family; and the reason for his brother's blindness.

Donatello shook his head and barried his head deeper into his brother's chest. How could he even think about telling his older brother? What would he think? Leo was overprotective and strong minded. When it came to his family he usually struck first and asked questions later. He was a lot like Raph in that way.

"I'm not the one you should be worry about Leo." He whispered, hoping the blue turtle didn't hear him.

Donnie felt the arms tighten around his shelly. "What are you talking about Don, why wouldn't I worry about you?" He asked, worry in his deep brass voice.
"I said you didn't need to!"

"But why, Don, I cant help if you dont tell me."

Very quietly he answered, sounding scared and childlike. " I dont want your help.."

Donatello could almost picture the firm frown plastered on Leo's lips and the worry lines on either side of his eyes and forehead. His brother was nothing but predictable.
The genius watched as the blue turtled pulled away, swipping his finger along the corner of his eye and cheek. "You dont want my help?" He asked. Leo sounded so hurt. But what could he do? There was a reason he kept his trip a secret.

Donnie didn't know what to do. On one hand he could come out and tell Leo what had happened to him but that meant having his older brother watch his ever move and asking if he was alright ever few seconds, on the other he could say it was just the nightmare that just shook him. Which would have the same end result.

He took a deep breath and looked down at his shaking hands. He needed to do something. The nightmares were keeping him away from time in his lab and that was the one thing he couldnt or wouldnt stand for.

Don knew his brother would be pacient and wait for him to talk. The only problem was actually opening up and sharing his issues with Leo.

It wasn't that he didnt trust his eldest brother, he did with his life, it was that he didnt want Leo to stop trusting him. He was afraid was his family found out how he'd abandoned them, they would shut him out. And that was the last thing he wanted.

The purple turtle drew his legs to his chest and met his older brother's worried gaze. " Do you remember with Draco sent on our trips?"

It was hard for Don to forget about. Were his brother enjoyed their experience, his had taken a huge part of his life from him. It was something he would never be able to forget. No matter how hard he tried.

"I do. Is this what your nightmares are about?" Leo asked, drawing his brother closer in their embrace.

Donnie nodded slowly, tracing the pattern of his brother's skin with his finger. "I wen't to the future. It was horrible Leo, I never thought the world could turn out the way it did. New York.. our home.. wasn't there anyone. It was replaced with a town filled of fear and death. The Shredder took over everything, destroying anything in his path. " he mumbled, his voice shaking.

Leonardo held his brother close and listened closely, rubbing his younger brother's shell when he needed to.

"The worst part was finding out that our family had falling apart. We weren't a family anymore. "

"What do you mean.."

Donnie barried his head in Leo's shoulder again, frowning. " We broke apart Leo. I met Mikey, thirty years older and with battle wounds. He wasn't even our Mikey anymore.

He was cut off, hot headed and down right depressing. It was like someone had taken anything good about him and ripped it away. He doesn't even have his left arm... " He paused as a hiccup passed through his chest.

"He told me that I had been gone for thirty years. No one knew what had happened to me or why I had left. Mike thought someone had killed me. He said I just disappeared one day and that he and the other's spent months searching for me. Splinter believed that I would return one day, no one seemed to belive him. "

Donatello swallowed and closed his eyes tightly as he continued. "He took me through small parts of New York until we came to the park. I thought he was taking me to see Master Splinter and he was in a way.. "he frowned. Leo squeezed his hand and couraged him to move on.

"The Shredder had found our lair and Master Splinter...g-gave.. his life to protect the three of you. "

He heard the older turtle suck in a breath and felt his hands curl up on his shell.

A moment of silence passed between the brothers. Don knew how much Master Splinter meant to Leo, how deeply he cared for the old rat and it must have been hard to hear such a thing from his younger brother.

Leo only wrapped his arms around Donny's shoulders and held him closer." I'm sorry you had to go through that alone Don. When you returned you were all clingy and we couldn't understand it, we misjudged you, brother, and for that I am sorry. "

Don allowed a smile to spread over his lips. "Its alright. " he whispered.

If Leo reacted this calmly to the loss of Master Splinter how was he going to take the loss of his brothers? Don was afraid to find out. He took a few moments to collect his thoughts and began were he left off.

"Mike told me how you and Raph were always fighting. He blamed you for the death of Splinter and it lead the both of you on a fighting streak. When I met the two of you, you were different..Raph lost one of his eyes and you were completely blind. Mikey managed to get the two of you together without killing one another and we came up with a plan to take down Shredder with the help of April, Caesy was long gone by this point...

"Getting in was easy, it was fighting Shredders guards that proved to be more difficult. He had created robots that looked and fought just like Karai. I built a battle suit that would easily take him down. I knew we could do it just like before. No matter how difficult he became to beat. "

Donny sighed and shook his head, bowing his head as the tears begun to flow. "Mikey... was the first to go.. Karai killed you while your back was turned and then struck Raph down as he was taking revenge for your death..Because of my stupid plan you all died.." he finished quietly, his voice quivering.

Leo had fallen quiet some time during Don explaining his long fight with Raph and the final battle with the Shredder. He pushed away from his younger brother, breaking Don's heart. Had he finally pushed his older brother away?

The blue turtle had done something Donnie hadn't expected.

He took his brother's cheeks in both hands and looked into his eyes, Leo's were narrowed and dazed with unshed tears. "You listen to me now Donatello, it was not your fault we died. We went in fighting like brothers and we died like brothers. You defeated the Shredder Don. None of what happened was your fault. "He pushed his forehead into his brothers and sighed softly.

It took a while but Leonardo finally got his younger brother to fall back asleep. Don was comfortable and content laying on his side wrapped in his brother's embrace, listening as he heard the words that made the possible future seem more like a dream;

"No matter what happens or where you go brother, I will never stop searching for you."