Warnings: Demonic possession and therefore a bit of OCCness but I don't think it's too bad. Hope not anyway.

Deepest thanks to my beta Ahmien as well as Spacefille and KC for their wonderful imput. Love ya ladies! Oh, and if anyone is wondering, part 3 of Shattered will be along soonish :)

Also, LJ decided that this was too large, so i have to put this chapt in two seperate posts. Part 1A and Part 1B. Just a heads up. Oh, and forgot to mention as well, Leo and Don are in a loving, commited relationship that is fully supported by their friends and family. all together now: awwwww

Shadow Weaver Pt 1

The alley was dark and quiet, receiving only the barest hint of light from the full moon. The only sign of life were the two rats scavenging for food among the overflowing trash bins, driven by instinct to move quickly, lest they fall prey to predators or competition.

The quiet was eerie, especially for a city like New York. The city that never slept. Had anyone other than the rats been around, they would have been unsettled by the stillness, and relieved when it was suddenly disturbed by a strange, high pitched noise emanating from the very back of the alley.

The scavenging rats paused and looked up, smelling the air as they attempted to determine the danger level and, when a bluish light appeared and quickly grew in size, the rodents decided it would be wise to search for food elsewhere and scurried away just as a body stumbled through the door of light.

The new arrival cursed softly as he regained his balance and took a quick glance around at his surroundings before turning his attention back to the light. He raised a hand and, through his will, the light dwindled and winked out. A wave of dizziness washed over him and he cursed again, leaning back against the cold, rough wall to try and recover himself.

"Curse your weak body," he muttered as he felt the Other stirring in pained distress. He tipped his head, as though listening to something or someone, and a slight smile passed his lips.

"Don't worry," he said in a soothing voice. "You'll be released soon enough, once I find a suitable replacement. Assuming, of course, this world's inhabitants are compatible."

He paused, listening again. "Yes, I know it hurts. I'll find us something to ease the pain, now."

He pushed away from the wall and moved to the mouth of the alley, looking out cautiously for signs of this world's life forms. The area was deserted, much to his annoyance.

"Guess we're going hunting," he murmured, and closed his eyes, ignoring the whimpers of the Other and their shared pain as he searched the shadows for prey. Less than a minute later, he located what he sought and, moving with speed and stealth that seemed otherworldly, headed toward it.

It was a battlefield he came upon. A small group of the local life forms- Humans, the shadows whispered- lay on the ground, groaning or unconscious. He watched from the protection of another alley as those still conscious struggled to get up and away from the area. A hungry smile passed his lips as he watched one of the combatants finally manage to rise and stagger toward the alley he hid in.

He moved further into the alley and watched as the 'Human,' who had a tattoo of a small purple dragon on his neck, stumbled in, moving in a daze. He waited patiently and, the very second his prey was far enough inside, he struck.

'Purple Dragon,' never knew what hit him as the predator pounced, slamming his prey up against the wall, stunning him even more than he already was. Placing a blue hand on the other being's chest, he closed his eyes and searched, finding what he needed quickly and draining it from 'Purple Dragon's' body.

He stepped back, allowing the lifeless body to fall to the ground, ignoring it as he breathed deeply and basked in the warm feelings it always brought. A smile passed his lips.

"Feel better?" he asked and laughed quietly at the negative response. "Yes, you do. You can hide nothing from me, you know this."

A sound reached his ears and he opened his eyes, looking up. Across the street, up on the rooftop, he could see movement and hear the sounds of fighting. Curious, he turned and scaled the wall of the building next to him, reaching it's roof and gaining a clear view of what was going on.

'Humans' dressed in black with masks covering their faces were fighting four creatures that the shadows advised were giant turtles.

"Interesting," he whispered as he watched, easily seeing the creatures as highly skilled warriors. "Ninjas," he whispered in surprised delight, suddenly recognizing the fighting styles.

He watched both the turtles and their human adversaries eagerly, though only one managed to capture his full attention. The turtle wielding the swords fought with a passion and grace the others somehow lacked.

Leonardo, the darkness whispered. Leader….

No kidding. He didn't need the shadows to tell him this 'Leonardo' was the leader of the four. He knew the aura of a leader when he felt it and this one was delightfully strong. But then the Other had been strong, too, when he took him. He had to be certain this being truly was compatible before he abandoned his current vessel.

He closed his eyes and listened, waiting patiently, tuning out the sounds of battle. It was thirty minutes before the shadows finally confirmed what he had hoped. This warrior…this Leonardo, was a perfect match, no mistake about it. He smiled and opened his eyes, noting the battle had moved several rooftops away, and proceeded to follow, not wanting to lose his target.

"You're in luck," he whispered to the Other. "I found someone a lot faster than expected." He smirked at the elation the Other emitted and said, "Very soon, my friend, it will all be over. You can rest and be free."

After another ten minutes or so, the fight finally ended in the retreat of the human ninjas. A shiver of excited anticipation rushed through him as he swiftly got into position, and the let the Other loose.

Leonardo had just felled yet another in a long line of enemies this night, and was turning to engage the next one when he noticed the Foot Soldiers finally retreating. He kept his guard up, watching until he and his brothers were alone on the rooftop.

"Man, oh man," Michelangelo groaned as Leo sheathed his swords. "That was more intense than usual. Something must have Karai pissed!"

"Yeah, us," Raphael replied as Leo turned and observed Donatello examining a wound on Mikey's right arm. "We aren't exactly on her list of favorite people," the red clad turtle continued. He looked at Leo and added, "Guess your little chat with her didn't take, considering we were minding our own business tonight."

Leo turned, his gaze on the tower in the distance where the latest incarnation of the Shredder resided, and stared at it with narrowed eyes. 'Damn you, Karai,' he thought. 'Don't make me come see you again.' He knew that if Karai forced another confrontation between the two of them, that it would not end as peacefully as the last one had.

The feeling of another presence came over him at almost the same time as the soft sound from behind reached his ears, dispelling his thoughts. He spun around, drawing one of his swords and pointing the blade into the dark shadows, startling his brothers.

"I know you're there! Come out!" he ordered harshly.

A few seconds passed, and then their watcher, who was very obviously not human, stepped forward. Or rather, staggered forward. The being was tall, around Casey's height, with blue skin and a mane of pure white hair with eyes that were just as white. He stumbled a couple more steps before falling to the ground, obviously hurt.

Leo quickly held up his free hand as he felt Donny begin to rush forward, stopping the purple clad turtle in his tracks. "You three stay back," he ordered softly as he, himself, stepped forward, wary of a potential attack.

Cautiously, he knelt down next to the blue being, reached out and gently turned him over. Agony filled the white eyes that looked up at Leo and blood trickled from the corner of the being's mouth. A hand reached up and latched on to Leo's forearm and, almost instantly, the eldest turtle felt a terrible chill race through him. Intensely dark thoughts filled his mind, gone seconds later. He shook himself as Donny, deciding it was safe, knelt down on the other side, his sharp eyes searching for injuries.

"It's okay," Leo murmured as Don worked, watching those bright white eyes beginning to grow dull. "Hey now, stay with us, all right? We're going to help you. Can you tell us your name?"

The grip on Leo's arm tightened and the being drew in a ragged breath before whispering, "B…beware sh…Shadow Weaver."

"Shadow Weaver?" Leo questioned. "What do you mean?"

Feeling the grip loosen on his arm and, seeing the light rapidly leaving the white eyes, Leo quickly took hold of the being's shoulder, squeezing gently as he called, "Hey! Hey, stay with us!"

The being, however, took one last, shuddering breath before going still, the last of the light leaving his eyes, turning them a dull grey.

"Donny?" Leo asked without looking up, finding it difficult to tear his eyes away from those of the mysterious stranger.

Donny sighed, shaking his head. "Nothing I can do," he answered sadly. "I can't even find any injuries. Whatever killed him must have been internal."

"What do you think a 'Shadow Weaver' is?" Mikey asked, having been close enough to hear the whispered warning.

"Whatever it is, I'm betting it had something to do with his death," Donny murmured.

Leo reached out and gently closed the being's staring eyes, something whispering to him to dispose of the body immediately. "Don," he spoke quietly. "Get the Battleshell. We can't leave him here."

Donny nodded and pulled out the remote control to the Battleshell, pushing some buttons to summon the vehicle to them. Then, between the four of them, they managed to get the body down to street level, just minutes before their ride arrived. They loaded him into the back, with Leo and Raph climbing in with him while Don and Mikey sat up front. For some reason, Leo felt compelled to remain by the being's side, as though he was afraid that it would disappear if he didn't.

"Hey, were are we gonna take him?" Donny asked, looking back from the driver's seat.

"Take us out of the city, Don," Leo replied without looking up. "Once we get outside, take the back roads to somewhere remote."

Donny hesitated, glancing at the clock to see how much time they had till sunrise. "Leo, we only have a few hours till daybreak. Maybe we should wait until next sunset."

"Don's right, Leo," Raph spoke up. "He ain't going nowhere. He'll be safe in the garage till sunset."

Leo shook his head. "Something will go wrong, you can bet on it. I want him taken care of now. Besides, the Battleshell has darkened windows, doesn't it? No one will see us if we're back after sunrise. Drive."

"But…"

"I said drive!" Leo snapped, finally looking up and glaring at Don. "You're wasting time!"

Don narrowed his eyes and the pair stared at each other for a moment, communicating in the way only long time lovers could, before Don sighed and surrendered to his brother and lover's demand. He started the truck, following Leo's orders as the blue banded turtle turned his attention back to the body.

Raphael wasn't as interested in the alien as much as he was in Leo. Why was his brother so eager to dispose of the alien stranger? Sure, Agent Bishop had an annoying habit of popping up when least expected and, if that was Leo's concern, then he was being more paranoid than normal. Raph sincerely doubted that freak of a government agent was watching them twenty four seven and would therefore know of their encounter. If that was the case, they'd be surrounded by agents by now.

No, it had to be something else. The red banded turtle didn't like the way his elder brother was looking at the stranger…the way he was gently touching him. It was a touch normally reserved for family or close friends, not a complete stranger. It made him uneasy, but he decided to wait until after they had taken care of the body to say anything.

Following Leo's instructions, once they had left the city, Donny got on the back roads and drove until they reached a spot Leo was satisfied with.

"Do we have any shovels?" Mikey asked as he watched Leo and Raph bring the body out.

Before Don could reply, Leo said, "We don't need shovels." He nodded toward a large group of nearby trees. "You three go gather as much wood as you can. I'll prepare the ground and the body."

Both Don and Mikey looked at Raph, who just nodded and led the way, leaving Leo to prepare the ground for a fire. As his brothers brought back armfuls of wood, Leo began making a crude funeral pyre. When finished, he started the fire and, while waiting for the fire to reach the appropriate degree, all four of them knelt around the body, and Leo performed a funeral rite. When finished, the body was put into the fire and Leo led another funeral rite. At his insistence, they waited until the fire burned itself out before preparing to go.

The horizon was pink and purple with the beginning of a new day as Leo pushed the ashes around with the tip of his sword, ensuring no evidence of the alien had been left behind. Once satisfied, he joined his brothers at the Battleshell, directing Donny to the passenger seat and telling Mikey to join Raph in the back.

"I'll drive. You guys rest your eyes," Leo said, getting into the driver's seat.

Raph put a hand on Don's shoulder and gestured for him to get into the back with Mikey. Donny hesitated, wanting to be near Leo, but Raph gave him an insistent push and Donny reluctantly obeyed. Raph got into the passenger seat and waited until they were well on their way back before quietly asking, "You okay, bro?"

"Fine," came the short, equally quiet reply.

"Then what was all that about back there?" Raph asked. "You were acting kinda…erratic."

"I wasn't acting erratic, Raphael," Leo replied, never taking his eyes from the deserted road. "I was heading off potential trouble."

"Trouble?" Raph questioned.

"You know what I mean."

"Humor me."

Leo sighed. "You know how our luck is. If we had waited to get rid of that body, something would have happened and we would have ended up in the middle of some huge mess. I'm tired of being in messes, Raph and, if I see one coming, I'm going to do everything I can to head it off. That alien was one major disaster waiting to happen."

Well, he couldn't argue with that. But still…

"Why were you touching him that way, Leo?"

"Touching him what way?"

"Like you knew him. Like he was an old friend and you were grieving his loss or something."

Leo was silent for a moment and Raph watched him carefully. "I don't know what you're talking about," came the soft answer.

"Bullshit," Raph challenged. "You can't hide from me, Leo. You never could. I was the first one to figure out about you and Donny, remember? What's going on?"

Leo was silent for so long that Raph didn't think he was going to reply. Then, just as Raph was going to try pushing some more, Leo spoke.

"I just…felt for him, all right? We have no idea who he was, where he came from, or why he died. He could have had family somewhere…children that will never know what happened to their father."

He paused, then finally looked over at his brother, revealing troubled eyes. "I guess I was grieving. I saw it in his eyes, Raph. He was a good soul. He deserved to have someone grieve for him."

As his brother turned his full attention back on the road, Raph studied him somberly. That was just like Leo, but something still didn't feel right. He just couldn't wrap himself around what it was. Deciding to leave it for now, he lay his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes, resting them as Leo had suggested.

When they got home, they found Splinter waiting patiently, having been informed about their sudden road trip by Don when they had been leaving the city. Splinter's sharp eyes swept over the four of them, not missing a single detail.

"Donatello, see to the wound on Michelangelo's arm," he instructed softly. "Then go to bed. You all look exhausted." He met Leo's eyes briefly before turning and moving to his room.

Leo obeyed the unspoken command and followed his master and father into his room, sliding the door shut behind him. He turned and knelt down across from the old rat, head bowed in the usual show of respect.

Splinter returned the bow before saying, "You had an adventurous night, my son."

"Yes, father," Leo replied quietly, never raising his head as he went on to recount all that had occurred. Silence filled the room when he finished and he waited patiently for Splinter to speak.

As he waited, gaze fixed unseeingly on the pillow Splinter knelt on, he took the opportunity to examine how….strange he felt. Uneasy despite having gotten rid of all traces of the alien being. But wait, had they? How had the alien come to be on this world? Did he come via space ship? Was there some otherworldly wreckage laying around New York somewhere?

He gave himself a mental shake. Didn't matter if there was, they couldn't be tied to it. Not like they could have with the body. So…if there was no chance of them being caught up in yet another alien instigated mess, then why was he still feeling so troubled?

'You know why,' that same voice who had told him to get rid of the body, whispered. Frowning, Leo closed his eyes, attempting to locate the source of that strange voice even as it whispered the name of his unease. 'Karai.' The name sounded as though it was being carried on a summer breeze, ghostly and unsettling. 'Karai…'

"What troubles you, my son?"

Leo's eyes flew open with a start, and he looked up, taking in Splinter's studious gaze. He had completely forgotten his sensei was there, having been caught in that voice's almost…seductive whisper.

Feeling a little disoriented, Leo blinked a few times to clear his head and murmured, "I…I'm sorry, father. What did you say?"

"I asked what troubles you," Splinter replied, concern slipping into his grey eyes.

'Tired,' the voice whispered. 'Just tired…'

"I'm just tired, master," Leo repeated. "It was a long night."

Splinter titled his head a bit. "It is more than fatigue, my son," he said softly. "But go and get some rest. We will talk again when you are rested."

Leo bowed his head and took his leave, making a bee line straight for the room he shared with Donny, never noticing Raph slip out of the shadows, and into their master's room.

Donny was sitting crossed legged on their bed and, when Leo entered, looked up and gazed at him silently…appraising him. Leo's behavior had concerned him and, upon talking with Raph, his concern had grown. Having been driving, he hadn't seen what Raph had described. Hadn't seen the way Leo had been looking at and touching the body and, on the way back, hadn't heard his explanation about it. The explanation had, indeed, sounded reasonable and very Leo like, but still….

"You okay?" he asked quietly as he watched Leo remove his mask and pads. He could easily see how tense and unsettled his brother was and, the fact that Leo wasn't even trying to hide it was a testament to just how distracted the elder turtle was.

At the typical, "I'm fine," reply, Donny rolled his eyes and said, "Oh sure you are, Leo. You're so tense right now, I doubt we could cut you with your own katana!" He fixed Leo with a stern look and added, "So what's going on? You've been acting weird ever since that alien…"

He trailed off and his eyes widened. Moving with the speed that only a ninja could possess, Don shot out of the bed and out the door, startling Leo. He rushed into his lab, grabbed a pair of gloves and slipped them on before running back to their room, where he proceeded to pressed his hand to Leo's forehead and examine his eyes frantically.

"Don!" Leo exclaimed, snatching Donny's hand and stepping back. "What are you doing?"

"You touched the alien!" Don exclaimed, his eyes wide with a touch of panic. "You touched him and he touched you and we have no idea what he died from! What if it was a disease and he passed it you to? Oh, we never should have burned him! We should have brought him back so I could have done an autopsy!"

"Don!" Leo moved in close, gripping Don's shoulder and giving him a light shake to stop his rant. "Don, chill out would you? You're panicking over nothing."

"Oh?" Don challenged. "How do you know? You've been acting so strange and you're clearly not 'fine.' How do you know he didn't pass something to you?"

They stared at each other for a moment before Leo finally sighed, transferring his grip from Don's shoulder to his hands, where he gently pulled the gloves off. He then led the younger turtle back to their bed and sat, pulling Don down next to him.

"Don, I'm all right," he said softly, looking the other straight in the eye. "Really. I'm sorry for scaring you and for snapping, by the way. It's just that….well, we always end up in the middle of something that we usually only get out of by the skin of our teeth and I'm tired of it. I didn't want that alien to be the start of something, you know?"

Don chewed his lower lip and nodded. "Yeah I…I guess." He paused, then added, "But there's something else that's bothering you, Leo." He tipped his head, studying his brother before realization flashed through his eyes. "Karai, right?"

Leo looked away and nodded. "Yeah," he admitted. "I really hoped she would have come to her senses after our last…talk. But after tonight…"

Don put a hand on Leo's cheek and gently turned his face back to him. "Do me a favor, Leo," he murmured. "If you decide she needs to be confronted, don't do it on your own. She's a threat to all of us and, as such, we should all be there to take her down, if she needs to be taken down at all."

"'If?'" Leo questioned, leaning into Don's hand.

Don shrugged. "We don't know for sure that she ordered that attack on us. And if she did, then why wasn't she there, too? She wants you dead, Leo and I seriously doubt she'd allow one of her subordinates to have the honor of killing you."

Leo blinked. That did make some sense. Karai had made it no secret that she wanted to be the one responsible for snuffing out Leo's life….

'Strike before she does,' that voice whispered. 'Don't wait for her to kill your family first….'

Leo closed his eyes and gave himself a mental shake. Where was this voice coming from….?

"Leo?"

He opened his eyes and looked into the concerned brown ones of his brother. "Leo?" Don questioned again. "What is it?"

'Strike before she kills him….'

Leo swallowed hard as an image of Don, lifeless eyes staring at him, swam passed his mind's eye. The image prompted Leo to shift closer to Don, reaching up and caressing his cheek before leaning in and kissing him softly.

Don returned the kiss and, when Leo broke it, started to question him again when Leo's lips returned, silencing him before leaving again and moving down his neck. Don's eyes closed and he tilted his head to give Leo better access, a smile drifting past his lips. Leo's hand moved from Don's cheek, trailing down past his plastron to his thigh, which encouraged a soft moan to slip from Don. Leo's hand moved back up and pushed a bit and a moment later, they were laying down, Leo overtop of Don with his knee between the younger turtle's legs.

Don, recognizing something, did not try to stop the activities for further talk. Instead, they lay there, kissing and touching each other gently, preparing for when they would join their bodies. When Leo finally slid himself into Don's body and began slow, unhurried movements, Don knew he had recognized the signal Leo had sent correctly.

In the two years they had been together, Don had come to know Leo's mating habits quite well. He had found there was a difference between when he and Leo were having sex and when they were making love and, and that there were different stages. There was the fun sex where Leo was playful and teasing or the slightly rougher version when he was feeling intense or angry. Those sessions often lasted quite a while and tended to get loud.

Then there was the lovemaking. Usually, when both of them were feeling particularly tender, those sessions were passionate and fulfilling, communicating the love they shared in the highest degree possible. Don enjoyed those time immensely and tried to get it as often as possible.

Currently, Leo was making love to him in the way he usually reserved for when he was feeling lost or uncertain. It was as though he sought something that only Don could give him through the most intimate of loving making. As though Don held the answers to everything and, if Leo could just get their souls to connect like he could their bodies, that he would obtain what he sought and find his path again.

When Leo started thrusting a bit quicker, Don matched him, his legs tightening around Leo's shell. He whispered soft encouragement, his breathing quickening as he felt himself starting to fall over that deliriously wonderful edge. "Leo!" he cried in a harsh whisper. "Leo! I….!"

Leo responded with a couple of quick, hard thrusts and both moaned as Don felt Leo's seed filling him. Leo's movements stilled and he lay on top of Don for a moment before moving off and laying next to him. Don reached over the edge of the bed for a towel and cleaned them both off before settling down next to Leo, his head on his brother's shoulder, Leo's arm securely wrapped around him.

"Goodnight, Leo," he breathed, a smile touching his lips at Leo's own whispered good night before closing his eyes, and drifting into sleep.