After the excitement of their battle with the technodrome and Kraang, Leonardo was glad to finally have five minutes in which to think and dwell over his actions around his brothers.

Splinter had said to him that a true brother accepts the differences in their team- but was that a teaching or just a hint towards his own actions of late? Leo leant back against the cold concrete wall, the surface hitting his shell before his head could fall back. He sighed, maybe the others were right about wanting to become human- a giant shell was- quite literally at times- a pain.

Just as he closed his eyes ready for meditation, Leo heard an odd noise- a half muffled cry coming from around the corner- Mikey's room. A stealth attack? With a start, Leo jumped to his feet, hands clenched into fists and leapt around the corner, but instead of an opponent, the eldest found only his youngest brother half hidden beneath the pizza patterned duvet found washed up in the sewers. This much was normal, yet it was two small details which concerned Leo- one: Mikey hadn't seemed to notice his arrival and two: the youngest was sobbing into his pillow.

Slightly uncomfortable with such situations, Leo considered going to get one of the others, but once again Master Splinter's words about a "true" brother ran through his head and Leo knelt down to Mikey's level and shook his shoulder gently.

"Mikey?" He whispered, and instantly the youngest sat up, his face and mask streaked with tears. It took Mikey a second to notice Leo and another to self-consciously wipe his eyes.

There was an awkward pause in which Leo suddenly lost the words he was going to say or the questions he was going to ask, but thankfully Mikey spoke up first.

"Why did they hate us?"

The question was so sudden and seemingly from nowhere, Leo was once again caught off guard but he recovered quickly.

"Because we're different, as Master Splinter said-"

"Speak in your own voice for once." Mikey snapped in a very, well, un-Mikey-ish way. Leo paused, wondering what was the best way to say how he really felt about the matter.

"Well, we couldn't stand human everyday life- we're better off down here, doing what we do best. If it wasn't for us, Shredder would still be in control." Leo gave his brother a small smile in the hope the conversation would end there, but he was wrong.

"So you don't want to be human?" Mikey met his eyes and held the gaze, his eyes still damp, "You don't want to fit in and be normal, and… and…" he turned away, but on instinct- a brotherly one, not a fighting one for a change, Leo caught his brother's arm and pulled him in for a hug.

"I'm sorry, Mikey that those humans looked at you like that, but the world isn't full of Aprils and Casey's who can accept what we are." Leo winced at his own words, hating the truth behind them, but even this didn't seem to satisfy his brother who pulled away from Leo.

"You didn't answer the question." Mikey snapped. This has really gotten under his skin, Leo thought and stood. Donnie or Splinter- or probably even Raph would be better taking to Mikey. The eldest stood, but Mikey called out, "Leo? Just answer the question!"

"No, Mikey- I can't!" Leo shouted at his brother in reply as he turned away, that memory was just too painful and subconsciously he ran a finger down the long scar running from the top of his head, down past the eye and to the lip.

He then realised Mikey had been watching him with wide eyes, almost surprised that Leo had this side to him, that he was not the "fearless leader" everyone thought he was. He went to walk away, but Mikey's next words made him stop.

"That scar was from about- what? Seven years ago? Dude, wasn't that when you came back covered in blood? You're first fight with a gang of robbers?"

Leo hung his head. Maybe- maybe it would allow Mikey to understand his stand against becoming human?

"No, Mikey- well, yes, it was that night, but I… Lied." There, he had said it. Mikey let out a long whistle.

"You lied to Splinter?" Leo nodded reluctantly, the event had been his burden for the past seven years and now he was going to unload it.

"I may have approached a group of kids- you remember how you and Raph kept saying you wanted to play with those boys?" Mikey nodded.

"Yeah, but then you pointed out the bulges in their pockets were probably knives and that they were kid muggers- wait- do you mean…?" Ignoring the question, Leo continued, hating his stupidity.

"I went up to them and said that we would like to come and play with them, but they started to tease me because I was still in the shadows- they couldn't see me- so they went to drag me out but I jumped out of the way and one said…" Leo took a breath, recalling the moment with ease, "'Hey, look, a freak!' I tried to point out we weren't that different but they formed a circle around me and began to beat me up. They got out their knives and wanted to 'leave a mark so they know who he belongs to.' One had a lighter and some metal." Leo turned to Mikey and did something he never thought he would do, he undid the wrapping around his left wrist and held it out to Mikey whose face contorted in horror.

"They did that?" He whispered, taking in the twisted but raised branding of a star in a circle the width of Leo's wrist. It was the same mark which the gang had worn around their necks as part of the gang gear. They had branded Leo. Pulling back, the eldest began to rewrap his wrist, coving the mark from view once more as he continued.

"They left several marks, all permanent, like this scar-" He gestured to his face "where they were attempting to cut my eye- but I managed to escape before they could begin to carve their name into my shell- what they wanted…" Leo took another breath to steady his breathing. "They shouted after me that they as humans would never let someone like me- like us- join them and that we should crawl back to whatever pet shop we came from." Leo sat down next to Mikey and met his brother's gaze. "I'm sorry I was harsh on you, Mikey, but I'm worried that if we became human, people may still not accept what we are. I don't want you to get hurt…" With a shake of his head, Leo stood and went to leave the room, but to his surprise, Mikey jumped up behind him and hugged him from behind.

"You should have told us. I shouldn't have been mad at you- I-"

"You did what you felt was right, little brother." Leo muttered, glad Mikey had understood what he had been saying. He twisted himself so he could face Mikey- whose grip was insanely tight- and returned the embrace. "Those guards just didn't understand at first, that's why they looked like they hated you and Raph, but they're on our side now, aren't they, they've accepted us for who we are."

Mikey looked up at his older brother with tears in his eyes once more, but this time they were happy ones. The two turtles released one another and Leo went to leave again and this time, Mikey didn't stop him, but instead called after him,

"Thanks bro."

Smiling to himself, Leo finally understood what Splinter had meant about brothers accepting the faults and differences. Splinter had never believed that Leo had lost a fight and had caught glances of the branding on his wrist, but had never said anything. Splinter had respected that it was something Leo would speak about over time so hadn't pushed him to, but the subtle hint had not only been about Leo accepting his brothers, but them accepting him. Mikey would tell Don and Raph, but surprisingly, Leo didn't care. He had let go of a painful burden and helped Mikey to get over the hatred of humans at something new. At the end of the day, that was all that mattered.

They were brothers, and no matter what society thought of them, they would stand united. That was what true brothers did.

Ok, I know it's short but I saw that scene when Mikey says "Those people, they didn't look at us in fear- they looked at us with actual hate" I knew I had to write something about it! It just broke my heart! :(

So lend me your thoughts- I may redo this where it includes Raph and Donnie as well.

Thanks for reading!

LL99 OUT!