Disclaimer: Still don't own those turtleriffic dudes!

A/N: Welcome to the twentieth episode in my series. As with most of my fics this one can stand on its own for the most part. But for those of you just joining us here a couple quick points. 1. The guys are in the fifties, they aren't spring chickens anymore. 2. Amaya was Leo's first wife she was killed in fic #15 "Love Shall Not Be Lost". 3. Jamie makes her first appearance in "Runaway" #18, which is set only a few months before this one. That's really all you need to know.

So, get your popcorn and enjoy the show!

"No way! Just forget it!"

Leo frowned as he stepped through the front door of the music shop. He'd never heard Jamie so upset before. Over the past few months, they had gone out many times and spent numerous evenings together some with Shinta and some without. And in that time he'd never seen her angry before. So, the sound of her being this upset automatically put him on edge.

He glanced around making sure there were no customers as he made his way to the small apartment in the back. He stopped short as a male voice came from inside. Leo checked to be sure his holo-projector was on before stepping around the corner.

"Jamie, I did not come all this way to have you tell me no."

"Then you should have saved yourself a trip, because the answer is no. I don't want to see her!"

"Jamie!" The man half growled.

"No!"

Leo pushed the door open that had been standing half ajar. He frowned at the angry looking man with light brown hair. He was large and muscular, the type that could easily hurt her. "Jamie? Is everything okay?"

She looked past the man at him. "Leo... It's okay." She could see that he was worried that something bad was happening. She moved past her guest to stand at his side. "This is my brother, Randy."

The hard look in Leo's eyes softened a bit. Jamie had mentioned her younger brother several times. He was a drifter-type going wherever work took him. Randy looked a bit surprised. "Who's this, Jamie?"

Jamie smiled up at Leo. "This is my boyfriend, Leonardo."

Leo smiled. They hadn't really called each other that before now and it felt good to hear her say it. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and nodded at Randy. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

Randy scowled, but it was directed at his sister. "That's funny, because I haven't heard anything about you."

She glared back. "It's kind of hard to get a hold of someone that changes their phone number every few weeks."

He just snorted, lifting his chin. "Whatever. Are you coming or not?"

She shook her head. "Forget it."

"She really wants to see you."

"Well, I don't want to see her."

Leo frowned down at her. "What's going on?"

"Our mother is dying and she wants her to come home." Randy explained.

Jamie dropped her eyes to the floor. "I don't care." Her voice trembled. "If that's all you came to say then you should leave."

Randy heaved a heavy sigh. "You can't keep runnin'. You got to come home sometime. And you'll regret it, if she goes before you talk to her."

Jamie didn't look up. "I ain't runnin'. She left us first." Her soft southern accent had become sharper and deeper.

Randy turned his brown eyes on Leo. "If you really care about her, you'll make her come. Our mom doesn't have much time left." He shouldered an old bag. and stepped up next to them. Leo was careful not to let him touch him as he put a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Hey, I didn't come here to upset you, Sticks. And I didn't come here because she sent me either. I came here because it's time to settle up. And you know I'm right." He nodded at Leo. "Nice to meet ya."

Once he was gone, Leo frowned down at her. "Jamie?" She shook her head and left him momentarily to lock the front door and turn off the lights. By the time she returned, he'd turned off his holo projector and was waiting for her just inside the door. He caught her and lifted her chin as a tear trickled down her cheek. "Please, talk to me."

She sighed and took his hand, leading him over to the daybed. "My mom and I had a falling out a long time ago. I haven't seen her in thirty years."

"Why?"

"She left my dad for another man right after I graduated high school." She sighed again. "My father was a good man. He worked hard every day of his life to provide for his family. He didn't deserve what she did to him. He died the next year. And I know it was partly from a broken heart."

Leo frowned, as he squeezed her hands. "I know that what she did was wrong, but maybe it's time to reconcile with her. If I had a few more minutes with my father, I would cherish every single one of them."

She shook her head. "You don't understand, she didn't just leave him, she left us too."

"But that was a long time ago. Your brother has forgiven her."

Jamie pulled away from him to pace the small room. "You weren't there. You didn't have to clean up the mess she left behind. I gave up everything to stay behind and take care of my father and brother." She shook her head again. "I'm not mad that I had to give up a scholarship to the best college in the state. I'm not mad that she fell in love with some guy and ran off. I'm not mad that she broke my dad's heart. I'm mad because she just walked away without even a word. All she left was a note that said "Goodbye." We weren't even worth a phone call." She stopped to look at him. "So, why should I give her anything? Why should I care if she dies? She didn't care if we did."

Leo sighed. He could see the bitterness and anger in her eyes, but beneath that he could feel a great sadness. Some part of her really wanted to go, but her pride was getting in the way. A thought occurred to him. Perhaps if she were given the right support, she'd be willing. "What if I went with you?"

Jamie stopped cold in her pacing to stare at him. She sat back beside him, grabbing his hands. "Leo, I could never ask you to do a thing like that."

He squeezed her hands. "You're not asking me, I'm asking you. If I went with you, would you be willing to go and see her?"

Tears welled in her eyes. "Oh, Leo, I…"

He smiled as he brushed a tear away that had escaped. "I want to come. I want to help you through this. Will you let me?"

The tears broke free as she nodded. "Okay." She choked out softly. "Okay."

He drew her against him as she wept, her small body trembling in his arms. He rested his cheek against her head as he stroked a hand through her hair. "It'll be alright. You'll see."

"Thank you." She clung to him as heartache and fear swallowed her. His presence was strong and comforting, and she knew she'd have the courage to face her mother if he was at her side.

Leo used the spare key she'd given him to unlock the side door of Jamie's shop. The front was locked up, the shades drawn and the alarm set. He glanced up the alley, where he'd parked April's SUV. She'd insisted he take it, saying their old van wouldn't make such a long trip. The sad fact was, she was right. Their old van barely made it to the pound these days, so a twenty-two-hour road trip was out of the question.

Leo had explained to the others what was going on and they'd agreed it was best that he go with her. Shinta had been a bit upset at being left behind. But Jamie had told him he'd be bored out of his mind, especially If there was a funeral. She'd taken the past two days to get her shop in order and her lessons rescheduled. Leo didn't see why it took two days to do those things but he hadn't argued. He figured she was trying to stall a bit, so he'd simply given her his silent encouragement.

He dropped his duffle bag beside the heavy door, propping it open. "Jamie?" He stepped inside and opened the apartment door. She was zipping up her own bag. "Are you ready?"

She turned to him with a frown. "Are you sure you want to do this? It's a really long trip."

He chuckled as he stepped inside to take her bag. "Yes, and you're not getting out of this that easily."

She rolled her eyes with a little smile. "Well, at least I'll have you to keep me company this time."

He smiled, urging her to the door. "I promise to keep you entertained the whole time."

She laughed and stopped to pick up a guitar case. She saw him look at it questioningly. "You brought your katana, right?" He frowned but nodded. "Well, this is like that. I don't feel quite right without it."

He nodded, understanding her meaning. "Come on, let's get going." As he put their bags in the back, she locked the door to the store. "Do you mind if I drive for a while?"

She smiled. "Sure, I never got used to driving in cities. That's why I got rid of my car when I moved up here." He chuckled again as they climbed inside. She leaned over and pecked his cheek. "Thank you for doing this."

He squeezed her hand. "Like I said, I want to be here for you."

For a while they drove in silence until they were beyond the city limits and the highway snaked before them in the darkness. They'd decided to leave at night. There were less prying eyes that way. Leo had brought two of the holo-bands, so he'd have one charged at all times. They chatted as they rode, telling stories. Leo tried to get her talk about her mom, but each time she'd change the subject. It was obviously a very sore topic for her.

At some point she ended up with her head resting on his shoulder. He'd wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer and letting her sleep. It was nearly one, when he pulled over at an all-night café. She roused as the car came to a stop. He smiled down at her. "Are you hungry?"

She smiled, rubbing the side of her nose where her glasses had dug in a bit. "Yeah. Where are we?"

He turned on the holo-band as they stepped out. "Just outside Roanoke Virginia."

She groaned. They still had a long way to go. He held the door open for her as they entered. The small café was practically empty except for two truckers that were talking at the other end of the long counter. Leo and Jamie slipped into a booth. The waitress, who was around their age, carried over two menus and pot of coffee. Gray roots peeked out from beneath her blonde hair. "Hey, there. How are you folks tonight?"

Jamie politely smiled at her. "We're fine. That coffee smells wonderful."

The waitress grinned and turned to grab a mug off the counter. "I figured you'd want a cup." She said as she poured it. "Do you want some too, hon?"

Leo smiled. "Sure." It was nice not to have people running in fear every time they saw him and to be simply treated like any other person.

The waitress poured him a cup as well. "I'll give you two a minute to decide."

As she left, Leo looked over the menu. "What do you suppose is good in a place like this?"

Jamie pushed her glasses up her nose out of habit. He smiled to himself, the gesture was becoming all too endearing. "Well, I hear ham is a big thing around here. It would probably be safe to eat." She turned the menu to block the kitchen's line of sight of her. "But you never know in places like these."

He laughed at her conspiratorial tone. "I take it you've eaten in a lot of these type of places, then?"

Her smile faded a little. "Yeah, I'm not much of a cook, remember? And after the accident, I just sort of wandered around. I'm sorry, I guess I shouldn't be bringing that up. We've been having such a good time."

He reached across the table to hold her hand. "Like you said if we don't remember them, who will."

Her eyes shimmered as she met his. They were the only thing that were truly his in the human holo-gram before her. She could understand why Cat fussed about the holo-bands some times. They hid the ones they loved from them. She didn't want the tanned blonde human that sat across from her, she wanted the turtle. She wanted to see his emerald green skin, the roundness of his beak, and the warmth of his smile. She squeezed his hand, closing her eyes and feeling the three large fingers with their calluses and scars. "Thanks."

"So, have you decided?"

Jamie opened her eyes to see the waitress watching her expectantly and Leo watching her with a tinge of concern in his blue eyes. She continued to hold his hand as she handed the woman the menu. "I'll have a salad. We've still got a ways to go. Don't want to fall asleep at the wheel."

Leo frowned at her comment but passed his menu over to the waitress. "I'll take the ham and eggs."

The waitress brightened. "Good choice!" She smiled at them. "It's good to see a nice couple in here for a change. All we usually get are these good ol' boys." She angled her head to the other end of the bar.

One of the truckers leaned back to smirk at her. "I heard that Arleen. "

She grinned at him. "What ya gonna do about it, Tom? Skip out on your tab? Chuck would skin you alive." He laughed at her and she smiled down at them again. "I'll have your food out in a jiffy."

Leo smiled at the exchange but Jamie could tell something was bothering him. "Is it a little uncomfortable being around strangers?"

He gave a slight nod. "I'm still getting used to it – being around humans. The guys have taken advantage of the holos a lot since K-three gave them to us, but I didn't have much reason to." He squeezed her hand. "Until recently."

She smiled. "Do you think Shinta will be okay with you gone for so long?"

He chuckled. "He'll be fine. Sarah'll keep him in line."

She took a sip of her coffee. "She was pretty upset that night I found him in the alley."

He nodded. "She's protective all the kids, but I think she's more so with him."

Her eyes fell to the table. "Because of…."

He sighed. "Because he never got to know her." He frowned. "I guess in a way that's why I can't really understand what you're going through with your mother. We never had a mother either. All we had was Master Splinter."

She sighed as well. "I can't tell you what you might have missed out on. But I know my mother loved my brother a lot as only a mother can. For girls its different. Our mother is our best friend and worst enemy. As a small child I remember her reading to me and playing the piano and singing church songs together. I remember wanting to be just like her – strong willed and tough as nails. But when I got older we did nothing but fight."

"What did you fight about?"

"Nothing of any real significance – boys, cars, clothes. Just girl things." She frowned. "And maybe on some subconscious level I knew she was cheating on my dad."

Arleen set their food in front of them and seeing that they seemed in the middle of an intense conversation, left the check and walked quietly away.

Leo began cutting the large slice of ham into bite sized pieces. "Is that when you had your falling out?"

"No, I still cared about her then. But after she left like she did, I swore I'd never speak to her again. And I haven't." She poked at her salad.

Leo frowned. The pain was thick in her voice. And he wondered momentarily if this was such a good idea after all. Things could go badly once the two were reunited. Jamie's mother could make things worse. Or for that matter, Jamie might make things worse.

They talked for a while longer and left after paying the bill. Jamie drove as he sat in the passenger seat contemplating the many scenarios that could transpire upon their arrival. At some point he dozed, the bright white lines of the road that stretched before them lulling him to sleep. Jamie's hand on his arm woke him. For a moment he was disoriented, the sun streaming through the car door window lit her light brown hair from behind. "Come on, sleepyhead."

He looked around them. They were in the parking lot of a roadside motel. "Where are we?"

"Just outside of Chattanooga. I think we've driven far enough tonight. Let's get some rest." She held up a card key. "Better turn on your holo-band. We don't want to scare the maids."

He smiled at her light tease and pressed the button. He grabbed their bags and followed her up the set of metal steps to the second floor, where she swiped the card. He'd never been inside a motel room before and for a moment he took the scene in. There was a TV bolted to a dresser, a beat-up table and chairs, a sink at the far end of the room which he assumed was attached to a bathroom, and a single queen sized bed. He stared mutely at the bed as Jamie took her bag and headed for the bathroom. "Me first."

She returned a few moments later with a light blue tank and shorts pajama set on. Leo hadn't moved from the door. His eyes jumped from the brunette to the bed and back again. He felt his body heat as unbidden images began running rampant in his mind. Oh boy, I'm in trouble….

A/N: LOL! Poor Leo... Review pretty pretty please with a cherry on top!