A Year Without Rain
A/N: I never planned on doing a sequel to Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, but this bunny came to me, and I had to do it. I just thought about how Leo would be feeling about his decision to break off his relationship with Aubree. It was inspired by the song of the same name by Selena Gomez and The Scene. While I won't have the lyrics to accompany this story, I recommend that you search for the song and listen to it. It's very good. I hope you enjoy this little story.
Disclaimer: I do not claim any ownership to the TMNT or anything associated with them. Nickelodeon does have that claim. I do own Aubree Hennigan and the plot. That's all.
Summary: Leonardo questions his decision and wonders if he really did the right thing. Sequel to Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.
Leonardo was having an inner battle with himself. Most of the time, he took pride in the decisions he made concerning himself and his family. But this time, he really wondered if maybe the decision he'd made was the right one. He thought he was doing the right thing when he broke things off with Aubree. He needed to protect her and felt that ending their relationship was the best way to do that. But as she continued to come over and spend time with them, he began to really question whether he'd done the right thing. He kept battling the thought in his mind every time he saw her.
He had maintained that he still wanted to be friends with her and that she was still welcome in his life, but maybe it would have been better if he'd cut her off completely. He still got a pang in his chest every time he laid eyes on her.
Every time she made a joke with Mikey or plotted to do a prank with him.
Every time she verbally sparred with Raph about something really stupid.
Every time she helped Don with a project.
Every time she had tea with Splinter.
Every time she looked at him and said without words how she felt.
It made him feel really horrible for what he'd done to her. He knew now that it was the wrong thing to do. Breaking up with her was supposed to make him feel whole, but instead it made him feel empty. He couldn't count how many times he longed to scoop her up in his arms and kiss her on the lips. Every night he dreamed about her and what could have been for them.
He knew she was hurting, too, though she tried to hide it. She kept on laughing and joking as though nothing had happened. She remained civil to him even though she should have hated him forever. He had treated her unfairly, and yet she still kept coming back. And even though she never said it, he knew she still loved him. She had declared that she'd never stop loving him when he broke up with her. He thought at the time that it had been a sweet thing for her to say, but now he knew he didn't deserve her love.
He decided to seek Splinter and ask for his advice. He had faith in his father's ability to guide him and knew that his father would lead him down the right path. He went to his father's door and knocked politely.
"Enter," his father's voice said.
Leo took a deep breath and entered his father's room. Splinter was sitting at his table looking at a book Aubree had given him for Christmas. He looked up from it and surveyed his son with concern.
"You are troubled, my son." It wasn't a question but rather an observation.
"Yes, Sensei, I am," he replied. "I think that I made the wrong decision concerning Aubree. I know that I shouldn't have broken up with her like I did. It was very wrong of me to do so."
Splinter knew that Leo had ended things with Aubree, though he never knew exactly why it had happened. "And what was your reason for ending your relationship with Miss Hennigan?" he asked.
"I thought that by ending things with her, I'd be able to protect her," Leo replied. "I thought that if we stayed together our enemies would seek to destroy us by using her as bait. I didn't want that to happen again, so I decided that ending things with her would be the best thing to do."
"I see," Splinter mused. "You thought that you would protect Miss Hennigan by refusing to court her any longer. How did Miss Hennigan feel about your decision?"
Leo tried to recall the way Aubree reacted when he told her they couldn't be together. "I think she was upset, but she understood," he answered. "She knew it couldn't work."
"And has your decision satisfied you, my son?" Splinter inquired.
Leo shook his head. "No, Master, it hasn't," he responded. "I feel lost without her. It's like I'm a field that hasn't had rain for over a year. I just feel withered and empty. I just feel like I need to set things right with her. I can't go on like this, Sensei."
"Then you must to what you feel is right," Splinter told him.
Leo nodded. "I will, Master Splinter," he said. "Thank you for listening to me."
"You are quite welcome, Leonardo," Splinter answered. "I am always willing to lend an ear to help out. I wish you luck in your task, Leonardo. I hope that it will go well."
Leo thanked him and bowed. He knew exactly what he was going to do. He just hoped that she'd forgive him and take him back.
22222
The night was peaceful, but Leo barely registered that as he leaped from rooftop to rooftop. He was on a mission and wouldn't focus on anything else until it was complete. As he neared her apartment, his stomach filled with butterflies. It was now or never. If she didn't take him back, he would understand.
She was at the window as though she had expected him. "I had a feeling you'd come tonight," she said.
Leo took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "Aubree, I came to apologize for what I did," he said. "It was wrong of me to end our relationship the way I did. I know my intentions were to protect you, but I know now that it was wrong to end things. I can't go on like this anymore, Aubree. So, I've come to ask for your forgiveness and to ask whether you will take me back. If you don't, I understand completely and will not hold it against you." He hung his head and waited to hear what she would say.
She smiled at him. "Leo, of course I forgive you," she said. "I was hoping you'd ask me to take you back. I've dreamed about it every night. I knew you wouldn't be able to go on like this and just accept me as a friend. I'm definitely willing to start over with you and pretend that this didn't happen."
Leo breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Aubree," he said and bowed to her. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I'm glad that you're willing to give it. I've been horrible to you, and I owe it to you to make it up to you."
"You don't owe me anything, Leo," she replied. "You've admitted to your mistake and have repented of it. That's all I ask of you. Let's just start over and create new memories." She leaned closer to him and kissed him on the lips. He was hesitant to return it, but then the longing returned to him and he succumbed to his temptation.
As they embraced, Leo suddenly felt whole again. The rain had come to wash away the emptiness he felt inside. He was truly happy that Aubree had taken him back, and he vowed to be a better person and make it up to her. He would never leave her again as long as he was still alive.
22222
Leo was happy as they cleaned up from their latest movie night. He smiled as he picked up the discarded popcorn bowl and other various wrappers that were strewn on the floor. Raph noticed his brother's good mood and gave him a searching look.
"You're awful happy," he observed. "I noticed you and Aub were pretty cozy tonight. Are you guys back together?"
"Yeah, we are," Leo replied. "I finally did the right thing and admitted to my mistake. I was an idiot to let her go like that."
"Even though I wanna agree with ya, I have to say that you weren't an idiot, Leo," Raph contradicted. "You were doin' what you thought was best for her and her safety. You can't blame yourself for wantin' to protect her."
"Yeah, but I didn't have to break up with her to do that," Leo told him. "We could have worked it out." He sighed. "It doesn't matter anymore. We're back together, and I feel good about my decision."
"Well, that's the main thing," Raph said. "So, when are you kids gonna get married and start havin' turtle babies?"
Leo gaped at him in shock until Raph burst out laughing.
"I'm only kiddin' with you, bro," he said.
Leo rolled his eyes. "Very funny, Raph," he retorted.
"Hey, someone had to ask that," he replied. "I'm surprised Mikey never asked that before."
Leo shook his head. "You really are something else, Raph," he said. "You're lucky I didn't resort to ninja tactics as retaliation. You know, if you say anything like that to Aubree, she's going to get revenge on you."
Raph grinned wickedly. "I'm countin' on that," he said.
Leo laughed and went to his room. He couldn't wait to see what revenge Aubree concocted against Raph. He knew it would be good once she got wind of what his brother was saying about them. Maybe he would even help her with it.
Splinter smiled as he came to check on his son before bed. Although they were adults now, Splinter never got over the habit of checking on them before he retired for the night. He noticed the smile on his son's face and the light in his eyes. "You are happier now, my son," he observed. "I see that you made the right decision."
"Yes, Sensei, I did," Leo replied.
"And do you feel that you will be able to continue this relationship with Miss Hennigan for good?" he asked.
Leo nodded. "I do, Master," he answered.
"Good," Splinter said. "I must say, Leonardo, it has pained me to see you and Miss Hennigan looking so downtrodden. Perhaps this will be a new beginning for both of you. In any event, I am very pleased that you have made the right decision and are willing to carry it through."
"Thank you, Sensei," Leo said. "Good night."
"Good night, my son," Splinter responded. "May you have pleasant dreams."
After his father left, Leo did some meditation before retiring for the night. As he closed his eyes and drifted off, he thought about how happy Aubree had looked as she came down to the Lair. He smiled at the thought of how she'd laid her head on his plastron as the movie progressed and how he'd put his arm around her. Things had definitely changed for them, and he hoped that he'd be able to protect her from anything that stood in their way. But for now, he'd concentrate on the good times they had and the memories they would share from now on. He'd be able to worry about protecting her when the time came. With that lost thought in his head, Leo drifted off to sleep and dreamed of another peaceful day with Aubree.
A/N: Like I said, I had no plans for a sequel, but I just had to write this out. I really hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I have to say that I really like Aubree the best out of all the OCs I've created. She's just the type of character that makes you feel like you'd like her if you knew her in real life. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.