Previously:

Mikey hugged Leo around the neck and rubbed his big brother's head, knowing this soothes his brother. Leo took in a shaky deep breath and turned to Mikey. Mikey smiled at Leo and buried his head in Leo's chest. Leo responded with a weak smile and laid his head on Mikey's shoulder.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

April and Casey had helped calm Leo down after his episode. They guided him and Mikey to the bench/couch in the pit of the Lair, helping him get comfortable and settled.

Leo felt a little embarrassed about what happened a few minutes prior. He had apologized a few times but was immediately told that he did not need to apologize by April and Casey.

"Well, now that we're all settled down and everything is on a sort-of calm level, do you mind telling us how and why you got here?" April asked Leo, sitting on the table in front of him.

Leo hesitated, looking down at the floor. He did not want to think of that. He did not want to share it. But April will make him. He will get punished if he does not talk.

Leo curled into Mikey with a whimper. The little boy sitting on his brother's lap patted his back to comfort his big brother. Mikey rubbed Leo's head and turned to glare at everyone. How dare they make his brother upset?

Everyone, mind Leo, shifted under the little one's terrifying glare. Leo's little brother is scary. At least to April, Casey, Raph, and Donnie.

It was silent in the Lair for a few minutes. Leo was cuddled with Mikey as his thoughts shifted to several different things. He glanced up at everyone discretely. He should probably tell them before they beat him for the answer.

"I was running."

The Hamatos, April, and Casey turned to Leo, surprised he had started talking.

"Running? From what?" Donnie asked, tilting his head and leaning forward from another part of the bench he was sitting on.

"More like who," Leo mumbled, his brow furrowing, "I had gotten done from school in time to head to the store to get something for Mikey. I had bought a Simon game from my very minimal allowance money that my... father gives me. He had been eyeing it for a few days when we'd take walks to Central Park. So I ran from school to the store to get it for him, then ran to pick him up from school.

"When he saw what I had gotten him, he had been so happy that I let him play it as we went home. I let him sit on my shoulders so he could focus on the game. We had reached home to find out our dad... Nevermind."

When Leo had paused a few times in his story, Raph had grown curious as to why. He had his arms crossed over his plastron, a frown of confusion on his face at the happy sound the story had started with. He was also confused at why Leo and his brother had tensed at the mention of their father.

"Wait. Go back a few. What about your dad? Ya mentioned him then stopped," Raph wondered.

Leo's breath hitched quietly in his throat. He gave a little scared hiccup. Mikey heard and turned away from glaring at everyone to comfort his big brother.

"I'm right here, Leo. It's okay," Mikey whispered in Leo's ear, laying his head on Leo's shoulder for a few seconds then turned back to give a full frontal glare to Raph. Raph raised his hands in surrender.

"It's... complicated." Another hiccup. "Anyway, we had gone inside and walked up to my room. I had very little homework that day, so I got it done as quickly as I could so I could play with him. I had finished just in time for my turn to play.

"We had played a few rounds of the game until..."

This was where Leo's breathing increased and he hesitated the most. April and Casey, having known the poor boy's home life, sat on each side of him, April on the right and Casey on the left. April, Casey, and Mikey comforted Leo as much as they could. Mikey rubbed Leo's head and nuzzled into his chest. April wrapped her arms around his torso and laid her head on Leo's shoulder, her forehead bumping into Mikey's back. Casey wrapped his arm around Leo's shoulders.

The Hamato family of mutants watching this exchange with a sense of loss. They did not know what was happening, but they had a feeling they would not like what was going to be told next. Raph and Donnie were a little disconcerted at the sight of Casey being soft and gentle with the distraught teen.

"He... H-He..." Leo stuttered. Mikey just continued rubbing Leo's head and whispered something in his ear only loud enough for the receiver to hear. Everyone watched Leo as he nodded and took a deep breath.

"Mine and Mikey's father shouted at us, well me. He... stormed up into my room... grabbed me... He was shouting at how I had taken what I wanted and had neglected my chores... I had forgotten to clean the house. The floor was covered with... beer bottles.

"He threw me across the room... My back had hit my dresser. Mikey had called my name. Our father turned to him and advanced upon him... When I had seen, I couldn't let Mikey take the hit... I pushed myself off the floor and ran, picked Mikey up, and took the hit myself," Leo mumbled.

Donnie glanced at the tense posture of the teen and the bruise on his jaw. Leo had taken these hits to save his little brother, and they sounded like they hurt.

"I ran down the stairs," Leo continued with a panicked look, "He had followed us. I snatched a bottle from the floor. When he had reached the bottom of the stairs, I knew. I knew we were going to get beaten that day if I didn't do something. Something inside of me snapped. I had to protect Mikey. I threw the bottle at my father's head, not even paying attention to the smash as I carried Mikey and bolted out of the house.

"I had run for a little over five minutes, I think? Until I had an idea. I ran faster to give ourselves some time. I ran down an alleyway by a place called... Murakami's?-"

"And that was when ya and him went into the sewers," Raph realized.

Leo nodded and took a deep breath. His hands were shaking. He held Mikey tighter and continued with his 'nightmare'.

"He had somehow known where we'd gone. He chased us for a while through the sewers. I had spotted this place," Leo gestured around, "And I finally felt relieved. Hopeful. I used the rest of my energy and ran as fast as I could. When I busted through the turnstiles, I knew that I was finally safe, that Mikey was finally safe. I had protected him. But when my dad shouted that we couldn't hide forever... I lost it. And, well, you know the rest."

When Leo's story was shared, everyone had similar looks of sympathy and pity. When the group heard the emotional and physical pain through Leo's point of view from the story, they felt bad for the poor teen.

When Leo looked up and saw their looks of pity, he gets a little angered and annoyed. He did not need pity. He did not want their pity. And their sympathy.

"I don't need your pity," Leo spat, his face in a frown and his body tense with anger.

Everyone, even Mikey, looked at Leo with surprise, not expecting the teen to snap at them. Mikey looked at Leo with a furrowed brow and a frown. He grabbed Leo's cheeks and turned Leo's head to face him. Everyone watched as Mikey's face went from tense to relaxed. Mikey smiled and kissed Leo's forehead.

When Mikey had kissed Leo's forehead, Leo had felt less angry and annoyed. He relaxed in Mikey's hold, resting his forehead on his baby brother's. But when he found out what he had done, his eyes widened and he tensed in a panic. His head shot to the others, and upon seeing their looks of surprise, he curled around Mikey and squeezed his eyes shut.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. I'm sorry. I'm ready for punishment. I didn't mean to yell. I'm sorry," Leo whimpered.

"We will not strike you, child," Master Splinter spoke, surprising everyone in the room of his presence, "For that is not how a parent should treat their child."

Leo's and Mikey's looks of utter confusion broke the hearts of everyone in the room. Leo and Mikey shared a glance of confusion and shock, their brows furrowed and their lips drawn into frowns. Leo turned back to Splinter.

"What do you mean?" Leo whispered.