Chapter 4

Mikey groaned loudly, the sound echoed off the sewer walls for a good minute. He almost groaned again as the echo was not helping his already pounding head. That and the unsteady rhythm in which he was moving did little to help either, not to mention make him nauseous. Mikey's blue eyes shot open, moving?! Since when did he start moving?! And for that matter how was he moving sideways?! His feet weren't even on the ground.

Glancing down he saw a pair of black clad, but still very familiar feet. The blood running down the left leg, limp in the right leg, plus heavy breathing and the caring but firm grip confirmed who was carrying him. Leo was carrying him across his shoulders. Mikey instantly felt guilty, he was being carried when Leo was the one who needed the support. Better yet, a stretcher. Determined to help his brother Mikey started to wriggle a bit to get loose.

"Don't move." Leo hissed as he came to a halt. His voice was raspy, tired, and pained.

"No way! You are not carrying me, I'm supposed to be supporting you right now! So are Donnie and Raph, hence the whole rescue operation which by the way kind of bombed." Mikey finished with a sheepish smile. Leo just gave him a look, "Ok, I so did not mean to include the bad pun, but it's true! No if you don't mind, put me down!"

"You're right shin is fractured and your hip was really close to being dislocated. Not to mention the burn you sustained on your left shoulder and smoke inhalation you suffered. All in all, You are not walking, end of discussion. " Leo said without looking at Mikey. He was acting weird, distant but desperate to be near his brothers. The older turtle set off again, limping a little harder.

"Dude, stop with act already. It's lame!" Mikey complained.

"I told you, I am not acting I no longer-".

"Leo I just want my big brother back!" Mikey exclaimed, he was near tears now, "Ever since you left things have gone down hill. Donnie has gotten moody, Master Splinter never leaves his room, April and Casey hardly ever stop by, I can't even prank anyone I'm so depressed, and Raph never goes topside anymore!" that stopped Leo with a lurch. He looked down and Mikey with wide eyes, "Yeah, it's true. Raph quit after a month of you being gone and that was the last time any of us acted normal." Mikey told him with a slight glare.

Leo turned his head and stared at the floor, Mikey felt his shoulders droop.

"Come on bro, we need you home now. You protected us really well, I even forgive you for the cut on my arm! But now we need you back home." Mikey begged. Leo remained silent but started walking again. Mikey sighed dejectedly and let himself hanf from Leo's shoulders.

"Hey," Leo's raspy voice said softly. Mikey looked up at him, "Keep talking." He said after a bit.

"Huh?" that was a new one for the orange masked turtle.

"Keep talking." Leo repeated softly.

"About what?" Mikey asked, for once he had no idea what to talk about.

"Anything." Leo replied. There was a subtle desperation in his voice. Mikey felt his eyes widen when it dawned on him, Leo was asking for companionship and he was so starved for it that he had been listening to his younger brothers ranting and whining!

"Umm….Ok, uh, let me see. Mmmmm….Oh I almost forgot! They played a rerun of Space Hero's!" Mikey said with a smile. Leo gave the tiniest of smiles and fell silent, content to listen to Mikey chatter, "And you won't Believe who sat with me and watched the Whole thing!"

"Hmm?"

"Raph!"

"…..Really?"

"Yeah! I couldn't believe it either and I was sitting right there next to him! If you find that hard to believe you'll never guess what he did next!" soon the sewers were filled with Mikey's chatter as his brother struggled to carry him. If the youngest had paid attention he would have noticed the direction they were headed in. Home.

After a while Mikey had finally tired out and fell asleep. Leo didn't blame him, he'd had one heck of a night. Sighing to himself the oldest turtle continued on in silence. It had been good to hear his brothers chatter again. Heck it was even good just seeing them! But he refused to stay, for all he knew Shredder had placed a tracker on him somewhere and he refused to let Shredder find the lair. Sure he was headed that way now but he planned on dropping Mikey off and then keep moving to ensure Shredder never found them.

Walking was getting harder and harder by the time Leo reached the lair. He was panting hard, his vision was getting fuzzy, and his body was on fire with pain. Slowly he eased his way through the turnstiles of the lair and down the stairs. He nearly collapsed down the stairs due to his broken right leg. Gently he set Mikey down on the couch, pulling a blanket over the youngest. He allowed himself a smile before struggling to his feet and turning to leave. He had not even heard the bickering between his brothers as they exited Donnie's lab, but he did hear the sharp intake of breath.

"Leo!" he whipped around at his name, crouched to defend. Raph and Donnie were staring at him in wide eyed disbelief. Leo slowly began to back away, he met their hopeful gaze and shook his head gently. Trying to tell them he could not stay. Raph went to take a step towards him, freezing when he saw something. Leo tenses, he's seen fear in Raph's eye's. He twisted around ready to defend his family, only to freeze himself as he came to face his Sensei. Splinter stared back, eye's wide with shock before they slowly hardened.

"Sensei." Leo breathed quietly. His own blue eye's wide with fear, he could feel his own body shaking in fear. He slowly started inching away from the tall rat. Splinter's eye's widened again at the whispered word, the hardness left his gaze.

"Leonardo." Splinter said softly, his tone fatherly but apprehensive. He reached out towards his wayward child.

Leo bolted, running for the sewers as fast as his abused body would allow. Fear giving him a brief second wind. He heard Splinter call out his name and give chase causing the young ninja to run even faster. Donnie and Raph moved, cutting their brother off from the stairs. Leo raced away from them seeking an alternative exit with Splinter still running after him, calling out to him. Finally Leo's body could hold up no more, in a white hot flare of pain his right leg gave out on him and Leo stumbled crying out in pain. He ever hit the floor, strong arms covered in bandaged wrappings and a warm Japanese rob wrapped around his shoulders.

Crying out in fear Leo began to struggle, yelling apologies and promises that he would never return and that he never meant to hurt his family. It tore his family apart inside to listen, but Splinter stayed strong and held onto his son. As Leo grew more frantic Splinter decided it was time to silence his sons fears before he hurt himself even more.

"Leonardo!" Splinter called out in a commanding tone, he spun his oldest around so that he was facing him. Leo froze and became mute, eye's glittering with terror, "Shhhh, it is alright. I will not, nor am I going to, hurt you and neither will your brothers." Splinter said in gentle tones. Leo still trembled in his hands. Splinter hated to see his child like this, but he could not stop a soft, proud smile.

"You have done nothing wrong Leonardo, you protected us well from the Shredder and made sure your brothers survived another confrontation with him. I could not be more pleased with you. Well done, my son." Splinter said softly. Those words caused Leo to shudder and suddenly become boneless in Splinter's grasp, carefully he sank to the floor with his oldest, gathering him in his lap. Leo's head and torso lay in his father's lap while the rest of him lay limp on the cement.

"Leo!" Raph cried. Mikey stirred in his sleep but remained mercifully sleeping. Raph fell to his knee's beside his brother and father hands outstretched and hovering, "Leo" the black covered turtle stirred and opened his eyes, half lidded in pain and exhaustion.

"Don't worry, we'll get you patched up and on your feet in no time." Raph said softly. He laid a tender hand on his brothers shoulder, nearly crying when Leo flinched under his hand. After a minute Leo collapsed again, his breathing shallow and rapid.

"Donatello! Go and prepare your lab, your brother needs treatment now!" Splinter barked. Donnie was gone in a flash, "Raphael, I know this will be hard for you, but I need you to stay with Michelangelo. He needs to be looked after as well and you will need your rest. You will have a long evening with Leonardo, I have a feeling that he will need you soon." Splinter said gathering Leo into his arms and heading for the infirmary. Raph merely nodded and went about caring for Mikey. He cleaned the burn and splinted his leg before settling down beside him.

"Hang just a little longer Leo, I promise I will help you get through this." Raph vowed as he lay down beside Mikey. As his eyes closed he heard a soft his and saw lavender scales drape over Mikey's shell. Soon, the soft hissing breaths of Miwa sleeping nearby lulled him to sleep.