I'M SO SORRY I haven't updated sooner! I made a promise to you and I didn't keep it. I was a bit disappointed with the response I received to the update to 'How it came to be this way'. I only had one review. I hope that this chapter will be good for you.
Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT or Twilight!

Bella's Point Of View.

I woke early the next morning. I have never been a late sleeper. of course my siblings are still sleeping, and how can I blame them? I should be doing the same as them, but something stops me every time I try and rest.

Every time I close my eyes, I see them falling again. See the shredder standing over them, laughing. How can anyone get over such a haunting image?

Mikey was still sleeping beside me, and I look down at him. Mikey has always had a child like innocence about him, and it shines through now.

No nightmares plague his dreams. He's happy in the knowledge that all his family is safe, and that we are together again.

Sometimes I wish that I could forget, that I could throw caution to the wind and dream. I've lost count how many times I've looked at the surface world, and wished that I could walk among the passers by. Be able to walk down the street with my family, and not have to worry.

I wish that I could take Mikey to the movies, or to the Comic book store and let him buy what ever he wants.

I wish that I could take Donnie to every Museum in New York, and buy a top of the range computer for him to play with.

I wish that I could take Raph to a wrestling match and then out to get a pizza afterwards. Or that I could buy him a new bike.

I wish that I could take Leo to Japan, to see the sites, and that I could take him to places where he would forget that he is leader, even just for a second.

I wish that I could give my father somewhere comfortable to rest in his old age, somewhere that he can be at peace.

There are so many things that I wish that I could do for them, and it crushes me to know that I might not be able to do it for them.

I trace my fingers over Mickey's brow gently, careful not to wake him, and place a light kiss on his forehead. I slip out of the bed, grab some old sweats and a tank top, before heading down the stairs to use the bathroom.

The tiles are cold beneath my feet, which helps me to sharpen my senses. I can tell no one else in the house it awake, but judging from the position of the sun, it wont be long until Master Splinter and Leo are awake.

I shower as quickly as possible, knowing that I will need to treat my brothers when they finally wake. I have to be careful what I give them, but the Utroms have been kind enough to give me some of their advanced medicine should I need it.

Finishing putting my clothes on, I grab one of the hair brushes April had placed on the counter. Towel drying my hair, I run a brush through it and French plait it. I found this the easiest way to keep it, as it keeps most of my hair out of my face.

I quickly brush my teeth, and just as I am about to leave, I catch a glimpse of my reflection. The scar the shredder gave me stands out, still red. As much as I hate to look at it, I know that I need to treat it before I can treat my brothers.

It is still tender, but having received many wounds before, its bearable. What hurts the most is knowing that it will be there forever, that whenever I look in the mirror, I will see the Shredder. He finally succeeded, for I can never be rid of him.

Cleaning the wounds on my arms, and placing a thin bandage around them, I move on to the kitchen.

I decided I would do pancakes for breakfast, Donnie's favourite. Of course Mikey and Raph love all foods, but I know that Donnie loves them more than anything else.

The question is, what to do for Leo? Father had said that Leo had been unwilling to accept any kind of help, and that showed last night when I was trying to check his bandages. Father also told me that he hasn't rested much, and that he hasn't been himself.

Leo is my big brother. He's the one I turn to when I'm worried or upset. But now I realise that we all depend on him too much, and that he feels that he can't let out his emotions. Sometimes I wonder if he wants to be leader any more? And would he give it up if he was given the chance?

"You should be resting." says a familiar voice. I turn around to see Leo standing in the doorway. He's already got all of his gear on, he Katana secured onto his back.

"So should you, why don't you go back up to bed, I'll have breakfast ready in a few minuets" I say turning back to the pancakes, plating one up before pouring more batter into the pan.

"Don't worry about food for me. I'm going to practice" His words made me spin around.

"Don't you dare. Just don't. Father told me about how you've been acting, I know you need the rest, so go back upstairs." I tell him, pointing to the stairs. He looks me in the eyes, and for the first time I see how much he is hurting. Before I can say anything though he leaves the room, heading to the front door.

I don't know why this made me so angry. Maybe because I was worried about his health. Maybe because he wasn't listening to me. Maybe it was because I could finally see how much he needed help, and he was pushing me and the rest away.

Whatever the reason, it had me turning off the stove, running to the closet where Father had stored our weapons, and grabbing my Kakute and bow. I followed him out the door, loading my bow as I went, and when I reached the door, I saw him running towards the woods. I pulled back my right arm as far as it would go, and with ease that comes with many years of practice, let go.

The arrow fly's through the air, hitting the tree in front of him with a thud. He stops and turns around to stare at me, surprise written all over his face.

"Just stop. Who do you think your helping by doing this? Don't you think the rest of us are hurting? We need to be a family. The more you walk away, the more we break." I told him, now right in front of him, gripping my Katute tightly. I had dropped my bow and arrow after he had stopped.

"You don't understand. I need to do this alone." He tried to turn around again, but i grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"What part don't I understand? enlighten me! Because the way I see it, we're all going through the same thing."

"Why are you so angry? I'm just going for a run!" He shouts at me. This is why I'm so worried about him, because the big brother I knew wouldn't act like this.

"Because you seem to think that you don't need to heal, and that we'll all get over this. Don't you see that we're all in the same boat? and that to heal properly we need to rest! Do you think I want to have to watch you struggle?"

"I can take care of myself, I don't need you to look after me"

There have been many times that Leo and I have said something that we don't mean to each other, but he's never told me that he doesn't need my help, and never in such a tone. I have never before felt like I was a burden on my brother before.

To say I was hurt would be an understatement. I didn't even try and stop him when he pulled his arm out of my hand. I didn't stop him as he carried on running into the woods. He didn't look back.

I dropped my Katute on the ground, and walked away, leaving it there.

I carried on making breakfast, smiling when April and Casey joined me. I served their breakfast for them and then took a tray full of plates and glasses of milk upstairs for my wounded brothers, along with a bag of medical supplies for when they were finished.

They were all pleasantly surprised, and thanked me. I kept a smile on my face, not showing how much I was bothered by Leo's words earlier. There was only one time when I gave any indication.

"Hey Bells, is fearless leader out training again?" Raph asked me through a mouthful of pancakes, as I examined Donnie. I froze, dropping the roll of bandages I had been holding.

"Bella?" Donnie asked, looking down at me.

"Yeah, he left this morning as I was making breakfast." I picked up the roll slowly, carrying on.

"Someone should go find him, it looks like its going to rain" Donnie said, looking out the window. I look over to the where Father is standing, looking out the window. I remember the last time Leo was out on his own when it was raining. The memory still haunts me to this day.

I finish what I'm doing, tying the bandages and placing the roll back in the bag. I stood up.

"I'll go find him, I'll finish off when I get back and make some more medicine as well" I walk towards the stairs.

"Be careful, and make sure he comes home" Donnie says. I nod and run down stairs. I think about grabbing a coat or something, but the panic that something might happen to him was taking over, so I ran out the door with nothing on apart from what I'd put on this morning.

I ran through the woods, but I didn't see any signs of Leo. It had started to rain, and it was getting heavy, so heavy that it was difficult to see.

It was just like the first time he was hurt, when we didn't know where he was, and if he was okay.

Now you would think with all my training that I would be calm, be able to think things through clearly. But I haven't been functioning normally since the fight with the shredder, and now I'm a total mess.

It was also just like when He left me, searching the woods, looking everywhere, blind panic leading me.

There was a flash of lightning behind me, so I turned around, and crashed into something, sending me backwards. I braced for the impact, opening my eyes when it didn't come. I looked up to see Leo holding onto me. He lowered me to the floor, hunching over me to shield me from the worst of the rain.

This was so much like when He left me, the feeling of helplessness. Not knowing where you are, and that everything was suffocating you. Panic, nothing else but panic. I know that Leo was trying to tell me something, butI cant hear him. It's so cold.

AHHH CLIFF HANGER! I hope you enjoyed it, I didn't really know what I was going to write for this chapter, but I think its turned out okay. PLEASE tell me what you think!
Pingu xx