A/N: Okay here's the next chapter. It's been awhile since my last update, but I think it'll be worth the wait. Enjoy!

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Chapter 7

Donatello stalked into the lair followed closely by a sullen Raphael. Michelangelo was close on their heels, a soft but determined demeanor about him.

It's been two weeks. Two weeks since Leonardo was taken. Two weeks spent combing the city, searching for any sign of their absent brother or those that took him. No luck. There was no trace of Leo or the Foot. No one was even willing to think that Leo was dead. They couldn't, no, that's not right, they wouldn't give up on him.

Their first plan to find where they were keeping Leo had failed. The plan was simple, find the Foot, and…convince one to tell them where Leo was. Actually, convince is too nice a word. Donnie actually put forward the idea, which struck the others as unnerving considering that Donatello was the passive turtle. The plan had failed miserably. It depended on being able to find the Foot. The Foot were ninja, sure, but not in the same league as they were, so they should have been easy to find.

Not finding their prey left each turtle with a slightly more anxious feeling. How long could they expect Karai to keep Leo alive? She had claimed vengeance on him the night she took him, and Raph, Don and Mike all knew that meant a whole lot of pain and suffering on Leos part, but what they didn't know was how long Karai would wait before seeking what she deemed as justice for the death of the Shredder and kill him.

On the trek home they discussed the possibility that Karai knew they would do exactly this and decided to halt all Foot activity for the time being. It seemed plausible to them that she would.

It was time for a new plan. It was the first thing they had all agreed on in the past two weeks.

Things haven't been easy for any of them. They are dealing with this threat to their family in ways they hadn't expected, in ways they didn't think themselves capable of. Raph, usually the one to loose his temper and hide his feelings, was sulking around and hardly uttering a word, though at times his eyes flashed with a familiar anger. Donnie's behavior has slowly been returning to its normally passive manner, with the occasional heated outbursts. Bit by bit they were returning to their typical, normal selves, except Michelangelo. Mikey's behavior was perhaps the hardest to believe. He was taking the initiative and leading his brothers through this difficult time. Mikey, as a rule, tried his hardest to stay away from any and all responsibility, at least that's how his brothers have always seen it, but unlike his brothers, he wasn't letting up; not letting even a glimmer of his old jovial self show through and the others were beginning to take notice.

Often, when he was trying to get to sleep at night, Michelangelo would think about their odd behavior and why they were acting that way. Sure Leo's not the first of them to get captured, so why did it affect them like this? The answer was the same every time, because it was Leo. When a different brother was missing it was always Leo that came up with the strategies to retrieve their missing brother. It was Leo that always told them not to give up hope. It was always Leo that held them together in times like these. But Leo wasn't here, and when Mikey saw his other two brothers start to loose it, he tried his best to give them what was obviously missing.

"Mikey," Donnie's frustrated voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "…what now?"

That's another thing. His brothers looking to him for answers was something that Mikey had not really expected, but he guessed it came with acting like Leo, that his brothers would follow his lead just like they did Leos. They needed someone to lead them, just as they always had and for now, Mikey was filling that void.

Donnie and Raph looked at their brother, waiting for an answer.

Mikey had a back-up plan, but he hasn't told his brothers of it yet because he knew they would react badly to it, but he had no choice now, time was running out for Leo. The truth was that he had hoped that he wouldn't need to tell them about it, wouldn't need to put it in action, but deep down he knew it would have come to this eventually.

The time to act was now.

Mikey took a deep breath to steady his nerves. "Alright, here's how it's gonna go…"

As he spoke, Donnie's permanent scowl, as of late, only got deeper.

"I know you don't like it, I don't either, but it's the only way." Mikey said, finishing his explanation of his plan.

All three turtles sat in silence at the kitchen table. Two had disbelieving looks on their faces with their jaws hanging open in shock.

"No way Mikey" Raph said with a hint of his old self shinning through. "There's no way in hell I'm givin' another brother to 'em. Donnie, " Raph turned to his purple wearing brother hoping for him to spew some of his logical reasoning to talk some sense into Mikey, "tell 'im that he's crazy and it won' work."

Donnie leaned back in his chair, hand on his chin thinking through every detail of Mikey's plan.

"The plan is sound Raph" He said hesitantly, looking from one brother to another, not sure which one to back up. Mikey's plan was outrageous, but it was their only hope. On the other hand Raph had a good point. Could they really risk the life of one brother in what could be only vain hopes of saving another? Donnie didn't have the answer, something that hasn't happened very often.

"You can't be serious" Raphs gaze darted between his brothers. He couldn't decide who was crazier, Mikey for thinking up the plan or Donnie for backing him up. He was desperately trying to think of a way to talk them out of it.

"It's the only way Raph and you know it. Shell, we've pulled off more hair-brained schemes than this before."

"Mikey's right Raph" Donnie added.

"Yeah, I know…" Raph conceded. He continued to study his youngest brother. He was acting so grown up, taking the situation in stride. How often has he told Mikey to 'grow up'? Now all he wanted was for his happy, upbeat, jokester of a brother back. "…doesn' mean I have ta like it." He grumbled.

"Now that it's decided," Mikey took charge once again "go rest up. I'll call April and Casey, and fill them in along with Master Splinter." At the glares he was receiving he quickly added with a sigh "…and then I'll get some rest myself."

He looked at his brothers with fortitude, "We're getting Leo back tonight."

Donnie and Raph nodded in determined agreement. With nothing to do until later, they left for their respective rooms. They didn't sleep, but instead both just settled on lying down on their bed/hammock respectively and went over their part in the plan, so as to make sure they get it perfect when the time came.

As Splinter watched his sons talk in the kitchen he noticed that two of his sons were finally dealing with their feelings and coming to terms with them, but he was worried about the third. He watched as the older two left the kitchen and waited until the last one left as well before he made his presence known.

Soon after his brothers made for their rooms, Mikey left the kitchen as well, heading for the payphone in the living room when an all too familiar sound caused him to stop. The sound of Splinter clearing his throat sent bells ringing in his head. The 'we need to talk' insinuation in the sound was very clearly understandable. Mikey sighed in defeat, he knew his plan would work, he just knew it, but he worried that Splinter wouldn't approve. Mikey hesitantly followed his sensei into his room.

The room was simply furnished, only a bed and a bedside table. The rest of the décor consisted of candles, incense and a few wall hangings to add a personal touch. Splinter sat on a meditation mat and motioned for Mikey to seat himself on another.

"I overheard your plans Michelangelo…" Mikeys eyes snapped up and looked into understanding eyes, "…and I am proud of you. It is truly a clever and resourceful plan." Mikey couldn't believe his ears, this was made obvious by the look on his face. Splinter let out a small chuckle "Do not be so surprised my son, Donatello is not the only one among you that shows intelligence, though he does it in more…constructive ways." This elicited a smirk from the orange banded turtle.

Splinter continued, "I know of your need to put this plan in action not only for Leonardo, but for yourself as well." Mikey bowed his head and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to cut off the tears that were threatening to fall. A furry hand lifted his chin. Mikey opened his eyes and looked into his fathers eyes. "I believe in you, my son. I always have and I always will." Mikey couldn't hold back the tears any longer, and then he did something he hadn't done in several years. Mikey embraced his father and let it all out. He sobbed until no more tears fell.

Knowing his son needed this, Splinter rubbed his sons back murmuring words of comfort and assurance he so desperately sought. When Michelangelo's sobs ceased, Splinter released him, looking into the eyes of his youngest. Mikey smiled. The first smile to cross his lips in weeks. It wasn't his usual exuberant smile, but it was a smile all the same.

"Thank you sensei…father"

Splinter returned the smile with a small one of his own as he watched Michelangelo leave to face his most difficult challenge yet. He only hoped that after it was all over and done with that his son would return to him. Both of them.

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Leo had no idea how long it's been. At times it seems as if he has lived his whole life with the endless pain he felt, but he knew that wasn't true. He remembered his family, though those memories were few and far between. When he did remember, he held on to those memories as a life line. It was the memories of his family that kept him going, kept him holding on. The hope of seeing them again, the chance to once again argue with Raph, talk with Donnie, watch T.V. with Mikey, and meditate with Splinter gave Leo the strength to endure the never-ending torture.

It wasn't easy though. Old wounds would heal only to be replaced by new ones. At least now they allowed him to sleep between his 'sessions' and they even gave him bread and water every now and then.

Leo knew that Karai wanted to keep him alive for a long while, and as much as he would like to defy her by letting himself starve, he knew better and did what he had to do to survive. He owed his family that much.

Leo took a deep breath, wincing at the pain as his broken ribs had not yet fully healed, and looked at his surroundings. He was in a small room with very little space to move around in, which was fine because he hurt too much to move anyway. The walls, floor and ceiling were made of concrete. The door was the only part of the room that wasn't concrete. Instead it was made of solid steel. There were no comforts in his cell, no bed, not toilet, just cold emptiness surrounded him.

He was brought to this room for a 'respite' as Karai called it after each session. At first, his captors would chain him to the floor, hands restrained behind his back. They didn't bother with that now. He was too weak to attempt escape and they knew it. Even if he managed to escape his cell, he had no clue where he was and would very likely be caught again before making it home, expending what little energy he had left in the process. So Leo never tried to escape. A part of him was disgusted with himself that he never even tried and then the rational part of his brain would remind him that he is saving his strength for when his brothers would rescue him. He wouldn't let them down by being too weak to assist them when they came. They would come right? It's been so long, that sometimes he…No. They would come for him, he had no doubt.

The clink of his cell door being unlocked brought him out of his thoughts, his only refuge, and back to reality. The door opened and Leo wasn't surprised when Karai entered with only two Foot Ninja behind her. The ninjas strode over to him and pulled him to his feet. They continued to hold him up and Leo was grudgingly thankful because he could no longer stand on his own and he did not want to show how weak he really was.

"How are you doing this morning Leonardo?" Karai inquired

'It's morning?' He thought, for there were no windows and he couldn't tell the difference between night and day.

He pushed those thoughts away, staying focused on the person in front of him.

He repeated her question in his head and inwardly rolled his eyes at her 'concern' for his well being. This is always how she began her sessions with him. He kept his face stoically expressionless,

"Peachy" he answered mockingly.

He didn't see the punch coming. The ninja on his left hit Leos jaw, knocking him to the ground. Leo hit it hard. As they hauled him once again to his feet he realized that his jaw was broken. The same ninja that sucker punched him, reprimanded him as well,

"You will show Mistress Karai the respect she deserve, freak."

Leo spit out the blood that was filling his mouth and even though it hurt like shell to do so, he responded anyway,

"I thought I was" he said using as little motion as possible, but still getting the words out.

Leo flinched as he saw the ninja prepare for another blow,

"Stop" Karai commanded, "we have wasted enough time." She looked into Leos eyes. He just glared back, putting all his hatred for her into his eyes. It must have worked because she quickly looked away.

"Bring him"

She turned and proceeded out the door and down the hall. The ninjas dragged Leo behind her when they followed for he could no longer walk. He tried to steady himself as they dragged him to the room of his living nightmares.

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Once again the three brothers sat at the kitchen table, but this time Don, Raph and Mike were joined by April and Casey. Splinter had opted to stay out of the meeting. His reasoning was that he did not wish to be in their way. Of course everyone protested, but in the end they respected his decision.

"So that's the plan, any questions?" Mikey inquired, looking around at the faces encircling the table.

Raphs response was to pull out his sais and twirl them expertly, "Let's do this"

"We're ready Mikey" Donnie nodded in agreement.

"Behind ya 100 percent" was Casey's two cents

All eyes turned to April. She quietly swallowed her nerves and said with confidence and determination, "Let's get this party started"

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A/N: I'm thinking one, maybe two chapters left, and I have a twist in the next one so keep your eyse peeled for my update (hopefully to be up in a few weeks, sorry to make you wait, but college has priority, not to mention that I have another story that needs an update) As always please review!