Chapter 11. Meditation

"Did that help at all?"

It had been several hours since Leonardo had sent that email to April, and Usagi knew the turtle was nervous. Usagi, who in the short time they have known each other, knew Leo well enough to know exactly what Leo needed to relax.

Mediation. In the back of Usagi's prevented little mind wished it was sex, but he kept those thoughts to himself.

Leonardo smiled at Usagi, "hardly. I'm sorry."

The two of them were sitting just outside their van. The sun had set a long time ago, and there was a slight breeze blowing through the warm southern air.

"You do not need to apologize, Leonardo."

Leo looked down at his lap and bit his bottom lip before he opened his mouth to say sorry again, but then closed it. When he did speak, his words were, "what if I don't hear from my friend, April?"

"Then you try again, and if it doesn't work, email your brothers. And if that doesn't work, we go to New York."

There was a moment of silence. Leo thought over Usagi's words, and then let out a sigh, "it was easier when I didn't have my memories."

Usagi turned his head to the side, "Leonardo—

He was cut off by the sound a loud buzz that came from the van.

They both sat up straight, and Usagi's ears stiffen and twitched.

"What is that?" Leo asked, panicked.

The rabbit relaxed, and said in the deadpanned tone, "that is your phone,"

"My…phone?" Then realization sat in. "My phone!"

At the same time, Usagi said, "yes your phone."

Leo leaped off the ground and rushed over to the van. The doors to the back of the van were wide open, and his phone was carelessly placed on edge.

He picked up, and fumbled with it, trying to turn the screen back on. An unknown number flashed across the dark screen. There was prickling sensation of familiarity. It was April.

"Leonardo, you're going to miss your call."

Leo glanced down at Usagi, but the rabbit's attention was on Leo's phone. He saw it before he could react. Usagi had his hands casually stuffed into his sweatpants' pockets, then in split second, he snatched the phone from Leo.

On instinct, Leo was able to grab Usagi's left wrist, but Usagi had proven to be far quicker. He had already answered the call. Leo's face furrowed into a frown.

"Hello?" Usagi easily pulled from Leo's grip. He stepped out of Leonardo's reach.

Leo strained to hear who was on the other side. It had to be April, but he couldn't imagine her voice. He could remember quite a bit from before March, before meeting Usagi, but there were certain aspects of his life his mind just couldn't place. April's voice, what she looked like, couldn't form in Leo's mind.

"He's right here."

Leonardo was pulled from his thoughts as Usagi got closer again. Usagi slipped the phone back into Leo's hands, and then gently touched Leo's shoulder, "I'll give you some privacy."

Leo watched Usagi walk off, way from the van and further into the open field, pulling out his own phone.

Leo looked at the small rectangle in his palms.

He knew April was on the other end, waiting for him to reply, and yet—there was this hesitation.

In the second that Usagi gave Leo the phone, and then walking off leaving Leo to fend off an assault of hundreds of thoughts.

Leonardo's world had been split in two eight months ago.

The world where he had spent months alone with Usagi, out in the wilderness, with the only responsibilities he had was to make sure neither one was hurt or outed. The world where every memory was crisp and clear and Leo could pull to the forefront of his mind without a headache. The world where Leo could only remember a brief, and distant conversation with someone, possibly a family member, about a father Leo had no recollection. The world where Leo woke up with only a name and the bitter feeling of rejection, only to found someone who cared for him and maybe, possibly loved him. Maybe. Hopefully.

And then there was the world before that, the one that was pushed into existence by a gun aimed at Usagi's head. This world, a world Leo slowly got back every day. Memories of three, annoying brothers, a loving, and caring father, a small group of friends, a larger group of enemies. This world, Leo knew, had responsibilities. That world had visible chunks were missing, and his head pounded each time he tried latching onto a memory.

And worse yet, his father, his Master Splinter, was missing, or...and Leo had to tell his brothers that he failed to protect a member of their small family.

A selfish thought sprang forth, and Leonardo wished he could go back to the world that none of this existed. That he could back to just him, and Usagi, and the van.

"Leo?"

A distant call of a woman's voice cracked through Leo's thoughts. Her voiced was low, a whisper. And fragile, as if she was bound to shatter in millions of pieces. And it hurt Leo to hear this voice sound this way. It should be determined, calm, caring, not broken.

"Leo?" This time the voice was louder.

Without thinking, Leo raised the phone, and replied back, "April."

There was brief pause of silence, then a small gasp on the other end.

"It—it—it's you," April's voice was shaking. Her breaths were shallow and rapid, and Leo was expecting any minute she would breakdown and he couldn't handle hearing April, the hogosha, breaking down. "Oh, God, it's you. It's really you. You're alive. I can't believe this, I can't—

She choked, and let out a sob, and she broke down.

Leonardo sat down on the bed of the van, his eyes stung with tears. He covered his mouth, bit his bottom lip, all to prevent himself from joining her.

It took several moments for April to compose herself. When she did, her voice was hoarse, raspy, "Leo? You still there."

"Yeah," it was all he could say.

"Good." Another pause, "your letter said you would explain what happened…"

"Right, I did say that." After that, Leonardo seemed to get his voice back, as the explanation rolled off his tongue. From how Usagi found him in the dumpster in early March, to waking up with no memories, to being nursed back to health by Usagi, where Leo has been this entire time, and what triggered to gain back some of his memories.

Leo left out his relationship with Usagi out of his story. It wasn't important.

April listened to Leo's story in silence, and only spoke when he was finished. "I think I can fill in some blanks for you. Not a whole lot because," she stopped for a moment. Again. "Look, Leo, I'm not sure I should tell you this. It could do more damage."

Leo thought for a brief moment, thinking over what she said. "April, please don't hold back. If you know anything, I need to know. It might help me remember what happened to me."

"I—no, I'm sorry, Leo. I don't have any medical knowledge. I don't want to cause you any harm by opening my big mouth," April sighed. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, no, I guess you're right. I suppose I can wait until I talk to Donnie."

"Donnie," April said his brother's name under her breath. "You need to call them, Leo; they need to know before you come back home."

Leo shook his head even though he knew April couldn't see him, "I can't talk to them over the phone." A part of him wanted to ask April to tell his brothers, but his bit down on those words.

"Leo, they think you're dead. Everyone did. Not just us, but the Foot Clan, the Purple Dragons."

Leo had been expecting that.

Well.

Sort of.

It was a shock to know the Foot Clan had been aware of his disappearance, but given how nervous he felt about the Purple Dragons when he first woke up, Leo thought it made sense they would know something about it.

"Leo?"

Leo bit his bottom lip for what felt like the hundredth time before answering, "Alright, give them this number, tell them what I told you. We can move on from there."

They talked a bit more, nothing too specific, Leo noticed. Maybe she was waiting until he could talk to his brothers.

Leo wasn't sure how long he talked with April, but at the end of it, when they said their goodbye's a clear image of a woman with dark brown hair, and matching brown eyes in a yellow leather jacket filled his mind.

AN: I want to apologize for not posting regularly and not updating this fic like I should have. I haven't abandoned the fic, and honestly, we got ten or so more chapters left. I have everything written out on paper, I just need to find time to type it, but rest assured this fic will be completed