Hey guys! This chapter kind of took me a while to write, it included going back through and re-doing scenes over and over again until I felt they had come out alright. Hope you guys enjoy! And please, I love reading your guys reviews so leave a bunch. (:
Without further adieu, the chapter you've been waiting for.
Chapter Fourteen.
That entire night I sat by the kitchen table with Don helping him check over Leo's wounds. "His heartbeat is erratic, I can try to bring it down but I'm not sure what a safe dose would be." He sighed cupping his forehead in his hand leaning back on the table. "The only thing safe for him right now is to just rest and treat his wounds...I-I don't know what else to do..." I heard him grumble. "We're both stuck in the same place then Donnie." I said staring blankly into the empty fireplace, my eyes never shifting over to Don who I sensed had turned his attention to me, flipping through his notes once more just for effect.
The truth was I couldn't stop replaying what had happened earlier. Stepping though the doorway I knew there was no turning back but I couldn't help but wish we had walked in at a better time. I really put Raphael out of his comfort zone and I was a little more relieved he had settled down upstairs and was fast asleep by now. Still I couldn't get Mikey's face out of my head. So broken, Mikey, still so young. Shortly after we had arrived he had walked up to Raph with tears welling in his eyes, just shaking his head. "I tried to find you." He said so quietly, voice shaky. "I know Mike, I know." Raph said staring back with those eyes, so emotionless, so tired of everything. It was then I was pulled off into the other room as Don nodded to his brother, letting Leo slip into his arms. Before I was completely out of the room I managed to catch a glance back at Casey who was just sitting on the couch, never getting up, never saying anything. Just staring and thinking.
Now everyone was sleeping. Except me and Don who had yet to say a word about Raph. Grabbing a mug of fresh coffee I handed it to Don who needed it more than me. I sat myself down in a chair by Leo's side wrapping my hand around his letting my head rest on the table. I caught Don glance over at our intertwined hands a few time as if contemplating something. "I should tell you something Don." I said remembering the incident in the woods. "Oliver, he needs guidance or his gifts will eat him alive." I watches as his expression turned from tired to beaten in a matter of seconds.
"I'm trying. It's just I've studied your gifts for a few years now, I thought I'd be able to keep his under control but he gets angry and his hands turn to flames, or he'll cry and the shudders will go nuts from the winds he's conjured up." He said sighing again taking a long sip of his coffee, you could tell he was tired, more than just tired, exhausted from life, from everything. Now with Leo lying on his kitchen table, half alive, he looked ready to give up. With bags under his auburn eyes he looked at me. "April and I, we don't know what to do anymore. Look Alex, we really made a mistake messing around with your DNA, I'm so sorry..."
I scooted over to him, resting an equally tired hand over his. "Donnie, It's okay. I just don't want Oliver to be uncontrollable. I had someone there for me everyday teaching me how to use my gifts. That's what Oliver needs."
There was a moment of silence again before he spoke, looking first to Leo then to me. "I know you wont be here for the rest of his life but for the time being I was hoping you might be able to be that person he needs right now." He looked up at me with pleading eyes. "Just for a short time each day until he understands...please."
"Don, Don...stop. I'll happily teach him what I can." I said getting up to go scavenge the fridge for any leftovers from dinner. Surprisingly we had all eaten in separate rooms. Me sitting with Casey and April and Raph sitting quietly with Oliver and Mikey on the stairs, Wren had helped her father attend to Leo.
I found a small tupperware container filled with ziti and popped it in the microwave. After few seconds I took it out scooping some out on a plate for Don and sat down across the table from him, looking out at him over Leo's plastron. "What was he like when you found him." He said his eyelids trying to stay open, taking another sip of his coffee. "I don't know I wasn-" I started but was stopped by Don shaking his head.
"I wasn't talking about Leo." He said sighing. I just looked at him confused but I knew what he meant. I knew someone would ask, they'd want to know how I got him to come a long with me so easily, how I even found him.
"He was...he didn't want to believe I was alive." I said recalling that night, remembering how he didn't even want me near him. "It's like he doesn't even know me anymore Don. I don't know what to do."
"He's guarding himself. He has been alone for nearly two years." He said looking at me with sympathy, Don and Raph were never that close but they're still brothers, I could tell by his eyes that Don missed him.
"It would be easier if we were never a thing. He doesn't feel emotions anymore, he doesn't love me like he used to."
"Who said he ever stopped." Don said with a small smirk and I just rolled my eyes. "Trust me one thing hasn't changed over the years and it's the way he looks at you."
"Don, please." I said fanning my face with my free hand. Leaning back in the chair I focused my gaze on Leo's hand, I was still holding it but I could've swore I felt him tighten his grip.
"You'll see, especially when there's other competition around now."
"What are you talking about?" I asked leaning into the conversation.
"All Casey has talked about since summer is you." He said, his eyes told me the truth. "Take it how you want it but since April's already my mate, he hasn't had anyone to flirt with." He said with a light laugh. "I really hope he doesn't get too bored and start going for Mikey." At this I let out a small chuckle and averted my gaze back to Leo's hand, this time I knew the grip had tightened.
"Don, Leo's getting a good grip on me, should he be doing that? I thought he was unconscious."
"Here, let me check the monitor." He said going over to his little piece of tech equipment that was hooked up to Leo. With furrowed eyebrows he looked back to me and held the device up to show me the blinking green light on the top of the screen. "What's that mean?"
"It means he's waking up."
"April!" I screamed down the hallways running to her door. Before I could open it she got there first making me jump as the door swung open and I came face to face with her. With bags under her eyes she just looked at me. "Already?" She asked and we took off down the stairs together.
You could hear the struggle from the living room, luckily I had run at the first sign of body movement knowing we needed April. When we came to a halt in the kitchen I was glad Mikey had taken Wren and Oliver out into the barn to go "play with the chickens" even though it was three a.m. The kitchen table jerked violently and I saw a mix of hands trying to hold the source of the movement down. Grunts and muffled yelps rang in my ears as I watched Raph helping Casey hold down an arm. A moment of happiness came over me, they were working together. Then I remembered why. As Donnie moved out of the way I got glimpse of the person I used to fall asleep next to during the past month. The one I went back to the city for... His eyes were blood red, and the veins in his arms and neck bursting.
I held onto April, never had I ever witnessed something so disturbing, something to foreign to me. Someone I had known so closely, all of us had known now destroyed. There was only one way to get him back, a miracle April said. As his old wounds and scars tore open from the movement I grasped April tighter.
April squeezed my arm tightly and walked over to the head of the table where Leo's head thrashed back and forth. In the chaos I caught Raphael's eye and I knew he was scared this time. His guard was down, shattered by the condition of his brother and the seriousness of the situation. I watched silently as April placed her fingers to Leo's temple and held them there as he thrashed violently around for a few seconds more until his body fell limp once more and his breathing calmed down. Everyone took a deep breath as they let go of his arms and legs, looking to April, giving her silent 'thank you's' as they sat themselves down in the chairs pushed out around the table.
"I managed to calm his mind, telling him who he was with..." She said only looking at me as Don walked around behind her checking his vitals again. "What now... he's completely insane." Casey said resting his head in his hands.
"This part is where April comes in." Don said checking Leo's heartbeat looking over to April to explain what would happen next.
"I can get through to him now that he's physically near me. I can calm his mind, slowly working to put the pieces of his shattered thoughts together again." She sighed swiping a bead of sweat from Leo's forehead with her thumb. "It could take a few days to a few weeks."
I just stood there, palms sweating, nodding my head trying to understand how important this was, but I couldn't I had been up since dawn the day before and I felt lightheaded and I'm pretty sure I looked physically sick too from what I had just seen. I didn't hear the rest of the conversation, my ears had begun ringing and I was only ripped from my trance as I felt a hand tighten around my arm dragging me away.
"You look sick Al, you can take my bed tonight."
"No Case, it's fine I should really stay here-"
"It's okay, I promise to stay on the floor." He said smirking at me with tired eyes, he was ready to pass out too. I tried climbing the stairs but my legs grew weak ad I fumbled a bit, falling forward onto my palms as I felt two strong but tired arms try to hinder my fall. I looked up to see Casey smirking. "What would you do without me Al." And as he said that I smirked back, feeling my body shut down on itself without my permission first as it had so many times before when I used to run on two hours of sleep.
The sensation of being carried overwhelmed me and drew me even deeper into sleep. My body was laid down on a soft bed and I sunk right in, feeling a light blanket draped over me after a few pillows were robbed from the bed and dropped onto the ground. As I adjusted myself I allowed my eyes to open up a crack to see my surroundings, Casey was on the ground beside the bed and in the doorway a figure lurked. Tall, muscular, everything that I once knew all spun up together in a single being, then he just walked off. Like he always did, and I closed my eyes again and let myself go. Just like that I was sucked off into sleep.
...
I looked at him through tired eyes. "How do I get you back Leo?" I asked sitting up in Casey's bed. He sat on the end, his back leaning against a wooden post looking down at Casey with a smirk. "Just relax, I'll see you soon."
"What do you mean?" I asked becoming curious as to how this would work...
"Since I woke up I'll spend a few days under Don's watch, but April will be able to bring me back to sanity. She can get in my head, fix what's been broken.." He sighed looking to me with his ocean blue eyes. "I'm I there somewhere Al."
I just smiled at him, hoping, wishing his words would be true. April said that a little psychic push should get his thoughts back on track, she'd said she would stay with Don for a while working on getting into his mind. I just wanted him back...a few moments later the sun started to peek through the window and when I looked back to Leo he was gone. "See you soon Leo... I whispered to myself as I felt my body begin its routine of waking up.
...
"Hey there sleeping beaut." Casey said sitting on the edge of his bed as I stirred. "Morning..." I mumbled turning back over under the blankets, my body never felt refreshed in the mornings, it needed an extra few minutes to adjust to waking up.
"About that, it's actually been a fe-." He said smirking as I jolted up out of bed realizing the clock on the nightstand read two p.m my head instantly started to ache and I groaned in pain narrowing my eyes in at Casey.
"Casey!" I yelled. "You were supposed to wake me up as soon as everyone else got up!" I said hurrying to the doorway not even caring how I looked. Suddenly I felt his hand wrap around my arm stopping me. "You never let me finish. You've been asleep for the past two days, you should probably catch a shower and get a pair of fresh clothes before you go downstairs." He chuckled pushing me towards the bathroom. "You're looking pretty rough." He said with a final push shutting the door behind me to the bathroom. The white tiles reflected the sun into my eyes and I had to wait a few minutes before I could figure out what I was actually doing. I mumbled something under my breath about Casey and quickly moved into the shower.
Rinsing my body off I was in awe of how much dirt had washed off, I seemed to be plastered in it for some reason. On the shelf beside me I picked up the body wash Casey must've used, because it smelled like guys. Exiting the shower I toweled down quickly throwing on whatever Casey had left for me on the counter which was surprise, surprise, April's old clothes. "Two days?" I mumbled. "Bull..." I said picking up the clothes. It wasn't surprising though, sometimes when my body had felt I had overworked it far passed it's boundaries it would shut me down for a half-week.
I threw on the red flannel and holey jeans and bolted out of the room after a quick glance in the mirror. I was tan from the summer sun but the sleepless nights and constant running had put small, dark bags under my long lashes. My freckles, darkened also from sunlight, danced crazily across my nose and out until the very edges of my face. My hair, was long and had lightened some but was still mousey brown. It usually curled when dry but with my hair swampy wet it clung to the sides of my face and neck in heaps, hanging straight down.
I jolted down the stairs into the hallway that lead to the kitchen. Standing there, blocking my way was Raphael. "Alex." He said in almost a whisper. "What? What's going on?" I asked trying to figure out why everyone's faces were so smug. Over Raph's shoulder April threw me a small grin, I returned it with a confused stare. I felt Raph's hand grab my shoulder and tug me closer. The physical contact made me shudder as I hadn't felt it on so long, he seemed to notice and retracted his hands within seconds. His face was not smug, he looked defeated, tired and helpless. "He-" Raph stuttered looking over his shoulder. "He's asking for you..." He said finally stepping out of my way.
More cautious now, I gave Raph a confused, helpless look to which he only ignored and turned to face the kitchen. I could hear a mix of conversation with small giggles who I assumed came from the toddlers. I must've missed a lot.
As I got around Raph I was in the crowed kitchen area looking for what drew me here, what called me to this spot. My answer was sitting up on the table behind Donnie, staring at me. He was a skinny thing, a small trace of his once built body remained but for the most part he looked like he may have just as well escaped death. His eyes struck me like lightning as I felt them run over my skin, figuring me out, making sue I was who I claimed to be. I felt my breath catch in my throat, a knot forming in it's place. I felt my body stop moving, blood stop flowing. I thought I could handle this but I can't.
The longer I stood there looking at him, I felt more eyes on me than before. The kitchen had become quiet and I swore I could've hear my own heartbeat, pumping erratically out of it's cage.
"L-Leo..." I choked out trying my best to face him full on. Was he dangerous? What had I missed for the past two days...
Donnie tried to prod him with more iv's but he shook them off. "Don, I'm fine thank you." He said his voice gravely as he placed a hand on his brothers shoulder. At his voice I could've broken down but I was to frozen in my place. "Oh my god." I whispered only loud enough for me ears.
"It's really you..." He whispered sliding off the table with the help of Mikey who was at his side in a flash. Everyone's mood seemed to be lifted that their leader was fine and no longer in a mentally sick state. Even as he slowly moved over to me I still stood there, waiting for some force of nature to move me, but I was cemented into the wooded floor. When he was just a foot away from me I noticed the scars that plagued his body, the cuts and bruises that shone all kinds of colors over his light green skin. He reached out, arm frail and stiff. He was just getting used to moving around again.
When his fingers grazed my skin, my eyes flew shut on contact, the blood rushing back through my body. "Leo." I whispered.
He leaned down next to my ear, his breath sending shivers down my spine. "Alex...you're alive..." He said cupping the side of my face in his large hands. "Thank you, for never giving up..." He choked out slowly wrapping me up in his frail arms, I laced my arms up around his neck hoping he'd never let go, ever again, hoping everything would make a full turn from here on out but as I watched from the corner of my eye I knew things might never be the same. Raphael locked eyes with mine and they called out to me, like a moth to flame.
A glint of emerald caught my eye under the blood red cloth, nostalgia getting the best of me. As I let go of Leo I watched Raphael walk away, up the stairs to lock himself away in his room like he always did when Leo was around when we were younger. When Leo tried to win me over first... I watched the shadow cast out from his large body disappear with him and I couldn't help but feel like he had taken every last ounce of hope along with him too.
"Not to ruin this heart-wrenching moment..." Mikey said standing next to Don who was behind Leo and I. "But Alex, why do you smell like Casey?" He said with a smirk lifting his eyebrows. His statement causing an eruption of laughter from the family. Especially Wren who had managed to hook herself onto my leg once more.
As I laughed with them I couldn't help but notice how much we had all really changed. I swept over all the faces in the room landing on Leo's last who was looking intently into my eyes. "Yeah Leo?" I asked just loud enough for him to hear.
"Nothing, I guess I just missed the view." He whispered back as he smiled at me and turned to return to Don who was ready with another iv. I just let out a small laugh and watched everyone flocked back to him.
I smirked as I realized ever after all he had been through he hadn't changed one bit.
I wish I could say the same for Raphael.