Akito sat and watched his grandfather while Master Splinter stood and watched Raphael. Raphael's eyes were closed, but he recognized that his son's breathing was too deep and purposeful for him to be asleep.

"I've never seen anything like the bond these two share," Master Splinter said, almost to himself although he knew Akito could hear him. He watched Akito perk up, although he remained quiet. "Raphael has reached Leonardo through meditation."

"How can you tell?" Akito asked, venturing to hope that if his dad could be reached, that he would be okay.

"I can feel it," Master Splinter said to him. "I bet if you came over here it would practically smack you in the face."

Akito huffed out a laugh at the uncharacteristic joke from his grandfather and watched as Master Splinter turned to smile at him in return.

"He's not going to allow you to blame yourself when he wakes up," Master Splinter said, turning back towards his two eldest, "so you should probably hurry up and finish your sulking."

"I'm not sulking, grandfather," Akito said, evenly. The medication his Uncle Donnie had given him earlier had certainly calmed his hysteria, but now he was left to wallow. "He wanted me to work on control and I refused. I should've done what he asked. Maybe he wouldn't be hurt now."

Master Splinter hummed and ran a hand down his beard. "Maybe. But whatever happened in that dojo also knocked you out, which is not something that has happened before." He turned and examined his sad grandson. "One of the most important lessons I have learned, young one, is that we should not dwell on the past. Only on what your plan will be for the future."

Akito ducked his head, his teenage mind unsure if he should roll his eyes or take his grandfather's words to heart. He lifted his head a few moments later when he felt Machi settle on the ground next to him. He looked towards her and found her with her eyes squeezed shut.

"Machi?" he asked.

Master Splinter looked up as well and took in Machi's scrunched face. She was supposed to be out in the main room with everyone else. But before he could try to convince her to rejoin the rest of the group he heard her mutter something.

"What?" Akito asked, leaning closer to her.

"It's buzzing," she said, louder this time.

Akito began to look between her and their fathers, desperate for her buzzing ability to actually mean that they were coming back.

Master Splinter had never seen Machi's ability first-hand and he also found himself looking between his granddaughter and his sons until finally Raphael's green eyes opened.

Raph took a moment to look around the bathroom where he found his father and both of his kids earnestly waiting. He zeroed in on Machi's pinched expression.

"She says it's buzzing," Akito said, quickly.

Raph moved quickly and scooped Machi up into his arms before he seated himself back in his chair and situated her in his lap. Akito stood finally as well and moved to stand next to his father and grandfather. Raph grabbed one of Akito's hands with his free hand and stared at Leo's still impassive face.

"Come on, Fearless," Raph whispered.

He wished there was a fool-proof way to make sure this plan of his would actually work. It had tore at him to leave Leo when Leo's blue eyes had been begging him to stay. But getting Leo out of this coma was the priority, so he had steeled himself away from that unspoken plea and was essentially using himself as bait, counting on their bond and their desperate desire to be together to have Leo force himself awake.

"Holy shit," Raph said and his face split into a lopsided grin as he watched Leo's eyes open and immediately focus on him.

Leo could see Raphael. But it took him a moment to orient himself away from the sun and the sand and the sound of the waves to this quiet, cramped bathroom. It was the first time he'd ever been happy to leave his beach.

"You sound shocked," Leo said, with a sudden smirk for Raphael. "Like you didn't think that was going to work." He listened to Raph huff out a laugh which confirmed his suspicion. "Jerk," he said with a grin as he sat forward and Raphael quickly shifted Machi to one side so that he could lean forward and meet Leo for a kiss.

Leo stood and offered his father a quick thanks as Master Splinter handed him a towel.

"I hope you haven't been too worried," he said to his father.

"Are you sure you should be standing?" Or moving?" Master Splinter asked, watching in disbelief as Leo practically hopped out of the tub to dry off.

"You okay, kiddo?" Raph whispered to Machi, pleased to see her face was smooth once again. She nodded in return and waited for Leo to dry off before bolting forward to happily hug him.

Leo scooped her up and smiled as he felt her arms tighten around his neck. Then, without saying anything, he wrapped an arm around Akito and dragged him into the hug as well. Akito didn't hesitate to return the affection and was quickly shushed by Leo as he tried to apologize.

"Leo!" Donnie said, rushing into the bathroom. His machine downstairs had signaled that Leo's brain waves had changed, but Donnie had expected to find a malfunctioning sensor band, not an awake and already standing Leonardo.

Mikey charged into the back of Donnie, having quickly followed their genius brother in order to so see what would cause him to so frantically appear out of his lab and rush into Raph and Leo's apartment.

"You're up!" Mikey said, pushing past Donnie to join the group hug.

"How can you be up?" Donnie asked, still staring at a Leo who looked as though he'd just had a peaceful rest and not a medically-threatening coma.

"This is so awesome, Leo," Mikey said, practically jumping up and down even though he still had his arms wrapped tightly around Leo, Akito and Machi. "You kick coma ass!"

It was habit for Master Splinter to reprimand his sons for boisterous cursing, although even he had to admit, Leonardo did appear to have kicked this coma's ass.

"You're pinching my arm, Mikey," Leo said with a grin.

"It just doesn't make sense that you're already so awake. And upright," Donnie said.

"Then adjust your arm, Leo," Mike said, "cause I'm not done huggin."

Leo could only laugh as he released Akito and set Machi down on the ground, forcing Mikey to step back as well. He was quickly embraced again, though, as Raph wrapped his arms around Leo from behind and rested his head on one of Leo's shoulders.

"Nicely done," Raph whispered to him.

"You were the mastermind," Leo murmured back to him. He had other things he wanted to say to Raphael, sappy things about the strength and brightness of Raphael's life force. How easy it had been for Leo to follow him. How much he dearly loved Raphael. But for now he turned to their kids and said, "Your pops and I just had a very interesting meeting. And we have a lot to share with the two of you."

"Hold it," Donnie said, throwing his hands up in exasperations. "You," he said, pointing to Leo. "Downstairs. My lab. Right now."

"Donnie, I feel great, really, and - ,"

"Now, Leo," Donnie said in the doctor tone of voice that everyone knew to obey. And obey quickly. He watched Leo sigh in defeat and turned to lead the way downstairs.

The rest of their family had been extremely pleased to see Leo appear out of his room and he grinned at them as he followed Donnie out of the apartment to head downstairs. It also served as their cue to give up the vigil they were keeping in Raph and Leo's main room and go home to get some rest. Master Splinter settled himself down on their couch, though, and patted the cushions next to him for Akito and Machi.

But Casey had followed the turtles down to Donnie's lab and asked Raph if he could talk to him while Leo sat through an examination. Casey had called Mona while they'd been waiting to see why Leo was still unconscious since Akito and that rabbit had woken up without issue. He knew something had happened between her and Raph back at the garage and he demanded that she tell him what had been said. Now he wanted to see how angry Raph was.

Raph agreed and moved to one side of the lab before leaning on a lab table where he could still see Leo. He watched as Mikey spun himself around on a stool in front of Leo and chirped away about something while Donnie hooked Leo up to a machine.

Raph spoke before Casey had a chance, though. He figured April should've been there too for this, but maybe Casey deserved to hear it from him first.

"I'm quittin the garage, Case," he said.

Casey's eyes widened. "Raph, no," he said. "Look, I know Mona has a big mouth - ,"

"It's not her, Casey," Raph said, cutting him off.

"Mona is temporary, though, ya know? We get caught up and she's gone and everything will be back to normal."

"It ain't Mona," Raph said.

Casey's eyes shifted away from Raphael. He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "Look, I know this whole thing was scary but Leo is gonna be fine. I mean, look at him. He's not gonna need ya around to babysit him while he recovers."

"I had already decided this before Leo's coma," Raph said. "Leo is becomin more active in the patrols and he shouldn't be out there without someone watchin his back."

"He's got a fleet of ninja!" Casey said, throwing his arms up. "We've been partners in the garage for a - ," he quickly tried to do the math in his head before giving up, "- a long time!"

"Yeah," Raph said with a nod, "but you know I've been partners with Leo a lot longer. And if he's gonna be out there, I need to be out there with him."

Casey huffed out an aggravated noise. One misfortunate patrol where Leo gets himself hurt and Raph was ditching him. He glanced at Raphael, knowing he couldn't say that thought out loud.

"We ain't teenagers anymore," Casey said finally. "Why does he have to be out there? He's got a slew of younger ninja to do the job."

"Call it on-the-job trainin," Raph said. He tipped his head at Casey and grinned. "I can't believe ya just said we ain't teenagers anymore. Yer really givin me shit for patrollin? What would vigilante Casey Jones say to you right now?"

"Don't make me laugh," Casey said, crossing his arms as he suppressed a grin. "I'm mad at you."

"I will miss workin with ya in the garage," Raph said.

"Stop, you'll make me weepy."

"Shut up."

"Ya leavin me yer tools?"

"No way in hell."

Casey rolled his eyes before glancing over at Leo again. He missed his teenaged vigilante years. He always boasted that he worked best alone, but in truth, some of his best memories were running around the city with Raphael. And even though Raph had his brothers, Casey had always felt like he was Raph's best friend. At least until Raph and Leo had gotten together. And there was just no competing with Leo. Just like right now. It looked like Leo had won again.

"Mona's right you know," Casey said, quietly, shifting his frustrated expression away from Leo. "Leo does get you all the time as it is and now he's literally gonna get you all the time." He watched as Raph frowned at him. "Look, ya know I respect Leo as this family's leader, even though most families don't have designated leaders," he murmured. "But Leo and I ain't exactly friends," he said with a shrug. "And I don't see how you and me are gonna stay friends if you quit the garage to hang out with Leo all damn day."

Raph crossed his own arms and stared down at the lab floor for a moment. He didn't appreciate the Mona comment, but he could see some truth in Casey's concern.

"We'll still live right next door to each other," Raph offered. "Our daughters are best friends. We're still family." He watched as Casey shrugged his shoulders, clearly not convinced.

"Alright, Raph," Donnie called over to him.

Raph squeezed Casey's shoulder as he passed him, and Casey sighed as he watched his old friend rush back to Leo's side. He slipped into the stairwell quietly and headed upstairs to his own apartment.

"He check out okay?" Raph asked, linking his fingers through one of Leo's hands.

"Strangely yes," Donnie said. "Apparently modern science needs to be made aware that you can meditate your way out of a coma."

"Donnie's just mad because his big brain and fancy machines can't explain this," Mikey said and laughed as Donnie ducked away from the finger he tried to poke into one of Donnie's temples.

"I told you, I feel great, Donnie," Leo said from where he sat.

"I'm glad, Leo," Donnie said.

"Stop pouting," Mikey said. "Just be glad that Leo is okay. And hey, if you want a second opinion, he can just come back tomorrow!"

"It's not funny, Mikey," Donnie said.

"Come on, D! If we didn't have humor, what would we have?"

"Ulcers," Donnie said, letting a grin reach his face as he relented and slung an arm around Mikey's shoulders. "Probably ulcers."

A/N: When I originally posted this, readers were crazy amazing when leaving reviews - and I appreciated each and every thoughtful note. With that in mind, I felt like I had to leave a little personal rationalization for this chapter, mainly because I knew it went against what some people thought about Leo being in a coma for so short a time

I called them, "Team Donnie"

I was definitely building the story up to Leo being in a coma, mainly because I had to come up with a way for him to have a little face-to-face heart-to-heart with the fox parents. But I had no intention of leaving him in a coma. And although it may not be medically-sound reasoning, I do feel like if anyone could force his brain out of a coma, it would be the king of meditation, especially with Raph's help. Plus, they're mutant turtles, so they heal faster, amiright?

And since I've got plans for them, its time for Leo to get back up and "walk it off". The shorter the coma, the shorter the recovery period and all that.

But maybe we should all just take a moment and be thankful I'm not a doctor.