A/N: Well, here is next chapter. We are nearly complete. Thanks to everyone that has read and reviewed and stuck with me this long ;) Thank you Leo112 for your help.

Casey may seem a little OOC again, but I still think the guy is pretty smart. (sometimes):)

(flashback and thoughts in italics)

If I owned them, Leo would be mine...all mine! *evil cackle*

Chapter 21: Scars Too Deep to See

He was drowning. The darkness oozed around him...smothering.

He was drowning.

He drew in a sharp breath and opened his eyes. The frozen blackness of the small cell smacked him in the face. His breath fogged around him, but he couldn't see it. His mind was trying to focus through the drug induced cloud that constantly hung over it.

The cell door opened with a loud creak and slammed against the wall.

It always happened this way. They never let him fully regain his senses.

He was surprised when they grabbed him and roughly pulled him to his feet. They jerked his bandanna around until it covered his eyes and led him out the door. He tripped and stumbled as he tried to keep up with them. He knew that he was either going to Saki's chambers or to Starcher's lab.

He was thrown on metal table and strapped by the wrists and ankles. Starcher's lab.

The thick leather straps were replaced by metal ones. When a cold metal band was slipped onto his head, he knew something was different. Gloved hands adjusted his bandanna and the starch white lab slowly came into focus.

"How are we feeling today, Leonardo?" Saki's voice came from somewhere to his right.

Starcher was hovering over him, his beady eyes amplified behind the coke bottle glasses. Starcher's assistant stood to the left, next to a red switch.

Leonardo remained silent.

"I'm going to ask you again, Leonardo." Saki came closer, into Leo's view. "Do you want to make a deal with me?"

Leo slowly shook his head.

"It is simple. One of your brothers, or that rat and I will set you free." He snapped his fingers. "Just like that."

"No."

A leather strap was shoved into his mouth and before he could react a surge of electricity ran through the metal bands on his wrists, ankles and head. His whole body convulsed, the leather strap prevented any screams from escaping his mouth.

It seemed like an eternity. Finally Holstein turned the switch and the electricity stopped. The strap was removed from his mouth.

"Well? Are you still going to refuse my generous offer?"

"Family. Safe. All. That. Matters." Leo barely managed to rasp out between deep breaths.

"You are foolish, Leonardo. They are not your family. They gave you up. They don't love you."

"I love them."

The strap was shoved back into his mouth and the electricity surged again.

When it stopped Saki was standing over him. He removed the leather piece.

"I am through playing games! Chose!"

Saki was surprised when a gob of spit splattered on his face.

"Go. Straight. To..." Leo sentence was cut off by a hard punch to his already swollen jaw.

Saki wiped his face and motioned to Holstein. The last thing Leo saw was Holstein flip the switch.

And then white, hot nothing.

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It was another day before Leo showed any signs of waking up again. Mikey was sitting with him when he started to stir.

Leo felt like he was dragging his limbs through quicksand. Everything ached...but something was different. A soft pressure was on top of him...warm He hadn't been this warm in a long time.

He didn't feel the need to shiver from the bitter cold that had been constantly pumped into the cell and the fevered chills no longer racked his body.

He felt almost...comfortable?

He moved his fingers across the soft cotton, no harsh metal under him. He shifted his head and instead of a grating sound of bone on rough rock he heard the rustle of a down pillow.

He tensed suddenly when he heard something shuffle beside him. "If I lay perfectly still, maybe...." his mind wandered. He didn't want the warm feeling to go away.

"Leo?"

His baby brother's voice came through the murky cloud over his mind.

"A trick...can't trust...."

"Leo, bro, are you awake?"

He sounded so worried, not like the images before. He wanted to trust. He want to see his family again. But this wasn't right.

"Was it?"

His eyes blinked and cracked open. The fuzzy image of his orange banded brother slowly came into focus.

"M'key?" His voice barley over a whisper.

Mikey's smile spread across his face.

"Hey Leo! We've been so worried."

Leo's gaze wandered around the room.

"Where?"

"Donny's lab...uh, home. You're home, bro."

Leo's eyes wearily met his brothers.

"Why?"

Mikey's brow wrinkled. "Uh, what do you mean why? You're our brother, Leo. No way we were leaving you with Shred-head!"

Leo tried to take a deep breath and he closed his eyes.

"N'the deal." He shook his head slightly.

Mikey's smile faded. They had all talked to Leo while he was unconscious. Explained to him what really happened. But apparently it fell on deaf ears. He either couldn't hear them or didn't want to hear them.

Mikey swallowed thickly. "Leo, what happened wasn't..."

His explanation was interrupted by Donatello walking into the room.

"Leo! You're awake!" Don smiled as he quickly approached them.

Leo blinked in confusion. His question still going unanswered.

"Mikey, could you go fix some chicken broth for Leo?" Don asked.

"Right...yeah." He hesitantly walked to the door. As he passed Don he whispered, "He still thinks that there's some kind of deal."

Don sighed and nodded his head slightly. When Mikey exited the lab he turned to Leo.

"Do you think that you could eat something?"

Leo shook his head. "D'nt wan an'thing."

"I understand that not much makes sense right now. But I can explain everything."

Leo narrowed his eyes. "The deal? If I'm here....I-I don't understand."

Donatello was going over what to say in his mind. How was he going to explain?

"The deal was false," Don started but stopped when Leo's eyes widened. He followed Leo's stare to the doorway.

Raph.

Leo scrambled to sit up. He drew in a sharp breath when the stitches pulled and his body protested every movement. His head throbbed like it had a bass drum in it.

"Leo, it's OK..." Don put his hand on Leo's shoulder. He removed it quickly when Leo recoiled from the touch.

"Wh-what do you want from me?" His hoarse voice raised a bit. "You were safe!" he said in between breaths.

"I don't understand!"

Raph knew he was distressing his brother. He quickly backed out of the lab, only to run into Casey.

"Where ya goin'?" Casey raised an eyebrow.

"Don's trying to get him calmed down...I just make it worse." Raph tried to push past his friend.

"He deserves to know the truth." Casey blocked Raph's retreat.

"Ya don't think that I know that?" Raph spat.

"From you." Casey crossed his arms.

"I-I can't. He won't believe me." Raph shook his head.

"Talk to him," Casey urged. "I have an idea. Just go in there and talk to him." He spun Raph around and pushed him toward the lab.

"Wow, two ideas in a row, Case. You're on a roll." Raph rolled his eyes and stumbled into the lab.

Don was doing his best at explaining everything when Raph walked up to the bed.

"It wasn't Raph," Don said and he pointed to his red clad brother. "He was with Casey."

Raph nodded. "You know I would neva' do that, doncha bro?"

"I thought that I-I did." Leo breathed out slowly.

Raph turned suddenly when he felt someone walk up beside him. Leo's breath hitched.

Another Raph.

"Wh-what's going on?" Leo's voice cracked in panic.

The Raph touched his belt and the image faded into Casey.

"This is what you saw," Raph explained as he handed the device to Don. "It wasn't me at all. It was foot tech."

"This is the last imaging device," Don said as threw the metal disk down and crushed it under his bo.

"Do you understand now?"

"H-how do I know that was the last device? What if you aren't real?"

Don bit his tongue. He wanted to say trust. But Leo's trust was as crushed as the device.

"We'll just have to show you that we are real," Don said. "Slowly build your trust back in your family."

Don smiled sadly when he noticed Leo's eyes starting to slide shut.

"Get some rest, bro. We'll be here when you wake up." Raph whispered.

"One step at a time." Don said.

Raph and Casey nodded as they watched Leo's breath even out and he drifted to sleep.

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More to come.....