"All right, all right," April said in a tired tone, waving her hands forward. "Up the stairs, there you go, get some sleep so I can get some sleep, please."

"Geez, Red, what crawled up your back?" Casey joked, getting a snicker from Raphael. His smile faded when April inched her face toward his, a stern and an unamused look scaring the young vigilante. "Uh, what I meant was, uh, g-good night!"

"Mhm, that's what I thought," April mumbled, watching Michelangelo, Casey and Donatello walk upstairs in that order.

Mikey was rubbing his light, baby blue eyes tiredly, yawning and stretching his arms up. He smacked his lips, his eyes failing to stay open as he climbed the staircase. He stood still for a minute until Casey bumped into him, telling him to keep going. Casey was sleep deprived and it was finally getting to him- the sudden need to sleep, the feeling of his eyes drooping down, the heavy weight the gravity forced on him. He was eager to flop down on a bed and just have it go lights out. He was tired of sleeping in the car he was working on- he never got a good night's sleep in it. Donnie trudged up slowly, covering his mouth while yawning. He and April exchanged looks, both smiling at each other. Donnie gave her a quick hug, wishing her a good night's sleep before catching up to Mikey and Casey. They all shoved their way through the small opening of the first bedroom, the sounds of arguing lingering behind the door.

April laughed to herself, walking away and into the living room. She was ready to retire. Even though she had pretty much done nothing all day, she was finally aware of how exhausted she had been. She brushed her teeth, gave her hair a quick brushing and combing and removed her headband and her wrappings on her wrists, throwing them on the little table beside the couch. She slowly closed her eyes, quickly opening them when she heard some grunts coming her way. Leonardo and Raph were helping each other in the living room. Leo urged Raph to sit first, leading Raph to his designated couch chair. Leo threw a warm blanket over Raph, rubbing the top of Raph's head quickly before going to lay on the long couch. He fell down onto it and let out a heavy sigh, one hand on his chest and the other hanging loosely off of the couch. He shot up when he heard footsteps racing down the stairs and towards his way.

"Leo, I just remembered that you said I could get a turn on the Leo pillow tonight," Mikey panted, a hopeful gleam in his eyes. "Is that offer still on the table?"

Leo nodded tiredly, waving his hand down toward him for Mikey to lay down on. Mikey smiled quickly and slowly laid next to Leo. Mikey topped his leg over Leo's and nuzzled close to his big brother, already absorbing Leo's heat. The two blue eyed siblings closed their eyes, both very comfortable and ready to sleep. Realizing that they had no blanket, Leo groaned, not wanting to move. He started sitting up, a little grunt escaping the youngest terrapin's lips. April quickly shot up and insisted Leo lay back down, covering the two with a long and fluffy blanket. Leo grazed his fingers over April's hand as a thank you gesture and quickly fell asleep. It was April's turn to get comfortable and sleep. She pulled the blanket she was sitting on out from under her and bundled up as she tucked herself in, nuzzling her head to the side of the couch chair. Her thoughts were racing, then the thought of sparring with Leo came to mind, then darkness.

*TMNT*

Donatello was walking through a loading dock, the sun just starting to rise. He went to the edge of the pier and sat down, his toes touching the cool water. The reflection of the sky in the water fascinated him- how the ripples of the water blended perfectly with the shape of the clouds and the bright orange/pink color of the sky complimenting it. His hands supporting him, his fingers hung off the side. It was warm. The kind of warm needed after a long period of storms or after a long while of nonstop sunshine. It was the kind of warm sensation that came from the thermal outside of a coffee cup that has slightly cooled down. The wind helping the ends of his mask dance, he felt at peace.

The dock started shaking, but it ceased. He was confused at first, but brushed it off when it stopped. When it happened again, it was more harsh and made him clutch onto the pier. He jumped up to his feet, his stance in a battle position. He raised his fists, considering the option that a vehicle was nearby or on the docks. He squinted his brown/red eyes, looking around. He started walking slowly back up the pier, deciding to go back into the sewers before any of his brothers or his father would notice he were gone until the shaking came back harder than ever. It threw him off balance so much that he was waving his hands around, trying to stay on the pier and not fall in the cold water. The shaking increasing, he slowly felt his feet come off of the wooden surface and turned around, facing what was coming to him.

"...up, please..." A voice warbled quietly, his skin feeling cold in an instant. Donnie furred up his nose, trying to shake off the coldness. He felt the shaking coming back, not as violent as he remembered from perspective. His eyes slowly started to open, the bright light making him wince. He lifted his hand up to his face lazily, trying to open his eyes more. He glanced to his right, seeing the color of a dull yet bright yellow with a heap of white. Donnie blinked his eyes quickly to better his vision and looked up, seeing a glass of water tipping over and threatening to spill on him. Instinctively, he threw up his hand and knocked the glass away from him, shooting up and gritting his teeth. He didn't know who bothered to wake him but he wasn't very happy about it, he felt as if he only slept an hour.

"Mm, keep your shell on, would ya? I'm awake now," Donnie mumbled grumpily. His vision cleared up and he faced the one who dared to wake him, his face flushing.

"Sorry, Donnie," April whispered. "I know you like your sleep."

"Uh, yeah," Donnie replied, yawning. "Uh, sorry about that. What do you need? Something wrong?"

"I need you to help me train."

"I thought I already did-"

"No, not spar against me again. I meant, can you help me get ready to spar against Leo? We're going to spar today."

"Today? Why such short notice?" Donnie saw April bite down on her lip. "Unless you just didn't train yesterday- April!"

"I know, I know- I should have, but I really need to practice, Donnie," April whispered urgently. "Please, can you help me?"

"Uh," Donnie sighed, rubbing his hand down his face. "I guess since you managed to wake me up, sure. Did you try to shake me awake?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh," Donnie paused, connecting it to his dream. "No reason. Let's get to work, I suppose. I'm gonna need something to pep me up, though, you don't wanna deal with groggy Donnie."

"I figured," April said, a mug in her hand, some fresh steam rising from the top. "So, I made you coffee."

Donnie smiled softly, taking it from her and sipping it carefully. "Thank you, April."

April shrugged it off, a tender smile on her face. "Ahh, no biggie."

*TMNT*

"Okay, you're going up against Leo." Donnie set down his fresh new coffee to the side, clasping his hands together. "Which is a huge deal. He's all about training and will do it anytime he can. He's very focused on learning new things about ninjitsu and trying his best to get what he's learned right. He is finesse. You, although, have an advantage on him- he is injured. You both are fully aware that this sparring session is supposed to help you become a better kunoichi, so the injury is acceptable to consider to be used against him if all looks unwell. What have you learned so far?"

"Well, I've learned to control my anger, I've learned to not always think of my every move, and I've learned that I need to improvise when all looks slim."

"Okay, that's good. Against Leo, that's very important. He's very skilled. Have you agreed on weapons?"

"We, uh, didn't get to that."

"Nonetheless." Donnie walked over to her and readied her in a position, setting her footing as it should be. "Okay. If you need time to plan a move, you can either jump back or block his blows. You know that already, right? So, let's see what you've got."

Donnie watched as April demonstrated the moves she learned and picked up so far, both back at home and from at the farmhouse. He was impressed when he saw her do a split kick, nodding his head in approval. She showed him the kind of blocks she learned, the 'sweeping off your feet' move, as Mikey liked to call it. When he saw it all, he practiced with her. He gave her a few pointers to help her out if she used them with Leo, and she quickly picked it up, as she was a quick learner. Donnie had no idea of the time, but if Leo wasn't awake by then, he could assume it was pretty early. The sun was barely up in the sky, so he assumed it was maybe 6 in the morning. Nonetheless, he practiced til he tired, making sure April wasn't so she wouldn't be too exhausted for the match. He sat down on the grass, wiping his brow and gulped down the rest of his coffee.

"Okay, that was excellent," Donnie panted, catching his breath. "Really good. You're prepared, April."

"Are you just saying that so you can go back to sleep?"

"No," Donnie laughed. "Although I still am pretty tired. But really, you've got nothing to worry about. You and Leo both know when to stop, so I doubt anyone will get seriously hurt."

"Yeah," April agreed hesitantly. Donnie sensed this, so he quickly looked up to her, confused. "I mean, what if I hurt his leg really bad?"

"You both know the risk. If he insisted it was okay, then it'll be okay, April. Don't worry."

"Okay, I know, I know," April told herself, waving her hands over her to help her breathe. "Should I go to sleep for a little bit or just stay awake?"

"Uh," Donnie raised his finger, then slowly put it down, chuckling bashfully. "You're not really talking to me, are you?"

"Huh?"

"I'm heading in for a nap," Donnie said, standing up and grabbing the empty mug. He mindlessly gave April a side hug, walking to the farmhouse. "You should, too."

*TMNT*

With Mikey's constant stirring, Leo couldn't do it anymore- he couldn't manage to go back to sleep. He didn't want to move because that would wake up Mikey, but he was extremely uncomfortable. 'Guess this is the con to being so comfortable,' Leo thought to himself, chuckling a bit. This made Mikey move again, so Leo quickly stopped, sighing heavily. Leo's eyes wanted so badly to close shut, but his mind was wide awake, so many thoughts bouncing around. The one thought that stood out- the uncomfortability in his leg. He looked down at his legs, seeing that Mikey had wrapped one of his legs around Leo's bum leg. He gritted his teeth, trying to keep in the discomforted groans from escaping his lips as he slowly tried to slide it out from Mikey's leg. Only managing to slide out his knee from Mikey's clutch, he again sighed, but frustrated.

"Anyone awake?" Donnie whispered loudly into the living room, hearing the sigh.

"Uhm," was all Leo could manage, trying not to groan. He sucked in quick breaths, trying to cease the pain. Donnie walked over, looking at the situation. "Uh, hey."

"Morning," Donnie said slowly, seeing the extreme discomfort and pain in Leo's expression. "What's wrong?"

"Leg," Leo whispered fiercely. Donnie looked down and let out a little grunt, grabbing onto Mikey's leg and slowly moving it to the side. Once it was off, Leo moved his leg around and lay it in a comfortable position, letting out a now relieved sigh. "Thanks," he yawned.

"Why don't you try to get some more sleep? It's only about half 'til 7."

"I would really love to, but Mikey keeps moving around. I don't wanna wake him." Leo rubbed his eyes, turning to his side. "Wait, why are you up so early?"

"April wanted me to help her practice- for your sparring session with her today."

"Oh, okay."

"Something wrong? Are you not feeling up for it today?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just want to sleep."

"Leo, we both know you- once you're up, you can't really go back to sleep."

"I know," Leo sighed, grabbing his head. "Stupid me."

"Tell you what, how about I make you some coffee before I go back to sleep?"

"Sure, Don," Leo said. "That'd be great."

Donnie yawned, walking into the kitchen and started up some coffee. He filled it up with water and closed the tap, setting it on the stove and turning up the fire to medium. He bent down and folded his arms on the counter, resting his head and deciding to rest his eyes for the time being. Meanwhile, Leo folded and linked his hands on top of his plastron, waiting for the boost of energy to come. He didn't want to be awake and feel groggy and tired, he wanted to feel at least wide awake. Leo smacked his lips, trying to distract himself as he waited patiently. Soon after, the coffee maker got hot enough for it to start whistling softly. Leo could hear it from the living room and wondered why Donnie hadn't turned off the fire. The whistling grew louder and Leo feared it would wake everyone else who was sleeping in the house.

When it reached its highest noise level possible, Leo couldn't bear it. He pressed his hands on the sides of his head. After minutes passed and it kept whistling, Leo groaned and slowly slid himself out from Mikey's grasp, feeling bad that he couldn't suffice to comfort Mikey for the rest of his slumber. He grabbed his wooden crutch and quickly went into the kitchen, turning the dial to "off" and catching his breath. He growled to himself when he saw Donnie knocked out on the counter, but realized that Donnie loves to sleep whenever he can, so he softened his stern expression. He shook Donnie's shoulder lightly.

"Hey, go upstairs," Leo cooed, realizing his voice was husky. "C'mon, Don, get up."

"Mm," Donnie mumbled. "I'm fine right here."

"Really. On the counter."

"Wha?" Donnie opened his eyes, looking up at a smug yet stern Leo, confused. He looked around and shot up. "Oh, shoot."

"I'll just make coffee myself, don't worry about it. Go sleep."

"Ya sure?" Donnie said as he was already making his way upstairs.

"Oh, I insist," Leo laughed. He heard some footsteps linger his way and saw a very tired Mikey, the guilt rushing back. "Oh, Mikey, I'm sorry."

"For what?" Mikey yawned.

"For leaving you there. Donnie fell asleep on the counter and I had to get up and turn off the coffee maker."

"Leo, it's no biggie. I slept awesome anyways. How about you."

"Oh, I, uh," Leo smiled innocently. "Slept okay. Want some coffee?"

"Mhm," Mikey smiled. "Who were you talking to?"

"Oh, Donnie. He was supposed to make me coffee but he, yanno." Leo laughed a bit.

"Oh, oh, yeah," Mikey smiled, rubbing his head. "My head hurts a lot, Le-Le."

Leo froze a bit when he heard Mikey call him that. He hadn't heard that since they were tots. He turned around and looked down, a little smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Why don't we get some ibuprofen for you, Mikey."

"Ewh, pills," Mikey groaned. "Don't we have anything else?"

"I don't wanna give you that medicine for when you're sick, 'cause you're not."

Mikey groaned as Leo pulled out the bottle of ibuprofen pills. Leo would have usually pulled out asprin, but Mikey didn't like taking it. Leo pushed down and twisted the cap, opening it and shaking it, letting one pill pop out. He sealed and put up the bottle, grabbing a glass of water for his little brother. Mikey sighed, holding out his hand for the pill. Leo slid it on Mikey's hand and watched as Mikey put it in his mouth, quickly grabbing the water and gulping it down. Mikey let out a heavy sigh, making a face at the distaste of the pill. Leo started making his coffee while he still could, putting in 2 spoons of coffee and poured some caramel creamer, taking a sip and letting out a satisfied 'ahh.' He glanced out the window and saw April practicing by herself, straightening his posture.

"Something crawlin' up your shell, bro?" Mikey asked, noticing Leo's quick tension.

"Oh, uh, not really, nah."

"Ya sure? You're kinda stuttering."

"Oh, it's just April and I are sparring today, that's all. I practiced the rest of the day yesterday and I still don't feel ready."

"You don't feel ready?" Mikey asked, baffled.

"Yeah, well. I don't know."

"I can help you practice, if you want, since we're both up."

"You don't have to, you should go back to sleep. It's early."

"Nah, come on! Some good ol' bro time oughta make you feel better, and we're training! You love me and training!" Mikey playfully punched Leo's arm multiple times, bouncing on his feet.

"Okay, okay," Leo agreed, smiling. "Let me just finish this coffee, okay?"

"Hurry up then, slow poke," Mikey smiled, running outside. Leo smiled, sighing and drinking his coffee. He hoped he would feel ready soon.

*TMNT*

Throwing punches, sending kicks flying, her body spinning in the air, April practiced every move she picked up and learned, the air her enemy at that moment. Little grunts and cries escaped her parted lips, her body feeling energized and in sync with itself. She tried the split kick once again, landing on her knees and palms on the firm earth, the grass brushing against her hands. She let herself catch a break, collapsing on the ground on her backside and spreading out her arms, buckling her knees up. She heard the front door open and glanced over, seeing Mikey step out first, then rushing back to escort Leo out. She sat up, watching as they walked around and settled in a part of the yard. She wondered why they were up so late.

"Hey, what are you guys up to?" April asked, walking over to them with her hand waving.

"Hey, April! Didn't know you were awake," Mikey said, smiling at her, his freckles complimenting his cheerful smile.

"Yeah, here I am," April smiled. "I'm wondering why you two are awake so early. Well, Mikey, mainly."

"Not like I'm here or anything," Leo joked, smiling playfully. April shoved him lightly.

"I heard Leo talking to someone and then I woke up. Man, is Leo a comfy pillow! Anyways, I'm helping Leo practice, for your sparring session with him today!"

"Oh," April said, glancing at Leo, whose eyesight was directed elsewhere as he rubbed his arm bashfully. "I thought you already trained yesterday?"

"Well, wouldn't hurt to practice a bit more, I always say," Leo replied, shrugging. "You're real competition, April."

"Oh my god," April said, stepping towards the leader. "Are you... scared?"

"What?" Leo baffled. "I'm not scared! I'm just, uhm, nervous, I guess you could say..."

"I'm just joking, Leo, calm down. I'm nervous too, don't worry. Just name when you're ready. We could spar now if you want? Just get it over with?"

"No, that's okay, I don't feel ready enough yet. Do you?"

"I suppose not. Guess I should keep practicing, huh?"

"Donnie told me you woke him up just to train. I think you should give yourself a break. There's still some hot water in the coffee maker if you want some coffee."

"I'll go do that." April headed for the farmhouse, looking back and watching as Leo and Mikey positioned themselves. The two blue eyed terrapins eyed her, both giving her a small wave before they started. She saw how swift and keen Leo was as he sparred, his blows and defense moves very effective. She forced herself to look away, not wanting to spike up how anxious she was. She yelped when a hand laid on her arm. "Wha- what are you doing up so early?"

"You look tense, Red," Casey replied, not acknowledging her question. "Something up?"

"No," she quickly answered. "It's nothing, really. Want some coffee since you're up? Why are you awake? It's not nice to ignore a question."

"Oh, sorry about that. I dunno, Don came in and he just fell on the bed, and it was loud, so it woke me up. I asked him why he was up so early, 'cause yanno Don doesn't really get up that quick, and he said he was helpin' ya train, and he asked, if you said yeah, if I could help ya if you needed it. And yeah, coffee would be cool."

"Well, Leo said I should give myself a break, I've been at it for a while. But when my little 'break' is done, sure, it'd be nice if you could help me. Seeing your face in the dirt would really boost up my confidence, Jones," April smiled, feeling smug. "Let's whip up that coffee for you."

"Leo's up? Is he trainin' by himself again?"

"No, Mikey's helping him."

"Mikey's awake? Wow, today is startin' off real weird."

"Today just feels long already, and it's not even noon." April poured the hot water into two mugs and made herself coffee the way she liked it. She asked Casey how she should make his, and when it was done, she handed him his mug, watching as his blank expression lifted with a satisfied grin. "You didn't try going back to sleep?"

"Eh, I tried to, but I felt like I slept for like a million hours in such a little amount. Ever get that kind of sleep? It feel awesome."

"Yeah, those are one of the best sleeps."

The two teenagers stood in silence, the only noises to fill it were the sips from each other. Casey tugged at the collar of his shirt, feeling somewhat warm. He cleared his throat and looked at April. One leg crossed over the other, an arm supporting her balance as she leaned onto the counter. Some strands of her hair falling in her eyes and the sun detailing her features, Casey's mouth formed a little comforted and warm smile. He sighed, sliding his hand through his hair. "So, April."

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to, uh, say sorry, for butting in on you and Don's talks lately."

"What was the deal with that, by the way?" April asked, intrigued of the conversation. She was so focused on her and Leo's sparring session that this event slipped her mind.

"I dunno," Casey shrugged, his mind troubling him. "It's just, I dunno. You know how me and Don argue a lot."

"Mhm."

"I guess my brain just wanted to see him mad? I don't really know. It was stupid, real stupid."

"You're tellin' me," a voice boomed, making the two teens jump and freeze. Raph poked his face in for a moment, a satisfied grin making Casey squirm. "Talk a little louder, Jones, I don't think I heard ya loud enough. Anyways, mornin'. Ooh, coffee!" Raph quickly made himself a cup and strolled out, glancing back for a moment. "Oh, carry on." Casey and April watched as he strolled out of the house, running over to his brothers.

"Right. Anyway," Casey continued. "I was a real, uh, dick. So, I'm sorry."

"Casey." April folded her arms. "It's okay, but don't call yourself a dick."

"Really?" Casey asked, startled. "It's okay?"

"You know you messed up big and hopefully you learn from it, so yeah. It's okay. So are you and Donnie on good terms now?"

"Yeah," Casey smiled. "We're good."

*TMNT*

Time passed slowly for everyone that remained awake, but soon it was afternoon. It was warm, the comfortable warm. Raph and Mikey were roughhousing, laughing and tumbling around as Casey laughed in amusement. Donnie finally rose and was talking to April, cracking a joke and informing her on how far he's gotten with his experiments. Leo stood a bit far, just taking in the beauty and the weird feeling of the day as he glanced at his family. His hands on his hips and feeling confident that he wasn't using his crutch at the moment, he leaned against the farmhouse, tilting his head down and closing his eyes.

"Hey, fearless, asleep there?" Leo jumped, his eyes setting on Raph. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"You sayin' that for my sake or are ya really?"

"I am, really. Feeling better than I did earlier."

"That's good, bro. But, April can kick butt. I mean, Casey has more dirt in his mouth lately than usual."

Leo laughed, shoving Raph playfully. "I know, she's gotten really well in her training, even without Splinter."

Raph sighed, looking down quickly so Leo couldn't see the flash of hurt on his face. He looked up, his brother's gaze to the ground. "Hey, it'll be okay."

"I should be saying that to you. You, Donnie, Mikey and April saw it happen. I have no idea. But I'm still hoping he's out there. He's gotta be."

"For this family's sake, I hope your gut is right. Listen, don't feel so nervous. You're still the annoying big brother I know. I gotcha up on your feet, didn't I?"

"Hehe, yeah, you did," Leo smiled. "Thanks, Raph. Guess I should keep this to myself, huh?"

"Look at the teacher's pet, learnin' so quick," Raph teased, giving Leo a little slap on the shell before walking away. Leo eventually followed, walking up to April. April and Donnie paused their conversation, both looking up at the terrapin.

"Hey, uhm, sorry to interrupt, but, I kinda feel up for it now, if you are."

Donnie looked at April, seeing that she was a bit worried. Donnie placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring nod. Inhaling sharply, April looked back up at Leo. "Sure, let's do it while we still feel like it."

Leo offered his hand out to her. April took it and grunted as Leo helped her up, both of them walking into an empty spot of the vast yard. Mikey perked up and sat next to Donnie, practically bouncing as he watched Leo and April distance themselves. Raph stood behind his two younger brothers, arms crossed across his plastron. Casey joined, just as excited as Mikey was, but he chose to not express it. Leo and April stared at each other for a while, feeling each other's anxiousness. April grabbed at her weapon airily, giving Leo a questioning look. They hadn't decided if weapons would be used. Leo nodded, wanting the sparring session to be as real for her as possible. He pressed his hands together and breathed steadily, easing his nerves. April gulped, slowly positioning herself into a battle stance, making sure her footing was firm. After a minute or so, Leo readied himself, waiting for her to make a move or to feel ready enough to make the move.

Just as he felt he should make the move, April was charging towards him. He was taken aback for a moment as she was so swift and sudden. He leaped back just in time before she could deliver a blow. He grunted, seeing that she was, in fact, very prepared. His gaze turned serious, ready to retaliate anytime. She grunted, charging again and managing to punch him on the shoulder. Leo balled his hands into fists, his knuckles popping. He raised his fists, his footing moving a bit every time April delivered a blow, which he defended himself with by an arm block. She decided to go for kicks now. She raised her leg and kicked Leo in the stomach area, making him stumble back a bit. She was a bit surprised that her blow was that effective but quickly collected herself.

Leo groaned, his knee starting to buckle on him. He moved it around, trying to not have anything hold him back. He decided just blocking wasn't going to get him anywhere or expand April's training, so he decided it was high time to strike back. April thrust her arm towards him, expecting to blow him. He grabbed her arm and threw her back, exchanging glances with her. They both nodded at each other, giving each other what they got. April jumped up and was ready to kick, only being thrown back as Leo raised his arm and blocked her and pushed her back. She came charging again, kicking him in the back of his shell. He leaped and bent down, kicking her feet from under her.

"That's the way to sweep her off her feet!" Mikey yelled, receiving a little look from Donnie. Raph cackled under his breath, giving his little brother a quick high five.

April huffed, standing up and reaching in her back pocket, pulling out her tessen. Leo was startled. She let out a little cry as she advanced, her tessen at the ready. She struck many times, some blows being blocked and others landing on his shell. She struck with much force on one try and managed to cut Leo some, hearing a hiss from him. He narrowed his eyes, finally charging towards her and landing a successful blow on her side. They were at it for a long time, only April using her weapon. Leo pulled out a katana and stopped her tessen from striking him, their weapons scratching each other. Such force was in their arms that their weapons slid off of each other and their weapons flew from their hands. Leo pulled out his other katana, swishing his katana around with no success (as he hoped for; he didn't want to harm her seriously) as she ducked and jumped away from the sharp blade.

She kicked her foot up and watched as she saw his other weapon knock out of his hands. Leo let out a heavy breath, deciding it was time for a kick. He leaped in the air and struck his foot out, about to kick April and send her down. She used both of her arms to block herself, and it worked. But, as Leo's leg's force and April's block force connected, it all went up his leg and into his knee, feeling the sudden and sharp, intense pain in his knee. He let out a loud scream, falling down. As by instinct, his hands wrapped around his leg and he let out pained noises. April quickly bent down to Leo's side, her breathing hard and heavy.

"Leo! I'm so sorry, are you okay?" April asked, afraid to touch the turtle. "Do you want to stop?"

Hearing the concerned cries from his brothers and knowing they were starting to get up, he pushed himself up enough to look at his younger brothers. He glanced at April, her hands hovering over him, and back to his brothers. Casey's mouth was wide open, his eyes widened as he slowly started to make his way toward him. Leo shook his head, gritting his teeth and digging his fingers in the earth. "No, stop," he muttered, his voice failing him. "Don't come over here," he said at a normal level, grunting as he heard the stampede of feet grow louder in sound. "Don't- I, stop!" Leo yelled, stopping them in their tracks. "I'm fine, I'm okay, just," he breathed, trying to collect himself. He raised his hand out. It was wide open and his fingers were spread out, signalling them to stop in their tracks. "I'm okay, I'm okay," he said loudly enough for them to hear. "It's fine."

"Leo? Leo!" Mikey called out, worried.

"Leo, you can call it if you want!" Donnie said, not wanting Leo to worsen his leg.

Leo heard footsteps approaching. He sighed, not wanting to repeat his words. He looked down and closed his eyes tightly, trying to settle his breathing. He felt a hand on his shoulder, then a little squeeze after. He refused to look up. He felt defeated by his own body, betrayed, even. He was at odds against his own form, his own body, and it wasn't doing him any good. He didn't know how much longer he could put up with it, how much longer he could deal with the demotion of his role as leader and a proper brother and friend. It was getting to him too quick, too soon. He felt the slither of sunlight fade away with the cold and brisk feel of a shadow. The grasp on his shoulder was big and firm. He knew it was one of his brothers, but he didn't know who.

"Hey. Remember what we agreed on. We can't push ourselves. Is this pushing yourself, or can you pull through this?"

"Raph, I don't know. I don't know," Leo whispered harshly, hot tears forming. "I honestly don't. What do I do?"

"Out of all the times I want to help you real bad, I can't, Leo. This is on you. Are you pushing yourself, or do you know you can do this without going over the edge?" Raph whispered, sensing that Leo wanted the conversation to be private, very private. "You have to answer yourself. But we're all here for you with whatever you decide."

Leo desperately tried to make his tears fade away without cascading down his face, and what seemed like forever, the tears went away. Raph started to rub Leo's shell soothingly to help him relax, hopefully. Leo slowly opened his eyes, looking down at the tightly clenched bundles of grass in his hands. He slowly loosened his grip, controlling his breathing. He slowly moved his knee around, seeing if it was okay enough to continue. With pangs of pain surging through it as he tried to move it, Leo bit down hard on his lip. He tried time and time again, waiting for the pain to at least lessen in the slightest bit. Leo raised his head a bit, but only to look at Raph, who was already looking down at him. His brother's bright green orbs gave him a little comfort, easing his tension.

"I can pull through."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Okay then." Raph stood up, holding his hand down to Leo. Leo sat up on his knees, fighting against the pain in his knee. He wouldn't let it stop April's needed training. He wouldn't let her down. He wouldn't let himself down. No matter how hard the internal conflict was, he was determined to fight against it for as long as he could. Leo grabbed onto Raph's hand, slowly standing up. Raph offered for Leo to slide his arm around his neck, but Leo refused, wanting to stand on his own. After he did, he glanced over at April, whose face was flushed. He walked over to where one of his katanas were and picked it up along with April's tessen. He walked back to her, opening her hand and dropping her weapon in it. She looked up at Leo.

"Leo," she said quietly. "We don't have to."

"You're getting a fair fight and winning by winning. Do not feel guilty."

April managed to have a little smile tug at a corner of her lips, closing and wrapping her fingers around her weapon. Leo looked back at Raph and nodded, making Raph smile. Raph walked back to where he was before and reassured his little brothers and Casey that all was well. Leo and April distanced themselves and soon charged at each other, weapons clashing, blows striking, blocks sending the other one back flying. While fighting externally, Leo fought internally, and it was as if it was the biggest fight yet. Time passed and April progressed quickly. She leaped and kicked hard, with all the force possible, at Leo's torso, sending him back and tumbling around in the dirt. Leo panted and looked at her from the long distance, a smile on his face. He stood up and put his weapons in his clothed scabbards in his belt, walking towards April.

"Congratulations, April. In no time, you're gonna be a great kunoichi. When Splinter's done teaching you all you need to know, I know you're gonna be great."

"Thank you, Leo." April wrapped her arms around Leo, hugging him tightly. She was thankful that despite the big challenge he faced against himself, Leo sparred against her until she defeated him. "Thank you so much."

"No problem," he replied, hugging her back, but with not as much strength as she was putting into it. He was exhausted, and the overwhelming pain in his knee was slowly creeping back up. He broke the hug and smiled at her, walking away. The rest of the turtles and Casey ran up to her, congratulating her and cheering her on, excited for her. Donnie and Casey both hugged her, which was quickly broken up by an excited Mikey, stealing their hug and actually getting a hug in return. Raph looked at her, giving her a proud smile. She smiled back, her attention again going back to the eager bunch.

While everyone was caught up in April's success, Raph watched Leo slowly making his way to the house, seeing that Leo's bad leg was stiff as he walked off. Raph's little smile faded, slowly walking to the house behind Leo. Leo made his way up the stairs, his hand clenching down at his leg. He practically jumped in the house and let out a loud grunt as he entered, quickly making his way to his chair by the fireplace and sitting down. He removed his knee pads as quick as he could and bent down, wrapping his fingers around his knee and rocking it back and forth. Cold sweat started forming on his forehead as he managed to swallow down the agonized screams down his throat, the only comfort being the fire.

"Get your hands off of your knee, Leo," Raph said firmly, looking down at Leo. Leo shook his head fiercely, his teeth starting to grind from such force of gritting in his mouth. "Leo, I'm not gonna say it again. Don't make me do it for you."

"Just wait, okay?" Leo asked, his voice raspy. "Just, hold on."

"I want you to hold on," Raph replied, making Leo confused. Leo looked up. "I want you to hold this heating pad on your knee."

"Shouldn't I wait for the pain to just go away or something?"

"Look, I'm no doctor or a genius like Don, but he isn't here right now. I'm just thinking of stuff that might help. That fire isn't gonna do you much."

"How'd you know," Leo started, grabbing onto the heating pad and pressing it down onto his knee. "That it was bothering me?"

"How you walked away. Stiff leg, your hands were all clenched and stuff. You're not the best at hiding that."

Leo looked into the fire, focusing on it. The pain was still almighty, but it was a bit lessened. Raph pulled up a stool and sat in front of his brother, just staring at him. Leo sighed a bit, closing his eyes and tilting his head down. Raph had a little frown tugged at the side of his mouth, not knowing what to do. He for sure wanted to help Leo, but he didn't know how.

"How about you?"

"What?"

"Your pain. How about your pain, Raph?"

"Oh. Not as bad as yours, I can say."

"Good."

"Feeling a bit better, Leo?"

"Yeah."

"Leg still hurt?"

"Mhm."

Raph knew that one worded answers were not a good sign. Raph stood up and headed back outside, leaving Leo alone. Thinking Raph was fed up with it, Leo buried his face in his hands, frustrated. If it was bad for him, it was worse for the others, he'd always think. And it seemed that it was starting. Raph saw that April and Casey were chatting, sharing a laugh, and his two younger brothers were separated. Donnie in his lab, per usual, but happy and satisfied, and Mikey messing around with his padded gear, adjusting it around. Raph walked up to Mikey and tugged on his arm gently, grabbing the youngest turtle's attention. Mikey looked up, expecting Raph wanting to roughhouse, so he jumped up and raised his fists, jumping side to side.

"Mikey, I need your help."

"Help?" Mikey questioned, ceasing his action. "With what? Are you hurting?"

"I'm really fine, actually. I feel almost like myself. But, never mind that. I need you to help me out with Leo."

"Why, is he okay? Did he fall or something? Oh no, I-"

"Lemme finish, huh? He's really bummed. Not about losing or anything, I know he's not doubting that and he's real happy for April. His leg is getting to him. Do you have any ideas on what we can do?"

"Uhm, we could help him try to make the pain go down?" Mikey shrugged, conflicted. "I don't know. I'm stuck."

"Mikey, he's doing one worded answers."

"No," Mikey whispered ghastly. "Oh, man. Uh, we could do the s'more thing? It made him really feel better!"

"Yeah, okay, we can do that. Get Don in on it, okay?"

"What about April and Casey?"

"They look like they're caught up in a real fun conversation. We don't have to bother them. They can come in if they wanna, but I'm not gonna make them. He needs us before he gets, like, real sad for a long time."

"Okay, I'm gonna go find the stuff," Mikey said, turning towards the house. "Hey Raph?"

"Yeah?"

"This is real nice of ya."

"Go on already," Raph smiled a bit, waving Mikey off. Mikey nodded, giving his hotheaded brother a quick smile before he ran off. Raph strolled inside the shack and walked behind Donnie, whose tongue was sticking out as he was in major focus. "Donnie."

"Wha- Raph! God, you almost scared me in my shell!" Donnie exclaimed, catching his breath. Noticing Raph's serious expression, he turned his chair around to face him. "What is it?"

"We need to help Leo."