This one in English, the next one in Spanish

44. "You can't save everyone."

The walking back to the lair felt like an eternity. No one wanted to talk of what had happened. And the reason was obvious, Karai disappeared after having mutated into a snake. The four brothers followed their father. All of them felt that they had lost today, but from them all, the one who was suffering more for sure was Master Splinter, Leo was very aware of that.

His father had lost his daughter one more time, and it was all Leo's fault. He didn't stop Karai when he had the chance, and because of that, Splinter's daughter was now a mutant, a mindless mutant apparently… or partially mindless since she was able to recognize her father before scape.

Leo sighed. All of this was his fault. Why didn't he stop Karai? If he had did it, she wouldn't have escaped and being caught by Shredder. All this situation… that Karai was gone again… was his fault. He was the only responsible of what happened.

The lair appeared at sight, but unlike other times, to see their home didn't bring any of them a happy feeling, not when the most recent family member was missing.

"My sons I…" Master Splinter closed his eyes, probably considering what would he say next "you better go to sleep; it has been a long night and you need rest. Go quickly to your rooms."

"Hai Sensei." Answered the four brothers. None of them dared to reply to their father, not this night.

The four turtles headed to their rooms. Leo looked back at his father and saw how he slowly walked to the dojo, his ears were down, showing how deeply sad he felt with all what happened not even an hour ago.

All because Leo didn't stop Karai from leaving.

Feeling like a complete failure, Leonardo Hamato entered to his room to do what his sensei ordered him, rest.

Leo didn't know how much time he was tried to fall asleep, but it was useless. He just couldn't. Leo could hear his brothers' snores. But this didn't help him to sleep, not even a little. Guilty consumed him, and he needed to do something or he wouldn't be able to never rest again.

Leaving his room, Leo thought on go to the bathroom and refresh himself. He knew it wouldn't be enough, but it was a way to start.

While walking there, the turtle in blue saw light coming out of the dojo. Was his father still awake?

Come on Leo, of course he is! He has just lost his daughter again, how could he even think his father would be able to sleep after what happened?

Leo sighed. He tried to ignore it, but he knew he could only feel able to rest if he asked forgiveness to his father. He tried to do it before, just after all what happened while they were on the roof, but instead of answering him, Master Splinter just told them to come back home. Leo haven't received his father forgiveness, maybe… maybe because he didn't want to forgive him.

Leo shrugged. This idea was now consuming him, and urged him more than before to want his father's forgiveness. Taking a deep breath, the older brother, directed himself to the dojo. Slowly he entered in it and found his father there, holding the photo of his wife and his daughter. This only increased Leo's guilty to an unknown level.

"Is something wrong, my son?"

Leo jumped in surprise. How could his father notice he was there? But again, he was Hamato Yoshi, the best ninja that has ever existed.

"Wh- oh no Sensei, everything is fine." Leo offered to his father a tiny smile.

Splinter raised an eyebrow. It was obvious he didn't trust his son, but, being completely honest, Leo didn't even know how to start talking to his father.

"Then, why are you awake, my son?"

Oh shell…

"I…" Leo looked at the grown "Sensei, I just… wanted to apologize. All of this… all what happened has been my fault."

Leo closed his eyes. He didn't feel like he was worthy to look at his father. Suddenly, the older brother felt a hand on his shoulder, that made him look at his father.

"No, my son, that's not true." He assured him, but Leo didn't agree with his dad.

"Of course, it is Sensei!" Leo protested "If I had stop Karai, none of this would have happened, I could have saved her."

Splinter adopted a thoughtful expression.

"Yes, and no."

Here we go… Leo hated when his father said that.

"What? How can you say that Sensei?"

Splinter walked to where his family photo was. He stood there a few seconds, looking at his wife and daughter's images. Without looking at Leonardo, Splinter left out a sigh.

"My soon, since it's true that stop Karai may would have prevent her to be mutated today, I'm afraid her seek of revenge was too strong. Soon or later, she would have gone after Shredder."

Then the ninja master looked at his older son.

"My son, you can't save everyone."

"But Karai…" tried to insist Leo.

Slinter shut him down by putting his hand again on his shoulder.

"Leonardo, you can't blame for not having saved her, if there's one to blame, this one is me." He closed his eyes and frowned, as if he felt disappointed of himself. He opened his eyes again and looked at Leo with a sad expression "I told her to much, making her want more revenge than before. I am the responsible of having lost her, not you my son."

Here is when Leonardo realized. He came here wanting his father's forgiveness, but it wasn't Sensei who had to forgive him, Sense needed to forgive himself for what happened. He was blaming, maybe in a worse way than Leo was blaming himself.

"Sensei…"

Leo looked at his father, trying to make him see no one was blaming him for what happened with what happened with his daughter.

Master Splinter smiled at his son and after a little nod he cleared his throat.

"Leonardo, I have nothing to forgive you for, and we can't lose hope that we won't see Miwa again." He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, there was determination in them. "Also I trust Donatello will find a way to cure her. While there's life, there's hope my son, remember this."

"Hai Sensei."