Chapter Twenty-One: Grasping the Truth

When Leeanne came round she found she was no longer on the floor where she'd left herself but was lying back on a nurses trolley, a cushion cradling her head and a cool compress which smelt of herbs was resting on her forehead. Her now open eyes focused on the surroundings: she was still in the lab so looked around expectantly for Donatello, but he was no-where to be seen.

"Donnie..?" Her voice sounded croaky and her head ached.

"How are you child?" The voice arrived in such close proximity it made her body jolt with shock but she soon relaxed once she saw it was just Splinter"I found you in somewhat of a heap...over there" He indicated to the corner "Unfortunately Donatello has had to leave the lair for a while so my doctoring will have to suffice" His voice trailed off.

Leeanne was desperate to ask what Michelangelo had found and why he had looked so concerned; and she also wondered where Donatello had gone. The questions, however, remained in her head because she didn't know how to ask - conversation had never been her strong point. Whatever had happened must have driven them into action... She wondered if it was to do with Leonardo...

Closing her eyes again she took a deep breath.

Within her mind's eye she could see Leonardo in the Dojo, his movements fluid yet fierce, passing images, fleeting, the flashing of a blade and then a sharp pain on her upper arm. Then she remembered the feel of his solid thigh pushed up between her own much smaller ones, the intense blueness of his eyes as he watched her and the thoughts that had overwhelmed her, causing her body to push down in response. A flushing heat filled her face. How could she think such things? She wasn't a prude but the way he had switched on every part of her body by just being so close was an entirely new thing. Her last relationship was years ago, and up until that moment she had been quite content - sexless but happy.

"I think Donatello is going to have to multi-task" The voice of Splinter arrived beside her again "We must move out of the room. I don't want any one to be within looking distance of that machine"

Machine? She followed his stare to where that 'junk' had been sitting, the pile of odds and ends that she had peeped at. This time though it was no longer a pile and had seemingly morphed into something else entirely, and it was glowing.

"Come child" he motioned for her to follow; which she did willingly. Splinter closed the door behind them "Please sit whilst I contact my son. Do not make yourself uneasy, the door is fireproof, I would not allow for anything less" With that he disappeared, returning a moment later with a mobile phone. She almost found herself smiling and probably would have giggled had it not been for the sight she saw in the doorway.

He appeared to fill the space, his sheer size and presence making her swallow nervously as heat once again flooded her face.

His attention though was shifted far away from her, from this reality even. Was he even here? Surely not. If he was wouldn't Splinter be saying something?

She didn't really want to move just in case she disturbed him and yet she didn't want to keep watching. But for some reason, as much as she wanted them to, her eyes would not close so she put a hand over them and silently, in her head, she began to count to ten - it had worked before - in the bedroom - so she repeated the process here, hopeful for the same success, and then lowered her hand. Sure enough he had gone, she let out a breath she hadn't even known she was holding and felt her body relax.

Then, without warning, there were hands around her throat and she was pulled upwards in a violent move, finding herself once again eye to eye with her large green opponent. He pinned her up against the concrete wall, legs off the floor dangling. She couldn't breathe. Her head was tightening every second, like drowning, it must be like drowning... Where was Splinter?

"You need to keep your thoughts to yourself girl" Leo's tone was dark and bitter "Not all of us want to hear them" Spinning her around she was then face first into the wall, it's sharp grain digging into her skin but instead of two hands gripping her throat there was now only one, the left one had made it's way along the side of her body, ending up just below her hip. He sniffed her hair, following the line to her shoulder blade.

Then, without warning, he tossed her to the floor. The full force of landing knocking the wind out of her body. Nausea waved over her; a hand automatically clamping over her mouth..she couldn't throw up here..

Then slowly, through a blur of shapes she could make out Splinter coming towards her.

"You saw him, as plain as us sitting here now" Raphael's facial expression indicated that he was not convinced "And yet, dad, saw no-one, we saw no-one"

Leeanne didn't know what to say. Whatever she said would not make a difference; even Michelangelo looked doubtful.

Raphael huffed and got to his feet "When's Casey gettin' here?"

"He said as soon as he can" Donatello appeared uneasy as he emerged from the lab with Splinter "Leeanne, would you..?". He indicated to the interior. Now much steadier on her feet she got up and followed his lead inside. He leaned against the large desk on the opposite side of the room "Are you okay?"

"I suppose you think I'm crazy too?" She looked at the floor - fed up with accusing eyes.

"Not at all. I unlike my brothers, have a much more open mind when it comes to these things and I think Leo has gone through certain...changes"

She raised her head and met his gaze "So you believe me?"

"Oh yes...very much so. And I think that this little item has a lot to answer to" He jabbed a finger at the machine which was now housed in what looked like a glass box. Upon noticing her frown he continued: "It's a teleport. Came from...well, somewhere..else." He took a breath "Problem is, thanks to my little brother it was destroyed into nothing but a pile of parts and then now it's like this"

"I noticed that"

"Which brings me to this" He turned away from her and sat down in front of the keyboard "Come see" His fingers moved over the keys at speed. The screen flickered and then settled on a photograph of the very lab they were both occupying. She then saw herself. Her mouth slowly dropped open as she watched the item being fully assembled by her own hands. What the...?

"I..." she couldn't think what to say. How had she done that? She new knowing about electronics. "I can't remember.." On screen she collapsed into a heap.

"I thought you might not.." He cleared the screen and spun the chair round to face her "I wondered if you would mind accompanying me to the labs at Police HQ - they have better equipment than me - I could run some tests. If you'd permit me that is?"

Leeanne nodded.

Casey Jones was at that very lab looking at the results from the tests off the blanket which Donatello had bought in.

Not only did it contain DNA from one of the first victims.

It had traces from all of them.