A/N: One of the things I always liked about the 87 Leo is that he makes mistakes. He's not as aloft (if that's the right word) as other versions. He's more on the same level as his brothers.
Leo watched Samantha work the small needle in and out of his skin. He was still a bit surprised at how good she was at it. But it seemed necessity was the best teacher. He tried again to catch her eye, but she was diligently ignoring him. She'd been very quiet when they'd arrived home and she'd seen his arm. She didn't ask how he got it. And he wasn't sure he wanted to tell her. Her father had caused her enough pain.
Finally, she tied off the fishing line and set the needle aside to wrap his forearm in a clean white gauze. When she was done, he gently lifted her chin. Her blue eyes finally met his and he could see the fear that was just behind her gaze. "It was an accident. I should have been paying better attention."
His statement did not make her feel any better. In fact, it made her fear grow. She caught his hand that was still under her chin. "Leo…I…" She sighed, not knowing how to put her feelings into words. She knew they were skilled ninjas, Leo in particular. But it did not stop her fear. It had been the same when she and Joey had been teens. She knew he could hold his own, but it still scared her every time he walked out the door.
"I'm sorry. I should have been more careful." He reached out to draw her close and nuzzle against her cheek. "We can take a walk, if you want." He rubbed his thumb over her ring.
She let out a shuddering breath at the suggestion. A part of her really wanted to, but another was still trying to work out exactly how she felt about what had happened. Maybe that's what I need though. I need him to remind me that he is here with me, safe and sound.
"Hey." They both jumped, finding Rocksteady standing over them. He frowned at the little ring on his sister's hand that Leo was touching. He was beginning to feel like they were keeping something important from him. His frown only intensified as he turned his gaze to Leo. "What did ya mean out there, sayin' Sams was your responsibility not mine?"
Leo frowned as well, not entirely sure how to answer. He decided to give as truthful of an answer as he could. "Just what I said. You don't have to worry about being responsible for her, because I'm here now." Sams lowered her eyes. She couldn't meet her brother's probing gaze at the moment. Currently her emotions were all over the place. He'd be able to tell it wasn't the full truth right away.
Leo's response only made Joey more suspicious. He snorted. "Of course she is! She's my sister!"
Leo blinked at him. "Yes, but I'm her…"
Joey's eyes narrowed. "You're her what?"
Sams cleared her throat making them look at her. "First off, I am sitting right here. You don't need to talk about me like I'm not. And second off, I don't need anyone to be responsible for me. I am quite capable of taking care of myself."
Leo flinched at her admonishment. "I'm sorry, Sams. I didn't mean it like that."
Joey, however, had not been diverted off his target. "You're her what!"
Sams glared. "Joey-"
He glared right back. "No! Let 'im answer!" He put a meaty fist against Leo's chest. "What were ya gonna say! Tell me!"
Leo felt his own hackles rise as he stood from his chair. But Sams stepped between them. She glared up at her brother. "That's enough!"
Joey's eyes narrowed on his sister. He pointed a finger at her. "You're hidin' somethin' from me! I wanna know what it is!"
Behind her, Leo growled at the mildly threatening action. "Just drop it!" Sams told him.
Rocksteady's gaze had returned to Leo though. "Tell me turtle!"
"Joey!" Sams protested.
He shoved her aside to get in Leo's face. "Tell me or I'm gonna pound it outta ya!"
The ninja worked his jaw, trying desperately to keep his temper under control as he watched her stumble a few steps back. "You've got a lot of nerve-"
"Stop it!" Sams grabbed her brother's arm to pull him away.
He swung his arm back and she fell on her bottom with a little "umph." Leo's eyes widened and then narrowed. "Don't treat her like that!"
Rocksteady'd had enough. He grabbed Leo by the neck. Leo growled, instinctively throwing a fist into his opponent's gut. Joey gave a grunt, but his grip didn't loosen. The blow only made him angrier. He pushed the turtle back into the wall. Leo pushed him back, making sure he wasn't cornered.
By now their argument had drawn the attention of everyone else in the lair. Raph came charging through the door. "What's goin' on!" He was just in time to see, Rocksteady grab Leo by the neck again.
Sams jumped back to her feet and rushed towards the pair. The two were scuffling again. Leo kicked Joey away from him. As he did, the chain around his neck snapped. Joey raised a fist to nail Leo between the eyes. In the same moment, Leo gave a cry of warning to his spouse. "Sams!" She'd made it back to them just in time for Joey to raise his fist. He inadvertently elbowed her right in the side of the head.
In the seconds that followed, Raph and Mikey tackled Rocksteady and Leo lunged forward to catch Samantha as she fell. Donnie was a beat behind him, helping break her fall.
Joey gasped as he was pinned against the wall. He wasn't entirely sure what had happened when his elbow had connected with someone behind him. Now his sister lay cradled unmoving in Leo's arms. The turtle raised furious caramel eyes to glare at him. "You want to know so badly! Open your hand!"
Joey looked down at the chain he'd snatched from Leo's neck. Slowly he opened his hand. In the center of his palm was a little gold ring that matched the one Sams was wearing. His eyes widened as he lifted them to meet Leo's. "I'm her husband!" Leo growled.
Joey's mouth hung open, a mixture of disgust, horror and disbelief crossing his features. "You mean you two…?" Raph and Mikey released him as he sank to the floor against the wall. He shook his head, trying to process what he'd just been told.
Across from him, Leo had turned his attention back to Sams. She still wasn't moving. "Come on, Sweetheart, open your eyes." A knot of worry grew in inside him. He looked at his brother. "Donnie?"
Don pried one of her eyes open. He frowned. "She's got a concussion." He glanced over his shoulder at Joey. "You must've hit her pretty hard." He looked back at Leo. "She may be out for a while. We'll need to keep an eye on her."
Leo stood, holding Sams in his arms. He shot Joey a hard look before turning to leave.
"Wait." Rocksteady stood and everyone tensed. The three brothers watched him closely as he took the few steps between him and Leo. "Here. This is yours." He offered the chain to him. Leo opened one of his hands and he set the chain in it. Then Leo walked away with his sister clutched in his arms. Joey turned without a word and left the lair. Splinter watched him leave with a touch of concern.
But his attention quickly returned to the situation at hand. He followed Leonardo as he entered the bedroom area. He watched his son gently lay Sams on his bed and sit beside her. Splinter turned to his other three sons, who had also followed. "Raphael, please bring a bowl of cold water and a clean cloth."
"Yes, Sensei." Raph hurried off to get the items.
"What happened?" Don asked as he stepped closer to the bed.
Leo let out a deep sigh. "He figured out we were keeping a secret. He wanted to know what it was."
Mikey frowned. "The same secret you were keeping from us. That you two somehow got married."
Leo didn't look up from his wife's motionless form. "Yeah."
"That's really uncool, dude! We're your bros! You should've told us!" Mikey looked at Donnie beside him. "Right?"
Don frowned, averting his gaze. He'd figured it out some time ago. "I'm sure Leonardo and Sams had their reasons for keeping it quiet." Leo glanced his way, meeting his eyes. Don had assumed that if they wanted to keep it secret there had to be a good reason for it, so he hadn't said anything.
Mikey's brow bunched. "You knew? Did he tell you?" He felt a bit hurt by the idea that he'd been left out on purpose.
Don shook his head. "No, he didn't have to."
Raph arrived with the bowl of water. Splinter took it and stepped up into the alcove to sit on the other side of Samantha. Leo watched as he rang the cloth out and laid it on Sams' head over the growing knot. He sighed. "We were trying to avoid this." He waved a hand indicating their current predicament.
Splinter looked up at him. "As noble as your intentions may have been, I believe you have gravely injured Joey's feelings. It might be wise to go after him before he reverts to his old ways."
Leo shook his head, his eyes on his wife again. "No, I can't leave Sams."
"I can go get 'im." Raph offered.
Leo shook his head. "You'll just antagonize him more, Raphael."
Don frowned. "I think we should let him be for a while. It'll give him a chance to think things over and calm down some."
Mikey nodded. "I think Donatello's right. I know it's a big shock to him. It is to me anyways."
"Very well. But I do caution you against leaving him alone for too long. You might very well cause the damage that Samantha was trying to prevent." Splinter stood to face the others. "It has been a long night. I suggest you all try to rest."
Leo didn't feel much like sleeping, his mind thick with worry and his heart heavy with fear. Instead, he pulled a chair up beside the bed, holding Sams' hand. How had things gone so wrong so fast? He and Sams had tried to not be overly affectionate in front of the others, especially Joey, as to not tip them off. But that had only been partially successful based on Donnie's and Splinter's reactions. It wasn't hard to believe Donnie had figured it out. Splinter had barely reacted to the outburst at all, which meant he already knew. It seemed only Mikey and Joey were kept in the dark. And the couple had wanted to keep it that way for a bit longer.
Guilt ate at him. This was his fault. One slip of a word had caused all this. Now, his wife lay unconscious and her brother had taken off to who knows where. He'd hoped when Rocksteady found out that they had made their relationship permanent, he would be more accepting of both him and the idea of his sister staying with him. But that apparently was not the case. His mind rolled all these things around over and over, which only made his guilt grow.
Every hour or so, Don or Splinter would come to check on Samantha to be sure she wasn't exhibiting signs of brain swelling or other symptoms that might suggest she was in decline. So far neither seemed to think she was in any immediate danger. It was late morning when Donnie came to check on her again. He found Leo staring at the ring on the chain in his hand. "You haven't put it back on?" He asked softly as he leaned over to open one of Sams' eyes and check the golf-ball size bruise on forehead.
Leo looked up at him for an instant, then back at the ring and chain. "I can't. He broke it." He lifted the clasp to show his brother.
Satisfied that Samantha's condition had not changed, he looked at the clasp. "I can fix it." He put out his hand for the chain. Leo frowned, but slipped the ring off it nonetheless and handed it over. Don gave him a weak smile. "I'll bring it right back, okay?"
Leo gave a small sad nod, his eyes traveling back to the woman he'd fallen so hard for. "How is she?"
"Nothing to worry about. She seems to be pretty stable. Since this is her second concussion we need to be vigilant though. But I have a feeling she'll wake up in a few hours."
Don started to walk away, but Leo spoke. "Thanks."
Donnie met his brother's gaze. "No need. She's family." He gave him another smile and this time Leo returned a weak one of his own. Don left his brother watching over his wife and headed for his lab. All the little silver chain needed was a bit of soldering and it would be good as new. It didn't take long to find his iron and make the quick repair. As he started back to the bedroom area, the phone rang. There were only a few people that knew their unlisted number and usually they didn't call unless there was something wrong.
Frowning, he answered it. "Hello?"
"Um, is Sams there?" A feminine voice asked.
"She's…sick. Can I help you?"
"Sick?" The woman sounded worried. "Oh, okay. I can manage without her. Tell her that I hope she feels better soon, and to take as much time as she needs."
"You must be her boss?"
"Yes, I'm sorry. I'm Katherine Muse. Are you one of Leonardo's brothers?"
"Yes, my name's Donatello. I'll let her know that you called. She may be out a few days though."
There was a pause and Donnie could hear the frown in her voice when she spoke again. "That's okay. Do you mind letting me know how she's doing though? I've grown very fond of her in the past month."
Don smiled at Katherine's genuine concern. "Sure, that's no problem. Does Leonardo have your number?"
"Yes, he should. Don't hesitate to call if she needs anything."
"Thanks, we won't. And thanks for calling to check on her."
"I was worried. Well, I'd better get moving. I have plenty to do. Goodbye, Donatello."
Don couldn't help the smile. It was refreshing to speak with someone so polite. "Goodbye, Katherine." When he returned to the bedroom area, he found Mikey and Raph up and milling around. He stepped up into Leo's alcove to return the chain. "Here." He passed him the necklace. "Sams' boss called."
Leo was already clasping the chain back around his neck. It had felt odd not to wear it even for those few hours. He frowned. "I suppose I should have called her."
"I told her Sams was sick and that it would be a few days before she came back to work. She seemed alright with it."
Leo smiled just a little. "Yeah, she's pretty nice. I met her the other day. And Sams said she has some kind of special tutoring program for kids."
Don raised an eye-ridge. "Really?"
"Yeah, I don't remember all the details." He turned his gaze back to Sams. "But I'm sure she can tell you when she wakes up."
Donnie squeezed his shoulder. "She'll be okay." He frowned at how tired his brother looked. "You should try to get some sleep. We can keep an eye on her."
Leo rubbed his face. He'd been up more than twenty-four hours straight now. But every time he closed his eyes, his fear got the better of him. What if she never woke up? What if something happened while he was asleep? What if she woke up and he wasn't there? The what-ifs were endless. But he wasn't sure how much longer he could stay awake. He sighed. "Okay, but I'm staying here."
"Fair enough, as long as you get some rest." Don watched Leo shift Sams over just a bit so he could fit on the bed beside her. He nuzzled her cheek and draped an arm across her. Within mere moments he was out.
Rocksteady had left the lair with no particular destination in mind. His intention was simply to get out of there. His chest ached with the knowledge of Sams' secret. How could she go behind his back and do something like that – something that important? He clenched his fists. This is Leonardo's doin'! I knew I should've gotten her outta there sooner! He came to a ladder and pulled himself up to street level. Then he started walking again. His feet seemed to have a mind of their own as he walked. Chewing on his bottom lip, he worried over Sams. He hoped he hadn't hurt her too bad. He hadn't meant to hurt her at all. Again that was Leo's fault, if he had just told him the truth things may have been different. Then again, they might have been worse.
It still irritated at him that his sister wanted to be with a turtle. Why couldn't she just be into normal guys! Sams had always been soft hearted – way too soft hearted for the streets. Her compassion had always been her weakness. She always gravitated to the ones no one else would even consider - the ones that were awkward or shy or clumsy or just plain different. He'd chased most of them away though. A little roughing up and the ones that were spineless took off.
Rocksteady sighed, finally looking up at where he was. He'd returned to his old neighborhood. It was nearly three in the morning but he knew one place that would still be open. Walking across the still quiet street, he pushed open the door to the Corner Pub. Several people looked in his direction, some of which he recognized.
The bartender squinted at him through his glasses. "Rocksteady? I thought you were dead."
Joey grunted at his old nickname. "Sorry to disappoint ya. Now give me a beer, Glasses, and shut up."
A/N: Well, that plan backfired... Review please!
