A/N: Woohoo! Here is chapter 17 everybody! Thanks for all the comments so far! and to Shockeye7665 thanks for the insight, and don't worry, Leo ain't gonna drop everything just like that!

Without further ado, here is Chapter 17! WARNING: FEEL FEST!

I OWN NOTHING!

Enjoy!

Chapter 17

"But feelings can't be ignored, no matter how unjust or ungrateful they seem."

― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

"STAY AWAY FROM MY BIG BROTHER, KRAANG CREEPS!"

As Michelangelo charged once again headlong into the small yet heavily armed barrage of Kraang Droids, swinging his Kusarigama blade to impale enemies coming at him from every direction, he kept a discreet yet very close watch on the bemused, blue clad turtle still frozen where he stood near the mouth of the alley.

Though his swords were drawn and his stance was ready, Leonardo's normally cold, passive eyes were wide and his expression full of indecision and shock. And Mikey, though he didn't often understand a lot of things, he completely got why Leo was staring at him like that. After all, he would be surprised too if his so-called 'enemy' dropped in out of nowhere to save his life.

It had only been a few days since their clash with their newest mutant enemy, Dogpound (a name that Mikey was rather proud he thought of) and saved their home from being blown to smithereens. But despite their victory, and their fathers' admittance that he had been wrong in indirectly fuelling their fear of the Shredder, Mikey found himself unable to fully celebrate along with his brothers, even though he threw water balloons every so often to stay upbeat. He was still upset that they hadn't managed to find Leonardo; they hadn't seen him since the incident with Xever and Murakami-san, and it worried the youngest turtle, thinking that maybe he had gotten hurt or worse. However, it was on this night, during one of the brothers' regular evening patrols through the city, that Donatello decided that they would cover more ground if they split up.

That was when Mikey had heard the scream.

He had instantly recognized it, and without thinking or even calling his other older brothers, he dashed towards the source. To his relief and joy, he had found Leonardo. But to his confusion and fear, he saw that the eldest turtle was in a blind rage, ploughing through a Kraang assault as if they were nothing but insects, slicing through them one by one. Even several of the actual aliens themselves didn't make it.

What the youngest turtle witnessed had scared him. He knew that Leonardo must have lived with rage locked away inside him, but he never would have thought that he would ever unleash it in such a violent manner. And what made it more confusing was that when Raphael had revealed to the rest of them that Shredder was not the one who raised him, then who did?

And why had they allowed Leo to live on believing such lies about them?

His thoughts had been put on hold when he saw that Leonardo had become surrounded by Kraang, and that he was too tired, too outnumbered to continue fighting on his own. So it was with determined resolve that Michelangelo had leapt in to protect his older brother, to show him that he still cared about him…that he had always cared about him. He would protect him until his dying breath if he had to.

He wouldn't allow these brain freaks to take his brother away from him again.

"What you got, Kraang?!" Mikey taunted as he flew over their robotic heads, throwing them off course from his sudden rapid movement as he reappeared behind them, and using his Kusarigama blade, he slashed off their heads and watched with a mischievous grin as the creatures inside scrambled away. "What you got?! What you got?!"

It was during his one-sided banter that he had failed to realize that a droid had crept up behind him, its gun aimed directly at the back of his head. Mikey froze on the spot, his eyes widening to circles as he slowly turned his head around. He gulped as he heard the gun whirr in preparation to fire. "…uh oh…" he whimpered, and squeezed his eyes shut as he prepared himself for his untimely end.

The shot never came.

Hesitantly, after several seconds of silence, Mikey opened one eye, which was quickly followed by the other as he saw the robot crumple lifelessly to the ground, sliced in half from the shoulder to the hip, and the alien slid out of the alley in fear. When Mikey looked back up again, he let out a small gasp to find that his savior, Leonardo, was standing there, looking down at Mikey with an expression of indifference. Linking once, a smile slowly crept its way across Mikey's freckled features as he let out a sigh of relief. "Whew! Thanks dude!" he chimed.

However, Leo only narrowed his eyes, casting his glance instead to look behind the shorter turtle. "…Don't thank me just yet," he said simply, shifting his hold on his Katanas.

His smile faltering, Mikey blinked in confusion at first, but then he followed Leo's gaze and saw that there were still more Kraang leftover, with all of them aiming their laser guns and glowing 'zappy-sticks' as they drew closer. "…oh, right," Mikey muttered with a frown at their numbers, spinning his nunchaku as he stood shell to shell with Leo, both of them glaring down the aliens as they surrounded them within the alleyway.

And despite not knowing Leo's true intentions at this point, whether he was going to turn on him when the fight was over, Mikey was filled with a brilliant new sense of hope as he felt his brothers' shell backed up against his own. He cast a final glance behind him, looking up at the strong, now controlled form of the blue clad turtle, and he smiled again.

No more words were shared between them as they plunged into battle, together.

To say that the old tiger was not near frantic as the sound of his sons' terrified screams filled his ears, would be a disgusting understatement.

Though it was far off, Tiger Claw had heard the scream as though it were only mere inches away from where he stood, all the way on the other side of this vast, twilight city. He had essentially been on a wild goose chase in search for his missing young cub, who seemed to have simply disappeared off the face of the earth after he had leapt off into that alleyway. He hadn't been able to pick his scent clearly, meaning Leonardo had managed to mask it somehow; it was clever, but it did nothing to ease his fears now.

His cub was in danger. He was out in the city alone, and by the sound of his screams, he was utterly afraid.

Activating his jet-pack, Tiger Claw quickly took to the skies, zooming high above the city in search for his lost son. All of his highly attuned senses were on high alert, yet all he could smell was the usual pollution that filled the air, and all he could hear now were the sounds of cars, trucks, helicopters and humans about the streets, and at so late an hour. And as he flew onwards, there was still no sign of his child. He growled to himself as he picked up speed. This was all his fault. If only he hadn't been so careless as to let the boy escape his sight so easily. In fact, he should never have decided to bring him out of the lair and into the city in the state he was in. Of course all he had wanted to was to show his son that he was still there for him, that they were still as close as they had been when Leonardo was small, if not closer. And yet, even a simple game had turned into a desperate race to seek out and rescue the imperiled turtle from who-knows-what…and Tiger Claw had no idea where to start looking.

Perhaps he had gone back to Shredder's lair? Or maybe he was with those Purple Dragons? No, why would he scream like that if he were with them –

Another shout, closer and louder than before, rang through his sensitive ears and interrupted his train of thought. But it wasn't a shout of anger or fear this time. It was…

"BOOYAKASHAAA!"

What on earth? Was that supposed to be some kind of battle cry?

Moments later, he found the source of the battle cry, in an alleyway next to what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. Hovering high above, he spotted his blue clad son. He was standing in the midst of…Kraang droids?!

The Kraang were here as well?!

Wait, why should he be surprised? The Kraang could be everywhere for all he knew, probably all around the world, congregated together in their hidden bases and producing more and more mutants. The reason behind these senseless mutations, he still had no idea, nor did he have any wish to. But he would very much like to find out how on earth Leonardo had managed to find them in the first place.

He could gather from the purple splatters across his chest that his reaction upon finding his childhood nightmares in the flesh, that his reaction had been anything but pleasant.

However, what shocked Tiger Claw was not only was Leonardo not the only one fighting these creatures; there was another turtle with him, one wearing an orange bandana and wielding a pair of nunchaku that he flung about with immense flamboyancy. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that the little one was one of Leonardo's younger brothers. He had certainly grown a lot as well, hadn't he? He could only imagine what the other two must look like.

And even the sight of the second turtle didn't surprise Tiger Claw nearly as much as the sight of the two of the fighting the Kraang…together.

His brows furrowing in thought, Tiger Claw hovered himself over to the rooftop of the warehouse and crouched down low, watching the battle unfold as the two teenaged terrapins took out the remaining Kraang robots within moments. And as Tiger Claw observed them, he noticed that they seemed to have developed some kind of sensitivity between each other; one knowing where the other was and working in tandem with their strikes and movements. They appeared as if they had been doing this together for their whole lives…and Tiger Claw knew that wasn't true whatsoever, and yet it was happening before his very astonished eyes.

Perhaps there was a connection between them, rekindling from all those years ago in the present?

Now Tiger Claw was curious. Surely they would both be aware of what was happening amid them, and if not the younger turtle, then Leonardo would most definitely notice. So the question was, what would he do once their temporary truce was over? The only way to find out would be to sit patiently and wait to see what transpired. Despite the urge, he would not intervene no matter the circumstances.

This was Leonardo's battle to fight on his own, without the aid of his father.

With a sweep of his blade, the last Kraang went down with a crash as it collided with the dumpster at the side of the alley. The fact that there was no sound coming from the alien within the body told Leo that he had succeeded in killing that one as well. Letting out a heavy breath, Leo sheathed the katana that wasn't completely covered in the purple alien slime, and he turned to where Michelangelo stood over the empty body of a Kraang droid, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand and a sigh of satisfaction. As he watched him, Leo didn't try to fight the twitch of irritation that ran through him as he folded his arms over his chest after sheathing the other sword, not caring about the blood right now.

Why was he suddenly so calm and happy for someone who nearly got shot in the head? Was he really that cocky over a victory? There were probably millions of those creatures lurking around the city, and he was celebrating the fact that he'd just taken out a mere handful? What impudence.

Rolling his shoulders back and cracking his neck from side to side, Mikey gave the deactivated robot a final kick for extra measure, and then turned back to where Leonardo stood watching him, and Mikey grinned at him as he made his way over to his older brother. "Boy, we really showed those Kraang crud-balls, huh dude? We make pretty badass team, Leo!" he snickered, lifting his hand up. "Up high!"

Leo's eyes were narrowed again, but his expression was calm and cold as he stared down at Mikey, raising an uninterested brow at the gesture. Was he serious? He was aware that they were still very much enemies, despite this temporary 'team-up'. He was fortunate that Leo wasn't in the mood for any more bloodshed; he'd been through enough for one night.

When Leo made no move to return the 'high three', Mikey's smile fell completely as he slowly retracted his hand back to his side. "…oookay then," he muttered awkwardly, shifting his eyes to the side as he pressed his fingers together. Obviously he wasn't ready for that just yet, much to Mikey's disappointment. But now he was really confused; Leo clearly still hated him, and yet he had saved him from getting his brains splattered. And the week before, when he saved them all from Bradford, Xever and the Foot, he made it clear that it would be the last time he would help them, and yet here they were again.

What was his deal exactly? Couldn't he make up his mind? Did he want to be with them, or did he want them dead? Well, it wouldn't kill him to ask, would it? Well, it shouldn't, but just in case it did, he took a small step back from the other turtle as he finally broke the tense silence. "…um…so," he began, reaching up to scratching the back of his head nervously before he continued, "…why did you help me again?"

At the timid query, Leo's emotionless mask faltered a fraction as he blinked once in mild surprise. Come to think of it, why did Leo help Michelangelo exactly? Was it because of the fact that he felt that he had come to protect him, and that Leo had to repay that debt out of his code of honor? Was it because they both knew that unless they cooperated, neither of them would leave the battle unscathed or alive? Or was it because, as he watched the faster turtle fight his way relentlessly through the robots, and had seen that single one raise its gun to his head, that Leonardo suddenly felt an odd, yet overwhelming urge to protect him as well…? No, of course that wasn't it. He refused to acknowledge that whatsoever; the little lowlife didn't deserve that much from him.

Looking back to the younger turtle, who was staring up at him as he waited quietly (albeit with a bit of fidgeting that actually irked Leo a tad) Leo's frown returned. "…I don't have to explain myself to the likes of you, Michelangelo," he replied apathetically, planting his fists on his hips as he regarded the orange clad terrapin. "The real question here is why did you come to protect me? Not that I needed it, of course."

At Leo's unfriendly response, Mikey already felt as though he were a wilting flower, losing whatever hope he had left. But at the question, he lifted his head again, and a knowing yet sad smile spread across his face. "Don't kid yourself, bro," he said, disregarding Leo's somewhat irritated expression. "I heard you scream from a mile away. You were scared…and I knew I had to help you. I couldn't leave you here to fight all those bots by yourself, so I jumped in. I thought…I mean…"

Mikey worried the wrappings on his wrist as he searched for the right words. Finally, he looked back up at the azure turtle, his baby blue eyes wide, but full of insistence. "I would never let those creeps take you away again, Leo," he declared firmly, "I swear I'll keep you safe…because I care about you."

Leo stared at Mikey, his own eyes widened slightly at the utter conviction in his voice, something that didn't exactly fit with a euphoric turtle like himself.

He came for him because…he cared?

He blinked once, and suddenly an image flashed through his mind once again.

…Michelangelo suddenly tripped and fell to the ground. Leonardo was the first to notice as he skidded to a stop. "Mikey!" he cried, sprinting back to where his little brother lay sprawled out on the forest floor, and he quickly brought him back onto his feet, giving him back the stuffed bear and pushing him forwards. "Go, hurry Mikey, GO!" he yelled…

He let out a short gasp, his eyes snapping open again.

What was…was that the night they were heading for New York? When those things – the Kraang – had attacked them?

That's right. Leo was surrounded, outnumbered and outmatched, but Mikey had come and aided him…just like all those years ago, when Mikey fallen in the dirt, and Leo had gone back to help him up again...

But then they left him behind instead. They didn't come back for him when he needed them.

He suddenly scowled, bumping his shoulder hard into Mikey's as he strode past him, walking towards the fire escape. "You can cut the act, Michelangelo. You can't fix what happened in the past by reversing roles in the present," he spat, leaping up onto the first level of the fire escape above the ground, before turning back to look at the wide-eyed younger turtle. "…and for the record, I only saved you because the odds were against me; I knew I couldn't fight them all off by myself. It was nice of you to help me get rid of those…Kraang creatures for me, but our 'truce' is over. I'm letting you go for now, but when we cross paths again, this night will be forgotten. Understood?"

He didn't bother to wait for an answer as he ascended the remainder of the fire escape, flipping himself onto the roof of the building. He'd wasted enough time out here already; he needed to find Tiger Claw and tell him what happened, before he became his next chew toy.

Mikey watched as Leo ran away from him once again, vanishing over the rooftop without glancing back even once. He felt the start of tears pricking behind his eyes as he looked down at his feet, feeling helpless and defeated. He'd tried to talk to him, he tried to convince him, he really tried…but it seemed that he hadn't tried hard enough. Leo was gone again, and there was nothing he could do now to stop him from leaving…

Then Mikey's eyes suddenly narrowed as he lifted up a hand to wipe away the tears that threatened to fall, snapping his head back to look back to the rooftop.

No. Mikey wouldn't let him go so easily, not this time. Leo had to know the truth, one way or another. He had to come back with him and his brothers. And if he couldn't ask him to believe it, then he would make him believe it!

Gritting his teeth, Mikey quickly climbed up the fire escape, leaping off the ladder and landing atop the building in a low crouch. Leo was already halfway across the roof, ignorant of Mikey's presence as he continued forwards at a steady pace. Narrowing his eyes again, Mikey charged straight for Leo at breakneck speed before he could stop himself, and Leo was only able to turn around before Mikey's fist connected with his jaw, sending the older turtle sprawling to the ground. Once he recovered from the blow, the surprise washed away and was quickly replaced with seething anger as he glared up at the younger turtle. "What the hell –?"

"What did I ever do to you?!" Mikey yelled, balling his hands into fists as he glared right back at Leo. "What did any of us ever do to you to make you hate us?! Why can't you just tell us instead of leaving us in the dark?!"

In a single rapid motion, Leo leapt back onto his feet, the height difference between the two making Leo appear far more intimidating as he let out a low growl. "That's enough! You know damn well what you all did!" he barked.

"No I don't!" Mikey cried, unfazed by the glare and the animalistic growl as he pressed on. "Why do you shut me out, why do you shut us all out?! Why do you keep saying you want us dead one minute and the next you're risking your own to save us?! Can't you make up your mind?! What are you so mad about?!"

The next thing Mikey knew, he had been knocked hard into a support beam of a water tower, the whole structure shaking upon collision, and he was being held there by Leo's fierce grip on both his shoulders as the blue turtle shouted. "YOU ABANDONED ME! You said you came for me because you cared about me, but why didn't you come back for me back then?! Where were you when I needed you?!"

"NO WE DIDN'T! We'd never abandon you!" Mikey shouted back daringly, but inside, he was scared. He knew that at this point, Leo was ready to kill him, and Mikey wouldn't even have the chance to call his other brothers for help before it was too late. But he had to keep going. Leo needed to know how he felt, how they all felt.

Gripping Mikey's shoulders tight enough to bring out a whine from him, Leo's anger was boiling over once more. "You're lying! You're a liar, just like Splinter!" he spat. "Do you have any idea what I've been through all these years?! Do you have any idea what it feels like to wait for months for someone to come back for you, only to realize that they never wanted you?! How it feels like to wake up every morning knowing that you were never loved?! How it feels to know that you have blood on your hands, even as a kid?! My world was turned upside down, and my childhood was ripped away from me, because of you!"

"THAT'S A LIE!" Mikey shrieked, gripping Leo's arms and digging his fingers into his skin, not caring if he hurt him this time. "You're right about one thing; I don't know what it feels like to be left alone, or to not feel loved, or to kill people. But do you know how it feels to lose someone you love, watch them die right in front of you?!"

Leo's snarl faltered slightly.

What was he talking about? Watching someone he loved die…was he talking about him?

Tears were pouring down Mikey's cheeks now, but his glare didn't diminish as he kept his eyes on Leo. "…Do you know how it feels to lose your best friend, your protector? And then to know that the only thing you have left of him is an old toy? How it feels…to know that it was all your fault that they died…because you weren't fast or strong enough…? How it feels…to wish that you were dead instead of them…to keep wearing a happy face all the time so that people don't worry about you…?"

He trailed off, shutting his eyes and dipping his head down as his hold weakened on Leo's arms, his fingers no longer digging into them as he simply clung onto them instead. "…you're not the only one who had his world turned upside down, Leo…for twelve years we thought you were dead…" he said, his voice trembling as the tears continued to flow freely down his face. "…I always b-blamed myself for what happened…a-and I always wished I c-could go back and change everything…or somehow bring you back to life…and now you're here…"

Leo's grip on Mikey's shoulders had also eased ever so slightly, watching the little turtle as he struggled to continue through his tears. He dared not say a word as he spoke, listening to every word all the while. And in the pit of his chest, Leo felt his heart clench painfully. He seemed so much younger than his actual age, and so innocent, just as he had been when they were younger…and yet he had burdened all of this guilt…?

Sniffling, baby blue eyes met ocean blue once more as Mikey looked up, his shoulders shaking as he fought to restrain the sobs that were caught in his throat. "…I was s-so happy, Leo…so h-happy to see you again. I t-thought my wish came true, a-and that you were gonna come back with us again…I t-thought…you c-could forgive me for what I did…" he whimpered, "…but then y-you tried to kill us…telling us that you hated us…and I never…"

Unable to hold it in any longer, Mikey rammed straight into Leo, wrapping his arms around his middle in a desperate, crushing embrace as he sobbed into his chest, not caring if Leo had suddenly become tense and rigid at the action as he clung on. "I never got to say I was sorry!" he wept, "I'm so sorry, Leo! I-I never meant for this to happen! We never wanted to leave you behind! I-I never meant for you to hate us! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

As Michelangelo continued to sob and hold him in his tight, unyielding grip, Leonardo was unable to move. He didn't yell, he didn't reach for his Katanas or the knife in his wrappings. He simply allowed himself to be hugged and cried into as he stared down, wide-eyed and speechless, at the young, distraught orange clad turtle. Honestly, he was unsure of what to do or say at all, because for the first time in a long time, he knew for certain that there was not a hint of a lie in what Mikey had told him.

Though he was still so confused about many things, he knew that Michelangelo, without a doubt, was telling the truth.

But even so, as he too began to feel the beginnings of tears behind his eyes as he clamped his mouth shut, he couldn't bring himself to return the embrace, despite the somewhat protective urge to cease his crying. The apology was undoubtedly heartfelt, even if that heart was breaking inside…but it would take more than Michelangelo's innocence to rid him of the hate he still felt.

Whether they were sorry or not, it didn't matter. Hamato Yoshi, or 'Splinter, had taken away his sisters' mother. He was a liar and a killer, as well as Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello's master.

They were his enemies. They were no longer able to call him their brother.

Mikey tightened his hold around him, bringing Leo back to the present as he looked back down at him. What should he do? He was still crying, and the urge to hold him in his arms was growing stronger, but he forbade himself to relent. He had to go, to find Tiger Claw and tell him about the Kraang…and perhaps think over Mikey's confession. He felt so overwhelmed, but he needed to remain focused at the task at hand…

Swallowing the lump lodged in his throat, Leo released a breath through his nose as he closed his eyes. Slowly, he lifted his right hand, and laid it to rest upon Mikey's left shoulder as he squeezed it lightly.

At the brush of Leo's hand on his shoulder, Mikey's sobs turned into little hiccups as he finally looked up at Leo, his eyes red around the edges from his tears as he sniffed. What was he going to do? What did this mean? Did this mean that Leo forgave him at last? Or was he getting ready to push him away again, call him a liar and then run away again and never come back? Mikey didn't think he would be able to take it if he did…

Leo let out another slow breath before opening his eyes again, his expression no longer cold or full of hate…but it was calm, and almost understanding, if Mikey read him correctly. "…your words…" he began, his voice hinting uncertainty, "…you're really telling the truth, aren't you?"

Immediately, Mikey nodded his head up and down rapidly. "Y-yeah! It is!" he breathed, using one hand to wipe away the tears before wrapping it around Leo again. He wasn't ready to let go, not yet. "It's true, all of it's true, I swear it, Leo!" he insisted, praying that it was enough. Maybe he hadn't told him everything that had happened, but that was only because Mikey's memory wasn't all that clear. But if he came back with him to the lair to see Master Splinter, then he could tell him everything. He was sure that he would believe it then, and everything would be alright again.

Leo only nodded slowly in response, turning his gaze to the side in silence. Mikey waited, biting down on his quivering lip in nervousness. What was he going to say now? Did he believe him? Sure enough, he got his answer seconds later as Leo turned back to him, placing his other hand on Mikey's right shoulder…and Mikey swore he saw the corner of his mouth twitch up ever so slightly.

Mikey's eyes widened. Was that a hint of a smile?

"…thank you…" said Leo softly. "…it's good to know that maybe…at least for a little while…that there's someone out here that I can actually trust."

Mikey gasped, a new hopeful smile spreading across his teary features. Yes! He did it! He actually –

But Leo wasn't done yet.

Before Mikey could get too hopeful, Leo tightened his grip on his shoulders, not enough to hurt him this time, but enough to still him as he looked him straight in the eye. "But this doesn't mean I'm going with you," he spoke firmly, watching as Mikey's smile fell with a small twinge of regret. God, what was this turtle doing to him? "Your apology is…duly noted," he explained, "but that doesn't change the fact that we are still enemies. I have my clan and my mission, and you have yours. And you can't expect me to just forget everything that I've been through, and drop all of my responsibilities and my…personal ties with certain individuals, just like that, to go with you. There are still a lot of things I need to know before I even think about joining you, Michelangelo…"

Slipping his hands off Mikey's shoulders, he slowly and gently pried the younger turtles' arms from around his waist, but kept a hold on his wrists. "…I need to know the whole truth…"

Mikey blinked once in surprise, not daring to move as Leo held onto his wrists. He wasn't coming with him, but he was willing to listen to him? Well, it was a start at the very least. And he had finally managed to get through to him, which was something that he never thought he could do, not on his own. He bet that not even Donnie or Raph could –

Donnie. Raph.

Oh crap.

He'd forgotten all about Donnie and Raph! They were probably looking for him right now, wondering where the heck he was and why he hadn't called them. In fact, why hadn't they called him –?

A sudden, loud ringtone rang out from Mikey's belt, causing both turtles' to jump. Leo dropped Mikey's wrist in an instant, and took several cautious steps away. At that, Mikey sighed. The chance to talk to him was gone, and the spell had been broken. With a long-suffering roll of his eyes, Mikey dug into his belt and took out his T-Phone, keeping a careful eye on Leonardo as he answered it. "Yo, Mikey here –"

"MIKEY WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!" bellowed the voice on the other line, making Mikey wince as he leaned away from the phone. "We've been looking for you for hours, and it's almost dawn! You were supposed to meet us back at Murakami's at midnight! WHERE. ARE. YOU?!"

"Raph, I think I can hear you just fine without the shouting, dude!" Mikey cried, looking back to Leo cautiously, in case he was getting ready to leave him. He was still standing there, watching Mikey with an expression that was a mixture of confusion, bewilderment, and slight amusement. Mikey would have normally laughed at a face like that, but he was afraid of Leo's reaction if he did, so he held it back.

Shrugging an apology, Mikey spoke into the phone again, "I just…uh…I got into a little Kraang trouble. I'm with –"

Leo suddenly narrowed his eyes and shook his head firmly, the sudden shift in his expression making a chill run down Mikey's spine. He didn't want them to know that they had been together. Mikey could understand that, but he felt a twinge of sadness and regret for having to lie to his brothers. Swallowing thickly, he conjured up a quick cover-up. "…um, yeah, I just ran into the Kraang, no big deal," Mikey fibbed with a sheepish laugh, "but I'm okay! Don't worry! I got away, it's all good."

There was a short silence, as if the other turtle was mulling over what Mikey had told him. Finally, he spoke again, his tone suspicious. "…okay, but then why didn't you come to Murakami's?! In fact, why didn't you call us on our T-Phones for back up?!" Raphael barked.

Oops. He hadn't thought about that. Behind him, he heard Leo slap a hand over his eyes, but he ignored it. "Well, uh," Mikey stuttered, wracking his brain for some kind of excuse. "Oh! My battery was running low, and I did something to me knee, bro. I think it's broken. Other than that though, I'm fine. You think you can track me down, dude? I can't walk."

A heavy sigh was heard on the other line, though neither turtle could tell if it was due to exasperation or relief, or a mixture of both. "Okay, Mikey. Donnie's on it now; we'll be there soon. Try and stay out of sight and don't go anywhere. I repeat; DO. NOT. GO. ANYWHERE!"

Inwardly glad that his lie had been believed, Mikey still rolled his eyes skyward at the comment, not noticing Leo suddenly move closer to him. "Pssh, it's not like I can go anywhere, dude. I'll see you later," he droned sarcastically before he hung up the phone, shoving it back into his belt pocket and folding his arms over his chest as he looked back at Leo…

…who he realized, with a little yelp of alarm, was closer than he had been several seconds ago with a flat look in his eyes. Mikey opened his mouth to say something, but the older turtle beat him to it. "…You're a terrible liar, Michelangelo," Leo deadpanned.

Raising a brow, Mikey tilted his head in confusion. "Huh?" he muttered.

Without warning, or even blinking, Leo's foot smashed into the side of Mikey's left knee. Hard.

Mikey went down like a rock, letting out a loud cry of pain as he held his throbbing knee, which already looked as if it were starting to swell. With how hard Leo had kicked him, it could have very well been dislocated, and he wouldn't be surprised if the bone was shattered completely. Shouting out a Japanese profanity that would have gotten him grounded until the day he died, he glared up accusingly at Leonardo, who stood over him with his arms folded and his face unreadable. "D-Dude!" Mikey cried, clutching his knee until his knuckles turned white as he bit his lip to restrain another profanity, "Why did you do that?!"

Leo remained indifferent. "You said that you did something to your knee that prevented you from moving. You have to make it believable, otherwise they'll get suspicious," he said, "that's the first rule of lying."

Still writhing in pain from the blow, Mikey growled up at him. He had a point, and in fact in a way he was actually helping him, but couldn't he have done it with a little less bone breaking? A simple bruise would have been just fine, for crying out loud! Who knew how long it would take for him to heal! "…seriously?!" Mikey whined, "I mean, thanks, I think, but seriously?! Owwwwww! The pain, ow, ow, ow!"

Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, Leo turned his head away from the injured turtle, looking out into the distance. He saw that the sky had already attained a familiar pinkish hue. The sun was starting to rise. He didn't have much time left, and he still needed to find Tiger Claw, who was probably going to use his shell as a scratching post once he got his claws on him. Sighing, he turned away from Mikey entirely. "If Donatello and Raphael are on their way, then they can't see me with you," he said. "I need to report back to Shredder's lair before they realize I'm not there…sayonara, Michelangelo…"

He started to walk away, with no intention of stopping or turning back.

"Wait!" Mikey suddenly cried out.

Despite himself, Leo stopped in his tracks, but he didn't turn around.

Still in immense pain, Mikey managed to get himself in a sitting position against the beam of the water tower he had been slammed against before, and he bit his lip again. He had Leo's attention again, so now would be the time to ask before he got impatient and left again. "…do you still wanna hear the truth?" he called.

Leo didn't respond, other than a subtle twitch of his hand.

Mikey took that as a 'yes', and continued. "…then, the next time you're out alone or something…come and find me out here, same place, at midnight. The Kraang would've already left this place by that time anyways, so you won't have to worry about them. Okay? Please, Leo…"

That offer was very tempting, Leo had to admit that much.

The chance to finally clear his past, to rid himself of hate by those who – probably – didn't deserve it, was something that he sorely needed. But what if Tiger Claw found out that he was sneaking off? What if Karai found out that he was out here, chatting with the enemy, when he should be trying to kill them and find their master? Or worse, what if Shredder ever found out? He had already been beaten into next week (literally) by Tiger Claw over simply aiding them in their escape. If he ever learned of this, Leo's head would surely come off, that was for certain. And what if this was some kind of trap? What if all this time, Mikey had been leading him into a false sense of security, and accepting this offer would only add to his gullibility? Turning his head slightly, he slid his cool gaze over to Mikey. "…how do I know it won't be a trap?" he probed darkly.

To his wonder, instead of looking offended, afraid or even upset, Mikey actually giggled. "Dude, I thought you'd have learned already," he said, his teasing tone now replaced by warmth as he smiled at him. "You know when I'm telling the truth, Leo. And besides…why would I have any reason to lie to you?"

His eyes widening marginally, Leo turned around completely, his mouth slightly agape. Then, much to Mikey's surprise, Leo offered him a very, very faint smile. "…no. You wouldn't, would you?" he uttered quietly. "…but I'd feel better if we weren't in plain sight. Meet me in Central Park in three days."

Mikey was silent for a moment, his eyes wide and full of disbelief, before a grin split his face and he nodded eagerly. "Y-Yeah! Got it, Central Park in three days! We'll talk, okay? You're not kidding, right? You'll really come? You'll –"

"Yes, I will," Leo interrupted, though he couldn't restrain the small chuckle that escaped him. The younger turtle seemed to be very excitable. Though Leo couldn't find it in himself to be all that surprised; they were, at one point, raised together. He hadn't changed a bit. "…I guess…I'll see you…" he shrugged awkwardly. "…Mikey."

And in the next instant, Leonardo was running across the rooftops, disappearing into the dawn. Mikey watched him all the while, wearing a large smile even as more tears pricked at his eyes. He really had done it. He'd managed to get Leo to listen to him at last. Even though he knew that the older turtle didn't fully believe him just yet, if Mikey could somehow get past the shield that guarded his darkened heart, then maybe he would finally open up to Donnie and Raph as well. And soon enough, they could bring him to master Splinter, and everything would be okay.

They could finally make their family whole again.

"…see you in three days, big brother…" Mikey whispered into the gently blowing wind.

A/N: Wow...that was emotionally exhausting! Well, it seems that Leonardo is willing to actually trust Michelangelo and listen to what he has to say. I hope things go smoothly from here on out...

Right?