Chapter Two - Nightmares, and Seven Days

Fortunately- perhaps, for the younger brothers, though Leonardo was changed, almost beyond recognition, he was still far too responsible to leave his brothers alone.

Michaelangelo watched his brother- was he still his brother? Yes. Leo flinched at his touch, hardly looked or spoke to him, but he was still Mikey's oldest brother. Just... different. Michaelangelo sighed- it had been two months- two whole, painful, agonising months.

Now, Michaelangelo was glad Leo had not just packed up and left- but he may as well have, there was no one home, no one inside. Leo had once admitted he feared he had simply become the weapon of the family, to be used, then thrown away when deemed useless. But now... shell. Michaelangelo was all cried out, of that, he was glad. But, looking at his oldest brother now, kind of made him feel sick.

And he knew exactly how Raphael felt about it- or, how he wanted to feel about it. Because he had been devastated when Leo had left them, not physically, mind, but mentally, their brother was gone. But now, he made no effort hiding that all he wanted was for Leo to finish the job, and leave them physically, as well as mentally and emotionally.

Maybe that was why Raphael was hardly at the Lair anymore. Michaelangelo had never felt so alone. Raphael was always out, staying with Casey, or fighting crime, with Casey- or working on the bike with Casey. And Donny, well- Donny was always busy too. He always had something more important to be doing in his lab.

So Michaelangelo was left alone, with the shell - no pun intened- of his oldest brother. Watching, waiting, hoping. Hoping that one day, Leo would come back- he'd been hurt before, physically- mentally- he ahd recovered.

Michaelangelo refused to beleive that his oldest brother, his hero- would leave him alone, would abandon him.

You always got me through my nightmares bro- get me through this one.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Shell, Don- does Leo even know who he is? Cos the look in his eye- it sure as hell don't look like he's home!" Raphael demanded, late one night, after Raphael had waltzed in, seeking medical help from Donnatello- for a small cut on his right forearm.

"I don't know, Raph. This time- I don't have the answers!" Donnatello snapped right on back. He was sick of Raph, sick of Leo- no... that wasn't fair. It wasn't... Leo's fault that he was so... destroyed.

"What the shell are you doing all night and day, then?" Raphael asked flatly.

"Same as you." Donnatello said flatly. "Avoiding Leo." Donnatello sighed and sat back. "You're lucky, it could have been worse."

"What, Leo?"

"No, your arm."

"Oh." Raphael rolled his shoulders tiredly. He could feel the muscles cramping up.

"Maybe... maybe if we could just get him to talk about what... what happened." Donnatello muttered, more to himself than to Raphael. "But... We've tried everything..."

"Ya know, I could have a crack at beatin' it outta him." Raphael sneered.

"Oh, yes, Raphael. Because that will do Leo a ton of help!" Donnatello whispered, blood boiling. "He just..." Needs time... How much more time will he need?! We need him- don't we matter anymore?!

Raphael cut Donnatello a dirty look, he knew exactly what Donny was going to say, and walked away.

Don't you... aren't we... aren't we worth fighting for anymore, Leo?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You what?! You're leaving- again?!" Michaelangelo screamed desperately. "Again?!" He repeated.

"What the shell is going on?" Raphael growled, entering the living room to an eerily familiar sight. A sight that reminded him horribly of the day Leo left for South America?/Africa. "What the-"

"Leo's leaving!" Michaelangelo cried. Leo cut him a look, then turned to face his hot-headed brother full on.

"You... you what? You're... you're leavin'?" Raphael gaped. Leo nodded. "Why?" Raphael asked- feeling betrayed, angry, scared, hurt- too many things at once. So he chose the emotion he was most familiar with- anger.

"I suggested it." Donnatello said quietly. Two sets of eyes turned on Donnatello. Michaelangelo's eyes were pleading- shiny with tears, Raphael's eyes where shiny with anger. "Leo isn't healing here. He needs to get away again. Heal. Find himself agai-"

"Shuddup! Just shuddup!" Raphael snarled suddenly, making Michaelangelo jump. "Leo!" Raphael spun on Leo angrily. "If you leave us again- I'll personally make sure you don't come back!"

"When... when are you leaving?" Michaelangelo whispered.

"Tonight." Leo spoke finally.

"But- you... I- please! Don't go!" Michaelangelo continued, voice breaking. Leo looked away, eyes on the floor. "There's gotta be something else we can do!" Michaelangelo's eyes scanned the room, as if he could draw inspiration. His eyes landed on Master Splinters door. "Bro- that's it!"

His older brothers all looked at him, Leo reluctantly. "What's it?" Donnatello asked carefully.

"Meditating!" Michaelangelo cried. "Meditating always worked before! Why won't it work now?!"

"Mikey, I don't... I don't think it's that simple, anymore. I don't think what's been done to Leo... can be undone... by just meditation." Donnatello sighed helplessly.

"So- postpone- a week- just a week! Please!" Michaelangelo begged. Donnatello looked to Leo, who stared right on back, revealing nothing. Empty.

Empty.

How could there be so little... when there had been so much? Donnatello asked himself- but no answer came. Or at least, no answer he liked. Whatever... whatever happened to Leo... the hours of betrayal he must have felt... Mikey, or Me or Raph- would have been able to recover from something like that... But not Leo. Leo lives for us...

"Mikey-" Donnatello began, but Michaelangelo sensed weakness.

"Please! Just one week!" He begged again. Donnatello sighed- and looked once more to Leo- but he was gone. He had apparently known Donnatello would cave to Michaelangelo.

Maybe... maybe Leo can be saved... I'd rather cling onto that small hope... than loose him forever...

"One Week."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michaelangelo tossed and turned in bed a few nights later. Meditating... had been a complete failure. He'd managed to bring himself to sit still for almost 2 hours... But there had been nothing. Leo had opened his eyes and there was still nothing in them.

He had three days to convince Donnatello and Raphael and Leonardo that packing Leo off to some foreign country wasn't going to solve their problems.

Don't any of them understand? Leo leaving before... It just drove a wedge between us all... If he leaves now- he won't come back. Not because Raphael won't let him. Because he won't see the point. He doesn't care about us anymore... I can't- I won't loose him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michaelangelo jerked awake, he had been dreaming again... if you could call it dreaming.

Nightmares.

During the day, he tried not to imagine what had happened to his oldest brother, but at nighttime, when he closed his eyes- his imagination ran riot with him.

He turned over, but knew he wouldn't get back to sleep- not without... without... Leo.

Michaelangelo turned over again. Leo won't help me this time... He can't... Michaelangelo tossed and turned for a few more minutes, but, determination crept through his fear- he was sick of so many sleepless nights- and maybe... maybe this would help... both of them.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michaelangelo faltered in Leo's bedroom doorway. Helpless- his bravado wore out somewhere in the hall, but he'd made his way to the door, driven solely by his fear caused by the nightmares

"Mikey...?" Leo's sleepy voice came from the dark bedroom- and he sounded- so-so-...

So Leo-like.

Michaelangelo burst into tears and ran into the room. Leo sighed something and shifted over. Michaelangelo curled up against his oldest brother.

"Leo?" Michaelangelo whispered.

"Hm...?" Leo muttered, putting an arm around him. "D'ya have 'nother nightmare?"

"Kind of..." Michaelangelo gasped, voice muffled by Leo's plastron.

"What... what was it about?" Leo asked, shifting into a more comfortable position.

Michaelangelo cried harder. "You."

"Me?"

"You..." I wish it was just a horrible nightmare... Please- god- just let it have been a nightmare! "I'm sorry, Leo."

"What for?" Leo muttered, sinking back into sleep.

"Letting you get hurt."

"It's OK, Mikey... It's not... not your fault." Leo yawned, then shivered as his body started to wake up. Michaelangelo hugged him closer. No- don't wake up! please... I need you... I need you so much...

"I love you, Leo."

"Love you too, Mikey." Leo sighed, and his breathign steadied again.

Michaelangelo lay still, for what felt like hours, but what was probably only a matter of minutes, hugging his oldest brother tight enough to crush the life out of him. Just listening to his heart beating.

"Leo?" Michaelangelo asked weakly, voice sounding strange- child-like.

"Mh?"

"Are you coming back? You're not... you're not gonna leave us, are you?" Michaelangelo whispered, looking at his oldest brothers face.

Leo frowned a little in his sleep. "I'd never leave you, Mikey."

"You did- you have."

"Then I'll come back." Leo smiled a little.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Then I'll wait for you." Mikey smiled, joy crushing his chest.

"Promise?" Leo asked, that half-smile still on his face.

"I promise." Michaelangelo held his brother even tigher.

But Leo didn't mind.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------