A/N: This chapter is rather short, but very potent. So, you might grab that box of tissue...

Leo heard the door open and one set of feet quietly cross the room. His son's aura brushed against his as he stopped a few feet behind him. He sighed inwardly. "Kneel." He said in as firm a tone as he could manage. Barely a sound was made as Shinta knelt and lowered his head. Leo glanced over his shoulder at him, but remained silent. Several long minutes passed before he spoke again. "Shinta, do you understand what you've done?"

The teen took a deep breath. "Yes, Father. I put our entire clan at risk by exposing myself to…a stranger. It's something, I swear I will never do again."

Leo paced back and forth for a moment. "It was only due to K-three's quick thinking that we don't have the entire city searching for us right now."

"Yes, Father."

Leo considered his son kneeling before him, head down and shoulders slumped. "You understand, what you did cannot go unpunished? I would give the same punishment to anyone else that did what you've done. I can't be lenient just because you're my son."

Shinta did not look up. "Yes, Father, I understand."

"You are banned from using the holo-projectors for six months and you will be confined to the lair. You may only leave if you are going on patrol. I suggest you take that time to meditate and reflect on what you've done."

Shinta barely suppressed a gasp. The punishment was harsh, but what he'd done had been extremely dangerous. He understood that his father was the head of their clan and its protection came before all else – even him. He squeezed his eyes shut against the shame and ache in his heart. "Yes, Father."

Suddenly he was being encompassed in a pair of strong arms. "I'm so glad you're safe. I love you, Shinta."

Like a dam had burst, tears poured down his cheeks. He buried his face in his father's shoulder. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" His body shook and his father's grip tightened on him.

Leo let out another deep sigh and stroked his son's head. "I know." He held on as he wept for shame and guilt, for the heartache, and for the loss of innocence. It tore at Leo's heart to feel his child in such pain. "I know you are." Shinta above all the others, they had sheltered from the world's cruelest reality. They were not human and they never would be. The world at large would never accept them. Only a precious few were willing to look beyond their skin at the souls that lay beneath. "I'm sorry, I should have prepared you better."

Shinta took a deep breath, sitting back and finally meeting his father's eyes. "No, you warned me. You all warned me. I just…I just didn't want to believe it."

Staring into the blue-gray eyes, Leo was reminded of Amaya. He held his son's face in his hands. "You are so like your mother. You want to believe the best in everyone. But the world doesn't work like that. I had to remind her of that many times. When you lay your heart on the line, you have to be willing for it to be broken. It's the chance that we all take. Trust is something that should be earned, especially in our case."

Shinta nodded mutely. Leo released him and stood as if to leave, but Shinta spoke softly. "Father, how do I…I mean, you all have someone willing to accept you. How do I find that?"

Leo shook his head. "We didn't find them. They found us." He gave the teen a warm smile and squeezed his shoulder before leaving him to contemplate his words.

The living room was deathly quiet as Leo crossed it. His family watched him climb the stairs and disappear from sight. Yoshi let out a heavy breath. "Six months…"

Kaz gave a sad nod beside him. "That's harsh."

"But necessary." Don said.

Mikey leaned forward in his chair and touched the burns on his plastron. "Yeah, a lot of bad things could have happened, if she'd told anyone. We just got a little taste of that." His brothers gave affirming nods. The girls frowned and Jamie took off her glasses to rub at the dampness in her eyes. It would be a long time before her spouse or her step-son would be anywhere close to normal.

Later that evening, she slipped into their bedroom to find Leo meditating. She had left him alone, knowing he'd wanted some time to himself. He opened his eyes and her breath hitched at the heartache in them. "Oh, Leo…" She frowned as she crossed the room to kneel in front of him.

He sighed, dragging a hand down his face. "I just can't believe he'd do this, after everything we've taught him about the outside world."

"He was…confused. His childhood was nothing like yours." She reminded him. "And need I remind you, that you did something similar when went to Texas."

He frowned. "Yes, but that was very different. Randy was practically family. This girl… We know nothing about her. Except that she and Star were friends nearly two years ago." He sighed. "I did what I had to do to protect our family."

She took his hands in hers. "Shinta knows that. He also knows you're trying to protect him too. All I ask is that you try to see things from his prospective. All his life he's been around humans that have loved him and cared for him. He had to learn for himself that not all humans are so accepting." She frowned. "It is a terrible lesson to learn, but one that would be learned eventually."

He gave a small nod. "I know." He sighed, standing and offering her a hand up. "It also means his childhood is over and some part of me is sad because of that."

She smiled and touched his cheek softly. "All children grow up." A flicker of pain crossed her face as she remembered her own child.

Leo frowned, lifting her chin to meet his eyes. "I'm sure she would have been beautiful, just like her mother." She gave a little nod and stepped closer to wrap her arms around him. He let out a deep sigh, holding her close. "I'm sure she would have been just as strong too." He allowed a tiny smile. "You know, that wasn't a bad shot back there."

Jamie blushed. "I wasn't aiming for his leg." For the first time since returning home, Leo genuinely smiled as he began to laugh. In his arms, his wife smiled. Things would get better, they always did.

A/N: Thanks guys for reading and keeping the series alive! You're the best! And if there is anything you'd like to see or learn about in the future let me know. I'll see what my twisted mind can come up with. I've already got a partial plot for the next one, but you know me. I have to have at least two or three things going at once. ^_^

Don't forget those lovely reviews!