Author's Note: Here's the next chapter people. Just had finished. I know it took a while... I had a little trouble...

Discalimer: Don't own the turtles & company. Just the plot is mine.

Leo couldn't concentrate no matter how hard he tried. He was screwing up the easiest moves of his katas. After one move, he actually lost his balance and fell sideways. He grunted in annoyance as he went to pick himself up just as Donny looked into the dojo.

"Are you alright?" Donny asked.

"M'Fine," Leo said as he sheathed his katanas with the thought of trying again later that day.

"I've been listening and watching since you began so you can't lie." Donny said, "You're still upset about Raph and Mikey leaving, aren't you?"

"I've just got a lot of things on my mind." Leo said. "That's all."

"Sure," Donny said, disbelievingly. He leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed. "Come on, Leo. I know you feel like you have to hid your feelings, but showing them every once and while makes you seem more real. So stop acting like nothing's wrong. Stop pretending our life is ever going to be the same again."

"Don?" Leo asked, noticing how Donny's voice quivered slightly. He walked over to Donny and wrapped his arm around him. "It's alright, okay? Tell me what's on your mind."

"Don't even think about turning this around on me." Donny said, wearily.

"Donny," Leo said, calmly, "Just tell me."

"I don't know if I can, alright?!" Donny snapped as he unfolded his arms and, in the process, pushed Leo away from him. He turned to face Leo and continued, "I don't know anything and I hate that, but I'm dealing with it on my OWN! I don't want your help, okay? I- don't- need- it!" Only then did he seem to notice his clenched fist or how close he was to Leo. He took a deep breath and turned away saying, "I'll be in my lab." With that, he stomped away and slammed the door behind him.

Leo watched him go, stunned at the ferocity behind Donny's words. It seemed like nobody cared for him anymore. 'What happened to us?' He thought, miserably. He bowed his head and fell to his knees before sitting back and bringing one knee up to his plastron. He squeezed his eyes shut against the tears threatening to spill over. It's easier to deal with someone else's pain, but dealing with his own was almost impossible. He didn't want to have to deal with it. He clenched his fist before letting himself fall back onto the dojo's stone floor, his arms stretched out on either side of him, as he tried to calm himself. 'What would sensei say if he saw us like this?' The thought shocked him and his eyes snapped open. 'He wouldn't like it, that's for sure… Oh father…why did you have to leave us like this?' He blinked, accidentally allowing his tears to fall over. 'Why am I even tormenting myself like this? I shouldn't be thinking these thoughts.' He rolled onto his side and wrapped his arms around himself. 'What would Donny think if he saw me like this? What would all of my brothers think? Thankfully, they will never know the full extent of my pain. I'll always keep this hidden, but how long will I be able to before I lose it?'

&&&&&&&&&

Donny slammed his fist into the wall so hard he was sure he broke some of his knuckles. 'Why did I have to say that?' He thought, 'Leo probably hates me right now. That was so stupid!' He slumped down into his desk chair, sliding backwards a little before coming to an abrupt stop. He winced before turning around to make sure he didn't damage anything. When he was sure everything was fine, he banged his head against his desk. 'I promised him I wouldn't leave and I won't. I hope he knows that… Why did I say that?!' He laid his arms on his desk as he felt the tears he was trying to hold back before fall freely down his face. 'I shouldn't have said that to him. I was just trying to get Leo to open up to me and I ended up hurting him instead! What's wrong with me?' His fists clenched before he lifted his head a little to look at his computer screen. He had forgotten to turn it off before he left his lab. The blinking cursor was still positioned where he had left it before they had gone on that fateful mission that marked Splinter's death. He hadn't had the motivation to write anymore. It just taunted him and Donny grunted before struggling against turning it off without shutting it down. He sighed and just shut it off normally. He wasn't going to get anything more done today anyway, that was for sure.

He didn't know how long it was before he heard a knock sound on the door to his lab. He knew it had to be Leo and he didn't say anything at first. "Donny?" Leo called.

"What?" Donny asked as he rolled away from his computer and stared at the door.

"Can I come in?" He asked.

"Sure, I guess…" Don sighed. The door opened, slowly, and Leo slowly walked in with his head bowed.

"I'm sorry, Don," Leo said.

"Why are you apologizing?" Donny asked, "I'm the one that snapped at you."

"I'm sorry I was pressuring you like that. I shouldn't have done that."

"You were only trying to help me. I know that. I thought I could handle it, but I guess I'm not ready to talk about it and you aren't either, I suppose." Donny tried to smile, but he couldn't quite accomplish it.

"Yeah, I guess," He said as he leaned back against the wall. He still hadn't looked at Don once since he entered the room. "It's just so hard, ya know?"

"Very," Don muttered, loud enough for his brother to hear.

"It's so dark in here…" Leo began as he looked around the room.

"I didn't notice…" Don sighed.

"Ya wanna go topside for a bit?" Leo said as he finally looked directly at his brother. Donny shifted slightly before answering.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt." He said, "We could visit April; see how she's doing."

"Or just patrol the city." Leo suggested. He smiled a genuine smile and said, "Come on, let's go!"

"I'm coming," Donny said, a little grumpily, as he stood and followed his brother out.

&&&&&&&&&&&&

They visited April first. She quickly greeted them before walking into the kitchen. "You guys caught me as I was preparing dinner." She said. "I'm glad I cooked extra."

"I'm sorry to impose," Leo said, "We just needed to get out of the lair for a bit."

"No worries," She said, quickly, "Like I said, I cooked extra. When was the last time you guys ate properly anyway?"

"Ah…" Both brothers said as they tried to remember when they did eat something. When they came up blank, Donny smiled nervously. "I guess you're right," He said.

"I know I'm right," April said, poking him in his plastron, "I know what it's like to lose someone close to you. Where's Raph and Mikey anyway?"

"They left," Leo said, gruffly.

"We don't know where they went." Donny explained.

"I'm sure they'll come back." April said. Leo grunted before stepping out of the room. April stared after him for a minute before turning to Donny. "What's up with him?"

"I think he's still sour after his fight with Raph." He explained, "He kinda swore he'd never return and when Mikey left with him, it really upset him. Of course, he'll never admit it openly. He can be as stubborn as Raph with hiding his emotions."

"You think he went to the roof?" She asked.

"Probably," Donny said, "Why?"

"I'm going to talk to him." She said, "Watch the stove, okay?"

"Alright," He said, eyeing the above-mentioned kitchen appliance. April laughed lightly before leaving the room.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Leo stared up at the almost star-less sky as he held one leg to his plastron and allowed the other to swing slightly over the edge of the building. He couldn't hear the street noises down below even though they were as loud as usual. He wasn't paying attention to it. He wasn't listening to anything but his own thoughts. That's why he didn't hear April until she sat down next to him. He glanced at her, briefly, before looking back towards the single star he had been watching before. They sat in silence for a bit, watching the same star, before anyone bothered to say anything.

"I thought you were in the middle of cooking something," Leo said.

"I left Donny in charge." April said. Leo let out a small chuckle at this. "Hey, I trust him in the kitchen." She said, glancing over at him, "It's you I don't trust."

"I can cook!" He said in response.

"That's not the problem."

"Hmph!" He said, folding his arms across his plastron almost comically before turning away from her. "So why'd you come up here anyway?"

"I know you won't talk to your brothers about how you're feeling and I respect that, but you can't keep it all bottled up like this." She said, "Will you talk to me about it?"

"I don't know if I can," He said, "It's difficult to explain. Sometimes, I don't even know what I'm feeling."

"Do you want to try?" She asked, softly, as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Not just yet," He said. They lapsed into another brief silence after that.

"Do you want to go back inside?" April asked, "Dinner's probably ready by now."

"No, thanks," He said, "I'm not really hungry right now."

"Alright, then," She said, "But you'll be missing out. It's one of your favorites, ya know…Seaside Stir-fry…"

"You're bribing me."

"Yep," She said, smiling, "Is it working?"

"Unfortunately yes."

"So…ya coming?"

"I hate you," He said, smiling, as he stood up "We can't I grieve in peace?"

"'Cause food's more important." She said as she grabed his hand and started pulling him over to the fire escape.

Author's note: Please review!