Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT

*The guys are 25 years old in this fic.*

*I have the guys at about 6'2" in this fic*

Chapter Ten: A Respect

In the two days since the beating Raph had given Leo he'd already began to feel the loneliness setting in. Jamie had nearly broken his jaw (as he had done to Leo) in their sparring match earlier. Don had inspected his jaw and then left him to hold an ice pack against his jaw as he checked on Leo.

Raph sighed as Leo slept, eyeing the eldest skinny fame with worry. With a broken jaw it was even more important that Leo eat enough or his already low body weight would become dangerously low. Leo could starve to death if he wasn't careful about how much he helped Leo eat every day.

Leo was very wary of Raph now and would flinch as Raph gently changed the bandages or helped him eat or drink. It made caring for him very stressful for Raph.

Not to mention the constant reminder of what he had done to his own brother.

Raph was now resting his eyes, head on the side of Leo's bed, fingers of one hand inches from Leo's hand. He didn't dare actually touch him, unless necessary.

Leo stirred, dull gaze traveling around the room in a sleepy pattern, the ache in his jaw had gone down some, not much, but enough that it no longer felt like stabbing pain every time he tried to adjust his head or neck.

Leo's eyes rested on Raph's dozing frame, then to the hand inches from his own, then traced the tears on his brother's cheeks.

Don had informed him of Raph's assignment and had learned that Raph still held the risk of being cast out. Leo had fought the urge to cry out in fear then. As much as he was upset, and a touch afraid, for Raph and for what he had done, he didn't want to lose his brother.

Raph's weight had drastically dropped over the last few days; he'd lost at least ten pounds. Don's worry had become apparent when he spotted Raph in the kitchen the day before and Leo was starting now to notice the stress lines in Raph's forehead, the tension in Raph's shoulders and the exhaustion that seemed to weight most heavily on his whole frame.

Leo stared, a tear rolling down his cheek at the sight of a missing red mask and the lack of Sai hilts protruding from his brother's hips. Then slowly Leo stretched out his hand and lightly wrapped his fingers around Raph's hand. Sighing as he allowed himself to slip back into sleep.

An hour or so later when Jamie came in to spend her second hour of the day with Raph she paused and smiled at the sight of the two pulled out her digital camera and quickly snapped a picture before leaving them to rest.

It was a start of a repair that was enough for her.

A/N: Awwwww! Please Review!