A/N This is a shorter chapter, but its a stepping stone for the next chapter. I almost didn't post today, but I decided that would be too mean. Anyway, hang in there; I promise things will look brighter in the future.

Even with their home being as close as just a few steps, it still was a race for Donatello to save his brother's life. As soon as he emerged from the dimensional window, he rushed out of the lab straight to the infirmary, right past his stunned sensei, his brother's bleeding body clutched tightly in his arms. Immediately upon placing Leo on the makeshift operating table, Donny dove for the small refrigerator he kept in the room and removed several bags, each one labeled "Raphael." While Donatello would have preferred to wait until he could properly warm the life giving liquid up before infusing his brother, for the risk of sending Leo further into shock was very great, Leo's need for the blood now made that impossible. Within moments, Donatello had the IV set, and the infusion set up and running. Only then did he allow himself to consider his older brother's wounds. Immediately he knew this was going to be a two-turtle job.

"Michelangelo," he called out. "I need your help in here."

To many it would have been a surprise that Donatello would choose Michelangelo as his medical assistant, but next to Donatello, the youngest turtle had the keenest eye and the most agile hands.

"Scrub up and get to work on Leo's side," Donatello ordered him. "He's bleeding out as fast there as this gunshot wound. Check to make sure none of his intestines got punctured, then close him up. I'm going to have to chase down that bullet; it's still inside him."

Without a word Michelangelo nodded and set out to follow his brother's instructions. Turning back to the task before him, Donatello likewise set about saving his big brother's life.

TMNTTMNT

Out in the living room, Raphael was pacing, unable to sit still. However, as the only turtle not involved in the life-saving operation going on in the infirmary, he quickly became the focus of his sensei's attention.

"Raphael, explain," the elderly rat ordered his second oldest son.

"I…we…Leo…found him…shot," Raphael rambled, unable to get his thoughts in order.

"Raphael, kneel," Splinter commanded. It worked; the age old command that had long since been ingrained into the turtles brought Raphael to heel, and allowed him to organize his thoughts into a semblance of comprehensible order. "Now, start at the beginning. Where have you and your brothers been the past several weeks," Splinter prompted.

Raphael gave his sensei a quick rundown on what had taken place since their disappearance, starting with the night they were dragged through the dimensional portal and found Leo with his new family, up until tonight when Leo killed the Shredder and got shot for his pains.

"He was dying, sensei, but even then, I still think he would have fought to his very last breath to avoid coming home with us, even if it cost him his life," Raphael said, his voice pained.

"Surely he would not have fought against his family bringing him home," Splinter said, unable to believe what his son was telling him, but Raphael just shook his head.

"You should have seen him with his other brothers," Raphael said, looking into his father's eyes. "Leo was happy. For the first time in his life, he was content, he was relaxed; he was where he was supposed to be. I have never seen the side of Leo that I saw with those other brothers. And, the thing is, although they knew he wasn't really their Leo, they loved him anyway. We got our shells kicked because we forgot he wasn't ours anymore, and I fell back into old habits. And Leo let them do it. He actually accepted their protection and assistance, while he was terrified, literally terrified, of us." Raphael heaved a deep sigh. "We screwed up royally, sensei," he continued. "We abused and misused Leo's loyalty and devotion. They nurtured and bolstered it. All of us here, in Leo's 'real' home, nearly destroyed him, but they were not only able to pick up the pieces, but put them back together stronger than ever. Although I feel we did the right thing, saving Leo's life, he's never going to forgive us for what we've stolen from him a second time."

TMNTTMNT

After getting his second son settled in the kitchen with a warm drink, Splinter took himself off to his room to meditate on what Raphael had revealed. Since his oldest son's disappearance, and presumed death, Splinter had spent many days pondering and regretting his actions toward Leonardo. Ever since his son was small, no more than a hatchling, Leonardo had taken it upon himself to look after and protect his younger brothers. With his innate skill as a ninja, his ability to plan, and his extensive compassion for his family's weaknesses, Leo had been the ideal leader. However, in the past several years it had become evident that Leo's responsibilities as leader for the team were beginning to wear him down too much. The night Splinter had turned the reigns of leadership over to Raphael hadn't been intended as a punishment for his oldest son, but as a chance to relax and refocus himself. It hadn't happened that way, however, and Leo began to slip further and further into depression and a sense of failure.

Even worse, the old rat admitted to himself, he had failed to correct his younger sons' thoughtless and cruel behavior, at least in front of his suffering eldest child. Instead, discipline had taken place behind closed doors, and Leo had never known his father had taken up for him. Yet even Splinter hadn't known how lost Leo was feeling until he had seen his face upon hearing his brother call him a disgrace, but by then it had been too late. Before his father could come and apologize, Leo had attempted to take his own life, and then he was gone.

Deep in Splinter's heart was a sense of gratitude for the other brothers that had taken the suffering Leo into their hearts and home, and had healed him. He couldn't help regretting, nonetheless, that it wasn't Leo's original family, for he couldn't deny the reality of Leo's chosen family, that had been able to heal him. Still, there was a chance that amends could be made should Leo pull through the life-threatening injuries he had sustained.

Determined to begin immediately, Splinter pushed all other concerns aside and concentrated strictly on his oldest son. Focusing on that glint of humor in his eye whenever Michelangelo did something that tickled him, to the sense of honor and responsibility that defined him, Splinter reached out to find the essence that was his oldest child in the dark neither region of that existed between reality and the mind. When at first Splinter was unable to find any trace of his son, he feared he was too late. He was just about to give up for the time being, when a small, familiar flicker caught his attention. Latching onto it, Splinter followed it through the darkness. At long last, he oldest son came into view.

"Leonardo," Splinter called out, but Leo made no response. Striving to gain his son's attention, Splinter reached out to place a hand on Leo's shoulder, but was stopped short by some sort of invisible barrier. After several futile attempts to get through the barrier, Splinter finally stopped and just observed his son. Not once during his sensei's struggle had Leo's attention wavered from what he was looking at, so Splinter turned to see what had his son so enraptured. There, not three feet from where Splinter stood, was the kitchen in the Lair. At least, it appeared to be the kitchen. It took several minutes for Splinter to realize that was something just slightly "off" about the scene. Central to the scene were three turtles. At first Splinter couldn't understand why Leo was so intensely focused on his brother in this way, when he noticed the masks these versions of his sons were wearing: they were all brown leather. A quick glance confirmed Splinter's suspicions, for Leo was wearing an identical mask. That's when the rat noticed his son was reaching out imploring toward the turtles, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier similar to the one between Splinter and his son.

All at once, Splinter found himself back in his room. Tears filled his eyes as sorrow tried to crush his heart as the image of his oldest son reaching desperately for his new family burned in his mind. That kind of grief and longing would be difficult to breach, if it was possible at all. Notwithstanding the difficulty, Splinter and his sons had to try; but if they failed, Leo would be lost forever.

Climbing stiffly to his feet, Splinter made his way to the now silent infirmary. By the clock on the wall, it had been several hours since his sons had returned, and the emotionally intense days and hours and finally driven them all to sleep.

Taking a seat beside the unconscious Leonardo, Splinter took his son's hand.

"I am so sorry, my son," he said softly, tears once again filling his eyes. "I have failed you in the worst way. And now, when you had finally begun to heal, we are once again forced to hurt you deeply. I just beg you, please come back to us. We will do whatever we must to regain your trust, even if your love is lost to us. But you must fight. Your brothers of the heart, the ones you long for so desperately, would not want you to give up. Even if they never see you again, which I pray is not the case, for I have seen the love you have for them, they would wish you to live and to do the best you can. So, even if you cannot do this for me and those who love you here, do it for them and the love they will have for you, wherever you are."

We've already got the sense that Leo's original brother regret what they've done to him. I figured we needed a little insight into Splinter's take on the whole situation.