A/N No notes this time. Just read; I think you'll be pleasantly surprised if you do. ;)

The first thing the turtles did was get themselves settled on the cushions. With a little rearranging, Raph ended up on the bottom, pillows supporting his back, with yet another pillow in his lap. Leo was then placed stomach down on this pillow, Raph's legs on his either side of his body to provide support. Raph's arm was draped over Leo's shell to keep him from rolling off the pillow. Donny and Mikey sat on either side of their older brothers, their hands in constant contact with Leo.

At first, the brothers did little more than gently touch their brother, talking softly to him the whole time. The idea was to create a soothing environment contrasting the cold, unwelcoming one in which Leo had been living for the past month. None of the younger turtles expected this to pull Leo out of his comatose state; this was just about creating what they hoped would be a familiar ambiance that might, hopefully, begin to capture the attention of their brother's wandering spirit. The brothers had been about their gentle touch therapy for about an hour, when they felt the slightest shift in the atmosphere. While there was no physical change in Leo, the brothers knew that wherever Leo was, he was in some small way aware of the changes that had taken place around him.

Satisfied with that for the moment, the brothers once again placed Leo back on the cushions by himself, although not one of them ceased to keep in contact with him. By this time, however, it was late enough in the afternoon that three empty stomachs were complaining about the lack of sustenance.

"You two go ahead," Mikey told his brothers. "I…I'm not ready to leave just yet."

Rather than tease their youngest brother about his willingness to forego food, for they understood what Mikey was going through, Raph and Donny just agreed to allow him the first watch while they went in search of some dinner. It was decided Donny would take over when they returned while Mikey ate, and then Raph would have the watch leading up to bedtime. In this way, each would have some much needed time alone with Leo, while making sure the oldest turtle was never left by himself.

Once Mikey was by himself with Leo, he arranged the pillows so that he could sit with Leo's head resting in his lap, his body perpendicular to Mikey's. Unable to stop himself, Mikey ran a feather-light touch over his unconscious brother's head and down his shell.

"Hey, big bro," Mikey whispered. "It's me, Mikey. I can't believe it's only been a month since we saw you last. It has felt like forever, bro. I can't tell you how much we've missed you, though. I mean, we weren't like fighting or anything, we've totally gotten past that thanks to you, but something was missing, dude. I mean, I haven't pranked anyone since you left, but that's okay since Donny hasn't invented anything, and Raph hasn't, well, been Raph, either. It's like, when you left, you took the important parts of us with you. But everything's okay now, bro, because we're here with you now, in your dimension. Your glowy octopus lady friend brought us to your world, and we're gonna live with you here now. But that means you've got to come back." Mikey felt the tears start to run down his face, but he did nothing to stop them. "We need you Leo; I need you. You're my hero, did I ever tell you that? Especially after everything you've overcome in the past year. I need you to come back so I can tell you that in person. I love you Leo, and I'm begging you; please, come home."

Unable to say anything more, Mikey just sat holding his brother, allowing his touch to speak for him.

TMNT

Somewhere, in the dark world between the mind and reality, Leo's attention, for the first time in a month, wavered from his endless search as he caught the faintest glimmer of something familiar just out of reach, coming from the world behind him.

TMNTTMNT

When Donny arrived an hour and a half later, he made no mention of the dried tear stains on his younger brother's face. Instead, he just simply helped Mikey transfer Leo to his own lap, and then sent the younger turtle off to eat his dinner. Unlike Mikey, Donny just sat holding Leo's hand as he talked to his comatose brother.

"Hey there Leo," Donny said softly. "You have no idea how good it is to see you again. When we sent you back that night, I wasn't sure you'd survive. I…I just didn't have the means to save you, and I knew you wouldn't live if we tried to bring you home with us, and I couldn't do that bro. I couldn't bring you back to certain death, not when I knew your other brother had the means to save you. At the time, I thought I would rather know you were out there somewhere, lost to us but alive. But big bro, you ought to know, we were miserable without you. Without you, our family is missing something absolutely vital. You mean the world to me, Leo. I thought I knew how much you mean to me after we lost our Leonardo, but his disappearance was nothing next our loss of you.

I also wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry I let them take you away from us again. I'm sorry I wasn't here to watch your back when you needed me. You couldn't have been happy here, I know that. I just wanted what I thought was best for you, and instead I feel like I've betrayed you. I need you to come back so I can apologize in person. But I also need you to return and bring Mikey's laughter back, and the light in Raph's eyes. I need you to bring the soul back to our family; we're dying without you. But most of all, I need you to come back because I love you, and I miss you. Please, please come back to us."

By this point Donny, like Mikey, was unable to say another word because of his tears. Instead, he sat in silence, holding his brother's hand, and silently pleading with him to return.

TMNT

In the darkness, Leo turned away from his journey, certain now that what he was searching for was back the way he had come. He felt a small measure of trepidation as he started down the path, for the road back was becoming difficult to see, but Leo didn't let that deter him. His family was waiting for him, and nothing was going to stand in his way of getting back to them.

TMNTTMNT

An hour and half later, at around 8:30, Raph came to take over for his watch.

"How is he," Raph asked his brother as they changed places.

"I'm not sure, but I think he's improved some, even since this afternoon," Donny said, hope curling tenaciously inside him. Raph just nodded.

"Go on and stretch your legs for a while before bed," he told Donny. "Master Splinter told me his sons plan to stay the night at April's, so you won't have to worry about running into them tonight."

"Sounds good," Donny said, smiling slightly. "Now, why don't you go ahead to get settled in for the night. I'll keep Mikey entertained for an hour or so before we come to bed."

Raph smiled his gratitude, then turned his attention back to his big brother. Lying on left side, Raph hauled Leo up against his plastron and held him tight, laying his head on top of Leo's. Immediately, the tears began to flow.

"Hey big bro, it's me," he said softly through the tears. "Sorry about the waterworks, man, but I never thought I'd have the chance to see you again, much less touch you. It has been much, much too long. I have missed you terribly, big brother. You know that Leo shaped hole Donny told you about all those months ago? Well, I have one too, except I think you took most of me with it as well. You certainly took the best part of me." Raph stopped, unable to continue for a moment. When he had regain control he said, "I can't do this without you. I know you told Donny that I'm the strength of our family, but without you I have no strength myself. I can only be strong because I have you to lean on. But that's okay, because you have me, and Donny, and Mikey to lean on, too.

Now, I know you may not want to return here, considering where we are, but we're here now. Your real family is here for you, and we won't be leaving this time. I really want my best friend back. I know it will be difficult, but don't forget what I told you all those months ago: for you the hard path is the most natural. Besides, I'm right here, ready to help in whatever way I can. You're safe now Leo; we won't let you fall."

With that, Raph hugged his brother tighter to his chest, and eventually faded off to sleep.

TMNT

When Raph once again became aware of his surrounding, he wasn't in his family's new home. Instead, he was in a very dark place, only dimly lit by a weird glow in the sky. There was nothing around him, only a pitted gravel road leading off into the distance. With a sense of foreboding, Raph took off down the road at a jog. He instinctively knew Leo was somewhere ahead of him, and he needed help.

Raph wasn't sure how long he'd been traveling down the road, and his legs were beginning to shake, when movement off the right side of the path caught his eyes. At first, Raph wasn't sure he was actually seeing what he thought he was seeing, but his heart told him yes, that really was Leo. The older turtle was only a few steps off the path, but he was listing to the side, and there was a glazed look in his eyes. Approaching cautiously, Raph called his brother's name softly. It took a few tries, but eventually Leo managed to make eye contact.

"Raph, is that you," he asked, his voice husky. Raph couldn't hold back his smile.

"Yeah, big brother, it's me," he assured Leo. Leo reached out and, in a move parallel to the one Raph and made that first morning Leo had awakened in his new home, touched his younger brother's face with a trembling hand.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," he said in a shaky, tired voice.

"I know," Raph said gently. "But I'm here now. I'm going to help you home."

Leo gave Raph a stricken look. "I don't know if I can make it," he said. "I've been traveling on this road for so long, I don't know if I have the strength to get back."

"If you don't, I'll carry you," Raph told him. "Remember, I told you I won't let you fall?"

Leo gave an exhausted nod, and joined his brother on the road. Raph draped Leo's arm over his shoulders and helped to take some of his exhausted sibling's weight. He then turned them back the way he had come, and the pair set off. Content just to be together at last, neither turtle spoke. However, as the journey dragged on, Leo began to falter more and more. At last he sank to the ground, dragging Raph with him, unable to take another step.

"I can't do it," he tearfully told Raph. "I told you I was a failure. You just wouldn't listen to me." Leo was just a little shocked when Raph smacked him upside his head.

"I don't ever want to hear you call yourself that again," he growled. "For the last time, you are not a failure. All you are is exhausted, and it's no wonder. Have you stopped to consider just how far you've come on your own? And so what if you need my help the last part of the journey? We're family, Leo; helping each other is what we do."

Leo looked gravely into his brother's eyes for a long moment. At last, he reached out a hand. "Raph, I need help. Please."

Raph grasped his brother's hand and pulled him up and onto his back. "Whatever you need, big brother."

Returning to their journey, Raph began to walk once more. He gradually reached the point where it was all he could do to place one foot in front of the other. He forced himself to keep moving until his body just couldn't take anymore. With a sigh and heartfelt hope that he had traveled far enough to get them to safety, Raph collapsed, and the world around him went dark.

TMNT

Back in the real world, Raph was awakened by the movement of his brother in his embrace. Forcing his eyes open, he fond himself face-to-face with an awake and aware Leo.

"Welcome back," he whispered as his tears began to flow once more, and he pulled his older brother and best friend into a tight hug.

"Thank you," Leo whispered, equally emotional. "I couldn't have done it without you and the others."

"You'll be alright now," Raph told him, though it was more to reassure himself.

"I know," Leo replied. "I've found the missing part of me, and now I'm back where I belong."