Chapter 14

Leo P.O.V

Once the creature Mikey had called the Creep was securely chained to the tree and Casey had directly told the monster that it shouldn't have touched his mask, Leo finally managed to calm his erratic breathing and got the words out which he had been going over and over during the course of the battle.

"Do you really think you can save Raph?" He met Donnie's sad brown eyes in desperation, searching for the truth.

"Honestly? I don't know, Leo, I just don't know…" Everyone's eyes turned back to the Creep and the green glow of Raph's mutagen beneath it's surface. After a long moment the eldest cleared his throat.

"Alright, how many do you need to get that back into your lab?" He questioned his genius brother with a nod at the monster. Donnie clicked his tongue in thought,

"Judging by size, I would say me, Mikey and Casey should manage it fine. If you and April could take… Raph… back," he faltered, but judging his discomfort in continuing in his reference to his brother as a plant, Leo leant against the pitchfork he was still holding, and rose shakily to his feet.

"Sure." He muttered, and limped back to the shed. Inside he took a sad look at the red bandanna across the plant and attempted to control his rising panic.

His brother was a plant.

His brother had lost his mutagen.

Raph was now-

"Leo?" April came up behind him and keeping his hands steady, the eldest tried to bend down to pick up his brother but his knee trembled so much he could not bend far. The red haired teen grabbed the turtle's shoulder to support him yet Leo shrugged her off, determined not to look weaker than he felt, but when she offered a shy,

"You want me to-" gesturing at the flower hopelessly, Leo snapped.

"No! Haven't you done enough? Raph's my brother- I'll protect him! He doesn't need you to screw things up again, like back at the lair! You-" That was when Leo knew he had gone too far. The teen's face screwed up in pure anguish and she turned and fled out the shed and into the woods before the turtle could take back what he had said. Cursing under his breath, Leo scooped up the plant- no- Raph- and hobbled after his friend, if of course she still wanted to be after his cruel and uncalled for words of hatred.

Thankfully, the guys were so absorbed with figuring out how to move the mass of grass back to the barn that they didn't seem to notice the raised voices or April running off. Man, he felt like a hopeless leader, yelling at a team member who had done nothing but help them for the past months, who had left her home and her mutated father to shelter them- no- him.

Once out of earshot of the guys, Leo called out into the woods, hoping for a reply,

"April! April, I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking… April!" Yet he received no reply. Turning, Leo searched for any signs of a distressed girl running past the area, however he caught hold of something much more useful, the soft sound of sobbing to the right. Taking a few calming breaths to clear his mind, Leo limped towards the direction of the crying until he reached a small clearing which April was kneeling in the middle of, hugging her knees to her chest.

"April…" Leo murmured, moving closer, causing her to jump up in fright- "Please- just hear me out-" he pleaded before she could run. "I didn't mean what I said- I was just angry… I'm so sorry, you've done nothing but help us and this was how I repaid you…" Leo met the girl's damp eyes and continued, knowing that he had captured her attention, "I don't blame you for what happened in New York, if anything it was my fault for not formulating a backup plan or getting our shells out of the city sooner. I know you wanted to stay and help your dad, but instead you left everything and made sure my family was safe. April, I cannot express how thankful I am, or how much I regret saying those words to you earlier. I'm just stressed about Raph, and-" but that was all he could get out for April had run up to Leo and suddenly embraced him, sobbing into his shell. Awkwardly, Leo wrapped the arm he was holding Raph in around her, balancing himself against the crutch with difficulty. April sniffed then looked up to meet Leo's eyes,

"Sorry…" she muttered, "I shouldn't have run off either, but…" she sniffed and let go of the turtle and led him to a rock where they could sit, "I've been blaming myself about the invasion. The Kraang were after me and I brought Irma to the lair. If I hadn't there wouldn't have even been an invasion." She drew her knees up, "Donnie told me you wanted to find a secondary base a month or so before and I may have got mad at you through him… I think he only argued with you because of what I said to him…" Leo just looked at her in shock. He knew the girl was tough but convincing Donnie to side with you was like getting Raph to follow an order after an argument… No- don't think of Raph… Anyway, it was quite an achievement.

Leo touched her hand in comfort,

"No matter what you think, it wasn't your fault. There were too many factors to place blame upon anyone or thing, so I just want to apologise and remind you that I owe you my life, so, I should never had got mad at you." April frowned.

"How do you owe me your life? Surely you owe Donnie, or Raph, or even Mikey- not me. All I did was-"

"Find a place for us to hide and recover. Don said that it was probably your quick thinking of this place that allowed me to recover, and for our family to slip away from the city." Leo finished. April met his gaze and smiled, then embraced him once more.

"I'm glad you're back, Leo." Not quite, but close enough Leo thought, his mind still on his nightmares and wounds which still burnt after the fight with the Creep.

Once the moment had passed the two got up, and April offered Leo her shoulder to lean on so he could move with much more ease which he accepted.

"Come on, let's go save your brother." April smiled, "I know Donnie can."

Leo nodded his head in silent thanks for the reassurance as they moved out of the clearing. But if she was wrong and Raph couldn't be re-mutated- or whatever the term was- Leo knew the blame would fall upon his shoulders. He was the one who made the team retreat, it was his puke which infused the ground with mud and it was him who allowed Raph to go out alone.

Whatever way it would turn out for Raph, one thing remained true.

Leo had all but handed his brother a death sentence, and there may not be any way to take it back.

Oh Leo, why are you so like Raph when stressed?!

So:

Will April accept she saved the guys?

How will Raph be?

How will Leo feel?

Thanks to all your continued support! Only another 4ish chapters to go!

LL99 out!