Disclaimer: Still don't own them -20 chapters in I'd think you'd figure it out lol!

Splinter rested in silence on the floor where his sons slept. He had allowed his eyes to close and his body rest, though his mind was not yet given that opportunity.

His sons needed him, and after months alone - he was happy to oblige.

They had slept soundly for a few hours now, even Raphael. His 2nd eldest son had, in previous nights, limited himself to hour long naps by force of will. He understood the desire to protect those he loved. It was that same desire which kept Splinter awake, even now.

The quite was shattered when the IV rod which held the medication for Mikey came crashing to the floor. The youngest had jumped in his sleep and his remaining arm had lashed out sending the iron rod to the floor with a furious clatter.

The reaction was instantaneous.

Mikey had screamed and only flailed worse trying to regain his senses. By doing so he jerked his wounded shoulder and coiled in pain. The movement had pulled the IV from his arm which in the moment of tightness had felt like a restraint causing Mikey to react against it.

In the same moment, Raphael had jerked into wakefulness and struggled to pin his brother to keep him still in effort to keep him from doing more damage to himself.

"Easy! Take it Easy! Mikey - You're Home!"

With the fall and noise of the rod, Donnie had yelped and flinched away before Raphael's raised tones had brought him back into reality. He stumbled his way over to help his brother. Neither he nor Raph had their strength back and it was still easier for him to crawl than rise and walk. He focused on his shoulder keeping it steady.

Between the two of them they managed to hold Mikey still as Splinter came to kneel at Mikey's head. Caressing and talking him back into reality.

During all this Leonardo had only managed to help by holding his feet down. His eyes, still blurred by slumber and weakness, scanned over Mikey.

The perspiration, the panic…the fear.

Slowly Mikey stopped struggling and each brother moved back, though only by a few inches.

"Ok….I'm…alright." As Mikey spoke none were certain if he said this to convince his brothers, or himself.

With his hand free he reached almost obsessively to that barren steel on his shoulder and he closed his eyes again. Each time he had hoped to awaken and find it a dream - and each time it hadn't.

He grabbed the steel hook which had been attached over his bed and slowly pulled himself into a sitting position.

"I'm Alright." He spoke again, this time a more stable tone.

He rested his hand on his knee to keep his balance and looked up for the first time at his brothers. Each of their three faces attentive and concerned.

"Relax, I'm alright." He said patting Raph's arm.

Wait.

Three?

Three faces?

He looked back to the middle person while Donnie reapplied the IV.

"Leo?"

"He'll be here Mikey, you know he will. We told you, he's just a little behind us -Remember?" Reassured Donnie with out looking up.

For a second Mikey doubted what he saw in front of him. Between the nightmares and the medication he wasn't ever completely sure that he could trust his eyes.

So he reached out with his hand letting it come to rest in Leo's outstretched palm.

Contact, trembling, solid…contact.

"Mikey stay still."

Donnie's voice spoke as he fumbled to reapply the IV in the arm which Mikey had reached with.

"Leo. " Mikey said still unsure and Leo closed his hand in affirmation of the unsure tone .

"LEO!" Mike grinned, out right and honest. He fumbled to get shifted enough to get his good arm around Leo's neck. Leo who was sitting on his calloused shins should have cried out in pain as Mikey's weight was added to his own. But in that moment he could care less.

His own arms came around Mikey's shell with just as much need as Mikey had to prove that the other was there.

Donnie had finally looked up in frustration when Mikey moved again. What he saw when he looked up caused the IV to fall again. This time slipping through his fingers to fall unheard to the mattress beneath Mikey.

"Leo?" He asked his eyes looking around the room. Neither his father nor Raphael seemed surprised. Even after all that he had gone through he tried to keep his brain working.

"How long?" He asked Raphael.

"He came in last night." Raphael said, unashamedly smiling.

Don looked back at Leo, and reached out to touch his arm. Checking, just to be sure, he was not a figment of his imagination.

Leo didn't push Mikey away when Don touched his arm, instead he simply pulled him in as well.

Raphael sat back on his mattress to exhausted to join the huddle but not to tired to smile.

Splinter had risen and left the room during Mikey's realization and now stood in silent admiration of the image that was now before him.

"My sons."

Each looked up when he called, though none pulled completely away from the other.

The rat held a tray in his hand of soup and water, he simply lifted it in silent offering . Leo urged Mikey back down to the bed while he and Don came to join Raphael and sit on his mattress. It was so much more giving than the concrete floor.

Splinter saw that each had soup and water before standing back to fully illuminate the room. He could tell none would return to sleep. He noted that not once had they mentioned what had happened, or who had done this. As of yet Splinter had not forced them to disclose this information. Yet, he knew…as any parent does, they must face their horrors to fully heal.

Perhaps not yet, but soon.

Seeing them together again, for the first time since he had found them in the sewer beaten and broken….he was sure of it.

They now had a fighting chance, to heal.

Together, it may just be possible.

YAY for napping children! Two chapters in 24 hours! Go me! LOL Thanks for reading all! ( Reposting this chapter. I have no idea what was with the underlined text, so sorry if you had to read that, also fixed some errors I didn't catch. Sorry all! Thanks for reading!)