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Well, here it is, the next chapter! dun di di dun!

Chapter 28

Water Under the Bridge

Leonardo had pushed past the small crowd and cradled her, sobbing out," Nerissa! Please, Nerissa, no! No!"

The healer spoke slowly," You know her?"

"Yes, I know her! Can you help her?!" Leonardo demanded.

"Let me try." The healer spoke softly as he tore back the cloth from her shoulder.

The puncture wound was red and swollen.

He closed his eyes as he tried to discern what poison had been used on her.

"Ah, the poison will run through her system. It will not kill her, for not enough was introduced for that. All the layers of cloth she wore protected her. But it will only be through her own accord that she will wake up."

Leonardo swallowed hard as he asked," Who did this?"

The healer looked grave as he responded," The poison comes from the dimension that Argus came from… there are two conclusions. Either someone framed him… or he tried to murder her."

Leo shook his head," No… she pushed me out of the way of the dart. Someone tried to assassinate me…again," Leo put a tender hand upon her forehead and sighed heavily.

The healer looked down at her again before observing," Someone must find Argus and question him."

Leonardo looked up as Raphael suddenly raced into the infirmary, gasping," Rissa!"

The hot-headed turtle knelt by his sister and demanded," What the shell happened? How the HELL did she get here? When did she join?"

Leonardo replied softly," I'm going to ask her when she wakes up… but for now, I've got a score to settle with four-and-then-some eyes."

Raphael snarled," Oh you do, do you? I'm coming with you!"

"No, Raph, this is something I need to do!"

"Why? She's my sister!"

"Damn it, Raph, I love her. And it was me Argus was trying to kill! Don't you get it?"

Leonardo growled.

Raphael saw the fire in his brother's cool, golden eyes and slowly nodded," K… I'll stay here with her."

"Thanks, bro."

"Hey, Leo?" Raph called as Leo turned to leave. Leo paused.

"Kick his ass for me, will ya?"

"Oh, count on it." Leo growled as he left the building.

Raphael knelt by his sister and muttered," You idiot, why didja step aside for Leo? Unless… you really do love him."

He softly drew a strand of hair away from her face, and muttered," C'mon, sis… don't die on me now. I just met you, damn it!"

***

Leonardo met Usagi and Ue-Sama as he searched for the hundred-eyed giant.

Usagi looked grave as he responded," I have not seen him, Leonardo-san."

Leonardo growled," Why was that jerk even allowed to compete?"

Ue-Sama responded quietly," I can tell you. But you must let no one else know this."

The two warriors listened up as the Daimyo's son quietly narrated," Argus was a respected friend of my father… until he was banished from his home. He had loved someone he was forbidden to love… and as a result, she was slain, and he was banished. He was forced to take up company with evil entities… and he has become much changed. My father does not want to banish him, but he has become worse and worse over time."

"All that in three years?" Leo asked in surprise.

Usagi responded," Different Dimensions may have a completely different time from others."

Leo didn't even TRY to think about that one as he asked," So, how do I find him?"

Ue-Sama responded quietly," I can help with that… But Leonardo, you will not be allowed to punish him. Only my father can do that."

Leo snarled," Just find him before he escapes!"

Swiftly, Ue-Sama took out the object used to summon the Gyogi and it wasn't long before the transparent entity appeared.

"Take us to my father's mirror." Ue-Sama commanded," And let him know that Argus has attempted to assassinate Leonardo."

"As you wish, young master."

A bubble of water rose up over them, before melting back into the floor. Leo looked around the room they now stood in. a pool of water stood at their feet. Ue-Sama solemnly stood before it as he mumbled words that Leo could not decipher.

They waited and soon, the clouded water cleared and showed the image of Argus. He was about to escape back into his own dimension.

Leo snarled," He's escaping!"

Ue-Sama smiled as he declared," Watch."

The Gyogi suddenly appeared in the image and trapped him in a force field, unexpectedly apprehended the monster.

Leo was stony-faced as he asked," What will your father do with him?"

"I do not know… rest assured, Leonardo, he will pay for what he tried to do to your friend." Ue-Sama said quietly.

Leo frowned as he asked," When did she join anyways?"

"Shortly after the last fight. She found this place with the council of an old warrior who used to be part of this place. An Old warrior named Quicksilver."

Leo made a note to ask Nerissa all about it when she woke… oh shell, would she wake up?

He felt his stomach churn, and repressed a groan of despair.

At this moment, the Daimyo appeared, along with the prisoner and the Gyogi.

"He is guilty. He has confessed to have tried harming you, Leonardo," The Daimyo declared.

Leonardo looked the giant in the eyes…well, the two eyes that were in his face, anyways, and declared," In your haste to get even with me for beating you fair and square, you have harmed an innocent young woman. Are you so far gone that you feel no remorse for that alone?"

The eyes glared hatefully at him, but the giant kept his mouth firmly shut as the Daimyo continued," He will be banished to a place where he will never be able to access the Nexus again."

Leo nodded curtly as the Daimyo, Gyogi and Argus disappeared.

Usagi looked at his friend who softly declared," I'm going back to the infirmary."

"May we accompany you?" Ue-Sama asked.

Leo forced a smile," Thanks guys… but I'd rather go alone, if that's okay with you."

Usagi responded gravely," We will not be far, if you need us."

Ue-Sama nodded.

Leo smiled genuinely this time," Thanks, I appreciate that."

***

Raphael was still sitting by Nerissa's side, along with Splinter, Mikey and Donnie when Leonardo came into the room.

Splinter looked at him gravely," She is healed, but her mind is tormented."

"By what?"

Raphael grunted," We don't know. She won't let us in."

Leo raised an eye-ridge," What?!"

Splinter corrected," Raphael and I tried to reach her consciousness through meditation, but she would not speak to us. She has placed a hard shield around herself."

Leonardo gazed down at the unconscious girl. He felt a silent resolution within his soul as he asked softly," Can I try?"

Splinter nodded and stood up.

"We will wait outside."

Mikey didn't offer any wisecracks. Surprisingly, he was as grim as the rest of them.

Leonardo slowly sat down next to Nerissa and gently took her hand in his. His eyes closed, and he breathed, in… out… in… out…

***

Leo seemed to open his eyes. He stood in a dark void.

He felt cold, and shivered as he called out," Nerissa? Are you here?"

A low, convulsive sob reached his ears, and he heard her low moan of pain.

"Nerissa?"

He walked further into the darkness, and suddenly, a pale shaft of light lit upon a cold, hard, metal box. He walked to it, and listened.

The sobbing came from within the box.

Softly, he called out," Nerissa?"

"Please, go away." Her muffled sob echoed softly.

He shook his head," No, Nerissa, I am not going to just give up on you!"

"You don't know what I've done!" she cried out.

He was slightly surprised to hear this and then retorted gently," You saved my life. And for that, I love you, more then ever."

He heard a complete silence.

Leaning against the box, he added," Please, Nerissa, don't push me away. Condemn your pride! Let me in, Nerissa!"

The blue-masked turtle was quite surprised when he fell through the box.

Breaking his fall, he looked up, relieved to find her, curled in the corner. She looked up, her blue eyes red with tears.

"Leo?" her voice was husky with sadness.

"Nerissa, don't lock me out. Please. Whatever I did to offend you, I beg your forgiveness!"

She looked down and murmured," You are too good for me."

He frowned at her cryptic declaration and responded," Nerissa, tell me what is wrong!"

Leo suddenly realized she was hiding something in her hands.

He quietly knelt by her and took her clasped hands in his, looking into her eyes.

With husky emotion, he added," I will not condemn you. I am not perfect. No one is."

She sobbed, breaking apart, she fell into his arms, sobbing.

He held her tightly, letting her tears fall upon his skin like water-drops.

Slowly, she opened her hands, and he saw what she held.

A heart.

Jeweled and sparkling… but broken. Shattered beyond repair.

And from the light that radiated from the heart, came a memory, strong and clear to Leonardo, like it happened yesterday…

***

*Flashback*

Nerissa looked over her shoulder, making sure her sisters weren't following her as she slipped out the window of their small home. The pale moonlight glinted off the dark waves, and a soft wind chilled her slightly as she wandered down to the docks, looking over her shoulder as she lightly ran into the moonlight trees that grew tall and plentiful, beside their home. She saw the candlelight of the torch and smiled softly as she crept into the pale circle of illumination.

"Adrian!" she breathed.

He turned, smiling softly," Hello, Nerissa! I thought maybe you wouldn't come."

"And why wouldn't I?" she retorted playfully.

The fifteen-year-old young man took her hands quietly and kissed her cheek.

Nerissa, only thirteen years of age, felt her heart flutter wildly as she gazed into his light green eyes. He smirked down at her," You are so beautiful, Nerissa. How did I ever get so lucky?"

She pulled back, flirting," I'm wondering the same thing, Adrian!"

He chuckled quietly. His darkly tanned skin seemed to glow like fire in the candle-light.

"Nerissa, as soon as you are old enough, I'm going to marry you. I promise you that."

She blushed, her eyes widening as she gulped," But, you just met me!"

"You saved my life, little goddess. You are the most beautiful creature on the face of this earth."

She blushed," I thought my sister, Andromeda, was the most beautiful."

Adrian cocked his head," You have sisters?"

"Yes, three of them. Eos, Andromeda and Daphne. We all live with my father."

Adrian smirked," You, whether you like it or not are the most beautiful of all. And you belong to me."

She curled into his arms, nodding," Yes, I belong to you, my prince charming."

A year later

Nerissa screamed in agony as she saw her father gunned down. The dust was everywhere, kicked up by people trying to save themselves. In the midst of it, as Andromeda, Nerissa, Eos and Daphne were forced to give themselves up, Nerissa froze, as she caught sight of a familiar face.

Adrian, now seventeen, smirked at her, and nodded slightly, as if confirming her worst fears.

She was shocked, appalled, as this sudden revelation caused her to vomit all that was in her stomach and more besides. Andromeda was screaming every dirty word that they had ever been exposed to, Daphne was nearly comatose, not saying anything, numb as could be, and Eos was crying helplessly, as she tried to catch sight of their father's body.

Nerissa passed out, as all the guilt, pain and sense of betrayal weighed heavily on her.

*End flashback*

***

Leonardo felt tears of both grief and rage at the betrayal that Nerissa had faced at such an early age.

She was sobbing uncontrollably, as she moaned," It was I, who led the scientists to my family! All because I longed to be loved by a boy! I WANTED his love! It makes me sick! I was so weak! So stupid and blind! Why, why, why did I do what I did?! I wish to God I'd never been born!" she fairly shrieked as she clutched her broken heart to her again.

Leo was silent. He gazed down upon the young woman and slowly, he raised he her chin, murmuring," Nerissa, please, look at me."

She slowly raised her wet, bright eyes to his as he declared," Once, I was in your place. I blamed myself, because I felt I had let my family down. In doing this, I nearly destroyed my family, and myself."

He tenderly took her hands and opened them, to reveal her heart, broken and shattered. He kissed the fragments and looked her in the eye," There's so much I could say, so much that I've learned, don't make my mistakes. There's no time to delay. Take my hand and learn from my heartache."

She was calming down, her eyes suddenly brightening with understanding.

"You are telling me… I must forgive myself."

"Yes. Do not hide your pain from your family again. Sometimes we all need a hand to get by, and that is why we have family. Nerissa, you are NOT alone."

She looked down and gasped.

Her heart was repaired. She could still see the cracks, where it had been broken, but it was whole again.

She smiled up into his face and softly, she leaned forward and whispered," Thank you… thank you, Leonardo."

***

Leo's eyes opened and he looked down at Nerissa. he kissed her hand, smiling with uncontrollable joy as she opened her eyes and smiled, looking at him, she murmured," Leo?"

"Yes? Nerissa?"

"Do you… do you love me?"

"With all my heart." Leonardo responded as he drew her into his lap, cradling her tenderly.

She sighed and leaned against him, her eyes closing in bliss.

Leo chuckled," You know, I was wondering how the heck you managed to get into the Battle Nexus… But I'm not surprised you made it to the finals."

She looked up in astonishment and asked," I thought you said I wasn't good enough to be in the Nexus."

"No… I didn't want you to participate because I didn't want you to get hurt." He retorted gently.

She chuckled softly," You're such a worry-wart."

"And proud of it." Leonardo retorted back.

She suddenly leaned up and kissed him.

Leo froze, his eyes wide, and slowly, he kissed her back.

As they drew back, Nerissa looked into his face and laughed," You're blushing."

"About time!"

They both jumped slightly and Leo turned to see Raphael, watching them from the doorway. He was grinning as he ran forward and asked," How ya doin, sis?"

"Better." She responded, smiling back.

Leonardo chuckled," I think she'll be okay."

Nerissa nodded as she sat up and stretched.

"I guess we're going to have to have a rematch." She surmised.

He nodded," Only this time, you're NOT going to wear a mask."

She smiled gently," Fine. I suppose I no longer need to keep my identity a secret."

"Nerissa! Welcome back to the land of the living!" Mikey bellowed cheerily as he bounced in. Raphael rolled his eyes as he whacked Mikey over the head, snapping," She never left it, you idiot!"

Don asked gently," When did you join the Nexus? And do your sisters know?"

She sighed," So many questions… It was three years ago, that I joined. An older man told me about it and showed me how to enter the Nexus. And… well, my sisters just found out about it. They were angry that I kept it from them, and rightly so, but they forgave me, and Andromeda told me to kick Leo's butt."

Nerissa added with a chuckle.

Raphael grumbled," You sure kicked mine…"

At this moment, Ue-Sama and his father appeared, and the Daimyo asked," Are you well enough to continue the last round of the Battle Nexus, Goddess? Or will you forfeit?"

With a gleam in her eyes, she responded," I am well enough to continue the match, Honored Daimyo."

Leonardo looked at her in surprise, but she only grinned," You healed me, remember? I can and I will carry on."

Taking a breath, he took her hand and squeezed it, responding," We'll carry on… together."

LoL, ok, there are a few song lyrics in this chapter from two Kutless songs. Can anyone identitify the lyrics and the two songs they go to?

PS If you like it, review! if you hate it, review!