"You okay?"
Lana looks at Leo before spin kicking the new punching bag.
"I'm fine."
She does a series of punches and breathes out on the last one. Leo watches her and can see that Raph taught her some combinations.
"That's Raph's signature combo."
"Maybe if you had stuck around he would have taught you."
Leo frowns before walking around the bag and holding it still. She watches him but doesn't move.
"Hit it."
"Why?"
"What other time are you going to be able to pretend you're hitting me?"
Lana smirks slightly before punching and kicking it again. Leo holds the bag still and watches her hit it with force and accuracy.
"Good job."
"Bags can't talk."
She looks at him coldly before running a hand through her hair. Leo sighs and steps away from the bag and watches her.
"Why're you staring at me?"
"Just making sure you're okay."
"I'm fine, happy?"
Leo stares at her and she turns away laughing humorlessly.
"Why're you doing this?"
"I told you-"
"No. Why're you pretending to care?"
Leo makes a face and shakes his head.
"I'm not pretending."
"Yes you are."
She walks over to the mirrors before starting a kata. Leo walks over and leans against the wall continuing to watch her move.
"Go away."
"No."
Lana puts her arms and leg down before looking at him. Leo points to her foot.
"That foot's turned in too much."
Lana rolls her eyes and goes back to her kata.
"Leave it to Leo to correct me when I'm trying not to have a mental breakdown."
"If you don't want me as a friend, then you're going to get me as your leader."
"I'm not one of your brothers Leo."
Leo shrugs and steps away from the wall.
"Doesn't matter."
Lana sighs and looks at him angrily.
"Go away."
"Or what? You're going to make me? With your foot turned like that you'll end up on your ass faster than you can throw a punch."
Lana glances down at her foot before fixing it.
"You just have to be this way don't you?"
Leo just stares at her making her groan in anger.
"Why won't you just leave me alone?!"
"It's my job to train you."
"During training. Leave me alone when we're not training. I get that privilege."
Leo sighs and shakes his head.
"Why're you being this way?"
"Why are you?!"
Leo pinches his brow and tries to control his temper.
"I'm trying to help you-"
"If you want to help me then leave me alone. I get that privilege."
"Avoiding this won't help."
"Avoiding what?"
"All of what you heard outside. You need to process this."
Lana looks at him angrily.
"And you think this is going to help? You telling me my foot is wrong? Correcting me?"
Leo tries to keep his anger in check.
"I'm helping you-"
"No. You're making me mad. I need a friend, not you."
Leo looks up at her sharply and she can see the sadness in his eyes while his face is stoic.
"Fine."
Leo walks out quickly making Lana groan and go back to the punching bag. Leo walks out and glances at his brothers before disappearing up the stairs and into his room. Donnie watches him before looking at Raph.
"Guess she did bite."
"Her words always do."
Donnie nods before going back to maps.
A week later:
Mikey groans at the bickering next to him.
"Do they ever stop? This has been going on for a week straight."
Donnie sighs with a nod.
"You go and talk to them."
"I don't want to lose my head."
Raph looks at his brothers before getting up and walking into the dojo. Lana stands ready to attack his older brother and Leo looks angrier than he'd seen him in a long time.
"I'm trying to help!"
Raph sighs before picking Lana up and putting her over his shoulder and walking out. Leo looks surprised and Lana hits Raph's shell with her fists.
"Put me down!"
"You're actin' like a child."
He walks out of the dojo and up to his room. Lana continues to pound on his shell as the other turtles look on in amazement. Lexi walks past them and waves at Lana before skipping to the couch. Raph walks into his room and throws her onto the bed before locking the door.
"Raph!"
"Knock it off."
"You had no right-"
"I had every right to get ya both ta shut up!"
Lana stares at him and Raph groans.
"This has been goin' on fer a week. A week! It's annoyin'. We're all annoyed. Stop."
Lana doesn't say anything and just brings her knees up to her chin.
"…sorry."
Raph sighs and looks at her with his arms crossed.
"Ya need ta talk."
"We have been-"
"No, not scream, talk."
Lana sighs.
"I can't."
"Why?"
"You wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
Lana looks up at him and shrugs.
"Every time I look at him I want to just hit him."
"Then do it."
Lana looks surprised.
"What?"
"Hit him. It'll make yerself feel betta."
"I can't hit him."
"Why?"
Lana shrugs.
"Because?"
"That's dumb. He can defend himself. Hell he deserves ta be hit and ya can bet yer ass Mikey and Don won't do it."
"What about you?"
"I'd hit him if he ever annoyed me, but with you two always bitchin', he doesn't get the chance to."
Lana rolls her eyes.
"Okay."
Raph sits beside her.
"Just talk to him. You need it. Just say everythin' ya wanted to say."
Lana sighs and looks at the ground.
"…that's a lot of stuff Raph. Things I don't know if I want to say."
Raph nods.
"Whateva it is, I'm sure he can handle it."
Lana shrugs before leaning on his shoulder.
A Few Days Later:
"Your foot was in again."
"No it wasn't."
Leo rolls his eyes and has her do it again before knocking her off balance making her land on her back.
"…see?"
"Dick."
Leo sighs and has her do it again. She fixes her foot and he nods.
"Good. 10 more times."
She sighs and does as he says. Leo watches each one and nods.
"Much better."
She nods but doesn't say anything. He looks at her and sighs.
"I'm tired of this."
"What?"
"I'm tired of you hating me."
"It worked for a year and a half, it'll work now."
Leo looks at her angrily.
"We need to talk Lana."
"There's nothing to talk about."
Lana turns away and gets back in position to start her kata but Leo stops her.
"You'll never forgive me will you?"
"Forgive you? For what?"
Leo frowns at her sarcasm and looks away. She shakes her head angrily.
"For leaving? Or how about when you stopped writing? Oh or for staying in your jungle for almost an extra year?"
"I get that you're angry-"
"I get to be angry Leonardo!"
He stops and looks at her as she glares at him.
"I know you do."
"Then stop acting like I have no ground to stand on."
She looks away and sighs.
"You left, Leo. You. There's nothing to talk about."
She walks out of the dojo but Leo shakes his head and follows her angrily.
"There's so much to talk about!"
Lana looks at him standing in the doorway in surprise. Even with all their bickering Leo's voice never rose. It only did this when he was talking to Raph. Leo groans and rubs his face before walking closer to her.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this."
"Like what Leo? I'm sorry your world isn't as perfect as you like to think it is."
Leo looks at her incredulously.
"You think my world is perfect? Have you seen the shit I go through?
"Oh the woes of Leonardo-"
"Screw you Lana. Not all of us can just run away from our problems."
That was like a slap in the face.
"I don't run away-"
"Yes you do. Whenever we'd get into a fight you'd run away to the surface and avoid me until Mikey went to get you."
"That was over a year ago Leo. Things change."
"No they don't. You are the same girl you were last year."
Lana shakes her head.
"You don't know anything about me."
"I know everything about you!"
"Oh okay Leo. Let's entertain that theory. I have never been attached to anyone in my life. Ever. It's easier that way."
"I know because of your mom-"
Leo just stares at her.
"Well guess what? I did get attached. To you. To fucking you! And then you left! You didn't even say goodbye!"
"I left a note-"
"A note? All it said was 'I'll miss you. Keep training.'"
Leo looks away.
"Well what was I supposed to do?"
"Be a real fucking person Leo! Say goodbye, do something other than just leave in the night."
"I had to go."
"Maybe, but you didn't have to leave without saying anything."
Lana looks at him sadly and Leo shakes his head in anger.
"Is that what all this hostility is about?"
"Hostility?"
She looks taken aback and angry.
"You wouldn't even look at me for more than 2 seconds without running away. And now all we do is fight."
"I wasn't running. There was nothing to talk about."
"Yes there is. This is an issue."
Lana groans and shakes her head.
"Of course this is an issue Leo. I'm mad at you! We were all mad at you!"
"I know! But the difference is my brothers forgave me, you didn't. Even Raph doesn't give me as much shit as you do."
Lana takes a deep breath before looking away.
"I know you get to be mad. Everyone does. I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye. I'm sorry I didn't come home when I was supposed to. I'm sorry-"
Lana looks up at him with tears running down her cheeks.
"You're sorry?"
Leo looks at her and his anger disappears.
"Lana-"
"No. I'm glad that you're sorry, and that you feel bad, and that everyone else has decided to forget that you disappeared, but that doesn't help me."
"I'm trying to apologize. What else do you want me to do?!"
"I want you to care! I don't want your apologies, I just want you to understand!"
Leo growls in frustration and looks at her.
"Understand what?!"
"Understand that I loved you! I loved you and you left without saying anything!"
Leo's face goes blank. Tears come down harder on her cheeks and she shuts her eyes tightly. He makes a step towards her and she just shakes her head.
"I loved you, and you didn't even care enough about me to say goodbye…and now I can't be happy, all because of you."
"Lana I'm-"
"Leave me alone!"
She punches him square in the jaw. He staggers back a step and cups his jaw before looking at her. She shakes out her hand and rubs at her tears.
"…I'm sorry I-"
Leo rushes forward and wraps his arms around her. She tries to fight but eventually lets her arms go limp at her side. Leo rubs the back of her head and waits for her sobs to stop. He slowly loosens his arms and looks down at her. She looks up and pushes away from him.
"…I gotta go."
"Lana-"
She takes off up the stairs and disappears into Raph's room. Leo sighs when he hears the door slam and rubs his face in frustration.
"Wow."
His eyes snap up to the balcony where all of his brothers stare down at him along with Lexi holding onto Mikey's arm. Raph looks up from the floor and glares before walking over to his room. Leo sighs and rubs his face.
"…how long have you been there?"
Mikey glances at Don and shrugs.
"A while I guess…when I said you should talk to her, I didn't mean get into a fight with her dude."
Leo looks at his youngest brother before shaking his head and disappearing into the dojo. Donnie looks at Mikey before punching his shoulder.
"Not cool Mike."
Mikey rubs his arm and shrugs. Lexi stares after Leo sadly before glancing at Mikey and walking into his room.