Authors Notes: This is the last chapter before the epilogue, which I will have done soon. Thank you guys for all your support, you rock.

Mikey frowned as he heard a steady beeping noise. It didn't sound like his alarm, but he didn't know what else it could be. He tried to open his eyes, but as soon as he did he saw a blinding light and quickly closed them.

"Michelangelo?"

Mikey groaned and mumbled. "Too bright."

"How is that?" A voice asked and Mikey tried to open his eyes again this time succeeding. Once his eyes focused he saw his brothers and father looking over at him worriedly. Mikey frowned at the unfamiliar surroundings before looking around and seeing that he was in a hospital room. He realized the beeping was coming from a heart monitor.

Mikey then gasped as everything came flooding back and he sat bolt upright. "Leatherhead," he shouted.

Mikey began looking around, but he moved to fast and the IV needle in his arm jerked and he hissed at the pain.

"Mikey, Mikey, its fine Leatherhead's safe." Donny assured him.

He frowned. "But the gunshot I heard it."

"That was Bishop being shot. Leatherhead attacked him, but when you hit the ground he ran over to you. Bishop drew his gun at you and the police shot him…. he's dead Mikey." Leo explained.

Mikey's eyes widened. "What about the other guy?"

The other man was named Baxter Stockman as he is currently in police custody.

Mike froze as the words sunk it. Leatherhead was okay and Bishop is dead and his accomplice in jail. He stated to feel woozy and feel back onto the bed.

"Mikey," Raph yelled, but Donnie put an arm on his shoulder.

"It's okay he's just coming off an adrenaline rush."

"Where's Leatherhead?" Mikey asked.

"Right here," A new voice spoke and Mikey felt relief and happiness fill him when he saw his boyfriend standing in the door with his parents.

Leatherhead came over and he and Mikey shared an embrace.

"Your okay," Mikey said his voice shaking.

"And so are you," Leatherhead said in a way that was both reassuring and filled with relief.

The reunion was broken up when two detectives came in asking to speak to Mikey and Leatherhead.

"Can you boys give us any information about what happened the night you were kidnapped?"

"We were at the park hanging out… when Leatherhead just stopped talking and fell to the ground. I got up and felt something hit my arm… it was like a bee sting. I saw someone and tried to attack them, but I felt that stinging sensation again and fell. The last thing I remember is him breaking my leg."

Splinter and his brother frowned and looked at his left leg where Mikey saw that it was now in a cast.

Mikey sighed. "Guess I won't be competing with you this time around."

"Don't worry Mikey we'll have another chance next year," Leo assured him.

Mikey frowned. "You guys shouldn't have to drop out because of me. We've been waiting to do this forever and I don't want you missing it."

"Mikey if we're going to compete for the first time were going to do it together." Leo said.

Mikey looked at his brothers. "You guys are really willing to wait the six months it takes me to heal plus the time to get back in shape?"

His brothers nodded and he looked to Splinter.

"Michelangelo I allowed you to compete this year so you because I think you are ready. You will still be ready when you are healed. We will work on ways to keep you in shape while you leg is in the cast and I will take more time to train you if needed. I don't think it will take long though. You are the most flexible of your brothers when it comes to training. Relearning things shouldn't take much time," Splinter assured him and Mikey relaxed a bit.

The police officer cleared his throat and everyone turned his attention back to him. "Can you boys tell us what happened while you were captured?

Mikey frowned and slowly explained Bishop's interrogation methods and what Mikey told him. His family looked horrified as did the Heinz with Mrs. Heinz eyes filling with tears.

The detective looked at Leatherhead who confirmed that he too had been hurt while Bishop tried to get info from the teen.

"Will we have to testify," Leatherhead asked his eyes filled with worry?

The detective frowned. "Were not sure Stockman is wanted for several things. We think he wanted the money so he could run away to a country that didn't extradite to the United States. He was some big tech name who was caught using his skills to hack into places and get access to people's credit cards. He is also accused of embezzling from the company he owned. He will be going to jail, but we can't fully prove that he was involved the actual kidnapping of you. We're not sure of the outcome yet, but we'll keep you updated."

The Detectives asked a few more questions before leaving. Not long after a doctor came in and said everything checked out and they could leave. Mikey insisted that he use the crutches he was given instead of a wheelchair. He was already unhappy about the fact that he wouldn't be able to train properly for a while he didn't want to feel like and invalid.

The weeks went by and Mikey and Leatherhead got back into their daily routines. They were both seeing a therapist which neither minded. Mikey knew that he needed to talk to someone other than Leatherhead. He was still having nightmares though. He'd talked about them with his therapist, but they weren't going away.

One night he woke the whole apartment with his screaming. Raph, Leo and Master Splinter came running into the room while Donnie darted over to Mikey. Mikey was crying and trembling for several minutes before his brother and father got him to calm down.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Splinter asked and Mikey hesitated before nodding. "Okay just go through it slowly" Splinter advised.

Mikey nodded again and took a deep breath. "It always starts the same. Were in that stupid cell and its night time. Bishop comes in and Stockman shocks me. He drags out Leatherhead and when Leatherhead resists he… shoots him." Tears were running down Mikey's face, but he continued. "The ending changes a lot. Sometimes he just leaves Leatherhead there. Sometimes he takes me out and kills me too." Mikey felt himself wrapped in a hug by his brothers and father and he broke down sobbing. They stayed with him until he calmed down and Donnie let him crawl into bed with him. Mikey didn't have another bad dream that night and it seemed talking to his family about his dreams helped and he the number of nightmares slowly decreased.

Sometimes at night he'd get a call from Leatherhead when he had a bad dream. Mikey would reassure him they were okay and they'd talk till Leatherhead fell back asleep.

It was tough, but they had a huge support group. Leo had given both Mikey and Leatherhead dream catchers and they actually seemed to work. It helped to keep more of the already diminishing dreams to an even lower number. With therapy and support the boys were quickly moving on with their lives. They weren't going to let what happened stop them from living. They still went on dates and even hung around the park. Leatherhead continued to excel in school and Mikey's grades stayed steady.

They didn't have to testify, but Stockman was found guilty of kidnapping and with his embezzling would be put away for at least thirty years. It seemed too short, but there wasn't anything that could be done. The Heinz and Hamato's were just glad that Stockman was going to prison and that he was paying for his crime.

Leatherhead and Mikey continued to live life how they wanted and the future was looking bright.