Chapter 8: The Damage Has Been Done

"So Leo, when Kane tried to tell you what sex was you said that it wasn't sex and that it was exercise." Mary said.

She, Leonardo and Splinter were sat in a room talking to Leo about this supposed 'exercise' he told Kane about before they found him. "Yeth, thex ith when you kith and hold handth." Leo smiled.

"And what do you do when you exercise?" The mutant wolf asked.

Leonardo's smile dropped ever so slightly when he heard Mary's question. "Ee made me promithe him that ah wond thay anything." The blue eyes turtle muttered.

"It's alright my son, you can tell me and Mary." Splinter said, his voice cracking slightly.

"Ee thaid to pull my panth down and sit on hith lap." Leo replied nervously and Hamato Yoshi felt like his lungs had suddenly turned to ice as he struggled to breath.

"It really hurt at firtht, but ee thaid that it would thop hurting when ah could do it better." Leonardo added innocently.

"Leo, who does these 'exercises' with you?" Mary finally asked with a firm but gentle look on her face. "Mr Fred Harrithon." Leo smiled and everyone's eyes widened.

Your boss at the grocery store?"...

The next day the hearing continued.

Today only Ben would have to take the stand, Gwen and the detectives were trying to gather evidence against Fred. "So Dr. Ben, in your professional opinion how would describe Leonardo's mind and personality?" Patrick asked.

"Leo is very enthusiastic, he can be courageous and kind. He is very intelligent for someone with the amount of brain damage he has."

"What about Leonardo's knowledge and understanding of sex?" Patrick asked. "Unfortunately Leonardo has got very little knowledge about sexual education." Ben replied.

"Is sex education offered at Hamato Leonardo's day centre?" The lawyer asked.

"Yes, but he never took it." Ben replied. "Do you know the reason why Leo never took the lessons? And if you do know then could up please tell the court." Patrick asked.

"It is my understanding that his father refused to give consent."

Splinter fidgeted nervously in his seat. "Doctor Ben, is it true that Leonardo was more vulnerable to rape because his father refused to teach him about sex?" Patrick asked.

"Anyone can be raped, but yes, Leo was more vulnerable to rape because he had no idea what was happening to him." Ben explained.

"Now doctor, you could have chosen not to testify because of the open rape case, why did you?" The lawyer asked. "I believe that everyone has a right to make their own choice whether or not to keep their child." He replied.

"Thank you for your time doctor." Patrick smiled and sat back down.

Now it was Hamato Yoshi's attorney Tom's turn to take another shot that the doctor. "Dr. Ben, what did detectives West and Peterson say when they brought Leo back after he ran away?" Tom asked.

"They said that when they arrived that Leo offered them chocolate milk and was making soup, and Leo had applied for a job and bought diapers."

"Did you know that two months early Leo had set fire to his father's kitchen when trying to work the stove?" Tom smirked. "I set my stove on fire last week, we all have accidents in our lives." Ben said.

"Do you really think that buying diapers and offering chocolate milk are signs that he even knows how to take care of a baby?"

"With proper support I do think that Leo could take care of a child."...

"Leo, do you love your daddy?" Tom asked.

Tom had shocked everyone, even Splinter, when he brought Leo onto the stand. The blue eyed turtle nodded happily. "Yeth, he'th going to be a grandpa." Leo smiled to his father, who held a guilty expression.

"Does your daddy let you do the laundry?"

"No, he thaid ah meth up all the clotheth." Leo replied. "How about cooking in the kitchen, does he or you brothers let you do that?" Tom asked. Once again Leonardo shook his head.

"There wath a fire. But Kane thowed me how."

"Leo, do you know how to change a baby's diaper?" His smile fell. "Ah dond know, but ah can learn." He whimpered. "What about feeding the baby? Or dressing it? Do you know how to do any of those things?"

Leo barely had a chance to answer.

"Objection! Badgering!" Patrick cried out. "Overruled." The judge said. Splinter looked horrified at his lawyer, all he wanted was to protect Leonardo, not humiliate his oldest son like this.

"What about if the baby has a fever? What do you do then?"

"Ah dond know." Leo whimpered as tears gathered in his eyes. "You really have no clue how to look after a child, so then why should you be able to have one if you can't even take care of it?" Tom said bitterly.

Leo looked down and burst into tears, sobbing loudly.

Splinter instantly stood up, parent instincts finally starting to kick in. "STOP THIS! STOP RIGHT THIS NOW!" He shout and looked at Leo full of sorrow, but by then it was too late.

The damage had been done...

"Hamato Yoshi gave up his guardianship, Leo can still live with him but he can't get Leo to have an abortion." Gwen explained.

"That's great, so now that's out of the way we can focus on bring Leo's boss Fred Harrison to justice." Paul smiled but it dropped when Gwen Lewis shook her head.

"Wrong, our rape case is now out the window. My boss is going to have ass." She sighed.

Everyone was confused. "How come?" Ivan asked. "Because now all that Fred Harrison's lawyer is going to focus is that Leonardo didn't say no." She explained.

"Leo was in Fred's office three times a week for those 'exercise' sessions, someone must of seen him go in there." Mary said.

"We'll have to talk to Leo again." Adam concluded. "After all Leonardo's been through do you really think that his father will let you near him again?" Gwen asked.

Ivan held up a piece of paper.

"Maybe he will if we had good news for a change."...