Well, due to a guest asking to further the story, I just HAD to. Plus, I already had it typed out.
Now, this chapter is not suggesting anything. A note for those that, I don't know, get an idea about it. No.
Heather and Leo pick up his room. He had been a little hesitant to play and read all day, but he trusts Heather. He knows that if she says she knows a way to protect him, then she does. She's never lied to him.
They did use the kitchen once, to make a batch of cookies. They each took a few and saved the rest for Steve. Heather showed Leo how to dunk the cookie in her cup of milk. They watched a rerun of Space Heroes and he learned how to read better.
Now it is evening and a little being called Nervousness is starting to grow in Leo's stomach. He knows what will no doubt come tonight, but with his trust in Heather, he keeps it from controlling him. "Heather? What is the secret you were going to tell me?" He asks.
"Let's get you ready for bed first," Heather says. Leo brushes his teeth, goes to the bathroom, and picks out his pj bottoms. Heather hands him the top that goes with it and he shrugs it over his shell, muttering in his head how it itches. When he's all ready with his blanket, Heather leads him over to his bed. "The trick, is that you aren't alone," she finally says, "Would you like it if I stayed with you tonight?"
"Really? That will work?" Leo asks, sitting on the covers. He doesn't believe her.
"Yep. Whenever you have a nightmare, you'll wake up, see me, and know it wasn't real. Then, the nightmares will go away."
"Wow! Wait.. what if you are in the nightmare?"
"You can wake me up. Then we can read a book or sing a song." Leo smiles faintly. He snuggles up to Heather's chest, curling his legs up. She kisses his forehead and nods to Steve to turn the lights off.
"Stupid! Selfish! Spoiled little boy!" Splinter yells. Leo cowers in the corner and tries to block out the sound.
"No, no no.." He whimpers. He sits up, looking around. He's in his room, not a corner in a dark room. Master Splinter isn't there. But he can't stop his heart from racing. Then he looks down at the hand that was wrapped around him. Heather is next to him, in reality. He takes a few deep breaths. 'Heather's here. It wasn't real.' He lays back down and once his head touches the pillow, he falls back asleep, the nightmares being vanquished.
"So Leo, how did you sleep?" Steve asks the next morning. Leo is picking at his cereal, at the table.
"I had a nightmare," he answers, "But Heather was there. So, I was safe," he adds. Heather smiles and continues to eat. "Can I learn to read the monkey book today?"
"Yes, Leo. We'll go through that book. But we aren't going through all the books again, just a few chapters," Heather says, hearing Leo start to groan. 'This is going better. I can see he is expressing more. Even if it is disdain, at least it's something.'
Steve leaves to the Avengers HQ as Heather and Leo wash the dishes together. Then the pair sit at the couch and cuddle, watching a Disney movie. Leo doesn't have much experience with moving pictures, so he'll watch anything Heather sets in front of him. And she knows that Disney is kid appropriate. Although, one downside to watching with Leo is that he sometimes asks a question in the middle and Heather has to pause the movie to answer. And when the movie is done, Leo spends that time to talk about what he liked, didn't like, who his favorite character is, why, and a barrage of more questions that Heather may not even know the answer to.
Leo walks to his room and picks out the Curious George book and brings it to Heather. She helps him with reading and, again, answering any questions that he may have on the English language. 'I thought Donnie would be the curious one, but compared to Leo..' Heather realizes that Leo may not have had the same experiences as Donnie did. He didn't get to do anything, so he had all that curiosity stored up, waiting to be used. This propels Heather to be even more patient with him.
They have lunch and finish off the cookies that Steve didn't eat. Heather takes out some crayons that came when they set up the room and they color a little bit at the table. Leo looks at his blue crayon and then picks up a green one. He draws himself next to Heather, holding his blanket. Then on his other side, he draws Captain Ryan. Heather sketches Leo drawing, a happy smile on his beak. They hang the pictures with their signatures on his wall and clean up.
Then Leo insists that they call the guys. Heather doesn't think that is a good idea, but he says that he wants to see them. "What if you see him?" Heather asks.
"Well, you will be here, right? And he isn't." Heather marvels at his bravery and sets the computer up. Donnie is the only one that can talk, since the others are either sleeping, Mikey, or doing a chore, Raph. Leo decides to impress Donnie with what he can read. He isn't up to Donnie's level yet, Donnie is a genius.
"It was great to see you pro-gressing Leo. How are you feeling?" Donnie asks, struggling at the big word.
"Better. I can walk okay, my hand feels better, and I don't have nightmares anymore." Donnie looks at Heather briefly and she mouths 'Splinter.'
"Well, I'll tell the guys that you called. They'll be sure to be here next time," Donnie says.
"Bye Donnie!" Leo waves. Donnie waves back and turns off the video. "I miss them.." Leo says.
"When it gets warmer out, then maybe we can see them sometime. If he ever lets them out."
"Or you could go get them. They can live here, with us," Leo pleads. Heather strokes his head.
"It doesn't work that way. There isn't enough room up here for six people. The moment that it doesn't look like he's treating them well, then I'll go down. But until then, things will have to work out for the best."
"Okay."
They find another movie and Leo draws doodles on a page while they watch. This one doesn't capture his interest that much, there isn't a lot of fighting. But afterwards, they look out the window and Heather points out different buildings that she knows of.
Finally it is supper time. Leo eats and talks at the same time, trying to tell Steve, who came home, all about the day. He even repeated his question about having his brothers live at the apartment, but Steve answer mimics Heather's.
"Alright Leo, time for bed." Heather helps him get ready and then turns off the light.
"You don't have to stay in here tonight Heather," Leo says.
"Why not?"
"You said if I see you are here with me, then the nightmares will go away. I should be fine now."
"Leo, are you sure?" Heather asks. She knows that he misinterpreted her meaning. She meant that night, not the rest of his life. But he assures her that he'll be okay tonight. So, Heather leaves the door ajar and goes to her room. She leaves it open a little as well, taking a guess to what might happen, "I'm here if you need me."
"Okay," Leo says from his room, "Good night!"
"Good night Leo." Heather climbs in bed and reads for a little out of one of her books. Then she sets it aside and turns the lamp off.
Heather is roused by panting and a small whimper. Shaky hands fumble for a knob and then they push the already open door further. A being crawls up onto the bed and curls up next to her. She cracks an eye open and sees Leo, shivering as he tries to go back to sleep. She lifts the covers up for him and he crawls under, pressing as close as he can to her.
"I wanna sweep with you.. is dat okay?" He asks, petrified.
"Yes. That's perfectly okay, Leo. Go back to sleep. It was just a dream." Leo closes his eyes, only to open them again. "Can you read to me?"
"I don't have any of your books," Heather points out, half asleep herself.
"What about this one?" Leo asks, holding up a book from her side table. She looks at it and then pushes herself up.
"I guess a chapter wouldn't hurt," she admits opening the book to where she saved it. She begins to read the thick book, softly, so she can lull Leo to sleep. She's thankful that the part she stopped at is not a fight scene, for that alone could give him nightmares. But after reading through the page, she looks down and sees he is fast asleep.
'He has nightmares, and being around me when they happen makes them go away. But he needs a permanent solution. Something to stop them, not assure him that they aren't real,' Heather yawns, 'A problem for tomorrow.'
Cuddle buddies! I don't ever remember doing this with my parents, but I can imagine Mikey asking his brothers if he can stay with one of them. (From loads of pictures I've found about it.) But this is Leo. And yes, he is a little boy, so it makes sense.
So, what do you think the final solution should be? And what shows them this?
FYI, this is one of the problems they go through. I've seen a 'Leo's Fear' Headcannon and am planning on using it. Also, he is a tot mutant, in an apartment. What do you think will happen?