Author's Note: I can't believe its been 4 years since 'Logic of the Soul.' For those who waited patiently for its continuation, thank you. If you haven't read Logic of the Soul, then you should read it before reading this story. Unless otherwise stated, Ravenshell was gracious enough to beta all of my chapters. Without further delay, I hope you enjoy:

Between Logic and Heart

Chapter 1 What Happened After: Leo

My head is heavy with an unnatural fog. Familiar voices come rushing to my eardrum as I try to make sense of the commotion around me. I force my eyes open but only manage to blink before groaning and closing them again. Everything is so bright and loud. My arms and legs feel like sandbags making my movements sluggish.

"…easy, Leo…. okay?"

Someone calls my name over the sea of voices around me. It sounds like Casey. My head flops to my right toward the voice. Once again, I force my eyes open, squinting to bring the blurry face into focus. "Cas…" What's wrong with my tongue? Why is it so hard to talk? What happened?

Panic rises in my chest as I try to get up from wherever I am laying. Hands grip my shoulders as I fight to stay upright.

"Leo, dude, chill! We're in the Lair, we're safe, man."

Casey's voice is clearer this time as my eyes fight to stay opened and focus on him. We're in the Lair? But we weren't in the Lair before, I'm sure of it. I just can't put the pieces together with this thick weight clouding my thoughts. Come on, Leo, think! Squeezing my eyes shut, I try to remember past the fog in my mind. Like a trail of falling dominoes, the events of the past several hours come crashing down, one colliding with another, until the last memory slams into the forefront of my brain.

"Donnie… where's Donnie?" I slur the words past my numb tongue. With all the strength I can muster, I push past Casey with a wobbly stance.

"He's lost too much blood." That sentence sets off all kinds of alarms in my hazy mind. Spinning around to face the other voices in the room, I stumble forward. The only thing keeping me from face-planting the floor are a set of hands holding me up from behind by the armpits.

"M-Mikey?" I say my brother's name fearing the worst. I stare at his limp body in my father's arms, his bandaged arm soaked with blood. "No…" I fight the urge to pass out as my body makes me regret moving so fast too quickly.

"Casey, get him outta here before he kisses the floor." I want to protest Raph's voice, but my tongue fails as my legs buckle beneath me and everything fades to black.

The second time I wake up, I'm in Donnie lab. It's quiet, with only the sound of machines gently humming and beeping.

Donnie… Mikey…

My reaction is much faster this time as my brain brings me up to speed. A heavy hand presses against my shoulder anticipating my knee-jerk reaction to get out of the cot.

"Take it easy, brother. You were shot up with enough tranqs to take out three elephants." Raph's voice is strangely calm and controlled, and this scares me.

I take in my surroundings. Raph is sitting in a chair beside me and on the other side of him is another cot where Mikey is laying. I can barely see the rise and fall of his plastron, but it's there…. Thank goodness it's there.

"How is he?" I ask Raph, my eyes never leaving our youngest brother.

"He's… holding his own."

"And Donnie?"

Raph breaks eye contact, glowering at the floor. "Those EPF scumbags took him, but I managed to get a tracker on Don before they left."

My mind races, piecing together the plan that should have taken place. "That's good, so you followed them and found—"

"No, not yet."

My chest tightens with frustration at my brother's answer. "What do you mean 'not yet'? You had an opportunity to—"

"We had to retreat, Leo. You ain't exactly lightweight, so I couldn't lug your heavy shell across the city and risk being any more exposed than we already were. Then when Master Splinter called about Mikey—"

"But you just said he's fine! You should be out looking for Donnie. He's out there and those agents are doing God knows what to him!"

"I couldn't just leave, Leo, " Raph says through grinding teeth as his jawline tightens, and balling his hands up into fists.

"Why not?!"

"Because Mikey almost died!" Raph shouts, his calmness cracking and giving way to the trademark anger and temper I know him best for. He holds up his right arm with a little more force than necessary for me to see the red fluid-filled tube connected from him to Mikey. "I was the only one here who could give him blood because you were chock-full of tranquilizers!" Mikey groans, face furrowed in discomfort, at the heightened volume of our voices. Raph waits a moment until Mikey settles down again before continuing in a defensive, whispered tone, "So, no Leo, I couldn't just get up and leave."

My anger toward my brother dissipates with understanding. Raph did the best he could under the circumstances he was faced with. He managed to save both me and Mikey, and at least thought quickly enough to pin a tracker on Donnie. What had I done aside from becoming dead weight for my brother to carry?

If bad stuff happens, you won't be alone.

I swallow the lump in my throat as I remember my words to Donatello before his second mutation. They stab my heart with guilt. The only other thing I'd done today was break a promise to the one brother who needed me the most.

"Where are you going?" Raph asks as I stand and shake the final residues of tiredness from my head. Grabbing my gear, I glance at the clock on the wall.

"I'm going to find our brother." Too much time has already passed. I have to find Donatello.

"I still got another thirty minutes; just chill a sec and I'll go with you. Then we can—"

"I'm going alone." This isn't Raph's responsibility, it's mine. He's done more than enough already because of my missteps.

Raph scrubs his palm down his face as he swears. "You can't be serious, Fearless." He stares at me for half a beat. "You are serious." He shakes his head with a groan. "C'mon Leo, think about what you're saying. This ain't no in and out Footbots and Kraang situation. You can't fight off a bunch of EPF agents and drag a ten-foot Don outta wherever they're hiding him by yourself."

I glare daggers at Raph and his logic. Since when did Mr. Solo Vigilante decide to be reasonable? I sigh with slight annoyance, but I know he's right. I reword my intentions. "I'm just doing reconnaissance. When I come back, I'll fill everyone in, so we'll know what we're dealing with."

Raph rubs his free hand over the top of his head before locking eyes with me. He isn't buying it, but I'm not backing down either.

"No… no… stop! Leggo…. please… please…."

Before Raph can express his disagreement, Mikey's whimpers snatch our attention as he stirs restlessly on the cot. I blink away the tears blurring my vision as a nauseating weight settles deep in my gut.

"Hey, little brother. You're okay, you're safe. I got you."

A flashback of Mikey slipping past me in the den and getting his arm mauled like a chew toy makes me look away with shame. I take this moment to stealthily slip out of the lab and into the sewers.

I feel horrible for using my brother's pain as a distraction, but I couldn't risk Raph trying to stop me or telling Master Splinter. Raph will take care of Mikey; he'll be fine. Donatello is somewhere, lost, scared, and alone, because I broke my promise. Pulling out my t-phone, I open the tracker app and start following the direction of the blinking circle. Don't worry, Donnie, I'm coming.

Author's Note: More chapters to come! R&R!

~Poetique