Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT

This arc is based off of the Original TMNT comics by Laird and Eastman, the 2k3 Cartoon series, and the 2k7 CGI movie.

Chapter 7: Break

"There's no need to talk about it, because the truth of what one says lies in what one does." -Bernhard Schlink.

Donatello was the first to move, getting to his feet and approaching Shelly. When he reached her, he knelt slowly and hesitantly touched her shoulder. She shrugged his hand off to which he attempted to place his hand again, this time she sobbed and slapped at his hand away.

"Please," Donatello whispered, "Let me help."

Shelly seemed to slump, letting her hands fall into her lap before finally allowing Donatello to place his hand on her shoulder as he knelt beside her. Michaelangelo walked forward and dropped into a squat beside them, he wouldn't look at Shelly. April remained where she was, watching the trio with a sad sort of smile, before stepping back into the kitchen to allow them to talk. Perhaps they would work out a few of the things that needed to be said.

"Tell us about him?" Michaelangelo asked after a moment of silence, "I mean…tell us about you guys?"

Shelly laughed weakly and shook her head. At first it seemed she wasn't going to reply, then after few moments she sighed before accepting Donatello's offered hand. As a group they stood.

"There was no 'you guys', at least not in the way you are thinking," Shelly laughed weakly, "We were just friends, always were. I always got the feeling he thought of me more as a sister and I always thought of him as a brother."

Michaelangelo blinked in surprise and Donatello chuckled.

"Are you sure?" Donatello asked, "Leo was never very articulate around women."

Michaelangelo snorted in humor.

"Understatement of the century bro, remember that time we found out he had a crush on Karai?" Michaelangelo asked.

Don chuckled.

"And then she showed up to talk to us and Leo couldn't even talk because we were all laughing and he was trying not to blush?" Donatello laughed.

Shelly laughed weakly in response before replying.

"Well Leo and I got along well; we talked all the time…about almost anything," Shelly sighed, shoulders sagging, "Even things he didn't' tell Splinter…towards the end he…was different."

"Different how?" Donatello asked cautiously, his eye ridges pulling together with a slight frown.

Shelly suppressed a smile at that, remembering how Leonardo had always told her how Donatello worried.

"It's a long story actually," Shelly sighed, "It starts with how Leo and I met."

"April said Leo saved you?" Michaelangelo asked.

They were all standing still where they had been before almost as if too worried about breaking what little progress they had made by moving.

"Well, that's I guess our first formal meeting. That's when I actually got to speak to him," Shelly sighed, "But actually the first time we met I helped save his life."

Michaelangelo's blue eyes widened the harsh and cold blue they had been before had softened slightly. They were still icy and harsh, but not nearly as cold nor as indifferent as they had been before.

"Save his-? Donatello sputtered.

"Leo was working as a cashier at a grocery store just down the block at a hospital I work at, at the time. I had ran down there to grab something to eat before clocking into work and was in line behind this lady who was harassing Leo she was screaming at him because she didn't want him to touch her groceries because he was a mutant," Shelly sighed.

"Damn," Michaelangelo winced, "Good thing Leo's always been pretty patient with people."

Donatello nodded in agreement before glancing around and gesturing for them to move to the table. As they sat, Shelly rubbed a hand along her face and did a sort of laughing sigh.

"Patient was an understatement," Shelly laughed, "He was so calm and polite it was almost creepy. Like he was sort of consoling a child."

Donatello chuckled, offering April a smile as she sat down a tea pot for them. April gave Shelly's shoulder a pat before slipping back into the kitchen to let them talk.

"So the lady was screaming at him?" Michaelangelo inquired as he sat.

"Full on screaming and cussing at him, saying she wasn't going to buy the groceries Leo had already bagged for her. Then she slipped…it had been raining and the floors were slick so she had a misstep. Leo tried to catch her to help prevent her from falling as she caught herself on the counter and she swung her cane at him," Shelly shuddered, "It caught him in the side of the head and he stumbled…next thing we all know we hear this loud 'crack' and 'snap'. Leo had jerked back to try to avoid the cane and slipped when it hit him. He lost his balance from the hit and the slick floor and fell hard. We figured out later he smashed his head into the counter as he went down and his ankle twisted under him and snapped. None of us could move, and he was limp, bleeding and shaking like crazy."

"Oh shit," Michaelangelo gasped, "Seizure?"

Shelly nodded and Donatello flinched.

"Bad one, he hit his head so hard it set one off. I shoved the lady out of my way and started yelling for someone to call an ambulance while I tried to check on him. I was too scared to move him because of how his neck and head were positioned. I seriously thought he'd broken his neck from the fall," Shelly shuddered at the memory, "I stayed with him until the ambulance arrived then watched them load him all careful and take him out the door."

"Damn," Michaelangelo breathed, grimacing at the thought of Leo like that, "He must've been embarrassed as all get out."

Donatello chuckled despite the situation.

"No kidding," Donatello laughed softly, "I'm glad you were there to help him though Shelly. Thank you."

They all jumped as Shelly's pager went off and she winced.

"I've been gone too long, though, I was sent home by my boss to see if you could come in Michaelangelo. We need a few extra hands in the ER…there was another attack," Shelly whispered.

Michaelangelo sighed but nodded, getting up and jogging towards his room to grab his scrubs leaving Donatello and Shelly alone.

"He didn't' hate you for forgetting Donnie," Shelly whispered, offering the terrapin beside her a soft smile.

Donatello paused, blinking in surprise, but nodded his thanks just as Michaelangelo returned dressed in scrubs and pulling his coat on. As soon as he was ready the two quickly exited and headed towards the elevator. Once they arrived, and were scrambling to get inside, it was then that a silver vixen dressed in a golden kimono approached Shelly pleading for help. Michaelangelo ran on ahead into the hospital at Shelly's request s she turned to try to console the vixen.

"Please, I need your help, I can't stop the bleeding," the vixen wept, "He won't go to the hospital. You have to help me."

"Help who? Who is hurt? Are you hurt?" Shelly sputtered, trying to figure out what was wrong.

"Shade," the vixen wept.

Shelly froze at that name. The leader of The Brotherhood's life hung in her hands.

A/N: Now what have I done? Also sorry for delay was working on Art Commissions this weekend and then had a bunch of errands yesterday that wore me out. I've recently come to discover a medical condition that affects my energy levels and doing a lot throughout the day wears me out pretty fast. Please leave a Review.