A/N: Ummm yeah, hi... Suddenly got inspired again for this fic! Maybe forgot about it for... *Checks date of last update* Oooh 5 years... Whoops! XD
Shout out to fav Leonardo who asked for Leo waking Mikey up with a nightmare and to Taraninja20 for suggetsing Leo/Mikey interaction. Thanks guys for your ideas! :)
But seriously hi to new readers and thanks for waiting to the old. Hope this is worth the wait.
Let the show continue!
Chapter 3
Day two
Snapping awake, Leo's hand flew to his knee, eyes watering at the wave of agony burning through every single fibre of his being as his teeth ground together desperate to compress the scream yearning to escape.
"Dammit…" He breathed once he was certain he wouldn't cry out, "Dammit all…" Still shaking from the aftershock, his mind began to engage once more, taking in his surroundings as the memories arose in his consciousness.
Oh yeah…
He was in the back of the Party Wagon due to his knee…
Frowning he glared through the gloom at the throbbing appendage as if blaming it for his current position would help matters.
They would have been nearly back to New York by now. Why did he have to talk to Raph like that? He'd just tried to be honest with his brother and now – because of his stupid injury failing to heal – they would be away from the city that needed them even longer…
"Leo?" Jolting at the voice, the eldest spun around, squinting through the gloom to place the voice. A set of bright baby blue eyes stared back at him, wide with concern. "You alright bro?"
Of course, his instant reaction was to deny anything being the matter, yet the memory of Donnie flicking the reset kneecap was now seared into his brain. Swallowing his pride he mumbled his admission.
"Knee woke me…" Finding he couldn't meet his brother's eyes with such a statement of weakness he picked at the blanket covering his legs. Why had they put Mikey on watch? If it was Raph he could admit such a thing with less insult to his pride while Donnie knew it was his job to receive such answers – yet Mikey… Mikey was their baby brother. They protected him… Didn't they.
"Leo!" Blinking, the eldest realised he had zoned out.
"Sorry. Still groggy." Once again with the confessions. It didn't feel right.
"I said did you want me to get Donnie?" At this Leo shook his head. No point waking the genius over just another twinge caused by movement in his sleep.
"No thanks, Mike… You just go back to sleep. It's fine." Through the dark he could barely make out the exact expression his brother was making, yet the intensity of those eyes told him everything he needed to know. Mikey was putting on his serious face. Great. Now he'd upset his baby brother.
"It's not fine! You keep lying to me! Why can't you trust me for once?" Mikey scrambled across the van to grip Leo's shoulders, eyes shinning in the low light. "Am I that useless to you?" He began to shake, chest heaving yet it was only as the first tear fell Leo actually understood what his brother was saying.
Shaking his head in despair at his own failure to notice his brother's suffering, he wrapped his arms around Mikey's trembling shoulders, pulling him to his chest.
"I'm sorry Mike… I should have realised…" Swallowing his desire to try and keep pride intact, he used a thumb to wipe away the gleaming streaks tracing their way down Mikey's cheeks. "We all just want to protect you… We don't want to make you feel useless. You never have been." Mikey shook his head against Leo's plastron.
"I couldn't protect you… When the Foot attacked, I froze up… You were hurt and none of us were there for you…"
"It was my own fault, Mikey… I should have run but I left it too late…" Suppressing a shiver at the memories clawing their way back, Leo pressed on. "Besides – you protected Donnie, didn't you?" The youngest couldn't disagree with that. "Never think you're useless. It's you who keep us united, you know that don't you?" A hesitant nod followed a sniff.
"But why don't you ever tell me everything?" The hoarse voice mumbled. Rubbing circles in Mikey's shell, Leo paused to think.
"Habit, I guess." He eventually admitted. "Me and Raph have always tried protecting you and Donnie – but since Don tends to know more than the rest of us combined, we couldn't keep much from him, so naturally we wanted to keep trying to protect you… It's never been because you guys were weaker or not ready to face anything, it's just been that the instincts of big brothers aren't easily cast aside." Offering a small smile which he hoped his brother could see – or at least feel – through the darkness – he rubbed Mikey's head, a gesture stemming back from when they were young.
"Through these last months, it's been you that's kept us looking forward." As he said it, he knew it to be true. Mikey had made the effort to keep drawing everyone together, was the one to bring up sensitive topics like Splinter or the Kraang where the rest of them chose to ignore the obvious issues they were all struggling to cope with. Not only that, he had made the meals, forced them all to sit together – had maintained the family dynamic they had all been slowly slipping out of. If it wasn't for their baby brother, they would have fallen apart long ago. "I'm proud of you, bro." Leo murmured, "And I'm sorry I haven't let you know sooner… I'm sorry I made you feel like that…" Then it hit him. Pulling away from his brother a little, he stared into Mikey's wide blue eyes through the gloom, "Wait. Why were you even awake?"
At this Mikey snorted, wiping his eyes with a small smile.
"Took you long enough, bro." He teased good naturedly before his face turned serious once more. "You were muttering in your sleep if you really want to know. Then you started thrashing around and I was about to come over to wake you when you bolted upright." He shrugged. "So I think you better tell me what woke you up." Leo smiled through the embarrassment of being caught out.
"That was smooth. Could give our genius brother a run for his money."
"Which we don't have." The youngest pointed out, then, seeing Leo's blank look, rolled his eyes. "Money. We don't have much." Sighing Leo decided to ignore the idiotic attempt at humour.
"You've been around Casey too much, you know that, right?" Mikey nodded proudly.
"Learning from the best. But you're changing the subject." Trapped Leo grudgingly explained.
"It's the same nightmare I've been having since I woke up." He admitted, gaze once again lowering, "It's that night over and again, the same sequence – the endless battling with droids then being thrown through the ice, and then, Fishface, Razzar and Tigerclaw come at me and then…" His hand had crept up to his scarred plastron before he could help himself, the deep lines where Shredder's gauntlets had slashed down upon him grazing against his fingers.
"And then Shredder…" Mikey whispered, finishing what Leo could not. The eldest nodded.
"But I don't wake up there…" It was like a dam bursting all of a sudden – the words would not stop. "Everything goes black. I hear voices, feel myself being moved… There's glass smashing and I hit the ground. I hear your voices – and…" Closing his eyes to supress the tears, he took a steadying breath. "I hear you fighting…" He felt his brother nuzzle closer, a gesture he greatly appreciated. "And I'm powerless to help… I don't know what's happening… whether you're actually safe or not… It's just darkness… Endless…" Clenching his jaw to stop any further words, Leo lowered his head into the crook of Mikey's shoulder as he hugged his baby brother tighter.
"But you're here now." Mikey's voice was thick with emotion, "And we are as well. We're all safe."
"I know that now…" Leo smiled despite the lingering fear of his dreams. "But it's so hard to forget…"
Pulling back, Mikey stared up at his elder brother. "We can't forget. I… I still see you laying there… In a pool of… blood…" He swallowed audibly, "You're not the only one who can't escape the memories…" Grasping Leo's hands in his own, his blue eyes shimmering, he was no longer the picture of innocence Leo had always held onto, instead it was the look of a warrior – one struggling to lay the battles of the past. It was the look Leo had seen in his own reflection many times. "Promise me you won't scare us like that again." Mikey begged, "Don't leave us again. Don't leave me… Please…"
"Oh Mikey…" At last Leo allowed the tears welling up to slip free from his control. The mixture of his memories, his fears and now the way it had all affected his youngest brother all becoming too much to keep inside. "I'm so sorry brother…" He dropped Mikey's hands and once again pulled him close, holding him against his heaving chest. "I can't promise… But I will try…. I swear…"
From his chest came a stifled laugh.
"I guess that's the best I'm going to get, isn't it?" Leo smiled sadly, wiping his eyes.
"It's my job… I will do what I can to protect you all." He emphasised the last word, not just Mikey. He wouldn't make his brother feel useless again. That he swore to himself.
"So you think you'll be able to sleep now?" Mikey caught himself stifling a yawn as he spoke. It was still dark outside, and he knew he'd be roped into setting up a more permanent camp in the morning. Stumbling out half asleep would not be any help.
Leo nodded.
"I think so." As he lowered himself back onto the blankets forming his makeshift bed, he patted the empty space beside him. "You'll sleep better." He promised, bringing a smile to Mikey's face.
"As will you." The youngest grinned, earning a small chuckle.
"Mikey…" Leo whispered before his brother dropped off to sleep.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
...
...
...
A flash woke him up.
Eyes snapping open it took a moment for his brain to catch up with his instincts but as the blurred shapes above him sharpened, he felt his muscles tense ready to attack.
Hovering above him were his other two brothers, both grinning evilly from metaphorical ear to metaphorical ear, a camera held outstretched in Donnie's hand.
"Awww…" Raph smirked, not tearing away from the intensity of Leo's glare. "Now that's cute, right Don?" Snorting back a laugh, Donnie's grin grew even wider.
"How come we weren't invited?"
"Mhh…" Came the groan from Mikey, as he curled closer into Leo's plastron – bringing another flash as Donnie snapped another picture.
"Mature. Really." Leo rolled his eyes, yet he found himself smiling before he could help himself. A bit of light-hearted banter worked wonders between brothers. "You just gonna let him strangle me?"
Raph and Donnie shared a look.
"Yep."
"Pretty much."
With a half-hearted sigh, Leo could only stare. He didn't want to wake his brother, and his damaged knee meant he couldn't move Mikey himself without getting yelled at by Donnie.
"So you're just going to watch?"
Another affirmative.
Great.
Then a thought.
"What if I needed to rush to the little turtle's room?"
At this Raph looked more uncertain, yet Donnie interrupted.
"The fact you've just exhausted all other options indicates that is a last-ditch ploy, so I'm calling your bluff. Leave him, Raph. He could actually do with the extra rest."
"Not fair." Leo did his best attempt at pouting. Judging by his brother's expressions it turned out he didn't quite have Mikey's knack for it.
"Well you hid the truth about your knee so we're even." Donnie pointed out. To that Leo had no answer.
"I just don't want to hold you guys back for any longer." He mumbled, knowing how weak of an excuse it was. Raph huffed.
"You need to trust us more, Leo." He slid down the wall so he was sitting by Leo's head. "You're not invincible and we can't afford to lose anyone else." Humour had faded now, leaving a dreary atmosphere. Leo managed to get one arm free as Donnie joined Raph on the floor of the van, and the eldest couldn't help but notice the camera didn't disappear. Reaching out with his free hand, Leo rested a palm on Raph's hand, the best sort of comforting he could do in his trapped position.
"I know… Mikey told me off last night for that as well." Raph let out a low whistle.
"Mikey telling you off. Wish I could have seen that…" Eyes darted down to Mikey's sleeping face, the remnants of tear tracks just about visible on his pale face. "Poor kid…" He muttered.
"We can't keep trying to protect him." Leo admitted. "He says it makes him feel useless."
Donnie shook his head sadly.
"That's never been our intention…" He murmured, mahogany eyes pensive.
"I explained that." The eldest felt the youngest shift against his plastron. "And I think he's gonna wake up soon." He turned back to Donnie and Raph. "But we just have to trust him more. Deal?"
The brothers nodded, just as Mikey's arms flew up in a large stretch, catching Leo across the beak which Donnie managed to whip the camera out just in time for.
"Send me that one, Don." Raph winked at Leo who could only stare, his free hand now pressing against his nose slits to check his baby brother hadn't given him a nose bleed.
"What'ssa… Time…" Mikey yawned as he sat up, narrowly avoiding hitting Leo's knee. Raph darted in to pull the groggy turtle away from their eldest brother before he could stretch again. "Raphie?" Another yawn. "W…wha-" Mikey's eyes flew open, as he pulled away from Raph, "Leo! Did you sleep alright, your knee alright, I didn't catch you did I – oh at least it's your face this time. Want me to –" His sudden explosion of words was cut off by Raph's hand over his mouth.
"We'll start breakfast, you okay with just Donnie, Leo?"
"Just Donnie?" Said genius repeated with offended tones. "Donnie is the turtle to have around, I assure you, Raphael – and may I just add –"
"That's fine, Raph." Leo interrupted. "Save yourself." He smiled, yet as the two left the van, he allowed himself to let out a shaking breath as he began to sit up.
"You oka–" But he waved the question off before Donnie could finish.
"Just stiff. No problem." Stretching out the offending limb he hissed through clenched teeth, "Just couldn't move because of a certain little brother." Donnie hooked an arm around his shoulder and helped him stand. "Where's April and Casey?" He asked as they stepped down carefully from the back of the van.
"Struggling to make a campfire to cook breakfast." Donnie offered with a slight smirk, passing Leo a new cane that had been leaning outside.
"Let me guess," Leo smiled back, grasping the cane and testing its strength with an approving nod. "You could have easily sorted it in five seconds flat but you wanted to see Casey struggle first."
Donnie threw a hand over his heart in mock dismay.
"My own brother has such little faith in me!" He exclaimed before raising a finger. "Besides, I'm pretty sure April could sort it as well, but no one has the heart to explain that everyone here except Casey can make a decent fire without matches."
"Umm…" A small voice piped up from behind the open door. "I can't make a fire…" Mikey stepped out with a bundle of sticks in his arms, a sheepish look upon his features. His admission about how useless he felt sometimes flickered through Leo's mind and he smiled back, moving forth with a determined step.
"Come on, Mike. Let's show Casey how it's done."
"Be careful!" Donnie called from behind. "Mikey, you're in charge of him!"
"Yes Dr. Donnie!" Mikey cheered. Silently Leo thanked Donnie. Giving Mikey responsibility was a good way to boost his confidence, so between that and teaching him some new skills, hopefully they could show their little brother his own value.
Maybe this extended rest would do them all some good.
...
...
...
"What a day…" Groaned Raph. Suddenly he collapsed down beside Leo, Mikey following a moment later on his other side.
"I don't know…" Leo teased gently, "I think you could have made it a little straighter…" This earned him a playful punch on the arm.
"I'd like to see you do that much in a day."
"Not even a day…" Mikey groaned, holding up his hands. "My callouses have callouses."
Raph propped himself up on one elbow.
"You know that word?" He mocked lightly. "Been around Donnie too long." Mikey pouted at that but winked at Leo – remembering his own words the night before.
"But seriously, nice work, guys." Leo grinned, gazing over the roaring campfire – courtesy of Mikey – at what the team had been working on for the main part of the day. They had made a temporary treehouse with two rooms upstairs – one for April and the other for the rest of them while the downstairs – with door to protect against wild animals – was for Leo and whoever was on watch for the night.
For a day's work , it was rather impressive, even if the roof was a little crooked.
"I think we'll all sleep well tonight." Don yawned, sitting just above the other three. "Those logs were heavy." Leo remained quiet. He hated not being able to help, yet – as if sensing this thoughts – Mikey's hand fell upon his shoulder.
"And Leo's designs worked perfectly."
"Of course they did." April chimed in, throwing another log on the fire. "He's a perfectionist after all."
"Yeah, but he didn't design a bathroom though, did he?" Casey teased, plonking himself upon a log before promptly over balancing and falling onto the ground. There was a flash as Donnie snapped another picture.
"You'll be making a scrap book with the amount you've been getting." Leo grinned at his brother who gave a weary thumbs up.
"Besides, good blackmail material." He winked. "What'd you say, Mike- ah." He nudged Leo who followed his gaze.
On the corner of the blanket, Mikey was gently snoring, clearly taken by exhaustion. Raph sighed.
"I'll take him up." He gathered their little brother in his arms and carried him towards the new treehouse.
"I'm going to turn in as well. Night guys." The redhead gave a wave as she followed suit.
"You ready to head in yet, Leo?" Don quired.
"Nah. You can head in if you want." Yet the two presences remained nearby.
"I think Mikey had fun building this." He murmured under his breath.
"And I think you had fun directing." Donnie pointed out, brining a smirk to the leader's face.
"Yeah… Yeah today was good."
Donnie's hand found its way onto his shoulder and the brothers sat beneath the starry sky, enjoying the simple pleasures of being together with nothing but the crackling fire and the warmth it cast while the snores of a raven haired teen cut through the night.
"Idiot." Donnie muttered.
"Kick him awake when we go in." Leo smirked. "I'm happy out here for now."
"Me too, Leo." Donnie's hand patted his shoulder. "Me too."
...
So what do you guys think?!
Let me know below. :)
I'm planning a chapter with each character interacting with Leo as the focus so keep the ideas coming.
See ya all soon and stay safe
LL99.