Author's note: Now you know I had to add a little Hope story in here. She's one of my turtles too.

Lotus was still tired, worn out, utterly exhausted. She now rested in their room, sleeping peacefully as he held their daughter close against him. His little Hope.

Leonardo, once the equivalent of walking death to anyone who had opposed him, now held a new life in his arms as the child also slept. A life he had helped bring into this world. A life he had given in exchange for the young one that he took and sent him on his dark path. Even her eyes, a clear bright blue, were identical to the ones he had let the light out of so long ago.

Deep thoughts for the turtle who leaned against the wall as he sat on the bed next to his sleeping mate. He just couldn't understand how this could happen. If he knew anything about genetics at all, which he really wasn't much, given the brown tones her parents had her eyes should be a darker shade than the blue orbs that seemed to look into his soul. It was a wonder to him, the whole child was a wonder to him as he gazed down at her.

Another thing that was running across his mind was the fact that not a damn one of them really knew how to care for a baby. Mikey didn't even know what baby powder was used for. Hope was just over a day old by now and all of them struggled already with the task of caring for her. Diapers seemed especially hard for him. Trying to wrap those things on this tiny baby with his big hands was turning out to be a challenge. First time he did it, it slipped off when he picked her up, and she promptly peed on him.

Leo sighed as he held Hope closer to him. Fatherhood was definitely overwhelming. But the sheer joy of having her here now...nothing could compare to that. Even if her diaper was on lopsided.

Hope let out a quiet fussy noise just as there was a soft knock on the door. "Come in." He quietly called as he tried to sooth the baby. Didn't seem to be working as she squirmed a bit more in his arms.

Mikey popped his head in with a wide grin on his face. "Feel like some company?"

Leo looked at him confused, everyone who knew where they lived was already here. He had heard them all bustling out in the living room most of the day already. "Who is it?"

His brother didn't answer, but he did open the door wider. Leo blinked a little in shock as he stared at his living reflection, and the brown haired woman at his side. Hope was crying by now as he just stared at Leonardo and Vicky.

"Well? Are you going to tell us hi or just stare at us?" Vicky asked as she walked into the room.

"You...came here? Why?"

"We wanted to see the baby." Was her reply as she moved closer to his side of the bed. Her expression softened and a soft smile found it's way onto her face as she looked at the crying little girl. "She is so adorable..." Her arms reached out. "May I?"

Leo was a bit hesitant to hand over this precious to him child and his counterpart smiled. "Trust me my friend, she's raised four. I think your baby will be ok in her arms."

Vicky wasn't going to take no for an answer anyway and Leo let her take the crying child. "What's the matter sweetums?" Vicky cooed to her as she gently rocked Hope in her arms. The answer she got was two little balled fists as she kept crying. "When's the last time she ate?"

"About half hour ago."

Then Vicky unwrapped the blanket and checked the diaper. "Why is this on backwards?"

"It's on backwards?"

"It sure isn't on frontwards." Vicky sarcastically told him. "She's wet and it leaked everywhere."

"Damn things need to come with directions." Leo mumbled as he got up.

Leonardo chuckled quietly as he moved closer to his wife. "Might explain the crying."

"You think?" Vicky replied then looked at Leo. "Where are her things?"

"Over here." Leo was already heading to the shelves that had been stocked in preparation for Hope weeks ago.

Vicky followed him and took out the changing pad, a diaper, a clean blanket, clean clothes and some wipes before returning to the bed. And she managed it all with one arm as she held Hope in the other. Leo blinked. He would have been scared to drop the baby if he tried that.

He was so intent on watching those two he didn't notice that Leonardo had by now wandered over to his side. "You look a bit overwhelmed."

"I am." Leo admitted. "Was it like this for you?"

"More or less. I was just as clueless. But Vicky already had Dennis and Amy so my transition to fatherhood went a bit smoother with the help of her guidance."

"Unfortunately, I don't have that luxury."

"We know. That's why we came."

"Get over here you." Vicky told the new father. "You are going to learn how to wrap this poor girl right."

Leo rolled his eyes, but did do as he was told. Vicky patiently showed him how to properly place the annoying things on and reswaddled Hope in a clean blanket. Leo had to admit, when Hope had finally stopped crying and let out a set of happy sounds now that she was clean and dry, he had a feeling of accomplishment and pride that he finally got one on right.

"See? Not really that hard, is it?" Vicky smiled as she picked Hope up again.

"Not if you know what you are doing." He smiled back at her. "Thank you."

"Your welcome." She looked over at Lotus who had slept through all of it. "Is she ok?"

"Just tired. She had a hard time with it." Leo told her as he remembered the struggle she had trying to deliver their child. "A very hard time. I've tried to be here for her, but so far all she does is sleep after she feeds Hope."

Vicky narrowed her eyes. "Which means you haven't left this room either...have you?"

"No..." Leo admitted a bit sheepishly.

"Leo, take Leo and go make sure he eats before he falls over on top of the baby from hunger."

"I'd rather stay here with Lotus..."

"I'll stay with her. You go get something to eat."

"But-"

"Now!" She snapped.

"Yes ma'am." Leo mumbled before he let his counterpart gently push him out of the room. "Your wife's a bully."

"Sometimes."

Mikey was already in the kitchen, making something. Simply for the reason that they had more company than expected. Leo's eyes grew wide as he took in the fact that his home was filled with visitors. Michelangelo was happily helping Leo's brother as the rest of his family mingled with Leo's. Little Daniel was looking around in awe at the amount of turtles running around.

Leo also felt that awe, but for a different reason. "You...all came?" He looked at his counterpart.

"Of course." Was the calm reply. "Vicky and I aren't the only ones who wanted to come over."

"Why?..."

"Because your brother sent us a message saying you were struggling a bit. All of us felt that a bit of support would do all of you good." He then smiled as he looked out over the children, who were already taking over Leo's home. "Not to mention the quick reminder of what you have to look forward too. No matter how hard it is now, this is the end result." He waved his hands towards the teens as they indulged Daniel's curious questions. "And it will be well worth the effort."

Leo sat a bit dumbfounded at the dining table. And a plate was promptly plopped in front of him by Michelangelo. "If I know my Leos, I think you haven't eaten in awhile."

The new father suddenly found himself ravenously hungry at the smell assaulting his nose. "I haven't." He admitted as Mikey poured him a cup of tea. "Thank you."

"No problem dude."

Leo looked out over the noisy living room as he ate, but oddly they all left him and Leonardo alone as the leader of the other family sat with him. He also found his twin watching him intently. "You seem a bit troubled." Finally came from the other end of the table.

The fork came down onto the plate as Leo chewed thoughtfully. "I am." He admitted after a quiet moment of pushing the food around.

"About Lotus?"

"That too. I didn't expect this to be so hard on her."

"Vicky was the same way. But she also had twins, so that might make a big difference. Donatello has been keeping an eye on her though right?"

Leo nodded. "He says she just needs rest. Still, it worries me to see her like that."

"But that isn't the only thing that is on your mind."

"No...it's not."

"What's wrong my friend?" Those simple words suddenly made Leo want to open up. To tell him what had his mind a bit unsettled.

Again the food wandered around his plate. Honestly not sure what to say. "If...I told you something from my past...would you think anything different of me?"

Leonardo leaned back into the chair as he studied the now quiet turtle. "I meant what I said about not holding it against you anymore. You rose above it, that's all I need to know to form my opinion of you."

Leo couldn't meet Leonardo's eyes as he thought how to tell him, then sighed and decided to just say it. "I wasn't always what I was." He began quietly. "I did try to fight what I knew was becoming. But...something...happened..." His voice faltered.

Leonardo didn't speak as he waited patiently for the other turtle try to tell this. Leo did feel the compassion coming from the calm turtle. In a shaky voice Leo forced himself to continue. "One night I raided a warehouse. I had followed someone who had been identified as leading raids against...him. Followed him and he led me to more. I took them out. All of them, except for a little girl who I left crying over her father's dead body. I hated myself for what I did, what I robbed of her and I fled. Leaving her there with no one to protect her. Like a coward I ran from her and that haunted me again later. By the time I got back, he already had her brought to him. He wanted me to kill her. I couldn't, I knew it was wrong. I pleaded for her life, only to watch him tear her open and throw her at my feet."

He looked now at the other turtle. "I didn't have a choice. She was going to die because of what he did to her, and it would have been a painful death. I couldn't let her go through that...and I...I..." His voice failed him then as the courage left him to finish and he turned his head away again.

"You gave her a merciful end."

"Only because he forced me to do it."

"Would you have then left her the way she was? The child would have died in agony."

"Still doesn't make it right..." Leo whispered.

"I didn't say it did. But you gave her the only way out you could."

"That act also unleashed what I would become. It was that day that started a life of pain and torment that took years to climb back out of. And through it all those eyes haunted me." Leo stared at the table. "I saw them everywhere. In my sleep, flashes of them would cross my mind at odd intervals. Always was I reminded of what I did to one of the most innocent, helpless ones out there."

"Do you still see them?" Came the quiet inquiry.

Leo looked back up at him. "Tell me something... Do you believe souls can have a second chance at life?"

Leonardo tilted his head, his eyes unreadable as he looked back at him. "I don't know how to answer that, because I've never came across that experience." He let out his own sigh then as he seemed to look into the distance. "But I do know if there is something out there strong enough to fight against the fate they have been given, they will still let you know they are there in their own way. That I can tell you from experience."

Leo took that in and processed it a moment. "I do still see those eyes." He answered the earlier question. "I see them everytime I look at Hope. And I wonder...if maybe..."

"That she has been given another chance?"

"Through Hope...yes..."

"It would be kind of fitting if you think about it. You were the one who took her life to spare her more pain. Now you have the chance to give her the life she should have lived. If that is the unusual case, you have named her appropriately in more ways than one."

"Deep down, I do hope that is what happened. I never wanted her to die. If she did get a second chance, I'm honored that it is as my daughter."

"We may never know for sure." Leonardo told him. "But if that is the case, I think the girl has forgiven you. Maybe even understood why you did what you did. And trusts you with her second chance."

"I just don't know if I deserve it from her."

"None of us feel like we deserve any of the children we are given. It's that inadequacy in us that makes us rise up to the challenge to raise them. We work for that privilege everyday to be the ones to guide them."

Their eyes met and Leo didn't see the disgust or the silent accusation he had feared to find. Leonardo didn't judge him for what he did. Only silent encouragement. "It seems like I owe you another thanks." Leo told him. "I seem to owe you a lot of those."

"I'd rather you eat your meal before it gets cold. Or Vicky will have both our shells hung up on the wall." Leonardo suddenly grinned at him.

A smile found it's way on Leo's face at that and he did turn back to his meal.

His day got even brighter when by the time he finished Vicky appeared, with a more alert looking Lotus now holding Hope as they walked into the living room. Of course everyone had to come look at the small thing in her arms.

"Aww...she's so cuuuute!" Ari gushed.

"Isn't she?" Holly told her with a smile. "I'm going to spoil that kid rotten."

"Funny...I remember the same words being mentioned the day you were born." Michelangelo grinned at Ari.

"That's because they all are at that age." Cris said. "It's not until later that you want to beat them with a stick for not listening." Her gaze went to Thane who just grinned impishly at her.

Hope didn't seem to mind all of the attention, actually slept through it all. Even as Leo took her again from Lotus so she could get something to eat herself, the child still slept as Leonardo looked down at her from where he stood. Hope seemed to sense him and opened her blue eyes and met his for the first time.

"Hello little one." Leonardo told her with a smile. "You are going to see us around for a bit I think. Your dad is totally clueless on what to do with you."

"Thanks a lot." Leo grumbled to him before he looked at his daughter. "I'm not totally clueless. I know how to love her. Now that stupid bottle warmer... That thing gives me headaches..."

"Wait until you have to put your first swing together." Leonardo grinned at him.

Leo groaned.