A/N: This is a collection of Oneshots following the main series 1056 Hours and +1584 Hours. It all probably makes sense if ou haven't read those stories - the general idea being the turtles were seriously hurt and broken and I was just generally an evil author! ;P

The idea for this one is something I wanted to clear up in the main story but couldn't fit in anywhere.

It's set after Leo awakens in +1584 hours - around 2 months later, and deals with the harsh words he directed at Dan and Frankie at the strat of the book, and finally getting some closure.

Set around two months after Leo awakening following the second capture.

Chapter 1

Staring down at the letter in his hands, Leonardo's jaw clenched, the memories of a single outburst still haunting him all these months later.

He couldn't even remember exactly when he had spoken such disgraceful words, somewhere between returning home after their initial capture and everyone beginning to talk to one another, yet he could still remember his exact phrasing – could recall the way Dan's face had dropped and Frankie's morphed into shame.

"Īe. Sore wa watashi o okora semasu. Sore wa fushizende dentō ni hanshite imasu. Sore wa fumeiyodeari, watashi wa kore o shōgen shimasen." He had yelled across the room as Dan had first introduced them to Frankie. No. It does offend me. It is unnatural and against tradition. It is Dishonourable and I shall not bear witness to this.

As Leo had stormed away, determined to hide his true reason for showing discomfort around the couple, he had seen their eyes – had seen the hurt within. There, clear to see, had been the look of betrayal – and that was something that even now, Leo could not set aside lightly. He had – intentionally – hurt those who only sought to help them.

Eyes dropping once more to the crumbled page that had lay just under his bed for months, he re-read the lines. True, he did know them by heart – so many times now he had read the short letter – yet seeing the response to his rude actions strengthened his will.

Leonardo.

Allow me to first express my deepest apologies for all that has happened to you and your family. I am horrified that I helped play a part in your imprisonment, and even more disgusted that it took so long for me to build up enough courage to do anything about it.

I'm writing this because I believe I know your burden.

The way you responded to me and my partner when we were allowed into your home was exactly the way I first reacted to all of my sexuality in the aftermath of something horrific. As a child my step father abused me. I won't relay the details, for I'm sure you can fill in the blanks if my guess is correct, but following this I pushed everyone I ever loved away. Frankie was the only one who managed to get through my thick skull that I was actually a victim. I deserved nothing less than anyone else for what had been done to me, I was not tainted; I was not a failure nor was I to be defined by one event.

I was taught – albeit over time – that I needed to remember what I once stood for and believed in, and trust that those who loved me would support me, faults and all.

You saved my life, Leonardo. You didn't know me, did not know if I – as a human – would attack you for what you were, and yet you stepped in and stopped an attack that would have ended my short life. And you didn't wait for thanks.

And I shall never forget that kindness you showed that day. Because of you, I was allowed to continue living.

Forgive yourself, my friend. I bare you no malice for your words for I believe I understand. Forgive yourself as others will forgive you, so you can continue to live.

Your friend,

Dan.

Such wisdom, so much support and understanding from a man he had barely known yet who had recognised what he had been going through almost instantly. To say he had felt ashamed by his actions would have been an understatement.

Sighing he crumpled the page back up and rolled it under the bed once more.

Gaze falling back down, he cautiously ran a finger across his still bandaged palm, the faint tremor of pain at the pressure pulling his mind to the present. Yes, he had to act now. The shame of his past actions was weighing heavily on his mind – more so than usual.

He had been all but avoiding Dan since he had awakened – easy to do when he had been stuck in the infirmary, constantly surrounded by his brothers, yet now he was permitted to move around by himself – albeit with the assistance of a cane – he had found himself bumping into their new allies more frequently. An awkward silence usually followed, but now Leo was determined to put an end to such encounters. Since Dan and Frankie were camping out in the spare room until the involvement of the law settled regarding the Adamu case, the eldest turtle needed – no, wanted – to make the effort to re-build a bridge between himself and the men.

Steeling himself for the pain that was bound to follow, he hefted himself to his feet, wincing at the pressure to his soles and took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself.

It was still early days, but he knew he was extremely lucky to even be able to stand. He would rather have the pain then the alternative, and with this in mind, he reached for the cane beside his bed, wedging it under one arm before proceeding to hobble towards his door.

There were echoes emanating from both the lab and the kitchen, yet he noticed the flicker of candle lights from within the dojo. Following instinct, the leader moved in the direction of the latter, hoping he would be correct in assuming the two men would still be adjusting to the lair, thus choosing to stay away from the most socially interactive aspects of daily life… or maybe that was Leo's own thinking on the matter.

From his silent observations he had come to realise Dan himself tended to get up early – around five – while Frankie tended to sleep in till about nine. It being around half eight, Leo was hoping he would only find one and not the other – making his job of apologising easier, however as he climbed the stairs, he could hear soft muttering from within the training area. Peaking around the door, he could see the pair beneath the tree, Frankie's head resting upon his partner's shoulder.

Thankfully, before the turtle could even clear his throat, Dan spotted him and quickly whispered something to his partner. Nodding, Frankie raised his head from Dan's shoulder and – with a long stretch and a yawn – he ruffled his partners hair, offered Leo an honest smile before leaving the room granting them privacy.

Taking a breath, Leo took a step forward.

"Daniel, I just want to say..." He began hurriedly, determined to speak his piece first, yet the man seemed to have other plans.

With a calm wave of his hand, the man gestured for the leader to take a seat beside him beneath the tree.

With a stifled grimace due to the lingering pain in his feet, the leader lowered himself carefully to the floor, laying is cane beside his knee and followed the man's gaze up to where the sunlight from the world above touched the leaves of the trees, taunting the plant with a limited beam of the light it so desperately craved.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Dan broke the tense silence, his eyes never leaving the tree, a soft smile gracing his lips. "After my stepfather, I convinced myself that beauty like this was taunting me. I believed all things which brought pleasure only did so to make a mockery of all which had been damaged." Leo felt his heartbeat increase within his chest. Trying not to let his reaction show, he managed to keep his voice level.

"That's a cruel way to view the world." Beside him, the young man smiled sadly.

"Is it though? Surely that is the essence of beauty? To throw shade upon lesser things?"

The leader bowed his head slightly. These statements all hit close to the mark. It was in this moment he could see himself in Dan – see his own struggles, his own doubts and fears. He took a steadying breath.

"But without the lesser things, how would we understand the meaning of beauty?"

"Beauty merely is an excuse to cause pain. But should we really shun away from the pain?"

"No..." Leo's eyes stung as he replied, his words thick with emotion, "No... As the pain makes you appreciate all else." The leader whispered, understanding at last where the man was heading with his musings. He let out a dry chuckle. "That was clever."

"A trick Frankie taught me." Dan smiled back. "He's the one who explained that to me." His voice was gentle, raw emotion quieting his words. "I did what I've seen you doing, avoiding those who wanted to be there for me, holding them in contempt for their ignorance. It doesn't work. Seriously, it doesn't. You see their pity, their innocence still intact and all you remember is what was done to you." The man paused to suck in a trembling breath. "But those looks are from love. Not because you are weak, not because you failed in any way. They see the beauty inside, looking past the pain, and they just want to support you, because that's what family does. True family."

The leader inhaled, trying to calm the strong emotions bubbling up to the surface, yet only a sob escaped. He buried his face in his hands as the walls he had been building for so long came crumbling down. As he cried, he felt a gentle arm wrap around his shoulders but for once he didn't flinch.

He leant into Dan's chest and finally allowed the tears to flow. This man's honest words had finally made him see the light, he had believed he had moved past this, but still his will to retain his complete control over himself was only hurting those he loved and, in the process, he was denying himself the right to move on. This man, the one he so thoughtlessly attacked for trying to help, had been the one to finally break through to the young leader and save him from the darkness of his own mind.

"T...thank you..." He gulped through the tears, "Arigrato ani..." He felt the man tremble at these words, the official acceptance into the clan he had helped rescue, revealing the depths of Leo's gratitude. "And… I'm so, so sorry… What I said before –"

"No..." Dan cut him off and placed an arm around the turtle's shell, "No need for that. I understand. I just want to thank you. Thank you for giving me a chance to live."

A silence fell upon the room, yet unlike before there was no tension. No longer were the words of malice hanging above their heads, instead only the desire for peace in its beautiful tranquillity remained. Neither wished to be the one to pull away, yet as the sound of approaching footsteps echoed outside the dojo, the two sprung apart, hastily wiping their eyes. With a final grateful look at Dan, they stood – Dan assisting the leader to his feet and passed him the cane. As he rose, something in Leo's posture began to change, and for the briefest of moments, Dan could once again see the traces of the fierce warrior who had saved his life all that time ago.

They both owed each other so much, and that was a bond that couldn't be easily broken.

The fear and doubt was still there, sure, yet there was now a flicker of certainty about the young leader, a spark of confidence which had been so brutally stripped away. Dan stepped up beside his ally – no, he told himself, his brother – and together they left the shade of the tree, stepping once more into the light.

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So here we are, a oneshot collection following this mega series! So any scenes you think were missing, any alternative ideas you wanted to see or parts you want expanding, send them across! Let's have some fun with this after the serious nature of the main story!

Let me know your thoughts!

LL99 Out