"We'll do what Raph would do?" Michelangelo repeated carefully, glancing down at his unconscious brother. Mikey worked his brain, tried to figure out what Raph would do, but all he could think about was punching- oh.

"Sorry, Raph."

Don slapped Raph, his palm connecting hard with his cheek. Mikey winced at the sound it made.

"Wow, that was a real bitch slap, Don", Mikey commented. "Have you been practicing?"

Don glanced dryly at him. There was no time for jokes. But the slap worked; Raph groaned, slowly opening his eyes, but immediately closing them.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty", Mikey sing-songed. "This isn't the best place for hundred years of sleep."

Raph only groaned again, trying to push Mikey away from him.

"Didn't you just say you wouldn't tease him for a month if he woke up?" Don asked, glancing over his shoulder towards the guards. It was still dark, so they should be out of sight. But if someone happened to shine their light on them, it'd be over.

"Did I?"

"We have to go. Raph, think you can get up?"

"Only if I have to", Raph grumbled, trying to push himself up even though his eyes were still closed.

"Yeah, kinda", Don answered him, helping him to get up. "Just take it easy. And be quiet. The guards are getting closer."

"My head's killing me", Raph groaned quietly, holding his head with both hands. "The goddamn ringing's not going away."

"Come on. We're almost out of here."

They still had to walk through the prison area and through the forest, but they were already so close. Don turned towards Mikey, taking a quick look at his hurt wrist, glancing up at his eyes.

"Mikey, do you think you could carry Leo?"

"What? I can still–", Raph piped in, but cut himself off. He felt dizzy, and realized that he probably wasn't the best option for carrying Leo.

"Sure."

After Leo was safely on Mikey's arms they left. As soon as they started walking it was clear that Mikey was the only one who could've carried Leo; Raph was constantly swaying, holding his head and cursing under his breath. Don did his best supporting him, but ended up being the one who needed the support; his leg was still making things difficult. But together they managed to limp back towards the forest, leaving the blaring of the alarms behind them.

Had they taken just a few seconds longer they would've gotten caught; a bright light swept through the prison yard, missing them only barely. They felt relieved to be in the shadows of the forest, but they had to get further away.

When they finally reached the city it was raining again. They found the place they had used as a shelter before, and as soon as they were out of the rain and out of the sight the exhaustion took over.

Mikey fell on his knees, still holding Leo. Don helped him set the eldest down, and Raph had already fallen over, breathing heavily. Mikey lied down as well, but stayed close to Leo as Don took out a candle, lighting it up in order to start investigating Leo's injuries. Medical supplies hadn't been the only thing they had stolen; they hand blankets, some food and candles, as well.

"How bad is it, Don?" Mikey asked tiredly, doing his best to keep his eyes open.

"His shoulder doesn't look too good", Don answered. He was clearly just as tired, but taking care of Leo was much more important. Don unwrapped the bandages on Leo's shoulder, and Mikey grimaced.

"Oh. That really doesn't look good."

"Infected, most likely. He's also got a fever."

Don set to cleaning the wound, using the medical supplies they had stolen during their first visit to the city. He was glad that there were still supplies left – none of them was in the condition to go and get some. He was also glad that he had the habit of being prepared for everything; back when they had the supplies he had also stolen some antibiotics in case one of their wounds had gotten infected in the prison. Luckily they hadn't, but since Leo's had, he was lucky they had them.

But he hesitated – this wasn't their planet, he didn't know how Leo's system would react to these antibiotics. And since Leo was in such a weak state he was kind of afraid to try – but was there really any other choice? He needed something, and this was all they had right now.

"What's wrong?" Mikey asked upon seeing Don's face. Don sighed, shortly explaining his worries. He was still unsure, but ended up giving Leo the antibiotic.

"I just hope they don't do more bad than good", Don seemed defeated.

"I'm sure they'll help", Mikey tried comforting him, scooting a bit closer. "You've done so much, Donnie."

Don smiled a bit, looking at Mikey. "You're the one who blew the narrator up."

"With your weapon", Mikey pointed out. Don gave a small laugh.

"It took a tiny stick to defeat the big boss", Don said and Mikey laughed as well.

"Ugh, shut up already", Raph groaned. "Not helping this freaking headache..."

"Sorry, Raph", Don apologized, lowering his voice. But his good mood faded as soon as he returned his gaze on Leo. Don's hand hovered over Leo's mouth, hesitating. Mikey noticed.

"Do you think that he's still going to try to… you know…"

Upon hearing Mikey's words Raph turned over, scooting closer as well. Both Mikey and Raph looked at Don, who seemed uncertain.

"I don't know. We have to keep an eye on him." Don removed the fabric – they couldn't keep it there forever. He'd have to wake him up so that he could drink something. But he still hesitated – as long as Leo was unconscious he couldn't try to hurt himself.

"I just… hate that it came to this", Don whispered, setting the fabric away. He was too exhausted to make this kind of decisions.

"We'll fix this", Raph said, clenching his fists. "Damnit. That freaking machine got off too easy – I would've liked to-"

Leo stirred, and they all fell silent. Don hadn't yet had the time to wash Leo's face, so the dried blood was still preventing Leo from opening his eyes - but he was trying to, and as Don moved to get the water-bottles they had left here Leo sensed the movement, immediately pushing himself away from them.

But the sudden movement tore at his shoulder and he cried out weakly, and Mikey and Raph were immediately holding him, preventing him from moving any further. Their grip only caused him to trash harder, but they still didn't have trouble keeping him in place; Leo was too weak.

"Watch his mouth, don't let him-"

As soon a Don spoke Leo froze, but it only lasted for a few seconds. Leo was already struggling again.

"Leo! Calm down, you're safe now, calm down. Calm down."

Leo moaned, clearly hurting himself as he struggled, despite Raph and Mikey doing their best to keep him from moving.

"Hold him still", Don ordered, trying to speak gently despite the situation.

"I'm afraid I'll hurt his shoulder", Mikey said, pressing down on Leo's plastron instead of his arm, helplessly looking at Leo. "Calm down, bro!"

Leo wasn't calming down, but he was starting to run out of what little strength he had. His movements ceased and he breathed hard, looking more like a hurt animal than their brother with the dried blood all over his face and plastron.

"Leo, you're safe. Let us help you", Don spoke as he carefully reached for Leo, but stopped when Leo only flinched.

"Come on, Leo", Raph spoke up, letting his grip on Leo loosen a bit. "It's us. Let Donnie help you."

Don could see the familiar movement of his jaw, and he hurried to reach for him, once again having to use force to keep Leo's mouth open. Leo tried to move his head away, but Don was stronger than him.

"Please listen, Leo, you're not there anymore – you don't have to do this. Please don't do this", Don sounded desperate, and that was how he felt as well. Leo fought against him for a short while, but it was three against one; it was a lost battle.

Leo's struggling ceased once again, only his chest moving as he breathed heavily. But it was a checkmate; Leo couldn't move, but neither could Don.

"Can I let go, or are you just going to try that again?" Don finally asked, only now realizing that his hands were shaking.

Seconds ticked by, but finally Leo nodded. Carefully Don removed his hands, still ready to act if Leo was going to try something. But Leo only swallowed, keeping still otherwise. Raph and Mikey dared to let go as well, but their worried looks stayed on Leo.

"Relax, Leo. You're safe."

Leo moved his head towards the voice, still fighting to open his eyes. Don noticed, and moved carefully as he spoke.

"Let me help you with that", Don said gently, trusting Mikey and Raph to keep an eye on him as he turned his back to finally retrieve the bottles.

"I'm going to help you with your eyes, don't be startled. This is just water; you're not in any danger."

Raph and Mikey carefully helped Leo up into a sitting position, and Leo hesitantly let them. They made sure to be very gentle with him, careful to not touch his injured shoulder. Moving was still painful for him, but Leo made no sound. He was tense and clearly nervous, but quiet.

Leo had prepared himself, but as the water ran down his face he was automatically reminded of blood- he panicked, but there was nowhere to go. He wanted to get away, but was too tired to fight.

"It's just water", Don reminded when Leo flinched away, carefully washing away the blood. He took a small break, letting Leo get used to the feeling, carefully continuing since he wasn't resisting. The dry blood was surprisingly hard to get off, but eventually it started to fade. Leo had even relaxed a bit, but even though he was now free to open his eyes, he did nothing.

"You can open them now", Don said, setting the bottle aside. He took one of the few rags they still had left, gently wiping the remaining water droplets away from Leo's face.

Despite his words Leo wasn't opening his eyes, and Mikey and Raph switched worried looks.

"Leo?"

"I", Leo started eventually, and they almost missed his words; his voice was almost too broken and weak to be used. "I don't know what to do if this isn't real."

Raph looked away, angry again. How dare they do this to Leo, Raph really wished the narrator was still somewhere out there, just so that he could smash it down with his own two hands.

Mikey and Don were angry as well, but more sad than angry.

"This is real, Leo", Don assured him. "You'll see."

They could sense how nervous Leo was, and they patiently waited. Finally Leo dared to open his eyes, doing it slowly; his eyes were clearly very sensitive. He had to blink many times before finally getting them open, and then he glanced around, dazed.

Leo raised his uninjured arm, unsure where to place it. But he didn't have to choose; three hands were immediately grabbing it, holding him.

It was difficult to even think about sleep. They were all still very exhausted, and even though they had allowed themselves to finally feel some real relief they still felt paranoid. One of them would keep watch and would wake them up immediately if something happened, but it was still difficult. It felt like something could still take Leo away.

It hadn't been easy to make him sleep – Leo had just stared at them, looking like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. And Don was a bit afraid he really wasn't; his skin was very warm, he was still having a high fever which could easily mess with his head. And he had seemed so sure about this not being real – Don didn't know for how long he had thought that way. Was it just the fever, or had he really thought so?

Leo was curled up in the corner, and even though they all wanted to be close to him it was clear that he needed space. He was still on the edge, and they didn't know if they should approach him or let him approach them.

"I'll take the first watch", Don finally said. Leo wasn't the only one who needed rest.

"No, I can-"

"No, Raph, you need to rest. I'm going to have to wake you in a few hours anyways, since your head-"

"Fine", Raph groaned. "Just don't slap me again."

Mikey laughed. "It was a perfect slap! Wish I had gotten it on video. Think you could re-enact that sometime?"

Raph sent daggers toward Mikey with his look, and Mikey hid from his glare under the blankets. Don shook his head at them, finally putting all the medical supplies away. He had bandaged Mikey's wrist and checked on Raph's injured eye, and finally his own leg. Despite everything he had put it through while he was still recovering it was healing nicely, much better than Leo's shoulder was, at least.

Raph and Mikey were quickly out. He wasn't surprised – it had been a long, physically and emotionally tasking, day. Sleep sounded great, but Don knew someone had to stay and keep watch. They couldn't let their guard down in case the prison was searching for them – although they were probably having bigger worries right now. The owner had kind of… exploded.

"I'm sorry."

Don had fallen deep into his thoughts, and when Leo spoke he almost dropped the bottle of water in his hands – he whirled around, but luckily Leo was still lying in the corner and not moving around. Still, he had thought that Leo was asleep – he had been supposed to keep an eye on Leo, in case he decided to…

"Leo, you should rest", Don whispered, not wanting to wake up the other two. The candle burning in the corner sent long shadows over the small room, and Leo's shadow seemed to be the longest.

"I didn't mean to do this to you", Leo whispered, pressing himself tighter against the corner. "I'm sorry."

Don was immediately scooting closer, carefully placing his hand on Leo's arm, trying to ignore the flinch it caused in Leo.

"Leo, you have nothing to be sorry about", Don said gently.

"Of course I do", Leo almost hissed, and Don was taken aback. Leo moved his head to look at Don, and the hurt in his face made Don grip his arm tighter.

"I killed you."

Leo turned his face away, and he was trembling.

"And now we're… we're…"

Don could feel a lump forming in his throat.

"We're dead."

Don had expected Leo to say it, but he still couldn't believe that Leo really thought so. What had happened to him? What had they made him believe?

"I- I shouldn't be here-", Leo was suddenly saying, trying to push himself up, but Don immediately pressed him back down. Leo wasn't only trembling, he was shaking now, and Don rubbed Leo's arm comfortably, hushing him.

"Leo, you're not dead – you're really here and you- you're not dead. We're not dead. We're here."

Leo only lifted his hand to shield himself with it. Don's heart broke for him, he wanted to reach out to Leo, but didn't know what to say or do. Don thought back, glancing at the bottle of liquid he had found from Leo's cell and taken with him. There had been some of the same liquid on Leo as well, clearly it had been poured on him – but why? If not…

If not to create a mock execution. At this point Don didn't know what else could've caused Leo to behave like this, and considering what kind of place they had escaped from, it wouldn't be farfetched. It'd explain the cut on Leo's throat, and the liquid had probably been poured on him to create the image of flowing blood. Leo had probably been feverish even then, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had believed that… that his throat had really been slit open.

Don was silent. He knew how to treat wounds. Not minds.

Leo wasn't sure about anything, anymore.

He was dead, wasn't he?

He knew his throat had been slit open, remembered the blade against his throat- no, he had bitten through his tongue, hadn't he? Could still taste the blood- no, everything was just a blur, he didn't know what was real and what wasn't.

Just a moment ago he had been dead. Now he wasn't so sure.

And just to make sure that he really was he had bitten down – at least he had tried to, but someone had stopped him. Why couldn't they choose – did they want him dead or not?

Was he dead or not?

Did he want to be dead or not?

He had bitten down. He had wanted to die.

At least it would've brought him some closure – to finally die instead of just linger. That's what he had thought, but death seemed to be even more confusing. He had thought it would be final, not that he'd still be wondering if it had happened, even after it had.

Was he just in denial? Was he scared of dying? He hadn't ever thought he was. How could he not accept the simplest aspect of life? Wasn't he accepting it by trying to end it himself, or was he just escaping life itself?

And the voices, faces. His brothers. His dead brothers. Wasn't that the last proof that he was dead? He was surprised to find himself with them. He didn't deserve their comfort. Didn't deserve their presence.

There was no reason to be afraid that this wasn't real. Because it wasn't.

There was a reason to be afraid that this was real. Because if it was, he had been the one to almost throw it away.

If this was real, he had to reach out. He had lifted his hand.

And they had grabbed it, even if he didn't understand why.

Don realized he had forgotten to be quiet when both Mikey and Raph stirred, but it didn't matter now. Carefully Don tried to lower Leo's defensive arm, glad that he let him.

"Leo, you've been… lied to", Don started carefully, unsure how to talk about this. He didn't want to make Leo go through any unpleasant memories when he was in such a vulnerable state, but he also didn't want him to cling onto these false beliefs. It was dangerous how badly Leo wanted to escape the reality that had been created inside his mind – they had already seen what he could accidently do in an attempt to escape. He needed to be brought back.

"Whatever you've been through… it's over. Whatever you've been made to believe, it's not true." Don stared down at Leo's arm, gently holding his hand. "And it might be a lot to take in, it might bring down some walls, but… we're here for you. We're here."

Leo seemed to listen now, his breathing a bit calmer, but he still wasn't back from the edge he was standing on.

Mikey moved closer and Leo tensed, but relaxed when Mikey carefully took his other hand, gently holding it. "You can feel this, right? It's real and it's not going anywhere." Michelangelo's tone was sad, but firm.

Leonardo looked like he wanted to say something against it, but wasn't quite able to find the words.

"You saved us, Leo", Raph said quietly, his arms crossed across his chest. "I don't know the details, but we heard about what you did on the arena. You we're stupid, but… you saved us."

Leo moved his head to look at Raph, slowly lowering his gaze down onto his hands. Mikey was holding the other, and Don the other. He tried to say something, but couldn't.

"It's going to be alright, Leo", Don said. "Take your time. But for now, it's better to rest. Your fever is pretty high. You'll feel better when it goes down."

They draped the blanket over Leo, and this time he didn't squish himself into the corner, letting his brothers stay close, but pulling the blanket over his head anyways. The fact that Leo had at least listened took off some of the weight on their shoulders, but they had learned to be wary of feeling too relieved.

"Well, now that you're awake, Raph, how are you feeling?" Don turned to ask Raph, talking quietly again.

"The ringing's not so bad anymore", Raph muttered, and Don moved to check on him more profoundly.

Mikey lay down next to Leo, lifting the blanket to hide under the blankets with Leo. The light of the candle didn't reach them there, but Mikey could indistinctly see Leo's features. Mikey scooted a bit closer.

"I'm really glad you're here, Leo", Mikey whispered, snuggling closer to him.

Raph had ordered Don to sleep after he had checked on him, and now he was the only one up. He sat in the corner, holding the stolen gun in his hands. Just in case.

Even the short rest had helped, his head felt a bit clearer now. Everything still hurt, but at least he wasn't as tired as before. He glanced at Mikey and Don, who had both pressed themselves tightly against Leo. It was a relieving sight – he finally had all of them back. Well, Leo wasn't completely back, but… they'd get there.

Raph knew better than to let his thoughts wander back to the prison and the narrator – he'd just become uncontrollably angry, and right now anger would only make him exhausted. He moved the gun in his hands, sighing.

The sound of rain helped him to keep his thoughts in check; at least the rain was familiar. It looked the same, sounded the same it always had. It was easy to get comforted by it – at least until it just started reminding him how far from home they were.

But they were together now, and the fact was much more comforting than the rain.

But the comfort was broken when distant shouting was audible. Raph was immediately on alert, moving closer to the wall that was closer to the street above them. People were running. Perhaps guards, perhaps other criminals; Raph didn't know and he wouldn't check unless absolutely necessary. The voices weren't coming here, they went past them. It was better to keep quiet and out of sight.

Raph noticed movement in the corner of his eye turned his head to see Leo moving, probably woken up by the voices. Raph kneeled next to his sleeping brothers, carefully placing his hand on Leo's arm.

"Don't worry", Raph said quietly, and Leo stilled again. Jeez, Don had been right; he had a high fever. His skin was way too warm.

Raph was about to move back to the corner where he had originally kept watch, but decided against it. Instead he sat down where he was, taking his hand back, but keeping it close to Leo.

As soon as he removed his hand Leo was searching for it, and Raph let him find and grab it. He was a bit surprised that Leo had immediately wanted his hand back, but held him tightly, letting him know he was there.

There wasn't much left of the night; the visit to the prison had taken longer than expected, taking most of the night with it. There was no point in walking around in the daylight, so the day was spent resting, collecting their thoughts, gathering their strength. They didn't get much out of Leo – his fewer had gone down, thankfully, but he slept a lot. It looked like the antibiotics had been good for him after all, but Leo was still pretty out of it, being conscious for only short amounts of time, but the rest was good for him.

During those shorts moments when he was awake Leo was either calm but confused, or agitated and completely lost. Don could only guess that he was living some of the memories from the past month, and even though it pained them to watch all they could do for Leo was to be there for him.

Leo hadn't been the only one having a hard time believing that this was true. They all had subconsciously prepared themselves for yet another miserable day, and had to occasionally glance at Leo to remind themselves that Leo really was here. They had really gotten him back.

Even though the cellar was safe they were anxious to get away from here, away from the city – they just wanted to leave this place behind altogether. Their shelter was out of the sight, but it wouldn't be safe forever. But they were all still weak, especially Leo. They'd have to wait until it was dark to even think about moving anywhere. And even then it'd be difficult and risky, and painful.

The day had dragged by slowly, but the night came eventually. They were agreed on leaving the cellar, but Leo was in no condition to do anything on his own. If they'd get in a fight they'd be in a lot of trouble. They'd be very, very sneaky. But how could they do that when Leo could barely stand on his own?

"I don't know. Maybe we should wait", Don said. "Leo is in no condition to be moved around."

Raph clearly wanted to protest, but one glance at Leo was enough to silence him. Instead he just muttered under his breath, clearly not happy with the situation.

"I don't want to stay here either. Leo could rest once we'd get into a ship, but… getting one is the hard part. And then I'd have to focus on operating it, I'm glad that the one we used before did almost everything automatically, but I doubt that we'll get a ship that' exactly the same…" Donatello sighed. Silence fell over them, surprisingly broken by Leo. They all turned towards him when he winced quietly. They had learned the hard way that they shouldn't approach him too suddenly, so they carefully moved closer.

Leo had sat up on his own, something he hadn't yet done. He was holding his shoulder, pain lingering on his face.

"Take it easy", Don said, trying to guide Leo back down, but he wasn't having it.

"No, I agree with you", Leo said, his voice still weak. "We should get away from here."

It was a pleasant surprise to hear him talk like… like he was his usual self again. Not paranoid or sulking, instead trying to sound like he had some authority in this. He was barely functioning so of course he didn't, but it was nice to hear that he had the will to try.

"You're in no condition to move." Don was only pointing it out, but Leo tensed during his words. "Give it a little rest, and-"

Leo grabbed the wall for support, and Don didn't know why he wasn't stopping him. For a moment it looked like Leo could get up – but the hope died when Leo cried out and collapsed back down, his brothers immediately holding him, helping him to lean against the wall.

"You need time", Don comforted him. "We all do. We still have food for another day – let's see what the situation looks like then."

Leo seemed very unhappy, breathing hard, fists clenched. But all he could do was to accept the fact that he was useless.

Leo had refused food – well, he had tried to eat, but his appetite was gone. They had been able to make him eat a little bit something, and at least Leo was drinking water. He was starting to get better, little by little. At first he was sulking again, clearly upset that his weak state was holding them back, but eventually he became more talkative. His voice was still raw and painful to use, but by talking it became steadier. Mostly he listened, and they told him what had happened in the prison, leaving some parts out. There was no need to make Leo worry – or to make him feel guilty. If they told him about all the close calls he'd surely find a way to blame himself for not being there. It was just the way Leo was, and right now it was best to not make him worry any more than he already was.

"You've done so much", Leo was able to say after listening to his brothers. It was hard to read his tone – did he sound sad or proud?

"Wish we could've done more for you", Mikey said quietly, but Leo only shook his head. They were lying down again, ready to get some sleep after finishing telling Leo about how they had gotten out of the prison. The candle had almost burned out, the light only a small flicker.

"You got me out", Leo said tiredly, eyes already almost closed. "I'm… I'm no longer there."

They were sure that Leo had fallen asleep, but suddenly he lifted his head, pushing himself up on his elbows. The other three tensed, ready to push Leo back in case he tried to get up again. They didn't want him to hurt himself again.

"Could I… could I look out?"

Leo's request was so quiet and the look on his face so hopeful that they couldn't say no. Getting up was much easier when Raph and Mikey supported him, but Leo's legs were weak and not used to walking after lying down for so long. It was difficult to get even to the door, but his brothers were patient. Don opened the door and checked the alley, but it was still dark outside, and the way seemed clear.

The air was fresh thanks to the constant rain – gentle droplets of water hit their faces as soon as they were out. And Leo didn't even flinch – this was water. Only water. He was safe.

Don was trying to put something over his head, a cloth of some kind, but Leo only swatted his hand away. He wanted to feel the rain. He reached out, just because he could. He could still see the marks on his wrists from the lock that was around them for so long, but he barely noticed them now. He was able to breathe, he was out.

And most important of all, his brothers were here.

He hadn't even noticed that he had started shivering until Don was ordering them back inside, and he let his brothers guide him back. He was glad, but also exhausted from something just as small as this. It was frustrating, he knew that recovering was slow, but he had a feeling that this time it would be even slower. He felt fine now, but knew that as soon as he'd let his guard down the demons from the prison would find him.

But for now, this was enough.

Sleep was welcomed, once again. They all felt a lot better now that Leo had at least been on his feet – the look on Leo's face when he had stood in the rain was what they had all missed. Seeing him look like something else than just a ghost of what he had been. He was coming back. Slowly, but he was.

During their sleep they had been awoken by sirens and shouting – something was happening, but all they could do was to listen. They knew that the risk of staying here was starting to get too big.

"This was a nice little cellar", Mikey said as they packed their things. "I'm almost going to miss it. Maybe. Probably not."

"I'm definitely not", Raph grumbled, giving the room a glare. He was more than ready to leave this place.

Leo was sitting against the wall, wanting to help them, but was having enough trouble staying up. He thought he had started to get better, but perhaps not yet.

They didn't have much to carry, so they were finished quickly. Mikey and Raph were helping Leo up, Don using his bō-staff to help him walk. His leg was much better, but having something to support him helped a lot. After they had thrown the old clothes over their heads they left the cellar – hopefully for the last time.

It was late, but they could hear distant sirens, knowing that the search was on. And perhaps they weren't the only ones they were searching for – other prisoners had escaped, too. They didn't know the city so it took a bit of time to figure out where the space ships were kept, but eventually they found them. There were lots of guards patrolling there, of course there were; this was probably the only way out of the city, and they knew it.

"I could sneak in there, turn the thing on and pick you up", Don whispered, a faraway look on his face as he planned. The only way inside the ships was to climb a ladder, and Leo was in no condition to do that, so he'd need to get the ship closer. "But there are so many guards – and they would hear the engine heating up, they'd get inside before…"

"I'll come with you, make sure nobody gets in", Raph said. Don looked unsure.

"I don't know if you could hold them off alone."

"What? I'm much better now! We kicked ass back at the prison, and we were much worse then. And I didn't even have my weapons – but now we're back in action!"

Raph took out his sai, swirling them in his hands. Don was unsure; it was true that they were in a better shape now, but… Don realized that his gaze had gone to Leo, but he quickly looked away. It was a habit to turn to Leo when making plans, but he was in no shape to lead now. Leo was leaning against the crates they were hiding behind, holding his shoulder. Don wasn't sure if he was even fully conscious at this point – the way here had taken a lot out of him. If he was conscious, he would've tried to take the lead by now. Don swallowed; he hated making crucial decisions.

"I guess it could work", Don said finally. The sooner they'd get inside the ship, the sooner Leo could rest. The sooner they'd be on their way home. "Mikey, make sure to come out of hiding when I'm close so that I know where to come. But not any sooner than that, so that the guards don't see you."

"Got it. We'll be right here", Mikey said, glancing at Leo. "Just be quick. And careful."

Don and Raph left, sneaking through the night's shadows. Sneaking was much easier than running, and they reached the closest ship unnoticed. Don got them in easily enough, sitting behind the controls while Raph stood next to the door, weapons ready.

"I'm turning it on", Don warned. The machines came to life with a low hum, the motor doing it with much more noise. They could see through the window how guards were already running closer. It was quickly clear that there had been more of them than they had thought, and Don glanced worriedly at Raph.

"Just get this thing moving!" Raph shouted, already kicking the first guard on the door. Don did as he was told, pressing the buttons he had used the last time, crossing his fingers that it'd work. The system was a bit different from the other ship they had used, probably an updated version. Too bad it didn't come with a handbook. Well, not like there would be time to read one anyways.

The power was finally fully on, and Don closed the door, the guard that was about to come in almost losing his hand. Everything was supposed to be on and working now, but the ship wasn't moving.

"What's the hold-up?" Raph asked, leaning against the door when the guards tried to pry it open.

"I'm working on it", Don said, going through the buttons again. Had he missed something?

Something heavy thumped against the door, sending Raph away from it. He cursed, getting back to his feet when the guards finally slid the door back open, opening fire. Raph jumped away, and Don had to hide behind his chair, wincing when the chair was put full of holes.

His attention was quickly taken away from the chair – Raph yelled, and when Don looked he could see that the guards had managed to grab him, and were now dragging him out the door despite his struggling. Raph was kicking and punching, but the guards weren't letting go.

Don took out his bō, dashing after them. Two guards were easily sent to the ground with a heavy blow from the staff, and the next guard received a nasty hit on the back of his head. The guard holding Raph got also a taste of his weapon, and he cried out, letting go. With only one guard holding him Raph was able to punch him out cold, backing off back to the ship when something hit him in the shell, sending him down.

"Raph!" Don yelled, but couldn't get to him; something was trying to hit him as well, and Don had to shield himself, then swipe at a guard, dodge another hit-

"Oh no", Mikey whispered. He was still behind the crates, but could see Don and Raph fighting in front of the ship. And it looked like they needed help – badly. Mikey glanced at Leo, hurrying to push him down when he tried to look as well.

"Don't move, Leo", Mikey said, nervously glancing back towards the ship. He had to go. But that would mean leaving Leo here. He looked back at the eldest.

"If they need you, go", Leo said before Mikey could even get his mouth open. "And get out of here, no matter what-"

"We're not leaving you here", Michelangelo cut him off, having a serious look in his eyes for once. "Just stay put. See you in a few minutes!"

Mikey jumped over the crates, quickly reaching the ship. The first few guards were taken by surprise, but the rest soon noticed him. But Mikey was fast, his nunchaku easily disarming the closest guards, breaking a few fingers in the process.

The sounds of fighting were clearly audible – but Leo needed to see as well. Holding his shoulder and wincing from the pain Leo dragged himself up, managing to look over the crates. His vision was suddenly blurry, he didn't know who was winning and who wasn't – he saw one of the guards press Don down, and then his legs gave up. He couldn't help crying out when his hurt shoulder took his weight. He rolled onto his side to ease the pain, biting his lip, glancing around. He hadn't been heard. Nobody was here.

Nobody. His brothers weren't here. They were away again, and suddenly the crates felt like walls, the gunshots were loud in his head and he was drowning in blood again-

Someone stepped in front of him, and Leo stared blankly at the gun pointed at him.

Mikey had managed to drag Raph back to his feet, wincing at the marks on the back of his shell. They sure were lucky to have their shells. Once Raph was back on his feet he was moving again, barely having time to register that Mikey was there, hunting down the one who had dared to shoot him in the back.

Don and Mikey fought back to back, and after Don kicked a guard away he glanced over his shoulder at Mikey.

"Did you leave Leo alone?!"

"He told me to come – and you kind of needed me here!"

Don couldn't say anything against that – it was true. They were barely holding their ground, where had all these guards come from?

The deck they were standing on shook; the ship was finally ready to go. Don glanced at the ladders, yelling at Raph, who was still fighting further away.

"Raph! Back to the ship!"

Don pushed Mikey towards the ladders, preventing the guards from coming too close while he climbed. But they were still able to shoot at him; Mikey escaped only barely, but when he was up, he took out the gun he still had, shooting down so that Don could climb as well.

Raph was still fighting, slowly making his way towards the ladders. Don was already behind the controls, and the ship was slowly rising. Raph grabbed the bottom of the ladders, and the ship left the deck.

The guards were still shouting and firing after them, but the ship moved quickly – and to Don's pleasant surprise the controls were much smoother, the ship was very agile!

Which only meant that the guards would probably have ships just as agile. They had to be fast.

"There, he's there- no!"

Mikey's shout received Don's attention immediately, and Don could feel dread washing over him even before he even knew what was going on.

"Mikey?" he asked, lowering the ship closer to the ground. Raph was still on the ladder, and he had seen what Mikey had seen. The ground was still far, but Raph jumped down.

"Get the FUCK away from him!" Raph bellowed, throwing his sai while he jumped. He landed on the crates and rolled down to soften the contact, but he could still feel an unpleasant tingling in his legs. Perhaps he had jumped a bit too early.

But he was on his feet now, ignoring how numb the bottom of his feet felt, jumping down between Leo and the guard, only now noticing that his weapon had hit his mark. The guard was down.

Raph turned around, dropping to his knees, reaching for Leo, hesitating. Leonardo had pressed himself against the crates, holding his hands above his head, trying to look as small as he could. He was trembling and Raph felt a pinch in his chest – Leo had flinched at everything during these past days, but Raph would never get used to seeing him like this.

"Leo", he called out, finally daring to touch Leo. He knew that anything sudden would only make the situation worse when Leo was like this, but they had to go. He wasn't surprised when Leo only tried to get away from him, hiding his face even further, shaking under Raph's hold.

"Hey, it's just me. And we gotta go, bro", Raph tried to speak as softly as he could, grabbing Leo's hands to lower them from his face. Leo didn't even look at him, only stared forward with an empty look. Perhaps caught in a memory –or something like that, Don would've known better. Once again he wished that the machine would be here, so that he could properly beat it down for causing all this-

Raph knew the guards were coming, so he wrapped his arms around Leo and hauled him up with him. As he did Leo suddenly gasped, weakly pushing at him, but Raph couldn't afford paying him any attention. He had to get back to the ladders before the rest of the guards got here, the ship was loud above them, the ladders were right there, he-

Leo kicked his leg, sending him down just as someone fired their gun, missing him only because Leo had kicked him. He didn't know if it had been intentional or not, but he'd have to thank him later. He got back up to continue dragging Leo with him, only to realize that since he had fallen out of the guns way it had instead hit Leo. The realization sunk in the same time as Leo went limb, and Raph's mind went blank. No. No!

Something hit him in the back, but he barely cared, only held Leo even tighter – until he realized that he had been hit by the ladders. Raph dared to let go of Leo with his other hand, reaching for the ladder with numb fingers, feeling the ground disappear under him.

"Leo!" he shouted over the roar of the engine, wind and rain shaking the ladders. The rain was making his grip slippery, but Raph's hold was strong enough to bruise Leo. Better that than dropping him. He could feel a growing wetness against his shoulder, and it wasn't coming from the rain. Leo was bleeding, and Raph pressed his head against Leo's face. Dammit. Dammit.

The ladders were being pulled up and the guards were still shooting, but finally someone grabbed him, dragging him inside the ship and slamming the slightly broken door shut. As the wind and the rain disappeared it was suddenly too quiet. Raph was dazed. It only lasted for a few seconds, though – Raph was immediately struggling to get onto his knees, pressing his hand against the new wound on Leo's shoulder. The already hurt shoulder had gotten hit – no matter Leo had gone limb so soon. The pain had probably been too much.

"Wha- what happened?" Michelangelo asked hastily, staring down at the slowly growing puddle of blood.

"Get something to help me stop the bleeding, Mikey", Raph growled, and Mikey stumbled away. "Donnie!"

"Kinda busy!" Don yelled back, and the ship shook as something hit it. "They're still after us!"

"It's Leo!" Raph yelled, already feeling the blood running past his fingers. "He, he got…"

Mikey was going through the ship's cabinets until he found the emergency kit, hurrying back with it. Another hit shook the ship, this time making the ship tilt to the side. Raph was able to hold onto Leo, grunting when his shell hit the wall, but at least he shielded Leo from the blow. And now he was kind of glad that Leo was unconscious.

Expect that Leo wasn't.

He was looking up with hazy eyes, grabbing Raph's arm, holding onto it tightly. At least for a moment he did; Raph could feel his grip weakening.

"It's fine, Leo, it'll be fine", Raph said, kind of wanting to tell Leo to just let go, to pass out. This would be easier on him if he was unconscious – but he was afraid to let him go, the wound was bleeding a lot and Leo was already weak-

"Here", Mikey had scooted back to them, pushing gauze into Raph's hands. Together they managed to wrap the wound, Leo staying conscious through the whole process, even though he had pressed his eyes shut, flinching every once in a while.

The next blow was a surprise, Raph and Mikey managed to grab Leo only barely, trying to shield him as the ship shook. A red light filled the room, a distress signal going off.

"They're persistent", they could hear Don muttering. He was furiously pressing buttons, and turned the red light off as well. "Shouldn't have been anything important. I've got to check it out later, though..."

Raph and Mikey were unable to say anything, just holding onto Leo, waiting for the next blow. But it didn't come, minutes passed, and nothing happened. And Don had stopped his constant muttering – that was a good sign.

Finally Don turned the autopilot on, turning around in his chair.

"How's Leo-", Don didn't get to finish when he noticed the blood leading from the door to the others, and he was immediately by their side. The new bandaging on Leo's shoulder told him enough, and he just glanced at Raph and Mikey before starting to go through the emergency kit Mikey had left on the floor. He found what he was looking for; painkillers, and they were lucky. These were the strong kind.

"These will help you rest, Leo", Don said, pouring the pills onto his hand. Once Leo wouldn't be in so much pain he'd take a look at the wound and see what he could do.

But when he offered the painkillers to Leo he looked almost afraid, shaking his head.

"No, don't give me anything", Leo said, breathing heavily as he leaned his head against the wall behind him. He was pale, his voice trembling as he spoke. "M-my head's messed up enough."

Don looked at him worriedly, still holding the pills in his hand. "They will make you feel better, the pain-"

"Please." Leo lowered his head, pleading Don with his eyes. "I already though that…"

Don sighed, unable to force him. Well, of course he could, but… He set the pills away.

"Tell me if you change your mind."

They fell silent, trying to process the situation. Leo's breathing was too fast; he was in a lot of pain, but still wasn't asking for the pills. It was Raph who eventually broke the silence.

"You're a fucking dumbass, Leo", he gritted through his teeth, looking down. "We get you back and you're doing stupid shit the moment you can…"

Don and Mikey were confused, but Leo hummed weakly, leaning his head back again.

"Can't believe I missed that… attitude of yours…"

Raph tried to grin at Leo's words, but it was difficult. The guilt was heavy.

"Stupid", was all he could mumble.

"You're stupid", Leo smiled back tiredly.

"Hey, I'm not the one who's being called stupid for once!" Mikey piped in, and seeing Leo smile felt like some kind of spell had been undone. This was real relief – they were all together and heading home.

"Keep that mouth running and that'll change, Mikey", Raph muttered.

"Well, I guess I'd better check the damage the ship took, now", Don said, glancing at Leo one more time. "Are you sure you don't want the pills?"

"I'll… later", Leo said, clearly having difficulties to even keep his eyes open. "Let me… have this."

"Of course, Leo", Don said, gently squeezing his hand. "Just remember that we're here."

Don looked at his brother for a moment, deciding to check the ship's damage as quick as he could so that he could return to Leo's side. They'd have to make Leo more comfortable, make him feel like he could take the painkillers so that he wouldn't have to suffer so much. Donatello was about to leave, but looked unsure now. For some reason he felt like he'd regret it if he left now.

"Are we really heading home?" Mikey asked, looking at Don. "How far are we?"

"We are", Don smiled at him. "I'm still not sure where exactly we are, but… I'll figure it out. Once I learn how to use this program..."

Leonardo said something, but his voice was too weak to be heard.

"Sorry, what was that, Leo?"

Worry washed over them – Leo could be just tired, but he had also lost quite a lot of blood. Someone would need to keep an eye on him.

"Look", Leo managed to repeat after gathering his strength. They were confused, but followed Leo's glassy gaze to the window he was looking at.

The galaxy was opening in front of them, shimmering in brilliant, vivid colors, taking their breath away. Thousands of stars blinked at them, fading into the never-ending sea of color and dark. Some of the celestial bodies were just born, some taking their last breaths, spreading out to light the darkness for the last time. For some it took thousands of years to fade, for some just a few blinks of an eye.

Leo blinked. He knew he couldn't keep his eyes open for much longer. The colors blurred in his eyes, the colors of his brothers masks mixing with the galaxy, and he didn't know where they ended and the galaxy began. But they were both here, right within his reach. All he had to do was to reach out.

He lifted his hand, but it fell down too quickly, all of his strength gone. But he didn't feel bad. Home was out there. Amongst the blurred colors, seas of galaxies and planets. Their galaxy, their home. It was almost too incredible to be true – both the galaxy, his brothers. And how did he really know if this was real? He had dreamed about this so many times, being back together with them. He couldn't let himself wake up and lose all of this all over again. He'd rather fade here, in the middle of the stars, than in the hopeless cell.

Byt he wasn't fading – he was just tired. So tired. But… the good kind of tired. The kind where you knew you were safe, allowed to just close your eyes and let go. He felt cold, but knew that soon one of his brothers would hold his hand, and they'd be warm. They'd be warm, even if he'd manage to slip before he felt them. But they were here, would be here, and Leo…

Just a few blinks of an eye – one for red, one for purple, one for orange. And finally it all mixed together, the last light before the dark.

No more escaping life, only life itself.

A/N: Thank you for everyone who stayed until the end! I'm really sorry about the slow updates, but I've been busy with a lot of other stuff! I'm so surprised about all the nice reviews I've received, even if I kind of felt like I was just trying to get this story out of the way. So, a big thanks to everyone who read and reviewed, your words are highly appreciated! See you around when I finally get back to Derelict – or to a completely new story!