Disclaimer: Um…not to my knowledge

*ONE SHOT*

3 of my four promised one shots.

Broken Glass

"Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"

April was busy washing dishes when she heard the window slide open. She turned quickly and then gasped when she saw a familiar figure stumble in.

"Leo!" she breathed before scrambling forward and helping him to the couch.

"What happened?" she gasped as she struggled to ease Leo down.

Leo was gasping for breath, plastron heaving, shivering as if cold, and bleeding badly. His whole right side looked like a river of blood.

"Leo?" April inquired.

Leo blinked and looked up at her.

"I…fell," Leo whispered.

"You fell?" April asked skeptically.

Leo nodded, he wouldn't make eye contact. April sighed and rushed over to get the first aide kit and started to call Don.

"Don't…tell…them," Leo whispered.

April turned to him, finger hovering over the last digit.

"Why?" she asked gently.

Leo just shook his head and winced when pain shot through his frame.

April put the phone down and moved toward him. Slowly and gently April began to clean Leo's wounds, shaking her head in shock when she found broken glass embedded in his side, his arm, and his right hand. Still Leo never told her what happened. As April finished and gently stitched the worst of the injuries. Leo remained seated, watching her out of the corner of his eye. April cleaned everything up and put things away, she was making tea when he finally spoke.

"Do you think we're freaks?" Leo whispered.

April dropped the cup she was holding in shock, it clattered to the ground and rolled as far as the handle would allow.

"What?" April asked.

A tear rolled down Leo's cheek.

"Do…you and Casey…think we…that…my family…are freaks of nature?" Leo whispered, still not looking at her.

April gasped and walked forward to him and gently lifted his chin so he was looking at her, kneeling in front of him so they were eye to eye.

"Why would you think that?" she whispered.

Leo's golden-brown eyes flicked away from her green.

"Everyone else does," Leo mumbled.

April looked at him in shock.

"No," April said firmly, "you are my family."

Leo started trembling and seconds later tears rolled down his cheeks. April pulled him into a hug and held him as he sniffed and fought the tears.

"It's ok to cry," April whispered, shedding her own tears.

Leo gave a soft cry of pain as she hugged him tighter and hurt his injured side. April simply cradled him, loosening her hold so he didn't get hurt.

~*~

Raph slipped into April's apartment with Don and Mike right behind him.

"Where is he?" Don asked as April gestured for them to be quiet.

"Asleep," April whispered, pointing toward the couch.

Raph walked over and gently checked on his older brother, shuddering when he saw the bandages and butterfly stitches.

"What happened to him?" Raph gasped when he walked back over.

April handed Mike a blanket and gestured for him to cover Leo up.

Mike nodded, doing so as quietly as he could before returning to the group.

"He helped some lady…she was trying to fight off a couple would be rapists…she…started screaming when she saw…him. Leo tried to calm her down, when that wouldn't work he turned to leave and ran off…the cop car that was coming in response to her screaming hit him. Leo must've jumped to try and avoid it and ended up hitting the windshield, because there was glass everywhere…I pulled out huge slivers. He was more shook than hurt," April ended with a sigh.

Don shook his head.

"We ok to take him home?" Raph asked softly, giving his older brother a worried glance.

Mikey walked over to Leo and sighed.

"I think so…his right side is where he's hurt. Be careful if you carry him Raph," April sighed.

Raph nodded and moved over to Leo's sleeping form and gently eased Leo into his arms. His right side toward Raph's plastron, but held so he wouldn't get bumped against it so much.

"Thanks April," Don whispered as they slipped out.

April turned toward her sink and then saw the cup she had dropped.

Do you think we're freaks?

No…you are my family.

April closed her eyes and gently picked up the cup.

"Oh Leo…" she sighed.

I wrote this fic because I really don't like the saying at the top. You know we're all taught it in like kindergarten but its not true is it?

Words hurt, and they leave scars you can't always see. So please remember to think before you speak and never say things you don't mean.

After all…you can't take it back.

Please leave me reviews!