Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In the end, they did decide to use the escape pods. There weren’t enough for all of them, but there wasn’t much debate on who should go with him. Pretty immediately, everyone ceded that job to Leo’s brothers and dad.

A little selfishly, Leo asked April to come, too. Well, he didn’t really ask, because talking was really painful, and he was too fatigued to sign, but he grabbed her hand with his fingers and gave her a tug with just enough strength to get the point across.

She was crying, but she smiled at him, putting a hand on his head and giving it a light stroke with a warm palm he could actually feel.

“I gotta make sure Sunita gets home okay,” she said. “But I’ll be right behind you.”

Leo nodded. He could live with that. As long as she came soon.

Donnie got out the escape pods. They folded out on the ground like big cradles, and Raph very gingerly lifted him into one. Donnie buckled him in tight with deft fingers, then sat back, typing at fast speeds on one of his holoscreens.

“The lair still isn’t wholly stable, and…” Donnie sent a wary glance toward the elementals, who were staying at a respectful distance. Or perhaps a fearful distance. Leo still wasn’t sure what had changed their minds, but he had a feeling Mikey had a lot to do with it. “I want time to reinforce our security before we go back,” Donnie settled on. “My scans show you aren’t needing any care we can’t handle at Draxum’s, anyway. The pods will drop us off on the roof of April’s apartment building. The trip should take about thirty five minutes.”

Leo wondered how he’d programmed the pods to get them all the way back there from the Hidden City, which would require at least one trip through a portal, but Donnie was a genius, so he didn’t dwell on it.

“I’ll be monitoring your vitals, so if anything happens we can find somewhere to land safely and take care of it.” Donnie’s calm, collected tone wavered, and he leaned in again to get a good look at Leo. “Not that I expect anything to go wrong. You’re stable enough to be transported.”

He said it like he was trying to convince himself. Smiling hurt almost as much as talking, but Leo did his best anyway, giving Donnie a tired thumbs up.

Donnie nodded and moved back. Leo could hear the other escape pods opening, and tried to focus on taking deep breaths. The last time he was in one of these, Raph was…

Almost like he could read his mind, Raph was leaning over him next, reaching in to cover one of Leo’s hands in his.

"Raph'll be ahead of you, Leo,” he said, giving a gentle squeeze. “I’ll be waiting for ya when you land. Don’t worry, okay?”

Leo gave him a nod and another thumbs up, and willed his fluttering heart to calm.

“Donnie just said he added comms to all the pods, too,” Mikey chimed in. He reached into the pod next, a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “So we can all talk to you! It’ll be okay, Leo.”

Leo nodded, and Mikey took his hand back. Donnie was saying something, and then Mikey said, “See you in a few, bro!” and hopped off to his pod.

Raph pulled his hand away next, but paused long enough to rub his palm over the top of Leo’s head. Then he was gone too.

His father leaned in to pat him one last time. “Be safe, Blue,” he said, and then he went to his own pod.

April took his place, taking up hand-holding duty without being asked. “You’ll probably be asleep when I finally get there,” she said, smiling down at him, “but I’ll see you as soon as you wake up, okay?”

Leo nodded, then pulled her hand up and gave it the noisiest, wettest smooch he could manage with his mouth as dry as it was. She laughed, leaning in and blowing a raspberry against his temple.

It hurt to laugh, but Leo chuckled anyway.

“Love you, little bro,” she said fiercely, giving his hand one last squeeze, and then she moved back.

Casey Jr. was next, taking up the hand April had relinquished. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Leo,” he said, voice achingly sincere.

Leo tried to put all the gratefulness he had for the guy into his smile, then pulled his hand up and did the same ridiculous smooch that he had done to April. Casey got that wobbly, happy look he had sometimes, the one that let Leo know he did something that reminded Casey of his future self, loving and fond and bittersweet all rolled together.

Leo had a todo list a mile long, but it was easy to fit giving Casey the hug of his life near the top. As soon as he could move his arms, of course.

“I’ll stay with Commander O’Neil,” Casey said. “And I’ll make sure Sunita and Cassandra get home okay.”

Leo nodded, because Casey was a good guy, and whatever he said would happen. Casey leaned in and rested their foreheads together for just a second, and then he pulled away.

Draxum came next. He didn’t bother crouching, just stood over Leo and gave him an unimpressed look from on high.

“I suppose you’ll be taking my bed for now?”

Leo huffed the closest sound to a laugh he could, smirking up at Draxum, who grimaced.

“Do not hurt yourself laughing at my expense,” he said, which was probably the closest to affection Leo was going to get in this conversation.

Or maybe not, because Draxum added, “I will check on you when I am back. Take care of yourself until then.”

Leo huffed again. Stubborn old goat…

Cassandra and Sunita were the only ones left after that. “Excellent showing in the battle, Blue Turtle,” said Cassandra as the two of them stepped up. “The fight was glorious! When you are well, we will celebrate our victory together.”

“Bye, Leo!” said Sunita with a wave. “Feel better soon, okay?”

Leo waved back at them, with what energy he had. Then Donnie said something he couldn’t quite catch, and the cover of his escape pod closed. They were on their way.

The comm crackled to life as soon as they were in the air, and Donnie’s voice asked, “Everyone comfy?”

“Not going to ask us to rate our satisfaction level?” asked Mikey.

“Of course I am, but I realized oral data collection is suboptimal, so you’ll each receive an email with a link to a survey after we land.”

Mikey laughed until Raph said, “Mikey, he isn’t joking.”

The conversation pretty quickly moved on to a recap of the fight that just happened. Or rather, they were each taking their turn to brag. Normally Leo would be right there with them, but all he could do now was listen.

At one point Splinter chimed in to say he was proud of their performance and hard work… which led to even more intense bragging as they each vied for individual compliments. Splinter didn’t quite catch on fast enough to what was happening, but he responded favorably when prompted, anyway. Their dad wasn’t perfect, but he was learning.

All through the conversation, Leo just laid still and listened. And tried not to think too hard about how he couldn’t contribute. Because his face hurt and his mouth was dry and his throat was raw and not because they couldn’t hear him, if he could talk they would be able to hear him, right?

He wasn’t thinking about it. It was only half an hour! He could deal with half an hour of being alone and not touching anyone and they couldn’t hear him but only because he couldn’t talk, if he could talk they would hear him, they were able to see him, won’t they be able to see him? They beat the curse, he wasn’t a ghost, Raph put him in the escape pod himself, but if he could ride in the tank couldn’t he ride in the escape pod? He didn’t have to be touched for that and maybe he was misremembering and Donnie put him in the pod and maybe they couldn’t see him and when he tried to talk all that came out was a pathetic croak but he needed to know if they could hear him, please-

“Nardo,” said Donnie urgently, cutting off whatever Mikey had been saying about his razzmatazz. “Your heart rate is spiking; are you okay?”

“He can’t talk, Dee,” Raph reminded him, and Leo jolted. Couldn’t talk, that was the only reason they couldn’t hear him, except when he faded away that time he couldn’t talk either.

If he reached for the lid of the pod would his hands go right through? He was too scared to find out.

“Leo, we can hear you breathing,” said Raph suddenly. “Right, guys? Everyone can hear him breathing?”

“Yes, Raph, because he is hyperventilating which is bad,” said Donnie testily.

“No, I mean, we can hear you, Leo,” Raph continued. “Even if you can’t talk, we can hear you.”

“Of course we can hear you, Blue,” said his dad, tone sad but steady. “You are just fine. We’re almost there.”

“Yeah, we can hear you, Leo,” Mikey agreed. “Everything’s fine!”

Leo wanted to believe them. They wouldn’t lie, right? But still… what if…

“Leo, clap your hands,” said Donnie suddenly.

“Huh?” That was Raph.

“When he clapped before, not even you could hear him, right?” Donnie explained. “But if you can clap your hands now, Leo, we should all be able to hear it.”

It was worth a shot, right?

Leo lifted his sore arms and clapped his palms together as hard as he could. Then he did two more for good measure.

“Three claps,” said Donnie at the end.

“I heard three claps too!” Mikey cheered.

“Same here,” agreed Raph.

“As did I,” said Splinter.

Leo took a deep breath, in and out. They heard him. They all heard him. He really was back in his body - he was okay.

“Good, your heart rate is returning to normal,” said Donnie.

“Clap as much as you need to, Leo,” said Raph. “We’ll hear you every time.”

Later, it would be a little embarrassing for Leo to admit how many times he did clap, but every time his family answered him immediately, reassuring him that they could hear him, that everything was okay. It settled him, and the fear started to be replaced by a bone deep weariness, though he never got settled enough to sleep.

It seemed like it took forever, but finally the pods landed. Thankfully it didn’t just dump him out on the roof; there was the soft metallic whoosh of the door rolling back, and he found himself looking up into Raph and Donnie’s faces. The straps were unbuckled and he was lifted free.

He felt like he was four again, and he’d just run into Raph’s room after a nightmare. Even back then, Raph had been big enough that he could fold Leo up safe in his arms; now Raph cradled him against his chest, his big thumb rubbing softly against Leo’s arm, his voice a comforting rumble. “You okay, Leo?”

He hummed in agreement, moving only enough to run a finger down his throat; even though it was short, his muscles still hurt, and he grimaced. Raph chuckled lightly, standing up and moving for the stairs.

“Yeah, I bet. Says he’s thirsty,” he added for the benefit of the others.

“Can he have something to drink?” asked Splinter as they walked.

“Yes, but not too much too fast or it’ll make him sick,” said Donnie. “I’ll set up an IV.”

Leo had no idea where Donnie had gotten an IV, because he was pretty sure they didn’t pack one before, but he didn’t bother questioning it. His brother found his ways. It wasn’t Leo’s job to figure all that out, and good thing, too, because he was barely keeping his eyes open as it was.

Raph had him. He could hear Mikey chattering away next to them, the consistent tapping of Donnie on his tech, the click of Splinter’s claws as they walked. They were taking care of him and he was safe.

Soon enough, they were laying him in a bed. He could feel the sheets against his skin, the blanket they pulled up over his legs. Felt the pinch of the IV going in his arm. Tasted the water Splinter helped him drink, while Mikey sat next to him and held his hand and said, “You’re doing great!”

He finished the water and fell back on the pillow. Exhaustion was pulling at him now, but this time, for the first time in weeks, he could actually do something about it.

He felt Raph run a palm over the top of his head fondly and felt Mikey give his hand a squeeze.

“Night, Leo,” he said, and Leo fell asleep, warm and safe in the knowledge that his family was right there, all together.

“Morning, sleepyhead!”

Leo blinked his eyes open at April’s voice, squinting into the afternoon sunlight. She was sitting next to the bed, his hand in hers, giving him a big smile that he tried to return.

“It’s actually a little after 1 PM,” said Mikey helpfully, and Leo turned his head to see his little brother, who was in the bed next to him, pressed to Leo’s side. He’d been playing a phone game, but now he set it aside.

The bedspread wasn’t Leo’s, and it wasn’t the medbay’s, either. Leo’s gaze traveled around the unfamiliar room, and he felt like he should know where he was.

“Where-” he asked, then winced and stopped mid-question. Wow, talking hurt. His whole face was stiff and sore.

“Barry’s apartment,” answered April. “Do you remember the guys bringing you here?”

Leo’s head felt foggy, and the memories weren’t as clear as they should be. He remembered… a fight, and the witch. The escape pods? He remembered Raph carrying him most clearly.

He shrugged, and April’s eyebrows pinched.

“Donnie said you may be out of it,” said Mikey, pressing in more firmly against his side and giving his hand a squeeze. “Don’t worry! I’m sure it’ll work itself out.”

“That’s right,” said April, confidence back in her tone. “This is a Stress-free Leo Zone.”

Leo snorted, then winced when that hurt, too. He wasn’t sure he’d ever managed “stress-free” his whole life, and his face being one big bruise wasn’t helping. His memory recall not being up to snuff wasn’t encouraging, either, but it wasn’t like he had amnesia. He remembered his own name, and the names and faces of his family. He remembered everything that had happened to him up through the last few weeks, remembered the curse, and…

“Leo, it’s okay,” said Mikey suddenly, and Leo’s vision snapped back to focus. “You’re back in your body. We can see you, we can feel you.”

“Sure we can,” said April, her voice steady, and she ran her free hand up and down his arm. The motion was soothing, and Leo untensed, sinking back into the mound of pillows he was laying on.

“Reminding him helps,” said Mikey in a whisper that Leo could clearly hear.

“Then we’ll keep reminding him,” said April, squeezing his hand again. “You got that, Leo?”

He smiled at her to let her know he got it, and she beamed back.

“Where is everyone?” he signed after a moment, which took more effort than it should have. His arms were stiff, and bruised. It was frustrating, but he tried not to show it.

At least it was clear enough that Mikey understood. “They’re eating lunch. Me and April traded off!”

“Yeeeaaah, and weren’t you supposed to tell them if Leo woke up?”

Mikey pouted, grabbing Leo’s arm. “Aww, can't you go do it? Please, April?”

“Nope. You got to be with him all night; this is my Leo time.”

Leo shrugged at Mikey helplessly, and he groaned dramatically and let go of Leo’s arm, standing up on the bed.

“Fiiine, I’ll do it,” he said, before jumping to the floor with a thud loud enough to get anyone in the other room’s attention. Then he was out the door, closing it behind him.

“How are you feelin’, Leo?” asked April once they were alone. “And be honest with me.”

How was he feeling? Well, the brain fog wasn’t good. And he was pretty sure being piledrived by a linebacker would feel about how he did now. His throat hurt, and even though he’d slept through the entire morning he still felt exhausted. The pillows he was nestled in felt weirdly constricting, the sensation of touching so much at once really hitting him for the first time.

But he was back in his body. His family was here, and they were all safe. All told, the good was outweighing the bad.

He flashed an “OK” to April, and she raised an eyebrow.

“You better not just be tellin’ me that,” she said, and he gave his head a shake. “Alright, I’ll believe you… but do you need any painkillers?”

Okay, that, he could readily agree to. He nodded, then winced when even doing that hurt, and she chuckled.

“We’ll check with Donnie as soon as he-”

The door slammed open right then, his brothers all trying to come through at once.

“Oh, there he is.”

They spilled through the doorway, first Mikey, then Raph, and finally Donnie. Despite being in the back, Donnie forced his way forward, leaning into Leo’s face with a penlight shone straight into his eyes.

“Leo, Micheal reported that you’re having recall issues. We should do some tests, starting with your semantic memory. Quick, what’s the atomic mass of hydrogen?”

Leo stared blankly at him, and Donnie sank back dramatically.

“It’s worse than I thought.”

“That stuff doesn’t matter,” protested Mikey, shoving Donnie aside. “He remembers everything important! Like our names…” Mikey blinked, then squinted at Leo suspiciously. “You do remember our names, right?” He grabbed Leo’s shoulders tight. “Quick, Leo, who am I!?”

He was pulled away by Raph lifting both him and Donnie by their shells, swiveling them away from the bed. “Knock it off, bozos. He just woke up.”

“He asked for painkillers, Dee,” said April once Donnie was back on his own two feet.

“Hmmm… You should be alright for more.” Donnie pulled up a holoscreen, typing a few things in. “I’ll take care of it.”

“You need anything, Leo?” asked Raph. “Other than the painkillers.”

Leo thought about it. He needed the painkillers, and he could do with something to drink, and the sheets were weirdly itchy, but all he really wanted was…

He let go of April’s hand so he could hold out his arms, and weak as they were Raph understood immediately.

“Heh. I think I can handle that.”

It took some rearranging, but soon enough Leo was leaned back against his big brother’s chest, comfortably ensconced in his arms.

“Do you feel up to eating anything?” asked Donnie. “Your medicine will go down easier on a full stomach.”

Right, eating. He could do that. He didn’t feel like he was starving, but his stomach still felt uncomfortably empty.

He nodded, and Mikey skipped back to the door, giving them all a salute. “I’ll get your lunch, Leo!”

“That you’re having memory issues is a concern,” said Donnie once he was gone, turning back to Leo. “But you seem to know us. Do you remember things from before being cursed?”

Leo signed, “Yes.” As far as he could tell, his long-term memories were still there. It was more like his brain was having trouble focusing on the present. His awareness ebbed and flowed and grew fuzzy around the edges.

“What do you think’s wrong?” asked Raph. His voice was a pleasant rumble against Leo’s shell, and he sighed contentedly and sank into it.

“I can’t say for sure. Hopefully it’s nothing long-term.” Donnie was tapping away at his tech again, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “Unsurprisingly, there isn’t much research on what happens when a brain goes from over two weeks of no activity at all to full activity again. It could be that Leo’s brain has gone without exercise for so long that he’s having difficulties with his conscious awareness.”

“Oh, so like, when you don’t stretch a muscle and end up with a cramp.”

“Yes, exactly like that. Not that Nardo’s brain was getting stretched much even before this incident.”

Leo lazily swatted at him, and Donnie’s lips quirked up in a grin.

“You at least remember most of what happened, though, right Leo?” asked April, reaching out to take his hand in hers again.

He nodded. He remembered enough to know what was happening, anyway. That was all he needed for now.

It could have been worse.

“See? So nobody panic. I think you’re gonna be just fine.” April squeezed his hand reassuringly, and he gave her a tired smile.

Mikey returned, holding a bowl. “Lunchtime!” he sang, and Raph reached out to take it.

Leo couldn’t help but screw up his face when he saw it. Broth. Probably not even seasoned with anything. Not exactly an exciting return meal.

“I know, I know,” said Mikey sympathetically. “Donnie said we have to be careful. But as soon as you feel better, I’ll make you that big feast!”

Leo nodded, reaching around Raph’s arm to take the spoon. He dipped some of the broth out, then tried to bring it to his lips. Unfortunately, his hand started to shake before he made it that far, violent tremors causing him to lose his grip.

At least it didn’t land on the sheets. But it also didn’t get into his mouth. He stared at it in dismay.

Without comment, Raph picked up the spoon himself and ladled up some of the broth. Then he brought it up to Leo’s mouth, and Leo realized they were doing this: he was about to be fed like a baby in front of everyone. It was enough to make his face burn, and he was glad his green skin didn’t show blushes like a human’s.

“...So, uh,” said April, pulling attention to herself as Leo took his first bite. “Splints went to check on the lair, right? You heard back from him?”

“Oh, yes, Papá did call me about thirty minutes ago,” said Donnie, and the conversation quickly moved on as they discussed the progress of the tunnel repairs (close to done), where everyone else was (Casey was asleep, Draxum was patrolling in case any elementals tried to follow them), and what had transpired since they left the Hidden City and came back to New York (not a lot, as it turned out). Leo found that he had a hard time keeping up with the details, but he was glad everyone else was okay.

(He was also glad they were all making the effort not to stare at him. It made it easier.)

He ate about half of the broth before he felt too full to keep going, falling back against Raph with a tired sigh. Raph set the bowl aside and asked, “Comfy?”

Leo gave him a sleepy nod, letting his eyes fall closed. The others were still talking about what they needed to do to finish fixing the lair, who was going to patrol after Draxum got back, what groceries they needed to get, but it all turned into a pleasant buzz in Leo’s ears as sleep took him again.

His breaths burned his nostrils and his throat, and Leo woke up to white hot pressure on his plastron and a million fire ants crawling over his skin.

He wasn’t in his room, or anywhere in the lair. He felt safe, though, so even without recognition he didn’t panic.

The rest was familiar, anyway; Mikey starfished over his chest, Raph’s snores from the floor, Donnie curled up at the foot of the bed. The sky outside was dark, or as dark as NYC ever was, so that explained why April was missing, even though Leo could remember her being here earlier.

He took a deep breath and shuddered. The pins and needles were still in his throat, the sheets itchy on his limbs. He was laid back on a mound of pillows that were starting to become oppressive.

Leo had never realized how many things there were to feel. The sheer scope of sensation was quickly becoming overwhelming.

And he was just laying in bed. How much worse was it going to be when he actually had to do things?

He didn’t want to panic. Maybe the pressure that made him want to tear his own skin open would go away after a day or two. He’d never cared much about textures before this, how could a few weeks undo almost seventeen years?

Easily, given how he felt.

He took a deep breath and let out a sigh, instantly regretting that decision because even breathing felt bad. Breathing while he was cursed had been performative, and hadn’t felt like anything. And now…

An idea occurred to him. If he couldn’t get up from the bed, and he didn’t want to move Mikey, maybe he could just… stop breathing, for a bit? He couldn’t hold his breath like Raph or Donnie (a fact they often held over him while swimming), but only having to breathe every twenty minutes or so sounded nice.

He took another deep breath, fighting a wince, and held it. His body stilled, air stopped assaulting his sore throat and nose. The sheets still itched, but without the rise and fall of his chest even that was tolerable now. It was peaceful.

He stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling. He was pretty sure this was Draxum’s apartment, actually. Someone must have told him that, but he couldn’t remember who or when. It was concerning, the way his thoughts slipped through his fingers like sand. He hoped that went away soon, too.

Some part of him noted that his brain would function better with oxygen, but he waved it away. He was fine! He was a turtle, so it was okay if he-

“Leo!?”

Leo blinked, startled by a face suddenly obstructing his view. It was dark in the room, but he could still make out Donnie, sitting up on his knees, staring down at Leo in terror.

Donnie reached out and wrapped his fingers around Leo’s wrist, thumb on his pulse. It was the only touch that still felt familiar.

Leo frowned, unable to hide his worry over Donnie’s strange behavior. The shift in his own expression made Donnie’s change, too, the fear giving way to concern and confusion. “What… Are you holding your breath?”

Slowly, Leo’s brain kicked back into gear. Ah… after everything, letting Donnie think he’d stopped breathing wasn’t his smartest idea.

He let all the air he was holding out in a whoosh, taking in a new breath that scraped his insides raw. He tried not to wince. Talking was still difficult, so he gave Donnie a nod.

“Why would you do that?” Donnie moved back so he wasn’t hovering on top of Leo, but he still kept his hand securely on Leo’s wrist. He was probably timing Leo’s heart rate in his head. “The last thing you need right now is to lose more brain cells.”

“Sliders can... hold their breath for half an hour,” Leo reminded him, aching from the effort of talking. “Longer if we’re asleep.”

“Your mutation severely limited your ability to store oxygen in your throat so no, you cannot sleep without breathing.” Donnie shook his head. “That’s not the point. Why would you even want to?”

Leo looked away, at the itchy sheets and mound of pillows. At Mikey’s limbs splayed over him. He wasn’t sure how to explain… but then, if anyone could understand, it would be Donnie.

“...Breathing feels weird,” he finally admitted, his voice scratchy and hoarse and whisper soft. At least, with how terrible he sounded, it led credibility to his explanation. “Everything does,” he added, and the exertion sapped what was left of his energy.

“Everything feels weird?” Donnie repeated, and Leo nodded. His expression turned thoughtful, clarity dawning swiftly. “You’ve been without the sensation of touch for weeks, and now it’s overwhelming. Is that accurate?”

Leo snorted a laugh through his nose at Donnie’s clinical phrasing, but nodded.

“Why are you laughing at me when I’m trying to help?” Donnie asked, but he sounded fond if anything. “I know talking hurts, but can you be a little more specific about what’s bothering you? Besides breathing; I can’t do anything about that but give you more pain meds.” Donnie turned thoughtful. “Or maybe a humidifier would help…”

Leo shook his wrist to pull Donnie back out of his thoughts. Attention back on him, Leo plucked at the sheet with his free hand. “Itchy.” Then he let his hand fall back on the pillows with a soft thump. “Too much.”

“I see. I think I can fix this. Wait here a moment.”

Leo snorted again. As if he could move if he wanted to. Donnie gave him a scowl that was all performance and finally let Leo’s wrist go so he could leave the room.

He was back only a few minutes later, carrying a folded sheet in his hand. He set it down by the foot of the bed, then started to carefully pull away pillows.

“We were keeping you elevated, but I don’t think you need quite this much padding. Raph and Mikey may have gotten a bit overzealous.”

Leo grinned down at Mikey, who was still asleep despite the movement happening around him, his face pressed in against Leo’s bicep. He appreciated the thought, if not the execution.

Donnie removed all but the pillows directly under Leo’s head, then stepped back. “Is that better at all?”

The movement of the air still felt strange against Leo’s skin, the texture of the fabric rough, the breath in his nose and throat still biting, but there was one touch gone now. The feeling of ants on his skin died down, if only a little.

He nodded, and Donnie nodded back. He retrieved the sheet and held it out for Leo to feel.

“Is this less itchy?”

Leo pinched the fabric in his hands. The fabric was still a texture - still a new and strange sensation after so long of feeling nothing - but it was… softer, he could tell. More soothing on his skin than the sheet he was using now. He bobbed his head.

“I thought so. It has a higher thread count, so it’s silkier.” His smile turned a little cocky. “It’s better than whatever low grade trash Draxum has, right?”

The weird pride Donnie was showing in the sheets, of all things, made something connect in Leo’s tired brain, and he plucked at them again.

“Are these yours?” he murmured.

“My spares,” replied Donnie quickly. “And I don’t mind sharing, as long as you promise not to spill anything on them.”

His sheets. Donnie brought his spare sheets, even though he didn’t normally let anyone else use his things. Leo wasn’t sure when Donnie even had time to get them or why he got them, but it didn’t matter. He was giving them to Leo now, to help him feel more comfortable.

Later, he’d blame the tears on the painkillers and the lack of sleep and the exhausting experience he just went through. The tears, because he could cry actual tears now, salty rivulets that tracked down his cheeks and fell onto the sheets.

“Wha- why are you crying?” hissed Donnie, alarmed.

Leo shook his head. “I’m not.”

“You clearly are!”

“Sweat.”

“From your eyes!?”

“Got a… problem with that?”

Donnie sighed. “You’re ridiculous, you know?”

“You missed me,” Leo whispered, blinking away the tears.

Donnie stopped for one beat. Two.

“Of course I missed you,” he said, achingly sincere, and Leo had to wipe away a new wave of tears.

Actual tears! And snot, ugh. He hadn’t missed that.

As though to give him some privacy, Donnie made himself busy with swapping out the sheets. He had to wiggle it a bit to get it out from under Mikey, but soon enough Leo’s arms and legs were exposed to blessed air.

It was too cold almost immediately, and he sighed when Donnie quickly settled the sheet back over him. It was still a lot of feeling. But it wasn’t as bad.

“Would it help if I removed Micheal?” Donnie asked once he was done with the sheet.

Leo answered by pulling Mikey’s arm closer to him, fiercely keeping a grip on him. The touch was a lot, it was so much, it was overwhelming, and he was sure if it was taken away he would fall apart.

“Okay, okay. I’ll leave him.” Donnie sounded amused. “I’m amazed he hasn’t woken up this whole time.”

Mikey gave a soft, sing-songy hum, and Leo couldn’t help but grin, poking at the soft spot between his shell ridges and eliciting a giggle.

“Ah, never mind,” said Donnie.

“You kept moving around,” said Mikey huffily, opening his eyes a crack to look at them before burying his face back into Leo’s shoulder. “S’not my fault.”

Leo wondered if Mikey woke up in time to hear him crying. He decided not to ask. Preserve the illusion of dignity.

“Do you feel better, Leo?” Mikey asked sleepily, and Leo nodded, patting his little brother’s arm.

“Go back to sleep,” he whispered. His eyes flickered up to Donnie next, indicating he was included in that command.

“Still ordering me around, I see.” Donnie sighed dramatically. “I suppose it was too much to ask that you’d stop once you were back in your body.”

Leo just smirked at him in a way that implied he planned to be more annoying than ever, and Donnie furrowed his eyebrows in response. But he took up his position at the foot of the bed, settling in again.

“Night, Dee,” said Mikey. “Night, Leo.”

“Goodnight, brothers.”

“All of you better hush up,” muttered Raph from the floor, and the three on the bed exchanged little brother smiles.

Breathing was still a lot. Everything was still a lot. But Leo was able to go back to sleep.

The next time he woke up, the pressure on his front was gone, replaced instead by a warm, furry hand wrapped around his. Leo shifted around to get comfortable, starting to feel stiff from laying in the same position so long.

“Blue? Are you awake?” came his father’s voice, and Leo blinked his eyes open to see Splinter, watching him from a chair next to the bed.

“Yeah…” He yawned, and noted his face hurt less than it had before. He wasn’t sure if that was thanks to the painkillers or the bruises finally healing. Probably the former. “Morning, Dad.”

“Long past - you slept right through it!” His dad chuckled, patting his arm. “Is talking easier now?”

“A little… Meds help.”

His eyes traveled around the room he was in. It wasn’t anywhere in the lair, but this time understanding came to him much more quickly. His thoughts were becoming less scattered, memories easier to access.

“This is… Draxum’s apartment?”

“Yes!” A smile lit up Splinter’s face, and he patted Leo’s head this time. “So you are remembering, too; that’s very good.”

Leo felt a rush of satisfaction and pride that he tried to stomp down before it showed too much. Just remembering what room he was in was hardly an accomplishment.

“Hey, you know me… can’t keep me down for long.”

“Oh no, not my strong Baby Blue,” said Splinter, still patting on his head, and the warmth in Leo’s chest grew stronger. He felt content and happy and extremely glad that they seemed to be alone.

Maybe some of his embarrassment had started to show in his face, though, because Splinter stilled his hand and pulled it away. His other hand still held Leo’s, but his grip loosened.

“Is this alright? Purple said you are sensitive right now.”

Leo couldn’t help but make a face. “Ugh. That’s not how he said it, is it?”

Splinter chuckled again. “That is the short version. He spent this morning giving us a lecture. I’m surprised you slept through it.”

Leo laughed at that, too. “I haven’t met a Donnie lecture yet that I can’t sleep through.”

Right about then, Leo’s stomach growled, and both of them looked at the offending organ. The emptiness in his stomach was an almost foreign sensation now, but in a weird way Leo was happy to feel it. His body was back, its normal processes kicking into gear. He’d be all better in no time.

“Sooo if morning’s over, does that mean it’s lunchtime?” he asked, looking up at Splinter, who nodded quickly.

“Yes! Wait right here, I will get your soup.”

“Sure thing. I’ll put a pause on my travel plans. Heh.”

His dad shook his head at him, then hopped off the chair and went to the kitchen. It was surprisingly quiet in the apartment, even with the door open - there was only the sound of his dad humming and the clink of dishes.

Soon enough Splinter returned, bowl of the same uninteresting broth in hand. “Do you need help?” he asked, placing the bowl in Leo’s lap.

Leo took the spoon from him and sat up against the pillows, ladling himself up a bite. It took more effort than it should have, but his hand didn’t shake as hard this time, and he was able to raise the spoon all the way to his lips and sip it himself.

“There you are,” said his dad, settling in his chair, ready to help but not taking charge. “Slow and easy. Very good.”

It was less embarrassing with just his dad with him. Leo’s mind went back to when he was small, sick with the flu or a stomach bug, Splinter gently coaxing him through a bowl of soup or buttered noodles just like this. It made him feel warm and safe. He was warm and safe.

After he had managed a few more bites without intervention, he grew tired of the quiet, with only the sounds of the spoon and his own swallowing, and decided to fill it up.

“Sooo, where’s everyone else?” he asked between bites.

“Ah, let’s see… Draxum and Orange are talking with the Council of Heads about this whole situation. Apparently they wanted to see all of us, but Draxum told them you were still recovering, and we needed the hands here.”

That was surprising news; the only person more wary of Draxum than Leo was Splinter. “Wait, Drax and Mikey are alone?”

“Yes, I know.” Splinter sighed heavily and sat back in the chair, still watching in case Leo needed assistance. “It feels impossible, but… I trust him. No harm will come to Orange with Draxum there.”

Leo wanted to argue, but if he were honest with himself, he knew he didn’t actually disagree. Draxum had grown close to Mikey first, and he’d shown all of them some amount of care, even if he was rough around the edges. The way he’d told Leo he was worried… to take care of himself…

Leo knew Draxum would do everything he could to keep Mikey safe. Even if he still didn’t like the guy, he trusted him.

“Yeah. He’ll take care of Mikey,” said Leo, and he watched his dad relax at his agreement. That made him feel good, somehow, in a way he couldn’t really describe. “What about Donnie and Raph?”

“Home. They are completing repairs and putting the living room back in order.” Splinter’s expression turned amused. “Orange insisted rather strongly that they do it together. Alone.”

Ah. “He’s still mad about the fight.”

“I believe so! But, he is probably right. Those two will sort themselves out with some time to themselves.”

Leo thought about the way Raph had hurried to comfort Donnie after their encounter with the fire elemental, the way Donnie had curled into him immediately. He knew they had already forgiven each other, but there were probably things they needed to talk out. Now that the danger was past, they had the chance. He hoped they would take it.

Leo couldn’t make them do anything, of course; that was up to them. But he had faith that they would work it out, too. “Yeah. They will.”

Splinter nodded, then continued. “April and Future Boy are downstairs in their apartment, trying to catch up on schoolwork. I’m sure they’d be happy to know you’re awake.”

Ah, finally someone actually around. Leo sat up a little more. “Can you tell them? I wanna talk to Casey.”

He hadn’t seen the guy since he’d been put into the escape pod. And now that he was feeling a little better, he wanted to make good on his mental promise to hug him.

“I will, as soon as you are done.” Splinter nodded his head at the bowl. “Finish your lunch first.”

Leo couldn’t argue there, either. He’d feel less self-conscious eating without Casey watching. Leo wanted to be strong for him.

So he nodded and went back to his soup. With his questions answered, the room fell quiet again, but it felt… heavier, somehow. When Leo lowered his spoon and glanced at Splinter, he found his dad watching him with a misty sheen to his eyes.

“...Leonardo.”

Leo let his spoon drop back into the bowl. Full name? Eugh boy…

“This is… the second time,” Splinter began, haltingly, “that we almost lost you.”

Leo’s heart jumped into his throat. Oh no. He wasn’t sure he was going to be able to handle this conversation.

“H-hey, it wasn’t my fault this time!” he protested quickly, tone lighthearted, trying to stop this train in its tracks. The lingering fog in his brain meant he wasn’t as sharp as normal, though; he could tell he’d picked the wrong words as soon as he said them.

“It was not your fault the first time!” snapped Splinter, his words not angry, but fearful. Leo opened his mouth to say he knew that, and he was sorry, anything to fix this, but his dad put a finger to his lips before he could. “Hush now, and listen to me.”

Leo shut his mouth, waiting breathlessly for what would come next. Splinter closed his eyes, searching for the words. The last of the soup was going cold in Leo’s lap.

“What you and your brothers are doing,” said his dad finally, “is noble. But… I fear, more and more, when you boys leave… that one of you will not come back home.”

“Ah, Dad-”

“Listen!” Splinter insisted, cutting him off again. “No one is asking you boys to be heroes. No one should be. You are still children.” Splinter moved his hand to Leo’s cheek, watching him with worried eyes. “If things are dangerous, you should be able to run.”

Leo looked back at his dad, meeting his gaze. Leaned his face into the touch, seeking out the warmth of it on instinct. He understood what Splinter was saying - in fact, there was a time he would have readily agreed. A time when he desperately tried to steer his brothers away from stranglers and mob bosses and toward easier foes, like paper thieves (but how did that turn out for them?).

There was a part of Leo that still wanted to agree. Give in to what his dad was saying, go back to carefree days of skateboarding and Lou Jitsu marathons and basketball games. Be a kid, without the weight of the world on his shoulders.

If they hadn’t gone out that night to stop the museum robbery, Leo never would have been cursed. None of them would have suffered the pain of the last few weeks.

If they hadn’t gone out that night to stop the museum robbery, the Witch of the Depths would have been revived, and everyone he loved would have been in danger again.

They were created for war, from a line meant to protect. Leo wasn’t sure he believed in fate, but he couldn’t deny that they were the people most equipped for the job.

And because of that, or even without it, Leo wasn’t sure he could just walk away. Turn a blind eye to the danger now that he knew it was there.

“...We can’t. You know we can’t.” Leo raised a shaky hand, put it over his dad’s and gave it a squeeze. “If we could do something, and didn’t… none of us would be happy with that.”

Splinter opened his mouth, to argue, but it was Leo’s turn to cut him off, with a smile that he hoped was reassuring.

“It’s the right thing to do. Right?”

His dad’s eyes turned wet and glossy. No tears fell, but the emotions were clear: fear, sadness. Love. And something else that tugged at Leo’s heart.

“If I say no,” Splinter said at length, “you four will just sneak around behind my back and try to save the world anyway.”

Leo’s smile turned mischievous. “Gee, wonder where we got that from?”

“Hmph!” Splinter’s tail whapped against Leo’s uninjured leg, but it was so light he barely felt it. Leo laughed, very nearly spilling his soup in the process, and his dad moved quickly to set it aside.

When Leo’s giggles died down, he looked back at Splinter, who was watching him with all the same emotions, but clear eyes.

“Your answer is what I thought it would be,” he said. He sounded resigned, but not mad, or upset. It was still complicated, Leo knew that, but his dad was relenting.

Splinter patted Leo’s cheek again, and again Leo chased the touch. Not exactly disproving his dad’s point about him still being a kid, but he felt like he had earned this one moment of weakness.

“...I am so proud of you, Leonardo,” said Splinter, stilling his hand to hold Leo’s face. “But, for the sake of your old papa… please, do everything you can to come home.”

“...Yeah, Dad. Promise.”

The bedroom door opened, and Leo looked up from his phone and brightened immediately.

“Casey! Get in here!”

Casey grinned back, hurrying into the room. “Hey. You wanted to see me?”

“Yeah!” Leo grabbed his bum leg and swung it off the bed, then moved the other with it. “Here, help me escape this bed before I grow into it.”

Casey did not move to help him. Instead he folded his arms, looking exasperated and fond all at once. “Pretty sure Donatello would have some objections.”

“Well, he’s not here, is he?” Leo smirked. “Besides, he’s not team medic, I am.”

Casey shook his head, but finally stepped up to the bed. “You were this bad of a patient in the future, too.”

Leo took stock, but Casey didn’t seem sad to bring it up - definitely an improvement. “Then you should know I’ll just whine until you help.”

“That’s why I’m doing this.” Casey stooped, pulling Leo’s arm over his shoulders and then wrapping his own around Leo’s shell. “Ready?”

“Yep. Up up up!”

Casey rose, and Leo wobbled and pitched forward instantly. Without the support, he would have fallen flat on his face, which wouldn’t have been the triumphant picture he was hoping to paint.

“Right. Standing, walking.” Leo took a deep breath in and out, leaning heavily on Casey to compensate for both his broken leg and the way his limbs still felt like jello. “Two things I totally remember how to do.”

“Leo, I’m not sure if-”

“It’s fiiiine, I totally got it.” Leo pointed toward the door with his free hand. “Come on, to the land of the living!”

They made it exactly two steps before Leo swayed dangerously again. He wanted out of bed, but his body really was weak. He could feel himself going down.

Casey bent and scooped him up at the knees, lifting him far too easily. “Here, I’ll get you to the couch.”

“Wha-” Leo flailed, grabbing onto Casey’s neck and shoulders. “Since when have you been able to do this!?”

“Well, only since I came back to the past, that’s for sure.” Casey laughed, but it was tighter than normal. His brow was creased as he looked down at Leo. “You’re… really light right now, too.”

Oh. Well, that made sense. His family had been relying on IV drips and tube feeding. He’d lost a lot of muscle and fat, and he was going to have to work hard to regain it.

Suddenly Leo felt exhausted, and he almost told Casey to take him back to bed. But Casey was already walking toward the couch, so he swallowed the words and let himself be carried.

They made it, and he was settled down on the cushions, Casey sliding a pillow under his cast. Draxum’s couch was old and uncomfortable, the fabric scratchy against his skin, and Leo felt even worse about his choice to come out here.

“What’s wrong?” asked Casey, and Leo tore his eyes away from a loose thread in the fabric, finding nothing but concern on Casey’s face.

Leo waved a hand. “Draxum has a terrible couch.”

“It seems alright to me.”

“Yeah, well, your standards are pretty low. You need an example of a bad couch, and this is it.”

Casey gave an amused shake of his head, but it was clear from the set of his eyes that he wasn’t letting it drop. “Do you want to go back to bed?”

“No. We already came all the way over here.”

“It’s fine, I can-”

“Hey, trust me.” Leo mustered up a big grin. “Everything feels terrible right now, the couch isn’t special.”

“Everything?”

He was pretty sure Casey meant for him to elaborate, but Leo just shook his head. This wasn’t how he’d wanted this conversation to go. He had a goal in mind, and he wanted to stick to it.

“Well…” Leo grinned and opened his arms, motioning to Casey. “Not everything.”

Casey didn’t hesitate for this; he leaned in, wrapping his arms around Leo’s shoulders and shell. Leo still didn’t have much strength to squeeze tight, but he did his best to give Casey the hug he deserved anyway.

“Thanks for all your help, Case. And for not giving up on me.”

“I knew you’d be okay. You’re stubborn.”

Even as he said it, though, Leo could feel his voice wavering. He thought of how devastated Casey had looked, standing over his body, way back at the start of all this. He may not have given up on Leo, but it had still hurt him.

“Yeah. But… I didn’t want to put you through something like this again.”

Casey pulled back, perched on the edge of the couch by Leo’s hips.

“You know, I thought if we stopped the krang, you guys would go back to a normal life. Not that I knew what a normal life really looked like in this time…” He shrugged. “But I guess life’s… never really been normal for you, huh?”

That was a pretty big understatement. Leo’s life was Leo’s, but he’d known since he was a kid that it wasn’t the standard for most people on Earth.

“No, it’s not.” Leo winced, looking down at his hands. “I’m sorry we dragged you into this.”

“No, it’s fine!” Casey waved his hands, pulling Leo’s eyes back to his face.” “I mean… my life wasn’t “normal,” either. Not for the people of this time.” He took the hem of his shirt in his hands, wringing the material in his fingers. “But it was normal for me.”

Leo reached out and laid his hand on Casey’s shoulder - his turn to pull Casey’s eyes back to his face. “That’s why you deserve a normal life now. Normal for this time, I mean. One where you don’t have to fight.”

Casey shook his head. “But you said it yourself: your life isn’t normal. So if I wanted a normal life…” He reached up and put his hand over Leo’s. “...I couldn’t be part of this family.”

Leo’s heart leapt into his throat at the idea of Casey no longer being part of their family. He was as much a part of it now as April, not by blood but by love. But he was right; April was sometimes in danger being with them, and the same would be true for Casey if he stayed.

But Leo didn’t want Casey to leave. Selfishly, maybe, but he loved the guy. And Casey loved them, too. Casey was a part of them.

And he could tell by the conviction in the guy’s eyes that he wouldn’t be able to convince him, even if he wanted to.

“...You got me there.” Leo gave his shoulder a squeeze, grin growing to stretch from ear to ear. “Guess you’re stuck with the weirdness, Jones.”

Casey laughed, squeezing back. “I’m good with that. Really good with that.” His expression fell into something more tired after that, though, his eyebrow going up in a way that felt far too Donatello-esque. “But can you at least try not to get cursed again?”

Leo couldn’t help but snort at that. “No promises.”

“Leo…”

“How do you manage to sound like both Raph and Donnie at the same time?” It was incredible, honestly.

“You bring it out of me.” Casey shook his head, then let go of Leo. He moved to the other end of the couch, by Leo’s feet, so he could sit back more comfortably.

Leo watched as Casey wiggled one way, then the other, frown growing. “You know… this couch is kinda bad.”

Leo would have doubled over laughing if it wouldn’t have hurt his poor, sore body. “Hah! Told you!” He gave Casey a light kick in the arm with his good foot. “Help me bug Draxum about it later.”

“Fine, but I get the last slice of pizza next time.”

“Oh man.” Leo giggled again, watching Casey’s face bloom into a smile. “You really are part of this family.”

“Wha- how did you get to the couch!?” Raph demanded the moment he walked in.

“You know you can’t keep Neon Leon down,” said Leo, grinning at him. His face had been getting sore from too much talking, especially as the painkillers wore off, but they’d spent the last few hours watching TV and he was starting to recuperate.

“If you messed up your leg, I’m not fixing it,” said Donnie, joining Raph inside and shutting the door behind him.

“It’s alright,” said Splinter from his place on the couch. He had taken up position by Leo’s feet while Casey sat on the floor. “Future Boy carried him.”

“Whoa, you did!?” Raph came over and ruffled Casey’s hair, getting a laugh in response. “Heh, guess it’s no surprise you’re strong.”

“Probably helps that Leo is a string bean right now,” said Mikey from the kitchen, and Leo gasped and put a hand to his heart.

“Betrayed! By my own sweet baby brother!” He dramatically draped his hand over his eyes, swooning against the arm of the couch. “Kicking a turtle when he’s down! How cruel! How unjust!”

“I think you’ll live.” Mikey turned his attention to Raph and Donnie, forestalling any more of Leo’s theatrics. “How’s the lair, guys?”

“It’s lookin’ pretty good! Donnie’s bots got the tunnel fixed and we cleaned up the living room,” answered Raph.

“I can’t fix the shattered window in Raph’s train car yet, but that’s about the last of the major repairs left to do.” Donnie stretched and went to sit down at Draxum’s table. “We can go home tomorrow.”

“Oh good,” said Draxum. “I’ll finally be rid of you.”

“Awww, don’t say that!” Mikey hung off his arm, looking up at him with big doe eyes. “You’ve liked cooking with me, right Dad?”

Draxum sighed, but patted Mikey’s head. “It’s been tolerable,” he said, and Mikey beamed.

Everyone went to get food and settled in around the room to eat. Leo was presented soup again, this time with bits of vegetable in it, which wasn’t nearly as appetizing as the ramen everyone else was getting. But at least he found he could handle the texture of the veggies, the first solid food he’d eaten so far. Even if it did feel a little slimy.

“So how’d it go with those Head guys?” asked Raph once they were all eating.

Mikey grabbed at the chance to talk about it, clearly excited. “Oh man, it was crazy! They have this huuuge room that looks like something right out of a fantasy movie. And they all have these big stone statue heads that talk when they do! It’s like some kind of magic Zoom call!”

“A “zoom” call?” repeated Draxum, bemused.

“Anyway,” Mikey waved his chopsticks, “they didn’t know anything about anything. You’d think giant rock heads would be all up in everyone’s business, but they didn’t even know those elemental guys had found the witch to begin with!”

“As usual,” Draxum cut in, sounding irritated, “the incompetent fools at the Council of Heads were oblivious to the goings-on in their own city. They’re worthless as always.”

“You’re still just mad that they didn’t greenlight your whole “mutant army” thing, aren’t you?” asked Leo, smirking over his bowl at Draxum.

“My issues with the Council stretch back far longer than that, boy.” Draxum swirled up the ramen on his fork like it was spaghetti, which really undercut his attempt at looking intimidating. “In fact, if I had my way, then-”

“Oh, please don’t start this again,” begged Mikey. “You ranted about politics the whole way back!”

“If you are going to be engaging with the Hidden City more frequently, it would behoove you to know about these things.”

“Yeah, well, the only one here with hooves is you,” said Leo, slurping his soup for emphasis. “And the rest of us don’t want any.”

“That is not what behoove means.” Draxum glared at him. “You need to read more books.”

“Why do people keep telling me that?”

“Because it’s true,” said Donnie, and Leo stuck his tongue out at him.

The conversation moved on, and the rest of dinner passed with everyone talking and laughing. Leo was too tired to participate much, and his face was sore again on top of that, so he mostly listened and tried not to drift off…

But the next thing he knew, someone was lifting him off the couch, saying something about taking him back to bed, and a chorus of voices wished him goodnight. He was still too groggy to look, but he didn’t have to; he’d know his big brother’s arms anywhere.

He was settled into bed, the sheet laid over top of him and then a blanket smoothed on top of that. Raph pulled his hands away, and Leo reached out to pull him back, blinking his eyes open.

“Hey,” said Raph, giving him a toothy grin. “Did Raph wake ya up?”

“Mm… s’fine, I’ll go back to sleep in a minute.” Still, he didn’t let go of Raph’s hand.

“Want me to stay?” Raph asked, rubbing Leo’s head with his free hand. Leo nodded, and Raph sat on the bed, which groaned under his weight.

If it broke, that was Draxum’s problem.

“I know you’re tired,” said Raph, “but can I talk to you for a minute? Pretty sure this is the first time we’ve been alone since we got you back.”

“Depends. Are you about to say something sappy?” Leo wiggled to get more comfortable. “Because I’m pretty emotional-conversationed out for today.”

“It’s not! It doesn’t even have to be a conversation. Raph’ll say his thing and you just listen.”

“Alright, shoot.”

“I just wanted to say… I’m really proud of you.” Raph rubbed Leo’s head again. “You were really incredible back there.”

Immediately, Leo felt his eyes get misty. He ducked Raph’s hand before he could see, looking away and blinking furiously to banish the tears; people had to stop ambushing him with this stuff while he was on painkillers and sleepy!

“You just said it wasn’t going to be emotional,” he said once he trusted his voice.

Raph was giving him a huge grin, unrepentant. “Don’t get emotional about it then.”

“It’s not fair. I’m bedridden and you attacked me!”

“Sounds like a skill issue.”

“I hate you,” Leo said, and didn’t mean it for a second. Raph laughed and rubbed his head one last time.

“I mean it, though,” said Raph. “And… I wanted to say, thanks. For keeping your promise.” His smile turned bittersweet, the lingering fear showing through. “You could have fought her alone, but you looked for us first. And I’m glad you did, because it kept you safe.”

Leo smiled, squeezing Raph’s hand in his. “Of course I looked for you. I couldn’t have gotten through any of this without you guys.”

“Yeah, well, we were pretty lost without you, too,” said Raph, and Leo’s heart clenched. His eyes burned, and he blinked furiously before any tears fell. He was done crying today. He just wanted to bask in the warm feeling Raph’s words gave him without any tears.

Raph looked like he was getting a little misty eyed, too, and he laughed and looked away, wiping at his face with his free hand. “Alright, guess it ended up being pretty sappy, huh?”

“I forgive you. This time.” Leo didn’t pull his hand away. He was getting really tired, but he had one more thing he wanted to ask about before he fell back asleep. “Hey, did Dad say you guys were taking the charm to Big Mama tomorrow?”

“Oh yeah. Tomorrow morning.” Raph rubbed his neck. “She had one of her guys go after Draxum and Mikey today. Made it pretty clear she was waiting for it.”

“Man, she’s pushy.”

“Heh, yeah.” Raph hesitated, his expression turning worried. “Are you sure about this, Leo? If we’re wrong, and she retaliates-”

“Then we’ll deal with it as a family.” Leo waved his hand confidently. “But we’re not wrong! Draxum and Dad both confirmed that there weren’t any other stipulations in the deal. All she wants is the charm.” He shrugged. “She didn’t say anything about the condition the charm has to be in.”

Raph laughed. “Guess not.” He stood up from the bed, pulling his hand from Leo’s. “You wanna do it now? Or you can go to sleep and we can-”

“No.” Leo rubbed his arm. “I… wanna watch. I feel like… maybe then I’ll finally feel like it’s over.”

Raph’s expression turned soft, and he nodded. “Alright, Leo. Wait here.”

Leo laughed. “Can’t exactly go anywhere else, can I?”

Raph rolled his eyes, then left the room. He wasn’t gone long, and when he came back, the Charm of Severing hung from its chain in his fist. Mikey, Donnie, and Draxum followed him in, Mikey and Donnie curious and Draxum grumpy - though that was just his usual.

It looked like a normal piece of jewelry, glinting in the light as it gently swung back and forth. But just looking at it was enough to make Leo shudder. This thing had almost ruined his life - and who knew how many other people’s lives it had successfully ruined?

There was nothing they could do for those lost souls. But they could try to prevent it from happening again.

“Are we sure I can’t just smash this thing?” asked Raph, looking at it with skepticism.

“Like most magical artifacts, it has protection charms to save it from damage,” Draxum explained. “They could potentially be undone, but that woman would likely call foul at that sort of sabotage.”

“So we have to be sneakier.” Mikey tapped the charm with a finger, and Leo couldn't help the way his eyes tracked the swing. “Can we really alter the spell?”

“Yes, but only so much. I’ll show you how - it will take a great output of mystic energy, but it’s nothing the three of you shouldn’t be able to handle.”

“Hey, don’t forget me!” Leo called. “I’m here, too!”

Draxum sniffed, unimpressed. “If the invalid insists on helping, that would put less strain on Michelangelo. I’m not opposed - just don’t overdo it.”

“Awww, worried about me, Barry?”

“Hardly. I would just like my bed back sometime this month.” His words had no bite, though, and Leo grinned.

Draxum showed Mikey how to draw the needed runes for the spell using his mystic energy, glowing golden symbols in a circle in the air. It was flashy and cool, but Leo found he had a hard time focusing as long as the charm was in the room. He hated the way it snared his attention, like it was the most important thing around. Even his little brother’s beautiful spell-casting couldn’t break the thrall.

You could use it again, the memory of the voice from the cave whispered in his mind, but somehow I don’t believe you will.

“Done!” called Mikey, and Leo jerked his gaze away. How many minutes had passed? He wasn’t sure, but he knew Raph was watching him intently.

“You okay, Leo?”

“I’m great!” he grinned so they wouldn’t worry, even if they didn’t believe him. “Just a little sleepy. What's next, Drax?”

“Michelangelo, you will change the spell. Think of how you want to alter it - twist the existing bounds of the spell to your will.” He looked at the rest of them in turn. “And you three will feed him your energy. It will make it easier for him to overcome any barriers.”

“Do we need to be touchin’ him?” asked Raph. “We did that before.”

“No, it would be good for you to practice without physical contact. It should be simple, especially because your family’s mystic power is already hopelessly tangled together.”

“You make that sound like a bad thing,” said Mikey cheerily, before looking around at each of them in turn. “I’m ready, so let’s do it!”

“Wait, wait, how do we actually do this?” asked Donnie. “Is there a… a hand gesture, or something?”

“No,” said Draxum. “You simply have to feel it.”

“Of course. Just feel it.” Donnie sighed, but nodded. “I’m ready, I guess.”

“Ready,” agreed Raph.

Leo took a deep breath, then nodded. “Ready.”

Mikey’s markings lit up bright orange, and Leo gasped.

He’d felt it before, of course: this warm, lively energy, jumping and sizzling through his nerves like static. He just hadn’t expected to keep feeling it, not once he’d returned to his body.

And yet, here it was, as strong as invigorating as before.

Mikey caught his eye and beamed, wide and bright as the sun. Leo smiled back and let his own ninpo flow through him, the fire in him that yearned to keep his family safe, letting his markings spring to brilliant life.

Next to him, Raph did the same - strong and protective and grounding. And then Donnie, singing and sparking and full of potential.

Leo looked at his little brother and let his ninpo flow to Mikey, keeping him safe, giving him the energy he needed to complete his spell. He would be just fine; there would be no cracks in his arms today. His big brothers were taking care of him.

Mikey closed his eyes and held out his hands, like he was grabbing something Leo couldn’t see. He held the invisible thing in his hands, then twisted and pulled, swirled and rearranged, glitter trailing from his fingertips and disappearing into the air.

Then, with one final flourish, he stopped, and let his hands drop. The golden glow fell away, and Leo let his own power die down with it. Purple and red fell away in time.

“Were you able to do it?” asked Raph, his voice oddly hushed. Maybe they had all felt the power of the moment.

“Yeah!” responded Mikey, much more chipper. “I was able to change the spell! …Well, not much. But hopefully enough.” He turned to Leo again, that same wide smile on his face. “All they have to do to rebind is to reach out. To whoever they want - as many people as they want.” He stepped toward the bed, then reached out and took Leo’s hand in his. “Even if they get hit with the spell… they won’t be invisible. They can get help.”

Leo squeezed his hand back, hoping it conveyed even a fraction of the love and gratitude in his heart at that moment. “Thank you, Angelo.”

“Heh. You’re welcome!”

“Of course, they’ll still have to use the reversal spell,” said Donnie, stepping forward. He had the library book in his hands now, and he flipped it open to the entry on the Charm of Severing. “And so, per your instructions, I have added some much needed missing information to this book.”

He handed it over to Leo, who took it and flipped the page. Two brand new pages had been added to the end of the entry, with the reversal spell and highly detailed instructions on how to perform it, as well as a large amount of additional information that hadn’t been there before, all clearly typed out carefully bound into the book.

“Wait, you added pages? I thought you were just going to write the spell in there.”

“And deface a library book?” Donnie gave him an aghast look. “What kind of barbarian do you think I am? No, I printed the pages, then rebound the book with the new additions. I would have liked to reprint the rest of it with the corrected page counts, but sadly, we’re pressed for time.”

“Alright, alright, we get it, you love making things harder for yourself,” said Leo, but he knew the others could tell his smile was more fond than anything. He was contractually obligated to give Donnie a hard time, but he was sincerely touched by the effort he’d gone to.

With the changes to the spell, with the reversal spell public knowledge, then hopefully, hopefully, no one would go through what he had. They would be found. They would be seen. They would be saved.

Still, the pages felt like they were missing something… and there was some blank space, right at the bottom.

He looked up, smirking. “Anyone got a pen?”

“Leonardo Hamato, what did I just say!?” snapped Donnie, reaching for the book. Leo quickly pulled it back against his chest before it could be snatched away.

“I just have something to add, that’s all!”

“Then tell me and I can reprint the pages!”

“Nope! I want this to be written by hand. By me.”

Donnie still looked disgruntled for a few seconds, but whatever he must have seen in Leo’s face made him soften, because he finally heaved a sigh and stopped trying to grab the book. His battleshell opened, and from within emerged a metal appendage, holding a pen.

“It’s semi-gloss, so you’ll need this,” he said, holding it out. Leo had no idea what the difference was, but he didn’t ask, lest he enjoy another Donatello Info Dump.

He had other things to focus on, right now.

He bent over the book, trying to shield it from everyone watching him. Having eyes on him while he did this made him feel more than a little embarrassed, but… he needed to do it.

With this, anyone else cursed by the pendant would have a chance. With this… maybe he could save a life.

Even if it hurts. Even if it’s scary.

Please come back. It’s worth it. I promise.

You are not alone.

“Welcome home!”

Mikey’s cheer reverberated off the walls of the old subway station, and the rest of the family cheered right along with him. The lair looked (almost) as good as new; Donnie had cleaned the cave in and reinforced the walls, and he and Raph had done an admirable job of putting the living space back together. They’d even managed to find new furniture to replace what was ruined.

There were still signs of the fight that had occurred before - mainly the broken window in Raph’s train car, currently covered with a tarp to help with the draft. But for the most part, it looked like none of the events of the last few weeks had occurred, and he knew his relief was shared by the rest of his family.

They weren’t going to have to move again. Everything was going to be okay.

“Excited to sleep in your own bed?” asked April.

“Hmm, I dunno,” Leo mused. Raph was holding him currently, and he had to shift around in his arms to get the right effect. “Draxum’s bed is pretty comfy…”

“For you, it’s no longer an option,” Draxum snapped, and Leo couldn’t help but giggle. “Sleep in your brothers’ beds if you want, but not mine.”

“Awww, c’mon! Let me stay a few more nights, at least.”

“Absolutely not. I’m glad to be rid of you.”

“Awww, don’t say that, Dad!” pouted Mikey, hanging off Draxum’s arm. “Didn’t you like having us there?”

Leo couldn’t help but grin mischievously at the look of panic that crossed Draxum’s face. The puppy dog eyes he was being hit with were lethal.

“...Yes, Michelangelo,” he said finally, patting Mikey on the head. “I enjoyed having you there.”

Leo laughed, long and loud. “So is that a yes?”

“Do not push your luck, Leonardo!”

“Relaaax, goat man. I’d rather be here, anyway.”

Despite that conversation, Leo didn’t sleep in his own bed that night. A movie marathon turned into a sleepover in front of the TV. Leo laid on the couch, bundled up in blankets, his siblings sleeping in one big pile next to him, his dad passed out in his recliner.

Big Mama had the charm. The spell had been added to the book. The damage to the lair had been fixed. There was only one task left, and Leo felt like he would be ready soon.

For now, he listened to the steady sounds of his family’s breathing, and let himself drift to sleep.

Two days later found Leo at their kitchen bar, staring down at a bowl of buttered noodles, chopsticks in hand.

He shouldn’t have a problem with the food. Sure, it was pretty bland, but that wasn’t Mikey’s fault - he’d already tried food with more seasoning and it hadn’t gone well yet. The spices felt like they were burning his nostrils, even at a mild intensity. Buttered noodles were a pretty common food in the lair when someone was sick, and Leo had eaten heaps of them while he was recovering from the invasion and his pain meds left him nauseous.

But even though the texture and flavor should be familiar, it wasn’t. Just like his own bedsheets and the chair he was sitting in and his favorite hoodie. Everything just felt off, weird, wrong, in a way he couldn’t describe. It had slowly been getting better, little by little, but it didn’t stop the itch in the here and now, like every touch was fire ants on his skin. Even the noodles in his mouth felt… wrong. Slimy. Uncomfortable.

It wasn’t nice to eat.

(He was scared of what would happen when he tried pizza again.)

“Are the noodles not good?”

Mikey’s voice startled Leo out of his thoughts, and he dropped his chopsticks like some newbie who didn’t know how to use them. Really cool.

“Of course they’re good!” he said quickly, grinning at Mikey and grabbing the chopsticks back up. “I’m just… not really that hungry.”

His statement was undercut by his stomach giving a loud gurgle, and he winced. Of course it would choose now to be noisy.

“Mm-hm.” Mikey was giving him a skeptical look that was a little too much like Leo’s own. “This is what you and Donnie were talking about before, isn’t it?”

Ah, so he was awake for more of that conversation than he previously revealed. He really was a little too much like Leo…

“...Heh, guess you caught me.” Leo swirled the noodles around in his bowl, which didn’t make them any more appetizing. “Food’s just… kind of a weird deal, right now.”

“I can make you something else!” Mikey was already moving around their kitchen, opening cabinets and taking stock of their options. “What do you want? Me and April went grocery shopping so we have everything!”

“You don’t have to make me anything else, Miguel,” said Leo quickly, before he got too deep into cooking again. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to waste their time when he was just being silly. “I just have to power through this.”

Mikey paused, his hand on a box of Cheerios. He looked at Leo, and there was that skeptical expression again.

“No you don’t,” he said. “You’re just doing that thing.”

“What thing?”

“That thing!” Mikey pointed at him accusingly. “Where you “power through”,” complete with air quotes, “because you don’t want to bother anyone.”

Leo spluttered. “Who says I do that?”

“Me! I’m saying it right now!” Mikey came closer and poked Leo’s plastron with the same accusatory finger. “So knock it off!”

Leo wanted to argue, he really did. But he knew when he was moving into “protest too much” territory, and anyway… well, as good as he liked to think his masks were, it seemed like Mikey had him pegged on this one.

He sank down into his chair, defeated, and tried one last attempt: “…There’s nothing to knock off.”

“Then you don’t mind if I get you something else for lunch!” And Mikey was already back to searching the cabinets, tone cheery despite it all. “It’s okay, Leo. We already thought about this. We bought extras of Donnie’s protein shakes because he thought you might handle those better.”

Leo perked up. “He did?” That was surprising… or maybe not, given how much Donnie had been willing to share since Leo had gotten back. Everything from better-textured sheets to softer hoodies and now, apparently, his safe foods.

Leo’s family kept proving they loved him, over and over, but it didn’t stop the little punch of warmth he got, every time.

“Yeah!” Mikey shot him a grin. “All we want is to see you get better. And you can’t get better if you don’t eat!”

He had a point there. And the faster Leo got better, the happier everyone would be, himself included. So maybe he could let himself relax. He was sure someone else would eat the noodles.

“Heh… can’t argue with that, Angelo.” He thought over the options, tapping his fingers against the countertop. So far, crunchier textures had been going down easier than chewy ones, and now that the bruises on his face were almost entirely gone, the chewing didn’t hurt. “Maaaybe… some Lucky Charms, no milk?”

The look Mikey gave him was vindictive. “You always make fun of me for eating them without milk.”

“I’ve come to learn the error of my ways,” said Leo, contrite. He even gave a little bow from his seat. “Crunchy cereal is great, you have my apology.”

“I’m going to remember that for next time.” Mikey pulled the box out, then went for a bowl. “Maybe Donnie recorded it somehow.”

“Don’t ask,” said Leo quickly. “I don’t want him to get the idea to put microphones in here.”

Mikey just giggled, pouring the cereal for Leo. He picked up one piece, taking an experimental bite, and was pleased when it went down much easier than the noodles.

A few minutes passed in comfortable silence, with Leo munching on his cereal and Mikey humming as he scrolled through his phone. Leo could never get through a full meal without talking, though, and there was something he’d been wanting to say to Mikey for awhile, anyway.

So eventually he broke the silence to say, “You know, Mikey, you were really cool back there. When you told them to give me back.” Mikey looked up from his phone, and Leo grinned wide. “You were flying and everything!”

Mikey’s face lit up in return, and he set his phone aside. “What about you!? You were literally glowing! It was so awesome!”

Leo laughed, striking a triumphant pose in his seat. “So I think it’s safe to say we’re the two most amazing turtles on earth.”

Mikey mirrored his pose, flexing his muscles. “Oh you know it baby!” After a second, though, he drooped, his expression growing downcast. “…I was really scared, too. That we would lose you when we were so close. But I wasn’t going to give up. Even if we missed the time limit.”

Suddenly Leo was having trouble swallowing the cereal again, not because of the texture, but because of the thick lump of emotion in his throat. “Thank you, Mikey,” he said sincerely. “For never giving up on me.”

Mikey still looked down, but he managed a smile at Leo. “…Thank you, for never giving up, too.”

Leo wasn’t sure what to make of that. It didn’t feel like a casual statement, but like there was more behind it. “Well yeah,” he tried, and it felt lame even to himself. “Of course I wasn’t going to give up.”

Mikey chewed on his lip, like he wasn’t sure what to say, but then he forged ahead. “We… saw what you wrote in the book.”

Oh. Well. That would do it, wouldn’t it?

It wasn’t like Leo was surprised they had looked - it’s not like he had told them not to. Still, he hated that it had apparently worried them, especially when he still hadn’t talked about it.

Like he could read his mind, Mikey hurried to add, “Don’t worry, no one’s going to ask! You can tell us when you’re ready.” His smile grew bigger, more reassuring, and he came around the counter, standing in front of Leo. “But… I’m really, really glad that you came back.” His eyes grew wet, and he sniffled. “That’s two reallys.”

“Aww, Mikey.” Leo held open his arms, and chuckled when Mikey threw himself into them, burying his face in the crook of his neck. Leo hugged as tight as his currently weakened muscles allowed, showing his little brother that he was right here, always. “Well, of course I came back! I had the most amazing little brother in the world waiting for me!”

Mikey sniffed against his shoulder, then let out a wet little laugh. Leo held back a sigh of relief.

He’d scared them, he knew. But he hoped they knew, even without telling them, that it was them that pulled him back. That he was never going to give up, as long as he had them, as long as they wanted him.

Which, he knew, they always would.

Thankfully, Mikey calmed down before any real tears started. Leo was still hugging him when he felt Mikey shift, then reach for something, and then…

The soft sound of chewing, right in his ear.

Leo pulled back, holding Mikey at arms’ length and looking at him suspiciously. “Did you just steal one of my marshmallows?”

A slow, devious grin spread over Mikey’s face. “Well, since I’m the most amazing little brother in the world and all…”

“Nope!” Leo shoved him away, hunching over the bowl protectively. “That’s not enough to give you my marshmallows!”

“Here, you can have it back.” Mikey stuck out his tongue, chewed up marshmallow bits still clinging to its pink flesh.

“Augh, gross! Who taught you that?” Leo barked, knowing full well he taught Mikey that.

Mikey just cackled and lunged for the bowl again, trying to wiggle around Leo’s shielding arms. All the shouting led to Raph coming in to see if he needed to break up a fight, and Donnie coming in to film it for entertainment, and Splinter coming in to tell them all to pipe down.

And the whole while, Leo couldn’t stop grinning.

Of course he came back. Where else would he rather be?

It took Leo another three weeks before he was ready. Long enough for his body to heal from the bruises and sore throat. Long enough that his leg was out of its cast and in a brace. Long enough that touch no longer felt so overwhelming. Long enough that Leo had slowly started to get around the lair with a walker, an embarrassing necessity while he regained strength in his legs.

He was doing a lot better, he knew. And that’s why he caught Raph and said, “Tomorrow. I already asked Casey and April to come over.”

And Raph had rubbed a hand over his head and said, “We’re proud of you, Leo. We got you.”

One the day of, the configuration was as such: Raph on Leo’s bed, with Leo nestled in his lap, Raph’s big arms wrapped around him for comfort and grounding. Mikey cross-legged at the foot of the bed, giving Leo big, encouraging smiles. April and Donnie splayed out in the same beanbag chair, close together so neither of them rolled off. And Casey leaned against the wall, having refused a seat, fingers hooked in the pockets of his pants.

His siblings, who had all waited outside the door in that dark cave in the middle of the desert, who had carried him, terrified and trembling, back to safety.

He knew he owed them an explanation. And he knew he owed it to himself to talk about it.

And so he took a deep breath and said, “I guess I don’t have to tell you guys what I wanted to talk about today.”

“We’re ready, soon as you’re ready,” said April. She reached up from the beanbag and gave his hand a squeeze. “Go slow and take breaks when you need to, okay?”

“When have I ever needed to take a break from talking?” he asked, giving her a grin. His attempt to lighten the mood didn’t seem to land too well, but Mikey was still smiling and gave him a little thumbs up.

Behind him, Raph churred deep in his chest, and Leo relaxed further into him.

“Alright, well… The door opened, and I went inside, and then I was in a long, dark tunnel going down. Pretty cliche, if you ask me.” Leo tried to keep his voice light, even though just talking about it, he was feeling the claustrophobia of the moment weigh him down. “There was only one way to go, so I just… kept walking.”

He relayed how it had felt never-ending; how he started to think maybe he was actually caught in some kind of endless loop. Mentioned how he compared it to Jupiter Jim Lost in the Martian Mines, which actually got a little laugh out of Mikey and a smile out of Donnie and April. Casey didn’t stop him to ask, but he had that clear look that he didn’t understand the reference, and Leo made a mental note to show it to him later.

…Maybe way later, when he wasn’t still thinking about this.

He told them about how he eventually reached the moss; Donnie opened his mouth like he wanted to ask questions, but April elbowed him in the ribs. Honestly, Leo wouldn’t have minded the moss questions, but only because then this whole conversation would get derailed and he might not have to continue.

Okay, he could see why April stopped Donnie from asking.

“He was waiting at the bottom,” Leo explained. “I couldn’t see him - he said I’d only be able to perceive as much of him as he let me. But he could see me... And he could touch me, too, which was weird.”

“Tell me about it,” said Donnie.

“Did he ever tell you his name?” asked Raph, and Leo shook his head.

“We should give him a name,” said Mikey. “Like Foot Stink. Or Fart Breath.”

“He was a disembodied voice in a cave, I don’t think he had an odor,” argued Donnie.

“He’s a Fart Breath in spirit, Donnie!”

“Fitting,” said Leo with a small laugh, “since, you know. Literally a ghost.”

“Okay, okay,” said Raph, pulling them back on track. “What did Fart Breath want in exchange for the spell?”

Leo shrank a little deeper into Raph’s arms. “It wasn’t really… something he wanted in exchange. He wanted me to prove… that the reversal spell was really what I wanted.”

Mikey tilted his head. “That’s weird. Why wouldn’t anyone want the reversal spell?”

Leo didn’t have the words to answer that - not easily, anyway. But maybe whatever Mikey saw in his face was enough, because his little brother wilted, picking at the sheets on his bed sadly.

“Oh…”

“But you convinced him,” said Casey, his voice cutting through the melancholy mood, “because he gave it to you.”

Leo nodded.

“But it wasn’t easy, was it?” asked Raph. His voice was a comforting rumble against Leo’s shell, and he was glad he’d let his big brother hold him for this.

“...No. He… made a compelling case, I guess.”

“Can you tell us about it?” asked Donnie, surprisingly soft.

And Leo knew he was going to have to, because that was the whole thing he’d brought them here to talk about, but… he decided to take just a few seconds to breathe. Feel Raph’s arms around him and look at his siblings, all waiting patiently for him to continue. They were here, and everything was okay.

“He started out by… offering to show me his memories. And I agreed to let him… which was a stupid decision, I know.”

“Hey, no,” said Raph, lightly admonishing. “You made the choice that seemed right at the time. Remember?”

“Mm. I guess.” Leo shifted to get more comfortable, or at least to buy time, before he continued. “His memories were… pretty gross. Mostly about how powerful he was, about how he did all this stuff to keep from dying. Sucking the life out of people, stuff like that.”

Everyone made a face at that, and Leo was glad they were just as horrified by it as he was.

“Anyway, I kept thinking there was something eerie about his memories. Well, besides the whole… being a literal soul-sucking vampire thing. And something was off about the whole… memory-sharing with me. But I didn’t put it together in time.” Leo sighed. “He walked me through how he made the Charm of Severing - how he meant for it to be used… intentionally.”

“For people who want to turn themselves into a ghost?” asked April.

“Yeah.” Leo shrugged. “He sold it as a way to escape death. No more physical body, no more pain, no more responsibilities, no more limitations.”

“But you didn’t fall for that,” said Mikey.

“No…” Leo couldn’t help the grimace. “Not at first.”

Mikey frowned, out of sadness and not anger. “At first?”

“I mean, what he was selling sounded like it sucked, right? No pizza, no video games, no basketball.” They were all surface level considerations, of course, but even though tears were inevitable Leo was trying to avoid crying until later. “So yeah, I said I still wanted the spell. But… that’s when I realized, he’d been getting all my memories, too.”

“So he showed you something bad,” Donnie guessed when Leo didn’t continue.

“...Yeah.” Leo took a shaky breath, and April gave his hand another squeeze. “He… showed me my recovery, from the invasion. Reminded me of how hard it was. Showed me my body, how it was… in pretty rough shape.” Leo swallowed against the knot in his throat, trying to keep his voice clear. “I… wasn’t looking forward to all this.” He waved at his legs, at the walker, at everything. “I’d… already been having doubts. Like, what if my body was… too damaged to come back to.”

“Even before the cave?” asked Raph.

It was hard, but Leo nodded.

“Oh, Leo…”

“I know,” said Leo in a rush, “that I shouldn’t have been thinking like that. It was giving up. But I was just… I…”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Raph gave him a gentle squeeze. “You were scared. S’okay to be scared.”

“You weren’t giving up, Leo,” said Mikey firmly, and Leo met his eyes. He’d been most scared for Mikey to hear this, after their conversation weeks ago, but Mikey’s expression was brimming with love and understanding.

“And you convinced him,” said Casey again. Not a question, Leo realized, but a reminder, keeping him here in the moment. “You got the spell.”

“That’s right,” said April fondly. “You’re tough as nails, Leo.”

Leo cracked a little smile at that, even though his eyes were getting misty. Leave it to his family to know exactly how to cheer him up…

“So what happened next?” Donnie prompted. Despite the words, Leo knew he was being as patient as the others, so he didn’t feel rushed. He took his time speaking again, and no one pressed him.

“He… showed me the Prison Dimension.”

Everyone tensed. The silence in the room was suddenly thick, everyone on edge. Leo wished he had better news.

“But it was… it was okay. I was still a ghost. The krang, he… he couldn’t see me. He couldn’t touch me.” Leo let out a bitter laugh. “I could do whatever I wanted, and he couldn’t do anything about it. It felt… amazing.”

It wasn’t what they expected, he knew. It sounded surreal to himself. But didn’t it make a twisted sort of sense? The fear of the krang had still been weighing him down, and in that moment, for just a few minutes, he was released from it.

“It’s hard to describe,” he continued. “But I just felt… so free. Like nothing could ever hurt me again. I could do anything - climb mountains, explore oceans, run through fire and not get burned, jump off a skyscraper and land soft.” He scrunched himself up even further into Raph’s arms, trying to hide, now. “All the… the pain and fear I’d ever felt, it was just gone. For just a little while I felt… happy. And that’s… that’s what he wanted me to feel. That’s the whole reason he made the charm.”

Silence again, for a long moment, while that sunk in for all of them. Leo chanced a look around, and was met with expressions of sadness and horror. They could see it now - they could understand. What was so insidious about the whole thing, in the end.

“...I’ve changed my mind,” said Donnie suddenly. “Fart Breath is an adequate designation.”

It was so unexpected, it jolted a laugh out of Leo, and he finally uncurled from his hidden position. When he looked over, Donnie was giving him a look that was softer than normal, and Leo felt undying gratitude for his brother once again.

So he could forgive Donnie for stealing his job. Just this once.

“It still didn’t work,” said Leo, after another moment of getting his voice back. “I felt amazing, but… I remembered you guys wouldn’t be there with me. And that you were waiting for me, back at the top of the slope. Waiting for me to come back to my body.” Leo gave his head a shake. “So I told him thanks, but no thanks. I still wanted that reversal spell.”

There were whoops of encouragement from April and Mikey, and Casey was grinning at him with pride, in a way that made his heart swoop. But Donnie was watching him closely, and Raph hadn’t loosened up on his hold, and Leo knew what they were thinking: that nothing Leo had said yet would leave him the shaking, catatonic mess they’d carried down the mountain.

The story wasn’t over yet, and they knew it.

“He… wasn’t happy about that,” said Leo, and he couldn’t keep the tremble out of his voice. The mood in the room grew somber again, everyone waiting with bated breath for him to continue. “He made me see the prison dimension again.” Leo shuddered, and Raph held him tight. “Only this time… this time, the Krang could… this time…”

A broken sob climbed up his throat, and Leo didn’t have the strength to stop it. It was followed by more, tears finally falling over his cheeks, and he had to fight to continue his story as he shook apart in Raph’s embrace.

“He… made me live through it… again, and again. I l-lost track… I don’t even kn-know… how many times…”

There was movement around him, but Leo couldn’t see through the blur of tears. Still, he could hear the squeak of his bed springs as Mikey moved closer, could hear Casey’s light footsteps as he crossed the train car, could hear the shift of the beanbag as Donnie and April got to their feet.

“I… I was scared,” he admitted, gripping onto Raph’s arm with what strength he had, burying his face in the familiar scales. “And… and it hurt so bad. And it just kept going, and going, and I- I almost…”

He trailed off, unable to say it. The sobs were coming too hard and fast, and he lost his voice to the wrench of remembered pain.

But his siblings were there, each of them moving in to touch him, hold him, press love into every exposed inch of his arms and shell. Their voices mingled together and overlapped into a comforting buzz, a mix of, it’s okay, you’re doing great, Leo, breathe for us, big man, we’re here, Nardo, you’re safe, you’re safe, you’re safe.

Just like on that mountain, they were holding him after he fell down. Every single one of them, there to catch him and keep him safe, until he could come back to them.

Not that he ever had any doubt they would be there.

He wasn’t sure how long he cried; all he knew was that by the end, he felt spent and sticky, his eyes itchy from the excess of salt water. Someone passed him a glass, and he took several big gulps, finally calm enough to swallow without choking on sobs.

Everyone was still crowded around him, still talking in low murmurs, to him, to each other. He felt just a little embarrassed by the whole display - he still hated crying in front of people - but mostly he just felt love. His love for them and their love for him, rebounding through the room, pulling him out of the dangerous memories that wanted to swallow him.

When he handed the glass back, Casey said, again, “You convinced him. He gave you the spell.”

“Yep,” said Leo. Which was pretty anticlimactic. Phew. Where was his usual drama?

“How’d… you get him to stop?” asked Mikey, hesitant, and Leo gave him a tired smile to show he didn’t mind the question.

“That’s obvious, right?” He looked around at all of them. “I remembered that you guys were waiting for me. That I wasn’t alone. And… I realized something about Fart Breath. What had been nagging me about his memories from the start.”

“What’s that?” asked April, riveted, and Leo couldn’t help but grin a little bigger. Ah. There was his drama.

“He was all alone. He’d been like that so long, he didn’t even remember the people he used to know. He’d done all that work just to defeat death, and in the end he was just a sad, lonely old man.” He allowed his smile to turn just a little evil. “And he’d let me in his head, just as much as I’d let him into mine. Big mistake.”

“You turned it on him,” said Mikey in awe.

“That I did, Miguel. I showed him just how bad he’d messed up. Just how pathetic he’d become.” Leo straightened up, as much as he could in Raph’s arms. “And I told him to give me that reversal spell, and he did.”

A cheer went up from his siblings, everyone giving him fond shakes and nudges. “Pretty impressive, little brother,” said Raph, his voice brimming with so much pride that Leo could melt in it.

The rest of the story wasn’t so interesting. He’d walked back up the slope, repeating the spell to himself over and over and over. And then… well, they knew the rest.

“It was pretty terrifying,” said Mikey softly. “When you came through the door and collapsed. I’d… never seen you like that before.”

“Pretty scary for the rest of us when Raph and Mikey started yelling,” agreed April.

“Sorry,” said Leo sheepishly, but immediately everyone jumped in to reassure him that he didn’t need to apologize. He couldn’t help but chuckle as they all talked over each other.

“I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re real proud of you, Leo,” said Raph once the others died down, giving Leo another tight squeeze. “Raph knows that wasn’t easy. But now that we know what happened, we can help you.”

“Yeah!” chimed in Mikey. “You can count on us!”

“Which you already know,” said Donnie, “but we’re happy to tell you again.”

Leo did know. He’d never forget, not as long as he lived.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, feeling choked up again. And since he did not want to cry again, he quickly waved them all away. “Can we stop getting all sappy now?”

There was light laughter around him, and everyone but Raph moved away to give him a little more space to compose himself.

“Well,” said April, drawing attention to herself, “I think Leo has more than earned some ice cream and a Jupiter Jim movie marathon.”

“You know me so well,” said Leo, giving her a smile that she returned with a wink.

“You guys are staying the night, right?” asked Mikey excitedly, hopping off the bed. “We can turtle pile in front of the TV!”

“Sure, I can stay!” said April.

“Yeah, of course,” agreed Casey.

“Yeees!” Mikey grabbed Casey’s hand and started to pull him out of the room, bursting with excitement. “Come on, you can help me build the blanket fort.”

“A bup bup bup, blanket forts are my domain, Angelo,” called Donnie, following them out. “At the very least you should trust my architectural engineering.”

“Oh boy,” said April, trailing after them. “I better make sure they don’t get carried away.”

Then it was only Leo and Raph left. For a moment they were still, Raph rubbing lightly on Leo’s arm.

“You sure you’re okay?” Raph asked. “I can tell ‘em to turn it down if you need that.”

“No, I’m…” Leo caught himself before he said okay, because it wasn’t entirely true and they both knew that. “I’m exhausted,” he amended it to, “but… I feel better getting it all out.”

“That’s good. I’m glad it helped.”

“Mm.” Leo was glad it had, too. It was finally, really starting to feel like the whole ordeal was over.

“If you’d rather take a nap, you can,” said Raph. “They won’t be disappointed.”

“I know.” Leo gave his arm a squeeze. “But there’s nowhere I’d rather be right now than in that turtle pile.”

“Heh. Alright, then.” Raph got up slowly, careful not to jostle Leo too hard, then scooped him up. Leo didn’t protest - he did not feel like using the walker right then. “Guess we can even let you pick the first movie.”

“Ah, come on! Just the first one?”

“You really think anyone would let you get away with picking more?”

Leo groaned, laying back in Raph’s arms dramatically. “And I thought you said you were here for me…”

“Leo, I love you, but you’re asking me to start a civil war and I’m not gonna do it.”

Leo couldn’t help but laugh, which really broke his facade. Above him, Raph was grinning, big and bright, and in the living room Donnie barked orders while April, Mikey, and Casey built a pillow fort monstrosity, Splinter offering encouragement and criticism from his recliner.

His family all together, happy and smiling and laughing.

And Leo felt happy, too. More than he’d felt in weeks.

There would be more troubles ahead for his family - he knew that. There was no knowing what the future held.

But right now, they were all here, safe, having fun. This is what the voice had missed out on. But Leo? He wasn’t going to miss a thing.

It was two months since Leo had been returned to his body, and the lair was louder and more full than it had ever been.

Mikey had been prepping and cooking for two days, and the table they’d brought in was laden down with more food than they could hope to eat - Hueso had even sent along some Hawaiian pizzas, free of charge. Donnie had worked with his drones on decorations, dozens of blue streamers and balloons and a big CONGRATS ON YOUR VISIBILITY banner strung across the space. There was music blasting from hidden speakers, all Leo’s favorites with a mix of some new stuff he’d been listening to lately. And they were all there: his brothers and dad, April, Casey Jr., Casey Sr., Sunita, and even Draxum.

There was a cacophony of voices as everyone took their seats around the table, ready to dig into the feast. It was exciting in a way Leo had never quite experienced before; sure, they’d always been a big family, but this was even bigger, and they were all sitting down at the table together like the kind of big family holiday dinners he saw on TV. Mikey had stayed true to his promise to make every single thing on his “when you get your body back” list, and no one could wait to eat.

Still, before they could all start loading up their plates, Cassandra suddenly stood up and pointed at Leo.

“Blue turtle!” she yelled, making everyone snap to attention. “We charged into glorious battle against the Witch of the Depths and emerged triumphant! And this calls for a speech!”

“Haha, what?” Leo held up his hands, shaking his head. “A speech? From little ol’ me?”

“Speech!” cheered April in agreement, thumping her hand on the table.

“Speech!” agreed Mikey, just as enthusiastically.

“Speech! Speech! Speech!” they continued, everyone but Draxum and Donnie joining in. Donnie just rolled his eyes but tilted his glass toward Leo, and Draxum looked like his usual. Well, no surprise there.

“Okay, okay, twist my arm a little harder,” he said with a laugh, hopping to his feet to the sound of a rousing cheer. “Jeez, you all missed my voice so much you want to hear more of it.”

“Now look what you did,” said Donnie to Cassandra, getting a few laughs from the table, and Leo had to clear his throat to get eyes back on him, thank you very much.

“Alright. Speech time.” Leo grinned. “Well, let’s start by giving a huge thanks to Mikey, because holy cow! I don’t think he’s ever cooked this much.”

Cheers went up from the table, and Mikey stood up and took a bow. “I set a new personal record!” he said, and everyone whooped again.

“And let’s give a hand to Raph, for being his emergency grocery store runner and for moving all the furniture around.”

Everyone cheered again, while Raph laughed and looked bashful. “Awww haha, it was nothin’!”

“And let’s give a mild golf clap to Donnie for these decorations…”

“Oh hah hah,” said Donnie once the claps died down. “See if I ever screen-print a custom banner for you again.”

Leo gave him a huge grin, then looked around the table. His friends and family, all smiling back at him.

“You know, being invisible really makes you realize you took some things for granted. Like my beautiful face.” Groans from around him, and he grinned right through it. “When I could finally look in mirrors again, I thought, man, can’t believe everyone went over two weeks without seeing this handsome guy.”

“Just remember, this is your fault, Cassandra Jones,” said Donnie, to tittering laughs.

“Hey, quiet for my speech!” Leo waved him off, then smiled around at all of them again. “But yeah… It really makes you realize you took stuff for granted. Like not being able to sleep in your own bed. Or how good eating is.”

“Can’t believe you went too weeks without my cooking,” said Mikey, and Leo clutched at his heart and gave him an appropriately heartbroken look.

“Yeah, I missed it. But… well, you guys already know what I really missed.” He grinned around at them all. “And it wasn’t something I’d been taking for granted.”

His siblings. His dad. His friends. He’d never take them for granted. And he’d missed them terribly.

But he was back now. And he wasn’t going anywhere.

“But I think I’ve been sappy enough the last couple months,” he rounded it off with, raising his glass. “So I just want to give a toast: to us.”

He smirked.

“We kicked that witch’s ass!”

Raucous cheers went up from all in attendance, except Draxum, who just rolled his eyes in a way Leo could almost describe as fond. He chugged his drink, then thrust the glass in the air with a whoop before dropping back into his seat.

The feast began in earnest. Everyone started talking over each other, grabbing for food, bumping into each other and making a bit of a mess. It was uncoordinated and it was loud and it was so much his family that Leo reveled in every second of it.

He talked, and the others listened. He smiled, and they returned it. He reached for food and bumped hands and shoulders with those on either side.

Felt. Seen. Heard.

What a wonderful thing, to be alive.