AN: When you get to the ** it means there is an authors note at the bottom of the story to explaine something.

Also the start of this chapter replays some stuff from the end of the last chapter. You'll see why.

The Forgiveness...

Leo could hear Raph and Donny talking softley from either side of his bed.

"This is what you meant" Donny started.

'Hmm?" Leo heard Raph mumble.

"Nearly losing him...puts things in perspective. I don't even care about what happened before now. I just want him to wake up and be okay". I'm trying Donny, Leo thought to himself.

There was a pause "He will be okay, right Donny?" Raph asked, Leo could hear the worry clouding his voice.

"I-I'm sure he can hear us, and all his vitals have remained stable. But head wounds are hard...I have no way of knowing how he really is, until he wakes up". Donny replied, sounding scared.

"So he could 'ave, what like brain damage?" Raph sounded scared too.

"Well there's always a possibility that-that he could have..." Leo heard Don pause. "All we can do is wait" Leo was sure Don was on the verge of tears again.

He struggled harder against the black bubble that was holding him captive in his own body. NO, Leo wanted to yell. I'm okay I am! As soon as he could swim through the rest of the blackness into the light of real life he knew he could wake up. Leo was concentrating as hard as he could to get back to his family. And bit by bit things were becoming clearer. Noises around him, sensations. The murky darkness was ebing away slowly. But too slowly for Leo and his brothers.

"Leo" Now Raph was talking to him. Anger. "YOU have ta wake up, ya hear me!" If Leo could have he would have jumped at the sound of his brothers voice, not to mention the fist pounding on his bed. Anger and fear. Raph was starting to lose it.

"You don't have to yell at him...calm down" Don sounded annoyed, no doubt startled himself.

"It's okay when you yell at him" Raph sneered, Oh no... Leo thought. He recognised that tone. The whole ordeal had taken it's tole on Raph and he wasn't going to hold on to his patients for much longer. Leo had been quite proud of the way Raph had been dealing with things up to this point. Very calm and sensitive. Very un-Raph like. The events on the roof top had change Raph a little. He was really trying hard to do better with his temper.

Raph had scared himself up there, with his sai so close to his brothers face. Don, Mikey and Master Splinter didn't know, but Raph and Leo had spoken about it a few days later. And now both were in a much better place with each other. Despite what Raph had told Don earlier, they did briefly touch on Raph's feelings about Leo leaving. Their discussion had focussed on what had happened to them up there on the roof. Why they said and did what they did. They had decided just to keep that between themselves. The closest either of them came to mentioning it to the others was the breif explanation Raph had given Don earlier that day when he was upset.

There was a long pause "you're mad at me" Don said. From the tone Don used Leo could tell it wasn't a question, but a statement.

Leo heard Raph sigh "I just- tired and stressed...and well I guess ya- ya coulda done better Donny and if ya couldn't well maybe ya shouldn't 'ave come..." Leo heard Raph trail off and was silently begging him to let it go. Don was already feeling horrible about what had happened. Anyway it's my fault, I should have stopped him from coming in the first place. I knew he wasn't up to it, Leo thought.

"Heh" Leo heard Don scoff No, no, no. Leo thought, hearing the tinge of anger in his purple wearing brothers voice. No, not you guys too. It's too much. Don can't take it. I thought you guys were okay. Oh God I should have never started all this in the first place.

"What?" Raph's voice was low, but mean.

"It's funny how, when I mess up your down my throat...but you do it every other freaking day and I'm not allowed to say a thing" Crap! Leo struggled harder to wake up.

Leo heard them both push their chairs back. Don let go of his hand, after hours of holding onto it for what seemed like dear life. Leo could tell they had moved away, towards the foot of the bed. He could still hear them quiet clearly. How could he have trouble, they weren't trying to be quiet about it. Although not really loud enough to wake Master Splinter or Mikey...not yet any way.

"Off playing vigilante! Never lifting a finger to help around here. Even Mikey tried to help out!" Leo hated that he could do nothing but lay still, he couldn't lift a finger to help now. "Sleeping all day, out all night... you werent there for us..." Don trailed off.

Damn it! Leo struggled against the blackness, tried to force his muscles to move. His eyes to open. his voice to come back. He hated that he had reduced Don, his most patient, calm, level headed brother to someone with so much emotional turmoil. Moods and emotions swinging like crazy. He hated that he had caused any of them pain. He hated that he had damaged Don and Raph's relationship too. He thought they had sorted it out, or had just let it go...Don had obviously been pushing this down too. Raph had been so, so sensitive and comforting towards Don earlier. Now they were at each others throats.

"Well you Leo junior, you we're drivng me up tha wall! Trying to boss me about you're my little brother, not the other way around. You and Mikey just gave up. Hiding away in your little 'jobs' pretending the city above us wasn't going to hell. That innocent people weren't being hurt! You guys wanted nothing to do with it, so I left ya to yer own devices..."

Raph felt ready to strangle his brother with the hands that he had used to comfort him only hours earlier. He didn't even know why he was yelling back...he had admited earlier that he should have been better in Leo's absence, because he knew it was true and told Don how sorry he was. Because he really was. But even when he knew he was the one in the wrong he had trouble having it thrown back in his face. He hated feeling guilty. It just made him angry. It was easier earlier to be there for Don and apologies to him when Donny's anger hadn't been directed at him. His heart wanted to stop and hug Don again, say sorry again. Make him feel better, instead of worse. Be the brother he was earlier. The one he should have been over the last year. But his mouth had other ideas apparently. Don obviously hadn't let him off the hook for his part in all this...which deep down Raph understood, and it honestly made sense to him. But it hurt.

Don had been pushing down a lot of hurt and resentment, for a long time now and he was at breaking point again. "I wasn't bossing you around, I was trying to keep you safe! You just barge ahead guns blazing all the time. Not giving a crap about your safety. I was-was only trying to help you. But no all you want me for is to patch you up and send you on your way. Not question the fact that the next time you went out might be your last. That Mike, Master Splinter and I would never see you again. We already didnt know where Leo was. I needed you... I didn't need to lose you too. And what do I get for it. Huh. Punched in the face..." Don trailed off, breathing hard. Why did I bring that up, Don thought.

"Where are you going Raph?" Don called out as Raph headed out for yet another night, doing, whaterver the hell it was he was doing. 'Busting heads' with Casey. Or whatever he did that caused him to come home at least slightly injured once a week. Whatever it was that caused him to be out the whole night, Sleeping the whole day. And snarling at Don and Mikey whenever he was gracious enough to grant them the pleasure of his presence. Don knew he was probably making things worse, 'nagging' Raph about his where abouts. But he was worried. He finally understood Leo's need to keep tabs on Raph. If for nothing else at least his own sanity. He wouldn't admit it out loud, not to Mikey or anyone. But Don suffered great anxiety everytime Raph went out. That wouldn't leave him until he heard his brother re-enter the lair at very early morning. Sometimes stumbling to him for help with an injury. Sometimes taking care of it himself. Don couldn't sleep while Raph was out now. It wasn't as if Don didn't worry about Raph when Leo was there, but he knew Leo was there to worry, waiting up, lecturing. Trying to keep Raph safe. Now that roll fell to him. And it was terrifying. Leo hadn't been in contact in months. Now Don felt as though Raph was slipping away. Don knew he was just making his older brother more angry but he just had to do it. Don thought it was better to have Raph pissed off at him all the time, then to lose him all together.

"Out" Raph snarled in response, as he continued his way to the lair door. He hated that Don was constantly on his back all the time. Raph started to think Don was worse then Leo, which was unbelievable.

"Where?" Don asked following Raph up the stairs. "Couldn't you stay in at least one night?"

"Got stuff to do" Came the gruff reply.

By this point Don had also made it to the top of the balcony, standing just behind Raph. Who was about to open the door to leave.

"What stuff could be so important every night of the week?" Don questioned.

"Non of ya damn business" Raph snapped, turning his head to glare at his brother.

Don began to feel the all to familar overwhelming anxiety building in his chest. As Raph went to reach for the door. Don grabbed his arm, preventing him from leaving.

"Let go of me Donny" Raph growled.

"No, you need to listen, you need to stay. You need to stop putting yourself in danger. You need to help around here" Don blurted out.

"Don" Raph was not in the mood for yet another lecutre from his little brother. He was helping. Helping the people that Don and Mike and Leo had abandoned. He was sick of hearing how much of a screw up he was. You don't help, you don't do this, you don't do that. Blah blah. "Let go!" Raph snarled again, trying to shake his arm free and made a move to continue on his way.

But Don wasn't going to have it. Not another restless night with barely any sleep. He needed Raph to stay. He needed him to help. He needed him to be safe. He needed at least one of his big brothers to be there for him. He needed him to stay. So he didn't let go. "NO" Don snapped. I'm sick of this. Just NO". He tryed to pull Raph back away from the door. Logically he wsn't sure what his plan was here; Drag Raph down the stiars and then what? But that didn't stop him, clawing onto Raph with both hands, pulling, with all his strength. But Raph was stronger and bigger. And so not in the mood.

Raph turned around violently and shoved Don, but Don didn't let go. "I swear Don if you don't let goa me..." he let the threat hang. He strugged to get away from his purple clad brother. Don struggled to hang on. They scuffled around for several minutes until Raph couldn't take it anymore. Before he even knew hat he was doing he'd swung his right fist around clocking Don right in the face, with enough force to knock Don to the gound. He landed just before the stair case.

Both breathed heavy in shock. Don coudn't believe it. Raph had never hit him in anger like that before. The brothers stared at each other for a minute before Raph high tailed it out of the lair. Leaving Don on the ground alone. Raph ran. He didn't know what was wrong with him. Don didn't deserve that... He ran for miles. What's wrong with me. He kept saying that to himself over and over with each step he took, What's wrong with me. Doesn't anyone realise that I feel lost without Leo too. That I miss him too. That I go out all night to save people because if I don't I'm going to go insane with worry. No because I do everything I possibly can to make sure no one would think that, Raph thought to himself.

The next day niether of them spoke of it. Just went along their own normal routines. Raph felt the guilt sucker punch him in the stomach every time he saw the bruise on Don's face. The tension between them grew and grew from there. Raph never said sorry, even though he was. Don never brought up how hurt he was. They didn't tell Mikey or Master Splinter what had happened. Don made up some excuse about the bruise Raph gathered since no one ever questioned it. Raph could never understrand why Don didn't dob him in over it. It happened a few months before Leo had come back. They had silently agreed to pretend that it had never happened apparently. Even so much so that Don refused to even acknowledge that it happen even in his own thoughts. Thinking to himself. **We fought nearly as bad as Raph and Leo did, but it never became physical...When in truth it did. Just once. He felt embarrassed, felt like he should have been stronger. More able to cope with Raph then he had been. They had never brought it up again...

Until now.

Leo couldn't believe it. Raph had hit Don. Not in sparring but in anger. Why, why! Did I think that my brothers didn't need me, why did I think I was more needed back there. That's it I'm waking up. NOW.

Raph's muscles tighted in response, remembering what had happened too. He was always the bad guy. It had been nice for once to be the 'good' brother. Helping Don and making him feel better. Now he was the bad one again. The one who hadn't helped. The one who wasn't there for his little brothers. The one who had brusied his brothes face, and ran. Instead of looking beyond what Don was saying to the anxiety his brother was feeling.

Raph hated that "Just shut up Brainiac!" Raph yelled. Because he didn't know what else to say. Because he knew he was the bad guy again. Whether he wanted to be or not.

"You shut up, Hot head!" Don yelled back, hating how childish he sounded even to his own ears. Don absolutely hated how emotional he seemed these days. He use to be so calm, even when faced with danger. Now he was having panic attacks, screaming, crying. Apologising one minute and the next yelling at yet another brother, after just promising to never let this happen again. That the here and now was more important; That his brothers wellbeing was all he cared about.

Leo had to stop this, he couldn't lay here another minute hearing his brothers heated words. Raph and Donny's voices getting louder, the accusations, the insults, the hurt, the blame, the guilt. It was tearing him apart. He had thought Don had foriven Raph. Or just let it go. Which had hurt him earlier because he couldn't understand why Don was mad at him and not just a little at Raph, and now he wished that was true. Don had obviously just pushed all of this away too. Leo didn't want either of his brothers in pain and he knew most of the fight that was going on around him now was caused from emotonal exhaustion and stress, that they'd reget most of this once they had some sleep. He didn't want Raph going through what he had just been through and he didn't want Don to go through this again. He was going to wake up. He was, he had to get up. He could feel his heart beat faster as he tried to force his way to reality. Panic and worry fueling him...

Raph and Donny continued trading insults, voice rising until...

A frantic beeping stopped them both in their tracks. Leo's heart was racing. They both bolted to the top of the bed. All thoughts of their fight forgotton. Don couldn't find a reason for the change in their brother. Leo's body started to convulse.

"LEO!" Don and Raph screamed together, trying to keep their brother on the bed...

TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT

"I'm sorry Raph, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it all back up again. I don't know what's wrong with me" Don said frantically, as he held onto Leo. Nothing in the past was more imprtant then them being okay now.

Raph put his hand, over Don's hand as they used them to keep their blue clad brother from toppling off the bed. "Me too" Raph repled softly.

"Leo, Leo" Don cried. Not sure what had caused this sudden change in their brother.

After several minutes the convulsing finally stopped. And Leo was still, his heart slowed. Don and Raph held their breath as they stared helplessly at their brother.

And then... Leo opened his eyes.

"Leo!" Raph and Don shouted together.

Leo tried to sit up a little.

"Careful" Don murmered, as he helped Leo adjust himself. Leaning up against the bed head with pillows tucked behind his head and shell to make him comfortable.

"How are you feeling? Are you okay? Does anthing hurt? How many fingers am I holding up?" Raph and Don bombared their brother. Don busied himself giving Leo yet aother once over as he spoke, checking for anything that could be wrong.

Leo smiled a little. So pleased to be free from his inky tomb. "I'm fine" He croaked out. "My head aches a little and I'm thirsty but I'm okay" He added in a dry sounding voice.

Don tuned to pour Leo a drink of water from the jug set behind him, satisfied that Leo seemed okay, head wound and all.

"No more fighting" Leo said, in a hoarse voice.

"You-you could hear us?" Don asked, offering Leo the glass of water.

"Yeah" Leo nodded, swallowing the water.

Crap Raph thought...he knows I hit Don. Raph looked down in shame.

Leo took hold of both Don's and Raph's forearms and pulled them down to sit either side of him on the bed. Don and Raph looked at Leo and each other confused.

"We need to put this behind us...all of it" Leo began, voice not so rough now. "We're brothers" Leo added. Feeling a little unsure of himself. "I know I caused a lot of..." Leo started to say.

"No shhhhh" Don interupted. "I forgive you" Don said looking straight into Leo's eyes. Eyes he was woried he'd never see again. "I forgive you both" Don added looking at Raph before he could say anything. "And I'm sorry for my part in all this too".

Leo was so happy, he felt so much better. Headache and all. Before he could think about it too much he put an arm around each of his brothers and pulled them too him. They reciprocated and leant their heads down on Leo's shoulders. Raph remembering the sight of Don sprawled on the ground, bruise forming on his face reached over and put his other arm around Don aswell. Don did the same to Raph, so the three of them were all hundled in a comforting circle.

"Awwwwwwwwwwwww, how cute!" Came Mikey's amused voice from the door way.

Don and Raph dropped the arms they had around each other. Raph felt his face go warm. He had to stop letting other people see him all mushy. After today/night his rep was going to be shot to hell. Before they could move any more than that Mikey ran at them full force. "Group hug!" He yelled diving on top of the bed. Landing on top of Leo, so he was sitting in the centre of his brothers. Pulling them all back together.

They all laughed.

"Mikey" Raph groaned, rolling his eyes at his overly affectionate brother.

"Get off my patient" Don added in mock annoyance, as he was fairly cetain Leo was okay. He would be keeping an eye on him for a while yet to make sure though.

Leo just smiled. He was finally home.

"Hey Mikey" Leo said after a few moments "Where's my eggs and bakey?"

Mikey looked at Leo quizzically for a second before remembering what he said last night as he left. "Coming right up!" He yelled as he bounded out the door and into the kitchen.

Leo laughed.

"Does he realise it's like 2 O'clock in the morning?" Don chuckled.

Leo laughed more.

"He always was a shell fer brains" Raph added, shaking his head in amusement.

Leo Laughed again.

Yeah, he was home.

The End

AN:

** In the first chapter Entitled 'The Anger' I wrote that it never became physical between Don and Raph. I have edited that one little line, "Although it never became physical" I needed to for where I wanted the story to end. Also you can think of it as Don being in denial that it had ever happened in the first place aswell I guess if you wanted to. Sorry if it bothered anyone. I hate changing what I write and try not to do it. But I just had to for this bit.

So there you go...How did you like it?

Thankyou to all that have been reviewing...I like to respond individually to all reviews but the last couple I got the reply link wouldn't work for, for some reason. But thank you all so much!

I hope it sounds okay. I had some technical difficulties today trying to get it all done. I hope you all enjoyed it.