I Won't Let Go!

See You Soon

Raph's P.O.V

The sound of Leo's phone ringing interrupts my panic. I pull the phone out of his belt, Donnie calling him.
I stare at the phone. If I don't answer, they will only worry more. But if I answer it...
I let it ring a few times while I fight with myself.
But I have to answer it.
I take a deep breath and the phone trembles in my hand.
I press the green button to answer the phone and I put it up to my ear.
"Leo?" I hear Donnie's voice for the first time in eight months.
I try to speak, but my voice gets stuck in my throat and a few moments of silence pass.
"Hello? Leo? Are you okay?"
"He's okay," I manage to say, but my voice is shaking.
A few seconds pass while Donnie is processing hearing me after so long.
"Raph?" he finally asks.
"Yeah."
"Are you okay?" I was expecting him to be mad, to yell at me for all the pain I caused. But now he just sounds worried.
"Yeah," my voice cracks a little. "Leo got knocked out and he hurt his shell, but he's okay." I pause for a second and I look down at Leo, then at the tape around my wrists. "We will come home when he wakes up."
"Will you text me when he wakes up?"
"Yeah."
"See you soon," Donnie hangs up the phone and I put Leo's phone in my belt.
I look down at Leo, he's out cold.
But he's here...with me.
Not a day went by where I didn't think about him. I had no idea if he would live through that fight, and I had no idea if I would ever see him again.
I look at the scar on his neck and I get overwhelmed with guilt.
I was able to cope with the guilt by distracting myself. I would work out until my muscles burned and my knees shock. Then I would do it all again until I could hardly breath or move and I would pass out.
I pick up his limo hand and I hold it gently.
I almost forgot what it felt like to feel contact from another.
Shivers run through my body and my eyes swell with tears.
I missed him so much that it physically hurts me. I just want to hug him and tell him that I'm sorry. But saying sorry isn't enough for what I did to him, to what I did to the others.
I look down at his shell, there's a small crack and it's already starting to bruise.
I gently put my fingers over his wound. It's tender.
I put my hand over his heart and I feel for his heartbeat, it's a little weak but it's there.
I just sit there, looking down at him, holding his hand and feeling his heartbeat.

Mikey's P.O.V
I stare at Donnie with hopeful eyes. "What's going on?"
"Leo got knocked out in their fight, but he's okay. They will come home when he wakes up."
"They? Does that mean Raph is coming home too?" Donnie looks at me with a big smile. I smile back and I slump back into the chair.
"We did it," Donnie says.
"All thanks to you." I gesture around the room as all his maps and his notes.
"I couldn't have done it without you." He looks down at the radio.
"I didn't do much."
"You did more than you know."
"What does that mean?"
"Go tell Sensei the news, I'm going to call April and Casey." He completely dodged my question.
"What does that mean?" I repeat myself.
"Later," Donnie says and he pulls out his phone. I nod I walk out of the lab and I make my way towards the dojo.
I knock on Sensei's door and he slides it open almost immediately. I don't even think I was finished knocking.
I can't contain myself.
I throw myself at him and give him a big hug, he seems startled but he hugs me back.
"They are coming home." As soon as the words leave my mouth I feel him relax and he squeezes me a little tighter, still being cautious of my ribs.
"Thank you," he sighs and he pulls back. "May we all have no more restless nights."
"Our family will be whole again," I say with a bright smile. It's hard to tell, but I think I see a smile creep onto his face too. He nods.
"When will they be home?"
"Leo got knocked out and a little injured in their fight, they will come home when he wakes up."
"Let's go to the living room, my Son."
I follow Sensei into the living room, Donnie is on his way out of his lab too. He is still on his phone with someone.
"Oh! I have to call the Mutanables!" Sensei walks over to the couch and he sits down, I hang back a little and call Leatherhead.
"Michelangelo are you okay?"
"I'm more than okay, we found Raph. He's coming home."
"That's a relief," his voice is as scratchy as ever. "May we come tomorrow?" He asks.
"Yeah, of course."
"See you tomorrow, Michelangelo."
"Good night." I hang up the phone and I go and meet Donnie and Sensei. Donnie is sitting near the couch in his wheelchair and Splinter is standing next to him.
I go and sit in the couch next to them.
"What did April and Casey say?"
"They are on their way."
"I am going to go make coffee for everyone," Splinter says then he disappears into the kitchen.
"So..." I kind of trail off. "It's later now."
Donnie laughs a little. "It is," he verifies. "I just mean that you helped me a lot."
"You did all the research, all the work."
"You were by my side the whole time, I couldn't have done that all without you. Not to mention, how many times did you force me to eat? To sleep? To step away from my work? I would've driven myself insane otherwise. Not to mention you figured out the radio tonight and knew you could."
"Thanks, Donnie." I have a butterfly feeling in my stomach as Donnie looks at me. He's reddened with embarrassment, but he's smiling. I catch his courageous smile and I clean back on the couch.
"No we wait," Donnie says. I have a feeling that this is going to be the longest wait of my life.