Love is Patient Love is Blind

Breaking Down

The three brothers walked into the lair to see April standing there with her arms crossed, "Okay, Leo just stormed in here and up to his room, slamming the door closed. What did you did Raph?" She said turning to Raphael.

Raph made a 'I didn't do anything wrong' face before sighing and looking at the ground. He walked to the couch, with April, Donnie, and Mikey following, "I, uh, kinda gave him a hard time about Karai, and possibly said 'I told you so'." Raph said.

April just stared at him with a disapproving face, "Really, why would you do that? What the heck was going through your mind when you were saying that?"

"I don't know, I just thought it needed to be said." Raph said, "I really don't know what I was thinking."

April sighed, "That was a dumb move Raphael, and you know it."

"Yeah, I do. I need to..... apologize." He struggled to say 'apologize'.

"Ya darn right ya do!" April yelled at him, "I've never seen Leo this angry before. Or at least, I don't think I have. He's not angry a lot." The three brothers nodded in agreement to that.

Then Raph got up. "What are you doing?" April asked him.

"Going to go apologize?" Raph said as if it were obvious, "What else would I do?"

"You can't apologize now! You have to let him cool down a little." April said. "Are you sure?" Raph asked unsure.

"Trust me, it's better that way." April smiled.

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Leo was just sitting in his room, staring at the wall. He could hear everything his brothers and April were saying. He sighed and decided to try and meditate to clear his head.

He lit some candles and sat down in the circle. He crisscrossed his legs and tried to clear his mind. 

After a few minutes, he crunched his eye ridges together and groaned. He couldn't get her out of his head. He opened his eyes and practically yelled, "Get out of my head!" He slouched down in defeat and stared at his hands sadly. He sighed before looking at the ceiling, whispering, "Why can't you be here with me?"

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They guys had been silent for the past three hours. Nobody talking. Nobody moving. April and Donnie were reading a book. Mikey was picking at his piece of pizza. Even Raph wasn't doing much, just silently feeding his pet.

Leo silently left his room and walked to the dojo, making sure not to be seen. He thought maybe a little training help.

He tried training but he kept messing up his katas. His leg wasn't straight. Or he forgot to do a flip at the end. He groaned in aspiration before thinking he could let his feelings out on the practice dummy, "But then I'd have to face them."

He sighed and hoped they wouldn't notice as he walked out of the dojo.

Four pairs of eyes landed on him. He turned away and made sure they couldn't see his face. Their faces fell as he walked toward the dummy and started to punch and kick at it.

April looked to Raph before nodded her head at Leo. Raph quickly shook his head and mouth 'no'.

April gave him the look and whispered quietly, "Yes, now go."

Raph sighed before walking up to Leo, "Uhm, hey Leo." Leo didn't respond, just continued to punch the dummy. "Right, uh, I wanted to, uhm....... apologize..... for what I said earlier. That was uncalled for. I just didn't really know how you felt about Karai..." Raph then realized what he said as Leo tensed up a bit and Donnie, Mikey, and April face palmed, "U-Uhm, sorry, I didn't mean to mention Karai." He groaned, "Sorry I did it again, man I'm so stupid. I'm so sorry, dude. I--!" He was interrupted by Leo falling down and crying into his knees. They just kinda stood their before Mikey yelled, "Leo!" for the third time today and ran down to his side.

Donnie and April quickly followed, then Raph dropped down, still dumb-struck.

Leo had been holding those tears in for the past four hours. He just sobbed into his arms. April rubbed circles on his shell. Splinter had come running out, wondering what the noise was when he saw his eldest son breaking down on the ground, "My son." He knelt down next to Raph.

After another minute, Donnie asked, "U-Uhm, Leo? Are you okay?" Leo looked up to him with his tear-stained face and blood-shot eyes and nodded slightly.

"Are you sure?" Doctor Donnie said, "I mean, I know you liked..... her a lot, but-"

"You're wrong." Leo interrupted him.

"Huh?" Donnie asked.

Leo stood up, "I didn't just like her. I was in love with her." Then he turned around and started to walk away.

"Wait, Leo." Mikey yelled out at him.

Leo turned around and Mikey ran up to him and wrapped his arms around him in a big bear hug, "You're not the runt that nobody wants, bro." Mikey whispered to him, still hugging him, "You never were."

Splinter was the next one to walk up to Leo and join the hug. April and Donnie looked at each other before joining them.

They all looked at Raph who had been crossing his arms and looking away.

"C'mon Raphie!" Mikey encouraged him.

Everyone but Leo started try and encourage him to join them. Raph looked at them while Leo said, "Raph?"

Raph sighed and joined the group hug.

"Now who wants pizza?!" Mikey yelled, breaking the hug and running to the kitchen.

Everyone laughed. Donnie, Splinter, April and Raph started walking toward the kitchen.

"Hey Raph?" Leo called out to him. Raph turned around, "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?" Raph asked.

"You know, 'setting me straight'." Leo air-quoted.

"Heh, no problem buddy." Raph said, patting Leo's shell before joining the others.

Leo smiled before joining his family for a well-deserved dinner.

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A/N This is not the end!

Now I need a vote for the ending.

Leo and Karai get back together after a something that Karai will do vs. Just having a normal ending where Leo and Karai DON'T get back together and there's a nice little family bonding and a high-three thing.

VOTE WHAT YOU WANT

Becca out!