Where I Can Protect You (A 2012 Mikey meets Rottmnt fic)

Chapter 10: "Donnie"

Leo lifted himself into a sitting position on his bed, his back hunched over due to the large natural shield connected to it. The soft feeling of his comforter under his hands soothed his tired state, the cold morning air nipping at his green skin. He breathed inward, peeking his eyes open to stare at the metallic ceiling, each groove and dent under his scrutiny. 

Leo removed himself from the bed before throwing the blankets back into place, wrinkled and disheveled but he didn't mind. He turned to leave and saw Casey's blanket had fallen from his form and onto the cold floor. Leo frowned at the sight and quickly retrieved the blanket from the ground, throwing it over the human and tucking it snugly around him, a soft smile formed on Leo's tired features. Leo ruffled Casey's hair before making his way to the door of the train car, lifting the curtain aside and stepping out. 

Leo sauntered to the stairs that led to the main area of the lair, wanting to reach the kitchen in hopes of grabbing something to eat. His hand gripped the cold railing, his fingers passing over the occasional sticker as he ascended the stairs. His eyes focusing on every sticker his hand brushed, remembering the exact moments Mikey had placed each one. 

He tripped when he had reached the last step, as his attention had been on the fading stickers. He regained his balance with waving arms, his face stilled with stun before breaking out into a smug grin. "Heh, Leo one, stairs zero" He whispered to himself. His hands soon fell to his side and his expression fell to one more neutral. 

Leo thought back to everything from the night prior. He remembered when he was on the rooftop with Raph, the second Mikey, the rabbit he'd met at Hueso's. He didn't know what they were going to do, obviously this other Mikey couldn't stay in this world, he would only be a sour reminder of their loss, not to mention he had his own family to get back to that would surely be worried about him. Speaking of worry, Leo's mind thought of the painful sight that was the other Mikey's shell. The damage it had sustained was obvious to anyone with eyes.

Leo sighed. The kitchen came into view and with it the one his mind had been so focused on, his brother's doppleganger, and beside him stood Raph. Raph had a tired looking expression. Maybe it was because it was early or maybe because it was just how Raph's face was stuck, but he looked more than just physically tired this morning, at least to Leo.

Leo decided to shift his attention from Mikey and instead focus his worry to Raph. "What's up big guy?" He voiced simply, his arm propped up on the counter to hold his weight. Leo watched Raph's sight narrow on him before shifting down to the side, a contemplative expression etched into his features. Leo's sight moved to Mikey, who wore an awkward frown. "Heh, what? Is there something on my face?" He questioned with a humerus tone, looking between the two.

Raph sighed, lifting his hand to his face and rubbing the spot between his eyes to soothe the tension taut nerves. "It's Donnie, he met Mikey" He said, gesturing to the turtle in orange beside them. "He came out of his lab and-" Before Raph could finish his explanation, Leo stood up straight and slammed the palms of his hands down onto the counter island.

"Donnie left his lab?!" Leo shouted, not waiting for an answer before he turned on his heel and ran to find his twin. Things had been rocky between him and Donnie since the invasion, since he sacrificed himself, since Donnie had yelled at him, since they hadn't made up. The two had shared a moment of solidarity after Mikey's death, a moment of understanding, but their time together after that was often spent in silence unless Leo could think of a topic to ramble about to his twin. 

Leo had spent a lot of his time after Mikey's death in Donnie's lab, keeping his brother company, trying to get him to get up or eat or talk or respond in any way at all. So the news that his dear twin had finally done as much as to leave his lab made Leo ecstatic.