Journey's end

Ch 7. Only In Your Dreams

"LEO! LEO!" Raph grabbed Leo's shoulders and shook him awake. "Wake up, your having another nightmare!"

Leo's eyes shot opened and he stared horrified at Raph. He grabbed him in a fierce hug and cried uncontrollably, the images of the nightmare still playing over and over in his mind.

"Oh God Raph!" Leo cried out as he buried his face into Raph's plastron and cried hard, the tears flowing along his cheeks wetting Raph's chest. "You're still here." Leo sobbed. "You're haven't gone anywhere."

"It's okay Leo." Raph soothe, running his hand up and down Leo's shell trying to calm him down. "I'm right here, it's okay."

He looked up as their door opened and his Sensei and brothers filed into the room looking concern over the screams coming from inside.

"Is everything alright Raphael?" Splinter asked, coming closer to their bed.

"I'm not sure Sensei." Raph replied, still trying to calm down Leonardo.

Leo hiccuped and shook hard as he slightly moved himself away from Raph's chest. He looked up at the others, trying hard to control himself. "I'm sssorry everyone." He stuttered. "I...I don't know what came over me."

"Leo." Raph made Leo look up at him. "We know you've been having nightmares for almost a year now."

"Yeah bro." Mikey sat on the bed next to Leo. "Open up and talk to us."

"We're all here for you Leo." Donnie said, as he too moved closer to the bed. "Tell us what the nightmares are about."

Leo looked away from the family in shame. "I'm so sorry." He said as he finally calmed himself. "I didn't realized I've been disturbing you all with my foolish...."

"Don't Leo." Raph said, his eyes hard. "Don't go telling us that your some kind of burden and your problems mean nothing to us." His eyes soften and he rubbed his cheek gently. "I...we love you." He motioned to his family "And we want to help you so please, talk to us...tell us what's going on." He pleaded

Leo took a deep breath and his shoulders sagged in defeat. "Your right Raph." He told him. He looked around at the rest of them and shook his head. "I've been trying so hard to deal with everything by myself, I've got to start remembering you're all family and I can come to you with my problems."

"Come, let us go down to the kitchen for some tea and then Leonardo can tell us what has been upsetting him." Splinter told them. They followed him down to the kitchen and while Splinter made the tea, Leonardo sat by Raph and took a deep breath. He smiled when Splinter placed the small cup full of the calm smelling liquid in front of him and began his story.

"It always starts out the same way." Leo began. "I'm fighting Saki and he dies, just like it happened so many months ago. But then things change." Leo got a far away look in his eyes as the dream came back to haunt him. "I'm at the cemetery looking at my mom's grave and I look up and he's in front of me. Staring at me, mocking me, reminding me how much of a disappointment I am to him and how much he hates me." Leo looked down at the cup of tea in his hands and the others saw a tear escape his eyes.

Splinter put a paw on his shoulder. "You have never been a disappointment to anyone Leonardo." He told him. "We are all very proud of you." He forced Leo's head up to look at him "And I know your mother is as well."

Leo wiped the tears from his face and smiled at him.. "Thank you Sensei." He told him, sniffling. "Anyway." Leo said continuing. "Usually in the dream, after Saki is done speaking to me, I'm usually running through the woods trying to get away from someone. But I can never see his face. But this time..." Leo took a breath and stared at Raph. "In this dream...."Leo swallowed hard.