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Waiting For You	By : MysticMewtwo Category: Comics > Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Views: 7074 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 14
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Spirited Away
Chapter Seventeen

On the drive home, Donatello tried to make small talk with his brother to get him to open up, but he did not get very far. The blue-masked ninja gave him a look that promptly shut him up and he decided not to push him. The warning was very clear. It was a private matter that was not open for discussion and strictly off-limits. Don concentrated on the road instead.

Leo felt a little guilty for his bluntness. He knew he was only trying to help, but it was not the kind of help he needed or wanted right now. He only wanted to be left alone in peace. If getting him to understand that meant being direct, then that's how it had to be.

Upon returning home, Leonardo made an excuse he was tired and headed up to his room. It was not a complete lie. He was exhausted, but he was not in any mood to socialize with his family tonight. Perhaps things would be a little better in the morning. He hoped so.

He stripped off his gear and crawled in bed under the cool sheets. He lay there and stared at the ceiling. He was so numb and hollow and lonely. He'd never felt this alone before in his entire life. He felt vastly empty without her.

He gave a deep sigh which seemed to echo in the silent room. How would he survive three days when it’d barely been an hour since she was taken to April? He shouldn't miss her this much already, but he did.

He rolled over on his side then and closed his eyes as he tried to fall asleep, but he never succeeded. He was in too much pain and he lay awake all night, staring into the darkness. It was nearly dawn when he finally decided to get up.

He dressed and quietly headed downstairs. The others would not stir for more than hour yet. He had time to make a run on the rooftops. Perhaps the cool morning air would help settle him.

Leo slipped out into the sewer tunnels and made his way down to a safe manhole opening. Once on the surface, he climbed to the roof of the nearest building in the alley he came up in. He paused a moment then to look out over the city. The pre-dawn light was starting to peek on the edge of the east horizon. It wouldn't be long before sunrise, but it was enough time for his needs.

He breathed in deeply the late spring air and slowly exhaled. Suddenly, he tore off like a shot across the roof in a sprint and deftly leaped to the next one. He continued like this, running so fast he cleared a mile of roofs in under a minute, and he didn't stop either.

Memories of yesterday began to flood his mind, playing out before him as if he were reliving them again. The taste of her lips, the feel of her soft skin against his and his face nestled in her silky hair. It was a moment in his life that he'd never forget and he wanted so much to have more of the same.

It wasn't until he felt like his lungs would explode that he slowed down and finally rested in the shadow of an air-conditioning unit. He sat leaned against it panting and nearly choking as he greedily gulped in the air.

His chest ached horribly and the muscles in his legs screamed in pain from the brutal workout. He felt nauseated and he put his head down between his knees. His breathing echoed loudly in his ears and became heavier instead of slower. He could feel sweat trickling down his face, but when he reached to wipe it away, he realized the moisture was actually tears. His gasps had turned into sobs now and he began to weep quietly.

In those moments, he felt as if a heavy weight was lifting from his heart and his mind emerged of its fog as it started to clear. A gentle calm stole over him and he suddenly felt strangely at peace. His tears gradually began to slow and his sobs died away, becoming small shuddery breaths.

He lifted his head finally then and wiped the remaining tears from his eyes with the palm of his hand. For a long minute, he sat there silent all but for his slightly ragged breaths. He did not feel ready to move yet, but realized that he must as he was rapidly losing the cover of darkness.

A soft wind blew as the sun began to crest on the horizon. It ruffled his bandana tails lightly and swirled a cluster of pink flower petals at his feet. It was not uncommon to see them on the rooftops at this time of the year, but he was a good distance away from Central Park.

He picked up a few in his hand and looked over them closely. Cherry blossoms. There was only one place in the city where he knew cherry trees grew and it was Sakura Park. It was a small park located in downtown Manhattan. Although, it was more open due to its location, for years it'd been one of his favorite spots to hang out.

Every spring, he would sit up in the branches of one of the many flowering trees and be absolutely engulfed by their color and scent. This year, however, he had not been to the park and he had missed their vitality. However, it was too late in the season now to go. Most of the flowers were long gone, except these few petals here on the roof.

As he cradled the delicate petals, he wondered if this could be an omen; a sign to him that everything would be renewed. Whatever the reasons, it rekindled a fire of hope inside him that had grown dim and cold. In a sense, he himself felt renewed.

Leonardo stood to his feet now, the cherry blossoms still nestled in his hand. He stepped to the edge of the roof, taking aid of the few shadows left. As he climbed down to the alley below, he let the petals slip free and the wind gently carried them upwards and towards the rising sun.

_________________________________________________________________

He managed to return home in enough time to shower before his family awoke. He did not want to face the questions they would inevitably have if they saw him in his current state. For this reason, he chose to use the downstairs bathroom for his needs.

Afterwards, he headed to the kitchen to make a pot of tea. He grabbed two cups from the cupboard, but remembered he would need only one this morning, and slowly put the second cup away. It was strange not to have her around after she'd been a part of his daily life for so long and he felt the loneliness begin to creep into his heart again. It was not as bad as before, but the pain was still as sharp.

Leo poured the hot green beverage into the cup and then sat down at the table. He held it between his hands, watching the steam curl and weave its way upward. He focused on this rather than the empty chair beside him. When the tea had cooled slightly, he finally took a tentative drink.

It was now he began to hear the others stir and move around. For ninja, they were loud. The sound of Michelangelo's shuffling footsteps announced his arrival to the kitchen long before Leo saw him.

"Morning, Leo," Mikey greeted as he yawned hugely.

"Good morning, Mike," Leo said, giving a slight smile.

It wasn't a forced smile, but it wasn't an easy one either. Fortunately, Mikey was too busy fighting sleep to notice. The younger turtle plodded to the food pantry and began pulling things out to make breakfast with.

"Should I make cinnamon or blueberry pancakes?" he mused, "I forget which one is Alisa's favorite."

An awkward silence followed and it was a moment later that Michelangelo realized his mistake.

"Oh, right," he said, his voice a little quieter now, "I forgot she wasn't here."

"It's okay," Leo dismissed, a thin tight smile on his lips, "And it's blueberry."

Mike nodded his head and continued gathering ingredients together for the pancakes. Suddenly, he paused and looked over his shoulder at his older brother. Leo sat still and stone-faced, staring idly into his tea. He got this way when he was thinking really deeply about something and thus it was perfectly normal to Mikey.

"It's weird, you know?" the orange-masked turtle remarked, "I mean, not having her around the lair after she's been with us for all this time. I miss her."

"She's only gone for a few days," Leo replied, deadpanned, "She'll be back."

Mikey winced at the tone of his voice. He couldn’t believe he didn’t care she was gone or even missed her. She devoted herself to the whole family like a sister, but she spent much of her time with Leo and they had become damn near inseparable. They were like two peas in a pod; the best of friends. It made Mike just a little envious of their relationship.

"Maybe," he answered, "But whether or not you miss her, I still do."

With that, he then went back to preparing the pancakes. Now it was Leonardo's turn to wince. The comment had stung, but he supposed he deserved it. He hadn't really meant to be so cold and dismissive of his brother's feelings. He knew Mikey would miss her more openly than he would, but it didn't mean he didn’t miss her either. He did miss her. He missed her so much his heart ached. He would just rather keep that emotion to himself than express it aloud.

As the morning progressed, Leo didn't have time to think of Alisa. He threw himself into his usual daily routine and thus managed to keep busy. It allowed him to function somewhat normally at least and seemed to fool his family that nothing was amiss.

However, there was one who was not at all convinced by his act and could see right through him. Raphael knew something was going on with his older brother, but again Leo wasn't telling them anything. It irritated the red-masked turtle that he continued to hide his problems, but Raph had a pretty good hunch as to what they were.

After practice, he sought out the blue-masked ninja and found him in the living room sitting on the couch. He was slumped down a bit in the cushions, giving the appearance he was either tired or just didn’t care. The televisions had been turned on, but the glazed look in his dark blue eyes told Raph he wasn't watching them and he was actually a million miles away right now.

Raph had the urge to shake him and snap him out of this, but it didn't work that way. He had to take the more tactical approach. He wanted to help Leo to open up, not close him off further.

"Nothin' good on?" Raph spoke, as he plopped down beside him on the couch.

The sudden jolt and gruff voice startled Leonardo, but he managed to recover quickly enough. For the first time, he paid attention to what was playing on the television. It was an infomercial for magic towels that could soak up Lake Michigan.

"No, I guess not," he replied.

He picked up the remote control and handed it off to his sibling. The red-masked turtle started flipping through channels. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Leo as he crossed his arms tightly over his chest.

"Somethin' buggin' you?" Raph asked.

"No," was the terse answer.

Raph was expecting this, but his patience could only hold out for so long. It was time to cut right to the chase.

"So what are you mopin' around for then?” he challenged, "You miss her, don'tcha?"

Leo felt his heart stop momentarily and he could only blink in response. It wasn’t that obvious, was it? He hadn't exactly been in good spirits, but he wasn't sulking as Raph suggested. He was actually a little offended by that remark.

"No, I am not moping around," he finally said, icily, "I am merely tired. And Alisa will be back in a few days."

"You don't sound convinced of that," Raph pointed out, "What's goin' on anyway? What's the real reason she left?"

"I told you why last night," Leo ground out, "There's nothing going on. Alisa only wanted some time out of the lair because she felt a little cooped up. She'll be safe if that's what you're worrying about."

"I ain't worryin’ about her so much as I know you're deliberately hidin' somethin' about her," Raph retorted.

"Why are you complaining?" Leo snapped, "Before yesterday, you would've gladly watched her go out the door."

"She and I have resolved our differences," Raph replied, hotly, "She's not a bad kid and she's a pretty good sparrin' partner, but it seems to me you and her have got some issues you haven’t sorted out."

"You don't know what you’re talking about," Leo seethed.

He was standing now; ready to walk away at a moment’s notice. He felt like a trapped animal in a tortured maze. Why couldn't he just be left the hell alone? If he wanted to talk to them he would, but this was his private life and it was none of their business what went on in it.

"What else would make her upset enough to leave then?" Raph demanded, "What'd you do, kiss her?"

He wasn't serious with that one remark. He was only trying to goad Leo into a reaction, but the one he got wasn't at all what he expected. The blue-masked turtle went rigid, his body absolutely frozen, and his face was a sickly pale green. His eyes were filled with horror and it was then comprehension dawned over Raph.

"Aw, shit," he swore, softly, "Leo, you didn't."

Leonardo wanted to run, but his brain had disconnected from his body and he found he couldn’t move. So he wanted to die instead. It was easier to escape the pain and shame that way anyhow. The silence said everything to Raphael.

"Fuck," he breathed, "Leo, why?"

"Because I was stupid," Leo finally croaked out, "And I love her."

Raph's jaw nearly dropped open at the confession. The surprise was written clearly enough on his face, however. He wondered why none of them had ever noticed, but then again Leo was very discreet. It wouldn’t have been as simple to receive that knowledge such as when they knew Donny had a crush on April, but this situation was completely different.

April was taken, by his best friend Casey, and Don couldn't act on his feelings, but Alisa was not and Leo had very much acted on his. It was an act that may or may not have ill-fated the blossoming relationship, and more importantly, the possibilities it opened up. Suddenly, their lives seemed to have become a hell of a lot more complicated.

"I take it she didn't share the same sentiment," Raph guessed.

Leo shook his head.

"Not... exactly," he replied, his voice low.

"What do you mean by 'not exactly'?" Raph inquired, an eye-ridge quirked suspiciously.

"Well, she..." Leo faltered, and then he sighed, "That's why she left. She wasn't sure what she wanted and I didn't want her to feel she was trapped."

He paused a moment and his eyes lowered.

"I never should have..."

"And that's your problem," Raph interrupted, "You continue to blame yourself and shoulder all the responsibility when she's just as much at fault."

"But I made the first move," Leo protested.

"Doesn't matter," Raph disputed, "She didn’t say 'no' to it, did she?"

The blue-masked turtle shook his head slightly.

"So stop blamin' yourself," Raph told him, "Give her that time to figure things out without the guilt trip. I don't want to see her hurt, but I don't want you to get hurt.”

Leo was almost speechless at the advice. Rarely was his hot-headed, impulsive brother this insightful.

"Uh, okay," he finally said, "Thanks."

The conversation had reached a conclusion by that point, and so he took it as his cue to leave. As he started to walk away, he paused a moment, and looked back.

"Hey, Raph," he added, more seriously, "Really, thank you. It means a lot to me."

"Don't expect me to knock some sense into you all the time," Raph grumbled, a little embarrassed by the attention, "That's your job."

Leo gave a slightly wry smile.

"I'll remember that," he promised.

He turned then and headed for the stairs to take his second shower of the morning. He did feel much better. Talking to Raph had helped to calm his fears and relieve the anxiety that had been eating at him. So when he thought about Alisa now, he no longer had a tightening knot in his chest or stomach.

Leo had worried how she was faring even throughout his own pain. He knew she would be struggling with the same emotions, but he was sure April would give her support where needed. He just hoped the red-head didn't push her too much.

____________________________________________________________

The face reflected in the window was haggard and sullen. Its emerald eyes were dark, sunken, and lifeless. They blinked once and a lone tear escaped, but it was wiped away quickly.

Alisa stared out at the city from her perch on the window seat in the living room. It wasn't much different to her than looking at the ceiling all night, but she had grown tired of lying in bed. She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting here, but she didn't really care. The growing shadows indicated, however, it was approaching early evening.

Her stomach reminded her then of how little she'd eaten through the day, but she hadn't wanted food. She ate only enough to get April off her back. She knew the older woman was only worried about her and was trying to help, but she wanted nothing more than to be left alone.

"Alisa, do you want to help me out in the store?" a voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

The young woman slowly turned her head away from the window to look at the red-head. April had a bright, coaxing smile on her face. She wanted to get Alisa moving around and take her mind off of her troubles. The poor girl seemed so lost and depressed.

April had a good idea what was going on based on her talk with Leo earlier yesterday. She was a little surprised at the development, but she hoped things would work out for the better for them. If there was anyone who deserved each other more it was those two.

Alisa considered the proposal for a moment. On one hand, she really didn't feel like doing anything, but on the other hand she was getting irritated just sitting around moping. She needed to find something to do so she wasn't feeling sorry for herself. A pity party was the last thing she wanted.

"Okay," she answered, quietly.

She stood to her feet, the stiff muscles in her legs screaming in protest at her. She really had been sitting here a long time. She walked slowly at first, working out the kinks. Then she soon followed April more quickly downstairs to the store.

She'd never seen much of the shop during her short stay here over a month ago, so now she took the opportunity to really explore it. There were so many antiques, from tiny flowered china teacups to huge bronze statues, and they were literally everywhere. It was a sort of organized clutter in that while everything had a place on a shelf or in a corner on the floor, it was really crowded.

"I have a few boxes of stuff that just came in that need to be put out," April began, "I got a really good deal from an estate sale. Someone's great-grandmother apparently horded a lot of valuable antiques and I'm hoping they'll sell very well."

Alisa glanced to the already overflowing shelves around them. Put it where? This place had no more room. April chuckled a little at the expression of disbelief on her face.

"Yeah, I know what you’re thinking," she acknowledged, "No more space, but some of this will be going to the storage room in back, so don’t worry."

The two women then set to their task. They worked for two hours until April decided to call it a night. It was well past dinner and both were starving. Alisa's appetite had returned with the work.

Once back upstairs in the apartment, the red-head threw together a quick meal of tacos, which was eaten casually in the living room. Alisa felt a little better now than she had earlier, but her spirit was still heavy with emotion. It was so hard to understand these feelings.

The kiss seemed to replay over and over in her mind, and the electric fire she remembered that rushed through her blood. The rough, yet soft leathery feel of his skin and the heady scent of sweet musk mixed with incense and soap. It was strange to start thinking of your best friend like that, but how long had she felt this way without even realizing it? In truth, she'd never know, but now she had to face it head on, and while she knew it shouldn't, it fucking scared her.

The sharp ring of the telephone jolted her to reality again. She watched as April answered, talked to the caller cheerfully for a moment, and then unexpectedly held out the phone towards her. Alisa stared at it briefly and then looked at the older woman.

"It's Leo," April told her.

She watched as the young woman's eyes grew wide with surprise. After last night with his less than happy answer to her question, Alisa was sure he didn't want her calling him or vice versa. So what made him change his mind? She hesitated just a moment longer to take the phone.

"Go on, Alisa," April coaxed her, "Talk to him. He wants to talk to you."

Alisa took a deep breath and finally accepted the phone. It was stupid to suddenly be afraid to talk to him when they had spent countless hours together before doing nothing but that. Maybe feelings had changed, but communication should remain the same.

"Hello?" she spoke into the receiver.

"Hey," the soothing baritone voice filtered softly into her ear, "How are you?"

She gripped the phone tighter as her fingers suddenly began to tremble, but hoped her voice wouldn't carry it as well. The sound of his voice made her heart contract painfully and she realized then just how much she missed him. She wanted nothing more than to go home, but she knew she shouldn't let her emotions control her like that. She had to stay rational and clear-headed about this.

"I'm good," she answered, "I got to help April in the shop today."

"She didn't drive you crazy changing her mind where to put everything, did she?" he teased.

"Maybe a little bit," she grinned, fully aware the red-head was listening.

They talked for nearly an hour and never once was last night mentioned. It wouldn't have changed anything and possibly only would’ve brought more heartache for the both of them. The conversion was only cut short when Alisa failed to stifle a yawn.

"You should get some sleep," he told her.

"I'll try," she replied, quietly, “It's hard to when you're not in your own bed."

It wasn't a complete lie. It had been a small part of the reason why she couldn’t sleep last night.

"I understand," he agreed.

"So, I'll call you again tomorrow night," he added, "Is that okay?"

"Yeah," she consented, "It's okay."

"Alright, sleep well then," he bade her.

"Thanks, you too," she said, softly.

A moment later, she heard the click of the phone in her ear as he hung up. She exhaled a long sigh before she too placed the phone back in its cradle. She noticed she was alone now. April had left some time ago to clean the kitchen and wash dishes. Alisa felt like she should have helped, but was glad she was given the chance to talk to Leonardo. She didn't feel quite so broken anymore.

She rose from the couch to her feet and padded over to her room. After a quick shower, she was going to bed despite how early it was. All of a sudden, she’d become so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open. She almost stumbled on her way to the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, she returned freshly washed and dressed in her night gown. She slid in under the cool sheets and snuggled down in the bed. She laid her head on the pillow and within moments of closing her eyes, she was asleep.

It was shortly after midnight when Alisa was awakened by a faint scratching on her window. Her first thought was it could be an animal, but as she listened more closely, it sounded like metal scraping on the glass. A warning went off in her head then to move, quickly, and she did not waste a second in obeying those instincts.

The window slowly began to rise and two figures, black as the night itself, slipped into the bedroom. Nearly two dozen more were waiting on nearby rooftops as back up if needed.

"Be on your guard," one of the two whispered to the other.

"What are you worried about?" the second one asked, in a louder whisper than his teammate, "It's a girl. This will be a piece of cake."

"Will you be quiet?" the first one hissed, "And no, this will not be a piece of cake. You have no idea what we're dealing with here."

"She's asleep," the second one countered, "All we do is grab her and you put..."

He stopped suddenly when he noticed the empty bed.

"Shit, where'd the little fucker go?" he exclaimed.

In the next instant, he found himself flying face first towards the wall as he was kicked powerfully from behind. The nightstand broke his fall, but it made a horrific crash that was certain to wake the second member of the household. The first Foot ninja nervously looked around the room, taking a few steps backwards. He felt something then wrap around his throat in a choke hold, leaving him gasping for breath.

"You have made a big mistake," a feminine voice growled in his ear.

"You'll... you'll make an even bigger one if you don't release me," the ninja struggled, “There;s... there's more waiting outside. You may get through me, but you won't them."

A sudden knock on the door interrupted them.

"Alisa, are you alright?" April's worried voice filtered through, "What's going on?"

Shit, Alisa thought, If she opens that door, the whole Foot will swarm on us. I have to warn her.

"April, get out of here!" she shouted, "Run! Save yourself!"

"What?!"

April nearly broke down the door as she charged in the room. Light flooded the area and she halted abruptly at the scene before her, horror filling every fiber of her being.

"No, no!" Alisa screamed, "Go! Get out of here!"

"Alisa, I can’t leave...!" April started to protest, finally finding her voice.

"GO!"

April didn't waste another second and immediately fled the room. The order resonated so eerily of Leonardo she couldn't have disobeyed it if she tried. At the thought of him, she knew she must somehow contact the turtles.

Unfortunately, the distraction April had provided was enough for the Foot ninja to get the upper hand. He grabbed Alisa's arm and slammed her over him to the floor. The impact shook her and left her momentarily dazed. She regained her senses just before he delivered a dragon punch to her face.

She rolled quickly to the side, then jumped to her feet and caught him in the chest with a roundhouse kick. He stumbled precariously, but did not fall. He charged at her and tackled her to the floor. They wrestled furiously until he had her pinned, but her struggles would soon have her free if he did not act fast.

He pulled the medallion from his pocket and slipped it over her head just as she broke loose. Enraged, she tried to rip it off, but received a nasty shock for her efforts. It had literally electrocuted her.

She gave a short scream and fell to the floor in a heap. She was barely conscious as her body convulsed slightly with the electricity. She had never hurt so much in her life. It was hard to breathe and even harder to move, but she had to fight. She wouldn't let them take her.

She tried to stand, but failed. She couldn't feel her body anymore. Panic started to set in, but she willed herself to remain calm. Once more, she attempted to rise to her feet, but it was too late. Her strength was gone and she was merely on the edge of consciousness. As darkness engulfed her, she wondered if she would die tonight and tears began to spill down her cheeks. She knew what her feelings were now, but she would never get to tell him she loved him.

__________________________________________________________________________

Leonardo bolted upright in bed, gasping for air. Adrenaline rushed through his veins and a thin layer of sweat covered his face. It took him a moment to regain his bearings and realize that he was not in the midst of his enemy. He then sighed deeply, dropping his head in his hands. A dream, it was just a dream, but why did he still feel something was horribly wrong?

The shrill ring of his shell cell shattered through his senses suddenly. He reached for it quickly, a feeling of dread forming in the pit of his stomach. They weren't called at this time of night unless it was an emergency.

“Hello?” he answered.

"Leo," April breathed, "Oh, god... Leo, you have to come over, now."

It sounded like she was upset and it put him on full alert.

"April, what's wrong?" he asked, urgently.

"Something... something terrible has happened," she choked, "I can't talk... You'll see."

"We'll be right over," he promised, "Whatever's happened, you and Alisa try to stay safe until we get there."

At the mention of Alisa's name, he heard April start sobbing. That was when he knew everything had gone from bad to worse.

"No..." he whispered.

He felt his heart and chest seize up painfully. It took several deep breaths before he managed to calm down and he didn't feel his emotions were going to explode. He needed to stay in control. April's life depended on it.

"April, wherever you are, don't move," he told her, "We're coming right now."

As soon as he hung up the phone, he tore out of bed and threw on his gear. Then he quickly went to waken his brothers. In minutes, they were all dressed and assembled downstairs briefly before they headed to the elevator to the Battle Shell.

The ride to April's was somber and tense. No one knew exactly what kind of trouble they were about to face, but when the Foot was involved, it was always bad. A few minutes later, they pulled into the alley alongside the Second Time Around building.

The car had barely stopped when Leo sprang out and made a dash to the door. It was locked, but he forced it open with a well placed kick. By the time his brothers caught up, he was already halfway inside. They searched the area around the store for any sign of lurking ninja, but came up clean. It seemed virtually undisturbed down here.

Leo pulled his shell cell from his belt and hit the speed dial for April's number. It rang only twice before it was answered.

"Leo, are you here now?" April asked.

"Yes, we're here," he assured her, "The store is secure, but we haven't hit the apartment yet. Where are you?"

"At the back, in the storage room," she replied.

"Come on back up here," he told her, "It's safe."

"Okay, I'll be there in a minute," she said.

He heard a click as she hung up and he returned the phone in his belt. Not quite a minute later, April appeared around the bend and then nearly ran into Leo's arms. He held her as she started to cry, trying to comfort her as best as he could, but something more important was taking precedence in his mind.

"April, where is Alisa?" he pleaded, "Please, tell me. What has happened to her?"

"I-I don't know," she sniffled, "She told me to get out. She wouldn't let me stay to help her."

That sounded like something Alisa would do. She would risk her own life to protect others, not much unlike him. However, such an act involved sacrifices at their own expense and thus April's answer made him fear the worst.

"Let's go check out upstairs," he ordered then, trying to keep his voice steady.

They headed to the stairs and tentatively made their way up to the apartment. In her haste, April had not closed the front door, so it was partially open. Leonardo quietly pushed it the rest of the way open and stepped through first. A quick glance around told him the place was deserted. He motioned for the others to come in.

Like the shop, everything in the front rooms was virtually untouched, but when they reached the guest room, it was a different story. It looked like a war zone. The room was in complete shambles. However, there was no sign of Alisa anywhere. It was a small relief not to find her dead, but his heart felt no less it would break.

"Mai koibito," he whispered, softly.

"Hey, Leo, check this out," Raph suddenly called to him.

The blue-masked turtle walked over to where he had discovered a shuriken embedded in the door with a piece of paper attached. Raph tore it off and handed it his older brother. Leo read the note first silently, his heart dropping to the soles of his feet as he did, and then read it aloud.

"Turtles, if you want to see the girl alive again, come to the old boat docks by the East River."

"So let's go get her then," Michelangelo said, anxiously.

"Hang on, Mikey," Leo cautioned, "This smells way too much like a set-up."

"But..." the youngest turtle started to protest.

"Leo's right, Mikey," Donatello interjected, "We can't just walk blindly into this. It could be a trap."

"Which is why I'm going alone," Leo announced, solemnly, "I can't risk all of our lives. It's me Karai wants anyway."

Instantly, there was a chorus of shocked reactions and disagreements.

"No way, Leo," Raph retorted, "It's too dangerous for you to do this alone. You're gonna need our help."

"I need to take care of it on my own," Leo replied, his voice low, "I feel responsible."

Raph reached to lay a hand on his shoulder.

"Leo, I know you love her," he said, stunning the two youngest turtles in the process with his words, “But don't be stupid. Gettin' yourself killed doesn't help her, us, or you."

Leo knew he was right, but he just couldn't take that risk having them all right where the enemy wanted them. If he lost his family too, he'd never forgive himself. He shrugged away Raph's hand then and walked to the open window.

"I'm sorry, but this is something I have to do alone," he told them, quietly.

"Leo, if you..." Raph started to warn.

"Watch me," Leo answered, darkly.

He climbed out onto the fire escape, and in a blink of an eye, he was gone.

End Chapter Seventeen
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