***
"Where's Leonardo?"
Splinter looked around the room. Donatello and Angel were cuddled up on the couch. He could hear Michaelangelo in the kitchen, and he had seen Raphael heading for his room. Leonardo was nowhere to be found.
"He's practicing," Donatello said.
Splinter approached the couple. "I have already checked the dojo. He was not there, but his katana and turtlecom were."
Angel looked up at Donatello. "Where do you think he went?"
Donatello shrugged. "Maybe for a run. But he usually tells us if he's going to take off. He's not Raphael. He just told us to get him for dinner."
Angel sat up. "I have a bad feeling. Are you worried sensei?"
"Far too much for my liking," he replied.
Donatello gave him a confused look and Angel nodded. She patted Donatello's thigh and stood up. "We better go find him. Dinner's almost ready, anyway. Right, Michaelangelo?"
Michaelangelo stuck his head out from the kitchen. "Twenty minutes, dudette."
Angel pulled Donatello up. "Come on, we'll grab Raphael on the way out."
***
Leonardo felt a soft hand on his cheek and turned into it. He opened his eyes and looked at Veronica.
"Wakey, wakey, beloved. Your friends will be here soon."
Her voice was so sweet. He didn't want his friends to come. He wanted to stay here with his lovely angel.
Then reality hit him full force.
***
Raphael kicked an empty can down the sewer tunnel. "I don't see why I have to come along on this trip."
"But if you didn't," Angel said. "We wouldn't have the pleasure of your wonderful company!"
"Hey, leave the sarcasm to me, sister," Raphael shot back.
Donatello looked around for some trace that Leonardo had been here, silently hoping that they would not go on like this for long.
Fortunately, he got his wish, but not the way he hoped.
"Stay away from me!"
"Leonardo!" they all cried, and started running towards the yell.
They found him curled up against a sewer pipe, stripped of all his gear, with several scratches on his upper arms.
Angel ran ahead. "Leonardo?" She reached out to touch his shoulder but he recoiled in fear. He looked at her, tears streaming down his face, so much pain in his eyes. Angel almost started crying as well. He finally recognized her and collapsed into her arms and lost it.
Donatello and Raphael, who felt helpless to comfort their brother, started collecting his gear.
"Hey, Raphael, look at this." Donatello showed his brother Leonardo's belt. One of the sashes was broken.
"Geez, it looks like something chewed right through it."
Leonardo mumbled incoherently as he quieted down. Angel rubbed his shell as he cried on her shoulder.
"I tried… she wouldn't stop…didn't want to stop…"
"Shh, it's okay, Leonardo, it's okay."
Donatello and Raphael stood over them holding Leonardo's things. Angel helped Leonardo to his feet. "Leonardo, tell us what happened."
He looked at her face and sniffed. "Veronica."
***
Splinter took another sip of tea and looked at his three sons. They all shared identical looks of worry and anger.
Angel entered the room and took her place beside Donatello. "He's finally asleep again."
"The nightmares are getting worse," Donatello said, looking down at his lap.
Raphael slammed his fist into his palm. "If I ever get hold of that psycho, I swear I'll kill her."
Splinter gave him a disapproving look but Raphael didn't care at the moment. It had been three days since Leonardo was attacked. All the scratches were nearly healed, but Leonardo was far from being all right.
He couldn't sleep through the night. He couldn't concentrate on practicing his ninja skills. He wouldn't leave the lair and he barely ate. He never spoke unless he was screaming out in his sleep.
Angel and Splinter had both tried several herbal and magickal remedies, but nothing helped the nightmares or his depression.
Leonardo held the blanket close to his body. As soon as he closed his eyes, he saw her again. Her twisted smile, her cold blue eyes, her groping hands. He felt sick, and even more ashamed.
***
Veronica stared over the top of her glass at Shredder. He was doing his very best not to make eye contact. Finally, he turned to her.
"And what has you so happy? You look like the cat who swallowed the canary."
Veronica just smiled. "I'm just contented. I had a very good time on the surface."
Shredder leaned forward. "On the surface? When? What did you do?"
"You mean 'who'," she smirked. "I don't report to you, no matter what you think." She took a sip of her milk. "Bleech. Horrible. I think it's gone bad. Excuse me, I don't feel too well."
After she left, Shredder curiously tasted the milk. It was fine. Perfectly normal.
"Strange woman," he mumbled as he thought over her words.
***
At five in the morning, Angel knocked on the door of Donatello's lab.
"Good morning," he said.
"Morning," she replied, not quite as cheerful. "Leonardo finally slept through the night." She rested her arm around his shoulder. "But I see you didn't."
"No, I didn't. I finally started making some progress on this and I didn't want to lose my momentum." He looked over at Angel. "He slept through?"
She nodded. "Took him six months, but I think the worst is over."
"Oh, I hope so."
***