The monotonous ticking of the bedside clock could bore someone to sleep right away, but not her. No, she was very much awake, much more awake than she should be. That would be great if the sun was out, but no. The little hand of the clock pointed at the number three, and everyone else in the house had already drifted off to dreamland; to their own fantasies.

Not her though. Even if she had managed, she doesn't even know if she has a fantasy to go to.

Rolling over to the left side of her bed, she picked up her phone, turning it on. The bright blue light shone on her face, and she squinted her eyes as she adjusted to the brightness. She opened her chats, but sometimes she doesn't know why she does it. Hardly anyone messages her. She doesn't know why she clings on to that hope that one day her friends would invite her over for some fun, not the other way round, and that they would stay. Stay longer, or at the very least, not leave halfway. She sighed, setting her phone down and taking a glance at the two photographs on her bedside table. Shutting her eyes, she turned away to stare at the ceiling.

Ding!

Wait, no. That can't be right.

Ding!

There it was again. Even if it was what she was hearing, it shouldn't be happening. It's dead into the night.

Ding!

Unable to resist, she snatched the phone off the table and unlocked it. Three messages. At 3am.

Leo:
Morning Merissa!

Leo:
What're you doing up so late?

Leo:
Again...

Unknowingly, a smile started to form on her face, albeit small.

Merissa:
Can't sleep

Leo:
Again?

Leo:
I'll be there in 5

Her eyes widened. That was definitely not something to expect on a Friday (or was it Saturday?) night. Her fingers raced across the screen as she typed her reply.

Merissa:
Leo! It's ok, you don't have to come

Too late, though. He wasn't online anymore, and he didn't reply a few minutes after.

Maybe she should call him. She really doesn't want to cause any trouble for the turtle. Understandably, he probably just got back from patrol which would explain why he was up so late. But then he would be pretty tired, and he'll need that rest for tomorrow. What if he's been grounded? Then she'll get him into more trouble for sneaking out so late. Maybe his family needs him but he chose to sneak out, or there were crimes to stop but instead he chose to come here, or...

Yeah she should call him.

As she held the ringing phone next to her ear, her other ear picked up soft knocks from the window. Slowly, she climbed off the bed, taking ginger steps towards it. She took a deep breath, and pulled the curtains open. There he was, the blue-clad turtle sitting cross-legged on the metal stairs, waving his three-fingered hand. His ocean-blue eyes stood out of the midnight sky, seeming to light up despite the darkness that surrounded him.

What a dork.

She let out a short laugh, unlocking and opening the window to let him in. He crept into her room, remaining as silent as ever to avoid waking up anyone else in the house. She shut the window.

"Good morning," he greeted, and for some reason he was pretty cheerful.

"Morning Leo," she said with a yawn as she climbed back onto bed, "When I said I couldn't sleep, it doesn't translate to an invitation to my house."

The turtle's hand reaches for his neck, rubbing it sheepishly as he replied, "Oh, um, sorry, I thought you might want the company."

She doesn't want to bother him, but she does want his company. Since he was already here, she didn't say anything that'll convince him to go back. Instead, she said, "Since you're already here, get comfy."

She patted the spot on her bed beside her. Awkwardly, the turtle sat down and fiddled with his thumbs.

"Why aren't you asleep?"

"You know," she answered, "Life and all. You?"

"I uh...accidentally drank Donnie's coffee."

She snorted, to which he replied, "It was an accident!"

"Alright, alright, whatever you say."

The silence started to settle in once again. To avoid the potential tension, the turtle spoke, "So, how's life?"

"Same old, same old," she averted his gaze, and suddenly asked another question, "Leo, what do you hope to achieve in the future?"

Taken slightly aback, the turtle stayed silent for a while before answering, "Well, continue protecting New York, doing ninjitsu, watch my family, possibly watch Captain Ryan marry the love of his life?"

He stopped before saying, "There's not much I can do as a mutant turtle. You've got a whole lot of other opportunities than me."

She shook her head, "I'm just hoping to see me live till 21."

Blinking, he tried to gather what she had just said in his mind. The cogwheels in his brain turned and finally clicked.

"What are you-"

"No Leo," she let out a short laugh, "That's not what I meant."

He turned to face her directly, sitting in the same position as he did on the metal stairs outside, "Explain?"

She turned away, "I don't want to sound like a bother. You've got enough things on your plate anyway."

"You're the biggest thing on that plate," he let slip the first thing on his mind, "Sorry that was weird. But the point is you're important, so you tell me, or I'm feeding you to the Kraang."

Her smile faltered, "Life scares me."

Staring hard at her, he urged her to go on.

"I..I know my education is a lost cause, my anxiety is gonna ruin everything, I hate socialising but that's what you need to survive in the working world. And I've got no passion."

"No passion?" He interrupted, confusion written all over his face.

"It's easy for you," she said, "You've grown up ninja-ing and you're great at it. Me? I don't know what I want to do, even if I did, I can't, because grades. Life just sucks, you know?"

She broke eye contact with him, "It's like there's this hole that's endless. I'm falling, and I don't know when I'll stop, but I know I'm in too deep to be saved."

"Merissa..." He started, only to realise she was staring at something else. He turned around to find two photographs of two dogs on her bedside table.

"Who're they?"

"Higgins and Nika," her voice cracked slightly, "They are...were my dogs. I'll never get to see them again."

"Why?"

"I'm moving, Leo," she raised her voice, but not so loud that her family could hear her, "I haven't told you this yet because I can't come to terms to it myself. I'll not be able to see you guys again."

He gave her a look of disbelief, "When?"

"Soon," she replied, choking back a sob, "I'll never get to see my babies again. I'll never get to cuddle them again. I'll never get to feel their love for them and they'll lose their love for me. They're getting old and I won't be there when they leave."

She looked back into his eyes again. The tears glistened in the moonlight from the window.

"Why is life so cruel, Leo?"

He didn't know how to reply, and just remained quiet. Bringing a hand up to her cheek, he stroked it lightly, wiping the tear that was rolling down it.

The turtle started talking again, hoping to find a way to squeeze some joy into the conversation, "How about that guy from school? The guy you told me about?"

"Him?" She smiled sadly, "I don't understand how he even loves me. I can't even love myself, how can he see me when I can't? I'm not like those other girls that do all those socialising and make-up and dating and lovey-dovey and all that."

"So what?" The turtle interrupted again, "So what if you're not like other girls? You're Merissa, you were never meant to be like them."

He held her hand firmly in his, "This guy, he can see what I can. He sees a beautiful young woman, fighting day after day for a life she wants. He sees this strong spirit residing in you, waiting for the day to unleash itself."

"He doesn't see my bruises," she rebutted, "I wear them all on my heart."

Pointing to her heart, he continued, "I know it's a battlefield in there, but you're still alive, aren't you?"

"You don't understand, he doesn't understand," she withdrew her hand from his, "And I'm not going to help you understand because it's a pain I don't wish on anyone."

"Alright then," he said, "I won't try to. It's your battle to fight."

He got up from the bed and stared out of the window, "We've all got our own battles to fight, most of the time, you'll have to face them alone. But sometimes, you have to let others in to help you. Sometimes, pain needs to be shared so that it'll ease faster."

The turtle didn't get a response from her, and in a panic, turned around sharply. She was crying, but smiling?

"Sorry, was it something I said?"

"No," she giggled, "You're doing that Captain Ryan thing when he makes an inspirational speech again."

Eyes widening, he quickly returned to his normal posture. There was a slight shade of pink on his cheeks.

"Life sucks, can't be helped," he said with a shrug, and his eyes fell on the clock, "Woah! Look at the time! Time for bed, Merissa, chop chop, let's go."

She lay down on the bed and proceeded to cover her entire body with her blanket. From underneath, her muffled voice could be heard, "Close the window as you go out."

The blanket was ripped off her face the next second, and she found herself locking eyes with the blue-clad turtle, "Who says I'm going out?"

He climbed onto the bed and sat beside her, "I'm here because you can't sleep, and I'm going to make sure you fall asleep, otherwise I'm not leaving."

Thankful, she laid her head on him and shut her eyes, "Thanks Leo."

She could feel his stare as she let the gears in her mind power down. As she started to drift, she heard a voice from afar, sounding just like a melody.

"Good night, Merissa."

A/N:
This little piece is dedicated to Marsbar_doglover because she's awesome and I um wanted to cheer her up a bit :) I know things aren't going well for you but I hope this brings you a pinch of happiness!