A Promise Broken, A Secret Revealed
"It's today!" Mikey cheered over and over again. "It's today! It's today! It's today! It's today! It's today! It's today! It's today! It's today! It's today! Whoo-hoo!" He jumped up onto the backrest of the couch, smiling broadly. Donnie, currently sitting on the couch, only rolled his eyes and continued to watch his show. "Hey Donnie, guess what!"
"What is it, Mikey?" Donnie asked, amused.
"It's today!" Mikey cheered.
Raph, currently lounging in a loveseat, rolled his eyes. "Dare I ask, what's today, Mikey?"
"Leo's coming home!" Mikey whooped and laughed, jumping onto the couch beside Donnie. "He's finally coming home from his training!"
"Been gone for a year now." Donnie reminded everyone. "Wonder how those Central American 'winters' are treating him."
"Why?" Mikey asked. "Does it snow down there?"
"No, Mikey." Donnie shook his head. "When it's winter up here, it's summer down there."
"Oh, I get it." Mikey nodded.
"Do you really?" Raph asked sarcastically.
"I'm not an idiot, Raph!" Mikey snapped back. "Oh, I gotta show you guys what I got Leo for a welcome home present!" He ran off up to his room, a skip in his step.
"Why again do we need to have a 'Welcome Home' party for Leo?" Raph asked.
"He's been gone for a year and about two days." Donnie shrugged. "We're gonna welcome him back with open arms just like he would for us if we were gone for so long on special training."
"More like a vacation." Raph huffed.
Mikey returned, carrying something large and heavy in his arms. "Check it out! I got Leo a super awesome present!"
Raph and Donnie stared, with a little bewilderment, at the mess of wrapping paper, tape, and ribbons in his arms. "What the shell is that?" Raph asked.
"It's a new punching dummy!" Mikey announced. "Just for him! It's got the Shredder's face on it too!"
"Huh, and here I am with such a lamer present." Donnie shrugged, focusing on his show again.
"What'd you get him?" Raph asked.
"Just a new laptop." Donnie shrugged. "And a whet stone for his katanas. He had all these ideas for new ways to patrol the city, and I thought having a laptop would help him stay organized."
"Cool." Raph shrugged.
"What about you, Raphael?" Mikey asked, setting his gift down on a spare chair. "What did you get for Leo?"
"A knuckle sandwich." Raph laughed.
Leo read the brief yet heartfelt letter over and over again, but he paid close attention to that sentence, sometimes saying it out loud. But it only made his heart hurt worse and worse.
My dearest Leonardo,
It has been a very lonely year without you. Everyone here misses you very much, even if some people (like Raphael) refuse to admit it. April and Casey have plans to throw a 'Welcome Home' party for you when you get home. I know they told me not to tell, but I figured it would be nice if you weren't surprised. One should not surprise a jet lagged ninja. I still have the date and time of your flight. April has agreed to transport me to the airport at the time of your arrival. Hopefully there will be no delays. Everyone is anxious to see you again. I will meet you on the roof, right above your gate.
I will wait for you there, my son. The first to welcome you home with open arms.
Splinter.
"'I will wait for you there, my son. The first to welcome you home with open arms.'" Leo read.
He sighed, hanging his head.
Splinter read the brief yet heartfelt letter over and over again, but he paid close attention to that sentence, sometimes saying it out loud. It warmed his heart every time.
Dear Splinter,
I've missed you and the guys as well, including April and Casey. How's that bozo Casey doing? He and Raph still causing trouble? Hehe, I bet they are. Can't wait to see you all. It gets kinda lonely down here without my family. So far, it looks like clear weather from here to New York. Expecting no delays whatsoever. I can't wait to see you and April at the airport. It'll be such a joy to be home.
I'll see you there, Father. I promise.
With love from your son,
Leonardo.
"'I'll see you there, Father. I promise.'" Splinter smiled warmly. He stood and set the letter down on the table, exiting his meditation room to see his Michelangelo, Raphael, and Casey Jones wrestling on the ground while Donatello and April looked on with slight amusement.
"Hey Master Splinter." April greeted warmly. "You ready?"
"Yes." Splinter nodded. "Ready to see my son again."
"We all are!" Casey laughed as Raphael gave him a noogie.
Donnie laughed. "Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." He ran forward and leaped into the air. "Turtle pile!" The boys grunted as Donnie landed into the fray.
"Boys." April rolled her eyes. "Come on, Master Splinter, Leo's flight should arrive in about an hour and it'll take a while to get to the airport."
Leo paced back and forth across the floor of his "home" (his "home" being nothing more than a cave he took residence in), muttering to himself.
"What am I gonna do?" He groaned. "I can't call him. I can't e-mail. I should've written a letter and I waited too long! There's no way he'd get it by now! It'll be too late by the time it arrives!" He stared at the last letter Splinter sent him. " 'I'll wait for you there, my son. The first to welcome you home with open arms.' Oh come on! Stupid, stupid Leonardo! How could I be such an idiot?!" He crumbled up the letter and threw it against a wall. Just as fast, he drew a kunai and threw it into the letter, pinning it to the wall when the blade hit a crack in the stone. Leo drew his katanas and threw them to the ground, the CLANG of stone on steel echoing through the cave.
Leo slowly went to his knees and buried his face in his hands.
Splinter carefully observed his surroundings, darting from one shadow to another, until he reached the edge of the airport building. He stared out at the runways, watching the planes land and park in front of their respective gates. He looked down just enough to see the gate number for the terminal right below him: G37.
Good. Splinter nodded, sitting back on the concrete of the roof and crossing his legs to meditate. Only twenty minutes or so until my son returns home. He couldn't stop smiling. Not when he was so close to getting his son back. It was hard to live in your home knowing that someone was missing from it. Splinter could tell Leo's absence affected everyone in the family: Mikey had frequent nightmares for about a month, Donnie locked himself in his lab for a week, Casey and April visited less often for the first few months, and Raph…..Raph became more distant, angrier, every day.
Splinter breathed in the cool night air. "Soon, my sons. Our family will be whole once more."
Leo stayed in his position for a long time. When he calmed down, he stood from his spot and scooped up his katanas, replacing them in their sheaths. He walked to the wall and pulled his throwing knife from the cracked stone. He gently pulled the note from his knife and uncrumpled it. He stared at the words his father wrote with such love and care.
He missed his father. He missed his brothers. He missed April and Casey.
He wanted to go home. But he couldn't.
Leo hugged the note to his chest, tears dripping down his face. "I'm sorry, Master Splinter. I'm so sorry."
Splinter's eyebrows furrowed in concern as he scanned the area for the thousandth time. He watched as the jet supposedly carrying his son backed away and flew off, most likely back to Central America with another large group of passengers. He wrung his hands a little nervously, searching the area for Leonardo. But either he trained his son well to hide in the shadows…..or Leonardo was nowhere.
The familiar ring of the phone Donatello made for him caught his attention. He pulled it out and noticed the caller ID says "April O'Neil". Splinter studied the phone for a moment before pressing a button. "Hello? Hello? April?" He pressed a few more buttons. "Hello? Oh, how does Donatello work this stupid thing?"
"Master Splinter?" April's voice came from over the phone. "You've already answered it."
Splinter cleared his throat and put the phone to his ear. "I knew that."
"You sure you don't see Leonardo up there?" April asked.
"He is nowhere." Splinter reported.
April sighed. "Splinter, listen to me. That was the last flight from Leo's location to here for another two days. Maybe we should just go home and wait for Leo at the lair."
"You go ahead." Splinter said. "I will wait for my son."
"Splinter—"
"I will wait here, April. He must've missed his flight and had to sneak on a different plane."
He hung up, a little angrily. He pushed the phone back into his sleeve pocket. He refused to believe that his son wouldn't return. He would simply wait here until Leo came back. He missed his plane. He assured himself. That's all. He accidently missed his plane and had to get on a different one. It takes a long time to fly from Central America. He'll be here. I know he will.
April walked through the doors to the lair, worriedly wringing her hands. She slowly made her way down the stairs, wondering how she would tell everyone.
"Psst, April!"
April looked over and noticed Mikey peeking his head out from under the stairs. "Is Leo coming? We're all ready to surprise him."
April sighed. "No, Mikey. Leo's not coming…at all…"
Mikey's eyes widened and his smile disappeared. He and everyone else emerged from their hiding places. "What do you mean he's not coming?" Donnie asked.
"He never showed up." April explained. "His plane arrived on time, but Leo wasn't on it. There won't be another flight from his area for another two days."
"Well, maybe he's on a different flight." Casey suggested. "There's always that."
"No, if Leo didn't come tonight, he either won't come at all of he's going to be seriously late." April said.
Everyone exchanged looks. "So, where's Master Splinter?" Mikey asked worriedly.
"Still at the airport, waiting." April said. "I'm sure he'll be back soon."
"I'll stay up and wait for him." Donnie offered. "April, you and Casey head home."
"You sure?" Casey asked.
"Yeah, go ahead." Donnie assured.
"No, no. We'll wait." April insisted. "Just in case Splinter's hunch is right and Leo's just running late."
Everyone settled down on the couches and chairs, waiting for Splinter and/or Leo to return. Mikey looked around and noticed something out of place.
"Where's Raph?" He asked.
"Probably went to bed or something." Donnie shrugged, flipping on the TV.
Splinter checked the time on his phone. 1:27 a.m. Over two hours since Leo was supposed to arrive. He sighed and finally stood from his spot on the roof. His ears drooped and he slouched a little as he made his way off the roof and into the city. He couldn't shake the feelings he had for what just happened. He was disappointed, sad, slightly angry, and hurt.
It was the first time Leonardo actually broke a promise.
Splinter sighed through his nose as he slowly journeyed through the shadows of the city. He was still careful to stay in the shadows, but he found no energy to move quickly. It's not like he wanted to go home and tell his sons that their brother wasn't coming home.
This night could not get any worse. Splinter's ears involuntarily perked up and he instinctively pressed himself against the brick wall of the alley. He slowly peered out, careful to stay out of the streetlights. He noticed two, young teenage girls disappearing down an alley with a group of teenage boys, few years older than the girls, following them. Some of the boys whistled and made inappropriate calls at the girls while the females backed away quickly, shouting at the boys to stay away. The boys, meanwhile, continued to advance towards the girls. I stand corrected. Splinter sighed. Well, I suppose I could use something to vent my frustration. Splinter smirked and hurried up the side of the building. He darted across the roof and looked down over the edge, staring down at the scene below. The two girls, looking no older than fifteen, stood cornered with their backs against the wall and about five boys, ranging from eighteen to nineteen, blocking their escape.
"Just stay away from us!" one of the girls shouted. "Get back!"
"Come on, girls." One of the boys laughed, holding a switchblade. "We only want a little fun."
"Bet you girls could give us a good time." A second boy laughed.
"If you don't leave us alone," the second girl threatened. "I'll pound you into the ground!"
"Ooh, a feisty one." A third boy said, making the others laugh. He grunted as something hard hit the back of his head, forcing him to the ground. A trashcan lid clattered to the ground. The remaining four boys spun around, searching for the source of the surprise attack. But they only saw flashes of shadows that made them jump. Another boy hit the ground after something swept his legs. A pair of hands grabbed two more boys' heads and slammed them together. The boy with the switchblade spun all around, searching for the source of the attacks. Suddenly, something knocked the switchblade from his hand and a rock-hard punch connected with his face. A pair of hands grabbed him and suddenly threw him into a dumpster, where he was left groaning in pain.
The girls stared in shock, slack-yawed, as the boys laid unconscious or groaning in pain. Their attacker stood amongst them, standing tall and strong…..though his appearance thoroughly startled the girls.
Splinter turned to smile warmly at the girls. "Perhaps you two should head home."
The girls stared for a moment before nodding hurriedly. The second girl paused, staring at Splinter for a moment. "Um…..thanks…"
"You're welcome." Splinter nodded. He chuckled a little as the girls hurried off, obviously thankful but somewhat bewildered from the experience. Splinter moved towards the alley entrance, feeling a little better than before.
BANG!
Splinter jumped when a bullet ricocheted off the wall dangerously close to his head. He spun around to see one of the boys standing, a gun in his somewhat shaking hands, and aiming right for Splinter. The rat jumped off the wall, dodging bullets as the boy shot at him again and again. But he managed to escape the alley unscathed and went running down the street to the next alleyway. He breathed a little hard, searching for a way out, and spied a manhole cover. He hurried to the metal cover, digging his sharp claws under it and lifting the lid that separated him from the safety of the sewers. But he was interrupted by the sharp kick to the face, forcing him to drop the lid back over the sewer hole and fly backwards to the ground. He rubbed his jaw and turned, growling a little at the five boys as they approached, looking a little shocked but also intrigued.
"What the hell is that thing?" the second boy asked.
"I've heard of giant rats but this is ridiculous." The fourth boy scoffed, rubbing his sore head.
"What do we do with it?" the fifth boy asked.
Before anyone could answer, Splinter lunged towards the boys and grabbed the first boy, throwing him into the second and sending them crashing into a wall and slumping to the ground. The third boy foolishly charged for the large rat with a punch, but Splinter kicked him sharply in the stomach and the boy flew backwards into some trashcans. He darted for the fire escape, hoping he would be able to get away from the boys and get to the sewers. He leaped into the air...
BANG! BANG!
Splinter shouted in pain as he hit a wall and hit the ground. He gritted his teeth in pain and clutched his leg, struggling to stand. He looked down and noticed the small holes in his leg, both currently bleeding. He stood on his uninjured foot and jumped up to kick away the boy that shot him. The third boy charged for him, and Splinter grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him into a wall. But what happened next forced him to drop the boy and give him the chance to crawl away. Pain suddenly erupted from his shoulder, and a scream ripped itself from his throat. He stumbled a little, leaning against the wall for support. He reached around and felt the hilt of a knife in his back, near his shoulder blade. He couldn't even reach the hilt to pull it out. Meanwhile, the boys surrounded him, the first boy taking the gun from the fifth and aiming it for the white/golden furred rat.
"What now?" the second boy asked. "Do we take it to a zoo or a scientist?"
"How about that Winters guy?" the fourth boy suggested. "He's always interested in the unique and fascinating. Sure, this thing is pretty freaky, but I bet he'd pay good money for a pet like this."
"Forget it." The first boy shook his head, pulling the hammer of the gun and stepping closer to the large rat. "There's no way this thing will stay still long enough for us to get it to Winters. Once it gets over the shock of the knife and the bullets, it'll fight back, and I don't want some rabid rat biting me."
What in the name of ninjutsu makes you think I'm rabid? Splinter growled as the boy approached him, aiming the gun with a steady hand right towards Splinter's head.
"Wait, we're gonna deliver a dead rat to Winters?" the third boy asked. "Do you realize how high class that guy is?"
"My dad's a hunter." The first boy said, keeping his eyes on Splinter. "I got the number of a taxidermist who could stuff him or skin him. No doubt a pelt like his could bring in a lot of cash. Who knows? That outfit he's in might bring some extra bucks."
Splinter narrowed his eyes, but found no way to escape without being shot again.
The boys jumped when the roar of a motorcycle rang out and a bright light shone down the alley. They all turned to the entrance and noticed a hulking figure on a motorcycle, the headlight almost blinding them.
"Dudes." The fifth boy breathed. "It's the Nightwatcher."
Splinter stared past the boys at the hulking figure in a black suit and a dark helmet. Nightwatcher revved his bike and sped down the alley. The boys leaped out of the way to avoid being flattened. Splinter covered his head with his arms, but Nightwatcher spun his bike around and stopped right in front of the rat, putting himself between Splinter and the boys. Nightwatcher pulled out some black and silver pellets and smashed them against the ground, sending up smoke that shielded Nightwatcher and Splinter from the boys.
Nightwatcher turned and stared at Splinter, his amber eyes under his visor locking with Splinter's warm brown ones. He patted the seat of the motorcycle, gesturing for Splinter to get on. Splinter pushed himself to his feet but stumbled a little from his injuries. Nightwatcher inwardly groaned. Sorry about this. He thought. He suddenly grabbed Splinter by his scruff like a cat and plopped him down on the seat in front of him. He revved his bike again and sped through the smoke and past the boys. Splinter's claws dug into the seat of the motorbike, clearly shaken by the speedy ride down the street and into an abandoned warehouse. In fact, Splinter didn't let go of the seat until Nightwatcher skidded to a halt in the warehouse. Then, Nightwatcher jumped down from the seat and pulled Splinter off as well. He picked up a pipe off the ground and pushed it into Splinter's hands, gesturing for the rat to follow him. Splinter seemed unsure and suspicious, but used the pipe like a cane and leaned heavily on it while limping after Nightwatcher. The hulking figure pushed through the door and out to the alleyway. He looked around for a moment before lifting the manhole cover to the sewers below, motioning for Splinter to jump down. Splinter obeyed, carefully landing on his good leg. Nightwatcher followed, closing the sewer lid after entering the tunnel.
"Thank you…Nightwatcher, isn't it?" Splinter said. Nightwatcher only nodded. "I can find my way home from here. You return to your home." Nightwatcher suddenly grabbed Splinter's shoulder and stopped him. Before Splinter could speak, Nightwatcher grabbed the switchblade in the rat's shoulder and yanked it free. Splinter hissed in pain, gritting his teeth to stop a shout. "You couldn't have been gentler with that?"
"Sorry." Nightwatcher muttered.
Splinter blinked in surprise, but he shook it off a little. "Thank you again."
"Just stay out of trouble." Nightwatcher snapped before climbing back out of the sewer. He stared at the bloody switchblade for a moment before growling and tossing it aside. He leaned against a wall, hidden in the shadow of the apartment building, and pulled his helmet off. Raph sighed, rubbing his gloved hand over his eyes. "Why, Splinter? Why did you have to get into trouble like that? Why couldn't you just come home with April instead of waiting at the airport for Fearless to come home?" He punched the wall, growling and muttering under his breath as he mounted his bike, put his helmet on his head, and sped off to his secret garage where he stored his Nightwatcher gear. His brothers, April, and Casey were never the wiser, never guessing that he was Nightwatcher and fighting crime all over the city.
But now…now Splinter might know. Worse, he might make him stop. But he couldn't; Raph could never stop being the Nightwatcher because he couldn't just sit around and let crime ravage this city. Ever since Leo left, Splinter rarely let the remaining three brothers go to the surface and fight. They needed a leader; Donnie took over, but things started falling apart. He was barely holding things together as it was. Now Leo has apparently decided that he's not coming back when he promised he would.
"I ought to kill you, Leo." Raph growled as he parked his bike and shed his Nightwatcher gear. "For breaking Splinter's heart like that…" He glanced at his bike seat and noticed the claw marks in the leather. "Aw man. Trim those claws of yours, eh Splinter?"
Splinter still leaned on the pipe as he pushed himself towards the lair. He found the switch to the door and pulled it, opening the door just long enough for him to limp inside. He felt a little light-headed from the loss of blood and his wounded leg burned like fire. He could feel his blood slowly running down his back.
"Leo!" Mikey's voice echoed off the chamber as he ran to the stairs with a wide smile, expecting his brother. Instead, he was met with the horrifying sight of his sensei, his father, limping painfully down the stairs with blood trickling down his leg. He noticed the two holes, like a snake bite, and he rushed to Splinter's side to support him. "Donnie! Donnie wake up!"
Donnie groaned as he buried his head under the couch pillow. "What is it, Mikey?"
"Splinter's been shot!" Mikey snapped.
Instantly, Donnie, April, and Casey were awake. Donnie ran off to his lab to grab his medical bag and April grabbed a chair from the kitchen. Casey helped Mikey get Splinter to the couch and sit down. "Aw man." Casey winced, staring at the stab wound in his back. "Donnie! He's got a knife wound in his back!"
Donnie returned seconds later with his medical bag and gently pushed Mikey and Casey aside. He stared at the stab wound in Splinter's shoulder, relieved that it wasn't near any vitals. But it was still bleeding badly enough for Donnie's worry to peak. He pulled out a few washcloths and pressed them against Splinter's shoulder, covering the wound and stopping the bleeding. "Mikey, keep the cloth in place while I look at his leg." Mikey obeyed, looking somewhat terrified at the sight of his wounded father.
"Hey, can't a turtle get any sleep in here?" Raph's thick Brooklyn accent echoed out through the lair.
"Well excuse us if Splinter's injured and we're trying to help, Raphael!" Mikey shouted.
Splinter glanced back and waited for Raphael to appear. He did….about two minutes later. The red-banded turtle stared down at the scene for a moment before jumping down and approaching Splinter. "You all right, Sensei?"
"I am fine." Splinter assured. He hissed, recoiling his leg as Donnie pulled one of the bullets from his leg. "Well, sort of."
"You're lucky, Sensei." Donnie noted as he inspected the second bullet hole. "The bullets hit your tibia; they didn't hit anything important, but you may be limping for a few days until the bones heal."
"I can live with that." Splinter assured.
"What about the stab wound in his back?" April asked worriedly.
Donnie lifted the cloths and looked at the wound for a moment before pressing the cloth against the cut again. "No stitches, but you're gonna need some good bandaging."
Splinter sighed. He hated being injured like this; it only made his sons fret and worry over him until the rat was forced to threaten his sons' with bodily harm if they didn't back off so he could breathe. He glanced at Raphael, sitting on the recliner next to the couch. He wouldn't look into Splinter's eyes; he just stared at the ground. He looked worried, yes, but he also looked troubled by something else. Splinter hardly had time to focus on Raphael because Donnie had to work on his shoulder. But he couldn't shake the nagging feeling at the back of his mind.
Splinter winced with every step he took. He leaned heavily on his staff, his shoulder throbbing under his bandages. He was just glad he had time to wash the blood from his fur and robes before going to bed. However, he found sleep eluded him. So he rose and decided to check on his sons.
Michelangelo snored softly and cuddled a teddy bear.
Donatello slept at his desk, using his arms for a pillow.
April and Casey chose to spend the night; April on the couch and Casey curled up on a recliner.
Raphael…..was missing.
Splinter blinked in surprise and stepped into the red-banded turtle's bedroom, searching for his son. "Raphael? Are you in here?" But he received no reply. Splinter looked all around the messy room, wondering if maybe his second eldest son was buried under the mess. He yelped when something sharp pricked his foot and he bit his tongue to stop from shouting. He reached down and noticed a thumbtack in his foot. He groaned. "Raphael…when I find you….." He grabbed the thumbtack between his claws and pulled, dropping the thumbtack on Raph's dresser. But when he stepped towards the door, his foot hit one of Raph's roller skates and Splinter flew backwards. His back hit the hard floor and he lay there a moment, grumbling under his breath about having a serious talk about cleanliness with his son. He pushed himself to his feet, brushing the dust off his rob, when he realized he was no longer in Raphael's room. Instead, it was a small corridor, with some drapes nearby swishing gently. Splinter moved the drapes aside and found Raphael's room. He looked down the corridor and slowly walked down it until he reached something metal. He felt around in the darkness a little before finding a door handle and pulled it open. When he stepped inside the room, his eyes widened in shock.
It was the bike. The bike the Nightwatcher rode.
Splinter slowly stepped forward and noticed the Nightwatcher's uniform hanging on the wall and various bits of gear on the nearby table. He looked over the bike, noting how familiar it looked. Then he spied the leather seat and stared at it. Claw marks; claw marks in the seat from when he clung to the leather.
"Raphael…." Splinter breathed. His head shot up when he heard whistling and he darted through the door, closing it just enough so he could peer through a crack. He stared as Raphael appeared from another door, wiping oil from his head with a cloth and carrying a wrench. He continued to whistle as he started working on his bike, adjusting gears and tightening loose screws. He jumped when he heard something clank against metal and he spun around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched. He slowly made his way to the door to his room, grabbing the door handle and holding his wrench ready to attack. He pushed it open hurriedly, raising his wrench up to strike down the intruder, but saw no one. He looked all around the small corridor, even on the ceiling and behind the door. He peeked his head into his room. But he spied nothing. So he only shrugged and shut the door, returning to his work.
Meanwhile, Splinter allowed the breath he held to come out in a relieved sigh. He moved from behind Raphael's dresser and out to the living room. His pace slowed as he journeyed to his room, his mind spinning around this new information.
"So, is Leo ever going to come back?" Mikey asked at breakfast the next morning.
"I will write to him today." Splinter said. "Perhaps we will get some answers."
"Maybe he ran into some trouble." Donnie suggested.
"Maybe Fearless ain't so fearless no more." Raph scoffed.
Splinter raised an eyebrow at Raphael, but said nothing.
"I think we should keep the party plans." Mikey said. "Just in case Leo's a little late. I still want to see his face at the sight of my gift!"
"That sounds like a wonderful idea, my son." Splinter nodded with a smile.
"Yeah, you know Leo." Donnie smiled. "Ready to jump into action when someone's in trouble."
Splinter smiled at each of his sons in turn, to mask his true thoughts. He knew what was to come. Leonardo would not return for a long time, perhaps never at all. He could be dead by now. Donatello would continue being the leader, but there was no way he could hold everyone together for long. He would not be able to control everything without Splinter's help. Michelangelo would hope and pray and wait for his brother to return home, only to be met with disappointment. It wouldn't be long before his enthusiasm dimmed down. Raphael….would continue being the Nightwatcher, continue hiding this huge secret from his family. He would never tell, never let anyone catch on.
But the secret had been revealed already.
Splinter breathed in the calming incense burning on the table before him, meditating peacefully and allowing his thoughts to swirl around the events from over a year ago. He decided a long time ago he would wait for Raphael to reveal the secret, if he ever did. He knew Leonardo would return someday. Until then, he would wait.
Wait for Leonardo to return home.
Wait for Raphael to come to terms.
Wait for Michelangelo to smile again.
Wait for Donatello to stop fighting.
Wait for everything to be right.
Splinter's eyes opened. "Someday….someday soon, my sons, all will be right in our family."