The Strength of the Weak

by AussieTurtle

What happens when the greatest hero a family knew turns his back on everything that once defined him? After three years of silence, the small Hamato family finally see Leonardo once more, but he is vastly changed. They are all going to need to learn that what breaks you can't so easily be forgotten. TMNT Mostly 2k3. TAGS: slight AU, turtle tots, father, dad, children, etc.

1. Chapter 1: Home of the Mighty

Chapter 1: Home of the Mighty

The streetlights danced in the puddles of the road. Each step he took was heavy and took more effort than it should have. The want to turn back and walk away was immense. He could hardly breathe as he rounded a corner and found himself on a very familiar street. Near a very familiar house. Near some very familiar people and near a very familiar place. Home.

He breathed out deeply and closed his eyes as he focused on the feeling of air leaving his lungs. Crowds of people walked past him; around him. He let the sounds of their chatter and laughter wash over him and through him. He re-centred his mind.

He began to walk once more.

The street looked so... same-ly. Unchanged. The same small trees offered dappled light and the same old stores lined the street. The same signs, with the same proudly displayed sales. The same dingy alleyways with strewn trash and overlapping graffiti. It was almost as though nothing had changed.

He stood outside the door. For a moment more, he allowed himself to play with the idea of leaving. Giving up. Once upon a time, a lifetime ago, the thought would never have crossed his mind. But, though the time had been relatively short, he had changed very much.

Knock, knock, knock.

No giving up now.

Voices from inside drifted to his ears. He could feel his heart picking up speed as all the lines and greetings that he had come up with fell from his mind. He couldn't tell whether he was excited, or terrified, or somewhere in between. The back of his neck was beginning to sweat and he found it hard to keep his chin up; the irresistible urge to look down at his feet was nagging at him, pulling at him as though he were some sort of puppet.

The door swung open and he found himself looking at a pale, freckled face with curled red hair and emerald green eyes.

"April… hi." He didn't know quite what else to say.

Her eyes squinted at him. Her friendly smile fell, just a little. She leant her hand against the doorframe and she glanced behind herself, uncertain.

"I… Leo?"

He looked down to his hands; the urge too much. He could feel his eyes warming up and his heart felt like it was being squelched like a sponge. He looked at his hands; his veined, patchy, tawny, very-human hands and his lot of five fingers.

"It's… been a while." He said. "Can I come in?"

TBC...