((I really do apologize for the formatting issue. My internet stopped working right after I posted it, so I couldn't fix it right away. Hope you enjoy and please review. Again, I'm wicked sorry that happened.))
The smoke drifted off into the night like the fog rolling in on the bay. He wasn't sure how long he'd been there or what time it was. What he did know was the pot he'd been smoking now had him completely stoned. A violent cough ripped through his lungs after his last hit off the roach. Time to go find something to eat and quiet his grumbling stomach, even though he'd consumed dinner a couple hours earlier. He groaned as he got to his feet unsteadily, bones and joints creaking under his weight.
"Stoned again Mike?"
Mike's head snapped in the direction of the voice. How long had he been there?
"What the hell do you care, Don?"
He watched his older brother approach him from the corner of the roof; a deep frown had been permanently etched into his face for as long as Mike could remember.
"You really shouldn't be smoking that crap, Mike. You should be training instead."
Michelangelo only grunted in response as he put his satchel over his shoulder, trying to ignore the growing awkwardness.
"Who died and made you leader Don?"
A heavy silence fell between the brothers, causing Don to clear his throat.
"Well…since Raph became the city drunk and Leo disappeared. I'm struggling to keep this family from falling apart."
A rye smirk slowly tugged at the corners of Mike's mouth.
"Oh…yea trying to forget about that," sarcasm dripping off his words.
"Smoking pot isn't going to help you Mikey."
Another irritated grunt came from the younger turtle.
"It does for the most part, until you come to remind me," he said this with a glare.
Don sighed and shook his head in defeat.
"I give up Michelangelo. I honestly don't know what I can do for this family anymore. Raph is hardly home unless he's passed out in his room. And you…you act like we don't even exist! Splinter tries to talk to you and you just wave him off! He's dying you know. I'm not sure how much longer he has. God and I don't know if Leo is alive."
Mike clenched his jaw tightly, not wanting to hear another word come from Don's mouth. He stopped caring a long time ago and didn't understand why his brother insisted on thinking that he wanted to listen to him bitch.
"Ya know Don, I really don't give a shit. I wish you'd just shut up about it already! It got old five years ago." He gave Don a disgusted look, un-phased by the hurt expression on his face.
Don dropped his gaze to the ground as Michelangelo passed him.
"When will you be home?"
"When I feel like it," he called over his shoulder, heading towards the fire escape.
Don stood there for a moment before he started for the escape ladder, loneliness and defeat clinging to him as he slowly made his way down to the streets. How had it gotten so bad? He stopped asking himself what Leo would do a long time ago. He didn't have the leadership skills his brother had. Though he wished to hell he did. Raphael should be the one keeping this family whole. Not him damn it. He took in his surroundings before removing the sewer lid and disappearing under ground.
The look on Don's face crushed him. Had things really gotten that bad? When did Mikey become a stoner? Everything is so fucked now. Splinter isn't supposed to be dyin'. Leon shouldn't be missin' and Don sure as hell shouldn't be tryin' ta keep their family together all on his own. Raph sighed and ran a hand down his sweaty face, trying to figure out when the last time he'd been sober. Didn't make him feel very proud. He should be the one keeping leadership, not Donnie. And he should be the one kicking Mikey in the ass. First though he needed to kick himself in the ass. He sure as hell didn't want to know how Master Splinter felt. Fuck…alcohol is never going to bring Leon back and it sure as hell ain't gonna keep Splinter from dyin'. He pounded his fist into his open palm angrily as he pushed himself off the brick wall he'd been leaning against.
Raph dropped down on the gravel rooftop his brothers had been standing on earlier. It's time for him to get his ass in gear and get his family back together, get some discipline back into his brothers. Tomorrow the sun will bring a new day and a swift kick in the ass for Mikey.
He woke up to the pounding of footsteps above him, and wondered how long he'd been out for. New smells meant a new location, but how in the hell did that happen? When? Leo grunted as he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, squeezing his eyes shut tightly from the pounding in his head. When the pain subsided enough he opened his eyes to look at his surroundings, it wasn't what he expected at all. The couch he was sitting on was plush leather and the carpet was thick and white. Everything was so clean and expensive looking. There were two leather chairs that matched the couch sitting across from him along with a wall full of guitars, countless very expensive guitars, which he didn't know the names of. It was a recording studio and he was sitting right in the very heart of it.
"Wow didn't think you were gonna wake up."
Leo's head snapped up at the sound of the man's voice and footsteps rapidly coming down the stairs. He gave the scrawny guy a weary look as he approached the couch.
"Uh…heh…do you-can you even understand what I'm saying?"
"Y-", Leo's voice barely came out between the rasps. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Yes perfectly. Where the hell am I?"
He looked the guy up and down more thoroughly, finding him more and more familiar. Tattoos covered his arms, a shadow of dark brown covering his chin and cheeks, short black hair and blue eyes. All the studying definitely made the guy very uncomfortable.
"Uh…well…" Ethan scratched his head as he sat down in one of the chairs across from Leo.
"You're in my basement."
"This is your basement?" Leo's eyes widened with surprise.
Ethan gave him a nervous chuckle.
"Yea I get that reaction a lot."
"Wonder why…" Leo replied under his breath as he swung his sore legs on the floor.
"So uh…are you hungry at all? I assume since you speak English you probably eat the same food that I do."
Leo only quirked an eye ridge at his question.
"I'll take that as a yes. The name's Ethan by the way", he added this as he leaned forward, extending his hand towards Leo.
Leo shook it firmly and gave him a smile.
"Leonardo but Leo is just fine. Thanks for saving me."
"Oh man not a problem at all. I'm just glad you're alive. You looked terrible when I found you."
"Where exactly did you find me?"
"In what I thought was the crate that had my amp in it."
Leo just blinked in confusion. Not entirely certain he had heard that correctly.
"You found me in a crate?"
"Yea it was crazy! I got you back here and pried open the lid and instead of my amp it was you. Thought I was in some sort of Sci Fi film or something. That or in the middle of some huge elaborate joke."
Leo frowned, deeply disturbed by this news. What the hell was he doing in a crate? In fact where exactly was his crate headed? Too many unanswered questions, something he didn't like at all.
"Where were you coming from?"
"Oh my band just got back from touring around in Europe. I guess somehow our crates were mixed up during the loading and unloading process. So whoever is getting my crate is going to be in for a surprise. That thing wasn't cheap. Though…I'm sure it's worth is nothing compared to yours?"
The second that last sentence came out of Ethan's mouth he regretted it. He was sure that was the last thing Leo wanted to hear.
"Sorry…I didn't mean to make it sound like you were something that could be bought or sold I just meant…"
Leo held up a hand to silence him. He wasn't offended by the comment at all. Just deeply troubled.
"Not worth worrying over. I just want to understand why I was in a crate headed towards Europe. This is all just…wrong. None of this makes sense."
It couldn't be the Foot; he and his brothers had wiped them out after destroying Shredder. Unless…
"What's the date today?" Leo finally looked up at Ethan with a sudden urgency.
"Uh…" he fumbled with getting his phone out of his pocket.
"Just so ya know...you weren't on your way to Europe, you had been in Europe already. Must have been headed somewhere else when the crates got switched. And it's the 14th of October."
He looked over at the turtle and finally caught the fear and worry in Leo's eyes. Obviously the date wasn't good news to him.
"What year is it?" his voice barely above a whisper now.
"2012."
Leo struggled to breath with the knowledge of that. How could it be possible? Five years has been lost and he had no idea where they had gone. What happened to him? What was done to him? Who had done this? Who could just steal five years of his life away? Why? The questions raced around in his head with a growing fear and urgency. He needed to get a hold of his brothers. What if they were…no, no way was he even going to allow that thought to cross his mind. He jumped to his feet at that moment and started for the stairs.
"Whoa hold on there a second Leo! Where are you going?"
Leo stopped and turned on his heel to face Ethan.
"I need to get a hold of my brothers Ethan, I need to find out if my family is ok. I need to let them know that I'm ok. I've been lost to them for five years."
Ethan's jaw dropped when Leo said that. Five years of his family not knowing whether he was alive or not? How….
"Here you can use my phone. Long distance doesn't matter or anything." He handed Leo his cell phone.
"Thanks. Really thanks for everything Ethan. I'm probably going to need your help still."
"Oh, man you're so welcome and seriously anything you need let me know. Money really won't be an issue. I'll do all that I can."
Leo gave him a nod as he dialed the number to the lair.
"What state are we in now?"
"California. The L.A. area."
Another nod was given to Ethan as Leo sat down in one of the chairs. With each ring his heart fell further towards the floor. What if his family wasn't there…what if-?
"Hello?"
Leo's breath caught in his throat when he heard his brother's gruff voice, the thick New York accent music to his ears.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Raph…it's…it's me. It's Leo."
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Raph's heart stopped for a split second when he heard his brother's voice on the other end of the line. For a moment he wasn't sure if he had the strength to say anything at all, but swallowed finally and took a deep breath.
"It's good to hear your voice bro'. It's good ta have ya back."