The Ties That Bind
Disclaimer: All characters used in this story are property of their respective owners. The song used in this is "Black Hole" by Lindsay Lohan.
Together, Apart
Michelangelo looked up as his bedroom door opened, his brother Donatello stepping into the space and sitting on the foot of the bed. Donnie looked at his orange- banded brother with concern before saying "What's wrong, Mikey? You've been sitting in here for more than three hours." Mikey looked at him, his usually untroubled and smiling face etched with a secret burden." He sighed before saying "I've just been so hurt by what happened with Raph and Leo last year. It's been so hard. I mean, Leo's back, but Raph's still doing his Nightwatcher routine." Mikey finished, looking up from his hands to Donnie. "So that's it. Mikey, Raph will come around. His vigilante thing isn't working out so well." Donnie said, getting up and pulling Michealangelo with him. "C'mon dude, you gotta order the pizza."
They went out into the living room, where Splinter was watching TV. Mikey and Donnie went over to him, trying not to block the TV. "Splinter?" Donnie asked. Splinter looked up from the TV reluctantly. "What is it, my sons? I am trying to watch Gossip Girl, and Blair is in the middle of speaking." Splinter said, Mikey barely holding back a laugh. "What do you want on your pizza?" Mikey said, his words stilted by his stifled laughter. "Anything, Michealangelo. Now go, unless you intend to watch with me." Splinter said, his gaze traveling back to the TV.
Mikey went to the phone, Donnie sitting down with Splinter. It was then that Raphael and Leonardo walked in, Raphael from the sewers, Leonardo from his room. They passed by each other, glancing at one another. It was with the furiously charged electricity that passed between them that Michealangelo broke his silence.
"That's ENOUGH!" he cried, coming between them. "I…I can't do it anymore. I just can't! It's like living in fucking World War Three!" Everyone was silent. They'd never heard Mikey utter a curse worse than damn. It was Raphael who broke it. "What's the problem?" he said, his face actually showing concern. "It's you two, Raph! You and Leo! It's like this huge hole has been ripped between you!" By this time, Donnie and Splinter, along with Raph and Leo, were staring at him. "Listen to this. And you'll understand how I feel." Mikey said, pushing a disk into the stereo and guitar music starting.
I found that box of letters
Lying on the ground
The ones you used write me before it all went down
I even got a papercut trying to figure out
what to do with all these memories.
And you're not who you used to be...
and I wonder where you've gone.
Have you fallen in a black hole?
Somewhere there's a universe of missing stuff
What happened to the good times?
What happened to the moments where we had so much?
Where's the love
Where's the love
Remember all those hours laughing on the floor
Those days of doing nothing
felt like nothing did before
I don't need those sneakers or that money after all
I'd trade them for a old message you called
Cause it's not how we used to feel
And I wonder what went wrong
Have you fallen in a black hole?
Somewhere there's a universe of missing stuff
What happened to the good times?
What happened to the moments where we felt so much?
Where's the love?
I wanna go there
And I wanna know where
Everything that meant something to me is all
I found that box of letters
Used to make me smile
But now I feel so lonely
Have you fallen in a blackhole?
Somewhere there's a universe of missing stuff
What happened to the good times?
What happened to the moments where had so much?
A black hole
Somewhere there's a universe of missing stuff
What happened to the good times?
What happened to the moments....
The moments where we had so much
Where's the love?
Where's the love?
Where's the love?
Where's the love?
Where's the love?
Has he fallen in a black hole?
Has he fallen in a black hole?
Has he fallen in a black hole?
The song ended, and Mikey turned off the stereo, tears running down his face, spilling over from his now bloodshot blue eyes. Everyone else was in silence, and this time it was Leo who broke it. "Mikey, I….we…we never knew you felt that way. What did she mean? When she said 'Where's the love?'" he said, even though he knew what she'd meant, Splinter and Donnie moving up to them. "She meant, where did it go? Why isn't it here anymore?, Leo. And your and Raph's falling out last year seemed to suck all of the love out of the family." It was as if a tremendous weight had been lifted off of Mikey with the revelation of his feelings, but it was put right back on when Splinter said: "Michealangelo, did you believe that their incident had made them stop loving you? Made me?" Michelangelo's eyes widened as he replied, "No!, no! It's just that we used to be a team, ya know, the whole 'united we stand, divided we fall' thing. But now we seem to have sort- of…broken." Splinter's eyes saddened at this, and he replied: "The ties that bind a family are not broken by simple means, my son." Splinter turned to Raphael, and said, "Raphael, you are to stop being the Nightwatcher. You see how your actions-" He looked to Leo. "Both your actions have deeply affected your brother." He finished, then went back to the couch, motioning for the four of them to come forward. "Come here, my sons. There is a Gossip Girl Christmas special coming on, and I would like you all to watch it with me." Splinter said, the four of them sitting down, Raph rolling his eyes. A feeling of comfort washed over Mikey then, comfort that he hadn't felt since he'd succumbed to the emotions he'd learned to hide from. Now those emotions left him, chased away by the closeness of his family.
Later that night, Raphael heard someone enter his room. He bolted upright, ready to attack, until he heard Mikey's voice whisper "Raph!". Raphael blinked, then turned on the lights, his eyes adjusting to the sudden bright. "What, Mik-" was all that he got out before Michelangelo enveloped him in a bear hug. Raph hugged him back, Mikey saying, "I'm sorry, Raph, I'm sorry." Raphael pulled away, the said, "Sorry for what? I'm the sorry one. I turned my back on my family when the needed me." His eye began to well up with tears. This stunned Mikey silent. "Your….your…..actually about to cry?" Mikey said, Raphael wiping his eyes and saying something about winter allergies. Michealangelo got up, and said "Apology accepted."
It was in that moment, that Raphael and Michealangelo seemed healed.
(Stay tuned for Chapter 2: On the Mend. Review!!)