Sapphire reminisced as she sorted through the boxes of trinkets and books. Sapphire remembered the last eighteen years in these boxes, a different memory in each box.
One box had a bunch of plastic bouquets and a large dress with matching veil, this was the memory of her wedding day. Inside there was a medium sized, gold painted photo frame with a photo of her and her husband Leonardo as they shared their first kiss as husband and wife. Sapphire put the photo back in and put the box and continued to the next box.
This next box was filled with baby bottles, baby toys, a folded up cot and a photo album. She picked up the photo album and peered inside to find loving photos of her first son William. There were photos in there of his first tooth, first attempt at solid food, first potty, each picture he was slightly older. The first picture was of Liam when he first hatched and that was nineteen years ago. Her first born was nineteen now, he was a young man and a ninja compliments of his father, she saw so much of Leo in their son.
Sapphire closed that book and looked inside the box again, she found another photo album that was pink, she looked inside to find pictures of her two daughters Kumi and Elizabeth. Though they were different ages, Leo accidently put Elizabeths photos in with Kumis as he saw the photos and thought it was Elizabeth. This was because of their resemblance when they were babies. They were so adorable and they both developed into beautiful young ladies. Leo says they look exactly like her when she was their age.
Sapphire tucked the lid down on the box and checked the next box, she hesitated to open this box, it was marked 'FAMILY BOX', this was the box that was full of photos of their long lost family that they hadn't seen in years. Sapphire forced herself to open the box and tears came to her eyes as soon as she opened it. Their was a group picture of their whole family before they split up, herself, Leo, Ruby, Raphael, Donatello, Amethyst, Topaz, Michelangelo, April, Casey and Master Splinter. Sapphires eyes gave in at the memory of her family and she started to bawl her eyes out. At sound of her crying Leonardo came rushing into the room and taking her to his chest, "Honey, ssssshhhh, Sapphire its okay, ssssshhhh." Sapphire clung to him hard, as if she was a child whos pet fish just died. Sapphire wiped her tears from her eyes and looked up at her husband, "Saphie what's wrong?" Sapphire sniffed and picked up the group photo and showed it to Leo, he sighed. He looked up suddenly and turned to find their three teenage children at the door wondering why their mother was crying.
"Mom, why are you crying?" asked Liam, Sapphire tried to hide the group photo from her curious son, but failed. Liam saw the photo in her hand, "What's that?". Unfortunately Liam had inherited his father's reflexes and was able to snatch the photo from behind Sapphires back. Liam showed his two young siblings while he himself starred at the photo in disbelief, "Dad, who are they?"
Leonardo sighed once more as he knew that the secrets that they kept from their children were about to be revealed. "We all have to have a talk."
The family of five sat down in the lounge room and listen to the father of the family. "As the three of you know, I grew up as a ninja trained by your grandfather Master Splinter, what we didn't tell you was that, I didn't grow up by myself. When I was growing up I had three brothers named Donatello, Michelangelo and...." Leonardo didn't even want to speak his other brothers name, but he forced himself to, "Raphael."
"Like the painters?" asked his youngest daughter Elizabeth?
"Yeah, just like the painters honey, um and when your mother was growing up with David and Elizabeth......." Sapphire cut him off.
"I'll say this part honey. When I was growing up with David and Elizabeth, I had three sisters named Ruby, Amethyst and Topaz."
"When my brothers and I met your mother and her sisters, we all fell head of shell for them. And one day I asked your mother to marry me." Leonardo turned away from Sapphires view, "What a mistake that was." "Ugh, when it was our wedding day, we left Master Splinter behind so that we could all set up for the wedding, then our human friends went to pick him up and they found him........." Leo couldn't bear to say it. Sapphire sat down next to him and hugged his arm.
"After that, everything changed." Sapphire said looking at her children while rubbing her husbands arm.
"Your Uncle Raphael started to blame me for Splinters death." said Leonardo
: Start Flashback:
"If it wasn't for your stupid wedding we could have been there to save him" screamed Raphael.
"There was nothing we could have done Raph." replied Leonardo.
"We could have done something, we could have taken him to the doctor or a vet or sometin'."
"And what tell them to keep their mouths shut from seeing eight giant turtles and a giant rat?"
"Raphael, we don't know how Splinter died, there are some things even humans can't..." said Sapphire.
"You keep out of this missy, your the one who said 'Ow Leo it might be nice have the wedding on Valentines Day, that way it'll be just that little bit more romantic'. Well guess what Sapphire? Your idea of romance has cost us our sensei's life."
"Leave her out of this Raph, you have no right to talk to her that way." screamed Leonardo.
: End Flashback:
Tears started to emerge from Leo's eyes, "Our fight tore our family apart. Mike and Topaz couldn't take it anymore; they both packed their things and moved out. I can still remember the last thing Mikey said......"
:Start Flashback:
"This has gone on too long, you know when something's wrong when the gentle hearts are at their saddest, 'IF' we ever see you all again, you better be over this little tantrum of yours." said Mikey, the youngest brother of the group had never been so angry. Leonardo knew that Mikey was right, Mikey and Topaz were the gentlest of the group, when they're this upset, you know things have gone too far.
: End Flashback:
"Don couldn't take anymore of the fighting that he couldn't stop, so he and Amethyst left aswell. It was just me, Raph, your mother and Ruby. I couldn't put your mother through anymore fights without her sisters to comfort her, so we moved out, this was after you were born Liam, you were about a year old." Leonardo held his wife close to him, "I remember walking out of the lair, I turned back to Raph........he turned his shell straight at me and if you could have seen the look on his face, the look he gave me, it was like. 'Your not my brother, your not my friend, this is your fault and you know it.' After that I never saw any of them ever again."
Leonardo looked to his children and saw his daughters giving him curious looks, "So we're not the only ones?" asked Kumi.
"Yep, there are other mutant turtles in the world." replied Leo.
"And you never told us?" yelled Liam.
"I know it was a selfish thing to do but.........I just couldn't bare to face your Uncle Raph again and put you three through the pain of the fights that our family went through." said Leo. Tears rolled down his face now and he tried to hide it from his family, "Look, Saph I'm gonna go up top for a while and.." Leo said trying to get to the door of their den. Saph stopped her husband from leaving.
"Leo, we've been avoiding this for eighteen years. No more. It's time." she whispered to her husband.
Leo sighed again, but he nodded, "But we have no contact with them at all." he said to his wife.
"April and Casey are still in the antique shop aren't they, I'm sure April knows were Donnie and Amy are, and I'm sure Casey keeps in touch of.......Raph." said Sapphire showing that she doesn't care about a fight that happened eighteen years ago.
" Raph." Leo hesitated.
"I'll ask them about Raph, you ask about Don." she gave Leo a smile that she knows always cheers him up. At least a little bit.
"Thanks honey." Leonardo held his beautiful wife by the waist and passionately kissed her on the lips.
"Kids in the room." yelled Eliza.
Leonardo and Sapphire turned to their three children and knew they were ready to meet the rest of their family. It was time for a family reunion.