It's Tuesday! So here I am with chapter nine! In case you didn't gather this from the title, it gets just a bit dramatic in here. Hehehehe. The beginning of Leo's arc in mixed in with Raph's arc, and I realised that there isn't so many arcs, it's just they each have their own story but the four are mixed together. Hehe, I hope you enjoy!
To Arachnide: thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the bonding moment but Raph still has a ways to go! You'll see. And as to who'se is my favorite? In this story, I'd have to say Raph or the later Mikey. My favorite character? Raphael! Hehe. :D
Donella Timbers: I'm glad you didn't mind, being late always stresses me out a lot. And I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! I hope you aren't mad at me after this one, XD.
To Beakers47: I'm glad I got your feels in the last one! Haha, and yeah, I couldn't resist Raph defending his brooklyn accent. It just seemed like something he would do.
To TheMaskedTimelord: yeah, it was a pretty great bonding chapter! And protective Raph is such a cutie! Sorry I just can't resist loving him! Hehehe. There'll be more of that in this fic, I promise!
To my guest reviewer: I know right? Raph's sure figured out how to get Mikey to do things! Haha, bribery. And you are correct, there is much much drama in this next chapter!
Disclaimer: I only own the OC's
And without further delay, enjoy!
"Now that you have your license," Mikey said to Leo, "can you take me to the movies?" Leo frowned.
"Do you have money for the movies?"
"You need money for the movies?" Mikey scratched his head, then shrugged. "Well, ya learn something new everyday don't you?"
"Seems like it." Donnie butted in from the other side of the table, where he was eating cereal. "It'll feel more like it when school starts again too." Mikey wrinkled his nose in disgust.
"School. My old enemy." he said in what Leo assumed was his, 'intense voice' slightly different from his, 'sleep man' voice, another 'sleep picture' had been found in the homework room, which now had four desks crammed into it, on the floor near the garbage between Mikey and Raph's desk. Where was Raph anyway?
"Is Raphael up yet?" Leo wondered, Mikey shrugged.
"Who knows? But I gotta go walk klunk, see ya!" the blond teen jumped from his chair and charged out the back door, grabbing the leash as he went. Leo laughed and shook his head. Donnie glanced towards the stairs.
"He lives." the genius observed, "what a surprise."
"Yeah yeah." Raph grumbled, "Leo, you have an email on the computer, from some guy in japan I think, I dunno, I just glanced at it...you ok?" Leo had dropped his spoon and was staring at Raph.
"What?"
"Some person from japan emailed you, probably some sorta scam…" Leo was out of his chair and to the stairs by then, "guess you should check it?" Leo ran up the stairs two at a time and sprinted to the homework room. He saw immediately that Raph was right, his laptop had been left open and a new notification showed he had received and email. Leo's hands shook as he sat in the chair and clicked to open the message. His eyes fell immediately onto the sender id. Saki Industries. It was…father. Leo blinked. Hard. He opened his eyes again and reread the sender id. The mouse hovered uncertainly over the message before Leo clicked it open, he saw the half page of writing and grimaced. What did his father want with him eight years after he deserted them? Leonardo narrowed his eyes to read.
My Dear Leonardo,
It saddened me greatly to hear of the death of your mother and sister, but I was joyed to hear that you survived, I want to apologise for leaving you behind, and I want to tell you something that your mother had forbidden me from saying.
When I left, eight years ago, I wanted to take you with me to japan, but your mother steadfastly refused. I only now learned of her death and I understand you are in the child services system, I am thinking about coming back to new york to see you, and if possible, take you home again. I have not remarried and as you may have heard, I have grown very industrious. You would have everything you ever wanted here, I will get you a private tutor to teach you japanese and you will learn the martial arts that I did when I was young, I promise you that if you return home with me you will not regret it.
Sincerely, your father,
Oroku Saki
Leo stared at the email, really? Father thinks he can just walk in a take him after leaving, eight years ago?! Didn't Father know it was his decision not to go to Japan then? Mother had come and spoken to him, explaining about a divorce and that moving to Japan meant complete and utter relocation, never seeing her or Miwa again, and having to learn a new language. Leonardo had been the one to refuse, he liked his life then, and he liked it now. the black haired teen selected the 'reply' option to message his father back.
Oroku Saki,
I know you think I am your son, and I might be, biologically, but I am no longer your son. I have a new family, three brothers, real parents; I am at peace with my life now and I never want to even visit Japan, much less live there, if you really wanted me you should have fought to take me long ago, or stayed with the family. Part of me feels it to be your fault mother and Miwa died, because if you had stayed with us, we would not have had to move to that tiny house with the faulty furnace. I'd also prefer you not visit, though I guess I can't stop you if you insist.
Sincerely,
Leonardo Hamato
Leo pressed send with a scowl, maybe he was being harsh, but this was the truth. As he closed his laptop he heard a knock on the door and turned. It was Raph.
"You done doin' whateva'?" he asked, rubbing his forehead self consciously.
"Yeah." Leo said, forcing himself to look fine, "do you need something?"
"Could ya give me a ride somewhere?" Raph asked, lifting his gaze to meet Leo's, "I...have to talk ta someone." Leo frowned, he could tell Raphael was agitated, and he wondered what was wrong.
"Where to?" he asked, Raph sighed.
"I need ta talk ta my parents."
"What?" Leo asked incredulously, "what do you mean?" Raph raised his hands protectively.
"Jus' hear me out a'right?" he asked, "my parents are downtown, at the prison, I have visiting rights that I haven't used yet and I don't have a driver's license, or a car." Leo frowned, running a hand through his hair to comb it back.
"Are you allowed to see them?" he asked incredulously, he didn't know very much about the system, he was a special case after all.
"They are my parents." Raph insisted, "and this one day could change my entire relationship with them, and you guys." Leo understood that 'you guys' meant him, Mikey, don, and mom and dad.
"Ok." he sighed, "let me get ready for the day, we leave in at least a half hour."
"Thanks Leo." Raph said in relief, "I owe you one."
"I'll remember that." Leo said, getting to his feet, "I'll go get dressed," with that Leo walked to his room and closed the door, mulling things over in his head.
"I'm here ta see my parents." Raph said softly at the desk, "I'm allowed, my name is Raphael Jameson and I'm sixteen, my parents are here for a drug bust." the woman looked at him sympathetically and dialed a phone number, having a hurried conversation before smiling at him.
"Follow me Raphael." she said kindly, leading him through a door, Raph caught a glimpse of Leo watching him from the waiting room. Before he knew it, the red haired teen was sitting on one side of the glass, His mother on the other side.
"My Raphie!" she said ecstatically as they picked up the phones, "how are you, dear?"
"I'm fine mom." he mumbled, running a hand through his hair, he glanced at the officer standing behind her. "How are you and Dad?"
"Well…" she paused, "your father is very stressed." that was the last straw to kindle Raphael's angry flame.
"He's stressed?" the teen asked incredulously, "mom, you guys haven't been shuffled around five homes in two years!" mom flinched.
"Raphie-"
"I wanted ta ask ya about…" Raph hesitated, looking at the officer, "about dat thing. dat oda' thing." Mom sighed.
"I can't Raphie, maybe you should talk to your father, but-"
"Why can't ya?" Raph hissed, "did he threaten ya?"
"Of course not!" Mom exclaimed, "you need to calm right down Raphael!"
"I'm not da one in jail!" Raph snarled, "you're right, at least Dad's always brutally honest with me!" Mom sighed, tears filling her eyes.
"Alright Raphie, but remember that I love you."
"Yeah right." Raph muttered under his breath as Mom got to her feet and walked out. A few minutes later Raph's father walked into the small room, the look in his eyes as he looked at Raph made the teen shiver.
"Raphael." father said simply, waiting for Raph to begin. Raph took a deep breath.
"Dad, ya know dat thing? da thing we don' mention?"
"Your girlfriend?" father attempted a joke, Raph scowled.
"No." he snapped, father sobered immediately.
"I know what you mean Raph but I don't really think we need to talk about it."
"But-"
"I said no Raphael!" Father was suddenly angry. "That's always been your problem son, you never listened to me or your mother. That's what got you into this mess." Raph's mouth dropped open.
"What?"
"You got us found out!" Father hissed, eyes narrowed, "and I don't appreciate that!"
"Dad I didn't-"
"And that's also why we're hearing about how you keep getting kicked out of homes, admit it, you're hopeless." he narrowed his eyes. "Maybe you should be dead too." He hissed, Raph stared at the man on the other side of the glass, the man who had taught him how to ride a bike and play baseball when he was a kid, he was the man who had gotten Raph a telescope when he was eight so he could see the moon and mars. He was also the man who ruined Raph's life.
"Fine." he said bitterly, looking at his knees. "I get it, goodbye." the green eyed teen then placed the phone back on the hook and got to his feet. The woman was waiting for him at the door and led him out to the lobby, where Leo was waiting, with a police officer. "Great."
"You went to see your parents?" Tang Shen exclaimed, watching him from across the table Raph scowled.
"Maybe I did, so what?"
"Raphael, you know that court has to allow you that!"
"What are you talkin' about?" Raph asked, staring at her, "when Mom and Dad got arrested the judge told me I could see them once a month! dis is the second time I've even used dat!"
"Raphael please." Tang Shen pleaded, "you have to understand, after you got out of Juvenile hall things changed for you."
"I spray one lousy street painting an' I can't even see my own parents?" Raph asked, outraged, "I've read law books, I shouldn't have even been to juvie for dat in da first place!"
"I don't decide this!" Tang Shen insisted "and Leonardo! You didn't think to ask permission?"
"He said he had permission!" Leo defended himself from next to Raph "he said he was allowed to see them!"
"I am!" Raph said loudly, "I am allowed to see them!"
"Why did you want to?" Tang Shen asked, "we were told the last time you did you told your father you hated him, and that you would never see him again!"
"I lied!" Raph said, "or things changed! I dunno!"
"What do you mean you don't know?" Tang Shen countered,"is this because of what Yoshi told you?"
"No! I don't know!" Raph folded his arms and looked away.
"Well you better figure it out." Tang Shen sighed, looking at her hands. "Raphael, please go up to your room until Yoshi gets home."
"Fine!" Raph snarled, pushing his chair back violently, "I don't wanna hang out down here anyway!" he stormed up the stairs past Mikey and Donnie, who were playing video games. The Redheaded teen slammed his door closed and stormed over to Spike's tank. His gaze softened as he lifted the hermann's tortoise out and placed him on his shoulder.
Blink blink
"I knew ya'd understand." Raph said to him, crossing over to the black wooden desk, he sat down and lifted one of the pencils, then he took a paper and began to draw.
Leo sighed, sitting across from Mom with his head in his hands.
"I'm sorry." he said, though his voice was muffled, "I should have known he wasn't telling me the whole truth, or I should have asked you, I'm sorry." Mom reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Leo, I understand what you thought." she replied, "you thought you were helping a brother. I can't blame you for that."
"I got an email today." Leo blurted out, staring at the table top. "From my father."
"You did?" mom asked, "we thought your father abandoned you and your family."
"He did!" Leo said angrily, slamming a fist down on the table. "He left us! And now he thinks he can just earn all his brownie points back by emailing me!"
"Well what did he say?"
"That he wants to apologise, come to america, see me, and take me back to Japan." The blue eyes teen finally looked up at mom. "I don't want to go to japan, I don't want to see my father, I don't even want to email my father."
"Leonardo," mom smiled. "I understand, I don't think your father is allowed to be messaging you, or thinking about seeing you. When he went back to japan he gave up everything connected to you, that includes his being your father. You are safe here, Leo."
"I know I'm safe." Leo replied, "I just...don't want to hear from him." Mom smiled and squeezed his shoulder. Leo smiled back.
Raph stared at the paper on his desk, he hated the face that stared up at him. It was like the venom in his father's gaze was burned into his eyelids, every time he closed them he saw it. In a single swift movement Raphael grabbed the paper and tore it in half, followed by crumpling it and tossing it in the trash. Once the paper was taken care of the red haired teen threw himself onto his bed and forced himself to fall asleep.
Suddenly, Raphael jerked awake. His bedroom door opened and Hamato Yoshi looked in.
"Can I come in?" he asked, Raph shrugged.
"You're going to anyway." he pointed out, Hamato Yoshi came and sat on the edge of the bed, he looked around Raph's room. Raph watched the man silently, waiting for a lecture, for shouting, for even a slap to the face, but nothing came. "Well?" Raph demanded, "yell! Scream at me! Do something other than sit there!" Hamato Yoshi frowned, looking at him.
"Do you want to be yelled at?" he asked in surprise. "I didn't think you would."
"Yes! No! I don't know!" Raph said angrily, "but don't just sit there!"
"I am sorry." Hamato Yoshi said calmly, "I was merely trying to think of what to say."
"Well don't you know?" Raph laughed bitterly. "First you yell how disappointed you are." Hamato Yoshi raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, and then you say you hate me and I should be in prison for being an incompetent little jerk."
"Really."
"Yeah. and then you go on to say you wish you'd never accepted me and that you don't want me here anymore, a few good hits might happen too if you want to."
"Hits."
"Yeah, you slap me in the face or something." Raph responded bitterly. Turning to look out the window. Then he flinched in surprise as Hamato Yoshi placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Why would I slap you in the face?"
"Because you hate me, I dunno." Raph shrugged the hand off and slid off his bed, beginning to pace. "Because I've only been here for ten days and you already feel like you can't handle me."
"I do not think that." Raph frowned, looking at his current foster father.
"Why not?" he asked, "everyone else has- does."
"I do not hate you." Yoshi replied softly. "And I do not think I cannot handle you."
"Then why are you here?" Raph stopped pacing and faced him. "Seriously."
"To ask you what encouraged you to talk to your parents today." Yoshi replied, "and why you are angry at them." Raph frowned.
"I...I can't tell you." he replied, looking at his feet. "I just can't."
"I see." Yoshi replied, frowning. "Very well Raphael, I just wanted you to know that tomorrow a police officer will be coming to ask you something." Raph's jaw fell open in surprise. "I did not want them to, but it is imperative."
"Why?"
"They would not tell me." Yoshi said softly. "It is almost time for dinner Raphael." with that the japanese man left, leaving Raph's mind whirling in shock.
DUN DUN DUNNNN! So a lot of stuff happened this chapter...as you saw. We're getting to a pretty intense part in Raph's story, not to mention Saki finally entering the story! But I'm afraid you'll have to wait until friday to see what happens next! Please review and thanks for reading!
Until next time
-Jelly
