Disclaimer: checks mail...still no..."grumbles darkly"

Chapter 9: Hope

Raph's POV

Don left an over an hour ago...back to take care of Mikey...I wish he'd speak...heck I wish he'd play a prank on me...Don's just as worried as I am. I made Don promise not to do anything to himself...its Mikey I'm worried about...I slip and end up covered in mud. My head throbs painfully...stupid hangover...Leo would've beat my butt and left me to suffer for drinking like I've been. At the thought of him I tear up and quickly wipe the tears away. I miss him...I could go for one of his letures about now...I sit up and sigh, wiping the mud from my plastron. My eyes catch sight of something I've longed to see in the past three weeks. Leo's mask, a patch of blue in the mud. I scramble forward and scoop it up, tears rolling down my cheeks. I look around and see rough looking foot prints...booted foot prints...Leo...who took him?

I scramble to my feet and then stop, in the mud, just outside of the area where I fell are two, three fingered, hand prints, as if they were pulling someone out of the water. Leo was alive...

I turn and sprint for home clutching Leo's masks in one hand. Hangover forgotten.

"DONNIE!!! MIKEY!!!! COME HERE!" I shout as I reach the lair. Don comes shooting out of the kitchen and to my surprise and joy Mike steps out of Leo's room, blue eyes questioning.

"Raph what? What is it?" Don demands. I open my hand.

"PrintshandthreefingersLeoalive!!" I get out in a rush. Don looks at me in confusion for a minute, then he grins. Mikey is by my side holding Leo's mask and trembling. He looks at me I repeat what I told Don.

"Mikey, I found hands prints in the mud...Leo's alive," I say softly. Mikey's face slowly forms into a small smile. I've never been so happy to see him smile.

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