AN: Finally! Leo and Splinter interaction! Father-son time! Whoot! And we're almost done with this story! I realized I should have put a few warnings, such as, this is not a Karai friendly story. And that this story, because it is the first part, will be ending in a cliffhanger. But, as I said before, the other half is mostly written, now only the epilogue is left to finish. Half of it is actually done, I just have to transpose it onto the computer. This new job is kicking my leisure time's butt.

Edit: 3/17/15 Beta'd! Sorry for the lateness.

Chapter 9 – The Riddle

-o-

"I have found the very best way to advise your children is to find out what they want to do and advise them to do it. "
– President Harry Truman

-o-

They played well through supper time, having Mikey toss in a couple of frozen pizzas in the oven while they were playing RISK and ate while Leo had demolished all his brothers' armies over and over again. None of them seemed to want the fun to stop, but it eventually, it had to. The day had grown late, no chores had been done and Splinter had claimed he was tired and needed to turn in for the night. Don had immediately jumped up then, bid his father goodnight before running to his lab. Mikey and Raph, on the other hand, seemed reluctant to let the night end so they turned on one of their many game consoles and played some old school Street Fighter.

Leo had taken the time to clean up, watching as Splinter made himself one last pot of tea before retiring to his room. The old rat felt his eldest son's eyes on him, and turned to look at him as Leo threw away pizza crusts and brought the dishes to the sink to be cleaned in the morning. There was a moment of silence before Splinter turned back to his tea.

"Would you like to join me for a cup, Leonardo?" Splinter quietly inquired. Even as his father had asked, two tea cups were already placed on the tray, which gave the indication that the question was really a request in disguise. Leo nodded his assent anyway, despite his father not really giving him a choice in the matter and took the tray once the tea kettle was placed on it and moved into Splinter's room.

The room was dark due to its lack of use that day and they took the time to light the many candles that Splinter had placed about his room before settling themselves next the tea table that Don and Leo had refurbished for their master. Leonardo set up the tea for them both, doctoring each cup to their preferences before sitting down and waited for his master to start the discussion. Leo knew that he may be forced to wait an extended period of time, depending on the topic that Splinter wished to discuss, but he found he didn't mind it one bit.

There has been many a time when he found himself face to face with Splinter in an occasion such as this, sharing troubles and tea. Leo would talk about the progress report from patrols, or Splinter would give some sage advice that would aid him with his leadership, or perhaps just to share a story or two that he knew his eldest son would appreciate. Leo got praised, reprimanded, confused, torn down, and put back together in this room, and the memories of his father in a room like this, whether it was in their old homes or in new, was interwoven in with the soft light of the candles and the smell of incense. His anxieties of earlier that had been beaten back by the much needed family time, but had started to rear its ugly head as soon as his family had dissipated. Being there in his father's sanctuary, though, waiting for his father to speak had surprisingly not allowed those feelings to grow. In fact, he was becoming soothed again, even though he knew that this conversation would not be that relaxing.

So Leo had no problem sitting with his legs crossed, sipping the sweet tea as he watched his father drink his own tea and contemplate what he had wanted to address his son. After a few moments of silences and drinking, it appeared Splinter finally came to a conclusion. He placed both hands around the warm cup and peered over it at his son, the candle light making his eyes appear much brighter than his years let on.

"I fear," Splinter finally said, his voice careful not to carry too far, "that our moment of reprieve has come to an end. A storm is coming, and it will hit shore much sooner than any of us can anticipate."

Leo straightened his shoulders in attention. Splinter uses the storm analogy when he knew that a battle or hardship was destined to break out. An anxious bubble threatened to erupt from his stomach, but the tea and the atmosphere was still working its magic and he fought it down with ease.

"You can sense that?" Leo stated, carefully trying to not reveal anything. "Have you seen something while meditating, Master?"

Splinter continued to hold the cup in his hands, though he made no move to put it anywhere closer to his mouth. If Leo hadn't known better, he would have thought his father was using as a shield, a barrier between him and his son, as if he felt he needed something to protect his son, or himself, from something. He has only seen true fear from his father so few times in his life, and these didn't seem to be the right place for that emotion to show.

"No," Splinter said, staring at his son with intent now. "I see it brewing in your eyes. I see the turmoil of waves crashing in your mind all week, and they are now just reaching their peak. You are battling a decision, and it has shaken you to the very core."

Leo kept his breathing even, because he had anticipated, hadn't he? That Splinter would know the goings-on in his mind. His father, at so many times in their life, had appeared all-seeing and all-knowing and knew it was futile to hide anything completely from the ninja master. Leo was a skilled warrior in his own right, though, who had studied under that same ninja master. He had almost complete control over his body and mind, and knew that he could keep his father out of his thoughts for an extended period of time. The best thing for Leo to do is to feed his father a little of the truth, and only the truth. He could present no falsities or they would be snuffed out in an instance and the attack on Leo's mind would surely fall to the superior-minded mutant. Splinter was a fair master, he would take what was given to him without pushing too far, even if he could sense that there was more to the story, if the teller felt they had good reason to not disclose everything and argued their case efficiently enough. Splinter had been lenient in the past, Leo only hoped he would still be lenient now.

Splinter sat silently, gazing upon his son and Leo knew that the ball was truly in his court now. That this was the time to start speaking before Splinter did it for him.

"You're right, Master Splinter. I been battling with… a decision, one that I need to make to ensure our safety." It was a fine line he had to walk. He couldn't say too much, as to not jeopardize his mission, and he knew Splinter would not let him get away from saying too little. So he leaned over slightly and looked his Sensei in the eyes. "But I have to ask you this question: How far are you willing to go to protect us?"

The question seemed to stop Splinter short. His ears were pinned back by both the question and the seriousness of his son's tone. This was not a throwaway question, a diversion to keep him off track. Leo seriously wanted to know how far his father would go if it meant the safety of his sons. The rat sat in silence, contemplating both the question and the possible reasons that this had come up. Finally, after a few moments, Splinter looked at his son and answered him.

"Everything in my power."

Leo looked at him, taking in the answer and accepting it, but chose to continue on.

"Even if it meant your death?"

There was no hesitation this time.

"Yes," Splinter said simply and honestly. There was no qualifications or reasons behind them. Those, Leo felt, didn't need to be said. It was evident in the way he had adopted them as loud and messy infants on his own, without any other reason but basic compassion. It was the way Splinter had taught them to protect themselves. It was the way he looked at them and called them, "my sons," and had asked for nothing in return.

It was the answer Leo was looking for. That simple admission that his father was willing to die to protect them was calming balm he needed to quiet most of the nerves he had experienced in this past week. It had always been understood, and had been shown physically throughout their life how much their father was willing to sacrifice for them, but to hear it verbally, it meant something more to him, somehow more real. His father's admission gave him the courage to continue. It justified his own reasoning, for his father's beliefs were the same as his own.

"The Foot are planning something," Leo states. Keep it simple, keep it vague. "Karai still places the blame of what has happened to her master on us, and we both know she will stop at nothing until that debt is paid."

Splinter listen intensely and his eyes darkened at Karai's name. "Yes," Splinter said darkly, "I remember well what lengths she will go to get her vengeance."

Leo knew his father was thinking of the attack on their last lair, where his family had gotten split up in hopes to escape certain death, where Splinter had been holed up in an old warehouse on the docks with Donatello, both injured and filled with fear for themselves and the rest of their family. They had spent many days in isolation, not knowing the fate of their sons and brothers, no way of telling if Leo would have fallen in the same trap as they had.

"But I believe I've found a way to end this feud, once and for all." Simple. Vague. "If I can get this done, we will never have to worry about Karai, or the Foot, ever again."

Leo knew he sounded certain and confident, and while he was mostly those things, he would have still forced himself to sound like that in front of his father. He couldn't bear to appear anything but sure of this if he wanted his father's approval, even if Master Splinter wouldn't know the extent of his plan.

Splinter looked at him, scrutinizing him in that intense way he does when he was trying to read his sons for their sincerity in an apology. He remained silent for a few moments and Leo kept calm and collected, determined that his father would not find any weakness.

Finally, Splinter spoke. "You are sure of this plan?"

"Yes."

"And you will not be including your brothers."

It wasn't a question. So, his father had caught the first-person singular pronoun.

"No, I will not." Simple.

"And it will be happening soon." Another non-question.

"Soon," Leo echoed. Vague.

"You seem confident this will work." Splinter looked at him, the intensity of the stare would have felled a weaker man, but Leo wasn't weak and he wasn't a man.

Leo simply nodded. His father kept his gaze steady and they just stared at each other. Youthful eyes peering into wizened ones, trying to gage each other's thoughts. Leo kept both his thoughts and his mind clear of any doubt and fear he may have felt, only putting forth the love, faith, and determination he felt about what was to transpire.

"And yet, you still seek my blessing."

That comment had caused Leo to almost jump from shock. Of course he would seek his father's blessing! He trusted his father in all things, even if he found he could not include his father in the plan in its entirety. That was for his own protection, wasn't it? He hadn't wanted any of his family to risk something that he had been put in charge of, their lives. It was his burden as leader to carry out this plan, and his alone. Leo knew he could not leave the lair tomorrow without one last talk with his master. To do so, he thought, would lack honor.

Before Leo could say anything, Splinter placed his tea down and continued.

"You could have simply slipped out and performed the task you believe will stop the Foot, without saying a word. Instead, you choose to tell me, in very few words, a warning of what is to come. You risk your plan from not happening by bringing it to my attention. I could simply say no, I do not allow you go through with whatever plan you have set forth, because I know it is dangerous. I know, without you telling me, that there is a chance that you will not return to me."

There was something dark that flashed through Splinter's eyes that left Leo feeling raw. It was sadness and pain, something he had hoped to never cause his father. They all knew the possibilities that every time they left the lair (and sometimes they didn't even have to leave the threshold) that they one or all of them wouldn't return. The life as a ninja, the life of a mutant, was not an easy one. To see that possibility in the eyes of a loved one was still an excruciating thing to experience.

Leo found he couldn't move, couldn't breathe. There were so many words that want to come out, of reassurance and reasons of hope, but he was struck dumb. The sadness in Splinter's eyes dissipated, though, and the look that was now bestowed upon the eldest turtle was of fondness and slight amusement.

"It has been a long time since you have needed my blessing over your actions, my son. When I made you leader of this clan that was my indication that you no longer needed my permission to do what you believe is necessary when it came to this family. I am merely an advisory board, someone you can come to in time of need gain knowledge and wisdom to do what you need to get done to aid in the survival of you and your brothers." Splinter's smile was gentle, already well aware of his eldest son's argument. "It pleases me, that you still come to me for guidance and still take what I think account when you make your decisions, but it is no longer required for you to do so. You may be thought of as a teenager in the world above based on the number of years you have walked on this earth, but I no longer view you as such. To me, you are men, not the little boys I used to care for. You have faced adult responsibilities for years, and I must show you the respect that in which you all have already earned."

Leo found himself staring at his knees, unable to handle the warmth and pride radiating from his father's eyes. There was a part of him, that little boy Splinter had mentioned that had always resided in him, and perhaps always will, that had so sought his father's approval and recognition. That part was now doing back flips in his stomach and brought heat to his cheeks with the simple pleasure that he knew he had his father's faith in him.

"But it is not a blessing in which you are truly in search for."

Leo's head whipped up so fast he heard his neck crack. He ignored the pain that was emitted from the top of his spine to gawk at his father. The same smile was evident on Splinter's face, warm and nostalgic.

"You seek forgiveness, for the actions you must do to protect your family. You seek forgiveness for keeping your family in the dark for their own protection. You seek forgiveness for taking the burden that is leadership, something that is at both selfish and selfless, and making a decision that will affect everyone."

The air in his father's room became non-existent. He couldn't breathe in an ounce of oxygen he knew his body needed to survive, but that seemed of little importance in compared to what his father had just spoken. That. That was just…

"Yes." The precious air escaped his lungs just long enough for him to utter that simple word. Yes, he wanted forgiveness, he wanted redemption for the actions he had already set in motion and the actions he had yet to do. He wanted his family's love and understanding. If this worked, if he could really walk into Karai's stronghold and defeat her, he wanted to be welcomed home, he wanted them to forgive him for walking to his death and coming back with freedom for them all. He wanted them to stand over his grave, if he did lose, and say they bore no hard feelings, that they understood that he had done what he had done out of love and obligation, and not see it as an abandonment. "Yes."

Leo's eyes were unseeing, blinded by the possibilities that could happen tomorrow, so he was startled when he felt his father's warm paws brush against his face, handing out comfort as easily as he had done when he had been a child.

"The forgiveness you seek from me is given, my son." Splinter's voice was soft, but it rang throughout Leo's head like a snare drum. "I know your heart, Leonardo, as well as I know your face. I know it will guide you into making the best possible decision and I cannot fault you for following your heart, especially since it is so intertwined with your family."

Leo's heart swelled, and he felt tears come to the corner of his eyes. He refused to allow them to fall, still, despite it all, not wanting to show any weakness, even in front of his father. His forgiving father. So he shut his eyes and squeezed them tight until the sensation disappeared, gritting his teeth to help. But he kept his eyes closed, soaking in the warmth of his father's hand, which hadn't moved an inch while his son struggled with his emotions.

"But," Splinter continued, his voice still ever so soft. "You know I cannot promise your brother's forgiveness." There was regret in Splinter's voice, and Leo knew it well. "If you leave them out of what you are planning, it is not just their pride that will be hurt, but also their trust in you. You must remember that."

Leo was well aware the price he was going to pay with his actions. He had known from the beginning that he not only risked his life, but his family's faith in him as well. Leo counted on his family for so many things, whether it was protection or his own sanity. To lose that trust, well, the mere thought took his breath away. If he did not have his family's trust, he did not know what he could do. He had long ago decided that his family's lives were worth any price he had to pay.

"I understand, Master Splinter," Leo said as soon as his breath was returned to him. "And please know, that I will do anything in my power to gain it back." If he came back, he'd spend hours and hours on his knees before his brothers. He'd crawl over red-hot coals, drive shards of glass into the palms of his hands, stare into the darkest corner of the universe without relief, and he'd beg for more, just to gain his family's love and acceptance back. "I promise."

The smile was exceedingly gentle on Splinter's face, as if he were trying to reassure Leo instead of the other way around.

"I know, my son." Splinter finally let his hands fall from his son's head and sat back, knowing the emotions that were wreaking havoc on his son's composer. He allowed a few moments of silence to pass between them before he spoke again. "There is only two things I would advise you on, if you will listen to your old master."

The words and the tone was meant to bring humor to the situation after such a heavy conversation, and while Splinter had partially succeeded in his endeavor, Leo knew that the advice he was about to be given would be sage.

"While I know your intentions are true," Splinter said, "Remember that old proverb about good intentions and the road to hell. I want you to reflect, before you put your plan into action, that the reason you are doing this, putting so much risk on yourself and ultimately your place in this family, are the right ones."

Leo blinked at that. Of course he was doing it for the right reason. If it meant keeping his family safe forever from the Foot, it would always be the right reason.

"Also," Splinter said, before the turtle could reply, "I want you to look at yourself, and see how you see yourself when you made it."

If Splinter's first advice had been confusing, it was nothing compared with his last one. Look to himself for what? What did he mean to see himself?

Leo knew not to question his father. The riddle is a part of the advising process, and it was a lesson he would have to learn for himself. So Leo bowed to his master, as a sign of both respect and understanding. Splinter nodded at him and picked his tea back up and took a sip. It was cool now, much cooler than he usually liked it, but he didn't appear to mind. Leo picked up his own tea and found he didn't mind the coolness of the tea, for his insides were still warm from their conversation. The fire that his father had built in him with his words of comfort and faith was something he knew would burn bright in him for the rest of his life, whether it was tomorrow or for a hundred years. They sat in silence the remaining of Leo's visit, both taking comfort in each other's presence for what may be the last time.

-o-

AN2: I sure hope Splinter doesn't appear OOC. I believe that Splinter has an enormous amount of trust in his sons when it comes to their family's safety, Leo most of all. Otherwise, he would have never given Leo the leader title and would never allow his sons to go anywhere. He's a ninja master, he knows sacrifices are to be expected, and while he is their father, it was a role he grew into, not something that he naturally did like ninjutsu (from, y'know, watching Hamato Yoshi do it.) Right then, in that room, when everyone is safe and happy, he's thinking like a ninja master, not so much as a father. The latter part of him will come out much later in the next story.

So the next chapter will be a doozy, and I sure hope you guys stay around to read it. Seriously, that scene has been in my mind for ages and the backbone for the whole piece. Enjoy!

Chapter title is from the song by Five For Fighting.