yukio87: Haha, yeah, Daredevil is a good movie. Thanks!
prangersturtles: Aw, thank you! I've no idea where I'm going to go with that fic but that's nice of you to say. :)
MadameMirage77: I had to bring up Daredevil because everyone was commenting on it in reviews so, yeah, a nice, little reward for everybody! I really love Mikey, too. He's got such a sweet soul. As far as turtle tot fics go, I'm not too sure I'll write any. Although, there is my "turtle gets turned into a toddler" fic, "Brother Mine", if you haven't checked that one out. It's just the one turtle who's a tot, though. :) Casey's reaction is in this chapter and it...could be worse. Sort of. Sorry about the switch in birth order; it's just the way it is in my head.
Guest: I'm pretty sure that's the last we'll hear of Daredevil. Maybe.
BlueBoltKatana: Here's the next chapter! And thank you!
5Mississippis: I love me my fluff! Now onto some action (ish).
Jenasisity: Don't worry at all about being late. I just enjoy seeing new reviews! Thank you, that's kind! Leo getting a pet would be...strange, I think, if only because the animal (dog or otherwise) wouldn't be able to keep up with him. He's a bit hardcore for your average pet. :) Right back at ya, Jenasisity!
TMNT-Queen: Thank you so much for recommending me! In answer to your questions in order: 1. "They" can't do anything about Leo's sight. It's all down to whether or not Leo's occipital lobe heals from the sustained damage which I still haven't decided will happen or not. 2. Chapter 11 will explain Don's feelings concerning the matter. And 3. No, Don did not mean to challenge Leo at all. It was his own ignorance on the grounds of leadership and how it works that forced him into the situation. Don't worry, though. He's learned his lesson. :)
LeoFan87: Thank you. :)
CelandineGranger: A bit of fluff never goes astray.
Natalie Ryan: I really do like the little brother tyrants. It's nice to see them take care of their big brothers. It's my secret headcannon that Raph terrifies inanimate objects on a regular basis. ;)
TheMaskedTimelord: I'm feeling a ton better, thank you! So much so that I was able to pound out this lovely chapter for you all!
lizzybudd: I couldn't deny everyone's Daredevil comments by not throwing one in myself. (I'm a pushover that way.) Thanks a bunch!
Scroll Angel: Filler time is over. Full steam ahead!
ReginaDC21: Aw, thank you so much! I'm glad that you loved the fight scene and the fluff and everything. And I can't answer your question for you. You'll have to find that out yourself. ;)
Author's Note: 65 followers, 60 favourites, 158 reviews, 1 community and countless wonderful people - thank you, everybody! Because you're all so awesome (and because I had a bit of time this weekend), here's Chapter 11 a full week early! You're welcome!
Chapter 11
"You want me to what now?"
"Describe what I'm holding."
Leo really hoped his face adequately conveyed his unadulterated disbelief despite his sightless eyes as he stared in Don's direction. They were sitting at the kitchen table, having completed morning training and cleaned up (and, yes, Mikey did help Leo out with the shower (mostly because of his bandages that he was not allowed to get wet), much to his chagrin and embarrassment but no one – no one – dared to poke fun at him, not over this) and mind-mapping the living room. Mikey was busy prepping lunch, Sensei was meditating in his room, and Raph hovered in the near vicinity, intently watching the unfolding scene; Leo could feel his gaze bore into him every time he breathed.
"I don't even know what it is," he pointed out, trying to keep his tone even.
"Then here." Something passed into his hands. "Tell me what it is and describe it to me."
Klunk, who sat on the tabletop, nudged at the object and mewed. Leo lifted his hands and the object out of the curious cat's way which, apparently, gave Klunk the go-ahead to sit between his elbows, right beneath his chin.
"Your cat has no sense of boundaries, Mikey!" Leo called to his little brother.
"He's a cat!" was the affronted reply.
"Quit stalling, Leo!" Don cut in. "What is it?"
Leo sighed. "It's a mug."
"Good. Keep going."
"That's all I know! Do you know how many mugs we have in that cupboard?" Leo pointed (quite accurately) to the cupboard in question above the sink. "We have seventeen! Seventeen! This could be any one of those!"
Donnie huffed and Leo could picture him leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest – he did that a lot when he huffed. "Now you're just being difficult. How big is it? What's the shape of the handle? Are there any particulars that set this mug apart from the others?"
"You're despicable," Leo seethed.
"But you don't hate me," retorted Donnie.
Leo knew better than to grace that with a comment, especially after what had happened earlier this morning, so he contented himself with a quiet growl which Klunk imitated with gusto which in turn prompted chuckles from around the room. Turning the mug over, he trailed his fingers over every inch of it. He was surprised to find a rather small handle and a prominent bottom that was slightly convex to keep its hot surface from scalding whatever it sat on. Further inspection revealed what felt like a sticker pattern on one side and he felt a smile play across his mouth.
"It's mine," he announced. "It's my "A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone" mug. It's black but the writing is golden-brown."
Silence met this and his smile faded. "Am I…wrong?" he queried the air.
There was a moment before Donnie spoke: "No. No, you're not. It's just…I didn't think you'd get it so soon."
"He didn't think you'd get it at all," Raph amended.
"Thanks for the bout of confidence." Leo smirked at his immediate younger brother. He looked down at the mug in his hands and for some strange reason, he knew how it would look there: a slight gloss in the full light, not a chip or scratch on it. But despite knowing how it would look in his hand, he still couldn't see it. He traced the words gently and Klunk licked his hand, clearly wanting to be petted instead of the mug.
Leo gave up, setting the mug aside, and did as requested, fondling the cat's ears with one hand and twirling the tail between his fingers with the other.
That moment ended abruptly when Don slid him something else. "Describe it to me" was the nonnegotiable command.
-:-:-:-
Lunch was well under way when Leo's sharp ears caught the quiet whir of the elevator. Excusing himself, he headed for the door. Klunk almost tripped him twice on the way and he scooped the cat from the floor, settling him on his left shoulder and well out of the way of his katana.
He caught a familiar whiff of citrus shampoo and a new but not strange musk mixed with engine oil. "April, Casey," he greeted warmly. "Would you care to join us for lunch? Mikey made sandwiches."
April was a soft presence around him as she hugged him gently. "That sounds great, Leo. Thanks. How are you?"
"Better. Don said the stitches can come out the day after tomorrow. Our turtle DNA does wonders for our healing." He caught the hand that got too near his face. "I might be blind but I'm still ninja, Casey Jones," he said, deathly quiet.
"Oh. Right." Leo could feel the excess heat coming off the man as he blushed. "Uh…sorry, man. Just checkin'."
"You don't have to." He turned away while at the same time rubbing Klunk's head. "The others will be happy to see you," he added.
Casey was a wall of warm-blooded strength behind him as he said, "So is Klunk yer seein'-eye-cat or somethin'?"
"Not at all." Leo pivoted, walking backwards to prove his point. He smirked at the astonishment rippling through the air. "Mikey and Raph think that Klunk knows what's happened and he's taken to following me around. Most of this is my own muscle-memory developed over the years. The rest is Mikey's mind-mapping."
He casually extended an arm to brush an end table whereon seven candles and a box of matches sat, along with three of Don's encyclopedia. He halted to pick up the closest candle, twirl it between his fingers and set it back down. "Mind-mapping was Mike's idea. By touching everything in a room, I create a mental layout of everything and where it all is. The guys have been really good about not moving anything so far but, I mean, it's only my second day out of the lab so..." He trailed off, ducking his head.
"Baby steps," April concluded.
Leo nodded. "Yeah."
"You're really doing an amazing job, you know," she said. "I know this can't be easy for any of you, most of all you."
Leo scratched Klunk under his chin and replied, "Yeah. It's been a bit of a rollercoaster."
Neither April nor Casey commented and he led them into the kitchen.
"April! Case! When'd ya get here?" Raph exclaimed.
"Just now, bonehead." Casey sidestepped around Leo to have a go at the hotheaded turtle. "Ya look like crud."
"This is my face!"
"Exactly!"
"Raphael, Casey," Splinter cut in before a fight could break out, "remove yourselves to the living room if you plan on wrestling."
"No thanks, Splinter!" Casey crowed. "I'm hungry."
Leo fetched two plates and loaded them. "It's a good thing Mikey makes extra on a regular basis," he said smoothly as he deftly manoeuvered around the occupied chairs to set the plates on the table in front of their favourite humans.
"Hey, I was saving that!" protested the youngest turtle.
"You can always make another," Don pointed out.
"But that was the last of the hot sauce!" whined Mikey.
There was a scrape as a chair was thrusted back from the table. "There's hot sauce in this sandwich?" Casey demanded.
April sighed. "Oh, just eat it, Casey. You like spicy food anyway."
"Not in my sandwiches!"
"It's fine, Casey," Leo soothed, frowning in Mikey's direction. "Mikey's only fibbing."
"Dude, bro, how can you tell?"
"I must admit, my son, that Michelangelo even had me fooled," added Splinter quietly. "He does not appear to be lying at all."
Leo smirked and walked around the full table to flick Mikey on the shoulder. "First, I can smell your hot sauce from ten feet away and it never left the fridge today. Second, your voice pitches just a tiny bit at the end when you're lying. I figured that out when we were ten."
Don chuckled and his chair creaked as he leaned back in it. "A tell," he said loftily. "Who knew the master prankster had a tell?"
"Apparently Fearless knew," Raph answered – and was there a seed of pride in that tone? It was hard to tell with Raphael, but he smiled anyway and caught Mikey's hand when he tried to flick him back.
-:-:-:-
Donatello knew he didn't have to but he watched Leo carefully. Mikey was doing a great job with him in mind-mapping the lair and the kitchen was now most often that he found his elder and youngest brothers but Don couldn't help it. It had been two weeks since he'd taken out the stitches in Leo's side, leg and head (he didn't think he'd ever seen his brother so happy to strap his second katana on than in that moment); two weeks of anticipating accidents that never happened because it was Leo. Deep down, he was secretly glad that it was Leo who was blind because if it had been Raph or Mikey or even him, he wasn't sure what would have happened. But no one had a way of plowing through trouble like Leo. Mind, their fearless leader did have Mikey and Klunk as pretty much constant companions and it was hard to stay doom-and-gloomy with those two nearby.
For himself, Don gave Leo exercises, teaching Splinter, Raph and Mikey what to do, as well; and every day sometime around lunchtime, they'd all sit down and take turns with presenting Leo with objects of varying colours, patterns and familiarity. Some days were more successful than others but Leo never protested or got angry. It was almost worse when he simply just closed off, his navy eyes dulling with despair, but then Mikey would take him to the dojo and they'd spar or meditate or work through kata. Donnie knew that Mikey was reminding Leo of what he was still capable of: he was still ninja, strong and skilled; and he was still their leader, fearless and wise.
Every few days, Don took Leo into his lab and ran him through a couple of standard vision tests. His pupillary light reflex was still intact but that was all, and the purple-banded genius tried not to show his disappointment every time.
He had long entertained the idea of just building a PET scanner but the equipment needed, let alone the radioactive isotope required for the actual test, would be nothing short of impossible to get his hands on. That, and Leo had expressly forbidden him to.
"There's no point," he had said. "It's done."
And while Don didn't agree with that completely, he nevertheless respected Leo's wish because the last time he hadn't, he'd had to fight him. He wasn't going to accidentally challenge Leo again, not if he could help it. So he stuck with basic object examinations and kept at his family to return everything to where they'd found it. Ironically, Sensei was the worst at it because he was old and sometimes forgot where he put things but at least it made for excellent tracking lessons for Leo – go find Sensei's incense box, go find Sensei's cane, go find the remote for the TV.
April and Casey tried to be good about it – or at least, April was good about it and Casey sort of tried. The man kept unsuccessfully sneaking up on Leo and moved needed objects out of reach like Leo's glass at meal times. It was barely funny at first but then Casey Jones did as Casey Jones always did: he crossed a line.
It was Sunday and April for once was working. There was a football game on that Raph and Casey had been anticipating all weekend; Mikey was doodling in a sketchpad on his plastron on the floor, his ankles crossed in the air and Klunk lightly snoozing on his shell; Sensei was out in the sewers on a stroll; and Don was reading in the armchair, his carapace against one arm and his legs tossed over the other. Leo was in the dojo meditating (Mikey had lit the candles for him) and it was relatively quiet, save the interjectory cheers and groans from the two sports fanatics on the couch, but Donnie had learned long ago to tune out noise.
He did, however, hear the crash out in the hallway by the dojo and was the first one moving, vaulting over the back of the armchair, but his brothers and Casey were close behind.
Don pulled up short at the sight of an overturned end table and Leo on the floor.
"Leo!" Donnie rushed to his brother and helped him up, scanning him for broken bones, bruises and…
Was that blood?
Despite his years as unofficial medic and doctor to his family, Donatello froze at the sight of red dappling his brother's left hand.
"Someone moved the table," Leo bit out.
Someone snickered and all three not-blind turtles turned to stare at Casey who failed in looking innocent.
"Why would ya move the table?" Raph demanded icily as Mikey slid forward to right the table and pick up the mercifully unlit candles in their ornate, metal holders, one of which was bloodied and gave Don little doubt that Leo had cut his hand on it when he'd tried to catch himself.
"It was only two inches. I didn't think it would make much of a difference," Casey replied, abashed in the face of Raph's wrath. "Besides, it'll help him navigate new places. He can't rely on muscle memory for everythin'."
"Can't rely on…" Raph trailed off, his hands trembling.
Oh shell, Don thought. That's not good.
Raph lunged at his friend and pinned him to the wall, one massive forearm across his neck. "I'll tell ya what Leo can't rely on," he spat, his voice low and quiet. "He can't rely on ya bein' a decent person. He can't rely on ya bein' his friend because friends don't pull this kinda crap. Ya've been nothin' but a thorn in his side fer two weeks and it ends right now, Casey Jones. Ya hear me?"
"It was only a joke," Casey muttered.
"Even I know when too far is too far, Casey," Mikey put in, his cheerful, blue eyes narrowed with fury. "Raph's right. You're done. We don't need you making this any harder."
It seemed that the human finally understood because he said, very quietly, "I didn't mean ta. I'm sorry. Leo, I'm sorry."
Standing in Don's grip and nursing his bleeding hand, Donnie watched Leo lift his eyes to stare hard in Casey's direction. "I accept your apology, Casey," he said smoothly and completely devoid of emotion. "I would, after all, hate for you to think that you make me feel like I can't be safe in my own home. I'll wait for you in the lab, Don," he added, and with that he slid away.
Even Raph was blinking at the backhanded forgiveness once Leo was gone and his brothers' stunned silence gave Donatello to have his piece.
"Let him go, Raphael," he said with every ounce of authority he used in his lab and infirmary.
Raph glanced at him for only point-four of a second before obeying and stepping away, allowing Don to get right up close in Casey's personal space. He raised his eyes to his very slowly. He stared at him with all the cold calculation he gave quantum physics and watched as sweat broke across the man's brow.
Without blinking or breaking eye contact, he said five words with all deliberation and pronunciation, "This. Will not. Happen. Again," and turned away for his lab, his steps as silent as darkness.
-:-
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