Chapter Fourteen
"Hey, Leo, try one of these éclairs. They're killer."
Smiling shyly, Leo took one of the chocolate desserts Mikey was holding out to him.
"You've had enough sugar," Raph scolded Mikey. "Hell, you don't even need any; you're so hyper, I swear you were born with caffeine in your veins."
Mikey pouted. "Just for that, I should eat the rest and wash them down with that coffee over there."
"Please don't," said Don, sounding fearful.
Raph and Mikey laughed, and Leo joined them.
Things had returned to normal with surprising ease. When the three of them got home that night - months had already passed since then - Mikey had almost no memory of anything. He remembered meeting Arella and going to visit her once or twice, but that was it. Leo and Don told him that she had abruptly left town.
They told Raph a different story. That she was a criminal - which was close to the truth, given all the people she must have killed over the years - who had given Leo something that made him hallucinate so he wouldn't figure out what she was up to. Also almost the truth; her saliva had nearly driven him insane. He was thankful daily that he had never tasted her blood.
Raph was less than willing to forgive and forget. "You're just lucky I didn't scar," he said one day.
"I said I was sorry," Leo reminded him gloomily.
He had said he was sorry over and over again, but Raph was still mad.
"Yeah, well, keep saying it. Maybe someday I'll think about forgiving you."
Leo had started to cry shortly after that. In the weeks following Arella's death, he had been particularly emotional - probably due to the shock his body had just went through. That was Don's assessment, anyway.
Whatever the cause, it made him cling to his brother and sniffle as he begged for forgiveness. Raph had squirmed in embarrassment. "You've been a real girl lately, you know that?"
This prompted Leo to punch his arm. Raph punched him back, which led to a scuffle - a playful one. Like the ones they used to have when they were young. When it was over, things went back to the way they were - the way they were supposed to be, before their lives started to fall apart.
The only one they told the truth was Splinter. He had sensed something was terribly wrong, that something dangerous and deadly was trying to worm its way into their lives, even before he met Arella face to face, and he didn't doubt their story for a second.
"She was right, you know," he said quietly after they finished. "There are things in this world that we don't have the answer to, things we can't name or explain. Some of those things are wonderful, and some of them are terrible and would do anything to hurt us. Never forget that, or let your guard down."
He didn't have to tell Leo twice. It was only in the last few nights that he had finally started sleeping comfortably again. He had lost count of how many times he had bolted up in bed, sweating and terrified. More often than not, Don woke up with him and comforted him wordlessly.
The experience, as horrific as it had been, had brought the two of them closer together. Formed a bond that hadn't been there before - not like this. Leo smiled at him now; Don returned the smile and gave his shoulder a squeeze.
Mikey, a lemon bar in hand, suddenly put a finger to his lips. "Shush," he ordered. "It's starting."
They were up in the choir loft of an old, grand church, a space reserved just for them. They leaned discreetly over the railing and watched as April drifted up the aisle below them.
Mikey sighed wistfully. "She looks so pretty," he said dreamily.
"Sweet ass-spankable," was Raph's opinion. Don snorted and elbowed him.
Leo had to admit, April did look awfully pretty. Instead of a veil she had white flowers pinned in her red-brown hair, and the gown she had finally chosen was both classic and classy. Casey - who had actually combed his hair before squeezing into his tux - looked like he held his breath as he took her hand.
Mikey had his chin propped in his hands as he watched. "Kind of makes me want to take the plunge, too," he murmured.
It was Raph's turn to snort. "Right. When you find a girl willing to date outside her species, let me know."
He paused. "Seriously, let me know. I think it might be fun to date a biker-chick."
Don snickered. "You ever try internet chat rooms? Everyone is anonymous in cyberspace."
Leo smiled softly as he rested his head on his folded arms. His eyes on the ceremony below, he said quietly, "I think I'd rather just stay a bachelor. It's safer."
"Says the only guy here who's ever had a girlfriend," muttered Mikey. "Sort of."
"Sort of," Leo heard Don echo sarcastically under his breath.
Leo turned quiet. Granted, most girls out there weren't that dangerous, since they weren't interested in eating someone for breakfast. Not literally, anyway.
At the altar below, the happy couple finished their 'I dos', and the room broke out in applause. The four of them joined in, though they kept their cheers down.
"I call dibs on Casey's stereo," Raph announced as the pair headed back down the aisle together.
Don rolled his eyes. "We're only apartment-sitting," he reminded him. "We don't get dibs on anything."
"You're a kill-joy, you know that?"
Leo smiled to himself, his eyes drifting over to a nearby stained-glass window. It was still morning, and warm sunlight was filtering in, turning to hues of blue, red, and gold. It was a beautiful sight.
Depicted in the glass of the window was an image of the Madonna. Another beautiful sight - parent and child.
Leo moved away from the railing and went over to Splinter, who was sitting quietly next to the snack table. Splinter smiled softly as Leo sat beside him and took his hand in his own.
Leo had always loved Splinter dearly - they all did - but these days he felt closer to him than ever. He felt proud to have been chosen to lead this wonderful family of theirs, and he was going to do everything he could to remain worthy of that position. And he wanted Splinter to be proud of him, too.
At the bottom of the stairs below the loft, someone knocked on the door. "What's the password?" Mikey asked suspiciously.
"Open the door or I'm going to get extremely angry?" April suggested sweetly.
Mikey unlocked the door with a pert frown. "Lousy password; you have to pay a toll now."
April rolled her eyes, then put a hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek. Looking embarrassed, Mikey stepped back so she could come in.
"We're about to head to the reception hall," April said as she climbed the stairs, hefting her long skirts in her hands. "But I wanted to come say goodbye first."
"Where's Casey?" wondered Raph.
"Off arguing with the photographer about something," April reported, with another roll of her eyes.
"Yeah, well, you just tell that big goon he'd better take good care of you. Because I won't hesitate to beat some sense into him if he doesn't."
April's smile was warm as she reached to hug him. "Thanks. I will."
She hugged Mikey next, followed by Don. When his turn came, Leo held her tightly before he let go again. "Thanks for being our friend," he said softly.
"Hey, for you guys? Anything."
"Sorry we didn't get you a wedding present," Don said hesitantly.
When they got home that night, months ago, Leo had spied Arella's painting and...it kind of had an accident after that.
"Oh, don't be silly; having you five as friends is a present in itself."
April bent down to say goodbye to Splinter, kissing his cheek before turning and hurrying back downstairs to her new husband.
"Is everybody gone?" Mikey wondered after she left.
Don glanced over the railing. "Yup."
"Guess we'll just have to eat all this food they left here ourselves," Mikey sighed, rubbing his hands together as he went back to the snack table.
"We'll force ourselves," Raph agreed.
Leo laughed softly and accepted the lemon bar Raph passed him. "I could eat," he said mildly.
In fact, he had put on a few extra pounds recently. It gave him an excuse to roughhouse with Raph more.
"You know something?" Mikey noted as he poured them all glasses of punch.
"Life is good?" Don guessed.
"How'd you know?" Mikey asked with a grin.
Grinning back, Don took a glass and passed it to Leo, who grinned in return. "To the most awesome newlyweds alive," he said. "And to the most awesome family ever."
His brothers murmured their agreement and clinked the cheap punch glasses together.
"And..." Leo suddenly said as another thought struck him.
"And?" Mikey echoed, sounding irritated as he held his glass to his anxious lips.
Leo smiled. "And to this awesome life we're living. It might not always be easy, but no one can change who and what we are. No one can tell us what we can and can't do."
"Here, here," said Raph, with approval.
Mikey showed his own approval via downing his glass in one gulp and eagerly going back for more. Leo sat down next to Splinter again, who smiled knowingly.
Leo was just grateful that he was able to continue living this life he had. And while he might be a ninja, and something other than human, two things that kept him in the shadows...his heart, soul, and mind were full of light.
~Fin~