2k3 pretty much left no stone unturned in connecting things to other things. The continuity was impeccable. And yet, there are some stellar fics out there that are premised on drawing additional connections between characters and events in the canon. Here is one more in that tradition, which I hope rises to a similar level of excellence.

Inheritance

Raphael sat on the couch, reading a holo-mag and enjoying how the 3D pictures let him examine the hoverbike models from any angle. As much as he hated breakfast squares, oxygen regulators, and mirrors that talked back to him, there were things he would miss about the future when he finally got back to his own time.

"Hey, Cody?"

Raph looked up. Michelangelo had just wandered into the open-plan living space from the back hallway, apparently in search of Cody, who was sitting at the long dining table, working on whatever it was that rich, underage geniuses worked on in their overabundance of free time.

Cody lowered the stylus of his electronic contraption. "What's up, Mike?"

"I got a question," Mike said. He plunked himself down in one of the starkly geometric chairs around the starkly geometric table. "So, your collection."

Cody perked up instantly at the topic of conversation. Raph's interest was piqued as well, but he pretended that it wasn't, and went back to rotating the translucent little vehicles.

"I get why you collect our stuff," Mike went on. "I mean, we're awesome. But - well, I know I'm not supposed to ask, but it's killing me, dude... Why do you have a suit of Shredder armor?"

"Um..."

Raph looked up, with a Stealthy Ninja Gaze, to see Cody's eyes darting nervously around the room.

"Okay, how about if I guess?" Mike persisted. "And you can sort of wink if I guess right. Like this." He winked exaggeratedly. Cody didn't exactly say yes to any of this, but Mike continued anyway. "Here's my guess: We go back to our own time, kick the Shredder's butt, and sort of, y'know, keep his armor as a trophy. And then, somehow... you get it. Right?" He leaned over the table, peering into Cody's face, searching for a wink. "You can wink now, little buddy."

"Uh, sure, Mike," Cody said. "That's exactly how it happened."

"Okay, cool." Mike got up and walked away, whistling. He left his chair sitting out at an angle, a sharp zigzag in the otherwise unbroken line of chair-backs.

"Hey, Cody."

Cody rolled his stylus across the tabletop with one finger. "What, Raph?"

Raph gestured to the couch facing the one he was sitting on. "Come here a minute."

Cody got up, pushed in his chair in an automatic way, and came to sit heavily in the indicated place. "What?"

Raph turned off the holo-mag and laid it on the cushion beside him. "Listen," he said, leaning forward. "I've been sittin' on this for a while, but I really gotta ask." He paused a moment, debating whether he really did want to ask. Then he plunged onwards. "The Shredder armor."

"Raph -"

"The gloves," Raph said, heedless of the interruption. "They only got three fingers. You wanna explain that?"

Answers Raph didn't want to hear were written all over Cody's face, but all the young heir said was: "You know I can't."

Raph sighed and ran a hand over his head. "Listen, Kid. I - I had this - this kind of dream once. I never told nobody... I dreamed I saw myself wearing the Shredder armor. I - I'm scared, Cody. Is..." He looked away, and lowered his voice. "Is that armor mine?"

"I can't tell you," Cody said softly.

"What you said to Mikey -" Raph fixed Cody with a penetrating gaze. "Was it true?"

Cody's voice shrank. "Technically?"

"Technically?" Raph stood up and paced between the couches. "Did my own brothers have to -" He broke off. "Get rid of it."

"What?"

"Get rid of it."

"Raph..." Cody rose, and put his hand on Raphael's shoulder. "Getting rid of it now won't get rid of it in the past."

Raph spun and grabbed Cody's arms. "They'll see it!" he shouted. "They'll see it! They'll know that I -" He realized what he was doing, and pushed away, averting his face. "Please. Get rid of it."

"It won't change anything, Raph."

"It will," Raph said fiercely. "Don't you get it, Cody? I figured it out. I know. And I'm not gonna let it happen. I don't -" He picked up the narrow wand of the holo-mag, and clutched it in his fingers. "I don't want my brothers to know it would have."

Cody moved up beside him, touching his shoulder again, and this time Raph put his own hand over his host's. "Did we -" He swallowed hard, trying to clear some of the hoarseness from his voice. "Did we really keep it, after... ?"

"Raph," Cody said. "I'll get rid of it. But you have to promise not to ask me any more questions."

Raph grit his teeth. The half-knowing was unbearable. But not as bad as... "All right."

Cody slid his fingers out from between Raph's hand and shoulder. "It will be gone in the morning."

"Thanks, Cody," Raph said quietly. He turned his head to look at the boy, this descendant of the allies he had left in the past. "You're... you're a good friend."

"I owe you guys a lot," Cody said. "I... I can't explain that either. But believe me, I haven't even begun to pay off my debt."

"It's okay," Raph said. "Whatever we did, it wasn't for the material rewards, y'know?"

Cody smiled, and nodded.

"But, seriously, Kid..."

Cody's smile faded a little. "Yeah?"

Raphael looked down at the holo-mag in his hand, then back at Cody. "The time-window..."

"I know," Cody said. "I'm working on it."

"I mean, it's just takin' a really long time, and..." Raph hesitated. "You're not, uh, sabotagin' it, or... ?"

"No, I -" Cody's brow drew down. "Do you want me to?"

The question hung between them for a long moment.

"No," Raphael said finally. "No. Whatever happened, whatever's gonna happen... I gotta go back and face it." He cleared his throat again, and changed the subject. "So... I guess you won't tell me... ?"

"It all works out," Cody said. "I promise."

Raph nodded. "Thanks, Kid."

Cody touched his shoulder again briefly, and walked away.

Raph sighed. It was nice to be reassured about his future, but he was deeply worried about his past.