Did I ever tell you how wonderful you guys are and how glad I am that you stick with Liza? I probably did. But it doesn't make it less true. Doomo arigato.
I blame you, dear readers, for everything that happens in the next couple of chapters. It absolutely wasn't planned this way. But sometimes life doesn't go as planned, right? So whatever curses you might want to throw at me in the future, remember- it's your own fault.

And I wanna believe you
When you tell me that it'll be okay
Yeah, I wanna believe you
But I don't
[Avril Lavigne - Tomorrow]

Chapter 26- Truth Or Dare

This matter is far from worked out.

Splinter's brow furrows when he notices the strange expression in Michael's brown eyes. There is something... strangled to it, a strain in the set of his mouth that he desperately tries to stop from creeping into the words he so frantically whispers. The ninja fears that if the boys don't get time to talk about the issue soon, Michael might choke on it. Yet at the same time there is no time to lose. What to do?

He makes a decision. They will never be able to achieve anything- let alone fight someone as dangerous as the Ultimate Draco- if they aren't united from within the team. The smallest frown ripples over his forehead like water and the plan solidifies. He turns his upper body, but his eyes never leave the young couple on the stairs. It is enough to alert his sons who immediately shift the focus of their attention from said boys to their father.

"Our time is limited", Splinter says slowly, just loud enough to gain Tobias and Michael's attention as well. They look up, giving him the smallest glance. It is enough for the old master. "We need to find a calm, secluded area to summon a portal and find Myamoto-san. We need to send someone in to find him, and we need to gather more information about the whole situation altogether- however", he raises his voice and a hand along with it when tension ripples through his audience, "and maybe most importantly so, you two need to talk." He nods into Michael's direction. There is something dark in the young man's eyes that hasn't been there before. Splinter vaguely suspects it has to do with Usagi, but he can't think of a concrete reason.

"If it is no bother to you, Tobias, I would like Michelangelo to..."

He is interrupted by the redhead who finally lets go of his friend's shirt and straightens up. "Please, don't go." He wipes his eyes rather hastily and suddenly looks very embarrassed. "It would be a pleasure to have you all as my guests. We have a room down in the basement that's mostly empty right now, you can just use that and do whatever while we wait and maybe get something to eat." He doesn't have to tell them that the empty room used to be his own; it is emminent in his voice and the sideways glance at Michael. "Just... if you'd like that..."

Michael's face is chiseled in stone. He doesn't respond. Splinter gives him a few more seconds before the atmosphere becomes too tense to remain comfortable before he answers with a short inclination of the head. "We would like that very much. Thank you, Tobias. You have been nothing but kind to us."

He can't be too sure, but he thinks he hears Michael snort before Tobias leads them in. The sound sends a shiver travelling up and down his spine. Talking seems like a very good idea right now and he is glad that he chose to stay.

The room they enter is small and littered with jackets, shoes of all sizes and toys, carelessly dropped and forgotten here. It is obvious that no visitors were expected, but as it is, it gives the place a homey feeling. Their own shoes look strangely in order, standing in one row against the wall. When he thinks no one looks, Mikey pushes against his own with his toe, just hard enough to disturb the straight line of black. It doesn't do much. Even the color seems inappropriate in these colorful surroundings. The walls are painted a soft yellow which reflects the light falling in through the door windows. The floor is a light wood, soft underneath their socks as they pad along behind Tobias and Michael through the hallway and past a kitchen into the living room.

It is nice to be in a normal-sized house for a change. It is also very strange and unfamiliar. April and Casey at home both live in apartments which sure are big enough to live and (in April's case) nicely decorated, but they are no house. They are, more importantly, no home to a family. The Lair is nothing for a comparison, because when it comes to room, it can hold its ground against the May's Mansion. While he tries not to step on any of the small toy cars and barbies that cover every inch of free ground, Splinter is strongly reminded of the way their first Lair looked like when his sons were still young. He smiles at the memory.

An open doorway leads into a living room of notable size. A giant dark sofa fills the center of the room, contrasting nicely with its surroundings. The walls are painted either bright white or deep red, even though the white shows signs of usage near ground and some faint splatters of red confirm that they have been painted by the inhabitants of the house. A TV stands propped up against one wall, facing the sofa. Pictures are hung up all around the room- photographs of two boys and two girls at different ages, with school bags and bright smiles. The youngest girl is still very small, with puffy red cheeks and black hair framing her light skin and dark eyes. She has to be the owner of the mayority of the toys that are lying around in the living room as well. Splinter notices with mild interest that Tobias is the only sibling with red hair; all the other children's hair is black. Black and shiny as their mother's, as a family picture confirms, while Tobias has his father's red and rather scrubby hair.

The boy clears his throat, trying to fight down his nervousity. He quickly scoops up some of the toys and clothes that cover the sofa, dropping his armload onto a chair that somehow must have found its way from the kitchen to the living room. "Umm, make yourself at home, I guess. And sorry for the mess, I wasn't expecting anyone..." Not quite meeting Michael's eyes, he gathers more things onto his arms until a hand on his shoulder stops him. When he looks up, he is met by an amused twinkling in the other boy's eyes. "Geeze, man. Sit down. Relax."

Tobias smiles nervously and drops what he's holding before scurrying past Michael and joining the Hamato family in front of the picture wall. He points at the youngest girl. "That's Charley, she's the youngest in the family, two years old now. Mum and dad are visiting my grandma right now, they have her with 'em, but as you can see, her presence is all-consuming..." He smiles softly, pointing at the loaded chair before moving on to the next picture. Another girl is smiling down at them, with the same long, black hair but brighter eyes. She was beautiful even at her young age, long legs and full lips that curv up when she smiles like on the picture. Splinter notices the family resemblance to Tobias in her, and the thought makes him smile back at her for a reason.

"That's Becca", Tobias explains. "She's ten now and totally annoying." His tone tells a different story, but no one objects. "In fact, she is upstairs right now, doing her homework. With which I was supposed to help her, so you might just meet her in a few when she comes to whine." His voice never lost its loving tone even as he spoke the words. There was an absent smile on his face before he went on, pointing at the next picture, and suddenly there was an uneasy silence in the room. It showed a young boy with dark, but scrubby hair and dark brown eyes, smiling into the camera. He had a teddy bear in his arms and very bright skin, dotted with freckles around his nose. "That's Noah", Tobias said quietly, even though everyone knew anyway. "He's my little brother and he is... He would be thirteen now. Umm..." He wiped his hands on his shirt, fidgeting with the cloth before nodding at the next picture. "And that's me, of course, when I was younger. The photo is pretty stupid. Anyway, who's in for some hot chocolate?"

It is Leo who interrupts them, especially Mikey, when he raises his voice. "No offense," he says and his lips are a tight line in his face. "But I think there are more important things to do." He turns, takes the room in with one last intake of breath, one last spin, drinks in the normalty and the colorful calm before he continues. "You'd really help us if you could show us this empty room downstairs you think we can use. And then I think you two need to talk."

Had it been his brothers, it would have been a command. Talk. Now. As it is, Michael's hands curl into fists in his lap, and he sinks deeper into the couch cushions while Tobias' face is drained from what little color it held. Nonetheless he waves a hand for them to follow him, and follow him they do. Back through the cramped hallway that suddenly doesn't seem homey anymore, but like a really bad escape route. Down the staircase to the left, down, down past babyblue walls until they reach solid ground again. It smells of washing machines and dust. Basement smell. Tobias' smell, still lingering in the air when they enter what once was his and now is nothing but a bet without mattress and a wooden desk against the wall.

"Here we go", the redhead says and stops in his tracks. He sounds nervous, though Splinter isn't sure about the reason exactly- the portal opening in his house? Or the talk to his boyfriend? He scurries out before the older man can make sure, closes the door and cuts them off from what's out there.

"Man, there's some serious bullshit goin' on." Raph looks after him, confusion hidden beneath the angry mask he usually puts on when he is insecure. It is surprising how similar the human expression is to his turtle face. "Language, Raphael", Splinter and Leonardo say in unison and automatically, which is why no one reacts to it. They stand for a few seconds in silence before Mikey says, "How are we gonna open..."

The door opens again, Tobias stands in the doorway, red dots appearing on his cheeks as he breathes in deeply and hurries out his words. "Here's some chalk, sorry, I totally forgot about that stuff, and I don't know if you might need this but I brought it just in case seeing as Usagi's home world is pretty dangerous so if you want it just keep it we got plenty and..." He stops here to take another breath, but the chalk and the giant kitchen knife he is holding in his hands are finishing the story for him. "Thanks, man", Donnie says and takes the white chalk. His hands hesitate over the knife, and Raph makes it short and takes it. Tobias bows, actually bows in his haste before the door is closed again. His steps are heavy up the stairs.

"Someone's in a hur-ry", Mikey sings and grins widely. Donnie nods his appreciation. "I hope whatever happens, they can sort it out. Anything else would be a shame." He hands Leo the chalk and the eldest starts to draw symbols on the wall, symbols a friend taught him a long time ago, his brow furrowed in concentration as he wills his five slender fingers to obey his mind.

In that moment, Splinter is filled with a nameless, great pride for his sons.

..*..*..*..

"So?"

Michael's voice is sharper than intended, and he flinches himself along with Tobias who just came back into the room. But he isn't ready to apologize for anything yet. Instead he crosses his arms over his chest and waits, glaring daggers at the wall, the ceiling light, the windows. Tobias takes a seat in the only armchair, right in front of him, and takes a deep breath. "So."

Michael leans closer to him, he can't help it. "Will you finally explain to me what the hell is going on? Or just kick me out again?"

I never kicked you out. You left. But he doesn't say it aloud. He just closes his eyes. His voice is soft when he finally starts to speak, very fragile and very, very young. It makes Michael want to protect him from all dangers out there. Except that the one danger out there is himself.

"The secret you are asking for is not mine." The redhead takes another deep breath, steadying himself. "Thus I was not sure if it was my place to tell you about it. But I guess you do have every right to know, especially now, and thus, I will explain." He opens his eyes to look at his friend then with an intensity that Michael rarely sees in him. In response, he straightens up. "All I ask is for you to not interrupt, no matter how unlikely everything seems to be. And I want you to try and believe my story."

Something small, black and nervous is knotting in Michael's stomach. Suddenly he has a bad feeling about this. Maybe he doesn't want to know. Maybe he should just forget about it. He looks at the boy in front of him, the red hair that's so silky to the touch, the dark eyes with this intense stare, the face he knows better than his own, the slender hands, the thin frame. Walking away from this is not an option. With a start he realizes that it never was.

He gives one sharp nod and Tobias returns it with the smallest of smiles.

"You remember the children's cartoon I like to watch?"