A/N: How is it so far? It's gotten really long, I know, and I'm sorry. But I can't, in good conscience, shorten it any more. Not without leaving people saying, "He WHAT now?" or "Huh?". So, enjoy anyway! :-)
Mikey woke up the next day to Donnie's voice saying, "Mikey, we're having some brunch. Want some?" It seemed as though Don was not going to let his little brother go back to sleep, so Mikey sighed theatrically and sat up, wiping sleep from his eyes.
"What're we having?" he asked.
"Pancakes, sausage, and heavy-cream scones," Don said teasingly. Mikey made a sound that indicated he was about to throw up, and Don merely smiled. "Just kidding, Mikey. We're having some nice, light eggs and English muffins."
"Good, because I wouldn't be able to eat sausage right now," Mikey said.
"Well, that's a first," Raph chimed in, entering through the door to the dojo with a tray balanced on each arm, and one on his head.
"Raph! Put those down before you drop them!" Alastha snapped, also entering. She bore a single pitcher and four glasses.
Raph smirked and threw one at Don, who caught it deftly even though Alastha screeched suddenly. Raph put Mikey's on the bed in front of his brother, and then sat down with his own. Alastha glared at him as he grinned at her.
"Don't do that!" she scolded. "My heart can't take that kind of surprise anymore!"
"Nonsense," Don laughed. "You're as fit as a fiddle, if you'll excuse the saying."
"I suppose that's a compliment," Alastha said warily. "If it wasn't, you'd be sorry, young turtle!"
"Lady and gentle-turtles," Mikey laughed, "Brunch is served and I'm eating!" With that, he dug in with a ferocious appetite. Raph chuckled even though he gave Don a worried look. Mikey was skinnier, and it was reasonable he'd eat more, but he was completely disregarding the silverware Raph had put on the trays. He ate with his hands, which was something Mikey didn't really like to do, at least with eggs.
"Mikey, there's a fork for your use," Alastha said laughingly, but she also shot a wary glance as Raph.
Mike glanced at the fork, nodded sheepishly, and picked it up very gingerly, as if it would bite him. Which, Raph reflected angrily, is possible, at least to him. He probably was fed – what? – once a day? Maybe twice? And he probably was hurt by a whole bunch of things that looked like a fork.
Mikey's appetite slowed and nearly stopped as soon as he picked up the fork. Raph frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion, but he dismissed it quickly. He'd talk about it later; for now, Mikey was eating, at least, and awake.
Once they were all done, Alastha denying hunger and pouring cups of sweet water for everyone, Raph put the trays on a nearby table and the cups stacked carefully on top, to take away later.
So it passed for several months; Mikey woke to Don telling him about their meal, the three brothers and Alastha or Raphael would eat together, and then they'd leave Mikey to rest again. Eventually, he was allowed to stay awake longer, but he was told to stay in the infirmary. Don told him something about a concussion that was not going away. At least, that's all Mikey understood. He was happy to stay in bed; he got to read a lot of comics and just hang out with his brothers and the two teachers. Lea visited often, too. She, for some reason, made Mikey nervous, but he just shrugged it off and smiled brightly at each of her visits.
Months after he was found, Mikey began to grow restless. Well, restless enough to risk leaving, despite Alastha's promise of locking him up if he tried. His brothers had been dropping hints about Leo; what he was doing, how he was doing, where he was at certain times of the day. Mikey had been cautious at first around these comments, but he grew used to them. He didn't flinch anymore, just took it in full stride and listened to his brothers' talk about Leo.
Now, he was sure he could handle it if he saw Leo. Getting up, he threw the covers back and crept from the infirmary. Raphael and Alastha were teaching at this hour, so he should be able to wander around undetected.
He decided to go outside; after all, it would be a nice day today, Don had said so. He crept through the halls, using his ninja skills to avoid the odd wanderer, usually a kid or servant.
He finally made it outside. Mikey crept into the shadows – of which there were precious few – and looked around. His heart nearly stopped. Sitting fifty feet away was Leo; his wings to his Kalian, meditating. Next to him, Lionel played in the grass. Sky was nowhere to be seen.
Leo tensed as if he felt Mikey. The winged turtle cautiously turned his head, keeping his eyes down in case eye-contact scared Mikey. "Hey, Kalian," he said softly.
"Hey, Kavara," Mikey answered, matching tone for tone. Lionel looked up and squealed in excitement; Mikey felt his heart jump and he calmed it down forcibly. He remembered Leo; his Leo. The Leo who held him in his wing during a nightmare; the Leo who joked more often; the Leo who wrapped his tail around Mikey just because; the Leo who now looked at him with compassion: That was Mikey's Leo, Kalian's Kavara, The Jokester's Fearless Leader.
"Can I join you?" Mikey asked quietly. Leo swallowed and nodded; Mikey sat across from him, and Lionel crawled into his lap. "I guess I have been gone a while," he chuckled, picking up his nephew. "Lionel can crawl."
"He's learning quickly." Leo's voice was soft, but Mikey could hear the pride in Leo's voice for Lionel. "He can say a lot of things."
"Unca Mike!" Lionel squeaked, waving his arms and cooing.
"That's me, buddy," Mikey laughed. "Uncle Mikey."
"Unca Mike! Unca Mike!" Lionel chanted. Leo chortled in his throat and palmed his face.
"He's going to repeat that now, for hours," Leo predicted with the casual assurance a parent could have when talking about their kid's habits. "You'll get tired of it."
"After five months of missing Lionel?" Mikey asked quietly. "I don't think so." He put Lionel in his lap and let the little one play with his belt; Mikey had to talk to Leo.
"Do you… Hate me?" Leo asked almost silently, looking into the sky as if he was asking a power above. Mikey, though, knew this was Leo's way of saying, "Do I need to go?"
"No," Mikey said fiercely. "I did, but now I don't." He scooted carefully around and snuggled into Leo's wing. It enclosed around him and he fought down a wave of panic, which Leo must have felt or Felt, because the larger turtle loosened immediately and mumbled an apology, tensing to stand up and leave.
"Leo, Kavara, listen to me," Mikey pleaded, grabbing Leo's wing and pulling it around himself. It felt good; the shelter it had been before he went missing. "I don't know what happened. I just know that it had something to do with you and pain. I don't associate the two. I didn't. I don't anymore."
"When… When you came back, I touched you," Leo said quietly. His voice was hoarse. "You freaked. You screamed. You were terrorized of something, Mikey. The only logical explanation is that you were – and maybe, still are – afraid of me. I… I'm not strong enough to deal with that. Do you hate me for putting us apart?"
"No." Mikey huddled against Leo's side, being careful of Lionel. "I love you, bro. Nothing will ever change that; I need you, just as you need me. I don't know what, but something in you gives me the courage to keep it up. To keep fighting."
Leo looked down at him, and the next moment Mikey knew, he was looking past Leo's shoulder; the giant had hugged him. Lionel churred in annoyance and thumped both turtles on the plastron.
Grinning, Leo leaned back and picked Lionel up from Mikey's lap. Lionel screamed in elation as Leo tossed him gently up and catching him again. Mike watched, contentedly in Leo's wing again.
Lionel was suddenly tired; he yawned largely. Leo lay back in the grass, pulling Mikey down on his wing, and put his son on his plastron. Lionel curled up and fell asleep, a small green bundle on a large metal plate.
Mikey rolled onto his side and faced Leo, who turned his head to look at him.
"Can I… See something?" Mikey asked hesitantly. "In your mind?"
Leo nodded immediately and Mikey Felt the formidable barriers around Leo's mind drop. Carefully, Mikey "walked" among the halls, searching for the memories of his and Leo's time together, just the two of them.
Just like you, he Mind-Sent to Leo. Neat, clean, tidy, organized.
Leo chuckled out loud and in his head; Mikey grinned in both worlds as well.
But there's so much, I'll spend all day searching, Mikey complained. Show me the memories of our time together.
Leo appeared in his vision, as he used to be; without the dragon features. Leo laughed at the stunned expression on Mikey and put his arm around his Kalian's shoulders. He didn't need to practically kneel to do it, either.
Then Leo led him through the "castle" easily, walking with a sense of purpose. They came before the locked door that Raphael had forbidden access to for them all. Leo pointed to the door next to it; Mikey grinned his thanks and entered.
The memories of him curled in Leo's wing, of them flying together, of their adventures outrunning Raph… They all swirled around in his mind. He tasted each one, reliving it. This is therapy, he Mind-Sent to Leo.
Leo's only respond was a sense of rightness. Mikey continued looking. Eventually, he had all he needed to convince himself that this Kavara wasn't the one he was frightened of.
He exited the "room" and stood for a second. Something was calling him…
Slowly, he turned to look at the locked, dusty door. Leo was unaware as he approached it, which seemed odd to Mikey.
However, Mikey's curiosity got the best of him. He tried to lock. To his surprise, the door flung right open… Releasing something that seemed to scream in delight.
Mikey tore his eyes open to hear Leo breathing rapidly. He rolled off Leo's wing and examined his brother; Leo's mouth twitched, and his chest was beating as fast as his heart.
This can't be good, Mikey thought with amazing clarity. Turning his mind towards the house, he Mind-Bellowed for Alastha and Raphael. He Felt their alarm and knew they would come as soon as possible.
For now, he had to do something. Carefully, he reinserted himself into Leo's mind and was treated to a terrible sight. Leo's "castle", usually shining a brilliant white in Mikey's mind, now was a twisted, pasty black that reminded Mikey of black sewer sludge.
Blinding pain seared through him as he tried to enter the castle; he cried out and was thrown from the connection. His last coherent thought was that Leo had better be okay. Then, all was darkness.
A/N: Alright, here we are getting to the action scenes. WARNING: THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS COULD CONTAIN UPSETTING IMAGES/IDEAS. However, this is not a guarantee. I change my mind like a brook babbles over rocks; both move swiftly and sometimes erringly.