36

Leo

I got Doc Perry back to the surface safe and sound right around the time that Raphael got back. He walked right past me so that he could fall face first on the couch. But then he got right back up again.

"Maybe you should just go ahead and take that rest?" I knew the suggestion wouldn't go over well. I don't even know why I bothered giving it, really. If Raphael had decided to get up, Raphael was going to get right back up.

"I got somethin' to do."

"What?"

Raphael scowled at me. I met his scowl evenly and prayed for patience. I tried very hard to remind myself that he was exhausted. That he'd been working hard. That this was just the way he was and stress was not likely to bring us closer together. That unless I took responsibility, stress was going to drive us further apart.

Silence.

Then he thrust a note at me.

IF YOU WISH TO KNOW THE FACE OF YOUR ENEMY, MEET ME.

"This address is down by the docks," I observed.

"Yeah."

"How'd you get this note?"

"Brick through Casey's window. Yes, I realize it's probably a trap."

I winced. I'd gotten so predictable, so repetitive over the years that he was now anticipating me, putting a new spin on old arguments. Well two could put a new spin on things.

"How about I go with you? Donnie is with April, Perry has gone home, I'm sort of at loose ends. Besides, I've got something I really need to discuss with you."

Another scowl, another long bout of silence. Maybe he was trying harder than I thought he was to get along with me, because there have been times when I've felt Raphael argued the opposite of whatever I stated just to argue it. Instead he just said, "Fine."

I stopped myself before I gave voice to my incredulity and repeated his words. No, far better just to send a prayer of thanks to God. Raphael gazed downward at my belt for a minute and grunted. "Nice swords. Come on."

It was getting on towards dusk. A light rain was starting to fall, and the winds were chilled. They brought with them the smell of metal and ash. So many cars had crashed in the streets that there were still little fragments blowing in the wind. More than one building had burnt down thanks to unattended meals and candles. For some reason this reminded me so strongly of Mike and Splinter's absences that my throat closed up. I knew they were in a better place. I knew that I'd be going there. I was distressed to learn this did not make it any easier. We climbed over rubble in silence.

"What did you wanna talk to me about?"

I took a deep breath. Things had been going so well, and now I was about to drop the big bomb on Raphael. "Raphael, April's company wants her to move to Chicago. She wants us to come with her. I'm thinking it might be a good idea."

Another one of those dark scowls. "I already know what Donnie thinks, he'd follow her to – to – to freaking Singapore if she wanted."

I couldn't argue that point, and it also got me neatly around the issue of having to get into the argument of having talked to Donnie about it before talking to Raph. It was only that Donnie had been there and Raph hadn't been anyway. That didn't always matter in dealing with my brother though.

"I don't like it."

What a surprise. God nudged me though. Just keep your mouth shut for a change, Leo. I realized right then that my impulse was always to just start talking and defending whatever my point of view was. Maybe Raphael just needed time to think and to adjust to ideas, to work them through and see the sense of them for himself. Maybe he didn't like being talked into things.

"On the other hand, we really kinda rely on her support, don't we. I hate that, having to rely on her. We ought to be protecting her anyway, not the other way around."

It was a very tentative phrase that I offered. "Families I guess just take care of each other, and eventually stop worrying about whose doing what."

I got a grunt from him for that one. I took it as agreement. We'd reached a somewhat clearer group of streets, allowing us to make better progress as we slipped on through the shadows.

"Alright fine. Unless we find some really good reason not to at this address, we'll start packing in the morning after I get some sleep."

Just like that?

Just like that he decides we're going to start packing? I couldn't have been more stunned if you'd hit me on the back of the head with a really thick board. That had to have been the most painless argument – heck, the most painless conversation – I have ever had with Raphael.

"Okay," I said, my voice sounding a little funny and stunned even to my own ears.

Raphael looked back at me through one eye – and then just smirked.

I sort of half grinned back at him.

And then we'd reached the address. The street was deserted. Golden lamplight pooled down to illuminate water sliding through the gutters along the wet streets. And then we heard, "Ahh, two ears rather than one. Well good. This makes my task easier."

We looked up. Standing on the ledge of one of the buildings above us was Oroku Saki.