I don't own TMNT.
Chapter 36~Baby Brother, No More
Slash sighed and stared down at his reflection in the water of the river. His eyes emptied of the emotion from just the day before. You think with him normally wearing his emotions on his sleeve that someone would notice this by now. He glanced up at the sky and let his memories run over his mind, this last year had been nothing but the best he had ever had.
"I can't go back the way I came," he mumbled as a cloud shaped like a monkey floated over him before the wind blew through it, blurring it into something like a rock.
"Leo, can I talk to you?" Venus asked.
"I'll be right back guys," Leo said, "You can let go now Mikey."
The orange banded turtle smiled sheepishly and let go of his eldest brother who he had had wrapped up in a hug all morning, "Sorry."
Leo smiled softly and leaned forward to hug Mikey, "No apology needed, I'll be right back and then you can ring my neck all you want."
Mikey smiled and turned to his other older brothers at the table they were eating on. Leo followed Venus out to the garden, glancing back once to smile affectionately at his little brothers. When they reached the center of the garden Venus finally turned to Leo.
"I think you need to talk to Slash," she said.
"Slash? Why is something wrong?" Leo asked worriedly.
"He is by the river in the forest," Venus said as the only explanation and then disappeared back into the house.
Worry for his baby brother instantly growing Leo quickly made his way to the riverbed and found Slash there, soft, choked cries coming from his huddled form.
"Slash?" Leo asked softly, kneeling down behind him while placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You're going back aren't you?" Slash asked without turning around, "Back with them to New York?"
Leo sighed, "Slash, I just don't know where I'm going to go."
"That's just it," Slash said sharply, "You can go back to New York with your brothers and Venus can go back to her village. I can't go back to where I came from. You two can go home, I can't."
A moment of silence passed before Slash continued, "This was the only place that ever felt like home."
Leo frowned as he sensed the sadness rolling off of his baby brother. He turned Slash towards him before pulling him into a hug, "Slash, whatever I decide, I won't leave you on your own. I can take you back to New York no matter what my brothers say and I may stay here."
After a few seconds of silence Leo breathed deeply and both of the turtles were unaware of the footsteps coming towards them.
"Don't worry," Leo said softly as he held Slash tightly, "I won't leave you, baby brother."
Slash smiled slightly and snuggled close before they both heard a gasp from the edge of the trees. They both looked up to see Mikey standing between the trees, his eyes wide and filled with tears.
"You, you're n-not coming home," he said in fear, his eyes and body trembling.
Before the dark blue masked turtle could say anything Mikey turned and ran off deep into the forest. Leo frowned, he hadn't meant for it to seem like he would never go back with them.
"Slash, head back home. I have to go after my brother," Leo said, climbing to his feet and dashing off into the forest after his orange masked little brother.
Mikey's arm ran against a sharp branch, the fine points leaving scratches across his blue green skin. He couldn't believe it, he thought that after all they had said, all those years of the loyalty of brothers and now it seemed to be all gone. The hanging tree braches pulled at his skin like Leo's words pulled at his heart.
The truths hit him hard as Leo's words echoed in his head.
"I won't leave."
Leo wasn't coming home.
"Baby brother."
This truth hurt the worst of all, it was so clear that Mikey cursed himself for not seeing it before. He had lost it. The orange masked turtle had always held the position of 'baby brother' in their family and although he often despised the title, it was his and no one else's. But Leo's words hit his heart. It was so obvious, Leo didn't see Mikey as his baby brother any longer. He'd been replaced, Slash was Leo's baby brother now. The young turtle ran for a long time until he lost his strength and fell down at the base of a large oak tree.
Leo glanced back and forth among the trees, "Mikey! Mikey where are you!"
"Oh, that little brother of mine," Leo thought and continued pushing aside branches and other plant life forms.
It took another hour but finally the blue masked turtle found his sobbing orange masked brother.
"Mikey?" he asked attentively., kneeling down next to the younger turtle while letting a comforting hand rest on his shoulder.
"Go away!" Mikey shouted, jerking away from his older brother, "Just go back to your brother."
"Michelangelo you are my brother," Leo reminded him.
"You aren't going home with us are you? You care too much about them to care about us anymore."
Leo's jaw dropped before he shook his head in disbelief, "Michelangelo stop talking like that. I care just as much about you all just as much if not more."
"Then why won't you come home!" Mikey shouted turning around sharply to glare at Leo.
Leo gasped at the amount of tears trailing their way down his little brother's face, "Oh Mikey," he said soothingly, reaching up and wiping the tears from his face, "I never said I wouldn't come home I just- I still need to decide."
"You told Slash you wouldn't leave," Mikey said, looking at the ground instead of his eldest brother, if he was still that.
Leo's eyes widened a bit before he smiled, "Mikey, I meant that I wouldn't leave him, not that I wouldn't leave Japan. Do you recall how Slash got here?"
Mikey nodded, Slash had told them all his story.
"Well Mikey, he can't exactly go back," Leo said, looking up at the sky, "If I go back home and Venus returns to her village in China he'll be here alone. He doesn't like to be on his own and since he's my baby brother-"
"Why don't you just tell us to leave and go back to your perfect little family," Mikey asked harshly, standing up so quickly he slightly stumbled before regaining his footing.
Leo narrowed his eyes in annoyance, "Michelangelo what has gotten into you? This is the first time you ever acted like this since you all arrived. What do you have against my family?"
"See!" Mikey shouted, turning towards Leo sharply again, "We're not even your family anymore!"
"Mike, of course you guys are. I would never-"
"SHUT UP! JUST RUN BACK TO YOUR NEW BABY BROTHER!"
The tears falling from Mikey's eyes doubled and he turned away choked sobs escaping his throat.
"Mikey, are you jealous of Slash?" Leo asked with a raised eye ridge.
"No," Mikey spat, "Why would I have anything to do with your, baby brother?"
The last two words hit Leo right in the stomach like a punch, "Baby brother?" he mumbled and then walked around Mikey to face him, "Is that what this is about?"
The orange masked turtle tilted his head forward, staring through the ground as his eyes narrowed, "That's what I used to be to you."
Leo released a breath and smiled, "So you are jealous. Mikey I only refer to Slash as my baby brother because I spent the last year calling him that, because he's younger than Venus and I. Technically, he is older than you. If you want me to still call you my baby brother then I will. Slash isn't too fond of the nickname anyways. You'll just have to remind me once in awhile."
Leo forced Mikey's head up so their eyes met, "Ok? Baby brother?"
Mikey smiled a small smile and then stepped forward to hug his eldest brother, burying his head in Leo's shoulder, the leftover tears falling onto older turtle's grassy green skin. The eldest returned the embrace and they remained like that for a few long minutes before an old demon slashed it's claw across the youngest turtle's heart.
"Leo?" Mikey mumbled against the dark blue masked turtle's shoulder.
"Hmm?" Leo whispered.
"Please come home with us."
Leo sighed, "I don't know Mikey. Out here the Ancient One's house is so secluded we can roam freely throughout the forest and the fields. There's no one to turn us in and no gangs. We don't have to fight, we're each learning from the others and this place is so peaceful. It's just everything I always wanted and I-"
Leo stopped as he glanced down and saw the multitude of tears streaming down Mikey's face. His baby brother's look tore at his heart painfully. He had to make a decision and now.
Japan?
Or
New York?
One family?
Or
The other?
Whew! I can't believe there's only one chapter left of this story. I thought I'd never finish it! Well I have a poll up on my profile, will Leo remain in Japan or return to New York? It's your choice. So far there's only been one vote and it's for him to remain in Japan. If you want him to return home with his brothers you better go vote!
You know what I'm almost done with this and it's such a lame story anyways I don't really mind if you don't want to review. I just need to know what you want. Leo to return to New York or remain in Japan? Your choice so get voting!
~Moonsetta