Special Thanks to pacphys for editing.

Chapter 22 Home again

Splinter again stared sadly around the lair. Silence answered him. How often in the course of the last fifteen years had he wished for peace and quiet? How many flips had he assigned his sons for disturbing him. He remembered that he once sent them all up to North Hampton because he wanted a little quiet. Now he had all the quiet any one could want, and all Splinter wanted was to hear the voices of his sons again.

Be careful what you wish for, he thought to himself, quoting the age old proverb You may get it. He sighed heavily. Perhaps he should have not sent April home. She was more than willing to stay with him over the night, but he felt that he shouldn't be a burden on their human friend. April had spent most of last night trying to console him. She told him that the mermaids were good people. They would not keep Michelangelo and the others against their will, nor would they entrance them.

In truth it was not the mermaids that Splinter was worried about. As confidant he was about his sons' abilities, he knew the Shredder, and he knew the size of the force Saki would use to overwhelm the mermaid stronghold. Splinter knew that the possibility of his young sons being defeated was very real. He knew he must be hopeful, but with every passing hour the silence in the lair ate at his optimism.

He made a cup of tea, and was going to try to distract himself with the television He found himself staring at the remote Donatello had made and wondering what had happened to them.

Suddenly an eerie high pitched hum was heard in the tunnels surrounding the lair. It was faint at first, but grew stronger and louder as the source of the sound grew closer. The sound began to vibrate everything in the liar from the cup on the coffee table to the table, to the very floors and sofa. Not understanding, Splinter tensed himself for action. He could feel the very molecules of air vibrate, making his own fur stand on end.

The strange whine was making the air molecules vibrate in patterns. Splinter could see waves in the air above like ripples in a pond.

Or in the ocean?

Again and again the waves of air appeared. They began to form a large translucent bubble. The waves formed layers upon layers on the bubble, making it grow, spreading out, invading the space of the lair. Curious, Splinter reached out and touched the bubble, but found himself pushed backwards by the sphere.

Undaunted the bubble continued to grow as if fed by the very vibrations in the room. Splinter backed up, forced by the bubble until he was pressed against the walls of the lair.

Then suddenly the bubble burst into a sparkle of light and sound. Splinter flinched at the unexpected fireworks, but the sparkling lights and noises did nothing. As Splinter's eyes adjusted to the change in light he saw the shadows of four familiar figures.

Splinter gasped in shock, and allowed his vision to clear. Laying in a heap together, were three of his four sons, all sound asleep. The fourth, Michelangelo was seated lotus style among his sleeping brothers with his eyes closed, an expression of intense concentration on his face.

Splinter watched as Michelangelo took one breath, then another, and then opened his eyes. "Yes! I did it!" on his right Leonardo sighed deeply, and smiled as the last of the tension fell from his body.

Michelangelo rolled his eyes amused. "Figures, once we're home, then he falls all the way asleep." Michelangelo then looked directly at Splinter. "Hi Senseiwe're home!"

"Michelangelo!" Splinter greeted him clearly delighted. "What is it that you have done? Where are your friends Lillian and Sylvia?"

"That," Michelangelo said as he rose to his feet, "is a very long story sensei."

Leonardo shivered as a cool breeze tickled the back of his legs. Why was it so cool? Where did the summer like heat go? Leonardo sat up and opened his eyes in an attempt to figure out where he was. He looked around, rubbed his eyes, and looked again.

They were in the lair! Leonardo stared at the inactive video monolith for a moment trying to remember what had happened. Was this another mermaid trick or something? Vaguely Leonardo recalled Michelangelo and Benten had told him that if he cooperated there was a fast way home. Suddenly his foggy memory cleared. He had agreed to this plan. He had been exhausted and he had not wanted to fall asleep in the temple. They had told him he had to be asleep to make the mermaid's trick work. Benten had promised him that if he cooperated he would retain his awareness, but his mind would be cleared. Leonardo couldn't recall why he had said yes, but he knew that he had. Benten then made him sit down next to Raphael and Donatello, and had done what?

Leonardo wasn't exactly sure what Benten had done, but he remembered the odd sensation. The emotion defied definition even as Leonardo tried to analyze it. He had been aware of everything that had been going on, but he hadn't really cared. It had been strange, but not frightening. Did it bother him now?

It shouldn't, Leonardo thought to himself. We're safe, we're home, and the mermaids are far away. Leonardo rose to his feet, and looked down at Donatello and Raphael. Both of them sound asleep with smiles on their faces. Leonardo wondered what they were dreaming about."

He didn't worry about Michelangelo's absence. Off in the kitchen he could hear Michelangelo talking softly with Splinter. Leonardo rose to his feet and followed the voices into the kitchen. Michelangelo and Splinter were seated at the kitchen table with cookies and tea. Michelangelo was giving his version of what had happened below to their sensei.

"...and I thought we had it for sure, but suddenly out of nowhereLeo shows up, and he starts going after Badb, but then Badb tried to fry him, but then-"

"Then Badb got eaten by your friends' pet." Leonardo finished with a mischievous grin. "For a moment I thought I was going to be next on the menu.

Both Master Splinter and Michelangelo spun around delighted. "Leonardo, you have finally awoken!," Splinter said. He sounded delighted and relieved.

"Leo!" Michelangelo said with a grin. "You up already? I figured you'd sleep for a week once we were home."

"I might have, if you had left me a blanket," Leonardo answered back with good humor. "I woke up because I was cold."

"A warm bed should remedy that, my son," Splinter said with a smile. With that he led Leonardo up to his own room and got him back into bed. Once settled, Splinter sat next to Leonardo's bed and said gently. "I have heard from Michelangelo, now I wish to hear from you. What occurred down in the mermaid's temple?"

Leonardo opened his mouth then closed it again. "Sensei I want to tell you everything, but I'm still not sure what exactly happened to me, and I haven't had time to actually think about it." Leonardo sighed pensively.

Splinter nodded, and Leonardo noticed his sensei's hands twitch resisting the urge to tuck his son in. Instead he patted Leonardo on the shoulder. "You have been through a trying ordeal. Sleep, we shall talk more in the morning."

Splinter smoothed out the threadbare blankets over Leonardo, and rose to leave the room. In seconds Leonardo found himself alone. He couldn't repress or ignore it any longer. He had to figure out what he had learned in the Mermaid's temple.

The one thing he learned that was important was that the mermaids were not evil. They were mischievous to be sure, and mysterious. There were probably dozens of secretes down there that even Michelangelo does not know. Yet still, they did not keep these secrets to be cruel. They were guardians, protectors in their own way, and they chose to include the four of them within their protectorate.

They were good people so why did he feel so uncomfortable around them? The lessons from the healing trails welled up in his mind. There under the ocean in their domain he was subject to them. He knew they wouldn't harm him but that tiny tug on his soul made him feel out of control.

And I need to feel in control of myself. I never knew that before, but it's true. He also hadn't realized that he had tried to control his brothers. That was going to stop today. The others had the right to follow their own path just as he did.

And that means I'll have to accept the mermaids, and learn to get along with them.

Is that so horrible? His conscious asked.

Leonardo sighed. No, I can get along with them. I can respect who they are and still keep my distance.

That seemed to be the answer he needed. He could feel the tension flow out of his body as he drifted off into and deep restful sleep.

Three weeks later

Leonardo blocked the jab from Raphael, and spun around to give him a side kick in the shell. Raphael fell down with a grunt, but he jumped up again, did a somersault past Leonardo, and disarmed his brother with a dragon kick. Leonardo's Katana flew out of his hand and stuck into the wall. Only then did the pair call a time out.

"Good move," Leonardo said, as he pulled his sword out of the wall. Raphael didn't say anything. He just grinned and leaned against the opposite wall.

Leonardo retrieved his katana and sheathed it. "You wanna go another round?" he asked.

Raphael chuckled as he stretched out. "No thanks Leo. You got a couple of good shots in too. I'm ready for a break." Raphael's stomach rumbled. "Man, I'm starving. Whose turn is it to make lunch."

The two exited the dojo, and went back into the main part of the lair. "I think it's Mikey's turn," Leonardo answered. As they reached the kitchen they saw Donatello preparing ham and cheese sandwiches.

"Don?" Leonardo asked confused. "Where's Mikey?"

Donatello didn't bother looking up from his lunchtime preparations. "Oh he got a message from Benten, and left for the temple about an hour ago. He said he'd do supper when he gets back."

"If he's planning on being back for supper I'll bet Sylvia's gone AWOL again," Raphael said with a smirk." He took one of the finished sandwiches and tossed another to Leonardo.

"You mean he's back meeting with the mermaids?" Leonardo asked as he caught the sandwich in mid air.

With a sly smile Donatello said, "He's been seeing them on and off since we came home, Leo. He just doesn't tell you."

Leonardo took one bite chewed and swallowed. "So he tells you guys, but he doesn't tell me," He said accusingly.

"He tells Splinter," Donatello said evenly as he put the mustard and lettuce back into the refrigerator. "He only tells one of us if we catch him leaving."

"Or if it's Sylvia," Raphael reminded Donatello. "Something's going on with that kid. She knows she's supposed to stay below, but she keeps sneaking off to come up here."

Donatello grinned amused. "How can you keep them under the sea after they've seen New York?" He joked.

Raphael shrugged. "For at least two weeks the kid's been running off. Poor Mikey has to track her down almost every other day."

Donatello finished cleaning up the lunch things. "If Sylvia's gone missing again maybe we should give them a hand."

"Good idea, Don," Raphael said, and then both he and Donatello glanced over to Leonardo. "You wanna come along, Leo?"

Leonardo relaxed. They were including him even though the situation involved the mermaids. "I have a better idea," Leonardo said. "The mermaids use the run off by 79th street to get in and out of the sewers. I'll wait up there and ambush Sylvia if she swims by.

Raphael chugged down the soda and crushed the can in his hand. "Good idea, Leo," he said tossing the can into the recycle bin. "If we find her we'll chase her that way."

Leonardo smiled, and the three of them left the lair. Donatello and Raphael headed for the surface, and Leonardo headed for the run off.

The waterway was deserted, but that suited Leonardo fine. He wanted time to think. He hadn't known that Michelangelo was seeing the mermaids again. He guessed that Michelangelo wanted to still keep the mermaids and the three of them separate, and that was the only reason he hadn't mentioned them to him.

It could be more, Leonardo reminded himself. Mikey doesn't know how I worked out things. He probably still thinks I would keep him away from them. It would take a little time for Michelangelo to realize that Leonardo was being cool about the mermaids.

A ripple of water alerted Leonardo to a swimmer in the river below him. He tensed, ready to pounce thinking that it was Sylvia. He was about to jump into the cool river water below when he saw not Sylvia's ebony black hair, but a halo of flame colored locks. Leonardo pulled back, and Lillian's head broke the surface of the water.

"Sorry," Leonardo said sheepishly. "I was waiting to ambush Sylvia Don said that you called Mikey, and Raph thought it might be about her."

Lillian sighed frustrated. "Yes, she has escaped again. I do not know what is wrong with that child. Only Michelangelo seems to be able to persuade her to go back below."

"I can't imagine why she'd be doing that," Leonardo said with a shrug. "I haven't seen her topside though, but I guess she's avoiding me too."

Lillian looked at Leonardo quizzically. "You are being very calm about this."

Leonardo smiled slyly. "I can't keep Mikey from seeing you, and I shouldn't try," he explained. "He has every right to have you as friends. So I might as well get along with you. How I feel about mermaids has nothing to do with any of you. I know you are trustworthy. I just don't like that those emotions in me were automatic even before I knew they were true."

Lillian nodded wisely. "I see. Benten thought you would feel this way after you had time to think. She has commanded all of us to leave you be, and allow you to approach us at your will. It will not always be possible, but we have all promised not allow our essence to lull you into complacency. "

"Thank you," Leonardo said. "That means a lot to me."

"Could you do me a favor as well, Leonardo?" Lillian asked. When he nodded she said, "Could you please tell Michelangelo these things? He is very sad because he believes that you still fear us. He wishes to share us with you. He has been our friend for a very long time."

"I know," Leonardo said evenly. "I've just been waiting to get him alone so I could talk to him.

Lillian smiled broadly. "Wait here." She said,then an instant later a splash replaced her.

Leonardo smiled as well. There was no doubt in his mind she meant to find Michelangelo and have them make amends as soon as possible, and that suited him fine.

About ten minutes later Michelangelo came from the east tunnel a puzzled look on his face. "Leo? Lillian told me that you were down here."

"Yeah," Leonardo said calmly. "I saw her just before." Michelangelo looked so confused Leonardo decided not to play games with him. "Mikey, it's about time you and I had a long talk."

The End.

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