DISCLAIMER: do not own the turtles, only the story plot line.
WARNING: maybe a bit out-of-character for the turtles, but once again, this is how I imagine them to be. Also, there may be some blood, torture, angst, etc…but hey, it's my story!
ITALICS ARE DREAM-SEQUENCES OR MEMORIES.
Bruck sighed as he trudged through the snow. It was early morning, about 7 o'clock, and the sky was clear of any clouds. But Bruck had lived long enough in the mountains to know that snow was on its way.
He slung his gun over his shoulder again as it began to slip. He'd left Fang at home, to watch the turtle.
It had been only three days since he'd brought the turtle home, and they'd become good friends…
Bruck shook his head as he stopped and turned back. Each day he'd go outside and walk around his turf of woods for any sign of the turtle's family.
The turtle had not asked him to do this, but instead Bruck had started to do it out of his own accord.
Mikey sat by the window, his hands and face pressed onto the cool glass.
Splinter had left an hour ago to look for Leo, but he never went too far, for fear of hunters. By the time he'd arrive back home, all of them would be up and had eaten breakfast. Then, they'd quickly dress into warm clothes, grab something for lunch, and continue searching.
It had been that way for three days now and there was still no sign of Leo.
Mikey sighed as he scanned the woods again for any sign of Splinter.
"Mikey…"
Mikey looked behind him to see Don standing shyly at the door of the room.
Don sighed as Mikey turned his head back again to look outside. "Mikey, c'mon. We'd better eat some breakfast. Splinter's gonna be home soon."
Mikey shook his head. "Not hungry."
Don looked down at the floor. He really sucked at this. All of them missed Leo, but Mikey took it the hardest. Walking up to Mikey, Don crawled up next to him, onto the bed. "Any sign of him?"
Mikey shook his head again.
Silence settled between them, as they both watched for Splinter.
Suddenly, Mikey looked at Don. "Will we ever find Leo?"
Don blinked, surprised by the question. "'Course we will! We're just not lookin' in the right place!"
Mikey looked away. "But what if Leo's with those white people and long needles?"
Don smiled at Mikey's reference to doctors, but that smile quickly disappeared as he, too, realized that that was a BIG possibility.
"He's not."
Both Don and Mikey jumped, before looking to the door to see Raph standing there.
Raph had his hands crossed and his mouth in a pouting manner. "Leo ain't with those white people!"
Mikey smiled for the first time in days. Jumping down, he looked at Raph. "Really?"
Don sighed as he looked at both of his brothers. He was the second eldest, and the smartest of the group. But as much as he knew that there was a good 80 percent chance that Leo WAS with doctors and scientists, he didn't have the heart to tell them. Plus, there was still a good 20 percent right?
Leo sat on the floor, playing with Fang when Bruck trudged in, looking tired, but refreshed.
Leo looked up, smiling. "Hey Bruck!"
Bruck smirked. "'ey twerp."
Leo stuck his tongue out at the human as an answer, as Fang barked a greeting.
Bruck laughed, but through the happy façade that the child put up, both of them knew that he still hadn't found Leo's family.
Bruck smiled, despite that. "Ready for breakfast, kid?"
Leo nodded, before allowing Bruck to pick him up. He was still injured pretty badly, and even though he could sit up, he could not walk.
Bruck carried him to the kitchen, before setting him down onto a vacant chair as he quickly prepared something for them to eat.
Leo curled up near the fire, next to Fang. The dog whined before licking him, causing Leo to giggle.
Fang had taken an immediate liking to Leo…but that meant that she considered him her 'puppy' and she was his 'mother'. This meant that Leo was constantly getting baths from her, and that Leo couldn't go anywhere without Fang accompanying him.
Leo laughed again as the dog nuzzled her nose against his chest, forcing him to draw a bit closer to her.
Leo cuddled against her obediently, before glancing at the dark form of Bruck lain out on the couch.
The window behind him was still open, showing the moon slowly climbing up the sky and the stars flickering in the night sky.
Leo's smile faded slowly as he caught sight of an empty bottle of beer next to Bruck. As Leo found out quite quickly, Bruck was an addicted alcoholic who only went to sleep at night after he had five bottles of beer. Leo shook his head, knowing why Bruck did this. Bruck had nightmares at night, which had him muttering. And from his mutterings, Leo was able to piece together the story of why Bruck drank.
Leo sighed he began to drift off to sleep.
Suddenly, he heard mutterings, quiet at first, but getting louder and louder. Leo quickly sat up, before wincing in pain at the sudden movement.
Fang raised her head, whimpering, but Leo ignored her as he slowly dragged himself over to the couch, before grabbing the edge of it and pulling himself up. Leo let out a soft cry as his wounds stretched at the movement, and a wave of dizziness shot through his head, but Leo managed to remain standing.
Bruck was lying on the couch, tossing and turning, while muttering. Then, his mutterings slowly turned into screaming.
Leo looked at the human sadly before gently trying to shake him awake, but when that didn't work, Leo began to shake him hard.
"GET OUTTA THE GODDAMN WAY, FLOYD!" Bruck yelled as he shot up, causing Leo to crash to the ground.
Leo groaned in pain before lying still on the ground breathing hard from the pain.
Fang, who was watching quietly, now jumped up and nuzzled her fallen 'pup' in worry.
Bruck looked around confused before realizing what happened. "Damn!" He whispered, jumping off the couch and checking up on the turtle. "Ya opened one of yo wound's." He said, shaking his head, before gently lifting Leo off the floor and placing him onto the couch.
"I'll be right back…" he said, before running into the kitchen to get the first aid kit.
When Bruck returned, Leo was already sitting up, trying to mask the pain. Bruck sighed, knowing that he should tell the kid not to sit up, but it was already too late. Instead, he began to start wrapping the wound.
"Floyd was your elder brother, right?"
Bruck almost dropped the bottle of alcohol he was holding. "Wha?" He asked dumbly, shocked.
Leo looked at him. "That's why you rescued me, right? Because I remind you of your brother? And that's why you drink, to keep your mind off of him, right?"
Bruck just stared stunned at the turtle.
Leo continued, knowing that he was right. "And you believe that your brother died because of something that wasn't really your fault, but you believe it to be?"
Bruck blinked. "Okay, now that ain't right! It WAS my fault!"
Leo looked at him. "I don't think so. You don't seem like the kind of person who'd kill another."
Bruck stood quickly. "I don't wanna talk about this. Besides, it ain't none of your business."
Leo sighed. "I have a brother like you. He's called Raph. He acts just like you do, but both of you have good hearts. Whatever happened was beyond your control. It WASN'T YOUR FAULT."
Bruck growled. "YES IT WAS!"
Leo looked at him. "Then tell me. Tell me WHY you believe that."
Leo sat on the couch, holding a mug of hot cocoa. Fang lay on the floor, beside the couch, watching them quietly.
Bruck sat on a chair, his head buried in his hands. He'd just finished telling Leo everything.
Leo watched him. He couldn't help him, he knew. He could not change the past, but he could try to fix the present.
"I still believe it wasn't your fault." He whispered.
Bruck didn't look up. "Believe wha' ya want. I ain't care." He answered gruffly.
Leo sighed. "I can't fix the past. But I'll help you as much as I can."
Bruck, this time looked at him. Their eyes met, before Bruck looked away, a smile playing on his face. "Ya jokin' right? There ain't no way ya can 'elp."
Leo looked down at his mug. "I'm not joking. I'm not a miracle worker…or anything else. I'm just a mutated turtle, but I'll help you as much as I can…"
Bruck stood, before grabbing another bottle of beer, which stood on a table next to him, half-full. "Thanks." He murmured, before taking a big gulp from the bottle.
Leo frowned. "But first, you've GOT to lay off that drinkin' habit."
Bruck laughed, before realizing that Leo was serious. "Ya ain't jokin'?" He asked, looking suddenly unsure.
Leo nodded. "It won't help you at all."
Bruck huffed. "Then maybe I don't want no 'elp."
Leo laughed, knowing that Bruck was acting like Raph. "You need help. You just need to realize that. Think about it. I'm not going anywhere. Goodnight!"
Bruck watched in surprise as the turtle smiled at him, before curling up and going to sleep. Fang jumped up onto the couch, curling around the turtle.
Bruck glared at the dog. "OFF." He snapped at the dog, but the dog just curled around the turtle tighter, before blinking lazily at him.
Bruck held up his hands. "I give up. Ya as bad as the twerp."
"I heard that."
And Bruck laughed.
Two days had passed since that moment.
Bruck sighed. This time, he'd wandered farther than all the other times.
The twerp and he had gotten along great. He found that he could talk to Leo about anything. And he felt a huge weight off his chest when he did so. It was just like when he was with Floyd…
Bruck shook his head. The turtle couldn't stay with him forever, even though he wanted him to. He had a family…
Bruck suddenly stopped. He thought he heard something. Quickly kneeling down, he crouched behind a bush, before carefully looking out from behind a branch.
There, he gasped.
A huge rat was standing in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by three little turtles. Bruck immediately recognized them as Leo's brothers.
'That rat must be their guardian…or parent…' Bruck thought, unable to hide his utter surprise. He expected a huge turtle or something, but definitely NOT a rat.
Suddenly, the rat snapped his head up and turned it to look in his direction. Bruck froze, knowing he'd been caught.
"Master Splinter! We can't turn back now! Wha' if Leo's nearby?" Don pleaded to his Sensei, his eyes wide.
Splinter sighed. He shook his head. "We must go ba—"
He froze. There was a movement in a nearby bush. Suddenly, the wind blew and he smelled the scent of a human. A hunter.
Splinter growled, pushing the children behind him, before slowly beginning to back.
Bruck saw it backing. He quickly jumped out, his hands held out in front of him, to show he meant no harm. "Stop! Don't go!"
The rat growled even more, while one of the turtles, the smallest one, spoke up. "He's the other human with that dog, Master Splinter!"
The rat's ears twitched, while he moved into a weird stance.
Splinter slid automatically into a defensive stance, prepared for anything.
"Don't go! I want ta talk ta ya."
Splinter's ears twitched. "And why should I listen, human?"
"'Cause I know where yo son is."
Splinter froze at that. "Prove it."
Bruck sighed. How was he supposed to do that? "'e's called Leo, ain't 'e? And 'e's got that blue bandana thing on 'is 'ead."
Splinter's ears twitched. He was listening.
Don glared at Bruck. "Master Splinter! But he could just know that because he saw him, and Mikey accidentally told him Leo's name!"
Splinter cocked his head, not taking his eye off of Bruck. "My son is right. I require more proof."
Bruck bit his lip. He didn't know what else to say. "'e likes tea. Green tea, I think. An' 'e likes what were they called? Katanas I think."
Splinter allowed a small smile. The human was right. "And Leonardo would not have told you that, unless he trusts you." Splinter sighed. "I do not trust you, but I will ask despite that. Where is my son?"
Bruck sighed in relief. "'e's okay. Just 'urt. I'll take ya to 'im."
Splinter frowned. "If this is a trap, I shall make you pay very dearly, you realize?"
Bruck nodded. "I know."
Leo sighed as he took a hesitant step and fell down into the snow. He'd been practicing walking since Bruck left.
Luckily, his wounds didn't hurt too much as he tried to walk, but he was too weak.
Fang trotted to his side, before gently nudging him up. Leo smiled as he leaned onto Fang's back. She whined, before gently licking him. Leo laughed.
Suddenly, Leo heard heavy footsteps in the distance. He smiled. Bruck was back. "Bruck!" Leo called out, as he tried to walk to the human, leaning heavily onto Fang.
Bruck grinned. "'ey twerp. I brought someone ya might know."
Leo looked up at him curiously, when he heard a small yell. "LEO!"
Leo's eyes widened as he saw a green blur with an orange blur near its head, rushing towards him…
"An' that's 'ow it went." Bruck finished, smiling a bit at the memory.
Splinter sighed. "I still cannot thank you enough for saving my son."
Bruck waved it off. "I shot 'im. An' I 'ealed 'im. There ain't nothin' to thank."
Casey, who was driving, suddenly pointed ahead. "Guys! Truck dead ahead!"
'kay. That's it for now! Tune in later!
