Chapter 2: All Patched Up And Nowhere To Go
A/N: Well, I'm back with another chapter just like I promised. Thank you to everyone who was kind enough to review. As for my grandma, we got a call at twelve-thirty yesterday morning where she was sounding very confused. She wasn't sure if she should be alone or not. It was pretty scary. I have a feeling that she's only going to get worse instead of better. I hate to sound like a pessimist, but that's how I feel. Oh, well, at least I have this fan fiction and the Turtles to lift my spirits up. Okay, now to send shout-outs to all my loyal reviewers.
The Sacred Heart 2: Thanks for being my first reviewer! I'm glad you like this fiction. Grandma's doing as well as she can be I guess. Thanks for thinking of me. Here's the update that you wanted. Keep reading and reviewing!
Jessy Landroz: Hey, thanks for the comments. Yeah, the family bond will grow stronger as they support Leo. And yeah, Leo's gonna kick some major Foot butt later. Keep reading and reviewing!
Cynlee: You've written follow-ups to "Tales of Leo" too? Well, what are you waiting for? Post them! I have to read them. The only reason why I think math is evil is because I never got the learning in high school that I needed for college. Plus, I have a learning disability in math. I like English though! Writing rules! Keep reading and reviewing!
Shellsboy 24: Hey, sweetie, I knew you were going to review this. Happy belated birthday! Did I mention that this is my birthday gift to you? Well, it is. I'll finish it when I get done. How's that? Leo smells, huh? Just for that, I'm going to have Leo kick your butt! Just kidding! Hey, I found out what you can get me for my birthday if not sooner. I heard about this Leo figurine that spins when you squeeze his legs. I remember seeing a commercial for them too. I think they were something like Battle Weapon Warriors. You'll have to check that out for me. Keep reading and reviewing! Love you!
Mac: Hey, thanks for the comments. I don't know if I'm gonna finish "Faye's Story" or not. I'll try, but I keep getting good ideas for other stories every time I try to write some more. Let's wait and see after I finish this one, okay? I also thought that episode was good. Little Leo was so cute! I'm sorry to hear about your uncle. That's never an easy thing to deal with. Keep reading and reviewing!
Kenshin: Hey, thanks for the words of encouragement! Yeah, I agree that they should have done a better follow-up. I don't think it took a day for Leo to recover. I think it took quite a few days, which is why I'm writing this. Thanks for agreeing with me about math. I passed the high school credit with a little help. The reason for that is because I'm L.D. in math, and I never would have made it. Keep reading and reviewing!
Eldarsevenstar: This isn't lame? Whoo Hoo! I must be doing something right. Yeah, I hate the Teletubbies too. They are so stupid. I'm glad you liked the brotherly love thing. I had fun writing that part. Here's the next chapter. Keep reading and reviewing! Oh, and update that story "Betrayal by Moonlight" because I was getting hooked on that thing.
Beth Hart (Leo Oneal): Hey, thanks for the beautiful compliments. They make my heart soar. You're proud of me? Oh, that is so sweet. Here's the next chapter. Keep reading and reviewing!
Pacphys: Wow! A long review! I like it. Yeah, Leo doesn't know Splinter as well as he thinks he does. All will be cleared up in this chapter though. You're also right about Leo not being in his right mind. I mean, he did take quite a beating. Yeah, Raph can be such a softy at times. I agree with you about the purple Teletubby. He does scare me. Acutually, they all do. I still prefer "Wheel of Fortune" to "Jeopardy" because it's easier for me to do. You have to be really smart to get the answers right on "Jeopardy." Don't worry, Leo will get some sense talked into him. And yes, Leo is pretty emotional right now. You can't blame him of course with all he's been through. Keep reading and reviewing!
Katana Babe: Another long review! I feel so honored. Yeah, it would help if they did more in-depth stuff after certain episodes. But, hey, that's what fan fiction is for. I'm sorry for the lack of description. The thing is, I don't have a lot of time to write this stuff because I'm in college. Also, I don't have a lot of time to type these up except in the mornings on Mondays and Wednesdays. I will try to do better though. I'll try not to worry about my grandma, but it's hard not to. At least I have this story and you guys to keep me feeling strong. I also have the Turtles of course, especially Leo. He rocks! I'm glad you're a Leo fan too. I own a Leo plushie and about five DVDs of the new series. That might be increased to six once I get the new one that's out. Keep reading and reviewing!
Phew! Ten reviews! I hope I get more! Now, let's see what our favorite boys in green are up to now.
Disclaimer: If I owned the Turtles, I wouldn't be in college slaving away over evil math problems. The Turtles are owned by Eastman and Laird. Bless those guys for creating some of the best characters around. All flames will be cut up by Leo's katanas, so don't even try it!
Meanwhile, Mikey and Raph were busy getting firewood so that Leo would stay warm. It was very cold outside and windy. They trekked to the back of the barn where the firewood was kept. Raph could see clouds in the sky, which meant they were probably going to get a snowstorm.
Mikey was examining his footprints in the snow. As Raph was getting the firewood, he picked up a snowball and lobbed it at his brother's shell. It hit dead center, but Raph didn't turn around. Frustrated by his failure to get his brother's attention, Mikey threw another one at the red-clad Turtle. This time, Raph did turn around.
"Did you throw that at me?" he demanded.
"Nope," Mikey replied innocently. "It might be ghosts, bro. This farmhouse has been abandoned for a while."
Raph rolled his eyes. "I know it was you, Mikey," he said. "Quit foolin' around. We have to get this firewood so Leo will stay warm. Now, get movin'!"
"Sure thing, bro!" Mikey said with a salute. He quickly went to the woodpile and gathered as many pieces of wood as he could carry. Then, he and Raph proceeded to the house and put the wood by the fireplace. They did this two more times so that the pile would be big. As they were coming back from their third trip, they saw Casey's truck come barreling down the driveway.
"Man, if he goes any faster, he's gonna cause a major accident," Mikey commented.
Raphael laughed at that. "Yeah, he probably will," he agreed. "C'mon, let's go see what we're havin' for breakfast."
"Hey, guys, can you give me a hand with this stuff?" asked Casey.
"We'll come out there as soon as we get this wood in, Case," replied Raph. After the two Turtles put the wood away, they came outside to help Casey get the groceries in.
"Did you get everything on the list?" asked April sternly as Casey, Raph, and Mikey came into the kitchen.
"Yep," answered Casey. "I got everything you asked for."
"Good!" said April cheerfully. She proceeded to take things out of the bags and started getting ready to cook. "So, what do you guys like besides scrambled eggs?" she asked them.
"I'll eat anything!" said Mikey cheerfully.
Raph rolled his eyes. "We know that, bonehead!" he said. Then he turned to April. "Just give us whatever you can make," he told her. "We're not that picky when it comes to food."
"Okay," April replied. "What should I fix Leo?"
"He told me he wasn't hungry," Raph said. "He said he'd have something later."
Splinter didn't like his son's report. "Your brother needs his strength," he insisted. "He needs to eat something because he did not eat anything yesterday."
"I'll make him some oatmeal," April decided. "I'm sure that will go down easily." She went to the stove and set to work. In no time at all, she had made pancakes, bacon, eggs, and oatmeal. Orange juice, milk, and coffee were the drinks of choice.
"I'll go take the food to Leo now," Raph offered.
"No, I will do it," Splinter interjected. "You should eat some breakfast, Raphael."
"But, what about you, Sensei?" Raphael protested. "You haven't eaten either!"
"I will be fine, my son," Splinter reassured him. "I need to talk to your brother. Perhaps, I can help him, as you would say, 'snap out of it.' Maybe, with a little support, Leonardo will heal."
"But, Sensei, I tried talking to him," Raph pointed out. "He feels really down about this. He thinks he's failed us."
"Then, it will be up to me to tell him otherwise," Splinter said firmly. And with that, he took the tray into the room where Leonardo slept. He found his oldest son staring at the ceiling as though in a trance.
"Leonardo, are you all right?" Splinter asked gently.
Leo turned away at the sound of his sensei's voice. He didn't want Splinter in the room. All he'd get was a lecture about how foolish he was to take on those Foot Ninjas. Now I know how Raph always felt, he thought to himself. He braced himself for the torrent of angry words, but they didn't come.
"Why do you turn away from me, my son?" Splinter inquired.
"Because I know you're upset with me," Leo answered. "Go ahead and say it. Tell me how I was foolish for fighting all those Foot Ninjas."
Splinter smiled gently at his son. Was that what Leonardo thought? Did his son think that he, Splinter, was angry about the attack? Well, he was, but not at Leonardo. He was angry at Shredder for injuring one of his sons.
"You misunderstand me, my son," the old rat said gently. "I am not angry at you. In fact, I am proud of the way you fought the Foot Ninjas. You were fighting for your life, and you were trying to protect your family. That shows a great sense of honor. Master Yoshi would have been so proud of you."
Leo was surprised at his sensei's speech. He never expected Splinter to praise him like that. To hear that Splinter's sensei would have been proud of him made his heart soar. He felt a little better about what he had done. He decided to tell Master Splinter about the technique he'd used to fight off the Foot Tech Ninjas.
"Very good, Leonardo," Splinter praised his son. "You used a valuable technique that I taught you. You must tell your brothers about this, particularly Michelangelo. Maybe then, he will take my lessons more seriously as I teach them to him."
"I'm sure the others are dying to hear about my brush with death," Leo said jokingly.
Splinter chuckled at his son's attempt to make a joke out of it. He knew that Leonardo was still suffering from emotional wounds, but he hoped that they would heal soon. Splinter then set the tray down and offered it to Leo, insisting that Leo needed to build his strength.
"Well, I told Raph I wasn't hungry earlier, but I guess I could try some," Leo said. "The only problem is that I can't eat while lying down."
"Let me help you," Splinter said graciously. He had Leo put his good arm over him and helped him to sit up. It hurt, but Leo tried not to cry out. After he was settled, Splinter gave him the bowl of oatmeal so that he could eat. Leo ate a little of the oatmeal, but he left a lot of it in the bowl because he felt a little nauseous. When Splinter voiced this concern to Donnie, the purple-clad Turtle wasn't worried. He assured them that this was a normal thing, considering that Leo had been thrown through a window.
Then, Donnie decided that it was time for Leo to get patched up. First, he looked at Leo's left arm and concluded that it had been broken. "It looks like I'm gonna have to set it," he told his brother.
"Is this gonna hurt when you do this, Donnie?" asked Leo anxiously. He was in enough pain already; he didn't need more.
"Yeah, I'm afraid so," answered Donnie. "But that's what you have Raph for. You can squeeze his hand if you feel that it hurts too much."
"Yeah, and then Raph will kick your butt if his hand falls off," teased Mikey.
Raph rolled his eyes at his younger brother. "Nah, Leo's been punished enough," he said. "I don't' want to inflict any more pain on him."
"Wow, Raph, you really have changed!" commented Casey. "You're actually being nice to your brother!"
"Yeah, and we also saw that Raph's a huge softy," said Mikey with a laugh. "You should have seen him yesterday, Leo. He was crying when he was talking to you!"
"All right, that's it, Mikey!" cried Raph. "You're gonna get it now!" He tackled Mikey and put him in a headlock until the orange-clad Turtle gave up.
Donnie smiled at the two Turtles' antics then set to work. During the procedure, Leo kept a tight hold on Raph's hand, but Raph didn't mind. He was just happy to do something for his injured brother. Don managed to set the bone with expert care. After it was set, April helped Don wrap the arm in a bandage and put it in a sling. Then, Donnie and April bandaged Leo's lower plastron. Don surmised that Leo must have either cracked or broken his ribs.
"Oh, Doctor, you've cured him!" said Mikey in a high-pitched voice. "How can we ever repay you?"
"Try not to bug me for the next few days," replied Donnie with a smile.
"You have my word," said Mikey, crossing his heart. Of course, that promise wouldn't last long.
"How do you feel now, my son?" asked Splinter.
"Peachy," quipped Leo. "Now I know how Diamond Dallas Page felt whenever the New World Order ambushed him from behind." (A/N: Diamond Dallas Page, DDP for short, is one of my favorite wrestlers from the WCW days. The New World Order were the bad guys of wrestling, and they always loved to attack DDP. Of course, DDP never gave up, just like Leo. That's why I call Leo the Ninja Turtles version of DDP. The Foot also remind me of the New World Order, especially in that particular episode. Okay, I'll stop rambling now. I just wanted to give you some background on my favorite wrestler.)
"Yeah, but DDP never gave up without a fight," said Raph with a smile. "And neither did you, bro. Even when you were down, you still tried to fight to protect us. That takes a lot of guts to do that."
"Thanks, Raph," said Leo softly. "Did you really cry when you were talking to me?"
"Yeah, I kinda teared up," said Raph. "But I only did it because I realized how lucky I was and how lucky I am to have a brother like you. Besides, no one beats up on my brothers but me."
"Guys, I hate to break up the Kodak moment, but we do have to clean this place up," interjected April.
"Aye, aye, Captain," said Mikey with a salute. "Hey, I did find a radio. We should listen to some music."
"I don't think that radio works," said Donnie. "It's one of those old-fashioned ones."
"No sweat, guys," Casey piped up. I got us a radio from the store. It's one of those portable things." He set it on the table and fiddled with the dial. At first, the radio only got country stations, but Casey managed to find one that played a variety of music.
After that, it was hard to get Mikey to clean properly. When the song, "I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt" came on, Mikey used his broom like a dance partner and danced around the room. He even went in Leo's room and started shaking his butt when the song came to the part about shaking his tush on the catwalk.
Leo laughed at his brother's antics. "Mikey, you are too much," he said.
"Thanks," said Mikey as he continued to dance with his broom.
"Hey, Leo, you remember this one?" asked Raph as "Love Shack" came on.
"Yeah, I do," said Leo happily. "We used to do a dance to it."
Donnie laughed. "Yeah, I remember that," he said. "We were quite the characters then."
"Actually, it was Master Splinter who taught it to us," said Mikey.
"I thought you made it up and decided to teach us!" protested Raph.
"Nope, I learned it from Master Splinter," replied Mikey. "I caught him dancing to it one day after Raph broke my skateboard."
"Well, you shouldn't have left it lying around so I could trip over it," retorted Raph.
"Hey, guys, could you show me the dance?" asked April.
"Too late!" moaned Mikey. "The song's over!"
"No worries," said Casey cheerfully. "I have the tape to it. It's in the truck." He hurried out and returned with a blank tape. He rewound it until he got to the song that the Turtles wanted.
"Hey, Sensei, you can take Leo's spot!" said Mikey enthusiastically.
"No thank you, my son," said Splinter gently. "You three can do it."
"Aw, come on, Sensei!" pleaded Mikey. "You're the one who taught me the dance!"
Splinter sighed. "Oh, all right," he said resignedly. "But do not expect a treat like this every day. Tomorrow, you three will be training."
Then the music started, and the Turtles and Splinter began to dance. As Leo watched his brothers and sensei dance, he couldn't help but feel envious that he wasn't doing it too. April and Casey were surprised at how good their friends were. They were especially surprised at Splinter's ability to dance.
"Wow, Splinter, for an old rat, you sure can bust a move!" commented Casey.
"Gee, Sensei, you never told me you could dance like that," aid Leo in astonishment. "You're very good."
"Thank you, Leonardo," said Splinter graciously. "And you, too, Mr. Jones. I have not tried dancing in a long time since that day Michelangelo caught me. However, I must confess that I do enjoy it."
"I could tell," said April with a giggle. "I can't wait to see Leo join in when he gets better."
"He will, April," Raph reassured her. "That's the first thing he's gonna do after he's healed." Little did Raph know that dancing wouldn't be the first thing that his brother did.
A/N: I had to stop it there, even though most of you might think that's a lame ending to the chapter. Anywho, I can't wait to hear what you guys think. Also, I have to ask you guys some questions. First, who is your favorite Turtle and why? Second, what is your favorite episode or series of episodes from the new series? Here are my answers to those questions. First, I like Leo because he's an awesome leader and blue's my favorite color. Second, I like mainly the episodes that focus on Leo. However, my absolute favorite series has to be "The Shredder Strikes Back" saga which includes "Tales of Leo." Those episodes rock! Please read and review.