6 months in (July)
"Hey Don?" I heard Mikey ask softly, announcing his presence. I turn around from my desk, looking at him. "Can I ask you something?" He continues, and a strange expression morphs onto Mike's face. He seemed anxious to be here, hesitant.
"Sure" I say, and he takes the invitation to sit down on his bed. I obviously don't mind, rolling my chair closer to my own bed, and looking at him patiently. I can see Mikey take a shuddering breath.
"How would you react if your mom suddenly contacted you?" He asks, and I can feel myself stiffen ever so slightly. I definitely wasn't expecting that. I gape at him for a second, not really knowing how I should react.
"I don't know Mikey" I mumble honestly. "I don't know how I would feel about that" I frown slightly, glancing down. I wasn't necessarily upset with him asking about it, but it wasn't a topic I really liked to think about. Mikey knew this, he knew better than anyone that all of our pasts were a sore subject.
He knew better than to randomly bring it up. So whatever reason had to be a good one.
"But would you want to know where you're from?" He asks, but I knew Mikey already knew the answer to that question.
"I would Mike, I would love to know about my parents, or the reason why they left me" I state honestly. "But I would also be wary of them… of her. I think I would be angry at her, even if I want to meet her. If that makes sense" Mikey frowns, turning his head away again.
"Because she left you" Mikey concluded and I nod. Mikey bit his lip, not looking at me. "Would you still be mad even if she did it to protect you?" He asks, and I frown slightly, leaning back in the chair. It wasn't like Mikey was the first one to bring up that particular possibility.
I had thought of maybe every possibility why my mom had left me.
Child of rape, unwanted pregnancy, financial reasons, frustration. Was she forced to give me up? Was she forced to abandon me for whatever reason? Religion, personal gains, there were so many possibilities. And one of them being that she thought it was the best for me to give me up.
Financially, emotionally, physically…. anything really. But I had never gotten an answer, and would never get one probably.
"Depends" I say eventually. "I don't know how I would react… but if she did it to protect me rather than abandon me without a reason… I would be less mad"
This time Mikey glances up, looking at me. His bright blue eyes lock with mine, and I can see guilt swimming in his orbs. Eyes that got brighter every day he was living here with us, eyes that got brighter every time he got something off his chest, and eyes that got brighter every time he felt more comfortable around us.
Every time he realised he was family, and my only little brother.
"Why are you asking me this Mikey?" I ask softly, and Mikey bit his lip again before slowly shaking his head.
"It doesn't matter" He tries, standing up.
"No wait a minute" I call out, standing up as well and grasping his wrist. He glances down, but he doesn't flinch, not like he would flinch at any unexpected contact over these last 6 months. "You know you can tell me right?" I ask softly, not breaking eye contact, and neither does he.
Tears well up in his eyes suddenly, but he still doesn't turn away. I sign, wrapping my arms around him and bringing him closer. Mikey sobs in my chest, and I can feel his arms snake around my waist without hesitance.
"You don't have to tell" I mumble in his ear, but he just holds me tightly, as if I would disappear if he let go of me.
"I'm sorry" He cries, and I gently pry him off me, looking straight into his eyes.
"Don't ever apologise little brother, you know it's okay" It's okay to cry, it's okay to be sad, it's okay not to tell something about your past, it's okay to not be okay. Mikey laughs shakily, wiping away his tears with
"I'll tell you Don" He mumbles, tears welling up the moment he tries to wipe them away. "But not now… I.. I can't" I don't say anything bringing him closer again.
"That's okay" I just tell him.
And it was enough for now.
TMNT
For now didn't seem so long after all. For now was meant to be days, weeks, months maybe. But that all didn't matter anymore when we came home the following day.
"My sons" Dad greeted us.
"Who's this?" Leo asks softly, putting his backpack on the ground against the wall. Dad didn't comment on it.
"This is Luther Head, he works for the FBI" Dad introduces the guy, who couldn't be older than 25, he looked really young.
"FBI?" Raph asks with a deep frown, crossing his arms warily. I put a comforting hand on his arm, but his form is still tense, muscles taunt.
"Behavioural unit" Luther waves off, but still, there was an FBI agent in our home, chatting up with Dad. Both Raph and Leo seemed to be on edge as well, and Mikey…. I whirl around suddenly, almost not believing was I was seeing. Mikey was seething it seemed like, an emotion I had rarely seen on him.
His hands were balled into fists next to his side, and shaking as if he was restraining himself from attacking the guy. He was glaring at Luther, bright blue eyes that were so much happier, that got so much happier the more time he spent with us, now filled with so much hatred and betrayal.
"Mikey?" I whisper softly, moving my arm towards him and putting it on his shoulder. Mikey doesn't acknowledge me, and it seemed like the rest noticed Mikey's odd behaviour as well.
"I had not invited him my son" Dad spoke softly, which only caused me more confusion, he understood what the hell was going on?
"Then you shouldn't have let him in" Mikey spat, and I can see Leo reel back in shock. Mikey had never been so angry that he'd snap at dad, or mom. He was always respectful, he rarely got angry in the first place but he never took out that anger on our parents, and even rarely at us.
This was the first time any of us had seen him so mad.
"Mikey I didn't come without a good reason" Luther spoke, but Mikey shook his head.
"I don't care, I never want to see you again" Mikey spoke, tears jumping in his eyes. His body started to shake ever so slightly, out anger? Out of frustration? Sadness? I really didn't know, but I was just too surprised to say anything. Anger was an emotion Mikey rarely displayed, sadness and laughter, but rarely anger.
But even now I could see it wasn't really anger. It was betrayal that showed on his face.
"I made a mistake in your eyes Mikey, but I don't regret my decision"
"You could've ruined her life" Mikey whispers, voice suddenly all too soft. Tears started to leak down his face. "You almost ruined everything"
"I saved you Mikey, I got you out of that prison" Luther tried to defend himself. "I got the judges to release you instead of keeping you locked up for life"
"At what price?" Mikey bit back, but his voice sounded tired. "What if I didn't want you to?"
"I want to believe that you did, that I did you a favour" I could see Mikey flinch slightly at Luther's confession. The voice of the older man was so soft, and hurt and guilt was in his eyes as well. What the hell was going on?
"You were wrong" Mikey whispered. I frown slightly, because I recognised that tone in his voice, doubt. He wasn't sure about that sentence, he wasn't convinced that Luther was wrong, whatever they were even talking about that is.
"Maybe it's better if you go" Leo cut in suddenly, voice dangerously low. There was authority behind that voice, a confidence that was often so inconsistent. Leo was full of doubt, but when he had to step up as an older brother, nobody could or would stand in his way, not even his own doubt.
He was unwavering, relentless and determined to protect us.
Raph always said he found it annoying, Leo being a mother hen like that, but I knew that he secretly liked that someone cared about him so much. Of course he had a full family that cared about him, we all cared about him, but both Raph and I still bore those scars of being left alone.
We both had insecurities about not being liked. Raph more so than I had, I grew up without ever knowing my parents, Raph was given away, not cared about by his own biological parents, and that hit him harder. But it was also his personality, he took those things more personal.
Luther blinked in surprise at Leo's suggestion, but my oldest brother didn't seem to care, walking over to Mikey and stepping partially in front of him.
"I merely wanted to tell Mikey something" Luther spoke softly, sounding hurt.
"I already know" Mikey muttered, and I glance at him with a worried gaze. He was shaking slightly on the spot, but now not out of anger anymore, but out of fear.
"It is not appreciated as you can hear" Leo added, voice dripping with venom as he slowly reached out for Mikey. My little brother instantly melted into Leo's side, calming down a bit.
"It means get the hell out" Raph snaps suddenly, and Luther snaps his gaze towards him, frowning for a moment before looking at dad again. Dad was looking between us and Luther with conflicted eyes. I could see the fondness in his eyes over Leo's actions, protecting Mikey like his real little brother.
(I mean at this point we were all family, it didn't matter that we weren't related by blood)
But he wanted Mikey to listen to Luther, he didn't want to disrespect Luther for some reason. There was a look of appreciation for the young FBI agent. And again I wondered, what the hell had Luther done to make Mikey so mad? But what did he do right for dad to appreciate him?
"I am terribly sorry Mr. Head" Dad spoke softly, but he glances towards us with a look that was all too clear, we would always come first. "I think it will be wise to continue this conversation another time"
Luther nods timidly, following dad for all but two steps before he stops again. "I am truly sorry for going against your wishes young one, but I would not have changed a thing" Luther spoke softly. "You deserve to be selfish for once in your life. Contact her" He adds, and with that, he walks away again.
Contact her.
Contact her.
Who was her?
"Let's get you somewhere quiet" Leo whispers. But at this moment that really didn't matter. Mikey nods tiredly, allowing Leo to guide him towards the family room again.
And Mikey never spoke the entire afternoon we were in that room.
TMNT
"D?"
I glance around at the call, a weird sense of pride filling my chest. Mikey stood in the door opening, looking at me with a nervous and also hesitant look on his face. And he called me D.
I don't even know why I was so proud of hearing it. But it meant that Mikey was getting more and more comfortable around us, around me. And nobody called me D, it was only Don or Donnie, or any other nickname they came up with.
"What is it?" I ask, scanning him quickly. He seemed physically okay, he just seemed nervous, really nervous.
"You remember how I reacted to Luther?"
"The FBI guy?" I ask, and Mikey nods. How could I forget that really? Mikey as angry as I had ever seen him, more betrayed than I had ever imagined. I would never forget that, and especially not after 3 days.
"I think I'm ready to tell you guys" For a second I had no idea how to react to that statement before the sentence seems to hit.
"Why you hate Luther?" I ask softly, heart beating in my chest. I didn't want to frighten him right now, or push him away by being too urgent. Mikey shrugs.
"That too" He mutters, glancing at me with teary eyes. "I want to tell you about her" There was a weird emphasis on the last word, but I knew why he did that. We all knew, and Mikey probably knew that we knew, that there was a girl, girl, her, she, or whatever she had been addressed as.
But we had no idea who she was. We had no idea why she was so important to Mikey. How she had changed his life. Or why she was the reason Mikey was willing to stay in prison for.
"Just me or…?" I stop, biting my lip softly, but Mikey shakes his head.
"Raph and Leo are already in my room, I wanted to tell you three at the same time" He says, gesturing for me to follow him. I do so, silently standing up and walking out of my room before walking into his room. As Mikey had said, Leo and Raph were already waiting, both in Mikey's bed.
Mikey's room wasn't particularly big, neither were the rest of our rooms. The door was located near the left corner and when you entered you had a table on the left wall, with a bed behind it. The head was on the left wall as well. Behind the end of the bed was a space big enough for a bookshelf. On the right wall, the same one that had the door, Mikey's closet was located. On the right side of the room, in the middle, he had his painters easel.
I walk over to his desk, sitting down in the office chair. Mikey walks over to his easel, moving it before sitting down on the carpets that were on the ground. He had always preferred to sit on the ground while painting, and even when watching television for example.
"I don't really know where to start" Mikey mumbles, glancing down at the ground instead of us.
"Take your time Mikey" Leo urges, and I can't help but notice how the three of us were staring at our youngest brother. Like we were an audience and he was about to perform some great monologue.
"I guess I'll start with her"
Again the mention of the girl. And right now I felt myself caring very little about reassuring Mikey. Not like I didn't care about his feelings anymore, cause I would never not care. But I didn't try to stop him, I didn't try to ease him. I just sat there silently as Mikey took a deep breath, looking at the three of us.
"Her… she… I don't know what you've been calling her, or what I've been calling her these past 6 months-" Mikey chuckles dryly, and it was clear he was stalling. But still I made no move to stop him. Mikey had a tendency to ramble, but right now I was too curious and Mikey clearly too anxious to be stopped.
Mikey took a deep breath again. "She's my little sister"
TMNT
DUN DUN DUN How many of you guessed it? How obvious was this reveal? XD