"You never visited them before?" Cass asks softly, walking next to me with soft steps. I shake my head, turning right. Snow had stuck to the ground two days ago, and the cold hadn't let up ever since. But mom had wrapped me in enough scarfs, and forced me into a thick jacket to make sure I didn't get cold.
"I didn't want to" I admit honestly, stuffing my hands in the pockets of my jacket. Cass hummed next to me, but remained silent for the last few minutes of our walk. I stopped when we arrived on the spot, gesturing vaguely to show Cass where I was looking. She had no idea after all, I did.
Cass turns to me instead, a frown on her face. "How do I address them?" She asks softly. I gaze at the two gravestones, a blank look on my face.
"I don't know what's right, whatever you want I guess, Cass." I shrug, crouching down. "Hello again" I spat, wiping away the snow that had settled on the names, hiding them from the rest of the world. Come to think of it, they deserved to be hidden from the world, they didn't deserve to be buried here in the first place.
But I was in prison when they were, so I hardly had a say in where they were buried. If I had, I had ordered them to cremate the bodies and scatter them all over the world. Instead, they were buried in a special section of the cemetery reserved for criminals.
"I don't remember much from you, and I'm glad I don't" Cass whispers. "You didn't deserve us, you didn't deserve Kiki" She says, her voice oddly calm. I glance at her in silence, allowing her to say what she needed to say right now. I had years with my.. our parents, she hadn't seen them since she was six.
But I guess, it was a blessing that she hadn't, and a curse that I had.
"I don't remember much from you, but I remember I hated you. My current parents are better to me than you could ever be." Cassie continues with a soft, but determined voice. "And I'm glad you're dead, so Kiki can live the life he deserves" I can see Cassie glance towards me at the last part.
I look right back at her, silent for a moment before wrapping an arm around her. She complies, leaning against my side and laying her head on my shoulder.
"You ready to go?" I ask softly after a while, and Cass nods against my shoulder. I stand up slowly, ignoring my body protesting slightly. Neither of us wanted to stay long here, but we both wanted to be here. To say goodbye I guess, to give Cassie closure and tell our biological parents that we were never coming back.
To tell them we had moved on, we found each other again, and we were both happy in our family.
"Thanks for taking me today" Cass whispers, hooking her arm around my arm. I smile, sparing a last glance at the two graves. I just stay close to her, not trusting my voice right now. It was Cassie who had asked if she could visit our parents' grave a few days ago, and if I would come with her.
She had a different relationship, a different memory, of our parents, but if she wanted to visit them, I was coming with her.
But I had no intention of ever coming back here on my own.
TMNT
(Don's POV)
"Does it bother you?" Mikey suddenly asks me, and I frown slightly.
"What is supposed to bother me?" I ask softly, and Mikey gnaws at his lip, shaking his head slightly.
"That I found my family?" Mikey answers, and my mouth opens slightly as I realise what he was talking about. "Does it bother you seeing me so happy, while you still don't know who your parents are?" He clarifies, but in all honesty, he didn't have to clarify that do me, I had already figured it out.
The answer, however, somehow eluded me at the moment.
"I don't-" I stop for a moment, glancing away from Mikey.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to" Mikey hurriedly says, and I roll my eyes at the hasty remark. It was something we hadn't accomplished to get out of Mikey, the endless excuses. We had managed to bring him out of his shell so much, and for someone seemingly so confident, he was still so insecure.
At times it was almost like he had a split personality. But we were getting there.
I grasp the pillow that was next to me, slamming it into his face. "Stop apologising, Mike" I tell him with a stern voice. Mikey grasps the pillow before I could hit him again, grinning widely. "And no, I'm not jealous. I'm happy for you"
"I know" He answers, and I frown again, Mikey just shrugs. "I can tell you're not jealous, but I can also tell you want to know them" Mikey explains, and I blink a couple of times. My family, my real biological family. Mikey was right, I did want to know them, I wanted to know everything any other child would know.
I wanted stories about them, what they were like, even if they were bad. I wanted to compare-
I shake my head at the thought, looking at Mikey.
"How do you know things about us before we do?" I ask, and Mikey grins again.
"I don't know dude, it's just so obvious. I don't get how Leo and Raph haven't figured it out" He says. "But seriously dude, I know I'm the messed up one here, but you can always talk to me. Even if you want to go on a goose chase to find them" I laugh at the suggestion, shaking my head in amusement.
"I know you would, Mikey, and I love you for that" I say, and Mikey gives me a smile, a mixture between sad, content and apologetic. "But we've tried in the past, hired investigators. She gave me up, and didn't want her name or anything that could lead her to me, to be known" I tell him.
"I know, Dee" Mikey says, nudging me gently. I smile at him.
"It's okay though, really. I found a better family than I could ever ask for. I love you, little brother" I smile, bringing him closer to my side.
"Hey, I'm only a few weeks younger" Mikey whines against me, but he doesn't try to move out of the hug, until-
"MIKEY!" Raph suddenly yelled through the house. Mikey gulps, untangling himself quickly. Footsteps were heard going down the stairs.
"What did you do now?" I could hear Leo ask, and I glance at him to see him not even glancing up from the book he was currently reading, the one Mike had recommended to him actually. Mikey chuckles nervously.
"Remember that pink dye I wanted you to buy me?" He asks with a sheepish grin.
"For your 'art project'?" Leo asks, using his fingers to do the air quotes. He raises an eyebrow, and Mikey's face splits into a big grin.
"Mikey, you are so dead!" Raph yelled, emerging with a pink cloth in his hand.
"Lovely shirt you have there, the colour really compliments with your-" Mikey yelps before he can finish the sentence, Raph running straight at him. Mikey dodges with a gleeful laugh. "Bye guys, nice talk Dee" Mikey laughs, sprinting away.
"MIKEY!"
"He's so dead" I mutter, an amused smile tugging at my lips.
"My money's on Mikey, he's fast" Leo says, I grin, listening to Mikey's laughter echoing through the house, followed by Raph's screams.
"Raph'll get him eventually. Mikey loves the attention too much" I say, and Leo just shrugs. "I'm glad mom and dad convinced us to let him stay" I say thoughtfully, and Leo glances at me. For a moment an orange and red blur race past the window, and Leo chuckles when he realises Mikey has gone outside.
Probably still remembering dad's lecture after he broke the lamp the last time he pulled a stunt like that.
"He's family, he belongs here. And I'm glad he's come so far, he deserves nothing less than the whole world" Leo mutters, and I nod, glancing at the wall that now displayed not 3, but 4 frames. 1 birth certificate, and 3 adoption certificates.
Mikey was officially a Hamato.
TMNT
Done! Guys! I can't thank you enough for everything. Your feedback has been so overwhelming, and I love you so so much! I hope you liked this last chapter/epilogue, and the story overall! Other stories to come soon!