Raphael ran after Leo and yelled, "Leo, wait up! Come on. Runnin' away ain't the answer!"
Leo ground to a halt, folded his arms and coolly said, his sapphire eyes flashing, "What is, Raphael? Lies?"
Joining him, Raphael said, "No. I wanna talk and explain why I did…."
"Nothing you can say or do will be sufficient explanation. You can piss off, Raphael. I'm done with you!"
"The hell ya are. We could have babies. Ya gonna run off and leave me ta raise them on my own?"
A mixture of disgust and rage appeared on Leo's face and he snapped, "I'm well aware of the possibilities. I won't shirk my responsibility, but we're done, capiche? Leave me alone."
Raphael suddenly charged at his brother, knocking him to the ground, and desperately trying to pin his arms down. But Leo was stronger, flipped them around and pinned Raphael's arms down.
"I'm only going to say this once, Raphael," Leo hissed. "Stay away from me or better yet leave."
"Oh. Ya wanna top, huh?" Raphael said with a smirk. "Why didn't ya say?"
"I hate you," Leo growled.
"Yeah? Then why do I smell yer arousal, Fearless? Ya wanna get off with me, don't ya?"
Leo immediately rolled off of him, stood up and said venomously, "I despise you. I hate you deceiving me. I hate the fact you may become gravid with my damn kid. I hate that I'm a laughing stock to the family. I hate you! I wish you'd really died! It'd be better than this fucked-up mess that you fucking caused! Why did you fucking do it? Did you get a charge out of it and making me feel like I had a shot at love? Was it just a game and joke at my expense, huh?" Angry tears pricked at Leo's eyes and he yelled, "I fucking believed Natasha was real. What a damn idiot I am. I should have known she was too perfect to be true, especially as she had your damn accent and looks! I'm a moron!"
Raphael rose to his feet, his own eyes filling with tears, and said in a broken voice, "It ain't no game. I never meant ta hurt ya or ta make ya mad. I love ya, Leo. For real. I fell in love with ya after we made love and I only did this, because I didn't think ya'd be with me otherwise, seein' that ya like girls. It's despicable, I know, but I genuinely love ya. I'm sorry. I shoulda told ya the truth, but ya should also have told me the damn truth that ya were only with me outta pity and ta make me feel better. We both fucked up, Leo."
"And now the kids will pay the price. Kids. Can you believe it? I might have kids with my own fucking brother. What a mindfuck of note. Sensei's going to love that!" Leo said acerbically. "What the hell am I going to tell him?"
"We ain't related, Leo. It ain't….."
"We were still raised as brothers, Raphael! He's going to go ballistic. I can't deal with this. I'm going out!"
"Leo, I love ya. My feelings were never a lie. I meant every word and we'll figure it out if there are babies. Don't go. We can sort somethin' out. I really love ya."
"Fuck off!" Leo screamed, his sapphire eyes blazing. "I'll be civil to you for the kids' sake if you become gravid, but otherwise I have nothing to say to you."
Leo turned his shell and stomped off, leaving Raphael in a flood of tears.
The emerald skinned turtle wept and thought, what am I gonna do? I can't go home. I'll be laughed at or worse, people will be angry, because I lied. I got nowhere ta go. What a fuckin' mess. Maybe I should go end my life for real and….
"Raph?" Don said, approaching him.
"What do ya want?" Raphael asked. "And how'd ya find me?"
"I followed you and Leo and heard raised voices. I stayed in the shadows until Leo left. Are you okay?"
"No. Look, it ain't yer problem. Go home, okay? I'll sort myself out and try ta find somewhere ta live. Ain't no way I can stay in the lair after what I did. I'm a shit and Leo hates me. I deserve his wrath."
"Raph," Don said, gently laying a hand on Raphael's arm. "You're still family and you belong with us. We'd never kick you out and Leo has to accept that."
"But I lied, Donnie. I made him believe I was Natasha and made him fall in love with me. He feels betrayed."
"What were your reasons?"
"They don't matter. He still..."
"It does matter. Why did you do it?"
"I wanted Leo ta love me. I always thought I was straight, but I realized I wanted him after we made love. It felt so right bein' in his arms and then some weird woman appeared and she told me I could make a wish ta get him and even though I didn't really wanna be a girl, I wished ta be one, so Leo would fall for me." Raphael sniffed and said, "It was goin' really well. We'd made love and then Casey opened his trap and now Leo despises me. He wishes I was dead. I wish I was."
"Leo will come around, Raph. I think he does love you."
"He loves Natasha. Not me, doofus."
"Technically he loves you, because you're Natasha now and the feelings are real, right? On both your sides. He'll realize that, will forgive you and you'll get your happy ending. Or you can always use the kids to sweeten Leo up. You know he's a sucker for family. Trust me. It'll work."
"I don't wanna use my kids as bait. I want Leo ta love me for real."
"I understand, but that idea's fool proof. Listen to your genius brother. What have you got to lose?"
"Nothin' I guess. Don't ya hate me for what I did?"
"I should be really furious with you for making us believe you were dead, but truthfully, I'm just glad you're okay. We missed you so much, especially Leo and Sensei. Speaking of whom, you need to see Sensei. I'll come with you to lessen the shock. He also believed you'd passed and we were planning your funeral."
"I'm sorry 'bout that," Raphael said, regret consuming him. "I didn't mean ta hurt anyone. I feel like an absolute shit."
"It's pointless wallowing in regrets and self-loathing, Raph. There's nothing you can do to change the past. All you can do is focus on the now. Let's go."
Raphael followed his brother home and thought, I hate usin' my kids as a tool ta win Leo back, but I know I ain't got no other option. I hope Donnie's right and the plan works. I don't know what I'm gonna do if I don't become gravid, because I don't know how else ta win Leo back.
XXXX
Donnie and Raphael arrived back at the lair and ignoring Mikey, who tried to talk to him, Raphael followed Donnie to Splinter's room.
"Sensei," Donnie said, knocking on the door. "It's me. Can I come in?"
"Of course, Donatello," the aged rat said.
Don opened the door and went inside. After taking a deep breath, Raphael followed his brother.
XXXX
The ancient rat was sitting up in bed and reading a book. He smiled at them and Raphael gulped, as he studied his hands. "Hello, my children," Splinter said. "Why are you so nervous, Natasha?"
"She has something she needs to say," Don said and nudged Raphael in his side.
"What is it, Natasha?" Splinter asked. "You don't have to be afraid, whatever it is."
"I kinda told a lie," Raphael said and raised his head. "A big one and Leo's cross with me."
"Leonardo's not one to bear grudges, my sweet child. Don't worry. He'll calm down and you will sort things out. May I ask what the lie was about?"
"Not this time. I ain't who I said I was. I lied ta everyone. Not just him and Leo feels like a fool. Rightly so." Tears ran down Raphael's cheeks and he added, " I'm a jerk."
"I'm confused. Who are you then and why would you lie?"
"Sensei, I'm Raphael."
The old rat gasped and shook his head in disbelief. "Impossible. Raphael died."
"No. Ya think he died. He left a suicide note, but his body wasn't found. I'm him and I can prove it. My birthday's on September tenth, my favorite food's cereal, I love motorbikes. I built one with Donnie. I love pizza, especially with chocolate fudge and marshmallows on it. I fight with Leo all of the time and sneak out ta go bash Purple Dragons. My best friend's Casey, who's datin' April. I sleep in a hammock. Ya confiscated my porn stash a couple of weeks ago. That enough proof? None of this I'd have known without bein' Raphael!"
"Then what's with the charade and pretending to be Natasha?" Splinter demanded, his eyes flashing. "Why did you fake your death and how did you become a girl? And why? You always prided yourself on your masculinity. How could you lie to your family, make us believe you'd died and put us through that trauma? Have you any idea how much we've suffered? Our grief? What on earth possessed you to do such a beastly thing, Raphael?"
"May I speak?" Donnie asked.
"No, Splinter said. "I'm asking Raphael. You can talk later."
Fresh tears filled Raphael's eyes and he said in a broken voice, "Leo."
"I don't understand," Splinter said, raising a brow. "What does Leonardo have to do with your deception, Raphael?"
"Everythin'. ! I fell in love with Leo, but I knew he wouldn't want me, because he liked chicks, so I made a wish ta be a girl. It came true and Leo fell in love with me. Then Casey met me and saw through it all and he spilt the beans. Now Leo's pissed off!"
"Language," Splinter said sternly. "And you bedded Leonardo, did you not?"
"I did."
"So there could be babies. What a mess," Splinter said irately. "What an impulsive, stupid thing to do, Raphael! Have you any idea what a disaster you've caused? What are you going to do if there are babies? How will you raise them? This selfish action of yours has proved that you're far from mature…."
"Look, I believed…"
"No excuses. You not only deluded your entire family, you lied to your brother, you slept with him and have perhaps made him a father. You should be ashamed of yourself! I am."
"I am, Sensei. I am, but I'm gonna make it right and Leo ain't my bio brother…"
"How? By getting an abortion? I wouldn't allow it, even if it were feasible. He was still raised as your brother and I won't allow your union!" Splinter screamed. "I won't have my clan contaminated and shamed by you, Raphael. You'd be forced to do seppuku in the olden days. You should be grateful I'm not doing that, you pathetic, moronic child!" Raphael flinched and Splinter added, "There's only one solution and that's…"
"May I speak, Sensei?" Donnie asked, his heart hammering, sensing what Splinter was going to say.
"No, Donatello," Splinter said sternly. "You may not. I…"
Unbeknownst to everyone, Leo had arrived home after cooling off on a roof top. He'd managed to enter the lair undetected and hearing shouting, had headed to Splinter's room.
Leo cleared his throat, grabbed a stunned Raphael's hand and said icily, "I'm just as guilty as Raphael for bringing any kids into this world if there are any. You don't have to worry about them, Splinter. Me and Raph will be just be fine and will be incredible parents. Come on, Raph. Let's get out of here."
Leo led a still bewildered Raphael out of the lair and into the tunnels, while a disgusted Splinter shook his head and Donnie's jaw dropped in astonishment.
A/N Yay. I finally updated. Why did Leo do that? Can Leo ever forgive Raph's deception?
