A/N: Hi all! Here's the next chapter at long last!

BTW, I'd like to think that at one point or another, Leo would at least try to get along with one of the mutants of the Foot, so I decided to explore that. And for those of you who are fans of Mikey + Splinter bonding moments, here's your chance!

I OWN NOTHING!

Enjoy!

Chapter 18

"Never hold resentments for the person who tells you what you need to hear; count them among your truest, most caring, and valuable friends."

― Mike Norton, Just Another War Story

Master Splinter was well aware that his three sons were growing up, and that they were growing up fast. He also realized that as they would continue to mature, they would require more freedom, freedom that as their father, whether he liked it or not, he would have to grant them. They were no longer young children simply training with their father in the shelter of the sewers anymore; now they were the guardians of the world above, protecting the city from the threats of the Kraang, the Purple Dragons, and now the Foot Clan. So despite Splinters' fears – fears that would never die no matter how hard he tried to quell them – he allowed certain rules to be stretched, but only to a considerable length; they would always tell him where they were going no matter what, even if it was just going to April's apartment. And no matter what, they would not, under any circumstances, stay out until dawn without a very, very, very valid reason for doing so. Breaking such a rule would result in a severe punishment.

This is why when the clock struck 3:00am, and the three turtles finally came through the turnstiles of the lair, he was both very much relieved and absolutely furious as he strode out of the dojo with his brows furrowed and his hands clasped tightly behind his back. He was in the right frame of mind to dish out a good old fashioned Randori on all three of them, and then invite them into the dojo for a good, long talk about their foolishness and tardiness…

…that was until he saw both Donatello and Raphael carrying Michelangelo between them, his arms wrapped around both their shoulders as they supported him. His youngest son looked as though he were in a fair amount of pain as he hobbled down the steps of the entrance. And his left knee was swelling and bent at an unusual angle.

In an instant, the former anger that the ninja master had felt was replaced with deep concern as the three boys staggered towards the pit, setting Mikey gently down on the couch as the mutant rat quickly sat down beside his ailing son. As Donnie ran into his lab to fetch the first aid kit, Raph hurried into the kitchen to grab an ice pack, and Splinter stayed with Mikey, his arm around his shoulders and a soft hand on his knee. Mikey hissed through his teeth at his touch. Splinter's ears flattened slightly at his son's pain, but instead of letting himself worry any further, he remained calm and focused. "Michelangelo," he began, gaining the attention of his youngest as he looked up at him, his baby blue eyes filled with immense discomfort. "Tell me what happened to you, my son."

Despite the pain he was in, Mikey managed to bite his lip and dart his eyes to the side as Raph and Donnie came back with the ice pack and the first aid box as they got to work on his knee. Now, Mikey had never been that good of a good liar; he'd only got a lucky break back with Leonardo on the rooftop…well, more like an excruciating lucky break. But that was with a slightly panicked Raph on the other side of a phone. Now he was sat face to face with his father and master, a man – or rat, rather – who could see right through just about any lie they dished out, though it was in their best interests that they didn't lie to him at all unless they wanted to spend the next few hours nursing bruises from a good round of Randori. He would have to play his cards right if he was going to get past this particular lie detector.

"Ummmm," Mikey began as his knee jerked a little from contact with the ice pack, despite how Raph had tried to apply it as softly as he could. "…well, y'see, what happened was…"

He then became aware that all eyes were now on him, his entire family listening intently to what the younger turtle had to say. He swallowed nervously.

He couldn't tell them about his meeting with Leonardo. He hated to lie to them, especially about something as big as this, but he'd promised Leo that he'd be there at Central Park alone. If he told them the truth, not only would they probably ground him for life, but either they would want to go with him to see Leo, or they would forbid him to go completely. He couldn't let that happen, not when he'd finally gained a small fraction of his trust, which Mikey gathered was saying a lot, considering how he'd lived his life.

He couldn't afford to lose that trust now.

Clearing his throat loudly to rid himself of the nervous lump that was forming, Mikey drew in a deep breath and went for it.

"Well, after Donnie told me and Raph that we'd cover more ground if we all split up I ran into a bunch of Kraang Bots in a warehouse and I fought them off and I was gonna call Donnie but then one bots did a number on my leg before I threw him off the rooftop we were fighting on and then I kinda passed out for a bit and when I woke up my battery was dying and then Raph called asking where the heck I was so I told him and then they came and pretty much carried me all the way home and –" He paused to take a deep breath. "– and now here we are."

As he finished, he sent them all a toothy grin that practically dripped with innocence, though inwardly he was praying to whoever was listening that they bought it.

Please please please…

The other three mutants stared at him, bemused for a moment before sharing a glance with each other, their brows raised. They were barely able to follow half of what Michelangelo was saying, but from what they had managed to gather, he'd simply stated that he had been dragged into a battle that should and could have been prevented. With a weary sigh and a frown, Splinter placed a clawed hand on Mikey's shoulder. "You must learn to be more careful, Michelangelo," he reprimanded, but then his frown softened as he wrapped his arm around his shoulders and drew him close to his side. "But I am relieved that you are safe, my son. And despite choosing your battle poorly, you fought well."

Relief coursed through the young turtle as he let out a long sigh, letting himself burrow into his masters' chest as he smiled. "Thanks. And…sorry I got into trouble," he said, his smile faltering at the thought of just how worried they must have been about him. He would've been just as anxious if one of his brothers failed to show up after so long after a simply scouting mission. And with the Foot Clan also on the prowl, along with their misguided older brother Leonardo, their nerves were probably off the charts, especially Master Splinters'.

Mikey couldn't help but feel pretty selfish for his actions. And worse still, he had flat-out lied to them as well. If they ever found out the truth, he would be so dead it would be unbelievable…

Well, he guessed that if that was the price he had to pay in order to see his older brother, then it was a price he was more than glad to pay.

Smirking, Raphael reached up and rubbed his brothers' head with rough affection. "Don't worry about it, little brother," he said with a small grin, "we're just glad that you ain't dead. But…" He then smacked the back of Mikey's head, earning a yelp of pain from the smaller turtle. "Don't. Ever. Freak me out like that. Again. Got it?" he scowled.

Wincing as his new head injury, Mikey nodded. "C-Crystal clear, Raph," he squeaked. Splinter shook his head with a tolerant smile at his boys' antics.

Donnie merely rolled his eyes as he bandaged up Mikey's swollen knee. The damage wasn't as great as they had feared it was when they'd first seen him sat on the rooftop, but it was bad enough that Mikey would probably be unable to train or go out on patrol for a little while. However, from what he could gather from the bruise and the actual damage done to the bone itself, Donnie found himself somewhat puzzled. If it were indeed a robot that did this, then surely Mikey's knee would have been in far worse condition than it was currently in.

As he finished wrapping the wound, Donnie sat back and put a finger to his chin, his dark red eyes narrowing in thought. Something about Mikey's tale didn't exactly add up…

After inspecting his bandaged knee, already thinking about all the awesome doodles he could draw on the cast, Mikey looked over to where Donnie was still sat in front of him, looking lost in thought. But instead of dismissing it as he usually would have, Mikey's eyes widened in realization. In spite of his story, Donnie had noticed that something wasn't right. And before long, he'd probably figure it out…unless Mikey drew that train of thought to halt, or diverted it somewhere else, and fast.

Biting down on his lip, Mikey wracked his brain for a distraction. And then it hit him. With his busted knee, he'd be out of commission for a while. What if he missed his meeting with Leo? Well, it wouldn't hurt to ask how long it would take to heal at least. Nodding to himself, Mikey finally piped up eagerly, "So, Don! How long do you think it'll take for my knee to get better?"

Donnie blinked twice, Mikey's query drawing him out of his pondering as he looked up at him. "Huh? Oh, well, it's not as bad as we thought it was," he explained, going into what the brothers often referred to as 'Doctor Donnie mode'. "But you should try not to put too much weight on it. You'll also need plenty of rest, and you won't be able to train or go topside for about…hmmmm, two days at the least –"

"YES!" Mikey suddenly cried as he pumped his fist in the air with a grin, startling the others as they stared at him in confusion. Why was he so happy all of a sudden? He was confined underground until further notice, and he was happy about that? But he loved going topside…unless there was another reason besides skipping out on training that had elated him this much.

Mikey's grin faded as he realized that they were all staring at him again, and he slowly lowered his arm. Whoops. Now he was making them suspicious again. Of course, he was beyond happy that he'd be able to finally meet up with Leonardo in Central Park as promised, but even so, he had to keep his excitement to himself. One wrong move or a slip of the tongue, and it was all over. "Um…" he stuttered, "I mean, well, if I can't train or go topside, then I can always beat Raph's high score on the 'Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go!' video game!" he grinned, sending Raph a smug look as he folded his arms over his chest.

Now that was something they could all believe.

In response, Donnie smirked, Splinter shook his head again with a light chuckle, and Raph scowled. "Oh, we'll see who's beating who on that game, Mikey!" he barked back, now grinning as he grabbed his little brother and put him in a tight head-lock, driving his knuckles into his skull and laughing as Mikey tried to wrench himself free from his older brothers' grip, but to no success.

As the two brothers brawled, with their purple clad leader cautioning them to take it easy due to Mikey's injury, Splinter decided to take his leave as he stood up from the couch and made his way into the kitchen to prepare himself some much needed tea. The last of his tension had finally faded away in knowing that his youngest son was finally home, safe and sound…and yet, as he held his steaming cup in the palm of his hands, he couldn't help but feel as though something was amiss.

He didn't want to believe that his son had been lying to him. After all, he had evidence to back up his story. But even he knew that only a trained fighter could inflict such precise damage. And despite his 'convincing' act, every father knew when his child was trying to deceive him.

He peered through the curtain at the entrance of the kitchen, watching as his three sons sat side by side on the couch, having tired themselves out completely and were now sleeping peacefully with their heads pillowed on each other's shoulders, snoring lightly. He smiled briefly at the sight, but it slowly faded as his previous thoughts returned. Just what had Michelangelo done that night? And why did he feel the need to lie to his brothers, including his father?

As his brows furrowed together, Splinter told himself that one way or another, he would find out exactly what Michelangelo was up to.

As he swam yet again to the other side of his underwater sanctuary for what felt like the billionth time, Xever was sure that he'd finally hit his lowest point.

Sure, he had done many bad things in his life, some of which that he wasn't exactly proud of, but he did them anyways. At first, as a child living out on the streets with no parents to care for him, it was simply a means for survival. But now it was both to repay his master, the Shredder, for not letting him rot in that forsaken prison cell, and also simply because he enjoyed a job where he got to crack a few skull every once in a while. And when he'd heard of the mutant turtles, he was sure he was going to get a kick out of it. Well, now here he was, trapped within a glass barrier beneath the floors of Shredders' throne room, simply reduced to swimming from corner to corner in an attempt to take his mind off of the fact that he could no longer fight, or walk amongst his comrades, or at all, for he had lost his legs. In fact, he could no longer even breathe outside of the water anymore, being a giant mutant fish and all.

He let out a low growl as he swam to the opposite side, his new tail swishing from side to side with sharp, angry movements. Being stuck underneath the floor seemed far worse of a fate than a life in prison. In fact, had he known that getting involved with those blasted turtles in the first place would eventually turn him into this, then he would have preferred it if Shredder had left him in prison to die. At least then he would still be a man in some manner. Now however, he was just a freak; a disgusting, scaly freak that was just waiting to be sliced up and served on a dish.

Well, at least Bradford hadn't gotten away unscathed. He turned into a hairy mutt with disproportionate arms. However, even as a mutant, he still managed to draw the long straw; Bradford still had his legs.

Oh great. Now he was obsessing over legs. Being stuck in a tank for so long was making him go crazy.

The sound of the doors sliding open brought him out of his self-loathing reverie as he looked up. Footsteps travelled down the narrow walkway, and stopped just above where he floated beneath the platform. Curiosity taking over, Xever waded from underneath the platform to find that it was not master Shredder standing above him, but the last person he had expected to enter this room alone.

"…hey, Xever," Leonardo greeted with a small nod of his head.

Surprised, Xever quirked a brow at the blue masked turtle as he sat down on the platform, staring down at the mutant fish with an unreadable expression. They stared at each other for a long time, silence hovering over their heads like a loud ready to burst.

Xever continued to stare at him, and he noticed something about the turtle that he had never seen before, something that now stood out to him more than anything…

"What the hell happened to your head?"

Leonardo narrowed his eyes at the mutant fish, pouting ever so slightly as he turned away. Of course, even beneath a glass case, he would notice the large, obvious bite marks imbedded into the right side of his head. It was a reminder of just how worried he had gotten his father after he'd finally found him running across the rooftops.

After Tiger Claw had released Leonardo from his somewhat bone-crushing embrace, he had asked the blue clad turtle where on earth he had been. And of course, Leo couldn't exactly tell him that he had run into his youngest brother, Michelangelo, and had even agreed to meet him again in three days. And he knew that he wouldn't believe him if he told the tiger that he was attacked by the same men who had tried to kill him as a child…who also happened to be alien robot creatures. So he conjured up something a little more believable; he'd unintentionally interfered with a gang of drug dealers, but he'd finished them off with little bloodshed. Luckily, Tiger Claw seemed to believe that, which surprised Leo since they both knew that he wasn't a very good liar. Unfortunately, he had still ended up with his head being clamped on by the tigers' jaws as punishment for scaring the wits out of him.

Rolling his eyes, Leo turned back to Xever. "That's not exactly your business, Xever," he said simply, not wanting to remember that at the moment.

Xever shrugged. "It was an honest question," he replied with a wicked grin. "It has been a while since I've had the chance to torment you after your little 'act', Leonardo. So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit of yours, eh?"

Shrugging off Xever's little taunt, Leo leaned forwards and propped his chin in his hands, resting his elbows on his padded knees. When he had first heard of the unfortunate mutations of both Xever and Bradford, he couldn't help but feel some form of grim satisfaction out of it; now they would know how he felt whenever they called him out on being a 'freak', for now they were 'freaks' as well. Bradford had turned into a giant dog, which both Leo and Karai had found hilarious; the amount of dog jokes they could pull on him now were utterly endless.

However, when he'd about Xever turning into a fish, and then having to be put underneath the glass tank in Shredder's throne room, Leo found himself feeling…well, he actually felt rather bad for him. Not at first of course, due to the fact that the man was a jerk, and an all-around dishonourable and uncaring person, and was now condemned to living literally underfoot of everyone else. Part of Leo mused that he'd gotten what he deserved…but even the likes of him didn't deserve to be turned into something like that. For a man who loved to fight, just as Leo did to an extent, losing even the ability to breathe the natural air was a fate worse than death.

On top of that, he could hear him mumbling about his lack of legs, which was both amusing in a twisted sense, and pretty worrying; the man was going to go mad at this rate.

Instead of beating around the bush, Leo decided to be honest with the not-so-honest thief, and just tell him exactly why he had come. "I came to ask…how you're holding up," he said solemnly.

The smirk was wiped clean off his face as Xever blinked at him in surprise.

What? Was he serious? He had actually come to him, not to ridicule him over his mutation, but to ask him how he was doing? But why would he do that for the likes of him? All that he and Bradford had ever done to him was call him a freak, and treat him as though he was lower than dirt. He never really reacted to their cruel remarks other than to send them a dismissive death threat or a simple huff or a roll of the eyes, but even so, the turtle had every reason to want to treat Xever the exact same way. And yet, here he was, looking down upon him with an expression that read of understanding rather than pity, and asking him if he was alright…

Shaking off the surprise, Xever huffed. "…I've…I've been better, I suppose," he answered, unsure of what to say. He was still rather baffled upon this strange, unfamiliar act of kindness.

Leo gave him a small but knowing smile. He could tell that the other mutant wasn't all that used to receiving compassion, for he never really gave anyone of it himself. "I see. I guess I'd be the same if I were in your situation, Xever," he said, looking off to the side. "Though, I would never know what it's like to be human one minute…and then the next, you're just a giant talking fish."

Xever huffed in agreement, folding his arms over his chest as he floated below the glass. "Yes. I will admit…it was a little terrifying," he said quietly, ignoring the look of surprise from the turtle as he looked down at him again. "I can't exactly expect you to understand the fear of being transformed into something like this; you were a mutant all your life. You couldn't possibly remember the pain of your mutation…or knowing you would have to live the rest of your miserable life under a glass case, where everybody walks over you. And they all look down on like you are nothing but a worthless –"

"Freak?"

Abruptly halting his rant, Xever looked back up at the younger mutant turtle, noticing how his ocean blue eyes had suddenly gone very dull.

Tilting his head to the side, Leo nodded solemnly. "Believe it or not, I actually do know what it's like to be a freak, Xever," he said, his expression indifferent but his voice hard. "But I've learned to accept it. I've moved on from that now, and so has Tiger Claw. Yeah, it still sucks a lot, but that's who we are now, and nothing is going to change it. We're just going to have to shoulder it…and I'm sure you've had experience in that as well, right?"

Xever blinked once in revelation, looking down at his own webbed hands for a silent moment. Curling his fingers into a loose fist, he then looked off to the side, pondering over what the younger mutant had said. Throughout his life, Xever had indeed managed to shoulder a lot of things; the loss of his parents, living out on the street, surviving only on the things that he had stolen from others, some of which were less fortunate than himself. And then when he'd gotten involved with the Foot Clan, he'd had to get over the memories of all those dirty jobs he was asked to do. He enjoyed fighting and meddling with people, but not the few ways he had been forced to do. Now that he was a leg-less mutant, he would have to find a way around that as well…

He shrugged to himself. Perhaps he could do that. After all, with everything he's been through, he was sure he could manage that. However, there was still one little problem…

He looked back up at Leonardo, who had been watching him the entire time with that same dull expression. "Well…I suppose you have a point there," he admitted, "but when anyone calls you a freak, at least you can still kill them."

That managed to bring out a little chuckle from the turtle. "Yeah, I guess," Leo mused with a faint smile. He then stood up, cracking his neck from side to side. "Well, I'd better be going now before your dog friend gets testy with me; Shredder wants us to go meet with the Purple Dragons to raise our cut, though I'm pretty sure they'll have no complaints. So, I guess…I'll see you later then, Xever," he said, giving the mutant fish a small salute as he walked back towards the doors.

But he was brought to a halt seconds later.

"Hey!"

Leo stopped at the call, turning back to where Xever swam beneath the floor. After a short silence, Xever finally muttered something very faint, but just loud enough for Leo to hear.

"…thanks."

Leo released a faint gasp, his eyes widening slightly, before a small smile graced his features. "No problem," he replied.

"Don't you dare breathe a word of this to anyone, entendeu?" Xever snapped warningly.

Leo rolled his eyes. Though he knew it was a rather empty threat, he knew it would hurt the poor guys' pride if he told anyone about their little chat. But at least he had managed to get through to him. "I wouldn't even dream of it, Xever," he assured.

And with that, he left the room, leaving the other mutant on his own in the silence once more. However, instead of returning to wallowing in self-pity as he had done before, Xever found himself feeling…well, a little lighter, knowing that he wasn't exactly alone in all of this. But he'd rather be damned than admit that out loud.

Still, he did have to admit…maybe Leonardo wasn't as bad as he thought he was. But he would keep that to himself.

With a small smirk, Xever went back to his swimming.

Sitting underneath the dojo tree, rocking back and forth slightly on his haunches, Michelangelo watched with a wide freckled smile as Master Splinter and his human friend, the wonderful April O'Neil (as she was often referred to by Donatello on more than one occasion) went through several different katas together, most of which Mikey and his brothers had already been through and nearly perfected years before her. But Mikey found joy in watching the girl, who they had all come to know and love as a sister of sorts, as she learned their ways. Though she still had a long way to go, she was on the way to becoming a great kunoichi with every day that passed.

Well, first she would need to stop falling over after every hit or so, but she couldn't exactly help that, with Splinter being her sparring partner and all. Still, it was pretty funny to watch her get knocked down. But no matter how many times she got knocked down, she always got up again for more. Mikey couldn't help but beam as she once again got off the floor, shook her head to clear the vertigo after being flipped mid-air and landing on her butt, and then acquired another defensive stance as she narrowed her eyes and nodded once at Splinter, meaning that she was ready for another round. "That's our gal," Mikey praised under his breath. Whether April heard it or not, she didn't show it as she lunged for Splinter once again with her wooden sword raised above her head.

He couldn't for the day when Splinter gave April her own real weapon.

Mikey would have loved to train with her, but due to his knee injury (thanks a lot, Leo) he couldn't get around that much. In fact, Donnie had resulted in giving him a cane of sorts to walk with, which was a pain in the shell, but he endured it. So after he'd gotten bored with video games, he decided to watch April train with Splinter whilst his two older brothers went out to go get her phone back from the Purple Dragons. However, with the way they were arguing about who the better fighter was between the two of them, he didn't get his hopes up too much…

As April exchanged blows with his Sensei, he quickly cast his gaze over to the teddy bear, watching the match from where it sat on the shrine. It had already been a day since he and Leo had made the agreement to meet in Central Park, and the young turtle was so excited that he could jump out of his shell and dance. He couldn't wait to tell Leo everything; about their lives, about himself, about Splinter, about –

Wait. He couldn't exactly tell him everything. Brother or not, he was still a part of the Foot Clan; he could use whatever Mikey told him against them…

But then again, perhaps he wouldn't. He had said so himself that he wanted to know the truth, and the only way to do that was to tell him everything he knew or could possibly remember. He fought the urge to sigh. Man, why did everything have to be so complicated all the time?

The thump from April hitting the ground again brought Mikey out of his thoughts as he turned back to the training session…only to have to fight the urge to laugh when he spotted April upside down against the wall, her feet dangling in front of her as she let out a groan. "Ow…" she winced.

That managed to bring out a little snicker from the young turtle, but a stern look from Splinter shut him up completely, and he shrugged with an apologetic grin. Splinter shook his head with a tolerant smile at his youngest sons' antics as he offered a hand out to April, who after rolling upright again reached up and took it as he pulled her to her feet effortlessly. "Very good, April," said Splinter, folding his hands behind his back. "But perhaps next time, you will remember to always think on your feet."

April pouted. "If I could actually stay on my feet," she muttered under her breath.

Splinter only chuckled as he patted her shoulder fondly. "Indeed, that would help as well," he jested. "Now, that is all for today."

After he and April bowed, he turned to Mikey just as he moved to stand up with his cane, grinning widely as April gave him a hug and a little kiss on the cheek before exiting the dojo. Though the sight was rather heart-warming, his brows furrowed as he eyed Michelangelo, though his son didn't seem to notice as he hobbled after April.

Now was his chance to finally get to the bottom of things.

"Michelangelo," he called as he moved to stand underneath the tree, halting his son before he could walk (or rather limp) out of the dojo as he turned to him. "I would like to speak with you for a moment, my son."

Mikey blinked at him once in confusion, but he didn't refuse as he nodded. "Uh, hang on a second, April! I'll be right there!" he called out into the main room before hobbling over to his Sensei, following his example as they took a seat beside the tree. Setting his wooden cane beside him, Mikey crossed his legs and looked up at his master expectantly. "Hai, Sensei?" he asked.

Placing his hands on his knees, Splinter drew in a breath. He knew that getting the truth out of his son this was not going to be an easy task, and seeing as though Michelangelo was a very straightforward child most of the time, Splinter would need to change his tactics a little bit. He knew very well that his youngest pupil would try to avoid the question, and then try to divert the conversation elsewhere. He would soon find out that this little trick of his would only work on his older brothers. Squaring his shoulders, Splinter began. "Michelangelo, I sense there is something you would like to tell me."

Mikey's head tilted to the side. "Tell you what, Sensei?" he asked. "Is this the thing about laughing at April before? Because, I totally didn't mean to sound insulting or whatever, but you gotta admit it was pretty funny to watch her go –"

Splinter held up a patient hand, and Mikey's mouth clamped shut. "No, that is not why I have called you," he said as he lowered his hand again. "I would like to ask you to tell me exactly what happened the night you hurt your leg."

Mikey's eyes widened.

Ah ha, Splinter thought, fighting the urge to smile as he remained stoic. But now that the boy had realized he'd been caught out, the challenge to actually get him to confess was coming.

The young turtle began to fidget under his fathers' stare. "Uh…w-well, y'see Sensei," he began awkwardly, his eyes daring to his left. "I already told you what happened that night. I told you that I was fighting against –"

"Michelangelo Hamato," Splinter interjected sternly with a deep frown, making Mikey wince and draw backwards slightly. To the three boys, the use of their full names meant that they were in quite a bit of trouble, and rightly so in this case. "I am aware of what you told me and your brothers," Splinter continued, his tone indicating that he was not in the mood for games any longer, "but what I want to know is the truth, and nothing else. Is that understood?"

Swallowing, Mikey nodded as he looked down at his lap in shame. He was so busted. He should have known that Splinter would have eventually caught on to his little lie.

With a nod of his own, Splinter beckoned for Mikey to start speaking.

After a taking in a deep, shaking breath, Mikey finally did so. "…okay…um…after Donnie told us to split up, I heard someone screaming, so I went to look. And when I looked down into an alleyway near this old warehouse, there were a bunch of Kraang…and they were being picked off by Leonardo…"

Splinter's eyes widened.

Leonardo? Against the Kraang? And Michelangelo had seen him?

"He looked so mad, Sensei," Mikey continued, unable to look up from the patterned mats on the floor. "He looked mad…and really scared at the same time. I couldn't just leave him there to fight on his own, so I went down and helped him. And…we were fighting together, Master Splinter. It was so cool, and he didn't even try to kill me when we finished them off. But…he did say that he would if he ever saw me next time…"

Stroking his beard, Splinter nodded once in understanding. "…I see. And I am assuming there is more to this tale of yours, yes?"

Mikey bit his bottom lip again. "W-well…I decided that I'd had enough. I was just done with him running away without ever telling us why he hates us, so I went up and finally asked him what the heck his deal was…well, after I kinda punched him in the face first, which kinda got him pretty mad. We argued, and I swore he was gonna kill me, but then I…I finally told him that I was sorry. Sorry for everything that I did, and for everything he went through. And then…"

Splinter raised a brow as his son trailed off, seeming reluctant to continue. "And then?" he repeated expectantly.

Finally gathering the strength to look up at his father, Mikey continued. "…and then, he said that he felt he could trust me. He said that he wanted to know the truth. And we made a deal that…um…"

The old ninja master watched as Mikey's hands tightened into a fist on his lap. Splinter knew what that meant; he was afraid that he was going to be furious with him with whatever he was going to say next. It was true that he was rather disappointed in his son for not telling him the truth, but he could understand why. Michelangelo had been desperate to see his older brother since the day they had realized he was still alive, and was insistent that there was still a chance for them to get him back. And though acting on his own and not telling anyone of it afterwards was very reckless of him, Splinter understood that gaining even a fragment of Leonardo's trust, and possibly his forgiveness (even though in Splinters' eyes he had done nothing wrong), was far too precious to lose. But this was about Leonardo, the brother and son that they had thought for years they had lost. Splinter had to know what had happened between the two of them, including whatever 'deal' they had made.

Letting out a breath, Splinter reached out a hand and rested it comfortingly on Mikey's shoulder. The young turtle looked up at him, his baby blue eyes widening. "Tell me, my son," he said, his tone softer than before.

Looking into his fathers' dark eyes, Mikey took a breath and nodded. "…we made a deal that we'd meet in Central Park in three days…and he wants me to come alone," he said.

Splinter's eyes widened. A member of the Foot Clan, and a pupil of the Hamato Clan, meeting alone... There could only be one possible outcome to all of this. "Michelangelo…" Splinter said warningly, his brows furrowing once again.

It was then that Mikey started to panic.

"He just wants to talk, Sensei!" he pressed, "I swear, I know it's not a trap! And he promised he'd be alone, too! I-I mean, I know he's in the Foot Clan, but he's not really one of them, if you get what I mean, because he seriously hates the Shredder, and he hates what he does!" Becoming desperate, Mikey reached out and took hold of his fathers' arms, looking into his dark eyes pleadingly as he felt tears start to prick behind his own. "Please, Sensei, you've gotta let me go and see him alone! He trusts me now, and if I can get through to him, then maybe he can finally get what's going on and come to our side! Please, Sensei…" He then let himself fall forward, his forehead pressing against Splinter's chest. "…I can't let him go again, dad…I can't. Not when I'm so close. I know I can help him. There's good in him. I know it…"

His ears nearly flattening against his head, Splinter gazed down at his youngest son as he pleaded with him. This was very dangerous, and very reckless. However, what Michelangelo said had shown the ninja master that this could indeed be their only chance to save whatever was left of his lost son. And if Mikey was the only one who could do it at this point, then he had no other choice but to at least let him try.

However, if in the end Leonardo decided to remain in the Foot Clan, then that would be his decision and his alone. They would simply have to accept it.

Letting out a sigh, Splinter laid one hand on his youngest sons' head, and the other on his shell as the child finally looked up at him with big blue eyes filled with hope and traces of tears. He offered him a small smile. "…I must commend you on your resolve, Michelangelo," he began. "Your bravery and determination against all odds for your brother is indeed very noble. And despite the danger, are you still willing to meet with him?"

Sniffing, bringing up a hand to wipe away the tears before they fell, Mikey nodded.

Splinter returned the nod. "If that is so…then I will allow you to see him."

Mikey's eyes widened to saucers as he stared up at his Sensei. "S-Seriously?! You mean it?!" he cried, a smile beginning to grow across his features. And the moment that Splinter nodded in confirmation, the old rat prepared himself as the turtle leapt at him, wrapping his arms around him in a crushing embrace as he buried his freckled face into his chest. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" he chanted over and over again, and Splinter chuckled as he brought his arms around him as well.

"You're welcome, my son," he said. But then his smile faltered as another very important thought came to him. "However…"

Uh oh, Mikey cringed inwardly as he looked up again. "…yes?" he winced. He begged the stars that he didn't say that he would have to come with him. It would mean breaking the promise and losing Leo's trust completely. Not only that, but he had no idea how Leo would react upon seeing Splinter for the first time in twelve years…though he had a hunch that it would result in quite a bit of violence and bellowed profanities.

Splinter released Mikey as he leaned back and brought up a hand to stroke his beard. "If I allow you to see him, you will keep your phone on at all times. And if something is to go wrong, you will run from the area, and you will call your brothers or myself immediately for aid. And leave the tracking device on as well, no matter the circumstances. Is that clear?" he ordered sternly.

Blinking once, Mikey giggled as he nodded, offering his Sensei a soldiers' salute. "Hai, Sensei!" he chimed, though he was in reality very much relieved that splinter decided against going with him. And then just before the conversation was to draw to a close, Mikey raised a finger and eyed his master with the same look he'd previously received. "And you gotta promise not to tell Donnie or Raph about this, too!" he declared.

Splinter raised a brow at him.

Mikey dropped his hand back to his lap and smiled sheepishly. "Please? They'll freak the heck out and try to stop me from going."

Relenting, Splinter shook his head and sighed. "…very well," he said, "but when the time comes, you will tell your older brothers what you have been doing. Understand?"

Mikey nodded readily. "Yeah! Don't worry, Sensei. As soon as Leo's comfortable with me, then I'll re-introduce him to the guys, and then we'll be a family again!" he piped enthusiastically before wrapping his arms around Splinter once again a quick hug, and then releasing him again to grab his cane and stand up. Splinter watched bemused from where he sat as Mikey hobbled over to the shrine, bowing once to the picture of Tang Shen and Miwa respectfully, before picking up the old teddy bear and hugging it tightly to his chest with one arm and nuzzling his cheek against its fuzzy features. "…I know he'll come around eventually, Master Splinter," he said quietly, turning to his father and flashing him a confident smile. "I know it."

As the old rat got to his feet again, he smiled as he moved to stand side by side with his youngest, and yet bravest, of his sons as he wrapped his left arm around his shoulders, bringing him close as they gazed down at the bear the young turtle had in his large hands. "Indeed, my son," he said, reaching out his free hand to lay it upon the head of the old toy, "I am sure he will." Splinter knew very well that they were both taking an immense risk in carrying out this 'plan' of theirs, but he had faith in his son; he would not give up until he succeeded, no matter what odds he faced along the way. The road to Leonardo's heart was not going to be as smooth as Michelangelo hoped it would be, but with time and patience, he would finally reach his destination.

And Leonardo, too, would be steered in the right direction, and be reunited with his true family once more.

A/N: We certainly hope so!

Next chapter, we'll see if we can fit in their meet up with a little twist or two! Hahaha!