"So the remote is working perfectly fine. It just appears that the incorrect coordinates were entered. And according to the history I downloaded, I was able to pull your home coordinates so you're all set to go home."
Leonardo's lips were pursed as he thought about what Donnie was telling him. Entering incorrect destination coordinates was a very unusual error from his Donatello. And he wondered how Donatello was going to react once he got home and regaled his brothers with the story of the little adventure he'd been on. For now, he thanked this similarly tall and lanky Donnie for his efforts, and apologized profusely for ruining Donnie's weekend with the younger, red-headed April O'Neil.
Earlier, while Donnie was working, and Leo and Raph were conspicuously locked in Leo's room, April had reappeared in the pit and she and Mikey had given Leonardo the short version of how April had met the turtles. He had to admit, their origin story, as well as April's origin story, and the fact that she was the same age as these turtles, made it a little more plausible to him that this April would be with this Donnie.
While Mikey headed to the dojo to retrieve Master Splinter to come say goodbye, Leonardo thought about alerting Leo and Raph of his impending departure. But as he turned towards Leo's room, he suddenly found Leo right in front of him – sneaky ninja - with a huge dorky grin on his face and his arm extended as he held Leonardo's katanas.
"You should probably keep your weapons on you when you're in a strange place," Leo said as the weapons were accepted and Leonardo began strapping them to his shell. "Not back in a bedroom out of reach."
Leonardo issued a low hum in response as he eyed his smug counterpart. He glanced around the room and found Raph, with a similar grin on his face, talking to Donnie. And, seeing that everyone else was preoccupied and out of earshot, turned back to talk to Leo.
"Raph's really something, huh? All sexy strength, power, and attitude in one little turtle bundle."
"He's not little." Leo kept his voice low as well as his eyes narrowed. Knowing that Raph was staying, and more importantly, his, didn't temper the fact that he didn't like this giant checking him out. But he was surprised as Leonardo's mouth suddenly pulled up into a real smile as he looked back at Leo with a certain degree of relief and fondness in his eyes.
"Is that the only part of that sentence you're going to argue with me about?" He continued to smile as Leo glanced across the room with that dorky grin in Raph's direction. "Listen, Leo, I know you didn't have a ton of fun with me here, but I actually had a good time. It kind of felt like I had little brothers to play with, instead of just warriors to lead. I know you understand the stresses that come with being the leader, which is why I was headed to my friend's dimension for a few days. I get to just relax there. I don't have to be in charge."
Leo nodded thoughtfully as he thought over Leonardo's past day with them with new eyes. He could see that the big guy did seem pretty content to just spend time with them. In fact, he hadn't seemed all that stressed about how he was going to get back home.
"But, you know, maybe I'll try relaxing, and even playing when I get home. I'm sure my brothers would appreciate it. And, hey, maybe you should try playing here as well. Although, given the dorky grin and the fact that you look calmer than I've ever seen you, maybe you've already started to play?"
Leo appreciated what the other was trying to say. But his eyes narrowed as he said, "I'm not just playing." Because he wasn't playing with Raph. He was all in.
Leonardo nodded, equally serious in return. "Well, good," he said with a glance towards Raph, "cause he deserves the best."
When Leonardo entered his own home, he found Raphael alone in the pit. And while his first mission was to search out Donatello to discuss the incorrect coordinates from his trip, the shit-eating grin Raphael wore while he asked Leonardo about his trip had him stopping in his tracks.
He stood in front of the seated Raphael and crossed his arms. "What do you know?"
"I know that sensei, Michelangelo, and Donatello are all out visiting April. And that the fight I want to watch is on in five minutes. And yer currently blockin the TV."
He bumped his knee into Raphael's knee. "What do you know about my trip, Raphael?"
If possible, Raphael's grin grew even wider and he heaved himself up in order to head towards the kitchen. He sensed more than heard Leonardo following him and finally turned back towards his brother once he'd pulled some chips down from the top shelf. The top shelf that Michelangelo claimed he couldn't reach, even though Raphael frequently noticed his snacks disappearing. He caught the determined look on Leonardo's face and decided he'd better just come clean.
Before he began speaking, his hands rose in his own defense, a move that automatically made Leonardo look even more suspicious, if that was possible.
"So, I may have asked the brainiac how that little dimension hoppin device of his worked. And then before ya left, I may have put in different coordinates than you were expectin."
"Raphael!" Leonardo straightened and glared at his brother. "Why on earth would you do that? I could have ended up anywhere!"
Raphael straightened to his own full height as well, a move that had never intimidated his older brother, but that he couldn't resist pulling when they went at each other during one of their famous disagreements.
"I'm not an idiot. Donatello's got a whole list of coordinates for dimensions where other turtle brothers live. I made sure to send ya to one of those." He'd even secretly made the trip himself first to check this world out and ensure that someone would be watching out for Leonardo while he was there. And since Raph clearly hadn't ratted him out, he wasn't about to rat Raph out by spilling their secret.
"That still doesn't answer the question why." Although, Leonardo had to admit, he was relieved that Raphael hadn't just dumped him off in some strange, unknown land.
Raphael tossed the bag of unopened chips onto the counter and sighed. This was the hard part of the conversation, and despite knowing that it was coming, he still had no great way of explaining himself. He adjusted the wrapping around one of his wrists, as if that would buy him all the time he needed to get his brain to come up with an answer that would result in Leonardo not pissed at him.
Leonardo watched Raphael's uncharacteristic fidgeting. The big brute seemed to be taking some time to form his thoughts instead of just charging headfirst into the situation. Even though this was a situation that Raphael himself had created. Still, Leonardo stood still and did his best to wait patiently, never an easy task when it came to Raphael.
Then Raphael finally raised his eyes from his wrists and met Leonardo's eyes and Leonardo took the time to really focus on just how green his brother's eyes were. And how Raphael's hesitancy to keep talking was pretty damn endearing. And suddenly Leonardo realized just why Raphael had ruined his trip.
"I just - ," Raphael started but stopped in order to heave the world's most dramatic sigh. "I just hate it when you go visit the rabbit, and -,"
His words were cut off by the press of Leonardo's lips against his own. There was a satisfied grunt from Raphael as he pulled Leonardo in closer and enthusiastically kissed him back. When their mouths finally separated a few moments later, Raph raised an eye ridge as he looked down at Leonardo.
"What, uh, what brought that on?"
Leonardo kept a completely innocent look on his face as he replied. "Well, part of it was seeing that other Raph."
"Hey." Raphael responded with a threatening squeeze around Leonardo's middle. "Ya weren't supposed to fall for the little shit."
Leonardo's innocent mask remained in place. "Well, he was pretty damn cute. Big green eyes. Dark green skin. Muscles."
Then Leonardo only chuckled in response to Raphael's loud growl, which was cut short as Raphael felt Leonardo's fingers squeeze over his own thick arms.
And while Leonardo did wonder how Raphael knew that this other Raph was smaller than he was, he decided he wasn't going to ask. Raphael had clearly done his homework before he sent Leonardo on his wayward trip, and Leonardo found that he was only grateful for the experience.
"Seeing him did make me think of you, though, Raphael," he added with all seriousness. "And then, watching Leo's response to my getting anywhere near Raph made me think about you harder." With that he pressed himself even closer to Raphael and let their lower plastrons brush against each other.
There was a rumble from Raphael's chest and his arms tightened around Leonardo for an entirely new reason.
"Plus, they all walk around naked."
Raph's green eyes sparked at him. "I can give ya naked."
One second, Mikey was doing his best to beat his own top score, commentating the events of the game to ice cream kitty who sat next to him in a large bowl of ice cubes, and the next second he dropped his controller and was on his feet when yet another large mutant turtle dropped in next to him.
"Whoa! We're gonna need a doorbell policy or something, dude!" He stared up at blue eyes within an orange bandana and shifted slightly when giant Michelangelo only stared hard back at him.
"Well, damn," Michelangelo finally said after a few moments of scrutinizing Mikey. "I came to prove that I am way more adorable than you are, despite what Leonardo says, but you've got freckles." Michelangelo sat down in a huff. He glanced to the side and spotted the mutant kitten. "And a cat? Made of ice cream? That's not fair, dude."
"Um, sorry?" Although Mikey didn't look sorry as he grinned wide and plopped back down in his previous spot.
"Yeah, whatever." Michelangelo looked around the lair. "So, Donatello's busy and Raphael and Leonardo are busier." He watched Mikey look equally exasperated as his own eyes rolled in the direction of Leo's bedroom. "You want to hang out tonight? Video game challenge?"
"Sure, dude!" Mikey said, jumping up to head to the kitchen. "I'll get some food!"
"Yeah, I hear you can cook too," Michelangelo added dryly.
Mikey was two steps towards the kitchen when he heard Leatherhead's greeting at the lair's entrance.
Michelangelo jumped up as well then with wide eyes full of immediate adoration for the alligator. "Dibs," he muttered as he raced past Mikey towards the entrance.
"Hey!" Mikey quickly changed course and darted after him. "No way! He's mine!"
A/N: The end. Thanks for reading!
Also, a fun update for anyone who is a fan of the Promise series (posting this here because I have no idea when I'll post another chapter to either the one-shot side stories or Fascination). I recently commissioned the amazing Sakycchan to create some artwork for a scene from Replacement. And I just have to say that Sakycchan went above and beyond (and even researched out what their individual arm marks could look like!) and I absolutely adore the visual – and do my best not to stare at it all day.
If you'd like to see it, I've added the artwork within chapter 6 of Replacement on the A03/archives site, and it's also been posted to my Tumblr page (username Reader115 on both sites).
