Raph pulled into the decrepit barn ten minutes later. Leo was having a hard time staying awake and not letting his stomach betray him, but he was hungry!
Master Splinter took his bags of herbs, teas, and candles, walking slowly into the patchy brown house that was dubbed "the farm". It lay on the edge of a forest where almost no one lived. In fact, their nearest neighbor was four miles away. This was only good, because the turtles came up here often in the spring and summer. They'd even come up here during the winter, when they all were suffering from another loss of a lair.
Raphael and Don were helping Leo out of the van as Mikey took their stuff inside and stroked the fire into a roaring blaze. Then, he held the door open for his big brother, who was still very tired. Mike also caught a hint of hunger in Leonardo's chi.
"I'll make something to eat," he announced cheerily, bouncing into the small kitchen at their disposal. Dusty pots and pans hung from the ceiling like a deranged killer's victims. Their food stocks were still high, and the pantry was full. The fridge was running well, keeping spoiled milk cool. Mike threw that out immediately; he might accidentally drink it, after all, in one of his semi-conscious midnight raids.
Don was making Leo lie down in front of the fire on his plastron. Though their leader didn't show it, he was exhausted and very hungry. Also, the fire felt good. Not realizing it, Leo had stretched out his wings like sails to absorb as much of the heat as he could. However, when his muscles collapsed from trying to hold them up, one nearly fell in the wood stove. Only Raph's quick reflexes as the hothead grabbed it saved Leonardo from a burnt wing tip.
"Careful there," Raph growled, tucking Leo's wings in where they would wrap around him like a blanket. "We can't have you burning your wings, now can we?"
"No," Leo agreed humorlessly. "Could you pull my wings back. I'm overheating with them so close."
"Thermal wings?" Don asked. "Hmmm. They seem to emit heat. Well, that's good. You have less of a chance of freezing to death."
"Thanks," Leo grumped, very Raph-like. The red-marked turtle chuckled and went to help Don bring in the rest of their stuff. With both of them working, the Battle Shell was cleared out in no time.
"What are you making, Michelangelo?" Master Splinter asked his son from the kitchen doorway.
"Soup, Sensei. Leo's hungry still, and it's all we've got, really."
"We shall have to make a grocery run soon."
"Hai, Sensei. Raph and I can do it, if you like. We've got our disguises here, and I brought some money."
"Good. If we plan to stay here longer, we will see about earning more so we may buy what we can. How is your brother?"
"Tired and hungry," Leo answered, leaning on the wall next to his master. "Mike, what smells so good?"
"Chicken noodle," the youngest turtle grinned, stirring the contents of a pot on the stove. A flame flickered under it, and the smell was intoxicating to Leo.
"Hm, smells good," Leonardo allowed, sitting down in the chair at the small kitchen table. "Where are Don and Raph?"
"Unloading the Battle Shell," Mikey answered, pulling out bowls from the cupboards. "Wow. It's all dusty. Hey, bro, can you blow all the dust out of here with your wings?"
"Um, I'm not sure. It'd give them something to do." Leo stood and flexed his wings, then drove them forward. The dust in the open cupboard shot out, engulfing them both. One more wing beat, and it all flew out the window Mikey had opened when Leo had gotten to his feet.
"You know," Mikey drawled, rinsing his mouth of the dust he'd inhaled when he opened his mouth to comment on Leo's eagerness, "I didn't mean when I was in here."
"Sorry," Leo apologized, looking at the soup and the bowls now not dusty. Mike laughed and dished him up, offering some to their rat father, who declined graciously. Mike then spooned out bowls for Don and Raph, who came in just then. All four sitting down, Mikey sat right on Leo's left.
"Brrr," the young turtle complained. "It's cold."
"Here," Leo said compassionately, extending his wing. It cupped Mikey towards their leader and Mike's skin grew warm with the immense heat radiating off the skin of Leonardo's wing.
"Wow! It's warm." Mikey snuggled close to Leo, who in turn wrapped his wing around his brother.
Don just laughed and went back to eating, and Raph snickered. Mike, finished with his soup, wrapped his arms around his big brother and huddled in the warmth of his wing.
"Comfy?" Leo snorted, his wings rustling slightly in amusement. Mike looked up and grinned goofily.
"Yeah."
"A Kodak moment," Don sighed, whipping out his camera. Before Leo or Mikey could move, he had snapped a picture. "Good thing I have my laptop and can give this to April."
"She doesn't know," Leo objected. "I think we should invite them up here to see this transformation in person. Somehow, I don't think she'll like it when you send her a picture of Mike hugging me without telling her about your guinea pig."
"What?" Don asked teasingly. "Fearless Leader scared of a human girl?"
"She's a woman, firstly. Second, I am not!"
"Oooh," Raph sniggered. "I think Leo's got a girlfriend!"
"Do not!" Leo opposed, clipping Raph over the head with his wing. "I just don't think Don should send his picture because April will come up anyway. You two would have a field day with tests and microscopes."
"Dude, my "field day" started the instant Master Splinter pulled Darkwing from your mind," Don laughed. "I mean, now I get to watch cells grow first hand."
"Lucky you. I just wish these things would go down to size. Hey, does anyone else smell that?" Leo asked.
"What?" Don sniffed the air. Aside from the regular old house smell, he didn't sense anything.
"Someone's close by. Someone who recently ate liver and onions. Yuck!" Leo complained, covering his snout. "Ugh, that is nasty."
"Could it be one of Casey's neighbors?" Don wondered. "Raph, let's check it out. You two can just… sit there. Or cuddle!" Don added to Leo and Mike without mercy.
"No way," Leo objected. "The only way I'm going to get stronger is if I work hard. I'm coming."
"Well, okay," Don allowed, standing. "But if it is a threat, promise to hang back? Your wings could be cut off if we got in a mess!"
Leonardo winced visibly and put his hand on his wing tenderly. "Alright. I'll just follow you guys. Maybe I can even fly above!"
"Not yet," Don snorted. "You need a lot more muscle mass for that."
"Says you," Mike laughed. "What if Leo can?"
"Then we'll try it out tomorrow, when it's warmer. We've got a whole week of good weather ahead of us, apparently. Then it'll rain a little, and then it's going to be full-on hot summer!"
"Thanks for the weather report, braniac, now let's move it!" Raph growled, spinning a Sai lazily in one hand.
"We're going," Mikey grouched, getting out from under Leo's wing and meeting the cooler air with a whine. Leonardo stood and Mike helped him close his wings.
"Alright. Let's go."
As one, they trooped silently out towards the woods, following Leo's nose.