Thank you guys so much for your kind feedback and helpfulness. It is really, really appreciated! Yukio87, thank you for your review, and I'm glad you care so much about Leo's condition. Raph will slowly become a bigger character, as you mentioned. Dani-curtis-16- thank you for adding the story to your favorites. NeoMars, thank you for adding the story to your favorites. NeoMars, Jenny77739, Tiger-girl-14, TheSapphireGuardian, and dani-curtis-16, thank you for following the story! You guys are awesome and help motivate me to continue this!
I really love this story so far. Writing it is fun, and it allows me to really see deeper into what the characters are, especially Leo. Please review your predictions, I'm interested to see where you think this is headed! And no, I don't own TMNT.
Casey Jones proved to be quite a distraction from Leo's new, rather morbid obsession. Right when he came into April's apartment, he knocked over a trash can- it all went downhill from there. April, Leo noticed, had quickly clicked out of her porn. Leo was still recovering from this latest shock. April, unassuming, polite April, doing something so… imperfect.
Anyway, Casey went on to accidently step on April's phone (which Leo told April he'd take home so that Donnie could repair it), smash a hole through the microwave when it wasn't fast enough for his liking (burning himself in the process) and for his last feat, right before the movie ended, he spilled soda all over April's couch.
"See ya tomorrow, babe," he called to her as he left.
April shook her head, rolling her eyes. Leo smiled a little, amused. "Would you like me to stay and help clean up?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, please, Leo." She grinned as he picked up her broken cell phone from the side table. "You're such a gentleman. Unlike some people." She glanced at the door, making it obvious who she was referring to.
"Don't thank me. Donnie's the one that's going to be fixing the phone. April, do you want me to take your microwave too?" Leo walked into the kitchen, followed by his human friend.
"That would be great." April leaned against the counter while she watched Leo neatly wrap the microwave in a bag. There was something wrong with him, she decided, but she wasn't sure what. Had he- no, Leo wouldn't disobey her and look at her laptop. He couldn't know about her porn. She wasn't actually used to watching such things- she was quite new to it, actually. That was her third or fourth video. It was her carefully guarded secret, one that she wasn't quite sure that she should trust with anybody at all.
"I'll help you clean up the soda." Leo's voice startled her out of her thoughts. "You wouldn't believe how much my brothers messed up breakfast this morning."
"What happened?" Her tone was light, trying to match his- it was as though they both knew something was wrong with the other, but didn't want to ask in fear of their various secrets being inquired about as well.
"Mikey spilled a whole carton of milk." Humor danced into Leonardo's otherwise dreary eyes. "Donnie spilled a bit of coffee. Mikey also spilled some cereal into the sink. Raph wouldn't stop cursing."
She laughed. "I hope that's not what breakfasts will be like when I move in with Casey!"
Leo smiled, picking up a roll of paper towels. "We'll dry the couch as best we can, but you might want to wash the pillow covers. Soda reeks if you let it stain too long."
"Not as much as milk," she returned playfully, grabbing a couple paper towels. To tell the truth, she was extraordinarily happy. Leo had never been this relaxed before, and he was obviously enjoying not having to worry about his brothers.
The two set to their work. Leo's mind buzzed with his new discoveries- his new love of disobedience, for one. This confliction with his whole 'perfection' goal. Which would win out, he wondered?
An inspiration came like a flash. He could become perfect later. First, he would succumb to his new desires. Sort of like a 'good-bye' present to his imperfections. He'd let his new desire reign for a while, before the perfect leader took the throne once more. Never again, after he had fulfilled his new lust, would he even allow an impure thought to enter his mind. Disobedience was so… satisfying. Every withheld emotion he had ever felt began to race around his body, tired of being confined for so long.
"Leo?" Her voice was distant, soft and concerned. "You've been cleaning the same place for two minutes."
"Sorry," he apologized. He could take April off his 'People to Disobey' list, because he'd already disobeyed her, though he wasn't sure he liked the results. Next was… let's see… what about Casey? Then he could move on to more serious matters, like his brothers, and possibly Splinter. Master Splinter…
Leo froze. He suddenly knew exactly what it was he wanted to do.
He wanted to disobey Master Splinter.
"No." He whispered the word, letting it escape into the air of April's apartment.
"What did you say?" she asked, pausing in her thorough scrubbing of the couch.
"Nothing," he said quickly, his heart beating manically. "Nothing. Really."
She gave him a skeptical look, but didn't question him. "Well, I guess we're done," she announced. "Thanks for taking the cell phone and microwave to Donnie, Leo. And thank him for me, too. I don't know where I'd be if he wasn't constantly fixing my stuff for free!"
"We'd all be lost without Donnie," agreed Leo, smiling and gathering his things. "Bye, April. Thanks for the movie and the popcorn. Well, the popcorn we would have had," he added mournfully, glancing down at the microwave.
"See you later, Leo!" she called as he left.
"Bye," he said, before disappearing into the chilly evening air. He had spent most of the day at April's. It was now five o clock, almost time for dinner.
Back at the lair, the three turtles were making the most of their day off. Donnie was shut in his lab, Mikey was trying to improve his video game scores, and Raph was just sort of lounging around, sending off a 'stay away from me' aura. He was laying on the sofa, shifting around and trying to make himself comfortable as he glared up at the ceiling.
Truthfully, he was thinking. Thinking about Leonardo, mostly. Leo had always been some steady, immovable rock. Always calm, never drifting from whatever he set his mind on.
That was it. Raph sat up swiftly, banging his elbow in the process and cursing under his breath. Leo had his mind on something. He was trying to accomplish something, but what? Knowing Leo, it could be anything from perfecting a new fighting move to finding a way to create world peace.
Rolling his eyes, Raph got up and stretched. It took forever to talk Leo out of something, but it looked like he had to. But maybe he shouldn't be so worried? After all, Leo was, well, Leo. Now, if Mikey was being like this, then that might be cause for alarm.
It was settled. Until further signs that Leo was under distress, Raph wouldn't act. Smiling to himself, he closed his eyes and stretched out on his back again. He had just had a vigorous work out with his punching bag, and-
"Raph?"
Leo's voice cut through his thoughts. Raph opened one eye, glancing in his brother's direction. "Yeah, Fearless?"
"Please don't call me that. Listen, are you and Casey going to do your vigilante thing again tonight?"
Raph jumped up angrily, words tumbling out of his mouth. "Look, ya ain't gonna stop me from what I think is the right thing ta do! I don't care if it's against the law! D'ya know how many lives we've saved? Do ya? I don't care if it's past some silly bedtime, or if it makes ya feel like ya don't have control over the team! Because I-"
"Raph," said Leo gently. "I wanted to go with you."
Raph gaped. Leo's thoughts whirled. He was doing this to get closer to Casey- in the hopes that Casey would give him a direct order.
"I…" Raph managed to gasp out.
Leo waited patiently for Raph to get over his shock.
"I… Did Masta Splinta put ya up ta somethin'?" Raph asked, all rage gone and perplexity replacing it.
"No," replied Leo calmly.
Raph blinked, startled. Was he is some alternate universe? Was Leo really just trying to get him to stop his antics once and for all? What was going on?
Confusion rattled around in the hothead's brain, and in the process his mouth opened against his will and he let one single word escape- "Yes."
"Thanks, Raph." Leo seemed awkward and embarrassed, but relieved at the same time. "When will you be meeting with him?"
"Uh, midnight, at the top of the Red Carpet Inn. The one that isn't far from here."
"Thanks," Leo said again, before departing quickly. "I'm going to go see if dinner's ready. I'll see you then," he called behind him.
Raph propped himself up on his elbow and reached for his T-phone. Tapping on speed dial, he chose the first number that came up.
"Casey? I got somethin' ta tell ya."
"Oh, no. Did Leo catch you doing something again? Don't tell me you're grounded." Raph and Casey had stopped bothering with hello's and goodbye's years ago. The person who had called was the one that started the conversation, with little to no recognition of the person on the other end. And once they had finished their conversation, there were no formalities. You didn't have to say 'goodbye' or 'see you later' or 'I've gotta go, bye.' It was simple- if you wanted to stop talking, you hung up. Done.
Politeness was not either's forte.
"No, Leo didn't ground me. He… well, Casey, he…"
"What, Raph? What is it?"
"Well…"
"Spit it out, wouldja?" Casey's impatience showed in his tone. Raph sighed, leaning back and massaging his scalp. It wasn't like him to be tongue-tied.
"Leo's comin' with us."
Silence followed his proclamation. Finally Casey said, "You're kidding."
"Nope."
"You mean he's actually going to supervise us? How crazy is he! He knows that won't work!"
"I… Casey, I'm positive of one thing: he ain't comin' ta supavise us."
Another silence.
"Raph, please tell me you're kidding. If this is a joke, it isn't funny."
Raph shook his head vigorously, then, remembering Casey couldn't see him, felt foolish. "Casey, somethin' ain't right with Leo."
"No kidding."
"Would ya please stop sayin' that?" Raph head began to throb, and he grabbed it in his right hand, wondering what this world was coming to.
"Leo would never want to come with us. He hates us being vigilantes." Casey's tone was confused. "Why on Earth would he want to come with us?"
"I don't know, that's the problem." Raph wasn't getting anywhere. "Look, I'll talk ta him later. I want ta know what's wrong with him. I'll just… ask him if he's feelin' bad." Raph wondered if the words sounded as lame to Casey as they did to him. "Have you noticed anything weird about him lately?"
"He was at April's earlier."
"What?"
"Yeah, we watched a James Bond movie. He seemed okay then. He was just sort of frustrated when I broke April's phone."
"Ya broke her phone?"
"Yep. And her microwave. And I spilled soda all over her couch."
Rolling his eyes, Raph ended the call. While Casey was great for discussing anger issues and venting some steam, he wasn't so good at deep thinking. And, like it or not, if you have a sibling you have to participate in deep thinking every once in a while.
"I heard the whole thing."
Raph jumped at a voice behind him. Frightened out of his wits, he jumped up and got into battle stance, before sighing, relieved. "Donnie," he breathed.
Donnie gave a quick smile before sitting down in a chair near the sofa. "You've noticed something's wrong with him, too?"
"Sure I have. I ain't no idiot." Raph ran his fingers up and down the arm of the sofa. "He's different, Donnie."
"I know," said the genius quietly. "I know. But he seriously asked you to go with you and Casey."
"Yeah, I ain't kiddin'! Wait… ferget I said that." Shuddering at Casey's overuse of the word, he continued. "The point is, somethin's wrong with Fearless and we've got ta figure out what it is!"
"You forget that I'm a scientist," Donnie countered, a sly smile conquering his features. "We just need to conduct a couple experiments."
Raph rolled his eyes again, his headache wiping out his temper. "Do whateva ya need to, genius. Just stop the madness." He left the room in search of pizza to hopefully help his head. Donnie sat in contemplation for a few minutes, before ideas came, first in a trickle and then in a landslide. Grabbing a notebook and a pencil from the side table, he got to work scheming.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Mikey was about to open the pizza he had ordered. "Bow down, I say!" He called shrilly. "Bow down to the mighty greatness and deity that we know as pizza! Let the intoxicating scent-"
Raph, who had just entered the room, grabbed the box out of his brother's hands, opened it roughly, and downed two slices as though there was no tomorrow.
Mikey whimpered. "Thou hast angered the gods, Raphael!"
"Shut up," Raph muttered, grabbing a third slice. "Where's Fearless? I thought he said he's be in here."
"Raph, let Mikey have his little ritual if he wants it so much." Leo made his entrance. "And I was meditating."
"Meditatin'! Meditatin'! That's all ya think of anymore!" yelled Raph, before remembering abruptly that he was supposed to ask Leo if he was okay.
Leo looked rather annoyed at his brother's observation, but made no comment. Instead, he grabbed a slice of pizza from Mikey's box, the owner of which watching them eagerly, before sitting down at the table and consuming it slowly, avoiding eye contact.
Splinter waltzed in, all dignity and no flaws, and prepared tea. Raph noticed Leo giving their father an odd look. What was that about?
Donnie came in next, his eyes shining as though they had seen wonders. Maybe they had- no one was truly sure what went on in Don's lab. Except, of course, the genius himself.
"Tonight is a late work night, I'm afraid," he informed the onlookers cheerfully, digging around in a cabinet for a mug. "Lots to do. I was already working on something when you gave me the microwave and the phone. I'm absolutely swamped," he sang, as though that were a good thing. Raph snorted, Mikey chuckled, and Leo allowed a tiny smile to break through his isolation.
"Work ethic is one of the best things someone can be given, my sons," Splinter added. "Your brother Donatello is the primary example."
"Yes, Sensei," replied Leo, deadly serious as ever. Don smiled a knowing sort of grin and continued to hum cheerily under his breath.
"I've been hard at work, too!" Mikey argued defiantly.
"And what great advancements in science did you make, my son?" inquired Splinter, smiling humorously and flicking his tail good-naturedly.
"Well…" Mikey thought for a moment. "Did you know that Pacman has a level of four hundred fifty-seven?"
Splinter chuckled quietly. Mikey looked quite pleased with himself.
"Masta Splinta, I'm gonna go and see Casey tanight," Raph told the rat.
Splinter's humor disappeared and his whiskers twitched with disapproval. "I cannot stop you from going above ground at night. But please, Raphael, for all our sakes be careful."
"I will," Raph promised. After letting a few moments of silence slip by, he added craftily, "So will Leo."
Mikey and Splinter's eyes widened in shock as they stared at the eldest turtle. Raph settled back in his seat, smirking to himself. Leo kept his gaze on his pizza as though his life depended on it. Donnie just kept humming and smiling that silly smile of his, and Raph doubted that he even knew what was going on.
"Leo?" Mikey asked in wonder. "Leo's going all vigilante on us?"
"No!" the leader protested, waving his hands in fanatic denial. "I just… want to see what it's like."
"Leonardo," said Master Splinter sharply. "Is this true?"
Leo nodded wordlessly.
Splinter considered the situation for a minute-Raph smirking, Leo wallowing in deep shame, Mikey awestruck, and Donnie completely oblivious, looking as though he were daydreaming.
"Leonardo…" Splinter's voice took a softer tone. "My son…" His tail and ears both began to droop. "My son. You disappoint me."
Leo looked so guilty that Raph felt a little sorry for him.
"I was truly hoping-I had complete faith-that you would not pick up this vigilante nonsense."
"It's just for one night," Leo whispered.
"I realize that, Leonardo. I trust you. Please, protect your brother and his comrade. Perhaps it is better this way." Splinter stood and left the room with his tea, his ears and tail still drooping.
Silence returned. The smirk had been wiped off Raph's face, and he was staring at the door Splinter had gone out of. Leo's head was bowed and his eyes were closed. Tremors, albeit small ones, tore through his body. Mikey's mouth and eyes were wide open, and once and a while little gasps escaped through his mouth. Donnie gad stopped humming, but he was still completely unaware of what had just happened, and he still had a huge grin on his face as he paged through a magazine of scientific equipment.
Raph stole a glance at Leo.
Their eyes met.
And Raph had never seen a more heartbreaking image.