Chapter 5: Family and Friends
A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to put up this chapter, but things were just hectic for me. Luckily, I've graduated college and am now in the process of looking for a job. It's not going well, but at least I can immerse myself in my stories, which is a good thing. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks to all of those who left a review and have been sticking with this story. It means a lot to me.
Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT. If I did, that would be the best thing ever. They are owned by Mirage and Peter Laird.
When Leonardo woke up, he felt a momentary flash of panic as he surveyed the dark room. For a minute, he thought he was back at Foot Headquarters and everything else had been wishful thinking on his part. Luckily, it wasn't a dream but was real, he realized as he heard snoring coming from below his bed. That had to be Raph. Don snored softly, and while Mikey did snore, he also talked in his sleep. Raphael was the one who snored so loudly, you could hear him a mile away. The blue-clad Turtle had an urge to toss his pillow in his brother's face, but he knew what Raph would do to him if he did.
Instead, Leo just lay in bed and waited for the others to get up. He heard Klunk stirring beside him and began to pet his fur. He wished Donnie had put some sort of night light in the room. While he had never been afraid of the dark before, he had a different feeling about it now. The dark made him feel frightened and alone when he was at Foot Headquarters, and he knew he would feel that way for a long time.
Leo snapped out of his thoughts when he heard footsteps coming downstairs. It had to be Donatello, since Mikey always shouted a morning greeting or sang a song as he came down. The oldest Turtle was happy because Don would be able to give him a prognosis on when he'd be out and about again.
"Hey, Leo," Don greeted him. "Did you have a good rest?"
"Well, considering that Master Splinter gave me some of his herbal tea, I'd say I slept fairly well," Leo replied.
"That's good," Don told him. Then he proceeded to change Leo's bandages and put antiseptic on the cuts. Leo's wrists and ankles were sore from being suspended by chains, so the brainy Turtle took care of that, too. Although Leo was in pain, he was grateful to have a brother like Don who knew how to treat wounds.
Not long after Don was done and cleaning up, Mikey came bouncing down the stairs. "Good morning, everybody," he said, doing an imitation of Dr. Nick Riviera from The Simpsons.
"Good morning, Dr. Nick," Leo and Don answered, both smiling at their brother's humor.
"Geez, can't a Turtle get any sleep around here?" Raph grumbled.
Mikey turned to Leo. "Dude, I'm surprised you got any sleep with Raphie snoring," he commented.
"If my back wasn't sore, I'd be kickin' your shell right now, Mikey," Raph growled. He got up off the floor and popped his neck and back in. Then he turned to Don. "So, what's the prognosis, Doc?" he asked.
"Well, judging by Leo's injuries, I'd say he isn't gonna be out and about any time soon," Don replied.
"What are his chances for recovery?" Splinter asked, appearing suddenly as if out of thin air.
"He'll recover just fine physically," Don told them. "It's the mental state we'll have to worry about."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Leo demanded. "Do you think I'm crazy or something?"
"He didn't mean it like that, Leo," Raph explained. "Don's just sayin' you've been through a lot, and it's just gonna take time for you to open up about it. You know how you get sometimes."
"Yeah, you tend to beat yourself up when stuff happens to you," Mikey added.
"I know, guys, but I'm not doing that this time," Leo reassured them. "What happened to me wasn't my fault. There was nothing I could have done."
This should have made the Turtles and Splinter relieved, but they weren't. They knew that Leo would direct his anger at Karai and consume himself with his hatred of her and thoughts of vengeance. It was natural for him to feel this way, but Splinter and the others feared that the blue-clad Turtle would lash out at them because of his anger.
Mikey broke the silence. "Do you guys want some breakfast?" he asked.
"Yes, I believe we should all have some nourishment before we commence practice," Splinter replied.
"Sensei, do we have to?" Mikey whined.
"Yes, we do," Splinter answered. "We are dreadfully behind in our lessons."
"Well, maybe we should wait until Leo gets better," Mikey suggested. "That way, he won't be behind us."
"I never though I'd say this, but I agree with Mikey," Raph added. "It'd be easier if we all learn something new together."
"I think that's a good idea," Don chimed in. "Then no one would be left out."
"No, guys," Leo insisted. "Don't stop practicing because of me. You guys need to keep perfecting your skills. It's best to be prepared in case the Foot launch an attack."
"Your brother is right," Splinter said. "We must be ready for anything." He turned and headed toward the kitchen. Don and Raph followed him out after promising Leo they'd check on him again after practice. Mikey lingered long enough to ask Leo what he wanted for breakfast.
"I'll have some scrambled eggs and some orange juice," Leo replied.
"You got it," Mikey said cheerfully, leaving to make the eggs. Sometimes he would make breakfast for the whole family if they wanted it. At other times, he would only make breakfast for those who wanted a homemade one. It all depended on what his brothers and sensei were in the mood for.
"I'll have some of those scrambled eggs, too, Mike," Raph said as his younger brother came in and announced what Leo wanted for breakfast.
"You got it, bro," Mikey said. "Anyone else?"
"No thanks," Don answered. 'I've got mine." He pointed to the bowl of Special K and the plate of toast in front of him. Splinter said that he would like some eggs, so Mikey got to work, humming a tune as he did so.
Mikey was always the cook in the family, though Splinter had tried to teach all of his sons to cook. The other Turtles were fairly decent cooks, but Michelangelo was the best at it, which was why he made all the meals.
Splinter was reading the newspaper and commenting on some of the articles. "All of these robberies trouble me," he said. "It is very sad to see people act this way."
"If I had a nickel for all the robberies that happen in this city, I'd be a millionaire," Raph commented.
"The scrambled eggs are done!" announced Mikey. "You want this first batch, Raph?"
"Nah, give it to Leo," replied Raph. "He asked for 'em first."
Mikey nodded and put the eggs on a plate. Then he filled a glass with orange juice and put it all on a tray. Raph offered to take it to Leo so he could have something to do. He even asked Splinter if he could eat his own breakfast with Leo to keep him company.
"That would be fine, my son," answered Splinter. "I am sure Leonardo will appreciate it."
The red-clad Turtle picked up the tray and headed for the infirmary. He found Leo just staring at the ceiling. Wondering why Leo found the ceiling so interesting, Raph cleared his throat to announce his arrival.
Leo stopped staring at the ceiling and focused on his brother. "Hey, Raph, thanks for bringing me my breakfast," he said.
"No problem," said Raph setting the tray down on the makeshift table and wheeling it to Leo. Then he raised the bed so Leo was able to eat. He was about to leave the room to get his own breakfast when Mikey came in with Raph's plate and glass of orange juice. Raph took it from Mikey and thanked him, sitting down beside Leo's bed.
Leo dug into his scrambled eggs, savoring the taste. This was one of the things he'd missed while being at Foot Headquarters. While he hadn't exactly been starved there, the meals weren't as good as Mikey's cooking.
Raphael watched as Leo ate his scrambled eggs. He couldn't help noticing how Leo savored every bite before moving on to the next one. He wanted to ask Leo why he did this but decided not to. The red-clad Turtle knew that Leo would open up about all of this in his own time.
Leo saw his brother staring at him. "What's up?" he asked.
"Nothin'" replied Raph. "Just glad to see you have an appetite."
"I've missed this," said Leo as he took another bite. "So, how was patrol with Casey?"
Raph shrugged his shoulders. "It was okay," he said. "We beat up a band of drunks who were pesterin' a girl. We took down the leader, and the others ran scared. You had to be there."
"Did you find anything else?"
Raph was ready to say, "No," but he knew better. Leo and Splinter could spot a lie very quickly. He figured it would be easier to tell the truth.
"We did run into some Foot Ninjas," he admitted.
Leo stopped eating and looked at his brother. "Did they attack you?" he asked.
"Not exactly," said Raph. "I went after them first. I was so angry at them for what they did to you, so I wanted to get them back. I took out a shuriken and threw it at them."
"What did they do?" inquired Leo.
Raph related the rest of the story. As he listened, Leo was shocked at his brother's rash actions. What had Raph been thinking?
He was about to say something, but Raph cut him off. "I know what you're gonna say, Leo," he said. "I was stupid and rash, and I oughta be ashamed of myself. But look at this from my point of view. If one of us had suffered the same fate you did, wouldn't you want some payback?"
"Yeah, but I'd wait for all of us to do it," replied Leo. "I wouldn't just go looking for trouble on my own. You're lucky they didn't capture you. Have you told Splinter about this?"
"Not yet," answered Raph. "I'll tell him after practice. That okay with you?"
Leo nodded and continued eating. He didn't want to get in a fight with Raph right now; he needed to stay on good terms with his brothers.
Raph felt the same way because he dropped the subject. He tried to think of other things to talk about, but there wasn't anything else to say. After they saved Leo, their time was spent waiting to see if he'd wake up. Splinter had even postponed practice because he knew they wouldn't be focused.
Mikey poked his head in. "Hey, Raph, Splinter wants us in the dojo now," he announced.
"Okay," Raph replied. He stuffed the rest of his breakfast in his mouth and got up. Mikey took Leo's finished plate and empty glass to the kitchen where Don was washing the dishes. Mikey dried them and put them away since it was his and Don's turn to do the dishes that week. At an early age, Splinter had taught his sons the importance of having a home and their responsibility in taking care of it.
Raphael left his brothers in the kitchen and headed to the dojo. He found Master Splinter doing some katas as he waited for his sons. The red-clad Turtle watched his father perform the moves, his body moving with perfect grace. One would never think that Splinter was old if they watched him from a distance.
And yet, there was no denying the truth that Splinter was indeed old. For seventeen years he took care of his four sons. He had been through good times and bad times with them, and he had still remained strong. The Turtles had always believed their sensei was invincible because of his ability to bounce back from things.
After Leo's capture, that belief was changed. Splinter isolated himself from his sons, spending time alone in his room. Don guessed that their father spent hours in his room trying to find Leo via the astral plane. Raphael thought this technique wouldn't work, but he was wrong. That was when Splinter called to his sons in the midst of having a mild heart attack.
The last time this had occurred, it was an illusion courtesy of the Foot Mystics. For a few weeks after that ordeal, Donatello monitored Splinter's blood pressure despite the rat's assurances that he was fine. Don had done the same thing after this heart attack, and once again, Splinter had tried to stop his sons from worrying too much. This ordeal had been a wake-up call to the Turtles and had prompted a few nightmares involving their father's death.
They hadn't told Leo about this yet because they weren't sure what the news would do to his mental state. Don felt that it would be better to wait until Leo was healed to give him the news.
Splinter noticed his son staring at him. "Is everything alright, my son?" he inquired.
"Yeah, I was just thinking of stuff," said Raph.
He didn't need to say anything more. Splinter could sense what his sons were thinking and feeling. It was sometimes frustrating for the Turtles because they knew they couldn't hide anything from the old rat. Splinter decided to let things be for now. If Raphael wanted to talk about his thoughts, he would do so when the time was right.
Donatello came into the dojo, but Michelangelo wasn't with him. When Splinter inquired about this, Donatello replied, "He's getting some things to keep Leo company."
"That is fine," said Splinter. "We will wait a little longer."
While he was helping Don with the dishes, Michelangelo had the idea to bring Leo something to keep him occupied. He knew Leo would be upset that he wasn't practicing with his brothers. After telling his idea to Donnie, he quickly went upstairs and gathered some of his comic books together. Normally, he wouldn't allow anybody to touch his babies, but he knew he could trust Leo.
The Turtle in blue was staring at the ceiling, wondering when he'd be back in his own room when Mikey came in.
"Hey, bro, I thought I'd bring you some stuff to keep you company," the orange-clad Turtle said, giving him the comic books.
Leo was touched that Mikey was willing to entrust him with some of his most prized possessions. He accepted the comic books with a warm smile. "How was your last Justice Force meeting?" he asked.
"I didn't go," replied Mikey.
Leo was shocked. "Why not?" he inquired.
Mikey shrugged his shoulders. "Silver Sentry told me not to," he said. "He thought I should stay by your side and focus on you. Then he told me if I needed anything, he'd be there to help."
"But Don, Raph, and Sensei were with me," replied Leo. "I'm sure they would've called you if anything happened to me."
"Well, maybe I didn't want to go!" snapped Mikey. "Maybe I just wanted to live in the real world instead of living in a fantasy world. You always wanted me to be more serious, and I decided I would be. I knew if I went to my meeting, you would've accused me of being selfish."
"Mikey, I wouldn't have thought that at all," said Leo softly. "I would have wanted you to fulfill your duty as a member of the Justice Force and attend the meeting. But I am touched that you wanted to be by my side."
Mikey smiled at Leo's words. "Thanks, bro," he said. "I'd better get to practice before Sensei kicks my shell. I'll talk to you later." He gave Leo a wave and headed to the dojo leaving the blue-clad Turtle all alone.
Leo really wanted one of his brothers to stay with him because he knew that they would keep him occupied from thinking about the past two months. He picked up one of the comic books and flipped through it. He wasn't a major comic buff like Mikey was, but he didn't mind looking at them once in a while.
He tried to engross himself in the story, but he couldn't help trying to hear what was going on in the dojo. He wished the infirmary wasn't so far away. He could hear nothing so far, which meant that Splinter was leading the Turtles in warm up katas. Leo decided to continue reading the comic, though he knew he'd be dreadfully behind the others in lessons.
He tried getting interested in the comic again, but it wasn't easy. Frustrated, he put the comic down and tried to figure out what was going on in the dojo. Ah, it sounded like Splinter was teaching them new moves! Of all his brothers, Leonardo was the one who was always eager to try something new and often learned it the quickest. He would always be frustrated when they had to keep repeating a lesson because one of his brothers couldn't get it right. He tried to listen to Splinter's instructions so he could remember how to do the move when his father taught it to him.
After this, Splinter moved on to sparring. Leo could tell because he could hear Mikey telling Raph that he was going to, "Kick his butt," to which his brother responded with a frustrated growl. Yes, this was going to get interesting. Leo knew how much Mikey enjoyed pushing Raph's buttons, and it always worked. The hotheaded Turtle hadn't learned that getting mad wasn't the answer.
Splinter said that Donatello would spar with him, but Don insisted that he would spar the winner of Mikey and Raph's match, stating that he didn't want his father to relapse. Splinter relented since he understood his son's worries. Leo was confused by all of this. Relapse? What happened to his sensei? He decided that he would ask either one of his brothers or his father. They couldn't keep it a secret forever.
Just as Leo predicted, Mikey got Raph upset and cost him the match. However, the energetic Turtle got a workout from Don. Although the purple-clad Turtle was soft-spoke, he could fight well, and the result was that he beat Mikey. Leo figured that Don had used a strategy to defeat his younger brother. Splinter was pleased at how things had gone and made Don face Raph next. The red-clad Turtle managed to defeat his brother, but it wasn't an easy fight.
"Well done, all of you," Splinter praised them. "I am proud of all that you have accomplished. We will now end the session with some meditation to clear our minds."
Leo was glad to hear this because it meant he could participate for once. He couldn't get in the lotus position, but he figured that he could still meditate and not have to get in that position. He closed his eyes and tried to clear out every thought he had. Usually he could do this perfectly, but today it wasn't working. Leo kept seeing images of all he had been through during his imprisonment. He tried desperately to block out the images with no success. The blue-clad Turtle admitted defeat and stopped trying since he knew he'd fail.
He heard Splinter announce that practice was over and soon saw his brothers pass by the infirmary on their way to the showers. Mikey and Raph went first while Don waited for them to be done. They only had two bathrooms, though Don was tempted to have a third one installed so only one of them would have to wait. He told Leo that as soon as he was done he was going to check on his brother's condition.
After Mikey was done in the shower, he came downstairs, whistling a tune. "Shower's free, Donnie," he said.
"Thanks, Mikey," Don said, clapping his brother on the shell and going upstairs.
Mikey came into the infirmary. "Leo, you missed it," he said. "I totally wiped the floor with Raph." Then he kept up a running commentary of everything he'd had to do to defeat his hotheaded brother.
Leo smiled. "I heard it, Mikey," he said. "You beat Raph pretty good from what I heard. Nice job."
"Thanks, bro," Mikey replied. "So, how do you like the comics?"
"Well, I couldn't really concentrate on them," Leo answered. "I was too busy listening to the lesson. Plus, I've got a lot of stuff on my mind. I'll get to them eventually."
"Hey, no problem," Mikey reassured him. Then he imitated his father's voice. "If you need to talk, my brother, I will listen. However, if I'm immersed in a video game, it will have to wait."
"I heard that, Michelangelo," came Splinter's voice as he passed the infirmary. "You owe me twenty flips."
"But, Sensei, I was just giving Leo my support!" Mikey protested.
"Then you should do so as yourself and not as your master," Splinter advised. Then he turned to his oldest son. "Are you alright, Leonardo?" he asked.
"I'm fine, Sensei," Leo told him. "Don's going to be checking on me as soon as he gets done in the shower."
"Do you feel any pain?" Splinter inquired.
"Not much," Leo lied. "Don's medicine has really helped."
Splinter could tell his son was lying but decided to overlook it. "Good," he said. "This afternoon I will make you some tea."
"I'd like that, Sensei," Leo replied.
Raph finished his shower and went over to the wall of televisions after checking on his older brother first. Mikey joined Raph and challenged him to a video game wrestling match. Still smarting from his defeat, Raph readily accepted and hoped to put his little brother in his place.
Not long after, Don came down and went to examine Leo. He concluded that Leo was healing fine, but that it was still going to be a long process. "If you feel any pain, you should tell me right away," he cautioned.
"I will, Donnie," Leo promised. "Don't worry."
Don smiled and headed to his lab to work on one of his inventions. Leo decided to read some comics since everyone else was occupied with something. He became so engrossed in the story, he didn't even hear Mikey and Raph yelling at each other about their game. This was the feeling he often got when he meditated. He was transported to the world of the Justice Force and felt like he had left the Lair altogether. He could see why Mikey loved reading comic books. For him, these comics were his form of meditation, a way for him to escape the crisis-ridden world around him. Leo felt bad that he had ever made fun of Mikey's love of comic books.
In the afternoon Splinter came in with tea and two teacups. Leo was very happy to see his sensei and smiled as the old rat pulled up a chair and set the tray down. Splinter poured the tea and handed a cup to his oldest son. The blue-clad Turtle accepted the tea with a bow of thanks, which Splinter gave in return.
"So, have I missed anything?" Leo asked his father.
"What do you mean my son?" inquired Splinter.
"What's been going on?" replied Leo. "Has anything happened topside since I've come home? What are the Purple Dragons up to?"
"Your brothers did not go topside when you were brought home," Splinter answered. "They were keeping watch over you instead. However, Mr. Jones kept us informed of what they were doing."
"Raph ran into some Foot Ninjas last night," informed Leo.
"Yes, he told me of his encounter," Splinter told him. "I informed him that he should never have acted so rashly, but I understood his anger. It was the same anger I felt when I saw you in that room. I was angry at what the Foot had put you through, and I was afraid that you would not live."
"I had that fear, too," Leo replied. "I felt like just giving up, but each time I did, I thought of you and my brothers telling me not to give up. I replayed the Ancient One's words and lessons to myself, and it helped. But I won't deny that it was hard not to just let it all end."
"I know it was," Splinter said, putting a paw on his son's hand and giving it a squeeze. "I can see the pain in your eyes. Now, let us talk of happier things to get our minds off of the pain."
"Sensei, I can't do that," Leo began. "I need to tell you something. I know it won't be easy, but I need to tell you." He really didn't want to talk about it, but he figured it was best to get it over with rather than prolonging it.
"Alright, my son," said Splinter. "Please proceed."
Leo took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "After I got captured, I tried using my chi to see if I could sense you," he said. "For a little while, it worked, but as I got weaker, it became harder to find you. I always did this when I was alone, and it gave me some comfort. One day I tried using my chi, but the sense wasn't as strong as it used to be. However, I could tell that something wasn't right. The feeling I had was one of panic. I thought that maybe it was because you guys were looking for me and couldn't find me. But then I felt pain, and it wasn't just the pain of my injuries. It was like I was feeling someone else's pain, like there was something wrong with one of you. Was this true, or was I just imagining it?"
Splinter sighed. He had hoped he could put off telling Leonardo what had happened, but such an option wasn't possible. Donatello would be angry, but Splinter knew that Leonardo needed to be told, no matter how painful it was. "Leonardo, you were not imagining it," he replied. "I, too, was trying to reach you through the astral plane. I did not know if I could succeed, but I did. I saw you hanging from those chains, lying motionless. It brought intense pain to my heart to see you in that condition. My distress was so great that I had a mild heart attack. After I was stable, I told your brothers I kne where you were, and they went to rescue you."
Leo was shocked. He hadn't realized just how much pain his family had gone through. They'd had to deal with his capture and with Splinter having a heart attack. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Master," he said. "I wish it hadn't happened."
"We all wish that, Leonardo," Splinter told him. "Perhaps we should speak of something else. I do not want you to relive painful memories right now." And he began to talk about the new lessons he planned to teach them and explain more about his memories of Master Yoshi. Leonardo listened to his father's memories, feeling a little better.
Not long after this, the door to the Lair opened, and a voice called out, "Hey, guys anybody home?" The Turtles and Splinter were surprised to see April O'Neil, Casey Jones, and Angel. Casey was carrying a large package while April and Angel carried groceries.
Hey, long time, no see," Mikey said, greeting the three friends.
"It's so good to see all of you," April said. "How's Leo?"
"He's fine," Raph reassured her. "You can go see him if you want." He took the groceries from her so she could go to the infirmary. Mikey took Angel's groceries off of her hands.
April and Angel approached the infirmary tentatively but smiled when they saw Leo was awake. April hurried to his side and gave him a gentle hug. "Oh, Leo, it's so good to see you," she gushed. "I was so worried about you."
"Yeah, me, too," Angel added.
"I'm fine, you guys," Leo said. "Don's been very good to me. He's helped me out a great deal."
"Leo, I want to apologize to you," said April. "I wish I had been here sooner to save you. It's just that Robyn was in an accident, and she needed my help. I've been feeling just awful about it. I'm so sorry. If there's any way I can make it up to you, I'll do it."
"Same here," added Casey. "I didn't want to go to the farm, but you know Ma. She can't take no for an answer."
"Guys, it's okay," said Leo reassuringly. "I understand you had to be with your families. Everything's fine now. You don't have to make it up to me at all."
"Hey, what's in this package?" called Mikey from the living room.
Casey shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno," he replied. "It's from Japan."
"It has to be from the Ancient One," said Leo. "He's the only one we know from Japan."
"Can we open it now?" Mikey begged. "Please?"
"Michelangelo, you must wait," Splinter replied. "April and Angel have a lesson to attend to. We will open it after the lesson."
Mikey wasn't happy, but he knew better than to argue. Instead, he went back to the televisions and began flipping through channels. Raph and Casey sat down and started talking about the next wrestling Pay-Per-View while Don went with Splinter to help with the session since Leo couldn't help out. Leo talked with Raph and Casey, happy to have some company.
After the practice session was over, April and Angel went to take showers while Splinter made sure the package wasn't opened up yet. He was surprised that Michelangelo hadn't tried to use Casey's pocket knife to open the package while Splinter was gone. Perhaps he was actually learning to be patient.
When Mikey saw Splinter, his thoughts turned back to the package. "What do you think the Ancient One sent us?" he asked.
Raph shrugged. "Maybe a nuclear weapon to wipe out the Foot," he guessed.
"Nah, I doubt he'd do that," Mikey said. "Maybe it's the world's largest pizza."
"Mikey, if it was the world's largest pizza, it would probably be moldy by now," Don pointed out. "It's probably full of letters and some tea for Master Splinter."
"What do you think it is, Leo?" Mikey asked his older brother.
"What Don said," Leo replied. "Letters and tea."
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Angel asked as she and April returned. "Open it." April nodded, eager to see what was in the package.
Casey took his pocket knife out and opened the package. Inside were various wrapped packages with envelopes attached to them. Splinter gave each item to the Turtle it was addressed to and then took his own package as well.
Mikey received a stack of Japanese manga books as well as some Japanese editions of some Justice Force comics. Mikey was in awe that the Ancient One had thought about him and knew of his love of comics. "This is so awesome," he said. "I'm going to store some of these babies where certain brothers can't ruin them."
Don's gift was a set of science textbooks by some well-know Japanese scientists. "These will be helpful for some of my inventions I plan to make," he commented. "It'll be interesting to see what the Japanese take on science is."
Raph was given some wrestling magazines and DVDs, including some sumo wrestling magazines. The red-clad Turtle wasn't fond of sumo wrestling, but he figured it would be rude to decline them. "Now I got some new stuff to watch and read," he said. "I'm surprised the Ancient One could find any of these DVDs. They're hard to come by."
But it was Leo's gift that caused everyone to gasp in awe. Leo opened his package to reveal katana sheaths with two twin katanas inside. Leo lifted one out and saw how beautiful it was. Tears came to his eyes as he remembered how he had lost his other swords. "These are so neat," he said. He opened the letter and skimmed through it. "He says that these were meant to be Master Yoshi's," he told them. "The Ancient One was going to give these to Yoshi if he joined the Tribunal."
"Well, you deserve those, bro," Raph said. "I can't think of anyone else who could use those swords but you."
After admiring the presents for a little while, the three humans had to go home. Casey proposed that after Leo got better they could have a vacation up at the farm. The Turtles were excited about this since they hadn't had a vacation in a long time. It would be nice to get away from the city for a while.
While his sons amused themselves with their presents, Splinter went to his room, carrying his box of tea and the letter the Ancient One had sent him. He set the tea down and opened the letter, eager to see what the Ancient One had to say. As he looked at the letter, he became concerned with what his friend had to say for it wasn't good news.
Dear Splinter-San,
I am very glad that Leonardo is home safely. I was very worried when I heard that he had been captured. I know that it will take him some time to open up about what happened, but I hope he does not blame himself for this. I know it has been a hard time for you and your family, so I am enclosing gifts to help boost your morale. I do hope you like them. I am also sending letters to each of your sons, explaining why I have given them that particular gift.
And now for the real reason for this letter. I do not want to alarm you, Splinter-San, but I had a terrible feeling while I was meditating. I feel that you and your family are in grave danger. I expressed my concern to the Ninja Tribunal, but they told me to dismiss this feeling. I asked them if I could come and visit you, but my request was denied. So I am urging you that if you sense any danger, please come here. You may be safer here than in New York. Do not tell your sons of this feeling, for I do not want to alarm them. I hope that you are doing well. Give your sons my regards and do not forget to write me about Leonardo's progress.
Best wishes,
The Ancient One.
Splinter's brow furrowed in concern after he read the letter. He didn't have to take two guesses to know what the Ancient One meant when he said they were in danger. It meant Karai was still coming after them and wouldn't rest until she had them. Splinter made up his mind that if he felt any signs of danger, he would take his sons to Japan to keep them safe. Karai wasn't going to harm his sons. He would make sure of that.
A/N: Okay, I'm sorry the chapter was so long. If it dragged out in any way, I'm sorry. I promise that I won't leave you in such a lurch again and that I'll try to have the next chapter up as soon as I can. Hopefully, nothing will deter me from doing this. I'm sorry the ending wasn't better, but I did my best. Please feel free to leave a review. Have a shell-tastic day!