Chapter 12: Father's Intuition
A/N: Chapter twelve is here! I'm just so happy that I'm able to continue this story. I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed so far. Your kind words have been so wonderful and have fueled me to finish this story. This will be Splinter's perspective on things. I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: See chapter one.
Splinter exited his room and settled into the worn recliner Donatello had found at a junkyard. He could hear his oldest son, Leonardo, as he gathered his brothers to go on patrol. It was one of the many routines the family had and one that the brothers took pride in. Sometimes Splinter had misgivings about his sons going into the city, but he knew that they wanted to protect the citizens of New York and stop any harm from coming to them. The Rat was glad his sons were trying to do good deeds, but he still feared for their safety. They had many enemies who still wanted to vanquish them. Splinter's worst fear was that one or all of his sons wouldn't come home from one of their patrols.
Soon, all of the Turtles were gathered together, ready to head out. Splinter smiled at his sons, proud that he had raised four great warriors.
"We're ready to go on patrol, Master Splinter," Leonardo said. "We may be late, but you don't have to wait up for us."
"It is no problem for me to wait up for you, my son," Splinter replied. "It is my duty as a father to make sure my sons get home safely."
"Okay, Sensei," Leo said. "We'll see you later."
"Be safe, my sons," Splinter said as he always did before his sons left their home. He often hoped his words would help them be safe in whatever they did.
"We will, Master Splinter," Leo promised him.
"Don't sweat it, Master," Michelangelo chimed in. "We'll stay out of trouble."
Splinter gave his youngest son a bit of a skeptical look. Of all of them, Michelangelo was the one most prone to getting into trouble. As his sons left, Splinter suddenly felt a funny feeling in his stomach that he couldn't quite place. Instinct told him to call out to his sons to come back, but he knew that they would think that his protective feelings were getting in his way. He shook his head and turned on the television, hoping to distract himself with some of his favorite shows. But even as he watched, the feeling continued to intrude into his thoughts as though it wanted to make its presence known.
Sighing, Splinter turned off the television and tried to read a book, but he couldn't concentrate due to that persistent feeling. He thought about going out and looking for his sons, but he knew that it would be foolish to do so, especially if his sons were perfectly fine.
The sound of the Lair door opening a few hours later caught his attention, and he looked up, waiting to see all four sons come through the door. His heart sank when he saw only Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo. Where was Leonardo?
"My sons, what has happened?" he asked, fear filling his voice.
"We got ambushed by the Foot," Raph answered. "They took Leo."
Now, Splinter knew what that feeling was all about. If only he could have warned his sons sooner. Maybe this wouldn't have happened.
"I kept tellin' Donnie we need to get him back," Raph continued. "But he said that we can't do it without a plan."
"He is correct, Raphael," Splinter replied. "Your brother would do the same thing if it were any of you. It is too bad Mr. Jones and Ms. O'Neil are not here. We could really use their help."
"I'll call April tomorrow and tell her what's going on," Don told him. "Maybe Raph could get a hold of Casey and let him know, too."
"I'll try, but I doubt he'll be able to come," said Raph pessimistically.
"Maybe we could use the Justice Force as spies," Mikey suggested and began to talk about what they could do. Raph scoffed at the idea, but Don thought it was good and urged Mikey to do so. Even Splinter felt it would be a good idea and praised his youngest for thinking about it.
"My sons, I suggest that you get some rest so you can prepare for tomorrow," Splinter urged them.
The Turtles bowed to him and left for their rooms. Splinter put his book down and went into the kitchen to tidy up a bit and to give himself something to do. Thoughts of Leonardo kept running through his head. Was he still alive? Had the Foot decided to just capture him and offer him up as bait for the rest of them? If that was true, Splinter wasn't sure how long they would spare him. He remembered Leonardo's insistence that Karai was not her father and that she had good in her. As much as Splinter wanted to believe his son, he couldn't help but feel that Karai was exactly like her father and shared his ideas.
After the kitchen was cleaned up, Splinter went to each of his sons' rooms to talk to them about how they were feeling. As he spoke to them, he truly hoped that they would find the strength to carry on and rescue their brother. After he exited Raphael's room, he went to Leonardo's room and looked at it for a moment. Of all of his sons, Leonardo was the tidiest and often took care to make sure his room was clean. The Rat feared that this room would always stay empty if Leonardo was dead. He tried to shake the thought from his mind, but it continued to stay there.
He entered his own chambers and settled in a lotus position. He closed his eyes and focused on his son's mind, hoping to find some evidence that he was okay. Ah, there it was! He could sense his son's aura, but it was very weak. He could sense that Leonardo was in pain and did not want to communicate with his father. Splinter decided to leave him alone, but this little sign gave him hope that his son would be able to be rescued soon. He sent a silent message to his son that said, "Hold on, Leonardo. Your brothers are coming." He took out a picture of all four of his sons taken at the farmhouse last year, and kissed Leonardo's picture. He only hoped that his son would come home to them.
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The next day, Don and Raph talked to Casey and April, but they weren't able to come home yet. Splinter could feel his sons' spirits start to sink as they thought about what this could mean. He didn't want them to give up, but even he could feel the despair pulling at him like a lead weight about to drag him down. He tried to fight it for his sons' sake, but he didn't know how long he could keep it up.
"We must not give up hope, my sons," Splinter encouraged them. "Leonardo is still alive. I felt his aura and feel that he will hang on as long as he can. He will not allow the Foot to break him."
His sons could hear his words, but they didn't respond. It was almost as though they had given up already. Splinter continued to try and encourage his sons and offer words of comfort, but there was nothing else he could do. He meditated whenever he could, but soon Leo's aura started fading from his mind as though his oldest son had succumbed to whatever the Foot had done to him. It made Splinter uneasy to think that Leo would do that and that he could possibly be dead. He didn't want to have to bury his child just as he had to bury his Master.
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Two months passed, and there was still no sign of Leonardo. His sons were doing everything in their power to try and find him, but nothing was working. Splinter could tell that the efforts his sons were making were taking a toll on them, and his heart ached for them. They shouldn't have to go through this, he thought. If only there was a way we could help Leonardo.
But just when all hope seemed lost, Donatello received a call from April, stating that she was home and was ready to help. This news cheered his son up, and he had Mikey go up and tell Raph the news. Splinter began to feel better as well as things were finally looking up for them. Raph and Mikey came downstairs and reported that Casey was also home and was ready to help. Once again, his son's spirits were raised by this news, and Splinter was overjoyed. Finally, they were going to bring Leonardo home. Splinter only hoped that he would be alive.
April and Casey arrived and apologized for not coming sooner. The Turtles forgave them and began to plan for the rescue mission. Splinter insisted on coming because he was so worried for his son. They wanted Casey to stay with April, but April reassured them that she'd be fine on her own and that she knew what to do in case any Foot Ninjas entered the Lair. Once the plan was in place, they all headed out to rescue Leonardo and bring him home.
Getting into Foot Headquarters was easier than they thought thanks to Don's and April's skills. At first, it seemed like it would be easy to get Leonardo out of there, but soon Foot Ninjas began to appear as they were alerted to the intruders' presence. Splinter joined in the fray and fought viciously for his son. These enemies were not going to harm him, and Splinter was going to make sure of that. His walking stick was a deadly weapon as he used it to knock back more and more foes. But for each group of foes that he eliminated, more took their place. They were never going to get out of this at the rate that they were going. Then Mikey suggested that the Turtles use their chi to see if that would help. Luckily, the move worked, and the Turtles were able to dispatch of their opponents more quickly than they had before.
Raph spotted another door and kicked it in. As they made their way through, Splinter gasped at the sight that met his eyes. Leonardo was chained to the wall, a group of Foot Ninjas surrounding him. Splinter and his sons leapt into action dispatching of their enemies. As they fought, Splinter saw Raphael trying to free his brother. After a few attempts, he managed to do so, and the Turtles, Splinter, and Casey made their escape via smoke bombs that Don had invented. They hurried toward the Battle Shell and immediately drove away. Splinter laid his paw on Leonardo's forehead, wondering if his son knew that they were with him. Donatello reported that Leo was alive but badly wounded and needed care immediately.
When they arrived at the Lair, they took Leo to the infirmary where Don patched up Leo's wounds as best he could. Then they discussed about keeping watch over him, and Raph insisted he be allowed the first watch. However, Splinter vetoed that, saying that he wished to do the first watch. Raph accepted that and took the second watch. Mikey took the third watch, and Don took the last one. Then his sons left while Splinter sat in the chair by his son's bedside to keep his vigil.
He gazed lovingly at his oldest son and once again put a paw on Leonardo's forehead. He began to rub his son's head, just as he used to do whenever he would get sick. "I know you can hear me, my son," he said gently. "Your brothers are worried for you and wish for you to come back. You are a strong warrior, Leonardo. Do not let what the Foot did to you keep you from returning to us. We need you here, my son. Be strong, and fight against whatever fear is preventing you from being here with us. I believe in you, my son. Please come home. Do not give up." He willed for his words to reach Leonardo and for his son to give a sign that he had heard his father's words. But Leonardo remained still and didn't respond to his father's touch or words. When his watch was finished, Splinter summoned Raphael and quickly went to his own chambers to try and get some rest. He just couldn't believe that Leonardo would give up like that. He knew his son was strong.
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As the days passed, Leonardo's condition remained the same. They began to fear he would never wake up, but they always tried to banish that thought as though it were an omen. They were all gathered in the infirmary together, hoping that their presence would give Leonardo the strength to return to them.
"Is he awake yet?" Mikey asked.
"Not yet," Don replied.
"Well, he better wake up soon," Raph growled. "You hear me, asswipe? You better wake up soon."
Splinter was shocked at Raphael's use of language and was about to reprimand him when Leonardo moaned and opened his eyes. Splinter was shocked and relieved, but when he looked into his son's eyes, he could tell that something was wrong with him. Leo began talking as though he was still imprisoned and demanded to know where his brothers were. Splinter knew something was terribly wrong and walked over to his son.
"Leonardo, calm down," the sensei urged. "You are not with the Foot. You are home now. Close your eyes and focus on my voice. You are safe, my son. Focus."
Leo did so and opened his eyes. He was still a bit confused as he looked at them. He couldn't believe that he was alive and revealed that Karai had lied and said that they were all dead. Rage filled Splinter at his son's words and at what Leonardo had had to go through. But now his son was home, and he was relieved.
"I will make some tea for you, my son," Splinter said.
Mikey decided to stay with Leo while Raph and Don went to tell April and Casey the news that Leo had woken up. Splinter went into the kitchen and made his son's tea. He could hear Mikey chattering on about his video game and smiled. It was just like Mikey to distract Leo from any thoughts that he had about what he'd been through. When the tea was done, Splinter poured it into a mug and gave it to his oldest son. Leo smiled and thanked his father, and Splinter smiled back. He was so happy to see his son home and safe. Yes, he was wounded, but those wounds would heal in time. The main thing was that Leonardo was alive and well, which was what Splinter had hoped for. His son had fought to come back and had succeeded just as he had once before. He had a strong spirit and a determination to stick by his family. The Rat knew that one day Leonardo would be a great warrior and would take Splinter's place when the time came for Splinter to depart the world.
But now, the main objective was for Leonardo to heal from his physical and mental wounds. Once that was accomplished, they would concentrate on revenge against the Foot for what they had done to their family. This feud couldn't go on any longer, and Splinter was determined that as long as he was alive, he would fight for his sons. No one would take them down as long as he was there to prevent it. They would prevail because they were a family.
A/N: Yeah, I know the chapter's a bit shorter than the other ones, but Splinter wasn't in the main battle. I really hope I did okay on this chapter. I know it may seem a bit rushed, but I really wanted to get it out as soon as I could. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day. Another chapter down and two more to go.