Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT

Chapter 18: Raphael-Hesitation

Add ten years…

He leaned forward, resting his forehead against the steering wheel of the fire truck, his hands shook. After all this time finding Leo and then…learning his history after they were split up it seemed so surreal.

It didn't seem like Leo, not the Leo he'd grown up with.

Part of him was afraid of his new Leo the one who was accused of crimes, the one who was sickly, and terrified of weaponry unless roused in anger.

Of a brother who didn't seem to be himself.

"Yo Raph! We're done here, good work out there….hey you alright?" a man asked.

Raph lifted his head and nodded.

"Sorry…distracted…" he mumbled.

It had been a girl who had climbed up a tree and gotten stuck of all things.

"You're brother?" the man asked gently, "the one on the news?"

"Yeah," Raph replied.

"From what you told me about him…and what they said on the news…it doesn't you know match up…so maybe it's not him-" the man started.

"It's him," Raph snapped, eyes narrowing dangerously.

The man lifted his hands in surrender.

"Easy man," he whispered.

Raph sighed.

"I feel like he's a stranger…" Raph mumbled.

"For rights and purposes he is Raph. You haven't seen him in ten years; you know nothing about him on a personal level. But he's your brother, I suggest finding out as much about the past ten years of his life as you can…and soon," the man stated.

Raph closed his eyes before nodding.

"I guess you're right," he whispered, "But I'm not sure where to start."

"At the beginning of course., you said your brother always wrote a journal right? He's comatose, on his death bed…I don't think he'd mind if you read it." The man replied.

Raph glanced towards the others who were moving back toward the truck.

Raph nodded his thanks.

Three hours later Raph stood in the door of the rundown apartment that Leo had been living in, staring at the worn and tired door. His fingers flexed and then quivered as he reached forward and touched the nob.

As the door creaked open, a gasp of horror ripped from his throat at the sight that lay before him.

A/N: Ok remember what Leo's apartment looked like when Sam found it. Sorry for the long wait I've been very busy with RL and mostly school. :D doing my best to keep on top of writing. Hopefully after I get a dent put into the 9pg paper I'm writing for class I can get some of this typing done.