Ch 19 Coming Home

"Is it on Donnie? Is it on?"

"Yes Mike. For the hundredth time, it's on."

"OK watch this, this is so cute, your gonna love it. Come here Leo, come and get the nice yummy strawberry."

"Chirp, chirp." pitter patter, pitter patter, pitter patter. "Chrip Chrip".

"Ha. Look how is little hands try to get me to give it to him. So watch this, follow the strawberry Leo. Stretch Leo, now lean back and..." Plop."hahahahahaha. Now you can't tell me that watching a baby fall on his diaper covered butt and look surprised about it isn't funny!"

"One should not tease a baby Michelangelo."

"I know Sensei but Leo is just so cute. I loved watching Leo's eyes when he fell back, like he wasn't expecting it."

"That's because he wasn't shell for brains." Whack

"Ow Raph!"

"Now give Leo the strawberry."

"Your right Mikey, watching a turtle acting surprised is funny. Heh heh."

"Phhhhhhtttttt. Here you go Leo, this time it's yours, and I have an extra special surprise for you, my teddy bear."

"Chirp Chirp..."

"Mikey, do we have ta keep listening to that video?" Raph came up behind Mikey and place a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You've been playing it since we left New York over a month ago."

Mikey wiped the tears from his eyes as he rewound the video on his phone to watch it for what felt like the hundredth time to his brothers." Yes." Mikey told him as he curled up by a shipping crate. "I wanna remember Leo like this. Happy and innocent." He told the others.

"Here Mike." Donnie came up to him and handed him the earphones to plug into his t-phone that he kept in his bag. "So you can listen to it however many times you want and not get on Raph's nerves."

Raph sighed as he watched his two brothers. The trip to Japan had been a long one, and Mikey had listened to the video all the way. He had forgotten his headphones and Raph had dealt with it. But now it was just getting down right annoying. During the trip to Japan, he had listened to it just about every day, and Raph had accepted that, it made him feel good too. For the return trip back to the U.S. Mikey at first had only listened to it a few times, but as they continued to near New York, he began to play it over and over and over again. Thank goodness Don request Karia purchase earphones for him in Japan. He smiled when he remembered the day he spent with Karai. They had talked for a long while and she admitted her feelings to him about how she truly felt about Leo. He had known about it but it was good to finally talk about it.

Raph turned away from his brothers and looked out the small porthole of the cargo hold in the large ship they were on. There in the distance he could see the Stature of Liberty. It had been a month since they left New York and he was looking forward to getting home and seeing their friends. Even being in Japan and seeing Splinter's daughter had not helped the mood everyone was in. But then, why should it.

Watching Splinter hold Karai as he told her the news of Leo was devastating. She had sense something had been wrong and when she saw them come into the temple and Leo had not been with them, she knew right away something horrible had happened to him. She broke down as she and Splinter sat in the garden and he gave her the terrible news. She had begged to come home with them and get her revenge on Shredder for all he had done to her family as well as her, but Splinter had refused telling her he did not believe Shredder would leave them alone and he was sure Shredder would do everything in his power to destroy them and get her back.

Splinter sat across from his sons staring off into the distance. A part of him had not wanted to return to the States. He missed his home in Japan and being there this past month and with Miwa only made it harder to return. The memories of Leonardo still weighed him down heavily and the guilt he continued to feel caused the nightmares to be so much more real. At least he was able to be with Miwa and take a drive out to visit the grave of Tang Shen. The monastery was an hour from his old village but a much needed one in which they got to talk and really get to know one another. And visiting the grave brought them so much closer together.

"One day." He told himself. "One day, all this mayhem will end and his daughter will be with him and his three sons."

He looked up at them; he so wanted to just take them back and hide them from the world once again, but he knew that could never happen, more so now then before. He had promised that as soon as they were home, the turtles could continue their patrols and take their revenge on Shredder. After a month, they all said their goodbyes to Miwa and with her head hung low and tears in her eyes, she gave a tearful goodbye to Splinter and the three turtles begging them to find Shredder and do what they could to take him and the foot clan down. Splinter only hugged her but the boys had promised her vehemently that they would. And he knew, he would not be able to stop them.

The ship finally docked and Raph watched the crew of the ship unload various boxes and other supplies. Splinter told them to wait for nightfall before sneaking off and heading home. Which they did. And once home, they quickly got things put away and the three turtles immediately went out on patrol.

"Where to Raph?" Donnie asked.

"Let's check the Foot hideout." He told them, running over the rooftops. "I wanna see if there's any kind of activity happening over there."

The three quickly got there and stood on the roof across from Shredder's lair. They watched and waited, hoping for some sign that Shredder was there and using it. But after awhile, it was clear it was still abandoned.

"Let's go in." Mikey said as he jumped down off the roof. The other two followed and ran across the street to the entrance. They went in and like the last time they were there, the lair was still completely void of life. No sign of anyone ever being there. Dust and cobwebs were beginning to show everywhere and the church looked even more desolate and foreboding then ever.

Mikey sniffed, trying to fight the tears as he recalled the last time they were there. A wave of anger and hate flooded over Raph at the memories that hit him. He had so wanted Shredder to be there, to fight him and finally take him down. Donnie stared down at the floor. Sadness and despair filled his mind. He turned away and silently went back out the door with his brothers behind him. No one said a word as they left.

Back on the roof, they sat quietly for a long while. Raph finally sighed, "Let's go visit Casey and April." He suggested. He had hoped seeing their friends would cheer them up.

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Back at the lair, Splinter stood in front of the little alter with the pictures of his small family on it. He sighed and looked at the picture of Leonardo he had placed by his broken katanas. He had told himself time and again his son was still alive. He wanted to believe Shredder would not take his life so callously, but Saki had become more unpredictable as time went on. Would he chose death over the power the Tengu offered? Splinter shook his head. He just didn't know anymore.

He sat under his tree in the lotus position and began to meditate. He reached out to the spiritual plane in an attempt to clear his mind and push away the melancholy feelings that stilled lingered. He searched the vast plane for some form of enlightenment. While there, a strange voice from somewhere in the distance called out to him.

"Yoshi."

Splinter opened his eyes and looked around. It was a female voice he had heard. Thinking maybe April had come into the lair, he got up and looked around. No one was there. He went back to meditating. If the voice called again, he would try and hone in on it and follow. Then finally, after several minutes, he heard it call him again.

"Yoshi."

"Who are you?"

"Your son needs you Yoshi?"

"Shen?"

"Do not forsake him, he will need you soon."

Splinter opened his eyes wide and looked around the still empty lair. A warm and peaceful feeling came over him. Had he heard right? Was that Tang Shen? He wanted desperately to believe it was, but no, it couldn't be. He began to feel as though he were truly losing himself. He stood and made his way to the kitchen, A cup of tea would help him gather his thoughts.

He sat at the table, sipping his tea and reflecting on all that had happened over the last two months; he couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe the voice he heard was his beloved Shen and maybe she was trying to warn him about something that had to do with Leonardo. Was he still alive? He knew Shredder could be deceitful and would do what he had to do to get what he wanted, and Splinter knew what he wanted was his death and to have power over everyone that stood in his way. Splinter also knew the only way to get the power he wanted was to use Leonardo and that required him alive. Splinter took a deep breath. Deep down he knew his son was still alive. But where? Where would Shredder take him and how would he get him to finally accept a power as evil as the Tengu.