Here's chapter five. I'm feeling really generous so I'd thought I'd update sooner. I got a bunch of great reviews for my other chapters (20 total - yeah!) so I really hope you enjoy. Feel free to ask questions, but I might not answer them if they're going to be answered later on the in the story (might even give you chapter number so you can watch for it in that chapter), but if you're confused or curios, just let me know. Let me know how soon I should update!
As Mikey read those last few words; he felt shock creeping on him. He was his brother's hero? He glanced up at Leo, Don and Splinter.
Leo had his eyes tightly closed. As obvious at it may have been, he still had tears leaking from his eyes. His blue bandana was already soaked from the tears that had fallen from the letter.
Where have I been all these years? Leo thought bitterly to himself. Raph was right in that letter; I did grow up without him. I left him behind; he would have waited. Some leader I am. I didn't even see. How could I have missed it? All the signs were there, and all I saw was how he didn't want to be around any of us. Right now, I don't much want to be around me either.
Don felt like someone had put a bullet in the heart. As the genius of the family, he thought he could have at least tried a little harder. When Raph confessed that Don had never really been there for him, he knew that that was true. The only one in the lab besides him was Mikey and mostly he's just a nuisance. Raph only came if he needed something fixed.
Is that all he really came in there for? His brain asked him.
(FLASHBACK)
Raph gently scooped up the remains of his shell cell. He and Casey had been roughhousing and it was kinda flattened. Again.
With a sigh, he opened the door to Don's lab. His tech-head brother was leaning over a laptop, his screw busily at work inside.
"Um, Don?" Raph called out. He had hoped the purple clad turtle had heard the door open; he didn't want to cause Don to make a mistake; although when Donny was busy, a tornado could pass by and he'd ignore it.
Don jumped, fortunately taking the tool with him. He rounded on his brothers, seething behind his purple mask.
Seeing he held something, he stopped before he said something that he might regret later. "What did you break this time?" he asked as calmly as he could.
Raph sheepishly held up the broken phone. "Uh, Casey did it?" he offered weekly.
Don let out a breath in a short huff. Turning back to his work, he waved his older brother away. "Put it on the table; I'll get to it later this evening."
"Why not now?" Raph asked. "You could show me how to fix it so I wouldn't have to keep coming back to you."
Don snorted. "You? Come on Raph, don't make me laugh. No. Why bother? If I teach you how to fix it, then you'll keep breaking it. The problem is, you'll forget everything I show you and just come whining back to me with it in worse condition from you trying to fix it."
It was so tempting to yell.
"Just leave it on the table. I'll fix it…if I can." Don turned and started working again. He faintly heard the sound of the multiple phone pieces hitting one of his tables and the creak of the door as it closed.
With a sigh of relief, he got back to work.
(End Flashback)
A hurricane of guilt flooded over Don. Raph had tried to spend time with him; he just was to blind to see it.
No wonder Raph never felt close to him; he was never around enough to get close too.
Oh Raph, Don whispered as tears welled up. Can you ever forgive me?
Leo noticed his brother's tears and put a comforting arm around his shoulders.
He rubbed his brother's shell comfortingly. "Well find him, don't worry. And when we do, we'll make it up to him."
"But how?" Mikey asked.
"Well find a way." Leo told them. "I promise."
Raph let out a huge yawn as he turned back into the empty warehouse he and his new 'family' had found. It was suicide to stay out in the weather as cold as it was and with snow on the way…
"Raphie." Sammy, a 5-year-old little girl, called out as she ran up to him, proudly showing him a picture she had colored. It had him (or what looked like it was supposed to be him because it was green and had an odd shell looking thing on his back) and her holding hands. Both of them had lopsided smiles.
Raph knelt down besides her, admiring the picture.
"That's very nice Sammy." He told her. She beamed at his praise. "Why don't you go show your mommy and daddy?"
Sammy nodded and bounded off, her small golden girls bouncing. Raph chuckled as he watched her go. Cute thing.
"Sammy is something else isn't she?" a man behind him said.
Raph turned, brightening at the man. "Hey Joey." He greeted the young man.
"Raphael." Joey returned the greeting. "So how do you like it here?"
"It's nice." Raph said with a smile. "There are tons of kids, teens my age, and for once, I'm helping people face-to-face."
Joey nodded. "Yeah, and everyone appreciates the fact that you brought them some more food and blankets. Now that winter's here, it'll be hard." He lowered his voice. "Don't tell Sammy this, but I'm afraid this family is going to have two less this year."
Raph's eyes widened. "What's wrong?"
Joey nodded again. "They're both giving all the food the find to Sammy. They're slowly starving. And being the proud people they are, they won't except hand outs, so it's only a matter of time."
Raph glanced to see the eager five year old showing her very weak parents her pictures. "Poor kid."
"I know, I just hope they make it until Christmas."
"So do I." Raph agreed quietly as he moved away. "So do I."
He sat lost in his own thoughts and didn't notice when Suri walked over and joined him. "Hey Raph!"
Raph brightened. "Hey Suri."
Suri flashed his a smile. "Want to head out before it gets too cold."
"You sure?" he motioned to the darkness outside.
"Raph," she pulled on a jacket. "I'm a street girl-what's a little dark?"
Raph grinned as he joined her race to the door. "Read my mind."
"Like a book." She called as she vanished into the darkness.
"Yeah!" she screamed as the jumped the rooftops. Raph gave a holler beside her, grateful for the exercise.
Ten minutes later, panting, they both stopped.
"Wow." Suri panted, her breath coming out like smoke from a chimney. "I haven't had that much fun in ages."
"I know," Raph grinned. "It's only been a week and already I've missed that feeling."
Suri sat down on the roof, dangling her legs over the edge. She patted the seat beside her.
"Tell me more about where you come from." Raph urged her.
Suri shrugged. "Nothing really to tell. Grew up in an orphanage; got tired off being looked over like some kind of dog, then tossed aside simply because I wasn't good enough. So I packed up and ran away with my little sister."
"You have a sister?" he cocked an eyebrow at her.
"You know Sammy?"
He nodded.
"Well, she's my sister."
"Explain that one." Raph demanded.
"Well, I could never be separated from Sammy so I took her with me. Met up here and those folks who are her 'parents' kinda adopted her since I wasn't old enough to look after her myself. I have enough memory of my parents, not to want another."
"You remember you parents?"
"Pieces," she told him. "Faint. Like I remember long black hair and strong arms holding me. Then I was taken away and the orphanage became my new home."
"You going to look for them?" Raph asked her as he scooted closer.
She gave him a look. "Right…I'll go up to every man and woman who has long black hair and ask if they lost a daughter sixteen years ago." She threw her hands in the air. "I can't go to the police-they'll just take me back."
Raph put an arm around her shoulders. "I could help you look.' He offered.
She was about to spit out a reply when a faint whoop in the distance caused them to freeze. Raph froze as he recognized that holler. He'd know it
anywhere.
His brothers.
Well, you may have seen something else down here, but I changed it. Sorry for you thinking it's a new chapter and thanks to theincredibledancingbetty
