Leonardo refilled a couple of glasses from a two-liter of soda, and shut the fridge door behind him. When he entered the Great Room he was amused by the sight of Shunshi lying on his stomach with a pillow on the floor, kicking his legs absent-mindedly, his gaze glued to the television screen.
Raphael chuckled when he saw Leonardo's face. "I told ya the kid would dig Crouching Tiger," he said triumphantly. "This movie crosses all language barriers."
"Does he have a clue what's going on?"
"Who cares?" Raphael grinned. "The fighting is the only part that really matters."
The blue-masked turtle sat down beside his brother, and handed him one of the glasses before taking a sip of his own. As a rule Leo didn't consume very much caffeine, but everyone needed a night off occasionally.
"Where are Greg and Bran?" Leo asked. "Weren't they going to watch this with us?"
"Heff got a phone call – I think it was his boss. It sounded like Kelley might want to line something up for him."
"That would be good for him," Leo replied. "I bet Brandon is ready to get back to work too."
"You bet he is, Fearless. He's just as bored as I am."
Leonardo shook his head at his hopeless younger brother. "You're never going to slow down, are you?"
"There's slowing down, and there's stopping, Leo. You'd be bored stiff if you were me too."
"Why don't you just watch your movie and quit whining?" Leonardo grinned.
"Who's whining?" Raphael shot back.
"You are," Brandon supplied from the hallway. "But you're going to be crying when I beat you."
The red-masked turtle snorted. "Too late for the video game rematch, Bran. The kid is engrossed in the movie."
Greg folded his arms across his chest. "I thought you were going to wait for us, Raph."
"Don't you see how Shunshi's into it? We've seen this movie a hundred times, Heff. The kid is the whole reason I turned it on; you already know what's going to happen."
Leonardo looked down at the back of the boy's head. "I only hope he doesn't get any weird ideas from the special effects. I could see him attempting some of those crazy stunts to impress someone."
"C'mon, Leo, the kid is smarter than that. You said so yourself," Raphael scoffed. "He knows the difference between what's real and what's made up. I guarantee he's not going to try soaring off the roof any time soon."
"Good, Raph, put ideas in his head." Brandon snickered.
Shunshi suddenly looked over his shoulder. "Are all of you talking about me?"
"It is nothing bad, kid," Raphael assured him. "We are glad you like the movie. I was just telling these idiots how much smarter you are than them." The turtle motioned toward Brandon and Greg with a wink.
Shunshi covered his mouth when he laughed and turned back over to keep watching the movie.
"What did you just say to him?" Greg demanded.
"If I wanted you to know, I would have said it in English," he replied. "And I would have used small words."
"You're a funny guy tonight, Raph," Bran returned. "Two can play at the language game."
"If you guys are planning to throw down, you need to go outside," Leonardo commented.
"You'd lose anyway, Bran," Raphael said matter-of-factly. "My girl can translate anything you say, and you know she's gonna be on my side."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Raph. I know how to handle Karina too, and I've known her longer than you."
"There's not a chance, Brandon."
"Let's get her down here and find out," the man challenged.
"Or we could sit here like normal people, and watch the rest of the movie," Leonardo suggested.
"Who's normal, Leo?" Raphael wondered. "No one around this place."
Brandon braced both arms on the couch as if he was considering vaulting over the furniture, but settled on nonchalantly walking around the sofa instead. "This movie doesn't get old."
"That's what I keep trying to tell people." Raphael sounded exasperated. "Classic movies never die."
"Right," Leo said skeptically. "I'd be more impressed if all those stunts were real."
"Not everyone can be as awesome as us, Fearless," Raphael returned. "Don't we have any more food up in this place? I'm getting a hankering for something."
"Dinner was like two hours ago," Leonardo reminded him.
His brother shrugged. "So?"
"I'll see what I can find, but it means you have to be nice to me for the rest of the night," Brandon said warningly.
"Well, forget it then. I can't accept those terms," Raphael told him.
Brandon ignored Raphael and looked at Greg. "You want something to drink?"
"Sure – whatever's in there," he replied. "No, that doesn't mean a mixture of everything in the fridge. That wasn't funny."
"It was kind of funny." Brandon laughed.
"You aren't the one who almost threw up."
Brandon repressed a smile. "I'll keep it clean."
"I'd appreciate that." Greg shook his head as Brandon headed into the kitchen. "I never got him back for that night," he muttered.
Leonardo sighed as he rested his head against the back of the couch. The bickering was refreshing in a way; it was another signal that everything was going to be all right. He was enjoying having Sayuri and the kids around, but Shunshi held his attention the most of all.
Something about the boy's boldness reminded him of a younger version of Raphael. He loved the way Shunshi wasn't overwhelmed by them, and fought for their attention any chance he could get.
Leonardo was also relieved by the distraction that the visitors provided. It was only the first week of January, and Spring felt very far away. Knowing that their home was still standing made him all the more eager to get back to New York. The presence of their guests had made the wait easier, but Sayuri was supposed to be taking the kids home in a couple of days.
He had grown fond of Shunshi and the teenage Hisui, and he also loved seeing Greg getting more face time with Sayuri. I bet he'll make excuses to go to Okinawa left and right after this, and no one will blame him. I feel sorry for him. I can't picture what it would be like to be separated from Calley that way.
The blue-masked turtle looked at Greg, and the sandy-haired man glanced up as if he felt his gaze. "So, what was the deal with the phone call?"
"Yeah, what did Kelley want?" Raphael added.
"He's interested in lining up a couple of assignments for me."
"Are you gonna do it, man?" Raphael asked.
"Yeah, I don't see why not. Intelligence is lost without me." Greg forced a laugh. "But there's something else that Bran and I need to consider too."
"What's that?" Leonardo stiffened. There was something serious in Greg's tone.
"My boss mentioned the possibility of sending me out into the field again, and he's playing with the notion of Brandon and me teaming up on something."
"Wow. Does Kelley know what he's asking for?" Raphael snickered.
"It's for real, Raph," Greg protested. "They need someone experienced in the field, and the Intelligence skills are another plus. Things are still up in the air with the loss of our building in New York, and Kelley is just looking for somewhere else to plug us in for a while."
"Have you and Bran talked about it?" Leo asked.
"Not a lot, there hasn't been time. He's interested in learning more, and so am I. If I was going to be partnered with someone, Kat or Brandon are the only ones I'd want to work with that way. I don't think James would be too upset if her kid brother tagged along with me."
Raphael laughed. "Keep using terms like that and you're gonna regret it, Heff. Bran can take you any day of the week."
"Exactly. Why do you think I want to keep him around?"
"This wouldn't be a permanent situation then?" Leo wanted to know.
"I don't think so. I'm not interested in relocating, but I wouldn't mind doing some traveling. It's sure better than sitting behind a desk."
"I don't know how you've put up with it for this long," Raphael said honestly.
"It wouldn't have been the same in the field without Kat. It would be too weird to work that closely with someone else who didn't know about you guys."
Leonardo made a face. "Something else you can blame on us."
"I don't blame—"
"I know you don't, Heff," Leonardo cut him off. "I'm just referring to the way we derail people's lives."
Greg shook his head at the blue-masked turtle. "You've never kidnapped a single soul, Leo, so no one gets derailed unless they want to be."
Leonardo smiled at the man fondly, marveling at how their family had grown in the last year. Wow. It's been nearly a year since Olivia was born, and the mess with the Akiudo. I don't know where the months went, but they're gone. I think I'd rather spend a few more days with Takashi than go through what we did with Mike ever again. Being behind bars was easier than dealing with this.
Now Takashi is the one behind bars, and he's going to stay there. I want to believe that Sayuri is right about the non-existent possibility of his conviction being overturned.
Leonardo broke out of thought to find Raphael staring at him. "What?"
"You got that look again, Leo."
"I'm just thinking."
"Save the insightful stuff for later, and try rotting your brain with us," his brother suggested.
Shell, I didn't realize he noticed it like that. I guess I have been quieter than normal. Given what we've been through, I'm surprised anyone has noticed. Suddenly Raphael's eager invitation for him to join the "boys' night" made perfect sense. He's sitting over here worried about me, he realized. I have to get a handle on this ridiculous sense of dread that keeps creeping up on me. It will get better. It has to.
Leonardo smiled broadly at his younger brother. "Let the rotting begin. Maybe someone should check on Brandon though. He's been gone for a while."
Greg muttered something darkly under his breath as he headed toward the kitchen. "If he's trying to screw with my head again…"
Raphael chuckled as Greg left. "You'd think those guys were siblings or something."
"Neither of them had a brother growing up, Raph. They're making up for lost time."
"Great. Then what's our excuse?"
The way the red-masked turtle looked at Leonardo made him feel like his brother wanted to say something else, but Raphael restrained himself. The shadow of his concern persisted for a couple of seconds, before he flashed a grin at the older turtle.
"Man, I can't wait to pull something on Mikey's shell."
"I'm the one who owes him, Raph," Leonardo said firmly. "Don't go horning in on my retaliation."
"Dang, Fearless, you take too long."
"Well, it isn't like I could scheme on him in the condition he was in."
"Do me a favor, and don't go down on him until I can get a piece of the action too."
"I already told you he's mine. I'll fight you for him if I have to."
"You're gonna deny me from having some fun after everything I've been through?"
Leonardo shrugged. "No one said you couldn't get in on it, but I'm getting the first crack at Mike. He's not the only one who's fair game."
Raphael grinned suddenly. "You're never more interesting than when you're trying to be devious, Bro."
"Than when I'm trying?" Leonardo's eye ridges rose.
The red-masked turtle stifled a laugh. "You've got it in you, Leo. It just takes longer to draw it out. Getting you to throw out the rule book is like trying to pull teeth."
"I can drop the rules when it's necessary, Raph," he insisted.
"Okay then, Fearless. We've got a goal in mind…let's not lose track of it."