A/N: oh no not another fluffy chapter. yes, we'll get to the more angsty stuff soon, but damn it i cannot stop writing Mikey being a good brother. i love him so much, it's weird to think he's just some made up character
The family had been split into two parts. One half wanted Don to come home, to the new lair where he could be with his family. The second half wanted Don to stay here, in the old lair where his equipment was, where he could make the antidote without tattling to their enemies where their new home was located. Leo had been much more quiet about his worries. Raph had not, and he and Splinter had exchanged words for nearly an hour before Splinter's temper got the best of him and he slammed his cane into the cold stone with a crack.
"Donatello is coming home with us! That is the end of it! We will transport what he needs to make the cure back to the lair, and he shall not be treated as if he is an enemy. He is your brother. He had been returned to us. I will not let you turn a blind eye to this miracle!"
Calling him a miracle was a little far-fetched, but it still left warm spots in his chest to see his father so vehemently want him back home. Mikey was spouting his own reasons as well, refusing to allow himself to be butted out of the conversation. Leo remained relatively quiet, holding himself as if he were uncomforable and refusing to look at anywhere but the floor. Upon Splinter's final demand, though, he looked up and nodded curtly along with Raph. Their father had sounded furious, his tail lashing side to side before he turned to Donnie and held out a hand.
"Come, my son. It's time we brought you home."
He was led out by the back of the shell, fingers gentle as if afraid his bones would cave in, and out into the sewers. His brothers followed suit, everyone silent and tense. Don had never felt more akward in his life.
Scratch that, this was wayyyy more akward.
The new lair was built into the walls of an out-of-use subway tunnel and the bus itself had been cleaned out and remade into an enterance hall. A large hole sat in its side and led into another section of stone work that emptied into a cicern. The water was still and reflected white where lights had been strung up agaisnt the low ceiling. There was a living room - couch and television - and a kitchen on the other side. It was the same fridge and furniture and toaster from the old lair. Don faintly wondered if the toaster even worked, or if they had been sitting on it for the last year. Don was pretty sure he never fixed it before the whole "incident". Even if he had, it would've been at the mercy of Leo all this time.
"So, this is home!" Mikey spread out his arms upon arriving, a bright smile on his face, looking for all the world as if he hadn't been crying only an hour ago. "Nice huh? We're waaaaay closer to that pizza place than we were before - you know, the one that has all those crazy toppings we like? Oh, man, we have to order some tonight! You still like brocolli on yours, right D?"
The old nickname was pleasent to hear and Don forced a smile, despite the tension straining his face. He didn't feel right, walking into this place. It was new. It was different. It defiently wasn't his home.
"It's been a while since I've had pizza," he admitted.
"What?!" Mikey slapped his face as if he had jsut witnessed the world implode. "Dude, we are totally going to splurge tonight!"
"Shouldn't we be more concerned with gathering the supplies to cure you?" Leo cut in, cold and firm.
Mikey shrugged, still smiling. "We have a whole year, right? And besides, D needs a night to settle in. Right, sensei?"
"Ah, I'm afraid your brother has a point," the rat said softly. "Of course, finding an antidote is top priority. Donatello, I will have you travel early tommorw with your brothers to collect what you need to accomplish this. Until then, I would like for Michelangelo to help you settle in. Rapheal and Leonardo, I'd like to have a private word with you."
"Oh man, really?" Mikey beamed. "Come on, D! I'll show you my room and we can make up a bed for you! I mean, at least until we get a room picked out for you!"
Donatello was led by the wrist and jerked away, around the glassy expanse of water and towards the back of the lair, where a hallways led into darkness. The dim light was just enough to see a row of doors on either side - doors were cheap and proabaly purchased at a Home Depot. He faintly wondered how April was doing and if her antique shop was still open. Casey too. It'd been a long time since he'd been able to go to their place, drink beer and play board games all night.
"Ta-Da!" Mikey pulled him towards the farthest room in the hall, right across from an empty one. Mikey pulled open the door to reveal a mess of pizza boxes and comic books, as well as a box of VHS tapes sitting on an old, cube-shaped television set. Mikey's bed was piled high with blankets and pillows, and above that, a hammock swung in the corner. The stone walls were pasted with posters. Mindless things about robots or superheroes. It... definetly smelt like Mikey's room.
"And we can watch movies, too! I knew you'd be coming back soon, so I scavneged anyhting that looked like you might like!" Mikey was rummaging through the box. Donnie walked in behind him, feeling terribly out of place. Then a set of tapes were thrust into his hands and he looked at them one by one.
A documentary on optometry and the furture of the business: 1994
A recorded lecture on business and time managment: 1991
Another documentary on "the wonder of the human brain".
Donatello smiled softly, the tension leaving his shoulders a bit. While he may not have been too excited to watch any of them - well, maybe he'd watch the last one out of curiosity sake - Mikey had went out of his way to save these.
"You... you really never beleived I'd betray you, huh?" he asked in a small voice.
"Come on, Donnie! You think I'd ever think that!?"
"Why aren't you scared, though? Why are you acting like... treating me like..."
Mikey's face fell. "Like what?"
"Like I never left."
"You're still Donatello." He muttered, as if offended. But then that brightness returned, albeit dimmer. He took one of the tapes and pushed it into the player. They had to wait for it to rewind, so the televison began its ardorous task of walking back through each scene. The two sat on the edge of the bed, waiting.
"Raph doesn't mean any of that," Mikey said.
"Hm?"
"Raph. He doesn't mean it. I know he's yelling a lot, but I think he's just confused. It was kind of mind-boggling, that you actually said you wanted to come home. I think he needs a few days to let the situation settle."
"That's... really smart of you, Mikey." Don said. Still didn't make him feel better, but there was no reason to voice that aloud.
"Someone had to start acting like it," his chest puffed out proudly. But now that the subject had been breached, Mikey's posture was weighing heavily in his shoulders. He watched the rewinding tape with a small frown. "Leo... I really don't know what to think. When you left, he started acting weird."
"Weird how?"
"I dunno, like, closed off. He's never been mean or spiteful like Raph, but he's hard to talk to. Splinter is like, the only sane one left, I think. But now that you're back, all that is gonna change! We're gonna be one big, happy family again!"
Don smiled weakily. He didn't have it in him to argue. No, they wouldn't be one, big happy family. There was still a long road to travel down. One that Don was already stressing over. Then he realized Mikey was still talking and snapped from his thoughts in time to catch:
"-annoying. It's stupid."
"I'm sorry, I spaced there, Mikey. What did you say?"
"Huh? Oh never mind, I think the tape is done." Mikey got off the bed, padded down to the player. The tape, however, had not finished rewinding all the way, but Mikey hit play and sat back down with Donnie to listen to a narrator and the exciting topic of brain matter. There was a small space between them. Don was sitting ram rod straight and hardly listening. Mikey wasn't exactly relaxed either. The documentary went on for a good twenty minutes before Mikey began to fidget. He kept sneaking glances at Don, and it obvious he wanted something.
"You okay?" Don asked.
"I..." Mikey grew quiet. The static of the screen drew long, tired lines in his face. "I just, really missed you. Like, a lot."
Don swallowed hard. He wanted to tell him that he was here, that everything would be fixed, but Mikey kept going, a shiver in his voice.
"I love Leo and Raph, but they can be selfish, you know? Like, closing themselves off and... I just, wanted to say, that..."
"Mikey. You can tell me anything." Don said slowly.
"I'm sorry."
"What?"
There were unshed tears in Mikey's eyes. "I'm sorry. For letting those stupid Foot have you for so long. I'm sorry for not trying harder to help you, or figure out what was going on! I'm sorry for not keeping the family together or-"
Don reached out and pulled Mikey into a hug. It might have been more for himself than anything, because right now, he wanted to tell Mikey how much he meant the world to him. He refused to let go.
"Don't say that," Don said. "Don't tell me you're sorry. Nothing you did could have prevented this. I was the one who made the decision to leave. I'm the one-"
"I'm the one who went and got myself posioned."
Don was close to his own tears at this point. "And I'm the one who has yet to find a cure. Together, Mikey. We're in this together. No matter what, I'm never leaving you again."
Mikey shuddered, but when he looked up with watery eyes, there was a dumb, toothy grin stretched across his face. "You and me against the world, huh? Splinter will be with us, too."
"And Raph and Leo will join us when they're ready." Don added.
They sat like that for a long time. Don didn't want to let go. He didn't want to stop feeling the way Mikey's heart was beating - how alive and okay and healthy he was in that moment. Don made a promise to himself. No self-pity. No self-doubt. Nothing but progress on that damn cure. And if The Shredder wanted to try and harm one of his brothers again, he'd spit in his face with all the indignation of a pissy teenager.