Chapter 13

The next morning Jonah had gotten up bright and early and began mentally preparing himself for this meet up. He was going to get to see his father, he was going to get to talk to him. Really talk to him this time, without being interrupted by a sudden attack.

Part of him was excited. He wants to see his father, he wants to be able to explain everything that has happened to him over the years and let him know how much he missed him. But a part of him knew that he may not get the response that he so desperately wanted. Hearing the story of what happened in the last ten years and seeing his father's physical and mental condition was enough to enrage him and sadden him. How could he continue working with the people that destroyed his family? He shook his head as he thought. There was no way that Jonah was going to be able to look at Karai the same way.

He sighed and paced the room, trying to figure out what he was going to say to his father when he saw him. He had to somehow convince him that he and his brother were both alive without freaking him out. Easier said than done. He looked down at his watch, it was almost time. He was going to have to wing it.

He headed for the door. Before he could grab the handle to open it, it opened from the other side. Standing on the other side was Aiden. Jonah had honestly forgotten all about telling Aiden anything. When Jonah had gotten back to Foot HQ, he immediately started thinking about how he was going to explain the whole family situation to his little brother. But Aiden was sent on a mission by Karai and he must've just gotten back this morning.

Aiden didn't say anything for a while and just walked passed his twin. "Going out again?" he asked gruffly when he got to his cot.

"Yeah." Jonah answered simply.

"Karai's gonna wanna know what you're doing." Aiden said, brushing strands of brown hair out of his face.

"I know." Jonah kept his answers simple.

Aiden shrugged. "Alright. See ya later."

Jonah stared at his brother's back before leaving the room. He quickly made his way through the building, but before he could make it to the exit, he was stopped. "Jonah." he stiffly turned to face Karai.

He felt his stomach turn at the very sight of her and it took all of his energy to not give her a look of complete disgust. Easy Jonah, don't let her know that something's up just yet. he said to himself. "Yes Mistress Karai." he swiftly bowed.

"I have a job for you." she pulled out a photo of the Tropical Lounge. Written on the back, was the address. Karai continued when Jonah gave her a confused look. "You remember this place, don't you? It belongs to Michelangelo."

"You'd like me to check it out?" Jonah asked, assuming that was her thought.

She nodded. "Ask around, see what information you can retrieve on where they are all currently located. They can't hide from us forever."

Jonah plastered on a sly grin. "Find their hideout and smoke them out." he placed the photo in his pocket and headed out without another word. Once he made it outside, he sighed in relief. Man, I really lucked out this time. It's a good thing that she had a job for me to do. Now it doesn't look so suspicious for me to leave. he pulled the photo out of his pocket. Uncle Mikey's restaurant, I wonder how that's holding up? he smiled as fond memories raced through his mind of the many ventures to the restaurant with his family.

His family that was once happy, his family that was once whole was now completely destroyed. His mother is dead, his father is suffering mentally and his brother seemed to be beyond convincing that everything Karai said was completely untrue. He knew that Aiden wouldn't rest until the rest of the Hamato family was dead.

Jonah shook the thoughts from his mind. He would have to deal with his twin later. Right now, he had to focus on his father. He quickly blended in with the people on the crowded sidewalk and headed for his old home.

The morning was a process for the brothers. Waking Raph up to get him dressed was easy enough, but once they tried to coax him into the car in the garage he started fighting back a bit. "I don't want to go." he said to his brothers. "Don't make me. Don't send me away." he practically begged.

Leo, Don and Mikey had to stop at that. Don sat down on the bed next to him. "No one is sending you away, Raph. We would never do that to you." he gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "There's just someone that we want you to meet. Someone that can hopefully help you better than we can."

Raph shook his head solemnly. "Don't lie to me. You can't help me." he stated in a monotone voice. "No one can help me."

"But it can't hurt to try, right?" Mikey asked.

Raph was still unsure of what to make of this. Before he could refuse again, Leo interjected. "Tell you what, if you feel like talking is not helping you or if you feel uncomfortable then we'll leave. Give it a shot. What've you got to lose."

Raph eyed his brothers. All three stared back with an almost desperate look. Raph took a deep breath. "Fine, I'll go."

With a sigh of relief they led Raph to the garage. Don looked over by the couch where the kids were lounging. Luke and Kayla were lying on the floor, coloring in some old coloring books they found. Jayden and Ethan played video games while Nicole and Warren watched. Warren made eye contact with his father for a moment before turning away with a sigh.

The adults continued on their way. "Where are they headed?" Nicole questioned, nosily.

Warren shrugged. "Who knows." he said, noticeably frustrated.

"Probably going where they went yesterday." Jayden stated, not taking his eyes off his game.

"And where's that?" Ethan asked.

Warren decided to keep his mouth shut about that considering he was the only one that knew where they were yesterday. No use getting their hopes up. He just shrugged again. "Who knows."

The drive was pretty much silent, making it much longer than it actually was. Leo did the driving, Don sat in the passenger seat and Mikey sat in the back with Raph. Mikey could only rub comforting circles on his brother's back as he stared blankly out the window. Leo turned down a familiar block and Raph suddenly snapped to attention. "Where are you taking me?" he asked.

"To meet up with someone who can help you." Leo said vaguely.

"Where?" he asked again. Before anyone could respond, they came to a stop in front of Raph's old home. He shook his head, panicking. "No. Not here." the last thing he wanted was to go back where this all started. Go back where his kids were taken from him and where he later found their burned bodies. "Anywhere, but here."

"Easy Raph, I know this is going to be hard, but this is the only place where we can meet right now." Mikey explained.

That didn't stop the panic from settling in. "I can't. I-I won't." he refused to leave the car.

Leo stepped out of the car and moved to the back where Raph was sitting. He crouched down next to him and spoke gently. "Raph, I know coming back here scares you, but I swear we wouldn't have brought you here if we had any other choice. Like I told you earlier, if you feel uncomfortable then we can leave. Right now, you've got to trust us, okay. "

Don't trust them. They're trying to trick you. Raph squeezed his eyes shut, trying to push the voice away. I want to trust them. I'm going to trust them. He told the voice. He opened his eyes, looked to the oldest and nodded. He stepped out of the car and walked to the front door. Each step was harder to take as he got closer. Don't let them hurt you like this. Raph shook his head and kept repeating the same sentences in his head. I won't listen anymore. I can't listen anymore.

Leo opened the door and Raph hesitantly stepped inside. It seemed so different from what he remembered. Without asking any questions, he wandered over to the couch and sat down. Seconds later, there was a knock at the door.

Don answered it and saw Jonah standing on the stoop. He looked surprised before a smile spread across his face. "Hey, Uncle Don." he greeted nervously.

Don looked just as surprised as Jonah did. He could tell it was Jonah just by looking at him. He looked just like him. He stood there examining him for a while, taking in every detail. "It's really you."

It was more of a statement than a question, as if there was no doubt in his mind that the teen standing in front of him was one of his long lost nephews. Still, Jonah felt the need to answer anyway. "Um... yeah, it is." he stepped inside, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "How have you been?"

"Okay, I suppose." Don shrugged then placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Just glad to have you back."

Jonah smiled. "Feels good to be back." he looked over to his father. Raph was just sitting there and it looked like he was mouthing something to himself. "How's he doing?"

"Not great." Mikey said. "You ready?"

Jonah took a deep breath. "I can't say that I am. I'm really nervous. I spent all morning trying to figure out what I was going to say to him, but nothing seemed like it would work. So I just decided to wing it and see what happens."

"Good luck." Leo said. "We'll give you guys some privacy."

"Thanks." he made his way toward Raph and sat down. "Hey." Jonah said simply. Raph didn't even look up at him. He was still muttering to himself. Jonah took a chance and gently touched his shoulder. The physical contact seemed to snap him out of it. He finally looked up at him, but he didn't speak. He looked confused.

He shrugged the hand off his shoulder, sliding further away from his son. "What do you want?"

"I-" he thought for a second. "I just want to talk to you."

"About what?"

"About you. How you've been and all that."

Raph glared daggers his way. "What do you care?"

Jonah smirked. "I care more than you think."

"Who even are you?" Raph growled.

Jonah winced. He was hoping to avoid this question for a little while longer. "...I'm Jonah." Raph responded by narrowing his eyes. "Do you recognize me?" the teen asked, hoping he did.

Raph really got a good look at him. His hardened glare softened a bit. He looks like my-. NO! It's not him. He's gone. Your brothers are trying to trick you. Don't fall for it. Raph shook his head and looked away.

Jonah sighed. "I understand. It's been ten years and you've been through a lot."

"You don't know anything about me. You're just some kid."

"I know that you had a family. A wife and two twin boys. I also know that they were taken away from you by the Foot Clan as an act of vengeance."

Raph looked back up at the teenage boy, confused. How does this kid know about the Foot? It's a trap. He's part of the Foot Clan and he's here to finish you off, just like your wife and sons. An involuntary shudder shook him. Or, my brothers told him. I shouldn't be listening to you. Leave me alone. "How do you know about that?" he asked out loud.

"Well, that's what I was told." he looked to his uncles who were chatting quietly among themselves in the kitchen.

Raph sent a glare toward his brothers. They couldn't see it, they weren't paying any attention. "It doesn't matter anyway. It happened, they're gone now."

"But what if they're not?" Jonah asked before he could stop himself.

A low growl escaped him. "They are. I saw it with my own eyes."

Jonah stiffened a little, but he pushed forward. "From what I heard, you only saw your wife die." he cringed at the thought of his deceased mother. He had to fight to keep from choking up. "But you never saw your sons' death."

"I saw the bodies. That's all the proof I need."

"But that's just it Da- Raphael." Jonah quickly corrected himself. He wasn't ready to reveal the truth to him just yet, not while there is still room for denial in his mind. "You saw bodies, but you didn't see them die, with your own eyes. I know this is a tough topic for you to talk about, but you have to know..."

"Shut up!" Raph yelled, alerting his brothers and making Jonah flinch. "Just shut up! You don't know what you're talking about." he felt tears well up in his eyes. "They're gone."

"Alright." Jonah held his hands up to try and diffuse the situation. "They are, but what if they were still alive and waiting for you to come save them? Save them from a life of abuse and beatings." Jonah kept talking, without really thinking. "Save them from a life of killing. What if they are just waiting for you to hold them again like you used to? What if..."

Raph suddenly stood up off the couch. The thought of his sons being beaten and having to kill people was making him sick. "Stop, please."

Jonah stood up with him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted you to know that not everything is as it seems." he slowly backed away from him, toward his uncles. He sighed sadly and looked to his uncles with a shrug. "I tried."

Raph's mind wandered. Not everything is as it seems. What if he's telling the truth? Raph thought hopefully. You know he's not. It's impossible for your sons to be alive. What if it's not? Why would he be telling me this if it wasn't possible? To throw you into a false sense of security. But he said his name was Jonah and that kid looks just like my son. This would be the right age for him too. It could be him. That's wishful thinking. Maybe... but I have to see for myself.

Raph turned to the group just as the teenager was about to walk out the door. "Wait." Raph spoke softly. Everyone turned to him. "Who are you?"

Jonah responded the same way he did last time. "I'm Jonah."

"No, not your name. I want to know who you are."

Jonah looked to his uncles as if looking for a sign that it was a good idea to bring it up. When they nodded, he turned back to his father. "Well, I'm your son." he stated quickly.

Raph flinched slightly. "You're... r-really?" he stuttered.

Jonah nodded. "Hey, Dad."

Raph ran a hand through his hair, trying to decide whether or not this was truly real. In the end, he decided that he didn't care. Without much warning, he pulled Jonah in, wrapping his emaciated arms around him.

Jonah was shocked by the sudden move. His whole body tensed up at first, but soon relaxed as he hugged his father back. He felt something wet hit his shoulder and knew that his father was in tears. All he could think of was to hold on tighter.

This is a mistake. The voice in Raph's head ground out. It might be... and he could be fooling us. He held his son tighter. But even if this is some sort of trick. Even if this isn't real, just let me at least pretend that it is. Please, just let me have this. He waited for a response.

And he didn't get one.

Ending on a happier note.