"You can stay if you want to." Splinter told his sons. "Leonardo is staying."

Raphael and Michelangelo were right at the door, neither making an attempt to open it.

Michelangelo looked to Raphael for some guidance. He had a firm look upon his face, but Raphael's eyes never met his. Michelangelo then looked at his feet. He was tired, but he couldn't stand the thought of just waiting at home again.

"It's fine dad. It's just hard you know." Michelangelo said.

Raphael grabbed the handle swinging the door open. Cold air rushed inside their home.

"Let's go already"

Raphael moved quickly out the door, not even looking back to see if his brother followed.

Michelangelo began to unconsciously spin a strand of his red hair around his index finger.

"Like I said before; you don't have to follow."

Michelangelo looked up suddenly.

"I'm fine, there's not much I can do here anyway,"

"Alright then, but when you meet up with your brother tell him that we should keep this a secret. The Purple Dragon may not yet know your faces. We can't spread word of your brother. To no one, understand? "

"Yeah, I get it, I'll tell Raph," Michelangelo said.

He walked out the door, picking up his pace to meet up with his brother down the street.

"Hey, Raph," he said meekly.

Raphael didn't respond.

"Do you think that the Purple Dragons saw us? 'Cause Dad said-"

"Nah, if they did they'd probably would have paid us a visit."

"Unless, they are waiting for something?"

Raphael was thoughtful.

" You're right, they could be."

"Still, dad said we should keep this secret,"

" Well, I wasn't planning on yelling it all over the school."

" I know, but he wanted me to tell you."

They were approaching the subway and went on the train.

Meanwhile back home Splinter walked by Leonardo's room. He was still asleep, so Splinter decided to wait a while longer in the kitchen. He poured a hot cup of herbal tea and sat in the living room thinking.

" My son…" he said softly.

He began to think about the first day he officially adopted him and Donatello. It was a tragic time for all of them. Leonardo and Donatello's parents were close friends of his.

Splinter started to think about everything that lead up to them becoming a family. It was an unusual situation, though it's become "normal".

Many years before his birth, Splinter's own father, Hamato Yoshi, moved to the United States from Japan with his wife. They settled in New York City were, Splinter's mother with such a kind heart, opened up an orphanage during the depression. The orphanage ran strong for many years. When Splinter was born his mother died, he never met her. He looked at an old photograph on the wall. It was turning brown, but there was his mother and father, hand and hand, in front of the orphanage. His father never remarried and as time went on he slowly started to take over the organization. It was because of this work that he met Leonardo and Donatello's mother, Cassandra Goya. She was a social worker, who stopped by often to see if everything was running smoothly.

She later married a reporter, Angelo Black. Leonardo was born a year later, then after 2 years so was Donatello. Splinter, Angelo and Cassandra got along well. They had gained each other's trust, which is why they asked him to watch over them should anything happen.

Donatello and Leonardo both new this, but they didn't know how their parents died and why. They were lied to and told it was an accident. It has been years that Splinter's been hiding this secret from them, but now he fears that it would be catching up to them. Splinter waits in the kitchen patiently, he knows he has to tell them what happened. For the sake of Donatello.

He hears footsteps and a tired yawn. His heart beats faster. Leonardo walks into the kitchen.

"Hey, Dad. Sorry, I overslept, I'll just get ready for school and- "

"No need." His father interrupted, "There is something you must know…"

A/N

Long time no see?

Short chapter but I had to update after all this time. Sorry for the delay, life happens. This is only a hobby and all, but I don't plan on abandoning it anytime. Please, let me know if there's any mistake (I'm sure there is). I don't have a beta reader and it's hard for me to catch my own mistakes- it's not that I'm trying to be careless.

This chapter and the next one are going to explain how, in this alternate universe, Splinter adopted all four of them and how they became a family.

Just so there is no confusion, Leonardo and Donatello are the only ones related by blood, being biological brothers. Raphael and Michelangelo are not related by blood. But all will be explained!

(Is that more confusing?lol)

All will be explained! :)

If you're here with me after all that time thank you!