I'm still recovering from the season 4 finale. For a while, I was in "mourning", but I'm doing better now. So here's the next chapter. :)
"So gross…so gross…so gross…!"
"It's not that bad, kid."
The group walked through the sewer tunnels, with Raph leading the way. Shadow could not stand the smell, and she nearly threw up when she saw the dirty sewage water. When she volunteered to go to with them, she knew that she'd be going into the sewers. But still, she wasn't prepared for this. No way.
"We're almost there, Shadow," April told her daughter.
"Believe it or not, you'll get used to it," Casey added with a chuckle. "Your mother and I did."
"Eeugh!" Shadow covered her nose and her eyes started to water.
Raph glanced back at the teen and chuckled.
"Raphael?"
The Turtle looked ahead of him and saw a woman with long black hair standing at the end of the tunnel. She looked familiar...
"Wait," Raph squinted his eyes. "Karai?"
She nodded and approached him. "Thanks for coming back, Raph," she smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Father will be so happy to see you."
Raph smiled back at her. "Thanks for taking care of him all these years."
"Yo, Karai!" Casey walked over to them and offered her his hand. "Good to see you again!"
She took his hand and shook it. "Good to see you, too, Jones." She noticed Shadow standing behind him. "Oh, and who's this?"
"Shadow Jones," the teen politely shook Karai's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, Karai."
"Same here. So you're April and Casey's daughter?"
Shadow nodded, but unbeknownst to her, Raph glanced at Casey uneasily. Casey only shook his head and put a finger to his lips.
When he stepped into the lair for the first time in thirty years, the memories immediately flashed in his mind. He and his family were watching T.V. in the living room and laughing. Mikey was humming happily and fixing something weird yet delicious for him in the kitchen. Leo was challenging him to beat the high score on the pinball machine. Donnie was running excitedly out of the lab and showing off his latest invention.
Raph felt a lump form in his throat. Those certainly were the good old days.
"Hey," he heard Casey say, "is it just me, or is that large pile of blankets over there moving?"
He then noticed the pile that Casey was speaking of in front of the T.V., and it slowly moved up and down, as if something was sleeping underneath. The pile was huge...
Karai giggled and whistled. Immediately, the creature emerged out of the blankets, revealing itself to the group.
"CHOMPY?!" Raph couldn't believe his eyes! (Or eye).
Hearing his "mama's" voice once again made the turtle's tail wag like crazy and he charged at the group. Shadow shrieked as she hid behind her parents, while Casey yelped and hid behind April. The reporter rolled her eyes.
Chompy jumped on top of Raph, who let out an "oof!" and landed on his shell. The giant turtle nuzzled Raph and licked his face with his long tongue.
Raph laughed and wrapped his arms around Chompy's neck. "Chompy! Look at you! You're huge! Aww, I missed you, too, buddy." He gently kissed the tip of Chompy's nose. "I'm sorry I left you behind. I was really messed up for a while. But I won't leave you again. I promise." The giant turtle let out a happy growl.
"Raph," Karai walked over to the two and knelt down to pet Chompy. "I don't mean to interrupt this touching reunion, but..."
"I know," Raph quietly said. "So where is he?"
"I'll go get him," Karai stood back up and went into the dojo.
Raph bit his lower lip and continued to pet Chompy. April could tell that he was really nervous, so she knelt down next to him and gave him a hug. "Raph, it's okay," she gently told him.
"I abandoned him, April," Raph whimpered.
"Casey and I weren't there for him, either," she said. "But even so, he still loves you. He loves all of us. And all that matters is that we're here for him now."
They both heard the tapping of a cane and turned their heads.
Karai was supporting the elderly Splinter as he slowly walked into the living room. He lifted his head and his eyes widened as he saw their guests. But he nearly fell to the floor when he saw his son Raphael. Luckily, Karai caught him in time, and she whispered words of comfort in his ear.
"Go to him, Raph," April whispered to Raph, who gulped and slowly stood up. His legs shaking and his breathing heavy, he took sloppy steps toward his father. His heart pounded as he got closer.
Splinter had his ears way back and his hands were shaking greatly. Karai soothingly rubbed his shoulders and kissed his furry cheek. "It's all right, Father," Raph heard her say.
Finally, the Turtle was only two meters away from his father.
The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity.
Splinter slowly approached his son and reached a shaky hand out to him. Raph wanted to grab it but he could not even move his arm. He could only remain still as his father's hand got closer to his face.
The rat gently touched his son's eyepatch and he let out a shaky sigh.
Raph finally found the strength to lift his arm and put his own hand over Splinter's. He leaned in close to his touch.
"Father," his voice quivered and a tear was building up in his right eye.
"My son," Splinter's voice was so raspy and broken it ripped Raph's heart right in half.
"I'm so sorry, Sensei. I should've been there for you, but instead I ran away and hid from you like a coward." A tear flowed down his cheek. "I'm so ashamed of myself. I've failed Mikey and you. Forgive me...!" He choked on a sob and gripped his father's hand even tighter.
Using his other hand, Splinter rubbed Raph's tear away with his thumb. "No, Raphael. Forgive me." He tenderly kissed Raph's forehead, his long whiskers tickling his scaly skin. When he pulled away, tears streamed down his face, soaking his fur. "I've failed you and your brothers, especially Michelangelo. I know I do not deserve your forgiveness, but my heart soars with joy to see your face once again."
Raph buried his face in Splinter's neck and wrapped his arms around him, breathing in the scent that used to comfort him as a child. "I do forgive you," he said, his voice muffled.
Splinter's ears perked up and there was a surprised look on his face. "What...what did you say...?"
Raph turned his head aside and said in a louder voice, "I do forgive you, Father. And Mikey forgives you." He pulled away and gave Splinter a loving smile. "He sends his love, by the way."
For a moment, Splinter stared at Raph with shaky eyes and his ears slowly sank back. Then he suddenly let out a heart wrenching wail and his legs gave away. Luckily, Raph still had his arms around him and caught him before he fell to the floor.
Raph rubbed his sobbing father's back and allowed him to cry in his plastron. He leaned in closer to Splinter's ear and whispered comforting Japanese words to him. Karai, of course, understood every single word and she breathed in shakily, her tears coming down uncontrollably. April's heart warmed as she watched the two reconcile, tears spilling from her eyes, as well. She felt Casey wrap an arm around her waist and gently kiss the top of her head. Even Shadow was moved by the strong love the two mutants had for each other, and she felt her eyes burn with unshed tears. She didn't even notice Chompy sniff her from behind, and when she felt the tip of his tongue touch her hand, she yelped in surprise.
Splinter and Raph knelt in front of Mikey's altar in the dojo, silently praying with their eyes closed and their heads bowed.
April peeked behind the door and smiled fondly at them. She may have not been able to convince Donnie or Leo to come back, but at least she got through to Raph.
She knew that of his three brothers, Raph was closest to Mikey. Sure, Mikey bugged the living heck out of him. Sure, Raph kind of bullied him. But that's what typical brothers do: fight and poke at each other. Some argued that Raph and Leo had the strongest bond, and on the surface, that seemed true. But Mikey had a special place in Raph's heart. He understood Raph better than anybody, and he knew just what the hotheaded Turtle needed whenever he was in an emotional state. During the Kraang's invasion on New York, when Raph had nearly lost it, Mikey was brave enough to approach the savage Turtle and calm him down with a warm embrace and a few comforting words.
Mikey had told her the story of how he was given the teddy bear by Raph when they were little. So she searched for that bear in his old bedroom during her visit with Karai, because she had a hunch that the toy's presence would be enough to convince Raph to come back home.
She returned to the living room and sat on the couch with Karai, Casey, and Shadow. The teenage girl was staring nervously at Chompy, who sat on the floor and stared back at her, his tail wagging and his tongue sticking out.
"Wh-Why is he...is he looking at me like that?" Shadow stuttered.
"He wants you to pet him," Karai told her. "Go ahead. He won't bite."
Shadow gulped and got off the couch, slowly walking toward the giant turtle. His tail wagged faster as she got closer. Her shaky hand reached for his nose...
Chompy opened his mouth and licked her hand. Though he was just trying to be friendly, the movement frightened Shadow and she retreated back to the couch, sitting in between Casey and April with her knees pressed to her chest. Chompy looked at her sadly and whimpered, and Karai walked over to him and gently patted his head.
"It's not you, Chompy," she told him.
"You're doing good, sweetie," April wrapped an arm around Shadow.
"Yeah, one step at a time," Casey patted her shoulder with a smirk.
Chompy suddenly looked in the direction of the entrance to the lair and growled threateningly.
"What's wrong, boy?" Karai followed his gaze, and her eyes widened immediately and she put a hand to her mouth.
April, Casey, and Shadow turned around on the couch to see who or what it was. While April and Casey were absolutely shocked, Shadow was confused and didn't know how to react.
"Mom, who's this?"
"Even the grave couldn't prevent Mikey from looking after us," Raph said as he drank tea with Splinter in the dojo.
"Indeed," Splinter smiled to himself. "His love for us is stronger even than death. As his father, I couldn't be more proud." He closed his eyes and sighed, his ears flattening again. "I only wish that I had told him that more often when he was alive."
"Yeah, well," Raph put his tea cup down and looked at the photo of his baby brother at the altar, "we both have regrets. My last words to Mikey before he died weren't exactly...nice. And for a long time, the guilt was killing me. I mean, literally killing me. If weren't for Mikey...man, I don't know."
"Did your brother ever mention about my...suicide attempts?" Splinter looked away shamefully.
"He did," Raph softly told him. "Sensei, please...I can't bear the thought of you killing yourself. It won't give you peace. Believe me, I know." He unwrapped his dirty bandages from his right arm and revealed the scars to Splinter.
Splinter's brown eyes widened and he gently touched Raph's scarred skin. "Oh, my son..." he said barely below a whisper.
"It wasn't your fault, Father," Raph smiled sadly at him. "But please, don't hurt yourself, too."
"Do not worry, Raphael. I no longer have the desire to take my own life. You have Miwa to thank for that."
"Yeah," Raph looked down at the floor in shame. "She's been a better kid to you than I ever was. I mean, she stuck by you for thirty years. Now that's what I call devotion."
"I understand why you left, Raphael," Splinter put his hand over Raph's. "Why all of you left."
"Mikey wanted us to be together again," Raph covered Splinter's hand with his other one. "As a family." He then looked up at Splinter and gave him a small smile. "And I'm going to try to make that happen."
"Don't waste your time."
Raph's heart jumped.
It can't be...!
Raph and Splinter turned to the direction of the voice. Standing at the dojo entrance was Leonardo himself. He was dressed in black and had a black snake tattoo on his plastron. He glared at them with cold blue eyes that sent shivers down Raph's spine.
Oh, my god. Leo...?
Oh, boy. Leo came back...Things might get ugly...