Chapter 6

Mikey P.O.V

I got to talk to Leo and he told us that he was coming home next month after six months away from home. We are all ecstatic; Sarah who has been loyal to Leo has started getting ready to move down to D.C to live with Leo in his place on base with Kaz. It's going to be hard with Leo living away from us but he's going to be home now so I can't complain.

I was leaving my place to go visit the video arcade where I used to work at in high school. Walking in I waved high to the owner and was about to visit all the machines when he waved me over.

"What's up Mr. Rogers" I said shaking his hand.

"Hey there Mikey nothing new but get this." Mr. Rogers waved me closer to whisper to me the news.

"So one came in here under the initials 'JMR' and beat almost all your high scores in one afternoon"

Mr. Rogers lean back and nodded his head. I stood frozen in place.

It took me all of high school to get my scores that high. I ran over to every machine in the arcade and what Mr. Rogers said was true.

"Mr. Rogers get me my coat. " I stated.

I spent all my money getting this jacket with my nickname, The Orange Ninja embroider on the back in bright orange on a green background with orange and green on the cuffs of the wrist and collar of the jacket.

For hours I worked on getting my high scores back to the top on almost every machine but the one machine standing in my way was my favorite game of all time, 'Battle Nexus'. A game where you battle as one character in multiple battles until you fight the final boss to become the Battle Nexus Champion. I was working on trying to reclaim my title when Mr. Rogers whispered and gestured over to me the person who just walked into the place.

"That's JMR" Mr. Roger whispered.

I looked over my shoulder whoever it was had their back to me with their hood over their heads and was trying to reclaim the high score on a game I just finished.

"Hey you there" I yelled.

The person ignored me.

"Hey I'm talking to you" I said

I placed my hand on their shoulder and when they pushed my hand off and step back the hood over their face fell off.

"What the-!?"

"What?" they asked.

"You-you're a girl!?" I exclaimed.

"Yeah what's it to you?" she snorted.

"Um hello don't you recognize the name?" I asked turning my back so she could read the name on it.

She shook her head.

"Nope don't know and I don't care." She said.

Mr. Rogers got between us to keep us from fighting.

"Alright if you two are going to fight then fight on the machines but if not get out and do it somewhere!" Mr. Rogers stated.

I looked over my shoulder to the Battle Nexus game.

"How about we play an around of Battle Nexus and whoever wins will be the champion of this arcade." I asked with a smirk.

"Fine by me. The names Jessica and I'll be kicking you to the curb." Jessica said smugly.

Jessica had short blonde hair that was cut really short on the left side of her face and left long on the left angled long in the front and short in the back. She had blue green highlights on the long left side all across the back and hazel brown eyes.

"We'll see about that." I shouted.

Jessica and I battle for hours always ending in a draw with both of our characters killing each other at the same time. Mr. Rogers had to close the arcade and kick us out.

"Well I'll see you again Mikey and you too Jess. Make sure you're home for dinner your mother wants to know how school is going." Mr. Rogers said.

"Okay dad, see you later." Jessica said.

I stood there frozen in place Mr. Roger winked at me then left to finish locking up.

"What so you're Mr. Roger's daughter?" I asked.

Jessica nodded.

I hear about his daughter but he told me she was studying far away so we never met before.

"Yup and you're the famous Mikey who dominated all the games in the arcade for years. My father told me about you and how hard you've been working with him even though now you have a real job and life." Jessica said.

"Yeah he's a nice guy who I met when I was leaving school after getting detention for falling asleep during class for the fourth time that week." I said.

"You did that too? I would get lectured at so much for doing that but since my grades were high my parents couldn't do too much to me." Jessica said.

"Lucky I was always a average student unlike my other brothers how were all high achievers." I said.

"Well I may not have any siblings but I bet they care about you deeply and just want you to do your best in life." Jessica said.

"Yeah you're right." I said.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I looked up to see I got a text from Donnie asking me if I was going to come over for dinner or night.

"That's my brother I got to bounce. But we'll continue this battle later." I shouted.

"Any time Hamato any time." Jessica shouted.

Leo P.O.V

It's only a week away before I return stateside with Kaz by my side to see my family, friends, and my girl back home Sarah. Sarah wanted to get a place for herself since she got a job in a studio in DC near the base but I told her she could just move in to my place and use the extra room as her studio. Sarah told me that if it was okay with me then she would have a surprise foe me waiting for me when I got home.

I smiled at the last letter I got from her with a picture of her with her diploma and cap and gown. I wish I could have been there but she said that it was really boring and she was just waiting for me to come home.

I stroked Kaz's head saying, "Hey Kaz Sarah said she has a surprise for us when we get home are you ready?"

Kaz barked in excitement.

The days rolled by slowly but finally I was on the first plane out back to the states. I fell asleep with Kaz on my lab and my hat covering my face. My family was going to meet me back at my place so I wasn't waiting for anyone at the airport when I got back.

I drove with my brothers Sam a friend from boot camp who was in the motor pool, William who worked with his drug sniffing dog Teddy after Theodore Roosevelt, and our sister Skylar she works with the K9 helping people get acquainted with soldier and partner. She helped me when I was first looking for a partner three years ago.

The truck stopped in front of my place and I jumped out with Kaz jumping out right after me. I waved goodbye and walked to the house. I knocked on the door and as soon as I did noise of people running around and whispering could be heard through the door. I used my key to open the door and went in first because Kaz had the tendency to attack when scared.

"Hello?" I said opening the door slowly.

I turned on the light and as soon as I did everyone jumped out yelling

"Surprise! Welcome home Leo and Kaz"

I signaled for Kaz to come in and as soon as he saw Sarah he jumped on top of her. Sarah started petting and stroking Kaz's head. Everyone hugged me and stroked Kaz's head.

"So what do you think?" Sarah asked.

I was correct Sarah changed the place a lot.

The couch with the bed was replaced with a three seated couch and two end tables at the side of the couch with the same coffee table in front of it. The two bookcases that I had in front of the couch were pushed to the side to make room for a television cabinet stand where Sarah placed a flat screen television. An blue area rug was placed under the coffee table.

The pictures I had hanging by the bed and spare room were now just hanging by the bedroom with the family picture hanging above the one with friends. Replacing the one I had hanging by the spare room was a medal box holding medals that I had lying in their boxes I left in the spare room and for some reason a picture of me in uniform from when I first joined the army. I let my hair grow a bit since the picture was taken but I still keep it short especially around the sides and back.

The kitchen was the same but now there was actually food in there instead of just water and Kaz's can dog food.

The bedroom was the same with the queen size bed with a navy bed set but now there were two side tables with two lamps on both tables, an alarm clock on the right side table. Kaz's bed was still at the foot of the bed and the dresser was pressed against the wall near the door. But I really wanted to see what happened to the spare room. I didn't have anything in there but the box with medals, a crate for Kaz when he was younger, some spare blankets for Kaz and another bed for him. Sarah moved the crate into the living room all the spare blankets and beds were placed in the closet where I kept my uniforms and vault in the bedroom.

Opening the door instead of seeing the usual bare room with no lights I saw Sarah had her artist desk press against the far wall under the window with her sketch pads, lamps, and all the pencils and other tools she used for sketching. To the left of it hidden by the second closet was an easel for when she paints so she had her canvases and paintings in the closet along with other sketch pads and materials.

To the right on the wall against it was Sarah's work desk with a desktop computer on it with a monitor on top and the wireless keyboard and mouse under the moveable part of the desk that could retract and go back into the desk when pulled in or out and the tower under the right side of the desk. A printer was placed to the left side of the computer and her desk lamp to the right.

Sarah had some of her art work hanging up in the room with the one she made from the time we were in the park framed over her work desk completed with her in the drawing as well.

"It's nice, really nice Sarah" I said.

"I hope so Leo we worked very hard on this for both you and Kaz." Raph said.

"I said thanks but yeah it's really something I want to come home to." I said.

"And there's one more thing." Casey said.

Casey and Raph pulled me outside with Mikey and Donnie leading the way the girls hung back to see my reaction. Casey and Raph covered my eyes with a cloth. Walking out they finally uncovered my eyes.

I was shocked.

"Surprise Leo you better take good care of her." Casey said.

"Yeah or else you'll hear it from the both of us." Raph added.

Casey and Raph from April's explanation restored an old pickup truck that a customer brought to the shop and was trying to get rid of. Casey brought it off the man and ever since I left they have been working on it to try and restore it. It was a 1994 Chevrolet 1500 truck colored blue with a top on the back to help Sarah transport any of her art.

"Guys I have no words" I stammered out.

"Just happy to have you home is the best present Leo you really deserve all of this." Donnie said.

"Thank guys I couldn't have survived or done all of this without of all of your support." I said. "Oh you never told me what you're having" turning to April and Casey.

April's belly was huge and she was due any day now.

"It's a girl" April said hugging her stomach.

"We can't wait" Casey added.

"I bet April more than you" Mikey joked.

"I would like to see you pregnant Mikey" April yelled.

But it was true April was tired being pregnant and wanted to hold the baby soon.

Casey and April left a little after they showed me the truck since April was getting tired and wanted to sleep. My brother left a little later after dropping off some groceries for dinner tonight.

I walked in with Kaz and Sarah and as soon as the door closed I hugged Sarah from behind and placed my chin on her shoulder.

"I missed you so much" I whispered.

"Me too" Sarah responded.

Sarah and I lived together for the next few months with me working on base teaching classes on bomb sniffing with the handlers and dogs with Kaz by my side and teaching people on disarming them once they find them and have to in a life and death situation.

Sarah was working for an art studio and was in the process of creating paintings for an event to raise money for children of soldiers who are in the hospital. Casey and April had their baby girl naming her Shadow.

My brothers were living their lives together with people they met. Raph was starting something with Erica but still trying to remain friends with her but everyone could see they both liked each other. Mikey and Jessica playfully fight over games and Mikey got Jessica a job at the game testing center he works at for O'Neil tech. Donnie on the other hand was head over heels for Catherine, she was good for Donnie but for some reason she didn't sit right for the rest of us and I had to keep Kaz on a tight hold when she was around him.

But it was Donnie's life so we were letting him live his life and if we needed to step in we would. Because we were brothers and family so we stood by the sidelines for most things but when we needed a hand we were there for each other.

A.N:

The guys and Erica are 22 and Sarah and Jessica are 21. Catherine is 24. Casey and April are 26.