Rating: T
Warnings: Overall story - Brief mentions of torture. Bit of language.
Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon.
Summary: For months now, Mikey's been through hell with no one to count on but himself. He's finally been rescued but there are still two major problems; he's still desperately missing his family and he has no way home. No OCs. 2k3/2k12 crossover.
A/N: Happy 10th anniversary, 2k12!
ScribeofHeroes: no problem. Even if (when) I slow down from time to time, I have no intention of discontinuing this series. It's my baby, so to speak XD Yeah, it was weird seeing Donnie snap the way he does in 2k12 but it's also nice that, like the others, he's different from his other incarnations. It makes things more interesting.
Minnie1015: Yeah, I'm back :-) Mikey is definitely settling in, which is a good thing, but that said, there's still going to be good days and bad days, sadly.
KaylaMicael: You'll see some progress in that in upcoming chapters soon XD Sadly, the 2k3 brothers won't realise for quite some time. They certainly hadn't realised yet when Christmas came around ( a few months from here :-s) Thank you :-)
Shelly Hamato: Thank you. I'm glad to be able to get chapters out again XD The more Mikey becomes accustomed to them, the more he'll relax and be himself. Still, he's got a lot of garbage to work through too. The growing bond with Raph and others, will only help XD
For anyone following 'How Much is that Turtle', I recently posted a one-shot set during the story which offers a little insight into Mikey's brothers shortly before they rescued him. It's called 'Nagareboshi'. I'd love for you to check it out and let me know what you think! The next chapter of the main story should be released sometime in the next couple of weeks. I just needed to get this chapter out first since today is the 2k12 10th anniversary!
AOtGO – Aftermath
Ch 19
Date: 27th - 28th Sept
Feeling lost, Mikey wandered the lair, wondering what the shell to do with himself. Thanks to a massive test April needed to study for, his shared lesson with her had been called off yesterday and today also. He'd already done his rehabilitation for the day and spent time with Donnie in his lab – that had totally not gone well due to a combination of him picking up on bad vibes from all around all day and being extra freaked by the sight of their tech after another sleepless night filled with nightmares - Leo and Splinter were out on a training run through the sewers and didn't want any dead weight along – okay, they hadn't actually said that but that was the impression he'd felt- and Raph was working out with his dummy and obviously in a bad mood so approaching him wasn't the best idea either.
Sighing despondently - he really needed to get out of the lair for a change of scenery so badly - Mikey found himself in the dojo, looking dazedly about. Eventually, his gaze landed on the weapons rack and as if in a dream, he walked over and reached out, taking the spare set of sai from it.
It had been about ten months since he last handled a sai and it showed, based on how uncomfortable they felt in his hands now. Of course, these were larger than what he'd been used to, with a far thicker handle but he'd trained enough in them and other weapons that it shouldn't have felt so unnatural as this did. As he spent the next several minutes gripping and adjusting his hold on the weapons, he realised the katana he'd used the other day had felt much the same, odd and slightly uncomfortable and that was something he knew he couldn't stand for. It was something his father and Leo wouldn't let him stand for so with that thought, he began working through simple moves with them, eventually moving on to kata designed for wielding the sai. Suddenly, as he spun to face the other direction, thrusting out with the weapon, he caught sight of a pair of narrowed bright green eyes watching him and he froze.
"Uh, eh-heh, sorry, I'll put them back," Mikey stammered, smiling nervously back at the unnerving gaze. "I thought it'd be okay to practice with them a while since they're the spares."
Raph grunted and came closer, his eyes on the sai in Mikey's right hand. "You're holding it wrong," he observed oddly.
Startled, Mikey looked down to see the hot-headed turtle was right and embarrassed, he quickly adjusted his grip.
"You had it right until you saw me, then you shifted your grip," Raph pointed out, stopping just in front of Mike and blocking his path to the weapon rack. "You need to keep a good grip at all times so you don't lose it when the enemy suddenly appears."
Mikey swallowed and forced a chuckle, "Heh, yeah, I... guess I'm out of practice."
"Guess we'll have to fix that then," Raph countered, his eyes shifting to fix on Mikey's. "From what I saw, you looked decent enough but there's definitely room for improvement."
Mikey gazed at Raph shrewdly, taking in his position between himself and the rack, then he smirked, "You offering to help me?"
"Yeah, guess I am," Raph shrugged, pulling out his own set of sai and twirling them rapidly in a move blatantly designed to show off. He finished in a ready stance, smirking back at Mike and Mikey immediately mirrored his stance.
For the next hour and a half, the two worked together with Raphael giving him tips and teaching him things he'd never learnt before and by the end, Mikey felt more confident than ever with the tined weapons. To finish off the impromptu training session, considering the ban still on him about sparring, they finished off with a slow spar, designed not to see who would win but rather to just work their techniques and Mikey grinned happily as he put the weapons back where they belonged before retiring to the kitchen for a drink and small mandated snack he was required to eat this time of day by Splinter and Leo both.
Raph settled opposite him with a protein shake; he'd offered Mikey one but Mikey clutched his plain water defensively and knowing what he knew, Raph left it at that.
"So how'd you get by with your broken 'chucks anyway?" Raph asked curiously after draining half his glass. "You said you'd used them a few times?"
Mikey nodded. "Yeah, I just used them like they were short kali sticks instead," he shrugged. He hadn't had a lot of choice and so had made do with what he had. After all, anything was a weapon in the hands of a trained ninja. "They felt kinda brittle but still did a shell of a lot of damage." At the 'shell of a lot of damage' a smirk started to form on Raphael's face. Whether that was from Mikey's turn of phrase or just the thought of causing damage, Mikey didn't know but he'd bet on it being a combination of the two.
"Yeah? You manage to get any Kraang with them?" Raph asked, his small smile widening into a savage grin.
"Shell yeah, I did!" Mikey chortled loudly, pushing away the disquiet he felt at the mention of them and instead focusing on how it felt to finally get his own back. "I even jabbed one straight in the eye during the escape, dude! Pretty sure I put it out!" he explained gleefully. The pained squealing of the alien creature had left him feeling sick but the sheer satisfaction of actually being able to fight back had been oh so good! When he'd talked about his time in the prison a few nights back, he'd glossed over the details without mentioning the times he'd fought back but now he told Raph about those incidents, explaining just why the Kraang had been so afraid to take chances with him and to his pleasure, he saw a hint of respect for him growing in the other turtle's eyes.
"Damn, I wish I could've seen that. There's nothing more satisfying than taking out the Kraang," Raph exclaimed enviously. Then his expression sobered and he slumped, his eyes no longer meeting Mikey's and instead focused on the table. "Hey, Mike, I'm sorry we didn't find you sooner. You know, so you wouldn't have had to go through so much shit."
Mikey turned startled eyes upon him.
"Problem is, we didn't even know the other mutants were missing. If we'd known about April's dad being missing or Spike, I mean, Slash, Pete or Rockwell, we would've looked for them and found you sooner." As he spoke, he tentatively lifted his gaze to meet Michelangelo's again and he looked miserable, proving he did have a heart despite so often trying to hide the evidence.
Mikey wished that too or better yet, that it had been his own family who found him but, "Hey, it's cool, bro. What matters is you did come and I'm free now and you've got no idea how much of a relief that is," he quickly reassured. Raph offered him a weak smile in return and they sat in silence for a time in which Raph drank the rest of his shake and Mikey forced down his snack, barely suppressing the shudder.
The moment he swallowed down his final mouthful, the pervading exhaustion hit full force and Mikey closed his eyes, slumping on the stool and half across the table.
"Maybe you should try to sleep a bit while no one's around?" Raph suggested with a groan. "I got private shit to take care of in my room anyway and Donnie'll be in his lab until he's dragged out so you can have the pit to yourself."
Mikey forced open one eye and stared balefully at Raph through it.
"You do sleep better there right?" he asked gruffly.
"Not really," Mikey admitted with a self-deprecating chuckle. "It's just more comfortable there, that's all and then I'm just so exhausted that I finally fall asleep, that's all, dude."
"Well, go fall asleep there now. Or in bed. Whatever!" With that, Raph pushed back from the table and sauntered out the kitchen.
Mikey watched him go then sighed tiredly and opened his other eye before likewise leaving and heading for the beanbag. At this point, he figured fresh air would do him much more good but regardless, Raph was right. He needed sleep and if he couldn't sleep, then he at least needed rest.
-:-
That night, a couple of hours after dinner as Mikey sketched in the pit half-watching TV, Donnie approached him contritely, apologising for blowing him off so much the last couple of days.
Mikey waved his right hand dismissively as he continued working on the charcoal sketch of his father – the look in his eyes wasn't quite right and it bugged him. He fumbled momentarily for the eraser to the side of him and gently removed the eyes to try again. "It's all good, bro," Mikey answered far more brightly than he felt. "I know you've got heaps on your mind."
Donnie blanched and sat down near him. "That's true but I still shouldn't have blown you off considering I'm supposed to be helping you."
Mikey rested his pencil and gave Donnie an odd look. "You're under no obligation Donnie and I shouldn't take advantage of you. It's fine."
"It's not fine!" Donnie exploded. Then he cringed as Mikey instinctively baulked. "It's not an obligation, Mike," he insisted more calmly, "it's... look, other-dimensional or not, you are family and I want to help! I'm just..."
"Expected to come up with answers or solutions for everything," Mikey finished. "I get it, it's a lot of pressure."
Donnie frowned, mulling over the other turtle's words, then nodded reluctantly. Then, as Mike picked up his pencil to continue working on his sketch, continued speaking, this time more softly, "You look tired. I take it you're still having trouble sleeping?"
Mikey sighed; was he ever. "I tried the sleepy tea Leo suggested last night. It was totally gross and while it seemed to help me fall asleep, I didn't stay asleep." He'd woken to the same nightmare he'd had every day for almost a week now. Only, instead of the Kraang being the ones controlling him, they'd handed him off to his brothers who attached strings to his limbs and played him like an old wooden puppet. He'd been quick to return to the pit and the TV for company, only barely remembering to bring his journal at the last moment as he stumbled from his borrowed room in terror.
Donnie pursed his lips, then thrust out his hand. Flinching slightly at the sudden movement, Mikey looked up to see what looked like a small turtle shell in the brainiac's hand. "T-Phone. I'm sorry it took a few days to make you one. I had to wait on a part Casey picked up for me before I could finish it." The distaste on his face said a lot but Mikey wasn't sure if it was about Casey himself who seemed to annoy Donnie or the fact that Donnie had to rely on someone else to bring what he needed. "It has all our phone numbers programmed into it already, along with a couple of apps you might find useful. The T-Phone is also fully capable of accessing the internet and has plenty of memory for games or music or whatever else you like."
Mikey's eyes widened in wonder as he reached out for the precious gift. "It sounds like a smartphone."
"It is. Just one of my unique design and build." Donnie flashed a wan but proud smile. "I preinstalled the apps based on a suggestion of April's."
Mikey canted his head curiously as he set his sketchbook aside and sat up to look the device over properly.
"Since you tend to gravitate to the TV for noise during the night, April suggested that maybe sleeping with music might help you so I included a streaming app on there."
He clutched the phone protectively close to his plastron at that. There were so many times when music throughout the night made all the difference for him. It fooled him into remembering he wasn't as alone as he'd often felt, especially after a particularly bad mission. He'd played music all night for a good couple of months after the whole Ultimate Draco fiasco and the world he'd been sent to. At a glance, that world had been amazing, the reality of what actually happened though, not so much.
"I also found one that streams various sounds for helping people relax or sleep in case that works better for you."
"What kind of sounds?" Mikey asked, perplexed.
"Try it and see," Donnie suggested with a small, weary smile.
Mikey frowned and turned on the T-Phone, only to see a set-up screen asking for his thumbprint and a password. He shot a weird look Donnie's way and waggled his thumb. "Dunno about you guys but far as I know, I don't have a unique thumbprint."
"From your brothers, you mean?" Donnie asked curiously. Mikey nodded vigorously. "I would think you would but does it really matter? It'll still be unique compared to us or to humans. Although that said, any of us can access each other's T-Phones in case of an emergency. Once you add your thumbprint, you'll be able to access ours as well. Anyone else though, not so much. The security is there in case any of the T-Phones fall into the wrong hands like the Foot's or Stockman's."
"Oh, okay. Cool then," Mikey replied, peering down excitedly at his new toy again. He quickly set up the phone and checked out the app Donnie had suggested he look at, seeing such background sounds as rain, birdsong, crashing waves and windchimes and his smile grew as he tested it out. "This is awesome! Thanks, Don!"
"Anytime," Donnie replied warmly. "Also, I'd really prefer if you can find a natural solution for sleeping but if nothing works, I'll... try to come up with something else for you but relying on drugs to sleep isn't safe for any of us."
Mikey nodded as he sagged in relief. "Thanks, bro."
-:-
Bzzt!
Great Ape: Hey, can you talk for a couple min? In private?
Mikey frowned down at the message on his new T-phone, sleepily realising that Donnie had obviously given April and probably Casey, his number already. Climbing out of bed, he peeped out the bedroom door for signs of activity and heard clinking in the direction of the kitchen. He quickly closed the door and texted back, ignoring the faint suffocating feeling that began building the moment the door clicked closed.
Turtle Titan: Yeah, not for long, tho. They'll expect me at breakfast soon.
A few seconds later, the phone rang and Mikey promptly answered with his best Casey Kasem impersonation, "Hello caller, you are on the air."
Other than the background filled with a loud babble of voices, there was silence for a few seconds, then, "Is that you, Mike?"
Mikey laughed, "Yeah, what's up, Ape?"
"I was worried for a moment before I remembered this number was preprogrammed."
Mikey just grinned.
"Mike, I need to give you a head's up. Today is probably going to be a bad day for Master Splinter and the guys."
All humour immediately left him. "Why? What happened?" he asked worriedly.
"Today's their mutation day," April explained simply. "With Mikey still missing, it's going to be really hard on them."
"Mutation day?" Mikey asked, frowning in confusion.
"The anniversary of their mutation. They celebrate that each year instead of birthdays since they don't know when their birthdays are."
"Ooh, gotcha."
"I just thought I should warn you. Sorry I didn't think to earlier."
"Okay, thanks," Mikey replied, thinking hard. That explained why the others had been increasingly distant or crabby the last couple of days. He stared through the bedroom door as though he could see through it to the grieving family beyond. "Ape..." he began cautiously, only to be cut off by a reverberating ringing sound and the babble of background voices growing immediately louder.
"I'm really sorry, Mike, I have to get to class. I have a huge test first period. You can text though and I'll answer when I can. Bye!"
"Bye..." Feeling inexplicably hurt by the rushed dismissal despite understanding, Mikey placed the T-phone down to get dressed for the day then picked it up again to slip into his belt pouch. Only then did he open the door and head out.
The first thing that hit him was the atmosphere of the lair, thick and choking with misery. The second was that despite him actually having slept, and slept late at that, then being woken by April's text, only Leonardo was up, puttering around the kitchen quietly as he made a bowl of cereal while the kettle boiled.
Leo looked up in wary surprise as he entered. "There's no training today, Mike, you can go back to bed if you like," he offered dully. "You look like you need it."
"Thanks but I'm already awake," Mikey replied dryly. He looked pointedly at Leo's miserable-looking bowl filled with boring cornflakes and too-little milk. "Do you want me to make you something?"
"No, this is fine," Leo answered, shaking his head and looking slightly greener than normal. "Uh... Mike, you..." he sighed, pinching his beak despondently. "Look, today's..."
"April told me," Mikey cut in to spare Leo the difficulty in having to explain.
"Okay, good," Leo replied, sounding faintly relieved. With that, he turned his shell on Mikey to make tea, making it obvious he didn't want to talk.
-:-
The morning passed slowly with nary a sign of the other turtles or Splinter. Despite there being no training, Leonardo gravitated to the dojo, ostensibly to work on some mindless katas but when Mikey followed him in to do his own exercises after choking down some plain cereal, he found Leo standing sadly in front of the shrine, head bowed in prayer. To his surprise, when Mikey looked, he saw a photo of the other Michelangelo to the side and his heart broke for Leo as well as his own family all over again. Unlike his, this family at least had hope their missing brother was alive and safe, though they didn't know for certain and the helplessness of not being able to reach him was killing them.
Their hope and belief in Leo's astral connection with their brother that night a few weeks ago was all that gave them hope after all this time. That and the fact they were ninety-nine percent sure he was trapped in another world rather than a prisoner of the Kraang or Foot or someone worse; though Mikey hated to speculate how it could get worse than the Kraang, he knew it could. Watching Leo now though, it was far too easy to recall the feelings of despair he'd felt from Donnie the last time he'd tried to connect with him and he yearned more than ever to find his way home and reassure his family that he too, was alive and safe.
He took a tentative step closer to Leo, hand lifting as he ached to somehow give him comfort but Leo stiffened and whirled around to face him, the look in his eyes suggesting he wasn't thrilled to have been disturbed.
"Did you need something, Mike?" Leo asked bluntly.
Mikey shook his head rapidly, taking a step back and wishing he'd never intruded. "I just came to work on my rehab," he hurriedly explained. "You looked... uh, is there anything I can do to help?"
Leonardo gazed at him for several too-quiet seconds, then shook his head.
Despite what others thought, he knew when he wasn't wanted so he began to back up. "Okay, well... guess I-I'll go and come back later then," Mikey nervously half-laughed.
"You don't have to leave," Leo suddenly spoke up, making Mikey freeze in place. "I was... done anyway and the dojo's big enough for both of us," he offered with a strained smile.
Mikey nodded uncomfortably and went to the storage closet for two small weights to get on with his exercises and the pair then worked on their own things in awkward silence.
-:-
Lunchtime rolled around before the others made an appearance. Donatello only stopped by the kitchen long enough to grab a coffee and an apple before slinking off to his lab and once Raph appeared, he seemed determined to spend the day whaling away at the punching bag. Meanwhile, Splinter asked Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael if they would join him in meditation later that evening and Leo quickly agreed, the other two, far more grudgingly. They obviously didn't want to but seemed to recognise the need to be together and Mikey quickly made himself scarce, sequestering himself in his borrowed room with his sketchbook in lap and the door wide open. As he tried to let the lines flow, his thoughts wandered and so did his fingers as he found himself texting April.
Turtle Titan: What kind of person is the other Mikey anyway?
He tapped his finger against the back of the phone anxiously as he waited for a reply, hoping he didn't upset April too much by asking. He'd heard a bit from time to time about their Mikey but for the most part, the others didn't like to talk about him, afraid of hurting too much. They did, however, talk often about how they might go about finding him, often in repetitive circles as new ideas eluded them. Finding him was a feat far easier said than done.
Great Ape: Y? :-s
Turtle Titan: I'm curious. I feel like I should know something about the dude other than what he and his bedroom looks like.
Great Ape: He's excitable, bubbly, almost always wears a smile. Acts more confident than he rly is. Loves pranking and skateboarding and would do almost anything for his family. He's very immature and not the brightest academically speaking but he's very intuitive and just wants to make friends and for everyone to b happy.
Mikey stared down at the text thoughtfully. It was all very generic but he didn't blame April for the lack of detail considering they'd only known each other for just over a week. Still...
Turtle Titan: Wud I b right in thinking he's the type who wud want his bros to celebrate even if he can't b there?
Turtle Titan: I mean, I know I wud if it was me.
Great Ape: …
Mikey stared at the phone waiting but no answer came and after five minutes of waiting in anticipation, he put it down in favour of his sketchpad. Fifty minutes later, she finally replied.
Great Ape: He is but I hope you aren't thinking of doing anything.
Turtle Titan: Just something small :-l
Turtle Titan: What do they normally do?
Turtle Titan: I thought I cud make a cake and u and Casey come down. It's always so much worse when you're alone on a day like this and they're wallowing. Badly. I don't like seeing them lyk this.
Great Ape: *sigh* Mike, I'm not sure it's a good idea but... I'm in. I'll see if Casey can come and if so, we'll b there about 5. That ok?
Turtle Titan: Perfect! Can u bring down some chocolate covered coffee beans with u? And some Candles? Just the number 16.
Turtle Titan: oh! And cream!
Great Ape: Alright. I have to gt back to class. Later!
Mikey grinned. He still didn't know what they normally did but that was okay. He jumped off the bed and with a spring in his step, headed for the kitchen.
-:-
"What the hell're you doing?" a belligerent voice suddenly asked, making Mikey whirl in fright to see Raph standing in the doorway. He forced a bright smile onto his face and himself to calm down; he really was far too jumpy since finding himself in this world.
"Baking a cake," he answered cheerfully as he turned back to the kitchen bench. The cake itself, one slab chocolate, and one slab vanilla was cooling on a rack nearby. In front of him, he squeezed out a small portion of icing and flattened it before picking up a skewer and a sharp knife to shape it with.
"Why?" Raph countered, his voice dark and threatening.
"I thought it would be nice, dude," Mikey returned, concentrating hard on his work so he wouldn't let the hotheaded turtle intimidate him. "Baking's relaxing."
"You better not be making that for Mutation Day," Raph growled threateningly.
"What's Mutation Day?" Mikey asked innocently, only to hear Raph snort derisively behind him.
"Like you don't know!" he spat furiously. "I know someone told you by now!"
Mikey turned around and fixed Raphael with a look. He would not be intimidated and he would not be stopped. "I like baking, okay? Like I said, relaxing and I thought it'd be nice to make something." He glanced critically at the icing sakura shapes on the table, hoping Raph wouldn't look too closely at them. They were terrible; he was so out of practice at this sort of thing and they sucked but he was getting better at least. Honestly, he'd happily admit the truth about what he was doing later but if he did now, Raph might put a stop to it and he wasn't sure he could handle that kind of aggression on so little sleep. He'd been better last night thanks to the music but he had yet to find a station to stream that suited him. "You don't have to have any, you know. I'm sure everyone else would love a bigger slice. Hey, does Grandpa have a sweet tooth? I hope it's not as bad as my father's," he prattled on cheerfully as he turned his shell on Raph and set to work on the cake decorations again. "I bet Donnie does! If I can remember the recipe, I'm so going to have to make my special mocha muffins for him one day."
Raph gave him an impatient look as he barged past for the fridge and a bottle of water. Then stormed out of the kitchen as Mikey kept babbling on. The moment he left, Mikey breathed a deep sigh of relief.
-:-
When April and Casey arrived, she found Mikey in the kitchen looking intently at his T-phone as he followed a recipe to make karaage chicken and tempura vegetables. He didn't have quite the right ingredients for the batter but figured he could make do.
April looked about, cringing at the mess before grinning as she saw several smears of flour across Mikey's face. "Having fun?" she teased.
Mikey looked up with a broad grin. Other than the brief, uncomfortable encounter with Raph, he was and told her so. "Definitely! So... did you bring the goods?"
"So impatient!" April laughed, taking the bag off her back and pulling out the requested items to hand over. Mikey gleefully took them, immediately hiding the candles out of sight. "What did you want the coffee beans for anyway?"
"Decoration for the cake."
April blinked. "Weird decoration but okay. Can I help?"
Mikey beamed at her. "Yeah, can you whip the cream?"
"Sure," April nodded, reaching over for a bowl and the handheld mixer waiting on the table.
"When it just starts to thicken, fold in the icing sugar, chopped strawberries and some cocoa powder for a nice chocolatey flavour," Mikey instructed, motioning to the icing sugar already sifted and measured out.
"Okay," April agreed.
After a few minutes, Mikey looked over. "Looks like it could use a bit more cocoa powder but test it first to make sure."
"Wouldn't it be better if you tested it?"
Mikey was silent half a second too long before he forced cheer back into his voice. "Nah, I trust you. Besides, dudette, I'm busy with this."
"Okay," April replied oddly with a slight frown. "You know, I can cook but I don't really have much baking experience."
"If you ever want more, I could teach you," Mikey teased, glancing over at her.
April nodded slowly. "We'll see," she said noncommittally. She grabbed a spoon to taste the cream with, then deciding Mikey right, added a little more cocoa, mixed and tasted again. When she was satisfied, she addressed Mikey again. "What now?"
"Put a layer about a quarter of an inch thick on the vanilla slab," he instructed, motioning to the cake layers nearby. "It doesn't need to be perfect. When you sandwich the chocolate on top, it'll even it out but try to get it close at least."
Once April was finished, she looked to Mikey who was frying the chicken. "There's a lot left over. Did you want it on top or do you have something else in mind?"
"Yeah, spread it across the top and down the sides. Use a butter knife to smooth it out. Then decorate it with the icing sakura, they should be solid enough by now. Then arrange the chocolate beans around the side."
Not long later, April was finished. She was pleasantly surprised and proud of how it looked and at Mikey's urging, put the cake in the fridge. As Mikey took out the karaage and cooked the veggies instead, she began to clean up. When he was done, he too, helped clean, laughing when April pushed him out the door for a quick, emphasis on quick, shower, promising she'd set the table while he was gone.
-:-
"What is this?" Splinter asked flatly as he stood in the kitchen doorway, gazing at the table. His sons and Casey stood just behind, trying to peek past him.
In lieu of a tablecloth the Hamato family did not own, Mikey and April had grabbed a spare clean bedsheet and laid it across the table. Mikey had raided the meditation candle supply, placing two of them on the table, at the one-third and two-thirds positions - he only hoped they were either lightly scented or had none because he couldn't tell and hadn't wanted to ask April and give himself away. On the table were bowls filled with a tossed salad, karaage chicken, tempura vegetables and noodles. The table was set with chopsticks, plates and glasses of water, along with a teapot filled with green tea. Thanks to disliking tea himself, he wasn't an expert at making it, unlike Leo, but he'd made the effort and hoped it was at least decent.
Mikey grinned sheepishly. "We didn't have quite the right ingredients for stuff an~d this was my first time cooking this stuff so I hope it's alright. April gave me lots of help too," he added, shooting her a grateful look.
Once Splinter walked further in, Leo followed, frowning, "You shouldn't have gone to the trouble, Mike. I told you this morning that we weren't celebrating this year."
Mikey straightened self-consciously, suddenly wondering if he'd made a huge mistake after all, but no, he stood by his decision and shook his head. "I know, Leo but..."
"Mikey would want you to and you know it," April cut in bluntly when Mikey faltered.
Leo and Donnie exchanged sad, uncomfortable looks while Raph glared at the table, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.
Mikey nodded emphatically. "From what I've heard about him, he totally would and I know I would too. We kept it low-key, though. Just small..." he glanced nervously at April again, trailing off.
Donnie hesitated a moment more, then swallowing, he looked up and around at his brothers and said, "It... could be good for us. It'd be better than wallowing in our misery and at least we'd be together. We could always hold another, bigger celebration when we finally get him back."
Raph's scowl intensified as he crossed his arms across his plastron belligerently, looking away in a huff.
Splinter abruptly strode towards his usual seat at the head of the table, stopping immediately before it. He regarded Michelangelo and April seriously, then gave a decisive nod. "You are both correct when you say that Michelangelo would wish for us to still celebrate so since you have both put in such effort, we shall do so. Come, my sons, Casey, sit," he commanded quietly.
Leonardo, Donatello and Casey made their way to the table but Raph stood his ground, glaring instead at Mikey in betrayal.
"So you lied when I asked what you were doing," he accused, sounding incredibly hurt and angry.
Mikey exchanged another worried glance with April. "Actually, I didn't lie, Raph," he said quietly. "I said I was baking a cake because I like baking and that was the truth and I never agreed with or denied the other reason. You chose to leave without pressing the issue, dude."
Donnie made a small noise of amusement as Raph's scowl managed to deepen further.
"Semantics!" he spat.
"Not really," Mikey shrugged. "Look, like I said, we kept it low key so it's not too much for you but I think you could all use this. Like, you know, anything's possible, you just gotta believe it, dude. Besides, when you do find your bro, what would you rather tell him? That you put aside health and happiness in favour of moping because you don't know how to get to him? He'll understand and wouldn't want you to kill yourself trying, you know what I mean?" The pissed-off look on Raph's face somehow continued to grow, a feat Mikey wouldn't have thought possible so Mikey gave a small apologetic smile and backed off; pressing him further would not help. "You don't have to eat, dude but it'd be a shame to let all this food go to waste and while I know it's not traditional Japanese food, it should still taste good."
Raph gave the table a dismissive look and as he did, he saw the hope and longing on the faces of his family and friends and he sighed, making sure to sound extra put out. Then he reluctantly made his way to the table, sitting between Casey and Donnie and as far away from Mike as possible.
-:-
While the night started off slow and awkward, good food and company soon turned things around and before long, stories and laughter replaced the previous melancholy mood. As was tradition, Splinter eventually retold the story of how he and his sons became a family and in turn, when prompted, Mikey told the story of his family's beginnings. A story that he'd previously only told Splinter in full and Casey loudly expressed his understanding of "So that's why you keep calling him grandpa!" Mikey grinned broadly at that, while Splinter groaned good-naturedly, knowing it had now stuck forever.
Being a school night, April and Casey left before too late and the four remaining teenagers retired to the living area to have a pinball competition.
Mikey watched on, awaiting his turn and cheering on Donnie raucously as his mathematical mind allowed him to easily kick shell against Leo and Raph. When his turn finally came, he knew he wouldn't stand a chance but that didn't stop him cheerfully boasting, "Well played, Donnie-boy but you don't stand a chance against the Battle Nexus Champion!" as he pushed the taller turtle out of the way.
Raph snorted derisively. "Yeah, I saw you play the other night, Mike. You couldn't even beat me! You got no chance!"
Mikey huffed, preparing to bite back that that was because he hadn't yet learnt the machine and now he had. However, before he could open his mouth, Donnie frowned.
"What's the Battle Nexus? Is it another pinball machine?"
"How dare you!" Mikey gasped out dramatically, spinning to mock-glare at Donnie and surprised he'd never heard of it. Then again, he suddenly remembered guiltily that his own father had hidden the existence of the Battle Nexus from him and his brothers for years so it made sense that they hadn't heard of it before now either. "It's only the biggest martial arts tournament ever. People from all over the multiverse come to..." he trailed off, his eyes widening as realisation hit. The Battle Nexus! It was his ticket home! He turned and pelted for the dojo where Splinter had retired to meditate while the rest of them went to play pinball.
"You giving up already?" Raph called after him, smirking as he exchanged looks with his brothers. However, Mike didn't appear to hear him. Instead, he bound rapidly up the steps, vaulting across the threshold and out of sight. Raph looked at Leo and Donnie again, before all three set off after the wayward turtle.
"Grandpa-sensei!" Mikey called frantically, skidding to a halt in front of the ninja master and creating a ridge in the rug before him.
Splinter opened a single eye to gaze up at Michelangelo as his remaining sons filtered into the room behind him, obviously confused. "What is it, Michelangelo?" he asked, opening his other eye and canting an eyebrow curiously.
"The Battle nexus!" Mikey panted excitedly. He bounced from one leg to the other frantically. "You know how to get there, right? Because the Daimyo can totally get me home and he can definitely help you find your Mikey!"
-:-
A/N: ugh... Just love seeing FFNet kill my formatting... (for the texting conversation)
Comments, thoughts and concrit are always welcome.
* If you ever see my stories posted anywhere other than under the name Zelgadis55 at Deviant Art, FFNet, AO3 or Live Journal, then they have been stolen. Please report them.