Life-Breathing, check it out on FF.net :D

[MutantRebel]

Life Breathing
Summary: What happens when the one that was believed to be lost comes back to haunt you? AU.
Rated T; Spiritual/Hurt/Comfort

Here is the link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6423546/1/Life_Breathing\

Hope you read and enjoy; please leave feedback and let me know what you think : D

[MutantRebel]

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6423546/1/Life_Breathing

Life-Breathing

Chapter 0

"Hey bro," Raph said solemnly as he slowly sunk down to the grassy floor, folding his legs underneath him in a fashion that he and his other brother's were familiar with. The blades of glass and soil beneath his denim encased legs were still wet from the short lived rain showers that had recently ended; the hot-blooded ninja didn't seem to care for his dampened surroundings though. Getting the smell of wet, musky earth stuck to his clothing was something that didn't really matter to him at the moment. All that matter to him now, in this space of time, was this meeting...

Raphael was silent for several minutes, contemplating the jumble of words that were piling up in his head, desperately trying to stitch them together to make a sentence. One of his large green hands reached back to scratch the back of his neck- a nervous gesture, "So...uh-" He cleared his throat deeply "-Mona's pregnant again. It's gonna be a while til we can find out what da genda is but we're pullin' for a boy this time..."

There was no reply; he didn't expect there to be one anyway but it would be nice to hear his brother's voice again after so long. Hell, if he had to give up one of his own limbs just to hear his brother call him a 'ninja school drop out' or a 'hot-head' again, he would do it in a heartbeat- no questions asked. As much as he had fought with his older brother when they were growing up in the old sewer home and as annoying as his brother got when it came to his 'Splinter Jr.' acts and long winded lectures, he would be more than willing to deal with it all over again if it mean to see the blue-clad ninja again.

Raph swallowed thickly, feeling his throat begin to clench up with emotions that could only be invoked by the mention or thought of his brother. He quickly looked down at his tightly clenched fists, resting idly upon his lap as if they were getting ready to hit something. He took a deep, searching breath and exhaled, slowly and smoothly, before he looked ahead again, "U-uh... everyone's doin' okay, doin' their own thing and all. Micky's a drummer in this gig-hoppin' band now and Donnie's... well...Donnie's doin' what he does best. I would describe it ta yah betta but... I wouldn't be able ta even if I tried. It's all a bunch of science mumbo-jumbo anywayz. And Masta Splinta... well..." Raph sighed, looking back down at his lap, his eye ridges pulled in together before furrowing, "Me and Masta Splinta opened up a dojo... you know, ta teach people ninjutsu."

He paused as his eyes began to feel the burn of sadness; he let out a humorless laugh before continuing, "It's funny; I always thought you and dad would open up a school togetha and that I would... I don't know, become a police officer or somethin' like that, once we were about to walk outside with the humans and all."

No response. Raph went on, barely able to keep his emotions in check as he did, "I... I, uh... I finally told Dorothy about ya. Y-ya know, my little girl? She saw a picta of ya and wanted ta know who ya were. I told her that you were her Uncle Leo and that..." He paused, his light amber eyes began to fog over as his emotions finally broke the surface, "...And that... ya saved my life."

There was another pause as Raph swiftly rose one of his fist to wipe at his eyes. He didn't like to cry but whenever he came to this place, it always seemed to force him to do just that, "Ya shouldn't have done it, bro. I-I wasn't worth it. I would've made it out alright. We would've both made it out alive instead of just...one of us."

"Raphael..." The sai-user looked up and to the side to see that his aged rat of a father, as old as he was, had stealthily placed himself beside the turtle. The grey furred senior, with an expression of vivid sorrow, glanced down at his second oldest son as he simultaneously rested a gentle hand upon the turtle's head as a comforting gesture, "Leonardo did what he believed in his heart was right. He did what any good older brother would've done- he protected his younger brother at all cost."

Raphael couldn't help the tears that began to fall down his face at his father's words before he roughly turned away from the older man and back to the truth that rested before him, "Well it was stupid of him, sensei! If... I-If he wasn't such a goody-goody, he would still... we would all be..."

Splinter swiftly sat down beside his hot-blooded son- a seemingly odd thing to do for a man his age, especially with such fluidity- and provided him with a sad, pitiful smile, "Even if you tried to stop him, he would have done everything in his power to protect you and the others from harm. We remember him, now, as an honorable and noble hero- a warrior- as well as a man with a heart of gold. You would have done the same if your places were switched, as would all of us."

Raphael couldn't argue with that, even if he tried. He knew that his father was right; Leo would have done everything in his power to ensure that his family was safe, no matter what anyone said or did to try and stop him. '...Stupid Splinta Jr...'

Raph glared at the tombstone before him as if it had does some sort of harm to him. He read the words displayed upon the marble stone, like he had so many time before:

'Leonardo Hamato

June 8th 1988 - August 28th 2010

A True Hero, A Good Friend, and A Loving Brother'

No matter how many times he read it, no matter how many years had past since his brother's passing, he still couldn't believe that Leo, his confidant and consciousness, his older brother, was gone from this world for good. He still expected to wake up one morning to find that it was all nothing but a dream and that Leo was still alive and well, rising with the sun and training until everyone else woke up... but Raph knew that that hope was for not. His brother was gone and there was nothing he could do to change that.

Raph bit his lower lip hard enough so as to not draw blood, holding back another round of tears that started to boil over the rim of his eyes. He felt his father lightly lay one of his long, boney hands upon one of his fisted ones as another comforting gesture before the youngest of the two spoke again, "I... I miss him sensei..."

The grey rat sighed sadly; he was grieving as strongly as Raphael was but he was far less emotional than the other. The only time he had cried for his lost son was when the boys returned home after their fight, carrying their fallen brother through the door. His soul had moved on and the senior had hoped that his eyes had been deceiving him; there was no such luck. He had cried that whole night- like everyone else did-grieving and praying that his eldest son and student had found peace after many years of training and fighting; he deserved it after all.

"I miss him as well, Raphael. After all, it is always a sad thing when a parent outlives one of their children; it is something that shouldn't have to be," Raphael didn't reply but he agreed; he felt the same way about his little girl and hoped that she would live a full and happy life.

They both sat in peaceful silence as they quietly grieved and paid their respects to their fallen family member; ignoring the overcast rain clouds and the wet, humid scent of an oncoming storm. It wasn't until the two heard and felt the soft pitter patter of rain droplets did they decide to leave for home, back to their present lives and away from the memories that had stopped four year ago, on August 28th, 2010.

[MutantRebel]

A/N: I hope you guys like this. I am really like where this story is going and it seems to flow pretty easily… though I am not so sure about this chapter really (sweatdrop). Tell me what you guys think of it. Also, your feedback was most helpful; thank you so much (bows).

Life-Breathing

Chapter 1 Life Goes On? (Pt 1)

August 29th 2014.
3:10 am; Sunnyside Diner, Brooklyn...

"Here you go hon," said a sweet but flirty waitress to a hooded stranger as she politely slipped is ordered dish on top of the table before him, "Turkey sandwich on rye with a side of french fries. Is there anythin' else I can get for ya, sweetie? Maybe somthin' ta drink?"
The stranger looked up at her from his seated position, his gentle but powerful blue eyes, much like the bluish gray skies of a fading storm scanning over her face swiftly. Even though a great deal of his face was hidden behind his dark hooded jacket and his scarf, the waitress had a feeling that he was smiling at her. She knew that the man was a mutant… but for a mutant, he sure seemed like a good-looking piece of man-meat… well, from what she could see of him anyway.
"Actually, yes," The nameless mutant said in a polite but strong voice, despite the fact that his words were somewhat muffled by his knitted scarf, "I was wondering if the name 'Splinter' means anything to you? Do you, by any chance, know anybody by that name?"
The blonde, voluptuous waitress blinked down at the man before she crossed her arms underneath her bosom, her baby blue eyes turned towards the ceiling as she thought on the name. It was a very odd and memorable name; if she had heard of it, she would have remembered it, without a doubt. She looked back down at him with an apologetic face while shrugging her shoulders, "Sorry, hon. Doesn't ring any bells."
The mutant's eyes sadden slightly before he turned back to his meal; his posture slouched a bit with minimal defeat before he spoke again, "Oh… I see."
The blonde lightly tapped her lower lip in thought, visually taking in the stranger for the umpteenth time since he had entered the diner twenty minutes ago. Besides having the physical physique of an athlete or a hunk, he appeared to be a bit… lost. He would have reminded her of a run-away teenager if it wasn't for the fact that he looked and carried himself like a man in his mid to late twenties. Perhaps he was a criminal on the run? That would explain why he was covering his face so generously in a place as public as a diner.
She thought on that for a quick minute before mentally dismissing it; he was far too shy and polite to be a criminal and far too comfortable with his surroundings to be classified as suspicious or shifty. Maybe he just recently became homeless, putting everything he valued in a duffle bag—which lay on the floor just beside his feet—and he was in search for someone that could help him? Perhaps the 'Splinter' he was looking for was someone that he was told could help him?
…Or maybe she was just running with her imagination on this one?
"Hey doll," She said sweetly, coaxing those gentle blue eyes to turn to her once again, "If you need to get in touch with someone or find someone, I know this guy that can help ya. He's a private investigator with his own braggin' rights."
His eyes seemed to brighten ever so slightly at the offer, "Really? It wouldn't be too much trouble if I asked for his assistance, would it?"
The waitress couldn't help but blush a little at the stranger's politeness, "Well ain't you just the sweetest thing, and no, it won't be any trouble. He needs to get off his fat, lazy behind after that long shell vacation he took a couple of months back anywayz. I have to warn you though—he don't do this kind of stuff for free."
The mutant nodded with understanding, "That's fine. How much does he charge for his services?"
'Huh… so much for the homeless theory,' She thought, raising an eyebrow curiously, before answering him, "About $40 to $60, give or take."
"Hmm… that shouldn't be too much of a problem," The stranger said, his voice laced with mirth as he bow his head her direction formally, surprising her once again, "Thank you so much, miss."
"It's no problem, hon," She smiled widely down at him before lightly jerking her chin in the direction of his plate, "Now eat up while I go get his card for ya."
He chuckled, "Yes ma'am."
---
9:43 am; The Hamato Residence, Manhattan
"……"
"…Raph—"
"Shh…!"
"……" Sigh, "Raph, you're not going to hear anything."
"And why the hell not?" said the most muscular of the turtle brothers, momentarily removing his ear from his fiancée's abdomen to look up at her with a raised eye ridge.
"Didn't I tell you the same thing for Dorothy?" Mona said, her face scrunched up with playful irritation as she stared down at him, "You're not going to hear anything until five to six weeks into the pregnancy. It's only the second week, babe."
"…Well that's stupid," Raphael grumbled, pressing his ear to Mona's abdomen again, his face scrunched up with concentration as if doing so would improve his hearing somehow, "This is my kid we're talkin' about. They should be makin' noise as early as conception."
Mona Lisa rolled her golden brown eyes as she absentmindedly caressed the back of Raph's head in a soothing manner. Her fiancé could be stubborn and illogical at times but it was never intolerable; more amusing than anything, "I'm surprised that you can comprehend such a long word Raphie."
His growl vibrated against her skin, causing the lizard lady to giggle softly, "Don't call me Raphie…"
"Whatever you say… Raphie."
"Mona…" was all Raph said before he fell quiet, opting to listen instead.
The two mutants were still in bed, too awake to go back to sleep but too tired to actually get up and make breakfast. Mona had been awakened by a curious Raphael who had unceremoniously nuzzled the side of his face into the softer area of her underbelly, right where her bellybutton was. His arms wrapped protectively around her middle as he had settled against her comfortably, breathing in the scent of her reptilian skin and waiting patiently for a heart that was far too underdeveloped to be heard. It was cute and all but…she had a feeling that Raphael wasn't just trying to listen in for their baby's first movements. She believed--well, she actually knew--;that he was being overprotective of her and their unborn child, even though they were in the comfort and safety of their own home. He only got this way when he visited his brother's grave and, considering that the day before was the anniversary of Leonardo's death, he seemed far more shielding than his usual self.
Mona sighed softly, caressing the back of Raph's bald, emerald green head again before her voice broke the silence enveloping the room, "Do you… do you want to talk about it?"
"…No," He said carefully, "I'm fine Mona. I'm just… well…"
"Yes?"
He sighed, turning his head again to look up at her with a level gaze, "I'm just missin' my brotha. No matter how much of a pain in the shell he used to be sometimes, I still miss 'em."
Mona nodded, lifting herself up in a sitting position so that she could lean down and place a gentle kiss just above one of his eye ridges. When she pulled back, Raphael's amber eyes gaze back up at her with silent curiosity, "Things will get better, babe."
"I hope so…"
----
"Aww, why do you have to be so damn cute!" cooed a certain orange-wearing, pizza-loving mutant turtle as his girl friend, Emily, sleepily shuffled her way into the Hamato's kitchen wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers and a dark orange thermal shirt that was obviously too big for her. Her chilly red hair, usually worn in a cute pixie cut, was now wild and unruly from sleep. Both of her tiny fists, hidden by the long sleeves of the shirt, had balled themselves up to wipe away the last bits of sand from her eyes before she looked over at her boyfriend curiously.
Despite the fact that Mikey Hamato was supposed to keep an eye on the breakfast he was making for the family, he couldn't help but haphazardly drop his grease cover spatula on the floor just so he could dash over and cuddle the significantly smaller other to his bare plastron. The girl let out a small squeak, barely having time to brace herself as she was hugged and snuggled like a life sized teddy bear.
"…,"Emily shook her head as she quickly got over the early morning shock, allowing her slender little arms to reach up and wrap around his neck, returning the hug with a little less enthusiasm; unlike Mikey, she wasn't exactly a morning person.
"G'morning little red," Mikey said cheerfully, pulling back slightly so that he could stare down into those deep pools of mercury. Emily reply with her own morning greeting by standing up on the tips of her toes, lightly cupping the sides of Mike's face in her petite hands as she kissed the tip of his nose sweetly.
Mikey grinned at the response before fully letting go of her, "I'm making bacon, eggs, and pancakes for breakfast. Would you like something extra? Maybe a fruit salad or a bagel?"
She shook her head—a negative response—as she politely walked past him so that she could sit at the table. He smiled after her as he when back to his task, swiftly scooping up his fallen spatula and wiping it off with a paper towel before using it again.
"So how did you sleep Em?" Mikey asked, flipped a pancake into the air with acrobatic ease, "My room wasn't too messy for you, was it?"
Emily smiled lightly at the chipper terrapin, shaking her head in reply.
"Ah, good. I've been trying to get around to giving it a full out clean but I never seem to have the time. Master Splinter has always gotten on me when it comes to time management."
Emily raised an eyebrow at him, leaning back in her chair and giving him a playfully dull expression, as if to hint towards something obvious.
Mikey pouted at the expression, "And here I thought you were on my side…"
Emily giggled lightly to herself before she sat up right again, smiling sweetly at her boyfriend as he continued to make breakfast for her and the rest of his family. Although it seemed like she was at home at the Hamato residence, she really didn't live with them. She lived in a quaint little studio apartment several city blocks away but couldn't stand the lonely of it sometimes. She hated the silence—it always got to her if she was enveloped in it for far too long. That was one of the reasons why she felt so attracted to Michelangelo in the first place: he was always talking, he was rarely saddened, and he always tried to make people laugh. He was her exact opposite and she adored him for it.
As much as Michelangelo adored the little red head, he had to admit that she was no where close to his type of woman. His type was a beach blonde hottie with tanned skin, big blue eyes, and the body of a model. Emily had the cute body type of a pixie with creamy colored skin. Her hair was the brightest, most vivid shade of red he had ever seen and her big, doe eyes were an open, stormy grey. See? Not his type at all… but she got him and understood him almost as well as his family did. She could get underneath his skin and ninja her way into his mind… and he loved every moment of it…
"Mikey?" said turtle turned to the kitchen doorway just in time to his genius of a brother, Donatello, lazily walking into the room, still wearing his clothing from the night before, "Did you start the coffee?"
Michelangelo wrinkled his nose in disgust, taking in his disheveled brother before answering, "Yeah, it's almost done and you fell asleep in yesterday's clothing? Wait… did you even sleep?"
Donnie rolled his eyes in his brother's general direction as he made his way to the kitchen table, "Yes, I slept. I just feel asleep at my lab table. I was aiming for an all-nighter but, alas, I failed."
"Epically," Mikey said with a smirk, his nose still slightly twisted at the odor Donnie brought in, "You could've at least taken a shower before you came in here, smelling like armpits, overheated computer chips, and chemical stank."
"Oh shut up you metrosexual," Donnie said irritably, taking a seat across from Emily as he did. Emily giggled lightly to herself, watching the two brother's lightly argue with each other.
"Don't laugh at him, Em. He only thinks he's funny."
Donnie smirked over his shoulder at his younger brother, "I only state what's true."
In retaliation, Michelangelo swiftly stuck his tongue out at the brainy turtle before he when back to cooking. Donnie rolled his eyes again, "Oh, very classy Mikey," He said before turning to Emily, smiling at her warmly, "Good morning Emily."
She smiled back, lifting one of her hands and wiggling her fingers slightly—a small wave of greeting.
"Are you guys going to band practice today?"
"Nah," Mikey said, answering for the little red head, "We went yesterday… and you know what yesterday was."
Donnie paused before his mocha colored eyes fell on the table; a tinge of sadness lightly touched his face as he did. The brainy turtle had gone to see his fallen brother the day before the anniversary, since he had a busy work schedule to catch up with, but he was still feeling a bit nostalgic from the visit, "Yeah…"
Mikey's smiled sadly as he went on, "So I was thinking of dropping by the grave today to paying my respects. I don't know what I'm gonna do for the rest of the day though. I guess that's up to little red."
Emily chuckled before speaking for the first time since she had entered the kitchen, "It's up to you, Mikey…"
Michelangelo almost dropped his spatula and scoop his girlfriend up in his arms once again but he resisted the urge; instead, he opted to grin widely at her. It was rare for him to hear her voice, especially in the presence of others and at this time of day. He never knew why she hardly talked; her voice was always so sweet and soothing, like warm honey.  Whenever he asked about it, she said that she would tell him the reason someday soon, she just wasn't comfortable with tell him so early in their relationship. He reluctant agreed and kept quiet about it ever since… no matter how much his curiosity was killing him.
Mikey cleared his throat, trying to hide his embarrassingly huge smile but failed miserably, "How about a movie/pizza date?"
She nodded as Donnie interjected, shaking his head at the couple, "You guys are so damn cute it's making my insides turn into mush…"
Mikey sucked his teeth, scooping a large series of bacon out of the pan and directly onto a serving plate, "No one likes a hater bro?"
"What does that even mean?" Donnie said touchily, quickly getting up—as much as his morning slowness would allow him—once the coffee maker went off, alerting all that it was finished with making the coffee. He snatched his custom made "#1 Mad Scientist" mug (… don't ask XD) from the counter top before he approached the machine as if it was the Holy Messiah himself.
"…Do you live under a rock?" Mikey retorted, staring at the back of Donnie's head with a mixture of mock anger and shock, "Wait… never mind. You live under a laboratory; same difference."
"And you need to find a plug for that hole in your face," Donnie retorted as he poured himself a mug full of liquid sunshine before he made his exit, heading back to the area that had been designated as his room/work space.
Mikey glared as his brother's shell as he slowly made his exit, "Well… your face is a hole."
Donnie's eyes rolled to the ceiling as he ignored his younger brother's last statement, shaking his head the whole way as he sauntered slowly towards his place of solace and peace—his lab.

also here:http://lolitasmemoir.deviantart.com/#/d31xebq
and here:http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6423546/1/Life_Breathing

Let me know what you think

[MutantRebel]

Life-Breathing

Chapter 2 Life Goes On? (Pt 2)

August 23rd, 2010

Underground; The Sewer Home[/i]

"Don? Can I… talk to you for a second?"

Donatello stopped typing away at his computer, his head turned abruptly from the large, illuminating screen to see his blue clad brother saunter over to him. The brainy turtle had been in the middle of gathering the crucial data he needed to for upgrading the Battle Shell, as well as all the other technological battle gear that they held in their possession. It was one of the genius' ways of preparing for a big fight and it seemed that everyone else could sense the upcoming battle as well. Master Splinter was on edge, as if he were waiting for an enemy to attack at any given time. Michelangelo was actually practicing his katas rather than play videogames or reading comic books for the whole day…which was surprising to say the least. Raphael, who had been busy preparing for the arrival of his and Mona's baby, was either meditating in the dojo or training vigorous for hours on end. And Leonardo… well… Leonardo was quiet. He didn't give his usual 'fearless leader' speeches or provide helpful side notes whenever his brothers trained. To say that his eldest brother's actions were unnerving was an understatement…

"Uh, sure Leo," Donnie said, taking in his brother's light colored eyes and seeing, firsthand, the uneasiness and turmoil that was veiled behind them. The brainy turtle turned in his computer chair to fully face Leo, "What's on your mind?"

The fearless leader stared at his brother for a long time before his gazed shifted to floor, apparently searching his mind for the right words to say. No matter how harsh or unedited something sounded, Leo still said it without hesitation. This was something else that seemed to be off about the blue wearing turtle, since Leonardo seemed to always know what to say. Now it seemed like his words were being suppressed, as if he knew what he wanted to say but couldn't say in it blunted or truest form. So the real question in the situation: what was Leo trying not to say?

"Donnie…,"Leo sighed out, his tone melancholic and his eyes filled with intensity when he made eye contact with Don again. At this point, Donatello, for a lack of a better expression, was really starting to get freaked out; Leo hadn't used that nickname for him since they were twelve—the only ones that called him that still were Mikey and Raphie, "Can I ask you something?"

Donnie's wide brown eyes softened slightly even if they still hide a hint of curiosity and worry. Despite his brother's weird behavior, he knew that he couldn't refuse a request from someone who had always protected him, through thick and thin. He nodded, "Of course."

Leo smiled softly—a somewhat sad smile—as he continued with his question, "Donnie… if something were to happen to me"—Donnie didn't like where this was going— "Something… bad, would you become the leader in my place?"

The purple clad turtle looked up at his older brother with disbelieving eyes, as if the fearless leader had just told him something absolutely and ridiculously implausible. The idea of something happening to Leo that would leave him… incapable of leading was absolutely preposterous; with all the stuff the Hamato brother's have been through, one would thing that Leo was damn near immortal.

The intelligent turtle was silent for several moments before he stood up from his computer chair so that he could stand at eye level with the other, "Leo… where did this come from all of the sudden? Something bad happening to you?"

Leo's gaze remained unmoving and piercing, so much so that Donatello had to fight to maintain eye contact with him, "Please… it's a simple question."

The genius gulped lightly, "Well… I don't think that I would be the best choice for leader, in all honesty. I'm too weak of a ninja, Leo. The idea of me leading anything is a bit funny."

It was true that Donnie was the most gentle of the four brothers. Instead of choosing an offensive weapon, like his other brothers did, he choose a defensive weapon—the boa staff. Instead of focusing on the power behind his katas and attacks, he focused on the fluidity and gracefulness of it. Instead of thinking of ways to take down his enemies with brute force alone, he thought of stratagems that avoided unnecessary blood shed. Also, he knew, without a doubt, that if he were to go up against the Shredder by himself—like Leo had done one of the many times they had went up against him—he would be killed in a matter of seconds. How could he replace Leo if something happened to the courageous turtle? It was like… replacing a titan with a wannabe; a hero with a sidekick. It was laughable, really. In fact, Donnie would have laughed if Leonardo wasn't looking at him with such a serious face.

"Not true," Leo said, "Pure strength isn't the only thing that makes a leader. If that were the case, then Raph would have been the leader. If it wasn't for you and that brilliant mind of yours, Donnie, we'd all probably be dead by now."

Donatello couldn't help but blush a little; it wasn't often that he was complimented openly by any of his family members, "Uh… well…" What could he say to that?

"Just… just promise me something, Donnie… this one thing and that is all I will ever ask of you at this level of seriousness."

Donatello didn't like the tone of voice his brother was using but he slowly nodded his head anyway, silently urging him on.

"…Promise me that you will step in as the leader if something does happen to me."

Donnie looked away, conflicted, "But… but Leo…"

"I'm not saying something will happen to me... but it would give me some peace of mind to know someone with a level head took over after I was gone."

The genius didn't like how his brother was talking but he choose to simply answer him, even if the worry was so vividly painted across his own face, "…I-I promise."

Leo nodded, smiling that oddly melancholic smile that was making Don awfully uneasy, "Thank you Donnie."

Before he could mumble out a 'no problem', he was pulled into a tight hug that caused him to go ridged in his brother's hold. It took him a moment to realize what happened before he relaxed himself, his worry for his brother suddenly jumped from moderate to extreme levels. Not only was his brother abnormally melancholic but he suddenly knew how to show open affection. What the hell did that mean? "Uh, Leo? Is… is everything alright?"

He felt him nod against his shoulder slightly, "Yeah, everything's fine."

"…You sure?" Donnie double checked.

Leo paused for a second, seemingly contemplating his answer before he replied, "Yeah…"

After a couple of seconds, Donatello relaxed fully in his brother's arms before he slowly returned the hug, despite the weirdness and mystery that had started it in the first place.

It was the last hug they had ever shared together…

August 29th 2014

11:37 am; The Hamato Residence, Manhattan[/i]

"Donatello, my son, are you alright?" The turtle in question blinked rapidly before slowly turning away from one of the windows in their apartment loft to look at his father. He quickly glanced at his wrist watch and nearly balked at the time he saw; he had been so caught up in his own thoughts and memories that he ended up taking a much longer break than he had expected. He should have been back in his lab forty-five minutes ago.

Damn… now he would never catch up on his work…

"Ah, yes sensei," He responded sheepishly, reaching a hand back to scratch at the back of his bald head, his fingers absently brushed against the tails of his mask. He had been sitting comfortably in the window seat of the apartment, staring out into the open skies that hovered above the restless city of New York, "Sorry, I've been out of it for the past couple of days. There are a few deadlines that I have to meet by the 31st. Not only that, but the company is getting ready for this big award ceremony that I'm helping to organize and—"

"Donatello," The old gray rat interjected gently, causing the other's initial flow of words to stop abruptly, "For a ninja who has been trained in at art of stealth since adolescence, you have yet to learn how to fully mask your true emotions."

"F-father?" His voice came out with uncertainly, as if Donnie was hoping that his father had mistaken his mildly forlorn mood for something else. There was no such luck…

"My son… your face has always been an open book, even to those who ain't gifted with empathy or sensitivity," Master Splinter slowly walked over to sit at the other end of the window seat, "You still think of your brother's last days on Earth with such unwavering intensity… so much so that it hurts your heart every time you do."

Donatello looked down at his lap, ashamed. Splinter went on, "Would I be correct in assuming this?"

"I… I can't help it, sensei. Every time I look back at the days before Leo's… death, I can't help but feel like one of us, especially me, could have prevented it from happening."

The turtle swallowed, coating his dry throat with moisture before he continued, "I had known, sensei."

Splinter's eyebrow's furrowed at his son's words, "Donatello…"

"I did know, sensei. At the time, I couldn't piece it together fast enough but in the back of my mind, I knew something wasn't right with him. He was giving off all the signs of a possible suicide victim… but it wasn't a suicide. He had been murdered… and he had been acting as if he knew he was going to die."

"I would not be surprised if Leonardo had known when his time was to come," Donatello quickly looked up at his father, surprise and question swirled behind his wide, brown eyes, "There have been stories of great and courageous warriors who have correctly predicted that their next battle would be their last."

"But how could he have known that? How could he have possibly known something like that? There is no feasibly logical occurrence that could have told him that he was going to die," The brainy turtle shook his head, as if he were trying to convince himself rather than his sensei of what he was saying.

"Sometimes… there is no logic, my son," The elder of the two slowly reached over to lay a gentle, comforting hand on his second youngest son' shoulder, "Leonardo was extremely in tuned with the senses he needed to be a great ninja… that included the senses dealing with the unknown."

"If he knew he was going to die, then why did he have to come with us that night?"

Splinter's eyes softened further, watching the mild expression of misery on his son's face slowly morph into intense sorrow, "… I think you already know the answer to that Donatello."

He did know that answer but for some reason he felt the need to ask anyway. Even if Leo had known about his impending death or not—even if a divine deity came down from the heavens and told him, first hand, that he was going to die on his next mission—nothing would have stopped him from going. The courageous turtle would have done everything in his power to protect his family; he would never abandon them just to ensure his own safety.

Mocha eyes stared back at the aged ninjutsu master for a short, contemplative moment before they closed slowly, physically hiding the tears that were quickly beginning to build up; Ugh, he thought he was past this already! Donnie raised one of his arms to block his eyes, somewhat ashamed that he was shedding tears before his master, "Why couldn't he be selfish… for just that once?"

--

continued in next post...

[MutantRebel]

"Lily, what kind of uncle do you think Uncle Leo would have been if he hadn't gone away?" Dorothy asked her stuffed, floppy eared bunny that sat innocently on her bed as she shuffled across her room looking for her favorite turquoise sneakers. She was ecstatic—her father had offered, rather enthusiastically, to take her to the kid's park near their house. It was rare for him to take her out, since he was so busy with teaching advanced classes at the dojo, so this was some serious stuff for her. She finally had some time to be with her daddy.

Dorothy hummed in thought as she thought about the last place she had put her shoes, coming up blank every time. She released a frustrated sighed before she rushed over to her bed and swiftly dropped down to her knees so that she could look underneath it. Perhaps she accidently kicked them under there when she had been instructed by her mother to clean her room?

She blew raspberries when she stood back up, empty handed, "Daddy said that Uncle Leo was the only ninja that could beat him. Can you believe that, Lily? Someone who could beat daddy?"

The stuffed animal remained silent but, then again, it didn't really need to talk. Dorothy simply responded back to her as if she had spoken, "He must have been a very cool ninja. Huh… I wonder if he was nice…"

After a few more minutes of searching for her misplaced shoes, she released a sigh of defeat, running both of her tiny forest green hands through her short chestnut brown hair with mild frustration. She pouted, her wide golden eyes narrowed to the best of their ability, angry at herself for loosing her shoes for the umpteenth time since she had gotten them a couple of months ago. She really needed to start keeping track of the things that she truly treasured; the only thing she hasn't lost on a daily basis was her stuffed bunny, Lily.

She suddenly nodded vigorously to no one in particular… or maybe it was Lily; one could never in such a situation, "Daddy said that Uncle Leo was the… uh… 'strong, silent type'… I think that's what he called it… whatever that means. Hm… maybe that means he's really shy?" She turned to face the motionless stuffed animal, soundlessly snapping her fingers (since she had yet to learn from her father how to execute a perfect finger snap) as a physical 'eureka', "You know what? I bet he was really kind. Daddy said that Uncle was Grandpa Splinter incarnate and Grandpa's really really kind."

After a second of silence, Dorothy's childishly mirthful eyes saddened ever so slightly as she slowly moved over to her bed and climbed on top of it, crawling over to her artificial, cotton-based friend. She lifted the bunny with her tiny hands until her gaze was level with Lily's black button eyes, "Do you think he would've liked me…?"

Lily didn't respond for obvious reasons but Dorothy continued on, "I wish I met him before he left… but he's in a better place now. It is Heaven after all…"

"Baby doll?" Dorothy quickly turned at the sound of her father's rough voice, smiling brightly when she saw him leaning against the doorframe of her room, holding up her sneakers in all of its bright blue glory, "Ya lookin' for these?"

"You found them!" Dorothy, within the span of a single heartbeat, scrambled excitedly off of her bed and half skipped—half shuffled herself over to her father, raising her hands and dancing on the tips of her socked toes to receive her beloved footwear, "Where were they?"

"Ya left 'em in the livin' room," Raphael reprimanded gently, giving her the shoes, "I told ya to keep them stashed away when ya take 'em off. You can't just leave 'em in the middle the floor like that, Doe."

Dorothy blushed shamefully, frowning slightly, "Oh… I'm sorry daddy. I forgot."

"… It's alright. Ya betta be glad that it was me who found ya shoes and not ya motha. Ya know how much of a neat-freak she is," Raphael smiled reassuringly down at the little hybrid, lightly ruffling her hair in a playful way, "Now go get ya sweata. We're leavin' in a couple-a minutes. …Do ya need help with tyin' ya—"

"I got it," She cut him off promptly; her shining smile greeted the oldest turtle brother before she hurried off to the closet in the living room where her baby blue sweater resided. Raphael watched her pitter patter down the hallway until she vanished around the corner. He blinked after his daughter before he smiled proudly—his little girl was growing up so fast and he hadn't even seen it coming.

After a couple of seconds of standing in the girl's doorway, Raph turned back to look at the room one last time before he left the house, quickly spotting the ragdoll of a bunny rabbit resting ever so innocently on one of his daughter's powder green pillows. He sighed after staring at the thing for several moments before he reached for the knob and slowly closed the bedroom door, "… I wish you coulda met him too baby doll…"

--

3:40 pm; The AMC Empire 25 Movie Theater

"… So… no good movies out, huh?" Michelangelo said somewhat sheepishly as he and his little redhead stood just outside the reach of the line, looking over the movie times that stood above and behind the ticket counter. They had come from visiting Leonardo's grave and were currently going out… well… attempting to go out on date. They must have been standing there for a little over five minutes, silently looking over the possible movie choices with disappointment. The only things that were available to watch were movies they've already seen or movies that weren't worth their time.

Emily agreed with a quiet, "Uh uh."

Mikey hummed lowly in thought, reaching a hand back to rub at the back of his neck—a nervous gesture of his. Feeling any for of uncertainty was very much out of character for him but he couldn't help it. Although he had known Emily since the creation of their band, Late Night Pizza Delivery (A/N: I couldn't help it XD), two years ago, he had only been going out with her for a month and a half. He knew that Emily was completely different from his first girlfriend but he still felt that there was a possibility that he would say or do something to anger her or bore her. His first relationship was like walking on eggshells—it was filled with unnecessary drama and far too fast for his liking. With Emily, everything was enjoyable… sweet and slow, like a turtle—no pun intended. He was able to savor and truly enjoy what they had and he couldn't ask for anything more. All he had to do now was make sure he didn't mess it up…

"I have an idea," Mikey said with a chipper voice, turning to look down at her, automatically greeted by her warm grey gaze when the minute he did, "Why don't we have a movie night at your place tonight? We can go rent some movies and order a pizza pie. We can still have out pizza/movie date… just a little less complicated."

Emily stared up at the carefree mutant before she smiled pleasantly, nodded her head to let him know that she agreed with the idea, "…What movies?"

Mikey smiled at hearing her honey sweet voice but quickly answered, "Hmm… anything that isn't sappy or angsty or depressing… or has a sucky ending."

Emily giggled at his reply but nodded in response, timidly grabbing his three fingered hand and politely pulling him back through the front doors of the movie theaters and back out into the streets of New York. It took them about forty minutes or so to find a familiar movie rental that was close to Emily's apartment building; it was there that Mikey lost it. There were so many movies, everywhere from the most recently releases to the oldies that he and his brother's had grown up with before Donnie was able to get them free cable. There were movies that he had been meaning to see for the longest time but was unable to find them. There were movies that he had lost and wished to see again. There were just… movies; this had to be the mother load of all movie rentals.

"Have you been holding out on me, little red?" Mikey said, teasingly placing a hand over his heart, faking a hurt expression. Emily looked up from the two movies she had been briefly scanning over to give her anthropomorphic boyfriend a curious, wide-eyed look, trying to fathom what he was talking about.

"This place is a goldmine," Mikey said, emphasizing his point by pointing enthusiastically to every aisle that was in his view with an open palm, reminding Emily of someone trying to hale a taxi or, on a more dramatic not, someone trying to proclaim some sort of prophetic message. It was rather funny but she hid her chuckle well, "I don't think I'll go to a movie theater ever again as long as this place is still standing…"

Emily shook her head just as Mikey went off, scurrying across the store and scooping up DVDs like a kid would in a candy store. For a twenty-three year old, he was surprisingly jovial and child-like… then again, that's one thing that made Mike so special to her. She didn't know too many people that viewed the world like she did. As she went back to find movies of her liking, she briefly wondered about how different Michelangelo was compared to his other two brothers. Where Raphael was extremely masculine and impulsive and Donatello was polite and soft-spoken, Mikey was goofy and incredibly energetic. She sometimes wondered how she was able to keep up with him for so long.

Even his reactions to his diseased brother was different that his other surviving siblings. Where the other two were clearly saddened by the fallen ninja, Michelangelo masked his feelings all too well. She knew that the orange loving turtle missed his brother incredibly but he was still able to his cheerful, uplifting self while his brothers remain wounded by their brother's sacrifice… a sacrifice that she had yet to hear the details of.

When they had went to visit Leo's grave, although Mikey didn't mind her being there with him, he had opted to speak in Japanese rather than English when he had paid his respects and 'spoke' to the tombstone. She had to admit, it was odd hearing the turtle speak such a language with his upbeat, surfer-dude accent but she understood that his words must have been personal. She wondered what he had said… what his true feelings were. What did he truly think about the loss of his brother? Why did he refuse to talk about it? All she could hope for was that he would, someday, confide in him… and she hoped that she too would be able to confide in him.

As Emily absentmindedly turned a corner to enter the action/adventure aisle near the back of the store, she slammed unexpectedly into a stranger, releasing a startled gasp when she stumbled backward and fell unceremoniously to the floor.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said the stranger, his voice politely—very much like Donnie might sound—but confident, "I didn't see you there. Are you okay?"

Emily nodded her answer, glancing up from her fallen position and seeing a heavily clothed stranger bending over at the waist and offering her a hand for assistance. She blinked at the offered appendage, noticing that the hand was green and only had three fingers. Her grey eyes traveled passed the hand to look up into his face, seeing that it was covered heavily by a scarf and hood… which was a bit odd, seeing that it was still summer and all, 'A mutant?'

She hesitantly took the hand, letting a startled breath when the other pulled her up off the floor with an effortless tug. When she was able to gain her footing comfortably, she looked back up into the stranger's covered face. The only thing that was visible of his facial features was his eyes – light in their color and deep in their look.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to give him a verbal 'thank you', she heard Michelangelo's loud and jovial voice called her, causing her to turn around quickly just in time to see him approach her, carrying an arm full of movies that she knew they wouldn't be able to finish watching in one night, "What's up little red? You found some movies too? I don't want tonight to be just movies that I like."

She nodded her reassurance, turning her head slightly to provide her paused 'thank you' to the mutant stranger that helped her up but found that he was no longer there. She blinked, bewildered, looking down the only two aisles that he could have gone down only to find that both were vacant except for herself and the orange clad turtle. She blinked, surprised. She couldn't have imagined that whole interaction… could she?"

"Em? Everything alright?"

"…Yes," She said, a hint of confusion and uncertainty lined her voice as she turned back to face her boyfriend, "It was nothing… everything's fine."

A/N: This one was both fun and stressful to write because I kept on getting writer's block between each section of this chapter. I also hated how I kept on going back to Leo's death some way, shape, or form… but this chapter and the one before it was supposed to revolve around the life with the Hamato family after Leo's death and how the aftermath after the event. Luckily though, the chapters after this won't be talking about Leonardo's death, visiting his grave, or anything of the sort.

Random Notes and Questions (; D): What kind of person was Michelangelo's first girlfriend? How does she differ from Emily and what had gone wrong in his previous relationship that ended it? (Your thoughts?)

When Donatello says that Leonardo, although he wasn't suicidal, gave off the typical signs of a possible suicide victim. What signs did Leo put forth in the short flashback at the beginning of the chapter?

Michelangelo… speaking Japanese XD, while I was writing it, Uzumaki Naruto kept on coming to mind ;

[Mindy]

This is a really good AU story, and I recommend it.

[BubblyShell22]

I second that rec. It's awesome and very well-done. Check it out, guys.