Admiration

Unsurprisingly, Leo found Raph in the garage. He'd lifted the front end of Mikey's Cowabunga Carl van on a jack and slid underneath leaving only his legs visible. He'd cobbled a creeper together using old skateboards and some plywood, and the wheeled board allowed him to roll around beneath vehicles easily. The musty air was thick with the smell of motor oil.

Leo didn't speak, not wanting to break his brother's concentration, but he sat on a stool next to one of the work benches and watched Raph in silence.

"You want somethin'?" Raph asked after a few moments, voice echoing metallically from beneath the van.

Leo's brow ridges lifted. "I didn't think you knew I was here."

"Ninja, remember? And I could see your feet when you came in, genius."

"Oh. Right." Leo grimaced, feeling foolish; but although Raph's reply was heavy with sarcasm, there was no venom in his voice.

"So? What d'you want?" Raph asked again.

Leo answered with another question. "What are you doing?"

"Changing the oil. And then I've gotta mess with the stupid inflating turtle head on top. It's only comin' up halfway and it looks even more hideous than when it's fully inflated. Can't believe I let Mikey talk me into rigging that up," Raph groused.

A spare, fond smile crossed Leo's face. Raphael usually was a turtle of few words, but when he got focused on a project he tended to ramble without realizing it. A lot had changed since Leo had left for South America, but it warmed him to know that some things never would.

Raph gave a little grunt of effort, followed by a soft, "Ha!" of triumph, and Leo could hear the sound of the oil dripping into a pan. Raph rolled out from under the van and tossed the used oil filter away, wiping his hands thoroughly on a rag. He gave Leo a fleeting glance as he walked past. His face was expressionless, but Leo could tell that his presence was not unwelcome, and he gave his brother a small smile in return.

While waiting for the used oil to drain, Raph went to the other side of the garage and crouched next to his motorcycle. The bike was in perfect condition, Leo knew, but Raph liked to tinker with it just to kill time. Of course, the motorcycle had needed a lot more maintenance than usual over the past year – Raph's exploits as the Nightwatcher had been rough on it. Speaking of which…

"…You know," Leo ventured, "I looked up the Nightwatcher online." Raph didn't look up, but he tensed visibly, and Leo could practically feel his defensive walls slam into place. "There wasn't a lot available," he went on. "I think the police wanted to keep it quiet and not create a hero out of him. Or inspire copycats."

Raph stood, folding his arms tightly across his chest. "Is there a point to this?" he asked irritably.

"Actually, yes," Leo said. "There isn't a lot about the Nightwatcher on official news sources, but if you look on some of the anti-crime blogs, there's quite a bit. Most people never saw him, but they knew when he'd been around. Because the neighborhoods got safer, and people could sit on their stoops late at night without worrying about being mugged. And there was a lot less vandalism."

As Leo talked, the defensiveness gradually melted away from Raph's face, leaving in its place an expression of mingled surprise and confusion. "What? How do you…?"

"You didn't know?" Leo asked.

"Never even thought to check," Raph said gruffly, looking away. "Anyway, woulda felt weird looking stuff up about myself."

Leo stood, crossing over to stand in front of him. "Maybe it's a good thing I did look, then." He lifted his hand – hesitated – then carefully rested his hand on Raphael's shoulder. Raph looked up sharply, not hostile, but still wary. Leo smiled at him. "In spite of everything, you did a lot of good, Raph; things that most people wouldn't have been able to accomplish. I think it's important that you know."

Raph didn't say anything. He just looked at him. His expression didn't change, but Leo could see the look of relief in his eyes; relief that he wasn't being condemned for his actions again, relief that it hadn't all been for nothing…and relief that he was still worthy of esteem in his brother's sight.

Not that Raphael would ever admit any of it out loud, Leo knew, and after a moment Raph carelessly shrugged his hand away with a mumbled, "Yeah, okay, fine. Get outta my way, Leo, I got work to do." His shoulder jostled Leo's as he walked past, but Leo just grinned.

Raph grabbed the new oil filter and rolled underneath the van again. "If you're just gonna stand there, you may as well make yourself useful," he said. "When I say so, pop the hood and pour the new oil in, would ya?"

"Yeah, sure."

"And don't spill it."

"Wouldn't dream of it."