A/N: So I mentioned that I had a canon way that Leo died in mind, and in this chapter, it will be touched upon. I also mentioned that the chapters might not be in order, and in this one, we're going back to the beginning, before Leo started getting all angsty pre-teen-y, to just a few months after the end of In Search of Shadows, when the newness of Chibi-Leo was still fresh. Before the first chapter of this sequel even! I may or may not move it to its proper place in the line up when I eventually upload another chapter.

Leo: Age 11

"Leeeeeoooooo... Yo! Leo! Wake up, bro, we're finally here!"

Mikey's faraway voice slowly filtered down through the dark haze, and I slowly became aware that my face was pressed up against a warm, firm plastron, and a three fingered hand was resting on my back, gently shaking me.

Wait, what?

Groggily, I blinked my eyes open, a little confused. Wait, I had fallen asleep? When exactly had that happened?

"Ah, there you are, bro." Above me, Mikey sounded amused, glancing down at me with his sunny, baby blue eyes. I was wedged between him and Raph in the back seat of the Party Wagon, and apparently at some point in our long road trip, I must have tipped over against him, as I was now firmly snuggled into the side of his shell. Not that he seemed to mind in the least, of course.

"Hm?" I sat up, yawned, and then sleepily rubbed my eyes. "Urgh. Just how long was I asleep?"

"At least a couple hours there, sleeping beauty." Raph reached over to thumb a lock of my black hair out of my eyes fondly.

Sitting across from us, Donnie chuckled. "But did you hear Mikey, Leo? We're here!"

That perked me up. "Oh! Wait! Really?!" I realized what they were telling me, immediately more awake. Mikey laughed as I twisted about and scrambled forward over his lap as best as I could while buckled up to eagerly look out the window.

We were finally here?!

My brothers had told me so many stories about this place, of all the adventures we had had here in my old life, and how they had slowly fixed it up over the years to become a proper vacation destination for them to relax at.

And coming around the bend into view as we drove up the long driveway, I could see a building nestled in a clearing, the multiple coatings of white paint concealing the ancient, weathered wooden siding. There was the shaded porch cradled by the oft-repaired railing, now surrounded by beds of flowers instead of weeds, like I had seen in the old pictures. Ooh! And there was the old, rustic red barn, though now there were several satellite dishes on the roof and wires with blinking lights, which admittably looked rather out of place, but didn't surprise me in the least.

Here it was! The old farmhouse!

Apparently, it had become a yearly tradition in my family to come up here for a few weeks for a well deserved period of unwinding and relaxation. Alien invasions or ninja warlord overthrows permitting, of course. Sometimes scheduling some time off was something of a challenge. But now that I had found them, I got to come with! A whole three weeks of just hanging out here with my family. It was a dream come true!

"So, are you excited, Leo?" Casey, who was currently driving, glanced back at us in the rear view mirror.

I glanced at him, unable to help the smile that threatened the corners of my mouth, and quickly nodded. Of course I was excited! I had never been on a family vacation before. A real family vacation! With the family that I was a part of! Heck, I supposed that I had never been on any vacation period, unless one counted traveling alone across the country, trying to avoid being caught while desperately trying to find shadowy figures from long lost memories.

This farmhouse was a tangible link to my past before us, and I wanted to experience it all, both good and bad.

"Oof. I always forgot just how long of a drive it is to get here." April groaned, rubbing the back of her neck. She was sitting up in the front seat alongside Casey, who had gamely driven almost the entire way. "I hope the water heater is working, I really need a hot shower."

"Like I said, I fixed those problems." Donnie said matter of factly. "The water heater will be quite functional, I assure you."

"That's what you said last year too, Dee." Casey reminded him with some amusement.

"Yes, well, I finally figured out what the issue was, and absolutely fixed it this time!" Dee huffed, slightly offended. "In fact, it should last for decades now without any problems, with all the improvements I added."

"Come on, Leo!" Mikey was already working on unbuckling even as the van was moving up the driveway. "I'll introduce you to Dr. Cluckingsworth the Fourteenth! According to her latest letter, the flock has renovated the hutch with some sweet upgrades, and I can't wait to see what they did with the place."

Ah. Yes. Mikey had told me about his pen pal, the latest clan matriarch of the flock of chickens descended from the original Dr. Cluckingsworth, M.D..

"They better not have made too much of a mess in the barn." Donnie grumbled, putting a hand over mine so I couldn't follow Mikey's example and unbuckle until the van had come to a complete stop. "I still have some important projects in there."

"Just don't run off too far with Leo, Mikey." April turned in her seat to tell him. "We still have a bunch of stuff to unpack first."

Raph looked like he wanted to say something, but instead clenched his jaw slightly and looked out the window. His gaze was wandering towards the woods behind the barn, I noticed.

I knew that my Red Brother had some reservations about bringing me here, to the farmhouse, so soon and while I was still so young. Mostly because of what I knew lay in the direction of those woods.

To be honest, I privately wasn't quite sure how to feel about it either. But I was pretty sure I had done a fairly solid job of keeping any hints of uncertainty or uneasiness to myself. There was no need to worry my brothers any further, they were already nervous enough!

Casey finally brought the van up in front of the old, wooden porch, and the side door was flung open and Mikey was bolting out before the vehicle had even finished rolling to a stop. "Freeeedom!" he hooted happily, running across the grassy yard with his arms up in the air.

In his defense, we had been stuck in the back of the van for a very long time.

"Farm sweet farm!" Casey sang out, shifting the vehicle to the 'Officially Parked' status despite already losing one passenger, finally turning the key to kill the engine, and leaning back in his seat to reach up and crick his neck.

"Oh! Is that the pond over there?" I peered eagerly out the window, then twisted to finally unbuckle, eager to get out and see all the sights. "We can go swimming together later, right?!"

"Of course! That's why we bought swimming trunks for you." April chuckled fondly, obviously glad to see me excited as she opened the door and stepped out, stretching. "Just remember, Leo, I don't want you swimming without one of us nearby."

"Yup. Safety first, Sensei." I agreed with her absently, too busy bolting out of the van and turning around excitedly to look around. Everything looked so familiar, eking out distant and faint forgotten memories. Oh, how I wanted to remember everything!

Donnie emerged from the van behind me, followed by a still rather hesitant Raph. The relief they felt as they stretched was fairly tangible, my large turtle brothers didn't fit in the back of the van quite as well as they had in their younger teenaged days.

"Right, let's get things unloaded." Donnie nodded, reaching up to start unstrapping the massive pile of suitcases tied down to the roof of the van. "Raph, give me a hand here."

"Donnie! DonnieDonnieDonnie! DEEEEEE-CHAN!" Mikey came running around the corner of the barn, holding aloft a chicken with a massively oversized bulging brain over his head excitedly as he ran across the yard towards us. The large-brained chicken held aloft in his hands looked rather startled, but otherwise seemed apparently okay with going along for the ride. "I found Dr. Cluckingsworth the Fourteenth! She has a new clutch of baby chicks in the nest, and they're totes adorbs! I NEED to take Leo over to see them right now!"

"Oh! Well, congratulations!" Donnie nodded his greeting to the chicken, who clucked in return. "That's wonderful news, you must be so proud! Of course we'll all go over to meet them, just give us a second to unpack first."

"Oh!" Mikey tucked the chicken under his arm. "And she said the water heater broke again. Just to let you know."

"WHAT?!"

So for the next few hours, a very angry and personally offended Donnie was holed up in the basement, disassembling and reassembling the water heater, surrounded by tools and muttering dark threats about scrap metal and junkyards under his breath, while the rest of us unloaded the van and met a nest of adorable, yet disturbingly big brained little chicks

So that's how I learned that apparently the Cluckingsworth descendants had multiplied over the year, creating a flock that was now over twenty chickens strong, and here, hidden on the farm, they had created their own little unique super-genius chicken culture.

The Cluckingsworths themselves seemed to be rather fond of my brothers, to the degree that, at times, it almost seemed to border on total and complete reverence. Mikey especially seemed to be the favorite. Or, at least, I assumed so, from the way they followed him around. Their chicken faces didn't exactly hold a lot of expressions, and I couldn't exactly tell what all their clucks and 'buw-kas' meant. Fortunately, Mikey seemed to understand them just fine, and translated as necessary.

As fond as the mutated chickens were of my brothers, they seemed to merely tolerate the human companions for their sake, and it seemed like I now fell into that particular category, reincarnated brother or not. At first, they made me a little nervous when they all started crowded tightly around me, eyeing me with those rather hard-to-read-but-still-somehow-judgmental beady chicken eyes. I learned that day that chickens could be surprisingly intimidating! But then Mikey knelt down beside me and introduced us properly, and while they seemed somewhat skeptical that I was indeed a Hamato, they still seemed to accept that I was one of the good humans and an ally, and so quickly lost interest in me, wandering off with the occasional scratch and peck at the ground. They really only seemed to be interested in turtles, which made for an extremely adorable scene involving Raph when it came time to meet the baby chicks. Hee! Red Brother was so big and the little balls of yellow fluff held in his hands were so tiny!

Finally, though, Donnie came back up, brushing cobwebs off of his shell and declaring that he had most definitely fixed the water heater this time for good, and reminding us that we had to finish unpacking. We left the Cluckingsworths to their coop, and I eagerly rode Raph's shell as we headed towards the house.

"Man, those little fluffballs were cute, but I can't wait to get the rest of this vacation going!" Casey stretched as he walked beside us. "I've been looking forward to this for weeks!"

"This is going to be so awesome, Leo!" Mikey eagerly bounced around me and Raph, his blue eyes sparkling. "Bro, we're going to have so much fun, I can't WAIT! There's going to be campfires and s'mores and climbing trees and nature walks and picnics and etc."

I grinned widely, reaching down to hug Raph's head. "I know! Everything here seems so familiar! I can't wait to do everything with you guys!"

"Well, it shouldn't take us very long to get settled in, and we still have a few hours until supper." April mused thoughtfully, walking hand in hand with Donnie.

"So we'll have some time to explore this afternoon if you'd like, Leo." My purple brother finished her thought, looking at me excitedly. "Did you want to take advantage of the beautiful weather and go swimming? Or maybe you'd like a full tour of the farm first?"

"Hm." I looked thoughtfully around the farm from my perch on Raph's shoulder, taking in the breeze and all the sights and eagerly considering all the possibilities. As far as I was concerned, this was my brothers' annual summer vacation that they went on every year, and now that I was here, I was just tagging along, eager to see what amazing ride they'd take me on. I crossed my arms on top of Raph's head, resting my chin thoughtfully on them as I grinned happily down at my family. "Well, what's the first thing you guys normally do when you get here?"

I was expecting laughs and eager retellings of incidents like an annoyed Raph chucking Mikey into into the pond because he was so hyper after such a long car ride, or Casey immediately challenging Donnie to a drag race, or something of that nature.

But instead, there was a pause as Raph slowed down, and, a little confused, I looked down to see that everybody had suddenly gone silent. Even Mikey was rubbing his arm and gnawing at his lip, as if he were trying to think of some diversion to change the subject.

Hm? Oh.

Oh right.

And then it struck me. Of course, the first thing my brothers would've done when they arrived each summer would be to go and visit the ones they missed the most.

I paused for a moment, thinking that over.

Was that something I was ready to do?

Hm. Well, to be honest, I was sort of surprising myself by how chill I was feeling about this right now. In the weeks leading up to this vacation, there had been a lot of debate among my family, usually when they thought I wasn't listening, as to whether this was even a good idea. We were going to be visiting what was basically my grave, after all. Besides the whole 'That's a rather morbid and possibly disturbing concept to lay at an eleven year old child's feet', there was also the fact that none of us were really sure how this whole 'reincarnation' deal worked, including myself. Who knew if there was some sort of spiritual connection still there that we might unwittingly uncover. I know that each of my family held some reservations about taking me there, Raph especially had been vocal about taking our vacation somewhere else other then the farmhouse, and had only relented when I made it clear how eager I was to see the farm. Still, I had spent many hours wondering how I'd feel, and worrying about it, secretly, of course.

But now that I was actually here? It was strange, but all the anxiety that I had internally held had melted away completely. I felt calm and at peace. I was here with my brothers, and that's where I always would be.

"Hm." I mused, tapping my chin thoughtfully on my perch. "Yeah. That would be a good place to start. I suppose it would be rude to keep Master Splinter waiting."

"Uh.. You sure about this, Leo?" Raph swallowed hard, then reached up and lifted me off his shoulders, instead shifting me around to hold me look at me with troubled eyes. "This... this isn't something that we have to do right now, y'know."

I nodded, and gave him a slight, reassuring smile as I touched his hand. "I know. I'm fine, Raph. Honestly."

"Leo... How can you just...? It's... it's... You know." Raph gritted his teeth. "An' you're just a kid right now. I... I just..." I could almost see him searching for the right phrase to say 'I don't want you to get psychologically traumatized?'. He swallowed hard. "We... we don't have to do this now. We can always come back when you're older."

"Yeah, dude." Mikey moved up to chafe my jeans in a gesture of solidarity. "If you want, we could even take some stuff over there for you on your behalf, if you're feeling any tiny bit uncomfortable about this. It's no big deal if you feel that way, bro!"

Donnie nodded. "That's definitely something we could do for you, while you help April and Casey unpack. That way, you can still leave an offering or a note to Master Splinter if you want, but at the same time give yourself room to process everything."

I shook my head. "It's okay guys. I really would like to go see it. That place, I mean."

Raph's brow furrowed with concern as he studied me, obviously not convinced.

April let go of Donnie's hand and walked up in front of Raph, gesturing for him to put me down. He paused for a moment, then exhaled and did so, setting me on the ground next to her.

She knelt down and took my face in her hands, looking at me seriously. "Leo. Are you certain you're okay with this? It's okay if you need some time."

I gave her a reassuring smile, and nodded. "I'm okay Sensei. Don't worry! I tend the shrines back home now as well, if you remember."

"Yeah, well... okay." April exhaled, and put a hand on my shoulder. "Just remember that we're right here with you, and if you ever feel uncomfortable, we can always leave. Your brothers can leave any offerings or say any prayers on your behalf, if you want them to."

"I know. But I want to do this." I nodded, looking up at my family earnestly. "Should we go get the offerings?"

My brothers stayed close to me, and April and Casey kept throwing concerned looks my way, but they were all obviously trying (unsuccessfully) to hid their worries. We gathered up the proper candles, incense, and offerings, and I followed my family across the grassy yard towards the barn.

My stomach fluttered, but I kept my face calm. This was okay. I was okay.

We turned around the bend, and there it was...

Nestled under the spread branches of a large tree, two tombstones sat side by side. Both were beautifully crafted in a Japanese manner, with the sigil of the Hamato clan etched into the stone. One had the figure of a wise rat carved on top. Master Splinter. And the other... The other gravestone was that of a turtle holding two swords.

Huh.

So... this was a thing.

I felt my family crowd in a little closer around me, and I realized that I was being very closely watched, all ready just in case I needed support or got emotional or, I don't know, whatever could happen to a reincarnated soul visiting the grave of their former life? I didn't know what they expected to happen.

Heck. I didn't know what I expected to happen!

That... that was my grave.

From my old life, yes, but still... that... that had once been me.

I swallowed hard, and took a step forward, tilting my head a little as I studied the headstone shaded from the bright sunshine by the leaves of the tree above.

It was a simple black stone, matching that of our father's, though instead of a rat, there was a carved turtle kneeling on top, holding two katanas. It was a simple carving, yet there was still somehow a strength in just looking at it, the pose somehow exuding the calm determination of a warrior. Below the warrior, on the base, was carved the Hamato symbol carved into it, as well as my name, and a date from over eleven years ago.

I studied the grave in front of me, and tried to figure out how I felt about this. Well... I supposed it was strange and just a little unsettling seeing my name carved onto a headstone. And there was an odd feeling deep in my soul... a slight stirring at the sight.

But... overall...

It was... surprisingly peaceful.

Of all the ways I thought I might react or feel, this... this feeling wasn't it.

In this place, in this grove of trees, there was a calm, serene, and tranquil energy all around us. It was like the sunshine on a warm spring's day, the gentle rhythm of a summer rain, the rustle of swirling leaves in the autumn, and the silver moon peering down on the white frosted world in winter, all rolled into one feeling, one aura. It was almost tangible, and it was permeating everywhere. In the soft, thick green grass underfoot. In the gentle rustle of the sunkissed leaves above as a summer breeze drifted through the branches of the tree above. In the hum of a cicada singing off in the distance, and the bubbling creek flowing somewhere off further in the woods.

It was as if there was a sense of finally being able to complete a task left undone. Not quite yet, there was still a hint of longing I hadn't even realized was there deep down inside, not so much a restless energy but a wistful one. But, being here now... looking upon that grave, I could almost tangibly feel that ancient bond between the cycles of life and death that had repeated since time began

The thought idly crossed my mind that this grove of trees would have been a very nice place to rest.

A hesitant hand brushed against my shoulder, and I blinked, then glanced up to see Raph's concerned face looking down at me.

I gave a small half smile up at him reassuringly and nodded. "I'm fine."

He studied me closely. "Ya... ya sure?"

I nodded, then took a deep breath, still feeling the energy around us, and drawing strength and serenity from it, and moved to gather the supplies we brought.

It was time to properly honor the family members who were gone, but never truly lost.

It was late at night, their very first night at the farm together as a family again, and Donnie couldn't sleep.

Ah, the joys of being an insomniac.

Dozens of different trains of thought were running through his genius brain all at the same time as he sat at the kitchen table, absently tinkering with the coffee maker at an ungodly hour of the morning, the light hanging above him the only light source in the dark house. Of course, it was par for the course for his brain to generally be a multi-lane highway of different ideas, that's just the way his brain worked, but on nights like these, it was as if those thoughts no longer obeyed any traffic laws, and he was left unable to stop them or direct the flow.

As always, it was rather annoying when it happened.

April, bless her amazing heart, was always good at helping him sort through the mess of thoughts, soothing and untangling the mess enough that he could eventually conk out. But tonight, when he checked on her, she was already sound asleep, and had looked so peaceful and adorable snuggled under the blankets that he hadn't had the heart to wake her. Thus, he had come down here hoping for a cup of coffee, because if he was going to be up, then he was going to caffeinated and productive. That had turned into a project of its own, as in the process of preparing the coffee, he noticed that the coffee maker, while functional, wasn't operating just as efficiently and smoothly as it could. And thus now here he was, with a disassembled coffee maker in hand, kept company only by a particularly annoying and stupid moth flittering around the kitchen light, and his brain going a million miles an hour in all directions. Bleh. Tonight, it was actually getting to the point that he was half tempted to try some of the meditation techniques that Master Splinter had shown him in his younger days to help try and quiet some of them.

And the very idea of meditation looped all his genius racing thought-roads right back to Leo.

His so-very-confusing little/big brother.

Donnie sighed, and squinted as he used a soldering iron to rework the wiring and innards of the coffee maker.

Did they make the right decision bringing him here? Raph obviously didn't think so, but Leo had wanted to come. And... and Leo had good judgement. He might be a tiny, vulnerable, (admittedly adorable), oh-so-very-delicate human child now, but he was still Leo, right? So what was Donnie even worried about? Of course Leo would know what his own limits were, what he could handle and what would be too overwhelming for his still-developing prepubescent and impressionable child's brain and Oh, by the grace of Leonhard Euler, who was he kidding?! Leo was so going to be traumatized for life by this! What were they thinking, taking an eleven year old child to basically visit his own GRAVE?! Leo was depending on his brothers to help guide him safely through his second chance, this new life of his, and only six months into this new responsibility, they had already probably scarred him for life! They were terrible at this!

Though...

Leo hadn't looked terribly traumatized by it, so maybe things were okay? He had been a little quiet and reflective the rest of the afternoon, but, if Donnie was honest with himself, that was too be expected. How could one NOT face a little self-reflection after seeing something like that? And it had been more of a contemplative quiet, instead of a 'Oh gods, I'm going to need therapy for YEARS after this!' quiet.

...

Donnie decided that he should probably research child-based psychological therapy and treatments when they got back and he had proper internet access again. Just in case.

Hm... why wasn't this screw fitting back into its slot correctly? Donnie was sure it was the right one, he had a system, after all, but it just didn't seem to want to... Ah, there it goes... And done. Coffee maker improved and reassembled, ready to produce that black liquid ambrosia come morning.

Donnie sighed and pushed the coffee maker away, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his tired eyes.

If he were honest with himself, part of his problem was that he was just too darn RATIONAL sometimes. What Leo had managed to pull off, coming back to them, was nothing less then a miracle, and nothing about it made any scientific sense. Donnie had been given back his older brother. He had been given a second chance. And yet he was still terrified that he was going to wake up, and Leo was going to be gone again. That he'd still be dead, with the body laying in that grave the only version that was real, because there was no way that Leo coming back could be real, obviously it was all just some dream, or wonderful hallucination or something.

Donnie worried the inside of his lip.

Hm. Last he saw Leo, his little/big brother was curled up on Mikey's plastron as their orange brother cuddled with him and read him bedtime stories. They were both probably sleeping now, but... but maybe Donnie would take a quick moment to check on Leo. Make sure he was warm enough and comfortable and that Mikey hadn't left his socks on after he fell asleep.

Leo hated sleeping with his socks on.

Donnie pushed back the chair, stood up with a grimace, and cracked his neck. Then he turned towards the stairs and started for the bedroom that Mikey, Raph, Casey, and Leo were sharing.

Oh. The bedroom door was open already? Donnie peeked in. Casey was sprawled all over an air mattress they had put in the corner for him, and all Donnie could really make out in that tangle was an arm and a mass of long black hair draped over his face as he snored. Raph had his own futon spread out near the only bed in the room, near the foot so Leo or Mikey wouldn't sleepily step on him as they got out of bed. Mikey had a futon too, next to Raph's, but, predictably, he had apparently fallen asleep while reading to Leo, and was currently sprawled on the bed, snuggled under the blanket.

Donnie frowned. The blanket was carefully pulled up and tucked under the sleeping orange turtles chin, but Donnie couldn't see any child-sized lump underneath it.

He carefully stepped into the room, brow furrowing as he took a closer look.

Nope. Leo definitely wasn't where he should be, snuggled up to and sleeping on Mikey's plastron. Donnie quickly scoured the room. Hm. No Leo in sight. He thought for a moment, then quickly stepped out to check the other rooms. Nope, April was still sleeping, with no signs of Leo in there. And he had walked past the open door of the bathroom on the way here, and it had definitely looked empty.

Feeling a quell of panic, but trying to shove it down with logic, Donnie went back to the boys room and reached down to nudge Mikey awake.

Mikey grunted, made a face, then yawned sleepily, glancing up at Donnie through sleep-fogged eyes. "Huh? Wha...? Dee?"

"Mikey, where's Leo?" Donnie whispered, concerned.

"Hm?" Mikey blinked groggily, then glanced down at his own plastron, confused. "Leo?" Then he seemed to wake up more, and sat up, pulling aside the blanket as he looked about him. "I don't know! He was just here, sleeping! Where did he go?!"

"Ergh... what's going on here?" A three fingered hand grasped the brass bars at the foot of the bed, and Raph's grumpy gaze rose up from the floor to sleepily glare at them over the foot of the bed frame. "What are you two doing?"

"I think Leo's wandered off somewhere." Mikey whisper-splained, swinging his feet around to sit up on the bed, now wide awake.

Raph yawned. "Ya sure he's not just off taking a piss or something?"

"Yes, Raph, I'm sure." Donnie rolled his eyes.

"Hm. Well, shit." Raph frowned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and looking around, getting a bit concerned. He nodded towards the snoring pile of rumpled blankets and long black hair in the corner. "Should we wake up April and Casey?"

Donnie shook his head. "He's probably not far. I was just wondering where he was, I don't think it's an emergency or anything." At least, he hoped, anyways. "I'll go look for him, you two can go back to sleep."

Mikey snorted, standing up and wrapping the blanket around his shoulders. "As if, Dee. Gotta find my chibi bro first!"

Raph gave a grunt as he stood up as well. "Yeah, I'm going too. Let's go figure out where he wandered off to."

It didn't take the three brothers very long to figure out that Leo was not in the house. It also didn't take them long to notice that the back door was unlatched and left open a crack.

A little confused and worried, they stepped out and glanced around. The moonlight was bright above, the silvered hue illuminating the edges of the barn and trees, while at the same time contrasting sharply with the shadows of night seeping between every branch and under every eaves. Fireflies blinked on and off, dancing through the air across the field of grass like hundreds of small fairies, and the thrum of crickets filled the air.

Donnie quickly noticed something, and frowned. "Look." He directed their attention towards the long grass. Somebody had walked through the dew-covered blades, leaving behind a darkened path. "He must have gone that way."

And then Donnie's heart dropped in his chest as he realized that the path in the dewy grass was heading straight towards the graves. Oh... Oh no. Oh, Leo!

Just what was going through his little/big brother's mind? Was he really this troubled by their visit here? Why didn't he say something then?! He kept saying that he was fine! Argh! Why did their brother keep insisting on bearing his burdens alone?!

"Oh. Oh crap. Leo." Mikey groaned, running his hands over his face, apparently coming to the same conclusions. "Quit bottling up emotions inside if they bother you this much! We want to help you, bro!"

"Yeah, well, I knew this was a bad idea." Raph said darkly, stomping forward towards the barn, and the grove of trees that lay beyond it. "I knew it was too soon for him."

Donnie exhaled, and quickly moved to follow.. "Let's go make sure he's okay, get him inside and back to bed."

"With all the snuggles required by the situation properly applied." Mikey hurried to keep up with Raph's fast stalking through the firefly-infested field.

Raph continued to push forward towards the barn, hands clenched as he growled. "And then, first thing in the morning, I vote we pack back up, and go take our little vacation someplace else. Don't care where, just a place where Leo won't have to worry... about..." He trailed off, then paused, frowning as he noticed a blue glow emanating from around the barn. "Uhhh... What the hell?"

Mikey trotted up next to him, noticing the light and wrinkling his snout in confusion. "What is that?" He glanced at his brothers. "Did somebody get Leo a flashlight with a blue tinted lightbulb or something?"

"Well, I didn't make him one that glows blue like that." Donnie frowned as he moved forward, the other two resuming as well to follow him. "Just a normal white LED... lamp..."

They rounded the corner, and then all three of them instantly froze, rooted in place and mouths dropping open in complete and utter shock.

Leo was indeed there, kneeling in front of the turtle warrior's headstone, sitting calmly in a relaxed seiza posture. He was quiet and still with closed eyes, looking to all the world like he was still asleep.

But what had the three brothers gaping with their mouths open, what left them staring in breathless wonder, was the blue aura that was currently completely engulfing and surrounding him, leaving him sitting in the midst of a ghost-like blue energy that expanded around him to create a very distinct and heartbreakingly familiar profile. The blue turtle spirit form, his wispy glow softly contrasting with the dark night shadows around them, was kneeling and studying the memorial stone in front of him with a curious and almost wistful look on his semi-transparent turtle face.

Donnie could only stare alongside his equally frozen and dumbfounded brothers, half mesmerized, half frozen in fear, gawking at this completely unexpected scene before them. He was too afraid to speak, or even to move. He was terrified that if he moved, or even made the slightest noise, then perhaps the spell would shatter, and this hauntingly familiar ghost of their beloved brother would once again evaporate into the early morning mists.

From the stiff body language and slightly panicked breathing besides him, his two brothers were running through a very similar stupefied and terrified gamuts of emotions.

But after a few minutes of soundless and stunned gawking, where nobody dared to even breath too hard, the spirit turtle turned glance at them.

Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods! He was looking right at them! Leo's ghost (ohmahgosh, it's totally Leo's ghost, what do with this info?!) could apparently SEE them!

He gave them a warm, fond smile, and gestured towards the ground close to him, obviously inviting them to take a seat beside him.

Donnie swallowed hard, flexing and unflexing his fingers hesitantly. He dared a side glance at his brothers, and they looked at one another hesitantly. Then, all obviously feeling a little spooked, they haltingly stepped forward and gingerly sat on the ground beside the blue spirit turtle, Donnie and Mikey on one side, and Raph settling on the other.

There was a long moment of silence as they sat there in front of the grave, each obviously too scared to look directly at the spirit, but too terrified to look completely away, so each trying to sneak looks out of the corners of their eyes. Finally, Donnie couldn't take it anymore. He licked his dry lips, his hands clenched tightly, and he dared to turn his head and look.

His breath seemed to catch in his throat as he stared at the features of the ghost beside him, looking upon a face he never thought he'd ever see again.

He was looking right at Leo... though he was now comprised of whatever blue energy was emanating from Little Human Leo's apparently sleep-walking form. Maybe this energy was a physical manifestation of ki? That would definitely be right up Leo's alley. He had always been talking about life energy and ki and all that spiritual stuff, and there's little doubt that Leo's ki, if such a thing existed, would be blue, and... and stoppit, brain! Analyzing time could come later, because right now... right now, adult, mutant turtle Leo was sitting right there, looking much the same as he did back when... Back before...

Donnie had to fight back the ragged whine that wanted to break out. Dimly, he could sense that Raph and Mikey were still struggling to figure out what to do or how to react as well. All around them, there was only the sounds of the breeze through the leaves and grass and the insects chirping. The air around them was thick with dancing fireflies that winked in and out of existence in the dark, twilight shadows, filling the night world with a sort of mystic, ethereal ambience.

And then the silence was broken, surprisingly by the spirit himself. "This is a beautiful place." the ghostly turtle finally said, almost conversationally, lifting his head to look up at the tree branches gently rustled by the breeze above them. "It's very calm. Peaceful." He turned to glance at his brothers, a small, shy smile on his ghostly features. "I... I like it very much. Thank you."

Donnie's eyes widened, and he stiffened. That... that wasn't their Chibi Leo's child voice coming from the ghost. That was the low, adult voice of their brother from another lifetime ago. It took Donnie back so hard, it staggered him.

And, from the way that the other two stiffened and made slight choking noises in the backs of their throats, they agreed.

"Uhhhh... yeah. G-glad you like it, bro." Mikey finally squeaked nervously. He fidgeted in place, obviously fighting the urge to just leap upon the ghost and try and hug him, which probably wouldn't work anyways. Mikey probably had enough good sense to realize that Turtle!Leo was probably not very corporeal right now, and that Chibi!Leo at his center was most likely sleeping and waking him up would end this dream for all of them. He instead thrummed his fingers rapidly on his knees, before glancing back up at Leo uncertainly, his gaze switching between the ghost's face and the human child still very real and set in the center of that blue energy. "Uh... just making sure... Are... are you okay?"

Leo gave a calm, gentle chuckle. "I'm fine, Mikey, both physically and spiritually." He glanced down at his center, and Donnie wondered how weird that must be, to basically look upon yourself. The spirit shrugged, and looked back up at them. "Think of this as... spiritual sleepwalking, I guess. Maybe not the most restful of sleep, but well worth it, and still, no more harmful then a vivid dream." He sighed, his voice growing wistful. "I... I just wanted a chance to... to finally do something that I was never given the opportunity to do in my old life."

"What's... that?" Mikey hesitantly asked.

The turtle spirit looked at them sadly. "Say goodbye."

"Fuck..." Raph choked in a hoarse whisper, almost an involuntary response.

"Leo..." Mikey breathed, eyes wide.

Leo turned his attention back to the gravestone, his voice low and quiet. "That night... Everything happened so fast. I... I never got the chance to tell you guys goodbye." He paused, then turned back to them, his ghostly eyes soft as he gave a wry grin. "Though I guess that it's never a permanent goodbye when it comes to us. It never has been. We are always four. Blue, Red, Purple, and Orange. Always."

Donnie's head whipped around to stare at Leo in disbelief. Raph was watching with wide eyes, his muscles tense, and his jaw working slightly back and forth, as if he wanted to speak, but was too emotional to.

Was... was he saying that...?

Mikey swallowed hard. "Always... always four." he mulled the phrase over his tongue, obviously awed by the thought.

Leo smiled and nodded. "Always and forever." Then he turned back to the grave in front of him. For a long moment, they all fell into silence again.

And then Donnie couldn't take it anymore. "I... I'm sorry, Leo!" Donnie blurted out before he could lose his nerve, the words he had longed with every fiber of his being to say for eleven years now rushing out in an emotional flood. "I'm so sorry!"

The blue spirit blinked, and turned to look at Donnie, confused. "What on earth for?"

"I..." Tears began to form in Donnie's eyes against his will, and he quickly wiped them away with an arm. "It was all my fault! I should've known that there might be a possibility of snipers eventually. And... and yet I only used a basic windshield and left you unprotected. It... It was so stupid of me! I armored up everything else on the van, why didn't I install bulletproof glass?!"

Leo raised a blue spectral eyeridge. "Uh... Maybe because bulletproof glass doesn't usually end up in your run of the mill junkyard, and it would've been extremely hard for us to find and collect? You made wonderful things for us out of ordinary trash, Donnie, you can't blame yourself for not having access to certain materials."

"That doesn't make a difference!" Donnie growled, clenching his hands. "I could've made something myself that would provide more protection, or raided a military scrapyard. Heck, we had access to alien technology! I could've done SOMETHING. I... I should have..."

"Donnie, stop." Leo said softly, and Donnie's beak snapped closed as he obeyed, instead taking deep, shaky breaths through his nose. The blue turtle spirit studied Donnie's face for a moment with a quiet, heartbroken understanding, and gave a sad smile. "Donnie. Listen to me. It wasn't your fault." He looked around at each one of them, from Raph's hunched shoulders to Mikey's shaking form, and his transparent face was gentle but serious. "Not for one minute did I blame any of you. I know without a shadow of a doubt that each one of you would have moved mountains themselves if you thought it would save me or, failing that, gladly given your lives in my stead, if you could. What happened wasn't any of your faults, my brothers. We couldn't possibly live our lives wrapped completely in armor and protective bubble wrap at all times. Something was bound to happen eventually." He exhaled, and looked down at his transparent hands. "I'm just thankful that none of you were hurt in the crash that followed."

"Does... does Little Leo... remember that night?" Mikey asked, concerned, glancing at the human child, who was kneeling within the blue glow molded around him with eyes closed, seeming to be in an almost in a sleep-like trance. "He always keeps things so cooped up inside, I can't tell. He... he doesn't have nightmares about it, does he?"

"No." Leo shook his head, and gave a small smile, placing a three fingered hand on his transparent, ghostly plastron and looking down almost curiously at himself within. "Most of my dreams revolve around you three, and when awake, I only have fleeting glimpses of my past, not full memories. Subconsciously, yes, the memories are all there, but normally they remain locked away, out of reach." He shrugged and looked up at them. "Fear not. If I regain any memories of my old life as the years go on, most likely it will be the things I long to remember, and what I long to remember more than anything is not my death, but my life. You three, most of all."

"I... I love ya, Leo." Raph suddenly burst out in a hoarse voice, almost choking out the words like he had been trying to force them out for some time now, and only just now managed to do so.

Leo turned to look at him, blinking in surprise.

Raph immediately bunched down defensively, his hands clenching tightly, before tilting his head slightly to look up to Leo with an almost pleading look on his face. "I know I never ever really said it out loud. And yeah, we fought all tha time over stupid stuff. But... but you were still mah brother, and I loved you. Ya... ya knew that, right? Please tell me you knew that. B-before ya..." He trailed off, and his gaze was drawn unbidden to the grass covered grave, as if drawing attention to that final place of rest before them finished his sentence for him.

"I knew." Leo said quietly, and Raph exhale of relief at those words was almost a sob. "I never doubted it for one moment, Raph." Then his mouth curved into a wistful, understanding smile. "And I love you too, Raph." He swallowed hard, then looked around at them, tears of glowing blue forming in his eyes. "I love all of you guys, so very much."

"Oh, Leo, we love you too, big brother!" Mikey sniffled, tears forming up in his eyes again. "Y'know, this would be the perfect moment for a tearful and heartfelt family group hug, but... y'know..." He looked at Leo's transparent form longingly.

"Yeah, it's not the best idea right now." Leo agreed. "Feel free to give me one tomorrow, though I'll probably be rather confused as to the cause of it. I probably won't remember any of this when I wake up. Still, it's not like I'll complain about a group hug from you guys in the slightest, even if I'm unsure of why I'm getting it." Leo looked amused for a second, then sighed and looked around at them with a wistful smile. "Though, that said, I'm afraid that the dream will have to end soon. I have probably already pushed things further then I should have, so don't be surprised if I'm a little tired and groggy come morning."

All three of the brothers stiffened again, realizing that of course this wonderful night couldn't last forever.

"Oh..." Donnie whispered quietly. Then he worried his lip for a moment, before looking up at his ghostly older brother for any hints of reassurance. "Will... will we ever see you again?"

Leo blinked in surprised, then laughed in amusement. "Donnie, you see me every day now! I finally found you, remember?"

"Oh." Donnie straightened up at the thought. "Oh, yeah! Huh."

Raph swallowed hard, then looked over at Leo. "Leo?" He rubbed his arm awkwardly, looking away. "Uh... Thank you..."

"Always, my brothers." Leo gave a soft, fond smile, looking around at all three of them. "I promise. You will always be my little brothers, and I will always protect you, no matter what." He paused, then his following exhale held just a hint of annoyed frustration. "Though you might need to be a little patient with me in that regard. I unfortunately now have a bit of growing up to do first."

Donnie sniffed, and rolled his eyes. "Leo, our relationship is not in the slightest degree dependent on your bodyguard abilities. We love you because you're our brother, and it just so happens that we are quite enjoying the chance to see you being an innocent child."

"Totally! Chill out, big brother, and let us enjoy taking care of you for once." Mikey agreed wholeheartedly. "Just enjoy being a kid! You're totally adorable!"

Leo paused, then frowned and looked as if he were mulling that concept over. Finally he looked up at them and admitted with a helpless, sheepish shrug, "You... uh... might need to help me with that."

"Oh, count me on that duty. That's, like, my calling in life!" Mikey snickered through tears, then cleared his throat. "So... uh... Leo... Is... Is there anything that you want us to remember or pass on? For when you, y'know, wake up?"

Leo gave him a grateful, almost shy look. "Could... could you tell April thank you for me? For... for everything that she's done. I think she makes an amazing sensei." He chewed his lip for a second. "And... and Casey. Tell him that I'm... I'm very proud of the man he's become." He sudden gave a small, amused chuckle, and glanced at his brothers, eyes twinkling. "And also please warn him most sternly on my behalf that now that I'm a child, I look up to him, so he better be aware that he's acting as a role model for me, and to act accordingly."

"Oh there's a terrifying thought." Donnie snickered.

"Placing responsibility on Casey Jone's shoulders?!" Mikey gasped in horrified sarcasm. "You know that in Casey's mind, that basically means he's going to take beer connoisseurship to a whole new sophisticated level. Nothing but the finest and best quality liquors for his little man!"

"He is NOT going to teach Leo how to drink alcoholic beverages!" Donnie squeaked in horror, already imagining it. "At least, not until he's at least twenty one!"

Leo laughed (oh, it was so wonderful to hear that laugh!), and then lifted a ghostly hand and theorized in a know-it-all tone, "And you just know that on that day, I'm going to take one drink and immediately start choking on it, but I don't want to spit it out because it's a drink that Raph and Casey had so proudly picked out just for me, so I'll try to force myself to just tough it out and somehow swallow it, but fail entirely and instead end up spewing it out of my nose or something."

And that was it for Mikey. He fell forward onto the ground, covering his head and giggling like a hyena at the thought. Donnie found himself laughing despite himself as well. Raph... didn't quite laugh, but his bunched up shoulders did relax ever so slightly. The look he gave Leo was full of so many emotions that it was hard to pick just one out.

They all seemed to relax then, and it felt just like old, happier times just then. Back when all four of them were young and cocky and somewhat naive to the true tragedies of the world. Back when they thought that they were all somehow invincible.

Well, they knew better now, didn't they?

The laughter and light feelings slowly faded away again, and the four of them sat there for a while again in the night breeze, in front of the grave.

Donnie glanced down and studied the small human child encased in blue energy. He still appeared to be sleeping, and looked calm and peaceful now. But Donnie still remembered back when they had first discovered him, how lost and alone and... and desperate he had looked then. Well, now that they had the attention of Leo's subconscious, perhaps he could help his brother with more then goodbyes. "Leo..." He waited until the ghostly face turned its attention on him, and then began carefully. "You... you know that you don't have to worry, right? We're here for you, all of us. Raph, Mikey, and I, as well as April and Casey. All of us are your family, and we will always be there for you if you ever need us. Now that we found you, we'll never, ever let you be alone again."

Leo blinked, then was very quiet for a long moment, studying his hands in his lap. Finally, he nodded. "Thank you." he whispered.

And with the sound of crickets filling the night summer air, filled with dancing fireflies, the four brothers sat together for a while in silence.

I felt tired, my mind hazy and sleepy as I slowly realized that was no longer in bed. Where... where was I? It almost felt like I was outside, but I could sense my Red, Purple, and Orange shadows around me, so I knew I was safe, wherever I was.

My eyes groggily blinking open, I looked up to see that I was being carried by my red brother, with stars and night clouds drifting above us. "R-Raph?" I sleepily mumbled, then looked over to see Mikey and Donnie walking through the grass besides him. "Guys? Why... why are we outside?"

I felt so tired, but, at the same time, so inexplicably happy and content, like I had just accomplished something amazing. Which... I dunno, was kind of weird. I didn't remember doing anything really except going to bed.

"It's okay, Leo." I felt Purple Brother's hand soothe down my hair. "We're here."

"You were just... kinda sleepwalking." Mikey added. "But we found you quickly enough, and everything's good."

What? Sleepwalking? Funny, I don't remember ever doing that before. And... and my brothers's voices sounded kind of thick and emotional. Had... had they been crying?

But... their auras around me felt so happy that I wasn't too worried.

If they were happy, then I was happy.

And tired. Actually really, really tired. I don't think I could stay awake if I wanted to.

But I was safe in my brothers' arms, so it was okay to go back to sleep for now.

And so I snuggled back down into my brother's strong arms, letting him carry me as I drifted back off to sleep.

"Uh... guys?" The sound of Casey calling up the stairs filtered down through my brain, breaking through the fog of sleep and waking me up. "Since when did the coffee maker have a radio installed in it?" There was a pause. "At least... I think it's a radio?"

My eyes groggily blinked open as I became aware of my surroundings. At first, I wasn't sure where I was, the room looked completely unfamiliar, but then I remembered. Oh... that's right. We were at the farmhouse. And... apparently, judging from my position, at some point during the night, I was buried in a protective pile of turtle brothers.

"Ghhhhh..." I felt a shell shift underneath me as Mikey moved. "What time is it?"

I blinked, and suddenly realized that sunlight was streaming through the cloth of the blue curtains covering the windows. I pushed aside Raph's arm that had at some point flopped across me, and quickly bolted upright. Wait, just how late was it?! Why was I still sleeping this late?! I was going to miss training!

"Ngth." Raph's hand moved back to sleepily pin me down against Mikey's shell once more. "Chill, Leo. You can sleep in for once."

I narrowed my eyes at him and huffed slightly, but didn't argue too hard. For having a full night's sleep, I was feeling surprisingly tired.

"Seriously. Donnie? What did you do?" Casey continued calling up from the bottom of the steps. "I need coffee, but I'm... I'm kinda afraid to turn it on now."

Donnie grunted and rolled over, halfway falling off the over-crowded futon. Even half awake as he was, he was still graceful as he unfolded and shifted to a sitting position, leaning back against Mikey's shell. He yawned widely, before sleepily reaching over to ruffle my hair. "I made a few improvements to the coffee machine last night." he explained groggily. "I suppose I should head down quick to explain how to work it now. April needs her coffee." He paused for a moment, trying to work a crick out of his neck. "As do I."

I studied him closely. Just how much sleep did he get last night? I knew he had trouble with insomnia sometimes. Perhaps I should've gotten up and checked on him. I was actually kind of surprised that I hadn't, but, then again, usually I didn't sleep as soundly as I did last night.

Raph groaned and then lifted his hand to let me up and gave a wide yawn of his own. "I suppose Mikey's going to have to head down as well, if any of us want breakfast."

Taking the hint, I sat up and turned to slid down Mikey's shell, to allow him to get up, but his arm snagged me, and he instead rolled onto his side to snuggle me against his plastron. "Don't wanna get up!" he complained with his eyes still closed, resting his chin on top of my hair. "It's Leo-Snuggling time."

"Mikey!" I complained, with a grin, only half serious, doing my best to wiggle out of his grasp. "It's late! I'm sure Sensei and Casey are wondering why we're all sleeping like this! They're going to think we're all getting sick or something."

"Ha, might I remind you, dearest big brother, that we are now on vacation time!" Mikey snickered, finally opening his eyes and tilting his head to nuzzle me fondly. "They probably just got up too! Get used to this, because this is the new normal."

"Psh, just because we're on vacation doesn't mean we don't have responsibilities!" I nuzzled him back, then turned to try and wiggle out of his grasp. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try and get a shower in before Sensei uses up all the hot water again."

"Hey, I FIXED the water heater, remember!" Donnie huffed as he stumbled out through the door to get the necessary Black Liquid of Life going for everybody.

Later that morning, with a delicious breakfast put away, we all stood on the porch, admiring the countryside in front of us. Thankfully, though I was still feeling a little unexpectedly tired and worn out, I finally feeling fully awake as we discussed the plans for the day. My brothers were acting just a little odd and clingy, though they were trying to hide it. Even April seemed to notice, as I caught the tail end of Donnie and Raph discretely telling her that they would talk to her and Casey about something that happened later. And, for some reason, just before breakfast, just as I walked into the kitchen after my shower, I had been pulled into a tight family group hug initiated by Mikey, but quickly joined by all of my brothers, squished tightly between them. Just what had happened?!

Eh, not that I complained about it or anything.

But, anyways, there we were, for once, now just enjoying being outside in the sunlight together, with no fears of attack or discovery. I was beginning to see why my brothers loved coming here, even with some very unpleasant memories attached to the place. This farmhouse was a place to unwind, a safe haven where even mutant turtles could glimpse a taste of what could be considered to be a normal life. The adults, sans Mikey of course, as he had no need of caffeine, and Casey, as he had opted for a beer instead, each had a cup of coffee in hand, and were slowly sipping at the black brew as we watched the Cluckingsworth flock go about their morning routines, floating back and forth on hoverdisks created out of old tractor seats, wheel hubs, and whatever other appropriate scrap the clever chickens had managed to scrounge up.

"So Leo, any requests for activities to do this morning?" Donnie asked, obviously savoring his mug of coffee as he leaned on the porch railing. "Hiking, swimming, exploring?"

I leaned over the railing and studied the wide open field across the dirt road with a discerning eye. "Well... I did have an idea on something that we could do..."

April leaned against Donnie's shoulder and nodded, sipping at her own coffee. "Well, let's hear it, Leo."

I tilted my head, considering the field seriously. "I bet we could build a pretty effective training yard over there. You know, with a complete obstacle course and practice dummies and everything." I nodded thoughtfully, considering the idea and liking it more and more. "With all this room, and no worries about school, I can catch up on my training and become stronger in no time out here! I still have so much to learn and remember!"

I completely missed the looks my brothers threw each other behind my back.

And then...

WHAM!

I gave a yelp of surprise as suddenly I was tackled from behind and suddenly sent tumbling head over heels over the railing, safely wrapped up in Mikey's arms so I wasn't actually hurt or anything as we rolled across the grass. The unexpected attack ended up with me laying the grass as Mikey tickled me playfully.

"M-Mikey! Heehee!" I gasped through laughter as I rolled about helplessly as I was tickled "Wh-what d-do you th-think you're d-doing?! Hahaha!

"I'm just keeping my word, Leo!" Mikey had an impish grin on his face as he jokingly nommed at my sneakers that were kicking in playful protest harmlessly against his snout. "I'm helping you!"

"How is... is this HELPING? This... this isn't t-training!" I protested through giggles. "Okay, that's it, you're going to get it now!" I managed to wiggle free, and quickly twisted about to launch myself at him, intent on revenge tickles.

He rolled back and sprang to his feet with a laugh out of my reach, eyes sparkling with mischievousness. "Ooh, too slow! You're going to have to catch me first, big brother!"

Oh, challenge accepted! I gave him a devious grin, ready to leap forward to give chase, when a throat cleared behind me.

Pausing, I turned back and looked upward to see Donnie and Raph standing right behind me.

"I believe this is where we come in." Donnie said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Raph knelt down next to me, a surprisingly playful smirk on his face as he nodded towards Mikey. "So, whatdya say? Ya think Captain Leo and his fearless crew of the Dauntless can work together to take down the dreaded Tickle Creature of Planet Zorg?"

I blinked in surprise, which quickly morphed into a wide grin as turned back towards Mikey, raising my hands to start tapping my fingers together evilly in front of me.

"Le Gasp!" Mikey looked mock horrified. "You have reinforcements?!"

"Oh my, my. How the tables have turned." I snickered smugly, Donnie and Raph taking up ready positions besides me.

"Meep!" Mikey gave yelp, and turned and fled as Raph scooped me up with a laugh, and all three of us gave chase.

April was on her second cup of coffee as she sat on one of the chairs under the shade of the porch. As well as Casey, several of the Cluckingsworth chickens had joined them, tilting their heads and watching in perplexed bemusement as the three giant ninja turtles and their tiny, eleven year old human brother laughed and chased each other around the yard.

"Heh. Did you ever think you'd ever see them so happy again?" Casey chuckled, also sitting back in a chair and obviously enjoying the show. "They're like four little kids again."

April smiled fondly, her eyes soft. "I think that this second chance we've somehow been given is more then just for Leo. I think it's for all of us."

Raph broke off and finally managed to tackle the laughing Mikey, but then, at that moment, when Leo was left open and vulnerable, oh, the humanity (or, er, would it be turtle-anity?)! Donnie gave an evil laugh that he had perfected well over the years, and declared that, betrayal!, he had actually been working for the Tickle Creature all along, and, with that, proceeded to tackle the squealing Leo before he could flee, tickling him mercilessly.

And April had to hide a squeal, because it was all just so cute! Leo's laughs were so adorable when they were like this! There was no sense of the troubles and burdens that always seemed to settle on his shoulders, even now in this life. They weren't even the patient chuckles and amused yet somehow still-adult laughs that he usually gave out. No, right now, these were just pure, happy, entirely childish giggles with just the hint of the occasional light snort mixed in, because of course Leo always had that streak of adorkableness deep down.

Casey had his phone out, and was filming the whole thing, probably finding just as cute as April did, but justifying it in his manly mind as future blackmail material. He looked thoughtful for a second, then set aside his beer can and leaned forward to set the camera on the railing in front of one of the Cluckingsworth chickens, positioning it so that it would continue facing the turtles and their human brother playing unaware in the yard. "Ladies, if you don't mind manning the camera for us?"

The chicken clucked in a manner they assumed was amiable.

That taken care of, he then turned to April. "Y'know, it's almost kind of a shame. "

April lowered her coffee mug and raised an eyebrow, beckoning him to continue.

"Well, I think the guys are always at their best when they're unified and workin' together as one, y'know. Like, towards a common goal." He cleared his throat, a boyishly innocent look on his scruffy face. "And, if you'll notice, right now they're mostly staying in the area that's underneath the window in the master bathroom. And I did bring that massive bulk box of extra large water balloons..."

April could see where this was going, and gasped. "Casey, that's despicable!" She set her coffee cup down and stood up, rubbing her hands together evilly. "Let's do this!"

A/N: Later in that trip, they went to the naming ceremony for the new Cluckingsworth chicks, which turns out to be Mikey scattering corn on a mat with the periodic table of elements, and then releasing the chicks. Whatever square they pick the corn off of was their new name. If anybody's curious, the newest clutch ended up named Yttrium, Rutherfordium the Second, Antimony, Poloium, Boron the Seventh, and Tin.

Oh, and that pond is where the infamous near-drowning situation that Leo described to Karai happened. On this very trip, in fact. And you'd better believe those windshields on all the vehicles that Donnie services are now beyond bulletproof. Those suckers are now made of basically what Triceraton warships use, and could weather an astroid blast if needed.