Tragedy Ever After

Make or Break

        ~Normal POV~

     "Leo?" Mikey looked at his older brother the same way Raph was. Sera didn't seem too bothered by the sight of the cyborg, not that she really knew who he was anyway.

     "That is not my brother," Raph glared at Leo whose pupils shrunk upon hearing that. I was almost certain he would cry if he still could.

     "Raph," I glared at him, not expecting to hear that come from him. "Just because he isn't how you remember him doesn't mean that he isn't your brother," I was quick to defend the cyborg.

     "What Y/n says is true," Don spoke up. "It is not his body, but it is his soul. This is our brother," there was something in me that felt joy when he referred to any of the turtles as his brother.

     "Um, hello? We're in the middle of a game here," Seraphina spoke up, still in her competitive mood. Yeah, our game of Uno was getting a bit intense. "Can we have this moment after I win?" her tail flicked a little in irritation at the interruption.

     "Oh, right," my brows pinched together, conflicted with what conversation I should stick in. "Who's turn?"

     "Yours," she tugged at the material of a shirt she had taken for her own. It covered the scars on her back that she didn't really like to talk about. I glanced at the card in the middle before groaning and drawing at least ten cards before I found one I could put down.

     The cyborg stood awkwardly beside Don, his digital pupils glancing around nervously. Despite his appearance, he still acted very human, or as much as he could for a mutant turtle.

     Unsurprisingly, Sera won again. For someone who had never played card games before, she was amazing at them. I'd hate to play Monopoly with her. Anyway, Don and Leo now had our, or most of our, undivided attention. Seraphina didn't really listen too much to what was going on, instead keeping her attention on Raph while she reshuffled the cards as a fidget.

     "Listen, I know I did some terrible things, and I'm trying to make up for them," Don started slowly, keeping his eyes on the ground. "I don't expect you guys to just forgive and forget, but I want you to know my side of the story."

     "Better start talkin' then," Raph didn't take his eyes off Don. The purple-clad turtle took a deep breath.

     "Okay, um. . ." Don could barely gaze up at us, suddenly nervous to tell what he went through. "Remember when we were younger, all the shit April said? When she said I was weird, or I wasn't normal, or how the shit I gifted wasn't something one tended to give when they loved you? I just gave you guys what I knew how to make.

     "My tech is all I know, so making you guys things that I saw as useful might not have been seen in the same light by you. My 'gifts'. . . the ones I made before I left. . . I didn't make them to hurt you, I wanted to help.

     "Raph, you struggled with making plans, I wanted the helmet to help you a bit. I didn't mean for it to just nag you or make you feel dumb or useless, I just wanted you to make better plans. Some of them made me nervous, and I didn't want to risk any of us.

     "Leo, I just wanted you to take our missions more seriously. I was scared you would get hurt goofing off, and I care about you, so I didn't want that to happen.

     "And Mikey. . . you used to fight so recklessly, I didn't want you to hurt yourself. I admit my tech didn't work completely as I intended, and I've also learned that I don't always need to depend on it. Hell, I don't even wear my battle shell half the time anymore.

     "Guys, Y/n is a good human, they've taught me so much, that's why I've stayed with them. They take care of me, and they've been taking care of Mikey in the time he's been here, too. Please, I want to stay here. I don't wanna go."

     Everyone stayed silent the whole time as they took in what Don said. I could feel Raph's gaze shift to me and I saw Leo look at me as well. "I can tell how much they've changed you, especially since you're opening up to us right now," the chair scraped against the ground and Raph made his way to Don.

     He raised a clawed hand, placing it gently on his younger brother's shoulder, a smile spreading across his lips, stretching his scar slightly. "Don, I am so damn proud of you," tears welled in my boyfriend's eyes and Raph pulled him into a tight hug.

     "You're my little brother, you always will be," his voice was slightly muffled. "I don't know everything that happened with April, and it's okay if I never get the full story, but I don't want you to ever feel like you can't talk to us again. You got that?"

     "Mm-hmm," Don didn't actually speak, not trusting his voice. I heard his shaky breaths and stood up from the table as well, stepping behind my mutant and wrapping my arms around him, then Mikey joined in, and then Leo. A hoof showed up in my vision and I glanced up to see a nervous Seraphina.

     She was stood closer to Raph, clearly wanting to join the hug beside him. He seemed to notice her and lifted his arm to let her squeeze in. She let out a hum as she leaned into him.

     We were like that for a short moment before Don asked for us to break away. He was still wiping away tears as he tried to calm down. "Um. . . thanks for that, Raph," he let out a chuckle as he continued to wipe the sleeve across his cheeks. "Ha, I, uh, I don't know why I'm crying."

     "No judging here, brother," Raph wiped away a few tears of his own. "We, um," he looked around at the family that surrounded him. "We should get home," the extended family had spent a month or two living in the apartment with Y/n while Raph's scars healed up.

     Don's hand intertwined with mine, a sign showing he didn't plan on going with them that Raph picked up on. "You comin', Lee?" the cyborg glanced between Don and their older brother. The soft shell nodded, letting him know it was okay to go.

     Seraphina was already by Raph's side, clear in her own choice. She was rather attached to him. Mikey also glanced between the two halves of his family, debating who he would want to stay with.

     The box turtle took a step back, choosing his home to be with me and Don. Raph smiled softly, accepting the choice his youngest brother made. "Hey, uh, just be sure to visit, yeah? You'll always have a place with us."

     "Okay," Don replied, his voice quiet. "Um, call me if Leo needs any fixing. My tech isn't indestructible, you know," I led them to the exit. "Hey, guys?" the trio paused and looked to the soft shell that spoke up. "I love you."

     "I love you, too, Don."

     Word Count: 1,232. Um. . . wow, I didn't think this was the chapter I would be writing. This was supposed to be the ending chapter, so I guess this is it? I'll try to write an epilogue and some bonus chapters. Enjoy!