Together As Mutants (Book Six)

XCVIII. Leonardo Comes Back

Leonardo yawns a little as he steals through the New York streets. Despite his exhaustion, he still finds the energy to keep going. His mind is racing with thoughts of his family, thoughts of Destiny, and thoughts of home.

He jumps down a manhole, heading through the sewers. He braces himself for any yelling he might receive, knowing that Destiny will probably be more than ticked. After all, he stayed an extra three months, plus he hasn't written since before that time. Donnie and Sarina are probably home by now too.

He now understands what she meant when she had gone away, right at the start of their relationship. He plays the scene over in his head absentmindedly as he goes.

Leonardo smiles, his three fingers tracing the scars lining Destiny's face. She sighs and rests her head on his plastron, closing her eyes. He focuses on the feeling of her weight on his chest, her heart beating so close to his.

"Was replying to a message once or twice really that dangerous?" he asks after a while.

"No..." She opens her eyes, looking at him again and making him nearly lose himself in those wild green orbs. "But replying would just make me miss you more."

He couldn't find the right things to tell her anymore. He couldn't put how much he loved her into mere words on a letter, and every time he got a reply his heart only ached more. It was easier to fall off the grid for a while. He thinks of the little box concealed in his belt, his throat tightening with nerves.

Now, he can hear the sounds of laughter as he nears the lair. He smiles lightly, his heart rate picking up.

He walks through the entrance, seeing that everyone is doing their own thing. Everyone is home from whatever they were doing, including him.

His eyes fall on Destiny, who smiles weakly as her and Donatello chat on the couch. Although she still manages to smile, her eyes are missing the kind of light they used to have. His mask remains around her neck. Leo is hit with an overwhelming burst of love and guilt when he sees her looking so sad and so vulnerable. His brothers weren't kidding when they told him that she was having a tough time.

Michelangelo is the first to look over, noticing his leader's return. His face breaks into a smile so wide he could eat a banana sideways.

"BRO!" he squeals.

"Hey guys," Leo calls, waving a little.

Destiny's eyes shoot to him, widening simultaneously. One minute she's by the couch, the next she's in his arms, her lips pressed against his. The force of her embrace causes them to fall over, but neither of them minds as she continues the passionate lip lock, their arms wrapped around each other tightly. Instantly, both mutants are whole again and all the pain of missing each other is gone.

"Hamato Leonardo, am I glad to see you," she whispers, burying her face in his neck. "How dare you not write to me..."

"I'm sorry, Destiny. I love you," he murmurs, tugging her impossibly closer as he shuts his eyes.

She kisses him again, her tail wagging so fast that it might fall off. It's a few seconds before they hear Raphael clear his throat.

"Hey...we missed Leo too, you know," he comments.

Destiny blushes and gets off of the blue-masked turtle, helping him up. Leo grins as he embraces each of his brothers and their girlfriends. When he hugs Donnie, they both share a knowing look.

You know what to do, Donnie seems to say.

Yeah. I've got it.

"Wow Taylor. I like the hair," the blue-masked turtle comments.

A look of surprise flickers across her face as she runs a hand over her reddish-black locks. The last thing she expected was a compliment, and she smiles lightly in return. Annalise and Mikey hug Leo again, Mikey babbling about the games Annalise is helping to create while she blushes and tries to tone down on his praise.

Splinter walks towards the happy group, a smile on his wizened face. Leo hugs his father tightly, his head still resting against the same spot it did when he was fifteen.

"I'm glad you've returned, my son," the wise rat says.

"As am I, Father."

Destiny unties his mask, holding it out to her boyfriend. "I believe this is yours."

He grins, taking it and replacing his current mask with his old one swiftly. Everyone else returns to their activities, the entire lair alive with energy again. Within seconds, the couple are the only ones left. Leo grabs Destiny's hand and pulls her towards the lair entrance, hardly able to wait any longer.

"Come on. There's something I need to ask you."