Chapter Text
“If you don’t shut up and let me handle this, I will shove this in your mouth,” Draxum said flatly, holding up the blood-soaked cotton ball.
Leo pursed his lips. This all felt so awkward. Especially his arm. The wound was on his left side, so his flesh arm was in the way. The turtle probably stank like an entire football locker room all on his own, so he didn’t exactly want to lift his arm in Draxum’s face, the guy who was actually helping him. (Maybe he should think about dropping the whole roof thing for this.)
After some shuffling, the slider settled for leaving his arm over the back of the couch, tapping his fingers against it while Draxum worked diligently at the opening in Leo’s side.
Silence.
“Guess I could forgive you for the roof thing,” he decided to say out loud.
“Oh, thank the divine life of everything holy, I do not need two of you holding on to that,” Draxum sighed, seeming to have forgotten about it until now.
Two?
“Oh lord, there’s a little me somewhere.”
The thought of Leo’s younger self caused something hot and unpleasant to seep into his bloodstream. Somewhere, there was a snarky, self-absorbed, immature version of himself, running around the city, making idiotic jokes and bad puns (all without pants, most likely).
“Don’t worry, he won’t be making any stupid remarks at the moment,” Draxum said calmly.
Pause.
“Now I’m concerned.”
What could have happened to shut him up? From what Leo could remember, there was no end to the incessant blabbering from the boy. It was how he used to cope. So what-
Something out of the corner of Leo’s eye caught his attention. Outside the window, he could see four silhouettes on a rooftop outside where he had come from. Donnie’s tech ( oh god, Donnie- ) must have alerted them of “suspicious activity,” aka Leo escaping the Foot Clan, running six blocks via rooftop, and smashing through Draxum’s window.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Draxum had apparently finished Leo’s side, as he had stood up to make more coffee.
“I think I have, in a way, and I’m not mentally prepared to handle this, so I’m gonna go hide. If anyone asks, no one’s here.”
Leo stood up and made his way into another room.
Coward.
It didn’t take long for voices to pick up outside the door. Draxum’s first, followed by Donnie, then Draxum again, then Case.
Case was the fourth. It took a second for it to click that Leo’s younger self had likely stayed home, incapacitated in some way.
Hearing the sound of his brothers’ voices again made a lump form in his throat. He wanted to see them again, gods, did he want it. But they didn’t know him. He was a stranger in their world, a turtle out of time.
Draxum, Donnie, Raph, Donnie, Raph, pause. Donnie seems irritable. Funny, Leo can still read his brother’s tone, even after so long, even after watching it change over the years and then losing it for several more.
Draxum again, then Raph, then Draxum, then Casey, closer this time. The doorknob began to turn, and Leo had a split second to prepare.
Casey Jones Junior stood in the door, frozen in place as he stared at Leo.
Leo looked back, taking in the mix of emotions on his student’s face. Shock, confusion, relief…
“Hey, Case,” Leo said, breaking the tension, and Casey was in his arms in an instant, clinging to him like a child worried that he might disappear.
Leo clung back just as tightly, holding the kid as Casey started sobbing into his shoulder.
Mikey was right. Casey still needed him. Leo had sent the boy back here with hardly any instruction to a time completely unfamiliar to him. While Leo had some background on the world before the apocalypse, Casey had been born into an active war zone. He needed Leo to be a bridge between worlds, to help him integrate with his new surroundings.
Casey still needed a familiar, strong pillar to stand tall for him.
Casey still needed his Sensei.
“Is this…” Raph said, and Leo suppressed a shudder at the sound of his brother’s voice, nostalgia hitting him like a tidal wave.
“Yeah, it’s him,” Donnie answered.
Leo held Casey tighter, refusing to open his eyes because this was already too much. His brothers, his beloved brothers that had been dead for years were right there , and they sounded so young.
“Alright, everybody out,” Draxum ordered, ushering Leo’s young brothers away.
“What? But-” Donnie stammered.
“You teenagers are always whining about social anxiety and talking over text rather than in person anyway, so get.”
Donnie grumbled, unpersuaded.
“Donnie, high stress situations. Let’s go and come back at a better time,” Mikey said calmly.
“There might not be a better time.”
That was a phrase Leo knew all too well.
“You need some time to cool off as well, Dee.”
“I don’t need- I’m fine,” Donnie snapped.
“Donnie, breathe.”
Donnie took a deep breath, huffing audibly.
“Fine,” he said, trying to keep his voice low. “But we’re coming back.”
“I’d expect no less,” Draxum responded.
Donnie growled, but turned to leave nonetheless.
It was quiet for a moment, and Leo could feel Casey shaking in his arms.
He felt guilty.
He had sent the boy to the past on a whim with next to nothing to go off of. It was stupid. Leo should have explained more, should’ve gone with him, something. Something to make things easier on Casey.
“The others are gone,” Draxum said after a moment, and Leo let out a breath, finally opening his eyes.
“I can’t thank you enough, Drax.”
“Believe me, you can.”
Leo sighed. Some things never change.
Casey tugged on Leo’s scarf, silently asking for his attention.
“I’ll be out to help you clean in a sec.”
Draxum looked at Leo, then at Casey in his arms. He nods, closing the door as he leaves, leaving it open just a crack.
Leo took a deep breath, muscles relaxing as he let it out. He stayed quiet for a moment, letting Casey speak when he’s ready.
“Sensei?”
“Yeah, Case?”
Casey stayed quiet for a moment.
“Why did you hide from them?”
Leo should’ve expected that. It probably seemed out of character for him.
“Because…” Leo paused, thinking of how to respond. “Because I was afraid.”
“Of what? They’re family, aren’t they?”
Leo sighed. “I’m afraid that it’ll hurt to see them again.”
Casey stayed quiet, mulling over Leo’s words.
“Like my mom?”
Leo huffed out a sigh, letting his head droop over Casey’s shoulder.
“Everyone’s alive here,” Leo said, exasperated.
His tone got an amused scoff out of Casey, making him smile softly.
“Yeah, no shit,” Casey said with a sniffle.
Leo grabbed Casey’s shoulders and pulled back to look at him skeptically. “Who taught you that kind of language?”
Casey’s eyes went wide, having been caught.
“Don’t give me that deer-in-headlights look, young man,” Leo said in his only-half-serious voice. “It was younger me, wasn’t it?”
Casey’s expression darkened, and Leo immediately softened his in response.
“Actually he…” Casey swallowed, gathering his words. “He hasn't been conscious enough to say much of anything.”
The kid started fidgeting with his hands, looking worried for the younger turtle. As much as he wanted to ask questions, he could wait.
Leo set his hands firmly on Casey’s shoulders.
“Hey, he’ll be alright. There’s no shortage of ways to help him like there was in the apocalypse. He’ll survive,” Leo said encouragingly.
Casey put his arms back around Leo’s neck, burying his face in his scarf. Leo’s eyes grew distant as he returned the hug.
“We always survive.”
——
Draxum had been shocked, to say the least, when a large, six foot mutant turtle came barreling through his window.
He recognized several details in the span of a few seconds, including that, one, the turtle was to the exact size and specs (though a little malnourished) of his designs for the original mutation, two, he had a very lopsided metal arm, and three, there was an incredibly large gash in the turtle’s side.
Of course, Draxum immediately set out to treat the serious injury that just broke into his apartment. (obviously he keeps a trauma kit ready, you never know when one of your creations will need immediate medical attention.)
Draxum was even more surprised when the turtle (clearly the Leonardo from Junior’s universe at this point) tried to hide from the turtles of the present.
So Draxum sent the others away, Junior staying behind with his Leo for some much-needed reunion time, the poor kid.
Now, Draxum had a mess of broken glass on his living room floor to clean up. Leonardo had promised to help, but Draxum wasn’t going to rush the two. Yet.
A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Draxum sighed, propping his broom against the wall, and going to answer the door.
He should have expected to see Mrs. O’Niel standing there.
“Carol,” he greeted skeptically.
“Good morning, Draxum,” she responded. “I heard a crash earlier. Is everything alright?”
“I assure you, everything is under control.”
“Oh,” Carol said, smiling. “Well, I’m off to work. See you at the potluck this afternoon?”
“Yes, yes. See you there.”
With that, Draxum shut the door and huffed out a sigh. A moment later, Leo and Junior emerged from the room Leo had tried to hide in.
“I’ll get to work on the window,” Leo said, picking up the broom and dustpan.
“I’ll get the mug,” Junior said, moving to pick up the broken ceramic.
“Careful,” Leo cautioned.
“Don’t worry, I’ve handled broken glass before.”
“Yeah, and you cut your hands to shreds in the process.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“It got infected and you refused to let us treat it.”
“Oh yeah? When?”
“Nine years and three months ago.”
“Why are you so specific with time? Donnie said that younger you can’t even tell the date on a normal day.”
“That’s true.”
“Yeah, but why can you do it?”
Leo paused at that, and Draxum was wondering the same thing.
“I don’t know, because I’m older?” Leo answered.
“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Junior replied.
“Since when did you start talking back?”
“Two months and three days ago,” Junior retorted mockingly.
Leo’s jaw dropped as he turned to Junior, looking aghast. He looks to Draxum, pointing at Junior indignantly.
“I did not teach him that.”
“And I didn’t teach you to smash through windows,” Draxum quipped.
Leo’s jaw dropped further, and Junior snickered.
“I am being bullied ,” Leo said, not without humor.
Junior tipped his head back and laughed, earning an amused smile from the slider.
Draxum shook his head, though he isn’t unaffected by the positive atmosphere. He went to grab another dustpan and a brush to clean up the broken mug.
He came back a minute later, equipment in hand, only to find Junior trying to pick up the mug with his bare hands.
“Hey, set that down!” Draxum called, only serving to startle the kid.
Junior sucked in a gasp through his teeth, clutching his finger close to his chest.
Draxum sighed, setting down the dustpan and kneeling down with Junior.
“Let me see,” he said flatly, holding out his hand.
Junior hesitantly places the injured hand in Draxum’s to inspect. The cut wasn’t too deep, just a split in the tip of his finger. Humans are so fragile.
Draxum stood, helping Junior to his feet.
“Come, let’s get you cleaned up.”
Draxum guided Junior to the sink, running the wound under cold water and dabbing it dry with a paper towel. By then, the bleeding had mostly stopped, but Draxum pulled out a bandaid to put over it anyway.
“There. Be more careful in the future,” Draxum ordered as Junior carefully flexed his freshly bandaged finger.
When Draxum looked up, he saw Leo leaning smugly on the broom handle.
“What?” Draxum snapped.
“What, what?” Leo asked, playing dumb.
Draxum growled, narrowing his eyes at the slider. “You know what.”
“What, that you’re good with kids?”
The kids.
“ Shit ,” Draxum hissed, glancing at the clock. “I’m going to be late.”
“ Oh ,” Leo says, eyes widening. “You need to get going. Don’t worry about us, we’ll get this cleaned up. You go!”
Leo stood up, herding Draxum into his room to get changed.
It only took a moment for Draxum to get out the door and on his way to the high school.