Chapter Text
People mostly talk about your life moving in slow motion when you die. Well, Leo’s gotten pretty close a few times and never had that happen. Until this moment. Staring at a face nearly identical to his with different red markings in the backyard of Draxum’s old family estate.
The female turtle it belongs to stands there waiting for his reaction. Only saying one word.
“Same.” A raspy voice clearly not used to actually speaking pushes out.
Leo’s heart beats like a jackhammer in his chest. Big Mama’s assistant is here showing him her identical face. Revealing an earth shattering truth that could turn their entire family upside down during what’s supposed to be a vacation.
All he can do really is scream.
“Dad! Barry!”
He calls out to the adults here, but as expected they’re not the only ones who show up. His brothers and Casey stumble out behind them looking panicked and ready to fight weapons or not. Okay, considering less than three weeks ago he was a little touch and with ‘surviving an alien beat down in a voice dimension’, maybe he shouldn’t just scream out with no explanation. That apparently scares people.
His family all freeze as he and Big Mama’s Assistant (his sister?) come into view. Leo doesn’t turn to see their exact reactions, but he hears the thundering of footsteps stop, and several reactions.
“Blue! What’s wrong, are you- I…”
“It can’t be.”
Welp, both the adults are just as lost as him on how to react. Good to know.
“Gasp! Is that… her ?”
Damn it, way to spill the beans Donnie.
“Wait what? Who is that?! Why does she look like Leo’s long lost twin or something?” Mickey saying the quiet part out loud as per usual.
“I take offense to that.” Donnie has to butt in.
“Raph is so confused right now.”
“Aren’t we all big guy?”
Literally no one is helping. Great.
“Sensei, what’s going on?” Casey speaks up through the crowd.
That snaps Leo out of his stupor. He clears his throat and looks back at his family all crowded together behind them.
“She um, just showed up? I think she might have run away.”
“Run away? From who-“ Barry stops dead in his tracks as everyone finally seems to notice the familiar armor and attire.
“Oh shiiit~.” Mikey blurts out.
“Mike!” Raph scolds.
“I helped stop an alien invasion and tore open the fabric of space! I'm allowed to swear!”
“Still fourteen!”
“Yeah, fourteen, not four!”
“ QUIET !”
Their father’s voice cuts through the tension in the air like a blade. All eyes are on the small rat man as he walks forward towards the female turtle before them. He approaches slowly with wide eyes. She stands still, waiting for him.
He reaches a hand out to her, before pulling it back a moment later.
“The other two containers.” Splinter says barely above a whisper. “I saw them, but I couldn’t find… I thought you were-“ he takes in a sharp breath whipping his head to Draxum. The goat yokai is utterly shell shocked with more emotion than most of them have ever seen on his face.
“Did you know ?” Splinter snaps. “That she was alive, or that Big Mama had her?!”
Draxum flinches and Leo think about how just moments ago these two held hands at the breakfast table. God, he hates to admit it, but he wishes he could rewind things to that. Eventually Draxum snaps out of his stupor to shake his head.
“Of course not! When the lab was destroyed I assumed the other two were…gone with the rest of my work.” Dead. They were supposed to be dead. “The other? Are they alive as well? Are they with that wretched bug woman as well?!”
Whatever drama those to have is forgotten to turn back to the female turtle. Who shakes her head solemnly.
Her diaphragm vibrates and Leonardo can again understand it as if she’s speaking to him.
“Alone. Not anymore?”
Her face twists as she looks them all up frantically hunching in towards herself. Her eyes shine wet and she takes a step back. Oh no.
This is the exact opposite of a warm welcome.
“Hey, hey!” Leo buts in walking forward. “It’s okay, everyone's just surprised! We didn't know you were alive to be fair.” He gives a everyone a coaching look and firms up his tone.
“Right guys?”
“Y-Yeah!” Raph says. “We’re not upset to see you or anything!”
“I’m happy to not be the youngest anymore!”
“That’s not how that works Mikey; technically if she’s from the same clutch as Leo she’d also be our age most likely-“
“Donnie!” Raph snaps.
“Oh uh, right sorry.” Donnie hunches his shoulders realizing again - not the time. The wretched the most horrific smile Leo has ever seen onto his face and opens his arms way too wide. His tone of voice is somehow worse than both of those combined.
“Welcome to the family beloved long lost sister - or sibling of indeterminate gender depending on what you identify as - who we are very excited to meet and are not freaking out about the ramifications to our futures and family structure over!”
They need to stop letting Donnie do the talking in these situations. It stresses him out and ends up like this. Leo needs to also give Raph a ‘don’t put Donnie on the spot in front of other people ’ reminder apparently.
Momentary protectiveness over Donnie is overridden by a high pitched chirp followed by said turtle making a slightly distressed noise. Their new sibling apparently didn’t pick up on his twin sounding like those words were literally forced out of him and is… hugging him.
She nuzzles his face and continues chirping as she baps her snout against his face repeatedly. Occasional vibrations from her diaphragm blurting out.
“Brother! No alone! No alone! Family!”
“ Distressed squeal! Distressed squeal!” Donnie yells. “Oh god iwasonlyofferingabriefhugicanthandlethismuchtoughrifhtnow .”
Somehow Donnie’s distress breaks the still tension between everyone as they relax and begin actually moving towards each other. One gentle prying off and quick explanation of the family touch rules later - they all head inside. They have so much to talk about…
Oh well, it’s a start at least bringing her inside. Home with her family.
“Oh Gus… where oh where has my little shellyboo gone?”
“Hah, crazy story actually-“
“Oh you know how I love a good tale! Do tell scruffykins.”
“…”
“You know, Gus. I don’t like this story so far - the content is rather LACKING. Where’s the drama, the romance, the themes and the action? Why, it’s almost as if you’re just standing there quietly because you’re scared to answer my question~.”
“We’ll find her.”
“Good, and do bring me back an absolutely terrificadoodle story from it as well since you offered.”
“Yes Mom.”
Well. Here they are.
The four turtles sur in a circle in the living room of Draxum’s outrageously huge family estate around their new sibling. Who looks elated after having been brought in and assured they weren’t going to turn her away. Casey is sitting on the sofa behind them with Draxum and Splinter off to the side. Standing over all of the children and watching.
She fidgets in place, rocking on her crossed legs and smiling at them all like this isn’t an earth shattering moment. It’s making it incredibly hard for Leo to remember she’s a deadly warrior who works for a giant monster crime syndicate leader and be reasonably suspicious because of it. Mikey saves him from having to be the first to speak though.
“So we’ve got two other siblings?” He says more like he’s confirming something than asking.
“One,” Draxum corrects, “The second is likely deceased. If that woman managed to find this one, it’s unlikely she didn’t turn the place inside out - and wouldn’t have found the other.”
“Yeah because there’s absolutely no reason for us to think assumptions like that might bite us in the future.” Mikey deadpans. Oh, he’s in full ‘my family is being stupid and somehow I’m the only one who realizes it’ mode.
“…” doubt and implications fill the room.
“One family crisis at a time.” Splinter sighs pinching the bridge of his nose.
“That seems… like a bad rule for this family.” Casey says scrunching his face.
“Okay!” Leo says clapping his hands together. “New sister! Let’s focus on that.”
“Are they our sister?” Raph says. He crosses his arms. “Raph’s not gonna assume… especially after he’s been wrong before.”
Oh, good point. He turns to the new turtle.
“So, are you a girl slash sister? Or should we call you something else?” Leo asks.
“Female. Sister.”
“Okay good to know.”
“Did she say something?” Draxum raises his brow.
“Can you guys not understand the vibrations she does?” Leo asks, looking at him and Splinter. Both shake their head. Okay, maybe he should have figured their mammal parents couldn’t.
“I mean, it’s like when we were really little right? And up until Raph was like seven.” Mikey shrugs. “Donnie could also teach her the modified signs he uses.”
Said brother nods. “Can probably have fingerspelling down in a day or two at least.”
“That would be a good idea I think.” Draxum nods. He turns back to their new sister. “Assuming that sounds good to you child?”
She nods.
“Yes. Learn speak with hands.”
“Can you speak verbally at all?” Donnie asks.
“Some. Hard. Hurts.” She taps her head and then her chest. “Here and here.”
“Yeah, it’s best we don’t ask her to speak out loud more than she has to.” Donnie says in one of the most understanding tones Leo’s ever heard from him.
They all take a moment to agree.
“My daughter,” Splinter says from his spot. “Do you have a name?”
They haven’t asked her name yet. They’re awful new brothers. Before Leo can apologize though her answer floors him.
“No name. No speak, no need. Mama calls me many things.”
“She didn’t even name you?” Draxum’s fists at his sides.
Leo agrees wholeheartedly.
Splinter walks forward and grabs one of her three fingered hands. Wrapped in ribbons. “You will get a name, a name you choose. For now we can call you… Teal! How does that sound?”
Their dads dopey grin apparently satisfies her because she nods enthusiastically. The shine in her eyes that’s been building up spills over. Tears roll down their sister’s red and green face.
Splinter pulls her into his smaller arms, and presses his snout to the top of her head. She shakes and sobs, and Draxum walks over to put a hand on her back. Donnie follows Draxum’s lead, putting a hand on her back and patting away. Raph and Mikey don’t hesitate to wrap her and their dad in their arms. Casey does his best to stretch his arms around the hug pile. Leo stares for a minute.
That identical face to his own except for the shape of the markings. There’s something unnerving about it he’s got to admit. Especially seeing her cry. But, when she looks up to meet his eyes it all fades away and something clicks.
This is his sister. He’s her brother. They’re a family. He joins the group hug from in front of her and squeezes.
Nothing is going to separate her from them again.
“So. We know where she is.”
“Indeed. This is an interesting turn of events.”
“You know I almost feel kind of bad about ratting her out. Heard they’re a nice family.”
“I heard an almost in there. And we both know he doesn’t want her harmed - her family will be no exception.”
“Well, a jobs a job and it’s not like I’m a saint or anything.”
“Hmph.”
“Oh don’t judge me with your whole ‘honor’ routine. Like you said - she’s not going to get hurt. Just, an offer.”
“Well, let’s go then shall we? The Daimyo will want to hear about this change in events.”