IMPORTANT: So, this is an alternate universe where Mikey did not run into the Punk Frogs and actually succeeded in running away from home. It sort of bothered me that they didn't address the issue later on.
I do not own TMNT.
It was a night not unlike any other. Mikey sat in the back of the stolen van (which after all these months he still felt bad about taking) and peeked out the window. The unwelcoming forest stared back at him. He had driven out the edge of the small town, where nobody was likely to find him. Sitting back with a contented sigh, Mikey silently congratulated himself on learning how to drive. That had been his main issue after leaving. But now with a car and the know-how, he could go anywhere.
Anywhere.
The thought sort of scared him in a way. Anywhere. He didn't have a purpose, a plan, he didn't know what to do. It had been six months since he had struck out on his own. Now what? was the lingering question in his mind.
The freckled turtle decided not to worry about it. He wasn't usually one who worried about things like that, but tonight he was feeling somewhat lonely.
"Mrrow?" an orange and white cat jumped into his lap from the front of the car and rubbed her head against his chest.
"Heya Klunk," Mikey cooed, petting the cat affectionately. "You still care about me, don't you?" The cat responded with a loud purr. Poor little street cat had been almost starving when the teenager came across her, and Mikey couldn't help taking her in; it was what he did. Stroking her as she purred quietly, the turtle took in a deep breath of the musty leather smell of the car. That smell had become the smell of home.
"Mrrow," the cat suddenly meowed urgently, jumping off his lap and butting her head against the car door. "Mrrow!"
"What's your problem? You wanna go out?" Mikey asked dubiously. He didn't like letting her leave at night, especially near a forest like this.
"Mrrrraaaow," Klunk tilted her muzzle into the air and wailed.
"Fine, fine, you win," Michelangelo grumbled, putting on his best pouty face as he popped open the car door for her. Crazy cat. He had just settled into the sleeping bag on the van floor when there came a scritch-scratch from the door. He promptly groaned.
"I thought you wanted out!" he shouted, The noise came again. Scritch-scratch. "Ugh!" Mikey sat up and opened the car door, feeling slightly crabby at the fact he had been woken up again, but then he saw the small black bundle in her mouth.
"Klunk, did you kill something?!" Mikey screeched in horror. The cat just leaped up inside, padded over to the corner, and dropped the thing. She looked up with big green eyes and tilted her head. "Mrrow."
"Please tell me you didn't kill something," Mikey said, slightly panicked as he shut the car door. He hated to look at dead animals. It was disgusting and saddening all at once. The black bundle had a crimson puddle forming under it and the turtle wanted to puke. Klunk had actually killed something and brought it back-
Then the animal moved.
Four little legs jerked out and started to churn wildly at the air, a black tail thrashing back and forth and its eyes wide. It was a tiny black kitten, with mangy fur and crazed amber eyes. Klunk nudged it slightly, evoking a screech from the animal. Mikey flinched.
"Oh no, no no no no no," Mikey scooted towards the delicate little thing and very very slowly tried to wedge his hand under it, but that only made it screech louder so he drew back again, whimpering. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't even tell where it was hurt, probably on its other side where he couldn't reach. The kitten's paws flowed through the air furiously, like it was trying to swim. Finally, gathering up every bit of guts he had in him, Mikey thrust his hands under it and flipped the creature over as fast as he could, trying not to tear up at the sound of it screaming in pain.
A huge gash ran from the shoulder to the tail, and it stank like a septic waste pit. Mikey could see the inflammation and pus coming out of the wound and he leaned to the side, gagging and holding back a mouthful of puke. It was disgusting.
"Ok little kitten," he said shakily. "Let's get you cleaned up." Grabbing a rag, wet from the afternoon rain, Mikey began to wipe off the pus. The kitten screeched and Mikey bit his lip to keep back a whimper. Mikey took the rag and swiped it across its fur again. The kitten screamed louder. Now the turtle was actually crying, tears coming down his cheeks.
"Please, I'm only trying to help..." he said in a choked-up voice. He continued trying to wipe it off, but the kitten's screaming was getting duller.
"No no no, please no, please no, please no," Mikey began to chant a series of denials as he cupped the kitten's head in his large hand. "You aren't dying, you won't die, don't die-"
The cat let out a last shudder and then stared out with empty eyes.
Mikey sobbed, pounding his fist against the wall. He bit his lip till it bled and relished the salty taste. Slowly, he huddled into the corner, curling his legs in towards his chest and stroking the dead kitten as silent tears came out. He shouldn't care this much, it was just a stupid cat that he had known for five minutes and it was probably too late for him anyways. But he did care. And it wasn't just the kitten, it was all the tears he had been holding back for the six months. He missed his brothers. He was stupid for leaving, so stupid. But they didn't even care, he had always been the weak link in the team. They always thought he was stupid, and now look, he had gone and proven them right.
In the moment of pure despair, a familiar ringtone suddenly echoed in the van.
. . . . .
Leo sat on his bed. It was late and him, Raph and Donnie had finished going on patrol, then headed straight for bed. The blue-masked ninja had stripped all his gear already and was reading for a good night's rest. Grabbing the T-phone off his nightstand, he plugged it into the wall. The screen lit up with the homescreen, still on the default background as Leo had never figured out how to change it. He was just about to put it down for the night-
And then Mikey popped up.
Leonardo's throat constricted like a snake had wrapped around it and squeezed it tight. There was his orange-masked brother, smiling goofily on the screen. Just below it was the number of his T-phone, and the big green button stating "CALL" in capital letters. Mikey had been gone for six months. All it had taken was one more day of them telling him to just grow up already (after trashing the cabin yet again) and then poof, he had disappeared. Just like that.
Leonardo stared at the call button. They hadn't tried to call him in three months. What was the point anymore? Still...his finger itched to press the button, just to see. Maybe. Maybe.
Well, what harm can it do?
Leo pushed the button and held the phone up to his ear. Silently, he waited, as if in a meditation. The phone rang. Then it rang again. A third time. Leo hadn't been expecting him to answer, but a small part of him was still disappointed. Some little thought had hoped he might pick up.
There was a click.
Leonardo could only sit there for a moment, silent. The other end was silent as well. Leo stood up, his heart jumping. Somebody had answered.
"...L-leo?" The shaky, staticy voice came through, but Leo recognized the voice on the other end.
"Oh my God," Leonardo pressed his hand against his other ear and leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths. "Mikey?" He moved his hand from his ear, pressing the heel of his hand hard into his mouth. His head was spinning and his voice hitched. "Mikey?"
"Uh, hey," Mikey's voice came through, and then he sniffled. He was crying.
"Why now?" Leo demanded, choking back on tears. "Why pick up now?"
"Cuz'...I dunno," Mikey's tear-shaky voice came in like a bad radio reception. "A kitten just died." A kitten just died. That's why he picked up. Leo wanted to laugh and scream at the same time. His brother, who had been missing for six months straight, finally decided to talk to him because he was upset about a kitten dying. It was only a fitting answer for a person like Mikey.
"Why did you leave?" Leo asked, sitting down as his vision became dizzy and blurred.
"I thought you didn't want me..." Mikey's voice was small and it trailed off. "Please don't hate me forever." The sound of muffled sobbing came through and Leo's heart shattered.
"Hey, hey hey, sssh. It's ok," Leo said, pressing the phone against his ear. "Don't cry." Way to be a hypocrite, Leo thought to himself, wiping off a tear of his own. "We would never hate you. Never. You're our brother, and we will always love you."
"Please don't hate me," Mikey sobbed on the other end, crackling noises interfering with his voice. "Don't hate me, don't hate me, don't hate me..." Leo rubbed at his eyes, then began hugging himself with his free arm and squeezing his eyes shut.
"I missed you a lot Mikey," Leo said in a croaky voice.
"Are you crying?" Mikey sounded horrified.
"No," Leonardo said stubbornly, then his shoulders melted down to a defeated position. "...maybe a little." There was silence on the other end. "Where are you?" Leo asked frantically. "Don't hang up, don't you dare."
"I-I...I'm in Maine," Mikey stuttered. "I didn't know what to do Leo, I thought you didn't want me anymore and I left, but now I don't want to be alone." Mikey snorted and his breath hitched.
"What on earth have you been doing?!" Leo asked.
"It's a pretty long story..." Mikey laughed half-heartedly. "And I found another cat." Leo let out a sharp laugh through his tears. For another moment there was silence.
"Will you take me back?" Mikey whimpered quietly. Take him back? Take him back? Leo nearly burst out into a fit of laughter. He would have drove to Maine and dragged Mikey back to New York City.
"Of course Mikey," Leonardo laugh-cried. "Of course you can come home."