This is a continuation of my story, 'The Blood in my Veins', an AU where Leo is a turtle and his brothers are human. It's mostly going to be short glimpses into the Hamato family lives, maybe a few excerpts from the original story, only from one of the brother's point of view, and possibly a few alternate versions, like if the brothers had found Leo instead of the bounty hunters, etc. Basically, whatever tickles my muse.

A/N So I promised to write some cute fluff after the flashback chapter with Leatherhead in the original story, and thus I'm getting that out of the way right out of the gate. This here is basically my attempt to atone for that depressing chapter and write the cutest, most freaking adorable things about child Leo that I possibly can. I wasn't originally going to make this starting chapter a two parter, but it was getting ridiculously long, and thus, I decided to break it up to help me keep my place while writing it. After that decision was made, I went, 'Meh, might as well post part one, at any rate'.

So yeah... warning for the next chapter, it's going be pretty much nothing but fluffy nonsense.

Hidden Away: Part One

Ages-
Leo: Equivalent of 20-21 years old.
Donnie: 20 years old.
Raph: 18 years old
Mikey: 16 years old

"Hang on just a second, Leo. I almost have it..."

Donatello's tongue was stuck out slightly in concentration as my dark haired human brother carefully and adeptly manipulated a massive assembly of wires in the newly installed panel. The twenty year old genius had forgone his usual purple kimono or battle gear, and was instead dressed rather casually in a (predictably) dark purple t shirt and comfortable jeans. He was wearing thick work gloves and had his goggles pulled down over his eyes as several tools lay in a tray beside him, organized neatly in a row.

I stood beside him, his ever faithful mutant turtle brother, holding up the flashlight so the light was beaming through the darkness and lighting up the panel for him. "I still can't believe you managed to rewire the entire lair so quickly." I commented, quite impressed.

Way back when Master Splinter and I had lived here alone, it had taken me months of work and sweat and frustration to cobble together a patchwork system that was barely sufficient to run a hotplate and a toaster at the same time. Donnie, on the other hand, had come down only and spent about a few days working on this, and already had taken the rachitic system held together by only prayers, duct tape, and paper clips, and transformed it into a neatly woven arraignment of cables capable of powering an entire apartment complex.

"Oh, just you wait, Leo. It's going to make such a difference!" Donnie looked away from his work long enough to give me a warm, gap toothed grin, before going back to setting up the breaker box. "Though I still can't believe that you had managed to get as much done as you did with your setup. It was actually pretty clever."

"You flatter me unnecessarily." I said dryly. "There is no need to spare my feelings, Donnie, I've accidentally shocked myself on the old system enough times to know how bad it was."

I glanced around in the darkened lair, a few LED lights placed around and providing temporary light for my human family as they worked around us.

I still found myself in awe that life could be somehow end up so perfect. I was no longer alone. I was a part of a family, and an accepted member of the powerful Hamato Clan. I could scarcely believe it even now.

My new family of humans were as eager to learn everything about me as I was about them, so about two months ago, after I had recovered from Agent Bishop and the EPF's 'hospitality, and Master Yoshi was feeling strong enough to travel, I had finally brought my family down to see the lair where Master Splinter and I had lived for so long. Though, to tell the truth, as eager as they all were to visit my old home, I had been extremely nervous about taking them there. As the heirs to an internationally powerful clan, my brothers had grown up with almost unlimited resources, whereas my old sewer lair had been cobbled together with whatever I could scrap out of dumpsters and junkyards. Not to mention that it had, by that point, been abandoned for almost a year. I was going to be showing them a literal hole in the wall, and, as I constantly warned them as we approached, it was going to be a makeshift hovel compared to what they were used to.

But I didn't need to worry. The lair had belonged to Master Splinter and I, and that was enough. My humans had acted like I was showing them a grand palace, and not some dark and dank cobweb infested hole in the sewers.

At first, there had been a little hesitation on their part about touching or rearranging anything, as if this were sacred ground and all memories had to be preserved, no matter how moldy. But when I gave them my blessings to do whatever they wanted, and reassured them that Master Splinter would have loved to have us make this a true home, and to do that, they all needed to feel free to put pieces of themselves into it, they all dove in whole heartedly. Since then, it had become almost a sanctuary for us, a getaway for just the Hamato family members to hang out together.

Currently, we were still mostly in the clean-up stage, though a few 'essential' pieces of furniture had already been carried in. Namely, things a few small kitchen appliances (including a pizza oven!), a couch (carrying that in had been rather interesting), and a TV with all the equipment necessary for a proper movie night.

Hence, the reasons why the electrical system upgrade was a top priority.

Currently, Raph was off in the dojo, sweeping the floor, while Mikey was crawling around, clearing up cobwebs and dusting. Master Yoshi was sitting in his wheelchair at the counter, a collection of knick knacks and various household decorations lined up and waiting on the ledge for him as he meticulously scrubbed and cleaned each one with a rag.

I moved the flashlight a little to better illuminate the panel Donnie was working on. Things were peaceful for a time as we all concentrated on whatever we were working on.

Then the peace was interrupted by a loud crash down the hallway, along with several loud and course expletives yelped out. This was, predictably, followed by a wail for protection and snarled death threats.

I straightened up and looked around, noting that my youngest brother had abandoned the corner where he had been dusting out cobwebs, and was now suspiciously absent.

"Really, my sons?" Master Yoshi set down the trinket he was cleaning and facepalmed. "Here and now?"

"Don't worry, Sensei." I sighed and stood back. "I'll get this."

"Thank you, Leonardo." He looked at me gratefully.

Donnie nodded, then finished tucking some wires away. "I'm almost done here, Leo, and should be able handle the rest. Go ahead and make sure Mikey doesn't get murdered."

"Thanks Donnie." I gave him a smile, and turned to stride across the room towards the hallway that lead to the rest of the lair, where the source of the cursing could be heard.

I walked back to find Mikey almost sobbing with laughter as he clung to the pipes up by the stone brick ceiling, while down below, Raph wielded an old, dusty broom like a bat, his body language a mixture of both rage and revolted terror.

"Mikey, what did you do?" I narrowed my blue eyes up at my blonde brother with the orange bandana holding back fluffy blonde hair.

"Leo! Bro!" Mikey looked down at me with wounded baby blue eyes. "Why do you automatically assume that it's my fault?!"

I gave him a look.

"Okay." Mikey admitted. "But in my defense, it was really funny!"

I merely sighed and held out my three fingered hand palm up to him, waiting.

Defeated but still obviously highly amused, Mikey reached over and deposited a fresh but obviously quite dead cockroach in my waiting hand.

I blinked, lowered my hand, looked at it, then raised an eyeridge. "Really?"

"I was just trying to give Raphie a new friend!" Mikey swung up to seat himself more comfortably on the pipes, his legs dangling down.

"My FIST will be your new friend!" Raph raged.

At that moment, there was a small 'clunk' out in the living room as Donnie flipped the lever, and the lights flickered on, fully illuminating the lair fully once more.

"Success!" Donnie's voice called out triumphantly. "Good news, guys! There's no longer any danger of anybody dying of electric shock from turning the lights on!"

"Good job, Donnie!" I called back. Then I glanced at my two brothers in front of me, and then down at the dead cockroach in my palm. Then back up at Raph, who was clutching the broom and eyeing the dead cockroach like it was the spawn of demons themselves.

And something inexplicable happened to me.

For just a moment, I felt a fierce, internal battle rage within me, the likes of which I had never experienced before. I hadn't even known I was capable of such thoughts and impulses that flittered through my mind.

And, I'm ashamed to admit, in the end, the dark side won over.

Shrugging my shoulders nonchalantly, I tossed the dead cockroach in my mouth like a piece of popcorn and casually began chewing.

Raph dropped the broom to the floor with a clatter as both of his hands flew over his mouth, his green eyes wide and staring at me with a horrified, nauseous expression.

"Whoa, dude!" Mikey straightened up so fast that he bumped his head on the ceiling. He winced and rubbed his head, blinking at me, obviously not sure if he should be disgusted or impressed. "Did you really just...?"

I shrugged, shifting my tongue in his mouth as I tried to dislodge a leg caught between my teeth. "I am a turtle, you know."

"Leo, don't eat things Mikey found on the floor. It's not sanitary." Donnie came up, pushing Master Yoshi's wheelchair, and he shot me a dirty look. "If you're hungry, we brought snacks."

"Sorry." I sheepishly apologized.

"Hey, wait a moment... What's that?" Mikey perked up, his attention caught by something off to the side.

"What's what?" I blinked up at him.

"There's a box up here!" Mikey scooted forward on the pipes closer towards the wall, where pipes intersected and created a shadowy recess up near the ceiling.

"Really?" I blinked, then realizing what it must be, I rubbed the back of my head with a shrug. "Oh. Uh... in all honesty, that doesn't surprise me too much. Master Splinter always had this weird habit of hiding things in strange places. I once found twelve rolls of tinfoil behind the bathroom sink."

Master Yoshi gave an amused laugh, glancing at me with warm, slate blue eyes. "Oh, he was still doing that, even after all those years?! I can't tell you how many times Shen or I found buttons, paper clips, and other shiny trinkets hidden in our socks or under cabinets."

"So what's in the box?" Donnie glanced up at Mikey curiously.

"Dunno, lessee." Mikey grunted, and there was a scraping noise as he pushed the box before him. He peeked down and saw Raph standing below him. "Yo, Raphie, heads up!"

"Got it." my red brother grunted in affirmation, and held up his hands to carefully catch the old faded and stained cardboard box before it fell too far. He had to lunge back a bit, quickly shifting the box in his grasp as he had to quickly try and keep it in one piece. "Crap. It's kinda falling apart."

There was a slight thump as Mikey landed on my shell, but I didn't protest, just leaning over to peek just as curious as my brothers as Raph set the box down on the floor in full view of everybody and, with a quick glance at me for silent permission, opened it.

"Oh." I blinked when I saw what was inside the half decayed cardboard box, not expecting there to actually be interesting items in it. I was ready for there to be nothing but old magazines and newspaper clippings. I reached down to pull out a blue blanket with a yellow duck printed in the center, feeling the familiar worn and threadbare fabric. "These are some of my old childhood possessions." I blinked, and looked back down into the box incredulously. "We didn't move to this lair until much later. How on earth did he manage to keep them this long?!"

"Oh! Mikey gasped, and slid off my shell to quickly join his brothers in perusing this treasure trove. "Jackpot, then!"

Donnie reached in and pulled out few childish crayon drawings, mostly of a turtle and a rat, looking quite charmed as he examined them. "Did you draw these?"

I cleared my throat, a little embarrassed, and nodded. "I only had a few crayons, so I remember being frustrated I couldn't get the colors quite right."

"What's this?" Mikey pulled a large black camcorder, a bulky and ancient relic left over from the early nineties, at least.

Raph noticed and lifted up one of the few old VHS tapes out of the box, turning one over in his hand curiously. He blinked in surprise, and looked up. "'For the eyes of Hamato Yoshi and his sons only'?" he questioned, reading the handwritten label.

I reached over to take it from him, looking it over and noticing the faded masking tape labels numbering them. "I had forgotten all about these." I glanced over at Mikey. "Uh, well, you see... Years ago, I found that old camcorder in the trash. It was still in pretty good condition, and as far as I could figure, somebody must've thrown it out accidentally or something." I shrugged, and glanced down to glance over the vhs tapes, and suddenly felt my face heat up a little. "So...uh... I decided to make some tapes for you guys, if we ever found you. To introduce ourselves, I guess."

"Wait." I gave a start as Mikey shoved the camcorder into Donnie's startled arms and turned to grab my face, staring into my blue eyes intensely. "Waitwaitwaitwait. Leo. Dearest big brother... Are you seriously telling us that recorded on those tapes right there, there's footage of a little adorable baby chibi Leo?"

"Possibly?" I blinked at him through compressed cheeks. "If the VHS tapes held up over the years?"

Mikey inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled, his eyes wandering over to the old tape, whispering reverently, "Oh, heck yes!"

Raph looked incredibly interested as well, now holding the tape he held almost reverently. He looked up at me with hopeful hazel eyes. "We can watch them, right?"

I hesitated for a moment, my eyes darting over to glance at the tapes. There were only four tapes, with the numbers one through four labeling them. Master Splinter must have decided to not keep the fifth and final tape, which was understandable.

Well, as long as it was just the first four tapes...

I nodded. "Of course. They were made for you guys after all."

"Oh, excellent!" I was started by the level of excitement in Master Yoshi's voice, and glanced over to see him leaning forward in his chair, eyes shining. He noticed my look and sat back, giving me an amused grin. "Oh, I assure you, Leonardo, I'm delighted and eager to see adorable childhood footage of any of my sons."

Oh. I blushed a little.

Mikey's face was lit up in excitement, and he turned to Donnie. "Dee! This is the perfect opportunity to try out the entertainment center you set up!"

Donnie frowned, biting at his lip as he took one the of the VHS tapes unsurely, turning it over.

"Donnie?" Raph blinked at his uncertain look.

Donnie looked up, looking a little perplexed and embarrassed. "Er... I... um... don't actually have anything that can play these."

Everybody paused and blinked at him.

"Really?" Raph asked incredulously. "But... How can you not?! You even got crap that can read ancient alien holodisks!"

"Hey, I never needed to use a VHS player!" Donnie huffed defensively. "Everything piece of media I've dealt with so far has been digital or downloadable!" He then looked back and ran his hand through his hair. "I... Where would we even buy a VCR?! Who even carries them anymore?!"

Raph paused, then handed the tape he was holding to Mikey and stood up, brushing off his pants. "I've got this, bros."

Donnie paused, then narrowed his eyes at Raph. "Is this going to be legal?"

"Of course!" Raph protested, wounded. "There's this guy I know..."

Donnie groaned, and face palmed. "Of course there is! Raph! You're one of the heirs to a multi-billion dollar global organization, and you keep coming up with 'Well, there's a guy I know' kind of people!"

"Hey, sometimes the best sources of information are the people found in dark alleyways!" Raph said matter of factly. "And besides, that's how I found Casey! You can't complain about results like that."

"Yes I can!" Donnie threw up his hands. "I complain about Casey all the time!"

"Guys!" Mikey had gathered up the videos with shiny eyes. "Less arguing! Chibi Leo awaits!"