The afternoon sunlight streamed through the trees, mottling the ground in an array of yellows, whites, and greens. Leo had been meditating under an oak tree in the farm's immense back yard.

Or not. He woke up slumped to one side, the rough bark biting into the back of his head. He was warm, calm. His face felt flushed, his arms were heavy in their sockets. His ribs ached from his injuries at Hun's hands, but at that moment, it didn't bother him.

He wasn't sure why he woke at first, until Mike's smiling face appeared over him.

"Hungry?" Mike asked, showing him a tray full of food.

The food was all simple. Just some apples, cheese sticks, jerky, carrots, bread and honey. Leo felt his stomach rumble.

"You must be a mind reader," Leo said, pulling himself into a more comfortable position.

Mike chuckled, "Not a mind reader. But I can read clocks, and it is way past lunchtime."

Leo smiled as Mike bounced and used the tree to lower himself on the ground. Mike's knee was damaged, not so badly that it wouldn't heal, but bad enough that Don had begged Mike to use crutches and stay off of it for awhile. Mike conceded to a point. He would use the crutches when it was convenient for him, meaning when he could convince Raph to do something for him. When it wasn't, he ditched them. Like now.

Leo grabbed an apple off the tray. It was a pale yellow and it juiced slowly as he bite into it. He savored every bit of it, the favor, the smell, the stickiness on his fingers. When he was done, he threw the core into the woods beyond. Some ants would appreciate the offering. Leo took a deep breath of the clean fresh air and let it run out his nose.

"Don told me that Hun was arranged yesterday for a laundry list of charges." Mike said between bites of his jerky.

"That's good," Leo commented.

"He was charged with domestic terrorism."

"Really?" Leo asked grabbing a piece of cheese.

"Yeah, between the weapons he was building and the explosion, it's considered terrorism. The city officials are pretty sensitive to explosions, even in the sewer system. According to Don, that means treason against the United States government. He's heading to a federal prison without opportunity for parole, like ever. Don figures he's in Kansas already, rotting in Leavenworth."

"That's good," Leo said, "I'm glad he survived our battle. We must have broken half of his ribs."

"Yeah, we crunched him good. The news made it out that he was hurt in his own explosion. So not only a terrorist, an idiot terrorist."

Leo gave a smile and then took a deep breath of the sweet country air and let it out, feeling his shoulders release. Then he said, "I'm glad for Don's sake that my plan worked."

"Why for Donny's sake?" Mike asked.

"Don had the most invested in the lair. He cobbled together all of the appliances, the generator, the water heater, all of his computer equipment, most of his tools, all of his spare parts. You, me and Raph got most of our stuff out of the lair before we left. Don couldn't come close. If we had done all that for nothing, and Hun was released from the police without charges, Don would have lost all of it for nothing."

"You know," Mike said with a contented smile "This is really what I missed most when you were gone."

"What?" Leo said, feeling confused.

"This," Mike said gesturing between the two of them, pointing to the trees surrounding and the sky and farmhouse beyond, and to the food on the plate between them.

"Having a picnic?" Leo asked, his confusing causing him to wrinkle his forehead.

Mike smiled, "No, not the picnic; the way that you make me feel."

Leo's couldn't help it. He felt his eye ridges shoot up.

His face must have shown his confusion, because Mike laughed and said, "Nothing weird bro. It's just that you're calm. You calm me down. When you're here, I can relax."

Leo chuckled, "And you don't around Don and Raph?"

"Well, sometimes when Raph was in a really good mood, and awake, which didn't happen very often, he and I would hang out. We played some Call of Duty, watched a couple of good flicks, pulled a few classic pranks on Donny. That was good."

"What about Don?" Leo asked. "Don is very calm, level headed."

"Yeah, true, but even when Donny's calm on the surface, but he can't shut off his brain. No matter how hard he tries. No matter how long Splinter holds him extra in mediation. It was worse when you were gone. You calmed him down too. It was me calming him down half the time, not the other way around. I'm not good at calming people down"

"Well, I suppose I take the pressure from him," Leo suggested, picking up a grape from the tray. "We all expected a lot from him while I was gone."

"It's not that," Mike said, grabbing another carrot. "I mean, yes, we did expect a lot from him, but that's not what I meant. Just sitting here with you right now, I feel better, calmer, more safe. It's not anything you do. It's just who you are."

Leo smiled. "Thanks. Wish I could do that with Raph. Then I might never have left in the first place."

Mike smiled. "Raph gets under everyone's skin. If he didn't, he wouldn't be Raph."

Leo nodded and slowly, savoring each bite. Mike lay next him, propped up on an elbow, devouring carrots. They ate in the silence of the farm, with the bird song whispering between the trees and the soft rusting of the leaves overhead.

After awhile, Leo asked, "Where is everyone else?"

"Splinter is sound asleep in the living room."

Leo nodded. Raph and Don had set up a low camping bed for their master in the main living area, so he wouldn't have to attempt the stairs. It was a good place, with lots of sunshine and fresh air. Splinter had improved greatly in the week they had been there.

Mike continued, "I think Don and Raph are in the barn. They were heading that way earlier. There's an old tractor back there that Don thought he could fix given enough time. He figured he needed something to do while we stayed up here, since he can't work. You see, he's never calm."

Leo chuckled, "He wouldn't be Don if he could."

Mike smiled and shook his head. "I suppose."

"Should we offer them some lunch?" Leo asked.

"Sure," Mike said, shifting himself around so that he could sit up without hurting his knee.

Leo stood up and then pulled Mike back to a standing position on his good leg. Leo bent down and picked up the food. Together, in silence, they walked slowly to the barn. Leo's ribs still ached, and Mike was limping heavily, but they were okay. More okay then they had been in years.

Before they got to the barn, they could hear grunts and motion in the grass. Instead of going inside, they walked to the backside. Don and Raph were standing in the shade of the barn, in knee high grass, circling each other, classic sparring stances.

In a blur, Raph rushed Don with a series of repeated kicks, finishing with a jump spin round kick. Don defended, each of the blows being blocked or redirected. Don was breathing hard, but it didn't seem labored, and he didn't seem to be wheezing either.

Leo exchanged a look with Mike that said, what the shell is going on. If he hadn't seen Don on his own two feet, actually sparring, throwing some punches, blocking and kicking, he never would have believed it.

But there he was. Fighting. Sparing with Raph. And really, he wasn't too bad. He was a bit slower, his blows had less power, but he was there.

"Nice," Mike said to no one in particular. "And to think we all figured you'd be benched forever."

Don finished up a move. Crossing his arms, he bowed to Raph to indicate he was done. He was panting hard, his breaths heaving in and out of his chest.

Raph said, "This ain't a team where anyone can be benched."

"You looked good," Leo commented to Don, with smile.

Don, still breathing hard, spoke in between gasping breathes, "It's… not … easy."

Leo said, "And how many times to Edison try to figure out the light bulb before he found something that worked? I'm sure that wasn't easy either."

Don locked eyes with Leo. After a couple of seconds, Don smiled and then gave Leo a nod to say that he understood. He put his hands on his head and walked in slow circles, trying to catch his breath.

Leo made eye contact with Raph then. Although there was no direct change in Raph's face, Leo saw the pride in Raph's eyes. Not for himself, but for his brother. Leo felt appreciation for Raph burn like pride in his chest. Leo couldn't have done it. Mike couldn't have done it. But Raph did it. Raph got Don back on his feet, back fighting again. Raph was able to heal Don in a way that none else could.

"You guys hungry?" Mike asked, gesturing to the food in Leo's arms.

"Yeah," Raph said, walking over and easing the tray out of Leo's grip.

Raph took the tray and walked it to the back porch. It set it on the old rickety table. Then he returned and hitched an arm under Mike's armpit and helped him limp over.

Leo sighed when Mike had stopped leaning on him. The ribs still hurt. He found Don at his side, his breathing still labored, but better.

"Are you… okay?" Don asked, between gasps, "Those ribs … might be broken … not just bruised."

Leo smiled, "They're sore, but not that sore. How are you?"

"I'm … fine," Don said with a half smile. "Never better…"

"You really got to knock that off," Leo said. "For once be honest with me. I'm not a mind reader. All I can do is guess. And if I were guessing, I would guess that your arm hurts and your chest is probably burning. But I don't know. Be honest with me, please."

Don regarding him for a minute. "My arm hurts… . But doesn't hurt as much as it did…." He took a deep cleansing breath and then said in a one sentence " My lungs are tight, but they're not burning. Somehow, in this fresh air, they seem better. Maybe there's more oxygen in the air here."

"You think?" Leo asked, finding himself in what seemed to be a philosophical discussion. Something he and Don hadn't done in years. "I thought air moved everywhere, which is why there is still a normal amount of oxygen in the air in New York, even without many plants."

"Yeah. Science calls it dispersion, so you're right. But it feels better to breathe. Like the air is softer or something."

"It's probably not a difference in oxygen, but a difference in pollution. Your body needs cleaner air because you've been so sick. It's probably easier to get oxygen because you're body isn't fighting the smog."

Don was silent for a minute and then said, "Yeah, that makes sense. You're probably right." Then he laughed, which make him cough a bit.

"What?" Leo asked turning to him in concern.

"I'd forgotten what it was like to talk to someone who actually thinks about stuff."

"I thought that was why you liked talking to April so much," Leo said.

"Well, yeah, brothers are different. It's just nice to talk to a brother about something other than fighting, food, money, or video games."

Don threw his arm around Leo's shoulders and pulled him into a tight one arm squeeze. They walked back to the porch. Mike and Raph were already there. Mike had taken over the porch swing his bad leg laying across the whole seat, his good one rocking back and forth. Raph sat onto the steps, looking broody, but he gave Leo and Don a brief smile as they approached.

Don walked to the swing. He gently lifted Mike's leg, and sat down, putting Mike's foot on his lap. Then he slouched back, his head falling to the top rough slat of wood and let his eyes drift closed.

Leo took a seat on the concrete, feeling the cold seep into his legs. He rested his shell up against the house and took in another deep breath of the clean air. Don was right, it seemed better somehow.

Leo's brothers were relaxed in a way he hadn't seen since he returned. Raph was quietly eating a piece of beef jerky, his face blanketed in the warm sunshine. Don was half sleep in the swing, as Mike gently rocked them back and forth.

"Guys?" Leo asked.

"Hmm" Mike answered.

"We need to talk about something." Leo continued.

"What?" Raph asked.

"When I was 16, Splinter gave me the mantle of leadership for our family. Before I left for Central America, I gave the mantle of clan leadership to Donatello. He carried it for 2 years. Then during his illness, he passed the mantle to Raphael."

Don spoke up from the swing, his eyes still closed, "Now all we have to do it pass it to Mikey, and then we're all involved."

"We are all involved already," Leo said, "And rightly so."

"What does that mean exactly?" Mike asked. "All three of you are in charge or Raph is in charge? Or does Leo get it back?"

"Beats the hell out of me," Raph said.

"It's a quandary," Don agreed still not opening his eyes.

"It depends totally on the system of government we're dealing with," Leo said carefully. "If this were the United States government, as soon as I returned to my post, it would have fallen back to me."

"That's never happened," Don said. "No president has ever left and come back to serve out his term."

"No, but it's still possible."

"Unlikely," Don said.

"But possible," Leo said. "Other forms of government are more rigid. If this were a monarchy, since I essentially abdicated my position, I can't get it back, regardless."

"But if this were a monarchy, it would have fallen to Raph, not to Don. Raph's older," Mike pointed out.

"Which didn't happen," Raph said, a twinge of bitterness still in his voice.

"But we're a clan, a family, not a form of government. How did Japanese clans work?" Mike asked.

Leo glanced over to see if Don was going to field the question. Don still looked asleep. His eyes were closed, his head still rested on the back of the swing.

Leo said, "It's pretty flexible. Usually the oldest son takes the responsibility, but if he's unwilling or unable to perform the duties to the family, then one of the other brothers steps in. Which is pretty much what I asked Don to do. It doesn't have to be the oldest, any of the brothers can be the successor, the Katokusozoku."

"So we're back to the beginning?" Mike asked. "You gave it to Donny, Donny gave it Raph. Which was totally unfair." He nudged Don's chest with his leg. "Why did you turn it over to Raph and not me?"

Don sat up and turned to face Mikey, "Because I didn't think you would be able to euthanize Master Splinter if it came down to it."

Mike visibly paled, but he shot back, "And you though Raph could have? Come on Donny. None of us could do that."

Don shrugged with one shoulder. "I knew you wouldn't do it. I knew that Leo wouldn't do it. There was a slight chance that Raph might have. So I went with him."

"That wasn't part of the role I gave you," Leo said.

"Well, it was the role I had, so it was the one I was trying to hand off," Don said, getting defensive.

"Which is my point," Leo said, trying to sooth his brother's anger. "You were the leader of the clan, but you still did what you did before. You did things in your own way and Splinter expected different things from you then he did from me, even in the same role.

"Each of us, in our own way, carries this family forward. Things have changed in two years. Before I left, we had no money, no way to get money. We scrounged food and everything we had. Now, with Don's job, we have real money. We can buy a lot of the stuff that we were lucky to find before. I have to admit, I appreciate the money you bring in, bro."

Mike and Raph murmured their agreement.

Leo continued, "Plus it gives you an outlet, somewhere to use your skills for good. So I really don't want you to stop working. Mike you seem to be doing most of the cooking."

Mike smiled, "When you were gone, Don and I used to take turns cooking, until I realized that I would rather pick what I got to eat then to suffer through whatever Don decided to make."

"I wasn't that bad," Don said, defensiveness back in his voice.

Raph snorted, "Wasn't is you who made the salmon loaf?"

Mike laughed, "Oh yeah, that was him. I don't know what was worse, the taste or the smell around the lair for the next two days."

To Leo's surprise, Don joined in the laughter, "But it was so fun watching Raph dig in the frig, looking for something else and only finding that."

"That's all we had," Raph said, annoyed.

"You really think Mikey ate that salmon loaf. We had grilled chicken sandwiches an hour later."

"I ate that crap for a week and you're telling me we had better food in the house?" Raph asked.

Don and Mike shared a look and then both dissolved into laughter.

"Of course," Mike said continued after a minute. "It was about then I decided that I should do most of the cooking. Don got pretty good at breakfast…"

"I do make a mean omelet," Don chimed in.

"But I wanted better food than anyone else would make. I figured I should cook it."

"Right," Leo agreed. "Don is getting us money, Mike is feeding us like royalty, Raph keeps us moving forward. There is no way that either me or Mike could have gotten Don back fighting. But you did it Raph, I don't know how you did it, but you did."

"So what does all of this mean for the clan leadership?" Don asked.

"I was thinking that we make it flexible," Leo said. "Each of us has a place where we excel. So in those places, that person take the lead in that area of life. For example, Don is getting us money, so it's only right that he keeps a hold of the finances. He's also the most qualified to make medical decisions, so we should let him take the lead on that."

Don smiled, "I see what you're saying. Since Mike enjoys cooking and is the most natural caretaker of us all, he would be the one responsible for the day to day stuff, making sure stuff gets done around the house."

"Hey, just cause I like to cook doesn't mean I'm going to be your housewife."

"No, Mike, not like that," Leo soothed. "More like you make sure it gets done."

"Meaning, I get to divvy out chores?" Mike asked.

"Yeah," Leo agreed.

"So if Raph pisses me off, then I can make him clean the bathroom and wash the dishes for a week."

"Yep," Leo said.

"Where does that leave you and me bro?" Raph asked.

Leo returned his brother's smoke amber gaze with one of his own.

Don broke in, his voice a bit higher pitched than his norm. "You both are excellent fighters. The best that we have. But, I think Leo would come up with the better plans."

"I agree," Raph said coolly, still holding Leo with his eyes.

"And Leo's more patient," Mike said. "He's better at teaching us cool ninja tricks."

"I agree," Raph said. "So all of us agree that Leo should be the leader?"

"If you do," Don said, calmly.

"I do," Raph said. "Leo's got a level head, he ain't got confidence sometimes, but he can get us home. I ain't good for nothing but fighting."

"If that were true, we'd be in trouble. But it's not," Leo said, returning Raph's intense amber gaze. "You care, more deeply and more passionately than any person I've ever met. You have heart."

"So," Raph grumbled.

"You heard them," Leo said, inclining his head toward the bench where Don and Mike still gently rocked. "I have a better head for battle. I'm a more patient teacher. I don't have a clue who needs help, where things are bad or why. Quite frankly, I'm not sure I really care. Left to my own devices, I would probably train more and fight less. I stayed in the jungle for 2 years. The part of me that wanted to stay there, is also the part of me that wants to follow the Buddhist path to enlightenment. I would leave it all behind to mediate all day if I could. To find that peace."

"Your point?" Raph asked.

"That the four of us already act like one piece of a bigger whole. When teachers talk about balance in life, they talk about balancing intellectual, physical, spiritual and emotional needs. Donatello is intellectual, he's going to make those types of decisions. Michelangelo is a physical being, he is going to take care of those needs. I want to focus on the spiritual things about life, which brings me wisdom that I need to lead us in battle. You Raph, are emotional. You need to guide us with your emotion, make decisions that are emotion based."

"What the hell does that even mean?" Raph said.

"I see," Don said nodding, from the swing. "Nice, Leo. You're right. I like it."

Raph's expression bubbled from confused to angry, "Like you know what he means."

"Dude," Mike said. "I even get it."

"No you don't," Raph growled.

"Yeah, I do," Mike insisted. "Leo wants you to figure out who we should help."

"Like an intelligence officer in the military," Don said, nodding. "Be our eyes and ears on the street. You figure out the missions that we need to do. How to best serve the community at large."

"I thought you were covering all smart stuff," Raph said, looking at Don.

"I couldn't do it, Raph," Don said frowning. "If I spent as much time as you have being out there, seeing all the crime, listening to the people being hurt and killed, I would shut down. I mean, I started spending time in my lab so I wouldn't have to hear you two fight. That was just kid stuff."

"Raph," Leo said, "It won't be easy. In fact, you'll end up taking a lot on yourself. A lot of time on the street, a lot of time spent checking things out. A lot of time just watching."

"I do that anyway," Raph said.

"And it be dangerous," Leo said.

"Better me than one of you guys."

"So you're agreed. You figure out our missions. Let your heart lead us to where we need to be?" Leo asked.

"So long as I got you and Donny and Mike to cover my back."

"Always," Don said.

"Of course," Mike agreed.

"We're a team," Leo said. "We work the best that way."

"Not a team," Raph said, "A family."