A/N: I know it's a little late for Halloween, but this has been sitting on my computer, just begging to be posted. It'll be short – two, maybe three chapters tops.

-

"Okay, okay, how about this one!"

Donnie patiently looked up from book to look at the flimsy magazine Mikey held in front of him for the fifth time.

"I don't think Peter Pan really suits you, Mikey," he said. "He wears green most of the time – it might blend in with your skin."

"Oh." Mikey looked back at his magazine, flipping a few pages before holding it up. "What about this one?"

"Don't you think it's a little early to be picking out Halloween costumes?" Don asked, setting his book down.

"What? It's only a week till Halloween and I still don't have a good one!"

"It's still a whole week. And we have things left over from last year."

"Well I wanna have a whole lotta ideas so I can be ready!" Mikey said. "Halloween is the bestest holiday eveeeer, Don!"

"No kidding," Don muttered, as he picked up the book again. As soon as summer ended, Halloween was the only holiday his younger brother ever talked about. While Raph, Leo and Don enjoyed Halloween, Mikey was a fanatic.

Picking out a million different costumes, badgering his older brothers about what they wanted to be and which blocks had houses that gave the most (or the best) candy. He didn't even seem to mind that Master Splinter usually made him wear a jacket over his painstakingly picked out costume.

"How am I gonna wait a whole week?" Mikey wailed. "They shoulda made Halloween sooner."

Don just chuckled and went back to trying to decipher the tiny print in his large book. Mikey frowned as he climbed onto the chair next to his brother. "What are you doin', anyway?"

"Trying to read this. It's interesting, but the words are really tiny."

"Hey! Maybe I could be a bug for Halloween!"

"Mikey, can you stop talking about Halloween for two seconds? It's annoying!"

"Hmph." Mikey sat back in his chair to watch Don struggle with the book. "Well what're you gonna be then?"

"I don't know," Don said, putting down the book. "I was thinking I might not go trick or treating this year. Aren't we getting a little old for it?"

"Old? Old!?" Mikey was aghast. "Blasphemy! We're only twelve!"

"That's almost a teenager," Don said. "And you don't even know what 'blasphemy' means."

"Dooooooniiiiiiieeeee…."

"Stop it, Mikey! Really, when are you gonna grow up? Now leave me alone, I want to read this."

Put out, Mike slid down from the chair. Don was no fun anymore. Time to find someone else.

Mikey found Leonardo in his room, frowning as he contemplated a large puzzle he was putting together. The entire thing was yellow, except for a Chaquita banana sticker right in the middle, so he couldn't even look at the picture on the box to help him along.

"Hey Leo?"

"What?" The blue-clad turtle asked, not looking up from his diligent search of the perfect piece.

"What are you gonna be for Halloween?"

"Oh, I don't know. Don't you think we're getting a little old for dressing up?"

"NO!"

Surprised at the ferocity of this outburst, Leo did look up from his puzzle. "Well…it is kind of a kid thing, Mikey."

Mike's lower lip began to tremble. Leo sighed. "If you still want to go, I'm sure Master Splinter will take you."

"But it's no FUN all by yourself and your dad!" Mikey said. "I want you guys to come. Isn't it fun anymore?"

"It's just embarrassing."

"What is?"

"Dressing up like…you know, so everyone can see you."

"That's the point! I like dressing up!"

"Oh, grow up, Mikey," Leo said, going back to his puzzle. "If you want to go, then go. But I don't think any of us want to."

Folding his arms, the orange banded turtle turned to leave. "Fine. I know when I'm not wanted. I know when I'm too babyish to hang around my big brother. And at least I know to do a stupid puzzle with a stupid picture on it!"

With that, he stomped out the door. Raphael couldn't possibly feel the same as Leo and Don.

"Raph!"

Raph suppressed a groan. He had gotten to the couch and found the remote free for once; he had barely sat down when Mikey rushed up to him.

"Mikey, I got here first! I don't care what show's on."

"I wasn't gonna ask you for the remote," Mike pouted, crossing his arms. "I just wanted to ask ya what you wanted to be for Halloween this year!"

"Nothin.'"

"Huh?" Surely Raph couldn't have fallen to the idea that they were too old for Halloween!

"That's kid stuff," Raph snorted.

"But…but we are kids!"

"I ain't a kid!" Raph wasn't even paying attention to the TV now. "Don said yesterday that we are pre-teens."

"But that's not a teenager, or an adult! It still counts as a kid!"

"It does not!"

"Does too!"

"Does not!"

"Does TOO!"

"DOES NOT!"

"RAPH!" Before he knew what he was doing, Mikey leapt onto the couch and punched his brother in the arm.

"Michelangelo!"

Gulping, Mikey immediately slid away from Raph. Splinter stood there, hands on hips, tail twitching. "Did you just purposely hit your brother?"

Mikey cast his gaze to the ground, remaining silent.

"Michelangelo! I asked you a question. Did you just hit your brother?"

"Y-yes. Yes, sensei."

Splinter shook his head. "What have I told you boys about hitting a brother?"

"Don't do it," Mikey sighed.

"Come along," Splinter said, extending his hand to help Mike off the couch. "We shall have to find a punishment for you."

Mikey nodded silently, biting back tears as he got off the couch and followed Splinter. It wasn't HIS fault Raph and Donnie and even Leo thought that they were too old for Halloween now – he had just gotten frustrated, that's all. And he hadn't MEANT to hit Raph. It just sort of…happened.

Splinter stopped outside the door to his bedroom. Mikey looked up at him, curious as to what his punishment was to be. Usually punishments took place in the dojo.

"I can tell you are agitated, Michelangelo," Splinter said. "Therefore I will not make your punishment too harsh, as long as you are willing to tell me what's on your mind when you are calmer. Agreed?"

Mikey nodded.

"Good. Now, I have just gotten three large boxes filled with clothes and items for winter – it is getting colder out and I do not want you boys to get sick. I want you to go through them all and separate any that cannot be used. Come find me when you finish."

"Okay," Mikey said quietly.

Splinter laid a hand on his son's head for a moment before walking away. The orange- banded turtle pulled open the screen that made the door to Master Splinter's room, and sure enough, found three boxes filled with clothing waiting for him on his sensei's bed.

Mikey climbed onto the bed and pulled the first box toward him. "Stupid brothers," he muttered as he pulled out a big puffy sweater and set it beside the box. "I thought they liked Halloween." His hand grabbed something rough, and he pulled out a filthy sock. He set it to the other side of the box. "It's not really kid's stuff, is it? I see grown-ups having Halloween parties on TV."

The next item was a pair of slacks – too big for him or his brothers, but still went into the pile with the sweater. "But TV isn't always real," he mused. "I mean, people get shot and stuff on TV and come out okay, but we know it isn't real."

Mikey's hand grasped something silky, but he didn't pull it out. He sat there with his hand buried in the box, lost in thought. "Maybe if I act more grown up my brothers will still do something for Halloween with me. I guess we don't HAVE to go trick or treating. We could do something else….I bet there's a scary movie marathon! Hmm…

"But I still have to act more grown up or they won't do that either. They'll say I'm gonna be a baby and cry and get scared. But how can I get more grown up? I only have a week!"

Remembering what he was supposed to be doing, Mikey drew out the silky thing his hand had closed around, which turned out to be a green and black polka dotted tie. He stared at it thoughtfully for a moment before setting behind him and diving into the box again.

-

Master Splinter had started to prepare dinner when he felt a small tug on his robe. "Ah, Michelangelo, did you-" Splinter cut himself off, surprised, as he got a good look at his youngest son.

Michelangelo stood there, wearing nice dress slacks that were way too big for him. They had been rolled up again and again so he could walk without tripping. A white dress shirt covered his torso, the sleeves rolled up as well. A green and black polka dotted tie hung from his neck, and the wire frames of glasses that no longer had glass in them balanced precariously on his beak.

Splinter stood speechless for a moment. "What are you..?"

"Mister Splinter, I believe you requested a conference with me about my previous behavior," Mikey said, adding a sort of pompous accent to his voice.

"Yes…yes. Have a seat, my son."

Mikey climbed into the chair and folded his hands neatly, looking bored.

"Would you mind telling me what happened earlier?" Master Splinter said, trying not to seem too surprised at Michelangelo's sudden change. "Did one of your brothers say something to you?"

"We had a slight misunderstanding, yes," Mikey said, with the pompous edge still in his voice. "But you know how they are, kids will be kids of course. I apologize for my indescribable behavior."

"Thank you for apologizing," Splinter said. "Did you finish with the clothes?"

"Yes, Mister Splinter, I did. I hope you will find the job to be satis…satisfa.."

"Satisfactory," Splinter said gently.

"Yes. That. Now, if you could excuse me, I have a lot of work to do…?"

"By all means," Splinter said, standing. He watched his son stumble out of the room as he tried not to trip on the slacks. The rat decided he would wait to see how this panned out before taking any immediate action, and turned back to making dinner.

-

"Hey, Mikey, wanna…what are you doing?"

Mikey looked up from his notebook and found Don standing there. "Boring paperwork. Nothing you would be interested in."

"Since when do you do paperwork?" Don asked, raising an eyeridge. "What paperwork is there to do!?"

"You know, have to keep bread on the table," Mike said, making another mark in his notebook.

"Mikey, Splinter keeps bread on the table," Don said.

"What the…hey, bozo, why are you dressed like that?" Raph asked, catching sight of his orange-clad brother in his strange getup. "It's not Halloween yet you know!"

"This is not a Halloween costume, Raphael," Mikey said. "Halloween is childish."

"But Mikey, you love Halloween!"

"I would prefer," Mikey said, setting down his pencil and looking at the pair of them over the rims of his fake glasses, "if you referred to me as "Mister Michelangelo" from now on."

" 'Mister Michelangelo'?! What the hell, Mikey?"

"AND I would prefer if you not use that sort of coarse language around me, Raphael. It is a very jubinal habit."

"You mean 'juvenile'," said Don.

"Yes. That," Mikey said haughtily. He checked his watch and gasped. "Oh no! I'm missing the news!" He tossed aside his notebook and plucked the remote from the couch, aiming it at the television and flipping it to the news station.

"Are you sure aliens don't exist, Don?" Raph whispered to his brother, "'Cause I think Mikey got taken over by some! He hates the news!"

Don shrugged. "I don't know what's going on with him." He looked over at where Mikey was intently fixated on the news, "But it's weird, whatever it is."

Before the boys could discuss it further, Splinter called them to dinner.