Hero among them.

Tonight's patrol had been rough. They'd fought the foot.. Twice, stopped seven muggings and one robbery and to say that the brothers were tired and not in the best of moods was simply the understatement of the millennium. Completely spent, the four brothers all but collapsed into the lair.

Normally upon returning to the lair, Leo would report to Splinter, Donnie would asses any wounds and apply the appropriate first aid. Mike would prepare some kind of snack for himself and usually his brothers. Raphael (who was usually being bandaged at this point) would wax poetic on the highs and lows of that particular patrol.

Tonight the turtles, with all the grace and exuberance of eighty year old men, flopped onto the large couch in the common room. An amalgam of limbs and symphony of groans.

"geese, was dere a full moon?" Raph moaned,

"not for three more days" Donnie said , well aware of the phase of the moon. Leo grunted and noted the location of each brother out of habit. Raphael was on his left and Donatello was on his right. Mikey didn't actually make it onto the couch. He was sitting with his back against the couch. Mike was nearly spread eagle with his head against Raphs knee. He seemed to have collapsed into a coma. Leo couldn't help but smile, only Mikey.

"we should all hit the sack" Leo said as he started to rise, "the nights been too long" He didn't get far, one of Dons legs was draped across his and the tech turtle wasn't budging.

"that would require moving and that's not happening right now, Bro" Donnie mumbled. Leo could understand that so he leaned his head back against the couch and let himself drift off. In that strange awareness between sleep and wakefulness Leo felt the gentle paws of his father placing blankets over his sons as well as gently brushing their faces in that way that parents who love their children have.

Time passed. Not much but, some. Leo wasn't certain how he knew that, he just did. A buzzing noise woke him up.

It was insistent. It was annoying. It was the phone.

Buzz, ring ring, Buzz, ring ring, Buzz, ring ring, Buzz, ring ring, Buzz, ring ring, *please hang up* Leo thought. Buzz, ring ring. Five minutes later, when Leo had almost coaxed himself up, he heard.

" Ugggggh" Donnie groaned as he looked toward the offending piece of technology with deep seeded ire. Leo grinned when Donnie got up first and plodded none too gracefully to the living room phone.

" 'Lo" he spoke into the receiver he'd snatched up vengefully. Leo watched Donnie's facial expressions as the caller spoke to him. First he mock screamed and turned to glare at Mikey (who had curled up on the floor at their feet and managed to make it look supremely comfortable)

" I'm sorry ma'am" Donnie said in the most polite voice available, considering the hour. "Cowabunga Carl's is no longer in business . Have a nice…. morning" The caller started talking again before Donnie could hang up. Leo was awake enough to notice Don stiffened. Once again Donnie faced Mikey this time he looked concerned and annoyed.

"Mikey's not available" That got Leo's attention and apparently, Mikeys. Their baby brother was across the room with the phone in hand before Leo had realized he moved. The conversation that followed baffled the blue banded ninja.

" Sophie, Its Mikey… s'ok , what's up?" The caller spoke and Mikey winced.

" damn, How long?" The caller spoke again and Leo watched such a sadness fill Michelangelo.

" I see.. Yes of course, I'll be right there" Mikey hung up the phone and immediately started towards the lairs entrance. Leo shot up off the couch and realized at some point Raphael had also woken up because his immediate also jumped up of the couch.

" where da heck do ya think your goin?" Raph all but roared. Mikey didn't stop or even turn around as he said "out, go back to bed" his tone of voice shocked all three of his elder brothers. He sounded .. Older and Mikey rarely even acted his actual age. He was already at the door when their fathers strong, firm voice stopped him.

" Michelangelo, what is wrong my son?" Splinters voice might at some other time have carried a reprimand but, there was only concern in the wizened old rats tone.

::: I'm sorry Sensei, I have to go I do not have time to explain! If I do not go I'll break a promise and I just cannot do that ! Please Sensei:: slightly surprised and pleased splinter nodded at his youngest son. Mike bowed respectfully and then was gone in the blink of an eye.

Michelangelo had spoken to their father in Japanese, something that shocked Leo, Raph and Donnie as all three brothers would have sworn that Mikey paid no attention whatsoever in those classes. The three elder brothers stared at their father.

"It's like were in da twilight zone" Raph announced managing to sound both impressed and irritated. Leo looked to Master Splinter. *What should we do?* he wondered. Splinter looked at his eldest and raised and eyebrow as if to say *when it comes to your baby brother what have you always done?*Leo grinned and sprinted after Mikey knowing without question that Raph and Don would be hot on his heels.

The eldest of splinters sons flew across the rooftops in a nearly desperate attempt to keep up with the green and orange blur that was Michelangelo. He felt more than saw or heard Donnie and Raph flank him. The pace was grueling and the gap between them and Mikey was still widening.

"Shell, He's fast" Leo heard Donnie comment, somewhat in awe of his only little brother..

"Da little punks been holdin' out on us, fearless" Raphael groused. That little hint of awed pride in his voice as well. Leo acknowledged the comments with a subtle nod. He was worried but, that didn't mean he hadn't noticed Mikeys sheer speed and already started thinking about new training techniques for his youngest brother. Sensei would be very interested indeed. He noticed Donnie pull out his shell cell and start tracking. They'd lost Mike.

Some twenty minutes later the three turtles landed on the roof of one of the oldest , most run down buildings in the city. It was dreary and gray. Moss was growing up the walls and in every nook and cranny. The old bricks were loose and crumbling in many places. The old sign out front that had mostly faded, only a large number nine was still legible.

"He's on the top floor, he's stopped on that balcony." Donnie said pointing to a wide balcony shrouded in deep shadow. The boys climbed down very carefully making not one sound. They knew their little brother wasn't on that balcony the second the set foot on it. His... energy… was missing.

The brimstone smell of a match lighting and the sound of an old, smoky, gruff, but not unkind voice saying " Leo, Donnie, and Raph, I presume?" had the turtles drawing their weapons in a millisecond. The voice belonged to a small elderly woman with steel gray hair and mischievous green eyes. She was dressed in a well worn set of key lime green scrubs and a white coat with a sea turtle sewn on the pocket.

Her eyebrow arched as she took a drag on her cigarette, "you boys need to switch to decaf" she put the cigarette out on the heel of her shoe . " Michael said you boys might be following him today, your welcome to come in but, you'll have to turn your cells off, they interfere with some of our monitors"

Leo stared at the small woman far a moment trying to size her up. It felt rather like trying to stare down his father. He sheathed his katana and indicated that Raph and Don do the same. " now you see, that's better" She offered her hand to Leo " Name's Anna Sophia Palizzano, Its real nice to meet you boys" Leo shook her hand, her hands were soft but her grip very strong.

" We are pleased to meet you as well" Leonardo said, bowing politely. " I am Leonardo" Raph stepped forward and shook her hand. "I'm Raph, are you dat Sophie lady?" He asked looking a little twitchy. The woman threw back her head and laughed. "for thirty years not one would dare call me that, no one but, your brother! Yeah, I'm his Sophie' She took up a cane that had been resting on the balcony rail and started toward the door. Donnie immediately rushed forward and held the door open.

Sophie smiled at him "so polite, thank you , your Donnie right?" Donnie nodded and followed Sophie into the building. " I never knew there was a hospital here, where's Mikey?" Don found himself staring at the inside of the building. The walls were covered in paintings and murals of all kinds on the walls. There was a common theme of turtles of all kinds. Sea turtles drifting thru the water, red eared sliders sunning themselves on a log, cute little turtles lining the walls, and the face of a huge turtle taking up one whole wall with earth floating behind him as if he were swimming thru the void of space. He recognized it as Mikes work.

Sophie looked over at Donnie and smiled. "The walls used to be white… Mike detested them and started painting and didn't stop for about six months, lives up to his namesake as far as I'm concerned, Heck of an improvement and to answer your question he's with Alice."

" Who is Alice?" Leo asked, a little miffed. Michelangelo knew better than to reveal himself to not one but, two women? Had he completely lost his mind? *this is my fault for being away so long! This has obviously been going on for a while* Ms. Palizzano moved swiftly toward a door at the end of the hallway and indicated that they should follow her. They filed into the room silently. It was fairly large and had a bit of old monitoring equipment stacked around. It was obviously used as a break room too. There was a small coffee machine and a round table with about six chairs. There was a large sheet of glass through which one could observe into the next room.

" This used to be a shoe factory, top floor was offices. They can't see us" Sophie said and gestured toward the window. " It's a one way mirror, anyway that's Alice, Leonardo"

The scene in the next room left the three brothers without words. Mickey's paintbrush had transformed these walls too. Puffy clouds in lots of different shapes and warm rays of light that looked…almost heavenly, made the room ethereal. There was only one bed in the adjacent room and it was surrounded by monitors of all kinds. Sitting in the middle of it, cross-legged, was Michelangelo. He had a small girl in his lap resting her frail little body against his chest and arms.

She was so very small and pale. She wore a pretty, frilly, little pale peach nightgown that looked huge on her. She was cuddling a stuffed sea turtle and was smiling happily at Mike listening to him sing softly to her. There were tubes in her arms and nose. Donnie, looking at the monitors, realized the little girl was very, very sick and said so aloud.

"no" Sophie said looking as if the whole world was bearing down on her shoulders. She wondered over to the table and sat down heavily. "No, she's not sick gentlemen, she's dying" The older woman gestured toward the building in general " this is not a hospital, this is the Ninth ward" She took a deep breath and looked toward the turtle singing softly in the next room " such a pretty song"

" It's a Japanese Lullaby" Leo said absently, "our father used to sing it to us when we were children" Leonardo, Donatello, and Rafael stared at Ms. Palizzano for a moment before slowly sitting at the table with her.

"Whatcha mean dis is da ninth ward?" Raph whispered uncharacteristically. "What's wrong wit dat little girl?" Sophie looked into the next room and smiled softly, sadly. " Ally has full blown A.I.D.S and it's complicated by pneumonia, she was born healthy and then when she was three her mothers drug addict boyfriend decided he'd get her a life insurance policy and then tried to kill her via an overdose of cocaine. She started screaming and the neighbors called the cops. They saved her in the emergency room just to find out a year later that the sob 's needle was contaminated" Anger flashed in her eyes. "the boyfriend got fifteen years and her mother won't see her. Just went on with her life as if Ally had never been born"

Sophie looked deep into Leo's eyes " The ninth ward is a state run home for terminally ill children, who were either abused, abandoned or orphaned. Wards of the state, basically. They send them here so they don't have to think about them." She poured herself some coffee and made a gesture that said *help yourselves* " this is a place for the forgotten, the unwanted.. and barring miracles once they get sent here there is no hope of ever leaving" She hadn't taken the first sip of coffee. Her fingers gripped the cup like a lifeline " I spent twenty years trying to make them comfortable and give them dignity and I never saw what was missing, fighting for more money, better equipment, a safer building or at least security" She shook her head ruefully. " I forgot about them too"

Leo looked at the kind old woman quite seriously. " Why are you telling us all this Ms. Palizzano?" She shifted and then stood and walked to the glass she rested her hand gently upon it. "so you can understand" she said. Mikey was still singing and now he was rocking the little girl back and forth. The song had changed though. The words made Leos eyes suspiciously bright.

…. then the sun will shine on me, bring the light and let me see,

I'll be off and on my way on my independence day…..

And all the songs I could not sing and all the words I could not say

I'll be shouting everything on my independence day

Donnie couldn't believe how much his heart hurt. His baby brother's voice was so, soft so, different from the rambunctious shouting that was Mike's usual volume. He felt like he should have known. Mike was his best friend. While Leo was gone and Raph was out playing vigilante he and Mike had, had to deal with Splinters failing health.

They'd both started working to cover the cost of medicines and herbs. Their fathers health had improved and they'd kept the jobs because it was kinda nice to have some money. He vaguely remembered Mikey asking about doing a free job for a little kids hospital. That had been well over a year ago. "How long have you known about Mikey?" he asked.

Sophie wandered back to the table and said "As you can imagine Birthdays are a big deal here, so we always try to do something nice for the kids. Established children's party entertainers rarely ever come here, we don't have the money to pay their fee's and doing it pro bono only works with kids who have a chance. This place gets treated like a leper colony. I wanted a clown or magician for our birthday boy pretty badly. One of the day shifters mentioned this new clown that she'd seen at her sisters kids party, dressed like a giant turtle" Sophie smirked at them and finally sipped her coffee. "so I got the number and crossed my fingers and called… first time I'd ever been called dudette" Sophie said, smiling. Donnie and Raph snickered and Leo couldn't help but, smile too. " He said he'd be happy to come see the little dudes but, he had to get the ok from his brother." She waggled a finger at Donnie. "Guess it was a family affair, Huh" Donnie blushed. "I thought he was blowing us off, but he called a hour later to say it was a go. I was a little ashamed that I didn't tell him the truth." She glanced at Mike and Alice again.

"He was sooo good. The children just lit up. He didn't just make balloon ninja weapons. He told the most wonderful stories. Started a conga line and sang at the top of his lungs. The children figured it out first. He was something magical and special that came to them. He gave them back their innocence, let them just be kids. I'm pretty sure he'd let them see him any time there wasn't a nurse around. He was their secret friend. Mora, she passed four months ago, her family had been from Hawaii and she said she believed Mike was an angel sent by the spirit of life. Apparently the spirit of life is a turtle" she grinned at the boys.

He came back every other weekend. Then about three months after that first party Tyler, who had been our birthday boy, took a turn for the worst and begged me to call "Carl". He just wanted "Carl". So I called him in the middle of the night and just like tonight, he came. Ty died in his arms…. Smiling.

"That's when I told him the truth about the facility and then put my hand on his arm. I'm a nurse practitioner boys, I know live skin when I feel it" She reached over and placed her hand on Raphs arm, he raised an eyebrow. "It's beautiful skin, really, smooth and warm and much softer than it looks. I'm ashamed to say, I asked him what he was. I realized later the only reason he answered was because he was in shock. He pulled off the silly foam head and I saw his big blue eyes for the first time, swimming with tears. He said he was a ninja and a mutated turtle."

"I asked if his name was actually Carl. He said his name was Michelangelo but, everyone called him Mikey. I shook his hand and then we cried over a sweet little boy who had lost his battle with leukemia." She leaned back in her seat and smiled suddenly and looked over at Leo " Honestly if he had a secret weapon it would be called; ludicrously huge baby blue eyes . There's no defense against them" Michelangelo's elder brothers chuckled. * If that ain't the truth* Raph thought.

" I promise you we are well aware of that," Donnie said smiling " he has this look we call 'the kicked puppy' you have to avert your eyes or you'll do whatever he wants" She snorted "why do you think every flat surface in this building's been painted?" She smiled again but, this time it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"You're his elder brothers and he respects you more than you know." She fixed Leo with a hard gaze. "Especially you, he says that you're the leader and if you tell him to stop he'd have to" she took a deep breath " I understand that this " She gestured around her at the building in general "is very dangerous for your family and I swear we try to minamalize the risks. The night shift is just four people and were the only ones who know.. We wouldn't hurt your family and especially not Mike.. He's one of us, too"

Leonardo wanted to tell her that such a thought hadn't entered his mind but, it had. The situation was potentially explosive. It might be neglected but, this was a government facility either way. He wished sensei were with them. He was going to say that he'd have to speak with their father first but, a tiny little voice behind the glass stopped him.

"Mikey angel?" the little girl spoke in a voice you had to strain to hear. Mikey smiled and said, "Yes, Alice thru the looking glass?" The little girl looked like she was afraid and Mike gently stroked her face "What is it , Ally?" he whispered. Alice's eyes were full of tears and she said, her voice cracking. "my Mom told me that I wasn't her family no more. That I was bad…so I couldn't have a family. When someone dies they see their a'cectors and they take you to God to meet Jesus." Her little voice hitched

"How will I meet Jesus? I'll get lost!"

Leonardo had no idea how Mike could stand it. He wanted to locate and beat the man who had done this to the child and her crazy mother with his bare hands. He could feel the homicidal rage vibrating off Raphael from two feet away. Even Donatello was radiating anger and helplessness. Mikes voice as gentle as Leo had ever heard it said, " Don't worry little bit, I call you family so, one of my ancestors will be there to take you to God. My Grandmother. Her name was Teng Shen. She was very kind and very pretty. She had long black hair that she would wear lotus flowers in."

"What's a Lo'tuus? Mikey angel and did she wear a mono? The little girl asked happiness and hope in her eyes . " Yes," he answered. "She wore a kimono and lotus blossoms are flowers that look like water lilies" The little girl smiled at Mike " I'll hug her for you when I see her! Do you think she'll put a flower in my hair so I'll be pretty when I meet God?" Their voices became to soft to make out and soon Leo heard Mikey singing again. The little girl was asleep.

Leo and Donnie said, " How can we help?" At the same time Raph ran out the door. Leo started to follow the red banded turtle but, stopped himself and looked at Sophie "I … I'm sorry.." He started. Sophie held up her hand " Go.. This is a vocation and its not an easy one. There's no shame in feeling overwhelmed. Raphael will need you. Michael will stay with Ally till the very end. I'll look after him and get him back to you safe, I promise. Oh, and when you want to help out talk to Michael, He's gotten more done in a year than I did in twenty…. Go"

Donnie and Leo caught up with Raph twenty rooftops later. It was nearly sunrise and stripes of rose colored light were streaking through the sky. Raph was staring at it. There were tears streaking down his face. The fact that he was allowing Leo and Don to see that spoke volumes.

They stood shoulder to shoulder and watched the sunrise.

"Mikey still dere?" Raph said in a voice heavy with emotion. Leo nodded unable to voice specifics.

"How did I not know?" Donnie asked no one in particular, " You were gone, Leo and Raph might as well have been for how often we saw him. Mike and I did almost everything together for eighteen months, We got each other thru it so, how did I miss that Mikey was helping those kids? He must have spent every extra cent he made on them! I'm supposed to be the smart one!" he was shouting at himself.

He was shocked when Raph slung an arm around his shoulder and pulled him in for a hug, he did the same to Leo. "Little bro's been keeping' it a secret, I don't think even Masta' Splinta' knew. Just wish I knew why"

Leo sighed "He thought we'd stop him. Me or Sensei or all of us. Thought we'd be angry because he broke the rules and let several people know about him and us so, he made it his secret. Come on we should go home and tell master what we've discovered. Sophie said she'll take care of him" .

"You gotta like her" Raph said, " She's a tough old broad"

Ten hours later…

They'd gotten home more emotionally drained than they realized and sat at their fathers feet like they hadn't since they were children. They took turns telling the story, filling in each others blanks. They spoke of the sad old building, the painted hallways, the tough Italian American nurse, the sweet, sick little child they'd seen and the many others that they hadn't. Most of all they talked about Mike, his gentleness, his soft singing. When they mentioned Teng Shen and Mikes promise that she would help the little girl find God, Splinters dark eye's had watered. Leo had voiced his belief that they should allow Mike to continue and his desire to help in anyway he could. The wise old rat nodded and said it would be dishonorable and cowardly to do otherwise. Then he sent his eldest three to bed saying there would be no practice today.

Splinter sat to wait for his youngest. His Michelangelo, who carried the sun in his heart and the sky in his eyes and at that moment his father had never been prouder of him.

They went to sleep gratefully and they dreamt of a beautiful woman in a kimono with lotus blossoms in her hair. She was hugging a little girl. She took one flower out of her hair and tucked it behind the ear of the small child. Then she kissed the child's forehead and took her hand and the two walked into a golden light, the child skipping happily and humming an old Japanese lullaby.

They woke to the sound of the phone ringing. Leo walked into the living room to see his father talking to someone he suspected was Sophie. "Arigato Sophia, I will tell his brothers to meet you ….. Thank you, I am very proud of them….. I would like that also, sometime soon you must come to visit…. Yes till then.. Goodbye."

"Sensei?" Leo asked. Noting that Raph and Donnie had both been awakened by the ringing and were staggering into the room.

" It is done." Splinter said tenderly, " Ms. Palizzano is bringing your brother home and I have given her directions to the garage. I told her you would be waiting."

" Hai, Sensei" the trio of brothers answered and left quickly. They took a sewer slider and arrived just a few minutes ahead of their little brother. They opened the garage when they say an old van with the words Ninth Ward printed on the door in peeling letters. Sophie pulled in and got out. She smiled at them but, it was obvious she'd been crying.

"how are you boys doing?" she said as she rounded the van and opened the side door. Mike was asleep in the bus like bench seat. "He nodded off about half-way here." She gently shook his shoulder and said his name softly . His eyes fluttered open and he sat up slowly. It was pretty obvious he'd also been crying too.

"your home Michael. Your brothers are here."

Don and Raph helped Mike out of the van and walked the very drowsy turtle to the sewer slider . Mike called back to Sophie "I'll see ya next week Sophie"

Sophie smiled at Mike and said, "see you next week Michael". Then she stepped closer to Leonardo and asked, "will I see him next week?". Leo simply nodded. She smiled and looked relived. "Thank God, I don't know how I did this without him anymore. What about you boys? Will we see you around?"

Leo nodded again and said, " None of us can do what Mike does but, well help any way we can. Go and rest Ms. Palizzano you must be tired, too" She nodded, clapped Leo on the shoulder, then rounded the van. Leo let her out of the garage and waved as she drove away.

He closed up and joined his brothers in the sewer slider. Mike was asleep next to Raph but, as the strange vehicle shot smoothly through the tunnels he looked over at his eldest brother with a question in his eyes. "its alright mike, sensei's ok with it." Mike smiled and closed his eyes again.

Three weeks later Mike and his brothers visited a small graveyard just outside the city. The grave marker had already been erected at the new grave. It said Alice Hamato, saiai no imoto. (beloved little sister) and the dates of her short life. Mike, Leo and Raph had planted flowers over the grave and they were budding. Donnie had helped by adhering a small pink jade turtle to the top of the stone. Jade turtles of several different colors toped seven of the graves. Those graves were also covered with flowers and Donnie now felt like he'd known each of the children himself. He looked at Mike sitting among the flowers humming his lullaby as he pulled weeds and tended this most precious garden. "Why do you do it Mike?" he asked. This got Raph and Leo's attention as well and they leaned over to listen.

Mike looked over at his best friend, seemed to think for a while and then said, "Do you remember when we were nine and we sat up that night and really realized that we would never have a place in the sunlight. We'd always have to hide beneath the ground? Alone in the dark. We were angry and sad and it wasn't fair." Donnie nodded. He remembered that night and he imagined they all did. "The first time I walked into the ninth ward. It felt that way. Angry and sad and unfair. I wanted to make them smile, To be their sunlight. To give them hope for something better"

He smiled up at this brothers. Shining his light at the three people who were most often the recipients of it. Leo couldn't help but think that alone made the little children of the ninth ward family. The three brothers stood together and sang their lullaby as they slowly walked back to the battle shell. They didn't hear the echo of children's voices take up the song long after they left.