002. Smile


"OW! Donnie, that was ME!"

"Leo, she's going your way! Get her!"

"Got her-ARGH!"

CRASH!

"She's on me, she's on me!"

"DONNIE! Quit hitting me!"

"Sorry! LOOK OUT!"

Leo yelled and ducked as the little pint sized fur ball shot past his face and leaped at Mikey. His youngest brother squeaked and held his hands over his head, rolling out of the way, crashing into Donnie, who accidentally hit Raph again. Raph steamed, punched Donnie in the face and jumped up onto the staircase above the TV. Donnie groaned, sat up and rubbed his cheek. His eyes went wide.

"Where'd she go?"

Out of nowhere, something slammed into Leo's shell, knocking him forward onto his plastron. He grunted as he hit the floor and the little weight bounced off again. But this time, Mikey didn't duck. He caught her in his hands like a football. The small creature squirmed, only about the size of Mikey's teddy bear, but as Leo got up and looked around, the whole lair was a mess. The TV was on its side, the pizza box was shredded and all over the place, and the bean bag chair was leaking the little pellets. Leo sighed, rubbing his arm.

All four of the boys had multiple cuts and scratches, and all of them from that tiny menace Mikey had in his hands. The only one that wasn't scratched at all was April. And that was because she barred herself in the bathroom until they caught the 'furry little bomb from hell' as Raph had already dubbed it. Now Leo heard the door unlock and April poked her face out.

"Is it safe to come out now?"

Leo nodded.

"Yeah, Mikey caught her."

All of the older kids turned their eyes to Mikey, and all of them glared at him. Mikey winced and held out the now purring beast.

"Come on, you guys, it's just a little-"

"Do not say 'kitty'. That thing is not a kitty, that thing is a Smurf tiger on energy drinks." Raph snapped. "It's like the cat version of you."

Leo couldn't help but agree. He looked down at the kitten, with her huge green eyes and soft black and orange and brown fur and her white chin and belly and her four tiny white paws that concealed claws sharper than the Shredder's blades. Despite her incredible adorableness, and what she seemed to consider 'playfulness', she was nuts. There was no other word for it. This cat was just absolutely nuts.

But she looked up at him and purred harder and he couldn't help but hold out a hand and pet her head. And the purring grew until it sounded like the Shellraiser's motor was hidden in her chest, and his heart just melted. He couldn't help it.

So Leo reached out and took the kitten from Mikey, to his little brother's dismay, and felt a small plan brew in his mind. He grinned and turned around, looking up at Raph.

"Aw, come on, little bro, it's only a kitty! Look at her, she's adorable!"

Raph glared at him, but as his eyes fell on the kitten's face that was being held out to him, Leo could see a moral dilemma fighting in his eyes. On one hand, he was trying to stay the tough guy and avoid the tiny cat, but on the other, Leo could see that his natural curiosity and the pet owner shining back out.

Haha! Got you this time, Raph.

Finally, his softer side took over and Raph gave in. He reached out tentatively with one hand and snatched the kitten out of Leo's hands by her scruff. The kitten stared at him with big green eyes full of curiosity, still purring, and Leo could have sworn she was smiling. Raph held her up to his face, glaring at her.

The tiny little pink tongue flicked out, licked his nose and the kitten reached out, rubbing her head against Raph's cheek.

Leo didn't think it was possible to go from green to red that fast.

Raph let go of her scruff and dropped her into his other hand. The kitten mewed and jumped up, splaying herself over his shoulder, where Spike usually stood. And Leo couldn't help but grin as Raph started to smile.

"I guess she isn't-"

He cut off as the weight lifted from his shoulder, and an instant later, the room was in chaos once more. April bolted for the bathroom, Donnie picked up his bō again and Mikey was running around screaming as the tiny multicolored bullet shot around the room with mixtures of purrs, mews and yowls.

Leo found himself on his plastron again and sighed. He heard Raph yell at Mikey.

"You bring another cat down here again and I will beat your face so hard-"

"But she was the cutest!"

"And she trashed the place!"

"Not my fault!"

Leo opened his eyes with a sigh and stared at the kitten, whose face was an inch from his. She was still purring.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

His only response was a lick on his nose and then she shot off again, following Mikey's screams. Leo sighed, shook his head and got up, smiling.