Mikey sat there in silence as Donnie worked on the last of the 26th stitch in his calf. His brothers could barely look him in the eye after his run in with the Foot. He knew they were worried but that wasn't the problem. They were beyond other ways to describe the word pissed. Donnie at least contained his anger better as he stitched Mikey up, being distracted surely helped. On the other hand, one look at Leo and Raph sent cold chills down his shell.

Donnie, noticing his shivering brother, gently asked, "Mikey, are you doing okay?"

The youngest responded with a single solemn nod, staring at the floor with a blank stare. He didn't feel any pain, Don made sure to that. The family doctor also told him he'd be out of commission for awhile until the stitches came out but he barely registered Don's words as he sat there consumed in his own thoughts.

What if Raph and Leo try to do something stupid? Mikey asked himself. His two brothers were notorious for getting revenge where as Donnie and Mikey liked the idea of walking away and not causing any other problems.

"Leo, can you go grab the extra gauze pads in the garage? They're in the medical bag on the shelf that's under Raph's tool box," Don said, without taking his eyes off Mikey's injury. Leo hesitantly left.

Maybe I should try talking to Raph… Mikey tried to think of ways to stop his brothers from interrogating and killing any of the Foot that took part in tonight's incident. He was sure they'd have the job done by now if they had been with Mikey on his Friday night routine to pick up some groceries. Although none of them had any encounters with the Foot in the past month, so Mikey thought it would just be another causal Friday night run.

Was he ever wrong. Ten soldiers showed up on one of the rooftops to apparently what Mikey thought at the time was to steal his groceries. They had been missing for a month and probably locked up for the time being under Shredder's command. No wonder, I'd be hungry too, Mikey reminisced to his earlier encounter getting sidetracked from his current problem.

He recalled when one of the foot soldiers got the lucky shot to his leg with a single katana blade. It was a cheap move, considering there were ten of them and one of him and Mikey had to defend his precious face from looking like Freddie boy. The blade nearly ripped his leg in half but he was able to knock out the guy before it traveled up past his knee. The cut was long and deep enough for stitches but the blade never hit his bone luckily, if Mikey could even call himself that to begin with.

He considered calling his brothers for help but before he knew it, sirens were blaring down below the building he was standing on. Someone, he figured must have heard the commotion and called the cops. So yeah, Mikey would call himself lucky for that. All ninjas had to…well make like a ninja and disappear. It wasn't easy but Mikey managed to use his mask as a temporary bandage to hold his skin together before he lost too much blood. As a turtle do and did, the youngest managed to limp back to the lair-with his groceries. He picked up some baking supplies, thinking he could bake some cookies for his big brothers for the holiday season. He'd probably have to do it tomorrow-or the next day-or maybe the day after that. He didn't think his brothers would let him stroll around the lair freely for awhile.

Coming back to the present, Mikey blinked a few times before slowing turning to look at his temperamental brother whose arms were tightly crossed against his plastron, glaring holes into Mikey's calf.

The youngest turtle tried to muster all the courage he could before croaking out his older brother's name.

"R-Raph?"

Raph was quick to pierce Mikey with his brightly flared green eyes.

Oh man. Mikey knew that look. That look told him nothing was going to change his brother's mind. But he had to try. He didn't want Leo and Raph going out and risking their lives to gain a little revenge on some rookie Foot ninja. He wanted his brothers to let this go just for once and stay in, watch some movies or something. The holidays were coming up and he really didn't want Leo and Raph to get into any extra trouble. He just wanted this year's Christmas to be pain free; after his injury heals of course. Who knows, if the Foot are back, what would happen to his brothers if they went out tonight. The Foot has probably caught on that Leo and Raph always tended to take revenge on them the same night one of theirs was attacked, so maybe it was all a deliberate trap or something.

He had to try again.

"Raph, listen. Leo, you too," the youngest turtle said as Leo returned from the garage with a bundle of gauze pads that Don asked for. Leo also gave him a daring look.

"I-I'd really like," Mikey paused to keep his voice from quivering, "…if you guys didn't hunt down the Foot this time."

All three brothers stared, or more like glared, at him even though he thought it was a simple enough request but apparently not. He knew it wasn't personal and that his brothers weren't actually mad at him but they could ease up on the pissy-ness.

"Please."

Mikey usually only used the word please when he was messing around and wanted to annoy his brothers. This time, he begged with desperation in that simple word. He could see Leo and Raph's shield start to crack. With Donnie he didn't have to worry; Don was a lover not a fighter. Unless the time came and he was needed.

They were still all staring at him like he grew a second head and Mikey had half the mind to look over his shoulder to make sure he hadn't. No, focus Mikey.

"Please," he begged again.

This time Raph let out a frustrated growling sigh, dropped his arms and glare before mumbling out a, "Fine," and walked out to the living room. Probably to blow off some steam in the dojo.

Leo came up and put a hand on Mikey's shoulder.

"Okay, Mikey. I promise," he said with a gentle smile that in no way reached his eyes. The tension in the room didn't let up either. Leo's promises were golden though. At least, they usually were…

"Leo, I'm trusting you. Don't do anything stupid and make sure Raph doesn't either."

"Mikey, if that's what you want, you have my word." Leo wanted nothing less than to ease his youngest brother's worry. Mikey had already been through so much tonight, the least he could do was do what Mikey requested of him.

"I'll go see what he's up to right now."

"Thanks bro," Mikey huffed out, relieved. Leo patted his head gently a few times before leaving for the exit.

"Call me if any of you two need something," he said before leaving to find Raph.

"Will do," Don responded before turning back to the injured turtle. "Why don't you rest Mikey, I'll wake up in a bit for dinner."

And with that Mikey fell into a restless sleep.

A couple hours later Don came rushing in to wake his slumbering brother but realized he didn't have to as Mikey was sitting up on the cot already.

"Mikey…" Don started as his brother rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

Mikey turned to him and realized Don looked all pale and clammy like. What had happened? Leo had promised he wouldn't go running off with Raph! What the shell had happened?!

"Don't tell me…"

"No, it's worse."

What could be worse than his brothers running off to be potentially killed by the Foot? Did they go after the Shredder instead? Were they captured and being tortured for information? Did they play Mikey's new videogame without him? Wait no- what am I thinking.

"Donnie, what happened?! Where's Leo and Raph? Are they hurt?" Mikey kept firing question after question as Don just stood there with wide terrified eyes, breathing somewhat heavily.

"No, no, Mikey it's not like that…they're both fine. It's…" Don trailed off again, looking back out towards the hallway before back to his brother again.

Dammit Don, spit it out already, Mikey thought, clenching his fists in anticipation. If they were both fine then what the hell was Don so scared about?

"Is it Master Splinter?"

"No, Mikey. Everyone's okay…it's just that-well you see-"

"I smell smoke," Mikey interrupting, sniffing the air slightly. "What is going on Don, tell me right now."

"They…they wanted to do something nice for you," Don paused cringing at the thought of something, "…but you know how they are in the kitchen."

With that last sentence Mikey was scrambling to get his feet on the floor before Don realized what he was doing. Knowing he couldn't stop Mikey from getting to his most prized possession in the lair, Don helped him up and gave him crutches to help him transport.

Mikey got to the living room with his brother right on his heels before stopping dead in his tracks. He could see Leo and Raph through the kitchen entrance frantically moving around to throw some pans in the sink, splashing water on them as fast as they could. Raph was using Raph words as he took a plate and tried to fan out one of Donnie's smoke detectors.

"Like I said…they were trying to do something nice for you."

Mikey continued to stay silent as he stood there in horror.

When he found his voice he whispered, "What were they trying to do?"

"Bake you cookies."

As horrified Mikey was at his kitchen being destroyed in the on going process, he couldn't ignore the warmth spreading among inside his chest at the thought of Leo and Raph working together and doing something they were awful at just to cheer him up.

His frown was replaced with a full blown smile as he turned to Donnie- who still looked petrified- and said, "I love you guys."

Don was taken aback for a moment, surprised at his younger brother's response before returning the smile with his own.

"We love you too."

And together they watched their two brothers continue in their destruction of baking cookies.

End.

The next words I used from my roommate were, "Baking Cookies," and this is what I came up with! I hope you all enjoyed!

-A Damsel in Distress