Disclaimer: The turtles/humans are not mine, I'm merely playing in their sewer (Ew. Probably should have thought that analogy through a bit better.).

"Quit it, Donnie!" Raphael all but snarled, swiping at his brother's hand.

"Raph! You know that's going to swell shut if you don't put some ice on it!" Donatello retorted angrily.

"Does it look like I care?"

"Of course not! You never care! You just blow up and act without thinking, totally heedless of the consequences! And look where that's got you!" Donnie exploded, gesturing rather violently to Raphael's black eye and split lip.

A deadly calm seem to pass through Raph and he gazed steadily into Donnie's face with his one good eye. "You weren't there," he said coldly. "You didn't hear what that...that jerk was sayin'."

The blood drained from Donatello's face. His hands that were trying to press a bag of ice to Raphael's eye dropped into his lap. "You're right," he whispered, "I wasn't there. I should have been there."

"Ah Donnie," Raphael sighed, finally taking the ice from his brother and pressing it gingerly onto his sore face, cursing under his breath. "That's not what I meant."

"What did he say, Raph?" Donatello asked quietly.

Raphael frowned. "Don," he said slowly, "you don't want to know. You won't like it and you can't un-hear it once you know."

Donatello shot his brother a wry look. "What, you think I believe the guy at school said something good? After the beating you gave him?" He snorted, "As if. Look Raph, I don't need you to protect me from the world and its cruel inhabitants."

Before Raphael could respond, Leonardo walked into the living room. "I just got off the phone with the principal," he said to Raphael.

Raph cringed and steeled himself for the inevitable lecture. "You're suspended for the rest of the week," Leo informed his brother, "for fighting."

A silent nod.

Leo continued, "However, I did explain why you were fighting, and he understands." He dropped onto the couch next to Raphael. "Though I can't say I condone resorting to violence to settle matters, especially considering how we were raised, I'm very proud of you for defending your family, Raphael."

Raph looked up quickly into his brother's dark eyes. Leo was gazing calmly, proudly at him. Relief swept through Raph's body and he sunk back against the cushions with a huge sigh. Raphael knew Leonardo understood, but having him say that in front of Donnie - who was less likely to accept fighting as an answer - validated his actions. He chuckled slightly. "I was so sure I was going to get the lecture of a lifetime," he admitted weakly.

Leo reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "Not this time, bro. Though we will be having more words about this whole ordeal." The eldest glanced around uncertainly. "Where's Mikey?" he asked no one in particular.

"On the roof," Donatello said. "He needed some breathing space."

Leo's eyes widened. "But it's raining!"

Donnie's head whipped towards the window. Sure enough, it was raining. He groaned, knowing this situation wouldn't end well. "I'll go get him," Don said, getting smoothly to his feet. "Keep that ice on for ten more minutes, then twenty minutes off," he told Raph.

Raphael waved a hand in acknowledgement, then Leo captured his attention once more.

Donatello climbed stealthily onto the roof from the fire escape and stood for a minute, observing Michelangelo.

Michelangelo was sitting on the edge of the roof, not even wearing a sweatshirt, legs dangling over the side. Based on his slumped posture, Donatello judged him to be fairly upset. Michelangelo probably wasn't even aware it was raining, prone as he was to get caught up in his thoughts. Donnie walked over to his blond brother, taking care to make some noise so he wouldn't frighten Mikey into falling off the roof. "Mikey," Donnie called softly once he was close enough, "I think it's time to go inside."

Michelangelo turned to face him and Donnie's heart clenched. Mikey had clearly been crying; his eyes and nose were both red. Donatello wordlessly opened his arms and Mikey practically flew into them, sobbing. Donnie gripped his brother tightly for a few moments, then pulled away to look at him. Mikey had calmed down a bit, his sobs reduced to sniffles though tears were still dripping freely down his cheeks, mingling with the rainwater.

"I...I miss him," Mikey choked out. Donatello's stomach dropped when he heard the admission, his own body starting to shake slightly.

"I know," Donnie said sympathetically, tears filling his own eyes. "I do too." Donatello heaved a shuddering sigh. "You're freezing," he said to Mikey, regaining control of himself by letting the medic in him take over. He rubbed the youngest's arms, hoping to get some warmth back into him.

Mikey just sneezed. Donnie rolled his eyes, knowing how quickly Michelangelo fell sick and resigned to what was to come in the next few days. He pushed his brother's hair out of his face, making a mental note to take him to get it cut soon, and tried to get a preliminary feel of his temperature. Unfortunately, Donatello's hands were far too cold at this point to feel much of anything. "Come on, let's get you warm," he said, leading Michelangelo down the fire escape.

The brothers reentered the apartment to find Raphael and Leonardo sitting red-eyed and sniffling on the couch. Donatello immediately moved forward in concern, but Leonardo waved him off, signaling to instead take care of Michelangelo, who was sneezing and shivering and looking altogether miserable.

"Hot shower and pajamas," Donnie directed, giving Mikey a small push towards the bathroom. "Then you can come back out and have a hot drink." Michelangelo needed no further encouragement and hastened to the bathroom, stripping off his sopping wet shirt in the process and leaving a small trail of water in his wake. Donnie just shook his head and wandered a bit dazedly into his own room to change out of his wet clothes. Once dressed in warm pajamas, he grabbed a couple blankets and joined his brothers on the couch.

Donatello handed his twin a blanket, which was quickly used to cover all the sitting boys. Raphael looked like he was struggling to maintain his composure, and Leo's hand on the back of his neck wasn't doing him any favors. "It's okay to grieve, Raph," Leo said softly, giving his younger brother a light squeeze. Tears he thought he had long run out of rolled more rapidly down Raphael's cheeks.

"It ain't fair," he muttered, anger and sorrow mixing in his voice.

"It's not," Donnie agreed, leaning into the larger twin's side and drawing the blanket up over his chin.

Raph bent down to lightly bump his cheek to the top of Donnie's head. "All right, bro? You look a little punch drunk."

Donatello trembled once, an action that did not go unnoticed by his ever watchful brothers, and nodded silently.

"How's Mikey?" Leo asked, hand never losing contact with Raphael.

"He'll be sick by morning," Donatello replied unhappily, voice muffled by the quilt.

"Fantastic."

"Maybe I should take the week off from school," Don offered. "Raph isn't going, and Mikey won't be well enough."

Leonardo raised an eyebrow in his direction. "You sound like you're hoping I'll say yes."

A self-conscious shrug. "It might be nice to spend more time together," he justified, "in light of all that's happened."

"Up to you," Leo said. "Even though you missed last week too, it's not like you won't be able to catch up all your work."

Donatello smiled gratefully. "Thanks, bro."

"But be prepared to deal with this one," Leo tilted his head towards Donnie's twin, "and Mikey when they come asking for your help."

Just then, Michelangelo returned to the living room, blond hair still damp from his shower, but dressed in a warm orange sweatshirt that served to hide most of his residual shivers. None of his brothers believed he was warm enough for a second given his white face. Mikey stood for a moment in front of the couch, eyeing his brothers while trying to decide on the most strategic position in which to plant himself. Donatello solved that problem for him. "Sit here," he said, gracefully extricating himself from the blanket and getting off the couch. "I pre-warmed it for you, and Raph gives off the most heat."

Mikey thankfully took Donnie's place, snuggling deeply into his brother as Raphael stroked his hair, evoking a small whimper from the boy. Donatello ambled wordlessly into the kitchen. A kettle of boiling water and six minutes later, he strolled back out holding a tray with four steaming mugs.

"Hot chocolate?" Mikey asked hopefully with a small snuffle, sitting up.

"Hot chocolate," Donnie confirmed, passing out the mugs before squashing Mikey closer to Raph in order to claim space on the couch. .

The Hamato boys sipped their drinks in relative silence, drawing comfort from the simple act of being together. Soon Mikey's head was drooping onto Raph's shoulder, cheeks already flushing true to Donnie's prediction. Leo collected the empty mugs and left them on the counter to wash in the morning. None of the brothers moved to climb into their own beds, instead opting to remain nestled on the couch until the morning sun woke them.

Thanks for all your encouragement and support! Aside from family fluffies, I know not much has happened in this story, nor does it seem to make much sense, but I promise it'll become clearer as it progresses. Again, multi-chapter stories with actual plot and new genres (which are coming) are not my forte, so any suggestions/critiques/comments are welcome. Cheers for reading, and stay tuned!