A/N: Big thanks to Puldoh for all of her help. She really helped me get this going. I couldn't think of something to do. So, this is co-done by her. Thanks for reading, and thanks for the help, Puldoh! :)
"Morning, Mikey," Leo greeted, coming into the turtle's room with a knock. Mikey groaned and rolled over; he didn't want to get up so early. The orange-masked turtle peeked at the clock and saw that it was only a few minutes after seven.
"Ugh… What's wrong with you?" he asked. "It's only seven on a Saturday. I wanna sleep in!"
"No can do, Mikey. You and I are heading out for an excursion to the junkyard."
"Junkyard!" Mikey was out of bed faster than Leo when cold water was poured on him. He quickly brushed his teeth, gobbled down breakfast, and stood prancing at the door ten minutes later. Leonardo, still recovering from the change of mind, wandered over and smiled at him.
"Just kidding."
"That's not funny!" Mikey pouted. "I wanna go anyway!"
"Fine, fine, I'll take you. Don, I'm heading out with Mike!" Leo called back into the lair.
A muffled, "Shut up, will ya?" came from Raph's room, but Donnie appeared from the lab with a nod.
"Alright, but be careful, Leo," Don advised. "You're still a little weak from loss of blood."
"Agh, Donnie, if you weren't't such a needle-happy leech I would have all of my blood," Leo whined teasingly. He rubbed his elbow, where a small Band-Aid covered the needle's entry point.
Mikey opened the door and shot out into the sewers with his skateboard. Leo grinned and followed. He liked roller blades the most, like Raph, and had his own pair that Don had painted blue and added blue wheels to. They played tag for a while as Leo led them through many tunnels to a good spot to come up at, just under the junkyard. They had to be careful; they couldn't't risk being seen.
Leo smiled as he stopped under the entrance to the sewers and took off his skates. Mikey hopped off his board and put it against the wall before pushing up on the metal cover. It lifted easily, and he jumped into the dark outside. It was still just dawning in the above world, and they flitted from shadow to shadow until they found a likely-looking junk pile. Leonardo shifted through lazily, mostly spreading his wings and gathering some heat. Mikey dug through eagerly, finding many useful things that Don might like.
He had an armful by the time Leo said they had to leave. His mood light, Mikey dropped back into the sewers and stepped onto his board. Leo offered to take half the load, which Mikey was grateful for since it was hard to balance with a lot of stuff in his hands.
"Race ya home!" Leo joked,
standing up from strapping on his blades. He took off with a
complaining Mikey following.
Mikey smiled, liking that he was
finally spending time with Leo again. He glided through the sewers
with a smile on his face,
"Hey Leo, you wanna check out some drawings I did?" he asked hopefully.
Leo smiled back, liking that idea. "Sure Mikey, lets get home and we can check them out." He liked seeing the smile on Mikey's face, and loved his Kalian dearly. He had been feeling guilty about ignoring Mikey for awhile there, he had forgotten about his little Kalian. He fully intended to see the drawings when they arrived at the lair.
Arriving at the lair, they greeted their brothers, smiling and enjoying the delighted look on Don's face when he was handed the things they had found. Leo saw Beth arrive back home and went to greet her, kissing her neck gently. She smiled and spoke softly and chatted with each other, Leo following Beth as they walked to their rooms.
Mikey watched as Leo greeted Beth when she had arrived back home, and saw them walk to their rooms. Mikey smiled at his love struck brother, and went to his room. "I'm coming, Mikey."
Gathering up the pictures he had taken weeks to draw and perfect, he laid them out nicely on his bed, in the order he wanted to show them in. He smiled big since he was excited about showing his Kavara the pictures he had drawn of him and Beth. Of Leo with the family. He had noticed though, that he had to draw Leo as big as he was, and Mikey was so small compared to his Kavara, that he looked like a chibi.
Anyway, he had neatly arranged the pictures he had wanted to share.
And Leo popped in, smiling and looking at Mikey. "So where are the pictures?"
Mikey grinned, pointing to his desk as he bounced over. He knew Leo would come; after all, he can't lie. He showed him the assortment of pictures, smiling when he heard praise from Leo, "These are really good Mike. I didn't know you could draw so well."
Mikey went and pulled out a small canvas he had sketched and painted, and showed Leo. He could see the pride in Leo's eyes when he had seen the picture. "Do you like it Leo?" he asked, his smile huge and his eyes sparkling.
Leo
smiled gently, proud of his little Kalian, "You did well Kalian, I
am proud of you."
Mikey beamed.
Leo looked around Kalian's room, frowning at the mess. Putting the canvas picture down, he turned to his Kalian, knowing he was about to ruin the moment, but he had to say it. He hated clutter. He sighed, "I have asked you to clean your room yesterday, why have you not done it?"
Mikey glanced at his room, remembering briefly Leo's request to clean it, but had forgotten. "Sorry Kavara, I forgot, we started playing video games, remember?"
Leo remembered, smiling, "Yeah, that's alright then. Can you clean your room today then?"
Mikey sighed dramatically, "Sure Kavara, no problem."
Leo started to head out, but turned back quickly, "I really liked your artwork Kalian. It's wonderful."
Mikey smiled, his heart radiating with pride. He loved making Leo proud and happy. When Leo left, he stayed behind, basking in the warmth glow he had received from his Kavara.
Putting on some music, he started bobbing to it, singing along with it, as he slowly danced around his room, cleaning up.
Leo left Mikey's room, feeling a lot better about his relationship with his little brother. He went to his room, seeing Beth sitting on the bed, a smile on her face. He walked over, and knelt down in front of her, and gave her a gentle kiss.
Beth smiled, kissing back. Breaking the kiss, Leo placed his hand on Beth's stomach, feeling the little kicks the baby was making. He smiled, "He or she is going to be a great little ninja."
Beth sighed, shaking her head lightly, "Yes, he or she is going to be. Has to really, can't really grow up and not know how to be a ninja, right?"
Leo laughed, heartily. He nodded, "Yes, he or she can't be. And inkling of what the baby is going to be yet?"
Beth stood up, holding Leo's hand, "You ask me that every week Leo. I told you, not all parents know. I don't know, honestly."
Leo walked with Beth, following her to the living room, discussing their future.
Later that evening, Mikey and Beth were preparing supper. Beth was washing some vegetables for Mikey to cut up and talking with the youngest turtle.
"So you had a good time with Leo today?" she asked, smiling as she finished cleaning the lettuce.
Mikey grinned, "It was awesome Beth. We played games, and went out. We even played tag, which was cool. And he helped me bring all this stuff home…" and babbled on for like 10 minutes all the things that he and his Kavara did.
Beth smiled indulgently. She had learned from Leo how to tune Mikey out sometimes when he babbled, but found herself listening when he described playing tag. "What's Ninja tag?"
Mikey beamed, smiling and still chopping, not really paying attention to what he was doing, "It's like tag, but Ninja style. It's so much fun, and harder too. But with only two turtles, it's kind of hard…anyway, -" he explained, starting to talk about when they got back.
Beth smiled, she had just finished washing the green peppers and mushrooms and was placing it on the cutting board where Mikey was chopping when she felt a sudden flare of pain slice through her hand, and she cried out in pain.
Mikey's eyes were wide and frightened, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry Beth, are you okay? Lemme see," he said, taking Beth's hand gently, grabbing some paper towels and gently wiped away the blood that was forming from the slightly deep 3 inch cut grazing the top part of her right hand.
Beth whimpered, it hurt and stung, but she could see it wasn't bad. It had mostly surprised her.
But then Leo ran in, anger and fear on his face. And his wings fluttered as he descended toward them. "What happed? Are you okay, Beth?" he asked frantically, pushing Mikey aside in his worry, taking Beth's hand and checking her injury.
Beth yelped as Leo examined the injured hand, and Beth could see the anger and fear in Leo's eyes. Mikey was talking, his words fast and frantic. "We were just talking, and I was cutting the veggies. She put them down, and I accidentally cut her, I'm so sorry Beth!" he said, tears in his eyes.
Beth was about to open her mouth to accept the apology and say she shouldn't have put her hand near the chopping block, when Leo erupted, anger in his eyes as he glared at Mikey.
"How could you be so irresponsible?" Leonardo thundered, his wings opening and closing angrily. His tail swished furiously. "You could have really hurt Beth!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Mikey whimpered, backing up but Leo advanced again. Don and Raph came in just then, and seeing the bleeding Beth, Don hurried over to her and removed her from the room. Raph grabbed Leo's tail and yanked it, hard. In surprise and pain, Leonardo barked shortly.
Mikey took that opportunity to run. He didn't hear Raph and Leo calling him back, he could only hear the pounding in his heart.
I hurt Beth, I hurt her, how could I be so stupid? Mike asked himself with rage. He opened the door and slammed it as he ran into the cold, dark sewers. He kept running, kicking himself in the butt so many times he could actually feel it tingle.
Back at the lair, Raph was yelling at Leo now, who was agitating. Beth was hurt, but his Kalian was outside, alone, and probably in danger. He made up his mind and pushed past his littler brother. Raphael snorted at him as he disappeared into Don's lab. Don was sent out a moment later, his face indignant as he stumbled a little. Raph caught him and rolled his eyes in the direction of Leo and Beth.
"I think the RTS is still in him," Don whispered. "Or his instincts for Beth's safety are dangerously potent."
"Wouldn't surprise me. I read a book on dragons the other day. It said that the male will often protect the female from herself by biting off her claws."
"Good thing Beth doesn't have claws," Don said humorlessly. "But Leo is getting too possessive and protective. Take him out to look for Mikey, Raph, or he'll never leave her side again."
Leo came out a moment later, his wings arched high over his head. Don recognized the slight beeping from his shell that signaled he was dangerously stressed.
"Leo, let's go look for Mikey. Come on, bro. Beth'll be fine. She's in Donnie's hands now. He can help her if need be."
Raph continued to talk to Leo, backing up slightly. Leo snorted amusedly, almost, but caught himself in time. Instead, he lowered his wings and opened the main door to the sewers. He sniffed and then picked up one foot and was off like a lightning bolt. Raph sighed and followed, closing the door softly behind him.
Leonardo led them both with his nose, following the salt and junk food smell that accompanied Mikey everywhere.