A/N: I am calling this the official start to part 3! And Thanks guys to much I hit 50! reviews last chapter! Love you all! (once again not beta-ed my beta has been very busy, but I wanted to start getting some chapters posted ;p)


Part III: Mikey's Secret

Chapter 12: A Bad Night

Mikey did not need to go far to find his brothers. Leo was having a difficult time standing and Donnie was doing his best to keep the enemies away from his brother. Raph was in front of both of them; they were surrounded by legion of Foot Ninjas

Mikey jumped to a near by roof, fit an arrow into his bow and pulled back striking down some Foot.

"Arrows from the roof!" Leo called from his position against the wall.

"Great just what we need, Leo is useless and Mikey well, he's not here." Raph grumbled.

"Hey!" Leo shouted

"You're the one who pulled a Mikey and fell!"

"Raph! Stop it!" Leo said coming to his absent brother's defense

"Will you two stop it!" Donnie shouted to his older brother's while swinging his bō staff knocking over some Foot.

"Donnie's right," Leo muttered. "Raph watch-"

"I got it!" Raph called out deflecting an attack from a Foot.

"Wait," Donnie said, looking up. "The arrows are hitting the Foot, they are avoiding us. What is going on?" Donnie asked as the Foot started to suddenly retreated.

"And you think I would know?" Raph snapped.

His brothers were safe, he had to get back before Splinter knew he was missing.

"Leo you okay?" Donnie asked as he help his brother to his feet. As they stood up Leo swung his arm around his taller brother.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just twisted it wrong. Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, were good," Raph said.

"Does anyone know where the arrows came from?" Leo asked.

"No, it's like they came from no where" Raph said. "I thought they were Foot arrows"

"Yeah, me too. Guess we have a protector," Donnie said.

"Yeah, but who? No one knows who we are." Leo looked his brothers.

"Beats me, your the lead you should know all this stuff."

"Let's get back to the lair, we need to get your ankle wrapped up," Donnie said, breaking up his bickering older brothers.

Mikey slipped back into the lair and placed the bow back in it's spot.

"Getting some practice in Michelangelo?" Splinter asked. Mikey picked his bow back up.

"Hai sensei," Mikey said, now looking for the practice arrows.

"It is a good idea not to allow your skills become rusty."

"If that is true then why can't I go out with my brothers?"

"You still are recovering."

"I am fine!" Mikey shouted causing Splinter to be take aback form his youngest son's out burst.

Splinter sighed. "Be honest with me, do you still see your brother as Shredder in your dreams?" Just hearing Shredder's name made him uneasy.

Mikey lowered his head and talked to his feet, "sometimes," his voice was defeated.

"What if you were to be in combat with Shredder and mistaken the real Raphael for the Shredder?"

"I could hurt him," Mikey sighed, "I guess I am just so tired of being stuck in the lair."

"Come with me Michelangelo," Splinter said leading him across the dojo, they knelt down. "Now close your eyes."

Taking a deep breath Mikey complied. He still did not like closing his eyes, he saw too much of what happened, or what did not happen. Whatever it was he never liked it.

"Good my son, now in your mind I want you to separate Raphael and Shredder."

Mikey tried to focus. In his mind he had Raph one side and a barrier, and Shredder on the other side. The longer he held the image, the closer the two got to each other until they became one. "I can't!" Mikey panicked as the two blurred into one. "He's coming…"

"They are not the same Michelangelo, you can separate them." Splinter listed to his son's uneasy breathing. He had to get him to focus.

"Raphael is your brother and would not hurt you, Shredder is your enemy…" he did not want to continue on so Splinter just let his sentence trail off.

Mikey closed his eyes tighter, this time he found himself in the dark room in the Bronx.

The door opened. Donnie walked in "Mikey you can do it," he said helping Mikey to his feet, "we can help you," he gave his younger brother a warm smile he continued to walk with Mikey out of the room to an empty apartment, no one was around except for Raph and Leo.

"Hey Mikey you ready to go home?" Raph asked taking Mikey's arm and swinging over his own shoulders.

Mikey's breathing grew calmer. He opened his eyes.

Splinter could already see that Mikey was calmer now. "Were you able to separate them?"

Mikey nodded, "I never saw Shredder…but Raph was like himself again…only a little nicer..." Mikey's words trailed.

"If you keep meditating on it you will get better in time," Splinter placed a paw on his son's shoulder.

"Mikey, Master Splinter, we are back," Leo called out as his brothers helped him down the stairs.

"Hey-Leo! What happened?" Mikey asked.

"I landed wrong," Leo said slightly annoyed.

"Yeah he landed like you, flat on his shell," Raph laughed. Causing Mikey to stop smiling.

"I'm not that bad…." Mikey mumbled.

"Raph just stop it okay? Donnie what do you think about my ankle?" Leo asked.

"If you stay off for one day you should be fine," Donnie said

"That means you can hang out with Mikey over there," Raph said point to his younger brother.

Leo knew he could not say no. If he said he was okay to go out Mikey would be angry with them for not allowing him out.

Leo sat down on the couch, Donnie brought over the med kit and wrapped is older brother's ankle. "There all set. Now stay off for at least one day, but before you can go I out I have to check to make sure you one-hundred percent. So that means you get to hang out with Mikey!" Donnie smiled.

"How was patrol?" Mikey asked once Leo got settled.

"We got into a tight spot with the Foot and then something crazy happened. These arrows came flying out of no where." Leo explained

"Really?" Mikey said trying to keep his voice calm, despite is racing heart.

"Yeah, we have watcher or guardian or something I guess," Leo said.

"Do you think you will see them again?" Mikey asked.

Leo shrugged. "I dunno," he looked at Mikey and smiled, "You want to name him don't you?"

Mikey smiled. "How about the Nightwatcher!"

"Pick something else, I don't think he is cool enough for a name like that," Raph grumbled.

"You never met him how do you know!" Mikey said starting to get defensive.

"How about the Protector?" Donnie said.

"I like that one," Leo said. Raph nodded in agreement.

"Hey! I thought I named-well everything!" Mikey complained.

"Not this time!" Donnie laughed as Mikey pouted.

"Fine, use your lame name," Mikey whined.

Mikey had been going stir crazy and he was driving his brothers crazy with pranks. He was also worrying his brothers since he was still having nightmares, they knew he was having more than he was admitting, but it is hard to deny a nightmare when you wake up screaming. They wished that they could help him, but they could not think of away. Going out on patrol was the only time they left their younger brother.

Mikey flopped upside down next to Leo, who was watching Space Heroes before bed. "Just think me an' you all day tomorrow!" Mikey exclaimed. He hated it when his brothers went out on patrol, he just got so lonely. In the beginning one would stay behind to keep him company, but he felt more like a burden and told them they did not have to do it any more.

"I have to stay off my ankle, so there will not be much I can do."

Mikey shrugged, "That's okay, it's never just me an' you so it will be fun no matter what!"

Mikey's optimism never ceased to amaze him. While Leo was angry he would not be out with Raph and Donnie he was glad to be with Mikey, maybe he could help him out. Maybe he could get the truth out of him. Donnie got some of it, but they knew there was more.

The next day Leo was miserable all day because he had to stay off his ankle. Leo was sitting in front of the T.V. watching Space Heroes. Mikey came over from his room and sat down next to his brother, they had just eaten breakfast, and Raph, Donnie, and Mikey had morning ninja practice. Mikey yawned.

"Bad night?" Leo asked.

Mikey looked at his brother, "no," he lied, "just tired I am still getting used a full work out." Mikey rested his head on his brother's shoulder.

"You sure you don't want to talk about anything?" Leo asked.

"Nope, I'm fine," Mikey said yawning.

"You know if you ever want to talk, you can talk to me." Leo slipped a hand around his half sleeping brother.

"I know...I just don't need to," Mikey yawned again.

"Alright Mikey," Leo said with a sigh.

"Space Heroes again!?" Raph said

"Quiet!" Leo hissed pointing to the sleeping Mikey. "He just fell asleep. I think he hardly slept last night."

"Nightmares?" Raph said.

Leo shrugged. "He said no, but we can't believe that." Leo looked to Donnie, "has he said anything to you about his nightmare?"

"Not much, the other night he had a pretty bad one, he made me promise not tell you guys about it." Donnie looking down at Mikey sleeping on Leo's shoulder.

"No...not...Raph…." Mikey muttered in his sleep, he began twisting in his sleep. He began to whimper. "Don't...hurt….him."

"Mikey it's okay, you are at home, Raph is safe," Leo soothed his brother.

"Shredder...can't…have...him," Mikey began to gasp for air.

Raph held his breath. His green eyes were wide.

"Mikey wake up!" Raph said, shaking is brother.

Mikey just whimpered as a response.

"Mikey come on," Donnie begged, "snap out of it!"

Mikey opened his eyes, he saw Raph, "Raphie you're okay!" Mikey leaped to his feet and hugged Raph.

"Okay, Mikey I get it," Raph said trying to pull away from his brother, "no need to squeeze me."

"Sorry," Mikey said looking down at his feet, "it's just…never mind." Mikey turned around and went off to his room.

"Raph! What are you thinking! You were so worried the Mikey is going wake up and call you Shredder again, that when he wakes up concerned for you, you brush it off! We are trying to help him not make it worse." Leo looked Raph in the eyes, "can't you be nice to him for a little while longer?"

"Yeah whatever," Raph grumbled. "I thought Splinter said not treat him any different."

"Yes, he did but, that still not mean you can mean to him," Leo was getting angry, but he sighed calming himself. "You still having-"

"Don't say it! I am not having nightmares!" With that Raph stomped off to the dojo and began so wail on the punching bag.

"Yeah I don't think Mikey is the only one still having nightmares," Leo said

"With that comment? I think so." Donnie said.

"Well at least he is not taking his frustrations out on Mikey," Leo said.

"Yeah, and getting Mikey to admit to his nightmares is hard enough, but Raph? He will never admit it." Donnie said

"Donnie ya ready?" Raph shouted across the lair as he prepared to leave for that night's patrol.

"Coming!" Donnie called.

"You sure you going to okay with Mikey?" Raph said.

Leo sighed, "you really need to stop putting him down. Have you leant nothing?"

Raph rolled his eyes. "Yeah I learnt something I would rather fight Shredder than be stuck alone with a bored Mikey."

Leo chuckled. "He's not that bad."

"Let's bet on it," Raph said with a smile, "After spending the night with Mikey you pick, fight Shredder or another night with him."

"Raph that's not fair."

"What said it had to be fair?"

"Fine," Leo said I will take it, "but I think I can handle a night alone with Mikey."

"Whatever you say. Have fun you two!"

"Just come home alive," Leo called out.

Mikey dropped the books in his hands. His brothers still did not fully respect him. He promised himself he would cry over this anymore. Instead he slipped into the dojo and grabbed his bow and arrows and slipped out while Leo was watching Space Heroes


A/N: Ohh what do you think will happen?

as you know I do love reviews :) so if you enjoyed it review it!

until next chapter

~colonelduckie