I do not own the TMNT themes or characters

In keeping with my head canon that Leo couldn't cook to save his clan's lives, I also figure he's about as tongue-deaf as Radar from M*A*S*H*

Chapter 34; The Runaway

Raphael stared at the eggs Kit dished onto his plate. Her scrambled eggs were crispy in some places and almost runny in others.

"I thought you said you could cook?"

Kit glared at him as she dished some eggs up for herself. "I said -quote- 'Kinda, it's edible'. Then you threatened to stick tape on my fur if I didn't make breakfast."

She set the pan of eggs down and passed a bowl of shredded cheese to Raph before sitting. "This and ketchup covers a multitude of sins, promise."

Raph grumbled, "What's taking Mikey so long, anyhow?"

Leo smirked. "Last I saw he was tying a napkin around Donnie's neck and calling him 'good sir' and 'favorite brother'." He added a small pinch of cheese to his eggs. It didn't seem an insult to the eggs since he was eating them with two shingles of black soot. Raphael and Kit had both turned down his offer to make them toast as well.

Raph turned back to his breakfast, grumbling under his breath. Kit's ears twitched but she didn't say anything.

Soon Leo finished his first plateful and helped himself to seconds. As he carefully spread butter on another slice of soot, he asked Kit, "So, you talked to Master Splinter about him training you?" His toast cracked in half, a small shower of ash turning his second helping of eggs grey.

Kit shrugged, but there was a gleam in her eye and a twitch at the edge of her mouth. "Yeah. We talked about it... He seemed to think it would be a good idea."

"Were you just going to learn more Karate or...?" He let the question hang. Raph slowed the pace of his eating but otherwise showed no sign of interest in the conversation.

"I'm willing to learn whatever he'll teach me." Kit gathered the last crumbles of egg onto her fork.

A hesitant smile spread over Leo's beak. "That could take a while."

Kit watched Raph for a moment, making sure he had a mouthful and had chewed it for a moment before replying. "No longer than it'll take for the poison gas to clear out of the sewers." Sure enough, Raph coughed. He gave himself a single thump on the chest before glaring at her.

Leo was genuinely smiling by now. "Figured it out?"

"Donnie's not the only one who knows how to use the internet."

Raph grumbled some more, grabbing his plate and leaving the table. Kit smiled to herself, Raph hadn't bothered to add cheese or ketchup to her eggs.

By the time Mikey came out of Donatello's room with a used tray the table had been cleared and the rest of the dishes washed.

Kit was putting the ketchup in the fridge and Leo fixing a fresh cup of tea when Mikey walked back into the kitchen looking deflated.

"Still not forgiven, Mikey?" Leo asked.

Mikey gave a moaning sigh. He scraped the remnants of Donatello's eggs benedict on sour bread toast with hashbrowns into the trash before rinsing the dishes in the sink. Finally Mikey looked to both Kit and Leo and asked. "You think he's really angry this time?" Leo shrugged, frowning. Kit's ears dipped sadly.

Mikey sighed loudly and left the kitchen.

Once he was out of earshot Kit's ears perked up and Leo grinned. "He's pretty good at milking Mikey's guilt, isn't he?"

Leo patted her on the shoulder. "You've learnt well. I think you'll make a fine ninja."

Kit smiled.

The End.

Sorry this story didn't finish with a bang, but that's all folks!