Yo all my fellow Shellheads! How have you been?

This is not related to my running multichapter fanfic, it's just something I wrote quite a while back, but finally had the time to modify it and publish it here! JUST SOME BRO-SIS FLUFF. TMNT 2012 version…. Season 1; a little while after Karai's Vendetta. And again, it's not very related with anything before, but yeah, always better if you remember what happened tho.

Just Read, Comment, and Enjoy! Hope you guys like it!

Family Time!

Today's accompanied with glorious weather: After a little rain, it had snowed lightly for around 2-3 hours till something like 7:30 in the morning; and now, though there was bright sunlight outside, the temperature was cool…overall, the weather was fantastic…a rarity in NYC.

...

Since her dad was kidnapped by the Kraang, April was mostly hanging out with her new-found Mutant family in the sewers; …But when she was attacked by Karai, Master Splinter had advised her to stay in the sewer Lair with them. She was reluctant at first, and kinda angry too, but soon she understood why. And from then on, April has been living in the sewers with her turtle 'brothers'.

It was almost 2 months now; yup, two months since her dad got kidnapped, two months since she met her now-dearest friends…and almost a month since she started living down here. Oh no, don't think she was living a miserable life; no… meeting the Turtles was the best thing that had happened to her. She loved them, and they gladly returned her feelings, well Raphael did not do it so openly, but still. They were very protective of her. April literally could not imagine her life without them anymore. Her pristine family was very supportive and did so much for her. Whenever April has a hard time, her turtle brothers always tried to make it up for all her losses and had promised to find her dad too. They were always trying to lift her spirit…especially little Michelangelo.

Though Donnie was her closest friend, Mikey had a special spot in her heart. April had always wanted a little brother and found him in Mikey. Even though there was only a year between them, Mikey had filled the gap almost as soon as they got to know each other. Mikey also took her as his elder sister most of the time. He was like the sunshine of the lair, always happy and making others happy…and April loved her little brother very much, always turning to him for washing all her sorrow away. Mikey always knows how to brighten the mood.

April couldn't help the smile on her whenever she thought of her ninja brothers…but a sense of sadness still lingering within. She, on the whole, was torn between the sadness and regret of losing her father, and the happiness and bliss of finding a place in this amazing family; Nonetheless, the regret faded away when she saw how her life had changed since that incident. Because, she would find her dad sooner or later…but the friends she gained were simply priceless, so maybe fate wasn't so bad after all.

{MORNING}

The alarm went off. A hand shot out from beneath the covers to shut it off. April rolled over and sat up, yawned and stretched…then saw the time. It was 8:37…It was 8:37! _My training! How did I miss-ooh wait …. IT'S MY DAY OFF TODAY, YAY! _April fist-bumped in the air and grinning, fell back in bed. Usually, she woke up at 7 O'clock for training with Master Splinter or sometimes the guys, but today Sensei gave her a leave: because she wanted a break.

She had had a sound sleep and was feeling fresh. _Today's gonna be a great day_ April thought, as she grabbed her toothbrush, towel and stuff, then headed for the bathroom. On her way there, she could hear the Turtles training. April shook her head and smiled. She wanted to go see her brothers' training, but she had other important, time-bound stuff on her plate: …Bath!

Since she started living down here, her bathroom time had shortened pretty much; Well, what else was one to expect when you live with a family of FIVE males… with only ONE washroom!? Obviously this. Normally, she got 15-20 minutes…so today April had set a goal of at least doubling this time.

It's not like she didn't enjoy being with the boys, but they were boys after all. And when you are living with four very boisterous and high-spirited teenagers who are trained in Ninjutsu, 'peaceful silence' is tedious to find. By now reaching the bathroom, she took a deep breath and slipped in, determined to enjoy her lone-time.

April was done in around thirty-five minutes. As she came out, she saw Raph and Donnie coming out of the dojo, not noticing her. _Better be this way _April thought. But while heading to her room, she soon saw a whiff of green and a little orange in front of her, and the next thing she knew—she was squeezed in a loving bear-hug, her feet off the ground.

The hug might have lasted for only fifteen seconds, but to April it felt surely longer than that. It had been enough to knock the breath out of her, so when Mikey finally put her down, she took a deep breath, filling her lungs with sweet air. This and what followed next had become a daily ritual between them.

"Ohayōgozaimasu, Onee-chan!", Mikey said cheerfully, playfully bowing from his hip. It took April a moment for it to click in place, but then she replied, "Ohayō, Otōto-san!", then bowed slightly. Hearing the reply, Mikey grinned and hugged her again: this time not so hard, so April happily hugged him back. Letting her go Mikey put a lock of her still damp hair behind her ear and said, "Get ready and come out quick, I need a bit'a your help in the kitchen!", pecked her forehead, and was gone in a blink.

April stood there stunned for a few seconds, then walked into her room wondering how he managed to do stuff so fast.

As she went through limited her clothes, her hand naturally went for her signature yellow T-shirt and jeans shorts. But she felt like wearing something else today. Just then she spotted a yellow and purple Two-part. It had a small-sleeve T-shirt and a short skirt; beautifully colored with yellow and purple mixing into each other, and with black butterflies in places. "Sweet", April said and put it on with her black leggings. Next, she went to the small mirror in the room and did her usual light makeup. She left her hair down as it was still a bit damp. She was out in ten minutes.

There was no one in the Pit, or around. She thought they might have gone to the kitchen already and she too turned to go, but first, she decided to get some fresh air. So she walked to the Dojo, where the tree grew, it being the only place where sunlight reached down here through the grills above. As she entered, her nose was hit with a musky smell of sweat. _Maybe this wasn't the best idea_ She thought, but still walked in. Nevertheless as she neared the tree, she caught the sweet scent of rain and looked up the grill.

Bright sunlight hit her face, bringing warmth to her body just as a breeze ruffled her hair a bit. Eager, she looked around to check for anyone, and seeing no one, she climbed on. She went all the way up to feel the weather outside.

It felt amazing! April could smell the rain, yet see that there had been a light snowfall. The sun was up in a surprisingly clear sky, as cool air hit her face. Her first thought was to go outside, under the sun. As she got down the tree and was gonna run out in her bliss, realization took over and she stopped abruptly. _I can't just run out now! What was I thinking!?_ and April dropped her head in her hand. Aww man...but the reassuring herself, "Hey, it's not like I can't go later, right? Something's at least better than nothing!" she thought aloud, lighting up again. Twirling once, she left the Dojo and headed for the kitchen.

Moving slowly while humming something, she glanced at the clock on her way. She did a double-take recalling. "Oh shit! Mikey! ...He asked me to hurry 'cause he needed help! I hope I'm not too late!" She picked up pace and jogged, stopped in front of the separating curtain, and walked in.

... "April, I think I told ya to hurry…", Mikey said, false-frowning, without really looking at her.

April, taking queue, said, "Oh I am Soooo sorry, my lord; please do forgive me." Mikey giggled, still cooking, as she continued normally this time, "So what help did you want anyway?"

"Nothing great, but if you had come before, I would have told ya ta put the cream and Maple syrup on the pancakes"

"Pancakes! That's exactly what I wanted to have! Nice coincidence."

Mikey turned towards her after putting the last set of pancakes on the table. He stared wide-eyed for a moment, and then loudly exclaimed, "Looking good, Ap! Nice dress!" April then remembered that she wasn't wearing her usual clothes. Blushing slightly April was about to say thank you when she saw Mikey right in front of her face…grinning. Taking hold of her shoulder Mikey pushed her slowly toward the table… "Sit down."

"Now, what's this about?" April asked raising an eyebrow.

"Remember that I told ya that I'll give you a surprise today?", Mikey said, working through her little tangled hair. April gave a little "Ah!" remembering.

"So I wanted to try out this hairstyle…" he continued sheepishly.

April was gonna turn him down, but when she saw his face, she stopped. His eyes pleading, but not in his customary puppy-dog ones…and his face had a sheepish expression, with a tiny smile lingering, but was no-joke. She sighed and let him style her hair, _Well his happiness is more important, right? I can always go and put it back the right way… _ His signature grin returned, he set to work, first running his hand through her hair to smoothen it.

For a while they were in comfortable silence, with April humming softly, thinking about just how sweet and innocent Mikey was, always wanting to share his love. It was then that she suddenly realized that Mikey was quiet. _Wait, Mikey was QUIET! _ Immediately she perked up, thinking something might be wrong. Maybe he's just focusing…April thought. Whatever it was, she decided to break the silence.

"Umm Mikey, where are the others? It's 9:44 already…I thought you guys were done with training…"

"Huh? Oh…yah, I think Donnie's in the lab, and I saw Raph go for the bathroom. Leo might be in his room."

"And Master Splinter?"

"In his room."

"They should hurry over, 'cause the pancakes are cooling…"

"Yeah, they better."

April's head still wondered about the fact that Mikey could actually concentrate if he wanted. Wonder what is he doing up there_ April thought chuckling inside.

"You done yet?" April asked after a minute or two.

"Yah…Okay, wait a sec here.", saying so Mikey went off and was back in a jiffy, holding a mirror.

As April stood up, Mikey stretched the mirror at almost an arm's length, holding it for her to see. "Well, what do you think?" he asked nervously, his gaze fixed on her.

April's eyes were as big as saucers, mouth slightly agape, and body frozen; just staring into the mirror. _Man, is it that bad? Think I shouldn't have done that, hope she can forgive me… ooh I hate it when she gets mad…_ Mikey shivered, turning his face away and ducking a little into his shell.

"Mi-Mikey…", April breathed out, "Thi…This is… I don't know what to say! This is absolutely fabulous! Wow…. I mean, just WOW! I-It's amazing! I feel like a princess!..." April twirled around, grinning and oozing with happiness.

During this 'reaction', Mikey's smile only kept growing bigger, till it was a face-splitting goofy grin. She indeed was looking pretty. "My pretty sissy…!", Mikey said and lift April off the floor and whirled about, all the while giggling in pure Bliss, unaware of anything else.

Leo had gone to his room after training, as he wanted to complete the calligraphy he had started earlier that morning. Now done with it, he made for the kitchen, feeling hungry. _Boy, I hope Mikey made something good_ Leo thought as Raph joined him. As they neared, they could hear April's voice say "…like a princess!" And the giggles. "What did that knucklehead do now?", Raph groaned. "I don't want any extra headache."; Leo just shook his head.

They stood at the entrance, staring at the sight: Both April and Mikey have huge smiles on their faces, Mikey shouts "My pretty sissy" and lifts her off the ground and they're turning around, not aware of their presence. (…AND, their jaws were slowly dropping…)

Mikey stopped turning, but didn't set her down. April bent low and kissed Mikey's forehead, and reached to hug him. Mikey put her down now, never breaking the embrace as he hugged back…still not aware of their two brothers standing at the doorway.

"Wow…he sure did do somethin' to get THAT reaction…", Raph said in a hushed tone to no one.

Then they did a double-take when they finally noticed, April…not in her usual clothing, instead in a sweet top and skirt…and then her hair.

It was astoundingly stunning! Her hair was a mix of many delicate braids, criss-crossing each other, making a beautiful pattern. One thicker braid went across the back: from one side to the other, looking like a tiara, with a few thin ribbons in it; leaving a few loose ends hanging. The ribbons were matching her dress too. - Overall, it was perfect.

"Wow…!", Leo exclaimed, awestruck. "That sure does look pretty!"

At this, both April and Mikey jumped a bit and turned to see the expressions on their brother's faces. Leo was surely amazed, and Raph tried to hide his with a smirk. Suddenly remembering something, Mikey caught April's shoulder and turned her to face him, his back to his bros; and silently told her-don't tell them I did it…PLEASE!!- April realizing what he meant was about to protest, but Raph beat her in talking.

"For once, I have to agree with both Leo AND Mikey…", smiling smugly, and receiving a glare and a pout in reply respectively." Something special today April?"

"Umm...no…-"

"When did you go to a stylist?", Raph asked suddenly, Leo and his eyes going a bit wide.

"What…no! I didn't go anywhere! I-" (Leo relaxed visibly)

But Leo interrupted, "You did that yourself!?" It was a rhetorical question, but April wanted to answer anyway… "Wow, it's amazing!"

"I know right!" Mikey piped in, while silently pleading April not to say anything, to which she gave a curt no.

"How did you do this?" Leo asked, gingerly running his hand over the delicate designs. But before she could reply, Leo's stomach growled loudly, and his face went red the next instant. Mikey snickered, April smiled and Raph cackled.

"Oh what took you guys so long? I had the breakfast ready ages ago…let's just eat now!"

"Yeah, let's start eating already!"

"Where's Master Splinter?" April asked, not seeing their Sensei around.

"Oh right, he told me to tell you guys. He said he wouldn't have any breakfast as he had grabbed some stuff from here before our training started." Leo explained. "He's going out today on some spiritual trip."

They settled down as Mikey put each of their plates before them. Leo quickly took a mouthful, then continued slowly. As April got up to get the cream, Mikey said, "Dudes, I can't wait to see Donnie's reaction on seeing April today! Hehe…Man, I bet his face will be redder than that apple on his plate!" Mikey and Raph snickered, while Leo smiled big and shook his head.

April heard the whole talk, but pretended not to listen and shook her head, smirking; much to the boys' relief. _Hmm, maybe…_April thought trying to imagine Donnie's face, blushing slightly...But she didn't have to do that anymore.

Donnie had headed for his lab after training to check some experiment. Then he decided to take a short shower before having breakfast. Now done, he went for the kitchen. He heard voices, so knew that his brothers and April were in there. He set his mind to say good morning first to April and set foot in the kitchen...

"Good mornin' Ap-" … but the word got stuck in his throat as his eyes fell on April.

As soon as Donnie had entered, all eyes fell on him; and while smiles started creeping on his brothers' faces, April set the cream on the counter without taking her eyes of Donnie. They both stared at each other, just like that for a minute…. both their faces matching shades of soft red. Donnie looked her up and down, taking in her beauty…and the fact that her dress and hair had both their colors; to which thought his face heated up even more. Then suddenly, Donnie started moving towards April, both still in the trance. He moved closer and reached out, but April didn't even flinch. Then he reached for her hair, caressing it. "Wow…" he muttered," You look so pretty. you…" he mumbled something else…but…

…*cough*, "Ahem…" Ask Raph to ruin the moment.

Both jumped out of their reverie… April quickly turning away…and as for Donnie;

…poor guy. He was soo embarrassed his face matched Raph's mask now..., as he tried to make up the awkward situation, now staring at the floor.

Leo, Raph and Mikey were staring at the episode…but Raph thought to break it up then, and now all three couldn't just control their laughter anymore. The trio split their sides laughing…and soon Donnie and April also joined in, slowly relaxing.

Between their laugh, Mikey had to say," See bros told ya…and his face was like Raph's mask…"

"Sh-shut up Mikey…" Donnie wanted to sound angry…but was laughing too hard for that.

Soon everyone settled in and ate their breakfast in comfortable silence for a minute or two when Donnie asked, "Is there anything special today, April"

"Nah…just wanted to wear something different, that's it."

"Well it looks great on you!" he said, giving his signature gap-tooth grin, while Raph face-palmed.

"Aww…thanks, D"

"And your hair just looks …heavenly…- "

"Yah April…How early exactly did you wake up to do your hair?" Leo asked. April opened her mouth to answer- Mikey stiffened a bit, but no one noticed. -

-"Man, if I was a girl and had hair, even then I would never waste my time day off on hair-styling…!", …Raph bet her to it.

"You guys, will you let me say something? Every time I try answering, someone says something…so now let me speak!", April said slightly annoyed.

Raph shut his mouth. "Sorry April.", he and Leo said in unison.

April took a deep breath before continuing. "Better. Now listen. Firstly, I woke up at 8:40, so did not get up early to do my hair. I am not such a girl, and you guys know that, right?"

"Yeah April, and that was one of the reasons I was shocked…" Leo said.

"*sigh* …secondly, it took only 10 minutes to do…"

"What?!" echoed off the kitchen walls from the three eldest brothers, followed by a small "How?!" from Leo and Donnie.

"—And lastly; I DID NOT DO IT, MIKEY DID! Okay, Mikey did it. When I came in he -…Umm…Guys?!"

April stopped when she saw Leo and Donnie staring back at her, eyes the size of their plate, and Raph gave the best skeptical look he could.

"What…yer kiddin', right?" Raph asked, still maintaining his expression.

Mikey turned, or more like snapped, his head towards April. "See!? That's the reason I told you not to tell 'em! 'CUZ THEY WON'T BELIEVE YOU … or me!" He cried out, his face the definition of hurt and mistrust...still looking at April.

All of them were taken back by this outburst from the youngest, but the boys recovered soon, though were still stunned. Leo was going to say something to pacify him, however…

"Hey, don't shout. You know that there is a good reason we don't believe you and your fantasies" Raph said, half good-naturedly.

But Mikey did not see that, and instead just stared at his plate. Leo tried to stop Raph; but no: he continued, seeing that it was affecting Mikey.

"How do you suppose I can believe YOU did THAT, huh? It's so delicately done; and so pretty…what does an ugly mutant like you know about beauty?" Raph ranted on benevolently.

"Raph…! Stop now!" Leo said sharply.

The fact that Mikey wasn't replying with some wacky come-back was disturbing enough to make April realize that something was not right with Mikey, because the turtle usually took such things lightly.

So now as Raph was about to say something, Mikey stood up and dashed out, not able to take it anymore. He was gone so fast, that the rest of them just sat blinking for a moment.

…...

"Woah…I did not see that comin'…!" Raph said ruefully, rubbing his neck.

"That doesn't mean you can hurt his feelings!" April snapped, flushed with anger.

"Agreed April, but he doesn't usually act that way…" Donnie rejoined.

"Exactly! Man…" Leo said looking at Mikey's seat but then turned to Raph and glared, "But still you should have known better than that!"

For once Raph remained silent.

April got up to go behind her little brother, but Leo caught her hand. "Don't go now April, give him some space. Why don't you go once you're done with your food?" Leo suggested.

April glared at him for a few seconds; but then her face softened. She sighed, "Fine."

They had the rest of their breakfast in silence. As April was putting her plate in the sink, Leo said, "He made nice pancakes today."

"Too bad he couldn't eat properly…" Donnie said, shooting a glare at Raph, who seemed to be chewing the same piece for too long.

"I do wonder why did he react that way though."

"Maybe his brothers would like to think for once…" April said sarcastically, heading out with purpose.

The three elder brothers looked dolefully at each other.

April hesitantly knocked on Mikey's door, just hoping that everything would end up good. But no answer came from the other side. She tried again.

"Mikey… It's me, April.". No answer.

April leaned her head against the door and sighed. But the next moment, she sharply sucked air in hearing sniffles coming from inside.

_Mikey's… Crying!?_ The thought made her heart drop into her stomach: she had never heard him cry before. Immediately, she pushed the door and got in.

She didn't find him at first glance, but then something move near a few littered pizza boxes in a corner. "Mikey…!" She breath out, nearing him.

April gasped when she saw him. Bundled up in the corner, Mikey was sobbing into a pillow. His shoulders shaking. His mask was off, and he shrunk into his shell hearing her voice.

"L-le-leave m-me alo-lone…" came in between sobs and sniffles.

That's it. April simply couldn't stand seeing her always gleeful little brother in such a miserable state; so pushing the pizza boxes aside, April sat on the floor, pulling Mikey into a tight hug, moving her hands in soothing circles on his shell. At first, he tried to pull away, but soon he gave in. Instead, he nuzzled deep into the crook of his sister's neck, wrapping his arms around her waist. As he let all his stress come out, April removed his wet mask and kept rubbing his head and neck, whispering comforting words.

Soon Mikey started to calm down. April cupped his cheek and gingerly lift his head to look into his eyes. They were glassy and bloodshot and his vivid baby blue eyes were filled with pain. April kissed his forehead and again wrapped her arms around his shoulder, tugging his head under her chin.

"I'm sorry Mikey, I made you hurt so much…" April started.

Surprised, he looked at her. "What did you do?" his voice harsh and shaky from the crying.

"You told me not to tell them…and well…"

"I-It's okay. You w-were just tryin' to give c-credit to the right guy…" Mikey said, with a small affectionate teary smile, all forgivingly. April couldn't help but smile at this, thinking that even when he was the one being wronged, he was ready to forgive others.

April could feel anger bubbling up her gut, but hearing her little brother's sniffles she focused on her for now.

"Oh Mikey," April sighed, pushing her forehead against his. "I don't know why your brothers keep doing this to you…"

"I-I knew they wouldn't b-believe m-mee, so I t-told you not to tell 'em…b-but I…" Mikey stopped as tears poured down again, and April hugged him tighter.

"Ssshhhhh…it's okay Mikey…Next time, I'll take care of them…" April soothed him.

Mikey stopped crying soon and was only sniffling occasionally. "They always keep underestimating me…And Raph's always telling me what a bad ninja I am…I mean, just 'cause I like goofing off at times, does it mean I'm useless? They never listen to me…sometimes I just feel they would be off better on their own…-"

April gasped before she said, "No no little brother they don't hate you. I am pretty sure they couldn't make it through even a day or two without you around… And I can't even imagine it, God forbid. Please, never think like that again. They love you more than their lives, and you know it, right? It's just that they, mainly Raph, just don't know when to stop teasing. But that doesn't change the over-protective brother's big heart inside him."

When she was telling all this, she had got up from the floor and sat on his bed. Mikey looked at her smiling. "Yup, now this is my little bro, smiling little bro…" April said kissing his forehead, as Mikey pulled her into yet another hug.

"Thanks April. You're the best sister and friend a turtle could ever have…" Mikey said grinning. Just then his stomach growled loudly. Mikey blushed a bit, remembering he didn't eat his breakfast.

"Aww thanks Mikey, and you are the best little brother I could ever ask for. And he needs to eat now." April stated, standing. As if in agreement, there was another rumble from the same place. "My stomach sure agrees with you!" Mikey said putting a hand on his lower plastron. April giggled before continuing, "You wanna sit in here, or come to the kitchen?" She asked pulling him up.

"Where are the others?"

"I don't know. I just came in here as soon as I was done with my breakfast."

"Umm then…"

April understood his problem, so said, "I'll go to the kitchen an' heat your food. I'll see and tell you if it's clear, then you can come."

Mikey nodded, giving a small smile. April returned it as she headed out…

...(Meanwhile in the kitchen)…

As April headed out, Donnie said "That was very rude, even for you Raph…"

"Hey, who knew he would be like that…" Raph countered waving his hand towards the kitchen's entrance.

"Still Raph, you should have stopped when he didn't say anything the first time," Leo said looking hard at him.

"Ugh, whatever…" Raph threw his hand up in the air and left the room grumbling, which was soon followed by a slam. Although he had shown he was fuming, his brothers had seen guilt in him.

Leo sighed, then looked at Mikey's half-finished plate.

"So…what now?" Donnie asked, following his older brother's gaze.

"Raph hurt him so bad, that he did not even eat his food…We should make him apologize to Mikey."

"Not that I don't agree with you, but Mikey usually never seems to mind such remarks." Donnie said, but when Leo raised an eye ridge, Donnie had to add, "…But yeah, what he said about Mikey not knowing about beauty, I do think it was very harsh."

"Exactly. And thus, he has to apologize."

"I do still wonder how did he do that…" Donnie wondered.

It took a second for Leo to realize what Donnie was talking about. "Yeah, we'll ask him when he's good." Leo replied, his eyes shining with a bit of admiration.

Thinking for a while, Leo said "I'll go get Raph while you heat his pancakes and wait for my signal. Ooh, don't forget to put some extra cream and maple syrup, Mikey loves it that way."

"You do remember that April's with him, right?

"Right… April would have calmed him down, right?

Donnie nodded while putting the timer on the oven. "Either ways, why don't we check it out once?" Leo suggested.

"Sure, but stealth."

Leo nodded, and they both moved out, making no sound at all.

As they headed for the corridor where all their bedrooms were, they both saw something, and looked at each other.

There was Raph, standing near Mikey's door, listening inside. They couldn't see his expression, but as they neared stealthily, they saw it was twisted in a frown, but his eyes betrayed his guilt and sadness.

Leo motioned to hide nearby, so that they could hear what was going on inside, and see Raph's face too.

They heard Mikey sobbing. The sound and scene and thoughts just twisted their guts. Donnie and Leo looked at each other, and then stared inside; they could see that April had hugged their little brother.

Raph had stood there listening to almost the full conversation. With every second he could feel his guilt increase, and hearing Mikey cry made him feel sick. (And he didn't truly notice the wetness in his mask).

When Mikey said about him telling how bad a ninja he was, and how Mikey felt that his brothers thought he was useless; It took all Raph's will power to not go rushing in the room and crush him in a hug and apologize, say what a jerk he had been. Now he was both expectant and fearful of what April was going to reply.

But hearing April's reply, he couldn't help but sigh and give a smile… appreciating the fact that the girl had not even known him for very long and yet could see his real self (though yeah, his tough-guy-persona did keep nagging him, but for once he ignored it!) …he felt happy and relieved that April was living with them. His head wandered around April for a while, that though he didn't often admit it, he really liked her presence in the lair, and sometimes even considered himself fortunate to have such a good and faithful friend…like now.

Seeing Mikey smile and calm again was a relief to Raph, but he wouldn't be content till he had given Mikey one of his rare bear-hugs and said sorry, after all, it was his fault this happened in the first place. _First thing when Mikey's alone_ he decided.

Donnie and Leo had silently observed the scene, both inside and out of the room. Now hearing April say that she was gonna come out set a reaction to those outside:

Raph vanished into his room, his eyes still set on the door, his body ready to barrel in as soon as April was out of sight. Leo backed up and remembering about the food, told Donnie to get it ready, who made a beeline for the kitchen. Leo stayed back as he thought it would be best to talk to April first.

Once April was out, Raph ran inside and without a word pulled Mikey in a bear hug from the back. Mikey gasped, but when he realized it was Raph, he started squirming; which only made Raph's grip harder. Then Mikey heard Raph muttering something; and when he focused, his eyes went wide. "I-I'msosorry-I'msorryIamsorry-Iwas-ajerk-sorryyy…" _Raph's apologizing?!_Mikey though, and being the soft-natured turtle he was, his heart melted instantly, and he put his hand on Raph's and patted softy.

At this, Raph loosened his grip and Mikey turned to face him. They both gasped at the same time, seeing the other's bloodshot eyes and tear-stricken face; as their hands simultaneously moved to wipe the other's tears. They shared a short laugh at this and smiled. No words were needed; their eyes said everything: Raph had apologized and Mikey had forgiven, from the heart. They shared another hug, this time Mikey was able to hug Raph back. Then Raph whispered, "I love ya Lil' bro…i-if you say this to any other soul, I'll slap the green off you."

"I love you too Raph," Mikey said giggling.

"But seriously Mike, if you ever even think that you're useless, I'll have to beat some sense into ya…." Raph said looking deep into his brother's big blue eyes.

"He's right, Mikey." Came a voice from behind.

Both the turtles jumped; looking, saw their other brothers and human friend standing at the door, Leo holding a plate of delicious-looking pancakes.

(before the entry...)

As April made her way to the kitchen, her thoughts went back to the others. It would make sense if she did not know how to manage or behave with younger siblings because she was the only child of her parents. But when you grow up with THREE other siblings, for all your life? Obviously much more is expected. _I have to talk to the guys…she thought and jumped back a bit when she saw Leo and Donnie, standing just at the entrance with Mikey's plate of pancakes. She hardened her expression, and saw both had sheepish looks on their faces.

"looks like someone thought of what he did…" April said, folding her hands and raising hone eyebrow.

"Eh…. yeah April, we're sorry for what happened." Donnie sheepishly replied, looking away.

"Is Mikey okay? He was crying pretty bad…" Leo asked concerned.

April was going to say something sarcastic, but seeing the sadness in their eyes, her face softened. She sighed, "He's okay now, but you guys should apologize. And mainly Raph."

"I'm sure that's taken care of," Donnie said, a small smile lingering.

"What do you mean? You all were here—"

"As soon as you came out, Raph had rushed in," Donnie said again.

Still seeing April confused, Leo explained. "We were gonna go check on Mikey, but saw that Raph was standing and seeing in. we both did the same too. He looked sorry."

"He should, I mean he did say something really rude…" April thought aloud and sighed.

"Let's get Mikey his food, We could hear his stomach from out here."

"Yeah let's go." April said chuckling.

...

As they neared, they could hear the voices clearly. "But seriously Mike, if you ever even think that you're useless, I'll have to beat some sense into ya…." Raph was saying.

"He's right, Mikey," Leo said with a smile.

They walked in to see Raph and Mikey huddled together. Quickly, Raph pushed Mikey from his lap to the bed, softly, with a blush on his face.

" 'Bout time you got his pancakes." Raph huffed, still trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Sorry if we were late," Donnie said have sarcastically, handing Mikey the plate. "Here Mikey, sorry you couldn't have it earlier" He added rubbing his nape.

"Mmm! Look at all that syrup and cream!" And Mikey put a huge piece in his mouth excitedly, getting cream and syrup on his face in the process. The others couldn't help but laugh heartily at the scene.

"Here Mikey let me wipe that off." Leo wiped his face with a tissue. But as he took another bite… well, Leo's work went in vain, and everyone was laughing all over again.

"Oh Mikey, slow down man! That cream and syrup were for you to eat, not for a face pack!" Raph managed in between his guffaw, and now rolling down laughing hard, until Mikey coughed and Leo had to run to get some water, laughing all the way.

Mikey managed to complete his pancakes in the next twenty minutes (well he was mostly laughing after all.) He then got up and went to wash his face, as the chortling subsided. Once clean, he joined his brothers and sisters again.

"Mikey, we're sorry for what happened back there." Leo started.

"It's okay, I mean, you were just teasing and joking, right?" Mikey quickly replied, with a hopeful smile. "Right, Raph?"

Raph looked a bit abashed," Well to be true, I still cannot figure out how in the world you pulled that off." He said pointing to April's hair, "But I didn't mean to hurt ya."

Mikey smiled softly at that. "And that's what matters." Saying, Mikey pulled all of them into a hug, all of them cackling, as all the five ended up being a tumble-down pile of friends, feeling warm and fuzzy.

"Okay okay, that's it. I've had enough of this for ages! OOF -Leo get off! Donnie, you'll squash April and Mikey!" Raph said with a huge grin, as everyone came loose and were on the floor, among the littered pizza boxes and comics and god knows what else.

"Geez Mikey you should really clean up once in a while, you do know it's not hygienic, right?" Donnie stated, shoving a pizza box aside as he stood up and helped April up too.

"Hey! It's not that bad!—" Mikey was protesting.

"Wait, I've got an idea! Let's teach Mikey how to clean up. I think he totally needs this lesson." April suggested.

They all set to work, and arrange his room, chatting, laughing and cracking jokes all along. They were done in an hour. (well the reason it took so much time was that they were in no hurry exactly…and Mikey didn't want to throw the pizza boxes away, so they let him keep a few anyway(after Donnie chose the 'clean' ones). Their final output: the room looked only half cleaned. But then again, this is Mikey's room we're talking about.)

By the time they were done with all this, it was time for lunch. But none of them were hungry, so they went about their business till they were. It was the two middle brother's turn to cook lunch today; and as Leo didn't quite have anything better to do, he decided to help(even after a considerable amount of protest…).

April had gone back to the Dojo to check at the weather outside. It was still the same, except the sun wasn't so bright and hot. Seeing no one around, she decided to sit on the tree itself, and read the book she had brought along (she was going to sit in the pit actually.)

Mikey played some solo video games for a while, but soon got bored after hitting high score seven times. So now wandering he found himself in front of the dojo, staring at…

"Whoa, April…what the hell are ya' doin' up there?" Mikey suddenly asked walking in slowly.

April was so engrossed in the book that she never saw, or heard, someone come in.

"Gyyaaaahhhh!" April jumped screaming, as she threw the book; and lost balance, falling off the tree.

Mikey was below her in a heartbeat and had caught her mid-fall, rolled and caught the book with his toes, and tossed it… so that finally he was standing on the other side of the tree, April in his arms bridal-style and the book on her lap, Mikey looking down at her with a big grin.

"Haha, gotcha Ap!" he said setting her down.

April felt heat rising to her face, but relaxed knowing this was Mikey, who didn't mind such things. "I was just reading a book…the weather is amazing outside today." She answered his previous question.

"I did notice that." Mikey was staring out the grill, letting April down.

"I came in here in the morning and saw it. I wanted to go outside right then… but, you know?" April said fiddling with her thumbs, hoping her little bro would catch the meaning.

"Hmm…well that's great! We don't have a lot to do today anyways, so we could go out!" Mikey said excitedly.

"Yeah! ...But do you think the guys, well Leo mostly, will allow it?"

"Don't worry sissy, Mr. Cute-instein is at work!" April couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Okay, we'll ask them at the table. I already smell delicious, and…Burned?" April said as they walked out. They looked at each other and ran to the kitchen "I think Leo was cooking." Mikey said.

"Leeoooooo!" Came Raph's voice, confirming every suspicion. "Yup, definitely Leo." both giggled.

Entering the kitchen they saw a burning omelet on a pan burning, and Leo trying to flip another, but miserably failed, and it was falling. But a plate was on the floor suddenly, which saved it.

"What's a plate doing on the floor?" Raph asked with a frown.

But Leo's sharper eyes had seen what happened. Mikey had thrown a plastic plate there at the nick of time. "Nice save Mikey, Thanks!" Leo said, giving a grin and a thumbs-up, while getting back the same.

They had a nice lunch together after Mikey made another omelet. During this time, Mikey told them about April's wish. Surprisingly, they all agreed…

"To be true, it's been quite a while since we went topside in the daytime," Donnie said pondering.

"You guys go topside, in daylight?" April asked surprised.

"Well duh, do you think we never saw daylight or what?" Raph raised an eye ridge.

"Not that, but…" April didn't know what to say.

"Actually, Sensei used to take us topside sometimes daytime because in some places scavenging was better then; and only to places like the junkyard and less populated. But since we four started going on our own almost every night, we didn't go in the morning since." Leo explained.

"Well, not at least together…" Raph muttered, he and Mikey shared a smirk. Leo eyed them suspiciously but left the discussion for later.

"So, how are we gonna go?... I mean we can't just walk on the sidewalk right?" April asked curiously.

"No, we have our little hidin' spot," Donnie smirked, and then flashed his signature gap-tooth grin.

"Then we'll leave at 4:00. Pack some snacks, we'll stay there for a few hours." Leo said, standing up and taking his plate to the sink.

"Sounds good to me!" Raph said.

They packed up and left soon. Making their way through the sewers, they were directly below a semiconstructed and abandoned building in fifteen minutes. They went all the way up to the second-topmost floor, where there was a room with a good chunk of wall missing on the outer side; it looked over the city.

"Wow…!" April was left speechless seeing the view, as the guys smiled at her awe.

"I know, right!? The view is completely different from up here. And, as a bonus, you can enjoy the weather to the fullest too!" Donnie replied.

"It's amazing!" April said, still staring out.

There were few cushions on the floor, which the boys had gathered over time. They went and sat there talking and joking and laughing. Then someone remembered and asked, "Hey Mikey, how did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"April's hair. Where did you learn that?"

All heads turned to Mikey, who remained silent as though deciding how to answer.

"Actually nowhere… I just got an idea while I was sketching and had seen a girl the other day. I just thought of trying it, and the ribbons were a complete coincidence."

"Wow lil' bro, that was a fine job," Raph said rubbing Mikey's head roughly.

"Hey come on! Stop!" Mikey screeched, and Raph let go, but…

"RRAAAURRGHHH! I'M THE TICKLE MONSTER!" Raph bellowed and pounced on Mikey. The others were laughing, and April took this chance to tickle both Leo and Donnie from behind. Leo was majorly shocked and Donnie immediately blushed beet, but it was soon overcome by their laughter, and April giggled.

Soon everyone was exhausted by tickling and getting tickled, and collapsed together among the cushions still snickering. When they calmed down, they shifted a bit so they could see the sunset, and lay there in comfortable silence, grateful for the moment and each other.

Mikey lay in the center with April on one side and Raph on the other; Donnie and Leo a bit above but at the ends. He let out a soft, happy sigh of contempt.

"Best family time. Ever." He said, as they agreed and cuddled deeper into each other, relishing the beautiful moment under the purplish-orange sky as a cool breeze flew by.

-Owari-

…Now about my writing. I'm sorry if this became a bit too long for a oneshot, and by the fact it's just a Fluff. But I had soo many ideas, I didn't know how to shorten this anymore; but I think this is okay. I am sorry if anyone who read this didn't like it…

Guys please, COMMENT! This one is a personal favourite of mine, so hope you guys liked it too. Okay, I'll stop babbling. Please stay tuned, more fanfics are on the way... even if it takes some time, cuz I kinda have a tight scedule. ANY sort of comment, critiques and ideas are accepted, though please keep the less explicit. I do accept requests, and if you want to give any, just type it down with your review!

Hope you have a great time ahead!