Hi! One-shot people! Just a simple little one-shot.

DISCLAIMER: Of course, if I wanted to pay a good amount of money and go to a trial, I could say that I own the turtles. But… I'm not that stupid or eager. So, I don't own them. But I can still dream! No one censors dreams!

Note: this takes place when the turtles were only ten.

Actually, this is quite ironic that I'm writing this, because I'm currently sick as well. A bit delirious actually. So sorry if the story doesn't really make sense. Most things today haven't made much sense either…

"Mikey! MIKEY!"

It was so cold. Winter had come early this time. Snow, mixed with little shards of ice, was falling thickly out of the dark gray clouds. It was very cold for a normal November evening.

But Leo didn't care. He wrapped the thick brown coat tighter around himself. The coat was way too big for his little ten-year-old frame. It reached down to his knees and sagged on his shoulders, but it was warm nonetheless.

Still, it was insane to be out here in this weather. Especially being barefoot. But it wasn't like he had shoes…

And also, his youngest brother was missing and he needed to find him.

Leo shivered, but called out again as he walked on past an alley. However, this time, a small shaky voice answered. "Leo?"

Leo immediately turned and rushed into the small alley. "Mikey! Mike?"

"Leo!"

There, in a corner of the alley wall, was Mikey. He was huddled under a small little space where the building's roof reached, so that the snow and ice couldn't reach him. He, like Leo, wore no shoes, but wore a huge coat as well.

Leo immediately rushed to him. "You okay?" He asked, falling to his knees next to his brother.

Mikey immediately hugged him, burying his face into the front part of Leo's coat, while bursting into tears. "I'm sorry…" He bawled, hugging his elder brother harder.

Leo sighed. "It's okay…" He whispered, hugging his younger brother back.

They sat in silence for a little while, not realizing that the temperature was slowly dropping as it became darker, and that the wind had picked up.

"We'd better get back—" Leo started to say, when Mikey winced. "What's wrong?"

Mikey shifted his left ankle a bit, his face showing pain. "My ankle hurts."

Leo bit his lip, before scanning the ankle with his eyes. "Doesn't look broken…maybe you just twisted it?"

Mikey looked away. "'Still hurts." He pouted.

Leo heaved a sigh. "I know. We'd better stay put. I can't carry you…"

Mikey looked up at his elder brother, who was scanning the alley with his wide, blue eyes. Mikey suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Leo had just recovered from a flu, and now he was outside in the cold with him.

Leo noticed his look. "It's okay." He said, smiling. "Master Splinter will find us."

"How?"

"Raph and Don went to go get him."

"Oh."

Another silence, then,

"I bet Raph's happy I'm gone."

Leo looked down at his little brother in surprise. "I don't think so. He was pretty worried—"

"Yeah right."

"He was." Leo pressed. "We searched all over the Sewers and the Lair to find you. And he was really worried. We all were."

Mikey hung his head. "It was Raph's fault…" He tried in a weak attempt to defend himself.

Leo just shot him a glare. "You provoked him into the fight, so you have as much of a blame as he does. Plus you ran away."

"He's so mean!"

Leo sighed, cradling his pouting younger brother. "You know Raph. He says things he doesn't mean all the time. You just got to know when to listen and when not to listen."

Looking down at his little brother, Leo could tell he was listening, but didn't really believe him. "When you tease someone, do you necessarily think that what you are saying is the truth?"

Mikey squirmed a bit, before admitting that no, he didn't really believe that. He just did it to annoy that person.

Leo nodded. "Raph's the same. He's just too hotheaded to think about what he's saying."

"He's still stupid."

"And so are you."

Mikey glared playfully at his brother, pouting.

Leo, however, looked down sternly at his brother. "What were you thinking? Coming out in this weather!"

Mikey shrugged, studying the ground intently. "Don't know." He whispered.

"You could've gone back to the Lair! Master Splinter would have been there! He would've helped you out with your problems!"

"Didn't think about that." Mikey admitted, still staring at the ground.

Leo heaved a sigh. "It was still pretty stupid." He remarked in a lighter tone.

"'M sorry." Mikey whispered.

"It's okay."

There was another silence, this one a bit longer. Then, Mikey shivered. "'t's cold!"

"I know." Leo whispered, before wrapping Mikey into his coat. It was big enough for the two of them. "Better?"

Mikey nodded, his shivering slowly ceasing.

Another silence settled, the only noise being the howl of the wind and the ice falling with the snow. Then, they both heard snow steadily crunching.

They both froze, knowing that someone was coming. Leo quickly wrapped the coat around them to hide themselves as much as they could, and they both waited shivering with both cold and fear.

They were too cold and tired to recognize the footsteps. But the footsteps slowly passed them by without stopping. They both relaxed.

Mikey suddenly yawned. "M'sleepy." He slurred, his eyes closing slowly.

Leo shook him awake. "Don't fall asleep!" He said, but yawned as soon as he said that.

"Why not?" Mikey demanded.

"Because if you fall asleep—" Leo yawned again, "you'll freeze…"

But Mikey had already closed his eyes. "t's not cold…" He mumbled sleepily, before falling silent.

Leo coughed a little, struggling to keep awake. For some reason, he wasn't cold either.

The same footsteps were back. They seemed to be hurrying back to towards them.

But Leo didn't care. He had already closed his eyes.

They were completely silent as they sat waiting on the couch. Neither one of them were doing anything. They just sat and stared at the shut door.

Splinter had told them to stay here before he rushed off after their brothers.

Don glanced at the clock. "It's been three hours…" He whispered. The silence was so overwhelming that he felt the immense urge to whisper.

Raph didn't answer. He just drew his knees up and rested his chin on them.

Donny glanced at him before heaving a sigh.

Just then, they heard hurried footsteps and then the door burst open. Splinter stepped in, wearing a thin trench coat, which was white with snow. Splinter's fur was also white. He held two bundles of brown in his arms, which Donny and Raph both recognized as Mikey and Leo bundled up in their coats. They seemed to be almost frozen, their breathing very shallow.

"Donatello, fill the tub with hot water and bring me the first aid kit." Splinter ordered. "Raphael, turn on the heater and bring as many blankets as you can."

Both turtles rushed off, knowing that there was no place for arguments, not that they really wanted to.

Mikey groaned as he woke up. He was warmer than he had ever been in his whole life! He blearily looked around, not really recognizing where he was. All he knew that he was lying on something warm and soft. Also, he was lying next to a small green body, with a blue blur near its head.

Mikey yawned, not really realizing whom it was, nor where he was. He lay his head back down onto the soft surface, before falling asleep again.

This time, when he opened his eyes, Mikey recognized where he was. He blinked as he sat up and looked around in surprise. How'd he get into the Lair?

He was lying on Splinter's big futon next to Leo in Splinter's room. (Futon is basically a big mattress that is placed onto the floor and Japanese people sleep on it.)

Just then, the door slid open, and Splinter stepped in. He smiled warmly had his youngest son, who stared up at him with wide, auburn eyes.

"How are you, my son?"

Mikey thought for a minute. "'kay." He said, before kicking off the many blankets with his right foot. His left was bandaged tightly, but it still hurt. "'t's hot." He complained.

Splinter chuckled as he stopped Mikey from kicking all the blankets off. "You are still not well, but I think you are better now. Would you like to go back to your own room?"

Mikey nodded, but then his eyes caught a small curled up form beside him. "Leo?"

Splinter quickly shushed him. "He is still asleep, my son."

"Is he okay?"

Splinter hesitated before nodding. "I believe so. Although he has yet to wake up."

Mikey stared at him with wide eyes, before smiling. "He's Leo. He's gonna be okay." He said in an all-knowing tone.

Splinter chuckled, before bending down and picking his son up. Despite his son being ten, he was still much smaller than a normal child, but just as heavy from all the junk food he liked to eat. But Splinter was strong enough to carry all four of them, so Mikey was no challenge.

He, then, carried Mikey carefully to his room.

Raph poked his head into Mikey's room, to see Mikey sitting up in bed, playing a mini game boy.

Raph quickly drew his head back, before taking a deep breath and walking in.

Mikey looked up as his red-banded elder brother came in, carrying a tray with a bowl of soup. He grinned. "FOOD!" He loved food.

Raph smirked as he handed the tray to Mikey, who eagerly took it and began to wolf it down. "You okay?"

Mikey looked up at him, soup dripping from his mouth. Swallowing the soup, he nodded. "M'fine."

Raph nodded, before blurring out something that had gnawed at him since three days ago when Mikey had ran away and had caused him to volunteer to bring Mikey the food. "I'm sorry!"

Mikey blinked before grinning. "It's okay. I'm not angry anymore."

Raph winced. "But you coulda froze!"

Mikey kept on grinning. "I know. I jus' wasn't thinkin'. It wasn't your fault I almost froze."

Raph raised an eyebrow. "You talked to Leo?"

Mikey giggled. "Yep." Then he looked worried. "Is he okay?"

Raph looked away. "He woke up once since Splinter brought you guys' home. But--"

Mikey's eyes widened.

Raph sighed. "And he's pretty ill again. He isn't recognizing anythin'. Splinter's with him right now, tryin' to bring down his temperature."

Mikey looked down at the covers. He felt guilt gnawing at him. If he hadn't ran away…If he hadn't ran away blindly in any direction…If he hadn't ran outside…then Leo would be okay…

He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at Raph.

"It'll be okay. Leo'll make it through. He always does."

Leo sat on the futon, leaning against the cool wall. A big furry rat had come in and told him not to do that, but only succeeded in completely freaking him out. He silently wondered where he was and why he was here. Something inside was telling him that he knew this place and everything was so familiar…but he couldn't quite remember it.

The door slid open and Leo expected the giant rat again, but instead a similar turtle-like being stepped in, an orange bandanna around its head. The turtle-like creature was pretty pale and looked a bit weak.

"Leo?" It asked, looking a bit worried.

Leo blinked lazily. Leo? Who was this Leo? Was it his name?

When he didn't respond, the orange-banded turtle bit its lip. "Do you know me?"

Leo didn't respond, only just stared at him blankly.

"M'name's Mikey. Remember?"

Mikey…

That name seemed to ring a bell for him. But he still couldn't quite put his finger on it…

The door once again slid open but this time, the giant rat stepped in.

The orange-banded turtle looked a little embarrassed to be caught here. As if he wasn't supposed to be here…

"Michaelangelo…" A pause.

Leo blinked. Michaelangelo? What kind of name was that?

"What are you doing out of bed?"

The turtle flushed. "Sorry, Sensei. Jus' checkin' up on Leo." He shot him a worried look. "Is he gonna be okay?"

The rat smiled before leading the turtle outside.

Leo watched them go, before yawning. He slowly nestled on top of the covers, not bothering to drape them over himself. He fell into a deep sleep immediately.

Outside, Mikey looked worriedly after Leo as the door slowly slid shut.

"He will be fine. His temperature is very high, and that is why he does not recognize us." Splinter explained.

"How high?"

"The temperature?" Splinter asked, getting a nod as the answer. He sighed. "Over a hundred."

Mikey winced. "Can't we do somethin'?"

Splinter shook his head. "If we were human, I would have taken him to a hospital. But we are not human. Therefore we just have to wait."

A week had passed, and Leo began to show signs of recovery. His temperature, for once, was slowly dropping.

He also began to recognize them. He recognized Mikey first though, to everyone's surprise.

Leo shifted uncomfortably in his bed. He was well enough to be in his room now, but he wasn't allowed to get up from it, save for going to the bathroom.

It was night now, and the whole Lair was silent--

"Leo?"

Leo jumped. He hadn't heard the door open. How weird. "Mikey?"

"Yeah."

Mikey quickly stepped in, closing the door behind him. Then he quickly scampered over to Leo, before climbing onto his bed.

Leo shifted over a bit, before looking questioningly at his brother. "What's up?"

"Sorry."

Leo blinked. "What for?"

Mikey flushed. "I shouldn't have run away. I made you sick—" He began to say in a rushed tone, when he was cut off by Leo laughing.

"What's so funny?" Mikey asked, a bit angry. He was trying to apologize, damn it!

"You." Leo said, his laughter slowly subsiding. "It wasn't your fault!"

"But—"

"Jeez, Mikey! When will you get it! I chose to come after you. So technically I made myself sick."

"But you wouldn't have made that choice if—"

"Mikey, it doesn't matter. What happened happened. We could sit here all night and day arguing, but I think we should just forget it. So what if I got sick? I'm better now. We're both better. And you and Raph made up, right?"

Mikey slowly nodded.

"There. You see? All's fine. Let's just forget it. We both did stupid things, but it turned out okay, didn't it?"

Again, Mikey nodded, this time a small smile playing on his face.

Leo grinned at him before yawning suddenly. "Right now, I think we should just go to bed…"

"Can I stay here?"

Leo blinked at the suddenness of the question, but nodded anyways. "Sure."

Mikey grinned before quickly diving under the covers. "Night!"

Leo, too, snuggled under the covers. "Night."

And they both fell asleep.

'Kay. That wasn't my best work but it certainly wasn't the worst. Anyways, (yawns) night!

Sure it's only seven at night, but I'm too tired to care. Night.

R&R please.