Disclaimer: I STILL don't own the TMNT, which you continue to make me feel bad about. So now I shall bludgeon any flamers in an attempt to rekindle some of my sorely missed self-esteem. :D

Thanks to Digmon Girl, Ted, coldsunshin, Pi90katana, and Tewi for reviewing Chapter Six.

And now, what better way to start off the New Year than with Chapter Seven?

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Mikey…Mikey…eat me, eat me!

Mikey smiled. He was alone in the Lair with a 5-foot-wide pizza. It was his favorite kind, with pineapple and gummy bear toppings, and there was no one else home, so he didn't have to share.

Mikey, eat me!

The energetic turtle grabbed a six-pack of pop and was about to chow down, when suddenly the pizza's voice changed.

Michelangelo…you…ear me?

Mikey stopped, confused. Why the shell had the pizza just asked him to "ear" it? Eating it was one thing, but how could he "ear" it? For one, he didn't know what "ear"-ing required, and for another, he'd never actually seen his ears. And something else was bugging him, too; the pizza's voice had changed. Now that he thought about it, why was a pizza talking in the first place? And why would it ask Mikey to eat it? Isn't that suicide? he wondered. Mikey thought it over. He couldn't figure out why it had never before bothered him that his meal was talking; but now it felt like eating it would be killing it. It's like it would be homicide. No, pizza-cide. Shell of a time for me to get a stomach conscience. Bidding the pizza of his dreams goodbye, he decided to focus more on the voice in order to figure out what it was trying to say.

Michelangelo…can you hear me?

There it was again, except he caught of all it this time; it had said "can you hear me". Well, of course he heard the pizza, that's why he was having this trouble in the first place. Curse his ninja sense of honor. Although, did eating a talking pizza really qualify as killing a defenseless, sentient being? He'd have to ask Sensei when he woke up.

Of course, Mikey thought; he was dreaming. That explained the talking pizza. And yet, he was sure that the pizza's voice had changed. At first, he could have sworn that the pizza sounded oddly like a munchkin from the Wizard of Oz, but now it sounded different. The voice was deeper, but quieter. Maybe the pizza went through a growth spurt, he mused. But when he checked, it was still the same size…still 5 feet large…still fresh from the oven…still smelling of pineapply, gummy beary goodness…No! He shook his head. The last thing I need is the death of a talking pizza on my conscience…though come to think of it, I've probably already eaten several of its relatives…The thought disturbed him; after all, how would he feel if a giant pizza ate Sensei? Or Raph, or Don, or Leo?

Leo! That's who the pizza sounds like! Mikey was proud that he had discovered who the voice sounded like. And when he thought about it, Leo was the only one of his brothers who called him Michelangelo. But now the nagging feeling was back again; there was some reason why it was important that it was Leo who was talking to him. Mikey struggled to remember, when suddenly the events of the past two days hit him: patrol…saving Iganna…Leo getting shot…Leo waking up…LEO!

"LEO!" Mikey jerked awake, his oldest brother the only thing on his mind. His eyes flew open, and he scanned his surrounding frantically. He finally realized he was in the bathroom with Leo…who was lying on the table…looking at him!

"Leo! Bro, you're awake! Again!"

Leo laughed softly. "Yeah, Mikey, I am…and you're loud. Geez, I keep forgetting…how deeply you can sleep," he said, his words broken by shallow breaths. "I was calling you…for like five minutes. You were drooling…on my blanket, and you kept trying…to eat my pillow. And you were talking…about killing…pizzas."

"Oh, yeah! Man, Leo, you shoulda been there! Okay here's what happened: there was this pizza, see, and…" With that, Mikey launched into a dramatic retelling of his dream. However, Mikey talked so fast that Leo was only able to catch half of the words, which led to him being a very confused turtle.

What is he talking about? The blue-banded turtle wondered. All I caught was something about talking pizzas, and bears, and…the Wizard of Oz?

"…and then I'm like, "Dude! What if a pizza ate Sensei or Don or Raph or Leo? So that's when I realized you were the one talking and I woke up," Mikey concluded, certain that Leo would understand his dream.

I was going to get eaten by a pizza? Leo wondered dazedly. Only Mike…

"So how long have you been awake, bro?" Mikey asked.

Leo craned his head around carefully to squint at the clock. "Just about…ten minutes or so. I thought I heard someone talking…and it ended up being you. Plus my blanket was…getting kind of wet."

His youngest brother grinned guiltily. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that, Leo. It's just, the pizza…and it was five feet wide! And…yeah."

The blue-banded turtle laughed softly. "It's alright, Mike. You couldn't…really help it."

"You're prob'ly right. Boy, am I glad I was drooling on you and not Raph. I'd never hear the end of it. Oh shell! I should prob'ly go get everyone else up!" Mikey hopped up from his chair, nearly falling over as he tried to make it to the door, but his brother's words stopped him.

"No, Mikey, don't."

The youngest turtle's confusion showed clearly on his face. "But why not, bro? They'll want to talk to you, 'specially since we really didn't get to last night."

"Well, for one thing…it's 6:30 in the morning. And for another…I'd kind of like to talk to you alone for a bit, Mikey," Leo said haltingly.

"Dude, are you sure you're feeling alright? Not that I don't appreciate it, but I'm normally the last turtle to talk to. That's more Donnie or Master Splinter's department."

"Perhaps," Leo agreed, "but right now…I think you're the best one…to say this to."

"Well, then fire away, bro," Mikey said, then stopped as a thought hit him. "Wait, I wanted to ask you something…why do you keep talking funny?"

Leo grimaced ruefully. "My plastron and throat still hurt…a little from yesterday. It's kinda painful to breathe…too deeply, so I have to take…smaller breaths."

The younger turtle's face was instantly flooded with concern. "Are you sure you're okay, Leo? D'you want me to go get Donnie?"

"No," Leo replied, shaking his head. "I'm alright, Mikey. Just a little sore."

"If you're sure…" Mikey said slowly, deciding to let it go for now. "Well, then Doctor Phil is in the house! Hit me with the dream scene, bro."

Leo took a deep breath before he spoke. "It…it wasn't even really one dream…it was just…so many scenes, all running together. I saw…I don't know. There was someone…someone else, like they were there…like I was seeing their memories with them. Shell, Mikey, I-I just don't know. It was horrible, though, I know that much. Everything was hazy, nothing was distinct…but there were screams and cries…and it smelled like blood and fear. It just…it all felt like death, and pain…and I don't know why, but I kept seeing her…the woman we rescued…in midst of all this carnage and suffering."

"Iganna?" Mikey interrupted harshly. "You saw her in your dream?"

Leo nodded. "Yeah. But she…she was…laughing. It was like there was no remorse, no sadness from her for what was happening. And even though there was no hint of us in the dream, I can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen…that all that pain will strike us next…I just, oh shell, Mikey, there was just so much blood, so much pain…" He broke off, sobbing.

Mikey was frozen in his seat. He had never seen his brother this distraught before, and it worried him. Shifting closer, he carefully wrapped his arms around his older brother, trying to comfort him without causing him anymore pain.

"It's okay, Leo," he whispered soothingly in his brother's ear. "It's alright, bro, just calm down…" Though he tried to stay calm for Leo's sake, the anxiety he could sense was coming off of the injured turtle in waves, nearly swamping Mikey's nerves. Leaning back slightly, he looked at Leo. "Are you sure you don't want me to get Sensei?"

"No," Leo choked out. "I just…will you stay with me, Mikey? 'Till I fall asleep again?"

"Sure, bro; I just figured that Sensei could help you with this better than I could."

"That's what I'm afraid of, Mikey. You know Master Splinter always tells us that dreams can sometimes be visions…and I'm afraid that he'll tell me this dream was one. I couldn't take that…not seeing all that happen…"

"But, Leo," Mikey said hesitantly, "if it could be a vision, shouldn't you face that?"

Leo shook his head, tears in his eyes. "I know I should, Mikey, but I just can't. Not right now."

"Okay," Mikey said slowly, confused, "but what can I do, bro? I'm sure as shell not as good with the meditation stuff you and Sensei do, so how can I help?"

"I need you to be you, Mikey. I need you to make some joke right now about how I'm being too serious or paranoid…I need you to tell me not to worry. I need you to tell me it was just a dream." Tears continued to leak from the corners of Leo's eyes. "I need you to use your light…to chase away this darkness."

"My light?" Mikey asked, confused. "What the shell are you talking about, Leo?"

"I'm talking about your light, Mikey…your spirit. You've always had so much energy…so much life. You've always managed to keep us up when we're about to fall…and I need that from you now," Leo said softly, looking deep into Mikey's eyes.

Mikey studied his brother seriously. I don't think I've ever seen Leo this rattled before. The dude's normally like a rock, but now he's really messed up because of this dream, Mikey thought worriedly. But another look at his oldest brother's distressed features caused Mikey to banish his thoughts, realizing that Leo needed comforted now. I'll talk to Donnie about this later. First I need to calm Leo down. The dude's way too wound up. Schooling his features into a look of mock seriousness, Mikey laid his hand on Leo's shoulder. "Leo, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I think I know what's causing your dreams."

Leo's brows flew together. "What, Mikey? What is it?"

Pasting his trademark grin on his face, Mikey lightly punched his brother in the arm. "Casey probably slipped something in your IV."

Mikey smiled in satisfaction at the emotions that blew across his brother's face: fear, confusion, and finally, disturbed amusement.

"You know, Mikey, that's probably the scariest thought I've had tonight," Leo said as he laughed quietly, relief evident in his tone.

Mikey joined him in his laughter. "You and me both, Leo. I can't think of anything creepier than Casey with drugs." He clapped a hand on Leo's shoulder, trying to reassure his brother through his casual demeanor. "I seriously think you're worrying your shell over nothing, bro. The first time you saw Iganna, you got shot, so that's probably the cause of the trippy dreams. Get some rest, and I'll see if Don'll let me smuggle you some food in here later today."

Leo smiled tiredly as he laid back down. "That sounds great, Mikey." Turning his head to face his youngest brother, Leo looked him in the eyes, his tone sincere. "Thanks."

Mikey watched as Leo's eyes slowly closed and his breathing evened out. And my job here is done, he thought as he closed the door softly, leaving the room a very satisfied turtle.

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Don, contrary to his older brother's experience, was having a great dream. He and his brothers had been accepted by the world above, and he was finally being recognized for the genius he was. He had just finished presenting his idea for detoxifying nuclear waste in order to use it as a highly efficient energy source, and the President of the United States was awarding him with the Nobel Peace Prize. It was a high honor, to be sure, even though he already had two more at home just like it; he had won his other Nobel Peace Prizes for discovering the solution to the problem of global warming and the ozone layer, and of course for curing cancer. Don swelled with pride. The President was just opening his mouth to speak, and-

He belched.

And most powerful man in the country or not, his breath reeked! Don's eyes watered and he closed them, then opened them in an attempt to clear the tears. But what he saw was definitely not the President; nor was it a nice, shiny Nobel Peace Prize.

What he saw was the back of his little brother's throat, and whatever he had eaten in the past few hours.

"MIKEY!" Don yelled, slapping a hand over his nose. "What the shell are you doing!"

Mikey leaned back, expertly avoiding the punch aimed at his head. "Why, waking you up, brother dear. Being the responsible, thoughtful turtle that I am, I did not want you to sleep away the opportunities of this bright new day!"

"So you woke me up by burping in my face!"

The younger turtle grinned. "Shell, yeah, bro. I woke up to a pillow in the face, so you get "Mikey's Mystery Mouth". This is payback. And besides, you know what they say; all's fair in love, war, and wake-up calls."

"Personally, I would've preferred the pillow," Don muttered. "What the shell did you eat?"

"What did I eat?" Mikey repeated, his face taking on a positively wicked look. "Do ya mean before or after the three cloves of garlic and half a can of tuna?"

Had it been possible for a turtle to turn any greener, Don would have done so. "Eww…"

"So, ya ready for breakfast?"

Don snorted. "I'm not eating again for a week. Not after seeing where food goes to die…in the bottomless pits of Michelangelo. Besides, you've probably eaten everything else, and I'm sick of scrambled eggs."

"Hey," Mikey protested, "I'm a growing turtle; I need my energy. And I don't see you cooking breakfast, Mr. Ungrateful."

"I'm an engineer, not a cook," the brainy turtle replied. "Are Raph and Master Splinter up yet?"

"Not yet, we're the only ones. I actually kinda wanted to ask you something," Mikey said, his tone and expression turning serious.

"I am not going to guess what you ate, Mikey, so don't even ask."

"No, it's nothing like that," Mikey assured his older brother. "It's about Leo."

Don's head flew up at that comment. "What about him? Is something wrong?"

"Calm down, Donnie, he's fine. He actually woke up this morning."

"He did?" Don's face lit up. "That's great! I'm glad the coughing fit yesterday didn't have any permanently adverse effects. I'd better go check on him. Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"Whoa, hold up there, bro. He's sleeping again. He woke up about three hours ago, and told me not to wake everyone else up. But I have to talk to you about something he said." Mikey pulled his brother back down on the couch beside him.

"What's wrong?"

Mikey took a deep breath before beginning his story. "Leo had one shell of a nightmare, Donnie. He said he saw all this blood and death and stuff, and I think it really messed him up. He was seriously freaked, bro; I mean, he was actually crying! And it was kinda creepy how weird he was; he actually asked me to joke about it, like he wanted me to convince him it wasn't a vision or something. Even though he'd told me to tell him it wasn't real, he calmed down after I did, like he still believed me. It weirded the shell out of me, Donnie."

Don's face instantly went from confusion to concern. "That doesn't sound like Leo at all. For him to have a nightmare is rare, and for him to share it, with it being that bad, is even stranger. Normally, if he or Raph have nightmares, they never admit it."

"You're telling me. I still remember the time Raph clobbered me when I said he had a nightmare. He knocked me right on my shell, yelling at me that "there's a diff'rence b'tween dreams an' nightmares" and that he "don' get nightmares"."

Don snickered. "I remember that. The look on your face was priceless," he said. The brainy turtle sobered. "But you have a point; neither Raph nor Leo will ever actually call them nightmares, like they're refusing to admit they could have them. And yet, I still don't remember Leo ever being in denial this badly about a bad dream before. Did he say anything else?"

"Yeah, he did; and that's the creepiest part of all," Mikey told his brother softly. He paused, taking a deep breath, and then continued. "He said he saw Iganna there too, right in the middle of everything. And she was…laughing."

"Shell…" Don whispered, frozen in his seat. He then shook himself, dragging Mikey up with him from the couch. "Come on, Mikey; we gotta get Raph and Master Splinter and go talk to Leo. We need to tell him what's going on with Iganna."

"No." Mikey stopped his older brother for the second time. "We can't tell him."

"Mikey, are you kidding me?" Don asked, his tone incredulous. "He deserves to know. Shell, he'd probably be glad for the explanation."

"I said no, Don," Mikey repeated firmly. "You didn't see him in there, bro; he was scared out of his shell! I've never seen him that freaked out, not even when one of us was hurt. He practically begged me to say it wasn't real, to tell him it wasn't a vision or something; and if we go in there now and tell him that it could be, he'll probably lose it." Seeing Don open his mouth to speak, Mikey continued hurriedly. "I'm not sayin' we don't tell him, I'm just sayin' not yet. Let him cool down a bit and recover from this, then tell him. That's all I'm sayin'."

Don looked at his brother for a long moment, surprised at the maturity and foresight that Mikey was showing. I guess Raph is right, he thought. Mikey is growing up. He sighed. "Alright, Mikey. We'll do it your way. But we are going to tell him. Leo's always been all about facing his fears. It isn't good for him to stay in denial."

"And he won't, Donnie," Mikey protested. "He just needs some down time." Moving on to calmer subjects, he then raised the can of shaving cream in his hand. "And speaking of down time, I think our dear brother Raphael has had a little too much. Care to join me in waking him?"

The purple-banded turtle shook his head ruefully. Then again, maybe he isn't growing up. He then raised his hands in surrender. "Do what you want, Mikey, but I won't be a part of this. I will, however, express my refusal to care for two injured brothers when Raph kicks your shell." Don walked out, shaking his head again as he heard yells and thuds emanate from the room he had just left. He made his way to the bathroom, checking to see if everyone else was awake. He greeted Iganna and April as he stuck his head in their rooms, and he bowed to Master Splinter as the rat went to free his youngest son from Raph's chokehold. Don meanwhile entered the bathroom.

"Hey, Don."

The soft voice caused Don's head to fly up. Leo was awake and sitting on the edge of the bed!

"Leo!" Don ran to his older brother, grabbing him in a gentle hug. "Bro, you do not know how glad I am to see you up."

Leo chuckled. "Probably not as glad as I am to be up."

"How do you feel?" Don asked, busily checking his brother's bandages and vital signs.

The older turtle shrugged. "Still a little sore, but just when I move too quickly or stretch too much. I'm ready to get out of here, though."

Don snorted derisively. "You always were a horrible patient." As he finished re-bandaging Leo's side, he sat down beside him on the bed. "Well, your wound is healing well; no infection, no more pulled stitches, and the bleeding's basically stopped. Any other discomfort? Headache, nausea, fatigue?"

"Not really," Leo said. "I am kind of tired, but I'm more tired of just laying here."

"Typical," Don retorted. "I suppose you're going to want to take part in morning training, too."

"Take part?" Leo grinned, humor gleaming in his eyes. "Don't be silly, Don, of course I'm not going to take part." He watched as his brother sagged in relief.

"I'm glad to hear it," Don told his brother. "At least you're finally showing some sense about-"

"I'm going to lead morning training, obviously."

Don fixed his brother with a glare. "Try it and I'll knock you on your shell." He couldn't keep a straight face for long though, and joined his brother in laughter. "Do you feel up to some food, bro? Nothing too heavy, but I want to get something into you. That way we can get you off the IV."

"I would love you forever if you fed me, Don," Leo replied fervently.

As Don carefully removed the IV, he snorted, casting an amused look at his older brother. "Don't lie, Leo; you'd just love me for getting you out of bed."

"Well, that too," the older turtle admitted. With Don's help he stood shakily. "By the way, where are we?"

"We're at April's place. After you…got shot, we called April and Casey to come pick us up, and then brought you here. You've been out for almost three days, barring yesterday. Everyone will be really glad to see you out and about, especially Mikey; he's been driving us all crazy with how worried he's been."

"How's everyone doing?"

"April's good, Casey's kind of in the doghouse, Master Splinter's been pretty worried, and so has Raph. Whenever I'm not here, they've hardly left your side."

"Really?" Leo asked, surprised. "Raph was there?"

Don leveled a look at his older brother as they made their way into the hallway. "Of course he was, Leo; don't you remember how he was last time? He took it worse than Mikey. And he hasn't taken it all that well this time either."

A half smile quirked up the corners of Leo's mouth. "To tell you the truth, I was more surprised to wake up to Mikey yesterday."

"We were all surprised," Don remarked. "Raph and I couldn't believe it when Mikey asked Master Splinter if he could watch you last night."

"I guess he's finally growing up."

Don tried to contain his laughter, but it forced its way out of him nonetheless. When Leo looked askance at him, it didn't help.

"And what, exactly, is so funny?" Leo inquired.

"You," Don replied, struggling to hide his amusement. "You and Raph. For all your fighting and how much you guys set each other off, you're so alike." He stilled his brother's protests. "No, hear me out. What you just said, about Mikey? Raph said that exact same thing last night."

"I'm sounding like Raph?" Leo asked as he gaped at his brother. He then shook his head. "I think I need to go back to bed," he muttered wryly.

"Don't get your bandana in a knot, I'm sure it won't happen often." Upon entering the kitchen, Don helped Leo into a chair, which the older turtle took with a grateful sigh. "How're you doing?"

"Tired, and just a little shaky. But it feels good to be up again."

"Good," Don said absently, nodding as he checked his brother's pulse. "I'm going to go get everyone else, and then we'll see what we can get for breakfast." He carefully made his way into the family room, coming upon his sensei in the middle of delivering a very stern lecture about maturity and manners as guests to his two other brothers. Mikey was trying hard not to grin, and Raph was seething sullenly. And for some inexplicable reason he had shaving cream on top of his head…

"Um, Master Splinter? May I interrupt?" Don inquired carefully. He heard a muttered comment from Raph that sounded like "shell, yeah" before the hotheaded turtle was silenced by a glare from Splinter. The rat then turned to face his son.

"Yes, Donatello? Are you in need of something?"

"Well, technically, no, but I just wanted to let you guys know that…" he paused, a grin spreading across his face, "Leo's up. He's waiting for us in the kitchen."

"Alright!" Raph and Mikey cheered as they headed for the kitchen.

Splinter stopped their escape. "My sons, we will resume this conversation later, and you shall both perform twenty flips for your…antics," he said dryly, looking at a sheepish Mikey, "and your lack of restraint," he finished, directing a glance at an irritated Raph.

As his brothers made their escape to the kitchen, Don nearly choked while trying to suppress his laughter; for on the back of Raph's shell, written in shaving cream in shaky lettering and accompanied by an arrow pointing down to the floor, were these words:

Insert foot here.

Splinter sighed heavily, defeat written on his face. "Now I understand Michelangelo's words when he said that he was told to kick Raphael."

Don strove valiantly to keep a straight face, but failed miserably. As his sensei quirked an inquisitive eyebrow at him, he schooled his features. "Sorry, Master Splinter."

"It is alright, Donatello," Splinter said calmly. A grudging smile crossed his face. "As much I as know I should not approve, nor encourage Michelangelo…I must admit that his creativity knows no bounds. Though I do wonder where he got the shaving cream from…"

"Master Splinter, may I make a suggestion?" The turtle interrupted gently.

"Of course, Donatello."

"I think this is another one of those "Ignorance is bliss" situations."

"Ah." The rat started to open his mouth again, but thought better of it and shook his head. "Come; let us join your brothers. I am anxious to see Leonardo well again. How is he faring, my son?"

"I think he's doing really well, Master Splinter, all things considered. He was a little tired just walking out here, but he's ready to be moving again."

Splinter chuckled. "Yes, Leonardo has never been one for long recoveries, has he?"

"No, he hasn't," Don agreed. "And I know we're going to have a shell of a time trying to keep him quiet long enough for that wound to heal. He's going to be convinced he's well enough, and will try to be practicing again too soon."

"Language, Donatello," Splinter reprimanded gently. "We will discuss your brother's recovery more later. For now, let us enjoy breakfast and be thankful that Leonardo is with us."

"Hai, Sensei."

The pair entered the kitchen to find Mikey in yet another headlock, courtesy of Raph, while Leo was sitting at the table with tears in his eyes, helpless with laughter. As well as Don and Splinter could guess, judging by Raph's renewed attack on Mikey and the towel in Leo's hand, Leo had alerted Raph to the message on his shell.

Raph, of course, found the situation less amusing.

"Ya little punk! I swear I am goin' ta kick tha shell outta you! Why can't ya ever jus' wake a turtle up like any otha sane person, by shakin' me awake! D'you know how much shavin' cream stings when it gets in yer eyes? I ain't had my eyes hurt like that since Leo sneezed black pepper inta my face when we was ten! Ya annoying little piece of sh-"

"Raphael." Splinter's one word carried a world of warning.

The hotheaded turtle looked up quickly. "-ell," he finished carefully. Not removing his arm from around Mikey's neck, he bowed to Splinter, bringing the top half of his youngest brother along with him. "Mornin', Mastah Splintah." A similar muffled comment came from Mikey, but with Raph's hand covering his mouth and blocking all cries for help, the greeting was lost along the way.

"Good morning, my sons," Splinter replied calmly, giving his eldest time to compose himself. "Raphael, might I inquire as to why your brother is currently taking on a most distressing shade of blue?"

Raph glanced casually down at his brother, who was ineffectually flailing in an attempt to free himself. "Prob'ly 'cause I ain't lettin' 'im get any air, Sensei," he replied honestly.

"And why do you see the need to deny your brother of oxygen?"

"'Cause he's a pain in tha shell. He wrote on my shell wit' shavin' cream, so I'm jus'…advisin' 'im not ta do it again."

"I see. Very well." At Splinter's calm acceptance of this statement, Mikey's eyes had bulged even more, though from shock rather than air deprivation, while Raph's face had broken into a triumphant smirk. But before the hothead could go back to whaling on his youngest sibling, Splinter continued. "However, despite the fact that Michelangelo may indeed deserve this…"lesson", I believe that he would derive greater benefit from a less life-threatening form of tutelage, my son."

Raph reluctantly loosened his grip from around his brother's neck, sighing as he dropped Mikey less than gently on the floor. "Yes, Sensei."

Mikey, meanwhile, was doing a stunning impression of a fish out of water, gasping and puffing as he tried to catch his breath. "Geez, Sensei, why didn't you or Leo come help me sooner?"

The rat's whiskers twitched in ill-concealed amusement. "Because I believe the fact that your methods of waking your brothers are unwelcome is something you need to learn, my son. Also, unconventional though his methods may be, your brother Raphael is at times an apt teacher for this sort of matter."

"Hmph," Mikey snorted, unwilling to admit that his father may have had a point. "What about you, Leo? What's your excuse?"

"Sorry, Mikey," Leo shrugged. "I claim incapacitation as a result of injury."

"Say what?"

Don sighed and translated. "He's hurt and couldn't really break up your fight."

"Right," Leo said, nodding. A smirk then crept onto his face. "Plus it was funny to watch. Though I must admit, Mikey, I see why I got the blue bandana; blue really isn't your color."

"Hey!" Mikey protested. "Isn't anyone on my side today?"

"Leo's got a point, Mikey," Don stated. "Although, in your defense, I don't think anyone looks good when they're asphyxiating."

Splinter decided to halt the conversation before it could get any worse. And the best way to do that was to separate his sons. "Michelangelo, could you please begin making breakfast? Raphael, I am sure that both Leonardo and I would appreciate a cup of tea. And Donatello, could you find Ms. O'Neil and Ms. Triolini and let them know that Leonardo is awake? Also, please call Mr. Jones and share the news with him as well." As his sons dispersed, Splinter took a chair and gave his remaining son a warm smile. "Leonardo, I cannot tell you how glad it makes me to see you well again."

Leo struggled to bow, but was stopped by his sore plastron. He settled instead for giving his sensei a respectful nod. "I'm just as glad, Master Splinter. I'm also glad no one else was hurt, other than Iganna." He paused. "How is she, Master Splinter?" he asked curiously. "What's she like?"

His question reminded Splinter of their unnerving discussion the other night, and also alerted him to the fact that the topic of their discussion was walking into the kitchen at that very moment. He laid a hand on Leo's arm. "We will continue this discussion later, my son," he said softly.

Leo recognized the tone in his master's voice and nodded, dropping the subject. There was something about her that his family knew and wasn't letting on about. Unfortunately, he hadn't the slightest idea as to what that was, but he had the nagging feeling that it had something to do with his dream.

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The rest of the morning went by quickly at April's apartment. Casey came over and had to be forcibly held back by Raph so that he didn't further injure Leo with an over-exuberant bear hug. After breakfast, Raph, Mikey and Don engaged in a vicious game of Go Fish, the prize being that the winner was free from dish duty for the rest of the week. The fact that it was Mikey who emerged victorious irked his brothers; but it was the disturbing victory dance (a horrifying combination on the conga and disco) and the endless comments accompanying this win that caused the resulting explosion.

"Ohhhh, shell yeah, baby! Who's the turtle! That's right, I'm the turtle!"

"I am the ultimate fisherman! Er, uh, fisher-turtle!"

"I came, I saw, I fished!"

"I have gone and fished your sorry shells all over the place! Have fun with the dishes, bros! Try not to get pruny fingers!"

"This just further proves that I am the greatest turtle. I mean, even if the Battle Nexus wasn't proof enough…" Just as he finished these words, several cards had fallen out of his wrist guard and landing on the floor.

Don picked up the cards and glared. "Mikey, were you cheating? At Go Fish!"

The turtle's guilty look said it all.

Raph lost it first. "Alright, that's it!" he snarled as he dove through the air at his youngest brother. "Donnie, back me up here!"

Don was following closely with a container of dish soap and a roll of duct tape. "I'm right behind ya, Raph."

Mikey's girlish screams for Splinter were quickly muffled.

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To Don and Raph's disappointment, Splinter appeared a mere five minutes after they dive tackled and started to "discipline" Mikey. But by the end of the abuse session, the two turtles had still been able to discover several important things.

One: Mikey could go from green to blue after two and a half minutes with no air.

Two: Blue is definitely not Mikey's color.

Three: Neither is yellow.

Four: He does, however, pull red off fairly well.

Five: It takes almost an entire roll of duct tape to secure a mutant turtle to a wall.

Six: Dish soap can make a mutant turtle sneeze soap suds.

Seven: Duct tape apparently can cause a mutant turtle some rather uncomfortable and unsightly rashes.

Eight: "He cheated at Go Fish" is not an acceptable excuse to give a Ninjitsu master as to why one of his students is duct taped to the wall and being force fed dish soap.

Nine: Puppy dog eyes, past the age of sixteen, are no longer effective ways to avoid punishment.

And Ten: it is exceptionally tiring to perform forty flips in a row.

But worth it to watch Mikey belch bubbles.

The rest of the day passed in a decidedly less active fashion. It took Mikey most of the afternoon to flush the dish soap out of his system, and after that and his lecture from Splinter on the necessity of humility and honesty, he was in no mood to create trouble. Raph and Don were both similarly quiet; after all, forty flips are enough to exhaust the most fit of turtles. Leo had managed to stay awake until Mikey's breath only had a hint of lemon-freshness left, but then ended up taking a nap until dinner, which was a much more subdued affair than lunch was. The occupants of April's apartment were recuperating after enjoying Mikey's famed spaghetti and meatballs when Splinter suddenly turned to Leo.

"My son, how are you feeling?" he asked abruptly.

The question took him slightly off guard, but he collected himself quickly. "Not too bad, Master Splinter. I do feel better after resting this afternoon."

Splinter nodded, deep in thought, then addressed the turtles. "My sons, we will be returning to the Lair tonight."

"What?" The entire table chorused.

The rat raised a paw for silence and spoke to the table as a whole. "We have been here four days already, and I do not wish to risk revealing ourselves by staying any longer." He turned to April. "Ms. O'Neil, please do not think me rude or ungrateful; your hospitality has been most gracious and appreciated. But I do not wish to risk bringing any danger to you by remaining your guests."

"You're always welcome to stay," April quickly told them. "I love having you guys over, but I guess I understand where you're coming from."

"I am glad you are not offended," the rat replied. He focused his gaze on Iganna next. "Ms. Triolini, I wish to thank you again for accepting my family and me as you have. Are you prepared to return home as well?"

The young woman nodded. "Yes, Master Splinter. Donatello removed the heavy bandages today; he said all I will need is some light ones until the end of the week."

"I am glad to hear it. We can escort you home if you wish."

"I can take her home, Master Splinter." The offer came from April. "You guys will need to be careful, and I can make sure that she doesn't have any trouble getting back."

"Thank you, Ms. O'Neil. If Ms. Triolini finds this acceptable, I would greatly appreciate you seeing her home." Splinter made to leave his chair but was stopped by a comment from one of his sons.

"But Master Splinter," Don interjected, "what about Leo? I'm not sure if he's up to the trek back to the Lair."

"Leonardo?" Splinter addressed his eldest son as he reacquired his seat. "Do you feel yourself prepared to return home?"

Leo fixed his gaze on his sensei. "I'm ready to go when you are, Master Splinter."

Raph pounded a fist on the table. "Like shell you are, Leo," he growled.

"Raphael, you will watch your language," Splinter reprimanded sharply.

The hotheaded turtle grimaced. "Yeah, sorry, Sensei. But Leo here ain't in no shape ta be goin' back ta tha Lair."

Leo glared at his younger brother. "I think I should be the judge of that, Raph."

"Ya can be tha judge of it when ya actually start thinkin', bro," Raph retorted. "Jus' last night ya scared us outta our shells when ya almost coughed up lung. Ain't no way yer ready ta be walkin' around town."

Mikey chuckled nervously, sensing a fight. "Hey, guys…can't we all just get along?"

"Stow it, bubble-breath," Raph snapped.

"Whoa, guys, cool it." Casey spoke up, grabbing everyone's attention. "Jus' calm down, I got a plan."

Raph snorted good-naturedly. "This can't be good."

"Can it, Raph," Casey shot back. "Look, I'm sorry, Leo, but I gotta go wit' Raph on dis one; ya don't look up ta walkin' back ta tha Lair."

The injured turtle glowered at the remark. "Casey, I am perfectly capable of-"

"Which is why I'm gonna drive ya guys most of tha way there," Casey finished, raising his voice over Leo's. He grinned at their faces. "Dat way, you guys can get home but Leo doesn't have ta walk as far."

"Will wonders never cease," Don teased, "twice in one week, Casey Jones saves the day again."

Splinter was silent for a few moments before bowing his head to Casey. "I think that would be ideal, Mr. Jones; I thank you for the offer." Standing, he motioned to the turtles. "Come, my sons; if it is alright with Mr. Jones, we will leave within the hour."

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A/N: Woo! 'Tis finally done! The chapter, I mean, not the story. Obviously. Crikey, these suckers just keep getting longer, don't they? I'm not planning it that way, it just sort of happens. Not that you guys object, though, right? Sheesh. I'm going to end up spoiling you. Ah well. I was happy with this one, especially the "torture" part. XD That was insanely fun to write. Was it fun to read?

On to other news. Does anyone know of a good site where I can find translations for Japanese words? There are some I'd like to find out, and I'd like to be able to use others in my stories in the future. So if any of you out there could let me know, I would really appreciate it.

Anywho, R&R please, and I love all of you guys who have reviewed so far. Thanks so much:D