Chapter Fifteen

A Lot to Get Used to

{Leo}

Warm water trickles across my scalp, followed by April's gentle fingers as she ensures that all the mutagen has been washed from my hair. It feels so nice and relaxing I'm just about ready to pass out. The sounds of her humming idly and pouring the shampoo into her hands fills the kitchen. I'm seriously on the verge of falling asleep…until the scent of strawberry fills my nostrils.

One eye pops open. "What is that?"

She looks at me, confused at first, and then her gaze shifts to the bottle in her hand. "Oh, it's the shampoo I used when I had to stay here for a few weeks. You guys didn't have any, so I had to bring my own." She smiles warmly and proceeds to lather my hair. "Guess it's a good thing I left it under the bathroom sink this whole time."

Donnie shifts impatiently in his chair beside me, still sore that April chose to wash mine before his because she knew Mikey wanted to play with it as soon as she finished removing any mutagen traces. I smirk at my brother's tangible frustration and close my eyes again.

Man, between this and the shower, I'm probably going to end up dying in the tub because I lulled myself to sleep and drowned. I mean, hot water always felt good, but this heightened-senses thing is just ridiculous.

A yawn stretches my mouth, and I slouch back in my seat. Her fingers run through the soapy strands, massaging my scalp and masking every smell with the soft, yet overwhelming scent of strawberries.

Yeah…a nap sounds good…

"Alright Mikey, he's all yours!"

My eyes snap open and all the warm fuzziness leaves me in a rush of annoyance and dread. I don't want my little brother anywhere near my hair, especially after the whole Sharpie fiasco.

"No, April, don't—"

"Yes!" Mikey's elated voice grates on my ears and I find myself shrinking in my seat as he bounces across the kitchen. He cracks his knuckles and grins down at me with a slightly evil expression.

Crap, April, why?!

"So many ideas," he hums, making a little rectangle with his hands like a picture frame as he walks full circle around me. His eyes light up and he snaps his fingers. "Oh! I'm totally gonna make you look like Elvis!"

"No!" I shriek. My nails have left marks in the arms of the chair I'm sitting on. "Do not, under any circumstances, make me look like Elvis!"

"But what about—"

"No!" Oh my gosh, I should've just done this myself. "Just—just do whatever April tells you and don't make me look like an idiot!"

Donnie snorts and gives me a dry smile. "Too late for that, Leo."

Something between a groan and a growl rumbles up my throat, but as soon as I feel Mikey's fingers start running through the wet, soapy mess of hair, I force my body to go still, and all the complaints are lodged in my airway. The less I move, the less chance he has of messing something up…right?

My little brother whistles contently behind me while his hands rub all over my scalp like a child playing in the mud.

"Heh, hair is so weird! It's all stringy and soapy and stuff." He swipes half of it in one direction, and soap spatters across the floor and drips down my neck. My eyes narrow and I shove down all the bad things I want to say right now, but he's making it difficult to remain calm—especially when he accidentally yanks a piece that got caught around his finger.

"Ow!" My hand flies back to my head to try and soothe the sharp sting poking at my scalp.

"Sorry," he chuckles. "I didn't think that'd hurt."

"Why would you not think it'd hurt?" I seethe.

"Uh, 'cause it's hair."

I groan in response. "Well, it does, so don't do it again, okay?"

"You got it, Boss!"

Sighing, I sink back into the seat and fumble for happy thoughts. Both April and Donnie are watching us with an amused expression I want to smack off the two of them.

"So Donnie," Mikey starts. "Is April gonna give you a Mohawk too?"

April giggles at that while she squirts some of her shampoo onto her hands and begins to lather Donnie's head. I'm sure my brother had some sort of remark for Mikey's comment, but the second April's hands touch his hair, he practically turns into putty in his seat.

"Actually, I think Elvis hair would look better on Donnie," she laughs.

"And a Mohawk'll look good on Leo!"

Ohhh myyy gooosssshhhhh.

She smiles and shakes her head at the two of us. "No, Leo looks too sweet to pull off a Mohawk, Mikey."

"Pfft, we can fix that!" he chimes. "Throw in a nose ring, some black eyeliner and spikes, and bam!"

If I could get any paler, I would. The only reason I'm not high-tailing it out of here is because I'm terrified that if I try to run, Mikey'll rip my hair out.

April simply continues to laugh at my little brother's antics. "You know, Leo, I'm sure Karai would like you more if you went Goth like her."

I tense up further, nostrils flaring. "She's not Goth—she's punk. Or something."

"Yeah," April snorts. "I'd go with the 'or something' category."

Mikey's fingers dig into my scalp, and it's not as nice as when April was doing it, but it'd still be lulling me to sleep…you know, if I wasn't so terrified of him ruining the first head of hair I've ever had.

"You gonna go see Karai soon?" Mikey asks. I don't have to be looking at him to see that sly, amused expression of his—the inflection of his voice is suggesting enough. Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I can't help but to remember Donnie's earlier comment.

"Probably not," I say quickly. "I mean, I haven't seen her in months, especially after the whole 'I fell off a roof and almost died' thing happened."

A small laugh emits from Mikey, but it's dim and forced. April doesn't reply this time, as she's suddenly thrown all of her focus into washing Donnie's hair.

Sensing the tension, I dare to address it. "What're you thinking, April?"

Her eyes narrow, shiny blue slits boring down on the dark brown strands of soapy hair between her fingers.

"A lot of things," she answers thinly. The mood shifts so suddenly, it kind of scares me. I want to push further, but I give her a moment to elaborate herself. Seconds of awkwardness slink by before she sighs and starts washing out the shampoo. "What did Master Splinter say about all of this?"

The mention of Splinter makes my heart feel heavy again, and all the sensations I felt when I was slumped over myself in that room come rushing back through my veins.

It's suddenly hard to swallow. "He…he said we could pursue it, if this is what we really wanted."

"Why isn't he out here?" she presses, keeping her gaze averted. "He usually greets Casey and me when we show up."

My fingers absently dig at the wooden arms of the chair I'm leaning back in. My heart thumps, weighed down by the recollections of his sad eyes, his stiff posture, and the ache in his voice.

Maybe you should be grateful you have experienced life in any form, instead of being ashamed of the one you were given.

Is that what I was? Ashamed of my mutant form? And if my physical appearance was the source of that shame, why do I feel so much of it now, when I'm finally human?

The question burns and whines in my gut, stretches through my mind, dark, deep, dripping with pieces of me that I'm not ready to face, shards of my soul I've yet to delve through.

"Leo?" April's soft voice gently draws me up from the tormented well within me. Blinking, I clear my throat and forge an answer from the fragments floating around in my head.

"He's probably meditating." I try not to wince as Mikey tugs a little too hard with the comb. "This was a lot for him to process."

"It'd be a lot for anyone to process," she retorts quietly. I can't help but to detect something sharp in her tone. Is it anger? Confusion? Is she mad that we didn't tell her in advance?

I squirm uncomfortably in my seat and shoot a glance to Donnie, but I don't think he's paying attention to anything other than the fact that April's touching him. Rolling my eyes, I cross my arms over my chest and try to focus on something else, but that's proving difficult since both April and Mikey have ceased all conversation. I'd like to think my brother's just concentrating on playing with my hair, but I know him better—more importantly, I know his silence. Now that the excitement has begun to settle, the truth behind our actions must be rearing its ugly head.

I lean further into the chair and stare at the kitchen wall, soaking in the quiet that seems to alienate me from everyone else. I thought becoming a human would be the hardest part of this whole plan. But now that we've crossed the line, I'm beginning to think that our transformation was as easy as it's going to get.

~T~

{April}

I've waded through the moments: from arriving at the Lair this morning, to seeing Donnie and Leo as humans, to feeling the wonder and excitement of possibilities their transformation had opened up, to where I am now. Just floating along, lost in thought, trying to understand the motives behind the secrecy. Even as I laugh and smile, even as Mikey begs me to take pictures of Leo's spikey shampoo hair—it's like two sides of me have appeared: one detached from the light-hearted moments splayed around me, and one smothered within them.

I'm happy. I'm happy for them, and I'm happy for how our friendship could be taken to the surface and expanded into something bordering normality. I'm happy to see them happy. But…at the same time…I'm not.

Is that possible? Can I feel both opposites at once, process each extreme, and carry the weight of them? I don't know, but that's what's happening. As excited as I am, something about this seems wrong. There's a tension building in the air, in the glances, the expressions, the stiffness between brothers. I don't know if it's my whole psychic thing kicking in or what, but either way, I can sense the wayward emotions of anger, confusion, and pain. Even while Mikey giggles and bounces around, even while Leo complains and tries to fend his younger brother off, there's something different between the two. That same detachment that I feel emits from each of them, quiet, but not exactly hidden. Mikey's gone back and forth between his old smiling self and the taut silence of someone who doesn't really know what to think or do. And when Karai was brought up, a piece of me snapped.

Leo didn't really do this for her, did he? Is his affection so strong that he'd rewrite his entire genetic sequencing to win her heart? Is he so infatuated that he'd risk the trust and bond of his family to pursue a human relationship?

No…Leo's smarter than that. Isn't he?

But if his affection did play a role in this—and it must've, to some extent—then does that mean Donnie did this to himself…for me?

I shake my head at the thought, roughly knocking it out of my brain. I can't think about that. It's too much, and if I ever let myself think that Donnie would put me over his own family, I don't know what I'll do. I know he likes me, but surely, he can't be so naïve as to leave his own brothers behind.

At least, he better not be.

I work faster, shoving the shampoo in the bin and tucking it under the sink where I found it. The boys are still in the kitchen drying off their hair. Raph's gone, though. He's probably in his room, and if history has any say in this moment, I know him and Leo are going to be in deep trouble. They fight enough as it is, but this…this could push Raph over the edge. Especially if Leo did this for Karai.

The troublesome thoughts continue to cloud my mind. I shut the cabinets and step out from the bathroom, heading back towards the kitchen, when I see Casey come trudging through the entrance of the Lair with a cardboard box in his arms.

"Hey, need any help?" I offer. I know it's a stupid question—it's only one box, and it doesn't even look heavy—but I also know Casey's hurt, too. I can see it on his face even now, and the last thing I want is for the only person in my life who keeps me sane to give me the cold shoulder because he thinks I'm going to be dropping him for Donnie now that he's human.

"Nah, I got it."

He sounds normal; not angry or bitter. But his eyes speak volumes, and it's enough to stir that part of me that wishes I hadn't come down here today.

"Where's everybody?" he asks, shifting the box in his arms.

"The kitchen. Mikey and I just finished washing all the mutagen out of their hair."

His eyes narrow slightly, and he simply hums in response. Sensing the tension, I clear my throat and walk with him to the kitchen.

"I was thinking," I start carefully. "Since we skipped school and all…maybe we could take them to the mall or something? I mean, they've never been before. It'd be kinda fun, don't you think?"

"Yeah," he responds half-heartedly. "Sounds like a plan."

My chest aches at his demeanor. This isn't going to be easy for anyone, is it?

I refrain from sighing and try to bury all the uncertainty beneath that little creamy layer of happiness at the top of my mind.

Just enjoy today, I tell myself firmly. Enjoy today for what it is, and be happy you have this chance.

My jaw sets in resolve. Of course I'll enjoy today. Besides, I have a strange feeling that today may be as good as this gets.

~T~

{Donnie}

"The mall?" I shove my head through one of the shirts Casey brought. It smells like him—the leather of hockey equipment, the damp scent of ice and sweat, cologne and deodorant spritzed in-between, and the faint smell of laundry detergent. As much as I hate smelling like him all day, at least I know this one's washed. I'll admit, I was concerned that he'd give me something stinky and old just out of spite, so it's nice to see he's not a total jerk. Then again…maybe this is all part of an elaborate plan so whenever April gets near, she smells him rather than me and is constantly reminded of the affection those two obviously share and—

"Yeah, that's what April said." Leo's voice peels me from my anxious inner monologue. Shaking the thought from my head, I glance at my brother to see him struggling to get his pants on—and by struggling, I mean he's now on the floor wrestling with the denim like a two-year-old. I guess I can't say much, since I haven't even tried to get those on yet.

"It's going to be odd going out in public now," I say idly, checking myself in the mirror. My fingers run through my clean hair, soft and still slightly damp, pushing it out of my eyes and smoothing it back. Mine's curlier at the ends, forming little brown ringlets around my ears and neck while the top layers simply flow like a wave. I have a feeling it's going to be hard to manage. Leo's, however, is as straight and fine as I've ever seen hair get. Of course Mr. Goody-Three-Toes would have hair as straight and narrow as his conscience. And of course my own hair would be on the slightly crazy side, eccentric and out of place, just as I am.

"I feel like I'm going to have to make an effort not to hide behind all the trashcans and signs," he comments. "And being around people…in the daytime…that's just so—gah!" He slips as his foot catches in the jeans and he slides back, almost smacking his head against the tub. I can't hold back the chuckle at the sight of him, half-dressed and sprawled over the floor with his hair hanging in his face and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He blows the dark strands from his eyes and groans. "This is stupid!"

"Do you need help?" I taunt.

"No!" He huffs. "Human clothes are so weird! You have to put pants on over the shorts we already have on and I just don't get it!"

"They're not shorts," I clarify. "They're boxers, so they're supposed to go under…" I trail off as I realize we're both wearing Casey's underwear. Casey's. Underwear. My brain momentarily short-circuits and goes into a frenzy.

They're clean, right? They'd have to be clean—he wouldn't go that far as to make me wear dirty boxers—

Actually that sounds exactly like something he'd do—

No, he wouldn't—he couldn't—

Oh my gosh, this is a whole new level of uncomfortableness—

They have to be clean—

I think I'm gonna die—

But if they're clean, then it can't be all that different than wearing his other clothes—

There are so many things wrong with this that I just can't—

"Got it!" Leo's triumphant shout makes me flinch. "Take that, pants!"

I glance at him, arch my brow, and smirk. "You've got to zip them up, smart one."

Just don't think about the whole underwear thing.

He looks down, lips pursing. "Oh. Right." I roll my eyes at the loud zip. "Alright, now I've got it."

I step back from the counter, eyeing myself in the mirror. The shirt fits okay so far. I guess it helps that male humans tend to wear baggier clothes in the first place. It's a tad bit tight around my shoulders and chest, but nothing too uncomfortable, and it doesn't appear strange.

I tap my chin thoughtfully before Leo nudges me aside so he can look himself over.

"Stop hogging the mirror," he grumbles.

"Sorry." Well, not really. "Does everything fit okay?"

He pauses, twisting in a semi-circle and stretching his neck this way and that. "Yeah, for the most part. The sleeves are a little tight, though." He lifts his arms so I can see what's he's talking about. Of course, Leo has more arm muscle than I do, so it'd make sense the fabric would constrict his deltoids and biceps.

"It doesn't look bad, at least," I comment.

"Good." He hesitates and tilts his head at his reflection. "This is still too weird. I mean…we're human…and we're wearing clothes…and we're about to go topside without making punching bags out of criminals." He runs a hand down his face. "We're going freaking shopping, for crying out loud! This is so crazy!"

"Wait a second." I snatch the pair of folded jeans off the counter and glance them over. "We can't go shopping. We don't have any money."

Leo's expression falls. "Crap, you're right. I mean, I've got all the change we've picked up throughout the years, but I don't think that'll be enough to get us a whole new wardrobe." His brows knit suddenly and his eyes widen. "Are we gonna have to get jobs? Or go to school?"

Hopping into the jeans doesn't work. My back hits the wall and I bite down a curse. "Well, yeah, if we plan on staying human for the rest of our lives… I guess we'd have to do all of that eventually."

He lets out an exaggerated groan. "I can't go to high school! April says it's the worst thing ever!"

Hm, they're a little short around my ankles, but they should be fine.

"Donnie, are you even listening?" I glance up from the jeans I've successfully put on.

"What? Oh, yeah: high school." I button and zip and try to envision myself having to do this kind of stuff day in and day out. "Don't worry, Leo. We'd only have to do that in the event that this actually works out, and even then, it'd be some time before we scraped together a real life on the surface."

"Well, yeah, but—"

A hard knock resounds through the bathroom door, and we both jump.

"How long does it take you guys to put some clothes on?" Casey's irritated voice grates through the wooden fibers of the door, and I refrain from cringing. The last thing I want to do today is hang around him, but seeing as he let us borrow his clothes, I have to show some level of gratefulness. Unfortunately…

Leo fumbles past me and opens the door. "Sorry," he says sheepishly. "We've, uh, never done this before."

Casey looks him over and gives an amused grunt. "Yeah, I can tell. Your shirt's on backwards."

"Are you serious?!" Leo's flustered response is drowned out of my attention when April leans in behind Casey.

"You two ready to go?" Taking in our appearances, she smiles and nudges past the block-head. "Wow, you two look great!" Her head tilts at Leo for a moment, and she points towards his torso. "Uh, the shirt's supposed to go the other way—"

"I know!" he hisses in frustration. He starts tugging the fabric off and wrestles with it until he gets it to turn around. Honestly, the grace and skill Leo shows in combat must be stuck on the side of his brain that's strictly reserved for fighting. Both Casey and I are trying to keep a straight face as we all watch Leo's awkward struggle, but that becomes a lot harder when I catch April staring at my brother's toned chest and abdomen. A fluster of heat seeps through me and I grab my brother by the arm, tugging him out from the bathroom while he's still trying to get the shirt back over his head.

"Donnie!" he yelps. "I can't see—"

"Oh, for the love of—" I whip around and yank the fabric right down over his skull. He blows the hair from his face and blinks, dazed.

"Thanks…I guess."

"Just put the shirt on, Leo," I huff. "It's not rocket science."

He grumbles something unkind in response and wriggles his arms back through the sleeves, pulling where the cloth tightens around him muscles.

"You should probably go ask Splinter if we're allowed to leave before we go," I add after a few calming breaths. She wasn't checking him out, she was just…looking. Girls do that, right? If I had my shirt off around her, she'd probably stare too. Then again, Leo has more muscle than I do, so her attention would most likely gravitate towards him—

Gah! Shut up, brain!

Biting back a growl, I simply nod towards Splinter's room and give Leo a push. "Go on. I don't want to wait around here on our first day as humans."

"Why do I have to ask him?" he protests angrily. "And we don't even have any money, so what's the point, anyway?"

I open my mouth to argue when April clears her throat behind us.

"Actually, I was planning on helping you guys out with the shopping." She leans back against the wall with a soft smile. "If you'd let me, that is."

A crease forms between my brow and upper nose. She can't do that! We'd be in debt to her—I can't be in debt to April!

"April," Leo starts. "We can't let you do that. We made this decision without really thinking ahead, and it'd be selfish of us to accept that kind of offer."

Leave it to my brother to sound so humbled and selfless while I'm just standing here like an idiot.

"No, it's okay," she presses. "I want to help you two get situated."

"But April—"

"How many times have you guys saved my life?" she questions, hooking a hand to her hip. "How many times have you given up something for my sake? You let me into your home, your lives, and you made everything better."

"Yeah," I scoff. "We dragged you into a crazy land of ninjas, aliens, and psychotic killing machines. You have so much to thank us for."

Her brow furrows and those blue gems shoot little daggers my way. "I was already in that world, remember? You guys are the ones who saved me, and my dad. So I'm not taking no for an answer this time, okay?"

Leo and I glance at each other, communicating through expression. As much as I hate giving in to something like this, I know there's no other way we'll be able to get our hands on clothes, and I'd prefer not to spend the rest of my time as a human wearing Casey's old stuff.

Leo buckles, obviously reading my gaze well enough to know I'm in. His shoulders slump.

"Alright, fine. But we're paying you back as soon as we can, got it?"

April smiles and crosses her arms. "I'll hold you to that."

~T~

{Leo}

The last place I want to be right now is standing in front of Splinter's door. But Donnie, being the kind and loving brother that he is, has found himself occupied with the burden of showing Casey and April all the laboratory procedures that were essential in making the retromutagen that made us human—information that neither of them asked for. And conveniently enough, that task has taken him to the complete opposite side of the Lair, far away from me and the hell I'm sure to pay when I walk past these sliding doors.

Thanks, Donnie.

The amount of courage I have to scrape up in order to even lift my hand to the metal indentation of the sliding doors is just ridiculous. But eventually, I bite down the fear and open the shoji anyway.

It's dark, save for the candles Splinter lights while he meditates. One bright, amber eye opens at my presence, and I refrain from flinching as that instantaneous moment of shock constricts his pupil at my appearance. He recovers so fast, you might not even think you saw the confusion earlier. I don't know how long it'll take for anyone—Donnie and I included—to get used to the way we look now.

"I see Casey and April have helped you boys out," he comments idly. Then a pause, like he's unsure of which conversation to pursue. His ears flicker as he settles on the question of my presence. "What is it, Leonardo?"

A lot of things, actually.

"Um, Sensei…" Come on, just say it. "Uh, April and Casey invited us to go out with them for a little bit and, um, I just wanted to get your permission first."

"Out?" His tone reflects the old fear I've become acquainted with. Out, to the world above. Out, beyond your reach. Out, where you can't see us or protect us or save us from anything—no, from everything that's there to hurt us. Out where you no longer have a grip on what we say or do, or who we are, or what you've taught us—out where we get so lost in the wonder of the human world that we momentarily forget the little home beneath the stone and concrete.

Out.

"Where?" he prods.

"The mall." His hesitation is permeable, and it wraps around my throat like a vice. "I-It'd only be for a few hours, Sensei—and we'd come right back. We'll be safe, I promise."

His gaze darkens as he averts his line of sight. Ears drop in consideration, assessing the threats that lie in wait for his naïve, desperate sons. A heavy sigh, thin, laced with the stale, ever-lingering fears of fatherhood, escapes his lips.

"You may go for a few hours." I swallow my elation at his consent as his sharp eyes dart back up to meet my own. Those piercing orbs scour through my being, picking through the flesh and stabbing at my soul. It takes all that I am not to flinch away or break eye contact.

"I suppose this form has its advantages…" he murmurs carefully. "At least the Shredder would not recognize you. But still, my son, you must be careful. Do no grow idle in your confidence of this new body. Always be on alert."

I bow deep, the newly washed, slightly damp strands of hair drooping down over my face. "Hai, Sensei."

Again, that rush of uncertainty, the tangible waves of fear and aching deceit come at me, ruthless as they radiate off his being. My jaw clenches, muscles pulling, locking, gripping at one another in my own sad attempt to drown out the feeling of guilt. So I leave. Turning on my heels, the tatami mats under my bare feet suddenly like sandpaper, and I relinquish him to the dark meditation of his room.

As I close the shoji behind me, so also closes the pulsing ache. I shut the guilt from my mind, locking it in the same darkness Splinter resides in for comfort. It can stay there for now, so my head can feel lighter, at least while I'm out. I know it will come back soon enough, but at the moment, it feels right to leave it behind.

I head for the lab to let them know we have permission, but something stops me. A tiny nudge in my chest directs me until I'm standing in the middle of the hallway that connects our four rooms. All the doors are closed, and since I can't hear Mikey anywhere, I assume he's being withdrawn in his own way, no doubt in that same, hurting silence that emanated from him in the kitchen.

With a sigh, I move towards his door and rap my knuckles softly against the chilled wood.

"Mikey? You in there?"

The thumping of his feet resounds from in the room, and I step back as he opens the door.

"What's up, Leo?"

Wide eyes, blue, rimmed red so thin I can hardly see it, but it's there, lurking, lingering wet and glistening in its faint trail of frustration, confusion, and that overwhelming sense of isolation. His whole demeanor screams left out and it cuts me to the bone, and deeper still. He hides it, sweeps it under the rug like I don't know him better, as if I haven't spent my entire life learning to read my brothers—but I let him. There's a conversation that needs to be had between us all…just not right now.

I clear my throat. "Donnie and I were just about to head out with April and Casey. They said we're going to the mall, or something like that."

His eyes widen further—excitement building. He's always talked about the malls: the food, the knickknacks, the flow and ebb of people. The central hub of teenage social activity.

"I was, um… I was wondering if there's anything you want me to look for, you know? Something I could bring back for you."

There it is, the little slope of disappointment. He slides down it and tries to drag himself back up, holding onto my question of what he wants me to get him. I know it won't make amends in any way, but it might help him feel involved to some extent. At least let him know I'm thinking of him.

"They have comic stores and stuff, right?" he asks. I can tell he's really trying to sound like his usual self, but it comes out slightly forced and a little awkward.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure they'd have something like that. Anything you have in mind?"

He pauses, pursing his lips in a thoughtful manner before taking off in search for something in his room. I stand patiently by the doorway, just happy to see him interested.

"Could you find this?" He walks over and holds out one of his comics. I carefully take it from his hand and look it over.

"'Robo-Zombie'?" It takes a lot not to give him a stupid face. He nods, grinning.

"Yeah! It's a super awesome story, and its fight scenes are amazing. I only have the first one, though, and I've read it, like, twelve times now." He gives me that puppy dog expression. "Do you think you could find the next one?"

I roll my eyes and smile, rubbing my knuckles on his head just to notice how small my hand is now compared to what they used to be. I'm still a few inches taller than Mikey—at least I have that much.

"You got it, bro." I hand the comic back to him and nod towards the entrance of the Lair. "We'll be back before dinner, okay?"

He flashes that childish grin and hugs the plastic-lined book to his chest. "Okay. And thanks, Leo!"

I return the expression and nod my head. "No problem, Mikey."

He bounces back into his room, shutting the door behind him—which is strange, since he usually says goodbye to April and Casey, too. He's really trying hard to stay our happy little brother, but I don't think he has it in him right now. I push a breath from my lungs and let it slip away. A sideways glance to Raph's door raises the question of whether or not I should try and talk to him, but I shove it down. I can find him something at the mall—after all, I know what he likes. Besides, I'm not really up for talking to him yet, and especially not alone.

No…Raph can wait until I get back. I deal with him then, just like everything else. But for now, I just want to focus on the hours on the surface ahead of me. With April, Casey, and Donnie…well, it's bound to be an interesting day.