A/N: Yes I'm continuing this. I've got a terrible case of writer's block with Donnie in SOTW right now, so meh. Enjoy and don't forget to review :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.

He had been using the flashlight, although his brother had specifically told him not to, to find his always elusive eldest brother. He had found his other two brothers easily but Leo was always the hardest to find. So now he was bait while Don and Raph were waiting and watching in the shadows. They didn't have to help him, but Leo was the running champion of hide-and-seek, and they wanted a change of pace. Don had confessed his idea of Leo's tactic when playing hide-and-seek, despite how much he had wanted to take advantage of it when he was seeker next.

Leo was the ambush type of player. He would wait for the seeker to come near and then he would pounce and be victorious if he managed to steal the victor's mask. If Leo was unable to steal the mask and got caught in the rush, he would lose and losers in ninja-hide-and-seek did not necessarily enjoy losing. The winner gained bragging rights, which Leo would rarely take advantage of, and first picks of chores. There was always one biggest loser in their games, though, and that loser got the worst chores and had to do what the other brothers told them to do. Usually Leo was humble about his wins, but the brothers were still unsettled about it, especially Michelangelo and Raphael. Donatello was the second stealthiest while it was a big tie between Raph and Mikey for third. This time Leo would lose and they would make him remember it. Their hide-and-seek was not traditional.

So now Mikey was walking around the dark of the lair searching for Leo with a flashlight. He wasn't quite searching, rather than waiting with quite nervousness. He didn't want to be the loser this time. He couldn't see his other brothers, and he hoped Leo couldn't see them either. His biggest worry was that the other two were planning on leaving him to Leo while they watched. He didn't want to lose!

He shined the flashlight up to the ceiling and scanned for his brother. He scrutinized the rocky arches but saw nothing amiss. Where was Leo?

Something suddenly moved and a light weight landed on his shell. He was grabbed underneath his shoulders and flipped onto his plastron with a heavy thud. He cried out in surprise and in the scuffle, his flashlight had been thrown out of his hand. He struggled to free himself, kicking and waving wildly, but an iron grip held him fast as a calloused hand undid the knot of his mask with a gentle touch. There was a running sound and the iron grip on him vanished, leaving his mask askew, but in place. Mikey bounded to his feet and retied the knot. He glanced about, it had suddenly become silent. There was a shout and a rustling sound followed by another such sound. The silence returned. Mikey furrowed his eye ridges. Had Don and Raph caught Leo?

The lights to the lair banished the darkness and flooded the immense bricked home with brightness. Standing with a hand on the light switch was Leo. His mask was slightly askew and a peeved expression faintly played upon his features. In his other hand were two masks: red and purple. The other two brothers had their arms folded over their plastron and irritated expressions aimed at Mikey.

"What? It's not my fault you guys were too slow." Mikey said with his hands on his hips and an indignant expression. Leo chuckled at that. "I'd say they were fast enough Mikey, otherwise I'd have your mask and not theirs." He walked over to his two immediate younger brothers and handed them their masks. They took them back with sighs and a dirty look from Raphael. Leo shrugged it off and was about to walk to the kitchen when his mask tails were yanked and he stumbled back. He turned and gave Mikey a puzzled expression. Mikey only grinned wide. "You took Donnie and Raphie's masks, not mine. I was seeker! So technically the game wasn't over! You lose! I'm the stealth master!" He said in excitement, his voice only escalated with each victorious word.

Leo stared at him for a second and shrugged. "I suppose so Mikey. Good thinking." He said with a sincere smile.

Mikey stared at him with a suddenly blank expression. "Uh yeah!" He shouted uncertainly. He had expected more of a reaction from Leo than that. After all, the eldest had been the "stealth master" for a very long time. Mikey couldn't recall the last time anyone had actually won hide-and-seek without cheating against Leo. Then again, Leo always did want them to succeed. Mikey was puzzled over that aspect of his brother's mentality. Why was Leo so selfless in that matter? He didn't want to be "top dog" like Raph, he didn't compete with Don over technology, and he certainly didn't ever want to be the center of attention like Mikey. What did Leo want, then?

Mikey puzzled over this while his brothers began a walk towards the kitchen, Don rushing ahead so he could make breakfast. There was always a competition between him and Mikey over who was the better cook, but Mikey, so caught up in the sudden realization, couldn't care less at the moment. Don hurried over to the stovetop and began twisting knobs and rummaging through the cupboards. Raph opened the fridge lazily, leaning over so he could see what he was looking for. Mikey sat down at the worn out kitchen table, propping his head on his hands in thought. Leo headed past the kitchen and towards the restroom.

He passed through the threshold without so much as a second glance at his brothers and closed the door behind him with a soft click. A soft smile played upon his lips as he unslung the katanas from his shell and hung them on a rack next to the closed door. He then untied his belt, humming a soft tune as he did so. He was in a good mood this morning. His early morning practice had gone off without a hitch and he had been able to spend some quality time with his brothers. Michelangelo had displayed remarkable cunning during hide-and-seek, despite his inability to spot his eldest brother and the use of the flashlight. The best part though, was that there was a peaceful aura emanating from his brothers. One he had longed for—for a long-long time. He heaved a breath of ease as he neatly folded his belt and placed it on the bathroom counter. He turned to the mirror, closing his eyes as he untied the knot of his mask. After the lengthy practice he had endured this morning, he needed a soothing shower to cool down. Despite his seemingly calm exterior, he could feel the creaking ache in his muscles as he moved them and he could taste the salty sweat that beaded his smooth reptilian skin. He hadn't gotten much rest in the past few hours. He had awoken around two in the morning and had trained non-stop until seven, when his brothers had woken. They had then done a few quick warm-ups before several rounds of ninja-hide-and-seek. It was now nine and Leo had to admit that he was tired. He sighed as the soft cloth of his mask loosened on his tired features. He opened his eyes as he removed the mask; he folded the worn blue material into a neat square and placed it next to his belt. His eyes slowly drifted up to the mirror and he froze.

His reflection stared at him and he stared back. Leo couldn't quite place it, but something was wrong. His soft and mellow gray eyes studied his reflection's features, and although there was nothing remarkably strange about his features, Leo could not help but tense his tired muscles. Convinced that his lack of sleep was getting the better of him, he turned away from the mirror and twisted a steel knob to turn the shower faucet on. A stream of warm water sprayed in a sudden gush from the shower head. Leo lifted a hand to the water and, after judging whether it was warm enough, he stepped into range of the spray. He closed his eyes as the warm water settled and soothed his tensed muscles. He momentarily left the mirror incident in the back of his mind.