Test week is finally over! :D Which means update! Hope you enjoy the chapter and thanks for everyone reviewing so far! ^^

TMNT

It took him a while to realize, all of them. Raph felt Mikey pressing against his plastron but he was too busy, his mind spinning as he hugged his sleeping brother. He had been near depression when his little brother died, he was so close.

There was so much blood, just too much. And he would never forget the look on Donnie's face. Full of horror and sadness, and without words they knew they had been too late, that he had broken the promise he had made so long ago, to protect his little brother.

"Raph" April's voice suddenly sounded, snapping him out of his trance. A cold hand was on his shoulder but he immediately recognized it as April's. A chocked hiccup came from Raph's throat as he wiped away the tears with his hand, while the other one was still holding Mikey.

And only then he realized his little brother had his eyes shut, the trembling had stopped but he was still twitching slightly. His breathing was shallow but steady, indicating he was asleep. Leo's arms were wrapped around Donnie, while they were both silently crying but smiles on their faces.

They were faint, and the smile was mixed with tears of both relief, confusion and horror. Mikey was alive, just inches away and they all knew they were never letting him go again, but the bandages and his emotional state freaked them out, he was so scared that he wouldn't even let Raph touch him at first.

Hissing like some kind of animal, an animal they had all vowed not to be. The animal they were all struggling to hide. But they also knew, that no matter how much human knowledge and traditions they had, most humans would always consider them animals, and right now his captors had managed to turn him into that.

"G-Get something warm… a blanket or somethin'" Raph said, trying to hide a shiver as he pulled out of the hug. Mikey's eyes were closed but he was far from peaceful, moaning in his sleep slightly and occasionally twitching.

April was the first one to react as she sprinted out of the room, returning seconds later with her pillow and blanket. Leo and Donnie stood up from the couch but Donnie kept holding Leo's arm tightly, afraid to let go, as April placed the pillow on the couch.

"Thanks April" Raph whispered, he'd curse himself for his weak voice but right now he couldn't care less. He slowly took the back of Mikey's head, holding him like a baby as he slowly lowered him on the big pillow. A flash of relief crossed over Mikey's face at the feeling of the soft pillow.

"What happened to his arms?" Donnie whispered as Raph placed the blanket on top of Mikey's form, placing Mikey's arms on top of it, knowing that he never liked to have his arms under the blanket if he would get injured or sick.

"The chains did" April said in a low voice as she walked over to Mikey's sleeping form, kneeling and picking up his right arm. She carefully un-wrapped them to show the damage they had done. The blood had been washed away already, and now all that was left were the scars and the tender flesh filled with healing wounds.

"I'm going to kill them" Leo hissed as he saw the full extent of his injury. April sighed and re-wrapped them again, very carefully as Mikey began to stir in his troubled sleep, trying to fight April off but failing miserably. His exhausted body simply not allowing him to.

"Don't Leo. He needs you right now" April whispered as she reached for his other arm, undoing the wrappings around his under-arm, revealing the large surgical scar. "He got the same on his legs, and his other arm is full off needle marks" She said, hiding the scar under the bandages again.

"What did they do to you baby bro?" Donnie whispered, walking over to Mikey and stroking his cheek slightly. Mikey whimpered under his touch slightly but showed no sign of waking up. April placed a comfortable hand on Donnie's shoulder.

"it will be alright Donnie… Mikey will pull through" April said, leaning towards Donnie and resting against his plastron. Donnie sighed and drew April closer, not really noticing what he was doing himself. He could only focus on Mikey, and the troubled look on his face.

TMNT

Raph's hands were firmly around Mikey's small hand, not daring to let him go. He never left his side, not in all these hours. April had offered them to stay at her house, something they had gratefully accepted, Mikey wasn't ready to be moved yet.

He was out cold and the sudden change in environment wouldn't do anything good. And he needed his rest, he was clearly beyond exhausted so waking him up was no option either. But April had assured them it was no problem, and they could stay until her aunt came back, which was in 3 days.

April, Casey and Donnie had been the first to sleep, so Leo and Raph could take the first round of watching Mikey. None of them wanted to leave Mikey alone but April and Casey wanted to give his brothers some time alone, and Donnie was already exhausted from staying up late the previous night.

Of course he wouldn't admit it, and it took them a lot of convincing until he agreed to sleep. For the past 4 hours they had watched Mikey. Both of them never leaving his side. They listened to every silent whimper Mikey would let out, every twitch and every flash of horror that crossed his face in his sleep.

"We failed him Raph…. He suffered all this time" Leo whispered after 4 long hours of silence. Raph slowly lifted his head, taking his eyes off Mikey's sleeping form but never letting go of Mikey's hand. Raph wasn't surprised to see the usual guilt in Leo's eyes.

He had seen that look so many times in his life, too many times for his liking. Every time one of them would get hurt, or sick, or anything at all happened to one of his brothers, he would go crazy and blame himself.

Every scratch, every bruise he blamed himself for. No matter how someone got it. Even when it was their fault, Leo blamed himself for not protecting his brothers, and right now his eyes were filled with that same look, and for once Raph couldn't object.

They did fail him. They left him for death. Not even thinking for one second he could be alive. Never wondering where the body was, or why Shredder would even do such a thing. And even Raph was suffocating himself with the guilt.

Raph bowed his head in disgust, closing his eyes painfully. "I know" he breathed out, not knowing what he could possibly say. No matter how you twisted it, he failed, failed to protect his little brother from getting hurt, had broken his most important promise.

Before any of them could say anything Mikey suddenly stirred in Raph's hold, gasping and trashing with his arms. Immediately Raph and Leo jumped up, concerned for their little brother. Raph tightened his grip on Mikey's hand.

"Calm down Mikey, you're safe" Leo whispered, placing a hand on Mikey's forehead to calm him down. But Mikey continued to trash, trying to pull his arm away from Raph and trying to fend off Leo's hand, failing miserably.

Suddenly Mikey shot up, immediately withdrawing his arm and hugging it close to his body. His plastron was heaving, trying desperately to get it breathing under control as fresh tears rolled down his face. His hands were clawing at his skin, gritting his teeth slightly.

He was trembling and shaking and slowly his fingers trailed towards his wrist but froze when he touched the bandaged instead of the chains. He hissed slightly when he felt the familiar pain shooting down his spine as he touched or moved it but he tried to stiffen it.

"Mikey?" Raph whispered, watching his little brother with great concern. Mikey's head shot to the right, staring wide-eyed at his two brothers. Immediately another hiss escaped his lips and he scrambled backwards, threatening to stay away from him.

"Easy Mikey… it's me, Raph" Raph whispered, raising his hands as a sign he wouldn't hurt Mikey. Uncertainty was written on Mikey's face and he was baring his teeth, warning them not to come closer but after a few seconds he loosened slightly and his lip starting to quiver.

He lowered his head in shame as a sob past his lips. Raph slowly moved towards Mikey, hesitating slightly before wrapping his arms around Mikey's shivering body. And again Mikey allowed him, burying his face in Raph's plastron.