When Leo and Raph returned to the kitchen again, together with a simple sandwich, they were greeted by this cute yet heart-breaking sight, and smiles crept on their faces. Donnie had placed his chair next to Mikey's chair and his forehead was resting on Mikey's forehead, both had their eyes closed.

Something they would always do when they were younger. Always when one of them was feeling nervous, or was feeling down the other one would press his forehead against the other and just sit still for minutes, sometimes even half an hour, until the other one had calmed down again.

And that was exactly what they were doing right now, their foreheads pressed against each other and Donnie holding Mikey's hands tightly, occasionally squeezing them slightly to assure or comfort him, and it warmed both Leo and Raph to see their little brothers interact like that, and Mikey finally reaching out for them.

"Hey Mikey, I bet you're hungry" Leo softly said, not trying to startle his younger brother but apparently that didn't work as Mikey immediately shot up, looking over to Leo with big and terrified eyes, his mouth twisting to let out another hiss, but containing himself when he saw it was his older brother.

Leo stood still for a few moments, looking into Mikey's eyes as they changed from completely terrified to a softer gaze, lowering his head in shame. His fists clenched slightly and a few tears brimmed in his eyes, which Leo immediately wiped away and gave a small smile to his younger brother. Mikey nodded slightly and sniffled.

Leo nudged Mikey's shoulder slightly before Mikey turned towards the food, his stomach turning painfully as he saw the food in front of him, and all of his brothers noticed his discomfort about seeing the food. Raph slowly stepped forwards, kneeling next to Mikey and looking over to him, while Mikey continued to stare down.

"What's wrong little bro?" He whispered softly, resting a soft hand on his shoulder and squeezing it slightly. Immediately Mikey's head shot to the right, thinking someone was attacking him again but relaxed afterwards, seeing it was only his older brother, gazing down to the food, and again they could all see the shame on Mikey's face, almost attacking his own brother.

"I-I can't….. they w-would…." Mikey whispered, his voice breaking on top of the raw tone it had, tears appearing in his eyes as he slowly reached out for the bandages around his arm, the one to hold all his needle marks, red and irritated. He wasn't touching it but his fingers were ghosting over the area, tears from both the pain and fear.

Mikey was struggling to find the right words, still not confident with speaking to his brothers but he was trying as hard as he could, and yet he couldn't seem to open his mouth to tell them. He couldn't make himself to say another word to his brothers. Donnie rested a hand on his other shoulder, giving him a small smile.

"It's okay Mikey, I think I get it." Donnie cut in and took a deep breath "They gave you food though those needles didn't they?" He asked in a low voice. Tears were now falling down as Mikey shakily reached for the side of his face, where still some red and angry markings were from the chains to hold his muzzle in place.

He had been muzzled for so long, never taking it off, not even to feed him. They fed him through needles, and when Mikey slowly and hesitantly nodded, Donnie knew he was right. Somehow he was happy Mikey was trusting them enough to confess, but he was also feeling angry, furious even because of the confession.

Those people dared to muzzle his only little brother for a full year, at least he assumed he was. And that's why his voice was now raspy and extremely painful to use for him. No water had passed his throat for such a long time, and no food had been digested by his stomach. And it sickened Donnie, on top of being experimented on alone, he was unable to eat for a year.

"Don't worry, you can still eat normally Mikey, you just have to be careful for a while. I'll make you some fruit and ask April to get something more okay? We'll have to build up your food again slowly" And before Mikey could even agree, Donnie was gone already, leaving the three brothers alone in the kitchen.

Mikey was still crying, tears leaking down his face and opening his mouth continuously. He wanted to say something, he really did but nothing came out of his mouth. His throat burning from those few words he had spoken already but he wanted to say more, anything. Raph seemed to notice his distress and carefully drew him closer.

"Don't overdo yerself little bro, ya don't have to force anything" Raph whispered, seeing how much Mikey was struggling, opening and closing his mouth to say something. Mikey sniffled and nodded slightly in Raph's hold, closing his mouth again. It wasn't like he didn't want to talk to them, he just couldn't get himself to speak.

Eventually Donnie came back with some cut fruit, like Splinter would always give them when they were just toddlers, not trusting them with big pieces of fruit, and put it in front of Mikey, who hesitantly ate it. When Leo saw Mikey was eating the food in front of him, he grabbed Donnie's arm and dragged him outside.

He felt bad for leaving Raph alone, and leaving him out of the conversation but Mikey needed someone with him right now, especially when he was finally reaching out for them, and he felt safe around Raph, they couldn't deny that. He could tell Raph everything later on, if something important was discussed.

Donnie didn't seem to understand Leo's reason to drag him outside the kitchen but followed without complaining, knowing that it had to be important. Eventually Leo dropped himself on the couch and burrowed his face in his hands. He was shaking slightly and taking deep breaths, trying to contain himself.

"What does this mean Donnie, what will happen to Mikey?" His voice sounded desperate, vulnerable. Something they rarely heard from their leader in the past 16 years. He was always so confident, he always knew what to do and was always a rock for them, most of the times. Donnie could hardly remember a time when he'd heard that voice, so desperate and hopeless.

When they were younger Leo had always taken the role of leader, even though nobody made him leader. But he had always burdened himself with the task of looking after his family. He would always contain his tears, or fears for the sake of his little brothers. There was this time when Raph was terribly wounded in the sewers.

He had run into the sewers after Raph had disobeyed Master Splinter by going into the sewers alone. Leo had found Raph, wounded. His leg was badly broken and that was one of the first times Donnie had heard his oldest brother beg, pleading to his father. Asking is Raph would be okay, trembling with fear and not knowing what to do.

But as they grew older and older, Donnie never heard that voice again, only on rare occasions, and Mikey's death being one of them. He could still remember how loud Leo had cried that night. The blanket loosely thrown on the ground, he was curled up with his pillow crushed between him, crying and sobbing.

Donnie had, despite his own grief, come to his older brother and hugged him. He had never expected Leo to hug him back, thinking he'd push away, but he didn't. Leo had wrapped his arms around Donnie's waist, squeezing and crying in his hold, tears staining Donnie's plastron and not thinking about letting him go anytime soon.

He had begged Mikey to come back, pleaded for someone to give their baby brother back, that it wasn't fair; He was supposed to be dead, not his little brother, and on top of that he had been so desperate, his voice so helpless as he asked Donnie that one question that would haunt them forever, 'how would they continue without Mikey?'

And Leo was right. How could they continue without their fourth member, their fourth brother and friend. How could they ever live their lives again without the glue of the family, the one to make them smile every day no matter what happened. And how could they live with the gap that was left in their hearts when Mikey died. They had no idea, but somehow they managed.

The desperate voice was something Donnie never heard from that day on. Leo had cried his heart out that day in Donnie's hold, but only that day and after that he went back to his leader role, reversing the roles and calming his brothers down when someone brought up Mikey, or after having a nightmare, but right now that voice was back, hurt and desperate.

"He'll be okay Leo… it's just that…." Donnie stopped for a second and sat down next to his older brother, wrapping his arms around Leo and drawing him closer. "He was fed through the same way as a gastric feeding tube, when people are in coma or something and can't eat" Donnie explained, watching Leo closely as he absorbed the information.

Leo took a deep breath in his hold, nodding slightly indicating he understood but not saying anything. Donnie could feel Leo was trying to hold himself together, but was obviously failing to do so. It was all too much for him, for all of them, seeing Mikey broken like this. But Donnie pushed past the thoughts and opened his mouth again.

"He hasn't been eating orally, but he will be able to do so again in time" Donnie explained in simple terms so Leo could follow. "We just need to be careful and slowly build up his digestive system, lots and lots of fibers. So fruits and vegetables will be perfect" Leo nodded again slightly, taking in all the information.

"Don't be sad Leo, he'll be fine. I promise" Donnie whispered and wiping away the thick tears falling from Leo's eyes as soon as he noticed them. His eyes were starting to become red already, filling themselves with tears again the moment Donnie had wiped them clean, and he couldn't stop them, for once he couldn't.

"Don't say that Donnie, you saw him too… he's terrified, he'll never be the same again" Leo said, keeping his voice low so Donnie wouldn't notice the quiver he was carrying around, but Donnie noticed nevertheless. He hated feeling so weak, he was supposed to protect his family, be their leader, not cry in front of them.

"I know Leo, but we'll get through this mess. We always did" Donnie whispered and pulled Leo's head close to his plastron. It wasn't often Donnie did this, but he knew Leo was at his end, mentally and emotionally. And he was too. His brother was dead for a year, and now he had come back to them.

Scarred and petrified, and hearing what has happened to him the past year made their blood boil. They didn't even know what they did to him, not all of it, but they knew some things. And only those terrified them already. They didn't even know what they did to him apart from that, they didn't know the mental damage they had done to him.

"I can't stand seeing him like this Donnie, he's just so…" Leo said but stopping mid-sentence, he didn't even know what he wanted to say. He couldn't possibly explain how Mikey was feeling, or how he was looking. Almost every emotion was mixed with his face. Doubt, fear, hurt, anger and those were only a few, not to mention the scars.

They could see the sparkle of hope and happiness in his eyes like they remembered, being back home with his brothers once again, but that was surpassed by the intense fear, the nightmares and horrifying memories he got when he was in that lab, tested on for a full year. All alone for all those months with those people.

"Me neither Leo, but he's still Mikey. And that's all that matters right now, he's finally back with us" Donnie said and closed his eyes slightly but found himself unable to open them again. He began to hum slightly and rocked Leo back and forth, and soon he heard the familiar snore of his older brother. A small smile crept on Donnie's face.

It had been so long since they had done this, Leo rarely allowed someone to comfort him like this, and he rarely fell asleep using one of his brothers as a pillow. When they were younger they all did regularly, but when they grew older Leo never fell asleep like that, Mikey still did often, and Donnie too. But Raph and Leo didn't.

Donnie sighed and leaned back on the couch, placing Leo a bit clumsily on top of his plastron. Leo whimpered slightly and shifted as he was trying to find a comfortable position but eventually stopped. And it wasn't long after that that Donnie felt himself drifting too, falling asleep on the couch.

TMNT

Only thirty minutes later Casey and April came back from the store, two full bags of groceries with them. Filled with food, other things they needed and at Donnie's request lots of foods and vegetables for Mikey, though both of the humans had no idea why they had to buy it, but none of them had complained about it.

Casey dropped the heavy bag with a sigh and was ready to call for someone when April jabbed him in the ribs and pointed at the couch, giggling slightly. Casey followed her finger when he saw it too. Leo was lying partly on top of Donnie, fast asleep and snoring slightly, both relieved yet tired expressions on their faces.

On the other couch were Mikey and Raph. Mikey on the side and his knees drawn to his chest. Raph's left arm, which was originally around Mikey's shoulder, had now fallen behind Mikey's shell and his head softly on top of Mikey's left shoulder, his eyes closed and softly snoring too, just like Leo and Donnie.

Mikey's eyes were still open and glassily looking over to the TV, which was practically muted so it wouldn't wake up his brothers, but still softly playing sounds and showing some cartoon that aired just months after Mikey's disappearance. April smiled slightly and picked up a loose blanket and carefully walked up to Mikey.

"Are you comfortable?" April whispered towards Mikey, kneeling in front of him so she wouldn't startle him and being silent for the sleeping guys. Mikey slowly looked up to her, almost studying her and glanced to Casey who was now laying a blanket on top of Leo and Donnie, before turning back to April.

"Yea" He cracked, drawing attention from both April and Casey who both look surprised but happy. A smile spread on April's face and Mikey returned it for a second. April glanced over to Raph, who was happily asleep against Mikey's shoulder. Carefully she wrapped the blanket around both of them and stood up again.

"Tell me when you need anything" She softly called out and turned around, walking over to Casey. She nudged Casey's arm and signed towards the kitchen, bringing the bags along with them and leaving the brothers alone.

Mikey is slowly trusting the guys again, let's see how long it lasts :3