For those who came back to read this:

Moushiwake arimasen deshita to arigatou gozaimasu! (I'm deeply sorry and thank you very much!)

Chuchi is truly touched! Huggles, marshies and graces to you all!

(Retreats to her corner of shame)

火のない所に煙は立たぬ – Where there's smoke, there's fire

The three turtles zoomed past buildings with practiced ease and quiet that night. But for those who knew them or can look closely, the aura of tension was heavy among them.

If Leo were honest, he barely had half his mind into patrol. The rest of him was still whirling from the emotional backlash from the earlier discussion in the Lair.

He meant every word he said about wanting Mikey around. The littlest turtle can become annoying enough to strangle at times but the team would be horribly fractured without him around. Raph and Don would frequently complain about Mikey being a bother, but Leo knew they understood that as well.

In the dark, frightening reality that was their lives as ninjas and society's outcasts, Mikey was the constant light and reminder that there will always be hope and good in it as well. And Leo couldn't even bear to imagine what would happen if that light ever went out.

It's not that we don't want you, Mikey. Leo thought mournfully behind closed eyelids. It's because losing you is a risk none of us will ever want to take.

And if Raph could hear his older brother's thoughts, he would agree wholeheartedly. Behind constant teasing bordering to bullying at times, the four of them loved each other very deeply, would give their lives for the others in a heartbeat and would be absolutely devastated by the loss of even just one brother.

But if Mikey were the first to go, especially in the hands of an enemy, Raph knew to his very bones that it will send the three older turtles down a dark, war torn path beyond salvation by anyone.

It cut to the core that they needed to leave Mikey behind but the thought of it being for the youngest turtle's benefit soothed some of the sting. It's not that it will be forever, just until Mikey learns to act less recklessly and more focused during missions to not tip off enemies or control his urge to press anything he could within a five foot radius.

It's for his own good. It's for his own good. Raph repeated in his mind, willing the mantra to become the balm for his guilt worn heart. We're sorry, little brother, like we've never been sorry in our whole lives. But we need to do this.

It's for your own good, Mikey. Donnie thought to himself, half consciously jumping to another roof after his brothers. Were they younger, Donnie would have supported Leo's decision without a shred of hesitation. Donnie was rightfully ashamed to admit, but during their early years of patrol, at the back of his mind, he always thought that the team was better off without the smallest turtle.

Not only was the orange masked terrapin slow on the uptake and out of focus for most of their missions, but Mikey also got really, irritatingly intrusive whenever Donnie was in the middle of a critical task, triggered alarms that announced their presence to their enemies, and got into more than trouble than he could chew.

It didn't help that initially it was Donnie who had the least amount of patience when it came to his only little brother, despite them being supposedly the best of friends.

But as time passed, Donnie had come to realize that Mikey's every bit of unorthodox ninja also got them out of trouble as much as he caused them, and Donnie grew to appreciate what his little brother's unique quirks brought to their team, especially in ways that did not involve fighting.

It was Mikey who made sure that Donnie never truly forgot that there were more important things than his experiments, that he wasn't alone and that there was always someone willing to listen if he gave them the chance.

It was Mikey who kept Raph's temper from blowing up at the wrong time and on the wrong person, whose good cheer and pranks provided the red masked turtle the perfect avenue to let out his steam in a healthier way than breaking his punching bags or picking random fights.

It was Mikey who would remind Leo that he was still a teenager, that there is more to life than just training and that, despite being the leader, Leo was also allowed to relax, let loose and enjoy life the way the three younger turtles did.

It was Mikey who protected them from things Donnie and their older brothers can't fight away on their own—things that could overwhelm and turn them into shadows of their former selves if the sunshine that was their baby brother was not there to keep the darkness away.

Not even a bit of Donnie wanted his brother out of the team anymore, but if it meant that they could keep Mikey safe until they can be assured that their youngest can hold his own—that the glue that kept their family together wasn't in greater danger of being snuffed out for good—then Donnie would follow Leo's lead.

I can only hope Mikey will forgive us eventually. The thought brought a tear to his brown eyes. I hope it doesn't make him think that we don't—huh?

Instinctively, Donnie jumped back, narrowly avoiding a shuriken thrown to where his feet were supposed to be.

Leo and Raph stopped running when they heard Donnie jump. "Donnie?"

The gangly turtle took one look at the offending throwing star before whispering urgently. "It's the—!"

"Heheheh, look at what we have here," cut in a cold, familiar laugh. "If it isn't three little turtles about to get the beating of their lives."

The three turtle ninjas immediately leapt to battle stances, weapons drawn and their eyes narrowed white.

"Tiger Claw." Leo hissed when the jet packed turtle zoomed into view.

"Right when I'm in the mood for a little turtle soup too!" called another voice to their left, followed by the familiar sching of a swinging butterfly blade.

"Fishface?" Donnie turned to aim his bo at the smirking fish mutant and his army of Foot ninja.

"And this time," A gravelly voice sounded from the right, making all three turtles grit their teeth in anger. "You're definitely not walking away."

Raph twirled his sais with a menacing glare at the very mutant he had been itching to maim for the past few days.

"Rahzar!"

Mikey always knew having him on the team was a mistake.

He was the one who makes all the big screw-ups, who lets his brothers down with his shorter than a goldfish's attention span and who the enemies go after and take down first because he's just that damn weak.

But he could never ever be prepared for the inevitable of his brothers saying it out loud.

Hearing those words from them felt like his whole chest cavity collapsed to the floor and stomped over and over by Rahzar and Rocksteady while break dancing. It took Mikey biting down his own fist to stop himself from crying out in heart twisting anguish.

"We've been patrolling topside for years now yet for some reason, Mikey hasn't found it in himself to be a real ninja."

I'm sorry, Leo. Mikey was slumped to a seat against the door, crutch all but forgotten by his side. Am I really that terrible of a ninja in your eyes? No wonder you never rely on me. Years of training and fighting bad guys, and I still mess everything up!

"That bonehead gets into more trouble during missions than all three of us combined!"

I didn't mean to, Raphie! I…I know I don't look like it, but I always try! It's just that I can't seem to do things as well as you guys can during missions!

"Our enemies see him as our weakest link, and in some way, they are right."

Of course Donnie's right. Mikey's carelessness let enemies know where he and his brothers were. He was the one enemies always targeted and then used to force his older brothers to surrender. He was the one who always got hurt because he wasn't strong enough to hold out his own during a fight.

I'm the chink in my brothers' perfect formation. Because of that, they don't want me anymore.

And if I can't pull myself together, one day, I'll be the reason they'll fall.

The final thought sent a knife of dread into Mikey's being and images of nightmares bombarded his mind with brutal force. The sight of the Shredder, looming over the bodies of his fallen family, gleefully declaring that it was because of Mikey that they all died and that the world would have been better off without the youngest turtle around.

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Mikey's head repeated over and over, sobbing into his hands. I'm so, so sorry.

Knock, knock!

"Mikey?" He heard a feminine voice knock on his door, making the orange masked turtle start. April? How long had he been sitting there crying? Hours, maybe? He really should consider adding a clock in his room.

"Hey, little dude, you OK in there?" Oh and Casey's here too. Mikey scrubbed away the remainder of his tears and forced himself up.

"Y-yeah, dudes, sorry about that. I-I kinda overslept."

"Are you sure you're all right, Mikey? You sound a bit…off." April said, a pinch worried.

Mikey took a deep breath before opening the door, greeted by the sight of April and Casey staring worriedly at him. The turtle forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Haha, who knew sleeping so much could make you sound like a zombie, eh?"

The two humans didn't look like they bought it. If anything, April's eyes widened considerably. "Mikey, were you crying?"

"Wha—me? No way!" Mikey tried to laugh it off. "Seriously, April, you're talking to Dr. Prankenstein himself! Ain't no way am ever gonna go crying over, whatever you think it is!"

Casey's brows furrowed. Yep, definitely not buying it. "Well gee, I don't know. Why don't you tell us, Mikey?"

"Ugh, come on, Casey! I just told you, there's nothing wrong—!"

"Your mask is wet right under your eyes, Mike." Casey said without preamble. "Plus your throat sounds like someone rubbed sandpaper on it. Those sorts of things kinda give it away, you know?"

Mikey let out another laugh that he really didn't feel. "H-huh? Really? F-funny thing, I didn't really notice…"

"Mikey please just tell us what's wrong." April gave Mikey's shoulder a tight squeeze. The small turtle started to back up a bit.

"But there isn't—"

"Michelangelo."

Mikey froze, almost afraid to look at what he knew he'd find next to him: a jade cane, red kimono and a gentle pawed hand tilting his still face to meet warm burgundy eyes.

"S-Sensei?" Did sensei think of him the same way his brothers did? Did sensei think he was too poor a ninja but didn't say anything about it to spare his feelings? Did sensei also see him as the weakest link that was better off in the sidelines?

"My son," Splinter said softly, and suddenly there was only the two of them in the world. "Whatever it is that troubles you so, you know you can tell me."

He really thought he didn't have any more tears to shed, but once again, in the soothing embrace of his father and worried friends, the world proved Mikey wrong.