Here's to another chapter! Thank you for the suggestions, I love reading them! I may not be able to use all of them, but I appreciate the time you take to leave them in the comments!

Two weeks. Two weeks of acclimating to their new bodies. Two weeks of tests being run by their resident genius. Two weeks of the small family regaining their footing at the strange attack that profoundly changed them.

Raphael growled out an incoherent grumble, easing his aching body down into the couch, and leaning his head back so to huff out an exhausted sigh. These past two weeks had also been what Mikey miserably dubbed the "boot camp from Hell". Leonardo had said they would go back to the basics, and true to the leader's word, back to the basics they had gone. Going from katas they had memorized at age six, all the way up through the more complicated variations taught in the last few years; all four were covered in bruises from the countless falls taken when a, previously perfected, move took a wrong turn. The red ninja kneaded the muscles in his right shoulder, the latest casualty when a flying kick landed him sprawling on the floor, grimacing when they twinged in complaint.

Michelangelo and Donnie were working harder than they ever had. Focused on their training in a way never before seen when they were still turtles. Mostly because they were as uncomfortable with the changes as the rest of their family, and the training proved a good outlet for the frustration and fear roiling in their guts. That wasn't the only change, though. Splinter was now prone to the cooler climate of the sewers, the sight of him shivering and running to put on an extra layer of clothing no longer uncommon. Not to mention, he was used to having a long tail to balance himself with, giving him the uncanny command of death defying heights on only the slimmest of ledges. No longer, though. Even their father had to relearn his own body, joining his sons in returning to the basics, all five family members working up a literal sweat together in the dojo.

Leo was no exception, either. He fell as much as the rest. Raphael grimaced as a memory from the week before resurfaced; his mind replaying the image of his older brother laying sprawled on the floor groaning in pain, just from attempting the split kick that once gave him so much trouble. However, Leo's signature stubbornness was also, once again, an asset as he was making better progress than his brothers. The younger brothers had, in the past, often teased Leonardo with his being obsessive about working on a move until it was perfect. Not to mention, how he'd then repeat it until he had the technique irrevocably carved into his very being. Now, though, Raph envied Leo's tenacity. His refusal to stop, or talk himself into an early break, until he was satisfied with his progress. That was something they could all learn from. The eldest was in fighting shape, his unstable footing from when they first transformed replaced by his usual graceful stride.

Not that Raphael was far behind his leader, no, he was making steady progress, and felt a measure of comfort in that he'd regained his precision in wielding his sai. Giving said weapon a flamboyant twirl, the red ninja smirked that his muscle memory had recovered, despite the extra appendages. If he was patient, it wouldn't be much longer until Raphael would feel like his normal self. Granted, patience wasn't his strong suit, but he'd been making do these past fourteen days. Raphael gave a smug smirk, closing topaz eyes, yeah, he'd be sparring with Fearless again in no time.

The brawler was startled out of his thoughts when his baby brother flopped onto the couch, baby blue eyes heavy with exhaustion. Raph watch bemusedly as the youngest pulled the quilt off the back of the couch, and snuggled underneath it, disappearing until only blond curls could be seen. The red masked ninja chuckled, reaching down to poke the slight frame, a wicked grin spreading on his face when Mikey jolted in response to the poke. A recent discovery by Donnie just last week had shown that Michelangelo was much more ticklish than he used to be. A fact that all three older brothers had taken advantage of.

Raph switched from a poke, to a claw, strong fingers flexing in anticipation of dancing along the sensitive ribs. However, his advance was stopped by a pale hand appearing from the depths of the blanket, pointing in Raphael's general direction, "Don't. Even. Think about it, Raphie!"

Raphael couldn't hold back the snort of amusement, it was so hard to take Mikey's threats seriously right now, what with him looking utterly adorable. "Or ya'll do what?" He chuckled.

The quilt flew backwards, revealing the cherubic face set in a firm pout, "I'm not in the mood," he growled, with all the malice of a chihuahua, "we just finished training, and I'm too tired to even play video games. That ought to mean something to you!"

Dark eyebrows shot skyward, as that statement did mean something to the brawler, "No kiddin'?"

Baby blue eyes gave a sarcastic roll, and Mikey scrunched down so to throw the blanket back over his head. However, Raphael caught the blanket, and pulled it down, topaz gaze assessing his baby brother, "Ya ok, Mike?"

Michelangelo fidgeted, slender fingers picking at the quilt, thin shoulders bouncing in a shrug. Ok, if Raphael wasn't worried before, he certainly was now. This wasn't like the youngest. Sure, Mikey had his off days, they all did, but Mike's off days usually included gaming with noise canceling headphones on. That was about as sullen as the youngest got. This? This was an anomaly. Raph's heart broke, and whether it was because of the changes he'd adopted since the caves, or maybe it was harder to be mean to Michelangelo now that he actually looked like the baby brother, the brawler opened his arms.

"C'mere kid,"

Mikey's eyes widened in shock, as Raphael was normally never one to initiate hugs, but he must have decided not to question it as he scrambled across the couch. Fluffy blond curls rested on the broad shoulder, and Michelangelo couldn't suppress the soft sigh of contentment. There was something about Raph's hugs that everyone in the family loved. The brothers had even heard Leo admit that their gruff brother had the best hugs, and wished Raph would indulge in them a little more. They were warm, like really warm, and maybe it was because the brawler had such thick biceps, but his arms made you feel safe and secure. Mikey had even said once during a game night, that he was certain that all the world's problems could be solved with hugs like that.

Raphael held his brother for several heartbeats, waiting until the tense muscles melted in the soothing warmth, before opening his mouth to rumble, "So, ya gonna tell me what's eatin' ya?"

Michelangelo sighed, "I…" he began, voice uncharacteristically soft, "I've been having nightmares," he admitted miserably.

The brawler slumped, his heart giving yet another crack in sympathy, "About what?" He asked, bracing his chin on the blond curls.

A shuddering inhale, a pause, and with a trembling exhale the youngest made his confession, "Us," he whispered, sky blue eyes growing dull, haunted by the images of countless night terrors, "dying, or being unable to fight back. Of a dark figure ready to take us out, and we aren't even sure if it's a new enemy, or someone we know. I mean, we've been attacked at home before, the Shredder has destroyed our lair how many times? But…for some reason, this time feels worse. Our home is in one piece, but I still feel like everything is broken."

Mikey fell silent, and Raph dutifully ignored the damp patch growing on the front of his shirt, and seeping into his chest. The youngest was flamboyant, and even dramatic, but the kid never cried for no reason. Michelangelo was just as compassionate as Leonardo, and his heart beat with love for every living thing on God's green earth. And despite his eccentric personality, the red ninja could honestly say that he'd never seen Mikey weaponize his tears. Oh, he'd wheedle, and beg, and guilt trip, but to the youngest tears were sacred. So, the fact that he was crying now meant that this was something he'd been bottling up a while.

The brawler squeezed the small frame in his arms a little tighter, breathing in as he tightened his grip, and exhaling as he loosened it. Mikey nuzzled the broad chest, a small smile quirking the somber lips, "Ya know, I wasn't too crazy about being so small, but if I get hugs like this, I could get used to it."

Raphael released a deep chuckle, one that rolled through his chest and into his baby brother. "Yeah, it's definitely a lot easier ta grab ya when yer bein' annoyin'," the youngest popped up with an indignant squawk, but the brawler merely shoved the curly head back down with ease, "but I'll admit, bein' warm blooded is pretty nice."

"Tell that to Master Splinter," Mikey snickered, apparently having forgiven Raph his insensitive remark, "he hasn't stopped complaining of the cold since it happened."

"Like he has any room ta talk," Raphael groused, "he had fur, and he's warm blooded. So he's missin' some hair, I'll take it over runnin' around topside in nothin' but my shell."

Michelangelo nodded enthusiastically with a giggle, but then his amusement dimmed, as he was once again reminded of that part of their anatomy, "I never thought I'd miss it," the orange ninja mumbled miserably, "but I agree with Leo, it feels so weird to be without it. Falls hurt more in the dojo, and I hate my skinny arms."

Raph breathed out a short exhale that could have qualified as a laugh. Yeah, they were a lot weaker as humans. Why? He wasn't sure, but everyone had noticed the change. Especially him. As the resident muscle head, it had long been Raphael's pride that he was the strongest in the clan. Technically, he still was, but the weights he was pumping three weeks ago, were a far cry from the ones he was pumping now. It almost made the turtle turned human sick. That line of thought reminded the red ninja of their original topic, though, and the brawler brought it back up, hoping to ease his baby brother's fears.

"Ya think that maybe that's why yer havin' nightmares? Because yer missin' yer shell?"

Mikey buried his nose into Raph's shirt, the material muffling the frustrated groan, before baby blue eyes popped up to meet topaz, "Yeah, I guess," he admitted, "but try telling that to my subconscious! And before you say anything, I know it's stupid, and irrational, and I'm a ninja and ninja aren't scared of anything, but-!"

"Whoa, who said ninja ain't scared…?" Raph broke in, one dark eyebrow quirking curiously, "I seem to remember a conversation we had with Leo about how it's ok ta be scared, ya remember any of that?"

Mikey rolled his eyes, plopping back down to lean against his big brother, "Well, yeah, but…"

"Uh-uh," the brawler vetoed with a firm shake of his head, "no buts allowed, except fer the one ya sit on."

The youngest released another giggle at the joke, relaxing in his sibling's embrace, allowing Raphael to continue his lecture, "Look, ya can't give yerself a hard time just because yer scared, it's not stupid. I mean…" Raph paused, unused to expressing his personal feelings, but knew that his baby brother needed to hear them, "I'm scared too."

Michelangelo sat up, eyes wide and serious, "No way?" He whispered.

Raphael sighed, closing his eyes so to lean his head forward until it rested against Mikey's, "Why do ya think I haven't been on my bike for two weeks?" He asked, tone soft with shame, "Every time I get on it, I just…freak! I'm scared of ridin' it as a human, without the safety of my scales and my shell, I feel exposed, I can't even manage ta rev the engine."

Baby blue orbs melted in empathy, Michelangelo's compassionate heart visibly breaking for his sibling, "Aw, Raphie, I'm sorry,"

The brawler shook his head, "It's fine," he asserted, "because I'm not gonna quit. I'll get back on my bike again, and ya can bet I'll be poppin' wheelies all the way down Main, but I told ya that so ya know yer not alone, ok short-stack? We're all scared of this change, but we'll be fine as long as we stick together."

Mikey nodded, snuggling back into Raphael's arms, determined to get as much out of this cuddle session as possible, "You're right," he affirmed softly, "we'll find a way, we always do."

"Ya got that right,"

….

"Ok," Donatello nodded, peering into a microscope holding a sample of the liquid scavenged from inside the bomb, "I have good news and bad news."

Leo paused, one corner of his mouth twitching in a smirk, "Then by all means," he drawled in a dry tone, "the bad news first, it's inevitable considering our track record."

The genius snickered, understanding his brother's cynicism when it came to their family's luck, "To put it simply, I have no idea how long this will last."

"That's not too bad," the blue ninja mused, pursing his lips in careful thought, "technically, we're just back to square one."

"Exactly, which is what makes the good news all the better!" Donnie popped up from the microscope, face wreathed in a wide grin.

Ok, now Leo was interested, "Pray tell?"

Donnie paused, eyes twinkling in mischief as he built suspense for his dramatic announcement before finally stating, "It's definitely temporary."

Sapphire eyes widened in happy surprise, then a smile spilled across the chiseled features, "Honestly?" He asked eagerly, one hand slapping down on Donatello's work desk so he could lean closer to his brother, "You know this for certain?"

"Positive," Donnie nodded, but then paused, "well, like 89.99% positive, there's still about ten percent that I can't account for due to unforeseen variables."

"But still!" Leo exclaimed, "As far as I'm aware, in the science world, 89% is still pretty good!"

The genius laughed at his leader's exuberance, "Its excellent!"

"So, does that mean it will wear off on its own?" Leo asked, slumping against the desk as he was practically buzzing in relief.

"Eventually, which brings me back to the bad news," the purple ninja nodded, twirling a finger to signify the circle their conversation just made, "it will wear off, I just don't know when. I'll have to do weekly blood panels on all of us, to see if I can find any change that will help give me a timetable of when we'll go back to normal."

Leo winced, not happy with the insinuation that they would be poked with needles on a weekly basis, but he wasn't about to complain. Donnie just announced that they'd go back to normal on their own, which meant that he didn't have stress about it being permanent anymore. In fact, Leo had a few ideas that he'd been considering the past couple weeks. Ever since they'd been changed, Leonardo had been filled with an insatiable wish to use this opportunity to give his brothers gifts. Experiences that they couldn't have before, but can now. He had the money that he'd been saving up, just random bills and change he'd found on their patrols. He wanted to use it to shower his affection on his family, but wasn't sure if he should considering how crazy everything had been. Now, with things looking up, he was feeling a lot better about indulging in his big brother side. Operation: spoil his younger siblings was a go.

"Hey Leo?"

The eldest hummed an affirmative, smiling as he thought about his plans, "Yeah, Don?" He said, casting his sapphire gaze at the scientist.

"Can you go to the junction box upstairs? I think I might have blown a fuse. Would you check on it, and see if you can just flip it back on?"

Leonardo nodded, turning his back on Donnie and sauntering out with a wave, "Sure, be just a sec,"

…

Raphael sat on the couch, head leaned back and eyes closed in a light doze, his muscles relaxed as he slipped deeper under the folds of sleep. Mikey was passed out, still snuggled under his arm and into his side, the youngest's slight frame dead weight as breathy snores drifted up from the sleep flushed face. Just as Raph was about to enter the dream state, a sharp sound made liquid gold eyes to pop open. The red masked ninja sat up from where he lay on the couch, searching for the source of the noise. Forcing his body to become absolutely still, and focusing all his concentration on his sense of hearing, the teen waited patiently to see if he'd hear it again. At first, nothing, making Raphael almost assume he'd dreamed it. However, just as he was about to relax back into the couch, he heard it again.

A harsh gasp, followed by a loud crash.

Raphael was on his feet in one smooth motion, shoving Mikey off his lap and rushing around the couch and into the main area of the lair. What he found made his jaw fall slack, and his eyes widen. For there, hanging a good fifty feet off the ground, was his fearless leader. Leonardo held on to an electrical box, knuckles a pale white as his arms shook from the effort to hold himself up. Below lay the remains of what must have been the portion of balcony used for the second floor of the lair, and a step stool. Best Raphael could figure, Leo must have been messing with the electrical box and that section of flooring had given way. It was a wonder it hadn't happened sooner, what with the secret of their existence forcing them to live in abandoned, and often dilapidated, environments.

Donatello and Michelangelo appeared at his side, both pairs of eyes bugging out, as Donnie gave a short, shocked exclamation, "Leo!"

Leonardo looked down at them, the realization of how much air lay between him and his brothers causing the blood to drain from his face, as sheer terror replaced the usually stoic features. Opening his mouth, their leader gave a breathless squeak, "H-He-lp,"

They didn't need to be asked twice, Donnie and Raphael were twin shooting stars, with Mikey close behind. Arms pumping, red and purple surged up the stairs towards where their eldest brother hung. Socked feet scraped against the rough brickwork of the wall, as Leo tried to gain a better grip, his breathing becoming short, desperate wheezes as he clung to the junction box.

…..

Ok, this was bad.

Leonardo watched his brothers run out from under him and towards the stairs. Sapphire eyes clenched shut, as the height from which he hung made his heart quail and his vision swim. He hadn't confessed this to anyone, but since becoming human, his fear of heights had returned with a vengeance. Something about the weaker human body, combined with the defenseless feeling due to missing his shell, made the fear much worse. Which definitely didn't help him in his current situation. The muscles in his arms were already screaming, mostly from the awkward grip he had on the junction box, and Leo could already feel his fingers slipping. A starburst of terror spun dizzyingly in the back of his skull. The eldest grit his teeth hard enough to make the molars creak, his arms aching as he pulled himself up by mere inches, the metal biting into his fingers as he adjusted his grip yet again.

"Leo! Grab my hand!"

A trickle of sweat tickled the hairline at his temple, and the young leader chanced a brief glance to his left. Donnie was standing with one foot braced at the line where the balcony crumbled, the other on solid ground, while he held an outstretched hand towards Leonardo, Raphael anchoring the genius by holding the other hand. Leo looked back up, ordering his hand to move, but was horrified to find he couldn't. His body rebelled, the irrational fear holding him in tight invisible chains. Not that Leo would ever classify his fear of heights as irrational, it was perfectly rational. He preferred to say that it wasn't so much he was scared of heights, as it was he had a deep, abiding respect for the law of gravity.

"Leo, my hand! Just take it!"

"I'm trying!" The blue ninja gasped, "but it's harder than you think!"

Now his shoulders were shaking, the sensation traveling down his back, all the way to his ankles. Leo's breathing hitched, chest pumping into billowing heaves as the teen began a swift descent into hyperventilation. Donnie flailed his arm, regaining the eldest's attention, "Leonardo Hamato! You will grab my hand!"

Wrenching his hand from where it hung on the bottom of the box, Leo tried to stretch the trembling limb out towards his brother, but true to their family's luck, the bottom of the junction box broke with a loud snap. Leonardo couldn't hold back the yelp that tore its way past his vocal chords as desperate hands were dislodged. The teen fell, fingertips scraping the brick wall, only to clutch the thick rope of wires threaded into the bottom of the metal box.

"Raphie, help me reach further out!"

The brawler growled, not trusting the balcony they were standing on, but knowing they needed to rescue Leo. Carefully, Raphael stepped forward, allowing the genius to dip further down, stretching his arm as far as he could. "Leo, we got you, just grab my hand!"

Sapphire eyes closed, and Leonardo pulled in three deep breaths, centering himself, taking the fear and boxing it up to be dealt with later. Then, in one mighty effort, the teen pushed off the wall with his toes and flung himself towards Donnie. The purple ninja grabbed his eldest brother, strong fingers digging deep into the blue hoodie, twisting into a firm hold. "Pull us up!"

Raphael pulled, jaw set in a determined snarl, even as the thin arms of Mikey wound around his waist to assist in the rescue effort. The red ninja had to stifle the cackle, as Michelangelo added exactly nothing, his slight frame not really pulling much weight, but Raphael could understand the sentiment. Mikey wanted to help, so he did what he could. In under a minute, the four teens were pulled onto solid ground, the team collapsing into a pile as all heaved for air. Raphael lifted an exhausted fist, flopping it down to give his leader a gentle swat on the shoulder.

"What….the shell….were you doing?!"

"Tryin' to fix…something," Leo gasped, shoulders shaking with a brief coughing spell, before settling his head back onto Donatello's chest, "fuse blew…in the lab."

Donnie shook his head from where it lay on Raph's legs, "I knew I needed to….double check this balcony…been putting it off….stupid…"

"Of all times ta break," Raphael groaned, "it had ta be today…. even human….our turtle luck is runnin' true ta form!"

"I concur," mikey whined, voice muffled from underneath the brawler's bulk, "but while I'm glad we're all still alive, can you guys please, get up?! I'm squished under here!"

Raph felt a wicked smirk quirk his lips, lifting his head just enough to see a pair of small feet sticking out from the small of his back, "Oops," he chuckled, "I thought the floor felt different, yer so scrawny now Mikey, I couldn't see ya!"

The youngest wriggled up enough so he could pop his head up from underneath the red ninja's shoulder, "Shut it, Raphie! And while you're at it, get up!"

Raphael leaned back, allowing his body to relax enough to become dead weight, "Nah," he sighed, "I think I need ta lay here a minute, pullin' Donnie and Fearless up took a lot outta me, I think I might of pulled somethin'."

"RA-APH!" Mikey whined, small fists beating Raph's back, "you're squishing me! I can't breathe, dude!"

"No, can do, kid," the brawler said with a dramatic groan, "I think I hurt my back, can't even move an inch, I'm stuck here."

Leo and Donnie were melting into giggles, watching as Raphael trolled the youngest, the large teen continuing to grumble out how he was trapped on the floor, and Mikey squawking at their hot headed sibling to get up. Finally the smallest ninja cast pleading baby blue eyes at the eldest, lip protruding in an indignant pout, "Leo!" He begged, "Save me before I'm turned into a pancake! I'm already human, I don't wanna become breakfast food too!"

"The kid has a point," Donnie mused between chuckles, "if we don't rescue him soon, he might actually become a pancake, then Raph just might eat him."

Leo cackled at the image, "We can't have that, can we?" He asked, rolling over onto his stomach and then army crawling up towards Raphael, "I'm coming, Mikey!"

Michelangelo peered around Raph's shoulder, sending a gleeful look of victory at the red ninja, "Hear that? Leo's coming for you!"

"Too bad," Raphael shrugged, valiantly fighting against the laughter crawling up his throat, "I'm still stuck, he can't lift me, so he can't move me."

"I don't have to lift you, to move you Raph,"

The brawler paused, hair standing on end at the evil tone Leo was using, topaz eyes glancing down to see a sapphire gaze glittering with mischief, "Leo, I don't like that look ya got."

Leonardo gave a dark chuckle, "Then you'd better move, before I make you move."

Raphael thought about it, he genuinely did. However, no matter how evil Leo looked in that moment, surely he couldn't do anything to make him move, right? Choosing to gamble with fate, Raph crossed his legs, and laced his fingers together across his chest, then closed his eyes and started making fake snoring sounds. Mikey wriggled underneath him, his legs kicking in aggravation, "Ugh! Raph, if I could reach, I would have licked you in the ear by now, you jerk!"

Raphael just upped the volume of his snoring, utterly relaxed. He didn't even notice the air around him grow chilly as Leonardo indulged in a rare, devious grin, "All right, Raphie, you asked for it."

Diving forward, Leo aimed for the one ticklish spot on Raphael's body. When they were tots, Raphie had exactly on place that they could tickle attack, but as they grew up, and their plastrons hardened, the tickle spot was covered up. However, he didn't have the luxury of their natural body armor, and it left him exposed. Pale fingers grabbed the area near the top of the brawler's rib cage, below the shoulder blade and close to the muscled part of the armpit. With a skillful twist, Leo vented over a decade worth of missed tickle attack opportunities onto his younger brother, a grin brightening his features as he saved Mikey from becoming a pancake.

Raphael leapt bodily up into the air from his back, a high pitched screech echoing through the lair. Flipping his body out of Leo's reach, the red ninja scrambled backwards, hunching his shoulders and holding his arms tight to his sides in defense of his one weakness. "What the shell, Leo?!"

For the first time since he'd been made leader, Leo truly indulged in his dorky, older brother side; a maniacal grin stretching across his face as his cackled like a movie villain, "You said I couldn't make you move," he chuckled, "but as you can see, I just did. Now," Leo paused, slowly clambering to his feet, sapphire gaze glowing like a cat's as he stalked toward Raphael, hands held in front of him like claws, "let's see how fast you really are?"

Topaz eyes widened a Raphael realized two very important details. One being that his tickle spot was no longer protected by his shell and plastron, and the other, that, as Leo was still ahead of him in the coordination department, he was well and truly screwed. With a building yell, Raphael scrambled to his feet with all the grace of a puppy, then took off at a sprint across the balcony and down the stairs.

Leonardo watched the brawler's retreat, then looked over his shoulder at his younger brothers, his eyes twin stars of joy as he gestured for them to join the chase, "Get him!"

Donnie helped Mikey to his feet, the duo running after their leader, and soon the lair was filled with the sounds of laughter and panicked screams, as Raph was chased from one end of their home to the other. Splinter, confused by the commotion, left his room only to watch in befuddled amusement. Raphael ducked the grasping hands of his brothers, jumping over the couch, and ducking behind various tables and chairs. The chase continued for several minutes, until the red ninja made a poor choice of sanctuary, running into the kitchen. Splinter gave a deep chuckle, watching as the brawler ran to the other side of the dinner table, faking left then right, before sprinting left, but unfortunately his decision to run to the kitchen meant that he had boxed himself into a corner, and being hunted by three brothers meant he had essentially trapped himself with no mode of escape.

Michelangelo jumped onto Raphael's back, thin arms wrapped around the muscled teen's neck, and legs hooked around the broad back. As Raphael tried to dislodge the youngest, Donnie and Leonardo tackled the brawler down to the floor, where it immediately became a free for all. The red ninja was tickle attacked by all three siblings, his gruff voice lifted in breathless cackles as his brothers took out their revenge. However, the brothers doing the attacking were finding it hard to fight their own laughter, their energy wearing down as the pile once again collapsed in on itself, resulting in a puddle of giggles. The rat turned human slowly approached his children, heart soaring in happiness that they could still enjoy simple childish pleasures, in spite of their many difficulties in life.

"Dare I ask what's going on here?"

Four heads popped up from the floor, the boys exchanging sheepish grins, silently asking each other who would explain. Inevitably, they all turned to their leader, as Leo gave a snort of laughter which made the brothers bust into another round of giggling. "Uh," the eldest attempted, "we…we were trying to…um…"

Donnie cackled at their leader's flailing, brown curls sinking back down to the floor, before craning his neck backwards so to look upside down at their father, "We were doing an experiment," he stated.

"Oh?" Splinter stifled a guffaw at the comical sight, "What kind of experiment?"

"Uh…" once again the boys were at a loss for words, and Raphael stepped up to the plate, "Leo fell," he said, giving a firm nod with his head, "so, Donnie and I rescued him, but then we all fell, and I was squishin' Mike, so…"

Mikey grinned when Raph hesitated on telling his father that he'd allowed himself to get sneak attacked, so he willingly jumped in, "So, Leo made him move, by tickling him, and I helped! Then we all started chasing Raphie, which led to now."

Splinter paused, memorizing the sight of his boys looking up at him, faces wreathed in grins. It was heartwarming, to be sure, and the rat turned human carved the image into the tablet of his heart. "I'm glad to see you have so much energy," their father finally chuckled, "April called, and she wishes to take us all to lunch, I expect you to be presentable and on your best behavior, understand?"

"Yes, sensei!"

With much shoving, and guffaws, the teens got off the floor, each jogging to their rooms to find something to wear to lunch. Leonardo couldn't hold back the happy smile gracing his features as he unconsciously conducted a head count. All brothers present and accounted for, he'll double check before they leave to ensure that their father not need send anyone back to change, though he was sure they'd be fine. For now, the eldest closed his bedroom door and quietly ducked under his bed to grab a loose brick in the floor, and lift it up. Nestled inside the hole, was a small cookie tin holding all the money he'd saved up over the years. While certainly not a fortune, it was enough to help him give each of his brothers a special day out, with one-on-one bonding doing an activity tailored specifically for each sibling.

Head buzzing with pleasure at the gifts he was about to give his brothers, Leo placed the tin in a book bag April had bought for him. The woman was helping him with his plans, and he was going to give her the money tonight after dinner. Preferably after everyone had gone to bed. Zipping up the bag, Leo cast about for his shoes, grimacing at the unwieldy clothing item, before finding them in his closet. Shoving his feet inside, the young leader grabbed a jacket and then ran out the door. Imagination alight with the joy he hoped to give to his precious little brothers, and the wonderful days he was planning for them.

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I decided to post it today due to the fact I'm preaching this Sunday, so I need time to prepare my sermon.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!