Rating: T

Warnings: Overall story - Brief mentions of torture. Bit of language.

Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon.

Summary: For months now, Mikey's been through hell with no one to count on but himself. He's finally been rescued but there are still two major problems; he's still desperately missing his family and he has no way home. No OCs. 2k3/2k12 crossover.

A/N: I know things are going a little slow in the terms of progress right now but I need to establish things first now that Mikey's beginning to settle in this world.

Guest: You're welcome :-)

Guest: No offence taken! I have no plans to include content requiring the rating to go up on this story. I would have preferred not to up the rating on my other story either but I felt I had no choice because of one particular chapter. Thank you :-)

Minnie1015: Yeah, no problem. It needs to be made a big deal out of because much as I enjoyed 2k12, it drove me nuts the way Mikey and Donnie were treated in regards to sparring and ninjutsu and other things as well. They are JUST as capable as Leo and Raph just in different ways. Lies! As I told you on skype, just by typing that you didn't say it, you did! XD

KaylaMicael: Thank you. While I'm not sure Splinter's... deficiencies will be called out as such, many of the problems will be noticed and addressed, especially as Mikey becomes more confident in his place here (he may be incorrigible but he's not deliberately disrespectful XD). I actually do like this Splinter but yeah, the favouritism he shows Leo, and to a lesser extent Raph, is awful... (2k3's def my favourite though XD)

T420000: You're welcome and thank you :-)

Cristal: Thank you. With Google Translate to help me, any language is fine and appreciated XD Yeah, Mikey and Klunk miss each other very much but at least Klunk does have someone thanks to 2k12 Mikey being there for him :-) Here's the next chapter now. Sorry for taking a little longer with it but I wasn't quite happy with it before now.

AOtGO – Aftermath

Ch 15

Date: 23rd Sept

"Michelangelo, you must forgive yourself for it is not your fault," Splinter said firmly and calmly. "You had simply surviving to contend with."

"Yeah, I know that but..."

Splinter fixed him with a look, both compassionate and commanding and Mikey wilted beneath it, sighing miserably.

"Klunk's got no one else," he whispered, closing his eyes in pain.

"Your brothers will look after him, Michelangelo. Have faith in them."

"Y-yeah," Mikey muttered brokenly. They would keep him well fed but Klunk needed so much more than just food and water and he was unlikely to get that from his brothers. Leonardo, he knew, never approved of him taking Klunk in. He never tried to tell Mikey to get rid of him or anything, it was Christmas, after all, and after hearing how Mikey found Klunk, Leo would never be that heartless. However, he did question if Mikey had actually thought it through, having the responsibility of a life in his hands. Not just for a few hours or an encounter but for the rest of Klunk's life. He'd also made a comment about Klunk being a cat and how would their father feel about the situation. Luckily, Splinter had been fine with Klunk, though there had been a couple of incidents early on of dead rats being left at Splinter's door with Klunk watching on, wide-eyed and challenging.

Donnie had been taken with Klunk at first. Until Klunk got into his lab, that was. It had been a relief for the brainiac after they were forced to find a new home and his new lab had a door he could firmly close in the ginger kitty's whiskered face.

Raph often gave in to Klunk's demands of attention but only when he thought no one around. However, his patience soon grew thin when Klunk began to play too hard, using tooth and claw with the rough turtle. Mikey was sure the problem there was that Raph was afraid of accidentally hurting the small cat. As such he preferred to keep his distance. The further fear was that Mikey worried about how Raph, in particular, took his supposed death. A part of him was certain Raph would push everyone away in his grief and that would include Klunk who would remind Raph too much of him.

No, while Klunk would be fed, he would be left alone to his own devices and Mikey hadn't even spared a thought for him in all those long months.

"Your priorities over the last months, by necessity, were survival, Michelangelo. Both physically and mentally," Splinter pointed out gently. "You cannot fault yourself for not thinking of things outside of that. Now that you have your freedom again, it is safe to think of such things. However, you must not let the guilt of not doing so beforehand consume you."

Mikey's gaze flickered up to Splinter's face once more. "I... I know, Sensei," he swallowed unhappily, "but it's not that easy..."

"I understand, Michelangelo. It will take time and it is something you will need to come to terms with for yourself," Splinter agreed gently. "Please remember though, that I am here when and if you need an ear."

Mikey smiled sadly, fiddling with one of the oversized kneepads he wore in readiness for training. "Thanks, Sensei," he murmured.

"Of course. Now, you cannot change the past but you can shape the future and on that note, if you feel up to it, will you tell me about Klunk?"

Mikey searched Splinter's face again, relaxing slightly at the sincerity he saw. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything you wish to tell me," the ninja master smiled gently. "Perhaps how you acquired him?"

Hesitantly at first and then more confidently, Mikey launched into the tale of how he found Klunk abandoned in the snow, hungry and shivering at Christmas and how they fought to save the day from thieves determined to ruin it for their own profit and the way he and Klunk had become attached to each other since.

At the end of the tale, Splinter smiled, seeing Michelangelo a little happier after talking about his cat but since he still seemed out of sorts, he decided it time to meditate. Michelangelo's fidgeting and apprehension grew stronger at the suggestion but still, he took a deep breath and agreed without complaint, settling himself into the cross-legged position he'd been taught to meditate in.

As Michelangelo closed his eyes, Splinter spoke in a calm, even tone, "My impression since I met you is of a naturally positive-minded person so what I would like for you to focus on during this session, is that aspect of yourself."

Mikey quirked an eyebrow ridge questioningly. While Splinter was technically correct, he hadn't felt particularly positive in a long time and he wasn't sure how to go about it now.

"For the purpose of this exercise, I wish for you to think of something that has made you happy since coming to this world and to focus on the feelings and sensations of that moment."

But he wasn't happy and other than the blanket thought of, back when he was still home with his family and friends, he couldn't remember the last time he was truly happy. He frowned at the impossibility of the assigned task.

"It need not be something significant or obvious," Splinter continued, still in that low, soothing tone. "It could be the smallest thing that no one, even yourself, would normally consider."

"But what if there is nothing?" Mikey asked softly.

"It could be just a fleeting moment but I am sure it is there and it is your job to find it. If need be, start at the moment you finally regained your freedom. If that is the only moment, so be it. Nevertheless, I wish for you to examine how you felt at that time," Splinter instructed firmly despite the quiet and calm volume of his voice. "After you have examined the memory and taken in how it made you feel, I want you to look for another. If there are none, that is fine but I still wish for you to try and if you do find another, then I wish for you to search for the next, no matter how long or fleeting the feeling."

He could do that. Mikey nodded slowly and breathed deeply, settling deeper into his meditation as he cast his mind back, searching for the moment he'd first caught a glimpse of the other-dimensional turtles before realising they weren't his brothers.

-:-

Splinter's ears twitched as the sound of familiar teenage voices entered the lair. A short time later, he heard Raphael and Casey leaving again as soft footsteps approached the dojo. He opened one eye to see April falter in surprise just inside the door and he smiled warmly at her, lifting a finger to his snout in a shh! gesture before effortlessly rising to his feet and ushering her from the room.

"We will have to postpone the start of our lesson for a time," he apologised quietly. "Michelangelo will be joining us today and I have assigned him a task that I prefer he complete before we begin. I suggest you spend some time with Donatello or perhaps make a start on your homework until we are ready."

"That's fine, Master Splinter," April smiled in some relief. "Honestly, it's been a long day and I could use a few minutes before we start anyway. I'll grab a snack and go join Donnie."

Splinter inclined his head and watched April head to the kitchen. Then he rejoined Michelangelo in the dojo.

-:-

Mikey took a deep breath as he finally opened his eyes and breathed. Lacing his fingers together and lifting his arms high above his head, he stretched before shifting them to the front and stretching again. Only then did he turn to Splinter, seeing the ninja master's eyes open also as he smiled at him.

"Gotta admit, Sensei, I didn't think that was going to do anything for me but I feel heaps better now and I found several things that have made me happy, even if only for a moment."

"That is good, Michelangelo."

"Did you want to hear them?"

"Only if you wish to share," Splinter agreed. "It is enough that you were able to get something out of the exercise."

"Mmm," Mikey agreed with a thoughtful hum. "Maybe I'll just share a couple of things? The others are kinda personal or pretty embarrassing," he admitted with a snicker. Well, not embarrassing to him as such but others might take it the wrong way or make fun of him for it. He didn't really think they would but still, sometimes it was better to keep such things to himself. Though if he were home he definitely would have told his brothers just for their reactions alone.

Splinter inclined his head delicately and waited for Michelangelo to gather his thoughts together.

"Well, I'm sure it sounds kinda weird but not counting finally being rescued, which definitely made me happy, the first thing that made me happy was breathing the 'fresh' New York air," he chuckled self-consciously, rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke.

"Ah, nothing like good old polluted city air, I suppose," Splinter agreed with a chuckle of his own.

"Pretty much!" Mikey agreed with a grimace. "The air in that place was awful! It was recycled and had this really bad stink you just couldn't escape from!" Not just the 'food'. "The feel of the breeze in the city was amazing after that! And seeing the night sky and the city lights?" he asked wistfully, wanting so badly to go out and see them again now. Unfortunately, it had been made pretty clear he wasn't allowed topside just yet. "I was so tired and kinda cold but it still felt really good, you know?"

"I can imagine."

Mikey's smile turned tight. "I really hope that's all you have to do, Sensei. Imagine it, I mean," he clarified darkly. Then, with effort, he pushed the encroaching darkness from his mind and worked to bring back the happier thoughts and memories he'd dwelt on during meditation. He took another deep breath and smiled broadly again, "The other thing I want to share is..." his eyes drifted around the room briefly, before settling back on Splinter, "I-I know you guys have your own problems right now an-and I haven't made things easy but..." he took another deep, shaky breath and fiddling with his kneepad anxiously, forced himself to continue, "you've all been so welcoming to me. I-I know I don't show it too well but... it means more than you know. That and..." his eyes flickered down and up again briefly and he swallowed, "just... just hearing other people's voices again instead of just my own or... or theirs," he finished in a whisper, no longer quite able to meet the ninja master's eyes as he tried to block the memory of their voices from haunting him.

Splinter reached out a bony hand to clasp Michelangelo's and Mikey looked up again, startled. For a moment, he stared, then he smiled gratefully.

"Thanks, Grandpa-sensei."

"Any time, Michelangelo," Splinter replied gently. "Now why don't you go get a drink and do what you need to do. We'll start our lesson in five minutes."

Mikey nodded eagerly and extricated his hand before bounding lightly to his feet and all but skipping out the dojo.

-:-

They'd been training for an hour and a half, working on repetitive but basic punches, blocks, strikes and kicks and worked through the first five kata before Splinter called a halt to give them a quick drink break. As April jogged tiredly for the water bottle she kept on the bench, Splinter turned to Michelangelo, telling him to take a twenty-minute break to get a drink, snack and rest.

"I can keep going, Sensei!" Mikey protested desperately, frowning in dismay at being sidelined already. And though he was exhausted, he could. April, too, was clearly tired but Splinter wasn't forcing her to stop.

Splinter stiffened almost imperceptibly, something Mikey wouldn't have thought he could do considering how stiffly he normally carried himself already. "That was not a request, Michelangelo. I will see you in twenty minutes," he commanded, already turning back to April who was making way back.

Summarily dismissed, Mikey scowled as he slunk from the dojo. This class was not as intense as the one for his other-dimensional brothers given April was still considered a beginner and she was just as wiped so he couldn't see why he was being singled out like this and it sucked!

Slowly, he made his way to the family room where Leonardo sat in the pit. The TV was on and the volume low but the other turtle wasn't paying attention to it. Instead, he was working on sharpening shuriken while reading something that looked serious from a printout. Beside him sat an icepack which he obviously used from time to time as per Donnie's earlier instructions and Mikey felt another flash of guilt at what he'd done that morning as Leo looked up at him.

"How's it going?" Leo asked curiously, flashing him a wan smile.

Mikey groaned dramatically. "Terrible, dude! I suck so bad that Sensei kicked me out."

Leo's non-swollen eye widened in concern and he sat up straighter. "I doubt that, Mike. Even if that was true, which it isn't, he wouldn't just give up on you like that."

Sure felt like it... "How would you know I don't suck? You weren't watching," Mikey countered, grousing as he eyed his other-dimensional brother.

"You joined us during training a couple of days ago, remember?" Leo pointed out flatly, putting down the shuriken he held to give Mike his full attention. "You definitely didn't suck then. Actually, despite your skills understandably being a little rusty and your obvious loss of stamina, I was surprised by how good you are."

Mikey's frown lessened.

"Tell me what happened."

Mikey sighed and did so and Leo smiled. "Remember our talk the other day about you eating more?"

Mikey nodded warily. He did and right now he wished Leo did not.

"Go do it," Leo commanded. "Master Splinter knows April's limits but he doesn't know yours and doesn't want to push you too hard too soon," he explained. "It's nothing personal, trust me."

"Okay..."

"I'm serious. It's a few hours since we had lunch so go get something to eat. It doesn't have to be much, in fact, it's better if it's not since you're going back to training in a few minutes, so just get a handful of nuts or sultanas or something."

Mikey's expression darkened. If he absolutely had to eat, he'd prefer something easy and quick to swallow down like noodles or something but unfortunately, noodles would sit too heavy in his stomach for training. His gaze turned towards the kitchen as he wondered how to get out of it, then he reasoned he could just pretend and say he did since Leo wasn't actually coming with him.

"That's an order, Mike."

Huffing unhappily, Mikey turned on his heel without a word and stalked to the kitchen. A couple of minutes later as he sat on a stool at the table with a glass of water and a handful of mixed nuts and dried fruit, Donnie poked his head in, the rest of him following momentarily as he cleared his throat nervously.

"H-hey, Mike. Leo said you were in here."

Mikey looked up to see reddish-brown eyes gazing at him expectantly.

Donnie flashed a fast smile and slid onto a nearby stool. "I uh... I have an idea I wanted to talk to you about," he said hesitantly. "I know you need to get back shortly so don't worry, I won't take long." Donnie's gaze fell on the handful of nuts Mikey held and hiding his preemptive grimace, Mikey shoved the lot in his mouth to get it over with.

"What idea?" he asked as he chewed, hiding his own sudden trepidation and causing Donnie to pull back slightly in disgust.

A moment later, Donnie pulled himself back together and studiously ignoring the bad manners and sight of chewing food, spoke up, "You offered to help me earlier and I'd like to return the favour," he explained seriously.

"You're already helping me," Mikey pointed out as he crunched extra loud. He knew it was rude and gross chewing with his mouth open like this but it was the only way he could ensure that Donnie wouldn't notice the fact that the taste of what he was eating made him want to throw up.

Donnie sighed and steeled himself. "Look, obviously you have a problem with the Kraang and their technology," he said bluntly. "Honestly, I don't blame you given what little you've let slip but considering we don't know how long you'll be stuck here, you can't go through life living in fear. Especially if you plan to eventually venture topside with us."

Mikey swallowed the last remains of the food in his mouth with effort. "You think I want to be afraid?" he asked in a small voice. He hated it and he hated having to constantly work to cover up how he really felt. It was hard work and it made him feel worse.

"No, I don't," Donnie replied simply. "So what I propose is that at least once a day, you make a point of coming into my lab and spending time with me there."

Mikey stiffened, the sight of so much Kraang tech and scrap flashing through his mind. Donnie's lab was positively littered with that crap.

"We don't have to close the door and you don't need to go near anything," Donnie promised gently. "All I ask is that you come inside for at least ten minutes and keep a piece of Kraang tech or scrap in your sight. As you begin to feel more confident, then you can take further steps when you are ready. To make things easier, we can talk. We can talk about whatever you like. Something you saw on TV or read, you could tell me about your home and family or past missions. If you'd prefer to remain silent, I can do the talking. I don't mind either way. It's about desensitising you and helping you learn to deal with things you'll be likely to come across in everyday life in this dimension.

"Look, Mike, you came in there earlier today for my sake and I know that took a huge effort on your part," Donnie pointed out in the face of Mikey's obvious uncertainty. He leaned forward intently. "That's what got me thinking, to be honest." Then he smiled weakly. "I uh... have to also admit to partly selfish reasons for suggesting this."

Mikey raised an eyebrow ridge, silently inviting Donnie to continue.

"Besides helping you, it'll also allow us to get to know each other better and... I don't know how you feel but I'd like that. I..." he looked away nervously for a moment, then met Mikey's gaze once more. "I think this idea has merit and I'm not going to force you but... I really hope you'll agree to it."

The idea of going into Donnie's lab every day left him feeling cold but thinking on Donnie's words it wasn't without just cause and as he said, he really didn't want to keep living in fear like this. It was awful! This fear was different to his fears of ghosts and demons, no matter how terrifying the supernatural could be, if only because they'd never actually managed to hurt him the way they did. His eyes narrowed as he thought. He needed to be able to fight back if he came across them again and from everything everyone had said, that was likely and he needed to be able to do so without freaking out and possibly getting himself or someone else hurt and his other-dimensional brothers needed to know they could rely on him. The night he finally escaped, he'd managed to fight them with little problem out of sheer desperation but the longer he was free, the more irrationally he felt about them given the ways they'd hurt him and for how long.

"There's no rush for a decision, though honestly, the sooner we begin to try to work through this the better, Mike," Donnie offered quietly. "You've heard of the saying about how if you fall off a horse, you're supposed to get right back on, right?"

Mikey nodded numbly as he sat there, fingering the glass in front of him.

"The idea is that if you don't get straight back on, the fear of doing so again will build and build until you are too scared to get back on even if you previously loved horses and riding above all else. The same principle applies here. If you don't confront and deal with your fears sooner rather than later, it'll just make it that much harder to deal with when you really need to." Donnie leant back a little, putting them at a slightly more comfortable distance from each other. "The fact that you willingly came into my lab earlier today says a lot, Mike. I saw how nervous you were, how you kept a careful eye on the Kraang tech and some of my equipment the whole time as if fearing it would attack you but you were able to put aside your fear enough to talk to me because you felt it important enough to push through. I'm just asking you to continue to do that on a daily basis."

Mikey nodded again, his eyes drifting over to the clock on the wall. Abruptly, he shot off the stool; he was due back two minutes ago! "I gotta go! Sorry, but can I think about it and get back to you Don?" he asked, bouncing anxiously up and down as he edged towards the door.

"Of course," Donnie replied and Mikey tore out the kitchen and back to the dojo, leaving his glass on the table.

-:-

"Sorry I'm late, Sensei!" Mikey apologised in a rush as he raced into the dojo. "Donnie needed to talk to me about something and I lost track of time!"

Splinter gazed at him for a few moments, making Mikey extremely uncomfortable before dismissing April for a twenty-minute break of her own. "Was it more important than training?" he asked impassively, leaving Mikey squirming in place.

"I'm not making excuses, I was just letting you know what happened and I'm sorry! I'll try not to let it happen again, Sensei!" he rushed with a deep bow to show his respect.

"That was not what I asked. I asked if it was important?" Splinter repeated in the same flat tone and Mikey wilted, squeezing his eyes shut in dismay.

"Y-yeah, it was, Sensei but... it's not as important as training and it's no excuse," he swallowed unhappily.

"Very well," Splinter replied with a sharp nod. Mikey peeked up at him and straightened upright once more. "You can tell me about it after training. For now, I suggest we continue as we have a lot to get through before April returns."

"Yes, Sensei!" Mikey automatically responded. He rushed to get into place and Splinter began teaching him kata starting with the first he hadn't known from his previous training session with them. Some of the patterns they went through he already knew so Splinter moved on quickly to the next. In the end, the ninja master nodded, now having a better idea of what they needed to work on in future and then April returned, refreshed and raring to go.

Sliding into place beside him, April shared a friendly smile with Mikey and turned her attention on their sensei. Splinter regarded the pair a moment, before focusing on April.

"As you have a training partner for the next couple of weeks, we are going to spend the second half of the upcoming sessions working on techniques for breaking holds and disarming opponents, after which," here, he cast an admonishing look at Michelangelo, "we will finish off the lesson with a short, light sparring session," he explained, emphasising the word light as if in warning.

Mikey grinned excitedly. That was more like it! Honestly, this kind of stuff was simple to him but it allowed for some fun. Far more hands-on than boring and repetitive punches and kicks yet just as important and once you had the basics down, you could get totally creative with it because the more unexpected, the better your chances of escape.

Splinter gave him a pleased nod at his enthusiasm. "Move to the centre of the dojo so you have plenty of space. Michelangelo, you shall be the aggressor first. Take April in a chokehold."

"Just a simple one or should I grab an arm as well?" Mikey asked, already stepping behind the younger redhead.

"Just a simple one to start with," Splinter confirmed. "We can move on to more complicated next time."

Mikey nodded and moved close to April, throwing his arm quickly around her neck and pulling her in against him. She flinched momentarily at the sudden movement but then relaxed, realising that while the hold was secure, it wasn't tight or painful. Splinter walked around, inspecting them, then nodded again.

"How would you break that hold, April? Go through the motions slowly, paying attention to form."

April stiffened slightly against Mikey's plastron as she thought about it.

"If Mike was human, I'd elbow him in the ribs to start with," April mused uncertainly. They'd been through the basics before but not often or recently enough for her to be confident yet. Her previous lessons mostly consisted of form and technique until now and other than working with Donatello or occasionally Leonardo on Saturdays, she'd only had Splinter to work with before now. As such, they hadn't had a lot of practice in hold breaking.

"Then for this exercise, pretend Michelangelo is human," Splinter instructed.

April filled with determination and she shifted slightly, manoeuvring to get her elbow in position and strike back into Mike's plastron in slow motion as Splinter watched. Grinning widely, Mikey exaggerated an "Ooph!" and reacted physically as if April had really jabbed him hard as he loosened his hold without letting go. April half-flinched before realising the turtle was simply (over)acting and reached up with a hand to yank his arm away and step clear.

"That is a good first step and it may, if you are very lucky, work against someone with little experience if you take them by surprise. However, if you are up against someone stronger or more experienced, you will need to follow through. Switch places. April, you will be the aggressor and Michelangelo, please demonstrate, but for now, keep it simple."

"Hai, Sensei!" April exclaimed at the same time Mikey answered, "Yes, Sensei!"

Suddenly, Mikey froze in place, a thought occurring to him as April moved behind him. "Uh... everyone here says hai instead of yes... should I be saying that too?"

Splinter shook his head. "While I would prefer it for the sake of uniformity, it does not truly matter. You are still acknowledging instructions and that is sufficient. You may use the word you are more comfortable with."

"Okay," Mikey frowned, his head bowed slightly. He thought about it a moment before trying it out. "Hai, Sensei. Hmm... it sounds cooler, at least."

Splinter chuckled slightly. "Indeed. It is also traditional. From what you have told me about your home life, I gather you do not practise Nihongo – the Japanese language – at home?"

Mikey shook his head. "Nuh, we never learnt it. I've picked up a few words watching anime and from Leo after he returned from training in Japan but that's about it. I think Leo is pretty fluent but he doesn't use it around us."

"I see," Splinter mused. "I will have to inform my sons of your lack of knowledge in our original language. After I mutated, I was in such shock that I reverted to Nihongo and started teaching it to my boys. Only belatedly did I realise I needed to teach them English since we live in New York and they would one day be exposed to the surface. While they mostly use English, they occasionally default to Nihongo themselves, particularly if emotions are involved."

Mikey's eyes widened in horror. They'd totally be able to exclude him if they wanted to and that thought terrified him. Not being able to understand their squeals much of the time always led to problems or pain for him and it was still all too fresh.

April reached up a comforting hand to his arm and smiled. "I'm in the same boat as you, Mike. I've picked up a few words while hanging around here but that's about it. They guys try not to shut me out though and are quick to apologise and usually explain what they said if they do."

"Do not worry, Michelangelo, you will not be left out of conversations," Splinter promised. "I will speak to my sons about it tonight."

"Thanks, Sensei," Mikey said quietly, knowing that regardless the other turtles could and would use their other language if they didn't want him to know something. Still, though, he worked to calm himself because they'd never use it against him the way they did back there. Maybe... he frowned as he thought rapidly, maybe he could ask Donnie to teach him some Japanese while in the lab. He didn't think he'd be able to bring himself to talk about the crap he'd been through with the other turtle, they weren't anywhere near there yet, but having something to concentrate on while in the lab might help keep him from worrying too much about them. He nodded, his hand unconsciously drifting to his eye and rubbing. As he noticed the light irritation worsen, he slapped his hand away and turned to April with a broad smile pasted on his face.

"You ready, dudette?"

April nodded determinedly, then studied his carapace critically. "If I can even reach, that is," she said dubiously. "You're taller than me and your shell is pretty large compared to the guys."

Mikey looked over his shoulder in surprise. It was normal to him but compared to the other turtles, it was far rounder. "Are you calling me fat?" he deadpanned.

April blushed furiously. "No! Of course not!" she spluttered indignantly. "Just... I'm not sure my arms will reach?" she finished lamely.

"So you are calling me fat, then," Mikey retorted, trying to hide the genuine smile from playing the corners of his mouth and not quite succeeding.

"No!" April laughed. "Stop twisting my words, you menace!"

"Yame!" Splinter suddenly commanded, his face conspicuously emotionless as he tried desperately not to show his amusement. He didn't enjoy the disruption to the lesson but he did like seeing the lost turtle's playful nature surfacing. He only hoped it was natural rather than forced. "Just do the best you can."

"Hai, Sensei!" the pair automatically responded, snapping to position.

It was awkward. Mikey tried to stand a little lower to enable April's slender arms to encircle his neck without her literally hanging off him. The end result wasn't perfect but it didn't need to be. When they were both ready and Splinter satisfied, Mikey slow-motion elbowed April in the ribs, grabbed her arm while stepping out and spun around behind her, twisting it behind her back just enough to let her feel it without hurting her. He finished it off by lifting a foot and gently push kicking it into the back of her knee until she went down.

Splinter nodded approvingly. "Defence is just as important as offence and you should choose which to use based on the situation. More often than not, a mix of the two is required."

"Hai, Sensei!" April responded as she took Mikey's proffered hand, allowing him to pull her easily to her feet.

"Switch places and go again."

-:-

For the next three-quarters of an hour, they practised breaking chokeholds and grabs along with the disarming of opponents, then moved on to a short sparring session. Splinter demanded it to be a no-contact session and for it to be slow, paying attention to form. He made them pause in place often while he corrected April's stance and gave them both advice. Then finally, he ended the session, asking April to get a mouth guard as soon as she could before they sparred properly. Once he sent April on her way, he called Michelangelo over.

Twitching and fidgeting in place, Mikey really hated being held back like this, he stood in front of Splinter, wondering what to say. He didn't feel entirely comfortable explaining exactly what Donnie had wanted and yet he owed the ninja master an explanation for his earlier tardiness. He took a deep breath, trying to expel the nervousness like breathing out a cloud of poisonous smoke in meditation.

"Don was explaining an idea he had to help me," he finally explained. "N-not about getting me home but..." his eyes wandered off to the side nervously, "to help me g-get past some of my... problems."

"I see," Splinter mused, stroking his long beard slowly. "And do you intend to take him up on his offer?"

Mikey sighed. He didn't want to and yet, he needed to because what Donnie said made sense. "I asked him if I could think about it. I haven't had a chance to yet 'cause, you know," he motioned to the room around them, "but I think I should. It's just..."

"Hard?" Splinter suggested knowingly when Michelangelo fell silent.

Mikey nodded miserably. "More than you know, Grandpa-sensei."

"Then as long as you give Donatello's suggestion serious consideration, I will forget about your late return this time," Splinter said firmly. "Now, while I have you here, I wish to explain matters pertaining to training. Not that I have to as Sensei," he admonished sternly.

Mikey blanched. Yeah, he totally shouldn't have argued earlier. That was total disrespect on his part whether he meant it that way or not. His own father would've had his head for such behaviour.

"It was not about you needing to rest, though you certainly needed to and it was inhibiting your performance, it was because you and April are at very different levels. I am... unused to training classes of such differing levels and while for the most part, it is fine, I needed to spend some time focusing on April specifically, as I did with you after you returned. I will continue to do this over the coming days to ensure you both get as much out of this training as possible.

Mikey blinked in surprise, a small burst of happiness warming him as he realised that despite not actually belonging here, Splinter was trying to do the best by him that he could.

"There was nothing more or less to it than that, considering the second half of the current lesson plan is not as physically taxing as the first half. As you rebuild your stamina, however, that will change and the lessons will become more physically demanding. Now, answer honestly, did you eat something during your earlier break?"

"I had a handful of mixed nuts," Mikey grudgingly admitted.

"Very good. I suggest you have another now, then perhaps a shower once it is free," Splinter commanded.

"Yes, Sensei," Mikey quietly agreed, trying not to grimace at the thought of having to eat again so soon. Ugh... why couldn't Splinter just trust him to eat instead of ordering him to do so? And it was definitely an order despite the 'suggestion'.

"Do you have any questions or would you like to talk about anything?"

"I got nothing," Mikey admitted, shaking his head.

"In that case, I will see you at dinner, though you may, of course, come talk to me sooner if you need to," Splinter said, inclining his head politely before turning and walking into his private quarters.

For a moment Mikey watched him, then sighing despondently, headed for the kitchen, intending to this time only eat half a handful.

-:-

Comments, thoughts and concrit are always welcome.

* If you ever see my stories posted anywhere other than under the name Zelgadis55 at Deviant Art, FFNet, AO3 or Live Journal, then they have been stolen. Please report them.