Hello everyone, I know I'm late, but…..IM ENGAGED!

My boyfriend proposed, and this past week has been a flurry of excitement. Now I'm neck deep in wedding planning, trying to find the perfect dress, getting ready to move to the same town as my fiancé, and happily staring into space daydreaming about our future.

However, I won't forget about you my dear readers! Here's a bit of fluff for you!

April sighed, waiting as the teapot slowly came to a boil, while also monitoring the chicken noodle soup cooking on the stovetop.

The pregnant woman had stopped by just a few hours earlier, dropping off groceries she'd been requested to pick up, only to find her little brothers utterly miserable. All four turtles had come down with a horrible case of the flu, complete with muscle aches and fever. Michelangelo lay on the couch, bundled in multiple blankets and shivering pitifully. While Donatello and Raphael were huddled on the loveseat, seeking each other's soothing warmth despite the fever raging through their bodies. Leonardo seemed the most normal out of all of them, though, insisting he was merely congested as he cared for his siblings. Although, the human could tell his strength was already flagging. Master Splinter was helping the eldest, but the rat was also looking haggard with the effort it took to nurse three sick teenagers. Seeing the state of the young leader and his adopted father, it didn't take much for April to realize that she was needed in the lair. Rushing out the door and going topside, the redhead ran to the nearest pharmacy, and piled a cart with everything needed to fight the flu.

Now, she was preparing lunch along with a pot of tea to soothe sore throats raw from coughing.

"Thanks, onee-san," The hoarse voice of Leonardo whispered, the tired turtle sidling up next to his sister, resting his head on her shoulder, "we really needed you down here."

April gave a soft huff of amusement, her features quickly frowning at the fever she could feel burning under Leo's scales, "If you needed me, then why didn't you call?" She grumbled.

The blue ninja gave a weak one-sided shrug, "Didn't wanna bug you, plus it's just the flu. Figured we could handle it."

"Well, that was dumb," the woman stated, softening her words by giving the overly warm cheek a tender pat.

A sigh was her only reply for several seconds, before Leo wheezed, "Blame it on my headache, I'm not thinking too clearly at the moment."

"Your headache, or your fever?"

"I don't have a fever," Leo grumped, "I'm fine, just a little tired is all."

"Leonardo, I can feel it for myself," April pursed her lips unhappily, "why don't you get the thermometer? I want to check your temperature."

"April, I'm fine," the terrapin whined, his head falling back as he trudged away, "besides, I'm using it right now to check on Donnie, his fever spiked a while ago and I need to see if the medicine you brought is helping bring it down."

The woman released a soft growl at the young leader's stubbornness, watching his shell sway unsteadily with every footstep of the normally graceful turtle. No doubt Leo was unwell, but good luck telling him that. The kid was immovable when he was determined to prove a point, especially concerning his health. The blue ninja's stumbling gait reached the living room, stopping in front of the loveseat, allowing the leader to pull down the blanket and reveal the sick turtles that lay inside.

Leonardo leaned over the genius brother, tender hands caressing the sweaty brow, only to give an angry cluck with his tongue. April could only assume that the fever wasn't abating. Eventually the thermometer gave a shrill beep, and the cluck was quickly replaced by a disappointed groan. Staggering back to his feet, Leo wiped the thermometer down, then set it aside on a nearby table, his green hand snatching a washcloth soaking in a bowl of lukewarm water. Squeezing the excess moisture out, the eldest folded it neatly, then gently lay the cloth across Donnie's forehead. Brown eyes fluttered open, the genius fighting sleep as he allowed his brother to fuss over him. Leo merely smiled, stroking the warm brow.

"It's okay, Donnie, go back to sleep."

"My fever went up, didn't it?" Donatello asked miserably, "I can tell, my whole body hurts, feels like I was beat up by Chikara-sensei for three days straight."

"Just her?" Raphael grumbled, maskless eyes clenched shut against the headache stabbing his temples, "I'd say it was the whole tribunal…and demon Shredder ta boot."

"Dragon Shredder was worse," Mikey shivered, voice pitiful as it drifted up from the mound of blankets, "my ears were ringing for a week after that fight."

"Ain't no way dragon Shredder was worse," the brawler scowled, peeling one eye open to glare at the youngest, "it was a fair fight when we all turned inta dragons, tryin' ta fight him as us was impossible."

"Raphie, I love you," Michelangelo groaned, "but you're wrong. However, in deference to the fact that I'm about to puke, I'm not going to argue with you."

"How about you both be quiet?" Don whimpered, turning pleading brown eyes to his big brother, "My head hurts."

Leo gave a soft nod of understanding, "Let me get you another round of meds, it's about time anyway."

The terrapin made his way towards the kitchen where he'd left the box of medicine. Once again, April noticed his body give a concerning sway. The woman turned off the heat under the soup and teapot, worried gaze analyzing each footstep of the ninja. Leonardo braced himself at the table, a shaking hand pulling the box of medicine towards himself, fumbling with it as he struggled to pop the pills out. Suddenly, the teen's breathing started becoming ragged, his throat working as it swallowed over and over, while the blood drained from Leo's face. That's when the turtle took off, wobbling legs carrying him in a haphazard sprint out of the kitchen and into the nearby downstairs bathroom. A thunk echoed from the space, while the clank of a toilet seat being flung up made April wince. However, it was the noises that followed that left even the human's stomach roiling in sympathy.

Raw heaves bellowed from the bathroom, prompting April to trot after the eldest, stopping just inside the door to direct a sorrowful grimace at the teen. Leo was curled over the porcelain, the shaking in his shoulders increasing until it made his teeth chatter. His stomach spasmed, rolling through the quivering frame, making his body seize with every dry heave. Finally, after an eternity of agonized retching, it settled, leaving Leo panting for air, soft breathless whimpers whistling between clenched teeth.

"Leo, you doing alright?"

He blue ninja gave a shaky nod, "Yeah…I'm okay,"

April didn't believe him, but once again, this was Leo, the turtle who hated asking for help or admitting that he needed it. Slowly, the eldest straightened up, gritting his teeth against the wave of vertigo that slapped his senses sideways. April stood in the doorway of the bathroom, body tense with worry. Leonardo looked decidedly paler than he had a few moments ago, his broad shoulders shivering, and feet dragging along the floor. The woman moved to the side, allowing her adopted brother a path out of the restroom, green eyes heavy with concern. Suddenly the warrior paused, leaning wearily against the doorframe. Leo's sapphire eyes clenched shut, Adam's apple bobbing as the leader swallowed back what April could only imagine was another wave of intense nausea, his features growing frighteningly even more wan. Leo's chest heaved as the terrapin pulled in desperate pulls of air, prompting April to place a comforting hand on a quivering shoulder, rubbing soothing circles into the overheated scales.

"Leo," she cooed, "you need to lay down with your brothers and rest, I'm confident your fever is spiking, and I need to check to make sure."

"Can't," Leo shook his head weakly as he pushed himself off the doorframe to walk towards the living room, weary blue eyes looking at his big sister, voice reduced to a fluttering gasp, "my brothers…need me… I gotta….gotta…"

Suddenly the sapphire orbs dulled over, turning glassy and unfocused, before rolling into the back of Leo's head. With a crashing thud, the turtle swayed harshly to the right, before the muscular form dropped boneless to the floor.

…

"Get up, you lazy lump!"

Leonardo groaned, slowly coming back to himself. Everything was dark, probably because he hadn't opened his eyes yet. The revelation confused the turtle, as he couldn't remember when he'd closed them to begin with. Hadn't he just gone to get another round of medicine for Donnie? He needed to check on his brothers and check in with Master Splinter.

"Shift yourself, meat sack!"

That certainly didn't sound like his father. In fact, it sounded like, "Radar?" Leo asked, forcing one eye open to glare at the irate parrot, "How did you get here?"

The grey parrot was standing on his chest, its head bobbing up and down as the parrot made a variety of noises, "Drop and give me twenty,"

"I don't wanna," Leo whined playfully, flicking his fingers at the bird to shoo him away, "why don't you go somewhere else, huh? Go bug Mikey, or something."

"Squawk off!"

"I think that's my line," he stated as an amused snort shook the turtle as he made a weak attempt at sitting up, only for gentle calloused hands to push him back down, "Easy there, kiddo," a southern accent crooned soothingly, "you better not try moving around just yet, your fever is still a little higher than I'd like."

"Doctor Lowery?" Leo blinked his weary eyes, struggling to bring the elderly man's face into focus, "Is everything alright, why are you here?"

The man released a warm chuckle, skilled fingers grasping the leader's wrist to check his pulse, "Going by your question, I think it's fair to assume that you don't remember fainting earlier today?"

Sapphire eyes widened with horror, even as Leonardo's jaw dropped in shock. He'd fainted? But he wasn't even sick, or at least surely not as badly as his brothers. Not bad enough to faint at least. However, despite his insistence that he was fine, here he lay. With no memory of the incident. He must have fainted if the last thing he remembered was leaving the bathroom after being sick, and then mysteriously waking up to find Doctor Lowery having seemingly teleported to the lair. Who brought him here? Who called him? Probably April, because she was the only one around when he'd left the bathroom. Leo's stomach sank. Poor April, he'd probably scared her half to death.

Heaving a guilty sigh, Leo once again attempted to glance around and gain his bearings.

He was situated on a cot in the living room, as was Raphael and Donnie, with Mikey laying on the couch. All four of them had an IV bag pumping fluids through a catheter injected into their arm, while April went around with an oral thermometer checking each teen turtle's temperature. Mikey seemed to be doing better, he was piled up on pillows, quietly watching a show that playing on the television. While still looking wrung out from the flu, the youngest didn't seem as nauseas as he had been. Donatello was passed out, his chest moving up and down in smooth easy breaths, allowing the eldest to release much of the worry he'd held for the genius' fate. Raphael dozed on his cot, sleepily watching the screen of the TV, topaz gaze lifted to merely half mast. Which only left the leader, who found that his vision was still spinning dizzily, making his limbs weak and shaky. Leo frowned, he was utterly useless in this state. He hated being useless. Thankfully, Anthony was there to provide his brothers with the care he was too weak to give. Turning to their family doctor, Leonardo gave the human a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Doctor Lowery," he rasped softly, "I'm sorry we had to bother you."

Anthony gave a loud harrumph, shaking his head in fond frustration, "Bother me?" He scoffed with a grin, "Your family could never bother me. If anything, I'm curious as to why you waited so long to call? Your fever was dangerously high, young man, you had no reason to be pushing yourself when you should have been resting!"

Leo pouted at the finger wagging in his face, opening his mouth to defend himself, but was cut off by the sleepy voice of Raphael, "Listen ta the doctor, Leo," the brawler murmured, eyes never leaving the screen, "I get that ya wanted ta take care of us, but it was stupid ta let yerself get bad ta the point of faintin'."

"I concur," Donatello grunted, despite still appearing asleep.

"You stay out of this, Donnie," Leo grumbled, "you had the highest fever out of the four of us, so go back to sleep."

"Actually," the genius bit back, his voice taking on a lofty tone filled with superiority, "we both had the highest fever, which is why you fainted, aniki."

"I was fine," Leonardo whined, "I just…"

The eldest floundered for an excuse, his mouth opening and closing even as he winced as his stomach gave a nauseating roll. Michelangelo giggled softly from the couch, "Stop fighting, Leo," the youngest sighed, a fond smile lighting his features, "just cuddle your hot water bottle, and go back to sleep."

Anthony nodded his grey head, pulling the blankets back enough to place a freshly filled hot water bottle inside. "Your brothers are correct, son," he stated, situating the bottle where it could ease the nausea pains in the turtle's stomach, then tucked the blankets back up around Leo's shoulders. "Now, listen to your doctor and get some rest, I'll be here to take care of you for as long as you need me."

Weary sapphire eyes took one more darted glance around the room, only to find once again that everything was still as it should be. In spite of his instincts clamoring for him to be up and about, taking care of everyone, there was literally nothing for him to do. Master Splinter was resting in an armchair, while April gracefully moved between his brothers, ensuring that they were comfortable, and now Doctor Lowrey was there ensuring that they would make a complete recovery. Giving a resigned sigh, Leo nodded, then snuggled deeper into the blankets, feeling Anthony running his fingernails in soothing circles on his shell, the southern man humming an old church hymn in his deep baritone. That sound, added to the usual ambiance of the sewer, lulled Leo back into sleep, the sapphire gaze fluttering shut and the muscular frame growing limp as he slipped into the land of dreams.

I'm sorry it's not longer, but I wanted to give you something as a thank you for your patience.

I'm going to do a bonus chapter that's more on the fun comedy side, and then we get to the letter R which is going to be another arc series!

I won't tell you the plot, but I will say I was inspired by Stranger Things!

See you next time!