I'm so sorry that it took so long to get this chapter up. However, I've been going crazy with LIFE.

Plus, I may have sliced my hand open this week deep enough it went down to the bone. So, writing was difficult, but I managed to finish the chapter!

My amazing readers, thank you for your patience, and please pray for my sanity…because it's hanging on by a thread.

For now, I thought I'd expand on the last chapter?

Onto the story!

"You're kidding?"

The hoarse voice of their leader prompted Raphael to glance up from the magazine he was flipping through, a curious eye ridge raising as he shamelessly eavesdropped on the conversation. Around the red clad ninja, his brothers were sprawled across the living room, each occupying four cots, while their father had retired to the dojo for some meditation time, as the turtle teens were in various states of repose.

It had only been a couple days since Leonardo fainted, and all four boys were still down with the flu, but Donatello and Leo were finding recovery not coming as quickly for them as it had for the red and orange ninja. Granted, Raph still felt lousy, and Mikey still spiked a fever if he got too worked up. However, the two were happy to report that they could feel strength slowly returning to their limbs. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the genius and the strategist. Leo's fever had not left yet, remaining low grade, and Donnie could barely stay awake as the illness made the purple ninja practically comatose. Due to this, Anthony Lowery had become a familiar fixture in their underground home. In the evenings after work, when he wasn't checking on the brothers, the elderly vet was seated on the second armchair, watching soaps with Master Splinter while Radar terrorized Klunk in the background.

"Well, I don't think it's a bad idea, do you?"

Now Mikey was sitting up as a peal of feminine laughter rang from the mobile device, looking over at Leo, then glancing over at Raph, his own brow furrowed in bemusement. The brawler shrugged, turning his liquid gold gaze back to the eldest. Leonardo was talking on his shell cell, and the brothers had already long figured out that Glimmer was the one he was conversing with. Ever since their leader had been put on an enforced bed rest, Leo used the extra time to his advantage by talking to the mermaid whenever he wasn't asleep. By this point in their relationship the small family had gotten used to the random, and long, conversations held whenever the couple could squeeze one in. Not that Leo considered himself and Glimmer a couple, but even Anthony had begun ribbing the eldest with affectionate teasing over his girlfriend, prompting Leo to blush and awkwardly continue denying that they were dating.

Raphael exhaled a soft huff of amusement as he turned back to the pages of his magazine. As much as he knew he shouldn't admit this, the red clad ninja couldn't deny that he liked the girl.

Despite how awkward the first meeting went, despite the fact that Leo had almost been abducted and forced into an arranged marriage, despite the fact their leader needed to be rescued by his family from a crazy culture of merpeople and their insane government, the brawler liked the princess and thought she had been good for his brother. Leo was smiling a lot more, often heard laughing among the rafters in the lair when the eldest sought out a more private venue for their talks. Plus, if anyone had taught their leader on how to be a teenager, ironically, it was the Princess who had been denied her own childhood. Raphael smiled gently, hearing another round of trilling laughter from the princess over the mobile device, her bubbly voice quickly burbling in a tangent that the hothead couldn't quite make out, prompting the eldest to chuckle.

"Look, Glimmer," Leo snickered, his hoarse voice catching in his throat, making the teen shake in a small coughing fit, "I-I don't know what to-to tell you, but…"

Suddenly the blue ninja dropped the phone, eyes widening before slamming shut, fists clenched over his plastron as Leo doubled over with the force of the intense coughing. The raw barking startled Donnie out of his sleep, making the genius flinch awake and glance around with a wild gaze, before the chocolate brown orbs settled on Leo. Donatello made a move to get out of his cot to assist his brother, but the scientist could only moan when the motion made his tender stomach roil dangerously. Thankfully, by that point Mikey had already shuffled over to their leader, rubbing soothing circles into the shuddering shell, and murmuring comforting encouragement for Leonardo to take slow breaths between coughs. Seeing that the eldest was suitably cared for, Donnie could only collapse weakly back into his pillows with a miserable whimper. Raph quickly made his way to the purple ninja's cot, massaging the space between Don's shell and neck, easing some of the tension out of the strained muscles.

The youngest placed a tender hand on the forehead of the azure turtle, before giving a mournful shake of his head, "Your fever is spiking again, dude,"

Finally, the coughs subsided resulting in Leonardo slumping down onto his cot, shoulders heaving as he pulled rattling breaths into fluttering lungs, "I had a feeling," he rasped with a weary nod, "but, I hoped I was wrong."

"Stupid flu is really kicking our butts this time around, isn't it aniki?" Donnie asked plaintively, a slight pout adorning his lips.

"Yeah, but," another wracking cough, then the exhausted sapphire eyes reopened, "we'll beat it…like we always do."

Their leader attempted to sit up, reaching down to grab his shell cell, but the movement made Leo sway dangerously. "Oh, no you don't, dude," Mikey scolded, pushing his brother back down onto the cot, "Raphie can tell the princess that you're indisposed while you focus on this little thing we like to call, breathing."

"Indisposed," Leonardo huffed, attempting to stifle another round of hacking, "you make me….sound like a girl."

Raph winced as the blue clad brow furrowed when Leo once again helplessly began to croup, before dutifully going to pick up the dropped device and quickly put it up to his ear.

"Leo?! Leo, are you alright?!"

"Hey, Princess," the brawler sighed, "can my bro call ya back in a bit? He really needs ta rest, and his fever went back up."

Silence crackled on the line for several seconds, punctuated by a soft feminine gasp, "Of course," she breathed, worry evident in her tone, "I'm sorry, I didn't know that he was still so sick. He told me he was doing better."

"Yeah," Raphael sent a stern glare over his shoulder at the shuddering form of his leader, "what can I say, he's got zero self-preservation instincts."

"Don't remind me," Glimmer grumbled, "during the whole wedding fiasco I tried to convince him to escape, but he refused, the stubborn…"

"Yeah, that's Leo." Raphael chuckled as the mermaid muttered a few choice words in her native tongue. "Look, I'll have him call ya later, okay?"

"That's fine," the princess replied, "in the meantime, make sure he rests, tie him down to the cot if you have to."

"I'll take that under consideration," Raph snickered, then hung up the phone and turned to find a pouty glare being directed his way.

"May I ask what's so funny?" Leo queried hoarsely.

"You are," the brawler grinned, tossing the phone back onto his brother's cot, then shuffling back to his own cot so to continue reading his magazine, "even yer girlfriend thinks yer a stubborn dork with no consideration for yer own health."

Leo rolled his eyes, nestling himself against the soft pillows and pulling his blanket up to his chin, "She's not my girlfriend," he mumbled weakly.

Raphael dismissed his leader's denial with a wave of his hand, bypassing the magazine and choosing to pick up the television fire stick April had bought for them. She'd even connected it to the streaming services she'd gifted Splinter with, which had been a blessing while the brothers recuperated. Looking through the Korean drama section, a genre the turtle brothers were all guilty to admit they'd become obsessed with, the brawler selected a show they'd been wanting to watch together, Mystic Pop-Up Bar. Donnie perked up from where he lay, blinking a dull brown gaze at the screen as he shifted into a more comfortable position. Michelangelo merely grinned, stretching back out on his cot, keeping a steady eye on the genius should Don require a hot water bottle for the nausea he was still fighting. Leo stuffed the pillows under his arms, laying his cheek against the tops of his hands, settling in for a Netflix binge with his brothers.

While being knocked down by the flu was certainly torturous, even the studious eldest could admit that he enjoyed the company of his siblings as they were allowed unlimited TV time.

"Hey guys!" The cheery voice of their human sister suddenly rang through the lair, signaling her arrival, from the old service elevator they used to access the streets, "I come bearing gifts, and food!"

Leonardo sent a weary smile over his shoulder, watching the woman come to the living room burdened down with bags, "You spoil us, onee-san," he chuckled affectionately.

April merely replied with a fond kiss to the overheated temple, drawing back slightly to give the eldest an unhappy frown, "Your fever went back up." She groused, one eyebrow raising suspiciously.

The blue ninja pouted, slumping back down into his cot, "It's not my fault it won't go away," he grumbled, before whining miserably, "I've been resting like everyone else, and I haven't left my cot all day! I'm being good, I promise!"

"I guess there's a first time for everything," The redhead sighed as she edged around the cots to get to the couch, "besides, I think I have just the thing to help." She stated with a self-satisfied smile, "I stopped by an Asian grocery store, and they have those fever reducing forehead patches."

The leader perked up at the news, happily taking the proffered item, and eagerly applying it to himself before quickly sighing in relief at the cooling effect. As the human continued to dig through the bags, she cast a worried emerald gaze over at her fellow scientist, "Donnie," she crooned, patting the blanket covered leg, "How are you feeling sweetheart?"

"Like I'm gonna puke," Donatello groaned.

April nodded, grabbing a box of ginger vitamin throat lozenges, "Here, suck on this for now, and I'll make you a nice cup of ginger ale with lots of ice, sound good?"

The purple ninja nodded weakly, taking the item and popping it into his mouth. With that done, April glanced at Raphael and Mikey, happy to see them doing better than they had been the day before, "I'm glad to see that at least two of you are recovering."

Raph gave a casual shrug, "I've always gotten over colds an' stuff faster than my bros," he stated simply.

"Show-off," Leo hissed.

"I second that remark," Donnie agreed, sucking on his lozenge.

Raphael rolled his eyes, "How is it showin' off, when my immune system just happens ta work better than yers?"

"I could probably think of a reason," the purple ninja groused, "but I'm too sick right now, so I'll just have to educate you later."

Leonardo grinned, winking at Donnie, "Complete with PowerPoint."

The scientist giggled, the mirth cutting off with a wince when it made his stomach once again protest, "A PowerPoint presentation, and flash cards."

Mikey snickered, but turned back to April, ignoring his sickly brothers' sass, "As for me, I guess I just didn't get hit as hard as Dee and Leo. Not that I'm complaining, it's like a big sleepover with my bros!"

"Something I'd enjoy more if I didn't constantly feel like puking," Donatello groaned.

The youngest rubbed the genii's shoulder sympathetically, but brightened as a mischievous gleam came into his eyes, "Speaking of enjoyment," he drawled, wiggling his eyebrows at Leo, "what were you and the princess talking about that had Glimmer laughing so hard?"

"Yeah," Raph's head swung around to their now blushing leader, unrestrained curiosity written on his stern features, "I could hear her all the way over here, too."

Leonardo fidgeted on his cot, uncomfortable with the sudden spotlight being put on him, "We weren't talking about anything important," he shrugged.

"We didn't ask if you were talking about something important," Mikey snorted, "I asked what you were talking about that was so funny?"

"Big difference, bro," Raph drawled with a wicked grin.

"Oooh, I'd love to know, too," April snickered, turning all her attention to the eldest.

"Uh, well," The leader stammered, "she was telling me that her brother, Rogue, is officially courting Coral."

"Courting?" Donnie cocked his head in confusion, "I thought the merpeople practiced arranged marriages?"

Leo nodded, "They do," he replied, "but it seems that the Crown Prince has decided to start changing tradition by approaching Coral and asking her on dates."

"Isn't that the chick who's dad wanted ta kill ya?" Raph asked, an incredulous eyebrow raised.

"Yeah," the blue ninja shrugged, "but she actually doesn't agree with anything her father stands for. Plus, you'd think that Whale would be happy to see his daughter being pursued by the Crown Prince, but he's really mad because he knows that Coral supports changing their traditions.

"Also," Leo continued, "the fact that Rogue is rejecting the usual way of his parents negotiating their union with her parents, is really getting under Whale's skin. Rogue isn't hiding his intentions, either. He told her that he wanted to court her, and allow them the freedom to decide if they're right for each other. It's caused a really big stir in the city."

The long-winded explanation caught up to the leader, Leo turning his head politely away from April as he shook with a brief coughing fit. The woman wasted no time in pulling out a bag of cough drops loaded with vitamins and passing it to the eldest turtle. Leonardo gratefully tore into the bag, pulling out a cough drop that smelled strongly of menthol and peppermint, moaning in relief as it coated his raw throat. The younger brothers gave their leader a couple minutes to regain his breath and allow the blue ninja the opportunity to allow the lozenge to do its work. However, that didn't mean they were ready to let the subject go.

"So-o?" Mikey urged, twirling his index finger in a sign for the eldest to continue, "While that's very interesting, and I love me some royal family gossip, that's doesn't sound funny."

Leo rolled his eyes, giving his cough drop another deep draw, before shoving it in his cheek to reply, "The funny thing is that an elderly member of the council died, without an heir."

The room sat in silence, Leonardo's audience blinking in confusion, before Michelangelo warbled, "Ha-ha?"

"I think I'm missin' the punchline, Fearless," Raph smirked, crossing his arms disappointedly.

"I'm getting there," the azure turtle sighed hoarsely, "the reason why it's funny, is when a member of the council dies without a suitable heir to take his place, a new councilman must be chosen by the King.

"However, due to the fact that Rogue is very soon to ascend to the throne," Leo explained, "the King decided to allow Rogue the opportunity to fulfill this obligation."

Suddenly understanding dawned in the eyes of the younger siblings, Donnie slowly sitting up, nausea and all, to ask, "Who'd he pick?"

Leonardo grinned, sapphire eyes twinkling with mischief, "Rogue chose a member of the working class with no ties to any of the noble, or royal, families."

Raphael burst out in delighted cackles, a beefy hand slapping his thigh as he laughed, "Shell, that guy's got spine!" He chuckled, "Not even crowned King yet, an' he's already changin' the council!"

"That's why Glimmer was laughing," Leo nodded in agreement, "apparently Whale was not happy, screaming that there needed to be a proper order to the council, which means that council members must be from the nobility."

"While that's great and all," Donnie murmured, pursing his lips in ponderous thought, "can he do that? Legally, I mean? I can't help but figure that there'd be a law that would impede such a decision."

"That's the other funny part," Leo smirked, "there isn't."

Mikey perked up, baby blue eyes wide, "Seriously?"

The eldest nodded, grinning around his cough drop, "Apparently, it has never been formally written into law that council members need to be of noble or royal blood. It was always just assumed that they would be, and Rogue is using that loophole to get his choice onto the council."

"Whoa," Mikey breathed, face blank in awe, "I knew I liked Glimmer's family, but Rogue just went up a few points in my opinion."

"No kidding," Don chuckled, "I guess he's serious about wanting to bring positive change to their culture."

"This sounds great," April piped up suddenly, green eyes thoughtful, "and I don't mean to play devil's advocate, but I have a question."

Leo turned to their human sister, cocking his head slightly as he waited for her to divulge her thoughts, "Yeah? What's that?"

"Can this guy do the job?" The woman asked simply, "It's amazing that this Crown Prince is putting someone who can represent the working class on the council, but can the guy do the job?"

April sighed, "I'm all for positive change, but just choosing an affirmative action hire without making sure the person can fulfill the responsibilities, will only make things worse. It's great to open up places of power to those who may not have had the opportunity to achieve those goals before. However, if they go into the job with no skills, no knowledge, and no plan, you're going to end up with nothing but chaos. Qualifications should matter more than just checking some boxes."

Leo smiled, happily nodding to his big sister, "You're right, and thankfully, he is," the turtle elaborated, "I guess this guy is a laborer in charge of managing major construction projects as his day job, but at night, he studies all areas of history and the law because he felt he'd be more of a benefit to his community in politics."

"So, how'd the Prince meet him?" Raph asked.

"I guess he and the prince have been friends for a while," Leo shrugged, "Rogue met him some years ago when he snuck out of the section of the city set aside for the royal family. He was impressed with the mer's grasp of economics and policy, as well as his natural leadership abilities. I guess he talks to this guy regularly when he is puzzling out a problem, and needs advice."

April nodded, satisfied with the answer, "Awesome, then I hope everything goes well!"

"Me too," Leo gave a shy smile, "because with this council member, it may give them the extra vote they need to change the laws, including the one prohibiting travel outside the city."

Raphael gave his leader a knowing smirk, watching as Leonardo's face colored with a blush as their leader looked away in embarrassment. The brawler knew what Leo wasn't saying, and it was adorable. Obviously, the azure turtle wanted to see Glimmer again, and show her the wonders of their, relatively limited, world. It wasn't much, but Glimmer would be in awe of it, and Raph had a feeling Leo was already planning how to show the mermaid her first sunset. Leo was a romantic like that, not that the eldest would ever admit it, but Raphael could tell. Ever since their brother had met Glimmer and would shyly share some of the conversations and experiences he'd shared with the mermaid, the brawler began to see a glimmer (pun intended) of hope slowly peeking out from Leo's heart and gradually sparkling behind the sapphire gaze.

It was wonderful to see, and even had the toughest turtle in the clan daydreaming of when he might meet a girl of his own. Not that he'd ever admit it, either. Some things, even to his brothers, are best kept a secret. Besides, Raphael had an image to maintain.

"Anyway," Leo finished, snuggling down into the blankets of his cot, and turning his eyes back to the television, "that is what we were talking about. Glimmer thought it was funny how Whale was throwing a tantrum and was also being summarily ignored by the rest of the council."

Donnie snickered, "I wish I could have been there to see it," the scientist grinned.

"Me too," Mikey cackled, then shrugged as his laughter calmed, "as educational as this has been, who's hungry?"

"No," Don groaned, "I don't even want to smell food right now."

Michelangelo turned stern eyes on his immediate older brother, "Do-on," the youngest's voice was firm and unyielding, his tone similar to one their father used when the teens disobeyed, "you have to eat something. You won't get better if your body doesn't have the nutrients it needs to fight back."

"But I'm gonna puke," the genii whined.

"Not if it's a light broth," April suggested, sending a wink to Mikey, "you can sip some nice bone broth, at the very least it will feel good on your throat."

Donatello thought it over, a pout hanging on his lips, before he gave a resigned sigh, "Fine,"

"Perfect," Mike grinned in victory, "now be a good turtle and get some more rest, while April and I make some lunch."

"Whatever,"

Raphael chuckled as he settled back against the pillows of his cot, content to let the baby and their sister cook lunch. The quiet moment allowing the hothead to do a brief head count. Mikey was safe in the kitchen with April, their father was still meditating in the dojo, and Donnie and Leo were already engrossed in the Korean drama he'd selected earlier. Raph had to admit, he wasn't far behind them, either. Something about a haunted pop-up bar trying to solve people's problems was intriguing to the brawler. However, his family was safe, and soon on the road to recovery. So, with the quiet sounds of pots rattling around in the kitchen, and the living room filled with the Korean television show, Raph enjoyed the companionship of his brothers, while keeping guard of the sicklier members of their family.

Thank you for being so patient with me! I'd love to read your thoughts on this chapter!

The next chapter starts the next big arc, Rip! Like I said, I was inspired by Stranger Things, so I hope it lives up to your hopes and expectations!

See you next time!