"Michelangelo."
My eyes snap open, heart pounding in my chest as I glance around at my surroundings.
What? Where? I wince as I roll onto my carapace, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
Memories of hours earlier filter through my mind and I groan. Of course, I'm still in the lab. Sitting up gingerly, I search the dimly lit area. Donnie's nowhere to be seen.
Someone must have carried him to bed, I think, lips quirking into a small smile. A split second later it falls as I realize that if Donnie isn't in here, then he couldn't be the one who woke me. My eyebrow ridges furrow as I cautiously swing my legs over the side of the infirmary cot.
"So, if Donnie-boy isn't who spoke to me, then who is?" I murmur, tilting my head as I try to peek out of the lab without standing.
There is a faint flickering light coming from the TV pit telling me that either someone is watching something or left the TVs on by mistake. My arms ache as I lift myself off the cot, my muscles protesting with each movement. My snout wrinkles in annoyance. What did the U.P. do to me? I pause mid-step as my ribs twinge.
Maybe I don't want to know.
Shaking my head, I continue on, exiting the lab. My eyes skim the dim darkness, locating the TV pit easily. I frown. The TVs are flickering but nothing is playing on them, just the dreaded static snow. But the strangest part is that there isn't anyone in the pit. Usually, I'm the one who forgets to turn the TVs off, not my brothers or Sensei.
"Maybe they left it on as a sort of 'nightlight' for me," I mumble, giggling a little to myself as I descend into the pit, scooping up the remote and pointing it at the TVs.
"Michelangelo. Come to me, little one."
The remote slips from my hand as a voice whispers directly into my ear. Whipping around, my chest heaves as I scan the darkest parts of the lair, my heart hammering. The shadows remain still. I squint as my eyes land on the entrance to the lair. I gasp. The door's wide open! We NEVER leave the door open! And considering just how anal Leo has been with safety and keeping our home secret, I KNOW he'd have checked the door before heading to bed.
Hands twitching at my sides, I cautiously creep across the lair, doing my best to keep my breathing quiet while my heart pounds away in my ears. I pause a hairs-breath away from the entrance to the lair, peering out into the darkness of the sewers as I chew on my bottom lip.
"Come, little one. Come to where it is safe for you."
"But I AM safe," I murmur, tentatively stepping into the darkness. "My family is here. They've always kept me safe."
A strange tug in my chest causes me to hesitate, light from the TVs barely illuminating anything in front of me.
Where have I felt that before? I think as my hand flies to my chest, rubbing at it as the tugging increases. The soft, deep voice chuckles.
"They have, little one, but I….I will keep you safe forever."
I yelp when the tugging causes me to stagger forward a few steps. I blink at the sewer floor, a mixture of unease and warmth filling me. My lips slip into a frown as I realize that the warmth appears to be a mixture of my own and something foreign.
As if something is trying to influence my emotions…
My heart pounds as footsteps reach my ears. A cold sweat forms on my brow as I stiffly lift my head, stomach rolling and mouthwatering as a lumbering figure comes into view.
"No…" I whisper, fear slithering down my spine. "No, I didn't lead you here. You CAN'T be here. You just CAN'T be."
The Kyūkyoku no purotekutā stands tall and proud before me, the faint light of the TVs gleaming off of his marble armor. Gold eyes sear into me as I stand up, hunching my shoulders up and shrinking back into my shell just slightly. My arms press against my plastron as the Ultimate Protector steps closer.
"Come, my little Kyūkyoku no buki. I shall protect you and all the power you harbor deep inside of you."
I cry out in alarm as the U.P. reaches out, ready to grab me once more. Staggering backwards, the tug on my chest halts my movement to the point that I slip and nearly fall backwards. The tug holds me in place, my body hovering precautiously over the sewer floor. A gasp escapes me as I take in a thin, glittering gold sheen covering my body. I lift my arm up, staring at it as I continue to glow.
"Wha-What?" I stammer out, eyes wide as I glance behind me then back to the hulking form of the U.P. "How am I—"
"There is much you are capable of, little one," the Ultimate Protector says, voice radiating calm. "Allow me to take you from this place, and I shall show you your purpose and help you fully reach your TRUE potential."
I quickly shake my head, chest heaving as I struggle against the invisible hold keeping my aloft. Glowing! I'm glowing! It's that same light from before!
"Don't! I'm really okay as is, dude!" I shriek out, wiggling frantically, the light increasing causing my panic to flare. "I'm pretty sure I've reached my limit after everything with the Ninja Tribunal and winning the Battle Nexus! Besides! Leo, Raph, and Donnie have WAY more potential than I do! I'm sure they'd make a much better Kyūkyoku no buki then me!"
No! Nononononono! I don't want to go with him again! It was scary! And I sure as shell don't want to go through that horrible pain again! No way, no how. That hurt worse than the time that ancient Shred-head punched me and almost sent me into next week! And boy, did that hurt. My plastron was bruised for DAYS afterwards.
"Calm yourself, little one," the U.P. says softly. "I have you. You shall be safe forever."
I didn't mean to start scream, I really didn't. But, well, I guess it's just kinda my fail safe, ya know? When in a dire situation, scream as loudly as a mutant turtle can and hope that a brother or three are within range.
Good thing we're in a tunnel where my screams can echo and bounce around, I think briefly as I'm sure most of New York will be able to hear me alongside my brothers.
Screaming, I throw my arm in front of my face, squeezing my eyes shut, hoping that someone will hear me and reach me in time to stop the U.P. from turtlenapping me once more.
Please don't let me take me. I don't want to go!
"LEO! DONNIE! RAPH!"
"MIKEY!"
"MICHELANGELO!"
My chest tightens as I continue to scream, the voices of my brothers and father filling the air. Suddenly, warmth wraps around me and tugs me close. Panicking, I thrash, trying hard to break their hold, trying to slam my elbows back.
"NO!" I cry out. "I don't wanna go! Get away from me!"
The warmth tightens around me even as whoever has me grunts as my left elbow connects. Whoever it is merely holds me closer, their warmth pressing against my carapace before a breathless chuckle hits my ear.
"It's gonna take more den dat to get me ta let ya go, chucklehead."
Gasping, I allow myself to go limp as my head snaps to the side. Concerned amber eyes stare back as my vision starts to blur.
"R-Raphie?"
Raph's gaze softens, and I'm momentarily stunned on just how YOUNG Raph looks without his mask on, even with the dark circles marring his dark emerald skin. His brow ridges are furrowed as he watches me, but a tired smirk appears on my big brother's face as his arms, secure and a heavy anchor around my waist, tighten to keep me against him.
"Da one an only, baby brat." He rocks the two of us gently. "And I ain't lettin' ya go anywhere, got it? So, just calm down and breathe wit me, 'kay?"
Trembling, I frantically look toward the U.P. My eyes widen as I stare down an empty tunnel, taking in the lighter darkness and the faint glow of underground lights further down the way. The view is quickly covered as Donnie and Leo appear in front of me, weapons drawn and at the ready, eyes wide with concern and terror. Leo is maskless, just like Raph, while Donnie's own purple mask is hanging down around his neck, kinda like an ascot. Breathing harshly, I shakingly reach out for my other two brothers.
"L-Leo? D-Donnie?" I stammer, blinking rapidly as heat burns behind my eyes, unshed tears lingering worse than before. Donnie reaches out and catches my trembling hand, his chestnut eyes softening as my voice cracks.
"We've got ya, Mike, it's okay. Just follow Raph's lead and calm your breathing, bud. You're gonna end up hyperventilating the way you're going."
I shake my head, glancing down the tunnel once more, breath catching in my throat.
"B-But the U.P.," I manage between gasps. "It-They-He was t-t-trying to take me again."
Raph growls near my ear, arms tightening around me almost painfully, but at the moment I hardly care. My big brother has me and not that tall lumbering being. Please cling to the Mikey, dudes. I think I deserve some cuddles and big brother coddling tonight.
"Not if I have anytin' ta say about it."
Leo glances down the tunnel, katanas at the ready as his fingers flex on the hilts. Leo's lips purse as his steely eyes turn back to me.
"You saw the Kyūkyoku no purotekutā again? Down here?"
I nod, swallowing thickly as I fight back tears.
"He was right there! He was telling me that he would protect me and keep me safe, even safer than what you guys already provide." I shudder as the image of his large hand reaching for me flickers through my mind. Donnie rubs his thumb over my hand while Raph starts to rock us once more, growling deep in the back of his throat. Leo's lip curls into a sneer as he glares down the tunnel.
"Did he say anything else?" Donnie asks softly, his shoulders tense as Leo steps further down the tunnel, keeping the three of us directly behind him.
I squeeze Donnie's hand, a small bubble of panic forming the further away Leo gets, but I force myself to answer as Raph presses his cheek against mine.
"Y-Yes, he was saying something about r-r-releasing my true p-p-potential," I say, whimpering as phantom pains run up and down my body. "And I got this f-f-feeling that he was gonna use the s-s-same tech-technique that really, really HURT like earlier." I shudder again and this time, as my breath hitches, a sob quickly follows, hot tears streaming down my cheeks.
Donnie quickly invades my space, creating a comforting Mikey-sandwich with Raph as they both just hold me. Donnie murmurs comforting words into my free ear, doing his best to not smother my face into his plastron as he towers over me, rubbing the top of my head.
"You're okay, Mikey, we've got you. Just breathe for us, baby brother, nice and slow."
"No walkin', talkin' ancient piece of armor is gonna take ya from us again, Mike, we ain't gonna let it."
"And even if the Kyūkyoku no purotekutā did manage to take you, my son, we will always be there to bring you back."
I glance to my left as Master Splinter appears, his dark brown eyes gleaming in the dim light, his ears alert and his shoulders set. His gaze softens as I stare up at him and he reaches between Raph and Donnie, using his thumb to wipe at my never-ending stream of tears.
"Pr-Promise?" I ask, hiccupping and clinging to Donnie tighter as I bask in the love and safety that floats around me.
"We promise," Leo states, materializing to my right, replacing Donnie's hand with his own, rubbing gently. "Nothing will ever stand in our way when it comes to protecting each other. We would take on thousands of Shredders and even then, we'd still never give up on trying to reach you."
"Damn straight," Raph says gruffly from behind me. "Nobody takes our baby brother from us and gets away wit it."
My chest stutters as I sob again, but this time from all the love my family is pouring at me. Not sure what to say, and a tad embarrassed in the best way, I bury my face in Donnie's plastron again and just hiccup, allowing more tears to fall.
"I love you guys so much," I mutter once new tears stop racing down my cheeks.
"And we love you, my son," Master Splinter says gently, stroking a thin hand down the side of my face. "But now, I think it is time for all of us to enter our home once more. Leonardo, did you find anything in your search of the tunnel?"
I tense, holding my breath as I wait for Onii-san to answer Chichi's question. Raphie moves one hand and starts to rub my left arm, humming a random tune quietly. Donnie rubs my right arm, but I feel him shift to look at Leo.
"I didn't find anything," Leo states and I sag in Raph's arms. "No footprints or any indication that anyone has been down here that we didn't know of."
Raph lifts his head from my shoulder.
"Are ya sayin' dat Mikey sleepwalked out here?"
My eyes widen and I finally pull my head away from Donnie's plastron, turning to face my eldest brother.
"But it felt so real! There's no way that was just a dream, bro!"
Leo rubs my head, his dark brown eyes shining as he shakes his head.
"I think it was a mixture of both, honestly."
My eye ridges knit together at my eldest brother's words. A mixture of both? How does that work? Master Splinter hums in thought, stroking his little beard.
"I think I would have to agree with you, Leonardo," Master Splinter states, his dark eyes shifting to glance down at me as his hand lands on my shoulder, squeezing gently. "I do believe you were asleep, my son, when you saw the Kyūkyoku no purotekutā, however, I believe that what you saw was the real Kyūkyoku no purotekutā, but in a more spiritual way."
I frown as I process my father's words.
"So, what you're saying is that the U.P. was here but not here at the same time?"
Master Splinter nods.
"That is correct, my son. That when you fell asleep, the Kyūkyoku no purotekutā reached out to you and projected theirself to you."
"But why, Sensei?" I ask, voice cracking. "Why would the U.P. try so hard to reach out to me? What does he want with me?"
A sad gleam enters my chichi's eyes as he cups the side of my face. His thumb strokes me under my eye, his face tender as he studies me.
"The Kyūkyoku no purotekutā wants you, child, because you are the Kyūkyoku no buki, the Ultimate Weapon, that Karai was speaking of."
My stomach hits the floor and I know that if Raph moves his arms, my legs will give out from under me. ME? The Ultimate Weapon?! No way! The U.P. was right?! I thought it was some sick joke...
"B-B-But why?! I can't be the Ultimate Weapon! I'm…I'm…I'm just Mikey! The cute one! The funny one! I'm not a weapon! Half the time I can't even be serious, Sensei!" No. No. This isn't happening. This CAN'T be happening. This is just some prank that Master Splinter is playing on me to get back at me for switching the sugar with the salt three weeks ago. That has to be it!
"Mikey!" Donnie lifts my head and my vision swims. "Breathe, buddy! Nice and slow. In. Hold. Out. Hold."
Blinking, I try to do as my immediate older brother asks, confused at first about the impromptu breathing exercises. I'm most certainly breathing like he wants, aren't I? My chest is moving, and I can feel the air going in and out. Although, it does feel a little FAST, doesn't it? Frowning, I repeat Donnie's instructions and I see a small smile from on his lips.
"There, that's good, Mikey. Keep doing that. In. Hold. Then out and hold." Donnie lifts his gaze as he addresses the rest of our family. "We should get him onto the couch with some blankets. He's feeling awfully cold to me, and I don't want him slipping into shock."
I only see Leo and Master Splinter nod, but I can feel Raph's agreement from behind me. Raph removes his arms from my waist, bringing one up to wrap around my shoulders as he steers me back into the lair.
"C'mon, knucklehead, let's get ya back inside." Raph pulls me closer as I continue to breathe like Donnie wants me too. "Ya sure know how ta give a guy a heart attack, ya know dat? Screamin' like dat." Raph shakes his head as he lowers the two of us onto the couch and I instantly curl into his side. Raph keeps his arm around me and he presses his snout against the top of my head as Leo and Donnie rush around, locating our spare blankets. I catch a glimpse of Master Splinter entering the kitchen and I know that tea will be in our immediate future. My eyes widen when I feel Raph nuzzle me. I peer up at my second big brother.
"Raphie?"
Raph's arm tightens around me, and molten eyes meet my own sky blue.
"Don't eva want ta hear dat particular scream from ya eva again, got it?" Raph demands gruffly. "Already heard it once taday, don' wanna hear it for da rest of meh life."
Before I can answer Leo and Donnie reappear, blankets piled high in their grasp and they start bundling me up. Once they deem me properly swaddled, I'm returned to Raph's hold and Donnie fills my vision as he squats in front of me, regret shining in his eyes.
"I'm sorry I left you alone, Mikey," Donnie mumbles, smoothing a hand down my cheek. "I was grabbing a cup of coffee and didn't think I would be gone that long."
I smile shakingly up at my brother.
"Dude, Donnie, it's okay, honest. How were we supposed to know that a walking pile of armor pieces would be able to do project himself to me? Or that I would sleepwalk out of the lair? Something I haven't done since we were 10."
Leo appears next to Donnie, lifts my feet, and sits down, rearranging my feet so they are resting comfortably in his lap.
"I don't think that was a normal bout of sleepwalking, Otōto, but the Ultimate Protector reaching out to you and your chi to get you to return to him."
Blood drains from my face and ice grips my stomach. Can someone really do that? Force another to return to them without being in the same vicinity as them?
"Oh, way ta go, Fearless," Raph snaps, jostling me as he wraps his other arm around me. "Why don't ya just tell the kid dat da Shredder can teleport directly inta da lair wheneva he feels and dat da entire city's gonna collapse on top of us?"
I glance up at Raph in alarm as Leo glares at him.
"The city's gonna do WHAT?!"
"Enough!" Donnie snaps just as Leo opens his mouth to retort. "Neither of you are helping the situation here!" Donnie breathes in deeply, releasing it slowly before looking at me softly. "Mikey, the city is NOT going to collapse on top of us."
I sag just as the soft footsteps of Sensei fills the air.
"However, Leonardo has made a good point, my sons," Master Splinter states as he walks down into the TV pit with a tray in hand. "What Michelangelo just went through was most certainly not a normal bout of sleepwalking. During mediation I could feel the distress in your chi, my son, but there was something else I could feel."
My eyes widen.
"And what was that, Sensei?"
Master Splinter places the tray onto the coffee table and hands me a cup, waiting patiently as I struggle to free my arms from my blanket prison.
"What I felt, my son, was a slight tugging on your chi, as if someone or something was trying to bring it toward them." Sensei frowns as he hands out the rest of the cups, taking his but not moving to sit just yet. "It was troubling because I did not recognize this other chi call out to you, but it was ancient and strong. It did not seem to mean you harm, only to bring your chi close and surround you. Unsure of what was happening, I attempted to ease your chi away, but whoever it was fought against me to the point that I was shoved from the Astral plane quite fiercely."
I sip my tea quietly as I wait for Chichi to continue, concern bubbling in me. He's told us many times that just ripping someone out of the Astral plane can be very dangerous. So much can go wrong and the person could even become separated from their body! Forever lost to the spiritual realm to wander!
Shuddering at the thought of that happening to my father, I curl closer into Raph and glance up.
"So, what happened after that?" I ask, drawing Sensei's gaze back to me.
"I came out to check on you," Master Splinter states softly. "I wanted to make sure that you weren't being harmed by that chi and if needed, I would wake you and find a way to surround your chi in protection if you were." Sensei purses his lips, eyes flashing. "Only to find that you were no longer in the lab and the entrance to the lair was open. I reached the entrance just in time to find you suspended in midair, as if froze from falling backwards. And, my son, you were glowing, the very same orange gold that your chi is whenever I see it." My eyes widen as Sensei's ears flatten against his head. "However, when I tried to approach, I was knocked backward by an unknown force, and then," Sensei pauses, closing his eyes for a beat. "You started to scream. The same kind of scream that no father ever wants to hear their child make." Sensei's fingers flex around his drink. "I feared that you were being attacked and yet, I could not sense any danger. Thankfully, your brothers were already on their way to help you by the time I could stand once more."
I nod, lowering my now empty teacup as I process just what exactly Sensei is telling me. I frown, staring down at my arms.
"Wait, you said that gold color is the color of my chi, right?"
Master Splinter nods, a small smile tugging on his lips.
"There was a reason why I asked the Ancient One to make your very first masks in the colors they were. It represents the color of your chi."
I worry the bottom of my lip.
"Mikey?" Donnie murmurs, placing his cup down. "What's wrong?"
"When…When I was with the U.P., he strapped me down to that table and placed his hand on my chest here," I state, pointing to the spot above my heart. "And all of sudden, I felt this really intense warmth that quickly turned into pain and I remembered seeing the exact same light that Sensei saw around me, radiating from my body before you guys were able to rescue me." Shivering, I press my palm fully against my plastron. "It felt as though I was being torn apart and then—" I pause, breathing in slowly as my heart pounds.
"And then?" Leo prompts gently, resting his hand on my knee and squeezing. I swallow thickly.
"I felt something snap," I whisper, lifting my eyes to meet Leo's. "And then the pain stopped and so did the glowing. Then you guys appeared."
Master Splinter kneels next to the couch causing Donnie to shift to make room. I glance at Sensei as he studies me.
"Michelangelo, may I assess what has been done to you?"
My mouth falls open at the gentle question. Whoa. This must be serious if Sensei is pull out his super gentle voice. Snapping my mouth shut, I nod weakly.
"S-Sure, Sensei."
Master Splinter spares me a small smile and closes his eyes as he reaches out. His warm palm presses against my plastron, my heart slowing back to its normal speed as I watch my father closely. He breathes deeply through his nose and just as he releases it, a familiar warmth fills my chest. I inhale sharply and three other sets of hands land on me. Donnie takes my hand once more, Leo places his hand back onto my knee, and Raph's hand rests heavy on my shoulder. Biting the inside of my cheek, I glance down at my body but there is no orange-gold glow.
"Easy, Otōto," Leo murmurs as Raph massages my shoulder. "Sensei won't hurt you."
I just barely nod when Sensei's eyes snap open, his ears flat against his head. Concern and fear bubble within my stomach as I wait for my father's analysis. Master Splinter leans back onto his heels as he levels me with a stare.
"Chichi?" I whisper, squeezing Donnie's hand to anchor myself.
Master Splinter sighs, lifting a paw to his beard.
"Breathe, my son, you are all right. There has been no damage done to your chi. If anything, it appears that your chi has strengthened. But there is something that deeply concerns me."
"What's that, Sensei?" Leo asks quietly. I swallow thickly.
Master Splinter's lips form a thin line as he reaches out and presses his palm against my cheek, his dark eyes concerned and full of sadness.
"D-Dad?"
"Calm yourself, Michelangelo, it is nothing life threatening. I am merely concerned by the fact that there are no longer any barriers around your chi."
My eye ridges furrow as I glance down at my chest.
"And what does dat mean exactly, Sensei?"
Sensei sighs.
"It means that your brother no longer has a wall to prevent his chi from overwhelming him. His chi is now able to roam free, much like when you obtained those pendants from the Ninja Tribunal. Those pendants provided a door for your chi to flow through so that you had unlimited access to your chi but with a failsafe if needed. The pendant also provided the four of you with a way to channel your chi so it would not overwhelm you. Michelangelo no longer has that. Whatever the Kyūkyoku no purotekutā did to you, my son, while you were in their grasp removed any naturally and carefully crafted walls that you and your body has made for your chi."
"Is…Is that dangerous?" Donnie asks, eyeing me carefully as if taking a catalog.
"For the most part? No," Master Splinter explains, stroking his thumb on my cheek and I can't help but relax at his touch. "But if no monitored, it can soon become so. Michelangelo has free access to his entire chi now and if you are not careful, my son, you can easily use far more chi than your body is used to and cause yourself to become seriously ill." Master Splinter pauses, as if he wants to add more but he doesn't, merely keeping his palm where it is as he watches me.
"There's more to it than that, isn't there, Sensei?" Leo asks quietly. Master Splinter sighs, closing his eyes and tilting his head forward.
"You are correct," Master Splinter answers after a small pause. "There is a high chance that if your brother uses too much of his chi at once, his body could shut down. Michelangelo, you hold so much light and energy inside of yourself that many times, your body doesn't always know what to do with it. It is why you and I have worked so hard with your mediation, especially when you were younger. I wanted you to have a way to control your chi in a way that would not hurt you. When your chi only had the body's natural defenses, you would always become ill fairly easily. It was because your body was expanding far more chi and energy than your small body could handle. When we started providing you with extra defenses and walls to help control your chi, your illnesses became less frequent and while still full of energy, it's become slightly more manageable."
Raph snorts behind me causing me to pout at him. My hot-headed brother merely smirks at me, lifting his eye ridge in a silent challenge.
Oh, just you wait until I've stopped freaking out, Raphie-boy, just you wait.
Leo scoots closer, face deeply troubled as he rubs my knee.
"Is there anyway for us to help him reconstruct new walls?"
Sensei leans forward and kisses my forehead before standing.
"There is a way, yes. However, it shall take time and they will not be strong as they once were for a very long time. And considering that your brother no longer has even naturally forming walls, it will be a long and exhausting process."
I scrunch my snout.
"That means more mediation sessions, doesn't it?"
"I'm afraid so, my son," Sensei says with an air of amusement that quickly sobers. "It will be for your own good, child. Your body needs those walls to keep your chi from overwhelming you. Untamed chi can not only be dangerous to you but to those around you as well."
I shrink into my shell a little, my stomach lurching at the mere thought of me somehow harming anyone in my family, by accident or not.
"Don't worry, Mikey, we'll all help you fix this," Donnie states encouragingly, smiling at me. I attempt to return it, but it feels more like a grimace. Raph rests his chin on top of my head, still massaging one of my shoulders.
"Damn straight we will. Yer wild enough wit out yer chi bein' on da loose, we don' need ya channeling even more."
"Of course, we will," Leo states, rearranging my blankets and taking my empty cup. "But first you need to sleep, little one. You've been through much and the small amount of sleep you've already had isn't enough."
Biting my lip, I glance up at Sensei before staring at each of my brothers.
"Will…Will you -*yawn*- guys stay with me?" I don't think I can handle being by myself again.
"Of course, we will," Donnie answers, yanking a pillow from one of the chairs and snagging one of the blankets that he didn't cocoon me in with Leo. "Now, sleep, tired one. We'll be here when you wake."
Nodding, I rub my eyes as I snuggle into Raph, his arm adding an extra sense of security and warmth as he relaxes under me. Leo curls up near my feet and Donnie stretches out on the floor next to the couch. Lazily, I reach down and Donnie grasps my hand once more and I breathe out slowly.
Sighing, I allow my eyes to slide close. My body fully relaxes, knowing that my brothers won't let anything happen to me and they will keep me from having anymore unexpected walks around the lair. A smile tugs on my lips as I fall asleep to the sounds of my brothers sleeping around me.
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Hello, my friends! I'm super sorry that this was so late in being uploaded. I got no excuse except that I kept getting distracted *sweatdrops* :D. This chapter is a little long, so sorry about that.
And, I know that I say this each chapter, but I sincerely appreciate each and every one of the comments all of you have left me on this! They are all so sweet! So, thank you all so much!
