There is a slight hum near my head as I slowly regain consciousness. My snout wrinkles and I bury my head in something soft as I try to block out whatever it is that woke me. My head pounds, my body feels like lead, and my core feels overused and thin. All in all, I think I got hit by Hun's limo and then Donnie backed over me with the BattleShell before Slash stepped on me.

If I can just sleep till February 29th, that'd be great, I think trying to roll over, twitching and grunting in pain as I shift. At least I'm on something soft and wrapped in something warm.

My bed.

I frown.

Wait. That can't be right. I gingerly press a hand to my forehead. Why isn't this right though? Wracking my brain, I do my best to sort through the muddled thoughts and vague, blurry memories that do nothing more than confuse me. A clearer image of the BattleShell, (no, it was the HoverShell, I'm sure of it) Donnie, and an injured Chichi flashes in my mind and I latch onto it. That's right! Tiger Claw grabbed me and brought me to Rahzar's dojo while Hun fought with Master Splinter, April, and Casey.

But then what happened?

My eyes flash open and I snap up in bed. (Which wasn't the brightest idea I've ever had.) My vision blackens and my ears buzz for a few seconds as I collapse backwards. The room spins and my heart pounds.

Holy Silver Sentry. The Shredder. I brought the Shredder back to life! Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. What am I going to tell my brothers? What am I going to tell Sensei? Blood drains from my face. What am I going to say to Karai? Is this going to end our alliance with the Foot?

My chest stutters as I reach up, rubbing my eyes with the heels of my hands. Way to go, Mikester. Just your luck. Bringing back the enemy of your family, the man who renounced Sensei as his brother and then chose Ch'rell as a mentor and father rather than the Ancient One, who actually raised him along side Master Splinter.

If it can go wrong, it will go wrong when Mikey is involved.

Heat burns behind my eyes and my stomach rolls and flips causing my mouth to water unpleasantly. Gagging, I roll onto my side, wincing as my body protests. I cough and vaguely notice that a garbage can is already positioned perfectly next to my bed, as if someone anticipated me having a reaction like this. I don't dwell too long on this thought as I gag again but nothing comes up. My vision blurs and my nose starts to run as I cough hard, wishing something would just come up besides the gross tang of bile. I spit that into the garbage, huffing and shivering as my stomach clenches painfully. Another round of gagging and coughing hits me, this one making my entire body heave and lurch forward.

My muscles twitch when a warm hand lands on the back of my neck, massaging the muscles.

"It's okay, Otōto. Just let it all out. Don't force it."

A whimper escapes me as Leo's soothing tone washes over me, his large fingers digging into my neck just right that my body nearly goes limp after I spit out another small amount of bile.

"I hate throwing up," I groan, snout wrinkling as I realize just how sweaty I am now. Ugh. A shower would be so nice right now.

Leo chuckles as he shifts closer, his free hand running up and down my shell.

"I know, bud. I know. But this is your body's way of dealing with your stress. Donnie said that you should be on the down swing of everything now. Your temp wasn't as high this morning as it was the last few days."

I freeze.

Come again?

Leo, the mother hen that he is, apparently notices my suddenly stillness and his hands slow in their motions but don't stop.

"Mikey?"

My eyes drop to the floor, fingers fiddling with the dark blue fitted sheet covering my bed. Not my usual peach bedsheet. Someone changed it while I was sleeping. Which, apparently, has been for a few days according to Leo.

"Otōto? What's wrong?"

My bed dips as Leo leans forward, his worried face appearing in my peripheral vision. Concerned brown eyes study me closely and he stops rubbing my neck to press the back of his hand to my cheek.

"You don't seem overly warm," he mutters causing my lips to twitch into an almost, amused smile.

Good ol' Mom Leo.

Swallowing down a snicker, I shift until I'm laying on my back, forcing Leo to lean back to make room for me. His stare like a hawk as I shimmy until I'm comfortable, my stomach no longer trying to rebel against me. Which is amazing. Because I really like what goes into my stomach to STAY in my stomach, thank you. If it's going to come out, have it come out the other way, please.

Focus, Mikester. You're freaking Leo out.

Clearing my throat, I stare up at my big brother, offering him a tired smile. His shoulders relax by a small margin and Leo rests one hand on my knee.

"I'm okay, Onii-san, I just…" I pause, wetting my suddenly dry lips. "I just…was surprised."

Leo's eyebrow ridges furrow and his mouth twitches into a frown.

"'Surprised'?" Leo echoes back and I nod, picking at a loose thread on my quilt. A patchwork, thick quilt that April and Casey made me with old Justice League shirts that they found at second-hand stores that would be too small for me to wear. It's warm and cozy and it helps keep me from going into brumation.

Breathing out through my nose, I nod as I peek up at my eldest brother. Leo scoots closer, his hand squeezing my knee comfortingly.

"What surprised you? The dry-heaving? You haven't been able to hold down solid foods, so you don't have much in your stomach right now, kiddo."

My hand twitches at the word 'kiddo' and I pout at my blue-cladded brother.

"We're the same age, Leo."

A smirk crosses my brother's lips and he leans forward, bopping my snout with his finger.

"Yes, but you're my kid brother. So, I'm allowed to call you 'kiddo' if I want to. Now, don't try changing the subject. What 'surprised' you?"

Should I tell him that I don't remember the last few days? I barely remember Donnie bringing me to the HoverShell. That can't be normal, right? Huffing, I tap my fingers into a random beat only for Leo to reach over and clasp my hand in his.

"Mikey," Leo says, his voice soft but stern. "Whatever is bothering you, you can talk to me. Both as your brother and as your leader. So, what's going on in that creative head of yours?"

Sighing, I rotate my hand in his, not caring that my palm is kinda sweaty, and just cling to his hand. Leo, the good big brother that he is, allows me to just hold on and even smiles softly at me.

"Could…Could you tell me how long I've been out of it?" I ask quietly. Leo tilts his head and I glance away as he studies me closely.

"You don't remember?"

I shake my head, my shoulders hunching as a bout of self-consciousness washes over me. Leo squeezes my hand gaining my attention once more. A kind smile is on his face and with his free hand, he rubs the top of my head.

"Hey, don't do that. Donnie said that this was a possibility," Leo explains, poking me between the eyes gently. "You've spent the last five days mostly sleeping with a very high fever."

I frown.

"But, I wasn't actually sick when Tiger Claw grabbed me."

Leo nods.

"True. However, Sensei said that your well of chi was almost completely depleted, unlike when your body reduced into the size of a child. Then, you merely used a large amount of chi that you're just not used to using. This time, you used almost ALL of your chi all at once and your body can't handle using such a high amount in such a small amount of time."

My eyebrow ridges furrow, doing my best to understand what Leo is saying. I'm a little slow, so sue me. I just woke up! Leo, the saint, sees me struggling and tugs me up into a sitting position with the hand that I'm clinging too, causing me to refocus on him.

"Mikey, I want you picture your chi like a well full of water, okay?"

Okay. Sure. Whatever you say, oh wise Big Brother. Leo rolls his eyes, obviously reading what I'm thinking on my face.

"Just humor me, okay?"

Snorting, I close my eyes and concentrate on manifesting a full well in my mind.

"Okay. So, now what?"

"Now, imagine taking a large bucket and dumping some out here and dumping some out there. The water level lowers but not all of it. And, overtime, the well will refill back to being completely full," Leo explains as a small, mental version of me empties some of my imaginary well water out. I slowly nod as Leo continues. "That is what happened that caused your body to revert down to a child. To help your 'well' replenish itself quicker, you were turned into a child because then the 'well' would be smaller and then you, obviously, reverted back to your 19-year-old self once your 'well' recovered."

Oh. Well, that makes a lot more sense. I frown.

"But, then, why didn't I just revert back into a body of a child this time?"

"Still picturing the well?"

I nod.

"Good," Leo states, his thumb rubbing the back of my hand. "Now, instead of a bucket, imagine throwing in a stick of dynamite to obtain some water. You throw in the stick and a massive amount of water comes shooting out in a small amount of time once it explodes. And, when you look inside, the well is practically empty. Even if you shrink down to the size of a child, your well will still be mostly empty and need to be filled. Both ways will require time and energy to obtain. However, if you were to revert down to a child, your body, or well, would be more vulnerable to sickness. So, to help fight any sickness that might occur due to you needing to replenish your 'well' with chi, your body stays at its normal size."

My head tilts to the side as I think over what Leo is saying. So, in strange Leo words, he's saying that my body stayed 'normal' because it was safer in the long run for replenishing my chi while it was relatively 'safe' to revert me down when I didn't use as much chi but still needed to replenish it.

Repeating my thoughts back to Leo, I open my eyes in time to see him nodding. He smiles at me.

"Exactly. See? You get it." Leo's smile slips a little but his gaze remains soft and understanding. "And while you were in Tiger Claw's clutches, you used a lot of chi." A bitter chuckle escapes him. "I can't imagine bringing someone back from the dead is easy. Let alone one that's been dead for four years now."

A cold pit forms in my gut as I stare at my eldest brother. Oh. OH. So, they already know. My hand tightens against Leo's, half afraid that he might take it back. My jaw works as I breath harshly through my nose, throat tightening.

"I…I'm sorry," I croak out, nearly hugging my katana-welding brother's hand to my chest. My shoulders tense when Leo tugs on our joined hands. However, instead of him pulling it out of my grasp, his fingers tighten as he tugs. I basically fall into his embrace and strong arms wrap around me.

"No. No. Don't be sorry," Leo says, rocking the two of us as he rests his cheek on my head. "You did nothing wrong. You didn't want to bring him back. You weren't given a choice. Karai's spy managed to record the process for us and none of that was your fault."

My free arm winds around my brother's middle but I refuse to release his hand.

"But I could have fought harder," I mutter, croaking a little at the end as Leo squeezes me.

"Mikey. You were outnumbered." Leo leans back and his brown eyes shine with unshed tears. "Even if you did fight, I feel like you would be in a much worse position right now than you are. You didn't have any weapons on you and if you used any of your chi to protect yourself, you would be much worse. You were already injured and achy and just regained your 19-year-old body. Shell, Master Splinter said that if you didn't have so much chi, you would have been in a much worse state than you were." Leo pulls me close once more. "And trust me, Otōto, the state you were in was not a pretty one."

"Really?"

"Really." Leo presses a kiss to my temple. "You couldn't keep anything down. No water. No food. Donnie had to hook you up to an IV with nutrients in it and even had to put you on oxygen for 24 hours because your breathing started to shallow. At one point your fever spiked close to 104 and wouldn't drop for three hours. Raph was the only one able to sit in the tub with you long enough to keep your head above water." Leo runs a hand over my head, as if I had hair to push back and he tucks me under his chin. "Sensei was getting to the point that he was going to ask the Ancient One to come out here to check just how bad your chi depletion really is and if he had any ideas to help your chi return."

Oof. Yikes. Master Splinter never asks Gramps to come over here. We always go to him in Japan. It's been a few years since all of us have seen him, I think Leo being the most recent of us four in seeing him.

"I didn't know," I mutter into Leo's shoulder. The skin vibrates under my cheek as Leo chuckles.

"Of course you didn't. And that's fine. All we wanted you to focus on was getting better. Karai has been monitoring the city with the help of the Mutanimals and there has been a patrol of Foot ninjas guarding April's shop and Casey's apartment. We haven't heard much from Tiger Claw and Hun, but I'm sure that will change. But, for right now, we need to focus on you getting better."

Feeling oddly emotional, I merely nod against my big brother's shoulder and soak up the feeling of security and safety that Leo has always radiated. I close my eyes with a sigh.

I'm just glad they don't hate me.

My eyes snap open when Leo suddenly lifts me into his lap, pulling his hand from my grip but holding on just as tightly.

"We'd never hate you, Mikey. Never. I want you to dispel that thought from your head," Leo orders, his leader voice in place but not harsh or demanding. "Even if you willingly said that you would bring both of the Shredders back from the dead, we would never hate you. Because we would know that you did it for a reason. And, well, you're family. In this life, all we have is each other. And we'd never hate you for something that you had no control over. EVER. Would you hate one of us if we were in your position?"

My arms tighten around Leo.

"Never."

"See?" I can practically hear the smile in Leo's voice. "Then why would we? Besides, we've kicked this Shredder's ass once, we can do it again."

My eyes widen as Leo curses and I pull back in his embrace, mouth falling open.

"Did…Did you just-"

Mirth sparkles in Leo's eyes, my Silver Sentry nightlight doing nothing to hide the amusement on my big brother's face.

"Just because I don't curse, doesn't mean that I won't use them in the right context." Leo smirks as he lifts a single eyebrow ridge. "I just tend to be more selective about when I use such language. It gains me the reactions that I want when I'm not as liberal with such…what did Raph call them? Sentence enhancers."

A snicker slips past my lips as I curl back into my brother.

"Raph will never believe me if I tell him you said the word 'ass'."

Leo chuckles.

"That or he'll badger me until I said it again."

I giggle.

"Don't you mean 'turtle' you? Raph would make one funky looking badger."

Leo chortles, a sound that doesn't happen as often as it should in my opinion and I relax further into his hold. He snickers into my shoulder just as I hear my door open.

"I take it everything is fine in here?" Donnie's voice asks from the door way and I tilt my head back as Leo straightens. I smile at my immediate older brother and the skeptical look on his face melts as he returns my smile. "Hey there, Mikey. How you feelin', bud?"

"Much better now," I answer, which is true. I'm achy and stiff but the slight neck massage Leo gave me and actually moving around has helped elevate some of my pain from waking up. I beam up at my purple-cladded brother as he maneuvers his way over to my bed. I feel Leo breathe harshly against the side of my head as he tries to keep his chuckling at bay as Donnie reaches us and presses a hand to my forehead.

"You're much more coherent than you were this morning, which is a very good sign," Donnie states, then rubs the top of my head. "You're working really hard on giving all of us wrinkles, aren't you? I swear that Master Splinter's fur is more grey than brown now because of you." A grin splits the genius's face. "April's grousing about premature greying and even hit Casey when he asked if she had any greys."

Blinking innocently, I sniff indigently.

"I have no idea what you guys are talking about. I never cause any stress. That's Raph's job."

Donnie and Leo exchange a look before soft brown eyes refocus on me once more.

"Sure. Keep tellin' yourself that, little brother," Donnie states, patting my head. "But, now that you're moving around, are you up for eating something? Leo and I heard you being sick earlier so we don't want to push it and if you do it, it'll be nothing more than soup and some tea."

My nose wrinkles at the thought of tea. Usually when I'm sick I can't have it the way I like it. At least, not if Sensei, Leo, or Donnie make it. Raph is a little bit more lenient when it comes to my tea, but I'm pretty sure it's mainly so he doesn't have to hear me whining about it tasting like grass water.

RUMBLE.

Heat rushes to my cheeks as my two older brothers burst out laughing, Leo doing nothing to hide his laughter this time. I glare down at my gut as if it once again betrays me. Seriously. We used to be on such good terms. What happened? Donnie wipes a tear from his eye as he pats my cheek.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'. It'll still be a little bit before the soup is ready and I would like to take your temperature, but why don't you try taking a shower?" Donnie waves his hands as I glare up at him. "I'm not saying you stink, Mikey. But I can see that you're a little sweaty and I know how much you hate the feeling. Especially when you're sick."

I nod, caving as Leo and Donnie both help me stand. Donnie holds onto my hands as I sway, my vision greying at the change of altitude. Leo places his hands on my shoulders as I blink to clear my vision and squeezes until I glance at him.

"Think you can handle it by yourself or do you need one of us in there with you?"

I see Leo shoot a glance at Donnie and I know this question, while worded for me, is actually for our brainiac brother. Donnie merely smiles and looks back at me. Deciding to save my brothers more of a heart attack, I actually think about the question. Now that I'm standing up right and the room is no longer spinning, I don't feel any lightheadedness or nausea. And my balance seems to have stabilized as well. Reaching up, I pat Leo's hand.

"Nah, I think I can make it. I promise not to take an entire hour in there."

"Better not, baby brat," Raph's voice calls from the doorway. "Knowin' yer luck, ya'd overheat yerself."

I smile brightly as Raph appears, leaning on my doorframe. Golden eyes give me a once over before smirking when the two of us make eye contact.

"Don't need Mother Hen over here breakin' down da bathroom door if ya fall."

A memory of Sensei kicking my door in flashes in my mind and I spare a glance at the mentioned object. Someone obviously fixed it, (Most likely Donnie) but kept the same door if the huge DENT in the middle of the metal is anything to go by. I swallow nervously as I remember that my FATHER is the one have made that dent. Just imagine what my eldest brother can do who weighs MORE than said Father.

"I'm not fixing anymore doors!" Donnie states, groaning as he glares at Leo. "Mikey, you'll keep the bathroom door ajar SLIGHTLY while you're in the shower and will call for us immediately if you start feeling sick, got it?" I quickly nod as Donnie pinches the space between his eyes. "Seriously. These are heavy duty metal doors made from MILITARY GRADE METAL. I swear, sometimes it's like you guys aren't human with-"

"Well, technically, we AREN'T human, Donnie," I state, cutting off our genius brother from another rant. "We're large, mutated turtles. Remember?"

One of Donnie's eyebrow ridges twitches as he slowly lowers his hand. If looks can freeze a person solid, I'd be a Mike-sicle in a second.

Chuckling nervously, I lift my hands in surrender and edge toward the door.

"Uh, I think I'll go take that shower now, dudes. Don't wanna take too long knowing that there's soup on the way, ya know?"

Donnie narrows his eyes before turning his gaze to Leo, who also jumps into action.

"Yes, well," Leo clears his throat. "I think I'll grab some fresh sheets for your bed, Mikey. Nothing beats fresh sheets while recovering."

Donnie turns toward Raph in the doorway as Leo and I edge closer. Our red-cladded brother shifts uncomfortably under the Brainiac's gaze and he scoots out of the way.

"Uh, I think I'll help ya, Fearless. Four hands better den one and all dat jazz."

Donnie's eyes narrow more but I swear that there is a slight twitch of his lips as the three of us rush from the room. However, I'm not about to stay and figure out if what I saw is true or just my eyes playing tricks on me. Shaking my head, I nearly jump out of my skin when I come face to chest with a kimono. Glancing up, I smile sheepishly at Master Splinter and rub the back of my neck, grimacing at the stickiness that pulls at my fingers.

"Oh, uh, sorry, Sensei. Didn't mean to almost plow you over."

Sensei lifts a single eyebrow, his brown eyes almost piercing into my soul as he lifts his free hand to his small beard, stroking it.

"Michelangelo. It warms my heart seeing you up and about. As for 'almost knocking me over', I do not think you have quite enough strength to do so just yet, but I appreciate the apology." Sensei glances over my head, peering into my room before glancing down at me once more. "Your older brothers were also in quite the hurry. Something I should know about?"

I shrug, already hearing Leo and Raph bickering in the linen closet. My eyes gliding down to Sensei's shoulder of their own accord, trying to see if I can spot a bandage through his robes or not.

"Nah. I, uh, was just on my wait to the shower to clean up a bit before Donnie makes me some soup to eat." I pause, frowning as I think over my sentence. While he's not Leo, Donnie also doesn't have the best track record in the kitchen either. His lab isn't the only place where he's caused small explosions. "On second thought, maybe I should hurry in the shower and make my own soup."

Master Splinter pauses in his stroking, shooting a look over his shoulder, a thoughtful expression on his face. His whiskers twitch as I wait for Chichi's verdict when he suddenly chuckles and rests both hands on his walking stick.

"No, my son. You go enjoy a nice shower. I shall get the soup and tea ready for you." I flinch when he mentions tea. Dang. I was hoping he wouldn't know about that. But, by the knowing smirk on my father's face, he knew I omitted that information on purpose. Master Splinter motions toward the bathroom. "Do not take too long. Warm soup and tea will be easier on your stomach than a cold one."

"Hai, Sensei."

As I start forward only to be stopped when a warm, slender hand lands on top of my head. I blink up at Master Splinter as he smile warmly down at me.

"I am truly glad that you are feeling better, my son. We have been missing your bright light these past five days."

My throat tightens as Sensei leans down and kisses the top of my head before he turns and heads toward the kitchen. My eyes prickle and I quickly scrub the back of my hand across my face to keep any liquid from spilling out. Smiling to myself, I hurry (more of hobble) to the bathroom, pausing once to pet Klunk as he rubs against my legs. Once he wonders away, I slide into the empty bathroom and keep the door mostly ajar like Donnie wants and lean against the counter. That walk was a lot more tiring than I expected but now that I'm in here, I still feel pretty confident in not needing a babysitter. Chuckling, I glance up at the mirror, not really surprised to see my mask is missing. My complexion is a little lighter than it should be for my seafoam green but, since I don't really have a comparison for what the rest of my family saw, I'm sure this is an improvement. There are slight bags under my eyes that I'm sure will go away after a good night's rest tonight now that I'm on the mend. My eyes narrow at the tinge of red color on my cheeks, highlighting some of my freckles there and I pat my cheeks. My face feels a little warmer than it did before coming in here, so I'm guessing whatever medicine Don's been forcing down my throat is on the downswing right now.

"Better hop in the shower to save another one of Donnie's precious doors," I mutter, giggling to myself as I start the water. I jump when someone knocks on the door but before I can even answer, Donnie is walking in.

"Dude!" I squeak, grabbing a towel to cover myself. "A little privacy here! I'm naked!"

Donnie rolls his eyes as he shoves the thermometer into my mouth.

"Mikey, we're ALWAYS naked. And I literally saw you not even five minutes ago in the exact same state. Besides, out of everyone here, I think it's safe to say that I've seen much worse than you without your belt and mask on." A quirk of Donnie's lips has me narrowing my eyes suspiciously. "I'm sure Sensei has also seen worse. Ah, no talking while that's in your mouth."

Crossing my arms, I glare at my tallest brother. He did this on purpose, the meanie. Donnie smirks at me.

"Of course I did it on purpose. I heard that little comment about you making the soup instead."

Uh oh. I shift nervously in front of my brother as I try to smile at me. Donnie rolls his eyes just as the thermometer beats.

"Unlike Leo, I will admit that I'm not the best in the kitchen. And it's been rather strange having Sensei cooking for us again just like we were kids. But even I can follow directions on a can of soup."

I merely stare at my brother until he groans as he glances at the reading.

"100.1. That's good. And, all right. So, April may have also given me quick lessons on how to microwave soup. I just didn't want to pull the same stunt that Leo did."

My eyes widen until they start to water.

"You let April teach you how to cook but you won't let me?! Dude! I've been trying for three years to get the three of you to take cooking lessons from me! And you go behind my back going to APRIL?! What have I done to deserve such a betrayal from one of my own BROTHERS?!"

Donnie holds his hands up after throwing the little plastic cover from the thermometer away and backs away slowly. He chuckles sheepishly, glancing over his shoulder to gauge how close he is to freedom as I advance toward him.

"Uh, you know, it's just, uh…I think I hear Leo and Raph calling for me. Enjoy your shower, Mikey! And call if you feel sick!"

My lips purse as Donnie rushes from the bathroom, steam already filling the air and leaking into the lair through the slight opening. Relaxing my face now that Donnie is gone, I giggle to myself as I slip into the shower.

Show them not taking cooking lessons from me. I've even taught APRIL some tricks in the kitchen. If there's one thing that I know, it's cooking and baking and by the great Justice Force, I swear I will teach my loving older brothers how to cook if it's the last thing I do! Laughing manically, I grab the special brush April got for our shells and squirt some body wash on it.

My brothers won't know what hit them.

0o.o0

0o.o0

0o.o0

Hello everyone!

Hope you are all doing well :D. Sorry about such a late update. Work has been busy with the holiday season and with the U.S. having Thanksgiving this past week, time kinda slipped me by. I've also been working on Nanowrimo this month, so I've been focusing more on that than my two fanfics that I have going on here. But, I promise, neither are dead! My other fanfiction story, Curse of the Cute One, isn't going to be updated as regularly as this one but it will get updated! This fanfic is only on AO3, but if you just look up TheKeybladeMaster1994, you should be able to find it. It is rated M and please, PLEASE read the tags that I have on the story if any of you venture over there. I just need the right motivation and that's kinda vanished with all of my free time getting eaten up by work. Yay for working in retail during the holiday season -_-.

And, to everyone who comments, likes, and follows , you have been a beacon of light during this time. I'm just so thrilled that people are still reading this and willing to let me know that they like it. And all of you are super sweet in the comments too. So, with all my heart, thank you all so much.

Until the next chapter everyone! Happy holidays!