TMNT: One Small Turtle: Meets Leatherhead

this is part of my AU
~~~~~~~
“Michelangelo, they just left,” Splinter said to his six-year-old son.

“But I want to be here when they get back,” Mikey said shifting from one foot to the other.

Splinter smiled and then bent down to pick up the small turtle, “how about we go for a walk?”

“Yeah!” Mikey smiled. His father never took his out for walks in the sewers, “wanna go some place new!”
----
“Michelangelo, don’t go too far ahead,” Splinter said.

“I won’t daddy! I promise!” Mikey called over his shoulder.

Splinter watched as Mikey jumped from puddle to puddle. He smiled, Mikey had brought such joy to the lives. He was always smiling and making them laugh without even trying. This three oldest sons became very protective of their little brother. Splinter enjoyed is rare moment alone with Michelangelo. There was never a dull moment with Mikey around.

“Daddy look!” Mikey called to his father. Splinter looked at his youngest son as he performed a perfect back flip. Just as Mikey landed there was an explosion. Rocks began to fall from the ceiling.

“Michelangelo watch out!” Splinter yelled running to his son. The ground below Mikey began to crack and break. He reached out his hand to grab ahold of his son before he fell down the hole. Splinter managed a weak hold on his son’s wrist.

“Daddy!” Mikey cried tears streaming down from under his orange mask.

“Michelangelo I have you, just hold on!” Splinter cried out looking into the eyes of his distraught son. He could feel his son’s hand begin to slip out of his as more rocks and stones fell.

“Daddy,” Mikey cried out again as his slipped from his father’s grasp.

“Michelangelo!” Splinter cried our in horror as his son’s head collided violently with a rock before he dissapeared out of sight.
----
“….Daddy…” Mikey called out weakly trying to fight the darkness that was threatening to take him. Mikey’s whole body felt numb.

Mikey felt his mask snag on some debris. He tried to move his hand to get it out, but his arms did not respond to the command from his brain. Mikey felt his orange mask being ripped from his face as he lost his battle to the darkness.
----
Donnie threw the explosive device at the Kraag, ten seconds later it exploded.

“Retreat now!” Leo ordered to his brothers after the explosion went off.

“Great job brainaic when we said small explosive we did not mean explode the entire street!” Raph snapped and he jumped down after Leo into the new hole that was formed after the fight with the Kraang.

“It was minor miss calculation, I must have inver---” Donnie began before Raph whacked him on the back of his head, “Raph! You need to stop doing that!” Donnie spat.

“Only when you stop rambling,” Raph growled.

“Now is not the time you two, this place will be swarming with humans at any second and we need to put some distance between us and them. Now shut up and let’s move out.”

“Little feisty today aren't we?” Raph responded. Leo ignored his brother’s comment and just glared at him.

“Guy I think he have a problem,” Donnie said.

“Ya think!?” Raph snapped.

Donnie rolled his eyes, “Another problem. I see sensei.” Donnie pointed down to their father frantically pulling at some of the fallen rocks.

“Sensei what is wrong?” Leo asked.

“Michelangelo…” Splinter croaked out.

Leo’s heart skipped beat, he could see he father was crying. “Sensei...is Mikey...down there?” Leo swallowed hard, he lump in his throat and tears spring to his eyes.

All Splinter could do was nod, “he must have fallen into the water, I lost his scent...and...I can hardly feel his spirit. His spirit is always so strong to me no matter how far apart we are and now I can hardly feel it….”

“We need to find him,” Leo said, “Donnie can’t you track him?”

“I can,” Donnie said pulling out his T-Phone smiling. The smile did not last long, “I can’t find his signal. It must have broken during the fall. The device is very sensitive.”

“We need to find him,” Raph announced jumping down into the rubble.
-----
Donnie and Raph were in the front Leo and Splinter behind them. Splinter looked down at the paw that held his son’s small hand.

“Father,” Leo said, “it is not your fault.”

“It’s mine,” Donnie said coldly, “I made a bad miscalculation and now Mikey is missing because of it.”


“Donatello you had no way of knowing your brother and I would be here. Do not blame yourself.”

“Forget the blame,” Leo said, “we cannot change what happened. What we can do is find Mikey and make sure he is okay. Mikey is most likely scared, cold, alone, and probably injured.”
~*~* ~*~* ~*~*
Leatherhead heard an explosion on the surface; he went to investigate the sewer’s structure around him home. The structure looked well enough save for the gaping hole in the ceiling, but it was far enough from his home so the humans would not find him. Leatherhead turn to head home when something stopped him. The dingy sewer water had an odd shade of red to it. Upon closer inspection he was what looked like a large turtle shell. Leatherhead ran over to the shell and picked it up. He turned the humanoid turtle over in his large hands. There was a large gash on his head and his right leg hung at an odd angle, he was also covered in other cuts and bruises all over his body. Leatherhead also discovered the small turtle was not breathing. Cradling him in one arm he used his other massive paw to do chest compressions on the small mutant. The turtle made a strange chocking sound as blood and sewer water dribbled from his lips, but he remained unconscious.

Leatherhead carried the shivering, wet, injured turtle to his personal home where he could care for the seemingly orphaned turtle. He became very worried when the turtle began convulse in his arms. He careful held the turtle as his seizure passed, he ran the rest of the way to his home.

Leatherhead had few medical supplies, the wound on the turtle’s head was going to need stitches. He became very concerned at the turtle’s limbs just hung down, he feared the small creature was paralyzed, but would need to run some tests to determine that.  
~*~* ~*~* ~*~*
Donnie was using his bo staff to clear the lighter debris and poke down deeper into the water. He sighed they have been looking for close to two hours and found no sign of Mikey.

Donnie swung his staff back, “hey look you caught---” Raph’s joking tone dropped, “….Mikey’s mask,” Raph’s voice as deadly serious.

Donnie gulped and he brought the blood stained orange mask into his hands. He handed it to his father. “I’m going down,” Leo said sternly. He then looked to father who was staring blankly down at the orange mask in his paws, “uh sensei,” Leo said tentatively as he was about to give his father a command, “I think it would be best if you stayed here,” he hesitated, “just incase humans come, we need a lookout.” What he said was true, but Raph or Donnie would have made just as good of a lookout. The truth was he was afraid of what they would find he his father already had to face the loss of one child. Not that he was expecting to find his baby brother dead, it was just Mikey slipped from Splinter’s paw and he felt responsible for the now missing Mikey.
~*~* ~*~* ~*~*
Leatherhead found his needle and thread to that he could stitch the wound close. The gash was long a deep. He then fashioned a cast on Mikey’s leg. He also wrapped up Mikey’s right arm that was severely bruised, after that he cleaned out the small cuts and scraps so that they would not become infected for the dingy sewer water. After attending to the small turtle’s injuries Leatherhead wrapped him tightly in a blanket.

After an hour passed Leatherhead was pleased to see that the small turtle moved his limbs to close to him, slowly and he could some pain across his green face, but he moved them. He knew what the turtle had to have a family, he was healthy aside from the recent injuries and appeared to be well cared for. There was one good thing that came from this, Leatherhead knew he was not alone, he was not the only mutant living in the sewers.
~*~* ~*~* ~*~*
Donnie and Leo supported their father home, Raph lead the way. No one in the family was thinking clearly at the moment. Splinter was the last one with Mikey, Donnie’s explosive device was to strong and caused the loss of the brother, Leo had given the order. Raph was thinking that he yelled at Mikey earlier that for painting Spike’s shell.

Once home Splinter went off to his room to meditate, Leo went to meditate in the dojo. Donnie went to lab to see if he could the last location Mikey was before his tracking device in his carapace stopped working. Raph was feeding Spike some lettuce there was still some sparking pink glitter from when Mikey painted his shell earlier that day.

One week later</b></u>

Leatherhead was growing conceded. The turtle had yet to wake up, but he would cry and moan in his sleep. Leatherhead also tested his limbs to check the strength and movability, but they moved very reluctantly. Leatherhead also had to take to sleeping with the child since he was growing cold. He wanted to find the turtle’s family, but Leatherhead did not want him to wake up alone in a strange place.

Mikey started to cough so he held him in a sitting position. Mikey moaned as his eyes slowly opened. Mikey gazed at Leatherhead and attempted to runaway but his limbs would not respond in time.

“Do not be afraid, small one,” Leatherhead said calmly. He could feel the turtle’s heart racing, his breathing was sharp. “My name is Leatherhead and I am here to help you.”

With his large blue eyes he looked up and the giant mutant crocodile. His family told him to stay way from strangers, but something inside him was telling into to trust this fellow mutant, “My-my name….is….Michelangelo…” he whispered.

“It is nice to meet your Michelangelo, are your hungry or thirsty?” He could sense something was wrong, his breathing was fast as was his heart rate. Leatherhead feared Michelangelo was going to have another seizure. “Deep breaths Michelangelo,” Leatherhead instructed, but it was too late Mikey’s body started to convulse, he was having another seizure.

Leatherhead held him as it passed. Once it did Mikey looked up at him with fear in big blue eyes are started to cry into his new friend’s chest, “Scared...I wanna go home,” Mikey sobbed.
~*~* ~*~* ~*~*
Even after a week Donnie could not find a way to find Mikey’s last location. Spike still walked around with pink glitter. They hardly saw Splinter as he kept trying to connect with his youngest’s spirit. They also spent much of the past week searching the area trying to find Mikey and keeping an eye on the news, just incase the was found by the humans, they knew it would make the news.
----
It was two in the morning and Raph could not sleep. He walked past his little brother’s room, the pillows and blankets were formed into a kind of nest in the middle of the bed, that is how he liked to sleep. Sung, secure, and warm. Raph sighed and shut the door.

So much had already happened to his baby brother, he was poisoned by Karai and nearly died and so soon after he was now missing and most likely injured. Raph left the lair to go to the roof top where they shared pizza for Mikey’s first trip to the surface.
----
Over and over when Splinter closed his eyes he saw Michelangelo clinging onto his and then slipping away crying out ‘daddy.’ No matter how many times he told himself it was not his fault, it did not matter, all he could see was his baby’s fear filled blue eyes crying as he fell. He brought the orange mask to his face and held it on his cheek. “My little Michelangelo…” he cried, “what could you have done in your past life to deserve such horror and such a young age?”
~*~* ~*~* ~*~*
Now that Mikey was awake Leatherhead was hoping he could get him to eat. He managed to get some noodle soup to feed him, he knew he would have to spoon feed him. Leatherhead supported Mikey with one arm and held the spoon in the other.

Mikey held his mouth tightly closed and turned his head away. He tried to push the spoon away, but he arms responded late and was very weak, “no!” he cried through closed teeth.

“Michelangelo, you must eat. Your body is very weak and you need your strength if you want to heal.”

“No!” Mikey cried again.

Leatherhead sighed. He had never had to deal with a child, let along a defiant ill one. “Please he begged, you must eat--” he pause, “if you want to see your family again.” he said bluntly.

Mikey sucked on his lower lip and then reluctantly opened his mouth. Mikey finally allowed Leatherhead to feed him. Once he was done eating he looked at his new friend with tears in his eyes, this caught Leatherhead off his guard once again. “LH why are my arms and legs numb?”

Leatherhead looked into the freckled faced turtle’s bright blue eyes.

“I tell them to move but-but they wont….”

Leatherhead looked down at the child. He knew that Michelangelo must have suffered some brain or nerve damage during the fall, but how can he explain this to a child, “well,” he started, “when you fell you hit your head--”

“But it’s my arms and legs that won’t work, not my head,” Mikey wiggled his toes and fingers.

Leatherhead smiled, he knew it wasn’t going to be permeate because he could move his limbs slightly it was just a matter of how long it would take to regain full mobility. Leatherhead sighed. How was he going to explain this situation to six-year-old who was in a delicate state? “Your mind controls everything,” he started, “and when you hurt your head, it-- caused injury to the part of the mind the controls your limbs,” He stopped when he saw the confused looked in the turtle’s eyes.

“Oh,” Mikey said simply, “you talk like my brother Donnie, he is smart like you.” Mikey gave him a weak smile, “can you fix it like you did to me already?”

“Michelangelo this is something that cannot be fixed so easily, like broken bones. This his hidden deep down in your body.” He could see tears slipping down Mikey’s cheeks, “It will heal in time,” he added.

Mikey finally coxed his left arm to rise to his face to he could awkwardly rub his eyes.

“You must be sleepy small one, join me I am tired as well. A good night sleep will help you feel better.”
-----
Leatherhead was sleeping curled up on his side with Michelangelo curled up in a tight ball with this carapace to Leatherhead’s stomach. Leatherhead had his tail wrapped around the turtle, Mikey’s hand was holding onto the end of his tail. Leatherhead could sense that his new friend felt safe.
----
Leatherhead knew it was late, but he was woken up Mikey’s strangled breathing. Leatherhead held the turtle in his arms, he was burning up. His heart was hardly beating. Leatherhead knew what it was, his injuries must have become infected. He checked the wound on the back of Mikey’s head. Around the stitches it was dark green and yellow. Leatherhead knew that turtle could not stand a chance without proper medicine, and he was not going to bring the turtle to his family dead, it was up to him to save his little friend.

Leatherhead knew what he had to do, go to the surface for some medication. Tonight. He fashioned a back sling out of a blanket and nestled Mikey in it. The turtle was very sick and he did not want to leave him alone, but he needed medicine or he would surly die, and he had grown rather fond of him.
~*~* ~*~* ~*~*
Raph was sitting on an air-conditioning vent, Leo was staring over the side of the building and Donnie was tinkering away on his T-Phone.  

“Uh Donnie,” Leo said his voice was full of concern, “when you hacked the Kraang’s computer system to find out more about,” he paused, “Mikey, did it mention anything other than turtles?”

“Not at the time no. I have not been back into investigate since then either. Why do you ask?”

“Oh no reason, I just see a giant mutant ALLIGATOR!” Leo yelled the last word.

“Actually, that would be a crocodile,” Donnie said holding on finger in the air.

“Thank for the biology lesson, now tell us how to beat him,” Raph growled.
----
Leatherhead stood outside the pharmacy he did not want to break in and steal. It was not right, but Michelangelo was so very ill and near death. Swiftly he entered the pharmacy after disabling the security system all the while the sick and coughing Michelangelo was tethered to his back. The turtle was getting worse.

Leatherhead grabbed all the supplies he needed and just as he was about to untie Mikey from he back he felt the turtle begin to convulse. Swiftly he brought he seizing friend into his arms. Once the seizure stopped so did Mikey’s breathing, and his heart slowed down, he could hardly feel it. Leatherhead began to perform CPR.
----
Leo stopped his brothers, “he looks like he is trying to save someone, or something….”

The three brothers watched and the stranger brought the unknown being into his arms and held him to his chest. “Michelangelo,” they heard him mutter.

“Uh...did he just say Michelangelo?” Raph asked, “and that looks like a turtle….”

“MIKEY!” they yelled. The other mutant looked up.

“I am sorry….I tried….” the crocodile said.

Donnie scooped up his half dead baby brother and rushed him into the pharmacy where he found an AED, he was going to start his brother’s heart back up.

“Donnie what the shell are ya doing?” Raph snapped.

“Shocking his heart with this defibrillator,” Donnie said in a deadly serious tone. He affixed the pads on his brother’s plastron where he would place the paddles to shock him. The machine beeped telling him to apply the paddles to his brother’s chest.

Leo dropped to his knees, he felt almost dizzy with all that was going on. Raph looked blankly down at Donnie and Mikey and Leatherhead stood at a distance away as his new friend was cared for by his family.

“We need to get him home,” Donnie breathed as Raph pulled him to his feet and then he pulled Leo up to his feet. Donnie was holding Mikey in his arms.

“You,” Raph snapped at Leatherhead, “you are coming with us NOW!”

“Yes, Raphael,” he said.

“How--”

“Michelangelo told me about all of you,” he said simply.
-----
Donnie kicked everyone out of the infirmary while he ran test on Mikey. Splinter, Leo, and Raph questioned Leatherhead until Donnie came out.

Donnie’s lead door opened, the purple banded turtle came out, his head hung low, “he is stable, I gave him something to help the infection, but he is in a coma,” Donnie said before collapsing to the ground.

“Donatello!” Splinter cried pulling his son into a half sitting position. Donnie moaned, but his eyes remained closed.

“Sensei what’s wrong with him….” Leo asked. First Mikey, now Donnie

“I believe he is in shock. Let us get him to his room so that he may rest.”
----
“Leo,” Raph said as his oldest brother left Donnie’s room, “will he be okay?”

“Sensei seems to think so, he said he went into shock. I am going to get some food and water for when he wakes up. Sensei is in with Mikey,” Leo said walking to the kitchen.

“This is a nightmare,” Raph said, “Mikey, was missen’ for almost two weeks and now he’s in a coma and now Donnie-boy is passed out from shock.”

“I know,” Leo said going back to Donnie’s room, “I just want it to end.”
----
Donnie woke up in a panic, “Mikey! Is he okay?” he gasped.

“Define okay…” Raph said but stopped when he saw Donnie glaring at him, “he is in a coma like you said.”

Donnie sighed, “how long was I out for?”

Raph looked at the clock in Donnie’s room, “I would say about two hours.”

“I need to see Mikey!” Donnie tried to get up only yo pushed back down by Raph.

“Not right now you ain’t. Sensei wants you resting.”

“I don’t care!” Donnie tried to push past Raph, but the just collapsed to the ground again. “Mikey….” Donnie broke down.

“Will be okay, unlike you if you don’t listen to your body. It’s your turn to rest, we will keep and eye on the little guy and if something happens we will get you. Noe get in bed before I knock ya out and tie you down.” Donnie smiled at his brother. “And don’t think I don’t mean it, I already have the rope,” Raph jerked his thumb to a bag by the chair he was sitting in.
----
Donnie talked with Leatherhead about possible treatments for Mikey’s limbs. Donnie looked up exercises used by physical therapists, but in the end both knew Mikey would have to learn to walk again.

Everyone took turns sitting with Mikey and talking with him, Donnie read that it helped in many cases with a comatose patient.  

Leo nervously sat down in the chair by Mikey’s bed. Donnie had moved him to his own room. “Mikey, can you hear me? It’s Leo. Donnie said you can still hear us. Well, if you can please wake up soon. You are worrying us. If Donnie had hair he would have pulled it out by now. Father has done nothing, but meditate since you went missing. Even Raph is worried, Spike still had that pink glitter on his shell. We have been talking to Leatherhead, you owe him your life. Even he is worried about you he has come by everyday to see how you are doing…” Leo trailed off. Leaning back in the chair, he sighed. “Just wake up Mikey.”

Raph placed Spike on Mikey’s plastron. He knew his little brother loved the non-mutant turtle as much as he did. When Mikey was younger he used to think Spike was his brother too since Raph said he found the non-mutant. It took them a long time to convince him other wise. “Hey little ninja,” Raph said, “Raph here, with Spike too,” Raph groaned this is stupid how can he hear me? he asked himself. “Sorry I yelled at you for painting Spike’s shell. Sensei said I need to control my anger better and just talk and not yell...so yeah...sorry. You could have picked a better color than pink….You know me...I’m not good with expressing my feelings,” Raph rolled his eyes, “so this is hard for me little ninja, so uh, jus’ wake up okay?”

Donnie was holding Mikey’s hand. He told himself over and over he was here as Mikey’s brother not his doctor. He watch Mikey’s even breaths, his heart rate was stable. No! not right now, right now I am his brother..., no seizures either...he was getting better by why was he still in a coma? Donnie shook his head. “Hey Mikey,” he said lamely and then he sat there in silence for the next hour keeping an eye on Mikey’s vital signs.  

Leatherhead felt awkward in the turtle’s lair. He was slowly getting to know Mikey’s brothers. His little friend was right his brother Donatello was truly a genius. Leatherhead enjoyed working with the purple banded turtle, but he hoped in the future it he could work with him without Michelaneglo’s life on the line. “Hello Michelangelo,” he said entering the turtle’s room. He looked around there posters on the walls as well a crayon drawings. The tiny turtle was a budding artists. He admired one picture that looked like him and his brother out late in the night fighting the Kraang. “You are quite the artist little one--” he stopped, an artist who could not move his arms well. We will make sure you can draw again. “Donatello and myself will stop at nothing to make sure you are well again.  

Splinter looked down at his youngest son. “My sweet Michelangelo, please wake up. I cannot bear to lose another child so young. I know you have the to strength to wake up. So please, just open your eyes, Michelangelo.” Mikey’s body remained motionless. Splinter placed a paw on his forehead he still had a fever, but heart rate was back to normal as was his breathing. Splinter adjusted his foot, but it hit a piece of paper. He picked it up. It was drawing of the five of them with ‘my family’ written in sloppy block letters at the bottom, followed by a heart.
-----
A week went by before Mikey woke from his coma. Splinter was sitting with him when he woke up. He watched at the young turtle’s eyes slowly blinked open. “Daddy…?” Mikey called out weakly.

“I am here Michelangelo,” Splinter brought the small turtle to his chest. Mikey nuzzled against his father’s neck. “Would you like to see your brothers?” Splinter picked Mikey up, he could not believe how much weight he lost in three weeks.

“My sons someone wants to see you,” Splinter said walking into the living room where his three eldest sons were.

“Hi guys,” Mikey rasped out.

Leo’s head snapped up at the sound of his baby brother’s voice. Raph dropped the comic he was reading and turned around. Donnie jumped up so fast he almost dropped his laptop to the ground.

“Mikey!” they shouted running to the brother and father. They watched as Mikey tried to move it hand out to them, but it moved slowly and looked like it took a great deal of effort for one simple motion.

“You hungry Mikey? We have pizza,” Leo said.

“Yeah,” Mikey said smiling, “LH here?” he asked.

“Calling him now,” Donnie said with the T-Phone to his ear.

Splinter carried Mikey over to the table and sat him down. Once Mikey got the pizza close enough to eat he was fine, it just too him longer. Leatherhead was please to see that he was already getting better using his arms, and Donnie was going to work with Mikey to build his strength back up.
----
Mikey was in Leatherhead’s lair. Leo, Raph, and Don were out on patrol and Splinter at the urging of his oldest sons need a night alone. Mikey was laying on his plastron with crayons scattered around. He refused to show Leatherhead what he was drawing, but once he was done he called his friend over. “LH come look!” Mikey slowly lifted the paper into the air for Leatherhead to see.

Leatherhead took the paper in his hands and looked down. It was Michelangelo and himself. Below the picture was written ‘thanks for saving my life. Love, Mikey.’

Leatherhead was stunned, “you’re welcome Michelangelo,” he said picking up the turtle and bringing him into a hug.
----
Mikey was in his room coloring, it was easy for him since it did not require him to move his arm a lot he could work on one section and then adjust himself.

“Hey Mikey,” Leo said walking into the room, “what are you coloring?” Suddenly with no warning Mikey started to cry. Leo took a step back, “Mikey you okay?” he asked growing very nervous.

“Don’t kick me out of the clan!” he cried.

Leo looked shocked at his brother, “Mikey who said I was going to kick you out?” Leo said getting ready to beat up who ever said it.

“N-n-no one! But what good is a ninja who can move! If you kick me out I will be all alone and die because I can’t move!” Mikey was now crying so loud it drew the attention of his family.

“Leo what did ya do?” Raph asked.

“N-nothing I swear!” Leo responded defensively.

“Michelangelo what is wrong?” Splinter said kneeling down next to his son.

“I-I don’t wanna be kick out-out of the clan!”

“My son why would that happen?” Splinter soothed.

“Because I can’t move right!” Mikey wailed.

“My son, you are getting better everyday. Even if you lost the ability to move we would never kick you out we are a family.”

“A ninja family!” Mikey was trying to catch his breath.

“Mikey, where did you get an idea like this?” Donnie asked.

“You might a well find me a box like Spike and feed me lettuce!”

“Mikey, stop. Listen.” Donnie said, “who told you we were going to kick you out?”

“My dream!” he cried, “you all said you did not want me.”

“Mikey do you know the difference between dream and reality?” Donnie asked.

“Y-yeah,” Mikey sniffed.

“Okay so then a dream is….”  Donnie trailed off for Mikey

“Not alway true?”

“Okay then little ninja,” Raph said, “so why are you worried?”

“I don’t know!” Mikey cried.

“Mikey we would never kick you out of the clan, we are a family and we love each other no matter what happens, remember that.” Leo said hugging his little brother.

“We could be a family without you,” Donnie added, “besides you are getting stronger everyday!”

“I guess,” Mikey said.

“I have something for you,” Donnie leaving the room.

“It was LH’s idea, we have been working on it all week,” Donnie said when he returned. “It’s a walker, so you can get around the lair on your own. I will also help keep your legs moving instead of always being carried, and with the exercises we have been doing you will be running around in no time!”

Mikey slowly got to his feet and placed his hand on the bars that were wrapped in orange fabric for comfort. He pushed it forward and as he dragged his feet on the floor. Mikey smiled, “thanks Donnie,” he said.

“See you can walk,” Leo said.

“And soon without this!” Mikey said already forgetting his meltdown a few minutes prior.
----
Two months later</i></u>

“Donnie, I don’t think I am ready,” Mikey said standing on his own without support with Donnie only five feet away.

“Mikey, you can do this,” Donnie said, “you have been practicing with Leo. You are ready.”

“Yeah, but Leo never let’s go,” Mikey complained.

“Mikey, you can do this. Just one foot in front of the other. I am right here if you fall.”

Mikey gulped. Slowly is lifted one foot and then the other, until he made he was to Donnie.

“Mikey you did it!” Donnie said smiling, “with no help you walked again.” He pulled is brother into a tight hug, “see I told you that you would walk again.”

“Can you hold me hand? So I can show daddy, Raphie and Leo that I can walk.”

“Of course I can Mikey, now lets go show them.”
----
“Michelangelo, they just left,” Splinter said to his six-year-old son.

“But I want to be here when they get back,” Mikey said shifting from one foot to the other.

Splinter smiled and then bent down to pick up the small turtle, “how about we go for a walk?”