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Chapter Text

Mikey and Donnie were worn out, sluggishly swinging punches and almost too slowly dodging under their foes' attacks.

It was pouring rain around the middle of the night. Mikey and Donnie had been walking home from the scrapyard to find parts Donnie could use when they encountered Shredder's best assassin, Tigerclaw.

He, true to form, had not hesitated to try to twist their heads off, especially wonderful when the turtles were tired and unprepared. Tigerclaw landed a heavy blow to Donnie's lower stomach and sent him skidding backwards, scraping up the backs of his shins, and fraying his wrappings.

Mikey jumped backwards and planted his feet on the wall, launching himself forwards to land a heavy blow to Tigerclaw's head, but he instead gripped Mikey's head with his strong paw, leaving him dangling there.

His kurisigama snagged under Donnie's armpit a bit, but he didn't notice. His attention was entirely focused on finally sending the SOS for his brothers to find them, if they hadn't already gotten suspicious at how long they had been gone and started looking for them.

Tigerclaw only tightened his grip on Mikey's head. Michelangelo screamed from the pain and clawed tooth and nail to escape. Donnie started to recover and his vision stopped being so blurry as he retrieved his staff from the ground, ready to fight. Okay, maybe not so ready.

It'd be a lot better if his brother and sister were here.

And lo and behold, almost right on cue he heard his siblings shouting Mikey's name as they unsheathed their weapons. Tigerclaw whipped his head around and glared at them, attention seemingly successfully diverted for now.

He tossed Mikey aside, crashing into a wall. Leo and Raph were looking at Donnie with horror, and he felt a horrible ripping pain in his left upper arm. And remembered Mikey's blade hooked under his shoulder.

He looked down and a wet, squelchy tearing sound flooded the narrow alleyway as he watched the majority of his upper arm open and fly over, sending small stringy veins and flesh splatting over the walls.

His arm.

His. Arm.

A shriek ripped through him as he instinctively shot a hand up to his shoulder, though it really didn't do anything to help as sticky dark red blood seeped through his three fingers like water, sinking into his wrappings.

Leo had finally pushed Tigerclaw off of herself and Raph struck him in the back of the head, effectively knocking him out so they could immediately bolt over to Donnie and haul him into the shellraiser and attempt to lie him down, but he was clinging onto Mikey with his one arm as tight as he could, sobbing and shaking violently.

It was a really strange feeling for Mikey to see his older brother clinging onto him desperately and burying his face into the crook of Mikeys neck as he painfully sobbed, but then again, it was pretty strange to see his brothers arm get torn off because of his own weapon.

Leo decided it was still easy to wrap up Donnies arm while he hugged Mikey, so she let him be. Although, every once in a while the shellraiser hit a pot hole, Donnie cried out in agony and started sobbing harder, and all Leo and Mikey could do was softly console him while Raph tried to keep his composure in the driver's seat.
_____

Raph hadn't spoken at all since they had carried Donnie into the shellraiser, and after Leo had finished bandaging his shoulder he'd stopped sobbing and was now trembling in Leo and Mikey's arms.

Raph was driving up in the front seat, trying to keep his composure. But he couldn't stop thinking that Mikey and Donnie got attacked because they were alone. Raph and Leo could have gone with them to the scrapyard, and maybe Tigerclaw would have left well enough alone or they could have at least fought him off together and Donnie would be fine and not dying--"Raph?"

It was Leo. She poked her head in the front seats and was looking at him with concern. "Raph, are you okay? You haven't said a word since we-" "I'm fine." He cut her off with a snarl. Shit. Oops. His snarl immediately dissappeared and he felt a twang of regret when he saw how taken aback she was at the remark.

"Sorry. I- sorry. I'm fine." She didn't look convinced in the slightest. Damn you, mother hen senses. "Are you sure?" She squinted at him.

He turned back around and nodded, pretending like he wasn't sweating under her gaze.

"Yes. Now get back in your seat, I'm trying to drive."

She slowly sat back down, not looking away for a second. Real convincing, Raph. "Okay..." She went back to fretting over Mikey's bandages, repeatedly asking him if he had a concussion. Raph snorted. If Donne was awake, he would have told her that's awful logic, and that it'd be near impossible for Mikey to get a concussion from being hit anywhere but his head.

Raph barely registered Casey and April's voices as they took Donnie to the med bay. It all seemed so strange. None of them had ever lost a limb before. Not like he'd ever admit it, but.. oh, who was he kidding. He'd totally admit it, his twin brother almost died. Again. He was scared. Raph was scared out of his mind, absolutely reeling.

Mikey didn't know what to do as he bounced his leg up and down rapidly in time with Leo's. They'd both been completely silent for over an hour, waiting for Donnie to wake up. Leo was worrying her head off, thinking a mile a minute. What's gonna happen now? Maybe Donnie would make himself a new arm. He'd be able to. Leo, Raph, and Mikey would help him.

Casey and April would, too. Leo hoped Donnie knew that.. if he would ever wake up in time to know--no, no, that's insane. Donnie will wake up. He'll be fine.

At least, Leo hoped.

Chapter Text

Mikey felt uncomfortable. Actually, he felt horrible.
The MedBay. It was one of Mikey's least favorite places, ranking only second to the dojo.

The dusty air in there made his skin crawl. Eugh.

But the MedBay felt so.. terrifying. It was way too clean. The air smelled of rubbing alcohol, it felt like acid passing over his skin with every breeze. And the MedBay meant someone was hurt. The walls seemed like they were looming over him, the sense of doom intensifying.

He felt so lost in a spiral of terror. The intensity of the white everything somehow made him feel like a small child being scolded by an adult. Feels like Splinter, he thought bitterly.

His gaze drifted to Leo, although she barely noticed, looking as though she was trapped in a spiral of her own. She looked so.. mature wasn't the right word.

Tired.

Leo looked tired. Mikey hadn't seen that look since Splinter was alive. When she'd get reprimanded by him whenever one of them got hurt, whenever they didn't listen to her. She was the leader, therefore responsible for everyone at all times.

Mikey cringed at the memory. He rested a hand on his older sisters shoulder, making her look up as she blinked in surprise and confusion.

"What's up, Mikey?" She queried. Mikey let out a small huff at the anguish in her eyes. "This isn't your fault, Leo. You couldn't've done anything." She blinked at his rare moment of sage advice, then lowered her head once more. "I know, but.. He got hurt because I couldn't get there fast enough. I could have done better--"

She was cut off with a long, annoyed groan. Her head snapped up and stared at Mikey, shocked and a little indignant.

Mikey threw his head back and draped an arm over his eyes. "Stooppp thaaat. You're being self depirecatening." The corners of her mouth quirked up a little. "Mikey, it's pronounced depreciating." She corrected.

"But, I guess I was. Thank you for snapping me out of it, even if your methods are a little.. ah, blunt, I suppose."

He put up some finger guns with a little 'pew pew', making her giggle. "Nooo probbles, Lame-O-Nardo." He drawled.

Leo right out laughed hard this time. Ah, she felt wonderful to have her littlest brother snap her out of her spiraling sometimes. The two sat in contented silence for about two seconds before Raph busted down the doors, rudely interrupting.

"Yo. April and Casey are here. Come on, let's go clean the main room or something so they can cry in peace."

Well, Raph seemed to be holding up fine, then.

Chapter Text

Casey entered the MedBay, with April slowly trailing after him. He stared at Donnie's unconscious body, wheezing and trembling. His eyes widened and his vision became blurry, barely registering the small gasp that came from April behind him.

She crept closer, fearful that if she moved too fast he might fade away. He seemed so.. weak. I guess losing an arm will do that to you, huh?

April remembered the last time Donnie looked like this, the last time she was afraid he might disintegrate under her touch. Because that time, he did.

[The pain in her head was barely felt anymore, she couldn't see, she couldn't feel, she couldn't hear, April was pushed away to her subconscious as Za'naron took over.

Screams started flooding her head and she only curled up tighter until she heard--"April!"

Donnie. Her friend. What--why was he calling her name? How was he here? "April! It's me, Donnie!" She lifted her head and tried as hard as she could to see out to what was happening outside.

"Donnie..?"

She only caught bits and pieces of his voice, calling his name, until she heard an ear-splitting scream and saw Donnie, suspended in mid air, dissappear.]

April tried to shake away the rest or that memory, tried to ground herself in the here and now. Ugh. She never should have kept that stupid crystal. She only just regained their trust a few months ago.

She heard a small sob and looked down at Donnie's heavily bandaged shoulder, realizing she had been picking at the wrappings and her hands darted away.

She turned around and saw Casey clenching his fists and wiping his eyes with one hand as Raph hesitantly patted his shoulder, clearly very unsure of what to do in this kind of situation.

April silently laughed under her breath and walked to Casey and Raph.

"Raph, I can take it from here." She sighed.

Raph mouthed a 'thank you' and rushed out of the MedBay to join Mikey and Leo waiting outside.

April's small smile faded when she turned to comfort Casey. "Casey? What's going on?" She softly asked. Casey looked up at her, his eyes watery and slightly red.

He sniffed, and glared at her, a little disbelievingly. "What's going on, April, is that my friend-our friend lost his arm and is now unconscious on a bed on the verge of death, and I'm gonna lose him!"

Oh.

Silence filled the tiny room. April gently raised a hand to touch Casey's shoulder. "Casey.. I had no idea you cared so much about him. I mean, I thought you guys were still fighting."

Casey pushed her hand away, huffing. "Yeah well, I did--I do, alright? I don't think you would understand."

A flash of hurt briefly flitted through April's eyes, but it vanished as soon as it appeared as she tried to keep her composure. "Casey.. you're not suggesting I don't have the same bond with him because of--"

"No! That's not-- that's not what I mean. He's your friend, alright April? He still trusts you, but it's-it's not the same."

She glared at him. "Because I killed him?" Casey groaned, and pulled his hands over his eyes.

"April, stop it. Tensions are high and stuff but you're being irrational." Her glowering only intensified and Casey sighed, looking away. Whatever.

April stormed off, leaving Casey with an unconscious Donnie. He looked down at him, and sighed again, more heavily this time.

"Damnit, Donnie, everyone's freakin' out because of ya. Who the hell's dumb enough to lose their arm?"

Casey chuckled dryly and toyed with the tails of Donnie's discarded mask on the metal table next to him. "If you wake up and make a cool robot prosthetic, can you make it a giant lobster arm? For me? Your boyfriend?"

No response. Obviously.

Donnie started breathing more heavily, every time he exhaled he whistled through his tooth gap. Dork, Casey thought absent-mindedly, continuing to play with the mask tails, until he heard; "Eugh."

His head darted up and he saw Donnie grimacing, inching his face away from Casey's. He look tired as if he had biked through hell and back, but he was awake.

Oh my God. Donnie's awake.

He must have been staring for a long time because Donnie started looking at him like he was Bigfoot, a forest creature sitting down in a small hand made wooden chair (courtesy of Leo) by his side in the tiny room.

"Casey, I can smell your awful dog breath. I thought April finally got you to consistently brush your teeth." The first thing he says after waking up from a debilitating injury is a complaint. Rude. And terribly in character.

Casey blinked, snapping himself out of his soon-to-be mind rant about his awesome vigilante-ism, only to intelligently reply, "Huh?"

"Oh yeah, I'm just.. glad you're awake."
Donnie narrowed his eyes at him, suspicious there was something going on. "Is that all?"

His eyes widened. "Oh no, did anyone touch my tech? Did anything explode?!" Casey's hands went up in mock defence. "Woah, Dee, chillax! Nothing exploded. It's just April."

Donnie gawked. "April exploded?!?"

Casey sighed, putting his head in his hands. "No. She's just angry at me right now." He turned to him, and to Donnie's surprise, he actually looked remorseful.

"I was really upset you weren't waking up, and I said she wouldn't understand why, and she thought I meant that you didn't like her."

Donnie pondered for a moment. That does seem like something she'd say.

After all, she could be a tad irrational sometimes.

[ Donnie was held up in the air, looking into April's stark white glowing eyes.

Was April even behind them?

He looked over his options, and tried to consider the most effective way to get through to her. "April? Are you there?"

For a moment, she looked distraught, and a much different look flashed across her face.

Donnie knew he must be getting somewhere now.

"April, it's me, Donnie!"

"Donnie..?"

However, her face immediately hardened and her telekinetic grip on him only tightened further. It was as if she was torn into two people.

She is, dummy. Donnie thought at the back of his head.

Donnie tried to get through to her once more, maybe she'd be able to fight it and take over. She needed to try.

But Donnie pretty much gave up hope when he felt himself being pulled apart. ]

Sometimes he wondered if she really did try to take back control.

"Dee? Okay, now you're the one spacing out. Does your head feel okay?" Donnie blinked, realizing he'd been stuck in the horrible memory for around 6 minutes now.

"Yeah, sorry. Just thinking." Casey rested his head on his hands and leaned closer to Donnie.

"Thinkin' 'bout what?" He looked genuinely interested in what Donnie had to say. It was cute. One of the things he likes about him, Donnie thought.

"Well.. mostly my arm. I gotta make I new one. I know I could, but the kraang tech is too stiff and probably can't respond quick enough to signals. I mean, you've seen them shoot. And run. And.. do anything.. I'll definitely have to modify it, big time."

Casey pressed a kiss to his boyfriend's snout, leaving him extremely flustered every time he did it. It was funny to see him stuttering and blushing like that.

"Well, don't think too hard. We'll help you, you know, and you should get some sleep. You lost a goddamn arm."

"Alright.." Donnie sighed, watching him leave, both completely and blissfully unaware of the two pairs of eyes watching them, only to zip away when Casey opened the door.

Chapter Text

Mikey walked into the MedBay, only to find an empty bed. He sighed, and stuck his head out of the doorway to Raph and Leo.

Leo and Raph sitting facing eachother, Raph sitting cross-legged and slouching, Leo sitting with her hands on her knees, seemingly too distracted to berate Raph for his posture.

Apparently completely oblivious to Mikey staring at them, they were loudly whispering to eachother with wide eyes. Mikey was suspicous that they had a secret.

But, knowing them, they wouldn't be able to hide it for long, so Mikey just shrugged it off for now. He crept closer ever-so-silently until he was right behind them, cupped his hands around his mout, inhaled, and yelled as loud as he could. "RAPH! LEO!"

The pair violently jolted and Raph's head whipped around and he glared daggers at Mikey.

Leo quickly composed herself, cleared her throat and looked at Mikey. "Yes, Michealangelo?"

Oh yeah. Mikey had almost forgotten about why he was there. "Donnie isn't in the MedBay--" He was cut off with two loud, exasperated groans. Even Leo seemed to have forgotten her manners for a minute.

"Alright, let's go get him." Leo got up and walked with malice in her eyes to Donnie's lab, Mikey trailing behind her.

They entered to see Donnie drawing out blueprints for something, muttering to himself and twitching on occasion. Leo towered over him, arms crossed and her most powerful 'leader/mom' look on her face.

He slowly looked up, fear dawning in his eyes. "Hey, Leo. What are you doing here?" His tone was nonchalant as if nothing he was doing was wrong.

Leo raised the ridges above her mask (where her eyebrows would be) expectantly. "I think you know why I'm here, Donnie. Can you tell me why you aren't in bed?"

Donnie looked back at his blueprints. "Ah. I'm working on prosthetic."

"Uh-huh. And will they explode if you leave them alone?"

Donnie looked at her incredulously.

"Of course not Leo, it's just paper--" "Then you can go back to the MedBay."

She grabbed his arm and started dragging him out of his chair and to the lab doors, while he struggled and tried to break free.

"Leo! Leo, I have to get back to my lab!" He protested. She shot back, "You can get back when I say you can!" Donnie groaned. "But I have to--" He gasped quietly and went limp in Leo's arms.

Confused, Leo looked down and saw Raph pressing a needle to his neck, and Donnie was completely passed out.

She looked at him with horror. "Raph!"

He shrugged, clearly not regretting anything. "Wouldn't shut up. Plus, he'll be fine. It's a knockout drug he made."

"We need to take about your moral compass, bro." Mikey cut in, and Leo nodded in agreement. "Maybe you shouldn't spend so much time with Casey, he's totally affecting your brains!" He threw his arms up.

"Oh, trust me Mikey, I'm not the one Casey's spending too much time with these days." Raph snorted, throwing out the used syringe.

Mikey and April looked over at him with confusion, while Leo stiffened behind them, almost forgetting about her brother unconscious in her arms.

"Well, I'm gonna go drag Donnie to bed! See ya!" She laughed nervously, then started carrying Donnie off to his shared bunk bed with Mikey.

Raph shrugged and walked off to his room. April and Mikey exchanged looks, and went to sit down on the couch to watch Crognard. Mikey set down a 20 dollar bill in-between them. "20 dollars says Casey's dating Donnie."

April turned to him, and smirked. She put down a 30. "30 says he's dating Leo." Mikey barked out a laugh. "Ha! You're on! No way they're dating!"

"But remember how Leo was acting after what Raph said? What did she have to hide?" April countered.

"I guess we'll see, then."

"I guess we will."

Chapter Text

The lair was silent.

Leo, Raph and Mikey had gone out grocery stealing-- uh, shopping, and April had been left in charge of taking care of Chompy and Casey taking care of Ice Cream Kitty.

Although there was one they had forgotten needed babysitting too, and that was--

"Guys! Guys guys guys!!"

"Donnie, shouldn't you be resting?" April accused, but Donnie brushed her off. "Probably. But! Sleep is for the WEAK!"

"That cannot be true."

"It is not! What is true is that I have finally collected enough parts to completely assemble my prosthetic, and all it needs--ah-choo! All it needs is power--"

"Woah woah woah, what was that?" Casey interrupted. April crossed her arms. "Was that a sneeze? Are you sick?"

Donnie sniffed. "No, of course not." Casey sighed, and went to grab Donnie's hand and led him to the MedBay. "Donnie, come on. I'll get you some medicine."

The turtle flushed at the contact. "Oh, sure, haha.." He readily agreed. Casey laughed. "Psh, nerd."

April eyed them suspiciously, but turned back to Ice Cream Kitty meowing at her, and she decided to leave their weird behaviour alone. Maybe Donnie was hopped up on pain medication and no sleep.

___

Casey rifled through the cabinets, pushing past rolls of gauze and syringes. "Don-Don, where do ya keep your sick medicine?"

Donnie blushed at the nickname. "It's in-- cough cough--in the cabinet one over."

"Thanks." He pulled out a small bottle of pills and dropped two out, handing them to Donnie. Casey sat down next to him on the cot, pulling out some blueprints.

"My blueprints? Why do you have these?" "Well, since you're sick and, oh yeah, lost an arm, I figured you'd be bored staying in here, so I wanna talk to you about your dumb science stuff."

"Oh, that's.. nice. Of you. Thanks." Casey grinned and moved the blueprints between them.

"Welcome. Can you tell me what metal you're usin' for this? The blades, if you use too much of a heavy metal it won't be able to compact back into the forearm."

Donnie blinked. "Ooh. Ah-choo! I.. can't believe I didn't consider that. Thank you." "No problem, babe. Glad I could help." Casey listened to his adorable boyfriend rant about what they're doing wrong with building the kraangdroids for about an hour before Raph, Mikey and Leo busted down the door with completely legally procured groceries.

"What's up, nerds? How's my son?" "Raph, Chompy is not your son and he is fine." April sighed, handing him the baby turtle. "How dare you, April. You are the worst for even implying that we aren't family." Raph said flatly, petting Chompy's tiny head. Mikey scooped up Ice Cream Kitty's orange plastic bowl and cradled her. "Aww, I missed ya! We got into the wildest break in--" "You--what?! Damn, now I wish I would have tagged along!"

"You snooze, you lose!" Mikey crooned. "How is Donnie?" Leo asked, very smoothly changing the subject. "He's sick." April cut in from the kitchen. "He's what?" Raph groaned.

"Yep. But, don't worry, I just promised him I'd hang with him every once in a while so he won't get bored and now he's resting." Casey assured him. "Oh. Nice job, Jones." He grinned.

"Thank you, Raphael. I am, in fact, a genius." "Uh-huh. I'm gonna go check on him." Raph walked away to see his brother, leaving Casey alone. Casey walked April home, and relaxed for the rest of the night.

___

Raph opened the doors to the MedBay expecting to see his brother sleeping, only to see an empty bed.

He was confused for a mere second before he heard violent retching and coughing from the bathroom, and comprehension dawned on him.

He carefully crept in the bathroom and saw Donnie on his knees on the floor, throwing up into the toilet bowl. "Donnie? You alright?"

"That's a compelling question, Raph, I might have to think about that one for a while." He groaned. Raph rolled his eyes and sat down next to him. "Want me to rub your shell?"

"Yes, please.." Raph rubbed Donnie's shell in smooth circles as he coughed and hacked into the toilet bowl, and he started throwing up what little contents he had in his stomach by now.

It was getting difficult to breathe and tears started streaming down his face. His vision blurred, he couldn't tell how much time had passed. He started panicking until he heard:

"Shh, little brother."

Raph. Right. Raph was here with him. He blinked and looked beside him. Leo and Mikey were there too.

"What are you doing here?" Leo bent down next to him. "Raph called us in here, don't you remember?" She said softly. Mikey leaned in.

"He probably didn't hear. You were kinda freakin' out, dude." "Yeah, what was with that? That was a shit ton of vomit, Donnie." He waved him off, trying to steady himself.

"It's nothing. Just a cold." Leo hit him with a stone-faced glare.

"Then drink this glass of water." Donnie took the glass and drank it, but halfway through he choked and started coughing like crazy.

"Mhm. Donnie, don't you understand that to get better, you have to rest?" She slung his arm over her shoulder and brought him over to the MedBay, despite his weak and annoyed protests.

Mikey and Raph came to join them in the MedBay and they just.. hung out.

It was nice.

Mikey usually felt like the guy who had to cheer everyone up, even when he was feeling just as bad. But now he felt like he didn't have to carry that burden anymore.

Despite.. recent events, Mikey felt things were going to get better. That their problems would soon drift away and they could all be a happy, healthy family again.

Chapter Text

Donnie woke up in the clean white sheets of the MedBay cot, disoriented by sleep and the brightness of the LED lights. Why were the lights still on? What time was it?

He looked around and suddenly felt a splitting pain in his stump of an arm. He looked down to see it was a garish red-and-purple rash creeping up from the stump.

Shit.

His eyelids felt like weights, and he suddenly felt very warm. Looks like the sickness was coming back full force.

Donnie desperately wanted to go back to sleep, but he knew in his current state that seemed like a bad idea. He should figure out what the rash came from and how to treat it, but he was so tired..

___

Raph and Mikey walked into the main living area, bickering about Mikey's culinary skills. Leo watched them and sighed, it wasn't much of a fight so she felt she didn't need to break it up very urgently.

"Mikey, that dish is a crime. Not even these sewers would accept it." Raph said, grimacing at the bowl of half-moldy noodles with jellybean garnish.

Food was hard to come by in the sewers, but Mikey always managed to find candy to add to his 'famous dishes.'

Raph thought they'd be more infamous if they ever came in contact with humans, but whatever.

"How dare you, Raph? Donnie shall adore this gift of love." Mikey spat back with mock-offence.

"I think Donnie would rather go back to eating worms and algae." Raph chuckled. Mikey looked down at the bowl. "I'm sure he won't even notice the mold." He joked, making Raph cackle.

The door to the MedBay slid open with a hiss, and Raph and Mikey entered, only to find their brother asleep.

"Oh, Donnie." Mikey sighed fondly, setting the bowl down on the side and sitting down next to his brothers bedside.

"Hey, at least he's asleep." Raph said, cutting Donnie's bandages open to replace them with clean ones. "Mm.." Mikey hummed in agreement, already distracted.

"Woah."

Mikey shot up from where he was sitting, his sketchbook falling to the floor with a thud. "What? What's wrong?"

Raph waved him over and showed him the horrible bruising and rash on Donnie's stump. "Looks like an infection. A bad one."

Mikey felt his forehead, jerking his hand away in surprise. "He's burning up. Get a towel." Raph nodded, zipping around the corner and dissappearing.

Raph made his way to the kitchen, crossing paths with Leo. "Woah, Raph, what's--ah-choo! --Wrong?" She questioned as he almost pushed past her.

Raph took in a breath and tried to steady himself. "Donnie got sicker. He has an infectio--" He paused, seemingly just processing something.

"Leo.. are you sick?"

It was less of a question and more of an accusation. An accusation which Leo not-so-expertly deflected.

"No..? N-no." Raph raised his eyebrow ridges and crossed his arms. He saw her bloodshot eyes and shaky stance, and how she kept sniffing and trying to cover up her coughs with a fist to her mouth (A bit of a dead giveaway.).

Leo averted her eyes and nervously chuckled before Raph sighed and started dragging her to the MedBay.

"Come on, Fearless Leader--ah-choo!"

Leo snapped her head up, eyes wide. "You're sick too!" Raph brushed her off, trying to stifle a cough. "No I'm--ah-choo! Not. Quit stalling, Leo."

"I'm not stalling!"

Mikey walked out, interrupting their bickering. "Raph, what's--cough cough--what's taking so long?" Raph and Leo looked at each other and sighed.

Mikey stood awkwardly between them, until he connected the dots.

"Wait, are you guys--"

"Yes." They flatly responded at the same time.

___

The three turtles sat in the MedBay, fighting off sleep. Leo had texted Casey and April to get a new bottle of disinfectant, as they had since run out.

Mikey was absent-mindedly doodling beside Raph, who was very tired and trying very badly to hide it. Leo put down her t-phone and looked up at the other two turtles.

"Alright, April and Casey are coming in about 20 minutes." She announced, sniffling a little. Mikey groaned after a solid 2 seconds of silence.

"But Leooo, I miss April!" "I don't." Raph responded flatly.

April had once been baking with Mikey and accidentally spilled flour on Chompy, and he had since not gotten over it. "Thank you Raph,"

Leo said sarcastically, "and I know you miss her Mikey, but 20 minutes isn't a lot."

"Wrong, dear sister, it's an eternity.." Mikey sighed, folding on to the floor, tongue hanging out of his mouth and cartoony x-ed out eyes as if he was dead.

Raph rolled his eyes and shoved him lightly with his foot, and Mikey came back from the grave to whap him on the head with a comic book.

___

Casey zipped past April on his rollerblades in the sewers, almost knocking the bottle of disinfectant out of her hands.

April whistled as her hair flew past her face in a gust of wind. "Jeez Casey, keep this up and you'll get your 15th concussion."

Casey turned his head around and opened his mouth as if to snarkily reply, but he was silenced as he slammed into the wall making the fork in the sewers.

He slowly slid down the wall and onto the floor, groaning. April sighed and picked him up by the strings of his ragged hoodie. She pulled him up and disinfected a small cut he'd acquired and smoothed a band-aid over it.

"Come on, dummy."

"Rude.."

They pushed past the turnstiles to find an empty lair. Casey wandered around, calling for their friends and his boyfriend as April turned to the MedBay.

She knocked on the door and it hissed open. She was met with an extremely tired Mikey and a worried Leo.

"Wassup, Apes? Oh, thanks." He half-slurred as she tossed the bottle to him. Leo stepped up next to him and began inspecting her as much as she could without getting too close.

"Are you alright April? You aren't sick, are you?"
She smiled at her friends fretting. "No, Leo, I'm fine."

"I missed you, April... this place is insufferable with just these dudes. I mean, turtle power an' all, but damnI'm bored being cooped up in here."

Raph looked up from where he was standing next to Donnie and glared at Mikey. "Thanks, Mikester. Really feeling the love here."

"Uh-huh. Let's go disinfect Donnie's stump and treat it best we can." Mikey said, grinning as he walked over and started soaking a few patches of cotton with the disinfectant.

___

Leo finished bandaging Donnie's arm and turned around to see Casey--Casey Jones, standing anxiously by the cabinets.

His mind seemed to be elsewhere entirely as he subconsciously chewed on his black painted nails. He seems like he'd benefit from some tea, Leo thought. (Because of course she did.)

"Casey? Is there a problem?" He was snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of his name. "U-uh, no. Everything's fine, Lee."

"Would you like some tea?" Casey grimaced, he hated tea but he didn't want to upset Leo.. "Okay, thanks.."

She smiled. "Okay, I'll get the kettle. I've already made some for Raph, Mikey and April so the water should still be hot. Make sure nothing happens to Donatello."

Casey nodded and Leo left swiftly. Casey turned to his boyfriend and smiled. He looked much more restful now, quite peaceful.

Well, Donnie was a peaceful turtle. A pacifist. Almost a polar opposite to Casey and his family. Casey's sister, Angel, was as much of a hothead as he was.

Their dad would bonk them both on the head to break up their fights. Casey wondered how he would react to his son having a giant mutant turtle as a boyfriend.

He could probably guess how Angel would react. Probably with joy, wonder and a lot of questions. Casey chuckled at the thought of his 6-foot boyfriend giving his little sister rides on his shoulders throughout the tiny apartment.

Leo soon returned with the tea and she and Casey talked for a while. They were both worried about Donnie, and Casey understood much better now why the turtles all called Leo 'Mama Leo'. He found it cute how she'd stepped up to help them all, like a real parental figure.

Casey hesitated before speaking again, looking down at his worn down sneakers. "Leo, I.. how can you be so sure he'll be okay?"

She chuckled into her tea. "I don't think I ever told you this, but Donnie was quite a.. sickly child. He fell ill so often that for some years he was in a constant state of sickness. But, he theorized this would train his immune system to fight off future illnesses. I guess.. he was right. After that, he never got sick again."

She looked at her brother, then to Casey, then back to her brother. "He will be alright. I'm sure of it. As for the rest of us.. well, we might be sick for a while, haha."

Casey chuckled as well, and slung his bag over his shoulder. "Thanks for the talk, Leo. And for the blackmail about child Donnie." She laughed and took Casey's teacup to wash it.

"Of course. Just don't let him know it was me who gave it to you."

"Alright, see ya!"

Casey walked through the sewers when his T-phone buzzed. An image attachment from Leo.

He opened it, and--wow.

It was an old Polaroid of Donnie, around 7 or 8, trying to put out a flaming toaster with a busted up fire extinguisher with Mikey and Leo screaming and freaking out behind him, while Raph was grinning and the one taking a selfie with the camera.

Donnie was thin, lanky and almost a foot and a half taller than his brothers, and looked extremely out of place among the tiny turtles.

Casey barked out a laugh as he saved the photo immediately. This was amazing blackmail material, he thought, grinning widely the rest of the way home.

Chapter Text

Donnie sat up in the MedBay cot, rubbing his eyes.

God, how long had he been asleep? Where were his siblings? He felt a buzz from his T-phone.

A text from his older sister.

Out on patrol, don't wait up! `(^<^`)

He smiled and shut it off as he wondered what to do without his siblings.

One thought rang through his head repeatedly.

Coffee.

He opened the sliding door, cracking his neck. The lair was empty again. Well, then he could make his coffee in peace.

He entered the kitchen and headed straight for his precious coffee machine.

As the machine ground and shook, Donnie let his thoughts wander.

He sometimes wondered what would happen if he died. He knew his family didn't want to think about it, but Donnie knew from the start it was a possibility.

He loved his sister, but when she was met with something that couldn't be fixed, she went into denial.

Just like when da--their sensei died.

His siblings then appeared behind him, suspiciously bloodier than when he last saw them. He opened his mouth to question who's blood is that, because they certainly seemed scratch-free, but before he could get a concerned word out, they started berating him for his poor self care.

"Coffee? Again?" "Shouldn't you be in bed right now, Dee?" "Donnie, did you eat anything today?"

He sighed. Patience. He must have patience with his ridiculously overbearing siblings.

"Yes, Raph, Coffee. Again. Mikey, I just spent I-don't-know-how-long unconscious, I'd like to stretch my legs a little. Leo, I woke up 7 and a half minutes ago. Of course I haven't eaten anything."

Leo sniffed. "Well, you will now. It's dinnertime. And Karai is coming over. She's wanted to check on you for a while."

"Ooh, Karai~" Mikey taunted, making Donnie and Raph laugh and Leo turn a furious shade of green, immensely embarrassed.

Leo sniffed again. "Donnie, where's the sinus medication?" She queried as she made her way into the MedBay. "In the medicine shelf. How's that cold treating you, Leo? Maybe you should be the one resting." The genius teased.

"Yeah, well, I'm still capable of opening a child proof bottle, Donnie, so maybe lay off." He balked. Did Leo just give him snark?

Raph cackled from the doors of the MedBay. "Woah, Leo, never knew you had some pepper in you!" She grimaced.

"Sorry Don, this sinus headache is really getting to me. I didn't mean that." He laughed, walking back to the kitchen to help Mikey with dinner.

"No, Leo, that was really funny. You should be snippy more often!" Raph trailed after him and grinned at Leo before he left. "Yeah sis, I'm kinda loving this side of ya!"

"Do not get used to it."

___

Casey, April and Karai sat at the kitchen island with the turtles.

It was a common scene, Mikey and Raph bickering at the stovetop, Leo fretting over how someone could get hurt, and Donnie was quietly sitting next to Casey, who was holding his hand under the table (how discreet.).

Leo finally got Raph and Mikey to settle down, and she served everyone their noodles.

"So, Donnie." Karai started. "You seem to have one less limb than when I last saw you." He chuckled. "Oh, is that so? Hm. I hadn't noticed." She giggled, along with April.

"How's the foot clan rehabilitation thing going, Karai?" Mikey asked from across the table. After the Shredder died, Karai had taken over and had recently been trying to reform, along with the clan.

"It's going well. However, some soldiers seem to be more.. reluctant to turning to the good side. But I'll take care of them soon enough."

That caused a cautious pause.

Mikey half shrunk into his shell, and Casey and April scooted away ever so slightly. Raph put his chopsticks down. "Did that last sentence have a flick of malice and violence, or is that just me..?"

Leo ignored the fear of her sister potentially killing off a few non-bot foot soldiers and off-handedly mentioned: "So, Donnie, how's your relationship with Casey going?"

Silence.

Karai dropped her chopsticks in her bowl, gaping, and Raph gave her a glare that could cut glass.

The first to break the silence was April. Her head fell on the table as she groaned:

"Nooooo.."

The turtle in orange, however, cheered and slid over to April, holding a hand out expectantly.

She glared at him from the table, and begrudgingly threw three ten dollar bills into his hand. But everyone else was still busy staring at Casey and Donnie.

Eye twitching, he grumbled, "Leo.. what makes you say such a thing?"

Sighing, Raph put his head in his hands. "We saw you and Casey kissing in the MedBay." Hard to forget your little brother getting all flustered and giggly after your best friend calls him 'doll'.

Mikey laughed. "Aww, with all the blood and bandages? How romantic."

Karai was suddenly jabbing a finger in her younger brother's chest. "Why didn't you tell me?!" This caused a bit of an eruption as the rest of the family suddenly bombarded Donnie with questions.

"How long have you been dating?" "When was your first kiss~?" "I cannot believe you didn't tell anyone!" "You haven't freaked, have you?" "Mikey!" "I'm just saying, be safe--"

That last question was enough to snap Donnie's last nerve.

He yelled, no words in particular, and stormed off into his lab. The table exchanged glances as Casey awkwardly slid off his seat and headed for the lab as well.

"I should probably.." He trailed off, pointing towards the giant metal doors.

___

Casey hesitantly knocked on the door. He heard his boyfriend groan.

"Go away." "It's Casey.."

"..Come in."

He timidly stepped inside and his eyes fell on Donnie, furiously swinging at a punching bag Casey never knew was there.

He whistled as Donnie's punches landed with immaculate precision. "Since when do you have a punching bag?" "Raph gave it to me."

He huffed between hits. Casey chuckled. "So you really are just as much of a hothead as he is, huh?" The punches stopped and the rattling of the chain suspending the bag in the air fell silent.

"Why are you here, Case?" Adorable nickname, Casey thought. If his boyfriend was really ticked off, he would've used 'Jones'.

Guess that meant he was in the clear for now. "So, I know you're mad at you family an' all, but they didn't--" "Get to the point, Jones."

Ah, shit.

"I don't think they meant it. They were just.. pretty surprised. Weren't you surprised when Raph and Mona started dating?"

"They were an unlikely pairing.." Donnie mused. "Exactly." Huffing, he crossed his arms and looked to the side. "Alright.. alright, fine." Casey chuckled. "C'mon, let's go topside."

___

Donnie took in an amazing breath of fresh air, gazing up at the stars. He hadn't been allowed to leave the lair since he lost his arm.

Casey had helped him up the fire escape on his apartment building for the best view possible. A clear sky was uncommon in New York, what with all the smog. But they got lucky tonight, Casey supposed.

"Oh, Case, it's beautiful. Thank you for taking me up here." Score, he thought, chuckling. "Yer welcome, doll." Donnie blushed as he sat down on the edge of the roof.

Casey was just on fire tonight.

The adrenaline junkie laid his head in his boyfriends lap, looking up at his adorable, sweet eyes. He smiled gently down at him, his beautiful gap tooth showing and his red-brown irises shining.

Doll-face, Casey thought.

That's where the nickname had come from, Donnie's soft doll-like features. God, he was so lucky to have a mutant turtle for a boyfriend. And he let him know it.

"I'm so lucky to have a dude like you, 'Tello." That made him chuckle softly. "I'm so lucky to have a weird, loud, annoying doofus like you, Case."

"Alright!" He shoved his snippy turtle backwards off the ledge that sent them both tumbling on their backs, laughing.

"Gap-tooth." Casey mustered through his cackles. "Cave mouth!" Donnie hiccuped in-between his tittering giggles.

Gods, Casey loved him. "Maybe we should head back to the lair? Confront your fam about us being smooching buddies?" Donnie cackled. "Oh my God, never use that term again!"

He slung his arm over Casey's shoulder getting back down the fire exit and into the sewers.

Maybe with him, confronting his family and all their inevitable questions wouldn't be so bad.

Chapter Text

Donnie stood in front of his family, nervously playing with his mask tails. They all sat in the main living area, looking at him expectantly. He took a deep breath.

Casey gave him an encouraging thumbs-up. He shot him a small smile back.

Here goes nothing.

"I'm sure you have all figured out that.. Casey and I are in a relationship. But, unlikely as we may be together, we're happy. I will now take questions."

Leo raised her hand. "Yes, Leo?" "When did you start dating?" That made Donnie look a tad uncomfortable, as if he didn't want to reveal what started it. "Uhm, after I.."

He subconsciously glanced at April, and it dawned on the rest of the group, they too now sporting an uncomfortable expression.

"Yeah. Yes, Raph?" Trying to steer the conversation somewhere else, he answered Raph's hand. "Does this mean you're gay?"

"Ah, no. I'm bisexual.. do any of you know what that means?" Mikey lit up, eager to offer information and even more eager to know something Raph and Leo didn't.

"It means you like both men and women, right?" "Very good, Mikey. That's correct." "Also, did you guys ever do it--" "And that puts an end to the questions!"

"Moving on.." He turned around to the table he'd set up behind him, mostly to hide his dark red face. "If you've known, I have been making great strides in my prosthetic arm. And now, it is finished."

"Nice job, Donnie!" Smiling, although uncertain on whether or not Raph was being sarcastic, he took the cloth off the table, displaying the arm.

It was clearly made out of kraang parts. The protective blue gel covered the upper arm, and there were two panels that he demonstrated unfolding to uncover two blades.

His family gaped at the prosthetic, and he beamed at the praise.

"It's wonderful, Donnie. Splinter would have been proud." Leo smiled. The rest of the family cringed. Donnie and Raph didn't really.. appreciate Splinter's methods of training Leo, nor his valuing being their sensei over their father.

Donnie's smile faltered ever so slightly. "Yeah. I'm sure.. I'm sure he would be."

"I'm proud of you too." He looked at his sister. She looked around to her family. "We all are. This must have been hard, but you powered through nonetheless."

She stood up to hug him, and the rest of the group followed suit. He stood in silence for a second, before wrapping his metal arm around her as well.

"We love you, DonDon." Mikey softly said, looking up at his immediate older brother. "I love you guys too."

"I've a feeling we'll be okay." Karai said, smiling contentedly.

"I do too." Leo replied.