Last little one-shot for this series! This takes place a short while after chapter 2.

"Cats find malicious amusement in doing what they are not wanted to do, and that with an affectation of innocence that materially aggravates their deliberate offense."

- Helen Winslow

Leonardo shrugged into the sheaths for his katana and finished tightening the pad around his left elbow, preparing for the trip outside. He then turned to make his bed before leaving his room. As he flipped the blanket forward, he caught sight of a damp gray lump that had been deposited at the foot of the bed and he recoiled with an exclamation of disgust.

"Klunk…" He hid his face in his hand for just a moment before gingerly lifting the dead mouse by the tail and striding to Michelangelo's room.

"Mikey!"

Both Mikey and Raph were inside; Mikey sat on the edge of his bed, fiddling with the chain to one of his nunchucks while Raph leaned against the wall just inside the door, arms folded loosely across his chest. Both turtles looked up when Leo entered, staring in surprise at the dead rodent dangling from his fingers. Their startled expressions soon changed into amusement; the gleam in Raph's eyes was decidedly wicked, while Mikey looked sheepish.

"Uh...what'cha got there, Leo?"

"This is the second time this week, Mikey!" Leo said, exasperated.

"Well...at least we know we won't have a mouse problem, right?"

"He left it on my bed."

Raphael gave up trying to hold back his laughter. "Better watch your back, bro. He'll leave a horse head in there next."

"It's not a threat!" Mikey protested. "Klunk likes you, Leo. He missed you while you were gone. For the first month after you left, he kept bringing dead rats to your room."

That brought Leo up short. "...He did?"

"Yeah." Mikey rubbed the back of his neck. "Got a little awkward when Sensei found them, but the sentiment behind it was sweet."

"Well, I don't want to seem unappreciative, but maybe Klunk could find other ways to show his affection," Leo said, tossing the dead mouse into Mikey's trash can.

"Hey, don't throw it in there!" Mikey yelped. "Where were you raised? In a sewer?" He scooped up the trash can and hurried out the door to dispose of it properly.

Raphael jostled his shoulder against Leo's as the two of them followed at a more dignified pace. "You're lucky I don't think like Klunk, otherwise you'd be waking up to find some Purple Dragon whackbag out cold on your floor."

Leo sputtered a laugh and shoved Raph right back, feeling a rush of warmth despite his brother's flippant words. It was the closest Raph would ever come to admitting that he'd missed him.

Don was waiting at the door, tapping the end of his bo impatiently on the floor. "You guys ready now?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're coming." Raph made a face as Don shoved a musty duffel bag into his arms, even more battered than the one Don himself usually carried. "Geez, where did you find this thing?"

"You don't want to know. Here's yours, Leo."

Leo caught the bag and held it at arm's length, eyes narrowing as he saw the suspicious-looking stains on the gray canvas.

Mikey jogged up and caught his own bag as Don tossed it at him. "Ugh, it smells like something died in here," he said, wrinkling his nose.

"Must've been Klunk's," Leo said evenly. He sidestepped just slightly, dodging as Mikey took a swipe at him, then headed out the door with his brothers following just behind. "So, Donny, where are we headed?"

"The recycling center. Thursday's the day they usually get electronics in, and if I don't get there tonight, it'll all be gone."

The brothers paused at the exit to their home, watching and listening for any wayward hikers, then slipped silently into the trees. The recycling center wasn't far from Central Park, and the trip was made faster as they vaulted across the rooftops. Don took over the lead once they got moving, and he guided them to the entrance he usually used when raiding the facility.

It only took him a moment to pick the lock, and the four turtles slipped inside the large, darkened building. They stayed close to each other as they moved through the aisles; Leo, Raph, and Mikey weren't completely sure what Don was looking for, so they would hold up various items to see if he approved. Before long, their duffels were weighed down with salvaged computer parts.

"Okay," Don said in a low voice. "We're almost done. I think if I can find a couple more motherboards, I'll be - "

The rattle of the doorknob echoed through the silent building. The brothers exchanged a tense glance and melted back into the shadows. A wedge of light slanted in as the door swung open. Leo slipped forward a few paces to see who the new person was...and grimaced as he saw several burly, leather-jacketed figures duck inside. The door swung shut, plunging the building into darkness once more.

Leo hurried to rejoin his brothers. "Purple Dragons," he hissed.

"Aw, man! Just our luck they'd pick the same place to raid at the same time," Mikey said. "Good one, Don."

"Hey, it's not like I call them up and compare day-planners," Don said, elbowing him in the side.

"Let's try to avoid getting caught up in a fight," Leo said softly. "They'll see us when we get to the door, but we should be able to make it there without them noticing us." They began moving towards the opposite wall in order to circle around the Dragons and slip out the door - but before they'd made it halfway there, a flashlight clicked on and a bright cone of yellow light sliced across the room at just the right time to catch the turtles in the center of the beam.

"Hey!" the Purple Dragon bellowed. He reached into his belt and pulled out a heavy length of chain, and Leo could see that his companions were armed with knives and clubs.

"So much for that idea!" Raph said, drawing his sai.

Leo drew his swords, feeling the displacement of air as Don pulled his bo from its sheath and hearing the snap-whrrr of Mikey's nunchaku. He sprang forward, meeting the first Dragon halfway and turning aside a slash from a knife. The drag of the half-loaded duffel was a mild distraction but he quickly compensated for the extra weight.

The turtles were outnumbered, but they still managed to fight their way to the door relatively quickly. A strike of Don's bo sent his assailant tumbling against a nearby stack of shelves, which collapsed with a metallic crash and set off a domino effect as three more shelving units began to topple.

"You sure know how to make an exit, Donny!" Mikey said, striking out to send two more Dragons flying.

Raph disarmed the thug blocking the doorway with a twist of his sai and yanked the door open. "Let's move!" Don flipped over a charging attacker and landed beside Raph, but Leo and Mikey were still a few rows back

"Go!" Leo ordered, seeing Raph begin to turn back to help. "We'll follow you!." Raph scowled, but he and Don darted out of the building. Leo dropped another Purple Dragon with a kick. "Time to go, Mikey!"

"Right behind you, bro!"

Leo spun and slashed, forcing the enclosing gang members back. A gap opened and he jumped forward, Mikey just behind. Just as Leo passed through the doorway, he was jerked to a sudden halt. One of the Dragons had lunged forward and caught hold of the duffel bag. He stumbled, spinning in a half circle and raising his katana either to defend himself or cut himself loose...

The sudden loud roar of an engine drowned out the sound of Raphael shouting his name. The Dragons had left a truck waiting outside and it was racing straight for him. The glare of headlights whited out his vision. He struck out blindly, felt the release when he cut through the strap of his bag, and gathered his legs beneath him in an attempt to spring to safety, but there wasn't enough time, the truck was too close -

Michelangelo hurtled through the doorway and crashed into him. Leo went flying, tumbling to the ground. The world spun past him in a blur of light and sound; another shout from Raph, the squeal of tires on pavement, and a terrible solid thud.

"Mikey!" Leo scrambled to his feet and raced over to where Mikey had fallen, barely registering the blur of movement as Don and Raph dropped down from the roof of the building to fight off the Dragons that had begun closing in. Mikey lay motionless on his left side, and Leo forced down the feeling of panic rising within his chest as he fell to his knees beside his brother. He ran steady, practiced hands over Mikey's head and neck - everything seemed okay, he noted with relief - and he leaned forward to see his brother's face. "Mikey, you with me?"

Mikey's eyes were open, but the look in them was far away as he struggled to stay conscious. He blinked when he heard his name and sucked in a sudden breath, but almost immediately curled in on himself with a choked-off hiss of pain.

"Mike, what's wrong?" Leo asked sharply.

"D'you get the number of the truck that hit me?" Mikey said in a strained voice.

"No, but if we don't get out of here now, we'll get a second chance." Leo darted an anxious glance over his shoulder. Raph and Don were holding their own, but the truck had made a U-turn at the end of the lot and was speeding back toward them. "Can you move?"

"Yeah," Mikey said breathlessly. He curled his right arm around Leo's neck and held on as his brother hauled him to his feet. Deep scratches were gouged in the left side of his plastron where the truck had hit him, and he kept his left arm curled against his side.

"Raph! Donny!" Leo called. The two turtles immediately fell back, lagging behind just enough to cover Leo and Mikey as they retreated.

Leo moved as fast as he dared, half-carrying Mikey as they ran. He ducked down the first alley he came to, pausing just long enough to lean Mikey up against the wall as he wrenched the nearest manhole cover off. He slid down the ladder with Mikey close behind. Don came jumping through the manhole less than a minute later, and Raph brought up the rear, sliding the manhole cover back into place with a solid clang.

Mikey leaned gratefully against Leo's side as they started moving once again. Don stepped up close beside him, scanning his face anxiously in the stray beams coming through the sewer grates from from the streetlights above. "How badly are you hurt?" he asked worriedly.

"I could be worse," Mikey said, trying to sound cheerful. "It could've been a bus."

"Not exactly making me feel better," Don frowned.

"My arm hurts and it feels like I've got some busted ribs, but I've been there, done that before."

Don's worried look deepened. "Your ribs? Are you having any trouble breathing?"

"Nah, nothing like that. I'll be okay, Donny," Mikey said, more serious this time. Don still looked unhappy, but just gave a resigned sigh and kept walking.

The trip through the sewers was slower and less direct than their outbound trip, but they still made good time. Raph had even managed to snag the duffel that Leo had been forced to drop, but none of the brothers were particularly concerned with the salvaged computer parts now.

They scattered once they entered their home; Don went to dump the bags on the floor of his room while Raph went to tell Splinter what had happened. Mikey was walking pretty much under his own power at that point, but Leo still stuck close as they made their way to the couch. Mikey sat back against the cushions with a sigh, sitting still while Leo inspected his shell for cracks and used the pads of his fingers to carefully press against his left side between plastron and carapace.

"Well, I think you were right," Leo said ruefully. "Looks like three, maybe four ribs. You said your left arm hurt?"

"Yeah." Mikey gingerly lifted the limb, suppressing a wince as Leo carefully ran his hands over the bruised forearm.

"I think you cracked your ulna too, buddy. But the good news is that it doesn't look like any of the fractures are displaced. They should heal without any problems as long as you take it easy." Leo sighed and gently eased the arm back down, meeting Mikey's eyes. "Thanks for watching my back."

Don came up to stand next to Leo, carrying their well-used first aid kid. "What's the verdict?" he asked.

"Ribs and arm, like he said," Leo answered.

"Hm." Don performed his own brief examination, nodding to himself and pulling a splint out of his box of supplies.

"Way to go, Mikey," Raph groused, standing behind the couch. He folded his arms across his chest.

Mikey leaned his head against the back of the couch to look up at Raph. "Well, if the truck had to hit something, I figured that between Leo's head and my shell, my shell was harder."

Raph snickered. "Some would beg to differ."

Leo rolled his eyes, but smiled and rubbed the top of Mikey's head.

Leo woke earlier than usual the next day, pausing briefly in the door of Mikey's room on his way to the kitchen. Mikey was still sound asleep, but his mouth looked tight, and little lines of pain creased the skin around his eyes. Leo winced in sympathy - he knew all too well how painful broken bones could be, not to mention the muscle soreness from a heavy impact, and he could guess his brother would be pretty uncomfortable when he woke up.

He continued on his way to the kitchen, listening carefully to catch the first sound of his brother waking as he filled the teapot and opened his preferred tea canister. He glanced down as he felt the sleek, soft brush of fur against his ankles, smiling at Klunk as the cat rubbed against his legs. "Hey, Klunk," he said softly. Klunk meowed up at him, watching him intently as he moved around the kitchen.

Usually Leo liked Klunk's company, but when he stepped over him for the fourth time, he gave the cat a sideways glance. Mikey's cat had stuck to him like a tiny orange shadow, and every so often would bat at his knee-pad with a white paw. Klunk liked to stick his nose in everybody's business, but he usually wasn't underfoot like this.

Klunk bounded after Leo when he went to get a bowl and a box of cereal from the large bookcase they were using as a pantry and dish cabinet. Leo sighed and lifted the cat off the counter just in time to keep him from sticking his whiskered nose into Leo's breakfast. "Come on, you know you're not supposed to be up there."

The water in the teapot was boiling by now and he began steeping the tea, watching the end of the counter to make sure Klunk didn't try to hop up again. "Hey now - !" Leo jumped in surprise as he felt Klunk leap up, brace his hind feet on his belt, and claw his way up Leo's carapace to swat him firmly on the side of the head. Klunk's claws were sheathed, but it was a surprisingly strong blow all the same. "What's gotten into you?" he asked, grabbing hold of the cat with both hands and putting him back on the floor.

Klunk just stared up at him, licking his chops.

"Oh!" Leo glanced over at Klunk's bowls with dawning comprehension. Both food and water bowl were empty, and probably hadn't been filled in the past twenty-four hours. He crouched down and scratched behind Klunk's ears. "Aw, I'm sorry, boy. Everyone forgot about you, huh?"

Klunk meowed enthusiastically as Leo got out the can opener, weaving back and forth between his feet while his food and water dishes were filled. Leo chuckled as the cat pounced and faceplanted in the food, making happy nom-nom-nom noises. "Don't worry, I won't forget to feed you again," he promised. He smirked. "And I'll make sure Raph checks your litter box."

By the time Leo had finished eating, Splinter had awakened. His father smiled and nodded in thanks as Leo handed him a cup of tea. "I stopped to check on Michelangelo," Splinter told him. "He is awake."

"Does he want anything to eat?"

"I offered. He declined."

Leo frowned a little and headed back to Mikey's room. His brother was famous for being a bottomless pit, and a Mikey that didn't want food was a Mikey that worried him.

"Hey, Mikey. How do you feel?" he asked, poking his head through the door.

"Like I got hit by a truck," Mikey answered dryly.

"I guess that was a dumb question." Leo crossed the room and helped his brother sit up against his headboard. "You hungry?"

"Nah, Sensei already asked. I had him get me some advil instead. Maybe after it kicks in I'll feel like food."

"I hope you'll feel like a turtle," Leo said with a sideways smile.

Mikey rolled his eyes at the old joke. "Dude, you are such a dork."

Leo chuckled. "You need anything?"

"Nah," Mikey said again. "I might go back to sleep, actually."

Leo sat down on the large bean bag next to Mikey's bed, settling in for his morning meditation session when Mikey turned off the light. It was still too early for Raph and Don to be up, and the lair was silent. Leo soon slipped into a meditative state. He stayed at a shallow plane, wanting to hear Michelangelo right away if he spoke. He also heard Klunk's soft "Mew!" as the cat trotted into the room. He expected Klunk to hop onto Mikey's bed right away, so it came as a bit of a surprise when the cat rubbed up against him.

Klunk walked around him a few times, purring and nudging him, then gave a light spring up to his shoulders and draped around the back of his neck.

"Told ya," Mikey mumbled drowsily. "Ninja kitty likes you."

Leo didn't open his eyes, but he sighed and smiled. "It's a step up from dead mice."

Mikey didn't answer. He'd dropped off to sleep. Klunk snuggled closer, his purr thrumming against Leo's neck. Klunk's warm weight around his shoulders and Mikey's quietly sparking aura drew Leo further down. Deep meditation was close to sleep in a way, and Leo could feel himself teetering on the edge. He'd developed more than enough control over the years to keep himself from slipping into dreams, but today he decided that perhaps meditation could wait.

Leo leaned back against the beanbag, shifting Klunk over so he wouldn't lay on him. He closed his eyes and dropped off to sleep almost at once. He didn't even notice when the cat jumped over him and trotted off to go hunting…

...or when Klunk returned a short while later, lovingly depositing a dead mouse on his chest.