Hello all! Another brotherly love story with my favorite brothers has arrived! I just watched the newest TMNT movie- Out of the Shadows, and that was one awesome movie! The angst and true bonds of the four were really portrayed well, especially my little Mikey! He's just too adorable not to love!

I have two major stories I'm trying to finish and a gift fic I need to work on, but this random idea just wouldn't leave me alone. I finished it in about two hours (on and off because I was also making dinner). :)

Anyways, please enjoy! I owns me nothing at all! This is set after Out of the Shadows.

One Day Soon

"Hey guys?" Michelangelo asked after a night out on the town. Or rather, a run on the town- the four brothers had finished a nightly patrol, checking to be sure their city was always safe, even though the millions of people who lived and went about their nightly business would never know it. 'Well, all except for a few, but still...' Leo thought. It was drawing very late- almost five in the morning, but Leonardo knew that.

After a easy night, he had ordered a game of tag. When asked why, he had smiled and simply said, "Because we earned it more than anyone out there. Now run- I'm it!"

Which led to a four hour game that had the brothers laughing and at times being clumsy about staying in the shadows, but at the same time being viligiant for anything unusual. Nothing too much happened outside of that game except for a robber trying to steal a woman's purse and a bunch of drunk dudes being loud and obnixous- Raphael just HAD to knock them all out, so he claimed.

Which led the four to sitting on a rooftop, watching the sunrise. It was 5:15 in the morning and Leonardo knew they'd have to return home soon. Return to the confined space that was their lair, return to him and Raphael butting heads because of his hotheaded brother's frustration, return to their younger brothers Michelangelo and Donatello hiding away as their elder brothers argued and/or fist fought, depending on the mood.

It was the real reason Leo wanted his brothers to stay out late- he knew they wanted to be out and mingle with humans, Mikey especially. But they were different- TOO different- and he didn't want to risk Mikey's broken expression like they had that night they first showed themselves to the police. Granted, they now knew of their existence, but it didn't shake off Leo's worry meter that something was bothering the youngest of their clan.

He knew, somewhere inside of him, Mikey was still hurting over that accusation. Leo wanted to beat the so called police officer's faces in for what they said to them, for breaking Mikey's heart. They were far better than most of the filth that lived and breathed in this city! They just... looked different.

"Yeah Mike?" Leo responded, perched next to Raph like a cat, placing his swords back in their sheaths with expertise of a ninja. Raph stood tall with his arms crossed and just stared ahead at the sky, while Donnie crouched a bit next to Mikey, who sat with his legs dangling of the edge of the building.

"Are we... are we really m-monsters?' he asked softly. The older brothers froze, Raph whipping his head to glare at his brother, growling under his breath. 'Damn, he still remembers that shit?! I should've knocked their lights out when I had a chance!'

"Mikey, you heard what Master Splinter said. People fear what they don't understand. And I guess it DOES make sense if you apply some thought..." Donnie explained stretching his arms. Mikey sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"But that's the thing- we aren't bad, so why won't they understand that..." Mikey went on, his voice soft and upset. He scrubbed his eyes to avoid his brothers seeing his eyes wet, especially Raph. "We're like them right? So why do they think we're..." He didn't even want to use that word again.

"Mikey...you have a point." Leo finally spoke after a few minutes, sitting down on the edge and stretching his leg to relive some of the cramps. Everyone looked at him, Raph rolling his eyes and waving his arms in the air.

"What, that we're fuckin' monstas?! Damn Leo, break Mikey down more why don't ya?" Raph snapped without knowing why he was snapping. Mikey's shoulders slumped and he whimpered a little as Leo placed his arm about him. Leo cut Raph a glance from the corner of his eye and let out an exasperated sigh.

"That wasn't what I was talking about, Raph." Leo replied before he looked at Mikey. The poor kid was staring at his brother with such a defeated and upset look that Leo almost looked away from it so he could gather his thoughts together.

"What I meant was you're right about us and the humans below. We're not very different from any of them. Donnie loves his tech and geeking out on us, just like humans who enjoy learning and who have a curiosity for everything and anything. Raph loves to show off his muscles and doesn't always use that thing called a brain-"

Raph cut his off with a sharp slap to his head, one Leo easily dodged before pushing him backwards. "Tsk. I do too use my brain, ass." Raph grumbled as he dusted his plastron off. Leo rolled his eyes and was a bit relived when Mikey laughed a little before his blue banded brother grappled him into a light headlock and gave him a noggie.

"Then you got Leo- the stick in the mud, bossy ass, gotta be oh so serious and perfect fearless leader and brother of ours." Raph taunted, laughing as Leo chased after him. Leo swiped his legs from under him, and Raph landed on his shell. He gave Leo a glare that would have sent a human running in fear, but Leo just smirked and offered his hand to pull him up- one of course Raph rebuffed in anger.

"Damn smart ass..." Leo chuckled and the duo returned back to sit with their younger kin. "And I keep telling you, I'm not Fearless."

Mikey chuckled, feeling some of the sadness that had settled over him recently lifting off his heart at seeing his brothers do what humans do... what normal families do. And he thought on it for a moment.

"And then there's you, Mikey." Donnie chuckled, sitting down next to him, unaware he'd snapped his younger brother out of thought. He gave his a pat on his shoulder. Mikey tilted his head as Raph decided to use his head as a elbow rest. "H-Hey!"

"Older brother privileges, little bro." Mikey pouted and then looked back at Leo with those hopeful blue eyes, remembering what Leo had said. "Wait...me?"

"Yeah. You're just like a human child, always confident in yourself and wanting to do something you NOT supposed to be doing... like touching my computer and leaving it stuck on your video games... and breaking my inventions." Donnie commented, grinning at Mikey.

"And my weapons, ya damn brat. Always touchin' shit that ain't yours..." Raph grumbled with a playful smirk. Mikey grinned.

"And always leaving your head in the clouds, especially if a comic book or game comes out- once you're in a game bro, you are really IN a game... kinda wish you'd do that more in training, though." Leo finished, laughing at Mikey's priceless shocked expression.

"I do! But bro, meditation is like, SO boring! I might as well sleep sitting up!" Mikey whined. "And please don't get me started on kata training- ugh, Leo, how on earth do you do the same move over and over and over? Argh!" Everyone laughed.

"But seriously, Mike... to answer your question..." Leo said, voice serious once again because by god, he was putting this topic to rest once and for all.

"We're just like humans. We laugh, we play, we get... angry..." He said that last part eyeing Raph with a knowing grin. Raph snarled at him and waved him off with a silent, 'Fuck off.'

"We cry, we hurt, we get upset. And most of all... we feel fear. We feel... pain, just like humans and animals alike. The real difference is that we can make a true impact in this city. We can protect the same ungrateful humans who consider us freaks or monsters. We suffer more then they'll every understand, and we have to suffer alone because we're the only ones alive. We bleed and we fight to protect not only this city, but our home. Our family. We love, too."

Leo ran a thumb along Mikey's cheek and wiped a tear away. Mikey didn't even try to hide the fact he'd been crying as he looked at each of his brothers, smiling, confident and... and with him.

"Mike, we're not monsters. Never have been and never will be. None of us are. We're just... unique."

Leo looked at Mikey, who seemed to ponder his words over for a moment before he flashed a grin and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. How can anyone find all this sexiness freaky, huh?"

Rolling his eyes Donnie said with confidence, "Trust me Mikey, women are nothing but trouble."

All three stared at the geeky turtle whose face blushed red. Raph laughed and advanced on him. "Oooohhh, Don, so you're the one who's been watchin' those girly-ass movies on the monitor lately!" He cracked his knuckles and his neck as Donnie nervously backed away.

"Oh man, Don, you are SO gonna get it. Masta won't let me watch TV because of you and those damn woman shows! And wrestling comes on every Monday!"

"N-No, I... I mean, well scientifically speaking, a-any one of us could've... w-wait, Raph! Yikes!" Donnie made an undignified squeak as Raph was suddenly on his heels, chasing after him to give him a much needed noogie. Leo and Mikey shook their heads.

"You would have thought Don would remember to hide those movies... Raph's not gonna let him live it down, huh Mikey?"

No reply. Leo turned and saw Mikey was staring out at the skyline as the sun's rising cast rays that made the city seem so alive. It was always something he loved about New York. Leo approached him and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?"

It was now or never and Mikey knew it. He needed to hear the truth. "Leo... do you hate us?" Mikey suddenly asked. Leo peered closer at his baby brother's face and noticed his bottom lip was trembling.

"Hate you? Mike, no I couldn't. Where did that come from?" Leo asked gently.

Mikey shrugged his shoulders as if he was playing it as no big deal, but he felt so shattered inside as his mouth opened faster than he thought. "I-I heard you talking to Master Splinter... t-that you didn't understand why we didn't think like you and that you wasn't sure if we were a team and I... I thought you..."

Leo needed to punch himself. Mikey was so depressed over what he didn't think his family had heard, and of course, Mikey would have taken it harder- after all, he cares about his family.

"Mikey... I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said, I... I was just frustrated. And... worried." Leo explained. "I was angry but Father did say something that made sense to me- we all have a uniqueness that makes us strong as a team. And until we fought that Krang creature that night... I never really noticed it. He was right. We are brothers, and we don't always agree on everything."

He glanced at Mikey and rubbed his head. "Right?"

Mikey couldn't help the relief that coursed through him and he nodded happily. "Yeah, right. Specially you and Raphie."

LEo laughed. "Oh god, especially me and him... we will one day. Eventually." Mikey rolled his eyes. "I don't know, man. Strange things have happened but that's asking for a miracle."

Leo had to agree on that. "I don't hate my family. I love you guys... but I think I love a bit too much. I nag, don't I?"

Mikey rolled his eyes and then looked at Leo with a look that said it all. Leo chuckled. "If Raph hears this I'LL never hear the end of it..."

The orange banded turtle hummed and looked back at the city. "Its okay. I know you love us, its just... it scared me, that's all. And... it kinda hurt too. What they said about us...and then you saying that, I thought... that you didn't want us either."

"That isn't and it will never be true. But the less people know of us, the better. I don't want any of you put in danger because humans like Baxter Stockman are too... curious. We have good human friends, and I want them safe too." Leo said before he felt the early rays of the sun touching his face. He stood up and Mikey followed suit.

"Let's get home, huh? Raph ad Don are gonna need our help unless Father make them do a hundred kata for all that yelling." Leo had to snicker at that thought- Raph doing that many kata was bound to make him mad.

Mikey chuckled and jogged behind Leo, feeling a bit more... relieved than he had since they saved the city. He actually thought he'd moved on from that night but it always bothered him that his brother felt they weren't a team just because they didn't see eye to eye on things. He felt a bit lonely and he almost hadn't planned to bringing it up tonight, or ever for that matter.

As he walked alongside Leo, he looked back over his shoulder and smiled. The sun's rays felt warm, and Mikey relished in the few precious moments he could steal before he ran after Leo and his family. He was at ease with himself now, and when he bumped Leo, he could feel he too was at ease.

He knew now. He wasn't a monster or a freak. He wasn't bad, and he certainly wasn't evil.

He was Michelangelo Hamato. The baby of his little family, who apparently really kept his head in the clouds, loved his board, his comics and his games, and loved to make others smile and laugh, but who had the biggest, kindest heart that outshone any human being.

When he collapsed into bed after training that afternoon, Leo crept into his room and carefully pulled his tossed blanket over him and whispered, "You're not a monster Mikey. You're too kind to be something so... evil. And one day... we'll be able to walk outside so you can enjoy the sunshine."

Mikey snuggled under the blanket and Leo smiled softly before he left him to sleep. 'One day soon, ototo... one day soon.'

And complete! I just recently saw the TMNT movie and yeah... I don't know what this was but it came to me and said 'TYPE!' So here's the result.

Please leave a review, a thought, constructive advice, but no flame please.

Until next time!