The first week without Leo sucks. That's the only way Mikey can put it. April shows up about half way through and they have a movie night, but Mikey can't get up to act out the scenes and it's... dull.

They turn it off halfway through.

It's only then that Mikey realises that this is her and Leo's favourite Jupiter Jim movie.

There's no excited yelling or little chirps and squeaks and Mikey can't practise and throw popcorn for Leo or cuddle with the others in the middle of the room.

Mikey stops herself from picking at the fibreglass patches on her side. The Big Guy left a few cracks, but it's only until the end of the week, right?

April leaves a hoodie behind.

It's new and has a unicorn on it. April is the best big sister ever. Mikey wishes she could introduce Leo to her.

Mikey leaves the hoodie in her hammock and cries next to Donnie all night.

Leo isn't gone for just a week though.

———

It's the end of the longest month of Mikey's life when something changes.

The sewers have gotten cold over the last week, with winter peaks incoming, but that's fine and Donnie's heating system keeps the Lair relatively warm for the partially cold-blooded turtle inhabitants. Mikey and Donnie avoid thinking about the lower sewers, because they've been fine before so they'll be fine again.

And then there's a sudden heatwave and they watch the water levels rise with dread.

Splinter doesn't leave his room on high water level days and Leo...

Mikey gulps at the water leaking onto the floor of the Atrium.

They grab their arm to stop from scratching at the healed cracks on their side. Maybe all they need is a walk?

So Mikey walks, thin layer of water splashing with each step they take further from the Lair, shivering.

"Oh."

This was where Mikey first met Leo after he helped them out of the sewer levels. It's a stupid idea, but they slide down the wall and sit there, waiting. What for? They don't know, but they wait anyway.

It's quiet. There's a lot of rushing water instead of the usual background noise of dripping water.

She begins to sing that old lullaby that Dad would sing to them. Donnie learnt early on that Mikey didn't want them to play a recording of it and would always sing it when Dad had bad days and Mikey was sick.

Mikey doesn't expect someone else to join in.

She looks up at the large turtle nearby and fights the desire to hide in her shell.

"Heyyy there," Mikey smiles up at the larger turtle, "What are you doing here?"

The turtle stops his singing and isn't that weird? Mikey knows Leo likes to imitate her, but the Big Guy knows this song. It doesn't make sense, because it isn't a common lullaby in NYC. It's actually sung in Japanese.

The Big Guy grunts and Mikey realises that there's an old takeout bag in his hand, covered in what Mikey recognises as garbage gunk.

"That's how you handle the food situation?" Mikey smiles at the larger turtle with a small laugh, "Not very good, huh?"

The Big Guy just watches Mikey. Mikey tries not to swallow.

Then, the Big Guy turns and walks away and a pit opens up in Mikey's stomach and she cries out, "Wait!" before she can stop herself.

The Big Guy turns slightly, looking over his shoulder at Mikey. Mikey opens her mouth, but no words come out, her throat suddenly dry. The Big Guy turns away and takes a step forward.

"Leo!"

Mikey forces the familiar name out of her mouth and the Big Guy stops. He glares at Mikey over his shoulder, not even turning this time, and Mikey takes a deep breath.

"Is... is he okay?" Mikey asks, hand wrapped around her wrist.

The larger turtle watches her a few seconds and nods.

Mikey gives him a shaky smile and gulps, "Is he happy?"

The larger turtle's eyes narrow and he doesn't answer.

Mikey's heart drops and she remembers a turtle, not much bigger than her, kicking at a pipe and, suddenly, she feels a burst of anger, Dr. Delicate Touch surfacing, "Is. He. Happy?"

The Big Guy lets out a growl, "Safe."

Dr. Feelings clenches her fists, "But he isn't happy, is he?"

The Big Guy's fist tighten around the takeout bag, "Safe."

"And what good is that if he can't leave?" Dr. Delicate Touch cries and she should stop, why can't she stop? "You're trying to protect him, but he doesn't want that! He wants to get out and experience the world, so WHY WON'T YOU LET ME DONNIE?!"

Mikey gasps and covers her mouth. That... where did that come from?

No, Mikey knows.

She really needs to have a talk with Donnie. Shoving down negative emotions isn't healthy, she knows this, but it's so much harder when it's you.

The Big Guy grunts.

Mikey looks up at him, eyes wide.

He glances at the tunnel and then back at Mikey, "Stay."

Mikey isn't exactly sure why the Big Guy says that, but she stays. And she waits. Mikey wasn't ready to go home yet, anyway.

She perks up at a familiar chirp echoing through the tunnels.

To her surprise, the Big Guy is there, Leo sat on his shoulders.

Leo and Mikey stare at each other. Leo chirps and Mikey instinctually copies and then the Big Guy chirps and Mikey can't stop staring in shock. It's lower pitched, but it's still a chirp.

Leo and the Big Guy proceed to chirp and growl and grumble and hiss and churr at each other and Mikey can only watch the conversation play out in front of her. She can only recognise that they are arguing and slowly reaching an agreement.

And then her arms are full of Leo and Mikey is sobbing and holding Leo close and they are rubbing their necks together because she missed him and Leo missed her.

The reunion is interrupted by the bag of takeout being thrown near them and the Big Guy sitting in the corner, watching her every move, but Mikey doesn't care.

Leo's back.

And then Mikey feels Leo shiver and she freezes. She looks between the two turtles, the way their feet are bare and their scales are covered in sewer sludge.

"It flooded, didn't it?" Mikey realises, "You're both living near here, aren't you?

Leo doesn't move and keeps hugging Mikey, but she watches the Big Guy grunt. That's an agreement.

Mikey swallows and makes a decision, "Do you want to come home with me?"

The Big Guy's eyes narrow and Mikey's sure he's suspicious. Leo pulls away and looks at Mikey, a curious grunt escaping him.

Mikey smiles, "Our home is warm and mostly dry. You could stay for a while."

The Big Guy grunts and Leo grumbles back. There seems to be another discussion, but this one seems less hostile or angry to Mikey, ending with a churr from each turtle. Both turtles turn to look at Mikey.

"What?" Mikey glances between them.

Leo clambers off Mikey's lap and offers her a hand, "Home?"

Mikey stares for a second before grinning and grabbing Leo's hand, letting him pull her up.

"Home," she agrees, pulling Leo after her.

Leo lets her. The Big Guy follows, grabbing the takeout bag.

Donnie is going to kill Mikey.

She can't find it in herself to regret it.