TMNT are the property of Mirage, but guess what! They said I could borrow them for this fiction! Honest! I wouldn't lie- why are you staring at my nose? You act like it's growing or something...

After they'd all awaken from their unplanned naps, they'd gathered once again in Sensei's room, only to be witness to a sight that had never before been seen by them- except when it had happened to each other!

Splinter had been sick to his stomach!

He had tried to get up and make it to the bathroom, he had tried to shield his sons from this sudden attack. One minute he had been drinking the broth that Don and Mikey had brought from the kitchen, the next he was on his knees in the hallway, trying to keep from scaring his sons any further as he emptied what little was in his stomach.

As he cleaned the mess himself, denying his sons the gruesome task that they begged for (with startled and fearful tears in their eyes), he took particular care to assure Don and Mikey that it had NOT been the broth.

"I must have the flu instead of a cold, my sons. Please do not be alarmed," he calmly croaked out, finally done with the cleaning and allowing his sons to guide him back to bed. "I would appreciate a cup of tea and some toast. Nothing else will be needed."

So now it was just Leo and his chrome nemesis.

Leo and the toaster warily eyed each other, preparing for the latest match. Each was on guard for any dirty tricks the other might be planning in this latest encounter.

Leo could feel that the toaster was planning something; exactly what, he had no idea, though he was sure of the outcome- burnt toast.

Unless, of course, he bested it at its own game!

He was here for a specific task, and he was going to perform it come what may!

"I'm ready for you," he whispered fiercely, and with a sudden shout of "eeee-YAH!" he launched his attack, leaping in a beautiful spin towards the startled machine, neatly dropping the two slices of bread into the slots, and plunging down the bread lifter switch with all the determination and confidence of a highly trained ninja!

He stood there, panting in adrenaline reaction to this terrifying encounter, keenly aware that he had managed to deposit the slices of bread he'd specially chosen for his father's evening meal into the gleaming monster without a struggle- he had surprised the toaster into inaction, and had been victorious! He stood there, slowly realizing his victory, and waited for the moment when the golden, nicely crisped pieces of toast would pop up and allow him to butter them for Sensei's dinner.

No smoke! Ye-haa! It wasn't burning! Leo had won! He waited in anticipation for the solid proof of his victory! This would show them! This would show them all! He had defeated this evil device, he had successfully made toast for his father! He was now on equal footing with his brothers!

"Well done, my son!" Master Splinter would say when he presented him with the fait accompli. Mikey would look at him with little brother admiration, Don would congratulate him on being so technically savvy, and Raph would take back all those unkind things he'd said about Leo being afraid!

"You're not afraid, Leo! You are the bravest of the brave!" Raph would say in awe. "I always knew it! I'm sorry I was so mean!"

Five minutes later- no smoke!

But no toast.

Leo began to worry.

Ten minutes.

No smoke, no smell of burning toast whatsoever!

But still no toast.

"Leo! Where is Master Splinter's toast?" Raph called from the other room. "Don't tell me ya burned it again!" and the laughter was like being cut with glass.

"Naw, we coulda smelled it by now," Mikey rubbed salt in his wound.

Why wasn't this stupid toaster popping up the golden, nicely crisped pieces of toast for him to butter for Sensei's dinner?

Don finally came into the kitchen to find out what was happening.

"I put it in!" Leo rounded on his brother, emotion threatening to override his big brother persona of being in control. "I put it in and pushed down on the handle! It's not burning, but why won't the toast come out?"

Don, looking at the toaster, seemed to be suppressing some sort of sudden coughing attack- great! thought Leo, Don's catching Splinter's cold.

"Don, are you okay?" he asked worriedly. Don, still smothering this apparent coughing fit, waved at Leo as if to say yes, nodding his head at the same time- but now his body was beginning to shake in spasms that added to Leo's fear that Don was unable to breathe!

"Donny! What's wrong? Are you sick? Donny?"

Don's eyes were leaking tears now, and he sounded as if he were going to choke to death from this unknown illness that he'd picked up from their father. Leo imagining the worst, ran to the bedroom of his father.

"Don's having some sort of fit!" he yelled, eyes wild with fear.

Everyone ran to the kitchen, Splinter in the lead- only to stop short to find Don seated on the floor, laughing loudly, laughing as if he were being relentlessly tickled.

"My son," Splinter managed to say, though his voice was still hoarse and harsh. "What is the problem?"

Don, wiping his eyes, looked at Leo, and nearly rolled onto the floor with a new burst of laughter.

"The- toaster-" he gasped, trying to share this bit of news.

"Yes, my son?"

"The- toaster- oh, my sides!" he gasped, looking at everyone but Leo. "Leo! The toaster is unplugged!"

Leo couldn't comprehend for a few minutes why he was surrounded by all these laughing family members.

He stood there, frozen, trying to understand why Don and Raph were on the floor laughing. He was trying to work out in his mind why Mikey was covering his mouth, trying for the sake of his big brother to not be loud, but crying tears of mirth and shaking like anything.

But the harsh realization was that Sensei was chuckling.

Not loud, and not cruelly- but he was chuckling.

Leo didn't remember leaving the kitchen. He did remember that he walked. He did remember that Splinter called after him in that hoarse voice he'd developed with this illness. He did remember that much.

But he didn't remember leaving the kitchen. Or the lair.

When his mind finally allowed him to remember stuff, he realized that he was sitting just outside the well hidden door to their home, sitting and staring at the dim light bulb across the way, just sitting on the cold damp floor and staring.

"My son," the rasping voice of his father sounded above him. Leo didn't want to look up. He didn't want to see his father chuckling at him. "My son, come inside please. It is cold out here."

"I don't care," he mumbled, shrugging as if it was no big deal, still not looking up at his father.

A very warm hand touched the top of his head.

"I care," Splinter said in a hoarse whisper.

Then Leo realized that he'd made his sick father come out into this cold, damp, dripping place!

He obediently rose quickly and walked with Splinter back into the lair. He tried to go to his own room, but Splinter's hand was now firmly on his shoulder, and he found himself being guided into Splinter's room, where Sensei closed the door against the prying brothers. He guided Leo over to the old rocking chair and settled himself into it. Leo still didn't look at his face, but he could see that Splinter was well-wrapped in a blanket against chills- and he felt tears of guilt sting his eyes.

He'd acted like a baby and made his father come get him!

First the toast, now this! Splinter would probably never get better 'cause of him!

He let Splinter pull him up onto his lap. He wouldn't look at him- he didn't want to see him chuckling at him- but he curled up in Splinter's lap and allowed him to protect him from the world with those fatherly arms, allowed him to rock him away from all the hurt.

Splinter knew why Leonardo was avoiding looking at him, and he smiled and shook his head at his foolish son- and at his foolish self.

"Leonardo," he said softly so as not to strain his voice. "I am sorry that I laughed in the kitchen. I was not making fun of you. I swear it."

Leo, still hunched against his father, shrugged as best he could in a it doesn't matter sort of way.

"Leonardo, I was not laughing at you to make fun of you," Splinter insisted, holding him as close as he could. "I laughed because you are my joy. You four are my joy, my treasure. You four make me laugh; you have made me laugh from the moment I found you all as babies. You four make me glad."

Leo, suppressing a sniffle, tried to work this out.

"I don't understand," he said finally. "I messed up and you all laughed at me. How is that not making fun of me?"

"Well, I am afraid that your brothers were making fun of you," Splinter smiled, carefully keeping the chuckle out of his voice. "But be honest my son- you, too, have done similar to your brothers."

Leo, frowning, recalled that this indeed was true. He could remember many times when he'd laughed at something stupid each of his brothers had done.

Had it hurt them as much as this had hurt him?

How could he have been so cruel to his brothers- even Raph?

"But you- you laughed-"

"And I hurt your feelings, and for that I am sorry," Splinter hugged him warmly. "But my son, you tend to take so many things seriously. Sometimes I worry that you take too much too seriously. The toaster is one of these things. Yes, I laughed at the realization that you had mastered your 'fear' of the toaster, only to find that the toaster had been unplugged. It was rather ironic in a way."

"I'm not afraid of the toaster," Leo insisted.

"Leonardo."

Leo sniffled.

"Well... maybe a little," he finally admitted, and this time he didn't mind hearing his father chuckle.

"My son, what happened was funny. But it does not mean that I think you are a failure, or that your brothers are better than you- or that I do not love you. I am sorry that your feelings were hurt by me," and now Leo looked up at the smiling face of his father, and saw the gleam in his eye. "But you must admit, it was humorous!"

And he smiled so beautifully and mischievously at this eldest son, that Leo simply had to smile back- and then he hugged his father tightly.

Splinter was right, he thought, as they rocked in silence for a few minutes- he'd been so worked up in "battling" the toaster- only to find out it was unplugged!

It was funny!

And Leo laughed at himself. It was a little laugh; a little laugh that grew a bit stronger when he heard his father's own gentle chuckle answering it.

Then they both laughed aloud, and Leo kissed Sensei on the cheek, and got down from his lap.

"I guess I'd better go plug in the toaster and get your dinner now," he smiled, heading for the door.

"There is no need, my son. Raphael has taken care of it."

Leo froze- Raph had already made Splinter his toast?

For some reason, that touched a tiny nerve somewhere in Leo's pride.

And sparked an until now forgotten conversation!

Raph? Raph! Raph had been the one to convince him to confront the toaster in the first place.

Just after Splinter had been sick to his stomach, and had said that all he required was more tea and some buttered toast, Raph had taken Leo aside and convinced him that this was his opportunity to prove that he could face this toaster fear of his.

"After all," Raph had said seriously, driving home the point, "you never even cried or screamed or lost it at all when you fell in that current today, and you coulda been killed! Yet you was brave the whole time! You can't keep bein' scared of the toaster."

Raph! Raph unplugged the toaster! It had to be Raph!

"What did you say, my son?" Splinter, still in the rocking chair, interrupted Leo's thoughts, startling him back to the "now".

"Oh? Nothing Sensei!" he said cheerfully. "I'll go help the guys with our dinner. Can I get you anything?"

"No, my son, I require nothing at the moment."

Leo, grinning in relief, left, safe in the belief that Splinter had not heard what he'd uttered to himself regarding his brother.

But Splinter, smiling, had heard what Leo had muttered under his breath:

"Raph, I owe you one!"