Hey Guys! Yeah, I know, I'm working on a lot of stories right now, but I've had this idea in my head for like…forever, and I decided to go ahead and try it out to see whether or not you guys liked it! If you don't like it then I'll just leave it as a one-shot. So please review and tell me whether I should write more or not!

P.S. Yes, I realize that the summary makes it seem as though this fic will be all about Raph, I'm going to tell you right now: Not so. It will also center quite a bit around how Raph's family deals with the situation back at home while he is gone. For all you Donnie lovers out there, there will be a lot of Donnie in this story, trust me. Also a lot of things in Donnie's POV.

P.P.S Just to get this clear, this story is set in the 2007 movie verse. While I may allude to series or other movies, it is based in the 2007 movie verse. ok. good. Now that that's all out of the way, let's start this thing!

6,738 Miles

Ch. 1-Breaking Point

Splinter watched his sons with a very serious frown. Loud voices reverberated off the concrete walls of the lair. They were fighting. Or, more accurately, one was fighting the rest of them.

Ah, Raphael, what am I going to do with you? The old rat thought wistfully. Raphael had been very tense of late. It had been about a year since Leonardo returned to them from South America.

Raphael had progressed magnificently in his training, moving rapidly and surpassing his two younger siblings easily. It was his intense drive that had led to his success.

Following the end of the Nightwatcher, Raphael had thrown himself head-first into his training with an all-out devotion and focus that Splinter had never before seen in his hot-headed son. But now he had hit a stopping block.

You see, there was nothing further that the old rat could teach Raphael, at least, not until he learned how to better discipline his anger. Unlike Leonardo, who had just needed a little bit of time for self-discovery and awareness, Raphael would require a more instructional guidance.

Splinter's frown deepened as Raphael proceeded to yell in his brothers' faces. Before the hotheaded turtle could storm off, the old rat called him back. "Raphael."

Slowly, his son turned to him.

"Come with me." He instructed gently.

Michelangelo smirked and murmured something along the lines of, "Oooooh, you're in trouble!"

Raphael growled, but nevertheless followed his sensei obediently.

Leonardo shifted a little where he stood, a deep frown spread across his face. He'd seen that look in Sensei's eyes before, he'd heard that tone in Sensei's voice before. He just hoped it didn't mean what he thought it meant.

"Kneel." Splinter instructed when he and his son reached the dojo.

Raphael did so, lowering his gaze respectfully. He could hear his father shuffling across the room and picking something up. When the old rat slowly made his way back, Raph looked up.

Splinter was holding something wrapped in cloth and tied with a red ribbon.

Raph's piercing golden gaze met his father's and Splinter elaborated.

"This was meant to be your birthday gift, my son. However, due to the arrangements I have made, I must give it to you now." The old rat placed the gift at his son's knees, but instead of opening it right away, Raphael stared incredulously at him.

"What do you mean Sensei? Are you going somewhere?"

Master Splinter sighed and put a hand on Raphael's head affectionately. "No, my son. But I have arranged for you to go away for training."

Raphael's posture straightened and his eyes went wide. "Uh…Sensei, I don't think that's such a good idea, I mean…the guys are still trying to get over Leo being gone."

Splinter lowered his gaze. "I know, and I have considered this. But you need to learn to control your anger, Raphael, in order to progress further in your training. I know someone who can help you do so. I have arranged for you to spend six months with him in Japan."

Raph's bright, golden eyes were huge. "Japan! That's like halfway around the globe!"

The old rat put a calming hand on his son's shoulder. "I know, my son. And it was very difficult for me to come to this decision. But it must be done."

The red-masked turtle was silent, his gaze riveted to the floor in front of him. "When do I leave, Sensei?" He asked, defeated.

"Tonight." Splinter stated, and he frowned as he saw a flash of remorse in his child's eyes. After giving Raphael's shoulder an encouraging squeeze, the old rat retreated to his room, sensing that his son needed a few moments alone. But just before he went inside, the old rat turned and said over his shoulder, "You may say goodbye to your brothers in whatever manner you wish, my son. However, remember that they will not want to let you go. In the meantime, I suggest you pack your things." With that, the old rat left Raphael alone in the center of the dojo.

Then the hotheaded turtle's gaze landed once more on the present at his feet. He untied the ribbon carefully and folded back the fabric. New Sais. They were beautiful. A light durable steel hilt, red-wrapped handles, and the Hamato clan symbol engraved in them. Raph picked one up and spun it lightly. With a small grin, he tucked the new sais in his belt and left the old ones on the wrack in the dojo.

As soon as Raphael burst out of the dojo, the other three turtles knew something was up. The hotheaded turtle didn't even glance at them, which was odd, since normally Raph always glared at them after he got in trouble. And then Raphael stormed into his room and slammed the door, followed by a heavy click. They exchanged nervous glances. Raph never locked his door. Sure he pretty much kept it closed, but he never locked it.

Leonardo was, as usual, the first one to act. He walked swiftly down the hall and knocked on Raph's door. "Hey Raph, what's up?"

"None o' yur business, Leo. Buzz off!" Raph's thick drawl yelled back from inside.

Leo heard the opening and closing of drawers, and the sounds of things being moved around and he raised an eye-ridge. "Raph, what is going on in there?"

"I'm redecoratin'! Just go away Leo!" Raphael insisted angrily.

But the entire Hamato family knew that Leonardo could be just as stubborn as Raphael when he wanted to be. So the sword-wielding turtle just made himself comfortable outside Raph's door and waited. It only took about three minutes before Raphael let out a cry of frustration and flung the door wide open.

Leo smirked in victory, but that smirk was soon wiped right off of his face as he saw all the things laid out on Raph's bed. Pictures of them from when they were younger, a few drawings, an extra mask, plenty of ninja stars, assorted small and light weapons like manriki, and his sais. Leo then turned his gaze to Raph's face and the hotheaded turtle's angry glare softened a little.

Leonardo pushed his way past the hothead and into the room, closing and locking the door behind him so that their brothers wouldn't be able to come in. At first Raphael protested, but as soon as he saw the glint in Leonardo's eyes, he knew there would be no preventing this talk.

"Where is he sending you? South America?"

Raphael looked down. "I can't tell you, Leo."

The eldest turtle raised an eye-ridge and he asked angrily, "Why not?"

"Because you'd never let me go. None of you would." Raph replied, his drawl thick and full of emotion.

"I wouldn't have a choice." Leo admitted quietly. "It was Sensei's decision, not mine."

"Then let's leave it at that. The last thing I wanna have to do today is get in another fight with you guys."

"When do you leave?" The leader asked softly, not really wanting to believe that one of his younger brothers was going to have to face the wilds of wherever Sensei was sending him alone.

"Tonight."

Leonardo's eyes widened. "What?! Why such short notice?"

Raphael shrugged and began to stuff his things inside a bag.

Leo frowned. "Do you have a cloak?"

Raphael raised an eye-ridge, "A what?" He asked, a little surprised by the sudden topic change.

"Wait here." Leo instructed, leaving the room.

After Leo left Raphael could feel nothing but emptiness. Is this what it's going to feel like all the time now? Without my brothers?

The eldest turtle returned seconds later with a tattered brown piece of clothing in his hands. He held it up for Raphael to see. "Here, take this. I used it in South America, it helped me protect my identity."

Slowly Raph took it. The normally rough and hotheaded turtle folded it gently and tucked it neatly away in his bag. "Thanks Leo." He murmured quietly.

Leonardo nodded and put a hand on the sinuous shoulder. Raphael smiled a little before suddenly yanking his brother into an awkwardly one-sided hug, Leo being a little too stunned to hug back at first. But after a few moments, Leo returned the embrace whole-heartedly.

"Raphael…how long?" The eldest turtle asked, his voice wavering slightly.

Leo didn't need to elaborate; Raphael knew what he was asking. They pulled out of the hug and a long silence spread between them. Until Raph finally whispered, "Six months."

Leo lowered his gaze and put a hand on Raph's shoulder. He didn't want to let go. He didn't want to watch his immediate younger brother leave. Splinter undoubtedly had the best intentions, but after the way he'd had to pull his family back together after returning from South America, Leonardo knew this was going to hurt them deeply. "When are you going to tell the others?"

"I'm not. I want you to do it after I'm gone." Leo let out a sound of protest, but Raph cut him off as he went on. "They'll never let me go if I tell them, Leo."

With a sigh, the eldest turtle realized that his brother was right. Mikey and Donnie still reacted nervously anytime Leo went somewhere by himself. Finding out that Raphael was leaving would certainly spur them into action. Their pleas would only make it that much harder for Raph.

Leo's eyes glinted as he nodded. "I understand. I'll tell them."

Raph gave his older sibling a grateful look and Leo offered him a wan smile. The mood darkened a little as Leo's smile melted into a stern glare. "Raphael you better stay out of trouble or so help me…"

The hothead chuckled warmly and punched Leo's shoulder playfully. "Don't give me any ideas, Fearless."

After a few moments of lighthearted roughhousing, the mood sobered once again. "It's still a couple of hours until dark. When do you leave?"

"I don't know. Father didn't exactly tell me what time the plane is leaving." Raph said with a shrug.

Silence spread between them yet again.

Leonardo sighed and began to head for the door. "C'mon. Let's go. I want the four of us to spend some time together before you go."

Raph just shrugged it off. "Sure, whatever."

Raph's POV

The flight to Japan is long and boring. For some strange reason the only thing I can think about is the fact that with every passing second I'm being carried further and further away from my brothers. Further and further away from family, from my home, from the only life I've ever known.

I'm not really sure what to think about all this training crud Sensei says he 'arranged.' I certainly don't like that I'm just gonna have to trust that Sensei's 'friend' won't expose my identity and hand me over to some science lab. In any case, I'll have to be on the alert. Just in case this 'friend' isn't so friendly.

My fingers tighten around the sparkling new sais in my belt and I let out a quiet growl. If you ask me, this whole plan is stupid.

The airport is by far the biggest obstacle in this entire journey. So many people and so many ways things could go wrong. So Sensei had actually arranged for April to put me in a big crate, large enough for me to sit comfortably in anyway, and to get the crate put on a flight to Japan.

Of course, since April deals in rare historical artifacts and all her papers are in order, everything had gone smoothly. Now I was simply depending on Sensei's 'friend' to pick me up at the airport and take me to wherever-the-shell we're going.

So here I am. In a crate on my way to Japan, boxed up like a piece of goddamn merchandise. Waiting for this long-as-shell plane ride to be over and done with. I wonder if Leo's told the guys the truth yet.

Donnie knew. Or at least he figured it out. Of course, he didn't say that, but it's pretty freakin' plausible.

Don's POV (Earlier that evening)

Something's wrong. I thought as I laughed at Raph, Leo, and Mikey's antics.

Huh? Where did that thought come from? I wondered briefly.

Raph had been in a really good mood since Leo had gone to speak to him earlier and right now we were enjoying an evening of fun and games.

But something is wrong. My eye-ridges furrowed. I took a good long look at my eldest brother and realized that my instincts were right. Leonardo was laughing happily, openly, but somewhere deep beneath that mask of laughter, lay something unsettling.

I couldn't quite put my finger on the emotion that flashed through my older brother's eyes. Something's wrong with Leo? I asked myself, uncertainly. Could be, but… At that precise moment I caught my two older siblings exchanging glances. That was more than just a glance. They're hiding something…

But as soon as the moment passed, their laughter rang through the lair once again. I briefly turned my attention to my brothers' laughter. I couldn't help but chuckle along. My brothers hadn't been this happy in a long time. And it had been a really long while since we'd all laughed together. With Raph being so angry all the time, it's been hard to let loose.

I really don't understand why Raph get so incensed over the slightest little things, but lately I think it's been stress. He was doing really well for a while until he hit a wall in his training.

Sensei says Raph needs to learn to exercise some measure of control his over anger before they can move on. I know that that must be very hard for Raph to accept. Since the whole 'Nightwatcher' incident, training and patrol have really been his only outlets. And we haven't had too much to do during patrol lately.

I wonder why Raph was acting so weird after Sensei pulled him aside earlier. Shell, he's acting weird right now! I mean, my hotheaded brother almost never laughs this openly about things. And it's not often that he actually goes out of his way to spend quality time with us. I wonder about the reasons behind his behavior.

Something else flashed through my mind's eye: Leo's face as Raph emerged from the dojo and headed to his room, that alien look in my eldest brother's eyes as Sensei called Raph in to speak with him…Leo knows. Whatever it is, Leo knows exactly what's going on.

Slowly I began to sort through the pieces of the puzzle as they occured: Splinter calls Raph in to speak with him alone, Raph locks himself in his room, Leo knows something, Leo rushes to confront Raph, that look…

That look Raph and Leo shared…the answer was in that simple glance. I just know it!

I return to the here and now and give Raph a quick once-over. Are those…new sais? But where did he get them?

Sensei. My mind supplied.

But why would Sensei give them to Raph now? Sensei's not really in the habit of giving gifts for no particular reason…

Our Birthday.

But…our birthday is three weeks away. Why would Sensei give them to Raph early?

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach as the voice inside my head echoed: Leo knows. Leo knows what's going on.

Leo knows. He knows because he went through it. Sensei asks to talk to Raph alone and gives him his birthday present. Leo knows what's happening and confronts Raph. Raph suddenly goes out of his way to spend the rest of the afternoon with us.

Raph's leaving. The realization knocked the air out of me faster than a knee to the chest and I allowed myself to fall listlessly back onto the couch.

Mikey turned to me with innocent, worried eyes. "Donnie? You okay, bro?"

Raph and Leo were suddenly at my side, their eyes and voices filled with concern. I don't know what they said. I didn't pay much attention. But I came to a decision.

For Michelangelo's sake I wasn't going to make a scene. Goodness knows if Mikey found out he'd never let Raph out of the lair. "I'm fine." I stated evenly, and both of my older brothers glared.

Raphael crossed his hands over his chest and his eyes narrowed. "Yeah sure you are." He quipped sarcastically. "You just collapsed like a daisy in the desert!"

I rolled my eyes and murmured, "Actually daisies can withstand temperatures up to 97 degrees."

I didn't even need to look at him to see the scowl on his face. "Raph, I'm fine, really." I said, standing to put a hand on his shoulder.

His eyes softened a little and for a few moments I wondered what it would be like not having my boisterous, hotheaded brother around.

Quiet. My mind answered.

I smiled at Raph and eventually he backed down and let it go. But for the next couple of hours I could sense his eyes occasionally drifting over in my direction, as though he were reasserting that I was, in fact, fine.

After we'd all eaten, the four of us were sprawled out on the couches watching Mikey and Raph compete at video games. I'd had a lot of fun tonight. A lot more than I've had over the past few months.

I really hope I'm wrong. I hope that Raph isn't leaving us.

But just as that thought crossed my mind, our father stepped into the room. "Raphael."

Raph paused the game and looked up at Splinter slowly. There it is. That look again.

That look is a confirmation of my fears. Raph's leaving.

"If I'm not mistaken you have an appointment at ten o'clock to help April and Casey move new furniture into their house. Isn't that right, my son?"

My red masked brother stiffened a little as we all turned to him expectantly. Finally he grumbled. "Yeah, it's at ten. But it's only nine-thirty, Sensei."

"Indeed it is, but if you do not want to be late I suggest you get going."

Raph stood and bowed respectfully. "Hai Sensei."

"Ooh! Ooh! I wanna help!" Mikey crowed happily, in a good mood after spending so much quality time with the three of us.

Master Splinter tapped his stick on the ground sternly. "No, Michelangelo. I'm sure Raphael and Casey Jones can take care of whatever needs to be done. You would only be in the way, my son."

"Awww…" Mikey groaned sadly. "But I wanted to help!"

Father chuckled at Mikey's put-out expression and said softly, "If you are interested in helping, perhaps you could help me organize the weapons racks in the dojo." Splinter gestured for Mikey to follow him to the dojo and led the youngest away.

Mikey followed slowly and turned back briefly to grimace at us and I couldn't help but smile at the abrupt change in attitude. That's Mikey for you.

Suddenly a whisper from Leo alerted me to what was going on behind where I was sitting. "So…you'll be going then?"

I turned to glance at them and realized that Raph must have run to his room as soon as Mikey had begun whining, because he was now sporting a rather beat-up leather satchel.

Raph nodded and the two of them exchanged a final glance before my red masked brother bounded out of the lair at an extreme speed.

Something welled up inside of me and I couldn't stop myself.

I hurled myself towards the door, only to be halted mid-stride by my older brother holding me back. I glared back over my shoulder at him and fought to get away, but his grip was strong and firm. Finally, as a last resort I looked into his eyes and let all my walls crumble. "Leo…please…"

I suddenly fell forward as the grip on my shell disappeared completely. I didn't look back. I just ran out into the sewers.

If Raph was really headed to Casey and April's place, then I might stand a chance at catching up with him.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me until I finally caught up with Raphael. He was on his way up the ladder to the surface when I reached him. When he turned to stare at me with those hard golden eyes of his, I couldn't help but get the impression that he'd been expecting this.

"What do ya want Donnie?" He asked, his tone harsh and biting.

I suddenly found myself unable to speak. Raphael, don't leave! Please don't leave! We can't lose you! It was bad enough when Leo was gone! This would tear us apart, Raph! Please don't go! You're my brother and I love you! Please don't leave! Don't leave us! I wanted to yell, but the words wouldn't come. I just stood there like an idiot.

My mouth opened, then closed and my jaw clenched shut. There was nothing I could say. Nothing I could do. Raph was leaving.

My shoulders loosened and I took a step back from the ladder.

Raphael turned away with an angry frown. Anger to hide his hurt. As though he had wanted me to say something. As though he had secretly hoped I would make him stay. Then with a low growl, he turned his face upward.

I watched him progress up the ladder, and disappear through the manhole above.

As he slid the cover back into place, I was left in darkness. And I felt as though something inside of me was breaking.

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