Title: The Game

Written by the TMNTFreaks A-Z writers: Reinbeauchaser, TygerOfTheWynd, Hexadecimal, Daydream, Arista Niara, RedTurtle, Vestque, Raphaella Red, Mily

Disclaimer: We don't own the TMNT! ponders Though it is believed that we've locked them up somewhere in our MSN group...

START: "AFFABLE! HA, I WIN!!"

"But Don, that's not a real word! I'm challenging your word." Leo complained as he got the dictionary out to look up Donnie's word.

Chuckling, Donny folded his arms across his chest and gave everyone his patented 'Whoa, am I smarter than you' look. "Affable, meaning genial, pleasant, friendly, socia-" "Alright, Eistein, we don't need the entire Webster's edition." Raph cut in.

"Donny always wins at scrabble, he knows bigger words. Why don't we play hungry hungry hippo or something?" said Mike as he grabbed a handful of chips out of the big bowl.

"Every single time, Don wins this darn game! Isn't there another game that we can play? One that Don CAN'T out spell us in?" asked Raph as he pounded his fist on the table, making some of the pieces scatter.

"For you, Raph, we could always play tic tac toe....wait, I always win at that, too. Hmm....what can we play where spelling and strategy isn't required??? Hmmm...OH, I know...let's play Candyland!" Don said sarcastically..

"Great! That's my favorite game!" Mikey exclaimed with zeal before noticing the looks his brothers were giving him. "Or not..."

"How I worry about you Mike" Leo said as he started putting the game away. "You need serious help."

"I got a word for you right here", Raph muttered, adding various letters to the board before Leo finished taking it down.

"Just behave yourself, Raph!" Leo scolded, "You know how much Splinter hates it when you use words like that. Even in writing!"

Keeping himself out of the fight, Mikey snuck over to the closet and carefully dislodged Candy Land from its special place. 'I don't care what they think, I like it!'

Looking furtively around, the chuk wielding turtle tucked the box under his arm and tip-toed back to the room where the rest of them were arguing about what game to play next. Before any of them knew it, the game was laid out on the table and ready to go!

Mikey grinned and sat down in his chair. "It's a Candyland miracle! Oh, one moment." A mock-thoughtful look crossed his face as he bent down to 'listen' to the board. "What's that Gumdrop Princess? Oh, you want to go out with Raph?" He looked up at his brother. "The Gumdrop Princess wants to go out with you, bro."

Not one to take such teasing lightly, Raph pushed Mikey's face into the board, growling,"I think you heard freak'n wrong, oh brother of mine! Maybe you'd like to have that board shoved down yer throat?"

"Okay, okay!" was the sound of Mikey's cry. Raph growled and released the orange-wearing turtle but Mike wasn't about to let him have the last word. "But she's full of sugary goodness!"

"Paleeez, let's just start this game, will you!" Donatello grouched, "otherwise we'll be here all day and I have important inventing to do somewhere." He looks around trying to find an excuse to invent, grabs up a lamp, and declares while holding it up high,"I have to invent a motion detector for this lamp so it goes on the moment you come into the room! So let's get this 'show' on the road, okay!"

"Quit it, Donny!" A sharp whap filled the room as Raph slapped the back of Don's head as he walked by. Don struggled to keep the lamp in his grasp as he jumped in suprise. Meanwhile, Raph eyed Don's efforts dejectedly as he continued."We ain't got no time for your inventin'! It's time to start, isn't it Mikey?"

"Right, yeah," Mikey said. "Whatever - I'm hungry." He moaned and put on his famous 'dying of hunger' face.

Shut up and pick a card Mikey!" The other three martial artist reptilian youths yelled. Mikey grinned and did as he was told. He looked at the card and grinned. "Off to the Candy Cane forest with me!" He gently pushed his little ginger bread man across the game board.

"That has got to be the biggest stroke of luck," groaned Leo as picked up his card to complete his turn in the game.

"Uugh! Why are we playing this stupid game anyway?!" Raph flicked his playing piece at Mikey's head. "I'm outta here..."

"Very nice shot, Raph." Donatello admired over the perfect vector of acceleration Raphael had been able to administer to the plastic piece. The force behind the piece was highly regarded in that Raph had used just enough to hit Mike in the head, and then for it to bounce off of Mike's forehead in such an angle that it hit Donny on the shoulder before falling motionless to the ground. Donny now looked at the spot in question,

"What was that? A Two pointer?"

"'Xactly," Raph muttered as he stalked off to his room.

"You always 'run' . Raph, when things don't go your way! Coward!" Leo grinned, but then realized his rather quick, witless, remark was probably the very last thing he could have said. Like a deer caught in headlights, his eyes went wide!

"Zoinks!" Mike exclaimed as the lair quickly exploded into motion as Raph promptly turned, his eyes flashing dangerously before making a running leap for Leo. Leo could only watch on as he was pounced on, but he quickly responded to Raph's pummeling with punches of his own.

Don and Mike watched from afar as the fighting pair quickly and viciously rolled around, knocking over the table, quickly destroying the board game and all of it's contents. Mike sighed....It was no loss. This always happened...the games, and then the fighting soon after, but he would of had it no other way. Turning to Donny, he grinned, and in response, Donatello grinned as well. Besides, the fight after the game was always the best part...

A/N: Please leave a review as you exit the story. Thank you for reading 'The Game' and have a nice day at ! fake, cheery smiles