*Takes a deep breath and... posts*

This is a gift for Flaux , (Okay my dear, you totally asked for this! This is a heartfelt thank you for my beautiful pictures of GP which I've been looking at everyday since you gifted them to me. ((You didn't think the pictures were the only thing that I would do right? XD)) Apologies in advance if any of the details are wrong, I tried my best! :)

Belated Merry Christmas and the Best of Wishes for the New Year my dear!

~PS~

Synopsis: Onii has been having a bad week, Oto desperately tries to cheer him up with a present. It doesn't quite go to plan….

((Onii and Oto are NOT my creations, these beautiful interpretations of Donnie and Mikey belong to the amazing Flaux and her ongoing fanfiction 'In Another Time Maybe'. This story is based in her AU before Raphael turns up. All that credit goes to her. :) ))

~PS~

'Please Smile'

Onii near jumped out of his shell when the door to the cell sprang open and promptly slammed just as suddenly thanks to the shutter. He'd whipped away from the cell's makeshift kitchen to strike his obedient pose, heart hammering wildly in his breast until he realised it was only Oto. His stance melted and Onii shook his head as he held a scarred hand to his chest.

'Oto! How many times? You frightened the life out of me,' he signed, almost in relief

It was only when he raised his eyes that he realised that something was terribly wrong. Oto was holding his hand against him, hiding under the cuff of his hoodie.

'Oto what's wrong?'

Oto immediately shook his head and quickly turned away from him being unusually evasive.

'Oto! Wait, wait! What's wrong with you?'

Oto kept a clear three steps away from him and quickly signed, 'Nothing!' before realising his mistake and shoved his hands in his dark grey hoodie's front pocket.

It was a split second but it was enough. Onii felt himself blanch as he saw the red that had stained his little brother's fingers. "Oto, what happened?!" he lurched forward snatching hold of Oto's arm before he slipped away.

Again the little mutant turtle just shook his head moving his hands, pocket and all away from his brother.

Onii had had enough, "Oto!" he scolded. "Show me now!" he ordered, signing with his free hand to emphasize what he said.

Oto's eyes grew glassy and finally stopped fighting, nipping on his bottom lip he reluctantly pulled his hands from his pocket and held them out in front of him, trembling slightly. He stared at the floor.

Onii's mouth dropped open, bringing his own hand to his mouth as his eyes glazed over at the sight. "Oto?" was the only thing he managed to utter.

'Sorry Onii, I'm sorry.'

Watching Oto wincing as he signed those few simple words had Onii's heart plummeting to the murky depths of his empty stomach. He briefly rolled his head back and stared at the ceiling blinking furiously as an unwanted wetness burned at the corners of his soft brown eyes. He lowered his head, sighting his sibling staring morosely back at him.

'I was in the kitchens-'

'No,' Onii shut his eyes as he made the decisive sign in an adamantly firm sweep of his arm. He wasn't going to let Oto explain whilst his fingers bled from the lacerations he'd received from goodness knew where from goodness knew what.

He silently motioned to Oto and sat him at the small table. He retrieved his box of carefully scavenged medical first aid supplies and set that upon the table. Then he poured out a bowl of warm water from the sink and placed it next to the box. Lastly he stood in front of their shelves and took down one their most precious supplies, a bottle of honey. Finally Onii pulled up the second folding chair and setting himself down poked through his box and pulled out a clean scrap of cloth.

"Hand Oto," he said tonelessly holding out his own to receive it.

Although Oto continuously kept flicking his baby blue eyes up at him, orbs wide with apology and want to explain, Onii kept himself focussed on his little brother's hand. As he washed Oto's bloodied digits down, catching the consequent winces from his periphery Onii frowned at what he had deciphered to be cuts clearly made by a sharp object, a blade, a knife possibly? He shook his head, feeling Oto's eyes on him again as he began dabbing the honey across the wounds. Goodness knew he didn't need this right now. Their supplies were starting to run low again. Who knew when they'd be able to get more honey there was barely half an inch left in the squeezy bottle. Onii drew a deep breath and held it for a moment before releasing it again. It would do no good worrying over it now, he had to prioritise, make a list of what they had and calculate exactly how much was left and how long it would last them.

Onii finished wrapping Oto's fingers with his reclaimed bandages and finally shut the lid of his box, eyes lingering momentarily on the purple fabric he had bound to it. A minute shake of his head and he at last fixed his chestnut red eyes upon Oto. "Right," he signed in tandem to his voice. "Tell me exactly what happened Oto and it better be good."

'I was in the kitchens, I was trying to get hold of -,' he hesitated before signing, 'some extra things.'

'What do you mean by 'extra things'?' Onii frowned curiously.

Although reluctant Oto signed, 'Flour, butter, eggs-,' another pause. 'Sugar.'

Onii glanced back at the kitchen somewhat confusedly. 'But we've already got those things,' granted not much but they had them.

'I needed more,' was the cryptic response.

'For what?' Onii asked, now getting suspicious.

Oto remained silent and stared at the bamboo mats that partly covered the floor.

Onii sighed. 'You know I don't like you to take unnecessary risks Oto.'

'I did it for you,' he signed slowly looking away.

'Why?'

Oto let out a deep sigh and finally relented. 'To cheer you up Onii.'

Onii blinked, slightly taken aback. For a moment he was at a loss of what to say.

'I never meant to get caught Onii, I didn't know the cook had a knife nearby.'

Onii felt the blood literally drain from his face. Oto could have lost his fingers. He knew how vindictive the humans that worked in Master's kitchens could be, or that worked anywhere in the compound for that matter. An iron fist clenched mercilessly about his breast and he couldn't help but gasp out a breath. He could've been stitching his little brother's fingers back on instead of treating a few nasty cuts if Oto didn't have such quick reflexes. It didn't even bare thinking about.

'Onii?' Oto ventured cautiously. 'Are you okay?'

It took a moment but all the happenings that had occurred that past week flowed through his mind. There was being physically punished by Xever after Stockman had gone squealing to him because he blamed him for ruining one of his experiments which he'd been nowhere near at the time. Then Oto getting his foot stuck in a door after some awful guard thought it amusing to see the forced mute try to stifle a squeal of pain. Not to mention the realisation that supplies were running low (again) and burning his fingers on the hob that was beginning to malfunction (again too). It all bundled up into bitter stressful ball of angst and upset and burst out up his throat before he could stop himself.

"No!" Onii snapped, signing madly along with the words that tumbled from his mouth. "No I am not okay Oto! Why would you do something so unbelievably foolish?! How can I keep you safe if you go out and do something so reckless! You don't have to cheer me up, it was a stupid thing to do Oto!"

The moment the final words slipped past his tongue Onii wish he could've sucked them all back in because the look of deep hurt that was now etched into his little brother's face was almost unbearable to look at. Baby blue eyes filled with glassy wetness, as his features creased with untold upset.

'Onii I-,' Oto couldn't finish and threw his hands up in defeat, shaking his head and suddenly bolted from from the chair.

Onii watched with a suddenly leaden heart as Oto threw himself under the sheets of their nest bed in the corner and balled himself up as tightly as he could. He'd never really felt as wretched as he did in that moment as he watched the little mound shiver and sniff. He raised a hand to his forehead and drew a shuddering breath of his own. Some big brother he was.

~PS~

It was dark and cold when Onii suddenly woke up. He shivered and reached out for Oto, a couple sweeps of his arm telling him that his little brother was not in their makeshift bed. Onii started and bolted upright and looked across the room in a half fearful panic. "Oto?" he called as loud as he dared.

There was a sudden rustle of paper in the far corner adjacent from him, and he frowned slightly as a small mound shifted in the shadows. He squinted and pulled himself to his knees, "Oto? What are you doing over there?"

He clambered to his feet and approached and in the sombre light glowing in the corner, Oto sprang to his own feet and quickly snatched something behind his back. Great, not this game again.

'What have you got there Oto?'

'Nothing!' Oto swiftly signed back.

Onii sighed. 'Oto, if you're using the paper with my medicinal measurement equations again to make paper planes with, I won't be happy,' he signed sternly.

Oto seemed to draw in a deep sigh. 'I didn't Onii.'

'So what are you doing at this time of night?'

There was pause but Oto then signed, 'drawing.'

'Middle of the night, and you're drawing in the dark? Why?' Onii signed with a frown.

Oto hung his head and looked away. 'It doesn't matter, it's silly.'

Onii automatically held out his hand. 'Paper Oto.'

Oto suddenly shook his head. 'But, it's meant to be a surprise!' his hands frantically gestured.

Onii rolled his eyes to the dark ceiling and finally reached forward snatching the paper from Oto's fingers before he could react. 'NO!' Oto's hands seemed to shout as the precious object was relinquished from his reaching digits.

Onii, squinted, he really couldn't see in this dim light so he wandered over to the lamp in the centre of the room and snapped it on. Brightness spilled across the slightly yellowing paper and the youth's soft brown eyes widened, swiftly followed by a swelling in his throat. Oto's innocent drawing showed a rendering of what was obviously the pair of them standing beside each other, wearing broad smiles. A half finished rainbow was stretching above their heads and beneath their feet were written the words, 'Please Smile!' in purple crayon.

Onii drew in a breath, the lump in his throat growing more and more uncomfortable as the seconds ticked by. After all those words he had said to him just hours ago and Oto had seemingly forgiven him and drawn him a picture. The gesture shouted volumes. He suddenly felt so wretched. He could already feel the burning at the corner of his eyes.

He barely heard the approach of his little brother. He all but jumped out of his shell when he felt the tap on his shoulder. He immediately bent his head down, hugging the artwork to his breast. "I'm sorry Oto, I'm sorry I got angry at you," he all but whispered. "I-I've just been having a bad week."

Oto finally slipped around to face him, gifting him with a small but meaningful smile. 'I know,' baggy clothed arms wrapped about him and Onii squeezed his eyes shut. He briefly laid his cheek atop Oto's head, savouring the comfort he felt he didn't deserve.

"C'mon Oto, it's very late. We should get back to sleep."

Oto drew back a step and nodded, the little smile still resting upon his mouth. 'Okay Onii.'

A few minutes later the light was switched off, a new treasured picture was leant against the wall and the two brothers were warmly snuggled up under their old blankets. Oto was the first to drift off. Onii had long since recognised the change in his younger sibling's breathing to know the difference. He draped an arm across Oto's thin shoulders, pulling the smaller turtle closer to him protectively just like he always had done since they were small.

Truly what had he done to deserve such a swift forgiveness? It was just in Oto's nature. He could never stay upset or angry at Onii for very long. He eyes drifted across to the drawing that he'd deliberately placed close by so that he could look at it whilst lying down. He took in the precious colours that Oto took the greatest care of, for crayons and colour pencils were so dreadfully hard to get hold of, not to say that Onii hadn't tried to make his own pigments for his little brother to use. It wasn't easy and there was just so many other things that he had to do. He would just have to make the time to create some more colours for Oto, it was the very least he could do.

Onii felt the swelling return, trying to breach the back of his throat whilst the unwanted wetness tingled his eyes for the third time in so many hours. He sniffed and curled his head back down, instinctively drawing Oto even closer. "I'm sorry Oto," he whispered, unable to stop the rogue tear the slipped down his cheek.

~PS~

The delicious smell of something sweet and warm snapped the final stands of sleep that held Onii in the dream realm. He thought he was still dreaming because that mouth watering smell just couldn't be real. It had to be a trick of his senses. He reached out for his brother, groggily muttering, "Oto, I had the strangest dream-," with a half yawn he realised that Oto wasn't in the bed, again…

"Oto?" he sat up, scrubbing the back of a scarred hand across his eyes. He heard general pottering around in the kitchen and Onii shook his head to properly rouse himself. "Nani yatteru no ototo?"

Oto realising he was now awake came bounding over, the biggest smile plastered across his freckled face. He grabbed Onii's arm and hauled him upright, causing the older turtle to trip over his own large feet.

"Woah, woah! Careful Oto!" Onii cried throwing out an arm to steady himself. "What's this all about?"

Once they reached the table Oto, clasped his hands together looking as if were about to burst with glee, he was literally bouncing on his heels. Eyes shining and reading Onii's bewildered expression he finally signed, 'I made something for you Onii!'

'Wh-what?' Onii's hands seemed to stammer.

His little brother pulled him foward one last step and moved to the side revealing what was sat steaming invitingly on the tabletop. Onii's eyes widened and his mouth began watering of its own free will. "What are those?" he murmured already knowing the obvious answer.

'Pancakes!' Oto's hands shouted excitedly.

"How?" Onii uttered in disbelief.

'What? You think I came back the other day empty handed?'

Onii stared at Oto absolutely dumbfounded. He had no idea. Ototo must have hidden his riskily aquired supplies within seconds of stumbling into the door the other evening. That was, well, impressive to say the least.

The rare delicious food beckoned, enticing Onii to sit and devour the lot but the emotion that had begun to pool at the back of his throat stilled his steps. "You, did this, for me Ototo?" he signed as he spoke in a near tremoring voice.

'Of course I did! You're my big brother. I love to see you happy.'

Onii squeezed his eyes shut, pressing a battered hand to his mouth as the moment just become too much for him. The tears that he had managed to dam so far spilled down his cheeks. A sob escaped before he could stop it.

Oto's face instantly fell and he rushed up in a half panic. 'Don't cry Onii! I'm sorry! I just wanted to make you happy. Please smile!' he pleaded through the biggest eyes that Onii had ever seen.

A soft laugh bubbled through the second sob and Onii dropped his hand to reveal the smile that had grown there. The tears wouldn't stop but it didn't matter, he just didn't care. He lurched forward and threw his arms about his beloved little brother, squeezing him tightly. "I am happy Oto. Thank you so much," he whispered.

The hug was returned with equal fervour and with Oto's head nestled in the folds of his drab hoodie against his plastron, Onii realised how grateful he was that he had a brother with such a pure hearted soul who reminded him what happiness actually felt like when he truly needed it.

~The End~

I don't know how likely this scenario is Flaux, but I truly hope you enjoyed this little story. It was a joy to write. Any problems with me posting this, please let me know, I will totally understand, no hard feelings. :)