I don't own TMNT. Everyone on earth already knows this!


Splinter poured himself a cup of tea and almost took a drink when his ears picked up on a sound. It was the sound of crying. He hoped it had not been a fight among his sons. Perhaps Michelangelo had simply scraped his knee once again. He made his way silently to the source of the sobs. He was surprised that it was coming from his eldest son's room. It was rare for Leonardo to cry, rarer than even Raphael. He slightly cracked the door and glanced in. His sons were still very young, each eight, except for Leonardo, whose birthday was but a week before. He had always seemed slightly more mature than the others and was the most gifted in the arts of nin-jutsu.

What the elderly rat saw surprised him, it was not his eldest that was crying but his most intelligent son. The younger turtle had his head tucked under the eldest's chin as tears ran down his face, his cheeks burning red. He had one hand against his face, trying to wipe away the tears. The eldest glanced up at the sound of the door but said nothing, turning his full attention to his younger, purple masked brother he took a deep breath.

"I'm here," he whispered softly.

"I-I I'm…I'm so- sorry!" the younger turtle cried.

"Shh," Leo cooed quietly, resting one hand on top of his younger brother's head while the other rested against his plastron, "I'm here for you Donny."

After a long minute the eldest spoke again, very quietly he murmured, "It's not your fault."

"But, if I had been paying attention I wouldn't have-"

Donny couldn't bring himself to go on. His young child-like mind only worked on one thought:

Go to big brother. He'll make it all ok. He'll make all the pain go away.

"It's not your fault, you didn't know what would happen," Leo said.

Donny trembled and pressed himself closer, "I should've known. Then Mikey wouldn't have been in danger and you wouldn't have had to get hurt while rescuing him!"

The eldest glanced at the white bandage that encircled his left ankle.

"Does it still hurt?" the younger turtle mumbled.

Leo thought for a minute, "Yes, it does still hurt."

Donny cringed and cried all the harder.

"You know what hurts the most though?"

"What?" Donny asked frantically, thinking his eldest brother might have received a more serious injury during the accident.

"Knowing you're sad."

"What?" Donny asked in confusion.

"You being hurt puts me in more pain than any wound ever could. I don't like it when my little brothers are hurt."

Then, the dam burst and all the tears came rushing out of Donny's eyes. His small heart and mind could barely comprehend it. They were brothers, he knew they loved one another but-

He didn't get a chance to complete the thought before his body trembled and he clung all the tighter to his brother, soaking up all the love pouring off of him.

"I love you, big brother," Donny mumbled as his voice faded along with his mind.

"I love you too, little brother," Leo said, lying down on his bed and pulling Donny close before covering them both with his blue quilt, "Sweet dreams Donny."

Outside, Splinter gazed in with a smile as he watched his purple masked son snuggle into his eldest son's hold. His smile only grew when Leo wrapped his arms around his little brother, hugging him and holding him close. With a happy sigh Splinter closed the door and returned to the kitchen where he finished his tea that had grown slightly cold. As he retired to his room for the night he glanced towards the eldest's room and smiled with pride. Leonardo would be a great big brother to the three younger turtles.


Still on a sugar high! YAY ME! Two one-shots in one night! YAY! I'm going to get more ice cream! Oh, I just watched Daredevil! Isn't the movie awesome!?

Singing: I scream! You scream! We all scream for ice cream!

A review? I'd really like a review!

~Moonsetta