"RAPH!"

Raph jumped up from his hammock and fell face first on the floor. Growling and grabbing his sais he ran up to Donnie's room, ready to murder whoever hurt his brother. Just before he stormed in he reluctantly stopped and listened, hearing sobbing he figured that it must have been a nightmare...a very painful nightmare.

Tucking his sais in his belt he knocked on his immediate little brother's door, "Donnie, can I come in?"

There was a pause on the sobbing, "sure." He said quietly but enough for Raph to hear.

Opening the door he saw Donnie sitting on the bed covered in cold sweat with the blanket on the floor. He looked shaken and he could just see the redness in his eyes from crying in the darkness.

Walking over sitting on the he placed his three fingered hand on Don's shoulder, "you okay bro?"

Donnie pulled his knees close to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, "yeah... You should go back to bed Raph, it's late."

Glancing at the glowing digital clock he saw it was 3:47 AM. "I don't care right now. I'm gonna ask again and tell me the truth. Are you okay?."

Don opened his mouth but closed it again when he saw Raph's glare and sighed, "it's stupid."

"Can't be that stupid to have bothered you this much." "I...it's nothing Raph. Just please..."

Nodding in understanding Raph didn't say anything, "I'm gonna get some water, you want some?" Looking up in surprise Don nodded slowly. Getting up from his place Raph walked over to the kitchen and filled two glasses of water. He didn't mind staying awake, he just needed Donnie to be ok.

Sitting back on the bed he handed a glass of water to Don who took it and gulped it all down. "Thanks Raph."

"No problem Don, you better now?"

"Raph I'm fine..." Don began but stopped short at Raph's glare again. Squeezing his eyes shut Don sighed, "I...I had a nightmare," he muttered.

Smiling softly Raph wrapped an arm around him, "wanna talk about it?"

Don looked down at his hands on his lap he nodded slowly, he looked at the Raph's sais. "You're always willing to do anything to protect us...to protect me."

Raph nodded, "always, I'd always protect this family."

"...I was in a dark place, I smelt nothing but blood..and then I suddenly saw the Foot." He began ...

Donnie looked around and all he could see was ever lasting darkness. Now, he wasn't like Mikey who got afraid of full darkness but this was beginning to get on his nerve, "Leo? Master? Mike? Where are you guys?" Nothing happened...wait. What was that? It smelt like...like blood. Being the family medic and having been in multiple fights he could instantly identify the horrid smell.

"Raph? Guys, this isn't funny." He was beginning to get afraid now. He blinked and suddenly the scene had changed from an everlasting darkness to a sea of Foot Ninjas fighting his brothers. He saw a Foot Ninja in the air falling down with a wakizashi aimed down at him. Finding his bō in his olive green hands he dodged and swung his weapon towards the Foot's head before the forever alone guy hit the floor.

Hearing two ninjas coming at him from behind, one with a katana and one with a kusarigama, he turned and dodged the katana from underneath and caught the other ninja's chain with his bō. The ninja swung his katana down to Donnie's arm but he pulled the guy with the kusarigama closer making the katana slice the chain he held with his bō. Now with no weapon Don winded the guy with his bō staff and again dodged the katana coming at him. Jumping up and blocking the sword with his weapon he performed a roundhouse kick knocking the ninja out.

Then he swung his bō at the ninja who had just gotten up from the floor and was reaching for a hidden weapon but never got to because be fell to the ground unconscious. Now with nobody fighting with him at the moment he turned and tried to find his brothers in the sea of black.

He saw Leo handling himself well with five ninjas cause that's just how he was, then he saw Mikey taunting three ninjas at the same time and knocking one of them out with a nunchaku. Then he spotted Raph fighting two ninjas and he could obviously tell he was enjoying himself.

He heard a ninja coming at him from behind and turned swiftly, the ninja was armed with a yari. Dodging the blade coming at him he jumped and swung his bō at the man. Blocked. He landed and using the momentum he crouched down and swung his leg at the ninja's legs and hit his head with his bō as he fell down.

Smirking with victory he was about to look for more Foot when, "Don! Watch Out!"

Turning around he just caught a glimpse of a wakizashi heading straight for him before a dark green blocked it's view.

Time stopped.

There was no more foot.

All he saw was his brother lying on the floor.

All he saw was Raph on the floor with a wakizashi sticking out of his plastron.

"Raph!" Don yelled and ran for him. Kneeling down he stared at his brother's cracked plastron.

"D...Do...Donnie..." Raph tried but ended up coughing, spitting out his own blood he was choking on.

"Don't...don't talk, it'll be okay." Don tried to reassure him. Not sure whether he was saying it to him or himself. His hands were hovering over Raph's body, not sure what to do. He was an engineer not a doctor!

They never had this sort of trouble before. He felt Raph's hand on his, "Donnie...don't worry."

"How?...it..it'll be alright.." Don almost yelled, feeling his throat clog up. He felt water dropping down his cheeks. He knew what was happening. Raph reached with a shaky, unsteady hand but accomplished to wipe Donnie's tears even though they were instantly replaced by new ones. "Little brother."

Don sobbed and held Raph's hand. "Yeah, Raphie?" "I...I love...I love you...Donnie."

Don felt the hand he held go limp.

"Raph?" No response. No...NO!

"Raphie! Big brother! Please answer!" He tried. Hoping this would be a cruel prank.

"Raph! No...NO!"

"RAPH!"...

...Donnie was on his bed holding his knees to his chest, sobbing as the scene replayed in his head over and over again. Raph sat next to him with his arm on his shoulders.

"Donnie..." He changed position and hugged Don to his chest tightly and held him there. "Shhh, it's okay. It's alright now. I'm here." He never really was the one to comfort his little brothers since that was usually Leo's job but this somehow felt... right.

Slowly rocking him he continued to whisper comforting words into his ear.

Don choked on a sob, "no...no it's not!"

Slightly taken aback Raph looked down at him though his face was hidden against Raph's chest. "What do you mean?"

"It's not okay." He whispered, voice muffled, "if any of us are in danger...if I'm in danger you'll be in front of me ready to sacrifice yourself."

"Well, yeah." Raph said, not sure how to answer that. "I'd give my life for any of you."

"That's the point!"

"Huh?" Don sobbed and looked up, "according to the amount of trouble we get into frequently that means...and if you keep getting in front of us whenever we're in trouble...you'll...eventually..."

Raph tightened his grip in his little brother, "never."

"What?"

"I'll never give up. I may jump in front of but that's to protect you, as long as you guys are alright then so am I and I will always be able to get back on my feet that way."

He pulled away from Don and made him look in to his eyes, "I promise you Donnie, I will never go down without a fight and because of that its impossible to get rid of me."

And with that another series of sobs erupted from the peaceful turtle and Raph began rocking him again.

"*Sob* Raphie *Sob*" Donnie whimpered.

"Shhh, I'm here little brother, I'm here."

"I...I'm scared."

"Don't be. I'm here to protect you. And I'm never going down without a fight."

"B..but."

"Never."

I have the same story on deviantart posted as 'dodobird123'.

Please review, this is my first story on this website And I'd like advice!