One year before the events of Unbreakable

(#)\/(#)

Raph knew hell

Not the religious hell Buddhists and all the other Spiritual hide-bounds , Not a place of damnation. But he knew hell on earth, Raph didn't think it was possible after living in Akai. He truly thought he knew it while hiding in a hole in the ground holding his ridden little brother and praying he wouldn't wake up and cough. It would only bring death from the horrible deformed creatures passing over head

But he surely would of relived his experience a hundred times over then see this.

To sit at the same table day in and out and watch his little brother, his sweet bright little brother, run his finger over the surface of the table again and again. Sometimes he would pick up the dulled knife and carve things out of the blocks of wood Raph had gotten for him. His normally bright eyes faded and dull, mindlessly going through the days. The closest thing he had to relief was when his mother would trade him places. They couldn't risk leaving Don alone, even for a moment, risk the addition of more scars up his slender wrists

In his breaks he would go outside, take the cold air against his skin, the tug of wind on his tight bandages. allowing his angry shouts to fill the air and hot tears pour out his eyes.

But then it would begin again. He would go take his place by Don again. Every once in a while he'd try to start a conversation, or run his hand across hi9s shoulders to try and stimulate some movement and try to get some food in him. Some acknowledgment. Once he had even grabbed his brother by the face and forced Don to look him in the eye. there was never any recognition. No sign his brother even knew him.

This was hell

(#)(#)(#)(#)

"Why do i feel like you're here all the time now?"

Raph glanced back into the room whose room window he sat in. shell to the frame and knee up to rest his arm on. It was the room you would never expect to see in their society, a raised bed with enough ornate pillows . The walls covered in paintings that he had learned were described as "Oil" depicting lands he knew he'd never see, the vanity itself looked as though it was made of solid gold.

But none of which were the most exquisite thing in the large house

That would be the the woman running a brush through her hair at the vanity

her body wrapped in a emerald kimono that held none of the sheen her skin did. Her long tail curled around her strange tall chair but her front her chest wrapped in white bandages and her dark eyes slanted to show her genetic integration into the land, a pink cloth hung loosely over her neck,

"cause i am, I can't resist the view." Raph leaned his forehead forward, drawing his arm over his knee and his forehead against it, his eyes trailing up a familiar shape he so loved to look at. Before something soft slapped against his face, his hand shot up to snatch the pillow away, "Hey!"

"I'm not some tall drink you can look at whenever you want. You have to pay a price for it." she glanced back to him over her shoulder. Raph smirked before looking back out the window

"Its about time for Don to take his medicine and eat lunch." Raph leaned forward in his seat and snatched his happi up to pull over his misshapen shell ,

"I'm sure if your brother knew how you spent your free time watching over the place he works like a obsessed hawk he'd cast a spell on you."

"Nah he loves me. And that's not how Sohei shit works."Raph heaved his leg over the window, "See you tomorrow-"

"Hold up."

Before Raph could turn around he felt hands slide down and hold onto his jawline, tipping his head all the way back before lips pressed against his. His hands holding on to the window to keep from falling back, but slowly sliding his hands back, fingers to run through her thick hair when she suddenly pulled away. Raph had to grab the window to keep from falling, the woman's smile claimed no innocence, "What? it was my turn to steal a kiss . That means you have to come back ."

"always do." Raph turned and began to reach for the tree that acted as a 'stepping ladder'. Before a hand slapped on top o his scalp, drawing his head up," what?"

"I made this for your brother, "she held out a large wooden box by a cloth , "It should help him gain some weight."

A grin grew across his face as he reached up and took the bento, reaching his head up ready to press another kiss when a hand pressed over his mouth, drawing his eyes open to look into smirking eyes

"Don't be greedy, you can come back tomorrow, take care of your baby brother."

He probably would of made a face had he not been too busy smiling. Raph looked back down setting his foot on one of the higher branches before ducking beneath the leaves. It was always in his best interest not to be seen by the guards of the house. One time he had almost been caught, having fallen from the tree by a misstep and into the bushes below. The only reason he hadn't been caught by the investigating guard was him suddenly 'eeping' as loud as he could to mimic a tokage. Eventually boring the guard into crawl away and allowing him to jump the wall

That had been more fun then he wanted to admit

Raph landed on the other side of the wall, ignoring the looks of people passing by as he hurried down the alley. He was so used to going from Mona Lisa's house that going from her place to Don's shop was like walking home. Ducking out into the main street, Leatherhead's shop sign hung with the words "I-sha" blazed across. He kept trying to tell Leatherhead to add 'Yorozuya' to give Don SOME credit but the crocodile hadn't wanted ot put too much pressure on the young kame

He understood that

He wanted better to protect his baby brother

"-HONDA! HONDA KAORU! Why is that so hard!?DAM IT! I'm in a hurry-"

"I"m sorry-"

So when he put his hand on the door way to slide in and saw a weasel in long silk robes with both hands scammed on the counter. Don on the other side, crouched over. Raph knew he was looking through the small drawers he had built to have 'medicine' for returning costumers , the customers hands slammed back on the counter

Raph covered the distance from the entrance grabbing the back of the weasels head and slamming his face to the counter, the wooden surface cracking from the impact. He could barely hear the back curtain swing open in Leatherhead's alarmed voice, his fingers digging the skin, the weasels arm shot back to hit him when Raph caught it with his elbow. Leaning in close his sai stabbing into the counter,"Listen here SILIKIE, if you EVER talk to my brother that way again, hell if you ever step a FOOT NEA HIM AGAIN I'm going to use my little sai here to string your organs across the rooftops like a FESTIVAL."

The weasels eyes darted around in panic, quivering under his fingers. Raph released his sai long enough to hold his hand out. He felt a cloth bag being dropped into his palm. He stood away long enough to hook his fingers on the back of the weasels shirt and yanked him to his feet before shoving the medicine bag into his hand and pulled him close, "Look at that, YOURE cured." before shoving him through the opening. HE didn't bother to look to hear the weasel hit the ground.

He had bigger concerns.

That being Donatello standing on the other side of the counter, Leatherhead's hand on his shoulder probably asking the younger if he was alright already. That didn't stop him from vaulting over the counter, hands grabbing a hold of his brothers shoulders, "Are you OK?! What happened!? "

Don's eyes met his, normally bright eyes dulled over though the fact he made eye contact helped,"N-Nothing. I-I'm sorry. H-He kept telling me his-his prescription but i c-couldn't focus. I-I-I'm sorry."

Raph knew better, it might of seemed impossible for his genius little brother. But he knew the dark circles under his eyes hidden by Dons purple mask. He knew just a few months ago his brother hadn't even been speaking. His palm pressed against his brother face and lifted it up ever so gently, "Don t apologize, and don't let think about that basterd anymore," he took his brother's hand he put the knot of the wooden box into it, "go get lunch ready, I'll be there in a little bit."

Despite the sadness in his eyes, his little brother nodded, walking back to cloth covered 'check up ' room that lead to the back yard. He'd probably go upstairs to the kamodo. He waited till he heard the backdoor close before turning to the large crocodile and allowing all calm to drop from his body

"what the hell?! I thought you were watching out for him!? You SWORE you would!" his fist hit the couldn't again, "You said you'd look out for him! But the first thing I SEE when i come in!? Some weasel SCREAMING at him and you LETTING it happen!"

"Raphael I did not know what was happening-"
"YOU SWORE to watch over him, you SWORE he was OK to go back to work you SWORE-"

"RAPHAEL!"

It had been years since he had heard Leatherhead use that level of voice. The near roar shook the floors and sent dust flaking down. Had it been a few months ago, Raph might of launched into a argument. A futile argument that would of ended with Leatherhead loosing the temper and with the shop in smithereens.

"Raphael." his voice was considerable softer, as though regretting raising his voice, " I welcomed your brother back when i did because when he was at your home all day i knew all he could think about was what happened to him. It was not helping him and I thought going through some routines would help his recovery."

"Has it?" He would take that as a no judging from that look on Leatherhead's face

"I am sorry, his mind is not as strong as I thought it would be at this point. He still has difficulty focusing and understanding what people are saying to him. But I thought working at the front would help. I am sorry i was wrong"

Raphael could of very easily fallen right back to his anger, but he looked down to the wooden box hanging from his hand, his stomach churned as he looked back up,"I thought he'd be better by now."

"You should be proud of your brother. He has gone from a point of self harm and near catatonic state to one where he can function as a member of society. Normally it would take years for someone to come as far as he has from where he was."

From where he was, as proud as Raph was of his brother, he didn't want to think of the point Donnie had been just a few short months.

he never wanted to think about it again.

Raph raised his hand to rest on Leatherhead's hand fora moment , though his gaze kept low. Squeezing Leatherhead's hand for a moment before pulling free. He had never been one for physical contact with anyone that wasn't his mother or little brother. Even the girls he dated never got much 'kissing' out-of him.

That's what made Mona different

But he couldn't think of her right then,as he ducked out into the back yard, climbing up the old stairs to the second floor. Which hadn't existed until Don had started working for Leatherhead, who found a need to give his little apprentice his own space to work and rest, mostly rest, and had even put in a kamodo so that he could stay warm.

Not that Raph didn't come in there and see his brother asleep in the dead of winter without the kamodo burning. Spirits that had scared him to death

Anyway

Raph reached forward and lifted the heavy curtain ,replaced during winter time with a heavier sliding door. The kamodo lay cold in the corner and the wooden box of goodies on the floor, Don at the table, back of the head to him and resting on his drawn arm, he could barely see his free hand running over the surface of the table over and over again

"Don." he sighed lightly before picking up the box, "I told you to start warming up the kamodo remember?" but he really didn't expect a response. Raph knelt by the kamodo and reached into his pocket, it looked like Don had put the wood inside and had just forgotten. It wouldn't be the first time. He drew out the metal flint and set a small flame ablaze before taking up a pot and putting it on top, opening the box and dumping several mixed veggies that he'd have to thank Mona later.

"When did you get here?"

Raph looked back around to see Don now looking at him, though his head was still on his arm. The droop of his eyes rang the real problem,"I just did, remember?" he put the lid on the pot, "I told you to come up here and get the food ready so we could eat together."

"Oh." Spirits, Don's head turned back to his arms, "That's too much food."
"NO its not Don. I need you to start eating a little bit more if we want to get your weight back."

"I'm not hungry."

"I don't care, you can try." Don's eating habits had actually gotten worse since the incident with Hayate. Even when they had gotten him home, he went so long without eating that Raph and his mother both feared he'd starve himself to death.

HE didn't even want to think about how he and his mother had to pin him down to get food down his throat.

There were too many things about the past few months he didn't want to talk about.

He wanted to think of the future. Raph made sure the veggies were cooking before standing back up and walking over to where Don sat and knelt by the table, putting his thick arm around his brothers shoulders, "You're thirteen today baby bro." he said softly, "What do you want to do after work?"

"Nothing."

"I find THAT hard to believe." Raph said with a smile. Though Don hadn't bothered to even look at him, "There's nothing you want to do?"

"I want to be a I-sha again."

Uh oh. Raph couldn't stop the sigh that escaped his lips, his free hand going up to pinch the bridge between his eyes. The one thing he wanted that Raph couldn't give him. And at this point, he was willing to give Don anything to see him smile again, he ran his hand across the back of Don's shoulders, "We just think you need some more time to recover baby bro. You saw how you were with that patient, even if he was a ass, you're still recovering."

"you all think I'm broken do you?"

The mere word sent heat through Raph's spine, fighting the natural angry response that empowered every second of his life. The one that made holes in walls and made bounties fear his name.

If anything had come out of his brother being taken away and locked in a cold box for so long, it was his patience

Raph reached forward and took Don by the shoulders, gently pulling him put to a sitting position and turning him at the same time. His brothers gaze set on the ground, Raph gently took his brother by the chin and lifted his head to look into his brothers tear soaked eyes

"You are NOT broken baby brother, I never want to hear you describe yourself that way. Was I broken when I couldn't move?"

"You didn't loose your mind-"

"I didn't, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. Alot of people wouldn't of been able to come back from what those bastards did, but you did." he released his brothers chin to hold him by the shoulders, "Someday, you're going to be better, someday we're not even going to remember all this. But today you're healing, and today I'm going to make sure you have a great birthday. Alright?"

The corners of Dons lips twitched ever so gently, the closest thing Raph had seen to a smile in a month. He wrapped his arms around his baby brother and held him close to his chest. Judging by the way Donnie rested his head against his shoulder, Raph knew he was too tired to work. So after they ate, he made sure Don was laying in the futon they kept upstairs before heading out. Taking a moment to look back at his brother and remind him of the same thing he did everyday they worked

"I'll pick you up at sunset, then we can go home."

For the nine years since Don had started working with Letterhead he had always kept that promise

And on the day of Don's thirteenth birthday was the one time he broke it