Mikey's eyes slowly rose above the back of the old ragged sofa that sat in the main living area of the turtle's lair. A stack of Donatello's favorite books supporting him. His blue eyes slowing peering over the soft material. Below lay his eldest brother hypnotized by the images on the TV. Mikey stretched his little toes as far as he could. Reaching down with his right hand, his target almost in reach, he held his breath. Leo remained glued to the screen. Watching the various superheros and taking note of their fighting styles. "Just a little further," Mikey thought. Leo's peripheral vision shot his attention to the right where his bag of red licorice lay. "Aaaa! Ngggrrr..." Mikey landed face first onto Leo's plastron, toppling them both to the floor.

"Mikey what are you doing?" Leo scolded. Mikey just grinned. Leo frowned with a loud sigh. He new what his younger brother had surely been after. "You ate all yours didn't you?" Mikey again offered only a smile. Rolling his eyes the older brother looked around the toppled mess of throw pillows. Turning around he reached under the sofa and found his spilled licorice along the floor. Sighing he gathered the candy and handed the bag to his younger brother. "Here ya go Mikey. Knock yourself out." The little tot's bright blue eyes lit up so bright Leo could have sworn he saw sparkle glitter in them. Mikey smiled and reached for the bag. "Ah, ah. Mikey you have to say thank you first."

Leo kept the bag to his side just out of Mikey's reach. The sparkles quickly died out and were replaced with a frown. "Mikey..." Leo began, "You have to start talking Mikey. You're smart enough. We all know it and you do too. You're four years old now. We all know you can talk. Why are you so afraid to use your words?" The orange banded turtle's chest began to rise and fall quickly. He was obviously upset. Leo's left brow raised at his brother's response. Another sigh and Leo caved. "Ok, ok Mike. Here." he handed the bag to Mikey. Michalangelo took the bag and stared down at its contents. He noticed some peices had fuzz and other debris upon them. Shuffling through the bag he retrieved the cleanest piece he could find and handed it to his older brother. Leo smiled and accepted the token. "Thanks Mikey." Mikey looked up at his brother and smiled. "Your welcome." he whispered so softly Leo was unsure if he really actually said anything at all. A toothy grin filled Leo's face as he watched his ever energetic brother bounce off into the kitchen. "Hmmm... he sure is hyper for someone with so little to say. I wonder what it will be like when he stops being afraid to talk." Leo laughed out loud to himself before returning to his tv show.

In the kitchen Raphael and Master Splinter sat at the table with cards in their hands. Two decks lay on the table before them. One sat nice and straight with the deck face down. The other was messy with the cards facing up. Splinter stared patiently at his second eldest. Raphael glared at the hand of cards he held. "You need either a yellow or a two my son." "I know," Raph scowled. Raph had struggled for sometime with his numbers, something his brothers, even Mikey, seemed to excel in. Raph could feel his face begin to heat up. He stared at the multicolored cards in his hands. The numbers seemed to mock him.

A tap on his shoulder broke Raph from his trance. It was Mikey. Raph blinked for a moment before responding. "Whaddu want?" he glared. Mikey was gnawing on a piece of Leo's licorice. With the bag in his right hand and a single licorice in his left he pointed to the middle card in Raph's hand. "Mat Mom," he nommed. Raph quickly looked back at his cards and then back at Mikey. "Michaelangelo!" Splinter scoled. Both turtles snapped to attention. "Raphael is trying to practice his numbers. He will not learn if y - ..." Splinter's brow frowned and his nose crinkled. "Michalengo, where did you get that licorice? I thought you had eaten all of yours early in the day." Mikey now had three pieces of the sugarly treat in his mouth. "Meo." he mumbled.

Splinter rubbed his forhead. "Ok. That is enough for now my sons. I am going to meditate for a while." Raph scolded down from his stool. "Look what you did Mikey. You made Master Splinter mad." Mikey glared back up at his older, red banded brother. He shook his head back and forth spiratically. His mouth now quite full of licuroish it looked as though Mikey was choking on a jellyfish as his head trashed from side to side. "ARNNGG... MIKEY!" Leaping from his stool Raph reached for Mikey. "Why you little!" Mikey quickly zipped between Raph's clutches and headed to the livingroom with Raph close behind.

Splinter walked quietly into the Lair's washroom. "Ohhh... my head," he mumbled to himself. "Where are those pills." Splinter began to rummage through the makeshift medicine cabinet that merely consisted of a tall book shelf with a large drape nailed to the top acting as a cabinet door. Splinter quietly pulled back the drape in an attempt to find a drug to alleviate the migraine that had plagued him since the early morning.

"We could..." Suddenly Splinter's ears flicked erect and his whiskers straightened. His eyes widened as he quickly whipped around and stared across the room where a shoji stood. Behind the shoji laid and old wood and iron wash basin that the family used as a wash tub to bathe in. Splinter bared his teeth and crept slowly to the shoji. "What a... Blah... blah..." Splinter paused for a moment, his stance relaxing. "Hmmm... that sounds like Donatello," he thought to himself.

Gently he reached around the shoji and peered at what hid behind it. There in the wash basin sat Splinter's purple banded son. His back to his father. Splinter could hear him clearly now. "I know right. Well then we could put the wheels on and see if it can run on potato power." Splinter recalled his sons strange behavior from past times. His son had behaved this way many times before, however this was the first time Splinter had caught his son off guard. Splinter continued to listen to his son. Donatello kept on talking and playing in the wash basin, completely unaware of his father's presence. A smile crept across the old rats face as he realized what his son was doing.

"Harrummpphh!," Splinter cleared his throat as he stepped out from behind the shoji. Immediately Donatello whipped around with fear in his eyes. "M.. Master Splinter!" he stammered. "My son. Whom are you talking to?" Donny turned his head back around and stared at his lap in the empty wash basin. Splinter walked around the other side of the basin and kneeled down. "My son it is rude to not introduce your father to your friend." Donny looked up at his father still unsure of himself. "I... um..." Splinter waited. He was a patient old rat that understood his second eldest's mind quite well. He knew Donatello's mind would turn its gears and cogs developing a response.

"His name is Felix," Donatello said shyly. "Oh," Splinter replied. "That is a fine name. What does he look like?" Donatello smiled a bright smile to his father now realizing that there would be no repercussions for revealing his secret. He smiled up at his father and began to explain the distinct characteristics of his invisible friend. "Well he... And his... Then he has a... His favorite..." Splinter sat quietly smiling at his son as he spilled his heart out to his father. He watched as Donatello demonstrated Felix's body language and actions. How he could zip about from place to place. Donatello was especially excited about Felix's level of intelligence. Only Felix could match his own brilliant mind. Splinter gave his son an approving grin before standing to his feet. "Well if you will excuse me my son I have some things to attend to." "Felix," he stated as he nodded to Donatello's friend. Splinter continued out of the wash room completely relieved of why he had gone in there in the first place.

(Later that night)

Huddled on the sofa Leo and Mikey prepared to watch a new movie they had found in the bottom of a box of junk their father had found. "Attack of the Giant Grubs!" Leo read aloud. Mikey took the VHS box from his older brother and looked over it vividly. His eyes widened as he looked at the image before him. The Large green and red grub was at least a hundred stories high. It was covered in black pokey hairs with large pincer like teeth. A single human girl stood alone staring up at the enormous creature. A look of terror remained plastered on her face. "Raph! Donny! Hurry up!" Leo yelled form the sofa.

Upstairs in his room Raph rolled his eyes, "Ya, ya. We're com'n!" he yelled. Grabbing his favorite dinosaur action figure Raph slammed his bedroom door and stepped down the hall. Banging on Donny's bedroom door with his fist, "Don! Lets go!" (silence) "DON!" "In a minute!," Donnie screamed from behind his door. Raph stood back for a moment straightening out his form. He blinked for a moment before relaxing himself.

Behind the door Donnie continued to draw out his plans for his potato powered remote control car that him and Felix had been working on earlier. Across the white paper he had drawn many designs and blue prints of different shapes and colors. "So, buddy. What do you think? Pretty good huh?" Donny looked over to his left waiting for a response from Felix. Giggling he replied to Felix's reaction. A reaction that only Donny could appeal to. "I know right? Isn't this great. Its almost done. It just needs a few finishing touches," Donny continued.

Outside of Donny's bedroom door Raph still stood dumbfounded. "Who is he talking to?" Raph dare not bang on the door again. Instead he grabbed the knob to Donny's room and slowly turned it. He gently pushed the door open and put just the right side of his face inside. Donny lay on his plastron on the floor facing the night stand. "Ya, lets try that!" he said aloud. Raph's face crinkled up completely confused. All the while he listened to Donny's rambling. "Ya, I think that blue is the best color too. We can make the wheels yellow!" Raph's confusion on grew. "What is he doing?" "Ok, Felix that's it! Now lets head down stairs for the movie and some popcorn!" Donny raised himself up to his knees and gave Felix a high three.

Suddenly it hit Raph all at once. "BWAAA! HA! HA! HA!" Donny shuddered at the out burst. Turning around, his eyes meeting Raph's. Donny's heart panicked with pure horror. Raph had toppled over into his room and was on the floor laughing. Tears streaming down his face. "Oh, my stomach. My stomach," Raph managed to crackle out. Donny's entire face fell. Raph stood to his feet wiping the tears from his eyes as he continued to laugh. "Ya, you... huh... You have an IMAGINARY FRIEND!" Raph blurted out pointing an accusing finger at Donatello. Donatello just stood there, his cheeks red hot with embarrassment. His head hung low as he fought back the tears. Something inside him was beginning to boil. A fresh feeling that Donatello had never felt before.

Bent completely over, hands on both knees, Raph could not contain himself. "UUGGGHHH!" he suddenly found himself on the floor, heat oozing from his bottom lip. Donny's fist flushed red as his breathing began to cool. "What happened!?" Master Splinter's voice boomed as he suddenly stood in Donatello's door way. "I.. Um..." Donny stammered as he stared up at his father. Leo and Mikey were already at Raph's side. Leo allowed his brother's shell to rest on his lap as he kneeled down to his brother. "Donatello! What happened?" Splinter boomed again. Donatello looked up at his father, his right fist still in a tight ball. "He.. I... Um..." Donny's gaze loomed at the floor. He had become so blinded by Raph's tormenting that he actually let himself loose control. "I punched Raphael," he finally managed to stammer. His gaze met Raph's bloody lip then moved up to his green eyes. "He over heard me talking to -" Donny stopped realizing he was about to let his secret out to everyone. "Talking to who?" Mikey asked curiously.

Splinter understood now what had happened. Raphael had found Donatello's secret and must have been making fun of him. Splinter turned to Raphael and grabbed him under his arm lifting him to his feet. Raphael sniffed, straightening himself out. "Well Raphael," Splinter began. "What do you have to say for yourself." Raphael knew he was in trouble. He knew very well that the situation was his fault. He knew he shouldn't have been making fun of Donatello. Raph stood staring at Donatello who met his gaze with an angry eye. He looked away and to his father. Splinter's figure seemed to tower over him as Raph stood below. Raph's lip had begun to swell. He could taste the tingy blood as he sucked on his wound. His eyes traveled back to Donatello's. "I guess I'm sorry Donny, " he practically whispered. Leo nudged Raph's arm. "I'm sorry Donny. I shouldn't have made fun of you for having an imaginary friend."

"WHAT?!" Michelangelo's eye's lit up. "You have one too!" Donny looked over at Mikey mouth gaped and wide eyed. "You mean you have one too?" "Well ya dude!" A gaping smile stretched across Donny's face. "Ya, man. His name is Doctor WhaleEnsteinFrankenBurger! He's a mad scientist from planet Triptonob in the Third Dimension." Donny threw his arm around Mikey and began out of his room. "Well Felix is a... and he..."

Leo, Splinter, and Raphael just watched as they left. Leo cocked his head out the door way as his two youngest brothers continued down the stairs. "What just happened?" he asked. Splinter smiled putting his hand on Leo's shoulder. "For now my son, lets help your other brother get cleaned up." Raph rubbed his lip. "Sensei I think its gunna pop." "Hmm... I think there is a lesson here my son. We'll discuss it while I get you cleaned up in the wash room." Splinter and Raph continued out of Donny's room leaving Leo alone in the door way. Leo simple stood there with his head cocked to one side. "So... what just happened?"