Just finished this chapter so I thought I would post it. Enjoy :)

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Chapter 2 Good Intentions

Donatello had been reading for far too long but he didn't care. Under his blankets with torch in hand he avidly devoured another page of Stephen Hawkins' 'A Brief History of Time', a rare find that Master Splinter had brought back for from his most recent foraging excursion.

Donnie's chestnut red eyes glowed with delight as he turned to the next page, ready for more knowledge to consume. "Fascinating," he murmured.

A strange sound suddenly disturbed him and frowning he raised his head and listened. He shook his head dismissing it. Donnie went back to his reading when he heard it again. This time he sat up straight and pushed the blanket off his head. He knew what it was now, somebody was crying.

It was probably Mikey. Donnie sighed. Well, he couldn't just ignore him. The boy slipped out of bed and crept across the way to his younger brother's room. He gently pushed it open and peered inside. Much to his surprise Mikey was fast asleep, lying in one of his typical archaic positions which Donnie couldn't believe his sibling found comfortable.

There it was again! Well, now he was totally baffled. Who was it then? Leo? Unlikely but it was worth checking, Donnie shrugged to himself. He repeated the same quiet action, taking in his oldest brother's tidy room and seeing Leo sleeping peacefully under his ying yang printed covers. No, just as he had suspected.

Well, that only left... surely not? Not Raph? He crept over to the door next to his room and lightly pushed it ajar, and much to his surprise the crying lilted out. The need to find out what was wrong with his older brother overrode every other thought and Donnie pushed the door wide enough to step inside.

"Raph?" he softly called to the mound in the tiger print bed.

There was a hiccup of a frightened gasp and the mound whipped suddenly around vivid green eyes wide with terror. Tears coursed his cheeks in thick glassy rivulets. The fear slipped back and relief pooled for a fraction of a second, then an angry scowl fell across Raphael's face.

"Raph?" Donnie asked cautiously. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Get out Donnie!" came the belligerent response to his concern.

Feeling a little intimidated but not enough to retreat, Donatello stood his ground. Something was definitely wrong and he wanted to know what. "Something's wrong Raph, what is it?"

"Stop poking your nose into things that it don't belong Donnie!"

"That it 'doesn't' belong Raph," Donnie corrected automatically.

Raph roughly scrubbed the wetness from his face. "Donnie get lost!"

At this Donatello frowned. "I only came here to help Raph-"

"You can help by not letting the door smack you in the butt on the way out!"

Donnie didn't budge. "Did you have a bad dream?"

For a second Raphael faltered and in that instant Donnie knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "You watched that horror movie marathon, didn't you?" he said knowingly.

A flash of panic seemed to streak across his elder brother's face, maybe even a hint of fear if that was possible. He'd never known his hot headed brother to be scared, but then again, there was a first time for everything. "It's okay you know Raph, it's alright to be scared. There's no shame in it," Donnie paused as a deep frown started to fall across his older brother's face.

"I mean, you could even look at it this way, the horror film wasn't real. It's all special effects and actors and the alike. D-do you see where I'm coming from Raph?" Donnie swallowed apprehensively as the silence stretched out between them like a bottomless abyss. Raph's icy glare was starting to chill his blood and as he always did when he got nervous poor Donnie's over explaining got the better of him. "You also have the screen writers who come up with the plot and the characters and you also have storyboard artists who draw up each shot so the director can get the cameras in the right positions and-"

"You are just full of useless information, aren't ya Donnie?"

"B-but I-"

Before Donatello could register what had happened, Raph had lurched out of his bed and grabbed him by the ridge of his shell. "I want ya to listen to me Donnie, and I want ya to listen good," Raphael said menacingly.

Donnie bit his bottom lip and nodded.

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Initially it had been a relief to see Donnie in the doorway but it quickly slipped away when he realised. He had been caught crying by his younger brother. His self defensive mechanism kicked in and his anger started to take over. Through his pointless babbling Donnie knew what he had done. What had happened. Then he had the nerve to tell him that it was okay to be scared.

Scared? Him, Hamato Raphael? Scared?! How dare the little nerd say that!

He could see how his expression was making his little brother nervous. He started to over explain which was just so Donnie. Well. The knowledge that Donatello had was never leaving this room. He leapt out of bed and closed the gap between them with a frightening speed.

He snatched the ridge of his shell and pulled the little know it all down to his level. It annoyed him that Donnie was taller than him but he had no muscle mass and Raph used this to his full advantage. The kid was a weed and Raphael was going to make damn sure he knew about it.

"I want ya to listen to me Donnie, and I want ya to listen good."

The skinny wimp nodded and Raph pulled him in closer. "I ain't no cry baby."

"I-I never said you wer-"

Raphael gave Donnie a good shake for interrupting. "I ain't finished talkin'!" he snapped and his brother fell silent. "Don't ya dare even breathe a word of this to anyone else, understand me?"

Donnie shuddered a vigorous nod.

"Ya say anythin' to anyone about what ya saw in here I'll beat the green off ya. Got me?"

"Y-yes, I-I got you," Donnie stammered.

"Good," Raph growled and abruptly threw his brother back.

The klutz actually tripped over his own gangly legs and landed on the floor with a yelp. What a wimp!

"Now get outtah here nerd master!"

Scrambling desperately to his feet Donnie beat a hasty retreat. Seconds later a door clanged shut.

Raph nodded to himself, absently rubbing a hand up his arm. As long the brainiac kept his mouth shut his secret was safe. Donnie would rue the day he crossed him if he did. Raphael shut the door and returned to his bed. When he finally felt brave enough to shut his eyes he tried not to think of monster insect aliens.

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Donnie could not get out of Raph's bedroom fast enough. As his bedroom door closed behind him, he panted in shivering breaths. What had just happened? Sure Raph had pushed him around countless times before but this time, it was, different. The gleam in his acid green eyes was unlike anything he had seen before. He had truly feared for his life.

All he had tried to do was offer some reassurance but Raphael had turned around and literally beat him with it. That was the best description. Donnie glanced at his hands. They were still shaking. By Darwin's Beard, Raph had scared him to death!

An unexpected sob burst up his throat and he pressed a hand against his mouth to stop the sound escaping. All he had to do was keep his mouth shut like Raphael said. Surely then he wouldn't wail him, not without a good reason?

Another unwanted sob jolted his chest and Donnie dived into his bed. He wrapped the covers tight about him and fought the fear that bloomed in his throat and coursed down his cheeks.

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