Author's note: Here's the next chapter. Is it short? If it is, it's because I'm saving Mikey's POV for the next chapter because it just fits better that way. The next chapter I am still working on so it'll be some time before I update again. The italicized writing in the first paragraph of Don's POV is a flashback. I hope you like this chapter but I must say, Leo's giving me a hard time now *glares at Leo* (Leo: *oblivious* What did I do?). Well, enjoy!

Disclaimer: The turtles and company do not belong to me. I only own my OCs and the plot!


Donny's POV:

I was fighting all right for some time before the dragon I was fighting managed to get past my defenses and smash his metal pipe into the side of my head. Stars erupted in my vision, but I manage to say conscious. My bo staff had been thrown from my grasp. I struggled to my feet only to get kicked back into the wall behind me. My head smashed back into the wall and it got harder to stay conscious. My eyes slowly closed and I fell limp to the ground. The last thing I consciously remember was getting kicked and punched all over my body…

…I slowly open my eyes and hold my head as it pounds beneath my hand. I look down at my other hand to see someone grasping it. I look over at Leo and back a laugh at the way he's lying. I can tell he's asleep with his head on my bed. I remove my hand from his grasp and, ignoring the slight twinge of pain, look over at the clock by my bed. 12:16 in the afternoon? And Leo's still here? Asleep? I'm surprised he hasn't woken up yet. Especially because he's supposed to be a light sleeper. He must be really tired then. I watch him as his fists clench and he starts to moan in his sleep. Is Leo having a nightmare?

"No," He starts mumbling repeatedly. I'm scared to wake him: what if he runs off again? Leo's nightmare just seems to get worse and I place my hand on his shoulder. Almost instantly he stops mumbling and seems to fall back into a more peaceful sleep. Hopefully he'll stay like that…

"Donny?" I hear him mumble as he lifts his head to look at me, ruining my hopes that he'll stay asleep. I lie back on my bed with a groan.

"Yeah?" I ask. I look over at Leo and sits up and looks away from me.

"You're okay now, right?" He asks.

"Why?" I ask, sharply, "You want permission to leave us again?" I catch Leo flinch at this before I continue. "What were you dreaming about anyway?"

"What do you mean?" Leo asks without looking at me.

"You were having a nightmare, weren't you?" I ask, "Why don't you tell me about it?"

"I…" Leo begins before standing and turning to face the door, folding his arms across his plastron. "I'm more worried about you right now. Do you always run off like that? And Raph, I haven't even found out if he can see yet. What's gotten into you, Don?"

"Don't lecture me, Leo," I say turning away from him and wincing as pain shots through my body. "I'm not in the mood."

"Donny?" I hear Leo say and I realize he must've heard the pain I tried to keep out of my voice.

"And I asked you a question." I say, firmly.

"Donny," Leo moans.

"What? You don't want to talk about it?" I say a little harshly.

"It was just a dream. Nothing to worry about." He says, "I don't even remember it anymore anyway." I can tell he's lying and hear the twinge of fear my eldest brother had tried to keep out of his voice. I also know he's not planning on talking about it anytime soon.

Both of us look towards the door as Mikey walks in. Leo turns away abruptly at our younger brother's presence and Mikey ignores him in turn. "How are you feeling, Donny?" Mikey asks me.

"I'll be fine," I say, "Nothing I can't handle." Leo glances over at me, doubtfully, before turning back towards the wall.

"You really scared me, bro." Mikey says, "Don't ever do that again, okay?"

"How's Raph?" I ask instead of replying, "Is he mad at me?"

"Raph got his vision back this morning and yes, he's mad at you." He says, "As soon as he finds out your okay he said he'll, well, 'pound ya' to use his exact words." I turn away from Mikey then before he continues, "So where have you been, Leo?"

Leo's POV:

I look over at Mikey, slowly, as he addresses me with my eyes only. I'm really not ready for this kind of conversation. I'm surprised I got a decent night's sleep. Otherwise, I'd probably be gone already. I don't know how to answer Mike's question so I don't.

"Leo!" Mikey says, snapping me out of my thoughts as he waves his hand in front of my face. "Are ya there, bro?"

"Yeah," I say as I turn away from him.

"So where do you hide all day?" He asks more softly.

"I…I wasn't hiding…" I say, "I really don't want to talk about this right now, okay?"

"Leo…" He says as he places his hand on my shoulder. I struggle against pushing him away.

"Are ya scared?" I hear Raph ask from the doorway. I abruptly turn towards him where he's leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded over his plastron. "Is that why yer neva around anymore?"

"Raph…" I try to begin, but I'm unable to finish. What can I say? He's right. I am scared. I am afraid what they'll think of me when they find out about my temporary weakness at the face of death. I'm supposed to be their leader. I can't afford to feel fear. Instead, I say, "I just couldn't sleep." It was a half-truth, so I felt no guilt in saying it.

So you're having nightmares?" Donny abruptly asks me from his bed. "I assume like the one you were having after I woke up. Do they have something to do with our capture?" I quickly glance at him before sitting down against the wall and begin scratching at my bandages still wrapped around my legs from my thighs to my toes.

"No," I say, leaning my head back against the wall, "I told you already, 'I don't remember'."

"Don't scratch at those." Donny reprimands me and I quickly lie my hands over my plastron instead. Sometimes Donny has a way of talking that I don't even acknowledge obeying his orders.

"It's how close you got to execution, isn't it?" Mikey asks softly, "That's what gives you nightmares. It would definitely give me nightmares if I was in your shell."

"Guys please!" I moan as I close my eyes, "Stop with the interrogation! I'm not ready for it!"

"When will ya be 'ready', fearless?" Raph asks me, "I'm sick o' waitin' fer ya!"

"Leave me alone," I say in a low whisper as I squeeze my eyes shut tighter. I can't handle this! I have to get out!

"What waz dat, Leo?" Raph asks. He obviously didn't hear me.

"I said, 'LEAVE ME ALONE'!" I yell as my eyes snap open and I quickly get to my feet. "I can't take this anymore!" I run out of the room, forcefully pushing Raph out of the way, and jump down to the lower level. I wince at the tightness I feel in my legs before I quickly run out of the lair.

Raph's POV:

It takes me a full minute to realize I had landed on the ground when Leo had pushed me. I didn't expect him to run off like that! He really must be having some problems if he snapped that easily. Mikey's holding out his hand for me, offering to help me to my feet. After a short battle with myself on if I should take it or not, I allow him to help me to my feet.

"You okay?" Mikey asks me.

"I'm fine," I say, abruptly before turning back towards where Leo had disappeared to, "I wonder what's eatin' at 'im?"

"Who cares?" Donny says, grumpily, "It's better without him!"

"How can you say that, Donny?!" Mikey almost shrieks, "He's our brother!"

"Well he isn't acting like it!" Donny snaps back.

"Neither are you, Don." I snap at him. Donny glares over at me, but I ignore it, "A brother wouldn't blind me with a flash bomb. Even if it was temporary, I didn't get my sight back 'til dis mornin'!"

"You shouldn't have followed me." He says, simply and maybe even a little smug? "You let Leo go off on his own just then, but you always annoyingly follow me out!"

"That is because I know Leo ain't gonna get 'imself killed by bein' stupid."

"Are you calling me stupid?! You're the one with the lower IQ!"

He had to go there, didn't he? Insulting my intelligence like that? He should know better then that! For the first time in a month, I feel true rage boil up inside me. I didn't want to fight with Donny, especially because he only recently woke up after nearly getting beaten to death, but from now on I know my rage will be harder to contain. I will still try though. My usually pacifist brother is a lot more dent-able then Mikey or Leo. Donny usually avoids a fight both physical and verbal if he feels it is unneeded, in effect creating a more peaceful bond between us, but ever since we returned after our two-month capture, I felt the bond slowly shatter. Now I'll have to try harder to mend it…after I blow off some steam first.

"How dare ya say sum'thin' like dat?!" I yell as calmly as I can manage, "You've never said anythin' like dat before. What makes ya think ya can say dat now?!"

"I can say whatever I want to!" Donny yells at me. He sits up in his bed, wincing slightly, before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and glaring at me. "You are a nuisance to me and a waste of my time. Get out of my room!" My anger fades as I see him hop down off his bed, swaying slightly as he holds his head, before weakly walking over to me and begin to push me out of his room. I allow him to do this hoping he'll go back to his bed afterwards. I'm not entirely surprised Mikey's already disappeared.


Author's end note: So what did you guys think of this chapter? What do you think about Don and Raph's fight? I enjoyed writing that part. Hehe... Please review and I'll try to finish the next chapter today so I can post it tomorrow but with the writer's block I'm having with Leo's POV right now, I don't know if I'll make it... . 0.0 .