Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own TMNT. sad but true...

Author's Note: This chapter was such a pain to write, so critiques extremely welcome! It's short, but it's kind of a transition chapter that needs to just happen. I've started the next chapter, and I already have three pages done! Needless to say it will be better than this one. oh well...I hope you enjoy it anyway :)

ALSO thanks to everyone who gave me their thoughts on the prologue- Tewi, paulafromtwoson, VGiselleH- it's much appreciated!! As are all the reviews so far, thanks a lot everyone :)


Patience. Patience was a virtue that had been beaten out of Donatello as grueling days, like the one he had just had, continued to pound him. After his confrontation with Splinter, Don was eager for nightfall. He remained impatient as he helped his brothers with their lessons, which only Mikey seemed to be absorbing lately, and as he tried to put his misbehaving brothers to bed. But most of all, he was impatient to finally get his plans underway.

That night Don kept his workshop light on late, listening carefully to hear if Master Splinter was still awake. When his master had finally come in to wish him goodnight Don had slipped a small listening device onto his Sensei's walking stick. It had been hard to do such a thing to his own father. He had remained unsettled for the last hour at the thought that he had reached the point where he was willing to spy on Splinter, but it was necessary. I have to do whatever it takes to get the intell I need to start my plans, Don told himself repeatedly, pushing away the guilt.

Now he sat waiting and listening, his door left open a crack with only a small desk lamp to give him light so Splinter would think he had finally gone to bed. He had turned the screen of his computer off and it sat quietly in hibernation mode, waiting for Don to wake it for its important task.

Don sat at his desk, crouching under the light as he carefully cut out Mikey's new mask. Don had already begun looking for materials to make masks for Leo and Raph and the bundles of cloth sat in a bunch on his desk, the ends trailing off the side in a colorful rainbow. Don had also been successful in finding cloth for his own new mask. The cloth sat in a drawer silently calling out to Don to use it and accept who he had become. By morning, Don hoped to do just that.

As he began to cut out the eyeholes of the mask, a sudden noise in the lair caught his attention. Careful not to make a sound, Don put down his scissors and made his way to the door. Opening the door a bit wider, Don peered out to see the dark shape of his Master slip out of the lair.

Don's grip on the door tightened. Oh how he wanted to call out to Splinter! He wanted to catch him in the act and yell at him for abandoning his vulnerable brothers with Don, the cause of their suffering, as their only line of defense!

But most of all, deep down Don wanted to run to Splinter and cry and beg him not to leave; for Splinter to reassure him that everything would be alright as long as they stayed together as a family.

Don wiped a stray tear from his check pushing the feelings into a small corner where he could keep them locked up for another time. He couldn't be distracted now. Don hurried back to his desk, switching on his computer screen and moving the mouse rapidly to get the computer running.

The listening device would send its information to a small machine Don had built and connected to his computer. He could listen to the conversation on the computer's speakers and the conversation would be transcribed into a specified document so Don could save it for reference. Complicated, yes, but he was a genius after all.

Don watched a small red light blink silently on a small map in the corner of his screen. Splinter had taken his shell cell with him, no doubt in case Don had to reach him for an emergency, and so Don was tracking his movements. Though Don was fairly certain he knew where Splinter was going, being thorough never hurt.

Now all he had to do was sit back, wait for Splinter to arrive and turn on the listening device. The minutes passed quickly and soon the little light stopped blinking—right at Casey and April's apartment. Don quickly switched on his speakers keeping the volume low and activated the device.

"—lo, Splinter," April's voice crackled on the speakers. It sounded far away and Don waited impatiently for the plotting trio to move closer together.

"Ms. O'Neil, Mr. Jones. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me at this late hour."

"No problem," Casey's voice entered the conversation, "you said it was important."

"It is. I fear Donatello is getting worse."

Don sat upright in his chair leaning forward with narrowed eyes. They were supposed to be talking about their attack on the Foot, not discussing him! Don listened with increasing anger as his father continued.

"His grief and desire for revenge are consuming him. Though his body has healed, his soul has not."

"I know, Master Splinter," April sighed, "I noticed it today when I spoke with him. He knows about you leaving the lair. He knows about our plans."

"So what are we goin' to do? Stop the attack?" Casey asked.

"No!" April and Splinter chorused, their voices filled with determination.

"Whoa, I'm not saying I want to! My friends--my best bud--are cripples 'cause of the Foot and that witch Karai. But I don't want Don involved," Casey paused and Don was shocked as his voice took on a helpless tone, "I don't want to lose him too."

"That's the problem, Case, we're losing him anyway," April replied sadly.

"That is something I will not allow to happen," Splinter said sternly, "we must move up our scheduled attack…"

"Sooo instead of next month ya mean?"

"Yes, Mr. Jones. In two weeks time we must end this for good--"

Sniff. Sniffsniffle.

It took Don a minute to realize the strange sniffing wasn't coming from his speakers but behind him. Immediately he lowered the volume of his speakers and swiveled around.

Don was greeted with the sight of a blurry eyed Raphael standing in the doorway. He rubbed his eyes with one hand, clutching a teddy bear to his chest with his metal one. Yet another old toy from the past, the teddy bear reminded Don how Raph had always been the one who liked to sleep with stuffed animals.

His anger suddenly evaporated and he smiled kindly at his sniffling brother.

"What's wrong, Raphie?"

Raph sniffed again, his lower lip quivering.

"Dad gone," he stated in a thick voice.

"You have a bad dream bro?"

Raph nodded and Don continued to smile reassuringly. Don left his chair and sat crossed legged on the floor, patting the space beside him.

Unsteadily Raph walked over and collapsed next to Don. The action thrilled Don. His brother was walking, however clumsily, instead of crawling! Progress, no matter how small, was always a welcome surprise.

Raph curled against Don and Don held him close, rocking him back and forth. His gaze flickered to the computer and the mumbling speakers before he looked down at his trembling brother.

"Want to tell me what your bad dream was about, Raphie?"

Raph shook his head violently and Don gently rubbed his brother's arm of flesh.

"If you tell me what it was about maybe I can make sure it doesn't come back. How about it bro?"

Raph turned his misty eyes up to look at his brother.

"Mean plant," he whispered. Don stared at his brother in shock.

"Mean….plant?" he asked, his voice barely as loud as Raph's. Raph nodded.

"Mean plant. Cut me when I touch." Tears slid slowly down Raph's face and Don felt his blood begin to boil. Looking at Raph, Don could hear again his blood curdling scream….

"The mean plant isn't going to hurt you, Raphie," Don tried to keep his voice soothing but was finding it difficult. Was Raph subconsciously remembering the attack? How was that possible?

"You hear me, Raph?" Don said again as he clutched his brother tighter, "No one is ever ever going to hurt you. Got it?"

Raph nodded then snuggled closer to Don. Don stared at the space in front of him, grinding his teeth. He continued to rock Raph, lost in thoughts full of plans and different ways he could give Karai a slow and painful death, when his brother lurched out of his grasp tugging at the ends of the cloths hanging over the edge of his desk.

"Raph, look out!"

Don yanked his brother back as the pair of scissors crashed to the floor. Raph whimpered turning and burying his head into Don's shoulder. Don watched the cloth flutter to the floor.

"Raphie, what are you doing?" Don sighed. Raph peeked up at Don before turning back to the cloths. He pointed at them.

"Pretty," he said. Don nodded and watched as his brother leaned forward gently tugging on one of the pieces of material. Don reached over and pulled the copperish colored piece free.

Raph ran his hands over it and smiled at Don.

"Pretty," he stated again. Don smiled back.

"Yea Raph, it is pretty. A good color for your new mask don't you think?"

Raph, not understanding his brother, just nodded absently and yawned. Raph curled against Don again and Don kept rocking his brother until Raph's familiar snores filled the room.

Gently laying his brother on the floor, Don returned to his computer. Frowning, Don realized Splinter was already headed back to the lair.

"That was fast," Don grumbled. Knowing he had to return Raph to the room he shared with the others before Splinter returned, Don quickly scanned over the recorded transcript. A feral smile formed at his face as he realized Splinter had outlined their plan briefly and April had babbled on awhile about all the technical data she had gathered from hacking into the Foot's computers. They've done half the work for me, Don thought wickedly.

It didn't take long for Don to carry Raph back to his room. Apparently all that extra training is paying off, Don thought as he eased Raph quietly back onto the mattress which he and Splinter had placed on the floor of Leo's room. The three of his brothers slept together there now, curled around each other for warmth and comfort beneath their blanket. Sometimes Don wished he could join them and they could all sleep together like they had when they were kids.

Don pushed the thought away and exited the room. As he closed the door he heard a noise behind him and turned. Splinter stood in the middle of the lair staring at Don in surprise and barely concealed fear.

"What has happened my son? Are you and your brother's alright?"

The fear in his father's voice only fueled Don's anger. Maybe he wouldn't have to worry about that if he didn't leave!

"Raph just had a bad dream," he replied coldly, "he wanted to be comforted by his father but apparently you weren't around. He came to my room and woke me up. He's ok now, he just fell asleep back with the others."

Splinter let out a sigh of relief and Don grimaced. He shouldn't feel relieved he should feel horrible!

"But for future reference, next time you want to run around and leave us to fend for ourselves let me know ok? If I have to add father figure to my list of things I have to do for my brothers I'd like to know about it."

A hurt expression flickered over his father's face and Don felt a thrill of satisfaction. Good, he thought, hurt.

Leaving his father standing in the middle of the lair Don returned to his workshop, this time closing the door firmly. He had a lot to do before sunrise, which included reading through the transcript more thoroughly and finishing his brother's masks. Now that Raph had picked a color, Don would make him one as well and Don had a good idea for a mask color for Leo. Don would also have to create his own. For tomorrow would finally be the start of a new life for them all.