Author's note: I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Thank you for reviewing! Let's see what happens now…

Chapter 5: Close Call

The younger Raphael walked out of his room and yawned. It was the middle of the night and he was thirsty. Michelangelo had tried a new recipe tonight, one which involved algae and worms and a lot of salt. He headed for the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water. Half asleep as he was, he didn't bother to switch the light on. He was passing by the main area of the lair when he saw someone rummaging through his pile of comics. He growled sleepily.

"Mikey, I have already told you that you have to ask before borrowing my…"

He interrupted himself abruptly when the accused turtle straightened up. This wasn't Mikey. And this wasn't Donnie or Leo, either. This turtle looked exactly like himself. I must be dreaming, he thought.

"I must be dreaming", he said aloud.

The other turtle was looking at him with both surprise and annoyance, as if he was the intruder here. But this other version of himself didn't seem to be able to answer, or make a move. He just stood there, helpless. What is going on here? The younger Raphael wondered, bemused and unwilling to believe his own eyes.

The older Raphael was at a loss. He had no idea what to say. The four future turtles took turns at night to be sure they would be able to react in time if one of the younger turtles got up. Like right now, he thought bitterly. It was supposed to be his watch. To be precise, it was the end of his watch and he was both tired and bored. He had been reading a comic book in the dim light of his T-phone and was replacing it in its pile when he had been spotted. By no other than my younger self, he thought furiously. If it had been Young Leo, or Young Donnie, or Young Mikey, I could just have pretended to be their Raph. But no! It had to be me! He was slowly beginning to panic. What could he say? What could he do? How could the truth remain hidden now that this Raphael…

"Of course you are dreaming!" A new voice answered, interrupting the older Raphael's panicked thoughts. Both him and his younger self recognized Donatello's voice and turned to look at the purple clad turtle.

The older Donatello's heart was beating fast. This is bad. He had awoken a few minutes earlier. He was taking the next watch, so he hadn't tried to fall asleep again. He had witnessed the younger Raphael coming out of his room and heading for the kitchen, and prayed that he didn't spot his own Raphael. It was a vain hope, obviously. His Raphael had been frozen in shock and obviously unable to respond appropriately to the situation. So Donatello had decided to step in.

"This is all a very strange dream," a very distraught Donatello went on. "So… what about you go back to bed to finish it comfortably?" He added rather lamely.

Young Raphael was becoming suspicious. His dreams weren't usually like this. And why should he go back to his bed if he was already sleeping in it?

"You know," he began quietly. "If it is a kind of joke… or one of your messed up experiments…"

Oh no. I can't let him begin to actually think about the situation. I have to persuade him that he is dreaming, Donatello thought as fast as he can. And for the record, he could think really, really fast. What could convince him that he is really dreaming? What kind of impossible event… something not related to a scientific experiment so he will stop suspecting me… something so improbable than he would never accept the reality of it… Suddenly, an idea came to him. It may have been a crazy idea, but it was an idea nonetheless. Donatello took a deep breath.

"No, it is just a dream. A dream in which you fight me with all your strength and…" Donatello forced himself to go on. "…and I win."

Young Raphael immediately focused his attention solely on him, forgetting the other Raphael's presence.

"Not even in my worst dreams would such a thing happen," he uttered with conviction and a touch of his well-known anger.

"It would, in a really bad nightmare," added Donatello. He felt slightly offended, though.

Young Raphael smiled menacingly at him.

"Nah, a dream in which I get to fight you is not a nightmare. At least not for me!"

With that, he advanced threateningly in Donatello's direction. The genius gulped. Well done, Donnie. And now you just have to defeat a mad Raphael without awakening anyone else. He dodged the first blow. I am much better than I was at fourteen. I am more experienced, faster, stronger. I can do this. Young Raphael gave his legs a nasty kick and Donatello jumped just in time to avoid it. Except for one thing, the purple clad turtle realized with horror. Thanks to my clever plot, he really thinks he is dreaming. So he won't restrain himself out of fear of hurting me. Donatello grimaced when his opponent landed a blow on his shoulder. Ouch! That hurts. The taller turtle sighed inwardly. Time to put my theory into practice, then. Hoping his skills would be enough, he launched a counterattack.

The older Raphael witnessed the fight with disbelief. Donnie is crazy, he thought. He may be better than my younger self at ninjitsu now, but Young Raph isn't going to play by the rules. This is going to be a brawl, not a sporting match. However, he knew he couldn't interfere with it now. Donatello had to defeat the younger Raphael to save their cover.

Donatello was having a hard time keeping up with Young Raphael's pace. When the younger turtle was just enjoying his dream and landed as many blows as he could, the purple clad turtle was trying to keep quiet and to avoid hurting his brother. It went worse when the red clad turtle began to tease him.

"You know, Donnie, I think I really enjoy this particular nightmare," he said wryly.

Donatello gritted his teeth and didn't answer.

"Look at it this way," Raphael went on. "At least in my dreams you put up some fight. It's a pity you can't do that in the real world!"

The purple clad turtle exhaled and thought furiously. He doesn't think it is real. I can't blame him for what he says in his dreams. He doesn't think it is real…

"Yeah, this is really not so bad," Raphael added. "And I thought you fought no better than the damsels in distress of Mikey's cartoons!"

The mention of a damsel in distress made Donatello think about the very first time he had seen April. He had saved her that night. His skills had been enough. He had saved her… and on numerous occasions after that, he had saved his brothers too… he was stronger, he was more determined…

Young Raphael didn't see the blow which sent him to the ground. One second he was grinning at his brother and enjoying his fight, and the next he was sprawled on the floor. He looked at Donatello in disbelief.

"You…won?"

"I told you it was a bad nightmare", his brother said calmly. He didn't manage to completely hide his triumph, though.

Young Raphael's vision blurred. With a growl, he stood up and took a screwdriver his Donatello had let lying down on the floor. Before he could send it at the unsuspecting older Donatello to make him disappear of what he thought was a dream, the older Raphael moved forward and knocked his younger self out with one precise blow.

Donatello blinked.

"Uh… Thanks, Raph."

"Sure thing, Donnie. Now help me get him back to bed," Raphael answered very quietly.

After this was done, the two future turtles walked quietly back to the dojo.

Raphael was the first to speak.

"You know, Donnie. When we will be back home… What about you don't tell April and Casey what happened tonight and I don't tell April that the mention of a damsel in distress made you think of her," Raphael threatened. "Deal?"

"How do you know it was that?" His brother stammered. Raphael looked at him knowingly and quite menacingly. Donatello thought he heard him whisper something along the lines of And what else could it have been and sighed. He would have liked to boast about his victory tonight, even if it was against a younger Raphael. But there was no telling what April would do to him if she heard about the damsel in distress thing. A mad April was not a pleasant sight to witness.

"Deal," he whispered sadly.

They entered the dojo where their two other brothers were sleeping. Or more exactly, were supposed to be sleeping.

"Nice job, guys," Leonardo greeted them with a wide smile despite the fact that this night could have ended up in disaster.

"Now that was the best show I have seen lately," chirped Michelangelo.

Raphael narrowed his eyes and elbowed Donatello with strength.

"Ouch! What was that for? I saved the night! And I won fair and square!" Donatello protested.

"You also forced me to knock myself out. And about your victory…" Raphael paused. "Yes, you won the first round. Now I want a rematch, and I want it now!"

"Guys, the stage is all yours," grinned Michelangelo as he and Leonardo stepped back.

Donatello growled. I knew I should have gone back to sleep.