AN- Some days, I find the hardest part of writing new chapters (besides actually starting them. ugh.) is naming them.
Donatello rubbed the back of his neck as he leaned back in his bed. It had been a long day, and he sometimes felt that the best way to relax was to find a room where he could be by himself. He found that solitude brought him a great amount of comfort. A quiet time where he could reflect on the day.
"Hey, Donatello? You in here?" Leonardo's voice proceeded him as he made his way to the door.
Donatello sighed. So much for solitude...
"Yeah, Leo. I'm in here."
Leonardo walked into the room, carrying the broken pieces of Michaelangelo's skateboard. He gave his brother a sheepish grin. "Mikey kinda busted it up. I told him I'd see if you would fix it. It was the only way to get him to stop crying."
"Then I guess I have to. I'll never get any quiet with Mikey crying."
Leo wrapped his arm around his brother's neck, bringing his head down low. His other hand swiftly came around, digging his knuckles into Donnie's head, giving him some playful noogies. "You're the best, Donnie!"
"Hey, knock it off!" Donatello forcefully shoved his brother off him, stumbling backwards in anger.
Leonardo gave him a questioning look. "What's wrong with you, bro?"
The younger turtle grabbed the skateboard and busied himself looking through his makeshift toolbox, thankful for the excuse not to look up. "Nothing. Sorry, I just haven't been in the best of moods."
Leo leaned his shell back against the wall, his expression of confuison turning to one of concern for his younger brother. "Yeah, you've been acting really down lately. What's up?"
Donatello bit his lower lip as he fastened a wheel back on the board. "I just..." He let out a long sigh. "Nothing, Leo. Don't worry about it."
"Donnie, I'm your big brother. You can tell me anything."
Leo thought he heard a small snort escape from his sibling. "C'mon, Donnie! Talk to me..."
There were several minutes of silence as Donatello repaired the broken skateboard. Tension hung in the air as the introverted turtle lost himself in his work. Leonardo watched his brother intently, wondering what went on his mind.
"You know..." Donatello's voice broke the stillness, but there was a note of hesitation to his words. "Look, this ninja stuff is just really hard, okay, Leo?"
"Well, of course it is! You just gotta do your best. Look at me and Raph, we try as har..."
"Yeah, I know. Do you know how hard it is to be your younger brother?"
"Huh?" The question caught Leonardo off-guard.
Before he could recover himself, Donatello shoved the newly repaired skateboard into his hands. "Never mind. Go give this to Mikey."
Leonardo went to open his mouth, but Donatello slammed the door, putting up a wall between them. Pain and disbelief fought for control of his face as he stared at his brother's closed door. Where did that come from?...
"Hey, Raphael. Why do you get mad when Leo calls you Raphael?"
"Mikey, I'm warning you..."
Michealangelo beamed his biggest smile at his brother as he sat next to him on the couch. "But why? It's your name, isn't it, Raphael?"
Raph let out a low growl. "Can't you find somethin' to do?"
"But I found somethin' to do, Raphael."
The hot-tempered turtle looked at his brother, trying to hold back his anger. "Well, then, why don't you go do it?" I can't even tell if he's doing it on purpose or not...
"But I am doing it, Raphael. I'm saying Raphael."
"That's it!" Raph lunged at his brother, missing him by inches as he jumped off the couch and ran. They ran around the room in circles, until Michelangelo slipped, rolling to a stop on the den rug. Raph pounced on him, lifting up his fist menacingly.
"Can't you take a joke, Raphael?"
I'm not supposed to ninja kick Mikey, I'm not supposed to ninja kick Mikey, I'm not supposed to ninja kick Mikey...
Leonardo walked into the room, but it was obvious his mind was somewhere else. He dropped the skateboard on the floor and frowned, heading for his room. "I'm going to meditate. Donnie fixed your skateboard, Michelangelo."
From under Raph's deadly fist, Mikey cheered. "Yay!"
Leonardo got to his door and sighed. "And stop trying to kill your brother, Raphael."
AN- Time to answer and reply to a few reviews. I have a little sister, myself. And when she was 7, she acted in very much the same way as Michaelangelo. So I don't think Mikey is acting that young. But that could just be me. As for Raph bullying Donnie, they show him do it in the movie. Raphael gets his point across to donnie by threatening to hit him. That couldn't have been the first time he's done that.
As for my favorite (and least favorite), feel free to take a crack at it in your reviews. I'm curious to see what people think after reading this story. I look forward to seeing your guesses. I'll try to write a bit more in a day or so.