Disclaimer: Why!? Why do you torture me with thoughts of ownership?!

Bookworm1978 – Thanks! It's always a concern when playing with someone else's toys that you get it right.

Catgirl – Firstly, glad you're enjoying this product of my warped mind. Secondly, I think I've addressed the kids issue now, hope the explanation was to your satisfaction. Thirdly, making love? Just because you're shooting blanks doesn't mean you can't fire the gun. Pain? Well this is hurt/comfort is it not? ;P

My dear Beetlejuice2000 – I will answer each of your comments in order. Wanna bet? And, thankyou! Lol

Jules – No one and nothing can save Raph from me. The disclaimer sees to that. (que maniacal laughter)

The next two weeks were torture. Donatello was holed up in his lab nearly 24/7 first researching how such procedures were performed on reptiles, then studying the scans he had taken of Raphael's abdomen, and finally, practicing on unwilling members of the local wildlife. That one had been hard to float with Mikey once he'd found out, but his brother's welfare had ultimately won over old animals that already most likely had several sets of offspring to their name.

Raphael watch all this with mixed emotions. On one hand, the lengthy prep work reassured him of success. On the other, it gave him more time to stew. I really jus' wanna get this over with. Combined with how his family was tip toeing around him, Raph had been driven to the surface to blow off steam more than once. Fortunately, Casey was unaware of recent developments, which gave the nervous terrapin a very welcome dose of normalcy. However, Casey wasn't a complete idiot and it was only a matter of time before he realized that something more than the usual tension was motivating Raph's almost frenzied crime fighting streak. Not to mention, Raph was running out of crooks to take his frustrations out on as many of them had started hunkering down to avoid the angry red turtle.

To everyone's relief though, the time had come. The surgery would be the following morning and Raphael was fasting in preparation for being put under. His stomach grumbled ominously as he took another sip of water in the hopes that filling up with liquids would soothe his hunger. At least Mikey had taken pity on him and made cold sandwiches for dinner so his famished older brother wouldn't have to contend with the smells of a hot meal on top of everything else. Donatello was making last minute preperations with Leatherhead in the lab while Mikey and Leo had joined their other brother in a round of video games in the hopes of distracting and calming him down. They shouldn't have chosen Mario Kart.

"Aww too bad Raphie. Guess the red shells just love yah bro!"

"Mikey, yah really wan' a last taste of my fist?"

"C'mon guys, it's just a game. Let's calm down and have fun."

"Says the guy in first. Seriously Leo, how?! You never play, how are you so good? What?! NOOOOO!"

Leonardo grinned unrepentantly as the bomb he'd thrown backwards blew his baby brother clear off the course. Mikey didn't know, but the early riser would play while the little brothers were away, in dreamland. There had to be some benefits to not being able to sleep more than five hours at a time.

The emerald turtle just grit his teeth and tried to take advantage of his brother's distraction with a short cut but there wasn't enough track as he squeaked in just behind Leo's blue cart.

"Dang it man! Why do we play this game! Nevah mind, this time Leo, your shell is mine."

"Unfortunately my son, Donatello informs me that he would like you to sleep now so that you may be ready for the procedure in the morning." Splinter regretfully informed Raphael as he wandered into the living area. "I think however that with the necessary bed rest afterwards you will have ample opportunity to prove your worth on the track."

"Oh, uh, yeah I guess Mastah. Well, see youse guys in the mornin' then."

"Night Raph." Corused orange and blue as the red turtle stood and headed upstairs.

"In the meantime, Leonardo, Michaelangelo?"

"Yes Sensei?"

"I believe it is time to show you, 'how it is done'." The old rat picked up a controller and smiled.

"Raph, Raphie?"

Raphael slowly came awake to a gentle hand and a soft voice.

"Donnie?"

"Yeah, Raph. Sorry to wake you but it's time."

"So yah wake me up just tah drug my shell to sleep?"

Don chuckled low, "Well, not quite. There's some prep we have to do. Then we'll drug your shell."

"Ok, ok, I'm up. Whatta we gotta do?"

"Take a really thorough shower, we want everything to be as clean as possible. But first, uh, take this and um wait in the bathroom a second."

Donatello handed Raph a small pill.

"Oookay. What is it?"

"A uh, laxative."

That explains the stutter.

"Sorry, but there's a risk of certain muscles, ah, relaxing under sedation. And with where we'll be working and all, well, you get it. Not to mention you're not going to want to move for awhile after waking up, so the longer you can put that off, the better."

The pill worked very quickly, much to Raph's discomfort. In short order he was relieved, showered, dried and on the table with a needle in his arm.

"Just relax Raphael and count backwards from 100. When you wake up, this will all be over."

"Kay LH, but hey Donnie?"

The purple banded turtle leaned over his brother and placed a reassuring hand on his arm.

"Yes Raph?"

"Two things. One, this doesn' leave the family."

"Done."

"Two, if I wake up an' I'm singin' soprano? I'll kill yah shell."

Donatello's face froze as he backed up very slowly. He blinked a couple times and shakily nodded to his crocodilian friend.

Oh yeah Donnie, don' forget who you're dealin' with here. The then bandana-less turtle focused on Leatherhead's face as he held the oxygen mask over Raph's beak and started counting. It wasn't long before he felt the effects of the anesthetic and then, nothing.