A/N: WARNING: Contains some child abuse, flash backs.
That night when Raphael got home from practice, he went and took a shower and went straight to bed. He didnt speak to any of his family, he wanted to give Leo the message but he couldn't at the moment.
As he laid there he staired up at the top bunk and wondered what life would have been like if that driver had not hit the car? Would they still be alive? Where would they be now?
He could feel his breathing picking up as the large man infront of him said menicingly.
"You will do what your told boy! That brat needs to know his place!"
Raphael stood on shaky knees looking at his defencless little brother.
"Weev Don Don alone! He jus baby!"
Raphael was sent flying across the room as his little three year old body hit the couch, thank god for small favors.
He watched in horror as his father hit his little brother repeatedly.
"NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE! NO!"
All he could do was scream, he knew his little brother was his responsibility... but now he knew he had to find a way to escape from this.
Leonardo had been sound asleep when Raphael's screams cut through his own dreams, he looked over the side of the bed and saw his younger brother thrashing around and shouting NO.
Taking his brothers arms in his he tried to calm him down, he saw his brother's tear stained face and knew this was a night terror. Something he had not suffered from in years.
"Raph, wake up! It is ok! Your safe!"
Leonardo managed to get on the bunk next to him and held his brother tightly trying to wake him up.
"Raph, come on buddy. Your safe, your safe."
After several minutes Raphael's eyes shot open and he scrambled out of Leonardo's grip.
With wild eyes he looked around before recignition kicked in and he said.
"Leo? What happened? Where is Donnie?"
Leo sat forward and said.
"He is safe Raph, he is in his bed asleep you had a night terror. Your lucky dad didnt come in here."
Raphael calmed his breathing and said.
"A night terror? I havent had one of those in years..."
Leonardo asked him.
"What triggered it Raph? Did something happen after we left?"
Suddenly the door burst open and in ran Michelangelo and Donatello both wide eyed and talking at once.
"What happened?"
"Are you guys ok?"
Next Yoshi ran in and saw that all of his sons were up.
"What happened my sons? What is with the distress?"
Donatello looked up at their father and said.
"Dont know we heard shouting so we came running."
Leonardo simply said.
"Raph had a nightmare. Everything is fine dad, I will take care of it."
He nodded and left the room.
Followed by the two youngest boys.
Raphael looked over at his older brother and said.
"Did you tell dad what was going on?"
Leonardo looked down and said.
"Yea, but he still doesn't believe that Matt is your dad."
Raph leaned against Leo's chest for comfort and said.
"It was a flash back about when me and Don were little... our dad... he was hitting Don... and I was too little and weak to defend him... I was forced to watch it happen... Leo he plans on hurting Mikey if we keep resisting and fighting back. He cornered me in the locker room."
Leo ran a hand through his brothers short hair and put a cheek on his head saying.
"Its ok little brother... we will get through this some how."
Raphael looked at his brother a little and said.
"Did dad believe you about Don's bruises?"
Leo nodded and said.
"Yes, he is going down to talk to the principal tomorrow. He took pictures Raph, so that they would see what happened. I just wish those kids would step up and help too. They were witnesses."
Raphael sat with his back against the wall and said.
"I am so tempted to make Mikey stay home from school..."
Leonardo sighed and said.
"I don't know how? I mean he never gets sick... so how can we make it that he has to stay home?"
Raph told him.
"What if he ate something that he is allergic too?"
Leonardo frowned at him and said.
"Are you kidding me, that kid has an iron stomach! And he doesn't have any allergies."
Raphael was beginning to get irritated with his older brother.
"Well what do you suggest? I try again to go pay a visit to the elementary school?"
Leo could tell something was really on his brother's mind so he pushed to get the information.
"What are you getting at Raph?"
Raphael felt his face grow pale, and it felt as though there was a rock in his stomach as he only said three words.
"Dodge-ball Wednesday."
Leonardo felt like he was going to be sick, now he knew what triggered the night terror, it was the thought of some one small and some what helpless in danger.
Leonardo got up off the bed and walked out of the room.
Raphael wondered where his brother went, he suddenly felt so alone. He just wanted everything to go back to the way it was before.
Leonardo came back with Mikey moments later.
Raph frowned and said.
"Leo? What are you doing?"
Shooting his younger brother a look to hush he turned back to Mikey and said.
"Mike, at school tomorrow, we are going to play a game ok?"
Mikey looked up at his brother and said.
"Leo, I am 11, not 3, what is going on?"
Leo let out a sigh and said.
"Ok look, we need you to fake an injury tomorrow morning."
Mikey raised his eyebrow and said.
"Not only am I the worst lier I am also the worst actor of the four of us."
Leo smiled wickedly and said.
"How about walking with a marble in your sock tomorrow? Pretend that you pulled something in ninja practice or something like that."
Mikey thought about that and then said.
"What's in it for you?"
Leo sighed and said.
"Ok fine, then I guess when me, Raph and Donnie go out Friday we have to eat that large pepporonii pizza all by our selfs..."
Mikey's eyes got wide and he said quickly.
"Pizza! You mean! If I do this then you will get me a Pizza?"
Leo smiled and said.
"Yep."
Mikey jumped up and down saying.
"I will do it!"
Raph told him quickly.
"SHHH... you trying to wake dad up again! Now remember you can't tell anyone what is going on or no pizza."
Mikey smiled wide at the thought and said.
"My lips are sealed."
Leo smiled at his two brothers and said.
"Ok, you better get back to bed before you get into trouble... wouldn't want you to have trouble sitting would we?"
Mikey yelped and raced from the room.
Leo looked over at Raph and said easily.
"See problem solved, he can't play in sports if he can't walk."
Raphael smiled at him and said.
"You sly dog, that is a great idea."
A small thumping sound came from the bookshelf, Raph and Leo looked over and Leonardo said.
"Sounds like Spike wants in on the action."
Raph rolled his eyes and said.
"Or we woke him up."
He went over and flipped the light on, eluminating the room with aquarium light.
Inside a fish take was a small box turtle, it had been Raphael's pet since he was 8 years old when he found it in their yard. He got the turtle food on the shelf and put some of it in the bowl and said to him.
"It's ok Spike, Mikey will be ok."
The small reptile put its front feet on the glass as to try and stand.
"I think he wants out."
Just then the door opened and Yoshi looked in.
"Leonardo, you may not have school tomorrow but Raphael you do. Now go to bed."
Leo got off of Raphael's bed and climbed up to his Raph turned the light off and got in bed.
Yoshi shut the door leaving the two for the night.
Leo whispered down to Raph.
"You sure you can handle Mike tomorrow?"
Raphael whispered back.
"You can count on me."
Leonardo nodded and fell into a restless sleep...
Early the next morning Raphael woke up and found Leonardo's bed empty, getting up and ready for school he went to check on Mikey who was not in his room either. Don was still sleeping though.
Going down stairs he found his oldest brother and youngest in the kitchen, Mikey had a smile plastered on his face.
"Ya know if ya walk into school like that then it aint gonna be believable tat your hurt, you know that right?"
Mikey told him before putting a bite of oatmeal in his mouth.
"I know, Leo told me, so I am getting it out of my system now so later it will be believable."
Raphael shook his head and got the box of cereal of the shelf and sat down with it.
"So ya got the rock in your shoe?"
Mikey smiled wide and said.
"Yep, I put four in there, it would be extra painful."
Raph rolled his eyes as he poured milk on his breakfast.
"Don't over kill it bro."
Leo looked over at his brother and said.
"Dad saw him before he left and told him to take it easy today. If dad could be fooled then any one can. Dad even wrote him a note to get out of PE for today."
Leo and Raph gave each other knowing looks before they both looked at their youngest brother and Raph said.
"Sounds good to me, well squirt hurry up and eat so we can get going."
Mikey nodded and finished off his breakfast and left with Raphael, leaving the other two brothers in the house alone for the day.
Leonardo took Mikey and Raph's breakfast dishes to the sink and washed them out and put them up, he went down to the basement where they had their own dojo set up he went to work out until Donnie got up.
Raphael was very anxious as he watched his little brother walk into or rather limp into the school. He hoped and prayed that this plan would work.
Getting through his first class was a nightmare, he waited for the bell to ring, and when it did he bolted from the high school and ran the half block to the Elementary school to check on Mikey.
He saw Mikey enter the gym and hand the note off to Matt who looked disappointed, he pointed to a chair sitting near the wall and Mikey took the seat offered.
Raphael saw Matt drag out a box of balls and saw that they were kick balls, those would have only left red marks but if thrown hard enough would leave bruises.
Raph hid in the supply closet while the class resumed, the entire time he watched as the game and saw that Matt stood near Mikey and watched the kids play dodge ball.
After almost an hour Raphael slipped out of the closet and with the use of stealth he slipped from the gym and ran to the high school. He slipped back into his study hall class and sat in the back row. No one seemed to miss him.
Another half hour rolled by and the bell rang for the end of class, he left and made it to the gym first. Changing into shorts and a tee shirt he made his way to the gym, only, before he made it Matt came through the door before he made it all the way out.
Swallowing hard Raphael tried to ignore the teacher and slip past him.
Matt saw the other kids in the locker room and allowed Raphael to pass him, he would get his chance to confront him again.
Raphael went to the main part of the gym, there he saw Justin playing with a basketball, he walked over and said.
"Sup Justin?"
Justin looked over at Raph and said to him.
"Hey."
He was quiet while he continued to play his solo game of basketball.
Raphael just stood by and watched him.
After several minutes the bell rang for class to begin.
Justin and Raph took their positions to start working out, as Matt came out and began telling them their instructions Justin whispered to Raph.
"How's Donnie? I heard about the hit he took? Was his arm busted?"
Raph shook his head.
"No, thank god it was just sprained. Hey do you know anything about this teacher?"
Justin was the biggest gossiper in the men's locker room, if any one had dirt on any teachers it would be him.
"Heard he had a family at some point. Two boys. don't know their names though."
Raph frowned and said.
"What were their age differences?"
"Three years or so. I also heard that his wife was killed in some sort of crash. But I also heard that the crash was just some sort of cover up for something else."
Raphael frowned and asked.
"A cover up? For what?"
"That would be none of your business Raphael. Give me twenty push ups for talking out of line."
Both boys jumped when Matt spoke suddenly.
Raph looked up at him dumbfounded, Matt scowled deeper and then said.
"Do you want to make it 40 Raphael?"
Raph got in position and began the push ups, after ten Matt put his foot on his back and pushed down.
Raphael grunted at the strain it put on his arms and legs as well as back.
Justin looked over and said.
"Hey that's not fair! He was doing what you said!"
Matt looked over at him and said.
"Do you wanna be next?"
Justin shut his mouth as he continued to watch his team mate.
He had a bad feeling about this guy.
After Raphael was done he had sweat poring down his face as he stood up on shaky legs. His body wasn't fully over the stress he had put on it yesterday.
Matt walked over and told the boys.
"Well today, we are going to play dodge ball. Since these two seem to like each other they will be on the same team. These two verses the rest of you."
Raphael felt the blood drain from his face, he knew his ninja training would come in handy but he was already tired from yesterday, lack of sleep and push ups today.
Justin whispered over to Raph.
"This is what happened to Donnie Friday..."
Raph felt renewed strength as he pictured his little brother being bullied in such a way.
For the next half hour he and Justin proceeded to dodge every ball that came at them, neither one faltering.
Then Matt came on to the scene when they were down to two verses one.
He took the basketball which was totally flatted and threw it as hard as he could at the boys, aiming more for Justin.
Raphael made the split second decision he jumped in the way and took the hit full force in his side.
He was sent to the ground hard, gasping for breath he saw Matt walk up to him.
He struggled to catch his breath before his world went dark.
A/N: yes I am evil... cliffhanger... will Raph be OK?