AN: I wasn't supposed to write this tonight, but…oh, well. Read at your own risk. ;)

Confrontations

To Raphael's immense surprise, the Michelangelo of another dimension wasn't talkative at all. Both of them had been walking for almost an hour now, and each attempt of the red-clad turtle to start a conversation had lamely failed. Michelangelo would answer in a few derisive words and fell silent again.

Raphael finally had enough. He took a deep breath.

"I must say I didn't think you would be that different from my Mikey. He's a chatterbox. I guess I expected the same from you. My mistake."

Michelangelo sent him a quick glance and shook his head. Raphael was beginning to feel irritated.

"What's the matter, Mikey? Why did you ask me to come if you didn't want to talk to me?"

The orange-clad turtle absent-mindedly played with his nunchuks.

"I want an apology."

Raphael almost tripped over his own feet in his surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"Yes, something like that. Except it has to be heartfelt."

Raphael opened his mouth to speak, but he made no sound. He was caught completely off-guard. When he finally found his voice again, it was incredulous.

"Why should I apologize to you? We didn't even really talk before this morning! How could I have hurt you?"

Michelangelo kicked an empty tin can which was on his way. The sound echoed in their tunnel.

"You really don't have a clue?"

Raphael shook his head, still bemused.

"Let's look at it this way," Michelangelo explained patiently. "Imagine that someone had mistreated one of your brothers. How would you feel?"

It finally clicked in Raphael's confused head.

"Is this about Leo?"

Michelangelo sent him an exasperated look.

"Of course it is."

Raphael frowned.

"What did he tell you?"

"Enough, but probably not the entire truth," Michelangelo shrugged. "He actually tried to defend your behavior, if you can believe it."

Now Raphael was beginning to feel angry and ashamed. A familiar and dangerous mix. He clenched his fists.

"Well, he shouldn't have. Is he such a crybaby?"

Next thing he knew, Raphael's shoulder was hurting like hell. He doubled over in pain before realizing that Michelangelo had hit him with his nunchuk. And he hadn't even seen him move. Was the whole family lightning-fast?

"Unlike my Raph, I am ready to forgive you," Michelangelo stated calmly. "But you have to ask for it."

"You…" Raphael panted. "How dare you…"

Unexpectedly, Michelangelo grinned.

"I'm just speaking your language. English to Raph dictionary, entry 'express your deepest disapproval'. Did I make a translation error?"

Raphael was so taken aback that he forgot to get mad. Now Michelangelo was dancing around him, still smiling.

"I'm already feeling much better. What did you want to know earlier? It was so hard not to talk to you."

The orange-clad turtle somersaulted.

"Take your time to express your regrets. I can see that you're confused right now. In the meantime, I'll make conversation."

While Michelangelo began to talk, Raphael shook his head. At least he finally had what he wanted.

%%%%%

The Raphael from another dimension watched this foreign Donatello. He tried to see beneath the surface. Leonardo had told him that he had been depressed, but all he could see was a single-minded turtle genius focusing on finding April.

"I'm surprised that your Mikey wanted so badly to go with my Raph," Donatello suddenly remarked.

Raphael smiled.

"I'm not. I think your brother underestimated my Mikey. He's in for a big surprise."

As Donatello watched him with curious eyes, Raphael smiled.

"Let's just say that he didn't like what Leo told us any more than I did."

"I see," Donatello mused. "Am I in for a big surprise too?"

Raphael offered him a toothy smile.

"Don't worry, genius. You're not the one I really want to punch. But Mikey was quicker."

The purple-clad turtle shook his head.

"Does Leo know about your little scheme?"

"We didn't tell him, but he probably guessed," Raphael shrugged.

"You're very protective of him. Yet I had the impression that he was perfectly able to defend himself."

Raphael's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, he is. But we thought that he wasn't going to give my counterpart what he deserved. You know, being his usual forgiving self."

"No, I wouldn't know," Donatello said softly, with only a touch of bitterness.

%%%%%

About half an hour after the other turtles had disappeared into the sewers, Leonardo's brother Donatello left his counterpart's lab and tiptoed to the dojo. He cast a glance inside and nodded. As he had hoped, the other Master Splinter was meditating in front of the dojo tree, eyes closed.

Donatello coughed.

The ninja master opened his eyes and looked at the purple-clad turtle.

"Yes, Donatello?"

The purple-clad turtle hesitated.

"Master Splinter, may I speak with you?"

"Of course," Splinter answered warmly. "Come in."

Donatello entered the room and sat cross-legged in front of the ninja master.

"Why aren't you helping with the search?" Splinter asked him after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"I didn't really want to meet the mutant in question before he had a chance to get used to us," Donatello answered uneasily. "I know the one in my world can be…difficult."

Master Splinter frowned.

"But my sons will be fine, right?"

"Yes, don't worry," Donatello quickly amended.

Master Splinter looked at him intensely before nodding. After a while, he asked the turtle again.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Donatello played with his fingers.

"Master Splinter. May I ask you an indiscrete question?"

The ninja master opened his eyes slightly wider. He wondered what it was all about.

"Yes, Donatello. Though I can't promise that I will answer it," he told him.

Donatello took a deep breath.

"What happened between you and Leo?"

Splinter blinked. He hadn't been expecting this question.

"What makes you think that something happened?" Splinter inquired, curious.

Donatello shrugged.

"What did he tell you?" The rat master tried again. From the way Donatello averted his eyes, he could sense that it was important. His own son's expressions were very similar to the ones of this other Donatello, and Splinter's concern naturally extended to him.

"Only that you didn't trust him to use your weapons," Donatello said softly.

"Which is true. Does it seem so strange to you? After all, I didn't know him."

"I guess not," Donatello sighed. "It's just… there has to be something more."

Splinter lifted an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"No reason, I'm sorry to have disturbed you," Donatello whispered.

The rat master frowned.

"Donatello."

The purple-clad turtle winced. He knew this giant and familiar rat wasn't his father, but the illusion was perfect. He felt compelled to tell him the truth.

"It's just… Leo was so cold towards you yesterday, when we were exchanging our stories. It was very unlike him."

"Was he?" Splinter mused. He hadn't noticed it. "On the contrary, he seemed very respectful. More than I am used to, in fact."

Donatello rolled his eyes.

"Oh, he was. I'm just saying, he usually is even more respectful. You… I mean… he's very close to our own father," the purple-clad turtle added clumsily. He felt guilty. Was he betraying his brother by telling this Master Splinter this? Leonardo obviously hadn't wanted them to interfere. But Leonardo was sometimes too guarded for his own good.

Splinter pondered this.

"Are you saying that I may have hurt him? It was never my intention."

Donatello nodded, relieved.

"Yes, I have been wondering if it was the case."

The ninja master watched him intensely.

"You care deeply about him, don't you?"

Donatello nodded fiercely.

"Of course. He's my brother."

Master Splinter sighed.

"Thanks for sharing your concern with me, Donatello."

The purple-clad turtle understood that he was dismissed and stood up, bowing respectfully to his elder. He left the dojo, hoping his intervention wouldn't do more harm than good.

%%%%%

Leonardo and the Michelangelo who wasn't his brother were walking quietly in the sewers. To his surprise, Michelangelo was enjoying it. Of course, it wouldn't last long. He was a talkative turtle after all. But right now, he was content to silently follow the blue-clad turtle, discreetly watching him. He had already wandered the sewers alone with Leonardo, before the very first fight with Hun, but Michelangelo looked at him from a new perspective now that he had seen what the katana-wielder could do. He searched for hints of Leonardo's dangerous skills in his silent and graceful walk, his alert eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. At what speed could he unsheathe his weapons if need be? And yet he had been nothing but kind with him and his brothers. Had they deserved it?

As if he had heard these thoughts, Leonardo turned to the orange-clad turtle and smiled at him. Michelangelo felt his cheeks burn.

He nonetheless took the opportunity to tell him what he had wanted to say since they had returned from Stockman's facility.

"Uh, Leo? I never got to thank you for, you now… guarding my back in there."

"You're the one who deserves the thanks, Mikey," Leonardo answered softly. "You didn't have to come rescue me."

Michelangelo smiled.

"Of course I had to. After all, if we had been more welcoming, you wouldn't have run away, you wouldn't have been captured, and…"

"And I wouldn't have met April," Leonardo finished. "What is done, is done."

The blue-clad turtle nudged the nunchuks wielder.

"Plus, you were awesome, Mikey," he told him. "Really, I don't know what I would have done without you."

Michelangelo beamed. He was about to say something when Leonardo abruptly stopped.

"Listen," he whispered.

Michelangelo frowned. He focused and soon heard what had caught Leonardo's attention.

"A gunfire in the sewers?" He whispered back, quivering.

"Laser guns, from the sound," Leonardo answered in the same way. "I believe we have found our alligator."

"He may need help," Michelangelo decided. "Let's go!"

The orange-clad turtle began to run towards the shooting.

Leonardo called him back, but it was too late. He swore and quickly texted a message to the others.

I guess I can't ask from an inexperienced Michelangelo to be cautious before getting into a fight, Leonardo thought wryly. It's hard enough with my own Mikey.

With a sigh, the blue-clad turtle began running after the shorter turtle.