Disclaimer: I do not own the turtles…

For those of you who are reading this, I will not be updating for a week after this….I am going on a trip of enlightenment! :D Which means a beach! Woot!

Raphael's POV

Ya think I would have noticed sooner. Leo being quiet is one thing, but Mikey on the other hand… As Leo always said, "A little too quiet." I got up to go find my leader, only to find nothing. Nada. No Leo. No mikey. That spells trouble, don't it? I had to hand it to Mikey. He was one sneaky little devil. I decided to see what Don was up to. He might have an idea where those two ran off.

I as I entered the lab, Don appeared to working on something at the table….I couldn't really see what it was but, heck I didn't really care. At least I didn't walk in on him and his Leo pictures again…I gave a shudder…

"Yo, Don. Ya seen Leo?" I asked him, leaning against the doorframe. Don didn't even look up. I glanced him over. I was pretty sure he didn't have head phones on…but I could be wrong. "Donnie!" I called, even louder then before. Don moved from his table, walked past me to his computer, grabbed a piece of paper from his printer and went back to work.

Now I get it. He was ignoring me. But why? I racked my brain for a moment, then decided to fuck the whole thing and just ask him straight out. "Don, why ya being an ass again? I forget?"

He gave me a heated look, but it was acknowledgement never the less. "Really? You don't know?"He snapped at me. I gave him a look. "Why else would the hell I ask?"

"Get out of my lab, Raph." He said, coldly, point, stiff armed at the door. I didn't budge. "Wait is this about Leo again?" When he said nothing at all I got my answer. I rolled my eyes

" Man, ya got a seriously jealously problem. It agreed that it was just a friendly competition."

Don came around the table, getting up in my face, which was a real fucking accomplishment since he was shorter then me. "Nothing that involves the mere chance of you getting Leo is friendly."

Okay, now I get it. He was suggesting that I was going to win and he was afraid. Damn straight! He should be afraid. "Let me guess. Mikey aint a threat to ya too."

Don's eyes flashed. "Mikey is just playing along. It's just admiration, like a fan. He doesn't love Leo like I do."

"And mikey told you this." I demanded. The guy was now starting to get the hell on my nerves. He was walking around like he knew what was best for everyone!

He opened his mouth, but I cut him off. "Ya know Donnie, you out of all of us, the guy with all the brains, is acting the most fucking stupid!"

Don's eyes narrow. "Just stay away from Leo, you jerk!" He growled.

"Fuck you, Donnie!" I shot back. I couldn't believe the way he was acting. "And just so ya know, Leo isn't even here. He is out with Mikey! So why don't you take that into fucking consideration!"

Don didn't take that lightly. He looked like I had suckered punched him in the gut. "w-what…" He began. He raced over to his computer and began typing away. Right…not the reaction I was expecting.

I sighed. "Now, what are you doing?"

Don didn't look up from the computer. "Isn't it obvious? Leo, wouldn't go out….not unless he was going to meet with those people…." "what..why.."

"I over heard Leo talking to someone on the shell phone the other day….apparently, they have his signal…they have been calling him a lot….I didn't want to say anything to him…I was hoping he wouldn't…

I grabbed Don by the back of the shell and spun him around to face me. "WHAT? YOU KNEW THEY WERE STALKING HIM AND DIDN't SAY ANYTHING!"

He shoved me back, knocking my hands aside. "Just like you didn't tell me that they wanted him to steal shit for them, Raph. You both kept that secret from me!"

I wanted to wring his fucking neck….it was tempting, but Leo was the priority. "I will deal with you later."

"Don't put your tough guy routine on me, Raphael. I'm not Leo. I am not going to cut you any slack!" Don shouted at me.

"You're right, Don. You're not fucking Leo! So stop telling me what the hell to do! Or anyone else for that matter!" I snarled at him, retreating into the lair. Don followed, grabbing his bag as he went. "Same goes for you! I will do what I want concerning Leo."

I opened the door to the lair. "Good luck, ya little prick!"

We headed down the sewer, Don had his shell tracker out, looking at our brothers markers. "Thanks, you asshole." Don replied.

"I'm warning ya, Don. Youse about to get a fucking fist in the mouth!" My accent was getting thicker as I got angrier. What was his deal?

"Yeah, that's how you solve everything." Don muttered. I punched him. I probably shouldn't have, but he was pissing me off to no end. It clocked him, in the side of the head. He hit the wall and slid down, blood trailed down from where the wall had ripped at his flesh.

He jumped to his feet and screamed, charging right into me. I hit the other side and bounced off. We landed in the sewer water at our feet, rolling together. Water sprayed all over the place.

"Let the fuck go!"

"Damn you!" Don screamed, smacking me with the back of his hand. "You take everything!"

"What the fuck are you babbling about?" I shoved him back off of me. He stared at me, tears and blood on his cheeks.

"I was suppose to be second in command. I am smarter then you. It should have been me and Leo! Not you! You jump in with all our stupid hotheadedness and Splinter says how much passion you have!

"What the fuck? You led when Leo was in South…"I began, but Don threw his hands up, water spraying.

"I wanted to lead with Leo! The only reason Splinter did that was because you took off! You ruin everything! Now you go after Leo for yourself! I am not sitting back and taking this!"

I was beyond stunned. I was pretty sure my brain actually had shut down for a while. I had always thought that Don had no interest in leading. He had always been so quiet about it all.

My rage flared. "Let me get this straight. You're blaming me because you were too fucking chicken to grow some balls and tell Splinter you wanted to be co-leader? Are you kidding me?"

Don looked at me surprised. Apparently the genius had never saw it that way. Go figure. Just like everything else in this family. I was getting the blame!

He looked frazzled. Like he was searching for a way out. "You don't even like Leo…"He started.

"Yes! I do and I will tell you why, since you are so thick headed! Leo is the only one who will back me in this fucking family. You blame me for all your problems! You only think of me as some hot head! Maybe I am, but Leo expects more from me! He trusts me! He wanted me to lead with him! Got it! It wasn't just Splinter. Leo always felt that I should have been leader. "

Don gave me a wild eyed look, but I kept going. He was on the ropes now.

"Mikey is okay with me, but he picks you guys over me. You have been a freakin recluse. Splinter is always disappointed and I realized that Leo would take all that shit for me. He would take Splinter's anger. Leo got blamed for stuff I did all the time and he took it. I was afraid that he would explode, so I decide that I would take Leo's anger. So yes, I pick fights with him! And maybe sometimes, I felt like I hated him for doing this for me, but really…." I trailed off, Don was staring me, A look of complete guilt.

I took a deep breath…"I don't hate my family…especially Leo. Leo listens to me…He isn't afraid of me….he trusts that I won't really hurt him..even when I lose complete control….he still trusts me…" I said more quietly.

"Raph…." Don said after a moment…"I didn't…"

"Course, ya didn't. I'm done talking about this. Now are we gonna find Leo and Mikey or do ya need another sob story?" I got to my feet and held my hand out to him.

Don gave me a sheepish smile "Let's go find them ,bro."