Hey all. Those of you who have read Sweet Dreams might recognize this. Those who haven't, you don't need to read the other story to get this one. This is just explained in a flashback. Just a little brainstorming I did off of something I noticed about Raph.

These guys are ten. Enjoy.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Leonardo turned and glared at me. "Watch your mouth," he snapped. "Just because Master Splinter's not here doesn't mean you can…"

"Grow up, Leo," I retorted, and flopped down on the sofa. I stared at him for a moment, then glanced around the room as he went back to reading. "I'm bored," I complained. "There's nothing to do around here."

Leonardo ignored me. I glared at him, knowing he was doing it on purpose. I leaned back and put my feet up on the coffee table. "Bored, bored, bored, bored…"

"Raph, will you knock it off!"

I grinned evilly at my brother. It was so fun to play with his nerves. "Whaddaya gonna do, beat me up?"

"Don't tempt me," he mumbled under his breath, trying to concentrate on whatever he was trying to read.

I smiled. "I'd kick your ass, Leo, and you know it." I could tell I was wearing on his patience by the way he tensed. Pretty soon, I'd push him a little too far and he'd tell Master Splinter. And Sensei, of course, would believe every word of it. I decided not to pursue the argument.

"Where's Mikey?"

Leonardo mumbled something that could've been an answer if he hadn't been talking into his book. "Wha?" I slurred.

He didn't answer. I walked up behind him and looked over his shoulder. Jesus, how could he read that? "Man-if-es…" I struggled, sounding out the first monster-sized word I saw.

"Raph, stop!" he cried, jerking the book away. He glared up at me. "And get off the back of the chair. You know Master Splinter hates that."

I smiled and put my feet on his shoulders, pushing him forward. He nearly fell out of the chair. He slammed the book down and turned around lightning quick, shoving me hard. I couldn't catch myself and I landed hard on the cement floor. The impact knocked the wind out of me. He looked over the back of the couch and shot me a dirty look. "Go. Away," he growled.

I glared back at him as I pulled myself up. He turned and tried to find his place again, flipping through the pages of the book. I thought about striking back, but decided not to. I didn't want this to turn into a full-fledged fight. Splinter was pissed at me as it was, for breaking one of his plates while I was washing dishes. That alone probably wouldn't have bothered him. I think it was more the fact that I broke it when I threw it like a Frisbee to Michaelangelo.

I tucked away my anger and wandered through the lair. "Hey, Mikey?"

I found him in his room. "Whaddaya doin'?"

"Mmm," he mumbled, totally engrossed in the comic books scattered around him.

"You wanna play cards or something?" I suggested. "Or a board game?"

"Mmm."

I stared at him. "Anything?" I pleaded.

"Mmm mmm."

That was a no. I sighed as I turned away. Donatello was plastered to the tiny, black and white TV in his room. A game controller was in his hands. I knew before I ever said anything that he was a lost cause. "Hey Donny, you wanna…?"

"Not right now, Raph," he interrupted. "I just got to the final level of Mario 3 and I think I might actually beat it this time!"

I sighed, frustrated. There was nothing to do here. I walked back out into the hallway and toward the front door. "I'm going for a walk."

Leo looked up. "No you're not."

"What are you, Leo, my boss?" I shot at him.

"You're not allowed to leave the lair when Splinter's not here," he reminded me. "You know that."

I felt anger stir inside of me. "So tell on me, Leo," I snapped. "I don't give a shit if I get in trouble."

He stood up. "Raph, if you're so bored, go practice or something," he suggested.

I shook my head at the idea. "That's your gig, Leo, not mine." I turned toward the door. "I'm outta here."

He must've jumped over the back of the couch to get to me so fast. I felt his hand on my shoulder and ducked away from him. The anger was growing. "You can't leave," he informed me. "It's not safe."

"Shit, Leo, I'm not goin' far," I tried to reason with him.

"You're not goin' anywhere," he corrected.

I shoved him back. "What the hell are you gonna do 'bout it, Leo?" I demanded. "You ain't the boss of me!"

"I'll tell," he threatened.

I snickered. "So tell. I don't care."

I turned to leave and he pushed me away from the door. He was instigating this, but I knew it was gonna end up being my fault somehow. "Don't fuckin' touch me, Leo!" I glared.

"Watch your language," he glared back.

"Fuck you!" I yelled, just to prove my point.

That might not have provoked him if we hadn't already been getting on each other's nerves. But it sure as hell provoked him now. He lunged at me, grabbing my shoulders in a traditional, wrestling stance. But I dropped onto my back and tried to throw him over me. It didn't work. I didn't have a chance to figure out why. We rolled on the floor, struggling to pin each other.

I was stronger than he was, and I finally managed to come out on top. But the next thing I knew, I was in the air. In shock, I let go of his arms and landed hard, my head hitting the cement floor. The pain jarred me. How had he done that? He'd flipped me over him just like I'd try to do to him.

Furious now, I scrambled to my feet. All sensible thoughts were swallowed in red as I felt anger surge through my veins. He spun just before I reached him and blocked a blow aimed at his face with his forearm. He struck at me, but I hit his arm away. He jumped back as I tried to kick him, and backed right into the dojo. I ran at him again, but my anger blinded me to the fact that he was braced for a roundhouse kick.

He caught me totally off guard, and I went into the wall again. I stumbled over the weapons rack and totally lost my footing, falling hard. Leo was watching me, his eyes trained on his opponent and holding a perfect stance, just like he'd been taught. Damn him. He was so damn perfect. I was the one who was gonna get busted for this, even though he pushed me first! Splinter would never believe his perfect son started a fight.

Well, if I was gonna get in trouble for it anyway, I was damn well gonna do him some injury. I grabbed the nearest weapon my hands came to rest on and sprang to my feet. His eyes went wide for a fraction of a second. That was all the surprise he had a chance for. After that, he had to react.

I wasn't trying to kill him. I only wanted to make him bleed a little. I struck sideways, trying to hit his arm. He sprang into a backflip, avoiding the sharp blade. He regained his balance instantly as his feet hit the floor and he swept his leg across the mat. I barely managed to avoid his attack, and in the few seconds I spent trying to regain my balance, he was armed.

Metal clashed. We didn't really know what we were doing. Splinter had forbidden us to use real weapons, and he'd only just started teaching how to use them. With what little we knew, we came at each other full force. It was a blur of motion, and then I felt pain. Worse than that, it was on my face. He'd gotten past whatever clumsy defense I'd tried to use, and the blade had scraped across my cheek.

He stopped, frozen in place, a look of complete and total horror on his face. I raised my fingers to the pain, and felt hot, sticky blood on them. "Oh my god!" he cried. He dropped the weapon in his hands and ran to me. I knew it wasn't an attack. The look on his face bordered panic. But I lashed out at him anyway, returning my bloodied hand to the hilt of the sword.

He dodged the downward slash. My vision and concentration blurred by pain, I somehow allowed him to grab my wrist. He twisted it, forcing me to drop the weapon.

"What is happening here?"

The authoritative voice made us both freeze in place. Blood dripped down the side of my face and off my chin, splashing against my shoulder. Master Splinter's eyes widened in surprise. I could not breathe for a moment. "Go to the bathroom," he ordered.

I swallowed hard and walked past him. I walked slowly, wanting to hear if he said anything to Leo. He didn't. He followed me, and ordered me to sit on the edge of the bathtub as he took care of the wound. He said as little as possible, and with a cold, measured tone. I knew what that tone meant. He was pissed, but he was controlling it.

At any rate, he was none too gentle with the wound. I clenched my teeth and said nothing. I was in for it. He was gonna have my ass, and I knew it.

Leonardo appeared in the doorway, a worried look on his face. "Is… he okay?"

Splinter spun around. "Go to your room!" he snapped. "Now!"

Leo shrank back. Sensei's words shot like electricity down my spine, making every muscle tense. He finished with the wound and stood back, glaring at me. No words were necessary. I slid to the floor and hurried to my room.

"Michaelangelo! Donatello! Come out here!"

They weren't in trouble. He just didn't want them in the room with me and Leo. The fury was still perfectly evident in his voice. He didn't punish when he was mad. I wasn't sure if that would be worse, or the waiting was.

It was nerve wracking. I drew invisible designs on the bed sheets. I lay on my back and stared up at the ceiling. I made words out of the letters on posters around the room. I waited. I dreaded.

"I'm sorry," Leo whispered.

I knew that. He never would've done it on purpose. "Shit, Leo, it ain't that bad," I mumbled into my arm. I knew I deserved it. I knew he was just defending himself. I would've hurt him if he hadn't hurt me first. He knew it too. But he was sorry. I didn't know how to feel about that.

We lay on our beds, in total silence. Only the sound of the movie Mike and Don were watching came through the door. I counted minutes. An hour passed. Then he called for us.

"You could have blinded your brother if you had struck a mere inch higher," he lectured calmly. "Wrestling is one thing, but you could have permanently damaged your brothers eyesight.."

Leonardo hung his head. "Yes, Sensei," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

"How did this fight start?" he demanded. I tensed involuntarily, knowing what was coming. Splinter knew Leo hadn't started it. He knew I was to blame.

"It wasn't Raphael's fault," Leo informed. We both turned to him. He stared at the floor. "I attacked him first."
"And who decided that weapons were an acceptable addition to this fight?"

I shivered. That was nearing sarcasm. From Master Splinter! He was REALLY upset about this. "I did," Leonardo lied, his head bowed.

Splinter studied him for a moment, as if he didn't totally believe him. I sure as hell didn't. He knew that was a lie. He was covering my ass. Why? Sensei turned to me. "Is that true?"

I nodded mutely. Leo didn't even look up.

"Regardless," Splinter continued, "you both know better than to touch the weapons without my supervision. And you will both be punished."

Splinter busted my ass for that, but I know Leo got it worse. It was the look in his eye as our gazes met during that punishment that still gave me chills. I didn't understand it then, but I did now. He knew I'd instigated everything. He knew I'd been responsible for the weapons. But he never said a word. He was only ten-years-old, and he was already an adult. Already a leader, who accepted responsibility for his actions and for mine. I've never forgotten that look.

And years later, I still have that scar.

If you look closely, at least in the first movie, that scar really DOES exist. ;)