Disclaimer: I own nothing, please don't sue.

Chapter 6

Raphael heard Michelangelo's door close. The last of his family was in bed. He slipped silently from his room as he had been taught so long ago and had practiced every day since. He silently entered the dojo and turned on the light, only to find Donatello already there sitting on a meditation mat in the middle of the floor.

"When did you get here? And why are you sitting in the dark?"

"Mike was in the bathroom when I came in. I didn't want him to know I was here so I just left the light off." Don shrugged as he turned around on the mat to face his brother.

"Shall we get started?" Raph asked worriedly. Oh man, I hope I don't hurt you.

"You won't Raph. Want to spar?" Don asked with a grin.

Raphael was absolutely incredulous, and could not believe his ears. There's no way he just said what he said! "You have got to be kidding! I'd kill you if we sparred!"

"I'm not kidding, Raph. You will just need to be gentle. Fight hard, but don't overdo it. And don't forget, I haven't been in here for two weeks." Don grinned.

Raphael groaned "Not making me feel better, Donnie."

"Aw, Come on." Donatello pulled his bo staff from its place on his back. "If it will ease your concerns then pad those toothpicks of yours, but let's go."

"It won't help." Raphael muttered. All the same he went and padded his sais before taking them on his brother.

Donatello stood facing his brother in a ready position. Raphael looked incredibly unsure, and it wasn't a look that he was accustomed to seeing on this brother. While Don generally waited for the fight to come to him Raph didn't seem that interested in bringing it, and his thoughts clearly told Don that he had no intention of starting the sparring session, so Donnie made the first move.

All Raphael did was block the attack, but Don felt like he had struck a brick wall, there was absolutely no give. He went low and swept Raphael's feet out from under him. The red masked turtle offered up no resistance.

"Come on, Raph. Don't let me do that to you."

"I don't want you to get hurt!" This is such a bad idea. You're supposed to be the smart one, Donnie! As he stood Raph watched his brother move around him.

"That's no reason to let me hurt you." Donatello made another move to strike and when Raphael blocked his low kick Don brought his bo back into play smacking Raphael in the back and causing him to go sprawling on the floor again.

That's enough! Raph was furious. No, don't let him get to you! "Donnie, stop this! I don't want to hurt you!" Raphael watched carefully as Don slowly circled around him. I wish I knew what he was thinking.

"Raph, How are you going to learn your limits if you never test them!" Don reasoned. He didn't add that Raphael was much better off not knowing what he was thinking. Knowing what his family was thinking was a curse.

"I just don't want that testing to end up with you dead!" Raphael shouted. For crying out loud, Donnie, use that oversized brain of yours. Raph made his way to his feet again, and again his brother circled him.

"Shh… You'll wake the others." His casual tone juxtaposed the violence of his action as again Don struck, and again Raph didn't counter. He just got himself thrown to the floor one more time.

"Donnie, knock it off!" Raphael jumped to his feet and made a lunge at Don that his brother neatly dodged. Good grief, he's the worst combination of Mikey and Leo imaginable! You add Mikey's ability to physically annoy me to Leo's lectures and you get Don! Raphael couldn't help but notice the smirk form on Don's face as he finished the thought. Shoot, he heard me!

"Raphael, fight back!" Don hissed as, one more time, Raphael found the floor. Now Don could hear his brother's thoughts becoming enraged. "Don't get angry; fight me with a clear head! At least block my attacks."

Donatello, if you knock me down one more time so help me I'll…

"You'll what, Raph?" Donnie knocked Raphael flat on his shell one more time. He was pretty sure Raph hadn't noticed yet, but he was getting tired. Don knew that it had been too long since he had been in here last. Two weeks spent being unconscious and locked away in his room had really taken a toll on his stamina. If Raph jumped at him again he wasn't sure he could get out of the way in time.

That hit didn't have the power of the others. Is he getting tired already?

Well, Raph had noticed now. Don watched as his brother stood up again. Raphael started to speak and Donatello knocked him down again. The red-masked turtle was back on his feet faster than most would believe possible. Don had heard the angry shout as Raph fell, and had tried to move away, but he wasn't quite quick enough at the moment.

Raphael jumped to his feet and started to fight against his brother. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that Don was already tired from the short fight, but that little voice lost to his anger. Raphael came in hard and fast. His brother successfully blocked two hits with his bo. Each attack bent the weapon further than Don had thought possible without it snapping in two, but it held. The third forced him backwards and the fourth was solid. Don flew several feet before crashing to the floor and Raphael dropped onto his brother's chest his left fist poised above his floored opponent. Suddenly he had a powerful feeling of déjà vu. He had been here before, except this time the brown eyes that looked up at him wore a very different expression and the mask that surrounded the darker eyes was purple, not orange, and Leo wasn't here to physically restrain him. This time all he had was the trusting look in Donatello's eyes to pull him back from the edge. Raph was aware of his own thoughts of killing his brother, and he knew that Don could hear them too, but still his brother's brown eyes showed no fear.

You don't really want to do this, Raph. I know you don't really want to do this. You don't want to hit me, and you won't…

Raphael reeled back in shock and released his brother. He had distinctly heard Don speaking, but his lips hadn't moved. Shell, what was that!

"Raph?"

Raphael could tell from the concerned look on Donnie's face that a thousand thoughts were racing through the turtle's mind, but he didn't hear a thing now. What on Earth is happening here? Why did I hear you?

"Raphael, are you ok?"

"No! I'm not, I'm… confused." How did you know I didn't want to hit you? I thought I did want to hit you. I know I thought that. I can't believe I was really going to hurt you, but I did think it. How did you know otherwise?

"You heard me think?"

"Yeah."

"Cool!"

"What?" Raphael was confused by Don's reaction. With how his brother obviously felt about the mind reading it just didn't make sense.

"Do you hear me now?"

"No."

Don appeared lost in thought for a moment. Then he looked directly at Raphael. Raph didn't know what his brother was doing, but knew better than to try to stop Donnie's little experiments. Donnie, man, you're kinda creepin' me out. What'cha doin', bro? Raphael watched as Don drifted off again then took his hand. All Raph could do was watch and wait to see what his brother was trying to do.

What about now?

What the… Raph ripped his hand from Don's grasp and when he looked up at his brother Donnie had a big smile on his face. Raphael was confused. Don didn't say anything, but instead gestured for Raphael to give him his hand again. Warily, Raph obeyed the silent command.

I don't think it's you, Raph. So don't worry about that. I think you're hearing this because we're in contact.

Donnie-boy, you are nuts.

Am I? Don knew he wasn't nuts, this whole thing might be nuts, but he wasn't.

Raphael pulled his hand away from his brother and severed the connection. Hearing Don's thoughts was beyond bizarre. And it's like that for him all the time! I'm glad I didn't get that one! He heard his brother sigh.

"Yes, it's like that all the time, except I can hear everyone, not just you. I was wondering if it could work the other way, evidently it can." Don sat down on the floor. "Heh, maybe it will be useful, though I don't see how. Yours is useful."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, just imagine what you could do to Hun." Don replied with a laugh.

Raphael laughed too, he hadn't thought of it that way, and not tearing Don apart tonight had really boosted his confidence. "Well, I'm beat, and frankly you look it too."

"We each learned something new tonight. You're going to have to hit a whole lot harder to kill me."

"And you can do the creepy thought projection thingie. Pretty good start in my book."

"Yeah, good start." Donatello yawned. Raphael pulled his brother to his feet and they each went their separate ways. Tomorrow they would get up and try again. As he was leaving the dojo Don couldn't help but hear an idea of Raphael's.

"What? No! No, Raph, I think that's a terrible idea! No!"

"Aw come on, Donnie. It's a great idea!" Besides, you got off easy tonight! Raph couldn't help but notice how distraught Don was at the idea and decided to give the guy a break, but just a short one. "Ok, not tomorrow, so how about Friday? That gives you a few days."

Don wasn't terribly fond of the idea, but Raph was right. It did have to happen sooner or later.

A/N: I do hope that there weren't too many errors that slipped by me in this chapter. I think I got most of them, but I've had the attention span of a goldfish the past few days.