A/N: - Here is a nice long chapter to make up for all the short ones – this one is for a bit of Raph/Leo fighting and a little comedy before I get into the really heavy stuff. Shout-outs will be at the end so those naughty people who didn't review for me (but will this time, wink, wink, nudge, nudge!) can get straight into it!

"Master Splinter?" Leo poked his head round the door at the same time as Raph, the effect being two very comical looking turtle heads floating from behind the door. Splinter was nowhere in sight and the two turtles both tried to get in but ended up falling over each other and ending up crashing to the floor in a knot.

"Get off me, bonehead!" Raph growled.

"You get off me, hot-head!" retorted Leo.

"Ugh," Raph scrambled away from Leo and stood up, brushing himself off.

"Oh, stop being so stroppy all the time!"

"You ain't no better, Leonardo – Mr. Perfection, Mr. 'I'm so great', Mr. I've-got-a-very-large-stick-up-my-ass, Mr. Tight-ass, Mr. I---"

"CUT IT OUT!" Leo bellowed, launching himself back at his brother and pinning him to the ground.

"STOP BEING SUCH A JERK!" Raph aimed several punches at his brother, receiving several well-aimed kicks in return. Suddenly, he felt a harsh tug on his bandanna tails. He was yanked away from his older brother, both of them still kicking and lashing out at each other. Looking up, he saw Donnie and Mikey, with one of his bandanna tails each, while Splinter restrained the slightly less aggressive Leonardo, though he was only just managing to keep control of his eldest son.

"My sons - calm down!" he ordered at them. When they stopped struggling against who was restraining them, Splinter continued, "I do not know who started this fight, I do not know the cause of the fight---"

"He started it!" Raph blurted out, pointing at Leo.

"No, I didn't, you did!"

"I do not wish to know – it is six of one and half a dozen of the other as usual." Splinter frowned at them, "now, for this you two will be doing fifty extra sit-ups, ten extra flips and an extra ten press-ups tomorrow in practice."

"Sensei, that's not fair!" Raph protested.

"Yeah, especially considering I didn't start it!" Leo added.

"Be quiet, both of you! You shall both go and clean yourselves up and then you will make the dinner."

"You're letting Leo near a cooker? And Raph too?" Mikey's face was one of utter shock and disbelief.

"Um…Sensei, are you crazy?"

"No, I am not. And Raphael's cooking abilities far surpass those of Leonardo, although nowhere near your standard, Michelangelo." Splinter smiled at his youngest son.

"I was more worried about them throwing boiling water over each other!"

"He has a point. They'll end up with third degree burns and food poisoning," Donnie added, imagining all the possible consequences from this endeavour.

"They shall cook. Leonardo, Raphael, go into the kitchen. You shall cook proper food; no pizza and no ready-made meals. You shall cook from scratch." Splinter walked off into the living room, Donnie and Mikey making desperate pleas for him to reconsider, more concerned about their health than anything else. Leo and Raph glowered at each other and skulked into the kitchen, both cursing every word under the sun, only loud enough for each other to hear.

"I hate you so much," Raph muttered to Leo as he passed him to get some plates out.

"Well, you're not exactly my favourite person at this precise moment in time either, so don't flatter yourself by thinking that I'll just forget this like I forget all our other fights, Raphael. Because, guess what? I won't!"

"Quit it with the dramatics, Leonardo, they ain't working," Raph spat venomously.

"Who says they're dramatics?" Leo muttered darkly in reply.

"It don't take a rocket scientist to spot it," Raph growled.

"Just shut up for once, will ya? Now, help me get this soup sorted. What type are we making?"

"Just open a can – Sensei never has to know!"

"We'll never get away with it," Leo hissed.

"Ok, then we make it from scratch – so, Leonardo, enlighten me. How do we make it? I'm following your instructions," Raph folded his arms and leant back against the worktop, watching his older brother intently. Both turtles knew all too well of Leo's ability in the kitchen. Making brief eye contact with his brother, Leo looked down and then back up at his brother, trying not to splutter with laughter; it didn't work, and both turtles burst out into peals of piercing laughter. Clutching the worktop to stop himself from getting a stitch and falling over, Leo wiped the tears from his eyes and regained his composure.

"So, Raph, where are the cans then?" he began searching the cupboards, eventually finding a few cans of chicken and mushroom soup that April had bought for them during the winter while they all had colds.

"You start on that and I'll figure out something else to do for a main course."

"Right," Leo pulled out a saucepan and poured the soup into it, "um…what heat do I set it to?"

"Excuse me?"

"What heat do I set it to and which hob do I put it on?"

"That one," Raph pointed, "I think…and just use a medium heat."

"Ok," Leo set to it, embarrassed about how stupid he was in the kitchen – Raph had never had the pleasure of experiencing a cooking endeavour with him and it would almost certainly result in temper loss on Raphael's part and some sort of crockery would probably end up going for a flying lesson in the direction of someone's head.

Mikey and Donnie were sat in the living room, twiddling their thumbs as they awaited the smell of burning or the activation of the fire alarms Donnie had installed along with sprinklers in the kitchen. When peals of laughter rang out through the lair, they sat bolt upright and shot a reproachful glare in the direction of the kitchen.

"Is that…laughing?" Mikey gulped.

"It can't be," Donnie frowned, flicking through the channels as he attempted to find something half decent to watch, "can it?"

"They were swearing they hated each other only five minutes ago..."

"I know – weird or what?" Donnie shuddered.

Raph was doing reasonably well at cooking so far; Leo, however, was struggling even to cook something as simple as soup.

"Uh…Raph? How do you know if it's done?"

"Huh?" Raph turned round quickly.

"Um…it's bubbling and steaming…is it supposed to boil or not?" Leo bit his lip.

"WHAT! What sort of a question is that supposed to be?" Raph hurried over, "you idiot! You're supposed to be the next most intelligent after Donnie and you ask me whether the soup is meant to boil? Of course it's not, it---"

"Uh…Raph – you might want to look at the chicken…"

"What? Oh shell," Raph gulped as he turned round and opened the oven, flames bursting out and licking the entrance to the oven like tongues, shooting out and consuming anything in their way. A high-pitched siren wailed out around the lair and Donnie and Mikey ran in to find Raph and Leo arguing, Leo wielding a fire extinguisher at the same time.

"Oh yeah?" Leo was snapping at Raph, "at least mine didn't catch fire!"

"Mine wouldn't have caught alight if you hadn't been so incompetent and needed my help every five seconds!"

"Guys, shut up!" Donnie sighed, "just for once," he shielded his eyes as the sprinklers started showering them in the kitchen. The flames had already died down and Raph and Leo were in a face off once more, Leo looking dangerously close to whacking his red-clad brother around the head with the fire extinguisher he was still clutching.

"Guys, calm down." Mikey stepped between them, "just order a take-out."

"Splinter wants it done from scratch." Raph mumbled.

"So? He'd rather we ordered out then destroyed the kitchen." Donnie shrugged.

"Fine – what do we want?" Leo looked round, "stupid question – pizza, of course."

"What else?" Mikey beamed. Leo gestured to Donnie to go and order the pizza with Raph while he and Mikey cleared up in the kitchen; Donnie complied and soon the pizzas were ordered and the kitchen was, save for the soaked turtles that were tidying, cleaner by far than it had been before Raph and Leo had set about 'cooking', if what they had done could be given that description.

Eating their pizzas that evening, Leo and Raph repeatedly shot each other angry glares, scowling darkly as they chomped their pizzas down, ripping huge chunks off with their teeth so violently that at one point Raph choked and tomato purée spurted out of his mouth onto Donnie.

"Maybe that will teach you not to take such massive mouthfuls," the purple-clad turtle scolded softly as he wiped some gunk out of his eyes.

"Yeah, I know you're peeved at Leo because he's a total numbskull in the kitchen but don't vent out your frustration on the pizza – do it in your own time to the punch-bag or something."

"I'll vent out my frustration on you in a minute," Raph snapped viciously at his youngest brother.

"Geez, chill, dude – it's not like I'm asking you to give up pissing Leo off, I just want ya to spare us the contents of your mouth, language and pizza!" Mikey snorted with laughter as he spoke and Raph leapt up, shoving the last of his pizza slice into his mouth and quickly swallowing it before chasing Mikey around the lair. Donnie sighed and massaged his temples, catching Leo's eye – the older turtle was wearing such an exasperated expression that Donnie figured that the two of them were on exactly the same wavelength regarding this, except Donnie would leave it alone and Leo would provide a lecture for both parties involved at some point during the evening. Raph and Mikey were now in a full blown wrestling match on the floor, Mikey in a state of uncontrollable laughter which only succeeded in infuriating the hot-head further. Said hot-head was currently the possessor of the upper-hand as a result of flipping Mikey over the sofa, narrowly avoiding Donnie, and pinning him to the floor.

"Now, stop being such an idiot!" he glowered.

"Raph, that's enough," Leo began to intervene as Mikey scrabbled to get out of the iron grip Raph had on him.

"What you gonna do about it, your high-and-mightiness?" Raph sneered sarcastically at his elder brother. Mikey had now managed to escape and he and Donnie were crouched behind the sofa, almost covering their ears for the inevitable explosion that was about to take place in the living room.

"No need for sarcasm," Leo replied smoothly, a mocking grin gracing his features, his suppressed anger and retained control giving him the clear advantage, while Raphael was practically shaking with anger, icy glares being shot in the directions of both Mikey and Leo.

"You have no right to tell me what to do, oh fearless leader!" Raph spat in his brother's face. "Just get off my case for once and give me some space!"

"Not until you learn some responsibility, Raphael!"

"Oh, so now you're full-naming me? You always do that when you know I'm right."

"No, he does it 'cause he knows Raph hates it," Mikey sniggered to Donnie, who rolled his eyes but found it a strain not to laugh anyway.

"You want space? Then go for a walk; but don't go strutting around like you own the place every day of the week!"

"Any chance you're looking in a mirror, brother of mine, because that is exactly what you do, not me!"

"Oh yeah, hot-head? Well at least I can control myself under pressure and don't go storming off in a strop like some five year old every three minutes!"

"Then maybe you should get out for once! That way I get space, you don't have to see me strut, I don't have to see you strut and I'm not going off in a strop. There, how does that feel? Me solving a problem for once instead of you,"

"Raph, you're being ridiculous."

"No, I'm being serious – so are you going or what?"

"You know what?" Donnie sighed from behind the sofa, "I'm sick of this," he stood up and put himself between his rowing brothers, "you two shut up and listen to me. How about you both go out for a walk and give me and Mikey some room to breathe and some peace and quiet away from your petty quarrels?"

"Fine," Raph stormed out.

"And there you go again!" Leo screamed after him, "always running away when you claim you hate to run away from fights!"

"Leo…" Donnie pleaded, searching his brother's face for understanding.

"I know, Donnie – it is pathetic, but we can't help it. You know how patient I am with everything and everyone else but I just can't keep my cool with him; he's ticked me off a hundred times to many, and a thousand times more."

"So are you going for a walk?" Mikey resurfaced from his refuge-come-barricade more commonly known as the sofa.

"Yes," Leo replied simply, "just so he doesn't go off on one when he gets back about how I always get softer punishments and fairer judgements and how people always take my side – you know the sort of thing…"

"Yeah, we've heard it enough!" Don chuckled lightly.

"I'll see you two later," Leo saluted them as he left the lair, much calmer by far than Raph had been, at which they were not in the least bit surprised.

"Leo?" Donnie called after him; his brother turned round and poked his head back into the lair.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful," Donnie smiled, slightly concerned - he didn't like to think of how many dangers could be out there for them, just waiting to cause them as much hurt and grief as possible.

"Aren't I always?" Leo grinned back, turning and walking out, breaking into a slow jog a few seconds later. Mikey and Donnie stood, revelling in the silence, the only sound being Leo's slowly retreating footfalls and their own soft breathing.

Raph ran all night; and how he ran! He ran so fast and with such heavy steps that soon the dull thud of his feet on the rooftops became the rhythm to his anger until it gradually subsided and the surging pulse of fury coursing through him eased off, as did his pace. It was a clear night and he could see across the entirety of New York City and the sun's warming rays on his back as it rose behind him, letting his mind relent to a more peaceful train of thought after having been so furious just before. He was utterly oblivious to the figure stood the other side of that same rooftop, facing out over the city in the opposite direction to Raph, watching the sunrise face on, also letting themselves be lulled into a sense of security and tranquillity that would vanish the moment they laid eyes on the one they had been in confrontation with; each was totally unaware of the other's presence until a sixth sense awakened in both and they cautiously turned round to face each other, drawing their weapons. Both pairs of eyes widened at who stood before them.

"Oh, it's you," was Raph's almost disappointed greeting.

"Raph, look, we need to stop fighting so much – it's getting out of hand and even Donnie is beginning to lose patience with it, although I think he still has far better control than either of us."

"I know," Raph sighed, "I just hate the way you always seem to come out on top, out of every situation."

"You know that's not true – there have been far too many situations where I have come out so close to rock bottom that it almost didn't seem worth making the effort to get back to the top," Leo sighed, adding softly, "you should know that better than anyone," hoping Raph didn't hear. It was an unspoken shred of knowledge that Raph and Leo shared such a deep bond through all the fights and the injuries and the countless times they had been punished together that they would never separate in spirit; they would always be able to sense the other more strongly than anyone else. But Raph did hear. He looked to the floor and thought back over all the times where his brother had been scared for him and when he'd been scared for his brother. He loathed admitting it, but Leo was absolutely right on this one; they did need to get it sorted.

"We need to stop," Raph finally confirmed in a small voice, unusual for the hot-headed turtle.

"Um…perhaps not now…" Leo trailed off, looking across the buildings.

"Why not now? Now is as good a time as any," Raph shrugged, a little put-out that now he was finally making a real effort, Leo wasn't going to comply.

"Because we are not alone," Leo readied himself for battle as four foreboding figures leapt across the rooftops towards them; the human brothers, "shell, what happened to giving us a week?"

"They must have found out that Mikey was alive!"

"But how--- oh shell…"

"What is it, bro?" Raph looked concerned.

"That cavern wasn't there by accident – it was an escape route for them if ever they were attacked – they probably had cameras in there and saw the whole thing!"

"No way…" Raph was too shocked to say any more.

"What other explanation is there? Well, get ready to fight them – we can't lead them back to the lair and they're too close for us to outrun them now; we're on our own." Leo finished his sentence just as Roshiri landed in front of him and made a swift swipe at him with a spear. Dodging it by mere centimetres, he called to Raph, "RAPH, BE READY FOR ANYTHING!"

A/N: - There ya go – and can I take this opportunity to let you know that I have a new TMNT story up called 'ECHO OF A TORTURED SCREAM', in case anyone is interested in reading it. It is extremely dark and heavy on the character death side of things. But at least if people die in there then there might not be any deaths in here (Notice I used the words 'might not'!) Anyway, here are the shout-outs: -

Lioness-Goddess:- Splinter is very happy! Thank-you for your review, as always, and I'm happy I made you happy that Mikey's alive and Splinter is happy!

Chibi Rose Angel:- Right now, the future of this story is uncertain but I'm planning on about 22 chapters for it, possibly with an epilogue on the end of it and possibly not, but it is sad to think that I could be nearing the end very soon – I love writing this!

Spootycup:- Hope you liked that – I know it's another cliff-hanger but this is the most important battle of the story soon to come and this is only easing you into it!

BlueRaven:- Very diplomatic! Two and a half, I like it! Fearsome Foursome indeed – and how could I not go after Leo at some point? He is the best turtle ever, though I like the others too!

Eldarsevenstar:- Believe me, suffering is highly likely in the next few chapters as I near the end – the human brothers will soon be in their final battle with the guys but is one of them hiding something?

TBreader:- I wouldn't be too sure about this one ending ultra-happy. I could be mean and end on a cliff-hanger! Mission? Wow, makes you sound like a spy! Thank you for all your reviews and good luck with whatever you're doing!