Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT or anything related. I just own Maggie any my
originals.
A/N: *sits in recliner* Hey everyone. Sorry it took so long to get an update, I just wanted to take a break from writing for awhile.
Leo: That's still no excuse to leave everyone hanging like that, Streetwyse. I bet they really wanted to know what happened to Raph after you had us carry him off while Master Splinter dealt with Maggie and Casey.
*glances at Leo* I had a feeling you'd bother me about that. So I got a little security measure to make sure you'd leave me alone.
Leo: And what's that? You're gonna sic Maggie on me again? Sorry, but that's getting a little old, Streetwyse. You're going to have to come up with something a bit more original than my little sister.
Oh, I know that. Besides, why bother with Maggie when I have something even Splinter's scared of?
Leo: *looks slightly nervous* What could you have that could possibly scare Master Splinter?
*whistles* POOPSIE!
Poopsie: *unnaturally cute pink and white bunny with blue dishpan sized eyes appears* Hiya! I'm Poopsie the Indestructible Bunny. Wanna be my friend, Mr. Turtle-wurtle? We could share our toys and take turns and sings happy songs. All the fun-fun stuff that makes the world go round!
Leo: *screams and runs out with Poopsie hopping after him* STREETWYSE!!!!!! GET THIS THING AWAY FROM ME!
*already sound asleep* ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Chapter 8: You're an idiot
There was no description in the world that could accurately illustrate what he was feeling right now. All at once, inside and out, it felt as if every part of him was made of lead and weighed a ton. And that felt like it would weigh him down forever, keeping him locked in place even if he wanted to move about. Which he didn't, since it would just be a mistake that would make him feel worse.
Opening his eyes turned out to be another mistake when he tried accomplishing that. Not only was the world around him too bright, but everything was fuzzy and out of place. This sight made him dizzy and caused his stomach to feel queasier than before. Even more so when he realized that there was a distinct shape moving his way.
His eyes attempted to focus on the shape, but the image remained blurred. All that he could reasonably make out was a large blob of green with bits of orange interspersed in different areas. It took a few seconds, but these colors and their placement eventually registered in Raph's mind.
He recognized these as signs that his brother Michaelangelo had joined him. But that was about as much as his brain was willing to register. Anything else was just too much for his torpid mind to handle and just fell short of being recognized.
Michaelangelo on the other hand, had no such troubles. He was perfectly capable of recognizing his brother and more. He could see that his brother was just barely awake and that he wasn't fully capable of perceiving the world around him. Something he was going to use to his full advantage while he was there.
"Well, well. Look who finally decided to wake up," Mikey replied dryly.
Raph just grumbled something in Mikey's general direction as he tried to bury his head under a pillow. He really didn't want to listen to anything Mikey might have to say. Not while his head felt like it was about to split open any minute. Hearing his voice just made it feel worse.
And it continued to do so, as Mikey had no intention of leaving his brother to suffer through his 'pain' alone. Far from it. In fact, he intended to stay right where he was and continue to talk. He was going to let Raph know exactly what he felt right now, whether his brother wanted to hear it or not.
"You know, I really thought that you were gonna end up sleeping for a couple of days from the way you were snoring," Mikey continued.
From beneath his pillow, Raph grumbled a second time at Mikey's words. What they were was lost on the other Turtle, as they were completely muffled thanks to the pillow covering his head. But that really didn't matter, since Mikey already had a good idea of what his sibling was trying to tell him. Not that he really cared, as he wasn't going anywhere, anytime soon. He was planning on staying right where he was.
Though he didn't know it, that plan turned out to work for both parties. Despite his headache, Raph had finally decided to give up on trying to get Mikey to shut up. Even as clogged as his brain felt right now, he knew how stubborn his younger brother could be. Once Mikey set a goal for himself, no matter how miniscule it might seem, he wouldn't let anything get in his way. Even an irate and greatly disoriented brother who was caught between throwing something at him or just going back to sleep.
Of course, doing either of those things wouldn't have been very easy for Raph to accomplish if he had chosen to go through with them. Throwing something at Mikey involved being able to move and coordinate at the same time, neither of which he could pull off right now. And as for falling asleep, thanks to his headache, that really wasn't possible either.
So he was left with the option of just lying there and letting Mikey continue whatever jabbing he wanted to do. It was certainly easier to handle than the other two and didn't require any effort on his part. Which was actually a good deal, since his head and body still protested if he did anything else.
Raph was so caught up in his internal debate, that he never noticed that he and Mikey were no longer alone. When Leo and Donnie had shown up too, Raph had no idea. Not that he really cared to begin with. He was still more concerned about making his headache go away than worry about what his brothers were doing in his room. But it might have helped if he had forgotten that for just a moment.
If he had, then he would have noticed the dark looks that the newcomers were sending his way. The ones that Don was sending were moderate at best, since he was trying to keep himself calm for now. The ones being sent by Leo however, those were a different story.
These were among the most scornful that the blue-bandanna wearer had ever been able to muster. In his eyes were reflected the disbelief and outrage that came from knowing what his brother's actions had led to. But there was also the knowledge of what could have been and that only helped to fuel the emotions burning inside of him.
Eventually, Raph did realize that Leo was glaring at him from across the room. How long his brother had been there or even when he had entered was something Raph neither knew nor cared about. He just knew that Leonardo was staring at him and that that was starting to get on his nerves.
"What are you staring at?" Raph grumbled.
Leonardo didn't answer his brother at first. Instead, he just stood there, glaring at Raph with such intensity that it could have easily burned holes right through his fellow Turtle. But this went entirely unnoticed by Raphael, who had turned his attention away from Leo to getting the remaining crust from his eyes.
"I hope that you're satisfied with yourself. You've really gotten Maggie into a mess this time, Raphael," Leonardo finally growled.
Two things caught Raph's attention at that point. One was the tone that Leonardo used. Even when he was mad at Raph, it wasn't like him to growl like a predator about to make a kill. Instead, he usually just took on that annoying 'Sensei's Pet' tone, the one that made him sound so much like Splinter, added in a touch of anger, and then would use that to either bore Raph to death or drive him to snapping back at his brother. Though most of the time, his reaction was more of a cross between the two instead of one alone.
The second thing was that he had mentioned something happening to Maggie. No matter what state his mind was in, if someone mentioned trouble and Maggie's name in the same sentence, that always set alarms off in Raphael's head. If anything serious happened to the girl, then that was definitely worth his attention.
Ignoring the wave of dizziness that hit him when he moved his head, Raph turned in Leo's direction. He tried to focus on his brother more to better understand what he was staying, but it was too hard for him. So he just settled for the blur that now represented Leo and left it at that.
"What does Maggie have to do with anything?" Raphael grumbled irritably.
"She's got everything to do with it, Raphael," Leonardo snapped," She could have been really hurt last night and it was all because you were acting like an idiot. I can't believe you would do something like this."
His tone was becoming dangerous now and it was apparent that Leo was desperately fighting to keep control of himself. But oh, how hard it was for him to accomplish that task. If there was one thing that he really wanted to do right now, it was to just let go and really give Raphael what he deserved right now. That would have been so nice for Leo to do.
At the same time though, he knew that such a thing was nearly impossible. Leonardo had been taught his entire life to keep control of his emotions and not to let them take control of him in times of crisis. During times like that, he needed to keep a cool head so that he would be able to act in his top form and be able to do what was necessary.
Still, it would have felt so good just to forget all that and to let Raphael have what he really deserved. Not only would it be teaching his idiot brother a lesson, but it would make Leo feel better too. Unfortunately for him, that was not to be the case. Even if might not have been earned, there was someone looking out for Raph at the moment.
That someone was none other than Donatello. Since his arrival, he had been silent and just watched Raph lying practically prone in his bed. He had no intention of speaking to his sibling at the moment since he knew that he really wouldn't get an intelligent response and he was still just too mad at him for all this.
When he saw the way that Leo was acting however, Don decided that it might be better to rethink his plan of silence. It wasn't going to help matters if his eldest brother went crazy on them. Nor would it change anything, since everything had already happened.
"Just calm down, Leo. You're gonna blow right out of your shell if you keep this up," Don warned from his corner.
Leonardo just glared at his brother for that. He was in no mood for someone else to try and talk reason to him. Right now, despite himself, all he wanted to do was to allow his emotions to break the control that he normally held over them and let loose completely. And the one he wanted to let his fury loose on was Raphael.
No matter how much might have wanted that to happen though, it wasn't meant to be. Even if he wasn't in the mood to, Donatello once again seemed to come to his erring brother's rescue. He was just as upset with him as Leo was, but he was being more controlled about the matter. Don knew that it might have felt good to give Raph the knockdown he deserved, but it wouldn't make things better.
If anything, it would only make matters worse. If Leo started going off on Raph, then that was bound to attract unwanted attention from Splinter. And if Splinter came in, then they were all going to be in for it, not just Raphael.
Even if he was angry with his son, Splinter had made it very clear to the others that they weren't to take punishing him into their own hands. As their Sensei and parent, that was his job. He was the one that set the rules for the youngsters to follow and live by. To forget that and to try to take justice into one's own hands would end up bringing the wrath of the rat down upon them once he found out.
Having lived through that fate more than once in his life, Donatello was in no mood to repeat the experience. He was going to make certain that Splinter's instructions were followed even if it killed him. Which might just happen if he managed to be the one getting on Leo's bad side instead of Raph. But it was a chance that he was willing to take if it meant to avoid Splinter's anger.
"Look, I'm upset with what happened too, Leo. We all are, but that doesn't mean we have to go ballistic about it," Don said, moving closer to his brother just in case he did lose control.
"My baby sister was alone on the surface in the middle of the night with just one human to protect her if there was trouble. She could have been hurt or worse if the Foot had found them. How else am I supposed to react, Donatello?" Leonardo demanded angrily.
They started arguing after that about Maggie's safety and who was supposed to be responsible for taking care of her. It soon became a blur to Raphael, who's hangover headache seemed to have tripled in the last few moments thanks to all the noise around him. He tried to concentrate on easing that before moving onto anything else. But it turned out to be a waste of time, as his headache had no intention of lessening anytime soon.
"Could someone please tell me what he's been yakkin' about?" Raph eventually asked.
He really didn't expect an answer from anyone. His voice had been so low that it didn't seem like anyone would hear him. For the most part, this was true. Leo and Don were so wrapped up in their argument that they didn't have hear what their brother said even if it had been in a normal tone. But that didn't mean it went entirely unheard.
Despite the low tones his brother was using, Michaelangelo heard what Raphael said. He really didn't want the task of explaining what was going on to his brother, but he knew that there wasn't much choice. With Leo and Don so occupied with arguing, there was certainly no one else present to give out answers.
How come I'm always the one who has to clean up the messes Raph makes when no one else will? Mikey thought, having no clue that his sister had been thinking the same thing the night before.
And just like his sister, this wouldn't be the first time that he would have to explain something that came from his brother's mistakes. He had done so many times over the years when Splinter wasn't present and no one else was willing to talk to Raph at the moment. Unlike the other times though, where he was either tolerant or sympathetic, Mikey was feeling nothing but outrage as he prepared to answer Raph's questions.
He honestly thought that this occurrence was one of the dumbest things that his brother had ever done. And the fact that their little sister had been roped into finding him while everyone else remained oblivious to the situation really didn't help matters. In fact, it really made the normally easy-going Turtle feel like bashing his thick-skulled brother's head in. But even with these feelings of violence brewing in his head, that didn't mean that Mike would withhold the answers that Raphael was asking for.
"Casey came here last night and talked Maggie into helping him track you down after you and he got separated at that bar," Mike explained," She went with him and then helped him bring you back here after they found you drunk and lying around the old sewer den."
Dumbfounded, Raph said slowly," You're kidding, right?"
"Not on your life, bro," Mike said, shaking his head," They were gone for most of the night and no one even knew where they were until Splinter caught them coming in about 4 this morning."
"But.But Maggie's a good kid, Mikey. She doesn't just go off without telling someone where she's goin'. That's not like her," Raph protested.
Which was true enough as far as Raphael was concerned. Though she was nowhere near being a perfect student and child like Leo was so often portrayed, Maggie was still one of the better-behaved kids in the family. She hardly ever got into trouble the way her brothers did. She was the one that did what Splinter told her and obeyed the rules like a daughter was taught to do.
"Well, she did this time," his brother responded," And its because Casey asked for her help to find you and no one else's."
Hearing all this brought two emotions out in Raph once the information had a chance to soak in. Part of him was grateful to Casey for finding someone to help out and to make sure that he had gotten home in one piece after getting drunk. He was glad that there was someone to watch his back when he wasn't able to. But the other side of him was furious at his human friend for putting Magnolia into possible danger and wanted to go bust him in the face for doing something like that. If they had run into the Shredder's goons while they were out on the search, then neither Maggie nor Casey would have stood much of a chance.
Damn, no wonder Leo wants my head on a platter, Raph thought ruefully, Maggie could've gotten into real trouble 'cause of me. Well, more trouble than she already has.
Which could be considered true enough. Even at thirteen, Maggie had her share of problems in life. Not only was she the only girl in a family of boys, but the only female friend that she could relate to was nearly a decade older than she was. Plus, there was the constant training as a warrior and never being able to hang out with people her own age to consider.
This was definitely enough to put a strain on anyone. But for a kid Maggie's age, it was enough that sometimes it seemed for certain that she would crack under the pressure. And if someone like Maggie did give into the pressure, there was any number of disasters that can happen. Those were possibilities that Raph wouldn't wish on anyone or would want to even think about when it came to Maggie.
His little sister could be a major pain in the shell sometimes. She might stick her nose into his business when it wasn't her place to do so or get him into trouble for something that he may or may not have been responsible for. Plus, there were all the secrets she had gathered over the years about Raph and the other Turtles.
That information included everything from embarrassing childhood moments they had thought forgotten by everyone but themselves to crimes they had been at recently. Whatever it might be, it was something that Maggie could easily use to blackmail someone with. And when it came to blackmailing, Maggie never did anything lightly and used her gathered tidbits to go for the big prizes.
Despite how much of a pain Maggie could be, Raphael did care a great deal for his younger sibling's wellbeing. She was someone that he knew could be counted on to keep a secret or to offer him an understanding ear if he ever needed to talk with someone. Even when he acted like an idiot, she didn't jump to conclusions about anything until she heard everything that had happened.
She accepted Raphael for what he was, faults and all. Even when she was mad at him herself, she didn't tell him that he should be any different. Just like Splinter, Maggie accepted Raph for all that he was, faults and all. And why shouldn't she? No one in this world was perfect, including her.
Maggie had faults of her own, both those that she would admit to and those that she would deny. She knew that she could be a bit of a brat sometimes and that she could truly annoy her brothers when she wanted to. But that was a part of her personality and the job description that came with being a little sister. It was what she was, who she was, and what she was supposed to do. And Raph knew that even when he was mad at her, he wouldn't have his sister any other way.
After all, being the way she was what made her so special to him. Maggie gave Raph a different set of eyes to see the world through, an understanding that only she seemed to possess. That understanding was that of someone who still held the slightest bit of innocence in her soul and could see that people had some good in them.
But that innocence was what often led people to underestimate just how much Maggie understood of the world around her. For just every once in awhile, Raph was certain that he caught a glimpse of something burning in his sister's eyes. It was a maturity that he had no idea that she possessed. Where it came from and how she even had access to it, he had no idea. What he did know was that more than once it had helped Maggie to understand a situation better than many others.
Yet for all her understanding and hidden maturity, Maggie was still just a kid. There was still much of this world that she didn't yet comprehend and that she would have to adjust to in her own time. That was how her brothers had done before her and so many others before them.
The path to that sort of thing was littered with many obstacles. Those obstacles were often the mistakes that a person made when entering a new situation or handling something unfamiliar. That was obviously what had happened to Maggie the night before.
Which brought other thoughts to Raphael's mind. If something had happened to Maggie last night, then something had obviously happened after once everyone found out. Which led to the question of just what that was and just where his sister was now.
"So what happened to her?" Raph asked.
"As far as we know, Splinter grounded Maggie and asked Casey not to come around here for awhile," Mike shrugged.
"That's it?" Raphael said, temptingly close to feeling annoyed with his brother," That's all you know about what happened to Maggie?"
"Yeah, it is. It's all that Master Splinter would tell us," Mikey answered.
He ignored the tones that he sensed in Raph's voice. He knew that that was just his brother's normal personality poking through the effects of the alcohol he had ingested the night before. It was a good sign in a way, since it meant that he was starting to get sober again.
"Why didn't you ask about it?" Raph demanded.
Mikey just gave him a look that obviously said 'Are you kidding me?' He honestly couldn't believe that Raph would ask him such a thing. After all these years of living under Splinter's care, he really should have known what the answer would be.
"You wanna ask Sensei something when he's in a killing mood, bro? Then be my guest," Mikey snorted.
To his surprise, Raph retorted," Fine, then I will."
With a deep grunt and a great deal of effort on his part, Raphael started to push himself up and off the bed. As soon as he did so, he began to regret doing so. His body began to send immediate protests, making it clear to Raph just what it thought about what he had planned.
His arms and legs still felt like lead and were continually threatening to weigh him down. His head still felt like it was about to split in two at any second, while his stomach felt like it was already doing more flips than he had done in a lifetime. It was almost enough that he almost decided to forget going to find out about Maggie and just lying down again. But remembering what his sister had gone through for him and how she had stuck to it, Raphael ignored his impulse. Instead, he forced himself out of bed and to his feet.
During the entire operation, Mikey couldn't help but watch his brother with a mixture of surprise and only slight admiration. From the way he looked last night, he really hadn't been expecting Raph to wake up, let alone get out of bed, in the next few days. He thought, from hearing Don and Splinter talk, that he was just going to spend those days in bed battling the queasiness and disorientation that came with a hangover.
Now it seemed, that suspicion had just been proved wrong. That probably came from Raph's deeply innate sense of stubbornness and determination to get what he wanted. And right now, what he seemed to want was to get out of bed and probably out of the room.
It'll be major accomplishment if he manages to haul his shell passed the bedpost, Mikey thought wryly.
He watched as his own words were soon proven true. It took a little longer than Mikey expected, as Raph was constantly having to stop and reorient himself before he could really get anywhere. But he eventually made it to the bedpost, where he again took a few seconds to get his bearings and then started for the door.
All the while, Mikey continued to watch his progress. He made no move to aid his brother. Mikey wasn't in the mood to help someone he was holding a bit of a grudge against. If Raph wanted to go anywhere, then he was going to have to do it on his own. That was to become a feeling that was shared by his two other brothers when they finally took notice as well.
Beforehand, Leo and Don had been too caught up in their own argument to notice what their brother was up to. After awhile though, they found themselves forgetting their own differences and watching Raph with the same emotions that Mikey had been. With the exception of Leo of course, who was still glaring at his brother with the same venom as before.
"You shouldn't be up yet, Raph. You're just gonna make yourself sick again," Don warned, the doctor in him taking over the angry brother side.
"Don't care," Raphael grumbled.
"Where are you going?" Leo asked after a moment had passed and Raph had barely made any progress.
"I told Mikey already. I'm going to talk to Splinter, so I can find out about Maggie," his brother answered.
He didn't look at his brothers as he made his way to the door. That would only make him dizzy again and that would just slow him down. He didn't have time for that right now. He had to get out of here and find Splinter so that he could get the information that he wanted.
That of course, was going to take some work. Even in the state he was in, Raph knew that. He had the distinct feeling that Splinter wasn't exactly going to be happy with him at the moment and just might give his son a similar reception to the one that the other Turtles had already given to Raphael.
Before he was to find that out however, a voice called to Raph. Though he didn't want to be delayed, he turned to see who it was. It was none other than Mikey, who had been silent for the entire trip from the bed to where he was now.
"Hey Raph, before ya go, I just wanna say one more thing," Mikey replied.
"What?" Raph asked.
"If you ever get Maggie mixed up in a mess like this again, I'll be the one cleaning your clock, not Splinter or Leo. You got that?" Mikey growled quietly.
Raph was unable to hide his surprise when he heard Mikey speak to him like that. His little brother was actually threatening him? Well, that was definitely something new. He wasn't sure if he should attribute that to Michaelangelo being mad at him or if it was just his barely coherent mind playing tricks on him again.
From the way that Mikey was glaring at him, he decided that his brother was showing anger towards him instead his mind playing tricks. But that realization couldn't take away the partial shock that he was still feeling. And for a very good reason.
He wasn't used to Mikey sounding so aggressive. Usually, even when he was mad, Mikey just joked or said something in a calm voice that only came out when he was upset. It wasn't like him to just come out and show what one might call his darker side.
There had only been a few times that Raph could ever remembered his sibling acting like that in his life. Those times had usually been when another member of the family had been put in danger or Raph had just teased his brother to the point where he couldn't take it anymore. Usually, Raph could just pass that off as his brother overreacting to something.
This time though, Raph knew that he really couldn't blame his brother for being so upset with him. He knew how protective Mikey was of their younger sister. It had been that way since they had all been very young. He had always been the first one to try and protect her, even when Leo was present. And when his protective instincts were alerted, heaven help whoever was on the receiving end.
Better remember not to get on Mikey's bad side from now on, Raph thought as he left the room and his brothers behind.
A/N: *wakes up, yawning* Ah, nice to finally be able to get a good nap. That means I might stay awake long enough to finish up the next chapter so you guys can find out what happens next to the shellhead known as Raphael. I'll tell ya this much, it is NOT gonna be pretty. Splinter is gonna kick some serious turtle shell before things go too much farther. Can't say that I blame him too much though, especially after what Maggie and Raph have put him through.
Leo: *jumps behind the recliner, Poopsie hopping into the room* Streetwyse, I'm begging you, CALL HIM OFF! PLEASE!!!!
*glances back at Leo* And why should I do that? It's your own fault that you're in this mess, not mine. After all, you're the one bothered me when you knew I was taking a break.
Leo: *cringes as Poopsie gets closer* I swear on my honor as a ninja that I won't ever bother you like that again. Please, just call Poopsie off! I can't take the singing anymore. It's driving me nuts!
*shrugs* Okay, but you better remember that or else I'm gonna chain you two together for life in one of my other fics, Leonardo. Poopsie, go bother Rage for awhile. I think he's napping in the basement.
Poopsie: *sugary sweet smile* Okay, Streetwyse. Bye-bye Mr. Turtle-wurtle. I had fun, so let's play again.
Leo: *shudders as Poopsie hops away* You're evil, you know that, don't you, Streetwyse? Streetwyse? Oh, not again. -.-;
*asleep* ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
A/N: *sits in recliner* Hey everyone. Sorry it took so long to get an update, I just wanted to take a break from writing for awhile.
Leo: That's still no excuse to leave everyone hanging like that, Streetwyse. I bet they really wanted to know what happened to Raph after you had us carry him off while Master Splinter dealt with Maggie and Casey.
*glances at Leo* I had a feeling you'd bother me about that. So I got a little security measure to make sure you'd leave me alone.
Leo: And what's that? You're gonna sic Maggie on me again? Sorry, but that's getting a little old, Streetwyse. You're going to have to come up with something a bit more original than my little sister.
Oh, I know that. Besides, why bother with Maggie when I have something even Splinter's scared of?
Leo: *looks slightly nervous* What could you have that could possibly scare Master Splinter?
*whistles* POOPSIE!
Poopsie: *unnaturally cute pink and white bunny with blue dishpan sized eyes appears* Hiya! I'm Poopsie the Indestructible Bunny. Wanna be my friend, Mr. Turtle-wurtle? We could share our toys and take turns and sings happy songs. All the fun-fun stuff that makes the world go round!
Leo: *screams and runs out with Poopsie hopping after him* STREETWYSE!!!!!! GET THIS THING AWAY FROM ME!
*already sound asleep* ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Chapter 8: You're an idiot
There was no description in the world that could accurately illustrate what he was feeling right now. All at once, inside and out, it felt as if every part of him was made of lead and weighed a ton. And that felt like it would weigh him down forever, keeping him locked in place even if he wanted to move about. Which he didn't, since it would just be a mistake that would make him feel worse.
Opening his eyes turned out to be another mistake when he tried accomplishing that. Not only was the world around him too bright, but everything was fuzzy and out of place. This sight made him dizzy and caused his stomach to feel queasier than before. Even more so when he realized that there was a distinct shape moving his way.
His eyes attempted to focus on the shape, but the image remained blurred. All that he could reasonably make out was a large blob of green with bits of orange interspersed in different areas. It took a few seconds, but these colors and their placement eventually registered in Raph's mind.
He recognized these as signs that his brother Michaelangelo had joined him. But that was about as much as his brain was willing to register. Anything else was just too much for his torpid mind to handle and just fell short of being recognized.
Michaelangelo on the other hand, had no such troubles. He was perfectly capable of recognizing his brother and more. He could see that his brother was just barely awake and that he wasn't fully capable of perceiving the world around him. Something he was going to use to his full advantage while he was there.
"Well, well. Look who finally decided to wake up," Mikey replied dryly.
Raph just grumbled something in Mikey's general direction as he tried to bury his head under a pillow. He really didn't want to listen to anything Mikey might have to say. Not while his head felt like it was about to split open any minute. Hearing his voice just made it feel worse.
And it continued to do so, as Mikey had no intention of leaving his brother to suffer through his 'pain' alone. Far from it. In fact, he intended to stay right where he was and continue to talk. He was going to let Raph know exactly what he felt right now, whether his brother wanted to hear it or not.
"You know, I really thought that you were gonna end up sleeping for a couple of days from the way you were snoring," Mikey continued.
From beneath his pillow, Raph grumbled a second time at Mikey's words. What they were was lost on the other Turtle, as they were completely muffled thanks to the pillow covering his head. But that really didn't matter, since Mikey already had a good idea of what his sibling was trying to tell him. Not that he really cared, as he wasn't going anywhere, anytime soon. He was planning on staying right where he was.
Though he didn't know it, that plan turned out to work for both parties. Despite his headache, Raph had finally decided to give up on trying to get Mikey to shut up. Even as clogged as his brain felt right now, he knew how stubborn his younger brother could be. Once Mikey set a goal for himself, no matter how miniscule it might seem, he wouldn't let anything get in his way. Even an irate and greatly disoriented brother who was caught between throwing something at him or just going back to sleep.
Of course, doing either of those things wouldn't have been very easy for Raph to accomplish if he had chosen to go through with them. Throwing something at Mikey involved being able to move and coordinate at the same time, neither of which he could pull off right now. And as for falling asleep, thanks to his headache, that really wasn't possible either.
So he was left with the option of just lying there and letting Mikey continue whatever jabbing he wanted to do. It was certainly easier to handle than the other two and didn't require any effort on his part. Which was actually a good deal, since his head and body still protested if he did anything else.
Raph was so caught up in his internal debate, that he never noticed that he and Mikey were no longer alone. When Leo and Donnie had shown up too, Raph had no idea. Not that he really cared to begin with. He was still more concerned about making his headache go away than worry about what his brothers were doing in his room. But it might have helped if he had forgotten that for just a moment.
If he had, then he would have noticed the dark looks that the newcomers were sending his way. The ones that Don was sending were moderate at best, since he was trying to keep himself calm for now. The ones being sent by Leo however, those were a different story.
These were among the most scornful that the blue-bandanna wearer had ever been able to muster. In his eyes were reflected the disbelief and outrage that came from knowing what his brother's actions had led to. But there was also the knowledge of what could have been and that only helped to fuel the emotions burning inside of him.
Eventually, Raph did realize that Leo was glaring at him from across the room. How long his brother had been there or even when he had entered was something Raph neither knew nor cared about. He just knew that Leonardo was staring at him and that that was starting to get on his nerves.
"What are you staring at?" Raph grumbled.
Leonardo didn't answer his brother at first. Instead, he just stood there, glaring at Raph with such intensity that it could have easily burned holes right through his fellow Turtle. But this went entirely unnoticed by Raphael, who had turned his attention away from Leo to getting the remaining crust from his eyes.
"I hope that you're satisfied with yourself. You've really gotten Maggie into a mess this time, Raphael," Leonardo finally growled.
Two things caught Raph's attention at that point. One was the tone that Leonardo used. Even when he was mad at Raph, it wasn't like him to growl like a predator about to make a kill. Instead, he usually just took on that annoying 'Sensei's Pet' tone, the one that made him sound so much like Splinter, added in a touch of anger, and then would use that to either bore Raph to death or drive him to snapping back at his brother. Though most of the time, his reaction was more of a cross between the two instead of one alone.
The second thing was that he had mentioned something happening to Maggie. No matter what state his mind was in, if someone mentioned trouble and Maggie's name in the same sentence, that always set alarms off in Raphael's head. If anything serious happened to the girl, then that was definitely worth his attention.
Ignoring the wave of dizziness that hit him when he moved his head, Raph turned in Leo's direction. He tried to focus on his brother more to better understand what he was staying, but it was too hard for him. So he just settled for the blur that now represented Leo and left it at that.
"What does Maggie have to do with anything?" Raphael grumbled irritably.
"She's got everything to do with it, Raphael," Leonardo snapped," She could have been really hurt last night and it was all because you were acting like an idiot. I can't believe you would do something like this."
His tone was becoming dangerous now and it was apparent that Leo was desperately fighting to keep control of himself. But oh, how hard it was for him to accomplish that task. If there was one thing that he really wanted to do right now, it was to just let go and really give Raphael what he deserved right now. That would have been so nice for Leo to do.
At the same time though, he knew that such a thing was nearly impossible. Leonardo had been taught his entire life to keep control of his emotions and not to let them take control of him in times of crisis. During times like that, he needed to keep a cool head so that he would be able to act in his top form and be able to do what was necessary.
Still, it would have felt so good just to forget all that and to let Raphael have what he really deserved. Not only would it be teaching his idiot brother a lesson, but it would make Leo feel better too. Unfortunately for him, that was not to be the case. Even if might not have been earned, there was someone looking out for Raph at the moment.
That someone was none other than Donatello. Since his arrival, he had been silent and just watched Raph lying practically prone in his bed. He had no intention of speaking to his sibling at the moment since he knew that he really wouldn't get an intelligent response and he was still just too mad at him for all this.
When he saw the way that Leo was acting however, Don decided that it might be better to rethink his plan of silence. It wasn't going to help matters if his eldest brother went crazy on them. Nor would it change anything, since everything had already happened.
"Just calm down, Leo. You're gonna blow right out of your shell if you keep this up," Don warned from his corner.
Leonardo just glared at his brother for that. He was in no mood for someone else to try and talk reason to him. Right now, despite himself, all he wanted to do was to allow his emotions to break the control that he normally held over them and let loose completely. And the one he wanted to let his fury loose on was Raphael.
No matter how much might have wanted that to happen though, it wasn't meant to be. Even if he wasn't in the mood to, Donatello once again seemed to come to his erring brother's rescue. He was just as upset with him as Leo was, but he was being more controlled about the matter. Don knew that it might have felt good to give Raph the knockdown he deserved, but it wouldn't make things better.
If anything, it would only make matters worse. If Leo started going off on Raph, then that was bound to attract unwanted attention from Splinter. And if Splinter came in, then they were all going to be in for it, not just Raphael.
Even if he was angry with his son, Splinter had made it very clear to the others that they weren't to take punishing him into their own hands. As their Sensei and parent, that was his job. He was the one that set the rules for the youngsters to follow and live by. To forget that and to try to take justice into one's own hands would end up bringing the wrath of the rat down upon them once he found out.
Having lived through that fate more than once in his life, Donatello was in no mood to repeat the experience. He was going to make certain that Splinter's instructions were followed even if it killed him. Which might just happen if he managed to be the one getting on Leo's bad side instead of Raph. But it was a chance that he was willing to take if it meant to avoid Splinter's anger.
"Look, I'm upset with what happened too, Leo. We all are, but that doesn't mean we have to go ballistic about it," Don said, moving closer to his brother just in case he did lose control.
"My baby sister was alone on the surface in the middle of the night with just one human to protect her if there was trouble. She could have been hurt or worse if the Foot had found them. How else am I supposed to react, Donatello?" Leonardo demanded angrily.
They started arguing after that about Maggie's safety and who was supposed to be responsible for taking care of her. It soon became a blur to Raphael, who's hangover headache seemed to have tripled in the last few moments thanks to all the noise around him. He tried to concentrate on easing that before moving onto anything else. But it turned out to be a waste of time, as his headache had no intention of lessening anytime soon.
"Could someone please tell me what he's been yakkin' about?" Raph eventually asked.
He really didn't expect an answer from anyone. His voice had been so low that it didn't seem like anyone would hear him. For the most part, this was true. Leo and Don were so wrapped up in their argument that they didn't have hear what their brother said even if it had been in a normal tone. But that didn't mean it went entirely unheard.
Despite the low tones his brother was using, Michaelangelo heard what Raphael said. He really didn't want the task of explaining what was going on to his brother, but he knew that there wasn't much choice. With Leo and Don so occupied with arguing, there was certainly no one else present to give out answers.
How come I'm always the one who has to clean up the messes Raph makes when no one else will? Mikey thought, having no clue that his sister had been thinking the same thing the night before.
And just like his sister, this wouldn't be the first time that he would have to explain something that came from his brother's mistakes. He had done so many times over the years when Splinter wasn't present and no one else was willing to talk to Raph at the moment. Unlike the other times though, where he was either tolerant or sympathetic, Mikey was feeling nothing but outrage as he prepared to answer Raph's questions.
He honestly thought that this occurrence was one of the dumbest things that his brother had ever done. And the fact that their little sister had been roped into finding him while everyone else remained oblivious to the situation really didn't help matters. In fact, it really made the normally easy-going Turtle feel like bashing his thick-skulled brother's head in. But even with these feelings of violence brewing in his head, that didn't mean that Mike would withhold the answers that Raphael was asking for.
"Casey came here last night and talked Maggie into helping him track you down after you and he got separated at that bar," Mike explained," She went with him and then helped him bring you back here after they found you drunk and lying around the old sewer den."
Dumbfounded, Raph said slowly," You're kidding, right?"
"Not on your life, bro," Mike said, shaking his head," They were gone for most of the night and no one even knew where they were until Splinter caught them coming in about 4 this morning."
"But.But Maggie's a good kid, Mikey. She doesn't just go off without telling someone where she's goin'. That's not like her," Raph protested.
Which was true enough as far as Raphael was concerned. Though she was nowhere near being a perfect student and child like Leo was so often portrayed, Maggie was still one of the better-behaved kids in the family. She hardly ever got into trouble the way her brothers did. She was the one that did what Splinter told her and obeyed the rules like a daughter was taught to do.
"Well, she did this time," his brother responded," And its because Casey asked for her help to find you and no one else's."
Hearing all this brought two emotions out in Raph once the information had a chance to soak in. Part of him was grateful to Casey for finding someone to help out and to make sure that he had gotten home in one piece after getting drunk. He was glad that there was someone to watch his back when he wasn't able to. But the other side of him was furious at his human friend for putting Magnolia into possible danger and wanted to go bust him in the face for doing something like that. If they had run into the Shredder's goons while they were out on the search, then neither Maggie nor Casey would have stood much of a chance.
Damn, no wonder Leo wants my head on a platter, Raph thought ruefully, Maggie could've gotten into real trouble 'cause of me. Well, more trouble than she already has.
Which could be considered true enough. Even at thirteen, Maggie had her share of problems in life. Not only was she the only girl in a family of boys, but the only female friend that she could relate to was nearly a decade older than she was. Plus, there was the constant training as a warrior and never being able to hang out with people her own age to consider.
This was definitely enough to put a strain on anyone. But for a kid Maggie's age, it was enough that sometimes it seemed for certain that she would crack under the pressure. And if someone like Maggie did give into the pressure, there was any number of disasters that can happen. Those were possibilities that Raph wouldn't wish on anyone or would want to even think about when it came to Maggie.
His little sister could be a major pain in the shell sometimes. She might stick her nose into his business when it wasn't her place to do so or get him into trouble for something that he may or may not have been responsible for. Plus, there were all the secrets she had gathered over the years about Raph and the other Turtles.
That information included everything from embarrassing childhood moments they had thought forgotten by everyone but themselves to crimes they had been at recently. Whatever it might be, it was something that Maggie could easily use to blackmail someone with. And when it came to blackmailing, Maggie never did anything lightly and used her gathered tidbits to go for the big prizes.
Despite how much of a pain Maggie could be, Raphael did care a great deal for his younger sibling's wellbeing. She was someone that he knew could be counted on to keep a secret or to offer him an understanding ear if he ever needed to talk with someone. Even when he acted like an idiot, she didn't jump to conclusions about anything until she heard everything that had happened.
She accepted Raphael for what he was, faults and all. Even when she was mad at him herself, she didn't tell him that he should be any different. Just like Splinter, Maggie accepted Raph for all that he was, faults and all. And why shouldn't she? No one in this world was perfect, including her.
Maggie had faults of her own, both those that she would admit to and those that she would deny. She knew that she could be a bit of a brat sometimes and that she could truly annoy her brothers when she wanted to. But that was a part of her personality and the job description that came with being a little sister. It was what she was, who she was, and what she was supposed to do. And Raph knew that even when he was mad at her, he wouldn't have his sister any other way.
After all, being the way she was what made her so special to him. Maggie gave Raph a different set of eyes to see the world through, an understanding that only she seemed to possess. That understanding was that of someone who still held the slightest bit of innocence in her soul and could see that people had some good in them.
But that innocence was what often led people to underestimate just how much Maggie understood of the world around her. For just every once in awhile, Raph was certain that he caught a glimpse of something burning in his sister's eyes. It was a maturity that he had no idea that she possessed. Where it came from and how she even had access to it, he had no idea. What he did know was that more than once it had helped Maggie to understand a situation better than many others.
Yet for all her understanding and hidden maturity, Maggie was still just a kid. There was still much of this world that she didn't yet comprehend and that she would have to adjust to in her own time. That was how her brothers had done before her and so many others before them.
The path to that sort of thing was littered with many obstacles. Those obstacles were often the mistakes that a person made when entering a new situation or handling something unfamiliar. That was obviously what had happened to Maggie the night before.
Which brought other thoughts to Raphael's mind. If something had happened to Maggie last night, then something had obviously happened after once everyone found out. Which led to the question of just what that was and just where his sister was now.
"So what happened to her?" Raph asked.
"As far as we know, Splinter grounded Maggie and asked Casey not to come around here for awhile," Mike shrugged.
"That's it?" Raphael said, temptingly close to feeling annoyed with his brother," That's all you know about what happened to Maggie?"
"Yeah, it is. It's all that Master Splinter would tell us," Mikey answered.
He ignored the tones that he sensed in Raph's voice. He knew that that was just his brother's normal personality poking through the effects of the alcohol he had ingested the night before. It was a good sign in a way, since it meant that he was starting to get sober again.
"Why didn't you ask about it?" Raph demanded.
Mikey just gave him a look that obviously said 'Are you kidding me?' He honestly couldn't believe that Raph would ask him such a thing. After all these years of living under Splinter's care, he really should have known what the answer would be.
"You wanna ask Sensei something when he's in a killing mood, bro? Then be my guest," Mikey snorted.
To his surprise, Raph retorted," Fine, then I will."
With a deep grunt and a great deal of effort on his part, Raphael started to push himself up and off the bed. As soon as he did so, he began to regret doing so. His body began to send immediate protests, making it clear to Raph just what it thought about what he had planned.
His arms and legs still felt like lead and were continually threatening to weigh him down. His head still felt like it was about to split in two at any second, while his stomach felt like it was already doing more flips than he had done in a lifetime. It was almost enough that he almost decided to forget going to find out about Maggie and just lying down again. But remembering what his sister had gone through for him and how she had stuck to it, Raphael ignored his impulse. Instead, he forced himself out of bed and to his feet.
During the entire operation, Mikey couldn't help but watch his brother with a mixture of surprise and only slight admiration. From the way he looked last night, he really hadn't been expecting Raph to wake up, let alone get out of bed, in the next few days. He thought, from hearing Don and Splinter talk, that he was just going to spend those days in bed battling the queasiness and disorientation that came with a hangover.
Now it seemed, that suspicion had just been proved wrong. That probably came from Raph's deeply innate sense of stubbornness and determination to get what he wanted. And right now, what he seemed to want was to get out of bed and probably out of the room.
It'll be major accomplishment if he manages to haul his shell passed the bedpost, Mikey thought wryly.
He watched as his own words were soon proven true. It took a little longer than Mikey expected, as Raph was constantly having to stop and reorient himself before he could really get anywhere. But he eventually made it to the bedpost, where he again took a few seconds to get his bearings and then started for the door.
All the while, Mikey continued to watch his progress. He made no move to aid his brother. Mikey wasn't in the mood to help someone he was holding a bit of a grudge against. If Raph wanted to go anywhere, then he was going to have to do it on his own. That was to become a feeling that was shared by his two other brothers when they finally took notice as well.
Beforehand, Leo and Don had been too caught up in their own argument to notice what their brother was up to. After awhile though, they found themselves forgetting their own differences and watching Raph with the same emotions that Mikey had been. With the exception of Leo of course, who was still glaring at his brother with the same venom as before.
"You shouldn't be up yet, Raph. You're just gonna make yourself sick again," Don warned, the doctor in him taking over the angry brother side.
"Don't care," Raphael grumbled.
"Where are you going?" Leo asked after a moment had passed and Raph had barely made any progress.
"I told Mikey already. I'm going to talk to Splinter, so I can find out about Maggie," his brother answered.
He didn't look at his brothers as he made his way to the door. That would only make him dizzy again and that would just slow him down. He didn't have time for that right now. He had to get out of here and find Splinter so that he could get the information that he wanted.
That of course, was going to take some work. Even in the state he was in, Raph knew that. He had the distinct feeling that Splinter wasn't exactly going to be happy with him at the moment and just might give his son a similar reception to the one that the other Turtles had already given to Raphael.
Before he was to find that out however, a voice called to Raph. Though he didn't want to be delayed, he turned to see who it was. It was none other than Mikey, who had been silent for the entire trip from the bed to where he was now.
"Hey Raph, before ya go, I just wanna say one more thing," Mikey replied.
"What?" Raph asked.
"If you ever get Maggie mixed up in a mess like this again, I'll be the one cleaning your clock, not Splinter or Leo. You got that?" Mikey growled quietly.
Raph was unable to hide his surprise when he heard Mikey speak to him like that. His little brother was actually threatening him? Well, that was definitely something new. He wasn't sure if he should attribute that to Michaelangelo being mad at him or if it was just his barely coherent mind playing tricks on him again.
From the way that Mikey was glaring at him, he decided that his brother was showing anger towards him instead his mind playing tricks. But that realization couldn't take away the partial shock that he was still feeling. And for a very good reason.
He wasn't used to Mikey sounding so aggressive. Usually, even when he was mad, Mikey just joked or said something in a calm voice that only came out when he was upset. It wasn't like him to just come out and show what one might call his darker side.
There had only been a few times that Raph could ever remembered his sibling acting like that in his life. Those times had usually been when another member of the family had been put in danger or Raph had just teased his brother to the point where he couldn't take it anymore. Usually, Raph could just pass that off as his brother overreacting to something.
This time though, Raph knew that he really couldn't blame his brother for being so upset with him. He knew how protective Mikey was of their younger sister. It had been that way since they had all been very young. He had always been the first one to try and protect her, even when Leo was present. And when his protective instincts were alerted, heaven help whoever was on the receiving end.
Better remember not to get on Mikey's bad side from now on, Raph thought as he left the room and his brothers behind.
A/N: *wakes up, yawning* Ah, nice to finally be able to get a good nap. That means I might stay awake long enough to finish up the next chapter so you guys can find out what happens next to the shellhead known as Raphael. I'll tell ya this much, it is NOT gonna be pretty. Splinter is gonna kick some serious turtle shell before things go too much farther. Can't say that I blame him too much though, especially after what Maggie and Raph have put him through.
Leo: *jumps behind the recliner, Poopsie hopping into the room* Streetwyse, I'm begging you, CALL HIM OFF! PLEASE!!!!
*glances back at Leo* And why should I do that? It's your own fault that you're in this mess, not mine. After all, you're the one bothered me when you knew I was taking a break.
Leo: *cringes as Poopsie gets closer* I swear on my honor as a ninja that I won't ever bother you like that again. Please, just call Poopsie off! I can't take the singing anymore. It's driving me nuts!
*shrugs* Okay, but you better remember that or else I'm gonna chain you two together for life in one of my other fics, Leonardo. Poopsie, go bother Rage for awhile. I think he's napping in the basement.
Poopsie: *sugary sweet smile* Okay, Streetwyse. Bye-bye Mr. Turtle-wurtle. I had fun, so let's play again.
Leo: *shudders as Poopsie hops away* You're evil, you know that, don't you, Streetwyse? Streetwyse? Oh, not again. -.-;
*asleep* ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ