Author's Note - Wow! Reviews already! I'm SO chuffed -- thank you very much! grins And yes, this is a pre-teen fic. These guys are about eight years old.

Earlier that day...

That had HURT. Donatello picked himself up gingerly, unable to hide the fact that he was shaking all over. He held his right hand in his left, cradling it against his plastron and biting his bottom lip in a failing attempt to keep the tears back. His brothers and Master hurried round him.

"Let me see, Donatello." Master Splinter's presence was calming as he pried the hurt hand away and began gently bending and twisting it to check for damage. Don felt his brothers' gazes as though they were a physical thing; Leo concerned, Mike sympathetic, Raph… kind of triumphant. He kept his own gaze on the floor and tried to steady his breathing. He was NOT going to cry in front of all of them.

"It is only bruised, my son. It will feel a lot better when you have soaked it in cold water." Master Splinter's voice was tender and comforting, but Don failed to find any comfort… it was even more shameful to be reacting like this over "only" a bruise. And it still hurt. A lot. It throbbed and every movement made it hurt still more. Raph had certainly caught him squarely with his bokken … and managed to follow up by throwing him flat on his back.

He nodded at Master Splinter in response to the rat releasing his hand and giving him a questioning look, but didn't trust himself to speak yet. The others were all still watching and they'd never let him forget it if he cried. He KNEW he was being a baby about this, but his hand hurt and they'd all beaten him and Raph was smirking and all in all it had been a very, very bad practice.

Pulling himself together -- despite the shaking and the throbbing in his hand and the hot feeling behind his eyes -- he managed to stand straight and bow to Raphael. His brother was apparently having a hard time trying to hide his satisfaction. Don felt his face burn.

"You fought well, Raphael," Don heard the Master say, just a touch of warning in his voice, "but I would like you to acknowledge your partner." He watched Raph bow back to him… if you could call the grudging bobbing of his head a bow. Then all four of them together stood, turned and bowed to the Master and to the Hamato family shrine.

Ritual over, with his hand still throbbing and still biting his lower lip, Don left with Splinter to get his injury sorted out, hearing -- almost FEELING -- his brothers' whispers building behind him.

It HAD been one of the worst lessons, worst practices of ALL TIME, Don reflected as he sat quietly soaking his hand in a bowl of cold water some minutes later. He tried to distract himself by concentrating on how red his knuckles were and the tiny seep of blood into the water from where the skin had split… Raph had certain caught him a good one. He sniffled and bit into the fleshy part of his other thumb. He was NOT going to cry.

Splinter had been very nice about it really… all things considered. He had patted him on the shoulder and reminded him that they all had bad days. But that was no consolation. He knew that he was best at spelling and best at reading and best at math… and best at stealth and only Leo could beat him at tracking. But none of that solved the big problem. The REAL problem.

It was more than just ONE bad day. It was the worst in a long line of bad days and bad lessons and bad sparring practices. The only reason Leo hadn't beaten him in two seconds was the fact that he kept giving him chances… which was worse than Raph giving him a thorough beating. He… he was just NO good at this stuff. He wasn't just the worst of the four of them, he was probably the worst EVER.

Stealth just meant moving slowly and quietly… and he'd known for a long time that he was the quietest of his brothers… and tracking was EASY when Raph and Mikey were so poor at stealth. So being good at that didn't really mean anything. Nor, really, did being good at book-y stuff. Ninjutsu wasn't ABOUT spelling or reading or math.

Ninjutsu was about FIGHTING.And he hated fighting. He hated sparring. He hated weapons. He didn't even like it when his brothers QUARRELLED. And so he wasn't any good at any of that stuff and as his brothers gained in skill, it was becoming more and more clear how much he was lacking skill. And the worst thing of all was that he KNEW it was only going to get worse.

Master Splinter said over and over that no-one could be good at everything and that he'd learn in his own time -- just as his brothers would learn the spellings and math and things HE found so easy, in time. He said it never mattered who won or lost when they sparred and that he was not keeping scores… but it DID matter. And Leo and Raph kept scores.

He was losing himself in a long list of I'm worst's and bringing himself closer and closer to tears when he noticed that all three of his brothers had crowded over to the infirmary area to see how he was doing. It took one or two big sniffs before he brought himself back under control.

Mikey scooted up on the bench next to him and place a hand on his shoulder. Don was just about able to muster a smile before putting his own good hand on top of Mikey's and resting his hot cheek on their joined hands. Mikey was like that. Always the first to show sympathy when any of them were hurt or sick, or in trouble. It DID comfort him a little bit.

"So, Donnie, d'you think you'll EVER learn to wield a bokken?" Raph's question instantly made comfort fizzle up and disappear.

D'you think you'll EVER learn to read? It was a ready answer, but there was no WAY he could use it. For one, Raph was touchy about his difficulties in that department and Raph tended to lose his temper and start fights over the things he was touchy about… and for two he didn't actually WANT to hurt his brother's feelings. Besides… Raph COULD sort of read, in a kind of hesitating, getting lots of words wrong way… which was better than HE was managing with bokken practice. Instead, he said nothing.

"You were bested three out of three!" He KNEW that Mikey didn't mean anything spiteful by that, he was just surprised at how quickly and easily and TOTALLY he'd been defeated, but it still hurt.

"Did you even TRY to fight?" Leo looked so puzzled. He was so good at all the ninja stuff himself, he always got confused when one of them didn't get it.

"Guys. Please. Don't." He hated himself for the way his voice cracked. Please don't let Raph pick up on that. When in doubt, resort to logic. "We can't all be good at the same things."

"I'm strongest. Mikey's fastest…"

"And Leo's best-est!" He knew that Mikey knew that wasn't a word… but words not being real words never stopped Mikey if he felt they were the RIGHT word.

Raph's glare suggested that not only did he not like Mikey's interruption, he didn't agree with it either, but he continued, "What are you, Donnie?"

"Cleverest." Don managed to keep his voice steady -- if very quiet -- for that reply. It wasn't boasting -- it was just fact. He'd been the first to know all the multiplication tables and had whizzed through long division -- Splinter made up math questions just for him now; and he could read his "Book of Answers" and the dictionary and was always learning new stuff. Learning was fun as far as he was concerned. Raph still got stuck on "Seven times…" and his spelling and handwriting were as bad as his reading.

"He's best at stealth stuff, too," added Leo, and Don grinned at his brother in thanks for the support.

"Yeah!" Mikey picked up on the idea with enthusiasm, "He's the invisible-est!"

Don groaned at another invented word and saw Leo and Raph exchange a glance that said that they both found "Mikey-isms" irritating.

"Don?" Leo began, "you ARE really good at moving quietly and hiding… and you ARE really good at reading and things… but you CAN'T fight. And I've offered to help you and you don't want it… and I think it's serious. What HAPPENED today?"

Don shook off Mikey's hand and shrugged, careful to hold the bowl so that the water didn't spill. He stared at the water as he whispered, "I don't WANT to fight. Any of you. Not even in sparring."

"But WHY?" Raph sounded shocked. "Sparring's the best bit. It's FUN!"

"It's not fun when people get hurt." Don glanced quickly up at Raph before looking away again. Mikey gasped and clapped his hand over his mouth. He took his hands away from his face slowly, then snuggled even closer to Don and began rubbing his shoulder.

"Don?" Mikey's voice was quiet for once, tender and secretive. "Is this about that first time? With the hanbo?"

Don heard the others reacting, but he didn't listen to either of them. He winced at the memory from years before that still had the power to upset him, which was STILL the first thing that came to mind in connection with sparring.

The first time, the very first time, Master Splinter had ever allowed him to use a weapon in sparring, he'd been terrified because he'd been paired with Raph. Raph was aggressive. Raph was violent. Raph was liable to forget his training halfway through and start brawling… and even though Master Splinter stopped things if they got out of hand, Raph had the power to frighten him, even then. They'd only been little kids.

He'd been doing one of his favourite katas -- just as practice, a warm-up, a way of reminding himself that he DID know a lot of good moves. Raph had been jibing him, telling him how quickly the bout would be over, all that sort of stuff… and Raph had gotten too close and when he'd wielded the hanbo with a flourish, he'd clouted Raph on the back of the head.

THAT wouldn't have been too bad on its own -- the ends of the hanbo were padded -- but he'd knocked Raph off balance and Raph had head-butted the wall. Hard. Raph had ended up with a lump on his head the size of a pigeon's egg and a concussion… he'd lost CONSCIOUSNESS… He could have given his own brother brain damage… and sometimes in their book-work lessons, he worried that he HAD.

Master Splinter had said they should use it as a lesson of how dangerous even practice weapons could be and why they had to obey the rules when training and sparring. He'd taken THAT to heart.

He glanced up to see all his brothers staring at him and nodded, smiling apologetically.

"Don?" Raph was the first to speak and his tone and the expression on his face made it clear that he didn't get it. "We've all got hurt in practice sessions before. It happens. Is that what you're scared of?"

"Who says he's scared of ANYTHING!" Mikey was quick to jump to his defence.

"He's scared. Did you see his face when he was sparring with me? He didn't even defend himself. An' Leo left him loads of openings an' he never used any of 'em!"

"That's enough, Raph. You wouldn't be doing this if Master Splinter was here."

Don sat silently. It HURT to have it all said aloud, but he had no defence. It was all true.

"Why's that, Leonardo?" Funny how Raph only ever uses any of our full names when he's angry."I'm only sayin' the truth. You an' me an' Mikey have all mastered loads of katas and stuff. An' we're gettin' real good with the training weapons and sparrin' and stuff. Splinter was even talkin' about gettin' us started on the REAL weapons…"

"Bokken ARE real weapons, baka." Leo interrupted Raph's rant.

"No! I mean STEEL, not wood. An' Donatello's ruinin' it fer all of us, 'cause he's so slow and so useless at all of it…"

"And you didn't ruin the lesson on meditation by falling asleep and snoring?"

Mikey had to turn his snort of laughter into a cough at Raph's glare. Don hid his own grin by ducking his head.

"An' it's gonna be really important in battle that we all sit there and concentrate on bein' quiet an' breathing slowly an' thinkin' about concentratin' on nothin' or somethin'. But what good is Don gonna be in battle if he can't even SPAR? What IS he in the Clan, Leo?" Raph rounded on Don, "What ARE you, Donnie?"

"Cleverest." He said it a bit louder this time. Then slowly and carefully he put the bowl of water down on the bench beside him and stood up to face Raphael, noting with satisfaction that if he stood really straight he could actually look DOWN on his brother. "And tallest." His voice grew stronger. "And stealthiest."

"Lot of good any of that is gonna do you in a fight." Raph balled both fists and rounded his shoulders, emphasising his bulk and making his muscles stand out. Considering that none of them had their full growth yet, Don had to admit it was a pretty impressive display… and more than a little bit intimidating.

"What would you do if we was attacked, Donnie? Stealth your way into hiding and leave the rest of us to do your fighting for you?"

Don met Raph's eyes. "We wouldn't have to fight yet, anyway. We're too young. Master Splinter would protect us."

"Master Splinter ain't here all the time, is he? What if a human got inside the lair while he was out? Or what if a whole gang of humans attacked while you were topside with Splinter or somethin'? Ain't you gonna want to be able to help him fight 'em off? You don't even WANT to be able to fight, looks like to me. All you want is books an' broken topside stuff so's you can take it apart and try to fix it. What good is that? What's gonna happen in a real fight if you freeze like you did just there?"

"Raph. Stop it." Leo was trying to push his way between the pair of them. It looked like Raph was heading for a fight with someone soon.

Don shook his head. It wasn't going to be with him. "It's okay, Leo," he said, surprised by how calm his voice sounded. "If we were invaded in the lair while Master Splinter was out, I'd do exactly what he TRAINED us to do, Raph. Get out the back door and into the tunnels as fast as I could. And if Master Splinter and I were attacked while we were topside, he wouldn't NEED my help. He is a MASTER, Raphael." He carefully picked up the bowl and turned to go, anxious to get away from Raphael while he was in this mood.

"Coward."

Don froze as the word hit him with the full force of Raph's venom. "I'm not a coward."

"Prove it then. Fight me. Now."

"We're not allowed to fight outside of practice." Don hoped that his voice didn't show his dread of Raph attacking him. Instead he kept his back turned and began walking again, headed across the lair to put the bowl away. Splinter had been right. His hand did feel better -- kind of numb, but better.

"'We're not allowed to fight outside of practice.'" Raph put on a silly squeaky voice. Don KNEW he didn't sound like that. "Come on. Show me what yer made of!"

"Raph, please stop."

"Donnie's right -- we're not supposed to fight."

"I called him a coward. He should want to fight me, to… to defend his honour." Raph darted in front of Don and slapped his face. Water slopped out the bowl onto the floor.

Don bit his lip. That had stung but he was NOT going to let Raph provoke him. "I'm best at keeping my temper, too. And that's very important. A cool head wins more battles than a hot one. Master Splinter says so." He looked behind Raph and saw Master Splinter in the kitchen area. He smiled.

"Good for you, Donnie!" Leo clapped him on his carapace. It spilt more of the water, but Don didn't care. He turned to Leo and grinned at the support.

"What are you smiling about, Coward?" Slap. "Fight me!" Slap.

"I'll fight you!" Don flinched as Leo physically pushed Raph out of the way. "You stop taunting Donnie right now."

Don looked away, hating to watch as his brothers squared up for a fight. Mikey caught his look and shrugged, mouthing, "They are BOTH bakas."

They were both fools because before either one of them could land a blow, Master Splinter had physically separated them, saying, "Leonardo! Raphael! What are you doing? I have told you before about fighting. Do I waste my breath?"

Leo's gaze hit the floor and he shuffled his feet. "No Master, but Raph said…"

"It is what I say that is the rule, Leonardo."

Don knew how much Leo hated being in any kind of trouble. "It wasn't Leo's fault, Master Splinter. Raph was trying to pick a fight with me. Leo was only trying to get him off my shell."

Leo flashed him a small smile of thanks.

The rat sighed. "Leonardo. You know the rule. Twenty push-ups." Leo dropped at once. "Raphael, for instigating -- starting -- this fight, you will give me thirty. Now." Then, as Raph opened his mouth. "Thirty-five. I am waiting ."

Even Raph had to realise that answering back when Splinter was already angry was a bad move. He dropped to the floor, but not before he'd muttered "Tattle-tail" at Don and shot him an evil look. Don pretended not to notice, but Raph's words lodged in his brain. Coward. What use WAS he?