Disclaimer: See any of my previous SEVEN disclaimers in previous chapters. If I owned 'em, you'd know. Why? 'Cause I'd be on here gloating.

Thanks to FF Demon, coldsunshin, Pi90katana, Tewi, Dierdre and BubblyShell22 for reviewing Chapter Seven.

And special thanks to these authors, who never fail to review each chapter and have helped so much with my desire to continue this story.

And now without further ado, I give you…Chapter Eight.

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It took very little time for the turtles and Splinter to prepare to leave. Seeing as how they couldn't bring much to April's, the most they had to gather up was Don's medical supplies, and the odd comic book, courtesy of Mikey. Meanwhile, Splinter insisted that Leo lie down in order to have as much energy as possible for the journey back home.

Leo, of course, was less than fond of this idea.

"But Master Splinter," he objected as his sensei forced him onto the couch, "I don't really need to lie down. We'll have to leave soon anyway, so it'd be a waste of time for me to get all situated just to have to get up again. And besides, I feel fine."

"That may be, Leonardo, but regardless, you will rest until we leave. I feel that I agree somewhat with Raphael's opinion; you did just awaken yesterday, and your coughing attack weakened you."

"But if I'm well enough for us to be returning to the Lair," Leo argued, "wouldn't I be well enough to just wait with you until we leave?" One look at Splinter's face and he bowed his head. "I'm sorry for arguing, Sensei."

"It is alright, Leonardo. I understand that you are anxious to be back on your feet, but you will allow yourself enough time to heal. While you do need to regain your strength by remaining active, too much activity will only make your condition worse," Splinter reprimanded his eldest son lightly. "As for why we are leaving now, I trust Donatello's judgment in deeming that you are indeed doing better. And I feel that the sooner we return to the Lair, the better."

Leo raised his head, curiosity mingled with concern on his features. "What do you mean, Sensei? Is something wrong?"

Splinter studied his son, then smiled to himself ruefully. Of all of his sons, Leonardo was often the one most attuned to others' actions and emotions. As he was about to answer, Iganna walked into the living room, and Splinter's eyes moved to her, then meaningfully returned to his son. The moment his eyes met Leo's, Splinter watched as his son's eyes widened, then narrowed, as he read the truth in his father's gaze. A myriad of emotions crossed the turtle's face, and Splinter wondered at what he saw. Concern, that is understandable, he mused. Anger, also expected…but fear? Why does this woman trigger such an emotion from my son? Especially when we have not yet told him of our suspicions?

Leo, meanwhile, was wondering at what he had seen in Splinter's eyes. Sensei's worried about something…and it has to do with this woman…Iganna? For some reason, he doesn't want to be around her any longer than we have to. But why? Does it have anything to do with my dream?

An anguished cry broke him out of his thoughts. "LEO! HELP!"

The sound of one of his brothers in danger triggered an immediate reaction; the blue-banded turtle leapt to his feet, muscles tense and ready for battle, hands already at his back to grasp his swords…My katana! Where are they! Another yell banished the thought from his head, and he ran towards the sound, determined to save his brother. The scream had to have been Mikey, since he was the only one of Leo's brothers who screamed like a scared little girl. He entered the kitchen, every sense on guard, to find…

Mikey huddled in a corner while Raph attacked him with a squirt gun.

"What the shell?" The dazed question was all he could manage. He had been expecting to find his brother in mortal danger, not being threatened by a Super Soaker.

At his words, both Raph and Mikey turned to look at him. Raph looked disgruntled at his older brother's interference, while Mikey was wide-eyed with relief.

"Leo! Thank shell you're here! You gotta help me!" The youngest turtle was nearly frantic.

"Help you with what, Mikey?"

"It's Raph! He won't stop spraying me!"

"This I can see. So?"

"SO!" Mikey repeated, outrage evident in his voice. "So he'll trash my comics!" He carefully gestured to a plastic bag bursting with comic books, which was currently wedged between him and the wall.

Leo shook his head and grimaced. His wound was now loudly protesting his sudden movements, and he groped for a chair, nearly falling into it. The effects of his dash into the kitchen were taking their toll, and he sat down heavily, breathing hard.

"Hey, Leo, you okay, bro?"

Leo glanced up to see Raph peering at him worriedly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just got up too fast." As a smirk made its way onto Raph's face, Leo groaned inwardly. Oh great, here comes the "I told you so".

"I told ya, Leo," Raph said, a slightly smug look on his face. Leo almost laughed at how closely his brother's words mirrored his thoughts. "Ya ain't ready ta be runnin' around."

"That doesn't mean I can't walk, Raph," Leo snapped. "And unless the Foot suddenly jump us in the sewers and threaten us with water guns, I'll be fine." Biting back a groan, he made his way slowly to his feet and walked stiffly back into the living room.

As soon as he left, Raph swore and chucked the water gun at Mikey. "Shell-for-brains."

"Owww…" Mikey whined. "What the shell was that for?"

"That was fer you bein' a sissy an' yellin' for Leo ta come help ya."

"But you were gonna trash my comics! These are collectables!" Mikey protested indignantly. "Besides, if I was threatening your Shell Cycle with a new "paint job", you'd've called for Leo too."

Raph snorted. "Not a chance in shell. I don't need "Fearless Leader" over there watchin' my shell. I'da just taken care of ya myself. Which you oughta be doin' too. Or ya at least shoulda jus' called fer Donnie instead."

Mikey's face took on a sheepish look. "Well, normally I might have, but after a small…incident this morning, I'm afraid I'm not exactly on our brother Donatello's "happy list" at the moment."

Raph cocked an eye ridge at his youngest brother. "Ya did tha "Mystery Mouth" thing on 'im, didn't ya?"

The orange-banded turtle grinned. "Yeah."

"Yer burnin' yer bridges, Mikey. Next time Don'll prob'ly help me kick yer shell." Raph shook his head at his brother's antics as he hauled him up off the floor. "Come on, get yer crap together. Ya already pissed me off, screamin' like a little girl jus' 'cause I might get yer dumb comics wet. Shell. Ya better not hold us up when we leave, too." He picked up the bag of comics and shoved it into Mikey's hands before turning to stalk out of the kitchen.

Mikey quieted suddenly, staring at his brother. "What's really buggin' you, Raph? I know you're not just ticked 'cause of the whole "girly screaming and not getting to pummel me" thing."

The words stopped Raph in his path. He clenched his fists and was silent. A minute later he turned around, leaning against the doorjamb and crossing his arms in front of him. "It's Leo," he growled. "He ain't in no shape ta be goin' topside, or goin' anywhere fer dat matter. But the one time Mastah Splintah needs ta be ridin' Leo's shell an' keepin' 'im quiet, instead he's havin' us go back ta tha Lair. Now Leo's runnin' around thinkin' he's ready ta be tha big-shot hero again, an' you callin' fer help ain't helpin' matters, eithah," Raph added, glaring at his brother, who grinned guiltily. "An' not knowin' what dis broad is doin' pisses me off. An' I keep gettin' this feeling that it ain't somethin' natural, an' it's gonna get worse before it gets better."

"I think that's why Sensei wants to go, Raph," Mikey pointed out. "He's freaked out by Iganna too, and I think he wants to get her away from Leo. And us too."

"Yer prob'ly right," the older turtle grumbled. "I jus' wish I knew what da shell is goin' on."

"Don't worry, bro, I'm sure we'll figure it out." Mikey slung a comforting arm around his brother's shoulders. "Or if we can't, we'll just make Don do it."

"Story of my life." A wry voice interrupted, and the two turtles looked up to see their brainy brother standing in the doorway. "So are you guys ready to get home or what?"

"Shell yes," Raph said, cracking his neck from side to side. "I miss my hammock an' my room. Sleepin' in a chair fer three days ain't exactly my idea of restful."

"You think you miss your room? I myself can hardly contain my joy at the thought of being able to put a locked door between me and Mikey," Don muttered.

Raph's laughter bounced around the hallway as he and Don left the kitchen. "What'sa matter, Donnie? Ain't enjoyin' yer quality time wit' our favorite pain in the shell?"

"No."

"Um, guys, you do know I can still hear you, right?" Mikey interrupted crossly.

"Yep." The two chorused.

"You guys suck," the turtle grumbled under his breath as they entered the living room. Everything was packed, and April was checking Leo's bandages before she left.

"Alright, Leo, everything still looks okay. Remember, no sudden moves, get lots of rest, and no practicing," April said sternly. The other three turtles snickered at the look on Leo's face. While he wouldn't hesitate to tackle Raph in his worst mood, Leo (and all of them) knew better than to get on April's bad side. After all, just look what happened to Casey.

"Yes, Mother," Leo muttered quietly.

"What was that?"

"N-nothing, April," he covered quickly, bowing as he did so. "Thanks for letting us stay here, and for…well, everything."

April smiled. "Anytime, Leo. I've got to admit, though, this seems to be becoming a trend; you getting hurt and showing up at my place."

A wry grin covered Leo's face. "I hate to agree with you, but you've got a point. Trust me, though, I'm not doing it on purpose." Everyone in the room joined in the laughter.

"My sons." Splinter's quiet voice interrupted. "I believe we should be going now. Leonardo, your katana are already in the van. Ms. O'Neil, I cannot thank you enough for your friendship. You are enough to warm an old rat's heart. And Ms. Triolini, I shall never forget you. I will keep our meeting and time together always in my mind." He bowed to each human, then helped Leo as he made his way out to where Casey was waiting with his van.

Iganna looked bewildered at Splinter's words. "I can't believe he thinks that highly of me," she managed softly.

Don patted her shoulder quickly as he followed Splinter with the supplies. "Believe it. Master Splinter means everything he says."

Mikey carefully nudged Raph. "Is it just me, or did what Sensei said sound more bad than good?"

"It ain't just you, Mikey. Sounded more like a threat or a warnin' ta me, 'specially with what Don said," his brother replied, then shrugged. "Eh, this is givin' me a headache. Let's go." Raising his voice, he waved to April and Iganna. "April, thanks fer lettin' us crash here. And Iganna, maybe I'll see ya around some time." Ya can count on it.

"Do you really have to leave?"

Iganna's question caught Mikey off guard; so did the desperation in her voice. Most chicks are glad when we leave. Now she wants us to stay? Spreading his hands in a gesture of defeat, Mikey forced a grin. "Sorry, but the "Mutant Express" is on the move. See ya!" He beat a hasty retreat, following his brothers down the stairs.

The two women watched him leave, then April surreptitiously glanced at Iganna out of the corner of her eye. That's odd. She looks…mad that the guys are leaving. I mean, I know I'd miss them, but she's only just met them. Shaking her musings aside, April tapped the other woman on the shoulder. "You ready to go?"

Iganna blinked, her normal gracious smile back on her face. "Yes. Thank you very much for offering to drive me home."

"It's no problem," April assured her as she grabbed her purse. "Ready?"

Iganna cast a quick glance at the direction the turtles had gone. "…Yes. Everything will be fine."

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"I call dibs on shotgun!" Mikey raced past his brothers, leaving a small breeze in his wake.

"Like anyone's going to fight you to sit next to Casey," Don said wryly, rolling his eyes.

"Shell. I was gonna sit up front with Case," Raph groused.

One of Don's eye ridges went so high that it nearly relocated to the back of his head. "Raph, do you realize that this is the same Casey you so charmingly called "whipped"?"

"Oh, right."

"Not to mention Mikey would be sitting behind you. And I trust I don't have to remind you of what happened the last time you turned your back to him."

"Point taken, Don." As they watched Leo slowly make his way into the back of the van, he snorted. "Instead we're gonna watch "Fearless Leader" here and make sure he doesn't fall outta his safety seat."

"You know, Raph, you're nowhere near as quiet as you think you are." Leo's irritated voice drifted back to them, accompanied by a glare as they got closer. "And in case you didn't know, sound tends to echo in a garage."

"Yeah, well, I figure I might as well crack on ya while yer outta commission fer the time bein'," Raph joked, "'cause Don, Splintah, and April will all wax yer shell if ya try an' get up ta pummel me."

"April doesn't live with us, Raph," Leo pointed out threateningly.

"No, but I do, Leonardo," Splinter said. "And you will take the necessary time to recover."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Yes, Master Splinter." They tried to make themselves comfortable on the floor in the back of the van, staying out of sight as Casey pulled out onto the road.

"Do you guys want me ta drop ya off at da warehouse wit' the Battle Shell?"

"No," Don replied. "That warehouse is supposed to be abandoned, and seeing anyone around it will make things messy. If you could drop us off at the alley at Seventh and Prinstley, that would be great. It's only a ten or fifteen minute walk back to the Lair from there."

"You got it, Donnie."

Leo was listening absently to the conversation when something caught his attention. There were several stains on the floor, dark spots and splashes that stood out easily. And Leo had seen enough similar stains in his life to know what they were.

Blood.

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As Don watched, Leo reached down to carefully touch the bloodstains. He shuddered inwardly as he remembered how they got there. His oldest brother's voice broke through his thoughts.

"This is mine, isn't it?"

Don looked up to see Leo staring at the floor, a blank look on his face. The images began flashing through his head from that night.

Leo lying there, so pale, so cold-

I'll need bandages, morphine, antiseptic…

Blood all over the alley, all over the van, all over his brother-

I have to remove the bullet, check for internal damage…Have to get him inside...

Check for a pulse…what if there isn't one?-

Shell, will he be alright? Is he going to live?

"Yes," Don affirmed quietly. "It is."

The eldest turtle fell to silently studying the floor again. "I didn't know I had that much blood in me."

"You've got even more than that, Leo. If you didn't…you wouldn't be here."

The deadened tone in the brainy turtle's voice caused Leo to look up. As he studied his younger brother, the emotions on Don's face finally hit him. He carefully scooted over to sit by Don and put a consoling arm around his brother's trembling shoulders.

"It's okay, Don," Leo soothed. "I'm alright."

Don choked and buried his face in Leo's shoulder. "You might be, but I'm not. You didn't see you, Leo; you looked like you were dead. I thought I'd lost you. I couldn't operate at first; I was so scared I'd mess something up."

"But you didn't," Leo reminded him. "Don, you are one person in this world I know I can always count on. And you pulled through like you always do; I'm fine, you're all okay, and we're going home."

The words had the desired effect. Don's muscles relaxed and his breathing evened out. "You don't know how good that sounds, Leo."

"Wanna bet?" Leo asked dryly. They both chuckled.

"Yo, guys," a voice interrupted, "I hate ta break up yer little brotherly moment, but we're here."

Don watched as Leo's eyes darted to the windows and he lifted himself carefully. "That was fast. It normally takes longer than that to get here." The thought stuck in his head, and he met Casey's eyes in the rearview mirror, noting the guilty look on the man's face. "Casey…"

"Uh, yeah, Leo?"

"You followed the speed limit, right? You wouldn't have been speeding, would you?" The warning tone had crept into Leo's voice.

"Well, um, ya see, anytime ya drive could really be considered, uh, speeding, 'cause, ya know, yer goin', uh, forward with speed an' everythin'…" The man rambled, carefully not meeting Leo's gaze.

"Casey, the little numbers on the side of the road are the law, not a suggestion," Leo groaned. "Do you know how hard it would be to explain to a policeman why the van he pulled over for speeding is full of mutated creatures?"

"Aw, give it a rest, Leo," Raph interjected. "It's bettah that we got here fast, that way we aren't at risk of bein' discovered any longer than we gotta be."

"Good point," Leo admitted grudgingly. "Alright, let's get going." He carefully hauled himself to his feet, grimacing as he did so. Don moved forward as if to help him, but was quickly waved off. The rest of the turtles and Splinter exited the van as well.

"Mr. Jones, I wish to thank you for the ride," the rat told Casey as Don and Raph removed the lid for the manhole.

"Aw, it ain't no problem, Master Splinter," Casey assured, rubbing his head awkwardly. "'Sides, April can't be mad at me if I ain't in the apartment."

Mikey laughed. "But you've gotta go back sometime, Casey. She'll just hunt you down otherwise. And besides, she knows where you live."

"Crap." The man winced as he started the van back up. "If she kills me, Raph, you can have my bats and hockey sticks."

"Gee, Case, I don't know what ta say," Raph drawled. He waved as Casey set off, and joined Don at the manhole. "Everyone else down already?"

"Yep," Don replied as they made their way down the ladder. He paused to wait for Raph to replace the lid, then continued down. "You're bringing up the rear."

"Eh, it's better than goin' down first an' worryin' 'bout Leo passing out an' landin' on me."

"Raph, didn't we already cover the idea of an echo?" Leo's voice wafted through the tunnel, his tone clearly irritated.

"Yeah, an' I don't care anymore this time than I did last time, Fearless," Raph shot back. "'Sides, I ain't tryin' ta be quiet."

"I love you, too, Raph," Leo remarked dryly.

"Can't we go anywhere without you two fighting?" Don inquired tiredly.

"No." Two voices chorused. Raph and Leo shared a cocky grin.

Don threw his hands in the air. "Why do I bother?"

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Leo stopped for a moment, leaning against the tunnel wall in order to regain his breath. Mikey was leading the strange procession, running in order to get home in time to watch Teen Titans; Don and Master Splinter were following behind, Don questioning Splinter about the scientific make-up of the Battle Nexus universe; Raph walked behind them, and Leo was bringing up the rear. However, the longer they walked, the further Leo dragged behind. His wound had been paining him ever since they climbed the ladder down into the tunnel, and it had only gotten worse since then. Now he was bracing himself against the wall, gasping shallowly for breath. His knees were shaking and he slowly slid to the floor.

Dammit…he thought weakly. Raph was right. I'm not in any shape to be doing this. Why did it have to be Raph that was right?

He sat there for several minutes, listening as the voices of his family grew farther and farther away. I do not want to have to explain this to them… He could just imagine their responses: Master Splinter would look concerned, and would be disappointed that Leo hadn't admitted how much his wound was bothering him; Don would have that same tight, worried look on his face that he had had in the van; Mikey would be struggling to keep a normal smile on his face; and Raph would, again, be ready and waiting with an "I-told-you-so".

Okay, Leo, you need to get up now, he told himself silently. If you don't want to face that, you need to get up. You can just tell them you were checking something, like a crack in one of the tunnels, or…shell, anything. Just GET UP, Leo.

"Leo?"

The voice broke Leo out of his reverie. He looked up, and almost groaned to see Raph standing there. The last person he wanted to see him weak and down was Raph, and yet here he was.

Shell.

"You okay, bro?" Raph asked, a concerned look on his face.

"I'm fine." Leo struggled to keep his tone even.

"'Course ya are. That's why yer sittin' on tha floor, right?" Raph sighed when Leo refused to answer. He reached a hand down to Leo. "Come on, we need ta catch up wit' the others."

"I don't need your help," Leo said stubbornly, swatting away Raph's hand. Pushing off the ground and clinging to the wall, he managed to get himself to his feet. The effort left him shaky and breathless, but he refused to stop. If Raph thinks I'm in bad shape, he'll tell Master Splinter, and I'll be stuck in bed for a month. Gathering all his strength he forced his legs to take one step, then another, carefully removing his hands from the support of the wall. But a few seconds later, he was leaning back against it, gripping his plastron in an attempt to ease the pain building there. Shell, he swore, the breath rasping in his lungs, this just keeps getting better and better.

"Leo!" Raph was beside him in an instant. "Bro, you look like shell."

"Thanks…for the vote…of confidence, Raph," Leo managed to get out.

Forcing Leo to look at him, Raph spoke seriously. "Ya know I'm always here for ya, bro. Let me help."

"I don't need…any help. I'll be fine."

Raph exploded. "Dammit, Leo, what is it wit' you an' admittin' ya need help! Ya look like shell an' ya can barely walk. Yer always after me ta let ya help me when I jus' want ya off my back. Ya always tell me too much pride will tear ya down. Ya keep tellin' me family's tha most important thing. Well, I'm family, bro, and if you'll get yer head outta yer ass, I can help."

Leo stared at Raph, and a small smile grew on his face. "And here I thought…you never bothered to listen to me."

"Yeah, well, I've tried tunin' ya out, believe me. But ya jus' keep talkin' an' I'm bound ta pick somethin' up eventually." Both turtles laughed. "C'mon, Leo, let's get ya home."

The older turtle sighed in defeat. "Fine."

"I knew you'd see it my way." Raph looped Leo's arm around his shoulders, and, placing his own arm around Leo's back for extra support, set off down the tunnel. About five minutes later they were outside the door to the Lair, the rest of their family already inside. But instead of entering their home, Leo stopped. Raph glanced over at his brother, confused. "What? You expectin' me ta carry ya over tha threshold or somethin'? 'Cause let me tell ya, bro, it ain't happenin'."

Leo met Raph's gaze, then looked away. Raph continued to stare at him, growling as he tried to figure out what was going through his brother's mind. One thing that always pissed Raph off was how well Leo could hide his thoughts and feelings when he wanted to. Makes him damn hard ta make fun of…an' even harder ta read. Raph sighed as his less than expansive patience finally wore out. "Leo, I ain't no mind reader. What the shell's goin' on?" Leo murmured something softly that Raph couldn't catch. "One more time?"

"I said, I don't think I can make it up to my room right now." Leo's voice had a hard tone to it.

"Shit, Leo!" Raph swore violently, his brother's admission scaring him. "This is why I didn't want ya ta leave April's place! Ya can barely walk, an' yer out here runnin' around tha sewers. I said ya weren't ready, an' now look-"

Look.

The word stuck in Raph's mind, repeating as if someone was talking to him. What? Look at what? The turtle broke off in the middle of his rant as it hit him: look at Leo.

His brother was staring at the ground, his legs shaking visibly. The weight he leaned on Raph had increased from almost nothing to almost everything, and his breath was coming in ragged pants. Sweat was visible on his forehead, and Raph swore again mentally when he caught the slight pink tinge on his brother's bandages. Leo ain't in no shape ta be out here; but he's also in no shape fer me ta be yellin' at 'im. An' I know it wasn't easy fer 'im ta tell me that. He sighed again.

"Shell, Leo, why didn't ya say nothin' before?"

"Because I couldn't."

"What? Like shell ya couldn't! Shit, Leo, if yer gonna be collapsin' on me, I'd want ya ta tell me!"

"That's not what I'm talking about, Raph," Leo stated quietly. "I'm…I'm not allowed to get hurt. I need to be around to protect you. It's my job. And you all think I'm invincible, the "Fearless Leader". Don told me what happened the last time I got hurt; you guys were falling apart. I'm responsible for keeping the family safe and together. I've got to be strong; because that's the only way you will respect me. I failed you by getting hurt, and I'm failing you now for being too weak."

Raph stared at his older brother, unable to believe what he was hearing. What tha shell? How can he think that? Did we make him think that? Did I? Shoving away the uncomfortable strains of guilt that were welling up in him, he reached over and slapped Leo upside the head.

"Ow! What the shell was that for, Raph!" Leo's outrage was evident as he rubbed the sore spot on his head.

"That's fer you bein' a shell-for-brains. You failed us? What tha shell is that all about? How the shell is it yer fault some bastahd punk shot you? Ya only just woke up, Leo; ain't no one expectin' ya ta be in top shape already. An' yeah, we're used ta ya bein' perfect, but that don't mean ya gotta be." Raph sighed, looking at his brother. "I prob'ly won't ever say this again, Leo, but I already respect ya. Ya don't gotta recover immediately after bein' shot for me ta respect ya. An' we all protect each othah, it ain't just yer job. Ya ain't alone, Leo; an' one thing ya've never done is let us down."

Leo looked at Raph for a long moment. "Really?"

"Of course, really. So shut up, 'cause I ain't one fer all this mushy crap."

A smile made its way onto Leo's face. "Thanks, Raph." Then a few seconds later, a small chuckle snuck from Leo's throat. "Isn't it great how it takes me being shot before we actually talk to each other?"

Raph's reply was a snort. "No, but at least we're consistent." Bringing his thoughts back to the matter at hand, he sighed. "So how tha shell are we gonna get yer sorry ass inside without anyone realizin' yer about as good as road kill?" They were both silent for several moments before Leo spoke up.

"You could give me a piggy-back ride," he suggested. "The shock from the sight might overload their brains and give us enough time to get upstairs." They both looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Leo, fun as that might be and as much as I'd love ta see Don, Mikey and Mastah Splintah's faces at the sight of that, I really don't wanna be haulin' yer butt up tha stairs," Raph commented. "Any chance of you makin' it on yer own?"

Leo silently assessed his current state. "If you could give me enough of a distraction for a couple minutes, I might be able to make a break for the stairs."

"So what, should I go runnin' in there an' punch Mikey or somethin'?" Leo's only answer was a glare. "Eh, it was worth a shot." The two turtles thought some more. "Well, why don't we jus' go wit' what always works?"

"Which is…?" Leo prompted.

Raph smirked. "I go runnin' in there yellin' 'bout you bein' a prick who needs ta get off my back, an' you come walkin' in lecturin', then roll yer eyes an' go off ta yer room."

Leo was silent for a minute before a smile grew on his face. "You know, that's crazy enough, it just might work."

The comment brought a laugh from Raph. "It oughta. Shell, last time we did that, I was able ta sneak an 'R' rated movie inta tha Lair while everyone was busy stayin' outta tha way."

"What?" Leo glared at his younger brother. "Raph…"

"Don't start, bro," Raph warned threateningly. "Not unless ya want me ta dump yer butt right here. I'd like ta see ya explain ta Sensei why yer crawlin' inta the Lair."

Leo grimaced quickly, then struggled to regain his composure. "I suppose that just this once I will overlook it…"

"I bet ya will," Raph said. "So, we ready ta do this?"

"Ready as I'll ever be. What are we gonna be arguing about?"

Raph's face took on a blank look. "We normally have a reason?"

"Good point," Leo conceded. "But it usually at least starts from something."

"Why don't we tell 'em tha truth?" Seeing the look Leo shot at him, Raph placated his brother. "Lemme finish. I'll go in there yellin' 'bout how yer a prick, which ya are, and how ya shouldn't be walkin' around down here, which everyone knows ya shouldn't. Plus, everyone will think I'm overreactin' and won't pay any attention if yer movin' a little slower than usual."

The older turtle thought the plan over, then nodded. "Works for me. But leave out the "prick" part."

"I thought we wanted this ta be believable," Raph drawled.

"Pick a finger, Raph," Leo retorted, borrowing one of his brother's favorite lines.

"I love ya too, Leo," Raph mimicked Leo's comment from earlier. Punching in the entry code for the door, he steadied Leo on his feet. "Ya ready?"

Leo took a deep breath. "Ready as I'll ever be. And Raph? ...Thanks."

Raph clapped Leo on the shoulder. "No problem, bro." As the door slid open, he strode forward, shooting a grin back at his brother. "Let the games begin."

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"Does anyone know where Leo and Raph are?"

Don's question rang through the Lair, but Mikey was the only one around. Splinter had already retreated to his room to prepare his medicinal herbs and put some tea on, and Mikey was watching his show on the couch. Don had been waiting with fresh bandages for the past five minutes, but his injured brother was nowhere to be seen.

"You don't think they killed each other, do you?" Mikey asked suddenly.

Don was about to reply when the door to the Lair opened, and Raph came storming in.

"I swear, Leo, ya can be such a pain in tha shell!"

Leo followed at a slower pace. "Raphael, you're overreacting."

"Like shell I am!" Raph snapped. "Yer not foolin' anyone! Ya need ta be lyin' down, Grandpa, not playin' "Fearless Leadah" like ya always do. And I'll be happy ta help by knockin' ya on yer shell!"

Don interrupted. "Guys! Could you stop fighting for once? What took you guys so long?" He looked back and forth between his brothers. Raph had his usual scowl in place, and the exhausted look Leo normally wore during such fights was also present, though more pronounced than it normally was. Mikey took one look at his brothers and sighed, turning back to the TV.

Leo sighed. "Raph decided that I was so badly off he needed five minutes to tell me about it."

"Try again, "Fearless", Raph retorted. "If I recall correctly, yer tha one who was doin' an impression of a corpse out there an' tellin' me you were "fine"."

"Oh, for crying out loud," Leo said, exasperated, as he made his way to the stairs. "Fine. Since you clearly think I'm on my deathbed, I'll just go upstairs and kick the bucket. Will that make you happy?"

"Shell yes," Raph growled.

"Raph!" Don admonished. "What the shell!"

"Calm down, Don; Leo's too stubborn ta die an' leave me tha shell alone," Raph pushed past his brother and made a beeline for the fridge.

Don could feel his blood pressure rising, and it shot the rest of the way up when Raph pulled out the milk and started drinking from the carton. "Raph, how many times have I said not to do that?"

"What, are you gonna start ridin' my shell too, Don?"

All Don could manage was a strangled cry of frustration. He massaged his temples furiously, the beginnings of a migraine dancing behind his eyes. But as he left the kitchen, he noticed that Leo had only just reached the top of the stairs, and was moving much too slowly towards his room. The suspicion that had begun to form in his mind grew, and he glanced at Raph. Don's other older brother had abandoned all pretense of looking for something to eat, and was watching Leo's shaky process with a rare intensity. And then it all clicked for Don: they had planned this. The fight, making a big scene, all of it was to distract him, Mikey and Splinter from the fact that Leo really wasn't ready to be up. Don shook his head ruefully; he had to admit that it was convincing. He opened his mouth to say something, then changed his mind.

His two older brothers were finally getting along for once. Who was he to mess that up?

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A/N: Eight chapters already. Crikey. Oh yeah, and Super Soakers belong to…um, the Super Soaker company. . Don't know their name, but yeah. And major apologies for not getting this out yesterday. I tried, but I just had trouble getting this written. So now you get it a day later, but hopefully it is good enough to make up for it. I'm still trying to keep the one update a week schedule, so please bear with me.

On another note, I wanted to comment on Raph's behavior. Some of you might see it as a little OOC, since Raph and Leo aren't normally that open with each other. This is just my interpretation of it. Raph's already been faced with nearly losing Leo once, and after it happening again, I think he'd have a change of heart. But only a small one.

Also, a question to my fellow US or Ohio writers: does anyone know when the new TMNT episodes will be starting back up? They've been rerunning the old ones for a couple weeks now, and I'm wondering if anyone knows whether they're planning on doing all the old episodes all the way up to the "Old One", or if they'll start new ones sooner than that. If you could let me know, or just offer a guess, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

As usual, R&R, please! I keep getting lots of hits for each chapter, which I really appreciate. Please, review too and make me feel loved:D