Care to Dance?

Age: Sixteen

"Raaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Here they go again."

Donnie sighed as he and Mikey sat on the sidelines of the dojo.

Raph and Leo rolled past them, limbs tangled as an enraged Raph did his best break Leo in two.

"Yame!"

Raph froze, his fist raised above Leo's head ready to pound his green face into the mat.

Splinter glared as the two boy disentangled themselves.

"Raphael, what have I told you about controlling your temper?"

"He started it!" defended Raph.

"I did not!" countered Leo. "I was merely pointing out that your footing was a little too wide."

"Stop correcting me mid-fight!"

WHACK!

"Ow!"

Raph rubbed the back of his head, a sharp pain courtesy of the business end of Splinter's cane the only thing stopping him from smearing Leo's smug little face across the room.

"That is enough training for the day." said Splinter. "Now, I suggest you reconcile your differences lest I find a more creative way to do it for you."

Raph and Leo quickly bowed. They knew "creative" often meant painful and ridiculous. Last time Splinter had duct taped the two of them together and forced them go through four hundred kata in perfect sync. It was both exhausting and humiliating.

"Now go." intoned Splinter.

All four turtles quickly fled the dojo.

"I don't see why you two can't just control your tempers." said Donnie as they all walked towards the living room. "Everyone knows anger is the sign of a weak mind."

Raph grabbed Donnie by the front of the shell.

"Is that so?!"

"See?" replied Donnie smugly. "Case and point."

"Dude, then your mind must be like baby weak!" replied Mikey tapping a finger on Donnie's head.

"What?!"

"He's right, you know." said Leo. "You get angry almost as much as Raph."

Raph smirked as he dropped the outraged Donnie.

"I do not!"

"Pleeease!" droned Mikey. "It's always 'Mikey, get out of my lab!' 'Mikey, don't touch my stuff!' 'Mikey, stop putting my chemicals on your pizza!' You yell even more than Raph does."

"That is—"

"True?" offered Leo with an innocent smile.

Donnie growled. He then took a deep breath.

"Well, the questionable validity of your statements aside, I assure you that I am fully capable of controlling my emotions."

"Right." said Raph. "I'll believe it when I see it, baby brain."

Donnie's eye twitched before shaking it off, he started back towards the living room with his brothers in toe.

"You'll see. From now on I'm going to be completely—"

"I'd love to go!"

Everyone stopped. They turned towards the entrance to the lair where Casey and April were standing together, April looking incredibly excited while Casey look clearly less than thrilled.

"Come on, Red. It's not—"

"Are you kidding?!" cried April. "I love dancing! I can't believe you weren't gonna ask me to go!"

The four turtles quickly stepped back, crouching so as not to be seen.

"Did Casey just ask April to a dance?" whispered Mikey.

"And apparently she said yes." replied Leo.

Donnie just sat there with a look of sheer horror.

"Come on!" said April excitedly. "There's so much to do!"

"But Red!"

April grabbed Casey's hand and dragged him from the lair.

Everyone stood up.

Donnie's eyes narrowed, his teeth bared as anger slowly bubbled to the surface.

"Feeling a little mad there, baby brain?" asked Raph with a smirk.

Donnie looked at him and then quickly took a deep breath.

"Nope." he said calmly. "I'm perfectly fine. In fact, I'm happy for them. Now, if you'll excuse me I have work to do."

Without so much as a hint of anger, Donnie walked towards the lab.

And slowly Raph's smirk melted away, his eyes quickly growing serious.

The next day Donnie sat in his lab working on his laptop with an emotionless expression.

"I am calm. Anger is illogical. To be angry is to be weak minded."

A knock sounded on his door.

Donnie turned to see Leo standing bashfully in the doorway his hands behind his back.

"Hey, Don. I…kinda need your help."

"What's wrong?"

Leo looked away.

"I was watching a new episode of Space Heroes. There was this big battle, and I was really excited and—"

"Leoooo?"

Leo blushed. Gingerly he removed his hands from behind his back revealing the TV remote snapped in half.

Donnie's eyes widened in anger. He opened his mouth to yell—

And then let out a cleansing breath.

"I'll fix it. Just be more careful."

Leo's eyes widened as he handed Donnie the remote.

"You're not mad?"

"Anger is illogical. Now, if you'll excuse me I have work."

Donnie turned back around in his chair.

"Okaaaaaaay?"

With hesitant steps Leo walked backwards from the lab.

Leo exited the lab into the living room.

He turned to the side where Raph leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, glaring at him.

Leo stared back in confusion.

"What?"

"Nothing." growled Raph as he stomped away.

Leo stared after him, twice as confused as before.

Donnie walked to the kitchen, his face devoid of all emotion.

Mikey, who was busy setting out a series of ingredient filled bowls around a rolled out pizza crust, turned to him with a huge smile.

"Hey, bro! Wanna see something awesome?!"

"I just came for tea." intoned Donnie, his voice flatter than a deflated balloon.

"Come on! It's a new method for making pizza I created. I call it…The Mikey Special."

A small smile formed at the edge of Donnie's mouth.

"Fine."

"Great! Now watch!"

With an agile hand Mikey threw a bowl of sauce into the air.

He quickly leapt up on the counter, and caught the bowl, twirling it on his finger.

He smiled at Donnie as he did so, and Donnie let out a small laugh.

Mikey then used his foot to flip up a bowl of shredded cheese, and began spinning it on his other finger. With all the elegance of Renaissance painter Mikey spread the sauce across the crust, then kicked the empty bowl across the room and into the sink.

He kicked the next bowl of ingredients onto his empty finger, twirling the new bowl as he spread the cheese across the crust. This cycle of flip, spread, kick, sink continued with bowl after bowl in a flurry of energetic movements until finally every single topping stood proudly atop the loaded crust.

Mikey leapt down from the counter as Donnie offered an unenergetic clap.

"That was very good."

"Wait till you see the best part." offered Mikey with a smile. With speedy hands Mikey picked up the loaded crust and sent it spinning hiiigh up into the air.

"Mikey!"

And then there was chaos.

As the crust twirled every single topping Mikey had placed on top of it went soaring across the room, splattering the walls, ceiling, and, most prominently, Donnie and Mikey themselves.

Donnie glared at Mikey through sauce and cheese before the pizza crust itself SLAMMED down on top of his head, covering him down to the neck in a doughy veil.

Mikey screamed in horror!

"Donnie, I am soooo sorry, bro. Let me—"

Donnie held up a hand.

He took a deep breath before reaching up and ripping a face hole through the pizza dough, his expression utterly devoid of emotion.

"It's fine. I'll go wash. You clean up the kitchen."

He stood up calmly, and slowly walked towards the restroom, the sauce still dripping down his shell.

Mikey stepped out of the kitchen to look after him.

He then turned to a different corner of the room where Raph stood watching next to a punching bag.

Mikey took a mushroom off his shoulder and shrugged at Raph before popping the mushroom in his mouth.

Raph's face turned grim as he slammed his fist into the bag.

Donnie worked at his lab table, his fingers trembling as he held a pair of small tools to a circuit board.

His brow was furrowed in concentration as he attempted to still his shaking hands, but the moment the tools touched the board they fumbled from his grasp, clattering to the ground.

A enraged look flashed across Donnie's face as he prepared to mercilessly smash the circuit board to pieces, but quickly the anger melted away to be replaced by an emotionless calm.

He looked at the calendar hanging on his wall. Blank except for one date: A single Saturday circled in red with the word "Dance" written next to it.

Donnie looked away and took several deep cleansing breaths.

A loud ringing echoed through his lab.

Donnie looked around, perplexed. He searched for a moment until he moved aside a stack of papers revealing a T-phone.

Donnie picked it up, and then took out his own T-phone.

"Whose—"

"There it is!"

Donnie turned to the entrance to his lab.

And his eyes widened.

There, standing perfectly framed in the doorway, was April, dressed in a long, blue dress with her hair done up atop her head in a bedazzling bun, two crimson ringlets cascading down either side of her face.

Donnie could only stare as April walked over to him.

"I've been looking everywhere for that. I had to borrow Mikey's to see if it was here."

She grabbed her T-phone from Donnie's grasp as he continued to gawk.

"Y-y-you look great, April." stuttered Donnie.

"Thanks." said April with a smile. "I've got big plans with Casey tonight, and I really wanted to look my best."

Donnie suppressed a wince as the icy shards of his broken heart ripped their way through his veins.

"Anyway, thanks for finding my phone! Later!" April walked out the door leaving Donnie to stare behind her.

"Later…" whispered Donnie, a longing ache chocking his voice.

His knees began to buckle beneath him.

He leaned against his lab table for support, staring hard at the wood as if somehow hoping it would rise up and consume him then and there.

"It's only logical." intoned Donnie. "She and Casey are both humans. I'm h-happy for them."

He attempted to force a smile.

Just then his T-phone buzzed.

With fumbling hands he picked it up.

It was a text message from Raph:

"Meet me in the dojo."

Donnie stared.

Donnie stepped into the dojo. He looked around.

"Raph?"

CLACK!

Donnie turned around as the doors slide shut behind him.

"Hey."

Donnie turned back around to see Raph leaning against the wall holding his bo staff.

"Raph, what's—"

Raph threw the bo staff to Donnie who caught it after a good bit of fumbling.

Raph drew his sais.

"We're gonna have a little sparring match, baby brains."

Donnie narrowed his eyes.

"I'm really not in the mood for—"

WHAM!

Donnie gasped as Raph RAMMED into him sending him tumbling backwards across the dojo floor.

Raph stood up and rolled his shoulders.

"Say something, baby brains?" he asked with a smirk.

Donnie stood up, gritting his teeth.

He took a cleansing breath.

"I said I'm not in the mood for-Woah!"

Donnie barely had enough time to block as Raph jammed both sais right at him.

Raph continued the attack forcing Donnie to defend as he backtracked across the dojo.

"Raph, stop!"

"Or what?"

WHAM!

Raph spun around and kicked Donnie right in the side, causing him to stumble.

Donnie quickly regained his footing, his eyes narrowed.

"You know, I'm actually starting to like this new, calmer you." said Raph. "It's a lot easier to use you as a punching bag."

Donnie glared. He looked at the door.

Raph followed his gaze.

Donnie made a break for it, running as fast as he could for the exit when—

BAM!

Raph punched him square in the stomach.

Donnie gasped as the air rushed out of him.

He dropped to his knees, clutching his injured belly.

"Pft. Is that all?" asked Raph with a smirk. "It's no wonder April chose Casey over you."

Donnie looked up with a glare, his teeth bared, his breath coming faster and faster.

"Maybe I should ask April out. I'd have a way better shot than—"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

WHAM!

Raph smiled as he blocked Donnie staff, his brainy brother panting in rage as he glared down at the slightly shorter turtle.

"Enough!"

"Why?" asked Raph. "You mad?"

Raph deflected the staff, and the two went at it, sparring with unbridled passion across the dojo, exchanging blow after blow.

"Of course I'm mad!" screamed Donnie.

"Why?!" yelled Raph back.

"Everything!"

Donnie swung his staff again and again.

"I'm mad at Leo for breaking the remote! I'm mad at Mikey for splattering me with pizza!"

He went for a leg sweep. Raph dodged.

"I'm mad at you for acting like a jerk! I'm mad that Casey is currently at a dance with the girl of my dreams! And most of all I'm mad because I'm just so MAD!"

WHAM!

The end of Donnie's staff SMACKED Raph straight in the jaw sending him sprawling to the floor.

Donnie stood there, panting in rage as Raph slowly sat up, rubbing his jaw. Raph smiled.

"Not bad."

Donnie continued panting before his knees gave way beneath me. He sunk to the floor as angry tears streamed down his face.

Raph knelt down beside his brother, embracing him and letting the burning tears stream across his shoulder.

After a moment of sobbing Raph leaned back, his hands still on Donnie's shoulders.

Raph smiled.

"Feeling better, baby brains?"

Donnie smiled back, wiping his nose.

"You're a jerk."

Raph laughed. The two sat there, sharing a moment of mutual understanding and comfort.

Raph then gave a sinister smirk.

"Now let's go blow off the rest of that anger."

BAM! BAM! BAM!

"Take that! And that!"

Raph smiled.

In front of him Donnie was pouring every ounce of pent up rage into wailing on a punching bag with a picture Casey's face glued onto the front while Raph himself stood on the other side of the bag bracing it for his brother.

"Come on!" yelled Raph. "Dig deep! What do you hate about Casey?!"

"I hate his stupid smirk! I hate his lack of manners! I hate that he has no regard for scientific principal!"

Leo and Mikey sat nearby, sharing a bowl of popcorn as they watched the slug fest unfurl.

"Hey, guys!"

All the boys turned as April walked in looking exhausted.

"April!" cried Donnie as he quickly ripped the picture of Casey off the punching bag and hid it behind his back. "W-What are you doing here?"

April yawned.

"I'm too whipped to make it home so I thought I'd catch a quick nap here first. Is that alright?"

"S-sure!" said Donnie.

"Thanks." said April with a yawn. She walked over to the couch, and within seconds was out like a light.

"Smoooooth." commented Raph. Donnie slugged him in the shoulder.

He looked up to see Mikey rummaging through April's purse.

"Mikey!" called Donnie. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Relax, bro. I just wanna see if they took any pics from the dance."

Mikey pulled out April's T-phone and held it up victoriously.

"Come ooooon." said the orange banded turtle. "You know you wanna see."

"No. I do not." replied Donnie flatly.

Mikey scrolled through the phone.

Suddenly his eyes widened.

"Baaaaaaahahahahaaa!"

Mikey clutched his sides before dropping to the floor in laughter.

"What? What is it?" asked Leo. He picked up the fallen phone and looked.

And immediately snorted in laughter.

"Uh, Donnie." said Leo through barely suppressed chuckles. "I don't think they went to a dance."

"Huh?"

Leo extended the phone to Donnie.

"Remember how Casey said his little sister was taking ballet?"

"Yeah, but why—"

Donnie and Raph looked at the phone.

And a pair of smiles cracked clear across his faces.

All four boys laughed, clutching their sides as they stared at the phone.

For there, on the screen, was Casey, standing on a stage filled with little girls, looking miserable and dressed in a bright, pink tutu.

Author's Note: Hi hi everyone! Here's chapter five! And might I add that though it's the first to take place in the TMNT teen years it most certainly shall not be the last.

You may have noticed that this chapter had a liiiiittle less Splinter than other chapters. DO NOT PANIC! There will be plenty more Splinter in the future, but since this is a story about the family as a whole I wanted to make sure we get a nice dose of everyone in the family and all those awesome family situations, including the ones when Splinter's not around.

Anyway, I would love to hear what you think of this latest chapter! Thank you so much for reading, and, as always, have a hyper happy day! LOVE YOU GUYS~!