I've got six words to say: People are going to kill me! counds words Wow! That was really six words. Damn I'm good! LOL! Anway, you'll...just have to read to understand what I mean. Hides It's really...good I promise!

Disclaimer: ME owning TMNT would only result in choas and the end of the world...or the end of bald chipmunks! Which ever sounds cooler.

Chapter IX: Wooden Swords

"It snowed last year too: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea." Dylan Thomas

Leo closed the door behind him, but he didn't move.

Did…he just say those words to Splinter? Was that angry turtle really him?

Gathering the shatter remains of composure, Leo walked into the living area. Turning to the sofa, Leo noticed Raph was missing. Griming, Leo prayed Raph hadn't overheard anything he said to Splinter.

"I'm just saying you're being hasty about this, Mikey!"

"Some friend you are! I thought of all people you would understand!"

"I do understand, okay?!"

Another fight? Leo was irked by the fact that is was Mikey and Don of all turtles having the fight. That was one bond Leo didn't have to worry about.

Walking up the stairs, Leo turned once to the sofa. Still no Raph. Why was there a skinning feeling again when he looked to the sofa.

"You could just say no, Don. Man! You don't have to give me a lecture about it!"

"It's a bad…"

SLAM! Leo arrived just in time to have Mikey running for his room, and Don followed. Mikey slammed the door in Don's face, and Don punched it in frustration.

Don turned and glared at Leo. Leo was just about to ask what was going on, but when Leo did that he got one of two reactions. Either someone yelling at him to mind his own damn business, or a brother breaking down his arms. Why couldn't they be honest without the drama?

"Talk to him." Don said firmly passing Leo without a second glance behind. Don looked around the living area, "Where's Raph?"

Leo shrugged, "Not sure. He was sleeping on the sofa."

Don jumped to the sofa, and instantly there was a book in his hands. Leo stood watching as Don flipped through the pages quickly. Anger increased in Don's eyes. Suddenly he roared and tossed the book against the wall.

"Donnie?" Leo asked with concern. Don just stood there seething.

"That idiot." Don snarled.

"Talk to me, Don."

Don turned to run for the door ignoring Leo on the way.

"Don! DON! DONATELLO!"

"Damn." Leo cursed. Too late. Don slammed the door behind him, and soon he heard the engine of the van running. Growling, Leo turned to walk up the stairs, but the book that made Don so irate caught Leo's eyes.

He sure as hell wasn't getting strait answers from his family. Maybe this book held something. Jumping down, Leo walked over and picked up the book.

The pages were abused by Mikey's pen. The semi-sloppy penmanship was hard to ignore, and a few Mikey-ish doodles appeared. Mikey was the only one who kept up to his artistic namesake. Even through his little brother's drawings were in comic and anime styles. Still, he was good.

Turning to the first page, Leo was surprised to see a letter addressed to Raph. Frowning, Leo could see water splotches dotting that page. They were recent and still wet evidence of tears. Leo frowned as he read the letter.

Dear Raphael,

I'm sorry if this comes to a shock. I'm sorry for a lot of things, but you reading this isn't one of them.

It's time you understood what your antics and lies have done to this family. What they're still doing to this family!

I know Don and Leo forgave you, and I am trying, okay? But, it's like you don't understand. I just don't want you to get hurt again, and I'm scared that you'll do this again and again.

Read this journal. It will explain everything.

Michelangelo

Bracing himself, Leo continued to read the pages. They were more…blunt than the letter let on. There was the occasional 'I hate Raph!' written in bold red. Page after page went on about who unfair it all was. How Raph should be helping, and how Raph should lay off Don. Leo even saw a few 'I hate Leo! How could he leave us!' pages dedicated to what Mikey felt of the 'desertion of their Fearless Leader.'

There were less smiley faces as the book went on. There were less time Mikey inserted a giggle or anything upbeat. As the dates became closer and closer to when Leo came home, Mikey seemed to have forgotten or given up on Raph.

April 28, 2007

Found out Raph was the Nightwatcher the whole time. Surprise…surprise.

I remember when we were little and Master Splinter started teaching us how to use weapons. We were so excited. Real weapons! Because we were still of the tender age of ten, Splinter gave us seemingly harmless wooden katanas to practice with.

At first practice with the swords, everything was going fine. Sword katas were so much fun. But, Raph just had to be himself with a real weapon. During practice, he would chuckle and nearly miss us with his wooden sword. They weren't sharp swords, but it was enough to have me and Don concentration diverted.

Leo started telling Raph to cut it out. Raph was Raph, and told Leo to mind his own damn business. A fight started…again. However; Splinter didn't stop katas, and Raph was distracted.

Distracted enough to swing his sword low enough to cut my arm. Being the baby brother, crying was protocol. Don bandaged the cut, and Leo yelled at Raph for being so damn careless.

Splinter stopped practice and collected our swords. HE said we would resume weapon training when our concentration is perfected. Raph apologized like a convicted man who found the light. He even carried me to the sofa, and I had dibs on the remote for a whole day.

Two weeks passed, and we were allowed to practice with wooden swords again. It would be a lie to say Raph had learned his lesson, and his concentration was on what he was doing instead of proving to Leo he was better.

Don got cut that day. Leo slapped Raph. Raph apologized; carried Don. Splinter stopped training for another two weeks.

Why does it feel like that now? Like Raph is just the same brat with a wooden sword. Sure he apologizes afterward, but he's just going to hurt you again. It doesn't matter what laws Splinter makes or how hard Leo can hit or how many times we forgive, Raph is Raph, and that won't change.

Mikey was at the top of the stairs. Leo closed the book and set it on the coffee table. Turning to face Mikey with a stern glare, Leo saw Mikey's face fall in guilt, but there was still that anger and bitterness.

Leo narrowed his eyes, and stated, "You could have said something."

Sighing, Mikey shrugged, "Been there done that, dude. Somehow me being serious is taken very seriously around here. Seriously."

"You know that's not true."

"Yeah?" Mikey's voice spat angrily, and pointed to his chest. "I'm Michelangelo, the baby-brother-goof-off of the team. The one that always has a lame joke to cut the tension of battle. I'm not the leader, perfectionist. That's your bit. Don the genius. Raph's the hothead. That's how things use to be! That's when we use to know who we were and how we fit together."

"Things change, Mikey."

"Don't give me that crap, Leo." Mikey snarled as he walked down the stairs. "I get enough of that from Don. This type of shit has been happening for years. The bomb finally blew. End of story."

Leo folded his arms. Now he was mad. "What type of shit has been happening for years?"

"Hello?" Mikey angrily mocked his own ex-personality with a giggle. That made Leo irate. "Earth to Leo! You and Raph have been at each other's neck for years. Me and Don run when the sparks fly, and when you're not around Raph hammers on Don. I tag along with what big brother is around. Sometimes I get left behind."

"Is that what this is about?" Leo picked up the journal, and held it in Mikey's face. "You feel like Raph left you."

Mikey snarled and snatched the journal easily. "This isn't about me. It's about him and what he's doing to destroy him and this family!"

"Wake up, Mike!" Leo was yelling now. "Do you expect me to believe that bullshit. You felt abandoned by him, and this is just to get back at Raph."

Mikey was yelling back, "You weren't there! You have no right to judge! You didn't have to see what Splinter's words did to Don. We both know I'm better at fighting against Raph than Don is. Don is not a fighter, but the only reason he failed as a leader was because of Raph!"

Leo snapped, "Is that it? Do you know Raph ran out after he read your pity story! You should have faced him like a man!"

"You don't understand!" Mikey tossed his journal against the brick wall with all his force. The spine broke and a few loose pages feel free. "You were too busy playing savior of the jungle to give a damn!"

"Don't you turn this around." Leo hissed, "This is about you and Raph."

"It's about all of us, Leo!" Mikey yelling was not a normal occurrence, but it was a recent development. "You were the one to say if something happens to one it happens to all. I'm so sick of this drama, the lies, the fights! I'M SICK OF IT, AND I WANT MY BROTHERS BACK!"

Running, Leo took hold of Mikey's shoulders. The embrace was a hard one, and Mikey clung to Leo's neck like a drowning man. Third and last brother to break down in Leo's arms cried hot tears against Leo's shoulder.

"Things happen for a reason." Splinter advised softy.

Leo growled, "This is all your fault."

Leo let one tear slide into his mask to hide where no one could find it.

"Where are you going, Raph?" Don questioned inside the empty van. Driving one handed, Don looked down to his tracker. The green map on the screen showed the Hudson and the Brooklyn Bridge. The red dot that symbolized Raph's position was blinking in the center of the bridge. It wasn't moving now thankfully.

Turning, Don headed for the bridge. When he reached there, it was two in the mourning. A few red-eye drivers passed Don's van. The river below was black and glassy. Lights shimmered in that reflection.

Normally, Don would be babbling about the engineering marvel that was the Suspension/Cable-stay hybrid bridge. The design was amazing for the time it was built! Suspension Cables - four 15 3/4" diameter wire ropes. Number of Strands in each cable - 19 (JSG)Total Length of Wire in cables - approximately 3600 miles (JSG) Miles of wrapping wire on each cable - 243 miles 943 feet (JSG)…

Brother climbing up those cables- Raphael.

"NO!" Don screamed inside the van. His heart froze, and Don's fears became real. Instantly his mind tried to say, "No…H-he wouldn't…He CAN'T!"

Don spotted him instantly which was odd considering Raph was staying well away from the public eye below. Staying to the stone masonry, Raph was climbing a nearby cable by the tower's right side.

The sky was dark and stormy, and the air smelled of rain. Instantly Don saw Raph's cycle parked on the pedestrian walk-way. Don found an emergency park-way, and secretly creped out of the van.

Then as soon as it was safe, Don made a mad dash for the New York tower of the Brooklyn Bridge. Raph was already three fourths the way up to the tower's top. Putting on his shuko hand claws, Don starting climbing the tower. It was faster this way than the cable. Sure it was dangerously stupid, but Don had to get up that tower…before…

"RAPH! NO!"

um...what if I said this was the end? runs from arrows Okay, it's not! It's not! Tee-hee. This is a cliff-hanger...pun intended. Okay, that was lame. Anyway, thanks for reading! Reviews are awesome! Please review!

-Weezellee