Disclaimer: Not mine, sorry!

A/N: Thanks so much for your support on this story guys! Your reviews and criticisms make my day and are a definite motivator for me to write more. I love to know not only what you love but also what you hate about my fics. I'm also starting to enjoy writing them in 1st person. What do you prefer? 1st or 3rd Person?

*Some of you may feel that Donny is a little OOC in this one; but it is definitely on purpose. I have a hard time believing that Leo and Raph's arguments don't get to Don and Mikey in some way, and I definitely don't believe Don is always as mild-mannered as he seems.

**I promise to write more happy ones too! :) Sorry to those of you that don't like all my angst. :P

Donny's POV:

Yet another argument between my two brothers, as if we all haven't seen and heard this entire spiel a thousand times over. I reached for my coffee cup and wandered toward the lab door. Nursing the caffeinated beverage, I lounged in the doorway, observing my two warring brethren in aggravation.

"I'm trying to do what's best for this family! Why don't you understand that?! I'm the leader; you are my responsibility. Why can't you just accept that?!" Leonardo stepped forward aggressively.

Raph crossed his arms, "Oh yeah Fearless? Ya know what I think? I think you're fulla shit! News flash! You ain't perfect! So quit actin' like ya better than the rest of us!"

"I'm not!" Leo rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in exasperation, "I have to protect this family, Raph! Master Splinter gave me that responsibility!"

"Protect them?! Half the time your orders almost get them killed!" Raph's voice rose with each word, "If it wasn't for me, Donny and Mikey'd both be dead already! And it would be your fault!"

I felt something inside me snap. My blood boiled; adrenaline flooded my veins. A mist flooded my senses, obscuring my actions. I vaguely felt my arm draw back and launch my coffee cup across the room; it collided with Leonardo's shell, exploding, tiny glass shards piercing through both the argument and his skin.

Utter silence descended upon the lair; all eyes fixed upon me. I screamed; a feral sound, tearing its way from my throat, releasing with it every ounce of anger, worry, irritation, fear, and pain I had held within for so long.

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP! MICHELANGELO AND I ARE NOT YOUR FUCKING PROPERTY FOR YOU TO PROTECT! "

My eyes narrowed, fixing my blue and red banded siblings in my gaze; their eyes growing in shock.

"YOU BOTH ACT LIKE WE ARE INCAPABLE OF DOING THE MOST MENIAL TASKS! I AM A TRAINED NINJA! I CAN PROTECT MYSELF DAMNNIT! I AM NOT AN INVALID!"

I dropped my voice, imitating the tones of my brothers, "'Donny fix my motorcycle'; 'Donny, I broke the toaster again'; ' The T.V. is broken. Donny fix it!'; 'Donny do this, Donny do that, Donny work faster, fix more, be better!' "

I paused, my chest heaving and fists clenched.

"I. Am. Not. Your. Bitch."

Both Leonardo and Raphael flinched as if I had physically hit them.

"Funny how I'm always your best friend when you need something, but otherwise I'm a useless liability to both of you. Isn't it?"

I paused. I received no response.

"That's what I thought." I whispered bitterly, turning my back.

The iron curtain of silence descended once again, suffocating all but me; for I was accustomed to silence. However this time, I, the forgotten brother, the overlooked brother, the unneeded, useless, and unheard brother, had broken the silence.