A/N: Well, by popular request this is a continuation of the last chapter I posted! :) Here is Leo and Raph's talk the next morning! Thank you so much for all the favs, follows, and reviews! Your feedback means the world to me; the other day I was feeling really crappy about my writing in general, and I went back through all my old reviews and it really made me feel better. :) You guys are awesome! Stay that way. - OMH

Disclaimer: I'm just a poor girl.. I own no turtles :(

"Well isn't this cute!"

Raph's sarcastic drawl cut through my dreams, waking me suddenly. I stretched and opening my eyes tentatively, I groaned. " Oh gross, Mikey! Get your nasty feet out of my face!"

Raph chuckled as I attempted to shove my little brother's offending appendages off of my plastron and rolled awkwardly onto my side. He was lounging in the doorway, observing the scene before him bemusedly.

I sighed, holding back a grin. "Are you going to help me or just stand there and laugh?"

He raised his eye ridges. "Well, if you're going to be like that, I'll just leave you where you are." He turned around, miming walking out of the room.

"No wait! Don't leave me!" I laughed.

I stretched out my hand; grasping it he pulled me from the tangled pile of Mikey and Don, who, as the heavy sleepers of the family, didn't even stir.

I grabbed my mask off of the bed post, tying it behind my head and slung my katanas onto my back. "Whew, thanks. I thought I was about to be crushed."

"No problem, bro. What kinda brotha' would I be to leave you with Mikey's smelly feet in ya face?" His amber eyes danced.

We made our way down to the kitchen, bantering lightly. He smelled lightly of alcohol and cigarettes, and I wrinkled my nose; he'd been drinking with Casey again. In the kitchen he downed a glass of water and began rummaging through the cabinets, and I plopped down at the table.

"You and Casey have fun last night?" I asked off handedly.

He poured himself a bowl of cereal and shrugged. "Yeah, it was cool."

"What'd you guys do?" I ventured tentatively, doing my best not to seem like I was about to lecture.

He stiffened. "We just hung around at his apartment."He answered suspiciously, a hard edge creeping into his voice. "Why?"

"I just was curious." I sighed; this was it. "Raph, can we talk?"

" 'Bout what?" He mumbled, annoyance evident in his tone, as he stuffed more cereal into his mouth.

I could feel his piercing amber gaze burning into me and I suddenly became fascinated with my hands, my concentration absorbed completely by the delicate ridges that crisscrossed my skin. I had no idea how to start, no clue how to convey everything I felt to my brother, who, even on a good day, was unlikely to believe me. He cleared his throat. My head snapped up, meeting his puzzled gaze with my own confusion.

"Uh, Leo?"

The words tumbled from my mouth disjointedly. "I know you feel like I don't care about you sometimes and that I hate you, but I want you to know that I don't. I mean I DO care and I DON'T hate you. I just want what's best for this family. But you're included! I just get so frustrated when you go topside because I'm so afraid of something going wrong and not being able to help you, and it's not that I don't trust you or think that you can handle yourself it's just… I love you, Raph and I don't want anything to happen!"

I grimaced as I finished my less than elegant speech and looked pleadingly up at Raph who had frozen, his spoon hovering in midair halfway between the bowl and his mouth. He blinked, slowly setting his spoon and bowl down on the counter. He said nothing, only blinking; I closed my eyes and waited. I waited for a response. I waited for him to explode, to scream, to yell, to curse. I expected him to tell me how stupid I was or how he didn't need my crap. I expected him to storm out, muttering about me being in his business. I expected pure unadulterated rage.

Opening my eyes, I found my hotheaded brother standing a hairsbreadth from me, chest heaving. I squared my shoulders, preparing to defend myself from furious blows. I flinched as he grabbed me, pulling me into a fierce bear hug. Stunned, I hesitated before lacing my hands behind him, embracing him back. We stood, interlocked for countless minutes before he dropped his arms, and began awkwardly trying to extract himself from me. I stepped back, looking up at my not so little brother. My steel blue eyes locked with his fiery gaze for a split second before he flew out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and into his room. And in that fraction of a moment I swear I saw moisture in those glowing golden orbs and the ghost of an "I love you, too" on his lips.