"You're such a pain in my shell!" Leo yelled at Raph.They had been arguing with each other for nearly ten minutes. Donnie and Mikey were betting with each other's pizza on who would win this fight.

"Well I'm sorry Fearless but nobody can be perfect." Raph shot back. "We ain't yer little soldiers so stop treating us like it!" He snapped through clenched teeth, glaring daggers at his elder brother.

"At least the others know how to follow simple orders! You can't do anything right!" Leo said, his fists clenched tightly making his knuckles turn a lighter shade of green. "You are the absolute worst brother in the world!"

Raph's glare softened for a brief moment before darkening once more. "Well if I'm the worst brother in the world, why don't I just leave?" Donnie and Mikey looked at each other nervously, neither of them liked where this was heading.

"Oh come on, you say that all the time! Just do it already!" Leo yelled. "Leave! Leave and never come back! Maybe then our family will be happy!"

The room became quiet, tension thick in the atmosphere. Raph's face showed hurt and sadness for a second before he turned and ran out of the lair. Leo's face paled at what he had said, his words finally sinking in.

"Raph wait!" Mikey called out, jumping off the couch to run after his red banded brother. Donnie was quick to follow, their bet on pizza long forgotten. Leo quickly ran behind his brothers, fear on his face. "Leo why would you say that?" Mikey asked.

"I…I don't know! It just came out!" Leo replied, now in the lead.

"You guys fight all the time, but that was going too far Leo." Donnie spoke up, panting slightly.

Leo felt bad for what he had said, and was hoping Raph would forgive him. The three climbed out of the sewers and onto the roof before anyone spotted them. "We should split up to cover more ground. Mikey, you take China Town. Donnie, you go to Central Park. I'm heading to the center of the city." Leo instructed, Mikey and Donnie nodding their heads in agreement before going off in their designated areas.

Leo began his search in hopes of finding his hot headed brother soon, he needed to apologize. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a gunshot close by. Panic filled the leader in blue as he raced towards the noise, his heart shattering at the sight before him.

There in the alleyway was Raphael, laying on his side in a puddle of blood. His eyes were closed and his battered body was still. Leo jumped down and ran to him, rolling him over onto his back. "Raph! Raph wake up!" Leo pleaded, pressing his hands firmly against the gunshot wound, looking down at Raph's pale face.

Trying to stop the bleeding with one hand, Leo grabbed his Shell-Cell and dialed Donatello while tears began to roll down his cheeks. "Donnie! I found Raph but you need to get here now! He's been shot!" He said, his voice full of panic and worry.

Donnie ran as fast as he could to Leo's location, Mikey arriving a few moments later. Donnie knelt down and felt for a pulse, sighing in relief when he found a faint one. "He's alive, but not for much longer." He informed his brothers, looking at Raph's wounds. "Come on, we need to get him home now." Donnie said, having Leo help pick Raph up.

The brothers raced home as quickly as possible, laying Raph down on Donnie's medical table. The purple banded turtle got right to work cleaning and disinfecting Raphael's wounds before he began to try and remove the bullet in Raph's side.

Leo and Mikey were sitting on the couch in the living room, knowing their smart brother needed to be alone in order to concentrate. "Leo?" Mikey asked, breaking the silence. "Will Raph be okay?"

Leo looked into his baby brother's ocean blue eyes, wanting to protect him from the harsh reality nut…he couldn't. Sighing he closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't know Mikey…" Leo whispered.

An hour passed before Donnie came out of the lab, his face full of exhaustion. Mikey and Leo were quick to their feet, helping Donnie to the couch. "He's gonna be okay. He lost a good amount of blood but thankfully the bullet didn't puncture anything serious." Donnie informed his anxious brothers.

"Can we go see him?" Mikey asked nervously, looking at Donatello with a pleading look. The moment Donnie nodded his head yes Leo ran into the lab, not liking what he was greeted with.

Raphael was sound asleep, his middle wrapped heavily in bandages while his arms were hooked up to an IV and blood transfusion. His forest green skin was as light as Donnie's now, his face void of any emotions and his breathing long and deep.

Leo sat by the table, holding Raph's warm hand with his shaking one. "I'm sorry for what I said…I'm sorry for saying we'd be better without you." Leo whispered, tears soaking into his blue mask. "It's not true, we wouldn't be better without you. So please…wake up. Wake up Raph."

Leo felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Mikey. "Are you okay Leo?" He asked, watching as Leo nodded before both brothers froze.

Raph's hand twitched and his face constricted into a look of pain as he groaned and cracked open his eyes. "Raph?" Leo whispered.

"L…Leo?" Raph coughed, his voice weak but there. Michelangelo and Leonardo both smiled brightly and hugged their brother as best they could without hurting him. Donatello walked into the lab and joined in the hug.

"Raph I didn't mean what I said. We do need you here. I'm so sorry." Leo apologized.

Raph weakly squeezed Leo's hand, shaking his head slowly. "It's o-okay Leo.." He whispered. The four brothers sat in Donnie's lab, hugging each other tightly. Everything was going to be just fine.

*THE END*