Welcome to my first try at a TMNT story. This will be a human AU where the ages are, Leo: 16, Raph: 15, Donnie: 13, Mikey: 12. I hope you enjoy!

Donatello

3…2…1…midnight; the start of another day. Most people will tell you that a new day is a fresh start at life learning from the mistakes made the previous day. I disagree. Don't get me wrong, a new day is still a fresh start either way, but it's another day of worry for me and my brothers. It sucks, but that's what happens when you've been living in a foster home for all of your life. If you're lucky, you can get someone to take you home eventually after a few years, but adopting four boys is nearly impossible. I've been trying to go to sleep for two hours now, but what my older brother Leo said keeps replaying in my mind nonstop like a broken record. I'm not sure if it's because Raph and Leo started arguing about it or if it's because this is an argument that I have to take sides on. I really hate this! I lay on my back looking up at the same ceiling I'd look at for the last thirteen years of my life.

"H-hey um…..Raph?" I somewhat whispered to my older brother, who sleeping on the bunk under mine. I didn't hear anything except his snores from below.

"Raph? Are you awake?" I asked a little louder.

"I am now," I heard him mumble groggily from the bottom bunk. "What do you want?" he snaps at me.

"Oh…um…" I stutter as a cold shiver makes its way down my back. I knew should have thought this through more.

"Spit it out already!" he nearly shouts, and I shivered at his harsh tone.

'Chose your next words very carefully Donatello.' I thought before I spoke up. "So…I was just doing some thinking," I began.

"You're always thinkin'! So what?!" he hissed, and I heard him slam his pillow over his head.

"I was thinking about what Leo said okay?!" I nearly shouted back at him. I hesitated again before I told him my opinion. "And…..I think he's right." I saw from the corner of my eye Raph throw his pillow hard on the floor.

"Aw no, not you too Donnie! Look, either all of us are getting adopted or none of us are! That's our rule!" he told me.

"I know Raph, but the odds of us finding a home together are 0.0000000…." I started, but he interrupted me.

"Yeah yeah, I don't need the stats brainiac," he said. I heard the bottom bedsprings creak, and saw Raph climb up the latter giving me this look I'd seen when Brendan was bullying me. "You better listen good, kid! We stick together; period! I don't care what fearless is saying and neither should you!" He said through clenched teeth.

"But he's got a point, doesn't he? Shouldn't we try to focus more on getting out of here instead of…?"

"No! We can leave this stupid foster home any time we want to. What's really important is making sure we're all together!" he told me for the hundredth time.

"Oh really? How come when we talked about running away, you told Leo that he could stay here for all you cared?" I asked him knowing I was treading on fire right now.

"T-that was different! Screw Leo! Isn't finding a family together what you told Mikey you wanted just as much as he did?" he said. I looked down and bit my lip surprised that Raph didn't make fun of the gap in my teeth again. I did tell Mikey that, but it was also after another failed Adoption Day. I spoke up to him after a full minute of thinking.

"I want it too. But…"

"But nothin'! Don't you dare think about that again! Ya hear me?!" he said.

"Yeah, I hear you," I said nodding my head.

"Good. Now quit talking so much and go to sleep already!" he said and jumped down to the floor crashing on his mattress. Great, now it's back to square one in all this.

Flashback

"Guys, I think we should stop trying so hard to stick together and focus more on getting out of here; even if it means…that we're put in separate homes," Leo said.

"What?!" Mikey and I said.

"Did you eat out of Mikey's bowl or somthin'?" Raph asked, and went over to give Leo a hard shove. "What the hell's wrong with you, Leo?! Whatever happened to the teen who wouldn't shut up about 'no brother being left behind,' huh?! Or did you just run that into my skull for fun?" Raph shouted.

"I know but…it's pretty obvious that no one's going to adopt all four of us. I think we all just need to accept that and not be so picky when…"

"How is wanting to stay together with our brothers being picky?! So you're tellin' me that I coulda had a family all those years ago, but didn't because I thought we'd all agreed that it's all of us, or none of us?! You know how many families I've turned down for you?! " Raph shrieked.

"Oh shut up, Raph! You can't blame me for something that you've always believed and supported; even now!"

"But…I thought a family doesn't ever go away from each other," Mikey whimpered. "Isn't that the point of having a home? So we don't have to worry about being separated?"

"Yeah, but you'll get to have a new Mama and Papa, Mikey. They can be your family and you'll know what having a home means. That's what you want right?" Leo asked. Mikey's eyes were getting glassy after that.

"Don't listen to him, Mikey. Leo's just being a complete dunce right now," Raph said, shooting daggers into Leo's eyes and started to guide Mikey away from us.

"Don't you want to get out of here Raph?" Leo asked while Raph and Mikey had their back turned. Raph suddenly turned around and got in Leo's face.

"Is that all you care about fearless?! Getting out of here even if it means leaving behind your own flesh and blood?! Fine!" Raph said, pushing Leo away from him again. "Leave for all I care!" he shouted, and guided Mikey out of the room leaving my mouth slightly open.

End of Flashback

Break*Break*Break

Raph's POV

Great. I hear Donnie crying above me. I really hope it's not because of what I said. He and Mikey shouldn't have to worry about all this staying together crap that Leo and I always talk about. Who does he think he is telling our little brothers that we shouldn't be together anyway?! Man, when I see Fearless tomorrow, he better have a death wish.

The Next Morning

After breakfast, I tried to duck out of the dining room before…'

"Raphael, you better not be skipping on your chores again," a woman said behind me. Dang it! I turned around to face our foster caretaker Ms. Adams.

"I wasn't. I just needed to chat with my dear older brother first," I said, but she just crossed her arms looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

"I trust your little 'chat' will involve all four of you making up," she said.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about," I said, but she still remained in her position. Ugh! How is she so good at seeing right through us?

"The four of you have hardly said a word to each other since lunch yesterday. I have to admit, I missed Michelangelo talking up a storm with his mouth full," she said relaxing her face and putting her arms down. "But he did tell me what Leonardo…suggested."

"He makes me so sick sometimes! He's always gotta be acting like he's the perfect one, but this just crossed the line," I said, unconsciously clenching together my fists. "After every rejection we've been through! After everything you've done to try and keep us together, he just up and wants to throw that all away now?!" I said, with my voice volume increasing.

"I will admit that it was a shock for me too. Did you ever think about asking Leo what made him change his mind? That may clear up some tension between the two of you," she suggested.

"Y-yeah….but…..it won't make a difference!" I stutter out rolling my eyes.

"I'll stay out of this as much as I can but I hope you boys make up before you do something rash," she said.

"Yeah, you should've told Fearless that," I snapped, and just walked away from her.

"Five minutes Raphael and you better be down here doing the dishes!" I heard her say before I left the apartment slamming the front door. I trudged up the apartment building steps releasing the steam from my nose. When I got up to the roof, I shoved the door violently open and was about to yell out when I saw Mikey lying on his stomach gluing a cut-out picture of a man with brown hair, a woman with shoulder-length brown hair, and a brown lab into his red sketchbook that he had. The roof was a good size area with two benches scattered on the sides and some flowers growing in large pots or in baskets on the edge.

"There!" Mikey said to himself, and grabbed one of his pencils and started to sketch on the other side. I rolled my eyes and walked over to him.

"You're still drawing in that stupid book?" I asked him. He turned to me with a scowl.

"It's not stupid Raph!" he told me.

"All you do is draw random people, or glue pictures from magazines of random people. It's a little creepy," I said.

"I'm trying to figure out what a family is," he said, and I rolled my eyes again.

"You already know what a family is you ding dong. We're your family," I said.

"I know, but it's not finished yet. We need a mom and dad too. Ms. Adam is really nice, but it's not the same. If we get a mom and dad…"

"When, Mikey, not if," I told him.

"Yeah…when. I just really wanna know what it's like Raph. Everyone at school says it's great and we wouldn't have to wake up every day wondering if we'll get split up today or not." I don't know who told you that little brother, but it definitely not what Leo and I hear. "Just think! Waking up every morning to a mom and dad who won't ever think of leaving us, and Leo won't talk about leaving us behind," Mikey said with his head tilted down. I don't know who told you that little brother.

"Yeah…keep dreaming little brother," I mumbled, looking down at him.

"I'll show you Raph! I'll show you it's not just a stupid dream!" Mikey shouted, glaring at me.

"No, Mikey, I really mean it. Keep dreaming," I said.

"Huh?" he said, looking at me funny. Then I turned around to make sure no one was spying or could overhear us. I've got a reputation to keep up with the other kids and my brothers after all.

"Look, if you tell the others I told you this, I'll beat the skin off you and throw your bear into the river," I said, hesitating before speaking to him again. "Just…don't stop dreaming about what it'll be like having a mom and dad little brother, okay? Draw in your book or whatever you have to do, but don't give up on this Mike; ever! I promise, I'll get you out of here and we'll find someone who'll adopt all four of us together."

"Really?!" Mikey said with his eyes wide.

"Yeah," I muttered, and he gave me one of his world famous smiles.

"Maybe they'll have a pet cat that's made out of ice cream! Or maybe the dad is a superhero in the Justice Force!" Mikey said, and grabbed his pencil and started to draw his newest version of our 'family'. All I could do is lift my arms up and slam them against my side. I walked back towards the door that leads back to the apartment.

'Don't you worry little brother. I'll find us a home; one way or another,' I thought and headed back downstairs.

Well? What do you guys think so far? Next chapter will feature Leo and Raph doing what they do best. I hope everyone enjoyed so far and I'll see you next time.

LaurenHardy13