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No money being made.\nWord Count part 17: 4,573 multi-chapter 2k3\nSummary: Donatello is known as the 'go-to Turtle', the guy who can fix all sorts of things. His role in the family takes an unexpected turn when his brothers decide to expand on his job description.\nRatings per chapter vary - R to NC-17\n~~This amazing preview image was created by the incomparable @Sherenelle \n \n\n!!~~Winner in the Universal TMNT Fanfiction Competition 2016: (Erotica Ballot) Sexiest Donatello 1st Place; Most Turtle-Tastic T-Cest 1st Place ", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.
Word Count part 17: 4,573 multi-chapter 2k3
Summary: Donatello is known as the 'go-to Turtle', the guy who can fix all sorts of things.  His role in the family takes an unexpected turn when his brothers decide to expand on his job description.
Ratings per chapter vary - R to NC-17
~~This amazing preview image was created by the incomparable @Sherenelle  
 

!!~~Winner in the Universal TMNT Fanfiction Competition 2016: (Erotica Ballot) Sexiest Donatello 1st Place; Most Turtle-Tastic T-Cest 1st Place ", "writing": "\t“Come on Raph, just forget what I said. Let’s go back upstairs and think this through,” Mikey pleaded.\n\n\tHis voice drifted back to Master Splinter’s room, the change in its directionality indicating that he was following his two older siblings into the dojo. It was clear that Leo’s challenge and Raph’s acceptance of it had moved beyond words into action.\n\n\tDon had to speculate about what it was that Mikey had said to Raph. It must have occurred while Don was either in Leo’s room or after Don had gone down to talk to Master Splinter. Raph had promised to check on Mikey and apparently he had, but something during their conversation had set Raph off.\n\n\tJust when Don started to wonder again if Master Splinter was going to intervene, his father slid the door to his room open and stepped out. Don followed him as Master Splinter crossed the lair, moving silently towards the dojo.\n\n\tRather than going inside though, Master Splinter took up a post at the edge of the door frame and indicated that Don should join him. Kneeling next to where his father stood gave them both a clear look into the dojo without making them visible to the three turtles who were inside.\n\n\tWhy Master Splinter was so insistent that their presence go unnoticed was beyond Don’s understanding, just as the reasons for his father to seemingly allow a fight to break out was. Maybe he had grown tired of playing referee or this was his way of gaining insight into his sons’ behavior. Don had to admit that none of them had been very forthcoming with their father.\n\n \tLeo and Raph were facing each other, their matching snarls a distinct counterpoint to the worried expression that Mikey was wearing. He stood to one side, looking as though he’d like to step between them and put a stop to their aggression, but knew that move would prove ineffectual.\n\n\t“Ya’ don’t always get to call all the shots Leo!” Raph shouted.\n\n\t“That’s [i]exactly [/i]what I get to do,” Leo snapped, sounding contemptuous. “I’m the leader of this team; you follow [i]my [/i]orders.”\n\n\t“Not when it comes to this,” Raph growled. “Not when it concerns Donny. You’re trying to talk him into only being with [i]you[/i], aren’t ya’? You’re trying to find a way to have him all to yourself. That’s been the plan all along, hasn’t it?”\n\n\t“There has been no so called plan!” Leo exclaimed. “That’s the point. You don’t plan, you just do whatever the shell you feel like doing and consequences be damned!”\n\n\t“I never said Leo was telling Don to walk away from us,” Mikey inserted. “All I said was that I was scared he [i]might [/i]do something like that.”\n\n\t“You’re the one with the great insight, Mikey! Ain’t that what everybody always says?” Raph asked. “From Leo’s head to your mouth. That’s just the kind of stab ya’ in the back move old Fearless here would pull.”\n\n\t“If we’re going to talk about backstabbing, then you go right to the top of the list,” Leo said, staring hard at Raph. “Taking a lone fight to the Foot is foolhardy but the minute you get mad about something else, that’s just what you set off to do. For once in your life why don’t you face your mistakes instead of trying to dodge them?”\n\n\t“What mistakes would that be? Getting to Donny before ya’ could?” Raph taunted.\n\n\tWhether it was Raph’s tone or what he’d said, it broke their verbal standoff. Leo swung a fist at Raph’s jaw, his knuckles just grazing Raph’s chin as his brother pulled his head aside.\n\n\tRaph came in fast before Leo could get set for another punch. Their bodies slammed together as the pair grappled, each trying to get the other into a submission hold. Leo managed to slide a hand up to Raph’s face and bend his brother’s head back before pushing hard enough to separate them.\n\n\tOff balance for only two steps backwards, Raph quickly righted himself and countered with a spinning back fist directed at Leo’s head. Leo caught Raph’s arm just above his elbow and pulled it down, directing a pair of hard liver punches to Raph’s exposed side.\n\n\tContinuing to shove down on Raph’s right arm, Leo lifted his left elbow and struck Raph’s face, snapping his head to the side.\n\n\tBending down to free his arm, Raph hooked a quick blow to Leo’s plastron but as he tried for a second jab, Leo caught his arm again. Lifting a knee, Leo planted it squarely in Raph’s gut and then pushed his brother away from him.\n\n\tAs the pair separated, Raph straightened and turned to the side to deliver a swift back kick that caught Leo in the stomach. As Leo stumbled backwards, Raph followed, spinning into a jumping back kick.\n\n\tLeo caught his leg before it connected, but Raph responded with a vicious back fist to his brother’s face. The blow was hard enough to turn Leo and send him chest first into the wall.\n\n\tRaph kicked the back of Leo’s leg to keep him from moving and immediately pounced on his brother. Grabbing Leo’s shoulders to hold him in place, Raph brought his knee around to drive it into Leo’s kidneys.\n\n\tGrunting in pain, Leo started to move but Raph slung an arm around his neck and with the other hand gripping Leo’s mask, started pulling his head back. Lowering one arm, Leo jabbed his elbow into Raph’s side, forcing him to loosen his hold.\n\n\tReaching up, Leo grabbed Raph’s hand and spun around, twisting his brother’s wrist painfully and forcing him to drop the arm from around Leo’s neck. Raph cried out as he was bent backwards while Leo continued to twist his arm, but then Raph managed to yank his hand free.\n\n\tAs his arm came down, it left Raph’s head exposed and Leo used the opportunity to swing a powerful punch to his brother’s face. The blow turned Raph and sent him to all fours.\n\n\tLeo rushed forward and kicked Raph in the stomach as he tried to push himself into a standing position, and then grabbed the top edge of Raph’s carapace. Before Leo could do anything else, Raph elbowed him hard in the gut and drove him back.\n\n\tJumping to his feet, Raph delivered a vicious side kick to Leo’s chest and then turned to aim an outside crescent kick that send Leo back against the weapons wall. Twisting to stop his momentum, Leo planted his hands against the wall and pushed off just as Raph dove at him.\n\n\tRaph’s fist connected with the wall as Leo dodged the blow and then kicked the back of Raph’s right knee. It was hard enough to bring Raph partway down before he caught himself and came back up swinging.\n\n \tLeo spun around so that Raph’s fist swept over his right shoulder and then grabbed Raph’s arm. Yanking down on his arm, Leo tried to throw his brother, but Raph anticipated the move and pushed them both off balance.\n\n\tSliding both hands down to Raph’s wrist, Leo twirled around and twisted Raph’s arm simultaneously. Leo pulled his brother forward and kicked his knee, bringing Raph down enough so that Leo could deliver a hard punch to his face.\n\n\tAs Raph’s head snapped back, Leo released him and spun into a back kick, catching Raph in the chest. The kick slammed Raph into the wall but he bounced off and immediately rushed Leo, diving down to grab him around the waist and lift him.\n\n\tJust as Leo’s legs left the ground, he lifted a knee and struck Raph hard enough to knock the wind out of him. Raph clutched his chest and stumbled back as Leo hit the floor.\n\n\tGasping as he fought to catch his breath, Raph remained bent slightly as he watched Leo slowly rise to his feet. Both were breathing hard and though Don hoped that would be the end of the fight, he could tell from their expressions that neither was content to leave it at a draw.\n\n\tLooking up at Master Splinter, Don started to say something but his father shook his head, lifting a finger to his lips to indicate that his son should remain silent. Don wore a pained expression as he once more looked into the dojo, noticing that Mikey had backed away from the combatants to stand against the far wall. His youngest brother looked extremely unhappy but at a loss as to what he could do about stopping the fight.\n\n\tAs Raph’s breathing slowed to normal he straightened up, the scowl he wore speaking volumes for the state of his temper. Don saw Leo’s eyes narrow and a quick glance showed him that Raph’s left hand had dropped to the handle of his sai.\n\n\tDon sucked in a sharp breath as Raph drew his sai, which prompted Leo to lift his right hand and draw one of his katana as well. For a moment they simply stared at one another, neither making a move.\n\n\tThen the slight twitch of Raph’s shoulder brought Leo forward, his sword slicing downwards at Raph’s head. Raph stepped to the side, using the shaft of his sai to push Leo’s katana aside. The follow through from his swing brought Leo close to his brother and Raph swung at fist at Leo’s face, but Leo jumped back to avoid the blow.\n\n\tRaph swung at him again and Leo spun aside to dodge him before bringing his sword around at Raph’s middle. Raph leaped back, just avoiding the razor sharp edge of his brother’s weapon.\n\n\tThey both paused with their weapons at the ready, circling each other slowly. Don started to rise, seeing an opportunity to stop them before they hurt each other, but Master Splinter’s hand came down on his shoulder. His father’s grip was tight, forcing Don to remain where he was.\n\n\tLeo’s sword was out in front of him and Raph remained in a slightly crouched position, his sai held crossways in front of his body. Then Raph flipped the sai so that the shaft was against his forearm and carefully drew its twin from his belt as Leo took a step towards him.\n\n\tThere was flash as Leo’s blade swept towards Raph’s neck on his right side. Raph responded with lightning fast reflexes, blocking the blade with the pommel of the sai in his left hand. Leo lifted his sword and then brought it down again in a single smooth motion, forcing Raph to jump to the side.\n\n\tAs Leo’s blade came down on air, Raph kicked the back of Leo’s leg, moving behind him as Leo dropped to one knee. Turning his blade, Leo placed the palm of his free hand on the flat of his weapon and lifted the katana above his head, turning to peer over his shoulder and locate Raph. He was in time to catch the shaft of Raph’s heavy weapon on his sword as Raph swung it down at the top of Leo’s head.\n\n\tThey struggled against each other for a second and then Leo pushed up, causing Raph’s sai to slide off of his blade. Leo moved forward quickly, remaining in a crouched position as he spun on the balls of his feet and sliced at Raph’s legs.\n\n\tRaph bounded into the air, the blade passing beneath his feet, and then dove at his brother. Leo stood quickly, catching Raph’s sai on his sword and Raph began pushing against him, forcing Leo to one knee again.\n\n\tStraining against the downward pressure, Leo began to stand and then Raph kicked him in the stomach, forcing him back before pivoting into a round house kick directed at Leo’s face.\n\n\tLeo leaned to the side to avoid the kick but Raph followed through, delivering another swift round house kick that connected. It staggered Leo, but he quickly recovered and swung his sword at Raph while his brother was still close.\n\n\tLifting his sai, Raph caught the blade and pushed it aside before jumping back. Following him, Leo brought his sword down and Raph stopped it with his sai. Pushing down with all his might, Leo began forcing Raph’s arm back.\n\n\tReaching into his belt, Raph drew his second sai and hooked Leo’s katana between its tines. Pulling down on the sword forced it away from Raph’s body and then Raph spun his other sai around and struck Leo in the face with the pommel.\n\n\tThe blow snapped Leo’s head back and Raph yanked up on the sai trapping Leo’s sword, swinging the weapon around to the other side of Leo’s body. Before his brother could force him off balance, Leo slid his katana free and slashed sideways at Raph’s head.\n\n\tRaph dropped to the ground, ducking beneath the flashing blade and then came up again on one knee, sliding the other leg around in an attempt to sweep Leo’s feet from under him. Leo leaped back, bringing his sword up before coming down at Raph’s head again.\n\n\tStill on his knees, Raph lifted the sai in his right hand to catch the katana. Once more Leo pushed down, using his body weight to try and force Raph into a prone position. As Raph started to give, he lifted his second sai, pressing it against Leo’s blade. With his sai crisscrossed against the katana, Raph dropped onto his shoulder, the move turning the blade away from his face.\n\n\tAs the tip of the sword dropped towards the floor, Raph brought a leg up and kicked Leo’s chin. It caused Leo’s head to go back and as soon as he lost sight of his opponent, he automatically moved backwards as well.\n\n\tRaph took the opportunity to roll on his shoulder and come up into a standing position. As soon as he did, Leo drew his second katana.\n\n\t“Guys, this would be a good time to stop,” Mikey said, trying for a calming tone.\n\n\t“You can’t beat me, Raph. How do you expect to defeat the Shredder?” Leo asked with a sneer.\n\n\t“If what ya’ want is a beat down I’ll be happy to deliver,” Raph responded. “I’ve been holding back.”\n\n\t“Keep telling yourself that,” Leo said, jeering at his brother.\n\n\t“You’re too slow. Ya’ fight slow, ya’ think slow, ya’ move slow. You’re pissed ‘cause I got to Donny first. That’s your damn fault for taking too long to plan your approach,” Raph taunted.\n\n\tLeo darted at him, swinging first one sword, then the other. Raph countered each blow, blocking the strikes without finding an opening to make a countermove. Seeing that Leo was backing him towards the wall, Raph delivered a quick front snap kick and drove Leo away from him.\n\n\t“Maybe if you spent five seconds planning something we wouldn’t be in this mess!” Leo shouted at him. “You forced yourself on Don and put him in a position where he couldn’t escape your perverted attentions if he wanted to!”\n\n\t“But he don’t want to, does he?” Raph asked. “That’s the problem ain’t it, Leo? That’s what chaps your ass! Donny [i]wants [/i]to be with me and Mikey!”\n\n\t“What choice have you given him? What choice has he had this entire time? Neither of you slowed down enough find out how Don really felt about what you were doing to him. You pushed your agenda without giving a damn about what Donny wanted!” Leo yelled.\n\n\t“Ya’ think ya’ could have talked him into wanting you? Is that why ya’ keep throwing up roadblocks between us?” Raph asked. “You’ve been doing your best to pretend it’s all about protecting Donny when it’s really just ya’ trying to keep us from loving on Don ‘cause you’re so fucking possessive!”\n\n\tLeo leaped forward and slashed down at Raph, who stepped quickly to the left and pushed down on his brother’s arm with his left hand. With the sai in his right hand, he caught hold of Leo’s arm just above his elbow, trapping it between the tines of his weapon.\n\n\tTwisting the sai, Raph applied pressure, shoving down on Leo’s arm. Placing his left knee behind Leo’s right leg kept his brother from coming back up at him. By twisting the sai a bit more he applied an arm bar and took Leo to the ground. He then pressed down with the sai and trapped Leo’s wrist against the handle of his other weapon, curling his fingers around both and pulling up on Leo’s arm.\n\n\tThe position was extremely painful, something that Don knew from experience. Normally when Raph caught one of them like that, they quickly tapped out. From the grimace on Leo’s face, it was clear that he was hurting, but he refused to give up.\n\n\t“Donny spent most of the afternoon alone with ya’ in your room. Did ya’ seal the deal? Come to an understanding? Have ya’ carved your name into his shell yet? Ya’ don’t own him; he ain’t your property!” Raph stated angrily.\n\n\t“You moved in on Don on purpose,” Leo hissed. “You knew full well how I felt about him and you leaped at the chance to make me suffer! Anything to get back at me for walking us into an ambush!”\n\n\tIt was only the pressure of Master Splinter’s grip that kept Don from rushing in to break them apart. He couldn’t understand how his father could let this fight continue.\n\n\tDespite the pain of Raph’s trap, Leo’s free hand was still wrapped around his second sword. Chancing a broken wrist, Leo rolled on his hip and swung his katana at Raph’s lowered head.\n\n\tWith no way to block the sword, Raph could only throw himself backwards, relinquishing his hold on one of his weapons. Landing on his carapace, Raph swiftly rolled over and back up again.\n\n\tLeo had jumped to his feet as soon as Raph hit the floor. The arm that had been trapped was shaking and probably slightly numb. Kicking Raph’s sai across the dojo and away from its owner, Leo slowly sheathed his katana, evening the odds once more.\n\n\t“Where do ya’ get off thinking this is all about [i]you[/i]?” Raph asked. “My timing had nothing to do with how ya’ felt about Don, it had to do with how [i]I [/i]felt.”\n\n\t“A team is only as strong as its weakest link,” Leo said.\n\n\tFrowning, Raph asked, “What is that, some Zen bullshit? Leave it to ya’ to be losing a fight and start spouting some existential crap. If that weakest link shit was aimed at me, ya’ better take it back before I make ya’ eat them words.”\n\n\t“When have you ever managed that?” Leo asked with derision. “You’re all talk and a whole lot of hot air.”\n\n\tWith a fierce growl Raph shot forward and the brothers’ weapons clashed, the sound of metal on metal ringing through the entire lair.\n\n\tDon looked up at his father again, his expression beseeching. “We have to stop them,” he whispered.\n\n\t“No,” Master Splinter said firmly. “They have hidden their feelings from each other for too long. They need to get all of this out in the open and this is how they communicate.”\n\n\tAll Don could hear was an increasing fury in Raph’s tone and an equally contemptuous one in Leo’s. How that could be perceived as communication by their father was something he couldn’t understand.\n\n\t“There has to be another way,” Don said.\n\n\t“You boys have chosen to engage in adult acts, you must learn to deal with the fallout,” Master Splinter said. “These are the consequences of actions taken without thought of possible repercussions.”\n\n\tThat was as close to an ‘I told you so’ as their father would ever get, but it carried the same message. Don turned his attention back to the fight, watching helplessly as Leo aggressively attacked Raph’s defenses.\n\n\t“You – never – think – anything through!” Leo shouted as he slashed at Raph.\n\n\tRaph caught Leo’s blade on his sai and pushed it aside, delivering a hard uppercut to Leo’s exposed jaw. “What the hell is there to think about? Ya’ love someone, ya’ let them know!”\n\n\t“It’s more complicated than that!” Leo exclaimed. “Why couldn’t you just tell Donny what you were feeling? Why did you have to practically rape him?”\n\n\tRaph roared with anger, coming in low and plowing into Leo’s stomach, throwing him to the ground. Leo hit the floor and used his momentum to roll out of it and back onto his feet.\n\n\t“I didn’t rape him!” Raph yelled.\n\n\t“You blackmailed him into have sex with you! I’ll bet you knew he’d never touch you with a ten foot pole otherwise. Don’s too good for you,” Leo said, his gibe insulting and ugly.\n\n\tIf Leo was trying to infuriate Raph, he’d picked the right words. Raph rushed him again, jabbing at Leo with his sai and just grazing Leo’s cheek with a tine as Leo leaned away from the weapons’ tip.\n\n\tThe drawing of first blood seemed to inflame Leo as well. His sword was a blur as he cut at Raph, shifting his aim fluidly each time Raph deflected his katana.\n\n\tWith both of them provoked to the point of rage, it was only a matter of time before they’d either collapse from exhaustion or do serious harm. Don hoped for the collapse, but he was not destined to get his wish.\n\n\tAs Raph jumped back to avoid Leo’s blade, the older turtle rushed forward, slicing down with his katana. Raph then made his first big mistake, perhaps because he was too angry or because he was growing tired, or both.\n\n\tRaph stepped to the right, lifting his sai shoulder high to push aside Leo’s blade. The katana slid down off Raph’s sai and then Leo turned his wrists to cut back in at his brother.\n\n\tThe katana came in under the sai before Raph could move it to protect himself. Leo’s blade sliced into Raph’s deltoid and his brother cried out in pain.\n\n\tAlmost at the instant it connected Leo drew his katana back, his expression registering horror at what he’d just done. Throwing his katana aside, Leo caught Raph as his brother collapsed, blood running down his arm.\n\n\tDon was moving as Raph began to fall, not even registering if he’d had to pull himself out of Master Splinter’s grip. Mikey grabbed a towel from the weight bench and ran over, tossing it to his brother as Don knelt next to Raph.\n\n\tPushing Raph’s hand out of the way, Don replaced it with the towel and applied pressure. He needed to try and staunch the flow of blood before he could assess the damage, but he’d seen that Raph’s thick muscles had prevented the weapon from cutting too far in.\n\n\t“I’m sorry, Raph. I’m so sorry,” Leo murmured over and over, cradling his brother in his arms.\n\n\tPanting, Raph looked up at Leo. “I got to ya’ didn’t I? First time in years ya’ couldn’t pull your strike back in time. Unless ya’ wanted to cut me. Be a good way to keep me home.”\n\n\t“No! I’d never do that,” Leo protested.\n\n\tRaph chuckled weakly. “Maybe ya’ thought injuring me would keep me from having sex with Donny boy here. Ya’ should have followed through with your sword; killing me would have taken me out of the picture permanently.”\n\n\t“Stop saying things like that,” Leo choked out.\n\n\t“I can sure understand loving him enough to do crazy shit just to hang onto him,” Raph said, scowling as Don pressed harder on his wound.\n\n\t“I do love him,” Leo said. “With everything I am. But I love you too, Raph. You and Mikey. More than you’ll ever know.”\n\n\t“Ya’ got a funny way of showing it,” Raph said.\n\n\t“You don’t make it easy,” Leo told him, lowering his forehead to touch it to Raph’s.\n\n\t“Tell him what you were planning to do. Tell him about the map,” Don insisted, staring hard at Leo.\n\n\tLeo glanced up, frowning. “How did you . . . ?”\n\n\t“Master Splinter,” Don answered. “How could you even think that would be acceptable to any of us?”\n\n\t“What is he talking about, Leo?” Mikey asked, squatting next to them.\n\n\tLeo’s mouth twitched, as though he didn’t want to share his secret, but knew he had no choice. Looking into Raph’s eyes, he said, “That weakest link comment wasn’t about you, I was talking about myself. About my . . . possessiveness. It’s a weakness, one I can ill afford. I don’t know how to defeat it, so I thought to . . . run away.”\n\n\t“He was using a map of abandoned underground rail stations to look for a new home for himself,” Don said flatly.\n\n\t“You’re the one who keeps preaching about how our team needs to stay balanced,” Mikey said, looking accusingly at Leo. “How does moving out on your own make for balance of any kind?”\n\n\t“It would be better than watching the three of you together,” Leo snapped. Closing his eyes, Leo took a breath before opening them again. “I’m sorry.”\n\n\t“It ain’t three of us together, it’s four,” Raph pointed out. “It’s four, Leo. Don’t ya’ get that?”\n\n\t“Master Splinter never let us run away from learning something new, no matter how hard it was,” Mikey said. “We’re not going to let you do that either, Leo. You’re possessive, so what? Nobody here wants your katanas, or your books, or your boring collection of candles, or your job. Donny isn’t an object. He gets to make choices for himself and we get to learn to live with them. That includes you.”\n\n\t“And if I can’t?” Leo asked.\n\n\t“Fucking quitter,” Raph murmured. “Big baby. Since when did ya’ start using the word ‘can’t’?”\n\n\t“You’re asking me to control my feelings!” Leo exclaimed.\n\n\t“Ya’ ask me to do that all the fucking time,” Raph shot back. With his uninjured arm, he reached up to grab Leo’s bicep. “Ya’ ain’t running away from this; I won’t let ya’ go anywhere. If I gotta give up my relationship with Donny, then I will. I love ya’ too damn much, Leo. I love this family too damn much to watch it fall apart.”\n\n\tRaph was breathing hard by the time he got those words out. There was an intensity to the look that was passing between Raph and Leo that Don had never seen before. Whatever they were sharing, he was loath to interrupt, but the towel was blood soaked and from the sounds of Raph’s labored sighs, he was suffering from blood loss.\n\n\t“We have to get Raph to the infirmary,” Don said. “I have to close this wound.”\n\n\t“Help me up,” Raph said, pulling his feet in to get them under him. “I can walk.”\n\n\t“You can shut up and be carried,” Leo said, sliding an arm in under Raph’s thighs. With Mikey’s help, they lifted him.\n\n\tMikey ran ahead of them to get the infirmary equipment ready as Leo carried Raph, who sagged in his arms. Don walked along beside them, maintaining pressure on Raph’s injury.\n\n\tThere were many things playing through Don’s mind, not the least of which was Raph’s offer to stop having sexual relations with him. All of that would have to go on the back burner for the moment.\n\n\tSaving Raph’s arm was Don’s first priority.\n\nTBC…………..\t\n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "\t“Come on Raph, just forget what I said.  Let’s go back upstairs and think this through,” Mikey pleaded.

\tHis voice drifted back to Master Splinter’s room, the change in its directionality indicating that he was following his two older siblings into the dojo.  It was clear that Leo’s challenge and Raph’s acceptance of it had moved beyond words into action.

\tDon had to speculate about what it was that Mikey had said to Raph.  It must have occurred while Don was either in Leo’s room or after Don had gone down to talk to Master Splinter.  Raph had promised to check on Mikey and apparently he had, but something during their conversation had set Raph off.

\tJust when Don started to wonder again if Master Splinter was going to intervene, his father slid the door to his room open and stepped out.  Don followed him as Master Splinter crossed the lair, moving silently towards the dojo.

\tRather than going inside though, Master Splinter took up a post at the edge of the door frame and indicated that Don should join him.  Kneeling next to where his father stood gave them both a clear look into the dojo without making them visible to the three turtles who were inside.

\tWhy Master Splinter was so insistent that their presence go unnoticed was beyond Don’s understanding, just as the reasons for his father to seemingly allow a fight to break out was.  Maybe he had grown tired of playing referee or this was his way of gaining insight into his sons’ behavior.  Don had to admit that none of them had been very forthcoming with their father.

 \tLeo and Raph were facing each other, their matching snarls a distinct counterpoint to the worried expression that Mikey was wearing.  He stood to one side, looking as though he’d like to step between them and put a stop to their aggression, but knew that move would prove ineffectual.

\t“Ya’ don’t always get to call all the shots Leo!” Raph shouted.

\t“That’s exactly what I get to do,” Leo snapped, sounding contemptuous.  “I’m the leader of this team; you follow my orders.”

\t“Not when it comes to this,” Raph growled.  “Not when it concerns Donny.  You’re trying to talk him into only being with you, aren’t ya’?  You’re trying to find a way to have him all to yourself.  That’s been the plan all along, hasn’t it?”

\t“There has been no so called plan!” Leo exclaimed.  “That’s the point.  You don’t plan, you just do whatever the shell you feel like doing and consequences be damned!”

\t“I never said Leo was telling Don to walk away from us,” Mikey inserted.  “All I said was that I was scared he might do something like that.”

\t“You’re the one with the great insight, Mikey!  Ain’t that what everybody always says?” Raph asked.  “From Leo’s head to your mouth.  That’s just the kind of stab ya’ in the back move old Fearless here would pull.”

\t“If we’re going to talk about backstabbing, then you go right to the top of the list,” Leo said, staring hard at Raph.  “Taking a lone fight to the Foot is foolhardy but the minute you get mad about something else, that’s just what you set off to do.  For once in your life why don’t you face your mistakes instead of trying to dodge them?”

\t“What mistakes would that be?  Getting to Donny before ya’ could?” Raph taunted.

\tWhether it was Raph’s tone or what he’d said, it broke their verbal standoff.  Leo swung a fist at Raph’s jaw, his knuckles just grazing Raph’s chin as his brother pulled his head aside.

\tRaph came in fast before Leo could get set for another punch.  Their bodies slammed together as the pair grappled, each trying to get the other into a submission hold.  Leo managed to slide a hand up to Raph’s face and bend his brother’s head back before pushing hard enough to separate them.

\tOff balance for only two steps backwards, Raph quickly righted himself and countered with a spinning back fist directed at Leo’s head.  Leo caught Raph’s arm just above his elbow and pulled it down, directing a pair of hard liver punches to Raph’s exposed side.

\tContinuing to shove down on Raph’s right arm, Leo lifted his left elbow and struck Raph’s face, snapping his head to the side.

\tBending down to free his arm, Raph hooked a quick blow to Leo’s plastron but as he tried for a second jab, Leo caught his arm again.  Lifting a knee, Leo planted it squarely in Raph’s gut and then pushed his brother away from him.

\tAs the pair separated, Raph straightened and turned to the side to deliver a swift back kick that caught Leo in the stomach.  As Leo stumbled backwards, Raph followed, spinning into a jumping back kick.

\tLeo caught his leg before it connected, but Raph responded with a vicious back fist to his brother’s face.  The blow was hard enough to turn Leo and send him chest first into the wall.

\tRaph kicked the back of Leo’s leg to keep him from moving and immediately pounced on his brother.  Grabbing Leo’s shoulders to hold him in place, Raph brought his knee around to drive it into Leo’s kidneys.

\tGrunting in pain, Leo started to move but Raph slung an arm around his neck and with the other hand gripping Leo’s mask, started pulling his head back.  Lowering one arm, Leo jabbed his elbow into Raph’s side, forcing him to loosen his hold.

\tReaching up, Leo grabbed Raph’s hand and spun around, twisting his brother’s wrist painfully and forcing him to drop the arm from around Leo’s neck.  Raph cried out as he was bent backwards while Leo continued to twist his arm, but then Raph managed to yank his hand free.

\tAs his arm came down, it left Raph’s head exposed and Leo used the opportunity to swing a powerful punch to his brother’s face.  The blow turned Raph and sent him to all fours.

\tLeo rushed forward and kicked Raph in the stomach as he tried to push himself into a standing position, and then grabbed the top edge of Raph’s carapace.  Before Leo could do anything else, Raph elbowed him hard in the gut and drove him back.

\tJumping to his feet, Raph delivered a vicious side kick to Leo’s chest and then turned to aim an outside crescent kick that send Leo back against the weapons wall.  Twisting to stop his momentum, Leo planted his hands against the wall and pushed off just as Raph dove at him.

\tRaph’s fist connected with the wall as Leo dodged the blow and then kicked the back of Raph’s right knee.  It was hard enough to bring Raph partway down before he caught himself and came back up swinging.

 \tLeo spun around so that Raph’s fist swept over his right shoulder and then grabbed Raph’s arm.  Yanking down on his arm, Leo tried to throw his brother, but Raph anticipated the move and pushed them both off balance.

\tSliding both hands down to Raph’s wrist, Leo twirled around and twisted Raph’s arm simultaneously.  Leo pulled his brother forward and kicked his knee, bringing Raph down enough so that Leo could deliver a hard punch to his face.

\tAs Raph’s head snapped back, Leo released him and spun into a back kick, catching Raph in the chest.  The kick slammed Raph into the wall but he bounced off and immediately rushed Leo, diving down to grab him around the waist and lift him.

\tJust as Leo’s legs left the ground, he lifted a knee and struck Raph hard enough to knock the wind out of him.  Raph clutched his chest and stumbled back as Leo hit the floor.

\tGasping as he fought to catch his breath, Raph remained bent slightly as he watched Leo slowly rise to his feet.  Both were breathing hard and though Don hoped that would be the end of the fight, he could tell from their expressions that neither was content to leave it at a draw.

\tLooking up at Master Splinter, Don started to say something but his father shook his head, lifting a finger to his lips to indicate that his son should remain silent.  Don wore a pained expression as he once more looked into the dojo, noticing that Mikey had backed away from the combatants to stand against the far wall.  His youngest brother looked extremely unhappy but at a loss as to what he could do about stopping the fight.

\tAs Raph’s breathing slowed to normal he straightened up, the scowl he wore speaking volumes for the state of his temper.  Don saw Leo’s eyes narrow and a quick glance showed him that Raph’s left hand had dropped to the handle of his sai.

\tDon sucked in a sharp breath as Raph drew his sai, which prompted Leo to lift his right hand and draw one of his katana as well.  For a moment they simply stared at one another, neither making a move.

\tThen the slight twitch of Raph’s shoulder brought Leo forward, his sword slicing downwards at Raph’s head.  Raph stepped to the side, using the shaft of his sai to push Leo’s katana aside.  The follow through from his swing brought Leo close to his brother and Raph swung at fist at Leo’s face, but Leo jumped back to avoid the blow.

\tRaph swung at him again and Leo spun aside to dodge him before bringing his sword around at Raph’s middle.  Raph leaped back, just avoiding the razor sharp edge of his brother’s weapon.

\tThey both paused with their weapons at the ready, circling each other slowly.  Don started to rise, seeing an opportunity to stop them before they hurt each other, but Master Splinter’s hand came down on his shoulder.  His father’s grip was tight, forcing Don to remain where he was.

\tLeo’s sword was out in front of him and Raph remained in a slightly crouched position, his sai held crossways in front of his body.  Then Raph flipped the sai so that the shaft was against his forearm and carefully drew its twin from his belt as Leo took a step towards him.

\tThere was flash as Leo’s blade swept towards Raph’s neck on his right side.  Raph responded with lightning fast reflexes, blocking the blade with the pommel of the sai in his left hand.  Leo lifted his sword and then brought it down again in a single smooth motion, forcing Raph to jump to the side.

\tAs Leo’s blade came down on air, Raph kicked the back of Leo’s leg, moving behind him as Leo dropped to one knee.  Turning his blade, Leo placed the palm of his free hand on the flat of his weapon and lifted the katana above his head, turning to peer over his shoulder and locate Raph.  He was in time to catch the shaft of Raph’s heavy weapon on his sword as Raph swung it down at the top of Leo’s head.

\tThey struggled against each other for a second and then Leo pushed up, causing Raph’s sai to slide off of his blade.  Leo moved forward quickly, remaining in a crouched position as he spun on the balls of his feet and sliced at Raph’s legs.

\tRaph bounded into the air, the blade passing beneath his feet, and then dove at his brother.  Leo stood quickly, catching Raph’s sai on his sword and Raph began pushing against him, forcing Leo to one knee again.

\tStraining against the downward pressure, Leo began to stand and then Raph kicked him in the stomach, forcing him back before pivoting into a round house kick directed at Leo’s face.

\tLeo leaned to the side to avoid the kick but Raph followed through, delivering another swift round house kick that connected.  It staggered Leo, but he quickly recovered and swung his sword at Raph while his brother was still close.

\tLifting his sai, Raph caught the blade and pushed it aside before jumping back.  Following him, Leo brought his sword down and Raph stopped it with his sai.  Pushing down with all his might, Leo began forcing Raph’s arm back.

\tReaching into his belt, Raph drew his second sai and hooked Leo’s katana between its tines.  Pulling down on the sword forced it away from Raph’s body and then Raph spun his other sai around and struck Leo in the face with the pommel.

\tThe blow snapped Leo’s head back and Raph yanked up on the sai trapping Leo’s sword, swinging the weapon around to the other side of Leo’s body.  Before his brother could force him off balance, Leo slid his katana free and slashed sideways at Raph’s head.

\tRaph dropped to the ground, ducking beneath the flashing blade and then came up again on one knee, sliding the other leg around in an attempt to sweep Leo’s feet from under him.  Leo leaped back, bringing his sword up before coming down at Raph’s head again.

\tStill on his knees, Raph lifted the sai in his right hand to catch the katana.  Once more Leo pushed down, using his body weight to try and force Raph into a prone position.  As Raph started to give, he lifted his second sai, pressing it against Leo’s blade.  With his sai crisscrossed against the katana, Raph dropped onto his shoulder, the move turning the blade away from his face.

\tAs the tip of the sword dropped towards the floor, Raph brought a leg up and kicked Leo’s chin.  It caused Leo’s head to go back and as soon as he lost sight of his opponent, he automatically moved backwards as well.

\tRaph took the opportunity to roll on his shoulder and come up into a standing position.  As soon as he did, Leo drew his second katana.

\t“Guys, this would be a good time to stop,” Mikey said, trying for a calming tone.

\t“You can’t beat me, Raph.  How do you expect to defeat the Shredder?” Leo asked with a sneer.

\t“If what ya’ want is a beat down I’ll be happy to deliver,” Raph responded.  “I’ve been holding back.”

\t“Keep telling yourself that,” Leo said, jeering at his brother.

\t“You’re too slow.  Ya’ fight slow, ya’ think slow, ya’ move slow.  You’re pissed ‘cause I got to Donny first.  That’s your damn fault for taking too long to plan your approach,” Raph taunted.

\tLeo darted at him, swinging first one sword, then the other.  Raph countered each blow, blocking the strikes without finding an opening to make a countermove.  Seeing that Leo was backing him towards the wall, Raph delivered a quick front snap kick and drove Leo away from him.

\t“Maybe if you spent five seconds planning something we wouldn’t be in this mess!” Leo shouted at him.  “You forced yourself on Don and put him in a position where he couldn’t escape your perverted attentions if he wanted to!”

\t“But he don’t want to, does he?” Raph asked.  “That’s the problem ain’t it, Leo?  That’s what chaps your ass!  Donny wants to be with me and Mikey!”

\t“What choice have you given him?  What choice has he had this entire time?  Neither of you slowed down enough find out how Don really felt about what you were doing to him.  You pushed your agenda without giving a damn about what Donny wanted!” Leo yelled.

\t“Ya’ think ya’ could have talked him into wanting you?  Is that why ya’ keep throwing up roadblocks between us?” Raph asked.  “You’ve been doing your best to pretend it’s all about protecting Donny when it’s really just ya’ trying to keep us from loving on Don ‘cause you’re so fucking possessive!”

\tLeo leaped forward and slashed down at Raph, who stepped quickly to the left and pushed down on his brother’s arm with his left hand.  With the sai in his right hand, he caught hold of Leo’s arm just above his elbow, trapping it between the tines of his weapon.

\tTwisting the sai, Raph applied pressure, shoving down on Leo’s arm.  Placing his left knee behind Leo’s right leg kept his brother from coming back up at him.  By twisting the sai a bit more he applied an arm bar and took Leo to the ground.  He then pressed down with the sai and trapped Leo’s wrist against the handle of his other weapon, curling his fingers around both and pulling up on Leo’s arm.

\tThe position was extremely painful, something that Don knew from experience.  Normally when Raph caught one of them like that, they quickly tapped out.  From the grimace on Leo’s face, it was clear that he was hurting, but he refused to give up.

\t“Donny spent most of the afternoon alone with ya’ in your room.  Did ya’ seal the deal?  Come to an understanding?  Have ya’ carved your name into his shell yet?  Ya’ don’t own him; he ain’t your property!” Raph stated angrily.

\t“You moved in on Don on purpose,” Leo hissed.  “You knew full well how I felt about him and you leaped at the chance to make me suffer!  Anything to get back at me for walking us into an ambush!”

\tIt was only the pressure of Master Splinter’s grip that kept Don from rushing in to break them apart.  He couldn’t understand how his father could let this fight continue.

\tDespite the pain of Raph’s trap, Leo’s free hand was still wrapped around his second sword.  Chancing a broken wrist, Leo rolled on his hip and swung his katana at Raph’s lowered head.

\tWith no way to block the sword, Raph could only throw himself backwards, relinquishing his hold on one of his weapons.  Landing on his carapace, Raph swiftly rolled over and back up again.

\tLeo had jumped to his feet as soon as Raph hit the floor.  The arm that had been trapped was shaking and probably slightly numb.  Kicking Raph’s sai across the dojo and away from its owner, Leo slowly sheathed his katana, evening the odds once more.

\t“Where do ya’ get off thinking this is all about you?” Raph asked.  “My timing had nothing to do with how ya’ felt about Don, it had to do with how I felt.”

\t“A team is only as strong as its weakest link,” Leo said.

\tFrowning, Raph asked, “What is that, some Zen bullshit?  Leave it to ya’ to be losing a fight and start spouting some existential crap.  If that weakest link shit was aimed at me, ya’ better take it back before I make ya’ eat them words.”

\t“When have you ever managed that?” Leo asked with derision.  “You’re all talk and a whole lot of hot air.”

\tWith a fierce growl Raph shot forward and the brothers’ weapons clashed, the sound of metal on metal ringing through the entire lair.

\tDon looked up at his father again, his expression beseeching.  “We have to stop them,” he whispered.

\t“No,” Master Splinter said firmly.  “They have hidden their feelings from each other for too long.  They need to get all of this out in the open and this is how they communicate.”

\tAll Don could hear was an increasing fury in Raph’s tone and an equally contemptuous one in Leo’s.  How that could be perceived as communication by their father was something he couldn’t understand.

\t“There has to be another way,” Don said.

\t“You boys have chosen to engage in adult acts, you must learn to deal with the fallout,” Master Splinter said.  “These are the consequences of actions taken without thought of possible repercussions.”

\tThat was as close to an ‘I told you so’ as their father would ever get, but it carried the same message.  Don turned his attention back to the fight, watching helplessly as Leo aggressively attacked Raph’s defenses.

\t“You – never – think – anything through!” Leo shouted as he slashed at Raph.

\tRaph caught Leo’s blade on his sai and pushed it aside, delivering a hard uppercut to Leo’s exposed jaw.  “What the hell is there to think about?  Ya’ love someone, ya’ let them know!”

\t“It’s more complicated than that!” Leo exclaimed.  “Why couldn’t you just tell Donny what you were feeling?  Why did you have to practically rape him?”

\tRaph roared with anger, coming in low and plowing into Leo’s stomach, throwing him to the ground.  Leo hit the floor and used his momentum to roll out of it and back onto his feet.

\t“I didn’t rape him!” Raph yelled.

\t“You blackmailed him into have sex with you!  I’ll bet you knew he’d never touch you with a ten foot pole otherwise.  Don’s too good for you,” Leo said, his gibe insulting and ugly.

\tIf Leo was trying to infuriate Raph, he’d picked the right words.  Raph rushed him again, jabbing at Leo with his sai and just grazing Leo’s cheek with a tine as Leo leaned away from the weapons’ tip.

\tThe drawing of first blood seemed to inflame Leo as well.  His sword was a blur as he cut at Raph, shifting his aim fluidly each time Raph deflected his katana.

\tWith both of them provoked to the point of rage, it was only a matter of time before they’d either collapse from exhaustion or do serious harm.  Don hoped for the collapse, but he was not destined to get his wish.

\tAs Raph jumped back to avoid Leo’s blade, the older turtle rushed forward, slicing down with his katana.  Raph then made his first big mistake, perhaps because he was too angry or because he was growing tired, or both.

\tRaph stepped to the right, lifting his sai shoulder high to push aside Leo’s blade.  The katana slid down off Raph’s sai and then Leo turned his wrists to cut back in at his brother.

\tThe katana came in under the sai before Raph could move it to protect himself.  Leo’s blade sliced into Raph’s deltoid and his brother cried out in pain.

\tAlmost at the instant it connected Leo drew his katana back, his expression registering horror at what he’d just done.  Throwing his katana aside, Leo caught Raph as his brother collapsed, blood running down his arm.

\tDon was moving as Raph began to fall, not even registering if he’d had to pull himself out of Master Splinter’s grip.  Mikey grabbed a towel from the weight bench and ran over, tossing it to his brother as Don knelt next to Raph.

\tPushing Raph’s hand out of the way, Don replaced it with the towel and applied pressure.  He needed to try and staunch the flow of blood before he could assess the damage, but he’d seen that Raph’s thick muscles had prevented the weapon from cutting too far in.

\t“I’m sorry, Raph.  I’m so sorry,” Leo murmured over and over, cradling his brother in his arms.

\tPanting, Raph looked up at Leo.  “I got to ya’ didn’t I?  First time in years ya’ couldn’t pull your strike back in time.  Unless ya’ wanted to cut me.  Be a good way to keep me home.”

\t“No!  I’d never do that,” Leo protested.

\tRaph chuckled weakly.  “Maybe ya’ thought injuring me would keep me from having sex with Donny boy here.  Ya’ should have followed through with your sword; killing me would have taken me out of the picture permanently.”

\t“Stop saying things like that,” Leo choked out.

\t“I can sure understand loving him enough to do crazy shit just to hang onto him,” Raph said, scowling as Don pressed harder on his wound.

\t“I do love him,” Leo said.  “With everything I am.  But I love you too, Raph.  You and Mikey.  More than you’ll ever know.”

\t“Ya’ got a funny way of showing it,” Raph said.

\t“You don’t make it easy,” Leo told him, lowering his forehead to touch it to Raph’s.

\t“Tell him what you were planning to do.  Tell him about the map,” Don insisted, staring hard at Leo.

\tLeo glanced up, frowning.  “How did you . . . ?”

\t“Master Splinter,” Don answered.  “How could you even think that would be acceptable to any of us?”

\t“What is he talking about, Leo?” Mikey asked, squatting next to them.

\tLeo’s mouth twitched, as though he didn’t want to share his secret, but knew he had no choice.  Looking into Raph’s eyes, he said, “That weakest link comment wasn’t about you, I was talking about myself.  About my . . . possessiveness.  It’s a weakness, one I can ill afford.  I don’t know how to defeat it, so I thought to . . . run away.”

\t“He was using a map of abandoned underground rail stations to look for a new home for himself,” Don said flatly.

\t“You’re the one who keeps preaching about how our team needs to stay balanced,” Mikey said, looking accusingly at Leo.  “How does moving out on your own make for balance of any kind?”

\t“It would be better than watching the three of you together,” Leo snapped.  Closing his eyes, Leo took a breath before opening them again.  “I’m sorry.”

\t“It ain’t three of us together, it’s four,” Raph pointed out.  “It’s four, Leo.  Don’t ya’ get that?”

\t“Master Splinter never let us run away from learning something new, no matter how hard it was,” Mikey said.  “We’re not going to let you do that either, Leo.  You’re possessive, so what?  Nobody here wants your katanas, or your books, or your boring collection of candles, or your job.  Donny isn’t an object.  He gets to make choices for himself and we get to learn to live with them.  That includes you.”

\t“And if I can’t?” Leo asked.

\t“Fucking quitter,” Raph murmured.  “Big baby.  Since when did ya’ start using the word ‘can’t’?”

\t“You’re asking me to control my feelings!” Leo exclaimed.

\t“Ya’ ask me to do that all the fucking time,” Raph shot back.  With his uninjured arm, he reached up to grab Leo’s bicep.  “Ya’ ain’t running away from this; I won’t let ya’ go anywhere.  If I gotta give up my relationship with Donny, then I will.  I love ya’ too damn much, Leo.  I love this family too damn much to watch it fall apart.”

\tRaph was breathing hard by the time he got those words out.  There was an intensity to the look that was passing between Raph and Leo that Don had never seen before.  Whatever they were sharing, he was loath to interrupt, but the towel was blood soaked and from the sounds of Raph’s labored sighs, he was suffering from blood loss.

\t“We have to get Raph to the infirmary,” Don said.  “I have to close this wound.”

\t“Help me up,” Raph said, pulling his feet in to get them under him.  “I can walk.”

\t“You can shut up and be carried,” Leo said, sliding an arm in under Raph’s thighs.  With Mikey’s help, they lifted him.

\tMikey ran ahead of them to get the infirmary equipment ready as Leo carried Raph, who sagged in his arms.  Don walked along beside them, maintaining pressure on Raph’s injury.

\tThere were many things playing through Don’s mind, not the least of which was Raph’s offer to stop having sexual relations with him.  All of that would have to go on the back burner for the moment.

\tSaving Raph’s arm was Don’s first priority.

TBC…………..\t

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