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His role in the family takes an unexpected turn when his brothers decide to expand on his job description.", "count": "24", "submission_left_submission_id": "1483712", "submission_left_file_name": "2099452_hummerhouse_beck_and_call_part_20.doc", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/2099/2099452_hummerhouse_beck_and_call_part_20.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/2099/2099452_hummerhouse_beck_and_call_part_20.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/2099/2099452_hummerhouse_beck_and_call_part_20.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "225", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "150", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "90", "submission_right_submission_id": "1542556", "submission_right_file_name": "2187652_hummerhouse_beck_and_call_part_22.doc", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/2187/2187652_hummerhouse_beck_and_call_part_22.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/2187/2187652_hummerhouse_beck_and_call_part_22.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/2187/2187652_hummerhouse_beck_and_call_part_22.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "208", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "139", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "83" } ], "description": "Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.\nWord Count part 21: 3,276 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 21: 3,276 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": "\tAs soon as Leo and Don left their father they saw him extinguish all but a couple of the candles inside his room, a good indication that he was turning in for the night.\n\nThe lair seemed especially quiet and dark. An evening rarely passed when one of the brothers wasn't still up, either watching TV, playing video games, or working on a project. Those activities leant a certain warmth to the atmosphere.\n\nDespite the sense of relief they felt at having Master Splinter encourage them to follow their instincts, the silence of their home was disquieting. It was a stark reminder that Raph was once more injured, that both he and Mikey were uncertain as to where they stood with Don, or even with Leo for that matter.\n\nThere was still a large rift between the four siblings and it had to be repaired.\n\nLeo stopped in the middle of the lair, as though unsure about what he should do next. Continuing to hold his hand, Don stood next to him, waiting to see if Leo would ask for his input.\n\n``You're probably tired,'' Leo said, looking at Don.\n\nThat was as much an admission that he didn't know what his next step should be as he'd probably ever make.\n\n``Neither of us have had much sleep,'' Don said, lifting Leo's hand in order to rub his cheek against the back of it. He couldn't help adding, ``We both know why.''\n\nDon was amused to see a tinge of color rise in his normally stoic brother's face. ``We should go back to bed,'' Leo told him. Seeing the slight smile on Don's lips, he quickly said, ``To catch up on our sleep. We don't know what kind of mood Raph will be in tomorrow.''\n\n``I have a suggestion,'' Don said. ``One that will probably improve Raph's mood and Mikey's too, and will allow us to sleep without worrying about them.''\n\nLeo gave him a curious look. ``What did you have in mind?''\n\n``Let's take the extra futons from storage so we can sleep in the infirmary with Raph and Mikey,'' Don said.\n\nFor a moment he thought Leo might balk at the suggestion, but then his brother smiled. ``All right. If we're going to try and find a way to pull us all back together again, then this would be a good start.''\n\n``At least it should ease the question in their minds about whether you're still planning on leaving us,'' Don said.\n\nTogether they went to the dojo, where the spare futons were folded against the wall on an unused side of the room. A metal locker held their extra linens and Don got out some sheets, pillows, and blankets.\n\nAs silently as they could manage, the pair laid the futons side by side near the ends of the cots their brothers were sleeping on. Covering the futons with sheets, they quietly set aside their weapons and crawled onto the makeshift beds.\n\nSharing the blankets, Leo and Don lay close together, Don with his head cradled on Leo's shoulder. A feeling of complete peace washed over Don and his eyes drifted shut, the light breathy sounds of his sleeping brothers sending him to dreamland.\n\nA low, pained moan pulled Donatello from his slumber to find that Leo had already risen and gone to Raph's side.\n\n``It's okay Raph, we're here. We're all right here,'' Leo said, his voice even and soothing.\n\nSitting up, Don saw that Leo was kneeling next to Raph's cot and holding his brother's right hand. Raph's eyes were open, his gaze fixed on Leo's face.\n\nThe sounds had awakened Mikey as well, but he didn't move. Instead, his eyes drifted to Don, who got up to go kneel on Raph's left side. As Don checked to see whether there were any traces of bleeding through the bandages on his brother's arm, Mikey reached out to give Don's carapace a reassuring pat.\n\nThere was no indications that the wound had started to bleed again, so Don pressed a hand to Raph's forehead and then to the back of his neck. He felt a little warm but not feverish, which was a good sign.\n\n``On a scale of one to ten, how badly does it hurt?'' Don asked.\n\n``Not too bad,'' Raph said, his voice gruff from disuse. Clearing his throat, he added, ``Maybe a four.''\n\n``That means it's an eight in Raph speak,'' Mikey said. ``It hurt enough to wake you up bro.''\n\nRaph's face colored slightly. ``Nah, that was just from sleeping on this uncomfortable cot. I keep wanting to roll over and I can't.''\n\n``You couldn't even if you were in your hammock,'' Leo told him. ``That arm needs to remain stationary.''\n\n``Since when does is take three of ya' to make sure I don't move around while I'm sleeping?'' Raph asked.\n\nDespite sounding grumpy, he had yet to remove his hand from Leo's or even to look away from him.\n\n``Did you ever think that maybe we're all in here with you because it makes us feel better to know you're nearby?'' Leo asked. ``That possibly we need the comfort of knowing that you're okay?''\n\n``Never been like that before,'' Raph said. ``Been hurt plenty of times and never had anyone feel like they need to sleep close to me.''\n\n``Things change,'' Leo said. ``We've changed. For some of us, it took a little longer to catch up.''\n\n``Don't know what that means,'' Raph said with a frown. Turning his head, he looked to Don for an explanation and his eyes found the bite mark on Don's neck.\n\n``Raph . . . .'' Don began, worried as to how Raph would interpret what he was seeing.\n\n``Forget what I said. I do know what change means for ya','' Raph said, looking back at Leo. ``Ya' finally took Don to bed, didn't ya'? Guess that happened after ya' knocked me out, huh? Should have known ya' couldn't hold out forever.''\n\n``What happened between Don and me . . . it wasn't planned,'' Leo said.\n\n``They did it in my bed,'' Mikey said, sounding proud of himself. He was now sitting on the edge of his cot. ``If you think the mark on his neck is kinky, you should see the bite mark on Don's shoulder.''\n\n``Maybe it wasn't planned, but you've wanted it for a long time, haven't ya Leo? I didn't plan what I started with Don either,'' Raph said. ``Can't help the way I feel about him anymore than ya' can, only I don't try to hide those feelings.''\n\n``I don't want to do that anymore either,'' Leo said. ``At least not from you guys. I need for you to be patient with me, though. I'm in new territory here.''\n\n``It's new territory for all of us Leo,'' Mikey said. ``We've sure as shell made mistakes. There's no way I ever meant to trick Don into having sex with me, but that's what I feel like I did.''\n\nRaph's brow hadn't smoothed at all, his expression clearly showing his concern. ``Does Master Splinter know the two of ya' had yourselves a fuck fest? Last time I saw him, he didn't seem too happy about the stuff we've been doing with each other.''\n\n``It isn't the intercourse that he's been upset about,'' Don said, grimacing slightly at Raph's crude description. ``He's suspected for a long time that we might turn to each other for physical gratification as we got older. What bothers Master Splinter is that we're out of sorts because of it; that we're no longer unified.''\n\n``He wishes we'd stop fighting over Donny,'' Mikey interpreted. ``We need to find ourselves a happy place.''\n\n``Just when I start to think he ain't ten anymore, he says stuff like `happy place','' Raph grumbled.\n\n``Don and I stopped to talk to Father on our way in here,'' Leo said. ``We felt it was only right that we inform him of our decision to become intimate.''\n\nIt was clear that Leo did not want to share the part of the conversation with Master Splinter that had been personal to him. Maybe his brothers would be more forgiving of Leo's past behavior if they understood how emotionally repressed he'd been by their father, but it wasn't Don's place to enlighten them.\n\n``Did he finally give ya' permission to take that stick out of your ass?'' Raph asked crudely. ``He was the one who shoved it up there in the first place, wasn't he?''\n\nRaph knew. Don stared at him, stunned by the revelation. Had he just figured it out, or had he known for years of the differences in the way their father had trained them?\n\n``He understands my issues,'' Leo said, ``and he's helping me to deal with them.''\n\n``Make sure the fault stays squarely on your shoulders, right Leo? Ya' got a motto and it's `never blame anything on Master Splinter'. Maybe our problems wouldn't have gone this far if you'd ever acknowledged that he ain't perfect. I never expected him to be, why did you? Was it `cause ya' needed him to be?''\n\nDon had always admired Raph's straightforward approach to dealing with family situations, but they tended to trigger Leo into becoming defensive. He half expected that Leo would take umbrage at what Raph was saying and was surprised when Leo nodded his head, squeezing Raph's hand tighter.\n\n``I probably did,'' Leo acknowledged, his voice low. ``If you think I've never felt any doubts about my ability to lead this team, you'd be wrong. Sometimes, the only thing that gives me confidence is my strong belief that Master Splinter doesn't make incorrect decisions. If he says that I can do this job, then it must be so.''\n\n``It don't matter that you've proved yourself to us time and time again?'' Raph asked. ``Dammit Leo, we walked into an ambush through no fault of yours, but the only reason we walked back out was because of you! Why do ya' always got to see the glass as half full [i]and [/i]with a crack in it?''\n\nRaph seemed to be getting agitated and that was the last thing his injured arm needed. As much as Don wanted to jump in and speak up for Leo, he knew that appearing to take sides would exacerbate an already delicate situation.\n\n``We're all different Raphie,'' Mikey said, as though he'd read Don's thoughts. ``Leo worries about everything. Way too much of the time you jump in head first without thinking about anything. How about we start learning to accept each other's personality traits? It was Leo trying to hide his possessiveness that's kept us from finding a way to work this relationship thing out. It was you acting on your instincts without thinking what kind of chain reaction that would start that had us pushing Don into stuff he wasn't ready for.''\n\nIn a low voice, Don said, ``It was me not speaking up for myself that led to all this confusion. I love you guys and want all of you to have everything you need, but not at the expense of my self-respect. It was my badly concealed distress that triggered Leo's protectiveness. I wasn't communicating honestly with any of you and that's what I should have been doing all along.''\n\nLeo leaned in closer to Raph, lifting his brother's hand to hold it between both of his own. ``There will be plenty of time to for us to talk more about this. I'm not leaving, Raph. It took some time for me to realize I wouldn't have been running away from the situation here, I'd be trying to run away from myself. I'm going to face my shortcomings head-on and I hope to have your help with that. Right now though, you need to rest. If that means taking something to ease the pain, then you should do so.''\n\nThere was a touch of obstinacy in Raph's expression, but it wasn't nearly as bad as Don expected to see. Raph glanced at him and asked, ``Is that what ya' want too, Donny? `Cause I can do anything ya' ask me to do.''\n\nDon smiled tenderly at him, placing his hand atop Raph's head and leaning down. ``Yes. I want you to rest and heal up. If a sedative will help you do that, then you should take it.''\n\n``Okay,'' Raph murmured, his gaze fixed on Don's.\n\nWithout conscious thought, Don bent closer and pressed his lips to Raph's. It was a lingering kiss, their tongues touching in a gentle caress that spoke of a promising future.\n\nWhen they separated, Raph's eyes remained closed, a half-smile on his face. As Don stood to get a sedative for his brother, he suddenly remembered that he'd just done what Leo had practically ordered him to do the previous evening.\n\nAs Don glanced at Leo, he saw that his brother was looking up at him. Leo still had Raph's hand in his and was holding it against his chest.\n\nOffering Don an encouraging smile, Leo said, ``It's all good, Donny. Go ahead and get Raph his medication.''\n\n\tAs he walked away from his brothers, Don cast a look back at them and Mikey winked. There was no better gauge as to how things were going than Mikey and that wink helped Don to relax a little more.\n\n\tRather than giving Raph a shot, Don offered him pills instead. It might have seemed a small thing, but they all understood the gesture meant that Raph got to be in control of what went into his body. Freeing his hand from Leo's, Raph accepted the pills and allowed Leo to help him sit up enough to toss them into his mouth. He took the bottle of water from Don and drank all of it, washing the meds down and quenching his thirst at the same time.\n\n\tDon pretended to busy himself with straightening up the infirmary while Leo helped Raph settle in once more. Mikey was lying down again, quietly watching as Leo pampered his injured brother and Raph accepted the treatment without complaint.\n\n\tIt was past the time when on a usual day Leo would already be in the dojo practicing with his katana. Breaking his routine was out of the ordinary, but Leo seemed in no hurry to leave Raph's side.\n\n\tA low murmur pulled Don from his thoughts and he turned from the desk to check on his brothers. Leo was talking to Raph, whose eyes were shut. He looked to be at peace, a small smile still lingering at the corners of his mouth. Mikey had already laid down and fallen asleep again.\n\n\tWalking back over to them, Don sat down on one of the futons and listened. Leo was reminiscing about things they'd done together as children, his whole attention on Raph. Some of the stories Don remembered, others were new to him. In all, they were very enlightening.\n\n\tLeo and Raph had at one time been extremely close to each other. Their quarreling in recent years had made Don forget that in their youth those two had been nearly inseparable. Somewhere along the route to growing up a note of discord had crept into their relationship and torn them apart.\n\n\tThat had to have occurred when Master Splinter had singled Leonardo out to be their leader. Rather than having the time to spend with Raphael as he'd used to, Leo was at his father's beck and call. The lessening of attention from Master Splinter hadn't affected young Donatello or Michelangelo, who had their own interests to pursue. For Raph, losing time with both their father and Leo must have been a double blow. As his resentment grew, so did his temper.\n\n\tNow Don thought he knew why Raph was so aware of what Master Splinter had done to Leo. Raph must have listened in to their training sessions. He must have heard how their father coached Leo to suppress his emotions, to set aside his feelings for his brothers and fully embrace the stoicism he was certain Leo needed in order to lead a team of ninjas.\n\n\tWhile Don had grown to admire the calm assuredness that became one of Leo's traits, the same could not be said for Raph. It must have seemed a shot to the gut for Raph to have Leo begin to brush him aside in favor of activities that were designed to improve his fighting skills.\n\n\tThe cherished familiarity that they had once shared became a weapon for Raph, one that he could wield against his older brother. Don now realized that was how Raph could always dig in under Master Splinter's training and aggravate Leo. Raph wanted Leo to show emotion, to ignore what their father was turning Leo into and feel [i]something[/i].\n\n\tRaph's knowledge of Leo had also allowed him to see that his brother was falling in love with Donatello. That must have irked Raph even more, if as he said, he too had those types of feelings for Don. It was no wonder that the ambush had acted as the catalyst for a string of decisions that had metaphorically blown the lair apart.\n\n\tDon felt exactly like the absent minded professor in some old movie. He was the guy who went about his business with no clue about the real life activities occurring all around him.\n\n\tOf one thing Don was fairly certain; Michelangelo knew. Everything. Mikey had a way of observing and absorbing all that went on around him and understanding what it meant. Along with his natural athletic gifts, he had always been amazingly insightful. Though his brothers tended to give Mikey a hard time because he wasn't as focused as they were, none of them underestimated his ability to perceive the true meaning behind someone's actions.\n\n\tLaying an arm across the bottom of Raph's cot, Don rested his chin in the crook of his elbow and continued to watch and listen to Leo. Raph's expression had smoothed out and he was probably asleep, but Leo kept talking.\n\nFrom his vantage point, Don could see the moisture that had gathered in the corners of Leo's eyes. Maybe talking about those more carefree times, those days when they depended on each other equally, was giving something back to Leo as well.\n\nAfter Don had kissed Raph, he'd seen something in Leo's eyes that looked more like contentment than jealousy. Like when they were young and Leo would always share with his siblings his portion of whatever treat Master Splinter had found for them. Back then it hadn't been a duty, it had been what Leo wanted to do. \n\nPerhaps giving his brothers that little extra had provided Leo with a certain serenity; a sense of place that Leo needed for himself. That was probably the `happy place' that Mikey had alluded to before. Of course Mikey was spot on correct as usual, Don told himself as he glanced fondly at his sleeping younger brother.\n\nRaph had begun to snore lightly and Don looked again at him and Leo. The fact that Raph was obviously sound asleep didn't deter Leo from his storytelling. That lent credence to Don's theory that reminiscing about their childhood was in some way cathartic.\n\nThis was Leo's way of doing what his father had urged of him; he was rediscovering those feelings of affection and love that he'd repressed.\n\nIt was a hopeful sign, one that provided Don with a sense of harmony and tranquility. That feeling and the sound of Leo's calming voice soon sent Don into dreamland.\n\nTBC....................\n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "\tAs soon as Leo and Don left their father they saw him extinguish all but a couple of the candles inside his room, a good indication that he was turning in for the night.

The lair seemed especially quiet and dark.  An evening rarely passed when one of the brothers wasn't still up, either watching TV, playing video games, or working on a project.  Those activities leant a certain warmth to the atmosphere.

Despite the sense of relief they felt at having Master Splinter encourage them to follow their instincts, the silence of their home was disquieting.  It was a stark reminder that Raph was once more injured, that both he and Mikey were uncertain as to where they stood with Don, or even with Leo for that matter.

There was still a large rift between the four siblings and it had to be repaired.

Leo stopped in the middle of the lair, as though unsure about what he should do next.  Continuing to hold his hand, Don stood next to him, waiting to see if Leo would ask for his input.

``You're probably tired,'' Leo said, looking at Don.

That was as much an admission that he didn't know what his next step should be as he'd probably ever make.

``Neither of us have had much sleep,'' Don said, lifting Leo's hand in order to rub his cheek against the back of it.  He couldn't help adding, ``We both know why.''

Don was amused to see a tinge of color rise in his normally stoic brother's face.  ``We should go back to bed,'' Leo told him.  Seeing the slight smile on Don's lips, he quickly said, ``To catch up on our sleep.  We don't know what kind of mood Raph will be in tomorrow.''

``I have a suggestion,'' Don said.  ``One that will probably improve Raph's mood and Mikey's too, and will allow us to sleep without worrying about them.''

Leo gave him a curious look.  ``What did you have in mind?''

``Let's take the extra futons from storage so we can sleep in the infirmary with Raph and Mikey,'' Don said.

For a moment he thought Leo might balk at the suggestion, but then his brother smiled.  ``All right.  If we're going to try and find a way to pull us all back together again, then this would be a good start.''

``At least it should ease the question in their minds about whether you're still planning on leaving us,'' Don said.

Together they went to the dojo, where the spare futons were folded against the wall on an unused side of the room.  A metal locker held their extra linens and Don got out some sheets, pillows, and blankets.

As silently as they could manage, the pair laid the futons side by side near the ends of the cots their brothers were sleeping on.  Covering the futons with sheets, they quietly set aside their weapons and crawled onto the makeshift beds.

Sharing the blankets, Leo and Don lay close together, Don with his head cradled on Leo's shoulder.  A feeling of complete peace washed over Don and his eyes drifted shut, the light breathy sounds of his sleeping brothers sending him to dreamland.

A low, pained moan pulled Donatello from his slumber to find that Leo had already risen and gone to Raph's side.

``It's okay Raph, we're here.  We're all right here,'' Leo said, his voice even and soothing.

Sitting up, Don saw that Leo was kneeling next to Raph's cot and holding his brother's right hand.  Raph's eyes were open, his gaze fixed on Leo's face.

The sounds had awakened Mikey as well, but he didn't move.  Instead, his eyes drifted to Don, who got up to go kneel on Raph's left side.  As Don checked to see whether there were any traces of bleeding through the bandages on his brother's arm, Mikey reached out to give Don's carapace a reassuring pat.

There was no indications that the wound had started to bleed again, so Don pressed a hand to Raph's forehead and then to the back of his neck.  He felt a little warm but not feverish, which was a good sign.

``On a scale of one to ten, how badly does it hurt?'' Don asked.

``Not too bad,'' Raph said, his voice gruff from disuse.  Clearing his throat, he added, ``Maybe a four.''

``That means it's an eight in Raph speak,'' Mikey said.  ``It hurt enough to wake you up bro.''

Raph's face colored slightly.  ``Nah, that was just from sleeping on this uncomfortable cot.  I keep wanting to roll over and I can't.''

``You couldn't even if you were in your hammock,'' Leo told him.  ``That arm needs to remain stationary.''

``Since when does is take three of ya' to make sure I don't move around while I'm sleeping?'' Raph asked.

Despite sounding grumpy, he had yet to remove his hand from Leo's or even to look away from him.

``Did you ever think that maybe we're all in here with you because it makes us feel better to know you're nearby?'' Leo asked.  ``That possibly we need the comfort of knowing that you're okay?''

``Never been like that before,'' Raph said.  ``Been hurt plenty of times and never had anyone feel like they need to sleep close to me.''

``Things change,'' Leo said.  ``We've changed.  For some of us, it took a little longer to catch up.''

``Don't know what that means,'' Raph said with a frown.  Turning his head, he looked to Don for an explanation and his eyes found the bite mark on Don's neck.

``Raph . . . .'' Don began, worried as to how Raph would interpret what he was seeing.

``Forget what I said.  I do know what change means for ya','' Raph said, looking back at Leo.  ``Ya' finally took Don to bed, didn't ya'?  Guess that happened after ya' knocked me out, huh?  Should have known ya' couldn't hold out forever.''

``What happened between Don and me . . . it wasn't planned,'' Leo said.

``They did it in my bed,'' Mikey said, sounding proud of himself.  He was now sitting on the edge of his cot.  ``If you think the mark on his neck is kinky, you should see the bite mark on Don's shoulder.''

``Maybe it wasn't planned, but you've wanted it for a long time, haven't ya Leo?  I didn't plan what I started with Don either,'' Raph said.  ``Can't help the way I feel about him anymore than ya' can, only I don't try to hide those feelings.''

``I don't want to do that anymore either,'' Leo said.  ``At least not from you guys.  I need for you to be patient with me, though.  I'm in new territory here.''

``It's new territory for all of us Leo,'' Mikey said.  ``We've sure as shell made mistakes.  There's no way I ever meant to trick Don into having sex with me, but that's what I feel like I did.''

Raph's brow hadn't smoothed at all, his expression clearly showing his concern.  ``Does Master Splinter know the two of ya' had yourselves a fuck fest?  Last time I saw him, he didn't seem too happy about the stuff we've been doing with each other.''

``It isn't the intercourse that he's been upset about,'' Don said, grimacing slightly at Raph's crude description.  ``He's suspected for a long time that we might turn to each other for physical gratification as we got older.  What bothers Master Splinter is that we're out of sorts because of it; that we're no longer unified.''

``He wishes we'd stop fighting over Donny,'' Mikey interpreted.  ``We need to find ourselves a happy place.''

``Just when I start to think he ain't ten anymore, he says stuff like `happy place','' Raph grumbled.

``Don and I stopped to talk to Father on our way in here,'' Leo said.  ``We felt it was only right that we inform him of our decision to become intimate.''

It was clear that Leo did not want to share the part of the conversation with Master Splinter that had been personal to him.  Maybe his brothers would be more forgiving of Leo's past behavior if they understood how emotionally repressed he'd been by their father, but it wasn't Don's place to enlighten them.

``Did he finally give ya' permission to take that stick out of your ass?'' Raph asked crudely.  ``He was the one who shoved it up there in the first place, wasn't he?''

Raph knew.  Don stared at him, stunned by the revelation.  Had he just figured it out, or had he known for years of the differences in the way their father had trained them?

``He understands my issues,'' Leo said, ``and he's helping me to deal with them.''

``Make sure the fault stays squarely on your shoulders, right Leo?  Ya' got a motto and it's `never blame anything on Master Splinter'.  Maybe our problems wouldn't have gone this far if you'd ever acknowledged that he ain't perfect.  I never expected him to be, why did you?  Was it `cause ya' needed him to be?''

Don had always admired Raph's straightforward approach to dealing with family situations, but they tended to trigger Leo into becoming defensive.  He half expected that Leo would take umbrage at what Raph was saying and was surprised when Leo nodded his head, squeezing Raph's hand tighter.

``I probably did,'' Leo acknowledged, his voice low.  ``If you think I've never felt any doubts about my ability to lead this team, you'd be wrong.  Sometimes, the only thing that gives me confidence is my strong belief that Master Splinter doesn't make incorrect decisions.  If he says that I can do this job, then it must be so.''

``It don't matter that you've proved yourself to us time and time again?'' Raph asked.  ``Dammit Leo, we walked into an ambush through no fault of yours, but the only reason we walked back out was because of you!  Why do ya' always got to see the glass as half full and with a crack in it?''

Raph seemed to be getting agitated and that was the last thing his injured arm needed.  As much as Don wanted to jump in and speak up for Leo, he knew that appearing to take sides would exacerbate an already delicate situation.

``We're all different Raphie,'' Mikey said, as though he'd read Don's thoughts.  ``Leo worries about everything.  Way too much of the time you jump in head first without thinking about anything.  How about we start learning to accept each other's personality traits?  It was Leo trying to hide his possessiveness that's kept us from finding a way to work this relationship thing out.  It was you acting on your instincts without thinking what kind of chain reaction that would start that had us pushing Don into stuff he wasn't ready for.''

In a low voice, Don said, ``It was me not speaking up for myself that led to all this confusion.  I love you guys and want all of you to have everything you need, but not at the expense of my self-respect.  It was my badly concealed distress that triggered Leo's protectiveness.  I wasn't communicating honestly with any of you and that's what I should have been doing all along.''

Leo leaned in closer to Raph, lifting his brother's hand to hold it between both of his own.  ``There will be plenty of time to for us to talk more about this.  I'm not leaving, Raph.  It took some time for me to realize I wouldn't have been running away from the situation here, I'd be trying to run away from myself.  I'm going to face my shortcomings head-on and I hope to have your help with that.  Right now though, you need to rest.  If that means taking something to ease the pain, then you should do so.''

There was a touch of obstinacy in Raph's expression, but it wasn't nearly as bad as Don expected to see.  Raph glanced at him and asked, ``Is that what ya' want too, Donny?  `Cause I can do anything ya' ask me to do.''

Don smiled tenderly at him, placing his hand atop Raph's head and leaning down.  ``Yes.  I want you to rest and heal up.  If a sedative will help you do that, then you should take it.''

``Okay,'' Raph murmured, his gaze fixed on Don's.

Without conscious thought, Don bent closer and pressed his lips to Raph's.  It was a lingering kiss, their tongues touching in a gentle caress that spoke of a promising future.

When they separated, Raph's eyes remained closed, a half-smile on his face.  As Don stood to get a sedative for his brother, he suddenly remembered that he'd just done what Leo had practically ordered him to do the previous evening.

As Don glanced at Leo, he saw that his brother was looking up at him.  Leo still had Raph's hand in his and was holding it against his chest.

Offering Don an encouraging smile, Leo said, ``It's all good, Donny.  Go ahead and get Raph his medication.''

\tAs he walked away from his brothers, Don cast a look back at them and Mikey winked.  There was no better gauge as to how things were going than Mikey and that wink helped Don to relax a little more.

\tRather than giving Raph a shot, Don offered him pills instead.  It might have seemed a small thing, but they all understood the gesture meant that Raph got to be in control of what went into his body.  Freeing his hand from Leo's, Raph accepted the pills and allowed Leo to help him sit up enough to toss them into his mouth.  He took the bottle of water from Don and drank all of it, washing the meds down and quenching his thirst at the same time.

\tDon pretended to busy himself with straightening up the infirmary while Leo helped Raph settle in once more.  Mikey was lying down again, quietly watching as Leo pampered his injured brother and Raph accepted the treatment without complaint.

\tIt was past the time when on a usual day Leo would already be in the dojo practicing with his katana.  Breaking his routine was out of the ordinary, but Leo seemed in no hurry to leave Raph's side.

\tA low murmur pulled Don from his thoughts and he turned from the desk to check on his brothers.  Leo was talking to Raph, whose eyes were shut.  He looked to be at peace, a small smile still lingering at the corners of his mouth.  Mikey had already laid down and fallen asleep again.

\tWalking back over to them, Don sat down on one of the futons and listened.  Leo was reminiscing about things they'd done together as children, his whole attention on Raph.  Some of the stories Don remembered, others were new to him.  In all, they were very enlightening.

\tLeo and Raph had at one time been extremely close to each other.  Their quarreling in recent years had made Don forget that in their youth those two had been nearly inseparable.  Somewhere along the route to growing up a note of discord had crept into their relationship and torn them apart.

\tThat had to have occurred when Master Splinter had singled Leonardo out to be their leader.  Rather than having the time to spend with Raphael as he'd used to, Leo was at his father's beck and call.  The lessening of attention from Master Splinter hadn't affected young Donatello or Michelangelo, who had their own interests to pursue.  For Raph, losing time with both their father and Leo must have been a double blow.  As his resentment grew, so did his temper.

\tNow Don thought he knew why Raph was so aware of what Master Splinter had done to Leo.  Raph must have listened in to their training sessions.  He must have heard how their father coached Leo to suppress his emotions, to set aside his feelings for his brothers and fully embrace the stoicism he was certain Leo needed in order to lead a team of ninjas.

\tWhile Don had grown to admire the calm assuredness that became one of Leo's traits, the same could not be said for Raph.  It must have seemed a shot to the gut for Raph to have Leo begin to brush him aside in favor of activities that were designed to improve his fighting skills.

\tThe cherished familiarity that they had once shared became a weapon for Raph, one that he could wield against his older brother.  Don now realized that was how Raph could always dig in under Master Splinter's training and aggravate Leo.  Raph wanted Leo to show emotion, to ignore what their father was turning Leo into and feel something.

\tRaph's knowledge of Leo had also allowed him to see that his brother was falling in love with Donatello.  That must have irked Raph even more, if as he said, he too had those types of feelings for Don.  It was no wonder that the ambush had acted as the catalyst for a string of decisions that had metaphorically blown the lair apart.

\tDon felt exactly like the absent minded professor in some old movie.  He was the guy who went about his business with no clue about the real life activities occurring all around him.

\tOf one thing Don was fairly certain; Michelangelo knew.  Everything.  Mikey had a way of observing and absorbing all that went on around him and understanding what it meant.  Along with his natural athletic gifts, he had always been amazingly insightful.  Though his brothers tended to give Mikey a hard time because he wasn't as focused as they were, none of them underestimated his ability to perceive the true meaning behind someone's actions.

\tLaying an arm across the bottom of Raph's cot, Don rested his chin in the crook of his elbow and continued to watch and listen to Leo.  Raph's expression had smoothed out and he was probably asleep, but Leo kept talking.

From his vantage point, Don could see the moisture that had gathered in the corners of Leo's eyes.  Maybe talking about those more carefree times, those days when they depended on each other equally, was giving something back to Leo as well.

After Don had kissed Raph, he'd seen something in Leo's eyes that looked more like contentment than jealousy.  Like when they were young and Leo would always share with his siblings his portion of whatever treat Master Splinter had found for them.  Back then it hadn't been a duty, it had been what Leo wanted to do.  

Perhaps giving his brothers that little extra had provided Leo with a certain serenity; a sense of place that Leo needed for himself.  That was probably the `happy place' that Mikey had alluded to before.  Of course Mikey was spot on correct as usual, Don told himself as he glanced fondly at his sleeping younger brother.

Raph had begun to snore lightly and Don looked again at him and Leo.  The fact that Raph was obviously sound asleep didn't deter Leo from his storytelling.  That lent credence to Don's theory that reminiscing about their childhood was in some way cathartic.

This was Leo's way of doing what his father had urged of him; he was rediscovering those feelings of affection and love that he'd repressed.

It was a hopeful sign, one that provided Don with a sense of harmony and tranquility.  That feeling and the sound of Leo's calming voice soon sent Don into dreamland.

TBC....................

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