Sorry I haven't been doing much lately guys! School's almost done and I have a lot of work to do, but I managed to find a couple spare hours to whip this up today, so hope you enjoy. this is 2007 movie-verse so, yeah. Once all this craziness has died down I will hopefully be able to get back to updating more often!
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Mikey's eyes followed his older brother across the room. The hothead's step was tilted, unsteady, and a couple times he even swayed precariously, but Michelangelo knew that he couldn't do anything. There was no point trying to help Raphael when the red-masked turtle didn't want it. In spite of everything that had changed recently, some things were just destined to remain the same. Raph was stubborn as ever.
Almost a year had passed since Leo's return from South America. It was rough at first, 'specially with the whole thirteen monsters and the stone army thing, but after all that had died down, Mikey had seen a tremendous change in his two older brothers. They still fought, of course. That would never change, but their fights had gotten milder, less angry and more like brotherly bickering than anything else. Occasionally Raph would blow his top, but that was to be expected. Leo knew how to handle it.
Leo's return had also reacquainted them with their hotheaded brother, who had drifted out of reach during their big brother's absence. Mikey felt closer to Raph than he had felt in years, even closer than he was in the years before Leonardo had left, and maybe that was why—
Mikey had this weird feeling he didn't know how to explain. Something was—he didn't want to say wrong, because it didn't really feel wrong, exactly—but something was off. Back before Leo had left, Raphael had been, in Mikey's mind, a playmate, someone that he could poke fun at and play games with. Raph was like a fire: awesome, warm and soothing, that every once in a while would lash out with a stinging hot fury.
But lately, Mikey had been catching things, just little things at first: Raph in the kitchen at three in the morning, Raph gritting his teeth as he struggled to focus during training, Raph staring blankly off into the distance, Raph's footsteps creeping past his door in the middle of the night, Raph tentatively raising his fist to knock on Sensei's door, only to pull it back and storm away. And just last night: Raph's eyes widening, his face flushed with panic, Raph's body shoving Leo out of the line of fire and taking a tranquilizer dart to the neck. They were lucky it was only tranquilizers. Aside from that, and a nasty gouge on his right arm, the hothead was okay. Thank goodness.
Those sick bastards had lured them out in hopes of capturing them and selling them off to some scientist. If Raph hadn't alerted his brothers to what was going on with his shout, they probably would have lost Leo. As it ended up, they were able to defend their brother and retreat to safety, but that wasn't what had Mikey so lost in thought.
There was a touch of frigidity in Raphael. Coldness that seemed so abstracted by Raph's warmth and yet, it was always there. What was bothering Michelangelo more than anything else was that, in the back of his mind, he sensed it always had been. Mikey's heart ached and his eyes watered a little as he swallowed hoarsely. He opened his mouth to speak, but it was dry. He had so many questions, so many things that he wanted, no, needed to know:
How many sleepless nights had Raphael spent in the kitchen, alone and in the dark? How many times had he blown up at them for leaving him out? How many times had he been criticized beyond his breaking point? How many nights had he spent in the dojo, doing the same move over and over and over, only to get scolded for being tired? How many mornings had he lingered in his room, afraid to step out and face the pain that a new day would bring? How many hours had Raph isolated himself in his room, letting himself be swept away by dark thoughts? How many times had Raphael thought about just giving up?
Mikey shuddered. That last one scared him the most. He took a deep breath and followed Raph into the kitchen.
Apparently, Leo was already there, nursing a cup of steaming hot tea. The second Raph stepped into the room he jumped to his feet and put on his sternest scowl.
"You should be in bed."
"Well, I ain't. I'm hungry." Raph responded, sounding every bit like his normal, sour self. He tottered over to the fridge and almost fell over. Leo jumped up and was at his side in a blink.
Donatello had told them that Raph wouldn't be completely back to his senses until about twenty-four hours had passed. For now, the hothead was groggy, slow, unbalanced, and oddly forthright, which they'd discovered when he'd first woken up this morning. When they asked him how he was feeling, instead of protesting that he was fine, he'd proceeded to supply them with a very long, whiny list of everything that was bothering him.
Leo glanced over at Mikey as the youngest entered the room. Mikey nodded and moved into the kitchen as Leo softly steered Raph away from the fridge.
"Relax, Raph. Mikey will make you something."
Raph glared at his big brother, then at Mikey. "I can do it myself." He grumbled.
Leo's mouth flattened into a thin, displeased line. "Not when you're still drugged up."
"Ugh. Fine." Raph sighed, wiggling in discomfort and scowling as Leo insisted on helping him to the table.
"What would you like to eat, Raph?" Mikey asked, trying his best to keep up a happy face.
It was a rather disconcerting shock, therefore, when Raphael, drugged and exhausted as he was, called Mikey out. "What's wrong, Mikey?"
Mikey tore his gaze away and his shook his head, "Nothing." He went to the fridge and grabbed some eggs, deciding to make French toast. "Want some French toast, Leo?"
"I'm fine, Mikey, thanks." Leo replied curtly.
Raph's eyes narrowed at his little brother. "Liar."
Leo, who felt rather like the monkey in the middle, glanced between his two younger siblings with a penetrating gaze, but other than that, decided to stay out of it.
Mikey got straight down to cooking and Raph said nothing for a while, so he assumed that he was in the clear. Unfortunately, he relaxed too soon.
"Is it cause I told you eating too much pizza will make ya fat?" Raph asked, slurring the words a little.
Mikey jumped at the unexpected question and turned away from the stove to face his brothers with wide eyes. "What? No! Shell, I'd completely forgotten about that, Raph! It was nothing you said!" He said emphatically, trying to impress upon Raph that his current mood was not the hothead's fault. Well, in a way it kinda was, but not that way! He wasn't upset with Raph, he was frustrated with himself. He felt so helpless. He had no idea what to do or say, or how to act. If his suspicions were correct, which he was ninety-nine percent sure they were, Raph was fighting an enemy greater than any he or the rest of his brothers had ever faced. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how and knowing that was tearing him apart. A loud sizzling, crackling sound met his ears and he turned around to find the French toast smoking in the pan.
"Shit." He muttered, turning off the stove watching the now blackened pan slowly simmer down.
Leo frowned and narrowed his eyes. Raph was right. Something was wrong. Mikey hadn't burnt anything since last month.
"Is it cause Leo almost got his ass kidnapped last night?" Raph grumbled, ignoring the white-hot glare Leo shot in his direction.
Mikey said nothing, still tending the pan, ignoring his older brothers for as long as he could.
In a softer voice, Raph asked, "Is it cause I almost got my ass kidnapped last night?"
Mikey's cooking utensils slammed down on the counter and his brothers jumped a little. With the speed and silence that only a ninja could possess, Mikey was suddenly standing in front of Raphael. His brother's gold eyes stared up at him, warm and concerned, but just behind that surface layer Mikey could feel the slight chill of doubt and blame.
A gust of cold air permeated Raphael's thick skin and sent a shiver running up and down his back. Mikey was looking at him in a way that was unfamiliar, unpracticed. Almost like the youngest could see straight through him. He drew back a little, his chair scraping loudly against the concrete floor. The way that Mikey's face fell told Raph all that he needed to know. Shell. Mikey knew. Somehow, his youngest brother had found out. He didn't want any of them to find out. He'd never wanted to burden them with this, his own weakness. It wasn't fair to them. They'd worry.
Michelangelo looked down into Raph's eyes and saw the recognition there. More than that, he saw a desperate plea. Raph was begging him not to tell the others. Shell. What was he going to do? If he told Leo and Donnie would Raph resent him for it? Would it only make things worse? Mikey frowned, but hid his face from Leonardo by bending down and hugging Raph tightly, burying his face in his hotheaded sibling's shoulder. Raph returned the embrace then released his little brother.
Mikey smiled and patted Raph's shoulder. "I'm fine, bro. Trust me. But I'm gonna have to make some more French toast." He returned to kitchen grinning and whistling to himself. I'll talk to Don informally later, he'll give me advice, Mikey thought as he got back to cooking.
At the breakfast table, Leonardo sat stunned. He had no idea what had just passed between his younger brothers, but he knew they were keeping something from him. He wouldn't push, though. Not yet, anyway. If need be, he could always squeeze it out of Michelangelo.
Raph leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms.
"Don't do that, you'll reopen the wound." Leo chided firmly.
"So what? Wounds open, ya just stitch em back up again, and apply disinfectant constantly. You think I never learned how to take care of my own injuries? I've stitched myself up plenty of times, not that I ever want to again, but it's a handy skill to have, 'specially when times 'r hard."
Leo stared at Raphael in horror. Mikey almost dropped the plate of French toast he was bringing to the table, but managed to dive down and catch it just before it hit the ground. Raph looked at him and chuckled.
"Good catch, little brother. Almost had to make more French toast!" He teased, playfully. A strong grip on his shoulder made him turn back to his older brother.
Leo's face was grave. He looked stricken. "What times?"
Raph was confused.
"You said you stitched yourself up plenty of times. I want to know about them." Leo murmured, his hand squeezing Raph's muscular shoulder even more tightly.
"Then sit back and grab yourself a piece o' toast. It's gonna be a loooooong breakfast." Raph drawled, leaning forward and snatching some fresh, warm French toast off the plate Mikey had prepared for them.
Mikey dropped down into a chair, inviting himself to the party and watching Raphael closely.
Raph chewed slowly, growling a little which made his brothers stop staring at him. He smiled as he caught sight of Leo giving in and helping himself to French toast.
Leo chewed slowly and put a hand in front of his mouth, "Well?"
Raph smirked. "Nobody tell you not to talk with your mouthful, Fearless?" He teased.
"Shut up and talk."
"Bit counter-productive, ain't it?"
"Raph..." There was a gentler, urging plea in Leo's voice as the eldest turtle allowed his emotions to shine through.
Raphael sighed. "Fine." He chomped down on a piece of French toast and began. "First time was a couple months after we defeated Shredhead. Got nicked in the arm by a raging hot-shot with a switch-blade. Needed couple stitches, didn't wanna wake Don, he was actually sleeping in his room for once. Besides, I knew where he kept everything."
"But how did you know what to do? Don never really taught you much beyond basic first aid."
Raph swallowed his food and took a swig of orange juice. "Casey." He grunted.
Leo's eyes darkened a little, imploring Raph to explain.
"Knucklehead practically keeps a mini-hospital stocked at his place. We fixed each other up more often than not. He got free medical care, and I didn't have to get Don's help unless it was an emergency. I asked the brainiac a couple questions and he told me what I needed to know. After that, it was all kid stuff."
Leo's face fell, "You could have come to me." It was true. Aside from Don, Master Splinter and Leo were the go-to medics of the family.
Raph sighed. "Not without a lecture, I couldn't."
Anger surged through Leo and he jumped up from his seat. "My brothers' lives are far more important to me than giving lectures, Raphael!"
The hothead refused to meet his older brother's gaze. "Sure."
That one word was spoken with certainty, which lifted a weight off Leo's chest. Raph had willingly conceded his brother's point. Leo sat back down.
"But it's hard to go to someone who isn't there." Raph whispered.
Mikey tensed. It had been almost six months since Leo's trip had been mentioned. He'd hoped that Raph was finally able to let it go but, apparently not. He glanced at Leo. The blue masked turtle's head hung down, dejectedly, guiltily.
"No point going into that, though. Let's just leave it at that." Raph said, sensing Leo's distress and impending self-blame.
Before they could move on, however, "How many times were you injured?"
Silence greeted the question.
"While I was gone, Raph, how many times?!" Leo demanded.
"Superficially?" Raph asked in a quiet whisper, "More times than I could count. Gravely? About five, give or take a graze or two."
"Graze?" Leo latched onto the word like a magnet to iron. "As in bullets? You got shot?"
"New York vigilante," Raph said flatly, since it should have been an obvious point, "bound to happen sometime."
"How many times did you get shot?"
Mikey could tell that Leo was growing increasingly insistent and panicked. He, too, was horrified by what Raph was telling them. Suddenly, his love of the Nightwatcher felt incredibly wrong. He had never suspected that Nightwatcher was his brother until Raphael fessed up to Master Splinter. Mikey was proud of Raph, so proud that his brother had taken it upon himself to do his best to protect the city, that he had never truly thought about the dangers. Hearing his brother talk like this was a very scary eye-opener. Mikey could understand why Leo was so worried, but all of this was in the past. Raph was still with them, that was what mattered, not the past, not the number of times Raph had been hurt. But in all truth, Mikey was sure that Raph had been injured worse than admitted and had probably danced with death on multiple occasions. Unlike Leonardo, Mikey didn't want to know. He didn't want a number that he could put down as finite, a number that would represent how badly he'd failed his brother when Raph had needed them most. Mikey didn't need that. Not now. Please Raph, don't answer.
Raph looked up. He saw Mikey's face. "Get lost, little brother. Leo and I'll clean up 'round here."
Mikey didn't need to be told twice. He took off, heading straight for Don's lab. Raph's grave, tired face turned to his oldest brother. He hesitated.
"Please, Raph. I have to know. I'll never achieve peace of mind if I don't, and neither will you. I need you to tell me everything, Raphael."
"With or without grazes?" He asked, giving in to his older brother's demands.
Leo stiffened and chewed his lips in thought. Finally he squeaked, "Without."
"Eighteen times."
The blue-masked turtle could have sworn that in that moment his heart stopped. He flung his arms around his younger brother and squeezed tightly, afraid that if he let go, Raph would disappear forever. "A-and you didn't ask for Don's help?"
Raph shook his head. "Took real good care of myself so that he wouldn't have to worry. I'm fine, Leo, really."
Leo hugged tighter. "I should have been here."
"Yeah, you should have." Raph quipped, stubbornly.
Leo smiled through the tears that gathered in his eyes and chuckled. He rubbed Raph's head affectionately. "I'm glad you're so stubborn little brother. Otherwise you wouldn't have stuck around to let me lecture ya." He joked.
Raph grinned. His arms finally rose and returned the hug gently. "Pfft. Like I'd ever dream of missing that."
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"Donnie?"
"What is it, Michelangelo?" Don answered, distractedly.
"I need advice."
That was interesting. Don pulled his eyes away from his computer and leaned over to look at his little brother. Mikey looked—tired. That was never a good sign. "Sit down." He gestured to the lab table.
Mikey hopped up on the table and smiled a little as Don jumped up beside him. "Donnie, yesterday Raph was telling me that Casey was acting pretty weird. He said he was gonna ask you about it, but with everything that's been going on, I'm pretty sure he forgot. So I thought I'd ask you."
"Okay, shoot."
After the conversation Mikey had just left behind in the kitchen, the wording of that sentence was more than a little unnerving. He shifted nervously and Donnie raised an eye-ridge. He hastened to explain himself.
"I-uh-well, you see that's not exactly true. It's actually about one of Casey's friends. His friend has been acting...um, strange...and he thinks that he figured out why. It's a very serious thing and the friend asked Casey not to say anything, but Casey's not sure whether he should tell his friend's family or not."
Donatello seemed intrigued. He regarded Mikey quizzically for a moment and motioned the youngest to proceed. "What kind of thing? What are his friend's symptoms?"
"Um, well, he locks himself in his room a lot. He reacts very emotionally to things, which has caused some trouble with his friends and loved ones. He has irregular and unreliable sleeping patterns. He looks really rundown and he's been pretty apathetic lately."
"Sounds like it could be a case of depression."
"That's what Casey guessed, too."
"And the guy admitted to this?"
Mikey nodded. Don hummed thoughtfully.
"Why doesn't he want anyone to know? Is he ashamed?"
"No. He just doesn't want them to worry and crowd him. He doesn't like too many questions and he doesn't like it when people try to get inside his head." Mikey said solemnly, putting all his passion behind the words.
"Hm. Understandable." Don admitted.
Mikey whined. Don wasn't helping. He whacked Don's shoulder to get his attention and blurted out, "What do I do, Donnie?"
Donnie blinked. Mikey slowly realized his mistake, but the brainiac had already run away with the statement. "Mikey...is this friend of Casey's someone we know?"
The youngest didn't answer. He headed straight for the lab door, but was caught by the shoulder and tugged back.
"Mikey, whoever this friend is, their family needs to know. There are things that can be done to help, but not only that, it's important that they know the dangers. Any form of depression isn't to be taken lightly." As soon as Don finished, his arm released Mikey and the youngest bolted out the door.
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Later that night, after they had all supposedly gone to bed, Mikey crept into Raphael's room. Raph looked up as he entered, as though expecting him. The hothead was more-or-less back to his old self, the affects of the tranquilizer just about worn off. They sat side by side on the bed. Mikey leaned against Raph's shoulder, carefully minding the injured arm. Raph grinned and whacked him softly on the head, which only made Mikey cling tighter.
"What's up, Mikey?"
"You know why I'm here."
Raph sighed. "Mikey, please..."
"No, Raph, listen. I talked to Don, he says that the family deserves to know."
"If you've already told Don, then half the family already knows." Raph growled, angrily, shoving Mikey off and away from him.
Mikey scooted after his brother and reattached himself to the hothead's side. "No, Raph, I made up some story about it being a friend of Casey's. I wouldn't just go and blab to Donnie about this! But, dude, I wanted to! You need to tell them! They should know. It's dangerous keeping it a secret, Raphael!"
"They don't have to know. We'll just keep it a secret. You know what'll happen if we tell them, they'll baby me and start treating me different. And it's not dangerous Mikey, not anymore."
Mikey keened. "You mean you thought about..." He fought valiantly, but was slowly losing a battle to keep his composure. Tears filled his eyes.
Raph reached out and pulled him close, pressing Mikey up against his warm plastron. "I did once, till I realized it wasn't worth it. I'd miss you guys too much."
"I love you, Raphie." Mikey whimpered,
"You too, knucklehead." A loud smack followed and Mikey hiccupped, staring up at Raph's gruff, yet gentle face. "Don't call me Raphie!"
Desperate, baby-blue eyes pleaded with Raphael. "You need to tell them, Raph."
Raph sighed. "Alright. We'll tell them in the morning. Every single time someone starts babyin' me I'm gonna blame you."
"Promise." It was command, not a question.
"Promise." Raph agreed after a short hesitation. His face changed. He looked doubtful, apprehensive, and almost scared. Michelangelo reached over and consoled him.
"I'm here for ya, Raph."
The hothead grinned gratefully at his little brother, but he was so wound up he couldn't sleep.
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The next morning at breakfast, four turtles sat waiting. They hadn't actually eaten anything yet, nor had they been able to grab any cereal from the cupboard before Michelangelo had herded them all to table. What they were waiting for, two of them weren't entirely sure. Leo and Donnie looked at Raph and Mikey, then each other.
"You have any idea what this is all about?"
"Absolutely none." Leo said curtly, really wishing that Mikey had at least let him put the kettle on.
Then, their father entered. "Good morning, my sons." Splinter immediately noticed the lack of food on the table. "Is there something going on?"
Mikey opened his mouth, but before he could speak Leo cut in.
"That's what we're apparently trying to find out."
"Sh!" Mikey said emphatically to his oldest brother. The fact that he had a serious face made Leo straighten slightly.
The orange-masked turtle's behavior was making Leo and Donnie nervous. Splinter came over to the table and had a seat. He did not know what was going on, but he fancied it had something to do with the fact that Raphael had so far refused to make eye contact with any of them.
"There's something, errr well, something we need to discuss."
"Which would be?" Leo asked impatiently. If something was wrong with one of his brothers he wanted to know now. If it were something medical, surely Donatello would be aware of it, his mind proposed. The thought eased his worry a little, but the look on Mikey's face continued to eat away at his composure. Eventually, he sighed. "Mikey," He put a hand on the youngest turtle's shoulder, "please just tell us what's wrong."
Mikey's face went stone cold serious. "It's not my confession to make."
Raph could feel their eyes suddenly shifting to him. He refused to look at them. How the shell was he supposed to say this: 'I've been depressed for a long time now and Mikey said I should tell you'? Like that would work. It'd send them into full-on panic mode, he glanced up enough to catch Leo's posture as the eldest practically leaned across the table, looks like Leo was panicking already. Mother-hen.
He cleared his throat and took a deep breath, but he still couldn't look them in the eyes. "I—" his voice died. Mikey put a hand on his shoulder.
"Take your time, Raph."
Raph's resolve flew out the window and tears began to prick the corners of his eyes. "Dammit, Mikey, I can't do this!"
Mikey calmed Raph as best he could, rubbing the hothead's shoulder's gently. "Yes you can, Raph. I know that you can."
Raph collapsed wearily in his chair. "How the shell am I supposed to say it?" He whined, looking up at Mikey, wishing his brothers and father couldn't see him.
"Tell them the truth." Mikey whispered.
Raph's hands began to shake. Donnie eyed the hothead with steadily growing concern. He wanted to go to his brother and hold him close, but right now, he didn't think the gesture would be appreciated. Raph seemed terrified by the fact that he was acting this way in front of them, and a hug might only make things worse.
Leo, meanwhile, was watching Mikey. The way that the youngest was commanding the situation was admirable. Leo's eyes noted the way that Mikey's hands squeezed Raph's shoulders gently in reassurance. Whatever it was that Raph was about to say, Leo could already tell that he wasn't going to like it.
"We're here, Raph." The eldest said softly. "We're listening. Take your time."
The shaking of Raph's hands spread to his entire body. He closed his eyes. He didn't think about what to say. He just let it leave his mouth in a stream. "Ain't gonna be a better time. No matter how much I take, won't be able to word this nicely." He paused, then let the bomb drop. "I-I've been depressed for a while now." He cracked an eye open and saw that Don, Leo, and Master Splinter had all gone stock-still. He kept going, "I thought I wasn't worth much...still do sometimes. I feel, well, I feel like I don't deserve you guys as brothers. Feel like I'm not up to snuff, not needed for anything, 'cept getting into trouble. I thought that maybe this world would be a better place without me in it—"
"Did you—?" Don's voice cracked. He couldn't finish the sentence, the idea was just too horrific. He just couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that somehow he hadn't seen the signs.
Raph knew what was meant. He eyed each of his family members. Leo and Don looked terror-struck and Master Splinter looked solemn and thoughtful, but it was obvious that the old rat was deeply disturbed. After a slight pause he answered Don's question with a nod. His brothers gasped and his father rushed forward. Mikey stepped back and allowed Master Splinter to hold Raph close. There were tears in the old rat's eyes.
"My son..." He stroked Raph's head, lovingly. In a soft, broken voice the rat whispered, "When was this, my child?"
"It was after Leo stopped writing letters, when he didn't come home. I almost—" Raph let the sentence hang. He shook his head and wiped the tears. "But...with Leo gone, I knew that my brothers needed me with them. I had to stick around. I had to keep the city safe...to keep them safe. I loved you guys too much to leave."
Splinter sobbed and hugged Raph as tightly as he could. "I love you so much, my son. I always will. I hope that in the future you will come to me with your doubts and even if you do not, know that I am always here to support you."
The old rat pulled away and another figure, standing straight and tall came into Raph's view. He looked down and away, ashamed. The next thing he knew all the air had been squeezed out of him by a fierce embrace. A hand tilted his face up.
"Don't you ever be ashamed of this, Raphael. I will never think any less of you for this and neither will our brothers. We're here for you, Raph. And what you've done today only proves to me that you are the strongest of my brothers. I love you and I consider it an honor to call you brother."
"Just promise me one thing, Leo." Raph grunted.
Leo's arms around him tightened even more, which Raph had thought was impossible.
"Name it."
"Don't baby me because of this."
"Done." The eldest said softly.
"And I get permission to call you out on it?" Raph asked, knowingly.
Leo sighed. "Fine." The eldest released his younger sibling reluctantly.
Raph was therefore not surprised when Donnie came rushing up to him and gripped his shoulders tightly. He hissed a little as the brainiac's fingers came dangerously close to his arm wound. Don immediately jumped back and frowned apologetically. Raph huffed and opened his arms.
Slowly, more hesitantly than expected, the brainiac stepped into the embrace. Don's hands softly stroked Raph's shell, as though he were proving to himself that his brother was indeed, whole and standing before him. There was glint of guilt in Donnie's eyes and it made Raph's stomach churn.
"I should have noticed." Don said, dejectedly.
The hothead whacked the brainiac's carapace softly. "There's nothing you could have done, Don. Let go."
Donnie shook his head. "It's my job in this family to notice—"
"Yur an inventor not a doctor, Donnie! You can't do everything. Besides, I didn't want you notice. You only saw as far as I would let you."
Tugging the hothead even closer, Don whispered into Raph's ear, "Promise me you'll fight this. Promise me that you will believe in us and in yourself."
"Long as you're there to help me. I—I can't do it on my own, I realize that now."
Leo, Mikey and Master Splinter all added to the hug, savoring Raph's low mumbles of protest.
"We all will be here for you Raphael. We'll help you through this."
"Then I promise to try to believe."
Don shook his head. "No try. Will you or won't you?"
Raph smiled and glanced at his awesome and loving family members. "I will."
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I'm not particularly sure about this one, I hesitated to post it. I just...hm. I don't know. There's nothing wrong with it, I don't think I just...don't know...
What did you think?