Raph's Cart (Part 2)

"Awww! He's so cute! Where'd you get him? What's his name? What's his name?" Mikey nearly shouted as he snuggled the new cat Raph had just plopped onto the sofa. The tabby was clearly enjoying the attention, clawing into the sofa and ripping out small pieces.

"Mikey, get your face off of him! I want to pet him too!" whined Donny, attempting to pry his younger brother off of the cat. Klunk stood in the background, back arched in both caution and jealousy. This was his house and Mikey was his turtle.

"He ain't got a name. Don't need one," came their brother's gruff response from the kitchen. He was rummaging through their cupboards for the third time for something to eat before growling and shutting it with a grunt. His family never stocked anything good. Maybe he could go to Casey's…

"He does too need a name! And if you're not going to give him one, I am!" Mikey exclaimed. "Hmm. Captain… something. Don, can you think of anything?"

"Hmm. How about Tyco Brahe?" Don offered. Mikey made a gag face.

"Never mind, I'll name him by myself!"

"Oh, no you won't!" Raph grumbled, scooping up his cat and whacking Mikey on the head. "It's just Cat. Don't go namin' it."

Leaving a Mikey to rub his head, and a Don to complain about not getting to pet "Cat", Raph headed to his room, the cat tucked safely in his elbow. He felt like someone was following him, but he didn't care enough to turn around. Whoever they were, they weren't following him. Why would they want to? They didn't care about him. It's all Leo.

Now angrier than before, Raph slammed open his door and plunked the cat on his hammock. Growling he threw his coat and hat down on the floor. He was still hungry, but he didn't want to eat. If anyone asked, he would say that he didn't like what they had. But that was only half true. He didn't want to eat anything because he didn't want to be a burden. He'd feel like he made things harder on them by eating their food and giving them nothing in return. They already hated him. Why give them another reason to kick him out? What would he do if they did kick him out? Where would he go? To Casey's? No, that's too close. He'd have to leave New York if that happened. He liked New York. He didn't want to leave.

"They can't make me leave." Raph muttered. He didn't mean that they weren't capable of it. He knew that they were. Leo could run him out of the U.S. if he tried. He was rejecting the idea. They couldn't make him leave. They just couldn't.

"And we're not trying to," came a response. He'd know that voice anywhere. He spun around and confirmed his suspicions. Leo had followed him. Damn, he should have closed the door. Fearless Leader blabbin' about how disappointed everyone was in him was the last thing he needed right now.

"What are you doin' here, Leo?" Raph asked in a low voice, trying to use anger to mask his misery. Leo could see right through him, but he liked to try anyway.

"I've come to talk some sense into you." Leo sighed. Great, his heart-to-heart talk with his brother was coming off sounding like a lecture. This might only make things worse.

"What is it this time, Splinter Junior?" Leo's eyes narrowed. No, he couldn't let himself lose control. He needed to help Raphael. Not damage him more. If this was going to work, Raph needed to know he was here as a friend. An equal. Not a leader. He sighed, loosening his posture and taking his swords off, leaning them against the wall.

"I just want to know why you're so unhappy. And fix it, if I can." Leo slid down the wall.

Raph was surprised. Leo wasn't yelling at him? Or telling him what to do? Careful not to let Leo see, he pinched himself on the arm. Hard. What was he supposed to say? He didn't know what to do when he wasn't fighting with Leo. When did things get so awkward between them?

"Oh." That was lame. Whatever. Leo would have to deal with it. He leaned against the wall next to his hammock and rubbed Cat's head.

"Why?" came Leo's sad voice. Why was he so sad? Raph couldn't understand. "What did I do to hurt you so much? What can I do to make this better? I can't stand watching my brother get torn apart. You're distancing yourself. Why?"

"I don't know." That was a lie. There was so much Raph wanted to get out. He wanted to yell it. Scream it in his face. Let it all out. But for some reason he couldn't. Maybe his pride wouldn't let him. Maybe he was just stupid. That's what Don would say. He wasn't taking this opportunity. He'd probably regret it later, but it was just too hard to talk to Leo. He didn't want to talk to Leo right now. It made him feel guilty, and he didn't know why.

"Yes you do." Leo sighed. "Remember when we were kids? We were always inseparable. We used to get in so much trouble together. Course that was always your fault," Leo chuckled, staring at the ceiling as if their childhood was playing on it like a movie.

"You were the older brother. I blame you for bein' a bad influence on me," Raph teased. Raph was actually teasing Leo. This was the first non-fight they'd had in years!

"Yeah, and that's what you'd always tell Splinter, too. Then we'd get twice as bad of a punishment for blaming each other." They both laughed. Raph sighed, taking Cat into his lap and sitting on the floor as well.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Raph had to ask. This was abnormal. He was good at arguing. Not this.

"I realized that everything I said to you these past few months was to correct something you were doing wrong. That's not how I want to be remembered. I've failed you as a brother. I miss the way things used to be."

Raph blinked. Nothing was making sense. Was he really awake? He hissed in pain as Cat started to knead Raph's lap with his claws. Yep, definitely not dreaming. Maybe he was delusional. Leo drew his attention back.

"Raph. When did things change? When did we stop being brothers, and turn into… whatever we are now?" Raph closed his eyes. He felt uncomfortable. And it wasn't just because of the cat stabbing into his skin. He didn't want to answer Leo. He just wanted to ignore him until he went away. Then they could go back to fighting and hating each other. Leo's eyes were pained, so he looked away. "Why do you hate me?"

"Cause you're self-righteous," Raph spat before he could stop himself. Too late to stop now, might as well continue. "And I don't hate you. You guys hate me."

Leo's face screwed up. He thought they hated him?

"What makes you say that?"

"It's the truth." To put it plain and simple. "But you have reason to."

"Why do you think we hate you?" Leo had to keep from getting too upset. If he freaked out or raised his voice, Raph would close up again. They couldn't have that. But if you looked at Leo's face, you could see distress written everywhere. Raph's comment had disturbed him.

"Cause you do. Cause I'm an ass. Cause I don't do anything but bring this family down and put us in danger." Leo wanted to cry hearing his brother talk like this.

"Raph, that's not true. We-"

"That last one was a direct quote, Leo." And it was. Raph felt like stabbing something. It wasn't a good time to be holding his cat, so he shoved him off. Leo flinched at the sudden movement. "Just a cat, Leo." Silence.

"You have to understand, I was angry at the time. I wasn't giving you any credit!" Leo wouldn't give up. He was going to bring Raphael back into the family if it was the last thing he did. Which, knowing Raph, wasn't exactly impossible.

"Then look me in the eye and tell me you didn't mean everything you said." Raph got up and crouched in front of Leo, staring him down. They looked into each other's eyes for a full minute before Cat's loud meow broke them out of their trance and Raph shook his head. "It's ok. I don't blame ya." He stood up and started for the door, now shut, when Leo grabbed his wrist.

"I meant a lot of it. But I didn't mean that you were a burden, because you aren't. This family would fall apart without you. Heck, it's already starting to fall apart! Haven't you noticed? I've been snappy and short-tempered lately. Splinter's been quiet, taking longer naps and meditation sessions. Donny's shut himself in his lab, and hardly talks to me anymore. And Mikey… well Mikey's still annoying, but he doesn't seem anywhere near as happy. Whether or not you want to believe it, your behavior and your pulling away from this family is taking its toll on every member. You're our constant. We know that if we're in battle or if one of us gets hurt or captured, we can always count on you. You're always there for us. Even now, when you think we don't love you, you don't leave us. You stay and protect us. You're our block. Our unmoving, hotheaded, stubborn rock. And albeit, you're hard to live with sometimes, we love you. We need you. Raph, I've never said this, but you're my closest brother. Without you by my side, I don't know what I'd do. I can't handle being the leader without you. I'd break down, lose control. So I don't want anymore of this moping around, k? Cause I love ya, bro," Leo finished, giving Raph a light punch on his shoulder.

Raph was stunned. He didn't know how to react. So all this time, he thought his family was pushing him away, when it was all in his head. He was pulling away. Him! And it took him until Leo cornered him and spelled it out to him for him to realize it. Wow, he felt dumb. But happy. Yeah, definitely happy. Leo looked like he was expecting him to say something back.

"Wow, that was sappy, Leo." Leo grinned and hugged Raph without warning. Raph tried to pry him off, checking to see if Mikey was around to chastise him. He almost couldn't hide the single tear that ran down his cheek.

"Welcome back," Leo mumbled.

"L-Leo…" he grunted. Damn Leo, and his monkey grip! It was great in battle for his swords, or when he was falling and needed to grab onto something, but now…

"Humor me." Raph rolled his eyes, before giving in and hugging Leo back in a bone-crushing manner. As soon as Leo's grip loosened, Raph shoved him off, and ran out the door, laughing to let Leo know he was playing.

"Catch me if ya can, Fearless Leader!" Raph ran into the living room, leaping right over the couch where Mikey and Donny sat watching a horror film. Both, being extremely jumpy thanks to said movie, screamed in terror at the figure that landed before them.

"Mikey, calm down, it's just me, knucklehead." Mikey screamed again, louder, before Don hit him on the head.

"Ouch! Come on, Don. You can't tell me that that isn't worse! I mean, at least the vampire wasn't UG-LY!" Mikey laughed before screaming as Raph ran toward him, Leo forgotten. "It was a joke!" Don was watching with amusement from the couch. All the stress that had been pent up in the lair was gone. He didn't know what happened. But he knew how, he thought, as Leo emerged from the second floor, looking pleased with himself. Leo perched on the hand rail, watching Raph and Mikey run before giving Don a smile and a salute, and leaping off, only to land on Raph's shoulders.

"I got him, Mikey! Run!" Mikey laughed like he used to when they were kids, diving behind the couch and building a fort. Don gave up trying to watch and be mature and helped Mikey build his pillow fort so that it was structurally sound. This was war now.

"Three against one? That ain't fair!" Raph laughed, as he spun around wildly, trying to get Leo off of his neck.

"Maybe so, but at least we fight with honor!" Leo shouted with a serious and determined look, which soon broke into a smile.

"Yeah, but come on. I don't stand a chance!" Raph said, winking at Leo. Leo pretended to think it over.

"I suppose you're right. Switching sides!" Leo shouted, thrusting his index finger into the air and hopping off Raph. He turned toward his younger brothers' terrified expressions. He and Raph took slow steps toward Mikey and Don, scaring the living daylights out of them. This is what always used to happen when they played as children. Raph and Leo would team up, even if they promised not to.

"ATTACK!" the eldest yelled in unison.

Master Splinter slid open his door enough to see a pile of turtles wrestling on a scattered mess of pillows.

"I thought they grew out of that…" He shook his head slowly before closing the door. "Kids."

END

Ok, this story was originally a one-shot, but SavvyEnigmaxBanditgal requested that I have Leo confront Raph. So here it is! Leo fixed the broken family! And Raph's pet gets a name! Sort of... Anyhoo, if anyone wants me to write something, just send me an idea and I'll be happy to! Thanks for reading! Now it's a two-shot, right? I don't own anything, btw.