Patience pays off huh? Well my dear readers here's the final chapter of 'Ain't No Cry Baby'. It's been blast and I really enjoyed sharing this story with you all. Thank you all who taken interest in my turtle tot tale :)
Chapter 6 Big Brothers Do Cry
Without any forethought Raphael jumped off the platform and started running. Even though the train tracks had long been abandoned he knew Donatello still had the common sense to get off them as soon as possible. As soon as he spotted the opening that lead to the sewers, Raph was down it. He had to find Donnie and he had to find him fast.
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Donnie never heard Raphael shout after him all he knew was that he wanted to get away as far as possible. He didn't really register when he ended up in the sewers but suddenly the ground felt extremely wet beneath his feet. Still he ran his common sense overwhelmed by the primitive need to get away. His efforts soon found the youngster on a narrow walkway with a fast flowing water channel beside it.
Heart pounding Donnie began running down the walkway, his mind a mess of conflicting emotions and thoughts. Raphael's last outburst had just sent poor Donnie over the edge. What was wrong with him? Really, he didn't even give him a chance to explain what he was doing! He just jumped conclusions and picked the most negative one! Why?! Tears started to blur his vision and Donnie absently swiped a hand across his eyes.
That's when it happened. His foot struck something slippery and suddenly his feet were no longer underneath him. With a startled cry he slipped sideways, his right shoulder slamming into the cold wet stone before he tumbled over the edge.
"DONNIE!"
Donatello's hand snapped out just before the channel's water claimed him and looked up to see Raphael running along the walkway toward him. Then he heard an ominous sound. A sound that filled Donnie with dread. Rushing water, a roar that got louder the closer it got. Suddenly all the fear he held in his older brother disintegrated. He snapped his eyes back up and caught sights with him.
"RAPH!"
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Raphael's heart almost stopped when he saw Donnie slip. That water was so fast and he didn't want to think about what would happen if Donnie fell in but tumble the youngster did. His hand snapped out at the last moment but Raph still yelled his younger brother's name.
He was almost there mere seconds away when a terrifying sound met his ears. It was a sound that he and all his brothers were very familiar with. Rushing water. Living in the sewers how could you not be? Raph saw the panic, an untold fear that abruptly welled in his sibling's eyes.
"RAPH!"
Raphael's hand reached out, the water roared and gushed and with a yell of fear and disbelief the rushing wave slammed into Donnie's body. It was with a gurgled shriek that the boy was pulled under the water and instantly away leaving poor Raph reaching out to thin air.
No.
He was gone. Donatello, his little brother was gone.
"No," Raph whimpered in denial, even as the tension in his chest twisted tight and painful. How could he have let this happen? How could he?! He was the older brother. He was the one who should've been looking out for Donnie, not persecuting him to look out for himself.
A soreness started to swell at the back of his throat, where it bloomed and pushed painfully. Raph felt the sting as bitter tears began to burn the corners of his eyes. The sob bubbled up his throat quite unexpectedly and before he knew it deep reverberating waves surged through his breast. Great glassy streams coursed his cheeks as the guilt, the fear, the grief suddenly took strong hold and refused to let him go. What was he going to do? What was he going to tell everyone?
"D-Donnie, I'm-I'm so s-sorry," Raph uttered, his knees giving way beneath him as he fell to the ground. He didn't know how long he stayed there, cradled by the damp and semi darkness with the gushing water still rushing alongside. It felt like an eternity and the sobs continued to heave his chest.
Then he heard it. What was it? A faint cry? It was hard to tell over the noise of the water. The boy was about to dismiss it when-
"RAPH!"
Raphael's heart was suddenly beating a mile a minute. "Donnie," he breathed. Without hesitation he scrambled to his feet and ran toward the terrified voice.
Raph skidded to a halt when he saw Donnie, clinging to the side of the channel although how he was unsure he was just elated that his little brother was still alive. "Don hang on! I'm comin'," the boy ran the closing distance and knelt to the edge of the walkway and reached down.
Raph then spotted Donatello's salvation, a missing brick in the channel wall. The water still flowed fast and unforgiving but Donnie's fingers gripped inside the hole just barely hanging on. It was clear his grip was weakening by the second. Fuelled by renewed determination Raphael strained as he extended out his arm as far as he could reach without falling in himself.
"Raph, hurry please," Donnie bleated fearfully. "Th-The bricks are coming loose!"
"I'm tryin'!" the turtle boy snapped. Why did he have to be so freaking short?! "Donnie can you reach me?"
Donatello tentatively flexed a hand and let out a startled squeal as the brick he was holding gave way a fraction too much. "Aaah!" the water poured around him and seemed to snake about him like a sea serpent dragging at his body pulling him and trying to claim him to the waters.
With a terrifying jolt the brick suddenly gave up the ghost, completely tearing itself from the wall and with it Donatello himself. "NO!" the youngster screamed.
Raphael lurched forward as his stubbornness and the desperate need to save his brother surged through him. How he managed to reach him he didn't know but he wasn't about to question it. Damn it! He wasn't losing Donnie again! His hand clamped around his brother's wrist and with the sudden momentum of Donatello added to the equation Raph's plastron slammed into the ground. He heard something crack and it hurt like hell but all that he pushed to the back of his mind as he dragged Donnie up and out of the water.
Once safe and clear of the edge they both collapsed, Donnie coughing and spluttering as he rid himself of the water that he'd swallowed during his ordeal.
Panting from his exertions Raph glanced up at his younger brother and suddenly felt a barrage of conflicting emotions build up inside him. He'd almost lost him and for the most stupid reason. The feeling began to build and the anger began to burn. Before he knew what was happening the dam burst and Raphael couldn't control the swirling storm. Words poured out and the pain swelled and filled his throat that his voice cracked consistently as he tried to speak.
"Don't-don't y-ya ever d-do anythin' tha-that st-stupid again! Y-you sca-scared the hell outtah-outtah me!"
Donnie stared back at him looking utterly bewildered at the outburst. Seeing the confused expression triggered something inside Raph. With a sob he lurched forward and snatched his little brother into a tight embrace. Donnie gave a startled squeak and resisted at first but Raph didn't let go.
"I-I'm sorry Donnie," he wept, ignoring the fresh tears that flowed relentlessly. "I-I'm so sorry. I d-din't mean it, I-I din't mean any-any of it. I couldn't-," Raph choked on his own words as he tried to explain but his emotions were so intense that he couldn't bring himself to push the final line past his throat. "I could-couldn't- I just couldn't-"
"Admit that you get scared?"
Raphael froze as Donatello finished his sentence for him. The breath tremored in his chest. "Donnie I'm sorry," he whimpered.
He suddenly felt his little brother's arms wrap about him. "It's okay," Donnie whispered, his embrace tightening as if to emphasize his words. "Apology accepted."
The sobs resumed, shuddering through his chest as he continued to cling to his sibling. What had he done to deserve such an understanding and forgiving brother?
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Raph and Donnie walked back to the lair in silence as it was quite clear that nothing else needed to be said. They were in sight of the platform when Donnie broke the quiet.
"What are you going to say to Master Splinter?"
There was only one thing that he could say to sensei. "The truth."
As they both ducked under the turnstiles a blur of leaf green and orange practically bowled them over.
"Dudes! There you are! Where have you been?! Master Splinter been wigging out!"
"We were jus-"
There was a familiar crack of a cane against the ground followed by a strident voice. "Michelangelo! Go assist Leonardo with your chores, now."
"Hai sensei," Mikey immediately said before running off.
Master Splinter then cast a firm glare on Raph and Donnie, hands resting atop his cane he spoke to them sternly. "You both left the lair?" he said knowingly.
Donnie and Raph answered in unison. "Hai sensei."
"Then you will both explain yourselves," he gave a flick of his hand. "Go to the dojo, now."
Obediently the brothers obeyed.
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Moments later the boys were knelt on the dojo floor wrapped in blankets, enduring the glare of their father as he demanded their explanation.
Raph swapped glances with Donnie who nodded encouragingly. He took a breath and began. "It's a bit of a long story sensei."
"I have nothing but time Raphael," Splinter said patiently.
Head bowed Raph recounted his story. "A few days ago, I-I snuck outtah bed and watched a late night horror film. When I went back to bed I kept thinkin' about the monster in the film, I-I was to afraid to sleep and Donatello heard me," he raised his green eyes to glance across at his brother as he delivered his next line. "I said some bad thing things to him and scared him into being quiet about what he saw. The rest I think ya sorta know sensei," Raph uttered. "But just a little while ago after we spoke I found Donnie and thought he was butchering my tape deck that Mikey broke. I yelled at him and he ran out. I only then realised that he fixed it," he eyed Donnie again, the apology clear from his look alone.
Splinter nodded sombrely. "Continue Raphael."
"I should've come and got you sensei but all I wanted was to find Donnie and I wasn't thinkin' about anythin' else. I followed Donnie into the sewers an-," here Raph gave an unexpected hiccup of guilt at the recollection. He never thought just recounting such recent events would cause such a strong emotional response. "And I saw Donnie slip and fall into a drainage channel. I tried to save him bu-but he got swept away when there was a huge surge of water," here Raph paused and drew a slightly shuddering sigh. The remembering of the scene chilled the youngster to the core of his bones and his voice began to crack. "I-I thought I'd-I'd lost him an-and I din't know what to do," his head sagged and he closed his eyes fast shut. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder and he opened them a crack to see Donnie's hand resting there. And the look in his bright chestnut eyes told him the truth. That night Donatello had only been there to reassure him, comfort him as was in his nature. He suddenly felt like such a rotten big brother. Despite everything that he had put poor Donnie through, he had forgiven him, just like that and it made Raphael wonder if he'd had done the same thing if he'd been in Donatello's place.
Still holding Donnie's reassuring gaze Raph finished his story. "Then I heard ya an-an it was like I had gotten another chance. I managed to drag ya out though I don't know how," he then looked up at Splinter. "And that's what happened sensei."
Splinter nodded slowly, his expression unreadable as he looked over at Donnie. "Donatello, is that a fair account of what transpired?"
Donnie's response was immediate. "Hai sensei, it is and I'm sorry that I ran out of the lair, it was a stupid thing to do," he ended bowing his head.
"It was irresponsible of you Donatello, yes but understandable considering the circumstances," Splinter pulled a thoughtful hand down the length of his beard. "I believe you've both have learnt much from this experience my sons but to go without punishment would be unwise."
"Hai sensei," the boys chimed together.
As their father contemplated their fate, both brothers chanced another glance at each other. "I really am sorry Donnie," Raphael whispered.
"I know," Donnie hushed back. "It's okay," Raph felt himself smile but Donnie hadn't finished. "Raph, you know I would've kept your secret anyway."
Raphael's face creased guiltily as he glanced away. He felt a tug on his shoulder, he peered back up. "Hey, it's okay," Donnie whispered reassuringly. "I know what you're like, you're my brother," the sympathetic smile he then received had the boy reaching for his sibling's hand and giving it a thankful squeeze.
Raphael cast a swift glance at Master Splinter still pacing before them as he mulled over what punishment would no doubt be befitting for them. It didn't really matter what their father decided though, no. Nothing would compare to the lesson he had learned over the past week, and almost losing a brother was punishment enough, especially knowing that he was the one responsible. He was never going to make that mistake again.
"Hey Donnie, ya won't tell anyone about what happened in the sewer or in here, will ya?" he said it with a small smirk.
The smirk was returned and his younger brother's eyes seemed to sparkle as he uttered, "you know I won't and that's the truth, brother."
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