Chapter Title: Life is Good

Story takes place in 2012 world when the turtles are about 16 y/o.

Donnie POV

I wake up every morning with a smile on my face. I guess you could say I’m happy to be alive. I’m happy to have such a loving family. I’m happy that I’m not just a boring pet turtle. Yeah, I’m happy about all these things. But most importantly, I’m happy that I have such awesome brothers. Life is good.

No day is ever the same with them in my life. Some days are more predictable than others, but we will never fall into a routine. Living is so much fun with them in my life. Mikey is always up to something. Leo has his moments. And Raph…well…he has his qualities. We never really get along or anything. I quite actually don’t know that much about him. I mean, I know some of the more important things. But he isn’t exactly the easiest guy to talk to. One wrong word and you are pinned to the ground with the pointed end of sai hovering above your face. Trust me; I’ve been in that position.

No one ever knows what goes on in his room. The door is always locked. The lights are always turned off. There’s never any sound coming out of there. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever actually been in his room. The whole way, I mean. I’ve stood in the doorway, but had the door slammed in my face as my punishment for my wrongdoings. I wonder what he’s got in there. He almost never comes out unless he has to.

But none of that is really important. I have a good relationship with two out of my three brothers, so I guess it’s all okay. Besides, doesn’t every family have the set of siblings that never seem to get along? But, Raph never gets along with anyone.

God! Donatello, stop thinking. It’s been 10 minutes and you’re still in bed. I climbed out of my bed and walked into the living room. What time is it? Mikey is already awake and watching some kind of cartoon. It has to be after noon. It’s easily after noon.

“Mikey, what time is it?” I asked rubbing my eyes. I’m usually the first one up.

“Seven.” Mikey responded keeping his eyes fixated on the television screen.

I knew it wasn’t after noon, “What are you doing up so early?” I asked sitting down next to him on the couch.

“I couldn’t sleep. It was just one of those nights, I guess.” He shrugged.

“Mikey, that’s the third time this week you haven’t been able to sleep. Is there something going on?” I asked putting my hand on his shell in concern.

“It’s nothing Donnie. I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Are you sure…” I find it very hard to believe. Mikey likes to sleep and he doesn’t really do much thinking.    

“Yeah, I’m fine…It’s just…” he dropped his head and clasped his hands together.

“Mikey, what is it?” I asked more concerned now than I was before.

“There are tons of weird noises coming from Raph’s room. They woke me up” He looked up at me.

Mikey’s room is the closest to Raph’s. They are practically the same room with a thin wall in between. That’s how my and Leo’s rooms are. But Leo has never really bothered me as a neighbor. I’m sure though, that Raphael isn’t the friendliest neighbor in the hallway.

Is that all, just some noises.  “Go back to bed Mikey. Get some sleep. I’ll go talk to Raph and ask him what he’s up to.” What am I saying? Going to Raph’s room…voluntarily. He’ll cream me, or worse… But I have to. For Mikey.

I watched Mikey walk back to the bedrooms and close the door behind him. I then swallowed my pride and stood up. I sighed and started walking in the direction of Raph’s room. The closer I got to Raph’s room, the quieter it got. I really shouldn’t be doing this. I look one last look at my body before knocking on the door. Wait, do I have my staff? I’m gonna need some kind of protection for when Raph tries to kill me for waking him up this early. It was on my shell. I must have instinctively slid it in after I stood up.

Okay, no more being a chicken. I knocked on the door quietly at first. Then a little louder. He never opened the door. I assume he is still asleep. What the hell am I doing? I’m turning the doorknob. He’s gonna kill me. But curiosity overcame me. I had to know what was really in his room. I took a swift step into the room, leaving the door open for a speedy escape in case he wakes up. I looked over at his bed. He was resting so peacefully. I could hear that noise Mikey was referring to. It appears that Raph has a really bad snoring problem. I chuckled a bit and Raph must have heard it. He began to rustle in his bed. Please don’t wake up. Please Please Please do not wake up.  It must have been having a lucky day. He stayed asleep. I could tell because he was starting to snore even louder.

I took the opportunity to explore the contents of his room. His sai were thrown about the floor carelessly. Ninja stars were lodged into the wall waiting to be pulled out and thrown. His mask lay on the side of the bed. No questions that is where all the holes and tears came from. It looked like a lot of weaponry. Nothing else really. I know he has a desk somewhere. I know because I helped him build it so many years ago. I searched every corner of the dark room until I stubbed my toe against a piece of wood. Found it. It was too dark to see anything. And I didn’t dare turn the light on and risk Raph waking up.

Oh well, at least I have some kind of feeling for what Raph’s room is really like.

“What are you doing in my room?” I head a harsh voice from behind my shell.

I gulped in terror as I slowly turned around, “Nothing. I was just…” I was cut off.

“Get Out Of My Room.” Raph’s eyes turned white and the reflection of the outside light revealed that his sai were pointed at me.

“Okay, Okay. No need to get so violent. I’ll be on my way out.” I backed away from Raphael and slowly crept towards the door, keeping my hands very close to my staff in case of any sudden movements and my eyes fixated on Raphael’s sai.  

My heart was racing as I worried Raph was gonna finish me then and there. There was clearly something there that he didn’t want me to find out about. Raph’s steps were synchronized with mine as he backed me out of his room. I found the courage to speak, “I just wanted to tell you that your snoring is keeping Mikey awake. He’s been having trouble sleeping these past few days and he would really appreciate if you would keep it down.”

Raph looked a little embarrassed. I guess he didn’t want anyone to know he had a really bad snoring problem. He dropped the sai on the ground and I sighed in relief. No sooner did the sai hit the ground before I found myself pinned against the wall, Raph’s forearm blocking my airways and raising me up at least six inches off the ground. “Don’t tell anyone about my snoring problem. You got that, Donatello.” He spit in my face as he spoke.

Struggling to breathe, I nodded my head in understanding and prayed that my life be spared this morning. He dropped me without warning, “Now. Get out!” he shouted as I ran out of the room. He slammed the door behind me practically shaking the entire lair.

“I…am never…going back…in that room…” I said to myself while I struggled for air. I quickly ran off to my lab.


No one saw me for a good eight hours. I was honestly too afraid to leave my lab. I worried that Raph was waiting for me outside, waiting for me to leave so he could finish what he started that morning. I was paranoid. I just built everything. Every piece of scrap metal I had lying around, I formed into some kind of machine. Every book on my shelf was opened to a different page. I had to find some way to occupy my mind.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. “Hey, Donnie. Come out here man. There’s pizza!” Mikey’s voice announced cheerfully.

My stomach couldn’t resist. It started growling louder than I had ever heard it before. I was practically starving. I hadn’t eaten a bite of food since dinner last night. And now it’s almost 3:00 in the afternoon and I’m craving a few slices of pizza.

“I’ll be right out, Mikey. Just let me clean up a bit.” I bought myself some time before I had to leave the lab.

“Kay, hurry up.” His voice got softer as he walked away from my lab.

I tidied up my mess and slowly opened the door, scouting for Raph before leaving the room.

“What are you doing?” Leo asked standing behind my door.

He must have thought I was an idiot. I’m leaving my lab as if I were some kind of criminal who just committed a serious crime. “Oh, nothing. Just, you know, looking and stuff.” I mentally face palmed so hard at how lame I sounded

He looked at me with a face of pure confusion, “Come on brainiac, let’s get some pizza. You’ve been in your lab too long.” He smiled as we walked to the kitchen together.

Leo took the seat next to Mikey. There was only one seat left…the one next to Raph. I smirked a little as I sat down next to him. I went to grab a slice of pizza, but Raph quickly took the piece I was reaching for. I glared at him a little and went for another piece. He took that one too. “Raph! Cut it out!” I shouted, my voice cracking a little.

“You gonna cry, Donatello? Are you a baby?” he took my voice crack as an increased frequency signaling a cry.

“No, I’m not gonna cry.” I pouted a little. He made me feel so inferior.

“Raph, knock it off and give Donnie the pizza.” Leo gave him a stern glare.

He handed me the pizza and continued eating. He didn’t say another word to anyone the rest of lunch. After lunch, I mustered up enough courage to confront Raphael about what happened that morning. “Raph, I’m sorry about going in your room this morning. I know I shouldn’t have done it and I made a poorly thought out choice,” I started following him into the living room, “But that doesn’t mean you have to be a bully or anything.”

He turned and looked straight at me, “You are not sorry. There is no part of you that is sincerely sorry about going into my room. So yeah, I’m gonna be mean to you. Because you broke the rules.” He flashed a diabolical grin in my direction.

“Raph, I’m not gonna tell anyone about your sno-” I found myself on the ground no more than a second later.

“Are you an idiot?! Mikey and Leo are in the next room. For someone that’s not gonna tell my secret, you’re talking pretty loud.” He reached behind him for his sai as I struggled to get a grip on my staff.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” I pleaded as his foot crushed my plastron. “I really won’t tell anyone. Just please get off of me.”

He pressed the outermost tip of his sai against my forehead. He didn’t press as hard as I though he would, but it was hard enough to open a small hole in my forehead. “Don’t mess with me, Donnie. I’m not afraid to press harder.” He snarled as he let me up off the ground.

“Thanks” I swallowed standing up and fixing my sash.  

“Just go” he shooed me away with the flick of his hand. I ran back to the comfort and safety of my lab. I checked the fresh wound dripping a thin line of blood before I started working on my machines again. After a few minutes of applying pressure, the bleeding stopped and I resumed my work, aware that a scar would form very soon. Raph wasn’t about to let this go so soon. We would be doing this for at least a few weeks.