Raphael fell asleep with a smile on his face, but eventually it passed into a rather more neutral expression as his sleep deepened.

He was pulled into a dream, his mind spinning. A blurred image and foggy voices filled his head, slowly becoming more and more lucid.

After that first minute or two Raphael realized it wasn't a dream at all. It was a memory. Yes, he remembered this! It was back when they were around six years old...

Flashback

It was quite a busy day at the Lair. Raphael had been drawing, and Leo and Mikey were painting pictures with some acrylics Sensei had found in the sewers.

At that moment, Master Splinter was listening to his youngest and eldest son as they chattered incessantly about what they would paint.

Raph finished his drawing and leaped up off the couch. He ran excitedly to his father's side. "Sensei! Sensei, look!"

Master Splinter glanced down and automatically muttered, "Not now Raphael," as the other two turtles went on.

"But Sensei..." Raphael frowned. Master Splinter had been listening to Mikey and Leo for ten minutes already. It was his turn! He pulled at his father's robes, with no reaction. So he tried again, this time pulling harder, but he lost his footing and ended up tumbling backwards. The impact knocked Michelangelo down into his painting-in-progress, who in turn rolled into Leo, getting him covered in paint as well.

Raph jumped up first and stared wide-eyed. And then he saw Master Splinter's face.

The rat stood with his hands on his hips and his fiercest glare on his face. "Raphael, I said NOT NOW!" Splinter said, his voice raised, then he took a deep breath, his expression unreadable. "Go to your room."

"I-I didn't mean to." Raph stammered, his bright green eyes filled with guilt and regret.

But Master Splinter wouldn't even look at him.

"I said: Go to your room!" He commanded, raising his voice once more.

Raphael bowed his head, "Hai Sensei."

On the other side of the room, Donatello had been tinkering, building some sort of structure out of toothpicks, glue, rubber bands, and cardboard. But at the great commotion that resulted from Raphael's fall, his big brown eyes glanced over to the rest of his family.

He watched his immediate older brother as Sensei yelled. Why was Sensei yelling so loud? Couldn't he see that Raphie didn't mean it? It was an accident.

And when Raph was ordered to go to his room, Donatello watched Raph go.

But unlike his brothers and father, he noticed the way Raph's lip trembled.

After he heard Raph's door close, Master Splinter looked back down at his now paint-splattered sons. "Come now, I believe you both need a bath." He glanced over at Donatello, "Donatello, would you like to join your brothers?"

"No, Sensei. I don't want another bath."

Sensei nodded and led Leo and Mikey away.

As soon as they'd gone Donnie made up his mind. He was going to see if Raphie was okay.

Raphael threw himself down on the bed. His shoulders heaved up and down as he struggled to keep himself from sobbing his little heart out. He was only seven years old, but he didn't want to be weak. He would not cry. He would NOT cry.

After a minute or two he'd forced his breathing back to normal and he lay on his side, staring blankly at the wall.

A few minutes later a knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. "Go away!" He yelled angrily.

Whoever it was knocked again.

"Raphie! Open the door!" Donnie yelled insistently.

Raph got up and crossed over to the door. He flung it open and glared at his younger brother. "What do you want, Donatello?"

Donnie stared back innocently. "I want to color."

"So?"

"So, can I borrow your crayons?" he asked.

Raphael sighed, "Why don't you just use your own?"

"I...think I lost them." He replied quietly, somewhat embarrassed.

"What, again?" Raph rolled his eyes. "Sensei's not gonna be too happy about that, Don."

Silence spread between them and Donnie just stared at Raph, until finally, with a grunt of annoyance, the older turtle stepped aside. Don rushed past him and moved to the small shelf where Raph kept all the pencils, crayons, and paper. He took the paper and lay it out on the floor, making Raph raise an eye-ridge at him. "What're ya doin?"

"I'm gonna color." He stated evenly. He knew that Raph wouldn't kick him out. Raphael never kicked Donatello out. Leo might be able to stay in Raph's room for a little while, but eventually Raph would have enough and send him out. And Mikey got thrown out almost immediately because he touched things Raph told him not to. But Donnie...

For some reason Raph let him stay, perhaps it was because the bond between them mostly went without saying. Don wasn't really sure, but to be honest, he never really cared. The trust Raph displayed in him made Donnie swell with pride, since it was a well-known fact that Raph really didn't like having anybody in his room.

Don dumped out the crayons and lay down on his plastron. He grabbed a paper and started to draw. Within moments he was fully engrossed. Or at least seemingly so.

However, he was actually keeping a watchful eye on Raphael.

Unfortunately for him, Raphael caught him staring. "What are you looking at?"

"I was wondering if you were gonna color too." Don replied innocently, his eyes shining with earnestness.

"No thanks Don, I think I've done enough drawing for day."

"Please?" Donnie whined.

His reply was but a whisper, "Alright." Raph stretched out and lay down beside his brother.

They colored in silence for a couple of minutes until Donatello asked, "Can I see it?"

Raph looked up from the drawing he was working on and raised an eye-ridge. "See what?"

"The drawing you were trying to show Sensei. Can I see it?" Don watched his older brother tense.

"It's not important anymore." Raph said quietly, his voice level. But Donnie could hear the hurt hidden there.

They continued coloring in silence.

Raphael stared down at the picture he'd just drawn. Sensei, Leo, Don and Mikey smiled up at him from the foreground. They looked so happy...

Raph bit his lip as it began to tremble. His hands shook as he drew added the final character to the background. Tears ran down his face and stained the paper, and his shoulders shook.

Donatello looked up from his drawing at the sound of a muted sniffle. For a moment he watched as slow, silent tears ran down his brother's face. And then there was a sob, followed by another, until Raph was fully crying.

Donnie wasted no more time. He stood, hefted his brother to his feet and yanked him into a tight hug. A few moments passed before Raph reciprocated.

Adding the final touches had really shaken him. And he cried. He couldn't help it. The emotions were just too strong. Suddenly he felt himself being pulled up off the floor, and he yielded. The next thing he knew thin arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders. His muscles tensed and he stood stock still. Until finally, he closed his eyes, returning the hug. Raph's breathing slowed to normal and the tears subsided. He clung to his younger brother like a lifeline, allowing the hug to soothe away the sadness.

"You okay Raphie?" The younger whispered.

"Y-Yeah." He hugged Donnie a little tighter before pulling away. "Thanks Dondon." He whispered.

Donnie looked up. Dondon...huh. It had been a long time since any of his brothers had called him that. It was what they had called him when they were really little. He smiled. "You're welcome, Raphie."

End Flashback

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As soon as they got back from the junkyard Donatello headed straight for the lab to check on Raph. He expected Leo was probably either in there or the dojo.

Don paused and listened at the lab door. After hearing nothing he opened it and took a look inside. What he saw made a grin cross his face. Raphael lay on the table in same position as before, but Leo was now lying beside him with his arms wrapped around Raph's shell, hugging him like a teddy bear.

Michelangelo canted his head at Donnie's expression and bounded over to the Brainiac's side. His baby blue eyes followed his older brother's gaze and he was soon wearing a very similar expression.

The two younger turtles stood there smiling at their older brothers for a moment before Michelangelo said something about going to find the camera and disappeared.

Don moved over to Leo's side and poked his arm. "Leo." He said softly, but got no response. Don put a hand on Leo's shoulder and shook him gently. "Leo wake up."

Leo groaned and shifted a little, but failed to awaken.

"Leonardo."

"Let him sleep, Don." Said a low, raspy whisper. "He needs it."

Donatello stared. He rushed around the table to Raph's side. "Raph, you're awake!"

Raphael smiled at him weakly, "Donnie." He lifted a hand and reached towards his little brother.

Don gripped it immediately, squeezing it tightly. "Raph..." he said, his voice filled with relief and worry. "How do you feel? How long have you been awake? Do you need anything? Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Quiet Don. I've had a rough day. Still feel pretty weak. I don't feel like answering a lot of questions right now."

Donatello nodded.

Raph squeezed his younger brother's hand. "Thanks Don."

Don canted his head. "For what?" The purple-banded turtle could see that Raph was getting sleepy and he would need a lot of rest, but Donatello wanted to know what his brother was talking about.

Raphael smiled drowsily and yawned. "For giving me a hug."

Donnie smiled endearingly, surprised Raphael even remembered that. "Get some sleep Raph. Leo's not the only one who needs it."

But the emerald green turtle shook his head. "Nuh. I wanna see Mikey."

"Raphael, right now you need rest. Mikey will be waiting for you when you wake up. I promise."

The hothead frowned. "No, Donnie. I wanna see him now. Please?"

Seeing Raph in a weakened physical state and denying him what he wanted was hard enough. When the hothead actually said please it was damn near impossible. Donnie sighed. "Alright I'll get him." The brainiac poked his head out the door. "MIKEY!"

The orange-masked turtle came running. "Is everything okay? What happened? Is Raph alright?"

Donnie gestured to him, "Get in." He nodded his head in Raph's direction. "Go on over."

Mikey approached Raph cautiously, afraid to touch anything. He looked down at his brothers on the table.

He jumped when an emerald green hand reached out and grabbed his elbow. "Raph?!" The youngest of the turtles hopped on the table by his brother's side and hugged him tightly. "Oh Raph! I was so worried! Are you okay? How do you feel? You're so stupid! How could you throw yourself in front of Shredder like that?! Are you insane?!"

"Couldn't let you get hurt."

"You could have warned me." He said, his expression somber.

"Shut up, Mike. It's over and done with. It happened. We can't go back. I love you, Mikey. And I'd do anything to protect you, and the same goes for these two." He gestured to Leo and Donnie.

"Whatever, just please don't ever do it again."

Raph smiled tiredly before his expression went completely serious. "I'd do it again in a second if need be. I'd do it for any of you."

Mikey frowned. "I know."

"Love you, baby brother." Raph said with a yawn as he drifted to sleep.

Mikey smiled warmly, hugging his brother tightly, "Love ya, bro. Sweet dreams."

"Love ya, Dondon." The red-masked turtle whispered just as his eyes were closing.

The brainiac looked at his immediate older brother with a smile. "Love you too, Raphie. Remember I'll always be there. Whenever you need a hug."

"Ditto." Came a murmur from a very sleepy Leonardo.

Raphael fell asleep with a peaceful smile on his face.

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YAY! This completes the brothers' portion of Feeling Unloved! But there's still one more character who needs to be showcased...