Ah, yeah, the good old 'Big brother comforts sick little brother' - thingy. Gotta love these stories, don't'cha? This had been on my laptop for a few months now. Hope you like it! And, don't worry about 'Broken Promises', next chapter will be uploaded this week!

Now, my dear readers, enjoy!

Not On My Watch

Donatello kept moving around in his bed where he was supposed to sleep. But he couldn't.

*I can't just lie here. I've got to upgrade the security systems!*

His brothers had made it clear to him, that if they found him out of bed one more time, they'd tie him down, lock the room and let Raph sit beside the bed, his sais ready.

But Donny couldn't just lie there! It was just some stupid cold, after all. He couldn't understand the fuss his brothers made about it.

Not able to hold it back any longer, Donny jumped out of his bed without making any sound; not even as he touched the ground. *Being a ninja's quite helpful.*

Ignoring the sudden dizziness and headache he felt, Donny moved towards the door, still not making a sound.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Don felt a strong grip on his arm, which commanded him to turn around. But Donny refused.

"Leo", his voice was hoarse and quiet, "M…my work -!" "- will wait until Mr. Fix - It has recovered from his fever." "J…just a c…cold. No…bi…big deal." "No big deal, you say?"

Donny felt how his arm was released.

"Then go ahead! Walk to your lab! I'm not gonna stop you!"

Leo's voice was calm, but Donny was able to hear a vibe of insidiousness. Even so, Donny started walking, thinking he would be able to work in peace now.

Wrong thought.

After a few steps, the exhaustion Donny felt overwhelmed him. He began to falter, and would have collapsed onto the ground, if it wasn't for a pair of strong arms which caught him before he could even touch the ground. Don reluctantly sagged against his big brother, feeling the sleep coming.

Leo smiled slyly. "A bigger deal than you thought, huh?"

Don shook his head.

"L…Leo!", Donny's voice was low and filled with ailment, "S…systems! Protect…family!" "The security systems can wait for a while. Right now, the little techhead has to go to bed."

Leo easily lifted his brother up and carried him to his bed.

"You may think that you're fit enough to work. But even if it was just a cold - Which it isn't, Donatello!" Leonardo glared at Don who had opened his mouth to respond, "Even if it was just a cold, no way you would be allowed to do a single step outta bed. Not on my watch, Don!"

He slowly climbed up the ladder of Donny's bed and placed him onto the matress.

Leonardo softly wrapped the blanket around Donatello and placed a wet washcloth on his forehead.

"Leo!", Donny whimpered, tears running down his face, "No…don't wanna…"

Donny felt a soft kiss being placed onto his burning forehead.

Leo whispered, his mouth still against Donny's head: "Everything's okay, little brother. Just go to sleep."

"Br…brother…"

Don was talking nonsense. He always did when he had a high temperature. Don didn't know it, though. The morning after him being delirious, he wouldn't remember anything about what had happened or he had said, and his brothers didn't bother to tell him. What they thought of as funny, if not cute, Donatello would probably think of as embarrassing. His brothers didn't want him to feel uncomfortable.

"Leo…brother…" Leo chuckled slightly. "Yes, I am your brother." "Bi…big brother?"

A smile crossed Leo's face.

"Yes, I am your big brother. I'm older than you are." "Big brother…pr…protects…little br…brother?"

Something inside Leo's mind snapped. *Of course!*, the blue clad warrior thought, *That's what he wants!*

Leo placed his hand on Donny's cheek and stroked it with his thumb. "Donny, does the little brother need protection?" Donny nodded, not really awake. "Protection…Leo protect D…Don."

Leo smiled. He softly wrapped his arms around Don and lifted him up, the blanket still entangled around the purple clad turtle's shaking body. His brother slowly climbed down the ladder, while Don kept whispering things like: 'All dark' and ''m so cramped.'

Leo walked over to his own bed and softly placed his younger brother in it. Then he joined him and covered both of them with his blanket. He didn't care if Donny was contagious. All that mattered to Leonardo now was comforting his hurting and sick brother.

Donny, still wrapped in his own blanket, snuggled up close against Leo. "S…so…cold."

Without hesitation, Leo took his blanket and wrapped it completely around the younger. Then he wrapped his arms around him to pull him close and rubbed his arms. Donny's breaths came in short gasps. His feverish dreams seemed to be horrifying.

"Sshh, Donny", Leo soothed, pressing Donny's face against his chest, "I'm here. It's alright." "Dark. Alone. Need…air!"

That alarmed Leo. He didn't know what exactly to do, so he just did what he thought of first. He got the tea pod next to Don's bed and filled a cup with the cold tea, which Donny had been ordered to drink. Although irritated by that, Leonardo said nothing. He just lifted Donatello's head up and moved the cup to his mouth.

"Drink that, Donny."

Donny turned his head away, totally unwilling. "Donatello, I'm not gonna discuss this with you! Drink. That. Tea." Leo's voice was harsh and firm. Donny still refused. Leo grunted: Don could be even more stubborn than Raphael. "Donatello." Don winced. Not that voice! Finally, the purple banded turtle gave in and turned his head back. Leo moved the cup to Donny's mouth. The purple wearing ninja started drinking. After a while it seemed like he would be dying of thirst. When Donny was done, his breathing had slowed down a little.

Leo got back into the bed to wrap his arms around his younger brother, who immediately buried his burning face into Leo's chest.

Donny was trembling and whimpering.

"It…hurts, Leo." "I know." Leo softly wiped a few tears off Donny's face and then let his hand rest on his purple banded brother's cheek.

"It'll be better in the morning." "P…promise?"

Don sounded like a little child. He had lifted his head and looked up to his brother. His half closed eyes were bloodshot and filled with pain. Leo tightened his hold around the sick teenager.

"Promise."

Donny seemed to relax a little. He rested his head back against Leo's chest. His older brother's soft heartbeat was slowly lulling him to sleep.

"B…big brother?" "Yes, little brother?"

Donny's voice started fading away, along with his mind. "Love…you."

Leo smiled. He softly pressed another kiss onto Donny's head and gently brushed his burning cheek.

"Love you, too, Donny."

Donny didn't hear that anymore. He had fallen in a deep slumber, his breathing back to normal.

Leo held Donny even tighter, pressing the younger warrior's face closer against his chest.

"You will be better tomorrow. I know that."

The End