Anything

By

Hannio

Prologue

Raphael

Disclaimer

None of the characters mentioned in the below work of fiction belong to me (though I really wished they did) they belong to the creators instead.

Author Note

This takes me back a few years! This was originally a 100 word drabble that I wrote last night on my blackberry while I was lying in bed trying to sleep, however this certain Plot Bunny was more insistent then most and refused to leave me even after I had given in and written what turned out to be the prologue. Then on the train today on my way into work I was suddenly attacked by a plot line so my tiny drabble has sort of turned into a short 6 chapter story… yeah…One I actually have planned out on paper for once!

Please go easy on me, I haven't actually written any fan fiction for a very long time, at least not fan fiction that was ever meant to be seen by anyone, normally I just use it for attempting to improve my writing style.

Anyway please enjoy it. This is a lot shorter then the other chapters will be because it's just a prologue the other chapters will be a lot longer…

Some things you do because you want to. Some things you do because of the needs of others in your family

Sometimes he thought it would be better for everyone if he just vanished one day. Take all the pain he knew he caused his brothers and leave allowing them to be happy. They would grieve for a while but he knew they would soon settle into a routine and they would soon be happy again and he would simply be a vague memory that saddened them if they allowed themselves to think of him.

He had always known since he was younger that out of them all he was the least important, the one they could easily survive without if it ever came down to it. They couldn't survive without Leo; he was the eldest, and the leader the one they all ran to when they had nightmares or problems. He would sit there calmly, crossed legged and watch them as they spoke to him. Then he would proceed to comfort them in whatever way they needed. Donnie was important he kept everything running and kept them as physically well as was possible, without him everything would fall and collapse and then there was Mikey, Mikey was their sunshine in an otherwise dark place, who knows what they would become without him constantly lifting their spirits.

He on the other hand was none of these things. He could see the way they looked at him as if he was a time bomb waiting to go off. It made his nervous that look, made him defensive. He knew in his head that he could never hurt his brothers he would rather have cut off his own arms, sure they sparred but he always held back, not too much though because they needed to be strong and if a few bruises from him meant that they would survive then he was willing to be the one to put them there, though each mark made him flinch when he saw them.

They thought he was so angry with everything and everyone but he was just scared, scared of failing them, scared that they would realise he wasn't important and fear came out as anger and he would say things he didn't mean. It felt like someone else was saying the words and he was watching from afar. By the time it felt like he was back in his own body and realised what he had done, the words to heal them on his tongue they were gone. Shell turned to him as whoever it was that time walked away from him.

He felt that he saw more of his brothers' shells then he did their faces. Even when they looked at him it felt more like they were looking through him as if he was a ghost in the lair.

It hurt that after all these years none of them seemed to understand him nor seemed to care enough to attempt to. They should have known how little he trusted the words that other people said. Words could be faked, words would be forgotten eventually, words were just words but an action tended to stay with you. Years later when the words had gone you could still see what someone had done for you.

Had they honestly forgotten all the times he had protected them? The injuries he took in their place so they would be spared? The times he had sat late into the night holding them tightly while one of the others stitched them back together, the whole time blaming himself for not being quick enough.

He had the feeling they had.

Raphael would do anything for his brothers even if it meant leaving. He took a deep breath and glanced once more around the large, empty lair, silence ringing in his ears. Then with a nod he hoisted his bag further up his shoulder, turned and left, closing the door quietly behind him

There was nothing Raphael wouldn't do for them even if it meant destroying his heart to do it.

Author note – Chapter 1 will be up pretty soon. I'm in the process of writing it… on the train it seems… and it's beginning to take shape. I'm hoping to have it up next week but I don't want to promise anything in case I can't.

Please review but no flames. Thank you for reading