A Tale of Four Brothers

This is an AU/Tcest story. Interested then read. Not your cup of tea. I can totally respect that, but pass my story by and don't get all preachy. To each their own.

I own nothing. Dammit to hell!

Chapter One

Ya know I have three brothers. Two are my baby bros. There's Donatello tha genius and oldest of my younger bros. He's like real gentle natured, ya know? Don't get me wrong. That turtle can fight like a demon if he needs ta, but he would be happier putterin' with who knows what in that lab of his. He is tha bro that doesn't tend ta drive me too terribly crazy. I've always looked after him because even though he's real smart, sometimes he tends ta over-analyze and I'm afraid that he will get himself inta trouble.

Now my youngest brother is Michelangelo. We usually just call him "Mikey," just like we usually just call Donatello "Donnie." Mikey is wild, crazy, annoyin', and sweet like all wrapped inta one sunny, little turtle. Sometimes I think I could strangle him and then he looks at me with those blue eyes of his, all full of love and trust, and I know that if anyone touches my littlest brother, I'd kicked their shell. Mikey's tha one that I think knows me better than anyone else and I ain't ashamed ta admit it, but I feel proud when he runs ta me when he needs comfort from a nightmare. Tha rest of us guard him like mad dogs. Kid can fight, but he's still our baby.

Then there is my third brother, Leonardo. Mikey nicknamed him "Leo" and I re-nicknamed him "Fearless." He is tha oldest of tha four of us and has trained his whole life ta be tha leader of our team. It seems like Leo walks on water tha way Splinter goes on about my perfect, calm, wise, prudent, annoyin', stick-in-tha-mud, big brother. I can't breathe around him. Everythin' he does and everythin' he says grates on my nerves because supposedly his decisions are better than mine will ever be. Like he is tellin' me right now.

"Running out to take on forty Foot without backup was one of the most ridiculous things you have done yet," Leo sighed out as Donnie stitched tha large slice on my bicep.

"Shut up, Fearless," I ground out as I glared at my brother, "I couldn't wait all day for ya ta finally get your ass in gear. Tha Foot was stealin' from tha Senior Center."

"I told you to wait," Leo snapped, "You ran out there and got yourself overwhelmed and then dragged Mikey into your mess."

I snarled, but remained silent. Mikey had tried ta protect my back, but one of tha Foot had gotten a lucky shot and knocked him good with a bo staff. I'd had a lot of pleasure sinkin' my sai inta that one's thigh. Bastard.

"I'm fine," Mikey chirped from Donnie's desk chair as Leo held an ice pack ta tha back of his head, "I've got a hard skull."

"You've got a mild concussion is what you've got," Donnie hissed as he finished my stitches and covered tha injury with a bandage, "You'll be staying with me tonight so I can…."

"Wake me on the hour for every hour until you are sure I won't slip into a coma," Mikey interrupted using an imitation of tha Genius' voice, which was pretty, damn funny, before bouncin' in place, "I'm fine and you are a Worry-Wart. Can we have a movie night? Please, Donnie?"

Leo chuckled as Donnie rolled his eyes at tha ball of energy we called our little brother.

"Sure," tha Genius chuckled as Mikey took tha ice pack from Leo and bounced out of tha room before turnin' ta me with a glare, "Thanks, Raph, for the great sleep I'm going to get tonight."

I glared right back at him and grunted when he forced my arm inta a sling so I wouldn't rip my stitches. Donnie stomped out of tha lab with a resigned look on his face after hearin' Mikey yell that he had picked out all tha dvds and they would start with tha newest, Scooby-Doo movie. Leo sighed and I flipped him my middle finger as I stomped out tha door of tha lab.

"Raphael!" Master Splinter's voice called out which made me grimace, "I wish to speak with you, my son."

God, dammit! A lecture. Just what I needed. I kept my face as neutral as possible when I slipped inta Sensei's room and kneeled on tha mattin'.

"My son, you brother has reported to me the happenings of tonight's battle," my father began, "I am not pleased that you led your youngest brother into a fight where you were so hopelessly outnumbered."

"I disagree," I gritted out as I looked down at tha one hand I could rest in my lap, "Ya trained us real good, Sensei. It was only a few Foot."

"A few?" Master Splinter questioned lookin' stern, "There were forty against two. Leonardo ordered you to wait until he and Donatello arrived. You disobeyed your leader's instructions."

My hand twisted inta a fist as I shook. Leo. My leader. I was never asked if I wanted ta be placed under my brother's guidance. Why Leo? Why not me? Why not Donnie?

"Typical," I snarled losin' my patiences, "Ya always take his side."

"Raphael, calm yourself," my father ordered me, "I am not taking any sides. The only side I care about is having all of my sons return from battles safe and unharmed. You placed both yourself and your little brother into grave danger. You have got to start controlling your impulses."

"Maybe I don't know how!" I yelled as I stood angrily, "All control was taken away from me years ago by your hands!"

I breathed hard as Master Splinter's eyes widened. I knew that my brothers had opened tha door and were hoverin' near, but I didn't care.

"Ya always put me last!" I continued as tha dam broke, "Ya always pushed Leo down my damn throat tellin' me that he was what I should strive ta be! I ain't Leo! I don't want ta be! I want ta be myself, but who I am was always wrong and ya let me know it every fuckin' day of my life! Why Leo, Father? Why was he so much better than tha rest of us? Why not Donnie or even Mikey? Why not me? Was I ever in the runnin' ta be considered for leader or had ya already written me off?"

"Raphael…" Sensei tried ta interrupt, but I wasn't havin' it.

"Ya've got your perfect son!" I lashed out with my words as I ripped off my red mask and threw it ta tha floor, "Ya've got your genius and ya got your baby! I'm just your damn screw-up so I'll just see myself out! I'm done!"

I whirled and shoved my three brothers out of my way as I exited tha room and then slammed out of tha lair. I was tired of tryin' ta find my place in a family where I didn't belong. I was done jumpin' through hoops that I couldn't fit through no matter how hard I tried. I heard his footfalls long before Leo skidded in front of my path.

"Raph, wait, please?" Leo begged lookin' panicked.

I blinked at tha rare emotion that was showin' on my brother's face. Fearless was really upset and this took me by surprise. I'd have thought it would be some relief ta not have ta deal with me any longer. Why was he chasin' me down? He could finally be free of me.

"Raph, don't go," Leo panted out as he caught his breath, "I never knew that was the way you've been feeling. Why didn't you say anything?"

I blew a breath of exasperation from my lungs. I had been tryin' ta prove myself my whole life, but all of my tryin' hadn't gotten me anywhere. Sad thin' was that it wasn't really Leo's fault. Just as I wanted ta be me, my oldest brother was just bein' who he was and I really had no right ta fault him for that.

"Raph, talk to me," Leo pleaded as I stared inta space, "You're not really leaving us are you? This family needs you. Plus, you're injured and you don't even have your weapons on you."

"I'm done, Leo," I sighed as I sat on a nearby pipe, "I can't be what ya want me ta be. I can't do it no more. I'm not entitled ta tha sais any longer. I'm leavin' tha clan."

"What the shell are you talking about?" Leo gasped as he kneeled down before me and forced my head up ta meet his eyes, "Raph, I don't want you to be anybody, but who you are. I only wanted to help you curb your wilder tendencies so that you would be safer in battles. I…we can't lose you."

I closed my eyes and jerked my face from Leo's hands.

"All of ya are right," I stated lookin' away, "I let Mikey get hurt and I can't assure anyone that I can control myself when I think somethin' needs ta be done pronto. It's better if I leave."

"No!" a voice cried from tha darkness and I found myself shoved up against tha wall with a sobbin', orange-banded turtle wrapped around me, "I won't let you leave, Raphie!"

"Neither will I," Donnie stated as he stepped out of tha shadows with Master Splinter.

I gaped at my family as they looked back at me. I absently patted Mikey's back as my baby brother sniffled while Father locked eyes with me.

"Leonardo is not the perfect son you make him out to be, Raphael. Your brother is learning just like you are," Sensei began as Leo nodded at Father's words, "He has great potential in being able to lead, but leadership means thinking from all angles and this often times means getting bogged down in details. You do not understand that there is a reason that you received the red mask, my son."

I looked up at Master Splinter in surprise as he held up my mask.

"You are the fire that lights beneath the feet of your leader," Father continued as Mikey snuggled closer and refused ta let go, "I have never meant for you to think that I have put you last. I have been trying to train you to be your brother's second-in-command. Only the strongest can back up a leader's authority."

I blinked at Sensei as I pondered his words. Could it be that I did have a place that I belonged in this family?

"Little Brother, there has been numerous occasions that your urgings was the only thing that led to our victory when you pushed me forward," Leo interjected, "We need you. There may even come a day when I won't be around and you will have to step up and…."

"Don't say that, Fearless!" I growled as my heart beat faster and our youngest brother looked back at Leo with horror written on his face, "Ya ain't goin' nowhere."

As much as Leo drove me nuts, tha thought of anything happenin' ta him made me angry and…and...I don't know…hurt. Nobody messed with my family.

"Neither are you," Leo challenged with narrowed eyes, "You are going home right now and getting some sleep. I'll make you something to eat first since you skipped dinner."

"I thought you wanted me around," I joked feelin' worn and a little relieved, "Why ya got ta try and poison me now?"

Mikey giggled as Leo frowned. Donnie ducked his head while Master Splinter turned away with a muffled cough. Before long we were all roarin' in laughter as tha stresses of tha day slipped away.

"I'll cook," Mikey chirped as he bounced up despite tha tear tracks on his face, "I'll make…um…spaghetti! You love spaghetti, Raph."

I nodded as Mikey happily sped off ta tha lair. Donnie rolled his eyes and smiled at me before joggin' after tha youngest. Father came forward and reverently tied my mask back inta place. It felt good ta have it back on and I could see that Leo was relieved as well.

"I'm sorry that I blew up, Sensei," I apologized as my brother pulled me up off of tha pipe with my good arm and tha three of us started walkin' home.

"Do not apologize for feelings that you have been harboring," Father insisted as he walked beside me, "I had no idea that my teachings were lacking in the ways I instructed you."

I choked and whirled on my father. Great! Now I had hurt Father and made him feel that I didn't appreciate all that he had done for me and my bros. We'd have died without him ta love and support us.

"Ya've been tha best Father and Sensei anyone could have," I denied before calmin' when Master Splinter put a soothin' hand on my good arm.

"I was wrong to speak to you as anyone, but who you are, Raphael," Father explained, "You are one that needed to know what role I was training you for on the team so that you had a sense of control and understanding. I should have better acknowledged your strengths so that you could work on improving your weaknesses to support your brothers. Leonardo is the Leader, but you are the Shield. Just as Donatello is the Knowledge and Michelangelo the Heart. Four roles equally unique and balanced. I apologize to you for never letting you know the truth behind my intentions."

I blinked. I was tha Shield? My purpose was ta shield my brothers?

"We will talk more of this later," Sensei decided as he urged me forward, "I want my sons home and safe. All of my sons."

I nodded and allowed myself ta be led into tha lair. I was fed and tucked inta bed like I was an infant or somethin'. Leo had insisted that I take his bed tonight since my hammock wasn't goin' ta help my stiches stay intact. I was noddin' off and nearly missed tha light kiss that was pressed ta my cheek.

"Sleep well, Little Brother. Glad you stayed," Leo whispered thinkin' I was sleepin' as he shut tha door ta his room.

I smiled slightly. I was feelin' tha love. Damn, mushy love, but love nonetheless. I rolled over and stared up at tha ceilin'.

"Shield, huh?" I thought ta myself and then startled more awake.

I realized that a shield covers others until weapons are ready ta attack. I was tha barrier that would stand in between my brothers and danger until action could be taken durin' a battle.

"Now that, I can do," I grinned out before grimacin' when my movements pulled at tha stitches in my arm, "As soon as this heals, dammit."

From that day on, things got a little easier during trainin' and between Leo and I. Now that I understood my role a little better, I didn't feel tha need to buck tha system as much. Leo and I had even sat down and had a real heart ta heart. We worked out a lot of stupid crap that we had been grousin' over since childhood. We still didn't see eye ta eye all tha time, but now we choose ta at least discuss our problems without eruptin' inta World War III or somethin'. It felt good ta finally know what my place was on tha team and everyone seemed ta be happier for tha lull in arguin'.

"Great job," Leo complimented as we were returnin' from a patrol where we had stopped a drug lord one evenin' nearly three months after I had tried ta leave tha clan, "That was a good bit of teamwork."

"Did you see my smooth moves?" Mikey bragged as he bounced around me, "Didja, Raphie? Didja?"

I nodded as I tensed up. Somethin' felt odd. I snatched Mikey and leapt right when a javelin pierced where my baby brother had been standin'. Leo and Donnie also leapt over to me as I lowered a shocked Mikey back ta tha rooftop.

"Where are you?" Leo demanded with his swords drawn as tha rest of us pulled our weapons out and remained tense, "Show yourself, Coward."

"Once upon a time, there were four, little turtles who lived in a city," a creepy voice called, "Unfortunately, they had to die which was quite a pity. Death came as silent as the night. She gave those turtles a terrible fright. For if they did not solve the puzzle by the third hour. Forever would they feel her terrible power."

"Nursery rhymes?" I snarled, "Ya can throw a javelin and ya talk ta us in rhyme? Show yourself, Nut Job."

"As you wish, Red," the voice agreed as a deranged-lookin' woman dressed as some kind of princess or somethin' stepped from tha shadows, "Godmother is here to teach you a lesson."

"Godmother?" Donnie questioned as we stared at tha gigglin' woman, "Um…aren't you a bit old to be playing dress up?"

"You will pay. You will pay," tha woman boasted, "Then Shredder will pay me for getting rid of you. Money for me. Tee hee hee."

"Okay," Mikey drawled, "Someone escaped the looney wagon."

Leo suddenly grunted as he deflected a throwin' knife with one of his swords. I charged forward and deftly caught another knife that had been headin' towards me as Donatello blocked a third with his bo.

"She is not harmless," Leo snapped, "Stay alert!"

"A curse upon your house," tha woman screamed as her eyes glowed red and a light blinded tha four of us, "In three hours you will all be dead. As the queen said, 'Off with your head.'"

We all blinked tha dots from our eyes and looked around ta find tha strange woman gone. What tha shell was that all about?

"Fearless, what now?" I asked as tha four of us stayed alert, "Do ya think she's goin' ta try and follow us?"

"I'm not sure," Leo answered as we looked around and we strained our senses ta pick up on tha woman's whereabouts, "We need to get home, but I don't want to lead her to the lair."

"I've got that covered," Donnie grinned out as he pulled out a small device from his bag, "This will tell us if anyone is near for a five mile range. Wouldn't be useful any other time because it makes a horrible, pinging noise, but once we are in the sewers we can travel home and know we aren't being followed."

"Good," Leo grunted as he led us ta tha closest manhole, "Let's go home. I've had enough drug pushers and crazy women to last me a lifetime."

Donnie led tha way and I took up rear guard. I noticed right away that Mikey was being awfully quiet.

"What's up?" I asked as I drew up beside my baby brother.

"Lady gave me the creeps," Mikey admitted, "She knew of the Shredder so she couldn't have been that crazy. Godmother was hired by him to do something to us and her red eyes... yuck."

"Now would I allow any batty, old lady ta hurt any of my bros?" I asked as Mike looked up at me and then faced forward again as we ran.

"No," Mikey answered.

"Would Leo or Donnie?" I inquired as Mikey shook his head.

"It's fine," I assured as my baby bro grinned, "That lady was just crazy. Don't worry."

We made it ta tha lair without bein' followed and found that Master Splinter was in his room asleep. Father usually always waited for us ta come home before goin' ta bed. Strange. Mikey plopped in front of tha television while Donnie went ta do somethin' in his lab.

"Well that was an interesting experience," Leo chuckled out as he and I walked inta tha kitchen ta have a snack, "Shredder must be desperate to hire a lady like that to take us out."

"Tell me about it," I agreed as I grabbed a cold, slice of pizza, "But what was up with tha Bitch's eyes?"

Leo shrugged as he continued ta rummage through tha fridge sans his weapons. I found my eyes drawn ta my older brother's legs. Since we had worked out our differences I had been noticin' a lot more things about Leo that had me strangely fascinated. Like how long his legs were. This new interest in my bro had me confused and unsure. What was wrong with me?

"Get a grip," I sniped ta myself as I walked out ta sit by my baby brother, "He's ya brother, Sicko. Stop thinkin' about those legs of his."

"Want," Mikey whined and I looked ta see him givin' me puppy eyes as he looked at my pizza.

"Tough," I grunted as Donnie walked out of his lab and noticed tha standoff.

"Please?" Mikey begged with "tha face."

No. Not this time. I wasn't cavin' inta those eyes...that expression…tha slight tremble ta his lips. Nothin' doin'! Don't look.

"Dammit!" I swore as I cracked and handed over tha pizza, "Mooch."

"Yay! Best brother ever," Mikey chirped as he attacked tha food.

Donnie and I exchanged amused grins before we heard a crashin' noise that came from tha kitchen. Tha three of us jerked up and rushed inta tha kitchen ta see Leo sprawled unconscious on tha floor. He was lyin' face down and my heart nearly stopped at tha sight.

To be continued…