** Thank you for all the kind reviews! I'm really glad at how Leo's chapter turned out. So now it's Raph's turn!**

Raphael could not remember when he started becoming Michelangelo's protector.

They are four brothers whose lives are intertwined with danger and there are creatures and beings who want them dead. Raph does not mind the danger – shell, he lives for it really- but watching one of his brothers being exposed to a deadly risk makes his skin itch.

And somehow, it's always Mikey who is the most vulnerable.

Bad guys love chasing Mikey, that is fact and Raph would be an idiot to deny it. Whether it be Tiger Claw or Rahzar or even Dexter Bagman (or was it Flinstone Stackman?), for some reason it is Mikey that their adversaries target first.

Raph could still remember the cruel pinch at the bottom of his gut when Blender Stinkman hurled Mikey with his long machine limbs like a ragdoll and his baby brother flew over their heads and smashed into the building. Something snapped inside him and he charged at the great ugly machine that shielded Steakman with all the rage inside him, barely registering that Leo did nothing to stop him or call him back.

And then there was the Rat King incident when a possessed Splinter was controlled to kill his sons. Raph was doing all right, as all right as he can be trying to subdue his own Sensei. That was, until he watched Splinter fling Mikey against the wall and it was then he realized that nobody – not even a brainwashed Splinter- is allowed to hurt Mikey in Raphael's world.

Somewhere in between all their endless fights with the Foot or the Kraang or Shredder's men, Raph found himself glancing at his little brother just a little more often, risking a brief second of inattention to his own foe just to be sure that Mikey had not slumped somewhere at someone's feet. It gave hima slight peace of mind in the middle of their battle, knowing that the youngest is still in one piece, laughing as he danced his way out of Rahzar's reach.

There are times when Mikey's lack of concentration gives Raph temporary heart attacks during their enemy encounters. True, his littlest brother can always hold his own in a fight. But the fact remains that Mikey has the attention span of a five-year-old and someone needs to watch the little snot's back when he gets too distracted.

Over time, Raph got better at keeping an eye on his baby brother, sensing Mikey's wellbeing by the rattling sounds of his nunchakus or the constant shouts of "Booyakashaaaa!" Privately, he was glad Mikey decided to adopt that stupid catchphrase. At least he could use that to make sure Mikey is still breathing.

Some days he didn't feel too brave. Raph is well aware of his own shortcomings like his nasty temper and his fear of insects, and he knew that under certain circumstances he was not always the best fighter in their team. The Spy-Roach incident proved just how big a mess he could be if they shove the right monster his way. It took Mikey being captured by the mutated Spy-Roach for Raph to finally overcome his fear of the bug.

No fear is worse than knowing that his baby brother is in danger and Raph would turn heaven and earth upside down just to keep Mikey safe.

One of the most nagging questions in April's mind (apart from why Mikey wears underwear to bed) is why Raphael is always gruff to Mikey. She finally had enough of it all one day, calling out Raph in particular for his mean streak that caused Mikey to leave their farmhouse and seek other mutant creatures to live with.

Raph knew that he had always been very impatient with Mikey. He had been that way since they were children. It was easier then when their movements were limited to the perimeters of the lair. In that small secluded world where there were only four of them and their Sensei, Raph was free to tease and brawl with Mikey, sometimes even to the point of bullying. Raph was always the biggest and strongest of them all, and Mikey was an easy target. Leonardo was often too good and Donatello too awkward. But Mikey, with his speed and agility and childish taunts, was enough to provoke Raph's explosive temper, and the two would often found themselves wrestling on the ground with Raph gaining the upper hand.

But when they finally found their way to the surface, Raph realized that the new environment is not as safe for any of them. And the threats here do not only stretch to swordfights and blood. There are the hopelessness and deceit and cruelty of those who sees them as a little more than animals, or even less. Raph understood that no matter what they do or how many times they save their city, not everyone will thank them and welcome them to society. There will always be those who wish to cart them off to a lab as huge as Donnie's but not as welcoming.

It is not a world he wanted his youngest brother to be exposed to. Mikey, with his never-ending trust and sunny disposition, would not see evil unless it squints menacingly at him like Shredder did. Mikey's golden heart makes him only see the good in everyone, and although his instincts were sometimes right, Raph also knew that he could be fatally wrong. The Chris Bradford incident was enough for Raph, and he swore on the day he saw Mikey's crestfallen, betrayed face that nobody will hurt his little brother that way again.

The brothers were close knit and if one of them is gone, all of them will collapse. But Raph also has a gripping feeling that if their baby brother falls, the rest of the turtles would go down a dark path that nobody – not April or Casey, not even Splinter- can bring them back.

The thought was enough to make Raph's vision as red as his signature colour.

So Raph kept up his cynicism and his distrust to the world as a shield for his little brother to tread, eyes narrowed in suspicion so that Mikey could be his good-natured self without fear of disappointment or pain. Leo may let Mikey explore the world and all of its possibilities, but Raph would be there to voice out a caution or two, to remind Mikey that not everything around them is as dependable as their brotherhood.

There are very few things about this world that Raph is certain of. And when it comes to Michelangelo, he is certain that he will always be there, gripping his powerful sais and his teeth gnashed, ready to protect his baby brother and keep him away from harm.

Author's Note:

Raph's chapter turned out rather differently from Leo's (and surprisingly easier to write). I see Raph's relationship with Mikey as 'tough love'- he kicks Mikey $$ a lot, but loves him fiercely anyway. I always think that when it comes to Mikey and to some extent Donnie, Leo and Raph always play "Good big brother, Bad big brother" to those two.

I do hope you like this one! Reviews are welcome. Next up – Donatello!