First Best Friend

A/N: a suggestion I missed quite a ways back in this story, thank you JadeKurosaki for the idea. I missed the review with this suggestion in it. So I hope you all enjoy this. And it may seem like I am taking Raph out of character but if you watch Slash and Distroy you will see that Raph would be very much in character in this. so enjoy!

Splinter could tell something was troubling his seven year old son Raphael, the boy seemed restless and moody today more then usual. Splinter tried to consul his temperamental son but it seemed nothing would work, Splinter got an idea why don't I take him out of the sewers for a while? figuring his son would need some one on one time and some time away from his brothers.

Splinter went to his eldest and said "Raphael, would you like to go to the surface with me?" Raph looked up to his father from where he had been puching at the punching bag and said "sure, I guess. Do I need to bring my bag?" all of the turtles had a bag that they would take with them in case they found 'treasures' up top.

"if you wish to you may." Splinter went to go talk to his remaining three sons who were watching T.V. Donatello looked up from the floor where he was reading a book and noticed his father was about to speak. "my sons, I am going to take Raphael to the surface for a little while. While I am gone Leonardo is in charge, listen to him and do not leave the lair."

Mikey looked up at him and asked "why?" Splinter smiled at his youngest and said "because he is so restless, and I really don't want fights to continue breaking out in our home. So I think its best if I take him out for a little while."

Accepting the answer Splinter went to the entrance where Raph was waiting and asked "are you ready?" nodding Splinter opened the door and the two went out.

They walked in silence for some time before Splinter asked "so what troubles you my son?" looking up Raph shrugged and said "nothing does..." "then why are you so angry all the time?" Stopping for a moment Raph looked ahead into the dim tunnel and thought about that, "I really don't know..." "have I done something to anger you? Have your brothers?"

Raph couldn't come up with one solid answer for his father, he looked ahead then up at his father, "I guess some times I wish I could just get away from them... some times they ignore me... I feel left out." "how so?" Raph frowned and looked down at his feet "well... Mike's always playing games, and fooling around, Leo... he is always meditating and training... Donnie is always tinkering with things."

Splinter thought about this "so, you are feeling lonely? What are your interests my son? I can never tell?" Raph looked away before saying "I like to read magazines, like the one you found me a couple years ago. That Modern Ninja Magazine that you got me, I liked it... but I am board with it cause there is only one and I have read it so many times already."

Raph felt a little guilty about complaining... Splinter tries his best to provide for them, Splinter could see the play of emotions on his face "Do not worry my son, it does not anger me that you told me this. It helps if nothing else, I want you four to come to me when something is bothering you or if there is something you need or would like."

Raph told him "but if we want something how can you get it? I mean its not like you can just walk into a store?" smiling at his son he told him "Raphael, I have my ways, I have been doing this for some time now. When I first got you and your brothers I made sure that you all had the tools to survive, even though at the time I was human and you all were normal baby pet turtles. Even as normal turtles I considered you all my sons, my love grew even more when we were mutated."

They continued walking for a while, Splinter looked up through a sewer grate at the night sky, he guessed it was getting late and said to him "would you like to go to the park?" Raph smiled and said "sure, that sounds like fun."

They walked further until Splinter stopped him, he looked around and saw a ladder nearby, Splinter grabbed the lower rung and started to climb, Raph was close behind. Once at the surface Splinter motioned for him to remain silent, they moved quickly and silently to the park area.

Raphael saw swings, a seesaw, monkey bars and other fun objects for him to play on. He went to the swing and began to play, after a while he switched to playing on the slide. There was a digging toy there sitting on a pile of sand and he went and started to play there.

Raph was focused on making a big pile of sand when he could hear a small sound coming from the bush near him, it was faint but he could hear this groaning sound. It didn't sound human, so he got off and started to it. Splinter noticed and asked "is every thing alright Raphael?" turning a little to look up at his father he said "yea, I heard something... it didn't sound like a human. It sort of sounded like some kind of small animal?"

Raph used a stick near by and pushed the leaves away, he noticed some eyes looking at him in the moonlight. He jumped back, then decided to proceed with caution, he stepped forward. Splinter had a small flashlight in his robe and pulled it out, it was dim but light enough to see what Raphael had found. There sitting in the under brush was a trapped turtle, it had become tangled in the twigs and vines that were growing from the over grown bush. Splinter put a hand on Raphael's shoulder and had him step aside. The smaller turtle put its head in its shell out of fear, "I will not hurt you little one." Splinter told the small turtle.

Splinter carefully took the vines off its leg and got it free, he placed it in the sand and said to Raphael "this little turtle must have gotten lost, the pond is quite aways from here." Raph knelt down and said to the small turtle "hey there little guy, my names Raphael, this is my father Master Splinter." the dark green turtle pulled his head out slowly at the sound of Raph's voice, it walked closer to Raph and put its head on his hand. Raph looked up at his father and said "he likes me! Can we keep him? Please?"

The tall rat looked down at his lonely son and said "yes, you may keep him, but, Raphael he is your responsibility, you must care for him." Raph stood up and said with a serious face "Hai Sensei." Splinter smiled and told him "put him in your bag, we must start our journey home." Raph grabbed his dark brown satchel bag that had some smaller pockets on it and placed the turtle inside of it. They walked home carefully as not to hurt the new member of the family, once home they were greeted by three energetic turtles.

Donnie noticed the bulge in one of Raph's bag pockets and asked "what's that Raph? Did you find something?" Raph went to the living room and turned on a brighter light and said to his brothers "yea, I found a friend." in saying he presented his brothers with a small turtle it was dark green, and the size of a small Nerf ball. Mikey told them excitedly "aww its a turtle! Where did you find him Raphie?" Raph smiled proudly and said "I found him in a bush, his leg was caught in a vine, Splinter freed him and then said I could keep it."

Leo looked at the turtle, it was obviously scared as it was barely keeping its head outside its shell "poor little guys scared to death, what are you naming him?" Raph looked down at his new found friend and said "I hadn't thought of one yet."

Splinter walked up behind them and said "Raphael I need to check his leg to make sure it wasn't cut while he struggled to get free." Raph and Donnie stepped away from the table the turtle was on as Splinter knelt down and examined the leg. He put a small piece of gauze around the leg with tape after putting some ointment on it. "he had a small cut but that is all he should be fine with time."

Mikey put a hand half way up and said excitedly "oh I know! We can call him Spike!"

Leo frowned and said "Spike the turtle? Sounds kind of corny if you ask me." Mikey frowned and said "who ever heard of a turtle named Leonardo?"

Rolling his eyes Leo had gotten the point, Raph asked his youngest brother "so how did you come up with that?" "his shell has points around it like spikes!"

Raph got down to the small turtles level and said "what do you think? Does Spike sound like a good name?" the small turtle in question poked his head out the rest of the way from his shell Raph nodded and said "Spike it is, thanks Mikey."

From that day on Spike became a permanent part of the turtle family, for the next 8 years Spike and Raphael were inseparable until an accident turned Raphael's best friend into a monster...

A/N: I noticed there are no stories about how Raph came across Spike to begin with... So this is Spike's back story.