I do not own the TMNT and have not written this for anything beside pure creative pleasure.

Thank you for the ones who have reviewed. Your feedback has been very helpful.

I once again wish to apologize to all the reviewers who gave me feedback on my first chapter that got deleted along with their reviews.

Thank you for those who left feedback for me again.

You are much appreciated for your time.

Amber

Through His Eyes

Chapter 3

Silently I followed my bro's shadow through the sewers. I don't think I've evah seen Mikey look so sad. His head was down and his shoulders were slumped. He seemed so small. His whole demeanor screamed wrong. The thump of my heart provided the beat to the mantra that was repetitively running through my head, 'Your fault. It is all your fault."

Hell! He didn't even have his chucks with him. What if he was attacked? What would he defend himself with? Thank God I nevah left the lair without my trusty sais in my belt. Let anyone or anything try to hurt my bro and see if he, she, or it continues breathing. Man. Mikey seems so out of it I was not even sure if he knows he is being followed or where he is headed.

I followed him stealthily never letting his figure out of my sight. Mikey's wandering started ta seem to have some purpose. His choices in direction started ta seem more automatic ta me as if he had taken this path before and didn't need ta pay attention ta his surroundings. We had traveled for several miles and Mikey didn't look like he was planning on stopping anytime soon. I would follow him to the ends of earth if need be; I was determined not ta lose sight of him.

Mikey turned one final time into a tunnel I had nevah seen before. The tunnel was small and narrow and Mikey had ta turn sideways to slide in. What in the world? Having lost sight of him, I too turned sideways and slid through the tunnel entrance and paused on the other side transfixed. Rather than going on as a normal tunnel does this opened on what looked to be a reservoir area for rainwater. The medium sized pool that filled most of the space reflected shimmering silver from a grate above that let in the moon and starlight from a clear night sky. The walls of this small room area had crumbled slightly giving the whole area a clean mountain brook feel to it. Hell even the air smelled clean, which is saying a lot for this was still a part of the sewers. I stood there with my mouth hanging open with shock. A voice snapped me back ta reality.

"Your not allowed to be here." Mikey said to me angrily, 'This is my secret place and dude, I don't want to hear you say how dumb I am for having one! This place gives me peace of mind and I don't want your bad vibes messing my secret place up."

Mikey glared at me from the shadows sitting on a larger piece of crumbled wall beside the pool. The moonlight was shining off of the tears in his eyes making him look like his eyes contained stardust. Gathering up my courage and my dignity I walked over ta sit on another piece of crumbled wall facing my bro.

"I don't think its dumb to have a secret place and this place is beautiful." I began looking into Mikey's eyes, "I can see why you come here for peace of mind. I would too. But let me say something first. I'm sorry Mikey. I nevah should have yelled at ya or thrown your sketchbook. Hell! I nevah should have laid a hand on ya."

"But you did." Mikey whispered, "I just wanted to show you the radical new picture I drew of you. You are always there for me and I wanted to make you proud of me."

Crystal tears ran down my little brother's face and I did the only thing I knew was right ta do in this situation. I gathered him in my arms as he buried his face in the crook of my neck between my head and my shell and sobbed out his hurt. Rocking Mikey gently I rubbed the back of his shell.

"Hush Baby. Its okay. Everything's going to be okay." I said.

Mikey pulled back from me and looked up at me with shock on his face.

"What did you call me?" he asked.

Thinking back, I realized I had called Mikey 'Baby.' I hadn't done that since I was a toddler. And ya want ta know something? It felt kinda good to say. I felt myself beginning to grin and Mikey grinned back at me with a wet face.

"You haven't called me that in so long Raph." he said, "I've missed when you looked out for me. Why do you hate me now? I promise to change if you just won't hate me!"

Fresh tears began to leak from his eyes.

"No Baby." I assured him, "I don't hate ya. I just worry about ya and haven't expressed that ta ya very well. I have been worried that if you didn't get more serious then something would slip passed your defenses and I couldn't bear for anything to happen to any of my bros let alone my baby brother. And you know something else?"

"What?" he said.

"I don't want you ta change. I like ya…No, I love you just the way you are."

"Really?" he said to me with sparkling eyes.

"Yes. Really." I said, "I've been thinking tonight and realize that I've been taking your talents for granted. You keep all of us on our toes. You make us laugh when we are down and always try ta find the positive ta any situation just about. And I'm sure that Leo and I woulda killed one another by now if you didn't always step in ta diffuse us. I'm sorry for not being a better brother and protector to you."

"What?!" Mikey exclaimed, "You have always been there for me and the others. You are a great big brother and I love you too."

"No. I haven't been." I said, "But from now on I'll always be there for ya just as you have always been there for me. Ya've taught me to see the entire picture and not just my own specific view on it. Promise me a few things?"

"Sure, anything." Mikey said.

"One. Promise me ya will nevah stop working on your art. You are awesome dude! Two. Promise me ya will always remind me of what is right in front of my face. Ya know, ya keep me grounded. Three. Nevah tell the others that I can get mushy too. I have got ta keep my image you know. Four. Sign and frame the picture you drew of me and hang it in my room. And finally, five. Show me how ta get back to the lair because I am thoroughly lost."

"Alright." Mikey said laughing and then sobering back up to look at me with happy eyes, "I promise to all five! And dude, you can come to my secret place whenever you want to, but keep it between just the two of us please. I like having a place all my own."

I didn't even have ta answer Mikey; we were so in tune with one another for the moment he knew my answer ta be an affirmative. I gathered my sleepy, baby brother close to me as we walked back to the lair. At the lair, Mikey graciously accepted the apologies and hugs from our other two bros before giving a long bear hug to Sensei. Under Sensei's and my bros' smiles, I shooed Mikey ta his room and made sure he went ta sleep since he looked exhausted. He was out before his head touched the pillow. I went ta sleep soon after.

They say ya never really know what ya've got until you lose it. They weren't kidding. Mikey will still be annoying and I will always be a hot head. A lot of times I will open my big mouth before thinking, but I will nevah lose sight of what is important again thanks to Mikey. I will protect my family with my very life. But know this. No one hurts my family and gets away with it. And know one hurts my baby.

The End.