It had been a whole week already, and still I couldn't shake off all the things Mikey had told me, how he had cried his heart out afterwards. But most importantly the realisation what he had gone through at such a young age, how his life had been thrown upside down. I could see that it affected the rest. Don, Leo, dad…

But even they had seen that it affected me more, at least that's what they told me.

I could relate it back to my own experiences before I came to live here. I didn't know what to believe anymore. How could I possibly compare my own experience to his? The family he grew up with, the family he loved, got murdered before he was sent to an orphanage, where the money problems of his parents eventually cost him.

It was his parents' mistake that ended him up at that place; the brothel. Where basically got raped multiple times a day for little to no money, and no freedom.

I sigh, turning around in bed again so I was facing the block that was on my desk. It was already far past midnight, almost 2. And I couldn't sleep. I groan, droppin my arm over my eyes.

"Can't sleep either?" A soft voice whispers and I sit upright in my bed, looking sideways to the door. Mikey was standing in the door opening. When had he opened the door? He was wearing his PJ's and his blond hair was tousled, and his cheeks were stained with tears. A sign that he had been crying.. again.

"You had a nightmare?" I whisper, cautious to avoid waking the others up. Mikey nods slowly and I sigh, lifting my blanket as an invitation. He hesitates for a moment before closing the door behind him, walking over to my bed. I can see his hands shaking as he crawls onto the bed.

"Are ya okay with this?" I ask cautiously and he bites his lip slightly, sitting on his knees and facing me. I sigh in understanding, scooting a bit to the side. He flashes me a grateful look as he lays down in my bed.

"I don't know" Mikey admits honestly and I turn to my side.

"You wanna talk about your nightmare?" I ask him as he cautiously watches me, and most importantly my hands. I sigh softly, putting my hands under my head, which seems to put him at ease slightly.

"It was my first week" He mumbles and I frown slightly.

"Where?"

This time Mikey hesitates a short while. "The brothel" He shudders and curls up into the blankets, facing me as well, laying on his side in a fetal position.

"Ya don't hafta talk about it" I whisper softly, watching him closely as he stays still. His bright blue eyes looked at me with hesitation, and tear streaks were still visible on his cheeks, illuminated by the moon that shone directly through the window behind me. The only light source in the room right now.

And his hands were carefully folded in between the blankets.

"The first two days they locked me up with no food and barely any water. When they let me out I couldn't get any food unless I… " Mikey stopped, shuddering at the memory and fresh tears appeared. "I allowed him to… I was so hungry and scared… " He didn't need to speak up for me to understand what had happened to him.

They starved him, put him in a room for two days, and they would only give him food if he would… essentially be raped by his boss. It was disgusting, and I could feel tears clog my throat. I watch him closely, green eyes watching his blue ones. Blue eyes that were once undoubtedly full of joy. Because we're all positive that he had been.

Full of joy and laughter without a care in the world. Before his parents were killed and he was forced into one of the worst businesses imaginable.

It showed sometimes. It seemed weird but in the last week especially, after he told us more about the brothel. He seemed to laugh a bit more, smile a bit more. And he was less defensive. The armour he had build up over the last five years, the angry and hotheaded Mikey slowly started to cripple away.

"Was yer nightmare about those days?" I eventually ask him and he nods.

"I… I'm scared Raph…" he admits shyly. "I never had that dream here before but after the mouse… I don't wanna go back" My heart seems to shatter in a million pieces at the statement. He was so scared of the prospect of going back to that place. But I would never let them.

I slowly unwind my hands from under my head, carefully reaching out for his. He doesn't recoil as I wrap my hands around his, only looks directly at me.

"Yet not going back" I state, squeezing his hands. "Remember what I said? As long as I'm left standing-" I stop.

"You will protect me" Mikey finishes softly and I grin.

"Darn right I will"

We lay in silence for awhile and the next thing I know is the sun peeking over the horizon, letting me know that it's close to morning. And the next thing I realised was Mikey curled up against my chest, burying himself deep in the covers and completely hiding his face.

But the only thing that mattered was that he clung to me like I was fully capable of protecting him from everything out there.

TMNT

It was such a small thing but the grin we were rewarded with was worth millions. No money in the world couldn't buy this moment of joy.

"Dudes.. a christmas tree?" His voice, however soft, sounded so excited and joyful. I grin as well, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He winced at the force behind it but he continuously grinned up to me.

"Of course, that's the whole point of Christmas right?"

Don looks at me, blindly helping Leo set the tree upright. "Well not entirely-" He starts but shakes his head with a content smile. I eventually sat down next to Don, and both watched as Mikey and Leo decorated the tree with different colours of balls, strings, and eventually the tree topper.

And I swear I've never seen the bonehead continuously smile more in the last 2 months than now. And for now, we let him have his fun, the three of us cherished his genuine smile because we had no idea how long it'd last. And the fact that he was smiling in the first place surprised us as well.

With the amount of pressure he had been under lately.

Not to mention the last 5 years in the brother, moving in with us, the nightmares, the realisation that he had a family, and his first family lied to him. On top of that; the box with the mouse, the promise that the ones putting him in that brothel were still free and after him.

So we bathed in the cheerful smile on his face, as long as it would last.

It was ours later that we found ourselves in a similar situation, eating dinner, the smile having disappeared from his face.

"Michelangelo" Dad addressed him and Mikey actually stiffened at the mention of his name. He looked sideways, where dad sat at the end of the table. I frowned slightly, putting my utensils down and watching Mikey intensely. I was sitting the closest to Dad, Mikey next me and Leo straight across me, Don sitting across Mikey.

I knew what they were going to discuss.

"Your therapist and Aileen were thinking that it would be a good idea for you to start school after the holiday" Dad says with a soft voice. Aileen, the doctor that had treated him back when he was just rescued, Aileen, the girl who Mikey was comfortable was because she was young, and a girl.

Mikey is quiet for a second, casting his head down to his plate and frowning. "I.. I don't know if I'm ready yet"

"My son" Dad addresses him, voice still gentle, and Mikey looks up. "Raphael has gone through the same situation where he was not sure about school, or social interaction" For a second he looks at me with a comforting smile and I shrug uncomfortable. I had no intention of relieving that memory again.

"The teachers will be notified and you will be following the same classes as at least one of your brothers" At the mention of teachers his face paled and I carefully reached out but he took his own hand away, looking at me and nodding slightly, telling me it was okay.

"I don't w-want them to know" Dad frowns at the statement and I knew what he was thinking, because I had voiced those concerns as well 5 years ago.

"The teachers will keep it a secret, and will not know the full story unless you want them to. Also, they kept Raphael's past a secret. The only students to know about his past are his friends, the ones he told" As predicted, Mikey calmed down slightly at the mention of it staying a secret.

I was right about the students, he didn't want them to know because even he knew how cruel high school could be sometimes. It weren't necessarily the teachers he was worried about, they would respect it and not talk about it, but students, bullies to be exact, wouldn't.

"Okay" Mikey whispers, yet confident in his words. "I will do it"

TMNT

It was the fourth consecutive night that I discovered Mikey either silently crawling into my bed or accidently wake me up while trying to do so. I didn't comment on it the days after, and Mikey seemed to be just fine with it, always ending up snuggled against my side and gone the moment I woke up.

Not this day, definitely not this day. I knew that he was awake and yet he was still here.

"Any particular reason for stayin'?" I ask and Mikey shyly looks up.

"It's Christmas" He whispers and I actually grin at the comment.

"Ya want me to get out of bed?" At the comment Mikey actually looks away, suddenly ashamed of his antics. "And here I thought Don was the annoying little brother" I stated and threw off the blankets, crawling to the end of the bed since Mikey was laying in between me and the side of the bed.

I rub my hand over my face, yawning before turning back to Mikey, who was still quiet on the bed. And here I thought Don was the annoying little brother. I curse inwards and walk over to the bed again, Mikey looks up with shy eyes and I just hold a hand out for him to grab, which he hesitantly does.

I pull him upwards until he's standing in front of me. "Don't doubt yourself bonehead" I whisper, almost pulling him along as I exited my room. I knew how excited he was for Christmas, I knew how happy he had been the last few days when the decorations have been put up, and we told him what we'd do on Christmas.

Nothing special; and yet it made him smile.

We spent that morning unpacking the presents dad had put under the Christmas tree for us, and the ones we had put under the tree for dad. And we felt like a family, a normal family for once. It was normal that Mikey was besides us, laughing and beaming as he was allowed to open his presents.

To any other it would look like a normal family.

We could see the small hints of abuse that lingered. How he looked at us before opening a present, waiting for someone to stop him because he wasn't doing it right, or wasn't allowed to. The flinches when a loud noise bellowed through the room or when someone accidentally and unexpectedly touched him.

But the smile was genuine, and that was all that mattered right now.

As the day went on Mikey started to get more quiet, and I found myself growing more anxious as well. Christmas was a time of celebrating family after all, or that's how we always celebrated it. Even if mom was murdered when I was too young to remember her, we.. dad and the guys never broke contact with her family.

It was around half past 2 that the doorbell rang, and Mikey visibly shrank into the couch. I glance at Leo and he nods, walking over to Mikey. I wasn't fit to comfort him right now as I felt myself growing more anxious with every step dad took towards the door. And I didn't even know why.

It drove me crazy but for some goddamn reason I just grew anxious at these moments, visits, people who saw me when I just came to live here. Because they reminded me of that time with my previous 'parents', or how out of place I had felt when I just came to live here.

"Yoshi!" A woman suddenly exclaimed, no doubt hugging her brother in law.

"Miyuki, it is good to see you again" Dad greeted politely.

"I know, it's been like what? 5 months since we last saw each other?" Tang Miyuki was mom's older sister, and she and Yoshi had been very close before and after mom's death. Miyuki was very open and very talkative and dad always seemed at ease around her, they were like siblings.

"Where is Eiichi?" Dad asked and I frowned. Eiichi was Miyuki's son, but it was strange that he wasn't here. It was silent before a lower voice from Miyuki replied.

"He's with his father, I thought it would be wise not to bring him, so I wouldn't overwhelm him" I glance at Mikey, and by the way he shifts uncomfortably I know he knows that Miyuki was talking about him, that Eiichi's presence would overwhelm Mikey.

"That was very thoughtful of you Miyuki but I believe it will be alright if he were to come join us for dinner." Yoshi answered and I glanced at Mikey, who was now snuggled against Leo's side, the latter having an arm slung around the blond, although it was already getting really dark as he hadn't bleached it for over two months.

I look up as footsteps suddenly started from the hall and suddenly Miyuki appeared in the living room.

"Aunt Miyuki" Leo greeted with a smile, walking over to her and Miyuki immediately wraps her arms around him.

"Hey hero" She smiled, before walking over to Don and wrapping her arms around him as well. Aunt Miyuki had been our mother figure after mom died. At least, she had been to Don and Leo growing up. They were closer than I could even be to her.

"Raph" She smiled, wrapping her arms around me as well.

I smiled slightly in the hug. We were close, no reason to not admit that but there would always be that barrier of not having grown up with her. Miyuki has cuddled with the guys, nursed them, gave them advice, and visited numerous times when they were small kids. She took over the role of my mom when I got here. But it was still different.

Just like my relationship with dad was different. There was some kind of barrier between us, a barrier that wasn't between him and Leo and Don. Because they'd all grown up with each other.

Didn't mean I didn't love Miyuki, she was the closest mother figure I ever had.

"You must be Mikey" Miyuki smiled, but instead of hugging him she placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a big smile. Mikey visibly relaxes as the basically stranger to him doesn't wrap her arms around him.

"It's nice to meet you" Mikey greets politely but Miyuki just laughs gently, waving her hand.

"No need to be politically correct" Mikey frowns at the statements and Don leans in.

"She means you don't have to pretend that you're pleased to meet her, which you're clearly not" There's a joking undertone in his voice as he jabs the tense muscle in Mikey's back with a smile. Mikey absently slaps his hand away but just gapes at Miyuki.

"I didn't mean it like that… I'm sorry" he whispers but Miyuki just smiled.

"Don't worry about that Mikey, I've worked with many similar to your case and one thing I always saw was that a genuine bond was harder to create if you pretend to trust and like someone from the start." She tells him and I smirk as she once again hits the nail right onto the head.

I loved how direct Miyuki always was.

"Raph didn't like me at first, and that wasn't cause I told him not to force himself, he was just a stubborn ass, but he opened up to me at his own pace. When he was comfortable."

"I blew off everyone that tried to help me" Mikey says, looking around the room with shame written on his face. I'm actually surprised he told this to Miyuki, who was practically a stranger to him.

"And that's better than pretending trust. Look around you, they're still here, your dad is still here. And I'm here as well. Which means that you weren't too terrible"

"Oh he was a pain in the ass" I smirk, and for a second I think I've said something wrong. So this is what Don and Leo had gone through, this is what they meant when they said it was hard having me around at first.

It weren't the first few weeks where I was only moody and freaking out every time someone spoke or touched me because I wasn't used to gentle touches, gentle voices, but the weeks between that and being who I am now. Where you are more comfortable with your little brother, and joke around more.

But at the same time; you're afraid to say something wrong and upset him.

But instead of being upset, Mikey smirks weakly, sticking out his tongue towards me. Then he turns to Miyuki.

"Thanks" He whispers.

The rest of the day wasn't as awkward as I thought it was going to be. We talked, played games and true to Miyuki's request, Mikey didn't pretend. He eventually squeezed himself in between me and Leo, leaning heavily against me and me wrapping an arm around him.

We even played some games, but Mikey declined when we asked him if he wanted to join.

Miyuki immediately continued the cheerful conversation and Mikey seemed to relax as the focus was turned away from him, and he didn't seem too out of place by not participating. As dinner time neared, and Eiichi would be arriving soon, Miyuki decided that it was time to start cooking dinner.

I gleamed at the thought, Miyuki was an amazing cook. And while dad knew the basics, he certainly wasn't the best cook.

"Can I help?" Miyuki stopped walking as she heard the request, turning back to Mikey, he seemed to shrink into my side at the stares he was getting. "I always helped mom with dinner" He spoke up and Miyuki beamed.

"Of course honey, as long as you're not as bad at cooking as Leo is" At this Mikey actually grinned, knowing the stories about Leo's cooking abilities.

"I'm not that bad" Leo mumbles, faking annoyance but I snort, whacking him upside the head.

"You cooked a candle along with the pasta" I snorted. "Not to mention the fact that you ruined the toaster, twice" Mikey stayed silent, a smile on his face at the bantering between Leo and I, before he carefully untangled himself from my touch, I squeezed his hand as an encouragement and he flashed me a grateful look.

Before he followed Miyuki into the kitchen.

TMNT

Real talk, that cooking disaster Raph mentioned actually happened to us. My sister was cooking Pasta once, and when she took the lid off the pan to check on the pasta she placed it over a candle. Because of the heat it stuck to the lid and when she placed it back on the pan, the candle dropped into the water with pasta. She didn't notice until she took the lid off again after a few minutes xD

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, I wanted to have some genuine family moments, before all hell breaks loose ^^