Author's Note: All my thanks to TMNT-Queen for accepting to beta-read this oneshot! Every remaining mistake would be my fault entirely.

2012 turtles.

Mirror

Raphael couldn't have pinpointed the exact moment the thought crossed his mind for the first time.

During a fight, he was usually more focused on the enemies in front of, behind, below or above him than on the fighting style of his family, friends and allies. His rule had always been efficiency first - battles left no time for admiring the scenery.

But these days, the thought nagged at him more and more often - although it wasn't too often, because Karai rarely fought alongside them. She was too busy rebuilding the Foot to spend as much time with her family as she had in days past.

On the rare occasions when she did meet up with them, either because she had come to their help or because they were saving the day for her, Raphael found himself pausing in his fight - a quick, almost imperceptible pause - to look at them.

His brother and Karai, and the way they fought - the way they danced - as if they were completing each other. In perfect harmony.

Raphael despised the pang of jealousy with all his might, but there was no denying it was there.

He was furious with himself just thinking about it. He hung out with Casey all the time, so what if Leonardo enjoyed having Karai at his side? The girl was a worthy ally, no doubt. Stealthy, ruthless - maybe a little too ruthless, actually - and an excellent fighter.

And she was family, too, even if he had never quite managed to trust her entirely.

Raphael hadn't meant to talk to Karai about it. In truth, he hadn't meant to talk about it at all - it just happened. She had requested their help, and after the fight they had all shared pizza together - and maybe he had eaten too much because of Mikey's stupid challenge. He shouldn't have taken the bait anyways, everybody knew that Michelangelo's stomach was bottomless.

Be that as it may, on their way home he was moving slower than the others, and Karai was keeping him company - or more precisely, she was teasing him and he was answering with half-hearted threats alternating with the rumbling of his abused stomach.

At some point, the conversation turned on Leonardo who was still very seriously keeping an eye out on their way home despite the fact they had just crushed their enemies, and the ones who could still stand had run away with their tail between their legs.

"Maybe someone should tell him that the fight is over," Raphael smirked.

Karai tilted her head with a feline smile. "Maybe. Still, it's fun seeing him that way. He's in his element."

Raphael snorted. "I agree. He would probably be happy spending his days scouting and planning and leading everybody into battle. Oh, and training. Did I mention training?"

Karai's answer caught him off-guard.

"He would, wouldn't he? He would do wonders within the Foot."

Raphael frowned, immediately defensive. As much as it irritated him to take orders from Leonardo, he hated the idea of his brother leading someone other than the team he belonged to. Especially if that someone was a Foot soldier. "Oh, yeah? I'm sure you would love to order him around."

The kunoichi shrugged in response. "Oh, we could surely reach an understanding. We cooperate rather well."

Raphael didn't like where the conversation was going. He also didn't like the reminder of Leonardo's team-up with Karai. "That depends whom you're asking. Take Donnie, for example…"

"I never intended for Donatello to get hurt."

"It still happened." Raphael bristled at the very memory.

Karai rolled her eyes. "Relax, Raph. Leo isn't going to lead the Foot with me any time soon."

"Of course not." The turtle huffed at that ridiculous notion, until a suspicious thought occurred to him. "And don't you dare ask him!"

"No need to be so defensive. Like I told you, he won't."

Karai's tone, both confident and slightly disappointed, turned Raphael's suspicion into a certainty. "You asked him!"

She grinned, not sheepish at all. "It was worth a try."

Raphael clenched his fists, ready to jump down her throat, but Karai winked at him before accelerating to join the others. She said something to Leonardo, and Raphael watched his brother laugh.

The realization that Raphael might have lost having his brother as leader struck him full-force, not that he would have acknowledged it to anybody. It would hurt his reputation too much.

Besides, Leo had said no. There was nothing to worry about...right?

Once they were home, Raphael wondered if he should talk to Leonardo about this. He both wanted and didn't want to. He couldn't help wondering if Karai had been right, and Leonardo would be happier with her. Did his brother stay with them out of duty?

No, surely not. Almost certainly not. Probably not…

In the end, Raphael settled for brooding over the matter for the rest of the night. During the following weeks, he made a point to disappear to see Casey each time Karai was paying them a visit.

His avoidance strategy worked well until the day she requested their help again, this time against Footbots under the control of a renegade Foot soldier. Raphael followed his brothers grumpily, glared at Karai each time he thought nobody was watching him and answered with monosyllabic words every question sent his way.

He went to such an extent in demeanor that during a respite in the fight, and while Donatello and Michelangelo were scouting the area, he found himself facing a very annoyed Leonardo, eyes narrowed and hands on his hips.

"Okay. What's wrong?"

Raphael looked away. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Leonardo rolled his eyes. "Sure, Raph. You're being unpleasant with everyone and you have no idea why."

Raphael crossed his arms. "What's the matter? Can't a turtle be in a bad mood once in a while?"

Leonardo muttered something under his breath before shaking his head. "Fine. If you don't want to talk, then don't."

"There is nothing I don't want to talk about!" Raphael glared at his brother.

"Fine!" Leonardo exclaimed.

"Fine!" Raphael retorted.

A feminine voice interrupted their heartfelt discussion. "It's not that I don't enjoy the scene, but we should get going, Leo. Mikey thinks he has seen something move on the other side of the building."

Karai was smirking, and Raphael gritted his teeth. The impudence of that girl.

He glared at her for good measure, and she replied with a wider smirk.

Leonardo coughed.

"Does one of you want to tell me what I'm missing?"

Karai shrugged. "I guess Raphael here still hasn't come to terms with the fact he'll keep having you as his leader. I can't blame him, it must be really boring."

Leonardo frowned. "What? But…" His eyes widened as he made sense of Karai's sentence. "You told him you had asked me to lead the Foot with you?"

"It might have come up," Karai acknowledged, looking unrepentant.

Raphael said nothing, waiting for his brother's reaction with barely concealed interest.

"I told you not to bother them with that! It's out of the question anyway!"

Leonardo seemed angry, which soothed Raphael.

Karai crossed her hands behind her neck. "Which is why it doesn't matter, right?"

"Let's go," Leo said dryly, shaking his head.

Raphael left after him, restraining his urge to stick his tongue out at Karai. The fight with more Footbots that followed finished putting him into a way better mood.

As did Leonardo's whispered words, right before they launched a coordinated attack.

"You know, I'm glad it bothers you. Sort of."

Raphael nudged him. "Hey, I've taken long enough to get used to you."

"Well, that's a good thing, because I'm not going anywhere." Leonardo grinned.

Raphael grinned back. His brother didn't seem unhappy, did he? Of course not. He had almost not thought the contrary anyways.

Shrugging his last doubts off, Raphael ran to the enemy with Leonardo at his side, and lost himself to the fight.

If he could have seen himself, he would have noticed that he and Leonardo were fighting as one.

In perfect harmony.