"Echo"
by
TimelyUnwritten
~Chapter One~
"You must put on all of your winter clothing." Master Splinter's voice was stern and powerful, and he made sure to look each of his sons in the eye before handing them the tattered snowsuits. "The sewers are cold in the winter." Thin fingers stroking his whiskers, he watched with a smile as this sons wriggled into the worn winter clothes.
The day had finally come.
After days and days of begging and pleading, bargaining, and, yes, the cleaning of the bedrooms, the four young members of the Hamato clan were going to take their first few steps into a brave new world.
Leonardo, eager not to let a moment go to waste, wrestled with the thick brown coat. Small, pudgy fingers fumbled with the old wooden buttons, and the hood didn't quite want to stay put atop his head, but if his Sensei said he couldn't leave without it, then the four-year-old would try his best to be satisfied with the bulky garb.
He didn't even get annoyed when he saw Donatello out of the corner of his eye, fully dressed and tying fancy knots with his scarf.
"No!" Michelangelo hissed, tossing the knit orange hat from his head once more. The ninja master sighed and picked the woolen headpiece off the floor.
"My son," he began, lifting the youngest into his lap, rigid against the boy's pleading pout. "It is far colder in the tunnels than here at home. You will want to wear your hat then-"
"Itchy!" Mikey whined, batting the infernal hat away from his head once more, and his father retrieved it again. He quite liked this little game, but hid his smile as his father turned around. This time, the rat hid the hat behind him, turning to Michelangelo with a smile.
Yoshi snatched the young turtle from the ground, coaxing a squeal of surprise and delight from the child as he was whisked into the air. And the elder master sat him in his lap and produced the hat once again, this time tucking into the pocket of the little blue coat. With that, he put a hand to his whiskers.
"How about this…" His voice took the tone of a father now, jovial and wise the way only he could be. "If you keep your hat safe in your pocket, you can decide when you want to put it on." He set the child on his feet once again, and watched the boy toddle over to his brothers. "Does that sound okay?"
"M'kay!" Mikey smiled at his father, turning back to the little circle of turtles who were all staring mesmerized at the knots Donatello was tying with his scarf.
So, how was that? This little fic is based off of the 2012-verse. R&R! I'm thinking that there will probably be two, maybe three more chapters after this one. They'll also be a lot longer, with ever the more adorable toddler hijinks.
~Timely