Birthday story for Hamster! 2k3'verse, several years after Turtles Forever. Shadow Jones is Casey and April's biological daughter.

Bedtime Stories

"It's okay," Leo said. "Don't worry about it. We'll just start from the beginning."

"C'mon, it's not gonna work." Raph sighed heavily and fidgeted where he sat on the mat spread on the floor beneath his hammock. "We've been trying for forty-five minutes."

"Just keep trying a little longer. You have to sleep, Raph."

Raph snorted, frowning at Leo sitting in front of him a few feet away. "Yeah, well. You'd think meditating would help. These little 'centering sessions' of yours bore me to sleep half the time anyway."

Leo sighed a little, but Raph's grumpiness didn't phase him. He couldn't blame him, really. Insomnia was enough to sour anyone's mood, and Raph's two week stretch was taking its toll. He'd managed a few hours of fitful sleep every day, but not enough, and nothing he'd tried was helping. Extra training had worn him out, but not enough to let him sleep. Splinter's tea had made him feel foggy but hadn't knocked him out. He'd read, listened to music, and stared at the television until his eyes burned and his head pounded, but he hadn't slept. He was exhausted and miserable, enough that even Mikey had stopped making comments like: "Hey Raph, you're like the opposite of Sleeping Beauty: Waking Ugly!" It was a testament to how desperate Raph was that he'd agreed to Leo's suggestion of attempting to meditate.

Not that it was working. Leo had made four attempts to guide Raph into a relaxed state. Of the four brothers, Raph meditated the least, but he still was usually able to focus. He was doing his best now, Leo could tell, but he could also tell by the pinched look around his eyes that Raph was nursing a pretty bad headache. Insomnia also didn't do any favors for his already fragile patience.

"One more time," Leo coaxed, trying not to push too hard. "You can do this."

Raph rubbed his gritty eyes with his finger and thumb. "Fine. One more time."

"Okay," Leo said, lowering his voice and speaking softly. "Now breathe with me. In and out, nice and slow - " The soft sound of little bare feet on stone made him pause, and before he'd half turned around, Shadow came skidding through the doorway, eyes sparkling with suppressed giggles and one hand pressed against her mouth in an effort to keep quiet.

"Hey there," Leo said, smiling at her. "What are you up to?"

"Shh! I'm hiding," the five year old whispered. "We're playing hide and seek and Uncle Donny's it." She peeked out the door to check for pursuit, then retreated further into the room to duck behind Raph. "What'cha doin'?" she asked from behind his shell.

"Uncle Raph has had a hard time falling asleep," Leo answered. "I'm trying to help him."

Shadow peeked around his side. "But it's not bedtime."

"The way I've been goin', kid, I don't care when I fall asleep," Raph said.

"Why can't you sleep?"

He sighed. "Wish I knew."

Don appeared in the doorway, brow ridge lifting as he caught sight of the little girl crouching behind Raph. "There you are. I should've known." He smiled and shook his head ruefully. "Sorry guys. I told her you wanted to be left alone and it wasn't long after that she decided to play hide and seek. Guess that proves which of us is smarter. Come on, Shadow, Raph and Leo are busy."

"Nah, it's okay," Raph said. "She can stay if she wants."

Don glanced inquiringly at Leo, but Leo had noticed the way some of the tension had slipped away from Raph's shoulders when Shadow entered the room. He gave Don a slight nod.

"Okay." Don smirked. "But I guess I can let Mikey hide a little longer before I go looking for him."

Leo chuckled as Don withdrew, turning his attention back to Raphael. Shadow, beaming triumphantly at her success at pulling one over on her uncle Don, crawled out from behind Raph's shell and planted herself firmly beside him, bright blue gaze darting expectantly between his face and Leo's.

"All right, let's pick up where we left off," Leo said. Raph sighed heavily as he closed his eyes but didn't voice any objections. "Take a deep breath, Raph. Quiet your mind. Don't think about sleeping. Just let yourself relax." But even though they'd just started, Leo could see it wasn't working. Raph was trying so hard to unwind that his brow was furrowed with concentration.

Leo saw it coming. Raph's brow ridges drew closer and closer together until he gave an exasperated snort and opened his eyes again. "This ain't gonna work. Leo. I appreciate you tryin' and everything but I can't do it." He rubbed his brow, pressing hard, as if he were trying to drill his fingertips into his forehead.

"Does your head hurt, Uncle Raphie?"

If it had been anyone else, Raph most likely would have answered with a sarcastic remark, but in response to Shadow's question, he just sighed. "Yeah."

Shadow got to her feet and leaned in to kiss the side of his head. "We should read you a book," she said. "Daddy reads to me before I go to sleep." She pointed a commanding finger at him. "Stay here."

Raph turned to Leo as Shadow darted from the room. "How come you never offered to read me a bedtime story?"

"That was going to be my next step," Leo answered dryly. "Although I was hoping you'd opt out of the good-night kiss." Raph wasn't exactly smiling, but his mood was definitely lighter than it had been a few minutes ago, and Leo was gratified when his reply prompted a huff of laughter.

Shadow spent enough time at the turtles' lair to warrant having her own toy and book stash so April and Casey wouldn't have to cart supplies with them every time they came over. She returned a moment or two later with an armful of books and plopped them down in front of Raph. "Okay, I'm ready."

Leo smiled. "I'll leave you guys to your books, then." He started to get up, but Shadow grabbed hold of the rim of his carapace. The pressure of her hand was light, not nearly enough to hamper his movements, but Leo stilled right away.

"No, you can stay!" she said. "I can read to both of you."

"I'd like that," Leo answered, making her smile.

"All right, c'mere," Raph said. He scooted farther back beneath his hammock, arranging his mat and the scattered pillows so he could lean half-reclining against the wall. Shadow pushed her way under his arm to nestle against his side, holding the book out for him to take one side while she held the other.

Shadow's first selection was Blueberries for Sal. She'd taught herself to read at the age of four, and even though she occasionally needed a few hints if she came across a word she didn't know, she could usually make it through simple children's books without help. She usually read this particular book as Blueberries for Shadow (a habit that Casey had started) but apparently she was taking her duty as bedtime-story-reader seriously, because she didn't change any of the names this time through.

Leo moved closer so he could see the pictures when Shadow beckoned to him, but half his attention was on Raph. Harsh lines of tension were still etched around Raph's eyes, but as Shadow read, Leo could sense his brother's muscles uncoiling, fiber by fiber.

The next book was One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, followed by Shadow's long-time favorite, Owl Moon. That book had taken a little more effort for her to read through at first, but not much - she'd known it by heart even before she had learned to read. It was the story of a little girl and her father, walking in the woods late on a cold, snowy night in hopes of finding a great horned owl.

"It was late one winter night," Shadow began, "long past my bedtime, when Pa and I went owling."

Leo tried to keep his expression carefully neutral as their niece kept reading, but he couldn't completely keep back the barest hint of a smile. The furrows of pain and frustration had smoothed away from Raphael's brow, and even though he wasn't exactly smiling, his face was as relaxed and contented as Leo had seen it in days. His blinks were getting longer and longer, until - impossibly - Raph gave a gentle sigh, and his eyes slid closed and did not open. Shadow felt the subtle shift in Raph's posture as he fell asleep. She paused in her reading and tilted her head back to see his face before turning inquisitive eyes to Leo.

"Go ahead and finish the story," Leo whispered.

Shadow nodded, lowering her voice as she read through the last few pages. When she was done, she carefully closed the book and held it out for Leo to take.

"Nice job," Leo said softly, breaking into a grin. "You got him to sleep."

Shadow grinned back at him. "Uncle Raphie usually does what I want him to do."

Leo was hard pressed to muffle his laugh. "That he does," he replied. He leaned forward, gently cupping his hand behind Raph's head to ease it into a more comfortable position against the pile of pillows at his back. Raph's eyelids didn't even flutter. He was down for the count; truly sleeping, not drifting in the half-awake haze he'd been stuck in for weeks. "You want some help getting out of there?" Leo asked, gesturing to Raph's arm that still encircled Shadow's shoulders. "I think he'll sleep for a while now."

"No, I think I should stay," Shadow said solemnly. "I need to make sure he stays asleep."

Leo smiled, reaching up to Raph's hammock to retrieve a blanket. "Thanks for taking care of him." Shadow looked pleased, snuggling a little closer and wrapping her arm across Raph's plastron as far as it would go. April and Casey had cautioned their daughter out of necessity, making sure she knew that her uncles and grandfather had to be kept secret, and somewhere along the way, the act of keeping the secret had created a surprisingly fierce protectiveness. The turtles hadn't wanted Shadow to feel responsible for them - they knew all too well what it was to be burdened with responsibility beyond their years - but somehow it had happened anyway.

He draped the blanket over both of them. Shadow pulled a fold of the soft fleece under her head so she wouldn't have to rest her head directly on Raph's shell, then let out a happy little sigh and nestled comfortably against him.

"I'll check on you in a little while, ok?" Leo said softly. "Let me know when you want to come out." Shadow gave him a thumbs-up, and he rose on silent feet and left the room.

He only waited about ten minutes before he checked on Shadow; she was a patient little girl, but experience had taught him that ten minutes could feel a lot longer if you had to stay still and quiet, especially if you were young. He peeked in the door, smiling when he saw Shadow still snuggled in her spot next to Raphael. She gave him a little wave, letting him know she was content to stay put, and he retreated without a word.

Leo gave Shadow fifteen minutes before he looked in on her again. This time when he peered into the room, her eyes were closed. Her arm was still draped across Raph's plastron, lax with sleep. Leo crept into the room just far enough to dim the lights - leaving one small lamp on near the door in case Shadow woke up - then backed out of the room.

Raph and Shadow were still asleep when April came by an hour later. Her brows lifted as she entered the main room and saw Leo occupying himself with simple katas, motions slow and precise as he guided his gleaming katanas through the movements. "You know, I never know whether it's a good thing or a bad thing when I come by and it's this quiet in here," she said with a lopsided smile.

Leo chuckled. "Fair point. This is good quiet, though." He tipped his head in the direction of Raph's room. "Shadow decided to take it upon herself to get Raph to sleep. She succeeded, and she's been napping in there with him for the past hour." And he told her what had happened.

"Shadow usually gets what she wants," April said, grinning. She put her hands on her hips, giving him a mock-stern look. "But you know this means that she's going to be up 'til all hours tonight."

"Nah, don't worry about it. Before she bamboozled Donny, she was chasing Mikey around the lair for quite a while. I'm pretty sure he got her sufficiently worn out." He smirked. "And with any luck, Mikey will be worn out, too."

April laughed. "You can only hope." She glanced at her watch. "I've still got a little while before we need to get home. Mind if I invite myself to tea?"

"Of course not. I'll join you." Leo sheathed his swords and shrugged out of the leather straps to set his weapons carefully aside before heading off in search of the kettle.

April followed, but took a brief detour on the way to tiptoe to Raph's room and look inside. When she joined Leo in the kitchen, a fond smile still lingered on her face. "Poor Raph. Even asleep, he looks exhausted."

"I'm hoping this will break the cycle and he'll be able to rest now."

"Well, if not, you know you can borrow my kid any time you need her. She's got no objections to being Raph's teddy bear," April replied, grinning when Leo chuckled in response.

"We may take you up on that," Leo replied. "Not just for Raph's sake. For ours, too. You may find this hard to believe, but Raph isn't exactly a ray of sunshine when he's suffering from insomnia."

"Do tell," April said with a snort. She reached into the cabinet to get a box of tea. "Lucky for you Shadow has a knack for taking care of mutant turtles."

Leo held out his hand for the tea, smiling when he saw that April had chosen one of his favorites. "Lucky for us, it runs in the family." April smiled back, putting her arm around his shoulders for a quick little side-hug, then let him go so he could turn his attention to the kettle.

No sooner had the two of them settled at the kitchen table with their tea than Leo heard the soft sound of stocking feet on the cement floor. He turned just as Shadow padded into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes and blinking in the bright light. "Hey, look who's up!"

"Hi, sweetie," April said, smiling as her daughter mumbled "Hi, Mommy," in return, yawned, and made a beeline for Leo.

Leo scooted his chair back to make room as she climbed into his lap. "I thought you'd be asleep for a while yet."

She wrinkled her nose. "Uncle Raphie started snoring."

Leo chuckled, smoothing her tousled hair as she snuggled against his shoulder. "I guess that'd wake anybody. Is he still sleeping?"

"Yeah. I sneaked away. He didn't wake up." Even half-awake, Shadow's pride in her fledgeling ninja skills was clear. She sat curled against him, gradually becoming more alert while he and April finished their tea. By the time Mikey and Don wandered into the kitchen to join them, she was as energetic as ever.

"Hey, guys," April said with a smile. She stood and carried her mug over to the sink, then turned to her daughter. "You ready to get going, kiddo?"

"I'm ready!" She hopped down from Leo's lap, darting over to give Mikey and Don a hug before taking April's outstretched hand. "Uncle Leo, let me know if Uncle Raphie needs another bedtime story."

Leo laughed. "I will. Thanks again, Shadow."

Shadow grinned, still immensely pleased to have helped out. She waved cheerfully over her shoulder as she followed April out of the lair.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry," Mikey said, patting his stomach with both hands. "Who wants spaghetti? Donny, I'm getting definite Italian vibes from your direction."

"You get that from all of us. Our names are Italian," Don said with a smirk. But then he smiled and headed for the fridge anyway. "Get the noodles started. I'll make the garlic bread."

"Yes! Now: making a salad. Leo? Feels like you."

Leo rolled his eyes. "In a minute. Start cooking and I'll be right back."

"Going to check on Raphie-boy? He's fine. You can practically hear him snoring from here."

"Just give me a minute anyway," Leo said.

"Whatever you say, Mamanardo," Mikey said flippantly. Don chuckled.

Leo snorted, but didn't reply. He couldn't quite keep back a smile as he turned away, and he could tell by the way Mikey laughed that he'd caught his expression. He crossed the lair on silent feet, slipping cautiously into Raph's room. It only took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the low light. Raph was still sleeping, but the blanket had half slipped off, either disturbed by Shadow's departure or Raph's movements during sleep. Leo caught the edge of the blanket and pulled it up to cover Raph again, then - ever so carefully - eased his brother's mask off and set it aside. Raph didn't stir.

Leo smiled and gave the blanket-covered shoulder a gentle pat, then withdrew, leaving peace and silence behind him.