Hamato Splinter was, first and foremost a very caring father and sensei to his young sons. He taught them, trained them, watched over them and even got them out of trouble that they themselves couldn't solve on occasion. He loved each and every one of them and therefore it is very easy to understand how concerned he sometimes felt about their individual hobbies. As ninja they were all skilled, as individuals they were very, very complicated.

His eldest, Leonardo was a true student of Ninjutsu and was shaping up to be a very fine warrior. He practised in nearly all his free time and most of his life was dedicated to the path of bushido. Splinter was proud of him for that matter, but he did get slightly worried when Leonardo went into what his others sons had named "Total silent warrior-crazy guy elder bother mode," which he silently agreed was the best way to describe it. Leonardo often overlooked other aspects of life in deference to his training and had suffered for it when his enemies exploited it.

He would overwork himself and sometimes convince himself that he was not good enough to be a leader even though they all thought (Raphael included) that he was by the finest they could ask for. He sighed as he remembered the night he went for a training run and was nearly killed by the foot clan and the newly returned Shredder. Gripping his tea cup in anger he recalled the terrible condition his son had been in when he was mercilessly flung through the window of Miss O'Neil's apartment, covered in bruises and blood and broken glass, managing only to whisper the feared return of their deadliest enemy.

Never again, he had vowed and had since then ensured his son had balance in his life for fear that only being a warrior would only bring him sorrow and death. Indeed the thought of any of his sons becoming cold hearted killers was even worse than the thought of them harmed by their foes.

His thoughts then turned to his second eldest and fieriest son, Raphael. He had been dubbed "Hothead" by his brothers and no nickname could suit him better. He was fuelled by anger and a passionate instinct to protect his own. In truth, it mirrored his own fatherly instinct. Indeed, when any of his brothers were harmed or even threatened, the red banded turtle would rise up in a blazing fury and tear down whatever threatened his family. Yet another instinct he shared with Splinter, though he showed more obviously than the aged rat master. Though only time Splinter himself had truly shown anger was on the rare occasion his sons were threatened before his eyes and it was then his enemies had learned to fear him.

But time and time again, his anger would do as much harm as good and threaten his safety. He would plough headlong into a battle with little, if any thought for his own well being. An action that Leonardo would constantly lecture him on and fuelling the brother rivalry between them. Sighing he remembered when that rivalry had been pushed far beyond his limits and it had only been the deep seated love of brotherhood between them that stopped them form killing each other. It was the same passion between them that ensured either was furious when the other was harmed. A passion he was glad to see directed to protect the youngest members of the clan.

Then, his thoughts moved to his second youngest and most ingenious turtle, Donatello. Where he was a master of Ninjutsu, Donatello was a master of logic and technology. Granted he could be a little naïve sometimes but his astounding brain was truly a wonder of nature and he knew without a doubt that his third son was a genius. However, genius alone does not guarantee you. He thought back to countless times when Donatello had blown up, destroyed or broken part of their lair. Many times during the turtle's childhood, he and heard an enormous boom and feared the worst. Only to find a soot covered Donatello smiling nervously whilst holding the remains of what was once a toaster.

Splinter could recall vividly the day his sons scientific genius had done little to save him, the day that Bishop and his foul plague had transformed him into a monster. Even now the old rat shivered as her remembered his gentle son cruelly malformed into a demon before his brother's eyes. It was only when Donatello was healed back to his state that his heart breathed a soft sigh of relief that his gentlest son had returned to them.

He then smiled and thought at last of his youngest and most childish son, Michelangelo. The orange turtle was full of such life and energy it would brighten their home and although the family loved one another dearly, the youngest turtle had a special place in all their hearts and their enemies knew that an attack upon Michelangelo would ensure the wrath of the entire Hamato clan. Then again, his shining innocence covered up a potent sense of humour and a great love of practical jokes, most of them unfortunately aimed at Raphael.

Yes, although Michelangelo often showed he was the fastest and most agile out of his brothers he also had the least concentration. Splinter often stayed up with fear that his youngest child would come to harm thanks to his small attention span. He would feel his heart turn over with terror when any of his sons where carried home injured but when he saw Michelangelo harmed it struck a certain chord as it did with all his sons. In truth he feared the day he might see only three sons return home instead of four. It was a nightmare he could not even bear to think about.

Sighing, he gently finished his tea and set it down on the ornamental tea tray before him. Looking around his room his eyes rested upon the old clock on his wall which had been a lovely gift from Miss O'Neil for Christmas one year. It chimed eleven o clock and his gaze swivelled towards his door and waited with his ears anxiously bent for the arrival of his sons from their nightly patrol of the city.

He waited still for several minutes as he did every night until he finally heard the reassuring crash on the front door which signalled his son's noisy, yet welcome arrival.

"Yo everybody! All hail the turtle titans and his three lesser sidekicks!"

"Mikey, will ya keep it down ya bonehead! Sensei's probably sleeping right now!"

"Yeah, yeah Raph, you're just bitter I kicked five times more butt than you did tonight!"

"Shut it!"

Smiling, Splinter laid his head down on his floor mat and curled into sleep, content in the knowledge that each one his precious sons, his beloved children, were home and safe.