A/N: Four strangers wandered up to me from the nothingness. I looked at their familiar silhouette and a gasp caught in my throat. It had been a long, long, l-o-n-g time since I had seen them, but my love from them still burned strong. The one in the blue bandanna hugged me tight and whispered in my ear, "Welcome back stranger. You've got some stories to tell."
I nodded, my eyes filled with joyful tears, and I dictated everything that blue bandannaed shadow said.
Music can be found at .be/iCgDgJsTR_w
Hope you enjoy it.
Baby of mine
The end of the day. The quiet hush of the lair washed over me as I wearily wandered in from the dojo. Raph and Don were gone for the day and it had just been Mike and me. I thought it would be a good day for bonding, for brushing up on his skills. For teaching him the right way to be. He just thought it would be a good day for goofing off and playing pranks. So we'd fought. I won. He sulked. He went his way, back to his joking and goofing off, and I went mine, back to the dojo, and my meditations. The day I had planned was a wash. I sighed and pinched the skin between my eyes. I had failed again.
How did Master deal with him? I would have loved to ask, but he too was gone somewhere, and this question could be asked later. If I didn't kill Mike first.
I rounded the kitchen bench and raided the fridge. Found the soda I was looking for and cracked it open. Glancing around the lair as I greedily chugged my drink, I noticed it was a mess. Mike had left a trail of destruction in his wake, without bothering to clean it up. Typical slob. Why couldn't he just be a little bit more disciplined? Organised? Conscious of others? I sighed. I'd never understand.
Tossing the empty can in the bin I went to the lounge room to clean up. The television had been left on and a video was still playing. Thank god we weren't paying the light bill.
I went to see what was on, curious to know what Mike had been watching.
Dumbo. Disney's dumbo. I sighed and softened at his childish fantasies. So Mikey. Such a baby.
I grabbed the used tissues from the sofa and was just about to see if I could hit the trashcan from here when some of Dumbo's lyrics blared from the telly.
Baby mine, don't you cry,
Baby mine, dry your eyes.
I stared at the tissues and then the TV and in an instant remembered all the times we had hurt Mikey, all the times we had put him down and he'd never say a word. Never bad mouthed his big brothers no matter much we belittled him. He'd always hide his tears of fear and doubt for another time, usually forgetting when that other time was.
Rest your head close to my heart,
Never to part, baby of mine
He'd try so damn hard, when he remembered. Being younger, he didn't always had the stamina of the rest of us, but that didn't stop him trying. Trying so hard to catch up with his bigger brothers. We always made sure we matched his pace, made sure he was safe.
I shook my head as I cleaned up the pizza crusts and crumbs he always managed to wedge between the cushions. Nobody knew how he kept us all glued together, especially Raph and me, I sighed, but he did.
Feeling something hard, I pulled out his joy buzzer and a rubber chicken fell out of the couch cushions. I frowned, rubbing my weary eyes with my hand. Always the prankster, even if it got us killed! I could feel the anger rising in me over his stupid, idiot, childish pranks. I remembered how harshly I had lectured him on discipline and knowing when was the right time, when more words of the song floated to me.
Little one when you play
Don't you mind what they say
Let those eyes sparkle and shine
Never a tear, baby of mine
I glared at the damn video, this stupid song was lecturing me? But it was true, and with no Splinter here to counsel me the words seemed right somehow. We were all too serious, Don with his thirst for knowledge, always worried that some lack of detail; medical or otherwise would kill us all, Raph always insufferable, brooding and black, and me, ... me? I tried to remember that last time I cracked a joke. I couldn't.
But Mikey? Mikey could always get us in a good mood. Lift our spirits when they seem crushed, his eyes sparkled with such an innocent belief that his brothers would make everything ok.
I snorted at the song, it was right. Don't mind what we say Mikey, I said to myself, as I picked up the empty soda cans and threw them into the trash. Just keep being you.
If they knew sweet little you
They'd end up loving you too
Did any of us really know Mikey? I smirked and shook my head. Doubt it. Not even Mikey understood Mikey.
All those same people who scold you
What they'd give just for
The right to hold you
These words drifted through my head as I picked up his laundry. Now scolding him I knew something about. I didn't think there was a day that went by that I didn't rake him over the coals for something. But perhaps I did it too much, Mikey was only being Mikey and even I had to admit that some of the pranks he pulled on Raph were pretty good. I couldn't hold a candle to Mikey when it came to pulling Raph out of a bad mood. Some days I wished I had his skill.
As I reached the door of Mikey's room, I saw him, tangled up in his bed, arms and legs askew, like a puppy who had made a nest in his sheets and collapsed in slumber. Pure innocent sleep. Little Mikey. Our little brother. The runt, we'd sometimes joke. He'd always tell us big things came in little packages, and as I set his laundry down I looked at him fondly. The kid was right. He'd have great potential. Someday.
The rest of the lyrics sang out into the lounge room.
From your head to your toes
You're not much, goodness knows
But you're so precious to me
Sweet as can be, baby of mine.
The setting down of his laundry stirred him and he opened his drowsy eyes. I couldn't help but feel protective about him, and I silently apologized for the way we'd all treated him.
I sat down next to him and rubbed the top of his head.
"Hey Leo." His voice was still thick with sleep. "What's up?"
"Nothing Mikey." I said, as the song ended and contentment swept through me. "Nothing at all."
Well my first ever song fic, and my first ever turtle fic. It's been a very long time since I've heard their voices so I hope I've done them justice. It was an honour to write it and I think the song just fits perfectly don't you agree?
Let me know what you think, it's reviews that give me courage to keep on writing.