A/N: Just a little Halloween one-shot for soareluna. Enjoy my ghouls and ghosts. And a Happy Halloween to you all.
Donatello ran as fast as his little legs would carry him through the halls of the monastery. He was clutching something to his chest and looking around nervously, his big brown eyes wide with anxiety behind his new glasses. Suddenly he gasped and pressed himself against a wall as two monks walked by, talking quietly. Donnie waited until they were out of sight before continuing on his way. He was just rounding the corner to his destination when he bumped into someone and was sent flying backwards.
His precious package was sent flying in a flurry of pages and he landed on his bottom, dazed with is glasses askew. Splinter looked down at his son curiously.
"Donatello. You should be more mindful of your surroundings." he chastened the boy gently and helped him to his feet, lovingly fixing his glasses.
"Why were you running my son?" he asked the little boy. Donnie paled and looked around frantically until he found his secret lying upside down on the floor. He dashed over and picked it up, shoving it behind his back.
"I'm sorry Father," he stuttered nervously as he inched around his father's form. "I'll be more careful next time. I promise." And with that he cleared the obstacle that his father represented and dashed down the hallway, disappearing around a corner and bursting into Leonardo's room.
Splinter watched his son disappear and shook his head. His boys were up to something. As always. It would probably be safer for everyone if he found out and put an early stop to their usual hijinks. Silently he followed his son's path and came to a stop in front of his eldest son's room. He peeked through the crack in the doorway and saw his four boys crowded around what looked like a magazine, chatting avidly.
Splinter opened the door and the boys froze with guilty looks plastered on their faces. Michelangelo, the youngest, picked up the magazine and tried to hide it behind his small form. Splinter silently held out his hand and waited.
Mikey glanced at his brothers for reassurance but found none. Busted. He pouted, tears welling up in his baby blue eyes as he slumped over to his father, his head hanging sadly. With a tiny hand he handed over the magazine and Splinter finally got to see what was fascinating all of his sons.
It was a Halloween costume catalog. As Splinter flipped through it he saw that some of the costumes had been circled using various colors of crayon and little doodles littered the pages. Splinter tore himself away from the magazine and glanced at each of his sons. They all looked sad and guilty but glimmering behind the tears Splinter caught sight of a small but powerful thing. Hope.
He sighed and closed the magazine.
"You boys wish to go... trick or treating?" he asked in a stern, emotionless voice. The boys looked up at him cautiously, unsure of whether or not their father was serious.
"Yes Papa Splinter!" Mikey's excited voice finally broke the silence. Splinter let the silence resume for a bit longer, making it seem as if he was thinking it over. He turned around to exit the room and threw a comment over his shoulder as he left.
"I expect your costumes to be ready by the end of the week." Behind him the four boys gasped and then cheered excitedly, Mikey doing his own rendition of a celebration dance.
Raph suddenly piped up, asking the question on all of the boys' minds. "But Splintah how we gonna buy da costumes we want? We ain't got no money."
"I think you'll find that there are plenty of things around the monastery that you can use for a costume. You'll just have to get creative." And with a small, satisfied smile, Splinter left the room and headed to his quarters to begin his meditation.
One Week Later...
Splinter stood patiently at the gates to the monastery as the sun slowly went down over the horizon. Children were emerging from every corner, every nook and cranny, and were now roaming the streets with their expensive and elaborate costumes and their pillow cases containing the beginnings of their candy haul for the evening.
Splinter glanced at the sun and then called out, "My sons. It is time to treat or trick."
After a few seconds the figure of his eldest son ran toward him. Leonardo was wearing his blue dogi but his underwear was on the outside of his pants rather than the inside. Tied around his neck was a red blanket and smeared on his face messily was a makeshift mask made of charcoal.
"My son, what is your costume?" Splinter asked with a small smile. Leo proudly puffed out his chest and struck a pose. "I'm a super hero Sensei!" He held his pose a little longer before looking excitedly up at his father, waiting for his approval.
"It is perfect my son." he gently patted Leo's shoulder and he felt his son puff up once more with pride.
Suddenly a small boxy form came rumbling towards them and slid to a stop. Donatello was wearing a silver-painted box over his chest and had a smaller silver box perched on his head like a hat. The hat was adorned with a hangar acting as an antenna. Carefully drawn in crayon on his chest were colorful buttons and switches and a pair of too-big, yellow kitchen gloves completed his ensemble.
"Donatello. Tell us what you have made." Splinter's smile grew a little at the sight of his second son.
"I'm a robot Father!" he jumped excitedly and then began to move his arms robotically and make beeping sounds.
"Very clever my son." Splinter nodded and patted the little boy's head lovingly. Donnie soaked up the praise and then turned to his eldest brother so that they could admire each other's handiwork.
A few seconds later Raphael made his appearance.
His entire body was wrapped in white toilet paper covered in red ketchup stains except for his mouth and eyes. He struck a scary pose with is arms above his head and growled at his brothers. Donnie squeaked and cowered behind Leonardo who just crossed his arms over his chest, unimpressed.
"Raphael, what terrifying thing are you this evening?" Splinter shook his head and his smile grew once more.
"I'm a scary mummy Splintah!" He growled again and stumbled towards them. Mentally Splinter reminded himself that a restock of certain toiletries was in order after this night.
"Where is Michelangelo my sons?" Splinter asked after a few moments. Before any of the boys could reply a small figure in a white sheet stumbled toward them. Two eyeholes had been clumsily cut out of the fabric and the sheet was just slightly too long for the little form it covered. Mikey tripped over the fabric just as he approached his father. Before he could hit the ground Splinter swept him up into his arms.
"Boo!" Mikey crowed joyfully and Splinter pretended to be scared.
"Oh no a ghost!" he gasped and Mikey giggled.
"Nuh uh Papa Splinter it's me! Mikey!" Splinter let out an exaggerated sigh of relief before kissing his youngest son's forehead.
"I am impressed with all of your costumes my sons." he said as he ushered them through the gates and out into the nighttime wonderland filled with monsters and fairy princesses.
"Now let the festivities begin."
A few hours later the small family trudged back to the monastery. Michelangelo was dead asleep against Splinter's chest, his bag of candy clutched tightly to his chest. Donatello was being guided by Leonardo's firm grip on his hand, and a sleepy Raphael was leading the way. Splinter took each of them to their rooms, tucking them in and kissing them goodnight.
As he shut Leonardo's door and made his way back to his room for the night he looked up at the moon and thought to himself.
'What an enjoyable All Hallow's Eve.'
With that he disappeared into his room and the Hamato household slept soundly.