Go to Sleep
Rating - PG 13 for some swearing.
Mike had tucked his four year old daughter Rama into bed and had read her a bedtime story or two and now he gave her a kiss, " Night Rama, sleep well."
"Night daddy," she chirped cheerfully as she snuggled down under the blankets and cuddled her Franklin turtle stuffed toy close to her.
Mike smiled and left the room shutting the door behind him, it had been a long day and he was rather looking forward to maybe some popcorn and a good movie.
Her dad had only been gone a few minutes when Rama got up and began to play with her toys, in the room. She played by the light of her night light setting up her dolls and some other toys for tea party.
Once they were set up she began to sing loudly for her appreciative fans.
Raph was coming out of the shower and heard the singing. " Sounds like the kid is having fun," He muttered to himself.
Raph went into the kitchen where Mike was getting the things ready for popcorn. " Mike, your kid is having a party in her bedroom."
Mike sighed in a resigned fashion, " Thanks." He should have known that she wasn't going stay in bed for very long. He left the hot air popper and the jar of corn kernels out on the kitchen counter before heading to his daughter's bedroom.
He heard her singing before he even reached her bedroom opened her door and snapped, "Aren't you suppose to be sleeping?"
Rama squealed in fright and dived for her bed, " My dollies wanted lullaby."
" That didn't sound like a lullabye to me Ramiela. Now keep your shell in this bed and go to sleep" He ordered sternly.
" Or you gonna chuck me out of my shell?" Rama asked innocently as she once more snuggled under the blankets.
" Yeah, if you were naked maybe you'd stay in bed." Mike muttered. He glowered at her and then walked out of the bedroom, again shutting the door behind him.
He hadn't even got to the living room when he heard the bedroom door open " Rama get to bed!"
" But dad-dddddyyyy I gotta go to the washroom," Rama pleaded.
Mike groaned, he had a feeling this was yet another stall tactic, but then again what if she did have to go to the washroom? Keeping her from it would be far worse so, Mike relented " Go but hurry up!"
Rama scurried past him to head to the washroom. Once in the washroom Ramiela the young turtle girl with dark hair took care of empting her bladder - again. After all she had gone before going to bed. Then she got a drink of water because she was thirsty. Then Rama remembered that she hadn't brushed her teeth yet.
Mike was waiting patiently for his daughter to emerge from the bathroom and go back to bed. When she still hadn't come out after five minutes or more, he went and knocked on the bathroom door.
" Ramiela! Get out here now!" He barked.
Rama peeked out, " Sorry daddy I brushin my teeth."
" You all ready brushed your teeth" Mike growled through gritted teeth, " I know you did because I checked right before you went to bed and got your bed time stories."
" Oh, yeah! I forgot." Rama claimed.
"Sure you did" Mike muttered darkly. " Now get to your bedroom." He had to hold back the impulse to kick her in the rear as she passed him. Mike normally had quite a lot of patience, but there was times - and this seemed to be one of those- that his daughter really wore his patience thin.
He made sure she was back in her bedroom and in her bed before telling her to STAY in bed. He wondered about getting a lock for her door, or better yet tying her to the bed. Or maybe ….
Yes, his mind and imagination came up with many wonderful variations of what could be done, what was possible. But, he knew it was only his irritation that was getting the better of him, and he'd never do any of the thoughts his mind was so willing to entertain.
He waited for a few minutes but when he heard no more sounds coming from Rama's bedroom he decided that she had given up and gone to sleep. With a sigh of relief he turned and headed back to the kitchen.
He had turned on the popcorn popper and added the kernels, measured some butter to melt and he heard Leo's voice from the living room.
" Ramiela what are you doing up?"
Oh no! Not again! Mike moaned inwardly to himself as he headed out to see what Ramiela was doing NOW!
" I uh…was lookin fer my toy. I thought I left it here." Rama stammered.
" Your Franklin toy and all your other favourites are in your room. Don't you lie to your Sensei." Mike went over and took his daughter by the arm and lead her back to her bedroom.
Leo did his best not to chuckle as he watched his young student dragged back to her room and to her waiting bed. A few minutes later Mike once again went through the living room towards the kitchen. Leo was almost certain that he heard, Mike curse something about damn kids!
Leo smiled a little and got up to head to his bedroom, he knew that Mike when they had been kids had been pretty hard to keep in bed too, so it wasn't surprising Rama acted in the same way.
Mike had the popcorn popped and was drizzling the melted butter over it. When Ramiela came racing into the kitchen wide eyed yelling loudly " I had a bad dream."
" You haven't even gotten to sleep yet, how in the world could you have a bad dream?" Mike demanded sharply. He once again returned her to her bedroom. " Now, you stay in that bed. Do NOT move or get out of that bed for any reason until morning do you hear me?"
Rama sniffed and whimpered a bit but fell silent.
Mike stomped back to the living room and waited, he got the popcorn and put in a movie to watch, as minutes ticked by and he neither heard nor saw any more signs of his jack-in -the- box daughter he assumed she had, indeed, FINALLY gone to sleep.
Leo came in as the movie had ended " I have something for you Mike."
" Really? Because I had such a rough night I don't need to be at morning practice?" Mike asked hopefully.
" You wish," Leo laughed, " no I have a bedtime story for you." Leo replied handing Mike a small bag, "April actually bought it she thought you could use it."
Mike pulled out the book, it looked like a nice children's book but on the back cover were the words you probably don't want to read this to your kids, and that it was a book more for parents.
Mike gave Leo a quizzical uncertain look but slowly opened the book and began to read, in moments Mike was howling in laughter, his hand slapping his leg in merriment as the loud guffaws rose from his throat.
" This is going the best bedtime story book ever. It will be my all time favourite" Mike vowed, as he clutched the book tight to his chest. " I am going read it over and over and I swear I will never get tired of it, and if and when there comes a time when Rama has kids of her own I will give her this book."
"April thought you'd enjoy it and relate to it." Leo agreed with a simple nod, " glad to cheer you up and have a good night Mike."
The End.
Author's note: The book Leo gives to Mike actually exist and no it is not meant for children. But for every parent who has fought to get their kid to bed it is called - Go the f**k to sleep. It was that book that inspired this tale.