Splinter stood in front of the fridge, trying to decide if he wanted leftover algae and worms or leftover worms with algae. The boys were tucked in and asleep, though getting them there had not been an easy job.
Michelangelo had insisted on a bedtime story. And then a glass of water. Then another story. And then he had to use the restroom. It was clear the child did not want to go to bed. Splinter had to sing several lullabies to get the him to finally close his eyes.
Donatello, on the other hand, would not be settled with a song. After coaxing and cooing, the only way the child agreed to stay in bed and sleep was if he was promised that they could go exploring after 'this whole ordeal had passed'.
Leonardo and Raphael had been the easiest to deal with. Well, for the first few minutes. They both crawled into bed without protesting. Splinter had thought he was finally finished with boys when Leonardo began to scream.
His brother had taken his favorite stuffed bear, the one couldn't sleep without. Raphael was screaming right back, too. The only way their father could get them to be quiet was to put his hands over their mouths. The two stopped fighting after a pinch on the arms and a lesson about sharing and fell asleep while holding the bear.
With a sigh, Splinter pulled out a pitcher of water and shut the fridge. He may have been hungry but he knew late night snacks would only give him strange dreams. He didn't need more of those; the water would fill him.
As he poured his drink, one of the stools at the kitchen island slid out and someone sat down. One of the boys was awake. His ears flattened and he turned around to scold the son who had decided to stay up past their bedtime. But when he faced the person sitting down, he found it was not a child at the table.
"Hello, Yoshi." She said with a smile. Splinter gasped and dropped the glass he was holding. It hit the ground with a crash, water and sharp pieces shattering everywhere.
"Surprised to see me?" Tang Shen asked. He could only gape at her. This wasn't possible. But there she was, still smiling, waiting for him to say something.
"Shen?" His voice was soft. "Shen?" She leaned forward a bit and rested her chin on her hands. "How? Shen, I'm sorry!" He staggered forward, tears rolling down his face. "I'm so sorry." The woman said nothing, just lifted her head up from her hands and shook her head.
"Shen!" He cried out. She was starting to fade. "Please! I'm sorry!" He was sobbing now, reaching for her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"
"Shen…" The rat mumbled in his sleep. "I love you."