Author's Note: A 'what if' story. For the 2003 verse but with 2k12 elements, mainly the Lair and the Turtles' appearances so it's easy to know who is who.


Hamato Yoshi yawned as he made his way home. It had been a year since the Shredder's attack. A year since God had smiled upon him, causing the Shredder to miss his heart, giving the Utroms time to save his life. A year since his little Splinter had been lost.

Once he had healed, Yoshi had tried to find his beloved pet, a few other Guardians helping him as they combed the area, calling for the little rat, but Splinter had never been found. Yoshi knew that to search New York for one tiny rat would be useless, and eventually he had given up. He cursed himself for not fitting Splinter with a collar, but the first time he had tried his pet had thrown such a fit he had ended up hurting himself in the struggle to get away from the collar in his master's hand. He had decided against trying again for Splinter's health and the fact that he never left the apartment.

"Hand over the bags, old man."

Yoshi turned into the alley to see a small figure, completely covered, with full bags surrounded by members of the street gang, the Purple Dragons. He was most likely a homeless man.

"Leave me alone," he said in a raspy voice with a Japanese accent.

"Hand 'em over."

Yoshi growled and hurried forward.

"Leave him alone."

All eyes turned to the newcomer.

"Beat it! This ain't your problem."

"I said leave him alone."

The gang turned on Yoshi.

"Take him down."

Yoshi effortlessly took down the thugs only to be blindsided by the leader. As he shook his dazed head to clear it, the homeless man attacked the thug with moves only Yoshi himself used. The Ninja gawked as the criminal fled.

"How did you know those moves?"

The figure backed away from him. Yoshi went for him, but the figure dodged, fleeing into the sewers with his bags. Yoshi was hot on his heels.

"Wait!"

His cry only spurred the figure to move faster, trying shake the ninja off his trail, but the man kept up with him. Deeper and deeper into the sewers they went, and Yoshi knew that if he lost the figure now he'd be hopelessly lost in the maze of tunnels.

At last they stopped, and the figure turned on him so suddenly that Yoshi fell back onto his rear in shock.

"You cannot be here."

"Please. I mean you no harm, I just want to know how you know those moves. I never taught them to anyone."

The figure sighed and began uncovering his face. Even in the dim light Yoshi could see that he was not human. He stepped into better light to reveal that he was a giant, humanoid, gray rat.

"I know your moves because I watched you perform them everyday from my cage."

Yoshi felt like someone had dumped ice water over him then proceeded to punch him in the gut.

"Splinter?" he choked out.

"Yes, Master Yoshi."

He stared at his former pet.

"How?"

"It is a long and strange tale, one best told inside. Come."

Yoshi followed Splinter through a door and into what appeared to be a abandoned subway station.

"You live here?"

"Yes."

Splinter began putting food away in the small kitchen. Suddenly, a baby's crying erupted from a room off to the right, nearly making Yoshi jump out of his skin.

"What is-"

"Raphael."

The rat hurried towards the source of the crying, Yoshi following at a slower pace, unsure of what he would see. The crying subsided as Splinter reached the baby.

"Hush, my son. it is all right. I will make it better."

Son? His Splinter was a father?

Yoshi entered the room and froze when he saw a baby, humanoid turtle in Splinter's arms. The baby had bright green eyes and what appeared to be a lightning bolt shaped chip missing from his shell. Splinter was changing his diaper with practiced ease.

"There. All clean, my little one."

The rat scooped him up and nuzzled the baby's cheek with his nose and whiskers, making him giggle cutely.

"Papa."

Splinter smiled, and Yoshi found himself unable to keep a straight face.

"That's right, my son. Papa is here."

Raphael nestled into his father's warmth and drifted back off to sleep. Splinter gazed down at him with such a tender, loving expression it was almost heartbreaking. It was clear to Yoshi that this turtle, as well the other three he saw sleeping, were Splinter's entire world.

The rat put the baby back in his crib, tucking him in carefully, then turned to his master, who quietly left the room. Splinter led him to the dojo he had set up.

"You've really changed over the last year, nezumi."

Splinter smiled.

"Yes, Master Yoshi, I have."

He lost his smiled and lifted his dark gaze to his master and father-figure.

"How did you survive the Shredder?"

"God was smiling upon me that day. The Shredder actually missed my heart. I was found by Darin, and he and Jamal rushed me to the Utroms, who managed to save my life."

Splinter seemed to deflate.

"I would say, 'I wish I had stayed', but in truth I do not. If I had stayed none of this would have happened. If I had stayed I would not have my sons."

Yoshi smiled at him.

"Splinter, do not worry about it. What's done is done. I am not angry with you for running away. You've made a life for yourself and a family as well. I will do whatever I can to help you."

"Thank you, Master Yoshi."

"You're welcome. So why don't you tell me your story?"

Splinter nodded.

"Just after the winter thaw I witnessed an accident. A blind man was nearly hit by a truck. A young boy pushed him out of the way, dropping his glass jar of four baby turtles in, and they were swept into the sewers. As the truck swerved to avoid the man and boy a canister of glowing green ooze fell out of it and also fell into the sewers. When I came upon the baby turtles they were covered in the ooze. I gather them up and took them to my burrow, cleaning them as best I could. In the morning, I woke to find that we had all changed. We had become very human-like. Master?"

Yoshi had gone slightly pale.

"Glowing green ooze?"

"Yes. In a canister carried by a trunk with the letters 't' 'c' 'r' 'i' on it."

The Guardian turned ashen.

"I know what caused this. The Utroms have been trying to created a teleportal machine to get them back to their homeworld. That ooze was the waste from the machine. I will inform them of the affects of the waste. It will be disposed of in a much safer way, I swear it."

Splinter smiled.

"Thank you, Master Yoshi. It is getting late. I must take you back to the surface before my sons wake."

Yoshi stood and stretched.

"I would like to come back, if you would permit it."

The rat nodded.

"Of course, Master."

"Meet me in alley of the apartment tomorrow night at seven."

Splinter led him to the alley beside his apartment, or rather the apartment floor he owned, as only other Guardians lives in the building and each owned their own floor.

"Until tomorrow night, Master."

"Until tomorrow night, Splinter."


End Note: Yoshi reunites with Splinter. Please review.