First Night

Crying.

Nothing, but crying.

Splinter stood practically pulling his newly mutated whiskers out. What had happened to his life? One minute he was a normal human buying a few pet turtles to keep around the house, and then BAM! He was a mutant rat living in the sewers with four babies who would not stop crying!

He stared down at them with a mix of worry and horror. What was he to do?! He decided to assess the situation for the fiftieth time that day. Not because he didn't understand it, but because breaking it down helped him not to plunge into a full blown panic attack!

So, what did he know?

One, he was a mutant rat. That much was obvious.

Two, he could no longer live among other humans. He had attempted to ask some humans for help soon after his mutation, but their terrified screams and a few bullets from some patrolling cops were more than enough to convince him that he no longer belonged to their world. This wounded him deeply, but at the same time he was a ninja. Used to seclusion from the outside world and living in secret. Granted this was a stretch even for him, but nothing he couldn't handle.

Three, he now lived in the sewers. This was a strictly tactical move. It was an expansive and elaborate maze of tunnels which allowed him access to anywhere in the city. He would easily be able to find food, water, clothing, and whatever else he might need as well as have enough room to move about so he didn't feel like a, well, like a rat trapped in a cage. Shelter would be no problems. All in all though the mutation into a rat was definitely not his first choice, he would be able to handle his new lifestyle with all the ease of the ninja master that he was. At least that's what he would have thought except for…

Four. Four baby turtles lying on a table in front of him screaming their tiny, green heads off. Out of everything that had happened to him that day this was the one thing that truly frightened him. He remembered how he had discovered them. After he fled down into the sewer to avoid the police he had planned to run away into his newfound seclusion.

But then he heard them. It was faint at first. A slight green glow in the air. A hushed murmur. He turned around, and suddenly there they were. Lying upon the ground surrounded by a pool of whatever green goo had transformed him. Four precious children. So helpless. So beautiful. It was love at first sight. More than love. It was his new family, and on some levels even more wonderful than the one he had lost back in Japan. He picked one of them up into his arms. Carefully. Cautiously, as if the slightest movement would cause them to break.

He didn't know how long he held the little one, staring at him with wonder as if holding the stars themselves in his arms. But eventually the little turtle clutched his newly grown fur with wandering fingers. And he smiled. And that's when Splinter knew that these four were his children. And that he would love them until the day he died and all eternity after.

But then reality set in.

And the crying started.

Splinter stood there staring at the crying children who, despite his fervent prayers, had once again not ceased crying while he desperately tried to get his life together during the twenty seconds it took him to make his mental list.

He had been prepared to live a hundred years scrounging on scraps and garbage, but being a parent? Sure, he was a parent before, but A) He had his wife to help him, B) He had only had one child to take care of, and C) SHE WASN'T A MUTANT TURTLE! How does one even take care of a mutant turtle child? How much of them was turtle and how much human? Should he give them milk or worms? That one was actually easy since he had neither! But that brought about new worries as he remembered that he had nothing, no supplies, no food, zip, nadda with which to take care of his new found sons!

And so here they were again. In the middle of the abandoned train car that he was currently using for shelter with his four new children lying on a rusty metal table. Crying. He knew he needed to go get supplies. He would not lose his children to starvation. But could he leave them alone? Surely, anyone within a mile could hear their screams, and the moment some human, stray dog, or possible sewer gator found them they were as good as gone. He needed to quiet them down. But how?

"Shhhhh. Please, my sons. Be still." He picked one up, and rocked him gently in his arms, stroking his head the same way that he had his daughter back in his old life. Slowly, it started to lull the little one to sleep, but all too quickly the vestiges of sleep burned to smoke as a loud cry erupted from the table.

Splinter looked down to see one of his children flailing around, unconsciously smacking his brother in the face. Oh, that one was going to be a fighter! The brother's unceremonious cry of response set the chain of cries blaring anew. Splinter sighed. This wasn't working. If he wanted to get them to sleep it had to be all at once.

An idea suddenly sprung to life in his mind. He set the turtle in his arms back on the table with his brothers. Clearing his throat, he began to sing. Softly, sweetly. Just like she used to.

"Lullaby and good night, with roses bedight
With lilies o'er spread is baby's wee bed
Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed
Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed"

Slowly, the children began to quiet down. He smiled, remembering the way his wife had once sang this exact same song. Out of a thousand Japanese lullabies, she had chosen this one English song with which to send their young daughter off to sleep.

"Lullaby and goodnight, thy mother's delight
Bright angels beside my darlings abide
They will guard thee at rest, thou shalt wake on my breast
They will guard thee at rest, thou shalt wake on my breast"

He hummed as the children yawned, their eyes closing to sweet slumber at last.

She had chosen the perfect song.

With the tune still straining across his lips he quietly backed out of the car. Though slumbering now they would soon awaken and when they did he vowed he would have food for them. He had been blessed with a second chance to be a parent. A second chance to have a family! And by the lullaby he sang and everything in him he swore that he would not waste this chance.

With the final notes of his song the door slide shut. And Splinter prepared to provide for his family, both now and forever more.

Author's Note: Hi hi everyone! Sparkles here with the newest TMNT fanfic! YAAAAAY~! This is a fic devoted to the love, the trials, and the hilarity of family! Specifically the family of everyone's favorite bunch of turtles! There will be laughs! (Lots of laughs since you know it's me) But there will also be some more emotional chapters since, of course, both laughs and tears are part of what it means to be a family.

Though the next chapter and maybe some of the following will be more or less in chronological order, the story will eventually start skipping around, going from infant to teen years to childhood and everywhere in-between! But don't worry. I'll probably tell you what period of time we're in at the start of the chapter. Most of the time that is. ;D

Anyway, I would love to hear what you think of this latest story! Thank you all so much for reading, and, as always, have a super happy day! LOVE YOU GUYS~!