Time for some quality time with Shen & some of her sons.
######
Shen laughed, rolling her eyes fondly as she leaned her shell back against the couch. Her youngest son was making himself comfortable against her, in a full on sulk. "Let me guess, you've angered your brother, Raphael?"
"He was being a jerk, mom!" The blue eyed reptile replied, his pout growing worse by the minute. "I just wanted to hang out!"
"Sometimes Raphael needs time to himself, dear." She rested a hand against the top of his head, gently stroking the bald smooth skin. "He's growing up."
"Growing up doesn't mean he's gotta be a butt!" Mikey blustered, though his pout was fading at the calming affection from his mother. "You and dad don't act like that."
"But, we do need time alone. Everyone needs solace. You take time to yourself as well." She leaned over to press a kiss against his forehead fondly. The fourteen year old relaxed at that. "He shouldn't lash out, certainly, but he needs time for himself. Just as much as you need your comic book time."
"Yeah…" He pressed his cheek against her shoulder, deflating fully from his sulking. "I guess you're right."
"He'll come find you when he wants to be with you. He's just having a hard time now. This is the time in your lives when you're becoming more independent."
"I doubt I'll be that moody though."
"I doubt it as well. You're my little ray of sunshine after all." She tickled his plastron playfully, earning a laugh from the young teen. He squirmed around falling off the couch and rolling across the floor. "Mooooom!"
####
"Woah, mom-" Donny's fingers fumbled to hold onto the book in his grasp, chewing at his lips as he skimmed over the title again. "Where did you even get this!?"
"Now that is a secret my dear." She answered with a laugh, miming locking her lips and throwing away a key. "You were speaking of it so excitedly, I thought I should find it."
Donny flipped it open, skimming through the pages. It was an important textbook, one of the best ones on the market for advanced engineering students. It wasn't the most modern edition, but it was still valuable.
He snapped it closed, setting it aside to stand up and hug his mother. The older mutant laughed softly, gladly returning the affection. "My days of surface dwelling are soon to be numbered, so I thought I could splurge a little for my boys."
"Geeze, mom." He pulled away, rubbing the back of his neck uncertainly. It was still odd to look at her and see her looking less human by the day. The green scales had been slowly creeping along her skin, leaving patches on her shoulders and arms. Bones shifted and her human face was changing into something that looked like their own.
Donny felt guilty at times, wishing he could fix it for his mother. If he was smarter, better, quicker witted- he could help her and their dad be human again.
Apparently his thoughts were clear enough for his mother to read on his face, a careful hand settling against his cheek. "Don't worry about what I was. Focus on who we'll be in the future."
"You're as bad as dad…" He grumbled back, leaning into the touch.
Tang Shen laughed, "I would say we're two of a kind, but I like to think I can out pace that old rat."