Donatello couldn't help but giggle as he watched the scene play out before him. Raphael was having a horrible time trying to dress his niece. Breakfast was a disaster, Grace threw up on Leonardo and while Raphael was laughing at him, accidently poked the bottle nipple up Summer's nose, which resulted in her screaming so hard she started to turn a shade of blue. Donatello had intervened at that point and took Summer off an increasingly uncomfortable Raphael and ordered that he look after Grace while Leonardo took a shower. Grace had some vomit on her little jumpsuit, so Donatello had suggested he change her and put the soiled clothing in the wash. Raphael had reluctantly agreed, peeling off Grace's suit while trying to avoid getting vomit on his fingers and ever so slowly, removing her nappy. Raphael recoiled in disgust as Grace smiled and clapped her hands at him, cooing. Raphael curled his lip and he took a baby wipe and began to clean up the mess. It was at this point Donatello couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" Raphael glared.

"Oh nothing, it's just that my big, macho brother Raphael is so freaked out over something a small as changing a baby's nappy,"

"Hey, I am NOT freaked out, just grossed out, K' Don? There's a difference," Donatello rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. You're doing it wrong, though," Raphael paused and turned to look at his purple clad brother. Donatello returned the look.

"What? You're wiping her back to front, you're supposed to wipe front to back," Donatello stated, as a matter-of-factly. The brothers looked at eachother in silence for a moment.

"You wanna do it?" Raphael held the baby wipe toward his brother.

"What? No!" Raphael turned back to his giggling niece.

"Yeah, that's what I thought,"

"I'm back," Stated Leonardo as he stood in the doorway of the nursery.

"Oh good, here, you can take over babysitting duty," Raphael threw the baby wipe in the nearby bin and stormed out. Leonardo kept a straight face and set to work tidying Grace up. He dug around the pile of clothes on the table and found another jumpsuit. He expertly pulled her little arms and legs into the suit and buttoned it up. He picked Grace up and smiled.

"Since when did you become such a pro at changing babies?" Donatello asked, curiously. Leonardo pulled a face.

"Since everybody else around here refuses to learn?" Donatello looked down at Summer almost guiltily. Leonardo rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry about it, I'll change her too," Donatello shot his brother a grateful look as they swapped the babies they held.

"Alright, playtime now Gracie!" Donatello grinned at his niece before taking her out to the makeshift playpen in the loungeroom. He set her down and grabbed the television remote. He flicked through the channels till he found an appropriate children's show. The girls might've been a little young to fully grasp what was happening in television shows, but Donatello was sure a little educational television anyway wouldn't hurt. Grace began to commando-crawl across the pen where a pile of stuffed animals were. Just as her little green arm reached out to the smiling pink bear, an anxious looking Michelangelo stumbled into the room.

"Mikey, you OK bro?" Michelangelo met Donatello's eyes, but said nothing.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine… Just a nightmare," The purple clad turtle nodded understandingly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" A sharp pang of sadness pierced Donatello's heart as Michelangelo looked down and shook his head, a small teardrop rolling off his cheek and falling to the floor.

"Mikey-"

"I said I'm fine Donatello," Michelangelo snapped before turning sharply on his heels and returned to his bedroom. Donatello sighed as he sank on the lounge. Leonardo came in with Summer and set her down in the playpen while shooting a sad look over his shoulder to Michelangelo's room. He joined Donatello on the lounge.

"Is he OK?" Leonardo asked although he knew the answer. Of course his little brother wasn't OK. After losing his love, his soulmate, his other half in the circumstances he did no one would be 'OK'. Then to find himself with twin daughters completely dependent on him, it was no wonder Michelangelo wasn't himself.

"No. He misses her Leo, he misses her bad," Donatello held his head in his hands.

"Honestly, I think he needs her. She brought out the best in him, and he hasn't been the same since…" Leonardo placed a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I know Donnie. I really hope Mikey can move on," Donatello shook his head, still in his hands.

"I don't think he will, Leo. Honestly, I think he'll just learn to cope without her. She meant everything to him,"

"I disagree," Donatello looked toward Leonardo.

"You remember what things were like when he first brought the girls here?" Donatello nodded.

"He was so aggressive, worse than Raph. He wasn't even taking care of his children," Leonardo nodded.

"Yes, and remember his fight with Raphael? Somehow that hothead got through to him, and he started to take responsibility for them. I think those girls are going to be his lifeline," Donatello nodded, absorbing everything Leonardo had just said.

"I hope you're right, Leo. I just don't want him to do anything stupid…" Before Leonardo could respond, Raphael's voice sounded from behind them.

"He won't. Trust me, after I found him night, I made damn sure he wouldn't be trying anything again," Donatello frowned at the memory. Michelangelo was indeed still in a dark place, but maybe Leonardo was right. Maybe Summer and Grace were the reason he needed to go on living. Knowing better than to argue with Raphael, Donatello just nodded.

I know this chapter took a darker turn toward the end, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. Please leave a review and tell me what you liked/disliked about it!