April's aunt was away for the weekend business trip. April was going to visit her turtle friends, but it was heavily snowing. So she opted to stay home with hot chocolate and movie. She covered herself with a blanket and flipped the TV on.
It was getting to the best part of the movie when her t-phone went off, "hey Leo what is it?" she asked.
"You said your aunt is away this weekend right?" he asked, she heard a hint of panic in his voice.
"Yeah why?"
"We lost power in the lair because of the storm, we can handle it but...Mikey...we don't want him to get sick, can he stay with you until Donnie gets-" Leo stopped when the sound of screaming could be heard in the background.
"What that Donnie? Is he okay?" she asked.
"Uh yeah I think so...so can Mikey stay?"
"Yeah sure, but my aunt is coming home Sunday afternoon, so he needs to be back in the lair Sunday morning, It's Friday," she told him.
"Well it's something...Donnie should have it up by then," Leo said, "Raph and I will be over with Mikey soon,"
"Be carful," she said.
The three older turtles were all bundled up with clothing April got them. Leo and Raph tugged their hoods over their heads and headed to the surface, it was still fairly lightly out, but Mikey needed to be warm. They reached April's apartment. The human girl opened her window to let in her mutant friends. Leo was holding Mikey who had fallen asleep while Raph was holding a bag that was filled with Mikey's things.
"You guys sure you don't want to stay here, I have plenty of room for all of you."
"Thanks, for the offer, but we can't take the risk. It was tough decision bringing Mikey up here," Leo said with a sigh, "once we get the electricity back on we will call you. I don't even know how he will react to being away from home, if he is too much don't hesitate to call."
April put her hand on her friend's shoulder, "Don't worry I got it, it's Mikey I got him," she said taking the turtle into her arms, he was starting to wake up.
"Donnie left you a nice long list to look at, I would ignore it if I -" Raph stopped when he got a glare from Leo.
"He left you signs for potential hibernation, and what his body temp should be," Leo said.
Mikey looked at his brothers. He opened and closed his hands wanting to back to Leo.
"Buddy you need to stay here with April okay?" Leo said.
Mikey began to whimper, "it's okay you like April, and I have this," Leo pulled out a purple mask from his belt.
A smile crossed Mikey's face and he began to chew the mask.
"Donnie said that would help," Leo ran a hand over his head, "we have food and some toys in the bag," Leo said before heading back out into the cold with his brother.
April sighed this was the first time she was truly alone with Mikey. This was her first time caring for someone else besides herself. She raised the heat in the apartment for him so she took off some layer of clothing. The blanket he was wrapped in she laid in the ground for him to play one. She then took off the jacket, hat, and mittens, but she left the sweatshirt and socks on him.
April looked in the bag for some toys, it was not much just a stuffed bear and some blocks. April looked at Mikey who was trying to stack blocks. She did not having siblings and Mikey was like a little brother to her. The turtles and Splinter really have been more of a family to her than her own. She never knew her mother, her father was captured, all she had was her aunt, but she never really knew her before he started living with her.
April looked at the turtle playing. She only grew up with her dad, much like the turtles. She never knew her mother. Mikey took one of his blocks and threw it at her, "Mikey! No throwing!" April said sharply. Mikey looked at April with tears in his big blue eyes, "sorry! uh," she picked Mikey and placed him on her hip. He clung onto her and she gently bounced him, "see all better," she said smiling, "yeah see?" she looked at Mikey while he pointed to his mouth, "you hungry?" Mikey nodded, "okay so what do you eat? Never saw you eat, they said something about food," Mikey blinked at her, "I will just call your brothers," April pulled out her t-phone and dialed Donnie's number, "hey Donnie, what temp should I heat Mikey's milk up to?"
There was a long pause on the other end, "Uh milk? Oh! he doesn't drink milk. There should be some liquid algae in the-"
"Wait. You feed him algae!? That's disgusting! I'm giving him milk!"
"NO! I don't know if his body can handle the calcium," Donnie said.
"You guys eat pizza and that has cheese one it," April said.
"Yeah, but the cheese is cooked, that's different," Donnie explained, "just give him the algae, and if it's too thick add water, no milk."
"Okay, okay I got it! Can I give him crackers or something?" April said, he needs more I have graham crackers."
"Yeah that's fine," Donnie said, "how is he?"
"Mikey is good, he threw a block at me, though,"
"Oh he's hungry. I am trying to get him to point to mouth instead, but if you don't pay attention he throws things at you...uh usually it's at Leo...Sorry April I have to go get a bandage for my fingers."
"What what?" it was too late the turtle hung up. Mikey tipped his head to one side as he tried to reach for he bottle, "Okay here is your algae," she said holding bottle to his beak. Mikey began to drink the liquid algae, "That is so gross," she said.
April walked over to cabinet and pulled down a box of graham crackers. Mikey was holding the bottle by himself. She set him on the blanket and took some crackers and broke them up. She showed him, he opened his mouth and looked at her. This was something un familiar feeding someone. She placed the cookie in his mouth. Once he finished it he opened his mouth again, this time he pulled her hand into his mouth. April laughed, "no you can't eat my hand," and she broke up some more cookies for him to eat, "yeah you like them?" April stopped when the phone rang, "hi auntie," April greeted, but since April stopped feeding him Mikey started crying, "no it's just the TV," April said trying to quiet Mikey, "no everything is fine, yeah it's still snowing, not the heat is not on too heigh, yeah okay I will, bye." April sighed, "that was close," April handed Mikey more crackers, but he rejected them, "oh no Mikey really? After all that you don't want them anymore?" She sighed again as Mikey giggled.
April found a channel that was showing a kids shows to keep Mikey entertained. She never realized how much work kids were. She could not imagine how her dad did it by himself with work, let alone how Splinter did it with three in sewers. It was not long before Mikey was curled up sleeping, sucking on Donnie's mask. April picked up the sleep turtle and brought him to her room. She had already pushed her bed against the wall so Mikey would for fall out, she would lay on the other side of him. She laid his head on a pillow and brought his blanket over him. April got into bed her self and covered her and Mikey with another blanket and then she laid her arm across the turtle. Mikey found her fingers and held onto them. April never had a sibling or even a cousin, the time she was spending with Mikey was very special for her.
April yawned as she woke up she was surprised Mikey did not wake up in the middle of the night. "Morning Mikey," she said, but when she looked down all she saw was a shell, "Mikey!" April started to freak out. What happened...is he sick? Why won't he come out, she called his name. She reached over to her t-phone and called Mikey's brothers.
Before April could even say hello Donnie talked first, "is something wrong?" he asked panicked, "I can send Raph."
"Well he is in his shell I think...I mean I see the skin...but not head or arms or legs...I tried-"
"April, calm down, that's natural. We turtles go into out shell for protection. Mikey is in a new environment or something scared him in the middle of the night. Also since we are mutants, I know I have done it, we will go into out shells to keep warm. If he does not come out in a few hours rub his plastron."
"That's good, I was worried," April said.
"Other than that, how is he?" Donnie asked.
"He is good, he slept well. I am just wondering what I will do with him today."
"Raph and Leo didn't give you his blocks and bear?"
"No, they did, but that's it?"
"Pretty much, he will watch TV, he likes coloring a little bit. Call me if you need anything. I am hoping to get the electricity back today," Donnie sighed, "uh thanks April, means a lot to me...to us...that you can watch him."
"Oh no problem, I love Mikey, he is like the baby brother I never had."
"Okay bye," Donnie said.
April sighed as she hung up the phone, "and you are like the older brothers I never had." April sat next to Mikey. She began to rub his carapace. She was lost in thought. She never would have thought the people she would be closest with were not humans, they were four mutant turtles and a giant rat. All five of them meant a lot to her, she could not imagine her life with out them. When she was younger she always asked her dad for a little brother. As she got older she knew it would not happen, but now it did, he was just a mutant turtle.
April looked down to see Mikey slowly coming out of his shell, "good morning little buddy," April smiled, but Mikey hid behind his hands, "you want some breakfast?"
Mikey looked up and her and opened and closed his hands. April picked him up and carried him to the kitchen. April reached into the bag and took out another bottle of algae and then went to get the crackers he liked. She put the broken crackers in a bowl, "can you feed yourself?" she asked. Her answer was Mikey opening his mouth, "I know you can do it, please for me? You are a big boy." Mikey stuck out his lower lip and fed himself, "see I knew you could do it."
April sat on the floor with her back to the couch. It was a going well April was enjoying her time with Mikey they were just playing with blocks and watching TV, but he seemed content with that. At one point Mikey crawled into her lap, he leaved his head back and looked at her. April took her finger and gently tapped his nose causing the small turtle to giggle like crazy, "you like that?" April wrapped her arms around Mikey, "oh Mikey I just love you. You don't know how much your and brothers mean to me. My world fell apart when my dad was captured. You guys were there for me," April started to cry, "Mikey I miss my dad. I don't know if I will ever see him again."
Mikey twisted himself around in April's arms and reached his hands up and tried to rub the tears off her cheeks. Then he took his fingers and forced her lips into a smile.
April gave a light smile, and held him closer, "Mikey, it's been over a year, nothing...I saw him once...I just want my dad back."
April just finished giving Mikey his lunch, she brought some paper and crayons for him color with. She placed her hand down behind him to look over his should, but she not realizing she placed her hand on his tail. Mikey whipped his head around and hissed. "Did you just hiss at me? Can turtles even hiss?" She looked at Mikey who had tears in his eye trying to rub his tail, "Oh! Mikey I am so sorry!" She went to go reach for him, but he tucked himself in his shell. "Mikey I'm sorry! Please come out!" April picked up the shell and slowly rubbed his plastron in a circular, "come on, please come out. Mikey I'm sorry," April sighed as her t-phone rang.
"Hey April," Donnie said, "I got the power back, we will be coming to get Mikey soon,"
"Okay," April said a little sad the small turtle was leaving.
"April are you okay?"
"Yeah I am fine," I am fine she said smiling, "um turtles can hiss?" she asked abruptly.
"Well in the wild when they are scared, wild turtle don't have vocal cords and when they get scared and go into their shell, they need to make room for themselves so air is expelled out, so they may fit into their shells, it sounds like a hissing sound. He is not angry he is scared. Mikey is the only one of us I know of who has hissed...I know I never did and I never saw Leo or Raph do it."
"Oh okay," she said, looking at Mikey.
"Did you touch his tail?" Donnie asked, "and is he in his shell?"
"Yeah," April said, "I did what you said rub his plastron, but nothing!"
Donnie laughed, "just give him time he is mad. When he is mad he will go into his shell. He will pop out soon, if you give him food all will be forgotten."
"Thanks, I will see you soon then," She said. Once she hung up she walked over to Mikey holding cracker, "Mikey," she said in a sing-song voice, "I got a yummy cookie." April waited as Mikey slowly came out of his shell to take the cookie, "all better?"
Mikey shook his head and pointed to his tail. April sighed kissed her finger and gently touched his tail, "better now?"
Mikey smile and nodded, "okay well your brothers are coming to get you soon, so let's pick up your toys and get all bundled up it's still cold out.
Ten minutes later April heard a knock at her window, Donnie was at the window with Leo and and Raph behind him.
"Mikey, look who's here!" April said with a smile.
"NN!" Mikey cried out reaching his hands out to be picked up.
"Almost there," Donnie said taking him into his arms, "you will be talking in no time," Donnie turned Mikey to see April, "so say thanks to April," Donnie said, but Mikey turned into Donnie's shoulder, "you are not shy, say bye-bye to April,"
"A..pr..il..." Mikey squeaked out.
"Mikey? Did you just say my name?" April said.
"April!" Mikey said.
"Well well, April wins the prize, brainiac here has been trying to get Mikey to say his name or any word for that matter,"
"Wait that's his first word?" April said.
"Yeah it is," Leo said.
"Wow!" April smiled, "well bye Mikey, you can back anytime!"
"Once again, thanks April," Leo said slinging the bag over his shoulder.
"No problem," April said as she watched the turtles climb out the window.
Once they were gone April smiled wide, her name was Mikey's first word, it simple and maybe stupid, but she felt special.
A/N: this was written for a April centric contest on deviantART, wish me luck!