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Raphael hoped no one noticed how his hand trembled slightly as it reached down for his notes on the floor. He grabbed them, tried to harden up his hands, and sat back up. He held a fist to his mouth like the others had and coughed. Then he gripped the papers with both hands and grit his teeth. I just know I'm gonna screw this up.

"Dad … I know … I know …"

He stopped, closed his eyes, and desperately tried to forget the six other bodies sitting around him taking up the space and air he longed for at the moment and listening to every sound he made and watching his every move. He tried instead to pretend he was speaking to an empty room.

A gentle voice from across the table slowed his heartbeat some. "Just speak the words on the page, my son …" At least, that was what the 'words' said, the tone and candace of the voice said "breathe very slowly, Raphael" as it had many times, when Sensei tried to teach him to control his body, thoughts, and emotions.

Words burst out of Raphael. "I know you've always been there for me! I know I'm not the easiest student in the world! I lose my temper, and I don't know why you always tried to make a ninja out of me when I'm more of a brawler. I don't know why you didn't try to kick me out of our home once I was big enough to fend for myself more or less. But ya didn't. You always tried to teach me the same things you taught my brothers, even when it didn't come easy to me. But ya also let me have some things to myself, like the weight bag you dragged down into the tunnels and helped me fix with different chains and some duck-tape. You knew I wanted one, and you got one for me. So, thank you for that. Thanks also for not getting angry back at me most of the time, even when I nearly brained Mikey with a pipe and the others had to stop me. Even then you didn't … you didn't yell or chew me out afterward, just … just warned me … I … I know you don't get mad like I do. And when you do it's over us getting hurt or almost getting hurt or going dangerous places … So thanks for that. I don't know why … we got ya that day, instead of just being left to fend for ourselves. I don't know if we woulda made it, maybe, but it woulda been way different. So, I'm glad … I'm glad, you're our father … Thank you, Sensei …"

Raph put the paper down. He stared at his empty plate. He sighed. There … I know I screwed it up, but at least it's over now.

Meanwhile, the others stared at him. Finally, there was a slight sound of a chair scooting back. Perhaps the chair was usually noisy or its occupant didn't mind being heard. The small, stooped form went around the table to stand in the little area right in front of the living room beside the table the others still sat at. Then the form of the little, stooped rat spread his arms out. "My sons, come here."

The four turtles stood, staring at him and went forward. They all fell on one knee before him in a line like they'd been trained to do it most of their lives. Perhaps they had. The spread-out arms of the rat then encircled them at their shoulders and drew them toward his chest. They let them.

The two humans watched as some droplets appeared beneath the tight-shut eyes of the rat. He took in a slow, deep breath. "You, all four of you, are worth every bit of trouble any of you have ever caused me, though you all have caused me some." He chuckled to himself. "You are all unique as your gifts to me show. I may have tried to turn you into a cohesive team of ninja, and a family, but that does not mean I want you all alike. I am amazed at how many different kinds of good things I got that day I saw the jar with all of you it in break, and then gathered your goo-covered forms up into a coffee can to take home with me. I believe it was the best decision I ever made, other than perhaps sneaking into Tang Shen's kitchen, for that also set me on the path to finding all of you."

Raph seemed to sigh in relief. He was echoed by his only "older" brother who set his blue-masked head onto the rat's shoulder, "Thank you, Sensei."

The rat replied, "You are very welcome, my sons, so very, very welcome." April, and even Casey, smiled a bit at the scene. A tear left April's right eye.

What do you think?

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes