Disclaimer - Don't own any of them but Lindy.

A/N - OK, I have to give credit where credit is due. I have to give big thanks to Brinatello, who, if it weren't for, this chapter wouldn't have happened. She had the brilliant idea, and shared it with me, and I only hope that my writing of it lives up to her brilliant thinking. Thanks, Brina, you're awesome!

Chapter 18 - Thinking Outside The Playpen

"I don't know how we let it get so dirty…" Don scrambled to pick up blankets and books that were scattered on the floor.

"I'll tell you." Raph grunted, lifting the chair up so he could detangle a toy that was caught underneath it. "One word: Mikey."

"Hey!" Mike protested from his place underneath the side table. "It's not my fault that April decided to come back a day early.

"It's all our fault it's this messy." Leo said, dusting the lights. "Now let's just hurry, please?"

Raph grunted in response to that, but continued cleaning.

"You're gonna cheer up a bit before she gets here, aren't you?" Mike looked over at Raph.

"What?" Raph looked over at Mike.

"Well, you've just been a tad grumpy the last few days and…" Mike was cut off by a look from Leo.

"That's it." Raph threw down the toy he held, which made a squeaking noise as it hit the ground. "You guys can finish up. I'm obviously not in the mood for cleaning." With another glare towards Mike, he walked out the door, slamming it as he left.

Mike winced when the door slammed. He looked back to see Leo glaring at him and Don shaking his head, looking at the ground.

"What?" He asked innocently.

Leo just sighed.

"Nothing." Don said. "Let's just get this all cleaned up, huh? I don't want to be on my feet all day…"

"Your leg bothering you?" Leo turned to his brother in concern.

Don shrugged. "It's sore. But that's to be expected… I'm just putting more pressure on it for the first time in a month…" He shifted to get more comfortable.

It was quiet for a few moments before Don began talking again.

"You know, I hope April doesn't think we're mad at her." Don mused thoughtfully. "She left so quickly last week."

"You don't think that has anything to do with Mr. Personality in the other room now, do you?" Mike joked.

Leo threw Mike a look. He sighed, looking down. "I may have been a bit hard on her, too." He said. "But I really don't want her to get hurt." He shook his head.

"I really think it was the shock of her saying it, that's all." Don added.

Leo nodded, then looked around the room. "Guys, I think we've pretty much got this cleaned."

Mike whooped, then threw his arms into the air. "All right! And we still have hours before she gets here. I'll see you guys in a bit." With that, he ran out of the room.

Leo and Don looked at each other and shook their heads, smiling.

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Michaelangelo winced as Lindy let forth another earsplitting scream.

"Did you try that thing she chews on?" He asked, looking over at Don, who was pacing with Lindy, and Leo, who was following behind, trying to make Lindy laugh; anything so she'd stop crying.

"Yes." Don said, patting her back some more. He was beginning to get anxious. Why wouldn't she stop crying? Then his eyes flicked to the door. Raph already was in a bad mood. If Lindy kept this up…

"Come on, angel." He whispered soothingly to her. She took a deep breath and let out another yell.

Don looked at Leo, who shrugged.

Mike stood, giving them another look. "I'm getting a headache." He said. "I need some aspirin." He turned to leave, then looked back. "Want me to bring the bottle down?" He smirked, then left to go up the stairs and into the bathroom. "Maybe we should be buying it wholesale!" He called back down the stairs.

Don shook his head and looked back over at Leo. "Leo, look, you really don't need to be here. Nothing's calming her down and I don't want you to have to …"

But Don cut off as the door opened.

Raph came through, his eyes narrowed.

"That's it." He growled as he stomped through the room. "I can't take it any more." He reached Don, who by now had stopped pacing and was staring at his brother.

"She's drivin' me nuts." Raph said, then grabbed Lindy from Don and went into the kitchen.

Don turned, wide-eyed, and looked at Leo.

A few moments later, Lindy's cries quieted and the house was silent.

Don opened his mouth once, then closed it.

He looked at Leo. "What do you think happened?" He asked.

Leo just shook his head.

They both turned as Raph came back into the living room and handed Lindy to Don. He looked down at her. Her face was still red, but she was quiet, and she rubbed her eyes sleepily.

Just then Mike came bounding back down the stairs.

"Hey, all right!" He exclaimed, walking back over to the couch. "She's not crying anymore."

"You're right." Don looked down at Lindy, and then back up at Raph. "How… How did you do that?"

Raph stopped on his way back to the kitchen. "I, uh… It was nothing." He said, then turned to leave again.

"What did you do, Raph." Leo said, stopping Raph in his tracks again. He sighed and turned back to face his brothers.

"Look, it was nothing, Leo. I just, uh…" He then mumbled something that the others couldn't hear.

"What?" Leo crossed his arms.

"I just…" Raph sighed again. "Look, if you put whiskey on baby's gums, it'll stop 'em from hurting when they teeth*."

The silence in the room was deafening. It was broken, however, when Mikey dropped the bottle of aspirin that he was carrying.

"You… You what?" Don stuttered. "You gave… you gave her whiskey?" Raph looked at him. His face had gone pale and he looked as if he were about to drop Lindy.

"Well, I didn't let her drink it, if that's what you mean." Raph shook his head. "Look, you just put a little on your finger, then rub it on their gums… I read it somewhere."

Don put a hand up to his mouth.

Raph looked to Leo, who looked as if he were trying very hard to figure out something to say.

"You… you read it somewhere." Leo said finally.

"Yeah." Raph retorted.

"Where, on the back of some bottle? Raph, how could you do something like this?"

"What?" Raph said, confused. "Look, all I did was try and help her… It didn't do any harm…"

"Help her? Help her?" Leo shook his head. "Help her what? Become a drunk like…"

"But it worked." Mike interrupted. "And look, she's sleeping. Non-traditional or not, his method worked."

Leo shook his head.

"Where did you read this, Raph?" Don asked softly.

"Some book." Raph said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's not enough to hurt her, Don." He shook his head and his voice dropped a little in volume. "You have to know that I'd never do anything to hurt her."

Don nodded. "I… I do. It was just a bit of a shock to hear it, that's all." He grinned. "I didn't mean to sound angry, Raph, I just…"

Raph waved him off. "Ah, forget about it." He glanced at Leo, who was still looking at him with an angry look in his eye.

"And besides, I got to tick off Leo here without even saying anything directly to him…" He turned to Leo. "Hey, Leo, you know, that remedy can work for grown up babies, too. If you need any help…" Raph smirked, then went back into the kitchen.

Finally, Leo exploded. "I can't believe that he…"

"He was reading up on finding ways to help her, Leo." Don interrupted.

Leo stopped.

"Unconventional or not, his reasons for doing it were purely noble." Don grinned.

"I can't believe it worked." Mike said, flopping down on the couch.

Leo looked at Don. "And you're not mad."

Don shook his head. "No. I, well, I was. But, I think that was more the shock of hearing it than anything. But, I trust him, implicitly. If he says that it won't hurt her… that little amount won't, Leo."

Leo simply 'hmmmed' and looked at the kitchen door.

"I wonder what other tricks he knows." Mike sat up suddenly. He stood, then walked over to the kitchen door. "Who knew Raph was 'Nanny of the Year?'"

"Dare you to call him that to his face." Don smiled.

"Really?" Mike perked up. "And if I do…?"

Don thought a moment. "If you do and live through it?" He said thoughtfully. "Then I'll tell you what you win."

Mike grinned wickedly and went through the kitchen door.

Don looked toward the window. "Hey, I hear a car. I think April's here."

Don walked up to Leo. "Think Mike's gone out the side door, or through the window?" When Leo said nothing, Don sighed. "Look, Leo. Raph knew something we didn't. No big deal. I …" He stopped, as the kitchen door re-opened.

Mike reappeared, looking a little flustered.

"Well?" Don turned towards him. "Did you tell him?"

Mike nodded wordlessly.

"And…?" Don prompted.

"Well, first he threatened to kill me, but…"

"But what?" Don asked, getting exasperated.

"But then I swear I saw a smile on his face…"

To be continued….

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A/N - OK, OK. No one flame me here. That does indeed work on teething babies. And while I've never tried it myself, it does work. So I'm not condoning any way-underage drinking…