Toddler Turtle Tales

Part 4

Raphie the fireturtle.

Disclaimer: Welcome back to part four of Toddler Turtles. I finally have gotten round to good ol' Raphael. After this I will continue to do some more – when I get round to it. I am currently doing my practicum for uni, so please understand if I am late getting things up. I am busy writing up lesson plans.

Also please continue to Read and Review, thank you so much to those who have – as a new author to fan fiction it has encouraged me greatly to keep writing. So I am not the only one who understands my humour. Thank you everyone.

Oh and no I don't own the turtles, I just love the concept of Toddler Turtles and think it would make a great concept for a TV show. Until someone else bothers to produce it (If that is to ever occur), then I will continue to enjoy my own version.

Snow floated in the air and the wind was turning noses red, from the cold air swirling around the streets of New York. Most residents were safety indoors and curled up by the fire or in bed under a pile of blankets.

Those who did brave the weather were snuggled up in their warmest coast and wore beanies and scarfs. Only their eyes could be seen on the people walking the streets, as they were covered from head to toe. Children had the day off school, so the only people who were out were those who had to get to work or those who had no home to go to.

Down in the park, a father and his four kids could be seen playing in the snow. Two of the boys were building a snowman that looked more like a turtle, while the other two kept pelting the others' with snowballs. A snow ball went flying through the air and hit the smallest ball on the face, he screeched and his father could be heard telling the one who throw it off, as the little one was comforted.

"What did I say about the snow balls, do not aim at people's faces, Raphael?"

"He's got goggles on!"

"Do you want time out?"

"No, Spina," Raphael replied, just as a snow ball got him.

"Hey! No fair! I wasn't deady!" He ran after one in a purple snow jacket and tackled him to the ground and began to wrestle him in the snow.

"Raphael! Donetello! Stop! I don't want you to catch a cold! Remember what I said about not letting you get too wet."

"Yeah, get off me, Raphie," Donetello shoved his younger brother off him and ran towards the snow turtle.

"What do you think of our snow-turtle Splinter?" the child in blue asked.

"I think it looks wonderful Leo. I never thought naming my four sons after artists would reflect on your talents so much."

"But you said Donnie was the one who did sculptures. Not Leo, he just painted some old lady," The one in an orange jacket said.

"Well, when we get back, maybe we can check the books I got you about your artist."

"My artist was da bestest, Cos he painted upside down."

Splinter laughed, remembering when he explained to his youngest about Michelangelo the painter and the Sistine chapel. Mikey had gone off and the next day Splinter entered the kitchen only to find paint everywhere and Mikey under the table, paint dripping onto him from the roof of the table. He wasn't too pleased at the way his youngest had decided to re-paint the kitchen, though he couldn't find it in his heart to get too angry at him. Especially when it was a hilarious site, Mikey covered in paint, under the table and three finger and toe prints scattered everywhere in orange paint. From that day on, Michelangelo had become the orange brother.

"Na, I'm the best one, cos I painted the most famous picture."

"Yeah and I read in your book that you chopped off an ear!" Donnie giggled at his brother.

"Did not!"

"Did too."

"Did Not!

"My sons, let us not have arguments please, I thought we all wanted a nice day out in the park. Though we must be getting back to the lair soon, the snow is getting heavy."

Splinter stoped and looked around.

"Where is Raphael?"

"I'm here!" Came a voice from behind.

Splinter looked round and could not see his son.

"Where? Raphael, this is no time to play hiding games, please reveal yourself."

"Ha, ha, me ninja. Me not be seen."

"RAPHAEL!"

"Oh I am in the tree Spina. See, watch this," As Raphael climbed higher into the tree.

"Come down at once!"

"But it's nice up here! I can see lots of things. Hey I can see that statue lady from here!"

"Hey, let me see," Leonardo ran to climb the tree.

"Leonardo, no, do not encourage him. Raphael come down now or you won't get any apple pie at dinner."

"Oh, you big fat purple meanie." Raphael jumped down.

"Thank you, now I think it's time we went back and you can all have a nice warm bath."

"Can we have bubbles?"

"Yes, you can have bubbles Mikey."

"Yeah, Spina the best daddy in da world!"

As Splinter and his boys walked back home, suddenly they saw a nearby building catch alight. A young child's voice could be heard coming from within the building.

Splinter looked at his sons, "Go to that tree and stay there, do not go anywhere until I come back. Leonardo I leave you with full responsibility of your brothers. Go, I won't be long."

Splinter took off over the road and into the blazing building, while all his four sons could do was watch with fearful eyes. They had never really seen flames so big before, and then sirens could be heard coming towards them. The youngest three clutched onto Leonardo, as out of the flames came Splinter clutching a child. He brought the child into the nearest lamp light near the four boys, as he checked all her vital signs. When the little girl began to cough, the source of the sirens drew into the street. Splinter sat the child up and before the fireman could pull up, Splinter and his four sons had hidden themselves in a bush.

"I say, Joe, look what we got here, a youngie", one of the men said as he walked over to the little girl under the lamp post. "I think we need an ambulance," as the man picked up the girl and wrapped her up warm in a blanket, while the other fire fighters began to fight the blaze. The four turtles watched the action before then, never having had to witness such action in real life. They had seen things on television, though never in front of their very young eyes.

"Will that little girl be alright, Splinter?" Leonardo was the first to whisper.

"I should think so; she is in safe hands now."

"Why couldn't you bring her to live with us?" Mikey asked.

"You know what Splinter said, we're different to human people."

"Donetello is right, my child. Please let us get going, before we are spotted."

"Can't we stay to see if they get the fire out?" Raphael asked, not turning away from the action.

"I think you have seen enough, besides your body temperatures must be getting to unsettled, I would feel much better once I have gotten the four of you in that nice warm tub and into warm clean clothes," He put his arm around his son in the red jacket.

"Everything will be alright now, the fireman know what to do. Let us go."

They all snuck off without notice and back to the warmth of the lair and Splinter began to fill the big old bath tub with warm water, as he helped his four young sons to peel off their layers and get into the warmth of the water. He also handed Mikey the bubble bath bottle to add the liquid to he bath. All four boys began to play with the bubbles and Donnie had his toy speed boat, which he always kept by the tub and they all watched the boat weave in and around each of their shells.

Splinter, then went to make hot coco for when they had finished in the bath.

The next morning started as usual, everyone ate their breakfast and because it was Saturday the boys knew they did not have any lessons with Splinter. They were free to choose their activity. Leonardo and Donnie went off into the tunnel outside their home to race their boats. Michelangelo was busy watching TV, while Splinter sat in his chair reading an old newspaper.

Raphael on the other hand was going through the recently brought back treasures from the dump. He was scrounging for particular items that he could use in a game he wanted to play. He managed to find a small cut of piece of hosing; it wasn't the best piece of hosing, though it would do. Next time he went to the dump with his family he would look for a better one.

He also found an old hat Leonardo had brought home, it was a sea captains hat. Raphael went and made a paper badge and stuck it with sticky tape to the hat. He was set.

He ran out of his room and into the main living area making siren noises. "Eor eor, eor".

Then a lovely sound of someone slamming on the brakes, just centimetres from Splinter's tail.

"Joe, we have a fire in the lounge room, a long rat's tail is ablaze. Quickly get water to the area." Raphael pulled the pipe round from his shell and pretended to put the fire out.

Splinter looked at his son, "How did my tail catch on fire?"

"Because you were naughty and playing with matches and that's bad."

Mikey looked up from the TV, "Splinter is the only one here who uses matches, because he's a grown up. He's not silly; he wouldn't put a fire on his tail."

"Mind your own shell Mikey!" Raphael ran off to fight another fire, this time out to his older brothers and their boats.

"Stop! Stop! Fire! I'm da fireman!"

"Your not a man!" Leonardo replied, as Raph pushed him and Donnie to the ground and began to put the fake fire out on the boats.

"Dar, I saved you life." Raph turned round to fall both his older brothers.

"Raphael, you're not a fireman, you don't have great big red truck," Donnie said.

"And you are a turtle not a man."

"Okay, I'm a fireturtle – happy Mr perdect?"

"You still don't have a truck."

"I'll get one, don't you worry."

"Yeah and what you going to do, go and steal one from the fire brigade?"

"Don't give him ideas Don; you know what he's like. He might actually go and do it."

"Leo, do you really think Raph would even know how to steal a fire truck? He can't drive? He probably can't even climb into it."

"Shut up Donetello!"

"Hey you said a naughty word, I'm telling Splinter."

"No I never," as Raphael ran after Leonardo.

"Splinter..."

"No I never!"

"Raphael told Donnie"

"But Donnie was picking on me!"

"Shut Up Raphael!"

"Leonardo!"

"Ha, ha, you said a naughty word, Leo said a naughty word", Raph jumped about the room and over to Splinter. "He's naughty, he said Shut up!"

"Raphael!"

"What?"

"Both of you go to time out. Leonardo – over to that wall, Raphael to the other side of the room. Do not look around and do no ask if the time is up. I will tell you when your time is up. Go!"

"What I do? It was Leo! He said it."

"Then you said it, and I am guessing you said it before you both came in here to Donetello." Splinter looked at Donnie in the doorway.

"You two been bad." Mikey said as they walked past. He got death stairs.

"I been good."

"Yes, your being a good boy Mikey. I think you and Donnie will be the only ones having your ice creams at dinner tonight."

"But Donnie was mean to me!" Raphael piped up from the corner.

"What are you suppose to be doing? I thought I said no talking to you."

"But, he was!" Raphael cried.

"Enough or I will make your time longer."

"Not fair!" Raphael kicked the wall.

"Another five minutes."

Later that afternoon it was the boy's favourite part of the week. It was going to the dump and looking for treasures. Raphael was especially looking forward for things to make his fire truck out of. He would show his brothers he could get a fire truck, even if he had to build one from scratch. He was even lucky to be going on this trip, as he had been in trouble twice before lunch, though Splinter did not like leaving one of the boys behind when going on long trips.

At the dump, they found wonderful things. Leonardo found a foot pump that worked; he took that so they could pump up all the balls that were going flat at the lair.

Donetello found yet another four radios for him to pull apart and even a walkie talkie, which he thought once he put batteries in he could use.

Mikey found some old comics and even a toy car.

Raphael on the other hand, was near Splinter, trying to find something to make his fire truck out of.

"Spina, what can I get for my fire truck?"

Splinter looked over to Raphael, and stroked his goatee.

"Well my son, what do you think of that big box over near Mikey?"

"Yeah, but how can I make it into a fire truck?"

"See if you can find any little wheels and maybe a steering wheel?"

"Yeah, but what else?"

"Here, what about this really long rope – could that be the hose?"

Ralph's eyes lit up, "Yeah!"

"I will roll it up and you bring that box over here and we can put all your things in it to make your fire truck when we get home."

At the end of the expedition Raphael happily carried his items home, with the help from Splinter. At home, Raph dropped the box and ran to get his red tin of paint and a paint brush. He began to paint his box red, when Donetello came over.

"Can I help you build that?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You're a mean brother and if you help make it you will want to use it. It's my fire truck, go make your own!"

The next day the fire truck made out of an old box, pram wheels, a training wheel for steering, a rope for a hose and tiny ladder made out of paddle pop sticks made up the fire truck. Raphael raced round the home putting out fires here and there. His favourite place for fires was Splinter or Splinter's room.

"I keep saving you!"

"Thank you, Raphael", Splinter couldn't help saying, after having been told to get out of his chair, as it was on fire and go sit somewhere else.

Then there was the time, Michelangelo was apparently on fire, as he played with his broken action figures. Michelangelo even got into the spirit of the game and said he needed an ambulance and be taken to hospital. Raphael picked up his brother and gently dragged him to Splinter – who was then told he was the hospital.

Leo and Donnie tried to join in at times, but due to their attitudes the day before, Raphael refused to let them play with him. Mind you, towards the end of the day, their room was on fire, but Raphael told them they had both died because they hadn't called the fire truck on time.

That night as Splinter tucked his boys into their beds, he went to say good night to Raphael. "Was I a good fire turtle today?"

"Yes you were very good. You saved a lot of people."

"Yeah and you were the best person to save, you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because you saved us when we were babies and I want to do the right thing and save you back." With that Raphael rolled over and went to sleep. Splinter was stunned to hear something so deep and touching from his usually egocentric son. It was almost like a thank you to Splinter. Hs whiskers twitched as he smiled.

"I love you too, my little fireman."