Part two
Disclimer: I don't own the turtles! But take my hat off to their creators. This is not your usual turtle story. It's Raphael being a big old softy. But it's cute and well – I want to see how the turtles react to a toddler in the house. PS. They don't know how old the baby is yet – we do know she can talk. But the end of this chapter if you know child development – you probably don't need me to tell you how old she is.
Oh and Gabby is 100 my creation – so there you go.
When I was young……
Splinter lead his four sons through the sewers to an old part which to them seems familiar though they had not been in for years.
"Do you remember this area?" Splinter inquired to his sons.
"No, why where are we?" Leonardo asked.
"This is where you four grow up. In here was where you took your first steps and then started to get too big for this small space – so I moved you all to what we now call our home."
"So you saying we once lived here?" Don looked around the small room, and saw a wall with red scribble on it.
"Yes – see that scribble – you did that Raphael when you got your first crayon set." Splinter pointed to the markings.
"Hey what's this?" Mikey held up a rather big plastic object.
"That was one of your baby toys. I think once we give it a wash it will be alright for this little one here to play with. Make sure you bring that rubber kitten too – that was your favourite," Splinter informed his youngest.
"So this place is like the museum of our earliest days in the sewer?" Don asked his father.
"Yes my son. Over there you used to play for hours with a little hammer toy – until I had to take the hammer away because Leonardo and Raphael would hit one another with it."
"Hey look at this little weagon and the baby trike!" Leonardo cried as he bent down to see the blue trike with it's faded lettering of "Leonardo".
"Was this mine?" Leo asked.
"Yes, I got you that the birthday before we moved. You always made me put your name on your toys." Splinter informed the oldest.
"So why we here Splinter – just to get the toys?"
"No, a baby needs more than toys my son. She will need a change area – though I am hoping that she's a lot easier to change than a baby with a shell!" Splinter stated. "I was pleased the day you four were toilet trained."
"What else?"
"Well if you go in there, Don you will find an old portable cot. Can you bring it out for me please?"
Don quickly got hold of the cot and pulled it out.
"This place is cool Splinter – why didn't you bring us here before?" Mikey played with the mobile that he'd found.
"I have not had the need to before," Splinter simply stated.
"Um… Splinter – we got any diapers?" Raphael asked, screwing his face up as he felt a movement in the diaper in his arms.
"They are not very good, but they will do until we can ask April to get us some new ones." Splinter said, handing his son a nappy bucket full of faded nappies.
"Um splinter – do I have to put these pins on her?" Raph held up a pin in the shape of a duck.
"What is wrong with it? The baby won't mind if it 's a duck or not."
"No – I am just scared of hurting her…." Raphael blushed as his brothers snickered at the fact Raphael was scared of changing a diaper.
"I shall guide you my son, you three – take these things back to the lair, Raphael and I will change this young one's bottom and we'll be there shortly. Mikey can I leave you to clear those toys for her?"
"No probs!"
Splinter talked his son through the very first nappy change. Poor Raph couldn't belive the mess a young thing can create. He was shacking the whole time he held the pins and managed to stab himself, but not the baby.
"Excellent my son. I really think you were born to look after a young child. Well done. Now when we get back to the lair, use this little tub to bath her."
"Sure." Raphael got hold of the baby's bath.
"Raphael, do you want to name her?" The old rat said as they headed back.
"Um.. well I guess a name is better than just baby hey?"
"Yes."
"But I don't know any baby names – let alone any girl names. Well I know April and Irma – but I don't want to name her that."
"Think about it, it took me ages to come up with all your names. In the end I just took the first book that I found to help me name you. I think I did alright – you all seem to match the name you were given."
That night Raphael got up every time the little baby cried. It wasn't too hard – the port-a-cot was placed in his room. Towards the end of the night, Raphael gave up putting the young girl back in the cot and just tucked her under the blanket in his bed. It was only then that they could both sleep soundly.
The next morning Raphael could feel a small finger tickling his chin.
"Don't", He mumbled.
"Dadda."
Raphael's eyes flew open.
"Hey, thought I told you my name was Raphie. Can't you say Raphie?" He said softly to the adorable little girl curled up in his arms.
"Dadda", the little girl pointed to the big turtle.
"Okay – since you can't say it – I guess I can't argue with those big brown eyes. Heck you are cute aren't you. How could your Mummy leave you like that?"
"Mama go".
"Huh? You remember your Mama?"
"Dadda stay", the little girl's eyes looked scared that she would be left alone. It was as though she knew she had been left and Raphael was the one to take her home.
"I'm not gona leave you baby. Dadda is here." He kissed the little girl – who imeadiantly light her face up.
"You remember yoru name?" He asked the child. If she could remember her Mama – maybe she could remember her name.
The child looked blankly at him.
"Ok – well let me just got find a book and we find you a name. I can't keep calling you baby." He got off the bed, the little girl immediately held out ready to be picked up.
"Okay sweetie, come with ol' Raphie and we find you a book." Raph walked out into the turtles' livng area. He did what was unusual for him – went straight for the book case. He tried to find a book that was not too long – until he found a faded old book that he'd grow up reading every year when he was a child.
"Okay – lets see what the Baby Jesus' mama is called, see if you like it."
"Dadda book"
"You want me to read it to you?" Raph was puzzled, he didn't think people read to babies.
"Okay – since you asked for it," Raphael began to reads the story to the little girl in his lap.
"Now Mary was visited by the angle Gabriel to tell her of the good news.."
"Gabby", The little girl said.
"Yeah Gabrielt is an angel from heaven, see", he pointed to the picture.
"Gabby."
"What? You like Gabby do you?"
"Gabby book."
Raphael chuckled, "So your name is Gabby is it?"
"Gabby love Dadda." The little child smiled up at the big green turtle.
"Morning Raph, Morning baby," Mikey came past and crouched down to greet the baby in Raphael's lap.
"Her name is Gabriel – Gabby for short."
"How do you know?"
"I just do. Her name is Gabby, Ain't it?"
The little girl nodded and smiled, "Gabby!"
"Hey cool – Raphael, Gabriel – it kind of sounds the same, don't it.." Mikey smiled at his brother. He was enjoying the new family member – he was kind of jealous yesterday when the baby called his brother Dadda. He would have loved to look after her – but once he'd seen Rapheal changing her diaper after dinner – he was happy to just be Uncle Mikey.
"You want some breakfast Gabby – Uncle Mikey cooking pancakes yum, yum." Mikey rubbed his tum.
"Yeah!" Gabby cried, taking both turtles by surprise.
"Okay – think we'll go eat pancakes. Come on Gabby," Rapheal stood to carry the child, who wriggled until he put her down.
"What?"
She grabbed his hand and stood up and walked leading her "Dadda in green" to the kitchen.