Parrot

Or

Taming Raph's Mouth

Rated- R for some swearing. Actually a lot of swearing but the censor would only allow some to be posted. This might even be a fic that could be posted as PG 13 but to make sure that no one is offended I placed in R to be on the safe side.

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonian.

……

Mike sat on the floor by the coffee table in their living room keeping a close and loving eye on his two year old daughter, and helping her play with a few of the toys on the table top.

Ramiela was a turtle much like he and his brothers were but she was also half human, though it had been quite some time since Rama's mother had left the lair to return to her own family, though Shay often sent letters and cards to Mike and Rama to let them know what she was doing.

Rama had inherited her mother's high cheek bones, hair which was short and dark framing her round turtle face, and five fingers on each hand and five toes on each foot, at the age of two her legs were still a bit chubby and not quite straight but when she stood up she would come just over her dad's knee pads.

At the moment she was content in play nattering away in baby talk. Mike wasn't paying a great deal of attention to her endless chattering just enough to know when to respond to something, he had learned a lot of her conversation had little to do with any one else.

Suddenly Mike thought he heard Rama say something that she shouldn't but he shrugged it off putting it down to not really heeding her words and maybe she meant something else entirely.

However a few seconds later Rama repeated the word, and this time there was no doubt in Mike's mind that she had said what he thought. Even if there was room for error Rama's following words quickly cleared that up.

" Dammit beepin hell."

Mike gritted his teeth as he heard these words spew from his daughter's mouth. He mused inwardly that he and Raph would be having a talk about this, for Mike was fully aware that Raph was the only one in their clan that said such words with any consistence for Rama to pick them up.

Also Uncle Raphie was Rama's favourite Uncle she loved him, and Mike knew Raph loved Rama in spite of his protest otherwise. Rama spent a great deal of time with Raph or at least as much as Raph himself would permit.

Don had jokingly said that Rama was in her parrot stage, " Meaning Mike that she is at an impressionable age, where she will repeat or do anything she sees or hears us doing and then will play it back. Not necessarily at the appropriate times either."

Now it seemed as if Rama was parroting the worst of Raph's vocabulary.

" Like your terrible two's aren't bad enough now you talk like that" Mike muttered. Rama was in that terrible stage where she fought for independence wanting to do things herself or having her own ideas about things, to make matters worse were all the temper tantrums that Rama would throw herself into.

She would scream at the top of her lungs, kick, hit and any thing else in an effort to gain her way.

" Damn" Rama said softly as she tried placing a square peg in a round hole.

" Rama you don't say that word." Mike informed her firmly.

" Unca Raphie does." Rama announced.

" Not for long he won't not when I get through with him." Mike grumbled a bit " I don't want you saying it Rama."

Rama glanced at her father and to prove she could and she would say those thing began saying the word over and over again in a sing song voice. Ending her chant with the one other word she had picked up from Raph.

Mike picked her up in his arms and immediately the toddler began to howl a protest as he packed her to her room, he plunked her down on her bed and turned to leave shutting the door " You can stay in here until you learn to behave." He scolded gently as he shut the door seconds before the child slammed into it.

" No!" he heard her piercing yell and heard her foot connecting with the door to start off this temper tantrum.

Mike sighed and shook his head " And this morning was going so well." He reflected, " I don't think I have a daughter I have a demon child" he murmured to himself as he heard the pounding on the other side of the door increase with her yells.

Mike knew that Rama would calm down when left to her own devices, he also knew these fits of hers were always worse when Rama had an audience, so when ever she started a temper tantrum she was taken to her room until she could behave.

……

When Mike finally got Rama down for her afternoon nap, after hearing the wonderful words Uncle Raph had taught her numerous times he decided that enough was enough and it was past time to confront Raph.

He found his brother sitting in front of the television munching potato chips.

" Raph"

" Yeah Mike?" Raph asked not even turning from the screen engrossed in the wrestling match.

Mike strode in front of the TV and snapped it off.

" What the beep are you trying to do Mike?" Raph roared as he found the remote and flicked the power back on " I was watching that!"

Mike crossed his arms over his plastron and planted himself in front of the screen so that Raph could see very little of the match " And I would appreciate if you watch what you say around Rama Raph." Mike announced.

" You are going watch your beeping head get punched in if you don't move in a second bro," Raph threatened narrowing his eyes.

Mike wasn't about to stand down in this matter " Look Raph I don't need my little girl talking like a sailor, so keep that language to the rest of the sewers or to the streets where she won't hear it" he ordered.

Leo came into the living room from the dojo he had heard the raised voices and was stunned to know that Mike was pushing this argument with Raph, considering the long time friendship, but having overheard a bit of the conversation he knew that Mike could be quite serious about what he wanted for Rama.

" This is my home too and I'll talk any damn way I please" Raph growled.

" It is also our home and most of us don't care for it besides Splinter…"

" Aw curse," Raph spat " If I want to hear your cursed opinion I'll rattle your beepin shell, Mr. Perfect."

Leo rolled his eyes and continued as if Raph hadn't interrupted him " Doesn't approve of that sort of gutter talk. Just because we live in the sewer doesn't mean you have to talk like it."

" Great so I'm suppose ta lose freedom of speech all because of Mike's two year old?" Raph grumbled cursing under his breath as he did so, " sides wha'd ya spect me ta say when the kid jumps me in the morning?"

" How bout good morning?" Mike suggested.

" Get the censored out of my room also works." Raph snapped irritably " Not all of us want to be up at the censored crack of dawn."

" Don't spend half the night or more roaming topside then." Leo smirked.

" Listen if Mike doesn't want Rama saying these beeped beep things then maybe he ought to punish her when she sys them. I have nothing to do with the whole friggin' thin any way."

Don had entered the living room in time to hear this last statement of Raph's, " Actually it would be very difficult for Mike to discipline Rama and have that stick with her while you continue to set a bad example." Don explained kindly.

" If I want your input I'll let ya know genius" Raph snorted with contempt. " Why can't Mikey here just tell Rama those are expletive big people words. I don't see why the hell I have to beeping give up the way I talk, when you all have been living with it for these many years without a beeping problem."

Don sighed " there is a problem with your solution Raph because a child learns from example, so it would be almost impossible for Mike to convince Rama those words are bad, while you continue to say them" Don paused, " Also punishing her will do little when she realizes you aren't punished when you say them."

" So whose gonna try punishin' me surely not you, you flippin' censored pansy." Raph sneered Don's way as he pulled a sai.

Don's only response to that was to allow a small smile to cross his face " Come on Raph it might be worth extending your vocabulary over a hundred words."

Mike chuckled at what Don had implied while Raph shot a scathing gaze towards Don looking very much like he was ready to pummel his passive brother out of his shell.

Splinter came into the living room his gaze taking in all four of his sons as well as detecting the tension that was in the room, one look at Raphael's features contorted in anger as he glared at his brothers was enough to let the old Master know that, the other three were going after their brother on some subject.

" May I ask what your current disagreement is about my sons? It seems three of you are in accordance and one is not," Splinter stated as he moved easily over to his chair.

" Master, I simply asked Raphael to watch his language as Rama is picking up some of his words that I really don't feel is appropriate for her" Mike explained quickly.

He was sure Splinter would know what he was talking about, even though Raph was usually very careful about saying such things around Splinter, for Raph knew his Master didn't care for such language either.

" Leonardo, Donatello, what of you two?" Splinter asked turning to eye the two in question.

" I was siding with Mike on this. Raph says it is his home and it is, but he ought to respect other's wishes and not all of us want to hear such things on a regular basis." Leo justified.

Splinter then turned his calm penetrating stare on Don as he waited for his other sons input.

Don grinned as he came around the couch and sat down in the one other armchair " I was only trying to explain to Raph why it is that Rama will continue to use these words if he does, no matter what Mike might do to stop it."

Splinter nodded then turned to look at Raphael who had sank back further into the cushions of the couch the hostile stubborn look on his face speaking volumes in itself " Raphael what is your opinion on these matters?"

" I live here too no ones given a damn about how I talked before this. Now all because of Rama, hell a two year old mind ya I just got to stop it" Raph fumed bitterly.

Splinter scowled " Can you not find other ways of expressing yourself?"

" And be as borin' as Leo you mean or wordy as geek boy here. Hell Splin…"

Raph didn't finish before Splinter's walking stick was raised and struck him on the shoulder. " I have told you before Raphael that those words can not help you find inner peace. I have allowed all of you though to find your own path but you also need to be mindful that we must always respect others wishes in our home." Splinter spoke quietly his whiskers twitching slightly, " there is a baby in our home now to consider and so we must all be more careful of the things we say or do, so she will not come to harm. Michaelangelo as her father has a right to set down rules and ask that we help him maintain these rules for her." Splinter sighed, " Children need consistency so it is very important that we respect and honour the rules that are set for Ramiela."

Mike smiled as he walked over to the couch, he knew Splinter pronounced Rama's full name the way it had originally been meant to as Ra-Me-La but he and his brothers had found by saying it quickly it came out sounding more like Ra-Ma-La and that was how Mike ended up giving her, her short name of Rama in the first place.

" Look Raph it was different when we were younger, and we were willing to put up with that sort of trouble but you are nineteen now and Rama looks up to you, so you have to help by setting the right example for her."

" You're her father, you set the example" Raph grumped

" Have you heard nothing we have said Raphael? Have you closed yourself off that much from the rest of us?" Splinter wondered, " We have all ready said that all of us must set the example for Ramiela to follow."

Raph sighed wearily it seemed he didn't stand a chance the family was in agreement on this one, just once, he thought to himself, just frigging once I would like a family meeting to go my way!

" So what you guys plan on punishing me or washing my mouth out or something?" Raph grumped, " Good luck! I am a little big for that case ya didn't notice."

Splinter smiled his tail twitching a bit on the floor " It will not be punishment but discipline Raphael. Michaelangelo will discipline Ramiela as he sees fit. I will see to it that you will discipline yourself if I have to take you to the mats to do so," Splinter arched his bushy eyebrows as he said this " then I will do so and I will make it much worse for you if you wish it to go that way" he declared.

Raph gazed in utter astonishment at the rat's words, sure Splinter wasn't as fast or good as he had been years ago when he had trained them, but he wasn't that slow or feeble either. Raphael was fully aware that Splinter was still capable of throwing him, or doing some damage if he wanted to, the fact Splinter rarely did it meant nothing.

If Raphael did not discipline himself he had a feeling Splinter would be putting him through some very gruelling lessons in the dojo.

" So what sort of discipline are ya talking about Splinter?" Raph wondered.

Splinter smiled a bit his eyes giving away none of his intentions " Every time you swear and one of us hears it you will do twenty flips. However every time Ramiela swears you will do thirty flips."

Raph could hardly believe what he heard " What the fuck do you mean by that?" he snapped.

Splinter laid back his ears " Twenty flips" he responded simply before explaining his reasons " If you did not swear around Ramiela she would not know the words to say, so you have taught her well perhaps by being forced to do flips when she says the things you have taught her, you will be provided the incentive to be more careful around her."

" I'll be in the dojo all day and most the night doing flips," Raph complained.

" Then you will have good incentive for stopping your habit. Everyone needs support and incentive to give up bad habits." Splinter agreed with a nod of his head. Splinter steepled his hands under his chin a smug smile playing on his whiskery face " thus you will learn discipline."

" Why can't I just cuss in a different language?" Raph wondered grasping at straws in a vain attempt to get out of this fix.

" I don't want Rama cussing in any language Raph" Mike snapped.

" We also don't need Rama swearing in front of a guest in a different language in a few years time."

Raph snorted " She isn't even allowed near guests." He reminded Leo.

It was another of Mike's rules to not let guests know about the young turtle in their midst.

" We can't keep her hidden forever and you know that. It is just a safety precaution for now" Leo remarked knowing full well the truth of the matter.

Plain and simple most of their guest were not the trustworthy sort, they were people down and out on their luck and the turtles gave them a helping hand in hopes of getting the person a second start. The whole family was fully capable of handling a guest, even under extreme circumstances.

If a guest though were to find out of the toddler then things could change Rama couldn't defend herself and if a guest took her hostage the family would have to be more careful about handling the situation.

So the entire ninja family went to great lengths to hide the fact that there was a child in their midst. Still as Rama got more mobile and vocal keeping her hidden would not be easy. Of course as she grew older she would be trained as well.

Raph groaned, " Why is it the kid swears and I'm the one in trouble here?" he asked.

" Because you started it Raph" Mike replied.

Splinter chuckled " Now let us see if you can put an end to it as well my son. Meanwhile you still have twenty flips you must do."

Raph groaned as he heaved himself up and headed to the dojo without another word, he had a feeling it was going be a very difficult time for him and he only hoped that his niece would unlearn those words as quickly as she had picked them up.

TBC