Disclaimer: I don't own them.
Lunar-Ninja- Alas… it's Raphael's job to make Don go nuts. He's pretty darn good at it if you ask me. I'm not sure if only fish have air bladders. I learned about it in fish camp and I naturally assumed hat semi aquatic turtles had them too though I think you may be right… I'll have to look that one up. Thanks for pointing it out though and thanks for reviewing!
Tbreader- (Giggles) Hello and welcome! Don't worry about the guide dog thing… I'm trying to get the guys to explore all their options. I really struggled for awhile on weather or not I was going to give Raph a dog to help him or not (not an official guide dog mind you… just a well trained street dog) but in the end I opted for… oh I'll just make you read it and find out. Thanks bunches for reviewing!
Chibi Rose Angel- Yes Kevin is back and he will appear a few more times but only in small places here and there. I really didn't want to bring a new person into the turtles' lives with this story so I'm trying to minimize his role as much as possible. Leo is being a bit of a butthead but as you'll see he's got his own way of dealing with this. Kevin's sister was so much fun to write. I don't even know why I came up with that but I did and I was giggling like a mad man while writing it. Thanks for the review!
pacphys- Raph enjoys giving Don a hard time I think. It adds spice to his daily routine. Drat! Sorry about the 'it' thing. I beta my own stuff so I know a few things are bound to slip through the cracks. I appreciate you telling me though. Everyone seems to love Kevin! I originally planned on having the guys meet up with the butcher next door to Kevin but for some reason or another I didn't Thanks for reviewing!
BubblyShell22- I was just wondering because like I said before I love guide dogs… I have yet to meet one in real life but I hope to this summer. I would suggest that your boyfriend get a guide dog but it really is all about preferences and how much you really like pets. Then there is that whole going away for a month to get trained thing… although I'm told that it's a good time. Thanks for the review!
LenniluvsBrian- Hello and welcome aboard! To answer your comment about guide dogs… they all have a bit of multiple personality disorder. They know that when they are in the harness that it's time to work and there is no time for messing around but outside of the harness they act just like normal dogs. They are very social dogs so they do need a lot of care and attention. Thanks bunches for the review and I hope to hear form you again soon!
Isis-Lament- Isn't it weird to see how people think they'd react? I really don't think I hit the nail on the head quite right but maybe by the end of the story I'll be closer. At first I was going to have Mike be the blind one but after I saw Raph and Lone Cub hat all changed. Thanks for the review and I hope to hear again from you soon!
Raph, couldn't sleep again. He had turned in just before Don got home, tired from his sleepless night before. The realm of dreams had called him and he got to sleep with out a problem but now he was awake again. Raph was used to waking up in the middle of the night only to roll over and see he still had a few hours to sleep and konk out again.
Tonight he awoke from a relatively dreamless sleep and rolled over as was his normal routine only to find he couldn't see the clock. Listening carefully, he couldn't hear any movements outside his door and figured it was still the dead of night or early morning. So he sighed and tried to go back to bed but the failure or change in color when he closed his eyes bugged him to no end. It was like sleeping with the light on, closing your eyes didn't help any.
Now hours later he tossed again as he tried to claim some sleep for himself. He was dead tired but when he lived in the dark it was like sleeping in the dark wasn't good enough anymore.
He rolled over again with a slight growl, and briefly entertained the thought of trying to read some more. That book was cursed though. Four days and he had only made it six pages. He could now recognize the letters 'a' and 'I' without referring to the chart but he still wasn't any Helen Keller. He turned down the idea though. He wanted sleep and reading wasn't going to help him get it.
Instead he felt gently around his wounded arm. It had started hurting like the dickens after he fell on it and he had no doubt popped a few stitches. When he was fighting with Leo he tried to be the old Raph and storm off. He had forgotten about his impairment though in his anger and lost face for it. Once his leg healed he would be able to storm off again but it wouldn't keep him from tripping over things. The second he fell Leo went from high and mighty 'why'd you do it' leader to instant big brother nurse. Well it wasn't going to happen anymore. Raph didn't want anymore help from his brothers. As of today he would go back to doing things on his own, without help.
These thoughts rolled through Raph's mind until finally he could hear his family moving around in the lair getting ready for morning practice. This seemed to settle him. He rolled away from the door, muffling some of the noise and dropped back into a deep, well needed sleep.
"Raphael!" Splinter called sharply. Raph stopped dead in his tracks and cringed slightly. He turned in the direction of his voice, spilling forth an explanation before he could be chastised anymore.
"Don said I could use the crutches today Sensei! I swear! Ask him!"
Splinter shook his head.
"No Raphael I know. Where have you been all morning?"
Raph straightened up when he figured out he wasn't in trouble.
"Sleeping." He stated simply.
"Now that Donatello has permitted you to be on your feet I insist that you attend morning practice with your brothers despite your injuries."
"Aw Sensei! What am I gonna do for four hours?"
"Meditate. Once you have healed completely you shall go back to regular practice, but for now you shall meditate while your brothers practice."
Raph let out a noise half between a growl and a sigh. He hated meditating and he really didn't want to go all comatose the moment he woke up for four hours straight while his brothers tried to knock each other's blocks off. But Splinter wasn't about to be ignored and the last thing Raph wanted after his disgraceful fight with Leo last night was another round with Splinter.
"Do I have to?"
"Do you need to?" Splinter asked back.
Raph let out another frustrated sigh. That question coming from Splinter translated into. 'It'll be good for you.'
"I'll meditate in the morning Master Splinter."
Splinter smiled and gave a slow nod of his head.
"A wise choice Raphael."
Raph continued on his way to the couch as Splinter padded softly out of the room. He felt around for the remote for a good few minutes but couldn't seem to find it so instead he hung his head back, feet on the coffee table, and closed his eyes. Mike came running through the living room, skateboard in hand, dressed up in his topside gear.
"Hey Raph." He called as he headed towards the door. "If anyone asks I went topside for a bit to visit with Kev."
"'a'right" Raph muttered back. Remembering why he was sitting there doing northing, he sat up and called to Mike who was already halfway out the door.
"Hey Mike, where'd the remote go?"
Mike turned and quickly spotted the remote on the floor next to Splinter's chair. He grabbed it up and tossed it Raph's way.
"Catch." He had turned around and was headed towards the door again before he realized what he did when he heard the remote clatter to the floor. He turned again slowly to see Raph with his arms folded, not even trying to search for the remote he had failed to catch.
"Oh sorry bro." He scooped it up again and dropped it onto Raph's lap. "Forgot."
Raph sat there for another second before he picked up the remote and pitched it across the room. It's speedy flight was abruptly stopped by a wall. The controller broke into small pieces as it fell to the floor. Raph got to his feet. This time he was more careful in finding his crutches and hopping off to his room again. Losing face in front of Leo was bad but he couldn't lose face in front of Mike.
Mikey stood with a pained expression on his face as he heard Raph's door slam shut. His shoulders slumped slightly and he ducked his head a bit. He walked into the kitchen and scratched down a quick note that he was going out . He hung it on the fridge and headed towards the door again.
Raph may be in the bad mood of all bad moods but it wasn't going to stop him from going out. After all he was doing this for him.
Mike hopped across the tiny stream of scumy sewer water flowing down the middle of the tunnel and hopped on his skateboard. If he was fast he would get to Kevin's ten minutes before noon. He'd have a little time to waste before Kevin's lunch break.
He was speeding off on his skateboard when a flash of green came across his peripheral vision. Doing an about face and nearly falling off his board from the momentum, he peered down the tunnel to see Don crouched down working on something. Stepping on his board to flip it up into his hands Mike ran up to Don.
"Hey Donny. What chya doin?"
Don sat back, trowel in hand.
"I'm reshaping the tunnel here so the water runs away from the lair. The problem is getting the cement to stay at the right angle while it dries. I tried mixing it thicker but it still slides down, just more slowly. So I have to sit here and scrape it back up until it dries.
Mike nodded and gave a fake yawn.
"Boring!" He gave Don a pat on the shoulder as he hopped back on his skateboard. "I feel sorry for ya Don. I gotta get goin or else I'm gonna miss Kevin's lunch break.
"Wait, your going topside to see Kevin? Why?"
But Don's question was lost on Mike's ears. He was already turning the corner to the main tunnel, but he flipped a hand up in an awkward wave.
Twenty minutes later Mike arrived breathless at Kevin's office window, he slid it open and let himself in.
Kevin wasn't there yet but Mikey could hear his voice just outside the door conversing with someone.
Looking around he saw what seemed to be a pretty ordinary office, ordinary meaning deadly boring. A desk situated in the far right corner of the room, sat covered in neatly stacked papers, caddy corner to the small window he just entered through. Two large filing cabinets stood in the corner behind him to his left. These too were neatly organized little labels stuck to the front of each drawer announced what was held with in. To the right of the door upon walking in was large unidentifiable office plant that was a cross between a leafy tree and a tall bush. It was probably fake Mike surmised as he continued his survey of the room. Just beyond the plant in the far right hand corner two oak book cases stood perpendicular to one another full of books.
Mikey moseyed over to where the desk was and plunked himself down in the comfortable office chair, propping his feet up on the desk. Just then Kevin's voice on the other side of the door got closer as the knob turned slowly.
"Alright Joelyn. I'm taking my lunch break now but call me when she comes alright?"
The door opened and Kevin backed into the room. He turned as he closed the door. The turtle in his chair didn't register as he scanned the room but a quick double take had him scared out of his wits at seeing someone else in his office. He let out a short squeak of surprise and feel back against the closed door.
"Nice space dude. A little on the uptight side but nice."
"Michaelangelo!" Kevin hissed. "Must you scare me like that every time?" He didn't even wait for an answer as he continued with his questioning. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought we agreed on you coming over after I was done with work."
"Well yeah but I figured we could do some stuff now too. You do get a lunch break don't you?"
"It's so I can eat. Besides what can I ," Kevin stopped midsentence as there was a knock at the door and it cracked open. He broke out in a cold sweat as Mike searched wildly for a place to hide.
"Dr. Broody?"
Joelyn, Kevin's secretary, poked her head through the half open door.
"Um… yes? What what is it ah Joelyn?"
Joelyn could see Kevin was sweating like a hog and his face was beat red. Concerned, she stepped into the office, opening the door the rest of the way.
"Are you alright Kevin? You look terrible!"
"Yes," Kevin's voice cracked slightly. He yanked at his tie, loosening it's choke hold around his neck. If Joelyn turned and looked up she would see a mutant turtle balanced between the top of the open door and the ceiling. "I'm fine." He gulped.
Joelyn rushed to his side and placed a hand on his forehead.
"Don't kid yourself Kevin. You look like your about to keel over!"
"I'm fine Joe. Ah, what did you want?"
"Your one o'clock appointment just canceled. I was going to tell you not to hurry with lunch but maybe you should just take a nap instead."
Kevin watched as Mike hopped from his perch and slipped out the door.
"I'm fine. Thank you Joelyn."
Joe nodded in acceptance and turned to leave the office. Kevin sat holding his breath, half expecting a scream to ricochet around the building. He sighed after a few moments of silence but that comfort was short lived. A tap on the window caused his breath to catch in his throat. He turned in his chair wide eyed, to see a grinning turtle tapping at his window.
He unlocked the window and stepped back so Mike could get in.
"Dude you need to get a bigger window." Mike complained as he slipped through the cellar style window. "My shell almost doesn't fit through."
"Do you have to scare me every time you came around?"
"Hey I tried." He protested. "I broke and entered and I knocked. Face it dude. You're just a scaredy pants."
"Mikey you almost got caught! I have a right to be scared."
"Aw I was fine Kev." Mike patted his back and sat on his desk. "Although you could use a few more hiding places in here, a huge chandelier, a couch or something. Anyways Dude, it looks like you've got enough time to show me some things after all!"
Kevin put a hand to his head. How did his life ever get like this?
"Alright." He said after a minutes. "Let me eat a quick lunch then I'll show you a few things."
"t's alright. Take your time." Mike hopped from the desk top to the top of the filing cabinets. "I'll wait."
Kevin only nodded. He knew for a fact that Mikey would wait. He would wait forever, just not silently. In a record time of ten minutes Kevin's lunch was down his throat and digesting in his stomach.
"Alright Mike." Kevin sat back in his chair as he wiped his mouth with his napkin. "What kind of stuff do you want to learn?"
"I donno what kind of stuff is there to learn?"
"Well what is Raph having trouble with now?"
"Well he flipped out just before I left the Lair cuz he didn't catch the remote when I tossed it to him." Mike offered.
Kevin chuckled in return. "That's a bit hard to start with. Even listening for sounds bouncing off still objects is hard. Catching projectiles for a normal human would be nearly impossible. What else?"
"He over filled his cup at dinner last night, got pretty mad about that." Mike tried again.
"That I can fix." Kevin grabbed a glass from his desk. "Just put a finger inside like this. When the liquid you're pouring hits your finger you know it's full."
Mike thought long and hard, trying to come up with things that Raph had or was going to be having trouble with.
"Telling time. I heard him up the last two nights in a row moving about for a few hours. I don't think he knows what time it is."
"Another fairly simple one. I'll be right back." Kevin jumped out of his chair, which Mikey quickly took and rushed out of the room.
He came back holding a stack of magazines.
"These are catalogs for buying things for blind people. There's something in one of these that should help Raph providing he does learn Braille."
He flipped through each of the catalogs until he found the item he was looking for.
"Here," he said as he pushed the book towards Mikey. "It's a Braille wristwatch. There's a cover that protects the raised dots from wear. It's pretty expensive but it's worth every cent."
Mike's eyes traveled down towards the price of the watch.
"Sixty bucks." He whispered.
That was a lot of money for his family, but he would earn the money for it some how. If Raph needed it he would get it.
"Can you order it? I'll have the money by the time it gets here."
Mike pushed the magazine back towards him and Kevin nodded that he could get it.
"So what else do you wish to know of Mighty One?" Kevin joshed as he began to relax some more.
For the next hour and a half Kevin taught and Mikey listened. At the end of their time Joelyn paged 'Dr. Broody' on the intercom to inform him that his next appointment was here.
Mike let himself out the window and told Kevin he would be back later that night. As he walked home he wondered how exactly he was going to come up with sixty bucks. He had twenty now and that was hard earned. He vowed to himself that somehow he would come up with the extra forty.
Mikey entered the lair to find a quite unusual sight. Fighting quietly just outside the door leading to his lab were Don and Leo.
"You're just going to make him mad." Leo whispered harshly.
"Well he needs to learn how to use it sometime." Don answered back.
"He's having a hard enough time without you adding to it."
"Oh so like your lecture was just a pep talk gone wrong?" Don's voice became angrier as he spoke.
Mikey jumped up beside them and put on a huge disarming smile.
"Hey guys! What's up!"
The only answer he received was both turtles giving each other the death glare.
After a few seconds of silence Don decided to change the subject.
"You missed lunch Mikey."
"Yeah," Mike scratched his head wondering just exactly what he had missed.
"I was talking with Kevin. I'll get somethin later."
Mikey's face brightened up as he suddenly remembered something.
"Hey guys, how much money do you have?"
Don shrugged.
"None."
"I think I have ten. Why?"
"Cool I need it."
"What for?" By this time Leo had his hands where his hips should be.
"I just do." Mikey paused. "It's for Raph."
Leo nodded and went to his room to fetch the money.
"Don't go blowing it on pizza or something ." Leo told him as he handed it over.
Mikey gave him a pat on the shell and a few 'thanks' and an 'I owe you one bro' before he ran off to his room.
"Touch and die Mike." Raph growled as Mikey reached for the crutches laying by Raph's side.
"Michaelangelo!" Splinter's voice was hard.
Mikey skipped back to where the other two turtles were practicing with their Sensei."
"Leave Raphael be." He called as Mikey raced back to his spot.
Raph growled softly from where he sat on the floor out of the way, one leg tucked underneath him and the other straight out. It was his first day of having to meditate for four hours straight and it was just killing him listening to his brothers practice without him.
He gotten even less sleep than night before, It wasn't helping his healing any yet he couldn't seem to get any catnaps during the day. The nightmare he had from a few nights before was still bugging him to no end as it lingered in the back of his mind.
"Hey guys! Oh I'll wait." April's voice erupted through the lair. She seemed to stop short when she noticed the guys were still practicing. She wondered out of the dojo slowly looking for something to occupy her time with while the boys finished up.
An hour later they emerged from the dojo to see April crying over some early morning soap opera on the couch.
"Oh!" Mikey screamed. "This is the one where Melony figures out her baby isn't going to live! I love this one!" He hopped over the couch and landed right next to April. Tears were streaming down his face before long as the TV show unfolded. Meanwhile April wiped the tears from her eyes and stood. She sighed.
"It really is a sad episode. I've seen it before though."
The three remaining turtles gave her blank stares while Mikey could be heard bawling the background.
"Well. The painters are gone as of last night and my apartment is finished. Who wants to come see it?"
The first to respond was Mike. He turned and kneeled on the couch with a huge grin on his face completely conflicting with the tears streaming down his cheeks.
"I wanna go! I wanna go!" He cheered.
He was racing towards the elevator before anyone could stop him.
"So Dr. Daddy Don, am I allowed to go too?" Raph asked in Don's general direction.
"Only if you're a good hatchling and eat all your vegetables." Don called back as he headed off after Mikey.
Leo put a hand on Raph's shoulder to help guide him as he joined with the joking too.
"Yeah and if your not good Daddy Don is going to turn the Battle Shell right back around and head straight home."
Raph attempted a roll of his eyes accompanied by a smirk.
Ten minutes later they were all at April's doorstep.
"Alright guys, You ready?" She held her back against the door with her hand poised just above the knob and a grin from ear to ear.
Three of the four turtles gave a single nod while the last stood jerking his head up and down like a bobble head doll. Don slipped his hand under Mikey's chin on one of the up motions causing Mike's jaw to come crashing together with his upper teeth. Mikey yelped and licked his teeth in an attempt to stop the vibrations traveling through them.
The dumb side of Raph was slightly disappointed when he walked into the room. An array of color didn't fill his vision. He let out a silent sigh and hoped that at least one of his brothers would start talking to April about the room.
"It's exactly the same." Leo stated.
"I know!" April was the only one still smiling. "I still had the old blue prints and the old foundation was still good so I decided to rebuild exactly the way it was. That's why it got done so fast."
It comforted Raph slightly to know that he wouldn't be stumbling around April's new apartment trying to get a feel for it. Mikey didn't share the feeling though. His voice was chalk full of puppy dog sadness.
"No new things? At all? With all that money?"
"Well," April started. "I did add some more things upstairs, just to make it a little comfier."
Mike raced up the stairs. April giggle and counted down to herself.
"Three, two, one."
A thrilled screamed ripped down the stairs.
"It's so cool!"
April smiled even bigger if that was at all possible and motioned for the others to head up stairs.
They found Mikey fawning over a large screen TV complete with all the available accessories. He turned it on and his excitement grew.
"Woah! Surround sound…. And HD!"
He went rooting through the cupboards to find a whole new collection of DVD'S and CD'S.
"I'm in heaven!" He cried.
Cobart slouched in a chair in front of Oroku Saki, cleaning his gun.
"These things take time."
"I don't have time." Saki growled. "I want them gone."
His menacing voice didn't even cause Cobart to look up from his work. He slipped the bolt out and wiped it down with the rag in his hand.
"If you don't take your time," he said pausing for effect. "rash decisions will be made. Once we have them they'll be trapped with no way out."
"You're too sure of yourself Cobart."
"And you're really dumb Saki."
Saki's eyes flared with anger as he shot to his feet.
"How dare you! I should have your tongue cut out right here!"
Cobart just laughed at Saki's loss of temper. His deep throated chuckle sounded more like a fat man choking on his own phlegm. It made Saki's jaw clench and a low growl escaped the depths of his own throat.
"You're just too slow to understand Saki. You've had what you needed this whole time but because of your impatience you couldn't figure out how to use what you were given. Now I'm going to treat you like a little baby and make you wait."
"No one makes me do anything!"
He was now screaming.
"Oh but I am going to make you wait Saki. You hired me to get this job done and if I say wait you wait."
"Your arrogance will be the end of you!"
Cobart chuckled again as he set aside his gun.
"Oh so very dumb."
It was almost more than Saki could take when an old women shuffled in. She rushed over to Cobart and whispered in his ear. He cracked a smile, revealing his chipped and discolored teeth. An uncaring flip of his hand gave her permission to leave. Cobart picked up his gun once again. He slowly put it back together with practiced ease. He glanced up as if just remembering Saki was there.
"I told you Saki, good things come to those who wait. My informants just came in with some surprising new information."
"Why do you use the old as informants Cobart? They're slow and feeble."
"Yes but they're also invisible. No one thinks anything of an old lady passing by slower than the average pedestrian. No one bothers to stop their conversation when an elderly man with a hearing aid approaches, but enough of them. Do you want to hear what they had to tell me?"
Saki sat behind his table again with a sigh.
"Fine then. Tell me Cobart tell me what they said."
"The turtles. The red one to be exact. Got into a round of fights over the last two weeks."
Cobart pulled the magazine out of his military rifle and continued with his cleaning as if he was finished speaking. It was Saki's turn to chuckle.
"That is nothing new Cobart. The turtles have fought as many battles as dinners you have eaten in your life time."
"Oh but it is new." He popped the clip back into the military rifle and shouldered it, standing to leave. "You see, he's blind." Cobart gave one last grin before taking two giant backwards steps then turning and strutting out of the room.
Saki sat there for a moment, alone in his chambers. Then the laughter set in. It started out soft and low, easily mistaken for a bout of coughs, then grew to a feverous pitch, making anyone within ear shot's blood freeze in their veins.