Brother's Keeper
Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.
Splinter watched his four, six and a half year old sons with a keen and wary eye, at the moment Donatello was reading a book on the couch, Michelangelo was colouring, and Leonardo and Raphael were playing a game of checkers.
Splinter listened to the relative quiet knowing sooner or later, Michelangelo would grow bored and bother his brothers and that would most likely lead to a wrestling match of sorts, with Raphael pummeling Michelangelo and Leonardo doing his best to intervene, cutting Raphael's bullying short.
Splinter wrinkled his nose slightly as he turned to lift the chipped tea cup to his mouth, to drink the last dregs of tea from the cup; the ninja Master furrowed his brow with concern, as he contemplated his present dilemma. He knew that he had to go topside to scavenge, food seemed to be scarce recently, which meant a few extra hours could make a big difference on how much they had for the following day, and the four young turtles could pack away an enormous amount of food between them.
Splinter didn't care to leave his four young charges alone, but he had no choice and usually opted to leave scavenging, at least until, the boys were asleep, once in bed they didn't usually wake up. However leaving them alone while they were awake, could lead to trouble, especially as Raphael and Michelangelo were found of finding trouble and mischief of all kinds, even when he was there to bring a halt to it.
Splinter sighed softly; he knew he had no alternative, so he cleared his throat, "My sons."
All four turtles glanced up from their present activities, four pairs of eyes questioning silently what it was Splinter might be about to say, for they sensed, felt, that whatever he was about to say was important.
"I must go find food for tomorrow. I want you to play quietly in the lair until I return home" Splinter announced cautiously, "I shall be back in time to put you to bed" Splinter allowed his gaze to lock on Leonardo, the young turtle paid very close attention to the early lessons but it was because he often tried to keep Raphael from hurting Michelangelo, that Splinter directed the next words to him," Leonardo I want you to keep an eye on your brothers, and try to keep them out of trouble. I want the rest of you to listen to Leonardo." Splinter instructed.
"Why we gotta listen to Leo? Why can't he listen to us?" Raphael challenged.
Splinter smiled, expecting this sour dispute from the youngster, Raphael was headstrong and determined to do things in his own way.
"I have asked you to listen to him this time, but perhaps next time he will have to listen to you." Splinter replied.
Raph gave a wicked grin as he nodded his head.
"Now all of you try to be good" Splinter stated, as he stood up and prepared to leave, not without some doubt and reluctance on his part, but he would only be gone a little more then an hour.
And how much trouble could they really, get into in an hour?
…
"What are we gonna do guys?" Mike moaned seconds after Splinter left.
"Going" Don corrected Mike, without lifting his head from the book.
"Your going somewhere Donny, can I go with you?" Mike begged suddenly.
Don rolled his eyes, "I'm not going anywhere."
"But you just said…" Mike protested.
"Forget it" Don muttered realizing it was a lost cause. "Go back to your colouring Mikey."
Mike threw down the crayon "I'm bored" he announced, and then to make sure the others knew how he felt began to sing-song "bored, bored, bored."
Raph gritted his teeth got up and punched Mike in the arm "Shut up will ya?" He growled in irritation before going towards the checkers board.
Only for Mike to tackle him from behind to send Raph sprawling and the game pieces on the board to scatter every direction at once as the two rolled over and over, twisting punching and abusing one another with colourful insults.
"Dweeb, look what you did."
"It's your fault fart face."
"No it ain't you reject, its all yours Mikey cause you're an idiot."
Leo decided to try and break it up before one of them actually got hurt, " Cut it out you two" he ordered, "We'll play hide and seek for a bit" he decided then as an after thought sweetened the deal with, "I'll be it."
Mike sat up with a grin "There is no good places to hide in the lair Leo." He reminded Leo. "We know all the spots, which means its not much fun."
"Yeah" Raph agreed, "beating up on Mike is much more fun."
Leo considered this, for he knew that Mike was right that all of them did know every hiding spot that they were permitted to go to within their home.
"We could go out in the tunnels" he suggested, "long as we don't go too far out."
Mike beamed suddenly as he glanced at Raph, who had a very similar grin on his face.
"Great idea!" Raph crowed.
Don scowled, "But Splinter said…"
"He said you have to listen to me, Don and your going play too, so you can't tattle." Leo insisted firmly.
"I won't tattle. I just want to read my book" Don muttered.
Leo stalked over to the chair and snatched the book out of Don's hands "You can get it back after we play hide and seek, either that or, we are going play keep away" Leo taunted holding the book out of Don's reach.
Mike went over and tugged on Don's hand "Come on Donny you know hide and seek is more fun with four then it is with three. Say you will huh, huh huh?" Mike begged.
Don laughed at his eager brother, "All right Mike but I only do it because you asked, not because Leo insisted" he retorted as he stuck his tongue out at Leo.
Leo shrugged, "Whatever works."
The four turtles slipped out into the sewers and Leo covered his eyes to begin counting.
…
They had been playing for about half an hour with them interchanging who it was that was it, and they decided to call it quits after one last quick game, because they all knew that Splinter would be returning soon.
Leo was again it, and he quickly found Don but Raph and Mike were nowhere to be found.
Leo was starting to grow anxious as the minutes ticked by without any sign of his two more rambunctious brothers.
"Mikey, Raph" he called his voice echoing eerily through the tunnels, "Your home free. I promise" Leo pleaded, he turned towards Don, "Do you think they went back to the lair?" he asked, biting his bottom lip a bit.
"Possible" Don admitted uneasily, "But I think, knowing Mike and Raph the way we do, I'd say they went further out."
Leo gulped "But that means that they could be…" he squirmed fidgeting on his feet, "lost." He finished in a low whisper. Then an urgent look came to his face "We have to find them Donny before Splinter comes home," then he considered, a dark look settling on his face, "If they are tricking me though I will so make them pay!" he grumbled.
….
Splinter was returning to the lair when he heard the unmistakable sound of Don and Leo calling for Mike and Raph, he hurried his pace, as fear suddenly took hold of him wondering what had happened.
"Leonardo what has happened?" Splinter asked.
Leo seemed to pale slightly as he spotted his mentor, "We were playing hide and seek and Mikey and Raph they…" Leo explained in a hurry.
"Left the lair?" Splinter asked his tail twitching in agitation.
Leo nodded in reply.
"Uh Leo" Don began, "that isn't…"
" Yes it is Don and you know it" Leo declared shooting a scathing gaze over his shoulder, he didn't want to get into any more trouble then he was all ready in, he had seen how often Splinter used his walking stick on troublemakers during their lessons.
Splinter scowled and hustled the two youngsters back to the lair, "Hurry get inside and stay there" Splinter ordered, "Do not leave here for any reason. I will see if I can find your brothers."
"Yes Master" Leo agreed, as Splinter whipped around to head back into the tunnels.
Don nudged Leo, "Why didn't you tell him?" he asked, "You lied to Splinter."
"I couldn't tell him" Leo admitted.
"Well you ought to" Don grouched shaking his head, "You know you're the one to blame Leo." Don stomped off towards their shared bedroom, leaving Leo standing by the door.
…
Splinter was desperate to find his missing two sons, but he had something that came in handy on his search, which just happened to be his keen sense of smell, which Splinter now used to track the two troublesome turtles.
His nose twitched constantly and he often paused to sniff the tunnels cocking his head silently, then he would continue on his way making great haste, but being extra careful to not miss one clue as to where his sons could be.
Finally he found Raphael and Michelangelo huddled in a tiny niche of a sewer pipe, and relief along with sudden anger filled the rat when he caught sight of his two sons.
"Raphael, Michelangelo where have you been?" Splinter demanded sharply his eyes glowed and his tail slashed and slapped at the sewer water.
"Well we were playing hide and seek, only Mikey hid to far."
"No I didn't you did Raph, and when we tried to go back you got us more lost." Mike accused.
"Uh-uh that was you." Raph countered hitting Mike in the arm.
"It is your fault" Mike grumped, crossing his arms over his plastron as a petulant pout came to his face.
"What were you doing outside the lair?" Splinter asked.
Mike and Raph glanced at one another before answering in chorus "It was Leo, he said to do it."
Splinter found this, rather, hard to believe, true Leonardo wasn't always well behaved but he was, normally, less likely to get into trouble, plus the whole idea of leaving the lair seemed far more a Michelangelo or Raphael trait then one that he would attribute to Leonardo. Splinter could only scowl.
"I have heard quite enough from all of you." He snapped sharply, his teeth gleamed, "We will go home and get this straightened out." He declared, "I am quite upset at both of you though." He warned them, "I assure you that you will be punished."
Raph glanced at Mike upon hearing those dreaded words "It's your fault." He hissed in a low whisper.
"No way yours!" Mike returned in kind, "I didn't do it."
Splinter swung his stick connecting it on the back of both turtle's legs eliciting yelps from both of them "Enough! Silence!" Splinter barked.
…
They returned to the home and splinter immediately called all four of his sons into the dojo, beginning to put them through stretches and other simple moves.
"I plan on keeping you all here until I learn the truth of why you were all playing outside of our home." Splinter informed his sons as he pushed them through their exercises, "For I know somebody is lying to me." Splinter laid back his ears, and his tail slashed the dojo floor in anger.
Leo squirmed uneasily, but much as he wanted to admit the truth, he found it wasn't easy to come forward, and as the exercises became more demanding he found it even harder to own up to his responsibility.
Mike moaned he was growing tired, exhausted, from the work his eyes drooping and he fought hard to pay attention so as not to incur the Master's wrath, however Mike wasn't able to do it and he fumbled over the next move of the kata.
"Michelangelo!" Splinter barked sharply.
Mike winced and fought to keep from crying.
Leo gave a pained look his brother's way and spoke up, "Master don't punish him." He pleaded, "It isn't Mike's fault."
"That is admirable of you Leonardo, but I need to know the truth of why you disobeyed. I have heard two different stories of who is responsible and until all of you can agree then I must hold you all equally to blame." Splinter explained, "Therefore all of you must suffer the same punishment."
Leo gulped looking down at the floor he squirmed in agitation "I did it though master. I was the one who wanted to play out there and told the others to listen to me" Leo confessed, "Mike and Raph were willing but Don didn't want to."
"Yet you convinced him to go along?" Splinter wondered.
Leo nodded as he gazed shame faced down at his toes.
"Why did you not tell me this before?" Splinter inquired.
"I didn't want to get in trouble" Leo replied shaking a bit.
Splinter nodded, "So you lied instead to get into more trouble" he remarked.
"Uh." Leo shrugged and fell silent.
Splinter looked at Donatello "What do you have to say my son?"
"Leo's telling the truth now." Don muttered.
Splinter nodded in understanding, "The rest of you go and get ready for bed. I must speak with Leonardo alone." Splinter replied calmly, "I am sorry for things having gone this way, I expected better" Splinter assured the other three, but he shot a dark look Leo's way that caused the young turtle to shrink into his shell.
When the others left Splinter turned all his attention on Leonardo, "Leonardo all of us make mistakes in life, it means that we are human and it is natural. But to cover up your mistakes or to lie about them only leads to further trouble." Splinter declared as he stalked over to stand over the squirming child.
Leo looked up into the whiskery face, "I'm sorry I didn't mean for it to go this far…" he pleaded choking back sobs.
"I am sure you didn't my son, but what if Raphael or Michelangelo had been seriously hurt in the sewers, there are dangers in the tunnels that they are too young to handle. I may not have found them at all." Splinter pointed out.
"I didn't think of that" Leo mumbled.
"But you should have Leonardo, for I left you in charge of your brothers, which meant it was up to you to be responsible and keep them out of trouble" Splinter glared, "Instead you encourage it!" he snapped, his teeth clicking together, "You disobeyed me." Splinter sighed and shook his head, "When you are responsible for your brother's it is up to you, to keep them safe, to ensure that they do as expected and that you do not lead them astray."
Leo sniffed dejectedly as he gazed silently down at the ground head bowed in humble, regretful silence.
"To shirk those responsibilities and then to deny them out right through a lie is twice as bad my son, even worse you permitted the others to share your punishment so you must make it up to all of them." Splinter insisted.
"Okay. I'll tell them I'm sorry." Leo stated.
"You must do more then that my son." Splinter insisted, "Though that is a good start." He allowed.
"What else do I have to do?" Leo wondered, "I feel bad about what I did" he informed his father.
"That is good for it means you know you did something wrong." Splinter declared, "You will for the next four days do all of your brothers chores, you will also work extra time in the dojo and you will go to bed half an hour earlier then your brothers for the next week" Splinter decided.
Leo's mouth fell open, "But…" he began to protest.
Splinter arched an eyebrow "You must learn the value of responsibility my son, to face up to your mistakes and not try to hide them. I am very disappointed in you." Splinter declared.
Leo gasped his eyes growing wide and he backed up a couple of steps, hardly able to believe those words, Splinter disappointed with him? That hurt far more then anything else. Yet his father's harsh tone and his imposing stance backed up those words.
"Now get to bed Leonardo!" Splinter hissed.
Leo turned scrambling out of his Master's sight not wanting to let him see the tears that were starting to fall.
Splinter stood there, shaking his head, his own hands shook and the rat had to take a few deep calming breaths, he had hoped his sons would be all right alone, but he had been wrong, and perhaps he shouldn't have left them alone. Splinter only knew that it would be a long time before he left any of his sons in charge.
Meanwhile Leo made his apologies to his brothers and the fact that he was crying only assured Raph and Mike that Splinter had to have really laid down the law to Leo for lying so that helped sooth any hurt feelings.
"Boy he was sure mad; I've never seen him that angry." Mike mumbled.
"Yeah, we better get to sleep before he comes in and catches us all up." Don decided.
They all quickly huddled onto the foam beds and shut their eyes.
Leo gave heaved a heavy sigh, "Splinter said he was disappointed in me." He said in a shaky voice into the darkness.
"I've heard that one before" Raph commented casually through a yawn.
"But he meant it Raph, he really meant it. I had the feeling he didn't want me around him because he was so angry and upset at me." Leo groaned as he buried his head in his pillow.
"Don't worry Leo. One thing I know Splinter gets over being mad, go to sleep it will be better." Mike assured his brother.
Leo found that sleep didn't come easy; in fact when it came he was bothered by nightmares of being unworthy to his family. Leo knew that he had failed his father and somehow, someway he would have to make it up to him.
He just wasn't sure how, but maybe in the next few days he would learn, and with that he settled into an uneasy sleep.
The End