Hey everybody. I've got a new story (blame the plot bunnies) so here we go. Anyway, I hope you like this one. Simply put, it's called………..M.

Enjoy.

FYI: I know that turtles cannot survive without a shell but since our boys in green are also humanoid in physical appearance, I've taken some liberties that throw the idea that they can't, out the window.

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Master Splinter eyed his four sons and spoke. His voice carried a sense of seriousness to it as he told his four charges about their next outing. "My sons, tonight I will be taking you to Central Park. It is fairly deserted this late at night so we should be safe. None the less, you must stay with me at all times." He spoke sternly to emphasize the last statement. "You must remember, that while most humans are not mean or evil, they fear what they do not know. And I do not wish for them to see you. They could possibly hurt your simply because they are afraid of you."

The four turtles eyed their adopted father and nodded their heads in agreement with his rules, each clutching a stuffed animal. Splinter had made the animals for his sons with scraps of cloth he had found. Leonardo, who was approximately five, had a lion. Raphael, whom Splinter felt was the same age if not a little older than Leonardo, had a stuffed tiger. Donatello, next in line with age, Splinter felt he was about four, was holding an elephant. Michelangelo, the youngest at approximately three, was holding a monkey. Each turtle followed Splinter in line and carefully made their way to the surface.

It was a warm summer evening and the stars were out in all their brilliance, shining brightly. Michelangelo squealed with glee as the wet grass tickled the bottom of his feet. He jumped up and down, clapping his hands quite happy with this new sensation.

"Hey Mikey," a voice loudly whispered.

Michelangelo turned to see his two of his brothers continuing to follow his father while one was waving for him to catch up. "C'mon. We gotta' stay with Splinter so's we don't get lost, 'kay?"

"OK Waph," Michelangelo happily answered.

Raphael sighed as he pulled his brother along, "Sheesh. You have gotta' learn to say your R's Mikey. It's Raph, not Waph."

"Sorry." Michelangelo dejectiedly looked at the ground as he shuffled quickly to keep up with his older brother.

Raphael eyed the littlest one as they caught up with the others and let out a small groan. "Alright Mikey, you don't have to learn to say 'Raph' right now, Okay? You can keep callin' me Waph. Now stop lookin' at me like that."

Had Raphael been paying attention, he would have noticed that the line had stopped but instead he walked right into Master Splinter. "OOOF. Hey! What's the………" Raphael looked up into the eyes of his father and immediately changed the rough tone of his voice. "Sorry Master Splinter. I didn't see you."

Splinter smiled and placed his hand under his sons chin. "It's quite alright Raphael. It was an accident. But thank you for keeping an eye on your youngest brother."

Raphael eyed the ground and moved his foot around nervously. "Um he was ….kind of …well…..he was so far from us and."

Splinter cut him off. He knew Raphael didn't take praise well and was getting nervous. "It's OK. Come, Leonardo and Donatello have found a most appropriate site for our picnic. Let's get everything out and set up."

The four turtles hurriedly pulled out the tattered blanket to sit on and spread it out, each grabbing a corner. Splinter pulled out, from and old bag, some meager sandwiches, juice boxes and bags of chips. The sandwiches were small but only because he had cut the stale crusts off. The juice boxes he found in the back alley of a small grocery store. They had passed the sell by date only by one day so they were still good. The chips were stale but his sons didn't mind. This was quite a treat for the four youngsters. Trips to the surface were a rare occasion and this was only their third one. As they enjoyed their picnic, Splinter read to them a book of stories about the stars. He noticed that as he read, Raphael would lean back in between bites and stare at the sky, trying to find which stars Splinter was reading about. When all four had finished their meal Splinter spoke.

"My sons, as a special treat I found something delicious for desert." All four turtles ooooohed and awed at what Splinter pulled out of his bag. Four oranges and they were all still good. Splinter explained how a fruit truck overturned and spilled its cargo all over the street. The clean up crew missed a few that rolled into a back alley so Splinter retrieved them. "These are very delicious and also very good for you. You should always eat your fruit and vegetables that I bring you."

Each turtle watched carefully as Splinter pulled out a fifth orange and showed them how to correctly peel the orange so that they would not damage the juicy pieces inside. Both Michelangelo and Donatello were having a little trouble peeling theirs but their older brothers helped them get started and showed them again how to peel the skin off of the orange. Soon everyone was enjoying their dessert. Splinter shook his head in disbelief when two of his sons, Raphael and Michelangelo, engaged in a seed-spitting contest.

"EEEWWWW! Raph. That's disgusting." Leonardo eyed his brother and crinkled his nose up to emphasize his point.

"It is not," Raphael argued. "Besides, you aren't telling Mikey to stop, why should I?"

Splinter sighed quietly to himself. The family meal was nice while it lasted, which was longer than usual. But his sons arguing meant that it was time to return home. He didn't want anyone that might be out there to hear them. Quickly and quietly he hurried his sons and they gathered up their belongings and headed towards their home in the sewers.

SPLASH! Michelagelo and Donatello could be heard jumping into the puddles of the tunnel floor as they walked back. Splinter smiled at his sons' innocence. He knew that in time it would be replaced by the harsh realities of their life so he let them hold onto their innocence as long as possible. The other two, however, were still arguing.

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was Not!"

"Was Too!"

"WAS NOT!"

"WAS TOO!"

This time the arguing was accompanied with pushing.

"Raphael!" Splinter stopped him. "You do not push your brother. This is not practice time."

"But he started it." Raphael pointed to Leonardo. "He said it was my fault that we had to leave the picnic. But it wasn't."

"Was too" Leonardo folded his arms and stuck his tongue out at Raphael.

"Leonardo." Splinter said sternly. "We left because it was time to. Your brother's actions had nothing to do with it. Raphael, when we return, you will do ten flips for pushing your brother." Leonardo smiled while Raphael looked dejectedly at the ground. "Leonardo, for your rude behavior toward your brother, you will also do ten flips." That was enough to make a small smile emerge onto Raphael's face.

"You will do these immediately when we get home. Is that understood?" Splinter was doing his best fatherly pose, his hands on his hips and his tail slapping the ground.

"Yes Sensei," they answered in unison.

And the group quietly made their way home with no more incidents.

Several days later, Raphael was still thinking about the stars and how brightly they shone that night. He wanted to see them again and had been begging his father every day since their return home from the picnic.

"Please Splinter. I promise I won't argue with Leo for a whole week. Please," he begged. "Can't I just go out one more time to look at the stars? Just let me go this one time and I promise never to ask for anything again."

"Raphael," Splinter pointed a finger at him. "It is foolish to make promises you cannot keep."

Raphael frowned but Splinter continued to talk, "However since you are so interested in seeing the stars again, I think another outing can be arranged."

"YES!" He jumped up pumping his fist into the air. "Can we go tonight? Can we? Please?" He asked excitedly.

"No my son. Not tonight. A storm is coming and it is not safe to go out."

"Oh"

"Do not worry," Splinter smiled and patted him on the back. "I promise we will go again. Soon. Now, go finish cleaning your room please."

"Yes sensei. Thank you."

Splinter smiled as he watched Raphael walk away. His son was short tempered but smart and imaginative. He sometimes surprised Splinter with what he learned. All of Splinters sons surprised him from time to time. He was proud of how they were growing up and taking care of each other. One surprise Splinter was not ready for though, was going to happen tonight.

Raphael rolled around in his bed, unable to get comfortable. He kept thinking about how nice it was to be outside and how pretty the stars were. He thought about the stories Splinter told explaining how they got there. Legends, he called them. It was the stories that really interested the young turtle, but the stars made the stories much more believable, because they were right there, he could see them.

So Raphael succumbed to his patience, or lack of it. When it was quiet and he was sure everyone was asleep, he crept out of the lair and into the sewers to make his way back to the park.

Raphael hadn't been gone long, five to ten minutes maybe when for some reason Splinter woke up. He felt an urge to go check on his sons. He opened the door to see Michelangelo and Donatello sleeping soundly. He smiled feeling a little relieved to see the two of them safe. He would feel even better when he saw that his two oldest were also in bed. Unfortunately, he only saw one.

Leonardo woke up to Splinter gently shaking him. "Leonardo, where is your brother? Where is Raphael? Did you see him leave?"

Leonardo shook his head no and Splinter let go. "Leonardo, I must go find your brother. I believe I know where he is so I should not be long. Please keep and eye on Donatello and Michelangelo until I return."

Leonardo nodded and quickly grabbed his blanket and went into the other bedroom to stay with his brothers. Splinter ran out the door in pursuit of his wayward son.

Raphael was clutching his tiger and making his way through the sewers to the spot he was at several nights before. He was trying to make his way across a slippery pipe. A few days ago, when they had taken this route, the area under the pipe was dry, but it had been raining and this part of the sewer was full of floodwaters making loud noises and rushing by at a rapid speed. He was trying to be careful not to slip and fall.

Splinter was rushing through the sewers. He knew Raphael was headed back to the park. He was hoping to catch him before he made his way across the pipe. He knew his stubborn son would try to cross. He rounded the corner in time to see Raphael standing atop the pipe, trying to cross. He didn't get to him in time though. Before he could reach him, Raphael slipped and fell off the pipe into the deep raging waters below.