Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 Fanfiction
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the TMNT franchise in any way, shape, or form. No money is being made. This is just a labor of love for the series. Please don't sue me, Viacom!
Alternate Universe fic.
Warnings: None for this chapter. I know, after all this time! XD Enjoy the break from warnings, but sadly there will be no breaks from angst. ^^; What can I say? This is a very emotional time for Donnie and family! :)
A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you...the flash forward chapter introduction that decided it wanted to be the entire chapter. (looks embarrassed as she taps her index fingers together) Yeah, my writing got away from me again. But at least I managed to keep it contained to one part this time, right! ^^; I am so sorry that I keep making you wait so long for the next chapter. Really, I am. I wish I could devote more time to my writing like I could a couple years ago, but it looks like my job is going to stay soul-sucking a while longer. I do hope it calms down some soon, but I'm not holding my breath. :(
Everyone, thank you so much for your patience with me. I'm sure that it's been really frustrating for you all. Trust me...I feel the same way. I do! Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to follow, favorite, and/or review my story. You have no idea how much I appreciate your thoughts and encouragements. They really make my day and they help me keep forging ahead!
Chapter 16
A low growl echoed through the lair, making Donatello fall silent while he blinked in confusion. He looked at each of his brothers to find them looking at him with the same confusion. What in the world was that? It sounded like it was right on top of him. When it happened again, everyone's eyes went straight to the source. Lewis turned a brilliant shade of red, put both hands on his plastron, and swiveled his ears sideways before he whispered, "Excuse me."
Kaiya rolled her eyes with a sigh meanwhile, Hikaru half-lidded hers at their little brother. "Way to ruin the mood," she drily told him. Somehow the boy's blush turned an even darker shade and he drew into his shell some.
Donnie made a soft chuckle and ran his fingers through his son's mane in an effort to calm him. "It's OK, buddy. That mood needed to be ruined. It was getting way too heavy." He winced as the dull ache that had been building just behind his eyes spiked into something more. His eyes squeezed shut while he lifted a hand to massage between them. "At least it was for me." He didn't have to see his children to know that they were looking at him worriedly.
"You gonna be OK, bro?" Mikey asked, his eye ridges creasing together in concern while he pulled himself into a kneeling position in front of Donnie.
"Yeah. I'll…I'll be alright." Donnie sniffed once as he rubbed at his eyes with the back of his thumb. Mikey frowned and reached out to try to wipe at a tear trail that had found its way down Donnie's face, but Donnie gently caught his hand. The youngest of the four swallowed hard at the familiar, sorrowful eyes that tarnished his older brother's reassuring smile. "I'll be fine. I promise. Just give me a minute."
"Perhaps we should take a short break?" Leo suggested after clearing his throat.
"I think that's a good idea," Donnie agreed as he pulled out his T-phone. His eyes ridges rose the moment he saw its screen. "No wonder your tummy's rumbling, little man. It's lunch time." It was then that his eyes widened in alarm. "Oh, crud. Afternoon practice! Sensei, I am so sorry. I hadn't realize-"
Splinter lifted a hand, silencing Donatello, and shook his head. "Do not concern yourself with training, my son. I suspected that this would happen when Leonardo informed me of your intentions."
"But-"
"This is more important than training. So, take the time you need to do it."
Donnie felt a lump building in his throat, forcing him to swallow so that his voice could work again, "Hai, Sensei. Thank you." Splinter inclined his head with a serene smile. Donnie returned the smile before running a comforting hand over each of his children's heads and hauling himself to his feet. "I guess I'll get to work on lunch. The sooner we eat, the sooner we get back to it."
Mikey stood up with Donnie, "I'll make lunch, dude!"
"But…it's my turn."
"I know, but I got it. No worries," Mikey assured while tucking his thumbs into his belt and flashing that charming grin of his.
Donnie contemplated Mikey for a moment before he folded his arms across his plastron. "Weren't you the one that fed the trips last night?" Mikey blinked at the unexpected question but nodded none the less. "Let me guess...pizza?" Mikey nodded again. "And just what was on this pizza?"
"Oh, all kinds of good stuff, bro! Pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mozzarella, bacon, ancho-" Donnie lifted a hand in front of Mikey's face. "-vies?"
"Let me rephrase the question. What VEGETABLES were on this pizza?"
Mikey hummed while scratching his cheek before he put his hand on the back of his neck and his smile turned sheepish, "Tomato sauce is a vegetable, right?"
"And that," Donnie said as he tapped his forefinger on Mikey's nose, "would be why I'M making lunch." Donnie turned on his heels to head straight for the kitchen.
"Oh come on, dude! At least let me help ya'!" Mikey hollered as he trailed after.
Donnie let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, fine." He turned back to Mikey, placed one hand on his hip, and raised the other his plastron. "Just as long as you let me cook my way."
"But following the recipe is so boring," Mikey drawled as he scampered past Donnie, beating him into the kitchen.
The purple clad turtle's jaw dropped before it clicked closed. He straightened to his full height while dropping his arms to his sides and curling his hands into fists. "It's not boring; it's consistent!"
Leo half turned in his seat and crooked his arm up to rest it on the back of the couch so he could watch his little brothers. His eyes lit up in comprehension before they sparkled with mischief. He lifted his free hand, cupped it beside his mouth, and shouted, "Besides, Mikey, do you really want the mad scientist to NOT follow a recipe?" His small smile broadened into a proper grin. "Heaven knows what we'll end up with."
Donnie shot his eldest brother a filthy look and pointed at him. "You stay out of this!" His demand only made Leo laugh.
April managed a light chuckle at fraternal bantering before she swallowed hard. Worry and regret intermingled in her mind as she watched Donnie trudge after Mikey. It was obvious that telling everyone about his ordeal, even after all this time, was taking its toll on Donnie. That was why both Mikey and Leo had taken it upon themselves to lighten the mood. They too could tell that Donnie needed a moment to recharge.
He wasn't the only one. She closed her eyes and tried to keep the dredged up regret from overwhelming her. It was staggering how clear the signs were now that she was looking back. She couldn't help but feel a bitter anger at herself for being so blind to them.
She was just about to follow the two brothers into the kitchen to lend them a hand, and to give Donnie a hug that she couldn't guarantee she'd be able to release him from, when a little voice spoke up, "Obasan?" April looked down to find Lewis kneeling beside her. "Is 'Kaasan really going to be OK?"
April swallowed hard again at the sight of the little boy's innocent brown eyes staring up at her with more apprehension in them than she'd ever wanted to see. Movement from the corner of her eyes made her look in front of her. Kaiya had moved to kneel before her and wait for her answer. Meanwhile, Hikaru stayed where she had been sitting but had turned so that she too could hear April's answer. Both little girls' eyes mirrored their brother's concern.
"Children should never have to worry so much, especially about their parents," she thought before she forced down her own concerns. She wrapped an arm around little Lewis' shoulders and pulled him closer where he snuggled himself into her side. "What happened nine years ago was difficult for all of us but especially for your mother," she began while gesturing to the two girls, encouraging them to come closer as well. Kaiya accepted the offer and nestled in on her other side. Hikaru frowned and, after a moment's consideration, came over to sit in front of April. "However, because of it, I learned many things: about myself and your family. But, the most important thing I learned…was to NEVER underestimate Donnie." As she spoke, she felt a smile begin to stretch across her face at the truth in those words and at how much she, herself, had needed to hear them. "He will be fine. I know he will."
The two little bodies against her relaxed some and April brought her hands up to soothingly run them through each child's soft mane. "But," April looked at Kaiya, who kept her head lowered but lifted her eyes to peer up at the older woman as she spoke, "…isn't there something we can do?"
The redhead put her hand under Kaiya's chin and encouraged the child to lift her head as well as her eyes. "Of course there is." The little girl's ears pricked forward. She seemed to be holding her breath as though she feared the sound of it would interfere with her ability to hear what April had to say. "In fact, we've already been doing it."
Kaiya's eyebrows furrowed and her ears drooped backward. "I'm not sure I understand."
"Talking about this is probably one of the hardest things your mom has ever had to do." April smiled at Kaiya's skeptical eyebrow arch. "As hard as that is to believe, it's true. But, despite how hard it is, he is determined to see this through. He needs to….for you three and for himself," April said while gently stroking one of Kaiya's velvet ears until they lifted from their droop again. "But he needs our help to keep going. And the best way we can help him…is to listen." She pushed aside the little girl's bangs so that she could get a better look at the intelligent brown gaze that was so much like Donnie's. "THAT is what we've been doing and it's what we need to keep doing. OK?" Kaiya's eyes widened with comprehension before they took on a determined air. When the little girl gave her a sharp nod, April brushed her knuckles over Kaiya's forehead and muzzle with a smile.
April turned to Lewis so she could make sure he understood as well. She didn't even have to ask because his sweet little smile was answer enough and she leaned down to nuzzle his forehead, making him giggle. When she went to check on Hikaru, her smile dropped into a concerned frown as she watched the little turtle/horse hybrid sullenly pick at the wrapping on her hands. She reached out to pet the child's head only to blink in shock when the girl jerked away from her touch. Hikaru then shot her a withering glare before running over to Splinter and huddling against his legs. "What on Earth did I do to deserve that?" April thought bewilderedly.
Splinter and Leonardo exchanged a concerned glance before the ninja master lightly rested his hand on Hikaru's smooth head. "That was not a very kind thing to do, mago."
"Why should I be nice to her? Everything that happened to Mom is her fault!" Hikaru snapped as she continued to scowl at April, making April's eyes widen before she just looked miserable. "It's her fault Mom got caught! Her fault that Mom got hurt…that he was…" Hikaru trailed off to push down the tremor building in her voice, "All her fault…"
The mutant rat sighed but did not stop caressing the child's head in an effort to calm her. "It is true that April's actions contributed to the events that led to your mother's capture." He patted the empty spot on the couch to his right and she climbed up so she could sit next to him. "However, it was Uncle Leonardo who gave the order to retreat...to leave Donatello to whatever fate the Kraang intended for him. Are you angry with him for that?" Hikaru's eyes widened before she glanced at Leo, who looked down from her gaze while swallowing hard. When she returned her eyes to Splinter, she timidly shook her head. "Why not?"
"Uncle Leo did that because it was the only way to keep everyone else safe, not because he wanted to."
Splinter nodded before continuing his questioning. "Uncle Raphael went along with Leonardo's decision even though his strength would have helped your mother fight off Horse. Doesn't he deserve your anger?"
The child swallowed hard before she shook her head again and moved to curl herself against her grandfather. "Uncle Raph would never have made it in time to help Mom fight. If he'd gone, they both would have been caught."
"What about Uncle Michelangelo?" Splinter pressed on. "He failed to notice that Donatello and April were missing in time for your uncles to go back for them. Surely, you are angry with him?"
The little girl's eyes started getting a shimmer to them as she shook her head once more. She used the motion to bury her face into his side. This time, however, she offered no protest in defense of her uncle's actions.
"I see," he said while twisting his beard between his fingers. "Then you must be angry with your mother. After all, he was the one who chose to look for April without informing the others that she was missing. Yes…everything that happened must also be Donatello's fault. Is that not right?" Splinter's eyes softened when he felt his granddaughter tremble against him and heard her choke back a sob. He gathered her into his arms and tenderly rested a hand behind her head. "Hush, mago. I do not mean my words," he tried to reassure her. "But do you now see how easy it is to twist blame?" She sniffled as she nodded. "That is why you must be very careful about where you lay such a terrible thing." He guided her into lifting her eyes to him. "There are many who can be blamed for what happened to Donatello, but only one who truly deserves that blame. And you will not find that person here."
After his granddaughter lowered her head meekly and nodded again in understanding, Splinter turned his attention to the only human in their midst. "April, my child." He lifted a hand to gesture for her come to him. "I believe that Hikaru-chan has something she wishes to say." He smiled when Hikaru's eyes widened before she tried to crawl into the upper part of his kimono. She was a little too big to still do that, so she settled for shrouding her face and most of her upper body there instead. Once April and Hikaru's siblings had settled in front of him, he gently traced a claw over where he knew the child's head was. "Come now, little one."
Hikaru peeked out from her hiding spot to look at April. She could only hold the redhead's gaze for a moment before her eye ridges pulled together and she whimpered, "I-I'm sorry, Auntie."
April couldn't help but smile at that little tear-streaked face. "Apology accepted, munchkin," she said as she held her arms out to Hikaru. The little girl was unsure at first, but she moved close enough for April to grab her under the arms. She gently pulled Hikaru off the couch and coaxed the girl onto her lap. "I don't blame you for thinking that way," she assured as she wrapped her arms around the child who took the most after Donatello. "For the longest time whenever I looked at your mom, all I could think was…" She swallowed down the tightness that was building in her throat and rested her cheek against the top of Hikaru's head. "…'He never would have gone through that horror if it wasn't for me.'"
She lifted a hand to lightly graze her fingertips back and forth along the side of Hikaru's head. "Even now there are days where I catch myself thinking about what I should have done." Her eyes slid closed as she felt Hikaru press more into her. "I suspect that I'll never really forgive myself for what I what did. I don't know how your mother ever managed to." She sniffled before clearing her throat. "His capacity for forgiveness will forever amaze me."
Leonardo allowed a quiet hum of amusement. "I think that's something we all can agree with," he said with the barest of smiles.
April looked up at Leo and was able to return the smile. She blinked a bit when she felt two more little bodies press against her. Her smile brightened some as she looked at Donnie's eldest and youngest, who had apparently decided that they didn't want to be left out of the cuddling. She gathered the three of them into a group hug and gave them each a kiss on the forehead. The four of them stay like that for several moments before April spoke again. "I don't know about you three, but I think we should try to take a break from sad stuff for a while and play a game. What do you guys say?" She could not be more thankful when the kids nodded in agreement. "Cards?"
"I'll get a deck," Hikaru offered as she squirmed out of April's grasp so that she could fetch what they needed. It didn't take her long to return with not just one deck of cards, but two. "I brought an extra in case we needed more."
"Good idea! Thanks, munchkin," April said as she took the decks and then darted a hand in to tickle the girl along the side of her shell.
After she squealed and danced out of range, Hikaru looked at her grandfather contemplatively. She pressed her forefingers together for a moment before she clasped one hand in the other. "Sensei?" The ninja master turned his gaze to her. "Do you want to play too?"
A serene smile eased its way across Splinter's features. "I would like that, Hikaru-chan. Thank you."
"What about you, Leo-ojisan?" Lewis asked as he grinned up at his blue clad uncle.
Leonardo returned the grin and was just about to answer when he noticed Raphael. The larger turtle still sat where he'd been throughout Donnie's narrative so far, only Leo could tell it wasn't to wait for the story to resume. Raph had shifted his posture from sitting cross-legged to having his legs drawn up to his plastron and resting his folded forearms on his knees as he stared across the lair into space. Leo's eyes narrowed briefly before he returned his attention to his nephew. "You go ahead and play without me for now. OK?" When the boy's ears drooped in disappointment, he gently traced his forefinger down the sea foam green streak that ran down the center of his little nephew's olive green face. "Be right back," he said with a wink as he got up and made his way to Raph.
Raph glanced at Leo during his approach but quickly looked away with a soft huff. Leo stooped down in front of Raph, rested his arms on his thighs, and silently watched the other turtle. It took several minutes of crouching there, but eventually, Leo's patience was rewarded with Raph giving him a sidelong glare. Then the red clad turtle rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh before he murmured, "I really messed him up, didn't I?"
"Donnie was already messed up. We just didn't realize how badly."
"If I'd known he was right outside the door-"
"You still would've said what you did," Leo interrupted, making Raph swallow the rest of his words. "You just would have regretted saying it sooner." Raph slumped over to rest his chin on his arms while Leo spoke. "You're blunt, Raph. That's just how you are. It's not always a bad thing to tell it like it is."
"Except when it is," Raph mumbled.
Leo nodded in agreement, "Except when it is."
Raph snorted. "What kind of pep talk is this?"
"Who said this was a pep talk?" Raph blinked before he sat up and looked directly at Leo. "We all made mistakes, Raphael. I'm willing to bet that before Donatello's done, we will find out that we made more than we thought we did. But finding them out now does not change the fact that they happened nine years ago. We can't help but regret them, but we also can't let that regret shut us down." Leo paused to look towards the kitchen. "Donnie needs us to be strong right along with him." He flicked his gaze to the couch. "For them. Hear me?"
Raph followed Leo's eyes to where their nieces and nephew were absorbed in a lively game of Go Fish with April and Splinter. When Kaiya slapped down her third set of cards and flashed a victorious grin at the complaints of her siblings, he could feel a small smile playing on his own lips. A loud, echoing clatter drew his attention towards the kitchen. Donnie and Mikey fussed with each other beyond its doorway. Even though he couldn't make out what was being said, he still picked up on the strain in Donnie's exasperated tone. His little brother was trying so hard to keep it together and he needed them to help him do that. Raph's expression hardened with determination. There was no way he was ever going to let Donatello down again. He turned his most resolute gaze to Leo, "Loud and clear."
Leo gave Raph a gratified smile before patting his brother's shoulder. He and Raph then got to their feet and made their way over to the rest of their family. "Any way you can deal us in?" he asked April once they were close enough.
April grinned up at them. "Sure thing, but that means we'll have too many for Go Fish. So how about a little Crazy Eights?" she asked as Raph and Leo settled into the ring.
Lewis and Hikaru beamed. "YEAH!"
Kaiya tossed her cards into the building pile in front of April and stood up. "Play without me for a while. I need a break." As she turned to leave, her little brother groaned his disappointment.
"You can't quit now! You're winning!"
Kaiya turned around at Hikaru's objection and spread her arms out as she shrugged. "But that is the most logical time to quit." She laughed at her sister's pout before trotting off to the kitchen. When she peered into the room, she bit her lip to keep from giggling. Her mother and uncle were too busy to notice that they had company.
"Oh come on, Donnie. Trust me on this."
"Don't you 'come on, Donnie' me. I told you that I wanted to follow the recipe and you've been stonewalling me every step of the way! Exactly how can you consider that 'helping' me?"
"What's the harm in replacing the soy sauce in the recipe with spicy soy sauce?"
Donatello sighed and stopped seeding bell peppers long enough to stab a forefinger at something in the cookbook he was using. "The harm is that the recipe calls for hot chili oil later on. You know the trips won't eat it if it makes them breathe fire!"
"Then leave it out," Michelangelo countered as though the answer was as obvious as his brother's olive green skin tone.
"But then there won't be enough oil to finish the stir-fry. Not to mention, it will affect the flavor!"
Mikey grinned at Donnie. "Dude, how can you be so smart and so dense at the same time?"
Donnie gave Mikey a look that would make penguins shiver. "It's a gift."
The orange clad turtle made a nervous laugh as he raised his hands in an attempt to stem his brother's rising temper. "Just replace it with extra canola oil." Mikey pressed a forefinger to his lips for a moment. "And for flavor," he walked over to the cupboards and rummaged around inside until he found a tiny glass bottle, "add a drip of sesame oil at the end! Yeah, that's the ticket!"
"Fine," Donnie said wearily as he took the bottle from Mikey. "Just tell me that you'll stop nagging me if I give you this one."
"Can't promise that, dude!" Mikey laughed, making Donnie lift his eyes to the ceiling with a long-suffering sigh. He was just about to go to the sink when he spotted Kaiya peeking into the kitchen. "Hey, dudette! What'cha doing hiding over there? Come on in!" he said with a grin as he went down to one knee. Kaiya didn't need any more encouragement than that. She rushed over to him and hugged him around the neck. "It's a good thing you came too. I need your help."
Kaiya blinked wide eyes at her uncle's serious tone. "With what?"
"With convincing your mom to put some meat into this stir-fry of his," Mikey declared as he turned the little girl around so that they were both facing the taller turtle. Kaiya giggled as Mikey hugged her to him and rested his head on her shoulder so that he could stare at his purple clad brother. "Please?"
Donnie looked over his shoulder and offered Kaiya an acknowledging smile before returning stern eyes to his little brother. "You're not going to change my mind on this, Mikey."
Mikey sulked for a moment before he looked at his niece, "Kaiya-chan, open your mouth for me." The child blinked in confusion for a moment but humored her uncle. Mikey rested a finger on one of her teeth. "What kind of tooth is this?"
Kaiya's tail swished excitedly. She'd never been quizzed by Uncle Michelangelo before! "It's a canine," she answered around his finger.
Her uncle moved onto another tooth. "This one?"
"Another canine."
"And what about this one?" Mikey jerked his hand back almost instantly. "Woah! That one's a little wiggly!"
Kaiya laughed at her uncle's yelp. "It's another canine, Uncle Michelangelo. I have four of them. We all do."
"That's right, dudette," he praised before glancing at Donnie out of the corner of his eyes. "And, ah, what are canines for?"
"Ripping and tearing!"
"Right on! Ripping and tearing things like MEAT!" Mikey declared, making sure to deepen his voice to try and emphasize the word 'meat'.
The taller turtle shook his head as he turned around so that he could face them. He neatly folded his arms over his plastron, leaned back to rest his carapace against the counter, and crossed one leg over the other at the shin. "They can rip and tear vegetables just as readily, Mikey. The answer is still no."
"Come on, dude. Children need meat to grow big and strong. You don't wanna stunt them, do ya?"
Donnie raised a hand to hold his forefinger up to his brother. "Technically, they need protein to grow, not specifically meat. And between your pizza last night and Raph's scrambled eggs this morning, which had to have half a pig's worth of ham in them, they've probably had their allotment of protein for the entire WEEK. They are more in need of the vitamins and nutrients that are in vegetables right now."
Mikey scowled before pointing at Donnie. "I didn't wanna to do this, bro, but you leave me no choice!" he proclaimed. His fingers curled into a fist that he held out in front of him and Kaiya as though he were leading a charge. "Puppy-dog eyes to full power!"
The purple clad turtle blinked several times at the sight of his youngest brother and eldest daughter staring up at him with big, pleading eyes. His little girl had even drooped her ears and clasped her hands together in an effort to maximize adorability. And it was working. He had to purse his lips together in a gargantuan effort to keep from cracking a smile.
Donatello could only withstand the onslaught for a few moments before he lowered his gaze to the floor. "Turning my own daughter against me." He shook his head while clicking his tongue a couple of times and returned only his eyes to the duo. "For shame, Michelangelo."
"All's fair in love and food, dude," Mikey returned with a roguish smirk. "You give?"
"How about a compromise?" Donnie suggested as he pushed away from the counter so he could walk over to the refrigerator. "Put away your weapons of mass cuteness," he opened the fridge, grabbed something out of it, and walked over to his little brother, "and you can slice this up for the stir-fry when you're done washing the carrots."
Mikey gazed into the container Donnie was offering him. His eyes sparkled at its contents. "Cool, homemade tofu!" He snatched it out of his brother's grasp, "Deal, bro!"
The tall turtle shook his head with a light chuckle as his brother hurried over to the sink to keep his end of the bargain. When his eyes fell on his little girl, she hid her hands behind her back and offered him a self-conscious smile, making him snort in amusement. "Traitor," he gently teased as he lowered a hand to ruffle her mane. Then he turned away from her to go back to his bell peppers.
He was just reaching for the knife he'd been using when something grabbed him by his belt, pulling him slightly off balance. He regained his stability with a minimum of effort and was about to look over his shoulder when he felt little hooves plant themselves against his calves. An affectionate, knowing smile touched his face before he went back to work as though there was nothing unusual going on. Even though he could hear Kaiya grunting while she tried to climb his six foot three frame, he made no attempt to help her. In fact, he sporadically shifted his weight to make her ascent more challenging than it already was. If she was going to insist on doing this, then he intended to turn it into a lesson. After all, both she and Lewis needed to learn how to compensate for the disadvantage their hooves gave them when it came to climbing vertical surfaces. He was more than a little proud when he felt her hands grasp the rim of his carapace just behind his head.
An obstinate little growl slipped out as Kaiya began to pull herself up the rest of the way. She could feel the muscles in her arms quiver with the strain of holding up her entire weight while her right foot searched for some sort of purchase. Eventually, it found one among the many nooks that, either by design or by wear-and-tear, littered her mother's shell. Her face split into a victorious smile as she used the newfound leverage to move higher and give her arms a much-needed respite. Unfortunately, her celebration was premature. While she focused on finding a second cranny, her footing slipped from the first. She squeaked in alarm as her arms were jerked taut, digging her mother's shell rim into her fingers and making her grip start to slip. Her feet frantically scrabbled to find a new foothold.
Donnie bit back the urge to sigh in relief when those hooves of hers scraped against his carapace. Shells were great for protection, but they also made the simple pleasure of scratching an itch difficult at best. Because of that fact, he was quite content to let her get herself out of trouble. At least, until he heard a discouraged little whine and felt her start to slide down his shell. Without missing a beat in his pepper slicing, he shifted his weight to one foot so that he could lift the other behind himself as high as he could without pointing his toes.
Kaiya closed her eyes, bracing herself for the sudden stop at the end of her fall. When her feet touch ground far gentler than they should have, she blinked her eyes open in confusion. She looked down to find that the ground she was standing on was actually the sole of her mother's broad, three-toed foot. A relieved sigh left her and she looked up to the back of Donnie's head. Her mother continued his work as though it were perfectly normal to stand on one foot while chopping vegetables. It made her smile. Then she stretched up to grasp the rim of Donnie's shell once more and, this time, easily pulled herself up so that she could tuck her forearms in the space between the tall turtle's shell and his head. Her smile grew when he leaned over his work so that she could settle more securely onto the slight slant of his upper carapace.
Her mother finally turned his head so that he could look over his shoulder at her. "Fancy seeing you here," he said playfully, making her giggle, "What can I do for you, sweetie?"
She shook her head a couple times. "Nothing." One of his eye ridges arched at her answer, but he nodded acceptingly and returned to his work. Kaiya rested her chin on the rim of his shell as she watched him finished up the last pepper in time for her uncle to bring over the carrots. There were so many questions swirling in her mind, but she wasn't sure how to ask them.
Or even if she should. Despite her mother's encouragement at the beginning of his story, she couldn't help but feel like asking questions right now was a cardinal sin. After all, it was obvious how hard it was for him to talk about what happened. She didn't want to add to his stress by asking questions he still wasn't ready to answer, but she really wanted to ask him something. Anything. Even the simplest question she could think of would do.
The little turtle/horse hybrid's brooding was interrupted by her stomach rudely announcing its empty status. Her eyes went wide and when Donatello looked back at her a mortified flush painted her face. After a couple of astonished blinks, a grin that was big enough to expose his diastema spread over his face. "'Nothing', huh? Likely story." He took the carrot he was in the process of slicing and cut a four-inch piece off. "You know that you owe your brother an apology, right?" he admonished as he weighed the hunk of carrot with the nearby kitchen scale and made note of the results.
Kaiya's olive green ears twisted to the side and sagged. "Yes, Mother," she said as she lowered her eyes and hid her muzzle behind his shell. "I will." Her eyes blinked a few times and then took on a relieved look when he held the carrot piece up to her. She accepted the offered snack and eagerly crunched on it while her mother returned to his work with a soft chuckle.
As she chewed her current mouthful, Kaiya slipped into more mundane thoughts. Her physic homework ran through her mind and she automatically started resolving the equations in order to double check that she'd put down the right answers. She was just going over the thermal resistance of an eight-inch thick piece of glass when a bit of carrot got stuck in her teeth, grinding her thought process to a halt. Her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance and she went to dislodge the carrot with her tongue. It was an easy problem to solve but when her tongue ran over one of her canines in the process, all thoughts of physics flew out of her mind. Would this one be OK? She felt more than a little silly for even having this question pop into her head. But then again…it was the simplest one she could come up with. She hurriedly swallowed down what she was eating even though it wasn't quite chewed enough. "Mother?"
"Hmm?"
"Did Fa-" Her voice caught and she cleared her throat. "Did Fa…Fath-" She couldn't get the word out! Every time she tried her stomach churned. It was the first time in her life that a simple word held such an acrid taste to it that trying to say it made her ill.
Donnie stopped working so that he could watch her struggle with her speech. After a few minutes, his face eased into a small smile though his eyes were almost melancholy. "You don't have to call him 'Father' if you don't want to."
The words virtually flew out of Kaiya's mouth when that permission was given. "Did Nightmare have canines too?"
His eye ridges lifted slightly. That was a question he hadn't expected; Kaiya always had a talent for that. He looked off to the side, his eyes taking on the distant appearance they often had whenever he was deep in thought. "As a matter of fact, yes," he refocused his eyes on her, "He did."
The child's eyes flicked from side to side while she updated the mental picture she had formed in the course of her mother's story. Then her eyebrows scrunched together and her ears flattened to her head as she shrank partially behind Donnie's shell. "That must have made him even scarier."
Donnie's small smile got just a tiny bit bigger. "He didn't have fangs, Kaiya-chan. Just the same humanoid-sized canines that you and I have." He sighed softly and his smile fell. "Though, I will admit that the initial shock of seeing a horse with pointy teeth did add to his intimidation factor." He huffed and shook his head as he returned to his carrot slicing. "Not that he needed it."
Kaiya's ears lifted at the tone of her mother's voice. He sounded so subdued. She watched him work, noting that that downcast quality colored more than just his voice. Her eyebrows creased in worry as her ears drooped sideways. Then she did the only thing she could think of. She stretched over his shell so that she could wrap her arms around his neck, making him grunt in surprise. When he turned to look at her once more, she nuzzled her face into his cheek and softly murmured, "I love you."
Donatello's breathing hitched and he felt his eyes begin to burn as his vision turned wavy. He put down the knife he was using so that he could lightly rest his hand behind his daughter's head. His eyes squeezed shut as he pressed himself into his little girl's nuzzle. A shuddering sigh left him once he'd swallowed down the lump that had risen in his throat and his lips twitched into a wobbly smile. "I love you too, cuddle bug," he managed to get out though his voice wavered.
"I'm sorry I-"
"No, no, no, no," he gently interrupted as he opened his still watery eyes. "You've done nothing wrong, so don't you dare apologize." He felt her little arms tighten around him and he moved his hand to them so he could give them a soothing squeeze. "I just…didn't realize how much I needed to hear that." He heaved another, heavier and this time cleansing sigh. "Thank you," he whispered as he shifted his head so he could kiss the side of Kaiya's muzzle. He felt her lips curl up into a smile.
"KAIYA!" Hikaru shouted from the living room, making both mother and daughter look in that direction. "YOU BETTER GET YOUR BUTT BACK IN HERE! LEWIS IS ABOUT TO ANNIHILATE YOUR RECORD FOR MOST REVERSALS IN ONE GAME!" she warned as the aforementioned brother cackled in wicked glee.
His eldest looked dismayed, then affronted that her little brother had the unmitigated gall to try and dethrone her. He felt her little body tense and he braced himself in preparation for her to launch herself off of his back so that she could go defend her title. Instead, she looked at him. He watched her ears indecisively swivel back and forth for a moment before she nestled against him once more.
He couldn't help but blink in amazement. Kaiya had a competitive streak a mile wide. It wasn't like her to back down from a challenge. His eyes softened as he realized what was holding her back. He gently touched his temple to her forehead. "You don't have to worry about me, sweetie. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" she fretted.
"Yeah, I'm sure," he assured again as he returned to his carrots so he could cut two additional large pieces and weigh them.
"Pinky swear?"
A light chuckle bubbled up from him. "Kaiya, I can't swear on a digit I don't have."
"Please?"
Donnie looked into her imploring face and sighed. He brought his right hand up so he could hook his back finger to the pinky finger on her left hand. His indulgent smile became more affectionate at how much his oversized finger dwarfed hers as they sang, "Yubikiri genman. Uso tsuitara, hari sen bon nomasu. Yubi kitta!"
"Better?"
Kaiya beamed at him, "MUCH!"
"Good," he said as he lowered his raised foot and helped her ease herself to the floor again. "Now," he turned around, crouched so that they were face to face, and held out the two freshly cut pieces of carrot to her, "could you, please, take these to your brother and sister? I'm sure they'd like a snack too."
She regarded the two carrots before looking at hers and frowning. "Their carrots are bigger than mine."
"Their carrots are longer than yours, yes…but that doesn't mean they're 'bigger'," he said before his eyes half-lidded at his little scorekeeper, "But then…you knew that, didn't you?" A blush immediately spread across her face and she hid her hands behind her back. "Each one weighs exactly thirty-five grams," he continued. "That includes yours." She opened her mouth again but he headed her off. "No, I am not weighing yours again to make sure because you've already taken a bite out of it. Save that trick for Uncle Mikey, you little imp."
The little girl offered him a sheepish smile while lifting a hand to rub the back of her neck, "Yes, Mother." She took her siblings' snacks without further protest and was just about to walk away when she hesitated. She frowned as she tried to gather her thoughts and enough courage to speak. "Mother…may I ask another question?"
"Always."
"Do…do you…ever worry that…that Hikaru, Lewis and I..." she swallowed down the unease that wanted to close up her throat, "Do you ever worry that we will grow up to be just like Nightmare?"
Donnie looked startled for a moment before an easy smile stretched over his face. He reached out to gently cup her face in his hands. "Never," he breathed as he shook his head, making his daughter's eyes widen. "We are all more than the sum of our parts, Kaiya-chan. Our experiences have just as big an influence on who we are as our genetics. Sure, there are moments when the three of you remind me of him but it doesn't mean anything. You will NEVER be like him."
His little girl's distressed face broke into a relieved smile before she closed the small gap between them to snuggle herself into his plastron. He chuckled mildly as he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his nose into her mane. They stayed like that for a few moments and then he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "Is there anything else you want to ask?"
Kaiya looked thoughtful, then unsure again. "Well, there is something that I don't get."
The purple clad turtle cocked his head to the side with a lopsided smirk. "I'm sure that there are many things that you don't get, but we'll fix that," he teased. Her eyelids drooped into an unamused glare and he snickered. "What's bothering you, sweetie?"
She faltered again before she forced herself to plunge ahead. "You…you said before that you didn't conceive us when Nightmare…assaulted you. You weren't physically able to."
Her mother swallowed hard and his smile fell but he nodded. "Yes, that is correct."
"But, if you couldn't at that time, how did it ever happen? You never saw Nightmare again after Uncle Leonardo and the others rescued you, right?" Kaiya made her own hard swallow at the unreadable expression that settled over her mother's face.
She watched him take a deep breath while closing his eyes and, for a moment, Kaiya worried that she'd finally done something that needed to be apologized for. Then Donnie opened his eyes and ran his fingers through her mane. "Spoilers, Kaiya-chan," he said as he offered her a smile that was somehow both mischievous and heartrending. "You know I don't do spoilers," he tenderly brushed his knuckles over her muzzle, "Go play with your siblings before Lewis decides to break any more of your records."
Her eyebrows furrowed. It was clear that she wanted to press the matter further, but instead, she nodded obediently. "Yes, Mother."
Michelangelo watched his older brother straighten up as his eldest niece left the room. He frowned when the purple clad turtle's eye ridges pulled together and a fine tremor ran through his slender frame. Mikey walked over to the tall turtle and stood in front of him so that his blue eyes could meet his brother's anxious brown ones. "Chillax, dude," he said with a smile as he tried to cheer his brother up. "Everything's gonna be fine. You've already told them the worst part, after all."
The disquiet in Donatello's eyes was replaced with disbelief as stared at his little brother before he sighed patiently. "Mikey, think about what you just said."
Mikey's eye ridges knitted. "OK."
"Now think about what I still have to tell them."
"Uh huh."
"Have I really gotten through the worst of it?" He watched his little brother's eyes move from side to side while he considered the question. After a few moments, Mikey's face twisted into a grimace. "Yeah…that's what I thought," Donnie murmured as he turned his back on Mikey and returned to slicing carrots.
Mikey frowned and tapped his forefingers together a couple of times before he succeeded in finding his voice again. "Donnie…" he started as he approached to stand beside his taller brother, "…you have nothing to worry about. You did what you felt you had to do. They'll understand."
Donnie wearily looked at Mikey, "How can you possibly know that?"
The shorter turtle simply laughed and shrugged, "Because they're yours! How can the little geniuses NOT understand?" Donnie made a quiet snort and rolled his eyes as he returned to his work so he could finish the last carrot. "But, also, because you'll be right there to help them understand…and so will we. Don't forget that you're not alone in this," Mikey continued, more seriously while resting his hand on Donnie's shoulder, pulling his big brother's attention back to him. "We started this as a family…and we're gonna end it as one."
Donnie's eyes widened and he made a shuddering breath at the conviction in Mikey's voice. He set the knife he was using down so he could grip the counter's edge as he warred with the tears that had begun to burn his eyes once more.
Mikey could see the moisture that threatened to fall and he gave Donnie's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Seriously, Donnie, you are their world! Nothing's ever gonna change that."
Donnie crushed his eyes closed to push back the emotions that wanted to overwhelm him. "H-how…how can you be so sure?" he asked in a voice that was so choked up that it was barely a whisper as he pried open his eyes and returned his gaze to his little brother.
"I just am!" Mikey answered with a bright grin. "I can feel it. I feel it all the way down to my toes." He stretched up to tap Donnie on his forehead. "And if you'd tell that big brain of yours to shut up for a second and listened to this," he dropped his hand to rest it against the center of Donnie's plastron, "you'd feel it too." A small smile began to pull at Donnie's face again, making Mikey grin wider. "Come on, bro. Have I ever steered you wrong?"
It was an opening that Donnie couldn't resist. "Many times, actually."
"Uh huh. That's right. I'm sweet like- HEY!"
Donnie's smile gained a little more strength and he chuckled at his brother's shout. "But," he brought a hand up to rest it on top of his little brother's head and patted it, "I won't hold them against you this time." He lowered his head so that he could lightly touch his nose to the other turtle's and murmured, "Thanks, Mikey." The pout on his little brother's face evaporated into a grin once more. Donnie chuckled at just how easy it was to calm Mikey before he went back to preparing lunch. He picked up a couple of onions only to have Mikey snatch them from him.
"Nuh-uh," the shorter turtle chided. "Your eyes have leaked so much that you're gonna dry out if you chop these." Donnie blinked several times before his face dropped into a scowl. Mikey dared to ignore it and he hip bumped Donnie away from the counter so that he could take his brother's place. "You start heating the pan and getting everything else together. I've got this."
Donatello staggered but found his footing before his face could find the kitchen floor. He shot Michelangelo a glare, which only earned him a bigger, more obnoxious version of his brother's merry grin. An annoyed growl slipped out before he just rolled his eyes with a sigh that sounded more exasperated than he really was. "Pain in the shell," he muttered as he begrudgingly did as Mikey asked. His brother laughed at his grumbling.
As Donnie worked, his thoughts wandered back to his little triplets. He wanted to believe Mikey. He really did. But there were just so many things left to tell them. So many things…that he was not proud of. And if even one of his children ended up hating him because of what he had done…it would kill him faster than the sharpest blade ever could.
A/N: And that's all I have right now. I'm sorry to leave you on such a cliffhanger. I hope that you will feel that it will be worth it with the next chapter. Thank you all for spending your time with me. If you enjoyed this one, please, PLEASE let me know with a favorite, a follow, and/or a review. With the way things are going in my life right now, I really can use all the encouragement I can get. :(