A/N: Sorry for the delay. I was a little hesitant in writing this because I found that the post this was inspired by was an actual AU that someone else was doing, and they had assumed that I was copying them, but I told them I wasn't. I apologized though, but I'm still a bit on the edge.

Anyways, here is chapter 4. It's slightly shorter than the others, sorry!

I OWN NOTHING!

Enjoy!

Chapter 4

"No word makes me happier than the word "daddy",

when it's directed to me."

– Michael Josephson

The sound of birds happily chirping musically resounded through the air as the sun rose in the horizon, its gentle rays of light shining down upon the quiet forests of Japan. The many woodland creatures began to emerge from their nests and burrows as they prepared themselves for the long day ahead of them, scurrying about the forest in search for their morning meal for either themselves of for their families. However, in a particular part of the forest, one that was hidden by many overgrown trees and bushes, there was a small household where its two occupants that had yet to fully awaken. They would be found in one of the bedrooms of the old house, sleeping soundly on one of the spare futons that they had found in the wooden cupboards, side by side and seemingly at peace in their dream filled slumbers. It was truly an odd sight to behold; a large, fearsome tiger creature sleeping next to a smaller, more fragile mutant turtle child no older than three years old, when one would think that the tiger would have already devoured the turtle...

The tiger started to stir as the sunrays glimmered through the window. Cracking his amber tinted eyes open, Tiger Claw looked drowsily around at his blurry surroundings, and became confused. Where was he? He didn't remember going to sleep in his burrow last night…

Oh. That's right.

He glanced down at where the turtle child, Leonardo, the little cub that he himself had decided to care for, was sleeping with his little face buried into his chest, and he allowed himself to smile softly. Luckily, Tiger Claw had remembered to take off his weapons and belts before he went to sleep, which was something that he hadn't done before. He was so used to living in the forest itself, always prepared for any dangers that would befall him in the night, be it an animal that thought it could match him in taking over the territory, or one of those 'Kraang' creatures. Wherever he went, he always carried at least one of his weapons with him. He was always prepared, always expecting the unexpected…well, this time he had not been prepared at all. He never expected in his life that he would be fathering an orphaned mutant turtle child, raising him as if he were his own cub, for lack of a better term. And even though it was only his first day on the job, he was already fearing that he would not be able to fill the void that the old rat had left in the boys' life; he had no idea how to raise a child, no idea what to feed him, no idea what his training sessions were usually like, but he gathered they had been going through the basics of ninjitsu at the time. And in all honesty, his training was going to change once he got started, but everything else…he really hadn't thought of.

He was actually surprised that the rat had been able to keep himself and the turtles alive for as long as he had.

Well, better get started before the boy woke up. Slowly and quietly, Tiger Claw stood up and walked out of the large bedroom that he assumed to be the turtles' bedroom before they left; it only made sense that the four boys shared the largest room until they grew old enough to have their own. After letting loose a cat-like yawn, he sniffed the air in the house, hoping that they had left some food behind in the kitchen; they couldn't bring everything with them wherever they went, could they?

To his utter salvation, as he walked into the kitchen, which appeared to be like the old style kitchens with the sinks on the side, the table in the middle and the pots, pans and stoves on the other side of the room underneath the cupboards, the overgrown tiger found that they had indeed left over some food, fresh food at that. The stock consisted of mostly fruits they had gathered from the forest; berries, apples, bananas…wait, where did he find the strawberries?

Well then, he supposed he could give Leonardo a fruit salad for breakfast? Shrugging his shoulders, Tiger Claw took out a rather large melon (seriously, where did the rat even get this stuff?) and set it down on the table, getting out a clean knife from the drawer as he began to cut it into neat, thick slices. He just hoped he knew what he was doing. In fact, did the child even like melons to begin with? Oh lord…

He heard a little yelp coming from the bedroom. He lifted his head in alarm as the sound of running little feet reached his ears, and it wasn't long until a frightened little green turtle nearly slid past the kitchen door. The child let out a heavy sigh of relief at the sight of the tiger standing in the kitchen, putting his hand over his chest as he panted slightly. "…I…I thought you left, too…" he said.

Tiger Claw blinked down at him in surprise, his brow furrowing. Why would he think that? He had told him that he would stay with him –

But so did the rat.

Tiger Claw shook his head and offered the child a soft smile. "I have told you, Leonardo," he said reassuringly, "I am not going anywhere."

Leo's heart seemed to finally calm as he smiled back at the tiger mutant, his big blue eyes filled with hope. He was telling the truth. But that still didn't ease his fears of being left alone. The tiger had told him the other night that his sensei and his brothers had gone away for a little while, and that they would come back for him very soon, so he would wait for them until they finally returned, so then he wouldn't feel afraid of being alone anymore. Of course, Mr. Tiger – well, father for now –would come along with them for taking care of him!

Leo's eyes fell upon the melon slices on the table, and he stared at them. "…is that for breakfast?" he asked innocently.

Tiger Claw already feared the worst, and he cringed a little. "…yes?"

Leo nodded his head, and he laced his fingers behind his shell as he looked back up at the tiger, his blue eyes big and almost pleading. "…can I have the biggest piece?"

Tiger Claw blinked once. Then a chuckle escaped his lips, mostly out of relief as he nodded his head. "Yes, you may," he replied, "I see you like melons then?"

Leonardo seemed to bounce on his toes as he nodded excitedly. "Yes, yes, yes! I love melons! Sensei used to give us melons all the time, but then Raphie would always steal the biggest one because he's such a big meanie sometimes, but –"

As the boy continued to ramble on, steering off the subject of melons completely, Tiger Claw couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped him. And then found himself surprised that he had actually been able to make him laugh. Better yet, in the space of a few hours, Leonardo had managed to make him smile. He hadn't really smiled in a long time, and if he ever did, it was never a real one; it never came from the heart. But whenever he looked at the child, his little cub, that smile managed to appear without hesitation.

Maybe this was going to work out after all.

After breakfast, Tiger Claw had allowed Leo to go out into the garden to play as he wandered around the house, inspecting it for anything that would need fixing, removing or possibly replacing. If he was going to raise a child, he refused to let him live in a home that was still practically crumbling and could fall on their heads at any moment. He was quite familiar with building things, and the rat that lived here before him had done a half decent job already, so there wouldn't be that much for him to do; just the roof, the bathroom, the kitchen…okay, maybe a little more than that. But all the tools he needed were already in the basement in the kitchen, so he could get started as soon as he was ready. However, he knew that training Leonardo would be a challenge. Tiger Claw himself was already familiar with dozens of fighting styles, a skill that was essential if you were an assassin with targets that could have an advantage over you, should they know how to fight in a style you didn't know. Ninjitsu was also on that long list of fighting styles, but he hadn't used that in a long time. Leo was still in the early stages of becoming a ninja, but he seemed to be very comfortable the way he was. Would it really be a good idea to completely alter his training pattern?

He looked back out to the front garden, where he could see Leo hopping on one foot, giggling as he hopped after a butterfly and flapped his arms up and down as if he were a butterfly himself. Tiger Claw didn't even attempt to fight the snicker as he watched him. Maybe he should ask him what he and his previous Sensei did before they left. It would be helpful for them both if Tiger Claw knew exactly what stage he was at. Nodding to himself, he stood up from where he sat in the living room and walked out towards the front garden. "Leonardo," he called, and the turtle instantly stopped hopping after the butterfly as he turned to look up at the tiger. "…can you show me what katas you know from your ninja training?" he asked.

His eyes brightening in delight, Leo nodded enthusiastically. "Hai, Sensei!" he piped up with a short bow.

Tiger Claw shook his head with a chuckle; looks like someone loves to train. "Very well," he said fondly, folding his hands behind his back, "Hajime."

Leo's cheerful expression suddenly reverted into one full of stone-faced concentration as he nodded and began, moving in sharp fluid motions as he launched a series of kicks and punches at his invisible opponent. Tiger Claw found himself unable to speak as he watched him. Though he was only small and still quite young, his movements were very fluid, and he hardly stumbled. He showed great skill and concentration even though they were simple katas he was displaying.

Indeed, Leonardo was born to be a warrior.

When Leo came to a stop, his back was erect and his arms posted firmly at his sides as he looked up at his surrogate father. "How did I do, sensei?" he asked, trying to conceal the giddy smile that threatened to appear.

Tiger Claw smiled softly and clapped his hands. "Well done, Leonardo," he praised, "that was exceptional. You are a very skilled young warrior."

Leo's face finally broke out into a childish grin as a little blush coated his cheeks. "T-Thank you, Tigger – I-I'm sorry, I mean, tiger. No, wait, I-I mean –"

The giant tiger shook his head with a smile, walking over to the child and patting him on the head. "Don't apologize, young cub," he said gently, "and I told you…you may call me father."

Leo put both little green hands on top of the furry paw on his head as he looked up at Tiger Claw. Even though he looked mean and scary when they had first met, the giant tiger had been very kind to Leo, saving him from those scary men back in the forest, and then offering to stay with him…and then letting him call him father…it all made him so happy inside. He knew one day that his real father and his younger brothers would come back for him soon, and he would always be waiting for them, but until then, he could be just as happy living with the tiger. Smiling brighter than the sun, Leo nodded against the furry paw on his head. "Okay…f-father!" he stumbled slightly. He was not yet used to saying 'father' just yet. "And…you called me a cub…" he giggled, "that sounds funny!"

Tiger Claw smiled and nodded. "Yes," he said, "but it fits you well."

Leo nodded back. "In that case, daddy fits you better, too! So…can I call you daddy instead?" he asked shyly.

Tiger Claw blinked once in mild surprise. That word actually made him feel something odd, something that he hadn't felt in a while, but because of Leo, he was starting to get used to.

That word made him happy inside. So very happy.

He smiled again, lowering himself down onto one knee so that he could lick the top of the turtle's head affectionately. "Yes. You can."

3 months later…

Tiger Claw had noticed a slowly growing pattern with his little one. It was nothing particularly bad, but it was slightly odd.

After their training sessions in the morning, which both he and Tiger Claw were slowly getting used to, Leo was free to do whatever he pleased, which was mostly playing in the front garden or swimming in the little pond in the back garden whilst Tiger Claw did some work around the house until lunch came around. That was normal. But what was beginning to unsettle the mutant tiger was what happened after dinner.

Leo would simply sit out on the wooden platform just as he had done all those years ago, and he would stare out into the forest for hours, not moving unless he wanted to get a snack or to use the bathroom. Tiger Claw thought nothing of it at first, thinking of it as simply a way for him to calm himself down ready for when bedtime came around (and it was on the first day that the big cat had realized that the turtle child simply couldn't sleep on his own no matter what, so they had to share a room, not that he had any issues with that).

But then the months went on; Tiger Claw finally managed to finish off the house using anything he could find from the forest or on his late night runs to the nearby junk yards, and Leo eventually turned four years old. By this point, it had become a regular thing. Every night, Leo would continue to go out there and sit on the platform, staring out into the distance with a neutral expression on his face.

Tiger Claw was beginning to worry. What was he doing? It was almost as if he was waiting for some –

Oh no.

He couldn't be waiting for his deceased family, could he? If he was, then he would be waiting for the rest of his life pointlessly...

If he told him the truth, then it would break his heart…but if he left him to continue waiting for the family that would never come, then when he finally realized the truth, it would break him even more…

No. It was better if he just told him the truth. It was better than clinging onto false hope for the rest of his life. If he had done the same all those years ago, when he too had faced being abandoned, he would have died long ago…

However, just as he was about to out and give the boy the news, on his way out of the kitchen, he was stopped in his tracks when Leonardo suddenly appeared in front of him, his blue eyes brimming with tears that had yet to be shed. Tiger Claw quirked a brow at him, and he knelt down on one knee so that he was eye level with the four year old. "What is wrong, Leonardo?" he asked.

Leo looked down at his feet, refusing to look the tiger in the eyes as he sniffed. "…um…I think I get it now…" he said quietly, "…why sensei and my brothers aren't here yet…"

Tiger Claw's brows furrowed, and he felt his heart clench in his chest at the child, who still refused to look up at him as his should shook slightly, as if he was holding back the tears. Had he finally figured it out? Had he put the pieces of his fractured memory together?

The poor child…he was probably going to start crying…

But to Tiger Claw's surprise, when Leo finally lifted his head, he was smiling. Smiling, even though the tears began to pour his face and drip off his chin. "…they haven't come back yet…'cause they don't want me…"

Tiger Claw's eyes widened and his breath hitched. No, that wasn't it, they always wanted you, they loved you, don't you see? Before he could say anything else, Leo continued, the tears still falling endlessly from his eyes, yet he kept on smiling. "…I guess…Master Splinter didn't think I was a good ninja…Raphie and I always got into fights 'nd stuff…Donnie and Mikey must've thought that I was too serious about practice…but…that's okay…'cause I still have you…" His smile began to falter as his bottom lip trembled, and he brought a shaking hand to rub his face, but that only brought on more tears. "But…I d-don't get it…" he whimpered, "I-I didn't do anything wrong…why did they…why did they hate me…w-why did they leave me behind…?"

He could take no more of this, and without warning, Tiger Claw threw his arms around Leo and tugged him close to his chest, his strong arms holding him tightly with no intention of letting go. And it was that act that finally broke Leo's last wall as he began to sob into the tiger's chest, clinging to him with all the strength he had in his quivering little body. Tiger Claw felt his heart throb for the child in his arms. He believed that his family had abandoned him out of hatred, thought that they had not thought he was good enough, strong enough or even worthy enough of their love, simply because of who he was…

"…but…that's okay…'cause I still have you…"

Shutting his eyes, he brought up a paw and softly stroked the back of his head. "…don't cry, Leonardo…they did not hate you," he soothed as the child's sobs began to lessen, "they had no control over what had happened the night you lost them. But know this…" He drew back slightly in order to cup both hands against Leo's face, making him look directly into his eyes as he sniffled. "I will never leave you, do you understand? I will never hate you. You will never be alone again…my son."

Leo's eyes widened as he stared into the tiger's eyes. He had never actually called him his son before. More tears began to fall as he then launched himself back into his chest, burying his face into his shirt as he began to sob again. "I-I love you, daddy!" he cried.

Tiger Claw embraced him again, putting all the love and strength he could into it. He felt a lump in his throat and a stinging behind his eyes as he held his little cub. "…I love you too, my son."