A/N: HELOOOOOOOOO! My 30th chapter, can you believe it?! XD

I'm so sorry for the lack of updates, but I'm free from college (and still jobless -_-) so I'll have more time for writing, I hope! Thank you to EVERYONE who's read, reviewed and faved this fic so far, because I never imagined that it would get as popular as it did! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Kisses and hugs to you!

This chapter is kind of filler, but if you like fluff, then you'll like it! I hope.

I OWN NOTHING!

Enjoy!

Chapter 30

"Unconditional love is the greatest gift we can ever give."

― Amy Leigh Mercree

Letting out a weary sigh, Tiger Claw slowly opened his eyes again, staring at the blank wall of the room with irritated amber orbs glowing in the darkness. Mediation was doing him little to no good at all that night, which was not uncommon whilst he was in such an anxious state of mind. Still, it was no less irksome that no matter how hard he'd tried for the past few hours of his wait, he simply couldn't get himself to relax. Not with the thought that his only son was still out there in the city at such a late hour.

Now, Tiger Claw knew that he could be rather overprotective of Leonardo at times, (as mentioned by Karai on several occasions, much to his annoyance), though he was doing his best to work on fixing that problem. And he was well aware that his young teenaged son was going to be out late on another mission to capture Hamato's disciples that night – though the boy had been very adamant whilst voicing his opinion to him before he'd left, stating how much he detested practicing such a dishonorable method even against an enemy. However, even with that in mind, and also knowing that his cub would never dare to get himself involved with whatever practices his adult comrades indulged themselves in should they have decided to botch the mission entirely, the old tiger assassin began to worry regardless.

Glancing up from where he sat on his futon in their sleeping quarters, Tiger Claw glanced at the clock for what felt like the millionth time, and he sighed once more. It was already three in the morning, with no word forthcoming from Shredder's two henchmen, Leonardo, or even that whelp Baxter Stickman – no, Stockman. His cub had been gone for far too long for his liking.

His brows furrowing as he stared back down at his lap, Tiger Claw began to tap his claws against his knee rhythmically, impatiently, as he resumed his agitated wait. Where was his boy? Surely he would've returned by now…unless something had happened to him during the mission. He was well aware of how exhausted Leonardo had become over the past few days, though the reason as to why that was remained unclear to both him and Karai, for Leo had yet to actually tell them. What if his weariness had caused him to falter during whatever battle had commenced? What if one of his brothers – or worse, one of his own comrades – had fatally wounded him? What if he was –?

Pinching the space between his brows, Tiger Claw closed his eyes and shook his head, snapping himself out of those thoughts before they could fester into something worse. "Calm yourself, Tiger Claw," he growled to himself aloud. "You're being dramatic. Nothing is wrong…you are just being paranoid…"

Maybe Karai was right after all. Maybe he and Leonardo were both a tad too paranoid. He just had to be patient and calm. His cub was fine. He was fine. He was –

His ear suddenly twitched atop his head of its own accord.

And then his eyes snapped open again at the sound of the door creaking open, and then the lights flickered on with a click of the switch.

Blinking rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the gleam, he turned around, and was barely able to restrain his relief when he saw Leonardo standing – barely – in the doorway of the room. Though his body was covered in small bruises and cuts, mostly across his arms and legs, and though his eyes were clearly struggling to stay open as he stood there, he seemed completely fine. Smiling, Tiger Claw stood up and approached the blue clad turtle. "Welcome home, my son," he said, wrapping arms around him and bringing him close for a short hug, before drawing away to look down at his weary face…and now that they were up close, he instantly noticed that he wasn't entirely fine. In fact, he looked worse than he had before he'd left the lair earlier that evening.

His eyes were reddened around the edges, and though he couldn't see them through his mask, Tiger Claw was sure that there were bags underneath them as well. And on top of that, he had one of the most 'done' expressions that he'd ever seen on his face before as the turtle looked up at him blankly.

Tiger Claw raised a curious brow, bringing up a hand to rest it against Leo's cheek. "What happened out there, Leonardo?" he asked.

Leo didn't reply immediately as he sluggishly blinked once, before walking around his father and heading straight towards his futon, not at all paying attention to the mutant tiger as he watched him walk to the other side of the room, not unlike how the stereotypical zombie would walk. When he finally did speak, his voice was as slothful as he appeared, and his words were slurred, making it near impossible to understand what he was saying.

"…Maze of Doom. Baxter's a jerk. Bed now. Story later. Must sleep..."

And with that said, Leo's eyes snapped closed and he collapsed on top of his futon like a sack of potatoes, fast asleep and snoring within milliseconds of making contact with the soft sheets.

From where he stood in front of the door, Tiger Claw's eyes widened in bewilderment at what he'd just witnessed. He blinked once, and he would've burst out laughing already if not for the fact that the poor child had just fallen asleep – literally – and he didn't want to risk waking him up so soon from his well-deserved rest.

It was pretty clear that the night hadn't gone as planned at all. Oh well, at least he was home and safe…though he made a mental note to go to Shredder about Baxter Stockman in the morning.

Once he'd stifled his urge to laugh, he closed the door behind him quietly, turned the lights off, and then moved over to Leo's sleeping form. He couldn't resist the chuckle that rumbled from his chest at the sight of him as he placed his hands on his hips and shook his head. His mouth was half open as he snored lightly, his arms and legs sprawled outwards like a lazy crab on the beach…it was exactly how he'd used to sleep after a tiring day of training or exploring the vast forests surrounding their old home…before Shredder had offered them to permanently join the Foot Clan…

Tiger Claw's smile dwindled at the thought of how Leonardo had used to be, before the cruelness of fate had forced him to grow up all too early. He'd been so carefree, so innocent, so full of life and love and the jubilance of the world it seemed, whilst still being quite mature for a child his age. But a sword through a man's chest had taken that away from him, among so many other things…

Shaking off those disturbing thoughts, Tiger Claw bent down and set to work upon making his exhausted son more comfortable. First, he took off the scabbards on the back of his shell, setting them aside neatly before carefully removing his elbow and knee-pads, followed by his blue scarf – which after catching a whiff of it, he decided it would need a good washing. He then carefully untied his blue mask – which also was in need of a wash – setting it on top of his scarf nearby his swords before he slowly tugged the blankets from underneath him, draping it over his body instead, and then placed his head atop his pillow. All of this was done without Leonardo stirring once as he continued to snooze peacefully, his snores easing into soft breaths instead as he burrowed into the warmth of the blankets.

Sitting back on his knees as he let out a satisfied sigh, the old tiger mutant looked down at his sleeping child with a fond smile stretched across his striped features. Out of all the things that had changed about Leo since his very first mission – his cold demeanor and distrust of others, his outward lack of empathy for whatever victim had been unlucky to cross his path, and his old hatred for his three younger brothers – some of the old habits that had made Tiger Claw love him in the very beginning still remained. He still loved to play-fight, be it with him or Karai, whenever they were off-duty. He still liked to mimic Tiger Claw's animalistic behaviors on occasion, especially when he was irritated. He still had his love for nature and the outdoors in general. He was still as sarcastic as ever…

And though he never really said it out loud, he still needed his father to be near him, be it in the heat of battle or in the comforts of their home. He still needed his assurance, his protection, and his unconditional love in a place where such things were in very short, if in non-existent, supply. And of course, no matter how old he got, no matter how far they grew apart – god forbid that ever happened – Tiger Claw was more than willing and ready to provide such love, just as he'd done for the past twelve years of Leonardo's life.

His thoughts were interrupted when Leo stirred in his sleep, mumbling something under his breath, and if not for his enhanced hearing, Tiger Claw would've missed it.

"…Arigatō, otōsan…"

Tiger Claw blinked hard as he stared down at Leo incredulously as he grew still once again.

'Thanks, dad.'

His gaze softening, he smiled down at his sleeping son. Reaching out, he laid a soft, clawed paw upon the side of his head, being mindful of the old scar that he'd earned years ago as he rubbed his thumb against his head affectionately before he leaned down and licked his forehead. It'd been too long since he'd heard him call him that...

And it was partly due to the fact that he was talking in his sleep that made it all the more humorous. Another one of his old childish habits, it seemed.

"Once a cub, always a cub," he whispered to himself with a fond shake of his head, giving Leo's head one last pat before lifting it away as he set up his own futon and laid himself next to the sleeping turtle. A low purr resounded from within his chest as he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep, finally at peace in knowing that his cub was safe and sound by his side.

When April had arrived at the lair earlier that evening for her one-on-one training session just before the turtles had left for patrol, it had been some time around 8:30, just dark enough for the boys to go out without being noticed by the humans. Despite knowing that they had a job to do, protecting the city from aliens and a ninja army and whatnot, Splinter had reminded his sons to be home again before midnight, to which they had acknowledged somewhat offhandedly before the three of them had disappeared into the tunnels. At that time, Splinter had only shaken his head at their dismissive response before he and April retreated to the dojo.

Now, it was 3am. April had long since finished with her training, and was now sleeping on the bench in the main area after having decided to stay for the night, a blanket draped over her and a cushion pillowing her head, with Splinter sat by her side as he stared worryingly past the turnstiles at the entrance of the lair, his clawed hands clenched into tight, nervous fists as his brows furrowed. What was taking his sons so long? He'd been rather frustrated with them at first when 1am had passed, mulling over whether or not a 'Randori' round was in order once they returned. But after 2am passed, he'd begun to grow anxious. And now, he was debating whether or not to get up and go up to the surface to find them himself.

Closing his eyes, Splinter lowered his head and sighed heavily, his ears folding against the sides of his head. Of course the old ninja master was beyond worried now, for the first time they'd stayed out past midnight, they'd returned with Raphael unconscious and bleeding from a devastating blow to the shoulder, and the second time, Michelangelo had broken his leg. Oddly enough, both of those instances had involved his oldest – and lost – son, Leonardo. A part of him deeply feared that they had gotten into yet another confrontation with one another…and this time, Leonardo had not let them escape so easily…

No, his sons were fine. Perhaps they were just having some difficulty. Perhaps a battle had lasted too long, or their new car had broken down…but none of them were hurt. His boys were fine. They would be home any minute now, laughing and joking about their latest victory or brooding over defeat.

They were fine. They had to be.

Quickly banishing the thoughts with a firm shake of his head, Splinter let out a calming breath before opening his eyes again, turning over to where April lay beside him, peaceful and oblivious to his internal distress as she slept. Reaching out, he laid a hand upon her head as he gently stroked her hair, smiling as she shifted and mumbled in her sleep.

He'd meant every word he'd said to her earlier that night. If his precious baby daughter, Miwa, was still alive, he had no doubt in his mind that she would have been just as good as April had already become, even in the short amount of time that they'd spent training together. It was one of the reasons why he had, without regret or a second thought, decided to give her the Tessen, the weapon that had been passed down from the warrior women of his clan from generation after generation. It had been intended for his daughter, of course, in the very beginning…but he had seen that April was more than worthy of wielding it.

She had not been born within the Hamato family, but she had earned her place among them. She had gained the trust, love and respect from him and his sons by accepting them, training with them, playing and living with them. As far as Splinter and the turtles were concerned, April was a part of their odd little family now. April was their sister. And though he could never outwardly say it, and though she could never replace the little baby girl he'd once loved and cherished with all his heart, he could accept the young red haired child as his own as well. A surrogate daughter of sorts…

His ears suddenly flicked twice at the sound of footsteps approaching, and his head snapped up as he turned towards the entrance of the lair again to find three turtles drowsily trudging through the turnstiles as they plodded down the stairs breathlessly. Raphael was carrying a dozing Michelangelo on his shell piggy-back style, and was obviously struggling to keep himself upright as his eyelids drooped. Donatello was no different as he leaned heavily on his Bo staff, his head lulling to the side along with the rest of him as he struggled to walk in a straight line towards their father.

"Boys!" Splinter exclaimed, standing up from the couch in one swift motion. He was across the room and wrapping his arms around his sons in seconds, pulling them as close to his chest as he could manage as he gazed down at them worriedly, taking note just how exhausted they looked as they all stared up at him – apart from Mikey of course, who was very much asleep as he drooled on Raph's shoulder, but the red clad turtle didn't seem to care or notice. Granted, there were also several scars and bruises over all their bodies, but they posed no threat; they would heal in no time.

"My sons, what happened?" he asked as he released them. "Are you alright? What kept you up there for so long?"

Donnie and Raph didn't answer right away as they stared up at him blankly, their eyes reddened around the edges and their expressions utterly, as Mikey would often put it, 'done'. Blinking once, they both walked past Splinter, who watched them with a raised brow as Donnie lazily dropped his staff on one of the benches, and Raph placed Mikey on the ground as carefully as he could manage, pillowing his head on the spare cushion that April hadn't claimed. They then sat down beside him, looked up at their master, and said in perfect unison though their voices were slurred and sluggish:

"…Maze of Doom. Baxter's a jerk. Bed now. Story later. Must sleep..."

And with that, Donnie and Raph all but collapsed on top of each other, fast asleep and lightly snoring in mere seconds.

Splinter stared at them, his eyes widened in surprise at their lack of a proper explanation, and upon seeing just how tired they really were. Soon enough, his surprise was replaced with a fond smile as he shook his head and chuckled. This wasn't the first time that the three of them had exhausted themselves to the point where they couldn't even make it to their bedrooms, and it warmed him inside to find that some of their old childish habits had remained after all these years...

The old rat sighed, but the smile was still present on as he gazed upon the four children piled together in the pit. He couldn't find it in his heart to wake them up and send them to their rooms now, for they all looked so at peace. But even so, as a responsible parent, there was no way he could possibly allow them to sleep whilst they were still clad in their gear; they would end up as stiff as boards in the morning otherwise. So it was with great care that he approached the three turtles and removed their elbow and kneepads, followed by their weapons and masks – that were very much in need of washing as he sniffed them once, his nose wrinkling. Once that was done, he set about making them more comfy – especially Raph and Donnie, for they were practically crushing one another – so he gathered some of their blankets and pillows from their rooms and cushioned their heads, before draping the quilts over their motionless forms. Wiping a bit of drool off the side of Mikey's mouth with his thumb and stroking Donnie and Raph's heads affectionately, Splinter took a step back and gazed upon them all once more.

He nodded to himself once in satisfaction. Now, that was much better. They looked far more comfortable now as they burrowed deeper beneath the warmth of their blankets and muttered under their breaths as they dreamed. Truly, whatever challenges they had faced that night had tired them out more than he'd thought, for they hadn't stirred once, not even when he'd removed their masks. Perhaps he could even allow them a day off from training, just this once…

Splinter's smile faltered as he turned his head towards the turnstiles once again, his ears drooping slightly. More often than not, he pondered upon whether or not he should accompany his sons on the surface during their missions, to help them fight the battles that raged on day by day…and yet, he knew that if he did, they would never learn to take care and fight for themselves, as harsh as it sounded. It was his duty as their teacher, their father, that he trained them to the best of his ability to the point where they no longer needed him. It was a point in time that every parent dreaded, but in the world they lived in, keeping them with him for the rest of their lives or aiding them in every battle they faced was not an option, especially now that they were at war with both the Kraang and the Foot…

Eventually, no matter how much he wished that things could remain the same, he would soon have to let them grow up without him…

His thoughts were drawn to a halt when he heard Michelangelo mutter something in his sleep, just loud enough that his rat ears could pick it up.

"…thanks dad," he sighed with a sleepy smile, before turning over to burrow his mask-less face into Raph's chest and falling silent once again. Subconsciously, Raph's arm then lifted from underneath the covers and draped over Mikey, and Donnie nestled himself against the back of his older brother's shell.

After staring at his youngest child in surprise for a moment, Splinter's smile returned as he sighed again. Indeed, though they had grown into three strong, independent ninjas that he would continue to be proud of with each passing day, they still needed the watchful care of their father, his unconditional love, especially during trying times such as these. And of course, whether or not he would someday have to let them go off into the world to face whatever trials would come their way, he was willing to provide such love, as he had done so for the past fifteen years of their life…and for the first three years of his firstborn…

Chuckling softly, Splinter stepped over to the turtle pile and reached out, stroking Mikey's head once again with a clawed hand. His smile broadened. "You're welcome, my son," he whispered, before taking the rare opportunity to nuzzle his freckled cheek against his own, before straightening up again and heading towards the dojo, switching off the main lights as he did so.

No doubt that there would be more trials and battles to come the following day, but for now, he would let his children sleep. And he, too, could finally get some rest in knowing that his boys were safe at home at last.

"…April? April, wake up!"

Her nose wrinkling as her face was gently poked at, April let out a pitiful moan as she rolled over onto her other side to avoid the poking finger. She'd been up all night waiting with Splinter for the turtles to come home, and was not about to give up this precious moment of sleep. Maybe she should've listened to him when he'd warned her that becoming a ninja really was the hardest thing she'd ever done; it kicked high school's butt all the way to Jersey and back again, that's for sure.

"…five more minutes," she muttered sleepily, tugging the blanket over her shoulders as she nestled deeper into the pillow.

She heard the owner of the voice huff in both amusement and annoyance, before they poked her in the back, earning another whine from her as she tried desperately to ignore it.

"Seriously, April, you've gotta get up now. It's already 8:30! You're gonna be late for school!"

That got her attention.

April's eyes snapped open. She was wide awake with her heart in her throat as she sat right up on the bench she was sprawled over with a yelp. Unfortunately, her forehead collided with Donatello's upon her abrupt movement, and the two of them cried out in pain before pressing their hands against their aching brains. Biting her tongue to keep the pained tears at bay, April sat up again as she rubbed her temples and cracked a single eye open, only to look down and find poor Donnie face-down on the ground with his face in his hands. "Owwwwwww," he moaned pitifully.

"Oh my gosh, Donnie, I'm so sorry," April cried, jumping off the couch as she knelt by his side, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

When he looked up at her, he sent her a dizzy, gap-toothed grin as he gave her a little wave, though most of her attention was drawn to the bright red dot just above his mask from the accidental head-butt. "Good morning, sleeping beauty," he quipped, groaning as he pinched the space between his eyes. "Sorry we kept you both up so late. We decided to let you sleep for an extra hour, but then Splinter remembered that it's Friday today. You really need to get going!"

Again, April's insides churned dangerously at the memory of school, and she shot up to her feet – though the motion made her dizzy – and scrambled towards the bathroom with a panicked cry. "I'm gonna take a quick shower!" she called over her shoulder. "Do me a favor and pack my bag, please?!"

"No problem!" she heard him reply before she slipped inside the bathroom and slammed the door shut, switching the shower on and thanking whoever was listening that the hot water hadn't already been used up.

By the time she'd undressed, quickly bathed, got dressed again and hurried out of the bathroom, she was surprised to find that Donnie, Raph and Mikey were all waiting for her at the entrance. Donnie was holding April's bag over his shoulder, Mikey was carrying a box wrapped up in a clean dishtowel, and Raph stood with his arms folded over his plastron, his foot tapping impatiently. As soon as she was close enough, Raph grabbed her and threw her onto his shell piggy-back style, a motion she had not been expecting, before the three of them charged up the stairs, vaulted over the turnstiles out of the lair and into the tunnels. "We'll be right back, Sensei!" Raph shouted over his shoulder as they ran, with April wrapping her arms around Raph's neck with a startled squeak at his speed.

"Be careful, my sons! And good luck, April!" she heard Splinter call back.

"W-Wait a sec," April began, her mind still trying to keep up with what was going on, still being half asleep and all. "What are you guys -?"

"You're gonna be late for school, right?" Raph asked over his shoulder as they neared a manhole cover and began to climb the ladder upwards. "So since we're not as pathetically slow as you, we're gonna take you there instead. But only this once, because we don't have any training today; Splinter gave us the day off."

April blinked, and not just from the gleam of the sun hitting her eyes as the four of them climbed out one by one before leaping up the nearest fire escape. "But –" she began, but Mikey was already cutting her off again.

"Don't worry, April, we got this!" he chimed as they leapt from rooftop to rooftop with effortless speed. "Donnie packed your homework, Raph made sure you have your pencil case and your T-Phone charger, and I made you an extra special lunch!" He then held up the bundled box for her to see.

April raised a brow at him.

"Don't worry, nothing pizza-y in it this time, I promise!" he claimed, putting a hand over his heart as he winked at her. In response, April giggled.

Several minutes later, the four of them landed in an alleyway only meters away from the school grounds. Raph let April slide off his shell, patting her hair down to make it look as presentable as he could manage after all the wind rushing through it, Donnie handed over her bag, and Mikey gave her the lunchbox. "Now, remember to give us a call if you need anything, anything at all," Donnie said as he fixed her headband.

"Don't forget to call us when you're finished with Chess Club, too. We know you can't make it tonight, but just in case you change your mind or if you need an escort or something!" Mikey added as he smoothed back her hair and retied her ponytail. "Oh, and don't forget to eat your lunch, too! I made it special! Don't leave a scrap behind, 'kay?"

"And for goodness sakes, don't forget that Tessen," Raph snapped as he straightened her shirt. "Don't lose the thing after you just got it, hear me?"

As they continued to fuss over her and fill her in with more unnecessary 'don't-forgets', reminding April very much of her aunt, April couldn't stifle her laughter even as she ducked from underneath their hands and took a step back. "Um, guys?" she said, silencing them as she pointed a thumb over her shoulder at the school. "Remember? I'm kinda on a time-limit here?"

They blinked once. And then they remembered the whole reason they'd run out in broad daylight in the first place as their eyes widened comically. "Oh! Right! Go!" they ushered in unison, making 'shooing' motions with their hands. Laughing again, April waved at them before running towards the mouth of the alleyway.

"Thanks guys! I'll see you first thing tomorrow!" she called over her shoulder, just as they disappeared back into the shadows, before pelting it towards the front gate. The moment she entered the building, the first bell had just finished ringing. April released a heavy sigh of relief as she weaved her way through the hallways filled with students, who were all bustling to get to their first periods. She'd made it just in time. All thanks to her lovable yet rather pushy turtle companions.

It had been a big risk for them to venture up to the surface during the early hours of the morning, but it'd had all been so that she'd make it to school on time. She hadn't realized just how far they would go to ensure that she was safe, happy…and not late for school. Heck, Mikey had even remembered to make her lunch (which after she caught a whiff of it through the dishtowel it was wrapped in, smelt really good and almost had her mouth watering.)

April knew that they cared about her. But she hadn't realized just how much they cared about her.

April smiled to herself as she quickly opened her locker and stored her bag and her precious 'extra special' lunch inside, taking out the books she'd need for her first class. Perhaps she could get used to having three ninja brothers after all.

And speaking of brothers…

Turning to look at the piece of paper taped to the inside of her locker door below the small mirror, April's smile grew.

Meet Leonardo at Central Park after Chess Club.

Of course, a part of her still felt bad for keeping this from the other three turtles – the three people aside from Splinter that longed to see him more than anything in the world – but if keeping the truth from them was the only way to get Leo to open up and, someday, accept the truth and return to his family, then so be it.

Shutting her locker with her books held against her chest, April headed to her classroom, unable to stop smiling at the thought of meeting Leonardo again later that night. She couldn't wait to tell him everything that'd been going on during the past week, especially about her awesome new weapon; perhaps she could even show him a few of the tricks she'd learned from Splinter. No doubt he'd be impressed with her! Indeed, she had much to look forward to. Hopefully, though, everything would go as planned. There was no telling what trouble could arise, knowing their luck.

But then again, they were both ninjas – well, April was getting there, but still – they knew how to be careful and discreet. Also, even though his paranoia was partly a weakness of his, Leonardo was just as skilled and as cautious as his brothers.

What could possibly go wrong?

A/N: Dang it, April, you jinxed it!

I hope you enjoyed the fluff and stuff, and more is on the way my lovelies!

Next time: April and Leo meet up again, but not without a certain someone slipping past Leo's detection and spying on them from afar...I wonder who?