Toddler Tales

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

Chapter Three: Love conquers all.

Raph turned to look at his niece who was almost three years old, she was Mike's daughter and while she looked much like they did she had dark hair that curled around her head, and five fingers on each hand and five toes on each foot, her chubby legs were starting to grow steadier and stronger. Soon, he knew, very soon now, she would start her training as a ninja. He hoped Splinter would choose him to be her Sensei, after all she did love him so, not that the feeling had always been mutual.

No Raph had often found the baby Ramiela to be irritating, especially when she cried and like any infant she did a lot of that. Her screams, howls and temper tantrums would cause him to flee the lair, yet he was also aware, for whatever unfathomable reason Rama liked him. She would follow him whenever he would permit it, and she loved it when he played with her,her merry laughter bubbling out in an infectious way. Yet when Raph played he did so strictly by his own rules, which meant a lot of rough and tumble sort of play. He'd pick her up throw her in the air, catch her, swing her around and about, tickle her like crazy and the child, surprizingly enough, never got ill but would beg for more.

At first Mike hadn't been sure all that rough play would be good for her, Rama had such little bones, she was so young she could easily get hurt.

"Raph you have to understand, she is a little child, it might not take much for her to get hurt" Mike had protested the first time he had seen how the two played.

"Oh come off it Mike. I'm ninja I ain't about to drop her."

" Hey, accidents happen Raph and she is just a little girl." Mike insisted clutching Rama and checking her over, as if inspecting her for the slightest injury.

"Look, the kid hangs around me, not the other way around Mike, and I refuse to play those cutsey kid games of peekaboo, or the like." Raph declared sharply, "Sides she hasn't come to any harm yet."

"Yet being the key word" Mike agreed.

"She has to learn to be ninja right? Rough and tumble just consider what I'm doin' as early training Mike."

Raph shook his head, as he recalled that argument had ended with Don reassuring Mike that such rough housing wasn't a threat to Ramiela, or at least not half as much of a threat as Mike precieved it to be.

Raph had to admit that he appreciated where his niece was so far, yes she had managed to get a few scrapes and bruises from falling down while learning to walk, or by getting into things that she shouldn't be but never had Rama recieved so much as a bump while in his care. He had often to put his tail in gear to prevent her from falling and possibly hurting herself, but that was about as far as it went. As for Mike he had long ago given up on arguing the point when he realized Rama seemed to enjoy that rough play with her uncle.

Then again Rama had always had a thing for him following him around the lair, and trying to be with him as much as physically possible. As an infant she had crawled after him, or tried to sit on his lap when he was resting at home, as she got older he had become an incentive to help her walk, and she would often sneak into his room in the morning and wake him up by bouncing on him, and the bed, while shouting "Ge' up." Rama lived by the theory that if she was up, everybody ought to be up. Everybody meaning her dad, and her favourite Uncle of course, they were the only important ones.

Raph knew that his name had also been one of the first words Rama had ever said, oh dada had been the first, followed by ea' ( eat) Bubba (bottle or drink) and that sort of important stuff that was needed.

Raph smiled ruefully, as he thought about the very day she had first said his name, he'd been watching a show on TV and Mike had been amusing Rama by rolling a ball to her so she could roll it back his way, Rama though had grown bored and come over to pester him.

" Go away kid you bother me" he grouched waving her off.

Rama whined a bit as she grabbed a hold of the couch and through some, pulling, wriggling and sheer luck brought on by tenacity alone managed to climb up on the sofa to be beside him. Raph had scowled sharply at her, quickly he got up and headed for the arm chair. Causing his niece to sniff and pout she held out her arms "Af"

Raph had ignored her focusing instead on his show.

He had seen out of the corner of his eye, her tiny cherubic face crumble and a down cast look come into her eyes as she heaved a forlorn sigh. She sniffed dejectedly but crawled down and headed determinedly for the armchair.

Raph shot a look at Mike "Can't you take her elsewhere to play wit her Mike?" Raph demanded.

"Look Raph she likes you and I can't change that." Mike declared, " All I can say is she sure has a poor taste in people." Mike snorted.

"What's that suppose ta mean?" Raph asked.

"Figure it out Raph" Mike replied bitterly as he went to scoop Rama up.

Rama began to cry " Dada, Af." the infant protested.

Mike turned her around, "What is it you want? What are you saying?"

"Af. Afie."

"Raph?" Mike asked, "Is that what you are trying to say honey? Raph?"

Rama nodded holding her arms out towards her uncle "Rafie." she called. "Rafie. Rama, Rafie dada."

Something had softened in Raph at that moment seeing the infant squirm in her dad's hands while calling for him. She had wanted to see him.

"Sorry Honey, Raph doesn't want to see you." Mike stated emphatically.

Raph had stood up then and glared at Mike, "Who says I don't? The kid wants to see me fine" wiith that said he plucked the child from her father's arms. "Come here you little grub."

Rama dived cheerfully into his arms, clinging to him as she bounced up and down "Rafie. Rafie" she chanted.

Now that Rama was getting older, and talking more she was a lot more fun to be around, and the fact that she thought that he was the greatest mutant turtle around, well that might have a little something to do with his love of her. He was leading her around a section of the lair that the family was starting to build as a play ground and training area for some of her ninja skills, built from junk they had salveged from scrap yards, the dump and various other places. So far there wasn't a lot a sandbox full of sand, a swing set and a slide. They were supposed to be working on climbing equipment next.

Raph swooped Rama up to her delighted squeals tossing her in the air before, sitting her onto the swing. "Hold tight now Rama, and I'm going push you okay?" Raph said as he clasped her tiny hands around the metal chain of the swing.

Rama kicked in the swing seat, trying to pump and get the swing moving. "Rama go up Unca Raphie" Rama sang out.

"Yes, but hold on tight. Right?"

"S'alright." Rama said cheerfully.

Raph chuckled as he started to push her slowly.

"Fas'er. Rama go high." Rama pleaded.

"All right faster it is" Raph agreed, "You hold tight though" he pushed her harder and faster, doing an underdog that caused Rama to squeal with delight.

As the swing neared the top of the upward swing Rama, for whatever reason, perhaps she had enough, perhaps her hands slipped, let go and suddenly she found herself coming down fast towards the ground.

Raph inhaled quickly as he saw the child go in a different direction from the swing seat and hmoved fast to get under her and catch her, wanting to slow her down or prevent her from falling, but gravity must be obeyed, and there was no possible way for Raph to prevent the inevitable. He didn't have a chance to catch her for the momentum of the swing had pushed her further away, and by the time he was with in reach, he was barely able to grab her before she had hit the ground. Even then he didn't have a firm hold and she slipped hitting hard and laid there face down.

"Ramiela!" Raph gasped in a panic, tenderly turning her over.

Rama sniffed and suddenly she burst into tears, and a loud wail, thatshe had been holding back onwhen she had hit theground, now seemed to break free."Ow, owie! Rama owie!" she howled. Her banshee wails increased in tempo when suddenly she saw blood.

Raph saw the blood coming from out of her mouth and instantly cursed and berated himself as he tried to get her to calm down so he could take a closer look. "Rama let me see. It is okay." He tried to assure and placate her while feeling that he was the lowest of the low for allowing her to get hurt, especially after promising Mike it would never happen with him.

Rama howled harder sure that she was dying, she was bleeding after all, and any child will tell you the sight of blood, unless it is some one else's, means that you are going to die! She screamed harder flailing about in Raph's hands.

Mike hearing his daughter's wails suddenly appeared "Rama, honey, what's a matter" He saw the blood splattered on her chin and plastron. "What happened Raph?"

"She fell off the swing. I was right here and..." Raph muttered feeling less then an inch in height. "I don't know where she hurt herself, if she knocked a tooth out or bit her tongue or what" Raph was frantic as Rama continued to scream.

"Well we might not know what is wrong or where, but we may have a quick cure." Mike said as he picked Rama up cuddling her close as he packed her into the kitchen, Raph followed nervously, wondering how bad the damage was, and what Mike was going do to him for hurting Rama, whatever the case was he could deal with it. It couldn't be half as bad as he felt in that moment knowing that his lapse had caused her injury.

Once in the kitchen Mike reached into the freezer and withdrew a popsicle unwrapping it he handed it to Rama "Here Rama."

Rama gratefully grasped the treat popping it into her mouth, she didn't get many popsicles, and she wasn't going say no to this one just because of her owie, however she found slurping on the cold treat helped her owie begin to hurt less, as she sat on the table sucking and slurping away on her cold treat, her sobs slowly deceased as the cold treat froze the pain. Soon she was far more interested in her treat then in her injury.

"Mike, I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't watching her." Raph confessed softly.

Mike chuckled slightly "All these years I figured she'd get hurt from you tossing her around like a rag doll, or wishing she'd throw up all over you for shaking her insides up so, instead she gets an almost normal childhood injury of falling off a swing." He gave a rueful shake of his head. "Hey Rama show me a big smile" Mike flashed her a grin.

She beamed at him around her popsicle.

"No broken teeth, looks like they are all there. Rama can you stick your lip out for daddy?" Mike showed her what he wanted.

Rama made a face, at him then giggled.

"Doesn't look like she hurt her bottom lip, I doubt she got her top lip. So she must have bit her tongue." Mike got Rama to stick out her tongue.When she did the mark was clear but the frozen treat she was devouring had stopped the bleeding all ready. Mike tousled her hair "She'll be all right Raph, and she will live to get more such injuries I'm sure. She might even have a few bruises, but no broken bones, nothing too bad." There was a hint of relief in Mike's words as he tenderly gazed at his daughter.

Raph breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm glad. I was worried about her there." Raph watched as Rama finished her treat a small smile all ready starting to play about her face, and the tear tracks on her cheeks starting to dry. He grinned "Your a tough little ninja Rama. Here let me show you something" Raph pulled his sais from his belt and spun them.

Mike chuckled, "Your uncle is showing off for you Rama. So you fell off the swing huh?"

Rama gave a negative shake of her head "Rama fly" she told him.

"Funny, I think Rama crashed and she better not try flying again." Mike warned her, as he turned his focus back on his brother, who was still spinning his weapon.

Rama cooed her head jerking back as she watched in fascination as the metal weapons spun faster and the kitchen light seemed to glint off them in strange and wonderful ways. Rama clapped her hands "Raphie" She had never known anything to look quite that nice or wonderful.

Raph arched an eye ridge "You like this huh kid? What do ya want?"

"Rama 'ove Raphie." Rama said.

Raph faltered ever so slightly as he paused, tucking the weapon into his belt he bent and hugged Rama "I love you too kid" He assured her and knew in his heart it was true.