Chapter Fourteen- Father and Daughter

"M-Master Splinter?" April asked tentatively.

Splinter shook his head to clear his vision, groaning. "I am fine."

"You're not gonna be when you look in a mirror." Kuro noted.

"Excuse me?" Splinter asked.

"Uh, Sensei, do not freak out." Donnie instructed. "But...well, there's been a slight mix-up."

Splinter looked down and noticed his hand. His human hand. He stared at his hands and ran his fingers through his pitch black hair. He felt his face, now smooth and without whiskers or a snout. He started panting, a little panicked. He darted out into the lair, his sons, April, and Kuro close behind. He knelt beside the pool and stared in the waters. When his human reflection stared back, he shouted in surprise. Splinter felt his face with his hands, letting out a small shout every few seconds from shock.

"J-just stay calm!" Donnie tried futilely to calm his Sensei. "It's all right!"

"All right?" Splinter repeated. "How can this be all right?" He stood up and approached his genius son. "What did you mean by a 'slight mix-up'?"

Donnie gulped. He looked to his brothers for back-up, but they shook their heads. "Um…..well, I was working with some mutagen and was able to reverse engineer the properties that would normally mutate someone and make it—"

"Get on with it!" everyone behind him snapped.

Donnie sighed. "I made a formula that turns people human."

Splinter swayed a little. April and Leo ran to his side and helped steady him. "I'm…human….."

"Temporarily at least." Donnie explained. "It'll only last eight hours."

Splinter held his head. "Oh, I do not feel so well."

"Just sit down, Splinter." Leo helped guide his sensei to the couch.

"Or do we call you 'Hamato Yoshi' now that you're human again?" Mikey asked innocently. Raph whacked him upside the head.

"What do we do now?" April asked Donnie.

"The effects will wear off after eight hours." Donnie checked the time. "So, at about eleven o'clock tonight, you'll be a rat again."

"You sure?" Raph asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I tested it on myself." Donnie assured. "It'll work."

"All right." Splinter, or rather Hamato Yoshi, interrupted, holding up his hands for silence. "For one thing, Donatello, you are in serious trouble for foolishly causing this and testing something on yourself without considering the consequences."

"Hai, Sensei." Donnie didn't bother arguing; it would only make things worse.

"Another thing: I do not want anyone making a big deal out of this." Hamato declared. "Just because I am human for a few hours does not mean anything has changed."

"What about April's dance?" Mikey suggested. Raph whacked him on the head again. "Ouch!"

"April's dance?" Kuro repeated.

"The Father-Daughter Dance!" Mikey ducked to avoid Raph's fists. "We were all wondering how Sensei could go to it with April, and now we have the solution!"

"Mikey, what are you talking about?" Leo asked.

"Remember April was so bummed because her dad isn't here to go to that dance thing?" Mikey explained. "We were all thinking about Sensei Hamato going with her! But it wouldn't work because he was a giant rat! But now he's not a giant rat, so he can take April!"

"Mikey!" April hissed with a small laugh. "I thought I told you to drop it."

"Don't you want to go?" Mikey asked innocently.

April shuffled her feet nervously. "Well, yes but—"

"Sensei, you'd be willing to take her, right?" Mikey asked excitedly.

"Michelangelo, this is April's decision." Hamato said calmly. He finally looked like he had calmed down from the initial shock. "If she wishes for me to go with her, I will. But it is her responsibility to ask." He turned to April.

The redhead exchanged glances with the boys and Kuro. "Well…I…uh…."

"April." Hamato's voice became firmer, silencing April. "Give me a clear answer. Do you wish to go to this dance?"

"Yes." April answered honestly.

"And would it be acceptable if I accompanied you?"

"Yes."

"Would you be comfortable with this?"

"Yes."

Hamato nodded. "Very well."

April smiled. "Really?"

"Absolutely." Hamato smiled.

April started jumping on the balls of her feet. "Sweet! Oh, thank you thank you thank you Master Splinter!" She bowed hurriedly. "I'm going home to change and I'll meet you back here at eight!"

"No need." Hamato assured. "I will come to your apartment."

"Are you sure?" April asked uncertainly.

"I am sure no one will freak out over a normal Japanese man coming down the street." Hamato said. "And I do not want you to ruin your dress."

April jumped up and down giddily. "Thank you so much! I'm going to change and tell my aunt the great news! I'll see you later!" April ran off through the sewers, humming a happy tune.

"Aw, she looks so happy." Mikey sighed.

"That was really nice of you, Sensei." Leo smiled.

"It is nice of April to look at me as a father figure." Hamato said simply, standing to walk back to his room. When he noticed his sons' confused looks, he chuckled. "You think I did not hear you talking?"

Hamato sighed a little nervously. He finally arrived at the address and checked the building listings. He pulled out the paper April gave him with the directions to get in the building, muttering to himself. He pressed the button next to the name "O'Neil", but jumped at the buzzing sound.

"Hello?"

Hamato pressed the button again. "Um…April?"

"Oh, hey Master Splinter!" April's voice came from the speaker. "Come on in!" The door clicked open and Hamato hurried inside. He looked back and forth between the paper and the hallway as he journeyed up the elevator, down the hall, and to the right door. He knocked, straightening out his robes as he did. His new black robes April gave him fit nicely, even when he wasn't a humanoid rat. They were pitch black, hemmed with gold and gold dragons stitched across the top, above the belt. He jumped when a middle-aged redhead opened the door excitedly.

"Oh, you must be Master Hamato." Aunt Kelsey greeted warmly. "My name is Kelsey O'Neil. I'm April's aunt."

"It is an honor and pleasure to meet you." Hamato bowed respectfully.

"Please, come in!" Aunt Kelsey ushered the flustered man inside. "April's still getting ready. You know how girls are." She chuckled a little. "Well, scratch that."

Hamato chuckled. He found April's aunt a little quirky and excited, but very nice. "I hope I did not arrive too early."

"Not at all." Aunt Kelsey waved it off. "Come, let's sit in the kitchen. I have some leftover noodles if you're hungry."

"No, thank you." Hamato waved it off as he sat down.

Aunt Kelsey sighed as she sat across from him. "So, you're the father of those boys April hangs out with?"

"Yes." Hamato nodded. "They enjoy her company. As do I."

"I'm glad." Aunt Kelsey smiled. "April's been so upset since her dad disappeared. This dance met so much to her, and I knew she just had to go for the sake of her sanity. I can't thank you enough for agreeing to do this."

"April is like one of my own." Hamato said with a smile. "I am more than happy to do this for her."

Aunt Kelsey sighed. "Thank you. She's always putting on such a brave face, even when things are down. I know she doesn't show it, but losing her father really hit her hard." She leaned back in her chair, staring out the window. "Never in my life have I seen a father and daughter that loved each other more. My brother loved to spoil her; walking with her to and from school, giving her the best presents for her birthday and Christmas, taking her out to dinner for something as small as getting an A on a test. Kirby tried to be a good father, even if his work made him so busy. And April has always been so flexible, even when she was a little girl. Nothing could separate those two. Especially after April's mom died."

Hamato blinked in surprise, staring solemnly at Aunt Kelsey. "If I may ask, how did it happen?"

Aunt Kelsey smiled sadly. "They were on vacation, visiting April's mother's parents in Florida. There was an accident in the kitchen of the hotel they stayed at, and the building caught fire. Kirby wasn't even there; he had gone to get Chinese for dinner and returned to find the place in flames. April got stuck inside, and her mother rushed back inside to save her." She blinked back the tears in her eyes. "They both made it out and the medics rushed them to the hospital, just to be safe. They both would've lived….except….."

"If you do not wish to finish…" Hamato offered.

"No, no, it's fine." Aunt Kelsey took a breath. "April's mom had very severe asthma. The soot and ash and smoke were too much, and she died in the hospital." She sighed. "April was only six."

Hamato looked down. "I understand. I, too, lost my family to a fire."

Aunt Kelsey looked towards the man curiously. "You did?"

Hamato nodded. "My wife, Tang Shen, and my infant daughter, Miwa. Someone set our house on fire, and I lost them both."

"I'm so sorry." Aunt Kelsey said sincerely.

"It is why I am glad to have April around." Hamato smiled. "She reminds me of what my daughter may be like. I am proud to treat her like one of my own."

Aunt Kelsey smiled. "You're too kind."

"I'm ready!" April called from down the hall.

"Come on out, sweetheart!" Aunt Kelsey called. April rounded the corner, carefully tucking some stray hairs behind her ear.

"Can you guess what the theme is this year?" April laughed, twirling around in her blue kimono covered in red flowers. Her bright red obi matched the red cloth slippers on her feet. Her flaming orange hair was pulled up in a bun with two green chopsticks stuck in it.

"You look beautiful." Hamato complimented.

April's cheeks burned and turned about as red as her obi. "Thanks."

"Well don't just stand here!" Aunt Kelsey urged. "Off with the two of you! Go on now! Shoo!" She shooed them out the door, waving sweetly as she did.

"See ya tomorrow, Aunt Kelsey!" April called as she and Hamato walked off. "You're sure it's okay I spend the night in the lair?"

"I'm positive." Hamato assured. "Now come along; you must lead the way."

April giggled and nodded, leading her foster father out the door and down to the road to her school. The walk stayed quiet for most of the way, neither finding anything good to talk about. They arrived at the school ten minutes later, where a large group of people gathered at the doors to the gym. April led Hamato to the doors and paid for the tickets. Hamato felt a little uneasy being around so many people; fifteen years of living in the sewers, and he wasn't used to crowds. The ninja inside him screamed "run and hide!", but April's kind smile made him stay by her side. Inside the gym, music played, a photographer took pictures in the corner, and food and tables had been set out.

"What do we do now?" Hamato called over the music. April laughed and led him to a quieter place near the stairs to another level.

"Well, we usually talk and dance a little." April shrugged. "Mostly talk. It's a bit quieter up there." She jerked her thumb up the stairs. "Come on." She took Hamato's hand and pulled him upstairs.

Tang Shen giggled as she practically dragged Hamato behind her, up the stairs to her "secret place" as she liked to call it.

Hamato shook his head, blinking away the memory. When they reached the top of the stairs, Hamato discovered more tables near a railing that led to the gym down below. April led him to one of the tables and they sat down. For a moment, they sat in a somewhat awkward silence. April fiddled with the chopsticks in her hair, staring at the ground. Hamato brushed out his robes, his fingers tapping the table. He kept looking for his tail, making sure no one would trip over it, but constantly reminded himself that he was a human again; he didn't have a tail. He looked up at April, noting how she looked so much like Tang Shen when she and Hamato went on a date arranged by their master. April looked up, and Hamato averted his eyes quickly.

"So…..uh…" April cleared her throat nervously. "How have you been?"

"Fine, thank you." Hamato nodded. April nodded, and the awkward silence befell upon them once more. "I don't believe I ever got the change to apologize."

"Apologize?" April repeated.

"When the Rat King took control of my mind, I could still see what was happening." Hamato explained. "I attacked you, April, and I regret it greatly."

"It's okay." April assured. "It wasn't your fault."

"It was my fault." Hamato said firmly. "I allowed the Rat King to take advantage of my weaknesses, and it almost cost you your life."

"On the contrary." April said with a small laugh. "You gave my bangs a nice trim."

"I could've killed you." Hamato growled, his fists clenching. "I took you in as one of my students and that means I am responsible for your safety. Trying to kill you—"

"Splinter, stop it!" April snapped, shocking Hamato into silence. April scooted her chair closer to her sensei and took his hand in hers. "I don't blame you for that. I could never blame you for that. After everything you've done for me, one little mishap won't change a thing."

Hamato stared at the ground. "I do not have anything left, April. You and the boys are my family and I would give my life to prevent my greatest mistake from happening again."

April sighed. "Sensei, you've got to stop blaming yourself for something that happened so long ago. If you want to blame someone, blame the Shredder. He's the one that took your family from you. But just because you lost one family doesn't mean anything's going to happen to me or the guys. In fact, I promise that if I ever get the chance, I'm going to punch Shredder in the face for what he did to you."

Hamato laughed and gave April's hand a squeeze. "For both of our sakes, let us hope that you never have to encounter the Shredder."

April smiled. She suddenly stood and pulled Hamato along. "Come on. Let's dance or something."

"I do not dance, April." Hamato said firmly, making it clear in his tone that he had no intention of doing so.

"Well, we gotta do something." April laughed. Hamato rolled his eyes, but smiled. He followed April down the stairs but they stopped when someone approached them. A tall man, with a stern look in his steely blue eyes, a bald head, and a pinstripe suit.

"Good evening, Miss O'Neil." The man greeted.

"Good evening, Principal Stevens." April greeted a little nervously, stepping closer to Hamato.

"And who is this?" Principal Stevens asked, staring at the Japanese man behind April.

"This is Hamato Yoshi." April introduced tentatively. "He's a family friend and agreed to be my escort to the dance."

"Really?" Principal Stevens scoffed. "Is your father not back yet?" April didn't answer, but the look in her eyes as she stared at the floor gave a clear answer. "I see. Tell me this, Miss O'Neil, is it really that appropriate to bring someone so unrelated to you?"

"Relation by blood does not matter." Hamato said wisely. "What matters is how we look at each other."

"Oh, a wise guy, eh?" Principal Stevens huffed.

"I apologize, but we must be going." Hamato said, steering April away. "The line for the pictures is becoming awfully long."

"Miss O'Neil!" Principal Stevens' voice made them pause. "It is not really appropriate to replace your father just because you miss him."

April's fists clenched and she squeezed her eyes shut. But before she could do anything, she felt Hamato's hands leave her shoulders. When she turned around, her eyes widened at the sight of Hamato standing right in front of Principal Stevens, the tall Japanese man staring down the principal and making him look much shorter than he actually stood.

"I do not care for your attitude or your words." Hamato growled, his red-brown eyes boring into the principal's. "One should not speak if they do not know all the facts. In your case, perhaps you should not speak at all." He turned on his heel and returned to April's side, leading her off to the pictures again.

"Thanks for that." April said gratefully.

Hamato smiled. "That is what I am here for, right?"

April laughed. I owe him big time.

The evening passed by. Hamato actually agreed to take a picture with April and even went onto the dance floor twice (with a lot of encouragement from April). They ate, talked, and laughed. Time seemed to fly by as the pair enjoyed the night and each other's company. April, in the months she had known Sensei Splinter, had never seen him so happy; heck, she never even heard him laugh out loud before. For those next few hours, she forgot all about the Kraang and her father and all her other problems. All that mattered was that she had someone here that cared about her and looked to her the same way her dad did. Hamato remained just as happy as his redhead konoichi student. He didn't care that he kept forgetting about being a human; he let go of all his worries and troubles over his family; he allowed his fatherly side to come out, and he ruffled April's hair like he did to Miwa.

April gigged and ducked away from Hamato's hand. "You're messing up my hair!" She patted her hair back into place.

"Is it not my job, as the father figure, to embarrass you?" Hamato raised an eyebrow, chuckling.

April laughed. "I guess so." She sighed, closing her eyes and smiling. She suddenly lunged and wrapped her arms around Hamato's middle. "Thank you. Thank you for a wonderful night."

Hamato was surprised, but smiled and returned the embrace. "Thank you for allowing me to come." He looked up at the clock on the wall. "Perhaps we should be going? It is almost eleven."

April cocked her head as another slow moving song played. "One more dance?"

Hamato chuckled. "Very well." He and April moved out to the dance floor, where almost all of the other girls and their fathers danced. April and Hamato stood right in the middle. April kept looking down, trying to not step on Hamato's feet, even though he constantly claimed that she danced wonderfully.

"Who taught you how to dance like this?" April asked. "I thought you didn't dance."

"Tang Shen and I were required to dance on the night of our wedding." Hamato shrugged. "I sort of learned in a day."

April's smile shrunk. "Do you miss them? Tang Shen and Miwa?"

Hamato sighed. "More than you can ever imagine. And not a day goes by when I don't blame myself for what happened."

"But—"

"I am not talking about Oroku Saki and his attack. I am talking about not being able to protect my family; not being able to watch my little girl grow up; never being able to hold my wife again. I can never get my family back because I failed in my responsibility of protecting them." Hamato stopped dancing. "What kind of a father am I if I can't protect my family?"

April stared at Hamato's mournful face. She gave his hand a squeeze. "If you ask me, I think you're a great dad. If you don't believe me, you can ask the four boys you raised."

Hamato smiled. "April..." Suddenly, Hamato doubled over in pain. April took his arm and steadied him. She looked up at noticed how close it was to eleven o'clock.

"The effects are wearing off." April realized. "We gotta go."

A/N: What do you think? Am I capturing Splinter/Hamato well?