Chapter Thirty One- It All Comes Together At Last

Splinter didn't open his eyes yet. First, he allowed his other senses to wake up from their long slumber. His mutation gave him highly developed senses, making them much more sensitive than a normal human's (or a normal rat's for that matter). His nose picked up the scent of disinfectant and old blood. His mouth felt dry, like sandpaper; how long had he been asleep and therefore deprived of water? Under one hand, he felt warm cotton, most likely from the blanket and sheet of the bed he rested upon. At least he assumed it was a bed. In his other hand, he felt…smooth skin, with a hint of scales.

My son….. Splinter realized. But which one?

"Take care of yourself, Donnie." April's voice said softly. A door opened and closed. Splinter felt his son's hand squeeze his tightly, and he felt the three-fingered hand vibrate from the shaking. Splinter mustered all the strength he could in that moment and gave Donnie's hand a squeeze.

"Donatello…" Splinter wanted to cough, but found he didn't even have the energy for that. His throat felt so dry and hoarse. He willed his eyes to open, but felt unconsciousness creeping up on him again. Oh, not again. Please not now.

Donnie lifted Splinter's hand and rubbed it fondly against his cheek. He closed his eyes to keep his tears at bay.

"Please wake up…" Donnie pleaded under his breath. "Please wake up…Father…."

Splinter smiled and finally opened his eyes to stare fondly at his son. "Hai, musuko-san."

Donnie's eyes flew open and his head jerked towards Splinter. "Sensei…."

Splinter smiled and pushed himself to sit up. "Donatello….are you all right?"

Donnie half-laughed, half scoffed. "You were on your deathbed for almost four days and you're asking me if I'm all right?!"

Splinter thought for a moment. "Yes."

Donnie opened his mouth, but nothing came out. It amazed him to no end that his sensei, his father, could just blow off something as serious as his death. Donnie just sighed. "You really scared us, Sensei. Everyone's at the lair, moping around, wondering if you'll live to see them again."

Splinter only smiled softly and put a hand on Donnie's head. "I did what I had to do to keep you all safe. That is all that matters."

Donnie scoffed. "Why are we so important? You trained us for years; if we fail, we fail, and it's our fault. You shouldn't have to protect us all the time."

"Donatello, it is my job, as your father and your master, to protect you, no matter what the cost." Splinter explained gently but sternly. "Shredder was after me in the first place. You and your brothers were only pawns in his game." His gaze hardened and his fists clenched. "That is an action I can never forgive."

Donnie looked down for a moment. "Do you think…..you could've….you know, killed Shredder?"

Splinter sighed through his nose. "No. I do not. No matter what he has done to my family, no matter what crimes he committed, I do not think I would have been able to take his life."

"But why?" Donnie asked incredulously. "I mean, Shredder took away everything you had: you're home, Tang Shen, even Miwa. How could you let him live?"

Splinter stared at the blankets, lost in thought. After a long moment, he finally answered, "I could not take his life….because it was not mine to take."

Donnie had no words. He didn't fully understand his sensei's logic, but he accepted it nonetheless. That still didn't deter the fact that he hated Shredder with every fiber of his being. He wanted nothing more than to destroy Shredder and the entire Foot Clan for everything they did to him, his brothers, and Splinter. Such violent thoughts usually evaded the level-headed turtle. For now, he pushed them aside.

"I have one more question. What was I supposed to be if Leo couldn't?" Donnie asked finally.

"What do you mean?" Splinter asked.

"In the van, before you passed out." Donnie swallowed back his tears at the bad memory.

"Ah, yes." Splinter nodded with a smile. "If Leonardo cannot lead them, then you must be strong and take charge."

"Why me?" Donnie asked.

"I tell that to all four of you." Splinter explained. "Even April. Leonardo is the chosen leader; but if there comes a time when he cannot fulfill his duties, one of you will have to take charge and do what's best for everyone. I have told this to Raphael, Michelangelo, and April. The decisions you make will determine whether or not your comrades trust you enough to follow you."

Donnie smiled a little. "Thank you, Splinter." He bowed to his father. "Just to be clear, are you gonna expect me to follow Mikey sometimes?"

"Depends on the situation." Splinter replied simply.

"Otōsan!"

Splinter grunted in pain as Miwa suddenly ran in and hugged him tight. When she realized she inadvertently hurt her father, she quickly stepped back. "Gomenasai!"

Splinter held up a paw to stop her from rambling. "Daijōbu, nezumi-chan." He pulled Miwa into a gentler hug, one Miwa gladly returned.

"Aishiteru, Otōsan." Miwa's voice was slightly muffled from burying her face into Splinter's chest again.

Splinter smiled. "Aishiteru, nezumi." He looked up at Donnie. "You too, Donatello."

Donnie's face burned, but he smiled. He stood closer to Splinter and joined the hug. It wasn't long before Mikey, Leo, April, and Raph entered the room and joined as well. Dr. Kelsey followed, smiling at the warm family scene.

"Don't ever scare us like that again!" Mikey sniffed, on the brink of joyful and relieved tears.

"Yeah, not cool!" Raph huffed. But Splinter could see it in his eyes: Raphael was just as relieved to see his father all right.

"We thought for sure you would..." Leo looked down, a bit of a shameful look on his face.

"Leonardo." Splinter put a hand on his eldest son's shoulder. "I am very proud of you. Your bravery and willingness to protect your family shows the true meaning of being a warrior. Well done."

Leo finally looked up and smiled. "Thanks...Dad..." He said the second word a little uncertainly, as though he feared Splinter would scold him. But the humanoid rat simply ruffled the boy's head.

Dr. Kelsey waited until the family had settled before taking a seat. "Is it possible to keep Master Splinter here for a while? Those stitches need to hold, and I don't want him even leaving that bed."

"What about other patients?" April protested. "Someone's bound to come in here, even by mistake, and find him here."

"The lair would be more comfortable." Mikey noted.

Dr. Kelsey scratched her head. "I don't know. I suppose I could show April or Miwa how the stitches work, but my main concern is getting him down there."

"We would have to travel at night." Leo said. "Even if we rode in a car to the nearest alley, we can't risk being seen."

"What if we drove to the manhole closest to your lair?" Dr. Kelsey suggested. "I can help you guys down there."

"The ride itself would be most appreciated." Splinter said with a small bow.

"We can take it from there." April assured.

Dr. Kelsey glanced at the clock. "All right. We'll keep him here for today, just to monitor his health. Then I'll get you all as close to your lair as possible. It'll take a while for you guys to walk home."

Dr. Kelsey jogged off to get the ambulance. Raph and Leo helped Splinter carefully stand up and Donnie gave him his bō staff to use for support. The turtles, Miwa, and April stayed close to Splinter in case he stumbled, despite his protests, as they journeyed outside and into the ambulance. Miwa and April climbed into the front with Dr. Kelsey, but it was still a little cramped in the back with the turtles and their father. The ambulance drove on until they were some blocks from April's home. They somehow managed to discretely get Splinter, Miwa, April, and the turtles down the manhole. Dr. Kelsey gave them instructions to follow until the stitches were ready to be removed before leaving. It was a slow and steady walk back to the lair, mostly because April had to constantly remind the boys to go slow so the stitches could hold. By the time they all made it home, they were all too tired to do much else besides settle down in front of the TV. Haiiro was darted in from the kitchen and Splinter managed to reach down and pull her into his arms. The tiny kitten rubbed her head against the humanoid rat's chin, purring loudly. Splinter insisted April spend the night; a quick call to her aunt and she got the okay. Mikey found some kung fu movies April got him and insisted they have a movie night. The boys eventually agreed, thankful they were martial arts movies and not Leo's Space Heroes ("Hey! Space Heroes is the greatest—"). Sleeping spaces were claimed and the first movie was put in. In minutes, the unique family settled down.

Splinter blinked open his eyes, having just realized he had fallen asleep. He looked around and noticed Leo and Donnie had also fallen asleep. Raph was feeding Spike a leaf of lettuce. April curled up next to Donnie, her head resting against his plastron and his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Mikey had his eyes glued to the TV, smiling giddily at a major battle between the main protagonist and a slew of evil soldiers. Haiiro was curled up in a ball on Splinter's lap, sleeping soundly. Splinter looked down and saw Miwa nestled in her own tiny nest of blankets and pillows. She never was one for the cold, even if the lair was a decent temperature. Her head rested on a pillow and the pillow leaned against Splinter's lap. Splinter reached over and gently stroked Miwa's soot-colored hair. He smiled down at his little girl, happy beyond belief that he had some remnants of his family from Japan.

"Sensei Splinter?" Mikey piped up, momentarily tearing his eyes from the movie. "Is Miwa anything like Tang Shen?"

Splinter smiled fondly. "Yes. Very much so. She even looks like her."

Mikey sighed, staring at Miwa. "If Tang Shen were around, would she be our mom?"

"I'm sure." Splinter nodded. "But, if she were still alive, I would probably not be living here; I would be in Japan, raising my little girl. And I may never have found you all."

Mikey's smile disappeared a little. "I just...uh..."

"Michelangelo, I am still mourning from the loss of my wife." Splinter nodded with a sad smile. "But I am also very thankful for the four of you and April."

Mikey smiled. "I'm happy to have you for a dad."

Splinter chuckled. "Is there another reason you're bringing this up?"

"No." Mikey said hurriedly, turning back to the TV. Splinter glanced over to make sure everyone else was asleep before continuing.

"Michelangelo." Splinter spoke up. "You may try and ask my daughter out for a date. If she accepts, after she flips you to the ground, I can accept that. But if you hurt her in any way, I will break open your shell, slice you to pieces, and toss your remains into the sewer."

Mikey froze and gulped.

One week later

Time passed. The Turtles didn't want to leave the lair because they were too worried about Splinter to leave him. No matter what Splinter said to reassure them, they wouldn't leave him. April only left because she still had school. Her aunt called the boys a few times to check up on them, but Splinter's healing rate remained as fast as ever. In a week, he felt strong enough to stand and walk without his staff and help his sons with their katas. He couldn't spar and the stitches weren't ready to come out, but it was a pleasing sight to see him moving as though nothing happened.

But everyone in the lair knew it was far from over. Donnie told them all about how Shredder's body disappeared, indicating that either the Foot took it to bury him or (the scarier of the two ideas) he was still alive. The boys went out to investigate and returned to April, Miwa and Splinter with the report: the Foot Clan was still at headquarters, repairing the damages from the battle. From what they could pick up from the evil ninjas' conversations, Shredder was severely wounded, but very much alive.

Splinter assured his students that everything would be all right. "We won a great battle." He had said. "Let us savor our victory and rest so our wounds may heal."

The boys, Miwa, and April had a hard time arguing. Besides, they all wanted to rest from the great battle; all of them sustained at least two wounds each from the fights. Plus, Miwa had an interesting proposition: she wanted to go to school with April and try life as a (semi-)normal kid. She made the argument that she could keep better track of the Kraang, Purple Dragons, and the Foot Clan if she could spend more time on the surface, especially during the daytime. The boys (although jealous for the girl's advantage as a non-mutant) fully back her up when she went to her father on the matter. Splinter stayed ever so hesitant until his children could convince him otherwise. So April and Aunt Kelsey helped enroll Miwa at April's school as a Japanese exchange student.

"Ready for your first day?" Mikey asked excitedly.

"You bet!" Miwa jumped up and down in her seat as she finished her breakfast. "I'm meeting April and she's gonna hang out with me at school. Show me around and stuff."

"Sounds great." Leo nodded. "You're lucky; you get to go out in the day time."

"Yeah, but I'll always be a night owl kind of person." Miwa shrugged. She gulped down her orange juice and leaped off her stool. She looked down at her outfit: a flowing, ankle length black skirt, bronze tank top with rhinestones on the straps and collar, and some gold-colored, Greek style sandals. Her hair hung loose down her back and her bangs were neatly combed. When everything seemed in order, Miwa grabbed her backpack from its spot in front of the TV and ran for the turnstiles. "Bye Dad! I'm off to school!"

"Wait."

Miwa skidded to a halt before she could crash into her father, currently standing between her and the exit.

"Did you brush your teeth?" Splinter asked.

"Hai!" Miwa nodded.

"Comb your hair?"

"Hai!"

"No dirt or grime on you? Including your clothes and school things?"

"Hai."

"You ate breakfast?"

"Hai…"

"No weapons on you?"

"Hai..."

"You read the rulebook ahead of time?"

"Daddy!"

Miwa frowned impatiently at her father, giving him a begging sort of look. Splinter sighed and hugged his daughter. "Be safe. Have a good day."

"Thanks, Otōsan." Miwa stepped back and bowed to her father. "Ittekimasu!" She rushed towards the door.

"Look both ways before crossing the street!" Splinter called after her.

"Got it!" Miwa nodded.

"Don't talk to strangers!"

"Dad, I'm gonna be late!"

"Very well." Splinter nodded. He started walking towards the turtles, only to turn back to the exit and shot down the tunnel after his daughter: "If any boys hit on you, make sure you punch them in the nose very hard!"

"Daddy!" Miwa whined.

Splinter sighed and turned back to his sons. He took a seat at the table, sighing. Mikey pushed a mug of tea in front of his father, smiling assuredly.

"Don't worry, Sensei." Mikey assured. "She can handle herself."

"It's high school." Raph shrugged. "How—"

"Don't say it!" Donnie interrupted. "Every time you ask, 'how bad could it be?' or anything similar to that, something goes wrong."

"If it's Miwa and April together all day," Leo noted. "I would simply be scared for anyone that tried to even look at them wrong."

The rest of the males in the room thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Miwa had a skip in her step as she walked alongside April to her high school. April laughed at her friend's mirth. "I'm guessing you're excited?"

"I can't wait!" Miwa cheered. "I've never been to school before!"

"Never?" April cocked her head.

"I mean, I saw your school when you were attacked by that creepy Kraang woman/droid." Miwa shrugged. "But I was always homeschooled by someone Oroku Saki hired. And this was mostly back in Japan."

"Wow." April sighed. "Well, school isn't the greatest all the time, but I'm sure you'll have fun. Hey, here it is!"

Miwa's eyes lit up as she and April approached the large brick building. She felt like all her happiness would cause her to burst and it took everything she had in her not to squeal. "This is going to be awesome!"

April laughed as she and Miwa journeyed into the lobby. Thankfully, the damage had been repaired from the Turtles' fight with the Kraang some weeks before. "Just stay with me, okay? Things aren't the same when you're around normal kids instead of ninjas or mutants….or mutant ninjas."

Miwa rolled her eyes. "Come on, April. What's gonna happen?"

"Just remember to not pick any fights." April reminded her.

"When do I ever pick fights?" Miwa asked.

"All the time with the boys." April noted.

"They're my brothers." Miwa shrugged. "I'm supposed to pick fights with them. Besides, the boys aren't even here. In fact, I don't think I know anyone—" She and April froze when they noticed someone standing in front of the trophy case.

The "someone" turned around to reveal a teenaged girl. She wore a blood red mini skirt with black leggings and tall black boots. She also wore a red lace camisole underneath a black vest and a pair of black fingerless gloves. She wore a couple red bangles on each wrist and a red/silver pendant around her neck. Her ears were pierced in many places and she had red markings over her eyes, like scars. Her eyes were golden brown and her short cropped hair was soot black, minus the dyed blonde underneath her skull.

"Karai?!" Miwa and April gasped.

Karai stared at her sister the redhead teen, smiling. "Hey girls."

A/N: Now the story's over! I hope you guys liked it. This is my first TMNT story. I'll have the newest story up soon!

Japanese translations:

Hai, musuko-san- Yes, my son

Gomenasai- sorry

Daijōbu, nezumi-chan- It's okay, Mouse.

Ittekimasu- I'm leaving!