Chapter 5: Father to Father

A/N: Man, I'm getting this out faster than I thought I would. This little snippet will be Splinter's chapter as I felt he needed one to himself since the others got one, too. This chapter contains spoilers for Truth and Lies and a bit from Liar Liar Pants on Fire as well, so just be warned about that. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your support means the world to me.

Al: Yep, that's what I was going for in the chapter, and I'm glad you caught that. Splinter definitely has made his own mistakes and really wants to let his sons know that he loves them no matter what may happen. As for your account, if you forget your password, I think there's a link that says "Forgot my password." Go there and they'll send you an e-mail where you can reset it. At least, I hope that works. Thanks so much for reading.

"Very good, April. You have done well today. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, Sensei. I'm really glad to be learning from a good teacher like you."

"The pleasure is all mine, April."

"You really are a good teacher, Master Splinter. April really loves learning from you. When she comes home, she always talks about the lessons she has with you. She even wants to try and teach me some moves, but I told her it's not my thing."

"Thank you, Kirby. I do what I can."

"I also can't thank you enough for taking care of her when I was gone. I was so worried about her, but you took care of her and helped her get through my disappearance. I don't know how to repay you for that."

"There is no need to repay me for anything, Kirby. I did it out of love for your daughter. I never meant to replace you in any way, but I wanted to be there to guide her because I felt she needed my help."

"And you did a great job with that. Seriously, I can't thank you enough. April and I are lucky to have you in our lives."

"The same is true for us as well. You have both become good friends to us and are a part of our family. That will never change between any of us. We are bonded together by friendship and the desire to protect one another."

"Yes, we are. So, are you ready to watch that football game?"

"I suppose so, though I am still confused by the logistics of it. Perhaps you and Raphael can explain it to me."

"Sure, we can do that."

22222

"I just don't understand this, Sensei. How could this have happened? One minute my daughter's alive, and then her body is found in a hole three years later. And then to find out that it was her sister who killed her. I just…don't understand how this could have happened. I'm a failure as a father."

"No you are not, Kirby. You could not have prevented the events of that night from happening even if you had tried. Robyn would have tried any others means to hurt her sister as long as she was around. She was unstable and was hurting."

"I know that, but I just wish that it hadn't happened. Robyn and April used to be so close to each other. They spent time together when they were younger and never wanted to be apart. I remember when we would go up to their grandmother's farm in Northampton and how the girls would sing in the car. They'd play games and make up stories together. Sometimes at night, I'd have to chastise them for talking when they should have been sleeping. But after their mom died, things changed. Robyn was angry and blamed April for their mom's death. Then they grew apart, and Robyn had to be committed. I didn't want to do it, but I knew there was no other way. After she came home, I thought she was better and that things would go back to normal, but they didn't. Robyn still hated April and the hatred manifested until she killed her own sister."

"No one knows the extent of what hatred can do. It can consume you, just as it did for Shredder when it came to me and my wife. That hatred still lives on, and he wants to end our lives. It is a vicious cycle and one that we cannot control."

"Do you think Robyn may still be alive, Master Splinter? Do you think that she escaped that fire?"

"I do not know, Kirby. But if she is alive, perhaps she will see the error of her ways and turn herself in. I know that my sons are still haunted by this question and wonder about it every day. If there was a way to know, perhaps my family would be better off. As it is, they continue to wonder about the possibilities, and it saddens me to see this. Leonardo especially has problems with his constant nightmares. I wish there was more I could do for him, but I am at a loss as to what else can be helpful."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Master Splinter, and I wish there was something I could do to help out. I've just been so busy with work and trying to keep it together myself, I haven't had the time to really come down and check on you guys. But maybe there is a way to help out. I'll have to see if it's possible and then let you know whether I can do it or not. Would that be okay?"

"That would be fine, Kirby. Thank you for everything you have done. You are still a true friend, and I hope that you will continue to visit us when you get the chance."

"I will, Splinter."

"Good. Just remember that despite what Robyn did to April, she is still your daughter. Try to remember the good times the two shared and not focus on the bad things. I know it will be hard to do, but I know you can do it."

"Would you be able to do it if one of your sons killed his brother?"

"I am not sure, but I do know that my sons would never do that to one another. I have faith that they love each other and would die to protect one another. They would never purposely kill or injure each other."

"Not even if Raphael were to get in one of his rages and hurt Leonardo? I have seen them quarrel, Splinter, and sometimes it gets intense. Do you ever fear that Raph would do that to his brother?"

"Raphael does have a temper, but he knows not to hurt his brother in that manner. I would think that if he did, he would feel very guilty about it and very ashamed."

"Yes, I'm sure he would. It's just something I thought about. I meant no offense to your sons, Splinter."

"I know, Kirby, and I appreciate your concern. My sons know better than to do that. I am sure Robyn would have learned the same lesson if she'd been able to let go of her hate. Yes, Raphael can get angry at Leonardo at times, but he does not hate his brother. That is the difference between Raphael and Robyn. Raphael knows that hatred can lead to something vicious, and he does not want to go down the same path Shredder did. That is all I will say on the matter."

"Fair enough. Well, I'd better be going. I'll come by in a few days, Master Splinter."

"Very well. Have a good rest of the week, Kirby."

"You too."

A/N: So that's the end of that chapter. I wanted Splinter to have a conversation with Kirby as I felt it would be cool. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I hope it'll be up as soon as I can think of it. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.