I don't own TMNT.
Leo sighed as he tucked a small, purple blanket around Donatello before turning and walking out of the spare bedroom/storage room, flipping off the light on his way. A sneeze came from the room and he shook his head. Curiosity killed the cat and in this case, curiosity gave turtle tots colds. Jumping down into the main room of the lair his mind went over what had happened.
He had allowed his younger brother Donatello to go out for scavenging, but he only had said he would allow it of he took Raphael with him, since Michelangelo was sick. Unfortunately, while busy helping Mikey after he nearly collapsed after getting out of bed, the purple clad turtle had snuck off. He had gotten some supplies but got curious about the darker tunnels. He had no flashlight but curiosity drove him on. It is was a fact that they could NOT see in the dark. Not seeing where he was walking he had fallen down a boarded up excess tunnel which was overfilled from the recent heavy rains that had hit NYC.
Thankfully, Raph had spotted him leaving and went after him. He had brought a flashlight with him. When Leo later asked him what made him think to take the flashlight Raph said that Don had been wanting to go into the further, darker tunnels for about a week, he told him and Mikey all the time. The red clad turtle had searched and found him at the bottom of the access pipe that had drained out enough of the rainwater for them to climb back up. Once up though, Raph ending up having to carry his younger brother home.
"How's Donny?" a voice asked below.
The eldest turtle glanced down and saw Raphael and Michelangelo below him. They were both wearing worried looks coupled with wide eyes.
"Donatello's going to be fine, he's just got a little cold," Leo said with a reassuring smile at his younger brothers, "Now, we've all had a busy day, why don't you two go watch a little TV while I fix some dinner?"
(Truthfully, I don't believe Leo is a horrible cook who burns water. I've heard of Mikey burning food but that's it.)
Leo sighed and set the last dish on the table before walking over and cutting off the oven and sliding out a tray of cookies. No doubt Mikey and Raph would-
"COOKIES!" two voices screamed as two green forms sped into the room, running into Leo and staring up with wonder filled eyes at the assortment on the tray, sugar, chocolate chip, M&M, raison, peanut butter, cinnamon, white chocolate chip and dark chocolate.
"Ah ah," Leo said, "You get these after you finish your dinner."
"Aww," they whined.
"Get to your seats," Leo ordered, "The sooner you finish, the sooner you get the cookies."
They turned to the table and pouted until, "POPCORN CHICKEN!" Mikey yelled, rushing to his seat and climbing up on the books stacked there so he could reach the table.
Raph followed, climbing up in his seat but not so enthusiastically as his younger brother. Leo set the cookies in the microwave and joined them at the table.
"What's this green stuff?" Mikey asked, poking at a pile of long thin things.
"They're green beans, try them," Leo said, eating his own meal which consisted of steamed rice with sweet and sour sauce topping it and small pieces of sushi.
"Yuck!" Mikey said, "I don't like them! Can I have some cookies now?"
"Not until you finish your plate," Leo said and looked over at Raph, the tiny red masked tot was looking at the green beans with distaste but he took his fork and stabbed some, bringing them up to his mouth. It was obvious he didn't like them but he chewed and swallowed them nevertheless. He REALLY wanted those cookies. In ten minutes, Raph's plate was clean.
"Very good Raphael," Leo said, getting up, scooping up the empty plate from in front of Raph and his own empty bowl and dumping them into the sink.
"Since you finished first you get two cookies," Leo said, taking them out of the microwave, thankfully still warm.
"Yes!" Raph said with a happy smile as Leo brought the tray over.
There were three of each kind, meaning the bunch would last them for some time, and assuring that there was enough for everyone. Leo predicated that Raph would take his favorites, which he had recently just discovered were peanut butter and cinnamon, but to his surprise, Raph took a cinnamon and a chocolate chip. Wondering but accepting, Leo put the plate back in the microwave for in the morning.
"What about Donny?" Raph asked as Michelangelo pouted and pushed the vegetables around on his plate, too angry to take another bite.
"He'll be sleeping for the rest of the night," Leo explained, "Michelangelo, you've got ten minutes before bedtime, you better finish if you want dessert."
Mikey glared up at him but returned his gaze to his plate then, after a few seconds he looked over and glared at Raph. The red banded turtle tot was smiling widely while eating the first cookie, cinnamon, the chocolate chip one was still in his other hand, yet to be eaten. Mikey huffed, chocolate chip was his favorite, not Raph's. No doubt his brother took that one just to mock him.
"All right it's 9:00, time for bed," Leo said, walking over to run the water to wash the dishes. He then turned to find Mikey hadn't finished his plate and Raph had already eaten the cookies.
"To bed, both of you," Leo said with a stern glance.
The two tots slid off their chairs and made their way to their bedroom. They winced when they heard a heavy cough from the furthest room. Mikey shook off his thoughts and continued to glare at Raph until they entered their bedroom.
"It's not fair, how come you got two cookies?" Mikey said, crossing his tiny arms over his plastron.
Raph narrowed his eyes, "Well I finished dinner, you didn't."
"I wasn't gonna eat that green stuff," Mikey said while sticking his tongue out in mock disgust, "You ate it though, you'll probably turn into some slime covered monster and Leo will have to lock you away in the closet forever."
"Aniki wouldn't," Raph protested, but a small spark of fear lit up under his mask.
"Serves you right," Mikey said with a strange air of mocking pride around him.
Raph huffed and stomped off to bed, Mikey stomped off towards his own bed in the opposite direction, both mentally yelling at the other.
In the kitchen Leo turned and went to grab Mikey's plate and while scraping what he hadn't eaten into the garbage can, the eldest just shook his head before placing the plate and fork into the sink with the other dishes. He then turned back to the table and scooped up the napkin that had been next to Mikey's plate, which he hadn't bothered to use, then the blue clad turtle reached over to get Raph's but found it wasn't there.
"Hmm," Leo thought, "Maybe I forgot to give him one."
With a shrug, he went back to his chore.
After being angry for a good 15 minutes Raph rolled over in his bed, wide awake, and glanced across the room to see that his youngest brother was sleeping silently. He frowned, he hadn't meant to yell and he'd gotten the chocolate chip cookie for a reason. Mikey wasn't one to always eat vegetables, so…
Raph stole his way across the room and stopped by Mikey's bedside. He looked at the box that the youngest used as a bedside table and placed something down on it before slipping out of the room. He dropped down into the main room, the lights had been dimmed but he heard sounds coming from a different room. The red clad turtle tot looked across the room to see the door to the forbidden room cracked open. The young tots had gotten up late and early some days to find their older brother was inside the room but when they asked him about it he simply said that the room was forbidden to them for the time being.
More curious than ever, Raph stole across the floor of the main room until he reached the door and peaked inside. What he saw made his mouth drop open. There his older brother, moving with his swords, just doing movements over and over again, but he was moving so perfectly and powerfully, like he had done the movements for years, but what was this-?
Gulping, the red clad turtle tot slipped open the door and took a hesitant step inside before whispering, "Big brother?"
Leo heard the whispered voice and immediately turned to face his younger brother. Swords still drawn he probably looked ready to fight so Raph stepped back with either wonder or fear. Leo heaved a sigh and sheathed his katanas before bending down and holding out a hand to Raphael.
"Come here," Leo said calmly.
Raph walked up to Leo letting his older brother rub his head with an affectionate but somewhat sad smile.
"What were you doing?" Raph asked.
Leo sighed again, "I'd hoped that I could postpone this longer Raphael."
"What?" Raph asked, confused.
"I was practicing katas, practicing my ninjitsu," Leo explained.
"What's ninjitsu?" Raph asked.
Leo frowned deeply, everything, all those memories were gone, they couldn't remember their friends, ninjitsu, their father…nothing.
"It's the art of the ninja," the blue clad older turtle said, trying to explain, "We-um I use it for self defense."
"You mean like those ninja we see on TV?" Raph asked, his young, innocence filled eyes glowing with excitement.
"Kind of," Leo said with a sideways smile.
"Wow," Raph said with amazement.
Leo frowned at the excitement and affection dancing in Raph's eyes. He couldn't ever remember Raphael acting like that before. The blue clad turtle was about to say more when his shell cell started ringing. He pulled it from his belt and answered on the second ring.
"Hello?"
"Leo, I found Stockman, but I need you to come to my place," April said.
"I'll be right there April," Leo said, closing the shell cell and tucking it back into his belt.
"Was it that human again?" Raph asked, his excitement of the whole ninja thing gone for the moment.
"Yes," Leo said, "She's our friend Raphael, she isn't going to hurt, you three are going to have to stay with her while I go somewhere."
"Why can't we go with you," Raph asked as he walked after Leo as they walked into the main room.
"I'm sorry," Leo said, "It's too dangerous. Would you go wake up Michelangelo while I get Donatello?"
"But Aniki, she's a human," Raph protested.
"April is out friend," Leo insisted.
"She's different," Raph said.
"We're all different Raphael, not just her, we may not be human, but we aren't exactly crocodiles like Leatherhead either."
Raph's shoulders sagged and he trudged off to wake up his younger brother. When he reached the room though, he was tackled by Mikey and just barely managed to stay on his feet. When he could focus again he found that his younger brother was trembling and whispering to him.
"I'm sorry Raphie, thank you," the orange clad turtle muttered as he hugged his older brother tightly. Raph returned the hug and looked over at Mikey's bed.
On the bedside table was a napkin…
…covered with chocolate chip cookie crumbs.
Well, that's chapter 5. YAY!
Review please! Now if anyone's wondering about the whole fear of humans thing, there will be an explanation in the next chapter and we'll finally figure out what Stockman did to them. So I'll get to writing chapter 6. Yay! Time to torture Raph, Donny and Mikey for a change! Until then keep loving TMNT!
~Moonsetta