The Perfect Son

Disclaimer: I've said it before and I will say it again, I do not own them.

Author's note- one more short chapter and then some longer ones for my faithful readers.

Chapter sixteen- Babysitter

Michaelangelo:

Don rose from the table, "I believe I have my work cut out for me. Hopefully, I will have everything figured out so we can leave around eleven but if things don't work out we may have to put it off until around one in the afternoon."

"Bettah make it snappy Don ya know I don't like waiting" Raph grumped.

Don nodded at the reminder, "Mike your job is to entertain Raph and keep him from destroying the lair while I do what needs to be done."

I whipped my head around and looked at Don, "I could help you Don we'd get done sooner. I don't want to baby sit Raph, he's a cranky baby and…"

Raph reached over and smacked me, "I'm not a baby and the last thing I need is a babysitter."

I realized that was the wrong thing to say, with Raph sitting there glowering knives at me. I didn't mind Raph but right before an intense mission like this, he was like a ticking time bomb. All he wanted was to get at the fight, once he started fighting he was good. However, until the battle kicked off Raph would be grouchy, irritable and down right hard to deal with.

Don shook his head, "Mike you'd only distract me. I have things I need to look up on the computer and I also have to make some bombs, I never like having them made up ahead of time and just sitting around." He explained patiently in the very tone he used to say ' I've told you this so many times before and you don't retain any of it and next time I'll have to say it again.'

"Don we are playin' wit Leo and Christine's life here" Raph declared.

"We are also going have to infiltrate Foot headquarters we will be drastically outnumbered I'd say around thirty to one or worse. We need to be prepared for it." Don pointed out, still using his by the book rote voice.

I rolled my eyes.

"We will have to fight our way in, free our brother and friend and then fight our way back out again. If we are going to do it and have all of us survive we need far more then to just go charging in there with no preparations." Don paused and his voice rose sharply, " Going in there swinging will do none of us any good if we are killed."

I looked at the two of them "Hey bros, take a deep breath and repeat after me "oh wha ha foo liam." I intoned in perfect meditation chant.

Raph snorted, "You got that one right Mike." He grumped but I saw the tiniest of smiles cross his face and stay there for only a second or two. But it was enough to calm him down.

I grinned, "Go do what you have to Don." I encouraged my brother, he nodded and left the room heading back towards the lab. I looked up at Raph wondering how I could keep tabs on him for the next few hours.

Raph shook his head, "This bites. It's a pity Casey and April are at the farmhouse doing repairs to the place. We sure could use Casey as back up." He withdrew one of his sai and started to spin it around in agitation.

I shifted uneasily, at the very sight Raph definitely needed a distraction of some kind.

"Tick, tick , tick, tick" I muttered under my breath.

Raph must have caught it for he looked my way and raised an eye ridge at me.

"My brother the walking time bomb. T-minus thirty minutes and counting." I said with a large grin.

"You're being generous," Raph quipped with a big smug look on his face. He rose from his own chair, "Come on Mike while Don is busy we might as well work out in the dojo."

I gulped at those words, Raph wasn't in the mood to practice. He was in the mood to go out and destroy things. If I went into the dojo with him he would be just as likely to want to destroy me.

I did not care to be the sacrificial lamb, that was fed to the angered Gods in hopes of appeasing it. I groaned inwardly, not wanting any part of this. I knew Raph wouldn't literally kill me. But he'd be pushing me to the limit.

Why couldn't Don have let Raph helped him?

Course I knew the answer to that one too. When Raph got like this, the best bet was to let him destroy a punching bag or point him to the nearest battle. I had to keep him from going off and finding that fight, we had to go together.

He'd be almost as big of a distraction for Don as me. Now, that was saying something.

Raph glared at me, "I hate just sitting around and doing nothing and if you are going be lookin' after me you might as well give me some entertainment in the dojo." He insisted firmly as he reached out and grabbed hold of me, "Besides consider dis yer punishment fer not calling home, or having your phone on ya."

"You know that has got to be cruel and unusual punishment, which I believe has been outlawed," I protested as he forced me along with him. "Don is going owe me big time for this."

"Your going have to take this up with Don. This is between you and me Mike." He declared, there was a strange glint to his eyes.

"Why don't you just use the punching dummy Raph?" I pleaded.

"Who said I wasn't using a dummy?" Raph asked in kind.

"No fair I think Don was asking for a miracle when he asked me to help out by keeping tabs on you." I grumped.

I felt like I was being short changed here. So far, I had been the one to do the major work by finding out where the Foot were, and returning home. Then while Don made plans and worked on things he needed to help us with the coming attack, and I got to watch out for my brother and make sure he didn't end up destroying the lair or go out looking for trouble.

I knew when it came time for the battle itself Raph was going shine, he loved it when the odds were against him. He loved diving in and just giving his all. He was so wild and out there that he was usually quite feared among our enemies.

"Remember lets save some energy and strength for the real battle we don't want to waste it all in practice," I told him cheerfully. Inwardly though I was cringing at the idea of the work out we were going to have while waiting for Don.

'Hurry up Don!'

As I squared off against my brother I had two questions in my mind. The first was, why me? The second, was how in the world did I get myself mixed up in these messes?

This day was not starting in some enjoyable way. I should have known that from the moment I had seen what I had at Christine's apartment, and it was going downhill from there.

I took a deep breath, I was only hoping that things would pick up when we headed into battle. I sure didn't want things getting any worse from here.

TBC