Only One

Summary: Splinter began a new life with four sons but the dangers of living in the sewers of New York include sickness, cold and accidents.

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT. Viacom does.


Four: Life

The face only five inches from the baby's own face could've given any Hollywood monster a run for its money. It was a scaly dark teal green, had only one good eye while the other with simply a set of stitches sealing the empty socket shut, and there were a multitude of terrible gouged scars crisscrossing its face. But when it stuck its tongue out and gave the baby a raspberry one could almost see how it could be a bit adorable in its own horrific way.

The baby let out a laugh and Splinter smiled softly into his teacup at the sight of his son happily playing with the baby, also known as April and Casey Jones' son, Adam. The baby who, after almost a year of being out in the world, had only gotten used to Michelangelo's appearance approximately a week prior. Michelangelo was his pride when they trained together. They were no longer master and student but rather two masters who were also father and son. But it was during quiet times like this when Splinter really could see the life his son had in him.

Both Michelangelo's will and body were strong. With all the battles he had to fight on his own they had to be. Splinter was happy that Casey Jones had met his son and that they would more than occasionally provide backup for each other. Fighting alone, the two have individually discovered, was much more dangerous to their own lives than teaming up could be.

But only his son could stand up against enemies like the Shredder, government agencies and the powerful forces that focused on him like homicidal moths to his flame. While he came out of the battles still alive it was not always in one piece. It would be easier on his son if he had assistance or back up during his battles but with every live threatening injury he received Michelangelo simply patched it up as best he could and strove forward with an almost unnerving will to go on.

His other sons had passed away longer than two decades ago but he still felt the echos of their loss every day. Some days it was simply an ache for one of them but on other, much harder times, the loss of all three of them would hit him like a proverbial sledgehammer all at once and put him to a grief that seemed to take weeks to pass on.

Michelangelo suddenly stood up which roused Splinter out of his own melancholic thoughts.

"I sure hope you two decide to have more kids," Michelangelo said with a smile as he passed Adam back to April. Once he did he brushed back the tails of his red mask back from where they fell over his shoulder. He had dangled them around the infant's face in order to play with him, "this little one would be an awesome big bro. I can tell."

April scoffed and said, "I think this one is enough for now. You aren't the one here at two am when he decides its time for a cry because his daddy's out beating up thugs."

Casey ignored the pointed glare his wife gave to him and said, "I also notice that Uncle Mikey likes to pass off diaper duty every chance he has."

Michelangelo guffawed and as he casually rested his hands behind his head just ahead of the double Ninjato Katana that were sheathed along his back said, "It's an uncles job to have fun and pass the real work back to the parents. I know this and I grew up beneath the street."

April snorted and playfully retorted, "Yeah, yeah. I know for a fact that you and Splinter lived in the basement of a condemned building from when you were four until you were fifteen and only used the sewers for underground travel. Don't pull that I lived in a sewer bit again."

Splinter hated the sewers. If he had been wiser when he was younger he could have prevented everything that had killed his sons. It was only with a great deal of luck and a completely ridiculous level of stubbornness to never give up that had kept Michelangelo going for so many years. His Michelangelo was lucky to outlive his brothers with the crazy adventures he got himself into constantly. Splinter was sure if his brothers had lived Michelangelo wouldn't have made as many mistakes out there or if he had there would have been cover for him.

Michelangelo went back to his chair and grimaced slightly while he absently rubbed a rough spot on his plastron above his heart, jingling the chains of his nunchucks belted to his sides as he did so. He looked over towards his father who was lost in his thoughts as soon he lost himself in his own. He could feel the melancholy coming from his father and knew he was thinking of his brothers and running what ifs through his mind again. This wound above his heart had been given to him by Karai when she had struck him with the hilt of her sword instead of the blade during a battle. It had been meant as a mercy she had said at the time.

'Your brothers would have not have gotten injured like this had they lived. Will you die or only go halfway again?' he remembered the words of his father after his fight with her had ended as he had to self bandage the wound that could have been a death blow. Maybe one day, before his father was gone, he would be able to spend the day with him without the thoughts of children long gone and long perfected in memory coloring their own time together with regrets and what ifs.

Every now and then I think about you. All those times I spent alone here without you. Just give me one more chance I swear to you, I'll give everything.

End


Thank you. Following link is for a pic of this tale's Michelangelo: xipholynx. deviantart art/ Only-One- Michelangelo- 409831429