(I will apologize now for my odd sense of humor. Oh and fun fact; Michealangelo was the first ninja turtle created. Well the first drawing of one of the ninja turtles was a turtle with nunchuku strapped to his arms and wearing a bandanna… so I think that counts as having Mikey as the first. Why do I include this fun fact that most fans know? Because my daughter asked me why Mikey is always depicted as the youngest brother when technically he is the oldest because he was created first.)
Chapter 19
"Lullabies"
"Hand me the wire strippers, Mikey." Leo held out his hand expectantly as he stood on a short ladder that was leaned against the sewer wall.
"I prefer the ones with a little meat on their bones." Mikey grinned as he handed Leo the tool.
Leo gave Mikey a look of mock annoyance that was softened by the slight smirk that graced his usually serious features. He then set to work connecting the surveillance camera to the sewer wiring.
"Ow."Leo yanked back his hand after getting zapped for, what he was sure was, the hundredth time. He was pretty sure he was going to have burns on his fingers before they were done.
This was usually a Don thing, but as soon as evening hit Don had dropped a bag of tools and a bag of repaired surveillance cameras on the table right in the middle of Leo's mahjong game. He had then announced that he was working on finishing up another project and needed Leo to put up the cameras. A job which Leo, of course, accepted.
At first he had tried to get Raph to help, but Raph had been busy beating a length of wood, God knows why, against Don's work bench until it splintered, broke, and then was thrown across the garage, and into the layer. Leo decided not to even ask.
So it was him and Mikey wondering about the sewers putting up the surveillance cameras in the spots Don had marked on a map he had given them.
After getting zapped two more times, Leo finished with the camera he was working on. He stuck the tip of his burnt thumb in his mouth as he grumbled about not being an electrician then handed Mike the wire strippers back. "Here's the stripper, I mean strippers back."
Mike chuckled at the fact that Leo had run with the joke, and took them as Leo climbed off the latter. "I would get prettier ones but they just cost too much."
Leo chuckled and shook his head as he folded up the latter and started walking with Mikey to another tunnel. "You're a nut, Mike."
"No, I'm bored." Mikey complained. "How many of these do we have to put up anyways."
"How many are in the bag?"
Mikey stopped to open the bag. "There are six more."
"Then we have six more to put up."
"Aww man." Mike griped in disappointment.
*scene change*
Don said they could be fixed. He had been sure of it. But apparently Don wasn't Raph and Raph was ready to give up. He was, and had been for the last couple of days been, attempting to make rungs for the side of the crib and legs for the rocking chair. It wasn't going well. He kept applying too much pressure to the wood as it spun on the lathe, either miss shaping or breaking it. And with each one that didn't turn out right his patience grew shorter, perpetuating the problem.
The sixth one he had attempted, today, split with soft cracking sound.
"Damn it!" Raph bellowed as he stabbed the two inch allongee gouge into the work bench. Gripping the edge of the bench he tried to regain control of his frustration. But in truth he didn't even know if he was using the right tool for the job. He glared at the wooden rung as it spun around and around on the lathe. His glair slowly turned into a stair as a thought occurred to him. How was he supposed to raise children if he couldn't even fix a bed for them?
Frustration quickly won the battle of emotions and he yanked the plug for the lathe out of the wall then ripped the spinning rung off of the lathe. The action had been rash and stupid and had landed him with a nasty friction burn across his hand.
"Fuuuck!" he raged as he picked up the rung and beat it against the work bench till it splintered, like many of the others he had failed at making right. Then feeling like a failure he stood there, holding the mess of wood in his hand and hanging his head, trying to not let his emotions win this little battle of will.
"You sure are making a lot of noise over here." Arayah said as she walked into the garage area, sounding cheerful. It had taken her a while to adjust to everything, the layer, the pregnancy, sharing a home with five others. But today her mood was good, mostly because she did throw up as soon as she had woken up.
Raph didn't look at her. He didn't want her to see his upset or explain how something as simple as fixing a crib was out of his grasp. So, looking very much like a very large child in trouble, he just stared down at the floor.
Thinking he was acting strange Arayah raised an eye brow at the turtle. "What's wrong?"
Slowly he presented his injured hand.
Arayah's eyes widened when she caught sight of the burn. "Jeese, Raph!" She exclaimed as she cradled his hand in her two and began to inspect the injury. After a moment she decided it wasn't terrible but could use some ointment. Giving his arm a gentle tug she groaned out, "Come on."
He didn't move. "I can't fix it." he blurted out. He hadn't wanted to tell her but he seemed to be losing a lot of these little battles with himself lately. Maybe it was having her here in the layer, having her so close all the time. It didn't give his emotions, mind, or body a break. No matter where he went he carried her scent with him. It was driving him a little crazy, he was sure of it. And yet he wouldn't change it for the world. There were aspects of the situation he would like to change, but that was all.
She gave him a confused look. "Well, that's what you have me for."
"No, not the hand. The, fucking, crib." He motioned, with the splintered rung, to the broken crib that sat by the wall.
Arayah looked over at the sad looking thing and just stared at it for a moment. She wasn't really sure it was even worth fixing in its current state. Really she could remind him that she could purchase what they needed, but he had been adamant about her letting him acquire the cribs and what not, so she looked back at Raph and forced a smile. "You'll figure something out, we've got time. But we are gunna have to fix up your hand first."
Raph conceded and, dropping the broken rung, followed Arayah to the bath room where she had him place his hand under the fauset. She turned on the cold water then pulled a wash cloth off the shelf.
"Is there a first aid kit in here or is it all in Don's lab?" she asked as she gently dabbed the burn dry.
"Under the sink." He winced.
She stopped dabbing at the wound and dug around under the sink till she found the first aid kit and pulled it out. She then pulled out some ointment, gauze, and medical wrapping.
"I've been reading that book you left on the counter." She said as she squeezed some ointment on to the gauze.
"Book?" Raph asked
Arayah gently placed the gauze onto his hand.
He hissed at the sting.
"The one you left on the counter, with the nursery rhymes and lullabies." She gave him an encouraging smile as she tried to distract him with conversation, a gesture he retorted with a frown.
"I left it on the counter." He had forgotten where he had sat it in his tantrum, that left him lacking beer, the few days before and had been looking for it to give to her. "Huh… Do you like it?" he asked a little too enthusiastically. "I mean, is it what you needed, you know, to learn… stuff."
Arayah chuckled at his attempt to back pedal over his enthusiasm, as she finished wrapping the palm of his hand to hold the gauze in place. "I love it, but I don't know how the tunes to the songs go and I can't read music, so… ya." She shrugged. "I know some of the words now though."
Raph frowned because the gift hadn't been as useful as he had hoped. Then a thought occurred to him. "I can read music."
"You can? When did you learn that?" Arayah grinned with excitement.
Raph shrugged. "When I was kid. Splinter brought home a base guitar and some music books he had found. He gave them to Mikey but he never really got all that into it. So, I took em'."
"You play guitar!" Arayah's grin widened then releasing his hand she halfheartedly slapped his shoulder. "Raph, you never cease to amaze me."
"Bass guitar." He corrected before grinning with pride at his accomplishment, for a moment, as he watched her putting away the medical supplies. "I'll go get it. Help you figure out some of those songs. I'll be right back." He said as he was suddenly hurrying out of the bathroom and heading to his room to find the instrument. Leaving Arayah in the bathroom to finish cleaning up the mess they had made. It had been a while since he had messed with the bass so he wasn't entirely sure where it was, but he was determined to find it, and determined to keep that smile on her face for as long as he could before worry replaced it again.
*scene change*
Michealangelo bounced a grungy tennis ball he had found against the sewer wall, watched as it bounced off the wall hit the ceiling and then caught it again. He repeated the action a few more times then with a grown looked up at Leo. "Are you done yet?"
Leo grimaced as he got zapped again. He looked at his burnt finger and asked. "Is that the last one?"
Mike looked in the bag. "Yep. Does that mean we can go home and eat?"
Leo smiled down at his brother. "Yes, Mikey we get to go home and eat. As soon as you hand me the electrical tape so I can wrap this up."
Mikey frowned but handed his brother the tape.
Leo took it and began wrapping the wires.
Mikey tossed his ball at the wall a couple more times in an attempt to pass the time. "So what did you think of that movie we watched last night?"
Leo paused in wrapping the wires as he considered the B rated movie about the robot house that trapped its owner inside and tried to kill him. "Kinda weird. " He answered as he finished wrapping the wires. "What was it called?"
He tossed Mike the tape.
Mike caught it and tossed it into the tool bag while simultaneously continuing to throw the ball against the wall. "I don't know." he shrugged.
Leo started to climb off the ladder stopping half way down when a strange buzzing sound pulled his attention. "What is that?"
Mike had stopped throwing the ball and was now looking down the sewer tunnel as well. "A giant swarm of giant killer bees." He guessed.
The buzzing was earie, obnoxious, and getting louder.
Curious, Mikey quietly started to sneak down the tunnel.
"Mike, wait." Leo whispered, but was ignored. So, grumbling, he followed his brother to the end of the tunnel.
The buzzing was ridiculously loud now and a light could be seen coming down the crossing tunnel.
"Mikey hide." Leo ordered.
This time Mikey listened. Both brothers quickly swung themselves up into the piping above them. They then stared down as a machine, which looked like a four legged, walking, black, metal box, walked past. It's buzzing echoing around them making them feel as if a storm of insects had taken up residence in their heads.
After it passed the tunnel entrance Leo and Mike hopped down from the ceiling and watched it walk down the tunnel.
"What was that?" Mike asked as he looked to Leo for an answered.
Leo drew his swords. "I think we should find out."
The two hurried after the thing as it marched on crawling over debris and lighting the tunnel ahead. Occasionally it would trip up on sewer rubbish and then, with as much dexterity as a living thing, it would right itself and continue on.
"What is it doing down here?" Leo asked.
"Being creepy. It is definitely being creepy." Mikey answered as he lifted up his phone to record the buzzing mettle monster as it droned on.
It's buzzing was so loud they almost missed the second one that crossed their path just as the first one crossed a tunnel crossway.
Seeing the thing out of the corner of his eye Leo slid to a stop pushed Mike back against the wall and then pulled him down into the water that ran down the center of the tunnel as the machine turned to illuminate the tunnel.
Hearts pounded as they lay there among the city's trash and refuse in the stink of the murky water, that didn't quite cover all of their shells, watching as the machine swayed left and then right taking in the objects that littered the tunnel.
The buzzing intensified and then the thing turned back on its original course and marched on.
"That was close." Mike stated.
Leo nodded. "Come on we need to tell the others."
Running back down the sewers, they collected their tools and hurried back toward the layer.
*scene change*
Raph tore his room apart looking for that guitar. He pulled everything out from under his bed, his weapon's closet, even moved his dresser away from the wall.
"What the hell?" He said to the now messy room. Frustrated yet again he slammed the door. Behind it sat the bass. "Now you come out?" He frowned and snatched up the guitar.
"Arayah?" he called out to the apparently empty layer, as he left his room. Had it really taken him so long to find the damn guitar that she decided to… He heard some dishes clinking in the kitchen, then saw her walking around the counter.
"Did you find it?" she was holding a bowl of jalapeños and pickles in one hand and the book in another.
"Yep." He held up the black guitar. He chuckled at her choice of snacks as he followed her to the couch. "And you complain about the smell of my beer."
"Hey, I'm pregnant, it's supposed to be weird." She paused for a moment. "I think."
Raph smiled at her then led her to the couch to sit next him.
Arayah started flipping through the book while Raph leaned on the guitar and watched her.
Flip flip flip went the pages, Arayah pausing periodically to scan a page.
"You gunna pick one or what." Raph's patience faded.
"Sorry, but if I'm gunna learn a song to sing to my children I want it to be kinda, not violent." Arayah waved a hand about in annoyance.
"Their lullabies, how violent can they be?" Raph scoffed.
"Well, Rock a bye baby is about a baby that falls out of a tree, ring around the roses it sounds like every one dies in the end, even in the one about the frog they all get eaten by a snake. These are all violent. I want my kids to have sweet dreams not terrible night mares."
Raph chuckled a little. "Here let me see."
Arayah handed him the book and he began to scan through the pages.
"Find one yet?" She smiled at him mischievously and wrinkled her nose when he gave her an annoyed look.
It made him want to kiss her. So, growling he looked back down at the book.
Her body surprised her when a tell tail fire ignited in her belly at the gravely sound of his growl.
"Ok how about this one. " Raph pointed at a page.
Arayah welcomed the distraction and turned her focus to the page Raph was pointing to. "Golden slumbers… that sounds nice."
The music in the book was for piano but he knew enough to adjust for the bass. Raph sat the book, open, on the floor and positioned the guitar in his lap looked up to find the strings and stared at his mangled hand. He could have worked around the burned palm but missing half of one of his only three fingers was a problem. "I forgot about that."
"What?"
He held up his hand and wiggled the stub of a finger. "Can't reach the strings. Most cords take more than a finger and a thumb."
"Hmm," Arayah looked the instrument over. "Can you do the cords with your other hand?"
Raph raised an eye ridge, "Are you asking me if I can play upside down?"
"I guess so. So, can you?" She looked at him expectantly.
"Not easily." He mumbled.
Arayah sighed. "Maybe Don will let me look it up on the computer."
Not about to be upstaged by his techy brother, especially in Arayah's eyes, Raph flipped the guitar over and found what he was pretty sure was the right fingering for this position. "You ever try to draw with your left hand?"
"Yes."
"That's about what this is going to sound like."
Arayah laughed.
Raph smiled at the sound and clumsily played a couple of cords. He frowned when he hit a particularly bad cord. "Damn."
"I don't think that's part of the lyrics." Arayah teased.
"Oh, I ain't singing it." Raph shook his head.
"But I don't know the tune. You're the one that can read the notes." Arayah pushed the burning in her belly successfully doused out.
"I don't sing sweet heart, especially not lullabies. That's why I gave YOU the book."
"The book says it's by the Beatles, so technically it's a rock song."
"I don't sing."
Arayah frowned at him.
He stubbornly held her disappointed look for long moment before giving in. "Damn it," He sighed, "fine. But, if you give me any shit…"
"I'm not going to give you any shit. I want to learn the song." Arayah insisted.
Shaking his head he got back into position and looked down at the book and played the first couple of cords again.
Arayah smiled as she watched his fingers slid up and down the neck of the guitar, stumbling occasionally.
Raph took a nervous breath and started to sing… "Once there was a way.. to get back home…once there was a way, to get back home. Sleep pretty darling do not cry …and I will sing you a lullaby…"
His growl had warmed her earlier, but the husky deep and rumbling voice that vibrated from his chest strait down to her very core set her ablaze.
"Golden slumber fill your eyes, smiles await you when you rise. Sleep pretty baby… do not cry and I will sing a lullaby…"
To the point that it made her short of breath, as delightful shivers rippled up and down her back.
"Once there was a way to get back to get back home…once there was a way to get back home… sleep pretty darling do not cry… and I will sing you a lullaby." Noticing the way she was just staring at him he stopped the song short of the next verse. "What?"
She sat there looking at him struggling to get her body back under control…
"I told you I don't sing." He growled.
She failed, and in her failure she found herself suddenly wrapping her arms around his neck hungrily pressing her soft lips against his, intent on devouring him. Her tongue flicking out to taste him, and her body practically clambering to get into his lap in a desperate attempt to close the gap between them.
His wide eyed surprise only lasted a second before the guitar was dropped to the floor with a loud "cagong." With his arms free he wrapped them around her balling his fists in the back of her shirt and pulling her to him till she was straddling him. His tongue pressed against hers tasting her wet sweetness as the kiss deepened, pulling a groan from him. His hands snuck up under her shirt, caressing the soft skin along the curve of her back.
Had it really been this simple? Had all it took to have her here pressed against him, letting him taste her strawberry lips and run his hands over her silken skin, was singing?
Raph slid his hands down to cup her back side as she started to rock her hips against his. A soft pleasured moan escaped her lips. The sound she had uttered so startling her that she suddenly pulled back. Her expression, to put simply, was one of shock. "Shit."
Quickly she was finding her feet tripping over his the bass and stumbling backwards. "Raph. I..I…I'm so sorry." She stammered out at she righted herself and made a run for her room.
Raph found her sudden absence from him much harder to adjust too than her sudden presence had been. He watched her stumble about with confusion until her stuttered apology sunk in. By then the door to her room had slammed closed. Raph stared at the door for a long moment before placing his head in his hands and cursing. "Fuck."
"It's good you guys are singing to the babies." Don said as he exited his lab and headed for the kitchen, Splinter following carrying a tea pot. Both oblivious to anything other than the singing they had just heard.
"I read that it stimulates the fetus' brain and helps with the brain's development and imprinting." Don continued.
"I remember the one I used to sing to the four of you." Splinter smiled warmly at the memory as he filled his tea pot with hot water.
Still having trouble processing, do to blood wanting to circulate places other than his brain, Raph lifted his head from his hands and gave Don and splinter a look that simply came across as, 'what the hell?'
Don noticed his brother's confused expression and opened his mouth to explain but was cut off by Leo and Mikey rushing into the layer.
"Where's Splinter?" Leo asked hurriedly, before seeing his father in the kitchen.
"You will never believe what we saw." Mikey said in a voice that was mixed with terror and excitement.