Ever since I made the promise to never leave my sons, I could tell that they were starting to come out of their, well, shells. A few days after Baby started moving around without the IV line, Spike told me what their names were. And to tell you the truth, I was saddened that their Splinter never even gave them real names, only colors. Spike's real name was Red. Stripe's name was Blue. Softy's name was Purple and Babys name was Orange. But with the colors, I knew who was who. I thought about changing their names after he told me but I wasn't sure what they would think about it. So I gathered up the tots in the living area and sat down in front of them.
"Okay, after some thought, what do you guys think about changing your names?" They looked confused and yet so cute at the same time. "Wat ind of ames?" Spike, I mean Red, asked. "Well, I was thinking about Raphael." I pointed towards Red. "Leonardo." I then pointed towards Blue. "Donatello." I pointed towards Purple. "And Michaelangelo." I pointed to Orange. "What do you guys think of those names instead?" Orange let out a happy chirp and clapped his hands, smiling a wide grin. Blue and Purple nodded their heads, not needing to think about it. But Red was sitting there, thinking and I felt so bad for the little guy.
He opened his mouth and said, "Aeil..?" I chuckled at his attempt to say his name and rubbed the top of his head. "Don't worry, with time, you'll be able to pronounce your name." His tail starts wagging at the rubs and I smiled at the four of them.
"So are you guys happy with your new names?" They all nodded, except Mikey, he just giggled and clapped his hands again. I couldn't get over how adorable this kid was. I pulled him into my lap and started to tickle his sides, pulling more giggles out of him. I smiled, wondering if this was how my own father felt when me and my brothers were little. At the thought of my brothers and father, I felt sad, not knowing when I could see them again, if I was ever going to see them again.
Leo must have noticed my mood drop because he started to pat my cheek. I looked up at him, wondering what he needed. He smiled and I couldn't help but smile back towards him. "Don't worry about me, little man, I'll be okay." I didn't want to worry the tots, but I knew that at some point, I would have to tell them about my past. I am most definitely going to wait till they were older, if I didn't have a way home then.
After just sitting and cuddling on the floor, I got up with Mikey in my arms and made my way to the kitchen to make some lunch. But as I was looking around, I noticed that I was getting low on some things. I sighed, knowing that this was going to happen soon. It just happened more quickly with the tots here now. I saw that there was some bread and oatmeal left in the cabinet and some fruits left in the fridge. With my mind made up, I made oatmeal for lunch. I set the bowls down on the small table I had and helped the other tots climb up to eat. I sat down with Mikey in my lap and began to feed him as well. "I need to leave tonight you guys." They looked up at me with fear and I was quick to vanquish any thoughts that were running through their head.
"Just for tonight. I just need to get us some supplies and food to last us. I promise I'll be back before you guys even wake up tomorrow." I could see the fear start to vanish some but not completely, so I said two powerful words that mean everything to these tots. "I promise." Those two words seemed to have made the fear vanish completely from their eyes. I went back to feeding Mikey, wondering how I was gonna be able to get enough food down here for all of us. Then another thought entered my mind. "How old are all of you? So I know what type of foods and such I need to get." Raphael swallowed his last bite of oatmeal then pointed to Mikey. "Ikey dis many." He held up finger. I nodded and he continued. "Wins dis many." He held up two fingers. Then he pointed to himself. "I dis many!" Then held up his three fingered hand.
I chuckled as I finished feeding Mikey and began to clean him off. I was a little surprised to find out that Raph was the oldest here but also not at the same time. He looked ready to bite me when I introduced myself to them for the first time.
"Three years old? Goodness, you're getting big already!" Raph giggled and his tail started wagging again, thumbing the chair he was in. I finished cleaning off Mikey, holding him in my lap once more. "There, all cle-" "Da!" I stopped speaking as I turned to the twins, my eyes wide with shock. They were both smiling up at me, oatmeal covering their mouths. "Da!" They both spoke it at the same time and I could feel myself tearing up.
I tried to stop the tears from falling but I couldn't. I could feel them slowly falling down my face. I ducked my head down so that they wouldn't see me crying. I heard Raph and the twins climbed up on the table and made their way over to me. They sat on the table in front of me, tilting their heads to the side. "Dada, ad?" I looked at Raph, shaking my head. I lifted my head, a big smile on my face with tears still falling from my eyes. "N..no.. Raphael. Dada isn't s..sad. Dada is happy.. Dada is very happy, my sons."
They smiled as well and jumped off the table and onto me and Mikey. I yelled out in surprise and Mikey chirped loudly. But the sudden weight on the chair caused it to creak and break, causing all of us to fall to the floor. With me on my shell, I had the tots on top of me, giggling, laughing, chirping. I laughed along with them, feeling a warmth in my heart that I haven't felt since I appeared in this dimension.
I couldn't believe it. I knew that I was these tots' fathers now but hearing them call me da, it made something click into place and it felt even more real than it already was.