Another Day

Splinter smiled as he carefully carried the bag filled with groceries down to the lair. He was happy he managed to get the carton, knowing his sons needed the protein.

Just as he got inside, he was surprised his youngest was awake, darting up to him with tears in his eyes. “Michelangelo, what has happened?” he asked gently, being careful not to be too loud so his brothers would not wake.

“Raphie and Lelo and Donnie kicked me out..” he said with a muffled sob, “dey take my yellow..and I be by myself...I awone...”

Splinter frowned was puzzled, “Yellow? They took your yellow crayon? You’re awone?” he tried repeating, hoping to get his son to clarify as he carried the bag to the kitchen.

“No daddy, dey take my yellow!!” Mikey said, his voice rising slightly, still sniffling, his blue eyes filled with tears, “and I be awone...I cole...”

“My son, I do not understand. What is your yellow?” Splinter finally asked, understanding the others words as ‘alone’ and ‘cold’. He would deal with that in a moment. He needed to figure out what his son meant first.

“My yellow cloud...where my head sleeps..” Mikey explained with a whine, “dey push me out...say I sweep on couch...”

Splinter sighed, realizing what had happened. “Oh Michelangelo, would you like to sleep in my room?”

Michelangelo’s eyes widened, “Yes daddy, pwease, I be good...I sweep!”

“Very well, go find a spot on my bed my son, I shall join you shortly, it is late,” Splinter said with a smile, nuzzling his son’s face.

Soon he was alone and he smiled, shaking his head as he put the groceries away. He resolved to talk to his sons in the morning for their part in kicking Michelangelo out of their room for the night. He placed his carton of eggs for the morning’s breakfast, being sure to lock the door once again.

He knew all his sons sneaky abilities to eat the food he found before the others so he put a lock on the door, ensuring he had the only key. He hoped as they got older he would not have to worry about the food in the fridge.

He yawned, heading to bed, cuddling his youngest as they slept for the night.

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When he awoke, it was to the strange sensations his whiskers were moving, twitching and tickling him.

As he opened his eyes, he saw his youngest playing with his whispers, giggling to himself each time his cheek twitched from the touch, “Michelangelo, what are you doing?” he asked with a smile.

“Your whiskers dance daddy...” Michelangelo giggled, touching his whiskers once again.

They twitched and Splinter sneezed.

Michelangelo burst into giggles again, his small hand holding his mouth as he tried to be quiet as he laughed to himself. Splinter merely chuckled as he lifted his son up and about, standing up, “How about we wake for the day my son.”

“Okay daddy...TV?” Michelangelo asked with a smile.

“Very well my son, go ahead, you may watch your shows this morning,” Splinter said, allowing his son to run to the television, putting on some cartoons for him to watch. Bugs Bunny appeared and Mikey laughed lightly to himself, clearly enjoying the selection.

Splinter headed towards the kitchen, grabbing a pot of water and boiling it as he prepared his mix of herbs for his morning tea.

He heard the others waking up and before they would go and head to the livingroom, he called them over.

He heard them grumbling to eachother, clearly in a bad mood but knew he had to talk to them about kicking their brother out of the room last night. That was certainly a foolish thing to do since they know I scavenge while they are asleep.

“Mornin’ daddy,” Raphael said, yawning loudly as he rubbed his eyes, walking into the kitchen, “Wha for breakfast?”

“Breakfast will wait my sons...I must speak to you about last night,” Splinter said, allowing them time to sit in their chairs before he started, “Why did you kick your brother out last night?”

They were all silent, looking at eachother uneasily before two glanced at Leonardo.
“Leonardo, please, tell me what you were thinking?”

“Mikey was crying daddy...an’ he wouldn’t stop!” Leonardo finally said, “We were sick of it! He can sleep on the couch! We don’t need a baby in our room!” he said firmly, scowling.

“Leonardo, that was not very nice. All of you know your brother suffers from night terrors since that night he was trapped in the sewers! Why would you not want to protect your brother?” Splinter questioned.

“But daddy, he aways cries and he aways wants to be with someone...not fair. We need me time too!” Donnie complained.

Splinter sighed, about to speak when Raphael said angrily, “It his fault daddy! He run aways in da sewers! His fault he gotted trapped. Not fair."

Raphael stood up, glaring angrily, "He cry but he not get in trouble! He cries and cries but we not like it. He want you,” Raph said angrily, furious, “He not bwother if he not brave! Mikey fault anyway!”

Splinter was curious at their reasoning but he could understand their frustrations with their youngest brother.

At that moment, Michelangelo started to cry from the living room and he saw his sons cover their ears, obviously used to reacting to his cries.

“I will return in a moment my sons, your brother is upset,” Splinter said with a sigh.

He walked to the living room, frowning as he saw his youngest on the floor of the living room, wailing loudly, clutching his arm as if it was hurt.

He frowned, knowing his son was remembering being trapped in the sewer tunnels, his arm broken. That was months ago my son...what is frightening you... he thought as he picked his son up.

“Hush Michelangelo, it will be alright...shhh, what is wrong?” he asked his youngest, frowning as he clutchced his robe.

“I was awone daddy...no one wants me...I be all awone and I bad...bruthers don’t love me...” Mikey sobbed out rapidly.

Splinter sighed, knowing his sons fears of being alone and his brothers throwing him out the night before had caused him to backtrack in his healing. For weeks now, his youngest had been plagued by night terrors and nightmares of being trapped underneath the tunnels.

He recalled that day his sons told him the ceiling came down on Michelangelo and he had dug him out. He was so limp and small, his arm clearly broken and he was unconscious for two days before he finally awakened.

“Hush Michelangelo, you had fallen asleep. It was just a nightmare. It is alright. You are fine my son,” he assured his son, calming him quickly.

“How about some breakfast?” he asked him, wiping his tears away, carrying him to the kitchen.

“Otay daddy,” he mumbled, his thumb going to his mouth as soon as he heard his brothers talking in the kitchen.

Splinter pushed the door to the kitchen open, seeing his sons still sat at the table, Leonardo and Raphael were arm wrestling while Donatello read a book. “My sons, how would you like some eggs this morning?”

“What are eggs daddy?” Leonardo asked curiously, distracted as Raphael pushed his arm down in his distraction, winning the match.

“Eggs are from chickens, right daddy?” Donatello said with a grin.

“Yes Donatello, good job. It is filled with protein that growing children need to stay healthy,” Splinter explained as he started to cook some scrambled eggs.

“Chickens have eggs?” Raphael asked Donatello curiously.

“Yeah, chickens lay eggs. The eggs turn into baby chickens,” Donatello explained.
Splinter winced at the wording and was about to correct him, knowing both Leonardo and Michelangelo would not eat it if they knew it was baby chickens.

“Baby chi’kens!? We eating babies! Daddy, we not really eating babies...are we??” Michelangelo said horrified, tears welling in his eyes.

Splinter was about to correct him when Donatello spoke fast, “No Mikey, we’re eating eggs that aren’t growing up.”

“Daddy...I don’t want to eat babies...” Leonardo said hesitantly.

Splinter spoke up, “My sons, the eggs are from chickens but they are not baby chickens. They are the eggs who were not able to become babies. They were made for eating.”

Leonardo relaxed, understanding that it wasn’t real but Michelangelo looked dubious.

“Look my sons, I shall show you,” Splinter said as he brought an egg over, cracking the shell open, allowing the yolk to drop into a bowl, “See Michelangelo, there is no baby chicken inside.”

“No baby?” Michelangelo asked, poking the yellow yolk.

“No baby Michelangelo, it is good to eat. Make you very healthy,” Splinter explained, going back to the stove, cooking the eggs.

“It like we eating the eggs in Green Eggs in Ham...daddy, can we have green eggs?” Donatello asked excitedly.

Splinter glanced at him, smiling, “I am afraid I do not know how to find green eggs my son.”

“Daddy, Mikey is making the egg all yucky!” Raphael cried out.

“Eggs feels slimy Raphie...” Michelangelo cried out, now playing with the yolk in the bowl.

“DON’T CALL ME RAPHIE!” Raphael screamed out angrily, glaring at his younger brother.

“Sowwy Raphie...” Mikey mumbled, flinching at the tone Raphael spoke in.

“Daddy, I wanna watch some cartoons...can I?” Raphael asked with a sigh.

“No Raphael, we are practicing after breakfast, do you not remember?” Splinter said as he grabbed the plates to serve his sons.

“I don’t wanna practice! I wanna watch TV,” Raphael whined.

“No Raphael, you know the rules,” Splinter said sternly.

“But Mikey gotta watch cartoons,” Raphael screamed angrily.

“Michelangelo was sleeping with me due to you three kicking him out of the bedroom last night,” Splinter said, “so he woke up early. That is not his fault. He had time since you all slept in,” Splinter explained as he brought the plates to the table.

“Michelangelo, go and wash your hands please. They are dirty from playing with the egg. Leonardo, please grab some utensils. Raphael, go and grab the jug of milk from the fridge and Donatello, please put your book away,” Splinter ordered as he took the bowl with the smashed up egg and dumped it down the sink, grabbing some cups for his sons to drink from.

They all got up, doing what they were told before arriving back at the table.

They all took a tentative bite of the eggs, three pairs of eyes lit up at the light fluffy taste.

“These are good daddy, I like chicken eggs!” Donatello piped up, using his spoon to scoop them up.

Raphael spoke up, his mouth filled with eggs, “I lub them daby, they good..” he mumbled through a mouthful filled with food.

“Raphael, talk when you have no food in your mouth,” Splinter said with a sigh, “Eat and then swallow, then you may speak.”

Raphael nodded but kept eating. Splinter glanced at Michelangelo who still had a full plate, looking worried as he stared at the light yellow eggs. “What is wrong Michelangelo?”

“I don’t wanna eat baby eggs daddy...” Michelangelo whispered.

“They are no babies in these eggs Michelangelo, it is acceptable to eat,” Splinter said sternly, “You need to eat to get big and strong.”

Michelangelo scrunched up his mouth but he picked up his spoon, taking a small bite. “This good daddy,” he said with a giggle.

Splinter smiled but stood to refill his tea. As he walked over, he heard whispering but shook his head, smiling as his sons tried to be secretive. His rat like ears could pick up their child’s whisper but he ignored them.

“Hey Mikey!” Raph said with a smirk.

Mikey glanced up, frowning a little at the smirk, “What Raphie?”

“Gimme your eggs,” he demanded.

“No! You got your own,” Michelangelo responded.

“I want yours!” Raphael said as he grabbed Mikey’s plate, dumped the eggs on his own plate
and gave it back.

Michelangelo’s eyes widened at that and his mouth opened, “DADDY! He stole my yellow babies!”

Splinter tried hard to repress the smile that was starting to grow at Michelangelo’s words but he glanced at Raphael, “My son, return Michelangelo’s eggs this moment! You do not take food from your brother!” he said sternly. “Go and stand in the corner for 5 minutes!”

“But I’m eating!” Raphael whined.

“No my son, this is a punishment,” Splinter ordered as he took Raphael’s plate, scooping the eggs back onto Michelangelo’s plate, “go now!”

Raphael pouted as he walked to the corner, standing in it. The rest of his sons continued to eat. Splinter smiled as he ate his own plate. When the 5 minutes was up, he called

Raphael over, “My son, come and eat.”

Raphael sat down, still pouting but finished eating.

“You may all wash up for practice. I shall join you as I once I tidy up,” Splinter said as they all finished eating, taking their dirty plates,” Splinter said with a smile.

As his sons ran out the room, he heard a loud crash and Donatello wailing, “RAPH tripped me!”

My sons...it is never a dull moment...is it? He thought as he put the plates down to go and help his second eldest who was crying.

“Raphael, 10 flips now!” he called out.

I made this for the Turtle Tot ficcie, hope it qualifies