Bring me to life

Now that everyone was in better spirits, it was time for some actual food shopping. With ten mouths to feed, food collection was going to be interesting. Hawke and Wren volunteered to go topside with April and Casey for the shopping trip (once Hawke acquired pants.) He tolerated the sweatpants and shirt. Casey just laughed at the spectacle he made. Both Wren and Leo said he looked fine to which Hawke grumbled the fact he didn't care what he looked like, the whole thing felt weird.

Wren was quickly sliding back into her role as wife and after Sean was monitored to go out into the pit, she pressed a tender kiss to his temple, letting her fingers run through his shaggy-ish hair. "We'll be back soon. Anything you want me to get you?"

He smiled softly, tilting his head up to nose against her skin. "Just you, Beautiful. And maybe some decent soap."

"I'll try, but unscented is the best down here."

"Says you! Have you taken a whiff out those doors, lately?"

She laughed, kissing his temple again. "You should bond with the guys a bit. Then you'll understand why the unscented is better here."

Bonding with turtles. Should be a piece of cake, right? After all, he got in good with the Faunlyn and they weren't an easy bunch to gain approval from. Especially with the line of work he was in. Had been in. He looked around the pit, noticing that no one else was around. The children were tittering over something in their room, but the adults were no where to be seen. It was as if he had been left entirely alone.

Since Sean knew that he was alone for the time being, all of the urges that required monitoring started in. First his throat was dry. Then his bladder felt full. He swore his body-new one, at least- was rebelling against him. It was taking longer for him to get used to the physical plane once again and it was more than a little worrisome. No one else had achieved this as far as anyone knew. It was uncharted territory and one that Donatello enjoyed taking measurements for. Hell, it wasn't that far to the kitchen, was it? He craned his head, eyeing the faucet. Nope, it wasn't that far at all. By the time someone came to check in on him, he'd be there and back again, no worse for the wear. At first everything seemed to be easy. Getting up, getting his bearings, walking. He made it about half way before he felt the wave of dizziness hit him. It was more than just recovering from a potentially lethal injury. Sean staggered for a moment, listing heavily to the side until he met the wall. At least he thought it was the wall.

"Whoa, dude! Who said you could go strolling about on your own?" Mikey was all smiles, but there was a glint of concern in his eyes. Sean watched him, opening his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. "You know you can trust us, right?"

"Y-yeah. I know." Hell. Even this one made it seem like he was a feather. Mikey held him up and didn't even blink under the strain.

"So. Trust us."

It wasn't like Sean didn't, per se. It was just that he had to get used to living again and it wasn't easy. The turtles didn't make it easy but it wasn't their fault. These people Wren trusted her life with. His daughter had them wound around her little finger. He had listened to how they played with the kids and it was amazing how utterly gentle they could be with a little child with no shell or other strengths beyond human capabilities. "I was trying for a little more independence," he ended lamely, trying for a smile. Briefly there were two Michelangelo's and his eyes crossed.

"Independence is all well and good, but what you need now is family, not independence," Mikey nodded sagely, helping him to the kitchen. "What were you looking for?"

"A drink."

"Well, you can have anything but the sake. D says your liver's out of commission for a couple months, at least!"

Sean had to laugh softly at that while he eased into the kitchen chair. "I think water's stiff enough for me."

As the turtle bustled about the kitchen, Sean watched while they chatted a bit. The guy liked his video games. Pranks. That was a favorite topic and Mike went through the ones that always got under Raph's shell. Sean had to admit they were good. Some of them had him chuckling before long and he even shared a few of his own against his little brother. "Didn't know you had a bro. Wren doesn't talk much about your side of the family."

"Well, you could say we're a bit...estranged."

"Shell, can't be any stranger than us!" Mikey was a little like that Italian grandmother. Always making food and he was pushing a sandwich in Sean's direction.

"No, estranged. Being separated from."

"Oooh.. Do you not get along?"

Sean smirked. "They think that Wren took me away from them." After a moment, he sighed. "And it's not like I'll be able to fix that, either. Dead is dead and they wouldn't understand this."

"I can't blame them. I don't really understand it, either, but I have to say it's nice to see you here. And I think it's good for Wren, too. She hasn't been the same since, really. Even though we didn't meet you the first time around, we all knew you had a huge impact on her." Even Mike could have a quiet, serious side when he wanted to.

"She has a big impact on me, too. Hey, now that this water's gone and run right through me, I need to take a piss--" He stopped when he heard a squeak behind him. Turning, he saw one of the tots staring at him with big eyes and their hands covering their mouth. To him, they all looked the same and couldn't figure out how to tell them apart.

The little turtle looked from Mikey to Sean and then back again, squealing in delight before she ran out of the room. "Daaaad! Mister Sean has a potty mouth! I heard him! He has my chores for the week, right? Dad?"

Sean looked back to Mikey, cringing slightly. "Oops. My bad. But what about chores?"

"It's something we had to come up because Raph has a bit of a 'potty mouth.' " They all did from time to time, but Raph was the worst culprit by far. "So when he's caught swearing in front of the kids, he has to do their chores for the week. And that's applied to any of us. So it looks like you're a part of the family, dude!"

"Go me." He gave a lopsided smirk about that. "But that doesn't solve the bathroom problem."

Of course, with Ada all up in arms about her chores being done by someone else, the others moved to look. Leo wore a slightly amused expression that was masked with concern on his face as Donnie walked in with a frown, listening and watching his daughter bounce up and down in the process. "Mister Sean is not cleared for that sort of activity, Ada. He still gets dizzy and is still recovering."

"Then after," Ada pronounced, crossing her arms in front of her plastron with a 'hmph!'

Raph laughed behind them. "Atta-girl!"

"We don't subject guests with house rules."

AJ pouted, looking up at her uncle. "He's not a guest! He's my daddy."

"Family follows the rules," Musashi agreed and his cousin Darwin backed him up with a nod and a grunt.

The older turtles blinked, looking at their children. Mikey started laughing, leaning back in his chair. "Guess they told you! They know who's family!"

"I'll do the chores when I'm well enough to do so. Promise." Sean looked over to the one who was Ada, winking a bit. "As soon as your father believes I'm not a danger to myself or to everyone else."

"You're not a bomb," Darwin piped up. "Are you?"

"No, little man. I've been defused a long, long time ago. However, I do feel like I'm going to pop. I need to get to the toi--" He looked at the kids briefly. "-commode."

Leo smiled a little more. So they were going to teach him how to be a father. It was interesting to say the least. Donnie paused for a moment, not really looking at any of them even though his eyes were in Sean's direction. Sean was a demolitions expert. He could hone his own bomb techniques with this man! The possibilities were running in his head when he finally registered Sean's need. "Oh! There's the be-"

"No. I'm done with that bed pan. There is a toilet and it's going to get used."

"You're not standing."

Sean crossed his eyes. "I'll be fine."

Donnie looked over to his mate. "Mikey?"

"Had to catch him, dude! He was wobbling all over the place and I wouldn't trust him to juggle anything." Mikey was all grins. In fact they were all in various states of amusement. They all had been through this at one time or another arguing with Donnie over their capability in caring for their needs.

"You're sitting."

The turtle tots looked at each other in confusion as there was little argument about the facilities. Sean sighed, already working to get up. "Fine. Anything but the bed pan."

"I'm out!" Raph was not going to help anyone use the bathroom no matter what. Especially not a human male. He turned heel and headed back into the dojo to his weights. Donnie moved to offer his assistance with the clinical warmth of a doctor even though his words were a little stiff.

"I've got this," Leo said without hesitation, moving to stay by Sean's wavering side. The look of relief and gratitude on Don's face was so fleeting only Leo caught it. "It's not that far and you can hang onto my shell if you need to."

Sean couldn't help but smile a bit. "Thanks, man."

As the pair moved off, Darwin looked to AJ, still baffled. "Do you pee standing up?" His human cousin shook her head slowly. "Then why would your father?"

Again, AJ had no answer. She knew from the mountain body parts and what made the genders different but why males would prefer to do their business standing was beyond her.


Washing his hands, Sean looked in the mirror at himself. His face was familiar yet different. It was hard to really pin point what was different but he knew and for a while he let the water run as he leaned against the sink, studying his features for a while. With a heavy sigh, he noticed that Leo was peering in through the partially open door, making certain he was okay.

"No, I haven't fallen over," he said, turning the water off and drying his hands. "I'm still standing."

"Hope that was recent. Don will have my shell if you did that standing." Leo was serious when he said that, keeping close to the human but otherwise doing nothing to impede his movement.

"I was good." Sean scowled a bit, moving at Leo's pace which was slow. "You're the head of the house, right?"

"I am Clan Leader," Leo replied easily.

"But you volunteered to take care of me? I thought Donatello was the MASH man."

His eyes shifted a bit towards Sean. "Donnie's our family doctor and while he performs his job better than most of your surgeons in the hospital, there are still some things that are a bit delicate for my brothers. I'm used to those things so it doesn't bother me."

"Those... things meaning my things."

"Yes."

Sean was quiet for a few moments, deciding that a steadying hand on Leo's shell was necessary. He felt how it was cool to the touch, but not freezing cold like metal or something not alive. "Because of Hawke?"

"Yes."

"You two are still together?"

"On occasion." Again, this was probably another delicate thing that his brothers would have been flustered about. "Hawke respects my mate, though, as do I. Raph's not generous in that manner."

"But you're the commander in chief. You could say anything you want because you're the head, right?"

A small smile ghosted on Leo's face. "This family works because we all give and take. Balance is important no matter what one does. That's what any family does, am I correct?"

"Yeah." Sean fell quiet then. "This isn't going to be easy, is it?"

"What do you mean? Being a warrior in a garden?"

Now that was a reference that Sean knew and he brightened at the recognition. "Sun Tzu."

"I have the book. You're welcome to it while you're here."

"Thanks, Leonardo."