Wren took it upon herself to make lunch. Tomato soup and grilled cheese and there were even a few cans for tuna fish sandwiches. Her first duty was to make certain the children would have enough and then provide for four hungry adult turtles. With the way they were training in the dojo she was certain they would be passed famished. While the soup was from cans, she did her best to add just a little extra touch so it was more home made.
"'Kay, guys, soup's on!"
Silence.
"Kids?" Making certain the burner was off, she wiped her hands on a dish towel and went to investigate where the children went. Wren made a cursory glance into the dojo, not bothering to interrupt and she even peeked into the bathroom, gasping at the disaster she found in there. "What in the world?" The medicine cabinet looked like it had been raided with more than half of the contents strewn about. For a brief moment she worried that Don kept medicines in there and then quickly pushed it aside. He had an entire infirmery. No need for a medicine cabinet to hold the same purpose.
They were up to something. She didn't know quite what as she kept searching the lair. Eventually she located the children in the bedroom, giggling and talking to each other. Turning around the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the rat's nest that had become her daughter's hair and the turtle tots happily 'brushing' it with tooth brushes. The only reason why she didn't blow up was because of the smile on her daughter's face. "It's lunch time, kids."
AJ turned, tooth brushes sticking out of her snarled hair as she grinned. "They're brushing my hair, Mama!"
"Yes, dear." A very uncertain sigh came from her. "Your cousins are really helpful, aren't they?" Wren moved down to one knee, looking at the disaster she would have to work through. "But these brushes are meant for teeth, not for hair. If you want to help out AJ, ask for a hair brush, okay? Human hair this long can get knotted very easily and this?" Oh boy. "This is very knotted."
The turtles' faces dropped immediately as they looked from Wren's head to AJ's head, realizing that there was a very big difference. "Sorry," they all mumbled at varying degrees. Ada seemed to be the most devestated out of the group and Wren put a gentle hand on the girl's head. "Let me work on this and then I can show you how to use a proper brush, Ada. And then maybe I'll show you how to braid, alright? But lunch first."
That was how the brothers found their family in the kitchen. The disaster still in the bathroom brought mild alarm, but Wren hadn't called them so she either hadn't known or didn't think it was that important. The three tots were munching on their sandwiches in near silence while AJ was seated in her mother's lap, wincing ever so slightly as Wren was very slowly and methodically working to untangle her daughter's hair. A small glass of golden liquid sat by her and Wren hummed quietly as she dipped her fingers into the liquid and then spread them into AJ's knotted strands.
"WHOA!" Mikey was the one who stopped dead in his tracks first. "Who got a hold of D's static wand thing?"
The way the tots shrank told them all they needed to know. Leo was the first to ask. "Musashi?"
"They wanted to brush AJ's hair but all they could find were teeth brushes," the turtle let out in a rush, looking up to his parents. Clearly he wasn't the one to blame!
"They?" Donnie turned to look at his twins as Darwin gave his sister a withering look.
"Ada," Darwin muttered sullenly, watching his sister shrink into her shell.
"S-sorry, Daddy," she said softly, soft blue eyes peeking up over her plastron. "But AJ was sad and I wanted to help!"
Wren's face broke for a moment at the admission, her eyes turning worried before the expression was gone. "Can't blame little ones for wanting to help heal." Her eyes flickered up to the men. "It's alright. This just takes time. At least they didn't find the scissors."
Leo smiled softly for Wren's sake before turning to the three kids. "After lunch there's a big mess in the bathroom that needs cleaning. And Musashi should help, too."
"What? Why?" This was when Raphael came out in their little son. Why did he need to be punished when he neither had the idea nor chose to follow through with it?
"Because good, strong leaders will always help others. And you all know the difference between a tooth brush and a hair brush. Did you tell them it was a bad choice to make?"
Luckily for Musashi, his 'Raph' temper was usually mollified by his 'Leo' balance. "No, Father." Just as sullen, but accepting as well.
Donnie and Mike both agreed with the punishment and the taller turtle picked up the little glass, sniffing the contents. "Olive oil?"
Wren nodded a bit, carefully working her fingers through the tangled tresses. "The fats from the olives help keep the damage down. Though once we're done playing with the oil it's bath time so we don't get everything greasy, right?"
"Can 'Sashi and Darwin and Ada come, too?" AJ looked imploringly at her mother, making Wren move her hands with the knot she'd been working on. "Please?"
Wren looked up to the guys. "I have no problem with it."
Raph tskd, rolling his eyes. "You wouldn't."
"Raph. They're kids"
"After the bathroom's cleaned," Leo compromised, placing a hand on Raph's shoulder as the other two brothers nodded in agreement.
Each tot helped 'wash' AJ's hair in apology, making certain it was squeaky clean. Wren herself added a bit of conditioner before the four children were let loose to play in bubbles and water, their shrieks echoing and bouncing off the tiles in the room.. Caution to keep the water in the tub was forgotten frequently and Wren knew she'd be mopping up the mess. As Wren was towelling off each child, Don peeked in on the group, smiling softly at the way Wren took care of each of them as if they were her own and not just mutant turtle cousins. "Light time."
"YES." Ada was most enthusiastic and slipped on a puddle of water trying to reach the lab first. Don had to catch before she landed hard on the floor.
"Light time?" AJ was still working on her shirt and her voice was muffled beneath it.
"Light time is necessary for growing turtles. Especially growing turtles who have played in the water for too long and have gotten chilled." He scooped up Ada first and then Darwin to carry them, nuzzling each of them lightly.
The little girl still looked confused as her mother helped her with her clothes. "Turtles need sunlight to stay healthy. There's no sun down here so they have special lights to help."
A small 'O' formed around AJs mouth and she found her hand in Musashi's as they followed along. Wren made a quick clean up before curiosity hit her and she wanted to see this 'light time' for herself. In passing the main lair, she spotted Raph and Leo. They were both quiet, looking at each other with Raph's hand on the wall by Leo's head. A shiver went down her spine as she smirked, picking up the thought that they were going to start something.
In the lab there was a spot that was blanketed by thick throw rugs and the special lamps were turned on and facing them. Already the twins were cuddled up and yawning as they lay on their plastrons, soaking up the UV. Musashi had tugged AJ into the middle of the pile and tried to snuggle around all of them at the same time. It took the human girl a minute to find a comfortable position amidst shells but she managed just fine. Don watched them tenderly and then turned, taking note at Wren coming in and getting her book by Sean's bed. "I think I'll stay here for a bit," She was all knowing smiles as she took her chair by Sean, stroking his hand lightly before flipping through the pages. "It looked like Leo and Raph were going to get into a heavy debate about something or other."
"What are they fighting about now?" Donnie sighed, shaking his head. "Really, those two--"
Wren couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head. "No, not that kind of debate. The other kind."
It took a moment for Don to catch on. "Oh." Well, it had been a while. And if anything those two were practically nymphomaniacs. With Wren and AJ around they all were a little more subdued in their affections just because of the close quarters.
"Go on, Don. I'm sure Mike's just as lonely." Wren went to her book. "My favorite people are here so it's fine." If being on her own with just her daughter taught her anything it was being with the people you cared about was a precious thing that shouldn't be taken for granted.
12.2
"'Kay, guys, soup's on!"
Silence.
"Kids?" Making certain the burner was off, she wiped her hands on a dish towel and went to investigate where the children went. Wren made a cursory glance into the dojo, not bothering to interrupt and she even peeked into the bathroom, gasping at the disaster she found in there. "What in the world?" The medicine cabinet looked like it had been raided with more than half of the contents strewn about. For a brief moment she worried that Don kept medicines in there and then quickly pushed it aside. He had an entire infirmery. No need for a medicine cabinet to hold the same purpose.
They were up to something. She didn't know quite what as she kept searching the lair. Eventually she located the children in the bedroom, giggling and talking to each other. Turning around the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the rat's nest that had become her daughter's hair and the turtle tots happily 'brushing' it with tooth brushes. The only reason why she didn't blow up was because of the smile on her daughter's face. "It's lunch time, kids."
AJ turned, tooth brushes sticking out of her snarled hair as she grinned. "They're brushing my hair, Mama!"
"Yes, dear." A very uncertain sigh came from her. "Your cousins are really helpful, aren't they?" Wren moved down to one knee, looking at the disaster she would have to work through. "But these brushes are meant for teeth, not for hair. If you want to help out AJ, ask for a hair brush, okay? Human hair this long can get knotted very easily and this?" Oh boy. "This is very knotted."
The turtles' faces dropped immediately as they looked from Wren's head to AJ's head, realizing that there was a very big difference. "Sorry," they all mumbled at varying degrees. Ada seemed to be the most devestated out of the group and Wren put a gentle hand on the girl's head. "Let me work on this and then I can show you how to use a proper brush, Ada. And then maybe I'll show you how to braid, alright? But lunch first."
That was how the brothers found their family in the kitchen. The disaster still in the bathroom brought mild alarm, but Wren hadn't called them so she either hadn't known or didn't think it was that important. The three tots were munching on their sandwiches in near silence while AJ was seated in her mother's lap, wincing ever so slightly as Wren was very slowly and methodically working to untangle her daughter's hair. A small glass of golden liquid sat by her and Wren hummed quietly as she dipped her fingers into the liquid and then spread them into AJ's knotted strands.
"WHOA!" Mikey was the one who stopped dead in his tracks first. "Who got a hold of D's static wand thing?"
The way the tots shrank told them all they needed to know. Leo was the first to ask. "Musashi?"
"They wanted to brush AJ's hair but all they could find were teeth brushes," the turtle let out in a rush, looking up to his parents. Clearly he wasn't the one to blame!
"They?" Donnie turned to look at his twins as Darwin gave his sister a withering look.
"Ada," Darwin muttered sullenly, watching his sister shrink into her shell.
"S-sorry, Daddy," she said softly, soft blue eyes peeking up over her plastron. "But AJ was sad and I wanted to help!"
Wren's face broke for a moment at the admission, her eyes turning worried before the expression was gone. "Can't blame little ones for wanting to help heal." Her eyes flickered up to the men. "It's alright. This just takes time. At least they didn't find the scissors."
Leo smiled softly for Wren's sake before turning to the three kids. "After lunch there's a big mess in the bathroom that needs cleaning. And Musashi should help, too."
"What? Why?" This was when Raphael came out in their little son. Why did he need to be punished when he neither had the idea nor chose to follow through with it?
"Because good, strong leaders will always help others. And you all know the difference between a tooth brush and a hair brush. Did you tell them it was a bad choice to make?"
Luckily for Musashi, his 'Raph' temper was usually mollified by his 'Leo' balance. "No, Father." Just as sullen, but accepting as well.
Donnie and Mike both agreed with the punishment and the taller turtle picked up the little glass, sniffing the contents. "Olive oil?"
Wren nodded a bit, carefully working her fingers through the tangled tresses. "The fats from the olives help keep the damage down. Though once we're done playing with the oil it's bath time so we don't get everything greasy, right?"
"Can 'Sashi and Darwin and Ada come, too?" AJ looked imploringly at her mother, making Wren move her hands with the knot she'd been working on. "Please?"
Wren looked up to the guys. "I have no problem with it."
Raph tskd, rolling his eyes. "You wouldn't."
"Raph. They're kids"
"After the bathroom's cleaned," Leo compromised, placing a hand on Raph's shoulder as the other two brothers nodded in agreement.
Each tot helped 'wash' AJ's hair in apology, making certain it was squeaky clean. Wren herself added a bit of conditioner before the four children were let loose to play in bubbles and water, their shrieks echoing and bouncing off the tiles in the room.. Caution to keep the water in the tub was forgotten frequently and Wren knew she'd be mopping up the mess. As Wren was towelling off each child, Don peeked in on the group, smiling softly at the way Wren took care of each of them as if they were her own and not just mutant turtle cousins. "Light time."
"YES." Ada was most enthusiastic and slipped on a puddle of water trying to reach the lab first. Don had to catch before she landed hard on the floor.
"Light time?" AJ was still working on her shirt and her voice was muffled beneath it.
"Light time is necessary for growing turtles. Especially growing turtles who have played in the water for too long and have gotten chilled." He scooped up Ada first and then Darwin to carry them, nuzzling each of them lightly.
The little girl still looked confused as her mother helped her with her clothes. "Turtles need sunlight to stay healthy. There's no sun down here so they have special lights to help."
A small 'O' formed around AJs mouth and she found her hand in Musashi's as they followed along. Wren made a quick clean up before curiosity hit her and she wanted to see this 'light time' for herself. In passing the main lair, she spotted Raph and Leo. They were both quiet, looking at each other with Raph's hand on the wall by Leo's head. A shiver went down her spine as she smirked, picking up the thought that they were going to start something.
In the lab there was a spot that was blanketed by thick throw rugs and the special lamps were turned on and facing them. Already the twins were cuddled up and yawning as they lay on their plastrons, soaking up the UV. Musashi had tugged AJ into the middle of the pile and tried to snuggle around all of them at the same time. It took the human girl a minute to find a comfortable position amidst shells but she managed just fine. Don watched them tenderly and then turned, taking note at Wren coming in and getting her book by Sean's bed. "I think I'll stay here for a bit," She was all knowing smiles as she took her chair by Sean, stroking his hand lightly before flipping through the pages. "It looked like Leo and Raph were going to get into a heavy debate about something or other."
"What are they fighting about now?" Donnie sighed, shaking his head. "Really, those two--"
Wren couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head. "No, not that kind of debate. The other kind."
It took a moment for Don to catch on. "Oh." Well, it had been a while. And if anything those two were practically nymphomaniacs. With Wren and AJ around they all were a little more subdued in their affections just because of the close quarters.
"Go on, Don. I'm sure Mike's just as lonely." Wren went to her book. "My favorite people are here so it's fine." If being on her own with just her daughter taught her anything it was being with the people you cared about was a precious thing that shouldn't be taken for granted.