As the weeks passed, Yoshi grew stronger. He no longer needed the feeding tube and would stay awake and engaging for longer periods of time. He strong enough to hold up his head, roll over and sit supporting himself with his hands on the ground for a few seconds.
While guilt still had Raph reluctant to put Yoshi down, he was comfortable leaving him in the care of his brothers or father for a while. He needed to get back on a training schedule and rebuild some of his lost muscle mass.
Once he was fully healed from his surgery, Raph started a rigorous training schedule with Splinter. Though he remembered how to fight, his body was unable to perform at the level it once was. So, he pushed himself passed his limits.
He was determined to get back into fighting shape so that he could join his brothers out on patrol again. Staying at home while they were out, was maddening.
It was nearing time for them to leave. Raph had finished training and was showering the sweat from his body when Leo stepped into the shower with him.
“How are you feeling,” Leo asked as he came up behind Raph to softly kiss him on the shoulder.
“Sore,” Raph answered. “And, tired.”
Leo chuckled. “I hope you didn’t tire yourself out too much.” When Raph tensed, Leo rubbed his shoulders. “I’m not implying that I’m here for sex. I’m here to warn you that the kids are wound up right now and it doesn’t look like they will be going to sleep any time soon. You can thank Mikey for that. Do you think you will be able to handle them while we’re out on patrol?”
“Splinter will be there,” Raph said with a shrug. “It’s not like I’ll be alone with them.”
“Okay,” Leo said and reached for the brush to scrub Raph’s shell. “It’s passed their bed time so there’s a good chance that they will be cranky. If you find yourself overwhelmed, there are people here who can help.”
“Cranky?” Raph chuckled. “They must get that from you.” With a hum, Raph leaned against the wall. There was something therapeutic about having his shell scrubbed and it had been too long since he had had a good shell scrubbing.
After a few good passes with the brush, Leo set it aside and began to massage Raph’s arms. His strong hands knew exactly where to press to make the muscles relax.
“Better,” Leo asked once he was done working out one of the tighter knots. “I don’t want you so sore that you can’t pick up Yoshi.”
Raph let out a sigh and nodded. “I’m good.”
“Good,” Leo replied and kissed Raph as he turned off the water. “Now let’s get out so I can go on patrol.”
After toweling off, Leo put on his gear while Raph simply put on his mask. There was no point in Raph putting it all on. It was all still a little loose on him anyway.
Together they walked to their living room where the children were still playing. Mikey was focused on Yoshi, drawing laughter from the baby by kissing his plastron.
“Hi,” Alba squealed, waving at them.
When Mikey noticed Raph and Leo, he lifted Yoshi and carried him toward Raph. Yoshi verbally complained while tapping his fingers together in the sign Donny had taught him for ‘more’.
“Looks like he’s not ready to quit playing,” Raph said as he reached out to take Yoshi.
Mikey chuckled. “He loves to be tickled and I love to hear him laugh.”
As soon as he realized that he was being handed over, Yoshi settled down and held out his hand so that he could be ‘told’ who he was going to. Holding Yoshi with one arm, Raph positioned Yoshi’s hand so that the fingers were open and his thumb was touching his chin.
Donny had taught Yoshi different signs to identify each of them and this one was for Raph. Leo’s was an open hand with the thumb touching the forehead.
Happy that he was in Raph’s arms, Yoshi cooed and placed his head on Raph’s shoulder with his hand on Raph’s neck.
“They are nowhere near ready to go to sleep,” Donny said as he stood. He had been playing with the children on the floor. Seeing that Donny had gotten up, Alba dropped her toys and got up as well.
“Up,” she said as soon as she was in front of Raph, lifting her hands up to him. “Up.”
“They will be in bed by the time you return from patrol,” Splinter stated and then tapped Raph on the shoulder. “Sit in the recliner so you can hold both of them.”
“Good luck,” Donny replied with a smile.
“We’ll see you in a few hours,” Leo said before leaving with Mikey and Don.
“Stay safe,” Splinter said as they left.
Raph got himself settled in the recliner and Splinter placed Alba in his lap. She immediately crawled over and kissed Yoshi’s cheek. “Sweet baby.” She then lifted her head to plant a kiss on Raph’s cheek. “Love you.”
“My sweet girl,” Raph said as he nuzzled her. “I love you.”
A tiny hand on his knee and a soft whimper caused Raph to look down to see Nevio looking up at him with his hands outstretched. “Up,” he demanded around his pacifier.
“You wanna see the baby too,” Raph asked, bending down so Nevio could see Yoshi. “Be careful.”
Nevio shook his head, stomped his feet, and whimpered while he struggled to pull himself up onto Raph’s lap. “Up.”
With a soft chuckle, Splinter assisted Nevio up. “I do not think Yoshi is the reason he wants in your lap.”
To Raph’s surprise, Nevio did not crawl over to look at Yoshi. Instead he curled up on Raph’s left leg and rested his head on Raph’s plastron. As he sucked rhythmically on his pacifier, his eyes started to drift closed.
Raph looked over to see that Alba had curled up against him and was starting to drift off as well. “I thought Donny said that they were nowhere near ready to sleep.”
“It seems as if he had been mistaken,” Splinter replied with a chuckle. “Are you alright?”
Raph through for a moment, worried that Nevio could fall. “Could you recline the chair for me,” he requested. “I think everyone will be okay if I’m leaning back.”
“Of course,” Splinter said and pulled the leaver on the chair.
Now that Raph was leaning back, Nevio was a little more secure on his chest.
Raph had Yoshi up on his left shoulder, Alba tucked under his right arm and Nevio on his left leg and chest. Nevio and Yoshi were already asleep. Savio was still on the floor with the toys but he was looking at them.
Alba shifted and pat Raph’s unoccupied leg. “Savy, suggle.”
Savio looked down at the toys and pushed them around. Then, his tiny mouth opened into a wide yawn. His head and eyes started to droop and he looked back over at Raph.
“Are you sleepy,” Splinter asked him.
“Yeah.” Savio nodded, rubbing his eyes.
“Savy, suggle,” Alba said and pat Raph’s leg again.
Savio thought for a moment and then turned to Splinter and reached his hands out. “Jiji, up.”
“Alright,” Splinter said as he bent down to pick up Savio.
Raph settled back into the recliner. “Put your head back down,” he said to Alba. “Savio’s gonna snuggle with Jiji.”
Alba planted her head on Raph’s shoulder and sighed.
“Since I’m gonna be here a while, would you mind turning on the game?” Raph turned his head to look at Splinter just as he started to set Savio on Raph’s lap. “What are you doing? He’s gonna pitch a fit and wake the others.”
“He wants to be here,” Splinter said. “As soon as I picked him up he pointed at you.”
“He doesn’t like me,” Raph stated.
“I think his brother and sister have helped him to see that he was been wrong,” Splinter said with a smile.
Savio snuggled against Raph’s leg with his head on his stomach and was almost immediately asleep. Splinter carefully removed the pacifier from Nevio’s mouth before turning the television on.
Raph looked down at his children and smiled. Having them snuggled up against him made not being able to go out on patrol a little more bearable.
…..
After patrol, Leo and his brothers took a quick shower to wash the grime from their bodies before bed. As soon as they were done, they toweled off and headed out in search for their family.
First, they checked the nursery. Seeing that it was empty they headed to the living room. There they saw Raph sleeping in the recliner with all for children piled on top of him. Splinter was sitting in a nearby chair with his finger to his lips. “Don’t wake them,” he whispered.
“Did they fall asleep like this,” Leo asked.
Splinter nodded his head.
Leo lifted an eye ridge. “Even Savio? You didn’t place him there after he had fallen asleep?”
“Even Savio,” Splinter said with a smile. “It looks like he is finally coming around. I could have moved the children to their beds a while ago but I could not bring myself to separate them.”
“I need a picture,” Mikey said, pulling his shell cell out of his belt. “This is too cute.”
“It is,” Leo agreed, glad to see Raph and their children were bonding.
