Our Daddy

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT (sadly)
Summary: One turtle tot has a question for his "daddy" (based on 2012 turtles)
Note: For the fanfic contest on TurtleTot-Literature (1,073 words)


Yoshi sat in his room savouring the quiet time while it lasted. With four young turtles to care for these moments of peace and serenity were rare and cherished. Not that he would change the circumstances he now found himself in. Despite the hardships, the physical mutation and the sense of overwhelming responsibility Yoshi found himself strangely contented with his life.

Thinking of his four young sons brought a smile to his furred face. It had been almost two years since the blessed day he and his young turtle tots had been exposed to the mutagen which had transformed him into a giant rat and given his sons human DNA.

Now his son’s minds were the equivalent of four/five year old humans though their bodies were still small.  They were a handful, with energy levels off the scale with a never ending thirst for new and exciting things.

His mind was pulled abruptly from his reminiscing when his sharp hearing picked up the sound of tiny footfalls on the concrete of their home. It took only a few seconds more to identify the gait as belonging to his most curious son Donatello. He waited for the light knock on the wood paneling that surrounded his paper doors before acknowledging.

“Come in Donatello,” he instructed calmly.

The door slid open and the hazel eyes peeked inside searching out his father. The small turtle slipped into the room sliding the door shut behind him, standing by it he fidgeted silently.

“What is it my son?” Yoshi asked calmly from his cross legged position.

“I can’t sleep,” Donatello explained.

“Come,” Splinter motioned for his child to join him.

With a big smile the young turtle rushed forward and jumped onto Yoshi’s lap, his face nuzzling into the warm cloth of his father’s kimono. Resting a calming hand upon his olive green skinned son, Yoshi allowed him to talk about his problem at his own leisure. However the youngster seemed quite contented to simply breathe in the calming scent of his father and be pressed against the large furred body.

With one hand on Donatello’s shell, his other rested upon his own knee. Donnie leant forward picking up the five fingered limb and bringing it close to his plastron. Yoshi watched as his son examined his hand turning it this way and that, then over.

Concentrating on the fingers he bent each one at the knuckle watching as they uncurled upon releasing his grip. Eventually the olive green hand came to rest upon his fathers. The three fingered limb pressed palm to palm with Yoshi’s, the differences in shape, size, texture and tone all standing out sharply.

“Are you really our daddy?” Donnie sighed deeply looking up at his father with wide curious yet sorrowful eyes.

“What makes you ask that my son?” Yoshi asked trying not to jump to conclusion and feel hurt at his sons’ question.

“We’re not the same,” Donnie explained simply.

“We were watching Sesame Street and it was the letter D and they said it stood for daddies. Baby bear and Curly bear were there and they looked like their daddy and mummy and The Twiddlebugs look like their mummy and daddy too. But we don’t look like you, so are you still our daddy?”

“I see my son,” Yoshi smiled down to his young child.

Donnie met his father’s gaze again, waiting patiently for an explanation.

“There is more to being a daddy then whether you look like each other. Being a daddy is a big responsibility that not all men have in them to take on. Most daddies will look like their sons or daughters but sometimes a daddy can be somebody who cares for you and loves you unconditionally,” Yoshi tried to explain.

“What’s that mean?” Donnie asked.

“Unconditional love?” Yoshi confirmed.

Donnie nodded briefly.

“Let me think how to explain this best. Imagine you had a new toy, the remote control car you saw on TV the other day perhaps, you would like it yes?”

“Yes!”  Donnie replied excitedly.

“Imagine now that one of your brothers borrowed your toy and while playing with it broke it.”

“That’s not fair it’s my toy, Mikey would do that!” Donnie huffed.

“You feel angry at your brother yes?”

Donnie pouted and nodded his head.

“Do you stay mad at your brothers?”

Donnie frowned as he thought of his father’s question, they had all at some point broken something that their brothers really liked but the anger had been brief and fleeting.

“No I don’t,” Donnie confessed.

“Why not?” Yoshi asked

“Because they are my brothers,” Donnie answered simply.

“That is unconditional love.”

“Oh!” Donnie nodded in understanding. “Daddies have that too, even daddies who don’t look like their sons?”

“Yes my child. A daddy is a person who cares for you, loves you, protects you and nurtures you. A daddy always looks for what is best for his children and right now my son what is best for you is to be in bed with your brothers sleeping.”

“Don’t want to! Not sleepy,” Donnie declared rather loudly and crossing him arms across his plastron.

Yoshi chuckled and picked up his protesting son. His smile spread even further as he heard the patter of feet as his three other sons scrambled to get back to bed before he exited the room. It had not surprised him when his hearing had picked up their footfalls once Donatello had been invited into his father’s room.

He would not reprimand them for something that had obviously preyed on their young minds. Taking his time to get to the room where the boys nested, he saw that they had settled themselves once more.

Entering he placed Donatello down on the shared nest waiting for the child to make himself comfortable amongst his brothers. Yoshi pulled the blanket up around his son and then went to each of them individually making sure they were adequately covered before kissing them on the forehead.

“Goodnight my sons,” he said quietly switching off the light and pulling the door closed.

Pausing outside he waited a few moments before he heard Donnie speak out.

“He’s our daddy,” the young tot whispered loudly.

“Good,” Mikey sighed with relief.

“Told you!” Raph sounded smug.

“Shut up Raph,” Leo sounded as if he was pouting.

Yoshi smiled and walked away, thanking the stars that there was more to being a father then simply genetics.

END