Because I Can

Pieces Of Turtle Stories - Baby Genius

~ Clips of scenes of the baby Donnie story that I may or may not create one day ~

"So what are we supposed to do with him until this wears off and he's big again?" Raph demanded as he side-eyed the small form in Leo's arms, round brown eyes peering back at him innocently as Donnie chewed on the blue mask tails in his reach.

He was met with silence and then he squinted at the leader who had yet to take his eyes off their current baby-brother, the hothead tapping a foot impatiently. "Hello? Earth to fearless? Hello?"

Leo blinked twice and glanced up as though dimly aware he was being spoken to. "Huh?"

"Dude. You good?" Mikey questioned as Leo glanced between them blankly. The eldest turned back to the turt in his arms and Donnie cocked his head, as though equally concerned about Leo's sudden loss of brain cells. "Yeah... Yeah, I'm- he's so small!"

Mikey and Raph exchanged an uncertain look. "Yeah, dude. Babies are small."

"Yeah, I mean, I know, but..." Donnie squirmed in his cradled hold and Leo hurried to adjust him into a new position. "I mean, look at him."

Finally satisfied with this new placement with his head tucked against Leo's chest, Donnie. yawned softly, revealing a familiar gap in a smaller mouth, and then snuggled closer to the leader, sleepy eyes flickering shut.

All hearts in the room melted, though one of the hearts would never admit anything of the sort. As if he'd been speaking all that time, Leo turned back towards them with a hesitant expression as he seemed to finish. "....You know?"

"Yeah." Mikey agreed as he walked over and patted Donnie's plastron. "But if Splinter thinks we can take care of him, then I'm sure he'll be fine." He shot the hothead a sly grin. "Imagine if it was Raph."

If Raph heard him, he didn't offer a reply, his absent gaze locked on the tiny form of their genius brother, as though suddenly processing Leo's point. There was a soft worry visible, but no one acknowledged it as Leo carefully rocked the seemingly fragile form in his arms, a peaceful silence spreading as they all debated what exactly came next.

"Aw, he's adorable!" April cooed as she approached the leader, reaching out in an unmistakable gesture. "You don't mind if I-"

"-Aaauuuhhh, noo, nooo, that's- no." Leo argued as he protectively cradled the turt to his chest. Donnie was oblivious to what was going on around him as he tired to cram the block Mikey had given him into his mouth, lacking any interest in anything other then his task. 

April frowned in confusion. "How come?"

"You've never held a baby." Leo stated, somewhat outwardly calm yet obviously on edge.

"For your information, I have." April argued with obvious offense. "Besides, you've probably never held a baby before now. I'm sure I can manage."

April moved forward as if to forcefully take the young turtle from his arms and Leo let out a deep, dark hiss, clutching Donnie closer and moving back from her, the red-haired teen backing up in surprise. 

Blue eyes narrowed with suspicion, he snapped, "I said no."

"Right, right, sorry." April said, throwing up both arms as if in surrender. Leo warily took his eyes off April to glance at Donnie when he whimpered softly, the turt glancing between them uncertainly, clearly spooked by the hiss.

Cooing to him softly to calm him down, Leo began to walk out of the main room and to his bedroom, leaving a startled April awkwardly standing next to the couch. She was still there when Raph and Mikey came back with the warm milk that she had brought, confused about where the eldest had gone.