Daddy's Little Girl

2

        I awake first to lights, then a baby's cry, then the faces of all my brothers.
"DONNIE! What the heck is this?!" Raph yells, holding Michiko about two inches from my face. I shoot up and take the baby, holding her close to me so she doesn't scream.
"It's a baby I found." I say, rocking Michiko as she continues to cry.
"What do you mean 'found'?" Leo asks, making air quotes on the word found.
Mikey hops in front of Leo and Raph to look at Michiko.
"Awww. I think it's kinda cute." he says.
"Shut up Mikey. No one asked you." barks Raph.
"I mean I found her." I say.
"WHERE?!?" Leo and Raph yell at the same time.
Michiko starts to cry again. I rock her a little until she stops.
"Can you guys not be so loud?" I snap. I sigh.
"When you guys went to sleep, I was still up, so I decided to go skateboarding. I went to that really old alleyway where I usually go and there were a lot of dumpsters, so I made a little obstacle course. I lost my thoughts and crashed into one. I heard some crying and I was curious, so I scoped it out. It was coming from the dumpster I just hit. I opened it up and the baby was inside. No note. No mother. Just her." I say.
Raph and Leo just sigh. They apparently aren't too happy. Mikey on the other hand is beaming with joy.
"Dudes, this is awesome! We should totally name her." he say taking Michiko from me and rocking her, a little too fast.
"I'm going to name her Janet. She looks like a Janet." he says. I get protective all of a sudden and take the baby from him.
"We're not naming it." says Leo.
"Actually, her name is Michiko." I say, getting out of bed, carrying the baby with me.
"Oh, great." groans Raph.
"What?" asks Leo.
"He named it. He can't name it. Once you name it, you start getting attached to it!" say Raph, throwing his hands up in the air.
"We have a little sister!" says Mikey, taking the baby out of my arms and running towards the dojo.
"Be careful!!!" I yell, running after him.
"Not Splinter!" yells Leo and Raph, chasing after us.
Mikey bursts through the door as Splinter is in the middle of his morning meditation.
"Sensei! Look what Donnie found!" Mikey says, holding Michiko up by the armpits.
I run over and grab the baby, holding her to my chest.
Splinter is facing away from the door, thankfully.
He groans.
"Michelangelo? What is it?" he says, standing up and turning towards us.
His jaw drops at the sight of the child in my arms.
"Is that a-"
"Yes, Sensei. It's a baby." I say.
"Why do you have a baby?!?" he practically yells.
I've never seen Sensei so upset...
"He found it abandoned in a dumpster." says Raph, crossing his arms.
"Donnetello, is this true?" he asks.
"Yes, Sensei. She was abandoned and there was no note or mother to be seen."
"She? It is a girl." Splinter says, smiling just a little.
"Yes. I call her Michiko."
Splinter walks over to me and takes the baby from me, holding it in his arms.
"Michiko. Beautiful and wise child." he says, almost to himself.
"She looks almost like Miwa."
He bounces the baby a little and she laughs. He smiles to himself and hands the baby over to me.
"Donnetello. You may keep the child. But under one condition, you will be her Sensei. You will be responsible for everything she does." I smile a little.
"What's that supposed to mean?" snorts Raph.
I turn around and smile almost as big as I can.
"I-It means I'm a....Father."
My brothers' jaws drop, as does mine.
I turn around and bow to Splinter.
"Thank you Sensei." I say, still holding the baby. She looks at Splinter and smiles almost as wide as she can.
"You are welcome, my son." he says. I run out of the dojo with my brothers close on my heels. I see April is already here this morning.
"Hey guys-"
"April! We got a sister!" yells Mikey.
April stops in her tracks and looks at Michiko in my arms.
"Mikey, she's not your sister. She's your niece. You're an uncle." I say to Mikey.
"Why do you have a baby?" April asks.
"Long story, but I found her in a dumpster last night."
April walks over to me and takes the baby, holding it gently in her arms.
"What's her name?"
"Michiko. It means beautiful and wise child in Japan."
I've got to admit. I've always had a major crush on April. She is really motherly towards little Michiko.
Motherly. Mother. Wait a second.....
"Yeah. Splinter said that I could be keep her just as long as I take full responsibility. So I'm kinda like her dad." I say, hoping April catches on.
"You're going to take care of her? That's so sweet. She needs a woman in her life, though." April says, still cradelling the baby in her arms.
"Yeah I was thinking-" I begin, but April cuts me off.
"I'll be her nanny and you can be the father. I'm here enough anyway." she says, handing the baby back to me.
"Yeah. Nanny. That's what I was thinking too." I say, a little depressed, but I hide it well.
"So, what kind of supplies do you have?"
"Well, um. Nothing." I say, looking at the baby who is now hungry and has a dirty diaper.
"Well, let's make a list and I'll go to the store." she says. I carry the baby to my lab, with April following me. I dig out a piece of paper and a pencil and we sit down so we can discuss what we need. April sits across from me and I bounce the baby on my knee as I write.
"Okay. You're gonna need a passifire, and definately a few bottles. A few jars of baby food, probably around ten, just to get her used to the food." April starts, me writing down the items as she speaks.
"And some baby formula. A baby can't have cow's milk, you know."
I drop the pencil.
"Really? Oh no."
"What?"
"I gave her cow's milk last night!"
"Well, she obviously is fine, but don't do that ever again."
"Okay." I say and April begins to rant off more things.
"A few toys like foam balls, a rattle, maybe a stuffed animal for security. And some clothes, a few one pieces. Baby wipes and about five boxes of diapers. Baby wash, definately. Baby lotion and maybe baby oil. Bibs and a high chair. And that should be it, for now."
I finish the list and hand it to April along with fifty dollars.
"Don't go all out." I say.
"I wont, D." she says and leaves the lair to buy the supplies.
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