Little Raphael

Chapter 2

As Raph walked through the sewers, he held his daughter close to his plastron.  He hoped his body heat, even though he was cold-blooded , would be enough until they got back to the lair.  "We're almost there Selena.  Just a few more minutes," As soon as he said that, Selena started to cry.  Raph sighed.  He couldn't bring her into the lair crying.  It would wake everyone up, and Raph knew that would not be the best way to introduce the newest member of the family.

She let out another cry.  Raph was starting to get panicky.  He knew she was cold and most likely hungry, but he didn't know what to do about it.  He just held her close and bounced her gently, trying to soothe her enough to calm down.  Raph let out a sigh as he continued to bounce his new daughter.  He was tired and cold, but he knew he needed to tend to his daughter first.  He couldn't help but think he deserved this and that it was what he signed up for.  The long nights had already started.  

Raph felt like he stood there bouncing Selena for hours.  Every time he felt like she was starting to calm down, she would start back up again, until finally she had tired herself out, sleeping in the blankets.  Raph let out a slight sigh, relieved he would not have to stand outside the lair all night.  

The red-clad turtle slowly made his way through the lair.  It was dark and quiet, signaling everyone was asleep still, just like they were when he had left.  Raph let out a slight sigh of relief as he then went to the couch and sat down.  Selena was still asleep, and it was much warmer in the lair, so Raph wasn't worried about her being as cold anymore.  

Raph sighed as he pulled his T-phone out of his belt.  The screen showed that it was 3:16 in the morning.  Raph knew everyone would be starting to get up in three hours, but that meant he had three hours to figure out what he was going to say to everyone, including Master Splinter.  

He sat there thinking of how he would explain everything, but his eyelids started to get heavy.  Before long, even Raphael couldn't fight the sleep away. His head leaned back on the sofa.  He hadn't been asleep long when a voice woke him up. 

"Raph!"  The turtle startled awake with a jolt, awaking his daughter who started crying too.  He looked and saw Mikey, standing wide-eyed in front of him.  "What the heck?" 

Raph stood up as he tried to stay calm.  "Mikey, shut up.  You're going to wake everyone!" 

"You have a baby with you!" The youngest of the four brothers screamed.  

"What's going on?" Haley said as she walked down the stairs to the main living room area.  She yawned and rubbed her eyes.  

Leonardo, her boyfriend, tied his mask on as he followed behind her.  Donnie emerged from his lab where he had fallen asleep.  Splinter walked through the dojo doors.  

Leonardo walked past everyone.  "Why do you have a baby, Raph?  What did you do?" 

"I didn't do anything!" Raph screamed back.  This only made Selena cry more.  

Splinter glared at him.  "Then explain why you have a human child, Raphael," He crossed his arms across his chest. 

Raph gulped.  "I... she's... she's my daughter, Master Splinter." 

"What?!" Haley, Donnie, and Leo all said at once.  Mikey was still too stunned to speak.  

Raph started to panic again and started spilling everything.  "When I was out on patrol by myself to blow off steam I saved a girl from getting mugged by Purple Dragons.  She took me back to her apartment and we became friends and after a few weeks we started a relationship and then she got pregnant even though we were careful and she wanted to get rid of the baby.  I agreed at first but I couldn't do it and she didn't want the baby so I said I would take her in without thinking about it and now she's here and I don't know what to do."

Splinter sighed and closed his eyes.  "My son, your heart was in the right place, but you did not think this through.  A baby is a lot of work and responsibility.  It is harder than fighting the Kraang or the Shredder.  It will drain you physically and mentally if you let it."

Raph nodded as Selena still cried.  "I know, Sensei.  But, I was the one who was irresponsible.  It is not her fault she is here, and I need to face the consequences of my actions, and fulfill what I said I would do."

Splinter nodded.  "Very well, my son," He looked down at the bundle in his arms.  "May I hold her?"  

Raph looked up at his father, slightly stunned and pleasantly surprised.  "Yes, Sensei," He said as he extended his arms out towards the elderly mutant rat.  

Splinter gently took his new and first granddaughter into his arms.  He smiled as he looked at her.  "What is her name, my son?" 

"I was thinking about Selena as a first name," Raph smiled.  "And I'm still trying to decide on something for a middle name." 

Splinter nodded.  "She is very small.  We must get supplies for her." 

"I can find somewhere that is open, Splinter," Haley said from the side.  "There is probably a convenient store somewhere that has something for us to use until everything else is open." 

"Very well," Splinter said with a nod.  "Leonardo, go with her.  We need formula, bottles, diapers, wipes, baby soap, rash cream, and new born clothes if you can find some at this hour."

Leo nodded.  "Understood, Sensei.  We'll be back as soon as we can," He said as he turned with Haley to go towards the Shell-Razor. 

Donnie then walked up to his new niece.  "I'll look her over, just to make sure nothing is wrong with her, at the very least we need to get her in some cleaner blankets.  Her immune system is still weak, and these blankets don't look like they have been washed in a while." 

Raph nodded.  "She was born a few weeks before the due date, and she was born in the apartment.  We weren't sure how she would turn out, so I told her we couldn't go to the hospital for anything." 

Donatello nodded.  "Makes sense.  Let's take her to my lab.  I should be done by the time Haley and Leo get back with the supplies." 

"What can I do?" Mikey piped in. 

"Michelangelo, I need you to go prepare a place for Selena to sleep in Raph's room for the time being," Splinter instructed.  "It will have to work until we can find or buy a crib for her." 

Raph then looked at his younger brother. "I'll sleep in my hammock until then.  Use my bed to make sure its comfortable enough and no way she can roll off of it-"

"She's not able to roll yet, Raph," Donnie piped in.  "She's just a few hours old.  That won't start happening until she gets more strength at-"

"Just as a precaution," Raph interrupted his brother.  He then turned back to Mikey.  "Make sure everything is clean. Change all the bedding, find clean blankets, and anything that may be around her." 

Mikey nodded.  "You got it, bro.  Uncle Mikey is on the job!" 

Raph nodded silently.  He thought about what Donnie had been saying.  How was he supposed to know that his daughter was not able to roll over yet?  The only baby he had ever been around was April and Casey's new son, and that wasn't for long periods of time.  And every time Casey started talking about parenthood when their new son was on the way, he would just nod it off.  Now that their son, K. C. was here, Casey and April didn't have as much time to come around the lair.  

He wished he had done more research before she had come around, but every time he thought about it, he would get angry.  Now that she was here, though, he didn't feel the anger he thought he would.  Just overwhelming fear, and overwhelming love and memorization.