Baby Raphie

Part 7

When Leo woke up, he felt well rested but groggy. He got up and saw Raph wasn't in his crib like he was supposed to be. Leo ran out of his room and to the pit and saw Casey asleep with Raph cuddled in his lap and April next to them. He sighed in relief and went to check on Mikey and Donnie. He opened Mikey's door and he was asleep, snoring loudly like Raph usually would. Leo frowned at the remembrance of his direct younger brothers former age and of their current situation. Leo shut Mikey's door and went to Donnie's room to check on him. Leo opened the door and of course, Donnie wasn't in there. Leo walked to the living room, to get to the lab, and he heard a small crying noise and a tug on his leg. He looked down and Raph was, standing, holding on to Leo's leg and softly crying with tears in his eyes.

"Raph, are you ok ?" (Leo)

Leo knew Raph wouldn't answer but he leaned over and picked the baby up and held him and Raph stopped crying.

"You must be hungry. I'll find something for you as soon as we check on Donnie." (Leo)

Leo grips Raph in his arms and walks into the lab to see all the lights on, and Donnie asleep on his computer keyboard.

The two walked over to Donnie and Leo gently shook him awake.

"I'm almost done...I'll stop in a minute Leo..." (Donnie)

Donnie mumbled not knowing what time it was. His head laying on his keyboard and his eyes still shut.

"Donnie, it's 8am, did you sleep at all last night ?" (Leo)

"Yeah yeah, I've been asleep for two hours now." Donnie said and yawned still not moving.

"Donnie, go to bed bro." (Leo)

"No, no, I'm fine Leo. Really." (Donnie)

Leo set baby Raph down at Donnie and his feet and Raph climbed up Donnie's leg and sat in his lap and looked up at him. Donnie sat up sluggishly and smiled at the baby that was smiling at him. Raph stopped smiling and pulled Donnie's hand towards Leo's that was on his shoulder.

Leo and Donnie took that as a sign.

"I think Raph's trying to tell you something Donnie." (Leo)

"Yeah yeah Raph I hear you loud and clear. But I'm not *yawn* tired." (Donnie)

Leo glared at Donnie's pathetic attempt to hide his sleepiness from him and rubbed his shell and Raph cozied on his legs and Donnie picked him up and held him in his arms and Raph snuggled to his plastron with a sly look on his face and Leo laughed as Donnie, not knowingly, nodded off.

"Donatello, you just got tricked by a baby. Now go to bed." (Leo)

"I'm awake." (Donnie)

"Donatello, your eyes are closed." (Leo)

"I'm not asleep." (Donnie)

Leo nudged Donnie and he almost fell out of the seat.

Raph sat up and looked at Donnie with a warm smile.

"D goo sweepy." (Raph)

Leo and Donnie looked at Raph unbelievably. They didn't know he could speak sentences, or what they made out to be a sentence, they only thought he could say one word.

They watched Raph put his hands on Donnie's face and touched his forehead with his own.

"D...goo sweepy." (Raph)

Raph said it again and Leo and Donnie didn't know what to say.

"I think he wants you to go bed Donnie." (Leo)

Leo smiled at his 'baby' brother and Raph let go of Donnie after he agreed to go to bed. Leo picked Raph up and helped Donnie up and together the three of them walked to Donnie's room.

Donnie got in bed and Raph yawned too.

"He looks tired." (Donnie)

Leo looked down at Raph and he was just about asleep in his arms curled up, snuggling Leo's arm and plastron.

"Yeah, he usually sleeps in till around nine or so. And as a baby he needs twice as much sleep. As do you right now." (Leo)

Leo takes the blanket off Donnie's side and tucks Raph into Donnie's arms and watches as his two little brothers fall asleep in each others arms smiling warmly.

Leo walked out of the bedroom and shut the door and went to the living room and April and Casey were looking frantically for something.

"April, Casey chill ! I have Raph. He's asleep with Donnie. Donnie didn't sleep at all last night." (Leo)

"Phew" (Casey)

"You scared the heck out of me Leo !!" (April)

April walked over to Leo and smacked his arm in a playful/get-her-point-across way.

Casey, April and Leo watched tv till April realized something.

"Wait ! We have school today !" (April)

"That's a shame." (Casey)

Casey leans back onto the back of the pit area's 'couch' and props his hands and feet up preparing to stay a while.

"We have to go Casey ! It's only 8:30. We've only missed half of first period and we can still make it if we can..." (April)

Casey cut her off with a smirk.

"Red, it's one day of school. And I'm not going nowhere anytime soon." (Casey)

April rolls her eyes and leaves the lair.

"Fine be that way !" (Casey)

Leo laughed at April's persistence at being a perfect student, and Casey's persistence at being stubborn.

"So why didn't Donnie sleep ?" (Casey)

"He's trying to find a cure for Raph."

"He should work that hard. I know he wants to help Raph but..." (April)

"Yeah but you know Donnie and his determination to do things. It's something you learn to deal with. Whenever any of us get up in the morning we go straight to his lab to see if he's gone to bed. Usually he hasn't and we have to force him there." (Leo)

Then baby Raph started crying and Leo sighed and stood up.

April stood up and pushed his plastron back down.

"I'll get him. You relax for a minute." (April)

"Thanks April." (Leo)