Letter's Home (Sequel to Grace's Path)

Chapter 3: Christmas without them

“My dear students,” Splinter spoke up and the girls, now mothers, stopped what they were doing with this child and watched as Splinter moved around the room.

He gave Grace a small box wrapped in red, Sophie was given a blue wrapped rectangle, while Rosie received a purple coloured cube and Haidley received an orange coloured one. Splinter nodded and everyone watched as Grace ripped the red wrapping paper off to reveal a cardboard box no bigger than the pale of her hand. She lifted the lid and her hand shot to her mouth. Raph had given her a necklace with the infinity symbol as the charm.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered and April helped her to clip it around her neck.

Sophie looked at hers and slowly opened it, a photo frame.

“I have the perfect photo,” she smiled and Grace grinned, hugging her friend and team mate.

They looked over to see Rosie was given a camera roll beside a USB and in her hands was a note.

“What does it say, Rosie?” Grace asked and Rosie smiled.

“It’s the photos Don has been taking,” she answered and left to get her laptop.

Haidley was still yet to open hers and she did so with shaking fingers. Before she could look at the gift, June screeched causing her mother to place the gift on the sofa and the pink haired mum picked up her crying baby.

“Haidley give her to me and finish opening Mikey’s gift,” April spoke up and the younger girl handed the older woman her child.

April bounced the crying baby gently on her hip, the crying dying down slightly. The other babies, Alex, Danny and Felicia, watched on, Alex flashing a gummy grin. Haidley chuckled slightly at the sight and grabbed her gift, opening the lid of the box and pulling out a glass ornament, with pandas painted on.

“I love it,” she smiled and the girls smiled at each, as Rosie walked back in, her laptop in her hands.

“Look at these,” she said and turned the skin around to show the others some of the incredible shots Donnie has captured. “I wish I was there right now.”

“We all do,” April smiled, handing June back to her mother.

“What did you get Sensei?” Sophie asked and Splinter smiled.

“I don’t need anything expect for my students and their children to be happy,” he answered and walked away, heading towards the kitchen to make some tea.

Danny watched as Sophie made her way into the kitchen, tears slowly filling the baby’s bright blue eyes. Sophie grabbed a bottle of warm milk and handed it to Casey.

“Can you feed Danny please?” she asked and Casey nodded, making his way over to the living room, trying to remember which baby was which before asking Grace awkwardly.

Sophie leant against the counter and sighed. The wise rat was still making his tea when he heard the noise emit from Sophie’s lips.

“What is wrong my dear?” he asked and Sophie looked at her father-in-law.

“I’m worried, Sensei,” she said and Splinter tilted his head. “I’m worried that something will happen to the boys. What if they don’t come back? Or what if something happens to us?”

“I’m sure the Masters will make sure my sons are safe,” Splinter said, “I have no reason to doubt them.”

Sophie nodded and wandered back into the living room, thoughts swimming through her head. Grace looked up and noticed her friends’ sudden sadness.

“Again, Alex?” Grace yawned, rubbing her eyes as she wandered over to her baby’s crib.

She picked up the crying baby and held the bundle close to her before lying down on the bed again and let her baby lie next to her, praying the cries didn’t wake anyone else up. Across the hallway, Felicia started wailing, her mother grumbling over to her. Rosie picked up the bright eyed baby and rubbed her back, trying to calm her down from, what she hopes, was just a bad dream.

“Rosie?”

“Come in.”

Grace walked in with Alex in her arms, the tiny three month old about to fall back to sleep and the two women looked at each other before going to Grace’s room to lie on her big double bed. The moment the mothers put their child down, both babies fell asleep.

“Do you mind if I stay her?” Rosie asked and Grace smiled softly, nodding.

Both laid down and watched as their own child slept soundlessly before they too fell back to sleep. What they weren’t aware of, was Master Splinter watching them, making sure they were okay.

“My sons, whatever happens,” he whispered, “come home soon.”

“It’s been almost a year,” Sophie said and watched on as her one year old drew on a piece of paper in blue crayon.

“I’m worried,” Rosie said, helping her baby stand up, getting use to her little legs.

“Girls, mail,” April called as she made her way through the big doors back in the lair in New York.

Whatever Master Splinter was told over a year ago, the threat had passed and now the family were safely back at him.

April handed out the letters but one didn’t receive a letter.

“Where’s my letter?”

“Oh no.”