Hey, look who it is! (Me, in case you didn't know…). It's been a big couple of months since I last updated. Found out my right hip is about 3 cm taller than my left, and I've torn my left hip abductors. Ouch.

Disclaimer: I still don't own them.

Chapter 1: The World I Grew Up In

"Daddy?"

Leo leaned up onto one elbow, looking over his book. He had heard Alexander walking down the hall, and wasn't surprised to hear the knock and call. "Come in," he invited, putting the book on his nightstand.

"Tuck you in," Alexander said as he came through the door. As Don had predicted, the pale turtle was speaking already. It had just barely been a month since Kiziah's hatching. Kiziah was still silent, though she enjoyed squeaking when someone tickled her.

"Aren't I supposed to tuck you in?" Leo asked as Alexander waddled over to his bed. "Seems to me I did that." The youngest turtle was still walking on all fours, and showed no inclination to walk on two legs like his sister was starting to do.

"Got out." Alexander had an uncanny ability to get out of his crib, even after Don had modified the locks and put a roof on it. "Sleepy time," he ordered, pushing himself up on the side of Leo's bed to push the blankets under his father's side.

Leo reached out and gently scooped up his son, tickling his plastron and being careful of his wings. Don had warned them that Alexander's wing bones were hollow, like Leo's, but much more fragile than his father's. Alexander giggled happily and then tried to make a serious face. "Sleepy time now!"

"But I don't want to go to bed," Leo said, pouting at his son.

"Bed, Daddy!" Alexander didn't speak a word unless he knew how to pronounce it – which was why he tried to avoid "th" words.

"Alright, but you need to get back to bed first." Leo stood up and headed for the door.

"Promise?"

"I promise I'll go to bed right after putting you to bed," Leo said solemnly. He had been about to when Alexander went on a night walk. The baby did it often enough – at least three or four times a week. Lil' Sis had taken to sleeping in the nursery to watch him, and summoned one of the brothers if he started moving around too much. She must have taken the night off to sleep in the hay of her room, Leo guessed.

Without turning on any lights, Leo made his way to Alexander's crib and tucked the child in before locking the top down. He noticed that one of the bars was slightly askew and pushed it back into place.

Closing the door softly behind him, Leo started back to his room. He glanced in on Mike, who was sleeping in a tangle of bed sheets, stuffed toys, pillows, and comic books. It was hard to tell where the turtle began and ended. The eldest chuckled softly and gently covered a foot peeking from under the covers.

Next, he stopped in on Don, who was actually asleep. The braniac had spent a lot of time recently looking up home school materials. April had let him use her mailing address, and he was nearly ready to start lessons.

Leo peeked in on Raph and found Lil' Sis snoring contently next to Raph's hammock. The red-banded turtle had one hand flung off the hammock, and the mare's nose just about touched it as her neck sloped gracefully. Her ears flicked and she lifted her head to look at Leo, whickering a soft welcome. He smiled and closed the door softly.

Leo finally made it back to his room and lay down again, turning off the light and lying on his plastron. It was the only comfortable way to sleep, with his wings and tail, though he didn't like constricting his breathing.

The eldest closed his eyes and shuffled his wings into a comfortable position. His tail felt cold against his calf as he drifted off into sleep.

As usual, Leo found himself awake well before the others. He yawned and stretched, rolling to his feet gracefully. Rubbing his eye a little, Leo found his way to the bathroom blind. He heard someone moving around in the kitchen and figured Master Splinter hadn't been able to sleep. The aging rat had been having sleeping problems. Don said it was probably normal; he had read that older humans had problems sleeping as well. Master Splinter took a hot bath every night, and drank hot tea with a small amount of sleeping powder Don made for him.

Once done in the bathroom, Leo checked on the babies. Both were still asleep, so he left them to snooze and headed for the kitchen. Inside, Master Splinter was waiting for water to boil.

"Good morning, Master," Leo said courteously, half-bowing.

"Good morning, my son," Master Splinter answered, smiling softly. "Will you join me for tea?"

"Yes, please." Leo and Master Splinter had taken to having their cup of tea together in the morning before everyone else got up, so they could talk, or meditate, or just sit and think in a calm silence that Leo's brothers – and especially the babies – rarely could maintain.

Their peaceful sipping was interrupted by a wail. Leo recognized the tone; it was Kiziah, and she wanted out of her crib. Though she didn't speak, she knew how to make her needs known. Alexander's voice joined her a split second later.

"I had better get them," Leo said, thanking Master Splinter for the tea and hurrying into the nursery. Alexander was half-way out of his crib, and Kiziah was watching him with big eyes. Leo untangled his son and scooped up his daughter. They went to the kitchen for their morning feed.

Mikey came down half-way through Alexander's second bottle and accepted the pale baby from Leo to finish feeding. Kiziah drank one bottle and burped on Leo. Alexander tucked away three before refusing a fourth and burping on Mikey's lap. The two adults took the babies to the bathroom to change them and sponge the spit off their plastrons.

"Good morning Mikey," Leo finally greeted. Mikey grinned and nodded in reciprocation. "Are the others up?" The youngest adult shook his head. "Alright. We'll play with these two until they wake up."

Alexander laughed as Mikey tickled him. "Tag!" he insisted. Mikey shook his head.

"You cheat," Leo told Alexander, chuckling.

"Nuh uh!"

"Poor Mikey can't fly," Leo reminded his son.

"Why?"

"He doesn't have wings." Mikey finished putting on Alexander's diaper and the baby stared at his caretaker as if seeing him for the first time.

"Why?"

Mikey chuckled in his chest as Leo answered. "He doesn't have bat genes like you and I do."

Alexander blinked in utter confusion. "Why?"

"Because…" Leo tried to think of an answer. "I will tell you when you're older."

Alexander's eyes went even wider. "Like huff huff man?"

"…What?" Both Leo and Mike stared at Alexander.

"Uncle Raph watch TV last week. Man make huff huff sounds and other man make sounds like this." Alexander smacked his thigh with his hand. Leo and Mikey glanced at each other, perplexed. "Uncle Raph said would explain when I older."

Leo and Mike smacked their foreheads. "Porn?" Leo mouthed to Mike. Mike was desperately trying not to laugh and shrugged, but nodded. Leo groaned and finished Kiziah's diaper. I will have to speak to Raph about that, the eldest told himself.

"What?" Alex had seen their exchange and was confused.

"We'll explain when you're older," Leo told him. "Now, let's go play." Kiziah giggled happily and cooed at Leo, bopping him on the nose. The eldest chuckled and tickled her with his tail as the four made their way to the living room.

Leo didn't let the babies watch TV much; he would rather they spend their time playing, growing stronger, and learning. Due to their mutant status, the world was a dangerous place. He wanted them to be as innocent for as long as possible – which Raph appeared to be jeopardizing already – but he knew they would have to grow up one day.

They began with a fast-paced game of hide and seek. Alexander agreed not to use his wings, and kept his promise. Leo was very strict on respecting one's word, though his children didn't quite know what honor was yet.

After they had all been it, they sat down to play Kiziah's favorite game, tic tac toe. She cheated frequently, but no one cared – except Alexander. He would scream and cry when she won, and Leo would take him away to sit in the corner.

Eventually, Raph and Don emerged slowly from their rooms and went to the kitchen. They joined Mike and Kiziah in a game of peek-a-boo, though Raph preferred to cover Kiziah's eyes than make the ridiculous sounds. Don was all too happy to croon at the little girl as Mikey tickled her.

Soon, Leo brought back Alexander when the pale turtle promised to behave and the six turtles sat down for Story Time. Though Leo forbade them – especially Raph – from telling scary stories, Leo wanted his children to know some family stories. Mike usually drew pictures as one of his brothers told a story.

Don decided to tell a story about the Battle Nexus, and the mutants, aliens, and other creatures they met there. Leo then chose a story about his flights through the jungles in Brazil, though he didn't mention his hunting. Raph then told a story about their childhood hangout in a little worn-out hole in the wall, about the time they built a fort. Raph played the evil ninja while Don and Leo played knights protecting the fort.

This, of course, sparked a new game. Alexander demanded they play, too. Leo said they could, but they had to stay inside. Alexander started another "Why" marathon, and Leo lost this one again, but his rules were firm. Alexander and Mikey built a fort under Lord Leo's direction while Kiziah was named Damsel in Distress and placed in a shrine of pillows. Raph and Don were to be the evil ninjas storming the castle.

Mikey and Alexander fought a brave defense but eventually Don tickled Alexander into submission and Raph had Mikey cornered in the bathroom. Raph locked the bathroom door using a cabinet and he and Don launched an attack on Leo, who put up a brave fight but was eventually "killed." Raph captured Kiziah and spirited her away to his and Don's hastily-erected castle.

By then, Kiziah and Alexander were complaining of hunger again. Don and Raph fed them and then put them down for a nap. The hothead then put Lil' Sis in to watch them and joined his brothers in the dojo. They began stretching and some warm-up katas. Then they paired off to work out against one another. They hadn't forgotten, over the past couple of months, how much danger their family was in…

~Speaking of which…~

"What, if I may ask, happened?"

The cool voice chilled Alex. She shook her head in disgust. "My hired scientist became… unobjective. He believed the mutants to be more than they seemed."

"And how did they escape?"

"They jumped a pair of guards and escaped."

"I am disappointed."

Alex knew she had blown it when she called Mr. Saki with the news that the turtles had escaped… But what else could she do? Mr. Saki had immediately revoked his funding. She was the laughing stock of the scientific community; her videos of the mutants had been "proven" false. Alex had released them when she realized the turtles were long gone, in a hope of bringing awareness and – more importantly – showing the world that she had discovered them first.

She had received many thousands of calls. Most were from cracks, saying they'd see the "green men" in their neighborhood. Alex didn't have the funding to pursue them anymore. She'd had to disconnect her phone eventually, after the hate calls – not to mention hate mail – had outnumbered the "sightings."

Alex had scraped together enough to get back to the United States, after two months… She was going to New York. Raphael's accent had been pure Brooklyn, and it was the only lead she had. She looked around her spacious facility – now empty. A single chopper waited outside, to bring her to the nearest airport.

"Ma'am? We're ready." A young man poked his head into her office. He had a harried look on his face; doubtless, he wanted to get on the way.

"I'm coming." She picked up her purse – her bags were few and already packed – and followed him out. She ducked under the chopper blades and half-ran to the side, then opened the door and hopped in. The young man climbed into the cockpit and they were off.

They will be mine, Alex vowed to herself as the compound shrunk away beneath her. And when I'm done with them, they will pay for making me look like a fool.

~Somewhere else~

A lean Japanese man paced restlessly. Saki had been waiting for a chance to snatch the turtles from Alex, but it had come too soon. He hadn't been ready to get them when they had arrived back in New York. He had no doubt they were holed up in those sewers his ninjas couldn't enter without punishment.

The Foot clans had been looking for him, but no one had heard a peep out of any gangs claiming their crimes had been interfered with, and those crimes were escalating. The New York police forces were baffled; they had been becoming more and more efficient, they said, but crime rates were rising for the first time in almost fifteen years.

Saki was getting tired of the incompetence. His private jet was fueling and he was about to go to New York. Hun was searching the streets, so he said; Saki was tired of the caution. He was going to lead them down, into the sewers, and bring the entire Foot Clan in New York with him. Saki was also flying over half of his new ninjas, fresh from training in Japan. All told, he was mobilizing over two hundred ninjas, Hun and his gang of thugs, and himself. Surely they could find the turtle's hole in the ground.

Saki lashed out in his anger and the wall split beneath his knuckles. He needed those turtles back. The woman's idea to breed them had been ludicrous, but he had indulged her. She would be getting a warm visit from a dark stranger in the middle of the night.

~Elsewhere~

Leo ducked and sprung onto Raph's back, bearing him down to the mat. His tail wrapped around the hothead's ankles, his wings buffeted him. Raph cursed and tried to heave his smaller brother off of him, but Leo had him securely pinned.

Don and Mikey were wrestling half-heartedly, but mostly were trying to avoid Leo's beating wings.

"Alright, alright, I yield!" Raph yelled, going limp. Leo heaved himself up and off of Raph, offering his brother a hand. "I call that cheatin'," he informed his brother.

"I call it strategy. You need to be able to defend yourself."

"Against what? A winged turtle?" Raph shot back.

"Who knows?" Leo chuckled. "Time to get the kids," he ordered. Mikey and Don helped each other up and Don headed for the upstairs bathroom to take a shower. Raph headed towards the downstairs bathroom to do the same.

Mikey and Leo headed to the cribs. Alexander was already awake and waiting for them; Kiziah woke at the sound of her brother screaming a greeting. Leo picked up the smaller of the two while Mikey made cooing noises at Alexander.

"Time for food," Alexander giggled. Mike chuckled and nodded, and they headed for the kitchen. Kiziah gaped her mouth happily at Leo, who tickled her cheeks with his nose. Leo headed for the kitchen and found Alexander happily chewing away at the nipple of a bottle. Leo handed Kiziah another bottle and held her as she sucked on it happily.

Alexander tucked away four bottles and then burped all over Mikey. Kiziah finished hers and they went for a bath again. Alexander splashed Mikey constantly, cleaning him off as well. Kiziah giggled as she was soaked; Leo kept a careful eye on her. Once the two babies and Mikey were clean, Don and Raph appeared to clean up the bathroom.

The babies and the two adults went to the living room and played board games. Master Splinter joined them, but Alexander watched him carefully. The winged baby had no reason to mistrust his grandfather, but he was wary all the same. It baffled the adult turtles and Splinter himself.

Raph and Don joined them for a few rounds of Candy Land – usually halted when Kiziah decided she didn't want to be on Leo's team and crawled across the game board to sit on Don's lap. Alexander was concentrating so hard on making good moves, on behalf of Mikey, that he looked like a tiny Leo when his father was trying to get a new kata just right. Raph noted the resemblance and chuckled.

Mikey let Raph take Alexander after an hour and got up to make lunch for the adults and bring out more bottles. Don and Raph whisked away the babies for a changing. The elevator dinged; Leo greeted April and Casey as they walked in.

"Hey, Leo," April greeted happily. She hugged him and handed him a bag. "We brought more baby food. We heard Alexander was getting hungrier each day."

Leo chuckled. "He eats nearly as much as Mikey." He locked Casey in a one-armed headlock. "Hey, Casey."

"Hey, big guy," Casey grunted, wiggling out of the grasp. "Where's my niece and nephew?"

"They're being changed." April went over to the couch to greet Master Splinter while Casey went to taunt Raph about changing a diaper.

"April and Casey are here," Leo told Mikey as he walked into the kitchen. Leo sorted the formula packages and put them away. Mikey nodded and set out two extra places. He always cooked enough food for guests, which was part of the reason their fridge was full of leftovers.

"I can't believe it's only been a couple months," Leo muttered as he placed the tubs in the cabinet. Mikey grunted agreement. "Alexander's getting so big already… And Kiziah's getting stronger every day."

Leo felt sad – his children would never grow up with others. They would only have themselves and the adult mutants. He dreaded their first upstairs adventure. Leo remembered his vaguely; he had gone out chasing after Raph again, but that time the hothead had tried to elude his big brother on the streets of New York.

That night had been when the lesson of why they lived underground, in secrecy, kicked in. They didn't have TV at that time, but Master Splinter had showed them pictures in books of humans, and told them of the danger men and women posed. He never told us they would try to make friends, though, Leo said to himself. Though it was unfair; Master Splinter couldn't have foreseen Alex's betrayal. Leo shook himself out of his thoughts and headed out to see where his children were. He disliked being out of eyesight with them for long.

He found April and Kiziah playing patty cake while Casey and Raph and Alexander played knights-and-castles. Raph and Alexander stormed Casey's pillow fort. Leo snatched his son out of the way when Raph tackled Casey to the ground. Adult rough play was no game for a youngling.

Mikey rang the bell to summon them to lunch. Casey and April were seated between Leo and Master Splinter; Alexander and Kiziah had baby chairs that locked them in, and Mikey had given each a bottle to suck on. Halfway through the meal, Alexander demanded another one.

Casey and Raph went to the dojo to work out together. April and Mikey cleaned up the dishes and the babies while Don and Leo talked about Don's latest project over an after-lunch cup of tea. Splinter took himself off to his room to meditate.

"Hold up Leo." Leo stopped as he started to get up. Don reached around and rubbed his hand over Leo's wings. "You're dry again." Leo sighed.

"It takes more and more frequent groomings," he complained. "Can I get more of that oil, please, Don?"

"Sure." Don got up to go fetch a bottle of oil; Leo followed him out. Casey and Raph were watching a movie in the living room. April and Mikey finished with the dishes and cleaned up the chairs Alexander and Kiziah were sitting in before taking the babies to be changed as well.

Leo lay on the floor and spread his wings out. Don knelt next to his left wing and poured oil over a cloth. Gently, with circular motion, he rubbed the oil into Leo's wing. His brother purred happily and Don chuckled.

Leo was half-asleep by the time Don finished and the purple-banded brother left him to his nap. Alexander toddled over a few minutes later, followed by April. He fell on Leo's shell and crawled over his father while Leo held still.

"He's getting so big and strong," April commented, sitting down next to the winged turtles. Alexander curled up on his father's shell and closed his eyes for a nap. Mikey walked into the living room to see and immediately gave Kiziah to April and went to fetch his sketch book.

Once the sketch was done, April asked to see it. Mikey grinned and handed it to her; it depicted Leo and Alexander lying together. Mikey had drawn softness and love into their lines. April grinned. "You're really good, Mikey. You could probably make a killing off of commissions."

Mikey tilted his head in confusion.

"Commissions? They're where a person asks an artist to draw something for them. A tattoo, for example, or a picture of their character for a book. You can do it online, at this one site… Here, I'll show up." April gave Kiziah to Leo, tucking the dark baby into the space next to Leo's neck, and led Mikey into Don's lab to find a computer.

Leo curled a protective arm around his daughter as she yawned at him, cooing. Leo was content; his children were happy and healthy, his brothers were happy and unharmed, and his family was together, including their human friends.

~Later… But How Much?~

"Daddy!" The shriek echoed through the lair. Four adult turtles were instantly in the nursery, though technically "Daddy" was Leo.

Kiziah was pointing at Alexander. "He getting out." Alexander had frozen, half-way suspended over the railing of his crib.

"Alexander!" Leo scolded, picking up his son and putting him back in the crib. "You've been told and told to stay in the crib. You need your nap, and we need our training time." Raph, Don, and Mikey let Leo deal with the boy and went back to the dojo.

"I was hungry," the young boy said defensively. "It's boring here. She's boring."

"Am not!" Kiziah yelled. Though she had spoken her first word long after Alexander, she was not quiet.

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Children, enough!" Leo shook his head slightly. "Kiziah is your sister, Alexander. You should be nice to her."

"She's boring," Alexander protested faintly. "She can't even fly!"

"And you cannot walk, little one." Leo placed Alexander into his crib. "We don't judge by one someone looks like, or what they cannot do. Your Uncle Mikey can't speak, but that does not me we love him any less."

"But…" Alexander grumped. Kiziah stuck her tongue out at him and he pointed an accusatory finger. "Daddy, she's being mean to me!"

"Kiziah, that's not polite. Please apologize." Leo rubbed his temples slightly; for the past few weeks, Kiziah and Alexander had been nonstop in their chattering and namecalling.

"Sorry." Kiziah didn't sound very contrite, but Leo let it slide.

"Now, please just entertain yourselves for a little while longer. We need to get our training done, and then we will come get you. Lil' Sis will watch you."

"Can't we come?" Alexander asked, making big eyes at his father through the roof on his crib. "Please?" Kiziah joined in the pleading.

"No. Your training will begin soon enough." Leo left them in the capable hooves of Lil' Sis and went back to the dojo. Alexander and Kiziah wanted to start training badly. They did not know what their father and uncles did in the mysterious room that was always locked, but they knew it was exciting.

It scared him. His babies were growing up, and it had only been a couple of months. He couldn't remember the days individually; they just streamed together into a blur of happiness, love, and contentment. His brothers had been taking turns on nightly patrols, always leaving two at home to guard the family. They were extremely careful not to be seen, of course.

After the adults finished training, Mikey and Leo went to take the toddlers to the kitchen for a meal. Alexander was still pouting about not being allowed to train, and Kiziah was telling Leo all about what she thought they were doing in that room. Her theories ranged from meditating – which she and Alexander had watched Leo and Master Splinter do a few times, and found it incredibly boring – to painting a new room for her.

Kiziah was too old to sleep in the same room as her brother, she insisted. She wanted privacy. For what, she couldn't tell her family, but Kiziah wanted it. It was very important in the TV shows she got to watch for one hour every day. Once they had started speaking, Leo had let them watch a little TV each day, to acquaint them with human customs and mannerisms.

Alexaner had decided he loved Spongebob Squarepants the most, while Kiziah was particular to Fairly Odd Parents and Danny Phantom. Mikey loved it all, and would sit and watch with his niece and nephew whenever he had the chance.

However, Mikey's artwork posted on the site April had shown him had attracted a lot of attention. His commissions were selling for a good price, enough to keep their family comfortable and even buy Donnie some upgraded equipment. Master Splinter was gifted an exotic range of teas from around the world. Mikey had made a gift of a new motorcycle to Raph, and he bought Leo a complete set of Japanese history books. Mikey was happy to be able to contribute to the family in a tangible way.

Don walked into the kitchen and motioned for Leo to come with him. Leaving Kiziah in her high chair, the eldest followed the braniac out.

"I've been thinking about starting them in lessons," Don confided to Leo outside. "They're ready, and they're bored. Their little minds need stimulation."

Leo hummed slightly. "I agree. What do you want to start with?"

"Counting. ABCs. The kindergarten stuff."

"They're barely six months old!" Leo protested.

"They're as intelligent as a five-year-old human," Don pointed out. "They need to be doing something. We stopped Alex from getting out of his crib this time, but what about next time? They need to do something."

"I know. We'll start tomorrow."

Leo nodded and they went back to their chores. Mikey and Leo gave the babies baths, and Don went back to his work on a smartphone. Raph was probably reading in his room; Leo couldn't hear the TV, and the hothead wasn't working out. Life was calm – good. But Leo knew they would have to return to the surface and their patrols soon.