Thanks for the wonderful reviews!

My neighbor and her daughter (who inspired the first Snippet) are in a curious situation. She's pregnant and while her older son has known almost since the beginning, she's not sure how to explain things to her three year old. So, to Jami and Maizie, thanks for inspiring yet another Snippet!

TMNT, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, Splinter © Viacom
story © Turtlefreak121

Snippets
The Question

6 Years Old

Whenever a newspaper was in his grasp it was always cause for celebration. Living in the sewers was not exactly the perfect conditions for finding such a novelty, especially a current one. To find the one he had was almost inconceivable – it had been printed just that day.

Settling down with his coffee for the morning, Splinter sipped carefully, staring at the small print and cursing his old eyes.

There in his chair, Master Splinter was in his zone, the ultimate refuge of comfort. It was a time that was not commanded as his and his alone but it was respected as such. His students often demonstrated their respect by not interrupting this time of self reflection.

It took a lot of courage for his student to walk in despite this silent agreement.

"Master Splinter?" questioned the young Leonardo, his face puzzled. "Can I ask you a question?"

Smiling, Splinter folded the paper over his knee and nodded to his little turtle. "Of course you may, Leonardo. I will answer any questions you have to the best of my abilities," he responded before waving for the turtle child to come closer.

Obeying, Leonardo stepped up to his father and rubbed the back of his neck. He took a long breath before starting the tale. "Okay, so I was watchin' t.v. with Mikey and Raph and a stork came in and brought a baby to the house. An' Raph said that the stork doesn't really give away babies. But if that's true then where'd you get us? Where does anyone get babies?"

Splinter stared at his son and frowned. "This most certainly was not the sort of question I was expecting, Leonardo."

The turtle's face fell and he grew an almost terrified expression before shaking his head. "Is it a bad question, Master?" he asked worriedly. "I didn't mean to. I just didn't know!"

Chuckling, Splinter shook his head. "No, no, nothing of the sort, Leonardo. I was simply surprised that you are asking me this question now," the father explained before coughing into his fist. "I have not truly thought of an answer."

Leonardo simply stared, only blinking in response.

Seeing that the question was not leaving his son's mind any time soon, Splinter sighed and did something he had promised a long time he would never do.

"You and your brothers came from a peach tree," Splinter stated. "I saw four large peaches and decided to take them home. The next morning the four of you had emerged and I was very happy to see I was blessed with you as my sons."

Cocking his head to the side, Leonardo grew a strange frown. "So Donny was right?"

Rather surprised, Master Splinter rubbed his chin. How in the world did Donatello, a normally advanced child as far as thinking was concerned, come to such a strange conclusion. "Donatello knew that you all came from peaches?"

"No, he got that wrong," the little turtle shrugged. "He said we crawled outta eggs. I like peaches better, though. Thank you, Master Splinter!"

With that, Leonardo turned around and left the room to tell the happy news to his brothers and Splinter watched him almost speechless. What a bizarre first impulse that was to have, to so simply avoid a more than simple truth.

He sighed and took out his newspaper yet again. It looked like he would have to straighten it out at a later age.

…