Work Text:
Donnie's Lab
Age 7
Months ago, Splinter made a promise to himself to be a better father to his children. One of the ways he tried to do this was 'Splinter Saturdays'. Each of the boys would get two hours of Splinter time, just the two of them, before everyone would meet up for dinner and a movie night in the den. Time with Mikey was usually spent on an art project of some sort, usually drawing or painting. Raphael liked to spend time watching wrestling, or helping patch up holes in his teddy bears. (He was becoming very skilled at sewing.) Leo was tricky and usually had to be pushed into saying what he wanted to do, but Splinter had managed to get him interested in board games thanks to Raph's Christmas gift of a Jupiter Jim chess set.
And then there was Donatello, who loved bringing his father into his lab and explaining exactly what he was building. After Splinter had admitted that sometimes, his son's actions went completely over his head, (this was after an explanation on how Donnie had rebuilt a computer from scratch, and then somehow used it to hack into the Pentagon just to see if he could), Donnie had changed it to 'Tech lessons: Bringing Papa into the Modern Day by Educating him on Technology.' Splinter had been a bit dubious, but Donnie had been so earnest and his lessons were very informative. Which was why Splinter was listening carefully as his son explained the wonders of 'online shopping'. (Yes, Splinter knew what online shopping was, but he wasn't going to ruin his son's explanation!)
"And then you just hit here to pay for everything..." Donnie explained, tapping the cursor over the button marked 'Complete Purchase'. "And voilà! Our grocery shopping is done and we can pick it up later today!"
"Fascinating," Splinter whispered, carefully adding a note to the pad in his lap before pausing. "Donatello, where did you get the money to pay for our groceries? We do not have a credit card." His son stiffened and Splinter sighed. "Have you been robbing banks again?"
"But it's so easy and their security is so terrible!" Donnie moaned, nearly flopping over the small computer on his desk. "And we need the money more than they do!"
Splinter pinched the skin between his brows. "We've talked about this, Donnie. You are only supposed to rob-"
"Wealthy billionaires since they're horrible people," Donnie recited along with him. "But most of them don't bank in New York and I need better equipment to get into the international banks!"
Not for the first time, Splinter wondered if the incredible intelligence his son possessed was unique to him, or was a common trait of all soft-shell turtles. The mental image of an army of Donnies flashed through his mind, all armed with futuristic tech and the rat fought a shudder. It was definitely for the best that Splinter had gotten them out of Draxum's clutches before he realized what he could do with Donnie's mind. "Now Donatello, remember that most of the people with money in the bank need that money. Billionaires do not. They have too much money, which is why they are billionaires in the first place." Splinter patted the back of Donnie's chair. "And I know my clever son could easily take their money if he puts a little effort into it."
"Well...I suppose," Donnie mused, but Splinter could see his legs happy-tapping against the edges of his chair. "I'll change it tonight, Papa. Promise."
"Thank you, Donnie." Smiling, Splinter glanced over at the clock on the wall. "Ah, it is almost time for dinner. I should get started on that."
"Wait!" Donnie threw himself from his motorized chair and ran over to one of the side tables. He carefully pulled something off the table and tapped it a few times before turning around nervously. "I...um...I finished fixing the laptop!" He held out the small computer to Splinter nervously. "I-I'm still learning programming, but I'm pretty sure I removed all the tracking software and I'm working on a better VPN so you can download shows from anywhere in the world and I added copies of all the Lou Jitsu movies onto it as well as free subscriptions to all of your shows and-"
"Donnie." Splinter gently took the laptop and set it aside, crouching down to pat his son on the head. "Is this about what happened during Christmas?"
Donnie flinched, which told Splinter all he needed to know. The softshell had gifted him a computer for Christmas, which he had proudly turned on to demonstrate all the new features. Unfortunately, the power supply Donnie had created appeared to work too well, with the computer soon smoking and overheating. Leo had thankfully realized something had gone wrong and flung the computer away mere seconds before it had exploded! Donnie had been mortified, locking himself away for almost three days in shame before allowing himself to be coaxed out of his lab. Since then, most of his spare time had been pouring over books on computers and programming borrowed from the library. Splinter hadn't realized he'd returned to physical building yet.
"My son, you know that none of us are angry with you."
"It wasn't supposed to do that," Donnie protested, hands beginning to scratch at his arms in stress. "Computers aren't supposed to crack their screens or...or start melting or explode!" His hands moved faster and Splinter made a worried noise before catching them, just in case. "I fixed it now, so it'll work right and-"
"I'm sure you did. But I am not angry your first attempt was not perfect." Splinter smiled at his son. "I am happy that you put so much time and effort into a gift for me. And I promise," he reached out to pick up the laptop. "That I will take very good care of your gift. Thank you, Donatello."
Donnie made a noise Splinter couldn't identify before rushing forward to press himself into Splinter's side. He pulled away just as quickly. "I'm gonna find Leo; he shouldn't be alone too long!" And with that, the softshell rushed out of his lab, leaving a chuckling Splinter to follow.
Splinter's Room
Late that Night
Sighing in relief, Splinter squinted at the banking information on the screen. Despite the time that had gone by, everything seemed to be in order in Lou Jitsu's finances (though Splinter wasn't entirely sure if he'd been paying his taxes since his mutation. Was Lou Jitsu technically dead or not?)
Just as Donnie had said, the laptop had been working perfectly with no sign of smoking, melting, or exploding. And thanks to Splinter's poor habits of 'never changing his password' and 'always using the same username for everything', he'd been able to access his old accounts. There wasn't as much as he would have liked, (Lou Jitsu hadn't been known for good financial sense), but there was enough to cover any expenses they would have for a few years. More if the royalty checks were still getting automatically deposited. (Lou really should have been nicer to his accountant back then.) Plus, it would give Donnie some freedom from having to rob the billionaires for money.
After making the necessary adjustments to grocery payments, Splinter leaned back to stare at the ceiling and sighed. He was so tired. But he didn't want to sleep yet. Looking over his old banking statements had surprisingly brought back a lot of old memories. Arguing with the accountant, high-fiving his manager when a new movie had been green-lit, celebration parties after wrapping up a film. The sun on his face, the wind in his hair as he landed a move first try and perfect for the cameras. Feeling alive. Feeling human.
Almost on autopilot, Splinter flipped through the tabs until he landed on the list of Lou Jitsu movies Donnie had downloaded for him. He traced a finger against the still for 'Lou Jitsu Meets the Mummy Ninjas', just remembering when he used to be that young, that free, that...human. Then his mind flashed back to Leonardo, staring at him with tears in his eyes and arms outstretched. "You just...you just sit here and watch movies and you wave if we try and get your attention and you don't think it's important-"
"No!" Suddenly furious with himself, Splinter slammed the lid of the laptop down. He ran his hands over his face, cursing himself for being tempted to sink back into what he once was. "I'm their father now," he whispered to himself. "My children are what's most important. Not a long dead past." But the temptation lingered; the bittersweet taste of nostalgia.
Groaning and desperate, Splinter flipped open the laptop and clicked onto a random search engine. "How to be a better father," he mumbled to himself, typing and hitting enter without expecting a real answer. He'd probably get a list of recommended parenting books again (which reminded him he probably needed to finish up the last two before going to the library on Wednesday). But instead, the first link was something Splinter didn't recognize. "r/Parenting?"
Curious, he followed the link and for the next hour, Splinter was drowning in stories. Stories from parents of all kinds. Parents celebrating their kids victories and commiserating about their defeats. Parents asking questions or giving advice or just ranting about annoyances of being a parent. (Diapers and a lack of sleep were very common rants for young parents. Splinter didn't miss those days.) Some things Splinter related to intimately, some Splinter just couldn't imagine. But it felt real, it felt adult. And it made Splinter feel less alone.
Leaning back in his bed, Splinter pondered the odds before shrugging. "Hot Soup," he whispered as he selected the 'Sign Up' button at the top of the screen. 20 horrible minutes of trying to find an account name that no one had used yet later, Splinter was staring at the blank screen and pondering his first post. He knew what he wanted to ask, but titles were hard. "Did I have special title makers in the movies?" Splinter asked himself. "We should have paid them better."
Finally, he settled on the simple: How Do I Be Better?
I (46M) am a single father of four boys. Red (age 8), Blue and Purple (both age 7) and Orange (age 6) are all wonderful children and I love them more than anything.
Here, Splinter hesitated. How to explain? He couldn't just write that he was a former human mutated by an insane scientist yokai into a ratman who was the partially biological father of four mutant turtles meant to be super-soldiers in a war on humanity! He couldn't say he was former movie star Lou Jitsu now living in the sewers of NYC after being forced to be a battle gladiator for years after the betrayal of the woman he loved! Then, a thought occurred to him and Splinter took a deep breath. He didn't need to explain. He just...needed advice.
However, I know I was not the best father, not even a year ago. My life changed drastically for reasons I cannot- No, not cannot. Splinter went back and edited. -will not go into, but I handled them poorly. I only came to my senses after my Baby Blue told me how badly I'd been failing as a parent. Since then, I've been trying to do better. I've been spending more time with them, both separately and together. I'm trying to listen more, trying to understand them more. And I'm scared I will fail them again.
Splinter paused once more. How much should he go into? How much could he dare reveal to strangers on the internet? But...how could they offer advice if they did not know?
Tonight, I was sitting alone in my room and I was tempted to return to old habits. Getting lost in the past instead of living in the present, forcing my children to parent themselves instead of being the parent. It is only the five of us, we are alone. And my children have-Splinter chewed his tongue. How to phrase this... -special needs that would not be provided for in the system. I cannot fail my sons again. But I already have once. How do I be better?
Before he could talk himself out of it, Splinter hit the 'Post' button and shut down the computer. Yawning, he rolled under the covers and closed his eyes, the post already slipping out of his mind. It wasn't like anyone would read it.
Lair Den
Late Next Morning
It wasn't until long after breakfast that Splinter had a chance to open the computer again. He still kept one ear out for the boys setting up a game of some kind in the atrium. If it followed like other attempts, Leo was once again being pushed not to play the villain his brothers had to beat. Splinter sighed through his nose; his Baby Blue wasn't getting better. No matter what he or his boys tried, Leo stayed quiet. 'And a quiet Blue is a hurt Blue,' Splinter thought as he opened his computer. Absently, he glanced at the reddit post only for his eyes to go wide.
Comments. He had actual comments. And the first one, with a bunch of little up-votes, was a simple one.
You're trying. You haven't given us much detail, but it sounds like you're in a tough situation and you're doing it alone. Parenting is hard even at the best of times. Yes, you messed up before. But you know what you did wrong and you're trying to do better. The fact that you're reaching out for help means more than you think it does. So keep trying to be a good parent. Keep trying to listen, to spend time with them, to know how they're doing and what they're thinking. Just keep trying.
Covering his mouth with one hand, Splinter read the next one.
My granddad always said that good parenting is like being a recovering alcoholic (which sounds fucked up, because it is, but hear me out!) It's not something that you can just coast on. You have to take it one day at a time and consciously put in the effort. Yeah, there will probably be days when you slip up. When you want to crawl under the covers and never come out and just stop doing anything because it hurts and if you fail, at least it will be over with. But you get back up and you try again. One day at a time. (Still a fucked-up thing to tell a 9 year old, but never said Granddad was a great parent either!)
A surprised chuckle escaped him as Splinter noticed another high comment.
Info: You say your children have special needs. Could you clarify exactly what these needs are? Physical? Mental? Emotional? It'll be easier to give advice if we have an idea of their specific needs.
There were plenty of other comments similar to that; asking for details about what he'd been doing to improve as a parent, what Blue had said to make him more aware of his failings. Some were curious, some were concerned. Some were making jokes, some were pulling up references or citing their own parenting stories. All were involved, all wanted to help. And all of it made Splinter feel less alone than he had in a long time.
Wiping at his eyes, Splinter began answering. He provided context (though he left out some key details like the mutations and where they lived), he told some stories about his boys, he hedged about the life change that made him retreat. (Did being mutated into a rat body count as a disability?) Some commenters seemed like they were waiting for a response because they replied even as Splinter finished up other answers.
Then a new comment appeared, short and sweet. But it made Splinter pause. Do what you're doing, and do it more.
"Do it more," Splinter mumbled thoughtfully. What had he been doing? Spending time with the boys, being present. Was there other things he could do? Then an old memory returned to him, sparring with his grandfather on a cool spring morning when he was a child. "Hmm..." Nodding to himself, Splinter closed the laptop and left the den.
Raphael was giving a playful roar as he chased his brothers around the room. "Ti-Kle the Tickler is gonna getcha!"
"Nooo!" Mikey squealed as he tugged Leo's hand. "Faster Leo! We can't let'im get us!"
Leo laughed, but sadly it was still the weaker one that the family had sadly grown used to. Even that trailed off the second the slider looked up and saw Splinter watching from above. "Dad?"
Splinter smiled as his boys all looked up at him with varying expressions of delight, from Donnie's little smile to Mikey's giant wave. "My sons. There is something I would like to discuss with you."
"What's up, Pop?" Raph asked as Splinter leapt down to land safely on the ground.
Dusting off his robe, Splinter his his hands in his sleeves. "I was thinking and remembered something that I used to do with my grandfather every day as a child. He tutored me in various martial arts." He carefully watched his sons' faces, taking in Mikey's awed 'ooooh' and Raph's big smile, even Donnie's pursed lips of interest. But it was Leo who was most...confusing. His eyes went wide, and then narrowed in an unfamiliar determination. "Would you four be interested in regular training together?"
"Yeah! We're gonna learn to fight!" Mikey jumped into Splinter's arms. "We'll fight real good, just like Lou Jitsu!"
"No, my Michelangelo," Splinter corrected, stroking his youngest's shell. "I believe you will become even better."
"Really?" Leo asked quietly. Splinter reached out to pat his arm.
"Not right away," he admitted. "But you will. We'll take it one day at a time." As will I.