Something as Simple

With a sigh Splinter stared at the Lou Jitsu poster. He looked dashing and heroic and everything Splinter wasn't anymore.

He looked down at his mutant hands. The last few years were a hectic blur that had somehow led to him being turned to a rat and taking care of four turtles. Turtles who were being way too quiet.

"Boys?" he looked back over the living room. But they weren't there. He searched the lair, checking every room, gaze sweeping over every hiding spot, running faster and more frantic the longer he went without finding them. "Boys?!"

A crash came from the kitchen.

He ran in to find two of his kids on the counter either side of the stove, a flaming pot between them.

Red tried to blow out the fire, Blue splashed water on it, Purple sat on the floor frantically flipping through a cookbook while Orange hid behind him.

Flicking his tail Splinter tossed a pan lid off the rack. He ran across the room, grabbing the lid from the air and sliding it over the pot to kill the flame.

The turtles lined up beside him worried.

After a sigh of relief he turned to them angry. "What were you doing?!"

Blue pointed at Purple, earning a death glare from him.

"We just," Red tapped two fingers together nervously, "wanted to make you some hot soup for Father's Day."

"For what?" He looked surprised.

"Father's Day, that's a real holiday right?"

"Even if it isn't," Orange's eyes lit up but the worry didn't fade, "we just wanted to show you we love you."

Splinter's eyes widened, almost teary. Somehow between keeping four kids fed and making sure his enemies didn't find them he hadn't put together that he could do something as simple as celebrate Father's Day with his sons. Looking down at them he realized they looked almost scared. He kneeled to be more on their level. "The stove can be dangerous, you can't use it without my supervision; so why don't we cook the soup together?"

They perked up.

As Purple read off the ingredients the other turtles brought them to Splinter who handled the chopping.

He picked each turtle up one by one, giving them a turn to drop something into the pot.

Soon the five were sitting around the table eating soup.

Looking around at his sons and how happy they were Splinter smiled. His life hadn't turned out the way he planned and there were some things he'd always miss, but some things had turned out even better.