Chapter One - February 16th, 2009, Maria's first birthday

"C'mon, hurry up, we're gonna be late!" Michelangelo urged his brothers as he bounded backwards down the tunnel leading towards April and Casey's place. He had a brightly-wrapped package tucked under one arm, a tightly-sealed tupperware container under the other, and a broad grin on his face.

"If I remember correctly, you're the reason we're running late in the first place, Mikey," Donatello countered with mildly exasperated amusement as he adjusted the strap of his duffel bag over his shoulder. "Did you really have to wait until the very last minute to wrap Maria's present?" Despite his words though, he lengthened his stride a little anyway to lessen the distance between himself and Mikey.

Raphael let out a sharp little snort of laughter as he strode along beside Don. "It's Mikey, he leaves everything to the last minute," he commented dryly, smirking at the orange-banded turtle ahead of them. "I'm still not convinced he can even tell the time." Mikey let out a mock-offended "hey!" even as Leonardo let out a quiet chuckle.

"Raph makes a good point," Leo said sagely from his place at Don's other side, a little smile twitching the corners of his mouth as Mikey let out a second protest at the teasing. "I mean, the number of times you've been late for practice, Mikey, or procrastinated on the things you're supposed to be doing, or just 'lost track of time'…"

"I dunno, guys," Don broke in with a grin before Mikey could say anything in his own defense. "Mikey must have some ability to tell the time, otherwise how do you explain his almost uncanny ability to land on the couch just before the start of every single Silver Sentry episode?"

"Base instinct," Raph deadpanned.

Mikey let out a playfully indignant huff, his nose in the air even as his mouth twitched with suppressed mirth. "Oh, I see how it is! I guess this just means that none of you want to partake of the reason I was running ever so slightly behind schedule then!" He spun around and started loping forwards, glancing back over his shoulder at his brothers with a mischievous grin. "I'll just have to give all these freshly-baked cupcakes to people who'll appreciate them!"

His three brothers shared a look of amused contrition, and increased their pace a little to keep up. "Now, let's not jump to rash conclusions here," Don said placatingly, even as Leo spoke up as well with a soothing, "Now just hold up a minute, Mikey…"

Then Raph lunged past them both with a growled, "C'mere, you…!", apparently intent on tackling his shorter brother and taking said cupcakes off him by force. Mikey let out a high-pitched yelp and took off running, laughter trailing in his wake as Raph thundered after him. Leo and Don glanced at each other with wry amusement, then took off in pursuit.

April glanced at the clock as she put the finishing touches on dinner, the steam from the roast beef and vegetables rising to wreathe her head and filling the apartment with their warm scent. She was a little surprised that the boys hadn't turned up yet, but just as she was thinking that, she heard a dull thud against the basement door that lead to the tunnels. It was followed by a rapid tattoo of knocking that sounded more like someone kicking the door, which was swiftly cut off and followed by a familiar, muffled yelp.

Right on time, April thought with amusement, a smile curling her lips upwards as she listened to Casey thunder down the stairs to answer the door and greet their guests. She finished setting set the platters of food out on the table, then turned to share a fond smile with the mutant rat who'd just finished laying out the cutlery.

Splinter met her smile with a wry one of his own and rolled his eyes slightly. "Kids," he murmured with resigned amusement, and April chuckled in agreement.

The two headed for the living room, just in time to see Mikey prance through the doorway from the staircase with Maria riding on his shoulders, his hands holding her securely around the waist. "Here comes the birthday girl!" he crowed as Maria babbled enthusiastically from her perch, her chubby little hands drumming on the top of Mikey's head as he carried her further into the room. "Hi April! Hi Master Splinter!"

"Sorry we're late," Donatello added apologetically as he followed Mikey inside, with Leo and Raph trailing in behind him. Casey brought up the rear, carrying the things that Mikey had brought with him, and moved past them to put them down on the kitchen counter before returning to the group.

"Don't worry about it, guys, you're right on time," April reassured them with a broad smile. "It's good to see you all here!" She gave them each an enthusiastic hug of welcome, which they returned warmly.

Then Mikey zoomed back up to the group with Maria still on his shoulders, halting beside April and bouncing a little on his toes. "Hey, where's my hug, huh?" he asked with a broad grin. Raph automatically reached for him to smack the back of his head, then stopped short when he realised that Maria was in the way.

"I'll give you your hug once you stop winding up my daughter," April retorted with a grin.

Mikey immediately lifted the giggling Maria back off his shoulders and handed her over to a startled-looking Raphael, then held his arms out wide. "All right, hit me!" As April hugged him, he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her clear off the ground, spinning her around enthusiastically. April let out a startled squeak and hung on, laughing.

"Hey, that's my wife you're manhandling there, Mikey," Casey said in mock-warning, though he couldn't hide his grin.

Mikey stopped spinning and blinked up at him innocently. "What? Don't tell me you're jealous!" He put April back down with exaggerated care, ignoring her playful smack against his shoulder, then suddenly swept Casey up in another enthusiastic hug, unable to lift the much taller man quite clear of the ground but spinning him around anyway, with Casey's feet dragging across the floor.

Casey yelped and flailed in protest, or at least as much as he could manage past his laughter. "Mikey! Quit it, ya goofball!"

Mikey just laughed as well and finally put Casey back down, letting go and quickly stepping back out of immediate smacking range. "C'mon Casey, you enjoyed that, admit it!"

"I ain't admitting nothin'!" Casey retorted, exaggeratedly brushing himself off.

Raph smirked at him, Maria still cradled in his arm and babbling cheerfully. "Whassa matter, Case', worried that enjoyin' affection ain't manly enough for ya?"

"Oh like you're one to talk, Raph!" Don interjected with a grin. "Pot calling the kettle black much?"

"Yeah, stop hidin' behind my daughter and I'll show you just how 'affectionate' I can be!" Casey challenged, grinning as well even as he made a show of cracking his knuckles.

Leo quickly stepped between the two, hands held out peaceably. "Guys, guys," he said soothingly, trying to hold back his own little smile of amusement. "Let's try to not trash the apartment for once, okay?"

"Especially if you all want to eat tonight," April broke in dryly, stepping in to retrieve Maria from Raphael's arms. "Let's not forget the reason you're all here in the first place."

"April is right," Splinter added as he gave his sons a mildly reproving look, though it was softened by the humour in his eyes. "We should not let all her hard work go to waste by letting the food get cold."

There was a chorus of hearty agreement, and the whole group moved to seat themselves around the dining table, with Mikey bounding ahead to plant himself firmly in one of the chairs next to Maria's high chair.

Dinner was a cheerful, boisterous affair, with April and Casey regaling the turtles and their sensei with stories of Maria's first birthday party earlier that day, along with other things she'd gotten up to since the last time they'd visited. In return, Splinter shared some of his own stories from when his sons had also been only a year old, causing much amusement and some embarrassed consternation amongst said turtles.

Finally dinner was done and compliments about the fine meal were showered upon April until she blushed bright red. The dishes were cleared away to make room for ice cream and Mikey's cupcakes, which he presented with much aplomb. One candle was planted in the center of a cupcake and carefully lit, then placed on the table in front of Maria (and safely out of her reach). Everyone gathered around Maria's chair to sing happy birthday (enthusiastically, but not exactly all in tune or even in time) while April and Master Splinter took turns taking photos.

Once the song was done, the photos taken, and the candle blown out and set aside, dessert was devoured with just as much enthusiasm and enjoyment as dinner had been. Finally the last crumb had been consumed and the last bit of ice cream licked off the spoons, and everyone leaned back in their chairs with full bellies, content and satisfied.

"I declare Maria's first birthday dinner a complete success!" Mikey stated with firm conviction, one finger pointed in the air and a broad grin on his face.

"Hear, hear!" Don agreed cheerfully, and was echoed by the others. "A most successful dinner indeed - and here's to looking forward to many, many more to come!" Another round of agreement followed, before Mikey pushed away from the table and bounded to his feet.

"And now the birthday girl gets to open her present!" Mikey stated, deftly lifting Maria out of her high chair and settling her in the crook of one arm, where she giggled and tugged on the ends of his bandanna. "Come, April, we shall shower your daughter with gifts!"

"What about the rest of us?" Raph asked, raising a brow ridge at his grinning brother even as April chuckled and got to her feet.

Mikey just gave Raph a wide-eyed look. "The rest of you get to clean up!" he replied matter-of-factly as he wrapped his free arm around April's shoulders. "April cooked dinner and I cooked the cupcakes, which means that you're all on clean-up duty. Them's the rules!" With that, he steered the grinning April out of the dining area and into the living room, a chortling Maria cradled securely against his plastron.

Leo just shook his head with a tolerant little sigh. "He's got a point," he said with rueful amusement as he rose from his seat as well. "C'mon, it shouldn't take the rest of us too long."

Between the four of them (Master Splinter remained seated at the dining table to supervise the cleaning and make sure no short cuts were taken), everything was soon cleaned up, dried, and put away. That done, they trooped back out into the living room, where Mikey had gleefully helped Maria open the big box that had held the smaller individual gifts from each member of their family.

The three of them were wearing jaunty paper hats that Mikey had folded from the brightly coloured paper he'd used to wrap the box containing Maria's presents. Said presents were scattered in a semicircle around Mikey and Maria where they were sitting in the middle of the floor, as the one-year-old thoroughly inspected each one. Occasionally she'd hold one of the items out to Mikey, babbling a few nonsensical words. Mikey would accept the item and regard it with solemn intensity before making a comment and handing it back, while April observed fondly from her place in one end of the couch.

Mikey looked up at the others as they entered and grinned cheekily at them. "About time! You missed all the fun of the present unwrapping! Of course, Maria likes my present the best."

"You goofball," Don commented with a grin. "How can you even tell?"

"'Cause she keeps picking it up and hitting me with it!" Mikey replied cheerfully, just as Maria smacked him with the little patchwork, stuffed turtle clutched in her hand. "See?"

Casey laughed and shook his head, then dropped down into the couch beside April and wrapped his arm around her as she settled comfortably against his side. Don joined Mikey on the floor, where Maria promptly offered him one of her other toys, which he accepted with a smile. Meanwhile Splinter settled into one of the armchairs, Raph sprawled bonelessly in the other, his legs hanging over the side, and Leo perched on the armrest of Splinter's chair.

"Don't get too comfortable, guys," Leo reminded them, reaching out with one foot to poke Mikey in the leg. "We'll be heading out on patrol soon, remember."

Mikey flopped over onto his shell, his paper hat falling off in the process, and groaned theatrically. "Aww, but Leo… it's cold and wet and horrible out there! Can't we stay here where it's nice and warm and dry?"

"As much as I'd like to indulge you, Mikey, we've got to do something to work off all that ice cream and cake," Leo replied dryly. "Besides, we haven't checked the west side docks much lately, and I've got a hunch we'll find some action there tonight."

His brothers perked up at that, and Mikey rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, you're right about the cake and ice cream, at least," he admitted. "That stuff does go straight to my hips if I'm not careful!"

"That's what ya say 'bout everything y'eat, Mikey!" Casey teased. "Somehow I think you gettin' fat is the last thing you gotta worry 'bout!"

"You wouldn't be saying that if you actually saw just how much junk food he goes through," Don said blandly, and Raph snickered and muttered something about Mikey being a living garbage disposal.

Mikey let out a huff at his brothers' ribbing and grinned back up at Casey. "Ignore them," he mock-whispered. "They're just jealous of my fantastic figure."

"Only in your own mind, Mikey," Raph deadpanned.

They stayed in the apartment for a little while longer, exchanging comfortable, idle banter while Mikey and Don played with Maria and her new toys. Eventually Maria was yawning widely, and April declared it her bedtime. She heaved herself off the couch and scooped her daughter up in her arms. "Say goodnight, Maria!"

The little girl obediently murmured "Nininini!" then yawned again and blinked sleepily, snuggling down into her mother's arms.

"I think that's our cue, guys," Leo commented with a little smile as he stood up. "Good night, Maria. Thanks for the dinner and everything, April, Casey."

"Anytime, Leo," April replied with a warm smile, and Casey nodded in agreement as he stood up from the couch as well. "It was good seeing you all again."

"Yeah, you guys should visit more often!" Casey added. "'Specially now that I've got regular hours down at the garage, we can schedule things better!"

"And now that Maria's big enough, we can visit you guys at the Lair more often, too," April said as she headed for the corridor leading to the bedrooms.

"Sounds like a plan," Leo agreed amiably, then looked around at his brothers. "C'mon guys, we better get going before it gets much later."

Raph heaved himself up out of his armchair and headed for the door, giving Casey's arm a friendly punch as he passed. "Later, bonehead."

"Later, shellbrain," Casey replied with a grin as he gave Raph's shoulder a return punch.

Meanwhile, Mikey piled the scattered toys back into the box with Don's help, adding the paper hats in as well, then bounced back up to his feet. "G'night guys!" he said cheerfully, echoed by Don as he stood up a little more sedately and pushed the box of toys to the side of the room, out of the way, then retrieved his duffel bag.

"I will see you back at the Lair, my sons," Splinter said, still sitting in his armchair. "Be careful."

"Always, Sensei," Leo reassured him, ushering his brothers out of the door.

"Don't wait up!" Mikey called back, then snickered as Leo let out an exasperated huff and shoved at his shell to get him moving.