A simple story I wrote quite some time ago. It used to be a chapter of a now forgotten story but the chapter can stand on it's own so why not share the adorableness. :)

Leave a review if you have time. I appreciate it more than you think!

"Okay guys! Now close your eyes!" Mikey ordered from behind the kitchen door. His voice was laced with poorly hidden excitement that forced Raph to roll his eyes.

"I don't think I wanna!" Raphael yelled back from the pit in the main room. His arms were crossed and his left foot dangled over his right knee as he impatiently waited in the beanbag. Donnie, Leo, Casey and Master Splinter all accompanied him on the couch, where April told them all to wait a bit, before disappearing into the kitchen to help Mikey with the last preparations.

"Common, Raph!" Mikey whined from behind the door. "It'll ruin the surprise!"

"It's not a surprise if we already know that you have something ready for us."

Raph and Leo both snickered at the loud grunt Raph's comment received.

"You, Raph, are the biggest party pooper, ever." Mikey whined after a moment of silence as if his mind couldn't muster a better response.

Now, all four of the boys hardly held in the laughs and chuckles as their faces screwed up into uncomfortable grins. Leo was the first to notice Splinter's stern face, he sucked in the laugh like it was a lemon, and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. The rest looked his way and saw his eyes gesturing at the giant rat figure behind him. The chuckles eased but the smiles never left the boys lips.

"I see you are all in a very good mood and excited, which I am very pleased to see," Splinter spoke with a tone much calmer than his look first let on, he smiled as they all listened to him like small children, "but do as your brother requests and close your eyes. Michelangelo spent a lot of his time preparing for today."

The boys all nodded and faced forward on the couch. They threw a few glances each other's way before closing their eyes one after the other.

"Okay, Mikey, whenever you're ready!" Leo called to the kitchen, now adapting the same impatient quirk as Raph.

"Oh gee, thanks, Leo. That's real kind of you." Mikey called back with his tongue full of discontent sarcasm.

Raphael already opened his eyes and mouth, ready to make a comment when he was met with Splinter's stare. He could clearly recognize the 'Don't Even Think About It' look on his father's face. Closing his mouth and eyes once more, he leaned back in the beanbag and crossed his arms. Splinter watched for a moment to see if they were all obeying when April's head popped out from behind the kitchen door. They exchanged a look and a smile before the rat closed his eyes too, ready for Michelangelo to bring out the surprise.

April turned her head back at Mikey in the kitchen, who held a giant, funny shaped cake with numerous candles sticking from it, in his hands. He was hasty, waiting for her to give a sign. April nodded and opened the door for him. She led the way, carrying a small package, and making sure everyone had their eyes closed before Mikey came trotting behind her, full of excitement as usual. They made it to the pit and Mikey settled the large dessert on the short table he dragged somewhere from Donnie's lab earlier in the day. He counted the candles one last time while April lit them one by one. He wished to light them at first but earlier in the evening he and April came to a conclusion that lighters were not designed for large, turtle fingers.

"Are you two done shuffling around, cause I'm going to fall asleep here." Raph grumbled just as April lit the last candle.

"Yes, Your Grumpiness, you may open your eyes now." Mikey smiled and waited for everyone's reaction.

All five of them opened their eyes at the same time and were met with a giant green mass in front of their noses.

"Surprise!" April and Mikey both cheered together with their hand in the air.

The three turtles' eyes bulged out as if struck by an unpleasant flashback at the sight of the dessert.

"Aw sweet! Cake!" Casey grinned as the rest stared, dumbfounded and shocked.

"No Casey, It's a trap!" Donnie yelled in the last minute and struck an arm in front of his friend, preventing him from leaning forward. "This is no cake." Donnie eyed the green dessert suspiciously as if waiting for something to happen.

Mikey let his hands fall, with the same confusion on his face as on the two humans'. "What are you talking about, D?"

"Shh. Just wait. Any second now…" Donatello still spoke to Casey but his eyes never left the cake. All three brothers' shoulders were hunched forward like predators waiting for the pray to make a move.

The two humans and Mikey all looked puzzled as everyone quietly waited, including Master Splinter, who sat at the end of the couch and watched the strange conversation unfold. The lair was intensely quiet for a few seconds before Raph had enough and leaned closer to inspect the cake in question.

"Alright Mikey, where are the worms? They dead this time, or somethin'?"

"Wha'?" Mikey needed a second before everything clicked in his head. "No, guys, this is a real cake! It's chocolate, no worms and algae, I swear!"

April and Casey shared a weirded-out look, trying to swallow the new and confusing information. April then remembered one of the turtles telling her they used to live on worms and algae before they went topside for the first time.

Casey, on the other hand, was left completely in the dark. "Worms and algae cake? Is that like some vegan recipe?"

"Worms, Casey?" April gave him a questioning look from where she stood next to Mikey. "That's meat."

"I don't know what kind of meat you're eating, but I for one"-

Casey was cut off by Leo who pointed an accusing finger at the cake, still not satisfied with the previous answer. "If it's not algae, then why is it green?" He looked at Mikey with narrowed, suspicious eyes.

"It's frosting, dude!" Mikey defended, his voice gaining a nervous hitch.

"What's with the strange shape then?" Leo still didn't intend to give in.

"It's supposed to be a shell! Can't you see?" Mikey nervously gestured at the messy cake. The blobby shape was obviously supposed to be a hard turtle shell despite its mushy look. This whole cake surprise was not going how Mikey planned it. It was turning into a disaster.

"Hmm…" Donnie straightened his back to get a better look from above, "I guess I could say it's a shell, if I squint my eyes real hard… "

Mikey noticed the slight upward twitch in the corners of his brother's lips. He could recognize that poorly hidden smirk any day. –His brothers were only playing with him! They weren't suspicious of the cake at all!

"You are all a bunch of jerks!" Offended, he crossed his arms, but he couldn't keep in the smile and beamed a big grin that the brothers returned. Him being the biggest prankster in the lair, Mikey often forgot that his brothers weren't far behind, but he couldn't be mad at them even if he tried.

April let out a relieved sigh after she saw it was all just a silly prank in the end. It was starting to look ugly at first. Casey still wasn't completely sure what happened but when he saw the exchanged smiles he couldn't help but smile himself, knowing that the 'problem' was gone.

"Someone should blow the candles before their wax covers the whole top of the cake." Splinter finally spoke up as if he'd just appeared out of nowhere. Everyone again turned to stare at the cake which's candles were now less than an inch long. The four boys sat together on the couch and scooted closer to the table ready to blow the flames.

"Wait a sec. I have to take a picture of this." April pulled her cellphone from the back pocket of her shorts. It took her only a few swift taps on the screen to get the camera running. She crouched down on the other side of the four boys ready to take the shot. "Okay, guys."

"Happy Mutation Day!" They all cheered as the four brothers excitedly blew out the flames. As the flames went out Raph tried to push Leo's head into the green cake, but April managed to whack his hand away just in time. Raph shot her a friendly glare and April didn't mind returning one.

"I hope you all made a wish?" Splinter asked happily as he watched his beaming children.

"Pff…" Mikey spoke for all of them, "who needs wishes. We got everything we need!"

"Yeah, things couldn't be better right now!" Raph agreed and leaned back with his hands crossed behind his head. Splinter smiled at his young sons with pride and adoration. They were growing up into fine young men.

"So, guys, how does it feel to be eighteen now?" Casey asked; his voice laced with some kind of pride of an older brother as well.

"Awesome, can't wait to go out and vote for the first time." Raphael blurted out which earned him a punch in the shoulder by his best friend.

"Hey dude, I'm serious."

"I don't know." Raph shook his shoulders while leaning back with closed eyes; the most relaxed he could be. "I feel pretty much the same, Leo and Donnie are still nerds, and Mikey's still a doofus." He smirked in the end and he knew, without having to open his eyes, that he got two insulted looks from the purple and blue brothers.

Mikey, on the other hand, didn't seem to even hear what he said.

"Alright! Which one of you wants to cut the cake?" He shot up, ready to go grab the knife and plates from the kitchen.

"Shouldn't you do it? I mean you did bake it, it's only fair." Donnie suggested, and Raph and Leo nodded in agreement.

"We can cut the first slice together." Mikey said as he already ran to the kitchen. After he disappeared, the other three brothers, again, inspected the green frosting when April plucked out the candles one by one. They've never had a real birthday cake before, even Casey and April had pizzas on their birthdays so this was a big treat.

"This thing is huge. How didn't we notice Mikey making it? –Couldn't we have at least smelled it baking, if not anything else?" Leo asked no one in particular as April smacked each hand that tried to get a piece of frosting.

"That's cause he made it back at my place. I got the ingredients and even helped decorate it. I brought it in a box to the liar yesterday." April explained, smiling. She'd been very excited when Mikey came to her with the request. It'd been fun spending time with the little fella. They had planned everything out then they'd met yesterday night to create the shell shaped masterpiece. It certainly hadn't turned out as epic as they'd imagined it in the first place but the whole project had been too much fun for them to be let down by the result.

"But how did you sneak into the lair with a giant box?" Leo, as always, wanted to know everything.

"I've been having ninja training, remember?" April smirked, her hands on her hips and pride in her stance. It wasn't easy sneaking into a home of five ninjas unnoticed, and she definitely mentally high-fived herself after the successful mission.

Mikey returned with the silverware, plates and a big knife in a glass filled with water. He sat himself down between his brothers and they all grabbed the knife's handle, carefully aiming where to slice –Leo making sure to direct them while doing so, and Raph making sure to roll his eyes and grunt, before cutting into the green cake. April took another picture while they were all preoccupied.

"Who wants the first piece?" Mikey asked, holding up the plate with a perfectly cut piece of chocolate cake, thanks to Leo's precise orders.

In the same second white light flashed behind April. Everyone tensed and turned to look at the swirling of bright colors. The sudden light caused an uncomfortable and anxious feeling in everyone, thinking that the celebration was being interrupted by a threat, but only before the light revealed a tall, curvy figure with blond hair pulled into two buns and short bangs, and a simple blue dress.

"Renet!" Mikey exclaimed with newfound excitement. No one was expecting to see Renet show up at the celebration, and everyone needed a second to recognize her out of her usual quirky uniform.

"I guess that answers your question about cake, Mikey." Raph smirked to his little brother as they all stood up to greet the young time mistress.

"Hey guys!" Renet greeted right before she was given a big tight hug from her freckled admirer. "Did I miss too much? It's hard to be directly on time with the time scepter."

"You're just on time for cake." Donnie said as Mikey offered her the plate with the perfectly cut piece.

"Oh cold, early twenty-first century food! I heard you guys still had it good, I mean have it good." She gratefully took the plate before Mikey led her to sit down.

"How come you decided to visit?" Leo asked as they all settled down, except for April and Donatello who started to cut the cake for the rest of the group. Renet rarely visited the turtles and it was usually only for a few moments between her time missions when she was allowed to use the scepter.

"Are you kidding?! I can't miss out my friends' eighteenth birthday. We're the same age now, …sorta. I nagged LS for days to let me borrow the time scepter for this. I'd bring you presents but sadly it's against the law to leave objects in a different time zone. –This cake is really good! Is this chocolate? Artificial chocolate can't compare with this for grok!"

Everyone already got a plate and Donnie and April joined the rest on the couch.

"I'm glad you like the cake. April and I made it ourselves!" Mikey beamed.

"Oh wow, that's so cold! –Oh yeah," Renet sat the plate on the table for a moment as if she forgot to do something, "I've been stuffing my face with this yummy cake, I completely forgot to wish you guys. So: Happy birthday!" She pulled them all into a quick hug. "Sorry again for no presents."

"No worries, Renet." Leo shook his hands dismissively. "We told everyone not to bring anything."

"Yeah about that…" Mikey scratched the back of his head.

"I guess cake counts as a present." Donnie hummed and Raph rubbed the top of their little brother's head fairly gently. Mikey managed to squeeze out from his brother's hold and stand up.

"I'm not talking about the cake," he leaned over the table and grabbed the small package April brought with them earlier, "I'm talking about this." He held the small neatly wrapped present for everyone to see.

"You got us another present!" Leo asked, his voice holding a smidge of excitement.

"It's not really a present since it's not something new, but it's actually the reason why I brought everything from the kitchen here to the living room. About a month ago I was cleaning my room"-

"You were what!?" Donnie suddenly asked as if in shock.

"…Cleaning my room?" Mikey answered, unsure of what his brother didn't understand.

"Wow!" Donnie, including the other two brothers, Casey and April, gasped and grasped at their hearts in union in the most over exaggerated way possible.

"Hey!" Mikey pouted which gained a snicker from Renet and a shaking head from his father. Mikey waited to see if anyone had anymore remarks up his sleeve before he continued.

"I found this and immediately wanted to show it to you guys, but then I remembered that our birthday was coming up and decided to wait so we could watch it all together."

"So it's a movie?" Donnie looked at the package in his brother's hand.

"Not really. It is a videotape but it's not a movie." He walked over to the television, unwrapping the box in the meantime.

"So what is it then?" Raph asked impatiently.

"You'll see…" Mikey turned on the television and the old VHS player. He slowly pushed in the tape as if it were the most fragile object he ever held.

"Oh my god…" realization suddenly struck Donatello.

"What is it?" Casey asked as everyone looked at the tall turtle.

"Mikey, is that"-

"Shh…" Mikey pressed a finger to his mouth, making sure Donnie doesn't ruin the surprise. He didn't wait quietly this long for nothing. The rest of the group might as well wait a couple of seconds more. Mikey waited for everyone to settle down before clicking the play button and jumping back to his spot on the couch. They were all squeezed together, staring at the television screen in dead silence. Mikey was the only one smiling and looking back and forth at their faces.

The screen flashed static, and incomprehensible sound broke out of the speakers but the picture soon cleared to reveal old footage of the lair. The unsteady camera was directed at nothing in particular as it kept switching between wall and floor, what got everyone's interest was the voice that came from the speaker. It sounded young and slightly quirky. Donnie noticeably squirmed at it.

'The tape's rolling…'

The camera lens was focusing in and out, sharpening and blurring the picture as if the person behind it was making final adjustments.

"Donnie, is that you?" April asked excitedly, nudging Donatello in the arm with her elbow.

Everyone on the couch turned to Donnie who gaped at the screen with wide eyes. This video had been lost for almost nine years and none of them thought they'd ever see it again. It was the only item that still held pictures of them from when they were little. They used to have a roll of photographic film with pictures but it sadly all got ruined later when they were older and Donnie tried to develop it.

'Okay we're ready!' Said young Donnie on the television as the picture finally focused one last time. It revealed the turtles' lair but it was slightly different than everyone was used to seeing it.

'It's working? That's so cool! Lemme see!' Came a high pitched, overly excited voice, and everyone in the room immediately guessed it belonged to the youngest turtle.

The camera suddenly shifted, as Mikey snatched it from Donnie, and it revealed a young, olive skinned, lanky mutant turtle staring at the camera with big brown eyes. He wore a large scarf, with washed out color, wrapped around his neck and shoulders, too big legwarmers on his arms, and no one could miss the purple mask on his head. The mask covered the whole top of his head and its short tails stuck out similarly to Mikey's.

"Oh my god, you're so adorable!" April smiled as everyone again glanced at Donatello, who's face turned a shade darker and, for a reason unknown to Mikey, just wanted to disappear from embarrassment.

'Waa! This is so cool!" Young Mikey gaped from behind the camera.

'Mikey, give it back! You'll break it!' Little Donnie ran at the camera and snatched it from his brother's hands. The picture turned around at showed an even shorter, light skinned turtle with a freckled face and big, blue, shining eyes staring back with an orange mask on his head, a big neckerchief tied around his neck, and his tiny hands covered with warm, fingerless, wool gloves. His big, tooth-missing grin in front of the camera was as bright as a lightbulb. His stance rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, excitedly.

"Wow, Mikey, the only thing new about you is that you have all your teeth now." Raphael chuckled together with Leonardo. Mikey threw them a look that was as bright as the one on screen, only proving Raph was right.

"Just wait Raph, or should I say: Raphie." Mikey gave Raph a mischievous smirk that made the red banded turtle gulp.

"Raphie? Ahaha!" Casey laughed and got smacked by his friend.

'Let's film everyone! We could make a movie.' Little Mikey on screen beamed and jumped up and down from overexcitement.

'Yeah! We can make a documentary about our daily lives.' Young Donnie said as he moved the camera around the lair. It showed the pit, where everyone now sat on the couch, which was filled with blankets and old toys.

'Where is everyone?' Just as young Donne asked the question, a loud scream was heard and the camera shifted in the direction of the dojo.

'Leo!' Came the angry scream followed by small Leo running from the dojo towards Mikey and Donnie with a small tortoise in his hands above the head. He wore a large oversized hoodie and a trademark blue mask.

Behind him came stumbling another turtle. 'Give him back!'

"What the…?" Casey mouthed but couldn't finish the sentence as everyone's eyes fell on the boy on screen. Raph winced when he heard the high pitched shout, and just wanted to sink into the couch.

A tiny green turtle, slightly shorter than Mikey, with a red mask, a neckerchief he could swim in and old stretched legwarmers covering his entire hands, was futilely jumping in front of young Leo trying to reach the small tortoise that could now be recognized as Spike. The other three all giggled and Leo's round face wore a sly smirk.

'Aww, Raphie, looks like someone's too short.' Leo teased as little Raph continued to jump.

"I completely forgot how small you were, Raph." Donatello spoke as Casey didn't even try to keep in his howling laughter.

"There are some memories we just can't escape, huh?" Leonardo elbowed his brother in the side, his face mirroring the toothy grin from the television screen. Raph grumbled something under his breath and crossed his arms defensively.

"I think you look cute, …so tiny!" April tried to help but it only turned Raph's face a few shades redder.

'Dad!' Little Raphael screamed with teary eyes when Mikey started to tease as well. Leo didn't waste a second and pushed Spike back into Raph's arms.

'What is happening?' A large figure stepped from the kitchen. Splinter stood there in his robe and a cup of tea in his hand.

'Nothing, dad.' Leo straightened his stance and shook his head.

'Liar!' Raph yelled and ran to his father's side. 'Leo took Spike again.' He pointed an accusing finger at his brother while clutching Spike with the other.

Donnie was quiet and moved behind Leo so he had everyone on screen.

'Leonardo is that true?' Splinter questioned with a risen eyebrow. Everyone on the couch noticed his face lacking the usual white fur which made the mutant rat look much younger.

'Yes.' Leo hung his head.

'And why did you do that?'

Leo's stance quivered and he pointed a finger back at Raph.

'Because Raphie never talks to anyone except that Spike!' He sounded more upset than Raph who clutched at Splinter's robe.

'That's cause you're a meanie!' Raph yelled back.

"There's more drama here than in Spanish soap operas." Mikey commented from the couch as he grabbed another piece of cake from the table and stuffed it in his mouth, his eyes never leaving the screen.

Everyone nodded as they watched the argument reach a new level when both brothers started screaming at each other with Splinter standing in between and holding them apart like two barking dogs.

"Man, Leo, you were a real tyrant!" April commented when Leo and Raphie both escaped Splinter's grip, and Leo was now chasing Raphie around the lair. Splinter held spike in his hands and watched tiredly as if he had to deal with this every day. Mikey stood next to him drinking his tea and Donnie still quietly held the camera.

"You don't have to tell this old rat twice." Master Splinter shook his head on the couch as he thought how many white hairs he got because of the four rascals. It's not easy parenting four boys that are full of energy all the time.

Young Donnie recorded the chase around the lair. Suddenly Raphie hid inside his shell and Leo tripped over him and fell face flat on the concrete floor.

'Uff!' Donnie gasped at the loud splat, together with the viewers, as everyone stepped closer to see if Leo was okay. Raphie ran back to Splinter and hid behind his robe.

'I didn't mean to do it!' He squealed from a safe distance as Leo slowly got up shaking. Leo turned to everyone and showed a tiny streak of blood from his nose, his hand reached to his mouth and he pulled out a tooth. Everyone watched in silence, including the group on the couch.

'I lost a tooth!' Leo screamed at Raphie with tears in his eyes. Grinding his teeth made his new gap on the front completely visible.

'It was an accident!' Raphie sobbed. 'And it was already loose!'

"God, I was such a whimp!" Raph rubbed his face, hardly able to watch himself cowering.

"Shh, this is my favorite part!" Renet sushed the red banded turtle.

"What do you mean favorite part?" Donnie turned to look at Renet but he got no answer as everyone's eyes glued back to the screen.

'I'm going to smack you!' Little Leo threatened with his fist risen.

'Calm down, gappy.' Mikey joked, which caused Leo to jump on him. They both crashed on the floor, and the cup of tea flew through the air at Donnie.

'My documentary!' Donnie screamed and avoided the flying drink in the last second but it caused him to trip over the two fighting brothers. The camera thankfully stayed intact, and continued to film the catastrophe. Grunting voices and a blurry, shaking picture was all that was on the television.

"Wow, so young and I already had such awesome comebacks." Mikey was the first to speak after the screen went back to static.

"I have newfound respect for you, Master Splinter." April breathed out as if she were holding her breath the whole time. "You guys were a bunch of little devils!" She looked at the four boys.

"This was just a very extreme day." Leo tried to brush it off but Splinter quickly disagreed.

"No, you really were a bunch of devils."

"Renet, what did you mean your favorite part?" Donnie turned back to Renet again.

"Oh, forget it. It's better if you don't know too much." Renet answered just as the television screen switched back to film.

It showed the kitchen, the camera was lying on the table where little Donnie sat with a small toolkit. He lifted it and again started adjusting the focus.

'Donatello? What are you doing?' Splinter's voice was heard from somewhere out of the shot.

'Oh hi, dad. I'm just fixing the camera.' Donnie explained as he turned the camera at the entrance where Splinter stood.

'You are wonderful, my son, your mind always amazes me.' Splinter smiled. 'But it is late, you need to rest that big brain of yours. Come join your brothers.'

'Hai, dad.' Donnie jumped from the chair with the camera in his hands. 'Here, you can have it to record anything.' The screen suddenly shifted as he pushed the camera into his father's arms.

'Ah, this is amazing. How does it work?'

'All you have to know is the play and stop button here. If the light's red then it's recording.'

'So it is recording now?'

'Hai, it is.'

'I see. Then let me film you join your brothers, now that you've all settled down and made up.'

'Okay!' The camera turned down at a smiling Donatello. He dashed through the door and to the pit, followed by Splinter's calm footsteps. Plummeting down he already disappeared under the blankets draped across the floor.

Leo and Raphie were sleeping together, under the warm blankets, in a tight hug. Mikey was grabbing at Leo's shell from behind but when Donnie popped out from under the pile of sheets, he rolled over.

'Donnie?' He spoke in a half asleep voice as he grabbed at his brothers plastron and pulled them closer. Donnie yawned before wrapping his arms around Mikey.

Splinter and the camera came closer as he covered his sleeping sons with extra blankets and made sure no feet were popping out from under them. The camera hovered over the sleeping forms for a couple of seconds before the video finally went dark and ended.

Master Splinter was the first to speak after a moment of silence and watching the static. "There were always moments like that, that made being a father that much greater." He looked somewhere beyond the television, his eyes lost somewhere no one could see. "And there are always memories like those that remind me how much you have all grown." He turned and smiled down at his sons who returned the warm gestures.

"Even though I flinched a couple of times," Raphael stretched his arms, "I must say; this is the best birthday present ever, little brother." He grabbed Mikey around the neck and gave him a friendly noogie on the head; the kind he gave as an act of brotherly love, and not plain Raph-brutality.

"Yeah, agreed, you always know how to surprise us, Mikey." Leo patted his shoulder.

"Best little bro a turtle could have." Donnie smiled.

"Aww, dudes… C'mere!" Mikey grinned and pulled all three of them into a strong hug. Half way through the video he thought his brothers would hate him for showing them their awkward young selves, but it couldn't have ended better, with a warm hug from his three brothers and the happy company of their friends.

"It wouldn't be the same without any of you." Mikey grinned before receiving another noogie attack from all three of them.