Hamato Sirani (a tmnt little sister book)

Birthday girl

1 year

Sirani didn't have a birthday. Splinter didn't know it, and Sirani definitely didn't. The boys pestered splinter after Mikey's birthday, asking when they were celebrating Sirani's.

Leo wanted to get her a plastic sword. Like the one he practiced with.
Mikey (after some translation) wanted to get her face paint. Splinter vetoed that immediately.
Donnie wanted to get her a new science book. Maybe then she'd read with him again (not that he'd ever admit it).
Raph wasn't sure what he wanted to give her. He knew he wanted to give her a big party with balloons but he didn't know about gifts.

Splinter knew that Sirani was only a little younger than Mikey but he didn't want to pick any old random day.

So he picked the day he found her. He'd heard about something called a "gotcha day" so he figured this would work.

May 9th was Sirani's new birthday.

Her first birthday with the Hamato family.

"Do you all have your presents?" Splinter called into the living room. He was busy decorating her cake while the boys figured out how to wrap their gifts.

He'd let the boys into the alley way to search for anything to give her and given them time to look for old toys to regift. The only rule was they couldn't gift her anything loud or messy unless they promised to watch her.

"Almost!" Leo shouted back.

Sirani sat up in her high chair at the sound of his voice. "Go!" She pointed at the doorway, wanting to go see what her brothers were up to.

Her demands lessened when splinter handed her the frosting spoon. She happily forgot about her brothers and licked the pink frosting.

"Dad i can't find the tapppppeeeee!" Leo whined.

"I still don't know what to get her!" Raph joined in.

"Leo and Raph are complaining, Dad, make them stop!" Donnie yelled.

Sirani finished the frosting spoon fairly quickly. "Go!" She whined as well.

"Ungrateful children." Splinter muttered, not really meaning it. "Purple, come here." He placed the frosting bowl into the sink, listening to the reluctant patter of Donnie coming to the kitchen.

"Yes?"

"You watch your sister. I will go help your brothers."

Donnie sighed, thinking he'd been in trouble. "Ok dad."

When splinter walked into the living room he didn't know where to start.

Raph was staring at his empty box, crying.

Mikey got wrapped IN his box.

Leo was wrapped in tape, attempting to bite his way out.

Splinter sighed.

"Orange?" He tapped the side of Mikey's box.

"I'm the gift!" He shouted, muffled from inside.

The rat opened it up and was relieved to see his son hadn't suffocated. Mikey was less enthusiastic.

"My wrapping!!" He shouted. "What do I give her now??"

"You have extra crayons. Let her have those and not your dead body." He shooed him away to his room, problem solved. Splinter would help him rewrap the box later.

He then turned to the next problem: Leo.

The little red eared slider grinned sheepishly. "I'm... Spider-Man?"

Splinter pulled him from the wall and removed the tape.

"Ow! Dad that hurts!" Leo attempted to squirm away.

"Is your gift ready?" Splinter asked instead.

"Yes!" Leo grinned, balling up the tape Splinter handed him. "She's getting my plastic sword!"

"And you won't miss it?"

Leo pondered for a second. "Oh."

"Go with orange and find another gift." He gave his son a gentle push and the blue masked brother ran off to join Mikey.

Now there was only one problem left.

Raph glared at his box. "I can't think of what to get her." Angry tears fell down his face.

Splinter sat down beside him, listening carefully to Donnie and Sirani in the kitchen. The last thing he needed was another disaster. "Is there not a toy you can... regive?" He suggested.

"She could get hurt with those." He grumbled. "What do human babies play with?"

Splinter blanked for a moment.

The boy never asked about human things.

After a moment he stood. "Wait here."

Raph said nothing as splinter went to his "do not touch" shelf. The rat scrounged for a moment as he climbed up the shelves. Finally, after reaching the top, he had what his oldest needed.

He sat back down. "Here. I was going to give it to her, but I will find something else." He handed the paper bag to him.

Raph swiped his tears away and opened it carefully.

A doll.

A Japanese doll in a small kimono.

Ten fingers.

Dark hair.

A human.

"This is perfect!" Raph leapt up immediately. "She'll love this!"

————-

Sirani did love it.

She didn't want to let go of it.

She didn't even want to open her other gifts.

She changed her mind when she saw the new crayons, pop up book, and magicians wand the others had gotten her. But still, the doll was her favorite.

Mikey had sat with her on the floor and opened them with her.

He let her do that for his birthday so she welcomed his help.

The doll stayed in her arms the whole time.

That afternoon was spent on the living room floor, all of them playing with her new toys.

Donnie read the pop up book on spiders to her.

Leo tried a new magic trick on her.

Mikey and Sirani drew on his drawing pad.

"Do you like the doll, Rani?" Raph asked quietly. "I didn't know what to get you so dad helped."

She nodded quickly. "Pretty!" She held it up for him to see, forgetting he'd given it to her.

"I'm glad you like it!" Raph laughed.

—————-

The six of them had their sugar crash on the couch, watching a Lou jitsu movie. Splinter crashed first, all the kids squished onto his lap.

Then Donnie and Leo.

Then Sirani.

Then Mikey.

Raph stayed awake, playing with his sisters hand and watching the movie.

He did her first birthday right.

He was happy.

Now he wanted to do everything else right as well.

"I'll keep you safe forever, Rani." He spoke quietly. "That's what big brothers do."

He couldn't wait to see what she'd be like when she was older.