A Quiet Writing Corner

A compilation of my writing from across various blogs I've had over the years, as well as full fics and drabbles. Full fics crossposted on ff.net and AO3. Links for accounts in Links and Tags. All written by Katie/Ally. Reblogs welcome!

[aquietwritingcorner]

A Quiet Writing Corner: A Fan Fiction Writing Blog

Written by Katie

2006 to Present. Fandoms include Ninja Turtles (1987, 2003, 2012, Rise) Hetalia, Mystic Messenger, and Fullmetal Alchemist. Reblogs encouraged, comments loved!  

AO3 || ff.net || tumblr || Instagram

I give blanket permission for podfics, artwork, translations, or other creative endeavors inspired by work to be created. I only ask that you give me credit and let me know about them!

[aquietwritingcorner]

Forced to Go to Work

Title: Forced to Go to Work Day: Sicktemer 2025, Day 2 Prompt: Forced to go to work/school while sick  Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 2075  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating:  PG/K+ Characters: Ma Jones (Jackie), Casey Jones Warning: NA Summary: Jackie Jones is a single mother, doing her best to raise her son. And if that means pretending she isn’t sick in front of him and going into work when she feels like death warmed over, so be it. Her son is worth the sacrifice.    Notes: We’re never given an official name for Ma Jones, so I’ve named her Jacqueline Marie Armstrong Jones, or Jackie. I’ve got a lot of headcanons about her, so have a small look into what I’ve been building with this story! Also, please remember that in canon, she called Casey “Arnold” and in the episode The Lesson, we see child Casey referred to as “Arnie.”   ffn || AO3

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Forced to Go to Work

Jackie Jones was not the kind of woman to rely on anyone else. She’d had a rough childhood, where, although her parents provided food, clothes, and shelter, it was mostly her looking after herself and her sister. She was the one who pulled Claire out of bad situations, and she was the one to pull herself out of bad situations. Her husband had been the first one she made the decision to rely on, and he had proven time and again that it was the right decision. They’d worked together and relied on each other to build up their store and run it, and when she had been pregnant with Arnie, he’d take up the slack when she just couldn’t do things.

And then it had all come crashing down. The store, burned. Her husband, dead. And there was absolutely no way she was about to turn to her family for help. She wouldn’t have Arnie raised in the environment she grew up in.

So, she buckled down. They moved to a cheaper area, she put aside her heels and dresses, and she found a job that would pay enough to get them through. They wouldn’t be living lavishly, not even comfortably at times, but they’d have food and a roof over their heads.

Unfortunately, times were tough. Her hours at work had been reduced, making their budget tighter. The cheap grocery store had shut down. Arnie was growing and he needed new shoes and would need a new winter coat soon. She was already picking up any hours she could but if things didn’t pick up, then every hour she worked would have to go towards their rent and utilities. She’d have to go to the food bank just get them enough food for a couple of weeks, and she was already keeping an eye out for any church or charity that might be doing a drive that would get her son the clothes he needed.

So, when she woke up on a Tuesday with a pounding head, a scratchy throat, and feeling like death warmed over, she mentally cursed. Jacking couldn’t afford to get sick now. Missing any hours meant they wouldn’t make the rent, and the landlord wasn’t the understanding type.

Jackie could already hear Arnie moving around in the apartment. He was a good boy, already very capable, like she and his pa had raised him to be. She’d hoped to give him a bit more of a childhood, free from adult worries, but life had taken that choice away from her. He was already good at getting himself up and ready for school, and, good boy like he was, he sometimes left some breakfast for her, if she’d worked late and was able to sleep in a little. He sometimes left dinner for her, too, and it both broke and warmed her heart.

Setting aside her grief over what she couldn’t give her son, Jackie forced herself up. She couldn’t sleep in today. She had a morning shift, and she already knew that she’d be moving slow. Her head swam as she got herself upright, and she took a second to let it settle before she left her room. Fortunately, Arnie wasn’t in the bathroom, so she went to use it. She looked at herself as she washed her hands, and grimaced. She didn’t look much better than she felt.

With a sigh she leaned against the counter as she took her brush and brushed through her hair, pulling it back into a braid. The ends were scraggily, and she’d have to trim them again, but right now she didn’t care. This was as much effort as she felt like putting into her hair. She put on a basic amount of makeup, hopefully just enough to help cover the circles under her eyes and cover how she was a bit paler than normal, and then left, heading back to her room to pull on her work clothes.

She was running low. They’d have to go to the laundry mat this weekend. Maybe she’d have enough money for that. If not, she’d wash their clothes out in the tub and sink again. It was slow, but it worked.

She sat on her bed for a moment, closing her eyes and catching her breath. She felt awful. She ached and was already exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to just lay down, curl up, and go back to sleep. It just wasn’t an option.

Taking a breath, Jackie steeled herself and stood up. She took a moment to compose herself. She wasn’t about to let Arnie see how bad she felt. No reason to add to the eleven-year-old’s worries. He already had too many adult worries for a child.

Feeling reasonably put together for how she felt, Jackie made her way into the small kitchen area of the apartment. Arnie’s backpack was already by the door, and she could see the lunch she’d made for him last night crammed into it. Arnie himself was at the stove, scrambling some eggs.

“Mornin’ Ma,” he said, glancing at her. He turned for a longer look, his brow furrowing. “You okay, Ma? You look tired.”

“Just didn’t sleep well,” she said. “Pay attention to yer food, Arnold. The eggs’ll burn.”

That sufficiently distracted him, and Jackie made her way to the coffee pot. Coffee and Tylenol. That was what was going to get her through the day. Maybe some Advil or something, too. “Didja finish that report for Mrs. Swann?” she asked him as she got a cup out of the cabinet.

Arnie nodded. “Yeah, I did, Ma. I still dunno why I gotta learn about the French and Indian War. It was so long ago. What’s it gotta do with me?”

“It’s gotta do with you because yer an American and it’s part of our history,” she said, pouring up her coffee. They’d run out of creamer and there wasn’t enough milk to put it in. Black it was. “All those wars, they’re connected. What happened in one led to another, and to another, and to another. Mrs. Swann wants all of ya to see how they affect each other. It’s good for yer thinking.”

Arnie frowned. “I guess so.” He turned off the stove and started putting the eggs on two plates. “We got any ketchup?”

Jackie shook her head. “No. We used it up Saturday.” She reached in the drawer and pulled out a couple of forks for them. “You got a science test today, right?”

Arnie nodded. “Yeah. Over chapter ten.”

“Gimmie yer book.”

Arnie shoved a mouthful of eggs in his mouth and scampered off to get it. Jackie looked at her plate. The thought of eating wasn’t very pleasant right now. She’d need to eat some, but she couldn’t eat all of it. But Casey was a growing boy, and his appetite was going up. Discreetly, she scraped some of the eggs onto his plate, glad she hadn’t touched them yet.

Arnie came back with his textbook, and Jackie turned to chapter ten, looking over it. “Alright. Let’s see. What are the three main types or rock?”

“Um… Sedimentary, Metamorpho, and that volcanic one,” Arnie said.

“Metamorphic,” Jackie corrected. “Metamorpho’s one of those comic book characters of yours.”

“Right,” Arnie said. “Metamorphic.”

“What’s the name of that volcanic one?” she said. “Because that’s not gonna cut it on the test.”

“Um…I..Ig…Ignaus?”

Jackie looked at the book. “Igneous,” she said.

“Igneous,” Arnie repeated, around a mouthful of eggs. He hadn’t noticed she’d given him more, but he did notice that she wasn’t eating. “Ma, ain’t you gonna eat?”

“I’ll eat,” Jackie said. “How’s metamorphic rock formed?”

Jackie continued quizzing him as they ate, making sure to eat her eggs as well. No use wasting them, and she couldn’t let Arnie eat after her, not while she was sick. When he was finished, Arnie put his plate in the sink, rinsing it off, and they headed back towards his room, to finish getting ready.

“Make sure ya got yer math homework!” she called after her. “I don’t want another call from Mr. Giordano about you not having it!”

“Yes, Ma!”

With him out of sight for the moment, Jackie let out a silent sigh. She still felt bad, the coffee only giving her a little pep, and the food making her stomach uneasy. With another breath in, she stood, using the table for leverage, before taking her own plate and cup to the sink. Either she or Arnie would wash them when they got home. For now, she dug through the medicine cabinet for some Tylenol, using the last of her coffee to take the pills. Fortunately, she knew she had some in her purse, in a small pillbox her mother-in-law had gifted her long ago. Hopefully it would be enough to get her through the day, even if she did pick up another shift.

She headed towards the bathroom, getting there just as Arnie came running out, heading for his bedroom. She entered and cast and eye over it. He’d forgotten to close the cabinet again, but at least she knew that he’d brushed his teeth and put on deodorant. She wasn’t gonna have him going to school smelling like he’d not showered in two days. He might be growing up, but that didn’t mean he had to stink like the other boys.

Jackie brushed her teeth and then went back to her room for her shoes. She sat down to put them on and could already tell that she was going to have to fight herself to get back up again. The Tylenol hadn’t kicked in yet, and she still felt awful. Still, she finished putting on her shoes and pushed herself up, heading towards the living room.

Arnie was already in there, cramming things into his backpack. He looked up at her and frowned. “Ya sure ya need to go to work today, Ma?”

She smiled at him and ruffled his hair before smoothing it back in place. He squirmed, just like she expected. “Its nice of ya to worry, but I’ll be fine, Arnold. Just a little tired.”

He looked at her, evaluating her words. “Are ya working another double tonight?”

“If I can pick one up, yeah,” she said, heading over to the fridge and pulling her own lunch out. She picked up her purse from the counter and went over to the door. “If I do, you make sure to do all yer homework. I’ll check. And ya better do it all before ya turn on that TV.”

“I know, Ma!” Arnie said.

Jackie nodded. “Good.” She opened the door, and Arnie slung his backpack on, both of them heading out, Jackie turning to lock the door.

They headed down, and the stairs felt like they took every bit of Jackie’s energy. But she covered it up for the sake of Arnie. They stopped right before the building door, and Jackie pressed a kiss to the top of Arnie’s head.

“Behave,” she said. “Try not ta get in any fights, unless they don’t give ya any other choice.”

“I know, Ma. I’ll try,” he said.

Jackie nodded. “Good. Alright. I’ll see ya tonight.”

Arnie hesitated, and then he hugged her briefly, quickly, before he took off out of the door, clearly a little embarrassed. Jackie smiled a little. Well, he was getting to that age.

With him gone, Jackie took a breath and slumped against the wall for a moment. She truly felt awful, and she had a twelve block walk to get to work. Her body was already aching in anticipation of that walk.

But what choice did she have? She had a son to provide for, and money was tight. No, there was no other option. Like it or not, feel like it or not, Jackie knew what she had to do. She pushed herself off the wall, dug deep for the grit that had gotten her through her life so far, and headed out.

Feeling like death or not, Jackie Jones would do whatever she needed to, to make sure Arnie had the best life she could provide for him. And if that meant forcing herself to go to work, then so be it. It was worth the sacrifice.

And with that determination, Jackie started the twelve block walk to work, not once looking back. She had a son to provide for.

[aquietwritingcorner]

It's the Middle of the Night, Why are You Up?

Title: It’s the Middle of the Night, Why are You up? Day: Sicktember Day 1 Prompt: “It’s the middle of the night, why are you up?”  Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 2033  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating:  G/K Characters: Michelangelo, Tang (OC), Warning: NA Summary: When Mike suddenly jerks awake in the middle of the night, his instincts automatically kick in and he’s ready to fight. Instead of an enemy, though, Mike faces something else: A sick child. A sick child who just threw up in his doorway. It’s gonna be a long night.   Notes: This takes place in my Mike Splinterson, Last Ronin Style AU verse, where Mike is the only one of his family left alive, and he found five baby mutant turtles that Stockman made that he’s raising as his own children.   ffn || AO3

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It's the Middle of the Night, Why are You Up?

Michelangelo didn’t sleep deeply anymore. He hadn’t in years. At first it was because his family was being hunted down, one by one. Then, after they had all been killed, it was because of grief and all the training he sought out. And then? Then it was because of his revenge on the people who had murdered his family.

Nowadays, though? Nowadays it was either guilt, nightmares, or, more frequently, because of five small mutant turtles that he had found, rescued, and was raising. Apparently, that was just part of fatherhood.

Which was why, when he sensed a presence nearby, he jerked awake, battled-honed instincts immediately having him roll over in his bed, tensed and ready for a battle.

However, it wasn’t an enemy or even a specter of his lost family that had woken him up. Instead, it was what had become most common: a little silhouette of a small mutant turtle.

Mike squinted at the figure in the dim light that was coming from outside of his room. It took him a second to figure out which one of his kids was standing in his doorway. “…Tang? It’s the middle of the night. Why are you up?”

Tang didn’t say anything, which wasn’t particularly like her. The three-year-old just looked at him and then squatted down and vomited.

Mike blinked. “…Ah.”

Mike rolled out of bed and made his way to where his now crying little girl was, being careful to avoid the puddle of vomit. He’d have to come back to that later. He reached down and picked her up, cradling him to her. She immediately curled against his plastron, wiping her face on it, and he grimaced a little. He’d have to wipe himself off after he finished cleaning her up.

“Hey, it’s alright, baby girl,” he said, trying to comfort her, even as he felt her forehead. She felt little warm. That wasn’t good. “I’ve got you. Let’s go get you cleaned up, okay?”

She sniffed, cuddling more into him. “Daddy…”

He softened a little at that soft plea for him to make it better. He kissed her on the head—which he hoped he didn’t regret later—and gave her a bit of squeeze.

“It’s okay. I’ve got you. It’s okay.”

Holding her, he quietly made his way to the bathroom, hoping that none of the other kids would wake up. He closed the bathroom door and flicked on the light, wincing in the sudden brightness. Tang didn’t like it either, and she whined even as she buried her face in Mike’s shoulder. He just hummed quietly as he turned on the water in the sink to let it warm and got out a washcloth.

A vague memory of his father doing this for him rose to Mike’s mind, and for a moment, his heart ached for his lost family. He paused, taking a deep breath to steady his emotions. He could feel that later. Right now, his daughter was more important. He’d put her first, just as Splinter had always put him and his brothers first.

Shell, he missed all of them.

Shaking that thought from his head, he went back over to the sink, gently pulling Tang away from him. She protested, but he didn’t stop.

“I’m just gonna sit you here, baby girl, so I can wipe off the throw up, okay? The washcloth is nice and warm, I promise.”

He put it under the flow of water, and then squeezed it out, carefully cleaning up Tang’s face. She leaned into it, subconsciously wanting the warmth. Mike could understand that. He’d always liked the warmed washcloths when he wasn’t feeling good.

“There you go,” he said to her, smiling at her. He pulled it away, to which she chirped in protest. Mike chuckled. “Just let me wipe myself off, okay? Then we’ll take your temperature.”

Tang, despite not feeling good, watched him with tired but observant eyes. She was always like that, watching and noticing everything. She reminded him of Donatello at times, and he wondered just how his brother would have played with and taught his daughter.

It was a futile wish and thought, and he cast it to the side, same as the dirty washcloth. Instead, he went through the cabinet for the thermometer, finding it fairly quickly. “Alright, Tang, remember to hold this under your tongue until it beeps, okay?”

She looked at it distastefully, but she didn’t seem to have the energy to fight him on it, so she opened her mouth and the three-year-old did as he asked. Mike got a couple of dirty towels out of the bin, and then scooped Tang back up in his arm. He made a stop by the cleaning closet for a bucket and that Swiffer mop April had insisted on buying for him. Carrying it all, plus Tang, Mike made his way back to his bedroom door. He stepped over the puddle of vomit, leaving the supplies by it, and deposited Tang on his bed. The thermometer beeped, and Mike pulled it out and looked at it.

“Yeah, you’ve got a fever,” he said. “Thought you felt kinda warm.” He sat the thermometer on his nightstand, and then wrapped his blankets around her, making her a little, temporary, nest. “You rest right there for a moment. Daddy’s gonna go clean up the throw-up, okay?”

She burrowed into the blankets, only her eyes peeking out, and chirped.

Taking that as a yes, Mike went back to the supplies. It didn’t take him long to wipe up most of the vomit with the towels, which he put in the bucket, and then quickly mopped the area. Looking back at Tang, he realized that she’d completely buried herself in the blankets. A smile tugged at his mouth. Just like he and his brothers had, his kids often felt safer when they were completely covered up. It was an old turtle instinct, wanting to pull into a shell that they no longer could.  

“I’ll be right back, Tang,” he said. “Just gonna go put these stinky towels away.”

There was a small movement that let him know that she’d heard him, and he gathered the supplies and left the room. It didn’t take him long to put them away, and he made a side trip to get some medicine, a garbage can that he put a plastic sack in, some water, and, most difficult of all, Tang’s favorite blanket.

That last one he managed thanks to years of ninja training, having to tread lightly so he didn’t wake up the other kids. Every time he had to sneak around them, he reflected that he was ninety percent sure that sneaking around kids was how Splinter had developed his stealth. He did take a second to look at them, but none of them seemed to show any signs of a fever or sickness. Mike just hoped that held, and it was just Tang who was sick.

It was probably because she stuck something in her mouth again that she shouldn’t have. One day he’d break her of that habit.

Moving quickly, Mike made his way back to his room, not wanting to leave Tang alone for too long. However, as he approached his door, he heard Tang crying again, giving out little distressed chirps with it. Instinctively giving a reassuring chirp back, he hurried in, and found her sitting in his bed, uncovered—and with vomit in his blankets and sheets.

Mike sighed. It was going to be one of those kinds of illnesses, then. Great. He was glad he got the garbage can.

Tang sniffed and cried harder when he sighed, letting out more distressed chirps. Mike smiled at her. “Don’t worry, baby, I’m not mad at you. You couldn’t help it.”

The blanket was going to have to be washed anyway, so he used it to wipe her off, and then balled it up and pushed it and the dirty sheets to the side. They’d have to be washed. He sat on his mattress with her in his lap and cuddled her for a moment, churring to try to reassure her.

Once she was calmer, he shifted her a bit. “I’ve got some medicine for you to take, okay?” he said. “It should help you feel better.”

He held it out, and Tang eyed it for a moment. Mike wondered if he was going to have a fight on his hands. She could be as stubborn as Raph when she wanted to be. But she must not have been feeling good, because she obediently opened her mouth. Mikey helped her take the medicine and drink a little water. Then he stood up with her, bundling the sheet and blankets together and putting them under his arm.

“Come on, baby, I know what’ll make you feel better until that medicine kicks in.”

He headed back to the bathroom, taking a detour through the laundry room and dumped the sheets and blankets in the washer. Once in the bathroom, he turned on the shower to let the water warm, and then, still carrying Tang, got the dirty towels, too. Heading back to the laundry room, he dumped them in the washer as well, hoping to keep everything contained for the moment. Then he headed back to the bathroom with Tang and tested the water in the shower. She needed to be bathed off, and Mike knew from experience just how good a shower could feel when you were sick.

With the water warm, he stepped into the shower with Tang, letting the warm water wash over both of them. Tang chirped and practically melted in his arms. Mike smiled and let her stay cuddled up to him under the spray for a bit, letting it soothe her. Then carefully, he began to wash her off, getting the vomit off of her—and off of him—churring as he did, trying to get the little girl to relax more.

Fortunately, the medicine began to kick in, and Tang began to grow sleepy about fifteen minutes into the shower. Mike turned off the water and stepped out, wrapping her in a fluffy towel. It was nice and warm, kept in some sort of warmer that April had insisted on giving him so the kiddos could always have warm towels. Tang let out a pleased chirp, still half-asleep. Mike chuckled and dried the both of them off as best he could and then wrapped her up in the towel before picking her up.

With her in his arms still, he headed out of the bathroom, snagging some spare sheets and a blanket from the linen closet on the way, as well as turning on the washing machine. Once in his room, he carefully laid the mostly asleep Tang, still wrapped in her towel, on the floor, and quickly made up the bed.

With it nice and cozy once again, he picked up his daughter, discarding the towel away and sat on the bed, wrapping her and him up in a blanket instead, the prepared garbage can nearby. Tang cuddled in arms and chirped, settling into a light sleep. Mike kissed the top of her head, churring, and reached for his phone, sending a text to April and Casey to let them know to stay away from the lair for a bit. Then he settled in, too, knowing he wasn’t moving for a bit.

“Rest up, baby girl. I promise I’ll be here when you need me.”

Just like his father had done for them, Mike would keep the sick little girl in his room, trying to keep her separate from her siblings. And just like his father had done for him, Mike would cuddle and hold the little girl as much as he could, until she got better.

That’s what good fathers did, and Mike would make sure he was a good father, just like his had always been.

“Love you, baby girl,” Mike said, meaning every word from the depths of his heart—depths he had never thought he’d find again, until he had his kids. “You’ll feel better soon, I promise. And I’ll be here in the meantime.”

[aquietwritingcorner]

Fractured Bonds

Title: Fractured Bonds  Fandom:  TMNT 90s Movies Word Count: 8662  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating:  T Characters: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, Splinter Warning: NA Summary: After the events of the third movie, Don, being the only one of the brothers who didn’t want to stay in ancient Japan, is feeling like the odd man out. But continued reminders of the brothers wanting to stay, and unintentional exclusion stresses the bond that Donatello has with his brothers, until it might be too late.    Notes: This story has been a journey, with computer issues, loosing parts of it, and having to deal with numerous irl issues at the same time. It’s not my best work, but hopefully its good enough for my first foray into the 90s movie verse.    ffn || AO3

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Fractured Bonds

Mikey sighed as he turned the lampshade around in his hands. The fringe on it brushed against his palms, and the bright colors rotated slowly, but he didn’t look like he was paying them much mind. It seemed as if it something that his hands could do while his mind and his heart were focused elsewhere.

From not far away, Donnie watched him. He stood back a little bit, taking a second to just observe his brother. It wasn’t hard to see that Mikey was upset. Morose, Don’s mind supplied as a more fitting word. Donnie knew his brother well. Of all of them, he felt the closest to Mikey. The two of them often spent time together, especially when their more strong-willed brothers were in conflict. Seeing Mikey like this didn’t feel right.

Then again, several things hadn’t felt right lately.

Donnie brushed that feeling away, and stepped up next to his brother, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, Mikey. What’s got you down?”

Mikey looked up at him for a second, emotion swimming in his eyes, and then back down at the lampshade, not even attempting to look anything but sad. “Just thinking about Mitsu,” he said with a heavy sigh.

Don took a silent, but sharp breath that sat heavy in his chest. “Again?” he said, tightening his hand on Mikey’s shoulder a little. “Come on, Mike. You’ve got to move past her.”

It was, apparently, the wrong thing to say, even though Donnie knew it was true. He felt Mikey tense a little under his hand, and the lampshade stopped turning. “It isn’t that easy, Don,” he said, an unusual edge to his voice. One that, apparently, caught the attention of their other brothers.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Raph’s voice broke in, and he stepped up, clearly having taken notice of Mikey as well. He shouldered his way beside Mikey, forcing Don to move his hand. “Lay off, alright? Mikey’s right. It ain’t that easy.” He sat beside his brother, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “I’m still thinking of Yoshi, and all that nature. I coulda stayed there forever.”

Mikey looked at him, a hint of a smile on his lips. “Right? It was, like… I don’t know. Mondo calming. It felt right.”

“Yeah,” Raph agreed. “Like we was supposed to be there.” He glanced over at Leo, who had drifted closer. “Ain’t that right, Leo.”

Leo hesitated. “I have to admit, it was nice. I really would have liked to have stayed longer and learned some sword smithing.”

“From that blacksmith?” Mikey asked. “In the village?”

Leo stepped closer, joining in the conversation now. “Sure! He had skill. Even if it wasn’t swords, I’m sure I could have learned some basics from him. But I’m also certain that there were other smiths around that were sword smiths, and I bet I could have learned from one of them as well.”

“Oh, man, can you imagine?” Raph said. “Just show up at a shop and be like ‘Hey, I wanna learn how to make swords.’ You’d probably scare ‘em half to death!”

“Maybe Mitsu could have worked something out,” Mikey said, clearly perked up. “She was the leader of her village.”

“Yeah, maybe so!”

Don hesitated. “I don’t know, guys. It might not have been that easy.”

“Like it ain’t that easy for Mikey to get over Mitsu?” Raph shot back.

Don recoiled a little, and fell silent, watching as the three of them dove into talking about what could have been, if they’d just stayed in ancient Japan. They were animated about it, and Mikey seemed happier now that he was talking about it with Raph and Leo. With a silent step, Don stepped away from his brothers and headed over to his computers, none of them even seeming to notice. It was okay. He’d just focus on the new program he was writing. It would be fine.

Don wasn’t sure how long the conversation went on, ignoring it and instead focusing all his attention on the program he was writing. He didn’t look up until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“My son?”

Don blinked and looked over at Splinter. “Oh. Sensei, hi.”

Splinter frowned. “My son, how long have you been working on this?”

Don frowned and looked over at his clock. “Um… about four hours now?”

Splinter’s frown increased. “Were you not going to join your brothers in going out?”

Don’s brow furrowed. “They’re going out?”

Splinter nodded. “Yes. Mister Jones said something about meeting all of you at a park. You did not know?”

Donnie hesitated. “To be honest, Sensei, I was so focused on this that I might have just missed them saying something to me.”

Splinter’s expression softened, and he put a gentle paw on Donatello’s head. “Take a break, my son. Go out with your brothers. It will be good for you.”

Don smiled back at his father, quickly pressing a few keys to save his work. “Hai, Sensei,” he said.

He stood up, and Splinter retreated, heading back to the main area of their home, watching his sons get ready to go.

“Oh, hey Don, ya going with?” Mikey asked him.

“Yeah,” Donnie said. “Got lost in my computer program. Sensei told me you were about to leave.”

“Awesome, dude. Let’s get going!”

“We all here?” Leo asked as Mikey and Donnie approached.

“Yeah, yeah, Leo, now let’s go! I need some air,” Raph said.

“Keep your shell on, we’re going,” Leo said.

It didn’t take the brothers long to get topside, nor did it take them long to meet up with Casey in the park. It was, though, a fairly quiet night, with only a few drunks to scare away from people, and not much else. Still, the brothers and their friend managed to have fun, eventually settling down in a small, secluded area to take a break.

“Ya know, I never thought I’d like the park this much.”

Don glanced over at Raph as he spoke.

“This park?” Casey shot Raph a look. “You like this park? It doesn’t even have good punkers to take out.”

“Yeah, well, okay, it ain’t exactly the garden spot of the city,” Raph said, “but it’s got that little stream over there and there ain’t a lot of people here. It’s kinda quiet and there ain’t too much trash.”

“Are you turning into an environmentalist?” Casey asked. He glanced at the other turtles. “Is he turning into an environmentalist?”

“Nah, I think I know what he’s getting at,” Leo said, slinging at arm around Raph’s shoulders. “It reminds you of Japan, doesn’t it?”

Don frowned. “It doesn’t look anything like Japan,” he said. He tilted his head, taking in the sounds of the city. “Or sound like it.”

“No, no, I can totally see it!” Mikey said. “The water, the trees—”

“The trees are different kinds,” Don pointed out quietly.

Raph glanced back at him, clearly irritated. “Aw, what would you know? I bet the only reason you even noticed the trees is because there wasn’t a computer for you to stick your beak into. If it ain’t got a microchip, then it don’t matter to you!”

Don blinked a little taken aback. “No, that’s not what I—never mind.”

Casey glanced between them, but his curiosity got the better of him. “So, what was ancient Japan like anyway?”

“Oh, man, Case, it was beautiful! You shoulda seen all the fresh air and the unspoiled nature!” Raph said, lighting up.

“Can’t see fresh air, dude,” Mikey said, clearly teasing, but plopping down near Raph and Casey. “But you could definitely smell the difference!”

“That’s for sure,” Leo said, settling down as well.

Don sighed to himself, and sat a little distance away, as his other three brothers animatedly started talking about the land they’d left behind. Casey listened, fascinated, while Don just observed. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the city around him, cataloging the familiar noises while the others talked for what seemed like endless minutes.

Eventually, the conversation moved on, into more familiar things and, after taking down a group of punkers that had wandered into the park, dawn was nearing. The brothers split from Casey, heading home, the conversation once again turning to Japan. Don mostly kept his silence, except when addressed, and headed straight to his room when they got back, only stopping to bid Splinter a good night.

Donnie collapsed into bed, staring at the roof of his subway car and listening to the sound of the train passing above them. He closed his eyes and focused on the various projects he had to do—mapping out more of the old sewers, better security, fixing up a few things—and let himself drift off to sleep.

Mapping out the old sewers was an on-going project of both Don and Leo’s. It had started out as Donnie’s, but Leo had quickly seen the value in it and often joined his brother on his excursions. So, a couple of days later, Don found himself seeking out Leo, wondering if his brother wanted to do some more mapping of the sewers with him. It took him a moment to find Leo, who was sitting in a corner of their training area.

“Hey, Leo, I—oh. What are you doing?” Donnie asked, his own question curtailed by his curiosity as he took in his brother.

Leo was currently surrounded by at least a dozen books and at least twice as many blades. He glanced up at Donnie’s voice, and grinned, clearly happily occupied with whatever he was doing.

“Hey Donnie! I was just looking at some of these weapons we have. I know that several of them are modern day ones, but some of them are older. I wanted to see if I could figure out when they were made.”

Donnie’s curiosity drew him closer. “How are you doing that?” he asked.

“Well, April picked me up some books from the library that have lots of picture references. I’m hoping that by comparing them, I can find elements that’ll identify the time period,” Leo said.

Donnie nodded following along. “Like style, materials, and so on, right? Not just of the blades but of the pommels, too?”

Leo nodded. “Exactly!” he waved Donnie over. “Look here! This one I’ve already identified by the grip that it’s got to be from Europe. The language looks… Italian?”

“Latin,” Donnie said. “That’s Latin.”

“Latin, awesome,” Leo said. “Although I’m not sure that narrows it down much.”

Donnie shook his head. “Maybe not by country of origin, but it does by time period, at least a little. Latin inscriptions aren’t as common nowadays, but they were a lot more common in the past, especially if this belonged to someone rich or powerful.”

Leo nodded. “That makes sense. Oh, but look at this one!” Leo picked up a short sword, clearly Asian in origin. “This one, from what I’ve been able to figure out, is Japanese, maybe even close to the time period we visited.”

“Yeah?” Donnie asked, a bit of caution in his voice.

Leo didn’t seem to hear it in his enthusiasm. “Yeah! It’s got some telltale signs of forging from that era.” Leo closed his book and looked up at the ceiling wistfully. “If only we could have gotten some more time in the past. Donnie, I’ve been reading, and you won’t believe all of the amazing sword smiths that lived back then! I’d have loved to learn from them!”

Don listened as Leo enthusiastically told him about all that he had read, his brother never seeming to notice how quiet Don became, nor bothering to ask why Don was looking for him. Instead, he talked about finding out more information and seeing if maybe April would let them go back to her farmhouse and maybe build a forge up there.

Don didn’t have the heart to stop his brother’s dreams, and, once Leo was ready to return to his research, just headed out to map out the sewers on his own.

A few hours later, Donnie made his way down the ladder to their home, his skateboard slung across his back, giving a quick wave and a grin to Splinter as he looked around for his brothers.

“Hey guys! Guys!”

“Over here, Donnie!” Mikey called.

Donnie looked around for a moment, before spotting his brothers near the television set. He hurried over to them, clearly excited about something.

“Guys, you won’t believe what I just found—”

“Shh! Wait till commercial, egghead!” Raph said, his attention clearly fixated on the tv.

Don blinked, not expecting to be cut off like that. “What are you watching?” he asked.

“It’s a documentary!” Mikey said.

“A… documentary?” Don repeated, a bit surprised. His brothers had seldom been interested in watching any documentaries with him.

Leo glanced at him, nodding. “Yeah. It’s one on sixteenth century Japan. We’re trying to see if they make any mention of anyone we knew.”

“Or if we see any places we knew!” Mikey added.

“Which would be easier if you all were quiet,” Raph snapped, just as the show went to commercial. “Ah great!” he grumped.

“It’ll be back on soon enough,” Leo said, glancing at Raph but then turning his attention back to Don. “What did you want to tell us?”

Don perked up. “I found this really awesome new place to skate!” he said. “I think you’ll really like it and—”

“Pass,” Raph said, and turned his attention back to the TV.

“Maybe later?” Leo said. “I’d like to see the end of this.”

“I see,” Don said, and turned to the youngest. “Mikey?”

“Nah, later bro,” Mikey said. “I wanna see if they mention Mitsu!”

Don looked at all of his brothers, clearly disappointed. Leo smiled back at him sympathetically.

“It’ll still be there after this,” Leo said, clearly trying to smooth things over.

“Yeah. I suppose it will be,” Don said.

The show came back on, and the three brothers turned back to it. Don pulled back from them and slowly headed towards the ladder, giving his father a little nod before he left the lair again, still with his skateboard. With a sigh and a slump in his shoulders, Don got on his skateboard and headed away, going towards the new area he had discovered that would have been perfect for all of them to skate on.

Maybe he’d just concentrate on his projects for a while and try to let all of this blow over. It had to, eventually, right?

Don typed away on his keyboard, stopping only occasionally to make notes in a nearby notebook. He squinted at the screen, eyes carefully looking over his code, trying to figure out where his mistake was. He’d been working on this almost exclusively for the past week, putting everything else to the side, except what Splinter had required out of him.

“My sons.”

Splinter’s voice interrupted his train of thought, and Don looked up and over at his master, taking a second to get his mind back on track. His father’s tone had caught all of their attention, and Donnie quickly saved his work, knowing that Splinter wanted all of their attention. He made his way over to his father, joining his brothers.

“Yes, Master Splinter?” Leo said, clearly speaking for all of them.

Splinter looked over them. “My sons, I can sense your restlessness. You have been inside for far too long. I want you to go. Go out. Get some supplies. Check in on our friends. Eat some pizza. Have some fun.”

“Wait—yer tellin’ us to go out and have fun?” Raph said.

Splinter nodded once. “Yes. Fun is good for you—so long as you remember who you are and do not take unnecessary risks.”

“Alright!” Mikey cheered, already turning to go. “Pizza here we come!”

“Why don’t we go to a movie, too?” Raph suggested, already reaching for his hat. “There’s a new samurai flick out.”

“Yeah! Maybe we can head over to Chinatown afterwards, too!” Mikey said.

“Don’t worry, Master,” Leo said, giving Splinter a small bow. “We’ll be careful.”

“Hm. Good,” Splinter said.

Donnie hesitated, lingering back from his brothers. “I’d really rather stay in and keep working on my code, Sensei. I think I’m close to figuring it out.”

Splinter looked up at him, and Donnie fidgeted under his intense gaze. “No,” his father finally said. “You need this break as well, my son. You have been looking at that screen for too long. Go. A break will do you some good.”

Donnie frowned, but there really wasn’t anything else he could say to that. When Splinter had decided on something, there was little to do to change his mind. “Yes, Sensei,” he said quietly.

Don quietly made his way over to his brothers, who were already talking about where they should go and what they should get. He followed them to the ladder, giving Splinter one last look before going up, knowing that his father wasn’t about to let him just stay home.

The four brothers made their way up through the sewers. Leo, Raph, and Mikey were animatedly chatting. Normally, Donnie would be right there with them. Splinter giving them approval to go have some fun as long as they did an errand or two? That wasn’t a typical thing, and it was something that normally all four of the brothers would be excited about.

“Movie or errands first?” Raph asked.

“Mm, movie,” Leo said. “That way we don’t have to worry about things while we’re watching the movie.”

“Can we, like, hit up a bodega or something first?” Mikey asked. “I wanna sneak some candy in.”

“Where are ya gonna hide it, doofus? In your shell?” Raph said, clearly teasing.

Mike grinned back at him. “Nah, I thought we could use the empty space in your head.”

Mikey took off, with Raph chasing behind him. Leo laughed and then looked back at Don. “You okay, bro?”

Don hesitated for a split second, debating what to say. “Yeah, I’m good,” he finally said. “Guess maybe Master Splinter was right and I’ve spent too much time focused on that code.”

Leo nudged him. “You should take more breaks! Come hang out with the rest of us. I bet you’d enjoy it!”

“Yeah?” Don asked, intrigued.

“Yeah!” Leo said. “Raph’s been talking about trying for a bonsai garden, and Mikey’s trying to learn Japanese. Splinter said he’d help both of them with that. And April said if I could figure out how to safely build a forge, she’d let me! I could really use your help with that.”

Don’s heart sank a little, but he tried not to show it. “Yeah,” he said. “That… that sounds great.”

Leo slung an arm around Donnie. “I know it’s not a microchip or a computer or chemistry or something. But there really is a science and an art behind forging, and I want to learn it. I could use any help you could give me. I think it’d be really awesome to learn to use the old techniques, you know?”

Don opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, a yell from Mikey echoed down the sewers. It was clearly a playful yell, so neither brother was alarmed by it, but Leo rolled his eyes and removed his arm from Donnie as he darted forward.

“Cut it out, you two!” he said, hurrying forward and leaving Donnie behind. “Do you want the whole sewer to hear you?”

Whatever Raph said in reply was just muffled enough that Don couldn’t hear it as he continued forward. But he supposed it didn’t matter. His brothers were handling it just fine without him.

The movie that the other three wanted to see wouldn’t be showing for another hour. They bought tickets and then headed over to the pizza shop Keno worked at to see if they could score a pie. They did, and Keno went on break to catch up with them. Leo, Raph, and Mikey relayed the details about their trip to Japan as quickly as they could, leaving Keno amazed and wanting to hear more, later. Donnie just listened, quietly eating his pizza slices.

After that, they ran to a bodega, picking up some candy for the movie, and then had to hurry in to get the good seats. Well, the good seats for them, where they were less likely to be seen, anyway.

“I hate having to hide again,” Raph complained. “Can’t even see a movie in the open.”

“Raph, we couldn’t have seen a movie in ancient Japan, either,” Leo pointed out.

Raph huffed. “I know! But it’s the principle of the matter. If movies had been invented, we woulda been able to see one there.”

“Gotta admit, that sounds mondo nice,” Mikey said. “Even if they probably wouldn’t have had…” Mikey looked at one of the candy boxes, “…rasinettes.”

“Rasinettes? Who got rasinettes?” Raph said.

“I did,” Don said, just a little bit irritably. “You know I like them.”

“Alright, alright, you like them, sheesh,” Raph said, holding his hands up.

“Shhh,” Leo said. “I think it’s about to begin.”

The lights went down, and from the booth above them, a light began to project, starting the previews.

The movie itself wasn’t too bad, and under other circumstances, Donnie probably would have enjoyed it. Set in ancient Japan, it told the story of two warring clans, and the samurai of one who loved the lord’s daughter of the rival clan. There was lots of fighting and action, with just enough blood to add to the drama. It was fairly historically accurate to the time period it was trying to portray, the writers and producers clearly having done their research.

And it was way too close to what they had lived through already.

When they left the theater, it was with three brothers who were animatedly talking about the movie, and one that was much quieter.

The brothers made their way to the rooftops, heading across them even as they continued to chatter.

“Now that was a good movie!” Raph said as they moved.

“It was!” Leo agreed. “The story was good, and they even did well on getting the setting and fights accurate.”

“And the girl!” Mikey said, doing a flip. “She was great! The way she fought for her beau? Went into battle and everything!”

“You do realize that would be unlikely, right?” Don finally said. “A woman of her stature being able to fight that way.”

Mikey cast him an irritated look. “Mitsu was in the middle of the fighting.”

Don did his best to reign his own irritation in. “Mitsu was in a unique position, and she didn’t have the same status as the girl in the movie.”

“So?” Mikey pushed back. “If she was, she still would have been in there, handing people their butts. She was great. Beautiful and a fighter. She was nice and kind and…” Mikey trailed off, looking sad as he slowed down, stopping.

Leo came up beside him. “Aw, Mikey, don’t be like that. She was a great girl, and at least you got to know her.”

“Yeah,” Raph said. “We got to meet a lotta good people. I still think about what Yoshi might be doing.”

“Yeah,” Mikey agreed. “Mitsu was the best. Brave and beautiful and kind and--And maybe… maybe if we had stayed, then she and I…”

Don felt his frustration bubble up. “Mikey. You know that wouldn’t have happened. She was in love with Kenshin.”

Three heads snapped to him, various degrees of shock and hurt on them.

And then Mikey’s turned to anger. “You don’t know that!” he said.

“Yes, I do!” Don said exasperated. “She was in love with Kenshin! And from what Sensei and Casey said, he was in love with her. Besides that, if we had stayed, then either the village would have been wiped out or the whole area would have been plunged into war because Kenshin was missing and there’d be no marriage to bring peace!”

“We coulda stopped it!” Raph said, edging forward a bit between Mikey and Don.

“No, we couldn’t!” Don exploded. “We couldn’t have stopped it and they all would have died, or at least most of them! And it almost happened, all because of what? Hoping to learn skills you’d never use, a kid that would have grown up and lived his own life, and some girl that never would have loved you anyway?”

“Donnie, that’s enough,” Leo said, stepping forward, but he was unheard.

Mikey pushed past Raph. “Mitsu wasn’t just some girl!” he said. “I loved her!”

“You knew her for three days! She was in love with someone else! She never would have loved you back,” Don shot back. “And hundreds of people would have died because of a crush!”

“That’s not true!” Mikey said, clearly upset. “She-She could have—”

“Don’t listen to him, Mike,” Raph said. “What does he know anyway? You heard ‘im back in Japan. He can’t live without his microchips.” His voice was mocking. “He wouldn’t know a romantic feeling unless it sent him an email!”

“Raph.” Leo’s voice was harsh.

But the damage was already done. Don drew himself back, his eyes and his expression guarded. “Fine,” he spit out. “Believe whatever you want.”

He turned, heading towards the opposite side of the rooftop.

“Donnie—where are you going?” Leo asked.

“To play with my microchips and check my email!” Don shot back, and then left, leaping across the rooftop and away from his brothers.

“Ah, who needs him anyway,” Raph said.

Mikey’s anger had started to melt into hurt. “I can’t believe he’d say that,” he said.

Leo put his hand on Mikey’s shoulder. “Let’s just let him cool down, alright? We can talk about it later. Let’s just go get those supplies Master Splinter asked for.”

Mikey nodded, and, much quieter, the three remaining brothers continued to make their way towards Chinatown.

It was nearing morning when Splinter heard the sound of his sons returning. Closing and sitting aside the book he had in his hand, he made his way out to the main area, watching as his sons returned home. They were being loud and boisterous, perhaps a bit too much so, but he was glad to hear it. There had been a discord and melancholy around them since they had returned from the past. To hear them cheerful warmed his heart.

He watched as his sons made their way down the ladder, laden with bags of food and other goodies, and dripping water from the pouring rain. But Splinter’s smile faded away as he realized that only three of his sons had come home.

“My sons,” he said, catching their attention.

Michelangelo looked up at him and grinned, shaking off the rain. “Heya, Sensei!”

“Sup, pops,” Raphael said, already moving to hang up his sodden hat and coat.

“Hi, Master,” Leonardo started. “We got everything on your list. We even found some other things—”

Splinter wasn’t listening. He was reliving that heart stopping moment when he thought that he had lost Michelangelo in the past.

“Where is your brother?” he interrupted. “Where is Donatello?”

All of his sons froze and looked at him.

“You mean he ain’t here?” Raph said.

“No,” Splinter said. “I sent the four of you out together. Which is how you should have returned. Why would you think he was here?”

“Well, we thought after…” Michelangelo trailed off and looked at his brothers, uncertainly.

Splinter pressed his lips together, having had enough of this secrecy his sons were keeping. “Come,” he said harshly. “Kneel.”

Putting the things down and, looking a bit guilty, the three brothers came forward and knelt before their father.

“You have not told me what happened in the past,” he stated bluntly.

“We did—” Leonardo started, but Splinter cut him off again.

“No! You have not told me all of it. I have allowed you your secrets. You are becoming young men, and I wish to afford you that privacy. But something happened that has affected your bond as brothers, and I will know what it is.”

There was no room for argument in his tone, and his three sons glanced at each other. For a moment, they were silent. Then, Mikey spoke up.

“It… it’s kinda my fault, Sensei.”

“Explain.”

In halting, hesitating words, the three brothers explained how they had almost made the decision to stay behind in the past, with Donatello being the only one who wanted to come back to their own time. Splinter listened patiently as they explained the situation, and their reasons why.

“…This explains much,” he finally said.

The three brothers exchanged looks.

“What do you mean, Master?” Leo asked.

Splinter let out a heavy breath and stroked his chin, in an attempt to hide the way his whiskers were trembling as he thought of losing three of his sons in one fell swoop—and now maybe having lost one.

“Ever since you returned, there have been… changes. Michelangelo.”

Mikey sat up straighter.

“Yours has been the most obvious. Previously you and Donatello spent much time together. However, you have spent much of your time lately upset. Donatello has attempted to comfort you, in his own way, only to be rejected each time. My son, although he was perhaps a bit harsh in his assessment, he is not wrong. Kenshin loved Mitsu, and it seems as if she returned the feelings. Additionally, it was the only way to bring peace to the area.”

Mikey hung his head. “I know, Sensei, it’s just that, well…”

Splinter laid a hand on Mikey’s head. “I know my son. It does not make your heart hurt any less. But it is best not to focus too much on those feelings.” He looked up at his other sons. “As for you, my sons, your acceptance and idolization of the past has put distance between you and Donatello as well. Raphael,”

Raph looked up.

“You know in your heart, that as much as you wished to stay with young Yoshi, eventually he would leave you behind, as all young ones do at some point, when they are grown and move out into the world. He already had a family to prepare him for that.” Splinter’s look softened a little, and he moved his hand to Raph’s head. “You did well for the boy while you were there, but that was not your role in his life.”

Raph’s eyes tracked down. “I… I know, Sensei, but, I just—I—it was nice to be accepted there and I—”

Splinter rubbed his hand on Raph’s head. “And you know it would not have lasted. Eventually, you would have needed to go into hiding again.”

Raph let out a sigh and his shoulders dropped. “Yeah. Yeah probably.”

Splinter nodded his head. “Leonardo.”

“Yes, Master?” Leo said as he sat up straighter.

“I know that there was much you wished to learn from that time. But my son, just because one village accepted you, do you assume others would as well? People would have mistaken you for some sort of kappa or other yokai, and you would have ended up in hiding again at some point. You would learn much as you learn here—from the shadows.”

Leo took in a breath. “I know, Master. And I know that coming back home was the right thing to do. We didn’t belong there, and there were people that did. It wasn’t fair to keep them from their homes and lives. But…” he looked up at his father, uncertainty in his eyes. “…But it’s nice to dream about what could have been.”

Splinter smiled at Leo and moved his hand to his head. “I understand my son.” He looked at all of them. “I understand the longing you all have that seemed fulfilled there. But I also understand what Donatello is feeling.”

“What do you mean?” Mikey asked.

“Your rejection of the present feels as if it is a rejection of him.”

The three brothers immediately jumped out with denials.

“No! We would never—”

“—he’s our brother and ain’t nothing gonna change—”

“We love him! Why would we reject him—”

Splinter held up his hands, and they fell silent. “Think of your words and actions as of late. While there, you rejected the modern world, a world Donatello feels much more comfortable in than ancient Japan. You were choosing to stay there, in a place where he didn’t feel comfortable, rejecting the modern world. It felt as if you were rejecting a part of him.”

“But we would never—”

Splinter held up his hand again. “And then consider your actions since returning home. Have you spent time with him? Have you joined him on adventures? Have you looked at what he wanted to show you? Have you listened to him?”

The three brothers exchanged glances.

“Well… no,” Leo finally said. “I guess I haven’t.”

“I haven’t either,” Mikey said, looking down.

Raph’s smack of his fist in his hand and his growl of frustration was his answer.

Splinter nodded. “My sons, there is nothing wrong with feeling what you feel, or exploring your interests. I am pleased that you have something to bond over. However, you have, unintentionally, excluded your brother, and I am afraid that in that exclusion, he has begun to feel rejected by you.”

Raph shot to his feet, not able to stay still any longer. “So, what do we do?” he said. “I might tease the egghead, but I don’t want him to feel like he don’t belong!”

“You show him that he belongs,” Splinter said. “You do things with him. You listen to him. You make sure that he knows that he is included.”

“Does that mean we don’t talk about Japan at all?” Mikey asked.

Splinter shook his head. “No, my son. I am not saying you must put aside that experience completely. But I am asking that you temper it with other things as well. Such as… pizza. Or Skateboarding. Or video games.”

“We never did go see that new area Donnie found to skate in,” Leo said quietly. He took a breath. “Okay. Once Donnie gets home, we apologize for the fight and then try to move forward from there.”

“Sounds good,” Mikey said.

“Yeah, sure,” Raph said, starting to pace.

Leo glanced at the clock. “It shouldn’t be too long. It’s almost dawn. Donnie should be home, soon.”

The family settled in to wait, but as the minutes ticked by, and Don didn’t return home, the tension grew. It was well past dawn when Raphael had finally had enough.

“That’s it!” he said. “He ain’t back yet! I’m gonna go out looking for him!”

“Raphael!” Splinter’s voice rang out. “It is daytime. You will not go out.”

“But Donnie—”

“I know, my son. I am worried about him, too.” Splinter took a breath, calming himself. “Michelangelo.”

“Yes?”

“Call April, Casey, Keno. See if any of them have seen or heard from Donatello.”

“You got it!”

“Leonardo, Raphael. Go search the sewers. There is the chance that Donatello is below ground. Be cautious not to be seen, though.”

“Hai, Sensei.”

“On it.”

Leonardo paused. “What are you going to do, Master?”

Splinter took a steadying breath. “I will wait here, in case he returns.”

With a nod, the brothers got to work. Leonardo and Raphael headed out quickly, after laying out a couple of different search routes. Michelangelo reported back that none of their friends had heard from Don, but that they would keep an eye and an ear out. With that task done, Mikey headed off to join in searching the sewers.

Unfortunately, they had no luck. They searched as far as they could, but at one point they had come across a blockage, and could hear workers on the other side. The only way around would take hours and wasn’t completely safe. Disheartened, they returned home.

Worried though he was, Splinter insisted that they rest, as they waited for nightfall to come again.

The brothers only got a few scant hours of sleep before they were up again, shoving a quick meal in their mouths and, this time, heading topside. No one had heard from Don yet, and their worry was only growing. They headed back to where they had last seen him and then spread their search out from there. But despite searching the city for hours, there was no sign of their brother. Eventually, with dawn drawing near, they were forced to return home.

Splinter was waiting for them, hopeful, but his ears drooped when he realized that they did not have Donatello with them.

“You did not find him?” he asked.

Leo shook his head. “No, Master. We searched everywhere, but we couldn’t find a sign of him.”

Raph, clearly full of pent-up worry, punched one of the mannequins they had for training. “Where is he! If somethin’s happened to him, I’ll—I’ll—I’ll never forgive myself for what I said to him!”

“What if something did happen to him?” Mikey asked. “What if we… if we never…”

“Don’t talk like that!” Leo said, coming around to face Mikey, putting a reassuring hand on the back of his head. “We’ll find him. We will.”

“And what if it’s too late, Leo?” Raph said. “What then?”

Uncertainty flashed over Leo’s face before it settled into something darker. “Then we’ll do what we have to.”

Raphael gripped his sais harder, but before he could say anything else, the sound of the entrance to their home being opened and someone coming down the ladder caught their attention. Everyone’s eyes whipped around to the ladder, and they watched with bated breath to see who came down.

There was a moment’s pause when they saw green, two-toed feet and green legs, and then everyone was rushing to the bottom of the ladder as Don came down it.

“Donnie!”

“Don!”

“Donnie!”

“Donatello!”

Don seemed a little caught off guard by the attention. “Uh… hey guys?”

“Hey guys? Hey guys!? You’ve been missin’ for almost two days and all you can say is hey guys?” Raph said.

“Uhh…”

“Where have you been!” Leo asked, sweeping his eyes over his brother.

“Dude, what happened?” Mike asked, looking at the tattered and dirty hat and coat Don still had on him.

Splinter straightened, his nose twitching. “Michelangelo. Take those off of him. Quickly.”

Mikey did as he was told, with Don protesting that he could do it the whole time. But as they were pulled off of him, the smell of blood—not very fresh, thankfully—hit Splinter’s nose.

“You’re hurt!” Leo exclaimed, grabbing Don’s arm, examining a long jagged cut that ran down it.

“It’s not much,” Don tried to protest.

“Not much! Yer bo’s broken and you’ve got enough dings and scrapes on your shell to play connect the dots!” Raph said.

“Bring him here,” Splinter said, already heading over toward the most open area they had. “Raphael, the first aid kit. Leonardo, water. Michelangelo, soap, and some tea for your brother.”

The brothers scattered as soon as Don was sitting down in front of their father, quickly going after the items.

“Sensei, I—” Don started.

“Shh. In time, Donatello. For now, let us care for you.” Splinter swept his eyes over his son, noting the scrapes, the minor cuts, and the bruising, as well as the dirt and filth that seemed to cling to him. They did not look as if they had been a result of a fight, for which he was grateful, but it did not tell him what had happened.

His other sons returned quickly, and, working together, began to clean Donatello up, even as Splinter gently handled the largest of the cuts, on his arm.

“My son. We have been most worried. Please, tell us what happened,” Splinter said.

“After I… left… I went to the old TGRI building,” Don said, letting his family maneuver him around as they tended to him.

“Why go there?” Mikey asked.

“Don’t interrupt,” Raph said, swatting Mikey’s shoulder.

“It seemed like a good place to go. It…” he glanced over at Splinter. “I don’t know,” he said, looking away.

“We told him, Donnie,” Leo said gently.

Don’s eyes snapped over to Leo. “What?”

“We told him,” Leo said.

“He kinda made us,” Mikey put in.

“Oh…” Don’s shoulders seemed to drop a little, almost as if relaxing after a heavy burden was lifted.

“So, why’d ya go back to that old lab place?” Raph prompted.

“Right.” Don still hesitated. “It… it was one of the last places I felt a real connection to anyone. Or, well, it had housed someone that I had felt a real connection to.”

“Dr. Perry?” Leo ventured.

Don nodded. “Yeah. He got me. And, well, that was where he did his science, so… I don’t know. It seemed like a good place to go.”

“You were seeking a connection,” Splinter said. “What happened next, my son?”

“I stayed around there for a few hours,” Don continued. “Just… exploring things and doing stuff.  Nothing much. But then I realized how late it was getting, and that if I wanted to get home before dawn, I needed to head back.”

Splinter’s heart eased a little, knowing that his son had intended to return to them.

“I started off, and it was fine at first,” Don said. “But then it started raining, and I was leaping over onto an older building. The edge of the rooftop must not have been in good shape, because when I landed on it, not only was it slippery enough I lost my balance for a moment, but then it crumbled under me, and I fell.”

Everyone tensed up a little at that.

“That’s how yer shell got all dinged up,” Raph said.

Don nodded. “And how I broke my bo. Honestly, though, it taking the impact might have saved me from something more serious.”

Mikey’s hands tightened on Don at that statement.

“I hit a couple of things on the way down and landed pretty hard. It knocked the wind out of me and addled me for a moment. But it also made noise, and I could hear people coming out to investigate. There was a basement door nearby, and the door was unlocked, so I hid in it.” Don frowned. “Unfortunately, by the time they finished looking around to see what had happened, dawn had broken, and I could hear people moving around. I figured I wasn’t getting out of there until nightfall, so I tended to what I could of my cuts, hid myself, and I waited.”

His brothers nodded, knowing that this was standard procedure for them.

Don continued. “I fell asleep partway through the day, and when I woke up, it was night out. I checked over myself again, and then I made my way out. Fortunately, there was a manhole in that alley, and I figured it might be better for me to just make my way through the sewers instead.” He paused and looked at his foot. “My ankle hurt a bit from the fall, and I didn’t want to risk it getting worse.”

Leo immediately switched his attention to Don’s ankle, and Don let him.

“And then?” Splinter prompted.

“And then I started home. But partway here I ran across some sewer workers. They didn’t see me, but I couldn’t keep going that way. I thought about going back topside, but there wasn’t a way to do that without being seen. There was an alternate route, although it was old and not in good repair and would take hours to get through. But I didn’t see that I had another choice.”

“That’s probably the same place we ran into the sewer workers,” Leo said, looking over at Raph and Mikey. “We couldn’t get around them easily, either.”

Don looked at his brothers in surprise. “You were out in the sewers? Why?”

Raph swatted the back of his head—gently. “We were lookin’ for you, genius!” he said.

“For me?” Don said, “But I—” he cut himself off, looking at his brothers as if trying to figure something out.

“Continue with your story, Donatello,” Splinter prompted.

“Ah—right. There’s not much left. The alternate route had some places that were tricky to get through, and I had to dig through some areas, squeezing through. Like I said, it took hours. But I made it through and not long after that, I was home.”

Splinter let out a sigh, and, finishing tying the bandages around the long cut on Donatello’s arm, he put his hand on Don’s head. “I am glad you returned to us safely, my son. We were most worried about you.”

“Sorry,” Don apologized, meeting Splinter’s eyes. “I’d never leave you behind, Master.”

Splinter smiled at him, and withdrew his hand, letting his smile fade. “There are things that we need to talk about, though.” He swept his eyes across his sons. “All of us.”

His boys murmured their agreement, although it was clear that they didn’t really want to talk about it. It didn’t matter. They were going to talk about it anyway.

“This happened because of a fight that you four had on a rooftop. I had noticed the growing space between you three,” he gestured to Leo, Raph and Mikey, “and you,” he gestured towards Don, “and had hoped that if I sent you out together to have some fun, the bond would begin to repair. And yet, with that fight, it led to more fracturing of it—enough that you, Donatello, sought out connection elsewhere and that you were surprised to hear your brothers were looking for you. Why did you feel that way, Donatello?”

Don looked down, not meeting anyone’s eyes. “…I thought they wouldn’t miss me anymore,” he said quietly, almost too quietly.

“What was that?” Raph demanded.

Don looked up at his brothers, hurt brimming in his eyes. “I thought you wouldn’t miss me!” he said, louder.

“Don, bro, no!” Mikey said, grasping onto his brother. “Why would you think that?”

Don shook Mikey off. “Because you were going to leave me alone!” he said, snapping it out. “You—“ he paused, swallowing. “You wanted to stay in ancient Japan. You wanted to abandon Master Splinter and me. I didn’t—I couldn’t—fit in there. We didn’t belong there! But you—all of you—were ready to just throw away everything and stay! You didn’t even want to listen to me at first, like it didn’t matter, like—”

“…Like you didn’t matter,” Leo said, realization dawning on him.

Don nodded. “Yes. Like I didn’t matter. It’s always been the four of us, together, and you three were just going to throw all of that way without hesitation, because of some strangers that we barely knew. Like they were more important than us. Than… than me.”

“Oh, bro…” Mikey said.

“And then we get back and I’m relieved, because you did chose to come back. But after that all I hear about is Japan and Mitsu and Yoshi. And I try to be understanding at first. After all, they had been important to all of you. But any time I tried to even gently remind you that it was better for them for us to come back—”

“We pushed you away,” Raph said. “I pushed you away. Pushed ya out of conversations and—” His hand gripped the lip of Don’s shell tightly, and he cursed. “I’m sorry, Donnie.”

“You wouldn’t listen to me,” he said, his voice getting smaller. “You wouldn’t talk about anything else. Even when I tried, you all just… drew together more, until I felt like I was on the outside.” He hunched in more, his chin starting to dip into his shell. “You didn’t want me in.”

Raph gave Don a hard shake, still holding onto his shell. “That ain’t true!” he said.

Leo reached over, taking Don’s hand and squeezing it tightly. “We didn’t mean to make you feel like you were outside.”

Mikey held tightly to Don’s arm. “We want you, bro. We always have.”

“Then why doesn’t it feel like it?” Don shot back.

Mikey paused, hesitating. “I… I guess…” he let out a sigh. “I guess I didn’t want to admit it,” he said. “That Mitsu… that she… she’d never have loved me.” His voice cracked a little. “I just… I wanted her to.”

“And I didn’t want to think that Yoshi’d be better off without havin’ to keep me a secret,” Raph said, frowning. “Or admit that at some point, we’d have to be a secret again.”

“And I just wanted to explore more,” Leo said. “I’ve always wanted a chance like that. But I’d never want to do that at the cost of you.”

Don looked at them, the hurt giving way to an uncertainty.

“My son,” Splinter said, directing Don’s attention back towards him. “Do not harden your heart about what might have been, about mistakes that were made, when your brothers are reaching out to you.”

Don hesitated, and then seemed to let go of some of his tension. “You really mean that?” he said.

“Absolutely!” Mikey said. “You’re, like, my best pal. If you weren’t here, I don’t know what I’d do.”

“We ain’t complete without ya,” Raph said.

“Donnie,” Leo waited until Don made eye contact with him. “We made mistakes. I think all of us did. Let us make it up to you now.”

Slowly, Donnie nodded.

Splinter let out a silent breath and looked over all of his sons. “My sons,” he said. “You are growing older. And that means figuring out much about yourselves and your place in the world. You will need to be patient with each other, with the hurts and the triumphs. Give understanding and time,” he said, locking eyes with Donatello. “Give awareness of yourself and others,” he said, looking to Michelangelo. “Listen, and do not be dismissive,” he said to Raphael. “And show wisdom and look to the whole picture,” he said to Leonardo. “But above all, remember that you are brothers, your bond is important, and that love will allow you to be all of these things with each other.”

They nodded, and for a moment, silence fell on them.

“…How are you feeling, Donnie?” Leo asked.

“Hungry, mostly,” Don said. “And…” he hesitated. “A little cold?”

“We can fix that!” Mikey said, shooting up. “Freezer pizza will be ready in fifteen minutes!”

“Come on, egghead,” Raph said, standing up and then reaching down to pull Don to his feet, keeping a careful eye on his brother’s ankle, but seeming satisfied when Don was stable, even if he didn’t let go. “Supposed to be a Star Wars marathon on today, and I think I could go for some space explosions.”

“I’ll get some blankets,” Leo said. “We can all huddle up and watch.”

“If were watching movies, we’re gonna need popcorn, too!” Mikey called out from the kitchen.

“You better not get it all in the blankets!” Raph threatened.

Splinter watched as his sons gathered together again, settling in front of the television and lightly bantering. There would still be hurts to work through, on both sides. But this was a clear step towards repairing the bond.

And if later that day he came through, only to find all four of his sons huddled together sleeping, and he paused to tuck the blankets in better around them and give them all a kiss on the head, thanking whoever was looking out for them that he had all of his sons together, well, he’d enjoy the moment and treasure it in his heart.

[aquietwritingcorner]

What a DumDum

Title: What a DumDum Day: 30 Days of Drabbles, Day 31 Prompt: What a dum dum Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 127  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: K/G  Characters: April O’Neil and Casey Jones Warning: NA Summary: Casey’s never been so glad to be called a dumdum    Notes: Not quiet canon compliant, but I liked it anyway!    ffn || AO3

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What a DumDum

Casey knew he wasn’t the smarted guy on the block. Sure, he was good with his hands, and he had pretty good instincts, but book smarts weren’t his thing. He could remember being called a dum-dum more than once when he was growing up. Never from his Ma or Pa, but the other kids would make fun of him sometimes, and his cousins would too.

So he never expected that he’d be happy to be called a dum dum.

“Oh, Casey, you dum dum.” April smiled up at him, the ring on her finger. “I didn’t need anything fancy. I just want you.”

Yeah, Casey reflected as he grinned at her, probably looking a little dumb, he was alright with being called a dum dum like this.

[aquietwritingcorner]

Please Don't

Title: Please Don’t Day: 30 Days of Drabbles, Day Prompt:  “Please Don’t” Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 188  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: G/K  Characters: Master Splinter Warning: NA Summary: Splinter didn’t know how often he would utter the words “please, don’t” in his life.    Notes: Children, right?    ffn || AO3

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Please, Don’t

At one point in is life, Splinter was convinced that if he had to utter the words “Please, don’t” it would be to humans who were threatening his children. He was sure that he would have to beg them to not hurt them, to not take them, to not treat them as mere animals. It was one of his greatest fears.

He didn’t expect how he would actually end up using those words.

“Please, don’t put stickers on your brother’s shell while he is sleeping.”

“Please don’t crash your cars into your brother’s tower.”

“Please don’t use all of the forks as a support structure in your experiment.”

“Please don’t try to meditate underwater.”

“Please, don’t do that.”

If Splinter had realized the true way he’d end up using those words most of the time, he might have reprioritized his fears. Turns out, a parent deals with the common fear of “what was that sound, please don’t let my sons have done something stupid again,” far more than “please don’t sell my son to the government.”

Now he just had to go see what that crash was about.

[aquietwritingcorner]

Expectations

Title: Expectations Day: 30 Days of Drabbles, Day 29 Prompt: Expectations Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 154  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: K/G  Characters: Michelangelo, Renet Tilly Warning: NA Summary: Renet was not what Mikey expected from a time traveler.    Notes: Renet is silly yet competent and I love her for it.   ffn || AO3

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Expectations

Whenever anyone mentioned someone who could travel through time or had some sort of control or ability over time, there was always this sort of expectation that the person in question would be a very responsible person. Someone who took the dangers of time travel seriously. Even if they were a little eccentric (see Doc Brown from Back to the Future), there was still this expectation of gravitas.

And yet Renet was a blonde bimbo that spoke like a valley girl from the eighties and jumped all over time and space to avoid dusting.

On one hand, Michelangelo kinda thought that it was hilarious.

On the other, he was getting a little tired of running for his life in the past because she needed to pass a test or was trying to avoid getting in trouble. Again.

Either way, it definitely blew all of Michelangelo’s expectations of a time traveler out of the water.

[aquietwritingcorner]

The Prank

Title: The Prank Day: 30 Days of Drabbles, Day Prompt: The prank Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count:   247 Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: T  Characters: April O’Neil Warning: NA Summary: Mikey’s pranks have gone a little too far, and April is his latest victim.    Notes: I mean, can you blame April?    ffn || AO3

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The Prank

Okay. Maybe it was a little mean of her. Maybe she shouldn’t have done it. Maybe she should have just talked to him. But April O’Neil was learning that a bored Michelangelo was a mischievous Michelangelo, and she could only take so many pranks, no matter how small they were.

So, when she opened her fridge to find a rubber snake inside, well, she decided to overreact a bit.

She let out a scream, went stumbling back, hit a tray of knives that Raph had been sharpening for her, knocked over a plastic bowl holding some kind of red something, and let herself “fall” among them all in a loud, horrific crash.

And lucky for her, the red liquid managed to splatter on some of the knives and on her side. She gripped her side as if she were holding a cut just as everyone came rushing in.

“April?”

“Th-there—snake—I—”

“Mikey what did you do!?”

“I—I—”

“April. April, let me see your side.”

Mikey was staring at her, looking horrified. “April! I didn’t mean to! I’m sorry! I—”

She let him suffer just a little longer before she couldn’t take it anymore. “It’s okay, Mikey,” she said, letting go of her side and standing up. “But maybe cut the pranks, okay? And clean my kitchen.”

He stared at her as she walked out, going to clean up. Just before she closed the bathroom door, she heard him say “Oh, she’s good!”

[aquietwritingcorner]

Your Fever is Still Climbing

Title: Your Fever is Still Climbing Day: 30 Days of Drabbles, Day 27 Prompt: “Your fever is still climbing Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 229  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: T  Characters: Donatello Warning: NA Summary: Donatello’s fever is still climbing—and that can’t lead to anything good.    Notes: Don’t worry, he didn’t die. But seizures can happen.    ffn || AO3

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Your Fever is Still Climbing

Donatello panted but looked up at Leatherhead. He didn’t fight in when his friend held a straw up to his lips, drinking the cold liquid in the cup. He’d asked his friend to tell it to him straight when his family wasn’t here. How sick was he?

Very sick, apparently.

“How high?”

The alligator’s mouth pressed into a firm line. “Too high. Its approaching dangerous levels. Donatello—we may have to take extreme measures to lower it.”

“Do it,” he said.

“If it comes to it, I will. Now rest.”

Don nodded and closed his eyes. Things faded out. Things blurred together. He wasn’t sure how much time passed. Things felt… not right. He felt cold put on him, but it quickly left. He felt cold surround him, but it didn’t last long enough. He felt heat entrap him, making it hard to breathe, hard to do anything, and it wouldn’t go away. Nothing was right.

And then, something felt more wrong.

He didn’t feel like he could move. He felt stiff. He couldn’t breathe. And then he couldn’t stop moving. Someone yelled, but he couldn’t figure out why. Hands were on him, but they didn’t stop him moving. And as everything went topsy turvy in his brain, he remembered one phrase that for some reason seemed important.

“Your fever is still climbing.”

And then he knew no more.

[aquietwritingcorner]

Nightmares

Title: Nightmares Day: 30 Days of Drabbles, Day Prompt: Nightmares Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 296  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: T  Characters: Raphael Warning: NA Summary: All of them have nightmares. But these specific ones hit Raph deeply.    Notes: I mean, why not play with the idea that the Volpehart Creature gave us?    ffn || AO3

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Nightmares

All of them had nightmares. This was a fact. How could they not, with what all they had been through?

Leo had them. Mikey had them. Don had them. Splinter had them. Even April and Casey had them. Leatherhead had them.

And Raph had them.

They were about various things, although most of them were about how things could have gone wrong, or reliving the worst moments of their lives. Mikey’s got particularly creative with those things, and it wasn’t unusual to find him huddled up to one of his brothers, or, often, Splinter, when they hit.

Raph’s weren’t usually like that. But his most recent ones?

They shook him to the core.

Because all he could see was himself, in the Shredder armor, and he knew exactly how he got there. It wasn’t mind control or brainwashing. No, it was him killing the Shredder, killing Karai, and then taking over. Killing the elite, going on a killing spree of anyone who wouldn’t bow the knee to him.

And in the end, it was him facing his family, because they couldn’t let him go on killing like he was.

It was for them, he’d explain. By taking over and getting rid of anyone who would turn on him, then he could make sure that the Foot wouldn’t attack them. By getting rid of the Purple Dragons, he was keeping his family safe. By striking at Bishop, he was ensuring their security.

But they rejected him, rejected his reasoning, and he had them captured, held prisoner to keep them safe as he carved out the world the way he wanted it to be.

And every time he woke up from that nightmare, he was shaken to his core.

Because he knew that was something he would do.

[aquietwritingcorner]

Family Dinner

Title: Family Dinner Day: 30 Days of Drabbles, Day Prompt: Family Dinner Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 239  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: K/G  Characters: Ma Jones (Jackie Jones), Casey Jones Warning: NA Summary: No one quite expected this family dinner, but Ma Jones has it all in hand.    Notes: One day you will hear more about Ma Jones and my development of her.    ffn || AO3

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Family Dinner

To say that this dinner was unexpected as an understatement. To be fair, the whole day had been unexpected. A man who was shot, crazy alien haters with a literal nuke, daredevil driving—and yet somehow, the most unexpected thing of all, was Casey’s mom.

She’d shown up out of nowhere, barged her way in, immediately taken control of the situation, and in the end, given her approval of April. And on top of that she had proven to be far more perceptive than anyone would have guessed, spotting Splinter and Leo early on, and apparently being completely nonplused about it.

Then again, Casey hadn’t cared that they were turtles, either, so maybe they shouldn’t have been surprised.

In the end, Splinter had agreed to come out of hiding and talk with Jacquline “Jackie, but the kids can call me Ma” Jones. Ma had immediately said that they’d need more food, sent Casey back to the store, and started cooking.

Although the dinner had started off stiff and awkward, Ma Jones was an expert at navigating the weirdness of life, and took it all in stride, her main comment being that at least her son had some good friends looking after him.

And as the stories started to fly, Casey couldn’t help but sit back in relief. Now all of his family knew about each other, and that made any stories told at his expense worth it to him.

[aquietwritingcorner]

Whining

Title: Whining Day: 30 Days of Drabbles, Day 24 Prompt:  Whining Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count:  296 Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: K/G  Characters: April O’Neil, Casey Jones Warning: NA Summary: April can’t stand whining. Its refreshing to find someone who doesn’t.    Notes: I love these two.    ffn || AO3

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Whining

If there was one thing April couldn’t stand, it was whining.

It was one thing to vent. It was one thing to teasingly whine, but not really mean it. She even tolerated it some from kids and teenagers to an extent. But just unmitigated whining? It got under her skin. Especially when it came from men she was dating.

She had dated one guy who whined every time she went out to eat without him. He seemed to think that they should have every meal out together. He didn’t last long. Another one whined when she got higher scores than he did, saying it wasn’t fair, that he had studied so much. He was also quickly dropped. Another one seemed fine at first, but the way he would whine and wheedle about getting some of her food whenever she had a treat in her house just got under her skin and she had to drop him.

Maybe that’s why Casey Jones was refreshing. He didn’t whine. He’d argue, he’d convince, he’d even reason, but he didn’t whine. The closest he got was a “Oh, come on, babe!” but even then it wasn’t whining, just more of a lead into something else or a complaint.

And she liked that.

Yeah, it meant they argued a lot at first, but the fact that he stood his ground without whining? It was appealing. The way he was firm when he knew something? It was attractive. The way he didn’t back down to her, but met her, match for match? It was alluring. And while he was a big bone head at times, he was also confident in himself.

And April liked that. Maybe she’d learn a bit more about Casey Jones. Who knows? Maybe it would lead somewhere.

[aquietwritingcorner]

This Sucks

Title: This Sucks Day: 30 Days of Drabbles, Day Prompt:  “This sucks” Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 268  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: T  Characters: Donatello, Leonardo Warning: NA Summary: Starting a new lair from scratch is hard, especially when you’re the one who did most of the work on the old one.    Notes: Poor Don    ffn || AO3

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This Sucks

“This sucks!”

The loud exclamation rang across the reservoir, echoing in the mostly empty building, followed quickly by the sound of a tool being thrown to the ground.

All eyes snapped to Donatello at this uncharacteristic outburst. The turtle in question looked angry, frustrated, and most of all, tired.

“Whoa, Donnie. You okay, bro?” Raph asked as he abandoned his project and stepped closer to his brother. He could hear the others coming towards them as well.

Don’s head snapped towards him, frustration bubbling up on his face.

“Okay? Okay!? No, I’m not okay! Everything is gone! Everything I built is gone! My computers, the security, the medical supplies, my stockpiles, my vehicles, all my plans—even my tools are gone! We need to fix up this place and try to get things hidden and secure and I can’t even get us basic electricity or water going because I don’t even have a set of wrenches! I have a hammer, three alan wrenches, one crescent wrench, and two bent screwdrivers! I have nothing, and I—”

He took a step forward, and almost immediately, his leg started to crumple. Leo, who was the closest, reached out to catch him.

“Don—”

“This sucks, Leo,” Don said, even as he leaned on his brother. “And don’t tell me any differently. It sucks.”

Leo didn’t say anything. “…come on. Let’s take a break.”

Don let Leo lead him away, towards a worried Mikey and Splinter. He knew he’d get platitudes from them, many of them true. But Don also knew one other thing.

This sucked, and nothing could change that.

[aquietwritingcorner]

Concealing an Injury

Title: Concealing an Injury Day: 30 Days of Drabbles, Day 22 Prompt: Concealing an injury Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 266  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: T  Characters: Splinter Warning: NA Summary: Splinter will protect is young sons’ sense of security, even at his own expense.    Notes: 2k3 Splinter is best Rat Dad.    ffn || AO3

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Concealing an Injury

Being the only provider to four small boys, and having no support meant Splinter had to take care of many things on his own. The first time his children saw him injured—a minor thing, but an injury nonetheless—they had become very frightened. They didn’t understand.

Since then, Splinter had done his best to keep his injuries hidden from his sons, or at least to downplay them. It made them feel more secure. It made them feel safer.

This one, though, would be harder.

Splinter limped back toward the entrance to the lair, where he had left the boys when he went on the supply run. An unfortunate encounter with a very determined—and, Splinter suspected, unwell—homeless man had not ended too well for him. Splinter hadn’t wanted to hurt the man, but the man hadn’t had the same feelings, and Splinter’s ribs had learned that lesson for him.

He had escaped, and stopped before he reached his home, taking the time to wrap his ribs with some bandages he had found, and to his best to get rid of any traces of the fight. Still, he allowed himself to limp home and feel the pain—up until this point.

Now he stood outside of his home, knowing his sons were inside. He took a breath or two, testing out his soreness, and then straightened up. It hurt, and he knew moving as if nothing was wrong was going to hurt as well. But if it meant protecting his sons’ security, then he would conceal his injuries, until they were better able to understand.

[aquietwritingcorner]

Racing

Title: Racing Day: 30 Days of Drabbles, Day Prompt: Racing Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 199  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: T  Characters: Splinter Warning: Canon temporary character death Summary: Splinter needs to go faster.    Notes: The anguish Splinter had to feel at this moment lives in my head rent free.    ffn || AO3

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Racing

Faster, faster.

He had to hurry.

He could hear it coming.

He could sense it.

Faster, faster.

He had to make it there in time.

He couldn’t delay.

He needed to stop it.

Faster, faster!

He raced through the woods, through this unnatural forest.

He could feel the darkness closing in.

He could hear the hoofbeats.

Faster! Faster!

He could hear his own wooden shoes beat against the uneven ground as he ran.

He felt breathless, but in a way that had nothing to do with running.

He felt fear close around his heart, sending it into a frenzy.

Faster! Faster!

He emerged into the clearing.

He scanned the area, hoping not to see his nightmare come true.

He nearly stopped breathing when he saw the group on the ground—but this wasn’t the group he was looking for.

Faster, Faster!

He quickly looked up, praying he wouldn’t find what he was looking for.

He froze as his eyes landed on another group.

He felt his world freeze.

Faster! Faster!

He rushed towards it, praying it wasn’t true.

He knelt among his sons, anguish ripping at him as he realized he was among their bodies.

He wasn’t fast enough.

[aquietwritingcorner]

Food Fight

Title: Food Fight Day: 30 Days of Drabbles, Day Prompt: Food fight Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 198  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: K/G  Characters: Michelangelo, child OC Warning: NA Summary: Mikey wasn’t expecting to get in a food fight today.   Notes:  You know this would happen.   ffn || AO3

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Food Fight

Although others might think he would have, Mikey had never quite understood the appeal of a food fight. Maybe it was because he was hyper-aware of how precious food could be, but the idea of taking food and throwing it around just to cause chaos had never appealed to him. Oh, sure, he could see it being strategically done, as a distraction tactic in a situation. But never just because.

And yet, as food smacked him in the snout, he was becoming more and more aware that his opinion might not be shared by his current audience.

The baby giggled, and clapped his messy, messy hands. Mikey sighed and reached for a rag to wipe off his face as he stared down the smiling little boy in front of him.

“August Arnold Jones, you have your mom’s stubbornness and your dad’s chaos. The food is supposed to go in your mouth, not on me, my dude.”

Gus just laughed, picked up the spoon and threw it, bonking Mikey on the nose again.

Mikey sighed and picked up the spoon.

“At least you’ve got good aim already. Now let’s see if you can aim for your mouth this time.”

[aquietwritingcorner]

Family Photo

Title: Family Photo Day: 30 Days of Drabbles, Day Prompt: Family photo Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 287  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: K/G  Characters: Cody Jones Warning: NA Summary: Family has had a lot of different forms for Cody other the years. Now he adds a new one.   Notes:  I blame my friend Storm for encouraging this idea   ffn || AO3

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Family Photo

Cody Jones stared at the wall before him, eyes traveling over the varied pictures there. This wall was not one that he on display. This wall was one that he had kept private, just for himself, and not for his Uncle Darius to see. Sure, he had known about it, as had Serling, but without it front and center, it had been easy for Darius to forget about.

Photographs hung on it. An old black and white one with a fat old man and three teenagers, two boys an one girl, all of them smiling and happy. A simple polaroid that was a little water damaged, showing a mutated rat and four small turtles looking curiously at the camera. Another one with four older turtles holding weapons, all of them looking quite proud. A group photo of teenaged turtles with April and Casey drawn in. A wedding day photo, with April, Casey, all of the turtles and Splinter in it. A candid photo of Don and Leatherhead working on a project. Another of Mikey playing his guitar with Klunk perched on his shell. One of Raph and Leo just goofing off. And in the center, one of all of the guys, Splinter, and him, together, taken on a fun day out.

Cody stepped forward, and pushed that picture up a bit, creating room underneath it. Then, very carefully, he put another frame on the wall, carefully adjusting it. Then he backed up, nodded, smiled, and looked over the pictures again, before leaving the room.

In the center, now, was a picture of himself and the clones of the turtles, no longer enemies all these years later, but family—and one Cody accepted with open and grateful arms.