Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Donnie's gone.

It's not like he went somewhere and didn't leave a note. He's not here.

His lab is empty. Shellby- Shelldon's younger sister, is a tech-housewife. She takes care of everything that the scientist took care of when he was present. Now he's not. For two damn months!

He's alive, that's for sure. Shellby would tell them if anything happened and she'd lose his track. However, the cursed AI refuses to reveal his twin brother’s location no matter how much any of them ask or demand it. Leo even tried to reprogram the drone like he once did with Shelldon, only to find out that Donny had prepared himself for this eventuality and Leonardo had to teleport from the lab straight to Med Bay very quickly. He even had scars from some laser burns. Rude!

Leo will point it out to Donnie as soon as he gets home. If he comes home? Stupid question- of course he'll be back! He must, he is his brother after all! His twin. He'll be back… won't he?

If someone asked Leo what exactly happened and why his purple brother disappeared from home three days after Michelangelo's birthday, he would have no answer. Nobody knew. Before the birthday, Donatello seemed very busy, but everyone thought it was because of preparations of Mikey’s present . Which was amazing, by the way. Angelo got a top quality cooktop- six burners and one separate, retractable, specially designed to work with a wok pan. In addition, a special fire extinguishing system in the event of a “bad day” (or if Leo is trying to cook) in the kitchen and voice commands for the time and temperature of the oven. And if that wasn't enough, the stove was ORANGE and not purple and that surprised the most.

Donnie was busy, yes, but getting the lair ready for his departure. As if he had no plans to return. He left everything on the head of a small drone, which, from what Leo noticed, he contacts once a week to check the status. However, when he tries to find out anything, the machine replies that Donny is only asking about the systems and if everything is working as it should, or is there anything the AI can't fix and needs remote instructions.

And it's driving Leo crazy! His brother was never emotionally developed, he had his drawbacks, but he could at least ask how they were doing. How's Leo? How's he doing? Did Mikey cry at night after he disappeared? - Nope. Nothing here! The lack of any interest is his sudden disappearance causes Leo’s insomnia and neuroses.

He didn't even leave a note. No feeds. Nothing. One day, Leo entered the lab as usual to interrupt his brother's workflow and challenge him to a Mario Kart duel, but the place was empty. Shelly said that Master Donatello had left and she got left in charge. At first, Leonardo was amused. It's a good joke after all. He didn't let her finish before he went to look for his brother in his room, laughing all the way. Everything was in place, wasn't it? Battle shells were sitting in their charging ports. Tech-bo version 2.18.07 and a few other inventions in place. The bed was impeccably made as if no one had slept in it (which is not strange, Donny loves keeping order). Leo walked over to the bed and checked the contents of the drawer. All right, no wallet, no phone, no tech gauntlet. Weird but reasonable. Even when Don goes out to get pizza, he takes these things with him. Just... Why wouldn't he take one of his shells? All right, they've got the Nimpo thing now, and nothing of super danger to note has happened since the Shredder a year ago, but Don always likes to be careful.

There's no reason to panic, right? Maybe he's gone out for a while, he'll be right back, and he doesn't need protection. Leo doesn't sweat at all, he’s cool. Oh, he stopped laughing.

Anyway!

A few steps and checking the wardrobe. There's no favorite sweatshirt with a big Genius Build TM logo on the back. There is no backpack, several pairs of pants and shirts are missing. But the last thing made him pale. He ran out of the room screaming his brother's name. In the middle of the wardrobe, thrown carelessly on the floor, was a lone purple mask.

Two months have passed since that terrible day, and each day has been different for the three brothers. Leo tried to fight it in many ways. One day he was angry, ready to strangle his brother if he came back to New York. The other day he would cuddle up to one of the other brothers, follow them, not letting them rest, afraid that they would disappear like Don did. The other day, he spent hours with Splinter. Pops tell him stories of his runaway from home and teenage rebellion that led to a great movie career. At the time, Leo liked to imagine that his now 17-year-old twin had escaped to conquer the tech world and find a new path that would allow him to collect the Nobel Prize before he came of age. Or he ran off to steal uranium. Yes, that's an option too.

This one thought sometimes broke his heart. He thought that he would always be able to see what his brilliant brother would invent. Yes, Donny was irritating and tiresome. Especially when they go on missions. And maybe he was trying to impose his solutions on them a little too much. And he was bragging far too much... even Leo doesn't consider himself such a narcissist. But everything was fine and now Leonardo was learning to be a good leader and he needed his tech-guy. And Don needed them too. Leo was sure of it! Except… he didn’t?

None of them got a message for over three weeks before the genius kindly called- to April! He said he was traveling and needed to think things over. From what April said, he was sitting on the roof of some bus on a ferry on an unfamiliar lake. She saw his Shell-hog from her phone camera. The vehicle was attached to the roof of this bus. Odd, but Don didn't answer her question about it. He didn't say much at all. He stated that there are a few places he wants to visit and things he needs to sort out. He mentioned that Draxum (Draxum, of all people!) has access to Shelly to find his locations in an emergency. Leo flattened at this. He knew the old sheep-man wouldn't help them find their brother, even if Mikey tried to buy him with his big baby eyes. So unless they want one of them to have a serious accident and end up in a coma as a major-emergency-excuse, Donnie won't be back anytime soon.

But he'll be back, right? April said he'd be back. Maybe not home, but to the city. They will be in contact. He can yell at him first and then apologize and then hug him and then some more apologize. Leo doesn't know for what yet, but he must have done something to make his brother move away from them. He's a leader, he’s smart, he should figure it out. Yet he didn't…

He spent the last two months moping around. Completely unable to think. The only time he could do anything right was in the field. Yes, they went on missions. This time with April and sometimes with Cassandra Jones. The danger helped him focus on the “here and now” and beating the bad guys relieved some stress. Donnie was still missing tho. Leo couldn't pretend he wasn't counting on some sarcastic genius comment or an infodump about something completely unrelated to the job. So, after the success of the mission, he always found himself either praising Raph for good planning or giving Mickey a hug and telling him he'd be back soon.

Leo tried to believe these assurances.

Until finally, after one of those days when the boys were relaxing watching Jim's Jupiter- By Archimedes, you guys could clean up here sometimes.

Leo's eyes widened, and before he could turn his head, an orange blurr flashed past him- DONNIEEEE!!!

Leo saw the outline of his purple brother. Dressed in quite pleasant navy blue trousers, a purple leather jacket and a black shirt. The dark shoes matched the rest of the outfit nicely. He was smiling. Widely and sincerely. He had his arms spread out, waiting to catch the rushing youngest brother. He grabbed him, spun him around in the air, and laughed as Mikey began to rub against his face like a longing cat.

Donnie!- Leo called, much quieter than Michelangelo, but that's because his throat tightened with joy, and he guessed his lungs did too, because his chest was starting to press hard against his bouncing heart. For a moment he was ready to not believe his eyes, but a happy Shelly flew over in circles above Donnies's head was a confirmation. The purple brother was still holding the shell of Orange with one hand and extended the other towards them. Only then did Leo and Raph snap out of their shock and rush to grab and hug their missing brother (and Leo would be ready to swear that now Raph would never let him go again… Well, good! Stupid genius…).

There were lots of tears and hugs and saying I missed you from both sides. And there were definitely a lot of emotions, both good and bad. And Leo couldn't decide right now if he wanted to be angry with Donnie. He was too happy to see him again.

There was a quiet conversation going on in the back. Shelly told her which color-code brother was which, and a shy, girlish voice answered her politely.

Wait, girlish voice?

Leo straightened his hands to pull away from the group hug to look behind Donatello's back. A girl was standing in the doorway. A human, pale skinned asian, around 20 years old. Short black hair with a purple streak, wearing the same jacket as Donnie. What caught his attention was a large scar on her neck, partially covered by a tattoo. It looked like a snake-like thin dragon that had breathed flame and the scar was fire. And the girl was carrying... Donnie’s backpack? What?!

Um… Donnie, who is that?- he asked his twin, never taking his eyes off the stranger. Following him, the pile of turtles finally unravels.

A-hah, yes, yes.- Donnie wiped his eyes before the tears of joy had fully escaped, then grinned widely and walked over to the girl. He took her hand and they intertwined their fingers. One look at each other and he turned to them- Brethren, meet Keiko. My wife.

…

Excuse me, what?

Chapter Text

Excuse me, what?

That was all the words managed to leave Leo's throat before it tightened again in shock. The girl wasn't ugly, she looked well-slim, had good clothing and (unfortunately) she even smelled nice. Smell of the lavender, purple flowers, ‘cose of course she did… Leo already didn't like her.

Leon had just got his twin back. His family just got his brother back. It's a family reunion! There shouldn't be this... this... He can't even think of this word.

She can't be your wife.- Raph said firmly.

Don, omigosh, you met someone! She is so cute.- Mikey jumped over to the girl to grab one hand and squeeze it, saying hello. Although his energy definitely surprised her, she (Keiko?) smiled friendly and nodded:- It’s nice to meet you too. You must be Michelangelo? Donnie told me a lot about you guys. You must be Raph and Leo. I’m happy to meet all of you.

Cold shivers ran down his shell as she gave him that friendly look. Leo folded his arms and grunted:- Yes, for sure. Especially since we haven't heard anything about you.

Oh, that's my oversight.- Donnie waved his free hand dismissively.- I was too focused on the journey. I brought you souvenirs!

Purple?- said the hoarse voice of the old rat. A small figure stood in the kitchen doorway. Don immediately left his partner's hand to come over, crouch on the ground and snuggle into his father's arms.- Oh Purple… We were so worried about you.

The father cupped the boy's cheeks to look into his eyes:- Oh my Purple, I missed you so much.- He stared at him for a minute.- No bags under your eyes. Healthy green skin. Have you gained weight?

The old rat couldn't hide the broad smile that appeared on his face. Only now did Leo see it too. Why hadn't Leo noticed this before? Donnie was always tired since they had to move to a new lair. He never slept enough, never ate enough, never smiled when he was alone. He didn't even talk to himself or dance on the spot as much as he used to when he was working on an invention. Although the bragging part remained. The last time a real smile reached his eyes while creating something was during the building Shellby. Leo had to admit, his brother looked much better than the last time he saw him. And the fact that he didn't have any of his battle shell with him... Leo just couldn't figure it out. What happened…?

Oh Papa- the turtle gave his father one more hug before he got to his feet and stood sideways to present the girl standing in the doorway.- It's all thanks to her. She took care of me. Literally and figuratively. Dad, meet Keiko. My wife. Or more precisely, it's future-to-be-wife. I'm not yet of age for human nor for yōkai law to allow me to legally get married. We agreed that we would wait until I was 22.

Ooooh, so she is your fiancée.- Mikey said. Yes, now that would be more fitting.

Splinter looked wide-eyed from the girl to his son. An awkward silence hung in the air until Keiko broke it. The girl took a step forward and bent over in a traditional Japanese bow to greet Splinter.

It's really a great honor to meet you, Mr. Hamato. Donnie had nothing but the highest praise for you. You must be very proud of your children. It's really admirable that you single-handedly raised such a wonderful son.

Leo raised one eyebrow and exchanged glances with Raph. What had Donnie actually told her about them? The unpleasant tension in him increased.

What a very polite young lady. And you’re familiar with tradition too. I’m sorry, I didn't catch the family name.

The girl glanced briefly at Donnie, as if searching his eyes for support, then she straightened up.- My official name is Sakura Keiko. I don't have a family name. I was found orphaned and raised by a Yokai family. I left Japan when I decided it was time for me to return to human society.

Your foster family didn't give you a last name?- Leo narrowed his eyes, something didn't feel right about this story.

My family is very traditional. The sons learned to become teachers and samurai warriors. To bring honor to the family. It took a lot of sacrifices to earn the name. The fact that I was only a weak human and I was too interested in the society of my kind deprived me of a chance to deserve one.

Oh, poor child.- Splinter came over and took her hands. Leo saw the compassion on his father's face. It didn't surprise him. Earning the approval of your own clan? Yes, they had it all the way through their own family history. And no one can identify with that more than Hamato Yoshi.- Come on, you must be very tired after your journey. I will make tea. I'd love to hear stories about my old country. I didn't know we still had a Yokai society there, although I could have guessed.

Splinter led the girl with him into the kitchen. Keiko cast a single glance at her fiancé.

I'll be with you shortly- Donnie said, waving a hand in encouragement, then turned to the drone- Shellby, please take my things to my room. I'll come to the lab after dinner. I will prepare your upgrade and we will add Keiko to the security system. I'd like her to have free access to the lab.

Well, that's enough- Hola! Espera hermano! Who is she actually? How did you two meet? You've known her for how long, a month? Two? And you're ready to show her our lair, your lab, and give her access to everything?

Donatello raised an eyebrow (what the hell, an eyebrow? On his SKIN? Did he tattoo them?) and turned his attention to his brothers.

This is my future wife. Of course, I would like to share my work with her. Is there anything wrong with that?

Of course not.- Raph interjected. The giant folded his hands in front and began to play with his thumbs. He didn't know how to bite the subject without offending his Purple brother.- But don't you think it's a little too fast? I mean, how well do you know her? How well does she know you? Maybe you should go dating first. ‘Ya know. As boyfriend and girlfriend?

Ah, there's no need for that. We've decided that this mundane title doesn't fit our relationship. It's too changeable. As the status of people who are just allowing themselves to discover personality and weaknesses in front of themselves. We had already got to know each other quite well, traveling together for two months and discovering each other's souls.

Raph's cheeks burned- So you traveled together... and got to know each other... um... “that well”?

Leo's eyes widened at the innuendo- Gods, no.- Donnie said- Raph, we're self-aware, and of the two of us, Keiko is an adult. I consider myself mature as well. We agreed that it was still at least two years too early for... closer contact.

So you traveled together for two months and... nothing? You haven't even kissed?- Mikey asked, confused.

Of course we kissed. I care about her. Just because we don't do it often and don't succumb to the usual teenage emotional outbursts doesn't mean we don't care about each other and don't want to develop this relationship. We do it slowly.

Yes, very slowly, YOU ARE ENGAGED.- Leo said ironically- You barely know each other and you want to remodel your whole life for her?

Dononatello frowned. He crossed his arms on the plastron in a defensive gesture- Are you implying that I'm incapable of love? Or that no one can fall in love with me?

What? Of course not! Donnie.- Leo began waving his hands to emphasize his point- I know you're a great guy and I'm sure someone will love you one day, but how do you know it's THAT girl? Hmm? As far as we know, she came to the States and maybe she's looking for a safe place to live, and a genius who can build anything and can conjure money out of thin air could be an easy catch.

Donatello dropped his hands, now clenched them into fists.

Guys, don't argue. Don just got back, we have a guest at home, maybe we'll order pizza.- Mikey stepped between the twins and spread his hands, trying to calm them down. Did not help.

So now you're implying that I'm naive and that, despite all my genius, I wouldn't be able to recognize when I'm being manipulated?- Donny hissed.

You're not on the best track at recognizing intent. Big Mama? Purple Dragons? Ring the bell? Anything? Hmm?

Leo.- Raph stepped forward, trying to support the youngest brother in his efforts, but it was too late. Donnie reached out a finger and stabbed Leonardo's plastron.

For your information, Leonardo, Keiko is the ONLY reason I came back home. I had no intention of going back to town. She persuaded me that I couldn't keep running away from my problems. She helped me heal. She helped me understand and start respecting myself, whether with or without my tech. So you don't have to trust her and you don't have to like her because this isn't about you or our family. It's about me. I care about her and I am grateful to her for what she has done for me. She made me feel like I mattered. So you will show her respect. You all will.- he tapped his brother's plastron again, then straightened up and smoothed his jacket.- Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to save my fiancée from a flood of questions from our dear father.- That being said, he headed towards the kitchen.

The other brothers froze in place in silence. Leonardo was almost sure his heart stopped for a moment. What was screaming in his own head whispered out of Michaelangelo's mouth:

He didn't want to come back?

………

It took a few minutes of silence to gather the courage to enter the kitchen. There was already a conversation going on. Keiko was sitting at the table talking to their dad and joking in Japanese. (something their father hadn't done in years). Moreover, Splinter seemed to enjoy having someone correct his long-forgotten pronunciation. It was a safe topic, Leo thought. He sat down on the other side of his twin... rather he tried to, because one look from Donnie was enough to make him choose another chair. Mikey immediately jumped into the empty seat. And Raph sat on the opposite side.

I'm so glad you're back, Donnie. April and Cass will be so glad too. Although you can expect some bat-blows to the head.

Well, I do not expect a different reaction from her, Angelo. I admit that I could have approached the subject of my trip a little differently, but I can't turn back time. Perhaps I can create a suitable apology gift for her.

April is Donnie's best friend. We've known her for years. She's human too.- Leo didn't mean to say it so provocatively, but he wanted to see Keiko's reaction. He wanted to know if the girl would feel jealous or threatened. However, his voice gave him a kick in the calf from Red brother and a meaningful look from Angelo.

Oddly enough, Donnie and Keiko didn't react negatively. On the contrary.- Don told me about her. She's quite a badass. I'm glad he got to know someone like that. He probably would have run away right after he woke up in my bed otherwise.

Splinter choked on his tea- What are you both saying?

Donnie turned red in the face and partially buried his head in his shell. The girl giggled and started talking before things got even more awkward.- It's not THAT bad. We met the first night Donnie ran away from home. It was a small bar in an empty street in the middle of nowhere. A very dark place with only a few people inside. I saw this clumsy, strangely moving guy in an oversized hoodie stubbornly trying to buy himself a booze at a bar with a fake ID. Luckily for him, the bar was so dreadful that the bartender didn't care who was buying as long as there was money. I was sitting by the karaoke machine at the time. When he was a bit tipsy, he went to choose his music, and then I saw three fingers on a green hand. I didn't say anything until the boy in the purple started singing and dancing in the middle of the room. And I could see right away that he had a very weak head. And there was that guy… A larger man by the window started to look at Donnie quite... Let's just say I know that look. And it’s bad. So I immediately scooped up the strange Yokai to buy him a beer and keep him safe with me. A bit of talking, a bit of alcohol, and one very, very bad dance and I managed to get him to come out with me on my bus. The creep from early quit when he saw us going out together. After that, it was easy. I managed to get Donnie to drink a bottle of water and let him fall asleep on my bed.

A very comfortable bed, I must add. Her traveling bus is literally a house on wheels.- added a happy turtle. But one look from his father and he was half-back in his shell again.

Yeah, I'm lucky you didn't throw up on it.- she laughed- I got him some painkillers in the morning. We had a very awkward breakfast, yes. He was surprised not only that I knew about Yokai, but also trusted him enough to let him into my place. It turned out that we were both running away in a way, trying to find ourselves. I suggested that maybe we travel together. At least I had experience wandering around. I was a little afraid to let him go alone.

Hey! I'm not that dependent. Thank you very much. I was just a little... lost. That's it.

Keiko spread her hands - I never implied that you couldn't do it yourself. I just warned you to be more careful or you'll end up in a government lab. You yourself decided that my bed was too comfortable to look for some abandoned hotels to sleep in. Plus, having a human who could buy you food at any time was...convenient.

Keiko sighed and reached out to place her hand over Donnie's. Her warm smile soothed him. After a moment, she looked back at Splinter- It was a fair exchange. Don had a company that kept an eye on his greenness and kept him out of trouble.

And away from alcohol, I must point out. It was the only time I allowed myself to taste this poison during our entire trip. Never again. The hangover is not worth it.- Raph was relieved to hear that, and so was Splinter. Mikey giggled, covering his mouth. Then he whispered to the girl.

Please tell me you have photos.

Keiko replied conspiratorially - 42 seconds of dance video on a USB that Donnie couldn't find.

Betrayal!- he threw with a theatrical pose- You said you deleted this degrading evidence.

And would I be deprived myself of the source of my inspiration? Forget it.

Yes, well. Sorry, but what do you get out of it? From this exchange, as you called it.

The girl straightened up and looked into Leo's eyes- One, the inspiration. I had been traveling around the US alone for three years. It was good to be able to open my mouth to someone. Second, it's an opportunity. When Donnie said there was a Yokai city hidden beneath New York, I dared to hope. We agreed that whether he decides to travel more or stay with me or go home, he will show me how to get there after some time. Living among humans is fun, comfortable and stuff, but I miss what I grew up with. And I can't go back to Japan. I am considered unworthy because I left them. The chance of me settling in a new Yokai City was very tempting.

And how... this exchange turned into a relationship?- Raph asked, uncertain.

The couple looked at each other. Donnie replied- Hard to say. We were apart all the time and the adventures of our travels can't even be called dating. One evening we just... we sat down and started talking. I didn't want to end this friendship, and neither did Keiko.

It was one of the weirdest conversations I've ever had, but it was definitely more fun than any dating and romance. A bit more like writing a contract.

For me, it was like building blueprints for the future together. How long will we wait, or how fast do we want to develop. And if the plan doesn't change, we'll get married in a few years. Enough time to get to know each other well enough and know that neither of us will give up along the way.

Wow... only our Donnie can plan the whole relationship like some kind of research project.- Raph smiled awkwardly.

But he found someone who not only liked it, she thought the same way! What are the chances? They are made for each other. Just as weird. No offence.

The girl laughed.- Non taken

Splinter cleared his throat and folded his arms across his chest, looking seriously at the couple.- How happy I am for your happiness, we need to establish some ground rules. I know you... you lived together for two months. But here, you have to sleep in separate rooms.

Dad!- Donnie's face went even redder.

The girl giggled- No problem. I don't even have to plan to live here for now. We haven't decided yet when it will change. For now, I'll stick with my bus. I will get my bed back. The couch was comfortable, but it was not the same.

Splinter grunted and nodded, clearly relieved. Mikey was about to say something when Donnie's phone vibrated in his pocket.- The pizza is here. Leo, will you go pick up?

The blue brother frowned but got up from the table. He left the kitchen for his katana. By the time he returned with the food, and there was far too much of it, everyone was laughing and the awkward topics had faded into the background.

It turned out that the girl works as an artist. But before getting into any details, Mikey peppered her with a million questions about her favorite style, how she learned how to draw, her favorite subjects, and he talked about his own art, bragging about and showing her photos. It didn't seem to bother her in any way, both the conversation and the young turtle's energy. On the contrary, she laughed a lot. And Donnie seemed enchanted by her voice.

An hour later, Donnie took Keiko to his lab (Splinter took Donatello to talk in private and insisted that they were not allowed to close the door when they were in the same room together. The scientist did not object).

Shelly, where are my brothers?- Donnie asked. The white drone flew to the monitor station and connected to the system. Cameras and trackers fired up.

Leo is sitting in his room. Raph and Mikey are talking in the living room. Splinter went to the dojo, apparently meditating by the shrine.

Is anyone showing any nimpo presence? We're sure our dear Leo isn't eavesdropping?

I confirm. It's clean.

Good. Inform me if status changed and if anyone is within 5 meters of the lab door- with these words, Donnie turned around and embraced Keiko with all his strength. He buried his head in her shoulder and sighed heavily. The girl was shorter than him, and hid her face in his plastron. She began rubbing his back soothingly.

Are you ok?

No. But i'll manage.- he replied without moving.

Do you think they know?

I'm sure they are not. They'll be more concerned with our marriage than looking for trouble around you.

...And are you sure you want to push this? You can still turn around. I don't want you to get hurt.

I was hurt. You helped me. The only way I can repay you is to help you.

The girl sighed deeply and pulled back to look him in the eye.- You are very stubborn.

He smiled.- Tell me that in four years, when we're married.

I'll do it. But only if you do your part of the bargain and talk to April.

And you... aren't you afraid that this conversation might make a difference?

Keiko shrugged. She took Donnie's jacket to adjust it. (actually just playing with the material but who cared)- Then instead of a best friend-husband, I'll just have a best friend. In both cases, I lose nothing. And if you can be happy, that’s fine by me.

Donnie laughed and shook his head.- Remind me why you're a bad person?

Keiko laughed and kissed him on the cheek.- You're a little bad too.

Yes. Yes I am.- Donnie turned and pointed to the inside of his lab- So let's get to work.

What do we start with?

First of all- your tracker. Of course.

She shook her head, amused.- Of course

Chapter Text

Two and a half hours later, Splinter appeared at the open lab door, suggesting it was late and it was time for the kids to go to bed. Of course, he wanted to act like a good host. He offered Keiko a night in a spare room, but the girl politely declined. Donnie offered to walk her outside. After all, the girl is not yet acquainted with all the ways in and out of the lair. However, Keiko refused that too, bringing a little calm to the clearly tense rat-dad.

The young couple can say what they want, but Splinter was once young too and didn't trust their pure intentions. And apparently, to his own surprise, neither of the kids seemed to mind. A gentle touch on the cheek, a kiss on the forehead followed by a hug. A silent goodnight and Keiko followed Raph to the south exit, saying goodbye to everyone.

As the sound of their footsteps disappeared, Splinter came closer to Donatello's side as the prodigy took care of shutting down the systems for the night.

I have to admit, Keiko is a really nice girl.

Yes, affirmative. That's why I decided to extend this relationship.- turtle replied, switching off the screens. Although he wasn't looking in his father's direction, Splinter could see the warm smile that spread across the softshell's lips as he spoke.

Yes, I can understand that. However... I'd like you to reconsider.- Donnie turned to him, eyebrows raised.

His son immediately folded his hands in front of him in a defensive gesture.- I do not deny that this girl is charming and kind and she can easily captivate the heart. But I want you to think it over. Is this the right time to make these kinds of decisions, Purple?

If you want to suggest, as Leo already did, that I don't know her enough and this decision is hasty and premature, then you can skip it. We have a few years to reevaluate and change our minds before a more serious commitment is made. And both Keiko and I are aware of what we agreed to. This isn't the decision of someone who is irrationally emotional, Dad. These are conclusions from long-term analysis.

At these words, the rat raised his ears and twitched its tail nervously:- You talk as if the only thing that drives you to do this is logic. A relationship should be based on something more. Don't you lo…

I LOVE HER - Donnie interrupted before Splinter could finish his sentence- I love her, Papa. Sorry for raising my voice.- The softshell slid down to sit in his swivel chair, closer to his father's level. The old rat stepped closer and placed his thin hand on top of Donnie's.

I'm the one who apologizes for giving you the impression that I don't believe in your intentions. Or that your feelings may not matter. That's not true, I don't think that way. You have just returned home after a long and hard journey. You left because your heart was hurt and I'm afraid it hasn't fully healed yet.

Their eyes met- My son, I'm an old man and I’m afraid that what today you call love, you might call gratitude and attachment after some time. And I don't want you to suffer any more. Or to suffer as I did a long time ago. One does not run away from his family and friends because he feels OK. And when... when the heart hurts, it's easy to make a mistake that you can't undo.- Splinter was about to say that a broken heart is easier to manipulate, but refrained from doing so.

Donatello said nothing for a long moment, then carefully removed his hand from under his father's and pressed it against his plastron.

I know you're worried, Dad. I understand that. I just... I want you to trust me. Believe that I can make not only good decisions. I wish you'd let me, trust me, make those bad decisions too. That's what growing up is all about, right? Learn from your mistakes. Take the good and the bad. And I have to learn how to deal with both the good and the bad. I can't keep relying on you guys to do everything for me. I can't rely on my tech either. I became so attached to it that as soon as I was out without my usual support, I panicked. Meeting Keiko helped me believe that I CAN handle myself. THAT I CAN learn these things and solve problems. She helped me understand that I lack nothing. And more importantly, thanks to her, I finally started to believe that this is true. That I am enough.

Dad, she made me... I… with her, I'm not ashamed of being a mutant. Or that I have a soft shell, or that I am weaker than my brothers. Or that I can rant for hours on topics that no one else is interested in. Being with her made me feel that it’s OK just being ME. And I... I don't remember when I felt like this before. Did I ever feel like this before? And for that alone, I'm willing to try. Because, for the first time ever, I believe that even if something goes wrong, I can manage. And I will not fall to pieces. So please, Papa. I know it's hard, but... will you let me do this? Will you let me try to do things my way and make my own mistakes and learn from them? So can… can you try to trust me?

Pleading, sad eyes stared into Splinter's yellow ones. There was no anger or irritation in them. There was no childish naivety or bold demand. And only, as if awakened from a dream, did Splinter notice a change that he could not see before under the cloak of energy, narcissism and rashness that covered Purple. His son's theatrical attitude and a fake emotional-bad-boy image obscured what was previously hidden.
:- When did you grow up, my son?

Splinter closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering, putting as much love into his words as he could.- I trust you. I trust that you know what you are doing and you’re aware of your choices. But I also want you to know that whatever path you take or whatever obstacles you will face, I will always be here for you. And even if you decide not to use our support, we will be ready to help. And that you can always count on us- your family. For good and for bad.

Thank you, Papa.

Saying that, once again, Purple hugged his dad that evening. (he's been doing it remarkably often since he came back today, isn't he?) This time it was something else. Something that made Splinter cup his son's cheeks and look deep into his eyes. He must have been proud of what he saw there. He was also happy to see a spark in those eyes that he hadn't seen in a long time. A spark that went out after they lost their old home. Purple is back. His son is back and has found a new light in himself. A new strength. And that was enough for Splinter to soothe his troubled mind. Donatello is not him. And Keiko is not Big Mama. Everything will be fine.

Splinter chose to believe that.

………………….

The way out was a fairly simple, polite discussion of how pleasant life was down there and what entertainments the brothers had in their lair. Raph proudly talked about his family dojo as well as the arcade games of which he had several records. Much less than Leo or Donnie, of course, but still. In return, Keiko told how she and her younger brother would sneak into a nearby town to buy manga comics and attend festivities. She shared how this, their sibling's adventures when they were kids and some comics and cartoons from the US inspired her to start drawing.

Sounds pretty much like how Leo and Don used to sneak out. Usually, then they would come back with new bruises or some items that I'm almost sure none of them paid for. Once they came back dressed like grandmas. Wigs, big humps, even perfume.

You're kidding.

Raph pulled out his phone and quickly searched through old messages to show Keiko a photo. It wasn't the best quality. Leo apparently tried to snatch the phone from Raph's hand while Donnie stood back, completely unashamed of his Hortense-persona.

The girl covered her mouth, trying not to burst out laughing, and Raph had to admit to himself that it was quite cute.

When they were under the right manhole, Raph ran a hand over the back of his neck. He suddenly seemed a bit nervous about something, and when Keiko asked if something had happened, he replied.

Raph just wanted to thank you. Donnie… he said he decided to come back because of you. It means a lot to us. We were all very... shocked when he suddenly disappeared in the middle of the night, you know? I got very scared. My little brother was clearly struggling. He needed help and there was nothing I could do to help him. I was terrified that he hadn't brought his weapon, nor his battle-shell. Yes, now we all have these awesome mystic powers, but Raph couldn't help but worry. And then, when you told us a story how did you two met… You did take care of him, although you didn't have to and no one asked you to do so . So, so many things could go wrong that night. But it didn't, thanks to you. So, I thank you Keiko.

The girl was clearly embarrassed by the compliment and turned red in the cheeks. She immediately looked away and started playing with her purple strand of hair.

It's really nothing. I saw someone who was clearly lost with themselves and I could relate to that. Besides, I'd probably be eaten by conscience worms if I let him fall into the hands of that creepy guy. Or get killed. Or Donnie himself would haunt me later. I don't know how your spirit-nimpo-thingy works.

Raph chuckled- We too still try to figure this out ourselves, yeah. Possession is an option, so maybe haunting is too? Who knows? Anyway, Raph’s got out of track. Keiko, you didn't have to try to convince him to come back to us. You two could just keep on traveling, or he could drop you off at Hidden City and just disappear again. You are the reason he stayed with us.

It’s not just my part, you know. Donnie just needed to sort things out in his own head and understand that what he really feels is that he misses you guys. I just gave him a little push. Don loves to overanalyze, so all I did was direct him, whose exact feelings tormented him. And when something got too complicated, we took it apart together. Yes, I know, it sounds stupid to analyze emotions like a disassembled PC. But it worked! For... both of us, actually. So he owes me nothing. I am glad I could help him.

I… um…- the snapper scratched the back of his neck- I can ask you a little personal question? Sorry, if it may sound rude.

Oh. Go ahead.

What's up with this wedding? I mean, I apologize again, you're a really nice girl. I'm just not sure... don't you think that's a bit rushed?

The girl measured the giant with her eyes and turned fully towards him. She nodded and sighed.

Don't worry. Donnie and I know what we're doing. This wedding is more like… Oh, I know. Have you watched How I Met Your Mother?

I've heard of it, but I haven't, sorry.

O, OK. So, in the series, two friends make a deal with each other. They both feel broken in a way, so they agree that when they reach a certain age and have not found their other half by then, they will get married, so they will not be alone when they grow old. In a way, we have the same deal, only with us- the timing is faster. And don't get me wrong, I love your brother and I know he loves me. But people don't take into account that there are different kinds of love. Some are based on puppy eyes and chocolates, while others are based on complete trust.

Raph wanted to answer, but found himself not knowing exactly what to say. It's not that they don't care. Raph had seen Donnie and Keiko staring at each other all evening. How they talked and were not ashamed of their quirks. Their laughter and mocking sounded genuine. He saw that bond, though he didn't feel it the way he expected. All the movies and books he knew were about great declarations of love, and honestly? Donnie liked to show off. Maybe that's why this calm arrangement made his big brother uneasy.

On the other hand, Donnie's love language has always been based on limited physical contact and gift giving. Maybe Raph was wrong, expecting that if Don ever announced his engagement, he would build a giant firework drill just to let everyone on the planet know? Or he’ll burn a big sign “Will you marry me?” on the moon.

He expected something like that. And I guess... Everyone at home did too. Maybe Raph really doesn't know his little brother as well as he thought?

………………….

As they emerged from the tunnel, they headed down an alley almost completely blocked by a long parked camper-bus. Raph winced. The vehicle looked... miserable.

On the roof it had a Donnie’s shell-hog still attached with a net. All the windows were sealed to give the illusion of a mirror, so no one from the outside could pick inside. The exception was the driver's cabin. Although the inside was clean, the dashboard and radio looked old and not even worth trying to steal. Raph could also see several wires hanging loosely.

The entire vehicle looked as if it had a pattern of a running black rabbit painted on it. Once. Ages ago. Now the paint was partly scraped off, rust was showing through in many places, and in a few points there were dents and scratches.

Raph shivered at the thought of what was inside. Donnie lived in something like this for two months? True, they all grew up in the sewers, but this? It just looked dangerous.

Umm... Keiko, are you sure you wouldn't want to spend the night with us in the lair? It seems to be quite cold today. Besides, it's not the safest neighborhood- snapper waited for the girl's answer. One more glance. The vehicle looked worse than a Meat Sweats truck! Oh come on.

No, I'm good- the girl replied with an honest smile. Then, when she didn't hear the expected “goodnight” or “see you tomorrow”, she looked at Raph's face and how his gaze roamed over the bus anxiously.

After a moment she got it and she giggled. She headed for the second entrance.- Would you like a soda? I'd love to drink.- and before he could answer, she headed inside.

Raph was surprised he could fit in the bus door and follow Keiko. And even more so, when he saw the inside.

The ugly bus actually looked beautiful. Downright luxurious. Half of the walls and ceiling were covered in huge paintings, like cut panels from manga. Japanese dialogues written with a brush, perfect composition of black and white. The furniture was toned down in cream colors with black and purple admixtures. Opposite to the entrance, was a huge couch that Raph assumed, if unfolded, would easily take up the entire bus space, and could fit all of them.

There was room for a small kitchen. There was what could only be called a workstation, with a large graphics tablet and attached plans and notes and a laptop. At the end of the bus was a large bed with a purple curtain. Raph had to agree with Donn, it looked very soft and comfy.

What surprised the snapper was a glass shelf full of figurines of manga characters he already knew from somewhere. But he did not dare to come closer. He was afraid that one wrong move and he would damage something with his spikes.

Heads-up!

The can of cola was thrown into his hands. The snapper's eyes are now the size of dinner plates.

Keiko, you are…

………………….

… Rich?!! Oh, come on!- A nervous slider put the phone aside. He hit his head on the pillow and groaned. Of course, since he couldn't count on the help of his brilliant brother, he decided to search the internet himself to find out more about the girl.

What he found on Wikipedia was pretty limited. A young artist from Japan, Sakura Keiko, is very anonymous. No photos, no interviews, except on the radio. She came to the States in her teens and has been creating small comics and manga ever since. Leo was too annoyed to take a moment to check what exactly she was creating. Apart from one series of adventures of anthropomorphic rabbits, Leo preferred to stick to the western style. Nothing beats Jupiter Jim. Even if it has the adventures of a very handsome, funny, young white rabbit in it.

Nope, manga is not his style. Whoever thought reading from right to left was a good idea is beyond him.

Anyway, now Leo has a bigger problem. The girl is definitely not lazy and has her own money. And since she lives in a RV, she probably doesn't spend much either. The chance that she's hitting on his brother for money is now low. So Leo will have to keep checking. There must be some scam, he can feel it! His twin senses almost screamed inside.

Leo briefly considered visiting Donnie at this hour, but decided against it. His purple twin is probably still angry with him for what he said earlier, so Leon wouldn't want to worsen his chances with him. No. Donnie returned to them. And let all the cheese drain out of his pizza if Leo lets him disappear again.

The phone buzzed, bringing the first message in the Mad Dogs' shared chat in a long time.

Oh.

………………….

Donnie was expecting another visitor within 10 minutes. But he didn't expect it to be Mikey. The scientist folded his arms across his chest and turned his torso to the shy little turtle standing in the doorway of his room. The box turtle didn't look at him and clearly couldn't decide what to say. Donnie decided to do it for him.

What's the problem, Angelo? Wanna be the next person to tell me I'm making a mistake? That I shouldn't act irrationally by following my emotions? Or maybe you will directly imply that Keiko is taking advantage of me and trying to trick me? You want to question me about my journey, then compare it with her story and see the plot?

Can I sleep here? Or can we have a turtle pile?- asked a small voice

Oh…

Donnie... well, he did not expect THAT. The whole evening (as planned) was based on his engagement, and it was the main topic of every discussion. It didn't occur to the scientist that any of his brothers might consider that the fact that he came back home was more important than who he came back with. He felt ashamed when he realized this. Michaelangelo came here for him and only for him. And that ignited a warmth in his heart, and Donnie felt softer than he usually is. (see the pun?)

The purple brother walked over to his little brother who was still standing by the door and held out his hands. Mikey didn't need a second thought, he immediately threw himself into his arms.

Turtle pile sounds good.- He replied, lying down his cheek on his little brother's head.

I'll send a message. Oh, April doesn't know you're back! She will be pissed.

Heh. Yes, she will. Maybe for now, let's not text her too much info. I prefer to tell her personally.

RazzMatazz: APRIL!!!

RazzMatazz: Donnie's back!

RazzMatazz: We gather in the living room for a turtle pile. Even dad joins in.

realBATgirl: !!

realBATgirl: HE’S WHAT NOW??!!!

realBATgirl: Donnie? When?!

OthelloVonRyan: Hello dear April. I returned four hours ago. My apologies for the delayed update. Something distracted us.

LeonNeon: more like someone

RazzMatazz: sush Leo! not today. we will have a turtle pile and i’m gonna enjoy it

RedAngel: Mikey’s right. I’ll be back in 5

LeonNeon: .

LeonNeon: whatever

LeonNeon: hey Aps, wanna portal?

LeonNeon: you can knock Donnie's teeth out

realBATgirl: Sorry guys, Mom and I are visiting my aunt. I won't be back until tomorrow afternoon

RedAngel: penalty temporarily suspended

OthelloVonRyan: Where did you learn such complicated words, Raph?

RazzMatazz: You've been gone for two months, someone must have been nerd out

RedAngel: oh shut up

………………….

Raph spent the next 15 minutes with Keiko, talking about her work. Then, when he got the message, he said goodbye to her and went back to the lair. Of course, he asked if she was sure she wouldn't like to join. In response, the girl said that it's a family thing and she's not a family yet. Besides, she took their brother away for two months. She will let them enjoy him back.

When all the doors were closed and the lights turned off, the girl stood in front of her glass case and took a deep breath. She pulled out her phone and sent a short private text.

🖤BlackRabbit: Are you sure that's what you want? There will be no turning back.

UraniumBoy🐢😈: Yes.

UraniumBoy🐢😈: Let's do this.

🖤BlackRabbit: … for family

UraniumBoy🐢😈: For family

Keiko stretched out her hand towards the figurine of the snow-owl-griffin. She pulled a small object from their claws and clutched it in her hand.

For a few moments, the interior of the vehicle was illuminated with a soft white light.

Chapter Text

………………….

The morning was quite pleasant. Night... not necessarily. Raph held everyone in his grip, and even in his sleep, whenever one of the family members tried to sneak out of the turtle pile, the big hand found and grounded the escapee. So Leo and his plan to search the bus at night or spy on Keiko if he found out she was up to something in the dark corners of New York dropped dead.

And the worst part? He couldn't even sleep. He managed to close his eyes for an hour or two before he had a nightmare of Donnie getting on some bus at the station and disappearing, this time forever. The only thing that comforted him was that in the dark room he could see the outline of his twin held on the other side of the sleeping giant's plastron. Donny breathed peacefully. He was smiling in his sleep. Leon would never admit how warm it made him feel.

Leo missed his brother a lot. And now he was afraid that because of yesterday's quarrel, that smile and that peacefulness might disappear. Nope, Leo will not allow it!

So he figured he would indulge in a paranoid mistrust of his brother's fresh fiancée, but he would not show it to the rest of the family. He won't let himself push Donnie away again. He'll just... wait for the right moment and collect the evidence to rub "I told you so" in his twin's face.

The first people up were Raph (thank Pizza God) and Mikey. While the snapper went to take a shower, the box turtle went to prepare a special breakfast. Banana pancakes for Donnie, blueberry pancakes for Leo, maple syrup for himself and Raph and, as a main event, something he's been working on for a long time. Mikey tried to replicate the taste of pizza puffs! Without the mystic poison it seemed impossible, but he was very close nonetheless.

So, of course, left unsupervised, Leo reached for his katana and opened a very small portal in the kitchen to pull a plate of snacks into their comfy nest of beddings and pillows in the living room.

He was about to start eating when he looked at his sleeping brother's face. Thinking for a moment, he reached over Splinter's sleeping body and placed a tasty ball under the nose of the softshell. Donnie moved his snout and inhaled the scent. His eyes twitched at first, then opened slowly.

The first thing he saw was a delicious, warm pizza puff. The second is the green hand of his grinning brother holding it. Donnie immediately frowned and looked at Leo's face, who was now trying to smile as sincerely as he could.

"Peace offering?"- he said quietly. Don looked for signs of a trick there for a while longer, but finally he let out a word “sigh” and sat up.

"You know I can't resist the offer of stolen food."- Genius replied and reached for a tasty ball from Leo's plate.- "Oh Galileo, this is so good."

He smiled warmly. To which Leo replied with his smile. Finally they were both eating cheese balls over the sleeping rat, leaving crumbs on him. The air seemed much lighter now.

Less than five minutes had passed when a loud scream came from the kitchen and the twins giggled at it. For a moment, it all felt like it used to be. Like it should be.Why did it stop though? It's something Leo needs to think about later.

………………….

Breakfast, when everyone (except the still sleeping rat-man) gathered in the kitchen and after the twins got a blow on the heads with a spatula, passed quite pleasantly.

The conversation revolved around the topic of what Donnie ate for breakfast on the road. Most of the time he just made sandwiches, sometimes they had pancakes. Quite often they stopped in typical, small, bright home-cooked restaurants and tested coffee and cake while there. Donnie even made a small list of places he would definitely take his brothers out.

Fun fact, one time Keiko offered a bet, and after losing, softshell had to eat whatever his turtle species would normally eat. He ended up eating a completely alive tiny frog. Or rather, he tried, because he didn't even chew it. The animal flew down his throat, and as it squirmed, everything Don had eaten since morning returned to his plate. The warrior froggy regained their freedom. The photos of the lost battle remain.

"Wow, sounds like you guys had a really good time." - Mikey said dreamy- "Do you think we could all go some day? To a real vacation? I've never been outside of New York in my life."

"Not true, we were in Tahiti."- said Donnie, and Raph added- "Yeah, and in New Jersey, several times actually. And in the woods outside New York, with Todd."

Mikey puffed out his cheeks- "First of all, yuck. You had to mention Jersey... Secondly, you know that's not what I mean. I would like to go further away, much further. See more than the city on the horizon. And not for a few hours, but for a week or maybe two. Live on the road, baby! Adventures! A non-life threatening one. Do you know how many restaurants we could visit on a trip like that? How many new recipes to learn!"

"Amigo, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but we can't do this. Maybe..." -Leo began to wave his hand, pointing all over himself- "... this whole situation doesn't bother New Yorkers, but I doubt people would turn a blind eye to a giant tank driving down any of the major highways. It's a little too dangerous."

"Donnie did just fine." - box turtle pointed out.

All eyes turned to him. Ugh

"You know Mikey, I wouldn't say that. Without Keiko, I probably wouldn't have survived the first night. Besides, we had amenities. Her bus is not conspicuous. She, as a human being, could go errands for us and go wherever she pleased, and we had a lot of clothes to fit into the culture of a given region."

"And? Don't tell me you can't build a vehicle that we can pretend to be ordinary citizens. Or borrow this bus from your fiancée. She's cool, I'm sure she'll agree. We don't have to be afraid of hiding, we're RAD ninjas! And if you're still worried, we could take April with us."

"Mikey, it's not like that. This is a big decision and…"- Donnie cut Raph off before he finished his sentence.

"Yes."

"Yes? What yes? Donnie, you can’t be serious."- Raph protested. Of course. It is one thing to protect a family at home, in a well known area, and quite another at the other end of the country. Mikey was already beaming by this time and rushed to hug his purple brother, but Donnie reached out his arm and, not looking at the orange brother, stopped his youngest face at a distance.

"There is such a possibility and I confirm that I could make a suitable vehicle for all of us for a trip. Actually, I even had a similar plan in mind, but other duties and saving the world from ancient demon armor ruined my schedule. BUT before any trip plans, there are a few things I need to take care of and I don't expect any of you to revisit this topic before next summer."- Donnie smiled at the big snapper sitting across from him- "This amount of time should be enough to prepare the plan of the journey, the lair to be left unattended, and should give you Angelo enough time to settle our dear Raph's nerves and convince him it's a good idea."

"Hey!"- the snapper protested

"OK, I must agree here."- Leo said- "We have been fighting the city's weirdos for a long time now. We defeated the Shredder. The team deserves a nice break. And while I'm offended that my wonderful portals weren't considered, I'll let it slide this time."

"First of all, Nardo, you would have to see the places where we want to go in order to open the portal and be sure that other tourists will not notice it. Secondly, the charm of traveling in your own vehicle is that at any moment you can make a chaotic decision to change course to see something interesting. But we could organize a “test drive” weekend during the winter break. Rent a cabin and enjoy the snow. Somewhere away from people. Maybe even make it a Christmas trip? O-oh! That reminds me" - Donnie clapped twice. Shellby flew into the room and placed a large bag in the middle of the table, from which smaller and larger colorful junks fell out. Raph barely had time to shove the plates onto the side.

"Behold! Specially for you my dear brothers: a set of trinkets and souvenirs from the trip. Don't be shy to take whatever catches your eye! I have more gifts for people not present at this table at the moment in my lab."

The brothers exchanged glances and rushed to the contents of the bag. Don stood aside with his arms folded, glad he had cameras everywhere in the house and Shelby was recording the fight over the merch. Oh, this is lovley. Softshell won't admit that the sight of his brothers' smiles and surprised gasps warms his heart.

"Don, this is great!" "Have you been to the Elvis museum?" "Wait, is that an original album with Imagine Dragons autographs? HAVE YOU BEEN TO A HUMAN CONCERT?!" "I am with dumb-dumb brother t-shirt. Dibs!" "Omgosh! Look guys, it's a smiling frog!" "Back off Leo, the colored stone is mine." "It's actually a geode. Probably the only interesting thing about geology." "Raph, what the heck? How do you know that?"

When the first layer of items was separated, what they revealed caused the fight to stop for a while.

"O-MI-GOSHHHH"

"Do you guys see what I see?"

"Donnie, did you rob the Lou Jitsu museum?"- after Leo's question, all three brothers looked at the Purple Turtle

"Oh, it’s possible the final stop of my trip before we started our way back was in fact Salt Lake City. And to be precise, the small town of Tooele where Lu Jitsui's final scenes were filmed from his never-finished movie Lou Jitsu and Dark Trail Viper Origin,, just before dad got kidnapped. And yes, they have a museum there, but they also have a gift shop, most of which I bought. You're welcome. I even have a copy of the recordings from the set that were left over and I would love to watch them tonight with my family."

Mikey had tears in his eyes and Raph clenched his fists, barely holding back howls of joy, happily stimming- "We will watch the original recordings from the set of the last Lou Jitsu movie?! YEAHKKK!!!"

"Did I say I love you? I love you. Today you are my favorite brother!"

"Mikey, it’s a betrayal! I’m hurt. Besides, he can't be your favorite brother because he's already MY favorite twin."- Leo brought his nose so close to Donnie that they were almost touching- "Tell me you got bloopers too."

There was no end to the joy and Donnie could no longer resist the random hugs from his brothers, who alternately took gifts for themselves and ran to thank him. Very quickly, all four turtles in the kitchen were wearing black wigs and iconic Lou's glasses.

Among the many objects, Mikey pulled out a small glass container, which surprised him a bit. There was no name on it, just a date, and inside was a lock of hair.

"Umm, Donnie, what is this?"

Softshell lifted his glasses and saw what his little brother was holding in his hands. Then he lunch himself plastron on the table to grab the item, surprising everyone.

"It's... hehe, what's this doing here? It's nothing important. Don't worry about it. My private souvenir, that’s it. I'd better take it to the lab now."- Thick drops of sweat trickled down his face as he tried to hug the box to cover it with his hands.

"What does all this mean? Oh…"- just perfect, now Splinter must have woken up and come into the kitchen- "Is it all… me?"

"Donnie visited your museum in Tooele and brought us gifts!"- Mikey chirped.

"They built me a museum there? Ah, how nice of them. I remember the cafe there where they had an excellent orange cake."

"Cinnamon Cup? I agree, although the coffee itself was terrible."- Donnie said, coming off the table.

"Hehe, oh yes. It was. There was no better way to wake up, than drink a coffee as strong as battery acid"- the rat approached Angelo to take his wig and put it on himself. Of course, he had to pose.

"Donnie said he had clips from a movie you shot there."- Raph smiled and he slapped his brother's bare softshell with his big hand.

"Oh really, Purple? So it's going to be a fascinating evening! I'll tell you how I accidentally came up with a brand new punch while shooting. I called this kick the viper on the branch."

With that, Donatello exhaled and relaxed noticeably. Although he didn't let the glass out of his hand for the rest of the time. Ten minutes later, he burst into the lab followed by Shellby.

"Shelly, open the locker 221 and disinfect it before I secure the sample. I can't let anyone touch…"

"Touch what, hermano?"

"Yeek!"- Donny jumped like a startled cat. Of course Leo must have noticed his strange behavior. Of course he had to stick his nose in.

"Oh Nardo, can I help you with something?"

"You can help me satisfy my curiosity."- The blue turtle walked nonchalantly inside, stepped closer and had the audacity to lean in to examine the hair in the glass. Don immediately wanted to hide the box behind his back.

"It's nothing you care about and I'd prefer you let it go, Nardo."

"Yeah, no chance bro. You're acting like there's uranium in it, and I don't like that. I'd rather make sure you didn't bring anything dangerous home."

"It's just a bunch of hair, it's not dangerous."

"Your fiancée’s?"

"What? Of course not."

"Then why are they so important? I swear to you, Donnie, either you tell me or I open a portal and… I don't know, lick 'em…"

Before Leo finished making his threats, Don interrupted him with words- " ‘s dad’s."

"… What?"

Softshell took a deep breath.

"It's dad's hair. His pure human DNA."

Leo's eyes widened, then folded his arms across his plastron - "Spill it."

"I... don't want to lie to you, Leo (because Donnie wouldn't know how to do so anyway), but I can't tell you. I need it for the experiment. That's it. Nothing serious or dangerous, I swear. Just... don't tell anyone."

Leo frowned- "Why shouldn't I? Are you planning to create new mutants with this? Do you have some kind of deal with Draxum that I don't know about?"

"Geesh, no. Of course not, Nardo. Hyh, which reminded me I should visit him today and revoke his Shellby privileges."

"Donnie focus. Why do you need dad's hair and why is it so important that no one knows about it?"

Donnie growled under his breath- "Because it's Lou Jitsu's hair! Last haircut two days before his proposal-slash-kidnapping. How do you think Dad will feel when he finds out I have something like this at home? I can't even trust our brothers not to try to take them for themselves."

"No wonder. I would like to have something like this on the shelf myself. Holy shit, with a copy of the un-finished movie it would be worth a small fortune. But no, back to the topic... Why do you need them? Don... do you... do you want to bring Dad back to his human form?"

"Leo, please. I'd really want to trust you not to do anything stupid and like… stealing the hair. And no, I would never do that to Pops without his double written consent. And no, I have no plans to create any new life forms, including clones. I need it for something else."

"But you don’t deny that you can actually do this? You can reverse his mutation. That’s it? Donnie, if it's so important, you can tell me. We are brothers. I am your twin. Let me help you, please"- I didn't help you with whatever you were struggling with when you ran away. Please, give me a chance to fix things.

Donatello clearly hesitated for a moment, then, looking to the side, he spoke- "I... I don't know if that's a possibility. Yet. And / don't want to give Dad any hopes that I might not fulfill. And I'll tell you the truth. In a while…"- he looked back his brother in the eye- "If YOU make up with Keiko and try to befriend her."

"Don…"

"Try, Leo. I don't expect much of success, but I wish you wouldn't be mean to her just for existing. She is very important to me. Please, respect this."

"Ggggrrrr, fine. Ok, fine. I’ll try. How do I do that?"

The genius smiled- "You could start by coming with us to Draxum and then for a little city tour."

Two people he just can't stand in the same room? Nope - "I think I will pass. I'll come up with something else. But yes, I agree with your terms and... I'll try to make her like me. I promise."

"I expect nothing more. Thank you Nardo"

The slider moved towards the exit from the lab. He turned over his shoulder- "But no clones?"

"No clones."

………………….🐢

Some time later, Leo, Mikey and Donnie left the underground and headed towards the alley where the bus was parked. At first glance, the brothers winced and exchanged glances.

"Wow, I thought she's loaded"- Leo grunted. Donnie stopped immediately and turned his head, squinting his eyes. Slider raised his hands in defense.- "Not that there's anything wrong with that she isn’t. Absolutely not. She’s cool."

Donnie spun on his heel and bent down, displaying the old bus with his hands as if it were one of his own inventions - "To dispel your doubts you are looking at a thoughtful masterpiece! This is a special design made to confuse would-be thieves and pushy fans. Designed to divert any unwanted attention. The inside is spacious and very luxurious. And mostly white, so wipe your feet if you want to go in."- he waved his hand dismissively at the brothers and went to the middle door to knock.

Shortly, the door opened and Keiko came down the stairs. She stopped at the lowest step to stay a bit higher than normal so she had her face almost on Donnie’s level. She threw her hands around his neck.

"Good morning my evil scientist. Did you have a productive night?"

"Why, of course. After burning two tankers, I decided to rob a bank, but got bored in the process, so I blew it up too. I slept like a baby after that."

The girl giggled as her fiancé wrapped his arms around her waist.- "And how did my black bunny spend the night?"

She shrugged slightly- "As usual. Deadlines chasing me, so I worked to catch up with five panels. I must have fallen asleep... at five o'clock?"

Donnie winced slightly at that- "Of the two of us, I was supposed to be the busy one, and you’re the one who’s going to chase me to sleep at humane hours."

"I'll try to make up for it, I promise."- then she leaned in and gave a short but sweet kiss on Donnie's lips. Then she just cuddled up to him and the boy returned the gesture.

Mikey was standing in the back with slightly red cheeks and an UwU look on his face. Leo, on the other hand, tried to look anywhere but the couple.

Luckily, he didn't have to say anything before they parted. Only then did the girl get on the sidewalk and she locked the door behind her. (Beep)

"Hi guys."- she waved her hand at them. Donnie at that time jumped on the bus and started unhooking his bike.

"Hey Keiko! Inspiration struck at night?"- Mikey, still beaming, stepped closer. Leo followed.

"Heh, yeah. Sometimes I just prefer to stay up for the night and just go with the flow. I want to put as much on paper as possible before my mojo runs out. Sometimes I only write dialogues. I can catch up with illustrations later."

"I gotcha you girl. I once did a mural in a tunnel at a fork. Depending on which side you looked at, they were two completely different works. I don't know how long it took, but I passed out and Don and Leo came to grab me home."

"It wasn't that long, fourteen hours. But you didn't eat anything and you were sitting in these paint fumes."- Leo said- "Lucky for you, Draxum has made us immune to most poisons."

"Draxum? Oh, that yōkai we're going to visit?"- the girl looked up at the top of the bus, where Don was starting the engine.

"Yes, that's him. Our second, unofficial father. Under other circumstances, I'd say I don't care that he created us, but even I have to admit that he was very helpful in saving New Yorkers and Dad… besides, Mikey adores him."

"Because he's trying a lot. He's not even as sarcastic as he used to be and he's helping me develop my mystic jazz."

"Yes, mhmm. Great guy, except that one time when he threw me off the roof."

"Oh come on Leo! You can't be angry about it forever."

"Try me, Gordon Ramsey."

A tiny snickering escaped from Keiko's mouth. Oh, the girl laughed at his joke. On the one hand, Leo's ego was flattered. On the other, his inner twin screamed that it was a trick. Fortunately, the blue turtle is a faceman, so he knows how to smile. He promised Donn to behave, right?

He was about to say something when a shell-hog landed on the ground between them and Donnie pulled out a second helmet to give to the girl.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"- Donnie asked.

"Nah, I’m good. I'll prepare some special dishes for our movie night. Something to cheer April up and tasteless juice when she knocks your teeth out."- Mikey chirped, pointing a finger in Donnie’s direction.- "And this time I'm counting on you, Keiko, to be there too."

"Oh, I'm really, really sorry Mikey but…"- unsure, she exchanged glances with Donnie- "I do not know. I have a lot of work and you have family matters. I won't say no, but I can’t give you a sure answer until... I don't know, 6PM. Will that be OK?"

Mikey thought for a moment, then nodded.

Keiko nodded and sat behind Donnie on the bike. She paused for a moment to trace his shell with her fingers. Leo was happy, Donn finally put on one of his battle shells. But he still went without his mask.

"Honestly, I didn't expect... hmm. Okay, now you're definitely going to have to let me sketch it"- she said.

Donnie chuckled lightly.- "My dear, wait while I show you all the wonderful features of this technological marvel."- then he turned to his brothers- "Tell Raph I'll be back around 4PM. I want to show Keiko as much of the city as possible before taking her to the Hidden City tomorrow."

"Sure thing Dee. You two have fun"- Leo said, waving his hand and hoping his smile looked sincere enough.

As the engaged couple disappeared from view Leon clapped his hands- "Okay Angelo, you can go home, and I’m headed my way to Hueso to…"

Whatever lie he was about to produce, he stopped short as he turned to see his younger brother's stance. Hands on chest, green foot stomping angrily, and eyes that say "I don't buy it."

"What is it, hermano?"- He tried to look innocent, though the sweat running down his forehead had sold him out. Salty snitch…

"You're not fooling me, Leo. You don't like her, you don't trust her, and I'm sure you already have a plan in mind. So either you're dragging me with you or I'm dragging you home and telling Raph not to let go of you all day."

Slightly surprised, he raised his eyebrows- "Wait, you don't trust her either? I thought you were in love with her and would immediately welcome her with open arms as your art-soul-sister."

"She's nice and great to talk to and you can tell she genuinely cares about Donnie. But is it how she avoids spending time with us or how both of them exchange glances? Something's up and I'd like to know what."

Leonardo smirked wildly at this.- "In that case, my dear brother, I invite you to check together what our new friend has up her sleeve. Let's break some privacy rules."- Leo drew his sword, waved it at the door, and opened a portal directly inside. How to avoid alarm sensors in the door and windows of the vehicle? That’s how! Suck it Donnie.

Mikey clearly hesitated, but finally sighed and moved first. At least that way he'll make sure Leo doesn't make a mess, right?

………………….🐇

Why does everyone assume clones? Donnie groaned in displeasure.

When he came to Draxum, his mind was set on a simple goal. He and Keiko had discussed the whole conversation many times, and if Don was going to get lost in it, Keiko would take the lead. Which she did.

At first, Draxum wasn't surprised. After meeting Cassandra and April, it seemed only natural that the turtles would introduce him to more and more of their favorite people. The surprise came when the young adults announced that they were engaged. And therefore, they come to ask for a traditional gift from the groom's parents to the bride as a symbolic sign of her acceptance into the clan.

Donatello was well aware that the old Yokai came from Japan before he moved to the Hidden City to build the defenses of a new hideout. This, and that Draxum respected ancient traditions more than anything. All that was left to do was to wish for what they wanted from him...

"Intriguing. You assume I still have Oozesquitoes when you and your brothers specifically told me to lure them all out of the city, catch them and then dispose of them. Which I did. So why…"

"I know you have them. You are a scientist, and a stubborn one too. You wouldn't just burn out the yield of your many years of hard work just like that. Especially since you had to start from scratch twice." - Donnie rested his elbows on his knees, staring expectantly at the face of the goat-man in front of him.

Yokai narrowed his eyes and his glance wandered for a moment between the two.

"Assuming you might be right, Purple, I have no reason to give you that exact betrothed-gift. Besides, you have a second father. I can throw the duty on him." - He waved his hand dismissively

"I…"- Donnie looked backtracked. He hoped it would be easier.

"That's right, Mr. Draxum. You are absolutely right. But you're not giving this gift to him as a father. You're giving it to me."- Keiko said calmly, with a warm, humble smile- "In the eyes of the clan, Splinter is the head of the clan, which makes him a Father. So, for that, and in addition to being a direct creator of the turtles, it makes you sir a Mother of the family. Me, as a clanless bride, I must be accepted by both parents and have the right to ask for whatever gift I can to bring honor and maintain the continuity of the clan. Normally, it would be an ancestral wedding amulet, some kind of handed down dagger, or something else that marks the clan's heritage."- "I know that." - "In the case of turtles, the most important legacy is the oozee in their blood. Without it, this family would never have come to be. My wish satisfies both conditions of tradition and future legacy. However, we are not here to demand"- she gently grabbed Donnie’s hand- "We are here to ask. Please, Mr. Draxum."

The old Yokai clearly thought, then heaved a deep breath.- "I like this one. She is bold and direct."- he said to Donnie, then went back to the girl- "I can see that, for a person without a clan, you are very well versed in tradition. May I know where this knowledge comes from?"

"I was raised by an ancient clan. But I never earned their name. When it came to the age of life role assignment, I was sent away from home to live among humans."

Draxum scratched his chin.- "May I know what clan helped you to grow up but didn't see you worthy of including you in the family line?"

Kiko swallowed hard. Donnie turned his hand up to squeeze her fingers. Not looking at the faces around her, she said quietly.

"It’s Miyamoto, sir."

...

There was a moment of heavy silence and then Draxum roared with laughter. He surprised Donnie and Keiko. Kids almost jumped. He was laughing so hard that he even stamped his hooves in place and tears appeared at the corners of his eyes.

"Those old idiots took in a human? Oh, I'd love to know how it happened. Those damned rabbits, cowards hiding in their little woods. First to the sword to murder humans to build their ridiculous spell, but too cowardly to do anything to free themselves from the tyranny of humanity."- Draxum wiped his face with a tissue and took two deep breaths- "But seriously, how come they didn't kill you on the spot for trespassing?"

Donnie raised an eyebrow. He knew that Keiko’s clan didn't like humans, but he wasn't aware that they were racing for first place of their hatred with Draxum.

"Well. I was found abandoned in the woods as a baby on the night of the Year of the Rabbit."

"Ah, I forgot that the many Yokai that came to Neo-Edo in the years brought their own traditions."

Keiko nodded- "Yes. Additionally, some clan founders partly originate from China. Leaving the zodiac calendar becomes a sacred part of the tradition. Plus... some other beliefs. The next one is the reason why I was taken in. When the head of the clan found me, it was not only New Year, but also that was the night of a very rare phenomenon. The moon was in her fullness and... she was purple."

Donnatello's eyes widened and he looked at Keiko in a little shock. The girl looked away.

"Why didn't you tell me that part before?"- he asked quietly.

The girl pouted and shrugged, searching for words. As she spoke, she started gesticulating with her free hand like she was swatting away flies (intrusive thoughts).

"It's enough that the rabbits took me in because they believed in some signs in the sky and destiny and a special mystic baby and all this shit. I didn't... I didn't want you to start thinking that way about me. I like you because, despite knowing that magic exists, you don't consider it to be some sort of almighty force that commands our fate."

Donatello nodded and looked thoughtful at his cup of tea.

"You realize it's hard not to think about fate when a member of the Miyamoto clan is about to marry a member of the Hamato clan, of all people."- Draxum stated and sipped his tea

"I know. And I really prefer not to think about it."

She may not want it. But Donnie can't stop thinking about it. A clan that has been a sworn enemy to Donnie's own family for ages. Yokai that are responsible for fleeing Splinter from Japan when he was just a child.

Monsters…

And yet, Donatello met her. The girl that is banished from her own home, in a place as ugly and random as possible, only to find out she's his only hope to make things right. She gave him the means to fix everything. Risking everything herself.

His own spark of hope.

A guide in the dark when he was so lost…

His own Purple Moon.

………………….

Drax cleared his throat.- "I agree. I will give you the gift you ask for. But"- he held up a finger- "Show me proof that the oath was made between you two. Forgive me, child, but by being connected to your... rabbit family, you need to understand that I need proof that you're not here to track down and kill the other members of Hamato on their behalf. And pathetic human engagement rings mean nothing to me."

"Of course"- The girl nodded and moved. She let go of Donnie's hand and began to pull up her sleeve. Donatello, seeing this, began to take off his tech-gentlet.

Soon both of them presented their hands side by side to Draxum. Both had bite scars on their forearms, half way from the wrist. The one on the girl's skin was definitely bigger and deeper, but the one Donnie had was just as visible. Still, softshell wasn’t sure why, due to his regeneration.

The alchemist waved his hand over their scars, and they glowed with a dim dark purple light.

"Oh?"- the confused turtle looked for answers in the faces of his companions.

"The exchange of blood when making a deal is a mystic seal. Otherwise, your future mate would never be able to bite through your hardened skin. After all, she is just a human. The color of the seal corresponds to a mixture of the color of the energy of the souls that are bound by the oath."

It couldn't have escaped the softshell’s notice that Draxum had enjoyed explaining all the mystical details. Maybe because he finally had someone to talk to about it. And it wasn't Donnie in mind…

Donnie's cheeks flushed bright red at the word “mate”, when it finally sank in.

Keiko muttered under her breath, moderately pleased- "Lovely, my soul is black."

Donnie looked at his seal once more when the light had gone out, and then finally everything clicked. That's why the girl was so stubborn to ask him to bite her (which he very, very really didn't want to. That's two verys!) and that it meant a lot. This is why, prior to the exchange of bites, they spent their days concocting a deal, a perfect oath that would not bind them to force marriage just to fulfill their goal, but still let everybody believe that they will be married. Even fucking magic itself! That was the whole point! At least, that's how Keiko explained it to him. They left so many loopholes in the document that no lawyer will ever win over them. Tho… With each passing day, Donatello became less sure whether he really wanted to circumvent the oath. Yes, his heart belonged to someone else, but he couldn’t bear the thought that when this is all over, Keiko will be left alone. Abandoned... again. She didn't deserve it.

No matter how hard she tried to tell herself that she did.

Draxum clapped his hands.- "Fine then, I just have to ask how many..."

"One"- said Keiko

"Two"- Donnie interrupted. The girl's eyes widened, she looked in surprise at Purple- "We'll need two."

Draxum frowned, but then shrugged.- "So be it. And since we've decided to follow tradition, Keiko should remain in my care until the wedding. As tradition…"
He didn't even finish when both youngsters smiled and nodded their heads.- "Yes, of course!" - "I’ll be honored"- The girl stood up and bowed to the yokai. Donnie quickly followed. This is exactly what they expected. Draxum may not be happy to be called “mom”, but in the eyes of tradition, that's exactly the role he was assigned. And he was very fond of that. His job is to guard the bride and prepare her to be a good wife.

"He will try to teach me things like how to make tea or when and how it's appropriate or inappropriate for me to speak in front of my husband, but luckily I'm already done with all that awful training-pep talks. I'll use this time to learn as much as I can about the Hidden City. The preparation for the ritual may take some time. There is also a chance for unexpected complications. I'll make sure then, when it happens, Barry will be able to perform the ritual instead of me."

Donatello greatly disliked these conversations. Ones that suggest bad endings. He won't allow it. As long as he's here, everything will go according to plan, and everyone will go home safe and sound! There, fixed.

And while Donnie might not like leaving Keiko here, he knew it would be the best option. Keiko will be under constant protection, both physical and mystic. She will be staying in an apartment which is right next to the second set of defenders - April (he hoped) and Cass. Barry guarantees access to the necessary resources and a backup. It has to work.

"Well then. I'll prepare Oozesquitoes for you. I expect you to deliver your things here before sunset, Keiko. From now, every day, between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., you are not allowed to leave the apartment."

"Wha… Hey, no. I don't agree with that."- Donnie raised his voice, but nothing else. He folded his arms across his chest, clearly unhappy.- "Me and my brothers go out in the city every night. And Keiko has spent the last few years completely alone and she’s doing just fine. You can't close her like that."

"It's for her own safety. But you're right, unfortunately, you are unbearably nocturnal creatures. Fine, but only if you or your brothers are with her at all times. And when I say that, I mean from the moment you step out the door."

"Of course. Thank you."- Donatello bowed again.

At least this girl is teaching you some respect. Maybe she will have some positive influence on your brothers as well. Now, off you go.- he waved his hand dismissively and turned to the kitchen. But as they said their goodbyes, took their stuff, when they were already leaving, the old Yokai glanced over his shoulder and a tiny silly smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"Donatello"

"Yes Barry?"

"No clones"

"Oh, for fuck sake…"

………………….

Outside, in front of the building, when they made sure no one saw them. Donnie began to squeal with joy, doing little hops- "It worked, it really did! We've got Draxum, we've got a hideout for you, we've got bugs! We have hair! And I have blood!"- the beaming softshell turned to the girl and grabbed her by the shoulders- "Keiko, you are brilliant! How did you know, how could you predict that Barry would agree? And you can still go out at night, you know what that means? We can cut our schedule time in half!"

The girl giggled and couldn't help herself when the beaming turtle looked at her as if she was his won in the lottery, so as not to bonk him lightly on the head with her fist.

"It's because of you, silly. It may not seem like it when I draw, but I've been listening to ALL your rants about family, and it was pretty obvious that Drax felt left out. I'll bet you ten bucks we'll play Sugoroku before I even unpack."

Donnie laughed.- "It’s on, Bun-bun."

The girl rolled her eyes and then snuggled into him. He could feel her heart beating fast. They stayed like that for several minutes.

...

"Donnie?"

"Yes Keiko?"- he asked softly

"Why did you say we wanted two bugs? We only need one."

"I know"- The turtle sighed and pulled back to look at her face. She didn't meet his eyes- "When we built the plan, we assumed Draxum had only one sample of pure mutagen. Now that he said that he has more, I figured you might want to..."

Their eyes met. Hers were uncertain, glistening in the sunlight- "You told me you always felt like you didn't really belong either there or here. It was a chasm you could never cross. I wish you were happy. And if living in the Yokai world is so important to you, I thought maybe it would be easier for you to cross it that way."- he placed his hand on her cheek. She snuggled into it- "Regardless of whether you decide to become a rabbit or... or a turtle."

Glassy eyes looked gratefully at Donnie. Keiko was close to tears, so she quickly closed her eyes and took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts- "I… I will think about it. I won't make any permanent decisions until we fix everything. And… Until then, I'll ask Barry if he could give us a third bug."

"Third?"

The girl smiled sadly, then tapped Donnie's plastron lightly with her finger. Then she turned her head, staring at the windows of one of the apartments, temporarily empty.

Donnie looked down- "If she wanted to change, she would have done so long ago. She helped us catch them."

"Perhaps she didn't get the right motivation earlier. She might think it over now."

Donnie gave Keiko a skeptical look, but finally gave in. There was no point keeping the subject. Just time and talk- most likely a lot of talking- will be able to tell which way it's going to end.

"Maybe we should do something else instead of thinking of “what if” scenarios."

"Yes, agree."- Donnie rubbed his hands together like the mad scientist he is- "So, my brilliant companion, what place in New York would you like to visit first? Metro Tower? Central Park? Statue of Liberty?

"Hmm. Let me think. Maybe some empty, desolate, old place that no one would mind destroying a property. Something pleasantly dark for an ambush?"

"Madame, I know a few places that suit your charming taste."- and saying this, he gave her his arm, which she willingly embraced

"Oh, thank you. A true gentleman"- giggling, the couple headed for the alley where the vehicle awaits.

Chapter Text

………………….

“You need to believe in things that aren’t true. How else can they become” - Hogfather, Terry Pratchett

The writer's words ran through Keiko’s head as she watched Donnie describe positive characteristics of a given location of the third place they had chosen to suit their plans. A forgotten part of the docks, closed due to abandoned dangerous garbage and metal scraps. In the only place suitable for such abominations - Jersey.

Donnie had just finished the strange story of how he and his brothers were once lured here and fought mutants with ladders and fishes. And she laughed, covering her mouth. Completely believing every word. These were not the most crazy things she had heard from him. Although to this day, he can't convince her that a bunch of school kids built a robot the size of half a skyscraper just to bully him.

Donatello had changed. This was no longer the scared, damaged boy she had brought up into her life. He regained hope. He regained that fire, which, by the way, was hellishly difficult to get out of him. With a smile and a deep sigh, she nodded thoughtfully. She promised him a miracle. And she will be damn, she will deliver!

Even if it will be the last thing in her life. Even if she is left alone afterwards.

… She needs to remind herself that she needs to believe that won’t happen.

“Keiko, are you okay? You drifted away there.”

“Oh, sorry. It's nothing.” She clapped and rubbed her hands. “Right right, focus." She wiped her face." As it is, so far this is the best spot. Do you think you will have time to prepare it before the next full moon?”

Donnie fired up his gauntlet and showed her calculations and plans. “It doesn't look like it. I do not know exactly how many opponents we have to set ourselves for, so I would better prepare a backup for this backup. It's good that we got extra pretend-dating time.”

“Yeah, no. I refuse to let you work yourself to death. I myself need three, maybe four days to complete mystic traps once we buy the unicorn's hair. And a day to test them if you are interested.”

“It would be a charming irony to drag Hypno to this place to check the Anti-Magic Fiel… ouch! Hey.”

Donnie looked at her with a grudge after she pinched hard his biceps.”No guinea pigs. You have magic, you can test my locks yourself.”

Donnie growled and rolled his eyes. “I suggested this because it would be better to test it on someone who does not know the layout of runes around the area. Or have no goggles to read magic, hm? Otherwise, the test may be inefficient. Personally, I would put Leo here to test the whole thing on someone with a quick process of analyzing complicated situations.”

“Aaaaaand absolutely you wouldn’t do it as a tiny act of revenge to mess with him?”

“Gasp! I would never.”

They both started giggling when their fun was interrupted by the sound of an alarm from gauntlet.

“Oh, look at the time. Let's get you back so you can move in with Draxum.”

The girl sighed deeply and rubbed her arms. Donnie walked over to put his arm around her. “Are you cold?”

“No, that's not it.” The girl ran away with her eyes towards the moon. Or, where it should be visible in the sky, if not for the middle of the day. She always ridiculed this quiet ability to sense its exact position. “I'm just a little nervous. Get used to it, this will be my new norm for the next few days.”

“Anything to make you feel better or to make you feel safer?” He asked firmly.

The girl shook her head and tapped her finger on the plastron. “Stop trying to fix everything for everyone and focus on yourself. Go home, spend time with your dad. Talk to your brothers.”

“...get beaten up with a mystic enchanted bat.”

“Yeah, hah. That too.”

…………..

“… Donnie. There are stains on the carpet.”

“Groan. Of course they are. I hoped that he would keep enough decency to at least wait until tomorrow.” The laptop has been fired up and the feed came up. “At least he didn't bring sewer dirt… And Mikey too? Oh, come on!”

The girl laughed and patted him on the shoulder comfortingly. “We knew he would do it. He worries about you. At least he didn't destroy anything from the look of it. Let's see what they did.”

“If they touched your… private clothes, I'll cut some arms off today.” He blushed. Why the hell did he blushed? 

“Possessive that much, huh?”

“ … “

“Aaaaw, so you DO like me.” She teased him and kissed him on the cheek, then went back to looking at the screen.

…………..…->💻

“Woooooaaaaah!” Mikey admired the walls and ceiling as he entered. He spun in place, not knowing where to focus his eyes. “It feels like I'm in the middle of a giant anime novel. I never thought that the lack of color could be so addictive.”

“Oooh, pish-posh. But yeah, she’s loaded. Like a lot. Just look at this.” Leo showed his brother something on his phone. “I wonder where she got all this money, because wiki didn't list that many of her works, and this bus alone is worth 1,5 mln when in its NOT customized version.”

“Is that a storage for the car hidden inside the floor? That’s crazy!... Think she has a corvette there?”

“Focus Mikey.” He slapped him in the back of the head. “Check the drawers, I'll try to get the laptop.”

Mikey nodded and they split up. Leo couldn't have known that when he opened the device, it would immediately trigger two cameras located in the vehicle. Under any other circumstances, the sensor would have triggered a silent alarm and sent a message to Keiko's phone and called 911. But not this time, because Donnie knows his siblings too well. In fact, he expects this to be just the first of many break-ins on their part.

Mikey started looking through cabinets and cubbies, not looking for anything specific. When he found the underwear, he closed the drawer and jumped back as if he had been burned.

”Na-a. Nope, not there.” Then he walked away to check the contents of the trash can. After all, receipts can say a lot about a person.

<-…💻

Keiko giggled at the orange turtle's reaction, then looked at Donnie out of the corner of her eye.

“Say, how many times you were the one that looked through April's things?”

“I refuse to answer this question without a lawyer. In fact, I am obliged to feel offended. While at the same time I’m pointing out Leo as the person who does so reprehensibly. When his shell wasn't a problem, he persistently borrowed sweaters from her. And her makeup. Without permission.”

“Oh, so when was the first time you painted eyebrows on your mask?” She smiled innocently.

A hisss. “Can we focus on the recording?”

“Yes, of course…               

…Now I get it how you know the nail polish brands”

“Scoff!” 

…->💻

Meanwhile, Leo looked irritated at the window that said PASSWORD. He started looking through the desk, hoping to find a note card or something that would give him the right answer. Some hint.

Many people like to write down their passwords on paper, he hoped this is one of the cases.

What he found were a million notes and sketches. Dialogues, drawings, email addresses to (Leo guessed) other artists and publishers. Unfortunately, most of it was written in Japanese. But as he looked through it, his eyes widened. At one point he slammed one sketchbook shut, hugged it to his chest, and the camera clearly caught him turning red like some kind of striped tomato.

His reaction snapped Mikey out of his thoughts. “Leo, you good?”

“Mikey, do you know the name of this series that Keiko is creating?”

The younger brother thought for a moment, then shrugged with a smile. “It's Jump over the moon . Why?”

Leo flinched and turned on his heel.

“You know that? Why do you know that? Why didn't I know that?!”

“Wow Leo, you're shaking.” He raised an eyebrow. “Of course I know that. Why shouldn't I check what things my sister-in-law draws after I spend the evening showing her all of my works? Look here. She has an entire glass shelf full of figures from this manga. That panel on the ceiling is literally... oh wait, that wasn't in the comic. Maybe this is a scene from outside the canon?”

As Mikey wondered, Leo's face literally stuck to the glass as his large eyes absorbed the contents. “I refuse to belive it! It can't be her. The author of the manga is Sakura Usagi.”

“Dude, Usagi means literally a rabbit. Probably a stage name or something. Just look at this bus. The girl leads a very secretive lifestyle. I actually kinda wonder why.”

<-…💻

“...Donnie?”

“Yes?”

“Why didn't you tell me your brother was a fan of my work?”

“I… heh he… I might have forgotten?”

The dead look she sent towards the turtle was a promise we’ll talk about it later. There was no time to focus on it though, because a moment later Leo pushed the glass aside and reached in the cabinet.

“What? No. Middle Sister. No no no no no!” Panic rose in the girl's voice as the green hand approached the griffin figure and the token held in its claws. At the last moment, he reached behind the statue, taking out another, smaller figurine. The one of a white rabbit yokai in blue samurai clothing.

“Wha?...”

“Oh, by the way, it's possible that my brother has a crush on your younger brother and doesn't actually know yet that he's not just a made-up character from your story but a real person? AOUHchh!!... That one actually hurt.”

“And NOW you’re telling me this?!” The girl let her arms fall defeated. She saw next as Leo is stealing a small figurine and two pages from her sketchbook, and Mikey unsuccessfully trying to talk him out of it. “OK, nevermind. Uuuugh. He can't find out. Clear?”

“What? But why?”

“Because my IDIOT is in Japan, in a city where everyone will be on alert when they hear the word Hamato and ready for a bloodlust in an instant while your IDIOT has the ability to teleport just there.”

“Oh. Oh, I think I see your point.” Softshell scratched the back of his neck.

The girl took a deep breath and sat on the couch. Fast growing migraine forces her to massage her temples. Donatello stopped the recording and moved to sit next to her. He dropped his hands in his lap and stared ahead, clearly lost as to what to do. Fortunately, as they established, it's not his job to approach unpleasant topics. So after a few minutes of silence, Keiko whispered.

"I'm sorry. I just... I know I won't see him again. Possibly ever. And I know Leonardo and the rest of your siblings would like to help us reunite. You have a truly wonderful family and this is probably what they will try to push for. To re-connecting me with my siblings. Help me rebuild the bond and so on. But it won't happen and risking everything... your lives, your dad’s, just so I can hug him one more time... is not with it.”

“Keiko…” Donnie didn't have to look at her for his hand to find hers. The fingers intertwined and squeezed slightly. The feeling was grounding. “But you are worth it.”

The girl snorted and shook her head. “We both know I’m not."

Donnie wanted to object. To say something, because every time she says these words it hurts. (And to think that he was the one with low self-worth) However, before he got the chance, Keiko stood up and get back to the feed. “ Let's see what else they've they stole.”

Donatello stood behind her. “I'll take that figurine back.”

“Nah, let him keep it. I'd rather pretend I didn't notice the break-in. After all, what people do for fans, ye?” She smiled. Little sad, but still.

…->💻

After almost ten minutes of arguing about why Leonardo couldn't take other things with him and why he couldn't brazenly ask Keiko for an autograph on the stolen sketches, the blue turtle finally gave in and sat down on the incredibly comfortable couch.

"I still can’t believe it. It’s almost like Marcus Moncrief all over again. One minute you have someone you admire, the next they turn out to be a secret coo-coo. Only on a slightly smaller scale."

Mikey, on the other hand, couldn't help himself and took selfies in front of the figurines and paintings.

“Oh, don't go that way. We don't know yet if she's crazy or dangerous or whatever. The only thing I found is that she is very humble, frugal. For someone rich, she spends very little money. No unnecessary expenses on clothes or shoes. She has expensive cosmetics, yea, but much less than you have hidden in your room.”

“Hey, a turtle needs to take care of its own face. Especially when it’s this amazing.”

“I bet Donny spent more on his new clothes than she did.”

“Yeah. Hmm. You know, is it just me or do you also find it weird that Donnie didn't wear his mask today?” Leonardo rubbed his jaw, then stood up. He started looking around other places. He leaned over and looked under the table. Then under the couch.

“I don’t know. Maybe he wants to show off his tatoo-eyebrows? Do you think this is permanent?”

“Do you think there is a tattoo studio that caters to mutants? Besides what, titanium needles and poison ink? You know how our skin works.”

“Yeah, you're right. What are you doing by the way?” He watched his brother currently peering into the corners by the light.

“If you wanted to hide something important, you wouldn't leave it out in the open. I'm looking for hidden compartments, something taped under the table, and so on. Will you check the bathroom?”

“Sure”

Mikey went to the other side of the vehicle. The search took another few minutes. When the orange brother returned from the driver's cab, Leo was lying flat on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

“Am I missing something, why can't I connect the dots?” 

“I know who will connect the dots if they see you wrinkled the sheets.” The box turtle said, crossing his arms.

“Oh come on. Besides, Donnie was right. It's like lying on a cloud. There, try it.”

“Leo…”

“Come on. Be my partner in crime to the end.”

Mikey didn't look happy, but he finally murmured “fine” and went to lie down on the bed next to Leo. He spread his arms as far as he had room. “You know what, you're right. It is feels great.”

“I know, right?”

“No, I mean, really great. Like… wait.”

Mickey's eyes widened and he pushed himself up into a sitting position. “Leo, do you feel it?”

“What?” Leo propped himself up on his elbows. He raised an eyebrow at his brother.

“That! That instant relaxation! This peace. I can physically feel my nimpo relaxing and regenerating.”

“Wait, seriously?” Slider sat up and looked around at the purple bedding as if it would give him some answer.

Mikey nodded. “I can feel it. The same spell is on Draxum's bed. You know, remember when I overdid my training and had to spend the night there? I felt the same. It’s mystic, dude! An enchanted bed! There must be runes here somewhere!”

They both moved and started searching the bed, looking under the mattress and into every corner. Mikey was first to say.

“There! I found a spell. It must have been painted on the sides of the bed before it was built into the vehicle.”

“Look what I found.” From a small compartment hidden on the underside of the mattress, Leo pulled out a thick notebook. “Now we'll see what our new sister is hiding… Wha? Oh, come on! Why must everything be in Japanese?”

“Leo, wait. I know that” Mikey quickly took the notebook from him and started looking through it. "I don't understand the language, but this... I think I know what it is. Leo, give me the portal to my room.”

Leo drew his sword and mystic light spread throughout the vehicle. Mikey went inside the portal and came out a few moments later with two notebooks in each hand. Both were open, with ugly writing, but the drawings on them were identical. “It's a dream spell. Draxum taught me about it like two weeks ago.”

“Do you think Keiko is using magic on Donnie? He slept on that bed and she somehow hypnotized him or something?”

“No. This spell doesn't even put you to sleep. It causes... restful sleep? Does it chase away nightmares? Something like that. And this one…” Mikey pushed his own notebook into Leo's hand to hold as he looked through the girl's notebook. “A spell to calm the rain. A spell for funeral rituals... Leo, these are not spells you use against someone. More like… Hmm.”

“Mikey, don't keep me in suspense. Is she a witch or not?!” Leonardo paced in place, unable to calm the nerves in his legs.

“Not a witch. She’s something different.” The young turtle rubbed his forehead, trying to connect the dots. He started pacing from left to right next to Leo, which didn't help calm his older brother at all.

Mikey punched his fist into his open hand. “We have to find out. I have lessons in two days, I'll take photos and ask Barry.”

“Two days? Aaaaaaggg. Fine. We don't have anything better. Give me your phone and help me clean up here.”

“Right.”

<-…………….💻

Donatello turned off the recording and sighed. He looked at Keiko.

“Still think it's a bad idea to involve them in all this?” She ask quietly.

“Positively. Right now, none of my brothers could bear the weight of this knowledge. They would start acting chaotically and irrationally. And most importantly, as you pointed out, Leo can do something very stupid and teleport anywhere.”

“But at least you wouldn't have to bear it alone.”

“I won't risk my family's lives just to feel a little better myself. Besides...“ He took her hand. ” I'm not alone. Not any more.”

“...Anatawa Hitorijanai”

…………….


Time blurred away after that. Keiko took her bus and set out to find the best place to park near her new temporary apartment. Then she started carrying the necessary things upstairs. Donnie meanwhile returned home and started helping prepare for the movie marathon. It was quite a special occasion, so a big fort was built with blankets and pillows and even Raph hung up extra little lights for the mood.

Even Splinter decided to help with the preparations. As soon as the rat entered the living room, Donnie was glued to him almost immediately. Of course, no one except Leo noticed this. No one paid any attention to the looks he gave his family. Of course, it's still Donatello, so he had to brag about what he was doing or what brilliant inventions he was planning. Or simply emphasize his own superiority. But Leo knew. He saw the partially sad, fond, short glances he sent to his family. Longing for something that was lost. Hope for the new? Blue didn’t know…

Of course, Donnie told his family what had happened at Draxum's, and of course, Keiko called to apologize that she couldn't be at the family night. As proof, she sent a photo of herself playing Barry in some game with a note: ten bucks.

This whole moving in situation, of course, crushed Leo and Mikeys's plans and they decided to change them a bit. Next stop- Witchtown. There they will definitely find some answers about unusual spells.

The evening was in full swing and there was only one person left who was late.

🖤 BlackRabbit: Alert! 

🖤 BlackRabbit: code 19!!

🖤 BlackRabbit: I think?

🖤 BlackRabbit: or it was 19,5

UraniumBoy 🐢😈: What's going on?

🖤 BlackRabbit: April’s here

🖤 BlackRabbit: and Barry told her who I am

“Hey, Donnie. Are you good bro? You get a little pale”.

As it was said, Leo sees everything.