Authoress' Notes : *sing-songs* Happy Birthday to you~! Happy Birthday to you~! Happy Birthday, Dear Neko-ch~a~n~! Happy Birthdaaay toooo yoooouuuu~! *strikes pose, presenting fic*

Okay, so, as you can guess, this is a Gift-fic to randomlass, who is 21 today~! *cheers* She wanted to see a DonniexKathyJones based in my AU!verse, so this is it. I'm working on her second Gift-fic now, too, lol.

Anyway, this wasn't on the Poll, but it is a request-fic. So, as usual : a huge thanks goes out to all of you reading this, and all of you who take the time to Review, Favourite, and/or Alert my Stories; it means a lot. Also, again, as usual, please, Read, Review, Favourite/Alert, but most of all… please enjoy~!

Dedication : To randomlass who is the Neko-chan Almighty. ;) Happy Birthday, Girlfriend! LOVE!

Summary : Casey's Cousin is staying with the Turtles while he and April are away. Donnie is running on coffee and Kathy thinks it's time to get some Blood into his Caffeine-stream.

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own any of the characters mentioned or shown below, with the exception of Katherine "Kathy" Jones (no relation to Kat a.k.a. randomlass a.k.a. Neko-chan, before anyone asks); the Ninja Turtles cast belong to Nickelodeon, and the original concept of the Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles are the creations of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. I'm just borrowing them to satisfy my Muse, and my Reader's thirst.

Sweet Dreams : A DonniexKathyJones AU

"Are you guys sure it's okay for Kathy to stay with you in the Lair for the week, while Casey and I are gone?" April nibbled her lower lip a bit, her gaze sweeping over the four Ninja Turtles that were lounging in various areas of the Jones-O'Neil living room.

Leo nodded, chuckling, "April, Master Splinter already said it was fine with him."

"Yeah, 'sides, Ape, y'know we're always ready to chill wit t'girl," Raph waved his hand dismissively.

"Yes, but where will she sleep?" April huffed, placing her hands on her hips.

Donnie noticed his Brothers all looking at each other and him, stumped, and spoke up, "She'll be in my room, April; I have a cot in my Lab that will more than suffice."

The topic of their discussion yelled from her room, where she was packing for the week, "You ain' sleepin' in a cot the entire time, Donatello Hamato!"

"Ya ain' sharin' no bed wit any o' dem, Katherine!" Her Guardian, Casey, yelled back in a growl.

"I can sleep in the same bed with anyone I like, Arnold! And don't call me Katherine!"

Seeing her fiancé turning red in the face, April sighed and rested a hand on his arm, "Casey, I doubt any of the guys would take advantage of her; don't you trust them?"

"Dem? Yea," he nodded at his friends who all raised their eyeridges. Jerking a thumb to his Ward's open doorway, he finished, "It's her I don' trust. I swear, she's worse than Raph when it comes t' flirtin'."

"I'm hurt, Case," Kathy appeared in her doorway with a large duffel bag at her side and her backpack over her shoulders. "That really gets me…" she placed a hand solemnly over the left side of her chest, a little pout on her lips, "right here."

Casey frowned at her, "Dat all ya takin'?"

"Uh, yeah. 'S just a week, right? Besides, if I need anything else, I'm sure one of the guys will either swing by or bring me to get anything," she blinked, adjusting the straps of her bag.

"'Course, Babe! But what's with the school stuff?" Mikey complained.

"I do have school for the next three days, before the long weekend, Mike," Kathy responded dryly, a grin blooming on her face.

"… Right, forgot," he sulked for a few moments before he piped up, "Maybe we can -"

"She's going to go to school, Mikey," Leo sighed.

"I have to be "responsible"," she agreed, using air quotes much to everyone's amusement.

"Ya sure ya gonna be a'ight wit dem for da week, Kitten?" Casey checked again.

"We'll take care of 'er, Case; just go enjoy a week wit jus' ya an' April," Raph rolled his amber eyes at his Best Friend. "Ya ready t'go, Girlie?"

"Yep. Anybody wanna carry my bags?" Kathy asked sweetly, causing April to giggle as her backpack disappeared off of her shoulder via Leo and her duffle disappeared via Donnie. "Thanks, Boys. Bye, Case, April," she threw her arms around them both in a hug, kissing Casey's cheek, much to his embarrassment. "Have fun without me!"

"You, too, Kathy. I expect you to be -" April paused mid-blink as the girl disappeared, a giggle of delight drifting through the open window, "-have. Ooh, that girl…" She walked over to the window and watched the disappearing group, Kathy running alongside Donnie and Mikey before Raph swung her into his arms and bolted ahead of his Brothers with her scream of delight echoing in the darkness.

/ Three days later… \\\

Kathy blinked groggily as she was carefully picked up in a pair of strong, and familiar arms, "Mmm?" She mumbled sleepily as she tried to focus on the face, noticing the Purple Bandana and asking, "Don, wha?"

The plastron her head rested on rumbled lightly as he chuckled, "You didn't look very comfortable, Kath. Exhausting day?"

She simply glowered at him, causing him to laugh. "'S school, an' homework… not fun. Where'm I goin'?"

"To bed," Donnie replied, as he lightly jumped to the secondary level of the Lair, where their bedrooms were.

"Not tired," Kathy protested as he landed nimbly, barely jostling her.

He quirked an eyeridge at her when she yawned, "Of course you're not. That's why you've been asleep the past three hours on the couch," he teased upon entering his bedroom.

"Don' gotta be mean," she pouted sleepily, eyes drooping again, as he walked up the small stairway to his elevated bed; he paused on the platform to kick up the top sheets before he crouched to lay her down.

Donnie carefully laid her down, smiling as she curled up; he let out a little huff when she grabbed his hand as he pulled the covers up over her form, "Yes, Kathy?"

"Don… 'mazin'…" Kathy mumbled, feeling put-out as he chuckled and, leaning over, kissed her forehead.

"You're pretty amazing yourself, Kath," he replied softly, smoothing her hair away from her face; she blinked sleepily and he was gone.

"Stupid…" she yawned, snuggling into the blankets and allowing her eyes to close and sleep to once again claim her.

Next time she was awake and aware, she sat up blearily and noted the silence in the Lair. Rubbing her eyes with her knuckles, she yawned before stretching, "Mmm… th' homework was bru-tal. Wha' time issit?" She knew Donnie kept a clock on the small worktable in one corner and sleepily walked down the stairway from his bed, slowly waking up; when she reached the bottom, she was mostly awake. Squinting a bit at the harsh red numbers on the clock when she reached the worktable, she noted the time, "It's three in the mornin'? Wonder if I can make a cup of cocoa…" A grin bloomed on her face at the thought of the sugary drink and she quietly moved through the Lair, making her way towards the kitchen. "Don? What're ya still doin' up?" She raised an eyebrow at the Purple-donned Turtle who was pouring a cup of what she figured to be coffee.

He jumped, nearly spilling the hot liquid, "Kathy? Why aren't you still asleep?"

"Why aren't ya sleeping at all?" Kathy retorted, walking up to him. "Leo's getting worried, Donnie, and so is Raph, Mikey, Splinter, and me. Your cot hasn't been used."

Donnie tried to look innocent and winced when she smacked the back of his head, "Ow, now I know how Mikey feels…" He grumbled, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand.

"So, spill. Why haven't you been sleeping?" She crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned on the counter across from him.

He took a deep drink of the dark liquid in his mug, in an obvious attempt to stall for time, "I've been sleeping -"

"Right, and that's why your bloodstream's been overtaken by coffee?" To prove her point, she snatched the mug from his hands before he could react and took a drink from it, wrinkling her nose as she swallowed it, "Ugh, way too strong coffee… is this even classified as coffee?"

"Kathy -" Donnie tried to grab her as she grabbed the pot of coffee that he'd just made - if she judged by how it was still steaming - and took both the pot and his mug to the sink. His chocolate brown eyes widened in disbelief when she poured both down the drain, "What are you doing?"

"Helping you," Kathy told him firmly as she moved about the kitchen, filling up the kettle and flicking it on to boil and getting a teapot ready. "You've been drinking nothing but coffee the past two days, Don, and your body needs to relax."

"Katherine, you poured my coffee down the drain."

"Yep," she chirped, grabbing two clean mugs from the cupboard as the kettle - which had been enhanced by Donnie as it was a plug in kettle - clicked off. She ignored his petulant glare on her back as she busied herself with pouring the boiled water into the teapot before she clambered onto the counter, opening one of the cupboards and taking down a yellow box. She hopped off and popped one of the biscuits into her mouth, humming as she chewed it before carrying it and the teapot over to the table, "Bring the cups over, please, while I grab the milk and sugar from the fridge, Don."

"Why did you pour my coffee down the drain?" There was a slight whining tone to his voice, although he did what was asked of him and set the mugs on the table before he sat down.

"You sound like Mikey, Donnie," Kathy laughed as she set the sugar and milk down before pouring the teas and stirring in the right amount of milk and sugar - making hers a beige colour with three cubes of sugar while his was a light golden brown and she'd plopped four cubes of sugar into it. She sat down across from him and tilted her head, grinning as he grimaced at the comparison. "Aw, that's not a bad thing, Sweetie; I get compared to Mike all the time!"

Donnie gave her a deadpan look, even as his skin darkened at the pet name, and told her, "Kath, you act like Mikey's long lost Twin Sister or something."

"… Your point is?"

He chuckled - a bit tiredly, she noticed -, blowing on his own steaming mug as she took a drink of her tea and nabbed an Arrowroot biscuit, "You do realize those are cookies made specifically for babies, Kath?"

"They're yummy, 's all I care about, Don," she winked at him. "So, c'mon. Why haven't you been sleeping? And the truth would be nice, Donatello."

Donnie sighed, taking a deep drink of his tea and staring her in the eyes; hazel met with chocolate, "It's nothing, Kathy; you don't need to worry about me."

Kathy shook her head, disbelief clearly written on her face, "Don, I care for you. A lot. And that means that I worry when you're not taking care of yourself, like you're always after us to take care of ourselves. It's okay to talk to people, y'know; the Lord knows I talk your ear off enough." He averted his eyes and, as a result, didn't see her moving until she sat down right beside him; reaching over, she grabbed his hand with one of her own and squeezed it gently, "Hey, whatever it is, I have a ready ear, Don. Is it the nightmare you had Tuesday night?"

He gave her a surprised look, "I… how did…"

She shrugged, "You were nearly crying in your sleep that night, and I got woken up by Raph when he couldn't calm you down. I had him take you back into your room, which is why I was asleep on the couch when you woke up for Practice."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Donnie; you've been under a lot of stress. Was it about me?" When he looked at her sharply, Kathy looked away and mumbled, "I heard you mumbling my name…"

Donnie placed a hand on her cheek, gently turning her head to face him, "My nightmares aren't your fault, Kath. It's just something I need to deal with on my own."

"You were asking me not to leave, Don; I know what type of affect that sort of dream - nightmare, really - has on people. I've had it, too. Mine came true, though, and I have to live it everyday," she whispered, her eyes going distant. He tenderly brushed a lock of her loose hair behind her ear, bringing her back to the present; seeing the curious look behind his soft gaze, she took a deep breath and ploughed forward, "My parents, they left me."

"Kathy, death is -"

"They're not dead, Don," Kathy shook her head.

"We all assumed they were; it was the only reason we could come up with for you coming to live with Casey," Donnie furrowed his eyeridges, confused.

Her mouth twisted, slightly bitterly, "No, they're still very much alive. They decided they wanted to do a world-tour - kind of a mixture of a second Honeymoon and promotion for the company - and I didn't coincide with their plans for it, so they gave me the choice to stay with either Casey, or my other Cousin, Tim, because it's planned to take at least twenty months, more than likely more. It was easier to choose Casey and have people think my parents died, than it was to deal with people pitying me because my parents dumped me off somewhere. I know what being left behind feels like, so I'd never put someone else through that."

"I'm sorry, Kathy," he said sincerely, his hand - that had been cupping her face - moving to cover her hand, that was still holding his other, and squeezing it lightly. "I - we - didn't know."

Kathy gave him a small smile, "I didn't want you to know. But, what happened in your nightmare that you think would make me leave any of you?"

Donnie shook his head, "It was nothing."

"It was not nothing, Don," she protested, moving closer to him so she was leaning into his side. "Whatever it was, you can tell me; I won't leave you or the others. You all mean too much to me to just up and leave; you're all pretty much just as much family to me as Casey and April are."

He hesitated, "It's not really something one can tell, Kath."

"Then show me. Please, I want to help," Kathy pleaded, hazel eyes wide as she stuck her bottom lip out in a slight pout.

Donnie's eyes were riveted on her mouth before he physically shook himself, and looked away, "I can't."

She had noticed where his eyes had strayed and her thoughts raced before she decided to take a chance, "Can I guess?" He looked back at her, a slightly amused glint appearing in his chocolate eyes before he shrugged. He let out a startled noise from the back of his throat when she moved her face close enough that her breath ghosted across his lips when she murmured, "Was it something like this?"

He gulped visibly, "N-not pr-precise-precisely…" He moved their faces closer together, taking note that she didn't move away - even as their lips brushed; instead, her eyes were shining with anticipation. Seeing her expectant gaze, he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered, "Is this okay?"

"Uh-huh," Kathy smiled against his lips as he moved forward the last few millimetres, pressing his lips firmly against her own. Her lips moved against his, pressing back with equal pressure. The tenseness that Donnie had been carrying around with him the past few days seemed to ooze away underneath her touch as her arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders, drawing them closer. They separated a few long moments later and she gave him a peck on the lips before telling him, "I'm still here, Don. So, your nightmare didn't come true."

"No, it didn't. My dream did, though," Donnie chuckled, eyes bright in happiness, as she blushed, grinning as she tried to hide it against his shoulder. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, Sweetie," she told him. "I've actually wanted to do that awhile, now. You do realize, you'll never get me to leave after this?"

"That's fine with me, Kath, as long as you realize that I don't plan on letting you go after this?"

"Might make going to school a bit difficult, but I don't necessarily need -" Kathy was cut off as Donnie moved his lips against hers again, effectively silencing her.

"Nice try," he pulled back and untangled her arms from his shoulder, kissing her forehead before he began to gather their used cups and the teapot and placing them in the sink. Walking back over, he offered her his hand and smiled, "C'mon, I think I'll be able to sleep, now."

"… Now, you want to sleep?" She pouted, but followed him, anyway, as he gently tugged her behind himself.

"For tonight anyway," a grin tugged his lips before he scooped her up into his arms, bridal style, and jumped to the secondary level of the Lair.

"Promises, promises," Kathy teased, yawning before snuggling closer to him as he entered his room. He shook his head, amused and laid her back down onto his bed, only to let out a harsh breath as she tugged him down beside her, "Night, Don."

"Kathy, what if someone walks in?" Donnie told her, rolling his eyes with a snort when she took one of his arms and wrapped it around her waist before curling into him.

"Tell them what Casey said I was gonna do : I took advantage of you," she laughed, tilting her head back to kiss him softly.

"Isn't it the other way around?"

"Don?"

"Hm?"

"You know I care for you, a lot, right?"

"Yes, I care for you, too, Kathy," his eyeridges furrowed in confusion.

"Good. Now, shut up and sleep," Kathy muttered, rolling over to nuzzle her head into his shoulder. "Sweet Dreams, Sweetie..." she sighe happily, his scent helping her relax further and within a few moments, she dropped off to sleep with her breathing evening out.

"Yes, Dear," Donnie pressed a kiss to her dark brown hair before he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to claim him for the first time in two days; both were unaware that someone was watching them from the shadows.

"'Bout time, Brainiac," the shadow chuckled before he left the room, having wanting to check on his Brother before he turned in for the night. "'Bout damn time."

End.

Authoress' Notes : *wrinkles nose* Dunno how much I like this one… TKC: Chemistry was cuter, lol. This is more of a drawn-out way, of getting these two together, hehe. Anyway, this isn't Beta'd (except by me), so Donnie might be slightly OOC, but whatever. ;)

I hope everyone enjoyed this - especially you, Birthday Girl! - because I absolutely love writing about my favourite Turtles. :D

Anyway! Thank you to everyone for Reading, Alerting, and Favouriting myself and my Stories, but most especially to those who take the time to Review; it means a lot. I think everyone else who is also an Author/ess knows this as well as I do.

Please Read and Review; the more reviews an Author/ess receives on a story, the more and quicker s/he is spurred to write. I accept all reviews: Comment, Compliment, and Criticism (preferably Constructive Criticism); I accept Flames, but nothing with swearing in it, since the Default Profanity Filter is on my reviews.

Cowabunga,

Lor a.k.a. uncutetomboy