A/N:

An underground Manhattan explosion really was reported this morning on the news. And my first thought was "What did Donny blow up now?!" (which tells you just how turtle-saturated my mind has become. It's a bit scary, really)

So this random little one-shot is just a glimpse into the negotiations that go on between this author and her characters. Wish me luck. The old rat drives a hard bargain. If you want to know exactly what I'm negotiating with him for, you can see the summaries of upcoming fics on my profile.

I, of course, own no Turtles, ninja, mutant or otherwise. *sigh* No profit has been made from this fic aside from the enjoyment of writing and sharing it, and as always, a big Thank You goes out to the actual owners for allowing us to play in their playground through the wonderful world of fan-fiction.

A Hard Bargain
~~~

"In other news, an underground explosion has been reported in Manhattan… There have been no injuries reported but authorities, so far, have no explanation for the blast that happened early this morning…"

The news report came before the phone call. She was expecting it… but half hoped the ring wouldn't come... No such luck. The shrill sound cut through the peace of the afternoon, echoing through the house. She didn't even bother to check the caller id before picking up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Umm… hi."

"I thought I might hear from you. How bad is it this time?"

"Well… we got the fire out…"

"Fire?!"

"Yeah… and only part of the ceiling collapsed…"

"Was anyone hurt?"

"Well…"

"How bad is it?"

"……"

The woman rubbed her temples, wondering if there were any pills left in the bottle upstairs, and how long she could hold out before going for the migraine medication this time.

"Should I be stocking up on bandages?"

The voice was sheepish now. "We might need a splint. And some antibacterial salve for burns. And… a new walking stick I think."

"You broke your father's stick?"

"Well… umm… some of the bricks fell…"

"Is he ok?" The headache was increasing. Their father was a worse patient than any of his sons. All of his sons combined.

"He's fine."

There was a long silence. Maybe he won't ask. Maybe they can cope without me this time. Maybe…

"Umm, so well, I called because… umm… well actually, Dad asked me to call, since it was kinda my fault, heh…"

"What about April? She lives a lot closer…"

There was a shuffling noise, and he cleared his throat. "Well, see, the thing is, umm…"

"She's still mad about the microwave, huh?"

"Well, ummm…"

She sighed.

"We… We kind of… have to get moving here," he said nervously. "I mean, the security measures keep the place pretty well hidden, but still… the firemen and workers are going to be nosing around soon…"

The author capitulated, even as she cursed herself for giving in. Again.

"Come on over. You know you guys can always crash at my place. You can stay here until everyone heals up."

She could almost feel his relief, vibrating down the wires.

"Thanks. We owe you one, we really do."

The woman chuckled. "You owe me more than one," she told him, but affection made her tone less firm than she intended. "And this time I'm calling in a favor. You guys can come, and you can stay here as long as you need to, but I'll expect some cooperation."

"C… cooperation?" His voice quavered, apprehension creeping in.

I suppose he has reason enough to be nervous. I've been pretty hard on him in the past. The thought was almost enough to make her relent. Almost.

"Yep. You tell your father, he's got his own room here. I'll set it up so he can have solitude. Peace and quiet. I'll even stock up on his favorite DVDs while I'm out. The video store just got a new season in. And you guys can stay as long as you need. But I need him to listen to me this time, ok? No more stubbornness."

"Well, I… I don't know…" she heard him swallow nervously, his gulp traveling clearly through the line. "He can be… umm… determined."

"I know." She was unmoving. A rock.

The silence stretched out for more heartbeats than she cared to count.

"…Ok." He sighed deeply. "I'll tell him."

"Good." She smiled.

She knew there were no guarantees. She knew the patriarch of the family would still fight her every step of the way. It was almost a tradition between them, a dance. For every three steps she managed to move him forward, he'd take two back. This was a truce, but she knew it would barely last the day, when he found out what she had planned.

Stubborn old fellow, she thought affectionately. By now he should know I only want what's best for his family.

"So, are you guys leaving soon?" she asked.

"Yeah, as soon as we pack up a few supplies."

"Don't worry, I have pretty much anything you could need here," she told him, mentally adding video games and some tea from the specialty shop on the Ave to her list.

"Great. We'll see you soon."

"Ok. And Donny?"

"Yeah?"

"If you show up with your chemistry set, I swear if you have so much as a test tube on you when you come, you're sleeping in the barn."