Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. They are not mine, nor will they ever be (unless I find a way to trick/seduce Donatello).
Hello all! I sure hope you enjoy my story, it's my first attempt at a fan fiction so please, be nice. I do accept constructive criticism, but if this story makes you want to run for the hills, give it a chance. You may be surprised later on. Enjoy!
PS-This has been edited on March 6th of 2010. Just so you know :)

The sleeping form of Raphael in the old brown leather chair greets as one enters the lair. Mikey is sitting not far off on the tattered blue couch playing video games, and Leonardo sits cross legged in a serene corner, meditating.

'Master Splinter has been in his room all morning' Leo muses, but then shrugs it off. 'He's probably meditating.'

Donatello's lab is alive with sounds, the turtle making impressive figures and calculations, reviewing diagrams, and tinkering with a small object, behavior we would merely regard as Don being Don. However, today is different. Donatello has been awake for 82 hours straight, as the dark circles beneath his usually bright eyes prove. However, the incredible focus he has on his work doesn't allow this fact to hinder his productivity. After all, this is science we're talking about, and his excitement outweighs his drowsiness.

"Let's see, if I change the length of the out put wire, and I move the molecular compressor here…"he mutters to himself, delicately moving the parts around. Suddenly he freezes. All the calculations add up, the wires are all connected in the right places. It's a flawless piece of technology.

'Now, does it work…?'

He straps his invention onto his wrist and activates it with measured care, pressing the button gingerly. He stares wide eyed at his hands, his feet, surveys the rest of his body, then touches his face.

"It works," he breathes in disbelief. A triumphant smile spreading across his face, he pulls off the device and tears from his lab yelling, "I did it! I did it!"

His brothers all look up as he bursts into the main part of the lair, exclaiming breathlessly, "I did it, it works!"

"What the shell are ya talkin' about?" Raph demands impatiently, very pissed at being woken by his brother's shouts. Waving what looks like a digital watch before his ill-tempered sibling's face, Don quickly explains, "In the six months we've been home since our little time-traveling accident, I've invented some machines called molecular altering devices, or molecular changers. They have the ability to change your molecular structure on a superficial level for periods of time determined by the wearer by using solar atomic particles and the harnessing of light particles!"

He is congratulated by blank looks and the squeaking of the hamster wheel in Mikey's skull as they try to decipher what he's saying.

"We don't speak Geek, Don. In English, please?" Raph asks, totally lost. Heaving a 'nobody understands me' sigh, Don explains more simply, "It changes what you look like to whatever you want, temporarily."

"Ohhh," Mikey, Raph and Leo chorus.

"I just liked walking around in the open in the future so much, I thought it would be nice if we could do it in present day New York," Don admits, then his eyes lighting up like Mikey's on Christmas morning, he urges, "think of all the possibilities! We don't have to live in the shadows, we can meet new people, we can go to the grocery store without having to crawl through the ventilation ducts!"

"Aww, but crawling through the vents is fun," Mikey bemoans with a pout, recalling the time Raph jumped down into a crate of oranges by accident. Raph shoots Mikey a deadly glare, but doesn't smack him, instead asking his brother, "Can we see this thing is action?"

Don grins to his brother's poorly masked curiosity, and says, "I thought you would never ask," strapping on the device. He instructs, "First, you choose how you want to look: hair color, gender, what clothing you want, species, the basics," gesturing toward buttons of many colors. "Click enter, and presto!"

Leo, Raph and Mikey can't help but gape at Donatello, awestruck that their brother has disappeared before their eyes. A tall, attractive man with short, relaxed brown curls atop his head, pale skin, and long lashes has replaced him, the only recognizable traits his voice and his big brown eyes.

"Whoa," is the only syllable Raph or Leo can handle, and Mikey just stares at his slightly older brother, speechless for once. They stare transfixed at their evolved brother until April unexpectedly enters the lair, a puzzled look on her face to the new visitor. Placing three brown grocery bags on the counter top in the kitchen, she wonders, "Who's your new friend?"

Don is confused by April's comment, but then he remembers his new appearance. Grinning with pride, Don exclaims, "April, it's me, Don!"

"Oh my…" she trails off, and then asks, "How did you…?" Glad that somebody is interested, he explains hurriedly, "I'm demonstrating my molecular altering device."

April's face changes from shock to mild surprise. Seeming to know what he's talking about she asks lightly, "Oh, is that the thing you've been working on lately?"

"Yes!" Don answers, practically bursting with excitement. April scrutinizes him for a moment and compliments, "Very nice," unpacking the groceries. Don's face falls slightly to her lack of enthusiasm, and trying to lift his disappointed face, Mikey, as always, looks on the bright side.

"At least we don't have to wear those itchy trench coats anymore. They always smell really rank after Raph wears one."

The giddy mutant ducks just in time to avoid a smack across the head from Raph, this time not controlling the ferocious need to hit the jokester. He misses and scowls nastily, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't know," Leo says unsurely. 'Oh, no. He's going into leader mode,' Don inwardly groans, giving Leo a questioning look. Leo points out, "If these fell into the wrong hands it would be extremely dangerous. What if our enemies steal this technology and use it against us and others?"

"Come on, Leo! They could change our very existence," Don pleads, upset to see all his hard work go down the drain. Smiling at Don's hopeful face Leo leans toward his brother's argument, admitting, "They could be useful…"

"What could be useful, my son?" Master Splinter asks calmly as he exits his room, sliding the shoji door behind him. Donatello enters another rapid explanation, barely taking a breath between sentences. After his son's considerable and scientifically based reasoning, Master Splinter studies his son's face long and hard. "You are right," Master Splinter concedes, continuing, "We need to get things for survival in a less jeopardizing manner." The old rat smiles and compliments proudly, "This is a wonderful invention, my son."

"Thanks, Sensei," Don says, bowing graciously. He straightens, positively beaming and adds, "I made one in yellow for you, Master."

The rat's ears perk up and his whiskers twitch, the rodent asking calmly to hide his interest, "May I see it? I am fond of the color yellow."

Don smiles and replies delightedly, "Sure, Master Splinter, but I'll help you do the settings. I know your computer skills are lacking."

Unfortunately for poor Donatello, the usually lithe turtle's reflexes are not fast enough to avoid a rap on the skull from an insulted rat. No one can evade the walking stick!

Okay, glad it's finally up! It took me FOREVER to figure out how to work my account, I practically went ballistic! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my piece of...erm..."literature", though my sister would call it obsession. Oh well, at least I know how to make boxed soup.
Please read and review!