Sightless Love
Donatello had no earthly idea what had just happened. His brothers had smiled, telling him that they had his best interests at heart, and jabbed a needle into his arm. Then they had proceeded to stuff him into a bag and put him in what he presumed to be a truck. In current events, Donatello had just woken up. The liquid in the needle had knocked him out, so he guessed that the truck had been moving for a while. It was still moving. But the worst part of all of it was that he had absolutely no clue as to where they were sending him.
About an hour later, or so he guessed, Donatello was shifted from one courier to the next. A half hour after the switch, he discovered that he had been deposited on a plane. His stomach lurched as it took off. Several hours after that, the plane touched down. And little while after that, he was loaded into a car and dumped on the street, a very busy street. The rope that closed the bag he was in had loosened over the trip, so he struggled out. Much to his amazement, he found himself in Tokyo, Japan. After finding a safe place to hide, Donatello decided to find a telephone. When he had found some money, he dialed his brothers' number.
"Hello?" said voice.
"Mikey! What the heck?!" he yelled. He could just hear Michelangelo cringe.
"You needed a vacation and we knew that you wouldn't go on your own. So we sent you ourselves," he said, sounding quite pleased with himself. Donatello sighed.
"Well, when do I get to come home?" he asked. There was a pause on the other end.
"I guess when April and Casey come to get you. They'll be there in a couple of weeks. Call us again when you have a place for them to meet you at," Mikey said and then the phone went dead.
"Mikey? Mikey!" Donatello sighed. He was stuck, and in Japan nonetheless. When he finally retreated back to his hiding place, he decided that he was going to need to find something for the few weeks until April and Casey came. He couldn't really go into a store though; he'd probably scare half of the population. So he resorted to finding brochures on the ground and in the trash. After about an hour, he had ruled out all of the places that a mutant turtle could go and be killed by the government.
There were only three places he could go. He could go to the comic convention, which he planned not to attend; the boardwalk, well as long as he stayed in the water; or he could tour the area, as long as he stayed in the shadows and out of sight. In the end there were only two places that he could and would go. All in all, Donatello's trip wasn't looking too exciting.
When he failed to get any sleep, Donatello figured he would start his tour. After much struggle, he learned that his brothers had dropped him off in the capital city of Tokyo. He walked around for a few hours, silently admiring all of the lights and buildings. He soon reached a deserted park near the water. The cherry blossoms on the trees were in full bloom, and the sight was spectacular. When he finally decided to head back to the alley where he was going to stay for the night it was well after dark. The city light lit the area, but it was still relatively hard to see where you were going. When he was almost back, he heard a woman scream.
"Hey! Give that back! Let go of me!" she screeched. Donatello raced around the corner; his instincts not letting him slow down. When the two came into view, he saw a teenage girl in the grasp of a tall man. He had her purse, and her. Her cane clattered to the ground. He man spotted him and immediately froze in fear.
"Let her go." Donatello's voice was firm and demanding. The man loosened his grip.
"Let go of her and give her her purse back." Donatello's voice was hard and icy. The man moved slowly, releasing her arms and placing the bag next to her feet. Then he ran. Fast. The girl fell down to the ground and clutched the handle of her bag.
"Thank you," she whispered. A smile crept over Donatello's face.
"You're welcome," he said, and then he turned to leave. Before he had taken two steps, she spoke again.
"Wait! Could you help me find my cane?" she asked. Donatello paused and looked around. Finding no one, he hesitantly walked out into the street. He was extremely surprised when she showed no reaction to his appearance. He slowly approached and pushed her cane in front of her.
"Thank you again for saving me. I'm used to it though. Everybody picks on the blind girl," she said simply. Donatello was speechless. It was no wonder that she wasn't surprised by his looks, she couldn't see him. Her sightless eyes were unblinking and trusting.
"What's your name? I'm Mouki," she said as she grasped the handle of her cane. Donatello didn't really trust her as much as she appeared to trust him, but he answered anyway.
"Donatello," he said. Mouki cocked her head.
"That's an unusual name. Are you from Japan?" she asked.
"No. I'm from America, New York," he replied. She smiled.
"I've always wanted to go to America. But Mistress says it's not a place for a poor, blind, orphan Japanese girl," she said, turning so that he couldn't see her face. Donatello felt sorry for her.
"I'm an orphan too, but I have my three brothers. Do you have any siblings?" he asked. Mouki looked back in his direction.
"No. You're very easy to talk to, Donatello," she said. He didn't say anything.
"Where are you staying?" she asked.
"No where special. Why?" It was the truth, the alley wasn't very special.
"You should come stay with me," she suggested.
"I couldn't," he said. Mouki scooted closer to him. Donatello began to feel uneasy.
"Please? It's the least I can do," she said, taking one of his three fingered hands in her own. She stopped, puzzled. Her fingers glided over his hand. Then, without staying anything, her hands slid up his shoulders and his neck to his face. Her hands gently passed over his chin, cheeks, forehead, and eyes. He was frozen the whole time.
"You're different from everyone else," she whispered, no fear in her voice or eyes. The unseeing eyes only stared at him with a thoughtful expression. Mouki's hands slid back down his neck to his shoulders where they softly felt his skin and his shell.
"You feel like a turtle. That's what my name means you know, blind turtle," she said, her voice gentle and indifferent. Donatello swallowed.
"I am a turtle. Well, a mutated one," he said, and for the first time in his life he was ashamed of what he was. She heard it.
"There is nothing wrong with you. Haven't you ever that it's what's inside that counts?" she asked as she stood up, gathering her cane and purse as she did so. She bent over, and searched for his hand. When she found it she pulled him up, leaning on her cane to do so.
"You're coming home with me. It's too dangerous out here for someone like you," she said as she dragged him along down the street, tapping around with her cane in practiced ease.
When they arrived at her apartment, Mouki followed the walls until she found the hall closet. She pulled out an extra pillow and blanket and showed Donatello her room. It was plain, but he figured there wasn't much because she was blind and didn't really need decorations. He rebelled against the idea of her sleeping on the couch. She held her ground and he soon lost the argument. In a way though, they both lost. Mouki slept on the couch, Donatello's loss, and Donatello slept on the floor, Mouki's loss.
"Donatello! Donatello, wake up! You have to hide!" Donatello sleepily opened his eyes. There was no clock, so he couldn't tell what time it was. Mouki was still shaking him since she couldn't see that he was awake. He sat up and gently pushed her off him.
"Why?" he asked.
"Mistress will be here any minute! You must hide, I'm not allowed to have any guests!" she said worriedly. Donatello kept his voice calm even though he was a little bit freaked out.
"Okay. Where should I hide?" he asked. Mouki paused.
"In the shower, Mistress won't be cleaning it for another week," she said. So, that is how Donatello, a mutant ninja turtle, not to mention super hero (well, kind of), ended up in a blind Japanese girl's shower for almost two hours. After those two hours, the blind Japanese girl in question came to get him out. When he had figured that Mouki wasn't going to be coming for him for a while, he had decided to sit down. Then, being extremely bored, he napped for about a half-hour.
"Donatello?" Donatello perked up when he heard Mouki's voice.
"What?" he asked.
"You can come out now." Donatello stood up and slipped, falling back down with a crash. He heard Mouki stumble quickly over to the bathroom.
"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. Donatello laughed quietly.
"I'll have a headache in a few hours, but I'll be fine." Mouki let out the breath she was holding.
For the rest of the day, Donatello and Mouki talked. They talked about their childhoods, hobbies, and really just everything they could think of. Occasionally, they would run out of things to say and sit in a comfortable silence, but the conversation never failed to start up a few minutes later. And when there was nothing left to say, it was almost midnight.
Mouki was lying on the couch with her eyes closed and Donatello sat on the floor beside her, also with his eyes closed. Donatello opened his eyes and looked at her. He had never really taken that much time to do that. She had long black hair and light skin. Her sightless eyes were a pale, pale green. In his mind, she was very pretty; beautiful even.
"Stop staring. I know you're looking at me," she whispered. Donatello was shocked.
"How do you know that?" he asked hesitantly. Mouki's blind eyes opened.
"I don't know. After being blind all my life, I guess I just learned to see without my eyes. Or my hands, for the matter," she said.
"We're a lot alike, Donatello. We're both secluded from the world," she said as she sat up. Then she dropped from the couch, planning to land on the floor and instead landing in Donatello's lap. She blushed when she realized where she was.
"I'm sorry," she said as she climbed off. Donatello grabbed her arm.
"That's okay. I don't mind," he said; glad that she couldn't see his blush. Mouki hesitated, but crawled back on.
"Did you know that you're the first real friend I've ever had?" she asked as she leaned her head on his chest.
"No," he replied, not having the courage to look at her.
"Did you know that you're the first person that hasn't screamed and ran, fainted, or tried to attack me when they met me?" he asked. Mouki laughed.
"No," she said. Then she shifted to a sitting position and wrapped her arms around his neck. Donatello stiffened, but soon he relaxed under her touch. He slowly brought his arm up to her back, returning the hug. When she released him she stared blankly at him.
"I like you better than normal people. You understand me better," she said, as she once again rested her head on his chest. Donatello stared down at her. She smiled.
"Stop staring," she said. They sat there for a while, both completely content. Then Mouki sighed and pulled his arms around her. Donatello blushed again, but allowed her to do so.
Donatello was the first to wake the next morning. He was surprised to find Mouki snuggled up against him and his arms firmly locked around her. A few minutes later, she woke up too. However, she was not surprised in the least. It took her a moment to figure out where she was, but then she closed her unseeing eyes again.
Once again, Donatello was stuck in the shower for two hours. When he finally got out, he called his brothers and gave them Mouki's address, purposely forgetting to tell them about Mouki herself. Casey and April were due to pick him in two weeks. So before those two weeks were up, he decided that he was going to do as much with Mouki as possible. He was starting to like her.
Over the next two weeks, Mouki took Donatello everywhere she could think of that he wouldn't stand out. When they went to the beach, Donatello even coaxed her into the water. Then, the night before his last day with her, Donatello finally told Mouki that he was leaving. She fell silent, quieter than he had ever seen her. Her eyes were sad and disappointed.
"Oh," she said. Donatello couldn't believe how much of a jerk he was. Suddenly, he got an idea. He took her hands in his.
"You said you wanted to go to America right?" he asked excitedly. Mouki's eyes switched to confusion.
"Yes. Why?" she asked.
"Come back with me. We have room for one more," he said. Mouki turned away from him, but let her hands to stay in his.
"I couldn't. Mistress wouldn't allow it," she said. Donatello's heart sunk.
"Oh." His grip on her hands loosened.
The next day they stayed home and didn't really talk much. Most of the day Mouki stayed in her room with the door locked. Donatello didn't blame her. When she finally came out at around nine o'clock, Donatello walked over to her and tried to apologize. But before he could say anything, Mouki placed a slender finger on his lips.
"I'll miss you," she murmured.
"I'll miss you, too," Donatello replied. Mouki let herself go. She threw her arms around him and held him close to her. Donatello stared at her for a moment and then wrapped his arms tightly around her.
"You should come visit," he joked. Mouki let out what he thought was a laugh, but she squeezed him tighter. That night they slept much the way they had the second day, Mouki in Donatello's lap with his arms tightly binding her to him.
When Casey and April arrived the next night, they were quite surprised to find that Donatello was staying with a human. It was a little bit more understandable when it was explained that Mouki was blind. Mouki was quiet most of the time they were there. When they left, she quickly hugged Donatello.
As the three, Donatello, April, and Casey, were going down the stairs, all was silent. When the got out to the street, they heard a series of crashes behind the. They turned around to find Mouki stumbling as quickly as she could down the stairs after them. She tripped, falling the rest of the way down. By the time she had righted herself, all three of her visitors were at her side. Donatello got there first, though. He gently helped her stand up. She smiled, recognizing his touch.
"Donatello?" she asked.
"Hmm?" he asked.
"I changed my mind. I'm coming with you," she said happily as she bent to grab her small suitcase and cane. Donatello held her hand in his all the way to the airport. She gladly let him.
When they finally arrived in New York, Donatello had a cramp in his side and his arm had fallen asleep. Mouki was totally freaked out form the plane ride. Casey and April were fine, and the turtle and blind girl hated them for it.
When they arrived at the turtles' home, Donatello's three brothers were eagerly waiting to see how he had liked his vacation. Leonardo was the first to spot the group. Mouki hid behind Casey and April, blocked from the view of all of the turtles.
"Donnie! How'd you like Japan?" he asked cheerfully. Donatello smiled.
"It was great, Leo. Thanks for sending me," he replied. The two other turtles soon joined them. Raphael was cool as ever, and Michelangelo was as crazy and hyper as he was when Donatello left.
"Where's Master Splinter?" Donatello asked. Michelangelo shrugged.
"He went off somewhere earlier," he said. Then a high-pitched yelp sounded through the room. Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo all fell into fighting stance. Donatello watched them in amusement.
"What is this young girl doing down here?" asked a scratchy old voice. Splinter had poked Mouki in the back with his cane, scaring her. Currently, she was tightly clinging to April's arm. Donatello walked over to her. She hesitated, thinking he was one of his brothers, but quickly switched to his arm when she realized it was him. Donatello's brothers and adoptive father were thoroughly confused. If you looked at Splinter though, you would never be able to tell.
"Guys, Master Splinter, this is Mouki. I was staying with her in Japan and I invited her to come live with us in America. I probably should have talked with you all about first though," Donatello explained sheepishly. Michelangelo walked over too, promptly ignoring his brother.
"Whoo-hoo!" he cheered. "Finally we meet someone who isn't scared of us!" Splinter smiled in his normal wise manner.
"Actually, my son, I think that this girl is blind," he said calmly. Michelangelo looked at Donatello. He nodded. Mouki loosened her grip on him.
"Is this your brother?" she asked.
"Yeah, this is Mikey," he replied. Mouki cocked her head.
"The nut job?" she asked. Donatello frowned.
"Hey! I'm no nut job!" Mikey exclaimed. Everyone smiled. Mouki gently detached herself from Donatello's arm. She held her arms out in front of her. She took a hesitant step forward. Donatello switched her direction so that she was headed towards his brother. Mouki smiled softly and walked slowly until her hands rested against Mikey's chest. Mikey looked at Donatello, clearly frightened. Donatello smiled reassuringly.
As she had with Donatello, Mouki slid her hands up Mikey's body and felt his face, shoulders, and shell. Her visionless eyes were distant as she memorized his features and the texture of his skin. Then she did something that she hadn't done with Donatello. She placed her ear against Mikey's heart.
"Are you scared of me? Your heart is beating faster than it should," she said. Mikey laughed. After she had been introduced to all of the turtles, Mouki returned to Donatello. Splinter walked over to them. He gently took one Mouki's hands.
"I am Splinter. I am these crazy things' father," he said softly. The boys laughed.
"Adoptive father," Leonardo corrected. Splinter chuckled. Mouki smiled.
"No wonder. Your hands don't feel like theirs or Casey and April's," she said. Splinter chuckled again.
"Yes, I am sure that my hands are different. I am a rat, unlike everyone else here," he explained. Mouki hesitantly lifted her hands up. Splinter made no objection, so she lowered hands to his shoulders. She cocked her head as she felt his soft fur under her hands. She felt the length of his face and gently fingered his ears. She smiled and softly tugged on his whiskers.
"It's nice to meet the man, err, rat, behind Donatello. You've raised him well," she said. Splinter smiled.
"Thank you," he said. Mouki went back to clinging lightly to Donatello's arm.
"Could you show her where to stay, April?" he asked. April looked at the turtle, but then led Mouki away. Michelangelo playfully punched his brother in the arm. Donatello looked over at him questioningly. Mikey rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on! She so likes you!" he exclaimed. Donatello frowned at his brother.
"We're just friends," he replied stubbornly, crossing his arms across his chest. Leonardo and Raphael chuckled.
"You know what? I agree with Mikey," Leonardo said. Donatello sighed.
"Sensei! Make them stop!" he complained. Splinter only smiled.
Donatello quietly followed Mouki. She had insisted on learning the pathways as soon as possible, so he was following her to keep her from getting lost. After about an hour, she began to get tired and they headed back. They had wandered quite far away from the main room, so Donatello ended up carrying her for a bit of the way. When they finally got back, it was almost eleven o'clock.
He carried her to her room and laid her on her bed. She firmly grasped his wrist when he tried to leave. He sat down next to the bed and she crawled down into his lap. She snuggled closer to him and he put his arms around her, knowing that she would only pull them around her herself if he didn't.
"Donatello?" Mouki asked softly.
"Hmm?" he murmured.
"Thank you for letting me come with you," she said.
"You're welcome," he said. She sat up and placed her hands on his face.
"Your face is nice. I like it better than your brothers' faces," she said thoughtfully. Donatello frowned.
"Thanks, I guess," he said, not really knowing what to say. Mouki slowly crawled from his lap. Then she did something he was totally unprepared for. She kissed his cheek.
"Good night, Donnie," she said as she climbed back onto the bed. Donatello walked back to his room in a dream-like state. Maybe Michelangelo was right.
In the morning, Donatello was the last one to wake up. He sat up and thought, still trying to figure out if what happened last night was a dream or not. When he walked into the kitchen, everyone was happily chatting; even Mouki. Mikey was the first to notice him.
"You picked a good one! She's funny and she actually laughs at my jokes!" he exclaimed. Mouki blushed from across the table. Everyone talked through breakfast, but Donatello and Mouki avoided falling into the same conversation. When they did, they answered quickly or offered their opinion and moved on to a different subject.
"Leo! Raph! Mikey! Could you come here?" Mouki called. A few minutes later the three turtles had assembled themselves in front of the blind girl. She smiled and sat on the floor with them.
"I need some dirt on Don. Think you could help me out? I'll tell you what he said about you all," she asked mischievously. The three brothers smirked.
"Gladly," they replied. About an hour later, Mouki had all of the information on Donatello she would ever need. And about three hours later, she had information on all of his three brothers too.
"Master Splinter?" Splinter looked up at the blind girl.
"Yes?" he asked. Mouki was being to feel nervous.
"Well, can I trust you with a secret? I think you'd be better to tell then your sons, no offense to them though," she said. Splinter laughed and patted the spot next to him. Mouki heard his paw hit the floor and sat down.
"What is your secret?" he asked gently.
"Promise not to laugh?" she asked. Splinter laughed again.
"Promise," he said. Mouki took a deep breath.
"Last night, I kissed Donatello," she whispered. Splinter was silent.
"It was only on his cheek though, but I still kissed him! What should I do?" Mouki was beginning to go into hysterics. Splinter placed his hands on her shoulders and held her where she was until she calmed down.
"Let's start with why you kissed him," he said. Mouki's eyes became far away.
"Well, I thanked him for bringing me. But I said 'good night' when I kissed him," she said. Splinter sat thoughtfully.
"Are there any other reasons that you might have kissed him?" he asked. Mouki had been dreading this part.
"Well, we are friends I suppose. But I think, I think that I might like him. You know, as more than just a friend. Right?" she asked. Splinter patted her knee.
"Yes, I do know. And that might very well be why you did what you did," he said. Mouki sat without saying anything.
"Could you send Donatello in, please?" he asked. Mouki nodded and left.
"Donatello!" she called. Donatello was there in a matter of seconds.
"Master Splinter needs to see you," she said without looking at him. Donatello walked into Splinter's room.
"Ah, Donatello. Sit down," he said calmly. Donatello came over and sat down.
"You wanted to see me, Sensei?" he asked. Splinter looked over at him.
"I wanted to talk to you about Mouki," he said. Donatello began to feel uneasy.
"What about her?" he asked.
"What do you think of her?" Splinter asked. Donatello didn't like the glint in his eyes.
"Well, I don't know. I like her, as a friend. But, I think she likes me more, and now I don't know what I think of her," he explained. Splinter shifted to a more comfortable position.
"And what did she do to make you doubt your friendship?" he asked, even though he already had a pretty good idea. Donatello got a strange look on his face. It was a mix of confusion and embarrassment.
"Well, last night, she kissed me. It was just on my cheek, but still, she kissed me!" he exclaimed. Splinter was happy that Donatello wasn't going into a frenzy like Mouki.
"What did you think of it?" he asked. He couldn't help himself; he loved his son's reaction.
"What?! What do you mean?" Donatello asked. Oh no, Splinter thought. Donatello was starting to get a little too excited.
"What did you think? Did you like it? Did you not?" he asked. Donatello sat quietly, deep in thought.
"I don't know," he said. Splinter looked at him questioningly.
"Well, come find me when you do," he said. Donatello took this as a dismissal and left. His brothers where waiting for him when he got out. They didn't look very happy.
"Hey, guys. What's wrong?" Donatello asked. His brothers' frowns deepened.
"About the things you said about us…" Raphael started. Around the corner, a smiling blind girl eavesdropped.
That night, Mouki sat in Donatello's room helping him dress his wounds, even though most were only bruises. She was extra gentle since she knew that she was the one that caused all of the bruises.
"Donatello?" she asked. He looked at her.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"I told them," she said. Donatello frowned.
"Told who what?" he asked. Mouki looked in his direction.
"I told your brothers what you told me about them. It's my fault that you have all of these bruises," she said softly. Donatello didn't say anything. Mouki looked back downwards and finished wrapping his ankle.
"I'm sorry," she said when she finally looked up.
"It's okay," Donatello said. Mouki smiled softly.
"Thank you," she said. When Donatello had been completely wrapped up, Mouki left and went to her own bed. They both stayed up that night thinking about what they talked about with Splinter.
The next morning, Donatello went straight to Splinter's room. Splinter opened the door and let him in. They sat in silence for a few minutes until Splinter began to get annoyed, something that didn't happened very often.
"Can I help you, Donatello?" he finally asked. Donatello's head snapped up.
"Oh, um, well, you told me to come back when I had figured out what I thought about Mouki kissing me. I'm not really sure, but I suppose I liked it," he said, embarrassment written all across his face. Splinter nodded.
"So, what are you going to do about it?" he asked. Donatello frowned.
"What do you mean? It already happened," he asked. Splinter rolled his eyes, something else that didn't happen very often.
"Are you just going to sit there? Are you going to talk to her about it? Are you going to kiss her? What are you going to do about it?" he asked. Donatello stared at his adoptive father, his eyes wider than they had probably ever been. Splinter sighed.
"Well, then, let's start with how you feel about her now that you know that you liked it when she kissed you," he said. The shock faded a bit from Donatello's face.
"Honestly, I still don't know how I feel about her," he said. Splinter closed his eyes.
"Would you bring Mouki in?" he asked. Donatello was definitely smart enough to take the hint.
He couldn't find her in the kitchen or with anyone else, so Donatello tried her room. Sure enough, Mouki was still in bed and sound asleep. He paused, considering waiting for her to wake herself up. Eventually, he just decided that he should wake her before Splinter came in and hit him with his cane. He took her shoulder and gently shook her.
"Mouki. Mouki, wake up," he said. Mouki rolled over and looked sleepily at nothing really in particular.
"Hmm? Is that you, Donatello?" she murmured.
"Yeah. Master Splinter wants to see you," he said. Her eyes were suddenly more awake.
"What for?" she asked. Donatello shrugged, but then remembered that she couldn't see it.
"I don't know," he said as he guided her down the hallway. Since she was only half awake, he was extra careful at looking where both of them were going. A few minutes later, he left her a Splinter's door.
"Master Splinter?" Mouki asked.
"Come in." Mouki opened the door and walked in. Splinter opened his eyes and looked up at her. He patted the ground beside him. She heard it and sat down.
"What did you need to talk to me about?" she asked.
"Donatello," Splinter replied. Mouki was now fully awake.
"Donatello? What about him?" she asked.
"How do you feel about him?" Splinter asked the question as if it was a perfectly normal thing to ask.
"I don't really know. Why?" she asked.
"Yesterday you told me that you might like him more than you would a friend. Do you still feel that way?" he asked. Mouki looked towards the floor.
"Well, I suppose… yes. Yes, I do," she said. Splinter smiled and patted her knee.
"I believe that he feels the same. He just doesn't know it yet," he said. Mouki looked up in his direction, her useless eyes wide.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I mean that he likes you and is too afraid to admit it, even to himself," Splinter explained. Then a mischievous rat smile spread across his furry face.
"And I think we should trick him into admitting it," he said. Mouki's jaw fell open.
"How are we going to do that?" she asked.
"We'll make him jealous," Splinter said simply.
"Aren't we going to need a little help?" she asked. Splinter was quiet for a while.
"Yes, it might be smart to get some assistance," he said. And so the plan was put into action.
When everyone (except Donatello) had been assembled at the table, Splinter explained the plan. Everybody was going to either flirt with Mouki, try to set her up with some one, or do anything else in particular to make Donatello jealous. At first, they were shocked by Splinter's enthusiasm. But soon they were all just as excited.
Mouki knew that the blankets were on the top of the cabinet where she couldn't reach them, so that night she pretended to be cold. She stood on the tips of her toes and stretched her arms as far as they would go. She still couldn't reach.
"Let me help you with that," said a voice. A second later a blanket was placed in Mouki hands.
"Thank you, Raphael," she said. Then she stood on her toes again and kissed his cheek. Conveniently, Donatello was witness to the whole thing. Much to Splinter's excitement, he could tell his plan was working.
Then it was April's turn. She set Mouki up with a friend of hers for a date the next day. Everyone could hardly contain their laughter when they saw the mixture of shock, embarrassment, and disappointment on Donatello's face.
By the end of her date, Mouki had decided that she liked April's friend. It was also quite convenient that he knew about the turtles. Right now they were walking around the city park. Howie was kind and didn't mind her disability. She hated to tell him, but it would be better if she did.
"Howie? Can I tell you something?" she asked. Howie squeezed her hand, he was listening.
"April only set us up because we're trying to make someone else jealous," she said. Howie stopped.
"She did?" he asked. Mouki nodded.
"Oh," he said. Mouki threw her arms around his waist.
"I'd like it if we could stay friends though," she said. Howie stood frozen for a moment, but then returned the hug.
"Sure. I'd like that too," he said. So they continued to go out, even though now they went just as friends. One time when they were walking down the street, Howie spotted one of the turtles peering out from under a manhole. He bent over to whisper in his ear.
"I can see one of them. He spying on us," he said. Mouki smiled as if Howie had just murmured something sweet to her. She stood a bit taller and whispered in his ear.
"Can you see his bandana? What color is it?" she asked.
"Purple," Howie whispered back. Mouki smiled wider. They were going to get Donatello good.
"Hurry up and kiss me while he's still looking," she whispered. They stopped walking and Howie kind of stared at her in disbelief. Mouki gave him a look like Hurry up! since she knew he was just staring. So he kissed her. And once again, Donatello saw the whole thing.
When Donatello saw them kiss, he could feel the fury building up inside him. Well, shock was the more dominant feeling, but still. He hated the way they had whispered to each other and the way she had smiled at him. Right now, he was furious with April, despite the fact that she'd always been his friend. He sulked all the way back to his room, even though Splinter and his brothers gave him strange looks. He ignored them.
Mouki got home a few minutes after Donatello did. She tapped her cane around and followed the walls until she found everyone else. They burst out laughing.
"What did you do?" Michelangelo asked between fits of laughter. Mouki smiled wickedly.
"He was spying on us and I made Howie kiss me. Why?" Mouki asked as if she didn't know.
"He came in here angry and sulking. I've never seen Don sulk," Leonardo explained. Mouki started to giggle.
"Really?" she asked.
"Really." If Raphael said it, it was probably true. Michelangelo turned to Splinter.
"How much longer until he cracks?" he asked. Splinter thought.
"Soon," he replied with a smile. The turtles started to laugh again.
"Master Splinter?" Splinter opened his eyes.
"Come in, Mouki," he said. The door opened. Mouki waited for the sound of Splinter's paw on the ground before sitting down.
"Do you need something?" he asked. Mouki looked over at him. Her eyes held some strange expression that he couldn't identify.
"I think I should just tell him how I feel, instead of waiting for him," she said. Splinter nodded.
"Alright," he said. Mouki smiled softly.
Mouki found Donatello on the roof of a nearby deserted building. She slowly climbed the stairs, nervous about what he would think. She stood at the top for a while and just looked at him before gathering enough courage talk to him.
"Don?" she asked. Donatello turned around.
"Oh, it's just you. You scared me, Mouki," he said as he turned back around. Mouki laughed a bit.
"Sorry. I wanted to tell you something," she said.
"What?" Donatello asked, keeping his back to her. Mouki walked forward a few steps in what she thought was his direction.
"Well, for starters, I'm not really dating Howie. We're just friends," she said. The turtle didn't reply, but he was very happy and a bit relieved with the news.
"It was a set up, to, well, make you jealous. According to your brothers it worked," she continued. She also walked forward a little more. The only reason Donatello didn't turn around that time was the comment about his brothers. Mouki continued to walk forward, completely unaware of the edge quickly approaching.
"Really, I just came up here to say that I lo- ahhhhh!" Mouki screamed as she slipped over the edge of the roof. She only just caught the edge in one hand, which is quite a feat for a blind girl. Donatello heard her scream and looked quickly in her direction.
"Mouki!" he gasped as he ran over to her. He was too late though. Just as his hand was about to close around hers and pull her up, she lost her grip and fell. Her sightless eyes widened in fear as she plummeted downward. Donatello watched her fall in his own mute horror. Then he heard her body hit the ground in a sickening thud.
Donatello had never run so fast in his life. He raced down the stairs to the ground floor, even skipping stairs towards the bottom. When he finally reached the spot that Mouki had landed, he was completely and totally terrified. She was unconscious, and one of each her arms and legs were twisted at unnatural angles. A small pool of blood was forming near her cheek too; there was a large gash from a sharp rock. Several other wounds covered her body.
Donatello ripped Mouki's sleeve off and wrapped it tightly around her face, hoping to stop the bleeding. Now he was faced with the choices of popping her limbs back into their sockets or not. He chose not. He gently picked her up and ran as fast as he could back home.
"Oh my god! What happened?" April exclaimed as she ran over to Donatello. Mouki hung limply in his arms and they were both covered in blood.
"Casey! Casey get over here! Hurry!" April yelled. A minute later Casey rounded the corner in his usual slow, casual fashion. When he saw the state that Mouki was in, his eyes widened and he grabbed his car keys. He tossed them to April and took Mouki from Donatello. Then they both hurried out to the hospital.
Mouki had fractured two ribs, broken one, dislocated two limbs, broken a leg, fractured an arm, and cracked an ankle, but she still made it out of the ER with her life. After two hours in the waiting room, Casey and April were let into her room. She was still unconscious, but her heart rate and brain functions were normal. Casey pulled out his cell phone and called the turtles and Splinter, who were anxiously waiting for news on her condition. Donatello practically pounced on the phone.
"Hello?" he asked.
"She's gonna make it, Don. You can stop worrying," Casey said. Donatello relaxed a bit.
"How bad is the damage?" he asked. Casey paused.
"Well, considering that she fell off a building, I guess she's done well," he said. "April's calling me, I've gotta go," he added. Then the line went dead. Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael, and Splinter all looked expectantly at Donatello.
"Casey says she's okay," he explained. Everyone let out a breath.
Mouki opened her eyes, only to be greeted with the same blackness she was every time she opened her eyes. She remembered falling from the building, the pain of impact, and then nothing.
"Mouki?" Mouki turned her head.
"April?" she asked weakly.
"Mouki! Casey, come here, she's awake!" April said. Mouki reached for April's hand. April took it.
"Where… where is… Donatello?" Mouki murmured.
"He's safe, don't worry," April soothed. Mouki relaxed her stiffened body and slipped back into unconsciousness.
A week later, Mouki was released to go back home. She was covered in casts and bandages and in a wheelchair, but she was ecstatic about going back to see the turtles and Splinter. The ride home was silent, but Mouki couldn't stop smiling.
"Guys! We're home!" April called. A few minutes later, the turtles and Splinter came around the corner to greet them.
"Hey! Looking good!" Michelangelo joked. Mouki giggled.
"I'd hug you, but I'm not allowed to move my arms," she said. After visiting for a few hours, all of Mouki's energy had been drained, so April wheeled her to her room to rest.
Knock
"Come in," Mouki said. The door creaked open. Mouki opened her eyes and looked over at the door.
"Whose there?" she asked.
"It's me." Mouki closed her eyes again.
"Hello, Donatello," she whispered.
"I'm sorry. I should have been watching you. It's my fault you're like this," he said. Mouki frowned.
"Donatello, it's not your fault. I fell off, end of story. You aren't to blame for any of it," she said in a rather annoyed voice. She heard Donatello's footsteps coming closer, then him sitting down by the bed.
"You were going to tell me something before you fell. What was it?" he asked. Mouki opened her eyes and then closed them again.
"I was going to tell you that somehow I've fallen in love with you," she said simply. Donatello sat in silent, frozen, shock. Mouki opened her eyes at looked down towards him.
"For goodness sake Don, say something," she said. Donatello was still speechless, so he squeezed her hand instead. Mouki feebly sat up.
"Donatello! Say something! Please!" she pleaded.
"I don't know what to say," he said. Mouki's heart sunk and she squeezed his hand as much as the pain in her arm would allow. Water filled her visionless eyes until tears spilled down her face. Donatello looked up at her and was surprised to find her wet cheeks. Her expressionless eyes stared at the wall in front of her. He let go of her hand and turned to wipe the tears of her face.
"No, don't cry," he murmured softly. She turned to him, more tears spilling for her eyes.
"Well, then say something to me and stop avoiding what I said," she whispered. Donatello kissed both of her cheeks, taking most of the tears with him.
"Does that answer you question?" he asked. Mouki's eyes widened.
"I suppose it does," she said. Then she smiled. "But could you explain it to me again?" Donatello smiled too.
"Sure," he said. Mouki placed a finger to his lips.
"Can we wait to tell them, though?" she asked. Donatello laughed.
"Okay," he said, and then she let him kiss her.
A month later, when all Mouki had left was a scar on her cheek, she and Donatello walked into the kitchen hand in hand. Casey and April had gone out in their own for breakfast, so only the remaining three turtles and Splinter were left to gape at the sight before them. Leonardo couldn't believe it, but when he rubbed his eyes and his brother was still there and still holding the hand of the girl who they had been trying to set him up with, he knew it to be true. Raphael just stood there with a large smirk on his face. Michelangelo was completely shocked, but really he was just overreacting and everyone knew it. Splinter only smiled.
"What's with the hands?" Mikey asked. Mouki giggled happily. Donatello, like Splinter, only smiled. Leonardo laughed.
"When'd you crack him?" he asked. Mouki giggled some more, wrapping her arms around Donatello and leaning her head against his shoulder.
"About a month ago, but we decided to keep it a secret," she said. Raphael chuckled, failing to hide and/or disguise his amusement.
A few hours later when April and Casey got back, the news was all over. Donatello and Mouki had just narrowly escaped the madness thanks to Splinter's help. He had convinced the others to go out for a walk, and even though they moaned and complained he made them go anyway. Now, Donatello and Mouki were comfortably seated on the couch, quietly enjoying each other's company. Mouki sighed. Donatello looked own at her. Her eyes were closed, but she was smiling.
"Tired?" he asked.
"Kind of," she said. Donatello put his arm around Mouki's shoulder, bringing her closer to him. She opened her eyes.
"I'm glad I found you," she said. Donatello smirked.
"And why is that?" he asked. Mouki pushed his arm off.
"Why is that?" she repeated. She crawled over in his lap and kissed him lightly on the nose. "Because you're the best thing that's ever happened to me," she finished.
"Even though I made you fall off a building?" he asked. She smiled and hugged him.
"Even though you made me fall off a building," she whispered. She released him and snuggled up against his chest. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her.
"I intend to keep this spot, you know," Mouki said. Donatello smiled.
"Well, you don't have to worry. It'll always be especially reserved just for you," he said. They both laughed. Mouki looked up at Donatello, wishing that she could see his face when she replied.
"It better be."