The next week, while Casey was working at a night club for a friend and Gabby was called for an emergency sift at the clinic, Raphael introduced Hope and Donatello. Standing to the side, Raph watched to two of them look at each other for a few moments, and finally Hope spoke as Don went to shrug off his equipment he never went topside without.
"What's that thing on your head?" She asked, motioning to the googles Don always wore. He looked confused for a moment, and then reached up to take them off his head.
"Oh, these?" He asked, kneeling down to show them to his niece. "I made them to record our missions and things, like keep track of vital signs..." He trialed, off, realizing he might have bored the little girl, but when he looked down, wide gold eyes studied the piece of tech intently.
"You made these yourself?" She asked, voice filled with awe. "This is so cool!" Donatello bushed, and gave the girl a pleased smile as Hope went on. "I want to make stuff like this when I grow up." The purple turtle beamed down.
"Really?" He put the googles to the side. Hope nodded enthusiastically.
"Yah, I ask Daddy to get me an old computer I can play with, but he's afraid I'm gonna electrocute myself." The little girl went on. "But I got a bunch of Erector sets I like to play with." She tugged on Don's hand. "Come on, I'll show you what I built." Don glanced back at Raph, who just smiled and motioned to her room with his head.
"You go ahead, I got to start dinner." The older turtle encouraged, turning to the kitchen. Donatello followed his tiny niece, looking around her room in amusement. Building blocks and dolls where scattered across the room. Two Barbies, one with cropped hair and the other's hair died a vibrant blue, sat at a table made from Erector set pieces. Some handmade lab equipment, made from the foam clay, sat on top of it.
"They're trying to create a way that makes lima beans taste good." She explained as she sat down next to them. Don sat down next to her.
"A noble cause indeed." He said, chuckling. "I think your Uncle Mike would love to see a break through on that front." Hope nodded solemnly.
"It is." She agreed. She turned around to another pair of dolls overlooking a naked Ken doll. "These two are trying to figure out why older girls and some guys like boys so much." She shrugged. "I really have no idea."
I think your father would be quiet happy if you never found out. Don thought to himself, smiling. He leaned over, ruffling her hair.
"You'll figure it out." He encouraged her. "So are you doing anything like this in school?" Hope nodded.
"We did an experiment using a potato and a clock." She replied, pointing to one sitting on her bedside dresser. "The teachers say I'm real smart, so I go to special classes."
"That great." Her uncle replied. "You know what you want to do?" The little girl's face wrinkled in thought.
"I'm do know." She said. "I like building things, but I also like helping people." She was quiet for a moment. "What was Grandpa like?" She asked, looking up at him. "Not your Dad, Mom's Dad." Don huffed out a breath, rubbing his head.
"I can't really tell you. He died when we were still regular turtles." Hope's face fell, and he pushed on. "But you Mom left me a bunch of videos he did. Maybe I can show them to you one day." Hope curled up on his lap, Don stiffening briefly before relaxing against her.
"I'm glad I met you." She whispered. "Daddy and Mommy try, but sometimes they get frustrated because I ask stuff they can't answer." Don smiled.
"Well, if you need help, just ask your Daddy to call, me." He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Maybe you can come to the lair one day and I can show you some simple experiments or coding if you want."
"That would be so cool!" She exclaimed. "When can I come down?" He pulled her close. He loved his Father and brothers, and he loved April, but sometimes it was lonely being the smart one. It was nice finding someone he could talk with, not on his level yet, of course, but it was a start.
"Food's ready you two." Raph announced, standing at the doorway. Hope bounced up from Donatello's lap, taking hold of Raph's hand as she moved to the kitchen, Don following.
"Can I come and visit you one day?" She asked, sitting down between the two.
"I want you to meet Uncle Leo first." Her father told her as they sat down. Dinner conversation was casual, and afterwards they sat on the couch together, watching TV, with Hope going on about what she did in school that week, and her excitement for a movie coming out.
"But I might wait for it to come out on Blu-Ray." She admitted, looking up at Raph. "Because I really want to watch it with you."
"I can get it for you." Don interjected. "It will be a few days for a good copy to surface, but you could watch it here with him, or maybe we can have a family night in the lair." Hope's gold eyes went huge, looking over to her father.
"Can we do that? Please? It'll be so much fun and we can have a sleep over and maybe Mommy and Daddy can do whatever they gotta do to give me a little brother or sister!" Raph choked on his drink, looking behind Hope. Gabriel had come home early, and was standing in the doorway, slightly red in the face at her daughter's announcement.
"Mommy!" Hope cried, jumping from the couch to her mother. "Does that sound okay? Can I stay with them one night?" Gabriel smiled. She had gotten accustomed to the large turtle that was her father, and it would be nice for her and Casey to have a night alone.
"We'll see what your father says." She replied, hugging the girl. She looked up at the clock over the door. "But it's time for you to get into bed." Hope gave a little sigh at that.
"Yes Mommy." The little girl said, turning to give her father and uncle a hug and kiss good night.
"You be good and I'll talk you your parents about coming over one night, okay?" Raph told her, hugging her tight and kissing her on the head. She turned to Donnie.
"It was so cool meeting you." Hope told him, yawning. "I can't wait to see your lab." Don smiled.
"I can't wait to show it to show it to you." He replied, nuzzling her hair. Hope pulled away and walked to her room.
"We'll let ourselves out." Raph told Gabby as she went to put Hope to bed. The woman smiled.
"Thanks for coming over on such a short notice. I'll talk to Casey about her staying over." She told them. "We just want to meet with Leo first to get a feel for him."
"I'll see if I can drag him over here sometime next week." Raph moved to the window, giving Gabriel a wave before him and Don went out the window.
Later in the lab, Don was looking up some things that he could show Hope when Leo came in.
"You should go see her." The tallest turtle told him. "She such a sweet girl." Leo was silent for a moment.
"Yah, Raph told me earlier about her parents wanting to meet me before she visits us. Mikey's been hounding me about it because he wants to make cookies with her." He sighed, rubbing his head. "I told him I'd go with him next Friday when they need him to watch her again."