This almost didn't get written, but somehow I managed to sit myself down and get it done. I really hope you continue to enjoy!

Another Lack of Peace

It was a gorgeous summer day, if not a bit sweltering. Miscellaneous large bugs floated about lazily in the heavy air, unfamiliar birds were singing to each other, the crowds were overheated and thus subdued-- and he was floating in the slightly cool water of Chris' moat.

Pure bliss.

Even with the annoying music the newest turtle insisted on having piped into his enclosure during the 'slow times'. Noisy stuff, Dela much preferred even the ambient hum of the distant humans to the sounds of young female humans screeching about how good love felt.

It was too bad this peace wasn't to last.

The slight disturbance of the water around him was the only warning he got before suddenly there was pressure around his calf and he was roughly jerked underwater.

He immediately broke the surface of the water, sputtering angrily. "Chris, you little twerp!"

The other turtle laughed, despite coughing on the large wave of water Delancey was sure to send at him. "Aww come on, Dela..." He ducked another wave. "You just looked sooooo bored!"

"I'll show you 'bored'." He lunged forward, ready to return the earlier favor.

"Stop them! They are fighting!" The shout came from the far end of the enclosure, right by the door the humans used to access their area. "Randy, do you have those tranq--"

Calmly, Fulton peaked out from the cave, book in hand. Sounding slightly annoyed-- most likely at the interruption-- he spoke slowly. "Gentlemen." He paused. "I believe they are -playing-."

"Oh."

"Yeah! cough" Christopher quickly surfaced and practically leaped from the water. "Playing! With Dela!"

"Don't use the damn tranqs." muttered Delancey himself, staying in the water on pure principle. He was there first-- before Chris got that wild hair up his shell-- after all.

The human looked doubtful. "..." But fortunately he was quickly joined by others of his kind. One of them was smiling. "Playing. Brilliant! I told you social interactions like this might arise in a group situation, Johnson."

"Well, the timing is hardly good. We were just about to--"

"Ssssh!"

"So relax, dudes." Chris smiled and re-entered the water, hooking his arm over Delancey's. "Water fights are what to do on days like this, right?"

The keepers didn't say anything back to the turtle, they were too busy chattering among themselves about what they just witnessed. Then, thankfully, most of them left the area.

"...Christopher, you are such a dead turtle."

Then the fight began anew!

A few hours later, Dela found himself sitting next to Fulton as the two watched the crowds disperse and the sun slowly set.

"Nice evening."

Dela grunted, not sure what quite to say to that. He still wasn't that good at small talk. "...I guess?" he finally ventured, despite not having much of an opinion on the weather. It wasn't raining or cold, that was all that mattered.

Ful stretched, leaning back with a slight grin gracing his green face. In the distance, Delancey could hear the tinny sound of fake laughter-- Christoper watching 'one of his shows' he supposed.

"I was thinking."

He glanced over at his companion. "You do that. All th' time."

The other turtle laughed, looking pleased. "Not much else to do. Anyways, Dela, I was thinking... four of us, three now accounted for. All of us thus far being the same age."

"Yeah?"

Fulton sat up and leaned toward Dela, sporting an uncharacteristic wide smile. "So! I was thinking... Three of us, the only ones in the word-- I mean, next to that one in DC-- and we are the same age. You know what that means?!"

The smile was infectious, but the knowledge was not, apparently. "...I'm sure you'll tell me?"

"The chances of us being from the same hatching are abnormally hig--"

A sudden commotion interrupted him.

"Hold him steady!"

"He's panicking, get the needle!"

"Did they not tell him--?!"

Both turtles jumped up at exactly the same time Chris appeared from his cave as if ejected. Before they could even ask the humans by the enclosure entrance what the hell was going on this time, their eyes focused-- with no small amount of shock-- on what the humans brought with them.

Sitting in a crate, breathing rapidly, was yet another turtle.