"Getting It"

Author's Notes: Don/Renet and Casey/April? Bonus! This isn't even drabbleish. This is straight-up one-shot here, folks.

--

"I don't know what she sees in him," he grumbled irritably.

Raph rolled his eyes. "That's 'cause yer jealous." He paused thoughtfully. "And a snob."

"I am not. I just don't understand, that's all."

"Yeah, well …nobody said you had to."

--

She caught him glaring in Casey's direction. "You don't understand," she observed, calmly, but with a sharp edge underneath.

He flinched. "No. No, I don't."

"There are a lot of reasons. But mostly, he believes in me, Don." She allowed herself a small smile. "He looks at me, and it's just … he looks at me like I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread."

Because you are, he thought but did not say.

--

"Renet!" Mikey's voice sang out.

"Hey, guys!" She laughed. As always, she sounded ridiculously happy to see them. "You miss me?"

While Raph muttered something under his breath, Leo pretended to meditate. It was up to Mike to reply. "Sure, we did! You know we love havin' you around, babe."

Don waved hello but didn't bother glancing over. To do so simply didn't occur to him.

--

"So, what do ya think?"

He swallowed. His eyes stayed glued on the glittering emerald ring in Casey's shaking hand.

"Y-you think she'll like it?" Casey continued when Don didn't reply.

It's gorgeous, Don thought but did not say. Instead, he murmured, "Why are you asking me? I … I'm not a big jewelry connoisseur."

Casey laughed, sounding nervous. "Well, you're her best friend." If he caught Don's wince, he didn't let on. "And I want this to be perfect for her. It's gotta be perfect, Donny, just perfect."

There was something in the man's voice—something that made Don's stomach drop—and Donatello found himself confessing, "April will love it."

--

April loved the ring. She said yes.

He knew she'd say yes.

They were married in March, out at the farm. She wore a white dress and flowers in her hair. Old Augie's knees weren't what they once were, so it was Don who walked her down the aisle. When they reached the end, where Casey stood beaming like a brilliant sun and Raph stood grumpily tugging at his tie, Donatello turned to look at her. April smiled back at him, looking radiant and impossibly beautiful, and then he let her go.

--

"Whatcha working on, Donny?"

Almost involuntarily he cringed. "Please. Please don't touch anything."

"Totally not touching! Just looking."

"You're supposed to look with your eyes, Renet," he replied through gritted teeth, "not with your hands."

Five minutes later, the entire lab laid in waste and ruins. Then, with a flash of light, the lab was back and in pristine condition. This time, she decided to keep her hands clasped behind her back. Don had been right. It was safer this way.

--

The baby looked just like her mother, except for the eyes. The eyes were blue. A beautiful, crystal blue.

Don held his niece and mutely stared down at the child. He didn't have words. Then one chubby little fist reached up, fingers grasping a large green thumb. The blue eyes gazed up at him, looking very focused and intent, serious and thoughtful. It was a terribly funny expression on an infant.

Almost simultaneously, Donatello began laughing and crying.

--

"You should be nicer to Renet, you know."

He snorted. "I'm plenty nice to her. Especially considering how she's always getting in my way in the lab, hovering over my shoulder, 'playing' with all my projects." Scowling, Don continued, "I don't see why she doesn't spend more time in the dojo. Goodness knows that Leo's hormones are always happy enough to see her."

Michelangelo sighed and bit his tongue.

--

Raphael grinned. "I'm yer Uncle Raph. Can you say Raph? Huh? Can ya?"

"Raph," said Leo, with a hint of amusement in his voice. "She's two months old. She can't say anything yet."

Michelangelo cackled then cooed at the baby in Raph's arms. "How about Uncle Stupidhead? Can you say Uncle Stupidhead, sweetie?"

It was then that Casey swooped in to rescue his child from the ensuing brawl. At the same time, April sneaked a disappointed glance towards the laboratory door--shut, as per usual--and then met Leo's sad, understanding eyes.

--

"Ya mean, the genius hasn't figured it out? Still?"

"Believe or not, but … I really don't think he has, Raphy boy."

"But that's impossible! She's gotta be the least subtle girl in the entire history o' females." He shook his head before adding, in a tone that was half disgust and half bewilderment, "She practically drools every time she passes by the lab."

"Hey, you don't gotta tell me, bro. Tell it to Don."

--

Frowning, he watched the father and daughter. They sat across from one another on a picnic blanket, looking very cozy. From his place near the barn, Don listened with rapt attention to the father's voice, low and gentle, as the words carried along on a carefree spring breeze.

Casey Jones was having a tea party. And Casey was smiling and chatting and looking, for all the world, as if he was having a good time.

Yet again Donatello realized that he really, truly didn't understand. But this time … this time he decided he wanted to.

--

"Whatcha working on, Donny?"

He opened his mouth then shut it again. Thinking things over, he finally said, "It's a new carburetor."

She nodded. "For Raph's motorcycle?"

"Well ... yes. Actually." He blinked. "How'd you know that?"

Giggling, she just grinned at him. "Oh, c'mon, Don. Do you think I'm, like, totally stupid?" While Don felt his stomach clench in discomfort, Renet rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Raph's birthday is next week, silly! That's how I know."

"Oh," he mumbled, looking down, unwilling to meet her eyes.

--

"He's really good with her," observed Mike neutrally.

He glanced up and followed his brother's gaze. Father and daughter sat side by side, making castles in the sandbox. "Mmm," agreed Don. "He really is."

Michelangelo nodded. They fell into silence for a few minutes before Mike spoke again. "So, Donny. How are you doing?"

"I'm good."

"Yeah?" His brother's voice was tinged with skeptical, brotherly concern.

"Yeah." Donatello smiled, as he watched his niece stare in utter fascination while grains of sand filtered through her small finger. "Actually, Mike … I feel pretty great."

--

"All right. Ready?"

"Ready."

"Then, on your mark ... get set ... go!"

The man slapped his hockey mask into place and leapt forward. Running, dashing, he avoided darts and tripwires with surprising ease. There was one close encounter with a laser that left a singed, smoking hole in Casey's golfbag, but within a minute he'd reached the end of the gauntlet.

"So." The man turned crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Whaddaya think? How'd I do?"

"You did great." The turtle chuckled ruefully. "My new security system? Not so much."

--

"Whatcha working on, Donny?"

"Tweaking the accuracy of the security system's lasers," he replied without missing a beat.

She clapped her hands. "Ooh! Neat! Kinda like a sewers edition of--oh, what's that holovision show you have in this century--Mission: Impossible?"

"Close enough." Chuckling, he turned around to grin at her. She grinned back.

Then, for some reason, his breath caught in his chest. Her eyes were big and blue, like those of April's daughter, and they shone strangely bright. He didn't understand the brightness until, suddenly, unexpectedly, he did. She was looking at him as though he were the greatest thing since sliced bread.

--

"So, April. There's, uh … there's this particular young woman, and I …"

"Oh, you mean Renet?"

He paused, utterly gob-smacked. Then he glared. "Considering that the entire multiverse seems to have known about this for ages," he blurted out, his voice high and indignant, "you'd think someone could have taken the time to inform me."

She laughed at him, not unkindly.

--

"Uncle Donny! Uncle Donny, Uncle Donny, Uncle Donny, Uncle—"

Abruptly Don sat up. "I'm awake!" He rubbed at his eyes, yawning. "Okay, honey. I'm awake now."

"Good! 'Cause you promised to let me help in the barn today. With the tractor."

Groaning, he nodded. So he had. Why, again, had he done that? He couldn't remember. But nonetheless, in less than five minutes, she was pulling him by the hand towards the farmhouse's front door, tugging firmly as though she was leading a recalcitrant pony. Both April and Casey glanced up with barely-concealed amusement.

"Hey, Donny," April called out, her voice light and easy. "Try not to blow up my kid, okay?"

Donatello simply laughed in reply. "Sure thing, Ape."

I get it now, he thought but did not say.

--

Leonardo's tone was calm but incredulous. "You … and Renet."

"Mm-hmm," replied Don absentmindedly, not taking his eyes off his computer screen as his finger clacked away on the keyboard.

"You. And Renet." Leo paused. "But she's just so stupid."

Don's head snapped up. "No, she isn't," he said in a low rumble, his eyes flashing a clear warning.

Flinching, Leo held up his hands in appeasement. "Sorry, Donny. I guess what I'm trying to say here is … I just don't understand."

Donatello smiled a secret smile. "Nobody said you had to."