The months went by. Leo and Crystal grew more and more close. Leo was never at the lair anymore, but always at Crystal's. It had been ten months now since they had become humans and they were all use to their extra toes and fingers, their hair and other human characteristics.
One night, in late May, Donnie was on his own in the lair. Leo was round Crystal's as he had been for the last week. He had only came to the lair to collect clean cloths. Mikey was celebrating his fifth anniversary of going out with Tina round her flat. And Raph was off somewhere, looking for girls.
Donnie thought that this change was great, he really did, but he couldn't help but feel that they had grown apart a bit. Donnie sighed and continued with the product he was working on.
Donnie had been promoted and was now chief engineer and developer at the company. He was working on a phone that had MSN and email on it.
"Donatello, my son" his father's voice came from behind him.
"Good evening, Sensei" Donnie smiled, looking up. Splinter smiled back.
"It is good to see one of my sons at home" Splinter said, "This place seems unnatural quiet"
"I know, Master Splinter" Donnie replied, "The others are just busy with lives at the moment"
"Well, if you're not busy, would you care to join me in a meditating session?" Splinter asked. Donnie smiled; his work could wait until a later date.
"I would love to, Sensei" he got up and followed his father to the dojo, where they meditated and then talked far into the night.
The night day, Raph, Donnie and Mikey were gathered in the living area. This was a very rare sight at the moment, so all of them were trying to make the most of it. Raph was showing off his newest tattoo.
He seemed to be collecting them. Le seriously disapproved of them, but that just encouraged Raph more to get them. Raph laughed whenever Leo complained about what Raph was doing with his body.
"I don't know why you brother, Leo, I work at a tattoo parlour, and Louie says I have what it takes to became a great tattoo artist, of course I'm going to get same tattoos" Raph always tells Leo.
Raph had one of a weird pattern going around his muscularly upper left arm. He also had more Japanese script on his back and neck. And his newest one was very creepy. It was on his right leg. It was of a motorcycle with a skeleton riding it.
"That's going to give me nightmares for weeks" Mikey said, looking at it.
"But the detail is amazing" Donnie commented, taking a close look at it.
"Thanks, bro" Raph smiled. Just then, the lair's door opened. Surprised, the brother's looked up. Leo walked in with Crystal. Donnie, Mikey and Raph's eyes grew wide. Crystal looked quite shocked herself.
"Hey, guys" Leo tried to smiled, nervously.
"Not to be rude" Raph said, looking up at him, "But why is Crystal here?" Leo seemed to be considering something but instead of answering Raph's question, he asked,
"Where's Master Splinter?"
"Do you think that is a good idea?" Donnie asked, standing up.
"I…" Leo said, but his voice drafted off.
"Leonardo, my son" came a cheerful voice from the dojo. All the turtles looked up, as did Crystal, who had kept quiet.
Splinter was standing there, clearly glad of his oldest son's presence.
"Sensei" Leo said, taking Crystal's hand and leading her over to him. Crystal's eyes had grown wide and her face paled.
"Sensei…this is…er…my girlfriend, Crystal" Leo said, and turned to Crystal, "Crystal, this is my…my father" crystal couldn't seem to say anything. She blinked twice and then fainted. Leo caught her, Splinter smiled.
"She reminds me of April" Mikey laughed and Leo sighed.
"That could have gone worse, I suppose" Donnie said as Leo laid Crystal on the sofa.
"Why didn't you warn us, brainless?" Raph asked, looking at Crystal.
"I don't know" Leo said, stroking Crystal's hair out of her face, "I just couldn't lie to her anymore" he looked at Raph.
"Can I have a word with you?" Raph looked confused, but nodded.
"Sure" they went to the kitchen.
"I wan to propose to her" Leo said, leaning on the back of a chair. Raph laughed.
"Why does everyone came to me for advice?" he asked. Leo shrugged.
"I'm scared now, what if she doesn't accept who I am?" he asked.
"You so know that Donnie is more of the turtle to talk to them me, right?" Raph asked, leaning against a cabinet.
"Raph, please" Leo sighed.
"Well, I guess all I can say is that id she truly loves you then she will accept you, even if you did use to have a shell" Raph said. Leo sighed and half-smiled.
"Thanks"
"Lee, she's waking up" Mikey's voice came from the living room. Leo ran into the living area. Crystal was slowly opening her eyes. Leo kneeled down next to her and took her hand.
"Leo?" Crystal asked, and sat up, "I had the weirdest dre…" Crystal stated to say, but saw Splinter, who was sitting in the armchair.
"Oh boy" Crystal breathed and stood up.
"Crystal, please listen to me" Leo said. Crystal's eyes were wide in fear.
"I…I…" she said, her voice quivering, "his not real, he can't be real, I'm just dreaming…that's it…this is just a dream" she then said, speaking very fast.
"I ensure, you that I am just as real as you are" Splinter said, calmly.
"Crystal, this isn't a dream, this is all real" Leo said, trying to calm her down. Crystal looked at him and then turned to Donnie.
"You did this!" she said, and Donnie's mouth fell open in surprise, "You're smart, you made…it!" she said, pointing at Splinter, "You must have"
Raph growled in a threatening way at Crystal's 'it' but Splinter stayed calm. Donnie grew red and looked at his Master, apologetically.
"No, I didn't create Master Splinter" he explained, "We were all like him once…well, kind of"
"What do you mean?" Crystal demanded and looked at Leo.
"We…me and my brothers were once…eh…once turtles" Leo said, looking down at the floor. Crystal stood there for a moment, and then burst our laughing.
"That's the stupidest thing I have every heard" she said, "This is all a joke and the rat thing is a guy in a suit"
"'Fraid not, sweetheart" Raph said, "Every word your boyfriend just said is true, we hatched from an egg, we had a shell and was green" Crystal sat there for a moment and looked around the room. It was like she was looking for an escape route from this craziness.
Her eyes fall onto a picture of the brothers when they were turtles. They were gathered around a birthday cake and splinter stood in the middle of them, about to blow out the candles. It hadn't been taken long before their transformation.
Crystal picked it up and studied it for ages. The room was silent and no one spoke.
"You're…you're the one in blue?" Crystal asked. Leo smiled weakly.
"Yeh" Crystal looked at him and tears formed in her blue eyes. She glared at him and then turned to Donnie again.
"Please take me to the ground above us" Donnie looked shocked and looked at Leo. Leo said nothing, but pain welled in his eyes. He gave Donnie a small nod and looked away.
"Eh…okay" Donnie said, in an un-certain voice. Crystal turned around and walked out of lair, without looking at Leo or anyone else. Donnie followed her, and silently led the way once they were out of the lair. Neither said a word as Donnie helped Crystal up a man hole and onto the bright surface.
"Do you want me to walk you home?" Donnie asked. Crystal shook her head, tears falling heavily. She went to walk away and Donnie grabbed her arm, gently.
"He can't help being who he is" Donnie said, carefully, "He loves you, Crystal, more then you could ever imagine" Crystal closed her eyes briefly and then walked away.
When Donnie got back to the lair, Leo was sitting on the sofa, a blank look on his face. Raph and Mikey was trying to cheer him up.
"She'll come back, bro, don't worry" Mikey told him. Leo shook his head and then got up and left, leaving a silence that even Mikey didn't want to break.
The brothers and Splinter saw a rapid change in Leo over the next couple of days. He was becoming more like his old self, demanding that they practised 24/7.
"Attack me" Leo said, calming. He was standing in the dojo, Katanas ready. Raph, Mikey and Donnie was panting and sweating.
"Leo, we've been at this for hours" Donnie panted, leaning on his Boi Staff and supporting a stitch.
"Attack me!" Leo demanded. Mikey sighed and ran at Leo. Mikey threw his Numchuks at Leo's Katanas. Leo swayed his Katanas at Mikey and the Numchuks were thrown from Mikey's hands. Mikey backed away in defeat, hands up.
"You didn't even try" Leo growled.
"Leo, we're tired" Mikey said, slightly hurt.
"We haven't practised in ages; we need to make up for that" Leo told them, angrily, "Attack again"
Mikey picked up his Numchuks and quickly attacked Leo, using all his strength. Despite this, his Numchuks were banished from his hands, quickly. Leo swag his Katanas down on Mikey. Mikey put his hands up and stopped the blades. He held them just inches from his face and his hands shook with the effect.
"Leo, stop it!" Donnie said, watching the scene in horror. He jumped down to them and tried to drag Leo off.
Leo turned around and Donnie blocked Leo's blow with his Boi.
"Leo, quite it already" Raph snarled, pulling Leo back.
"No!" Leo shouted, turning around and starting an attack on Raph, "We. Need. To. Practice!" he said each word as he aimed a blow at Raph. Raph blocked each one with his Sais.
He managed to knock Leo's Katanas out of his hands and Leo stood there, shocked.
"A wise turtles once taught me that if you're always angry, then you will become blinded" Raph said, looking at Leo and, for once, looking taller and in control.
Leo shook his head and ran a hand nervously through his brown hair. He looked at Mikey and Donnie, who were both sitting on the floor, fear in their eyes. Leo then looked at Raph.
"I'm sorry" Leo whispered and then ran from the room.
"What was that about?" Mikey asked, standing up. He picked up Leo's Katanas, cautiously.
"His scared" Donnie told Mikey, rubbing his arm.
"Of what? Leo is never scared" Mikey said, frowning.
"He is this time" Raph said, standing beside him.
That night, Donnie was working in his lab. He was working on video messenger.
"Does it work?" came a voice from his computer. Donnie looked up and smiled. John was on the screen, peering out of it.
"Yeh, can you hear me?" Donnie asked, coming in view of the web cam that was connected. .
"Wow, Donatello, that's great" John smiled and giving a wave, "It doesn't stick or anything" Donnie smiled.
"And the sound's prefect!" John said, amazed.
"I know, and press the arrow buttons on your keyboard" Donnie instructed. John did and the camera slowly moved around.
"That's amazing! The boss is going to be so pleased!" John smiled, messing around with the camera, "Wow! Your workshop is bigger then my whole flat" he commented. Donnie panicked and quickly looked around the lab, but there was nothing that reviled John of his true identity.
"So you think Mr Craig is going to be pleased?" Donnie asked, sitting down on his spinney chair. Mr Craig was their boss.
"Defiantly, it's a known fact throughout the company that you're Mr Craig's favourite, he loves you" John replied. Donnie smiled, proud with himself.
"Donnie" came a voice from behind him. Donnie spun around and saw Leo, who looked unusual pale.
"Hey" Donnie smiled, trying to comfort Leo.
"Can…can I have a word with you?" Leo asked, looking at the screen of the computer where John was staring through.
"Yeh, of course" Donnie replied and spun back round, "I have to go now, John, remember to bring the stuff in for the presentation tomorrow"
"Of course, Donatello, I won't forget"
"Yeh, right…you will, that's why I put it on your phone for your alarm clock tomorrow" Donnie laughed.
"Yeh, yeh" John grinned and his face disappeared. Donnie made sure the web cam was disconnected and off before turning back to Leo.
"I'm all ears, Leo" Donnie smiled, encouraging Leo. Leo sighed and the said,
"Did you ever find a way to reverse our second mutation?"
"You mean…so we can become turtles again?" Donnie asked.
"Yeh" Donnie frowned and looked down at his feet and then up at Leo again.
"I stop researching it" Donnie admitted, suddenly feeling ashamed, "I thought we were all happy with this change" Leo leaned against Donnie's desktop and sighed.
"It doesn't matter what I am, Crystal will never accept me"
"You don't know that" Donnie said and stood up. He put his hand on Leo's shoulder, "Just gave her time"
Leo tried to smile but his heart wouldn't allow it.
"Do you want me to try and find something?" Donnie asked, looking over to green slime that was still on his lab table. Leo thought for a long time, but then shook his head.
"No…not yet" Donnie nodded and Leo slowly turned to him.
"Donnie…about early…I'm sorry"
"It's ok" Donnie said. Leo then walked out.
Nearly finished. Just a little bit longer. Can you make it? I hope you can.
Erm…things to say about this chapter. Well, I can't think what to say to be honest. So I'll just leave it at that.
Please review. Flames welcome as always, but nothing to cruel please.