Chapter 10

(4 Months Later)

Everyone was sitting on the couch, with the exception of Mikey, who was rummaging through some old junk in Splinter's room while he was meditating, and Ivy and Donnie, who were working on the broken Metalhead (see chapter 6).

Bernie's first trimester was rough. She couldn't stop throwing up in the mornings, but it was over. Her belly bump showed up on her fifth month. Now she was in her sixth month, and Donnie thought she was going to have a perfectly healthy baby.

Mikey ran out of the room excitedly. "Guys, look what I found!"

He held a large scrapbook in his hands and jumped on the couch between Raph and Bernie. He handed Bernie the scrapbook and she smiled.

"Which one of you guys scrapbooked?"

No one answered. She awed when she saw the pictures of the young turtles. Leo looked at the picture and rubbed the back of his neck. It was when they had their first weapons, which were made of wood. Leo didn't even have katana yet. The wooden swords were fashioned more into a classic sword's, like a knight's.

"Leo, what happened?" Mikey asked, "You used to be so cute."

On the next page, there was little Raphie, sitting in the corner on a little stool, tears brimming in his eyes, with his arms crossed, and his two twig sai on the ground. Bernie leaned her head on Raph's shoulder and laughed a little.

Then, there was Mikey, holding his fake nun chucks, and had a huge whelp on his head. And finally, Donnie, reading an ABC book.

"You guys were so adorable!" Bernie cooed.

Mikey said, "I still am."

On the next page, there was a picture of the four boys painting. Mikey had gotten some pink on his finger and began to wipe it on Raph.

"Look at Donnie. He's just like, 'what the fuck?'"

Everyone laughed.

Then, there was a picture of their first Christmas.

"Oh my God, you guys were so little! I don't know how."

Baby Mikey was chewing on some tinsel, Raph was sucking on a candy cane, Leo had fallen asleep on a teddy bear, and Donnie was playing with a toy cat and a purple piece of wrapping paper.

Then, there was movie night. Leo was eating popcorn, Raph was bored of the movie, Mikey was staring at it intently, and Donnie was reading a book.

Then, she saw the picture of them, about thirteen, sleeping on a palette on the ground made of couch pillows and blankets.

She flipped the page again and three simple words were printed across: To be Continued.

XXXXX

Ivy sat in front of the broken robot.

"His engineering is phenomenal. It's commendable." She said with a smile.

"Thanks." Suddenly, the robot sparked.

They both screamed a bit. Donnie turned to his computer, "Do you think you can fix him while I fix my Bo?"

"Yeah, I think it should be pretty easy." She examined the robot, or what was left of him. She began to connect wires together. Instead of fixing his Bo, Donnie watched her work. She was so serious and she looked happy. She used the wrench to tighten one his bolts.

About twenty minutes later, she finally saw him staring. "What are you staring at?" She asked, smiling.

"Oh, nothing." He answered quickly. Ivy smiled and returned to her work.

Donnie tried to keep his attention on his Bo, but it kept returning to Ivy. He noticed how when she gets really into something, a small crease forms over her left eyebrow. Ivy connected the head back to the body and tightened the last screw. She connected a red and a blue wire and he whirred to life.

"Donnie, I did it!" She exclaims. Metalhead looks around and holds his thumb up.

Donnie said, "Wow! Th-that's amazing! I bet your boyfriend couldn't do that."

"Boyfriend? What do you mean?" She asked, setting the wrench down.

"A guy who's especially close to you, who goes on dates with you."

She snorted, "Donnie, I'm not with anybody. You think I'm dating someone?"

"Well, I just saw you on a Thursday night with a human."

"A human? Oh, Rick or Nick or something? Yeah, I was tutoring him."

"T-tutoring?" He asked.

"Yeah, I only have one crush." She pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. Metalhead looked between the two repeatedly.

Donnie stuttered, "U-uh Ivy…I-I l-like you…" His voice quivered and he blushed.

Her eyebrows furrowed, "I thought you liked April."

"I did. I do. I just…think I really like you…and I understand if you don't wanna date me, because you deserve so much more than a mutant freak like me…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Donnie, you're not a freak. You're intelligent and fun and a ninja. Do you know how much I geeked out when I found that out? You are my best friend and you saved my brother and you've helped me figure out so much. I mean, I just fixed a robot. I fixed a robot you made. Donnie, you are not a freak, a nerd, yes, but not a freak, and I…you've helped me open up so much, to you and everyone. And I know this is such a cliché, with your brother just getting married and everything, but I want you Donnie. And I like you too."

Donnie didn't say anything. His tongue was tied.

"Donnie? Are you gonna say anything?" She asked, her voice quivering.

He tried to say something, but nothing would come. Ivy had just put everything on the table, and here he was not talking.

"Do you know how hard it was to admit all that?" She asked, "Sorry for wasting your time." She turned on her heels to leave. Donnie, on impulse, grabbed her wrist and turned her around. His lips pressed against hers. Her eyes were wide, but soon she melted into the kiss and returned it.

"It was near impossible." She said.

"I like you a lot, Ivy…and it's not a cliché, it's complete irony, and I think Mikey's gonna end up with Waverly, but I really don't care. Please?" He asked.

"Yes, of course." She smiled.

He hugged her, and they heard a camera flash. There they were, Bernie, Raph, Mikey and Leo, all with their T-Phones, snapping pictures. Mikey was laughing, "Bwa ha ha, I totally ship you guys! I told you so, Leo!"

Leo groaned, pulled out five bucks, and handed it to Mikey. The guys were always placing bets, and it always seemed Leo lost.

Karai walked in, "Hey guys…oh…should I come back later?"

She backed away slowly and hit her head on a pipe. Ivy and Donnie quickly retracted their hands and both blushed.

Suddenly, Bernie's phone began to ring.

"Hello? Oh yeah, April, we're at the lair…what? How? Okay, okay, well, where are you and Casey? Okay, we'll be there soon." She hung up.

"It's Snakeweed. He's on thirtieth, and started to chase her and Casey."

Mikey said, "Whoa…wasn't he turned into fertilizer?"

Raph said, "He's gonna be."

Bernie grabbed her throwing stars.

"What do you think you're doing?" Raph asked.

"Um, getting my things like a normal human being, and going to do absolutely not normal things with my friends, why?"

"No. No! You are not going."

"What?" She crossed her arms.

"You aren't going, preggers."

She just glared at him. "There's no talking you out of going, is there?" Raph asked.

"Nope."

"Well, in that case…" He picked her up bridal style.

"Raph! Put me down!" He opened the door to the Hashi and set her inside. She stood up and was about to run out, but Raph shut the door and locked it. She beat on the door.

"Hamato Raphael, let me out!"

"Come on guys."

Mikey said, "Bro, you're gonna be in so much trouble."

"I don't care. I don't want her to get hurt."

…

Bernie sat against the wall of the Hashi. She had joined the guys in here once, when someone had blown up the TV and nobody would admit to it. (It had been Mikey). She had to stand on a rolling chair and write a novel on her T Phone.

Kaiya, she thought. Splinter had taught her that word when she had first begun to date Raph. He said she would need a lot of it, forgiveness. She took a deep breath…another…and a third. She stood up and walked around the Hashi. She looked at the door, pulled a bobby pin from her hair, and picked the lock with ease. She walked out and plopped herself on the couch.

…

Karai tried to find her happy spot, but her mind kept drifting to her. She took a deep breath and shut her eyes, and her childhood was shown. She remembered how good of a father she'd thought Shredder for. She remembered her…she had still been in Japan for the past three years, training with a trusted accomplice of Shredder.

"What troubles you, my child?" Splinter asked.

She opened her eyes and her hands fell in her lap. "Sensei…father, I haven't…told you about my past, have I?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"My…Shredder had another daughter."

Cliffhanger!