CHAPTER TEN
As the news reports began to come in updating the city on the status of the hostage situation at St. Wells, Irma couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty as she watched everything unfold on television.
Learning that only two of the Turtles had played a hand in bringing the crisis to a halt had worried her, she wondered if Donatello had forsaken his responsibilities to the city because she had given him a task that felt so trivial and pointless compared to the magnitude of what had just transpired.
She had tried contacting him on the Turtle-Com when the crisis had begun, but there had been no answer, which only made her worry more.
Had he been attacked on his way home?
Did The Rat King get to him first?
So many questions, and ones that could only now be answered by a simple touch of her door buzzer, or, if he wanted to come through the side, a tap on her window.
She remembered the last time he tried that. She almost decapitated him with a frying pan. She allowed herself a warm smile when reflecting on that, but it was only momentary.
Finally, the door buzzed, Irma's pet roared into life, barking madly. Irma calmed the pet down with a few strokes and walked up to the door and unlocked it.
In came Donatello, a stern, icy look on his face. The heavy teddy bear Irma had wanted fixed clasped in both of his hands. Holding his head up, Donatello stomped over to the sofa and deposited the bear on it, before sitting down next to it, his arms folded and one leg crossed over the other.
"Don?" Irma uttered, a little nervous. Donatello looked over to the television. "What's going on?" he said.
Irma, realizing Donatello didn't know what had happened, panicked and hastily switched the television off.
"Hey, who needs to watch how the world works at winter? It's almost always the same unexciting thing" Irma anxiously replied, and took to the kitchen, "You want some coffee or anything?"
"A protein shake would do just fine" Donatello replied, "Be sure to use ALL your vegetables, I like it good, juicy, and in vast quantities"
Irma froze. He was only ever this excessive when he was mad about something.
"So, how'd the...repairs go?" she asked as she prepared the shake, hoping Donatello would oblige her if she did what he asked of her
"Oh it went pretty well all things considered...until I used a dues ex machina which ended up being a DUH ex machina" Donatello replied, "I caused a power outage that took out all the levels of electricity in the lair, so once I took your thing out of the shop, I had to utilize as much emergency power as possible. Still haven't quite succeeded there by the way" he continued.
By now, Irma felt like cowering in a corner, her head hung in shame. Donatello's sarcasm-laced rant was gnawing away at her
"I'm using as many candles as I can just to find my way through the lair, I managed to get my Turtle-Com going once again, I might have to buy a couple of gerbils at the pet store and attach them to special conductor treadmills that can generate consistent energy levels, which means having to sacrifice my Christmas budget, and it looks like a succulent Christmas dinner for everyone at home is off the cards too" he continued, "But all of that doesn't matter because repairing YOUR teddy bear with all it's cute and optimistic language about the holidays is all I cared about"
"So you HAVE heard it rattle off a few things correct?" Irma asked, pouring the vegetables into the blender and scrunching them up to form an unappealing green, purple and orange liquid.
"Oh I heard it alright...I caught a lot of interesting things, but hey, it's your gift, maybe you ought to hear it yourself?"
Irma gulped. "I don't think so...I don't exactly feel very moody anymore"
"Oh I think this bear is exactly what you need Irma, come on, you owe me as much for taking all that time to make it work again"
Irma finished preparing the shake and brought it over to Donatello, he patted the edge of the sofa, urging her to sit down. Irma grinned nervously and did so. She looked at the bear staring into her. She felt quite intimidated by the whole situation.
Donatello took the shake and downed it in one greedy gulp. He let out a small burp, wiped some of the liquid from his mouth and looked at Irma, urging her to press the bear's stomach, "Go on, let's hear some of that holiday cheer"
Irma was scared. Certain thoughts came to her mind, "Was Donatello so mad that he made certain adjustments to it himself? Would the bear be ruder than ever?"
Rationalizing that the fear of the unknown was a lot worse, Irma pressed the button and closed her eyes tight, bracing herself for the worst.
"Roses are red, violets are blue, Christmas is clear when I've got faith in you" came a distinctly familiar voice from the bear. Irma's eyes sprang open, and her face began to beam happily. She pressed the bear again
"Merry Christmas...if that makes you stay forever, why not say it every day?" the voice uttered. By now Irma could tell the voice was Donatello's. She turned back over to him
"How...what...I thought..." she rattled off in succession. Donatello shrugged.
"I replaced the original and much more pessimistic voice modulations with something a bit more upbeat, hope you don't mind" he said, "I figured you needed a bit of a boost over the holidays"
"You did all of that...for me?" Irma asked.
"What are friends for?" Donatello replied, and leaned over to give her a peck on the cheek, "Merry Christmas Irma"
As he prepared to get up, he found him being held to the spot by Irma, who clutched his hand tight.
"Don, this is way above and beyond what any normal friend would do for someone...this took real effort, effort I've rarely ever seen even from my long laundry list of suitors. You really put your back into this, all to snap me out of my salty attitude, that deserves some real sugar sweetheart"
She kissed him on the forehead. Donatello blushed brightly.
"My my Donatello, are you auditioning for the part of Rudolph?" she asked, observing the red around his face.
"I'm just really glad I was more upfront with giving you a gift this time" he said.
Irma was taken back. "What do you mean?" she said
"Well...who do you THINK got you that puppy?" he said.
Irma's eyes welled up, she looked at the dog as it lovingly darted across the room, she looked back at Donatello, and, without any further hesitation, gently kissed him on the mouth.
The two were anchored to the spot, suspended in a sense of timelessness, revelling in the merry moment, the pull of the holidays and the complexity of loneliness had conspired for real magic to unfold this fateful afternoon, and neither would just forget about it when it was over. This was now and forever. In this spark of passion, a lifetime of possibility was unfolding for the pair of them.
As both enjoyed the moment, Irma's phone suddenly started ringing, forcing her to pull away to answer. The two began giggling. As Irma got up, Donatello fell backwards in a fit of joyous hysterics, repeating the words "oh boy" and "wow" to himself repeatedly.
Irma got to the phone, trying hard to contain her own giggles, and answered. "Hello?" she said.
"Hi Irma, just me" came the familiar voice of April O'Neil, "I thought you wouldn't mind coming down to Rockefeller Centre to see me and the Phantom of the Arctic take to the rink, we go live in about thirty minutes"
"Sure, after all that's happened today, I think I need some air" Irma replied, looking back at Donatello, who waved at her nervously
"Great. Raphael also got in touch with me, he says Leonardo, Splinter and the Frogs will be joining us just in time for the skate-off" April continued, "See you then"
After April had ended the call, Irma looked back to Donatello, "Ready to go out for a bit?"
"We're rushing into things already?" Donatello asked. Irma shook her head, "April's skating off in half an hour, I want to see how she fares. Everyone's coming along"
"What should we tell them?" Donatello continued, springing up from the sofa and jumping wildly everywhere, energetic and excited.
"I'll just say I got my gift" Irma replied, gently patting Donatello's head and graciously stroking his face, "I won't specify which one"
Irma fetched the lead for her dog, attached it to the animal, and, arm in arm, she and Donatello walked out of the apartment to see the action at the rink unfold.