Nell snuck back in the apartment with as little noise as her rain filled shoes would allow. Each step she could feel the gross squishing feeling of wet socks as she went to change. The entire way home she had to will her thoughts void, not quite being able to process what had occurred at the mall. She slipped into a pair of yellow, cotton shorts and a black pull over.

The revelation had made a lot of things make sense to why Donnie sometimes acted the way he did. It didn't seem like a secret that whenever their skin would come into contact, he for a second stop and become stiff. He probably hadn't had much experience with female affection. Or how he seemed to keep a lot to himself, thinking over each word he said and each movement he made.

But what now?

His appearance hadn't frightened her, nor did it disguist her. What would it mean to continue this? It occured to her, even before the mall, that Donnie is the kind of guy that doesn't just walk in to a relationship, he straps in for the long haul. What would life be like with someone that can only come out at night or Halloween without fear of being dissected. Not that she ever craved a normal picket fence life but she did at least want children. Ever since Vinnie came into the world she couldn't imagine her own life without pups of her own. He did say he was human, at least partially. So was that a possibility, or were their genetic code just do different?

She covered her mouth to keep a gasp from coming out, they never even had sex before, so what if he didn't even have the equipment for such a task? Inwardly, she punched herself for not sticking around to ask further questions about his condition. Part human, but what was the other part? Alien? Mutant? Or just a science experiment that escaped?

He didn't look like those creepy brain things that invaded the first year she'd moved to the city. He did share similiar qualities to that giant, spike shelled creature the news sometimes reported on. Was that it then?

He was another person effected by that green ooze everyone was warned to stay away from. Figuring that out didn't quite put her mind at as much ease as she wanted though. It didn't leave her closer to an answer what she was to do.

She sighed, crawling into her bed then hugging a feathered pillow to her chest. In no way did she want to hurt him, he was much too sweet for that cruelty but she also couldn't spare her feelings on it either.

000!000!0!00!0!

Donnie shuffled through the sewers with no idea which direction he was heading. He simply had the comfort knowing it was towards the lair. With a sniffle, he stopped to sit for a moment. It'd been over two hours since he left the mall yet he couldn't fight it when the tears came in small bursts.

He felt weak and pathetic, he had been preparing for that moment to happen but he still felt as emotionally destroyed as if he hadn't. Her last sentence replayed in his head over and over. She just needed to think about it, his head soothed, it wasn't rejection.

But it wasn't acceptance either, he reminded.

Maybe if he'd just tried to get her to stick around, give him time to explain himself to her. He was just as human as anyone else, on the inside at least.

Wiping the freshly formed tears away, he began to head back in the direction he came. If she messaged him, he didn't want to miss it. He just hoped the earlier company had left by now.

000!000!0!0!0!0!

"Are you seriously gonna sleep all damn day?" Lacey flopped down on Nell's bed, shoving her from side to side. She growled at the intruder then flipped her covers over her head. "Oh no ya don't." Lacey grabbed the ends of the blanket and yanked them off the bed.

"What's your problem!?" Nell shouted, shooting up from her sleeping position.

"My problem? It's damn near four in the afternoon," she yelled back. "What's up , lady?"

"I just have a lot on my mind," she threw on a pair on acid wash jeans and didn't bother to change out of the black hoodie she had on last night.

"Sharing is caring."

She gave herself a second to consider what she could tell her friend. It was too soon to say anything about the shell, and skin color, she didn't want to freak out Lacey before a decision had been made. Yet she had to tell her something. "So, what would you do if you thought you knew someone, like really well but there was one thing-" she paused. "And this one thing kinda has a bigger effect on...stuff."

" That was probably the most confusing thing you've ever said and I've been around you drunk and doing accents." She smiled. "Ya wanna speak English for me?"

She huffed. "I went and saw Donnie last night, and something happened...well actually he showed me," she didn't realize how difficult it would be vaguely explaining things. "And it kinda makes a difference, like a big one, if we decide to continue our thing."

"Did you see his junk last night?" Lacey's voice rose an octave at the end. "Was it small? Or just so big it could cause physical harm?"

"What?! No! He showed me what he looked like."

Lacey rose from the bed, crossing her arms with an offended look on her face. "This is what it's about? Are you serious?" Nell bowed her head slightly, not wanting to look her friend in the eye. "This guy you've been practicely bragging about-"

"I never-" She held up her hand to cut the sentence short.

"This guy, who talks to you like you're just the best thing since sliced bread and you're gonna break it off cause what? He doesn't look good enough?"

"It's not that simple!" She tried defending.

Lacey pinched the bridge of her nose as she walked to the doorway. "Nell," she lowered her voice. "It's always that simple, people like complicating it so they don't feel as shitty when they make the wrong choice. Think about it."

She hugged her knees to her chest as the need to cry overwhelmed her. Was she really making excuses for herself? She never really knew Lacey to be wrong about stuff like this but she also didn't know everything.

He did treat her good, proving chivalry isn't actually dead. He cared about her, so much so that he would do something as hard as showing himself to her.

And she just left him there without even so much as a comforting word or anything to show she wasn't horrified. The tears began to pour freely, she couldn't imagine how awful her actions made him feel.

She patted her eyes dry before going into the living room where her laptop was charging. Lacey and Vinnie sat on the floor having lunch. "I'm sorry."

Lacey gave her a quick smile and with a laugh. "I thought you'd be."

!0!0!0!000!0000

April and Casey had left by the time Donnie had finally came back. It was some hours passed noon so he knew his brothers would be in the dojo training. Splinter would be disappointed at his absences from practice but he would do it later. The idea of being around his family or anyone else that matter sickened his stomach. He wouldn't let them see him like this, not again.

His lab door was closed as how he left it, hopefully if he shut himself in without a word, they wouldn't notice his return. They would eventually though, or just go out looking for him but he had solace knowing it wouldn't be for a few more hours at least.

He turned on the monitor then quickly typed in all the passwords needed for access. There was a message all ready waiting for him. Immediately, his melancholy mood lifted.

NRave13: I'm sorry about how I reacted last night. You opened yourself to me and I couldn't say anything. I don't know how bad that must have hurt but I want to try to make it up to you. I'll be waiting at central park, by the fountain.

A/N: And we keep on truckin' a long. How do ya like it?

Don't got much to say this time besides the basics: You guys are awesome! Thank you!