Author's Note: Don't you just hate it when writer's block comes in? That and having to go to get-togethers? Well, I finally managed to finish this chapter, and it involves Splinter meeting Cheyloe! What will the next chapter be about? Can you guess? I predict it will involve Casey and April, but I could be wrong! Rate and review!
Chapter 11: Tea and Sympathy
"I know, Sensei, that things have been hectic lately, what with Karai coming after us much more frequently, us still searching for Mr. O'Neil, and that it didn't go so well last time you were on the surface, but it would be really, REALLY great if you came and met my friend! I mean, the guys met her…albeit by accident, but you were right and she was right; they didn't try to hurt her! So, would you please come and speak with her?"
Donatello stopped his speech and stared hard at his reflection on the water's surface, playing every possible reaction in his mind like a reel of old film. Splinter would probably agree wholeheartedly…or he may flat-out refuse. He looked over his shoulder because he knew Michelangelo watched him from the sofa, and asked, "Too much?"
"Dude, stop worrying so much!" Mikey reassured. "Sensei's gonna say yes! He'll be more than happy to meet her! And then we can bring April and Casey over to have cheesecake with her!"
"Uh, Mikey…about that…" Donnie began, scratching the back of his neck. "You see, with Casey and April-"
"I will say yes to what, my son?"
The genius turtle admittedly jumped at the sound of Master Splinter's voice. He and the freckled turtle watched their father exit the dojo and approach the steady stream of sewer water, adding his reflection to its surface to accompany Donatello's. Why couldn't he have practiced the inevitable conversation in his room, without his own father stepping in? Well, even with Mikey being in the room, Donnie was much more relieved that Leo and Raph weren't in here, or Casey and April, for that matter. Might as well get it over with since he was here now…
"W-Well, Sensei…due to Raph deciding to literally kick Mikey off of a rooftop…the guys met Cheyloe." Donnie confessed, smiling nervously.
Splinter raised an eyebrow and his whiskers drooped slightly. "Is that correct, my son?"
"Y-Yes, that's correct. So…and Leo agreed with me on this…she would like for you to come and have tea with her and possibly her roommates. I know you don't like going to the surface Sensei, but I think it would be wiser to meet her, as Raph says, on her turf." Donnie explained, twiddling his thumbs.
Mikey's face dropped. "Aw, how come she can't come here? I wanted to show her my pizza skills! And Casey and April haven't met her!"
"…That's what I was getting to, Mikey." The genius turtle gritted out. "Right now, I don't want them to know about Cheyloe. Especially not April…I can't let April know about her."
"Why? You think she'll get jealous or something?"
"No, because…"
"Because you believe that if April were to learn about her, she will be angry." Splinter cut in, studying his second-youngest son's face. "You believe that April will assume that you've spent all of your time with your friend instead of creating retromutagen for her father, correct?"
Michelangelo suddenly looked crestfallen. "Oh yeah…you did say that."
The rat let out a sigh and stared at Donatello with eyes that radiated the classic fatherly concern. He truthfully hated it that his son felt his life had to revolve around retromutagen for Kirby O'Neil, and that he felt he basically had to walk on eggshells with April. He believed the genius turtle wanted to create the cure not only to redeem himself for the mutagen spillage, but also to win, as the boys called it, 'brownie points' with April. He knew his son had a good heart, but at times he let his personal desires get in the way of what truly needed to be in focus. He knew he would have to speak with his son again on the matter…but that would be later.
"Very well, my son." Splinter nodded. "And what time does your friend wish for us to arrive?"
"But Sensei, I really wanted-wait…is that a yes?" Donnie gaped, blinking his eyes rapidly.
"Indeed, my son." The rat nodded slowly. "Did I not tell you before that I wished to meet her and give her my thanks that your life was saved?"
"Y-Yeah, you did." The genius turtle nodded feverishly, the smile on his face growing at an alarming rate. "Let's get Leo and Raph and go right now!"
"Hey, you're not letting that water boil until it's gone, right? You know what happened last time you fixed tea."
"I know that, and I learned from it. You don't need to hover over me every time I even go near the stove!"
Kaitlyn rolled her eyes, amused at Cheyloe boiling a bunch of hot water in a pot in an attempt to make some tea. The latter got a phone call from her turtle friend, saying something about his dad wanting to meet her. Who would've thought the brunette could attract mutants, of all things. The dirty-blonde snorted as she opened the fridge and pulled out a glass bottle of clear liquid, catching Cheyloe's attention almost immediately.
"Kaitlyn, don't drink that while we have guests over!" Chey scolded.
"What, I was gonna drink it in my room and take a nap." Kaitlyn huffed, holding the bottle closer to her chest as though it was her child.
Chey puffed out her cheeks in frustration over her roommate's need for that disgusting liquid. Anybody could mistake that stuff for water if those bottles weren't labeled! And besides, she feared the stuff would give Donatello's father a bad impression of her. However, she didn't feel like fighting about it right now, so she let out a held breath and resigned, "Fine…but just one. And keep it in your room."
Kaitlyn just gave her a shrug and a flippant wave before disappearing into her room with the bottle. The brunette groaned and quickly opened the fridge, rearranging the items so that the other bottles of clear liquid could not be spotted, just in case Donnie wanted something cold to drink. The last thing she wanted was for her friend to unintentionally get sick… As the water finally boiled to the desired temperature, Cheyloe pulled out a box of chamomile tea bags and some mugs. But before she could place the tea bags in the mugs, she heard a tapping at the glass door.
"Oh, the guests are here!"
Cheyloe immediately went for the balcony door and unlocked it, revealing none-other than Donatello and his brothers. Donnie offered a wave and a smile, and the others followed suit; Raph didn't smile, however. But then she noticed there was someone else in the mix, and the turtles sensed her curiosity. The purple-masked turtle cleared his throat and began to step back.
"I'm so glad you guys could make it!" The young woman beamed before addressing the fifth guest. "Is that who I think it is?"
"Thank you for having us over, Cheyloe." He began. "Oh, and…I'd like you to meet our father…Master Splinter."
When the turtles stepped aside to give the big reveal…well, it certainly wasn't what the brunette expected. Donnie did mention that he was their adoptive father, but he didn't let her know he was a tall, humanoid rat. She honestly did expect a turtle like them. Nevertheless, he didn't look completely intimidating, and he had to be a good person because of how good Donnie turned out. So she could ignore the fact that this Splinter was a giant rat.
"Good evening, sir!" Cheyloe beamed, bowing her head in respect. "I'm Cheyloe Doggett…it's an honor to meet you."
Splinter offered a bow in return, smiling slightly. "The honor is mine, Miss Doggett. Thank you for inviting us to your home."
The young woman smiled and stepped out of the doorway. "Please, come in! I was just finishing on fixing some tea!"
As the turtles and Splinter stepped inside, Mikey watched Cheyloe fix two mugs of chamomile tea before casting his baby-blue eyes onto the refrigerator. Hmm…did she have any more cheesecake? Maybe more soda? He absentmindedly licked his lips before asking, "Cheyloe? Can I have soda, please?"
"A soda sounds good right now." Raph grunted, casually taking a seat at the table.
"I'd like to request a soda, too, if that's okay." Leo piped in, sitting next to Splinter at the table.
Donatello kept silent; he actually found himself in the mood for tea. Chey seemed to pick up on that when she pulled out a third mug and fixed the drink for him, herself, and his father. And once the others had their hands on some colas, now they could begin their discussion and express whatever gratitude they could, particularly Splinter. It didn't make Donnie feel any less awkward and excited, though; it made him feel like he was introducing his girlfriend to his dad. He didn't feel that way about Cheyloe, though…he surely didn't have those feelings towards her.
"Miss Doggett…" Splinter began, sipping on the tea once it was brought to him. "I want to express my deepest thanks for saving my son from a certain demise."
"Oh, you're welcome, sir!" The brunette beamed, slowly sipping on her own tea and smiling at Splinter and Donnie. "I was just trying to be a Good Samaritan. I didn't want that giant turtle mutant coming back to strangle Donnie again-"
"Wait, Slash STRANGLED Donnie!? The red-masked turtle spat, choking on his soda. "Donnie, why didn't you tell us Slash went that far!?"
The rat glared over at his second-oldest son. "Raphael, do not interrupt our host. Please Miss Doggett, continue."
Cheyloe nodded at the request, getting a napkin and handing it to Raph. "Anyway, I know the others heard the story, but I'll go on and repeat it. I honestly thought Donnie wouldn't make it through that first night; sprained arm, almost broken, so many gashes, swollen face…but he's a fighter. He healed up nicely during the week…and I made sure to earn his trust before speaking to him about anything personal."
"…Donatello is more of a fighter than he wants to believe." Splinter sighed, ignoring the embarrassed huff coming from the purple-masked turtle. "But understand that during the time the attack occurred, we were dealing with many incidents that wore us down emotionally…"
"It started with that April girl leaving, right?" Chey asked. When she noticed the many surprised eyes upon her, she added, "Donnie told me about it. Who wouldn't be down if your friend tells you they never want to see you again? I know I would…"
"Yeah, but, April's back now!" The orange-masked turtle chimed in, clutching his soda can. "She forgave us, forgave Donnie! So it's all good and he still has a chance with her! Well, maybe not a whole lot with Casey around now."
The genius turtle growled and shoved his face into his palms at the mention of his crush. "Mikey, PLEASE stop talking…"
The brunette couldn't help but laugh, walking over and resting her hand on Donatello's shoulder. "Hey…there's nothing wrong with having a crush. Don't ever feel embarrassed about having one."
The red-masked turtle suddenly snorted. "Yeah, well, with this crush, it's gonna be all for nothing. April's a human, and Donnie's a giant turtle. It'll never work."
Raphael opened his eyes, noticing the blanket of silence that fell over everyone in the room, as all eyes focused on him, some in shock, and some in fury. The furious ones seemed to be coming from Donnie, Leo, and even Master Splinter. So he uncrossed his arms and sat up in his chair asking, "What? What're you all staring at?"
"Raph, why did you have to go and say that?" Leo growled, punching his brother in the shoulder. "You don't say that to Donnie!"
"What, because you guys don't want to be honest with him?" Raph shot back, rubbing his shoulder and balling his other hand into a fist. "You'd rather have him live in some fantasy?"
"Raphael!" Splinter bellowed, tapping his cane on the hardwood floor and narrowing his eyes once his son quieted down. "You and Leonardo will not engage in this foolish behavior in front of our guest." He turned to Cheyloe and bowed his head. "My apologies, Miss Doggett…I did not expect my sons to start arguing while at another's home."
"No need to apologize, Mr. Splinter." Chey smiled. "It sounds more like Raph is just wanting to make sure Donnie's heart isn't broken. First crushes are always tough…especially when the person you're crushing on likes someone else…"
"Did you ever have a crush?" Mikey asked out of curiosity, surprising Donnie.
The brunette tapped her chin and thought back on when her first crush was. "Hmm…I believe it was back in elementary school. There was one boy I liked, but he was a stereotypical 'bad boy'…I got over him quickly. But I've honestly never dated; haven't felt the need to."
Splinter raised an eyebrow and stroked at his long beard. "I am guessing Donatello disclosed to you that he has…affectionate feelings towards April. I too have spoken to him about the matter…during her absence, I made it clear to him that he cannot make her like him, especially with the need to find a cure for her father."
"…You too, huh?" Chey asked, her expression softening before she turned to Donnie. "Sorry if we're embarrassing you, Donnie. Don't ever be afraid to talk to any of us about the matter, okay? I may not give the greatest advice, but I'll do the best I can."
Donatello looked up at his friend, feeling bad that he made her think that way. He would fight with Raph about bringing up the entire 'your crush on April is hopeless' junk when they got home…he didn't want Cheyloe to see that side of his family, even though he spoke about it before. Maybe…maybe he wanted her to think he was exaggerating it, instead of letting her see the whole story. It wasn't that he didn't trust her…it was more along the lines of him afraid of her witnessing the imperfections in his family.
"N-No, no, it's okay." He finally replied. "I'll just…talk with Raph when we get home."
"So there I was, so excited to finally be able to ride a horse for the first time, only to find that when I got on the mare, I was terrified of how high I was. I stared whining for my mom and dad to get me down immediately and almost scared the horse!"
The turtles let out a chorus of laughter, and Splinter let out a small chuckle, enjoying Cheyloe recollect on hilarious moments from her childhood. By now, all the tea was sipped up and the soda cans were empty; they didn't keep track of how long they were at the apartment. But it was the rat who finally noticed the hour, clearing his throat and lightly tapping his cane.
"It is getting late, my sons…we don't want to deprive Miss Doggett of sleep needed for tomorrow." As he got up, he faced the young woman and offered another bow of respect. "I thank you very much for your hospitality. When the conditions are right…we would like to return the favor and invite you to our home."
"Oh, no need to worry about me!" Chey insisted, smiling and bowing in turn. "And you're most welcome to come back at any time!"
Michelangelo let out a belch from the soda, sheepishly covering his mouth, before waving and calling, "I'll bring over a pot of my pizza noodle soup next time!"
Once the other turtles and Splinter exited the door and offered some goodnights, Donatello stopped in front of her and scratched the back of his neck. "Hey…thanks for letting Master Splinter come over and meet you. It really means a lot…and sorry about Raph."
The brunette grinned and patted him on the upper shell. "Hey, don't worry about it. I was more than happy to have you guys over. You all be careful going home, okay?"
"Hey, we're ninjas. We'll take care of ourselves just fine." Donnie jested before leaning forward and giving his friend a hug. "See you sometime during the week?"
"It's a deal." She answered back, watching him exit via the balcony.
Once the turtles and Splinter were gone, Cheyloe began the process of cleaning the table and washing the mugs; they would be needed for coffee in the morning. As she started running hot dish water, she heard someone emerge from the hall and lean against the frame of the entryway. She immediately knew who it was, since she didn't turn to get a look.
"So…when're you gonna tell Donnie-boy about the big secret?"
At that statement, Chey almost dropped the mugs onto the floor. Her eyes slightly widened, she turned her head to barely have Kaitlyn in her peripheral vision as she answered, "Donnie…doesn't need to know that about all of us. He would…he would be afraid of us."
"He's a mutant turtle fighting those monsters in the city, and you're worried he won't be able to handle what we are?" Kaitlyn shot back, crossing her arms. "Get real, Chey, that's kind of shallow. You tell him he can talk to you about anything…why don't you return the favor?"
Cheyloe just stared at her reflection in the water filling up the sink, taking a hard moment to reflect on things, before turning the water off and adding soap. She let out a sigh and hunched her shoulders, finally muttering, "When the time is right…I'll tell him. Until then…I have to keep up this façade that the three of us are…normal."
