tmntfan4ever asked if I heard about the new Turtles-movie, and yes, I have. I'm a bit torn about it though, the plot sounds to be okay, but I really hate the new design of the Turtles. But I am going to watch it, although I don't think it will hit cinemas before September here in Europe.

AnimeOtaku asked about Mr. Dearing in the episode "Plan 10". Actually, Mr. Dearing was the pigeon guy. ;)

Moth165 asked if Madelyn is going to visit the lair more often now. I don't think so, at least not now. Her visit at the lair was an exception, but she and Leo (or the rest of the gang ;) ) can meet more often now that Mr. Dearing knows about them. :)

This chapter takes place before "The Wrath of Tiger Claw". And yes, I know, I have a lot of catching up to do episodes-wise. But with the show being on hiatus again, I might be able to handle it. ;)


Chapter 53: A Little Girl and Her Tricks

"Donnie, can I borrow your laptop?" Mikey's voice was heard from inside Donnie's lab.

"No," came Donnie's reply.

And the next thing that Leo could hear from his place on the couch was Mikey taking a deep breath.

"Nice try, Mikey!" he heard Donnie say. "But that doesn't work. Besides, I know how long you can hold your breath. You're a turtle."

There was a moment of silence.

"Still doesn't work, Mikey, you could just as well stop now."

Another moment of silence.

"Okay, here you go!" Donnie shouted angrily, and Mikey cheered.

Leo shook his head amusedly. He was sitting on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket with a book on his thighs as support for the green letter paper on which he was writing. Or had been writing. He had stopped when Donnie's and Mikey's little chat had started. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but it was just too funny.

A week had passed since Donnie had brought Madelyn to the lair, and Leo was doing a lot better now. He had even taken up training again two days ago, although Splinter and Donnie insisted that he had to take it slow. And he had had to promise them that he would rest enough, so he spent most of the day in his room or on the couch. At the moment, it was the couch because there was a re-run of "Space Heroes" on in a little while and he wanted to watch that after he had finished his letter to Madelyn.

As for Mikey's new trick on forcing Donnie to do what he wanted, it had been caused by Donnie's explanation on why he had brought Madelyn here. At first, he had tried to just tell them that he had been forced to bring her here, but then Splinter had insisted he should tell them how the little girl had managed to do that. And then Donnie had admitted teeth-gnashingly that she had held her breath.

Splinter had just shaken his head and left, although April who had informed Leo about this later, had sworn she had seen a little smile on his face.

Raph had gone angry and told Donnie that he just should have waited until Madelyn had passed out, and everything would have been just fine, and Donnie had countered by telling Raph that he would have wanted to see Raph doing this to a little girl, and they had continued squabbling until their argument had turned into a real fight and Mikey had tried to stop them by holding his breath. That had been the moment when April had sought sanctuary in Leo's room. And when she had found him awake she had told him what had happened.

Five minutes later Raph had come back to Leo's bedside which he had only left to hear Donnie's explanation – and beating him up after that. But well, that hadn't been planned.

Mikey entered the living room now with Donnie's laptop in his hands and walked over to Leo, letting himself slump down next to his brother.

"You doing better, Leo?" he asked.

"What if I don't?" Leo asked back with a smile. "You'll be holding your breath until I do?"

"Haha, very funny," Mikey replied. "I'm just making a little fun of Donnie. Seriously, how could he be forced by a little girl so easily? He's our genius! He should have thought of something."

"Oh, I know, Madelyn can be quite convincing."

"She used the same trick on you too, huh?" Mikey asked.

"She did."

"Seriously, you guys are way too soft."

"And you aren't?"

"Heh, I know my weaknesses, and I know I wouldn't be able to resist a breath-holding Madelyn," Mikey said.

"So what would you do then?"

"Ask Raph for help."

Leo chuckled. "Very wise."

"I know. I have my moments."

A few minutes passed in silence in which Mikey tapped away on Donnie's laptop and Leo wrote. When he was done, he held out the green envelope to Mikey.

"Could you do me a favor and bring this to April later tonight?"

"April told me she was going to come to the lair tomorrow after school anyway, so why don't you give it to her yourself?" Mikey asked, looking at Leo with a raised brow.

"Because she's bringing Madelyn to school tomorrow morning like she always does on Wednesdays and so she could give the letter to her tomorrow."

Mikey twisted his mouth.

"Do I need to hold my breath?" Leo asked.

"Okay, okay, I'll do it!" Mikey said and took the letter.

Leo just smiled.


April nearly fell off her chair at the sudden knock on her window. She looked around her completely confused. For the past two hours she had been burying her nose in her biology book, and she hadn't even realized that it was already dark outside. She had only turned on the lights instinctively without even realizing doing it.

"April, it's me!" she heard Mikey's muffled voice.

April took a deep breath to calm herself down before she got up and opened the window for him.

"Hi Mikey!" she said. "What's up?"

"Leo sends me to give you this," Mikey replied, handing her the letter for Madelyn. "Can't wait till tomorrow."

April looked at the green envelop with a frown.

"It's a letter," Mikey explained. "For Madelyn, you know."

"I…uhm…do," April replied as she raised her eyes. "But why couldn't this wait till tomorrow?"

"He said you usually bring Madelyn to school on Wednesdays and he wants Madelyn to have her letter as soon as possible."

"Oh." April sighed. "But I don't bring Madelyn to school tomorrow. I have a very important history test tomorrow and I need all the time I can get to study. I even kicked Dad out after school today, so that there won't be any distractions. He's at Mr. Dearing's right now, probably having another single fathers-talk over beer."

"I see." Mikey lowered his eyes. "So what we do now?"

April thought about it. "Well, you could bring Madelyn her letter now."

"Good idea!" Mikey grinned at her. "You're so smart, April!"

"Thanks," she replied with a smile. "I'll give my Dad a call so he can prepare Mr. Dearing for your visit. He's still very uneasy with this whole "mutants meeting his daughter"-stuff."

"Okay!" Mikey said. "You'll call your dad while I'll call for backup."

"Backup?" April's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yeah, just in case, you know."

Mikey pulled out his Tphone and pressed speed-dial.

"Raph!" he said super-excitedly in his Tphone. "It's your favorite brother Mikey speaking."


Madelyn was sitting at her tiny table and having one of her tea parties with Ruffles McBearington and Daisy and some of her other toys when she heard a knock on her window.

"Mr. Beam!" Madelyn said cheerfully as she spotted Mikey and opened the window for him. "Oh, and Mr. Red is here, too! Come in!" she added when she found Raph perched on the fire escape.

"No, I'm good," Raph replied.

"But Mr. Red, it would be very impolite to not come in if a lady invites you in." Madelyn frowned at him.

"Yeah, Ra…I mean, Mr. Red, very impolite!" Mikey repeated.

Raph just sighed and jumped inside. "Just for a minute, though."

"I'll tell Daddy that you are here. He asked me to inform him when he told me that you'll come over for a visit. I'll be right back."

"So, it is polite to keep us waiting?" Raph mumbled which made Madelyn stop and turn to him.

"But Mr. Red," she said, "it would be very impolite to not tell Daddy that my guests are here. He knows of your visit, so I have to tell him."

"No, I didn't mean to… I mean it's good…I mean I'm fine with it," Raph stammered, his eyes wide with surprise. Heck, that girl had good ears! "That is not impolite. I understand."

"Good." Madelyn just nodded and left her room.

Mikey put his hand over his mouth and chuckled.

"Stop that, Mikey!" Raph yelled angrily. "Or else I'll beat the green off of you!"

"Now, wouldn't that be impolite?" Mikey asked.

Raph immediately raised his fist with an attempt to hit Mikey right there and there, but at that moment Madelyn came back and he let his arm fall back to this side and smiled awkwardly at the little girl.

"Daddy knows you're here and he sends his greetings," Madelyn explained. "As does Mr. O'Neil."

"Thanks," said Mikey and pulled Leo's letter out from where he had tucked it under his belt. "Mr. Turtle asked me to give you this."

"Thank you, Mr. Beam!" Madelyn said with a smile and then nodded towards her tea party-table. "Please join me and my friends for a tea party to make up for your troubles of coming here tonight.

Mikey opened his mouth to reply, but Raph didn't give him a chance.

"Thanks, but no thanks," he said quickly. "We gotta get going."

Madelyn looked from him to Mikey and then back to Raph, and then suddenly she did what Mikey had thought she would do eventually. She took a deep breath and held it. Mikey had kind of hoped she would do that. Now Raph would show her that holding her breath wouldn't get her anywhere. Raph was way too tough to fall for this little trick.

Go, tough Raph!, he thought. Oh, that would make a pretty neat nickname, by the way.

Raph's eyes widened in shock. When exactly had Madelyn stopped being all nice and polite and turned into a manipulating little monster? Well, that wouldn't work on him anyway. Should she hold her breath until she passed out, he didn't care.

So he just crossed his arms over his plastron and looked down on her, but seconds passed and she still didn't breath.

Not bad for a little girl, Raph thought, but then he realized that her face had turned all red. But he stayed strong – well, at least until the red on Madelyn's face turned a darker shade.

"Okay, okay!" he finally said, unfolding his arms and gesticulating soothingly. "We'll stay!"

Madelyn took a breath and smiled at Raph. "This is going to be fun!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Raph said, yielding up in his fate as he sat down at the table.

Mikey just watched, his mouth wide open.

What had just happened?


"You don't want to say hello to them?" Kirby asked Mr. Dearing.

"No," was the reply. "I am thankful they rescued my daughter and all, but it is still so new for me to actually see them and be around them, I just need a little more time, I guess."

"I see. Well, you'll get used to it. We all did," Kirby said, taking another sip from his beer. He still was a little worried, drinking beer with Joseph would become a bad habit, but he enjoyed it way too much at the moment.

"Well, I'll say hello before they leave," he said and wanted to push himself up.

"Oh, they'll stay a little longer, I can assure you," Mr. Dearing said. "Madelyn is having one of her tea parties, and I am pretty sure she'll make them stay."

Kirby chuckled. "From what April told me, Raph and Mikey are coming over, and although I bet Mikey enjoys tea parties just as much as Madelyn does, Raph is completely different. That guy can't be forced to do anything if he doesn't want to. And I'm pretty sure he hates tea parties with all his heart."

At that moment Madelyn came into the kitchen.

"Daddy, can we have a pot of apple tea?" she asked. "Mr. Red and Mr. Beam are staying for a tea party."

"Sure," Mr. Dearing said. "I'll call you when the tea is ready. Now attend to your guests, okay?"

Madelyn just nodded and left again.

Kirby looked after her, but then turned to Mr. Dearing, his eyes wide.

Mr. Dearing just shrugged. "I told you."


Dear Madelyn,

I know we haven't exchanged letters for quite a while now, so I thought of reviving this by writing you a letter. After all, it is some sort of tradition, right?
I wanted to thank you for visiting me at the lair the other day. It made me feel so much better.
Your Get Well Soon-picture is so cute. I really love it and it has joined all your other master pieces on the wall of my room.
I have a lot of free time on my hands at the moment because I can't train properly until Dr. Donnie says I am allowed to, and he said that I should wait just another week, so I checked if I could find some new 'Unicornia'-episodes online, but failed. Do you know if the show is on hiatus or so?
Speaking of which, how is our fanfiction going? Did you and April have time to write down the first chapter? I can't wait to read it.
So how are you doing, Madelyn? What has happened to you recently? How's your father?
Can't wait for your reply.

Yours,
Mr. Turtle