A/N: *Hey everyone, quick note - for those who don't know, Chapter 19 was edited a bit and updated - I wanted to rewrite parts of it to get the pacing right, so feel free to go back to check that out. Okay, moving on!*
Chapter 20 is here! The final part… thank you so much for coming along on this ride with me :)
I started this fic almost nine months ago, and I had no idea how it would go. So thank you so much for sticking with me patiently and for your encouraging words to get me to the finishing line! WOO! As always, thank you for reading, and enjoy ~
Approximately One Year Later - December 18th
Bzzzz.
Donnie's phone rang just as the crook with hairy arms and cash stuffed in his pants lobbed a water bottle at him. His phone was on vibrate, but he heard it better than felt it through his belt - and immediately knew the familiar buzzing meant it was his. After all, Leo had set his ringtone to the Space Heroes theme song, and Raph had set his to something that sounded like a chainsaw going through a metal fence (and had the audacity to call it music).
Ducking to avoid the bottle from whacking into his face, Donnie pulled out his phone. Casey Jones. Registering a crash behind him, Donnie winced, forcing himself not to turn to look at what had broken in the drugstore. Collateral damage always had a way of making him feel guilty.
Bzzzz.
The sleeveless water-bottle lobber glared, his eyes slanting through the eyeholes of his ski mask ever since a few moments ago in which Donnie had disarmed him with nothing but a stick, of all things. His gun lay useless, at the bottom of a bucket of mop water in the corner of the drugstore he'd been trying to rob. The cashier had long since run out of the store. If she hadn't been scared by the three robbers, the sight of three ninjas in hoods for sure had.
Leo and Raph were dealing with their own opponents, katanas and sais drawn respectively. Sounds of grunts and curses from their opponents came from various aisles. Despite being occupied himself, Donnie kept his ears sharp on his brothers to make sure they were alright.
Bzzzz.
"Hey, Case," Donnie said, giving into the call just as a box of frozen Bagel Bites came at him. He dodged once again, wincing at the sound of the mistreated snack hitting the wall. "Not a good time, to be honest."
Casey's voice entered from the other end, his voice filled with desperate. "Dude, I can't do this. Is a dress shirt too weird for a first date?"
"For you?" Casey owns a dress shirt? "Yes."
"Why - you didn't even hesitate!"
Donnie smiled despite himself. It was nice having a normal life again. Er, normal as in not living underground, or hiding from gangs while hoarding a vendetta against the person murdered your parents. Last year, all that had ended. They had a ton to explain to the authorities - but with help from Fred, that had been cleared up. Mostly, anyway. Donnie remembered the look on his best friends' faces when he'd told them the whole story. ("What do you mean, Leo and Raph and you are triplets?" Casey had shouted, enraged, while April had looked at him in horror. "You almost died?")
It was hard to believe that it had almost been a year since then. School was out and the holiday season approached them all too merrily. It was practically foreign, this feeling that Donnie was supposed to be happy.
Just stop thinking so much, Donnie told himself. You always do this.
Casey's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Donnie. I want a second and third opinion. Your brothers there?"
"Yeah, give me a sec." Over the aisles, Donnie called, "Hey, guys, is a dress shirt too much for a first date?"
Donnie leapt over the side of the aisle with ease to tackle the sleeveless robber down. But he was being pinned down, and a fist came flying to his face.
From over the aisles came Leo's quick "For Casey, yeah" followed by Raph's incredulous, "Jones owns a dress shirt?"
"Haha. You three are too funny. But seriously. What am I supposed to wear, man?" Casey groaned. "I'm not good at this."
Donnie had caught the fist, and flipped the crook over. With a violent jerk free, the sleeveless robber tried darting out of the drugstore, his pants still loaded with cash. Donnie was faster, stopping the criminal with his bo staff, using it as an extension of himself as he tripped the man backwards in a move Sensei had taught him a few weeks ago. With his bo staff, he knocked the man out on his way down, and the crook slumped to the floor, cash-stuffed pants and all.
"Why don't you, you know, ask April?" Donnie suggested, straightening up and brushing himself off.
"She's my date!"
"Yeah, so isn't she the best person to ask?" asked Donnie incredulously, putting his bo staff away.
The other two crooks who had burst into the drugstore with their guns drawn were tossed over the side of the aisle, landing on top of Donnie's defeated opponent with identical groans before passing out.
Leo and Raph appeared over the side, Raph's left arm bound in a sling to his chest from a dirt biking accident a few days ago. Leo scanned the two of them, checking them over for injuries, as he always did, before pointing to the pile of burglars that they'd apprehended.
"Let's tie them up. Shen's expecting us."
"Shit. I'm going to mess this up," Casey muttered into Donnie's ear, and Donnie could almost feel his friend's nerves through the phone.
"Casey. It's a casual hangout at the ice cream place tonight," Donnie said, helping his brothers tie up the crooks, putting Casey on speaker. "Technically speaking, the only way you would mess this up is if you ignored their 'No Pants, No Service' sign."
Raph barked out a laugh, and Leo's lips pressed into a smile.
"Okay, but if it goes south, bring your butt over here, okay?" Casey demanded.
"What, and be a third wheel?"
"You'd be the grease to our wheels. The grease of romance."
Donnie stepped back as they finished their work of tying up the criminals.
Raph made a face. "That's not weird and gross at all."
"Is that Raph? Whatever, okay? Bring all your brothers to help diffuse the situation. Mikey likes ice cream, right?"
"Is grass green?" Leo murmured.
At that, Donnie grinned, mirroring his brothers. "Casey, I'm surprised you have to ask, even. Mikey worships ice cream."
"Perfect! Bring them. The code word is hockey puck."
"It's not going to come to that," Donnie said, but Casey had already hung up. He scoffed, lowering the phone.
"Ice cream? Now I'll be glad if Casey's date goes south," Raph said with a grin and a soft punch to Donnie's shoulder, who flicked Raph's bicep in return.
"Good work, guys," Leo said. "Let's head back. We promised Shen we'd be in time for dinner."
Donnie followed his brothers out the back of the drugstore, easily falling into a run, moving the earth beneath his feet as he leapt and nimbly climbed up the fire escape after his brothers. From the terraces of the buildings in the city, they began to run.
Bzzzz. What - was it Casey again? Donnie pulled out his phone, mid-run. He stopped when he saw that it was from Metalhead 2.0.
"Hey Metalhead," he said, picking up the call from his A.I. "What's up?"
"Just wanted to remind you, Donatello," the A.I. said. "You have one saved message sitting in your inbox from Hunter. It's been exactly one year since it was sent. Would you like to delete it?"
The message had served as proof in court when reclaiming their estate from the Purple Dragon. Donnie had told his brothers and family otherwise, but he had never deleted it. Had it really been a year already?
"Donatello, would you like it deleted?"
"No," Donnie said smoothly, breaking out into a run before he was too far from his brothers and they suspected something was wrong. "Not yet."
Dinner in the Tang-Hamato household was loud and wild. Shen sat at the head of the table, half distracted from her food as she counted the suitcase piles from everyone, lined against the far wall. In the past year, Donnie noticed that Shen had grown her hair longer, styling it up and in curls, looking a lot like she had in her old almost-wedding picture. It was nice to see her comfortable and happy.
Raph was on his phone with his left hand, getting occasionally hand-fed by Leo, who kept doing the baby noises, much to Raph's fury. Mikey sat next to Donnie, talking animatedly through chews. Yoshi sipped his tea, quietly judging their Christmas tree that stood in the other room.
"Michelangelo, do you think the tree looks crooked from here?" Yoshi asked in between one of Mikey's pauses.
"Uuummm," Mikey turned around and squinted, analyzing the tree for all it was worth.
"Mikey's packed, Leo's packed, Raph's packed, Yoshi's packed, I'm packed, Donnie - oh Donnie, are you not packed?" Shen asked, looking up from the suitcases.
"He keeps putting it off, Ms. Tang," Metalhead 2.0 chirped from the speaker on the counter. "He's lazy."
"I'm not!" Donnie said, bringing his head back from the Christmas tree to Shen. "I'm done! It's up in my room, I'll go get it - "
"It's Akane!" Mikey interrupted him, and just like that, Shen's phone rang.
Shen picked it up. "Hi, Okasan."
"Okay, Twitches," Raph said, looking at Mikey, who playfully stuck his tongue out at him.
"No, we're just having dinner, Okasan. We're all pretty much packed," Shen said over all of their voices. "The boys are excited to spend the holiday in Japan. We're leaving for our flight early tomorrow morning."
"I'm super excited," Leo said, eagerly looking at Shen like he was a little boy all over again. "Shen, will Akane-san take us to that super big anime and manga store?"
"Ask Aoi-san if he'll take us dirt biking in Japan!" Raph exclaimed excitedly.
Shen coughed in surprise and lowered the phone. "Absolutely no dirt biking, Raphael! Not with that broken arm."
Between bites of mashed potato, Donnie looked at Raph's casted arm. They'd all signed it - Mikey's signature having a dozen little orange hearts next to it. Donnie had signed his name under Leo's, who had written I told you so in big letters - it was enough to make Donnie laugh out loud every time he saw it.
"It's just sprained, Shen!" Raph said, his voice coming off very much like a whine.
"Aw, poor baby," Leo said, raising a spoonful of soup to Raph's lips.
"I will cut your bangs in your sleep," Raph threatened.
Leo just laughed, undaunted.
"You are fortunate that Shen allowed you to go on patrol," Yoshi reminded Raph from across the table. "Don't push."
"Good tip, Sensei. You're so right," Leo said in agreement, as if just to tick Raph off.
"What? No, tell Otosan to not get any ideas," Shen was saying, back into the phone. "I'm still miffed at him letting Raph get hurt the last time you visited - no, tell him I'm not overreacting!"
Mikey giggled, watching Shen worriedly wave her free hand in the air as he leaned his chest on the back of the chair from judging the crookedness of the Christmas tree. They'd set it up a couple days ago, all together, as a family. Donnie would never forget the way Mikey had stiffened up with joy as he came across the star tree topper, golden and glittery, in one of the boxes Yoshi, Leo, and Raph had packed when they'd moved into their new home. Or the way Mikey's smile looked as if it would never leave his face when Yoshi lifted the youngest up to top the tree.
Mikey turned back to Yoshi.
"Well?" Yoshi asked. "What is your judgment, little one?"
"If I tell you, will you agree to start training me in ninjutsu?" Mikey asked boldly, causing Donnie to cough and sputter, in the middle of taking a sip of water. "Pleaseee Yoshi?"
"Mikey, don't just bribe him-"
Yet Yoshi laughed good-naturedly, ending on a cheerful-yet-firm smile Donnie had come to know well in the past year. "Absolutely not. You are only eight. We agreed on eleven."
"But that's forever away!" Mikey protested. Then he wrinkled his nose. "Um, someone's at the door."
The doorbell rang from downstairs. Their home sat over the dojo, so the actual front door of their house was a single narrow staircase down the side of the wall across the living room. Yoshi rose and left the dining room to receive it.
"No, we're not selling Mom and Dad's property in Italy," Donnie heard Raph say, getting his attention.
"Why not? We don't live there," Leo replied, clearly in the midst of a conversation that Donnie had missed a sizeable part of.
"Whoa, what are you guys talking about?" Donnie asked, getting their attention.
"Nothing that we're going to be making a decision about in at least two years," Leo said. "It's about Mom and Dad's estate. What they left us."
Donnie's mood sank a little just at the thought of their old home in Italy. His hand gripped his cell phone, where Hunter's voice message still remained.
It had been a message sent before the Foot had captured them last year. It was a message that essentially, demanded them to make themselves present if they ever wanted to see Shen, Akane, or Aoi ever again. The thing was, Donnie hadn't heard it back then, because they'd been too busy getting kidnapped by the Foot. He'd only heard it after they'd defeated Hun. It was a pretty horrifying message to have in one's inbox regardless, though.
"Okay, bye, I love you, see you soon," Shen was saying to her mother.
"Oh! Let me say bye, too!" Mikey said, clambering out of his chair and over to Shen, who handed him the phone.
"Hi, Akane! I miss you lots but we'll see you tomorrow! Bye!" he said. From the other side, Donnie could hear Akane's happy voice respond in equal enthusiasm.
Yoshi opened the door to Dragon Face and Fred, who stood on the porch outside. Dragon Face's smile was always a little subdued out of shame, as Donnie had noticed. But Fred's smile was brighter than a 60-watt bulb.
"Greetings, friends," Yoshi said with a smile.
"Guess who brought early Christmas presents? And birthday presents for the triplets," Fred said, gesturing to a big red bag on Dragon Face's back. "There's something for everyone. Even you two, Shen, Yoshi."
Mikey gasped. "My powers did not tell me that."
"Oh, Fred, Dragon Face, you shouldn't have," Shen said.
"It was nothing. Think of it as thanks for co-parenting the kids," Fred said. "I know Clara's resting in peace. She cared about the Delucci family, after all."
Yoshi shook his head. "We cannot accept these gifts under that reason. It's been our pleasure. The boys have been wonderful additions to our lives. I do not know what I would do without them."
"I second that," Shen chimed in. "They teach me something new every day."
Donnie felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. He looked at Leo and Raph, who just shrugged, looking used to the compliments.
"Then take it as a Christmas present," Fred said. "From me to you, because we're friends and I want to."
Shen walked over to Yoshi's side. "Would you like to come inside? Ignore the suitcases - they're all of our things for the trip."
Bzzzz.
"Except Donnie's, because he's lazy," Metalhead 2.0 piped up. "Donnie is a lazy boi. A lazy, boring boi."
"Okay, I did not program her to say that," Donnie said, standing up just as Leo, Raph, and Mikey burst into uncontainable laughter. "Which one of you goofballs messed with her software?"
Bzzzz.
"We can't stay for long. But… it seems lively here," Dragon Face said.
"Very," Shen agreed. "How's work at the clinic, Dragon Face?"
"It's good," Dragon Face said with a smile. "And how are you?"
Shen waved a hand in the air. "Eh, good as new."
Yoshi's eyes were soft yet unrelenting when he added, "Except sometimes you have aches when you overwork yourself."
"Oh, I don't do that much."
"No, it is… much appreciated. You work hard for everyone," Yoshi said.
"As… do you, dear Yoshi," was Shen's kind rebuttal, but her eyes caught onto Yoshi's, and the two settled into each other's gazes, giving each other fond, shy smiles.
Fred and Dragon Face smiled at each other. Donnie turned his head away, catching Leo's knowing look. Only Raph and Mikey seemed oblivious, standing up to check out the presents.
Bzzzz.
"Anyway," Leo broke in quickly, looking at Dragon Face. "Thank you for the gifts. Seriously."
"Oh, please don't thank me," Dragon Face said, bowing his head. "Thank Fred, if anyone."
Fred clapped his hands - or rather his hand against his other prosthetic one. "Time to hand out presents, then." He pulled out the first one. "Michelangelo."
"Sweet, Shen, can I?" Mikey asked, looking up at her for permission.
Shen and Yoshi exchanged glances before Shen nodded, smiling.
Bzzzz.
Donnie pulled his phone out and saw that it was a text. From Casey. "Uh oh," he said, turning the phone around to show Leo and Raph.
HOCKEY PUCK
HOCKEY PUCK
GODDAMMIT DONNIE
PUCK YOU
After the presents went around, Donnie felt a little bad to be standing up so suddenly and stating that he needed to leave.
"It's for Casey," he explained to Shen. "Apparently he needs me to rescue him from a disaster date."
"Us," Raph corrected. "He said all of us, remember?"
"Oh," Shen said in surprise.
"Sorry," Leo said quickly. "We're not trying to show that we're ungrateful for the gifts, Dragon Face, Fred."
"Friendship emergencies, I get it. No worries here," Fred said with a laugh. "Besides… we need to have a word with your guardians in private, anyway."
Donnie raised an eyebrow at that, reading Dragon Face's and Fred's body language. He wondered what conversation they needed to have.
"Where are you going off to, then?" Shen asked.
"The ice cream place," Donnie, Leo, and Raph said at once.
Mikey gasped. "ICE CREAM?"
"Come back soon, don't stay out too late," Yoshi said.
"Yes, Sensei," Leo said for all of them, taking Mikey's hand in stride.
They said goodbye to Dragon Face and Fred and took off. They reached the ice cream place in a record amount of time, and Leo held the door open for the three of them to enter. Other than his hockey puck texts, Casey hadn't given Donnie any kind of context. It was befuddling as to what the problem was. But then again, it was Casey. Donnie wasn't worried too much.
Donnie spotted his friend in the back, dressed in an uncomfortable-looking black and brown checkered collared shirt, sitting across from - well, no one.
"Where's April?" Donnie wondered aloud.
"No idea," Leo said.
"That shirt needs to be burned," Raph observed.
When Casey spotted them, he all but ran up to them. Mikey got to business, tugging on Leo's hand for some ice cream.
"Hi, Casey," Donnie said. "What's up?"
"It's a mess," Casey groaned, a frown on his lips. "I think I messed everything up, big time. But I don't even know what I said. Is… is there another meaning associated with 'My favorite ice cream flavor is banana chocolate chunk'? Did I insult her?"
"What happened?" Donnie asked as Leo came back, Mikey licking a strawberry cone happily.
Casey met his eyes tiredly. "She ran out, Donnie."
"What?"
"She stood up, gasped about candy or something, and took off," Casey said, letting his shoulders rise and drop with an exhale. "Seriously, does banana chocolate chunk mean something else?"
"If you use your imagination," Raph said with a snicker. At Leo's glare, Raph straightened. "I mean, uh, no."
"She said something about candy?" Donnie asked. "Are you sure?"
"Which way did she go?" Leo asked. "Did you try calling her?"
"No, I was distraught, dude," Casey said. "But I think she went out and down the street."
Donnie stepped outside, his hands reaching into his hoodie pocket as he contemplated the possibility of what he thought had happened. Then he jumped at the feeling of Leo's hand resting on his shoulder.
"Something wrong?" Leo asked, ever so caring with those concerned blue eyes of his.
Donnie shook his head. "I mean. Maybe. Do you think - "
Casey burst out behind them abruptly, his phone pressed to the side of his face. "Yeah, Donnie's with me. He came to my rescue when you ditched me, April." At Donnie and Leo's puzzled expressions, Casey pointed to his phone and shrugged, looking just as confused as them, and hurt. "What? Why?"
April said something, and must have hung up, because next Casey was pulling the phone off his face and staring at it like it was some foreign object in his hand.
"What happened?" Leo said.
"She said she's down the street past the place that sells leather stuff," Casey said. He looked at Donnie. "She said you need to come."
"Oh, no," Donnie muttered, the truth lining up in his head.
"What?" Casey asked, looking slightly betrayed.
Donnie felt his belt, where he had his bo staff underneath his clothes. Then he looked at Leo and Raph and Mikey. Be on guard. His brothers straightened, frowns forming on their faces out of determination. Leo's hands went to his katanas under his clothes, and Raph to his sais. Donnie spun on his heel and took off, the others following, albeit confused.
Donnie reached the store with that sold all the leather stuff, and came to a screeching stop when he saw April, her back to him as she spoke to a taller man in a turtleneck and a very familiar face. It confirmed Donnie's suspicions.
"April," Casey said, catching up to him. "Who is that guy? Donnie, what's going on?"
Over his shoulder, Donnie saw Raph step in front of Mikey, crossing his arms. Leo stiffened, recognizing the man.
"It wasn't candy - that man is Dr. Candis," Donnie explained, catching his former professor's eye as he spoke. "Don't you remember from the news? He kidnapped Shen and got arrested for it last year."
Casey stilled next to him, the realization dawning.
"So that's what Fred and Dragon Face wanted to tell Shen and Yoshi," Leo muttered under his breath. "He's out of jail."
"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Mr. Delucci," Dr. Candis said quietly.
I don't think I can ever forgive him.
Rage was an old friend of Donnie's, and its flame ignited fast, especially when he thought about the people he cared about being in danger.
This man before them had once been Donnie's favorite professor, back when he'd been taking a college class along with his regular schoolwork last year. It was Dr. Candis who had essentially taught him what he needed to know in order to make Metalhead. It was Dr. Candis who had helped Donnie find the Foot Clan's base of operations. It was Dr. Candis who had spied on Donnie and secretly been reporting to Hunter, and it was Dr. Candis who had kidnapped Shen and handed her off to Hunter, resulting in her near-death experience.
But somehow what was worse was that Dr. Candis wasn't even Dr. Candis. His real name was John Bishop. And once upon a time, he had trapped Shen in an engagement to con her, taking all her money.
It sickened Donnie to know he'd ever trusted the man.
Weighed him down.
April turned around to see Donnie, and she seemed to inhale in relief. She stepped back to Donnie and the others.
"Sorry," she said, looking at Donnie, and then Casey. "I'm sorry. I saw him through the window, and recognized him. I was so surprised to see that man back in town. I had to follow him."
"It seems you have good friends who care about you, Mr. Delucci," Bishop said. "I'm glad."
At least he had the sense to look remorseful.
Donnie felt Casey and April step closer to him at his flank, shielding Mikey out of Bishop's sight, with Raph and Leo taking position at his sides. They all looked casual, hands in their pockets and all, but Donnie knew how intimidating his brothers could appear. And a fiery April and PO'ed Casey were no joke, either.
"We haven't seen each other in a long time," Bishop said, looking at Donnie from five paces away. "Not since you mysteriously vanished from school last year."
"Sure, it was mysterious to everyone who didn't know the circumstances," Donnie said, his voice calmer and steadier than he was feeling. "But that doesn't include you, does it?"
Bishop looked down at his feet, nodding. "You're right. I did know your circumstances. I was working for someone who wanted to hurt you. It was my job to kidnap all four of you, and I planned to do it during the science fair, had you attended."
"Brag much?" Raph whispered.
Bishop struggled to smile as he continued. "I lost my job after getting arrested. Obviously. So I'm starting from scratch."
You should be in jail for what you did to Shen. You should be locked away. Donnie wondered what the man was even doing out of jail.
Donnie stared at him. "Who bailed you out?"
"No one. I served my sentence. One year in prison, Mr. Delucci," Bishop said with a dry laugh.
Donnie clenched his teeth. "Great. Good for you. Come on, guys," he said, turning around.
"Mr. Delucci, wait. I would be remiss if I didn't… is everyone truly alright?" Bishop asked from behind him. "I only got some idea in prison, but did Shen make it? And her parents? Or did Hunter get them?"
Donnie whirled around. "Do you know how messed up that sounds, coming from you?"
Raph crossed his arms. "What, do you want to make sure your old buddy Hun did the job or something?"
Bishop's face reddened. "I cared for her!"
"Didn't you like, literally steal her money?" Leo pointed out innocently.
Bishop sighed, nostrils flaring. "I've changed. If… she lived… which I'm guessing she did, from your expressions… can I have her number?"
"Are you for real right now?" Raph asked.
"Wow, what?" said Leo.
"Ew, man, no," Casey said. "You don't deserve a lady after robbing her and kidnapping her."
"Either of those things alone are bad, Casey Jones!" April exclaimed.
Bishop looked disappointed and remorseful rolled into one. "You can trust me, Donatello."
Donnie winced. What was he supposed to say? Um, no. I think it's best if you just stayed away.
Bishop dropped his gaze to the ground, and that's when Donnie realized he'd said his thoughts out loud. Bishop - Dr. Candis - whoever this man was, darkened the pavement with his shadow, its length casting out in multiple directions from the traffic lights and cars. For a moment, Donnie felt bad for this man. Somewhere down the line, this man had made a mistake, and kept on making them. Spiraling. Fear had fueled his each action, and the dreaded monster of whatever mess he'd gotten himself into had sunk its fangs into that fear. Donnie wondered what had happened in John Bishop's life to make him that way, so willing to throw out what was right for his own selfish reasons.
Donnie decided that he didn't particularly have any interest in finding out.
"Have it your way, Mr. Delucci," Bishop said, and departed, crossing the street.
Something warm snuggled into him from behind, in a cute, cuddly, familiar way. Donnie reached a hand back and found Mikey's. His baby brother was the one this time who gave him a comforting squeeze.
The kids were silent for a moment before Casey spoke up.
"It's weird that he does that, isn't it?" he asked, watching until the former professor has disappeared from view.
"Does what?" April asked.
"Call Donnie 'Mr. Delucci' like that," Casey said. "That's weird."
"He did it to all the students," Donnie said with a shrug.
"Well, now that he's not a professor, it's creepy," Casey informed him.
Donnie let out a shaky sigh. "I guess."
April looked at Donnie, taking in his expression, then smiled, putting her hands on Casey's shoulders from behind him. "Sorry I ruined our date," she said. "Forgive me?"
"Um, y-yeah," Casey said, surprised. "You didn't ruin it."
April beamed at him. "Want to have a redo?"
"We'll leave you two lovebirds at it," Raph said. "We want her home by ten and no later, okay, Jones?"
Casey sputtered, cheeks tinged pink. "I know! I-I live closer to her than you!"
Donnie watched his friends leave, arm in arm. He looked down at Mikey, who was nearly done with his ice cream.
"Hey, Mikey. That was weird, huh?" Donnie said with a laugh.
Mikey nodded. "Way weird. He was lying when he told you that you can trust him, by the way. Or, at least… I don't think he even knew what he was trying to say."
"That's what I thought, too," Donnie said.
"Huh. Color me surprised," Raph said.
Leo touched Donnie's elbow. "You okay, Donnie?"
"He always did that in class, too," Donnie replied softly. "It took me way too long to figure out his tell, but he always referred to me as 'Donatello' whenever he was trying to deceive me." He looked up at his brothers, who were looking at him with worry. He laughed weakly. "I wish I'd figured it out sooner."
"Aw, Donnie," Raph said gruffly, throwing an arm over Donnie's shoulders. "It's not your fault."
"I'm sorry he's out of jail," Leo said, bringing a hand up to brush the hair out of Donnie's eyes. "But I'm not letting anyone hurt our family again, Donnie, so don't worry."
Donnie looked down at the pavement, feeling a weird sort of relief wash over him. He wasn't freaked out by Bishop as much as he thought he would've been. Or at… all.
He wasn't scared. He wasn't angry.
Donnie inhaled, then let it go. The lack of negative emotions was a weird feeling, nostalgic, almost. Sending him back to when he was a little kid and he was playing soccer in a field of green and gold and blue with his father and Leo and Raph, the wind blowing his bangs out of his eyes and he could hear the soothing voice of their mother sing as she held a gurgly baby Mikey in her arms from the wooden deck, her long skirt billowing in the wind.
As the four brothers began to walk back home, Donnie pulled out his phone and went straight to voicemail. Metalhead 2.0's icon appeared on the screen, along with a written message.
You have 1 saved message, Donatello. Would you like to delete it?
Donnie pressed the button with his answer, read the closing statement he hadn't seen on his phone since programming it into Metalhead 2.0, and slipped it back into his pocket. Hanging on to it didn't make a difference.
"Hey, the dojo!" Mikey piped up.
Their home had come into view down the block. The lights of the dojo were on, and through the glass doors, Donnie could see Yoshi and Shen, both laughing together about something, their hands cupping identical mugs of tea as they waited for the brothers to return.
"Come on," Donnie said. "Last one home is a rotten egg?"
Mikey pumped his fists in the air and took off down the sidewalk. "Gonna beat you, Raphie!"
"Oh, you're on!" Raph called, darting after him.
Donnie broke into a run at the same time as Leo, feeling the green earth beneath his legs and the cool blue evening air around him, as the golden stars looked down on them, finally resting in peace. A light hearted bubble of laughter rose out of him as he, Mikey, Leo, and Raph, finally ran home together.
You have no saved messages. Your inbox is clear, Donatello.