To live in the city is to grow accustomed to noise, and this was certainly true for Donatello. But unlike most of the citizens of New York, Don was more accustomed to the drips of pipes and the sounds of rats scurrying than sirens, car alarms, and conversations echoing from alleyways. This effect was only amplified at night. Raphael's snoring was replaced by a stranger yelling at a stray cat. The sound of flowing water was replaced by flowing traffic.
Don was sitting near the window, watching life pass him by. It was dark enough that no one would notice his mutated face, but the streetlights below cast plenty of light on the city's fully human population as they went about their business.
Couples strolled by holding hands, some young, some old. Friends yelled back and forth, reminding him of his brothers during better times. Parents passed with their strollers, bringing a smile to his face that he hadn't been expecting.
One hand was resting on his swollen belly as his thumb traced lazy circles along its crest. He looked down in contemplation. This world he was watching was one that he could never truly be a part of. Maybe it would be better for his children when they came of age. The future that he had briefly been a part of in 2105 - Bishop's future - had been welcoming to aliens. His family had more or less fit in. Perhaps his children would get a taste of that. For Don himself, it would be too late. Even if he lived to see those days, he would never be free in his heart.
Maybe he was just overtired and hormonal, but it made him unbearably sad. He truly didn't know if he was doing right by his children. He had thought that he was happy before his father died and his family cast him aside. Back then, he had believed that happiness was possible for his children as well. Watching those people on the sidewalks below made him realize how alone he really was, and how alone they would be in this world. Maybe Leonardo and Raphael were right after all, and they should be raised somewhere that they could know true freedom.
When April awoke, she found Don working on his laptop. A steaming cup of coffee sat next to him. He had been avoiding caffeine, but he craved coffee almost as much as oxygen, particularly on days where he felt more sluggish than usual. The decaf was a poor substitute, but at least he was getting a taste of the flavor he desired.
Tired though he may be, Don's powers of observation were as sharp as ever. He didn't even bother looking over his shoulder to confirm his friend's presence. "Morning, April. There's a half pot of wannabe coffee on the counter if you want it."
April hugged Don from behind and noticed his shoulder muscles were hard as rocks. The poor guy was stressed to the max. She kissed his cheek. "I know misery loves company and all, but I'm just going to grab a cup of the good stuff on the way to work. What are you up to?"
Don groaned, then smiled warmly. "My budget and to-do lists."
"Wow. You sound like a regular grownup," April observed.
Don glanced down at his rapidly growing belly and then back up to April. "Not like I have much choice, right?"
"You can always stay here with Casey and me." April gave his shoulder a loving pat before heading to the fridge. He'd been a model houseguest these past few days.
"No. I mean, you're very kind and I love you, April, but I couldn't do that. It wouldn't be fair to you guys, and if I do stay on earth, the kids will need to be well-hidden."
"Eh, it's your decision, Don. Just know that you're not alone in this, and we'll help you however we can."
Don quickly blinked back his tears, but he couldn't hide the emotion in his voice. "I know. Thanks, April." He took in a cleansing breath and gathered himself. "When you get off of work, I'd really like it if you checked all of this over. I'll even buy you dinner as a thank you. You know, if I have the budget." Don winked and smiled widely as April turned back to him.
"Oh, I'm sure you can afford to buy me dinner. It's your own dinner that I'd be worried about, given the amount of food that you need right now," April replied.
Don might've been offended if not for the fond smile on April's face. "Well, what do you expect? I'm eating for four."
April turned serious. "All kidding aside, I hope you are." She had noticed that Don had only been picking at his food during meals. She didn't know if it was due to embarrassment or depression, or simply discomfort. Whatever the reason, she hoped that Don wasn't depriving himself. He couldn't afford to right now.
"Don't worry. I'm eating you out of house and home." Don nodded in the direction of the empty fruit bowl.
April nodded. "Good. I'll pick up some provisions after work. Just text me a list this afternoon."
"Will do, April. Have a good day."
"You too, Don." April kissed his cheek again on the way out the door and pretended not to notice the blush that rose to his face as a result. He was such a sweet kid.
And he was a kid. April thought about that all day. Her 'grownup' comment had just been intended as meaningless banter, but then she couldn't get the conversation out of her head.
It was easy to forget just how young Don was. His intelligence made him seem so much older, and his calm, collected demeanor only served to magnify that effect. But, he was a pregnant, single teenager, and an outcast, orphaned one at that. To make matters worse, he had been held captive and cruelly experimented on and then virtually abandoned by his family.
He was also a strong, kind, big-hearted guy that never wanted anyone to worry about him. He made it seem like he was in control, and that everything was okay. Maybe it really was. April knew that Donatello was capable of handling a lot.
Being a part of the turtles' lives had a way of making the abnormal seem normal. But, when April took a step back, she saw just how heartbreaking this really was. Don was hurting in every way possible, both physically and emotionally.
Don spent a week in April and Casey's home. He didn't speak to his family at all during that time. He thought about things from every angle. He made list after list of pros and cons. He set emotions aside and thought logically. Other times, he threw logic out the window and contemplated the most unexplored corners of his heart and soul. He had long, late-night conversations with April, and sometimes even Casey.
He asked April if he was burdening her by asking her to help him manage the remainder of his pregnancy and birth. She insisted it was fine. He asked if he was crazy to prefer staying on Earth, and she told him that he wasn't. He asked if happiness was an illusion. She told him that she didn't think it was. He cried more than he ever had in his life.
When all was said and done, he decided to follow his heart, to raise his kids in the only home that he had ever known, and to work as hard as he could to give them the best lives possible. He decided to have faith in his family, that they would learn to forgive him in their own time for whatever mistakes he had made, and was possibly still making. He swore to himself that he would forgive them in turn and that he would trust that they were only behaving this way out of love and concern for him, however wrong it seemed at the moment.
He texted his brothers and said that he was moving into Leatherhead's old place. The babies would be safe there. They would be separate from the Lair, and therefore more hidden and isolated, but they would be near enough that they could visit their family whenever they wanted to. It seemed like a good compromise and a way to address many of his brothers' concerns. Don felt like he was too far along to leave New York now, but he could always go somewhere else later if need be.
As much as he felt confident that this was the right decision, at least for now, Don felt a shiver of fear as he sent the message. He turned off his phone right after hitting send, too scared of reading the responses.
April and Casey had never visited Leatherhead's old home in the sewers. From the way that Donatello had talked it up, they had expected better.
The "home" consisted of two rooms. One was large and had an area for cooking and a single bathroom. The other was substantially smaller and had nothing but a bed inside. The bed itself was little more than two California king size mattresses pushed together and connected by Velcro. It was raised off of the floor on a simple wooden support.
The entire apartment was constructed of cement. It was moldy and filthy. There was no decor other than the bed.
"Isn't it great?" Don asked.
"Uh," Casey mumbled.
"It's dry," April observed.
"Yes, Leatherhead and I installed a state of the art pumping system. It's already plumbed and wired for electric. Best of all, it has a darn good security system. It's been idle for a few years now, but it won't take me too long to update it." Don frowned and put a hand under his belly, then waddled to the bed and sat down. Dust flew everywhere, but he didn't care. He'd had to cut way back on his workouts since leaving the Lair, and the walk down here had done a number on him. The babies felt so heavy now.
Don sat there rubbing his belly, lost in thought. April wrinkled her nose. "We'll need to replace this mattress. It's awfully musty."
Don nodded. "I could go smaller too. A king-sized bed would be plenty for me, even now."
April smiled. "Well, if you can fit onto our sofa..."
Don simply returned the smile. Truthfully, he wasn't really fitting. His shell took up so much space as it was. Now, with his belly so big, he couldn't lie on his side without a part of it hanging over the edge. He'd been pulling the coffee table closer at night for support. He didn't want April or Casey to know. They'd insist that he take the bed, and he couldn't do that.
"A smaller bed would give me room to put the cribs in here with me," Don considered. "I could mount a TV on the wall in the other room. Get a big sofa and a little desk for my work area."
"What about your lab?" April realized.
Don fidgeted with his hands. "Well, I can't really have one, can I?"
Casey looked around. "Yeah. There sure ain't a lot of room to spare."
"Even if there were, who would watch the babies while I was working? Labs are noisy, and they have dangerous chemicals. I'd need to increase the ventilation." Don paused. "And some experiments are hard to stop in the middle if I need to attend to childcare. I can't have anything burning or blowing up. Plus, what'll there be to experiment on? I think I'll just… be a dad for a while."
April was struck again by how grown-up Donatello sounded. "Once things blow over with the guys, I'm sure you can use your old lab in the Lair."
Don shrugged sadly. "Sure. They're pretty close by, and it's not like I need two."
"What about a garage?" Casey asked.
"There's a little alcove nearby that I used to park the sewer slider in when I came to visit LH. If I'm going to use that spot permanently, I'll need to make it more secure. But, it's an option." Don sat up a little straighter. "In the meantime, I'll be one of the millions of New Yorkers without a car."
"Again, I'm sure the guys will allow you to share the garage. You built all that stuff after all," Casey pointed out.
Don didn't reply. Instead, he stood up. "Come on, let me show you one of the best parts of this place." He led April and Casey to the bathroom, of all places. "Take a look at the tub," he invited.
Much like the bed, the tub was Leatherhead-sized. It was custom made out of concrete and was about three feet deep. There were also several showerheads set up at different heights. "Wow, it's practically a swimming pool," Casey observed.
Don arched his aching back. "It's going to feel amazing. I've been wanting to take a bath for the longest time. The babies will enjoy it too. I know I loved baths as a kid, being a turtle and all."
"You could've used our tub," April offered.
"Didn't want to scratch it up with my shell," Don replied. "And before that, I didn't want to monopolize the only bathroom in the Lair. But now, this will be all mine. Once I get the hot water hooked up, I'm going to have the soaking of a lifetime."
April smiled. It was nice to see Don genuinely excited about something. He'd been so depressed.
"So, what do you guys think of the place?" Don asked. "Be honest with me."
"It needs a good cleaning and lots of furniture, but it has potential," April answered.
"If I know you, you can make it great," Casey added.
Don was thrilled to have their approval. "I know it's kind of small, but it'll be easier to keep it clean and to keep track of the babies. I'm sure they'll want more room when they're older, but we can cross that bridge when we come to it."
"It's not like you never moved before," Casey said.
"I hate to tell you to make yet another list," April added. "But let's make a list. We'll need to do a thorough cleaning, check the utilities, and update the security system before you move in. Once all that's done, we'll deal with furnishings."
"I can borrow a power-washer," Casey volunteered. "The nice thing about all this concrete is that it will come clean really easy. I'll get it knocked out in a couple of nights."
"This kitchen will be a little harder," April said. "Do you know if the fridge and stove work?"
"Last I checked." Don went over to look. He plugged in the fridge, and they heard the motor start. The light in the stove came on. He tested the burners and set the interior to bake. "Stuff's old, But seems fine," he diagnosed. "I'll need to rebuild the cabinets, though. They're pretty far gone."
April whistled. "There's a lot to do. We'd better get started soon."
Don chuckled. "Are you guys trying to get rid of me?"
He was only half kidding.