The babies were viable now, as far as April and Don could tell. He was seven months along. A human baby born at this stage would have a fighting chance at survival. A turtle's eggs would've long since hatched by now. Neither of these milestones necessarily pertained to Don, but they were promising nevertheless.

More importantly, Don and April had observed the babies taking practice breaths during ultrasounds, and their lungs and hearts were looking well-developed. Despite how miserable he was feeling, Don was thrilled to have made it to this point. April was too, and she wanted to do something to celebrate.

Between his estrangement from his family and his very limited number of friends, there was no way that Donatello was getting a baby shower. Even if attendance wasn't an issue, Don was too embarrassed about his condition to want a party built around it. So, April racked her brains thinking of something special to do instead of a shower.

Anything in public was out, since Don was a mutant. She decided that maybe she could take him up to the farm for a while, but she wanted it to be a surprise. This was difficult since Don never left his new home. Fortunately, he was exactly the type of guy who would bend over backward to help out a friend.

April claimed that Casey's mom had called and told him that the heating system at the farmhouse had stopped working. She said that Casey needed to stay in the city to work at the garage, but that the repairs needed to be made soon, in order to avoid any pipes bursting as the colder winter months set in. Sure enough, Don offered to take a look and see what he could do, so off they went.

It was fall, and the countryside was beautiful. Don was relatively quiet, staring out the car window in awe. They had to make frequent bathroom stops and take a few carsickness breaks, but the ride was otherwise uneventful. Don nodded off a couple of times. April looked at her oblivious companion in amusement as she listened to his tools jiggle around in the back of her van. Little did he know that she had packed all of his favorite foods and movies, and planned to make this weekend all about him.

April gently nudged her friend's arm. "We're here," she whispered.

Don inhaled sharply. "Did I fall asleep again?" he slurred.

April nodded, then helped him out of the car. Don looked around, then pulled back the hood of his sweatshirt. "Beautiful here this time of year," he observed.

"Mmmhmm." April unlocked the door and grabbed some of her bags while Don took some time to stretch. He followed a few minutes later with his own bags. He put them down and waddled straight to the thermostat. April smirked as he turned the dial and the old furnace clicked on.

Don furrowed his brow and held his hand against the nearest radiator. "What did Casey's mom say was wrong?"

April approached and hugged him from behind. "Nothing is wrong. It's a Donnie weekend."

Never one to pass up a hug, Don placed his arms over April's. "Donnie weekend?" he repeated in confusion.

"Sure. It's a weekend just for you," April explained. "You've been trapped in the sewers for months now, and I figured that you would enjoy a change of scenery. We can do whatever you want up here."

Don wracked his sluggish brain, but he failed to find a valid response. "Whatever I want to do?" he parroted.

April chuckled. "I brought some movies and some books that I thought you might like. We can play cards, or board games, or sit and chat."

"So, the furnace is fine?" Don wondered.

"Do you want me to break it?" April asked.

"Noooo," Don replied. "I just wasn't expecting this. Let's, uh, take a little stroll to stretch our legs?"

The walk was quiet for a bit, then Don said, "I'm not sure exactly what, or who, I'm supposed to be - what a Donnie weekend would look like."

"I didn't mean to put any sort of pressure on you," April apologized. "I can take the lead if you want."

"No, it's okay," Don said quickly. "I just meant that so much has changed. I'm not really practicing ninjitsu. My brothers aren't around. I'm not really focused on inventing, aside from fine-tuning EDS. Setting all that aside, maybe I'm feeling a little lost. So much has to be about these guys." Don rubbed his protruding belly with both hands.

"You shouldn't forget yourself either," April reminded him. "They'll take up almost all your time at first, but once they get older they'll be more independent. You're going to want to do more of what you've always loved."

"Are you suggesting that I break out some ninja moves right now? Because April, I don't know…"

Don trailed off and April laughed. "Do you plan to keep practicing martial arts?"

"Yeah," Don said quickly. "I need to protect my kids. I'll teach them too. Self-defense is important to creatures like us."

April and Don gathered some fruit for the house, then walked back. They cooked dinner together, and April insisted on cleaning up by herself afterward. After drying her final dish, she went to find her friend. As she had hoped, he had finally begun to relax.

Don was sitting on the porch swing, shell cell in hand. He was wearing a sweatshirt and pajama bottoms, along with slippers and a fluffy bathrobe that didn't stand a chance of properly closing. Despite the crisp night air, he looked comfortable and cozy. April amplified this effect by handing him a steaming mug of hot cocoa. "Sorry it's not coffee," she apologized.

Donatello gave her a genuine smile. "Oh, it'll do nicely, thanks." Don wrapped both hands around it. "Hey, you even added marshmallow fluff."

"Oh, I spared no expense." April winked as she lifted Don's feet and slid beneath them, cradling his swollen ankles in her lap. "So what are you doing out here?" she asked as she began lazily rocking the swing.

"Just enjoying the night air and thinking," Don replied as he lowered his phone and lifted his gaze to the stars.

"About what?" April encouraged.

Donatello looked her in the eyes. "If I tell you, will you promise not to laugh?"

"Of course," April promised.

Donatello reddened a little. "Well, there's this girl-"

"What!" April blurted.

"Hey!" Don exclaimed.

"I didn't laugh!" April defended. "I was just surprised."

Donatello relaxed a bit. "Just hear me out. So, there's this girl that I met at Area 51, and she was really smart and nice and easy to talk to, and I found myself becoming really attracted to her. After I found out that, well… that I was… you know…" He gestured at his belly. "I just thought it was the hormones playing tricks on me. But I haven't been able to get her off my mind. It's unrequited, of course, but the thing is, I think she wants to be friends. She's been texting me-"

April frowned. She knew how difficult it was to connect to the turtles' phone network. "How?"

"I gave her my shell cell in case of emergency. And it's a good thing too because I had to help her out of a jam recently," Don explained.

"So, she knows about this?" April vaguely indicated Don's loosely bundled middle.

Don placed a hand over himself, still mildly uneasy at any open acknowledgment of his condition, even by April. "Yes, and she's been really sweet. She cooked for me as a thank you, and she gave me some stuff for the babies. She's been asking how I'm doing."

"She's been to your place?!" April blurted. "Why didn't you tell me any of this, Don?!"

"I didn't want you and Casey to have to keep the secret from my brothers," Don quietly confessed. "They'd say she was spying on me for Bishop, and that I was stupid for trying to help, but she wouldn't do that to me! I just know it."

April ran a hand over the swollen legs resting on her lap. "Oh, Don."

Donatello's eyes were bright with emotion. "I'm just wondering if I should tell her how I feel. Of course, I know she'd never feel the same way, and there are so many reasons that we couldn't be together anyway. I just wonder if it would make her feel good to know? She's kind of an outsider too. Her parents were killed during the invasion, and she skipped ahead in school and had trouble making friends because her intelligence sort of isolated her. I can just relate to her on so many levels. We're a lot alike, and if roles were reversed, I'd want to know how she felt. I'd want to know if someone cared about me like that, especially since there are so few people out there that care at all, even in a non-romantic way."

Donatello searched April for an answer, but she didn't offer one. He took a deep breath and continued. "But I'm scared to make things awkward. I wouldn't want her to mistakenly think that I expect something from her, because I know that no one ever could care about me in that way, especially not now. Believe me, I know. But, it would be nice to tell someone, just once. I never thought I'd ever have this sort of chance. I'm not prone to romantic feelings, but at this point, I'm sure it's not the hormones. It's something much more."

April disagreed with a lot of what she had just heard. But rather than argue, she cut straight to the juicy stuff. "You say she texts you? Can I see?"

Don's phone was full of little interchanges - Him checking in on her safety, her asking how he was feeling, him asking about the latest satellite feeds, her asking about his research. Their relationship seemed sweet, playful, and mutually respectful, but not particularly romantic. April handed the phone back to Don.

He put it into his pocket, wincing as he moved. "The only relationship I've ever had that was even slightly approaching romance was with Jhanna, and all I have to show for that is old hair."

April chuckled. "What did that mean anyway?"

"Darned if I know," Don confessed. "Maybe we're married on her planet. My kids might have two parents after all!"

April played along. "Depends on what you did with the hair. If you threw it out, it might mean you're divorced."

Don shook his head. "I never threw it out. In fact, I found it when I was cleaning out my old bedroom at the Lair to make room for baby stuff. After I found it, I hid it under Raph's bed."

"Seriously?" April chuckled.

"Yeah! I figured it would make him laugh or gross him out then make him mad. Then, after I left, I figured it would give him a reason to call." With that, Don's mood went from lighthearted to melancholy in one fell swoop.

April put her hand on his knee. "I'm sure he hasn't found it yet. Raph has never been the cleanly type."

"No," Don considered. "He's not. But anyway, back to the matter at hand. Do you think that I should tell Valeria how I feel?"

April took a while to think. Don was always so tight-lipped about his feelings. She had always assumed that he just wasn't the romantic type. But, now that she thought about it, she remembered times that cracks may have formed in the protective wall that he had carefully built around his heart. She remembered one time after he had pulled yet another miracle out of his pocket, she had proclaimed that she could have kissed him. His response had been a stuttered "r-really?" as though he couldn't believe that anyone might consider that. That moment had stuck in her mind, but she was always afraid to examine it too deeply. He had sounded so surprised, so hopeful.

Then there were the few times that she had kissed him, only in a friendly manner, on the cheek. He always blushed. He always broke out in a massive grin. He usually looked at his feet. She chalked it up to shyness but were times that she suspected that he could possibly have a little crush on her. If he did, he never brought it up, and she had known better than to address it. She didn't want to break his heart. He was too young, too inexperienced. For his part, he seemed to know that it never would have worked out. And, it definitely wouldn't have. Not with her, anyway.

Valeria was not April, though. She was more age-appropriate, and it sounded like she had confessed a lot of personal things to Don. The two obviously cared about one another, but still. "I've never met her," April finally replied. "Who am I to know what she might want or how she might react?"

Don slumped. "I know. I guess that question wasn't fair."

"No. I was just saying that I can't speak to what's in her heart. But, I do know a lot about yours, and you've got a good one." April smiled. "All that stuff you said a few minutes ago, about how no one could ever care about you - nothing could be further from the truth, Don. You've got so much to offer. You're really special. She seems to know that too. I don't think that it would hurt to tell her how you feel."

The turtle perked up again. "Really?"

"Really. Just don't be too aggressive. Tell her what you think makes her special. Don't push too hard. Make sure she knows that you don't expect anything from her. If she tries to cut you off and stop you from talking, just drop it entirely and don't go back unless she leads you there."

"That sounds about right," Don replied. "If I do say something, I'll make it very clear that I'm not looking for a relationship or anything else in return from her."

"Why aren't you?" April asked. "If she does return your feelings, that is?"

Don began to move the hand that was resting on his belly up and down. "I suspect that I'll be pouring so much of myself into these little guys that there won't be anything left to give to someone else. Not to mention all the other obstacles. She's in Nevada, and I'm in New York. I have to live in hiding. Can't take her out to dinner and a movie, or to a museum or show. Even a walk during daylight hours would be difficult."

"You might be surprised how little all of that matters if she cares about you."

"I don't think she does." Don indicated his mutated and very pregnant body. "I mean look at me."

"Give yourself some credit, Donatello. Your personality is awesome, and you're really kind of cute," April complimented.

Don scoffed. "Yeah right."

"Really! You have a great smile, nice eyes, most guys would kill to have muscles like yours." April paused. "And your shell has these cool swirly patterns. It's nice and shiny."

Don chuckled. "Are you just telling me what you think I want to hear because it's Donatello weekend?"

"I'm telling you this because it's true. You and I both know that looks don't really matter. But even if they did, you're far from repulsive. Don't use it as an excuse to close yourself off," April advised. "Besides, I don't think that you're the type of guy who'd be attracted to someone so shallow that she couldn't see past your exterior."

"True," Don conceded. "It's not as though she's been afraid to be near me or anything. She's even hugged me, touched my arm, stuff like that."

April nodded. "Those are good signs."

Don made a thoughtful noise, then gazed deep into the night sky. "Maybe I will tell her then. Finding out that someone cares about you could only make you feel good, right? Besides, as much as we dance around the subject, there's always the possibility that I won't even be here in a few months. Why take something like this with me to the grave?"

"Way to go dark on me, Donatello," April complained.

"It's something that I've been meaning to discuss with you," Don persisted. "I don't have blinders on about any of this. I do know how risky it is. I know that you know the risks as well, and if the worst should happen, I want you to promise me that you won't beat yourself up over it."

"Donatello," April interjected.

"Really. I know that you said you were up for this, but if you change your mind, just say the word. I'll go off-planet. Heck, Leo would love that."

"It's okay, Don. I haven't changed my mind. I have faith in the plan that you and I have put together, but I know the risks too," April pledged. "I can't stand the thought of losing you, but if the worst should happen, I won't let it destroy me or anything."

"I just feel so guilty sometimes," Don lamented. "I'd like to think that the consequences of my decisions are only my own, but I know that they affect other people too - you, my family."

"I'll be okay," April promised. "I mean, I hate to think about it, but I'll be okay. I do wonder, though, if the babies live, but I can't save you, what do you want me to do with them?"

Don's voice broke a little. "I think that my brothers should decide. Even after everything that's happened, they might want that last part of me that I'm leaving behind in this world."

"I'd take them in, you know," April said.

Don smiled through tears. "I know." He took a deep breath. "But it's a huge commitment. You'd have to keep them hidden, pretty much give up your life. And I do think my brothers might want them. If not, and if you don't feel like you could handle them, there's always Usagi's planet."

"Okay," April said quietly. She and Casey wanted kids someday. She did worry that it would be an awfully big burden on her children to have to keep secrets about the turtles. That burden would be even bigger if some of those turtles were adoptive siblings.

"Just promise me that you won't let Bishop get his hands on them," Don requested.

"I won't," April promised. "Let's just drop this. It's an awfully heavy subject for Donatello weekend."

As usual, Donatello didn't sleep well that night. He was up before sunrise the next morning and did some yoga and chin-ups in the front yard. April slept in. When she went to make breakfast, she saw him from the kitchen window. At the time, he was doing some very slow forward and backward walkovers. He looked silly, as big as he was and still moving like that. She had to hand it to him, though, he looked pretty capable out there.

Despite his athletic prowess, he didn't bother to hide his pronounced waddle when he returned to the farmhouse. "Morning," he greeted.

"Morning. Been up a while?" April asked.

Don settled heavily into a chair. "Long enough. It was productive, though. I figured out a baby name."

April stood up straighter. "Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"Not yet," Don teased, "but, I think you'll approve."

April and Don both enjoyed the weekend. The fresh air, sunshine, and heart-to-heart conversations had done a world of good for Don. April was just happy that her friend was feeling better.

Casey had painted Don's apartment, as a surprise. It had been a dingy grey, and Casey had put a coat of off-white all over. "You can choose the final colors," Casey offered when Don and April entered. "This is just a primer."

Casey was taken aback when Don threw his arms around him. "I love it. So much brighter than before. Thank you!"

Casey scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, you're welcome. Had a good weekend then?"

"The best, but I missed my bathtub and I'm sure that your wife has had about enough of me. See you tomorrow night?"

"Uh okay. Glad you like the walls," Casey replied. April grinned at him and shrugged. To her, Don just seemed happy to be home. She was glad that he was starting to think of this place that way.