CHAPTER SEVEN
" Look who finally decided to show up," Raph said sarcastically. It was nearly seven thirty, well after dinnertime.
Don ignored the jibe and headed for the kitchen, " Did you guys leave me some dinner?" Don asked Leo and Mike who were doing the dishes.
Raph stood in the doorway a sneer on his face, " You have a lot of nerve coming back Don," he told his brother, " After what you said to me earlier."
Don turned to face him, " Look Raph, I know Garland's death was an accident and it was wrong of me to accuse you of murder. I'm sorry about that-so get off my back!"
Mike and Leo glanced at each other, surprised at Don's out of character outburst.
" Okay, okay," Raph muttered, " At least you apologised." then he stalked out of the kitchen and they heard his bedroom door slam.
Mike sighed, " I wish Splinter was here," he murmured and Leo patted him on the shoulder.
" I wish he was here too Mikey, but he needs his vacation. He was badly injured and a little peace and quiet on the farm will do him some good."
Don opened the fridge and pulled out a casserole dish with leftover macaroni and cheese. He proceeded to serve some on a plate and heated it in the microwave.
" So Donnie, where've you been?" Mike asked him.
" Around." Don said as the microwave finished heating his meal. He sat down at the table and began eating.
" Around where?" Mike pressed.
" C'mon Mikey, leave him alone so he can eat." Leo cautioned him.
" It's okay Leo…I was holed up in the library. They open late on Friday nights." Don told them.
Leo nodded, apparently satisfied with Don's excuse and left to practice in the dojo.
" What are you looking at?" Don asked Mike as he sat down at the kitchen table to eat.
" Nothing," Mike blurted, then decided to leave Don alone to eat-he was in a snappy mood.
* * *
" You were at Naomi's weren't you?" a voice demanded him a few minutes later. Raph had returned to get a drink and found Don eating and reading the day's paper.
Don looked up from his nearly finished meal, " So what if I was?" he countered, " What I do with my time is none of your business."
" You lied to Leo then," Raph crossed his arms, " lied right to his face. A bold move Donnie."
" How'd you know?" Don asked then realised Raph must have been eavesdropping.
" Look, if I were you, I'd stay away from her," Raph advised, " she's up to something rotten and even though I'm still mad at you, I wouldn't want you to get hurt by her or anythin' like that."
Don forced a smile, " Thanks Raph, but I can take care of myself."
" Whatever." Raph said, " If you don't wanna take my advice, then it's your loss." he sauntered out of the kitchen.
Don took another bite out of his dinner then pushed his plate away-it had gone cold.
The following morning, Leo called his brothers to the dojo. Raph was on time for once; Donatello was the one who late.
" Where is Don?" he asked Raph who was the last to walk in.
" Dunno." Raph answered sleepily, rubbing his eyes.
Leo frowned, " He'll be doing ten flips when he joins us." he told Raph.
" You know, you act just like Splinter." Raph grumbled under his breath as he grabbed his Sais.
" I heard that Raph!" Leo barked at him, " and just for that remark, you can do five flips for me."
Donnie joined them fifteen minutes later, " Morning." he mumbled.
" Don, you're late." Leo told him, " Ten flips."
" I slept in," Don muttered, " so sue me."
Leo frowned at him but didn't reply, " ten flips," he repeated, " Now."
Don did the ten flips, and then began sparring with Mike.
" Why'd you sleep in?" Mike asked him, " Couldn't sleep?"
" Yeah," Don thrust his Bo forward, knocking Mike's chucks out of his hands. Mike bent down to pick them up when Don kicked him in the head; causing Mike to fall to the floor on his rear end.
" Ow, what was that for?" Mike demanded, rubbing his head that now had a red mark.
" Just keeping you on your toes…Mike, you gotta stay focused."
" I was focused." Mike protested, " you didn't have to kick me in the head while I was picking my 'chucks up."
" A ninja has to stay alert at all times," Don reminded him slyly.
" Yeah, well, you've given me a headache," Mike grumbled, " What's with you Donnie? You're acting…totally un-Don-like."
" Nothing's 'with me' I'm acting the same as I'm always am," Don answered,
" Leo, can we change partners?" he called out to their leader.
Mike frowned but didn't comment. Donnie was acting weird-too weird, and he was going to find out why.
Leo cornered Don after training; Don was putting on his disguise, " Going somewhere?"
" Yes, as matter of fact I am." Don replied.
" You've been going out too often nowadays." Leo pointed out.
Don frowned at him, " Leo, for the past few weeks you and the others have been badgering me to get out and about and now you think I go out too much? Make up your damn mind Leo."
Leo blinked, Don rarely said the word 'damn' it was a word Raph often used. " Okay, Okay Raph." he muttered.
" Why'd you call me that?"
" Because you are acting too much like Raphael than the Donnie I know." Leo countered.
" Thanks for the insult." Don said, " I'll be so glad when Splinter comes back home, then you won't have to act like such a dictator." then he slapped his hat on his head and left the lair.
Don's anger subsided when he reached Naomi's apartment. He rang the doorbell rang and heard Naomi invite him in.
He opened the door, " Hi Naomi, how are-" the words died on his lips as he stared at the living room.
It was a total mess; books from shelves had scattered all over the carpet, the furniture had tipped over, clothes strewn about.
Don saw Naomi crouching in a corner of the living room, her long arms wrapped around her knees that were drawn up to her chest. Her eyes were closed and her face was white.
" Naomi?" Don rushed forward, " Naomi, what happened?"
Naomi's eyes opened slowly, " Don?" she whispered.
" Yes, it's me." Don gently took her in his arms, "Are you hurt?"
" No." she answered dully.
" Don't worry, I'll find the bastards who did this." Don promised as he hugged her closer to his body. She was trembling, obviously frightened. Don could not imagine what was going through getting robbed in the middle of daytime, while she was home! It was a miracle she didn't get attacked.
" Don, I-" Naomi hesitated, " it's not what you think."
" What do you mean?" Don looked around at the mess, " you got robbed...didn't you?"
Naomi shook her head, " No," she told him, " I didn't get robbed. It was someone else."
" Someone else did this, okay then. If you didn't get robbed, then who did it?"
Naomi lifted her face so that her eyes stared into his and for some reason Don felt a chill go through him.
" I did it."
" Look who finally decided to show up," Raph said sarcastically. It was nearly seven thirty, well after dinnertime.
Don ignored the jibe and headed for the kitchen, " Did you guys leave me some dinner?" Don asked Leo and Mike who were doing the dishes.
Raph stood in the doorway a sneer on his face, " You have a lot of nerve coming back Don," he told his brother, " After what you said to me earlier."
Don turned to face him, " Look Raph, I know Garland's death was an accident and it was wrong of me to accuse you of murder. I'm sorry about that-so get off my back!"
Mike and Leo glanced at each other, surprised at Don's out of character outburst.
" Okay, okay," Raph muttered, " At least you apologised." then he stalked out of the kitchen and they heard his bedroom door slam.
Mike sighed, " I wish Splinter was here," he murmured and Leo patted him on the shoulder.
" I wish he was here too Mikey, but he needs his vacation. He was badly injured and a little peace and quiet on the farm will do him some good."
Don opened the fridge and pulled out a casserole dish with leftover macaroni and cheese. He proceeded to serve some on a plate and heated it in the microwave.
" So Donnie, where've you been?" Mike asked him.
" Around." Don said as the microwave finished heating his meal. He sat down at the table and began eating.
" Around where?" Mike pressed.
" C'mon Mikey, leave him alone so he can eat." Leo cautioned him.
" It's okay Leo…I was holed up in the library. They open late on Friday nights." Don told them.
Leo nodded, apparently satisfied with Don's excuse and left to practice in the dojo.
" What are you looking at?" Don asked Mike as he sat down at the kitchen table to eat.
" Nothing," Mike blurted, then decided to leave Don alone to eat-he was in a snappy mood.
* * *
" You were at Naomi's weren't you?" a voice demanded him a few minutes later. Raph had returned to get a drink and found Don eating and reading the day's paper.
Don looked up from his nearly finished meal, " So what if I was?" he countered, " What I do with my time is none of your business."
" You lied to Leo then," Raph crossed his arms, " lied right to his face. A bold move Donnie."
" How'd you know?" Don asked then realised Raph must have been eavesdropping.
" Look, if I were you, I'd stay away from her," Raph advised, " she's up to something rotten and even though I'm still mad at you, I wouldn't want you to get hurt by her or anythin' like that."
Don forced a smile, " Thanks Raph, but I can take care of myself."
" Whatever." Raph said, " If you don't wanna take my advice, then it's your loss." he sauntered out of the kitchen.
Don took another bite out of his dinner then pushed his plate away-it had gone cold.
The following morning, Leo called his brothers to the dojo. Raph was on time for once; Donatello was the one who late.
" Where is Don?" he asked Raph who was the last to walk in.
" Dunno." Raph answered sleepily, rubbing his eyes.
Leo frowned, " He'll be doing ten flips when he joins us." he told Raph.
" You know, you act just like Splinter." Raph grumbled under his breath as he grabbed his Sais.
" I heard that Raph!" Leo barked at him, " and just for that remark, you can do five flips for me."
Donnie joined them fifteen minutes later, " Morning." he mumbled.
" Don, you're late." Leo told him, " Ten flips."
" I slept in," Don muttered, " so sue me."
Leo frowned at him but didn't reply, " ten flips," he repeated, " Now."
Don did the ten flips, and then began sparring with Mike.
" Why'd you sleep in?" Mike asked him, " Couldn't sleep?"
" Yeah," Don thrust his Bo forward, knocking Mike's chucks out of his hands. Mike bent down to pick them up when Don kicked him in the head; causing Mike to fall to the floor on his rear end.
" Ow, what was that for?" Mike demanded, rubbing his head that now had a red mark.
" Just keeping you on your toes…Mike, you gotta stay focused."
" I was focused." Mike protested, " you didn't have to kick me in the head while I was picking my 'chucks up."
" A ninja has to stay alert at all times," Don reminded him slyly.
" Yeah, well, you've given me a headache," Mike grumbled, " What's with you Donnie? You're acting…totally un-Don-like."
" Nothing's 'with me' I'm acting the same as I'm always am," Don answered,
" Leo, can we change partners?" he called out to their leader.
Mike frowned but didn't comment. Donnie was acting weird-too weird, and he was going to find out why.
Leo cornered Don after training; Don was putting on his disguise, " Going somewhere?"
" Yes, as matter of fact I am." Don replied.
" You've been going out too often nowadays." Leo pointed out.
Don frowned at him, " Leo, for the past few weeks you and the others have been badgering me to get out and about and now you think I go out too much? Make up your damn mind Leo."
Leo blinked, Don rarely said the word 'damn' it was a word Raph often used. " Okay, Okay Raph." he muttered.
" Why'd you call me that?"
" Because you are acting too much like Raphael than the Donnie I know." Leo countered.
" Thanks for the insult." Don said, " I'll be so glad when Splinter comes back home, then you won't have to act like such a dictator." then he slapped his hat on his head and left the lair.
Don's anger subsided when he reached Naomi's apartment. He rang the doorbell rang and heard Naomi invite him in.
He opened the door, " Hi Naomi, how are-" the words died on his lips as he stared at the living room.
It was a total mess; books from shelves had scattered all over the carpet, the furniture had tipped over, clothes strewn about.
Don saw Naomi crouching in a corner of the living room, her long arms wrapped around her knees that were drawn up to her chest. Her eyes were closed and her face was white.
" Naomi?" Don rushed forward, " Naomi, what happened?"
Naomi's eyes opened slowly, " Don?" she whispered.
" Yes, it's me." Don gently took her in his arms, "Are you hurt?"
" No." she answered dully.
" Don't worry, I'll find the bastards who did this." Don promised as he hugged her closer to his body. She was trembling, obviously frightened. Don could not imagine what was going through getting robbed in the middle of daytime, while she was home! It was a miracle she didn't get attacked.
" Don, I-" Naomi hesitated, " it's not what you think."
" What do you mean?" Don looked around at the mess, " you got robbed...didn't you?"
Naomi shook her head, " No," she told him, " I didn't get robbed. It was someone else."
" Someone else did this, okay then. If you didn't get robbed, then who did it?"
Naomi lifted her face so that her eyes stared into his and for some reason Don felt a chill go through him.
" I did it."