It was just passed eight in the evening and Don was taking his turn in the den. He had eaten his dinner earlier so he could focus on his striken brother. He was watching him intently, concern etched deep in his face as Raph tossed and turned. The pain starting to resurface again.

The tea Leo had give him had medicinal properties and an natural additive that encouraged sleep. If Raph had been awake, the healing affect of the tea would be weakened. It worked best on a sleeping subject. The tea was only good for about eight hours, though, and the end of Raph's second dose was close at hand. He was now starting to come out of his induced slumber.

Raph was moaning a great deal, mumbling incoherantly with a few intangible words here and there. But nothing that Don could piece together to determine if maybe Raph was reenacting the beating.

Leo walked in during one of Raph's more active cycles. Don was trying to keep him from flailing himself out of the bed. He said in desperation as he attempted to hold his unconscious brother down, " Get more of that tea - Leo....quick!"

Leo yelled for Mike and Devon. The two came running into the house and down the hallway to the den while Leo went quickly to the kitchen to prepare more of his herbal tea.



" NO!" Raph yelled, the first unmangled word he had uttered. "GET OFF - !" Some more words. He was wreathing in agony, the pain of his injuries knifing through his tea-induced sleep. Don, Mike, and Devon were trying to hold him down, but the big brute was becoming unmanageable.

Out of concern and curiousity, Gabby had followed Devon and Mike inside the house. Seth had wanted to help, but Mike told him they had it covered. "Too many cooks in the kitchen...but, if we need back up, we'll holler for ya!" Mike told him.

Seth's history with Raph made it easy for him to cooperate. Raph was quite lethal when he wanted to be and with his current state, Seth had no qualms about keeping out of the den!

Gabby now stood near the door to the busy room, watching the chaos. She had her hand over her mouth, stifling a cry and trying not to be in the way. She heard Leo coming and stepped off to one side so she wouldn't be an obstacle.

"You need to go back out on the patio, Gabby!" Leo told her and then he went into the den, teapot and cup in hand.

She was determined stayed where she was this time. Gabby was rifling through the medical books in her mind, trying to discern what better course of action to take rather than the ones they were implementing. How to calm a person, how to ease their anxiety, what she could do to help. She didn't like the idea of keeping Raph asleep when he may have other problems only his coherent mind could tell them! Where he wasn't hooked up to monitors, Gabby believed that having him awake was better - pain and all! She believed his current state was directly related to his need to be awake! And he was getting more physical in the attempt.

She saw Leo move uncharacteristically too close to Raph with the teapot. In one single action, Raph's left hand broke free from Mike's grasp and swung out at Leo. He missed his brother, but did manage to connect with the pot. It went flying across the room, crashing into the opposite wall, disintegrating into miniscule pieces. However, the hot tea splashed everyone inside the den and in that moment, out of pure reflex to the hot liquid, they let go of Raph! He started to flail uncontrollably.

Suddenly, like a soft whisper gently enveloping the air around them, the four who were trying to restrain Raphael, heard - singing. It was light, airy, precise in tone, and soothing. They turned towards the direction of the door and saw that it was coming from Gabriella! She had her eyes closed as she read the notes on the sheet of music she was visualizing. She did not want to be distracted by watching Raph's agony, so she focused on just the words of the song and it's inflections.

The song, Winter Light, floated gently through the room, Gabby's soprano voice barely audible but penetrating. She forgot about the others who were in the den. Her only thought was for Raphael. His torment became her torment. She remembered well how her voice, her singing, had helped to ease the professor's discomfort when he was sick with pnemonia years ago. It was like a balm for his soul, he had told her at the time.

Raph seemed to hear her and gradually relaxed! He was still in pain, but the soothing words of the gentle voice that filled the room comforted him. He moaned slightly, Leo taking his hand and squeezing it. Raph squeezed back to affirm he was aware!

Gabriella finished the song; it did as much to calm her as it did Raph - and everyone else in the den! They were transfixed, surprised beyond words! Don knew that she could sing, but he never realized she could sing that well! He just stared at her, transfixed and slightly awed.

" That- that was beautiful, Gabby!" Don exclaimed softly, clearly surprised. Leo and Mike were still speechless and Devon just stared open-mouthed.

Raph moaned once more and then seemed to come out of his sleep. " Wh-what was that?" he asked wistfully, barely able to get the words out.

"Gabby, Raph. It was Gabby. You okay, Bro?" Mike asked.

Seeing that Raph had come out of his sleep and was now calm, Gabriella silently left the room, unnoticed because everyone's attention was on Raphael.



Seth watched her as she walked out from the house. She seemed to not notice him as she headed in the direction of the portico. He saw her expression and decided not to intrude. Something happened back in the house, he could sense that. But, whatever it was, he felt she needed time to be alone. He would play catch-up with her later. Instead, Seth went back into the house to see how things were going with Raph and to maybe find out what happened with his cousin.

The vines growing on the portico were not too thick, so it allowed the stars and the full moon to shine through. Gabby sat there on the bench in contemplation, a lump in her throat as she considered the past two days and what happened in the den.

The song she sang brought back a flood of memories for her and she didn't want to share them, or her response to it, with anyone back in the house. Gabriella still missed the professor, her mentor, and her surrogate father. She was concerned for him, not knowing if he was alright since there had been little time to call him. Too many things had happened.

Yet, she felt drawn to Raphael, too! Gabby had a heart for those who were ill or injured, the professor had made that observation to her. The many sickly birds she would nurse, or try to nurse, back to health. The mice that were up in the attic! It was a bane to the professor, since the rodents were a major problem for him, but Gabby didn't have the heart to snap trap them. She always found ways to capture them in the most gentle fashion. Then, her father would have the job of releasing them. It always involved a drive out to the country though - which Gabby was more than willing to participate in!

As she reminisced, it only made her melocholy worse. But, she refused to cry. Here at Mike's with everyone trying to help her adjust - Don's temper notwithstanding - it just seemed like a moot point at best.

After a while, a gentle hand stoked her back and a body sat down next to her on the bench. " You did a wonderful thing back there, Gabby!" It was Don. His expression still showed surprise, but it had also softened towards her. " I didn't know you could sing that well!"

" That s'kay." she said, her throat tight against her words.

Don sat thoughtfully, his hands in his lap, staring ahead at the vines that grew on the oppposite side of the structure. " Guess I was so busy trying to train you that I didn't take the time to find out what you could do! I'm sorry!"

" Me, too! I deserved most of what you ...." she stopped, catching him looking at her. She was truely repentent, but there was still some residual resentment brewing. Gabby realized in that moment that she needed to be completely responsible for her behavior, even if Don had overstated his postion with her at times. He had been the first person in her life to challenge her effectively in that area. Though she was still very apprehensive being around him, she had to acknowledge that, in a way, she respected him. She corrected herself, " No, I deserved all of it!" and sighed, looking down at her lap. "I still want to go back home, though!" and she smiled up at him, " But not until the professor is well. Do you think I could call him now?" Her eyes were imploring and Don couldn't resist their depth. He was seeing maturity for the first time and it pleased him!

" Sure! Let's go make that call!" he stated. He helped her up and walked her towards the house.

Rahab was wiping down one of the patio tables from dinner and watched them approach from the portico as Mike came out through the patio doors.

" Is Raph okay?" Rahab asked her husband as he sidled up to her and gave her a peck on the back of her neck.

" Yeah. He's awake. Leo lost one of your teapots, though." Mike offered as casually as he could.

Stopping her clean-up, Rahab asked, her voice just a bit edgy, "How?"

"Ah, he - ah- dropped it! I just cleaned it up. I'll get you a new one, okay? Anyway, Leo's changed the tea so it will only keep the pain under control but allow Raph to stay awake if he wants to. " her husband explained.

" Has he been able to say what happened to him, yet?" Rahab asked as she finished cleaning up and turned towards Mike.

"Leo doesn't want to press him for details. That'll come, eventually. Probably voluntarily, if I know Raph!" Mike stated as he put his arm around his wife's waste.

Don and Gabby then passed by the couple; Gabby's expression pensive. She was thinking about what the phone call to the professor would yield, concerned about the kind of news she would learn regarding her father's health. She was still upset about his having to go into surgery, which only suggested that his condition was far worse than he had told her!

" What's Gabby in trouble for now?" Rahab whispered to Mike as she watched them go into the house.

" Nothing. But, she did just about the most important thing she's done since arriving!" Mike replied, smiling.

"What would that be?" his wife asked, her eyes widening expectantly.

" She gave of herself!" and Mike nugded his wife playfully and kissed her affectionately.



" So he's sleeping?" Don was asking as he talked to the ward nurse at the hospital. " Hmmm... I see. Well, just let him know when he wakes up that his daughter, Gabriella, wishes him well." There was a moment where Don was just listening. Then, " Yes, I'll tell her that. Okay, thank you very much." Don hung up the phone. He turned to Gabby who was obviously disappointed; he could see it in her eyes. " He's resting. They have him on morphine right now. It's part of the treatment, Gabby. He did ask for you, though, in post op! "

Gabriella's face momentarily brightened, but she was still very concerned for her father and she missed the sound of his voice, as well.. She didn't say anything since there wasn't much she could do about the situation. She sighed and sat down on a kitchen bar stool. " Just wish I was there for him." she mused.

" Yes, I know, but I can't impress upon you enough the kind of care I am making sure he gets. They know me there, Gabby. I practically own that hospital with my financial gifts! They're going to be doing heroics to pull him through. We just have to be patient and wait it out!" He looked at her and saw growth where the day before there was stagnation. He suggested, " Maybe you could help Raph right now! He's needing more care than we have energy to give. It's been a tough twelve hours for everyone!" He was not necessarily telling the truth since he and his brothers had the stamina and fortitude to stick it out indefinately. But he wanted Gabriella to redirect her focus away from what she did not have control over to something she could be more productive with.

" Okay, I guess I could do that. I've memorized several of the professor's books on medicine that he kept around the house. " Gabby looked down at her hands, her attention more on the professor.

" I was thinking more of just keeping him company! He liked your singing, by the way!"

" He did?" she looked up at that. " Really?"

" Yep, really. Actually, we all did, but I'd rather you just worry about Raphael right now!" Don smiled and patted her hand. " Go, spend time with - him!" He had so wanted to say ' your father' but held himself in check. More than anything, he wanted Gabriella to come to that conclusion herself. She was not stupid. There had certainly been enough clues for her to put it together, that was certain.

Raph was resting comfortably and his eyes were closed. Gabby shuddered at how black and blue they were. The brusing made an interesting color combination against his green skin, but it still looked awful to her. She sat quietly down on a nearby chair, watching him breath, which still had a strong and steady rhythm. She allowed herself to study his face. The swelling had reduced considerably, almost revealing Raphael's true features. "Leo's tea must have medicinal properties in it", she thought, " I'd like to know what he puts in it!"

Gabriella picked up a magazine that was on a table and leafed through it quickly. She rarely read these collection of novelties and advertisements. She prefered more interesting topics, like 'A Brief History of Time' or 'War and Peace'. But, being a bit bored, she thought it would be good exercise to flex her memory once more. Once Gabby had the magazine properly stored in her head, she put it down.

Yachts! The magazine showed many styles and sizes with some having everything including pools! They seemed so massive and imposing. Impressive, yes! Yet, who would want to be out on the expanse of the ocean in a boat that seemed tiny in comparison? She shuddered at the thought, too informed about the sea and the 'things' that lurked there. Going out on a boat was not something she dreamt of doing in her lifetime, much less going into the ocean itself!

Gabby closed her eyes, the stress from the night before creeping in. She sat there, listening to her breathing, listening to Raph. She opened her eyes for a moment and noticed that he had turned his head towards her. Raphael was still resting, his eyes fluttering as he dreamt of things only he was aware of. Gabriella stared a long time at him. Since he had left the plane only two days ago - was it only two days? - she never really had a chance to observe him. She had been so frightened. Now, he was here and not going anywhere for some time. He looked completely helpless.

As she studied him, she observed something. He looked familiar for some reason. She leaned forward to sharpen her focus and then went more meticulously over his features. There was a large ornate mirror across from her near the entryway to the den. Gabby walked over to it and compared her face with Raph's. There were definate similarities. Another thought came to her.

Don was not her father, she just knew that for some reason. Neither was Mike, his personality was way to upbeat and, though Gabby had a sense of humor, she was too confrontational. Couldn't be him. Leo? No, Seth and his father were so much alike in temperment that she knew instictively she could not be Leo's daughter. Raphael had that swagger, though, even an attitude with the way he trudged up the stairs after her in Connecticut. His opening her bedroom door and, then, the closet door certainly determined he was tenacious when prompted to be so. She remembered what she said the first time she saw Raph. She actually noticed that they looked similar even then. But at that time, she was just noticing the species and not the individual - or, was she?

Gabby had been cheeky with him, giving him a sassy answer to every comment he made. He, in turn, seemed equal to the task!

Gabby then took a sudden breath and realized - that Raphael, the 'Italian' turtle, the one who could open locked doors with hardly any effort - was none other than her biological father! She walked backwards towards her chair in surprise with her revelation, stumbling against it as she forgot where it was. She lost her balance and fell into it, but at an angle, nearly knocking over the small lamp that was on the table next to the chair. In her attempt to grab the lamp before it fell, she knocked it against the wall. It didn't break, but it made a rather loud clunk.

Gabriella righted the lamp and, making sure it was stable, turned back around towards Raph. He was awake and looking right at her!

" Hi." Raph said weakly. " Guess it's your turn, eh?"

Gabriella was still trying to sort out her feelings. Her newest discovery was going to take some time getting used to. It wasn't that she didn't like Raph, but there had been other feelings there she had not wanted to own up to. Now, she had to do the proverbial backpeddling to regroup her thoughts. She finally answered him, " Ah, yeah, my turn. How are you feeling?"

" I hurt all over. I don't think there's a square centimeter that doesn't ache! Other than that, I'm ready for round two!" and he smiled weakly at his joke.

Gabby laughed a little, glad to see he still had a sense of humor, "Well, you might have lost the fight but at least you kept your wit!"

Raph didn't react at first. He studied Gabriella for a moment. Then, he said softly, " Yeah, guess I did, didn't I!" He was quiet. His thoughts a whirl with all that had happened. Raph finally remarked, " Heard you sing to me! First time anyone ever did that!" and he smiled.

Gabriella shrugged, " Seemed like the right thing to do, under the circumstances. You were getting pretty wild there!"

" Hope I didn't scare you too much, Gabby!" Raph asked her, concerned.

"It was quite - impressive! Glad I wasn't on the receiving end like that teapot!" she giggled a little.

" Tea pot?" he asked, confused.

"Leo's special tea. He had made some for you and he was bringing it in when you pulled away from Mike. You slammed your fist into the teapot and knocked it out of Leo's hand. It went crashing into the wall! It was quite a sight with everyone getting hit with the hot water!" She started sniggering, remembering the 'dance' they did, but then she sobered at the memory of Raph going beserk. " That's when I thought singing might calm you down. Always worked with the professor."

" Oh, I see....hmm....I hope the teapot wasn't one of Rahab's favorites! We've been getting along pretty well lately; I'd like to keep it that way!" Raph commented.

" I don't know." Gabriella offered. Then, she asked cautiously, " Umm... do you remember anything from last night - what happened to you and all?"

Raph was silent for a moment, obviously straining to think about it. He shook his head, " No, not a thing. Funny, isn't it? I see my arm in a cast and I hurt like nobody's business, but I can't for the life of me remember how I got this way!" He seemed very contrite, as if he had done something wrong. " I hope the other guy looks worse!" and he smiled weakly.

" Oh, then that would be pretty bad, I'm sure!" Gabby grinned back. Then, "Maybe once you heal up and the swelling goes down around your head, you'll remember more!" Gabby commented. She looked at him, he was obviously very distressed over the course of events, more so because he just couldn't remember. " Don't worry about it, though. The important thing is to heal!" she entreated softly.

" Well, I'm certainly not going to be going anywhere, so I guess I'll take your advice, Dr. Gabby!" and he laughed.

She blushed and then asked him, " Is there anything that you need that I can get for you?"

Raph thought about it and then answered, ' Yeah, but I think Leo or one of the other guys are going to have to help me with that!" he smiled faintly.

It took a moment and then she understoond, her face flushing a little, " Be back in a sec!" and left to go get Leo. Raph looked after her.

He liked her and saw big changes in how she was behaving. He wished for all the world he could tell her so, but most importantly, Raph wanted Gabriella to know who he was to her. He wondered, too, how the heck he managed to get home!

" Can't remember a thing!" Mike cursed.

Don interjected, " But it may come back to him eventually!"

Leo agreed, " It may just be the swelling, too. Once that completely subsides, I think he'll be able to recall details more clearly!"

" What exactly was he doing in San Francisco, Don?" Rahab asked.

" Meeting some guy about a gig down there. Was interested in hiring his group. As an aside, though, I never expected Raph to have musical talent, let alone be able to play a sax! " and Don smiled, looking over at Gabriella.

She was over on one of the couches, talking with Seth. Devon was staying with Raph for the moment.

It appeared that Devon's acerbic attitude towards his father had abated since his father had been so severely injured. He had been eager for his turn in the den and was now about an thirty minutes into his watch.

Riahna was engaged with a television program, thoroughly entrenched. Her interest in Gabby had taken a back seat to what she was currently watching. Her ability to focus on a single task was somewhat challenged by her autism, so it was no surprise to the rest of the family when she had abruptly jumped off the couch to plop on the floor in front of the T.V.. Gabby had actually enjoyed the attention her younger cousin had been paying her for the past hour or so. It was quite surprising to see the girl quickly remove herself from being next to her. But, she graciously allowed Riahna to change allegiances when the program came on.

Rahab noticed Don looking at Gabby, which prompted her to lean towards him and whisper quietly, counting on the noise from the telelvision to drown out her words to the younger adults, "When are you going to tell her? She needs to know, Don!"

Don sat back in his chair and shook his head, practically mouthing the words, " Not yet. I really want her to figure it out first." The look Rahab gave him made Don feel very uneasy, but he held his ground. He looked back determined, " I think it's best! She knows that one of us four is her father, that much is certain!"

Just then, Devon came in and they heard him speak to Gabby, " Raph wants to see you, Gabs."

The three turtles and Rahab turned towards the family room and watched as their niece responded to the invitation. She excused herself from Seth's company and left the room for the den.

Leo had been observing that his son and Gabby were spending quite a bit of time together. He watched her leave the room, thoughtfully considering a talk he was going to have to have with Seth - but, first, he would confer with Don! He was relieved his niece had found a friend within the family, but the fact that they were opposite genders could prove a problem.



" You asked for me?" Gabriella inquired of Raph as she came into the room.

" Yeah, have a seat. Need to talk about stuff." he instructed. He smiled weakly at her, observing how she moved, the flow of her hair, the expression on her face. She seemed more together right now than what he had seen two days before. It seemed like an eternity and wondered what had transpired here at Mike's to bring such an abrupt, but pleasing change. Raph was pretty sure Don had something to do with it.

His brother had discussed his planes for Gabby with Raph after she had fallen asleep on the flight out west. He assured him then that, even though the tough approach was going to be necessary because of Gabriella's strong inclinations to rebel, he would not injure her. Don was going to do everything in his power to push her to the limit. Considering Gabby's sudden transformation in behavior, Raph wondered how far his brother had pushed since they'd arrived! He was definetly going to have a talk with Donny-boy to bring himself up to speed on Gabby.

Right now, though, he knew the time had come to discuss something else of far greater importance.

She took a seat the chair she was in earlier and waited. She noticed that he seemed more alert. It surprised her because most patients felt worse at night and it was after nine in the evening already.

Raph began, " We were instructed not to say anything to you about this until such time that we felt you were ready. But since this is more my business than Don's, I'm usurping him for the moment. I need to tell you something. It's been bugging me since I woke up a while ago. The fact of the matter is, it scares me to death because I don't know how you're going to react. I like you, Gabby - you have a lot of spunk. I was more than impressed with you ingenuity in Connecticut with you trying to keep away from Don and me. Let me tell you somethin', that's not an easy thing to do!!" and he had a glint in his eye that confirmed he was being sincere.

Gabby looked down at her cuticles, remembering all too well how abominably she had behaved, " I'm sorry about that! Just panicked. Wish I had known about all of you ahead of time - might have gone differently, then!" she lamented, looking up at him for a moment. Gabby saw the concern in his eyes, but looked back down at her hands sheepishly.

Raph assured her, " Maybe, but, hey, we were both aware that being raised by Professor Perry, your entire outlook on the world was going to be through a human perspective. You'd never seen anything like us before in your life! Well, except for when you looked in a mirror, maybe. But, even then, you look more human than we do! I don't think being forewarned would have done much good. In fact, I think you would have been worse off for it!" Raph then paused.

Gabriella looked away, his comments bringing back all that emotion, the panic, the fear of leaving, the terror of meeting this strange family of reptiles. It hadn't been that long ago, so it was still rather fresh in her mind! He was right, though, and also correct about how she looked at the world. She was, in her own opinion, human. But, the outside world would have never seen her that way, Gabby had finally come to realized that last evening when Raph had been beaten nearly to a pulp. It only made her more paranoid about humans because of it!

Raph continued, "So, what I am about to tell you is...." and before he could even say it, she said it for him, looking confidently at Raph, "You're my father. I know, I figured it out just before you woke up the last time I was in here."

His face brightened and then became serious. He asked her, " Sooo...how do you feel about that?"

Gabby hesitated to answer. She thought about the professor and how she looked to him as her father. How could she replace him? That was the struggle she was having; what she wrestled over since she made the connection. The professor had sacrificed his career for her, his peace of mind, and his social life - just to raise her and ensure her safety. Now, Gabby thought she had to make a choice, or so it seemed.

" I don't know what to do about it. The professor has spent a good part of his life raising me. I can't just turn my back on him!" She was getting meloncholy again, her eyes welling up with tears.

Raph reached over with his good arm and took her hands, " Oh, no, I'm not asking you to chose me over him or visa versa. I mean, I won't take up too much room in your heart, I hope. But I would like to get to know you a little better! Gosh, when I found out about you, it was like I had won the lottery or somethin'!" and he grinned.

Gabriella smiled in relief. She had been slowly coming around to the idea of having two dads since she pieced the puzzle together earlier. But knowing now that Raph did not want to replace the professor made the idea a little more bareable for her.

" So, now what?" she asked.

"Hmm...good question. Guess we could talk, share, you could sing to me maybe? What kind of songs do you like to sing?" Raph asked.

" I like Serena Brightwell and awful lot!!" Gabby brightened.

" Hey, you know something - that's who I thought I was listen'n to when I was coming out of Leo's tea-sleep! Wow, you sound just like her, too! Say, do you know her piece, Dans Le Nuit? It's French and I know that you...."

"Yes! I love that one, it's very ethereal." and she began to share the song with Raph, lightly, softly, quietly so as not to draw attention from those in the other room.

He smiled appreciatively and triumphantly. He had won her over, the only thing that mattered right now. He would have gone through the past twenty-four hours all over again just to experience the wonderful feeling he was having now - except for the pain and being in bed, and having his arm in a cast, and.....!

However, the acoustics in Mike's house were such that even a faint whisper would have been hard to miss. The song floated through the foyer and into the other room where the rest of the family sat. All conversations stopped so as to hear every note. Even Riahna turned away from the television, listening to the singing!

Gabriella stayed with Raph until he had finally fallen asleep. He was getting better and seemed to not have any other problems except for maybe some pain and his headaches, which was probably due to the concussion he sustained. Now, he was enjoying a natural sleep and not one herbally induced.

Raph normally would have fought laying down so much, but Leo had admonished him earlier, telling him that if he ever wanted to remember who had done this to him, he'd better rest! The bed-ridden turtle conceeded, conditionally, as long as Leo made sure that he was comfortable and that was the rub! Leo decided to play along if it meant complete recovery for his brother! And Raph milked it for all he was worth!



After Raph fell asleep, Gabriella went back to the family room. It was about ten o'clock in the evening, but after realizing earlier that Raph was her father, she was wide awake! She noticed that Mike and Rahab were gone - probably both going to bed with such a long and tiring day behind them.

She also saw that Leo was sitting at the breakfast bar talking with Don. Riahna must have retired to her room for the night, as well. Gabby noticed that while Seth and Devon were outside by the pool, talking. She decided to go on out to visit with them.

" How's Raph, Gabby?" Don asked when he noticed her as she walked towards the patio door.

" Sleeping. Seems to be getting better!" and she smiled. She had a different look about her, Leo noticed. He watched her go out towards the doors and wondered why Raph had called her in there.

"So.... he's just sleeping, then?" he asked, then realizing she had just said that.

Gabby looked back at him and asked, " Are you all right? I think I just said he was!" and she smiled, cocking her head to one side.

Don nudge his brother to emphasize how stupid that question was. " Okay, so I don't know what to ask her! Hang me for crying out loud!" Leo whispered between clenched teeth, embarrased.

Don, a bit bolder, quickly diverted Gabriella from heading out to the patio with a question, " Did he just want you to sing to him, Gabby? That was nice, by the way!"

She considered the question, wondering what it was Don wanted to know. Gabby knew that he was aware of her parentage, based on what Raph had said to her earlier. She was just a bit miffed that Don had kept it from her. Thinking of a good reply, she answered, " Thank you, I'm glad you liked the song! " she said. But, as she opened the patio door to go out to join her cousin and half-brother by the pool, she added, " and if you ever find out who my mother is, please don't hesitate to tell me, okay?!" and she slid the door closed behind her.

Don sat there chargined and put in his place. He muttered, " Point taken!" and sipped his tea. Leo just smiled and punched his brother in the arm, sipping his tea!

"Hey!" Seth called out as he saw Gabby walk up.

"Hey, back!" she answered and sat down with them by the pool, but she chose to sit next to Devon instead!

Seth was confused! He and Gabby had become good freinds over the course of just a few days. When he had seen her walk up, he half expected her to sit next to him. He was just slightly put out with her sitting next to his brother - and he didn't know why, either. "What's THAT all about, anyway?" he mused to himself, "Why should I care who she sits next to?" It was all very confusing.

Devon was still a little ticked over the morning events, being snubbed - according to him - with the inside joke. Later in the day, he had asked Seth what was so funny and why they were laughing so hard. But, his brother had refused to tell him anything. It irritated Devon a lot and, consequently, he had been somewhat broody the rest of afternoon because of it.

" So, bro, what's happening?" she asked her half brother, giving him a mock slug in his arm. She winced and rubbed her hand; his arm was as solid as a rock!

" HA, they told you, eh?!" Devon smiled big, wrapping his arm around Gabby's shoulder and giving her a hug.

" Naw, figured it out myself earlier today. Raph was going to tell me tonight when he called me in, but I beat him to the punch!" Gabby laughed. " He's sleeping right now. I think he's doing better, too! That tea of Leo's is pretty powerful!"

Seth looked over at her and smiled big, understanding, now, why she chose to sit next to his brother. It was official, now! Gabrieall knew and everyone could now relax and just be themselves. He liked her and noticed that she had a keen sense of humor. She was absolutely no dummy, either. Seth had thought over her sharp comeback from the night before and decided that she would fit in nicely with the family.

Initially, Seth was concerned that she would see them all as freaks. He had his own experience with people who thought of him that way. It would have been terrible if one of his own, because she was raised by a human, came to that same perspective.

"So, have you told Don and Leo? I know Leo's been wanting to tell you but Don's been making us keep a lid on it!" Seth asked.

Gabby smiled, " In a manner of speaking!" She laughed, thinking of the expression on Don's face just moments before! He looked very much put on the spot!

Devon yawned and then declared, "Well, guys, it's getting late and I need my z's for work tomorr'a! So, enjoy the evening, what's left of it!" and he stood up and went back into the house.

Seth and Gabby stayed out by the pool, talking about family. Gabby, now that she knew who her biological father was, mused about her mother. " It's a full circle thing, I guess. Wanting to know about your beginnings. I look at us, all of us, and - wonder why? When I was living with the professor, he shared some insight, something about a mutegenic gel. He never would go into details about it, though, other than saying it helped make me who I was. Never said anything about you and your family! I didn't realize there were more like me!" She paused, reflecting upon the loneliness she had experienced for years, " I really believed that I was one-of-a-kind! I think it may be the reason why I was so angry all the time!" Gabby looked at Seth and then added, " Glad I was wrong!" She was going to mock slug Seth in the arm, but noticed that he was just as well built as Devon. She reconsidered and just kept her hands to herself, looking down at the edge of the pool.

Seth commented, " Uncle Don's been trying to find out everything you just hit on. He discovered a few years ago that Mike is the only one not related to them! Don and the others came from the same clutch of eggs, though."

" Fathered by the same male turtle?" Gabby asked. She knew that in the wild, some female animals were persued by more than one interested male. It was just the nature of things.

Seth was quiet, looking at her as if he had never thought about that. He finally said, getting excited at the thought, " I know that Don would have looked into that aspect of it. But, maybe the tests he did was to only find if they were born from the same clutch. You know something, it would be really interesting to find out if there were multiple fathers in that bunch! I'm sure, since they were born at a pet sho and how those shops reproduce their stock, there could have been more than one! Wow, great idea, Gabby!"

"What's a great idea, Seth?" Don asked as he ventured outside. Leo had decided to call it a night, but Don was still in the mood to talk - which was very unusual for Don! He had just overheard Seth's last remark when he ventured out to the patio.

"Oh, Gabby and I were talking beginnings. Since she knows now that Raph is her dad, she's been mulling over things - you know, like where you and my dad and the others originated, stuff like that."

Don didn't look too amused. He had run that topic into the ground years ago, ending that quest with a satisfactory answer and understanding of his origins. He had finally called it quits.

The the next thing Seth told him, however, reignited his curiousity, " So, Gabby asked, when I told her that you, my dad, and Raph were all from the same clutch of eggs, she asked if it was by the same male turtle or if there were multiple fathers!! Did your tests reveal anything about that??"

Don looked down at Gabby and smiled, " No, I only verified the female who laid the eggs! Huh! Who would have thought. What prompted you to consider the father aspect, Gabby?"

She looked at him and said, " Just did. I mean, in the wild, there would be more than one male persuing a female. Survival of the fittest. That's just the way it works, from what I understand, anyway."

Don looked pleased with her point of view. He chuckled and said, " You know, I was through with that subject. But, now, you have given me a new perspective! I'm going to call Gaele tomorrow and get her working on this! "

The next thing that happened, surprised both Seth and Gabby!

Don wedged his way in between them - somewhat deliberately, too!

They reluctantly moved to the side to allow him room, not sure what he was up to. It seemed completely out of character for Don.

Seth was a bit apprehensive and Gabby more so, given her recent experiences with her uncle. He sat down and then put his arms around both of them in a seemingly friendly gesture. But, the strength in his 'hug' spoke of things other than a friendly act. Don then asked them, " So, kiddies, what were you two laughing about this morning when I came out for my coffee and paper?"

Both Seth and Gabby became stock still. Something must have clicked with Don. There wasn't any way at all that he could possibly know what they had been sniggering about. And, yet..... Seth's senses went on high alert just the same!

Yet Don did know, whatever it was these two had been laughing at, that it was about him - Mike said as much at the time. It had tickled the back of his thoughts all day and he was determined to get at the bottom of it, one way or the other!

" Seth?" Don asked cherrily, smiling broadly, but not looking at him, He gazed across the water of the pool as he asked, " I'm sure you'd like for me to be in on this little joke of yours, right?"

Seth wasn't going to say a word. He sat there frozen to the concrete, knowing that Don could do whatever 'cause - well - Don could do whatever! He had a lot more experience with certain 'things' and there was never a moment where Seth believed otherwise.

" Gabby? How about you? You going to tell me what was so funny?" He looked at her but she refused to look back. She kept her line of sight straight ahead. She felt just the vaguest hint of anxiety, as if something was about to happen.

"Not in a million years, buddy!" she said to herself.

Both of them knew that if they tried to lie or just skirt around it, Don would know it right away - and he probably wouldn't have taken too kindly to it either. It was an educated assumption at best, considering how serious Don was most of the time.

However, this evening, he seemed to be in a better mood, all things considered. Maybe because Raph was better. Still, neither Seth nor Gabby were going to own up to him!

" Hmmmm... I heard from Riahna that you thought I was...."

Seth's eyes grew big. Gabriella was calculating how fast she would have to be in order to slip into the water before Don could grab her. He still had his coat on, so it was very unlikely he would jump in after her.

" Thought you looked tired this morning! I was surprised you weren't up with the roosters, you know, at dawn. I realized that your name and that word sounded the same so it just put me in the giggles!" Gabby offered. She really liked her saving answer. Seth did, too, but he was not too sure Don would buy it! "Really? My, my....you know..... there is one thing that Riahna does very well besides pulling flowers out of the ground and making displays. She repeats things - verbatim! Did either of you know that?"

Seth did and he hunkered down, knowing what was to come. Gabby didn't, but out of the corner of her eye she saw Seth's raction. Her only thoughts - "We're both dead!!"



Don flung both of them into the pool, clothes and all! He laughed out loud, stood up, and went off to his cottage, sing-songing "Don the dread of dawn " all the way! He really liked the sound of that, yipped once in a happy way, and laughed some more!

Treading water, Seth commented, " I'll never understand that turtle!"

Gabby concured, " So with you on that one!"

She was sure her blouse would shrink. Gabby was not happy, not one bit! But, she still found it all very amusing - especially since it was Don who did the deed. "At least", she reasoned to herself, " he can afford to buy me a new blouse!"