Disclaimer: I don't own most of the turtles, Silver, McDonalds, Krispy Kremes, the US Government or the song 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls. I do own however Raphael jr and Diana.
Mica – Really? The plural of sai is sai? I thought it might have been, but I've seen some Raphael merchandise where it says on the back 'sais'. Either way, it'll make it confusing now when I write fight scenes o.0 Quarantine is where foreign animals are checked for diseases. Since Australia is physically isolated from the rest of the world, any introduced animals can have a devastating effect on the native wildlife, eg; the fox, rabbit, cane toad and more recently, the red eared slider turtle. Quarantine confiscates any illegal animals entering the country while others are checked for unknown diseases that don't exist yet in Australia. If an animal poses too much of a threat to Australia's biodiversity, it would be put down.
Pretender Fanatic - Yeah, TMNT:TNM isn't that good as heaps of turtle fans will tell you. I've also altered TNM characters quite a bit. For some reason I'm starting to laugh at the jokes now, mainly because I know all the references. For instance, in one episode, Bonesteel suddenly quotes Colleridge, an English poet, right before Don quotes McBeth… So, so random o.0
Buslady Of SoCal – Venus would know whose is whose by the process of elimination. When she's pregnant, she can sense a part of the father. If Venus can no longer sense Mike, yet can still sense Leo's, then through elimination that means that the egg is Mikey's. Once they're both out though, then there'll be problems ;)
Chapter 28: Conversations.
Donatello's eyes narrowed into slits when he saw the creature that was walking towards them. "Is that who I think it is?" Donatello asked.
"Yup," Michelangelo said with a sigh.
"I'm so glad I found you! I've been walking around these filthy sewers forever!" Silver complained and over exaggerated when he finally made his way over to them. All the turtles stared at him with a number of expressions; some of them were angry while others had an eye ridge raised. An awkward silence settled between them. "It's good to see that you're free, rescued, whatever," Silver added in an attempt to break the long pause.
"I thought I told you to look after Diana and Raphael," Leonardo questioned the ape contemptuously. Silver shrugged.
"He ran off. I wasn't going to chase after him," Silver snorted in defense.
"That's not the point! You don't leave an eight and four year child alone, unattended in an unknown sewer system!" Leonardo argued angrily. Silver simply shrugged in response once again. Leonardo growled but tried to not let the ape's carelessness get to him. "Come on, lets go," Leonardo ordered darkly, allowing Silver to join the group once again. Donatello, however, disagreed with Leo's decision.
"I am not taking him back to the lair; my home," Donatello publicly complained. Leonardo gave him a look of unease and indecision. "Not after what Silver has done to me," Donatello added, giving more of a reason.
"And what have I ever done to you!" Silver exclaimed in confusion.
"Uh… Remember the time you hypnotised me, and made me do your dirty work?" Donatello asked sarcastically.
"When did that happen?" Mike asked out of confusion. Donatello shifted his body out of awkwardness for a few seconds, not being proud of what he had done while being under Silver's control.
"When we were seventeen. Raphael was the only one who knew about it. It was just a secret between me and him," Donatello mumbled.
"Yeah, well, what about the time Raphael broke both my legs, and the time where you turtles lost me a hundred and twelve million dollars? And then there was the occasion where I locked She-shell into an airtight vault with a bomb, and the many times I've called him Greenie!" Silver said while pointing to Venus and Leo respectively. "If you want to hold a grudge, that's fine with me. Just remember that She-shell, Kid and Greenie have all forgotten the past, along with myself… Though I must admit that a hundred and twelve millions dollars would have been darn good to have," Silver put forward his argument strongly. Donatello simply rolled eyes every single time he was reminded of the silly lottery ticket fiasco.
"For your information-" Donatello was going to counter attack, but Leonardo stopped him by covering his mouth with his hand.
"Can you excuse us for a minute?" Leonardo said as politely as possible, before dragging Donatello a fair way down the tunnel.
"Why did you do that for?" Donatello asked out of annoyance when they were out of an earshot.
"Listen. We all have our differences with Silver, but right now he doesn't have anywhere to go. And as much as we all dislike him, I'm afraid he's just going to be staying with us anyway," Leonardo explained sadly.
"Why?" Don asked, still in disbelief with the whole situation revolving around his old enemy.
"Well… when we were in captivity, we sort of became allies. He has a serious grudge against Bonesteel, and so do we. Silver also helped us figure out a way to escape. He needs us now just like we needed him. We can't just leave him all alone in the sewers…" Leonardo explained softly. Donatello sighed.
"Fine. He can stay with us at my lair. But if he steals any of my devices, I'll… well I don't know what I'll do, but it will certainly be something close to killing him," Don threatened, still not completely comfortable with the new member of the group. Satisfied that this was going to be the best response out of Donatello, Leonardo called the rest of the group over and Don continued to lead them to his lair.
Once again the group fell silent as they walked; not really knowing what to say to each other. After a lengthy amount of time, Donatello finally turned around a tight corner and welcomed his family to his lair. "Wow!" Mike uttered out of shock when he saw how hi-tech everything was, compared to what conditions they were living in while in London. "Not bad… not bad at all," Mike said while imitating a posh snobby accent. While Don helped Mike in hooking up the incubator again, Venus and Leonardo tucked Diana into the single bed, slightly worried with how she was coping with the anesthetics. They were all tired from their ordeal and none of them were completely over the effects of the tranquilizers. So once everything had been put in place, everyone tiredly found a spot in the room to crash for the rest of the night.
It was early in the afternoon when everyone started to stir from their slumber. Both Venus and Leonardo were relieved to see that after some sleep Diana was beginning to overcome her dosage of anesthetic. Being awake and well, she was finally properly introduced to her long lost uncle. "Diana, I would like you to meet your uncle, Donatello," Leonardo gently said. The girl bit her lip and shyly looked at the turtle with the purple mask.
"Hello Don, Don, Donitello," Diana greeted with difficulty once Leo had given her a bit of a nudge.
"Hi Diana. You can just call me Don," Don simplified. "I like your white bandanna. I think it really suits you," Don complimented. Diana smiled at that comment.
"Hey Don! Do you have anything to eat?" Mike called out, feeling hungry.
"That's right, we haven't had breakfast yet," Don realised.
"It's a bit late for that, but I'm up for it," Leo said with a smile.
"I have cereal, toast, juice…" Donatello tried to remember what he had stocked.
"Cereal will be fine," Leo spoke for Venus, the two children and himself.
"Give me something uniquely Australian," Mike challenged him.
"Uniquely Australian? Um… Okay Mike," Don said, slightly unsure with what he could get him. A wicked smile swept across his face when he saw the jar of Vegemite on his shelf. After setting everyone up with their bowls of cereal, Don watched Mike spread the Vegemite on his toast for entertainment purposes. His smile grew even wider as he observed Mike thickly applying the black, salty substance to the bread. Mike was about to bite into it, when he noticed Don's expression.
"Why are you smiling like that? This is really disgusting, isn't it?" Mike saw through Don's game.
"Vegemite to Americans is like Dr Pepper to Australians," Donatello said with an intelligent tone.
"What ever that's supposed to mean," Mike muttered suspiciously. Taking a deep breath, Mike opened his mouth and took a bite. Donatello laughed when he saw Mike's face scrunch up as though he had just ate a large, sour lemon. "Eew! It's really salty!" Mike exclaimed when he reluctantly swallowed it down.
"Well you asked for something uniquely Australian. This is an Aussie icon!" Don replied. The turtle took the slice of toast out of Mike's hand and scraped off the excess Vegemite so there was less on it. "Try it now," Don offered. Cautiously Michelangelo tried it again, yet this time his response was more positive.
"It's better with less on it. I have to say it's an acquired taste though," Mike analysed. "Have anything else that isn't as funky as this?" Mike asked. Don nodded, and after a few minutes of preparation, he gave Mike a proper sandwich. Licking his lips, Mike took a bite and was surprised to taste an unusual vegetable. "What's this?" Mike said with a mouth full, pointing to the purple-red object.
"Betroot," Don said simply.
"Betroot on sandwiches?" Mike exclaimed.
"Yeah, it's an Australian thing. McDonalds has a special burger called the McOz, and that has betroot on it," Donatello informed him.
"Really? How bizarre," Mike said.
"Do you have any bananas or something?" Silver interrupted rudely. Don sighed and checked the refrigerator to see if he had preserved some fruit in there. Luckily enough, he found a banana and handed it Silver. "It's as hard as a rock!" Silver whined at the frozen stiffness of his yellow fruit. Donatello simply shrugged.
"Beggars can't be choosers," Don said simply. Silver grumped in response and sat down at the table along with the others. Everyone suddenly fell silent, once again feeling awkward around each other. The rest of breakfast/lunch was a quiet affair, with the only sound being Silver's thumping; whacking the banana against the table in order to unthaw it. Donatello sighed when he witnessed his rapidly depleting food resources. "I'm going to have to go topside to hunt for some supplies," Don announced tiredly.
"I'll help you," Leo said, wanting some time alone to spend with his beloved brother. Together in unison, they put on their trench coats and fedoras and left the awkward silence of the lair. They walked quietly down the numerous tunnels, and Leonardo finally struck up a conversation. "So what have you been doing over the years?" Leo asked.
"Oh, nothing much really. I've basically just worked on building up my lair… Living from day to day. That sort of thing," Donatello replied.
"Michelangelo tried to rescue you while you were in Washington," Leo informed him softly.
"Really?" Donatello said out of shock.
"Yeah, except you beat him to it," Leo said with a smile. Don gently smiled back.
"I doubt he would have found me though. I was working in the Pentagon," Donatello commented casually.
"Really?" It was Leo's turn to be shocked.
"Yeah, I met the President twice," Donatello said with a gentle smile of remembrance.
"Did you shake his hand?" Leo wondered, partly jealous.
"No. I don't think he was even allowed to touch me. Or talk to me for that matter," Donatello said sadly.
"So can you tell me any Government secrets?" Leonardo wondered, making friendly conversation.
"Um… Let's see. There are actually three Air Force One planes; the other two are decoys or spares… uh… Everyone knows that carbon dioxide gas causes Global Warming; they're just not going to admit 'cause then they'll have to change to solar power… and aliens were actually recovered from the Roswell crash," Donatello informed him seriously.
"…Wow…" was all Leo said, still trying to take in all the information he had heard.
They continued to walk down the tunnel, both falling into silence once again. "So what have you guys been up to?" Don asked, trying to force the conversation.
"Gees, I wouldn't know where to start!" Leonardo exclaimed, thinking about all that had happened over the past eight years.
"Well… How long have you and Venus been together?" Donatello asked a question that wasn't as broad.
"Um… Ages. Seven, possibly bordering on eight years now," Leonardo said with a smile. Donatello nodded in understanding, yet Leo could sense some disappointment and regret. Deciding not to ask what was wrong, he continued to talk. "We didn't have kids straight away because Raphael was still only a baby, and it was hard for us to remain hidden from society as it was. When Raph was three though, Venus got tired of waiting and trying to escape from England, so we had Diana," Leonardo explained generally.
"So how old is Diana now?" Don questioned.
"Four."
"They're really great kids," Don complimented softly. Leonardo gave a small smile of acceptance. "It must have been hard to raise them, you know, with all the running and the whole zoo ordeal," Don stated.
"You're right. It was. But… what can you do? Wait forever until we're safe before we start a family? We might never be out of harms way… I wish we could have raised them under different circumstances, but the time seemed right back then…" Leonardo trailed off.
"I understand," Don said softly. "So… what's this whole thing about Mikey being a father?" Donatello finally asked after his curiosity got the better of him.
"The scientists at the zoo used artificial insemination," Leonardo said with a hint of anger.
"Oh…" was all that Don could say in response. "So are both of them Mikey's?"
"No, the other one's mine. Apparently some turtles can…" Leonardo trailed off again.
"I see," Donatello understood. "I'm guessing that Venus was really upset about this," Don predicted.
"Yeah… It um… really threatened our marriage," Leonardo muttered quietly.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Don said softly, not wanting to delve further into the matter.
"But… we've both come to accept the circumstances, and I suppose we both understand that the scientists were only trying to improve the survival rate of our species. There was one thing though that Venus said…" Leonardo didn't finish his sentence. Donatello knew how hard life must have been for Leonardo and the others, and a part of him was touched with acceptance with the thought that Leonardo could talk to him so openly despite the difference of eight years. After experiencing so many awkward silences, he was glad to have an in-depth conversation with at least one member of his long lost family. Although Leo seemed uncomfortable with the current topic, Donatello knew that it weighed heavily on his mind and that a part of him wanted to let it out and talk about it.
"Go on," Don urged, giving Leo some reassurance. Leonardo sighed and remained silent for a few seconds while he prepared what he was going to say.
"Venus wondered if it was worth it… If escaping was worth it in the long run," Leonardo said slowly.
"How so?" Don wondered.
"Well…Venus was kind of right. The scientists were only doing what they thought was beneficial to our species. You know what I mean? If we stayed there, then we'd be assured that our species would continue on genetically…" Leonardo pondered.
"I know, but with being such an endangered species, the scientists would probably be in a rush and it wouldn't have been long till they experimented with Diana. Yes, I agree that they would have helped in broadening the gene pool, but regardless of how many 'healthy' combinations there are, in the end for the third or fourth generation to exist…"
"Inbreeding will have to occur," Leonardo softly concluded Donatello's line of thinking. Don nodded sadly.
"I knew it from the first day we knew of Venus' existence. Back when I was seventeen, I must have thought out a million and one scenarios but… it all came to the same conclusion. It's inevitable Leo, as horrible as it sounds. But what would you rather have? Just become extinct, or continue on as a new species, even though it could get a bit… messy later on?" Donatello reasoned softly, somewhat ashamed of his morally wrong point of view.
"I don't know what I want anymore," Leonardo said. It was then when Leo realised that not only was he the leader of the battles and plans, but he was also the leader of a whole new species on the earth. He knew ages ago that he had to make decisions on what was best for the entire clan, but now his job had become so much more important… and trickier. His decisions were no longer black and white, but rather they were gray; both being right and wrong, with no answer being entirely correct. Leo rubbed his temple as he tried to fight off an oncoming psychological headache. "So what things do we have to grab?" Leonardo changed the subject.
"Um… whatever we can find," Donatello said simply as he unlocked the gate that led to the world above.
Half an hour later, they returned to the same spot with a number of stolen fruits and canned foods. They hadn't said a word since as they had mainly been focused on the task at hand. Yet Donatello knew that their future as a species greatly troubled Leonardo and that this wasn't going to be the last time that Leo brought up the uncomfortable subject.
Donatello sighed with relief when they finally arrived back at the lair; partly thankful that the silence could end. As soon as he packed away the various supplies he was carrying, Michelangelo approached him with a bat and a set of wickets in hand. "Up for a game of cricket?" he enticed. Donatello smiled.
"I didn't know you liked the sport," Don commented with a raised eye ridge.
"Well this is what happens after spending a part of your life in England," Mike replied cheerfully.
"Alright, I'll play," Don relented. "But I want to give you something first," Don invited. Leading Mike over to a large black bag, Don reached in and pulled out the numerous CDs and gaming devices that he had recovered from the lair in New York. Michelangelo gasped in surprise and astonishment as he stared at all his forgotten belongings.
"I didn't know you had these!" Mike uttered out in happiness.
"Well, they're yours again now," Don said with a smile, simply loving the joyous expression on his brother's face. With a couple of thankful tears in his eyes, Mike hugged Donatello tightly in gratitude.
"Now what about that game of yours?" Don suggested once Mike had recovered from the initial shock. With a nod, the two adult turtles departed from the lair to find a spot where they could play cricket; Mike taking his old Walkman with him. While Don set up the wickets, Mike was surprised once again when he realised that the batteries still worked. Setting up the Walkman so that it played out of its speakers, he left it to the side and lined up with a bat in front of the wickets. The sad and familiar tune of 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls filled the tunnel.
"Oh my gosh! This is my favourite song!" Mike exclaimed out of excitement. While waiting for Donatello to throw the ball, Mike singed along with the chorus.
"Please don't sing," Don groaned as he threw the ball at the wickets. Mike whacked it with the bat and started to run from one spot to another, getting a couple of points while doing so.
"What's wrong with this song?" Mike asked when Don finally came back after retrieving the ball.
"I don't know. It somehow reminds me of Raph…" Don commented before throwing the ball again. Mike managed to score another couple of runs before Donatello returned again.
"What, the whole thing about being misunderstood by the world?" Mike wondered. Don nodded.
"That and the blood and heaven references," Don added.
"That's true…" Mike admitted. Donatello threw the ball again, and Mike sent it flying. Mike started to run in order to score points, but he stopped halfway. "How many runs have I gotten?" Mike lost count once Donatello had returned with the ball. The turtle in purple shrugged.
"I don't know. If you ask me, you didn't exactly pull me away from the lair simply for a game of cricket," Don analysed. Mike looked down at the ground, knowing that the statement was true. "So what do you want to talk about?" Donatello asked in a brotherly fashion. He didn't care about the game either, nor about the future conversation. Just seeing Mike in person was good enough for him.
Mike sighed and sat down against the tunnel's wall after turning the music off. Donatello instinctively followed, curious to hear what Mike had to say. "I don't think I'm ready to be a father yet. I mean, I love kids and all, and I would like one of my own but… I dunno, I just don't think I'm ready yet," Mike confessed.
"Most parents feel that way when they're about to have their first. Maybe you should talk to Leo about this considering he has children of his own," Donatello suggested.
"Don't get me wrong, I really like Leo and Venus' company, but… I really missed you Donny. Trust me, I've spoken to Leo enough," Mike said lightheartedly. Don smiled in response.
"So how's life been with Leo and Venus?" Don wondered.
"Um… It's sucked, to put it bluntly. I know that we should live as a family and everything, but when Leo and Venus got together, I just felt awkward; that I was always a nuisance. I couldn't help but feel that they wanted some privacy, but I couldn't do that because sometimes it was simply too dangerous to leave the lair," Mike explained.
"You felt like you were extra baggage?" Don asked.
"Yeah, exactly," Mike agreed with Don's assessment. "And now that I'm going to have a kid… well… things are only going to become even more awkward between me, Venus and Leo," Mike worried.
"Maybe… but then again it might bring you closer to them considering they'll most likely help raise the child for you," Don thought positively.
"Possibly… Venus told me that she'd help out but… I don't think she will anymore. I don't really blame her either, but I'd just feel more comfortable if I knew for certain she will help me out with this," Mike continued. Donatello was rather quiet for a while.
"Do you still like Venus?" Don questioned softly. With a sigh, Mike nodded his head. "So do I…" Don muttered inaudibly under his breath.
"I've made a new friend though," Mike said with a more positive note.
"Really? Who?"
"Her name's Sarah," Mike stated.
"Sarah… Sarah Watson?" Don guessed.
"Yeah! How did you know?" Mike asked curiously.
"I've done my share of research," Don replied. "She was the one who freed you guys from the zoo the first time, wasn't she?" Don asked.
"Yeah," Mike rectified. "She moved over to London with us and she's been a family friend ever since. Sarah then got citizenship and a job in the fashion industry, so when we got caught again, it became too difficult and obvious if she tried to rescue us. She visited us at the zoo twice though, when she managed to afford plane tickets, but she couldn't really talk to us unlike last time because the staff were still suspicious of her," Mike summarised.
"She sounds like a nice person," Don thought out loud.
"She is! Venus would have called Raphael Sarah if he was a girl… Maybe I should steal her idea and call my daughter that!" Mike wondered excitedly with a smile.
"That's if it is a girl," Don reminded him. "So have you thought of any names yet?" Don asked out of curiosity.
"Um… If it's a boy, I'll call him Michael-"
"Michael and Michelangelo? You're so creative," Don teased. Mike simply gave him a smile.
"Michael, Cosmo, Astro, Jerry um… and maybe even Casey," Mike continued on with his list of names. Donatello raised an eye ridge at the more unusual ones. "Then for a girl, I'd call her either Sarah, Seven, Mikora, Michelle… Iris," Mike suggested.
"Iris? After that Goo Goo Dolls song!" Don protested.
"What's wrong with it? I like that song; it's my favourite!" Mike rebutted. "And for your information Mr Smarty Pants, Iris is a Greek goddess so it fits in with the whole theme that Venus made up. So ha!" Mike argued lightheartedly with a cheeky grin on his face. Donatello simply rolled his eyes. They were quiet for a while mainly because Mike had suddenly entered a deep thought process. "It's a shame that I can't raise the baby as a couple," Mike murmured, though Don was still able to hear his comment.
"Well you can join me in singlehood," Donatello invited, trying to break the tension for a change. Mike smiled in response at his comment. He never could stay sad for long. "Just remember that babies usually are a good magnet for potential females," Donatello reminded him with an uncharacteristic wink.
Michelangelo started to laugh.
"Potential females? You make it sound so scientific!" Mike giggled. "Speaking of scientific… don't tell anyone else this but I think Dr Aquel is pretty hot," Mike said in conjunction with a raise of the eye ridge. It was then Donatello's turn to laugh.
"Oh no. You've been at that zoo too long!" Don groaned with a smile.
"Nah I'm serious! She's not that bad looking. I reckon she'll be a great girlfriend for you, once she stops pointing tranquilizer dart guns at us," Mike joked. Don rolled his eyes again.
"It's actually quite ironic that you said that. Do you know that in a recent survey, zoo keepers said that the turtle was the fifth most attractive… or sexiest animal in the animal kingdom," Donatello stated.
"Really? What was number one?" Mike wondered.
"A dog. Second was the tiger," Don said with a smile. Mike grinned as he thought of something mischievous.
"So… If I pounce around on a bed wearing tiger patterned underwear, while wearing a dog leash, I'd be the sexiest animal in the world?" Mike joked in wonderment.
"Michelangelo, I'd be out of that bedroom so fast that you wouldn't have seen me enter," Venus said as she approached them. Mike jumped in fright at her sudden appearance before blushing in embarrassment, all the while Donatello cracked up laughing. "How long have you been listening in?" Mike asked her worriedly.
"Not long," Venus admitted.
"Well you shouldn't be listening in at all! We were having a manly conversation," Mike said.
"About tiger panties," Venus with a raised eye ridge and a smirk. Donatello started giggling again. Mike slapped him on the arm.
"Donny! Why aren't you helping me out here?" Mike whined.
"Sorry Mikey, but you started this mess and now you have to clean it up," Don said with a grin.
"Why are you here anyway?" Mike questioned Venus.
"Leonardo was worried where you guys had gone, considering it's nearly dinner time," Venus explained.
"Oh shoot! I have to cook dinner!" Don exclaimed.
"You cook?" Michelangelo was astonished.
"Well… I nuke, not cook," Donatello corrected himself.
"Some things never change," Venus commented with a smile.
"Maybe we can all just have those Krispy Kremes tonight for dinner?" Don pondered to himself in laziness, not being used to cooking dinner for a family of their size.
"But we have seven people, including Silver, and only one dozen donuts. So we'll only each have… twelve divided by seven," Mike trailed off, trying to calculate the number in his head and by counting on his fingers. Donatello and Venus gave him a blank look.
"Don't hurt your head Mikey," Venus said slyly.
"You made me lose my concentration!" Mike whined at the female before starting to count on his fingers again.
"Need help?" Don offered.
"No… I can do this," Mike said, though this time he was more unsure.
"Why can't we just exclude Silver?" Don wondered out loud.
"That's mean," Venus countered. They all fell silent as they heard the rustling of leaves further up the tunnel.
'Oh no! We've been talking too loud!' Mike thought in panic. Not wasting any time, both Venus and Michelangelo ran to the nearest corner to hide behind, though Donatello remained frozen in his place.
Author's Note: Originally Mike sung some of the lyrics to 'Iris' however I had to edit them out due to the site's new rule. So if you're a little confused about what they're talking about, then just search for the song lyrics over the Internet. Sorry I can't be more helpful.:(