Ok, ready for more?

Disclaimer: Ooo, cha la la, Ooo Ooo cha la la la la! Don't own Ninja Turtles!

Chapter Thirteen

Owen blinked from Leo's dangling grasp as he watched Donatello walk up to his brother. There was an exchange, a look of sorts between him and his brother, but in the end Leo nodded and released his death grip in the vampire.

At the sudden freedom, Owen fell gracefully to his feet as Leo stepped back. Nevertheless, although he was free, he still felt that he was on trial, all of them hitting him with equally hard glares.

Well, all except for Donatello.

He watched him now, his eyes steady, but soft, speaking volumes as to his true feelings on the matter.

Other than that, the rest of the room was silent.

"I am not here to kill you Donatello. Really, I am not."

Owen felt the sudden need to finally come to his own defenses, feeling the need to plead his case to the jury that was made up of what he would have considered to be his 'friends'.

And as a response, Donatello nodded knowledgably before allowing a small smiling to grace his face. Although the smile was not as bright as his others (as it didn't involve his eyes like they usually do) it did give Owen a little bit of reassurance.

Donatello believed him, and that was enough.

They sat in silence now, the sight 'tink tink' of metal against metal sounding out in volumes beyond it's natural state, brought on by the lack of any other sound.

Owen watched Donatello's back, his shell moving slightly as his hands worked diligently. He was still working on that project from before, he noticed absently. However, that in itself wasn't unusually. In the few hours Owen had spent underground, Owen had quickly picked up on the fact that this lab was a haven, of sorts, for his student. That also in itself wasn't bad; actually it sort of reminded him of himself.

When he was "living" he, too, had a haven for himself; the old cluttered room in the back of their house doubling as his office and his haven. And like this turtle, he spent many a night in there, working, tinkering the nights away with some new theory or project.

They really did have a lot in common, this turtle and him.

However, he didn't get a chance to dwell on it, for soon another thought bombarded his consciousness, a thought that had been inking at him ever since they left the den, a question that just wouldn't stop bugging him until it was asked.

But the answer would decipher just how similar they truly were, and for that, it was worth it.

"Donatello?"

Owen's voice was quiet against the backdrop of soundlessness and as a result, the tinkering stopped.

"Yes."

Monotone.

Owen recognized it immediately.

'Maybe I shouldn't ask...' He question himself, but his immediate mind told him no. He needed to know, this was important, not only to Donatello's lessons, but to Owen's understanding of the entire turtle clan.

"Earlier, when Leo pinned me to the wall, did you hear him...say anything?"

If he wasn't the one speaking, he would have rolled his eyes at how dumb he sounded. Nevertheless, although ill-worded, the question was still valuable, its answer determining what their 'lessons' would be on for the next few days.

However, just like the entire situation, Don's answer was a little less than...expected.

"Look, Owen. I…" Donatello paused then, his hands seeming stopping as he sighed before picking up right where he left off. "I sorry Leo attacked you, it's just…" At his next hesitation Donatello sighed again, this time placing the metal pieces down completely. And this time, he did not pick them back up.

It was quite obvious he would not be getting any work done anyways.

So instead, he turned, looking Owen in the face for the first time. What awaited him there in the vampire's face wasn't very surprising and was more or less expected.

Patience.

Tranquility.

Wisdom.

Curiosity.

And…something else…

He didn't give himself a chance to decipher what it was exactly for he soon continued, basically running on nerves alone as he let it all come out.

"It's not your fault, it's just that he- no, we can't help but be a little skeptical as to why you're helping us-I mean, me…" Don concluded, frowning lightly. He didn't know if that explanation helped, and as a result he almost confused himself. Therefore he really didn't expect Owen to be set straight with the "explanation" either. Looking up into Owen face, he found that his assumptions had been correct. There was a tally in his mind as he added 'Confusion' to the ever growing list of things read on Owen.

Meanwhile, Owen furrowed his brow, his head tilting slightly as he thought over what Donatello had just mentioned.

'What do my methods for being here have to do with anything?'

"Donatello, I am sorry. But, I don't understand…"

Donny sighed at Owen obvious befuddlement before turning back, his fiddling continuing as he picked up the abandoned metal/circuitry combination. Absently, and with a tiredness he just couldn't shake, he tried again, this time keeping his eyes on his work rather than on the vampire he was talking to.

It was easier that way.

"Owen, why did you put it upon yourself to rescue me…in the beginning I mean?"

Owen couldn't help but be completely thrown off. Out of all the things he was expecting Donatello to ask, that was not one of them.

"Wh-what?"

At Owen's all but expected exclamation, Donatello rolled his eyes, but never let them leave his work as he continued, his words short and accusative despite his attempts to keep it neutral.

"This is New York, Owen, not some fairytale. Don't get me wrong, we all are grateful that you did, but just…why?"

Owen was baffled. All he could do with himself was stare at the turtle's back, the turtle that was his student…

And come up with nothing.

Why did he help?

The most he could do was state the first thing that popped into his head, which just happened to be the truth.

"Because, it was the right thing to do…"

Donatello looked up then, turning to look the vampire come teacher in the eye. Was he serious?

The look Owen gave him told him that he was.

"Well, then I guess you're not like most people, then." He turned back dismissively, seemingly ending the conversation, his hands finding his work once more. He couldn't help but feel a pang as the familiar feelings of the loneliness and weariness for humans that originated from their childhood resurfaced in his heart. They had to be…careful, in the old times and the new.

The fact that they were scientifically…valuable…made them forever vulnerable, it was just something they could never avoid, dodge, or ignore. One could not be too careful when it came to a free life (in the sewers) or a life of imprisonment (either in a lab or in a zoo.)

But would Owen understand?

It seemed the answer to that question was also 'no' as Owen spoke up now, all but ignoring Donatello's attempt to end the conversation.

"Not like most people? What do you mean?"

He hated sounding and feeling so thick, but it couldn't be avoided. For once, he just didn't understand. However, the last questions seemed to all but grate even more on Donatello's last nerve…and it showed.

Don stopped now, turning around for what seemed like the umpteenth time that night to look Owen in the eye once again.

Well, if he wanted the entire truth, the he would get it, and lots of it.

"Well, you see, Owen, in this day and age, one does not do something for someone else unless it's for some type of reward. What's your reward Owen?"

To say he was taken back would have been an understatement.

He knew his answer to the question, although he would never say it out loud in fear of sounding corny, but it was his answer nevertheless.

'A friendship.'

However, at Owen's silence, Donatello took it as such.

"Just as I thought. Most people would have a secret motive. Most people would want something in return, and Most people would have taken advantaged."

"But I am not most people, Donatello." Owen cut in, his voice hard with offence as he finally realized what Donatello was getting at. They thought that he had wanted something in return for his help, and in Leo's case, he thought that that thing might just be his brother, dead or alive.

However, that just was not the case.

"Donny, I would not hurt you, not in the least."

It was then that Donny smiled, the same clinical smile from before. The smile that never reached his eyes.

"I know Owen. I know. But a lot would take advantage of us. Like I said before, this is New York. People here are after quick money, and what's a quicker way than handing the scientific community one of the few true wonders of the world, a giant, talking, walking, coherent, turtle?" He brought sad eyes to meet Owen's before turning back to his work, and all at once, Owen understood.

They were a hunted species, hunted by people that didn't even know what they were looking for, except for quick cash.

'So when I mentioned that I was a bounty hunter…'

"It was enough to raise suspicion." Donatello finished for him, his eyes and hands never leaving the machine before him.

However, despite Donatello's uncaring for the whole thing and obvious obliviousness, Owen froze completely, his eyes wide.

Did Donatello do what he thought he just did?

However, immediately sensing Owen's change in demeanor, Donatello once again stopped what he was doing to turn back only to find Owen staring at him, his eyes uncharacteristically wide.

Donatello blinked.

"What?"

Owen was completely in awe. Donatello had read his thoughts, just as he thought he had earlier with Leo. Originally, he had come in here to question him about it, but then, had gotten a bit…sidetracked. But now, he saw that his original suspicions were correct. Donatello was developing as a vampire, and as such, he could read thoughts.

He just didn't know it yet.

However, that was what blew Owen away. To be able to do it without any sort of instruction or a single lesson was just, nonexistent. But here this turtle was, reading thoughts just as every vampire should.

Wait…turtle?

Could it be possible that whatever mutingen that changed Donatello into what it was playing apart in his vampirism now, devolving it into a higher state just as it did with the turtles years ago?

Well, only time could tell. For now, all he could do was wait to see.

Nevertheless, he knew that with this new discovery, Donatello had to be filled in as to what was happening, and what would be the focus of their new lessons.

Now he was physic. The hard part was just learning how to control it. But he couldn't dwell on that now. First thing was first, Donatello needed to know.

Therefore, Owen started from the beginning which seemed to be as good a place as any.

"Donatello, when you first changed….do you remember…hearing…voices?…"

-

Hm, I am torn. What do you think?