Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, never will. Centrice and Owen are mine though.

Chapter Fourteen

If he thought that things were weird before then he had just discovered a new and frightening level of weirdness. All he could do now was watch Owen steadily, blinking in complete disbelief at what the vampire had just shared with him.

The worst part about it was that Owen was serious.

"I-Is this some sort of joke? Because if it is, I am NOT amused."

Owen couldn't help but smile. For a mutant turtle vampire that just learned he had psychic abilities, he took the news quite well.

"No, Donatello. I am anything but joking with you." He reassured the turtle.

They were in the lab, now, their conversation taking them into the wee hours of the morning. In other words, primetime for vampires like them. However, despite the night tide, Donatello still seemed tired, his body not used to either lifestyle, the 'living' or the vampire life.

It was an attribute Owen noticed immediately. He would have to work with Donatello in that aspect, making him more accustomed to the night as a vampire should be. Nevertheless, that was something he would have to worry about later.

Now, there were bigger things to worry about.

Mainly, the non-to-pleased pupil before him.

Donatello had to accept his gifts; otherwise, they would be lost, deeming him just as inadequate as the other vampires of this day and age.

But, if Owen had a say in it, he would not let that happen. Donatello would learn the ways of the vampire…if he wanted to or not. Besides, in the long run, it all would be for his own good.

And for his family's good as well.

"Well, I guess that's what you were talking about when you mentioned "the next phases of my lessons," huh?"

Donatello's now calm voice racked Owen from his thoughts. Looking up, he saw that the turtle now sat, his rant finished, his spontaneous anger gone. All that was left was a distant look of disbelief that seemed to leave Donny slumped in his chair.

And who could blame him?

Learning that you were physic as well as telepathic was a lot to soak in.

"Maybe… I should leave you to your work. And yes, that was what I was talking of. But…I see it is a lot to absorb at once, so I will leave you to yourself for the night, Donatello…" He trailed off, watching Donatello for his reaction, only to realize that Donatello seemed to be already taking his advice. Don now leaned over his workbench; the tools of his trade left motionless as he blinked distantly from his perch over them. Owen had no doubt in his mind that 'thinking' wouldn't be a problem for his pupil.

He would be doing that all on his own, and lots of it.

Therefore, Owen should leave him to that.

"I think I will retire for the evening…Good night, Donatello."

Owen watched as Donny nodded his recognition, but did not reply otherwise. He had a feeling he wouldn't. And likewise, Owen left the room without complaint.

It was a lot to absorb, the knowledge that you had the mental possibilities for being one of the most powerful beings of this world.

A lot to absorb indeed.

Owen sighed as he stared at the ceiling above him.

So much had happened that day. So much to think about.

So much to plan for.

However, despite it all, Owen's thoughts couldn't but wonder back to the turtle he had left in the lab no more than a few minutes ago.

And his heart couldn't help but go out to him as well.

The vampire way is a lot to learn, and to understand, but Donatello, with these circumstances, never had the "time" to learn them appropriately. The first "lessons" should have taken months, finally ending with the discovery of the Plane, but with Donny, it happened within a few nights, but with the same consequences.

Donny had discovered the Plane, and because of that, he was already more of a vampire than half of the bloodsuckers out there.

But there was still more to learn. A lot more. However, just as there was more to learn there was less time, Owen could feel it. Less time until Donatello would have to use those same powers to survive, and protect his family as well.

Nevertheless, the lack of "time" for his pupil still made Owen frown even though it was completely out of his control.

'First of all, Donatello would need to learn the basics; controlling his powers…'

From elsewhere in the same room, his bible levitated up, its open pages closing neatly as if floated skyward.

'Then and only then could Donatello learn the true art of Levitation as well as the art of…'

A knock on the door broke his immediate concentration, startling him from his respite. Owen shot up as the bible fell back onto the desk, the soft 'plunk' and his shallow breathing sounding out in unison as he listened closely to the world around him.

He listened to three more soft tapings before finally realizing that he was not imagining things.

Someone was at the door.

'At this hour?'

Nevertheless, he stood, stretching from his prolonged rest before tracking over to the closed doorway. Opening it soundlessly, he could only blink as he slowly beheld the green face on the other side.

"Michelangelo?"

Mike looked into the room with hesitance as he fidgeted from foot to foot. However, despite his nervousness, he still managed to pull off his 'Mikey' charm in the form of a wide grin.

"Hey, what's up?"

Owen was not fazed as he peered through the crack of the door and into the turtle's face, a small frown spreading on his lips as he did.

"You do realize what time it is, don't you?" Owen's eyebrow arched as the turtle shrugged, the slight grin shining through the darkness of the night around him.

"Why, did I wake you?" Was his retort. Owen shook his head, as Mike grinned wider. "Then what's the problem? Let me in." The turtle all but demanded his entry, which earned him another look from the pale vampire. Mike bowed his head as he remembered his manners. Owen was their guest after all.

"Please?"

Owen blinked once before stepping back, making just enough room between him and the door for the turtle to shuffle inside. There was a soft click as the door closed and Owen turned, finding himself face to face with a giant humanoid turtle.

"So, what did you want, Michelangelo?"

"Mikey."

"What?" Owen tilted his head as he watched the turtle make his way over to his bed, flopping down and into it without even a bat of the eye.

"Call me Mikey." Was his only words as he bounced, the bed creaking just a little under his weight. Owen rolled his eyes at the turtle's antics.

"Micheang-"

"Ah, ah, ah! Mikey, 'member?" Mikey scolded the vampire, and as a result, the vampire sighed before giving in.

"….Mikey, what is it that you needed to see me for?" The shortened name sounded weird on his tongue, but he ignored it, more interested in the being now sitting on his bed. At the question the turtle finally stopped his hopping, the bed's creak ceasing as he finally looked the vampire in the eye. Owen watched on in mild surprise as the turtle seemed to go from silly to rather serous in that split second. A great change, especially from this particular turtle. It gave Owen something to think about.

Meanwhile, though, Michelangelo had his own thinking to do as well. Actually, it had been his thinking that kept him up that night. And, likewise, it had been that same thinking that brought him out of his bed, down the hallway, and to Owen's room.

And, it was that same thinking that landed him before Owen right now.

But would Owen be able to satisfy his thoughts?

"What are your plans?"

Owen blinked at the new question before moving to tend to his now (thanks to Michelangelo) disheveled bed.

"What do you mean?" He played it cool, arranging his blankets and pillow, only for them to be disheveled once again as Mike continued his bouncing, his somber mood forgotten.

"Your plans! You know, to bust those bad vamps tomorrow night!" He continued where he left off, bouncing up and down, harder than ever. Owen couldn't help but smile at the turtle's antics as he bounced offhandedly, one of the bounces even landing him on his side. The bed creaked so loudly Owen couldn't help but wonder what the others might think upon hearing all of this sound coming from his room. Nevertheless, he waited the turtle out, his pillow still in his hands, as he threw Mike a look.

"Having fun?"

He couldn't help but ask. He seemed to be truly having "fun," if you could call it that. Mike looked up then, a sheepish grin gracing his green face as he flushed a slight red.

"Yeah…" However, his embarrassment quickly passed in a wave of child like amusement as he began bouncing again, this time more in trial than anything else. "It's bouncy, is all. Way more bouncier than my bed."

Owen couldn't help but smile.

How strange this turtle was, totally unpredictable in every way. But it made him just that much more interesting to say the least…

"Mike, are you always this hyper? Or is it just a nightly affair?" He nearly grinned. He bet anything he already knew the answer to that.

Nevertheless, the turtle responded, falling sideways once again, this time onto his shell. "Nah, I just have a "high metabolic rate" that makes me "overactive"…whatever that means. Or at least, that's what Donny says. Raph just says I have sugar for blood. Well, whatever I have, that doesn't mean you shouldn't answer my question!" He stopped then, but not before doing one more big bounce to take him off of the bed altogether and leave him standing. Owen was not fazed as he reassembled his bed, being rather used to the crazy turtle by now. Meanwhile, though, he could feel Mike's eyes on him, watching him evenly as he worked. He tried to ignore it, but with the moments of no change that followed, Owen soon felt that he couldn't take Mike's stare any longer.

"Michelangelo?" Owen turned then, silently letting the turtle know that he was aware of his blatant stare. Mike grew suddenly sheepish once again as he realized that he had been staring. Not only at Owen, but also at his hair…

He never realized how….silver…it was. Totally unnatural, but natural all the same. Definitely…different.

But that was rather expected. Just about everything regarding Owen was "different," his clothes, his behavior…

Even his hair…

But now, like a deer in headlights, he was caught staring. Not only staring, but gawking at the vampire's hair, which in itself he knew was not polite to say the least. But he couldn't help but wonder.

How did it get like that?

He was never one to be shy, so he would get his answer…but not now.

He had bigger things to ask now.

Such as…

"Nothin' Owen. Hey! What about them plans?"

Well, Michelangelo sure got points for being persistent, despite his short attention span. Realizing that this would not be as easily avoided as he hoped, Owen sighed, finally placing the pillow down.

"I trust that just 'going to sleep' is not an option here, is it?"

Mike shook his head as Owen signed again. He really didn't know why this turtle seemed so interested; the entire thing was none of his concern. But, the fact that he was made all the difference.

Still…

"May I ask, why you inquire to know such information, Michelang-"

"Ah!" Mike held up a finger, cutting him off. Owen stopped, surprised with the interruption before sighing, the realization of what the crazy turtle wanted from him making him roll his eyes.

"Mikey…"

Mike grinned before nodding, a rather sly smile spreading on his lips as he contemplated Owen's question, finding that the answer seemed to come easily enough.

"Because, you're Donny's new Sensei, making you a new part of this family!" Mike grinned. "Therefore, your problemos are our problemos!"

Owen furrowed his brow at Mike's unfamiliar term (not the newer one, but the one before that).

"Sensei?"

"Oh, you're his teacher. Ya know, like his…Sensei. Get it?"

The way Mike saw it, Owen was Donny's new mentor, teaching him how to live with his new changes, or survival as Owen put it. Therefore, it made sense to call him Sensei; although of course, he was not a replacement for their old Sensei…No one could replace Splinter. But like Splinter, Owen cared for the turtles' well being, and only wished for the best, as far as they could tell.

Actually, Owen and Splinter did have a lot in common….

Meanwhile, Owen nodded slightly, at least understanding where the turtle was coming from. Sensei, if he remembered correctly from his former studies, could be a label for a teacher or a mentor, which, here, was defiantly the case. But he couldn't help but be moved by the turtle's statement, although ill-versed as it was.

Family. Mike considered Owen a part of the family, all because of his connections with Donatello.

Well, if that was the case…might as well give in to the turtle's demands. Besides, it wouldn't hurt anything to let the turtle in on his plan, since it was he that even allowed what he was planning to be plausible. He and his…'punk'…clothing.

"I plan to go undercover."

"What?" The sudden statement caught Mike off guard, he could tell. And as such, Owen turned to the turtle then, looking him in the eye as he answered Mike's question of the past fifteen minutes.

"I plan to go in undercover, infiltrating their hideout under the cover of being a "new" vampire. That way, I will be able to ask questions and learn all I can without sounding suspicious." It was then that Owen turned away, facing the piles of bags in the corner of his room that now held his new clothes.

He had looked totally different in them.

Definitely, different enough to be another person…

It was surprising how someone's garb could make them change so drastically, in the case of his old clothes and the new.

"Thanks to you Michelangelo, I will now be able to go in undetected….the new clothes making me almost unrecognizable."

However, it seemed that Mike had a different plan, as his gaze once again fell back to Owen's head.

"Not with hair like that!"

At the sudden statement, Owen turned back, only to realize that the turtle's eyes were, once again, locked on his hair.

"What? Why? What's wrong with my hair?" Since turtle seemed unable to turn away from the white mass, Owen couldn't help but look into it himself as he pulled a lock forward and into eye range. Meanwhile, Mike shook his head, his eyes still on the white mass, even after Owen began to look into it as well.

"No dude. Nothin's wrong. It's just that white hair, is too…unique, for what you're trying to pull. You'll be spotted a mile away!"

"Huh?"

He never thought about it that way. His hair was…different…but he didn't think it would be enough to get spotted, but if the turtle said so…

"What should I do to it then…Mikey?" The name still sounded weird on his tongue, but he could tell he was getting used to it as he waited for an answer. However, Michelangelo's next move totally unexpected, throwing Owen off and seemingly into a another country. Mike walked over, approaching Owen before stopping, his own fingers finding their way in Owen's hair.

Owen watched on in utter amazement as Mike's hand wasted no time in finding his pale locks. Meanwhile, Mike looked into the hair of his new self-proclaimed project as he came to an ingenious decision.

"…We could dye it…"

"Dye it?" Owen sputtered.

"Yeah." Mike's hands continued their roam, his full, unbroken attention on the hair of his new project. His eye ridges rose as he got a even new and better idea.

"…and cut it…"

"Cut it?!" Owen voice took on a new tone as he spoke. Meanwhile, Mike rolled his eyes. "Is there an echo in here? Yeah, cut it! Why, wat'sa matter?"

From underneath Mike's still hand, Owen coughed.

"Well, I particularly do not enjoy getting my hair…trimmed…"
Mike almost laughed aloud.

"You're scared of getting your hair cut, Owen?!" This time he did laugh, his chuckles deep and heavy. Owen almost cringed. Too loud.

"Mikey, try to keep your voice low! You wouldn't want to wake up any of your brothers, would you?" His tone was hushed but urgent, and immediately Mike quieted. Owen also couldn't help but notice how much easier the shortened name came to him. He could get used to it. "Besides, I'm not scared. I just don't like cutting my hair, is all." He assured the turtle, but nevertheless, Mike's hand never left his hair. This time though, instead of just being in it, he drew a few strands out and into Owen's eye reach as well.

"It would only be a few inches off the ends. See."

Mike demonstrated, "cutting" Owen's hair to as short as it would be, leaving the "remaining" hair outside of his two fingers. Owen watched on as Mike continued.

"That's it. See, it wouldn't be too bad. Plus, it would be just enough to change your look completely. I'm telling ya, you would be completely unrecognizable." Mike beamed then, his fingers busy in Owen's hair. He could almost see the hair cut now, which he would do himself of course.

Nevertheless, by the time he was through, Owen would look totally sweet!

However, Owen didn't seem too convinced. In his mind's eye, he stepped back, looking at the scene full on for the first time. There he was at three in the morning, standing in the center of his room with a giant turtle's three digit hand running laps in his hair. To say he was uncomfortable would have been an understatement…

"Mikey? Please, can you no-" Owen was suddenly cut off by a tapping on the door. He froze, as well as the swooning Michelangelo, for only microseconds after the door rapped, it was opened…

By none other than a sleepy Leonardo.

"I know it's rude to barge in, but I was hearing a lot of noises. Are you ok Owe-" Leo was cut off as he finally looked up and into the room only to find the vampire in question as well as his youngest brother, fingers literally imbedded in the vampire's hair. Mike seemed to squeak then, ripping his hands from the other's hair as Owen just stared.

However, by then, it was too late.

Leo blinked before seemingly turning back around, his eyes instantly wide.

"I'm just going to pretend….I didn't see any of this. Good night!"

"Ah, Leo, it's not what it looks like-!"

But by then, though, Leo was already gone.

Mike huffed before turning to look back at Owen only to catch the angered stare the vampire threw at him. But in response, Mikey only shrugged.

"Well, it could have been worse…"

Owen blinked, his senses finally coming back only to be thrown off once again by Michelangelo's statement.

'Could have been worse my foot!'

"Oh, and how do you suspect that, Mikey?!"

The shortened name came out as a curse, the turtle flinching at its sound before responding truthfully.

"At least he didn't come in earlier and catch me in your bed."

-

LMAO! Whoo! That was fun! What do you guys think! R and R!