Chapter 4

"Introductions"

Don took the shorter way to get to the garage. He didn't want it to end but he noticed that Elara was having trouble holding onto him. It was obvious to him that she was probably starving and suffering from malnutrition causing her to lack strength. He could only hope that he could get her some food before she was too far gone. He pulled into the garage and parked the shell-cycle next to the Battle Shell. Gently, he helped Elara off.

"Are you doing okay?" asked Don nervously.

She nodded shyly.

He smiled as he took her by the hand and lead her to the elevator. Just as he stepped into the elevator, he felt her hand slowly slip away from his. Slowly, he turned to see her eyes widened in amazement.

"Elara, come on, it's an elevator," said Don, extending his hand to her.

She looked it over, still amazed at the site of the elevator. Timidly, she took his hand and stepped into the elevator, putting her eyes on Don.

His eyes locked on to her chocolate brown eyes, unable to look away from hers. She's beautiful, I hope that I'm not forcing myself to like her just because…no, I'm not, I know I'm not, thought Don to himself.

Soon the elevator stopped. He broke his gaze with hers and looked towards the door. As much as he didn't want to be teased, being seen holding her hand, he wanted to be seen, in hopes that it would tell his brothers that she was already indirectly taken. He sighed and let go of her hand as the elevator door opened. Slowly, he signaled her to follow him into the lair.

"Donatello! Leo was getting worried about you! Where were you?" said a female voice.

"Sorry, Calli. Tell Leo I'm back," said Don to Calli as he passed by the teal masked female.

Callista watched Don as she noticed the young female turtle who follows behind Don. Her eyes widened as she noticed the weak and malnourished female. She watched as the female stopped dead in her tracks and held her head.

"Don, she's going to pass out!" warned Callista as she ran over to the female to give her some support.

Don turned the moment he heard Callista's voice and saw Elara's paleness. He ran over to her.

"Elara? Are you okay," asked Don.

Elara looked like she was about to say something until she passed out. Don reached forward and caught her, scooping her into his arms with ninja speed. She must have exerted what she had left to come with me, thought Don. He looked up at Callista.

"Calli, get Leo, I might need his help," said Don, hiding the fear in his voice.

Callista nodded to Don before she ran to the room Leo and her shared while Don ran to the couch and laid Elara there. Don ran to his lab, grabbing everything he would need, hoping that her body wasn't too far gone for him to save, before running back to the couch and setting up in record time.

"Don, what's going on?" asked Leo having the usual seriousness in his voice.

"I found another female turtle but this time, she was in the dump," said Don as he hooked up and IV, hoping that it would help her.

"Another female turtle? In the dump?" questioned Leo as he looked over the beaten and thin female turtle.

"Yeah, two in one year, Leo. I don't think this is a coincidence," said Don, after he looked around to make sure Callista wasn't in earshot of hearing his words.

"As thankful as I am that we did find Callista, I have to agree with you there. Two female turtles randomly being found beaten and disposed of in similar ways in less than a year isn't exactly a coincidence," agreed Leo.

Don nodded. He knew that there had to be a connection between Callista and Elara but at the same time, he didn't want to believe it. He continued to work on Elara.

"Where do you think they came from?" asked Leo.

"I don't know but where ever they come from, it couldn't have been a good place, considering," said Don as he looked over Elara's tiny form, loosing his train of thought.

"Considering what?" asked Leo.

"Never mind," said Don as he realized that he was loosing his train of thought looking at Elara.

Leo smiled his brotherly smile and put a hand on his shoulder. He remembered to almost six months ago that he sat in his brother's place, keeping watch over his own mate, Callista. Slowly, he sat next to his brother, something he hadn't done in years.

"You're lonely, aren't you?" said Leo, trying to start up a conversation.

"Yeah, I guess you can say that," said Don with a sigh.

"You hoped Callista would be the one to cure that, didn't you?" asked Leo, as he mentally kicked himself for asking that, afraid how Don would react to that.

"Why would it matter if I did or not? Callista chose Mikey and then you. I can't exactly go back in time and change that. Besides, there's a chance that Elara won't choose me either," said Don as he looked away from his brother.

"Don, you never know. Elara, as you said her name is, may like the smart shy type. You never know. Besides, who knows, maybe she enjoys inventing stuff and chemistry," said Leo, trying to make Don feel better.

"Doubtful. Leo, most women don't like to get their hands dirty in terms of chemistry or inventing. In the chat rooms that I'm in online, one girl ever comes into them and guess what, she's married," said Don.

"You can't judge what you've observed from the internet. Who knows, that woman you think you're talking to might be a drag queen," suggested Leo.

The two brothers stopped and looked at each other before they burst out laughing, neither of them believing what Leo had just said. It had been a while since Leo and Don sat down and laughed without the help of Mikey or a movie. They had been friends in their youth but drifted as they grew older. Slowly, they calmed down and continued to joke.

Callista watched the two brothers from the doorway of the room she and Leo shared. A grin came across her lips as she watched the two brothers. It's good to see those two laughing over nothing but that girl turtle does look familiar, thought Callista as she continued to watch, perched from her place. She slowly shook her head and walked back into the room, hoping that everything would work out.