Chapter 10 part 2

I really miss Master Splinter and hanging out with the guys. It's been a few weeks since I've seen them; school and extracurricular activities tie up most of my time. Luckily, I receive several texts a week from Mikey who enthusiastically keeps me abreast of the latest happenings in the lair….and he also keeps me posted on whatever else humors his attention at any given moment. Just last week, he sent me a video of a cat playing Chopsticks on a keyboard.

I texted Donnie a few times; he always replied back, very formal and polite asking about school and such, keeping the texts short and noncommittal. After the whole shedding incident at my apartment, things have been a bit awkward between us.

I have a private session with Master Splinter today, so I decided to drop by a little early to watch the guys practice. Watching them practice was certainly….interesting. Even though I knew about Donnie's growth spurt situation, it didn't prepare me for seeing him during practice. I could tell he was taller since I last saw him. His skin looked painfully rough; I wonder if he even used the lotion I gave him? His arms and legs are speckled with spots, different shades of a soft brown that stand out against his olive green skin like a mosaic of earthy hues. I found myself getting lost in its exquisite patterns, but when Donnie caught me staring at him, so I forced myself to look away. The real attention grabber were his feet. Raph caught me staring and nudged me in the arm while saying "Ya know what they say about turtles with big feet, right?" Usually I would be prepared with an equally crude and sassy remark to shut him up, but his comment about Donnie's feet left me completely flustered as I looked down and hid the immediate warmth of a blush rising in my cheeks.

Speaking of Donnie's feet, they really gave him a heck of a time in practice. I couldn't help but wince in sympathy as he tripped, stumbled, and face-planted against the floor several times. He looked so crestfallen when Master Splinter suggested he sit this practice out until he worked on rebalancing his center. Donnie stayed in the dojo to train after practice, and from the frustrated sounds I hear, he's still in there. Leo breaks away from his Space Heroes show to check on him; maybe a good pep talk from his older brother will help.

Mikey also texted begging me to bring groceries, saying something along the lines of being 'starved like a third world country child'. After empty my bookbag of various frozen pizzas and other groceries onto the counter for Raph and Mikey to divide and devour, I make my way to Master Splinter's door and knock quietly.

"Come in Ms. O'Neil," His voice is inviting as I step into his room, closing the door behind me.

The calming smell of lavender incense greets me as soon as I enter the room. There are patio lanterns draped along the walls offering a comforting glow. A few candles of varies sizes are lit throughout the small living space. There is a small chirping sound coming from somewhere in the room; probably a lonely cricket taking refuge in this serene atmosphere. Master Splinter is sitting on a pillow cushion near the center of the room. He nods to me with a smile.

Clasping my hands in front of me I bow before my sensei before taking a seat on the floor in front of him.

"Have you been practicing your mental exercises?"

"That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about, Sensei. Lately, I've had a hard time concentrating…emotionally."

"Is everything alright?" His voice is filled with fatherly concern.

"Oh yes! I'm fine…sort of…it's just hard to explain."

"Try me. You'd be surprised what an old rat understands."

"It's a little….embarrassing." I mutter the latter part. I'm starting to have doubts about bring up this topic to my ninjutsu teacher.

He hums thoughtfully, "Is it a matter you would rather discuss with your father instead?"

"Oh, God, no…" I immediately shudder at the thought causing Splinter to arch a curious brow at me. I make an attempt to vaguely clarify myself, "What I mean is….it's just hard talking about my powers to my dad. After being kidnapped by the Kraang, mutated into a bat monster, and turned human again, I think the things I can do make him…nervous."

"I see," Master Splinter says in his usual perspective way, "Does Mr. O'Neil know of your partial alien bloodline?" His inquisitive eyes try to meet mine, but I look down at my crossed legs instead.

"No….I haven't told him," his eyes widen in mild surprise, "I, uh, mean I haven't told him, yet," I chuckle nervously as I tuck my bangs behind my ear.

His expression softens, "Your father's love for you goes beyond your self-perceived fears, Ms. O'Neil."

"Yeah, I know, Sensei…" I bite my lip and tuck my hair behind my ear again.

"Something tells me this unwillingness to talk to your father is about more than just your abilities."

I gasp at being found out. How does he do that? Well, there's no point dragging this out any farther.

With a preliminary sigh, I start to explain, "Well, there's this…guy..." I look up at him and he gives me a knowing smile. I can sense a wave of paternal longing wash over him as I speak. Is this a conversation he wishes he could have with his own daughter?

"And this guy..." He urges with a slight smile waiting for me to continue.

"Um, right, so there's this guy that I really like…he's smart, sweet, and just a wonderful….person," I pause for a moment and then sigh, "and then there's another guy."

"So the plot thickens."

There's slight amusement in his voice and I give him a lopsided smile as I feel the nervousness in my stomach fade away. Sensei always has a way putting people at ease with his thoughtful attentiveness. "Yeah. The second guy is cool, but I only like him as a friend….I think. It's weird, because whenever we're together I get this really overwhelming ….need to be with him. It feels like love, but it doesn't feel right…because…"

"Because your heart belongs to the first young man."

My voice suddenly abandons me, so I answer with a nod instead.

There are a few moments of silence between us as Master Splinter strokes his chin thoughtfully.

"How long have you had these….misplaced feelings?"

"I don't know…maybe a few months? I tried to ignore it all, but I can't…not anymore." I can't believe I just poured out my kooky feelings to Sensei, but who else can I talk to about this? "I know it sounds silly, and you probably think I'm just being an overly dramatic boy-crazy teenage girl, but I promise I'm not."

Please tell me you understand…

"The second young man, do you feel these strong emotions when you are separated from him?

I halfheartedly think about Casey for moment. "No, not at all; only when I'm around him."

"And the first young man, do you feel this compassion for him even when he is not with you?

A wistful smile spreads across my face as I think about his second youngest son, and answer him quietly, "Yes, all the time."

"Hm, this is very peculiar indeed."

"Am I crazy? Will I keep feeling like a slave to my emotions?" My heart quickens, afraid of what his answer will be.

He chuckles warmly at me, "No, you are not crazy, but yes, I am afraid for as long as you live you will have to navigate the terrains of your heart's desires. However, I believe another force is at work here. I would like to be certain by performing a small test. May I?"

"Um, sure." What have I got to lose? I just hope it isn't painful. I've seen some of the 'tests' and 'lessons' he puts the guys through. "So, what exactly are you going to," He raises a single clawed finger motioning me to be quiet. Aside from the muffled sounds of the guys in the kitchen, there's nothing to hear except the chirpings of a lost cricket. Rising to his feet, Master Splinter moves toward the corner of the room, his footsteps are silent under the circumference of his robe. Bending down slowly, he flexes his fingers before quickly swiping something from the floor.

With his hands clasped together he walks toward me, holding his hands out for me to receive the chirping insect he carefully captured. Mirroring the gesture, I cup the small brown cricket in my hands. He's a nervous little guy, shakily trying to hop out of hands. I gently clasp my hands together keeping him securely in my loose grip as not to squash him.

"I assume you are not afraid of this cricket?"

I shake my head, "Of course not. It's like 10 times smaller than me," I peek inside my hands again, "It's completely harmless."

"Good," he says with a nod and gently takes the small creature from my hands and into his own, "Raphael!" He yells sternly for his second oldest son.

The murmuring chatter stops abruptly from the kitchen and heavy footsteps stop right outside the room. The door slowly creaks open and Raph guardedly pokes his head in and looks at me than at Splinter, "uh, yeah, Sensei?"

"Come in, my son. I need your assistance." He again looks between me and Sensei, but then shrugs his shoulders coolly as he enters the room.

"Sure thing, whaddaya need help with?" The brash turtle asks with a cocky smile, his arms are crossed in his usual macho stance.

"Just stand there." Raph looks puzzled at the request and glances over to me. I shrug my shoulders; I'm just as clueless as he is.

"Oookay…" He obeys suspiciously, "so how is standing here supposed to help—ack!"

I do a double take. If I blinked, I would have missed the pressure points Master Splinter applied to Raph's shoulder and jawline. With wide eyes and a nervous tick in his neck, Raph looks at Splinter. I can sense his regret for volunteering so quickly.

Master Splinter releases the cricket right on the tip of Raph's beak. The little guy chirps at him and Raph immediately takes in a sharp breath of air. His eyes become tiny pinpoints as he tries to move. Unfortunately, he is locked in place and his arms simply jerk awkwardly at his sides. I'm not sure what's paralyzing him more—his fear or the pressure points.

I wipe my damp brow. When did it get so hot in here? My heart is racing like I just ran 20 laps in gym class. My arms feel itchy, I rub them nervously. There's something on my skin…like a thousand little legs searching, crawling, burrowing underneath….

It's inside your skin!...get it out….it's in your SKIN! My brain is in a blind panic warning me of this unseen danger. I look around the room frantically trying to find the source of this dreadful feeling. My eyes fall upon the hideous creature that has hopped to the top of Raph's head. His face pales and then I shriek .

"Get that thing away from me!" I point at the bug and shout as I scramble on my butt trying to get away from the insect chirping evilly on my friend's head. In a calm and swift movement, Master Splinter removes the bug from Raph, who visually relaxes as his breathing becomes more even. He releases the captured cricket outside his room and I immediately start to calm down. As the fog of panic clears from my mind, I suddenly feel confused and extremely silly for being terrified of the same bug I held just moments ago.

After a finger poke behind his inner ear, Raph collapses in a heap at Master Splinter's feet. He groans as his eye and finger twitch twice before settling down.

"Thank you for your assistance, Raphael." Master Splinter says with a sincere gratitude that would almost be comical, had I not just been scared out of mind.

"No problem," His dry retort comes across weakly as he gathers his body (and his pride) from the floor, "Warn a turtle next time, sheesh." He mutters bitterly.

"An enemy will not warn you before striking; you should be prepared for the unexpected."

Raph groans again trying not to roll his eyes at the ambush disguised as a lesson, "Hai, Sensei." After a nod from Splinter, Raph hurries out the room, rubbing the side of his neck tersely.

"Wh-what just happened?" My voice is still shaky and so are my hands.

"Your empathetic abilities are growing stronger. You are mistakenly accepting the emotions of others as your own."

"Wh-what? Are you saying I have Case...I mean...the second guy's emotions in my head?" I try to calm my mind and slow my speaking before my words slip again, "How is that possible? Why him? I mean, I'm around people all the time, and I never have trouble with emotions taking resident in my head uninvited….well, until a few minutes ago." I look up at Sensei; I need answers because I'm really starting to freak out about this whole foreign emotions invading my mind thing; and Casey's emotions are the last thing I want slinking through my psyche.

"Emotions such as fear or love can be extremely strong compared to other feelings. It is why Raphael's fear of insects so readily became your own fear." Extending his hand to me, I accept it as he pulls me to my feet, "It is very important that you do not waver in your own thoughts and beliefs, otherwise you could easily be overtaken by the emotions of others unknowingly. I will teach you a few meditation techniques to help you better block outside emotions."

"Thank you, Master Splinter, I think that will help a lot," I pause for moment, because there's something else still bugging me, "Sensei, the first guy I was telling you about, I tried to sense his emotions once…to see if he feels the same way about me, but I don't sense anything from him. Does that mean he doesn't.…"

I don't even want to form the words, but luckily Sensei understands what I'm asking, "Not sensing someone's emotions could mean many things. You must remember, some people do not project their emotions as strongly as others do. Do not completely rely on your psyche abilities to figure out the motives of others, but use your natural senses to help you decide their intent."

I bite my lip thoughtfully, slowly grasping Master Splinter's advice. He takes another thirty minutes to show me the empathy blocking techniques that will help me filter and separate my emotions from the emotions of those around me. After our session, I feel endowed with a sense of perception and wisdom that I didn't know I needed before now.

I leave Master Splinter in the serenity of his room as I follow the chatter of the guys into the kitchen. Of course it didn't take the guys long to cook two of the the frozen pizzas I brought over. Mikey's already chowing down like there's no tomorrow.

"Food, oh how I've missed thee!" Mike says around a mouthful of pizza; he then proceeds to pour jellybeans in his mouth. I grimace at his choice of food combinations.

"Slow down, ya moron. You're gonna choke yourself." Raph growls over his shoulder as he grabs bags of potato chips and cans of sodas out of the cabinets and refrigerator.

"Dude, look at me, I'm wasting away!" Mikey emphasizes his point by gestures to his plastron (which is slight rounder than his brothers', mind you) as he crams another slice of pizza in his mouth, "If I don't eat it now, Donnie will eat it later. I think he's trying to starve us out." He suspiciously glares at Donnie's lab door like he's just discovered some hidden ploy against him.

"Whatever. I'm stashing some grub in my room in case the Beanpole decides to attack the kitchen later."

"I don't understand how he eats so much without gaining any weight." Leo adds thoughtfully.

"Guess it goes straight to his feet." I glare at Raph for making such a callous comment about Donnie.

"Stop giving Donatello such a hard time." I don't try to hide my heated tone as I continue to stare angrily at Raph.

He looks over at me in faux shock, "What? Like you didn't notice the boats attached to his ankles. You were practically gawking at them in practice…." He smirks and snickers as he teases me, hinting at his earlier raunchy comment.

"I'd be careful when you go to sleep tonight; never know what could be 'jumping' around in your room," I cross my arms with a smug look. I'm not above telling his brothers about his little 'cricket lesson' if he keeps insulting Donnie. He seems to realize this as he clamps his mouth shut and simply glares back at me. Smart turtle.

"April's right, cut Donnie some lack, you two," I'm grateful when Leo steps in to defend his brother, "he can't help the changes he's going through right now. For all we know, we could all eventually have to go through the same maturing phase."

"He ate all your instant noodles," Mikey tells him before swallowing another mouthful of food.

"Man, I didn't even get a chance to try the shrimp-flavored one…."

With a hopeless sigh, I shake my head as Leo mourns his noodles, "I'm going to chat with Don before I head home," before I make it within five feet of his lab door, large hands pull my arm back. I yelp as the pull spins me around and I come face to face with Mikey.

"Hold up, homegirl, you can't just go in there."

"Why not?" I pout in slight annoyance.

"None shalleth passeth without propereth food offering," Mikey does a horrible medieval accent as he slides a Twinkie in my hand.

"Mikey, stop pestering April," Leo says from somewhere in the background.

"You shalleth thanketh me later...eth" He whispers, holding a very serious expression, but his eyes twinkle with a familiar silliness I know and love. I smile with an eye roll, rubbing his head affectionately as I turn around and head for the lab.

I rap on the metal door, "Hey, Donnie? Its April. Can I come in?" I try the doorknob. It's unlocked so I push the door open slightly and gingerly stick my hand through the door, blindly waving the Twinkie in the room, "I was told to bring a food offering."

"Very funny, Mikey." Donnie bellows to his younger brother. I chuckle as I open the door wider to step in the room. The lab hasn't changed much since my last visit; everything is still meticulously organized. I spot Donatello near his lab table putting the lid back on a canister of mutagen. He pushes the safety goggles on his face up to his forehead. "H-Hey, April," he offers me a tentative smile.

"Hey Donnie," I return the gesture as I toss him the plastic-wrapped Twinkie. He catches it with ease as I take a seat at one of the bar stools.

"So, uh, wh-what brings you into my humble domain?" He places the Twinkie on his computer desk, which is currently surrounded by a fortress of junkfood. He grabs a handful of Twizzlers and offers me one and I kindly accept.

"I didn't get a chance to talk to you after practice, so I just wanted to see how you were doing before I went home." I nibble on my string of licorice.

"Oh," was his single response as he bites off the tops of at least six sticks of Twizzlers. Poor guy. At least once a month, I can relate to his binge eating; I couldn't imagine feeling like a glutton for weeks at a time though. There's an uncomfortable quietness between us, like it has been for weeks. "Uh…" he looks down like there is a pile of conversation starters on the floor, "So, how's school?"

"Um, school is good." I'm not doing much better, searching the ceiling for words that use to come so naturally when we talked, "So, are you making progress with the retro-mutagen?" His posture slumps at my question.

"Not nearly as much progress as I should be." Donnie's making some groundbreaking discoveries with a chemical that's not even part of our dimension. He should really cut himself some slack.

"You'll figure it out, Donnie, you always do." I take in his tired expression, "maybe you should take a break; a little rest might give you a fresher perspective."

In the time it takes me to eat one Twizzler, he's already eaten the whole bag of red licorice candy and moves on to the Twinkie, "I'll rest after I finish the retro-mutagen….too many people depending on this new batch." His eyes wander to something behind me. I turn around and see Timothy encased in his icy chamber. Timothy's mutation wasn't Donatello's fault, but he still feels responsible. It's one of the traits I find endearing about my genius friend, but it is also the cause of his worse for wear appearance.

"Alright," I resign, not at all pleased with his decline to rest, "well, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Actually, I could use another blood donation, if you don't mind? Pulling extra essence from a mere five canisters of mutagen has been like trying to squeeze blood from a turnip. I'm hoping your unique DNA will serve as an adequate compensation."

"Sure, Donnie, anything to help out." I roll up my shirt sleeve as Donnie washes his hands and grabs the supplies he needs to draw my blood. Grabbing a stool, he sits in front of me taking my arm into his large hands . He ties the tourniquet and then gently cleans my inner elbow with an alcohol wipe. It amazes me how hands so big and callous are so tender and careful.

"Small prick, okay?" I nod absently as I make a fist. He always says this even though he's taken my blood on more than one occasion while concocting retro-mutagen. Ever so gentle, I never feel the needle enter my skin as the flow of blood leaves my body and enters the blood bag.

I watch him as he checks the blood flow through the tube. In such close company, I really get a good look at Donnie's post-shedding appearance. I noticed he has put extra wrappings along his arms and legs since practice. They completely cover his earthy patchwork of scales. I hate that he feels the need to hide his new appearance. Looking at his head, I can see his scales are more defined now-coarser than his brothers. His shoulders stiffen under my curious stare and he briefly turns to look at me. The leathery texture of skin deeply contrasts with the soft gentleness of his brown eyes. Quickly avoiding eye contact, he looks down at his feet. He curls his band-wrapped toes under and then stretches them back out. His chest rises and falls slowly with his deep breath.

"Listen, April, about our study night a few weeks ago..."

I push my hair behind my ear and rub my sweaty hand on my jeans. I've been waiting and at the same time dreading to have this conversation with Donnie. Why can't we just get past this and go back to being friends or whatever is was that we were...

"I'm sorry I freaked you out."

We both look each other dead in the eyes blinking in shock as we apologized at the same time.

"You didn't freak me out, I thought that I...I mean you..." We both pause our synchronize speech and laugh at each other. His laughter is cut awkwardly short as he puts his hand to his mouth smothering the rest of his chortle and hiding his sweet smile.

"Why on earth would you think you freaked me out?" Donnie gives me an incredulous look, "Out of the two of us, it's a little obvious who the freak is," he give a depreciative smile as he gestures to himself.

"Stop it. You know I hate when you guys call yourselves that." He and his brothers use the word loosely, but 'freak' still sounds like a racial (or maybe species?) slur when it comes from their mouths.

"Sorry, it's just I can only imagine how disgusted you must have been when I started shedding and I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I'm sure Casey would have made better company than someone who reminded you of your pet dog."

I stare into his eyes and see nothing but genuine guilt over something he has no business feeling guilt about. It's just like Donnie to be overly concerned for someone else without giving a second thought to his own feelings. I hold my non-blood-donating hand up in a stopping motion before he continue this self-depreciating and unnecessary apology.

"First of all, I was in no shape or form disgusted by you, Donnie. I was terrified for you. I thought you were hurt or sick…I…I just didn't know. And the whole thing about my childhood dog, was a horrible comparison. I just wanted you to know I was okay with the whole shedding thing, that's all. And, God, my whole psychic touching…I know it was weird and I promise not to do that to you again. Donnie, you're such a sweetheart and I'm so sorry for making you uncomfortable that night. I never meant to make you feel any less than the wonderful person you are."

For a moment, he doesn't say anything and just stares, tilting his head ever so slightly as if he is studying me. I try to use my empathy abilities to find a trace of any type of emotion, anything to give me a hint to what he's feeling right now, but I get nothing.

Some people do not project their emotions as strongly as others do. ….use your natural senses to help you decide the intent of individuals.

Master Splinter's words echo into my remembrance and I think Donnie is one of those people he is referring to. So, as he studies me, I also study him. His posture is more relaxed, his shoulders are straightened and no longer in a repressive hunch.

"You have no idea how awesome you are," He replies softly, his eyes are still gentle and full of something bright and genuine, "And for the record, I live with Mikey; you don't remotely fall under the category of weird."

I notice his cheeks turn a darker shade of green as a self-conscious smile crosses his face and he ducks his head down. "Oh, gee, almost forgot about this," He motions to the blood bag. In one swift movement he removes the needle from my arm, properly disposing it and places my 'alien' blood bag in a plastic storage case.

I can't help but smile softly at his sudden gawkish and timid behavior. Yeah, I think we're okay now, but I need to hear him say it, "So, we're good, right?" I ask as I roll my shirt sleeve down, "because I really miss my science buddy."

"Yeah," His voice squeaks a bit, before he clears his throat to level it out, "I mean, yeah, we're good. Just, don't compare me to anymore of your pets….unless, of course you had a pet turtle then that would be okay, but only for the sake of science." He jokes as he gives me that gap-toothed smile and for a fleeting moment I feel something a little stronger than friendship emanate from him, so small and shy that I almost miss it. "Speaking of turtles, how are the turtle eggs fairing at your place?"

And so we talk (and he snacks) another hour about turtle eggs, which leads to a discussion about sea turtles verses freshwater turtles, which strangely leads to a debate on whether or not reptiles are as equally represented in modern cartoons as amphibians.

Both of us are smiling by the time I get up to leave and I feel a lot better knowing the awkwardness between us is fading.

I slip out of his lab leaving the door slightly cracked. Mikey gives me a bright knowing smile as he glances over his shoulder at me from the couch.

"Told ya the Twinkie would work."

Donnie groans from the other side of the door, "Shut up, Mikey!"

Opening my desk drawer, I pull out my last jar of peanut butter. I spoon a mouthful of the nutty paste into my mouth as I type another entry into my Maturing Cycle log:

Increased appetite, possibly a result of accelerated metabolism. Peanut butter—good source of protein and should help slow down digestion and stabilize current eating habits. Muscle cramps easily managed by increasing potassium intake.

By notating the changes experienced through this growth spurt, I can better prepare my brothers for the developments they will more than likely face. At least they won't have to stumble through it blindly like me. Peeling a banana, I use it to scoop out another glob of peanut butter and cram half of it in my mouth. I type in another note before saving and closing the file:

No other observable changes noted.

Raph suggested I should add PMS to my data log.

Shove your naginata down his throat, show him how moody you really are.

I am not moody. I've just been a little...frustrated lately.

Finishing off the banana with another plunge of peanut butter, I roll back from my desk and look down at my feet. I wince as I cross one leg over my thigh. Gingerly, I unwrap my sore foot. It's red and swollen to the point I can barely bend my toes. I repeat the unwrapping process with my other foot . Leaning back in my chair, I sigh in relief. My feet are finally free from their confinement. Once a standard of beauty during the Five dynasties era, Chinese women often bound their feet to keep them at a very petite size, so hypotetically...

You could hide your freak feet?...How's that working out for you?

I growl to myself. The height, I can deal with; the excessive eating, I can manage; but my feet have been nothing but a nuisance. It's a constant battle just trying not trip over them. I'm a ninja for crying out loud! This is just downright embarrassing. Practice today was an absolute disgrace; I could see the annoyance in my brothers' faces and the disappointment in my father's eyes. And to make matters worse, April was there to see it all. I frown spitefully at the slabs of enlarged flesh connected to my ankles.

At least you have one thing in common with your feet—you're both useless.

I try to push that cynical voice aside, but it always find a way to boil over into my immediate thoughts.

You couldn't even perform a basic kata. And patrolling this evening?...what a joke. You're a joke. You should have listened and stayed home. Your brothers see how pathetic you are. You're a sorry excuse for a ninja.

As I think about how Leo treated me today, my hands tightly clench the armrests of my chair. Being under Leo's constant scrutiny was infuriating. In practice, I knew what I was doing! I didn't need him nitpicking my every move like I was some incompetent bo-handler. Then this evening, he insisted that I stay home and 'rest'. Yes, I heard you loud and clear, Leo….translation? You're a liability; stay home, stay out of the way. Heedless of Leo's suggestion, I went patrolling with them anyway, but at the expense of clumsily face-planting into a dumpster while pridefully hiding my muscle spasms.

Contently sucking the last bit of peanut butter from my spoon, I sigh heavily. At least here, in my lab, I am truly a master of my trade. Swiveling around in my chair, I turn down the boiling mutagen in the Bunsen burner I watch as the mutagen separates into two different fluids—a dense blue sludge settling at the bottom and a yellowish fluid buoying near the top of the beaker. Grunting in slight frustration, I steady my twitching arm as I pour the heat-treated mutagen into the centrifuge to fully separate its two components. I've already used three canisters of mutagen; I stare back at the remaining two canisters, the fluorescent lights reflect against them, leaving an eerie bluish-green glow on my desk. I sigh again as I absently massage the returning ache in my arm. In my months of studying this alter-dimensional ooze, I have no real proof that a decent batch of retro-mutagen can be made with just half the number of needed canisters.

You'll figure it out, Donnie, you always do.

I smile as the sound of April's voice penetrates my thoughts. With all my rotten luck, it's hard to believe I have a jewel like April for a friend. At times, it's hard to comprehend the sincere goodness of her nature. Every day, I wait for her to realize what a freak I am and yet she continues to surprise me with affirmations of our friendship. After clearing up our misunderstanding, I know I should just be grateful with just being friends again, but I can't help but naively wish for more.

An obnoxious grumble interrupts my thoughts. Placing my hand over the middle of my plastron, I can feel the intense vibration of hunger. I turn to the jar on my desk, and grumble with annoyance at seeing its empty state. I turn to the side. My trash can is topped with empty jars, junk food wrappings, banana peels, and an empty bag of cheese puffs. There's nothing left to eat in my lab, that my appalling appetite has not already forced me to devour. I look at the centrifuge. Still another 15 minutes to go. I can hold out until then.

My stomach apparently has other plans as a pinch of pain makes me press my hand harshly against my plastron, in hopes of calming the angry churning inside.

"Okay, okay….impatient digestive system…" I mutter to myself as I rise to my feet.

I don't get very far as a sharp pain grips my leg. Taking a step back to balance myself, I trip over my own foot and hit the floor with a thud. My shell bumps my desk on the way down knocking one of the mutagen canisters on its side. It rolls to the edge of my desk before coming to a complete stop. I couldn't move even if I wanted to. The cramping pain in my leg spreads to my immediate extremities. My muscles contract painfully forcing me into a fetal position. I press my lips together, silently enduring sharp bolts of pain. I can't control the jerkiness of my limbs; all I can do is pull myself into a tighter ball and hope the compactness of my body will keep me from twitching so harshly.

And just as quickly as the pain brought me down to a crumpled heap, it was over. I cautiously uncurl my body and sit up. The growing pains are getting increasing painful, especially at night. So much for bananas relieving muscle cramps….

Still on the floor regaining my composure, I lean my head back until it rest on the edge of my desk. My eyes widen as I feel something cool and hard touch the back of my head. I slowly ease away from the desk. As I turn around, I can barely slow my racing heart. There it was, the mutagen canister, its metal-sealed top suspended just inches over the edge of the desk. Thank goodness it was sealed; it could have come crashing down on me while I was riding out the pain.

"I have to be more careful." I chide myself in a shaky whisper as I use the desk to help me stand. Double checking the seals of the two remaining canisters, I store them in my bottom desk drawer for now. I breathe out a whistle; that was too close.

The sound of a begging whine fills the lab.

"Oh, come on!" Groaning, I stalk out of my lab to appease my insane appetite.

TBC...

A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for ALL of the thoughtful and insightful reviews for this story! Oh my gosh, I had to do a double take when I saw this story had reached 100 reviews! I can't believe it...I'm still in shock, and humbly grateful for all the dedicated reviewers! In all honesty I care more about the content of reviews than the number of reviews because the quality reviews are the ones that give me insight and help me gage my writing and plot-developing skills. So all of you who are reviewing and leaving PMs thank you...your reviews are humbly appreciated.

To the anonymous Guest: Glad you like the Donnie/Leo interaction, there will definitely be more in future chapters! And yes, there will be some Donnie/Raph moments...which can be a rather interesting interaction, so keep an eye out for it in future chapters!

To Avatar Aang Guest: Yes, poor Don...we'll have to see what else lies in store for our resident genius!

Alright, so next chapter coming soon!...Operation Pink Love Gloves in progress *hint hint* ;)