Donnie looked up from his computer at the sound of a few sharp knocks, finding Mikey standing in the doorway with an uneasy, almost anxious look on his face.

"Hey, Don, you, uh… you busy?"

The genius smiled and swiveled his chair to face Mikey.

"Nothing that can't wait. What's up?"

The youngest turtle shifted a little on his feet, then entered the lab.

"Well… I think there might be something wrong with me."

A frown of concern immediately came to Donnie's face.

"You think you might be sick?"

Mikey dropped into another chair with a sigh.

"I'm not sure," he mumbled. "I mean, I feel weird, but it's almost like a good weird. I keep getting all lightheaded, and there's always this weird tingly feeling. I can't figure out what it is."

A few moments passed as Donnie considered his brother's words, still frowning. Then a suspicion came to him, and he couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from quirking up. Mikey frowned a little and cocked his head.

"What?"

Donnie quickly schooled his features, adopting a thoughtful expression.

"And this wouldn't have started after we met Grace and Hamari, would it?"

Mikey nodded vigorously.

"Yeah! How'd you guess that?"

"Call it a feeling," Donnie said with a shrug. Mikey's eyes widened and he leaned forward, looking anxious now.

"So, do ya have any idea what it is? I'm getting a little freaked out."

Donnie sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, keeping his pensive face on.

"I don't think it's necessarily something to freak out about," he said softly. "So, which of them are you getting these feelings around?"

The answer didn't surprise him at all.

"Grace. I mean, they're both pretty cool, but she just… I dunno, she's really neat and I'm always thinking about what she does and the stuff we talk about." He looked at Donnie with an enquiring expression. "So, you got any idea what th' deal is? I mean, do I hafta be worried or anything?"

Donnie scanned him up and down.

"Well, is it distracting you during a fight?"

"Not really," Mikey said with a shrug of his own. "I mean, I worry if she'll get hurt, but I always worry about you guys getting hurt too and that never distracts me too much."

Donnie finally allowed himself a smile.

"Then I don't think it's something you need to worry about." He looked at Mikey closely again. "Have you ever thought of telling her about this?"

Mikey shifted on his seat as he lowered his gaze to the floor, an almost shy look on his face.

"I… I don't know. I mean, what'd she say? What if she thinks I'm a weirdo or something?"

"Well, I can't tell you what she'd say or think," Donnie replied. "But you never know… maybe she gets the same way around you."

The youngest turtle immediately perked up, looking at Donnie with an eager, hopeful expression.

"D' you really think she might?"

The genius turtle shrugged again, still smiling.

"Like I said, I can't tell you… you'd have to ask. But for the record, I think there's plenty about you to like."

That finally brought a wide smile to Mikey's face.

"You… really think so?"

"Yeah," Donnie replied. "I do."

Mikey leaned forward on his chair.

"So, what d' you think I should say?"

Donnie grinned before reaching out and rubbing his younger brother's head.

"Sorry, but I don't think I can help much with this one. It's one of those things you have to do on your own."

Mikey's eagerness immediately changed to disappointment, and he slumped back in the chair, crossing his arms.

"Aw man… I really don't wanna screw it up."

"Nobody does," Donnie said reassuringly. "But none of us are an expert in this kind of thing, not even me. You just need to… you know, wing it. You do that a lot, anyway."

A sheepish grin came to Mikey's face, making Donnie's smile widen. The genius turtle's amusement was tempered by slight trepidation, though. For just a moment, he thought he saw something else alongside the sheepishness… something that looked a lot like doubt. But he supposed that was natural. None of them had ever dealt with this sort of thing before, and even Donnie would be flying blind in this situation.

"I guess the best advice I can give you," he went on. "Is just be yourself. The one thing I do know is you have to go into it being honest."

His smile faltered when Mikey's face grew more solemn, his eyes moving to the floor as he shifted on his seat. Concerned, Donnie cocked his head.

"Mike? What's wrong?"

The orange banded turtle looked up in surprise, almost as if he'd forgotten Donnie was there. Quick as that, the grin was back.

"Nothing. Be myself, got it." He stood, giving Donnie a nod. "Thanks, Don."

The genius turtle hesitated, debating whether he should press Mikey about what was bothering him. But before he could make up his mind his younger brother strode from the room, his demeanor casual but his steps quicker then usual. Donnie was left staring after him; finally, he let out a quiet sigh.

"You're welcome," he said into empty air. He turned back to his work, but unease continued to gnaw at him. Despite their talk weeks ago, he'd had a sneaking suspicion something was still bothering Mikey, and what just happened made him even more convinced. His words about being honest drifted to the front of his mind, and his unease grew even stronger. After all, none of them were being honest with Mikey. But the idea of telling him the truth was unsettling too. He knew how upset it would likely make him, even betrayed.

How would he ever feel like he could trust us again?

AN: Sorry this is a little late and kind of short, I had a busy day yesterday. Hope readers enjoy, nevertheless, and don't worry… the major action isn't too far away!