Chapter Fifteen: Families

THANK YOU ALEXLUKE! FOR BEING AN AWESOME SPONCER AND ALL YOUR VALUABLE FEEDBACK!

AN: Please excuse the delay in posting. I've been having back trouble and unable to sit at the computer and write. Trying to get caught up in posting with this story, Take Two, and finish writing the last chapter of Not Broken. Hoping for a Valentine's Day finality. Fingers crossed!

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The next morning Donnie awoke with a jolt. Not because Sable was wrapped around him, seeking his warmth in her sleep as the fire had died out from the rain. Some embers still glowed but they weren't enough to give heat.

No, what woke Donnie was a bird. One decided it needed to warble overhead, creating a song to make the turtle bolt awake. It took him a moment to realize where he was, then it all struck him anew.

The facility …the escape… Sable.

Speaking of which, Sable was laying half on his chest, arm wrapped around his middle, her leg draped between his own. She slept soundly, drooling a little on her terrapin pillow. Donnie didn't mind.

He took her features in the dawn light.

Honey colored hair, pale skin dotted with a few random freckles. Her fragile, petit human structure, including her breasts, which were noticeable when pressed into his plastron. Donnie gulped and cast his gaze to the ceiling trying to focus on anything but the lines and curves of the female half on top of him. He frowned, realizing the dawn was at least an hour passed.

Weird.

It was unusual for Donnie to sleep through the night. He must have been more tired than he thought. To be unconscious for so long was practically unheard of. He hadn't slept through the night since he was a young turtle.

Sable groaned, rubbing her cheek along Donnie's chest as she stretched, waking up. Lazily she opened her eyes and smiled up at Donnie.

"Morning."

Donnie curled his nose. Humans had terrible breath in the morning.

"Morning," he parroted.

Sable was slow to get up, staring mournfully at the dying embers. A couple of thicker pieces remained unburned.

"We should have a quick bite before we start out," Donnie said, handing Sable a pop tart while he folded the blankets and stacked them neatly to be packed for travel. He chewed on his own pop tart as he set about breaking down their camp while Sable fully awakened.

She yawned and stretched, using the bathroom and stamping out the fire by the time Donnie finished breaking down their shelter. It folded into a cumbersome square but he managed to get it in a shopping bag, flatting it down with a blanket to conserve space. Within the hour they were ready to leave.

Sable opted to walk, shouldering the burden of the remaining food.

Over rocky terrain they traveled for several hours until they came upon a shallow river. It was roughly fifty feet wide, moving steadily along its path. A sandbar rose near the middle, creating a tiny island.

Sable searched for rocks to walk on, but Donnie scooped her up in his arms (without asking,) and stepped into the cold water.

"Might be wise to take a water path, just in case our tracks are found."

"Do you think we're being followed?" Sable asked, settling into his natural hold. It was as if she fit there by design.

"Taking every precaution," Donnie said, "We'll follow the stream for a distance. It's shallow, so it's easy to navigate."

Indeed, the water barely brushed his knees as he moved.

"Careful," Sable warned, "lots of slime on the rocks."

"I grew up in a sewer, I'm used to slime," Donnie quipped, following the stream down through winding twist and turns. It never got deeper than his mid-thigh and stayed fairly flat, with even stones and gentle murmurings.

An hour later, Donnie exited the water, using some rocks to hide his prints and sat Sable on her feet. She dutifully followed, clumping along in her too large boots. She was able to keep pace with his longer, faster stride for over an hour before her stomach growled. Hand over stomach, she offered a sheepish look.

"Quick break for lunch, then we must set off again." Donnie instructed. He wasn't even winded.

They sat under a majestic oak whose branches were crowned in new spring green. The temperature was dropping again. As Sable estimated, it had barely hit forty-five when the sun was at its peak. But night was falling once again.

Which meant the temps were dipping in the thirties, if not lower.

She had barely finished her package of crackers and candy bar when Donnie gathered up the bags.

"You ready?" he asked, taking a step deeper into the wood.

Sable took a steady breath, giving him a nod and following. She was glad he didn't want to keep up a conversation, as it was taking her breath and energy to keep up with him for the next five miles.

The sounds of a highway were heard before they came upon it. Donnie sighed, not liking the idea of being exposed during the day time, but it was a risk they'd have to take. They found a fairly wooded area that was close to the road and when traffic allowed, cars at least a mile away in either direction, Donnie pulled the bedding over his head to hide his features and ran across the highway, Sable hot on his heels. Over the guardrail and down into a ditch they landed just as a car rounded the bend and drove by with a low hum of its engine.

Sable lay, panting, feeling like an escaped convict from a movie. It was terrifying, but exhilarating. She never felt so alive!

They paused for several long minutes, catching their breath, cars passing, oblivious to their presence. Donnie tilted his head, listening intently at the traffic before motioning for Sable to follow him along the ditch line that ran parallel with the trees.

Darkness was falling, aiding in their camouflage as they entered the tree-line.

The shrubbery thickened considerably as they went further into the wood.

"This way," Donnie said, heading off toward his right.

They kept the sounds of the highway to their left, adjusting course when the road became exposed. Donnie sniffed out the next town before it came into view. And when Sable saw the KFC sign jutting high in the sky, she knew her companion had been following his nose.

Wanting a hot meal, Sable straightened her clothes, mussing up her hair a little and flipping her collar up on her black shirt and tying it off in the middle, exposing the white undershirt she wore beneath.

Donnie stared, captivated by her change in demeanor. With her shoulders thrust back, head held high, and combat boots a flopping on her feet, she resembled a biker soccer mom.

The thought made Donnie overheated.

He settled into the wooded area a couple hundred feet away from the parking lot ringed by rich vegetation, watching Sable approach the restaurant. Several minutes later, she exited, and much to his disdain, stopped at a dollar store a block away.

Donnie's foot was tapping impatiently when Sable exited the store 15 minutes later with a backpack slung over her shoulder. Whatever was in it was heavy, if her slanted walk was any indication. When she reached the tree-line, she darted through the trees, finding Donnie.

"What did you do?" he asked without preamble.

"Supplies," Sable said, lifting the backpack with a shaky arm.

"We need to get moving. We're losing daylight," Donnie said worriedly, checking the sky.

His stomach growled in rebuke. He was usually a calm turtle, mellow in nature, but when he got really hungry, he turned gruff. Almost as bad as Raph. He huffed, mind racing a million miles a minute before handing Sable the bags that held their camping supplies.

She frowned upon being given a heavier burden to carry, when Donnie picked her up and started off over the rough terrain. He carefully picked his way over rock and tree roots, adding some speed as he found an animal track and stuck to it.

Sable allowed Donnie to carry her while she fed him, having no qualms about sharing her spoon with him as she held up a serving of popcorn chicken coated with mashed potatoes and gravy. Donnie ate it hungrily, racing along the rutted wildlife path. Sable adjusted their course a little and fed Donnie a potato wedge, then some coleslaw and a biscuit.

Not wanting him to be exhausted from carrying her, Sable motioned for Donnie to put her down. He did so, but took the back pack, grunting under its weight.

"What did you buy? The whole store?" he quipped, mood much improved with a hot meal. He was a little winded so he finished off the last of his water.

Sable laughed, wadding up their trash and placing it in a second backpack she had hidden under the first. Donnie's brow line rose in question and she grinned. "To put the blankets and tarps in. We need something waterproof in case it rains. Don't want the blankets wet."

Once again she amazed him.

They traveled in silence, huffing and puffing their way till well past nightfall. Their breath bloomed in front of their faces, their noses and extremities cold. Donnie kept glancing to the sky, ushering Sable along when she began to lag behind. He didn't like the looks of the clouds. Not to mention, the temperature was dropping to dangerous levels.

Donnie's feet were numb.

Not a good sign.

By the time both agreed to camp, they had put considerable mileage on their escape.

"We need to find a suitable place for the night," Donnie said. No sooner were the words out of his mouth when from the night emerged a squat, black wooden square of a building. "What's this?"

Sable breathed a sign of relief when the small log cabin came into view. The area around it was overgrown and by the lack of light and activity, it wasn't in use.

"Probably a hunting lodge," Sable said, patting Donnie's arm so he'd relax.

Sable approached, going up on tiptoe to peek into the grimy windows. As she guessed, the place was deserted. Finding the door she tried the handle, discovering a well oiled, fairly new, Master padlock on it, preventing entry.

"Do you know how to pick locks?" she asked.

Donnie grasped the lock and using his hidden strength, yanked as hard as he could. The bracket came free, grinding a little on the screws. With some finagling the door gave way, allowing entry.

Sable stood gaping.

Donnie took it upon himself to enter first, surveying the room for danger.

"Wow," Donnie breathed, glancing around the quaint cabin.

Sable rooted around in the semi darkness for a moment before holding up an old oil lamp. Donnie extracted the matches and struck one, lighting the cord that hung in nearly a full bulb of oil at the bottom.

Light chased the shadows back to the corners, revealing the interior of their temporary shelter.

The small cabin was fairly well maintained, no doubt for various hunting seasons. Not being a hunter, Donnie had no clue what kind of animal could be out in the forest, but for right now, the cabin offered excellent shelter. Which was a good thing as he noticed a few flakes of snow drift past the window.

They found shelter just in time.

"Think anyone will bother us?" he asked, shutting the door and placing a chair in front of it for security.

Sable did a fast exploration.

The cabin was a single room. Primitive kitchen with two sided basins for water. Electric hot plate, coffee maker and mini fridge, though none held any power.

"Probably a generator nearby," Sable said, sweeping the lamplight into the living room slash bedroom.

Full sized bed with several quilts and flannel sheets was occupying a corner. There was also a large gun rack, capable of holding a dozen firearms, though now, all the slots were empty.

There were a few hunting knives scattered about.

A stuffed moose head hung on one side and a family of deer on the opposite wall. The does eyes were cold, glassy distant. The bucks eyes were proud, haughty, and his twenty point rack was mighty impressive. Two couches flanked a large fireplace that had a mantel decorated with pictures of trophy kills.

"I'll get a fire going," Donnie volunteered, searching the room for wood.

"Check by the back door," Sable said, pointing to a narrow door almost completely obscured by shadow.

Donnie undone the bolt locks and opened the door, finding a large stack of firewood by the door protected by a lean-to. There was also a small shack looking structure about ten feet from the back door.

"There's a narrow building out there," Donnie reported, bringing in an armload of wood and dropping it by the fireplace.

"It's an outhouse," Sable explained, finding the hunter was a bit lazy while 'roughing it,' and opened a stack of fire starter logs. She placed two on the cleaned grate and piled the wood on top. The starter pieces ignited immediately. Soon the room was filed with the cackling of a hungry fire.

Snow flew past the windows faster than stars in a scifi movie.

Needing to pee, she grabbed the roll of TP from their supplies and darted the short distance to the outhouse, teeth chattering while her black cargos were pulled down. She prayed there weren't any bugs. Or wild animals. If she ran out of there with her pants down, that would make a very awkward situation. One she would never live down. When she got back into the cabin, Donnie had a decent stack of firewood.

"Hope the owner doesn't mind," Donnie said, turning and warming his shell. Like most reptiles, Donnie despised the cold. Though it didn't force him to hibernation like it did his distant relatives.

"You think it's going to stick?" Sable asked, squinting through the dirty pane.

"If it does, we have a decent shelter at least," Donnie said, always the optimist. Donnie went to the table and opened the bags, calling over his shoulder, "What do you want for dinner tonight? We have excellent braised beef, rotisserie chicken, oven roasted turkey, all paired with the perfect wine from the most prestigious vineyards."

Sable joined him, picking out a tin of shredded chicken, crackers, and string cheese. Her stomach growled with the mention of good food. When she got home, she wanted a banquet.

Sable ate by the fireplace, Donnie beside her, finishing his own meager dinner. They had enough food to last a few days, thanks to Sable's stop at the dollar store and her backpack stuffed with food.

If the snow decided to stick around, they couldn't risk leaving the cabin. Donnie made distinct footprints with his bare feet. They'd have to stay there until the snow melted. She didn't want him to lose his toes to frostbite.

Speaking of which…..

Sable rustled around in the backpack she bought at the dollar store. A moment later she pulled out a pair of thick wooly socks. She grinned, tossing them to Donnie.

"They're really stretchy. Hopefully they'll cover your feet to help keep you warm."

Donnie grinned, plopping down on the floor and pulling on the socks. His toes were cold. The socks were standard size and only went to his ankle. But they were nice. Already he felt warmer.

"Thanks," he said, smiling oh-so-innocently up at Sable, the fire light behind him glinting off his glasses.

Past the windows, the snow was coming down heavy.

"If the snow melts off by morning, I'd like to gain some more distance," Donnie said, padding over to the table and pulling out the cartoon blankets. "If you would be willing, that is."

Sable dusted her hands of crumbs and tried not to think about the germs on her hands from being unable to wash them. "You want to start out early?"

Donnie stared at her in the firelight. Amber highlighted her features, making the brown of her eyes turn black and hooded. Her hair took on the aspect of flame, absorbing the red of embers to glow upon her head as a crown.

Fiery passion, that's what he saw before him. And it both terrified and aroused him. He turned his head abruptly, staring out the window to clear the fog of his brain.

"If the weather permits," he said, finding his tongue wanting to stick to the roof of his mouth that had nothing to do with eating so many crackers.

"Early start then" Sable said, stifling a yawn. If she as honest, she was pretty tired. It didn't take much to make her exhausted. "If it's nice out, we spend all day traveling. But if the weather's still bad, we hang here and rest until the weather breaks."

There was wood for the fire, ample shelter, and plenty of food. She had stocked the backpack with enough to last them several days. Three boxes of pop tarts, two boxes of cheese flavored crackers, two large bags of beef jerky, a dozen cans of Vienna sausages, a box of granola, and several cheap candy bars resided in the compact pack, along with four bottles of water.

"You should get some rest," Donnie said, nodding toward the bed. "We may have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Sable offered another yawn in response and rose, going to the bed and turning down the covers, checking for any creepy crawlers. Finding it devoid of bug life, she kicked off the oversized boots and settled into bed, watching Donnie sit by the fire.

His shell rose elegantly on his back as he threw on another log. Satisfied, Donnie climbed onto the couch, settling down sideways, his shell making it cumbersome to get comfortable. He tried either side, cattycornered, on his stomach, flat on his shell, where he bowed comically.

Sable couldn't stand the torture much longer. She scooted forward to the edge of the bed and moved the covers behind her. The three quilts were nice and toasty warm. And they were large enough to cover both she and Donnie.

"You can stay with me," she offered as he turned, attempting to fluff a flattened pillow.

Donnie paused, perking up and over the arm of the couch. One of the cartoon blankets fell off and landed on the floor.

"The couch is fine."

"Don't argue," Sable said, patting the bed behind her. "Get over here."

Donnie ducked sheepishly and got off the couch, padding to the bed. "I should be in front. Just in case someone breaks in. You'd be safe."

Sable wanted to kiss him for such heroism, but offered up a chuckle. "And I'll have to pee a couple times, which means I'd have to climb over you to get out of bed. This way, I can stand up without jabbing my sharp bones into you."

She got a mental image of another kind of bone poking , but it was the other way around. Unbidden the ghost of their intimate encounter flared through her consciousness, reminding her how overheated she had become, so eager and willing for the masculine presence she sensed to take her.

And the flashes of pleasure she could remember, driving her higher and higher.

"Are you okay?" Donnie asked, crouching down, placing the back of his hand on her forehead. "You're flushed. Are you fevered? Shall I take you to a doctor? Or a hospital?"

Sable snapped herself out of her awakening memories, the color rising in her cheeks from embarrassment to replace the flush of arousal. "I'm fine. The fire makes me warm with these extra blankets."

Donnie bought the excuse. He relaxed and though he would have been happier to be in the front, he didn't argue. He got under the covers behind Sable, his shell wedging perfectly against the wall.

Sable rolled over to face him, much like the previous night in their tent. Sable simply stared at the strange person curled up next to her. Donnie respectfully maintained his distance as best he could. The firelight glinted off his glasses giving his eyes a hollowed, enchanted aura. She reached out, clasping one of his hands.

For the first time she really looked at him.

His skin was warm, his pulse beat on his wrist exactly like her own. This was the first time she voluntarily touched him, exploring the unique physiology that made up this mutated person. Two long tapered fingers and a thumb, and knuckles so much like a regular human. His finger nails fascinated and amused her.

Green skin, surprisingly soft and not rough or as scaly as she imagined. He even had fingerprints! Small little whorls and patterns.

Sable turned over Donnie's hand, this way and that, curiously studying him but not in a way a scientist would stare. The kind of expression thirsty for knowledge and willing to dissect everything to learn answers.

No, Sable's expression was of open curiosity and fascination.

So Donnie held still, allowing her to pinch and poke and check out what made him so different from her.

Sable tried several ways to hold Donnie's hand, as if a dating couple might hold hands while out for a stroll. But with his three fingered configuration and her small hands, it was kinda difficult.

There was power and strength in those slender fingers. She wasn't fooled by his artistic fingers. She had seen them kill. They were the skilled hands of a warrior. A craftsman. An artist. An intellectual.

So much like her own and yet, slightly different.

Sable realized how much she was manhandling Donnie and extracted her touch from his palm, where his hand opened as a flower to the sun.

"Sorry." she muttered. "My brother always tells me I'm too curious for my own good."

"You have a brother?" Donnie asked, nudging her hand as a puppy seeking attention. She pretended not to notice, then folded. Letting her fingers dance with his and give him a chance to examine her much smaller human hands.

"Two older brothers, an older sister, then a younger brother," Sable recounted, finding it cute how Donnie plucked at her nails.

"You have a three bothers like me," Donnie said with a smile.

"Well, there was another older brother, but he was killed in a car accident," Sable said sadly.

Donnie paused, squeezing her hands together for comfort. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry."

"It's okay. I was four, so I don't really remember him," Sable said. "Dad was driving Charlie from pee wee practice and a car ran a red light. T-boned them. Dad was in a coma for a week with a head injury and broken arm and shoulder. Charlie didn't survive."

"That's terrible," Donnie breathed.

He couldn't imagine losing his brothers. Despite the recent friction between him and Leo, Donnie still loved him. It would crush him if something happened to Leo. Though Donnie feared with Leo's self destructing attitude as of late, he may become lost to all of them. Not physically but emotionally.

"So I have my big brother Shawn, who's in the Air Force, and there's Caleb who is a software designer and married his high school sweetheart, Melody. They have two girls. Then there's Susan, who is a vet and married to a lawyer, Kevin. They have three boys. And finally, the youngest of our pack, Jake, who is in his second year of college for political science. Kid wants to work as an ambassador."

"Ambassador?" Donnie asked, astounded by such a strange goal for one so young. "Isn't he rather… young?"

"Nineteen," Sable explained. "Kid's got a knack for languages though. He's fluent in about a dozen or so."

Donnie gaped. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. In grade school there was an exchange student from Germany in his class and within a couple of months, he was speaking fluent German. Anyway, he started getting language tapes at the library and learning them fairly fast. By the time he got into high school, he was fluent in four languages and was pestering our parents to invest in more instructional tapes. They relented, of course, and dad's keen on having Jake to work with him at the firm."

"Your dads a lawyer?"

"No, he's an accountant," Sable explained. "He audits large corporations and makes recommendations to government on penalties, taxes, and fees." Sable waved her hand airily. "All crap to me. Boring."

"And your mom?" Donnie asked, entranced by this woman and her family. He would have loved to have had such a variety of exposures to arts and sciences.

"Mom wanted me to follow in her footsteps and be an architect," Sable admitted. "But I was more interested in teaching. Have been since I was little. I was diagnosed with cancer at fourteen and thought I beat it, but last January, when I turned twenty two, the doctor told me I was stage four. Leukemia. No cure. I was given three months to live."

Donnie didn't know what to say. It broke his heart that such a beautiful, vibrant, loving, and bright young woman had been so close to deaths door.

"So I gave my siblings my stuff- car, savings, everything. Since I had been in college, I stayed at the farm my grandparents left my mother. That's where we're headed. Free Hold."

"How did you end up at the same place they were holding me captive?" Donnie asked.

"My oncologist mentioned a trial program for terminal patients. I only had a few short weeks to live, so I thought if they needed volunteers to try experimental treatments, then I can make my last remaining days as productive as possible. I agreed, and was transported to what I thought was a hospice center."

Donnie held Sable's hands tighter. He wasn't sure why he did it, but kissed her hands, eyes brimming with tears. "You are so brave."

It was Sable's turn to blush.

To Donnie's secret delight, she didn't pull away. Nor did she act disgusted by his emotional outburst. He was lucky he didn't allow himself to go too far, as he wanted to hug her and cry at the thought of her dying alone, willing to subject herself to horrendous procedures in the vain hope doctors would find a breakthrough and be able to help others. It was the ultimate in self sacrifice.

"Well, that's my family details," Sable said to break the awkwardness. The feel of Donnie's lips on her hand were weird. They felt… human. She expected him to have a beak or a hardened ridge for a nose, like a box turtle. But his lips were soft… and warm. "So, what about your family?"

Donnie wasn't sure where to start. His family seemed… ordinary in comparison.

"Well, my three brothers and I were born at the same time, but we always think of Mikey as being the youngest," Donnie started.

Sable giggled. "Let me guess. He'll eat anything?"

"How do you know?" Donnie asked, surprised.

"It used to be a commercial years ago," Sable explained. "Back in the late eighties, there was a commercial for cereal. The catch phrase was, 'Give it to Mikey, he'll eat anything.'"

"We were born in ninety- nine," Donnie said. "The commercial was before our time. I've never seen it."

"Oh, you're going to have to now," Sable said. "So you're just a kid. Well, not really kid, but roughly the same age as my baby brother."

"Eighteen. Nineteen in July," Donnie imparted.

"Remind me to get those old tapes from my sister. You'll love the commercials. Some were wild compared to what we have now."

"I'd like that," Donnie smiled. Then continued, "My older brother, Leo, has taken on the role of leader. When we go on missions or helping the police, Leo plans our attacks, coordinates with police and oversees our training schedules to make sure we don't become complacent."

"Stickler for the rules, huh?" Sable guessed.

"Wasn't so bad in our youth," Donnie explained. He wasn't sure how much to divulge, seeing as the tragedy was Leo's. If he wanted to tell it. So Donnie glossed over some of the details. "Leo had fallen in love with a human woman. She died in an accident a few months ago. Ever since, he's been cold, hostile, and pursing our training sessions to the point of tyranny."

"He.. he loved.. a woman?" Sable asked, blinking rapidly in the dull light cast by the fire behind her. "Like me? A human woman? How is that possible?"

"We are not complete animals," Donnie said sadly. So many people saw only their appearance. "We have emotions and thoughts. Self awareness, sentience. We can argue, have screaming matches, cry, experience pain and suffering and compassion and empathy." Donnie sobered, appearing more childlike than adult. His voice was meek. "We can love. Know what it's like to care for someone. Then have that person taken from us. We are no strangers to heartache."

"I'm sorry," Sable said. "I didn't mean it that way. I meant… I didn't realize you could… well.. you know."

Sable flushed, becoming distinctly uncomfortable with the topic she inadvertently brought up.

"My brothers and I are unique, genetically modified, neither full blooded turtle, or human," Donnie said softly. "Physical intimacy is possible, but we are unable to reproduce."

Sable studiously ignored the mention of physical intimacy, and stared curiously at this giant mutant who was so much more than his physical appearance. She could see the hurt and pain in his eyes when he discussed the unique nature of himself and his siblings. The undertone of never really fitting in with either, yet, craving the intimacy and familiarity of having a family. It made her sad.

"This woman… she loved your brother?" Sable asked hesitantly.

"Yes, she did," Donnie muttered. "Her passing has left a void, not only for Leo, but for all of us."

It was then the full magnitude struck Sable. She sighed heavily, extracting herself from Donnie's grip to clasp his hands in turn. "You cared for her, too?"

Donnie nodded, not trusting his voice. He stared at Sable's pale stubby fingers wrapped around his long green fist. "We all cared for her, but Leo was in love with her. Since her loss, he has been unreachable. Inconsolable. We don't know how to help him."

"Time," Sable said wisely "And patience. And knowing he's not alone. That he's cared for."

"You sound like my father." Donnie quipped. It was strange, laying here in a bed in an abandoned cabin in the wilderness, possibly being chased by mad scientists intent on torture with a woman he met only a few days ago. "He's always telling us to have patience."

"Very wise," Sable said. She detected the trace of tears in Donnie's eyes when he discussed his brother's pain. It hurt her to see him so helpless and upset.

Sable was so engrossed in Donnie's tale, she didn't realize the fire was dying out until Donnie extracted himself from the bed and tossed on a couple more logs. The room was nice and toasty. He checked the window to see it snowing steadily and retuned to bed.

"And there's Raph," Donnie continued as if never interrupted. "He's the biggest and definitely the most short tempered."

"Brawny?" Sable asked, suddenly imaging Donnie twice as big. The thought scared her.

"He's big and surly and ill tempered, and even deadlier than the rest of us in a fight." Donnie gave a soft chuckle. "But when he's around females, he becomes a big softie. The whole 'macho guy' is an act. Deep down, under all that bravado and muscle, he's as protective of females as the rest of us."

"So he wouldn't kill me if he saw me?" Sable asked, hoping the giant, monstrous, burly turtle wasn't a hired hit man or sniper or something.

"No. He'll try to intimidate you, but don't fall for it. Tell him he's big and strong and he'll become your most fiercest guardian."

"All growl and no bite?" Sable hazarded.

"Oh, he has bite," Donnie chuckled. "If it's one of us, he'll pound the shell off of us, but if you're female, he becomes all mushy and docile." He adopted a stern expression. "It really is quite depressing."

Sable laughed, slapping Donnie playfully on the arm.

"My father is soft spoken, patient, kind," Donnie said wistfully. "He was also a lab experiment, mutating faster than us and taking it upon himself to become our father."

"Is he another turtle?"

"No," Donnie said, biting his lip a second before answering. "He's a rat."

"A… rat?" Sable gaped. "As in squeak-squeak mouse?"

"Yes," Donnie confirmed hoping Sable wouldn't have a freak out over the fact his father was a rat.

"Ewww," Sable curled her nose. "They can't control their bodily functions. Mice. They have no control over their bladders or colons."

Donnie laughed. Leave it to a woman to pick out that detail to focus on.

"Well, unmutated version, yes. But Master Splinter has full control of his faculties, I can assure you."

"Master?" Sable asked, humor now gone. "I thought you said he was your dad? Don't you call him dad, or father?"

"Sometimes," Donnie admitted "We call him Master Splinter, or sensei because he trained my brothers and I in ninjitsu, the art of invisibility and stealth."

"Ninjas?" Sable snorted disbelieving. When Donnie didn't refute her, she sobered. "You're serious? You're a… ninja… turtle?"

"A variety, yes," Donnie said indignantly

"Wow," Sable breathed. "You're even more amazing than I thought."

Realizing what she just said, she cleared her throat and asked, "Any other things you should tell me?"

Donnie quirked his lip, thinking he should wind her up with outlandish 'secrets'… but thought better of it. "No, nothing I can think of."

"You're not going to tell me you're really a prince or a genetically modified hybrid out to take over the world?" Sable goaded. She was having a hard time keeping a straight face.

"Well, I expect Mikey to be picked up by a mother ship any day now," Donnie quipped.

"Have you tried selling him on eBay?" Sable asked, nudging Donnie with her foot.

Chuckling, Donnie admitted, "Yeah, but there were no takers. Had him on discount for half a penny. No interest."

Sable remembered something from their escape and asked, "When we were escaping, you planted a virus in their system and set a trap to wipe out their data and lock down their lab. Where did you learn to do all that?"

Donnie shrugged. "Always been technologically inclined. Even at a young age. Electronics just sort of…. Talk to me. The may make sense, you know? Science and technology, fascinating fields."

"I would think you would have been a prime candidate for MIT or something."

Donnie's expression fell, but he tried to hide his disappointment. "I would love to go to college, but most humans aren't accepting of a giant talking turtle. Not to mention, there's always scientific entities who would rather have me dissected than educated."

Sable fought back tears. If anyone deserved to go to college and learn the subjects he had a passion for, it was Donnie. But he was right. There was too high a risk he would be captured and become another lab experiment. His entire life was one big experiment.

How sad.

She reached out, clasping his hands again, smiling gently.

"If you want, maybe you can try some online course? Could get a degree that way?"

Donnie stared at her hands, taking the comfort they provided. Strange. Her mere touch was soothing. His stress melted away and contentment flooded his senses.

"I have applied for several but most campuses require at least one year of being in physical classes. And it's not like I can walk a stage to receive my diploma."

"There's always a way," Sable said encouragingly. "Do your brothers share the same interest?"

Donnie chuckled. "Not really. Raph's worried about being the strongest and baddest to scare our enemies. Leo worries about strategies and analyzing situations to find the best possible solution. Mikey has the attention span of a gnat."

"So you're the only one who does computer work?"

"Aside from Mikey playing video games and knowing a few of my passwords for security systems, they can get by with general web browsing. Anything more than that, none of them care about it," Donnie admitted.

"Have you hacked?"

Sable was afraid to learn the answer, but she couldn't stop herself.

"Hacked my first bank at age six," Donnie snorted, earning a chastising look from Sable. "I didn't steal anything. Promise! I just got into the system and realized the backdoors for the financial sector."

"Wow," Sable breathed. "You are amazing."

"Not as amazing as you," Donnie said, then blushed, ducking his head and looking away.

He reminded Sable of a little boy who had a terrible crush on a girl.

It was….adorable.

She was liking Donnie and more and more. It was easy to look past the shell when he wore his heart so out in the open.

Donnie checked the fire. "We're good for a few hours, so we should get some rest. Hopefully the snow will stop and we'll be able to travel tomorrow."

Sable made a noncommittal noise, settling down under the blankets. Truth be told, she was glad he suggested sleep, though her mind was far from resting. It was speeding in overdrive. Light speed, so to speak. The more she realized the depths of Donnie's intelligence and emotions, the more she found him not only fascinating, but endearing.

The kind of endearing that leads to affection.

And if she wasn't careful, attraction.

The dangerous kind.

o-o

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o-o

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