Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 Fanfiction

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the TMNT franchise in any way, shape, or form. No money is being made. This is just a labor of love for the series. Please don't sue me, Viacom!

Alternate Universe fic. The timeline is the same as the TV series until just after "The Pulverizer Returns". But right now, we are still nine years in the future.

Warnings: Still none here.

Hello, everyone! Welcome back. Good to see all of you! :D So glad you're back for another chapter. Hopefully, you will continue to enjoy what you are reading! If you are, please feel free to favorite, follow, and/or review. Would love to hear from you! :D

Chapter 4

The alarm clock went off all too soon for Donatello. His eyes blearily opened as he stretched across the kids to shut the thing up before they woke up too. They still had two blissful hours to sleep. Donnie wished he had that as he rested a hand over his aching, tired eyes. He might actually be worth something if he had two more hours. The temptation was there, tantalizing him to skip practice…right up until Michelangelo poked his head in the room. "Donnie!" he brightly whispered. "Donnie! Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey!"

Donatello groaned and shifted as much as he could considering how tightly he was pressed against the wall. He peered out from under his hand to glower at Michelangelo who at least had the courtesy to look sheepish. Donnie hated how Mikey could be so perky in the morning. "I'm awake, Mikey," he grumbled. "I'll be right there."

"Sounds like somebody didn't get to bed at a decent time!" Mikey tsked.

"Yeah and somebody's going to be picking splinters out of his teeth at practice if he doesn't go away right now," Donnie hissed. Mikey made an uneasy laugh and retreated as though his mask tails were on fire. Once he was gone, Donnie dragged himself out of bed, geared up, and soundlessly left the room. As soon as he closed the door, he was greeted by a delightfully robust smell. There was Mikey with a magnificent cup of coffee held out in front of him as though he were trying to ward off a demonic force. Donnie couldn't help but smile. "Michelangelo, you saint of a turtle," he said as he took the cup and had to resist the desire to drain it in two gulps. Mikey grinned cheerily. He was glad that his brother seemed to be in a better mood already.

Donnie was always happy when Mikey made him coffee. He made it exactly the way Donatello liked it: just the right temperature so that it was hot without being so hot that it couldn't be drunk quickly if needed and strong enough to peel paint. Raphael was too inconsistent to be trusted with the all-important task of helping Donnie become aware enough to function. Meanwhile, Leonardo blatantly refused to make it strong enough because he felt Donatello relied too much on his caffeine addiction.

"Come on, you two," Leo said as he peeked out of the dojo. "Sensei's waiting." Mikey nodded and quickly headed to the dojo. Donnie followed behind him while trying to drain every drop out of his cup before he had to abandon it on an end table just outside the door. He so wished he could have had another, but apparently, Life wasn't being kind to him today. Raphael was already inside practicing his katas. He glanced at the two younger turtles and smirked in greeting. Donnie and Mikey fell into step beside him, limbered up, and then got down to their own katas.

Two hours later, Donatello was exhaustedly fending off his hyperactive brother in a spar. Two pairs of brown and one pair of hazel eyes peered into the dojo. He took one moment to offer his children a worn-out smile and an acknowledging nod. Movement in the corner of his eye made him yelped and he instinctually brought up his bo to block a nunchuck to his head. However, he was too slow to defend against the one that smacked him in the side. He grunted in pain but ignored it to make a sweep at Michelangelo's legs. A satisfied smirk spread on his face as Mikey squeaked and fell with a thump onto his shell.

"Yame!" Splinter barked out. Donnie sighed in relief and planted one end of his bo to use it as a brace. He offered a hand to Mikey. Leo and Raph disengaged themselves and looked at their sensei, waiting for his next instructions. "That is enough for now. It is my youngest pupils' turn for the dojo," Splinter said with a noticeable touch of affection. The kids jumped a bit. They seemed a little bashful as they came into the room. Clearly, they hadn't expected Sensei to have seen them so quickly.

Raphael grinned at them. "Have fun, squirts," he said as he sheathed his sai and walked by them, messing up each one's hair if they had any to mess up. "Breakfast's scrambled eggs a la Uncle Raph. So work up an appetite."

"Hai!" they chimed at their uncle.

"Are we doing weapons katas today, Sensei?" Donatello asked as he forced himself to straighten up and rested his bo on his shoulder.

"Yes. They are doing weapons katas today. However, YOU are going to eat breakfast so you can regain your strength," Splinter ordered sternly. Donnie started to protest but his father cut him off. "I saw how lackluster your katas were. And how Michelangelo ran circles around you in your spar. Leonardo will assist in their training today."

Donatello looked suitably meek as he rubbed the back of his head. "H-hai, Sensei. I'm sorry," he apologized. He turned to the youngsters and they instantly became uneasy. It killed Donnie to see them like that. He knelt in front of them so he could be at eye level and, hopefully, less intimidating. First thing out of his mouth, "Did Lewis take his medicine?" He failed to not turn pink as his brothers snickered at him for immediately going into 'Mommy mode'. All three of them nodded. "Good. I want to talk with you after you've had a chance to eat. OK?" They timidly nodded again. He sighed before getting up and moving off towards the kitchen with every intention of polishing off the rest of the coffee that he knew waited for him. First, a quick detour to his lab to grab a stack of papers and a red pen. Breakfast was no reason to not get some work done.

When Donnie finally got to the kitchen, he bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Mikey, give me that! Give me that right now or, I swear, I'll shellac you!"

"Nuh uh! No way, bro! Letting you cook isn't worth it!" Mikey was trying to save his kitchen from Hurricane Raph by playing keep away with the spatula. Raph could cook alright, but he always left a huge mess that poor Mikey ended up cleaning. Donnie knew better than to get involved so set his stuff on the table and dodged until he reached the liquid energy. He refilled his cup, took a sip, then lifted it high above his head while avoiding the shorter turtles again as he walked back to the table with the coffee pot. Once he'd settled and finished his second cup of the morning, he poured a third as he turned his attention to the papers. He tucked the pen into his mask for safe keeping and began to read while sipping his coffee.

Eventually, Raph's strength won out. He smacked Mikey a couple of times with the spatula for holding out on him. Mikey plunked himself down at the table next to Donnie and sulked…for a couple of seconds. The wonderful thing about Mikey was that he never stayed mad for long. Especially when something else was available to distract him. "What'cha doing, Donnie?" Michelangelo crowded into Donatello's personal space to try and see what he was so absorbed in. Donnie leaned away from Mikey to give him an 'Excuse you' expression. Mikey grinned as he rubbed the side of his head but he didn't back off.

"I'm grading an assignment I gave the trips," Donnie answered, rolling his eyes as he tried to return his focus to the task at hand. This was harder than it sounds because Mikey decided to rest his chin on Donnie's shoulder so he could read over it.

Raph glanced at them. "Oh yeah? What assignment is that, Tiger Mom? Advanced calculus?"

"No. They are book reports," Donatello answered absentmindedly before something clicked. "Wa-wait, what? Tiger mom!? What are you-?! I-I am NOT a tiger mom!" he stuttered.

Raphael snorted amusedly and even Michelangelo chuckled. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Donnie."

"I'm not! They like to learn. It's FUN for them! Just because they are doing physics at eight while you, to this day, have problems with multiplication does not make me a tiger mom," Donatello remarked with a definite snarky tone. He yelped as he caught the bottle of hot sauce Raphael threw at his face.

"Oh yeah? What book did you have them read?" Raph growled, returning his attention to the food.

"I didn't have them read a book. I had them pick a book to read. THEY picked this one."

"OK, ok! Sheesh! I get it. So, which one did they pick?"

Donatello paused for an awkward moment as he shifted uncomfortably. Mikey and Raph were both watching him and he could feel his cheeks warming up self-consciously. "Um...which one? Uh…G-George Orwell's Animal Farm."

"I read that one! It's pretty cool!" Raph and Donnie stopped their habitual bickering and looked at Mikey. "What? I read!" he said defensively.

"I-I know, Mikey. I know you read but, I didn't expect to hear that you read that book," Donnie said in surprise. Then he grinned. "Good for you, Mikey! Isn't it a beautifully written allegory of the Russian Revolution of 1917? Plus the rise of the Stalin era in the Soviet Union?" he enthusiastically questioned.

Michelangelo blinked blankly. "Dude," he drawled. "I thought it was about a bunch of animals that take their farm from the humans only to have the pigs go all dark side on them."

Donatello stared at Mikey before his smile fell and he lowered his head to the table with a disillusioned groan. He'd been so hopeful that Mikey had gotten SOMETHING beyond entertainment out of his reading choice that he'd forgotten who he was talking to. Raph laughed as Donnie rapped his head on the table a couple of times. Mikey just looked completely confused.

This was the moment that April O'Neil walked in on. "Hey guys!" she said cheerfully. She paused when saw Donnie with his head resting on the table. He was making soft, whimpering sounds like someone had just shot his puppy. Meanwhile, Mikey bewilderedly patted him on the back. April looked at Raphael unsurely. "What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing much! Just watching Mikey build up Donnie's hopes and dreams before smashing them to pieces," Raph chuckled. April gave Raph a dirty look as she went over to Donnie and gently pet his head. She smiled at Mikey as he waved at her.

"Hi, April. Want some coffee?" Donnie asked in a jaded tone as he rolled his head to one side so he could look up at her. He didn't want to sit up just yet. If he did, she would stop what she was doing.

April chuckled. "You're actually offering me some of your precious life energy? I'm honored!" she teased.

"I'm making another pot anyways. I'll add an extra cup to make up for the loss," he teased in return as he smiled up at her. She laughed and hugged him around the neck, finally making him sit up. He allowed himself to savor the feeling of her against him. Unfortunately, Raph unintentionally ruined it.

"So, how's Casey? Couldn't get his lazy butt up to come down and visit, eh?" Raph asked as he dished out the eggs he just finished. Mikey fetched the plates and brought them over to the table so they could be passed out.

"Huh?" April asked. "Oh! Yeah," she said as she let Donnie go and sat down beside him. Donatello sighed disappointedly. "Yeah, he didn't want to get up when I stopped by his place. He must have been out all night again," she said while rolling her eyes. Donatello snorted as he got up to get April a cup. She smiled at his reaction. Donnie didn't approve of Casey Jones. Even though she wasn't dating Casey anymore, April knew Donatello still had some jealousy going on. Donnie hadn't tried to get her attention romantically for a long time despite the fact that his feelings were as obvious as ever. She kind of missed it so his reaction was always nostalgic for her.

She kept her smile from getting bigger as she watched him add creamer and sugar to the cup he'd gotten before he filled the rest of the cup with coffee. Once he was done, he tasted the mixture and grimaced. He grinned awkwardly as he offered her the cup. She took it and tasted the brew. "Mmmm, perfect as usual Donnie."

"I don't know how you can drink it with that stuff," Donnie stated as he sat down and pulled two plates close, offering one of them to her.

"Well I, honestly, don't know how you can drink it black!" April laughed. "Thanks! I'm starving! Itadakimasu!" she declared, smiling as Michelangelo mirrored her. She ate a few bites before she looked up at the three brothers. "So, what are you guys up to today?" Michelangelo rattled off a whole slew of things he planned to do while April listened. Raphael interrupted occasionally to harass Mikey and say what his own plans were. Through all of this, Donatello stayed quiet. He was trying to focus on reading while hoping that April would not realize that he hadn't responded. "What about you, Donnie?

"Yup, Life has it in for me today," he thought as he felt his face betray him.

"I bet you and the kids are going to stick yourselves under the Shellraiser all day," April laughed playfully. Her face fell when she saw Donatello's expression go from focused to distressed. "Donnie? What's wrong?" she asked anxiously. She gently cupped his face so she could get him to look at her.

Donnie's eyes met April's briefly. He couldn't hold her gaze for long and ended up looking down. "I-I…" he stuttered awkwardly. He stopped to take a deep, centering breath. "I'm…going to tell the trips..." he tried to continue but the words stuck in his throat.

"Tell them what?" April asked encouragingly as she let his face go.

"I'm going to tell them about how they were born, who their father is. Everything. I-I'm going to tell them everything," Donatello stated as resolutely as he could but he could still hear a tremor in his voice. His brothers' stopped what they were doing to look at him in disbelief. After they'd gotten over the initial shock they smiled at each other, happy that he'd come to a decision.

"What? Donnie, you can't be serious. They are too young!"

Donatello chuckled quietly as he rested a hand on April's cheek. "Oh April, where were you yesterday?" he said non-accusingly. She seemed worried at his rhetorical question. He gave her a weak smile. "I would have liked to hear that I wasn't the only one thinking like that."

"What do you mean? Did they pressure you into this?" she asked, her tone becoming protective. April abruptly shot angry looks at Michelangelo and Raphael. They were amazed at the severity behind her eyes.

"No!" Donatello quickly reassured her. He tried to recover from the surprise of how fast she moved to defend him. "No, they didn't. I'm the one that decided this." She seemed incredulous to hear this. "I was up till two this morning thinking about this. Sensei is right. You too, Mikey," Donnie said to his little brother who grinned. "I can't hide from my past and I can't hide them from it either. The trips are more mature than most kids their age. They can probably handle it. Besides, they are MY children. If I continue to keep this from them, they'll think up their own scenarios for what happened. That could be more dangerous than just telling them. I just…have to keep telling myself that no matter what happens, we'll handle it together."

"You got that right," Raph said as he came over to rest a hand on Donnie's shoulder. "We'll ALL handle it together. You got that? So, don't you go hiding in your lab if things go south." Donnie turned a bit pink at this but gave his older brother a smile and a nod.

"Why don't we make this a family thing?" Mikey asked cheerfully. "You know…have all of us together while Donnie tells them. That way we can help…and tell the mini-Donnies what was going on with us while Donnie was doing what he was doing."

"Not a bad idea, Mikey! You're on a roll, aren't ya?" Raph said with a grin as he moved over to Mikey and noogied him.

"ARGH! Thanks…I think," Mikey grumbled, rubbing his head after Raph was done with him.

"No, no, no! You guys had plans! I don't want you to change what you've got going on. I've got this," Donnie tried to reassure them.

"Donnie." Donatello stopped talking as Raphael came back to him. Raph suddenly used the fact that Donnie was sitting down as a chance to put him in a headlock. Donnie squeaked and grabbed at the arm around his neck defensively. "This is more important than the time wasters we were talking about. We're doing this! I refuse to not be there for my brother when he needs me. Again," Raph said the last part weakly as he rested his chin on Donnie's shoulder.

Donatello flinched. Then he relaxed in Raphael's grasp and leaned his head against Raph's. "All right, Raph. We'll do it your way. …thanks," he said softly. He smiled when he felt Raph rest his other arm around him, subtly turning the headlock into more of a hug. After a moment of peace, an acrid smell drifted its way under Donatello's nose making his eye ridges furrow. "Does anyone else smell smoke?" he asked as he looked around.

Raph blinked a bit. His eyes widened and he quickly ran over to the stove to scrape around in the pan. Mikey went with him, peeked over Raph's shoulder, and cried out in horror. "SERIOUSLY? How do you screw up scrambled eggs?! That's it! You are banned from the kitchen, dude! Bad enough I have clean up after you but now I've gotta find new pans too!"

"Oh, come on! I only left it for a minute. It's not that bad! A little soap and elbow grease will take care of that."

Donnie and April stared at the two arguing turtles before they looked at each other. He was the first one to smile which soon spread to both of them trying to stifle laughter. Afterward, April looked at Donnie with a more sober expression. She rested a hand on one of his. "Are you absolutely sure about this, Donnie?" she asked.

He smiled fondly as he rested his free hand on top of hers, pinning it between both of his. "Yes. Completely sure."

She breathed a sigh and nodded. "Then, I want to be there too. And, no, you're not talking me out of it," she warned as Donnie started to object. She couldn't help but chuckle as his mouth shut with a slight click. Quite suddenly a low growl rumbled out. "What…was that?" Donatello rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly. April then realized that Donnie hadn't touched breakfast yet. "Donnie! Eat already! Gah, no wonder you're thinner than your brothers!"

He flinched before he picked up the coffee pot, poured himself the last bit and nervously chuckled as he pointed at the now empty carafe. "Um…c-can I get the next pot started, first?" he asked hesitantly.

April glared at him and he gave her an uneasy smile. "Fine," she said, rolling her eyes. His smile became relieved as he got up to make the coffee. April shook her head even as she smiled after him.

A/N: We are down another chapter and it looks like the stage is beginning to be set! Thank you for sticking with me. I really do mean that. There are, literally, thousands of other stories that you could be reading. So the fact that you chose to be here makes me feel all kinds of honored. Please feel free to let me know how you feel about the story so far with a review, a favorite, or a follow. It would mean the world to me! :D