Thank you all so much for your patience with me! I'm going from two jobs to one so I'll have far more time to write from now on. I promise you this story will be finished; I want to see it completed. You're all awesome and it makes me so happy that this story has gotten so much love. Please enjoy the new chapter.
Winter's Illusion
Noelle lay on her bed with her eyes glued to the ceiling while an open sketchbook sprawled out near her left thigh. She tightened and loosened her grip on her pencil, the wood growing slick with sweat from the heat of her fingers. What had started as a sketch session to be rid of her thoughts had metamorphosed into just lying down and thinking about life in general, which was something she had never brought herself to do until she met Mikey and the others. She had always escaped life through her paintings and drawings, but now that didn't seem to be enough, and it frightened her. The creativity that once lingered at her finger tips held itself back, leaving her feeling lifeless as she rested her head on her pillow and contemplated the thoughts that mercilessly plagued her mind.
She couldn't stop seeing her mother's face. Savannah hadn't looked well before her kidnapping, what with her working nonstop and barely taking care of herself, but she'd nearly seemed unrecognizable in the footage. The woman had appeared slimmer, as if she wasn't eating enough, and her hair had grown and knotted itself into a disheveled mess. Noelle hadn't been able to see her mother's eyes clearly, but she was certain there were unhealthy shades of purple from lack of sleep and stress. It broke the teen's heart to know that her mom wasn't being taken care of, but it was something she should have expected. From what she gathered, the Kraang were heartless aliens that only cared about ruining planets so their kind could take over it, so of course a simple woman who wrote books for a living wouldn't be treated with much respect. The only hope Noelle had was her mom being kept alive to somehow assist with the foreign creatures' hostile plans in overcoming Earth, but that thought alone was enough to make her feel sick.
Noelle shot straight up and placed a hand over her chest to feel her heart as it raced beneath her palm, her brows furrowing together while her breathing grew shallow. She closed her eyes and counted to eight as she sucked in her breath, then counted to five while holding her breath before she slowly let out the oxygen. She repeated the process a couple more times until she felt her heart slowing down and the queasy feeling in her stomach disappearing. Her eyes opened and she shakily stood up, forcing her legs to move forward until she was standing right in front of her painting of Mikey. Without thinking, she lifted a hand up and gently trailed her fingers over the canvas, as if she could will him to appear out of the painting and stand before her.
She was considering giving him the painting as a Christmas present, knowing that he would probably like it and really appreciate how she'd captured his image. He may not evaluate the present with an artistic mind like Noelle would, but she knew he'd adore it nonetheless. A part of her wanted to keep the picture to herself because just looking at it made her feel stronger, as if she could do anything she put her mind to. She remember how Mikey had told her that one day she'd have her moment, and she believed him, even thought she couldn't imagine when a moment like that would even happen.
A knock on the door startled her, forcing her to step away from the picture in case it was Mikey or one of the other boys. Fortunately for her, April was the one who entered.
"Hey, Donnie said...you okay? Your face is beet red."
"Oh, I-I'm fine," Noelle stammered, embarrassed at having nearly been caught staring at the picture. She bit her lower lip and took a deep breath so she didn't seem as nervous. "I was just really deep into thinking about my next art piece and was startled, is all."
The red head smirked as she sensed the blonde's bashful nature, knowing exactly why her friend was acting so flustered. She simply nodded though to ease some of Noelle's worrying. "So Donnie said that he managed to decode the Kraang's data and wants everybody to go to his lab. You coming?"
"Of course." Noelle straightened up and pushed her disconcertment to the side, wondering what the intelligent terrapin had discovered. Anxious to find out, she briskly walked to the other teen's side, and together the two girls headed out of the room and down the hallway to Donnie's lab. Everybody else, including Master Splinter, were already inside and waiting to see what Donnie had to show. When Mikey saw Noelle enter, his face lit up and he waved at her. Noelle returned the gesture with a smile of her own before he turned around to focus on Donnie, suddenly feeling rather giddy.
"So I translated all the data, and I discovered something really useful." Donnie pulled out a broad piece of paper and taped it to his white board, his lanky form blocking anybody from fully viewing the parchment until he stepped to the side and revealed the layout of a building drawn precisely with a thick black marker. He tapped the image with one of his fingers and smiled with pride at his modest-sized audience. "I believe this is where they are keeping Noelle's mom."
Noelle couldn't believe what she was seeing. Before them was the building that held her mother as a hostage, and it was one that she'd grown to know very well over the past three months. Her legs felt like they were going to give out beneath her as bile rose in her throat in disgust, her stomach churning unpleasantly when her eyes met Mikey's disbelieving gaze as he also processed the information he was given. When Donnie had announced that he'd discovered the building, the younger turtle had simply accepted the information and went on to grab the rest of his brothers without bothering to even see what the building was.
The complex Donnie revealed turned out to be none other than One Time Square, Mikey's secret place.
"That's so messed up!" Mikey exclaimed as he shot out of his chair and pointed at the drawn image. "That's my hidden spot! How could the Kraang take that from me?!"
Noelle hesitantly reached forward, her hand drawing back only once before gently landing on the back of Mikey's shell, unaware of the puzzled expression Leo and Raph shared. "I'm sorry Mikey. That's not fair to you."
"Or you," he responded as he turned around, looking like a kicked puppy. "That really is messed up, but we'll get your mom back. I promise."
Noelle smiled at his comforting words, though she felt disturbed as she thought of her and Mikey having a good time on the roof while her mom had been trapped inside. The sickening feeling only twisted around even more as she remembered the ball on top of the tower, and the event that would be shortly coming up.
"New Years Eve," April suddenly breathed out in horror. The others stared at her in wonderment. "I bet the Kraang are going to strike on New Years Eve. Think about it; everybody will be watching the ball drop, right? What if the Kraang take that opportunity to use all the screens to broadcast a message, and the ball is some sort of device that they've configured for brainwashing? I know it sound ridiculous, but it really would be the perfect time."
"April is right," Leo agreed. "If the Kraang were to strike from the hideout then it'll be on the day of the year where Time Square is the busiest. They'd be foolish not to."
Raph shrugged. "I don't know chief. Those guys aren't exactly the brightest."
"But they aren't somebody we shouldn't take seriously, and they've proved it many times now," Donnie added on.
By now the whole group was alarmed and anxious with what they'd discovered, especially Noelle. Time was running out for not only her mom but all of New York, including the rest of her family and friends. All of her training suddenly didn't feel like it was enough, like she should've pushed herself harder. The Kraang seemed terrifying and unstoppable, and the idea that her mom's life depended on her seemed like too much. She felt her chest tightening as air became scarce and dread prickled across her skin like needles. She took deep breaths to calm herself down, a hand laying across her stomach so she could feel the air flowing in and out of her. She knew she needed to be brave, not only for herself but for her mom too, so she couldn't just start freaking out now.
Her anxiety settled when she looked up and saw Mikey staring at her, his head nodding. "We will get her back," his eyes seemed to be saying, and the pit in her stomach settled down just a little bit.
"So we've got until New Years Eve to come up with a plan of rescue, which means we really need to work out on training," Leo determinedly stated as he took his place at the front of the group. "No more games. We've got apparently eleven days until the Kraang act, which really isn't that much time. I say we double-up on our training-"
"Are you serious?" Raph interrupted with a frown and arms crossed stubbornly over his chest. "By the time New Years Eve comes we won't even be able to move. We train enough as it is."
"Both of you are correct," Splinter spoke up as he emerged from the back of the room, his claws thoughtfully stroking his beard. He tapped his cane on the ground and eyed the group as if he was trying to read their thoughts just from their facial expressions. His eyes eventually rested on Noelle, who he was most concerned with. Of course, he worried about all his sons, but this wasn't the first time they'd saved the world. Even with all her training, Noelle was still just a fragile and scared human with much to learn, and that brought about some doubt on how she might act when the time to confront her mother's kidnappers arrived. He noticed her swallow nervously when she felt his eyes on her, so he decided to discuss future actions with her later to avoid unnecessary attention on her. "Do not overdo the training, but the challenge levels needs to be increased if you are to stand a chance against this threat. I will come up with a way to modify your daily rituals, but until then take this matter seriously and come up with a plan. Do not foolishly rush in."
"Hai Sensei." Everybody in the group except for Casey bowed their head until Splinter walked away before resuming their discussion.
"Let's just get some sleep and we'll start our increased training tomorrow," Leo suggested.
Everybody murmured or nodded in agreement before going off in their own separate ways. Noelle stood in her spot and studied the paper, unsure of what to even do. She realized that it had been a little while since she contacted her grandma, and it would only be fair to inform her that Savannah had been located so that maybe some of the worrying could be eased off the old woman's shoulders, but what if the hope was false? What if they went to rescue Savannah, but the kidnapped author was nowhere to be found, or worse? Noelle's fingers lightly clenched together, not out of anger, but mere frustration. It just wasn't fair for her grandma to constantly worry while Noelle had hope, but it would be so much more cruel if the hope given wasn't validated.
Mikey strode over to the blonde's side and stared at the building's drawing, his eyes tracing over his friend's face like he was trying to discern her thoughts. "This sucks, huh?" he finally spoke up, cutting into the tense atmosphere. He, Noelle and Donnie were the only ones left in the lab, and Donnie had already moved on to work on something.
Noelle sighed and turned towards the blue-eyed reptile. "I just really hope we can find my mom. I was thinking about telling my grandma that we located her, but if we're wrong then my grandma will just be even more sad. I don't want to give false hope."
"It's better than no hope though, right?"
"I'm not so sure." She looked at her friend with empathy. "I am sorry that your special place is just a Kraang hide out. It kind of feels gross, doesn't it?"
"Yeah..." Mikey's words trailed off before he smiled at her. "We had a good time at least. We've just gotta have more good times somewhere else. New York is pretty big so I'm sure we'll find another cool place."
Noelle returned the smile. "I suppose so." The air went silent, and her cheeks flushed when she realized that they were just looking at each other. She nervously tucked a strand behind her ear and cleared her throat. "I guess I'll just head to bed then. Sounds like tomorrow might be a little rough."
"Yeah, okay." The two looked around the room and avoided eye contact for a moment before Mikey held up his hand and weakly grinned at her. "High-three?"
She giggled and softly slapped her palm against his. "High-three." She turned to leave.
Remembering what Donnie had told him earlier about confessing his feelings, Mikey reached a hand out. "Wait!"
Noelle turned around, her heart pounding at the urgency at his voice. "Yes?"
Time seemed to freeze as the usually energetic and sociable turtle froze, his words feeling like they were stuck in his throat. He tried to think of things he loved to calm himself down, but only two images showed up in his head.
"You're my favorite slice of pizza!"
The blonde stared at him in confusion, unsure as to why her cheeks grew warm at such a nonsensical compliment. "What?"
Donnie turned away in his spot, bit his lip and tried not to snort with laughter. Mikey looked over for some sort of moral support from his older brother, and instead saw him facing the opposite direction and shaking with restraint to not chortle loudly. Usually the freckled teen had no problem saying something embarrassing, but for some reason he felt beyond stupid this time. "Uh, if you were a pizza flavor you'd be my favorite?" he squeaked out, unsure of what else to say. For one of the first times in his life, he was speechless.
Noelle didn't understand what he meant, but she felt flattered nonetheless, especially because she knew he absolutely adored pizza. "Th-thank you," she stammered out before she stared at the floor. "G-goodnight."
"Uh yeah, night night." He watched as she walked away, her head tilted as she seemingly contemplated his words. Once she left the room, Mikey stood there like a statue, imagining a big flame erupting from his face as he was sure it was on fire right now from humiliation. He let out a frustrated groan.
"Could've gone worse," Donnie sympathetically pointed out once he gained controlled of himself. He wished he could laugh at his brother's absurd confession, but he couldn't help but admire Mikey's attempt to at least try and say something, unlike him, who still couldn't find the courage to form a complete sentence of admiration around April. "You'll say it eventually."
Mikey lowered his head with an exaggerated sighed.
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April couldn't stand it anymore. She was tired of watching Noelle and Mikey dance around each other instead of full on confessing their feelings like people should do when they liked each other. Of course, that was looking a gift-horse in the mouth, but this wasn't about her, it was about her two friends. The red head wasn't the type of person to involve herself in other people's business, or the type to swoon and cry at a romance movie, but this felt more personal to her. She really cared about Mikey and Noelle, and she wanted them happy, but after overhearing Mikey's ridiculous confession, it was obvious that she might need to give them a little push.
She waited for Mikey outside of the lab, her foot tapping innocently on the ground while she watched Leo, Raph and Casey competitively compete on the pinball machine; she was amazed the thing hadn't broken yet with all the shaking and fist pounding that happened to it. Master Splinter had already returned back to the dojo, so she waited alone, secretly proud of Donatello for encouraging his younger brother. It wasn't long after she heard a boisterous exhale that the freckled turtle finally exited the lab, looking uncharacteristically defeated for somebody who was usually so energetic and cheerful.
"Hey Mikey!" April called out, catching the terrapin off guard for but a moment before he grinned at her.
"'Sup April?"
"I think we need to talk." She smiled at him to show it wasn't anything serious, but he looked confused nonetheless.
"Uh, sure?"
"Great! Let's go take a walk somewhere." April pulled on his arm as she dragged him towards the lair's entrance. "It won't take long. Promise."
He shrugged and nodded before he followed along after her. "Okay dokey."
"We'll be back guys!" April called out to the others, receiving distracted grunts in return from the occupied boys. She rolled her eyes as she heard them shouting at the machine about being unfair and heavy taunting from Raph and Leo.
The noise faded away as the two walked further and further down the tunnels until it was absolute silence. When they reached an open area, April sat on one of the ledges of the corridor's entrance and patted the spot next to her. Mikey sat himself down beside her and swung his legs out. "So what's up?"
The red head rested her hands on her knees and gazed out at the dim space spread before them, the only noise being the distant sound of water dripping off leaky pipes. "Mikey, have you ever liked somebody so much that you'd be willing to do anything for them?"
Mikey grinned as he thought of Noelle and how elated she'd been when they'd flown up to the Statue of Liberty. He remembered her smile and the way her eyes had lit up at the view, and he'd known at that time that he wanted to see her happy like that more often. "Of course!"
"Then don't you think it would make Noelle really happy if you told her how you felt?"
The turtle's kicking completely halted as he turned to face April with an astounded look on his face, both his mouth and eyes wide open in disbelief. "Woah! Dude, you got psychic powers or something!"
April raised a brow and waited for him to realize what he'd said.
"Oh. I forgot."
She playfully nudged him. "That's not how I know, silly. I can just tell you like her from how happy you act around her all the time. Noelle may not be able to see it yet, but I do, and I just really want to help you out because I think you two are good for each other."
He stared down at his toes and wiggled them around, his lips pulled up into a tight line. " I already tried telling her how I feel and I messed up. She probably thinks I'm a joke now."
"That's not true and you know it. When has she ever not taken you seriously?"
Mikey sighed in frustration. In the past, when he'd been pushed into corners or had no choice but to run away from a fight he'd always come back on top with his Nunchucks swinging around. This was a different fight though, and he was actually worried about how he'd possibly win this one. "I just...I really don't want to mess up, you know? She means a lot to me."
April smiled and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Then how about we come up with a plan together so you can win her over? What do you say?" She held out a fist and he looked at it before a grin broke out on his face and he bumped his knuckles against hers.
"Booya. Kasha."
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The days leading up to Christmas were a tiring blur for Noelle. True to Leo's word, training had increased significantly. Meditation was replaced by more sparring, which meant that by the end of the week she'd been partnered with and fought against all the turtles plus April. Fighting against Mikey had been really challenging for her, as he'd proven to be the fastest opponent she'd ever faced.
Splinter had challenged the group to find him in the sewers and take him on numerous times. It was both a fun but stressful exercise that tested teamwork, combat, speed, and perseverance. Noelle didn't even come close to touching him, but she'd come to discover that she no longer would just fall and feel like she'd lost; she'd instead get right back on her feet and try again. She'd come a long way, and although she was still worried about rescuing her mom she couldn't help but feel like they maybe, just maybe, they stood a chance.
April and Noelle had gone Christmas shopping on the twenty-first, which meant standing in long lines and trying not to get run over by last minute holiday shoppers. Regardless of all the chaos, the blonde enjoyed herself and even felt confident in the gifts she'd purchased. When the girls had taken a break for some hot chocolate, Noelle ended up telling the redhead about her childhood and the ice skating she'd done in Central Park with her grandma. In return, April spoke of a farmhouse her and her parents had gone to when she was younger to escape all the city stress. There had been snowball fights and early mornings filled with pancakes and chocolate milk.
The girls enjoyed themselves a little longer before the shopping continued, but it was obvious that they had grown closer to each other. If anybody could understand how lonely Christmas would be that year, it would be the two of them.
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When Christmas arrived, Noelle found herself waking up to the sound of Mikey's voice bellowing throughout the lair, announcing that it was time to open presents and celebrate the holiday. He personally knocked on her door until she sleepily granted him permission to enter.
"Time to wake up! It's Christmas!" the turtle cheerfully announced as he entered her dim room. "Come on girl!" He practically skipped to her bed and poked her head until she forced herself to sit up, strands of blond hair sticking up in multiple directions. Mikey couldn't help but find her sleepiness adorable. He held out a hand for her to take, which she appreciatively latched onto, and as he pulled her out of the room and down the hallway he basked in the warmth of her fingers, not letting go until just before they reached the den.
Donnie sat on the couch with a cup of coffee warming his hands as he sat next to a grumpy Raph while Leo sat on one of the bean bags and yawned. Donnie held up a cup for Noelle, made just the way she liked it, and she took it contently from his extended grasp.
"Merry Christmas Donnie," she thanked the lanky turtle with a warm smile.
"Hey, no problem. Merry Christmas."
"Can we just get this over with?" Raph huffed out with arms crossed over his platron. "It's too early for this."
"Where's your holiday spirit, yo?" Mikey asked in disbelief, unsure of how his older brother couldn't be excited over the idea of opening Christmas presents. Next to Mutation Day, Christmas was his favorite holiday. It wasn't just the presents that made the day awesome, but the fact that everybody gathered together to celebrate it. The young turtle loved his family, and the fact that friends would be around this year to celebrate just made things even better. He showed Noelle a soft and gentle smile, hoping she would notice just how happy it made him feel to know that she was there.
April and Casey both arrived around nine, bundled up with rosy cheeks and eyes glowing in excitement. Presents were just something wonderful to look forward to regardless of age, and Noelle felt a thrill she hadn't felt since she was a little girl.
Mikey took it upon himself to pass the presents out to everybody. Soon the air was full of the sound of paper ripping and little gasps of delight as gifts were opened. Splinter contently watched on, and was even surprised himself to find out that he had items to unwrap as well. He smiled in approval at his new tea set and calligraphy pens, both of which were presents from Noelle, April and Casey. The girls had also bought each of the turtles a sweater to match their corresponding mask colors, and in an extra large size to fit over their shells. Mikey wasted no time in slipping his on and giving both girls a hug.
Noelle and April also bought all the boys comic books, Donnie a scientific journal for his research, and Casey a new set of roller skates. Noelle received sketchbooks, pencils, and art books, while April was given a couple of yellow shirts and a few new ninja weapons for her to practice with in regards to her psychic ability and role in missions. Overall, the morning was pleasant and full of smiling faces.
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"Merry Christmas grandma!" Noelle sat on her bed with her back propped up by pillows and her presents spread out over the comforter. She couldn't keep the cheer from seeping into her voice as she gratefully admired her presents and pressed her phone against her ear.
"Merry Christmas hunny. Are we seeing you today?"
"Yes. I plan to stop over sometime in the afternoon if that's okay."
"Of course. We can't wait to see you here."
"Love you grandma. I'm going to call dad soon too, okay?"
"Alright, and please invite him over. Nobody should be alone right now." Sadness was evident in Sandra's voice. "Oh, I wish your mother was here."
Noelle's lower lip trembled but she refused to sound hopeless. She needed to be strong for her grandma. "Me too, but I know we'll get her back. Just hang in there, okay? I love you."
"I love you too. See you later sweetheart."
The blonde clicked her phone off and tilted her head back with a sigh, hoping that everything really would turn out alright. She looked over at the backwards canvas in the corner of her room and smiled, excited to give Mikey his present later. She fiddled with her fingers as she considered how to present it to him, a knock on the door disturbing her thoughts. Before she could even call out permission to enter, the person on her mind entered into the room with a smile on his face.
"Hey, wanna come with me somewhere? I've got a surprise for you and you've gotta check it out!"
"Where are we going?" she curiously asked. He seemed a little nervous but also really excited.
"You'll see! You've gotta put your coat on though, okay?" He practically bounced back like a hyper little kid as his eyes shifted over to her coat and then back to her. "This is going to be, like, super awesome!"
Unable to fight back a giggle, Noelle nodded and decided to do as he suggested. Clearly they were going outside somewhere, but where to she couldn't even guess. He never failed to surprise her though, so she decided to allow herself to feel eager as she slipped into her coat, zipped up, and followed him out of the room.
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Noelle ambled after Mikey into the underground labyrinth, a million questions colliding in her head as she wondered where he was taking her. She nearly crashed into his shell as he suddenly stopped in the middle of one of the tunnels and turned to face her. with a grin on his face.
"Okay, so where we're going is super cool, but we might get there faster if I carry you." He squatted down and nodded his head for her to hop. She was a little surprised at first, as it had been a while since he'd piggy-backed her anywhere, but he seemed really excited for where they were going and she didn't want to slow them down.
"Al-alright then," she agreed before she climbed onto his back and secured her arms around his neck. There was something different about this time compared to all the other times when he'd carried her. He turned to look at her, and there was a moment where they just silently exchanged glances before he quickly turned away and began to run through the corridors, her head resting on his shell as she realized just how safe she felt with him. Something had changed between them recently, and it was enough to make her heart pound.
It wasn't long before he set her down in front of a ladder where the cold above ground seeped to the world below. The iron bars were freezing to the touch, so much so that Noelle withdrew her hand away for but a moment as she attempted to climb up. Mikey had ascended up the ladder first, informing her that she must keep her eyes shut for the surprise, so she did. She tried to imagine what he had hidden for her with each little step she took, but couldn't really think of anything. She was very excited though, up to the point where her cheeks felt warm from blissful anticipation of what he could possibly have in store for her.
Soon enough, Noelle felt icy air on her face, followed by a pair of warm hands surrounding hers to help pull her up. She climbed as carefully as she could, something crunching beneath her feet when she was finally able to stand. She heard the sound of the manhole cover being pulled back over the hole, and then his hands were over her eyes, allowing her eyelids to flutter open for but a second before she closed them again.
"Ready?" She could hear the smile in his voice as he came to a stop, forcing her to halt.
She licked her cold lips and nodded, permitting him to step back and remove his hands.
[How to Train Your Dragon-Forbidden Friendship]
"Open!"
Her lids lifted to a scene that she did not expect, hands flying to cover her mouth as a smile spread across her face. A thick blanket was spread on the ground, with a pile of other blankets stacked neatly on top of it. In the middle were two thermoses and a little basket. A box was on the ground not too far off from the area, in front of a frozen river that motionlessly sat beneath a cobblestone bridge near a modest hill. The space was secluded by trees and located somewhere in the back of the park, far away from buildings and the public eye. Mikey jumped in front of her with his arms spread out and a triumphant grin on his face, pleased with the wide-eyed look Noelle was displaying at the surprise.
"Ta-dah! It's a little winter picnic! Awesome, right? We can chill out here for a little bit!"
Noelle was torn between laughing and crying. She was touched that he'd put so much thought and work into this little surprise for her that was rendered speechless. "Mikey, it's beautiful here," she at last breathed out, her heart leaping around happily within her chest. "This is wonderful! How did you find this place?"
He winked at her. "Let's just say we've got some awesome friends." He beamed at her and held out his hand. "Now, how about some sledding?"
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The sledding he spoke of involved her sitting on the back of his shell as he laid face down and pulled his limbs inside his body. He had reassured her continually that she would not hurt him, and that he'd have fun as well. His head still stuck out, so he was able to enjoy sliding down the slope as Noelle held onto his sides for dear life, crying out in absolute glee while they accelerated through the snow until both of them reached the bottom, breathless with laughter. She ended up rolling off of him and landing on her backside in the snow, her cheeks pink and eyes shining. Mikey looked at her and smiled, admiring how happy and pretty she looked as she laid in the snow and simpered joyfully at him.
He helped her to her feet as they continued laughing, both of them stumbling around before they managed to reach the top of the hill to repeat the process again. After sledding a few more times, Noelle was caught off guard by a snowball thrown at her back. Thankful for her coat to protect her from the coldness of the snow, she gradually turned around and saw Mikey innocently waving at her with a grin on his face. Caught in the spirit of the moment, she rolled up her own ball and hurled it at him, missing the brisk ninja completely as he dodged to the side with a laugh. The game carried on until both of them were breathless with laughter and shivering with red faces from the cold.
Mikey led her to the blanket, where they sat down and wrapped themselves up in sheets while he opened his thermos. She followed suit, pleased at the hot chocolate that warmed her throat and sent shivers up her spine from the sudden heat. They looked at each other and exchanged smiles, enjoying the peace and quiet of Central Park on Christmas.
The basket Mikey had brought contained chocolate chip cookies that April had helped him bake. Of course, he'd wanted to throw in the usual uncommon ingredients like pepperoni and cheese, but thankfully the red head had talked him out of it when she insisted that Noelle probably wouldn't like them as much as him. Fortunately, the blonde did enjoy the cookies that the freckled turtle gave her, not to mention that she absolutely adored the sketchbook and pencil that was nestled up inside the container. She smiled with delight and blushed happily as Mikey said he wanted to see her draw something.
So she did. She drew trees, with the snowflake faeries that she'd seen as a child, spinning down to the frozen river, all while Mikey watched her, mesmerized by the grace in which her fingers moved. He smiled at her unknowingly, his eyes soft as he watched the emotions on Noelle's face while she drew and became lost in her art. When she was close to finished, he stood up and walked over to the boxes that were on the bank of the iced water, and pulled out a pair of ice skates. Her trance had broken when he'd moved away from her, as if the spell on her mind ceased to exist. When she saw the ice skates in his hand and skimmed her gaze over to his grin, she felt her eyes widening as she hesitantly stood up.
"I know you used to ice skate with your grandma, so I thought maybe you'd like to try and do it with me?" Mikey suggested shyly, because this was the last moment that would lead up to everything. The was the final piece in his and April's plan for his confession to Noelle, and he was nervous of screwing things up. He felt even more restless when Noelle was silent for a moment, though she didn't reject his offer as she slowly strolled over to him, her eyes switching between him and the skates.
"But it's been so long...I might fall and mess up and-"
"I won't let you fall," Mikey interrupted with a firm but affectionate voice. "I promise." He held the skates out to her, and after a moment of reluctance she took them and sat down so she could slip them on. He felt triumphant that she was trusting him, and he planned to make sure she didn't regret her decision.
Noelle took a deep breath and gazed up at Mikey once her feet were firmly secured in the skates. "I-I'm ready."
Mikey held out his hands, which she bashfully took, expecting him to let go once she was on her feet, but he didn't. Instead, he pulled her carefully to the ice, her legs shaking once the blades beneath her feet was on the slippery surface, his eyes not leaving her face as she looked all around in a panic.
"It's okay, just look at me," Mikey coaxed her as he continued to pull her forward. Noelle's frantic green eyes met his soothing blue ones, and the fear seemed to melt away. Her stiff body relaxed as she put her trust in Mikey and permitted him to control her movements.
They reached the middle of the river, and Mikey let go of her, his eyes not leaving hers as he pulled away and began to slide around around her, the bottom of his feet skimming across the solid surface. He slid forwards and backwards in a silly manner; bobbing his head around and wiggling his arms to an invisible beat.
"Yeah! All about that Mikey on ice, yo!" he jovially chirped before he spun around once and made his way back over to Noelle. The blonde giggled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as a gentle breeze tickled her face. When Mikey held out his hands again, she laid her palms against his, basking in the pleasant warmth of his fingers. His thumbs rubbed the back of her hands as he raised her arms up, their hands pointed towards the sky. He turned her around so her back was to his plastron, and then he began to glide both of them around.
Noelle felt scared at first as they began moving, willing herself to not fall over. She remembered Mikey's promise though, and realized that even if she fell over, it wouldn't be such a big deal. She trusted Mikey, so she allowed herself to calm down as he kicked a leg out to excel them across the ice. The wind tousling her hair brought a smile to her face as she felt like they were flying, and suddenly he was twisting her back around and they were spinning in a circle. She giggled as she held his hands and spun around while facing each other, and suddenly she was in his arms and he was holding only one of her hands while his other hand stretched outward and soon her fingers were doing the same. Their arms linked as they just twirled around in a circle, laughing and giggling like children as the speed and dizziness caught up to them.
"I've missed this," Noelle admitted between laughs. She observed Mikey as he gained speed and clapped when he did a toe loop in the air, completely flawless with his moves. He winked at her and bowed. "How do you skate so well?"
He shrugged and drifted towards her, carefree and happy. "I just don't think about it. I kinda just do it." He lifted his eyes to look at her. "Want me to show you?"
The kind blue eyes she'd seen so many weeks ago were asking her for permission, and Noelle found herself unable to say no to him. This time, she extended her hand out, and she watched the dimples on his face push out as he grinned at her.
"Show me."
He took her hand and pulled her forward, but much faster than when they'd first stepped foot on the ice. Mikey let go of her so she flew into him, his arms wrapping around her waist as he spun her around so fast that her feet lifted off the ice. It was a terrifying but freeing feeling for her, and like before, she found herself unable to stop giggling in delight. Her lowered her to her feet and looped an arm around her waist with a knee bent, still spinning in a loop. She bent her knee as well, embracing the experience of his arm around her. Suddenly, he pulled her closer.
"Ready?" he whispered.
"For what?" she replied in confusion.
Suddenly, he was lifting her up, so high that her fingers extended up and reached for the clouds, her side pressed against his temple as he firmly held her. She closed her eyes, her arms spreading out like she was about to fly. She felt so free, and Mikey was the one who was making her feel this way.
The spinning slowed down as Mikey nonchalantly lowered her, her eyes opening and looking down into Mikey's pupils as their faces drew closer together until their noses were only inches apart. Both of them just stared transfixed at each other without breaking contact, even when the spinning stopped and she was planted firmly back on the ice. She stood in his arms, their breaths coming out in little grey puffs, and she was unsure if she could even pull away from him. He made her feel safe and happy, and suddenly she knew that when they got back she was going to show him that picture because she really really liked him. He made her feel so visible and happy, and the way her heart pounded proved to her that he was special to her, and that he had done something to her heart.
[+]
Mikey wanted to reach a hand up and touch Noelle's face because she looked so pretty to him and he knew that he wanted her to stay in his arms as long as possible. She was warm and kind and drew wonderful things and had showed him her world, all while being the first person to take him seriously. He swallowed nervously and opened his mouth to speak before he closed it again.
Instead of being the outgoing turtle he normally was, he inhaled sharply and searched his brain for something to say, anything to avoid the feeling of heat coloring his face. "Today was awesome."
Noelle's eyes shone like before as she stepped out of his arms, his hands lowering away from her waist. "It really was," she dreamily stated, and then shook her head to snap herself out of the foggy blissfulness of the situation. "Shall we go back?"
Mikey cleared his throat and blinked before he held out a hand for her to slap, which she did so with a shy smile. "Yeah, Sensei and the others are probably wondering about us, plus I need to start making dinner." He had nearly forgotten about their dinner that evening, and judging by the position of the sun it was, well, not morning and not yet evening either, which mean there was time but he was cutting it close.
Noelle nodded and instead of waiting for Mikey to give her his hand again, skated off towards the land by herself, her fingers nervously playing with her hair when she thought about how close her and Mikey had physically been. She bit her lower lip and carefully walked through the snow while trying not to fall.
She sat down and slipped the skates off, putting them back in the box they were in before. Mikey glanced at her, and she looked away, too bashful to even focus on him, but a smile crept on her face. "Could we maybe sled one more time?"
Mikey smirked and nodded before he laughed and grabbed her hand to drag her back up to the hill. "Girl, you've got it!" They ran up to the top, uncaring of the bitter cold snow seeping through clothes and touching their skin. Mikey looked at her with a grin once they reached the top, and was about to pop into his turtle shell when he sensed something strange.
Everything around them seemed to stop moving. Birds that had been flying around earlier had grown completely silent, and not even the wind could be felt. Something was wrong.
Noelle opened her mouth to ask Mikey if everything was okay when suddenly there was a familiar sound, like a quiet machine that was getting louder and louder. Mikey furrowed his brows in confusion, trying to recall where he'd heard the noise before.
A UFO belonging to the Kraang turned visible, hovering threateningly above the pair. Mikey jumped in front of Noelle with his Nunchucks out, surprise evident on his face as he attempted to protect her. He needed his brothers. He need to call them somehow. He needed to-
The door to the airship snapped open, revealing three armed Kraang droids in their mechanical suits. They leaped down from the airship with ropes tightened around their waists as they bolted forward and shot at Mikey and Noelle.
"Captured the one known as Noelle," one of the droids said, and the other two beeped in confirmation. Noelle gasped and hid behind her friend, wishing that she had her weapon with her.
"Oh no you don't! Booyakasha!" Mikey bellowed out as he slammed the end of his 'chucks into the alien face resting in the bot's stomach cavity. The creature squealed in protest and ordered it's mobile unit to shoot at the turtle. Mikey dodged all the shots, swinging his weapon every way. As he fought one, two more Kraang bots leaped from the ship, catching the turtle off guard as he attempted to take on all five of the robots by himself. One of the mechanical soldiers aimed right at Mikey's leg, the reptile barely getting out of the way in time as sweat broke out across his forehead. There were too many, and for some odd reason they just weren't going down as quickly as they usually did. He was fast, but between protecting himself, dodging bullets, and trying to protect Noelle, it was getting to be too much.
And then, Noelle's cry for help cut through the emphatic noise.
Mikey reeled around in a panic and watched as one of the Kraang bots tossed Noelle over his shoulder and vaulted right back up to the UFO. She slammed her fists on the back of the robot to break free and kicked as hard as she could but she simply wasn't being let go. Mikey sprinted forward as the other Kraang jumped back into the ship, his fingers extended out towards Noelle as she did the same,hot tears falling down her face, but it was too late.
The door to the hovercraft slid shut, and the UFO disappeared from view while Mikey fell to his knees and stared at the sky with disbelieving eyes.
The Kraang had successfully captured Noelle. He had failed her.
