Apologies

Shortly after breakfast, Donatello made his way up to Leonardo's room. He stood outside for a long moment, gathering his thoughts, then gently tapped on the door. He still owed Luna an apology.

Leo opened it, saw Donnie, tensed, and frowned; his face hardening in suspicion.

"I'd like to speak to Luna, if she's up," Don said softly.

"She's up," Leo said shortly, but he just stood there blocking the door.

"May I come in?" Donnie said at last, his expression hurt.

"Are you my brother?" Leo said bluntly.

Don's face fell. He couldn't blame Leonardo for being suspicious. Someone who looked and acted just like him had nearly killed Luna. That kind of encounter was sure to leave hard feelings. But Don was weary of dealing with suspicious looks. He'd been fielding them from his brothers and friends all morning and it was wearing him down.

"Yes," Donnie answered sadly, his chocolate eyes proclaiming his pain, "I am. But I don't know how I can prove it to you."

"Leo, love," Luna's soft voice echoed behind him, "He is our Donnie."

Leo didn't move but his eyes softened at her words.

"How can you be sure?" Leo asked her over his shoulder.

Luna's bright laughter trilled out, filling the room and the hall. Don hadn't heard her laugh in weeks. She must be feeling better. She ducked under Leo's arm and stood face to face with a very startled Donatello.

She was wearing something Don had never seen before. Ancient Greek in style, it was a kind of flowing, gossamer white dress, pinned at the shoulder and crisscrossed with golden cord. Her beautiful red hair was half up, the sides pulled into combs that sported gilded leaves. Her blue eyes were sparkling with mischief. She looked every inch the Goddess and Don couldn't help but stare.

On closer inspection there were still traces of illness to be seen. Dark circles ringed her eyes, her usually porcelain skin was a bit jaundiced, and her muscles lacked some of their former tone. His eyes narrowed slightly in concern as he noted these small signs and compared them to his mental picture of her in good health. Something still wasn't right. Hadn't Hades healed her too?

But that was all the observation Don had time for as Luna reached both arms quickly around his neck and pulled his head down to place a soft kiss on his cheek before releasing him.

Don flushed and stood up quickly, uncertain what was going on.

"That's how," Luna said, amused. "But if you need further proof..."

She snapped her fingers and the strange glyphs that Hades had shown them appeared on Don's body, glowing softly in a pale violet. Leonardo relaxed, reached out, and placed a hand on Don's shoulder, his face morphing back into the more familiar lines of brotherly concern and responsibility.

"I'm sorry, Donnie," Leo said with a small, self-conscious grimace. "You've been through hell and I'm not helping with all this suspicion."

"It's okay, Leo," Don sighed. "Everybody's been looking at me a little cross-eyed today, especially Raph."

Luna's smile faded to a hard line and her brow furrowed in thought. She reached out to Don again, this time laying her small palm over the mark that shone on the left side of his chest. The one that declared the Hamato and Heliades line joined. The rest of the runes faded, but that one stayed a moment longer, it's soft violet outlined by her silver before it disappeared and she pulled back her hand.

"Touch it," Luna told Don.

He reached up and gently tapped that spot on his plastron. The symbol reappeared briefly before fading again.

"Now no one has to wonder. In fact," Luna reached up to Leo and placed her palm over the same location. His mark flared blue and silver before it too faded from sight. "Everyone should have it. These marks are your personal history. No mimic can duplicate them, so if there is any doubt about anyone's identity, the proof is right here."

She tapped Leo's chest gently. And the symbol flashed again. Donatello's smile as he tested his own mark was like the sun coming up and Luna's heart melted. She reached up and laid one palm against his cheek.

"I'm so sorry this happened Donnie," she said softly.

Don flinched slightly out from under her hand. Though he longed to lay his own much larger hand over hers and hold her palm to his face for a moment longer, he was uncomfortable with that display in front of her mate. Besides, he was the that was supposed to be apologizing.

"Could we talk privately for a moment?" Don asked Leo, expecting to see objections in his eyes.

But Leo merely nodded.

"I'll be downstairs, dear one," Leo said to Luna. "It's past time we had a group meeting, so I'll get the others together. Come join us when you're ready."

Don followed Luna back into Leo's room. He shut the door but stayed standing uncomfortably in front of it. He opened his mouth to speak and... nothing came out.

Now that they were alone, his carefully prepared apology died on his tongue. He did not know what to say to the vision of beauty and power that sat on the bed across the room, regarding him with a weighty stare.

Words. Use words Donatello. She can probably read your mind, but it won't really count unless you say it out loud.

Luna got up from her seat and paced across the room to him. Don dropped his eyes to the floor, unable to meet her gaze, and shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"Donnie, look at me," Luna said quietly.

Her voice held only the faintest echo and, though it still chimed beautifully, she sounded a lot more like the woman he had first come to know. He glanced up and stepped back in surprise. Her outfit had changed. She stood before him in leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. Her hair was swept up in a long ponytail, tied back with a scrunchie. Instantly he felt more comfortable. This was a form he knew well.

"It's still me," she continued, putting her small hands on his biceps and staring intently into his eyes.

"I'm still the same girl you so carefully mended. The one whose bones you set, the one whose cuts you stitched, the one whose blood you had all over your hands for weeks. I'm still the one you nursed through hours of tears and fears. The one you counseled and comforted.

You've seen me in my deepest pain, my weakest hour, and my darkest night. You led me to happiness I never imagined and you raised me from despair. Don't turn away from me now."

She released his arms and wrapped hers around his waist, hugging him tightly and stroking his shell. Automatically, his arms closed around her, hugging her back, and without conscious thought he leaned his cheek down and rested it on the top of her head. She hugged him tighter, nestling her face against his chest.

God, that felt good! It felt right!

It felt like they'd been apart for years. Like he'd missed her terribly and now they were together again. It felt like nothing had changed, even though everything had in the past few weeks.

Suddenly, Don felt like an idiot. He'd made such a mess of the situation. Yes, Luna was a goddess. Yes, she had power. Yes, she was mate to both his brothers. Yes, he still loved her.

And all of that was beside the point.

They already had a powerful bond. One that did not need to be quantified or compared to any other she might carry. No matter what, she cared deeply for him and he for her. She could tell him anything, confide anything, and he realized he could do the same with her.

"Luna, I'm an idiot," he said into her hair.

She laughed and looked up into his face without releasing her hug. Her smile was infectious and he grinned back at her helplessly.

"Yes, but you're my idiot," she said cheerfully, giving him another squeeze.

And everything was alright again.