A/N: Righto! Shoutouts time!
Jessidy Landiroz: Giggle away, I shall tell you nothing - save, or course for saying that you may indeed get that pineapple pizza.
Dona Tello: Ah, well that explains things. Many thanks for the reviewage.
Pacphys: Hee hee - no picking on Don? But it's so much fun...
Ashley The Dragon: Thanks. Sorry the updation that was asked for was longer in the delivery than I intended.
Kristy: Well, I'm sorry but you may have to wait - unless by sheer will power I can make this story write itself... hmm... nope!
Virtual Wenrog: Hate to say, but I'm not gonna reveal anything that would spoil any surprises, but I will answer your other question. This story is based on one giant muddle of the old series, movies and comics - I basically just nicked all the elements I liked best. It would have more elements of the new cartoon if I ever had the chance to watch it - something I am sadly deprived of.
Right. I've finally managed to fix up this chapter (fingers crossed) Sigh. That aside, we now return you to the tale...
Amy
Have you ever woken up with someone leaning over you and grinning like a maniac? Do you know how much of a fright you get when that happens? And the fact that the face filling my field of vision is non-human makes it all the worse. I yelp in surprise and pull the covers over my head.
"Well good morning to you too sunshine!" Mikey chirrups. Then he yanks the covers off me. "Come on! Up! There's a surprise waiting for you!"
I bet it's a surprise that could've waited for a decent hour of the day – y'know, like lunchtime or something.
But I get up anyway, saying no to Mikey when he's this excited would be like kicking an adorable little puppy – just too cruel. Just when I get to the door, a pair of three-fingered hands come up from behind me and completely cover my eyes.
"Might I ask what the hell you're doing?" I ask, my voice deathly calm.
"It's a surprise," he says matter-of-factly, "and it'll be more of a surprise if you don't see it till the last minute."
"Fine." I say, sighing in defeat.
He leads me about, occasionally telling me to step up or down, or to turn; but completely refusing to tell me where I was being taken.
After what seems like an eternity, he says, "Okay, you can look now," and removes his hands.
The sight before me makes me gasp aloud in wonder. It's all my stuff! And exactly the way I'd had it set up back home! By bed, my comfy armchair, my desk – everything!
"Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!" I gush, rushing around and hugging Mikey, Leonardo and Raph in turn, one small part of my mind noting that Don is absent. "And it's even set up the way I had it."
Mikey grins. "Hey, you should thank Don for that – it was his idea."
Really? Wow.
And it is just then that the turtle in question comes through, holding an adapter box and trailing an extension cord behind him. Obviously for powering devices that need powering to be powered into their devious device-ness… sorry about that.
Overwhelmed with joy I fling my arms around Don's neck, to thank him just as enthusiastically as I had his brothers.
"Thank you so much." I murmur, very nearly choked with emotion. I've never really had people around who would do something this wonderful for me before – it's a very novel experience. And an ironic one too – that I would have to meet people who weren't strictly human to experience the genuinely human experience of a selfless gift.
When I finally let him go, Don gets right to setting up the adapter box. Once finished, he looks up and smiling that gentle smile that is so uniquely his, he says, "You're welcome. I only thought that it should all go up the way it was because I want this to feel like home to you."
That comment touches me and without thinking I throw my arms around Don again.
The reactions are instantaneous. Mikey responds first by letting out a wild whoop and a "Go Don!"
Releasing Don I turn to see Raph smirking evilly and Mikey giving the thumbs up with a grin so wide it threatens to split his face.
"We'll just leave you two alone," he says, dragging his other two siblings, one still smirking and the other shaking his head - in sympathy or disbelief I don't know.
Another thing I don't get is how even though Mikey is busy man- or turtlehandling both Raph and Leonardo out of the room, he still manages to nudge Don in the ribs as he goes past.
As he does so I see Don's cheeks darken further. He really does embarrass easily, huh? I feel so sorry for him, that I try and take his mind off all that.
"So," I start casually, but internally floundering desperately for something to say, "How did you manage to hook this place up with electricity?" Phew, thank you brain.
And it seems as this was the perfect thing for distracting a Don because he starts rambling on about how he tapped into the main grid and... well, I didn't really understand the rest. I'm not ashamed to say it went way over my head. But it gets rid of his embarrassment so I'm content to let his words wash over me as he sets up all the cords and other junk.
Plopping down on my bed, my thoughts start to wander into the region of just how lucky I was to be found be such great people. Then, unsurprisingly, they turn to how tired I am. I stretch lazily, arching my back and raising my arms.
Eventually I realise Don has fallen silent. Looking up, I see him gazing down at me, his expression completely unreadable.
"What is it?" I ask, curious as to why he would find me so fascinating.
"It's nothing," he replies, still blank-faced. "I'm gonna go get breakfast now, you should come out for some too when you're ready."
He leaves without another word. Oooookay. What was that all about?
Putting that out of my mind for now, I take another long look around at my surroundings. My eyes are drawn to the mirror that my grandmother left me. I've always loved it, but right now it just makes me want to cringe. Just because I might be starting to deal with my new appearance, does not mean that I want to see it all the time.
With a sigh, I carefully take it off its hook and slide it gently under the bed. That done, I head out the door to get some sustenance and coffee - mostly for the coffee.