Mid morning the next day, Donatello's phone went off, just as he and Mike were relaxing in the living area. His first thought was of April or Luke, but he ended up not recognizing the number. He hesitated for a beat to pick it up - but what were the chances it wasn't somebody he knew?
"Hello?" he answered curiously.
"Donnie! Guess what I'm doing." Jenna's excitement boiled over in a way he'd rarely heard
"Jen? Where are you calling from?"
"I want you to guess."
"Um...".Don wasn't sure how to play this game. They'd been back in Australia for a while, to his knowledge. He wracked his brain for what little he knew of Sydney. "Are you...seeing one of those shows at the Opera House?"
"They've got some amazing singers, but I wouldn't call you for that. I finally went on the skyway!"
"What's the skyway?"
"It's basically a passenger train that winds through the Blue Mountain region, which is right outside Sydney. But it's also got the steepest inclines of any train in the world. Going downhill feels similar to riding a rollar coaster!"
"Sounds like fun, Jenna."
"I never wanted to go on it before, but today was the day. I took so many pictures. I'm excited to get them all loaded - you won't believe some of these views."
"Can't wait to see 'em."
"But anyway, there's this really random payphone in the valley. I had to check out if it worked, and you're the only person I wanted to call." Her giggle was so giddy, it made him laugh too.
"I'm glad you're having fun. Did your parents go with you?"
"They were entertaining dignitaries this weekend, and decided to show them a better time than most get to have. They rented out one of the skyway cars. It's hilarious to see a couple of those uppity people in this situation. They're relaxing and behaving more like big kids. I think it was sort of my parents' goal all along." Jenna paused for a breath. "Are you doing okay? I've been a little concerned."
"For me? Why?"
"I read the e-mail you sent me last night. You sounded different."
"It was text. How on earth do you know the way I sounded?"
"Something just seemed off with you. Is everything all right, or not?"
"It's a long story, Jen, which I probably don't have time to get into now."
"Will you write it to me?"
"Yes, but you're gonna need to keep this to yourself. I don't want a couple of my brothers knowing I said anything about it."
"Speaking of keeping things secret...You should know I've been sharing some things about you with my mom."
"Things like what, Jen?" Panic soared, despite the trust he had for her.
"I promise I haven't been very specific, Donnie. I've only told her general information. I can't keep everything from Victoria, not now. She knew something was going on with me while we were on vacation. She figured it out on her own, and it's too hard to hide it all."
"She figured what out?"
"That I had feelings for one of you. And I'm honestly glad she knows."
"What did she say, Jenna?"
"She was cool about it, Don. A lot calmer than I expected her to be. It isn't like I'm showing her the photos-"
"Did you really keep those? Because the idea scares the shell out of me."
"It's only the one drive, and no one has a reason to look for it. I've got it hidden besides."
He swallowed nervously. "Would you please reconsider deleting them?"
"I don't want to delete them. I'm keeping the record of our first date. I couldn't lie to my mom, regardless. I wasn't going to say there was nothing going on."
"How are we supposed to keep it going?" he mumbled.
"Communication, Donnie. You promised you'd try and keep up on your end."
"I am trying. But your mom isn't totally freaked out by this? Not bothered by the fact that one of the mysterious strangers who held you captive for almost a month still has some kind of power over you?"
"Donnie, nobody has power over me unless I let them, not anymore. Victoria gets that I'm not some silly school girl who just...oops, I'm about to lose this connection. Write to me!"
"I will, bye!"
Mike grinned as Donnie hung up the phone. "How's your girlfriend?"
"She's not my girlfriend."
"Really? Then why've you still been wearing her necklace? Shell, you've probably slept with it."
"This meant a lot to her, Mike, and she asked me to take it. What am I supposed to do, shove it in a drawer somewhere?"
"You've been writing her day and night, Donnie. Are you sayin' you wouldn't flip out of your shell if she was here right now?"
"That would be cool, Mike, but it's not realistic." He sent a glance in the direction of the Lab.
"I know you wanna write your girlfriend, Donnie. Just get up and do it."
Donatello whacked him with a couch pillow as he got to his feet.
"Jenna is too good for me. I'll be happy to simply keep her as a friend out of this."
"Were you thinking of her like a friend when they two of ya were star-gazing at Luke's place?" Mike teased.
"It's my first fling, Mike. I'll get over it."
"Fling? Are you really calling it a fling? I don't think Jenna sees it like that, Donnie." Michelangelo crossed his arms sternly.
"How am I supposed to know how she sees us? She's a teenage girl."
"Are you not gonna give it a chance to work then?"
"I didn't say that, Mike. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too far. You have no idea how hard this is. When she kissed me the first time...Shell, it's so hard to describe. It was mind blowing. I felt more alive in those seconds than I ever have before. It really didn't seem like our differences mattered, because it had no effect on her."
"Can you accept that maybe the differences don't matter?"
Don smiled sadly. "They do. I have a feeling it always will. I don't want to lose what we had, Mike, but the chance of being able to hold onto this...you have to admit it's pretty slim."
"You don't have to sound defeated already. She's not pushing you away. Stranger things have happened, right?"
"Stranger things," Donatello muttered under his breath, and departed for the Lab.
Mike was surfing through the TV Guide, growing more bored by the second. There were a lot of things he could do at the moment, but not much he felt like accomplishing.
"Good morning, my son."
Mike dropped the remote guiltily for not noticing his Master enter the room. "Hi, Sensei."
The orange-masked turtle still felt bad for lying to him the day before, and wasn't certain the rat couldn't see directly through him that very moment.
Splinter seemed to sense the wheels turning, and sat down across from him.
"You are not yourself, Michelangelo. Is something bothering you?"
"No," he quickly lied through his teeth, but Splinter's probing gaze told him that he didn't buy the line. Gonna have to tell him something. "It's not...I feel kinda awkward about yesterday is all. It had me a little tied up in knots."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
He slowly shook his head. "No, not really, Sensei. Is that okay?"
"I will not force you to, but do not forget that I am here."
"Yeah, no, I mean, I won't," Mike stammered and glanced at the stairs. "I need the bathroom. I'll be right back." It was only an excuse to get out of there for a minute.
He trotted up the stairs, feeling like he was about to get physically sick. At least it means I wasn't lying this time.
When he left the sight of the landing, Raphael suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and pulled him into the bathroom.
"Shell, ya scared me for a minute there, Mikey. I was sure you were about to spill everything."
"I said I wouldn't, didn't I? But it's pretty hard to pretend like everything is cool."
"Me and Leo will be fine, Mike. I totally lost my temper yesterday, but I'm getting it under control. It's the first time we fought like that in forever. It's not gonna be a normal thing."
"What happened, Raph?"
"We were just sparring, at first. He was winning, and being a real jerk about it. Kept honing in on everything he said I was doing wrong. When he called me weak, I couldn't take it anymore. Had to prove I'm not beneath him. So I stopped practicing, and decked him in the face."
"Did you guys talk about it?"
"Sort of. He's all worried about Sensei realizing we're fighting. It's not like I need an excuse to be angry. I walk around this way three-quarters of the time."
"If you recognize it, why do you do it?" Mike had to ask.
Raphael shook his head. "Sometimes I feel like all we get is the short stick, Mikey. When I think about the fact that I'm gonna have to spend the rest of my life hiding in the dark, and never knowing any different, it makes me want to scream. Add in Leo's self righteous shell on top of it, always pressuring me to be something I ain't, and I get even closer to blowing."
"What is he pressuring you to be?"
"Perfect - what else? In his eyes, it's the only way to be."
"I don't think he expects you or anyone else to be perfect, Raph."
"Yeah? Why don't ya try having his laser focus fixated on you for a week, pointing out every flaw and all the times you breathe wrong? Mike, you don't know what it's like. It's gotten worse in these last few months, ever since we almost lost Donnie to them wretched Dagos.* I swear, sometimes I still think he blames me for not getting to him fast enough."
"He doesn't blame you, Raph. That isn't fair. You guys have to talk about this."
"Talking don't help. It doesn't make either of us feel better. I know deep down, he still kinda blames himself for what happened to Donnie too. He's afraid, Mike. I ain't never seen it in him like I do now."
The orange-masked turtle didn't expect that. "What is he afraid of?"
"Losing somebody. Failing. Take your pick. Neither of us are going anywhere, 'cause we're stuck on the same night."
"Raph, you saved Don. You did that."
"I still don't know how. Leo's become...I dunno, almost obsessive, the way he analyzes us. He does it with you guys too. Did Don ever tell ya why he ran out of here the day he found Jenna in the park?"
"No, he hasn't," Michelangelo admitted.
"We talked to him together. That was probably our first mistake right there. We didn't plan any of either; it just happened. Shoulda known it would feel like we were ganging up on him. It seems like Don has changed since the Dagos too. He practically lives in his lab. Doesn't wanna spar with either of us unless Sensei tells him too, barely hangs out with me or Leo. We just...took matters into our own hands, when we probably should have let Master Splinter talk to him."
Blue eyes narrowed slightly at the red-masked turtle. "Raph, what did you guys say to him?"
"We're worried about him falling behind. When Don got defensive, Leo did too. It was the wrong way for it to come out."
Mike growled softly. "Raph, you have no idea. You've got no clue what he's putting himself through, or why. He doesn't want a repeat of the Dagos either. The ungodly pressure he's under is bad enough without you guys making it worse!"
Raphael held up his hands in surrender. "You're right - I don't understand. But I know we were wrong, and I was wrong yesterday. We're gonna figure it out, okay?"
Michelangelo sighed. On the one hand, Raph being this honest was a good sign. On the other, it was clear his and Leo's perception of Don was way off, and could take a lot of work to repair. But if he's willing to try, I guess that's what matters.