Chapter 11: Lie After Lie
A/N: My, it's been a while since I've come back to this story! I'm so sorry for the delay but I was sick of writing and then suddenly hitting a wall of writer's block which would cause me to delay getting chapters out. So that's why I've waited so long in posting this story because I wanted to see how long it would last. I've started getting back into writing it again, so I figured it was a good idea to just post the chapters I have written and go from there. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed. Your kind words have been awesome.
Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more.
"So, did you want to hang out tonight?" Irma asked Donnie. "I haven't seen you in ages."
"I'm sorry, Irma, but I've been really busy," Don replied. He'd been on MyFace hoping to see if Ivy would contact him again, but she'd been absent for a while. After Raph had gotten another note from A, Don had been desperate for this to come to an end. Although Ali was on the case, Don thought talking to Ivy would help out a lot, and he would forward the information to Ali.
"What have you been doing?"
"I've been trying to find out more information about Robyn, so I've been in contact with one of her roommates at Crestwood. I was hoping to talk to her again tonight?"
"Wait, you're talking to a girl who used to be in a mental hospital?" Irma asked incredulously.
"Yes, I am. There's no harm in that."
"Are you crazy, Donatello?" Irma cried. "Why would you want to associate with someone who's been in the loony bin?"
"Because I want to find out more information about Robyn so we can take her down for good," explained Don.
"But what if she really isn't who she says she is? You could be walking into a trap."
"It's not like I'm going to go out and meet her, Irma," pointed out Don. "I'm just trying to end this nightmare for all of us. You want that, too, don't you?"
Irma sighed. "Of course I do, Donnie. I just want you to be careful that's all."
"Don't worry, Irma, I know what I'm doing," Don reassured her. "Nothing's going to happen. I promise."
"I hope you're right. I just worry about you, Donnie. I don't want what happened to April to happen to you."
"And that's why I'm doing this," replied Don. "I want to make sure no one has to suffer the same fate as April, Lynn, and Oyuki."
"I knew there was a reason I loved you, Hamato Donatello."
Don's heart leapt at her words. Ever since April had disappeared, Don had thought that his life was ruined and that he couldn't go on without her. But since he met Irma, all of that had changed, and he felt hopeful again that his life was getting better ad that he could still have a shot at a relationship. Yes, there were risks involved as Splinter and his brothers had pointed out, but Don believed that Irma was strong enough to deal with those risks just as his other brothers' friends were doing the same thing. So far, it was working, and Don was determined that nothing would stand in the way of what they had together.
"I love you, too, Irma Langenstein, and I promise to do everything in my power to protect you from harm."
"I know you will, Donnie," she replied. "That's all I ask of you. Look, I've got to go. I've got some reading to do, but I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Okay," Don said. "I love you."
"I love you, too," replied Irma.
After she hung up, Don focused his attention on his computer which was indicating he had a message. Curious, he clicked on it to see if Ivy wanted to talk to him.
Poison Ivy: Hey, Donnie, you there?
Don smiled to himself. He hadn't heard from Ivy since the last time he'd talked to her, and he'd been wondering if he'd ever get to talk to her again.
Donnie T: Yeah, I'm here. What's up?
Poison Ivy: Just wanted to know if you located the person of interest.
Donnie T: What person?
Poison Ivy: You know who I mean. Did you talk to Robyn?
Donnie T: No, Lynn wasn't Robyn. You heard about her death, right?
Poison Ivy: Yeah, that was crazy. You think Robyn killed her?
Donnie T: We think so. Why did you want to talk to me?
Poison Ivy: I just remembered something I forgot to mention last time.
Donnie T: What is it?
Poison Ivy: Well, I remember Robyn would always complain about her sister and how horrible she was. One day she was complaining about this boy April was always talking about. Actually, she was talking about two boys and how April couldn't decide who she liked better.
Donnie T: Really? What were the boys' names?
Poison Ivy: Donnie and Casey. Wait, your name is Donnie. Was she talking about you?
Donnie T: Yeah, she was, but I never knew about this Casey guy. Did Robyn say how many dates they went on?
Poison Ivy: I think they went on two dates total. They also studied together too.
That made Don remember how April once said she couldn't come over because she had to tutor a classmate. She never said what their name was, but that she had to tutor a guy in Trig because he was failing it. Now he realized it was Casey she was talking about. Don then remembered Raph talking about a guy named Casey in a hockey mask who had fought with his brother. Could that Casey and the guy April tutored be the same guy? It wasn't a mere coincidence that there were two guys named Casey, so he had to be the same one.
Poison Ivy: You still there, Donnie?
Donnie T: Yeah, just doing some thinking. So is that all you wanted to tell me?
Poison Ivy: Not quite. Robyn was jealous of April, but then she fell in love, too.
Donnie T: You mean at Crestwood?
Poison Ivy: Yeah, After she met him, she stopped feeling jealous over April and immersed herself in this relationship. She was happy that she knew where she stood with her relationship while April was still confused about who she liked.
Donnie T: How long did this go on?
Poison Ivy: For a few weeks until April confessed that she loved Donnie and that Casey wasn't' her type.
Don's heart leapt at those words He was glad April had chosen him over Casey even though he had never met the guy. Still, something nagged at him.
Donnie T: Do you think Robyn made up her boyfriend to get April to confess her love for me?
Poison Ivy: No. He was real and I knew him.
Donnie: What was his name?
Poison Ivy: Jason Biggerstaff. He was a patient here, and a lot of girls liked him, but he chose Robyn. A lot of the girls were jealous of her and hated her for it, but Robyn didn't care.
Donnie T: Were you jealous of her?
Poison Ivy: Nope. I was happy for her. She acted like a different person when he was around.
Donnie T: Is he still around?
Poison Ivy: I think so, but I'm not sure if he's still in Crestwood or if he's out. I could look him up and get back to you if you want.
Don thought about what she said and figured it was a good idea. Maybe he was still in Crestwood and could probably tell him more about Robyn. If Robyn was in contact with Jason, then that meant she was alive. He was about to talk to Ivy when a new message appeared.
A: You just don't know when to stop, do you? Looks like you need to be taught a lesson.
Don was about to respond to the message when the screen went black and the computer shut off. He tried to turn it back on, but nothing happened. A had ruined his computer, and he couldn't get in touch with Ivy again. A had messed this all up and had done it on purpose. The worst part was that he couldn't forward the A message to Ali with no computer. It looked like he was going to have to go to the junkyard and find a different computer to use. This definitely wasn't fair right now.
He spied April's journal sitting on his nightstand. Kirby had given the Turtles her journal because he figured they'd want something to remember her by. They had read some of it together to see what April had written about Robyn. She had written plenty of regular stuff, but she'd also written about the Turtles' secrets that the brothers hadn't shared with anyone else. Now they knew each other's secrets. Don was bothered that his brothers now knew about his kiss with April, but they hadn't teased him about it as they normally would have given the circumstances of what had happened after that. Now Don was curious to see if April had written about Casey in her journal, so he opened it up and looked through it. At first he didn't see anything of significance until he spotted the name and began to read the entry.
"I have to tutor Casey Jones in Trig," April wrote. "I can't believe I have to do this! Casey's a jerk, and he thinks he's better than everyone else. He barely pays attention in class, and all he talks about is hockey and how he wants to go pro someday. I don't know how he's survived school this long without getting expelled. Well, I guess I'll just have to get it over with."
Don smiled as he read that last sentence. He could just imagine April fuming at the thought of tutoring someone she didn't like. He read the next entry, curious to see what else April had to say about Casey.
"As it turns out, Casey's not such a bad guy once you get to know him," April wrote. ""He hates school, but he can focus as long as you explain it to him in easy terms. I found out he lives with his dad and little sister and that his mom died of breast cancer. I felt sorry for him and told him my mom was gone, too. We seem to have a connection and I have a feeling we're going to be good friends. I hope that I can help him pass Trig."
Don wasn't sure how to read that. Did April mean a connection as in a friendly connection, or did she have a crush on him? He looked at other entries, but they were all about him and his brothers. Then he saw Casey's name again and began to read.
"Casey asked me out on a date, and I said yes," April wrote. "He took me to Murakami's and we had a nice dinner. I told him a little bit about the Turtles though I didn't tell him who they really were. He didn't ask a lot of questions, so that was a good thing. He told me about his friend, Nick, who he had a fight with after an accident at a hockey game they were playing in. He said they hadn't made up, and he doubted they ever would. It made me feel bad for him and thankful that I've never had a fight with the guys. I don't know what I would do if it came to that. I'd probably be very upset.
"Anyway, after dinner, he took me home and asked if he could kiss me when we were at my door. I gave him permission because I didn't want to hurt his feelings, and it felt so good. I honestly can't tell you if I liked Donnie's kiss better or Casey's. They're both very good kissers."
Don shuddered after reading that. How could she not have chosen between them? It was obvious who was better suited for her and it wasn't Casey Jones. Don read another entry and became even more upset.
"I'm really starting to like Casey," April wrote. "There's a different side to him, and he's really sweet, too. I honestly feel like I'm falling in love with him. But what does that mean for Donnie? I really love him, too. Dad always has told me that when it comes to making a choice you should always consider the pros and cons of both choices, so that's what I'm going to do.
"Donnie was the first one I met, and I really felt a connection to him. He saved my life and my dad's too, so I feel like I owe him for that. Besides that, he's just fun to be around, and he's really smart too. And without him, I never would have met the other Turtles or Master Splinter. I never would have become a kunoichi in training.
"On the other hand, Casey has a sweet side to him, and while I may not have known him as long as I've known Donnie, there's still a part of me that really likes him. As I've gotten to know him better, I feel like my feelings for him have gotten stronger."
Don shut the journal with a snap, not wanting to read any more. A feeling of anger washed over him. He was angry that April had lied to him. He always thought April would be honest with him no matter what, but she had lied to him and had kissed someone else without telling him. She had kissed someone else after kissing him, which meant that she'd been cheating on him. He'd always held April to this high standard that she could never do anything wrong, but now he knew that she was no different than her demented twin sister as far as lying went.
Still angered by these revelations, Don decided to go to the junkyard to salvage a new computer. But before he could leave, Splinter called, "Donatello, may I have a word with you?"
"Sorry, Sensei, but I have to find a new computer," Don replied. "A crashed the other one."
"A crashed your computer?" Leo gasped. "How?"
"I was talking to Ivy when I got a message from A. Then my computer crashed and I couldn't get back on."
"Did you send the message to Alison?" Leo asked him.
"I couldn't because the computer crashed before I could!" snapped Don. He was about to say more wen Splinter interrupted him.
"Donatello a word please!" he commanded.
Don followed his father to his chambers, wondering what this was all about. He hoped it wouldn't be long so he could go to the junkyard and get a new computer.
Splinter eyed Donnie as the purple-clad Turtle knelt before him. "I sense that you are troubled, my son."
"Well, A crashed my computer," Don pointed out. "I think anyone would be troubled by that."
Splinter gave him the "You're not fooling me one bit" look that Don had come to know so well. It was hard to get anything past Master Splinter as he had a way of making you tell the truth even if you didn't want to.
"It's about April, Sensei," confessed Don. "I read her journal and she wrote about kissing some guy named Casey Jones and how she was falling in love with him."
"I see," Splinter mused. "And why does that trouble you, Donatello?"
"Because she lied to me, Master!" Don burst out. "She told me she liked me and never said anything about Casey. I never thought April would keep secrets from me, but now I know she did."
"And yet, she also knew things about your brothers she never shared with you as well and things she knew about you that she never told them," Splinter pointed out. "So how is that any different than April not telling you about kissing someone else?"
"Because this affects me and not them!" Don answered. "It's not just that she kept it from me, but she was cheating on me!"
"But you were not in an established relationship, Donatello," Splinter reminded him. "Yes, she kissed you, but you did not make your relationship official. Therefore, she was not cheating on you." He sighed. "Ah, Donatello, I had hoped you would not stray into this path."
"What do you mean, Sensei?" asked Don.
"The path of jealousy and hatred which you now feel and that you feel April was only your possession and no one else's," replied Splinter.
"But I don't feel that way!" protested Don.
"Yes, you do, Donatello," contradicted Splinter. "You feel that April should not have been allowed to kiss anyone else other than you even though neither of you agreed to a committed relationship. You feel hatred for someone you do not know because you feel that he kissed someone that belongs to you and you alone. April did not tell you about these kisses because she felt it was a private matter and she had every right to keep it private. Sometimes, there are secrets we should have the right to keep to ourselves, my son. There are some things you have not told your brothers, am I correct?"
"Hai, Sensei," Don said shortly.
"And why do you keep things from them?"
"Because I want to keep them to myself," he replied.
"So do you see how foolish you are to become so upset at something that was meant to be a secret when you yourself have kept secrets you did not want others to know?"
Some rational part of Donnie's head told him that Splinter had a point in what he was saying, but another part of him argued and said that he did have a right to know what was going on in April's life.
"It's not foolish, Sensei," Don replied. "She kissed another guy and didn't have the decency to tell me about it. That's wrong."
Splinter tried another tact. "Then let us assume April did tell you about the kiss with Casey. Would you feel better knowing that she was honest with you, or would you still feel upset and betrayed that she kissed someone else?"
"I'd still feel upset, but at least I'd know she was honest with me."
"And April probably didn't tell you about it because she knew you would be upset that she had kissed someone else, which shows that she cared about your feelings and did not want to cause you any distress. You would do the same for her, would you not?"
Don thought about what Splinter was asking him: Would he have been able to do what April had done to protect her? "It depends on the situation," he finally said. "If I had to choose to protect her, I would, but if I had to lie to her to protect her, I wouldn't do it. And she didn't have to do it either."
"No, she did not, but she did. What's done is done, Donatello. There is no sense in torturing yourself over something that is in the past. Right now, your focus should be on A and on Robyn."
"You're right, and speaking of A, I have to go to the junkyard and get a new computer seeing as how A crashed mine."
"Then go and do so, my son. But be sure to keep our discussion in mind and do not forget it."
"Hai, Sensei," Don said, bowing to him before leaving the room. He had to focus right now, but he made a note to continue perusing April's journal entries later.
22222
The junkyard was fairly quiet and just the right place for Don to do what he wanted to do. He looked around, and to his delight, he found a laptop that appeared to be in good condition. He cursed the person who had thrown it out and figured they probably did so because they didn't know how to work it properly. It just showed how dumb people were when it came to technology and not wanting to get things fixed. Just as he was about to leave, a noise brought him to attention. He pulled out his bo staff and saw a guy in a hockey mask climbing the fence. Don slunk into the shadows, his eyes still on the person. He wondered if it was a homeless person looking for something to take. But why would they have a hockey mask on?
Suddenly a voice said, "Come out of your hidin' spot!"
Don stiffened and thought about leaving. Would this person spot him before he could make an escape? And how had he known that Don was there?
"C'mon, I know you're there. I saw you rootin' around before."
Well, that answered Don's question, and he knew he couldn't hide any longer. Slowly, he came out of his hiding place, ready to confront the strange person. He stepped out of the shadows and saw that the person wasn't surprised by his appearance.
"Damn, how many of you are there?" the guy asked.
His question shocked Don, but then he remembered Mikey talking about the strange guy in a hockey mask and Raph had done the same. This must have been the guy they were talking about. "Why does it matter to you?" he demanded.
"Well, after those women's bodies turned up, I figured it had to be someone weird doin' it, and what would be weirder than guys in turtle costumes? After all, you can't get a good ID of you guys."
"Wait, you think we're the ones behind those murders?" Don asked him.
The guy laughed. "Makes sense," he said. "Bad guys have a reason for doing what they do. Sow what's yours?"
"We're not the ones behind those murders," Don informed him. "One of the women who was murdered was my brother's best friend. Do you really think we'd do that to him?"
"Nah, I guess not, but it was the cloest thing I could think of," the guy said. "Looks like I'll have to try another theory."
"How long have you been doing this?" asked Don.
"Since my friend, April, disappeared," he answered. "I've been tryin' to track down who killed her, but I haven't had any luck."
Don was shocked by the guy's answer. First, he knew April and had been trying to find her killer for a long time. Second, he believed that Don and his brothers had been the culprits.
"April's murder was already solved," said Don. "It was her twin sister, Robyn, who killed her."
"April had a twin sister? She never told me that!"
"She never told us, either," replied Don.
"Wait, you knew April? How?"
"She was our best friend," answered Don. "We saved her from aliens known as the Kraang who were trying to kidnap her. They kidnapped her dad, and we rescued him. She was with us the night she disappeared, but we didn't kill her."
"Come to think of it, she did talk about some friends of hers. They were brothers who were homeschooled by their dad. She talked about them a lot. So, that was you guys, huh?"
"Yep, that would be us," said Don. "What else did she tell you about us?"
"She said that you were studyin' martial arts and so was she. She would always talk about the things you guys woud do together, but she talked the most about a guy named Donnie. She talked about how smart he was and how she had such a connection with him. I tried to take her out on dates 'cause I liked her, but she never seemed into it. I tried askin' her out some more, but she kept makin' excuses as to why she couldn't go, so I just gave up on it all. Then she disappeared, and I knew I had to track down who killed her. I thought that by doing that, it would make us even."
Then Don realized who he was talking to. This was Casey Jones, the guy in April's journal entries. He waited for the intense anger he had felt after reading those entries to come over him again, but instead, he found himself feeling sorry for Casey. He had also lost a close friend and had been spending all his time trying to track down her killer. A wave of shame swept over Donnie as he thought about how much he'd hated this man for kissing April when he really had no right to feel that way. Casey wasn't a bad guy after all, and he'd probably been beating himself up about this whole thing just like Donnie had been.
"I'm sorry April didn't choose you," he said softly. "I'm sure you would have made a good match for her, and I'm sorry if I caused any rift in your friendship. When I read April's journal and found out that she kissed you, I was jealous of you and mad that she never told me about you. But now I understand why she didn't tell me, and I have no hard feelings for you at all."
Casey smiled. "So, you're my arch nemesis," he teased. "Wow. I'm still surprised I never figured it out. I'm Casey Jones."
Don smiled back. "I'm Donatello, but you can call me Donnie for short," he said.
"Nice to meet you," said Casey. Then he looked at his watch. "Aw, man, I gotta go home. I got work in the mornin'."
"Where do you work?" Don asked him.
"Well, my dad wanted me to work for him, but I'm not cut out for workin' with bugs and rats, so I work at a mechanic shop fixin' cars and stuff. It's not my dad's job, but I like what I do, and that's all that matters."
"What would you like to do instead?" Don asked him.
"Well, I wanted to be a pro hockey player, but most of those guys go to college before they're selected for the big leagues."
"So why don't you go to college?"
"School was never my thing," answered Casey. "That's why April had to tutor me. Before she disappeared, I was doin' great, but after she vanished, my grades slipped again and I just never wanted to go to college. But maybe I could be a bounty hunter like that guy on TV. You know, the one with the hot wife with the huge knockers? What's his name again?"
"You mean Dog the Bounty Hunter," said Don. "And, yeah, he's pretty good. Raph watches the show a lot."
"Yeah, that's the one. Seems like it would be a cool job. So, do you wanna come up to my place for a beer, Donnie?"
"No thanks," Don replied. "It was nice meeting you though."
"Yeah, same here," replied Casey. "I hope that you and your other brothers can finish all of this. Maybe I could help out."
"I'll talk to them and get back to you," said Don. He gave Casey his number, and Casey did the same. Then Don left the junkyard and headed back home with his treasure. He was in better sprits than he'd been when he arrived, and he knew it was all thanks to Casey Jones and realizing that he was really a great guy. He wasn't sure if his brothers would want to join forces with him, but they needed all the help they could get.
He arrived home and saw that his brothers were watching TV. He was going to talk to them about meeting Casey and taking him on as an ally, but he really didn't feel like going into it now. He wished them goodnight and said goodnight to Splinter before setting his new computer down in his lab. His phone chimed, indicating he had a text. At first he thought it was Casey, but then he saw the address and knew that it wasn't anything good.
Hey, Donnie, looks like you both have something in common: You both never had a chance with April. You may have a new friend now, but if you keep nosing around, I'm going to make sure that your new friend is permanently terminated.—A.
A/N: And so ends another chapter. I had a lot of fun with this one, and I'm glad I'm getting this series back on track as it should be. I hope to have the next chapter up soon. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day