It had taken a full week for the Turtles to prepare to go to space. Well, it was mostly Donatello's brain working at optimum speed and his brothers and April and Casey helping wherever they could. He had studied Kala's space suit and had his brothers retrieve special materials to make a second suit that would fit a mutant turtle, reverse engineered the extra mesh breathing pouch Kala uses to breath and creates four, less sophisticated but operational, oxygen-producing pouches for him and his brothers. He's keeping very busy. If he isn't holed up in his lab working, he's passed out on the cot in his lab, or eating a quick meal at the desk in his lab. He's focused on the task at hand. All he can think about is how right Leonardo is. There was a reason why the Kraang had brought such a large ship to Earth. They had to destroy them and destroy what ever was inside. He must keep April safe.

...

Finally done with school for the week, April and Casey come by to hang with the guys, April particularly wanting to hang with Donatello. She may not know how to build a duplicate portable portal, or conjure up a battle plan against a large enemy spaceship, but maybe she can keep him company. She had missed being with her friend, had missed him ever since Kala had come into their lives. She knows, as soon as she walks in she'll see Kala, the taller than, smarter than, more beautiful than, alien teen from a different dimension. Before opening the door, April reminds herself of Donatello's words. She is not being replaced. Donnie is her best friend, and she is his. All of this time and attention given to Kala is so they can get her home. Once she's home, everything will go back to normal. "Well, my kind of normal anyway." She quips to herself. Casey tackles Raph and joins him in watching some wrestling on TV. April heads to Donnie's lab.

April pushes the big, metal door open and sees them… watches them. They are seated next to each other, handling papers and pencils and protractors. He runs his tongue along his lips in concentration, failing to draw a straight line. She laughs at him in her otherworldly trill and he chuckles shyly. She takes the marker from his hand and shows him the correct way. April's face burns. She can see the perfect, sky blue teeth of her smile from underneath the mesh mask she has to wear... a smile that he had put there. He yawns and places his chin in his hands and goes back to drawing. She takes his cup and goes to the other side of the lab to fill it with more cocoa. April hides in the shadow of the door... but continues watching. He starts to nod, but she places the warm, steamy mug into his hands. He thanks her. He corrects himself and thanks her by placing his forehead against hers. April's stomach sinks. He barely takes a sip of his hot chocolate before his eyes droop and the marker in his hand starts to wobble. She removes the cup and marker and replaces it with a plush, purple blanket draped around his shoulders. April had given that to him. He leans into the warmth, almost falls off his stool. But she's there to catch him, pushes him forward and he rests his head in his arms on the table. She turns out the bright lights and curls up in the cot, her face glows from the softness of the tablet she reads from. It's his tablet. She looks up at his sleeping form fondly and goes back to reading.

April steps back, wringing her hands. She feels pangs of sharp confusion and deep longing... for what? She feels like she had seen things she wasn't supposed to see. But that's silly. Kala hadn't done anything April wouldn't have done. It's then she realizes why it hurts so much... it was Kala doing those mundane things with and for Donatello, not her. He had let Kala in so easily, welcoming the Neutrino into the space that was once hers. She felt like he had lied to her, even if he didn't mean to. Or maybe she'd been lying to herself. She jogs to her guest room and falls into her bed.

…

Coming back from the junk yard with Leonardo, Michelangelo sets down his bundle of odds and ends and sees April dash into her room and close the door. He wonders what the matter could be. He walks towards the lab to ask Donatello if he knows anything, finding his brainy brother asleep at his workbench. "Huh, maybe she was upset that Donnie was knocked out before they had a chance to hang." Mikey scans the room and sees Kala perched on the cot listening to something on the tablet. Mikey smiles happily at the sight of her and walks in. He waves an energetic 'hello' to his gal.

Kala removes the headphones. "Mikey. I am glad to see you are back. I have missed you."

"R-really? Gosh, I've missed you too." He gazes at her with puppy-love eyes. "I'm about to make dinner. Would you care to join me?"

"I would like that a lot." She sets the device aside and Mikey lends his hand to help her up.

The young turtle sees her hesitating to touch his hand and shrinks back. "Sorry, dudette, I keep forgetting."

Kala smirks and grabs his hand. "It is alright. When on Earth, do as the Earthinos do!"

"Ah, thank goodness." Mikey takes her hand gleefully and the two budding bipeds trot along to the kitchen and make a scrumptious meal together.

…

April tosses in her bed, willing herself to go to sleep, but sleep evades her. She just wants this day to be over, for this dangerous mission to be over. All she wants is to pal around with her friends, save her dad, and be at peace. Yes, she supposes it is asking a lot but… everything she cares about is being taken away so quickly… even Donatello. He's different from his brothers. Aside from being a tall, ninja turtle, he's so inquisitive and the smallest details of seemingly normal things fascinate him. He's not only helped her with her studies but has helped her become one of the top students in her class. Not that she isn't smart on her own but having a brainiac like Donnie in her back pocket has given her new and different understandings on many things. She could have left the Turtles alone after they had saved her the first time. She could have forgetting about them, but they were just too cool to walk away from.

Things will go back to the way they were soon, April tells herself. She's too ashamed of herself to cry. Just because she's thinking like a selfish child doesn't mean she has to act like one. She knows that she doesn't own him but... she had him first. "Them... I had them." She feels the need to correct herself aloud. She doesn't do her homework, doesn't get up for dinner. She sleeps away the rest of the day and through most of the night. The last thought in her mind; ignorance is bliss but denial is self-inflicted torture.

…

Donatello awakens to the smell of savory goodness coming from the kitchen. It has been a full week of not having a hot meal and his stomach is quaking in protest. He sits up and stretches out his stiff muscles. He needs to stop falling asleep at his desk so often. He walks out into the bright light of the dining area and greets his family… and Casey… with a sleepy wave. He sits down and as someone from his left passes him the mac and cheese, he notices April is not at the table. "Where's April, she not come to the Lair today?"

"She's still in her room I think." Mikey says.

"Why don't you go wake her?" Leo says.

"We all know you want to." Raphael chuckles.

Casey rolls his eyes.

Donatello swiftly ignores his brother's teasing and heads down the hall to April's room.

After knocking and getting no response Donatello slowly opens the door. The light from the hallway pours over the slight frame of April asleep in the bed. Donatello quietly walks over to her and whispers. "April… April, are you hungry?"

She hums softy but isn't roused. He dares to step closer and look at her.

She's so perfectly beautiful. The spellbound turtle takes in her precious features, watches as her body rises and falls with each breath, her dreams taking her far away from the troubles of this world. He smiles, enthralled in this rare moment with her, even if she's not really here with him. He leans over, covers her shoulder with the blanket and brushes away loose strands of red hair from her face. He's missed her so much this week. Every time he thought he had a minute to call or text her, something else would come up, or a new idea would emerge and he had to write it down. The mission was very important and any amount of time they had to prepare was unknown. So instead of shirking his duties to spend time with April, he locked himself in his lab and chained himself to the garage, had done everything he could think of to make their attack on the Kraang as successful as possible. He hopes that she understands, that everything he does is for her.

"Sweet dreams, April." One day, he'd get to say it and get a response.

He turns to leave.

"Donnie, don't'…" April murmurs.

Donatello looks back, his eyes wide. Is she… dreaming about me? Gosh I hope it's a good one! He waits another moment but she doesn't awaken. He exits as quietly as he came, closing the door behind him.

…

The credits roll up the small TV screen in the sunken living room area. Raphael shifts in his chair and groans. If he has to watch another couple end the movie with sucking each other's faces, he's going to puke up all his mac and cheese. He watches as his orange-masked brother pops in another romantic comedy. "Awe c'mon Mikey, not another chick flick! I'm tired of all this gushy stuff! Put in an action movie!" Raphael complains.

"Oh, don't be like that, Raph." Michelangelo says, pushing 'play' and finding his seat next to Kala. "You were laughing at that one part."

"Yeah, when the goofball and the nerdy guy were fighting over that clueless redhead girl. After that, mush city!"

"What do you wanna watch, Kala? We can keep the romance flowing with 'She may be but, but not totally, digging you' or 'Bleeding Swords 3'.

"I think I am wanting to see more of the romance. I have had enough fighting in my life for now." She says with an apologetic smile towards Raphael.

Raphael sighs. "Alright, you guys enjoy your little date night. I'm going to bed." He gets up and heads to his room.

"Awe, Raph. Leo is still staying, right Leo, Casey?" Mikey begs.

"Casey left as soon as he saw the title for the first movie and Leo went to bed fifteen minutes into the movie." Raph says. "Don't worry about it, but I wouldn't stay up too much longer or you're gonna have a rough time in training tomorrow." Raph winks at him and leaves.

"Mikey?" Kala whispers.

"Yes, Kala?"

"Your brother may have a point. It may be prudent for us to get some rest for tomorrow. We move to attack the Kraang early the following day."

"I know. That's why I want to spend as much time with you as possible." His blue eyes grow and lips pout at her.

"Oh!" She squeals and grabs his cheeks. "Your cute face! It is like a secret weapon!"

He chuckles. "Yeah, gets 'em every time. So you'll watch the movie with me?"

"Yes, for a little while. If one of use starts to nod off, we go to bed."

"It's a deal." He smiles and scoots close to her.

Barely twenty minutes go by before the soft snoring of unconsciousness bubbles in Kala's ear. She glances over at her turtle, sees him fast asleep, head flopped back, mouth partly open, his arm around her shoulders. She looks at his textured, green skin, his freckled face, he's so adorable! She picks up the controller from the table and pushes a random buttons until the DVD goes off and a regular channel comes on. She shrugs and turns her attention to Michelangelo. "Mikey, please awaken. It is time we are off to bed."

She grabs his plastron and shakes him.

He gurgles. "N-no… don't want anymore… broccoli…"

"Mikey… Mikey wake up." She kneels beside him and his arm folds around her, bringing her face ever closer to his. She blushes. "M-Mikey." She looks at his lips, taking in air and exhaling softly. She remembers the way they felt, how surprisingly warm they were. She wants those lips. But it would be quite inappropriate to kiss someone while they were unaware. She shouldn't just take something just because she wants it. She runs her fingers over his lips and loses her resolve… so much for being polite. She takes small breath and removes her mask. She kisses his cheek first, to see if he wakes up. She kisses him again. Then she presses her lips to his, lets them linger, reveling in the feeling of him. She closes her eyes and smiles planting kiss after kiss on him. She places them all over his face. Her people have ruled on Neutron for thousands of years, and they never discovered the kiss? Uncanny! Boy, does she like kisses.

Unbeknownst to her Mikey has been awake since she first began, little devil. "Kala?" Mikey utters.

Kala takes a deep breath of oxygen and nearly chokes. She places the mask back over her mouth and lips and coughs, trying to get her breathing under control.

"Kala, what were you doing?" As if he didn't know.

"I was just trying to say… goodnight." Her face starts to glow.

"Kala, stealing kisses is a big no-no on my planet." Mikey teases.

"It, it is?" Kala says, half believing him.

"Oh yes, it's a very serious offense." Mikey smirks and leans close to her.

"What are the consequences?" Kala purrs.

"You have to give each of those stolen kisses back."

"All of them?"

"Each and every one, babe."

He closes his eyes and, at first, kisses her; her breathing mask blocking their lips from meeting, but the feeling still making their hearts flutter. Then she leans back and rests her head on the am of the couch. She feels his finger reach for the edge of her mask. She takes a breath before he removes it and overtakes her lips with his. What a thrill! She was living and dying at the same time! And when they taste each other's mouths, big bolts of lightning course through their bodies. After, they both come up for air, happy and in a daze.

Two dosing teens cuddle close on the sofa under the calm of the evening, one tugging playfully on orange bandana tails, the other fighting off sleep with waning strength.

"Kala, I'm so glad you crashed onto my planet."

"Oh, Mikey, that is so romantic."

"And tomorrow we train and get ready for battle… and when we fight, I'll be right there to protect you, all the way."

"I'll protect you too, Mikey… Mikey?"

Asleep again, Kala gingerly releases herself from his hold and stands. She grabs a pillow and places it under his head. "Goodnight." She whispers and heads off to bed. She is so tired and so excited at the same time. She needs to talk to someone about all the things she is feeling right now. No one else better comes to mind.

…

A/N: Poor April! Poor Donnie! GO Mikey! LOL. I'm hungry for comments! Nom Nom!