Chapter One: The strange package

The streets of New York had been uncharacteristically quiet the past few nights. Though the Turtles had patrolled the city, there was not much for them to do. It wasn't as if they minded. All except for Raphael who was getting anxious with no one to punch.

"This is boring!" Raphael exclaimed in frustration, turning his back on his brothers to head for the lair. "I'm going home."

Leonardo nodded his head, "yeah, we should head back."

Donatello stayed still as his brothers began to turn back. He looked down at the empty streets, "uuh, you guys go ahead."

"Isn't it a little late to call April?" Leonardo asked, stopping just at the ledge of the roof.

"I-I didn't say I was calling April!" Insisted Donatello.

"Yeah, yeah, just don't be too late, or Master Splinter will worry." Leonardo demanded before he jumped from the roof to follow his brothers home.

Once the others were gone, Donatello pulled out his t-phone and did just as he insisted he wasn't going to. He dialed Aprils number and sat down on the edge of the rooftop nervously. With things so quiet, April hadn't been around much and there were few excuses to call her out, but perhaps tonight he could be brave.

The phone rang for a while and when there was no answer, his shoulders slumped in disappointment. He hung up the phone and held it in his lap, watching the streets below. He sighed heavily and gathered the courage to try again, but his phone rang out in a melody, startling the turtle. Donatello scrambled to answer the phone and did his best to sound relaxed since he knew who was at the other end.

"Hey...April." He answered in mock confidence.

"Donnie, what's going on?" April replied, seemingly worried to receive his call.

"Oh! Uh...well I was just wondering if you...maybe wanted to go and get something to eat? I mean, we finished patrol and uh-"

"Oh...um...I'm sorry Donnie, I'm about to see a movie with Casey right now. Maybe next time?" April replied in an apologetic tone.

Truthfully, Donatello was crushed by this. Not just because April had declined his invitation, but because she was Casey instead. Just to add insult to injury. At least she couldn't see the hurt that was so clearly plastered on his face.

"Donnie?"

Donatello gathered himself and straightened his back, hoping to play this off as best he could. "Yeah," he began awkwardly, "I-I'll catch you next time, see you April." Saying a quick goodbye, he waited for April to do the same, once she had he was able to hang up. It was better to leave the conversation quickly so that she wouldn't be able to hear his disappointment. After all, she knew him rather well by now. Once he placed his T-phone back into his belt, he stared down at the streets with a brand new feeling of dejection. He hated the uncertainty he felt when it came to April and each time he decided to give up and just walk away, she'd find a way to pull him back in. He just couldn't seem to let go completely. Everyone said he didn't have a chance with her, but he just couldn't give in.

As Donatello pondered all of this, he spotted something coming from the alleyway below. A young woman was walking on her own, clutching a large package in her arms. She didn't seem to fit in with this part of town. Her long brown hair was put up in a classy bun, done up with what looked like small diamonds. She had a black shawl over her arms and shoulders for the cold, but it may not have been enough since she was in what looked like a dark blue, form fitting evening gown. This was a pretty poor part of town, she was definitely not from around here. People around here needed to be quick at night and there was no way she could run quickly in those heels she wore. Donatello watched the girl curiously, wondering what someone like her was doing out here.

The girl actually seemed to be looking for someone or something. She was frantically looking all around the streets, but she didn't seem panicked. Perhaps she just didn't want to be followed. She held her package tight, walking slowly along the curb, looking down at the streets until she stopped at a sewer grate. Donatello raised a brow as the woman set her package down and kneeled down on her hands and knees to peek into the grate. Certainly some strange behavior from such a rich looking young lady. He was even more curious when she actually grabbed the bars of the grate and pulled it up, not without difficulty, but she managed eventually. She looked around once more before she grabbed her package and dropped it down into the sewers. This was even more surprising. Once the package was dropped, she pulled the grate back into position and stood up, patting down her knees of the dirt from the street and quickly shuffled off back through the alley she came from.

Donatello waited a moment or two, wondering if the woman was going to return. When she didn't, he jumped down onto the streets and rushed to open the sewer grate. He jumped down to inspect what the girl had dropped, a little suspicious of what it might be. The package was floating down along the sewer waters. He rushed to catch it and though the paper had mostly been soaked off by the water, what was inside seemed protected by tight plastic wrapping. It seemed to be adressed to someone, the writing a little hard to see through the cling wrap. Donatello wondered why she would dispose of a package in the sewers. Perhaps she was trying to keep it from someone?

The techy turtle decided to open it up and check the contents inside, or at least to whom it was adressed. He pulled a bit of the plastic wrap off slowly until he began to see the writing on the package.

'For the Turtle, Donatello Hamato.'

Donnie stared down at the writing, confused and shocked. He had never seen that girl before, but she dropped a package down here that was meant for him? He didn't waste much time after that. He quickly unraveled the wrapping, revealing a soft blue blanket that had a small tool box inside. He put the blanket on his shoulder to keep it from the water and opened the tool box to see brand new, rather expensive gear. There was also a letter inside with his name on the front. He this was just getting stranger and stranger. He opened the letter, just like the label on the package, it was handwritten and looked to be delicate and graceful.

'Dear Donatello,

Forgive me for being so late. I hope this gift finds you well. I took great care in its delivery to make sure the waters won't rust your new tools. I am not sure how long this will take to reach you or even if you will find it at all. It's been so long, that I don't even know if you are still in this city, but I am putting all my hopes in that fact that you are. Since I've finally returned to New York, I would like nothing more than to see you again, just as I promised. I have no idea how long it will take, but I promise that I will wait. Every night, I will wait for you in the alleyway behind the abandoned tea shop on 7th and Hathorn. I'll be there every night in hopes that I'll see you. Until then, I can only pray this finds you well.

Sincerely, Aria'

The letter was adressed to him, but the contents made it sound as if they were old friends. The girl spoke as if they had known one another before. What was this promise she spoke of? She was apologizing for being late? Late for what? He didn't know know anyone named Aria. Still, she said she would be waiting for him every night in the same place. Though it could have been a trap. He stood in the sewers, ankle deep in the waters as he stared at the letter inside of the tool box. This had all been meant for him, but he wasn't sure if he could trust it or not.

A/N: Hello! Hope you all like it so far. Most of the stories that I write are not very light hearted, but this one will be. At least, I am planning on it. The next chapter will be out soon. Hope to see there! Leave your comments and thoughts cause I'm always happy to hear from you. :)