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No money being made.\nWord Count: 100K+ multi-chapter 2k3\nSummary: Donatello sets out to do April a small favor and winds up in another dimension.\nRating will vary by chapter, from G to NC-17\n\n~~The amazing preview image created by @dragona15", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.
Word Count: 100K+ multi-chapter 2k3
Summary: Donatello sets out to do April a small favor and winds up in another dimension.
Rating will vary by chapter, from G to NC-17

~~The amazing preview image created by \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdragona15\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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", "writing": "\tAlthough the combative edge was gone from the lair, there was still a strain of discontent in the atmosphere. The understanding that Leo and Nicco had come to days earlier only served to prevent an outbreak of violence, but it did nothing to resolve the basic situation.\n\n\tLeonardo held a grudging respect for Niccolo but retained his concern over the new turtle’s motivations. Don knew from Leo’s own words that he feared that Nicco was using the genius and would not remain committed to him. All the verbal assurances in the world wouldn’t dissuade Leo from that notion, only time would set his mind at ease.\n\n\tIt helped that Master Splinter had decided to elicit Leo’s assistance in Niccolo’s training. Their father had ascertained that Nicco could perform even the most advanced katas well, including those designed for his weapon of choice. Now he wanted to see Nicco spar with his hachiwari in order to gauge his reaction times, his reflexes, and Nicco’s ability to adjust to changing situations quickly. Leo was not only the best option to aid with that because of his skill set, but also because Master Splinter knew they would have to learn to work together.\n\n\tMichelangelo continued to snub Nicco, remaining obstinate in avoiding having to deal with him. He had started to talk to Don again, but they weren’t real conversations and the few words that Mikey spoke were usually strained. Don pretended that he didn’t notice how his brother was acting, instead using every opportunity to drop subtle hints that things hadn’t, and wouldn’t, change between them.\n\n\tThe best description that Don could come up with for Raphael was hostile. His antagonism didn’t stretch to open aggressiveness as it had the first day, but only because Raph knew that Master Splinter was keeping an eye on him. Don had a feeling that Raph had vented his frustration with Leo over the leader’s acceptance of Nicco because the two of them were behaving just as they did when they had a fight about something.\n\n\tInteractions between Raph and Donatello consisted of sarcastic barbs and malicious challenges, all of which Don chose to ignore. Behaving as though he was obtuse was the best way that Don knew to avoid having an outright argument with his hot-headed brother.\n\n\tRaph and Mikey found a commonality in their dislike of Nicco and the situation in general. The pair spent more time together than usual, often seeking out each other’s company to the exclusion of everyone else. It was almost as though they were feeding off of each other’s animus towards the visiting turtle.\n\n\tMaster Splinter made no attempt to interfere. He did not seek to talk to either Raph or Mikey regarding their behavior and they didn’t go to him for advice. Since it was clear to them that Master Splinter had accepted Nicco, it made sense that the pair wouldn’t risk their father’s ire. Don could only figure that Master Splinter knew any attempt he made to persuade them to acknowledge Nicco would only cause them to be even more contrary.\n\n\tThat left it up to Nicco and Don to find a way to win over both Mikey and Raph. However, their alone time was limited so it was difficult to discuss strategy. When they were alone, it was usually in a place where they had no privacy. Even when they were together in Don’s lab it was necessary to leave the door wide open, just to assure the brothers that the pair of lovers weren’t engaging in anything more than conversation.\n\n\tDon did manage to convey that tackling Mikey should be left up to him. He already had an inkling of the proper approach and as Don pointed out to Nicco, while Mase had a lot of Mikey’s characteristics, he was a lot more unpredictable than his counterpart. Nicco had laughingly joked that being a good commander meant knowing when to delegate and he accepted Don’s assurances about Mikey.\n\n\tBecause Nicco spent so much time with Master Splinter, Don was able to continue with his normal daily routine. He hoped that by doing so his brothers would see that he was mostly unchanged. Don accepted Master Splinter’s guarantee that his brothers wouldn’t think less of him for taking a lover, but the best way he could think of to fend off their distrust was to seem as consistent as possible. He hoped that by showing them his priorities were still the same, they would be less inclined to be suspicious of the shift in their family dynamic.\n\n\tDon had been biding his time, waiting for an opportunity to talk to Mikey when Raph wasn’t around. If there was one thing that Mikey liked to do that was talk and Don had to orchestrate a situation that would make it possible for him to do so. Isolating him was the best way to get Mikey to open up.\n\n\tThough they were sharing a room at night, that wasn’t a good venue for the type of discussion they needed to have because Mikey would be expecting it. Don knew he needed to manipulate things so that Mikey’s guard was down. Plus, there was always the chance that their conversation might become heated and therefore loud and if they were in Mikey’s room then Raph would hear them.\n\n\tMikey and Don had one particular trait in common; they could both be quite devious when necessary. Although Mikey tended to use his gift for pranks, Don’s was mostly applied to specific tasks related to the family well-being. If needed though, Don was capable of using his craftiness as a retaliatory measure and it was the primary reason Mikey chose to pull gags on Raph rather than Don. Mikey had learned that Don’s paybacks hurt a lot worse than Raph’s fists.\n\n\tDon’s chance to get Mikey alone finally arrived. During dinner the night before, while Leo and Nicco were engaged in a lively discussion about battlefield tactics, Raph had told Master Splinter that he had agreed to go to April’s shop early the next morning and help Casey move furniture.\n\n\tThat news meant that Mikey would probably spend his time in front of the television array playing his video games.\n\n\tA plan quickly formed in Don’s mind and the only thing he needed to do in order to set it in motion was to rise earlier than Mikey did, which was not a problem.\n\n\tAround mid-morning, as Don sat at his desk in the lab, he heard a shout from the lair and a minute later Mikey was standing in his doorway.\n\n\t“Donny, the televisions just went out!” Mikey exclaimed, gesturing towards them frantically.\n\n\tLeaning back in his chair, Don tried to appear nonchalant. “What do you mean, they went out? All of them? Did you check the plugs?”\n\n\t“Of course I did,” Mikey responded sarcastically. “Everything looks fine but there’s no power.”\n\n\t“I was afraid of that,” Don said. “The central control box was on its last legs but I haven’t had a chance to configure the new one. The parts are in the garage and so is the seventy-two inch high def television I was going to install.”\n\n\tMikey’s eyes lit up. “Seventy-two inches?” he repeated breathily.\n\n\tDon smiled as Mikey took the bait. “It was quite a find,” he said. “It needed some minor fixes and the frame is scratched up, but the screen is in perfect condition. I can’t install it until I have the new control box ready though, because it requires more power than the old one can . . . I mean [i]could [/i]handle.”\n\n\tMikey practically leaped at him, grabbing Don’s arm and yanking him out of his chair. “What are you waiting for? Get moving.”\n\n\t“Whoa there speedy,” Don said, extricating himself from Mikey’s grip. “That’s time consuming and I have other things on my list that have a higher priority. Unless I suddenly grow another set of hands that job will have to wait.”\n\n\tThe calculating expression on Mikey’s face told Don that he’d hooked his brother. “Two hands right here Donny,” Mikey said, displaying his hands dramatically. “Tell me what to do and I’ll help you fix the box and carry the new TV.”\n\n\tDon pretended to think about the offer as he contemplated Mikey. “You’re not going to wait until I’m hip deep in the repair work and then disappear on me are you?”\n\n\t“For a seventy-two inch high definition TV I’ll stick to you like glue,” Mikey promised.\n\n\tDeciding that he’d played hard to get for long enough, Don said, “Okay, let me get my tool kit. Can you grab that crate of electrical parts? We’re going to need them.”\n\n\tMikey snatched up the equipment that Don indicated and stood impatiently waiting as Don gathered his tools together, dropping them into his duffel and slinging it over his shoulder. Don had to jog to keep up with his brother when the pair headed for the elevator.\n\n\tAs the elevator lifted them to the garage, Mikey happily bounced on the balls of his feet. “I’m not even gonna sleep after that TV is installed,” he said. “I see a gaming marathon in my future.”\n\n\t“Just be glad I gave Master Splinter his own television so that he could watch his ‘shows’,” Don reminded him, “otherwise you’d have to share.”\n\n\t“Perish the thought,” Mikey said with a fake shiver. “Do you have any idea of how many times I’ve died because he clicked the remote?”\n\n\tDon chuckled as they stepped out of the elevator. “Since you were pretty vocal about it each and every time, then yes I do.”\n\n\tTogether they walked to the section of the garage where Don had his work tables. Standing next to one was the large television he’d acquired on his last expedition to the junkyard. Mikey dropped the box he was carrying on a table and immediately fell upon the TV, wrapping his arms around one corner and stroking the screen with his hand.\n\n\tAs Mikey cooed lovingly to the inanimate object, Don laid out his tools and began to work. After a few minutes, he gently reminded Mikey that if he wanted to do more with the television than hug it, he’d have to help.\n\n\tThereafter Mikey flung himself into the task at hand, standing across from Don and feeding him parts when the genius asked for them. In the back of his mind Don wished that his brothers were always so eager to assist him, it would certainly make his jobs go quicker. He knew that Nicco would love to spend that kind of time with him but until they could be together without raising the other turtles' hackles, that wasn’t going to happen.\n\n\tThough Nicco was on his mind, Don was very careful not to mention his lover. Mikey’s excitement over the new television made him forget that he was supposed to be aloof with Don and they talked while they worked.\n\n\tDon subtly led the conversation onto the various adventures the brothers had in the past, mentioning things that had happened to them. Mikey readily fell into the topic, enthusiastically remembering both the good and bad times.\n\n\t“I’d have to agree that the Spasmosaur was pretty ‘gnarly’,” Don said, referring to a creature they’d fought when they were in the Triceraton arena games, “but the wasps on that planet we went to with April were bad news and the baboon things on the diamond world that I was just on were even worse. Trying to fight them wasn’t even an option.”\n\n\t“Couldn’t have been as bad as fighting the whole Triceraton army,” Mikey said glibly, not even flinching at Don’s first mention of his adventure with Nicco.\n\n\t“I’ll have to give you that one,” Don conceded. “Is there another circuit board in that box?”\n\n\tMikey dug around and came up with one, handing it to his brother. “Imagine trying to fight those Lava Monsters without the crystal armor,” he said, bringing up another of their experiences.\n\n\tThey talked about that for a while and Don said no more about his time on the diamond world until he found a way to weave it into the natural flow of their conversation again.\n\n\t“There are a lot of things we can fight with our ninjitsu,” Don said, “but natural disasters aren’t one of them. Remember the flooding that occurred when the Y’lyntians were trying to raise their island?”\n\n\t“We did fight that,” Mikey said, industriously using a screwdriver to take apart an old electrical box for its parts. “Not the water I mean, but the Y’lyntians themselves. We made them stop messing up our world.”\n\n\t“And then the lava swallowed up what was left of their civilization,” Don said. “It’s amazing how large of a part that lava played in the formation of our planet. The diamond world I was on is going to drastically change because of it and I nearly became a permanent part of its ancient history.”\n\n\tMikey had stopped working as soon as Don said ‘diamond’ and he was staring at his brother as Don finished speaking. After an uncomfortable second, Mikey said, “You mean that you and Nicco were almost a part of it, don’t you?”\n\n\t“Yes, I suppose that’s more accurate,” Don acknowledged, careful not to antagonize his brother.\n\n\t“You and [i]Nicco[/i],” Mikey repeated, emphasizing the latter.\n\n\t“Yes, Nicco and I were both on the diamond world,” Don said, watching Mikey closely.\n\n\tSlamming his screwdriver onto the table with a loud bang, Mikey exclaimed, “It’s always been just the four of us!”\n\n\t“What?” Don asked, unsure as to why Mikey was so disturbed.\n\n\t“You, me, Leo, Raph,” Mikey said, almost glaring at Donatello. “Us four, all raised together. We know each other; we know how we think, how each of us reacts to things. We can almost read each other’s minds!”\n\n\tIt was easy to see that Mikey was growing more agitated. “That hasn’t changed,” Don assured him.\n\n\t“Yes it has!” Mikey yelled. “We’re not balanced anymore because of your . . . your boyfriend!”\n\n\tDon didn’t respond right away, letting a few seconds pass to give his brother time to calm down. “Mikey, I’m not going to tell you that having Niccolo around won’t make things different in our family,” he said. “Look at how we adjusted to Casey and April’s presence in our lives. Having them become a part of our family didn’t affect how we are together. Why should it? I’m still the same me that I was before I met Nicco.”\n\n\t“You think you are but you’re not,” Mikey argued. “This Donatello has a lover and that’s who he thinks about, not us.”\n\n\t“Is that what’s bothering you?” Don asked. “Are you afraid that I won’t be as accessible to you now that Nicco and I are together?”\n\n\t“It’s not just me,” Mikey said, neither acknowledging nor denying Don’s assertion. “Sure, you’re my go to guy when I’m brainstorming stuff, but you’re also the one Raph feels the most comfortable talking to. It’s always been like that. If he talks to Leo then big bro’ tries to tell him what to do to fix things and that’s not what Raph wants, he just wants to vent. I know that I’m not as good at listening as you are either ‘cause sometimes I pop off when I shouldn’t and then he gets mad at me. You never set him off; heck, you never set [i]any [/i]of us off. Now you won’t have time for us.”\n\n\t“Mikey . . . .” Don began.\n\n\t“What about Leo?” Mikey asked, interrupting him. “How is he going to feel comfortable telling you what’s going on in his mind when he knows that you might repeat it to Nicco? He never tells Master Splinter about his doubts and how he questions himself but he does talk to you about it. Now he’ll worry that Nicco will use that information to take over his job as clan leader.”\n\n\t“I would never repeat anything you guys tell me in confidence,” Don said hotly. “Not even to Nicco. I know you all feel threatened by his presence but that has nothing to do with who Nicco is, that’s your natural turtle instinct reacting to another alpha male coming into your territory. Leo is taking the time to get to know Nicco because he realizes he has to overcome those instincts. Maybe if you got better acquainted with Nicco you’d see how truly good he is.”\n\n\tInstead of responding forcefully, Mikey suddenly changed gears. “I know what it is you see in him.”\n\n\tDon floundered for a moment as he applied the brakes on his emotions. Mikey had an uncanny ability to shift moods, his feelings following a train of thought rather than responding to any particular passion.\n\n\tBecause Mikey was so insightful, Don was almost afraid to hear more. Cautiously he asked, “What?”\n\n\t“Nicco’s a lot like Leo,” Mikey said. “You’ve always depended on Leo. You guys even finish each other’s sentences sometimes but I bet you don’t know you do that.”\n\n\t“He’s very much like Raph too,” Don said gently. “That probably is part of the attraction; I feel very comfortable with Nicco. I feel like I really know him.”\n\n\tDon could tell by Mikey’s expression that his brother’s curiosity about Nicco was overcoming his resistance. “I heard what Nicco told Master Splinter about how he got mutated,” Mikey said. “You think the four turtles on his world merged into two because they sat in the mutagen for too long, don’t you?”\n\n\tStartled that Mikey had apparently taken the time to reason that out, Don nodded. “Yes, I do. Does that concept surprise you?”\n\n\tMikey shrugged. “Nah. When I got sent to that alternate dimension I met versions of us who had super powers. I guess whatever happens to you when you touch mutagen depends on the circumstances at that moment. So Nicco is really Leo and Raph all rolled into one huh? Why isn’t he always fighting with himself?”\n\n\tDon laughed. “You were the one talking about balance earlier. I guess his personalities offset each other enough so there’s no conflict.”\n\n\t“Does that mean his brother, uh . . . .?” Mikey paused to give Don a quizzical look.\n\n\t“Masolino,” Don supplied. “Mase.”\n\n\t“His brother Mase is a combination of you and me?” Mikey asked.\n\n\t“That’s the theory based on facts that were supplied by Nicco, Mase and their dad,” Don answered.\n\n\t“What’s he like?” Mikey asked.\n\n\tDon exhaled gustily. “He’s . . . something else. He talks about a mile a minute and bounces from subject to subject so fast it’s hard to keep track. He has a wicked sense of humor, an incredible intellect, and he’s dating a giant croc named Corius.”\n\n\tMikey’s mouth dropped open. “Leatherhead? He’s boinking Leatherhead?”\n\n\t“Vigorously,” Don said, unable to resist.\n\n\t“Du~de,” Mikey replied. “I don’t think I secretly like Leatherhead that way. Did you secretly like Leatherhead?”\n\n\tDon shook his head. “You and I are not combined though,” he said, “and Corius has had different life experiences than Leatherhead.”\n\n\t“Phew, that’s a relief,” Mikey said. “I don’t wanna be looking at Leatherhead all weird the next time we see him. So is Mase as cute as I am?”\n\n\t“He’s very attractive,” Don said, chuckling.\n\n\t“He should be, after all he’s [i]me[/i],” Mikey said with a touch of vanity.\n\n\t“Mase is part me too, you know,” Don reminded him.\n\n\t“We can’t all be perfect,” Mikey said with a grin.\n\n\tFeeling that Mikey was at a point where he was more receptive with regards to Nicco, Don said, “Mikey, I love Nicco very much and I know deep in my heart that he loves me in return. There is nothing that would make that more perfect then to have my family accept him. Could you please just give him a chance?”\n\n\tMikey fidgeted, picking up and dropping the screwdriver a couple of times before admitting, “It’s hard, bro’. I kinda don’t think anyone is good enough for you, even if he is like two of our brothers all rolled into one. When he walked into the lair behind you, all I could think about was protecting you. We all feel that way about you, Donny. Me, Raph, and Leo will always be protective of you ‘cause you’re so important to us.”\n\n\t“You guys are important to me too,” Don said. “I appreciate having you watch my back, but I can take care of myself.”\n\n\t“Never said you couldn’t,” Mikey told him, “but you’re the one who always has to multitask while the rest of us just concentrate on fighting. We learned a long time ago that teamwork meant doing things that gave you time to work your magic. We save your ass so that you can save ours.”\n\n\t“Nicco is pretty invested in saving my ass too you know,” Don said lightly.\n\n\tThe double entendre wasn’t lost on Mikey. “I’ll bet he is. Hey, what’s it like to fall in love?”\n\n\tDon thought about the question. “It’s hard to describe,” he said. “I could tell you about the biology behind it, the euphoria achieved from the levels of dopamine that are triggered by the pleasure centers in certain brain circuits, but that doesn’t explain what it is about someone that triggers them.\n\n\t“I fell for Nicco because he has all of the qualities that are important to me. He makes me feel secure, wanted, and needed. He excites me in ways that I am not going to go into with you, Michelangelo. Suffice it to say that I’ll never tire of his touch.”\n\n\t“Sounds pretty great,” Mikey said wistfully.\n\n\tDon smiled at him. “I never dwelled on the idea of romance because I rationalized that it would never happen. Unlike me, you’re a dreamer and an eternal optimist so you know that anything is possible, right, Turtle Titan?”\n\n\t“I’d have to meet someone pretty special,” Mikey said, puffing out his chest. “Maybe a super-heroine. After all, I am the Turtle Titan and Battle Nexus champion.”\n\n\t“You’ll have to beat them off with a stick,” Don said with a laugh. “Mikey, I want you to know that having Nicco around won’t take anything away from us. If anything, it will add to this family. We’ll have another set of hands to help around the lair, someone for Leo to practice against, another student for Master Splinter to focus on, and someone else to appreciate your wit. Will you give him a chance?”\n\n\tMikey scratched the back of his neck. “Okay. I’ll do it for you. Are we almost done with this thing?”\n\n\tHe pointed at the control box that Don was working on. Don added a couple of parts to it and snapped the face plate back into place with a flourish. “Finished,” he announced.\n\n\t“TV time!” Mikey chortled, once more wrapping his arms around the new television and watching as Don placed his tools and the control box into his duffel bag.\n\n\tTogether they lifted the television and carried it into the elevator. On the way down to the lair, Mikey asked, “How long will it take you to hook up the new box?”\n\n\t“About fifteen minutes,” Don told him. “While I’m doing that you can rearrange the array so that the new television fits.”\n\n\t“I’m putting it right in the center,” Mikey said.\n\n\t“Just don’t forget to plug it in,” Don quipped.\n\n\tWhen the elevator door opened, the pair hefted the television and carried it towards the living area. Halfway there they spotted Nicco seated on the couch reading a book. Upon seeing them he jumped up and started in their direction.\n\n\t“Part Leo, part Raph hmm?” Mikey murmured, mostly to himself.\n\n\tDon knew from the sound of that rhetorical question that Mikey was up to something, but he couldn’t ask because Nicco was right there. At Mikey’s urging, Don relinquished the television to them and went to work on installing the control box, listening as Mikey gave Nicco directions with regard to the television array.\n\n\tThe enthusiasm and friendliness in Mikey’s voice was probably surprising to Nicco, but the older turtle rolled with the change. While they waited for Don to give the all clear, Mikey quizzed Nicco about his world, his upbringing, and his brother. During the exchange Mikey was as outgoing, witty, and funny as he’d ever been.\n\n\t“It’s ready to go, Mikey,” Don announced as he turned the power back on and tossed the remote to his brother.\n\n\tStanding back, Don watched the new television come to life, enjoying Mikey’s excited response to it almost as much as the crisp, clear picture. When Nicco started to reach for his book, Mikey jumped in front of him and intercepted it.\n\n\t“You spend too much time reading,” Mikey said in a firm voice. “How about we have a friendly video game? You have video games on your world, don’t you?”\n\n\tThe question along with the twinkle in Mikey’s eyes told Don what his brother had been plotting. He could rarely talk Leo or Raph into playing against him anymore because he always beat them. Nicco had just become his new target.\n\n\tAs Nicco agreed to play, Don chuckled, shaking his head as he walked back to the lab. He had just spent the better part of an afternoon replacing something that didn’t need to be fixed in the first place.\n\n\tDon didn’t consider it to be wasted time though. From the looks of things, he’d gotten Mikey to accept Nicco and that was a major hurdle he’d needed to clear.\n\n\tThe remaining holdout in Don’s battle to bring Nicco into the family was Raphael. Don had absolutely no idea where to even begin the campaign, let alone what weapons to use to get Raph to willingly consider the idea.\n\n\tFortunately, as a colonel in the alien wars, Niccolo had a lot of experience in finding the weak points in his adversary’s defenses. He was probably going to need all of his skills in order to get through to Raph.\n\nTBC……….", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "\tAlthough the combative edge was gone from the lair, there was still a strain of discontent in the atmosphere.  The understanding that Leo and Nicco had come to days earlier only served to prevent an outbreak of violence, but it did nothing to resolve the basic situation.

\tLeonardo held a grudging respect for Niccolo but retained his concern over the new turtle’s motivations.  Don knew from Leo’s own words that he feared that Nicco was using the genius and would not remain committed to him.  All the verbal assurances in the world wouldn’t dissuade Leo from that notion, only time would set his mind at ease.

\tIt helped that Master Splinter had decided to elicit Leo’s assistance in Niccolo’s training.  Their father had ascertained that Nicco could perform even the most advanced katas well, including those designed for his weapon of choice.  Now he wanted to see Nicco spar with his hachiwari in order to gauge his reaction times, his reflexes, and Nicco’s ability to adjust to changing situations quickly.  Leo was not only the best option to aid with that because of his skill set, but also because Master Splinter knew they would have to learn to work together.

\tMichelangelo continued to snub Nicco, remaining obstinate in avoiding having to deal with him.  He had started to talk to Don again, but they weren’t real conversations and the few words that Mikey spoke were usually strained.  Don pretended that he didn’t notice how his brother was acting, instead using every opportunity to drop subtle hints that things hadn’t, and wouldn’t, change between them.

\tThe best description that Don could come up with for Raphael was hostile.  His antagonism didn’t stretch to open aggressiveness as it had the first day, but only because Raph knew that Master Splinter was keeping an eye on him.  Don had a feeling that Raph had vented his frustration with Leo over the leader’s acceptance of Nicco because the two of them were behaving just as they did when they had a fight about something.

\tInteractions between Raph and Donatello consisted of sarcastic barbs and malicious challenges, all of which Don chose to ignore.  Behaving as though he was obtuse was the best way that Don knew to avoid having an outright argument with his hot-headed brother.

\tRaph and Mikey found a commonality in their dislike of Nicco and the situation in general.  The pair spent more time together than usual, often seeking out each other’s company to the exclusion of everyone else.  It was almost as though they were feeding off of each other’s animus towards the visiting turtle.

\tMaster Splinter made no attempt to interfere.  He did not seek to talk to either Raph or Mikey regarding their behavior and they didn’t go to him for advice.  Since it was clear to them that Master Splinter had accepted Nicco, it made sense that the pair wouldn’t risk their father’s ire.  Don could only figure that Master Splinter knew any attempt he made to persuade them to acknowledge Nicco would only cause them to be even more contrary.

\tThat left it up to Nicco and Don to find a way to win over both Mikey and Raph.  However, their alone time was limited so it was difficult to discuss strategy.  When they were alone, it was usually in a place where they had no privacy.  Even when they were together in Don’s lab it was necessary to leave the door wide open, just to assure the brothers that the pair of lovers weren’t engaging in anything more than conversation.

\tDon did manage to convey that tackling Mikey should be left up to him.  He already had an inkling of the proper approach and as Don pointed out to Nicco, while Mase had a lot of Mikey’s characteristics, he was a lot more unpredictable than his counterpart.  Nicco had laughingly joked that being a good commander meant knowing when to delegate and he accepted Don’s assurances about Mikey.

\tBecause Nicco spent so much time with Master Splinter, Don was able to continue with his normal daily routine.  He hoped that by doing so his brothers would see that he was mostly unchanged.  Don accepted Master Splinter’s guarantee that his brothers wouldn’t think less of him for taking a lover, but the best way he could think of to fend off their distrust was to seem as consistent as possible.  He hoped that by showing them his priorities were still the same, they would be less inclined to be suspicious of the shift in their family dynamic.

\tDon had been biding his time, waiting for an opportunity to talk to Mikey when Raph wasn’t around.  If there was one thing that Mikey liked to do that was talk and Don had to orchestrate a situation that would make it possible for him to do so.  Isolating him was the best way to get Mikey to open up.

\tThough they were sharing a room at night, that wasn’t a good venue for the type of discussion they needed to have because Mikey would be expecting it.  Don knew he needed to manipulate things so that Mikey’s guard was down.  Plus, there was always the chance that their conversation might become heated and therefore loud and if they were in Mikey’s room then Raph would hear them.

\tMikey and Don had one particular trait in common; they could both be quite devious when necessary.  Although Mikey tended to use his gift for pranks, Don’s was mostly applied to specific tasks related to the family well-being.  If needed though, Don was capable of using his craftiness as a retaliatory measure and it was the primary reason Mikey chose to pull gags on Raph rather than Don.  Mikey had learned that Don’s paybacks hurt a lot worse than Raph’s fists.

\tDon’s chance to get Mikey alone finally arrived.  During dinner the night before, while Leo and Nicco were engaged in a lively discussion about battlefield tactics, Raph had told Master Splinter that he had agreed to go to April’s shop early the next morning and help Casey move furniture.

\tThat news meant that Mikey would probably spend his time in front of the television array playing his video games.

\tA plan quickly formed in Don’s mind and the only thing he needed to do in order to set it in motion was to rise earlier than Mikey did, which was not a problem.

\tAround mid-morning, as Don sat at his desk in the lab, he heard a shout from the lair and a minute later Mikey was standing in his doorway.

\t“Donny, the televisions just went out!” Mikey exclaimed, gesturing towards them frantically.

\tLeaning back in his chair, Don tried to appear nonchalant.  “What do you mean, they went out?  All of them?  Did you check the plugs?”

\t“Of course I did,” Mikey responded sarcastically.  “Everything looks fine but there’s no power.”

\t“I was afraid of that,” Don said.  “The central control box was on its last legs but I haven’t had a chance to configure the new one.  The parts are in the garage and so is the seventy-two inch high def television I was going to install.”

\tMikey’s eyes lit up.  “Seventy-two inches?” he repeated breathily.

\tDon smiled as Mikey took the bait.  “It was quite a find,” he said.  “It needed some minor fixes and the frame is scratched up, but the screen is in perfect condition.  I can’t install it until I have the new control box ready though, because it requires more power than the old one can . . . I mean could handle.”

\tMikey practically leaped at him, grabbing Don’s arm and yanking him out of his chair.  “What are you waiting for?  Get moving.”

\t“Whoa there speedy,” Don said, extricating himself from Mikey’s grip.  “That’s time consuming and I have other things on my list that have a higher priority.  Unless I suddenly grow another set of hands that job will have to wait.”

\tThe calculating expression on Mikey’s face told Don that he’d hooked his brother.  “Two hands right here Donny,” Mikey said, displaying his hands dramatically.  “Tell me what to do and I’ll help you fix the box and carry the new TV.”

\tDon pretended to think about the offer as he contemplated Mikey.  “You’re not going to wait until I’m hip deep in the repair work and then disappear on me are you?”

\t“For a seventy-two inch high definition TV I’ll stick to you like glue,” Mikey promised.

\tDeciding that he’d played hard to get for long enough, Don said, “Okay, let me get my tool kit.  Can you grab that crate of electrical parts?  We’re going to need them.”

\tMikey snatched up the equipment that Don indicated and stood impatiently waiting as Don gathered his tools together, dropping them into his duffel and slinging it over his shoulder.  Don had to jog to keep up with his brother when the pair headed for the elevator.

\tAs the elevator lifted them to the garage, Mikey happily bounced on the balls of his feet.  “I’m not even gonna sleep after that TV is installed,” he said.  “I see a gaming marathon in my future.”

\t“Just be glad I gave Master Splinter his own television so that he could watch his ‘shows’,” Don reminded him, “otherwise you’d have to share.”

\t“Perish the thought,” Mikey said with a fake shiver.  “Do you have any idea of how many times I’ve died because he clicked the remote?”

\tDon chuckled as they stepped out of the elevator.  “Since you were pretty vocal about it each and every time, then yes I do.”

\tTogether they walked to the section of the garage where Don had his work tables.  Standing next to one was the large television he’d acquired on his last expedition to the junkyard.  Mikey dropped the box he was carrying on a table and immediately fell upon the TV, wrapping his arms around one corner and stroking the screen with his hand.

\tAs Mikey cooed lovingly to the inanimate object, Don laid out his tools and began to work.  After a few minutes, he gently reminded Mikey that if he wanted to do more with the television than hug it, he’d have to help.

\tThereafter Mikey flung himself into the task at hand, standing across from Don and feeding him parts when the genius asked for them.  In the back of his mind Don wished that his brothers were always so eager to assist him, it would certainly make his jobs go quicker.  He knew that Nicco would love to spend that kind of time with him but until they could be together without raising the other turtles' hackles, that wasn’t going to happen.

\tThough Nicco was on his mind, Don was very careful not to mention his lover.  Mikey’s excitement over the new television made him forget that he was supposed to be aloof with Don and they talked while they worked.

\tDon subtly led the conversation onto the various adventures the brothers had in the past, mentioning things that had happened to them.  Mikey readily fell into the topic, enthusiastically remembering both the good and bad times.

\t“I’d have to agree that the Spasmosaur was pretty ‘gnarly’,” Don said, referring to a creature they’d fought when they were in the Triceraton arena games, “but the wasps on that planet we went to with April were bad news and the baboon things on the diamond world that I was just on were even worse.  Trying to fight them wasn’t even an option.”

\t“Couldn’t have been as bad as fighting the whole Triceraton army,” Mikey said glibly, not even flinching at Don’s first mention of his adventure with Nicco.

\t“I’ll have to give you that one,” Don conceded.  “Is there another circuit board in that box?”

\tMikey dug around and came up with one, handing it to his brother.  “Imagine trying to fight those Lava Monsters without the crystal armor,” he said, bringing up another of their experiences.

\tThey talked about that for a while and Don said no more about his time on the diamond world until he found a way to weave it into the natural flow of their conversation again.

\t“There are a lot of things we can fight with our ninjitsu,” Don said, “but natural disasters aren’t one of them.  Remember the flooding that occurred when the Y’lyntians were trying to raise their island?”

\t“We did fight that,” Mikey said, industriously using a screwdriver to take apart an old electrical box for its parts.  “Not the water I mean, but the Y’lyntians themselves.  We made them stop messing up our world.”

\t“And then the lava swallowed up what was left of their civilization,” Don said.  “It’s amazing how large of a part that lava played in the formation of our planet.  The diamond world I was on is going to drastically change because of it and I nearly became a permanent part of its ancient history.”

\tMikey had stopped working as soon as Don said ‘diamond’ and he was staring at his brother as Don finished speaking.  After an uncomfortable second, Mikey said, “You mean that you and Nicco were almost a part of it, don’t you?”

\t“Yes, I suppose that’s more accurate,” Don acknowledged, careful not to antagonize his brother.

\t“You and Nicco,” Mikey repeated, emphasizing the latter.

\t“Yes, Nicco and I were both on the diamond world,” Don said, watching Mikey closely.

\tSlamming his screwdriver onto the table with a loud bang, Mikey exclaimed, “It’s always been just the four of us!”

\t“What?” Don asked, unsure as to why Mikey was so disturbed.

\t“You, me, Leo, Raph,” Mikey said, almost glaring at Donatello.  “Us four, all raised together.  We know each other; we know how we think, how each of us reacts to things.  We can almost read each other’s minds!”

\tIt was easy to see that Mikey was growing more agitated.  “That hasn’t changed,” Don assured him.

\t“Yes it has!” Mikey yelled.  “We’re not balanced anymore because of your . . . your boyfriend!”

\tDon didn’t respond right away, letting a few seconds pass to give his brother time to calm down.  “Mikey, I’m not going to tell you that having Niccolo around won’t make things different in our family,” he said.  “Look at how we adjusted to Casey and April’s presence in our lives.  Having them become a part of our family didn’t affect how we are together.  Why should it?  I’m still the same me that I was before I met Nicco.”

\t“You think you are but you’re not,” Mikey argued.  “This Donatello has a lover and that’s who he thinks about, not us.”

\t“Is that what’s bothering you?” Don asked.  “Are you afraid that I won’t be as accessible to you now that Nicco and I are together?”

\t“It’s not just me,” Mikey said, neither acknowledging nor denying Don’s assertion.  “Sure, you’re my go to guy when I’m brainstorming stuff, but you’re also the one Raph feels the most comfortable talking to.  It’s always been like that.  If he talks to Leo then big bro’ tries to tell him what to do to fix things and that’s not what Raph wants, he just wants to vent.  I know that I’m not as good at listening as you are either ‘cause sometimes I pop off when I shouldn’t and then he gets mad at me.  You never set him off; heck, you never set any of us off.  Now you won’t have time for us.”

\t“Mikey . . . .” Don began.

\t“What about Leo?” Mikey asked, interrupting him.  “How is he going to feel comfortable telling you what’s going on in his mind when he knows that you might repeat it to Nicco?  He never tells Master Splinter about his doubts and how he questions himself but he does talk to you about it.  Now he’ll worry that Nicco will use that information to take over his job as clan leader.”

\t“I would never repeat anything you guys tell me in confidence,” Don said hotly.  “Not even to Nicco.  I know you all feel threatened by his presence but that has nothing to do with who Nicco is, that’s your natural turtle instinct reacting to another alpha male coming into your territory.  Leo is taking the time to get to know Nicco because he realizes he has to overcome those instincts.  Maybe if you got better acquainted with Nicco you’d see how truly good he is.”

\tInstead of responding forcefully, Mikey suddenly changed gears.  “I know what it is you see in him.”

\tDon floundered for a moment as he applied the brakes on his emotions.  Mikey had an uncanny ability to shift moods, his feelings following a train of thought rather than responding to any particular passion.

\tBecause Mikey was so insightful, Don was almost afraid to hear more.  Cautiously he asked, “What?”

\t“Nicco’s a lot like Leo,” Mikey said.  “You’ve always depended on Leo.  You guys even finish each other’s sentences sometimes but I bet you don’t know you do that.”

\t“He’s very much like Raph too,” Don said gently.  “That probably is part of the attraction; I feel very comfortable with Nicco.  I feel like I really know him.”

\tDon could tell by Mikey’s expression that his brother’s curiosity about Nicco was overcoming his resistance.  “I heard what Nicco told Master Splinter about how he got mutated,” Mikey said.  “You think the four turtles on his world merged into two because they sat in the mutagen for too long, don’t you?”

\tStartled that Mikey had apparently taken the time to reason that out, Don nodded.  “Yes, I do.  Does that concept surprise you?”

\tMikey shrugged.  “Nah.  When I got sent to that alternate dimension I met versions of us who had super powers.  I guess whatever happens to you when you touch mutagen depends on the circumstances at that moment.  So Nicco is really Leo and Raph all rolled into one huh?  Why isn’t he always fighting with himself?”

\tDon laughed.  “You were the one talking about balance earlier.  I guess his personalities offset each other enough so there’s no conflict.”

\t“Does that mean his brother, uh . .  .  .?”  Mikey paused to give Don a quizzical look.

\t“Masolino,” Don supplied.  “Mase.”

\t“His brother Mase is a combination of you and me?” Mikey asked.

\t“That’s the theory based on facts that were supplied by Nicco, Mase and their dad,” Don answered.

\t“What’s he like?” Mikey asked.

\tDon exhaled gustily.  “He’s . . . something else.  He talks about a mile a minute and bounces from subject to subject so fast it’s hard to keep track.  He has a wicked sense of humor, an incredible intellect, and he’s dating a giant croc named Corius.”

\tMikey’s mouth dropped open.  “Leatherhead?  He’s boinking Leatherhead?”

\t“Vigorously,” Don said, unable to resist.

\t“Du~de,” Mikey replied.  “I don’t think I secretly like Leatherhead that way.  Did you secretly like Leatherhead?”

\tDon shook his head.  “You and I are not combined though,” he said, “and Corius has had different life experiences than Leatherhead.”

\t“Phew, that’s a relief,” Mikey said.  “I don’t wanna be looking at Leatherhead all weird the next time we see him.  So is Mase as cute as I am?”

\t“He’s very attractive,” Don said, chuckling.

\t“He should be, after all he’s me,” Mikey said with a touch of vanity.

\t“Mase is part me too, you know,” Don reminded him.

\t“We can’t all be perfect,” Mikey said with a grin.

\tFeeling that Mikey was at a point where he was more receptive with regards to Nicco, Don said, “Mikey, I love Nicco very much and I know deep in my heart that he loves me in return.  There is nothing that would make that more perfect then to have my family accept him.  Could you please just give him a chance?”

\tMikey fidgeted, picking up and dropping the screwdriver a couple of times before admitting, “It’s hard, bro’.  I kinda don’t think anyone is good enough for you, even if he is like two of our brothers all rolled into one.  When he walked into the lair behind you, all I could think about was protecting you.  We all feel that way about you, Donny.  Me, Raph, and Leo will always be protective of you ‘cause you’re so important to us.”

\t“You guys are important to me too,” Don said.  “I appreciate having you watch my back, but I can take care of myself.”

\t“Never said you couldn’t,” Mikey told him, “but you’re the one who always has to multitask while the rest of us just concentrate on fighting.  We learned a long time ago that teamwork meant doing things that gave you time to work your magic.  We save your ass so that you can save ours.”

\t“Nicco is pretty invested in saving my ass too you know,” Don said lightly.

\tThe double entendre wasn’t lost on Mikey.  “I’ll bet he is.  Hey, what’s it like to fall in love?”

\tDon thought about the question.  “It’s hard to describe,” he said.  “I could tell you about the biology behind it, the euphoria achieved from the levels of dopamine that are triggered by the pleasure centers in certain brain circuits, but that doesn’t explain what it is about someone that triggers them.

\t“I fell for Nicco because he has all of the qualities that are important to me.  He makes me feel secure, wanted, and needed.  He excites me in ways that I am not going to go into with you, Michelangelo.  Suffice it to say that I’ll never tire of his touch.”

\t“Sounds pretty great,” Mikey said wistfully.

\tDon smiled at him.  “I never dwelled on the idea of romance because I rationalized that it would never happen.  Unlike me, you’re a dreamer and an eternal optimist so you know that anything is possible, right, Turtle Titan?”

\t“I’d have to meet someone pretty special,” Mikey said, puffing out his chest.  “Maybe a super-heroine.  After all, I am the Turtle Titan and Battle Nexus champion.”

\t“You’ll have to beat them off with a stick,” Don said with a laugh.  “Mikey, I want you to know that having Nicco around won’t take anything away from us.  If anything, it will add to this family.  We’ll have another set of hands to help around the lair, someone for Leo to practice against, another student for Master Splinter to focus on, and someone else to appreciate your wit.  Will you give him a chance?”

\tMikey scratched the back of his neck.  “Okay.  I’ll do it for you.  Are we almost done with this thing?”

\tHe pointed at the control box that Don was working on.  Don added a couple of parts to it and snapped the face plate back into place with a flourish.  “Finished,” he announced.

\t“TV time!” Mikey chortled, once more wrapping his arms around the new television and watching as Don placed his tools and the control box into his duffel bag.

\tTogether they lifted the television and carried it into the elevator.  On the way down to the lair, Mikey asked, “How long will it take you to hook up the new box?”

\t“About fifteen minutes,” Don told him.  “While I’m doing that you can rearrange the array so that the new television fits.”

\t“I’m putting it right in the center,” Mikey said.

\t“Just don’t forget to plug it in,” Don quipped.

\tWhen the elevator door opened, the pair hefted the television and carried it towards the living area.  Halfway there they spotted Nicco seated on the couch reading a book.  Upon seeing them he jumped up and started in their direction.

\t“Part Leo, part Raph hmm?” Mikey murmured, mostly to himself.

\tDon knew from the sound of that rhetorical question that Mikey was up to something, but he couldn’t ask because Nicco was right there.  At Mikey’s urging, Don relinquished the television to them and went to work on installing the control box, listening as Mikey gave Nicco directions with regard to the television array.

\tThe enthusiasm and friendliness in Mikey’s voice was probably surprising to Nicco, but the older turtle rolled with the change.  While they waited for Don to give the all clear, Mikey quizzed Nicco about his world, his upbringing, and his brother.  During the exchange Mikey was as outgoing, witty, and funny as he’d ever been.

\t“It’s ready to go, Mikey,” Don announced as he turned the power back on and tossed the remote to his brother.

\tStanding back, Don watched the new television come to life, enjoying Mikey’s excited response to it almost as much as the crisp, clear picture.  When Nicco started to reach for his book, Mikey jumped in front of him and intercepted it.

\t“You spend too much time reading,” Mikey said in a firm voice.  “How about we have a friendly video game?  You have video games on your world, don’t you?”

\tThe question along with the twinkle in Mikey’s eyes told Don what his brother had been plotting.  He could rarely talk Leo or Raph into playing against him anymore because he always beat them.  Nicco had just become his new target.

\tAs Nicco agreed to play, Don chuckled, shaking his head as he walked back to the lab.  He had just spent the better part of an afternoon replacing something that didn’t need to be fixed in the first place.

\tDon didn’t consider it to be wasted time though.  From the looks of things, he’d gotten Mikey to accept Nicco and that was a major hurdle he’d needed to clear.

\tThe remaining holdout in Don’s battle to bring Nicco into the family was Raphael.  Don had absolutely no idea where to even begin the campaign, let alone what weapons to use to get Raph to willingly consider the idea.

\tFortunately, as a colonel in the alien wars, Niccolo had a lot of experience in finding the weak points in his adversary’s defenses.  He was probably going to need all of his skills in order to get through to Raph.

TBC……….", "pools_count": 1, "title": "Don and the Puzzle Box part 23", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "application/msword", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "2", "rating_name": "Adult", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "4", "name": "Sexual Themes", "description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal", "rating_id": "2" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "t", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "8", "views": "155" }