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Is the strange Turtle he meets the worst thing that's ever happened to him, or something else?\n\nMulti-chapter 2k3", "count": "28", "submission_left_submission_id": "1075679", "submission_left_file_name": "1487290_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_27.doc", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/1487/1487290_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_27.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/1487/1487290_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_27.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/1487/1487290_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_27.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "241", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "160", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "96", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "description": "Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. 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\nFinal\n~~This beautiful preview image was created by the very talented turtle-sketches on Tumblr. \n**A sequel is planned for this story, in case anyone is curious. ;)", "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
Final
~~This beautiful preview image was created by the very talented turtle-sketches on Tumblr.
**A sequel is planned for this story, in case anyone is curious. ;)", "writing": "\tIt felt amazing to wake up next to Nicco after so many days of forced separation.\n\n\tThey lay together in a position that was comfortably familiar to Don; he on his side and Nicco pressed against his carapace, one arm draped over the younger turtle. With Nicco practically molded to him, Don felt loved, protected, and mildly aroused all at the same time.\n\n\tEven as Don took a moment to relish those things, he felt Nicco stir. Sliding even closer to his lover, Nicco kissed the back of Don’s head and sighed happily.\n\n\t“I don’t want anything more out of life than this,” Nicco murmured. A second later his stomach growled and he added, “Except maybe breakfast.”\n\n\t“If you keep pushing against me like that I’m going to occupy the time you should be eating with a different activity altogether,” Don warned him. “We haven’t time for both; Master Splinter said something to me about wanting all five of us to practice together this morning.”\n\n\tNicco groaned and forced himself to roll away from Don’s warmth. Getting up from the bed, he said, “No time for a quickie either since we both need to rinse off the scent of last night’s fun.”\n\n\tDon sat up and stretched, enjoying the view of his fully naked mate as he did so. “I’d suggest that we make that shower a little colder than normal.”\n\n\tChuckling, Nicco reached out to pull Don to his feet, taking a kiss from his lover before the pair headed to the bathroom. After they showered and put on their gear, they went down to the kitchen and joined the rest of the family for breakfast.\n\n\tOf course Mikey was unable to refrain from teasing them. Don knew they were in for it as soon as he saw the twinkle in his kid brother’s blue eyes.\n\n\t“You guys turned in early last night,” Mikey said with a grin. “I guess movie night was way more boring than whatever the two of you had planned.”\n\n\tDon shot a dirty look in his direction as he felt the color rise on his neck. “You should be happy I’ve moved out of your room.”\n\n\t“Oh I am,” Mikey said, spooning scrambled eggs onto both Don and Nicco’s plates. “Not so sure I’m gonna be as happy with the fact you two love birds are right next door to me.”\n\n\t“Not to worry,” Nicco said, scooping eggs into a folded piece of toast, “we can find ways to keep the noise level down.”\n\n\tDon choked on a bite of egg and kicked Nicco under the table. The move had Mikey smiling even wider and Don made a mental note to disable his game controller.\n\n\tBefore Mikey could continue with his verbal antics, Master Splinter interrupted him. “Come boys, finish your breakfast. It is time for all of you to begin learning to work together.”\n\n\tThe banter stopped as the turtles concentrated on their breakfast. After a quick clean-up, the young ninjas joined their master in the dojo.\n\n\tMaster Splinter put them through a series of warm up and stretching exercises, including one in which they were suspended off of the floor in a split position, heels balanced on a pair of cinder blocks. It was a difficult pose to hold but Don noticed that Nicco mastered it easily.\n\n\tAfter an hour of routine, Master Splinter called for his students to gather on the edge of the pads which covered the dojo floor. He stood before them as they kneeled and once he had their attention said, “Since this is Niccolo’s first time practicing with this team, it would be prudent to begin with basics. No weapons today; we will spar hand to hand. Niccolo has worked out enough on his own and needs an opponent.”\n\n\tOut of the corner of his eye, Don glanced at Nicco and then at Raph on his other side. He expected that his father would have them spar against each other because Nicco had already had several practice bouts with Leo.\n\n\t“Niccolo,” Master Splinter called out, watching as the large turtle bowed his head in acknowledgment. Shifting his gaze, the ninja master looked at his youngest son and said, “Michelangelo.”\n\n\tMikey bounced enthusiastically into the center of the dojo, obviously ready to go. Before Nicco could rise, Don leaned over and whispered, “Don’t underestimate him.”\n\n\t“I’ve got this,” Nicco replied confidently. “I’m used to going up against Mase.”\n\n\tCrossing the floor, Nicco faced his opponent and they bowed to one another. As soon as Master Splinter called for them to begin, Nicco lifted his hands and squared his shoulders, ready to move in on Mikey.\n\n\tIn almost the exact same moment, Mikey sprang forward onto his hands, scissored his legs and used them to catch Nicco around his middle. With the athleticism he was known for, Mikey propelled his upper body into the air, smacking Nicco in the face with his plastron and dropping the older turtle to the ground.\n\n\tRolling up and over his dazed opponent, Mikey jumped to his feet, clasped his hands together and lifted them over his head.\n\n\t“Still the undefeated Battle Nexus Champion, Michelangelo!” he crowed, drawing a groan from Raph.\n\n\tCrawling over to Nicco, Don squatted next to him and said, “I warned you. Mikey is not Mase. Your brother has my qualities too; he thinks and fights in a calculated way. Mikey doesn’t fight like that; he’s intuitive and unique. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t bother to think at all when he’s fighting.”\n\n\t“Duly noted,” Nicco said as he slowly pushed himself to his feet.\n\n\tThe remainder of their practice session went by smoothly, although Nicco never did quite get the hang of Mikey’s fighting style. Mikey’s constant chatter didn’t seem to faze him though; in that area Nicco did have his experience with Mase’s non-stop talking to fall back on.\n\n\tWith their training duties completed and lunch under their belts, Leo asked Don to tell them what he needed to accomplish in order to get the corridor between their world and Nicco’s open. Don explained that he still had to repair the puzzle box and that the portal room had to be finished.\n\n\t“You work on the artifact,” Leo told him, “the rest of us will tackle the portal room. Do you have a set of plans we can follow?”\n\n\t“They’re in my lab,” Don answered.\n\n\t“I know where they are, I’ll get them,” Nicco volunteered, hurrying off to do so.\n\n\t“He’s a keeper,” Mikey announced once Nicco was out of earshot. “You did okay for yourself Donny-boy. Even if you did have to travel to another dimension to find someone who could put up with you.”\n\n\t“You are so asking for it, Michelangelo,” Don said, laughing despite himself.\n\n\tOnce he saw that work was underway on the portal room, Don focused his energies on repairing the artifact. He left the door to his lab open, pleasuring in the sounds of activity just outside. The atmosphere had a distinctly relaxed feel to it, one filled with love and the joy of family.\n\n\tIt was comforting in its normalcy and that more than anything told Don that his brothers had accepted Niccolo.\n\n\tDonatello took one break from his work on the puzzle box and that was to place a call to April. He hadn’t spoken with her since his arrival with Nicco and besides owing her a more in-depth explanation about the new turtle, Don also needed her to know everything that he’d discovered about the artifact. Besides himself, she was the next closest expert on the transport device and if he was unavailable, she’d be called upon to respond to any emergency involving it.\n\n\tApril was the one who suggested she bring dinner by later and give Don the opportunity to introduce her to Nicco. Don hastily told her not to go to a lot of trouble and she’d laughed, saying she’d just grab some pizza because that was a meal that went over well with everyone.\n\n\tAfter that plan was agreed upon, Don returned to concentrating on the artifact and, as he usually did, lost track of time. The next thing to break his focus several hours later was the sound of April’s voice.\n\n \t“I had a feeling Donny would forget to tell you guys I was bringing dinner over,” April said, glancing at the aforementioned turtle as he darted out of his lab. “That’s why I came a little early so I’d catch you guys before anyone started cooking.”\n\n\tNot only had April brought pizza, she’d also brought Casey along. The human stood behind her, laden down with boxes because April was carrying a large cake container.\n\n\tMikey quickly swooped down on her. “Here, let me take that off your hands,” he said gleefully.\n\n\tApril giggled as she relinquished the dessert. “I didn’t know what your new friend liked,” she said, looking at Nicco as he walked towards her, “so I made a cake that’s half vanilla, half chocolate.”\n\n\t“I like both actually,” Nicco said as he stopped in front of April.\n\n\t“April, this is Niccolo,” Don said quickly. “Nicco, our great friend April O’Neil.”\n\n\tBowing politely, Nicco took April’s offered hand and clasped it warmly between both of his. “I am honored to meet you, Miss O’Neil. Donatello speaks of you highly and has told me how much your friendship means to him.”\n\n\tBlushing lightly, April said, “I’m pleased to meet you as well. I’m dying to know more about how the two of you survived on that harsh world the artifact sent you to. Just from the little Don has said, I can tell it must have been quite an adventure.”\n\n\tRaph had relieved Casey of his pizza burden and the human male stepped up next to his girlfriend. “Wish I could have been there,” Casey said with a grin. “I ain’t had that kind of fun in a while.”\n\n\t“I’ll be sure and have Donny send ya’ someplace when he gets that artifact thingy fixed,” Raph said as he set the boxes out on the table.\n\n\t“Nicco, this is Casey Jones,” Don said by way of introduction. “Another of our human friends.”\n\n\t“Nice ta meetcha,” Casey said, grasping Nicco’s hand tightly, a sly grin on his face.\n\n\t“Any friend of Don’s is mine as well,” Nicco replied, squeezing Casey’s hand in return.\n\n\tThe pair stared at each other, both wearing slight smiles as the handshake continued for a couple of minutes. It was clear that it had turned into a show of strength between the two and that Casey had instigated it in order to take Nicco’s measure.\n\n\tFinally Casey laughed and relinquished Nicco’s hand. Opening and closing his fist a few times, Casey said, “Hell, ya’ got some grip there pal. Ya’ passed my test.”\n\n\tDon shook his head before walking over to the table and opening the boxes. “Did I ever tell you that Casey is a human version of Raph?”\n\n\t“Hey, we ain’t nothing alike!” Casey protested as Master Splinter joined them.\n\n\t“Yeah,” Raph agreed, snagging himself a few slices of pizza. “I bathe more often.”\n\n \tThe good natured repartee continued throughout dinner which was deliciously topped off by April’s cake. Everyone pitched in to clean up and then Raph suggested a game of poker.\n\n\t“What is poker?” Nicco asked, looking curious.\n\n\t“It is a game of cards, chance, and skill,” Master Splinter supplied. “Come, we will teach it to you.”\n\n\t“You’re gonna play too?” Casey asked, appearing dismayed.\n\n\t“Of course,” Master Splinter replied, taking a seat at the table and shuffling the cards that Mikey supplied him with. “I very much enjoy saying ‘read them and weep’.”\n\n\tWhile the rest of the family gathered at the table for the card game, Don signaled to April who followed him into his lab. She examined the artifact that he’d disassembled as he told her about the research done by him and Nicco’s brother Mase.\n\n\t“I have spare crystal rods for this artifact,” Don said as he concluded his story, “but I’m going to try to recharge the ones it originally came with. I’ll set them on the roof of the garage before daybreak tomorrow and let them stay out in the sun through the day.”\n\n\t“Fascinating,” April remarked. “And you’re sure you can establish a stable corridor between the two worlds now that you understand the artifact’s harmonics?”\n\n\t“The key is in the various frequencies the artifact gives off as commands to the crystal rods,” Don explained. “If we give the command for the doorway to remain open, a corridor is established that we can travel back and forth through.”\n\n\t“I’m so glad my Uncle Augie wasn’t the one to discover that it could do that,” April said with a shudder. “Could you imagine what would have happened if the Brotherhood had managed to open a stable corridor between our worlds?”\n\n\t“Unfortunately I can,” Don said. “Nicco has thought about the possibility too and came up with a series of safeguards for the operation of the artifact, including a simple way to signal through the corridor that doesn’t involve anyone actually having to step inside.”\n\n\t“Nicco is amazing,” April said, staring at Don will ill-disguised curiosity. “It’s hard to believe that the four of you could have been two if Master Splinter hadn’t been there to rescue you from the ooze. You might even have fused into one if it had been on you long enough.”\n\n\t“That’s assuming the ooze that Nicco came into contact with had the same basic structure as that which we encountered,” Don said. “Thinking about it is still pretty mind blowing.”\n\n\t“So is the coincidence of how you two met,” April said. “Nicco doesn’t strike me as the type who is totally motivated by adventure though. It seems odd that he’d risk leaving his family and home on the off chance that you’d be able to repair your artifact. Surely something else motivated his decision to return here with you?”\n\n\tThere was a twinkle in her eye that told Don she’d caught on to the part of the story that Don hadn’t relayed to her.\n\n\t“We’re involved,” Don said bluntly and then felt the color rise on his cheeks at how abruptly he’d broken the news.\n\n\tApril on the other hand appeared thrilled at the information. “I knew it! You can’t hide anything from me, Donatello. I could tell by the way you talked about him when you first phoned that he was more than just a new friend.”\n\n\t“I wanted to tell you in person,” Don said. “I did get the idea that you might have guessed.”\n\n\t“Was it love at first sight?” April asked, her sense of romance clearly piqued.\n\n\tDon had to laugh. “No, far from it. For quite a while there I found him to be very aggravating. His qualities grew on me.”\n\n\t“Yeah, I saw those ‘qualities’,” April said with an evil grin. “He’s blessed with an abundance of them.”\n\n\t“Says the woman who fell for a muscle bound vigilante,” Don replied with a smile of his own. “Speaking of Casey, how do you think he’ll take it when he finds out?”\n\n\t“I doubt he’ll bat an eye,” April said, lifting a hand to wave away Don’s misgivings. “His views on the subject are that he doesn’t care who is loving who as long as they keep the PDA’s to a minimum.”\n\n\t“That sounds like Casey,” Don said.\n\n\t“Don’t worry,” April said, placing a hand on top of Don’s. “I’ll tell him later when we go back to my apartment. You guys are mutated turtles and your finding a partner on another world won’t even faze him.”\n\n\t“I call him my mate,” Don said shyly.\n\n\t“Because you’ve mated,” April said, the teasing expression on her face bringing another flush of color to Don’s.\n\n\tWhen they left the lab to join the others they found that Master Splinter had a large stack of plastic chips in front of him, that Mikey had a good sized stack of his own, Leo and Nicco still had a few, and that both Raph and Casey were down to one chip each. As Don and April watched, Master Splinter took another round and scooped up those final chips, leaving the two hot heads flat broke.\n\n\tThat coup broke up the poker game and good-byes were said. After the pair of humans took their leave and the poker things were put away, the turtles prepared to call it a night.\n\n\t“My students,” Master Splinter called out from the living area. “Please join me.”\n\n\tFrom his position in his favorite chair, Master Splinter waved towards the remaining seats, indicating the family gathering was to be an informal affair. Don and Nicco took seats side by side on the smaller couch while Leo and Raph occupied the larger of the two. Mikey plunked down on his preferred spot on the throw rug, his eyes bright as he turned his attention to his father.\n\n\t“I know this has been a busy day and that you are all tired and anxious for bed,” Master Splinter said, “so I will not take long. I wanted to relay to you all how pleased I am with how you have accepted Niccolo into the family. It is for this reason that I gave my permission last night for Donatello to share his room with his new mate.”\n\n\t“And the next thing Don’s gonna do is install some sound proofing,” Mikey couldn’t resist saying.\n\n\t“Mikey . . . .” Don muttered warningly.\n\n\tMaster Splinter held up his hand. “I am sure they will make less noise than you do when you are talking in your sleep, Michelangelo.”\n\n\tThe youngest turtle didn’t argue the point but he persisted in wearing a mischievous smile as his father continued to speak. “Now that we are a family of six it is abundantly clear that our dynamic has changed. Fortunately, Niccolo has had excellent martial arts training and I feel secure in saying that he will become a valued member of this team. His training henceforth will go forward with the four of you and he will not join patrols until you have become a seamless unit.”\n\n\t“I can’t wait ta see Hun’s face when a fifth turtle shows up ta one of our fights,” Raph said with obvious glee.\n\n\t“Unfortunately I can see Agent Bishop’s,” Leo said very seriously. “We need to be careful and very sure before Nicco steps out with us.”\n\n\tAt Nicco’s questioning look, Don said, “Bishop is a government agent who would love nothing more than to capture and dissect us.”\n\n\t“Caution will remain our watchword, as it always has,” Master Splinter said. “Now on to a more pleasant subject. Our two families must meet since we are now inextricably unified. When Donatello has effected repairs to the artifact and is able to open the corridor between our worlds, I would like for all of you boys to return to Niccolo’s home with him.” Looking across at Nicco, he added, “If that is acceptable to you.”\n\n\t“My family will be thrilled, as will I,” Nicco said with a smile.\n\n\tDon couldn’t help but laugh. “Especially Mase,” he said humorously.\n\n\t“What about you father?” Leo asked.\n\n\t“Since this will be your maiden voyage, as it were, I will remain here to monitor the artifact,” Master Splinter answered. “Should a problem arise, I can call Miss O’Neil who I am confidant will be able to resolve the difficulty.”\n\n\t“She can always ask her Uncle Augie for help too,” Don said. “He already knows about us. I’ll let her know that if the puzzle box breaks on this end, that I’ll use Nicco’s to return home. With everything Mase, Corius, and I have learned about the artifact, we can probably build a new one from scratch.”\n\n\t“Then the matter is settled,” Master Splinter said as he rose from his chair. “I am going to retire for the evening. Good-night boys.”\n\n\tThey bade him good-night in return and watched as he slipped into his room. As the shoji slid shut behind their father, Don got up and said, “I’d better get back to the artifact. I still have to reprogram it and get the crystals charged up, and then the portal room has to be completed before I can install the security measures . . . .”\n\n\tBefore Don could finish the litany of things requiring his attention, Nicco stood and placed an arm around his waist. “No more tonight,” the older turtle said firmly. “Once you get started you won’t take the time to rest. Bed now; projects in the morning.”\n\n\t“But I . . . .” Don began.\n\n\t“No buts,” Nicco said, propelling his mate towards the stairs.\n\n\tWithout any more arguments, Don allowed himself to be led away from his lab. Mikey chuckled and said, “Hey look at that, Nicco’s found a way to keep Don from staying up all night. He must have something more interesting than experiments for Don to focus on.”\n\n\tHis taunting was cut short when Raph launched a couch cushion at him, smacking Mikey directly in the face with it.\n\n\tWhen the door to their bedroom was shut behind them, Don turned to Nicco and said archly, “If you’re going to march me off unceremoniously like that, you’d better have something more interesting than my work in mind.”\n\n\t“Demanding little ninja,” Nicco teased, advancing on his mate and taking a kiss from him. “I suppose we’ll have to be quiet for Mikey’s sake.”\n\n\t“After everything he said today, I’m not too concerned about Mikey’s sensibilities,” Don said with a snort as Nicco began to strip him. “We should keep it down for the others though. Mikey will probably have a glass pressed against the wall between rooms so he can listen in.”\n\n\tNicco drew his head back from where he’d been nipping at Don’s collar bone and stared into his lover’s eyes. “I thought you didn’t believe me when I told you he has racy magazines in his collection.”\n\n\t“After all his innuendos today, I’m ready to believe anything,” Don said, moaning as Nicco returned to suckling his neck. “There’s a bed over there.”\n\n\t“So there is,” Nicco replied with a throaty chuckle, backing Don towards it. “Let’s see how many different sounds I can get you to make. It will expand Mikey’s education.”\n\n\t“Mmm yes,” Donatello agreed, churring when Nicco’s mouth began to work on a spot between his legs. “I’m all about education.”\n\n\tThe night passed pleasantly as Nicco was extremely successful in getting Donny to forget about his projects. Their morning was occupied with practice, where as Master Splinter had promised, he pushed the five turtles hard in his efforts to teach them to work together as a single unit.\n\n\tAs with the previous day, Don labored to repair the artifact while Nicco and his brothers strove to complete the portal room. Mikey dug around in some boxes of sporting equipment that had been stored in the garage and found several containers of golf balls. Using some of his art paint, Mikey colored half of the balls green and the other half red, placing them in separate baskets once they had dried.\n\n\tThis routine continued for three more days. Don installed security equipment on both the exterior and interior of the new portal room, disguising the entrance so that the area looked like nothing more than another brick wall.\n\n\tA small anteroom just inside the entrance contained a shelf for the golf balls and a box which held the spare crystal rods. Don’s brothers had managed to collect some old mattresses that were still in fairly good shape and those were piled around inside the main section of the portal room. A tall stool stood in the center of that space, destined to become the permanent home for Don’s puzzle box.\n\n\tFinally the day came for the first attempt at establishing a stable corridor between Don and Nicco’s worlds.\n\n\tIt had been arranged for Casey to stay in the lair with Master Splinter while the turtles were gone. He arrived early with April and both were given a quick lesson in how to operate the disguised security entrance into the anteroom.\n\nWhile Don explained how and why the walls had been reinforced, he told the pair that if for some reason they had to abandon the lair, they would need to first launch a red golf ball into the corridor. After that they could break the crystal harmonics on the puzzle box simply by touching a finger to one of the rods. The artifact would snap shut and could then safely be transported to a more secure location.\n\n“It ain’t gonna just suck us inside when we step into the room?” Casey asked, suspiciously eying the puzzle box where it sat on the stool.\n\nDon shook his head. “No. Once a stable corridor is established, the artifact won’t reach out and grab anyone. You have to walk into the corridor itself in order to be transported.”\n\n“In theory,” April added.\n\n“Right, in theory,” Don said, holding up two crossed fingers.\n\nAs they exited the portal room, Casey said, “I don’t know how I feel about this thing. What if something happens and ya’ can’t get back here?”\n\n“We’ll make it back,” Nicco said confidently, moving up to stand next to Don. “There will be four geniuses at my home and one here working on the problem. There’s nothing that kind of mind power can’t fix.”\n\n\t“Most importantly, all four of my sons will be together,” Master Splinter said, a complacent expression on his face.\n\n\tDon looked at him for a moment and realized that one of the reasons their father had insisted the brothers go together was to push back the always looming shadow of the future world his smartest son still had nightmares about.\n\n\tLeo, Raph, and Mikey appeared then, each carrying a backpack containing personal items for the journey. Nicco’s backpack and Don’s duffel lay on the floor next to Nicco’s feet and after Don said his good-byes to his father and friends, Nicco handed the duffel to him.\n\n\tAfter the younger turtles all wished their father farewell, Nicco approached Master Splinter and bowed deeply. “Thank you for welcoming me into your home and your family, sensei. I will take great care of your sons during their stay on my world. You have my word of honor on that.”\n\n\tMaster Splinter placed a hand on Nicco’s chest, just above his heart. “I sensed the goodness in you from the moment you crossed our threshold, Niccolo. I would be proud to call you son.”\n\n\tNicco smiled and Don could see the moisture that formed in the corners of his lover’s eyes. “I would be most pleased to wear that title.”\n\n\tMaster Splinter, Casey, and April waited in the lair as the five turtles entered the portal anteroom and closed the entrance behind them. Don took a green golf ball from its basket and after glancing at his family, preceded them into the portal room itself.\n\n\t“So what happens now?” Mikey asked.\n\n\t“First I activate the artifact,” Don said. “If we’ve calibrated the pair of them correctly, a passage will open and stabilize. If not, then we’ll all get sucked into the thing like before. Either way we’ll end up in Nicco’s world.”\n\n\t“All right Donny, let’s see if this works,” Leo said.\n\n\tTaking a deep breath, Don approached the puzzle box and dialed in the coordinates for Nicco’s dimension. The crystal rods immediately popped out of the sides and the box was suffused in a brilliant glow.\n\n\tRather than enveloping the group gathered near it though, the glow shimmered and then held steady. Don watched it for a slow count of ten, his heart racing, and then tossed the green ball into the glowing opening.\n\n\tHe didn’t realize he was holding his breath until just a few short seconds later when a green ball flew back through the opening to land near his feet. Written on it was the word, “[i]Eureka[/i]!”\n\n\tDon and Nicco started laughing and at his brother’s puzzled looks, Don said, “It’s from Masolino. That’s his way of saying it worked. He’s on the other side waiting for us and all I can tell you is to get ready for an experience.”\n\n\t“Woohoo! I’m going first!” Mikey announced and quickly stepped into the light.\n\n\tHe was swiftly followed by Leo and Raph. Before Nicco could follow them, Don stopped him.\n\n\t“Could you do something for me before we come back here?” Don asked.\n\n\t“Of course. Anything,” Nicco told him.\n\n\t“I’d like one good quality, really nice sized diamond to give to Casey,” Don said. “I’m going to suggest he have it set in a ring on the off chance he’ll finally ask April to marry him.”\n\n\t“Playing matchmaker?” Nicco asked.\n\n\tDon shrugged and with a shy smile said, “Maybe I see the benefits of romance more clearly now.”\n\n\tNicco leaned down to kiss him. “I sure am one lucky turtle,” he said. “Shall we go?”\n\n\t“Are you sure your world is ready for us?” Don asked mischievously.\n\n\tTaking Don’s hand, Nicco said, “What I’m sure of is that there’s nothing you and I can’t handle together.”\n\n\tHolding tightly to each other, the pair of lovers stepped through the portal and into their next great adventure.\n\nThe End", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "\tIt felt amazing to wake up next to Nicco after so many days of forced separation.

\tThey lay together in a position that was comfortably familiar to Don; he on his side and Nicco pressed against his carapace, one arm draped over the younger turtle.  With Nicco practically molded to him, Don felt loved, protected, and mildly aroused all at the same time.

\tEven as Don took a moment to relish those things, he felt Nicco stir.  Sliding even closer to his lover, Nicco kissed the back of Don’s head and sighed happily.

\t“I don’t want anything more out of life than this,” Nicco murmured.  A second later his stomach growled and he added, “Except maybe breakfast.”

\t“If you keep pushing against me like that I’m going to occupy the time you should be eating with a different activity altogether,” Don warned him.  “We haven’t time for both; Master Splinter said something to me about wanting all five of us to practice together this morning.”

\tNicco groaned and forced himself to roll away from Don’s warmth.  Getting up from the bed, he said, “No time for a quickie either since we both need to rinse off the scent of last night’s fun.”

\tDon sat up and stretched, enjoying the view of his fully naked mate as he did so.  “I’d suggest that we make that shower a little colder than normal.”

\tChuckling, Nicco reached out to pull Don to his feet, taking a kiss from his lover before the pair headed to the bathroom.  After they showered and put on their gear, they went down to the kitchen and joined the rest of the family for breakfast.

\tOf course Mikey was unable to refrain from teasing them.  Don knew they were in for it as soon as he saw the twinkle in his kid brother’s blue eyes.

\t“You guys turned in early last night,” Mikey said with a grin.  “I guess movie night was way more boring than whatever the two of you had planned.”

\tDon shot a dirty look in his direction as he felt the color rise on his neck.  “You should be happy I’ve moved out of your room.”

\t“Oh I am,” Mikey said, spooning scrambled eggs onto both Don and Nicco’s plates.  “Not so sure I’m gonna be as happy with the fact you two love birds are right next door to me.”

\t“Not to worry,” Nicco said, scooping eggs into a folded piece of toast, “we can find ways to keep the noise level down.”

\tDon choked on a bite of egg and kicked Nicco under the table.  The move had Mikey smiling even wider and Don made a mental note to disable his game controller.

\tBefore Mikey could continue with his verbal antics, Master Splinter interrupted him.  “Come boys, finish your breakfast.  It is time for all of you to begin learning to work together.”

\tThe banter stopped as the turtles concentrated on their breakfast.  After a quick clean-up, the young ninjas joined their master in the dojo.

\tMaster Splinter put them through a series of warm up and stretching exercises, including one in which they were suspended off of the floor in a split position, heels balanced on a pair of cinder blocks.  It was a difficult pose to hold but Don noticed that Nicco mastered it easily.

\tAfter an hour of routine, Master Splinter called for his students to gather on the edge of the pads which covered the dojo floor.  He stood before them as they kneeled and once he had their attention said, “Since this is Niccolo’s first time practicing with this team, it would be prudent to begin with basics.  No weapons today; we will spar hand to hand.  Niccolo has worked out enough on his own and needs an opponent.”

\tOut of the corner of his eye, Don glanced at Nicco and then at Raph on his other side.  He expected that his father would have them spar against each other because Nicco had already had several practice bouts with Leo.

\t“Niccolo,” Master Splinter called out, watching as the large turtle bowed his head in acknowledgment.  Shifting his gaze, the ninja master looked at his youngest son and said, “Michelangelo.”

\tMikey bounced enthusiastically into the center of the dojo, obviously ready to go.  Before Nicco could rise, Don leaned over and whispered, “Don’t underestimate him.”

\t“I’ve got this,” Nicco replied confidently.  “I’m used to going up against Mase.”

\tCrossing the floor, Nicco faced his opponent and they bowed to one another.  As soon as Master Splinter called for them to begin, Nicco lifted his hands and squared his shoulders, ready to move in on Mikey.

\tIn almost the exact same moment, Mikey sprang forward onto his hands, scissored his legs and used them to catch Nicco around his middle.  With the athleticism he was known for, Mikey propelled his upper body into the air, smacking Nicco in the face with his plastron and dropping the older turtle to the ground.

\tRolling up and over his dazed opponent, Mikey jumped to his feet, clasped his hands together and lifted them over his head.

\t“Still the undefeated Battle Nexus Champion, Michelangelo!” he crowed, drawing a groan from Raph.

\tCrawling over to Nicco, Don squatted next to him and said, “I warned you.  Mikey is not Mase.  Your brother has my qualities too; he thinks and fights in a calculated way.  Mikey doesn’t fight like that; he’s intuitive and unique.  I’m pretty sure he doesn’t bother to think at all when he’s fighting.”

\t“Duly noted,” Nicco said as he slowly pushed himself to his feet.

\tThe remainder of their practice session went by smoothly, although Nicco never did quite get the hang of Mikey’s fighting style.  Mikey’s constant chatter didn’t seem to faze him though; in that area Nicco did have his experience with Mase’s non-stop talking to fall back on.

\tWith their training duties completed and lunch under their belts, Leo asked Don to tell them what he needed to accomplish in order to get the corridor between their world and Nicco’s open.  Don explained that he still had to repair the puzzle box and that the portal room had to be finished.

\t“You work on the artifact,” Leo told him, “the rest of us will tackle the portal room.  Do you have a set of plans we can follow?”

\t“They’re in my lab,” Don answered.

\t“I know where they are, I’ll get them,” Nicco volunteered, hurrying off to do so.

\t“He’s a keeper,” Mikey announced once Nicco was out of earshot.  “You did okay for yourself Donny-boy.  Even if you did have to travel to another dimension to find someone who could put up with you.”

\t“You are so asking for it, Michelangelo,” Don said, laughing despite himself.

\tOnce he saw that work was underway on the portal room, Don focused his energies on repairing the artifact.  He left the door to his lab open, pleasuring in the sounds of activity just outside.  The atmosphere had a distinctly relaxed feel to it, one filled with love and the joy of family.

\tIt was comforting in its normalcy and that more than anything told Don that his brothers had accepted Niccolo.

\tDonatello took one break from his work on the puzzle box and that was to place a call to April.  He hadn’t spoken with her since his arrival with Nicco and besides owing her a more in-depth explanation about the new turtle, Don also needed her to know everything that he’d discovered about the artifact.  Besides himself, she was the next closest expert on the transport device and if he was unavailable, she’d be called upon to respond to any emergency involving it.

\tApril was the one who suggested she bring dinner by later and give Don the opportunity to introduce her to Nicco.  Don hastily told her not to go to a lot of trouble and she’d laughed, saying she’d just grab some pizza because that was a meal that went over well with everyone.

\tAfter that plan was agreed upon, Don returned to concentrating on the artifact and, as he usually did, lost track of time.  The next thing to break his focus several hours later was the sound of April’s voice.

 \t“I had a feeling Donny would forget to tell you guys I was bringing dinner over,” April said, glancing at the aforementioned turtle as he darted out of his lab.  “That’s why I came a little early so I’d catch you guys before anyone started cooking.”

\tNot only had April brought pizza, she’d also brought Casey along.  The human stood behind her, laden down with boxes because April was carrying a large cake container.

\tMikey quickly swooped down on her.  “Here, let me take that off your hands,” he said gleefully.

\tApril giggled as she relinquished the dessert.  “I didn’t know what your new friend liked,” she said, looking at Nicco as he walked towards her, “so I made a cake that’s half vanilla, half chocolate.”

\t“I like both actually,” Nicco said as he stopped in front of April.

\t“April, this is Niccolo,” Don said quickly.  “Nicco, our great friend April O’Neil.”

\tBowing politely, Nicco took April’s offered hand and clasped it warmly between both of his.  “I am honored to meet you, Miss O’Neil.  Donatello speaks of you highly and has told me how much your friendship means to him.”

\tBlushing lightly, April said, “I’m pleased to meet you as well.  I’m dying to know more about how the two of you survived on that harsh world the artifact sent you to.  Just from the little Don has said, I can tell it must have been quite an adventure.”

\tRaph had relieved Casey of his pizza burden and the human male stepped up next to his girlfriend.  “Wish I could have been there,” Casey said with a grin.  “I ain’t had that kind of fun in a while.”

\t“I’ll be sure and have Donny send ya’ someplace when he gets that artifact thingy fixed,” Raph said as he set the boxes out on the table.

\t“Nicco, this is Casey Jones,” Don said by way of introduction.  “Another of our human friends.”

\t“Nice ta meetcha,” Casey said, grasping Nicco’s hand tightly, a sly grin on his face.

\t“Any friend of Don’s is mine as well,” Nicco replied, squeezing Casey’s hand in return.

\tThe pair stared at each other, both wearing slight smiles as the handshake continued for a couple of minutes.  It was clear that it had turned into a show of strength between the two and that Casey had instigated it in order to take Nicco’s measure.

\tFinally Casey laughed and relinquished Nicco’s hand.  Opening and closing his fist a few times, Casey said, “Hell, ya’ got some grip there pal.  Ya’ passed my test.”

\tDon shook his head before walking over to the table and opening the boxes.  “Did I ever tell you that Casey is a human version of Raph?”

\t“Hey, we ain’t nothing alike!” Casey protested as Master Splinter joined them.

\t“Yeah,” Raph agreed, snagging himself a few slices of pizza.  “I bathe more often.”

 \tThe good natured repartee continued throughout dinner which was deliciously topped off by April’s cake.  Everyone pitched in to clean up and then Raph suggested a game of poker.

\t“What is poker?” Nicco asked, looking curious.

\t“It is a game of cards, chance, and skill,” Master Splinter supplied.  “Come, we will teach it to you.”

\t“You’re gonna play too?” Casey asked, appearing dismayed.

\t“Of course,” Master Splinter replied, taking a seat at the table and shuffling the cards that Mikey supplied him with.  “I very much enjoy saying ‘read them and weep’.”

\tWhile the rest of the family gathered at the table for the card game, Don signaled to April who followed him into his lab.  She examined the artifact that he’d disassembled as he told her about the research done by him and Nicco’s brother Mase.

\t“I have spare crystal rods for this artifact,” Don said as he concluded his story, “but I’m going to try to recharge the ones it originally came with.  I’ll set them on the roof of the garage before daybreak tomorrow and let them stay out in the sun through the day.”

\t“Fascinating,” April remarked.  “And you’re sure you can establish a stable corridor between the two worlds now that you understand the artifact’s harmonics?”

\t“The key is in the various frequencies the artifact gives off as commands to the crystal rods,” Don explained.  “If we give the command for the doorway to remain open, a corridor is established that we can travel back and forth through.”

\t“I’m so glad my Uncle Augie wasn’t the one to discover that it could do that,” April said with a shudder.  “Could you imagine what would have happened if the Brotherhood had managed to open a stable corridor between our worlds?”

\t“Unfortunately I can,” Don said.  “Nicco has thought about the possibility too and came up with a series of safeguards for the operation of the artifact, including a simple way to signal through the corridor that doesn’t involve anyone actually having to step inside.”

\t“Nicco is amazing,” April said, staring at Don will ill-disguised curiosity.  “It’s hard to believe that the four of you could have been two if Master Splinter hadn’t been there to rescue you from the ooze.  You might even have fused into one if it had been on you long enough.”

\t“That’s assuming the ooze that Nicco came into contact with had the same basic structure as that which we encountered,” Don said.  “Thinking about it is still pretty mind blowing.”

\t“So is the coincidence of how you two met,” April said.  “Nicco doesn’t strike me as the type who is totally motivated by adventure though.  It seems odd that he’d risk leaving his family and home on the off chance that you’d be able to repair your artifact.  Surely something else motivated his decision to return here with you?”

\tThere was a twinkle in her eye that told Don she’d caught on to the part of the story that Don hadn’t relayed to her.

\t“We’re involved,” Don said bluntly and then felt the color rise on his cheeks at how abruptly he’d broken the news.

\tApril on the other hand appeared thrilled at the information.  “I knew it!  You can’t hide anything from me, Donatello.  I could tell by the way you talked about him when you first phoned that he was more than just a new friend.”

\t“I wanted to tell you in person,” Don said.  “I did get the idea that you might have guessed.”

\t“Was it love at first sight?” April asked, her sense of romance clearly piqued.

\tDon had to laugh.  “No, far from it.  For quite a while there I found him to be very aggravating.  His qualities grew on me.”

\t“Yeah, I saw those ‘qualities’,” April said with an evil grin.  “He’s blessed with an abundance of them.”

\t“Says the woman who fell for a muscle bound vigilante,” Don replied with a smile of his own.  “Speaking of Casey, how do you think he’ll take it when he finds out?”

\t“I doubt he’ll bat an eye,” April said, lifting a hand to wave away Don’s misgivings.  “His views on the subject are that he doesn’t care who is loving who as long as they keep the PDA’s to a minimum.”

\t“That sounds like Casey,” Don said.

\t“Don’t worry,” April said, placing a hand on top of Don’s.  “I’ll tell him later when we go back to my apartment.  You guys are mutated turtles and your finding a partner on another world won’t even faze him.”

\t“I call him my mate,” Don said shyly.

\t“Because you’ve mated,” April said, the teasing expression on her face bringing another flush of color to Don’s.

\tWhen they left the lab to join the others they found that Master Splinter had a large stack of plastic chips in front of him, that Mikey had a good sized stack of his own, Leo and Nicco still had a few, and that both Raph and Casey were down to one chip each.  As Don and April watched, Master Splinter took another round and scooped up those final chips, leaving the two hot heads flat broke.

\tThat coup broke up the poker game and good-byes were said.  After the pair of humans took their leave and the poker things were put away, the turtles prepared to call it a night.

\t“My students,” Master Splinter called out from the living area.  “Please join me.”

\tFrom his position in his favorite chair, Master Splinter waved towards the remaining seats, indicating the family gathering was to be an informal affair.  Don and Nicco took seats side by side on the smaller couch while Leo and Raph occupied the larger of the two.  Mikey plunked down on his preferred spot on the throw rug, his eyes bright as he turned his attention to his father.

\t“I know this has been a busy day and that you are all tired and anxious for bed,” Master Splinter said, “so I will not take long.  I wanted to relay to you all how pleased I am with how you have accepted Niccolo into the family.  It is for this reason that I gave my permission last night for Donatello to share his room with his new mate.”

\t“And the next thing Don’s gonna do is install some sound proofing,” Mikey couldn’t resist saying.

\t“Mikey . . . .” Don muttered warningly.

\tMaster Splinter held up his hand.  “I am sure they will make less noise than you do when you are talking in your sleep, Michelangelo.”

\tThe youngest turtle didn’t argue the point but he persisted in wearing a mischievous smile as his father continued to speak.  “Now that we are a family of six it is abundantly clear that our dynamic has changed.  Fortunately, Niccolo has had excellent martial arts training and I feel secure in saying that he will become a valued member of this team.  His training henceforth will go forward with the four of you and he will not join patrols until you have become a seamless unit.”

\t“I can’t wait ta see Hun’s face when a fifth turtle shows up ta one of our fights,” Raph said with obvious glee.

\t“Unfortunately I can see Agent Bishop’s,” Leo said very seriously.  “We need to be careful and very sure before Nicco steps out with us.”

\tAt Nicco’s questioning look, Don said, “Bishop is a government agent who would love nothing more than to capture and dissect us.”

\t“Caution will remain our watchword, as it always has,” Master Splinter said.  “Now on to a more pleasant subject.  Our two families must meet since we are now inextricably unified.  When Donatello has effected repairs to the artifact and is able to open the corridor between our worlds, I would like for all of you boys to return to Niccolo’s home with him.”  Looking across at Nicco, he added, “If that is acceptable to you.”

\t“My family will be thrilled, as will I,” Nicco said with a smile.

\tDon couldn’t help but laugh.  “Especially Mase,” he said humorously.

\t“What about you father?” Leo asked.

\t“Since this will be your maiden voyage, as it were, I will remain here to monitor the artifact,” Master Splinter answered.  “Should a problem arise, I can call Miss O’Neil who I am confidant will be able to resolve the difficulty.”

\t“She can always ask her Uncle Augie for help too,” Don said.  “He already knows about us.  I’ll let her know that if the puzzle box breaks on this end, that I’ll use Nicco’s to return home.  With everything Mase, Corius, and I have learned about the artifact, we can probably build a new one from scratch.”

\t“Then the matter is settled,” Master Splinter said as he rose from his chair.  “I am going to retire for the evening.  Good-night boys.”

\tThey bade him good-night in return and watched as he slipped into his room.  As the shoji slid shut behind their father, Don got up and said, “I’d better get back to the artifact.  I still have to reprogram it and get the crystals charged up, and then the portal room has to be completed before I can install the security measures . . . .”

\tBefore Don could finish the litany of things requiring his attention, Nicco stood and placed an arm around his waist.  “No more tonight,” the older turtle said firmly.  “Once you get started you won’t take the time to rest.  Bed now; projects in the morning.”

\t“But I . . . .” Don began.

\t“No buts,” Nicco said, propelling his mate towards the stairs.

\tWithout any more arguments, Don allowed himself to be led away from his lab.  Mikey chuckled and said, “Hey look at that, Nicco’s found a way to keep Don from staying up all night.  He must have something more interesting than experiments for Don to focus on.”

\tHis taunting was cut short when Raph launched a couch cushion at him, smacking Mikey directly in the face with it.

\tWhen the door to their bedroom was shut behind them, Don turned to Nicco and said archly, “If you’re going to march me off unceremoniously like that, you’d better have something more interesting than my work in mind.”

\t“Demanding little ninja,” Nicco teased, advancing on his mate and taking a kiss from him.  “I suppose we’ll have to be quiet for Mikey’s sake.”

\t“After everything he said today, I’m not too concerned about Mikey’s sensibilities,” Don said with a snort as Nicco began to strip him.  “We should keep it down for the others though.  Mikey will probably have a glass pressed against the wall between rooms so he can listen in.”

\tNicco drew his head back from where he’d been nipping at Don’s collar bone and stared into his lover’s eyes.  “I thought you didn’t believe me when I told you he has racy magazines in his collection.”

\t“After all his innuendos today, I’m ready to believe anything,” Don said, moaning as Nicco returned to suckling his neck.  “There’s a bed over there.”

\t“So there is,” Nicco replied with a throaty chuckle, backing Don towards it.  “Let’s see how many different sounds I can get you to make.  It will expand Mikey’s education.”

\t“Mmm yes,” Donatello agreed, churring when Nicco’s mouth began to work on a spot between his legs.  “I’m all about education.”

\tThe night passed pleasantly as Nicco was extremely successful in getting Donny to forget about his projects.  Their morning was occupied with practice, where as Master Splinter had promised, he pushed the five turtles hard in his efforts to teach them to work together as a single unit.

\tAs with the previous day, Don labored to repair the artifact while Nicco and his brothers strove to complete the portal room.  Mikey dug around in some boxes of sporting equipment that had been stored in the garage and found several containers of golf balls.  Using some of his art paint, Mikey colored half of the balls green and the other half red, placing them in separate baskets once they had dried.

\tThis routine continued for three more days.  Don installed security equipment on both the exterior and interior of the new portal room, disguising the entrance so that the area looked like nothing more than another brick wall.

\tA small anteroom just inside the entrance contained a shelf for the golf balls and a box which held the spare crystal rods.  Don’s brothers had managed to collect some old mattresses that were still in fairly good shape and those were piled around inside the main section of the portal room.  A tall stool stood in the center of that space, destined to become the permanent home for Don’s puzzle box.

\tFinally the day came for the first attempt at establishing a stable corridor between Don and Nicco’s worlds.

\tIt had been arranged for Casey to stay in the lair with Master Splinter while the turtles were gone.  He arrived early with April and both were given a quick lesson in how to operate the disguised security entrance into the anteroom.

While Don explained how and why the walls had been reinforced, he told the pair that if for some reason they had to abandon the lair, they would need to first launch a red golf ball into the corridor.  After that they could break the crystal harmonics on the puzzle box simply by touching a finger to one of the rods.  The artifact would snap shut and could then safely be transported to a more secure location.

“It ain’t gonna just suck us inside when we step into the room?” Casey asked, suspiciously eying the puzzle box where it sat on the stool.

Don shook his head.  “No.  Once a stable corridor is established, the artifact won’t reach out and grab anyone.  You have to walk into the corridor itself in order to be transported.”

“In theory,” April added.

“Right, in theory,” Don said, holding up two crossed fingers.

As they exited the portal room, Casey said, “I don’t know how I feel about this thing.  What if something happens and ya’ can’t get back here?”

“We’ll make it back,” Nicco said confidently, moving up to stand next to Don.  “There will be four geniuses at my home and one here working on the problem.  There’s nothing that kind of mind power can’t fix.”

\t“Most importantly, all four of my sons will be together,” Master Splinter said, a complacent expression on his face.

\tDon looked at him for a moment and realized that one of the reasons their father had insisted the brothers go together was to push back the always looming shadow of the future world his smartest son still had nightmares about.

\tLeo, Raph, and Mikey appeared then, each carrying a backpack containing personal items for the journey.  Nicco’s backpack and Don’s duffel lay on the floor next to Nicco’s feet and after Don said his good-byes to his father and friends, Nicco handed the duffel to him.

\tAfter the younger turtles all wished their father farewell, Nicco approached Master Splinter and bowed deeply.  “Thank you for welcoming me into your home and your family, sensei.  I will take great care of your sons during their stay on my world.  You have my word of honor on that.”

\tMaster Splinter placed a hand on Nicco’s chest, just above his heart.  “I sensed the goodness in you from the moment you crossed our threshold, Niccolo.  I would be proud to call you son.”

\tNicco smiled and Don could see the moisture that formed in the corners of his lover’s eyes.  “I would be most pleased to wear that title.”

\tMaster Splinter, Casey, and April waited in the lair as the five turtles entered the portal anteroom and closed the entrance behind them.  Don took a green golf ball from its basket and after glancing at his family, preceded them into the portal room itself.

\t“So what happens now?” Mikey asked.

\t“First I activate the artifact,” Don said.  “If we’ve calibrated the pair of them correctly, a passage will open and stabilize.  If not, then we’ll all get sucked into the thing like before.  Either way we’ll end up in Nicco’s world.”

\t“All right Donny, let’s see if this works,” Leo said.

\tTaking a deep breath, Don approached the puzzle box and dialed in the coordinates for Nicco’s dimension.  The crystal rods immediately popped out of the sides and the box was suffused in a brilliant glow.

\tRather than enveloping the group gathered near it though, the glow shimmered and then held steady.  Don watched it for a slow count of ten, his heart racing, and then tossed the green ball into the glowing opening.

\tHe didn’t realize he was holding his breath until just a few short seconds later when a green ball flew back through the opening to land near his feet.  Written on it was the word, “Eureka!”

\tDon and Nicco started laughing and at his brother’s puzzled looks, Don said, “It’s from Masolino.  That’s his way of saying it worked.  He’s on the other side waiting for us and all I can tell you is to get ready for an experience.”

\t“Woohoo!  I’m going first!” Mikey announced and quickly stepped into the light.

\tHe was swiftly followed by Leo and Raph.  Before Nicco could follow them, Don stopped him.

\t“Could you do something for me before we come back here?” Don asked.

\t“Of course.  Anything,” Nicco told him.

\t“I’d like one good quality, really nice sized diamond to give to Casey,” Don said.  “I’m going to suggest he have it set in a ring on the off chance he’ll finally ask April to marry him.”

\t“Playing matchmaker?” Nicco asked.

\tDon shrugged and with a shy smile said, “Maybe I see the benefits of romance more clearly now.”

\tNicco leaned down to kiss him.  “I sure am one lucky turtle,” he said.  “Shall we go?”

\t“Are you sure your world is ready for us?” Don asked mischievously.

\tTaking Don’s hand, Nicco said, “What I’m sure of is that there’s nothing you and I can’t handle together.”

\tHolding tightly to each other, the pair of lovers stepped through the portal and into their next great adventure.

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