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There they discover many new challenges. Sequel to \"Don and the Puzzle Box\". \n\nMulti-chapter 2k3", "count": "16", "submission_left_submission_id": "1761112", "submission_left_file_name": "2522834_hummerhouse_walking_in_daylight_part_3.doc", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/2522/2522834_hummerhouse_walking_in_daylight_part_3.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/2522/2522834_hummerhouse_walking_in_daylight_part_3.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/2522/2522834_hummerhouse_walking_in_daylight_part_3.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "169", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "113", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "68", "submission_right_submission_id": "1790746", "submission_right_file_name": "2567301_hummerhouse_walking_in_daylight_part_5.doc", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/2567/2567301_hummerhouse_walking_in_daylight_part_5.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/2567/2567301_hummerhouse_walking_in_daylight_part_5.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/2567/2567301_hummerhouse_walking_in_daylight_part_5.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "169", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "113", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "68", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "description": "Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.\nWord Count: 3,861 multi-chapter 2k3\nSummary: Donatello and his brothers visit Niccolo Stockman's world to meet his family. There they learn the joys of venturing into the daylight and walking out in the open among humans. They also learn about the sacrifices that have to be made in order to earn that freedom and the prejudices that are a continuing battle.\nRatings will vary by chapter from G to NC-17\nSequel to Don and the Puzzle Box https://inkbunny.net/poolview_process.php?pool_id=35485\n~~Preview image of the exterior of the Stockman house commissioned from the very talented @Sherenelle\n\n** Donovan and Yoshino Green are the property of Gemi who has generously agreed to let me play with them. Gemi has also been acting as a beta for the story, helping me to make certain I get the personalities of her two characters right. I highly recommend Gemi's TMNT fan fictions as must reads, they are amazing. You can find Gemi's stories here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemi\n\nOther stories featuring Donovan and Yoshino are = A Little Red (goes a long way) https://archiveofourown.org/works/5129414 , Desk Sex is Best https://archiveofourown.org/works/5076766 , and Yoshi 453 https://archiveofourown.org/works/11236323", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.
Word Count: 3,861 multi-chapter 2k3
Summary: Donatello and his brothers visit Niccolo Stockman's world to meet his family. There they learn the joys of venturing into the daylight and walking out in the open among humans. They also learn about the sacrifices that have to be made in order to earn that freedom and the prejudices that are a continuing battle.
Ratings will vary by chapter from G to NC-17
Sequel to Don and the Puzzle Box https://inkbunny.net/poolview_process.php?pool_id=35485
~~Preview image of the exterior of the Stockman house commissioned from the very talented @Sherenelle

** Donovan and Yoshino Green are the property of Gemi who has generously agreed to let me play with them. Gemi has also been acting as a beta for the story, helping me to make certain I get the personalities of her two characters right. I highly recommend Gemi's TMNT fan fictions as must reads, they are amazing. You can find Gemi's stories here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemi

Other stories featuring Donovan and Yoshino are = A Little Red (goes a long way) https://archiveofourown.org/works/5129414 , Desk Sex is Best https://archiveofourown.org/works/5076766 , and Yoshi 453 https://archiveofourown.org/works/11236323", "writing": "\tThere was total silence for a moment as Nicco stared at the pair of turtles. The older one smirked at him, seemingly aware of the effect his dramatic entrance was having.\n\n\t``Could you at least close the door behind me?'' the turtle asked. ``I broke the porch light for a reason, darling.''\n\n\tNicco blinked several times and then swung the door closed. ``What are you doing here at this time of night, Donovan? Is Yoshi all right? Are you all right? What the hell is going on?''\n\n\t``So many questions,'' Donovan said. ``Am I meant to stand here holding this child while I answer them?''\n\n\t``No,'' Mase said. He moved towards the front room. ``Bring Yoshi in here, the bed is already made up.''\n\n\tDonovan raised an eye ridge at that information and then openly stared when he noticed Donatello and Raphael. The younger turtle saw them too and buried his head in Donovan's shoulder. \n\n\tMase paused when he saw that Donovan wasn't moving and glanced at Nicco.\n\n\t``They're mutant turtles, Novan, just like us,'' Nicco said. ``They're safe.''\n\n\tFor a moment Donovan seemed undecided, but the weight of the young turtle made his mind up for him. Without a word he followed Mase into the front room.\n\n\tFrom the dining room, Dr. Stockman called out, ``Who is it, Niccolo?''\n\n\t``It's Novan and Yoshi, Dad,'' Nicco said. ``They need a place for the night.''\n\n\t``Ask Donovan if they're hungry,'' Annabelle said.\n\n\t``I will,'' Nicco said. He saw that Don was giving him a quizzical look. ``I'll explain everything as soon as we get the kid settled.''\n\n\tLeo and Mikey had joined their brothers in the hall and all four of them went into the front room behind Nicco. The young turtle was on the mattress and Mase was holding him in a seated position as Donovan removed his outer layer of clothing. It took a few minutes because little Yoshino was heavily bundled up.\n\n\t``Donovan drives a motorcycle,'' Nicco explained. ``He holds Yoshino on it in front of him, but dresses the child in fourteen layers of clothes for warmth and protection.''\n\n\tThe way Donovan was outfitted made more sense to Raph as soon as he heard that the turtle had a motorcycle. Donovan wore all black leather; leather pants, leather jacket, heavy boots that could probably break toes if he was inclined to step on them.\n\n\tYoshino was looking into Donovan's face as the older turtle undressed him. Donovan paused and leaned in close to whisper something to the little turtle, who sleepily nodded.\n\n\tWhen Donovan finally got Yoshino tucked into bed, he stood up and removed his jacket. Raph's eyes widened as he got his first good look at the turtle. Donovan was an albino.\n\n\tThe little turtle whimpered when it seemed that Donovan was about to move away from him. Giving the small one a reassuring smile, Donovan said, ``I will be right back, don't worry. Think about what bedtime story you want, hm?''\n\n\tHe stood looking down at Yoshino for several minutes. Soon the young turtle's eyes closed and his breathing evened out.\n\n\t``Yoshi's asleep,'' Mase whispered, rising to his feet. ``Let's take the conversation to the other room so he stays that way.''\n\n\tDonovan draped his jacket over the back of the couch before following Mase out of the room. The others headed for the dining room and it was only when Donovan joined them that he noticed Leo and Mikey.\n\n\t``Four of them?'' Donovan asked. ``This story should be good.''\n\n\tThough he appeared relaxed, Raph couldn't help but notice how Donovan made certain that he was the closest to the door. It was only after everyone else was seated, other than Annabelle who was straightening the kitchen, that Donovan took a seat as well. He did not however shift his seat closer to the table, but kept it pulled out enough so that he could move quickly if it became necessary.\n\n\tAll of the Earth based turtles recognized Donovan's behavior for what it was; the wariness of someone who was used to dangerous conditions and had a knack for survival.\n\n\tMase had chosen to sit nearest the chair that had been left open for Donovan. It did not escape Raph's notice that Nicco made sure to sit on Mase's other side. Nicco's periodic glances towards Donatello were covert, as though trying to gauge how his mate was reacting to Donovan.\n\n\tThat raised Raphael's suspicions. This turtle was more than a family friend. That much was clear. Just who was Donovan to the Stockman's and to Niccolo in particular? What was the relationship between Donovan and Yoshino? The young turtle had pale green skin and light honey colored eyes. \n\n\tRaph wasn't the expert on genetics that Donatello was, but he knew that mixing the absinthe green color of Niccolo's skin and the albino coloring of Donovan's would likely create a skin tone similar to Yoshino's. Not to mention the fact the Nicco had amber eyes, a shade not far off from honey.\n\n\tBoth Donovan and Yoshino had distinctive red markings around their eyes. But Donovan was a guy. A guy with fascinating ruby red eyes.\n\n\tShifting in his seat, Raph looked around the table, hoping that no one had noticed he was staring rather raptly at Donovan. When he looked back, he saw Donovan looking right at him, a corner of his mouth quirked up in amusement.\n\n \tIrritated, Raph glared at him, which only seemed to entertain Donovan further.\n\n\t``What happened to bring you over here at this time of night?'' Nicco asked, pulling Donovan's attention back in his direction.\n\n\tThe albino turtle chose to answer the question with a question. ``Which of my clients do I detest the most but pays enough for me to ignore that fact, darling?''\n\n \t``Hun,'' Nicco replied, scowling. ``Is he causing trouble?''\n\n\t``Hun?'' Don looked directly at Donovan. ``Big guy, yellow hair?''\n\n\t``Big is an understatement, the man's a mountain,'' Donovan said. ``And who might you be?''\n\n\t``My name is Donatello and these are my brothers,'' Don said. He gestured to each in turn. ``Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael.''\n\n\t``Nice theme you got going there, but I don't remember ever seeing the four of you around,'' Donovan said, a hint of mistrust in his tone.\n\n\t``They aren't from here,'' Mase said. ``When I say from here, I mean from this planet. See, Nicco took off on this adventure and I was supposed to go with him but I forgot something. Then he got pulled into the transport device at the same time that Don activated his artifact, so those two wound up in the same place and I couldn't go. Then . . . .''\n\n\t``Masolino,'' Dr. Stockman said, ``too much information.''\n\n\tMase grinned. ``Long story short, Donatello is Nicco's mate.''\n\n\tDonovan's red eyes lit up, whether from happiness for Nicco or with mischief, it was hard to tell. ``Nicco! Congratulations, darling. You've finally found someone. Does he check all of the boxes on your wish list?''\n\n\tNicco's cheeks darkened, which did not go unnoticed by Don. Before anyone could react to that question, Annabelle approached the table with a plate in her hand.\n\n\t``You look skinny,'' Annabelle said, directing her observation to Donovan. Putting the plate on the table in front of him, she added, ``Eat something.''\n\n\tDonovan had stiffened at her approach and his expression was guarded as he watched her walk away. A thick sandwich sat on the plate, neatly sliced in two, with a side of sweet pickles.\n\n\tRather than touching the food, Donovan merely stared at it.\n\n\t``How long have you been dodging Hun?'' Nicco asked.\n\n\t``Since night before last,'' Donovan said. For just a moment the hint of cockiness was gone as he added, ``He's been causing trouble again.''\n\n\t``At the camp?'' Nicco asked, putting a clenched fist on the table.\n\n\tIt was the first time Donatello had seen his mate close to being really angry. Whatever the Hun on this world was up to, he apparently was no better than his counterpart on Earth.\n\n\tLounging back in his chair, Donovan swung one leg over the other. ``Yes. The man is a mass of contradictions. He claims to hate mutants, but he likes the cheap labor. And he has absolutely no problem fu . . . .''\n\n\t``Language,'' Nicco rumbled warningly.\n\n\t``Apologies,'' Donovan said, nodding slightly in Dr. Stockman's direction.\n\n\t``Donovan is it? Just how is he causing trouble?'' Leonardo asked.\n\n\t``You can call me Novan, darling,'' Donovan said. ``He claimed that a pair of men from the camp robbed three of his drivers while they were out collecting fees. Of course he can't identify them because we all look alike.''\n\n\t``No one robbed that crook,'' Nicco said, his expression thunderous. ``It's more of his lies.''\n\n\t``He wants that land as a waste disposal site,'' Mase said. He looked over at the visiting turtles. ``The land that the largest mutant camp sits on was donated by the city because it has no agricultural or developmental value. Because the city officials actually deeded the land to the mutant organization who takes care of the homeless, Hun can't bribe officials to take it back.''\n\n\t``If he runs the mutants off the land, they'll have nowhere to go. Hun figures he can then make an offer on the property because the organization will need funds to find new homes,'' Dr. Stockman said.\n\n\t``He'll make a very low offer because he'll be positive no one will dare try to outbid him,'' Leo said. ``We've met his type.''\n\n\t``How astute of you,'' Novan said. ``That's exactly what Hun said he planned. He does tend to over share during certain post coital moments.''\n\n\tDon made a slight sound in the back of his throat and if Raph hadn't been sitting close to him, he might not have noticed. The words `client' `post coital' and the almost use of the `f' word gave Raph a good idea of the type of business Donovan was in. Those references must have meant something to his genius brother as well.\n\n\tNicco was on the opposite side of the table and couldn't have heard Don, but he was sending plenty of surreptitious glances in his mate's direction. Maybe coming to this world wasn't such a great idea.\n\n\t``You haven't been home in two days?'' Mikey asked. ``Were you running this whole time? Have you had any sleep?''\n\n\tNovan flipped a hand in the air as if to wave the concern aside. ``I made do.''\n\n\t``What of Yoshino? He's got a delicate constitution,'' Dr. Stockman said.\n\n\tOnce more Novan stiffened just a little. Raph noticed that though he was wary around him and his brothers, he hadn't exhibited any outward hostility. It was different with the two humans.\n\n\t``I made certain that Yoshi had plenty to eat,'' Novan said. He looked at Mase. ``He's been taking his vitamins and his medicine too.''\n\n\t``I'll bet you gave Yoshi all your food,'' Mase said. ``How long have you known Annabelle now? You know the sandwich is safe. Here.''\n\n\tWith that Mase lifted one half of the sandwich and bit off a corner. Novan watched him chew and swallow before accepting the rest from Mase and eating it.\n\n\tAnnabelle had turned in for the night and now Dr. Stockman cleared his throat. ``Nicco, Mase, I'll leave you to making certain all of our guests are comfortable. Our home is their home. Good-night to all of you. Sleep well.''\n\n\tThe turtle brothers rose as Dr. Stockman rolled his wheelchair away from the table and towards the door. While they bid him a good-night, Donovan finished his sandwich, clearly hungrier than he had let on.\n\n\tAfter the humans were gone Donovan seemed to relax. ``I would love a drink of some kind to wash this sandwich down,'' he said, looking pointedly at Mase.\n\n\t``Fruit juice or water?'' Mase asked, standing up.\n\n\t``I suppose at this time of night it should be water,'' Novan said. ``Thank you, darling.''\n\n\tWhen Mase went to the kitchen it left Novan with an unobstructed view of Nicco. ``Do tell me more about your new relationship, Niccolo,'' Novan practically purred.\n\n\tThere was a playfulness in his tone and a mischievous look in his eye. Nicco had at first seemed discomfited by the albino's familiarity, but now his manner was stern.\n\n\t``If Hun is looking for you, then your motorcycle probably shouldn't be parked at the curb,'' Nicco said.\n\n\tDonovan stared back at him with a raised eye ridge before rolling his eyes. ``You're no fun, Niccolo. But you do have a point. For once. Where, may I ask, am I supposed to hide it away from view? I doubt Annabelle wishes me to ruin her garden beds.''\n\n\tMase set a glass of water on the table in front of Novan. ``You can take it along the public walking path on the side of the house and around to the back. There's a gap in the fence that's big enough for your bike to fit through, you just have to push past a couple of overgrown bushes. You can leave the bike underneath the pergola, just try to avoid the flowers.''\n\n\t``I'll need someone to guide me,'' Novan said, his eyes sliding from Mase to Nicco. ``In case you hadn't noticed, it's dark and wet out there.''\n\n\t``Give me a flashlight and I'll help him navigate,'' Raph said. He wasn't sure why he'd piped up with the offer, but he couldn't help but feel it would be in Don's best interest to keep Novan and Nicco separated. Looking at Novan he added, ``I'd like to see that motorcycle of yours anyway.''\n\n\t``Do you know something about motorcycles?'' Novan asked, tilting his head as though studying Raph.\n\n\t``Yeah,'' Raph answered with a cocky smile. ``I know a little something about motorcycles.''\n\n\tNicco stood up. ``Come back to the laundry room with me, Raph, and I'll point out how to get to the gap in the fence. The flashlights are near the back door.''\n\n\tThe two of them left the room and Novan got up as well. He stretched languidly, looking rather like a cat, and said, ``Mase, be a dear and keep an eye of Yoshi while I'm outside. If he wakes, I'd prefer he see a familiar face or he'll be scared.''\n\n\t``Of course I'll look after him,'' Mase said. ``If he does wake up, I'll read him that story about the turtle who goes looking for the perfect home. It's all nonsense written by humans who have no knowledge whatsoever of real turtles, but Yoshi seems to like it. I think it's when the other animals keep telling the turtle that . . . .''\n\n\t``Thank you, darling,'' Novan said in a polite but forceful tone, stopping the flood of talk. ``Let me grab my jacket. Mustn't keep the hot turtle with the snapping golden eyes waiting.''\n\n\tMase went with him to the front room. Before retrieving his jacket, Novan squatted next to Yoshino and watched him for a couple of minutes. The turtle tot had moved around in his sleep, so Novan rearranged the blanket and then grabbed his jacket and left the house.\n\n\tNicco took Raph into the laundry room and grabbed a flashlight from its recharging station. Opening the back door, he stepped out onto the railed patio and when Raph joined him, Nicco pointed the light towards a corner of the backyard.\n\n\t``Right there is where you'll find the gap in the fence. We use it as a shortcut into the little park that's back behind our property,'' Nicco said.\n\n\tHe handed the flashlight to Raph and turned to go back inside. Raph reached out and caught hold of his arm, stopping Nicco.\n\n\t``This Novan, he ain't gonna cause problems between ya' and Donny is he? Because I told ya' before that I've always watched Don's back and if ya' do anything to hurt him, I'll kick your ass from one Sunday to the next,'' Raph said.\n\n\t ``I'm not ever going to hurt Donatello,'' Nicco said, meeting Raph's eyes steadily. ``Donovan's story is his to tell, but for the record, he isn't the type to create problems in someone else's relationship.''\n\n\tRaph released Nicco and watched as he went back into the house. In the silence of the night, Raph could just hear the crunch of tires rolling along a gravel path.\n\n\tFollowing Nicco's directions, Raph walked to the end of the yard and pushed through the bushes that hid the gap in the fence. He stepped out just as Donovan passed beneath one of the few trail lights in the park.\n\n\tNormally, the first thing that Raph would have noticed would have been the motorcycle. It was Donovan's unusual eyes that caught his attention though, just like they had done when the two of them were inside the house. Not only were they red, but they were almond shaped, giving the turtle a somewhat exotic appearance.\n\n\tDonovan's skin, a luminous white, shown under the lighting. Raph realized he'd been motionless during his perusal of Novan when the albino began rolling his motorcycle directly at him.\n\n\t``Like what you see, darling?'' Novan asked, eyes twinkling.\n\n\t``Nice motorcycle,'' Raph said gruffly. ``That an eight-valve Big Twin?''\n\n\t``You [i]do[/i] know your motorcycles,'' Novan replied. ``This baby has a one hundred and seven cubic inch air displacement.''\n\n\tRaph whistled. ``Sweet. Oil or liquid cooled cylinder heads?''\n\n\t``Oil,'' Novan answered. ``It has a shallower four-valve combustion chamber that picks up less combustion heat.''\n\n\tUsing the flashlight, Raph pointed out the way into the Stockman's backyard. Holding the light with one hand, Raph used the other to pull the bushes back so that Novan could wheel his motorcycle through the gap.\n\n\tSomehow Raphael felt as though an offer to help with the motorcycle would not be welcomed, so he kept his mouth shut. Walking alongside Novan, Raph looked down at the albino's hands, which were wrapped around the handlebars. He was surprised to see that Novan had rather sharp claws on the ends of his fingers.\n\n\tDonovan was slender, but despite the clothing Raph could tell that the turtle had strong, wiry muscles. The albino might be avoiding Hun, but Raph's intuition told him that if cornered, Novan would be more than a match for the big man.\n\n\tThere was another roll of thunder, but it was somewhere off in the distance. The rain had stopped, replaced by a very light mist that felt nice against Raph's skin. He was glad that the new shirt he was wearing was sleeveless and therefore less confining.\n\n\tThe mist settled on his arms and each movement connected the moisture until it became drops. Apparently the same was true for Donovan, because he swiped at the drops around one eye. It was then that Raph saw the red markings become smudged. They had been painted on.\n\n\tAfter parking the motorcycle beneath the pergola, Novan took his saddlebags off the bike. Setting them on the ground, he then extracted an all-weather fitted bike cover from the small trunk box. Raph helped him stretch it over the motorcycle and then Novan slung the saddlebags over his shoulder as the two of them headed back to the house.\n\n\t``So, you and the Stockman family,'' Raph began, tentatively broaching the subject he most wanted to understand. ``Known them for a while?''\n\n\tNovan glanced at him. That look seemed to be taking Raph's measure while reading between the lines of his question.\n\n\t``I take it that you have not known them for long,'' Novan countered.\n\n\t``Known Nicco longer than the rest,'' Raph admitted. He'd questioned cagey humans before, but he'd usually had to employ his fists. Novan didn't fall into the first category and Raph doubted force would be a smart option.\n\n\tRaph decided to go with forthright. ``Where me and my bro's come from, there ain't many mutants and the ones that do exist stay hidden. For the most part, humans don't know about us and the ones that do are either real good friends or they want to dissect us.''\n\n\tNovan seemed to think that over. ``If you're asking whether Dr. Stockman and Annabelle are trustworthy, then I can assure you they are,'' he said slowly. ``My experiences with humans has not been good and I don't like them. I make an exception for the two in this house because they have always treated Yoshi and me well.''\n\n\tA corner of Raph's mouth lifted in amusement. ``That wasn't what I was reading when we were inside.''\n\n\t``I am tired, darling,'' Novan said as they stepped onto the patio. ``I am worried about Yoshi and do not like to depend on others for help. When I am . . . stressed, I do tend to fall back on old behaviors. And I have no idea why I am sharing this with you, other than the fact that you have such gorgeous eyes.''\n\n\tRaph froze for a second, completely disconcerted by that admission. He didn't know Donovan well enough to know if the guy was screwing with him or if he always tended to say exactly what he was thinking.\n\n\t``I don't know much about these two humans, but it seems that to them, mutants ain't much different than anyone else,'' Raph said. ``Maybe that's `cause the doctor raised two of them as his own sons and they're family. Now with Nicco and Don being mated and all, the four of us are kind of family too.''\n\n\tHe watched Novan, hoping that the turtle would take the hint and give Raph some idea as to where he and Yoshi fit into the scheme of things.\n\n\t``How wonderful for you all,'' Novan murmured.\n\n\t``This whole extended family thing is new to us,'' Raph said, still eyeing Novan. ``It's gonna take some getting used to. We got a lot to learn about each other. For me, the main thing is that Donny don't get hurt.''\n\n\t``I feel exactly that way about Yoshi. It is my duty to raise him and to keep him safe. Sometimes that means that I must bring him here to be cared for.'' Novan abruptly changed the subject. ``We should go inside, darling. Your clothes are getting wet and starting to stick to your body.'' Looking at Raph slyly, he added, ``It is certainly a good look on you, of course. But I would rather not have Yoshi catch a cold from you. I'm sure you understand.''\n\n\tRaph blinked, once more thrown off balance by the guy. Handling someone like Novan wasn't in Raph's knowledge wheelhouse.\n\n\tThey entered the house together and Raph closed the door behind them. As he was placing the flashlight back into its charger, Novan shrugged out of his jacket.\n\n\tThe laundry room wasn't large and in the enclosed space, Raphael's sensitive nose caught a whiff of Donovan's scent.\n\n\tNovan had turned away from him and didn't see Raph's eyes widen in surprise. Having grown up with brothers and then spent time with both Niccolo and Masolino, Raph knew how mutated male turtles smelled.\n\n\tIt was very clear from his scent that Donovan wasn't completely male.\n\nTBC.........\n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "\tThere was total silence for a moment as Nicco stared at the pair of turtles.  The older one smirked at him, seemingly aware of the effect his dramatic entrance was having.

\t``Could you at least close the door behind me?'' the turtle asked.  ``I broke the porch light for a reason, darling.''

\tNicco blinked several times and then swung the door closed.  ``What are you doing here at this time of night, Donovan?  Is Yoshi all right?  Are you all right?  What the hell is going on?''

\t``So many questions,'' Donovan said.  ``Am I meant to stand here holding this child while I answer them?''

\t``No,'' Mase said.  He moved towards the front room.  ``Bring Yoshi in here, the bed is already made up.''

\tDonovan raised an eye ridge at that information and then openly stared when he noticed Donatello and Raphael.  The younger turtle saw them too and buried his head in Donovan's shoulder.

\tMase paused when he saw that Donovan wasn't moving and glanced at Nicco.

\t``They're mutant turtles, Novan, just like us,'' Nicco said.  ``They're safe.''

\tFor a moment Donovan seemed undecided, but the weight of the young turtle made his mind up for him.  Without a word he followed Mase into the front room.

\tFrom the dining room, Dr. Stockman called out, ``Who is it, Niccolo?''

\t``It's Novan and Yoshi, Dad,'' Nicco said.  ``They need a place for the night.''

\t``Ask Donovan if they're hungry,'' Annabelle said.

\t``I will,'' Nicco said.  He saw that Don was giving him a quizzical look.  ``I'll explain everything as soon as we get the kid settled.''

\tLeo and Mikey had joined their brothers in the hall and all four of them went into the front room behind Nicco.  The young turtle was on the mattress and Mase was holding him in a seated position as Donovan removed his outer layer of clothing.  It took a few minutes because little Yoshino was heavily bundled up.

\t``Donovan drives a motorcycle,'' Nicco explained.  ``He holds Yoshino on it in front of him, but dresses the child in fourteen layers of clothes for warmth and protection.''

\tThe way Donovan was outfitted made more sense to Raph as soon as he heard that the turtle had a motorcycle.  Donovan wore all black leather; leather pants, leather jacket, heavy boots that could probably break toes if he was inclined to step on them.

\tYoshino was looking into Donovan's face as the older turtle undressed him.  Donovan paused and leaned in close to whisper something to the little turtle, who sleepily nodded.

\tWhen Donovan finally got Yoshino tucked into bed, he stood up and removed his jacket.  Raph's eyes widened as he got his first good look at the turtle.  Donovan was an albino.

\tThe little turtle whimpered when it seemed that Donovan was about to move away from him.  Giving the small one a reassuring smile, Donovan said, ``I will be right back, don't worry.  Think about what bedtime story you want, hm?''

\tHe stood looking down at Yoshino for several minutes.  Soon the young turtle's eyes closed and his breathing evened out.

\t``Yoshi's asleep,'' Mase whispered, rising to his feet.  ``Let's take the conversation to the other room so he stays that way.''

\tDonovan draped his jacket over the back of the couch before following Mase out of the room.  The others headed for the dining room and it was only when Donovan joined them that he noticed Leo and Mikey.

\t``Four of them?'' Donovan asked.  ``This story should be good.''

\tThough he appeared relaxed, Raph couldn't help but notice how Donovan made certain that he was the closest to the door.  It was only after everyone else was seated, other than Annabelle who was straightening the kitchen, that Donovan took a seat as well.  He did not however shift his seat closer to the table, but kept it pulled out enough so that he could move quickly if it became necessary.

\tAll of the Earth based turtles recognized Donovan's behavior for what it was; the wariness of someone who was used to dangerous conditions and had a knack for survival.

\tMase had chosen to sit nearest the chair that had been left open for Donovan.  It did not escape Raph's notice that Nicco made sure to sit on Mase's other side.  Nicco's periodic glances towards Donatello were covert, as though trying to gauge how his mate was reacting to Donovan.

\tThat raised Raphael's suspicions.  This turtle was more than a family friend.  That much was clear.  Just who was Donovan to the Stockman's and to Niccolo in particular?  What was the relationship between Donovan and Yoshino?  The young turtle had pale green skin and light honey colored eyes.

\tRaph wasn't the expert on genetics that Donatello was, but he knew that mixing the absinthe green color of Niccolo's skin and the albino coloring of Donovan's would likely create a skin tone similar to Yoshino's.  Not to mention the fact the Nicco had amber eyes, a shade not far off from honey.

\tBoth Donovan and Yoshino had distinctive red markings around their eyes.  But Donovan was a guy.  A guy with fascinating ruby red eyes.

\tShifting in his seat, Raph looked around the table, hoping that no one had noticed he was staring rather raptly at Donovan.  When he looked back, he saw Donovan looking right at him, a corner of his mouth quirked up in amusement.

 \tIrritated, Raph glared at him, which only seemed to entertain Donovan further.

\t``What happened to bring you over here at this time of night?'' Nicco asked, pulling Donovan's attention back in his direction.

\tThe albino turtle chose to answer the question with a question.  ``Which of my clients do I detest the most but pays enough for me to ignore that fact, darling?''

 \t``Hun,'' Nicco replied, scowling.  ``Is he causing trouble?''

\t``Hun?''  Don looked directly at Donovan.  ``Big guy, yellow hair?''

\t``Big is an understatement, the man's a mountain,'' Donovan said.  ``And who might you be?''

\t``My name is Donatello and these are my brothers,'' Don said.  He gestured to each in turn.  ``Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael.''

\t``Nice theme you got going there, but I don't remember ever seeing the four of you around,'' Donovan said, a hint of mistrust in his tone.

\t``They aren't from here,'' Mase said.  ``When I say from here, I mean from this planet.  See, Nicco took off on this adventure and I was supposed to go with him but I forgot something.  Then he got pulled into the transport device at the same time that Don activated his artifact, so those two wound up in the same place and I couldn't go.  Then . . . .''

\t``Masolino,'' Dr. Stockman said, ``too much information.''

\tMase grinned.  ``Long story short, Donatello is Nicco's mate.''

\tDonovan's red eyes lit up, whether from happiness for Nicco or with mischief, it was hard to tell.  ``Nicco!  Congratulations, darling.  You've finally found someone.  Does he check all of the boxes on your wish list?''

\tNicco's cheeks darkened, which did not go unnoticed by Don.  Before anyone could react to that question, Annabelle approached the table with a plate in her hand.

\t``You look skinny,'' Annabelle said, directing her observation to Donovan.  Putting the plate on the table in front of him, she added, ``Eat something.''

\tDonovan had stiffened at her approach and his expression was guarded as he watched her walk away.  A thick sandwich sat on the plate, neatly sliced in two, with a side of sweet pickles.

\tRather than touching the food, Donovan merely stared at it.

\t``How long have you been dodging Hun?'' Nicco asked.

\t``Since night before last,'' Donovan said.  For just a moment the hint of cockiness was gone as he added, ``He's been causing trouble again.''

\t``At the camp?'' Nicco asked, putting a clenched fist on the table.

\tIt was the first time Donatello had seen his mate close to being really angry.  Whatever the Hun on this world was up to, he apparently was no better than his counterpart on Earth.

\tLounging back in his chair, Donovan swung one leg over the other.  ``Yes.  The man is a mass of contradictions.  He claims to hate mutants, but he likes the cheap labor.  And he has absolutely no problem fu  . . . .''

\t``Language,'' Nicco rumbled warningly.

\t``Apologies,'' Donovan said, nodding slightly in Dr. Stockman's direction.

\t``Donovan is it?  Just how is he causing trouble?'' Leonardo asked.

\t``You can call me Novan, darling,'' Donovan said.  ``He claimed that a pair of men from the camp robbed three of his drivers while they were out collecting fees.  Of course he can't identify them because we all look alike.''

\t``No one robbed that crook,'' Nicco said, his expression thunderous.  ``It's more of his lies.''

\t``He wants that land as a waste disposal site,'' Mase said.  He looked over at the visiting turtles.  ``The land that the largest mutant camp sits on was donated by the city because it has no agricultural or developmental value.  Because the city officials actually deeded the land to the mutant organization who takes care of the homeless, Hun can't bribe officials to take it back.''

\t``If he runs the mutants off the land, they'll have nowhere to go.  Hun figures he can then make an offer on the property because the organization will need funds to find new homes,'' Dr. Stockman said.

\t``He'll make a very low offer because he'll be positive no one will dare try to outbid him,'' Leo said.  ``We've met his type.''

\t``How astute of you,'' Novan said.  ``That's exactly what Hun said he planned.  He does tend to over share during certain post coital moments.''

\tDon made a slight sound in the back of his throat and if Raph hadn't been sitting close to him, he might not have noticed.  The words `client' `post coital' and the almost use of the `f' word gave Raph a good idea of the type of business Donovan was in.  Those references must have meant something to his genius brother as well.

\tNicco was on the opposite side of the table and couldn't have heard Don, but he was sending plenty of surreptitious glances in his mate's direction.  Maybe coming to this world wasn't such a great idea.

\t``You haven't been home in two days?'' Mikey asked.  ``Were you running this whole time?  Have you had any sleep?''

\tNovan flipped a hand in the air as if to wave the concern aside.  ``I made do.''

\t``What of Yoshino?  He's got a delicate constitution,'' Dr. Stockman said.

\tOnce more Novan stiffened just a little.  Raph noticed that though he was wary around him and his brothers, he hadn't exhibited any outward hostility.  It was different with the two humans.

\t``I made certain that Yoshi had plenty to eat,'' Novan said.  He looked at Mase.  ``He's been taking his vitamins and his medicine too.''

\t``I'll bet you gave Yoshi all your food,'' Mase said.  ``How long have you known Annabelle now?  You know the sandwich is safe.  Here.''

\tWith that Mase lifted one half of the sandwich and bit off a corner.  Novan watched him chew and swallow before accepting the rest from Mase and eating it.

\tAnnabelle had turned in for the night and now Dr. Stockman cleared his throat.  ``Nicco, Mase, I'll leave you to making certain all of our guests are comfortable.  Our home is their home.  Good-night to all of you.  Sleep well.''

\tThe turtle brothers rose as Dr. Stockman rolled his wheelchair away from the table and towards the door.  While they bid him a good-night, Donovan finished his sandwich, clearly hungrier than he had let on.

\tAfter the humans were gone Donovan seemed to relax.  ``I would love a drink of some kind to wash this sandwich down,'' he said, looking pointedly at Mase.

\t``Fruit juice or water?'' Mase asked, standing up.

\t``I suppose at this time of night it should be water,'' Novan said.  ``Thank you, darling.''

\tWhen Mase went to the kitchen it left Novan with an unobstructed view of Nicco.  ``Do tell me more about your new relationship, Niccolo,'' Novan practically purred.

\tThere was a playfulness in his tone and a mischievous look in his eye.  Nicco had at first seemed discomfited by the albino's familiarity, but now his manner was stern.

\t``If Hun is looking for you, then your motorcycle probably shouldn't be parked at the curb,'' Nicco said.

\tDonovan stared back at him with a raised eye ridge before rolling his eyes.  ``You're no fun, Niccolo.  But you do have a point.  For once.  Where, may I ask, am I supposed to hide it away from view?  I doubt Annabelle wishes me to ruin her garden beds.''

\tMase set a glass of water on the table in front of Novan.  ``You can take it along the public walking path on the side of the house and around to the back.  There's a gap in the fence that's big enough for your bike to fit through, you just have to push past a couple of overgrown bushes.  You can leave the bike underneath the pergola, just try to avoid the flowers.''

\t``I'll need someone to guide me,'' Novan said, his eyes sliding from Mase to Nicco.  ``In case you hadn't noticed, it's dark and wet out there.''

\t``Give me a flashlight and I'll help him navigate,'' Raph said.  He wasn't sure why he'd piped up with the offer, but he couldn't help but feel it would be in Don's best interest to keep Novan and Nicco separated.  Looking at Novan he added, ``I'd like to see that motorcycle of yours anyway.''

\t``Do you know something about motorcycles?'' Novan asked, tilting his head as though studying Raph.

\t``Yeah,'' Raph answered with a cocky smile.  ``I know a little something about motorcycles.''

\tNicco stood up.  ``Come back to the laundry room with me, Raph, and I'll point out how to get to the gap in the fence.  The flashlights are near the back door.''

\tThe two of them left the room and Novan got up as well.  He stretched languidly, looking rather like a cat, and said, ``Mase, be a dear and keep an eye of Yoshi while I'm outside.  If he wakes, I'd prefer he see a familiar face or he'll be scared.''

\t``Of course I'll look after him,'' Mase said.  ``If he does wake up, I'll read him that story about the turtle who goes looking for the perfect home.  It's all nonsense written by humans who have no knowledge whatsoever of real turtles, but Yoshi seems to like it.  I think it's when the other animals keep telling the turtle that . . . .''

\t``Thank you, darling,'' Novan said in a polite but forceful tone, stopping the flood of talk.  ``Let me grab my jacket.  Mustn't keep the hot turtle with the snapping golden eyes waiting.''

\tMase went with him to the front room.  Before retrieving his jacket, Novan squatted next to Yoshino and watched him for a couple of minutes.  The turtle tot had moved around in his sleep, so Novan rearranged the blanket and then grabbed his jacket and left the house.

\tNicco took Raph into the laundry room and grabbed a flashlight from its recharging station.  Opening the back door, he stepped out onto the railed patio and when Raph joined him, Nicco pointed the light towards a corner of the backyard.

\t``Right there is where you'll find the gap in the fence.  We use it as a shortcut into the little park that's back behind our property,'' Nicco said.

\tHe handed the flashlight to Raph and turned to go back inside.  Raph reached out and caught hold of his arm, stopping Nicco.

\t``This Novan, he ain't gonna cause problems between ya' and Donny is he?  Because I told ya' before that I've always watched Don's back and if ya' do anything to hurt him, I'll kick your ass from one Sunday to the next,'' Raph said.

\t ``I'm not ever going to hurt Donatello,'' Nicco said, meeting Raph's eyes steadily.  ``Donovan's story is his to tell, but for the record, he isn't the type to create problems in someone else's relationship.''

\tRaph released Nicco and watched as he went back into the house.  In the silence of the night, Raph could just hear the crunch of tires rolling along a gravel path.

\tFollowing Nicco's directions, Raph walked to the end of the yard and pushed through the bushes that hid the gap in the fence.  He stepped out just as Donovan passed beneath one of the few trail lights in the park.

\tNormally, the first thing that Raph would have noticed would have been the motorcycle.  It was Donovan's unusual eyes that caught his attention though, just like they had done when the two of them were inside the house.  Not only were they red, but they were almond shaped, giving the turtle a somewhat exotic appearance.

\tDonovan's skin, a luminous white, shown under the lighting.  Raph realized he'd been motionless during his perusal of Novan when the albino began rolling his motorcycle directly at him.

\t``Like what you see, darling?'' Novan asked, eyes twinkling.

\t``Nice motorcycle,'' Raph said gruffly.  ``That an eight-valve Big Twin?''

\t``You do know your motorcycles,'' Novan replied.  ``This baby has a one hundred and seven cubic inch air displacement.''

\tRaph whistled.  ``Sweet.  Oil or liquid cooled cylinder heads?''

\t``Oil,'' Novan answered.  ``It has a shallower four-valve combustion chamber that picks up less combustion heat.''

\tUsing the flashlight, Raph pointed out the way into the Stockman's backyard.  Holding the light with one hand, Raph used the other to pull the bushes back so that Novan could wheel his motorcycle through the gap.

\tSomehow Raphael felt as though an offer to help with the motorcycle would not be welcomed, so he kept his mouth shut.  Walking alongside Novan, Raph looked down at the albino's hands, which were wrapped around the handlebars.  He was surprised to see that Novan had rather sharp claws on the ends of his fingers.

\tDonovan was slender, but despite the clothing Raph could tell that the turtle had strong, wiry muscles.  The albino might be avoiding Hun, but Raph's intuition told him that if cornered, Novan would be more than a match for the big man.

\tThere was another roll of thunder, but it was somewhere off in the distance.  The rain had stopped, replaced by a very light mist that felt nice against Raph's skin.  He was glad that the new shirt he was wearing was sleeveless and therefore less confining.

\tThe mist settled on his arms and each movement connected the moisture until it became drops.  Apparently the same was true for Donovan, because he swiped at the drops around one eye.  It was then that Raph saw the red markings become smudged.  They had been painted on.

\tAfter parking the motorcycle beneath the pergola, Novan took his saddlebags off the bike.  Setting them on the ground, he then extracted an all-weather fitted bike cover from the small trunk box.  Raph helped him stretch it over the motorcycle and then Novan slung the saddlebags over his shoulder as the two of them headed back to the house.

\t``So, you and the Stockman family,'' Raph began, tentatively broaching the subject he most wanted to understand.  ``Known them for a while?''

\tNovan glanced at him.  That look seemed to be taking Raph's measure while reading between the lines of his question.

\t``I take it that you have not known them for long,'' Novan countered.

\t``Known Nicco longer than the rest,'' Raph admitted.  He'd questioned cagey humans before, but he'd usually had to employ his fists.  Novan didn't fall into the first category and Raph doubted force would be a smart option.

\tRaph decided to go with forthright.  ``Where me and my bro's come from, there ain't many mutants and the ones that do exist stay hidden.  For the most part, humans don't know about us and the ones that do are either real good friends or they want to dissect us.''

\tNovan seemed to think that over.  ``If you're asking whether Dr. Stockman and Annabelle are trustworthy, then I can assure you they are,'' he said slowly.  ``My experiences with humans has not been good and I don't like them.  I make an exception for the two in this house because they have always treated Yoshi and me well.''

\tA corner of Raph's mouth lifted in amusement.  ``That wasn't what I was reading when we were inside.''

\t``I am tired, darling,'' Novan said as they stepped onto the patio.  ``I am worried about Yoshi and do not like to depend on others for help.  When I am . . . stressed, I do tend to fall back on old behaviors.  And I have no idea why I am sharing this with you, other than the fact that you have such gorgeous eyes.''

\tRaph froze for a second, completely disconcerted by that admission.  He didn't know Donovan well enough to know if the guy was screwing with him or if he always tended to say exactly what he was thinking.

\t``I don't know much about these two humans, but it seems that to them, mutants ain't much different than anyone else,'' Raph said.  ``Maybe that's `cause the doctor raised two of them as his own sons and they're family.  Now with Nicco and Don being mated and all, the four of us are kind of family too.''

\tHe watched Novan, hoping that the turtle would take the hint and give Raph some idea as to where he and Yoshi fit into the scheme of things.

\t``How wonderful for you all,'' Novan murmured.

\t``This whole extended family thing is new to us,'' Raph said, still eyeing Novan.  ``It's gonna take some getting used to.  We got a lot to learn about each other.  For me, the main thing is that Donny don't get hurt.''

\t``I feel exactly that way about Yoshi.  It is my duty to raise him and to keep him safe.  Sometimes that means that I must bring him here to be cared for.''  Novan abruptly changed the subject.  ``We should go inside, darling.  Your clothes are getting wet and starting to stick to your body.''  Looking at Raph slyly, he added, ``It is certainly a good look on you, of course.  But I would rather not have Yoshi catch a cold from you.  I'm sure you understand.''

\tRaph blinked, once more thrown off balance by the guy.  Handling someone like Novan wasn't in Raph's knowledge wheelhouse.

\tThey entered the house together and Raph closed the door behind them.  As he was placing the flashlight back into its charger, Novan shrugged out of his jacket.

\tThe laundry room wasn't large and in the enclosed space, Raphael's sensitive nose caught a whiff of Donovan's scent.

\tNovan had turned away from him and didn't see Raph's eyes widen in surprise.  Having grown up with brothers and then spent time with both Niccolo and Masolino, Raph knew how mutated male turtles smelled.

\tIt was very clear from his scent that Donovan wasn't completely male.

TBC.........

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