A/N: I've been putting the Hamato family through hell lately, including putting Donatello through a LOT of pain and suffering in Love's Causality, I thought a bit of fluff was in order for the poor sweetheart and his family. Fun fact – this was where I was originally going to have Karai take Leonardo on their one day trip of bonding and romance in the first Tender Trap story – but a day in the city worked better.


Fireflies, Falling Stars and Forever


Chapter 1

Splinter surveyed the duffle bags stacked in a haphazard way next to the turnstiles, tucking a flannel blanket and the leg of a teddy bear neatly inside the opening of one, while adjusting the zipper over what was no doubt a wholly unnecessary toolbox in another. He frowned as his hand ghosted over something rigid and sighed deeply as he removed a short katana from the interior of another bag; setting the wakizashi carefully to one side, along with several throwing stars; thinking Leonardo's double katanas would be more than enough weaponry to bring along the trip; and also making a mental note to scold Leonardo for raiding the weapons cabinet when he was explicitly instructed not to open unless gaining permission first. His heart had good intentions, but his son needed to learn that it is one thing to be prepared and to look out for the safety of one's family, but another to allow oneself to become paranoid.

He shook his head, but smiled wryly at the extra weaponry. "My cautious son is a bit too concerned with preparing for danger where there is none."

He decided to take some time out this weekend to speak with Leonardo about balance. He worried that his boy was under too much stress since placing the title of leader upon his young shoulders. He should have anticipated that his serious child would take the title and all its responsibilities with rigid solemnity.

If that wasn't bad enough, Splinter noted that Raphael's bag deflated as he touched it. He lifted it to discover it was empty but for two racing magazines and a can of bug repellant. His arms dropped and he opened his mouth to call for his boy, irritation making his fur bristle. Before he could, his ears flicked as he picked up the distant sound of the O'Neil's entering the lair. He straightened up as April's voice drifted towards him, dropping the nearly empty bag on top of the others.

A warm smile lit his eyes as his gaze fell on the girl walking arm in arm with her father even as a pang of muted envy tainted the edge of it. He banished the shadow that fell across his heart. There should be no negativity this morning nor would he allow any to permeate his spirit while on their trip. This was a time of rejoicing and celebrating reunions; of family made whole; of just being together. But even as he fortified himself with such positivity, the thought that not all of his family were present and accounted for settled like ash in the rear of his mind, causing him to falter in his greeting.

"Hi, Master Splinter!" April called as she released her father's arm and raced to where he stood, hands clasped behind his back as he dipped his head in wordless welcome.

As he raised his head up, her arms went around his neck and he was pulled down into a fierce embrace. He started, hands shooting to his sides, before finally, tentatively, wrapping them around the girl's back, returning the hug. Unused to physical demonstrations of affection, it caught him completely off guard. Raising four adolescent boys had left him without the tenderness that a daughter's regard brought to a father. While Michelangelo was the most unconstrained of his children when it came to expressing his feelings, even hugs from him where far and too few between. It wasn't until now that he even realized that he missed it. Missed it dearly. Splinter closed his eyes and allowed himself to indulge in the moment. Any pain situating itself within the aching cavities of his heart fled in the face of this demonstration of love. He could not help but feel his eyes grow misty. He cleared his throat as April pulled away, smiling brightly at him. The earlier pang of missing someone struck his heart once more. He did his best to ignore it.

"Where's Mikey and everyone else?" she asked and he noticed that in one hand she held a fisherman's bucket hat.

Splinter turned and opened his mouth to indicate the dojo when April brushed her hand through the air. "I'll find them." She skipped around him and down the steps, calling loudly for his sons. "Hey guys. Are you ready to go?"

Her energy affected the very air around her, buzzing with a kind of giddy joy, suffusing the lair with her youthful enthusiasm. Their responding voices filled the room as they hurried in to see her; ringing bright and young and happy to match her own. April held out the hat to Donnie, and his son, blushing in spite of himself, bent down to allow her to place it on his head. He gave an awkward laugh and stepped back as Raph and Mikey pushed forward to talk to her about their plans. Leo's face was alight with anticipation. Splinter stood watching, one hand braced against his heart, still feeling the warm presence of the girl's embrace; listening to the boisterous sound of excited children; feeling it seep into his hidden wounds to act as balm to their aches. His students, his children, where would he be without them?

"I never got a chance to thank you personally," Mr. O'Neil spoke softly from where he stood next to Splinter, watching April being surrounded by her friends. They chattered in escalating elation about the upcoming trip to the Catskill Forest Preserve. It would be the first time they had ever left the city. Kirby was thrilled with having the opportunity to do something nice in return for his cure.

Splinter inclined his head. "This holiday is more than thanks enough, Mr. O'Neil."

"Well," Kirby chuckled, "It's the very least I could do, after what Donatello managed to do for me." He indicated his body with one hand.

The last few months of living as a mutant bat creature had left him with a loss of time, for he couldn't remember much of what had happened while he was a mutant. Existing in that form for so long had taken its toll. But he was recovering nicely. Though he was still struggling a bit at night. He had trouble sleeping due to nightmares filled with strange urges and a hunger that even upon waking remained and had him ransacking the refrigerator in the dead of night; hands shaking; stomach hollow and ravenous. Sometimes April would find him on the roof and he'd have no idea how or why he was there, shivering in the crisp air, gazing blankly out into the inky expanse above with his heart thundering and his limbs trembling with an unknown need. But he could not complain. For he had his life back. His daughter. Everything else would eventually fall into place. He was sure. In time.

"If it wasn't for him, I'd still be lost. I owe him my life," Kirby added, his gaze turning distant and glazed.

A swelling of pride hit Splinter as he considered that the only reason Mr. O'Neil was present in his current, natural form was due to his intelligent son's efforts in creating a retro-mutation. His determination and dedication to aiding April and her father was more than touching. He'd committed himself to a nearly impossible challenge and did not give up until he achieved his goal. While the drive may have stemmed in part from his growing attachment to April, something that Splinter worried about, for his intelligent child had a sensitive heart, Splinter knew that Donatello felt keenly the wrongness of what had happened to the man and had set to right that wrong no matter what it took. A father couldn't be more honored by his son's actions than he was.

That April's father acknowledged his boy's efforts only endeared Splinter further towards the O'Neil family. If April ever found it in her heart to return Donatello's affections, he would be most proud to accept the union. Most proud. He blinked slowly as he stroked the long white whiskers protruding from his chin. Unfortunately, that would be left to fate to decide, and fate had not been kind to his family thus far.

As though making up his mind to keep things light, Kirby clapped his hands together and switched topics, "They're going to have a blast," Kirby smiled and the brightness there was similar to his daughter's. He rubbed his hands together. "I've got the cabins and surrounding grounds booked and it's in the best possible spot. There won't be anyone around for miles."

Splinter nodded his gratitude for the extra precautions being taken for the safety of his family.

Michelangelo's excited cry of, "Well what are we waiting for!?" had them all racing up the steps towards their bags where the two father's stood side by side. Master Splinter's hand shot out and took hold of the top of Raphael's head. He froze.

"I believe you forgot your essentials, my son."

"What?" Raph asked as he flinched under his father's gentle, but firm grasp of his head.

Splinter cocked a brow at him. "Do you plan on sleeping on the bare ground without a blanket? And I believe I asked you each to pack the first aid kit I prepared along with your T-phones in case we get separated."

Raphael sighed and rolled his eyes. "April said they're bringing sleeping bags for us." Splinter said nothing but twisted his hand and Raph spun slowly to face his room. "Okay, okay, I'll go get my stuff," he said and dashed to his room, calling over his shoulder, in all sincerity, "Don't leave without me!"

Splinter sighed, thinking of course they wouldn't. "Kids."

April grinned as Kirby stepped through the turnstiles followed by Michelangelo who wore a battered Yankee's baseball cap on his head turned backwards and Leonardo who cast a longing look at the weapons removed from his bag before ducking his head at the look of soft reproach on his father's face. Donatello, wearing the bucket hat April had given him, held out his hand to help April over the turnstiles, but she just vaulted over the side with a loud whoop of excitement. He recovered from the slight and quickly moved to follow, but got the strap of his bag caught in one of the arms and clumsily tried to free it, only making it worse due to the oddly shaped bulk from his over packing. By the time he'd gotten it loose, Raph was stuffing his blanket into his bag and rushing towards the exiting group. He soared over the barrier, making sure to tag Don once on the top of his head as he went with a hearty slap. The strap dropped from his hands and got tangled again.

"Raph!"

"You snooze, you lose! See ya, Donnie!"

"Hey, I just . . . ugh! C'mon!" He spun around and fumbled with the strap until it finally fell free from the spoke. "Got it! April? Guys? W-Wait for me!"

As he hurried to catch up with the group, he just spotted Raphael's foot as he climbed through the opening of the sewer grate to the street above. He hopped up onto the ladder and climbed as fast as he could to the surface. He popped his head out and looked around.

The neighborhood sat subdued and half asleep so early in the morning. Distantly the sound of traffic reached him. The air hung heavy with a damp promise of a warm humid day ahead. His brothers were getting into a large van. He glanced around and emerged, a smile plastered on his face as he spotted April moving around the back of the vehicle. He hoped he'd get a chance to sit with her sometime during the two to two and a half hour drive to the campgrounds. He'd prepared an entire collection of topics that he could bring up that he was sure would engage her in satisfying conversation.

The giddy rush of happiness that he'd felt since learning that they'd be spending an entire four days with April and her father several days before hadn't ebbed in the least. The hours between learning this wonderful news and leaving this morning had been spent in a haze of anticipation and planning. He'd sacrificed some hours of sleep in the process of planning activities and subjects to discuss, but he couldn't help it. There would be so much time to just be with April. He buzzed with electrified anticipation. He couldn't wait. He turned from replacing the manhole cover, still grinning widely and felt his smile freeze on his face.

"C'mon, Purple, let's move it! You're holding up the party van!" Casey Jones, arm thrown causally around April's shoulders called out to him. Donatello's eyes zeroed in on her hand braced on the boy's chest and felt his happiness shrink and go out like a puff of ash in a strong breeze.

"Am I right, Mr. O'Neil, sir?" Casey asked over his shoulder to April's father at the steering wheel.

"That's right, son. It's gonna be fun times ahead! Yay for the party vehicle," Kirby chuckled and started the van. Revving the engine once to confirm Casey's point as April closed her eyes and sighed at her father's awkward cheer; she adored her dork of a dad so much. Donatello stood for a moment longer trying to process what was happening. But it was clear. Casey was right. He was detaining them. His clumsy, stupid, clod of a body was slowing the fun down. Donatello forced his legs to move. He gripped the strap of his duffle with white-knuckled strain. He could not stop smiling like a maniac.

"R-Right," he said and scurried to the vehicle, keeping his gaze on anything but April's beaming glow under the punk's arm. Cursing his face for freezing in that rigor mortise state.

"Like the hat. My grandad's got one just like that," Casey said and a burst of laughter erupted from him before being cut off by April elbowing him in the ribs.

Donnie gritted his teeth. "I thought that it was . . . just going to be us," Donatello said with false cheer, doing his best not to sound in the least disappointed or chagrinned at the unwanted teen's unexpected appearance. He glanced into the van to lock eyes with his older brother. Leo gave him a sympathetic look that had the back of his neck heating up uncomfortably. "I-I just . . . just thought, is all."

He cleared his throat and ducking, climbed inside. He sat heavily next to Splinter in the back row of seating. The middle row had been removed and on the floor between their bags sat Mikey and Leo facing each other. Raph had his back propped against the driver's seat, one arm resting on a bent knee. Casey shut the door to the passenger side after April climbed in next to her father and took the seat on the floor right behind her. Donatello looked everywhere but at Casey who was seated directly in front of him.

April turned in her seat as her father pulled out the GPS device and double checked the route they would take. "So, you got the okay from your mom and dad?"

Casey shrugged. He laughed and there was a nervous lit to the edge. "Sure did. Got the okay with my pop and I'm good to go." He glanced at Raph who eyed him then quickly away. He suddenly rose up onto his knees and pounded the roof of the van. "Let's get this road trip goin'!"

Leo and Mikey exchanged glances and April reached out to ruffle Casey's hair. Donatello pulled the brim of his hat down lower over his burning eyes.

"Hey, you'll mess with my carefully executed style."

Raphael snorted and April bounced in her seat. She reached out and turned on the radio. The jangling notes of a pop song filled the air as Kirby pulled out onto the street. Before long Mikey and Raph were doing their best to sing along. Casey began belting out made up lyrics in a loud off-key singing voice that had everyone cracking up.

Donatello jumped as Splinter covered his hand with his own. He looked up into his father's eyes, feeling his throat tighten with embarrassment. He gave him a watery smile and a weak chuckle; hoping to fool his sensei into thinking he was having as much fun as everyone else.

Splinter gazed into his eyes until Donatello, blinking rapidly, looked away. Feeling as though Splinter was seeing right through him.

"Do not fret, my son," he said quietly.

Donatello shot a worried look around to see if anyone had heard him or noticed the comforting but humiliating gesture. Thankfully, Casey was still mangling the lyrics of the current song and Mikey and Raph were trying to outwit him in louder and louder voices, with Leo looking as though this was the coolest thing he'd ever experienced. Donatello sighed.

Thankfully, Splinter removed his hand. He glanced out the tinted window as they sped along the highway. "I feel that time spent in a new location shall be most refreshing. Often with new surroundings one gains perspective."

But all Donatello could see was April's face peering around the seat at Casey, looking at him with shining eyes and beaming, positively glowing, as if he was the most amazing person she'd ever met. He slid lower in his seat and pretended to be asleep the rest of the ride.


A/N: So, this is just going to be a short piece - probably one of my 3 chapter rides, at least that's the extent I think it will play out in my head right now. But these things do have a way of getting away from me - so maybe longer, after all! Anyway, thanks for reading! I'd love your feedback on this fluff!