AUTHOR NOTES:

Happy holidays everyone! Extra long chapter this time! I'm sorry everyone for the sudden haitus. I have been sick and it's not untill recently that I've been physically well enough to write. Chapters will resume as normal after this. If I go "missing" again, I'll update my profile with info. Once again, thank you for all the kind reviews! Please let me know if you're still enjoying the story :)

Chapter 7

The clamor of shoes and turtle feet against pavement echoed through the dark streets as two figures raced closely together. Karai and Donatello were filled with terror. Both of them clutched the hems of their hoods trying to keep their faces hidden as they bolted.

"Oh man, we're going to be late!" Donatello shrilled fearfully between his breaths, "I've already calculated it out! Even at this pace, to make it back in time we should have left at -"

"Shut up and keep running!" Karai cut him off, "If we save our breath we might make it!"

Donatello clammed up but he knew there was no way they'd make it. Splinter's parting words rang through his mind,

"You have one hour. If you both aren't back by then, every minute that passes I will spend meditating on how you'll be punished."

Donnie could feel his stomach sink.

It wasn't a question IF they could make it in time, but how severe their punishment will be. Donatello could feel his mind starting to spiral out of control. He closed his eyes for moment. Karai was right. He needed to focus. No amount of calculations or worry would get them home faster, they just needed to give it their best try.

The two of them ran into the sewers and didn't stop until they reached the Lair. Exhausted and perspiring, they stumbled in ungracefully and out of breath.

Karai and Donnie looked around and saw no one but a familiar voice rang out.

"You're late." Splinter announced.

The two ninjas grew stiff at the sound of Splinter's voice. Donatello swallowed, took a breath, and exhaled, "We know Sensei and we're sorry." he apologized in surrender, "It was our fault. My fault. I misjudged how long the walk back would take." He had left Karai in the cafe, but this time he wouldn't leave her. He straightened his back and looked Splinter in the eyes, "I'll accept whatever punishment you have Sensei."

Karai turned to Donatello in disbelief. Sure, she didn't want any punishment, but... she didn't want Donnie taking her punishment.

Karai's face whipped back to Splinter, "We simply lost track of time!" she blurted out. Karai wasn't even sure where she was going with this, but she didn't want Donatello doing this for her, "We were... having a good time. We didn't go against you intentionally Father... but" she paused in thought, "It was our fault that we're late... We're both at fault."

"Hmmm" Splinter gave a thoughtful tug of his beard and looked off in the distance. Donatello and Karai listened attentively.

"The mark of true character is not only acknowledging wrong but taking responsibility for it."

"Ah...Hai Sensei..." Donatello modestly replied, still unsure of what their fate would be.

Splinter faced the two of them, "Still... you were 3 minutes late, which was plenty of time to meditate."

Donnie grew tense and Karai anxiously watched Splinter. She had no idea what type of punishments he dealt out. She only knew Shredder's kind of discipline.

Splinter looked away and announced in a commanding tone, "Tomorrow I want the entire kitchen clean from top to bottom. But-" Splinter's voice softened tenfold, "I want both of you to take responsibility together and help each other. One person shouldn't bare responsibility for the other, but it is better to not face the problems in life alone." Splinter smiled at them, "I recommend you start early."

"Hai!" they both answered promptly.

Splinter chuckled to himself and the two watched as he vanished into his meditation room. They waited a silent moment as if to make sure Splinter had truly left.

"I feel like we were let off easy." Karai whispered almost in shock, "Is he usually this lenient?"

"No, not really." Donnie rubbed his finger curiously against his lip, "I was expecting something much worse – considering he didn't want you to leave in the first place. I … really don't know why he went easy on us." Donnie face was stern in serious thought, "Though if Mikey's been in the Kitchen it might be far worse than we realize." he joked.

Karai laughed to herself, "Still, I think it was worth it. I'm glad I was finally able to get out for once." she smiled at Donnie, "Not that it's too bad in here"

"Heh, you're welcome." Donnie gave an awkward smile and began to walk off towards his room, "I guess I'll get out of these clothes. I really wanted to get some lab work done tonight... even if we work on the kitchen later." he began to pull off his gloves.

Karai just stood there casually and asked playfully, "Should I help you?"

Donatello eyes grew wide...

He slowly glanced over his shoulder towards Karai.

"Ya know, with your lab work." she teasingly added, "Or did you have something else in mind?"

Donnie nervously cleared his throat and swung back around promptly pressed on towards the safety of his room.

Karai just snickered as Donatello left to take care of his attire and lab work.

An hour or so later - April casually entered the Lair. April came to the Lair often, though she hadn't been around for days due to school. At the moment the Lair appeared empty which struck her a bit odd. Normally one of the brothers was on the couch lounging, playing video games, or watching TV. April thoroughly looked around to find someone, anyone. "Huh, maybe they're out on patrol or on a mission?" but then she heard a wistful sigh.

April turned around to where she thought the sigh was coming from and there was a pitiful green lump of turtle behind the couch under pizza boxes. The lump didn't move or speak at her approach. It just continued to sigh and moan but she recognized the pitiful noises.

"Hey, Mikey." She asked in a sympathetic voice, "What's up?"

The despondent lump didn't bother to look at her but a muffled replied came out of the boxes, "They totally forgot about me."

"Ahh... who did?" April asked a bit confused.

"Karai and D!" the pizza boxes shifted and fell away from the lump as he sat up, "They got all dressed up. All cool and stuff. For a top secret mission of frosty deliciousness!" Mikey shouted with indignation, "I wanted to be the secret agent man, but NO! They wouldn't let me!"

April just looked utterly confused, "I'm not sure if I'm following you, Mikey..."

"I told them I wanted Peppermint and Jellybean!" He continued to shout, "But did they get me anything?! NO! They totally forgot me!"

"Sooo, they went topside?" April tried to interrupt his ramblings, "That's really weird... aren't the foot clan still looking for Karai?" she pondered out loud - though more to herself than the despondent Michelangelo.

April looked over at Mikey who was still greatly torn up over the event, still sighing and huffing.

"Hey Mikey, do you want me to get you some Peppermint and Jelly... what was it?"

"Peppermint and Jellybean icecream." he looked up at her with puppy dog eyes.

"Yeah, how about next time I get you some?" she added trying to cheer him up.

"Really? April you're the best! You're my favorite human friend!" Mikey threw himself at April giving her a huge bear hug! Paying no mind that he was almost squashing her. "Ehhh yeah.. thanks Mikey." April said breathlessly, but she couldn't help but smile from his enthusiasm.

"Where is everyone anyways?" April asked outloud.

"Hmmmmm, I don't know about Karai but pretty sure D's in his lab."

"Okay, well I'm going to check on Donnie. Don't worry I'll get you that ice cream next time I go out" April reassured him.

"You're the best April" Mikey gave her a thumbs up.

"If only some of my siblings were as considerate" He pouted under his breath as he head towards his room.

April walked over the lab door and knocked, "Donnie can I come in?" she opened the door to see Donatello fast at work with chemical vials and tubes all lined up.

Donatello peered over his PC. "April!" Donatello beamed, "It's been days! How are you doing? How is school?"

April walked over to Donnie's desk, " Eh, okay I guess. School has been a pain." her eyes examined all the notes, chemicals, and lab devices on the desk and counters, "I swear the teachers think we have no other classes and nothing else better to do than homework!" her words were weary but she did her best to appear positive, "How are things going down here?"

He gave her a childish gap-tooth grin, "Things have been great!"

April perked up with eyes wide, "So you've made a breakthrough with the retro-mutatent?" Donatello could hear the hopefully spark in her words and froze.

They were talking about two completely different things.

"I'm an idiot! Of course she's asking about the progress of the retro-mutaten!" Donatello internally berated himself, "Of course she's thinking about her father! How could I be so... thoughtless! Here's April is worried about her father every single day and I'm.. and I'm... goofing off and playing around!"

Donatello voice turned pained, "I'm... sorry... I haven't made any progress yet." standing up he reassured her, "B-b-but I am working hard..."

"Oh..." April eyes became downcast. Donnie could see the news extinguished the little hope in her heart, "It's okay Donnie, I know you're doing your best." April began to rub her tired eyes.

His heart became crushed. There was nothing he wouldn't give to lift her heart. He wished he could ease her pain. There was nothing more he could give her. To comfort her...

He would reach out and hold her if...

"Hey... what was Mikey mad about? He said something about you and Karai going topside without him?" she asked trying to change the subject. Though she was also curious.

"Oh yeah..." still lost in thought Dontello tried to find his words, "I told him I was sorry but he was still really sore at us. I honestly feel really bad about it. I was... a bit distracted and forgot to pick up any ice cream for him." Donnie explained in his usual intellectual tone. "I barely got any for myself" he added a bit miffed thinking of Karai.

"You and Karai got ice cream?" April inquired, "Isn't that a little dangerous with the foot clan still out there looking for her? The whole reason she went into hiding down here was to keep away from the foot clan."

"Well, Yes." he admitted awkwardly, "I know how dangerous it is, I was actually against it. But we're masters of stealth and took precautions like disguises and staying together. We didn't run into any real trouble. No one saw us. Even if they did, I won't let anything happen to Karai. I'll protect her."

April's face became slightly askew.

"When did you become so chummy with Karai?" April asked in an almost accusing tone.

Donnie froze.

Oh no. What was she thinking?

Panic filled his eyes, what was he going to tell her? He didn't want to give her the wrong idea! They were "just friends" after all. Eureka, that was it! Even Karai mentioned that from the start. Sure Karai was a bit... touchy. Even... flirtatious but many girls are like that, right?

Donatello tried to remain calm but his voiced trembled, "D-d-don't get the wrong idea! We're just friends! It's nothing really. We've been watching movies and today we had ice cream, ya know normal stuff."

Donatello's anxious behavior just made April more suspicious, "Wait. So... you're hanging out with Karai all the time now?"

"Um. No. Not really." he defended, "Why does it even matter?"

April hesitated, "... I'm worried about you hanging out with her."

Donnie raised one eye brow, "Worried? Why? Because she was part of the foot clan?"

"Well, that's part of it." April snarked, "People don't change that easily."

"Though we change and evolve all the time." Donatello was noticeably getting annoyed.

Sure Karai had been apart of the Foot and she had her faults, but April's accusations seemed unfair to him.

April audible sighed, "Listen. Donnie." April pleaded, "It's more than that."

Donatello was silent and uncofmortable, but gave her his full attention.

"I'm worried about YOU. I'm worried about how much time you're spending together. " for some reason April wasn't being as direct as she normally was.

"I told you we're just friends." Donatello exclaimed, "Can't I see a friend more than once a week? Don't you eat food and watch movies with your friends that you see everyday at school?"

"Um, well yes. But she's still a girl and your still a guy... turtle... whatever." April rubbed her forehead in tiredness, "What I mean is I'm worried about what could happen."

"I don't see Karai in that way. " Donatello defended adamently, "There's more people in this world than you April. I can hang out with with whomever I want!"

"What?!" April fumed, "This isn't about me! You know what, do whatever you want!" April tired of arguing headed for the door, "I have a lot of school work to do. I just wanted to check on you guys." April stormed out the door leaving Donnie to this thoughts.

Stillness filled the laboratory.

Donatello groaned out loud,"Well that went great!"

He didn't want to fight April... she just... "UGH, Why did it have to end up this way?"

Donatello sighed and curled up at his desk. "Why" he wondered, "Why does it even matter to her? Why should she care so much? Does she really think Karai is so reprehensible I needed to be warned? It doesn't make sense."

The lab was silent, though inside his mind there was a roar of thoughts hustling and bustling for answers.

"Perhaps... she couldn't admit why. That she just didn't want me with Karai?" Donatello eyes grew wide, "No, that's absurd... if she was jealous that meant somehow... she wanted..." he hid his face in embarrassment "No, no! It couldn't be! But why was she acting so weird!"

Donatello sat there in the quiet of his laboratory for some minutes.

"But what if Karai was right... that April "suddenly wanted" me because I was around someone else. That if she saw me as taken, she'd realize how much I mean to her..." Donnie's face softened, the small bit of hope in his heart swelled.

Donatello for a moment begun to reconsider Karai's tempting offer.

"But to make April jealous, what would we have to do? Act like a couple... with Karai? Doing things like cuddling and kiss...ing..." Donatello saw Karai's face in his mind coming closer and... His face grew flush and his breath uneasy, "NO, NO, No, no, no, no, no! I couldn't do that!"he screamed out loud.

"I-i-t doesn't matter anyways" he thought to himself trying to calm himself down, "I'm done trying to change April's mind about me. If she actually wants me, she needs to figure that on her own. Not by me forcing it."

"What can't you do?" a voice called out. While he was lost in thought someone had opened the lab door.