Perseverance

April had already arrived at the lair by the time Donatello got home. She looked up and smiled as he creaked the heavy door open and stepped into the livingroom.

“Hey stud! Long time, no see!” she said with a warm chuckle. Don flopped down next to her and put his feet on the coffee table.

“Stud?” he asked.

“That’s what the guys were calling you this afternoon. Well, that and ‘Loverboy’.” April smiled and nudged him with her elbow. “They’re very happy for you, and so am I.”

Don grinned and blushed. “Sorry you haven’t met her yet, April. I promise I’ll bring her to see you when you and Master Splinter get back.”

April patted his arm and got up to go to the kitchen. “I understand what it’s like, Don,” she said. “When you first start going out with someone new, all you want to do is be with them. It’s a very special period in a relationship.” Donatello heard the oven door open and close. “And besides,” she continued, “ I’ve been super busy too. Whenever the boss hears that someone is going on vacation, he works their ass off before they go.”

“You work hard, anyway, April,” Don said as she re-emerged with two big glasses of milk and an oven-cooked pizza on a tray. She kicked Don’s feet off the table and set the tray down before sitting next to him again.

“I know,” she sighed

“It’s not like you to have pizza for breakfast,” he teased, grabbing a slice.

“Think of it as an early lunch… a very early lunch.”

Don took a drink of milk. “I think you’ll like her,” he said thoughtfully.

“Of course I will!” April laughed. “Splinter and the guys think she’s great, and besides, you’re Donatello!”

“Of course I’m me,” Don said, confused.

April laughed again and wiped her mouth with a napkin. “No, no,” she said. “What I mean is that I know that you’re very smart, and sweet, and that you’d pick a girl who would not only appreciate that, but reciprocate.”

Don thought about that for a moment. “Yeah,” he said. “She’s really nice, and she’s smart enough to run her own business. It’s different from what I’ve heard… y’know, about opposites attracting.”

April nodded. “Opposites do attract. That’s why girls like bad boys,” she giggled. “And sometimes that works out. A shy person might like to date a bold person, and they’ll compliment each other fairly well, but by and large, lasting relationships are built with people who are very much alike. That way there’s less fighting over stuff like money and housework.”

“Only less?”

“Couples fight,” April said with a shrug. “A good fight can clear the air,” she leaned over so her mouth was next to his tiny ear. “And make-up sex is awesome,” she whispered.

Don nearly choked on his pizza.

*********************

The turtles helped Master Splinter climb into April’s van. The old rat was more frail than they’d ever seen him, and they would have carried him readily if it they knew it wouldn't steal the last of his pride. Splinter seemed happy to be going with April, although he was worried he’d be too great of a burden on her.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” she’d said before kissing and hugging each of the turtles goodbye. They all looked like they were going to cry. “Don’t worry,” she whispered before she climbed into the van. “I’ll take care of him.”

Splinter waved to them with a delicate clawed hand as they drove off down the road. They smiled and waved back, but as soon as the van was gone their smiles faded and their arms fell.

Raphael put his arm around Mikey’s shoulders, and Mike reached his arms around his brother to hug him back. When Raphael was upset or when he needed reassurance, he’d usually try to disguise it by pretending to comfort one of his brothers. The other turtles understood this, but they never said anything about it. Mikey looked at Leo and Don over Raph’s shoulder and they stepped over to embrace the other two in a big group hug.

“What’re we gonna do without him?” Raphael choked.

Leo hugged them all harder. “I dunno, bro… I really don’t.”