Undiscovered Power

  First: I apologize for the mega, mega crap way Shredder died. Second: sorry it was late.

~

   Eleven days Later . . .

   "BLAGH!"

   Leo jumped three foot back as his brother leapt around a corner with his face pulled into a grotesque expression. Mike's face relaxed and then broke into a laugh.

   "I love scaring you Leo, you always move further back than the others," Mikey smiled. They were both stood in the lair, and Leo had been heading to the dojo as Mikey jumped out of his car door.

   Leo rolled his eyes irritably and moved past his brother into the room he had been heading for, and Mikey leapt over the back of the couch and flopped onto the cushions. Stretching for the remote that was on the far chair arm, he clicked on the old TV.

   Two people climbed down the ladder entrance into the lair, and started shedding their coats and hat.

   "That wind's rough," Donny informed no one in particular as he started to descend the steps. He didn't really expect anyone in the Lair to care about the wind.

   "You have no idea," Prida muttered as she followed him, turning her eyes to her hair that was stuck out around her face, making her seem like some modern day cave woman.

   Mikey didn't even look at them as Donny walked past him and towards his lab.

   "You too nerds hanging out at that gadget store?" he asked, eyes on the TV as he flicked through channels.

   "I'm not a nerd, I have an average intelligence," Prida said. "About the same as you."

   Mikey took his eyes off the TV and looked at her.

   "And that shop's cool," she added. "Anyway, we weren't there all this time, I smuggled Don into my house so Mai didn't notice him, so he could upgrade my computer and whatever else he did to make it better than it was. I dunno half of what he was telling me."

   Mai had returned home four days ago. Prida's explanation to the absence of many ornaments had been that she had thrown a wild party, and everyone had got a bit reckless. It was an odd story, seeing as how her sister didn't like to socialize much, but Mai had accepted it. The window story also seemed to work, though Mai asked her three times what had happened. It was only yesterday that Mai notice the dent on the front of her car; Prida had said nothing but "er" for a few seconds after her sister pointed at this, before saying she really didn't know how the car had been dinted, but perhaps the people who she invited to her house had caused it. Mai seemed to think it looked like someone had driven into something, but dropped the topic to unpack her things. And since Korey had been living with his dad, and he and Mai were married, it was planned that he would move into the sisters' house, after all, Korey had helped pay rent on it when things were going bad for Mai.

   Still, Prida had not told Mai about the turtles or Splinter.

   "Where's Hothead?" Prida asked, seating herself in the nearest armchair.

   "Out with Casey, I dunno where," Mikey answered, staring at the TV again. Raph had left in a temper earlier because of Mikey's constant 'BLAGH' attacks.

   "Okay, where's the Perfectionist?"

   "Dojo," Mike jerked his thumb towards the room.

   No sooner had he said this Leo emerged with a single katana in hand, and a special cloth he used to clean the blades in his other hand, wrapped around the thin metal.

   "Hey," both girl and turtle greeted each other.

   "Mike, afternoon practice," Leo announced, pausing his cleaning and coming to a stop behind the couch.

   "Afternoon?" His brother turned in his seat and looked at him.

   "Yeah," Leo said, "Splinter wants us to make up for the sessions we missed days back. So, dojo, as soon as Sensei gets back."

   Mikey made a face and turned back. Splinter had taken a walk in the sewers, as he does now and then. He claims it's much more peaceful in the tunnels than it is in the lair, and he enjoys walks that are further than the distances between his room and the kitchen.

   "But Raph's not here," Mikey whined. "Why should we have to do practice and he gets to miss out?"

   Leo smirked. "If he misses practice, he has to make up for it in meditation sessions. And you know how he hates mediation."

   Mikey's smirk was identical. He turned to Prida. "Raph's really bad at meditating, and since Splin'ner believes it can help Raph's anger problem, he has to do extra time." He sniggered evilly, in a funny sort of way.

   As Leo turned away he said, "You're almost as bad, Mikey. Splinter can't get you to sit still long enough, so your time is extended as well." And he disappeared into the dojo with a smile on his face.

   Prida sniggered as Mikey turned his attention back to the TV. He suddenly straightened up as though the picture that had just popped onto the screen reminded him of something.

   "Oh, hey, I almost forgot," he said as he got to his feet, and walked into his room. He shuffled about for a few seconds before reappearing with an envelope. He handed it out to Prida. "Remember, just say that I got your address, and that, we – er – have no phone over in 'LA'."

   Prida took the envelope. On the front was Matt Hill's name in Mikey's untidy writing. She looked back up.

   "Sure, I bet he'll be happy to hear from you," she leant forward and tucked the letter into her back jeans pocket, wondering what it would be like to write with only two fingers.

   "Exactly what did you tell Roxanne?" Mikey asked, still stood in front of her.

   "Well, I told her that you hadn't died, and in my shock – as you would be after you'd been blown into the air – I saw wrong, and that you guys weren't killed. I just said that you were patched up before you went back home."

   Mikey inclined his head slightly in a nod, and then tilted his head, as though considering something on her head. He grinned.

   "You should do something about your hair, you look hilarious!" He laughed.

   "Grgh," Prida groaned, and attempted to comb it using her fingers. The little of it that was still tied back was as messy as the rest of it that had pulled loose.

   "Go ask Donny for a comb – he usually has everything else," Mike turned away back to the couch and sat down smiling.

   "What would he be doing with a comb? You don't have hair." Prida got up and made her way to Donny's lab anyway. She found him at his computer. But instead of asking for a comb, a question that had been nagging her for over a week went first in line.

   "Hey," he said without turning round.

   "Yeah, hey, listen, Don, can I ask you something?" She walked further in and sat on his table. He winced as some papers were crumpled. She didn't notice, her eyes were on the ceiling as she considered her question.

   "Sure, go ahead," he said a little unenthusiastically as he attempted to pull away some surrounding papers that could also get sat on if she moved further.

   "You know when we were up against Shredder," she continued, " and he threw that star thingy at you?"

   "It's called a Shruiken, a throwing star," Donny informed her. He knew what she was going to ask.

   "Yeah, one of those – well, what happened? I mean, you would have been . . . dead, but . . ." She turned her head to look at him.

   Donny put his elbow on the table and rested his chin on his knuckles. "What I think happened, was that you stopped it."

   Prida looked at him. "Riiight. I was over Shredder's shoulder, remember? Besides, I think if I caught that thing my fingers would pretty much –" she showed her hands and wiggled her fingers " – be gone."

   Don took his chin off his hand and hutched his chair forwards a bit more. "No, what I mean is – well, you know when you destroyed that artifact?" She nodded. "Well, you didn't destroy the magic – or whatever was trapped in there – and so, my theory is that it transferred itself into you instead, and you, being unaware of it, couldn't control it at times. And if I'm right then I doubt you'll be able to master it straight away."

   Prida nodded slowly, looking as though she was chewing her tongue. "Yeah, that – that sounds like a fair explanation . . . not."

   "C'mon, why did you think ShredHead wanted to trade April for you?" Don said with a quick roll of his eyes.

   "To kill me? Do his homework for him? He should have picked you for that though, I hate Math –" Prida spoke as though it were a normal topic.

   Donny raised an eye ridge.

   " . . . Fine! Okay, I believe you," she said, "but you're gonna help me control it right? I can't explain any more weird happenings to Mai."

   Don nodded more enthusiastically than a minute ago. "Sure, I'm the help guy, I'll help. I expect you can't do much with you being a kinda novice an' all, but when you do get the hang, don't do anything horrible to me."

   "Hah ha, I won't."

   From the Lair Leo's voice could be heard calling Mikey's name, and Don knew Splinter was back from his walk. He got up.

   "You might wanna brush your hair," he pointed. "It's looks a little . . . um." He bit his lip in a thoughtful way and headed to the door.

   Prida did her best by tying it back again. "Can I watch you guys practice?" She asked as she caught up with Donny. She had not seen them practice at all because they usually woke early to do it, and she was never there.

   "Sure," came the reply, and Prida followed him into the dojo. Instead of mats, there were layers of well-folded sheets on top of each other to act like mats. The weapons rack appeared to have been made by one of them.

   Splinter was slightly displeased to one of his sons away. He did, indeed, inform the other three that Raph's punishment for missing this session was an extra hour of meditation later in the evening. They had been told, as a morning greeting, that there would be an afternoon practice. Mikey was also fated with a little extra time in a later session, for jumping out at Donny and Prida and scarring the breath from them, and apparently causing the light in the dojo to blow. They were now sat in candlelight; many flickering flames were dancing either on the floor or on the shelves that help weapons. Donny glanced at a guilty Prida while Mikey sulked about his light punishment. It was not that Splinter was now handing out punishments for every little thing; he had in fact planned to increase their meditation times before his angry son had disappeared those weeks back. And in his worry he had forgotten it. He felt they were physically fit, but their minds were not mentally fit. Of course, Leonardo had the patience with meditation, as did Donatello mostly. But his other two sons were the problem he wanted to help. Michelangelo was too physically active, his energy was endless, and so he found it difficult to sit still in silence longer than ten minutes. It was very frustrating for Splinter, for he had set himself a goal, and it was to aid Michelangelo until he became as good as his older brother. However, time was everything in this case, and Splinter would have to wait. Raphael was almost the same; he could not and did not like to sit still and try to fall into the art. He found it stupid and time wasting, and overall no good to anything. He was too negative about it. Whatever the reason, these two caused Splinter frustration sometimes. Donatello was only distracted in this session when he had come across something new on his computer. But he explained to Don that if he were to become a master at meditating, he would be able to calm his mind enough to seek the answer to whatever problem easily.

   So practice began. They started with warm up exercises, and then moved on to moves. Splinter would call out the name of the action he wanted to see, and the boys would do it. Prida watched, fascinated by their quick, fluid movements. They seemed so much more like the well-behaved kids in the dojo than they did in school. Then Splinter would call them out individually and command a movement, giving words on how they should improve this and that. Even fault-less Leo's moves were not perfect. And a little surprising, none were distracted by Prida's presence. None showed off, none glanced at her, and she could sit comfortably in the bright candle glow and watch them without having eyes glancing at her for grins or expressions of praise. Damn they were trained well.

   From there in the lesson, it went on to sparing. First it was Mikey and Leo. For the first minute they only blocked attacks that were slowed down in speed, and then they began to spar properly. They did not spend too much time switching partners and playing the attacker and the blocker, to Prida's slight disappointment, before they started with weapons; after this was announced, her disappointment disappeared.

   By the end of their two-hour practice, Prida's eyebrows were raised high and she was totally impressed. The turtles were all breathing slightly hard as they wiped their foreheads and replaced their practice weapons. Splinter's face wore a smile at last as he made towards the exit, saying he will now make the tea. Prida turned back to the turtles. Donny had told her a while ago that each of them had developed their own fighting style, yet she just saw the same style from all of them.

   "Whoa, that was cool," she said as she stood up from her seat on bundle of sheets.

   "Thanks," all three replied.

   They all moved into the lair where Splinter had already set down cups of tea for them all of them on the table. He himself was just seating himself in the armchair opposite the other. Mike sat down in the other chair while his brothers and Prida sat on the couch. It was one of those days where everything now seemed normal.

   There was an audible growl from Mikey's stomach that met everyone's ears. All eyes turned to him.

   "I'm starved, who wants pizza?" He said, getting up and moving towards the phone. There was a chorus of 'me' that followed him.

   He put the phone down a minute or two later after having an argument with someone on the other end about the best pizza toppings, and then disappeared up the ladder to fetch and pay for his ordered food.

   While he was gone, a conversation struck up about school, and what they had done when they went. They recounted all the funny times, the annoying Jo Tooks, and detentions that they received.

   After fifteen minutes Mikey returned, with two others following as he descended the ladder. Casey and Raph dropped to the floor two rungs from it, and pulled their coats off.

   "Hurry up, Mike, get that pizza dished up," Casey said as he set his baseball cap on the coat hook and started walking down the steps. "I'm staving. Yo guys." He added to the others seated on the couch, and splinter.

   Mikey just sat down in the middle of everyone else seated, put the box on the table, opened it and said, "Grab what you want, everyone." He took a slice and sat back against Leo's legs.

   Everyone on the couch lent forward to grab a slice, and Case walked over and took his own steaming, cheese-dripping triangle. Raph grabbed one of the two that were left, leaving one more. He quickly greeted Prida and then stood back on his hunches to eat his 'dinner'.

   "Guess what, Raph?" Mikey suddenly said cheerfully. He ate the last of his crust. "You missed practice this afternoon."

   Raph's shoulder's fell and his eyes wandered upwards. "Ah Hell," he cursed. He knew what missing practice was, another hour of meditation.

   Casey guffawed meanly and scoffed his last bite. He dusted his hands of grease and said, "Have fun meditating, see you guys later." He turned and jogged back to his hanging coat, pulled it on, grabbed his hat and with another goodbye, disappeared up the ladder.

   Mikey was now holding the box containing the last slice of pizza to Splinter. "Sure you won't be tempted by the best food ever made?" He asked.

   "You eat that, my son," Splinter said, looking at the greasy pizza.

   Their attention soon turned to the TV, but there wasn't much on, and April was making no report today. After a few minutes Donny announced he was returning to his computer, and walked into his 'second' room. Mikey, finally tired of daytime TV, got up and walked over to the TV, crouching down next to it where there were videos lined up on either side of the TV stand. He lay down on his plastron and started 'um'ing' at the choices of movies. There weren't many, but he finally pulled an Arnold Schwarzernegger movie from the line and popped it into the VCR. No one complained he had chosen it, they just watched. Even Splinter's eyes were on the TV, but after ten minutes into the movie he decided he was not interested in the rest, and so informed them that he would be taking another walk in the sewers until the movie had finished.

   They soon got bored with the movie, however. Leo stood and said he was going to practice more katas in the dojo, big surprise to everyone, and Mikey, who had lost complete interest in the movie told them he wanted to take a walk topside, and geared himself up halfway through the movie. This left Raph staring bored-like at the TV, and Prida itching to go and watch Leo practice. She had guessed Mikey was going to go and stare at the school building. He had been talking a lot about how he really enjoyed his time at High School, and how hard it was for him to just leave his friends. He even missed being a quad, and having kids and teachers think he was Raph or Leo. Of course he couldn't have been mistaken for Donny, who had suddenly been made known throughout the school as one of the brainiest guys in the grade. They sure wouldn't be forgotten any time soon at that place.  She often thought, wow, the first people I make best friends with and they are guys, who turn out to be ninja-trained turtles.

   Raph, who was now thoroughly bored with The Terminator, grabbed the remote and checked out the TV channels, saying, "Boring, boring," as he flicked through each one.

   "Will Leo let me watch him do his Katters?" Prida asked Raph.

   "Well he won't say 'no' to someone he can show off in front of."

   Prida stood up and walked over to the dojo door as Raph continued to flick through channels. She hovered about the door and watched as Leo practiced solo in the very dim candlelight. He had only re-lit two on the floor. She was surprised to hear him very softly singing, which stopped as he performed a quick movement, and continued as he stepped about in slow motion. Prida folded her arms and leant on the doorframe.

   The quiet rustle of her clothes made Leo stop and look around at the door.

   "Don't stop, carry on," She grinned. She tilted her head. "You sing good, better than you dance anyway."

   "I didn't think my dancing was that bad," Leo said, grabbing a small sheet from the pile next to the wall and wiping his face. "After all, I was dancing on five-toed feet with no weight on my back, so my balance was pretty good." He folded his arms and smiled.

   "Yeah, okay, I'll give you credit for dancing well in a totally different body."

   "Thanks."

   Raph was still flicking channels, with his head resting on his closed fist when they both walked back into the lair.

   At that minute April appeared at the ladder, and halfway down she called out, "Hi guys." She let go four rungs from the floor, straightened her jacket and trotted down the stairs as everyone in the lair looked up and greeted back. "I think I saw Mikey near the park," she told them, and Leo, who had been making a drink, handed her something he had just made for himself. She thanked him and sat down on the couch next to Prida as Leo went about making another drink.

   "Would you just pick a channel and watch it," Leo called irritably at his brother. The flickering light from the TV picked up pace as the channels zoomed by faster.

   They all remained sat around the flickering TV for a half hour before Leo announced he needed fresh air for once that day, and Donny walked in suggesting they go see a movie. Everyone was in for it, but they decided they should attempt to find Mikey first. Unfortunately Raph was held back by Splinter for his meditation, so Leo, Don and April pulled on coats and hats, said goodbye to Prida who wanted to watch this meditation session, and climbed the ladder.

   It was dark outside, and cloudy, and the air was a little cool, but it was incredibly windy. Their first stop off to look for Mikey was straight to the pizzeria. As they reached the door, Mikey rounded the corner and spotted them.

   "We would have thought you'd already be in there," Leo said, motioning with his head to the shop. "Where you been?"

   Mikey, hands in pockets, shrugged. "Just walking around." He had in fact been through a little adventure in school involving a dark building and a ticked off janitor.

   "Oh, okay, we're gonna go see a movie, wanna come?" Leo asked.

   If Mikey said no to a movie, there would be something to worry about, so all four continued on past the pizzeria and to the cinema. They paid at the ticket booth for something they all agreed to watch, and grabbed their food.

   "Damn, look at my hair," April moaned silently, trying to pat it down as they took their seats.

   Mikey sniggered. "Is it women's bad hair day today?"

   "It would be turtles bad hair day if you had any," April retorted with a smile.

   The movie was beginning to start now, but Mikey got up and set his popcorn bag down.

   "Where are you going?" Leo asked quietly, looking up at him as he shuffled past him.

   "More popcorn, my bag's nearly empty." Mikey replied.

()()()()

   It was an enjoyable movie, mainly because who should they happen to see a row before them but the teacher Mr. Reily. April spent a quarter of the movie hissing with a grin for them to stop throwing popcorn at the man's back. But the teens were having too much fun giggling, laughing and snorting as they threw each kernel with precise aim, landing the popcorn down the man's back and between the chair. April shook her head and was ready to duck in case he turned around. He surely must feel a bump, or two – make it fifty – on his back. But no. Not until the end of the movie when everyone stood did he cause a small avalanche onto the seat on his chair from the tons of kernels that he had been sat against. He furiously scanned the rows up and down behind him as the turtles and April rushed out, hands to mouths, in an attempt to contain their laughter.

   Once in the cold air, they burst out laughing, while people from the finishing films looked at them as they passed. Donny's hat fell off as he bent over laughing, but luckily no one saw. He reached down to pick it up quickly, but the fierce wind decided to blow and his hat flew away. His brothers and April were right behind him trying to catch the run-a-way hat, and finally it was pinned against a building wall by the wind. Donny picked it up and replaced it on his head, and turned to the other three. They stared at each other for a second before laughing once again at how silly they must have looked with all four of them chasing after a hat.

    By the time they had got back to the lair they were still in a silly mood. It seemed any little funny thing made them laugh again. They climbed into the lair with grins on their faces, and as April's foot slipped on the last rung, they all laughed yet again.

   "I so wish I still went back to school so I could ask Reily what he did tonight," Mikey said as he flopped on the couch, stuffed from the popcorn and candy they had eaten in the cinema. "And then if he answers the cinema I'd ask him if he likes popcorn." He sniggered.

   April fell into the seat next to him while Donny walked over and looked into the dojo.

   Splinter, who was kneeled on the floor in front of Raph and Prida, smiled at his son's appearance. He carried on speaking, explaining meditation to Prida who looked like a female, human Leonardo, sat straight and listening to every word in silence. Raph was slouched in a cross-legged position with his head on his fist looking extremely bored.

   Mikey came up behind Donny. "Hey, had a good meditation session, Raph?"

   Raph turned his eyes to his brother. "We haven't started yet," he grumbled.

   "Ah, Michelangelo," Splinter smiled. "You may join us now."

   Mikey let go of the doorframe and stopped grinning. "Huh?"

   "I believe I extended your own meditation session," Splinter spoke with a small smile.

   Donny laughed at Mikey's side as his shoulders fell and he groaned, "awwhh…"

   A half-hour later Mike reappeared from the dojo and joined Leo, Don and April sat around the TV. Donny had Mikey's gameboy in hand, or at least half of it, and was poking a screwdriver at the back. Another half hour later Raph emerged from the dojo looking disgruntled. He was followed a few seconds after by Splinter and Prida, ho as frowning; obviously trying to make sense of something Splinter explained to her which she still didn't understand.

   A few minutes after everyone had settled down April looked at her watch. "Well, I better be going, I got some paperwork do to, a draft for my next report." She stood.

   There was a pause in the room in which a few eyes flickered to each other.

   Leo stood up too. "It's kinda dark out, Ape, want me to walk with you?"

   April smiled. "Sure, I wouldn't wanna be mugged for a third time."

   The turtles smiled at each other. Leo pulled on his coat and hat, and a pair of sneakers that he used for school, and then he and April disappeared up the ladder.

   By now it was very dark, and the wind had calmed down. When the pair had walked a few blocks, April suddenly stopped.

   "Oh damn, I left my purse in the lair," she smiled apologetically.

   "That's okay, we can go back for it," Leo shrugged. He dug his hands even further into his coat pockets as they turned and headed back.

   They climbed into a manhole as April went on about how she wasn't usually forgetful. The Donny alarm trip wire that they usually managed to avoid caught April's foot and she tripped.

   "Oops," she said airily, and smiled. "Forgot about that wire – " she waited for him to step over it and carried on walking, behind him.

   "Hope Don's not worrying about intruders," Leo said, "Don't want him attacking us."

   April grinned behind him.

   As they rounded the last tunnel that led to the hole and the ladder, April said, "I think I left it by the couch, I hope Mike hasn't found it."

   Leo smiled as he turned and lowered his leg onto the first rung. "Nah, I doubt he'd steal you're money –" he started to descend as April followed " – but if he found ours . . ."

   Leo dropped the last three rungs, and as his feet hit the floor, there was a suddenly explosion of voices.

   "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

   Leo jumped and nearly landed on April.

   Mikey, who had been only a few feet away, had been hiding to the right in one of the doors. He grinned.

   "I think that was your best jump yet," Mikey said.

   At the foot of the steps stood Splinter, Don, Raph, Casey and Prida, all grinning. Raph folded his arms.

   "Mikey wanted to make you jump so he had us shout Happy Birthday," he said with a rare smile.

   Leo, who still hadn't moved, raised his eye ridges. " . . . Oh?"

   April laughed and, placing her hands on his shoulders, guided him down the stairs, where he saw there was a small banner strung up on the train saying 'Happy Birthday Leo!'

   "Mikey bought a cake the other day, and hid it in his room," Donny said, "'cause we knew you don't go in there much . . . I'm not entirely sure it's still edible now –"

   "Donny!" Mikey said, "the cake's fine." And he pointed to the small table in the middle of the circle of furniture. There was a blue cake.

   "Candles," Leo saw, raising his eye ridges again.

   "Mikey idea," Raph said, glancing at his brother.

   "Hey – I just wanted Leo to have a good birthday," Mikey defended himself. "Candles are fun." He glanced at the TV, on which stood a few larger candles they used for meditation. "Well, birthday candles are."

   Casey clapped his hands together, receiving everyone's looks. "Alright – so where's the alcohol?" April slapped him.

   Leo's brothers always put their money together to get him a gift, and gave it to him from all three and Splinter, so he always got one gift, and was always thankful. He really didn't expect anything else, so seeing the set of dumbbells plus a stand in the dojo made his mouth drop.

   "Korey used to use these, but he wanted to get rid of them," Prida explained as the group watched Leo's expression. "Didn't think you guys'd have the money to buy anything like this, so I asked Korey if I could have it – he looked a bit surprised, but, now it's yours." She smiled

   Behind Raph bunched his fists. "Yes!" He whispered, staring at the dumbbells. Donny turned his head and gave him a funny look.

   "Whoa, Prida – thanks," Leo said, amazed he had received such a gift for his birthday.

   They never really did much on their birthdays, except probably a day in the park together, something they hardly did. This day, however, they spent inside just laughing, watching the Jackie Chan movie Leo's brothers had bought for him, eating, and generally having fun. April, not knowing what a teenage mutant would want, especially a Leonardo mutant, had bought him a book on the history of swords; plus she had paid for him and his brother's cinema tickets. Leo didn't know what to say except thanks. They seemed to understand, and went back to the movie.

   "Oh, hey, guess what I smuggled out of the cinema," Mikey suddenly said, coming to sit on the couch armchair next to Leo. He held up a large box of popcorn, and he, Leo, Donny and April burst out laughing.

   "What's so funny?" Raph asked, the only turtle who wasn't snorting.

   "We saw Reily in the cinema," Mikey grinned. "We kept flicking bits of – popcorn at him –" he laughed, and then threw a handful of kernels into his mouth.

   Raph grabbed a handful. "Like this?" And he threw the lot at his brother.

   Mikey paused for a second, before he nodded. "Exactly like that!" Then suddenly popcorn was flying as the two tried beating each other up with kernels.

   Leo and Donny, sat on the couch and looking identical with their arms folded and the same expression, looked at each other, and joined in the fight.

   After a few seconds Mikey raised the box and held a 'stop' hand signal out. "Whoa – whoa! I wanna eat the rest."

   So instead of flying popcorn, April, Casey, Splinter and Prida had to listen to four sets of teeth crunching with their mouths open while they all watched the rest of the film. Well past ten O'Clock, Mikey said, "So, how about a song present for the birthday guy?" He asked Prida.

   "What?" She asked.

   "You – sing. C'mon, me and Donny used to when it was Leo or Raph's birthday."

   "What?" She repeated. "I can't sing – I'm as bad as everyone else."

   Mikey frowned. "But we heard you sing that song at school –"

   "Oh – I grew up with that song," she said rolling her eyes. "I've known it since I was eight. It's the only song I can sing."

   Mikey looked a little blank-faced. "Oh, okay," he said slowly, and turned to Leo. "Looks like you're our best singer here then after all. Sing Birthday boy."

   "Yeah right," Leo snorted. "It ain't gonna happen."

   There was a silence in which everyone smiled contently, and eyes were on the TV. April and Casey were both sat in the armchair Raph dubbed his, and Splinter was in his own.

   After the first movie had finished, the sequel was placed in the VCR, and Mikey got up to make some munchies. A minute later Don was supplied with his 'Don-Don' bowl with potato chips, and Mikey had moved from his seat next to Leo to next to Donny after he had grabbed some candy from the kitchen. The lights had been turned off, the TV volume turned up, and everyone as silent as they watched the movie.

   Prida, who had been sat next to Mikey, hutched towards Leo, leaned closer to him and asked in a whisper, "So whose birthday is it next?"

   Leo, eyes still on the TV, smiled and inclined his head to her. "Donny and Raph's."

   Prida stared. "Twins?"

   "Yep," Leo smiled. "Mikey's is two days after theirs."

   When's theirs?" Prida glanced behind her at Raph who was leaning against Splinter's chair, and then at Don, on the other side of Leo.

   "In five days."

   "Oh, that is gonna be fun."

   "Oh yeah."

   They both grinned, and returned their eyes to the TV as Donny gave a look at Leo's grin, which he wiped and gave his brother an innocent look. His grin was back a second later.

The End

~

   Yes, it's finished. Right, before y'all go telling me about ages and stuff, in a discussion at the technodrome forums people were discussing the ages by their zodiac signs and personalities. Some said that Don was the second youngest, some said Raph was. I've ALWAYS thought Raph was second youngest (I have no idea why, but it stuck, okay), so for argument's sakes (pft, yeah) I just added them the exact same age – before you go taking it seriously, it's in MY fic, so it apply in THIS story universe what-have-ya, so don't tell me that the ages are wrong coz no one knows. If you want, use that idea too, but it's just in this fic guys, nothing official like. Quite a surprise ending to the story though ;)

Hope you liked this story, I'm glad I finished it, again sorry for how late this chapter came, and thank you all for the reviews, very much appreciated. ;D