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"I'm telling the truth!" Donnie said, but he wasn't sure his brothers could hear him over their laughter.
His brothers laughed to the point that he was sure they would forget to breath, clutching their chests with a ferocity that was more that what he thought was necessary.
Raph and Leo were leaning on each other like it was too funny to stand on their own. And Mikey was sprawled on the floor, banging his fist on the floor as if Donnie had told him the world's dumbest fart joke.
Donnie scowled, breathing through his nose as his brothers seemed to lose it at the sheer concept of magical fairies.
He walked to his desk, where he had fallen off his chair, and pointed to where the little fairy had been. Where she had been flying over him with a fury that rivaled Raph's temper.
"There was a little fairy!" He shouted, throwing his hands out to where she had been. "She was real! She was wearing a little green dress, and her hair was in a little bun, And she had wings that sparkled when she flew!"
"Sparkly wings-" Mikey wheezed, choking on his words as he repeated Donnie.
"Wow! Donnie, how tired are you for your mind to conjure up something so- so girly?" Raph snickered as he wiped away an imagery tear.
Donnie sputtered, "What is that supposed to mean?!"
Raph didn't seem too keen to answer his question, instead choosing to join Mikey on the floor, as if he could no longer bare to remain on his feet.
"Yeah! What's next, Donnie? You gonna tell us you found a mermaid hiding in the alge pools?" Leo teased, he had mostly calmed down now, but he still seemed have some giggles left.
"Or a unicorn!" Mikey added.
Their laughter increased, and at this point it was like more wheezing breaths than laughter. Well, for Mikey and Raph at least. Leo seemed perfectly content with his snickering.
Donnie crossed his arms, tapping his foot on the floor to he glared at his brothers.
"You really don't believe me?" He asked, was it really that outlandish? In a world with kraang and mutagen, they drew the line at fairies?
"I'll tell you what I believe." Says Leo, leaning against the desk. Donnie was expecting him to make another joke at his expense, but he didn't. Though what he said next wasn't much better. "I believe you need a nap."
This did nothing but set him off.
"I'm not crazy!" He blurted out, stomping his foot on the floor. "And I'm not tired either! There was a fairy! She was real! Flying over my head and making jingling bell noises!"
Raph and Mikey started laughing again, but Leo sent a pointed look toward them, and they both shut up instantly. Donnie wished he could do that, it would make his life so much easier.
"Okay, if there really was a fairy, then where is she now?" Asked Mikey, and Donnie wasn't sure how to reply.
"I don't know, she seemed mad at me or something, so she probably flew away." Donnie said.
"Mad? Why would it be mad? Raph asked, sitting up and crossing his legs, kinda like a toddler, Donnie noted.
"I don't know! One moment I'm working on my blueprints, and the next I'm on the floor and a little fairy is flying over my head with her face red as a tomato!"
"Hey, if she were real, I think she and Raph would get along well!" Joked Mikey, poking Raph on the shoulder.
"She is real." Donnie snapped at him, and the surprised flinch from Mikey almost made him regret it.
His brothers stayed silent for a moment, laughter gone as if they never had been in the first place, and for a second, donnie thought they were starting to believe him.
But that thought was squashed the moment Leo walked up to him and placed his hand on Donnie's forehead.
"Are you feeling okay?" Leo asked, and Donnie swatted his hand away as if he burned him.
It boggled him, the way they could laugh their shells off and then turn on serious mode like it was no big deal.
Well, Leo at least. Raph and Mikey still partially eyed him like he was a court jester.
"Oh! Why I'm just peachy!" Donnie sneered, using probably more than enough sarcasm. "There was a little fairy flying over my head and my brothers think I'm either crazy or sick! What do you think!?"
"I'm thinking you might be both..." muttered Raph, and Donnie wanted to punt him like a dodge ball.
"Look," Donnie huffed, taking a breath. Snapping and screaming would get him as far as it got Raph, which wasnt far at all. "I know it sounds... unlikely, I was surprised too! I- I fell off my chair! Come on! we're turtles! We talk and fight aliens from another world! Why are fairies so hard to believe?"
His brothers shared a look, and Donnie hated the silence. The humor in their eyes was long since gone, even Mikeys, replaced by a concern that annoyed him to no end.
"Okay, Donnie," Leo said, "we understand that you saw something, but everything we've ever gone through has never had anything to do with magical creatures from storybooks."
"Maybe you just inhaled some bad chemicals, like when I gave myself shell acne." Piped up Mikey from the floor.
For a moment, Mikeys words made him think that he had been hallucinating. Maybe he had done something with chemicals to make him see something that wasn't there.
But then he looked at his chair, the one he had toppled off in surprise. He looked at the papers and pen he had spilled over the floor. He looked at where the little fairy had been flying, seemingly furious at him for having the gall to be shocked at the sight of her.
He shook his head, he knew what he saw, no doubts or suggestions from his brothers were gonna make him second guess that.
"She was real." He tried once more, his voice firm.
But his brothers remained unmoved, even Mikey, who wasn't usually this serious.
"Really?" He asked irritated. "You really don't believe me? At all?"
"Sorry, Donnie." Says Raph, and Donnie thought he genuinely sounded sorry. However, It did nothing to make him feel better.
Leo raised his hand in a calming gesture, and when Donnie didn't move, he put his hand back on his forehead. Donnie supposed he hadn't gotten a chance to really check his temperature before, with him smacking his hand away and all.
"I can't believe you guys think I'm crazy." Donnie muttered in defeat.
Leo rolled his eyes, taking his hand off Donnies forehead. "We dont think you're crazy," he said, poking Donnies plastron. "We think you're tired."
"Yeah, dude. This wouldn't be the first time you thought you saw something because you haven't slept." Mikey said.
"And it probably won't be the last." Raph added.
Donnie pouted, crossing his arms as he glared at his brothers.
He didn't understand why it was so hard to believe. If she was still here he could-
Donnie froze, his eyes shooting wide.
What if she was still here?
"Donnie?"
He looked at the doors to his lab. Not including the garage door that was closed, the doors to his lab were the only way out. And he thinks he would've seen if she had left when he got his brothers in here.
"Hey, are you okay?"
He glanced around the lab, at all the places a little fairy could hide.
Where she was probably watching him and his brothers right now.
She was probably still here.
"Donnie!" Leo's hand was in his face again, but this time he was snapping his fingers to get his attention. Though he wasn't sure how, they only had three fingers on each hand. He would have to ask him how he did that later.
"I'm great!" He replied cheerfully, shoving Leo back abruptly.
"Ack! Donnie!"
Donnie ignored Leo's explanation, instead kneeling on the floor to pick up his things.
"Donnie, are you sure you're okay?" Leo asked.
"I'm wonderful!" He replied, shuffling the papers together. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, I don't know," Leo said sarcastically, counting his fingers. "Maybe because you were raving about a fairy, you were upset that we didn't believe you, and now you're smiling bright as a daisy as if it never happened?"
"I think Mikey's right, you probably did inhale chemicals." Raph said.
"Really?!" Says Mikey, scrambling to his feet and looking down at Raph with bewilderment. "You think I'm right?!"
"Nevermind, I take it back." Raph Deadpanned, standing up with Mikey. Likely so he didn't tower over him.
"Hey! You can't do that!"
"I can do whatever I want!"
"No, you can't!"
"Cut it out! This isn't the time!" Leo said, shoving Raph away from Mikey.
Donnie set his things back on the desk, putting them all into their respective place, and turned to his brothers when he was done.
"Bye!" Donnie said, loud enough so they heard him.
They paused, with Mikey trying to climb Raph, Raph shoving Mikey by his face, and Leo caught between the middle, trying to break it up.
Predictable, was the only thing that came to mind.
"Wh-what?" Sputtered Raph, pushing Mikey away, and fortunately for him Mikey let him, but not with a blowing a raspberry at him.
"I said bye." Donne repeated, picking up his chair and pushing it into place. Before he left the desk, he grabbed a broom that he kept under it.
"Yeah, we heard that, but can you elaborate on it?"
"I'm kicking you out!" He clarified with a smile, brandishing the broom like his bó staff.
Leo narrowed his eyes at the broom suspiciously, and before they could say anything. Donnie began to hustle them toward the lab doors, shooing them with the broom like an old lady scaring away mice.
They made plenty of verbal protests, but no real actions to stop him.
He shoved them out roughly, even making the effort to poke Raph in the face with the bristles before they fell down the steps, and slammed the doors shut.
He took a breath and locked the doors, leaning the broom against the wall, and turning his shell to the doors.
He was pretty sure he was gonna pay for that later, but he had other things to focus on right now.
"Alright," he murmured, glancing around his lab. "Where would a little fairy go to hide?"
Unfortunately for him, his lab seemed to have way too many potential hiding spots.
More unfortunately, she could be anywhere, and he had no idea where to start searching.
"So, uh," he tried, knowing full well that he could be talking to the air. "If you're still here, now would be a great time to come out..."
There was no response of course. But it was worth a shot.
He walked back to his desk, dragging his hand along the surface.
He pulled open one of the drawers, shuffling the contents around as he searched.
When he had first come back to his lab after training, the doors had been open by barely a few inches. And at first he hadn't thought anything of it. But now that he really thought about it, he distinctly remembered shutting the doors all the way before he and Raph had left the lair.
Now Donnie had a feeling a little certain someone had been the culprit.
"Do you have, like, super fairy strength or something? Because I'm sure opening those doors at your size couldn't have been easy..." he said, moving on to another drawer.
He spent a good few minutes digging through the drawers, probably a bit too throughly. And after he deemed all the drawers and cubbies in his desk empty, he tapped his chin as he thought over his next move.
He looked at his chair, where the little fairy had landed and started him, making him fall off it.
It hadn't been the first time he was jumpscared when he was so focused on his work. Despite being the loudest of the four of them, Mikey was notorious for simply appearing out of nowhere every now and then, making Donnie jump out of his skin. But never to the point that he fell out of his chair.
Mikey would have a field day if he ever found out about a fairy doing what he couldn't, especially since (he assumed) it was an accident.
The thought brought a smile to his face.
Stepping up to the chair, he eyed where the fairy had been.
"Maybe I can retrace your steps, or wings, I guess." He muttered, if he could get an idea of where she hid before, maybe that would help him find her hiding spot now.
She had to have flown in from behind him. As zeroed in on his blueprints as he had been, he knows he would've seen a sparkling fairy fly toward him from his front.
Probably...
There's not much behind his desk besides Timothy and his bookshelf, and something told him Timothy's current state would be off putting to a fairy from a storybook.
Still, he made sure to check there, and came up short as he had suspected he would.
He turned to the bookshelf, when knocking came from the lab doors.
"Donatello? Your brothers tell me you are hallucinating?" Said Splinters voice from the doors.
Donnie bristled, Really? He thought, they actually snitched on me?
shuffling came from the doors, presumably Splinter trying to open them. Then it stopped abruptly, and Donnie inwardly winced.
"Donatello", Splinter said, in his patented 'no nonsense' voice. "Unlock the doors."
At first, Donnie would have compiled and went to open the doors, he and his brothers (yes, even Mikey) knew not to screw around when their father used that tone.
But he spotted a sparkle from the bookshelf, and he froze in place.
Donnie ground his teeth together, knowing full well that he was gonna regret his next decision.
"Uhhh, can I get back to you on that?" He asked, eyes locked onto the bookshelf.
"Donatello." He repeated, "You know you are not supposed to lock these doors, open them, now."
The little fairy popped her head out of the books then, and when she spotted him staring at her, she stuck her tongue out at him, crossed her arms, and turned sharply to hide again.
"Please, sensei?" He asked carefully, "Can- may I have some time? I promise you I'm not hallucinating." He said, breaking his eyes away from the bookshelf to look at the lab doors.
There was silence, as if his father was thinking it over, and then. "Very well," he said, "you have ten minutes, but if you are not out when that time is up, I will have Raphael pick the locks."
Donnie sighed, not exactly thrilled with the countdown, but thankful nonetheless.
"Thank you, sensei" He said, and when he heard his father's footsteps receding, he bolted to the bookshelf.
He carefully hooked his hand behind the books, shoving them all onto the floor in one swift motion.
But there was no fairy hiding behind them.
He frowned, his excitement tumbling like a stone down a mountain side.
"This is what I get for taking my eyes off you..." he murmured, rubbing his eyes.
He was about to search the rest of the shelf, because he really didn't know where else to start, but a glimmer in the corner of his eye caught his attention.
Donnie tilted his head, on his shelf was barely a sliver of what looked like glitter. Which was odd, because he didn't own any glitter. And rambunctious as Mikey was, Donnie didn't think glitter was really his style.
He almost let it go, there wasn't really anything ground breaking about glitter, but this bit of glitter in particular, there was something about it that he couldn't place his finger on. It sparkled, sure, but the way it sparkled was captivating. Almost as if it were alive.
He reached out, swiping his finger on it and examining it closely. It tingled on his skin, a bit like goosebumps, but in a light and airy kind of way.
Donnie lifted his finger to his face, sniffing it, and then, what probably wasn't the wisest and brilliant scientific thing to do, he brought it to his mouth to taste.
Or, he attempted to. But two little hands gripped his finger, trying to pull his hand away.
He gaped, watching as the little fairy tugged on his finger to get it away from his mouth, her little wings fluttering furiously behind her.
She's adorable, was the only thing he could think of.
He hadn't gotten a good look at her before, due to his shock and her unrelenting attitude, but from this close, he could see every detail on this little fairy.
Her dress was made from what looked like leaves, and she had green flat shoes with the cutest pom poms on them. Her hair was tied up into a bun, in the softest blonde he had ever seen. And her wings, goodness her wings, words weren't nearly enough to describe the wonder that was this fairy's wings.
And she had a little leaf bag on her shoulder, he was pretty sure that wasn't there before, mostly, he had been distracted, missing it was a likely possibility.
She still wasn't relenting on pulling his finger away, and he let her. He tilted his head in curiosity when she attempted to rub the glitter off his finger.
"You really don't want me to lick that do you?" He asked, and she stilled, as if she just reminded herself of his presence, even though she was currently scrubbing his finger to get rid of any trace of the glitter.
Her eyes trailed up to meet his, and Donnie's breath hitched, because her eyes were unlike anyone's eyes he'd ever seen, they sparkled.
No, not in a oh, her eyes are so pretty it's almost like they sparkle, no, they literally sparkled. Two dazzling pools of shimmering blue that seemed to have a mind of their own.
"You really are magical..." he breathed in awe, but she didn't seem to care.
She narrowed those magical little eyes of hers, glaring at him with an attitude that would give Raph a run for his money. And before he could process what was happening, she was flying at him and kicking him in the space between his eyes.
"Ack! Hey!" He shouted, reeling back in bewilderment. He lifted his hand to where she had kicked him. It hadn't really hurt, but it still caught him off guard.
She planted her hands on her hips, leaning her upper body forward and blowing a raspberry at him. He opened his mouth to retort, but she surprised him again by flying past him toward the other side of the lab.
"W-wait!" He shouted, chasing after her. But it made no difference, because as small as she was, she was fast. "Can't we talk?!"
She responded by stopping above the lamps over the alge pools, sticking her tongue out at him. Then she turned her back sharply and plopped herself down on the lamp with a loud jingle.
He stopped a few paces before the alge pools. He couldn't see very well from down here and with her back turned, but he was pretty sure she had her chin tilted to the ceiling.
"Really? You're that mad at me for being surprised?"
Her wings fluttered, and he figured that was his answer.
Of course, I meet a storybook fairy and the first I do is tick her off. He thought bitterly.
"Can you come down? So we can properly work things out?"
She jingled, which he assumed was her own fairy language or something. But unfortunately, he didn't speak fairy jingle, and something told him whatever she said wasn't in his favor.
In fact, something told him whatever she said wasn't even nice, and he had no interest in knowing if that was the case.
He glanced at the lab doors, wondering how long it had been, three minutes maybe? He probably should've set an actual timer, but unfortunately his usually very reliable brain could only think FAIRY at the time.
Once he had to leave the lab as he promised Splinter, there was no telling where the fairy would go to hide, or if she would even stay.
And at this rate, she didn't seem to be too thrilled to be here.
"Please?" Donnie tried, putting his hands up in a pleading gesture even though she couldn't see.
When there was no response, Donnie sighed, tapping his foot on the floor as he racked his brain for a solution.
He could grab the ladder he kept in the lab, and climb up to her. But she would probably just fly away again. That, and the ladder wasn't exactly the best quality, and he wasn't too keen about falling into the alge pools.
Maybe he could tempt her? She was clearly pretty curious, why else would she have followed him home? At least, he assumed she followed him, he didn't think fairies usually favored the smell of sewage and waste.
What did fairies like? The only knowledge he had about fairies was from an old worn out book Splinter read to them as children, and he had a feeling she had no interest in potentially made up facts about her own species.
What would April do? He wondered, her father probably read her plenty of stories about fairies when she was young, and if he did, she would probably have an idea of how to lure her down.
What if bribed her? If so, what could he bribe her with?
An idea clicked, and he grinned, sure it would it lure her down.
Donnie went back to his desk, pulling open a drawer and uncovering the stash of chocolate April thought he didnt know about. With a silent apology to April, he grabbed a piece and closed the drawer.
He turned to where the fairy was still sulking, hollering across the room.
"Wow! Look at this fun treat! Gee, I sure wish a certain fairy would come down and enjoy this with me!" He said, holding up the chocolate for her to see, waving it around for emphasis.
Even from over here, Donnie could see her pointed ears twitch curiously, and had to repress the urge to gush at the cuteness.
She turned, twisting her torso around and planting a hand on the lamp to peer over, and Donnie gave his best welcoming smile.
"See? Doesn't it look interesting?" He said, unwrapping the foil to reveal the milk chocolate inside. "Its all yours if you come down to talk."
The little fairy stood, peering at him with an eyebrow raised. She crossed her arms, and she jingled.
"I... don't know what you're saying, but it's called chocolate, if that's what you were wondering."
She tapped her foot on the lamp, creating soft dink dink dink sounds that echoed In the lab. She looked as though she were thinking about it, which gave Donnie hope. But unfortunately she seemed to be taking her time mulling it over, and Donnie didn't have forever, nor did he trust that she would still be here when he came back.
"Would it- uh, would it helped if I apologized?" He attempted, "for earlier?"
The fairy stilled at his words, and she tilted her head at him, and after a beat, she jingled and nodded.
"Well then, I'm sorry."
The fairy smiled at him, jingling a few times before fluttering up and flying over to him, and Donnie grinned when she landed on his outstretched forearm.
Holding his arm out for her to stand on would likey get uncomfortable , but if it was convenient for her, he was willing to bare it.
He took the chocolate into his other hand , holding it out for her to grab. She jingled, taking it gingerly and giving him a questioning look.
"It's for eating." He explained.
She sniffed it, turning it over and glancing at him once more before taking a small bite.
Donnie didn't think she liked it at first, and he began to question everything he knew about girls and chocolate, which was his whole reasoning for grabbing the treat. But then her eyes widened and her attention zeroed in on the piece of chocolate, her mouth wide in an 'O' shape and her wings flitting.
"Glad you like it." He chuckled as she practically inhaled it. When she was done, she wiped her hands on her dress. "So... does this mean we're good?"
She tapped her chin, looking him up and down, and nodded.
Donnie let out a breath, glad to not be on the fairy's bad side anymore.
"Great!" He said, leaning his arm toward the desk for her to land on, putting the chocolate wrapper on the desk at the same time. Her fluttered as she landed, and Donnie thought he would never tire of watching her wings flutter. "I'm Donatello, but everyone calls me Donnie."
The fairy jingled again, and Donnie's smile fell a little. "You seem to understand it just fine, but do you speak English? I'm not very fluent in, uh, jingling..."
She shook her head, pointing a finger at her chest, jingling sounds and all .
"Uh, Japanese maybe?"
She rolled her eyes, flying to his eye level, and pointed at his mouth.
"My mouth?"
She nodded, pointing at her own mouth and making talking motions.
"... talking?"
She gave a thumbs up, pointing at him again.
"Me?" Donnie sighed, shaking his head. "I speak Japanese and English, not jingles."
She jingled again, pointing at him frantically.
"What? Did i say something wrong?" She shook her head, waving her hands toward him. "Uhh... Japanese?" She shook her head.
"Jingles? English?" She nodded, "English?"
She pointed at him one more time, and then at herself.
"So you do speak English, and i just can't understand you?" Another thumbs up, "Well, then how are we gonna communicate? How are you gonna tell me your name? ... you do have a name right?"
She gave him a well, duh sort of look.
He sighed, massaging his temple.
"Okay, wait here, I'm gonna get my family. We can figure this out together." He said, turning to leave the lab.
She jingled loudly, and the next thing he knew, the back of his head was yanked backward.
"Wa-?! Hey!" He exclaimed, turning and grabbing the tails of his mask out of her little hands. "What was that for!?"
She flew in front of him, pushing him by the plastron and shaking her head frantically.
"What? What are you mad about now?" He questioned, because honestly, this was getting annoying.
She rolled her eyes, putting her hand out and wagging a finger back and forth.
"What? I can't tell them?" He asked.
She nodded, grabbing his hand and attempting to lead him away from the lab doors, but he didn't let her this time, He couldn't just keep a secret like this from his family.
She tugged on his hand with all her might, her face growing red as her wings beat furiously.
He (gently) pulled his hand away, and she huffed. Planting her hands on her hips as she flew to his eye level and stared him down.
"... ever?" He prompted.
Her facial features softened, and she furrowed her eyebrows, pursuing her lips. After a moment, she shrugged.
"So I can tell them eventually?" Donnie asked, and she nodded.
At least she was alright with telling them at some point, but who knew how long that would be?
That, and something told him keeping this little fairy a secret from his father and brothers was gonna be a lot of work.
In fact, something told him she was gonna be a lot of work, period.
"Well, as I'm sure you saw, I already told my brothers about you, and they told my sensei. Now they all think im high on chemicals for believing I saw a fairy."
She shrugged, waving her hand dismissively, moving away and making motions with her legs as though she were walking and not flying, and Donnie wondered how someone so small could have so much sass.
"Well, I'm glad to see that you're not concerned, but I on the other hand have to explain to my family that I'm not, in fact, currently on drugs." Donnie said, pointing towards the lab doors.
And he paused upon his subconscious reminding him of his looming time limit.
"Which reminds me, they're currently waiting for me in the living room..."
She nodded, landed on the desk and gestured towards the doors with both hands, as if saying Well? Go on then. But Donnie couldn't leave just yet.
"If I go now, will you still be here when I come back?" He asked, and she responded by sitting down and crossing her legs, smiling at him and giving him a thumbs up.
Donnie smiled back at her, glad to know she wouldn't be fleeing the moment he let her out of his sight.
"Great, I'm gonna talk to my family, and we'll see if they let me back into the lab today. Until then, make yourself comfortable, and I'll be back as soon as I can."
She jingled and waved, and Donnie returned the gesture, (the waving, not the jingling.)
He turned, walking to the lab doors and unlocked them, partially preparing himself for whatever his brothers and sensei might say. But he really only had one thing on his mind.
Fairies, real live fairies, who've thunk?