Donatello agreed to Rosa's request for a birthday date at Señor Hueso’s Run of the Mill restaurant.
After two hours of waiting without any word from Donnie, she got worried and tracked him down, fearing he could be in trouble. She found him in Witch Town.
He was leaning back against a bar, with a witch yokai all over him.
“And what will you offer me, science boy?” Rosa heard her ask as she approached them.
She confronted him with a slap, “What are you doing here? Who is she??”
Donnie, shocked, got defensive, “Big talk for someone who hunted me down like you just did,” the purple turtle pointed at her. “So what did you use, hmm?” his voice rose over the loud music, “Did you stick a tracker on me?? Am I your lost pet or something?!” The moment he saw her reaction he realized ‘Shit, that came out wrong.’
Hurt and confused, she bolted.
“Rosa, wait!”
Gentry stopped Donnie from going after her, “Let your creepy ex-girlfriend go! You want my help or not?”
The purple ninja turtle was torn, the witch had access to the ingredients he needed for the formula he’s working on to find Rosa’s cure. He just hated how he had to flirt and flatter the mystic hussy to get it. And he’s been hyper focused, as usual, that he completely forgot about Rosa's birthday.
Meanwhile, the turtle in pink ran as far away as she could until she was completely spent. Wracked with guilt, Rosa slumped in an alley sobbing, when her phone accidentally dialed River’s number.
“Hello? Rosa??”
Wiping her tears, she wondered why she was faintly hearing River’s voice. She glanced at her phone screen and found it glowing. To her horror she realized as she looked at his golden eyes that it’s a video call.
“Why are you crying??” he asked urgently.
“Whuh-...? Why did you call me?”
“No, you called me .”
“What?? Omigosh I’m sorry! I’m hanging up now,” mortified, she frantically apologized.
“No no no! Wait!” he can’t let the call end like this. “...May I go to you?” Please please please say yes , he silently begged. He wanted to rush to her side the moment he saw her crying, but it stung when Donatello used his 'meddling’ as additional ammo against Rosa to accuse her of cheating.
She hesitated for a bit, before weakly responding, “Please?”
~💗🐢💔🐢💜~
8:25 PM · Mar 21, 2020 MANHATTAN
"Ya had ONE JOB, dumbass," Ice growled low as he stormed past when he bumped Donnie, who was the only one who heard.
Donatello stared at the broad back of the retreating polar bear yokai carrying Rosa's things, lost for words.
"I'm really sorry, guys..." Rosa fidgeted her backpack strap as she stood beside River.
"Hey... Hey." Ice caught up to her and lifted her chin to make her look at him, "Stop apologizin'," he said with a sad smile before walking again, his hand on her backpack to gently push her forward.
"We told you, you can live with us," River assured as he looked back to his companions while carrying the rest of Rosa's belongings out of the Hamato lair, "It'll help me monitor your health while you stay in our guest room." He glanced back to the turtle in purple watching them leave.
Donnie caught the yellow spotted turtle's eyes in his glare, before stalking off to go further inside the lair. It was a messy breakup. They could have talked it over. She'd have listened. He knew she would have, but his ego did the talking. And snarking. And yelling. And this same ego was keeping his mouth shut as she left. He shrugged with a frown. She'll come back. She always did. It's not like that yokai turtle could steal her again since he started dating his best friend. Yet he couldn't help hearing the same word over and over in his head as he entered his room, stripped of any traces of her.
Dumbass.
Watching the purple clad turtle walk out of sight, River turned to Rosa, "By the way, I need my data updated so I'm scheduling your check-up to document any changes." He wouldn't hold his breath for her ex-boyfriend to give the most recent data. '...Could I approach Baron Draxum?' this internal question made him apprehensive. He admired the alchemist warrior as a child for his scientific breakthroughs, but his more recent unethical experiments made him worry. Yep, another thorough examination is needed. Who knew what Donnie and Draxum did to her under their care?
Climbing out of the manhole, Ice helped Rosa settle onto the pavement, "Happy birthday, by the way. Sweet sixteen huh?" he grinned.
"Y-yeah... so much for a birthday huh?" she replied, feeling sheepish. How could things change so much in just one day?
"Sixteen just means..." the bear pulled a key fob out of his pocket and pressed a button. The three stepped onto the sidewalk as a shiny black car pulled up alongside them, "... You're old enough to drive," the bear said with a wink.
"W-what??" the turtle in pink stammered, watching as the driver side door opened as Ice ushered her in.
"Prrretty sure she'd need to finish the driving course first...??" his boyfriend started to counter.
"Details, details," the bear waved away his concerns before turning to Rosa, "Ya beat our asses all da time in Mario Kart. Put on da visor an' grab dat controller," motioning to the game controller looking device that popped out of the glove compartment.
"Ice..." River was using his warning/scolding tone, before he was interrupted by the sound of the Mario Kart countdown.
In a seemingly Pavlovian response, Rosa revved up the engine and the car surged forward, throwing all three back against their backrests.
"This is not a good ideaaaaAAAH!" the turtle screamed as he gripped the seatbelt right as it automatically fastened over him.
Ice's booming laugh drowned out his panicking boyfriend while Rosa squealed, both in fear and excitement, weaving through traffic by following the digital overlay flashing in her visor, making the streets of Manhattan seem like a race course in her favorite video game. They passed through a road block that turned out to be a mystical illusion, and with a flash of shimmering swirls of magic they found themselves navigating the roads of the Hidden City.
"You have reached your destination," a female digital voice announced when they finally pulled to a stop in front of a Japanese styled house. The gate to the Hayashi compound mechanically closed behind them as River melted into his seat in relief.
"Thanks, EVA," Ice cheerfully replied before powering down the vehicle and pocketed his key fob before stepping out to carry as many of Rosa's bags as he could carry in one trip.
"WHY didn't you run this by me??" the turtle retorted as he grabbed the remaining bags and stalked after the white bear.
"'Coz ya wouldn't have allowed it, duh!" he flippantly replied, arms full as he easily lugged the heaviest bags into the house. "Ya did great by the way, little lady," he bent down to nuzzle Rosa's head, who giggled.
"We could have been caught! We weren't cloaked! She doesn't have a licen-..." River's harried concerns were muffled by the bear shutting his mouth with his own, who had just settled the bags on the floor.
"I got it covered, ya worrywart," Ice smirked, holding the key fob up, "I'm ready ta take control if things go sideways, which it didn't!" he declared as he fist bumped with the female turtle, "I knew yer a natural. Been developing dat baby fer months, but I don' hav de patience ta drive. So car's all yours, kiddo. Ya can still drive it from yer Control Station."
"Wait, you called it EVA... That's the ROV we've been working together on??" her eyes widened in awe, since she started her internship she had always driven it from her workstation for test drives to help him build it.
"Engaged Vehicular Augmentation. Dat's jus' a working name, tho..." the polar bear looked pensive as he considered the acronym.
Giving up, River heaved an exasperated sigh, "Whatever. We'll bring out the futons and help you settle in." He slid aside a shoji and placed her bags on the tatami floors of the guest room, "Ice, help me get the junk out of here, we'll need a new storage area."
"Gotcha," the bear replied, tossing his phone to Rosa, "Order whatcha want for delivery. It's on me, birthday girl. 'Smy turn fer dinner tonight and I ain't cookin'."
"But I'm imposing too much as it i-..."
"Make it good, we're starvin'!"
"I... I only know Señor Hueso's..." she hesitated, today's birthday disaster ruined that place for her.
"OHH! Go call 'im and say it's yer birthday, ya get a free cake!"
"O-... okay," Rosa smiled and found the number in the contacts list, deciding her friends' efforts are overwriting the bad things with better memories.
The two boys walked out of the guest room, clearing it out. While Ice went straight to his room, River looked like he was thinking deeply about something before sitting beside Rosa at the kotatsu, "You don't have to... but if you want, you could transfer into our school since it'll be easier with you living here, and you wouldn't have to hide your mutation anymore. They collaborate with NY unis for our internships so they'll recognize your credits. You could start attending Hidden City High in about a week."
Rosa gave him a contemplative stare, before her smile broke into the brightest smile she's done all day, "Yes, that sounds great. Thank you."
"Alright," they stood up, done with settling her into the room, "We'll discuss it with Ice," he smiled down as she fell in step beside him, walking to Ice's room, "Let's see what he's up to."
Ice whipped his head up at their approach, and quickly turned his desktop monitor off, satisfied with the initiated command to download all medical records he could get from Donnie's system by hacking through the link up via Rosa's old devices. He wanted to ask Don for the files, but after their last conversation, he wasn't sure how to approach him since. He didn't know either how to tell River, but decided to figure it out later. Running a hand down his face, he turned to the two turtles with a smile, "'Smy cheesecake here yet?"
"You mean Rosa's cake," River corrected, "Wait... 'cheesecake'? Did she choose that or..?" he squinted at the bear in suspicion.
Rosa laughed, "It's fine, I like cheesecake."
"It's free cheesecake, my man!" Ice exclaimed, throwing his arms wide.
"You pull the same thing on my birthday!"
"I let you choose chocolate!"
"Chocolate cheesecake. It's still..."
"Aw ya like it anyway," he lowered his voice as he pulled him into his arms, "And I let her choose strawberry?" he shrugged with a smile.
River raised a hand to Rosa, "I'm sorry for all the PDA..." he apologized with a muffled voice, face buried in white chest fur.
"Like that ever stopped you guys in the lab? And during missions?" she teased back, perfectly hiding her envy since her two friends got together. If only she had it that good with Donnie...
The doorbell sounded. River wiggled free to look up at Ice with a laugh, "Our dinner's arrived."
The bear eagerly bounded out the door towards the gate to receive their order, "Awesome, my cake's here!"
"Rosa's cake!" he corrected again, free of his affectionate ursine prison, he walked into the guest room to lay down the futon and beddings, taking them out from behind a fusuma.
"Let me help," Rosa offered, taking the futon from his arms, "I should learn to do this by myself anyway."
"Well, for starters: you shouldn't let them drag on the floor or you might sli-..."
Rosa slipped and grabbed River's arm to right herself, but brought both of them down instead with a yelp.
"OOF! A-Are you okay?" he hurried to get up, but the sheets tangled with their limbs, pinning him on top of her.
"Ow... sorry," she blushed, feeling his warmth pressed against her. His scent was giving her bittersweet nostalgia.
"No, I'm sorry. Hold on, I'll get us out of here," River laughed off the awkwardness as he felt his own face heat up while he sorted out the beddings.
Ice stood at the doorway, watching the turtles as their scents told him what he knew all along. He silently walked away until he reached the kitchen where he placed the bag of food on the counter, "Birthday spread is here, guys. Time ta eat!"
Ice! You are my spirit animal XD CHEEESECAKE!!!! My favourite <3 Ice in the kitchen when he opens the cheesecake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RD0S3JNa_Y Donnie, you really had literally just one job...But it's really good he just wanted to cure Rose <3 Even if he's doomed... My XD Today my nephew wanted me to drive. I think this would happen if I agreed to drive XD Rose is the best driver x3
Ice! You are my spirit animal XD CHEEESECAKE!!!! My favourite <3 Ice in the kitchen when he opens th
