finally coming out of the shell

~chapter one~

"Hey donna! Wanna hang out with me and the others to go walk around the sewers?" Leo walked up as he asked. Donna didn't respond, they were focused on what they were working on. "Donna? Hellooooo?" He poked his twins' glasses to get their attention. Donna looked at their brother. "Oh- leo i'm sorry i didn't realize you were talking to me- i was um focused-" they were tugging on their hoodie in anxiety, as if they wanted to say something but didn't know how to say it.

"You ok donna? You are tugging your hoodie." Leo quickly noticed his siblings' behavior. Donna quickly froze, then quietly muttered out. "Um- i need to talk to you and the others about something..." "oh- ok, i'll go get raph and mikey!" He turned and walked to get his brothers, worrying about donna. Donna got up and hid a little in their hoodie going over how they'll tell the others, until their train of thought was cut off by the others walking over and raph spoke.

"Hey Leo said you had something to tell us? What's up?" raph asked not as concerned about what Donna might say. Donna squeezed their hand a few times trying to get the courage to speak then just spitting out what they wanted to say. "I- I wanna be a boy!-" they got quiet after a moment. Leo blinked "soooo you don't have any super bad news like humans are in the sewers?" "n-no? Um..." Donna stood there unsure of what to say. Raph spoke up. "So you want to be a boy? Cool! What would you want to be called?" raph smiled, feeling happy that he felt comfortable enough to share the news with them. "Donatello or donnie please, like how you guys are named after old artists- plus donnie is like donna right?" he asked, feeling better that he could finally say what he so desperately wanted to say for so long. Mikey chimed in. "So donnie it is then! Hehe! I'm so excited to have another brother!" Mikey had a big smile and childish wonderment in his eyes.

Donnie grew a big dorky smile as he hugged his brothers feeling accepted anda a part of the group. "Also yes I would love to go hang out with you guys!" the others got excited. Then Donnie remembered he'd have to tell dad and he got nervous. "W-wait what about dad? What will he think?" "I don't think he'll really care little bro!" raph said as he walked into the sewers from their home. They played for hours. Donnie kept trying to think of ways to tell splinter but leo would keep reminding him to just have fun and to worry about it later.