Together Past The End ༺ Jonatello ༻

Prologue

⠀⠀⠀“ Casey.. we've been riding on 'E' for an hour now. Stop the truck. ”

“ not until there's a safer spot to hold up, Dee. I'm not taking a chance– ”

Donnie opened his mouth to protest before the truck swiveled and turned sharply, sending the boy to the side with a giant ( OOMPH! ) To him, making Casey curse and mumble an apology over to the boy besides him.

“ shit, you good, don? Didn't hit your head too hard, did ya? ”

“ ...no but..Christ..no wonder you failed your driver's test 2 times... ” Donnie muttered, rubbing the side of his head as he sat upright again in his spot, the passengers side of the truck. With Casey giving him a quick, incredulous look.

“ hey, I'll have you know, that shit is hard, pal. ”

“ hard or not, I don't think it matters anymore. Why don't we just check this...what is this place... ? ” Donnie sharply exhaled, narrowing his eyes towards the building ahead of them both. It seemed abandoned, disgustingly messy. Windows broken in..curtains on the outside were hanging off the side, barely on the brink of breaking off and crashing to the sidewalks concrete.

“ looks like a crappy motel.. can't hurt to check out..right? ”

Casey's looking over to Donnie for reassurance, biting the inside of his cheek. Ever since they left the city, Donnie hadn't been the same. Not since he lost touch with his family. Just like Casey had.

But...then again..his father was an asshole...and his sister ...? It hurt to think about. He refused to think about it. So, he used these emotions to keep Don from diving into his own set of emotions and guilty thoughts he absolutely knew Donnie was having right now.

“ Well, let's go. It's still early out. It's not like we have to set up here for somewhere to stay. ”
Donnie pursed his lips together, swinging the door open as he pulled his bō staff out from the seat behind him, the air was crisp, signifying the beginning of Autumn hitting them both.  “ Let's hope there's nothing inside...like...– ”

“ zombies? Right? You've fought literal thugs, don. Why is this different? ”

Donatello rolls his eyes as Casey glanced over at him with a weird and confused look, bat in his hands.
“ I don't know why this is different..— just...shut up and let's go. ” he eventually waves off the question, heading for the motel without another word. As did Casey.

It was a awkward silence between the pair as they entered the dark room of one motel room. It was completely empty, the bed was.. unsettlingly tidy, aside from the blood stains on its pillows, on it's floors and walls. It was eery for the two, and Casey wasn't afraid to step a little closer to Donnie's side.

“ dude...this place gives me the creeps. Do we have to actually check this entire place out? ”

“ and you say I'm the one skitterish with trips like this. Jones..just...stick close by, okay? We can't get seperated if there's any of those things nearby, or..or clumped together in one of these rooms. ”  Donnie squints into one nightstand drawer with a miniature flashlight he found in the stolen truck they found, finding nothing but crinkled up candy wrappers and junk. Nothing useful to their survival.

“ ...gotcha. ” the vigilante muttered, looking through one of the drawers for any clothes they could take. There was just a few sweaters, maybe one hoodie that seemed too small for himself, and larger for Donnie. That was fine. Oddly enough, whatever good that could come to Donnie...Casey wanted to be the one to give it. After all the boys done...lost. he truly did want to be someone Donnie could rely on; trust in a shit storm of a world like this.  ' what's a little hoodie gonna do? It's not gonna bring his brothers..his father back. '

These were constant nitpicks Casey had as he stuffed what he could into his bag he had along his shoulder, briefly pausing to stare at the hoodie. This might..this wasn't going to bring them back, but, it'll give Donatello some comfort..right?

“ You find anything useful over there?? ”

“ oh-! Yeah man...! Just some clothes...! Anything in there? ” Casey nearly jumped out of his skin when Donnie's deadpanned voice called out; it sounded so tired. Which..most likely meant, he found nothing good on the other end. But it didn't hurt to ask..

“ No unfortunately. But we've got a lot of rooms to cover. So I wouldn't give up just yet. ” Donnie's walking out of the bathroom with a dissatisfying frown, hand coursing through his hair before watching Casey stuff items from the drawer into the bag, seemingly focused. “ find anything else besides clothes? ”

“ Nope. So, onto the next room we go? ”

Casey's looking over to don, who thinks carefully of what the other asks, who raised a brow in Donatello's direction, before Donnie leaned against a wall, chewing on his lip.

“ I guess so. There's gotta be something here.. come on. We'll go back on the road if there isn't. ”

With silent agreement, both boys went to check different rooms, different areas of the abandoned motel. And not to either boys surprise, there really wasn't anything else to work with, except for taking blankets and pillows to be comfortable and warm at night if they needed to spend another night in the truck.
They've done it the first 2 months of the outbreak, sometimes silence filled the area the most, and sometimes it was questions if they'd ever see anyone else they knew again. Sometimes it turned to comfort. Platonic comfort, nothing more.

Donnie didn't seem really willing this time to sleep another night in the truck as both boys made their way back, tucking everything in the back seat before preparing for travel, barely moving on the road yet before Donatello spared a glance at Casey, pressing his lips together in thought.

“ I think we should genuinely find a place to stay for the night. Maybe a few nights. Turn it into a small camp.. I don't think I can actually take another night in this cramped truck, can you? ”

“ and where else would you suggest that we go? Back to April's farm? ”

“ if you think about it...it's the best option... Casey, why don't we go back? ”

“ oh hell no, don! That shit has to be overrun by those dead freaks by now, I'm not willing to take the risk. After all we managed to do out here..I think we're better off. ” Casey glanced over at Donnie, like it was the final decision for the entire ride. Donnie wasn't pleased by it, his lips settling into a scowl as he shook his head with a bitter scoff, leaning back.

“ I don't accept that. Casey, the weather is getting colder, and we have no where else to go. There's ponds and giant bodies of water near the farm where we can get food and hunt fish..— ”

“ What about the little to none stores to take from? That place is useless in shit to survive with. ”

Donnie's biting on the inside of his cheek now, his shoulders slouching in defeat, and a bit of sadness if he really could tell you the truth. He didn't know...why exactly, he wanted to go back. Maybe it was the memories..maybe it...maybe he just wanted to be closer to the city and countryside they once knew...

Casey knew that expression, he could see it out of the corner of his eye while driving down the road, his own lips curving into a apologetic frown. “ Donnie...I don't mean to be or seem harsh with you...you know that right? I know you miss it..I miss it all too...but...trust me that we'll be better off finding somewhere else for the night, or for a camp of our own. ”
His voice was so gentle and sincere, how could Donnie actually be upset? He was moreso surprised Casey was being real with him, open and vulnerable. It has Donnie thinking on his words, gently coaxing himself into their reality again as his head rests back against the seat, eyes fluttering shut.

“ yeah...yeah you're right, Jones. We'll find somewhere better. We will. ”

“ hell yeah, that's the spirit, Dee! We'll be the most badass team there is! I'm telling you now! ” Casey patted Donnie's shoulder harshly, playfully of course, laughing on the drive as Donnie jolts in surprise, shoving Casey in response lightly when the vigilante and former hockey player laughed softly at him.

Little did they both know, a few weeks from now, they'd settle down in a camp pretty cozy.

An actual thriving community.