They sat together, side by side in the quiet of the country, the soft chirping of the crickets, and the light gurgling of a nearby stream the night's only interruptions. It was beautiful here. The air was clear, and the stars twinkled brightly against the black sky, like someone had poked it with a pin a million times and held a flashlight up to it.
Neither of them spoke as they admired the majesty of the bright, full moon. Megan lowered her head, sparing a glance in Raphael's direction, who continued to keep his eyes to the sky, his thoughts lost some place far away.
A cool breeze began to blow, whipping his bandana tails like a flag caught in the wind as he listened to the quiet of the evening. There was no noisy traffic, no splashing water, not even the sound of his brothers' voices wafting through the hollow tunnels. It was virtually silent. And for once he let go of his thoughts, all the frustration and anger, the conflicts. He took in a deep breath and allowed the aggravation to slowly slip away.
He could feel her eyes on him, waiting silently, forcing their way deep into his soul, searching his mind for its thoughts. Yet he kept his gaze at the moon, struggling inside for the words he knew she was waiting to hear.
She stared at him for a moment more, studying the sharp glint in his eye as it reflected the light from the moon, the slight twitch at his lips as he narrowed them, as if in concentration. She thought about her life; how tragic it had been recently, about her mother's death, the night she came face to face with the Foot, the day she had met Raphael. Everything had changed so drastically in just a couple of weeks, and she knew that nothing would be quite the same ever again.
He lowered his eyes, staring at the grass for a moment before turning toward her. He forced himself to look her in the eyes, allowing himself to let down his guard. A slight smile played at the corners of her lips, filling him with a renewed hope and a new sense of courage. Never before had he known love. The idea was so foreign to him that he still didn't quite know what to do with it. He felt happier and more at peace than he had ever felt before, yet he was terrified of letting this emotion take control over him. He returned the smile nervously, lowering his gaze back to the grass, watching it for a moment as it swayed in the cold night breeze.
"Raphael?" The sound of her voice startled him back to reality again. As he lifted his eyes to meet hers, he noticed a hint of sorrow behind them. "I...I'm leaving in a couple of days." Now it was her turn to break the gaze.
He stared at her for a moment, biting his lip as he fought back the emotions. Please don't go, his heart cried out, but his mouth remained silent. He longed to hold her in his arms, to keep her there always, but they remained at his sides. "I know.", he said quietly.
Sensing the uncertain quaver in his voice, she took his hand, squeezing it gently. Ask me to stay, she thought solemnly, Ask me, and I will. But Raphael remained silent, his eyes fixed again on the moon.
He too thought about that night in April and Casey's apartment when she had first entered his life. Never in a million years had he thought a woman like that could ever be his. He remembered how the Foot had attacked her, beating her with their weapons, an innocent, unarmed girl who would have never had a chance. His body heated up with anger for a moment as he thought about what might have happened if he hadn't been there to protect her. He had almost lost her then, and now, she was about to walk right out of his life again...
I need you, he thought desperately, but the words got choked in his throat and were never voiced. You taught me what happiness really is. When he was with her, it was as if his anger was conquered by an unseen enemy and slowly dissolved into nothing. He knew his life wouldn't be the same without her. Maybe she'll stay, he tried to assure himself. Maybe she won't be able to leave.
Megan glanced down at their hands as he curled his fingers tightly around hers. She could hear his breathing grow stronger for a moment, then quiet down again. Something was bothering him, but what, she couldn't tell.
A heavy wind began to blow, sending a shiver through Megan as she pulled the collar of her sweater higher up on her neck. Raph noticed her discomfort and took off his jacket, wrapping it snuggly around her shoulders.
"Raph...", she stared up at him, "It's freezing out here. You're gonna get sick."
He smiled back at her. "Naw, don't worry about me. I'm used to the cold weather. Besides, I got a shell to keep me warm."
She returned the smile and pulled the jacket tight around her neck. Raph to the rescue again, she smiled to herself. The warmth of the coat filled her limbs with a calm security, taking her back to her childhood, when on cold winter nights she would wrap her favorite blanket around her and sit in front of the fireplace while her father told amuzing tales that had always started with "when I was young...". She longed for a fire now, but decided this was even better. She remembered the fresh woody smell of a burning log, always comforting in its own right. But bringing the jacket close to her face, she found it smelled like him, and right now that was even more assuring.
Raph watched her intently for a moment as she sat curled up on the porch swing inside the monstrous jacket that was ten times too big for her. A grin spread across his face as she snuggled up in it, like a lost puppy dog finding shelter from the rain.
She noticed his gaze and scooted close to him, resting her head on his shoulder. Raph stared down at her for a moment, before kissing her lightly on the head, noticing how her hair smelled like apples on a summer day. He wrapped his arm around her, closing his eyes as she drew in closer, resting her head in the pit of his arm. He wished he could stay here forever, just like this.
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"What are you doing?", Leo's voice stunned Mike from his peeping. He turned around quickly, a guilty expression on his face.
"I was, ummm...", Mike began, coming away from the window.
"Spying?", Leo finished for him, throwing him a stern look.
"Well...no...it wasn't spying, exactly...I was just, umm, making sure that--"
"That you didn't miss any action between Megan and Raph?", Leo scolded. "Mikey, give them some privacy, sheesh!"
Mike pouted at his brother, then looked to Robyn, hoping she would back him up.
"Well, Leo does have a point Mike. It's not nice to spy on people. They deserve their privacy."
"Aww, but--"
"Michaelangelo...", Leo flashed him another scolding look.
"Aww man!", Mike tromped away from the window and sat down in a chair. "I never get to have any fun."
Leo took a seat next to Robyn on the couch, his eyes on Michaelangelo. His thoughts drifted to the events of a week earlier, to the day when his brother had finally woken up. He remembered back to the fortress, the agonized face staring up at him through clouded vision, pain racking his worn out body. Karai's words tore through him like a jagged knife. ...Mutagen from your blood...
Donatello had blamed himself for leaving Mike, but when the truth was known, Leonardo realized that if it was any of their faults, it was his own. They had almost lost Mike that night, and as Leo stared at him now, he silently wondered what any of them would have done without their brother's playful spirit. But Mike's okay now, he told himself. Everything's okay. We won.
Mike sat in the chair, his arms folded across his chest, his lower lip protruding slightly in a pout. Leonardo sighed and glanced at Robyn, who struggled to contain herself from laughter.
Leo took a deep breath and smirked at Mike. "So...what were they doing out there anyway?"
Mike's eyes lit up at Leo's interest. "They were getting pretty comfortable, that's for sure!"
"Really?", Leo egged him on.
"Yeah, they're all snuggled up out there, and they're holding hands, and I think I saw Raph kiss--"
Mike stopped his recollection abruptly as Casey and April entered the room. He shot Leo a nervous glance and sat quietly, avoiding Casey's gaze.
He knew what they had been talking about. He had been listening for the past couple of minutes. He also knew that Michaelangelo had stopped talking because he was afraid of how he would react.
"It's okay guys.", Casey slumped down into one of the chairs. "I know all about it."
Leo stared at him in confused surprise for a moment. "So, you're okay with it now?"
Casey smirked at him "Well, let's just say I'm dealing with it. If my favorite cousin and my best bud can find happiness like April and I have found...", he glanced up at his soon to be wife, her eyes twinkling. "Well, then I guess I have to try to be happy for them."
The door creaked open slowly and Raphael and Megan stepped inside, shivering slightly as a waft of cold air blew through the room.
"Boy, it's getting nippy out there!", Raph exclaimed, rubbing his arms.
Megan shut the door behind them, the long coat hanging from her body, reminding Michaelangelo of a clown from the circus. He grinned slightly at her appearance, then grew solemn as he watched Casey's expression grow serious.
"Uh, Megan, I need to talk to you.", he said quickly. He rose his eyes to meet Raphael's. "Alone."
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Don opened his eyes slowly, unable to concentrate fully, and gazed at his master. Lines of age crinkled the skin around his eyes, and for the first time, Don noticed a hint of silver in the brown fur. The rat sat silently for a long while, his eyelids shut tightly as he focused his attention on a place far away...
He found himself in his hometown in Japan, at the house he had grown up in with his master, Hamato Yoshi. As he stood among the familiar landscape, the tall grasses tickling at his ankles, an eery feeling crept over him. His thoughts traveled back in time to the moment of his sensei's tragic death. He remembered Saki storming in, attacking Shen, Shen's body hitting the floor; the sound her bones made as they cracked against the wood. He remembered his beloved Master Yoshi entering to find the woman he loved so dear lying silently, her body already beginning to grow cold from the chill of death.
Shen had been Yoshi's world. He had loved her like he had loved no other. That was how Splinter in turn, felt for his sons.
But everything he had known had been destroyed in a matter of minutes. He envisioned his master falling silently to the floor, the life escaping the still frame. He remembered the loneliness, the hopelessness, and he realized that some day soon he too would be leaving them behind...
He opened his eyes to find Don's focused intently upon his face. Neither of them spoke for a long while, but simply stared at one another, communicating an unspoken understanding.
"Donatello.", Splinter spoke finally after a long moment. "The past is in the past. Do not blame yourself for events that were beyond your control. You did the best you could for your brothers, and now we are all safe."
Donatello smiled slightly. "I know, master."
"Life is very fragile.", the rat's face grew dim for a moment. "We must all concentrate on the good times we have together. You and your brothers need one another. For some day, I will be gone."
Don hated when his sensei talked like this. A big lump settled in his throat as he stared into the rat's focused eyes. Slowly the tension in them slipped away and he forced a smile. "Come.", he said suddenly, "Let us share some good times right now."
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"Look Casey", Megan said in agitation, "I know what you're gonna say already, and I'm really not in the mood for a lecture, okay?"
Casey paced the floor for a moment, avoiding her gaze as he fought for the words to apologize, to explain his rash behavior. "I'm sorry Meg.", he said atlast.
She stared at him in surprise for a long moment, wondering silently about what must be going through his mind.
"I'm sorry.", he said again. "But look", he raised his eyes to meet hers. "You're my favorite cousin."
She smirked slightly. "Casey, I'm your only cousin."
"Well...yeah. But that's all the more reason why I look out for you so much, ya know? It's...you're like a sister to me for pete's sake. And I--"
"And you feel it's your job to look out for me and protect me."
Casey didn't say anything, but continued to hold her gaze.
"Casey, that was fine when I was little, when I needed your protection. But I'm an adult now. My life is my own, and I need space to make my own decisions." Her stare grew harder, causing him to want to look away, but he forced himself to hold her gaze. "I can take care of myself."
Casey sighed. "Yeah, I know.", he lowered his eyes, staring at the old flowery pattern on the kitchen floor. "I know, I just...look, it's gonna be hard for you. This isn't a normal relationship, Megan."
She turned her attention toward the wall, an anger building up inside of her that she struggled not to voice as he continued. "Raph's a great guy. He's my best bud, but look at the two of you! He's a turtle, Megan, an animal...another species. And you--"
She rose her eyes to glare at him, unable to remain silent any longer. "I am a human. Yes, I know, Casey. I've been one all my life. Don't you think I know we're different? Don't you think I realize that Raphael has a shell and only three fingers and does ninja fighting? Maybe I don't care about those things, Casey! Maybe they don't matter to me so much! Maybe what I do care about is what we have in common...that we're in love!"
Casey seemed to be taken aback by her last statement. He had known she had cared about him, maybe even loved him, but in love? That was something different. He bit his lower lip, trying to think of something to say as Megan kept her angry glare on him, breathing deeply to calm herself down.
"Y...you're going back on Monday.", he said quietly. "What then?"
This was something Megan had already thought about, and she wasn't sure she had the answer. "I know that. But thanks for bringing it up. It makes me feel so much better.", she said sarcastically. "You have a lot of nerve, Casey.", she whispered.
"Look", he said softly. "I just worry about you, ya know? I just want to make sure that you're prepared to face the hardships that will come with this. You won't be able to go out on dates much. You can't have him meet your friends. And he's..." He was careful how he worded his next comment. "He's adventuresome, Meg, he's not the type to settle down."
Megan remained quiet, keeping her eyes away from his as he stood next to her. "I just...I just want you to be happy.", he said softly. "And...well...if Raph makes you happy, then...."
She brought her eyes up to meet his, a tingle of hope spreading through her. Was he going to say what she wanted to hear?
"Then...I'll try to be supportive."
A smile spread slowly across Megan's face. "Thanks Casey. I hope you mean that. It means a lot to me."
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April and Robyn stood in front of the mirror, admiring themselves as they smeared lipstick over their lips and curled their hair. Robyn stared at her sister happily for a moment. Tomorrow would be a day like no other. April was getting married, and she and her new found friends would get to be a part of it. An excitement rushed through her as she thought about the surprise she and Megan had planned for her. A reception, complete with food, cake, dancing...
"So, what do you think?", April pulled the veil over her face, and posed for Robyn.
She smiled. "You're gonna be so beautiful tomorrow, April. I'm so glad I'm here." She wrapped her arms around her sister as another surge of adrenaline rushed through her. "This is gonna be so great!" She understood now why April had originally left her out of the plans. It must have been really hard for her to do so, but she realized she had had no other choice. Robyn reflected on the way she had reacted upon first seeing the turtles. And now she knew just how important these guys were to her, and why. The truth was, it had hurt her, but she had forgiven her sister long ago.
A joy spread through April. She was finally going to get what she had always wanted for so long. Tomorrow she would be April O'Neil Jones. Casey would finally be her husband. As she stared at herself in the mirror, she sighed, the joy turning to worry as her mind drifted to a day over two weeks ago when she had stood in front of a mirror not unlike this one. The same ornate dress and delicate veil had decorated her body, a similar nervous energy gnawing at her. But things had fallen apart. What if something happens again? What if we never get married? What if...
As if she could sense April's apprehension, Robyn laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. "April, everything will be okay. Tomorrow's gonna be great!"
April forced herself to return the smile. I hope so,she thought.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Hmmm...", Don tapped his finger to his chin in thought as he stared silently at the board for a moment.
"C'mon Donnie, we don't have all day.", Raph rolled his eyes.
"Okay...I think I'm going to guess what's in the envelope.", he announced slowly. The others eyed him curiously as he began his explaination. "I think it was Professor Plum in the Conservatory with....the rope."
A grin spread across his face as Mike picked up the envelope and began pulling the cards out slowly, laying them on the floor for all to see.
"Damn!", Raph threw down his hand in aggravation. "Geeze Donnie, you always win!"
Don stood up proudly, pretending to buff his nails on his plastron. "Not bad, huh? And I did it with only one hand."
Leo shook his head, giggling quietly to himself. They had played this game five times already, and each time Don had won and Raph had made a fuss about it. He glanced up at the others who were also starting to laugh.
Splinter was glad to see everyone in good spirits again. It had been a while since they'd had the chance to sit around and spend time together. He was greatful to see them laugh.
Megan glanced at Casey and shot him a quick smile, which he returned with a menacing grin. Things still didn't feel one hundred percent with him yet, but atleast they had come to an understanding. She loved Casey like a brother and was greatful that he had agreed to let her live her life how she deemed fit.
As their laughter rose and carried itself throughout the farmhouse, the air seemed to lighten, the tension seemed to fade, and all seemed at peace. Now if only that peace would last for tomorrow.
________________________________________________________________________________________
April tucked the blanket higher under Shadow's chin and kissed her gently on the forehead. A pale light from the moon trickled in from the window, highlighting her delicate cheeks with an other-worldly glow.
She sighed as she sat down quietly on the edge of the bed, watching her sleep. Casey's child. Her child. It didn't matter to her that Shadow was adopted. She loved her as much as if she were her own. She figured that some day, like many women, she would want one of her very own, but no one could ever take the place of this little girl.
She had been so heartbroken, so terrified when Shadow had been kidnapped. She had felt trapped, like there was nothing she could do to help her, as if all she could do was wait, maybe for the rest of her life. But they had found her. Her friends had found her and brought her back. Friends that she could never replace.
She had thought back many times on her life, on all of the changes that had taken place since she'd met them, on all the trouble they had gotten her into, but always, always they had seen her through. They had been there for her. They had cared about her like no one else ever had or ever would. She knew now that that was why she had stayed here all these years. That was why she had given up on having a "normal" life so long ago. Who needed that when she had friends like these?
She stood up carefully, making sure not to wake Shadow as she tiptoed to the door. As she took one glance back at the sleeping angel, a big grin spread across her face. Who knew what the future held for her and Casey now? She had decided that didn't really matter. All that was important was that they had friends...family to see them through.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
It was late. The noise had died down to whispers and then faded slowly away into nothing. The house was dark, except for a lone table lamp, shedding light on the thick sheets of paper stacked neatly on the floor.
She couldn't sleep. She didn't know whether it was nerves or excitement, or sorrow, but her mind raced with ideas, with vivid scenes, swirling around in bright colors in her head. She had to do something with them. She had to clear her mind so she could rest.
She sat cross legged on the couch, at Raphael's feet, staring at him intently as he slept. His face was gentle, almost peaceful, and she wondered if he were dreaming. The bandages on his arms and plastron almost made him seem vulnerable in the clutches of his unconsciousness.
She picked up the colored pencils she had managed to scrape together from the junk drawer in the kitchen and began to draw. She started with his face, being careful to capture the detail, the serenity. He looked beautiful like this, almost radiant.
Next, she drew his arms and plastron, noting the detail of the bandages, the positioning of his hands. Finally she got to his feet and legs. She studied his toes, remembering back to the day she had woken up, the first time she had gotten a good look at him. It had almost been like a dream. She had realized then how different they were, yet how alike. She let her eyes fall on his knees, visualizing the pads that used to be there, remembering Karai, how uncaringly she had thrown them at her, mocking her, convincing her that he was dead.
She shook the memories from her mind and forced herself to concentrate on her drawing again. This was how she wanted to always remember him; unmasked, unguarded and at peace.
She stifled a yawn as she added the finishing touches, being sure to include every detail, every little line and shadow in his expression. Pausing to study it, she realized that this was one of the best pictures she had ever done. She marveled at it for a moment, noting how life-like it had turned out. Finally she placed the drawing inside the stack of papers and turned out the light. Tomorrow was a big day and she needed to get some sleep.