He stared out the window at the distant buildings. The sun had recently begun its decent into night, and was now hiding behind the massive structures, highlighting them with an almost eery glow. He rested back against the couch, enjoying the view. It used to be only in very rare instances that he got to see sights such as these. They'd come a long way since then. A very long way...

He glanced to his left at the sleeping child, then up at his mother, who cradled it in her arms. She smiled at him, and the golden light caught her face, shadowing it softly. It reminded him of the first day he'd ever laid eyes on her. She was so pretty, and she was even more beautiful now.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her close, breathing in the sweet smell of her hair. He loved to do that--sniff her hair. The scent of it was always pleasing, and it reminded him of all the good things that were a part of his life. Holding her close assured him that everything would be okay now. She was home again and safe. He would never let anything harm her again.

"We can't do this again, Raph." She said gently.

He stared at her, noticed the hint of sorrow in her eyes. "What do you mean? Can't do what?"

She bit her lip and stared down at Tenshi. "This."

He still wasn't sure what she was talking about. "Megan, I--"

"Raph..." She rose her eyes to meet his, and he almost melted. "I...I can't have any more kids."

"Oh." He stared at her for a moment, unsure of what to do or say. Slowly, he took her hand, wishing that the sadness would disappear from her face.

"I'm sorry, Raph, I--"

"Shhh..." He brushed a strand of hair from her eyes and squeezed her hand. "It's alright." The truth of it was, he was very proud to be a father, but he really didn't want any more children. "We have Tenshi. And I have you back. We should be grateful. Besides...this litte guy is a handful."

Megan smiled and stared down at her son. He was so beautiful. His head was covered with her thick dark hair, and he was blessed with his father's intense eyes. They really were lucky. She knew that. For a while, she thought Tenshi wouldn't make it, and she wondered if she'd ever see Raphael again. Now all of the horrific things were behind her, and she was safe again.

It sorrowed her to think about Amber and all of the things that had transpired while she was away. She'd heard bits and pieces of the story from April and Leo and Raphael, and none of it sounded too pleasant. She'd come to think of Amber as a friend, but after finding out what had happened to Mikey, and how she'd decieved them all, she wasn't sure what to think.

"You...you know I love you, don't you?"

She glanced up at him. It never ceased to amaze her how Mr. Tough Guy could pour his heart out to her. "Yeah...of course I do."

"Good. Cuz I wouldn't want you to ever forget that. I...I almost died that day..."

"Please..." She squeezed his hand. "Don't talk about that anymore. It's over. And we're together, and we're safe. And...shit, Raph, we're parents..."

He smiled at her and pulled her even closer to stare down at the sleeping infant in her arms. His life had changed again, so suddenly. It seemed that the world was spinning faster these days. Around each corner was a new surprise.

"Shit is right..." he smiled.

"It's still so hard." April said quietly.

"I know, April. It's gonna take a long time to heal. There are times when I look at him, and all I can see is her."

She spared a glance at Trevor, who seemed to be in his own little world, playing happily with Shadow. She remembered what it was like to be a kid--so carefree, so oblivious to the world around them. She longed for that feeling again.

Trevor was her only real connection to her sister. It pained her that the two of them hadn't had a chance to get closer before she'd died. She knew that Trevor's life would be filled with many unanswered questions as he grew up. Nothing would come easy for them now.

Donatello was silently amazed at Trevor's capabilities. He'd told the others that Trevor was smart, but he hadn't told them how intelligent he really was. That would remain their secret for the time being. He figured that Trevor needed some time to be a kid, to play and enjoy his childhood. He thought back to his own youth, how it had been cut short with the vengeance of Shredder. There were many things he'd missed out on. He wasn't bitter about it, nor did he wish he could turn back time, not really. But he had greater hopes for Trevor. He would get to enjoy his freedom and creativity, and as he did so, his mind would grow and develop, so someday, he would excell beyond anyone's expectations.

He dimmed the lights and began to light the candles one by one as his master had done so long ago. It seemed as though a prayer for the dead were in order, but no words came, only simple memories. Memories of them as children running through the sewers, having water fights in the heat of summer, and being scolded by Splinter for playing in such filthy water. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he remembered those early years. There was so much they were learning, so many expectations Splinter had of them. He would be proud to know that most of those dreams had been fulfilled.

Sighing, he lit the last candle and sat down. He took Mike's hand in his, massaging the skin a little, searching for a response. Heat burned in his eyes as he sat there, remembering the carefree spirit of his brother. It all seemed so unfair. The world was so wicked, so full of spite and murder and vengeance. All his brother had ever wanted was to make people happy. How unjust it seemed that those who were meant to change the world never got a chance to try. Megan had almost left them too. He could only be grateful that they hadn't lost them both.

"Leo?"

He turned to find Amber standing behind him. Her face was a mixture of hope and regret. "I brought some new bandages for Mike's wounds. They should be changed regularly so they don't become infected."

Leonardo nodded to her, and realized his cheeks were wet with tears. He rose slowly, not wanting to take his eyes off of Michaelangelo for even a second. He'd been distracted lately by too many things. He couldn't let his family out of his site again. He couldn't let them slip away.

Cutiously, Amber strode forward and forced herself to look at Michaelangelo. He seemed so weak and frail, and the look of death clung to him like a cloak. She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath, determined to be strong. She may have had a hand in his injury, but she would also have a hand in making him well.

"So where's Raph?"

Casey cautiously entered the kitchen, and found Megan alone. She was standing at the stove boiling water for a bottle. She turned as he approached, a small smile on her face.

"He's spending some time with our son."

Casey sat down at the table, watching her for a moment. "Son...god, Megan, you're a mother!"

"Yeah..." She smiled as she turned off the burner and set the bottle in the boiling water.

"I wish you would have told me, Megan. Why did you think you couldn't come to me?"

She shot him a sarcastic smirk. "Yeah, right Casey. You know why I didn't tell you. You're always so critical of our relationship. I knew you'd just blow up, and then you and Raph would get into a big fight and--I just don't need it, okay? So if you're mad at anyone, be mad at me. I'm the one who wanted this baby, not Raph."

Casey thought over his response. "Meg...come on. I wouldn't have--okay, well...maybe I would have been upset. At first. But come on, the little guy is almost like a nephew to me. I think I had a right to know."

"You're right." She removed the bottle from the water and squirted a few drops of formula on her wrist to test it for temperature. "And now you know, so please, don't make a bigger deal out of this than you have to." She dumped the water into the sink and turned to leave.

Casey stood up. "Megan, wait."

She stopped and turned to face him, hoping that it would be a short lecture this time. She had a hungry baby to feed.

"Sit down."

"Casey..."

"Please."

She sighed and took the seat across from him, wishing they could do this another time. But she knew Casey. He could be even more persistent and hot-headed than Raph at times.

"Look, I just want to...apologize."

She looked at him skeptically. "Apologize? To me?"

"Hey, don't look so surprised. I've learned a lot of things these past two years myself, you know."

"Yeah, like what?"

"Like the importance of family. I almost lost my wife and kids and my favorite cousin." He smiled at her innocently. "And I did lose a sister-in-law, and although we were never super close, it still hurts. I still miss her."

"Yeah..." Megan thought about Robyn, and the sorrow washed over her. She could hardly believe it when Raphael had told her earlier this evening. She kept thinking back to when they'd first met. They quickly became friends, and she'd always been there when she needed someone to talk to. The opposite was also true. Now that she knew of her death, there was a void inside of her that she knew would never quite be filled.

"Megan...I've been stupid. I was selfish. It's just that...well, I just wanted to protect you. You're the closest thing I've ever had to a sister, and after what happened to your parents and everything..."

"I know, Casey. And I appreciate it, but I'm a grown woman now, and I can make decisions for myself."

"I just...didn't want you to end up with a guy like me. I thought you deserved better."

"And what's wrong with a guy like you? You're caring, protective, you're strong...everything a woman could ask for." She grinned.

"Heh...well, when you put it that way..." He smiled, then grew serious again. "But really...what I wanted to say was...well, Raph is my best friend, and you're family...and, well...I give you both my blessing. And this time I mean it."

She looked at him a little skeptically. "You've said that before..."

"Yeah, but I realize now what the two of you mean to eachother. It took me all this time, but when you were gone, and we thought we'd lost you...well...I saw something in Raphael I had never seen before. That's when I knew. I was stupid to ever come between you."

"Thank you, Casey. That really means a lot to me." She rose and gave him a hug. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a hungry baby to feed, and I don't want to keep him waiting. He has a temper like his father."

Casey smiled as he watched her go. "Oh, and Megan..."

"Yeah?"

"Your kid...he's handsome. Kinda like his cousin, Casey..."

"Splinter..." Leonardo whispered. "I wish you were here..."

Amber stared at the turtle warily, and the guilt returned. She had never seen Leonardo cry before, and somehow, she felt responsible.

Leonardo clenched his jaw as he took Mike's hand in his own. "Little brother, I don't know what else to say to you. I want you to know that I love you. We all do. And we want you to come back to us. I miss your laughter. Without it, things seem so dea--uhh...quiet around here."

Amber felt uneasy. She figured Leo would probably appreciate some privacy while he poured his heart out, so she rose to leave.

"Amber, stay. Please."

"Leo, I..."

"Please. Mike needs us. He needs all of us."

Reluctantly, she sat back down, and began to check his temperature, trying to ignore the intimate words Leonardo was voicing.

"Hey, Mike," he said softly, squeezing his brother's hand. "Remember that time when you put that shaving cream in Raph's fedora? Boy, was he mad when he put that on his head. Heh heh...what a sight too. We coulda put a cherry on his head, and he'd have looked just like a lime sundae..."

Amber glanced at him. "Did he really do that?"

"Yep." Leo smiled sadly. "Or how about the time we had Casey pose as the FBI and call Raph up, telling him that they knew where he lived?"

Amber smiled. She could picture Mike doing those things. He was such a ham.

"Or the time that we spiked his punch and got him in trouble with Splinter...that was a good one..."

"Heh heh heh..."

Leonardo stared down at Mike as a giggle escaped him.

"Mike?"

Mike stopped laughing, but he gripped Leo's hand lightly.

"Shit, Amber! It's Mike! I think he's waking up!"

"Keep talking to him!" Amber shouted back.

"Right...ummm... How about the time when you helped me sign Raph up to the Barry Manilow fan club? That was a riot..."

A smile spread across Mike's face, and Leo gripped his hand tighter. Slowly, his eyes began to open. "That was a good one." He said hoarsely.

"Mike!" As Leo threw his arms around the turtle, he could feel the heat returning to his eyes. "God...thank God you're okay..." he wispered.

Mike rose his arm painfully to pat Leo on the back. Leo rose up to look him in the eyes. "How do you feel?"

Mike coughed and sucked in a breath, his eyes squinting in pain. "Hurts to breath..." he wispered. "Hurts like hell to cough."

"Just take it easy, bro. Amber's here to help make you better."

"Amber?"

She hurried forward, although reluctant to let him see her. He stared up into her face and could tell she'd been crying.

"Yeah, Mike. I'm here."

He smiled up at her, and she wanted to scream. He looked so sickly, so fragile, so oblivious to what she'd done to him. He reached for her hand, and she kneeled down next to him, desperately wishing that she could be any place but here at this moment.

Leo watched them for only a moment, then rose quickly to his feet and took off running.

"Hey! Everyone come quick! Mikey's awake!"

"Mike!"

They piled into the room like a herd of stampeding cattle, each with an expression of awe and joy on their faces. Shadow was the first to reach Mike. She jumped up on his leg and threw her arms around him. Mike winced in pain, but he hugged her as best he could. April noticed his discomfort and took her off Mike's lap.

"It's good to have you back, Mike." She smiled, nearly crying. "I thought we might lose you there for a while."

Mike smiled up at her. "It's good to be back. Thanks for the songs, April."

She stared at him in surprise. "You...heard those?"

"Yeah. You're not a bad singer. I especially liked the rubber ducky song..."

April blushed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Raph and Megan rushed up to greet him as well. Tossing his ego aside, Raphael embraced Mike in a meaningful hug. "Good to see ya, bro."

Mike smiled. "I guess we made it, huh?" He almost jumped up from the couch when he saw Megan. "You're back!"

She smiled and knelt down beside him. "Yeah, Mike. I'm back. Everything's fine now." She stared at the turtle she'd come to know as a brother, and joy overtook her. He was okay. Everyone was safe now. She had never been so happy. "And you're an uncle."

Mike's eyes lit up. "Wow...it was born already?"

"Yeah." She smiled. "It's a boy. His name's Tenshi. I'll bring him to visit you when he wakes up."

As the others crowded around to welcome Mike back, Amber stood aside. She was sure they all hated her. She wanted to run away, to escape their condemning eyes, but she forced herself to stay. Mike still needed her, and she'd promised Leo.

"Hey everyone..." Leo interrupted the reunion for a moment. "I just want to let you know that Amber had a big part in helping Mike get well."

All eyes turned to her, some with gratitude, others with blame, some with a mixture of both.

"I couldn't have done it without her help." Leo said solemnly.

Unable to take their stares any longer, Amber turned and hurried toward the kitchen.

"I can't go back out there..."

"Amber, come on. You have to face your fears sometime. If you can't now, when will you ever be able to?"

The girl rose her head. "Megan, I almost got you killed for pete's sake! And Mike...let's not even talk about him!" She burried her face in her hands, trying desperately not to cry again.

Megan started to put an arm around her, then stopped herself. She wasn't sure she wanted to comfort her. A doubt lingered inside of her that she just couldn't shake. Why had Amber done this? How could she have betrayed her and her friends?

"I know what you're thinking." Amber mumbled from behind her hands. You think I'm a horrible person for not helping you. And you think I'm even more awful for stabbing Mike." She rose her head to look at her friend. "But it wasn't all my fault. Leo helped me see that. I was brainwashed, Megan. I didn't even know what I was doing..."

"I know." Megan said softly. "I know...but it doesn't seem to make it any easier. I can't help but keep thinking about what almost happened, how much everyone's lives would have changed because of it. It's so unfair, Amber. So many people had to get hurt. Shit...a few even died..."

Amber remained silent, but she continued to watch Megan through blurred vision. She wanted to tell her how sorry she was, how desperately she wished she could turn back time.

"The thing is...I can't blame you. Not really. And it bothers me that I don't have anyone to yell at. Sometimes I just want to scream, but there's no one to take it out on. Baxter's dead, and though I'm very happy to be rid of him and the torture he put me through, I sometimes wish he was still alive so I could hurt him back."

Amber stared at Megan in wonder. She'd never really seen this side of her before, and it frightened her a little, yet, she could relate. "I know...I'd really like to make him pay for my father..."

"The worst of it," Megan choked. "The very worst of it...was that I was left there to suffer...to have the baby without my husband...to be in such excrutiating pain with these strangers...these evil beings I hardly even knew. I was so alone...I've never felt so hopeless in all my life."

Amber took a couple of reluctant steps toward her. She wanted to do something to make things right, but she wasn't sure how. "Megan, I...I'm so sorry..."

"I know. I know you are. And I can't blame you. Baxter did those things to me, and you had no control over it. But you do have control now."

Amber just looked at her.

"You can control your future now. You have the power. You have your own mind. No one controls you now but you. All I ask is that you do what you think is right, both for Mike and for everyone else. You're a good person, Amber. All you need to do is realize that."

Most of the noise and excitement had died down now. Megan and Amber were in the kitchen, Casey, April and Don had taken the kids in the bedroom to play, Leonardo was busy making him some of Splinter's famous tea, and Raph was busy taking care of Tenshi.

It was the first time since they found the lab that he had some time alone to think. He knew he was lucky to be alive. Everyone had assured him of that. He wasn't sure what exactly had transpired with Megan's rescue, but he knew that something pretty traumatic had happened. Raphael was clearly the farthest from his old self that he had ever been since meeting her. He was still sad for Donatello that Robyn was gone, but he was also happy, having learned of his decision to father Trevor. He hoped that some day he too could be a father.

But somehow, his thoughts kept returning to Amber. He'd almost forgotten about the heartache she'd caused him, but maybe that didn't matter now. Leo said that she'd helped him to get well, and he was grateful for that. There were so many things to live for, so many wonderful things he still wanted to experience.

Yet, a part of him felt empty. As he thought about all the fun he would have missed out on had he died, he also realized the heartache his carefree attitude had caused. He was too trusting. He'd opened himself up to her too quickly, and she'd torn his heart out. There was so much he needed to learn about people. He had to realize that not everyone was like him. There was evil in the world, he had always known that. But never had it hit so close to home. His emotions had taken a wild ride on a roller coaster, and even now they were confused and distorted. He wasn't sure what to believe anymore.

He reminded himself that those who were close to him hadn't let him down. Even Megan, who had experienced some dreadful things in the past few weeks had been more concerned about him than about herself. That filled him with a renewed sense of hope. There were good people and there were bad people, and he couldn't let either rule his life. Even so, he knew that things had changed for him. From now on, he would be more careful, choose his allies more wisely, and if necessary, he'd keep up his guard, being careful not to get too close until he knew he had established trust.

Two days later, Mike was able to sit up. Megan and April propped him up with pillows and blankets, making sure he was as comfortable as possible. He was slowly returning to his old chipper self again, although something was different that they just couldn't seem to place. He was happily slurping down a bowl of soup and watching Scooby Doo when she walked in.

She had been avoiding him since he'd woken up, mostly out of discomfort, but also because she was busy coming to a decision. Even after everything she'd been through, after all her guilt and shame, and days of feeling like an outcast, it hadn't been an easy one. And as she stared into his forgiving eyes, she almost couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Mike, I..."

Knowing that she wanted to talk to him, he patted the couch next to him, and she carefully sat down.

"I want to say I'm sorry...for everything."

Mike stared down into his soup. "I know."

"I never meant to hurt you, Mike. God, I just wish--"

"It's okay." Mike forced a smile. "I've been thinking about a lot of things lately, and I realized that I forgave you a long time ago."

"You did?"

"You've taught me some valuable lessons, Amber, so I'm grateful for that. You taught me to be cautious and to be careful who I trust. I guess I was getting a little careless, and that can be pretty dangerous for a guy like me."

"Mike, I never meant to hurt you. The truth is, I really did have feelings for you. I still do."

Mike wanted to tell her that he did too, but he couldn't. He knew it would only make things harder on them both.

"So that's why I'm leaving."

He stared at her in surprise. "You're...leaving?"

"Yeah...I have to. It's better this way. I need a chance to start over, some time to find myself."

"But where will you go?"

"I have an aunt in Texas. She's already agreed to let me stay with her until I can get back on my feet. It's halfway across the country. I'll be safe there."

After all he'd been through, it still pained him to see her go. "Well, just promise you'll take care of yourself."

"I will."

"And if you need anything..."

"I'll call, don't worry."

"Will I ever see you again?" It was more of a simple question than a plea.

"I don't know."

Deep down, they both already knew the answer.

Mike knew this was for the best. If any of Baxter's men were still alive, they'd be looking for her. It was the only way to ensure that she'd be safe.

"It's been good knowing you." Mike gave her a hug.

Amber wrapped her arms around him, and tears began to roll down her cheeks. She would definitely miss him, and she hoped that someday, he could truly forgive her for all she had done to him and those he cared about.

He watched as she picked up a couple of suitcases which held a few meager belongings. She made it to the door before he stopped her.

"Amber..."

She turned to look at him one last time.

"Thanks for everything."

She nodded and bit her lip, and without another word, headed out the door.

Epilogue

Lightning Crashes

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