Nearly three months had passed since April discovered she was pregnant, but it wasn't getting any easier for her. Morning sickness, as well as vomiting, nausea, and annoying frequent urination tormented the poor young woman. She figured early into the pregnancy that her symptoms would be different to those of other women, on account of the father being a mutant reptile, but much to her shock, nothing was that offbeat. She didn't see Mikey as much as she would have liked; he was extremely stressed from the whole situation. This wasn't to say he wasn't there for her, though. He would stay up late almost every night with Donnie, doing heaps of research on the development of the baby and the effects it would make on April. The more he thought about having a child, the more excited Mikey became. He wanted to be involved in every way, shape, and form. The responsibility aspect still frightened him beyond belief, but the fact that he was, in six months' time, going to have a baby, his own flesh and blood, was nothing less than thrilling.
"So when do I get to meet the father, April?" Taylor sat next to her best friend on the sofa. The girls had been watching '16 and Pregnant' all morning. As she watched the program, April began to sympathize more with Mikey. The young fathers on the show were just as scared as he was.
"Um, I'm not sure it's the best time." April said, "He's…in a hard place right now." Taylor rolled her eyes. It was the same answer every time. She was getting frustrated with April. What was she hiding from her?
"Just tell me, April, is he some kind of alien? Why won't you let me meet him?" Alien. April smirked.
"I've gotta go. I'm meeting Mikey at two." April stood from the couch.
"I will find out what he looks like, April." Taylor assured April as she made her way to the door, "I'll find his Facebook or Twitter somehow!"
"Good luck with that." April smiled.
It took April ten minutes to bike to central park. Despite what her doctor had told her about bike riding while pregnant, it was a beautiful day, and quite frankly, she felt a bus wouldn't have offered the same view. Mikey had told her to meet him in a specific area of the park where he claimed no one would see them; he didn't feel like disguising himself in that ridiculous trench coat and hat.
It wasn't hard to spot Mikey at all. In fact, he came into view right away. He was sat on top of a large boulder under a tree with a picnic basket at his feet. April smiled and instinctively began to walk faster. "What's up, angel cakes?" He stood up and held his arms out, ready to swing April around in a hug. "Look how big you are, baby!" April giggled when Mikey knelt down and planted a big wet kiss on her tummy.
After the hugs and kisses, April and Mikey sat down on top of the blanket Mikey had pulled off of the kitchen table. He opened the picnic basket and began to unload the contents. April was pleasantly surprised. He pulled out can after can of orange crush, a few wrapped sandwiches, apples, and a snickers bar. "I packed the fruit 'cause I read that the baby needs the nutrients, and the snickers bar is it's dessert." April laughed at how cute Mikey was. She was so touched by the effort he'd made. She leaned across the blanket and gave him a kiss.
"I'm sorry I haven't really been around, angel cakes." Mikey looked into the distance. "Well, I mean, I've been around, but I haven't been around around, y'know?"
"Yeah…" April said softly, and then caught Mikey's eye. He looked really mad with himself.
"Sometimes I feel like…you're too good for me." He looked away again, "Like, I don't deserve you. I'm just a kid, y'know. I feel like you deserve a mature guy who can take care of you…like that old guy you used to work with…"
"Mikey," April stopped him, "don't even go there. Vern and I…it was purely professional. I never would have gone out with him." Mikey began to unwrap the snickers bar. He snapped it in half, giving the other piece to his girlfriend.
April stroked her tummy as she chewed. "How's the little guy doin'?" Mikey asked, "O-or gal."
"Good...It's harder than I thought it would be, but I'm managing. I have Taylor to help me."
"Ooo, who's Taylor?" Mikey asked. He scooted over to her and lay down in the grass. April did, too, and leaned her head on his stomach.
"I told you, she's my flat mate. We're good friends, and she's a little annoying at times, but right now, she's all I have to take care of me."
"…I'm sorry." Mikey frowned, disappointed in himself.
"It's okay. I understand you can't go out in the open whenever you want."
"Hey," Mikey snickered, "you should bring Taylor around to the lair sometime. I'm sure Raph would get a kick out of her."
"Yeah." April giggled, "I think Raph would shoot himself if I did that." They both laughed.
Mikey began to run his fingers through April's long hair, "I love you, April O'Neil."
"I love you, too."
The two lay there for hours, and their lives seemed perfect, but little did they know that a dark force would shake not only them, but the whole of New York City in a matter of months. Danger was just around the bend.
