She couldn't image my life without him now. From seeing him on that roof top years ago, to now walking to the garage he worked at willingly becoming human nearly everyday to save the money he needed for himself and his brothers. It all seemed surreal now of course, from where they were a couple years ago. She never thought she would end up with someone like Raphael. But, God is she happy she did.
He is as loyal as they come with the most amazing heart. You wouldn't think it by looking at him in his normal or even human body, or even after getting to know him. It takes awhile for him to open up, obviously Felicia learned that the hard way.
They had their ups and downs, mostly with him shooting off his mouth before thinking. He's had her apartment door slammed in his face more times than he can count but, he'd always come back with that stupid, beautiful look on his face with an amazing apology. Saying he didn't know any better, that he just gets too mad sometimes and doesn't know how to stop himself from saying something that he knows is going to hurt. She of course, being Felicia would apologize too because they know each other too well now not to know what words will hurt. She wasn't exactly a little princess either in those fights. She had her own problems with stopping before saying something hurtful and knowing how to push his buttons and she did, she pushed them hard.
But, with all that bad comes so many amazing goods.
Felicia has been working towards her Masters in Theater Management and he's been building up the reputation of the Dojo with his brother's, as well as working part time at the Bike Shop he fell in love with. Not that she could blame him. He always needed another outlet than to be doing the same thing over and over again at the Dojo with his brother's. He's always been wanting to go out on his own, do his own thing and now he can. He still has an amazing connection with his family but, he's Raph... He needs his alone time.
Leonardo and Willow made a beautiful home for themselves, close to the school she has been with for three and a half years now. She loves it, the creative writing, writing up a curriculum, molding young minds for the future. She had always looked at today's youth and was disgusted. The technology overload right at their fingertips, literally. She had to confiscate more cell phones than she'd like to admit but now instead of just bitching a moaning about it, she was actually able to do something about it. Get their faces away from a TV, computer, cell phone screen and into the pages of a good book. She had kids that graduated never having the desire to read books and she saw them at the local book store weekly. It made her feel great, empowered to teach these kids that there is more to the imagination than seeing it on a screen. The kids love her so much for it, she's been named teacher of the year two years in a row.
Leonardo of course has just poured his heart and soul into the Dojo, They decided on the name, Hamato Bushido` in remembrance of their beloved father and all he had taught them. It had come a long way from an old run down building that Leo had bought off an old man. It was beautiful inside, April helping with a lot of the interior decorating since the guys had very little skill in that area and getting all the information they needed to run a Dojo. Receiving paper work for the correct licenses to use certain weapons they needed, since very many were illegal in the state of New York. It all worked out of course, with someone as genius as Donatello they were all able to get the papers they needed to prove to anyone that came sniffing around that they were indeed a running company owned by citizens of New York and the United States.
That of course took time. Betty had to watch Donnie many a night at his computer, hunched over and typing furious as he created Social Security Numbers and Licenses for all four of his brother's. Some nights he was too tired to say goodnight to her and would pass out at his desk. Other nights she practically carried him to the bed. She knew it was for a good cause though and supported him as well as she could.
Since then, the Dojo ran classes nearly every day. A lot of the kids from Willow's classes signed up from the various fliers she and Riley set around the school. Those kids talked about it with their friends from different schools and soon enough they brother's had a full schedule to set.
Raphael and Leonardo doing mostly the teenage kids, Donatello and Michelangelo handling the younger ones. Riley even came up with an idea to have a self defense class for woman that Mikey and April both ran. The kids mom's were more than willing to sign up for those, and then came April's yoga classes which Riley was happy to help with. It was going wonderfully and all the brother's were extremely happy, except for a sad day about a year ago now...
Willow looked over her husband as he put on his blue band, tying the familiar knot at the back of his head. His face was solemn and eyes rimmed with red from crying silently to himself for what felt like days now.
"Tiger... I think it's time." She said softly as Leonardo nodded his head, turning towards his wife of three years. "He's in a better place." She shrugged trying to be as reassuring as she could, knowing none of it would help.
"He is..." He sighed, his voice quiet and scratchy as he tried to clear it. "He's with his wife now." He said as Willow nodded, feeling tears well up in her own eyes at her husbands sadness.
They exited his old room in the familiar lair, looking over the railing at the large opened room smelling of sandalwood and lilies. Flowers surrounded the room that Willow had gotten the day before with the other girls to help her. They were all dressed in black holding tightly onto their significant others large green hand, their fingers laced together. Their thumbs running over the back of their lovers scarred hands in soothing circles. Not a lot was said, or could be said. The girls couldn't feel anything but helpless as they watched their strong hero bent in pain from the loss of their father.
Leonardo started down the stairs, his wife's hand tightly in his grasp as they walked up to the intimate group surrounding a large wooden casket. He caught eyes with his brother's one at a time, all of them proudly wearing their weapons and colors that their father had once given them as teenagers. With a deep, shuttering breath Leo walked up to the casket placing his hand on the wood to look down at his father's face.
He looked so peaceful with his eyes shut and paws folded over his red robe. Leonardo could feel tears start once again to rise in his eyes, not even bothering to push them away. He placed his hand over his father's as his shoulders shuttering with sobs. Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael all went over to the eldest to say good-bye to their beloved father.
April grasped tightly onto Casey's hand, giving it a squeeze as he looked down at her, his eyes too rimmed with red. She gave him a meek smile, kissing his cheek before walking over to her brother's, placing a warm hand on Mikey's shoulder.
"I wrote something, if you guys don't mind I'd like to read it." She said softly as Mikey nodded looking down his line of brother's towards the eldest. Leonardo just stood, tears streaming down his olive toned face looking down at his Master. April cleared her throat, tears starting to come to her eyes once more as she placed her hand on Splinter's.
"Master, you have been there with us through everything. You have raised these boys, now men to be wonderful individuals inside and out. They will live on with your memory strong in their minds and their hearts. You have taught me things I would never have dreamed of and lead me to believe in your son's as you did. I love them as my own brother's and you as my father. Your teachings will be with us for a life time. I know that you will rest well and be at peace." She said, wiping a tear from her cheek as Mikey leaned over and kissed it softly for her, taking a deep breath.
"It won't be the same with him gone." He said with a sniff as Donnie sighed, wrapping an arm around his little brother.
"He'll always be with us." He said as Raphael nodded, wiping his face from tears as well.
"Let's get this to the lake house and give him his proper send off." Raph said, looking over his shoulder at his long time friend Casey as he nodded his head.
All four brother's and Casey hoisted the casket over their shoulders and walked to the street entrance where April's old van was waiting. Everyone follow slowly after them, Willow and April holding hands and their sniffing echoing throughout high ceilings of the lair.
The ride to the old farm house was quiet. No one spoke in the hours it took to get there. Leonardo road in the van with April, Casey and Willow, while everyone else took Felicia's old Jeep with Raphael driving. Felicia would look over at him every now and against begging with her eyes for him to say anything but, he never did.
Once at the old farm house, the casket was brought down to the lake. Casey and the brother's gathered kindling placing it inside the large wooden boat that Casey's father use to use for fishing. Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo were on one side of the casket as Casey and Donnie took the other, lifting the casket into the boat to fit on top of all the brush and wood they had found.
"Good-bye father." Leonardo sighed, pushing the boat with his brother's into the placid lake.
April opened the wrapped one of Splinter's robes she had brought with her from her van, handing each of the turtles hand made bow and arrow they had made out of wood. Since knowing their father was sick Splinter told the boys what he had wanted as a burial and tribute. They worked diligently as only they could to please their father with the finished product of a smooth hand crafted arrow made of birch wood.
Their friend of many years light the tips of the beautiful arrows, going slowly down the line with the long match stick smiling kindly, sadly at her family. They all looked at each other, the four strong brothers before releasing the arrows drawn. Leonardo first, then Raphael, Donatello and finally Michelangelo all in tandem, sighing a quiet 'good-bye' in Japanese.
Within minuets the boat that carried Splinter's body was aflame and coasting along the lake as the sky turned a dark blue. Stars over the lake and the beloved saying good-bye to father, master and friend started to show.
Willow stepped forward, taking Leonardo's hand into hers as all the brother's watched their father float to his final resting place.
It was a sad day for all of them. The emotions Raphael poured out of himself that night were unlike anything Felicia ever seen before. He had lost the only thing he knew as a parent figure. Someone that taught and showed them all how to be the men they all are today. It took them all awhile to get back to their normal selves. They all stayed in the liar for a couple months, splinting up things that belonged to Splinter but, it was just to hold onto their father for as long as they could. It was their home with him. It was a place that could go and be themselves and have no one judge or doubt them. It was a perfect place for them with someone they loved.
It is still there, and hidden. It's their security blanket as April calls it. Something that will always be there in case they need it, for whatever reason.
Donnie still uses it on occasion for his lab. He can only store so much stuff in Felicia and Betty's apartment.
They're still doing very well. Betty has left the lime light for something a little more behind the scenes. She started an internship at a very popular rock radio station in the city. She does mostly what Willow used to at the independent radio station she worked at years ago, stalking music and taking inventory but with her degree she is hoping be become a DJ one day. She has already got her boss to let her cover for a late night show a couple times and everyone stayed up late to listen to her.
Donnie has an IT job on the side that he in the apartment. Nothing major just helping people build websites and complete algorithms correctly. He tries to explain his day to Felicia and Betty everyday but, he goes so fast that Betty just shakes her head and says "whatever Zuckerburg" and walks away. Betty thinks it's amazing and of course always listens intently even if she doesn't have the faintest idea of what he's talking about.
Then there is Riley and Mikey. Those two are so ridiculously in love it's sickening sometimes. As someone that has known Riley for most of her life, it's an amazing thing to see her always so happy. She is never once without a smile on her face when she's around him.
Mikey purposes to her on a weekly basis and she always says that they don't need a piece of paper to tell them that they're in love. It's mostly because of her mother walking out on her at such a young age. She'll never admit it to anyone though. She's scared to death of commitment even though she'll be with Mikey until the day she's dead. But, Mikey never seems to care that she says no. He just shrugs it off and tells her he loves her anyways.
They've had their fights as most couples do, but not nearly as much as you would think considering it is Riley we're talking about. She can fight her way out of a paper bag to prove that she's right. It's mostly Mikey and his very passive, calm demeanor. His idea is if it's not important then why fight about it? It's made me take a step back and think about my behavior more than enough times when it comes to my fighting style with Raph.
Laughing to herself, Felicia turned the familiar corner of the bike shop she was walking towards hearing the familiar sound of impact wrench and smell of gasoline.
"Hey Raph, you're ladies here!" She heard one of the workers call out as she walked inside the garage. "Hey sugar, whacha bring for him today?" She asked.
Her name was Lucy. She was beautiful, short black hair that was left longer on one side and shaved on another. She had perfect 'bee stung' lips that were always dawned in a bright red lipstick. She wore the same thing to work as all the other men that worked there except she wore a white tank top under her dark blue coveralls. Her arms were covered in tattoos, mostly skulls with roses and a creepy depiction of Alice in Wonderland.
She was average size but looked like she could concave your face with one hit. Felicia, of course was incredible intimidated by her. She had no idea who wouldn't be, especially since Lucy got to work with Raphael for hours at a time and he had to look like sex on a stick. She was upset after leaving the first day there she went straight to Willow's.
"He's going to cheat on me..." She sighed, sitting at the kitchen able as Leonardo furrowed his brow looking at a woman he now considered to be one of his best friends.
"He's what?" He asked, confused obviously. He knew his brother and he knew that Raphael liked to look sure but, he loved Felicia and Leo knew Raph wouldn't do anything to hurt her.
"There's this woman he works with. She's beautiful and completely his type. I mean, just looking at her in comparison to me if you asked yourself who would fit Raph more it would be her. She's covered in tats and beautiful. She has a nice rack too and he's such a boob guy it's ridiculous..."
"Ok, can I say something here?" Leo asked as Felicia sighed, waving her hand for him to talk. "I know my brother and he's loyal to a fault. He would never hurt you, especially not by cheating. Have you talked to him about this?"
"No, I just went to the garage today to surprise him for lunch and they were laughing together when I walked in. She was touching his arm, he looked so happy... I feel sick..." She said, getting from the table and starting to pace.
"Hey, hey my love. Oh, Fee what's up boo?" Willow said as she walked into her apartment. "What's wrong?" She asked immediately noticing her best friend's face.
"Raph is gonna cheat on me."
"What?" Willow said, looking over at her husband as he shook his head. She eyed him for a moment before looking back at Felicia. "How do you know that?"
"This woman he works this, she's so friggin hot and is completely his type and..."
"Wait, wait, wait... You went to give him lunch today right?" Willow asked, walking her friend back to the kitchen table as they both took a seat.
"Yeah, I wanted to surprise him and when I got there they were both laughing and touching and he looked happy and..."
"Well yeah, he was laughing. Did you get a weird vibe from her?" Willow asked as Leo furrowed his brow.
"What does that have to do with anything?" He asked as Willow rolled her eyes.
"Usually when a woman is trying to get with someone else's man they're all buddy buddy with the GF. Keep your friends close enemies closer type deal." Willow shrugged as Leo rolled his eyes.
"That's not true at all. And Raphael wouldn't have noticed either way if she was trying to get his attention in that manner. He only has eyes for Felicia. Believe me when I say that."
"Excuse me, I am right here." Felicia sighed as Leo smiled at her.
"Sorry, but this is absolutely ridiculous. Raphael has no intention of cheating."
"What if he wants to get back at me for what happened at the wedding, or the letter?"
"After three years this is his way of getting back at you?" Willow asked as Felicia sighed.
"If you saw a woman like that around him and they were laughing and she was touching him how would you feel?" Felicia said pointing at Leo as he got from the table, to get some tea.
"I would be pissed at first, but he's not going anywhere." She shrugged.
"You have the comfort in knowing that because you're legally bound to one another. Raph is a free agent. He can do whatever the hell he wants!" Felicia said as Willow sighed.
"Fee, think about it for a second OK. Sure, this chick was hot but, do you know for a fact that she's Raph's type? Because from the looks of it, Leo is right. He does only have eyes for you. After three years of a relationship, you don't think you can have comfort in that? And he's far from a free agent. You two belong to each other." She shrugged as Felicia sighed.
It took several months of convincing by Raphael and her friends that he had absolutely no interest in Lucy, however that didn't stop Felicia's mind from making up ridiculous scenarios in her head. It wasn't until one day that Felicia came by with their lunch that she notice Lucy had a visitor as well...
"Oh hey Fee!" Lucy said as she wiped her hands off on a rag, putting her arm around a beautiful young woman standing next to her. The young woman was blonde, her hair perfectly done with curls on the ends with her face dawned in light make-up. "Raph your girl is here!" She called over her shoulder as Raph looked up from the bike he was fixing and smiled at Felicia with a mischievous smirk. "This is Skylar." Lucy said, tugging the blonde to her side as Skylar's face turned a bright pink.
"Hi." She said with a warming smile, extending her hand to Felicia. "Finally I can touch someone not covered in grease." She chuckled as Felicia did as well. "Your Raph's girlfriend huh? He said you were cute, but she's beautiful Raph." She said as he walked over to them with a roll of his eyes.
"I said beautiful, you're just tryin' to get me in trouble."
"Because that's so hard." Lucy said looking past her Skylar towards Raph as he approached them. "We'll leave you guys to lunch. "Babe, I gotta get back to this bike." She sighed, turning towards Skylar who pouted. She pulled Lucy closer to her body by her blue overalls and kissed her hard on the mouth. Felicia's face blushed to the intimate act, turning away and looking up towards Raphael's smiling face.
"Told ya you had nothin' to worry 'bout." He chuckled as he grabbed the lunch bag from her hands and walked over to their usual spot to eat.
"Same as always..." Felicia said with a smile, showing Lucy the paper bag.
"He's such a fuddy duddy. You need to live a little Red." Lucy said, using the nickname she dawned him completely unknowing of the real factors. Raph walked up to Felicia giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"I like roast beef sandwiches. Why do we do this every time I wanna fuckin' eat lunch?" He asked as Lucy chuckled slapping him hard on the arm.
"It's tradition! You don't like tradition go to another bike shop, bitch."
"Exactly! And it's tradition that I get a roast beef sandwich. Go finish that bike you're fuckin' up."
"I'll fuck you up." She said, pointing a wrench at him as he rolled his eyes.
"Try it princess." He said over his shoulder as Lucy just laughed, going back to her bike. "Wha'd you get?" He asked, sitting on the top of the picnic table around the back of the bike shop.
"Salad." She shrugged, sitting on the bench itself as he looked over at her with a furrowed brow.
"Why salad?" He asked taking a bite out of his sandwich as she shrugged.
"I don't know I feel bloaty lately." She said as he just looked at her even more confused. "I wanted a salad, just drop it. You have a class tonight?" She asked, poking around the unappetizing greens with a plastic fork as he nodded, sitting down beside her.
"I do, it's that new group of teens from the inner city program."
"Yeah, how's that coming along?" Felicia asked in excitement. It had been a new program that April had come up with and Donnie was trying to work out.
They wanted to get the less fortunate kids of the city, the kids that needed an outlet the most into the Dojo. But, without money coming in from these kids it was near to impossible to fund the program. So, April came up with the idea to have a fund raiser, with Willow and Riley having a bake sale at their school. They were able to come up with enough money and give finical aid to those who needed it for the classes.
"It's going pretty good." Raph said with a nod. "Donnie just came up with this packet thing to give the kid's parents so they can have payment plans and stuff. It's really amazing. This one kid Jose was so happy that he gave everyone a hug. His mom told us he hasn't hugged or been this happy in a long time." He said with a smile as Felicia gave one back, giving his scruffy human face a kiss.
"That's amazing baby. This is so incredible."
"I know it's... Surreal sometimes." He sighed with a shake of his head.
"Do you ever miss..." She said softly, looking over at him as he looked back at her. His eyes drifted to the tops of the tall surrounding buildings knowing what she was referring to. The hiding, the underground living, fighting for the city.
"Sometimes." He shrugged. "But, I'm too old for that shit." He chuckled as Felicia rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, you're a grandpa." She said, getting up and putting her salad container in the trash can. He chuckled, crumpling up the paper bag and plastic wrap in his hands, tossing the bag up and over Felicia's head and into the trash can. "Show off." She muttered as he smiled, kissing her lips softly. "I'll see you at the Dojo later?" She asked, closing her eyes as his face slid against her cheek, taking in the smell of her air as he wafted in the spring breeze.
"Of course."
"And at home later?" She asked, kissing his cheek softly as she felt him smile under her lips.
"And then some." He said with a throat chuckle as Felicia's whole body shuttered. "I love you." He said against her ear, pulling back to look her in the eye.
"I love you." She answered back as he smiled, kissing her once more.
"I don't get how that is your husband! He's way too hot Mrs. H." This young girl Amber said with a roll of her eyes and cell phone inches from her face as she sat on her desk in the front row after looking over Willow's desk.
Willow shoved the young teen's feet from the chair in front of her and put a paper in her lap.
"This is why you're here Amber, not to talk about my hot husband. Which he in fact is." She said pointing to the graded D- paper.
"You know I had that wicked cold last week. I couldn't make up all the extra credit." She whined as Willow sighed, taking a seat next to the girl.
"You've been slipping all month. Your grades have gone from an A to a D-." Amber was one of the smartest students in Willow's classes. She had been on Honor Roll since Freshmen year and she was now a Senior. Willow had been trying to work with her to apply to different colleges, but the girl's ambition seemed to be dropping. "This is AP English, you wanted to get in this class. I helped you get into this class, now tell me why now you are not passing this class." She said, taking the girl's phone from her face so she'd pay attention.
"It's..." Amber sighed, rolling her eyes at herself. "This guy..."
"It's always 'this guy'." Willow said with a knowing smile as Amber's face blushed red. "He's what a bad boy from another school?" She asked as Amber shook her head.
"No, he's a Freshmen in college..." She sighed. "So smart... He goes to Yale."
"Really? Wow..." Willow said. "So Mr. Yale can't help you study?" She asked as Amber sighed.
"It's complicated."
"Little one, I invented complicated. Lay it one me."
"Well, it's an online relationship thing... I guess. I mean we've only been chatting for a couple months but, he tells me he loves me all the time..."
"OK. First off, any man that is willing to say they love you that quickly, without meeting you face to face is either lying or dumb. Second, you are a beautiful girl and can get someone here in person easily. Third, this is your last year of High School do you want to remember it by spending it chatting online with a cheetto stained keyboard? Or, do you want to pass this class, get into Stanford and become what you always wanted? Men will always be there, if he's the one and you know it then amazing. But, if he's holding you back instead of pushing you forward then maybe you should rethink it." Willow said with a shrug as Amber sat with her hands nervously twisting the cell phone in her hands.
"You're right."
"Of course I am. Now, I am letting you re-write this. You need to hand it in to me by Thursday. If it is not on my desk on Thursday morning you can consider this your final grade and I'll see you this summer." She said with a shrug as Amber sighed, taking the paper. "The premise was amazing, now add to it that Amber flair I loved three months ago before Mr. Harvard got into your head." Willow said, putting her arm on the girl's shoulder.
"Thanks Mrs. H." Amber said with a smile as Willow nodded her head.
"If you need to talk, you always have me and Ms. Nickles." She said as Amber nodded, going down the hallway, the girl stopped in her tracks along with a lot of other passing students as Willow noticed her beautiful husband making his way down the hall to her classroom. He of course was oblivious to all the girls chattering and watching him like a hawk.
"Hello love." Leo said with a smile, kissing his wife's cheek. Willow looked down at Amber as she watched with her mouth agape.
"Amber, you have Science next right?" She asked as Amber looked from Leo to Willow and shook her head to clear it.
"Uh, yeah... Yeah. Science. Biology..." She said, trailing off and letting her eyes wonder Leonardo's body before shaking her head against and heading down to her next class.
"That's Amber." Willow chuckled as Leo nodded his head still paying no attention to the gawking teenage girls. "Why are you here? I still have one more class." She said smiling at her husband that kept his eyes only on her. He put his hand on her lower back, leading her into her classroom.
"I thought I'd stop by before heading back to the Dojo for my first class." He shrugged, perching himself on the edge of her desk.
"Oh, so I get to warm you up?" She asked, getting from her chair and placing her hands on the desk, leaning over it to kiss him. He smiled against her mouth, moving his cheek against her's for a soft kiss.
"Always." He said softly as she sighed. Still after eight years he could reduce her to a pile of goo.
"Mrs. H..." She heard a young voice say from her doorway as she pulled back from her husband. "Uh, are we interrupting something?" The young boy asked with a smirk as Willow shook her head.
"No, no. Come in Owen." She sighed, pushing Leo on the chest a little. "Stop distracting me." She hissed at him as he chuckled, kissing her on the cheek.
"I'll see you later love." He said, walking out of the classroom and dodging kids that were coming in. Girls stopped, looking up at him as he passed as Willow sighed, shaking her head.
"Love you Tiger." She said as he smiled with a wave, walking down the hall.
"That belongs to you?" One girl asked from the back row as Willow rolled her eyes.
"Why is it such a shock that he's my husband?" She chuckled as the Owen shrugged.
"He's hot Mrs. H." He said as Willow crossed her arms.
"And I'm not? Wait... Don't answer that, that's incredibly inappropriate." She said waving her hands. "What class is this?" She asked, looking up at the clock as the girl in the back row chuckled.
"English 101." She said.
"We're reading Romeo and Juliet." Owen added as Willow nodded. "And you're right Mrs. H you are a fox too." He chuckled as Willow rolled her eyes at the boy, going back to her desk to grab her book.
"S'up bro." Mikey said as he looked over his shoulder at Leonardo coming into the Dojo. The little bells above the door that April had added sounded off at his arrival.
"Nothing, just came from seeing Will."
"Yeah, I was there earlier. They're probably gonna end up kickin' us out of the school if we keep goin' there." Mikey chuckled as Leo nodded his head.
"Sure, we finally started going to High School and it's just our luck we'd get kicked out." Leo said, chuckling to himself as Mikey looked over his shoulder at him.
"Dude, was that a joke?" He asked as Leo shrugged with a smile. "Nice one." He nodded approvingly as Leo rolled his eyes, mussing his brother's blonde hair.
"So, what classes we have today?" He asked with a smile on his face looking at the large calender on the back wall behind the large, beautiful bamboo desk that April had special ordered.
The entrance to the Dojo was gorgeous and stood out along the strip of business. The whole front of the building had glass windows, half way up etched in white with images of bamboo leaves that you could see through. The double doors to the entrance had a large image of a dragon etched in black, taking up both doors and it's tail curling towards the bottom. The Dojo's name in Japanese above the dragon's head and etched in white over the Dragon's heart in English, "Hamato Bushido`". Japanses symbols for Ninjitus, Kendo and Karate.
Once in the doors you were greated with the peaceful sound of a waterfall, spilling into a small kio pond. There were five fish inside that Mikey loved to take care of even giving them all Japanese names. There were shirts avaliable beside the large desk set in a bookshelve that was also made from bamboo. The Dojo's logo hung from behind the desk in a banner, along with a picture of all four brother's and their father putting up the final touches to the double doors so they could finally open. Spinter was so proud of all his son's that day and you could clearly see it on his aging human face.
"We've got..." Mikey said, jumping behind the desk and opening up April's appointment book. "Little Ninjas at three thirty, Self Defensive at five and Kendo at six. We've only got some people from the Karate class signed up for that one though. It may be too intese?" He asked, looking up at his older brother as Leonardo shrugged. He looked over at the wall of weapons that had displayed, several being the bamboo Shinai that were used for practice.
"If they can't handle it we'll take it off the schedual but I'm not going to let them fail before they started." He said as Mikey nodded.
"Good point. Raph was talkin' 'bout gettin' some of the kids from the inner city classes to join."
"Do we really want to give those kids a weapon?" Leo chuckled as Mikey shrugged.
"Better than a gun." He said as Leo nodded.
"Very true little brother."
"Hey guys!" April said, happily enterning the Dojo and putting her large gym bag behind the desk. "Ready for some Self Defense Mikey?" She asked, punching him in the shoulder as he rolled his eyes.
"Are you? You could barely keep up last time."
"Bullshit." She said shaking her head. "I was helping that old woman... What's her name, Alice. She was doing very well and she's a good customer. I think she likes watching you." She chuckled as Mikey's face pinked.
"Whatever." He grumbled as April rolled her eyes, pushing around Mikey's blonde head of hair before going behind the desk with Leo to look at the appointment book.
"Did those yoga matts I ordered come in yet?"
"No, I don't think so?" Mikey said, looking over his shoulder at the inventory on the wall. "Weren't they back ordered?" He sighed. "What does it matter?"
"They need our logo on them!" April sighed. "We can't get word of mouth out there without some marketing!" She said as Leo smiled at her.
"Our logo?"
"Hey, this Dojo is as much yours as it is mine damnit. You're my family, shut up." She chuckled, putting her gym back in the backroom behind the desk. "You guys have done amazing..." She sighed, leaning against the large bamboo desk looking over at Michelangelo and Leonardo.
They're human faces broke into large smiles as they looked around the room they created. Finally making a name for themselves in the city they swore to protect for so long. Finally to have a say, being heard and recongized for their good, instead of hiding in the shadows.
"Splinter would be proud." April added with a watery smile as Leonarod nodded, putting his arm around his younger brother's shoulder, giving it a squeeze.
"He would be."
