Chapter One: "Bad Things"

"We're here, guys!" April yelled to the back of the truck where the Turtles were sleeping from the 18 hour drive. Here was Bon Temps, Louisiana, at Casey's grandmother's farmhouse. It was almost pitch black outside. Mikey thought he saw something move through the moonlight, but was too tired to question it.

Sookie Stackhouse brought Andy Bellefluer's cheeseburger and fries out to his table. "More iced tea, Andy?" she said, taking the glass from him. When she turned around, her hand hit a woman's chest. "Hey!" the woman said as some ice and a bit of water spilled onto her shirt and the tips of her magenta hair. "I can't believe it, how am I going to get a job with this stain on my shirt!" Sookie heard the woman think, then handed her some napkins and said "Here have these. And we need a new waitress, you wait here, I'm gonna go ask Sam." Sookie put the empty glass down, heading towards the back.

April watched the blonde haired girl go to the back, wondering "How did she know that I needed a job?" She was pulled out of her thoughts when a black man in the kitchen said to her "Yo sweetie-pie, would you mind bringin this out to that table there?" "Uh, sure." April said, grabbing the tray and then giving the plates to a seemingly overweight couple at a booth. "Enjoy, ma'am." April said to the woman, who smiled at her. She turned around, seeing the blonde girl come out from the back with a black apron and a t0shirt that said "Merlotte's Bar and Grill" over the breast. "Is a size 7 okay? My name's Sookie Stackhouse, by the way." the blond girl said, handing her the clothes. "Yeah, I'm April. Uh, when do I start?" April asked Sookie, who picked up the iced tea glass and said, "Now."

"The Vampire Rights Amendment, or VRA, continues to be a hot topic among political candidates, along with the president." a newswoman was saying while Splinter meditated, Raphael watching the TV, Leonardo eating a sandwich with Donatello and Mikey. Raphael wanted the VRA to pass- he had respect for the vampires for coming out of the coffin with the Great Revelation. He remembered the night it'd happened- April was calling asking if they'd heard it, saying people were screaming in the streets. "Why can't we do that?" Raphael said, gesturing to the TV. "Do what, Raphael?" Splinter said, opening his eyes from his meditation. "Why can't we have our own Great Revelation? Why can't we come out of the shadows too!" Raph's voice was getting louder, drawing the attention of his brothers and Casey, who'd just walked in. "My son, I understand your desire to leave the darkness you've been living in, but do you remember the riots that happened after the Great Revelation? The risk of losing you is too great." Splinter replied, touching his son's shoulder.

"April just called and said that they're having a little party for me and her down at Merlotte's. She got a job there, we were planning on staying a month or so, I hope that's okay with you guys." "Casey, it is fine. A month of rest will do us all good." Splinter replied. After their discussion, Raphael had gone for a run. Now it was about six at night, and he wasn't back yet. "Master, what is taking Raph so long?" Leo said, now starting to worry a bit. "I do not know, my son. Come, we will go look for him." Splinter replied, the two of them leaving quietly, trying not to wake Donnie, who'd fallen asleep on the couch.

Mikey was downstairs, looking for his ShellCell, which he thought he'd dropped when he'd come down earlier to get some champagne for the party when Casey'd asked him too. He saw it lying next to a bottle of wine he'd accidently grabbed at first. Mikey looked at the wine, then sat down on of the crates, and opened it, then sniffing it first, he took a drink from the bottle.

Donnie woke up to a crash in the basement. 'Huh? What? when?" he said, sitting up instantly. Raphael and the others were gone, and a note was on the floor next to him, in Splinter's handwriting:

Donatello-
Leonardo and I have gone to get Raphael. Michelangelo is with you, and Casey and April are at a celebration at her new job.
Love, Splinter

He put the note back, then went to the basement stairs and called "Mikey? Are you down there?" He said, leaning down into the dark. "Yeah, I'm down here, dude." Mikey replied, his speech slurred. Donnie went down the stairs and found Mikey wobbling towards them with a bottle in his hand. "Mikey! You, you're drunk. God, come here."

Donatello wrapped his arm around Mikey, kind of half dragging, half supporting him up the stairs. They got up the stairs from the basement, and Donnie put him on the couch. "Hold on, Mike, I'll get you Coke." he said, Mikey only hiccuping in response. He went to the fridge, grabbed the Coke, and went back to the couch. "Hey Donnie." Mikey said, grabbing Donatello's wrist as he handed him the Coke, then pulling him down and kissing him, Donnie dropping the Coke...

Raphael saw the house before the guards. They instantly beared their fangs - vampires. "I don't want to fight. See?" he took his hands away from his sais, but he recieved a kick to the face, and then, he felt rage boil in him. He beat the man with the end of his sai, then slammed the other man's head onto the concrete. He went over to the house, which was glittering, and knocked on the door. It opened, revealing a woman on a felt couch next to a pool, and the woman was sucking the blood of another woman, Raphael had to cover his mouth to keep from screaming.

Mikey leaned into the kiss more, Donnie's eyes wide and his lips not moving, he dropped the Coke which burst onto the floor. Mikey closed his eyes, then pulled away, sitting down on the couch, Donnie next to him. Donatello didn't look at him, but looked at floor, and Mikey turned on the TV, which was turned onto 16 and Pregnant. After the second commercial, Donatello picked up the can and threw it into the trash can, then got the mop and started mopping the spill up. Mikey didn't notice the tears falling from his brother's eyes.

End of Chapter One. On the next Bloody Night Life, "Nothin' But the Blood" :

"April, something happened with Mikey last night..."

"Well, well, what do we have here? And what do you call yourself, turtle?"

"And if I have to chose between me and you, guess what. You lose."