More Than Words

Chapter 1: Cooking Lessons

A/N: I have seen a lot of stories featuring only dialogue and I thought it would be interesting to see if I could do it, too as a test to branch out. This series of one shots will take place in my Truth and Lies universe and will feature some flashbacks not seen in Truth and Lies as well as aftermath after the flashbacks when April is missing and other things, too. I hope that you enjoy this and that I'm able to convey what I want to in this story.

Summary: Words aren't just letters printed on paper. Sometimes words can express what we are feeling and what we want to convey to others. A series of one shots set in my Truth and Lies universe.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot.

"Okay, Mikey, ready to make the spaghetti?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Wait, you've never made spaghetti before?"

"No, I've never really had the chance to do it."

"Well, now you do, so let's get started. We'll put the sauce in here and wait until it's cooked."

"Wow, it's so awesome. Will it taste good?"

"Yes, it will, but I'm going to add something to make it taste even better."

"Wait, April, you can't have that! That's weed! You can't put weed in food!"

"Mikey, what are you talking about?"

"That stuff! It's dangerous! I'm surprised the cops didn't catch you with that! Who gave it to you?"

"I got it at a store."

"Wait, it's that synthentic stuff isn't it?"

"I think you mean synthetic, Mikey."

"Yeah, I do. You can't put that in our food."

"Why not? People put it in spaghetti all of the time."

"You mean they put weed in spaghetti? What's wrong with them?"

"Mikey, relax. It's not weed."

"How do you know, Raph?"

"Because I can smell it, and it's not weed. I know what weed smells like."

"And how would you know about that, Raph? Been doing a little experimenting?"

"No, the punks I fought the other night had it on them. That's how I can tell. What April's using is something a lot of humans use on their food."

"Exactly. It's called oregano, and it's supposed to add flavor to the sauce."

"Oh, I get it. Well, at least it's not anything illegal."

"Do you really think I would do something like that to you guys?"

"April, you would never do anything like that. I think Mikey just got carried away."

"Yeah, I did. Sorry about that, April."

"That's okay, Mikey. Now, let's continue with cooking."

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"Man, this spaghetti is awesome!"

"Yeah, the flavors just roll off your tongue."

"I never knew you could cook this way, April. You're really good at it. Maybe you should do it more often."

"You are indeed an excellent cook, April. My taste buds are grateful that you have entered our lives and have helped us to eat better than we have before."

"Hey, I helped a little, too!"

"Yes, you did help, Michelangelo. Thanks to April and Murakami-san, you are becoming quite the cook now. Well done, my son."

"Thanks, Sensei."

"Yeah, thanks, Master Splinter. I'm glad I could help out."

"Enough talkin', let's dig in."

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"Michelangelo-san, what is wrong?"

"I don't know if I can do this today, Murakami-san."

"But you have been sad for days, my friend. Perhaps getting back into cooking is a way for you to move on."

"But it's not the same anymore. I liked having April with me helping me with making a meal."

"You have made meals without her though, have you not?"

"Yeah, but this is different. During those times, I always knew she'd come back to help us out. This time, I don't think she's coming back at all. We've searched everywhere, and we just can't find her. None of our enemies have her, and no one else has seen her all week."

"Then perhaps someone else took her. Maybe her father had an enemy you four never knew about."

"No, he didn't. Donnie asked him about that and he said there was no one he knew who'd want to hurt April to get back at him. It just sucks, Murakami-san. I want to see her so much."

"I know you do, Michelangelo-san. But since you cannot, I will still be here for you and will help you out in any way I can. If I hear anything, I will let you know."

"Thanks, Murakami-san. Hey, I have a question for you. I never wanted to ask it before, but now I really need to know. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. What is it you would like to know?"

"How are you able to be a good cook without seeing? Have you always been blind, or did you become blind later in life?"

"Ah, I knew this would come up. I have been blind since birth, so I had to learn to do things on my own without my sight. When you lose one sense, your other senses take over and help you to do what you can't do with the other sense. My mother was very good at teaching me how to cook. It was challenging at times, and I was afraid I would never be able to do it. But my mother told me that as long as I kept trying, I could do anything I set my mind to."

"Wow. That's amazing, Murakami-san. Maybe Sensei could teach us to fight blind so we know what to do if that happens to one of us."

"I am sure he would do that if you asked him. Are you ready to continue?"

"Yeah, I am. Thanks for being there for me, Murakami-san. We're really lucky to have a friend like you."

"You are very welcome, Michelangelo-san. And I am lucky to have friends like the four of you as well."

A/N: And so ends the first chapter of this fic. Wow. I actually did it! It's very challenging to just do dialogue and not be able to put in other things such as expressions and feelings. It was hard, but I was able to do it. So, what do you guys think? Did I capture things right? Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.