Note: Again thanks: AlexHamato and missylynn99 who without this wouldn't be possible. Donnie/April fluff was added after suggested by The Nerdfighter (though maybe I'll have to make it raunchier in upcoming chapters). I'm not as pessimistic about Apritello becoming an eventually reality in the Nick serious however. It'd be just darn cruel for them to lead us on without any compensation.

And thanks to all other reviewers - you guys rock and feel free to request stuff too!

There's a brief Nickelodeon reference in this and I might try to make a brief Nick reference every chapter, just because it's fun. If you got it, tell me!

Summary: After a drunken party night, April calls up the radio station with the hopes of letting New York know that Mikey doesn't have a girlfriend. A Sleepless in Seattle turtle-style fic. Established Apritello.

Disclaimer: We don't own stuff. It sucks. We deal.


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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / [2012 version]

Sleepless in the Sewers

[Chapter 2/ Love Fools]

...

"So, that's it?" Maddie was questioning her friend, Eliza, "You've stopped dating for good? You're just totally giving up on finding the one?"

Some loose hair fluttered down to the cream-colored carpet of her apartment when she brushed at her cardigan. She was always picking up stray hairs from her job working at the animal shelter downtown. Not only that, she also had the hairs from her own dog who was currently sporting a knitted outfit of its own only much newer than the patchwork disaster that hung from Maddie's shoulders.

Tonight was dubbed 'Girl's Margarita Night' so after a couple of episodes of Sex in the City and finishing off the rest of the slush margarita mix that was in the blender, Maddie and Eliza were sitting in the kitchen discussing love and life. It was rare that the two of them got to get together like this anymore with their busy schedules, so they were making the most of it. The song Love Fool by The Cardigans played in the background as they talked heatedly on one of the few topics the two of them would never agree on.

Eliza frowned at her chubby faced friend and then tilted her head slightly, making her black bob hairstyle shift to one side. "For one, you don't find 'the one' by dating everyone out there on the market and secondly, I don't even think 'the one' exists, Mad. So I think you're all caught up in your fantasy land. There is no perfect person, just people with faults you can deal with and people with faults you can't." And it took a lot of patience sometimes to deal with all of Madeline Crews many faults – case in point: her inability to comprehend how the world worked.

"Settle down, Beatnik," Maddie tried to control the twisting creature in her arms, the hair on its head sticking up in all angles from being patted absentmindedly for the last twenty minutes.

The dog responded happily with a yap in her lap as if it was all a game to try to get away from its owner.

"Anyways," Eliza was saying, "How many bad dates have you had to go on yet to find that your search is completely pointless?"

"They weren't all bad. There was just no connection. No spark. I just believe when you come across that one, that unique one just for you, that you will know. It's instinct. It's a beautiful thing." She grinned wide, almost goofily at the notion.

"It's a beautiful thing that lasts as long as the honeymoon. As the statistics of divorce should be telling you," Eliza drummed her hand on the kitchen counter before picking up the margarita and swilling the contents around and taking a sip.

Maddie took the chance to turn up the radio beside them on the counter. As she lifted her hand off the shaggy Maltese, it saw its opportunity and squirmed right out of her grasp and unto the floor.

An upbeat pop song was ending and the voice of the regular nightly DJ talked over the last few notes. "You've tuned in to 2 AM Share Hour. The beat of New York City. This is Felicity here and I'm ready to hear your thoughts, just call in and share something with us."

"You're seriously listening to this?"

"It's either that or listen to your negativity."

"Oh, ha ha." Eliza took a larger gulp of her drink. "You can't just hear what you want to hear Maddie. It's about time you faced reality, or threw out those rose tinted glasses..."

"So you think I'm pathetic?" She pouted.

"No. You're not. You're optimistic and it's a real mood killer," she turned to her with such a sour face that Maddie had to laugh at the expression.

Maddie picked up her drink too and held it over her lips, contemplating things. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to be a little more grounded in her expectations. She might actually have a chance at a relationship that lasted more than two dates by doing that. But what if Eliza was wrong? What if she took a chance on someone and it was completely the wrong person for her and even worse, it stopped her from discovering who it was she was really truly meant to be with. No, she had to stick on the path she was on, it was working for her.

There was a girl's voice on the radio now, and Maddie took a break from her thoughts to listen into what juicy things they were talking about on the late night call show this time.

"Actually, it's one of those friends I wanted to talk to you about."

She listened intently to hear about the guy who seemed to be stuck in the most depressing situation and found herself completely unable to tune it out. It sparked more than her interest, it sparked her concern. At least she could get out there and date, but for the guy being described, he had no way of getting out there and discovering his perfect match. She considered all the dates she'd been on just this year and even though she'd never hit it off with anybody it still had been nice to feel wanted. It still had been nice to have guys that wanted to see her more than once, even if she hadn't been keen.

It just wasn't fair.

"Can you believe this?"

"If you really cared about ugly guys, Maddie, I would have thought you'd date more of them."

Maddie cut her sourpuss friend off. "Shhhhh."

"Do you want to talk to him?"

Maddie's breath caught in her throat. Yes! Her mind screamed. She was really curious what this guy caught in such an unfortunate situation would sound like, what he'd be like. Would he be bitter about it? Desperate and sad sounding like a heartbroken loner?

"Um, hi?"

And then she heard his voice. He sounded like none of those options. He sounded cute. Youthful and yet cautious and very possibly adorable but not at all jilted like she expected him to be.

Maddie mouthed 'hi' as well, it was just like he was talking to her and not this Felicity girl on the radio. It felt like he was talking to her, or knew she was listening, even though there was no way that could be the case. This had to be what Eliza had been talking about. She was delusional.

Mikey from... from the sewers? She had to stifle a laugh when he introduced himself. But there was something in the innocence of his tone to make her think that he might not have really been in a place called 'the Sewers' and that it was just a poor cover for the truth. But what on earth would he be doing down in the sewers? That was just bizarre. Maybe he worked down there, that wouldn't be something to be embarrassed about. A job was a job. Or maybe he was just down there as a dare. Or maybe alternatively he was trying to get away from the noise? Or maybe, just maybe it was like Phantom of the Opera where he was creepy hiding away from society.

She almost laughed as the last option crossed her mind. Yeah, right.

The DJ was really laying into him, trying to get all the right answers. Maddie felt instantly defensive. Leave the poor guy alone. It didn't matter how often he'd been kissed or that he had never had a girlfriend. Yeah, it was sad he couldn't go out with anyone. But what about his skin, could he even be touched? What was the nature of his condition?

"So with your skin, is there any reason for your lack of intimacy with anyone? Can you be touched normally?"

"Oh, yeah I can!"

Maddie shook her head. Even though she'd been curious it just wasn't right to be talking about this on air like he was some kind of freak that needed to be dissected. He seemed to have a lot of brothers. A family guy. That was nice. He was nice. Her heart quickened just thinking about him and the way he sounded - or was it just what she was building him up to be?

"So it's a chick flick..."

"How has he NOT seen Sleepless in Seattle?" Eliza broke into the radio discussion, cackling. "Everyone has seen Sleepless in Seattle."

"Well, clearly he has different tastes than everyone else."

"Yeah, the tastes of a five year old."

"I dunno. Girls can't really see past... the skin, I can't imagine that any girl ever would."

She put her head down on the counter and stretched her arms out passed both of their glasses, having to contemplate what she'd just heard. This was heartbreaking. She felt these little pangs in her heart that were clearly from empathy.

"Do you think he really is down in the sewers?" She lifted her head and asked her friend, finally.

"Grossly deformed like Quasimodo? Possibly." Though it seemed highly unlikely. Eliza smirked though, tilting her head again to crease the dragon tattoo she sported on her neck.

"Didn't you even slightly care about what he's going through?"

Eliza sighed, "Maddie... this is you trying to fake some feeling for someone you've never even met. This guy is not 'the one' any more than one of the billion first dates you've been on this year."

"I haven't been on a billion first dates."

"Yes, you have. They should make a movie about your life and title it 'A Billion First Dates'."

"I'm going to contact him. I need to speak to him. The station, they probably know how I can get in contact with him, right?"

"Maddie. You're sounding a little on the desperate side. Just forget about him." She took another sip of her drink. "After you've gone to bed and slept all this off, you'll completely forget about whatever fancy has taken over your reason this time."

"No, Liza. I think he's actually the one. He could be. I felt something."

"You forced yourself to feel something. Fine, Maddie. Contact him and while you're at it let him know you're certifiable." Maybe Eliza was being a bit harsh but she had to let her friend know she disapproved. That way when it horribly backfired on her she would be there to say 'I told you so' just like all good friends were there to do. She was just fulfilling her duty - someone had to.

"When have I ever contacted anyone from the radio before?"

"Not since your current dating pool became too sparse for you, apparently."

"Ugh. What do you think, Beatnik?" she asked her dog, who was nuzzling her feet.

He licked her bare leg and Maddie took that as a sign. "That settles it. Beatnik agrees. He's the one," she smirked at her friend defiantly.

"Certifiable," Her friend laughed, giving up the fight. It was getting ridiculous, but whatever Maddie wanted to delude herself with was okay by her. Who could it hurt? Eliza had met Maddie in college. They had been put together as dorm mates. Maddie dropped out to work at the shelter and Eliza was still working her way through, with an older and wiser attitude than she had before. Believe it or not, she used to take crap from people – but not anymore. She just wished her younger friend would take on the same attitude.

This one is for the ladies,

That are looking so amazing-

A song started playing, bass pulsing. Maddie reached out and latched onto Eliza's hand, "Let's dance."

"You're still certifiable," Eliza took in Maddie's appearance and laughed heartily. Bright pink hot-pants, that sweater that was so ugly it didn't even belong in Goodwill, and no shoes. There was no way Maddie would ever get a proper job with the way she presented herself. "And a total dork."

I want to see you move…

"Love you too, Liza," Maddie shook out her frizzy, shoulder length, dirty blond hair to the sound of the electronic beats and gave her friend a quick hug before letting the music take over her movements. "We really should do this more often."

"Yeah, see if you still feel that way in the morning. I feel a margarita hangover coming on."

"Always thinking ahead, no wonder you're my best friend."

"I'm your voice of reason," Eliza corrected. Without her who knows what trouble Maddie would be getting into? "But you'd better have aspirin."

Maddie just smirked, throughout everything Eliza was the one constant in her life over the last two years. Pessimist meets optimist, it was a wonder they were friends at all, but it kept things interesting. She could always do with more interesting in her life.

...

"Ugh," she moaned as she slipped back into awareness. Immediately she wished she could just fall back to sleep. Her mouth felt like she'd just swallowed a whole container of cotton balls and her eyes felt like they'd been assaulted with lasers. Her joints cracked and popped as she stretched out, attempting to rid herself of the awful ache in her body.

Her head throbbed with a pulsing pain from her migraine. "Are you up already?" Donnie's voice bounced around in her skull, painfully loud.

"Yes." She winced even though the light streaming in the room was minimal, being in the sewers and all.

Donnie strolled through the doorway and asked, "Hung over?"

She simply nodded. Words were too much energy and she was afraid they'd just get stuck in her throat.

"I assumed you would be. I told you that you shouldn't have tried to keep up with their drinking."

The last thing she needed was a lecture right now and if Donnie knew anything, it was how to give a good lecture when he was in the right. "Well, I didn't listen, did I?"

"Nope. It's simple really, the ethanol gets carried through your blood stream and is carried to your brain, it then affects the brain's circuitry and-"

April put two fingers up to Donnie's lips, silencing him. He took her hand in his and bent down to nuzzle her neck with his lips. She giggled. Her neck was her ticklish spot.

Placing a chaste kiss where her jaw and neck met, he whispered, "I'm going to go get you some Tylenol and breakfast in bed. Sound like a deal?"

"You're the best, Donnie." She murmured before her heavy eyelids slipped shut again in sleep.

Donnie took a step out of his room, grinning to himself as he went to the cupboard in the kitchen that held the cereal. Yeah, last night was pretty great. It turned out that April's pride was fueled by helping out Mikey with his 'love crisis' and thus decided she would reward her boyfriend too. He certainly didn't complain about it.

He'd been slightly tipsy but he was more concerned for her well-being. He was hoping that her drinking didn't have any negative side effects - like being uninhibited enough to flash his brothers or to try to take advantage of him while everyone else was present. Not that April was a particularly 'slutty' drunk, but they so rarely drank alcohol that he really didn't know what he was getting into. It wasn't like they were holding sewer keggers every second weekend and even if his other brothers were keen on the idea, Splinter and Leo would soon put a stop to it.

Speaking of which. "You seem to be in a quite elated mood this morning, Donatello." Splinter was back.

"Oh, I am?" Donnie covered with a quick grin, "I hadn't noticed." He grabbed a box of Lucky Charms and set it on the counter.

"Did April enjoy herself last night?"

Busted. She enjoyed herself a little too much. You couldn't keep anything from his rodent father. Images of her on top of him, hands firm on his plastron, dipping to kiss all over his face swarmed him. He found it hard not to betray any reaction when he was getting all hot under the shell at the memories of last night. "Yeah, she was having a lot of fun with Mikey and Raph. It was good."

Splinter appraised him before nodding, "Yes, you will have to tell Mikey that it's his duty to clean the recreation area when he wakes up."

Donatello was stunned. The guys didn't clean up after themselves? Trust his brothers to just leave everything like that. "I will." He took the time now to race out from the kitchen and see what was still left out there from last night.

Apparently everything was still left out from last night. And there Mikey was too, on his shell in the middle of the floor with bottles and corn chips all around him, a little drool coming out the side of his mouth as he snored quietly. This was the guy April wanted to get a girlfriend for? There was a reason why he and his brothers picked on Mikey, and thanks to him they were all so, so busted.

Donatello walked over and nudged his younger brother with his foot.

"Mmmhrph," he mumbled and his hands shot out groping around blindly with his eyes still closed.

Donnie heaved a sigh and went back to the kitchen. Wasn't Raph supposed to be keeping Mikey in line? Or Leo? What had even happened last night after he and April…? Donnie didn't need to finish that line of thought, he just chuckled to himself, feeling very pleased about that part of the night at least. He was lucky Master Splinter was no longer there to read his mind because he was pretty sure it was written all over his face how much April rocked his world last night. Donnie got to work preparing everything carefully, setting it all on a tray to bring in to his girlfriend. It was the least he could do to pay her back for… y'know… all that.

He returned to April, balancing her cereal, water, and pain medication all on the tray. Hydrating and getting some sugar back into her blood steam would help to get her recovered sooner.

She had managed to sit up a little, with a pillow helping to prop her up. She smiled weakly. "And what is the gourmet breakfast of the day?"

"Cereal and water, with a side of pain medication." He set the tray in her lap. "Sorry it's not-"

"It's fine," April cut him off, all too used to his comments like nothing he did was ever good enough for her, "Are the others up yet?"

"No, they're all too hung over to even think about moving yet. They do such stupid things when drunk."

"But Casey did the best thing ever to me when he was drunk; he dumped me." Actually it was mostly mutual. It had been coming for some time but it took that extra push for Casey to call it off for good. It ended pretty well for a break-up since it was only the next night that they were out together side by side doing research for one of the turtle's missions.

"And that's still stupid, but I'm glad he did, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to take you out to Murakami's shop the next week, and ask you to officially be my girlfriend."

With a nostalgic smile, she said. "Things that don't seem to go together can actually make a great couple."

He smiled back at her tenderly, he was just glad that Master Splinter and the guys had forced him into making a move. "They sure do. Now eat and take you're medication, I'll be back. Just holler if you need me."

"Where are you going?"

"To force Mikey to do some cleaning up, force being the operative word."

April chuckled as Donnie disappeared out of the room. Mikey had no idea what was about to hit him (hit probably being the operative word).

...


To Close: Eliza and Maddie will become better known in the future, so keep reading. I'm also considering having some serious Leo/Karai interaction next chapter. Who else is keen? *raises hand* Let me know!