Chapter 2

The turtles dashed around their home moving their clutter from one area to another- preferably areas that were not so easy to see. "Mikey, catch!" Donatello shouted across the room as he flung some old pizza boxes through the air for his brother to catch and dispose of.

"Alright guys, they should be here any minute!" Leonardo said, nervously glancing at an old clock hanging from the wall. "Just finish what you can and leave the rest for… for…."

"Modern decoration," Donatello finished as he threw some random gadgets of his to his computer area.

Raphael stood at the edge of the room, still smoldering over April's and every one else's ignorance to the honest points he made yesterday. Why did no one grasp what he said? It wasn't as if he hadn't made any sense whatsoever, right? After all, they were, in every sense of the word, freaks. It was not every day that someone would see a giant, reptilian martial artist just walking down the street and not freak out. Everyone did. True, they had made some human friends before, but as Raphael had seen before during his undercover visits to the world above, girls were not that easy to get through to. They always had something stuck in their heads and it always had to stay that way- no it's, and's or but's.

Then, a bit of light fell through the manhole in the ceiling. April's feet began to descend the ladder, but nothing came after. And instead of April closing the manhole, she just let the light shine down.

"Hey guys!" she said cheerily once she hit the ground. She walked over to the boys who were really anticipating what was going to happen next. "Alright, she's up there, and she brought you guys gifts, so tell me when your ready and I'll call her down."

"WE'RE READY!" The three turtles shouted excitedly. April peered over to where Raphael was standing. "Raph? You ready?"

"Whatever," he growled, "bring her down, already."

She smiled at him. Despite his argument and pystoff façade, she knew that he was just as excited as the others were. She turned and headed back to the ladder. Raphael turned his face away, but kept watching intently through his scowl.

"Alright, kid! Common down!" April shouted, imitating Bob Barker.

Slowly, a pair of pink Converse-clad feet came down from the light that shown above. The boys looked in anticipation to see the girl's face, but so far, the light and her hair seemed to do a good job of obscuring it. The climbed down, four big shopping bags dangling from her arms. Once she reached the ground, instead of facing the turtles, she was facing her aunt. "Jeeze Louise, Aunt April!" She sighed, "That was a long walk! I thought the heat in California was bad, but New York definitely gives us a run for our money!" With that, she turned and faced the turtles. All of their jaws, including Raphael's, dropped. She really was a babe! She was lean, her chestnut hair was absolutely radiant in the light from the manhole, and her startling green eyes and bright smile were enough to send even Raphael into his shell.

"Hi!" She said, sticking her hand out for Donatello, who just happened to be closest. "I'm June!" Once she said that, Donatello couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He giggled, "Your name is June? And your mom's name is May, so here we have-"

"April, May, and June! That's right!" June said, laughing herself, "I always get that. I think it's kind of funny, too." With that, Donatello took her hand and shook it. "Hi," he said to her with a smile, "I'm Donatello."

"Oooh! Aunt April told me all about you!" She said with a smile. She then fumbled with her bags and grabbed a sliver one. "This is for you!" Donatello opened it and looked in in shock. Slowly, he pulled out the latest Compaq notebook. "This-- this is-- t-this…!" He stammered, trying to find his voice through the shock. "Yup, it's that! My aunt told me you were kind of limited to technology down here, so I thought this might help. It's fully loaded, and you can hook it up to whatever system your running now. It also has wireless Internet access so when you hook it up to your other computers they can log on as well; you know, for multitasking. Also, I got this for you," she said rummaging in her jeans pockets. "Ah!" She pulled out a small microchip and placed it into Donatello's hand. "My dad has been working on this for a while- this microchip will give your computers 49 times the speed of a new hard drive."

Donatello's eyes widened. "Tha-th-thank… th-thank y-yo-"

"Oh, don't worry about it, Donatello!" June said with a glistening smile, "It's just something nice for you!" She then moved forward and gave him a hug. "There you go, enjoy!"

"Uh huh…!" Donatello murmured, shuffling off to his computer corner, his new software wrapped in his arms like a precious treasure. June smiled as he walked away.

"Now, who's next?" April asked as she leaned casually against the ladder. Leonardo stepped forward.

"Uh, hi," he said, sticking out his hand, "I'm Leonardo."

June smiled, "Ah, Leonardo-san!" She bowed deeply, "Ohiyo gozaimasu! O genki desu ka?"

Leonardo's hand retracted a bit, and his eyes grew a bit larger. "You- you do speak fluent Japanese!"

June laughed, and looked a little embarrassed, "Actually I've gotten pretty rusty, that's just the only bit of Nihongo I say on a regular basis!" She then lifted a cream colored bag covered in various Japanese kanji and handed it to Leonardo. "I got this for you in Kyoto. I had it made especially for you." He reached in the bag and pulled out an impressive traditional kimono with a space in the back cut out for his shell to fit perfectly into. "…Oh!" He said, absolutely breathless. "Madam Nakamura did kind of look at me funny when I asked for the whole in the back. And if it's too small, I had her put an bit of elastic in it so it would stretch to fit perfectly. And look, there's more-" she said, moving forward and digging through Leonardo's bag as he stood there, awestruck. "I got you a traditional tool to sharpen your kitana and a few prayer candles."

Leonardo couldn't find words- these gifts were perfect! Luckily, June beat him to the punch and gave him a big hug. "Glad you like them!"

Before Leonardo could hurry to try it on, Michelangelo ran down and almost knocked him over. "Hi!" Michelangelo said, grabbing one of June's hands in both of his. "I am like, SO psyched to meet you!"

"Jeeze Mikey! Calm down on the sugar intake!" Leonardo said, and turned to try on his new kimono.

"Oh, you're the infamous Michelangelo! I have heard so much about you!" June said, giggling. "I got these for you- hope you like them." She grabbed a big bag that was covered with pictures of balloons and confetti. She placed it on the ground in front of her and pulled out-

"The new PS3! Dude!" Michelangelo said, looking at it in awe.

"I got you a few games- I don't know where you stand with racing and fighting games but…"

"Dude, I love 'em!" He said, kneeling down in front of her and smiling like a maniac. "Anything else? Huh, huh?"

"Well, I did get you mats for Dance Dance Revolution- I thought you might like to try it-"

"Oh, dude, I am the DDR master!" he bragged, "I could totally make you cry for your mom in like, 12 seconds with my skill."

June paused, raising an eyebrow. A smug smile crossed her face. "Oh, really? Is that what you think?"

Michelangelo settled down and slightly gulped by the look on her face. "Well… um… I'm not so sure anymore…"

"Don't worry about it, let's just see how you stand once I start to play," she said. "I also got you some small gadgets to fix your skateboard, and this!" She said, grabbing a card with a slice of pizza on it.

"Dude! A free pizza meal card!"

"Ooooh, it's so much more than that…" she said, looking at the card with admiration. "This card here is the key to your pizza needs. What this card allows you do, is call into any pizzeria in NYC and you get as many pizzas you want, whatever size, style or topping, for free."

Michelangelo's eyes grew large. "F-freeeee?" he asked quietly.

"Yup! The bill is totally paid off by my dad's corporation so there shouldn't be a fee! Of course, at the end of the year you will have to apply for another one, but that shouldn't be a problem!" She placed all of the gaming stuff back in the bag, and handed it and the pizza card to Michelangelo. "Enjoy!"

"YEAH!" Michelangelo said, jumping up and running off to his room laughing like a crazy man.

"Guess he liked that, June," April said from behind her. "Guess so…" she answered. Then, Master Splinter entered to room singing to himself. "Oh! April! This must be your charming niece!"

"Yes, Master Splinter," April answered, "This is June!"

"June," Splinter said, moving close to her and bowing, "what a pretty name. It fits your personality and features wonderfully!"

"Thank you, Splinter," she said, bowing as well. "Here, I brought you some gifts, too."

"Oh?" Master Splinter asked, curiosity playing on his face.
"Here, I got this in Kyoto as well," she said, handing him his bag.

"Ooooh! A new tea pot! And oolong! My favorite!" He said, a big smile on his face. "And some prayer candles! And-!" He reached in and plucked out a young potted bonsai tree. "Oh, this are wonderful gifts! Thank you, June!" He said, bowing again.

"It was my pleasure, sir," she said, bowing as well.

Wow… Raphael thought as he watched the gift giving festivities, She isn't afraid of us! Not even Master Splinter! Jeeze, maybe she is this good… But I wonder what April told her about me…

"Hey," said a voice near his shoulder. Startled, Raphael quickly glanced to see who it was. There, stood June, looking straight into his eyes, a slight look of curiosity on her face. "Your Raphael?" She asked, uncertain. April probably mentioned my temper to her… Raphael thought grudgingly, that's why she's cautious around me- she's afraid I'll blow up…

"Yeah," he answered quietly, "that's me."

A smile spread across her face. "I thought that would be you!" She said warmly. Raphael felt his guard drop for a second. He let his arms drop from his chest and stood to face her. "Um, hi," he said, unable to look her in the eyes. I'll just try to be nice. I mean, she's being nice to me, why shouldn't I return it? Then he noticed, she had no more bags. He didn't get a present. It didn't make him mad or upset, but he did feel hurt that she didn't even try to see how he would react to something. She probably didn't get enough feedback from April, he thought. Again, as he was running the thoughts through his mind, he felt June take a hold of his hand and pull slightly. He looked at her in shock. "Common," she said, leading him toward the manhole. "I have something for you."

Raphael felt his green cheeks turning a little hot. June noticed the slightly surprised look on his face and smiled. "Don't worry, no need to be surprised." She gently pulled him forward and he followed. She lead him back to the ladder and the still sun-illuminated manhole. She let go of his hand and looked up at him. "Stay right there," she said, and made her way up the ladder. Raphael watched as she was reached the top, her image being engulfed in the light of the outside world. Then her silhouette appeared again, holding a big box. "Here, catch! Be easy though!" She called to Raphael. She then let it drop into Raphael's open arms. It was a relatively big box, but didn't make too big of a sound when he caught it. "Go ahead- open it!" June said. She had climbed down the ladder as he sat pondering what could possibly be inside. She just stood there on the ladder at his eye level waiting for him to stop looking back at her. "Seriously, it's not going to unwrap itself!" she laughed. Again, the hot feeling ran into his face, but he didn't show any signs of it. He placed the box on the ground and opened it up. Inside, he found a brand new vertical 3 disk playing stereo. Raphael blinked three times, unable to form words. April must not have told her anything about him, otherwise she would have bought him something else, something perfect. But in a way, this was perfect. He hadn't told anyone he wanted a new stereo because his old one had always worked just fine. Besides, there were other things he wanted besides that. But for some reason, that gift hit a good cord with him.

After about 30 seconds of not saying anything, Michelangelo, who had been watching the whole time, laughed out, "Hah! She made him go all speechless! Ooooh, man! She got Raph, too!" Donatello and Leonardo slowly migrated into the room at the sound of Michelangelo's proclamation. "What?" Donatello asked, "Raph, did she really get you?" Uh oh, not good… Raphael thought to himself, everyone will be goading me for the next two weeks… Gotta act like old Raph…

"What made you think…." Raphael said, slowly getting to his feet, his eyes still locked on the box, "that I would want that…?!" He growled, glaring at June.

"What?" April said at the sudden change of mood. "Raph, what's your problem? Don't take this out on June." Raphael spun around, glaring at his brother, "You stay out of this, Leo!" she said, pointing a warning finger at his brother. He turned again to face June who looked virtually indifferent.

"Well?" He said loudly, "What made you think I wanted this?"

June just stared into his eyes, not saying anything. Her eyes were green, just like her aunt's. But they seemed to burn into Raphael's gently. Man… why did I start this…? Raphael thought, letting his guard down as he looked into June's eyes. Why do I always have to be such a jerk…? Man… I wish she would just say something, already! Just as he finished thinking that, June grinned. "I thought you would like it," she said simply. She descended the ladder, leaving Raphael standing speechless. She moved over to the other brothers and stood in front of them, smiling. "It was really great meeting you guys. Unfortunately we have to go; Aunt April said she would take me for a spin around the city. Can we hang out again tomorrow?"

"Yeah!" all three brothers shouted at once. June's smile grew bigger. "Great! I'll see you guys tomorrow!" With that she moved toward Leonardo and gave him a hug. He tensed for a moment, but then awkwardly hugged her back, as did Donatello and Michelangelo when she hugged them. She then walked back to Raphael, who was still standing by the ladder, stunned. June's smile faded as she met Raphael's eyes. "Would it be okay to hang out tomorrow?" She asked. Raphael just looked at her. She really did seem to want to get to know them. There was no hidden emotions like fear or surprise in her eyes. His tough guy façade faded as he looked at her. "Y-yeah… I guess it would be okay…" he said quietly. With that a small smile crossed June's face. She moved toward Raphael and gave him a hug as well. He tensed, just like his brothers, but found himself unable to hug back. "By the way, I burnt a CD for you- I think you'll like track six," she said quietly as she hugged him. She then let go, and looked up into his startled face. "Bye," she said quietly. "Bye," he said back. She then regained her chipper manner and headed for the ladder. "Bye guys! See you tomorrow!" With that, she waved and headed back up the ladder. "Aunt April," she called down, "I'll meet you in the car!"

April waited a few seconds until the sound of her niece's movements couldn't be heard anymore. As soon as they faded, the three brothers all exploded with excitement.

"Omigod! She was hot!" Michelangelo said, getting a dreamy look in his eye.

"She is sooooo cool!" Donatello joined in.

"Hey, April," Leonardo asked, "I know this is gonna sound weird, but can I ask you a question?"

"Okay…" April said, "what is it?"

"Well, I don't know if it was just me who noticed, but to me it seemed like June was flirting with us! Didn't she?"

April paused and thought about it. "Well, yes, I guess she did," she answered.

"So, do you think there is anyway that she would actually, I don't know, like one of us?"

April paused again. "Well, you never know!" she said finally.

"Do you think you could ask her?" Michelangelo asked. "You know, just in case?"

April nodded absentmindedly. "Sure, yeah I will! Well, I gotta go before she get's bored and hijacks my car. Bye guys! See you tomorrow!" With that, she made her own way up the ladder, and into the light after her niece. She then closed the manhole and was gone.

"Man, I can't wait for tomorrow…" Michelangelo said, going back to his room. Leonardo and Donatello did the same, leaving Raphael outside by the ladder with his stereo.

Yeah, Raphael thought, lifting his box and carrying it off, me too…

April walked to her car, mulling Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello's request in her head. Should she even ask that? The turtles were her friends, but she was almost positive that June would only see them in a friendly light. Especially after the way Raph had treated her. It would be a miracle if she even wanted to talk to him tomorrow. Well, April resolved, I better just wait and see how she does once we get home, she thought. If she seems comfortable enough with what just happened back there, I'll ask her, but that's only if I see fit to it…

She reached her car and found June sitting patiently in the front seat. "Hi Aunt April," she said once April entered the car and buckled her seatbelt.

"You ready to go for the tour?" April asked in a mock tour guide voice.

"Of course!" June said excitedly. April started the engine and they were off.