Chapter 7

April's eyes opened slowly as the sunlight crept across her face. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept that hard through the entire night. Her whole body was blissfully sore and melted into a puddle on her crisp white sheets. She moaned as she stretched and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Her gaze cast over to his side of the bed, it was empty but still warm. The door creaked open. His footsteps were barely audible as he walked over to the bed. April stayed facing the window and let her eyes close in the anticipation of him lying back down.

Raph buried his mouth in the crook of her neck and shoulder as he crawled over her, "I know you're awake. I heard you moaning." His large lips gently sucked on her neck as he tangled his fingers in her long hair, giving her a firm pull to give him full range of her neck. She let a breathy moan escape her mouth as Raph's tongue danced across her throat. April never thought she would know how good it felt for him to touch her, yet here she was after their second night together and it was complete ecstasy. She never thought he would be more attractive than when he was sweaty and working out, but she was wrong. Seeing him completely bare of his armor and bandana being so gentle and trusting with her was the sexiest thing she had ever seen him do.

She made room for him to rest between her legs as he kissed on her collarbone. Raph felt her wince a little as she made room for him, "Sore, are we?" He grinned on her chest.

April playfully slapped his shoulder, "I couldn't imagine why."

Raph propped himself up on one arm and moved the other to her hip and began massaging, "Let me see if I can help you out."

"Why do I feel like you helping me out would lead to more soreness?"She giggled as he nipped at her collar bone, "God, you've got some stamina, Raph."

He jerked his eyes to hers, "April, I was a virgin last week."

She smirked, but kept her eyes directly on his. The grin disappeared from his face as he looked at her. There was something behind that look, something very real. Something that told him he wasn't just a phase or an experiment, but that she was genuine in everything she had said to him. That she was a safe place for him. Her hand grazed his cheek. Raph sat up on his haunches and pulled April to him. She straddled his lap. He gazed at her bed head and all. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. He wrapped his arms around her torso and held her tightly. April held him silently, letting him feel everything he needed to feel. It was a lot for anyone to handle and to be honest she didn't know how to handle it either yet, but she knew good and well she wanted him and everything that came with him.

"Raph… Raph."

Raph fought back at whoever was trying to wake him from his dream about April.

"Raph!" Wayne shook his arm until his eyelids slid open and the harsh fluorescents of the hospital wing stung his sensitive eyes, "We have a problem."

Raph wiped the sleep from his eyes and focused in on Wayne, "What's going on?"

Wayne had a tired and worried face, "April is missing."

"What?!" The turtle sat up from his chair quickly and looked over at her bed, "How in the hell did she get out?"

"She busted out prison style. She waited and watched Vern and stole his key card when he wasn't looking." Her uncle shook his head in disbelief of his niece's actions.

"Uh, stole it or talked him into giving it t her?" Raph asked gruffly.

"It's all on camera. She's out of control, but I don't know how long she can be without the mutagen before her body shuts down again." Wayne looked out the window of the hospital room, "We've got to find her."

Raph, Leo, Mikey, and Donnie were in the security room with Vern and Wayne putting on their gear and watching the security footage of April's great escape.

"She moves like a ghost. She doesn't even look real." Donnie commented as he studied the screen.

"So, she made a quick stop here for the security card, went to her room to change, and high tailed her ass out of here." Leo observed.

"I don't even recognize her. Her face looks harsh, she moves like a cat, and she's around behind our backs." Wayne massaged his forehead.

Raph's face became stern and angry, "You pump her full of your science experiment, train her to hunt and kill, and put her on the street to defend the city against one of the biggest street gangs. Now you're shocked and disappointed when she's not April anymore."

"She would have died if it wasn't for the mutagen, Raphael. What would you have suggested I do differently? Let her become paralyzed? Let her die?" Wayne snapped.

"Does she look very alive now?" Raph glared at him.

"Raph, you don't mean that." Mikey said with a heartbroken voice.

Raph looked to Mikey. He looked as if he were about to cry. Raph's face softened and he turned back to Wayne, "I'm gonna find her and when I get her back, you had better have a cure for her because I know she's sick of fighting for her life. If that's what you want to call this thing she's living. And you better pray that she didn't run away from here to go die somewhere by herself because if I find her somewhere in an alley I'm gonna come back here and rip this place apart."

Raph nodded his brothers towards the door and he was following in tow.

"Raphael, wait." Wayne spoke up and Raph looked back at him, "I do know how to cure her, but it's going to be at the expense of you."

Leo looked at his younger brother with fear in his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Raph asked this time there was a little fear in his deep voice.

"I'm sorry and I have known from the beginning ever since I found her and injected her with the mutagen I made that this is what would happen." Wayne confessed, "She's needs the same mutagen that's in all of you four's blood stream. She's fading fast and the only way you save her is to get it from you. The chances of you surviving the extraction of the mutagen is practically nonexistent because you've had it in your system most of your life, you've never survived without it and I need all of it for her."

"You told me…" Vern trailed off and placed his hand over his mouth.

"I know I told you it was the same, Vern because I didn't want everyone waiting for her to die like I was. I'm sorry."

"Why can't each of us give some mutagen to April?" Mikey asked.

"It has to be pure. From one being in order to work. Adding all four of you into the mix adds too many variables. That could end up killing her, too." Wayne explained.

"So, you're going to take his life for hers?" Leo asked angrily.

Wayne's face became very solemn, "Of course not. I am telling him that I can save her and I am asking him to help me do it. It is his decision."

"Raph, you can't-" Leo began.

Raph raised his hand for silence, "I thought I had lost her once and it damn near killed me. I became a drunk and I was so lost in this black whole without her. I love you guys so much. You're my brothers and my best friends, but I can't live without her again. I will not exist in this life without her, so Wayne, if I gotta go for her to live that's how it's gonna be."

Mikey let the tears fall down his face, "Raph." He whispered.

"Mikey, don't. You guys knew what my answer was before I said it. This is how it will be. You guys have to take care of April now. For me… Now, we have to find her and bring her back. None of you will tell her until it's done. I don't want her to know because she won't come back if she's knows what's gonna happen. If this works and it saves her, you let her go. You set her up somewhere safe where the Foot can't find her and let her live her life. She deserves to be free to do anything she wants to do."

Wayne nodded once firmly.

Donnie's phone buzzed in his hand and he looked down at it, "It's Splinter." He quickly answered, "Dad? Are you okay?... What? Okay, okay, we're coming."

"What's wrong with Dad?" Leo questioned.

Donnie shook his head in disbelief, "Nothing. He said April's at the lair and she's doing bad."