Chapter 7

Raph sighed.

He was doing it. He was actually watching out the window for someone.

Leo was rubbing off on him. He hung his head sadly.

A light tugging distracted him. He looked down. Lindy held one of his fingers in her small ones. "What's up, Rosebud?"

"I'm hung'y, uncle Raphy."

"We're gonna eat soon."

She sighed sadly. "I wanna snack." She looked up at him, grinning brightly. "Pwease?"

He sighed then, also. "C'mon." He motioned to the kitchen. "But you breath one worda this to yer uncles or daddy… and I'm tellin' them who really broke the remote."

Her eyes widened, and she nodded solemnly.

They entered the kitchen and she tried to climb on the counter.

"You know better." He said, grabbing her and setting her on the ground. "Bottom on the chair, Rosie."

She said nothing, but climbed onto the chair at the table.

"Healthy." He said, grabbing from the cupboards and refrigerator, then turning to her. "Apples and peanut butter and graham crackers. What do you want to drink?"

"Water."

He continued to look at her.

"Oh!" She exclaimed suddenly. "Please." She added.

He nodded. "That's better." He sat down next to her after getting her a water. Watching her eat, he felt a sudden thought. His domesticity disgusted him. He let out a short laugh.

"What's funny, uncle Raphy?" She looked at him, peanut butter smeared on her cheek.

"Nothin'." He said, then grabbed her water and took a sip of it. "Thanks."

She stared at him, chewing slowly.

"What's the matter?" He asked. "You almost done? We gotta get goin' soon."

"I'm thirsty."

He blinked. "Well there's your water right there." He said, pointing to the glass on the table before her.

"You drank out of it."

"So?"

"It has your germies in it. I might catch a… something." She said slowly.

He stared at her for a moment. "You've been spending too much time with your Daddy, you know that?"

"Ta daaaa!"

Mike brought out a plate of hamburgers and hot dogs, setting them on the picnic table with flair.

"Yaaay." April clapped, grinning and nudging Lindy, who grinned back. After her and Don's… 'conversation', she'd taken a long walk before going back to the house just in time for the picnic.

She didn't where Don had been the rest of the time. She hadn't asked.

"Everything looks good, Mike." Leo said, and the rest nodded their approval.

"I'm almost too sick of looking at food from cooking all day to actually eat." He said, licking his lips and reaching for a roll. "Almost."

Simultaneous groans and laughs erupted at that. Soon, the only sound was the sound of eating, and murmured compliments about the food.

"Oh!" April exclaimed suddenly. "I almost forgot. I picked these up for you at home, and meant to give them to you earlier but…" She cut off, then jumped up, and ran into the house.

They all looked at each other after her sudden departure.

She soon came running back out, handing Leo a stack of papers.

"What are…" He asked, looking them over, then looking up at her. "Schools?"

"What?" Don snatched the papers away from Leo, scanning them over. "Well… we've never discussed schooling before. I'd assumed we could teach her at home…"

"And then what?" April said. "When she gets older…"

"She'll need an actual degree." Mike mumbled quietly.

"Agreed." Don said quietly. "But these…" He motioned to the papers before them. "Are all for New York schools."

"Well…" April said. "I was thinking about that. She can come stay with me for the school year, if you want. You can ALL come back…"

"Back wheres?" Lindy looked confused.

"Hey, can we not do this while the kid's around?" Raph cut in.

"What about the schools here?" Don asked, brow furrowed.

"I never considered…" April admitted.

"Why?"

"Well…" She said. "No offense fellas… but whose gonna take her and get her?"

"Who's taking me where?" Lindy asked a bit louder, her eyes wide.

"You're not going anywhere, angel." Don said.

"You're hurting her by doing this, Don." April insisted.

Raph threw his napkin down. "Quit it you two." He gritted his teeth, motioning to Lindy, who was beginning to look upset.

"I…" Don said, shutting his mouth and breathing out slowly. No one ever evoked a response from him like this except for her.

"Get up." He said briskly.

Everyone stopped talking, and he rounded the table, taking April's arm gently. "Get up." He said again.

Jutting her chin, she rose, stalking away from him and the table.

They walked a bit away from the table in silence, into the woods. They stopped finally at a clearing.

"How dare you do that?" Don rounded on April. She sighed.

"I'm just thinking of her, Don."

"But she's my daughter. Not yours."

"I know that." She spit out, looking hurt for a moment, before narrowing her eyes.

"Then let me raise her." Don said.

"Then do something with her!"

Don took a few steps towards her, and she backed up. "Don't tell me how to raise my child."

"Oh, if it weren't for me, you never would have had her." She said, before she could even think the words.

He took a deep breath.

"I'm…. sorry, Don." She said, walking up to him. He looked at her.

"You know…" He began. "No one ever gets a response from me like you do."

"I shouldn't have said that." She continued.

"And I shouldn't do this." He grabbed her, kissing her soundly. She gasped, putting her hands against his plastron, but soon relaxed against him.

All the passion they fought from surfaced into the kiss, and April slid down, bringing him with her to the ground.

Leo glared at Raph.

"What?"

"Did you talk to her about this?" Leo asked sharply.

"What? No!" Raph exclaimed.

"That's real ironic, seeing as how you wanna go back so badly."

Mike dropped his fork, looking at them. "Go back?"

They ignored him, and kept their gazes even with each other. Raph looked away first. Leo blinked. That never happened.

"I didn't, Leo." Raph said quietly. "I swear I didn't."

"Aw, jeez." Mike said suddenly, standing up, bumping the table and jostling it as he did. "Where'd she go?"

Both Raph and Leo jumped up at the same time, their eyes flying to the spot Lindy had been just moments earlier.

Raph looked under the table. He swore softly.

"Let's go." Leo said, and they all hurried off in different directions.

Breathing deeply, April's eyes met Don's. "This," she breathed, "isn't right."

"I know." He breathed back. She leaned up and kissed him again anyway.

He shifted, careful to keep his complete weight off of her.

"April…" He groaned, moving his hands over her shoulders. All that mattered at that moment was touching her.

"Why do we do this to ourselves?" She breathed, wrapping her arms around his. "Make it so hard." She closed her eyes as he kissed her neck.

"We're both stubborn." He grinned against her. "Some more so than others, I think."

She hit him playfully, closing her eyes and grinning.

"Don't worry." She grinned, sighing as he kissed her neck again. "I forgive you for it."

Leo rushed around the house, his heart racing. Suddenly, he heard a soft sniffling sound. Looking around, he finally spotted a shape on her play set ledge.

"Linds?" He walked up slowly. She was there, chin on her knees, arms wrapped around herself.

"Hey, baby." He stood in front of her. "Are you okay?" He asked softly.

"Is everyone fighting because of me?"

"No." He said, surprised. "No." He repeated. "Don't think that."

"I don't wanna go anywhere." She shook her head.

He sighed, reaching up and grabbing her, holding her against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You're not." He said soothingly. "I promise."

"How come you're not my daddy?" She asked softly. He started, pulling her away to look at her.

"Rosalind Imogene. Don't you ever say anything like that ever again. Ever." He said softly, but sternly.

"I'm sorry." She said softly, tears running down her face.

"Your daddy loves you so very much, Lindy. That's why he's so… uptight right now." He said, not knowing what other word to use.

She sniffled against him.

"Okay?" He asked.

"Okay." She nodded against him. He hugged her to him even more tightly.

"I'm sorry things have been bad between us, Donnie." April admitted softly. "I never wanted this for us."

"Me either." He whispered.

It was silent for a long moment. "I'm sorry I did all that without asking you." She said.

He closed his eyes, pressing his face against her neck. "Lindy." He groaned softly.

"What?"

"I have to go back." He stood quickly. "I left her there… and I've been leaving her for far too long." He headed back towards the house.