Disclaimer: TMNT belongs to Nick/Eastman/Laird. Songs belong to their owners. Nia Hamato/Anders, Melody Hamato/Gray, and other OCs belong to me. I'm in no way making any money. Thanks.

Chapter 09 - The Party (Part 2)

A few hours later, Raphael stood beside a long buffet table arrayed with food platters, plastic wear, and drinks atop a green patterned tablecloth. The large sitting room had been cleared a while ago so the table could rest along the window wall, and the couch for guest seating was transplanted near the archway leading into the kitchen. Miscellaneous seats flanked the aged furniture piece on one side until stopped by the doorway to the foyer, yet most guests were on their feet.

While Splinter took comfort with April and Sven on the sidelines, Nia fluttered about like a butterfly to unsure everything ran smoothly. No one could stop her, not even Michelangelo or Tabitha, who spent their time playing games with Kaiya and the recently-arrived Silver Sentry. Raph shook his head when she fiddled with a group of blue, red, orange, and purple streamers (for what felt like the fiftieth time) then glanced at Donatello and Melody beside the entertainment center Melody had moved days ago.

"They still haven't got it working?" asked Hugh as he approached the buffet table.

Raph faced the detective on crutches and the blonde officer behind him, smirking lightly. "Turns out outdated technology is Don's weakness. An' Melody looks more lost than him."

"Geniuses stumped by analog. What a day!" Laughing, Hugh partly raised the beer bottle in his hand, as if to toast the disgruntled couple, then took a long swig.

It brought attention to the cold glass in Raph's hand, which felt somewhat out of place since Casey wasn't by his side. The only time the hothead drank was with his best friend, but…His gaze flickered to Hugh when the dark-skinned man burped and the disgusted face Blaine flashed caused Raph to snort.

'Guess these guys can do,' the mutant thought while swigging his beer.

"So, Silver Sentry was the last on the guest list, right?"

Swallowing, Raph nodded at Hugh. "LH turned us down days ago an' Sentry stopped by the junkyard on our request ta get an answer from Ernie 'n Phil. They declined."

"Why?"

"Phil's sorta…recoverin' still. He just wants ta be wit' Star. An' Ernie won't go wit'out Phil."

"December did a number on everyone," Hugh remarked, words slurred by slight alcohol and memories.

"Even those who weren't fully involved, like Kyle Erlich," Blaine said into the top of his beer bottle.

"Who's Kyle Erlich?" Raph asked.

"A transfer to our precinct," Hugh answered. "Tall, greasy, and obsessed with missing homeless."

"Ya mean, before the influx?"

"Raphael," Blaine spoke as if the red-masked Chūnin was clueless. "This man has been transferred twice because of his obsession. Only reason he still has a job is thanks to his father. That may change soon."

"Only because he's been stirring up trouble with Bishop," noted Hugh while waving a finger.

"He's bringing unwanted attention to our precinct. Plus, making a fool out of himself."

Raph quirked an eye ridge. "What problem does he got wit' Bishop?"

"I'm sure you're aware of the sweep Bishop's in the middle of performing."

"A' course, Williams. Donny's rigged our Lair like a Hollywood movie an' created additional security features 'cuz 'a him. An' every day we can't help wonderin' if he'll stumble on it."

"That's how we feel at work," Blaine added in an undertone. Sighing, the blonde chugged part of his beer like it would calm him, except when he pulled the bottle from his lips, his expression darkened. "Kyle has this conspiracy theory that Bishop's behind the kidnappings, so he can have an excuse to invade the city."

"Naw, he's just an opportunist," Raph spat.

"That's what we told him. He won't believe us."

"I take it ya don't want anyone lookin' inta Donna's connections?" the hothead remarked to Hugh with a playful smirk.

Hugh glared. "Kyle was helpful with gathering our thoughts while looking for Black Lotus. However, his extremism is putting everyone under a microscope. I hate to say it, but I hope he gets fired."

"I still can't believe you have an EPF soldier tucked away God knows where," Blaine hissed to the side.

"Even Williams knew before me?"

"Blame Donna's big mouth, Raphael."

"I thought she was joking."

"That's the thing with her, eh, Blaine? She does such crazy things, you never know what's a joke and what's a lawsuit."

"Hence why Inspector Erb constantly has her on paperwork. To keep her out of the field."

Raphael noted the light shove Hugh gave Blaine with his crutch, chuckling. "Seems ya got a start ta yer own crazy team."

"You think?" Hugh asked, bright eyed.

"Yeah. Donna can be yer Mikey. The big guy ya mentioned—"

"Noah?"

"Noah's like my brawn. Ya ain't as logical as Donny, but ya're close, creative."

"You think I'm creative?"

"Don't ruin it, Reese. Now, where was I? Oh, yeah, ya even got a prude like Leo."

Blaine blinked slowly at the finger Raph directed at him then scowled. "I'm not a prude!"

"That's what our prude says," the hothead told Hugh.

Nodding, Hugh played along easily, saying, "Denial is strong."

"I'm not a prude!"

"Ask anyone from the New Year's party; you're kind of stick in the mud," noted the detective, laughing. Blaine's hazel eyes narrowed further alongside his growl, yet Hugh grinned in return. "Don't worry; you keep us focused, so we need it. Though…you could be less of a Nazi on Kaiya."

"I am not a—" Blaine groaned, slumping his shoulders with a gravelly sigh. He glanced in Kaiya's direction as she played some sort of card game with Mikey and Silver Sentry then sighed again.

"She needs this, Blaine," Hugh said, low.

"I know," the man admitted. "I just hate how I can't help."

"Get that feelin'," Raph remarked without thought. At the blonde's inquiring gaze, the mutant shrugged, clenching his half-empty beer. "Leo's in South America 'cuz he needs ta be away from us, the city. Least ya got yers where ya can see her…"

"That's true," the father noted after a brief pause.

"Hey!" Donny's voice cut over the small crowd's conversations. When they graced him with their full attention, he grinned madly, holding his hands high in triumph. "It's connected again!"

"Only took ya half an hour, Genius," Raph said as Mikey pushed the tall mutant aside.

"I'd like to see you deal with faulty ports," Don countered. He huffed through his nostrils then eyed Mikey when the orange-masked Chūnin produced a CD from one of his belt pockets. "What's that?"

"Dance off music," replied Mikey, grinning.

"Did Mel get a say in the selection?"

"She told me she could deal with anything I pick. Didn't you, Melody?"

Raphael twisted his head to watch Melody crack her half-metal neck.

She looked similar to a soldier at war, and Don sent her an amused smile. "You ready for this?" he questioned in mimic of the line from Space Jam.

The cyborg simply grinned. Raph found it unnerving and shared a look with Hugh and Blaine before joining the group that lined the wooden 'dance floor'. Even Splinter left his seat to stand between Nia and April. Raph caught the gaze of his wife for a moment before she smiled shyly, turning red. He smirked, knowing the reason for her blush, then panned the area. Everyone stood in a full circle, intrigued by the lithe blonde and athletic mutant that faced one another in their center.

"Alright," started Mikey, green face full of determination, "each segment is under a minute and already remixed. All Don has to do is push play. Ready?"

The cyborg quirked her only brow then nodded towards Don. Silent, the genius backpedaled towards the entertainment center to push play on the DVD player. Mikey's voice immediately rang through the surround sound, welcoming everyone to 'The M 'n M Dance Off' in the goofiest impersonation of a wresting announcer Raph had ever heard. He deadpanned when Mikey flashed a toothy smile his way, but the youngest Hamato turned back once a light whistling filled the room.

Drum beats soon followed. Bongos. The tune didn't click as Apache's 'Jump on It' until Mikey pumped his hands upwards, twice, then pumped them downwards, twice—all in timing with a high-pitch whistle. As Mikey's arms swiped outwards, his knees bent, a low chorus of male voices cried 'Ho!'—pause—'Ho!' '—pause—'Ho!' Then, in rhythm to another pause, Mikey jumped to land with his knees bent, hands akimbo, and an intense 'serious face'.

He maintained the stony expression alongside the guitar beats, which drew his left arm up like a flexing body builder. Another chord drew up his second arm, and when the third sounded, he forced both his hand back on his hips before whirling his left arm above his head as if it wielded a lasso. He looked silly hopping from one foot to the other as he spun in a small circle to the recurring phrase 'Jump on it!', but the repeat of his previous moves were done with more gusto. And therefore, more humor.

As Raph sniggered with Hugh and Blaine, the song remixed to the bridge with 'A hunga-hunga'. Mikey pretended to Indian call then rotated his hands in the air before his left leg kneeled, forcing his right straight out while he posed one arm up high and the other tucked close to his side.

Melody regarded him coolly when he straightened then stepped back to allow her room. Really, competition was pitiful with a song like that, yet the one that sounded next was worse. While Raph wasn't a Michael Jackson fan, he could pinpoint the artist's songs easily. From the play 'Smooth Criminal' came 'Are you okay, Annie?', whose upbeat tempo vibrated through the crowd.

Of course the mischievous little brother would pick a hard song. Probably as a test. But Melody showed no hesitation before falling into a dance number—the same dance number used in the act. Her spins, slides, locks, kicks, and shakes weren't silly like Mikey's; they were fluid, practiced, despite being out of sequence from the original dance number. She even pretended to wear a hat and preformed those weird pelvic moves and moonwalked.

Raph's laughter dried up completely by the time the remix faded. A glance at Mikey's face showed signs of flabbergasted amusement, which he shook away in favor of competitive slyness.

"Alright, so you can move," he noted while cracking his knuckles. "Let's see how you take this then!"

Obviously, Michelangelo saw this dance off as nothing more than a game to play with Melody because the subsequent song was just that—pure ridiculousness. The Lonely Island's 'The Creep' started with a sudden rapper vibe, sung by dorky sounding people. And Mikey displayed his best gangster swag while following the lyric's guide.

'Let your hands flop around like a Marionete. Pop your knees up and down, sh—shaking your neck. Now pull your waistband up like you expectin' a flood. And slick your hair down flat like it was covered in mud.'

Only, Mike had no hair, so he made a comical jab by scratching his temple in mock confusion before shrugging and moving on.

'Trim up your pencil mustache and pop them peepers. Put this in your sneakers; you a certified creeper. When you see a country peach hanging out at the beach, do The Creep! Huh. Do The Creep! Huh.'

The segment ended once Mikey's arms lifted like a T-Rex and one foot raised as if to stomp on something. He jumped excitedly as Melody snorted in retaliation, although her smile couldn't be missed—especially by Raph. It was genuine and he had to admit, surprising.

"She used to do this with her mom," said Don as Melody once again blew away her completion with the Spanish-esque song 'Jump in the Line' by Harry Belafonte. Who knew when the towering mutant ventured to Raph's side, but the hothead took his presence in stride, sipping his beer. "It was a nightly routine of hers. I think a few of her close friends did it as well."

"Whose? Gray's?"

"Gray as in her mother Gray, yes."

"Kind'a strange ta think about."

"Why?"

Raph shrugged, cueing into the long remix transition to the next track. "Guess it's hard ta see her doin' anythin' fun."

"She isn't a stone statue, ya know?" Don retorted. "She has fond memories too. Dancing with her family is one of them."

"Ya sure she learned those moves from her mom? Wasn't she, like—"

"Mid-fifties when she died. Yup. Guess there are mysteries about Gray that will stay just that."

"Guess so," muttered Raph while eyeing Melody's playful smirk.

She was no longer waiting for Michelangelo to dance. Over the speakers, Flo Rider's voice cried out familiar lyrics and the song 'Right Round' was danced by not only her and Mikey, but by Tabitha and April as well. Silver Sentry joined seconds later—and was easily the least skilled—while Sven left with Splinter to sit on the couch.

While Melody danced around Mikey, taunting with her rhythm, Don laughed then turned his head. "Do you dance?"

"Ya know I don't."

"Not you, Raph. Them."

Raph eased towards Blaine and Hugh, who shared looks.

"What the hell, right?" Hugh asked as he set his beer aside. "Kaiya can whirl around my crutches or something."

"Been a while since I danced with her anyway," Blaine remarked before following his friend onto the dance floor. Kaiya met them expectedly, yet her animated moves kept Raphael's attention only until Nia appeared, grinning.

"Enjoying yourself?" she asked sweetly—almost as if hiding something.

"Yes," Raph answered carefully.

"Good; because after we dance and do the cake and gifts, we're playing Pictionary."

For a long moment Raph stared at the pale-skinned human then said, "I hate Pictionary. An' dancin'."

"I know," the young woman retorted while rocking on her purple Converse. Still, her grin remained strong and she crossed her arms over her sweater dress casually. "But you said you'd go along with my plans."

"We did say that," Don added, nodding.

"Ya're fine wit' it 'cuz ya're good at Pictionary," Raph snapped, jerking his head aside when Nia slipped an arm below his. "I ain't dancin'."

"We made a deal!"

"Nia—"

"You saw me make a fool of myself. I want the same courtesy."

The young woman's defiant pout settled like a brick in Raph's stomach. He tried avoiding it; however, her teal eyes were relentless. Or maybe that was his impression of them. They felt stronger than any gaze he knew, so he sighed, cringing at his next words.

"Fine; but only one song."

Nia smiled in turn—ignoring the disgruntled growl of her husband—then gripped Raph's hand, pulling him towards the crowd dancing to the Macarena.