I AM SO SO SORRY! School+homework+writers' block=incredibly slow writing...yeah.
I've given Night-Fury1 permission to write her own version of this story. It's called 'A Turtle's Prisoner?' and is very good. I recommend checking it out.
I do not own TMNT.
Donatello was unable to sleep; the memory of Casey Jones made sure of that. The gall of that human, so brazenly declaring April as his like she was nothing more than a pretty painting! Donnie subconsciously tightened his grip on her. She was cradled protectively against his chest, breath deep and even in sleep. Donatello breathed her sweet scent through his nostrils, but not even that was enough to quell the roiling fire that burned within him. Who had rescued April from her fake family? Who ensured she ate like a queen? Who made sure she stayed warm in the cool sewers?
A low growling noise permeated the soft snores of Donatellos' brothers. With a start, Donnie realized it was him. He made himself stop it right away.
April had chosen them. She'd had multiple opportunities to leave and go back to her fake family, but she had not. April had chosen to stay with them. She loved them; she'd said so herself. Besides, April wouldn't possibly allow that ridiculous human to assert any kind of hold over her. He told himself that over and over as closed his eyes and tried to relax into sleep. She loves us. She loves us. She loves us.
And Casey Jones has absolutely no claim to her.
"Thanks so much for this," said April as she stepped into Casey's' apartment. "It is kinda hard to stay squeaky clean living down there."
"No prob," said Casey smoothly. "The bathroom's right through there. Can I make you anything? Chips n salsa? Popcorn? Spaghetti and meatballs?"
"No thanks Casey, I'm good," said April as she slipped into the bathroom.
Casey plopped down on the sofa. Four days had passed since he'd wandered into an episode of Lost Tapes and met the mutant turtles April was living with. Part of him could still barely believe it had happened. Who'd have thought there were four giant mutant turtles living in the sewers of New York City? But it had really happened. If the bruises Raphael had dealt him weren't evidence enough, there was the sting of the parting words of Donatello.
"You are not the one she sleeps with every night."
When the turtle said 'sleeps with', he couldn't have meant...well sex, right? Because that was just totally impossible. April had to have higher standards than an oversize reptile that ate from the garbage. Really, what on Earth could she possibly see in any of them?
Casey scowled at the wall. "She's not yours to keep, buddy."
40 minutes later, April emerged from the shower, hair and skin freshly washed. Casey had gone ahead and made some popcorn and thrown an action movie into the DVD player.
"Hey Red, the movie's just starting," said Casey with a grin.
"Movie? Casey, you do know that this isn't a date, right?"
"Of course I do. But there's no reason two friends can't just hang out together, right? When was the last time you watched TV anyway?"
April frowned. "Before I met the guys, so like, two months ago, I guess." She suddenly plopped down on the couch beside him. "What are we watching?"
"Captain America: The Winter Soldier," replied Casey. "Ever seen it?"
"No, but I know who Captain America is," answered April. "Mikey found a few issues of the older comics in a dumpster not far from here." She smiled ruefully. "He's the reason Mikey is a semi-expert on World War II."
The movie played as April and Casey sat together, eating popcorn and making the occasional laugh or comment. Casey was tempted to try putting his arm around Aprils' shoulder, but eventually decided not to push his luck. For now.
After the credits rolled and the Easter Eggs had been shown, April got to her feet with a stretch. "I should probably be heading home now."
"Won't you stay for dinner?" asked Casey. "There's a half eaten chicken stir fry in the fridge that's just sitting there."
April hesitated. The guys might start getting worried if she stayed out much longer, but the prospect of eating semi-fresh food that had never been in the trash was extremely appealing.
"I've got canned fruits too," added Casey.
That sold it.
Donnie was pacing. Leonardo sat by the massive book pile in the corner and alternated between watching him and practicing his letters. The leader had decided it was about time he learned to decipher the various markings the humans used to communicate without words. Besides, Mikey had been making slow but steady progress in his lessons, and Leo didn't want to be left behind.
"It's been 4 hours!" Donnie said suddenly. Leo looked up. "A shower doesn't take 4 hours!"
"How would you know?" yawned Raph from the corner in which he lay dozing.
"I'm sure April is fine, Donnie," said Leonardo calmingly. "She's tough."
"But what could be keeping her?" the turtle cried.
"Probably hanging with Casey," said Raph as he gave himself a stretch. "Time to scavenge?"
"No, we have at least another hour before the sun sets completely," replied Leo.
There came from the tunnel above the sound of footsteps. Donnie launched himself up the wall in two rapid bounds. "April!" he exclaimed. "We were so worried!"
"You were?" asked April. "Sorry Donnie, Casey and I watched a movie and had some dinner. I guess I just lost track of the time."
"It's no problem April," called Leo from the book pile.
"No problem?" echoed Donnie. "What if something had happened to her? What if she'd been mugged or kidnapped? We would have no way of knowing!" Leo gave a slight frown. This was true. April didn't have their advanced senses or years of practice in staying in the shadows, safely away from other humans.
"Alright, maybe a curfew is in order," he mused.
"A curfew?" sputtered April. "What am I, 10?"
"We have to make sure you stay safe," said Leo. "Mikey had one for many years."
"Don't remind me," muttered the youngest.
"Okay, I promise I won't stay out that long without telling you again," compromised April. She unzipped her backpack. "Now come look what I got." Out came two cans of peaches, three cans of pears, a can of pineapple and a hand operated can opener.
"Fruit cans?!" exclaimed Mikey. "Yes yes yes!" It was not often that the turtles found any fruit that wasn't rotting. The occasional canned goods were cherished wholeheartedly. All thoughts of curfews vanished as the turtle brothers gathered around their human sister to enjoy the sweet treats she'd brought for them.
Raph jogged down the back alleys silently, nostrils alive and attentive. It was right around here he'd met Casey Jones, and he was hoping he'd run into him again. That human needed to pay for striking him with lightning.
Casey was practicing his batting swing when Raph found him. The turtle watched for a minute as the teen swung at an imaginary foe before speaking.
"Casey Jones." Casey froze, before turning with a grin on his face.
"That you Raphael?" he asked.
"Yes." Raph stepped from the shadows.
"Perfect timing; I was just about to go hunting for you myself," said Casey, flexing his shoulders. He pulled his hockey mask down over his face. "Ready for Round 2?"
"Of course," purred Raph.
But fate did not intend for them to be adversaries at that moment. A shrill shriek sounded in the night. And if that wasn't enough to attract the boys' attention, a loud crash resounded, followed by the sound of drunken laughter. Casey and Raph looked in the direction of the noise, then at each other. An unspoken agreement passed between them, and they set out together for the disturbance.
7 men had dragged a young woman into a dead-end alley. Jeering and hooting in the manner that clearly identified them as intoxicated, they grabbed at her blouse and shorts with grubby hands, jockeying for the best position. Her mouth was covered by more than one hand, her arms and legs pinned beneath the tide of lustful brutes.
"Shove ov ya louts," slurred the largest of the men. "I got 'er, I go first."
"Think again!" yelled Casey as the hockey puck sailed through the air. It hit the man directly between the eyes, which rolled up into his head as he toppled over.
"Wha?" yelped one of the men. They stared stupidly at the shadowy figure with the hockey stick and the dark, snarling mass crouched by his feet.
"Monsters!" said one man.
Casey chuckled. "You could say that." He and Raph lunged. Bringing his hockey stick up, Casey bludgeoned the closest pervert with a swift blow to the temple. Meanwhile, Raphael bowled over another of them, sinking his teeth into the mans' shoulder. His head hit the pavement and his eyes rolled up to show only the whites.
Within a minute, the others had been dispatched in a similar fashion. The last man tried to get away while Casey and Raph were occupied with his buddies, but Casey brought him down with a hockey puck to the back of the knee. Raph leapt to his side and finished it with a punch.
"You should go now ma'am," said Casey. The woman, who'd been slumped against the wall for the whole ordeal, got shakily to her feet. Casting a nervous glance at Casey and a terrified one at Raph, she bolted.
"What, no thanks?" muttered Raph.
"Some say thank you," said Casey. "But none stick around long." The two set off. After a minute, Casey turned to Raphael and added, "you weren't too shabby there, by the way."
"Likewise," replied Raph.
"Do you know how many things like that are happening right now in this city?" Casey asked.
Raph shrugged. "Many, probably."
"Doesn't it bother you?"
"...Yes."
"Don't you ever wanna do something about it?"
Raph stopped. "Where you go with this?"
Casey stopped too and pulled off his hockey mask. "You saw what a good team we made back there. Imagine all the crimes we can stop in this city if we did this every night. All the people we could save."
"This is true," mused Raph. "Hitting scum more fun than hitting you."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," said Casey with a grin. "But seriously, what do you say?"
Raphael regarded him for a moment. Unbidden, an image of April sprang to his mind as quickly and suddenly as it had when he witnessed the attempted mugging. He knew then his only answer.
"I'm in."