Before we get started I'd like to thank Emilyninjaturtle, the guest reviewer, Kagayaku Hoshi-chan, Just Call Me J, zrexheartz, Guess, pyro524, Jess Marylin, and RagamuffinSundrop for reviewing the last chapter! You guys are all awesome! I love hearing from you! :) Also thanks to everyone who placed this story in their favorites and in a community! I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

Also on another note, special thanks to those who have placed this story on their alerts. This story has finally gotten 100 followers! :)

Now I was hoping to have this chapter out a few weeks ago but writer's block decided to appear at the last scene I was trying to write -_-

Thankfully, now it is finished and I all hope you enjoy this latest installment! :)

… New Year's Eve…

"So the four of you were really transported to feudal Japan?" Avariella questioned.

Leonardo nodded in response. "Yes we were," he motioned towards a wall, specifically a glass case, "all thanks to the Time Scepter over there."

Glancing behind her to view said item, the brunette made her way towards the glass casing to better look at the item. Her hand rested gently upon the glass surface separating her from the scepter. "It's beautiful…" she murmured, her blue eyes filled with fascination and awe. "To think that time travel is actually possible…"

"Yes, it is but it is very tricky and can be dangerous," Donatello said while walking up towards the brunette, making her jump slightly. The purple-clad turtle looked sheepish, forgetting how silently he and his brothers sometimes moved. "Sorry…"

Ava shook her head slightly, a soft smile played upon her lips. "No need to worry. I am just not used to you guys randomly appearing out of nowhere is all." Her gaze wandered back to the display before her and her hand reached forward to touch the helmet on an upper shelf. "What is this?"

"That's the helmet that Shredder wore," Donatello replied simply.

"Oh…" Ava dropped her hand away from the piece, allowing her arm to fall back at her side limply. She had heard several tales about the Shredder and his organization of ninja thieves known as The Foot and the horrible things that they did… especially to her family. Hearing those tales made the brunette immensely grateful that Oroku Saki perished only a year prior to her arrival in New York. She never wanted the displeasure of having to meet that man.

Donatello gestured back towards the shelves. "And remember when Master Splinter told you the story of how we came to be?"

Ava nodded, "Yes."

He pointed at a broken canister. "Well that vial is what held the mutagen that transformed us all."

Blue eyes shifted to look at the item. "Wow…" she muttered, reaching forward to lightly trace her fingers across the surface. It did not matter how many times she thought about it, the brunette was always struck with awe at the tale of the origin of her non-human family members.

Turning away from the shelves, Ava smiled warmly at the purple-clad turtle. "It sure sounds like all of you have been on quite a few adventures."

"You could say that," Donnie responded with a small shrug before making his way back to the coffee pot for a refill.

Ava smiled again and allowed herself to take a seat at the kitchen table where her own drink still awaited her. She reached forward to grasp the beverage but before her fingers were allowed to make contact with the object, a sudden touch of her shoulder sent the brunette jumping out of her seat with a small yelp. Whipping her head around, Ava's hand was firmly placed on the portion of her chest that covered her heart as she gazed upon the turtle whom was standing behind her with a sheepish look upon his face.

Mikey rubbed the back of his head, "Uh… sorry about that."

The brunette lightly shook her head, taking a few seconds to recompose herself. "Do you guys always move that quietly?"

"Yeah, pretty much," the orange-clad turtle responded with a small shrug. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get used ta it soon."

"I sure hope so," Ava responded with a smile. "So, did you want to ask me something?"

Mikey nodded, "Yeah, I was wonderin' if you weren't doin' anything if you'd wanna game." He pouted slightly, "Raph's still sleepin'."

Ava nodded in response; she had heard tales of what happened to the turtle before her after the few times he decided that it was a good idea to wake Raphael up for something other than morning training. "Sure, it sounds like fun."

Mikey's face lit up, "Awesomeness!" Turning on his heel, the turtle quickly made his way towards the television and turned the needed objects on.

Turning slightly, the brunette grabbed her mug of tea and stood up out of her chair. She then made her way back towards the living area of the lair and sat down on the beat up couch in front of the television where Michelangelo already sat. While the teenage girl had decided to remain in the sewers for the remainder of the year, both her father and April had decided to head back to the apartment a few days prior. Avariella smiled softly upon remembering the event Casey had planned for the final moments of the year.

Michelangelo held a controller in front of her. "Wanna play some Mortal Kombat?"

Grabbing the controller, the brunette nodded. "Sure, I could give it a go."

"Coolness," Mikey responded with a smile before making his way to the consol to switch the games around, "I swear I'll try to go easy on you this time." With the game inserted, he quickly made his way back to the couch. After maneuvering through the game's menus, the turtle had managed to select the options that he desired for the moment and loaded up the game.

Upon the screen was what Ava knew to be a character selection screen, several images of the available characters covered the entire screen. Shifting her cursor around, the brunette then selected one of the female characters before wrinkling her nose at what she was wearing. It was obvious to her at that moment that this game was designed to appeal mainly to teenage boys with the amount of skin this particular character was showing as well as how tight the clothing was. Rolling her eyes, she decided to keep her current choice as Michelangelo chose his own character.

The first match ended in a few minutes, with the head of the character Ava chose being ripped off from her body. The delicate brunette once more wrinkled her nose at how graphic the depiction of the event was. Yes, it was in fact a guy's game, that much she was certain of.

Following matches concluded in a similar manner until Avariella had decided to place the controller down on the makeshift coffee table.

"Okay, you win," she said with a small shake of her head.

Michelangelo was about to respond when the sounds of the lair's entrance opening captured his attention. Ava felt her body tense up slightly, she knew everyone was at the lair aside from April and Casey… but no one was expecting the two lovebirds to show up at the lair until tomorrow. Her blue eyes glanced back at the lair's entrance, her body positioned to flee at a moment's notice if needed but she was shocked to see just how calm and relaxed the turtles were as they also gazed upon the lair's entrance. After the wall opened, a boy, no older than Ava was, walked into the lair with a huge smile on his face.

"Hey guys!" he called before making his way down the stairs. He had dark hair that just barely managed to reach his shoulders along with a set of dark brown eyes.

"Hey! Keno!" Raphael called as he left the dojo.

"We didn't think ya'd be here for another hour," Mikey added on.

Keno shrugged, "I managed to get off work earlier than I thought." His dark eyes landed upon Ava, who was walking towards the gathering with her arms crossed over her chest. "Well who do we have here?"

Ava nodded softly in greeting before holding out a hand. "Hello, my name is Avariella Well-" she paused and shook her head. "Jones, Avariella Jones but please call me Ava."

"Keno," he replied before shaking the brunette's hand, "Keno Hecker." He glanced over at the four turtles, "You guys never told me you knew any pretty girls… or any girls for that matter."

Michelangelo shrugged, "Well you never asked dude."

Raphael's gaze was still glued to Ava as he crossed his arms. When her blue eyes met his amber gaze, he took a step towards the girl. "Avariella Jones?"

"Yeah," Ava responded, already sensing that everyone was looking at her. "I decided to change my name," she shrugged, "it's what my grandmother wanted." Her gaze wandered back to glance at everyone else and she offered a small smile before looking at Keno again. Out of a newly formed habit, she slightly lowered her head to the gathering, "It was a pleasure meeting you Keno, but I have to get ready for my session with Master Splinter."

… Later…

Walking out of the dojo, Ava took a quick sip from her bottle of water as she made her way to the living area towards the sounds of a conversation currently going on. She smiled softly before claiming a spot on a recliner and pulling her legs towards her chest.

Keno glanced over at her. "So Master Splinter is training you?"

"Yeah," Ava replied with a small nod, "in archery and meditation." She took another sip of her water.

"That's cool; I've actually trained in martial arts myself."

Ava raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

Keno nodded and smiled. "Sure have."

"He is actually pretty good," Mikey said.

Raph nodded, "Yeah, we managed to get him inta the Foot a couple years back."

"Excuse me?" Ava asked, slightly baffled. "I thought the Foot were bad guys."

"They are," Leo clarified, "but Raphael decided it would be a good idea to use Keno to find out where the Foot's hideout was." The turtle gave a pointed look at the red-clad turtle that showed remaining disapproval at the action.

Mikey chuckled, "Yeah, and he got himself captured."

"Oh shuddap," Raphael replied with a small growl.

"Well you did!" Mikey replied before sticking out his tongue. "Of course it was because of my awesomeness that we got out of there."

Don rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you found the manhole cover."

"Hey! That's important!"

"It kind of is," Keno added with a small shrug.

Raphael rolled his eyes and slumped back in his chair.

Standing up from his seat, the blue-clad turtle cleared his throat to gain the attentions of his brothers. "While I am sure we would like to continue this conversation, it's time for training."

Mikey and Raphael groaned as they stood up and followed Leo towards the dojo, with Donatello bringing up the rear.

"Have fun you guys!" Ava called with a small smile and fond shake of her head. Glancing back at Keno she gestured towards him. "So, just curious, how old are you?"

"Almost eighteen," he replied before leaning back in his own seat. "You?"

"Sixteen. Are you still in high school?"

Keno nodded, "Yeah, I'm a senior at Eleanor Roosevelt High."

"Really?" Ava asked, surprised, "That is the school I go to as well." She smiled, "Are you excited about graduating this spring?"

"Of course, I'm actually planning on going to a school over in Flushing to study business." He gave a small shrug, "You have plans after you graduate?"

Ava nodded, "Yeah, I am planning on studying photography somewhere, preferably in a school in the city." She took another sip from her water bottle. "So, just how did you meet the guys?"

… 11:00 pm…

Party hat on her head and glasses in the shape of the upcoming year upon her face, Avariella chuckled at the sight of Raphael donning similar items. While the items themselves were rather festive, the feeling was not mutual with the red-clad turtle. It did not help matters that Michelangelo had practically forced those items onto his older brother. Still, the brunette found the sight amusing.

Currently on the television there was a program that served as something to bring in the new year with the station's viewers. The volume had been lowered quite some time ago and was now only pleasant background noise for the gathering in the lair's living area. She sat on the couch between Mikey and Raphael, acting as a barrier to prevent another small fight to break out between the two brothers. Keno had claimed a spot on the armrest of a recliner that was currently vacant while Donatello sat in another recliner. From what Ava saw, she assumed Leonardo was off meditating with Master Splinter.

Taking a sip of the sweet beverage she held in her hand, Ava leaned further back in her seat and sighed blissfully. She was fully looking forward to the upcoming year, eager to put the horrible events of the previous year behind her for good. She was determined to make this year the best one she ever had alongside her new family and friends whom she cared for so deeply. After all, there were so many things for her to look forward to… April and her father's wedding was the first thing to come to mind and it was that thought that brought a soft smile to her lips. She began to wonder what the two of them were doing right now. Had her father already proposed? Or was he waiting for a particular moment to ask the redhead to be his bride?

No matter the time or the way Casey would ask, Avariella knew without a single doubt that April would say yes. She could plainly see the way they both looked at each other, with so much love in their eyes that it made Ava's heart sing. Such love was unlike anything she had seen before in her life. It made her yearn for the same thing for herself…

In her heart of hearts, the delicate brunette knew that if she could only have one thing in her life she would want, above everything else, someone who loved and cared for her, someone who needed her as much as she needed him. Her smile grew wider as she placed a head on Raphael's shoulder, a small yawn escaping past her lips.

The red-clad turtle turned to look at her. "Tired?"

Ava shook her head, "No Raphie, 'm not tired…" she allowed her eyes to drift closed for a brief second. "I jus' need coffee…"

Next to her, Mikey chuckled and shook his head. "Well you heard the girl," he turned to look at Donnie, "Is there any left?"

"There should be some," Don replied, "but if she's tired she should sleep."

"No…" Ava said with another small yawn. "Gotta stay up 'til midnight, I'll just have a mug is all."

"Alright then," the purple-clad turtle started to stand up. "Don't say I didn't warn you..."

"It's alright, I can get it," Keno said while leaping off the armrest he sat upon. "Sides, I need a refill as well." He held up an empty glass that once had soda in it.

The delicate brunette smiled, "Thanks Keno."

"Do you always have trouble stayin' up till midnight?" Mikey questioned with a small chuckle.

"Yep, every year Carrie had ta keep pinching me so I'd stay awake." Ava found herself smiling fondly at the memory. Ever since the two of them turned thirteen years old they would spend New Year's Eve at one of their houses and attempt to stay awake until the ball in Times Square dropped, signaling the start of a new year.

"That's the one who just turned seventeen a couple days ago right?" Raph asked.

The brunette nodded, "Yeah, that's her." She smiled again at the thought of her friend. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw Keno outstretch her mug of coffee towards her. Thanking him, she quickly took a small sip of the liquid, its warmth making her sigh contently. "She keeps talkin' 'bout how she's going to come down to New York fer school," she smiled.

"That might be a good idea anyhow," Keno added, "I mean she's the one that wants to act right?"

Ava nodded again, "She is."

"Well New York is a great place to get started in the business. The only other place that could be better would be California."

"Oh, she would never go out west," she said with a small shake of her head. "She loves winter too much."

"You thinking of inviting her down to the city this summer?" Michelangelo asked.

Ava nodded and smiled, "Of course I am. That or the two of us plan ta go up to her aunt's place in Massachusetts." She took another sip of the warm liquid, her mind eagerly awaiting the time when she would finally get to see her friend again. While the two of them communicated regularly, it was no real substitute for actually being together.

Keno smiled as he looked over at Ava. "So… this friend of yours… is she hot?"

Reaching across Mikey, the brunette quickly grabbed a pillow and proceeded to throw the item at the dark-haired teen. She rolled her eyes before looking at the turtles. "Is he always like this?" she questioned.

From his seat in a recliner, Donatello nodded. "As far as we know? Yes, yes he is."

Chuckling, Keno tossed the pillow into an empty chair. "You still didn't answer my question."

"I have no intentions of doing such," the brunette replied before sticking out her tongue and chuckling, finally feeling the effects of the coffee taking hold.

"You at least gonna introduce me to your other friends?"

Ava shrugged as she turned to look at the television once more. "It depends…"

"On what?"

"If you could please stop asking me if my friends are hot," she responded, putting air quotes around the word 'hot'. "I honestly do not know why that should matter," a small yawn escaped her lips as she shook her head. "They are good people that should be enough."

Keno held up his hands in surrender, still smiling. "Okay, got it."

Glancing at the clock, Michelangelo smiled before looking over at the other people sitting on the couch. "So, you think Case popped the question by now?"

Raphael and Ava both shrugged.

"Dunno," the red-clad turtle replied.

Ava nodded in agreement, her lips curving upwards into a smile. "I am sure he'll do it before midnight."

… April and Casey's apartment; A Little Later…

Glancing at April, who currently had her head rested upon his shoulder; Casey Jones smiled softly before taking a sip of his beer. The remains of their dinner still covered the coffee table, as the two of them were unwilling to move from their places upon the couch in order to pick them up. They could always get them later after all.

Pulling the redhead closer to him, Casey rested his head atop of her's before placing his emptied bottle of beer on an end stand. His hand quickly went to his pocket where he had put the ring Ava had helped him pick out a few weeks ago. The thought of his daughter made the burly man smile again. In all honesty, he had never seen himself as the kind of man who could be all domesticated and content with it. However, over the past few months of getting to know the young girl as well as seeing how well April got along with her, quickly accepting her as family, made Casey realize that he would love to be domesticated with those two amazing women.

It was this realization that made Casey wish finally to take the next step in his relationship with April. He knew that he would have to thank his daughter, his precious little girl, for bringing him to this realization.

Opening his eyes, the burly man pulled away slightly. "Babe?"

"Yes?" April responded, angling her head in order to meet his blue gaze.

"I know I don' always tell ya this but I love you so much. You're the best thing that has ever 'appened ta me."

Smiling, April leaned up and lightly pressed her lips against his before resting her chin upon his shoulder. "I love you too babe."

Casey pressed his forehead against his girl's and smiled. "An' you're so great with Ava. I can tell that she adores ya."

"Well she is an amazing girl," the redhead replied with another soft smile, her cheeks started to flush as she averted her gaze for a moment. "To be honest, I've really started to see her as my own. I think I would be very lucky to have a daughter half as sweet as she is."

Nodding, the burly man kissed April's forehead before dropping his head back into its former position. "Yeah, she is great…" He paused, searching for the right words. "Actually, havin' her around like she's been has helped me ta realize somethin'."

April raised a single eyebrow in question. "Hm? What would that be?"

"That I actually kinda like bein' domesticated," he responded with a grin. His free hand reached inside the pocket of his jeans and grabbed the box holding the ring.

"You do now?" she responded with a small smile.

Casey nodded, "Yeah, I do." Pulling his one arm from where it was around April, he slid onto one knee before the stunning redhead. "And I know I want to be all domesticated wit' you."

April's green eyes widened slightly as she watched him pull out a jewelry box and open it, revealing a gorgeous diamond ring.

"April Harriet O'Neil, will you marry me?"

A lone tear rolled down April's cheek as she nodded, quickly moving forward to wrap her arms around the man before her. "Yes."

It was sealed with a kiss.

… Morning…

Stirring slightly, Ava tightened her hold upon whatever it was her arms were wrapped around and smiled contently. While she was aware of some movement around her, the brunette was currently unwilling to open her eyes to a new day, wishing to remain in the realm of sleep for just a little longer.

Oddly enough, after that one cup of coffee she had managed to stay up until one in the morning along with everyone else. She remembered vaguely in the haze of sleep that Keno had left shortly after she had started to drift off, saying something about some obligation he had the next day. Without opening her eyes, she could tell that she had fallen asleep on the couch rather than in her room.

Deciding that she might as well start the process of getting ready for the day, Ava opened her eyes and briefly scanned her surroundings. She smiled upon seeing Raphael slumped beside her, his chest rising and falling in a way that signaled that he was sleeping. Taking great care as to avoid waking him, she sat up and stretched her arms above her head. Blue eyes searched for something that would tell her the current time and she was surprised to see that a nearby clock said that it was only six in the morning.

Dropping her arms, the brunette titled her head to the side in confusion. Aside from the days she had school, most times she would only get up around nine in the morning and that was when she fell asleep at midnight. Shrugging dismissively, she stood up and ran her fingers through her hair in a futile attempt to rid it of the knots that formed during sleep. Once she reached her room, the pursuit was abandoned all together as she quickly grabbed the hairbrush sitting atop her dresser and began to drag it through her hair until most of the tangles had been taken care of. Since it was still rather early, she figured that she would have more than enough time to shower before most everyone else was up and about. So, grabbing the needed toiletries, she quickly made her way to the downstairs shower, shutting the door behind her.

Once the water had been turned on and her clothes removed, the brunette stepped into the shower and moaned as the warm water worked over her sore body. Raphael was right, it was horrible trying to sleep on that poor old couch, her neck was the worst of the issues regarding the soreness of her body though, and within a few minutes most of the kinks had vanished. Feeling as if though she had spent enough time under the hot water Ava turned it off and stepped out of the shower before beginning to dry herself off.

A few minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom dry and fully dressed, her towel wrapped around her head. She made her way towards the kitchen and found Leonardo already seated at the table.

"Morning," Leo greeted upon seeing the brunette.

Ava smiled and waved, "Ohayō, Leo-kun." Walking towards the fridge, she glanced back at the blue-clad turtle. "Did I say that right?"

Leo nodded, "Yes, you did."

"Awesome," she replied with a smile before grabbing the container of orange juice and pouring herself a glass.

"So, what are you doing up so early?"

Sitting down with her glass, the brunette shrugged. "I have no idea to be honest, just randomly woke up is all." She took a sip of her drink, "When are you guys having your morning training?"

"Hopefully within the next hour or so," he replied before glancing over at Michelangelo and Raphael who were sprawled in front of the television, both sound asleep. "Though we will have to see…" He shrugged before turning back towards the delicate brunette. "Why do you ask?"

Ava chuckled softly while shaking her head, "Yeah, we did stay up rather late last night." She took another sip of her drink before shrugging softly, "I was just wondering because I kind of want to watch one of those sessions…" she lifted her gaze towards Leo's warm brown eyes. "If that is alright of course."

Leo lifted his mug of tea, "That shouldn't be a problem. Master Splinter won't mind as long as you remain at a safe distance."

"Of course," she responded with a small smile and a nod of her head.

A few moments of silence passed between the two of them as they each took time to enjoy their drinks. Finishing his tea, the blue-clad turtle raised his head to once more look at the girl he just knew that his brother was so enamored with.

"So, I heard you were planning on taking Casey's surname."

Ava glanced up and nodded, "Yes, you heard correctly. We still have yet to get all the paperwork ready."

Leonardo put his mug upon the table, "If it is alright, could I ask why?"

"It is fine," she replied with a small, dismissive wave of her hand. "It was my grandmother's last request… Though I have no clue as to why she asked me to do it." She sighed and shook her head.

"Well I'm sure that whatever the reasoning behind the decision, your grandmother had your best interests at heart," he smiled warmly and began to seek a change in the subject. "But on another matter, how do you think your training is going?"

… That Evening…

Surrounded by a cloak of darkness, Ava and the turtles landed upon the roof of her home. The brunette loosened her grip around Donatello and slowly slid off his shell, placing her feet firmly on the concrete surface below her. Wind whipped her hair into her eyes, making her frequently pushing the brown strands out of her field of vision as she turned to look at her friends.

"Thanks for all of you helping me get back home," she said with a small smile, "though it really wasn't necessary."

Mikey clapped a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "Don't mention it dudette! Sides, we all wanted to see the rock Case got Ape."

Ava smiled, "Still, thanks."

Brushing more hair out of her face, she then proceeded to make her way towards the fire escape, knowing without a doubt that all four turtles would be right behind her. Reaching her bedroom window, she slid the glass barrier open before crawling inside her room. Quickly kicking her boots off, she padded towards the light switch and flooded the room with light. The turtles soon made their way inside Ava's room with Raphael dropping her suitcase upon her bed.

Turning on her heel, the brunette opened her bedroom door and began to make her way into the living room. "I'm home!" she called just before entering the open space. She smiled upon seeing April and Casey sitting on the couch together. Her gaze instantly went towards April's left ring finger. Seeing the familiar sight of the white gold band on her finger sent a surge of happiness through her as she sat down on a nearby chair.

April smiled warmly at her, "Did you have fun at the lair?"

"Yeah, I did," Ava responded with a nod. "I got quite a bit of training in as well. I think I might finally hit the target soon." She shook her head with a chuckle.

"You should give yourself more credit," Mikey said while walking into the living room, his brothers right behind him. "You're doing better than I did when I started."

The brunette tilted her head to the side curiously, "Really?"

"Yep," Mikey responded with a small nod.

Donatello rolled his eyes, "That's because you don't concentrate Mikey." He directed his gaze towards the brunette, "But don't worry Ava, you'll get the hang of it soon."

Leonardo nodded in agreement, "She has been progressing well the past couple days, her form has been getting better."

"Tha- er…" she paused for a moment. "A-ri-ga-tō," she nodded, "Arigatō. Is that right?"

"Perfect," Don responded with a smile. "You are catching on."

April raised an eyebrow, "You're learning Japanese?"

The brunette nodded, "Yeah… At least I'm trying to," she rubbed the back of her head and smiled. "But please, enough about me," she turned her gaze towards her father and April. "Did you two have fun last night?"

The redheaded woman and Casey shared a quick glance before turning to face Ava and the turtles again. Casey pulled his girl closer and the two of them smiled blissfully.

"Well about that," April started with a smile, "We actually have some news for all of you."

Ava shared a knowing glance with the turtles before they all turned to face the redhead.

"What kinda news?" Raphael asked from where he was slumped back in a recliner across from Ava.

April entwined her hands with one of Casey's and her smile grew. "We're getting married."

The brunette quickly made her way to sit beside the redhead, eagerly embracing her in a hug. "Congratulations!" She pulled away from April and smiled at her father. "Congratulations to the both of you."

Raphael clapped a hand on Casey's shoulder. "Congrats man."

"Thanks Raph," he responded.

Mikey chuckled, "I mean finally dude," he turned his gaze towards his red-clad brother. "I so called it bro! Better pay up!"

The red-clad turtle grumbled slightly and shook his head while the other occupants of the room gave both Mikey and Raph curious gazes.

"Okay, what was that?" Don questioned. "Were you two placing bets?"

"Yeah dude!" Mikey responded with another laugh. "And I won!"

Both Leonardo and Donatello rolled their eyes at their younger brother. Neither one of them wanted to delve deeper into the matter of their brothers placing bets on someone else's relationship.

Turning away from the turtles, April grasped one of Ava's hands in one of her own. "There is also something I wanted to ask you."

"Alright, what is it?" the brunette responded.

"Well, it would mean a lot to me if you would consider being one of my bridesmaids. I would love for you to take part in this with me."

Ava smiled and nodded. "I would be honored."

… Two Weeks Later; Lair…

"Donatello!" Ava called mere moments after walking into the lair, book bag slung over her shoulder. Making her way to the bottom floor of the lair, her blue eyes began to seek out any signs of the purple-clad turtle being close by. She knew the turtles were no longer in a training session and then her first instinct was to check his laboratory. She smiled upon seeing him inside and knocked upon the partially-opened door before entering.

From his place in the kitchen, Raphael shook his head and sighed. It had been three weeks since the thing with the mistletoe and he was still unable to determine what that even meant… if anything at all. He rested his head into his open hands and closed his eyes. Oh how he wished he knew what to do! A part of him was screaming to take that chance… that leap of faith and see where it took him. However, there was another part of him that knew he would screw it up even if he tried… He did not want to risk ruining the relationship he did have with the brunette.

He lifted his head, amber eyes gazing upon a green freckled face that rested upon the table.

"Are you ever gonna ask her out?" Mikey questioned with a raised eye-ridge.

"What the hell are ya talkin' about?"

Mikey lifted his head and rolled his eyes. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Shell, everyone knows what I'm talkin' about."

Raphael didn't respond.

Mikey glanced over at his brother again and noticed Raphael had directed his amber gaze away from him. "If you won't ask her then some other guy will," the orange-clad turtle shrugged, "I mean I've heard her talk about this guy named… Nick for awhile and it sure sounds like that guy has a thing for her also…" he trailed off, turning his blue gaze back towards Raph.

The red-clad turtle shrugged and glanced at his little brother. "So? She should do whateva' she wants."

"And you'd totally be fine if she dated some other dude? Really?"

Raph glared at his brother, "Like it matta's anyhow, she likes Don," he turned away, "not me."

Mikey chuckled, "You think she likes Don?" he questioned with a shake of his head. "I mean sure she likes him, but only as a friend dude. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Seriously?" Raphael asked, his amber eyes lighting up slightly.

"Totally dude, it's pretty obvious that she likes ya."

The red-clad turtle found his gaze wandering towards the door that lead to the room Ava entered earlier and his wide mouth curved up into a grin. She liked him! He never thought such knowledge would have such an effect upon him but it did. He was ecstatic!

Seeing his older brother drift off, Mikey shook his head and smiled. It was odd for him to see his brother in such a way but it was still nice… in an odd and creepy way… but nice nonetheless. He could already tell that any relationship his older brother had with the delicate brunette would prove very beneficial to the red-clad turtle.

Standing up, the orange-clad turtle clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder, pulling him out of his mild daze. Mikey smiled.

"Go get her bro."

… Three Days Later; Carrie's Room, Vermont…

"No!" Carrie cried while practically smashing the keys on her laptop. "Don't die now!" She smashed more keys, "Don't die!" A few seconds later, she lowered her head and groaned in frustration. "Dumb spiders! Why can't you let me pass? Why?!"

A voice chuckled, causing the brunette to roll her eyes despite knowing her friend would not see her. "Now, now Luna, no need to rage."

"Easy for you to say!" she cried, "You're the sunshine child!" She clicked the button that would allow her to resume her game and spawn her back at the entrance between Fallen Gate and the Commonlands. "Not everyone is as happy-go-lucky as you are all the time…"

He chuckled again, "It's a gift."

Carrie shook her head, "Says you. No wonder your brothers find you irritating."

"Hey!"

She chuckled softly at his outburst. "I only say that as a friend, didn't mean to offend you."

Upon being met with no response, she titled her head to the side. "Angelo?" she questioned, slightly worried. "You still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," he responded as his avatar also entered Fallen Gate and walked towards Carrie's.

"Did I upset you?" she asked with a small frown. "If I did I apologize."

"Nah, I'm cool. Though can I ask ya something?"

Carrie nodded as she was eager to cheer up her digital friend. "Sure, what is it?"

"Do you find me irritating?"

"No way man," she responded, "You're cooler than pretty much everyone at my school… you're kinda lucky that you're being homeschooled."

"Eh, it's not all it's cracked up to be…" was Angelo's response.

Biting her lower lip, Carrie eagerly sifted through her thoughts in an attempt to find a nice change in subject. She snapped her fingers and smiled as a possible shift occurred to her.

"Guess what?" she asked in a sing-song voice.

"Um…" While Carrie couldn't see him, a part of her assumed that Angelo was rubbing his chin in thought. "I got it! You got a flying unicorn for Christmas!"

Shaking her head, Carrie chuckled at the completely out-there guess her friend made. "I wish… I'm still trying to get my parents to get me riding lessons." She pouted, "But no, that's not it."

"Um… Does it have to do with Christmas at all?"

"Nope, something else."

"School?"

"You could say that…"

"You got the score on that test ya took?"

Carrie sighed again, "Nope still waiting for that to show up."

"Well I have no…. Wait! Didja get the lead in that play?"

The brunette's face broke out into a huge grin as she nodded, "I did! You're talking to the Juliet of my drama club's production of Romeo and Juliet!"

"Congrats chicka," Angelo replied. "I knew you'd get it."

Smiling, Carrie then turned her avatar in order to start making her way through the tunnels before her once again. "Thanks Angelo, now wanna help me with this quest?"

"I'm right behind ya."

… Two Days Later; Ava's Room…

Leaning back with a book in her hand, Ava smiled softly as she continued to read the words upon the page. While engrossed fully in the story, the brunette still found herself humming along with the music currently playing on her iPod. Within a few minutes, she soon found herself unaware of what exactly it was that she had just read as her attention had become increasingly more involved with the music playing than her novel.

Taking a moment to mark her page, Avariella placed the book upon the end stand beside her and leaned back against the headrest of her bed. Her gaze wandered towards her ceiling as she allowed her thoughts to wander.

As of this afternoon, all of the needed paperwork as well as the brief hearing in regards to her name change had been completed. She was now officially Avariella Susan Jones in the eyes of the government. She was planning to bring up this change with the school the next day in order for her records to be officially changed as well. While she had thought over this decision for quite some time, the idea that she was no longer a Weller still came as a slight shock to her every time that she thought about it. However, she knew that eventually that she would become more used to the change. She just hoped that she could learn to start to introduce herself as Ava Jones rather than Ava Weller.

With a small shake of her head, the brunette began to think of the wedding arrangements that were already underway. The one thing that the engaged couple had decided upon was that they wanted to get married sometime this summer as April has always dreamed of having a summer wedding. She had also heard them mentioning the idea of having it up at Casey's grandmother's farm house that was located in Massachusetts. Her father had told her that they were planning to check it out during Ava's next break from school in early April so the young brunette could come along.

Avariella also had plans to go wedding dress shopping with both April and one of the redhead's coworkers who was going to be the maid of honor in a couple of weeks. April had also told her that they would use that opportunity that the three of them were all together to discuss bridesmaid dresses.

A sudden knock upon her window made the brunette jump slightly as her blue gaze quickly glanced over at who was standing at her window. Seeing that it was Raphael, Ava smiled and quickly slid off her bed and made her way towards the window to let her visitor in, bringing in a cold gust of wind from outside with him.

She closed the window behind him and turned around, her lips curved upwards into a smile. "Well hello you."

"Hey yerself," Raph responded with a small incline of his chin. He promptly made himself comfortable upon Ava's bed. "So whatcha up to?"

Ava shrugged, sitting at the foot of her bed while motioning towards her book. "I was trying to read but I keep getting distracted."

"Wit' what?"

"Well I mean there's the wedding coming up and I'm helping April and Dad with some of the planning, that and I have to get used to my new name…" Ava shrugged slightly.

Raph tilted his head slightly to the side. "Tha' paperwork an' everythin' is done?"

The brunette nodded, "Sure is, I'm now officially Avariella Susan Jones." She chuckled, "Nice to meet you Hamato Raphael."

"Yeah," Raph responded with a small smile of his own.

"But how are you?" she questioned while starting to pull her hair back and away from her face.

"I'm good, had a free night so I figured that I'd stop by," Raphael responded, attempting to remain as calm as possible. He had gone through what he wanted to say for the past few days but now that he was actually here, had the chance to say what he wanted to say, it felt as if the words were trapped in an incoherent mess just beyond his lips. He gestured towards the brunette sitting before her, "You?"

Using an elastic to secure her hair, the brunette smiled. "Well that's cool and I'm good, finally got back into my routine for school though I already can't wait until my next break." She chuckled. "I also have plans to go wedding shopping with April in a couple weeks." She paused for a second, biting her lower lip in thought.

"Didn't ya say ya 'ave some project in yer photography class?" he questioned.

Ava smiled brightly and nodded, "Sure do. We are supposed to walk around the city and try to look at things in different ways… Like finding the hidden beauty in something you don't initially think can be beautiful. I'm actually really excited about it." She held up a finger, "Before I forget, have you ever been to the farmhouse in Northampton?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well April and Casey are talking about having the wedding up there and were planning on going up during my spring break to check it out… and I was wondering what it was like up there."

"It's actually real nice," Raph responded, "it's one of the few places my bros and me can walk around wit'out worryin' 'bout people seein' us."

Ava smiled, "That in itself does sound pleasant… Sounds like a great place to get some good photographs." She rested her head upon her knees, a small smile playing upon her lips. "Now I really cannot wait until spring break."

Raphael chuckled, "You and yer pictures."

Turning to face the turtle, Ava playfully stuck out her tongue. "Yes, I know that mister." She chuckled, "People have to have hobbies after all." Twisting slightly, the brunette placed her feet upon her floor and turned to face Raphael again. "So… what do you want to do?" she tilted her head to the side. "Since its Monday I only have a few hours before I should turn in so… any ideas?"

"I'm fine wit' anything ta be honest."

"Even a romance movie…" Ava said in a sing-song voice while slightly rocking from side to side. "There's one on tonight that I want to watch… but if you don't want to watch anything mushy I understand, I think there is a cop show on as well."

"The movie sounds fine, wouldn't wanna make ya miss somethin' just cause of me." Raphael replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Jus' don't tell Case er my bros."

Ava chuckled as she reached for the remote, "I swear I'll take it with me to the grave." Turning the television on, the brunette slid so she was leaning against the headboard of her bed next to Raphael, only leaving only a few inches of separation between the two of them.

"Thanks," the red-clad turtle responded with a small nod as his gaze wandered towards the television screen. In all honesty, he was hoping that this sudden opportunity he was being presented with would allow him a better chance to express to Ava what he had been mulling over for quite some time. He was also hoping that maybe, just maybe, this sort of film could provide him with some last-minute pointers on the situation he was about to place himself in.

After all, this was not like the battles he was accustomed to, where brute force normally helped him ensure his victory over the obstacle. No, this situation required the turtle to actually think about what it was he was going to do before he even begins doing it. The turtle did not want to risk messing this up.

And so, he hoped that this movie would both give him slightly more time to think and perhaps give him a nudge in the right direction…

… Two Hours Later…

As the credits began to roll up the screen, Ava lifted her head from where it had ended up on Raphael's shoulder. Her blue gaze quickly moved upwards slightly to catch his amber eyes for a moment. Straightening up, the brunette smiled at the turtle beside her.

"See? Romance movies aren't all that bad."

Raphael rolled his eyes slightly and smiled. "Sure, sure, just as long as Mike doesn't find out," he shook his head, "He'd have a fucking field day…"

Repositioning herself so that she was fully facing the red-clad turtle, Ava raised an eyebrow slightly. "Hey, I told you no one would ever find out," with her index finger she drew an 'X' right over where her heart would be, "cross my heart." She chuckled and tucked some stray strands of hair away from her face.

"Yeah, I know ya won't," Raphael responded. He reached upwards and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. In all honesty, the male character in the movie was absolutely no help to the turtle. Of course it didn't help at all that the character was written to be far better with his words than the turtle could ever hope to be.

It was looking as if he would have to wing it… and he was nervous as hell.

"Hey, Ava?"

The brunette tilted her head to the side. "Mhm? What is it?"

Taking a calming breath, the turtle opened his eyes to look at the girl before him and suddenly felt his breath catch in his throat. With the television now off, only the light from her computer screen and from the light that managed to make its way from the streetlamps outside played softly upon her hair and skin. She seemed to be aglow from within… almost radiant…

He lightly shook his head, attempting to recompose himself again. "I actually dropped by ta'night ta talk to ya 'bout somethin'…"

"Oh?" Ava asked. "What about?"

"Well… uh... we've known each other fer a while now right?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I would say that."

"An' well… it's been kinda nice… ya know, hanging out an' all that."

A corner of her mouth lifted slightly, "It has."

Raph began to rub the back of his neck again, still trying to find the right words. "What I'm tryin' ta say is… shit… um…" he took a deep breath, it was all or nothing now. "I like ya… like uh…"

Ava smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to raise his gaze to look at her again. "I like you too Raph."

"But I mean more than jus' like a friend though…" he shook his head, frustrated.

"That's what I meant as well," she replied, her smile still in place.

Raph's amber gaze lifted, "Really?"

She nodded, "Really, really."

The red-clad turtle sat there for a few moments as he began to process the information. As he finally realized he hadn't screwed this up, he smiled. "So uh… does this kinda make ya my girlfriend 'er somethin'?"

Smiling, Ava could feel her cheeks warming slightly. He finally asked! She was ecstatic! He did like her! He really did! Her blue eyes locked with his amber ones as her smile grew.

"I am pretty sure that it does."

Ohayō = Morning

Arigatō = Thank you

One More Thing: The middle name used for April here is actually her middle name in the 1987 cartoon AND the character Keno appeared only in the second movie, so he isn't mine (sadly).

And a little behind-the-scenes thing (if you want to call it that) all of Carrie's grievences in the game are exactly the same things that gave/are still giving me trouble in EQ2. :P (I do hate those spiders -_-)

Okay, I'm done (for now) and I hoped you enjoyed the chapter! :)