Chapter Five:

"April… You, uh… Said to call you. So this is me, answering your message. I had a late shift at work, so… Call me back. Bye." Casey sighed, kicking off his boots at the door to his one-room apartment. The television he'd left on blared with the staged laughter of some late night comedy show. He tossed his junk mail onto the counter and flung the refrigerator door open, illuminating the place in a blue-white tint. He grabbed a beer and using his teeth, popped the cap off, spitting it into the trash can, then plopped onto his futon, and flipped through the channels. Casey brought the bottle to his lips, noticing the smell of gasoline on his hands. He shrugged. It was something he'd almost taken pleasure in. He'd been there almost two years, fixing trucks for delivery companies. It wasn't much, but it paid the bills and it kept him out of trouble, which he knew his sister was happy about. She'd bitched him out the last time he ended up in a dumpster. It was her Senior Year and she wasn't gonna let things get fucked up "just 'cause he's nothing but a trouble-making thug". That one had stung. He didn't used to need her to dig him out of the trash, but the turtles had stopped patrolling, and he hardly got through to them anyway. Up until recently, he'd talked to Raphael at least once a week, but… things change.

"Pssh, last time I'm calling her," he said quietly to himself in the dark, sighing, thinking of the cliche 'good ol' days'. He longed to feel that thrill again.

Deep down, he knew how right she was. Being a vigilante was fun and it gave him a sense of worth. Of importance. But it did nothing but bruise him up and cause problems for the people closest to him. And that was what was important right? It's what made you an adult. Putting others first. You could always start up again. He shoved the thought back into it's cage.

When he finally set his alarm and pulled the futon down into his bed, a glint of pink caught his eye. He reached over and pulled a pair of panties out from underneath a pillow. He smiled a little and tossed them into his hamper. At least he knew he hadn't dreamt it up. He felt a tingle in his gut as the memories flooded back… His hand in her hair, the way her back arched- it was cut short by his phone buzzing.

"I'm trying to sleep. This better be good."

"Casey! Thank God."

"Leo?"

"Did you hear?"

"'Bout what?"

"There was an explosion. The Foot- they went after the O'Neils."

"They what?!"

"Kirby's alright. Mikey patched him up, he was trapped under a car. Donnie's out looking for April. We haven't heard from him. I thought… maybe…"

"Fuck." He smacked his palm against his forehead. "She called me earlier. I was at work-"

"Casey you should come below. It's not safe up there right now." Of course. Fearless Leader Leo here to save the day. More like boss everyone around.

"Leo, it's not that simple. I can't just up and leave anymore. I have a job, bills to pay-"

"I get it. I do. But-"

"Oh, come on Leo, I need this job alright? It's the only way I can afford a place of my own. Besides, I can take care of myself."

Leo sighed angrily on the other end.

"Listen, I don't want to be at fault here for not at least warning you. And I don't care about your beef with Raph-" Casey humphed audibly.

"Whatever," he whispered.

"The offer still stands. If you need it, we'll be in the lair. You're always welcome here."

Casey rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. Thanks, man."

"If you come down, call before. Extra security and all that."

"Got it."

"Take care of yourself, Jones."

"You too."

Click.

Almost immediately, his cell rang again.

"Leo, I get it okay? I'm always welcome-"

"Casey. I need your help."

Not the voice he was expecting.

"Don? What's-"

"Sh-she fell. I need your help."

"Who, Don? What's going on?"

"The explosion. She was scoping it out, waiting for us, and the building it- she fell."

Shit.

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Hurry."

The bike screeched to a halt as Casey parked it, immediately jerking the kickstand in place with his heel and running. He didn't really know where. He tried to ignore the blazing inferno engulfing the building, and the bodies and the sirens. He needed to find them.

He rounded a corner, skidding to a halt at the sight of Donatello on his knees, covered in blood. Casey's heart lept up into his throat when their eyes met. The turtle's hands fell limp beside him, and as he inched closer, Casey saw hers lying in his palm.

"Don?"

"Did you bring what I asked?"

"Don. What h-" all the air hissed out of him at once, as he stepped aside and his eyes fell over the bloody metal pole. Raggedly and slowly, her chest rose and fell. "God."

"Casey. The saw."

He blinked.

Oh, right.

He reached for the backpack slung over his shoulder and crouched next to Donnie with it. He snatched it away, digging around distractedly.

"Don…"

"You need to hold it. Just below where I cut."

"What?"

"If it jostles around too much, it can hurt her more. We don't have time. Casey, here." His large green hand pointed to a place on the metal. He gulped and wrapped his hands around it. With all his strength, he held the thing in place, even as the saw pierced through it. After a particularly rough twitch of the metal, April's eyes shot open and she stared at him with piercing blue orbs. He pressed his forearm against her collarbone to keep her from moving too much.

"D-d-hng!" Her body bucked underneath his hold, and he gritted his teeth, blinking away tears.

"It's gonna be alright. Shh."

She dug her nails into the flesh of his arm, gritting her teeth. Tears stained her cheeks. She glanced over at Donatello, whose eyes remained focused on the task at hand. She looked back at him.

"You're gonna be alright."

"Leo. Raph is awake."

He turned from his spot on the floor of the dojo to see her, flicking her hair out of her eyes. In her hands, was a red-stained towel. She put a hand on her hip, and he noticed her jeans were stained as well. He tried not to let his eyes drift elsewhere.

"How is he?" he asked, getting up and starting toward her. She threw the fabric over her shoulder.

"Disoriented. A little humiliated. An ass, like always."

"What'd he do now?"

"Nothing I can't handle…" He knew it was a little sexist of him to want to protect her. (April had told him so more than a few times). To wish that she'd let him be in charge and let him defend her. But he wanted to, nonetheless. He made a mental note to talk to Raph about his behavior. "Heard anything from Donnie?"

"Not yet. I've been checking my T-Phone for almost 2 hours…" He rolled the device around in his hands, sighing.

"Do you want me to-"

"No."

"Leo-"

"It's too dangerous and you know it. He'll be looking for you!"

She took a step closer, anger flaring up in her stomach.

"I can take care of myself, Leo! Just like I always have!"

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" he shouted. Her eyes grew wide. In the silence following, a distant subway train could be heard rolling through the tunnels. He turned from her, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. You must not allow her to leave, my son, the voice said. I know, Sensei.

"Then what is?"

"I… Just..."

He walked carefully over, standing inches from her. His heart hammered in his chest as she stared up at him, clearly thrown off by the encounter. Her amber eyes flicked to his, and he held her gaze. The air in the room shifted, as she took a hasty step forward. His plastron brushed against her chest and she shivered. Her chin tilted slightly to the side and she licked her lips, looking up to his. His breath caught in his throat as he gulped. She watched his throat bob with a hungry look. She started to lean in and her eyes began to close. Her nose brushed against him, and he dodged her, taking his katana out and reaching over her to place them on the rack. Her face burned bright red, and she froze in place, fists clenched beside her. He grabbed the picture frames and placed them softly in her hands. She huffed and turned away, as he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Please… Stay below?"

She glared up at him through her eyelashes, smacking his hand away.

He walked out the door.

Keep an eye on her, Leonardo.

Her hands shook with anger and she cursed at him every way in Japanese.

He wasn't the boss of her. She'd proven time and again that she could take care of herself. He couldn't just pop into her life again and act like he was in charge of it.

"I'm not your goddamn puppet," she spat, at no one. Wind wooshed through the grate above.

She put the photos of her mother and father back in their places, already beginning her escape route, when she heard commotion outside. As soon as she opened the door, she was greeted by a wide-eyed Donatello. She gave him a once over briefly, seeing the dirt, and the… blood?

"MOVE!" he shrieked.

She stepped out of the way, catching Leo's pale gaze. When she looked back over, they were carrying April's limp body through the room on- is that the top of a garbage bin?! What the hell happened?! Casey stepped out of the way, and she noticed him limping. Karai walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. He hit it away, eyes locked on April. She followed his gaze, and that's when she saw. A large gaping hole inflicted her right side. Blood gushed from the wound, staining the clothing around it. Her head was injured as well, soaking her hairline. Her left ankle swelled up uneasily large, purple and black.

"Donnie, what do we do?"

"Back off," he spat. "I need to do this. It's tedious, and I have the steadiest hands."

"What do you need?"

"Blood. O-neg. It's in the fridge. Scalpels, oxygen, sutures, uh, my defibrillator, just in case. The heart monitor. And a clean surface. A sheet, anything."

She guided Casey to the wall, where she helped him down. She tried to ignore the pain in Donnie's voice- the way he went into overdrive, barely interacting with them as he inspected her. Casey's breath hitched in his chest as he was lowered onto the floor.

"Fuck," he muttered, finally settling against the wall. He looked up at her, with surprisingly soft eyes. "Thanks."

"What happ-"

"NO! NO! APRIL, DON'T DO THIS!"

Karai's head snapped to Donnie, who was pumping the redhead's chest, tears leaving trails in the dirt and blood on his face.

"SOMEONE GET THE DEFIBRILLATOR IN HERE NOW!"

"Got it! Donnie, I got it!" Mikey's voice rang from the other side of the room. With all the supplies in hand, he knelt beside his brother, and they began work immediately. She heard the machine power up and he rubbed the metal together, as Donnie peeled her shirt away, checking for wire or metal clips. When they were in the clear, he grabbed the contraption from Mikey and pressed one side to her chest. The other, under her arm. She flinched as she watched April's limp body surge upward, and heard as Casey sniffled next to her. Guilt slithered it's way through Karai's guts, and she dipped out of the room silently. She slid her tanto out of her boot, seething, and started toward the turnstiles.

"Going somewhere?"

She spun around to see Leo standing, arms crossed, against the pinball machine. A browridge quirked up, and he gave her that look. The one that he used on her when they first met. The smug, condescending, look of pity. It exasperated her to no end.

"I'm leaving."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

He followed her outside the lair, careful to watch the shadows.

"Karai, you are staying here. It's not safe."

"God, Leonardo, do you hear yourself?! Do you really want Saki just running free, wreaking havoc on the city?! On our-" she caught herself off guard, clenching her jaw. "Your family?! I'm not your pet. You can't tell me when to sit and stay and roll over. I call the shots. Me!" Leonardo stood stock still, the same look painting his features, and she dug her nails into her palms.

"Unfortunately, my daughter, Leonardo was right. It is not safe for you."

Her spine turned to ice as she spun around.

Out of the shadows of the tunnel, scraping his blades against the brick wall, was The Shredder himself.

Donatello could recall one time that he'd gotten angry at April. Just once.

It'd been a particularly gloomy time in their lives. Her Dad had just been admitted to the hospital again and she was staying with them while they figured everything out. Her Aunt moved to Jersey after the invasion. She was too spooked to keep her apartment in Manhattan. On top of that, Casey had been failing half of his classes and didn't tell her, until she was assigned as his tutor again. That didn't go over well. Adding on, exams were fast approaching and the Purple Dragons had recently joined forces with the Foot. Needless to say, everyone was on edge...

The loud boom of Splinter's staff hitting the floor caused the teenagers to stop, helping each other up and stand in a sweating, panting line.

"Leonardo, Michelangelo. Against Raphael. Donatello, against April."

He quirked a browridge up at her, smiling, and she rolled her eyes. His stomach sank as they took their positions across from each other. Awkwardly, he cleared his throat and pretended to cough into his hand. He knew she was still upset about her Dad, but… was going against him so bad? Did she… dislike him that much? What did he do wrong?

"Hajime!"

The first to move was April, drawing her tessen and expertly throwing it so it arced toward his arm. He blocked the sharp edge of it with his bo, and it clattered to the floor. She ducked out of his reach to grab it again, chucking it at him once again. The turtle moved out of the way, flipping at just the right angle. He landed with his shell against her back. She jutted her elbow backward, toward his side, and hissed when he smacked her hand with his staff. He maneuvered his bo to launch himself over her head, landing in front of her, catching her off guard. She growled when she laid eyes on him, running at him again. This time, she sheathed her weapon, relying solely on her hands and her powers. He'd fought with her enough to know when she was about to use her abilities, and evaded the barely noticeable waves. Noticing her weak (and frankly very poorly executed) stance, he decided to go for her legs, crouching low and swiping his own around her ankles. With a yelp, she fell to the ground, and though he knew to move, he saw the defeated scowl settle onto her face. She came back, landing a blow against his jaw. She sneered at him, and he let her shove him, too. Just for extra kicks. Maybe she'll feel a bit better after this, he thought.

"Stop!"the rat's voice could be heard over the sound of everyone's battles. They stopped again, lining up. Splinter stroked his beard and paced along them. "Donatello, why did you not counter? You had ample time to move before she struck you, yet you didn't."

"I, uh… I got distracted. I'm sorry, Sensei."

"Oh, come on! You were going easy on her!" Raph said from the other end of the line.

"Raphael, this is not the time-"

"With all due respect, Sensei, he's sugar coating it for her! I don't think it's fair!"

"Is that true, Donnie?" she asked, through clenched teeth. He felt her stony gaze on him and he glanced away, rubbing his neck with his hand.

"I… Just… I didn't want to hurt you-"

"That's not an excuse! This whole time, I've been thinking that I was getting better! Has-has everyone been doing this?! Does everyone go easy on me?!"

They all looked at the ground.

"SERIOUSLY?!" she shouted.

"Enough! We will go again. Same groups. Now."

April huffed as she walked to her spot, and Donatello guiltily kept his eyes anywhere but on her. He pulled the bo out of it's sheath and dropped into his stance.

"Don't go easy on me this time, Donnie. I mean it."

Splinter shouted at them to begin again, and she went for him. He dodged every blow, with either his arms or his staff, and he watched as she got increasingly agitated. Guiltily, he allowed her the chance to get a hit in, and she pinned him on the ground with her forearm. He smiled slightly.

"Oops," he said. He shoved her off of him then, and he jumped up, readying his bo.

"Stop going easy on me!" April growled. His eyes widened as her temper got the best of her and she came at him with a force she hadn't used very often in training. She grabbed his shoulders and attempted to pull him down, into her knee. When that didn't work, she diverted to purely boxing with him, fists jabbing relentlessly. Expertly, Donatello grabbed her free arm, pinning it behind her back, and wrapped his bo around her neck.

"FINE!" he yelled, releasing her from the hold and watching her smirk. "Your stance is weak. Keep your feet closer."

"What? Why?"

Because then this happens." In seconds, he swept his staff along her calves, knocking her to the ground again. He felt bad, and wanted to help her, but he knew it'd be counter-productive. She would only get angrier. She jumped back up, swinging her arms. He blocked and countered every swing, finally jabbing his elbow into her ribs. She cried out and he stopped, hands up in surrender.

"April, I'm so sorry-"

"STOP!" she said, gripping her side. "I'm fine. Just fight!" She swung her leg up, nearly colliding it with his face, and he grabbed her ankle. With a twist, she was on the ground for the second time.

"You can't just kick. You have to have good balance. A strong center of gravity. I shouldn't be able to knock you down so easily." Her jaw clenched, but she nodded slightly. She got up, and stood before him again, her arms up in defense. Before she could get a grip on her tessen, he smacked her wrist with his bo, knocking the weapon off her belt. She bared her teeth at him as she threw her fists at his face, sweat pouring down her forehead and neck. As her hits got sloppy, Donatello was able to grip an arm again, pressing it into the small of her back and spinning her around, kicking the back of her knees and causing her to fall, face-first against the dirty carpet. As she squirmed, Splinter's staff thudded against the ground again.

He let go, and she cursed under her breath. Donnie offered her a hand, which she refused, as she stormed off, rubbing her wrist and her side. He made a mental note to check her for anything serious later, taking a deep breath and getting in line with his brothers.

"Enough for today. Showers, all of you. Then, you may have lunch."

"Hai, Sensei," they said in unison. He turned to her, hand out in apology, but she smacked it away. He brought it close to his chest, before turning away, watching the floor as he walked.

Later, after a few hours in his lab, he came to the kitchen to make another pot of coffee, to see her defeatedly playing around with her noodles. She dropped her chopsticks next to the bowl, and put her face in her hands. As the machine sputtered to life, he turned, resting his shell against the sink and crossing his arms.

"Is something the matter?" he asked. She looked up.

"No," she sighed. He quirked a browridge at her, and she looked around, making sure no one was within earshot. "Yes… I just… I thought I was getting better. I thought I was making real progress. And then-then I just couldn't get anything right today. Not a damn thing, and… I… How will I ever be a full-fledged kunoichi, at this rate?"

"April, you have been improving. So much. It's amazing, the progress you've made-"

"IT'S NOT ENOUGH!" she shouted, hitting the bowl with her fist, and spilling broth all over the counter. The coffee pot hissed to signal it's completion of the making of his beverage and his jaw clenched. He hoped no one else heard her. He couldn't help the exasperated breath that huffed out of him as he tossed a towel at her. "I-I'm sorry…"

He shook his head.

"You know, it took us sixteen and a half years to get where we are today. We didn't just decide to pick it up one afternoon! We've been taught under a highly trained martial artist our entire lives. You can't just expect to be an expert in two years! Honestly, April, it's insulting! Not everything will come so easy for you! Especially this."

She blinked.

He grabbed the pot by the handle, still hot, and stalked to his lab, slamming the door. He didn't want to feel guilty. He shouldn't. He didn't for a moment. He plopped into his chair and began typing vigorously at the computer. He berated himself for yelling at her. Even more so, for it feeling… nice. He didn't see her the rest of the night.

Donatello felt that anger toward her as Mikey charged to two hundred and nothing happened. His vision darkened on the edges as more blood gushed from her wound and her body bucked with the shock. He ignored the throbbing in his head; the taste of bile rising up his throat.

"You promised me, damnitt! April, you promised!"

He pumped her chest again, the bandages on his hands sticking to the drying gore, a reminder that it was real. That despite him feeling as if he were stuck in some hellish nightmare world, reality never lies. She was dying before him. She was giving up.

He leaned forward, pulling her close to him, mindful of her wounds. Mikey looked at him worriedly.

"You can't do this to me," he said in her ear, swiping her bangs back. "Don't do this."

"Donnie." He felt a clammy hand on his shoulder. "She's g-"

Just then, her eyes popped open, and she wheezed as she took a gulp of air in.

"Oh, thank God."

"D-Don-nie… It hurts," she sputtered.

"I know," he whispered, tears spilling over, onto his mask.

"Don, we gotta patch her up. She's lost too much blood."

"Wha-" she was cut off by a coughing fit, her hand covering her mouth. When she pulled it away, she saw her pale skin stained with crimson. "Oh no. Oh no." Donatello laid her down softly as she wept.

"Shh, April, it's alright. You have to calm down."

Donnie gestured toward a syringe with his chin, as he grabbed the sutures and supplies to clean and dress the wound. Mikey nodded and attached the needle to it. He'd done it before- once when Raph had suffered a bite from Fishface and wouldn't stop freaking out. He'd screamed and thrashed, yelling about "bugs" and Mona Lisa. Donnie'd told him to inject it into his forearm. He fell asleep almost immediately. April's chest rose and fell rapidly, and her body shook with shock and blood loss.

"Stop moving, love. You're okay."

"It hurts. It hurts."

When Mikey finally got her arm still, he pierced her skin with the needle, glad that she didn't really notice. A pang of hurt went through him as he realized that she was delusional from the pain. Tears pricked at his eyes, but he blinked them back. He hated seeing people like this. Of course, he knew it came with the job. Being a ninja was not an easy profession. Splinter had indicated that to them from the very beginning. Still, it made him more angry than anything else, when his family was hurting. None of them deserved it. No one did.

"I know. I know. Shh. It's okay. You're alright, I promise. I love you." Donnie pet her hair and pressed his forehead to hers, whispering as she whimpered. Finally, her head lolled to the side and he laid her down again. Mikey leaned forward to hand his brother the tools to get to work, but saw his shoulders shaking.

"Donnie."

There was no response. He held her hand to his face and cried.

"Donnie."

No answer.

"DONATELLO!"

He blinked. Mikey gave him a stern, but encouraging look and the turtle in purple took a deep breath.

"We need to clean it first," he said. "Then I'll need sutures. If she starts to wake up, I'm counting on you to calm her down. And give her the correct dosage of the meds. Too much of them would be detrimental. So, I have to do this quickly. My hands will be busy so you have to make sure she doesn't move, okay?"

"Got it."

"Let's turn her over and work on the back first. I have to make sure none of her organs were damaged. She can't lay open down here very long. It's likely that she's already caught an infection from the hike through the tunnels, so we need to prevent anything else from happening."

Mikey nodded. A million things raced through his mind. How did you get all the way down here on foot without getting caught? How did she not bleed out? What happened to Casey's leg? Are you okay?

He said none of them.

Now was the time for action, not questions.

When Donnie gave him instructions, he did as he was asked. When Donnie pointed, he handed him a tool. When his hands shook, he steadied them.

As they finished cutting the last stitch, a large crack and a boom sounded behind them, emitting a blinding light, and they were suddenly launched across the room.

The last thing Donatello saw was her face, before his skull cracked against the wall.

Hey guys! I'm so sorry this took so long... I've really been struggling with this Chapter and exams and juries and such... But here it is! Thank you so much for reading! It means the world to me. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to ask me!