It's a Raph POV chapter! Whuuut!

We are getting very very close to future turtles! We promise, just one more short chapter after this one and then... DUN DUN DUUUUN.

As always, huge thanks to our wonderful beta Queequegg, and also Theherocomplex, even though she couldn't beta this time around. Hugs to both!

ALSO PLEASE NOTE: Some of you showed concern about Apritello, given recent events within the story XD But rest assured, this is still an Apritello fanfic. And while we can't reveal more, at least we can say we're aiming for a generally happy ending. So there.

Previously...

April's list of Things To Tell Donnie When The Time Is Right has gotten kinda long. But she hasn't forgotten: she just needs to sort out her wants and feelings before attempting to voice them. And she's definitely not opening that can of worms just a few hours away from the arrival of the future turtles.

Raph, however, sees something very different...

Raph heaved one last time and shoved the weights back in their catchers with a roar.

"One hundred." He panted and blinked at the droplets of sweat stinging his eyes, then sat up, groaning, and reached for the towel. Nose buried in cloth, he heard Donnie's and April's voices coming out of the lab, and he lifted his gaze.

The pair stopped at the threshold. April fixed her hoodie below her backpack and turned to face Donnie while they spoke. Raph had managed to mostly forget about them and their little… display, with the massage, until now. Unable to make out what they were saying, he watched them covertly, until April stood on tip-toe, and gave Donnie a kiss on the cheek. Raph set his teeth, letting out a low growl.

That morning Casey had told him he wouldn't be able to hang out today because he was planning a date with April. Raph would bet his drum kit that, after that nice massage from Donnie, she was secretly on her way to suck Casey's face off.

What is she playing at? he thought as April pranced for the turnstiles. The look on Donnie's face as he lingered, watching her go with googly eyes, upset Raph's stomach.

He wished it were true, right? That someone like April could be with someone like them. But it wasn't, and it pissed him off to see Donnie fool himself, still pining over April, still hoping, still trying. It pained him to witness this losing game, knowing it would only bring his brother grief.

For the longest time he'd stayed out of it—well, mostly out of it. He'd tried to tell him several times, how it was never going to happen, and he needed to stop doing this to himself, and to April—even when his comments were all dismissed for being 'pessimistic'. But other than that, he'd allowed this charade to continue, being forced to watch from the benches the way Donnie kept setting himself up for blow after blow after blow, each time coming back bruised but still somehow optimistic.

Well, he'd had enough. Now he could say for sure that April was never going to like him back. Because she and Casey liked each other. Now there was proof. Before Donnie had turned around and gone back in the lab, Raph had made up his mind. He was going to put the case to rest once and for all, before Donnie got his hopes up an even higher precipice.

He stood, slapping the towel down, cracked his neck, and headed out after April.

The tunnel was dark save for some patches of dying sunlight from the sewer grates that lead to the surface—because lights along the rails would kind of defeat the purpose of a secret lair. But Raph didn't need light: he and his brothers could sprint down these train tracks with their eyes closed. He'd had a few laughs at April's cost back when she was new there, and she kept tripping in the dark if she wasn't carrying a flashlight.

There was no sign of a flashlight down the tunnel now—April didn't need it anymore.

Raph followed the sound of her footsteps until he lost them in one of the darkest sections, then he stopped. It was pitch black ahead, and quiet, even though he knew she couldn't have gone up yet. She must have heard him coming—or felt him, or whatever it was she did.

"It's Raph," he said into the shadows.

"Oh," came her light voice from one side, then footsteps. "Right. Sorry. That's what happens when I listen with only my ears." She came into the light pointing at her head and wearing a sheepish smile.

April's friendship hadn't come as easily to Raph as say, Casey's—though easier than Karai's, he supposed. They were friends, he just didn't really… get her that much. Raph couldn't remember the last time they'd had an actual one-on-one conversation.

And then there was that freaky mind thing of hers. He sure was thankful for it, and all the times it had pulled their asses out of the fire. But it had always been a little weird not knowing when she was rummaging through his mind and when she wasn't. At least Karai spoke a language he could understand, with fists and kicks and a fierce tongue—brutal but frank.

"So what's up? Is something wrong?" April asked with a frown. Raph sometimes forgot she wasn't technically a mind reader. Was mind feeler a thing?

"You could say that. I got a bone to pick with you."

After a hesitant pause, she chuckled. "I promise, it'll just be a normal sleepover this time. No ghosts. Maybe one pillow fight at most."

He rolled his eyes. "It's about Donnie."

Her frown deepened. "Okay?"

Was this where she searched him and sensed how pissed off he was? He figured he'd let her do her thing for a few seconds to see if she would guess something.

"What the hell is this about, Raph?" she said suspiciously, her voice already ringing with some hostility. There ya go.

"See, April, you might think because we're friends I'll go soft on you. But if Casey hurt Donnie in some way you can bet your ass I'd be pounding the sunshine out of him," he growled, smacking his fist into his other palm.

She looked confused for a moment, then crossed her arms and lifted one unimpressed eyebrow at him. "If you think your bravado is going to intimidate me, then you got another thing coming."

"Oooh, I'm counting on it, sister, I'm counting on it." He didn't really know what he meant by that himself, but… Well, she was doing the thing again, acting unimpressed like she didn't believe he would hurt her. Not that he planned to really—it seemed a bit much for this particular offense. But just that lack of fear was enough to throw him off every time. April's eyebrow only went further up, disappearing beneath her bangs.

"In fact, I should ask you what the hell this is all about!" Raph yelled and pointed a finger at her, clambering back into the boxing ring, chest out. "What was all that flirting back there? I can't believe this is still going on!"

"Flirting?" April's arms uncoiled, her nose crinkled. "We weren't flirting!"

"Then what do you call… that?" He shoved a hand back towards the lair. "All that lovey-dovey shit you do with Donnie!"

She raised her arms in a wide shrug. "That's called being friendly? You should try it sometime."

"Yeah, right! The… massage, the giggling, the kiss!""

"Donnie and I are best friends, that's what best friends do?"

"Okay, look, I know you've been going out with Casey, alright?"

April blanched, face falling slack as if she'd been suddenly switched off. With that, Raph was effectively back with a stunning blow.

"So yeah, what the hell?"

"First of all, Raph, how do you know that?" she demanded.

He granted her the favor of going to the point before she tried to deny it. "Casey told me, obviously."

April closed her eyes, sighing. "Well, second of all, mind your own business." Her attacks had lost steam. He came at her again before she could recuperate.

"Sorry, but that's my brother we're talking about, and Casey's my friend, so I'd say that makes it my business!" Raph took one stiff step forward, their faces mere inches from each other. April, the Queen of Stubborn, did not back down.

"Oh, suddenly you care about people's feelings?"

"Funny you saying that, 'cause you'd think, being psychic, you'd worry more about people's feelings so I don't have to!"

"I do worry!" she cried. "That's why I haven't told him yet! You have no idea what's going on! You don't know the position I'm in! I'm… I'm trying, alright?"

The despair in April's tone got Raph for only a moment. His own anger was boisterous, and effectively drowned out any feeling of remorse or pity.

"You're in the perfect position to start telling the truth! Do you like Donnie that way or not?"

"No, I…" April deflated. "I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?" Raph demanded, frustrated with the ambiguous answer.

But taking in April's anguished look, her eyes downcast and avoiding his, he realized she would never put it in words, why she could never like Donnie. The truth was simply too ugly to say out loud in front of any of them. And he didn't have the heart to force it out of her—but then he didn't need to.

In the end, he got what he came for. This was the hard truth, straight from April's mouth. Finally.

Fulfilled, Raph took a deep breath. "Look, April, I don't think you mean to hurt anyone—"

"I don't!" she said urgently. "Donnie's—all you guys are very important to me."

"Then if you know what's good for Donnie, you'll tell him the truth right now. Let him down easy."

April fumbled, brow wrinkled in thought. Then he saw her shake her head ever so slightly. "And if you know what's good for Donnie, Raph, you'll let me handle it. Please."

Raph clucked his tongue and let out a dissatisfied breath. But April's eyes were begging as she waited quietly for his answer. And however angry he was at her, she was still his friend. Finally, he yielded, and proposed a deal: "I won't tell him if you tell him."

"I will tell him," April said squarely.

"You better."

"I will!" Her eyes glimmered with the little light that reached them as she aggressively held his gaze. "Can I please go?"

Raph pressed his lips, and showed her his palms. "Fine."

She swivelled around and walked away at a quick pace into the darkness of the tunnel. Before her silhouette reached the manhole ladder, Raph started back towards the lair, grumbling to himself.

If there was such a concept as human privilege, man, this would be it. Oh, poor me. Not one, but two people, pining hopelessly after me. I'm so miserable. Life on the surface sucks.

Yeah, she may not be technically human, as they all knew, but she might as well have been. She looked human and that was enough. She was the perfect candidate for the American dream, nobody was forcing her to hang out with a bunch of sewer monsters. But if for some weird reason she wanted to be a part of this family, then she had to be held up to the same standards!

"Ugh," Raph muttered down at the train tracks, not even sure what he was going on about anymore, a small part of him knowing he was just taking out his frustrations on April. But dammit, he wasn't feeling too fond of her at the moment.

And it has nothing to do with her being Casey's new girlfriend, said a sarcastic little voice in his head. He shut it up with a snappy, What the fuck would you know!

He was still grumbling as he reached the garage door, when it suddenly rose with a deafening rattle. Raph jumped, and glared at the opening. Donnie's head poked out of it, and his big grin faded the moment he set eyes on Raph.

"Expecting someone else?" Raph asked bitterly.

"Yeah, April was stopping by her place and… Well, you set off the perimeter, and I figured she'd forgotten something…" Donnie halted and looked at him. "What are you doing out there? It's still light out."

He shrugged noncommittally. "Was just going for a jog in the tunnels."

"Okay," Donnie said slowly, but thankfully didn't question him. "Well, now that you're here, you mind giving me a hand?"

Being in a dangerous mood that he couldn't justify, he almost told him to get Mikey to help him. Would that raise more suspicion? Even though April kinda deserved Donnie finding out. Eh, it probably wouldn't take long. "Alright."

The lab was almost recovered from April's psychic blast the previous night, at least as far as Raph could tell with all those weird gizmos that he never knew the use for. There was still some equipment out of place, waiting to be repaired and re-installed. He helped Donnie haul one of the big UV lamps from the algae pools that had fallen down. As he held it in place, balancing atop the heavy-duty stepladder while Donnie screwed it back on the ceiling, he caught his brother smiling to himself. And even though a part of Raph knew better, he just…

"You seem in a good mood…"

Donnie hesitated and chuckled sheepishly. UV lamp secured in place, they both climbed back down. "Yeah, I… I dunno, I think…" He cut himself short, fiddling with his wrench, and for a moment seemed like he was going to shrug it off. Good, Raph didn't really wanna hear it anyway.

But he didn't have time to neither ask nor tell him to forget it before Donnie leaned in and said, "I think April might be coming around…"

Raph pressed his lips, incredulous, holding in a torrent. He just doesn't learn. "Around what?"

"You know..." Donnie spurred excitedly in a squeaky whisper, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Oh," Raph managed to say, though his spine tingled. "Y-you think? Why? Why do you think that?"

"It's just something about the way she… Well."

Raph bit back a disgusted growl at Donnie's bashful little shrug. "I dunno, Don, I just don't see it," he retorted drily, grasping for a way to convince him without actually betraying April and Casey.

"I'm tellin' ya." Donnie pointed his tool at him, nodding optimistically—cocky even. "There's something different. I think I might… I don't know… Ask her out sometime?" His shoulders trembled giddily, as if just the thought made him the happiest being alive, and Raph panicked.

"Oh no, you don't want to do that, trust me."

"Don't worry, Raph. I wouldn't try if I didn't think I had an actual chance. I'm not fifteen anymore," he said around an ironic snigger, walking over to the workbench. Raph chased after him.

"Just listen to me, alright? That is not what's going on. And she is definitely not into you that way."

But Donnie scoffed. "What would you know?"

"Come on, Donnie, wake up already! I've been telling you for ages, nothing is ever going to happen between you two! It's not right that she keeps giving you false hope."

Donnie sighed, and bent over a tools drawer. "Whatever, Raph. I don't know why I told you this. You were never the least bit supportive."

"I'm being very supportive! I'm trying to keep you from making a fool of yourself!"

By the look on Donnie's face, Raph had touched a nerve.

"You're the one making a fool of yourself! You're so cynical you reject the very notion of any of us ever finding someone—"

"She's not into you, Donnie!" Raph drawled heatedly.

"Well, what the hell makes you so sure?" Donnie said, challenging, wrench still in his fist, and Raph couldn't take it anymore.

"Because Casey told me, man!"

Surprisingly, Donnie's face scrunched into a sardonic smirk. "You're seriously taking Casey's word on that?"

"It's not just his word, Donnie. I just talked to April." Raph nodded in the direction of the tunnel, and to hell with his promise. "They're dating."

That seemed to do it. Donnie froze, face blank. His brow twitched, snout wrinkling in confusion, and Raph felt his own chest tighten. "What? That doesn't make…" Donnie's words died as he looked to the side, eyes narrowed in thought.

"They asked me not to tell you yet, but you kept daydreaming out loud to me, dude."

Donnie's mouth hung open just enough that Raph could see the gap in his teeth, and he squinted at Raph. "If you're making this up just to make your case..."

Raph said his next words as flat and seriously as possible. "Not making it up, Donnie. Don't believe me? Ask her." This seemed to catch Donnie off guard, looking as though asking April this was the last thing he wanted to do ever. "Or better yet," Raph continued, "look in her phone. I bet there's something there between her and Casey. I think they got that stupid pink bug plushie at the fair."

Donnie came out of his trance to cry out in outrage, "I'm not looking through her stuff!"

"Well, then you gotta talk to her. You gotta corner her, ask her to be honest with you and then tell her to cut it off, making you believe there's something there. It's not okay!"

Donnie shook his head vehemently. "I'm not bringing this up. There's gotta be another— There's a reason she didn't tell me."

"The reason is they think you'll blow a fuse, Donnie. Knowing you, I can't blame 'em."

Donnie's expression tightened, but Raph knew his brother would do anything now not to prove him right. Sure enough, he turned his shell on him slowly, and took just a couple of steps. Head hanging, he stood by his desk with the wrench in his fist, anxiously scratching the edge of the table with his nail—probably making a mental flow-chart for a way in which none of it was true.

Meanwhile, Raph's anger had all but burned-out, and all that remained was the taste of cold ashes in his mouth. "Hey, look bro, I'm just looking out for ya," he said softly, but didn't approach his brother. "You think I'm looking forward to those two being an item?"

The muscles on Donnie's neck tensed at his words, but otherwise he didn't move.

"But you know… it was a long time coming. We gotta be realistic here." Raph's own statement sent an unexpected pang through his chest. He ignored it. "Anyway… for what it's worth, I'm really sorry."

"Yeah, you know? I can finish all this up on my own," Donnie said cuttingly, patting a cracked monitor sitting on his desk that may have been their next task. He'd hardly looked in Raph's direction before turning away again. "Thanks for the help."

Raph knew enough mechanics, or whatever, that he could tell his brother was only picking up things off places and setting them on other places to appear busy—rummaging through a drawer as though he was actually looking for something.

This was not Raph's forte. Cheering people up? He was never too good at it—especially when he was the cause. So he remained nailed to the spot, reluctant to leave, but unable to provide comfort. He announced at length, "You should really talk to her about this."

"I'm not gonna do that," Donnie retorted primly. "If it's true, then I'll let April tell me herself. Because I trust her."

Raph repressed an eye-roll. Donnie just refused to see any bad in April. But he knew otherwise: April wouldn't really tell him anytime soon. "Whatever. At least now you know."

"Right. Thanks a lot. Close the door on your way out, will you?" Donnie's voice was nice and level, as he sat down at his desk in front of the broken monitor and started unscrewing the back. Raph was actually impressed he'd managed to stay this cool. He decided to at least give him that, and left him to his thing.

As he heaved the metal door shut, he took one last peek at Donnie, watching him purposefully remove the casing and digging into monitor guts.

He'd done the right thing. Donnie would have asked April out and April would have broken his heart again, and then Raph would've had to put up with his brother's dead eyes and limp shoulders as he skulked in the dark corners of his lab like an emo troll.

It was best this way. And the sooner Donnie learned, the better.

He threw his punching bag a hard one on his way to the pit.

This was the best scene, the moment the ocean got pissed at all the pollution and finally decided to have its fishy vengeance on humanity.

The camera sunk beneath a sea of garbage, deeper and deeper until it stopped by a mysterious shape, half buried on the ocean bed. A flock of plastic bags swum by and the giant catfish awakened, two glassy eyes glowing in the dark with a supernatural light, and the mile long whiskers shook as it opened its great mouth and made its call. The ocean surface bubbled, aquariums all over Japan cracked, as thousands of aquatic creatures erupted from the waters to the call of the great Namasu.

They'd seen this old movie a million times, both in English and the original Japanese. So when they saw it was playing on TV, they sat down to watch it again, of course. Anyway, it was mostly a means to get their minds off current crap until it was time for bed. With those future turtles arriving at freaking 4am, Karai locked in her room for hours, and the image of Donnie's face, the exact moment that his heart shattered, playing on repeat in Raph's mind, everybody seemed to have reason to seek a distraction. Even Splinter had sat down with them, which he didn't often do, especially not for monster movies. He watched askance, eyebrow raised and lopsided whiskers, as a bank of rabid mutant goldfish ate their human owner alive.

"Kinda reminds me of the frogs back at the farm. Those guys were alright," Mikey said, one arm over Ice Cream Kitty, the other over his weird plush-bug girlfriend. The comment earned him a few raised eyebrows.

Raph grunted inwardly, and shifted, unable to find a comfortable sitting position. This wasn't working—he wasn't distracted enough to forget about Donnie. His brother had turned down movie night, but only he knew the reason. During an especially drone romantic scene between the dull-as-plain-oatmeal protagonist and his cookie-cutter love interest, Raph's gaze drifted towards the closed lab doors.

Had he been wrong to tell him? He wasn't one to meddle, normally. Nobody thought of him as a particularly sensitive guy, or someone who interested himself with corny, mushy shit. But the thing was, whatever they thought of him, seeing his brother like this busted his metaphorical balls too. Man, between Donnie and Leo… Apparently Raph was the only realistic one here. What did Donnie call him? Cynical? Okay, so he was cynical, if only because he knew, in the end, he and his brothers had no one to rely on but each other. There was no place for them outside these sewers and soon April and Karai would realize this, and go on their merry way—as they should. Even Casey. Now that he and April were a thing, all that was left for them to do was find a nice, comfortable human life on the surface and forget about them.

Something bubbled up inside Raph. Not the usual red-colored rage, but something more… blue, maybe. So, purple? It was something angry, but also desperate and hurting. He tried washing it down with a large swig of his soda, concentrating on the screaming masses running amok on screen, as the giant squid unceremoniously smooshed them to a pulp on its way to its master. He'd heard the sound of human panic countless times already, in real life, and it was never good news. Today, though, it was music to his ears.

His lower shell buzzed, and once the cheap gore scene was over, and the obligatory romantic scene started, he reached around to one of his belt pockets for his phone.

IAmCaseyJones: "Dude I'm some wasyrd. I cushion my bile lol wanna chst.?"

So, Casey's texting abilities never were top notch, but this one had to be a new record. Looked like he'd somehow activated autocorrect, not that it helped. His face scrunched in concentration trying to decipher the message, to no avail.

Well, he wasn't with April at least, or why would he be texting him? Not that he cared...

Raph was about to reply when the lab doors opened, and Donnie walked out, duffle bag over his shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Leo asked aloud, lowering the volume on the TV, and Raph perked up.

"To the junkyard. I'm missing some key components," Donnie said casually.

"Need help?" Mikey asked, already sitting up, but Donnie quickly lifted a hand.

"No, thanks, Mikey. Um, but tell April not to wait for me, in case I don't make it to bedtime."

"Okay," Leo agreed with a shrug, blissfully oblivious, though maybe a tad surprised.

Raph, however, sighed, gauging Donnie, who was clearly avoiding his gaze. He'd bet his ass Donnie would take the long route, just so he wouldn't cross paths with a certain someone.

"Do not be too long, Donatello. Remember you boys have to be up at 3am," Splinter said, and Raph caught the excited little grin under his whiskers. He had to remind himself that his father still didn't know about the ghost of Tang Shen.

"Yeaaaaahhh, future bros, bros!" Mikey hollered, bouncing on his butt.

"No worries, sensei," Donnie said starting to turn, but stopped. Raph followed his gaze to see Karai coming down the steps from the bedrooms.

"Hey, Karai," Leo called in an overly cheerful tone. "We're watching 'Wrath of Namasu'. You're just in time for your favorite part with—"

"With the sinking ship and the giant tsunami over Tokyo!" Mikey contributed, gesturing Karai over. "Hurry or you'll miss it!"

"Nah, I'm actually kinda sleepy." There was a smile on her face, though the more Raph looked at it, the heavier it appeared, as if it weighed on her face muscles. "Just stepped out to say goodnight."

Suspicious, Raph searched Leo's face. But his brother only replied in the same cheerful tone that wasn't fooling anyone, "Okay, then. Goodnight!"

"Night!" came the chorus, which Raph awkwardly joined.

"Sleep tight, Karaiwa!"

"Goodnight, my daughter," Splinter said as well, and after a short glance, Karai started back to her room.

"We'll wake you up at three," Leo said, still on the edge of his seat as if he'd run after her.

Karai nodded emphatically, thumbs up. "Right. Can't wait."

It was only when her door was closed that they all exchanged looks of worry. Splinter's face was probably the most disquieting: he sat there, quiet and seemingly serene, almost as if nothing was wrong, and yet his eyes were fixed on empty space, ears dipped slightly back. It didn't put Raph much at ease.

Donnie, still gazing towards the bedrooms with a crease in his brow, broke the silence. "Well... Be back in a while. I'm on my T-Phone."

"Later, Donnie," Leo answered with a sigh, and turned the volume back up on the TV. Mikey and Splinter waved, but Raph didn't bother seeing as though Donnie wouldn't even look at him. He leaned back, crossing arms and legs, and tried to get back into the movie.

Karai's favorite scene passed, then it was time for more pointless congratulatory romance, and the movie was over. Just as the credits began to roll, everybody's phone started beeping madly.

"Guys, Casey's 'in danger' again," Mikey announced in an unimpressed monotone, phone in hand.

"Raph, you know anything about this?" Leo said wiggling his, after which he stood, stretching, and pressed the off button on the remote. The old TV went out with the usual old-fashioned poof.

But hell if Raph knew. Ten minutes ago he thought Casey was with April. He took another shot at his cryptic text from before, but it didn't really clear anything up either. He tried calling him next, but Casey wasn't picking up.

Letting out a grunt, he opened the GPS, which showed the location of Casey's bike. "I'll go check. He's close by. Probably just ran out of battery. I'll beep ya if it's anything."

Leo and Mikey agreed, unconcerned, and Raph collectedly made his way towards the exit with an exasperated huff as they went in the opposite direction, towards their beds.

Once he was out of sight however, he broke into a sprint.

Why can't things ever be simple amirite?

What did you think? Was Raph right to intervene? Would you watch Wrath of Namasu?

Remember reviews are writer chow!