Chapter 22 Of:
Growing Up Isn't Easy

There was a suitcase on Jessica's bed at the apartment.Nothing was in it,it was empty.
She was busy laughing on the phone with Kayla.
"I can't wait to come home"She said after stopping from laughing."I really missed you".

"Aw! Girl I miss ya too!"Kiki replied."So,anything interesting happen? Casey told me you went out
on a date!".

"Huh? Date?"Jessie asked confused.
"Yeah,I called you and he said you were on a date"Kiki said."It was like a month ago".

Jessica remembered when she was in the hospital and
had to lie."Oh yeah,that guy I met at the mall.He's a good
guy".

"Oh coolie"Kiki smiled."Well,I guess I better get going.See you tomrrow".

"Bye kiki"Jessica said before she hung up.She sighed as she knew It was going to be hard to say
goodbye to everyone.

She walked downstairs and saw Leo.He looked up from the book he was reading and looked up at her.

"Jessie"Leo said as he stood up."I..I..uh..".

"Leonardo"Jessica said softly."I know it's hard".

Leonardo sighed and looked up."I'm really gonna miss you".Jessica smiled as Leo hugged her.

"I'm gonna miss you too"Jessie said as she let go of him."I'll miss our private talks".

"I don't any other person who understood me like you do".

"Me either"Jessie said."I'll see you soon".

"That'd be a long time"Leo said."By the time you'd come back,we'll be older and different".

"Not true Leo"Jessica said with a grin."I'll be back really soon.real soon".

"Promise?"Leo asked.

"I promise"Jessica said."Cross my heart".Leonardo hugged her again and Donnie came into
the room with her cell phone.

"I fixed it".

"Thanks Donnie,I owe you one"Jessie said as Donnie hugged her.

"No problem"Donnie said letting go of her."I'm gonna miss you tons".

Jessica smiled."Where Mike and Raph?".

"Raph went out for a walk and Mikey went with April to the store".Jessica nodded since she
didn't know.

"Want us to help you pack?"Leo asked as Donnie nodded.

"Sure"Jessie smiled and they followed her upstairs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~**~*~**~*~*~*~**~*~

April put some bags of chips in the cart as Mikey looked at magazines.He was wearing his trench
coat and hat.

He hummed a little tune as he put the magazine back."April...are we done yet?".

"Yeah Mikey"April said as she pushed the cart."Thanks for the help".

Mikey chuckled."No problemo,I do shopping all the time".

"Pizza shopping"April corrected."Normally pizza shopping".Mikey helped her with the stuff
during the line to put them all in the cart.

Mikey sighed sadly as they went to the car.April was concerned.

"What's wrong?".

"I'm really gonna miss Jess"Mikey said looking at the window."I know she wants to go home".
"Well...not really,but she'll be back real soon"April said."I won't be there for her though".

"She's getting a apartment when she turns 18?"Mikey asked.April nodded and stopped at the red
light.

"Right after she graduates"April smiled.

"When's soon?"Mikey said looking at her.

"Really soon".
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*

Raphael sighed as he walked through Central park thinking.He knew Jessie would want to go home.

He leaned against a tree trunk and looked up at the sky.Things were going to be different.

"What a vacation"He said before he walked off to go to the lair.
~*~~*~**~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~**~*~*~~*~

Leo put the last of Jessica's t-shirts in her bags.Donatello closed her suitcase on her bed.

"It's all done Jess"Donnie said as he watched her pack up her make-up and jewerly.

"Thanks guys"Jessie said as she closed one bag to zipper it up."I wouldn't be done today,I wouldn've been done in two days".

Leonardo sat on the bed."When are you leaving?".

"Uh.."Jessica said trying to remember as she looked up in the cieling."I think tomrrow morning at 9:30".

"So soon?".

"Yeah I guess"Jessie shrugged."It's 10:45(Pm) right now".

"You're not tired are you?"Leo asked.

Jessica shook her head."Nah,Wanna watch tv?".

"Yeah"Both Donatello and Leo said.They walked out of the room and followed Jessica to the living
room downstairs.

Mikey opened the door for April as she came in with the bags.

"Well,we got all the chores done"April said setting the bags down."All we need to check is
on Jessica's stuff".

Mikey saw Jessica,Leo,and Donnie watching cartoons on the couch."Yo dudes...and duddettes!".

"Hey Mike"Jessica said looking up."What's up?".

Mikey sat down next to Jess."Nothing really,just gonna miss you".

"Aw Mike"Jessica said as Mikey hugged her."I'm gonna miss everyone".

"Raph's coming back soon"Mikey said."I saw him on the way home".

"Oh ok"Jessie nodded as she stood up."I'm gonna go get a drink".
~**~**~~**~*~**~*~~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that night,everyone was in bed.Casey was sound asleep from work next to April.The turtles
slept in the living room,snoring.Jessica was sleeping in her bed waiting for the next day.

Jessica remembered when she first met the turtles.

*Flashback*

Jessica gave a slight groan.

"Sssssh! Shes waking up!".

Jessica slowly opened her blue crystal eyes.When the blurr disapeared,she saw a green face with a red bandana on.

Her gasp grew slow but it did sound it was gonna be louder.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"Jessica shrieked.
A turtle with a orange bananda on decided to be friendly."Hi..".

Jessica looked at him and covered her mouth."OH MY GOSH!!!! NIGHTMARE THIS IS A TOTAL NIGHTMARE!!!".

"Nightmare?"A turtle with a blue bananda and a purple bandana asked.

"T-t-ta-ta-ta"Jessica couldn't get the words out.

"Does she speak english?"The turtle with the orange bandana asked.

"I think shes stunned you moron"The turtle with the red bandana on rolled his eyes.

"Hey your cute!"The turtle with the orange bandana said.

"This...............is..........a nightmare.."Jessica said shaking her head slow
."I know what happened,i was walking to get pizza and that little kid knocked me down and i was out cold".

"Huh?"All four of the turtles asked.

"Its about to get worse.."The turtle with the purple bandana mutterd to the one with the blue.

"What! Is the meaning of this!"A voice came from the room.

"Master Splinter!"The turtles said.

"Oh.......greetings..".

Jessica's eyes grew so wide.Suddenly,her eyes rolled and closed as she fell on the floor once again.

"Hmmmmm........this may take a while"The turtle with the purple bandana said.
~*~*~*end of flashback~*~*~*~~**~
Jessica smiled in her sleep.Meanwhile,Leonardo was mediating on the roof.Donnie was looking
up at the dark sky.

"I couldn't sleep"Donnie said interuping Leo.Leonardo opened his eyes and looked at his brother.
"I couldn't either".

"It's almost 7:30"Don said."She lives in a few hours".

"9:30?"Leo asked and Donnie nodded."She has to go".

"I know she does"Donnie said."Neither four of us holding her back is wrong".

They both walked back into the apartment.
~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~~*~*

Next morning came,and it was 7:57.Jessica's alarm clock went off and Casey
smiled.Even when the alarm went off,she was still asleep.

He sat next to her on the bed."Kiddo..wake up".

"Hmmm.."Jessie groaned and pulled the covers up to her face."Fifteen minutes..".

"Come on Jess,wanna go home don't ya?"Casey asked."Aunt April made breakfast".

Jessica opened one eye."Awww..".

"Don't wanna go home? See Mom and Dad?"Casey asked.She looked like she wanted to stay.Jessica
sighed and sat up.

"Actully I don't.."Jessie said."Their getting a divorce and suddenly,I don't wanna suffer".

"Well.."Casey's voice trailed."You're getting your own apartment".

"I know I am"Jessica smiled and looked down."But still,I didn't want any changes".

"Jessica"Casey said trying to make her understand."Maybe,in their opinon,they know you're
changing".

"Me?"Jess asked a little puzzled.

"Yeah,you're moving into your own place"Casey pointed out."And they realize you're getting older
and getting your own place".

Jessica undersood what he was saying."Ooooh...".

"So what do you say? Breakfast and airport?"Casey asked with a grin."I'll even let the turtles
come along to say goodbye".

"Okay"Jessica said as she took off the covers."I'll be down in a second".

Casey stood up and walked out of her room.Jessica put on her white soft robe and put her hair
into a messy bun.

When she walked downstairs,the turtles,April and Casey were at the table.

"Morning to your last day of New York"April said Jessie took a seat next to her.The turtles
were pretty quiet and did look at Jessie.They just didn't speak.

Jessica finished her breakfast and stood up."It's 8:30,I'll take a shower".Everyone watched her
go upstairs.
~~*~~*~*~~~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~~*

At the airport,Jessica sat down with her bags.It was 9:20 and she would be leaving soon.
Mikey walked up to her."Ready to go?".

Jessica checked her watch."In 5 minutes".

"Will you come back Jess? To see us again?".

"Of course I will Mike"Jessica sighed."Why do you always ask?".

"It's just,it'll be different"Mikey said as he sat down."I guess we expected to spend more time
after we rescued you".

"Without you guys,I would've been in a grave by now"Jessica said as she touched Mike's hand.

"I guess you're right".

The rest of the turtles came up to hug her since her flight was annouced."Jess,you gotta go".

Jessica stood up and looked at them."Guys,I'll always remember you.I'll come back real soon".

"We know,just don't forget us"Leo said as he hugged her and Raph hugged her.Donatello and Mikey
hugged her at the same time.

Jessie walked to April and Casey."I love you guys".April hugged her tight and Casey hugged her
kissing her on the forhead.

"We'll see you soon Jess"April said as she let her go."Write to us,keep in touch".Jessica nodded
and Casey hugged her again.

"We love you kiddo".

Jessica sighed and walked to the door to go to her plane.When she walked to the doorway,she
looked back at everyone.They all waved to her and she waved back.

Donatello had tears in his eyes when she disappeared in the doorway."There goes a girl who has
tons of guts".

"You okay Don?"April asked.

"Yeah"He said as he sniffed."Just,got a little dust in my eye".

"We're in a airport,there is no dust"Mikey said.

Donatello chuckled at the joke."Let's go home".

Everyone walked out of the airport.April sighed as the turtles looked down.

"You'll see her again".

Meanwhile,on a plane,Jessie was reading a book and noticed her cell phone.She looked it at
when she held it.She remembered when Mikey found it.

"Thanks turtles"She smiled and looked out the window.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~**~~**~*~~*

THE END!

A/N:Hey everybody! Growing Up Isn't Easy is offically completed! Look for the sequel out really,
REALLY soon!.