Chapter 30 - Let It Snow…
"It's snowing!!"
Don looked up from the paper, grinning grimly. He just knew Mikey would be excited about the snow that had accumulated overnight.
Sure enough, a few seconds later he appeared in the kitchen. "Hey, Donnie, did ya see it out there? And it's still coming down!" Mike exclaimed, then took off back into the hallway.
"I take it Mikey saw the snow."
Don turned around quickly at the soft voice behind him. "April! You shouldn't be up!" He rushed over to help her to a chair.
"Donnie," April began, easing herself down onto the chair. "I've been laying in that bed for days! If I didn't get up and move I would've gone nuts!"
Don grimaced. "Well, how are you feeling, then? You really should have waited…"
April cut him off with a wave of her hand. "I'm fine Don! I just needed some contact with people outside the confine of my room!"
"You might think differently pretty soon…" Don mumbled under his breath.
After a moment, April looked over to Don. "Donnie…" She began, but quickly shut her mouth.
"Hey, April! How're you feeling?" Leo came into the room. He walked up to April, and put a hand on her good shoulder.
"Well, I look like crap, and I feel even worse… but I feel better than I did a few days ago." She laughed.
"You don't look like 'crap'." Don muttered.
April threw him a quick glance before looking back to Leo.
"Well, it's great to see you up and about." Leo said, then looked out the window. He stared out the window for a moment, then turned back to the rest of them. He sighed. "Where's Mikey?"
A crashing noise upstairs punctuated the end of that sentence.
April laughed.
"Oh, he's already seen it, Leo." Don grinned.
Leo rolled his eyes, but a small smile began forming on his face.
"Guys. Guys!" Mike came running into the room. "Look what I got!" He dumped the contents of his arms onto the ground. "Cover up stuff. We can so go outside without freezing!" Mike paused for a second, waiting to see the other's reactions. His face brightened. "I'm gonna go wake Raph!" He said, then took off.
The others looked at each other for a moment.
"I'm… gonna go make sure Raph doesn't kill Mikey, ok?" Leo said, then took off up the stairs.
April laughed as they heard the sound of feet pounding on the stairs.
"Mikey really does like the snow, doesn't he?" She asked.
"You can say that." Don began. "We really don't get much contact with it…" April nodded, and he continued. "But when we do… that guy amazes me. It seems like the cold doesn't even bother him." Don shivered at the thought. "Just another 'mystery of Mikey'." He said, then grinned.
April returned the grin. A moment later, Raph came into the kitchen.
"Uh, morning Raph." Don said, throwing a look at April.
Raph grunted in response, walking over to the fridge. He sat down at the table. A few minutes later Leo and Mike joined them at the table.
"You know." April said thoughtfully a moment later. "I could actually use you guys to get some stuff done outside…"
Mike's face brightened, and Leo looked over at her. "Like what?"
"Well, the driveway needs shoveled.." April said.
Raph threw her a look.
"Well, it does." April continued. "The more we put it off, the more the ice will build up, and then it'll be impossible to scrape up."
Three heads swiveled to look at Don.
"Well, yeah, that's uh, true." He said, staring down at his plate.
Raph sighed. "Alright." He said. "After I finish up, though…"
"Yeah!" Mike said, and sprinted off to get ready.
April laughed. "You just said that to get him to go."
Raph shrugged. "Never said why I said it." He said, but winked over at April. A few moments later, he got up, mumbling something about going to get ready, and went upstairs.
"Y'know…" April mused. "Raph took the early wakeup call pretty well."
Leo scoffed. "That's because he's just glad it wasn't like the last time."
April looked at him curiously.
"Last time," Leo continued. "Mikey decided to wake him up with a snowball he'd been saving… in July."
April laughed, almost choking on her coffee. Leo gently patted her back, a smile on his own face.
"That was probably the best reaction Mikey's ever gotten on a Raph wake up." Don mused, grinning.
"I bet." April laughed, catching her breath.
Leo and Don shared a grin across the table. It was good to see April laughing again. Even if just for awhile. She seemed so… tense lately.
"OK, you two." April said suddenly. Both Don and Leo turned to look at her.
She sighed. "You two aren't getting out of any work." She waggled a finger at them. "Or I can find something to do inside."
Leo raised a brow. "I'll go make sure Raph doesn't make a snowman out of Mikey." He said, then left them room.
April watched him go upstairs, then turned to Don. "You know, that's the second time this morning he's used Raph and Mike as an excuse to escape me?"
"He's sneaky." Don smirked. "Wouldn't know it by looking at him, but Leo can be just as bad as Mikey."
April snorted. "Surely, you jest."
Don grinned. "Well, yeah, that was kind of an exaggeration…"
April nodded. "But whatever works, am I right?" She winked.
Don nodded, then stood. "April, are you sure you'll be ok in here by… by yourself?"
She looked up at him. "Donnie, you guys will be right in the driveway! I think I can manage." She looked out the window. "And besides, I'm not really alone… Casey's right in the other room." She could feel him stiffen up at that remark, and almost wished she hadn't said it.
"Right." Don muttered under his breath. "Anyway," He continued aloud. "I think I'll take Lindy out for a bit. She outta have fun in the snow…"
*************
April laughed, as she stared out the window. They were getting less and less work done as time went on. But that was ok. This was much more entertaining. Lindy's shrieks as Mikey chased her through the snow made April's grin grow wider.
"I'm gonna getcha! I'm gonna getcha!" Mikey waggled his eyebrows when Lindy looked back at him.
She took off towards the others, shrieking happily.
"Dadadadada!" She yelled as she ran for Don. He looked up, a small smile on his face.
Lindy ran into him, hitting his leg and falling down.
"Y'ok, angel?" He asked, leaning down to pick her up. He held her up to him, and kissed her red cheeks as she laughed.
"Alright," He said, setting her back down. "Go get him, Linds."
She took off towards Mikey, until he made a movement towards her, then she turned, fell in the snow, and crawled quickly at another uncle.
"E-yo! E-yo." She cried, crawling as fast as her legs would carry her.
Leo chuckled, dropping his shovel and scooping her up.
"Is mean old uncle Mikey trying to get you?" He asked, and the toddler nodded.
"My-my." She said softly, and this time both Leo and Mike laughed. Lindy had quickly begun to pick up on their names, but hadn't quite got them right yet.
Mike had a special affinity for the way she said Raph's name.
"Hey, Lindy-bear…" He said, walking up to her, and she hid her head in Leo's shoulder.
"Aw, c'mon, kiddo. I'm not chasin' you anymore." He grinned. "C'mon, now tell me… who's that over there?" He said pointing to Don.
"Dada."
"Right." He grinned again. "And who is that?" He pointed to Raph.
"Affy!" Lindy cried, clapping her hands together,
"That's right!" Mike said happily. "That's uncle Affy." He dissolved into laughter, and so did Lindy.
Leo looked over at Raph, who sighed and shook his head, but a small smile could be seen on his face as he looked back down.
Inside the house, April smiled as she watched the action outside. They were done with the driveway now, and had moved into the yard.
"What're they doin' to her out there?"
April jumped, causing her to wince, as Casey came up to stand beside her.
"They're playing." She grinned happily.
Casey grunted at that. "Well, they're makin' enough noise…"
"Oh, stop it, you old scrooge." April lightly hit his arm. She looked up at him. "You should go out there with them." She said. "It could be fun."
Casey coughed and looked down.
"They won't stay mad at you forever." April said softly. "You know that. They're probably over it already…"
Casey shook his head. "Nah." He said. "I mean, I know that… but I'll stay put."
April shook her head, and sighed, returning her attention to the action outside.
*************
Leo took a few steps away from the others, wanting to take a moment away from the snowball fight that was undeniably impending.
He watched his brothers, as they enjoyed the air around them. He knew, as did they, that at any moment they might be forced to return to the sewers again. Away from this freedom they had grown accustomed to. Away from the space and the… air. Leo breathed in deeply. The air here was wonderful. So clean and pure. The only smells came from the changing seasons. It was perfect.
Leo grimaced inwardly. He knew nothing lasted forever, least of all something so "perfect".
A stray snowball went flying towards his head, and Leo moved an inch to miss it. He looked back at the others.
Mike was leaning down, his hands on his knees, laughing almost hard enough to fall over. Don was just righting himself, after what looked like an unexpected tumble. Even Raph was smiling in the background.
Lindy took the moment to try an escape, and she took off across the yard. Don noticed, and quickly stood, jogging towards her.
Leo frowned. He was still favoring that leg a bit. Not enough for the untrained eye to see, but Leo knew. Leo shook his head. It was way past the time that his brother should have been fully healed, and back up to par. Donnie knew that.
Raphael's' comment from their conversation a week or so ago ran through Leo's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. If Donnie had a problem, he would tell him. Wouldn't he?
*************
April held her breath as Lindy took off away from the others, but her still shaky run slowed her down, and Don easily caught up with her. He brought her back to the others, and said something to Mikey, who nodded.
"She is a good kid, though." Casey said softly, from behind April. He moved up to stand beside her, watching the others outside.
April looked down for a minute, biting her lip. Then she looked over to Casey, and reached over, putting a hand on his arm.
He looked over at her questioningly.
"Casey…" She began. "We need to talk."
*************
Outside, Raphael rubbed his hands over his arms. Not that he'd admit it, but the cold was seeping through his clothes. Mikey'd found some good stuff to cover them up, protecting them from the temperature, but it was quickly becoming 'not enough'.
His gaze traveled over the others, and to the house. A movement in the window caught his eyes, and he almost overlooked it. He didn't want to see what he was. Well, he wasn't sure if he wanted to see it or not. Doing a double take, he focused on the scene in the window.
April and Casey were talking, almost friendly-like, it seemed, and her hand lay comfortably on his arm. Oh no… He thought. This couldn't turn out well. He stole a glance at his brother, hoping he hadn't yet noticed. But by Don's rigid stance, his eyes set on the house, Raph knew his brother had seen what he did.
Raph watched the scene for a moment longer, with bated breath. He didn't know what he expected, but it must not have been what happened next, because even he was surprised.
Casey leaned down, and hugged April.
Not just a hug, a prolonged one. And when he stood, he gently pecked April on the cheek.
Raph's heart sank. He looked back over at his brother. For a moment, he could swear he saw his brother's eyes become glassy, but it was quickly blinked away.
"Time to go inside." Don said briskly, leaning down to pick Lindy up. She immediately began fighting against him, tears falling down her cheeks.
"Aw, c'mon, Donnie… I'm not cold yet." Mikey frowned. "At least let Lindy stay… She wants to."
Leo looked over at his brothers. Don's shoulders slumped momentarily, and he looked down.
"Fine." Don said quietly. "You know what, you're right. She wants to stay, so let her. Just make sure to come in before you get hypothermia." He said, then headed around the back of the house.
Leo looked over to Raph, and was surprised to see his brother looking worried. A blink hid that again, and Raph caught Leo's gaze. He nodded towards the house, signaling something had happened. A raised eye ridge told Leo they'd discuss it later.
Raph sighed again. He didn't know what had happened while they were outside, but he hoped it could all be explained.
He snorted softly at that. Right. Because they'd had so much luck with stuff like that before.
To Be Continued…
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Author's Note - I felt that a less angst filled chapter for a change would be fun… and it was! Hehe… unfortunately, the end of this chapter ended up being not as fun for some of them. But don't worry, all will explained soon. And remember… not everything is as it seems! (What would be the fun in that?) ;)
And a big thanks to all those who continue to support this story. I love and appreciate you all.
Thanks -
Reinbeauchaser - Thank you! I thought going the "talking it out" route would be better… and I'm happy with the result. I'm glad it went over as well as I'd hoped!
Lady Rane - Hehe, that's ok. Don't worry about it. I thank you for the continued support. And yeah, Lindy's got Raph now, I think. Right around her little baby finger… ;)
Aicha - Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Gummadoon Fanatic - Thanks! Here's the update! ;)
Ramica - Thanks. I felt it important to show that Don has worries and concerns, just like any parent. And I felt Mikey was the perfect person for him to talk to. I always like showing Mikey in another light…
Heather - Thank you! Heh, Donnie's my favorite, too (if you couldn't tell). And here's the update! Hope I didn't make you too impatient… ;)
LenniluvsBrian - Thanks. And, uh, still gonna have to wait and see on Don's "condition"… Hehe.
Mickis - Thanks. As for the TV night, I'm still wondering how long that remote control remained intact… lol
neosun7 - Wow, thanks!
Vampy - Thanks. I enjoy showing that, at the end of the day, they're still a family.
Next chapter - Coming soon!