Chapter 34 - Putting the Pieces Together…

As Raph ran off after April, Leo and Mike shared a look. Soon, they heard someone on the steps, and Leo opened the door of the kitchen to see Don coming down the stairs.

Don said nothing, but went straight for the door.

"Where are you going?" Leo demanded, hurrying in the room. "What happened?"

Don stopped, looking back over at his brother. "I'm going for a walk." He said, then turned back to the door. But Leo was faster, putting a hand on Don's shoulder.

"April went for a walk." He said. "You're telling me what happened."

Don threw his brother a look that bordered on annoyed and hurt.

Leo blinked. He'd never received that look from his brother before. At least, not this brother… He thought to himself wryly.

"C'mon, Donnie." He said softly. "What's going on?"

"What's 'going on' is that…" Don cut off, moving away from Leo and sitting on the couch. Mike walked behind the couch, and Leo sat beside Don.

"Don?" Mike asked softly. Leo looked up at him.

Don sighed. "Casey… Casey is Lindy's father." He said softly.

Leo started. Don had said that so quietly that he wasn't sure that he'd heard him right. "What?"

"Casey." Don repeated. "You know him, right?" The sarcastic tone faded as quickly as it came, and Don looked down again.

Leo and Mike shared another look. "Whoa." Mike breathed.

"Are we sure, Donnie?" Leo asked.

Don nodded slowly. "Well, I can't be a hundred percent sure, without a paternity test." He chuckled lightly, but it, too, faded, and he looked down again.

Leo sat back in the couch, raising a hand to his mouth. He hadn't expected this… He had no idea how to respond to this.

"Why's April upset?" Mikey asked, and Don stiffened involuntarily. "It's not…" Mikey continued, then turned wide eyes to Leo.

Leo, in turn, looked over at Don.

"It's not April's." Don said dryly. "It's Liv's…" His face fell a bit at that remark, then he looked back up at them. "But Casey is the father."

"Our Casey…?" Mike repeated, looking over at Don.

"Yes, Mikey. Our Casey." Don said, almost sarcastically.

Leo sighed. "Alright…" He said, and Don and Mike looked over at him.

"Mikey, it's Casey's… and Don…" He looked over at his brother and felt a swell of emotions run through him. His brother looked so… lost for a moment. Of all of them, Don was the one that was most focused, the most down to earth all the time. Leo could admit that. But now… now he looked totally… lost.

"Don, are you ok?" Leo breathed.

"No, I'm not, Leo." Don burst out finally, and Leo started a bit. He hadn't expected that outburst. But he didn't expect to find out Casey was the father of his niece, either.

"I just…" Don began again. "I knew she had a father out there… a biological one." Don began softly. "But… I just got so lost in the notion that… that I wouldn't find out who it was, that to hear the guy's name aloud…" His face crumpled, and he bit his lip, looking to the ground. "I'd built up a nice little lie to myself that it was me…"

Leo moved closer to his brother, frowning. He put an arm on his shoulder. "Don," He began softly. "You… you know that you're her father, right? She's your daughter, and my niece and…" He stopped, looking away. A sudden thought choked him. What if Casey wanted her back? He knew how much Casey and Don didn't get along, and this was just one more reason for tensions.

And then it was like Don had suddenly read his mind. "Casey left." Don said suddenly, then sat straight up like a shot, and got off the couch. "You don't think he took her with him…?" He said as he ran towards the stairs. Mike threw a quick look at Leo, who, to his surprise, had a look of worry and… he looked scared, Mike realized.

*************

"Jesus." Raph breathed, as he took in what April had just told him, in between sobs. He stood uncomfortably for a minute. Casey… his buddy Casey, was his niece's father. Well, biologically, at least.

"Why now?" He asked quietly, watching April gain some control over herself. He was torn between wanting to comfort her, and being angry that she'd hurt his brother. Because he knew Donnie was hurt…

"I just wanted him to know." She said, her voice shuddering.

"And why are you so upset?" He asked, aware that it sounded brash.

She looked down, licking her lips. "Because he still doesn't know the whole story." She said softly.

Raph blinked. He sighed, rubbing a hand over his forehead. "Are you ever going to tell him?" He asked after a minute.

"I want to!" She said. "I want to tell him a lot, but…" She looked back away. "He's angry at me now…"

"Don'll… he'll get better with it. This is a big surprise and you haveta let him deal with it for a bit. You know he won't stay mad at you forever. Donnie's not like that."

She nodded slowly. "I'm sorry for you guys, too." She said, moving over to stand next to him.

They stood for awhile longer, the silence between them heavy, until suddenly April spoke again.

"I will tell him." She said and Raph looked over at her. "I'll tell him everything." She promised, and he nodded.

"Good." He said. "Soon?"

She nodded back. "Soon."

*************

Leo vaulted over the couch after Don, Mikey close behind him, taking the steps two at a time. Once he reached the top, he ran to Lindy's room. He stopped short at the door.

Don was knelt next to the crib, hands up by his mouth.

Leo moved slowly into the room, and Mikey followed. Mike looked at his brother. His hands were shaking, and he feared what was in the crib. Or what wasn't.

Leo made his way across the room, apprehensive about looking into the crib. His heart was beating wildly in his chest as he reached the crib and looked down. His hands gripped the railing.

Lindy was sleeping peacefully, her thumb stuck in her mouth.

Leo let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and looked over at Mikey. He smiled widely, and Mike did the same.

Leo moved over next to Don and sank down next to him. Don put his head in his hands, and let out a shaky breath. "I… I'd thought…"

"Me too." Leo smiled shakily and noticed the streaks running down his brother's face. He laughed gruffly and wrapped his arms around his brother. Leo looked over at Mikey, who had walked to the crib, and also had streaks of tears running down his face.

Leo grinned again. He hadn't realized how bad it would be to lose her… How scared he'd been that they had…

*************

"Y'ready to go back in?" Raph asked. He'd began getting cold as the sun went down.

"I… I don't know." Aprils said nervously. She wrung her hands, and Raph wasn't sure if it was the cold, or the anxiety.

"Yer freezin'." Raph stated simply. She looked over at him.

"C'mon." Raph said, holding out a hand for her to take. She took it slowly, and they made their way back to the house.

April knew there were more questions to be answered. Maybe even more than she could answer. She felt tears fill her eyes again. He was the last person in the world that she wanted to hurt. And her heart broke, at the sudden realization of the unfairness of it all.

She'd failed, she realized suddenly, and that thought was almost more than she could take. She'd failed them and Lindy and… and herself. She sniffed away these thoughts as they came upon the house.

"You ready?" Raph asked.

She nodded, and straightened her shoulders. Head held high, she followed Raph into the house.

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Author's Notes - Well, I'm sorry about the delay with this chapter. The computer I had all my work saved on caught a virus, and I just finally got rid of it! Yay! And a big thanks for all your support with Don's reaction in the last chapter. I'm glad you all enjoyed it. : )

Oh, and I'm now also glad that I didn't go with my first thought, and end the last chapter on April saying "I know who Lindy's parents are"… I'm not dumb… I didn't want any death threats. ;) Hehe, and I'm glad that Lindy's parentage went over so well!

Thanks -

Reinbeauchaser - Thanks! We'll find out exactly how long April knew, and who it was that left Lindy for Don to find soon.

Lady Venom2 - Whoa… never thought of Shadow! To be honest, I just started reading the Mirage comics, so any similarities are unintentional! Trust me… this isn't gonna be much like that at all… ;)

Ramica - Thanks! Yep, this definitely shook some things up.

neosun7 - Thanks!

Heather - Thanks. Oh yeah, this'll definitely make for some more, um, interesting situations. And like I said, sorry for the delay on this one. ;)

LenniluvsBrian - Hehe… I was hoping to surprise a bit with this chapter…

PrincessOfWildfire - Thanks, I try to make it not totally predictable… kind of like life, itself.

Vegeta-Hiei Lover - Heh… another surprised reader… I don't mind telling you, that I kinda liked surprising y'all a bit.

StarofFoam - Wow, thanks! So glad you're enjoying this!

Mickis - Wow, thanks! To answer your question, yes, he does know. Now he does, at least. And thanks again, I'm glad that Don's reaction went over well.

Next Chapter - Coming Soon!!