A/N: Hey all. Well, it looks like I will be reaching my goal. I just don't know if I will be updating the first chpater tomorrow or Christmas Eve... hard to say. It matters if I read over my Epilogue and get it posted today as well... Desicions... desicions.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Reunion

Delaney rounded the corner of the apartment building and found two distinct figures in the darkness. As she approached both of them went defensive, but then relaxed once realizing who it was. She walked a little slower and took her time trying to find which one was which. She saw that Donatello was the one closest to the building once he dropped the small rocks in his hand. It looked like he was throwing them just as Raphael had said. Leonardo was leaning against the side of the building more than likely talking to Donatello before she rounded the corner. But someone was missing. He wasn't there. Didn't Raphael tell her the others were here? Wouldn't that constitute as him being here?

Delaney dropped her head in disappointment. She tried to catch her breath after her run and slowly walked over to Donatello. She was going to work with them first, and then deal with her own problems last. They were here to find her friends and she wasn't going to let them down. She looked at Donatello and then up at the window that he apparently was throwing rocks at. A few of the rocks scratched the side of the wall and tore some of the screen. She smiled and shook her head from side to side.

"With a brain like yours Donnie, I would think that you would come up with something better to get her attention than throwing rocks at her window," she chuckled a little, "And also to figure out that that is actually my window. Her window is the next one over."

"Desperate times for a desperate turtle," he shrugged his shoulders and looked down at the ground, "How's she doing?"

"All right, I guess. She locks herself in her room, even though she complains that we all should go out partying. Find some friends, you know? The only time she goes out is to promote her new toys to the market. It's working well for her. But we all know she isn't even up for partying. For the first time in her life, I think she's actually heartbroken."

"She's had other guys at her doorstep before. Other boyfriends."

"Yeah, but she's never been in love," Delaney smiled and patted Donatello on the shoulder, "She won't wake up by rocks on the window, believe me. She could be a heavy sleeper at times. Go up the fire escape and through the glass door. Her bedroom is the first on the left. Try to avoid Raph and Callista though, I think they're still on the balcony."

He smiled and nodded, looking up at the right window, "Thanks Delaney."

"No problem," she whispered as she watched him run off toward the same direction she came from.

Leonardo watched his brother round the corner and chuckled to himself as Delaney walked toward him, "I doubt that Amity is in one of those rooms."

"Nope. She's with her grandparents. I'm just glad that they live inside her school district. She has had enough to deal with. She didn't need to switch schools to top it off."

"How is she?"

"Busy, but that worries me."

"Why?"

"When ever something really bad happens to her, she tries to bury herself in work, to distract herself. I'm worried she might burn herself out," Delaney looked up at Leonardo who was holding the same worried expression because he knew that it was true, "Would you mind checking on her for me?"

"It's late."

"She's still up, believe me," Delaney nodded and told him the directions to Amity's grandparents. He gave her a swift hug and started on his way. She let a playful smile cross her face as she watched him run faster than she'd ever seen across the top of the buildings.

Suddenly the realization struck her hard. Now all she had to deal with was her own problems. Her own feelings. He wasn't there and the cold wind blew through the area by the apartment building signaling her loneliness. Suddenly she wished she didn't leave her blanket on the balcony before she ran down the fire escape. She wanted to move, to go back into her apartment with the warm air conditioning, but her feet didn't budge. She couldn't even get her feet to turn herself around and go home. She closed her eyes as she heard her senses tell her that some one else was there. To turn around and face them. She thought it was just her imagination again, telling her, making her believe that it was him actually coming back. It was just her missing him.

Suddenly a hand fell on her shoulder from behind her and she opened her eyes. She felt someone's breath on the back of her neck and felt it spread through her hair. For the past few days all she's been doing is putting it up in a sloppy ponytail, hoping it would do for the day. She felt the hand on her shoulder grip a little more firmly and then loosen and heard the figure behind her take a deep breath.

"Okay, I just have to know or it will drive me crazy," he took another breath with a little chuckle, "How is Delaney? I mean, is she doing all right?"

"I'm not really sure," Delaney smiled and tried to keep her voice from cracking and tears from forming, "That Delaney is a strange one."

"You're telling me," she rolled her eyes and reminded herself to get him back for that one, "But why is she strange?"

"Usually when a guy she is interested in leaves, or is unattainable, she moves on. She mourns for a day, or less, and then goes on with her daily routine. This time, she can't."

"Can't or won't?" she felt the hand come off of her shoulder and he began to step around her to face her.

"Both, I think. This guy must have been pretty special," she saw him face her and she almost melted as her face went soft, "I would swear that he had no faults."

He smiled and cupped her face with his hand, "And he still doesn't find any in her."

She put and hand over his and closed her eyes just to feel his touch, keep the feeling in her mind. Suddenly she didn't have any control over her body as it suddenly launched itself toward the unsuspecting turtle. She thought that the force would be enough to knock him off his feet, but he stood firm. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. She felt his arms wrap around her gently as if he was going to break her and placed his cheek against her head.

"Don't ever leave me again," she whispered into his shoulder with a sob, "Don't you ever… I never want to lose you forever."

"Neither do I," he said and closed his eyes, "I was so lost these past few weeks. Splinter couldn't even knock me out of it. I needed you. I missed you."

"God, I love you," she squeezed tighter and pulled away from him to look him in the eyes. She looked down around his neck where her ring still laid peacefully on the chain.

"I never took it off," he said, "It really helped me fight. When Donatello told us it was time to look for you girls, I couldn't wait to start. I needed to find you. I think each one of us needed to find you girls. Splinter even wanted to help."

"How is he?" she asked.

"Good, vibrant as ever. He was disappointed in us for letting you girls go, but then helped us get our minds in check and got us to figure that we were idiots for letting you girl's go in the first place."

"He's smart," she nodded, "I miss him."

"Well, now you can see him."

"Not until the reporters get off our case."

"The reports are boiling down, don't worry," he winked, "We've been watching the news. One shot showed you guys at a Chinese take out place talking just this afternoon. We shot out of the lair and followed you home from there."

"Smart move," she looked down at the ground and felt like a shy girl all over again. She was at a loss for words.

She always practiced what she would say to him when she saw him again, but now everything seemed to escape her. He noticed her apprehension and chuckled a bit. He leaned toward her and she smiled when she recognized what he was doing.

She was in a little shock and had to make sure she knew what was happening and the reality of the situation. She had to make sure this was real this time. This wasn't her pillow of stuffed animal. Then, she began to kiss back. Her eyes slid closed and her lips began to apply pressure back to his. Her limp arms began to work once again as she wrapped them around his neck and his arms slid around her waist, pulling her closer once again. He smiled against her lips as he felt the pressure from her lips against his. They both accepted one another. Despite all others who may have forsaken them, they accepted each other and loved each other for it.

He slowly pulled away from her and they opened their eyes at the same time, catching one another's gaze. Michelangelo smiled and chuckled a little bit, combing his two fingers through her lose hair that fell from her ponytail.

"I'm really happy you said that," he said looking at all her features around her face, then settling on her eyes.

"Why is that?" Delaney's doubt now totally gone she leaned her head forward, and Michelangelo leaned his head lower so that their foreheads touched.

"Because I thought you were going to kill me when you first saw me," he smiled and tried to hold her closer, "For leaving you and all."

"So that's why you were hiding huh?" she smiled, "To tell you the truth I did plan to kill you, but I think this is a lot better."

He took a deep breath and just soaked up the feeling of her in his arms, "I love you, Delaney."

She searched his eyes and smiled bigger than she ever thought possible and kissed him lightly on the lips, "Damn right you do."

They laughed quietly with one another and kissed for a few moments; letting everything that had happened in the last few weeks fade away. All the doubt, all the moping and all the broken hearts faded away. All that was left were the two of them standing in the middle of the lawn, lost in one another's embrace.

As soon as Michelangelo was about to say something his stomach decided to do the talking for him. He gave a cheesy smile to Delaney and scratched the back of his head, "Had I mentioned that we were looking all night for you girls?"

"No," Delaney took his hand and started to lead him back to the fire escape, "but I guess this would be a good time to mention that I had recently restocked our refrigerator with some pizza. I should be able to fix one or two in about a half hour."

"Awesome!" he rushed ahead of her and began pulling her along toward the foretold pizza.

As they entered the apartment they found two other turtles surrounding the refrigerator searching for the alleged boxes of pizzas. Both Callista and Eros stood in the living room watching the scene in front of them. Michelangelo soon joined in with his brothers, looking for the fabled pizza. Delaney smiled and walked over to her friend's side.

"You know they could just ask you where the pizza is," Eros said to Delaney with a yawn.

"I know," Delaney watched as Michelangelo pulled the pizza from the freezer and began parading around with the box in his hand and then turned to the other two girls, "But it feels like we're home this way. Everything seems right."

Callista chuckled a bit and then turned Delaney's face back to the scene, "Yeah, except that Raph is about to kill your guy and they are all going to rip the box in half."

"Wha- Hey! Guys, put the box down! I'm getting hungry too!" Delaney ran into the kitchen trying to place herself in between Michelangelo and Raphael and get the pizza box at the same time.

"Now, it's back to normal," Eros commented and smiled on the scene, "Now if only we can get the pizza into the oven, so we can actually eat it one of these days."

"I wonder how Amity will react to a turtle knocking on her window," Callista smiled and laughed to herself, "I hope he doesn't scare the wits out of her."

"Me too," Eros started to laugh as Delaney finally got the partially ripped pizza box from the guys and told them to wait in the living room. Michelangelo gave her a puppy dog pout, but she tilted her head and pointed to the living room.

"Go, this isn't going to be done for the next half hour," she smiled and laughed a little. He hesitantly went back into the living room to sit on one of the many chairs surrounding the television.

"Nice system, Callista," Raphael commented and sat down in a recliner. She smiled and went over to sit down on his lap.

"It's okay, I wish I could have gotten the bigger one."

"Where would we have put it?" Delaney asked jumping over the couch and sat next to Michelangelo getting comfortable in his arms.

"I would have figured something out," Callista nodded and turned on the set.

Donatello and Eros made themselves comfortable on the love seat and began to chat lightly to one another.

"Where's Leo, by the way?" Raphael asked.

"At Amity's," Delaney yawned, trying to stay awake, "She's living with her grandparents now."

"I hope he knows what he's doing and doesn't scare the you-know- what's out of her."

Amity rolled in and out of sleep for the past few nights. She couldn't keep her mind off of him. No matter how much work she tries to do, or what she tries to distract herself with, she can't get over him. Over her experience. Or over the homesickness that she felt for the lair.

Whenever she could fall asleep she had nightmares that the clan came back together as if they were never apart. Yukio was still alive and they found the lair. They went after the guys and Splinter and managed to kill each and every one of them. They always left Leonardo for the last, killing him with his own katana. She could never move to help him or the others. No matter what she did, they all died. He died.

And she had to watch. It broke her heart every time.

"Leo!" she sat up in her bed, covered with sweat and tears brimming her eyes. She let her head fall into her hands, letting herself cry herself out once again, "I got to stop doing this to myself. He's fine… he's alive."

She took a few deep breaths and looked as the moonlight flowed over her bed sheets. After a few moments she saw the shadow from the tree outside was moving, but there was no wind tonight. Her breath began to quicken as she leaned over the side of her bed where she hid the katana she had the night the guys disappeared. She now laid on her side trying to look like she fell back to sleep, evening out her breathing. A light breeze from her now open window brushed lightly over her bed sheets and her face. The person slowly entered her room and closed the window after themselves. Footsteps were heard coming toward her bed. Before the figure got too close to her bed she took the katana out and tried to slice the intruder down. Although, her own blade hit another.

"Nice to see you too," Leonardo smiled as she dropped her katana to the floor of her room.

"Leo…" she whispered and looked closely at his face. She held up her hand and touched his face to know that he was real, "You're actually here…"

"Of course I am," he put his katana back onto his back, "I had to see you again."

She smiled and hugged him around the neck and held on tight, "What took you so long?"

"My stupidity," he held on to her.

"That can restrain a lot of people sometimes," she laughed a little.

He pulled his face closer to her ear and whispered to her, "I love you."

She stiffened a little at the three words. No one has ever told her that in the context that he meant it. Strangely, it didn't sound so foreign coming from him. It felt perfect. She smiled and leaned her head against the bottom of his chin. She pursed her lips in thought for a moment to think over how she felt and then slowly opened her eyes to her decision.

"I love you too," she whispered back.

"Do you always take that long to answer your questions?" he asked her.

"Only the important ones," she leaned away from him a little and looked him in the eyes, "You get any sleep these past few days? You look tired."

"Now that you mention it," he yawned and looked toward the window, "I guess I should be getting home."

"Why don't you stay here?" she touched his arm, "You have to realize that I'm not just going to let you climb out that window right after I got you back."

"What about your grandparents?"

"They are going to a shopping thing tomorrow. Delaney and the others are having a girl get together so I'm going to that. They won't check on me in the morning. They'll just leave a note on the kitchen table," she gave him pleading look, "Please…"

"All right," he surrendered and let her get comfortable before he settled in next to her, "Night, Amity."

"Good night, Leo," she pressed her back into him and rubbed her head on his arm, "Love you."

He smiled as he felt his eyes grow heavy, "Love you too."

a/n: One more chapter! Epilogue to come soon... I just don't know how soon...