Disclaimer: Insert standard disclaimer message here.

note: There really is no note to be added here. Anywayz, this is the end of this story. One of the few that will take place in the 14 year old TMNT timeframe, most of my stories really begin in the 16 year old TMNT years.

Beer Good...Maybe

Turned out I didn't do nothin stupid, outside throwin up and passin out. When we got in Gabrielle had cleaned me up, after holdin my head over the toilet for a bit, and got me some clean clothes that her ex had left at her house. She also wanted to make sure I didn't get too sick again so she stayed in the room with me that night.

And now I was hungry. Guess whatever food I had in my stomach was gone, so I hesitantly woke up Gabe, who even after a rough night, looked good still. Good I was hopin it wasn't beer goggles that had got me to talk to her for so long.

She got up, saw the time and rushed out the bed. "Jesus, I gotta get ready for work. I can't afford to lose this job." She rushed to and fro gettin dressed.

I didn't even bother askin about food.

She came to an abrupt stop, "Casey? You look a little better this morning, if your hungry you can ride with me, I work at a small diner. Plus it's not far from the club so you can go and get your truck if you have to go. Not that I'm saying I want you to go."

"Easy there Gabe, I'll come and get a bite to eat. Maybe we could talk a little longer, this time not under the influence."

Her eyes lighted up, "That would be nice."

So I figured I'd go over eat a bite, talk for a bit, and then make my way back home. Well that bit turned into all day, I sat there with Gabe til it was time for her to get off work. On the way out the door she asked me if I had to go anywhere, because she would give me a ride to my truck.

Course I wasn't in no hurry to head back to the farm. She dropped me off at my truck and I slowly headed towards it. Then it happened, Gabrielle ran over to me, thanked me for spendin time with her, and kinda wishfully asked if I wanted to stay over at her house again that night. You know so I wouldn't have to drive so far at night.

I called everyone at the farm and told I was stayin with a pal of mine, that I'd be home in the next day or so. It turned out it was way heavy on the so.

Each day I went to the diner and spent the day there just talking. I ain't never talked so much in my entire life. I figured I had to be gettin irritating, but Gabe didn't seem to mind at all.

And each night she said I could stay with her, and of course each night I would.

You'd figure since I was spendin all this time with this girl every night, there would be a helluva a lot goin on between us, but to my surprise as well I never once tried anything too extreme. I finally decided that I'd stay here a while longer. The Turtles could handle themselves without me. So I called again, Donatello answered, I told him that I wouldn't be coming back any time soon, and that they didn't need to try and find me, he was questionable at first, but in the end he said he'd tell everyone.

I took a job as a bouncer at that same club that I went to my first night here. Settled in with Gabe, and we pretty much became more than friends. Though it took me like three weeks before I even so much as kissed her. Yeah, seems way outta character for Casey Jones I know, but like I said at the bar my first night, sometimes people can surprise you.

Things were different now, I was in a serious relationship, I was bustin heads legally and for the first time in a long while I was happy. You know what? I liked it to.

I didn't forget about my teenage turtle friends, kept in contact with them on my terms. Never really told them where I was, or what was goin on. Didn't want them to come lookin for me. I had a new life, and I wasn't about to screw this one up. I might sound like a bastard, but I think it was for the best.

Remember that pretty red-head I talked about earlier, yeah, she decided to never speak to me again. Never really knew why though, I guess she was just angry cuz I left. I knew she liked me, but that didn't even matter anymore.

Even more time passed, I'd been here for three months, all which flew by. And I was about to make a decision I hoped was a good one. I invited Gabe out to eat one night, nothin outta the ordinary, but my plans were. We came to a small restaurant just outside of town, I had learned about it from one of the guys I'd thrown out the bar a few weeks ago. It was a nice little place, nothin fancy, and not a lot of people around. Course Gabe looked beautiful, as always, me I even cleaned up...a little. I stayed outside a minute tryin to work up my nerve. This was not gonna be easy.

Inside I found Gabe, already seated orderin drinks. I sat down and we ate. After finishin the main meal it was time to take the plunge.

I was even gonna try to say this as proper as I could, it needed to sound good. "Gabe, I know I haven't known you all that long, but in the last few months you have been everything I hoped for. You know I'm not really great at tryin to be romantic, and you know I'm probably not the most educated man in the world, but you still put up with me. Anyway, you can never realize how much I love you, but," here comes the tough part, "I was wondering if, maybe, you'd want to get married?" I did it, I asked even remembered to pull out the ring.

"Casey Jones..." She gave one of those awkward pauses, "I'd thought you'd never ask."

I don't even think it dawned on me what she meant at first, "I know it's not the most expensive and fancy ring, but I can get you another one later."

"The ring is perfect," she wrapped her arms around my neck, her face lit up like the sun.

"So, is that a yes?"

The rest of the night went great, and we decided to get married soon. Like she had told me before, she didn't really have a lot of friends, and she hadn't seen her family in years, so her guest list was really short. Mine about the same, I didn't even bother to tell any of my friends about it back home, this was a different life now.

Not long after the wedding things once again changed. Gabe got pregnant, we got a newer house, and a dog. I kept my truck though, it's an antique. For a short time money was tight, and we were barely making all our payments, but we managed. The owner of the diner told Gabe she still had a job there whenever she needed it, and of course she decided to keep working 8 months into the pregnancy. Several things happened over the period of nine months, it's a while, but nothin worth talkin about. Other than work and eating, and dealing with mood swings now and again. I had talked to Raphael a few times, never told him what was goin on though, but he did tell me that they had moved back to city and that April was managing a small apartment complex and gettin ready to go back to school. I knew they could handles things without me.

Life went on and things were lookin up. Course when things start goin to well, that's when Fate rears her ugly head, Destiny gives you a kick in the face, and Writers throw that nasty curve ball at you.

Gabe had been sick the eighth month of the pregnancy, not just minor sickness, but really, really bad sick. Doctors didn't really know what was goin on, and they had no idea how they could help without harmin the child. I was devastated, then Gabe went into labor, that just made things worse, the child was coming a few weeks early. Then there were problems with the delivery, Gabe was fading, she couldn't have then child naturally so they had to do a c-section. I of course was on the edge of my seat, they wouldn't let me in to see her, my wife was dying and I couldn't see her. After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor came out and asked me into his office, for some reason doctor's tend to do that, I guess the office supposed to be a more relaxed setting, like I was gonna relax.

"Mister Jones, you have a baby girl, but..."

I knew what came next, the doctor would try to say he was sorry about my loss, knowing good and well he was just sayin not, not meanin it.

"I sorry about your loss, Mrs. Jones, well her body couldn't take it. Would you like to see the little girl now, I mean we need to keep her a few days to make sure she's fine?"

That minute I just got up and walked out, I wasn't cryin, I wanted to be, but I wasn't. I was angry, I was confused, I was goin to drink myself better. No I didn't wanna see my little girl, with tubes out of her, attached to all kinds of machines, cryin and screamin with no mommy there for her.

Before I could get to the door the doc came back out, "Mister Jones! Mister Jones! I know this is a rough time for you now, but you must know you are the only thing that little girl has, if you walk out on her you'll not only be walking out on your daughter, but her mother as well."

I knew he was right, but I didn't know what to do. What could I do?

Finally I convinced myself to go and visit my daughter. There she was, gorgeous as her mother. My heart melted, I would mourn for Gabe soon, but for one instant I was happy, for one instant I felt lighter than air, this was my daughter. The medical staff asked for a name, course I probably wasn't the best person for that, but I gave them one. One I thought was unique, different from the normal, like I said I wasn't a good person for this job. I called her, "Shadow."

It took me a while to realize the deep impact of what happened, I was now alone in a far away city, no friends or family, and a baby daughter. It was time to face facts, I couldn't handle this alone.

What money I got from selling the house, and selling Gabe's car I used to help pay for a nice headstone and a burial plot. As far as life insurance went it was non-existent, the rest of the money went to a few small things for Shadow.

There was no real funeral, just me and my little girl, and a couple of people who new Gabe. The headstone wasn't anything fancy, but that didn't matter, fancy had never been our thing. I came up with the text for the stone, I was proud of 'em, even though they weren't too original, it read, "To my lovely wife, a blessing to me for all of time. To the end of one life and the beginning of another."

One day I'd bring Shadow back, but for now it was time to leave. Slowly I made the way to my truck. Shadow quickly fell asleep in her seat, and I began to drive, and drive, and drive some more. Eventually the bright lights of the city welcomed me. I could only think of one place I could go.

I lifted Shadow from her seat, pulled her blanket over her head, and ran through pouring down rain to the front of the apartment building. One of the tenants told me where the owner's room was. Makin my way to the door of the apartment room I was told to visit, I stopped, built myself up for what I was about to do.

I knocked for a bit, til I heard a familiar voice answer, "What is it, it's midnight I'm tryin to get some sleep." She opened the door and her face was filled with shock.

"Hi April,"

She looked into my arms, saw Shadow and her jaw dropped further.

"This is Shadow, my daughter."

No more words were shared at the door, April invited me in brought me something warm to drink and sat down beside me. In that instant, all the grief I'd been building for the last couple of weeks rushed forward, as I cried like a baby. Shadow on the other hand began to sleep, again.

"April," words muffled by sobs, "I didn't know where else to go."

"It's okay Casey. It's okay," she wrapped her arms around me as I continued to weap.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell no one, but I...I..."

"Shh. It'll be okay they'll understand, here you can stay here tonight."

The next day when I woke I saw several familiar faces standing around, four overgrown turtles, April, and a wise old rat. I filled in everything that had happened over the last year or so, and they did the same. Things weren't easy, but at least here I had friends I could count on.

I started to work for April, as a maintenance guy, plus she also let me and Shadow stay in her extra room, at least for awhile. Also I got back to helpin the guys out as they did their patrols, so I was back to being a vigilante, but it was cool. It felt good to be back. I never once regretted that year I spent away though, I grew up some and woulda been happy there to, but sometimes Fate, Destiny, and Writers have different ideas.

So here I am, back in New York, with a daughter, a roommate an attractive red-head I may add , a daughter, hangin out with Mutant Teenagers. Of course none a this woulda been possible if it wasn't for me throwin up on that nice, self pitying, hypocrite, slut her words, not mine, though she wasn't none of them . So maybe beer ain't all that bad.

End