"Yo Leo, what took ya so long?"

Leonardo looked up at Michelangelo as he approached the campsite. The laidback turtle was sitting in front of a tame fire, slowly frying the large fish that had been caught earlier. "Nothing, Mikey," Leonardo responded. "It just took a while to find them." Casey looked up at Leonardo. He had been doing push-ups near the tent, and pushed himself up to his knees, stretching. "Them, huh? So April's with Donny still?"

Raphael, sitting with his back against a tree and headphones on, peered up at Leonardo cynically. Leonardo noted this and spoke to Raphael more than Casey. "Yes. It looks like the two of them have been having a serious discussion." Raphael rolled his eyes, scoffing, "Yeah, I bet." Not paying heed to Raphael's bitter tone, Casey sat on the ground and peered into the woods. "Probably about the question."

"Question?" Leonardo asked. Casey nodded, glancing at him. "Yeah. You know, about me asking her to marry me. You know how close the two of them are." Raphael uneasily glanced at Leonardo, who kept his eyes focused on Casey. Seeming to phrase his words very carefully, Leonardo responded, "Yes. Yes, they are close." Casey shrugged, as though that answered everything. "And well, April's usin' this trip as a way to clear her head and think it over. So since Donny's her best friend, she's probably turnin' to him for advice." With a laugh, Casey added, "Hope the knucklehead doesn't remind her of anything I'd rather her forget."

Despite his light-heartedness, Casey turned back to the woods, obviously preoccupied. As Leonardo observed him, he tried to figure out what Casey was thinking. Though he was most likely just earnestly hoping that Donatello wouldn't say anything that may negatively affect April's decision, Leonardo couldn't help but wonder if a part of Casey wasn't… wasn't more aware than what the others had always given him credit for.

"Hey Leo," Michelangelo said, removing the skewered fish from the fire and scrutinizing it as Klunk mewled up at him. "Where'd ya put the plates and stuff last night? This sucker's almost done." Leonardo thought for a moment before heading towards the tent. "I put them inside with the rest of the stuff. I'll go get them." Passing by Raphael, he noticed his belligerent brother looking at him curiously, obviously wanting to ask why exactly Leonardo had been gone for nearly three hours. "Hurry it up, dude," Michelangelo added, looking skywards. "There's a couple of clouds up there, and it would be totally uncool for it to rain and mess with my culinary plans."

Leonardo cautiously stepped into the tent. "Master, I'm not disturbing you, am I?" Splinter was sitting in the candlelight, reading a book. "Not at all," he answered, without looking up. "I have actually been awaiting your return." Having hoped that he wouldn't hear those words, Leonardo walked towards Splinter and knelt before him. "Was there something you needed to speak with me about?" Splinter slowly closed the book and looked up at his son. "Have you spoken with your brother?"

Leonardo hung his head. "Yes," he said lowly. "Only briefly. He was… otherwise occupied." Splinter remained silent for a moment before inquiring, "What did you say to him?" It was Leonardo's turn to pause. Though neither of them had ever discussed Donatello and April's friendship, both of them knew that the other felt there was something more to the relationship than what met the eye. At length, he replied, "I merely told him that I'm here for him and will respect his decision. They're both intelligent enough to weigh the consequences of all of their choices." When Splinter didn't respond, Leonardo anxiously looked up at him. "Sensei… did I say the right thing?"

"It is difficult to know what is right when speaking on matters of love," Splinter told him. "Just as the boundaries between right and wrong seem unclear for you as you think of your brother whom you love, they are also unclear for your brother as he thinks of his friend whom he very clearly loves. Likewise, April undoubtedly has difficulty sorting through her emotions for one whom she has loved as a close companion, and another who has offered her a future family."

"It's just not fair," Leonardo sighed remorsefully. "I mean… I know that April is in a committed relationship with Casey. I know that she's not in the right if she chooses to become physical with someone else behind Casey's back, and I feel terrible about having to keep this from him. But sometimes… I can't help but wonder… if Donny were human…. Sensei, you should have seen the look on his face when I was talking to him. I've never seen him smile that way before. If things had been different…."

"But they are not different," Splinter answered. "Things are exactly as they are, and this is the way it should be. For what reason, no one can say. I understand your inclination to lament the tragedy in Donatello's current situation, but there is no use dwelling on what may have been. You have always known that you were different from all the other creatures that walk this planet, and we have been more fortunate than I had foreseen to befriend a number of them. I had always suspected that it would only be a matter of time before at least one of you felt strong emotions towards a human, but I had not thought that it would be with one whom has already promised herself to another."

At this, Leonardo interrupted Splinter with, "And you hadn't thought that she would return the feelings, I assume?" Splinter looked at his pupil for a moment before looking down with a slightly bemused expression. "I have known human women to do a great many strange things, my son. It is evident in literature and in personal life. Believe me when I say that I truly did not know how a woman would respond to such feelings." Leonardo considered this, then nodded. "Of course I believe you, Sensei. I would just find it difficult to believe that one of them could… could love one of us."

"Humans are capable of many intense emotions. Unfortunately, your uniqueness evokes fear in them, leading them towards their more negative and hostile mindset. However, you have seen enough cases of humans being able to look past the surface and see the soul that lies within the body. April demonstrates that the respect and friendship we earn from these sorts of humans can very easily result in love." With a smile, Splinter finished, "Do not put it past a human to surprise you. They can be even stranger than they envision us to be."

A soft peal of thunder could be heard from outside, and Leonardo looked down in contemplation. "I suppose," he answered. "I just… I wish I knew what to say to Donny to make this easier." He stood and moved towards where he had set the plates the night before. Watching his student, Splinter quietly responded, "You have let him know that you are there. That by itself has made it easier."

Plates in hand, Leonardo contemplatively stepped out of the tent. The sky had grown very overcast in the few minutes he had been inside, and the wind picked up slightly. "'bout time!" Michelangelo called. "Toss me the plates; I need start on the next two before the rain comes down." Placing the cooked fish onto a paper plate that Leonardo held as Klunk tried to paw at them, Michelangelo looked into the creel that he had besides him for the rest of the night's dinner. "Well," Michelangelo muttered, seeing a drop of rain fall into the flames. "It's a good thing Splinter likes sushi. Maybe he won't mind the raw fish so much."

Leonardo covered the fish with another plate and was about to take it inside, when he spotted two figures emerging quickly from the mess of trees. Trying to keep his voice steady despite his thoughts after his conversation with Splinter, he remarked, "Oh, good. Donny and April are back."

Raphael didn't hear Leonardo's comment, as he had his music on as high as it would go, but he noticed the two of them before his brother did. He tensed up as they approached. Like two little kids, they were sprinting towards the campsite in hysterical laughter, and actually had the nerve to be holding hands as they got closer. Trying his best not to explode for Casey's sake, Raphael ripped off his headphones and sat up as they made their way to the others. "Well, if it ain't the lovebirds," he said vehemently.

Leonardo winced at Raphael's comment, but no one seemed to regard it as anything more than his usual sarcasm. April tripped and let go of Donatello's hand, rolling on the ground in laughter. Donatello kept going a few steps before stopping to seat himself near Michelangelo and Klunk, trying to catch his breath. "What's the joke, bro?" Michelangelo wanted to know.

Donatello shook his head, reining in his mirth. "Nothing, Mikey. We were just…." He sighed contentedly, looking up at his brother. "We were just enjoying the day." A skeptical noise came from Raphael. "Enjoying the day, huh?" Getting to her feet, April told him, "Oh, lighten up, Raph. You're too tense. You should take some time and relax… do what Donatello and I did." She giggled as she made her way over towards the fire, and Donatello snickered once more.

Sickened once again, Raphael asked, "Yeah? And what was that?" With a small smile and a shrug, April replied, "We took some time to realize the value in a single day." Turning to look at Leonardo, she asked, "Is there something wrong with that?" Surprised that April decided to consult him, Leonardo stayed quiet before answering, "No. Nothing at all." As she grinned at him, Leonardo wondered exactly what it was that she meant and what he seemed to have condoned.

"Hey, is that bluefish?" April asked as she moved towards Leonardo and nudged at the plate in his hands. "It smells like the fried bluefish my dad used to make. It's making me hungry." Even as Leonardo offered the food to her, Michelangelo said, "Give it to her, Leo. She hasn't eaten all day. These other four I'm workin' on should be big enough for all of us." Thanking Leonardo, April picked at the fish on the plate, heading towards the tent. "I'll go bring out some forks."

She was intercepted by Casey, who looked down at her concernedly. "Hey, you okay, Ape?" Rolling her eyes with another grin, April responded, "You know I hate it when you call me that." She tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek, then pushed him away jokingly. "Jerk."

Surprised by the rare outward sign of affection, Casey took hold of her arm. "Hey. April. I mean it. I haven't seen you all day and you were sick last night. If it wasn't for the guys bustin' my chops about givin' ya some 'space'—whatever that means—I woulda been out looking for ya and carried ya back here." Amused by Casey's concern, April told him, "I always knew you were a Neanderthal." Holding up the plate as though to prove a point, she said, "Now let me eat, okay? We're not going to get to have much fun together if I'm light-headed for the rest of the trip."

As she disappeared into the tent, Casey turned around and raised an eyebrow at Donatello, absolutely confused. "Who is she and what'd you do with April?" Standing up, Raphael added an angry undertone to his own confusion by adding, "Yeah, with an emphasis on the second part of that question."

Donatello shrugged. "I don't know what you mean." Approaching him and desperate for an explanation, Casey exclaimed, "Donny, you saw her just now! She was just bein'… I dunno…." Leonardo offered, "Coy?" Casey nodded and carried on. "Right! Coy! She was just bein' coy! When has she ever been coy before?" Crossing his arms over his chest, Raphael challenged, "Yeah, Donny. Do tell."

Shrugging again, Donatello offered a crooked smile. "I don't get it. She comes back happy and I'm suddenly being interrogated?" Helping Michelangelo with the fish, he genially told Casey, "You're the boyfriend; you should have her moods figured out." This seemed to take Casey aback, and Raphael angrily stepped closer to Donatello. "Listen, you twerp, what the hell do you think-?"

"Raph," Leonardo called warningly. Raphael turned sharply to Leonardo, pointing at him accusingly. "You stay outta this, Leo! I don't know where you come off playin' mediator-" He was once again interrupted, this time by Michelangelo. "Yo dude, chill out. April's in a good mood. Where's the drama?" His voice only getting louder as he stepped closer, Raphael yelled, "The drama, you little pinhead, is that I wanna know what that creep did to get her in that good mood!"

Silence fell over the five of them. Donatello stared at Raphael, trying very hard to keep another blush from rising up and retain his relaxed expression. Raphael felt no remorse, even as he saw two of his brothers gaze at him somewhat reproachfully as Michelangelo and Casey looked at the three of them, completely bewildered. Donatello knew that happiness was fleeting, but did it always have to take off so quickly?

His discontent was momentarily suspended when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Grateful to have a reason to look away from Raphael's fiery eyes, Donatello turned to see Splinter standing just outside his tent, observing the suddenly silent group. Swiftly thinking that he had been better off dealing with his brother, Donatello hesitantly asked, "Is something wrong, Master Splinter?"

The others turned towards the aged teacher slowly walking towards them. "I would suggest that you keep your voices down," he remarked lightly. Stopping besides Leonardo, he explained, "It seems to be upsetting April. We would not want her to grow ill once again."

"Upset?" Casey moved away from Don and headed towards the tent. Seeing this, Raphael attempted to step in his way, calling, "Hey!" Leonardo grabbed him and pulled him away, allowing Casey to dart pass and slip into the tent. "Raph, let him check on her." Annoyed, Raphael wrenched himself away from Leonardo, elbowing him hard in the stomach. "What're you?" Raphael hissed. "A co-conspirator? How much longer you gonna keep 'im in the dark, huh?"

Michelangelo tried to ask what was going on, but Leonardo spoke up. "So your solution for a person sitting in the dark is to light him on fire? That makes a lot of sense, Raph. A whole lot of sense."

"You know, these metaphors of yours are gettin' on my nerves."

"Well, this attitude of yours is starting to get on mine."

"What the hell took ya three hours, huh?" Raphael inquired with a shove to Leonardo, looking down at Donatello. "What, ya wanted to give 'em time to relish the afterglow or somethin'?" Donatello stood sharply, crying, "Raph!" Paying no attention to having been pushed away, Leonardo cried out, "Raph, that was way out of line!"

"My sons!" Though the tension didn't fade away, the turtles ceased their hectic bickering at the sound of their teacher's voice. In the new silence, Michelangelo and Klunk both blinked up at the entire scenario before looking at one another. "Well," Michelangelo concluded. "Whatever it is, it's definitely not my fault this time."

The cat mewled in what seemed to be agreement.

"Yo April, you okay?"

April looked up from her food at the sound of Casey's voice. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Why wouldn't I be? You've only asked me that about twenty times." Approaching her and lowering his voice as he heard the strange arguing from the turtles start up again, he replied, "Splinter said that you were startin' to get… upset."

Going back to her food so she wouldn't have to look up at Casey, April softly answered, "Upset? Well… sure. It's always upsetting to hear your friends fighting. Don't you think?" Sitting on one of the duffel bags on the ground besides her, Casey gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Do you know what all the fuss is about? I don't get a lot of it, but it looks like Raph's pissed at Donny and think that Leo's takin' his side. Does it have to do with yesterday?"

April almost dropped the plate in her hand but quickly recovered it and hunched her shoulders, anxious about facing Casey and yet trying to keep her voice pleasant. "Yesterday? Oh! You must mean about tossing him in the lake! Yeah, probably. You know how Raphael gets." She laughed nervously and slowly began to tense as Casey remained quiet before finally answering, "Yeah, I know."

"Hey, April?" She gradually turned to face him, trying not to be alarmed by his uncharacteristically soft and pleading voice. "Yes?" His face showed that he seemed to be thinking hard about something, and April turned completely towards him. If Casey Jones was taking time out to think before saying something, then he was definitely about to broach a topic that she didn't want to talk about. "Casey?"

"April… I've been thinkin'… I mean… I know we promised not to talk about the question until you were ready…." April shifted uncomfortably, and Casey spoke faster, as though trying to keep her in place with his words. "But listen. I've had a lot of time to think today. And Donny just brought up an interesting point-"

"Donatello?"

"Yeah."

Aghast that Donatello might have said something during his loud argument with Raphael that would have ruined everything, April asked, "What did Donatello say?" His confusion returning at the sound of April's worried query, Casey replied, "Well… I asked him why you seemed to be in such a good mood." At this, April slowly turned away, trying to keep her breathing slow and regular as she listened to him. "And he told me, 'You're the boyfriend. You should have her moods figured out.'" April closed her eyes and thinly muttered. "Ugh… Donny."

"But that got me to thinkin'… he's right. I should know by now what makes you happy… and I should know why you weren't feelin' well last night, and why you need so much time after the proposal to think. The fact is, though,… I don't." Not quite understanding where he was going with this, April peered up at him. "Casey…."

"What's your favorite color, April?" She blinked up at him, perplexed. "Favorite… color? Casey, what does-?" He spoke over her, stating, "I think it's purple. Is it purple?" Worried that he may be insinuating something about Donatello, April quickly shook her head. "N- no. It's red. But Casey-"

"See what I mean?" Casey asked, standing up and turning away from her. "Somethin' like that, somethin' that most people who just know each other through chatrooms 'n stuff know about each other, I don't know about you. And I know it's stupid, 'n I know it's pointless, 'n I know you're probably sitting there thinking, 'Good God, does this idiot really expect me to marry him if he's hung up on such a worthless piece of information?' But it's not just that. Donny knows you better than I do. Donny knows you the way I want to know you."

"I…" April began, still uneasy about what Casey might have gleaned from Raphael's outbursts. "I'm sorry, Casey. I… I didn't mean-" Casey turned sharply to her. Both of them appeared equally distressed, though Casey also seemed to wonder as to the cause of April's distress. "Why are you sorry? I'm the one who should be sorry. I don't ask questions. The only reason I even know that Rio Gato's one 'a your favorite flicks is 'cuz I happened to pick it out for a movie night with the guys."

He stepped towards her and knelt before her, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking her in the eye. "Ya see, April? We're doin' it all backwards. All that deep stuff that couples keep leading up to, that 'connection' that everyone looks for… we got it. And it's good. And it's why I love you. But… the simple stuff… we missed that somewhere along the way. And it may not be much and it might not change things in the end… but I want that, too."

Surprised by the genuine emotion coming from someone who was generally so callous and oblivious, April couldn't summon any words for a long time. Finally, she quietly asked, "Casey… what are you saying?"

Sitting back on his heels and dropping his hands to take both of hers, Casey seemed to search for a way to phrase his words before speaking. "I'm sayin'… maybe I jumped the gun when I asked ya to marry me. I love you, I know my feelin's, but the fact that you still seem mixed up about it… maybe it means that you need the little stuff that I want. And if we're engaged and calling each other 'fiancé' and all 'a that… we can't concentrate on the little stuff. You see what I'm sayin'?"

April was shocked at the sincerity and thought in Casey's words. After wondering where all of this stemmed from, she finally concluded, "You've been talking to Splinter, haven't you?" With a good-natured laugh breaking through his solemnity, Casey answered, "Well, he's not called the master for nuthin'."

Bringing April's hands closer to him, Casey returned to his earnestness as he said, "Seriously… I've been worried about rushing things for a bit. We went from just havin' mutual friends to bein' in life-and-death situations real quick. So… I guess… can we just pretend this past week never happened? That we're still just two people who care about each other and go on dates and stuff… but keep the question in the back of our minds? Just to… y'know… feel one another out before divin' in headfirst?"

April stared at him for a moment before allowing a small half-smile to surface. "So," she began wryly, "you actually want to take things slow so we could think about things before possibly making a mistake? If I didn't know better, I'd say you were growing up."

Casey laughed quietly and shrugged. "Hey, if there was ever a time to grow up, it's when you meet someone that you can see yourself spendin' the rest of your life with." Pulling himself closer to her, he asked, "So, how about it? I don't wanna rush you. I don't wanna make you feel like you need to give me an answer, any answer, before some imaginary deadline. You get unlimited time to think it over with no pressure, and you can be the modern chick you wanna be and propose to me when you're ready."

Admiring Casey's maturity, April wondered, "And what do you get out of the deal, hm?" Casey grinned and ran a hand cockily through his hair. "Well, I don't wanna disappoint the rest 'a the female population, so I guess it gives me extra time to play the field." Surprised by his sudden lapse into his old self, April pushed him away, laughing, "You animal!"

As they both laughed, April had a sudden thought. "Wait," she brought up. "If you can play the field, then that means that I'm allowed to, too, right?" Casey's cheerful expression melted away at her words. "You? …uh… who would you… I mean…." Teasingly, she replied, "We-ell, Donatello is kinda cute."

Casey furrowed his eyebrows for a moment before throwing his head back in laughter. "Oh sure," he remarked sarcastically. "I guess if I'm allowed to, then we gotta have equal rights." April giggled at Casey's response as he embraced her. "Do me a favor," he requested jokingly. "Ask Donny if he's got a hot sister he's been hidin'." With another laugh, April managed to shoot an amused look at him just before he kissed her.

Somehow, things seemed to have turned out all right.

"Want some fish?"

Raphael peered angrily up at the offered food from Michelangelo. "If that bastard helped make it, then I'd rather starve." Plopping himself down across from his angry brother, Michelangelo commented, "Leo thought you might say that. So he made sure I'd tell ya that I made this one. Personally, I think that's a good thing." Whispering as though telling an important secret, he explained, "Donny might be a wiz at computers, but he's seriously lacking in the culinary department."

Looking away from Michelangelo and crossing his arms over his chest, Raphael bitterly told him, "Mikey, why don't you go take a long walk off a short dock or somethin'?" Spotting a small mass of bright orange coming to peer at him, Raphael pushed Klunk away. "And your little cat, too!"

"Hey!" Michelangelo exclaimed sharply. "Say what you want about me, but no one messes with my pets, got that, dude?" Feeling something hot suddenly drop on his lap, Raphael looked down to see that Michelangelo had tossed the plate onto his lap as he went to comfort his cat. "Watch where ya throw that thing," he warned, hitting Michelangelo in the back of the head, "will ya?"

"Yow!" Michelangelo rubbed the point of impact and looked back up at Raphael disdainfully, collecting Klunk in his arms and sitting back up. "Listen, bro, I might not know what's getting ya all riled up, but I know that it's probably nothin' that you should be getting ticked off about."

"Yeah?" Raphael challenged. "And how would an Einstein like you happen to know that?" Standing, Michelangelo responded, "Because you don't have anything to be ticked off about! Look around, Raph. You've got food in your lap and family and friends around you all the time. I don't get why you close yourself off from us all the time and then snap at us when you finally decide to come back to Earth."

"Food?" Raphael asked incredulously. "Family? Friends? You think that's all ya need to be happy?" Before he could continue with what would surely be a rant, Michelangelo loudly said, "Yeah, that's what I think, Raph. Why do you think I'm always happy? No, I don't got a penthouse or a corner office or anythin' that humans might think make them happy, but I know what happiness is. It's something that can't be taken away unless you let it. Maybe if you pay attention to anything Master Splinter says, you'd get that."

Raphael watched, dumbfounded, as Michelangelo turned away and walked back towards Donatello, Leonardo, and Splinter. "Yeah," he sputtered, trying to get the last word in. "Well… well since when did you become Leo Junior, huh? When-?" He was interrupted suddenly as the wind was knocked out of him by a sharp impact to his abdomen. "Oof! Wha-?"

"Hey Raph," Casey called from the entrance of the tent. "Up for a game 'a football?" After looking down at the football that had been thrown at him, Raphael glared up at Casey, "Wanna run that by me again, bonehead?" April emerged from inside, her arms crossed over her chest and a dry smile on her face. "Football. You know, the game that requires a foot, a ball, and an IQ of about 45."

"Hardy-har-har," Michelangelo said, letting Klunk jump out of his arms as he turned to look at the pair. "Just for that, little lady, ya can't be on my team." Casey laughed, "How about it, Raph? You, me, and Mikey against Ape, Donny, and Leo. Help us get rid of some 'a the tension from yesterday."

"I'm game," Leonardo said, finishing his portion of the meal.

"What of the incoming rain?" Splinter asked.

Looking to the sky, Donatello answered, "We should be safe for another twenty minutes, I would think."

All of them turned to look at Raphael. With a low growl, he submitted to the pressure and rose to his feet, saying, "Fine, fine. But if Donny touches me, he goes down. And Leo better not come near me, either." Brushing the grass off of his legs and watching as Klunk began partaking in the ignored food that he had set aside, he continued, "One more act of stupidity from either of you and I'm bound to go postal."

He hardly finished the statement when he noticed someone running for him. Looking up, he just caught on as April collided with him, tackling him to a roll across the ground until they finally landed on his shell. With a chuckle, she mentioned, "You never said anything about me, did you?"

Raphael let out a loud, frustrated yell, and April quickly leapt to her feet and made a run for it. Raphael tried to chase after her, but Casey got in his way. Laughingly, he and Michelangelo attempted to keep Raphael back as April ran towards the woods, snickering the whole time. "Let me at her! I'll rip her to pieces!" As a strange tackle war began to start, April heard Leonardo call, "Run, April! Hide out until we can drag him to the lake!" A loud yell from Raphael mixed with the good-natured laughter from everyone else as April disappeared into the trees.

After a while, April couldn't keep going much longer and slowed to a stop against a tree, attempting to catch her breath while still laughing. She knew that Raphael would probably kill her if she attempted to go back to camp so soon, and so merely stood there, thinking about the past two days. She realized, then, that if she was to forget about the previous week based on Casey's request, then that must mean that everything that had happened was also erased from the slate. Hearing someone approach behind her, April realized that this meant that she needed to make more memories.

"You're a dead woman, Miss O'Neil," Donatello said admiringly. Turning around and facing him, April grinned and responded, "Yeah. I know." Without warning, she ran to him and threw her arms around him, holding him tightly and laughing giddily. Unsure of what else to do, Donatello hugged her back, trying not to get his hopes up. He knew that whatever she and Casey had spoken about while alone in the tent could not have ended well for him if Casey had been so lighthearted. He was only all the more surprised when she suddenly kissed him.

Pulling back for fear of having one of the others suddenly stumble upon them so near to the campsite, Donatello murmured, "April… we… we can't-" With a knowing smile, April put a finger to his mouth to silence him. "Donny, it's okay," she told him. "I'm allowed."

"Allowed?"

"Uh-huh." She kissed him lightly, amused by his confused expression. "By the way," she asked lowly. "You haven't got a sister, have you?" Even more bewildered at the seemingly random question, Donatello asked, "S-sister? Well, we've been known to dress Mikey up as a girl when we need to, but otherwise, no." April laughed again. "Mikey," she mused. "That might work."

"April, what is-" Donatello managed before he was hushed once again. "If you must have an explanation," she told him, "I might be coerced into offering one… say, during a date at some point next week?" Stunned, Donatello asked, "Date? April, what are you doing?" She shrugged cheerfully, replying, "Just playing the field. So, are you game, or would you rather be stuck without knowing the answer for the rest of your life?"

Donatello looked at her, at a complete loss. Wondering what could have possibly happened during her conversation with Casey that may have led her to believe that this sort of behavior was "allowed" and wondering what Michelangelo dressed up as a girl had to do with anything, he cocked his head at her, trying to decipher an answer just by looking at her face. The longer he looked at her, however, the more he remembered why he found her so beautiful, making it more and more difficult for him to think about Casey at all. Somehow, the twinge of guilt he had always had seemed much lighter now. As a small, cold drop of rain fell on his shoulder, Donatello wondered if maybe April was right. Maybe they were allowed. After all… shouldn't everyone be allowed to feel… complete?

"Fine," he answered with a small smile. "It's a date."