Chapter 9

Mike looked at the clock in the kitchen. He finally sat down at the table, sighing. Raph and Leo were fighting. Again.

He really didn't even know what it was about, this time. Really, it should be Leo and Don fighting. They were the two that disagreed.

But, as they often do, and even more so nowadays, things escalated, and Raph jumped in. Now, Raph and Leo were standing, so far, in Don's room arguing, and Don was in the bathroom, hiding out. And, by now, Mike kinda really needed to use it.

He looked at the clock once more. April was expecting them.

He sat back in the chair. And he bet she'd have a bathroom he could use.

"This is gettin' old, Leo." Raph said roughly, folding his arms and leaning against the wall. Leo raked a hand over his head, frustrated.

It was silent a few minutes, before Raph smacked a hand against the wall, startling Leo.

"Dammit, Leo!" He snarled, turning to look at his brother. "How many nights are we gonna do this dance?"

"As many as it takes." Leo said, crossing his arms defensively.

"For what? For you to get it through your thick skull?"

"Get what through my thick skull…?"

Raph grinned maliciously. "For you to realize what's really goin' on here." He leaned in towards Leo, pointing a finger at his head roughly. "You can't handle it all, Fearless Leader." He said sarcastically. "So you gotta fight. With me." He pulled back a bit. "And I'm sick of it."

"Me too." Leo said, in a near whisper, hanging his head.

"Good." Raph said, his tone softening a bit. "Then we're settled." He walked up to his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder as he paused. "It's Thanksgiving, Leo." He said quietly. "Let's just be thankful, hmm?"

With that, he headed towards the door. He was nearly out of the room, when Leo said quietly, "You win, Raph."

He turned quickly, stalking back to his brother. "What was that?"

Leo looked up finally. "You're right. You win."

Raph blinked, moving his head back a bit, looking at his brother.

"It ain't about winnin', Leo. Not anymore." He said, then with that, he left the room.

"Knock knock…"

April rushed to the door, opening it to see a very sheepish looking, messy haired man.

"What took you so long?" She exclaimed, opening the door open wider for him.

"And a happy thanksgiving to you, too, April." Casey Jones said, walking past her. She sighed heavily as he dusted the snow off of himself as he entered the room.

"Oh yeah." He turned back around. "Here." He handed her a plate. She looked up at him, brow raised. "Brownies?"

"Yeah, I made 'em."

She stared at him a few more moments.

"I did." He insisted. "I can do some things."

She laughed lightly. "I guess I stand corrected then." She winked, ducking into the kitchen.

He followed her in, then watched as she busied herself with the food.

"Thanks for this again, by the way." She said, gesturing to the plate of brownies.

"No problem." He said quietly. "So, where are the guys?"

"They…" She looked at the clock. "Should have been here about ten minutes ago. So they're right on time." She laughed. "Wait until they see you beat them here. Leo will have a fit."

"Hey, hey, hey…" He started. "I can be on time."

She threw him another look, and he shrugged, grinning lopsidedly. "Okay, okay." He said. "I admit defeat."

It was quiet for another moment, before he spoke again. "How is he?"

She visibly stiffened at that. "He's… the same." She turned around to look at him, drying her hands on a towel.

"He had another seizure about three days after the first… and that really put him down for a few days. But, he hasn't had one in about a week and a half, so…" She shrugged, looking down. "We're hopeful."

"Hey, hey…" He said softly, noticing her face crumple a bit at that, walking over to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "He'll be okay. You need to stop worrying a bit, April. Yer gonna get yourself all sick or something'."

She wiped her eyes quickly. "This is so silly. That's all I need, to be upset when they get here. They always know when I'm upset."

He cupped her chin gently. "Come on, kid. You're entitled."

She smiled up at him. "Casey… you goof." She laughed softly. "I've missed you." She added quietly.

"Ditto." He said, then moved away from her, removing his hand. She looked down again.

"Casey… just…" She started, and he looked at her. "Just treat him normal, okay? It's all he wants. And I don't want a fight. Not today. Not this year."

"Alright, April. You have my word."

A quick knock on the window was all the warning April got before Leo slid it open.

April barely got out a 'hi' before Mikey rushed past her in a race to the bathroom. "Hey-April-food-smells-great-I'll-be-right-back, thank-goodness!"

She laughed lightly as a slight breeze followed him. Raph followed Leo through the window. "Case-man! What's up?" He said happily, giving him a slap on the back.

"Not much here." Casey grinned. "Hey there Leo… Donnie." He nodded, then threw his head back and yelled. "What's up, Mikey!"

"Casey!" Came the muffled reply from behind the closed door.

Both Leo and April rolled their eyes. Don shook his head.

"W-weirdo." He said, chuckling a bit.

"What's up, Donnie?" Casey turned to look at him, clapping him on the back of his shell.

"S-same old, C-C-Casey." He said quietly, then ducked his head and walked away from them.

Casey looked at April and shrugged helplessly.

She patted his arm gently, then turned back to the stove.

April was stirring the gravy thoughtfully, when Mike bounded into the kitchen. He took a deep breath in, then smiled.

"I feel sooo much better!" He grabbed her, spinning her around the room. She laughed at him as he continued. "And it smells so good in here. I'm starved!"

"You seem happy to eat, Mikey." She giggled.

"I'm happy to be out of the lair." He grinned.

"I bet." She said. "It's been awhile."

"You're telling me." He said. "I think if we were stuck in there anymore by ourselves, well… someone wasn't coming back out."

"My food is gonna burn, Mikey." She slipped out of his grasp and went to the stove. She was silent for a few moments before speaking again. "Are things that bad?" She asked.

He shrugged, sitting down at the table. "Well…" He paused. "Yeah." He held his palms up. "I mean, all Raph and Leo do is fight…" He grinned. "Not like it wasn't like that before… It's just… different now. Don is getting more and more… stand-offish. He's always in his room, and if he is in the room with us, well… it's like he really isn't. Ya know?"

He thumped his hand on his plastron. "His shell's gettin' even more thick, ya know?"

She nodded, looking back to the pot she was stirring. It was silent for another minute.

"He's afraid to do anything, April." Mike admitted quietly. She looked at him, leaning on the counter and wiping her hands on a towel. "How do you mean?"

"Like… getting him here." Mike said. "Was a huge deal. He doesn't wanna leave the lair, leave his room."

"He didn't wanna come?" She frowned deeply.

"Oh, he did." Mike said quickly, but her frown increased. "He just…" Mike shrugged. "I dunno. He just… like he gave up or something, April."

She bit her nail quietly.

Raph entered the room, grumbling quietly. He stopped, taking a look at the two of them, then walked to the cupboard. "We're just, uh… gonna set the table." He said, backing out of the room, balancing a stack of plates that usually would have caused April to gasp. He threw Mike a look before leaving the room.

"It shouldn't have happened." April said finally. Mike looked at her.

"You should have never have left this happen… How could you let this happen?" She got out, her eyes welling up. "How could I?" She sank to the ground, her hands covering her face, tears streaming through her fingers.

He jumped from the table, kneeling next to her. He reached for her, but she put her hand up to keep him at bay.

"April…" He said helplessly. But her sobs couldn't stop; they were too long held at bay.

Soon, Leo peeked his head in, followed by Casey and Raph. Leo ran into the room, kneeling next to her also. "What happened?" He asked, a hand on her shoulder, looking at Mike, worried. Mike could only shrug his shoulders, biting his lip.

Casey moved in. "She's needed this for a long time." He said, almost sadly. Raph handed her a dishcloth.

"I… just don't know what to do." She sobbed, looking up at them finally. Her words slurred together as she cried. "Like all I can do is worry… and that doesn't do anything."

Mike looked at Raph helplessly.

She put her face into the dishcloth again. "And now I've gone and ruined dinner." She sobbed into it.

Don leaned his head on the doorframe, her words piercing into him. Every sob was like a dagger through him.

"It's not ruined, April." Mike jumped up, turning off the stove. "Look! It's not even burned."

She only sobbed harder. Leo stood, crossing his arms. Casey threw him a look.

And suddenly, Don was there, pushing past them all to take her into his arms, leaning with her. Her arms wrapped around him tightly, hands gripping his shoulders. He leaned his head against her hard, cupping the back of her head in his hand, the other around her back.

"D-Don't cry." He whispered to her, pressing his mouth against her ear. "P-ple-ease."

She shook her head against him. "I can't." She got out.

"You have to." He breathed. "Or I w-won't be able t-to." And then she felt the tears falling from him, onto her. "I can't eat now." She whispered.

"You're beautiful." He said back.

"Oh, Don…" She said, then cut off.

"Come on." Raph tugged at Casey and Leo. "They'll be okay. Let's get that table set…"

After the others left, April let out another small sob. "I'm so embarrassed." She said quietly.

"W-why?"

"Because I shouldn't do this… this was to be a nice dinner."

"Th-things happen." He said quietly.

"Yeah, they do." She agreed softly.

He leaned down, kissing her forehead. "C-come on… let's g-go. I'm s-s-starved."

She nodded, slightly taken aback at his sudden change of subject, buttook his offered hand to help her up.

Raph walked onto the roof of April's building, breathing in deeply. "Nice night." He walked towards the shadowed figure leaning on the edge.

Don stood up a bit more. "Yeah." He nodded. "I g-guess s-so."

Raph leaned next to him, looking out over the city. "Whatcha thinkin' about, Donnie?" He looked back at him. "Yer not one for ledges. At least," He looked back out at the lights below. "You never used to be."

"I n-never used to th-think a lot of th-things." Don said, looking down.

"Yeah, I was wonderin' about that." Raph said quietly. "You still thinkin' like that?"

"Not as m-much." Don admitted. Raph nodded. "Something changin' yer mind?"

Don shrugged. "M-maybe… Sometimes."

Raph nodded. "I hear that, Donnie. I hear that." He slung an arm over Don's shoulders, pulling him over to him. He said nothing, but his brow furrowed with thought. He wouldn't press the issue.

Well, not tonight.