A/N: Believe it or not folks, but I finally finished another chapter. (yay!) Gads I can't believe it took me this long to do it, but I was having a shell of a time getting it to come out right and not so complicated. Hopefully I've accomplish that.


Chapter Thirteen

'This thing all things devours: birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; grind hard stone to meal; slays kings, ruins towns, and beats high mountain down.'Anyone who knows this age old riddle wouldsay that the answer istime.But what's to really know about time, other that it's just as complicated as the riddle itself?Well it has no feelings so it can'tcryand it can't mourn, in fact it wouldn't even bat an eye at whatever happens during it. Alien invasion,nemesis banished, andinner demons conquered are all irrelevant to this thing calledtime. And if stuff like that won't maketime stop to care, whatwouldsomething else just as affectivekeep it from moving on?

Speaking of moving on, that what the turtles had to do when their lair was destroyed by Karai. At first they didn't dare come back to the Elentyan lair or any other part of the downtown Manhattan in case it was still under Footsurveillance. But after a good while later the turtles believed it was safe enough to venture back and see what they could salvage for their new place at the old pumping station over in Central Park.

It wassearching through all the wreckage that Michelangelo happened to unbury a box filled with what used to be tapes; all crushed and covers torn. About to write the box off as just junkhe spotted two names written on the side of it, Marcus and Cherise. Seeing those names made the young turtle give want to rummaging through the box, even though he knew there was nothing usable with in it.However he didn't know why he wanted to; maybe it was out of nostalgia. But whatever it was that made him do it, it was going through the box that had him come across a folded piece of paper. Cocking an eyebrow the young turtle brought the paper out and unfolded it to find it was a note written on hospital notepaper.

'My friends,
Please forgive me for saying good-bye like this. Really I would have wanted to do it in person, but I think that if I did that I'd never have the strength to leave. I'm sorry this is the way, but please understand that I feel the need to get through this on my own…work this all out using my own inner strength. It will be hard…and if you were to offer support, help, I would have gladly accepted. But you all have done so much for me already that I couldn't bring myself to burden you further. I mean you took me into your home, cured my fever, and fed me. Then you help me find my dad and sat with me while he was... Thank you, thank you for everything. Someday I'll send word or better yet I'll call so we can meet up again and you can see how things are. I promise.
Signed with love, Cherise.'

Once more a depressing sigh came from the young turtle's lips as he remembered some things from his past. 'He was woken up from an strange dream dealing with a pool full of popcorn and a model, whose name he couldn't place, by a fight going on outside his room. Interested in what the fight (that was happening at near four in the morning) was about, yet not wanting to be caught ease-dropping, stuck his ear to the door.

Leonardo's authorize voice was immediately recognized. "You should call Casey. He can go check on her."

"Can't." Donatello's voice answered. "She's got his cell."

"I know, I'll call April." Raphael's voice said.

Just as Michelangelo was about to remember going out of his room to question his brothers, a hand came down onto his shoulder. It was Leonardo and he was quite miffed that his youngest brother let himself get distracted from the task at hand. "What are you doing?" He asked sternly.

"I found this." Michelangelo showed his elder brother the note.

Leonardo's eyes lower as he looked at the small piece of paper. "Oh…yeah." This got him to remember that night. 'There was banging, non-stop, on a door before it was slammed open. After hearing muffled squabbling for a few minutes,he decided he had to get out of his nice warm bed and solve whatever was going on outside his room.

As he opened his door he heard his brother with the unmistakable Brooklyn accent. "I'm tellin' ya, sumpthin' happen ta whats-his-name."

"Marcus?" Donatello questioned. "What?"

"I dunno." Raphael replied. "Dat's why I need ta know whose cell she's got. So I can call her up again."

"If something major is going down over there, she's not going to answer." Donatello pointed out.

"Well what do you suggest we do?"

It was when Leonardo was going out of his room to find out what was the matter that his reminiscence got interrupted by his youngest brother. "It's been no word from her for so long. You'd thinking that she would have written or called by now."

"She's got a painful time to work through." Leonardo reminded. "And she never did give us a deadline on when she would ever call, so we have to be patient and wait for her to make the first move."

Michelangelo nodded slowly. "I know, it just that I wish I knew how she was handling herself."

"Cherise is tough." Leonardo replied. "I'm sure things are going just fine."

Coming out of what use to be his room, Raphael saw his brother talking and went over to find out about what. "What ya got der guys?" He asked when he saw that Michelangelo was holding something. The orange clad responded by showing his brotherthe note and the red clad turtle gave a snort. "Ya know I was just startin' ta ferget her. Thanks a lot for da reminder."

Michelangelo was surprised bythe reaction "What's your problem?" He questioned heatedly. "Don't you care?"

"Da past should just stay where it belongs, in da past." Raphael retorted. "No sense unburyin' it."

"Why don't you just admit that you miss her as much as the rest of us?" Donatello joshed while looking up from the remains of his lab.

"Cause I don't." Raphael snapped.

"What rubbing your shell the wrong way?" Michelangelo questioned.

"Ya wanna know?" Raphael asked rhetorically. "It's cause she didn't have da decency ta tell us she was leavin' or dat she was even thinkin' about it. She just left."

"It's not like she really could you know." Michelangelo replied. "I mean with all that was going on, where would she have found the time?"

"She could have made da time." Raphael answered angrily. "And if she really cared, she woulda." With a grunt the red clad turtle folded his arms across his chest. "Now are we done? Can we go?Cause I don't wanna hang around here any longer den we have ta, cause I still have a feelin' dat da Foot might actually still be around."

"I suppose we should." Leonardo replied. "It doesn't look like there's much we could salvage from here anyway."

On the way back home Michelangelo gave Donatello a nudge. "Say, you have a good memory. Do you remember that night? The night Cherise called."

Donatello nodded in reply. He remembered the night alright, remembered it as if it were yesterday. In fact, if his calculations were right, that night would have been yesterday…two years ago. 'The banging on his door was thunderous; not to mention annoying. At first he tried to block it out in hopes that whoever it was would give up and go away. Sadly the knocking was too loud to ignore, which meant if he had better go answer if he wanted to get anymore sleep. However, whenhe had just barely touched the doorknob, he got 'help' from his brother. "You know, I was perfect capable of open my own door." The young turtle said miffedly, due to the fact that he almost got smacked in the beak by his own door. "What do you want?"

"Which cell did ya give Chrissy?" Raphael asked anxiously.

"You woke me up for that?" Donatello questioned crossly. "I'm going back to bed." He went to close his door, but was stopped.

"It's important." Raphael said sternly while holding the door open. "Sumpthin' happened down at da hospital."

"How do you know?"

"She called and was talkin' ta me when suddenly she started yellin'. I asked what was da matter, but she wouldn't tell me."

"Why was she calling you?"

"I don't know. She claims dat she was just pushin' buttons and got me, but I think it's sumpthin' else."

Donatello eyed his brother. "Or so you want it to be." He said slyly and it made Raphael's face fluster.' The tech-knowing turtle's remising was broken thereby a surprise guest standing at the entrance of the lair.

It was Casey with huge grin on his face practically going from ear to ear. "Ya'll never guess who called?"

"Oh, I know." Michelangelo piped. "It was the zoo. They want you stop hitting on the female apes. Right?"

Casey raised a hand, threatening to smack the orange clad turtle and then dropped it. "Fer yer information, it was Cherise."

Michelangelo eyes shot wide open. "Really?" He wrapped an arm around his human friend. "Casey, old buddy. How's it going?"

The dark haired man rolled his eyes. "Oh now dat I have sumpthin' ya want, ya treat me nice."

"So how is she doing?" Donatello questioned. "Everything alright now?"

"She sounded ok." Casey replied. "But we can find out how she's doin' when we all go ta visit her up at my grandma's house.

"How did you decided on meeting there?" Leonardo asked.

"She and I figure it was a good place, cause it would be easy fer her ta get der." Casey explained. "I mean she's already up dat way anyway."

Master Splinter came up to the group. "Is there a time at which we are to all meet?"

"She says ta let her know when we get der." Casey answered. "I figure if we leave soon we can make it ta grandma's by evenin' and probably see her da next day."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Michelangelo exclaimed. "Let's go already."

Raphael wasn't in as big as hurry. "Why did she call ya and not one of us?"

"Does it really matter?" Donatello inquired.

"Yes." Raphael replied while eyeing his human friend.

Casey rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well she did asked me ta apologize fer not callin' ya personally, cause sumpthin' happen ta da cell she had. At some point she was made ta drop it and it broke. Bein' as she didn't know how ta contact any of ya without it, she looked up April's business in da phonebook and called her. I happen ta have been with April when Cherise called, so I was able ta take it. If I wasn't der I'm sure dat April woulda been da one down here tellin' ya da great new."

"Speaking of April, where is she?" Leonardo asked curiously.

"She up in her van." Casey answered. "We're just as anxious ta see how Cherise was doin'. So we got a bunch of stuff tagether and now we're just waitin' on ya."

"Then let us not waste any time." Master Splinter said

Quickly everyone did what they needed in order be ready for the long ride; including going to the bathroom and having something to read/do during the drive. However not everyone was eager about leaving. "Hey Raph, ya ain't moved yet." Casey stated when he saw his friend still standing where he was. "Ain't ya need ta get anythin'?"

"I…I don't think I wanna go." Raphael replied quietly.

"What!" Casey semi-bellowed. "What do ya mean ya don't wanna go? Ain't ya wonderin' about Chrissie?" The red clad turtle made no attempt to answer. "Don't tell me dat yer still mad about how she left."

"And why not?" Raphael snapped. "Don't ya think we deserved sumpthin' better den a stupid letter? Wait, it wasn't even a letter, it was a note."

"Well she musta had a good reason as ta leavin' like she did." Casey told his friend.

"Sure." Raphael spat. "Cause if she said goodbye ta our faces she might not have been able ta leave and blah, blah, blah." He gave a snort. "As far as I'm concern, dat's all bull hockey."

"Well maybe der was more ta it den dat." Casey replied. "But how are ya gonna know if ya don't come and ask her ta her face?"

Raphael thought about the question for a moment before answering. "Suppose yer right." He sighed. "Guess it wouldn't hurt ta confront her and get some fricken answers."

Above ground…

April sat in the passenger seat of her van with arms crossed and were rapping a set of fingers impatiently as she wondered what was taking everybody. "'Bout time." She scolded when the turtles, Splinter, and Casey finally showed up. "With the way you all were taking your time, I thought you decided not to go."

Everyoneexcept Raphael apologized as they got into the van. "Almost didn't wanna." He said, but was drowned out by the engine turning over and being revved up.

The drive out was always long and boring, so April leaned back in her seat to take a nap. As her eyes slowly closed she started to drift. During her drifting was when she began to remember that one particular night. 'She was woken from her peaceful slumber by the ringing of her cell. She snatched it up, quite angry that one of her turtle friends decided they needed to call her at such an hour, to give the caller a piece of her mind. "Have you any…"

However she was interrupted. "Ape, ya have ta get a hold of Case." Raphael said sternly.

"Me! What don't you call him yourself?"

"Cause she has his cell."

"Why do you need to call him anyway?"

"Something happened down at the hospital and Casey is the only who can go find out what."

"Alright." April sighed before hanging up the cell. She didn't see what the big deal was about checking up on Cherise now instead of later. Sure the kid's father was in the hospital, but whatbad thing could have possibly happen? Perhaps it was the crankiness talking.' April fell asleep just as she remembered kicking Casey out of her bed.

Sometime later…

The long drive down to his grandmother's place was pretty tiring, so the first thing Casey did once they go there was collapse onto the couch for a quick cat nap. With an arm over his eyes he began to remember that night, which felt so long ago and thateveryone else seem to be secretly remember. 'After finding himself on the floor,he got up with a groan and looked at April. "Whatchya go and do da fer?"

"Raph called, wants you to go down and check on Cherise."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Just said something happen down at the hospital."

"How does he know sumpthin' happen?"

"She called him I guess."

Casey put a finger to his chin. "If sumpthin' goin' down, I wonder why she called him and not me." Then he snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah, she pinched my cell." Letting out a yawn, the young man gathered up his clothes. "Ya wanna come with me?"

April shook her head. "I really don't like hospitals. Not since my dad had to go when he…"

Casey put up a hand. "Say no more babe, I understand."

"Don't call me babe." April said as she gave Casey a slight boot in the rear while hebent over to pull up his pants.

With a smirk Casey pulled on his shirt. "Yer wish is my command." The young man said whilesmoothing down his hair. "Guess I'm outta here, see ya when I get back." He raised a hand as he walked out the door, then he went down to his motorcycle and drove off.

Once at the hospital, Casey had to wait for the security guard to find out if it was alright for him to go up to Marcus's room. However the guard was having a tough time getting a hold of the room. In the end the guard had to have someone sit up front while he took Caseyto the floor the room was on and the dark haired man was able to go to the room itself on his own when the guard was able to take to the head nurse that was on that floor.

Just as he was about totouchthe doorknob to the room where the man with the tubes was,doorwas opened from the other side by Cherise. Her eyes were red from crying, yet she was happy to see Casey. "Oh uncle." Shesighed while put her arms around hiswaist and her face into his chest.

Casey gulped. "Is he…?"

"Yes." Cherise whispered.

Suddenly Casey was jolted awake by the slamming of the front door. "Wha!" He sat up so quickly that his head spun.

"My apologies Mr. Jones." Master Splinter said. "I didn't mean to wake you." He set down a bag that he had gone out to fetch.

"Dat's alright." Casey answered as he got up off the couch. "I was gonna get up anyway ta give Cherise a call." He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket that had a number on it.

"Oh, let me do it." Michelangelo squealed as he snatched the paper from the young man. Then he pulled out his Shell Cell and dialed the number up.

Cherise's voice seemed to almost sing over the phone. "Hello?"

"Whassssup?" Michelangelo said jokingly.

"Michael?"

"You bet. And guess what? We're heeere."

"Really! That's great! Oh I can't wait to see you guys."

"Us either. We wanna know how ya doin' and how things are goin' for ya."

"Well things are going fine, but I'll give you a more when we meet up."

"Which will be tomorrow."

"Sounds great. See ya then."


A/N2: Well for anyone who guessed that it was Raph that Cherise called, you were right. (I was actually suprise at how many people thought it was him.) Well I know I've said this before, but I actually think that the next chapter might be the one to end it all.

At first I really thought it was going to be this one, however it would have been too long if I tried. I hope it wasn't to complicated though.

Thanks for reading.