Angel: I just wanna make this clear, because I got asked about this while I was still gone and on hiatus for a while ^^' Amy's mother is not abusing her. Capgras can be frustrating for the affected and the people dealing with it. Seeing someone who is an imposter to you can cause anxiety and changes in their behavior. In some cases, a person can be violent towards the 'imposter', and it's said that people with it may never recover. Amy's mom...is one of those cases where she gets violent and might never get better.

I don't think it's abuse if it's because of a condition that is real, and I recommend that you guys actually look up capgras to understand it better.

Also, this is just for future reference cuz I feel like this will come up again, but those of you who still ask me about the TMNT stuff I haven't done, I'm not going to do them, and I still won't. The 80s show has an obvious reason: I don't like it for one, and I have no time to dedicate to it. And for the 90s movie trilogy: Never watched em cuz I'm a late 90s kid to begin with and I wasn't even remotely interested in TMNT as a whole until the 2012 show premiered. I wasn't even writing fanfics back then XD So to those reviewers who ask me to write certain TMNT things I haven't done, now you know why.

And to those who ask about Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart or even mention it to me, I have too much on my plate with my stories, and I don't even watch the show that often. Whenever I'm not writing, I'm either in class, doing class work or tests, or I'm at work nowadays. (I know that it might seem like I'm overreacting, but I'm getting tired and annoyed with this now.)

So please stop talking about these three shows to me on my stories, because I've already discussed them, multiple times, and it's frustrating that I have to talk about this when I've brought these topics up before, and I don't wanna see those requests anymore please. If the review has something to do with this story, then just write about the episode, but please not about stuff in this franchise I haven't done. I'm going to legit lose my sanity at this point if I have to talk about this stuff again…more than I already have trying to figure out why I never saw this and the next episode air on Nickelodeon XD

Sorry about the unplanned hiatus, I didn't think Nick would do that so soon after airing only four new episodes. However...this is October, and the season is supposed to end this year. That doesn't exactly amount to a lot of time left if we get another hiatus before the year ends.

So, apparently they've moved the show to Nicktoons only now, because it's no longer listed underneath Nick programming. But I don't have Nicktoons, so now I have to wait for episodes to be online…and for the Nick app, my provider isn't listed on there for me to use it. -_- Why?!

Amy is wearing a brown peabody coat around her when she arrives, her shoes being brown cowboy boots. Her hair is in two curled pigtails resting over her shoulders, the ends stopping at her waist. She removes her jacket, revealing a cream colored dress with black tiny polka dots decorating it, a brown belt around her waist. White sheer fabric covers her upper body. A blue locket in the shape of a heart rests on her chest. However, her eyes look tired. The turtles turn around and everyone but Leo notices how exhausted she looks. That's because he's too busy looking at her outfit.

"Fabu!" Donnie calls out to her.

"What's wrong with you?" Raph tilts his head in confusion, pointing to his eye.

"I couldn't sleep," She simply says as she puts her jacket down.

"And why is that?" Mikey looks at her straight in the eye, seeing her eye bags. "You better not be aging faster than we are, missy!"

Amy pushes him away slightly. "I just couldn't, okay? I couldn't even work today. My eyes are too droopy for me to pay attention," She rubs her face with an exasperated sigh. "I need a coffee..."

"You have a coffee maker," Donnie states bluntly.

"Not after it broke, I don't," She retorts back.

"My sons," Splinter peeks into the area. "I am officially giving you a day off so that I can watch my shows!"

The four cheer and the softshell eyes her sapphire locket...for a September birthday. And suddenly he feels like he's about to soil himself out of fear.

Because it's October.

Oh.

My.

Peaches.

And.

Cream.

"Heh," Donnie chuckles nervously at the teenager, who raises a brow of him. "Good brethren, would you please follow me to the arcade?"

"Why?" Raph asks cluelessly, but Donnie just pulls them away, Amy staring at them in confusion. Then she shrugs it off, thinking it must be a boy or turtle thing. Once Donnie has gotten them inside, he crosses his arms, clearing his throat.

"Did you notice Mia's locket?"

"What? That sapphire around her neck?" Leo tilts his head, gesturing to his neck.

"Yes. What month is associated for a sapphire birthstone?"

The three think about it for a few seconds, but have no answer. Donnie facepalms and shows them a birthstone chart. And once they notice the sapphire picture, they sweat nervously, looking towards Amy again, who seems indifferent, swinging her legs back and forth slowly.

"We missed her birthday?!" Mikey asks in a panic.

"She didn't tell us it was ever her birthday!" Raph frowns, Leo glancing around nervously. He was probably in the most trouble out of all of them. How the shell did he not know his own lady's birthday?! What is wrong with him?

"Isn't she Latina? That means she didn't have a Quinceanera!" Donnie holds his head in realization.

"Okay, so now we have to give Mellie the best day ever!" Raph pumps a fist. "And do not let her know what we're doing!"

His brothers give him a thumbs up. Leo runs up to Amy, sneaking behind her.

"Leo, we agreed. Never in the lair," Amy whispers as he rubs her shoulders.

"Come on, just once, dove. I need iiiiit. And so do you."

Amy glances around to see that no one is paying attention. She thinks that she could use some too, but it would have to be discreet. "Okay, but only five minutes."

"Five minutes is all I'll need."

He grabs her bridal style and jumps to his room without anyone seeing. As soon as they enter his room, Leo leans in, interlocking her lips with his. She wraps his arms around his neck while his go around her waist frantically. As the kiss continues, his tongue presses against her lips, asking for permission. Amy accepts and the kiss gets extremely deep. He parts himself from her, leaving a string of saliva. He plants his face into his collarbone, kissing and nibbling her neck. She can't help but let out a quiet moan, looking towards the entrance. A semi-deep sound emits from Leo, both of them falling backwards onto the bed.

He lifts his head as their eyes meet, panting lightly. His hands are still secured around his waist, looking into her emerald green eyes.

So many thoughts are in her head as he regains his composure. "Best makeout I've ever had," He hums as she laughs, sitting up.

"I hope it was worth it, then, because our rule still applies, Leo. We can't let the others know that we're doing stuff like this."

"Can't we break it once in a while?" He grins at her widely, leaning in towards her.

"Maybe, in the rare occasion that I say yes."

"I'll take my chances if it's anything like this," He kisses her forehead and she jumps off his bed, both of them walking out of his room.

"Where were you two?" Raph raises an eyebrow. Amy almost never goes into Leo's room unless it was serious.

"I was...going over a new menu for the bakery!" Amy says immediately.

"...And you wanted Leo's opinion?" Donnie asks slowly.

"Hey, I'm an unofficial taste tester. I have rights too!" Leo crosses his arms, slightly offended.

"Anyway, what I do in here shouldn't warrant an explanation," Amy rolls her eyes and Raph holds up his large hands in defense.

"Okay, okay. Fair enough." He omits all suspicion.

"Good."

When she walks past him to the arcade, she glances back at Leo and the two wink at each other.

"Wait! We, uh...have plans for today!" Raph stammers nervously, causing her to raise a brow.

"Like what?"

"We are...going on a stroll through the sewers...on the water!" Donnie says slowly.

"As in sailing through sewer water?" It wasn't the most absurd thing she's heard...she shrugs at them. "Okay...I think I still have a bathing suit somewhere in the spare room. I'll go and get it."

When she walks off, Leo, Mikey, and Raph whip around to Donnie. "A lazy day in the sewers? Really?!"

"What? At least she didn't turn it down!"


A rat crawls around on the pipes while Raph walks around. He's panicking as he looks at his phone. "All alone," He chuckles nervously. "Where are my brothers and Mellie? They said they'd be here!" He waves his phone around looking for a signal, whimpering. He climbs up a ladder, waving the phone upwards towards the surface.

"Uh oh," Mikey comments nervously, placing his hands on his hips. "Donnie forgot to text Raph we were running late."

Donnie just chuckles, shaking his head. "Oh, sweet sweet Angelo. How soon would you forget that today I'm on vacation. Hence my four-shorts," He shows his glistening purple swim shorts. "The international sign for I am not a useful member of society."

"We left the guy alone for five minutes, and we told him we had to find tubes," Leo looks up at their brother as he hasn't noticed them yet, still freaking out.

"This is a job for Dr. Delicate Touch," Mikey pushes past the two. He clears his throat. "...GET YOUR MIND RIGHT, SON!"

He shrieks, falling off the ladder and into the sewer water. Mikey cannonballs into the water as well, splashing his older brother. He takes a deep breath.

"What took so long?!" Raph throws his phone at Mikey's head. "You know Raph gets weird...when I'm let alone."

"Relax," Leo tells him, "Did you get a tube?"

Raph holds up a giant tube, throwing it in front of him.

"Whoa!" Mikey and Leo comment in awe, but Donnie is skeptical.

"Where did you get that?" He demands, Raph's face turning dumb. He stole it from the Turtle Tank, which was being held by concrete bricks...until they fell.

"U-Uh," He stammers, playing dumb, "I-I borrowed it from...Splinter."

"Splinter, who only owns robes and a shady past, let you-"

Leo simply places his tube around him to shut him up. "Where's Mellie?"

"She had to go change into her bathing suit," Mikey tells him.

Raph growls a little impatiently. "Where is she? How long does it take to put on a bath-"

All of them stop talking as Amy stands in front of them, wearing a two-piece coral pink bikini designed with white Hawaiian flowers. The bottom is tied with one bow on each side of her waist. The top is tied with a bow over the back of her neck. She keeps the pigtail style she had on before, along with the locket she was wearing. Other than that, everything else was showing.

"I'm ready," She announces, holding a tote bag over her shoulder, holding her tube in her other hand. However, it's a pink tube with an inflated back to act as a recliner of sorts. They just stare at her because they've never seen her wear...that. "Um, you guys are staring."

They're silent as they don't even blink and she sighs, clapping her hands in front of their faces. The four recoil back while stammering.

"We're not staring," Raph speaks up first. "We're just admiring you—I mean, appreciating the view—I mean-"

"We...like how bare—hot—is it hot in here?" Donnie tugs at his collar.

"Pretty..." Mikey just murmurs at her. Leo notices this and steps up to Amy, leading her away.

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

Once they're out of earshot from the others, he whips around to her. "Are you crazy?! You can't go with us looking like...that!"

"Why not?" She crosses her arms, giving him a look.

"Wh-why not? That's why not!" Leo gestures to his brothers. "My brothers weren't being perverts until you decided to put this on!"

"They are not being perverts," Amy rolls her eyes.

"Oh really? Donnie said you were hot. Donnie!"

"You need to stop acting jealous and get over it," She points a finger into his chest. "They can control themselves, and this was the only thing I had in the spare room. Even if they tried anything, they know that I would kick their asses if any of them even touched me. And guess what, since you looked, that technically makes you a pervert too."

"At least I'm allowed to look at you!" Leo gestures to her. "But my brothers aren't the one going out with you, I am! Why should they get to see the goods?"

She gives him a deadpan look that says 'Really? We're really having this conversation now?' "Let's go."

Amy walks off, causing him to huff. He's gonna keep a close eye on his brothers just in case...

Donnie jumps into the water, Amy throwing her tube onto it. "Let me help you, my lady!" Leo declares, winking at the others to let them know that the special treatment starts.

"No, I'm really okay just-"

Leo scoops her up into her arms, causing her to yelp. He places her in her tube. "Tube time!" Raph declares, pushing Amy forward. Mikey pulls Donnie along and they simply float down the sewer water.

"Okay, lady and men. New York's sewers are a dangerous and complex labyrinth," Donnie starts off.

"Full of creatures and games and rides?!" Mikey asks excitedly. "This is gonna be amazing!"

"What? No!" Donnie tells him, causing the younger turtle to give a dejected look. "Where do you think we are? Just take every left turn to stay on the lazy river, capisce?"

"Whatever Donnie," Raph comments as Mikey starts fanning Amy with a large leaf. "Mad Dogs, ahoy!"

"Okay, now it's appropriate," Amy chimes in, pushing away the leaf gently. "And stop fanning me."

"Grapes, then?" Raph holds out a bushel of grapes.

"No thanks, and why do you-"

He shoves a grape into her mouth, to her confusion. She sighs, placing her sunglasses that she usually wears over her eyes.

"Ain't this the life, guys?" Leo asks, right leg over his left. "A day off from Splinter's training to kick back and bask in the luxury of-"

"Dunkaroo!" Raph suddenly exclaims, crashing into his brothers. The three turtles gasp once they reach surface, Leo harshly coughing.

"You guys alive?" Amy asks, looking around at all of them.

"Ugh...can't you guys just do a sports pass with that smelly ball or something?" Donnie asks bitterly.

"Who you calling smelly? Laceface has been part of this family longer than you," Raph snuggles a football with a red mask over it. "Now, let's run the midnight special, boys! But first-" He places a mirror in front of Amy so that she could tan. Donnie hands her a pineapple drink, Mikey places a crown over her head, and Leo gives her a small cupcake. "Refreshments and a snack for the lady."

"Umm, why?" Amy lifts up her sunglasses in confusion.

"No reason!" Leo grins widely at her. She places one leg over the other, still confused as she watches Raph throw the ball up into the air. It spins around and Mikey jumps into the air.

"Look alive, Leo!" He kicks the ball over to Leo. It rolls on his arms.

"And trick passing!" He spins the ball around without using his hands, throwing it next to Donnie. He thrusts up his arms in a weird position.

"Sports!"

"I got it, I got it!" Raph dives and catches the ball. "Yeah!" He lands in the water, his brothers cheering. Amy couldn't help but clap a little. Raph surfaces, holding up the ball...but then he ends up turning right. "Uh oh."

He suddenly disappears, Mikey pushing past the other two. "Our football!"

Amy lightly slaps his arm, Leo and Donnie staring at him. "Oh, and Raph!"

The four suddenly fall, going left. They end up in a slide, spinning around. The turtles cheer, then scream at least three times. Then they see Raph again, holding onto his tire.

"Guys! Don't leave me alooooooooone!"

"We'll find you, Raph!" Leo calls out as they slide shoots them out into a puddle of sewer water. Amy grips her tube, landing safely without getting her bathing suit wet. Somehow, all of the things the turtles gave her land in their respective positions. Leo surfaces, shuddering a little. "Raph is all alone. Guys, we need to-"

"Go down that slide again?" Mikey interrupts, to Leo's ire.

"Yes, agreed. Raph will make it home eventually, I'm sure," Donnie chimes in.

"Are you hearing yourselves?" Amy looks at both of them.

"No!" Leo shouts at his brothers. "Raph's our brother-"

"Then why doesn't he have Splinter's roughed good looks like we do?" Mikey asks, showing his face. Leo places his tube over him, sending Mikey into the water.

"You know how savage Raph gets when he's alone. He'll totally lose it if we don't find him fast. Clock's ticking," Leo points to his arm.

"But it's my day off-"

"DONNIE, I WILL DESTROY YOU!" Amy points to him threateningly, egging him on to finish that sentence.

"Okay, okay," Donnie backs up a bit, a bit scared, "But just so we're clear, today is my day off. Respect the four-shorts, bros."

"Okay, cool," Leo glances at Amy, silently rolling his eyes. "Now we need to get back up that tunnel to where we lost him."

"You guys gotta try this!" Mikey waves his hand, taking a breath and sinking into the water.


Raph falls out a pipe, screaming. He manages to hang onto something while holding his tire and the football. "Tire...and Laceface, we just need to...pull ourselves up and-" He notices that both items are gone, falling out of reach. "Tire!" Tears are in his eyes. "Laceface! My emotional crutches!"

He climbs up to a platform, ending up in an unknown part of the sewers. "Okay Raph, you're a little lost, a bit scared...and very alone." Whenever he's alone for too long, he goes crazy and ends up being weird...

He takes a deep breath, holding his head as he tries to rationalize his thoughts. After a few seconds, he manages to calm himself down...

"TIME TO PANIC!"

He uncontrollably starts punching things. "I'm panicking, panicking, panicking!"

After a few more seconds, he lets out a sigh of relief. "Glad I kept that part under control."

He actually didn't as he sees all the damage he's caused to several pipes. "Whoopsie daisy..." He's also damaged the Lower East Side Main Valve, and it bursts open.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa," Leo says as they're walking through a tunnel. "You guys hear that?"

A giant wave appears behind them, sending the four down a pipe. They bump their heads at corners, groaning. Raph hears it and stops walking.

"Guys? Is that you? Where are you? Don't lose it, Raph!" He takes another deep breath. "Please..."

"Hey Ben," Two shadows are watching the lone turtle from above. "Look. It's that red guy!"

"Oh ho ho," Ben chortles as he joins his brother. "It's one of those turtle jerks that we hate for, you know, reasons I can't remember. Let's eat him!"

"Ugh!" Carl gives a sound of disgust. "Do you know how much trouble turtle is to eat? You gotta crack the shell, you gotta drain the goo, you gotta scoop out the eyeballs so he can't see you eating him, plus...it's not even that much meat. Uh, no thanks. Hard pass."

"Okay, what if I told you there's a shortcut? I heard that if you scare the biggest, they just pop right out of their shell!"

"And they just, what, like jump into your belly?" Carl asks in shock.

"Yes! Well, actually, full disclosure, I don't know. But, let's find out!"

They move away from their hiding spots. Underneath the tunnel Raphi s walking through, the others are in pain from the pipe they went through. Donnie puts ice into his pineapple drink, placing in a straw and drinking happily.

"Uh..." Leo has a giant bruise above his head, also missing a tooth. "Where did you get that?"

"Today's vibes were supposed to be chill, so I went ahead and equipped my battle shell with some refreshment."

"Just one, Donald?" Mikey looks at him in disapproval, a bandage on top of his head.

"And ice. I'm not an animal," Donnie retorts back.

"Then give us ice for our horrible mangled bodies!" Leo narrows his eyes at him. Something whirrs in Donnie's shell.

"They melted," He simply takes a sip out of his drink. "Mm, perfect."

"Sure," Amy comes around and stands in front of Donnie's shell.

"Wait, what are you do-"

She rips off his shirt, lifting up his battle shell and taking out a bucket of ice, along with two little baggies.

"Liar!" Leo points to Donnie, who glares at Amy.

"Hey, get out of my-"

She quickly puts some ice in some baggies, placing the bucket back and slamming his shell shut. Then she throws one each to the two.

"Traitor," Donnie narrows his eyes.

"You have to be fair," She crosses her arms at him.

"Donnie, don't you remember what's happening today?" Leo hisses at his brother, causing his eyes to widen.

"I mean, take all the drinks you want!" He hands Amy his drink, and she raises a brow. Okay, so now her suspicions are confirmed that they're definitely acting weird...

"Guys, I think something horrible happened here!" Mikey points forward, falling into the water. They look to see the busted pipes and walls, some of them spilling water.

"Respect the shorts, please. It is my day off. But, if I was able to do some analysis, I'd tell you that-"

"Raph was here," Leo interrupts him.

"Let's not jump to conclusions there, Leon."

He simply jerks a thumb to a wall, where giant graffiti is on it: 'Raph WHZ."

"Maybe this Raph's seen our Raph," Mikey gestures to the wall.

"No Mikey," Amy facepalms at him.

"We better hurry," Leo narrows his eyes in determination.


Raph is now walking across a bridge. "Alone...must find...my-"

Ben and Carl suddenly land in front of him, slightly covered in sludge. He lets out a scream. "Sewer monsters!"

"Yeah!" Ben decides to play along. "We're sewer monsters!"

"And we're gonna pop you outta that shell, and eat you whole. From face to toenails," Carl grins wickedly.

"And you will live in our monster bellies...alone, forever!"

"Raph...forever..." He murmurs, glancing between the two of them. "Alone...?" His brain literally breaks into two and he glows red, letting out a scream. He punches both of the Sando Brothers onto the bridge. They look up as he pants wildly, stomping on the bridge.

"Savage Raph hates sewer monsters!" He jumps up into the air, both the brothers screaming in terror as they hug each other. Raph slams them on the head with his fists, punches them right in the face, and sends them flying.

"Make him stop!"

"I'm not as smart as I pretend to be!"

The others land in front of the bridge, seeing all the damage. "Someone could get really hurt on this...let's see how far it swings!" Mikey swings it back and forth, Amy barely hanging on. Leo places a hand on his shoulder.

"Chill...I think I found something," He points up ahead. He's gesturing to the hole in front of them.

"Again, I'd love to help bail us all out with my undeniable and prodigious genius, but-"

"Donnie, it doesn't take a genius to know that this was Raph, so shut up," Amy snaps at him. Leo points to the water, where the tire is floating around.

"Look."

"That's Donnie's tire! I mean," Mikey notices the raised eyebrow from his brother. "Raph's tube!"

"Uh, right. Well Leo, since you sell the fewest action figures, why don't you go ahead and jump first?" Donnie gives Leo a smug look.

"Ignoring that," Leo pushes him away. "Raph's lost cause your bad pass ruined the midnight special."

"Leo, chill," Mikey tells him. "We can't freak out. Nobody freak out. Stop freaking out, Donnie!" He shakes Donnie.

"Alright!" Amy suddenly exclaims in annoyance, shutting them up. "That's enough."

The bridge shakes and falls off, sending them towards the water. "Make a human shield around me!" Leo cries out as they land on the tube. They fall through the passage, landing in brown sludge. They surface, shuddering in how disgusting it felt.

"Ew!"

"Guys, we found him! Look," Leo points up ahead as a large lump is sitting in front of a fire.

"Thousand percent not Raph, staking my life on these shorts."

"They're just a pair of shorts. Your brother hates it when he's alone. Get over it," Amy tells him, flicking him on the forehead.

"Raph aloooooone!"

"It might be Raph, but w-who's to say anymore?"

Leo scoffs at him, stepping forward. "This stuff is really caked on."

"Why?" Amy shakes her head slowly.

Raph puts sludge over his face to make a mark. He opens up a lemon, squeezing it. "Lemon?" Carl asks before it lands in his eye. "Ah, it burns! Oh, it's in my eye!"

"We found you," Leo says in relief once they've reached him. "You have no idea-are you barbecuing villains?"

"Oh no, it's those crab guys who were working with Draxum," Amy sighs slowly. They probably stumbled upon Raph when he turned savage. The large turtle sees them, growling.

"More...sewer monsters?" He doesn't see them as his family, but instead, monsters due to the sludge on them.

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry, sewer monsters? Raph, hey, you are harshing the rescue vibes, my man, okay? It's us, your brothers and Mia," Donnie gestures to himself.

"No brothers and Mellie! Raph is all alone!" He grabs a spear and rushes towards them. The four dodge out of the way.

"Raph! Have you lost it? It's us!" Amy shouts at him. Leo ducks from a swing.

"We're here to bring you home!" Leo tells his brother.

"Sewer monsters invade!" Raph yells, continuing to attack. "Must squash!"

"Geez, he's crazier than Draxum," Amy murmurs, Raph throwing his weapon at Mikey. The fabric of his swim suit sticks to a pipe, right next to a flood valve.

"Okay, I will get his mind straight right now!" Mikey slaps his hand around, pulling at his face. "Snap out of it, Raph!"

He just growls at him. "Squash you!"

"Raph!" Amy kicks up her leg, firing an electric ball towards him. He throws his spear at it, and it completely disintegrates. Leo and Donnie jump on him from behind to restrain him.

"He still can't tell it's us!"

"It's gotta be this gross stuff," Amy looks at herself.

"If we wash the sewer sludge off," Leo notices the valve. "Mikey, open that flood valve!"

"Hmm," Mikey stands in front of him, trying to pull, but because of the sludge, he can't get a good grip. "Need something stronger..."

"Use Raph, use Raph, use Raph!" The other three shout as Raph towers over Amy. She yelps and jumps out of the way.

"No one's gonna shout the answer to me and make all my problems disappear! Time for a little razz-ma-tazz!"

He stands in front of the valve with a big smile. "Raaaaph~ I'm a nasty sewer monster! Don't you wanna come squash me?!" He wiggles the back of his shell, Raph throwing off the others. He rushes towards Mikey, who jumps out of the way just in time. He hits the valve, sending a bunch of sewer water onto the four.

The Sando Brothers are washed away, the four surfacing. They've been hit with sewer water, but they are clean now.

"Wait, where's Raph?" Donnie looks around for him. Raph suddenly grabs the back of his pants. "Four-shorts...were my un-doing!"

"Leave, sewer monsters. Still sewer monsters! Savage Raph...destroy!" He throws Donnie across, who lands in trash. Laceface suddenly rolls in front of Leo.

"Laceface...? Guys, I know how we can get our brother back! The Midnight Special!" He throws the football into the air, confusing Raph.

"Look alive, Leo!" Mikey kicks it like he did before. The lime-green turtle does the same trick.

"And trick passing! It's all you, my lady!"

Amy kicks it up with her knees, flying it over to Donnie. He flings it up.

"Sports!"

"No!" Raph immediately dashes into action, catching the ball, laughing. "Yo, did y'all see that?!"

"Raph!" The others hug him.

"You're back, baby!"

"Hug, hug, hug!" The three turtles' eyes shine at Amy, who rolls her eyes and steps in.

"Back? Uh oh...did I get weird again?"

"Super weird! Even by my standards..." Mikey glances away.

"But, we learned a valuable something about never something you alone again," Leo gives him a smile. He didn't want to say the word alone again in front of him.

"I love you guys! Now let's go home and try tubing again tomorrow."

"Someone needs to carry Amy!" Mikey is about to grab her when she pushes him away.

"Okay, why are you guys acting weird?" Amy places her hands on her hips. "All of this special treatment isn't like you."

"Whaaat? We don't know what you're talking about," Donnie places his hands behind his back.

"Nothing's different about today!" Raph exclaims with a wide smile.

"Yup, just a regular day, my lady," Leo bows to her.

"And totally not because we forgot your birthday."

"MIKEY!" The three shout at him.

"Huh?" If she was honest, she didn't even mind it. Her birthday was just another regular day in her opinion. "Guys, I'm not mad."

"You aren't?" Leo asks curiously.

"No," Amy shakes her head. "Besides, I didn't want anything extravagant anyway. So…thanks for today."

"No seriously, are you planning our deaths?" Raph replies, not getting the point. She just rolls her eyes and walks off.

"Amy!"

"Are we awaiting your wrath or not?!"

"We can't take the suspense any longer!"

Donnie, while still sipping his drink, sees that all of the tires from the Turtle Tank are gone. He squeezes his drink and it explodes.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAPH!"


Leo and Amy are enjoying a slice of pizza in her loft, with the turtle lost in thought. Compared to his lady in front of him, he wasn't anything without her or his brothers. How could he be a proper face man if he couldn't even protect them?

"Something on your mind?"

He looks up to see Amy staring at him, looking concerned for once.

"Noooooo," He sweats nervously with a big grin. How long had she been noticing his off look? Maybe if he sat there like that, she'd ignore it and move on. She did admit she was sleepy, after all.

Amy narrows her eyes slightly. "What'd you do?"

"What?" He blinks in confusion. "I don't always do something!"

"You sweat and smile widely when you lie," She deadpans without hesitation. "I may be sleep-deprived, but I'm not blind."

"Dang it," He mutters under his breath, sighing slowly. He might as well get it over with… "Nothing happened, it's just…"

Amy's eyes soften at his sudden confession, giving him a signal to go on.

"From the beginning, you've done nothing but put up with me, accepting this whole situation thing without expecting anything in return. And you kept pushing me away for a while...and when you didn't, I realized...you're too good for me. I wish I was bold like you. You always say what you think, you chase what you want, and you've been through so much and yet you're so brave that it's remarkable! Compared to you...I'm just...nothing. The nothingness that forgot your own birthday…and who can't stop being jealous..."

"..." She's seen him insecure before. There was the time with the maze at Run of the Mill Pizza. It was a stupid thing to do, of course, but she could understand why he did it. It was natural, but she had never seen anything like this...

"Is this about what happened with Donnie's mech and in the sewers?" She plays with her hair nervously and they both fall into silence. Neither had dared mention it ever since it occurred, but it was obvious that it really affected both of them.

"...Yeah," He nods slowly. "I felt the same way I did when I found about your mom. No matter how much I try, it's not enough to save you." Heaving a sigh, he puts an embarrassed hand to his face. "And now I feel stupid for that whole speech...probably because I am."

"BULLSHIT!" She slams her fists onto the desk, causing him to look up at her fierce eyes.

"You're not stupid. That is the dumbest thing you've ever said to me, and believe me, there was worse. You're just telling yourself this stuff because things are uncontrollable, and you don't know how to deal with it. Just because one certain villain or any other thing hurt me doesn't mean you failed or that you're an idiot. We just have to make the most of it, and that's all!"

All he could do was think about how others chide him for his one-liners...how he couldn't protect others...how he wasn't the best...but Amy was the only one so far who told him otherwise. Yet it wasn't enough...

"But..."

"Nope. I'm not having it. Follow me," She grabs his arm, pulling him over to the counter. "What is this?" She gestures to a cake that isn't frosted.

"A cake...that I made."

"Yeah, that you understood in a way so that you wouldn't forget the recipe. If you could do that, then you're obviously smart. Not everyone can bake the way you do," She points to his forehead, knocking him back a bit. "Now try the thing and tell me how it tastes."

"How is that gonna help?" He asks skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

"Just do what I tell you! The baker knows best," She closes her eyes as he takes off a piece and puts it into his mouth. His eyes widen at the taste, chewing further.

"I made this?!" He looks down at it in surprise and she nods sharply with a knowing look.

"You also saved us from the minotaur, technically saved your brothers when they went 'missing', and let's not forget you saved me from Draxum when we met. Leo...you do things that others wouldn't do for family. And...well, you'd do anything for me," She rubs her neck nervously. She wouldn't normally say this stuff, but he needed to hear it. "It doesn't matter if I get hurt, because I ne...I need-" She coughs into her fist, saying the words she'll never let him hear.

"I need you."

He smiles softly, recalling the memories, even if he couldn't hear that sentence. His arms speak for him as he brings her into a hug.

"Your brothers might've been staring too much for your liking, but I don't want to be casual with them. Just you."

"Thanks, my lady. I feel better now."

"Good," She recoils back, trying to keep a stoic face over what she said. "And really, If I say don't worry about my birthday, then don't."

"Okay…but I'll make it up to you next year! What was that you said before?"

"Nothing," She crosses her arms, turning away.

"Tell me or I'll portal you to a screening of the Catwoman movie."

"A, you wouldn't ever do that because you're not that cruel to send me see that horrible shit, and B, you don't have your sword, so I don't have to tell you a damn thing," She places her hands on her hips proudly.

"Hmph," He crosses his arms in defeat. "I'll break you yet, my lady."

"Good luck with that, I'm already exhausted."

"Can we go back to that?" He asks curiously, causing her to raise a brow. "Why haven't you been sleeping?"

"That's a me problem," Amy crosses her arms stubbornly.

"Oh, so you can help me with mine, but I can't help you with yours?" Leo leans in with a smirk. "It's okay to accept help."

Amy sighs slowly at this. If she insisted on not telling him, he'd find a way...and it might not seem possible to others, but he would get her to talk whether she told him or not.

"I can't sleep...because I get nightmares about my siblings. It's not…it's not fair!" A wave of angry tears erupts from her eyes, surprising Leo. "That stupid sheep mutant! He should have left me alone! And what did he do instead? Cause that stupid accident to happen, and now my siblings are DEAD! And my father committed suicide because of him! My family, my whole life...ARGGGH!" She pushes down a water bottle. "You won't understand! No one does! I have been working so hard for FIVE YEARS just to make ends meet. But does anyone know just how much I have been affected? NO! Nothing's fair anymore, Leo! I don't know why I even bother! I just want to be with them. I'd rather be dead than live another day without seeing my family again."

He patiently listens to her rant, unsure of what to do. Sure, he could sympathize with her. He went crazy trying to find his brothers when he thought they were 'portal jacked,' and it took a lot to bring them back. But this is different. Amy's completely angry, screaming at the world every day for the injustice. It was like she was...

Lifeless.

"Ames..." He starts to say.

"Don't," She interrupts, pointing a finger. "Don't try to be like everyone else. Please."

He has no intention to speak, knowing fully well that she was broken. He gets up, putting down the fork from the cake, and wraps his arms around her as she sobs it all out. She wraps her arms around him in return, crying on his shoulder. He didn't pull away the entire time she cried. He just kept holding her until she was calm.

"Shh...Ames..." He whispers in her ear, rubbing her back in circular motions. "It's okay to cry. I understand completely."

"My parents went through so much to provide for us," She tells him, bracing herself. "They worked day and night to give us everything they never had and...now I feel like a whole piece of me was taken away, never to be replaced. When Lucia was born, I made her a bracelet, and she never took it off." She sniffles, Leo holding out a tissue. She dabs at her nose. "At the funeral...she was still wearing it, before she was lowered into the too-soon dirt. I wonder...I wonder if she still remembers me giving it to her."

The tears come back again, but this time Leo is prepared. He gently pulls her in as she cries again.

"My lady, the good thing was, you have people out there to care for you, right? You can connect with others to feel better."

"But they don't understand how much they meant to me!" She cries out.

Leo considers this for a moment. "Does anyone besides your sister-in-law or niece know them that well?"

"My Grandma Louise. But she's gone too..."

"Oh. Then that's different." He keeps his arms around her, pulling the girl closer to him. "But I'm sure that you had a lot of good memories with them."

She smiles weakly. "We would have pizza parties and we would make Marco play princess even though he wanted to play on his XBox. I almost forgot. That...was a long time ago."

"Yeah, it was, but that doesn't mean they won't be forgotten."

"Carol and Elena didn't even come to the funeral..."

He pauses at this explanation, placing a gentle hand on her back. He couldn't imagine what that would be like...being haunted by dead family members all because a psychotic warrior scientist messed with her head...and the little family being left not coming to the funeral.

"Hmm..." Leo notices her drowsy eyes drooping and snaps her fingers, causing her to blink. He holds up a finger as he gets an idea, grabbing her bike keys. "Come with me."

"What?" She blinks in confusion. "Where?"

"Just trust me," He holds out his hand to her. Eyeing it hesitantly, she notices his earnest and gentle eyes.

"...Okay..." She takes a hold of his hand.

A little while later, they stop at the local cemetery, Amy gripping his waist at the sight of the entrance. He turns around to her as she hides her face in his shell.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"Hey, Ames. It's okay," He whispers in a soothing voice. "I brought you here to get you some closure. I really think it'll help."

"...What if it doesn't?" She murmurs softly. "What if I can't get closure?"

"Then I'll give a hundred one-liners!"

Amy snorts a bit. "Your one-liners do nothing."

"See, that's where you're wrong, because you've started laughing at them!"

She rolls her eyes slowly, shaking her head as she gets off the bike. The wind lifts her hair up softly, and suddenly she feels so much better being outside with Leo. She's scared to show herself, due to her messy face and hair, but Leo assured her she was fine.

They walk over to the three tombstones. Her father was buried here after his death, as he would've wanted to be close to them...

"Hey guys," She speaks softly, kneeling down on her knees. "Um...how are you?"

Leo kneels down with her, never letting go of her hand.

"I'm sorry I haven't visited. Life's been different without all of you. But I know in my heart that you're still here with me, always encouraging me to pursue my dreams, helping me out in the toughest times...even if I didn't tell you about them. Your presence may have disappeared, but there are other people who can help me..." She chokes on her voice, but keeps going. "I hope life is going okay up there. You don't know how much I miss you. I was close to giving up, but thanks to Leo, my-" She coughs a bit, not sure what to call him. "Um...er...dating companion, I'm back on track. I'll remember you forever and always, Dad...Marco...Lucia. You never failed to amaze me in the past, and always will as I grow older. I will always...remember you..."

Tears spill again as Leo brings her close to him again. "...Dating companion, though? Seriously?"

She lets out a tiny laugh at this and he grins. No matter how serious things got, he always managed to make her laugh, intentionally or not.

He clears his throat and looks up to the sky. "Hey, uh...Amy's family...or should I say Alina's? Anyway, you don't know me, but I'm Leo. I've heard a lot about you all, and I'm glad to get to know you. Your time may have been short, but you'll live forever in our hearts. I know how it feels to have someone important to you...being taken away. Or at least, similar to that..." He looks down at Amy and a small blush comes to her face. "But you'll live on in our memories. We'll never forget you."

"I'm important to you...?" Amy murmurs in confusion as she looks up at him.

"Well, yeah. What can I say? You are pretty remarkable to me," He smirks at her and then pulls out three roses out of nowhere, planting one at each tombstone. "I hope you accept this offering. A reminder of a daughter, a sister...and a person full of strength, hope, and love."

He straightens up, putting an arm around Amy as they both look down at the graves. Amy waves slowly, and he does the same, the two of them walking back to her bike.

"Thanks, Leo...for everything. You really cheered me up," Amy smiles softly up at him, yawning a little. "It's the perfect late birthday present…"

"Like a turtle do," He winks, picking her up in his arms. She rests her cheek on his shoulder, closing her eyes peacefully.

"Something tells me you'll sleep well tonight, my lady," He plants a soft kiss on her forehead.