She had to communicate something to him, but a text or an email just didn't feel sincere enough. It would have to be paper. She sat down at her desk, and rifled around in a drawer for the disused set of stationery her aunt had once given her as a birthday present.

How should she start? Would 'Dear Donnie,' be too much, after they had broken up? He was dear to her. 'To whom it may concern'? Way too formal… and it only really concerned him. In the end, he was the only important part, and she set the pen to the curlicue-margined paper.

Donnie,

I'm sorry for failing you.

I'm sorry that I didn't listen.

I'm sorry that I let myself be taken over by something more powerful than myself.

I'm sorry for falling into the crystal's addiction.

I'm sorry I was too afraid of her to fight.

I'm sorry that I didn't try harder when I had the chance.

I'm sorry that I made you hurt, and scared.

I'm sorry I made you lose faith in me.

I'm sorry I broke the bond we had.

I'm sorry that I made you afraid.

I'm sorry that under pressure, I wasn't strong enough.

I'm sorry that I may never be able to make it up to you.

I'm sorry.

~April

x-x-x-x-x

She paused at the turnstiles, watching carefully while trying to stay out of sight. Leo was usually meditating with Master Splinter this time of day, thus nowhere to be seen. Mikey was in the pit, busy with a video game. Raph was nearer to her, doing double bicep curls with his barbells. She thought she'd been fairly stealthy, but Raphael rolled his eyes. "All clear, April. Genius is locked up with his chemicals, as usual."

"Hey, April," Mikey called from the benches, not taking his eyes from the screen, or hands from his controller as she entered and headed directly for the closed lab door.

She stared at the door, wanting to knock or call out to the turtle working within, but the idea was ruined at the thought of startling or scaring him again. In the end, she slid the pink envelope under the door. It was her plan to walk away then, but she stood there numbly staring at the closed door for a few moments before finally turning and stepping leadenly back toward the entryway.

That was it, then. It was done.

But if this was supposed to be closure, why, then, did she still have a lump in her throat? Why were tears still jumping to her eyes?

The door slid open behind her. She swiveled around to see Donnie stepping out with a surprised look on his face, though she sensed only a moment of fear from him this time. "April," he called softly, extending a hand as if to stop her from leaving.

Her tears worsened, though she tried to pull them back, and when she tried to excuse them away, all that came out was, "Ghh!" as her face crumbled. She wasn't fully aware of any steps she took toward him, but felt like she was falling toward him as he took a couple himself to intercept and catch her.

He stroked her hair and mumbled it's-all-rights to her, then just let her cry herself out.

"Donnie, I'm so sorry," she managed at long last.

"You said." He gave the barest of grins as he bent to retrieve the letter from where he'd dropped it, waving it demonstratively. "I'm sorry too."

"What—No! You don't have anything to apologize for!" She looked up at him, aghast.

"No, I do," he said, petting her hand. "You were right that I was being a coward."

"I don't really think that of you, Donnie… I—"

"Let me finish… I was. And I was so caught up in my own fear that I couldn't see that I wasn't the only one hurt by this." He tilted her chin up with a finger to make her look at him. I wasn't the only one who was afraid. I wasn't the only one it broke. I'm sorry for abandoning you to deal with it on your own. I apologize."

She clung to his arm, pulled him close so she could cry on it some more. "I forgive you," she wept, "…if you can forgive me…?"

"Of course I can." He brightened, as if everything was back to normal. "Hey, do you wanna come hang out in the lab? I've been working on something super neat!"

April dried the last of her tears with her arm, choking off a last sob, which turned into a laugh. "Sure."

x-x-x-x-x

a/n: I thought, having written this ending I-don't-know-when ago, that I would need to add more to it, but turned out, it was pretty much fine as-is, so I'm gonna run with it. *shrug*

Thanks for sticking with me on the journey! Peace!