April O'Neil

Days went by with Shredder trying to keep her at a relative distance as they didn't speak much yet he wouldn't let her sleep alone and would take her nearly anywhere he went.

As time went by, she understood that it wasn't only related to the fact she might "blow things up" but it probably also was about her security. Krang's mean looks were enough of a proof.

But April was a woman of action. And waiting for Shredder to find a way out wasn't really what she could call action. She really needed to do something. Anything.

Every day seemed the same to her. Getting up – breakfast - he would take her to the control room and he would try to find a way back to earth while she waited, doing nothing – lunch – again the control room – dinner – then sleep.

Hopefully, Shredder was right, her manacles left her a lot of freedom. But anyway, she had nothing to do. So more or less free or not, changed nothing. She was still waiting

This was more and more looking like a living hell. The waiting room of hell as she was always waiting in the corner of the control room.

Well, at least there's probably something to read in the waiting room of hell. Which of course was not the case here. First, she had asked for magazines but she wasn't too surprised when he answered he had none. She then had asked for books, or anything to read and she was really surprised when he had genuinely told her he had nothing to give her. So, she was left doing nothing.

Sitting on what she now called "her chair" all she could do was lie down on what she also called "her table". At first, she was ok because she needed time to find a plan. A plan to get back to New York as soon as possible.

But she soon realized that this was not a situation she was used to. Shredder told her they were floating around in space which meant going out was a no-no. So, the real question was, what could she do to get back home? Nothing.

And she understood why Krang and Shredder seemed so tensed. They were really stuck. A whole week had passed without even the hint of good news.

Looking at his back for what seemed to be the twentieth time in less than an hour she gave a big sigh.

"Stop that already." Shredder didn't even bother to look up from his computer.

"I would if I had something else to do."

He still didn't bother to look up.

She looked at him again, wondering how she ended there. The situation had gone so far away from what she thought would happen. She now knew that she had missed him.

She didn't miss the action in itself but more of the "friendship" that went with it.

Like the day she was so hungry, he had shared with her some of his food.

"Shredder."

"What?" He seemed really focused on what he was doing.

"I miss the gonglao chicken."

He stopped taping on his computer and turned around to look at her.

"The what?"

"Come on, don't try to make me believe you forgot! You know, the food we used to eat together when you kidnapped me late in the evenings."

He didn't answer right back but still had a strange look. He seemed shared between two different feelings.

Just to clear up things, April added: "It would be a lot better than the honey sandwiches."

"Eating rocks would be better than those sandwiches."

As always, he went for the dramatic answer which made her laugh. He gave her a small smile and went back to his work.

They had made a lot of progress as he had been terrible the first few days. When she had decided to come and talk to him she thought she would see Shredder as he always was. Arrogant and self-infatuated.

But instead, she realized he had been hurt. Really hurt.

They day they had kissed and well… did more than kiss… seemed to have happened years ago. She had obviously fucked up big because the man was adamant on the fact he didn't want to speak about it anymore they already had.

Which meant they would now have very basic and distant discussion.

Far from what they had before when they bickered at one another.

She sighed again, stretching her arms and legs.

He got up and looked at her: "Don't move."

He then exited the room as if it was completely normal.

It wasn't.

This was the first time he left her alone in a week. April instantly got up, looking around to know what she could do. And that was the question, do something, yes, but what exactly?

She did a quick scan: computers, computers and … her chair and her table. What could she do? Even if she managed to get out, where would she get? Float in space until she crashes on an unknown planet or be picked up by aliens?

She sat back just before he came back.

He froze instantly when he saw her sitting quietly.

"You didn't blow up the place."

Even though his sentence was affirmative, he sounded astonished.

"Come on, I'm not always blowing things up."

"As a matter of fact, from my perspective, yes."

"Your plans are too crappy too begin with."

"Why am I even trying? Here take this and stop bothering me."

He shoved a notebook and a pen on her table before going back to his computer.

"What's that?"

"It's something to make you busy."

"Thanks, I guess…" She tried to annoy him but he didn't answer back. Well, it looked like she had to entertain herself with that notebook.

She looked at it, when she opened she discovered some pages had been ripped off. What was left was a blank book. Nothing to look at on any of the leftovers sheets. She looked at the book cover and discovered that a single thing was written on the inside of the book cover.

It was some Japanese writing and an annotation: Oroku Saki.

Of course, she knew that Shredder wasn't his real name. Plus, she had investigated on him. And found nothing, not even his name. The man was good at hiding.

She looked at him again, he had no idea he just revealed to her his real identity.

She looked back at the tiny writing, more of a reminder than anything else. She looked at the rest of the book, the missing sheets had been neatly cut off.

Looking at this notebook, she could assume that the man was diligent and organized. The kind of man who works efficiently.

Looking at The Shredder, she assumed he was a big brute with little but no education.

She must have missed something somewhere.

Thinking back at it, the man was Japanese but spoke perfect English. He never had any accent. Splinter had been clear about the fact Shredder grew up in Japan. And by the looks of this book, he probably learnt English when he was already an adult.

April could only come to one conclusion. The man was smarter than she initially thought. How could he be smart and still come up with messy plans stayed a mystery though.

When she signed papers, she always wrote April O'Neil. Which meant his first name was probably Oroku and his last name Saki. She had to remember this in case it could be of any use later on.

She then began to write in the book. She decided she would make a dairy as to not forget anything. She knew it could be gold when she'll be back at work.

When Shredder got up and came to her, she clamped to her new exercise book.

"Relax miss O'Neil, I'm not taking the book from you. Time to eat."

"I'm taking it with me."

He silently detached her chains and went to the great hall. A big table was in the center of the room and Rocksteady was setting down the plates.

They all silently sat down. Krang was at the "king place". Ready to judge them all and to give April death glares. She would always sit next to Shredder and face Rocksteady or Beebop as they often exchanged their own places. Today, Rocksteady sat in front of her. He gave her a big smile.

"Today, I made dinner Miss O'Neil!"

"Oh, thank you Rocksteady! It's really nice of you!" She responded with a smile too but it quickly faltered as she looked at some strange tomato soup with some small meatballs. She gave a quick glance to their plates and realized Shredder and her had smaller portions. As always. At first, she thought it was because Beebop and Rocksteady had mistakenly made smaller portion but now she knew it was systematic. A new mystery to uncover.

The group began to eat in silence. As always. The air was tense but strangely the first to break the silence was Rocksteady.

"So…uhm… April, do you like my meatball stew?"

"Oh, yes it's really… tasty."

Rocksteady seemed to suddenly glow with happiness: "It's better than Beebop's honey sandwiches no?"

Beebop suddenly glared at his friend, not too happy with what was just said: "You dumbass, stop bo'dering her with your stupid questions."

"Yes, stop bothering Miss O'Neil," Shredder added with a dangerously low voice.

"No, he's not bothering me! Yes, I do prefer your meatball stew even if Beebop's sandwiches were the best honey sandwiches I ever ate." And hopefully the only she was to ever eat… "But tell me please, Rocksteady, why do I and Shredder have little portions?"

Rocksteady was about to answer her but Krang decided otherwise: "Well you see, Miss April, at first I believed you were better dead. But Shredder wouldn't allow it so, as I believe your existence isn't necessary, I also believe you shouldn't spoil the little food we have left. Thus he cuts his parts in half. And I have to say it's a surprisingly stupid act coming from him."

Okay, mystery solved. But Krang just got to a new level of creepiness. He now looked at her with his crazy grin of his, giving her chicken skin as there was no doubt that he meant we he just said.

"Ya know, if ya want you can have some of mine too." Beebop said, popping a meatball in her plate.

"You are not giving her your food!" Shredder and Krang exploded at the same time. The little brain-like creature was now red with anger from the fact he didn't want April's time in the Technodrome getting easier. As for Shredder, he just looked terribly menacing.

Krang was the first to speak again as Beebop and Rocksteady were stunned by Shredder's mean look.

"You are not working, so you are no use for us. So, you're not getting food. End. Enjoy the fact you haven't been sent to your death yet."

"But I could work!"

For a second Krang looked taken aback by her sudden outburst. She didn't realize it but she had risen up and had just shouted the words. She looked at Shredder who still seemed upset but also surprised.

"I can work! I have nothing to do." She said, this time more quietly. She sat back, trying to give the impression she wasn't as demanding as she really was.

"Well, if that's what you want..."

"She's staying with me. We already discussed it. Weren't you afraid she would run off and blow up the rest of the technodrome?" Shredder said to Krang. It seemed to April she wouldn't be the one to choose.

"Yes, I remember Shrrreddder. But the lovely woman seems to want to work. Why not allow her?" Krang's voice was suddenly really gentle and smooth. If you didn't know him – and ignore the fact it was a walking brain and fang-like teeth- you could almost believe he was a nice guy.

But April knew better, and by the tone of Krang, she knew she had fucked up somewhere.

"She's staying with me. End of discussion."

"But boss! You can't keep here to yourself!" Rocksteady jumped in.

"Yas, you should let her come with us. Make food." Beebop added.

"I can cook." April said, in a matter of fact voice. Anyway, cooking with the two mutants seemed better than doing whatever Krang could suggest.

Krang was making a face, not happy with the turns of thing. On the other hand, Shredder seemed uninterested: "If you can improve the food I don't mind."

She was disappointed to see so little reaction from him.

"So, Miss April, from now on, you'll be cooking with Beebop and Rocksteady. It's settled."

Now that April was alone with Beebop and Rocksteady, she began to regret her choice. Shredder, well, he was in some grey zone of hell where nothing made sense. But the two mutants were still very much her old enemies. Nothing else. And not having any kind of protection from the only other human on board made her feel like Little Red Riding Hood in the middle of the forest. With two big and stupid wolfs.

"So, ya see, we have a lot of cans." Told he Beebop as he opened the pantry.

They seemed eager to show her what was now her new job as both had spent time showing her the gigantic kitchen.

"What's that?" April asked, pointing to a big metallic door.

"That's the cold chamber." Rocksteady answered.

"We also put all the bodies of the guys we killed there", added Beebop, making himself and Rocksteady laugh uncontrollably.

April made a face, not sure if she could afford to not laugh or if she had to force herself. She silently went to the door and tried to open it.

"Na! Wait, I'll do it for ya." Beebop told her as he came next to her.

He opened the door and made what she assumed was a bow. "Mi'Lady."

"Oh stop, you're just looking plain stupid!" Rocksteady shoved him off while April looked inside.

There was what seemed like some never-ending rows of meat and fish. There also were some metallic containers. As she looked inside, she realized they were containing herbs, rice and what looked like oat.

"Why have we been eating so ba… so uhm. You know?" April got her sense back just in time to not insult their cooking.

"What? I don't understand. Do you understand Beebop?"

"I didn't understand a thing."

"I mean, there fish and meat. But up until now, we ate what seemed like canned food."

"It was canned food!" spoke out Beebop.

"Yeah, canned food is delicious!" added Rocksteady.

"I uh…" April didn't know what to answer. "But what is planned for tonight?"

"Instant noodles!" the mutants cheered together. High-fiving in the air as old pals would do after a match.

How could they be as happy as that about instant noodles?

"But, how about I make you real noodles?"

"You can do dat?" Both Beebop and Rocksteady said, looking at her in awe.

"Well, no." Already, she saw the hurt appearing in their eyes. "But I can try!"

"Yay!" They cheered together.

Now, April had to somehow come up with a recipe she didn't know. But it would still be better than Beebop's honey sandwiches.

Anything would be better.

As she prepared the food with the two goofballs, she understood why Shredder's plans never worked out. Both of them had little to no attention and managed to fail at the easiest tasks.

"It's delicious Miss O'Neil!" exclaimed Rocksteady.

"Yesh, it'sh delichioush." Added Beebop, his snout full of pastas.

April had to say she was not as convinced as they were. Because of the lack of actual bare noodles, they had chosen pastas. Also, she just came up with whatever crossed her mind to make the soup, which meant it lacked savour. To add to the shame, some lonely meat pieces were floating around, looking as if they wanted nothing to do with the rest of the dish that had sunken in the depth of the bowl.

"What is it supposed to be?" asked Shredder, picking some pastas up with his chopsticks and looking at them with disdain. Speaking for the first time since he sat at the table.

"It's beef noodles."

This time he looked at her with incredibility. "You call this beef noodles?"

"Well, we had no noodles to begin with." She began to explain but was soon cut by the man next to her.

"The noodles aren't the only thing wrong in this dish."

"Hey! You're not the one cooking so you have nothing to say. Plus, it's still better than the honey sandwiches." April could already feel the anger build up inside her which made her answer without thinking.

"Wat? But ya said they were good!" piped up Beebop.

April turned to him "As I said, they were the best honey sandwiches I ever ate."

"Don't lie to him April, they were shitty."

April looked back at Shredder, not knowing where the conversation was going. Shredder hadn't called her April since … well…

"Boss! Dat's mean!"

"You're better of knowing the truth. This woman lies as easily as she breathes. Don't believe what she says." He dismissively added, gesturing a pork bite in her direction.

"Is it true Miss O'Neil?" Beebop asked, looking at her with puppy eyes.

"I'm... What? What did you just say?" April chose to ignore Beebop for the moment, focusing on Shredder.

"Yes Shrreeedddeeer, please tell us why you said that."

Everyone turned to look at Krang. They were all so absorbed in the honey sandwich/ April Shredder bickering that they forgot about the noisy little brain-like alien.

The silence that fell after Krang's question was short lived as Shredder answered: "She made a fuss to get some books and as soon as she got them, she went away cooking."

Krang made a face, obviously disappointed by the answer: "That's nothing to do with lying, Shrredder."

"That's enough for me to get mad." He answered with a matter of fact tone.

"Well, if that's the only thing that's bothering you I didn't want to hurt you. I only wanted to be useful."

"If you go on cooking as badly as this, I have to say you were more useful sitting on a chair."

She had overreacted.

Well, that's what she thought now that she was sitting on "her" bed alone and after Shredder had just erupted like a volcano.

But at the time, throwing the rest of the noodles on him seemed like a good idea to let go of her anger.

She couldn't say she really regretted that. But she surely regretted that he was again mad at her. It took time to get him back to a neutral state of mind and now everything was ruined over beef noodles.

As soon as they got back to the bedroom he stormed in the bathroom. Surely needing a shower after being drenched in the hazardous soup.

She knew she had to apologize, or at least say something. But the fact was, she was too stubborn to apologize as she believed the man had insulted her. But she had a survival instinct. Or she had in the past as now she was trying hard to know where those instincts were when she acted. If she really had anything near survival instincts, she wouldn't have done that.

Oroku Saki

For god sake, what had she thought? Yes, he had been a little mean but her reaction was excessive for someone who was a prisoner.

Scrubbing his shirt under the shower, he wondered what he had also been thinking. Why was he always just letting her do what she wanted? Wasn't he supposed to be the evil mastermind?

He surely never heard of an evil mastermind showered in cringy beef noodles soup.

Putting the shirt in the sink, he finally gave up on the idea of getting the stain off, he enjoyed his shower a bit. Soon, he would have to get back to his shitty reality: being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a very unstable group of people.

When he got out, he realized he forgot to take clothes to change. Great. He would have to go and take clothes at his room half naked.

He opened the door to find April waiting for him.

"Hey, I wanted to say … Where is your shirt?"

She looked mildly surprised, but still had a very long look at his torso. It bothered him to no end. Was he just some kind of nice looking object for her to take or look as she liked? But he wouldn't give her the satisfaction to know he minded what she was doing or thinking. Which meant he needed to make a snappy comment.

"Enjoying the view Miss O'Neil ? I'm sorry but I'm not in the mood tonight." He gave her his best smirk and was positively pleased to see her shocked look.

"What's your problem exactly?"

She turned her back to him and sat on her bed. She obviously wanted to sulk in a corner. Good, this evening would be peaceful. Unlike the last time, she tried to begin a conversation.

"I'll be right back."

"Yeah, whatever."

He quickly exited the room and went to his "real" room. The place was made to remind him of Japan. He liked it much because it was his little piece of tranquillity. And he was not about to show it to the very woman who shattered him not so long ago.

He took a quick glance at the picture of his mum and brother, wondering if he would ever get back to earth to see her again.

But he didn't really have time for personal reflections as he still had doubts about Krang and his apparent "peace". The little alien hardly ever gave up on his ideas. More often than not, he would just find a way to get what he wanted, even if it meant he had to wait.

Shredder quickly put on whatever training shirt and sweater he had and came back to the bedroom where April was waiting.

When he got in, he heard the sound of the shower running. At least, she didn't waste time. He took advantage of this time by laying in the bed. The day had been long, really long. And his back ached like hell because the floor wasn't really what you could call comfortable. He hadn't told her, because he still was ashamed to not have find another solution, but he had told the others that he wanted her exclusivity. He knew that, by making them believe that she was his, Krang and the mutants would keep their distance with her.

But it meant he had to sleep on the floor because his plan would be down the pipe as soon as one of the "others" would find out he was just covering her. If it happened, he could lose his power or her.

In the end, the Technodrome was now more than ever a dangerous place.

And she obviously didn't understand it.

When he heard the door open, he instinctively got up.

"No, no! Stay there, I can take the other bed."

"You are aware it's not a bed."

"Still, take the real bed. Take it as a way to pay you back for what I did earlier."

He couldn't stop himself from grinning.

"What's with that stupid smile?"

"Are you saying, this is an apology?"

She made a face but didn't answer back.

"Aren't you the one who said on tv that you never, ever apologize because you are never wrong?"

"What?! You saw that?"

"Should I consider this a privilege?"

"Oh, shut up already. I didn't think they would broadcast that "part"."

His smile soon faltered with the growing silence. What was he doing? Joking around with her was not the plan. The latest plan was to get them back to NY asap. And the plan he had to stick with was "to not fall again for her". Getting his heart broken once was enough.

Author notes

Yep, this chapter finally came out. I know I said I wanted to publish earlier. Something like beginning of September… Sorry.

But I actually did finish it in time. It was just that I wasn't happy with the development. In the first draft, April and Shredder were mad at each other. Terribly mad. And when I reread it I felt it was just too much. I couldn't publish it.

So I re-wrote it once. Than twice and FINALLY it came out ok. I'm a bit afraid this chapter might be a bit empty so please, give me feedbacks if you have that feeling.

The next Chapter will be interesting as -spoilers- it will be a flashback on when Shredder understood he was falling hard for the red-head reporter ;)