Ch 3 Friends and Foes.
"AH YEAH!" Raph yelled as he ran into the house. He grabbed a hold of Leo exuberantly and brought him into a hug. "School is over for the summer and I've aced all my test!" Leo laughed as Raph swung him around. "Let's go out and celebrate!"
"That is a wonderful idea Raphael." Splinter said, walking out of the dojo. The last class had just ended and he and Leo were about to go into the kitchen and have their usual daily tea. "If I may join you, I would like to pay for the dinner."
Raphael smiled at his father. "That would be great Sensei." He said. "I would be honored to have you come with us."
"It would be great, but I'm suppose to meet Donnie at TCRI and get my blood checked." Leo reminded him.
For the past four months, since Leo's father had injected him with a type of enhancing drug, he had been seeing Dr. Tyler Rockwell to verify if the injection was doing anything to his system. So far, there had been no change and Leo was feeling fine. But Rockwell had insisted on Leo being checked once a month to keep an eye on things and verify the drug did not affect Leo in the future. .
On these day, Leo would take the train to TCRI and meet Don in his new lab. Now that Dr. Stockman was in jail and no longer working at the research facility, Don had been promoted to take his place and was staying at the lab longer. He would meet Leo and after, the two would ride the train home together.
"Mikey and Renet will be here soon." Leo said. "Why don't we wait for them and all go out to dinner together?" Leo grabbed his wallet. "It will be my treat." He suggested, deciding it wasn't fair for Splinter to pay for the others since he had suggested it.
"Nonsense Leonardo." Splinter gave him a look of determination. "I would be happy to treat everyone."
"Then let's go!" Mikey's voice sounded out at the front door. They turned to see Mikey and Renet walking into the house.
"Mikey!" Renet giggled. "Can't you say hi first."
"Oh, sorry everyone." He looked at the others sheepishly. "Hi." He greeted them with a wave, then he smiled. "OK! Let's go!" They all laughed and Raph drove the family's SUV to TCRI. An hour later, Donnie and Leo piled into the car and the family drove to Murakami's Japanese Restaurant.
Upon hearing the news, Mr. Murakami, a long time friend of the Hamatos, gave a large free plate of egg rolls in celebration. While they ate and celebrated, Raph's phone went off. He pulled out his cell phone and smiled broadly. "It's Casey!" He announced. The table quieted while Raph took the call.
"Yo Casey. What's up, how ya been?" He answered. He was silent for a few minutes but the look of excitement on his face was clear as he listened to his friend speak. "No Way!" He yelled excitedly. "That is so cool!" He listened quietly as the voice on the other end spoke and the others saw his face fall slightly. "Ah yeah, no problem. Everyone's here anyway, we're celebrating my being done with school and acing my finals." He listened a few more minutes. "Okay Case. Talk to ya later."
Raph turned to the others. "Case and April will be here in New York in a week. Their getting married at the end of the month and April is transferring to NYU, now they'll be here permanently!" The family agreed this was good news.
"Now I'll finally get to meet your friend." Leo told Raph with a smile.
"Oh and the best part is, he wants me, Don and Mike to be his groomsmen." Raph told them.
Mikey looked excited while Don looked hesitant. "Yeah, that's great Raph but did he say who will be the bridesmaids?"
At this time, Raph turned to Renet. "April will be calling you later tonight Renet to ask you, but you are one, Casey's sister Angel is another." Now he looked down at his food hesitantly. "And Mona is the other."
At this news, the table fell into an awkward silence. "Do they know how the order will go?" Renet asked. Anything to break the tension.
"Well." Raph said. "Mona is still April's best friend so she will be maid-of-honor." He looked at Leo and took a deep breath. "And I'll be Casey's best man." He watched as Leo's eyes frowned but Leo said nothing so Raph continued. "Don, you'll be second and Mikey will be last." He looked at the two of them as Donnie gave a look of relief. "And Don, you'll be paired with Angel and Mikey with Renet." That last part made Renet and Mikey giggle and lean into each other.
Raph turned to look at Leo. "Are you okay with this babe?"
"Guess I'll have to be." Leo told him. Then gave him a mock glare. "I'm assuming I'm invited as your guest right?" Raph smiled nervously at him and nodded. "Good, then I can keep an eye on you." He said and laughed as he nudged Raph with his elbow.
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Leo stood next to Master Splinter and watched as a beautiful red haired blue-eyed girl of about twenty years old, and dressed in a long flowing white wedding gown walked beside an older gentleman with a red beard and a slightly balding head dressed in a tuxedo. In front of Leo was a row of other people and just in front of them was Raph and his brothers dressed in formal tuxedos and standing next to Raph was a boy of about twenty-one years old. Casey smiled a gap tooth smile and watched in anticipation as the young girl walked closer to him, smiling as she neared him.
Eventually, April made her way to stand next to Casey and her father gave her a kiss before sitting down. Next to her, Mona, who was dressed in a beautiful flowing yellow gown, concentrated hard on looking away from Raph throughout the entire ceremony. Next to her, was a young girl, also dressed in a matching yellow gown, she had long dark hair with purple streaks on the side, she had a petite frame and could've been the splitting image of Casey but she had all her teeth. Leo assumed this was Angel, and next to Angel was Renet, also dressed in a matching yellow gown.
As the wedding of Casey Jones and April O'Neil proceeded, Leo couldn't help but notice that Don was looking rather downcast. Mona stared at the couple and performed her maid of honor duties and once it was over. Mona and Raph walked arm in arm, smiling cordially at the guest but keeping their eyes averted from each other. As Raph walked past Leo, he gave him a wink and Leo smiled at him, he was certain he was blushing as he watched Raph walk by.
"Let's get married now Raph." Leo said, as they danced across the grassy dance floor outside of the O'Neil farm house.
"You serious babe?" Raph raised his eye ridges when Leo nodded. "Why now?"
"Why not now?" Leo questioned back. "We have everything we need now. Friends, family, a preacher." He looked at Raph with anticipation. "And we're both wearing tuxedos, what more do we need."
Raph gave Leo a dubious look. "Leo, I would love to marry you now but.." Raph looked around at all the people that were laughing and have a wonderful time toasting April and Casey. "Wouldn't it be unfair to Casey and April?" Leo looked down at the grass and stopped dancing. "Hey." Raph put his finger under Leo's chin and made him look up at him. "What is this really about?"
"I don't know." Leo told. "I guess….they just look so happy and I guess." Leo looked from Don to Mona. "I'm just afraid something is going to happen and we'll…."Leo stopped speaking and looked back at Raph. "I'm just afraid I'm going to lose you." He whispered.
"That is never going to happen." Raph assured him. He brought him into a hug and kissed him deeply. "If I could take my wedding vows now, I would promise you that no matter what happens, I'll always be here for you." Leo hugged Raph back. "I promise that too." He whispered.
Raph leaned his head against Leo's shoulder and wondered if there was something more he was not telling him. He knew Leo had been having nightmares but Leo had yet to tell him what they were about, so he had decided not to push him to talk about it. Raph noticed Leo kept glancing over at Donnie. "Does this have something to do with Don?" He wondered.
"He seems so sad. I wonder if he is more upset over Mona than he's letting on."
"This has nothing to do with Mona." Raph told him. Leo blinked at him in surprise. "Don has always had a thing for April."
"Really." Leo looked from Don to April. "Did they date?"
"Nah." Raph replied. "Before Casey came into the picture, Don and Ape always hung out together and although April made it clear they were just friends, Don always hoped there could be something more."
"Oh." Leo nodded and laid his head on Raph's shoulder till the song was over, his eyes wondering from Don to April.
He frowned slightly when he saw Mona make her way over to him. Don stood up and gestured for her to take a chair. They talked for several minutes before Leo saw her stand up and give Donnie a light kiss on the cheek then make her way over to the wedding party table where she began to eat her supper.
After Leo and Raph were done dancing, Leo made his way over to Don who was sitting by himself and watching as April and Casey were cutting the wedding cake. "How's it going Don?" He asked.
"It's good." Don replied with a small, sad sigh.
"You sure?" Leo asked. "Cause you seem rather upset." He turned to look at him. "Does this have something to do with Mona." Even though he already knew the answer, he didn't want Don to think he and Raph had been gossiping about him.
"No. Not really." Don's voice sounded so far away.
"If you ever want to talk Don." Leo said turning to look at Mikey and Renet who were still on the dance floor and had been for the last several songs. "I have an ear."
"Thanks Leo" Don began. "But…."
"Donnie!" Both boys turned to see Casey's sister Angel making her way over to them. "Would you care to dance with me." She asked. "You only danced with me once and that didn't count since it was for the wedding party song." Before Don could answer, Angel grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the dance floor.
Leo smiled broadly as he watched Don dance nervously with her. His eyes then roamed over the wedding guest and landed on Raph who was over by the banquet table. He was suppose to be getting them some wedding cake but now he stood talking to Mona. Leo narrowed his eyes suspiciously as she turned from him and made her way over to Leo.
He stood up and watched her make her way over to him, keeping his anger in check as she stood in front of him and glared at him with a determined look. "Do you love him.?" She demanded, rather hotly."
"What?" Leo asked, uncertain if he heard her right.
"Do. You. Love him?" She asked again, her words curt and direct.
"Very much." Leo replied, his voice just as strong and direct.
"Good." Mona said and turned to look at Raph who was standing a few feet away looking uncertain at the exchange between them. "Take care of him." Mona said looking back at Leo. "Because if I find out that you've hurt him in any way, I'm going to hunt you down and hurt you ten fold." With that, Mona walked away and over to April and Casey. She spoke to them for a brief moment before walking toward the house where the guests had parked their cars. She got into hers and left to go home.
Leo shook his head as if coming out of a daze. Raph walked up to him and put his hands on his shoulders as they watched her drive away. Leo then turned to Raph and smiled. "How about the Saturday around July 18?" He suggested.
Raph slowly moved his eyes from where Mona had just been to Leo. "Huh?" He muttered. "What Leo?"
"How about the Saturday around July 18?" He repeated.
"For what?" Raph asked.
"For our wedding date." Leo smiled at him.
"This July 18th?" Raph asked incredulously.
"No." Leo said laughing. "Next year."
"I thought we were going to wait two years?" Raph asked.
"I know, but we can make it on my money till your internship at the veterinary clinic is up and you get a permanent job." Leo told him putting his arms around Raph's neck.
"Humm, the Saturday around July 18." Raph tapped his chin as he thought about it."That would be the day we met." Raph suddenly smiled. "Yeah, I like that." He looked at Leo with shinning eyes. "Okay. The Saturday around the 18th it is."
"What is?" Mikey asked, walking up to them with Renet.
"Can I tell them?" Leo asked anxiously. Raph smiled and nodded. "We decided to have our wedding next year the Saturday closest to July 18." He told them.
"Wonderful." Renet said and hugged them both.
"Did I hear correctly?" Splinter said coming up to them with Don and Angel."You have set a date for your wedding."
"Yes father." Raph answered. "Next year, either July 18th or the Saturday following it."
Splinter looked uncertain at the two turtles until Leo explained his idea. He smiled at his son and future son-in-law. "Very well my sons." He told them. "I look forward to the day."
Don pulled out his cell phone and began looking through it. "July 18th is a Tuesday so that would make it Saturday July 22nd. " He announced.
Raph and Leo smiled at each other. "Okay." Raph said. "It's a date."
The family cheered as April and Casey made their way over. The couple congratulated them upon hearing the news and everyone gathered for the tossing of the bouquet and garter. Eventually, the couple made their rounds to each guests, thanking them for coming and then went into the house to change into travel clothes. They came out and the guest threw bird seed as they watched them drive off in their car, decorated front to back with wedding wishes and pictures, waving goodbye and wishing them a safe and fun trip.
Raph wrapped his arms around Leo's waist from behind. "That will be us soon." He told him.
Leo nodded and smiled. "Can't wait." He said, turning his head toward Raph to give him a kiss on the cheek.
They stood with the rest of the family, smiling and waving as they watched the car ride off toward the highway and onto a new life.
