Chapter 3

"Ouch, my head," Ralph mumbled as he got up. He scratched his head only to find that he had hair. Ralph went crazy when he then noticed that his hands were human, that he himself was human, and that he didn't even know how he looked for sure. He looked in the alley way to see a sewer and went down to the sewer. He was able to jump down still and noticed that he can still do the same things as he was able to do as a turtle except hide in his shell, which he no longer had. With the help of light he saw his reflection through the puddle of water. He touched his face and wanted to cry out in anger. Why did he always have to do something stupid? He walked down the sewer which was his home but without his turtle sense he had problems finding his way to April's apartments. It was hours till he got there. When he did he pressed the communicating button for her apartment.

"Yes?" April's voice rang out.

"April, it is me Ralph, can you open the door?" Ralph asked.

"Ralph, it is broad daylight, are you crazy? Your brothers told me to call them if I ever saw you," April told the turtle now man.

"Don't do it yet. I really need help and clothes," Ralph put it. April was confused but pressed the button to let him in. It was minutes later that she heard a knock on her door. When she opened she didn't see Ralph but a tall handsome man about her age with green eyes and black hair. Seeing her shocked look Ralph said to her, "Now you see why you can't call the others."

"Ralph?" April asked. Ralph nodded his head, shivering from the cold hallway air conditioning.

"Are you going to let me in?" Ralph questioned. April opened the door wider, letting Ralph enter her apartment.

"How? What happened?" April started to ask quickly. She was going through a closet taking out a blanket and giving it to Ralph who quickly wrapped himself up. He nodded to her thankfully.

"That damn book I was posed to get went flashy on me and then I woke up in the alleyway. You can't tell the others. They won't believe I am who I am unless I fight them," Ralph said to April. April nodded her head as she sat next to him.

"But wouldn't that be bad? Wouldn't you get hurt?" April asked. Ralph smiled at her and April couldn't help but image herself drooling at his feet. She couldn't help what she was feeling for her friend either. She shook the thought out of her head.

"At least you sound the same," April put in hopefully.

"That is the only thing but I was wondering if you still kept my extra weapons here," Ralph said to her. April nodded and pointed to the closet she was in before.

"Yea, and I could borrow you some of Casey's clothes that he forgot but I think you are taller than he is," April told him slowly. "How but you wear his clothes for awhile? Then we can go shopping today to get you something better to wear and to fight in."

"That would be good but don't tell Casey," Ralph said to April. April smiled at him and Ralph couldn't help but see an angel in front of him. Crap, April was a sister to him, what the hell was wrong with him. Soon, he was able to convince himself that it was just April, his friend, that was sitting in front of him.

"I guess I should take a shower also, but how do you use that thing anyway?" Ralph asked.

"I will give you instructions into taking a shower buddy," April answered. Ralph nodded his head in thanks, his face back to showing no emotions on his face but slight anger. Good ole Ralph, April thought to herself as she showed her friend about showering. Ralph had a shock look on his face after she was done.

"You put yourself in hot scalding water naked?" Ralph made sure. "Umm…okay that seems wrong but if I must I must."

"Good," April said as she left him alone in the bathroom. Ralph looked at the shower uneasily.

"God this sucks," Ralph said as he took his shower but what surprised him more was after he was done he actually liked it. He smelled nice but he looked like an idiot with Casey clothes. He was more fit than Casey so the shirt clung toward his chest, making it hard to breathe or move. The pants fit okay 'cept that it went a little above his ankles. When he came out, April was rolling on the floor laughing at him.

"Okay, ready to go?" April said as she held in her laughter again as she stood up.

Ralph knew she wanted to laugh and glared at her, "Yes please. I can't breathe." April nodded her head and together they went to the mall. Unlucky for the two they also saw Casey who walked toward them.

"Don't say anything," April ordered. Ralph nodded his head. He was wearing a large but good enough t-shirt that showed his muscles and pants that fit him. Also he was wearing black combat boots. He was happy he was no longer wearing Casey's clothes.

"Hey, April. Who is your pal?" Casey asked, eyeing Ralph with distrust.

"A friend," was all April said. Casey looked at Ralph again and wanted to beat the crap out of the guy. April's friend was intimating, tall, and fit.

"Does he know I am your boyfriend?" Casey asked. Ralph laughed but then shut his mouth quickly as Casey glared at him. He decided to speak knowing that Casey was too much of an idiot to know it was him.

"Actually by what I hear April here dumped you," Ralph said, making April turn white. "She is a nice gal and I think she has pretty good taste in guys to know when to just give up on somebody.

"You sound familiar," Casey mumbled as he eyed Ralph.

"Really, because I was thinking the same thing," Ralph said to the man. April then stepped in between both men.

"Come on lets go," April said to Ralph who nodded his head and followed her quickly away from Casey.

"Ralph! Why did you do that?" April hissed.

"I don't know," Ralph admitted. "You are my best friend April and I choose you over Casey with friends. You guys were good together but I also know you have a pretty good reason to dump him and go separate ways. I just wanted you to have a life, even if it was with Casey."

"You are a good friend but now he probable thinks you are my boyfriend," April told him angrily.

"Crap, that is bad," Ralph knowing that Casey was a jealous nut, even when he wasn't dating April.

"It is okay let us just hope your brothers don't come to my place today," April said as they went to get a leather jacket and whatever else Ralph would need to fight against his brother and ride his bike. He had bought paint to change the color so his brothers wouldn't know it was him.

His brothers did come and as he hide on the roof, he was hearing their conversation with April.

"April has a new boyfriend," Mikey sang out.

"Mike, he isn't my boyfriend," April corrected again for the fifth time. "He is a friend that just hit the rough times."

Ralph didn't want to do this to his brothers so he decided he as might as well face them now and he already his outfit on, his weapons on his waist.

"For ninja turtles I never knew you guys were loud," Ralph said as he came out from his hiding spot. The turtles saw his weapons and immediately went on defense. Leo pushed April behind him.

"Friend?" Leo asked April. April pushed herself toward Ralph who had a smug look on his face.

"April!" the three turtles called out.

"Ralph, you couldn't wait," April admonished. The turtles looked at Ralph and when they saw his eyes, they had the same sparkle as their turtle brother did.

"Ralph?" they all asked.

"Donny, next time you tell me to catch I am not going to," Ralph said, crossing his arms. He saw that he was the same height as his brothers.

"You are human!" Mikey shouted. Ralph rolled his eyes.

"I didn't notice when I scratched my head this morning," Ralph said sarcastically.

"You actually look better as a human," Donny said. Everybody looked at him and he shrugged his shoulders.

"That was the weirdest thing you had ever said," Ralph told his brother who glared back. "So, what now?'

"Well, lets go to Splinter and then I think it would be better if you stayed with April for awhile because it will look weird if you kept coming out of the sewer," Leo said to his brother, his brain thinking fast.

"I will work on the translation on getting you back to your original state. The language is not in any computer so right now we are talking to our allies in outer space," Donny said to Ralph who nodded. Ralph looked to April.

"Good thing we went shopping," Ralph said to April. His brothers stared at him with awe.

"You went shopping?" the brothers asked. Ralph nodded his head and then he looked at his outfit.

"Okay, let's go see Splinter," Donny said. Ralph had picked up April and was jumping with his brothers.

"You still are a ninja," Mikey said happily. Ralph nodded his head, smiling as he ran and jumped with his brothers. He didn't notice the way how April looked at him as he held her close to his chest. April wasn't complaining, just looking at him seeing that the night still agreed with his look. She then got the feeling of kissing him which April quickly pushed out of her mind. When they got to the turtles home Splinter's reaction was surprising. He instantly knew, like April, the human in front of him was his son Ralph. Ralph looked at his master hoping the rat didn't read his mind. He was now thinking of missing April's warmth close to his chest. He knew that was a bad thing to think of. Splinter did know as he watched Ralph do quick sneak looks on April who was doing the same to him. He also knew this was going to end badly or hopefully it might work out.

"Donatello, Leonardo, and Mickanglo, leave so that I may talk to April and Raphael," Splinter said to his sons that nodded their head and left. April was looking at Splinter confused. "I have noticed that you two are thinking about the same thing."

Ralph and April both looked at each other and then down at the floor, blushing and wondering if it was true also. Splinter could see the thought running in their heads easily.

"Ummm….I'm thinking about nothing sensei," Ralph told his master and father.

"Yea, I am just thinking about the shipments I have to take care of," April said afterwards. "Since Casey doesn't work for me anymore I have to hire somebody else. Have lots of paperwork to do."

"Well, April that is why I left you here. Do you know somebody that make Raphael fake paperwork as you call it?" Splinter asked.

"I can do them," April said. "I used to by a news reporter and writer. Have the things to do that stuff."

"Good," Splinter said. "Now, may I talk to my son alone Miss O'Neil." April nodded her head and left, not looking back. Ralph looked at her as she left and shook his head. He was human but for how long?

"Yes sensei?" Ralph asked.

"What are your feelings to Miss O'Neil?" Splinter asked. Ralph looked at his father with surprise.

"She is like a sister to me but now…" Ralph just stopped. He could already see himself married to April, with kids, happy. But it was crushed as he thought about his brothers.

"What do you feel?" Splinter questioned harder. Ralph was somebody who didn't speak of emotions and right now he was vulnerable and that was not a good sign for a ninja and Splinter knew this.

"I see myself married to her," Ralph said, a smile on his face. "I see us having kids but then I think of my brothers. I can't leave them. I can't be selfish. I don't know what to do. If Donny does figure out the translation would I want to be a turtle again or not? What happens that this crush turns into love? I just can't leave April either. Then what if April only likes me because I am human but not who I am?"

"Let us hope you know soon," Splinter advised. Ralph nodded his head but he spoke up.

"I already know. I belong with my brothers and I shall keep myself away from feeling anything at all for April," Ralph said, more like he was ordering himself.