Chapter Five

April walked quickly down the hallways to her quarters, trying to beat the tears that were waiting on the surface. She didn't even know how the hell any of that just happened, but it did and it was over just as fast as it began. He was being so stubborn and she just snapped on him. She didn't mean to say what she did to him and she regretted it the moment it came out, like word vomit. But now she really understood, he's incapable of letting her be in charge of the relationship.

She finally came to her door. She slammed it quickly behind her and the sobs began escaping immediately. Her shoulders were shaking violently and she tried to contain the sounds, but failed miserably. Her body went limp as she fell to the floor. Her heart was shattering inside her and she wanted him more than anything and he looked at her with complete hate and disgust. Why couldn't he just listen to her and take her at her word? But it occurred to her that Raph didn't know her well enough to take her at her word. She was a completely different person to him. April curled up in the fetal position on the floor and tried to think about anything else.

Raph was sitting on the edge of his bed. He had just been sitting since April left. He didn't know what to think about. She was gone. How could she ask him if she was just a convenience? April had been the most important thing to Raph for a long time now. She was all that was on his mind. He reached his hand up to his skull and slipped his bandana off. He stared at the red material in his hands for a moment, then he saw the tears fall on it. He wiped his eyes with it. The memory of the last time he cried was completely erased from him mind. A year ago, he would have never imagined he and April could say those things to each other. They were so unfiltered and uncaring and unfeeling. At the beginning Raph would have let a comment like that go because he knew April would never say something like that and mean it. But it just stung and it flipped a switch in him he couldn't flip off before he snapped. He couldn't make himself see things her way because he loved their life before all of this.

There was a light tap at his door, "Go away." He growled.

"Please, let me in." Leo begged.

"No."

But the door opened anyway and Raph quickly wiped his face dry, but Leo could see he had been crying, "Is that really it between you two?"

Raph sighed and rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I guess it is, Leo. Do you mind letting me deal with it in peace?"

"You just broke up with April. No I'm not leaving you alone until I know you won't go do something crazy."

"Listen, oh mighty leader, I don't need a lecture right now."

"I'm not trying to play leader, Raph, I'm here as your brother." Leo said softly as he sat next to him, "That was some pretty harsh stuff just now."

Raph wiped his face again and nodded, "Yeah, it was. I guess we just showed our true colors."

Leo thought for a moment, "Maybe so, but I have another idea."

"What's that?"

"My thought is that grief does funny things to people. Emotions are running high and April was already revved up at you for not listening to her like she asked you to. But I sincerely think you two have been hurting over the loss of each other for so long that you're dooming your reunion by over thinking and over reacting. You two have held out for so long and you two are ruining it over things that can be resolved eventually."

Raph looked at his brother with so much sorrow in his eyes, "What am I supposed to do, Leo? I love April, but she's not April."

The blue brother shook his head, "Yes, she is. Just because she's not doing the same things she used to do doesn't mean that she's not April. Are you really going to stop loving her because she's not a damsel in distress anymore?"

"When she was a damsel in distress, I knew she needed me in her life. What use does she have for me if it's not to save her?" He asked as he balled his bandana up in his hands.

"I don't see how that's a bad thing. She doesn't need you to save her and she still loves you and she's still fighting for you. I'd say that means that she actually loves you and you weren't just a necessity in her life, Raph. Why is it bad for her to love you because she wants you and not need you?" He concluded his very compelling argument.

"You're wrong about one thing, though. She's not fighting for me anymore." Raph argued.

Leo snorted, "Seriously, you think that fight out there was the end all, be all to the Raph and April saga. She was angry and you were angry. People say mean shit when they're hurting. So, here's my advice if you don't want to lose the love of your life: Listen to her for once. April has always had our safety at the front of her mind. Take what she gives you because she knows what's best right now. She deserves that much from you, Raph. And if I know April, she knows damn well that she's more than a convenience to you."

"She hates me right now, Leo." He muttered.

"No," He shook his head, "she misses you more than anything."

April sat on her bed, her face was swollen from crying. Vern sat across the room on her dresser, while she sipped the coffee he brought her.

"So, he wouldn't listen to you, so you questioned his feelings for you?" Vern asked as he sipped his coffee and April nodded, "You questioned how Raphael felt about you?" April nodded again, "…Okay, then."

April threw her palm at her face and groaned, "I know, I know! I didn't mean to say it, Vern. It just fell out because I was getting so frustrated with him and his stupid stubborn streak. I can't afford to have the patience with it like I used to. It's a little more critical now." She shook her head as she thought about it, "You wouldn't believe the way he looked at me. It was like he was something else entirely. His eyes went black. He's never looked at me like he hated me before."

"That's because it has never hated you and he still doesn't, but you probably said the worst thing possible to him, April. You weren't just the best thing he could get, you're the best thing anybody could get and he loves you more than anything and you insinuated that he just wanted sex. He maybe grumpy and moody and closed off, but you got through to him and he didn't have to say it out loud for all of us to know how crazy he is about you." Vern set his coffee down, "Why do you think I quit joking with you about going on dates? Raph acted annoyed, but I saw it in his eyes that it truly worried him. So, I stopped because he needed to security of knowing you were all about him."

A few tears fell down her cheeks, "I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should try to fix it because the first problem still remains." She thought out loud.

"O'Neil, I know you're hurting right now and I think it's because you don't want it to be over, so you really need to think about your options here."

"Vern, he wants me to be the old April and that's not the life I lead anymore. That life is not an option."

"It's just going to take some getting used to for him. It took me a while, but you're still the old April at heart, you had to adjust to your life. You're a more ass kicking version of her now." Vern smirked.

A little smile appeared, "Thanks, Vern."

Later that night, April was patrolling for Foot Clan activity when she had an unexpected visitor show up. She heard the footsteps coming up the fire escape. They were too heavy to be a human, but too light to be Raphael.

"Angelcakes?"

April turned to see Mikey approaching her, "Mikey. What are you doing up here?"

"I'm lookin' for you." He sat next to her on the wall.

"What's on your mind?" She questioned.

He took a deep breath as he collected his thoughts. She could see he was upset and trying to keep his composure, "What the hell is going on?"

April gave him a perplexed look, "What?"

"I want to know why my brother who I have never seen cry before is in fact crying and I want to know why we don't see you for a year and a half and you come back as Sarah Connor 2.0."

She sighed deeply and looked at Mikey sweetly. He would never not be like a child to her, "Mikey, its so compli-"

"Don't treat me like I won't get it, or something. I know you and Raph were together, but you are still family to the rest of us. I want the truth." He retorted.

April nodded, "Okay, you're right, Mikey. I'm sorry... You're brother is crying because I said something to him I shouldn't have and we broke up. And the reason I'm like Sarah Connor is because when I was found after the Foot tossed me away, I was injected with the mutagen in order to survive all my injuries."

"THE mutagen? Like me and my brothers?" Mikey asked in shock.

"Uh huh, the same one. It was the only thing strong enough to heal the old and new injuries. So, now I'm of use to the people who saved me and that's why I track the Foot clan because that's basically how I make a living now." She explained and Mikey took it all in, "And I'm sorry Raph is so upset. If it makes you feel any better, I've been crying all day and night, too."

"That doesn't make me feel better. I don't want either of you upset over each other. You're supposed to be together." He said solemnly, "And as weird as it is to say now, you two are kinda meant to be."

April tried not to let that break her down, "Things are so different now, Mikey. Raph is having a hard time dealing with how things have to be now for me and there's really no time to convince him otherwise."

"C'mon, Angelcakes. You know Raph. He'll do anything you ask him to, you just have to give him a couple of days to digest things. Ya know, work it out in the dojo. I know you two have been apart for a while now, but I know you still know everything about him. You guys would have never given up on each other so easily in the old days."

April looked at Mikey with sorrow in her eyes. He was right. Nothing could break Raph and April back then. They were a team no matter what. They used to fight off the Foot Clan together, when she was gone to Japan Raph waited for her and took care of her when she was beaten to a pulp, they took care of each other. And what were they doing now? Deserting each other. This wasn't them at all. What was wrong with them?

"You remember after Raph got attacked that night and then he started ignoring you?" He asked and she nodded, "You didn't take no for an answer, you told him he was an asshole and you loved him and that's all she wrote."

"Shit." She muttered, "Is Raph at home?"

A huge grin formed on Mikey's face, "Yeah." April's smile quickly turned down, "What is it, Angelcakes?"

"Do you hear that?" She asked as she looked over the edge of the building.

Mikey listened for moment and he heard muffled voices from the sidewalk, like a struggle. He looked around the ground, too, "I'll look on the other side." He ran to the opposite side and looked down in the alley, "April, come on." Mikey said hastily. April ran behind him. They both hopped over the ledge of the building and slid in and out of the stairs on the fire escape, until the both landed feet first on the sidewalk. It was pretty dark, but they could make out the figures in the dark. A man was attacking a woman by the dumpster. He had his hand on her mouth to muffle her screams as he pushed her against the building wall.

Mikey made his way to them and April followed, "Ah hem."

The man froze and turned his head slightly to look behind him, "Mind your own business, asshole."

Mikey grinned as he stepped into the dim light put off by the street light lamp so the creep could see his face and the guy's breath caught in his throat, "I don't think so." Mikey grabbed his shoulder and threw him back on the ground.

The blond woman, well girl, she looked maybe nineteen stood there shaking, "You okay?" Mikey asked as he reached a hand out to her.

She quickly nodded.

"It's alright." April reassured her as she put her boot on the guys neck to hold him down, "Neither of us will hurt you. What's your name?"

"Carly." She whispered.

Mikey held his hand out further, "It's okay, Carly. We're friends. Don't pay attention to him. We'll take care of him."

Carly gave Mikey her hand still shaking, but she squeezed it tightly, "What's your name?"

"I'm Michelangelo, but my friends call me Mikey." He replied with a smile.

She put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, "Thank you, Mikey."

He froze momentarily, but he eventually put his arms around her, too, "You're welcome, Carly."

April smiled as she watched Mikey and Carly. She hadn't seen him smile so genuinely since the first time she and Mikey had met and it had never quite been the same since April and Raph got together.

Carly pulled back and smiled.

"Come on, Carly." April smiled, "I'll get you a cab home."

She nodded at April and looked back at Mikey, "Will I ever see you guys again?"

Mikey smirked, "You never know, babe. We're always lurking around somewhere."

Carly smiled and nodded, "Okay. Thank you again."

"Mikey, handle this problem, please. I'll get Carly in a cab." April said. She and Carly walked to the edge of the sidewalk. April dug some cash out of a hidden pocket, "Have you eaten?" Carly shook her head, "Do you have a place to stay?"

"Yes, I do. I was walking home when this happened. I didn't make enough tips to get a cab tonight." She explained.

That's when April noticed her heavy makeup. She was probably a stripper, "Here you go." She handed Carly a hundred, "I want you to pay the cab," April waved her hand at the upcoming cab, "And get something to eat with the rest of it." The cab was coming to a stop at the curb.

"I don't know who he is, but I know who you are." Carly said quietly, "I remember when you went missing, April. I don't understand any of this, but thank you and thank Mikey again for me." She opened the door to the cab and slid in, "I really hope I run into you guys again."

April smiled sweetly, "I'm sure we will. Be safe, Carly. Driver, please get this young lady home safe." She closed the door and watched them drive off before she walked back to Mikey.

"What should we do with him?" Mikey asked.

"Leave him tied up and gagged, I'll have him picked up." April grinned, "Let's get out of here."