Chapter 11: April's Secret
A/N: Hey, sorry for the delay. I wasn't feeling well yesterday, but I'm better today and decided to get this chapter up. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed thus far. Your encouraging words have been great and have allowed me to continue with this story. Historia, I'm glad you're on the edge of your seat. Here's more. Buckle up, guys. This is about to get good.
Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I own the plot and any other characters not associated with TMNT
Splinter paced in front of his sons, his tail lashing in his anger. "So, not only did you receive messages from this A, but you failed to tell me about it," he said, phrasing it as a fact, not a question.
"Hai, Sensei," the Turtles said meekly.
"And your reason for doing this was what?"
"We thought it was April sending us the messages," Mikey replied. "We thought that maybe she was back."
"And how did you come to this conclusion?" Splinter asked.
"There were things in the messages that only she knew about us," Leo answered.
"I see. And did it occur to any of you that if April had indeed returned that she would have made it a point to come to the Lair and tell us?"
Don hung his head. "No, Sensei," he said. Now that he put it like that, it seemed so obvious to them. But they had all taken it for granted that April was sending them the texts.
"I am very disappointed in all of you," Splinter declared. "We are a family, and as a family we should share information with each other. I should ground you four from going topside tonight, but since Kirby requested to see you, I am allowing you to go and see what he wants. Your punishment will start tomorrow instead, and you will be grounded for four weeks. Is that understood?"
"Hai, Sensei," replied the Turtles.
"Good," said Splinter. "Then go to your rooms until it is time for lunch. We will discuss this matter later."
The Turtles bowed to him and left for their rooms. All of them felt horrible for what had happened, and they all wished they had handled things differently. They hated that Splinter was disappointed in them, and they all hoped that it would pass soon. The rest of the day was spent contemplating what Kirby wanted to talk to them about. The Turtles had the idea of IMing one another since they couldn't talk in the same room.
Mikey: So, what do you think Kirby wants to talk to us about?
Don: Maybe April left something for us in her will.
Raph: What's a will?
Don: It's a document that the deceased writes before their death which dictates what items the deceased would like to leave with certain people.
Leo: Okay, like what?
Mikey: Maybe she left us cash. I can see her doing that.
Raph: But how could she have money? She was only sixteen.
Don: Maybe Kirby set up a trust for her, and she arranged for us to get it if anything happened to her.
Leo: Or maybe he's found a lead about what happened to her.
Raph: But if that was true, wouldn't he have just told Don over the phone?
Don: Maybe he didn't want anyone to overhear him.
Raph: That's stupid.
Don: No, it's not. It's entirely logical.
Leo: Stop it, you guys. We'll worry about this tonight.
The others agreed, and the conversation ended there because they didn't want Splinter to catch them talking to each other when they were supposed to be thinking about what they did. Splinter called them to lunch, which they ate obediently. They didn't talk about the texts, and Splinter didn't bring it up again, much to their relief. The rest of the day was spent doing as they pleased in their rooms until it was time to meet with Kirby.
Splinter wished them luck as they left the Lair, and Leo promised that they would tell him everything once they returned home. All of them were curious as to what Kirby had to tell them. Had April really left them something, or had she passed on a message to her father to relay to them after her death?
They arrived at the apartment Kirby had told them to meet him at, and they noticed it wasn't April's aunt's place. It had to be the apartment that Kirby and April had lived in before Kirby had been kidnapped by the Kraang. After Kirby left, no one had lived in the apartment for very long, and Kirby had probably been able to rent it again. They saw lights on and went up the fire escape as Kirby had instructed. Leo knocked on the window and waited until Kirby came to let them in.
"You made it!" he exclaimed. "Please come in."
As soon as they were all inside, Leo asked, "Mr. O'Neil, what's this about?"
"Did April leave us anything in her will?" Mikey asked.
"No, she didn't," Kirby answered. "But there was something she never told you, and it's time you knew the truth." He led them further into a hallway and stopped at the second door on the right. "Honey, they're here," he called.
The Turtles heard footsteps and braced themselves in anticipation. The door opened and revealed someone they had seen before.
"You're the girl we saw on TV!" Mikey gasped. "You look just like April!"
"Boys, this is Robyn O'Neil, April's twin sister,' Kirby said. "Robyn, these are the Turtles who saved April and me."
Robyn smiled at them. "It's nice to finally meet you," she said.
"What do you mean by finally?" Don asked her.
"April's told me so much about you," Robyn replied. "She didn't say you were mutants though. Dad was the one who told me about all of that. All April told me was that you guys were all brothers and that you were her friends. I can't thank you enough for what you did for her and for Dad."
"It was our pleasure," Leo told her. "We couldn't let your dad get hurt, or April for that matter."
"Why didn't April tell us about you?" Mikey asked, a hurt look crossing his face. "I thought she was our friend!"
"She was, Mikey," Robyn reassured him. "April wanted to tell you guys about me, but Dad told her not to. It's kind of like how you told her not to tell anyone about you guys."
"That makes sense," Don replied. "But where were you all this time? We've been to April's aunt's house and never saw you."
Robyn sighed. "That's because I was in an institution," she responded. "It all started after Mom died in a car crash. I became very depressed after that and tried to commit suicide. Dad had me committed so I wouldn't do it again. I was there for a long time and received help for my problem. April wrote me letters and visited me sometimes. That's how I found out about Dad's kidnapping and you guys, though she didn't tell me everything such as that you guys were mutant turtles or who Dad had been kidnapped by. April and I were really close, and I wanted to come home to be with her because I knew she was scared about Dad, but I couldn't. When I was finally released, April had disappeared. Dad was afraid I would relapse again, so he told me about you guys and promised I would see you soon. So, that's it."
"Man, that had to be hard for you to be locked up all the time," Mikey commented.
"Yeah, it was hard and lonely at times," Robyn replied. "But I kept reminding myself that I was there to get better. Of course, April helped me through it with her letters and visits. She always told me to just hang in there and that I would be out soon. I listened to her because I was determined to get out and be with her, but when I did, she was gone."
"So, are you back for good?" asked Leo.
"As long as I take my meds and don't relapse, then, yeah, I'm back for good," replied Robyn. "So, what do you guys do for fun?"
"Well, Friday is movie night," answered Mikey. "Maybe you should come. It'll give you a chance to meet our dad."
"Is he a turtle too?"
"No, he's actually a giant rat," answered Leo.
Robyn was surprised by his words. "Oh, I see," she said. "Do you think he'll like me?"
Mikey smiled and put an arm around her. "He'll love you," he reassured her. "You're April's sisters, so you'll kind of be like a second daughter to him. Maybe he could teach you ninjitsu like he did with April."
"Slow down, Mikey, we have to clear it with Sensei first," Leo reminded him. "We haven't even told him about Robyn yet."
"But once we do, I'll text you and let you know what he says," Don offered.
"That's fine with me," Robyn replied. She pulled out her phone and gave each of the Turtles her number so she could contact them whenever she wanted to and vice versa.
Leo looked at the clock on his T-Phone. "We'd better get home before Sensei worries about us," he said.
"But you guys just got here!" Robyn protested. "Why can't you just call him?"
"Because we didn't give him a T-Phone," Don replied. "I guess I'll have to remedy that."
"Do we have to go now?" Mikey pouted.
"Yes, we do, Mikey," Leo told him.
"Oh, give it a rest," Raph grumbled. "You'll see her tomorrow if it's okay with Sensei. Now, let's get outta here before Sensei makes us do extra trainin'."
"Well, it was nice meeting you guys," said Robyn.
"Likewise, Robyn," replied Leo. "We'll let you know what Sensei says. See you later."
The others waved and followed Leo to the rooftops. As they ran, Leo could tell that something was up with Raph since he hadn't spoken the whole time they had been talking to Robyn, except when he'd chastised Mikey. He decided to talk to Raph after he reported to Splinter and told him about Robyn.
When they arrived at the Lair, they found Splinter waiting for them in the living area. Leo began to tell him everything about Robyn, and Splinter listened to the story until Leo was done.
"So, is it okay if she comes here?" Leo asked him.
"Yes, I suppose it would be fine if she comes over," Splinter replied. Raph rolled his eyes, and Splinter turned to him. "You do not like that idea, my son?"
"I don't trust her," Raph responded.
"Why not?"Mikey asked.
"Because, in case you haven't forgotten, Robyn was in a nuthouse," Raph reminded him. "Only crazy people go there."
"She's not crazy!" Don protested. "She was suffering from depression because her mother died."
"And what kind of normal person tries to commit suicide?" Raph retorted.
"It's not about being crazy," Leo replied. "She just couldn't handle her mother's death, but she got help for that. I think she just wants a normal life now, Raph."
"Yeah, and we shouldn't treat her like she's nuts," Mikey added.
"Your brothers are right, Raphael," Splinter told him. "We cannot hold the past against her. She will come here, and we will all treat her with respect. Is that understood?"
"Hai, Sensei," Raph answered. He still wasn't happy about Splinter's decision, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it. So he decided he would give her a chance and see if he could trust her or not.
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"So, do you really think your dad will like me?" Robyn asked as she followed Donnie through the sewers.
Don was one happy Turtle at the moment. If he closed his eyes, he could just imagine that April was with him again. He knew Splinter would like her a lot, and maybe things could go back to the way they used to be before April vanished. It was definitely something Don had wished for. He had wished and wished for April to come back, and he sort of felt that his wish had come true. Sure, Robyn wasn't April, but she was the next best thing.
"Donnie, are you with me?" teased Robyn as she waved her hand in front of Don's face.
Don snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh, sorry, Robyn, I spaced out," he apologized. "What did you say?"
Robyn sighed in frustration. "I asked you if your dad would like me," she replied, her tone implying that she was annoyed with him.
"I'm sure he will," Don reassured her. "After all, you're April's sister. What's not to like? Well, here we are."
Robyn gasped as Don led her to the entrance to the Lair. "Wow! This is an awesome place!" she exclaimed. "Who knew the sewers could supply real estate?"
Don smiled as he gestured to the living area where his brothers and Splinter were waiting for them. "Robyn, this is Master Splinter, our father and sensei. Sensei, this is Robyn O'Neil, April's twin sister."
Splinter walked over to Robyn and bowed to her. "It is very nice to meet you, Robyn," he said. "Your sister was great friend to my sons and a great student. She was family to us and was like a second daughter to me. Her disappearance and death affected my sons, but it also affected me as well. I know this has affected you deeply, and I feel your pain. I, too, have suffered the loss of my wife and daughter. Although I had my sons, I still missed my daughter, but when April came into our lives, I began to regard her as a second daughter. I never wanted her to replace Miwa, but she began to fill the hole that was in my heart. That hole burst open again when April vanished.
I am not asking you to take April's place as no one and nothing can do that. All I ask of you is to not reveal our secret to the world above for they would not understand us and our appearance. Can you do this?"
Robyn nodded. "I promise I won't tell anyone about you," she said. "When anyone at the institution asked me about April's friends, I only said that you were brothers. Even if I had known your true identity, I never would have revealed it. You can count on me. Besides, I don't ever want to go back there, and if I said anything, they'd send me back." Her tone turned bitter and her blue eyes darkened as she spoke.
Splinter looked at her sympathetically. He could tell that speaking about the institution caused her pain, and she must have had a hard time there. "Good," he said. "Then there is nothing more to say on the matter. I was teaching April to be a kunoichi, a female ninja. She was a good student and very fast learner. Did she ever discuss that with you?"
"Yeah, she said she was being trained," Robyn answered. "She offered to teach me once I got out, but I told her I wasn't interested. I've never been the athletic type."
"Aww, why don't you try it?" Mikey begged. "I think you'd be awesome at it."
"Michelangelo, if Robyn does not wish to learn, that is her decision," Splinter told him. "And now, I believe my sons have something to discuss with you." When the Turtles looked at him in confusion, he prompted, "The texts?"
"What texts?" asked Robyn.
"We've been getting texts and other messages from someone known as A," replied Leo. "At first, we thought it was April, but after her body was found, we knew it wasn't her."
"So, you're saying someone's impersonating her?" Robyn asked him.
"Yeah, we think so," said Don.
"And it's really weird," added Mikey. "They keep talking about stuff only April knew about us."
"Like what?" pursued Robyn.
"None of your business," growled Raph.
"Raphael, that is no way to talk to Robyn," chastised Splinter.
"She's a stranger, Sensei, and I don't trust her with anything," replied Raph.
"Chill out, Raph," Robyn told him. "I'm not going to give away your secrets or anything. Why won't you trust me?"
"Because you were in a nuthouse," Raph responded.
Instead of being offended by Raph's remark, Robyn smiled. "Exactly, which means I know how crazy people think. The person who's doing this wants to get inside your head. Can you think of anyone who's crazy enough to do this?"
"We looked into all of our enemies when April went missing," Leo told her. "We thought that maybe they took her as a means of revenge, but none of them did."
"Maybe it's someone working for your enemies," mused Robyn. "Donnie, have you tried to trace the origin of the messages?"
Don nodded. "I couldn't find anything though, and whoever's doing this is making sure they aren't detected."
"Do you think it could be one of April's classmates?"
Leo shook his head. "April never talked about us in school."
Just then, a chime came from Robyn's cell phone. "That's probably Dad," she said pulling it out and opening up her text inbox. Then she gasped. "Guys, you have to see this."
The Turtles hurried to her side and peered over her shoulder to see the text.
"Whoa!" Leo gasped.
"This can't be!" Don added.
"Too weird," Mikey chimed in.
"Looks like we're not the only ones now," Raph speculated.
Hey, Robyn, how's life outside of the nuthouse? Enjoy it while you can.—A.
A/N: Wow! I can't believe this is thirteen pages long! I never expected it to be that long. So, now Robyn's in the picture and is being tortured by A. Now, only time will tell as to who this person is and how they know Robyn is there. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic holiday weekend.