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April watched New York come into view as the airplane she was on slowly descended. She felt a smile come across her face, as if seeing an old friend for the first time years. And truthfully, she was. That's what New York was like to her...an old, warm, friend.

That brought her thoughts to Donatello. That made her smile bigger. Oh, she was so excited to be able to see him again. Perhaps even a little too excited...

April brushed off that thought. She'd been away for four years! Of course she'd feel this way...it all made sense.

Yeah, in the way that you care about him, April...

This made the reporter sigh. That truth was really making a bad habit of haunting her.

So do something about it...

As to what she should do, that was the million dollar question. April knew she couldn't do what she wanted so what did that leave for choices?

Well, first and foremost, she wanted to keep the friendship alive between the two of them.

But how would she turn off her heart? What could she do to stop loving the kind-hearted genius turtle?

Oh my god...I love him...

That was April's first thought when the plane jolted, finally landing on the runway. However, she didn't notice. She was too busy being stunned by her stark revelation.

Sure she'd always known she'd had feelings for Donnie, but never did she imagine this...

But yet...as she thought back to years earlier, she also realized that this had been staring her in the face right from day one only she'd been too blind to see it.

April sighed as the plane came to a stop and they were finally able to stand and leave the aircraft.

Here goes nothing...


The reporter pulled out her cellular phone and dialled a very familiar number...

Michelangelo picked up the receiver and gave a cheery hello.

"Mikey? It's me, April..."

April heard the sharp intake of breath on the other line, indicating the turtle's surprise.

"Hey, how are ya, dudette?"

April couldn't help but smile at the warmth in Mikey's voice. It was a comforting thought to know that at least he didn't seem to be angry at her after all these years...

What about the rest of them, April? What do you think they think of you?

April felt that familiar tinge of guilt that had stung her all those years ago.

What do you think Donatello thinks of you? Have you bothered to consider that? You left him behind for four years, April...not the two weeks that you told him...

"I'm fine, Mikey." She said after a long moment. That wasn't really the truth but she didn't want to dampen the turtle's high spirits.

"Awesome! So, are ya gonna come and visit us?"

April bit her lip as she thought of the question she had just asked herself. Now that she had addressed it, she wasn't sure she wanted to know anymore...

Still...

April thought back to the scenario she'd left that day. Mikey had been sick...

That's when she realized that Mikey's voice and his breathing sounded a little raspy...

Oh god...

Worry struck her gut with the force of a great blow. Just what mark had this disease left on the good natured orange masked turtle?

April knew then that she had to see him...she needed to know...

"I'll come as soon as I can." She promised. "I just have to get my luggage and get back to my apartment."

"Alright!" he cheered, the raspy quality becoming a little more obvious for a moment.

April couldn't help but chuckle. Count on Mikey to make her smile despite her not so happy thoughts...

A moment later, she hung up and headed towards the luggage retrieval area. Once there, she took her place among the many people and waited.

Back at the lair, Mikey's three brothers were regarding him with curious looks. They all wanted to know who had just phoned them.

"That was April!" Mikey announced cheerfully. "She's back!"

Upon hearing his brother's declaration, Donatello gaped at him. She was back?

A torrent of feelings hit the turtle at once. The first was shock, the second was fear, and the next was anger...and lastly, and clearly the one he hated the most, longing...

Despite the damned four years, he wanted to see her...needed to.

"She's coming to see us!" Mikey practically skipped around the lair after his announcement.

Donnie watched his brother and was almost tempted to tell him to stop that since he'd use up is limited energy faster but didn't.

Leonardo, however, did. "Mikey! Don't run around like that, you'll exhaust yourself."

The orange-masked turtle's smile turned to a childish pout. However, he didn't say anything because he knew Leo was right. If he ran around now, he'd never stay awake for April's entire visit.

Instead, he sat on the couch and watched the lair door.

It was a couple of hours later when the red head finally made an appearance. Mikey took one look at her, leaped off the couch and ran straight towards her.

"Hi, April!" he said cheerfully and hugged her.

"Hello to you too, Mikey." She said, patting his shell. From other his shoulder, she could see the other three standing there each with a hostile expressions on their faces. This made April frown.

What had she done that had warranted such a reaction?

You left them for four years, genius...

April bit her lip. Yeah, she had...

"Uh, hi guys..." she began lamely.

"It's been a long time, April." Leonardo said finally, not hiding the irritation and hint of hurt in his voice.

The reporter nodded. "Yeah, I know and I'm sorry." She said truthfully.

"You said only two weeks, April...how does that translate into four years?" The blue masked turtle demanded.

"Well, I..."

"Ya got caught up in the fancy places, didn't ya?" April started and turned to Raphael, who'd practically growled the question.

"Raph, it wasn't..." she began to deny, but knew it was the truth. She had done just that...

"Lair..." he hissed, twirling his Sai menacingly in his hands. If it wasn't for the fact that Raph had a strict code of honour and would never harm her, she would have been terrified at that moment.

However, he looked like he really wanted to betray it at that moment....

Donnie watched Raphael seethe with anger. And for once, he could relate...for once, he felt the same.

April then looked at him. When their eyes connected, Donnie felt as if he'd been punched in the gut. He could barely breathe, never mind speak.

She was back...she was here...

The look in her eyes nearly broke his heart. He could see sorrow and intense longing as he felt...and something else...something he couldn't name yet.

"Donnie..." she said her voice full of emotion. "It's so good to see you again..."

April hugged him fiercely. This made Donnie squeeze his eyes shut for a moment before gently hugging her back. It took all of his strength not to cling to her as he wanted to.

When she released the purple-masked turtle she graced him with a gentle smile.

April watched the emotions play across the turtle's face. He seemed happy to see her but not.

"What brings you back now?" he asked finally, letting some of his frustration show. He hadn't meant to, but there it was.

April gave him a look that said she was taken aback by his tone. He wanted to feel guilty for it, but at the moment he really didn't. Instead he wanted to channel his inner Raph for once.

You do, Donatello...I came back for you...

She didn't say that however, it just wasn't possible for her to. Instead, she sighed and bit her lip.

"I missed the city...I missed you guys."


Both were true, but not the complete truth.

"Bullshit!" Raphael shouted angrily, getting between her and Donatello.

He'd stood aside long enough, watching his brother suffer because of this bitch they once called a friend.

He menacingly brought the business end of his Sai to the tip of her chin.

"The short an' short of this is, you shoulda never left in the fuckin' first place! Not when Mikey was dyin'!"

Raphael pressed his weapon into her chin, not enough to make her bleed but enough to cause her discomfort. "That's right...he was dyin'... and you didn't give a damn."

April felt angry and sad tears come to her eyes at the red-masked turtle's accusations. She wanted to yell and scream at him that he was wrong, but didn't. Not now. Not while he was so angry...

The reporter had seen and therefore knew well how volatile and deadly Raphael's temper could be if one provoked him enough...

Raphael was about to continue his rant when he heard that familiar dry, harsh cough. He turned his head only for a moment giving Mikey a worried look before turning back to April.

"Get out...now." He said in a low, deadly voice.

April didn't need to be asked twice. Without a second glance, she fled the lair, her silent tears streaming down her face.

Oh, god...I'm so sorry...

And with that, April let out a tidal wave of raw pain...