Stranger Whistles

by TJ Hector

-A/N:

Finally, the last chapter. I think this is a bit too long for an epilogue? But I feel like calling it the epilogue anyway.

And for ducky mikey, Guest, InsaneDutchGirl, Raigon, turtlefanforlife1982, Blogger9999999, tmntlover2013, cup-mikey-gertha, Athese, and Bluestar-TMNT-warriors.

...Thank you for the reviews, guys!

As usual I'm thrilled to see your feedbacks and I felt that I have to work harder on the ending of the story so as not to disappoint you.

To Blogger9999999: I'm so glad you like the story so much my friend! Thank you again!
To InsaneDutchGirl: I hope your teacher has returned your phone to you? :P Or should I send out ninjas to snatch it back for you? (wow I'm able to do that? just kiddin'!)

-In this chapter there are some Japanese words:

keiko: kendo sparring practice.

nito ryu: a fighting style wielding two sword.

men: a kind of helmet protecting your head and face during kendo sparring.

-Disclaimer:

I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (in this case, humans!). And the text of Ave Maria (but I suppose Sir Walter Scott, Storck and Schubert won't sue me, right?).

-So, on with the happy ending I promised!

Epilogue: The Way Back Home

-*Four months later*-

[Michelangelo]

"Hey, Raph," I was surprised to see him. He was climbing the staircase leading to our dojo at third floor, while I stood on the platform before the door of the dojo and about to enter.

"S'up Mikey," he took off his wet gloves and stuck them into his coat pocket.

"Uh…you think ya can do this?" I asked.

"Don't see why I can't," he raised an eyebrow, "Ya wanna get in there or what?"

I pushed the door open and went inside.

Inside the dojo it was warm. The first thing we saw was Leo's back against us. He looked like he just finished keiko with dad (I mean Sensei, now we're in the dojo). Leo now had private trainings on kendo with dad, because he was eager to perfect his nito ryu skills; and dad promised him to give him a real katana for his graduation present—not that you can use it somewhere, but it's an honor for Leo.

Dad was standing near the far end of the dojo, kneeling on the floor and taking off his protecting gears.

"Ah, Michelangelo!" he exclaimed amiably, "and—"

Due to the limited sight and hearing inside his men, Leo didn't notice us coming in. I had a glimpse of Raph sneaking up on Leo at a side-glance.

"What—"

"TOO LATE LEO!"

I turned toward the noise and saw Leo being tackled down by Raph.

Leo shoved Raph off with a sigh.

"Wow, you shouldn't do that Raph," I said, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Raph grinned and sat up. "Just havta gain some weight back."

"He wanna look like a gorilla again," I rolled my eyes.

-O-

"Um, so, where had you been? When I woke up nobody's home," I asked Raph when we were putting our bags and stuff in the room at the back of the dojo. Ah, I hate it when I wake up in an empty house, I mean apartment. Even though Leo had told me he was going to leave early and Donnie had said he had to go to the lab first before he met us in the dojo, it still felt weird. You'd think you'd find Raph lying in bed like a sleepy lion when you finish making breakfast. After I slid those wonderful bacons into two plates, I ran to Raph's room to wake him up and found an empty bed instead; I knew breakfast's just gonna break my heart.

"Casey and I went to a walk."

"Casey and you went to a walk WHAT? You're eighty years old married granny and gramps? Sunday morning! And it's freezin' out there!"

"Hey, it's not what you think," Raph said, "We went to check some meeting spot of the Dragons. See if they met last night y'know."

"What for? I thought you quit this stuff! You said it's dangerous and you promised us y'll never do it!" I cried furiously.

"Oh hey, calm down Mikey," Raph clutched my arms and gave me a sheepish smile, which was really weird on his face, "It's just a…bad habit. I promise I won't do anythin' about it, alright?"

"Oh god Raphie," I shook my head. "You know my bacons went to waste." Now I'm actin'. Call me the queen of drama queens, if you will.

"You made me breakfast? And don't call me that."

"Yup, I didn't throw them away. They went straight to the fridge and they won't taste as good now and it's all your fault!"

O-O-O

After the practice, Leo, Raph, Donnie and I went to gather our stuff and change our clothes.

I wiped my brows with a towel, and fumbled in my backpack to find my spare T-shirt.

"You bring any clothes to change?" I asked Raph.

"Yeah, I got a shirt in my coat pocket." He raised his coat and started to search through the pockets.

"No wonder they all looked like cleaning rags," Leo muttered.

"Whatever," Raph said, pulling his soaked shirt off. "As long as I can wear 'em."

I couldn't help but stare at the healing scar under his right ribs.

"What," he caught me staring.

"So…does it still hurt?"

"Yeah if you press on it," he shrugged.

"How does it feel like? Having a bullet scar on ya," I asked.

"Actually, nothin' special."

"I suppose you are going to use that on girls?" Donnie said wryly.

"Wow good idea Genius," Raph grinned.

Donnie rolled his eyes. "Raphael and his 101 ways to attract girls. I have to write a book on that. No, wait, we can make a TV series."

"Whoa don't say it like a bad thing, Donnie," Raph put an arm around him, "I'll teach you some tips. It's actually quite simple. Step one—"

"Ask her phone number and step two, meet her at her place," Donnie sighed. "If it's only that simple."

"It is!" Raph locked Donnie's neck with his still-incredibly-strong arms. "I bet you can have this girl what's-her-name in a week…"

"April's not that kind of girls okay, Raph?" Donnie frowned and pushed him away.

"Whatever ya say, Brainiac," Raph smirked and put on his shirt, which really looked like a rag.

"Mikey, aren't you gonna change?" Leo asked.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot." I jumped, realizing all of a sudden that they were all waiting for me.

O-O-O

We were in our car. Leo was driving. I took shotgun, while Donnie and Raph sat on the backseat crowded with Leo's kendo gears. Dad stayed at the dojo because some friends had come to visit him.

I glanced back and saw Raph leaning against Donnie's shoulder, half-asleep. Raph, now a size smaller and his wild hair covering his forehead and cheekbones, looked younger than Donnie. I was struck suddenly by the degree of their resemblance.

"You two really look alike," I said. "Man it's eerie. 'Cause Donnie's supposed to be cute and Raph's supposed to look like an ape."

"Watch your mouth Mikey," Raph mumbled.

"We're twins," Donnie said.

"—Not a hundred percent identical, but we shared some DNA," Raph smirked, his eyes still closed, "I know you're gonna say that right, Genius?"

"Yeah," Donnie sighed.

"And I thought you hate your hair long," I said.

"No, gonna start a band, gotta keep 'em wild," Raph said. "Nah just kiddin'. I'm not really that into grunge."

"A band? Really?" Leo frowned.

"But you can't play a single instrument," Donnie said.

"Whatever, I can sing."

"He actually does," Leo sighed, "Man, I wish I could stop him."

"FEARLESS~" Raph sang in a croaked falsetto and I burst out laughing.

"Actually a good voice is what we have in common," Donnie said matter-of-factly.

"Really? Show me," Raph turned to him.

"A-ve Mari-a, ju-ng Frau mild—"

"Oh, geez, stop. I know your Schubert, Donnie. Please stop," Raph groaned.

"That's unfair," Donnie protested, "And it's not a religious piece, it's actually from an opera and it's commonly sung in Latin text but originally it had a German text—"

"Oh I know I know, the song's one of Ellens Gesang, even I know about it coz you've told me a thousand times! Now stop plaguing us, Diva."

"Nice, D. D for diva!" I cheered.

Leo laughed. That's rare. You don't get to see the guy laugh often.

"Aus diesen Felsen starr und wild—"

"Knock it off Donnie!" Raph shouted, laughing at the same time.

"Soll mein Gebet zu dir hin weh-en..."

"Hey guys stop!" suddenly I yelled like crazy, "Pull over Leo! Pull over!"

"What?" Leo asked, but he parked the car along the sidewalk as I said.

I threw the door wide and hopped off the car.

"Where YA GOING MIKEY?" I heard Leo cry behind me.

"I thought I saw something!" I shouted back.

-O-

I saw him. He was there, walking among the pedestrians.

Looking ordinary.

"Hey!" I cried, "KEVIN!"

He didn't hear me. He didn't stop.

"HEY KEVIN!"

He turned, confused.

I ran like a madman, never stopped until he was right in front of me.

"Remember me?" I said through my pants, "I'm Michelangelo, ya saved my brother. Do you remember?"

His puzzled look turned into an understanding expression.

"Yeah," he nodded, "How are you? Is your brother alright?"

"He's fine and all," I smiled, "Thanks to you."

"Don't mention it," he said. He still wore a cap and a scarf, except this time it was a blue scarf.

"My family wanted to thank you, if you—"

He shook his head, smiling. "Please, just go on with your life."

I tilted my head.

"Kid," he said, "Some things are meant to happen."

"Yeah."

"Some things are meant to happen, whether they are good, or bad."

"Uh-huh."

He smiled again, patting my shoulder. Unlike his words, his touch felt heavy, but real.

"Everything happens," he said, "It's the way it is, Michelangelo."

What is he trying to say?

"I-I don't get it."

"You will," he smirked, "Yeah, you will. One day."

He adjusted the brim of his cap and raised an eyebrow.

"Anything else you want to say to me?" he asked gently.

"Just thank you, actually." I replied.

"Thank you, too."

"…Why?"

He shrugged. "I touched life, when I'm out of it. Good-bye, Michelangelo."

"Bye, Kevin," I said, suddenly feeling a loss. "I'm not gonna continue the story, 'Stranger Whistles', is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, sure, like I said, go on with your life." He studied my face. "And I'll go back to my life."

"Sure," I said, "Take care."

"You too, kid. Remember to whistle."

I watched him disappeared into the crowd. And I whistled on the way back to our car. I didn't know which song I should do, so I picked Raph's favorite song.

-O-

"Who were you talking to?" Raph asked when I got back into the car. (I heard Donnie correct him in a mutter, "Whom, Meathead.")

"Kevin."

"Who the heck's Kevin?" Raph frowned.

"You mean the man who helped you when Raph was shot?" Donnie asked.

"Yeah."

"But…I saw no one," Leo said with amazement. "You were just…standing there, Mikey, talking to the air."

"No, I was talkin' to this guy!"

"Seriously Leo, you saw no one?" Raph leaned in between the front seats.

"Yeah," Leo said.

"Seems like you saw a ghost, Mikey," Donnie muttered.

"No, I didn't!"

"It's your overly active imagination, Mikey." Leo turned the wheel and glanced at me.

"Whatever," I pouted, "You guys just don't believe me."

"How about I actually do," Raph said all of a sudden, after a long silence.

"You believe me?" I turned around, pulling the seatbelt to its limit.

Raph shrugged, "Why not, it's better than you goin' nuts."

"Hey!"

"Okay, I believe you for no specific reason," he sighed. "Com'on, some guy had to save me, or else I'd be lyin' dead right now. Y'know sometimes ya think there's no one single person there isn't a goddamn snob or a merciless prick, but you sorta get surprised when things like this happened."

"Yeah I thought nobody was gonna hear me crying for help," I said. "Or maybe they were just ignorin' me. And that's horrible."

"Can't lose faith in humanity, Mikey," Donnie smiled.

"Or you'll be like Raph, walking around hitting people with a wooden bat," Leo commented good-humoredly.

I saw that Raph was going to protest, so I quickly interrupted him.

"Anyway," I said, "What do you guys want for lunch?"

"Anythin' that doesn't come from Fearless' hands." Raph said, "Yesterday he was…let's just say he tried to poison me and Donnie."

"Aww, don't worry, genius cook is here to save your day," I said.

"We really appreciate it, Mikey," Donnie said.

"Come on, it's not that bad—What are you doing Mikey?" Leo cried as I rolled down the window.

"I like some wind."

"Are you tryin' ta freeze us?"

"You'll catch a cold Mike."

I stuck my head out of the car, and after a second or two, I saw Raph's head sticking out from the back window.

"Yer fuckin' nuts!" he cried, "Close the goddamn window!"

"Man, you looked so funny!" I laughed, "You looked like an angry kitty with your hair all blown 'round like that!"

He sighed and retreated back inside. And then I started to feel someone pulling me back to my seat.

"Mikey, come on," Leo said. The car stopped in front of our apartment building. I unbolted the door and jumped out in a blink.

"Hey eat this Raphie!" I shouted, grabbing a handful of snow as Raph stepping out of the car.

"I'm gonna kill you, Mikey!" he grunted when the snowball hit him on his face. "An' stop callin' me—OH!" Another icy ball hit him on his brow.

"Come get me then!" I laughed and ran towards another side of the car. "Donnie, you're next!"

"Please leave me out of this," Donnie moaned.

"No chance!"

"Hey Mikey," suddenly Leo's voice came behind my back, and then the next moment my world became upside down.

"Oh put me down LEO!" I cried, "NOT FAIR!"

Leo laughed. "Donnie! Snowball him!"

"Oh yeah!"

"You're goin' to pay guys!" I tried to threaten them, but all I could see were Donnie and Raph's upturned laughing faces.

And when I saw that, I couldn't help laughing, too.

We laughed all the way back home.

—The End.

[Below is my stupid rambling; ignore it if you want]

Life sucks—especially life as a teenager—in many different ways in my stupid opinion (only?), but somehow you always find a way to go on. I don't know. Maybe you'd see your brother's smile or something or a friend would say something to you. Anything. Life is awfully close to death, and when will we cross the line? Nobody knows. Anyway, just find the way to go on, cuz if you go on there's always possibilities. Ha. It doesn't matter, really. It's just what I think. Maybe it's childish. But I don't want to grow up if it means I have to stop being foolish. LOL.

And why Raphie and Mikey. Because I like the bond between the two! In the 2k12 ep Invasion of the Squirrelanoids, there's a scene in which Raph sat on the floor of Mikey's room while Mikey lay on his bed, and the two of em's just…being idle. It kills me every time watching that scene. It kills me literally. Oh MAN I can't help it! GAH!

BTW, I've tried to come up with a sequel and it's called The Longest Sunset. Haven't uploaded it yet. But I'm working on it! If you're interested, keep an eye out for my update! It's gonna be RAWER, I'd say.

See ya! my friends.