Thicker Than Blood

Chapter 6

Author's note.

My apologies for the long delay, but I've been busy with other stories and I haven't been able to think of many plot points for this story. I will complete it, never fear, just it might take a while between chapters. I gladly accept suggestions for the plot, right now that's what I need to lengthen.

And now, on with the chapter.

At ten A.M. in the morning, New York would soon be at the peak of activity. People went to their offices to spend half of the day; children and adolescents were taken to their schools -public or private, depending on their families' wealth and social status- and the wild animals came out of their nest to look for food either for themselves or for their offspring waiting back at their nest.

Not all adolescent people could study, however, but again their reasons varied. A few teens belonged to families with little economic recourses, and could not afford to pay even the cheapest public schools. Others simply thought studying was for 'nerds' and often missed their classes and preferred to hang out at the stores and plazas with friends, wasting their parents' effort for them to have a good education. A group of very few needn't study, because they worked with familiars who offered them a chance help them.

Luckily for her, Alex was in the third group.

She had grown into a beautiful young woman of fifteen. Dark brown hair cascaded from her head, ending at the level of her shoulders. Her skin was fair and white, contrasting with her dark hair, and her amber eyes. She had a slim figure, and was considered pretty by any boys that set their eyes on her. She wore a sky blue blouse, with navy blue jeans and a sandy jacket.

Currently, she was helping her 'cousin' April, now 32, in catching butterflies for her experiment. April had changed very much from that stubborn but friendly teen she once was. She cut her orange red hair, and now it reached her shoulders. Her face and body had not changed much other than she was taller than Alex. She wore a sleeveless yellow blouse, military jeans, and a gray trench coat.

April had found a job, a few years ago, in the Genesis Co., New York's most famous genetics company. The company aimed for creating a better world by creating 'perfect' animals capable of following human commands, and maybe even reach the prolongation of human life, making it possible for a human to live even one hundred fifty years. Unfortunately, that objective was just out of their reach, but they would never give up.

"Seriously, April, how many butterflies do you need?" Alex asked with a huff as she wiped some sweat from her forehead. "Besides, you know how daddy becomes when he awakes and I'm not home."

April smiled as she blew a loose hair from her face. "Only a few more, it won't take long."

"That's what you said twenty minutes ago! We've caught about a hundred butterflies? What do you need them for, anyway?"

"It's for an experiment. Mr. Falcone wants me to test a serum on a variety of insects. It's supposed to increase their longevity."

Alex caught another butterfly, this one colored in vivid blue colors, and placed it inside a special jar with other butterflies. "Don't get offended, April, but I don't like experimenting on animals. It's cruel. "

"I don't like it either." April sighed. "But what can I do? It's my job."

"That's why I don't like jobs." Another, masculine voice joined in.

April giggled. Casey and his sense of humor never changed, even though he did physically. Only two years older than April, to whom he proposed two months ago, Casey's black hair was never combed, unlike his more refined fiancée's. There were a few strands of loose hair falling on his face. Casey had a broad chest and slim waist, along with bulky arms and legs, result of all those hours in the gym. His casual clothing was a white shirt with black pants, and a brown belt.

He was not a fan of fancy things, in other words. He liked simple things.

"Aren't you done yet?" Casey realized his girlfriend and her cousin were still catching butterflies. "Come on! How many butterflies do you need?"

Alex huffed in exhausting. "That's what I've been saying all this time. Daddy won't be happy when he finds I'm not home."

"Don't worry, guys." April caught the last butterfly, a yellow specimen, and put it with the rest in the jar. "This is the last one. These butterflies will be enough for testing on the serum for weeks."

"Thank heaven!" Alex dropped her butter-catching net on the grass and let her body fall on the grass. "Do you think dad is already awake?"

Casey chuckled at this. "LH? Knowing him, he must still be sleeping soundly."

"He's a father, Casey. I don't know how they do it, but fathers seem to have some sort of sixth sense that tells them their daughters either are not home, or are hanging out with their boyfriends." April looked up in dismay. "How do you think my father always caught us when we tried to go on secret dates back at high school?"

"He did?" Alex giggled. "I don't want to imagine my dad doing that when I get a boyfriend, if I ever get one, that is."

"Believe me, Alex." Casey reassured her with a confident grin. "LH must be asleep, probably dreaming with… female crocs or something."

Oh, how wrong he was.

Rapha nearly went fell back into the chair, his comic flying into the air, when Leatherhead's humongous steps made the lair tremble.

"Is Alex here with you?" he asked, with a great hint of alarm.

Donnie turned his attention from CSI to reply. "She left you a message, LH. She said she was going to help April catch some butterflies, and she didn't want to wake you up so early."

Leatherhead sighed in relief. At least his daughter was considerate enough to leave him the message, rather than leaving him worried all morning. He knew he had to stop exaggerating about Alex's whereabouts, but how could he help it? She was his baby, if something happened to her he would never be able to live with that. Not to mention she was in the 'rebel phase', he didn't want her going an inch near boys. She was not that rebel, no she wasn't, but she was free-spirited. There were just times when she didn't listen to anything he said.

"Man, years flew by, don't they?" Donnie said, turning his attention back to the TV. "One day you change their diapers, the next they're sneaking out to see boys."

Leatherhead crossed his arms. "My Alex is not like that."

"I know she isn't, I'm just saying one of these days she may get a crush on a boy."

"That's going to be a problem." Raphael retorted, back to his comic. "I mean, what are we going to do when her boyfriend wants to meet her family?"

"Who said anything about a boyfriend?" Leatherhead frowned lightly at Rapha's comment. "She is not ready to have a boyfriend."

"Looks like someone is getting jealous." Mikey overheard their conversation, and peeked from his door to tease at them. However, Leatherhead did not like that joke, especially when Rapha and Donnie giggled at that remark.

"I'm not jealous! I just don't think it's appropriate for a girl her age to be in a relationship, that's all."

"Do you have any idea how many girls her age are out with their boyfriends? Sometimes they even sneak out at night to go on a secret date!"

"Exactly! Boyfriends at this age are nothing more than bad influences."

Mikey snickered playfully. "One of these days…" Then he snuck back into his room.

Before the other turtles could protest, the door creaked open again. Casey and Alex walked in, and when the teen noticed her father's large figure and green eyes staring down at her reproachfully, she gave Casey a small glare. Casey just shrugged with a nervous smile.

"What? I guess mutant alligators are different from people."

Sorry for such a short chapter, but right now I'm dry on ideas. If you could give me suggestions, I would sure appreciate it.