A/N:

Firstly, apologies for the delay. I've had this ever growing beast sitting around mostly done for far too long. Secondly, thank-you so so much for following along this story in the dark and dusty corners of the internet. Your kind words have really helped me overcome some blocks and real life road bumps, so thank-you again.

So, here lies the epilogue of Hidden Light 2...it was originally meant to be short coda to the story but then I experimented with the format to give the account over separate times. It is totally not necessary to read this if you are happy with the story as is, and it's probably not the most action packed chapter (well, maybe not in the way you're thinking...or is it? Hehe). More of a focus on Don and April and the aftermath of The Moon Illusion. Can I talk you out of reading it more?

Anyway, please do enjoy the final chapter. And if you wish, throw a review my way, they are always welcome :)

EPILOGUE

12. A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD

1 day

The morning came quickly, the dawn's early light gently ushering out the night. It streamed through the window in way Donatello could never get used to after all his years underground, caressing his body with warmth. But there was a far greater heat pressed against him, and it awoke him in an instant as his heart raced at the realization, astonished that she was still clinging to him in her sleep. He slowly opened his eyes to the new day to see her cheek resting on his shoulder, her fingers curled over his heart, and her hair running down her back in silky copper strands.

His eyes wandered over her body, delicate curves rising and falling beneath the sheets as she breathed softly with contentment. Never had he felt such peace as in their surrender to each other. He adored her completely, the depths of his love knowing no bounds

She's still here... he exhaled happily.

Their night had been a wondrous bliss, as they discovered each other with zealous and gentle vigor, an orchestra of sensations unleashing their deepest desires. He had stumbled at first but was quick to learn her, watching her with fervid intensity, reading her signals until her body was arched under his, writhing in ecstasy, as she called his name in catching breaths. Their sweat had dripped and mingled in their labor, slippery on her smooth body, the scent of her enthralling him as he moved inside her until they had reached the heights of heaven in a cataclysmic release. He had never seen anything so beautiful. He had held her in his arms as the afterglow burned through her, her eyes languid with love.

"I love you.." she had whispered between sweet kisses, "I love you...".

And the things she had done to him, hungry to learn the newness of his body, things that tipped him over the edge time and again...

He felt a strong jolt of lust at the memory, and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. She smiled, her eyes still closed, and slipped her hand down his arm to loosely entwine with his.

"Morning." she whispered drowsily.

His heart leapt at this first. It had been the first of many things, but to hear her as she awoke in his arms was moment of pure joy for him. Even now, he still couldn't believe it was real.

"Good morning." he answered quietly, "Don't let me wake you. You look beautiful sleeping."

"Mmm." she murmured, "I want you to wake me." she whispered with a small smile. She kissed him gently on the shoulder, and then sunk her teeth in, lightly biting him. The pressure ran deliciously up his arms and Donatello hissed in pleasure.

"I'll be more than happy to do that." he rumbled.

He rolled over to nuzzle her neck and she giggled responsively. His gentle nestling brushes became soft kisses that traced their way to her lips. A soft sigh escaped her as he lingered on her mouth. With great effort he pulled himself away. He settled back with a smile and raised an arm above his head on the pillow, wishing this day would never end.

April's eyes slowly opened, their flecked green depths holding his attention. They both fell silent, lost in the beauty of the moment. He looked so different without his mask, she thought, uniquely striking in a way she found impossibly alluring. Their courageous leap had taken them to somewhere more wonderful than she could ever imagine. It was so natural, so beautiful, how had they not tried this before? She reached up and ran the back of her hand down his cheek, and he shivered at the gentle dragging of her nails.

"I really love you." she said quietly.

He let her words sink in and wrap around his heart, then took her hand from his cheek and kissed it with a smile.

"Pinch me." he spoke in a rumble barely above a whisper.

April obliged with a grin, squeezing a sensitive section of his inner arm. She watched as his body tensed.

"Ow!" he protested with a chortle.

"Believe it now?" she smiled, "Or do I need to keep hurting you?"

"Hurt me." he murmured, his eyes hungrily drinking in the soft curves of her milky skin that he wanted against him.

In retribution, she rolled onto her side and dropped her head by his ear.

"A right-angled triangle has three equal sides." she whispered cunningly, knowing the obvious error would set him off. She kissed his cool cheek and felt the muscle beneath twitching into a grin.

"You're killing me, April." he whispered, his eyes heavy with lust. He stroked her waist, following it down to caress the gentle curve of her rear. Her mind temporarily blanked at the sensation, and she drew in a tiny staggered breath as where he rested his hand tingled in anticipation. She shot up an eyebrow.

"But you'll want to the way I do it." she whispered.

He sat up to meet her face then loomed over her, pushing her gently back down like a wave onto the pillow, nuzzling into the crook of her neck and down towards the peaks of her breasts. A flush of desire ran down her chest, and in the light Donatello could see the bright red marks that splotched her pale skin, and was aroused by the visible reaction that she had to him. She sighed heavily at his dominance, the sound of which sent him plunging back into unfettered lust.

Suddenly, he paused, as a terrifying thought struck him-

"Oh no..." he muttered.

April's eyes flung wide open in alarm, instantly catching onto his train of thought.

"Our cells...Leo...he would have tried calling both of us when you didn't go back last night. Oh...crap."

Donatello nodded fretfully as his mouth crumpled together. April blinked and reached out to grasp his arm.

"You don't think he turned up here last night looking for you, do you?" she whispered hesitantly. Oh God. Oh no. If that had happened he would have had quite the show. And encore. And curtain call. Despite the circumstance, April felt a rush of pleasure at the memories.

"...No." Donatello said at length. He was sure Leonardo wouldn't have. Wasn't he?

"What shall we say?" A distant part of her began to niggle with concern...how would this all play out with his brothers? With Splinter? With Casey?

Donatello kissed her cheek.

"Anything you want. If you want to forget last night happened...if you just want to stay friends...it's in your hands. I think you already know how I feel about you." he answered, watching her with careful interest. Was she ready to let them know? Was he ready? Within nanoseconds he realized that he could quite easily sing it from the rooftops to anyone that would listen. God, he loved her. And he didn't care who knew it.

"You're not going anywhere." she whispered with a smile.

They quickly untangled themselves from each other, and hopped out of bed. April unhooked her bathrobe from the back of her door and slipped it on, as Donatello silently watched her, giddy at the sight of her body. He forced himself to face the floor, trying to control his unwavering heat.

She turned to him and smiled, resting her long fingers on his arm.

"Let me call him. Okay?"

Donatello shrugged nonchalantly.

"I don't mind if I do it. He'll be expecting to hear from me. He gets like this if one of us goes AWOL."

"You're lucky. He's a good brother. But let me try him."

They made their way out into the living room, and she connected her phone to the outlet. She watched as it powered up and flashed her missed calls. Her brow raised in mild surprise - there were only a few, and she suspected Leonardo already knew where he was. She swiped her thumb across the glass, her fingerprint leaving a trace of a pattern. As if on cue, her cell began vibrating. She looked up at Donatello.

"It's him..." she said in shock.

"It's like he has sixth sense, sometimes." he muttered as the corner of his mouth edged up into a grin. Nervously, she breathed out and tapped the cell to answer.

"Hello? Leo?" It was a terrible analogue of natural, but she forced herself on, "What's up?"

She caught Donatello's eye, and bit down hard on her bottom lip. Terrible, she scolded herself, just hire a plane to write it in the sky, it'd be less obvious.

"Hey, April. Sorry to bother you so early, but I'm looking for Don. I don't think he came back last night."

April covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling with unfurled guilt as Donatello shook his head. She looked down at the kitchen bench, and innocently ran her hand along it. Compelled to comfort her, Donatello walked quietly up behind her and rolled back the edge of her robe to kiss her shoulder. She shuddered in pleasure.

"Uh...yeah." she choked out as she swatted him desperately away - he relented, but instantly she pulled him back in towards her, running her hand across his plastron, "There was a black out last night and our cells were flat and he, uh...crashed here. Did you need to speak to him?"

"Ah - no." Leonardo responded with a curious tone, "Can you just tell him he needs to be back before six for recon. I need to start planning early."

"Okay. Sure thing."

"I'll let you two be. Thanks, April."

Let us two be?

"Alright. Thanks. Bye, Leo."

The line went dead and April rested the cell by her collarbone.

"Oh no. I think he's onto us." she said with a anxious grin as she placed the cell back down on the bench, looking down at it with a hint of worry, "And he wanted you to be back by six for recon planning."

Donatello gave a frustrated nod. He had completely forgotten about that, and the last thing he wanted to do was tear himself away from her. The goddamned foot, always stealing everything that meant something. His precious time with her...given over to patrolling empty rooftops and the chance of violence. It was just not him. He would do anything for his family but more and more it felt like their energy was being diverted into malice. And he was not a born fighter, not like Raphael. The only things he were interested in pulling apart usually couldn't fight back.

"Do you care if they know?" she asked, her voice both inquisitive and hesitant.

Donatello picked her up by the waist and lowered her down until her lips met his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, happiness beaming from within.

"I don't care..." he murmured, "I don't care who knows, how they know, or what they know. I just care about you. Whatever you want, April, consider it done." And he meant it. He was a fool in love.

"I'm just...I'm nervous." April said quietly, "I'm sure when the right time comes to tell them, we'll know."

He placed her down and kissed her forehead.

"Whatever you want." he repeated, stroking her face with his thumb. He glanced over to the kitchen, "How about a coffee? Or something to eat?"

My god, he's beautiful, offering me breakfast... she marveled. And that wasn't all, she thought. Something about him just clicked with her. And good god, he was sexy: the limber movement of his toned body, the charisma of his intelligence, and then last night...

April slowly shook her head, her eyes a universe of secrets.

"I think I need a shower."

Donatello nodded compliantly, and sat down at the kitchen stool, intending to wait until she had finished bathing.

April picked up his hand and dragged him off his seat as a brief look of confusion crossed his face. He was so innocent in some ways, she thought. She couldn't wait to completely corrupt him.

"Would you maybe... like to join me?"

Finally cottoning on, he nodded his head.

"Ah..yes. I would like that very much..."

"Good. This way, genius." she chuckled, leading him to the bathroom where she intended to ravage him until they both collapsed with euphoric exhaustion beneath the steamy jets of water.

.

The hours entangled passed by so quickly that it was almost unbelievable to Donatello that they existed at all. But eventually time became his enemy as the clock approached his curfew. From her arms to the sewers and back to patrolling, the trade-off seemed almost infinitely wrong.

They held to each other closely by her window as a light breeze trickled in. One of her hands wandered down his smooth coffee colored shell, her nails catching in its ringed divots. He could just register it there, the touch of her hand, and felt loved beyond compare.

"I'll be back..." he murmured over and over in between kisses. His soothing voice sent shivers of desire racing across her body and did little to make her feel like letting go. She just wanted to take him back to bed, drag him by the hand, and lie there all night with him.

"You better, Donnie. Or I'm coming after you." she said in a small, hushed voice.

Donatello kissed her forehead.

"I know you would." he whispered with a subtle grin, then tilting her chin towards him, drew her lips into a deep kiss. How could he ever forget the time she had looked for him all those months ago, tearing up the sewer alone in grim determination to find him? All because of his dreams, all because of his sleepwalking. They had led him here in a way and he would be forever grateful for them. A soft sigh of contentment escaped her as he finally pulled himself away.

"I love you." he said, as effortlessly as breathing.

April's heart blazed at his words. She barely blinked twice, and he was gone.

...

1 month

Raphael clucked his tongue absently, unaware that his thinking face would arouse suspicion. April had sat herself over nearby Donatello, not unusual, but this time there was something...different. First he thought he saw it, and then he thought he was just seeing things- the knuckle of Donatello's curled hand grazing against April's mid-thigh, after which she quickly glanced back at him with a secret smile.

Jesus H. Christ, FINALLY... Raphael thought with a strange knot in his stomach.

Carefully, he readjusted himself on the opposite couch hoping he could covertly surveil them better from his new position. In front of them, the television blared some network sitcom they were all only half interested in watching - some terrible show with jokes more predictable than a weekday name - it was the kind of fare that Michelangelo liked to call 'digestive television', the time shortly after eating when all you wanted to do was sit on your ass and zone out. The more mindless, the better. And Michelangelo should know - he'd worked it out to an art. In fact, his younger brother was testing the notion right now, shoveling popcorn into his gob from the bowl he had hoarded. Raphael chanced a look again:

April was biting down on her lip, trying ingenuously to focus her attention ahead, while Donatello had jammed himself against the armrest, leaning his head onto his propped up hand. The both of them seemed way too interested in the show to be smiling as much as they were at the mindless drivel onscreen. And then he saw something else - April's hand sliding down by her side, her fingers capturing Donatello's in a loose hold. Raphael could almost feel the heat simmering off the two, as still they maintained their facade of neutrality.

"Ya know," Raphael drawled casually, finally catching them out, "We already know."

April and Donatello whipped their heads over at him as she jerked her hand away guiltily.

"What? What are you talking about?" April asked in desperate alarm.

Michelangelo slowly spun his head towards them in a lazy circle of feigned disbelief, as Leonardo cracked the faintest of smiles. Gearing up for a show, Michelangelo grabbed a handful of popcorn and popped the kernels into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

"Ya heard me." Raphael countered.

She looked back at Donatello with raised eyebrows, as a little breath of panic escaped her. Her jaw dropped as if she meant to say something, but she promptly shut it again.

"I guess now is a good a time as any?" he asked her in a low voice. April nodded apprehensively. Donatello gave her a reassuring smile, then turned his attention back to Raphael. It was time to rip off this band-aid.

"Ah, guys..." he announced to his brothers, "I think you should know that me and April...I mean, April and I...are...well. It seems like you already know." he finished uncertainly as he looked around at their completely unsurprised and amused faces.

"Are what?" Michelangelo asked with a straight face, "Joining the circus?"

"If that's whatchya wanna call it." Raphael muttered under his breath.

"Seeing each other." Donatello finished definitively, glancing sternly back at them.

April nodded again, her face in a tentative pose of excitement.

"Yeah." she breathed.

"At the same time?" Michelangelo queried with unyielding deadpan, popping another kernel into his mouth. Raphael snickered in amusement.

"Mm hm. And the same place, Mikey." April added with an incredulous shake of her head.

"Oh thaaat." Michelangelo replied knowledgeably, "Yeah. We already knew that."

Donatello blanched.

"Wait...how long have you known?" he asked, feeling his face burning with embarrassment.

Michelangelo tapped his buttery chin thoughtfully.

"Hmmm. Let's see...since the blackout three weeks ago."

Three weeks ago!

Quickly Donatello began to run through all the situations that he thought they'd gotten away with - stolen kisses in the dark corners of the lab, all the inconspicuous touching, all those "walks", all those nights "working" at April's...and all this time they had known. Oh boy. He turned to April who had the exact same expression as he. Feeling beaten to the punch, Donatello went straight to Leonardo to try and figure out how they had gotten the jump on him.

"Leo...did you-"

"Of course not. I didn't have to. It was pretty apparent when you came in the other day, Don."

Michelangelo chuckled, "Yeah bro, I don't think your feet have touched the ground since then."

Raphael propped his feet onto the armrest and crossed them triumphantly. He knew it. As soon as Leonardo hung up the phone after that blackout all those weeks ago, he knew that something had gone down between the two of them. Leonardo might be the "fearless" leader, but he couldn't hide that surprised expression on his face for jack shit. And Donatello might as well have been broadcasting what was going on because Michelangelo was right. He'd been floating around like he was full of helium for the last three weeks, and glowing like he'd won the freakin' lottery.

Donatello looked wildly around at his brothers.

"And Splinter?"

"Yeah. He knows." Michelangelo confirmed.

April gasped in embarrassment as Leonardo shot up in his chair.

"Wait - how do you know that, Mikey?" he cut in.

Michelangelo shuffled his position on the floor and tossed another piece of popcorn into his mouth. This was getting good.

"Because he threatened to cut out my tongue with a tanto if I said anything." he explained levelly, oddly proud that he had been the one to break the news.

April covered her face with her fingers, blushing.

"We thought we were being so careful." she muttered into the room.

"Well, love's blind, ain't it?" Raphael snapped snarkily.

"I guess it is." she muttered, glancing back at Donatello. Love. It was like nothing else. A blinding drug. A deafening roar. An obliteration of senses. And she had fallen hopelessly. Donatello returned her a look that seemed serious, but she could feel his intense passion just below the surface.

"Blind leading the blind." Donatello said to her in a hushed tone, a hidden sparkle in his eye. She quietly chuckled, her teeth dragging across her bottom lip.

Raphael softened a little. He wasn't jealous, exactly. Not his style. It was something much closer to...what? Intrigue. Yes, that is what it was. A strange fascination. Now that one of his brothers had hooked himself a poor, unsuspecting woman - April, no less - it was blatantly obvious to him that physically and emotionally, not only was it possible, but that it could work beyond a blind streetwalker in a dark room. And that was practically speaking from experience. The very thought awoke a new excitement in him. What he would do to have someone willingly pinned beneath him. Guiltily he thought back to the druggie who had tossed him back his piece of shell. Yeah, maybe not.

"Don't be too hard on yerself. Was bound ta come out sooner or later."

"No." she told him, "Now's the right time."

April glanced over at Leonardo who had been watching them with quiet interest. He nodded very subtly.

Damn, he knew the moment he called me... she thought impressed, as she returned him a small abated grin. She dropped her gaze, looking down at her hands that she'd been tightly clenching in her lap.

Relax, April...

As if sensing her stress, Donatello reached out and took her hand, stroking it with his thumb. Her fingers blindly grasped his, safe in his hold. Instantly she felt comforted. A small huff escaped her. For so long she had been anxious about Donatello's family knowing, and how they'd react to this shift in their relationship. She was expecting resistance, and a steely wall of protection from his brothers. Maybe even a warning. But it was all for nothing. It was something they had already accepted - without her or Donatello even knowing. And the best thing was that they had treated her exactly the same, as a trusted member of their family. And she had no rhyme or reason to make them think otherwise. She was head over heels for him.

"Phew." she sighed absently, not intending it to be heard, "I'm just glad it's out on the table."

"Please tell me ya haven't done anything on the table." Michelangelo asked half-seriously.

Leonardo balked at his brother's implication.

"I'm still willing to use a tanto on you." he cautioned his youngest brother.

April blushed but the truth was they hadn't done anything in the lair. They had come close a few times - hot and heavy up against the cold brick wall in his room... but ultimately it was a little tricky with all those damn ninjas within earshot. And the thought of Splinter finding out like that was beyond palatable comprehension.

"Mikey." Donatello said irritably, "Please...don't."

"I promise you your table's fine." she managed to reply in a strained voice, her ears burning red.

"I'm sorry, April. It's just that, I eat there, ya know?"

"Shut the fuck up." Raphael snarled.

"Okay, okay." Michelangelo swiveled on the spot, redirecting his focus back at April as he cleared his throat, "Hey, congrats to the both of ya. I had my bets on that ya wouldn't let the cat outta the bag for another month, on the inside."

"Who got it?" Leonardo queried casually.

Raphael swung his thumbs back towards himself.

"Hey, no fair! You made 'em tell us." Michelangelo protested.

"Suck it, Mikey. I didn't make 'em do jack."

Donatello and April exchanged an embarrassed glance.

"I guess just about everyone knows, then..." Donatello trailed off. Raphael shrugged unsympathetically.

"Well, it's about time. It was startin' to get painful."

April began laughing in excitement, her face flushing crimson.

"I'm sorry," she giggled, her voice smooth and even, "We didn't know how to tell you."

"Yeah, well. That seems to be a common problem between the two of you." Raphael said astutely, but not unkindly.

April looked back at Donatello with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Looks like we'll have to work on that."

"Sounds like a great idea." he answered lightly, his eyes fixed on hers.

Raphael crossed his arms huffily. This was getting a little too nauseating.

"Spare me." he grumbled.

"Shut-up, the show's back on." Leonardo interjected calmly from his corner. He didn't care one iota about the show, really, but knew it was time to let April and his brother have their moment. Donatello shot him a grateful look before turning his attention back to April with barely contained joy.

Can you believe it? They know... came his unspoken words.

April beamed back him, then relaxed her head onto his shoulder, something she had wanted to do since she had first sat down. Donatello gently rubbed his cheek against her orchard scented hair, his heart thumping happily. He couldn't believe that they had known...he felt like an idiot. But even better, he felt free. It had been so difficult restraining himself whenever she was in the lair, having to hide even the slightest touch from the others, when all he wanted to do was touch her. And touch her. And touch her.

He trained his eyes ahead.

"That wasn't so bad." he whispered, in a voice low enough not to be picked up by his three surrounding brothers. April reached down and squeezed his hand.

"Not at all." she whispered back.

From the floor came Michelangelo's unprompted commentary.

"Get a room."

April unwedged the cushion she was leaning on and tossed it firmly at his head, landing it squarely. It bounced off his face and onto the floor. He shot her a wounded look, rubbing his assaulted jaw.

"Gah! Et tu, April?"

"You so had it coming." she giggled.

"Welcome to the clan, April." Leonardo chuckled pleasantly, "It's too late to back out now."

.

Splinter shuffled towards the kitchen in the early hours of the morning, his bones twinging from the damp cold. He had planned on going to the garden, hoping that the warmth of the rising sun and the sweet air of his blossoming azaleas would ease his pains. His thoughts were interrupted by a noise from the living room, and his aging eyes shot over to the sofa where he could hear sound breathing, assuming that Michelangelo had fallen asleep in front of the box again.

That child...he tutted silently to himself.

But to his surprise he saw April, clutching a crossword puzzle against her chest in her sleep, a pencil lodged between her limp fingers like an unburned cigarette. Even more surprising was Donatello - directly beside her and clutching April to his chest, his shell hanging over the edge of the lounge like he had come up beside her to help her with the clues before falling asleep as they tried to arrive at an answer. Suddenly, she stirred.

"Master Splinter..." came her whisper full of worry, as her eyes wearily opened.

"Hm." he affirmed quietly. Lightly tapping his cane before him, he stepped towards them.

She took a few breaths, trying to gather herself as she realized the position she was in...

"I'm so sorry." she whispered back, "I didn't mean to fall asleep...like this."

"Hm." he answered gruffly.

Her stomach tightened guiltily. This was not supposed to be how they told him. Since the night before when Raphael had confronted them, they had planned on speaking to Splinter, wanting to grant him a certain level of respect by formally acknowledging their relationship together. But now that wish was all in shambles. She breathed unsteadily, as she opened her heart to him.

"I want you to know that I care very much for your son," she said softly, trying hard not to wake her sleeping sofa-mate, "and that I would never hurt him."

Splinter gazed piercingly into her eyes, searching for the truth of those words. He already trusted her implicitly, and just as he expected, all he saw now was pure honesty. They were a good match, he thought with satisfied introspection. And his son's happiness of late had been undeniable. It shone from the very depths of his being.

"Yes." Splinter replied quietly, "He is quite fond of you, also, I see."

April nodded, tears of relief forming in her eyes as she looked tenderly at Donatello's peaceful face. He had her told many times that he saw her in his dreams, but when he held her in his sleep, it was like she was really there with him. God, how she loved him.

"I hope so." she whispered with a besotted smile.

From the realms of his dreams, Donatello inhaled heavily and minutely adjusted his head on the armrest, as if sensing a disturbance around him. His foot flexed upwards and touched the sole of her shoe, and he edged himself closer towards her before falling back into a deep slumber.

"Perhaps you should rest now, Miss O'Neil. It is still very early. Not even the sun is up." he said, inwardly chuckling at his little play on words.

April nodded gratefully.

"Okay." she whispered.

Splinter looked them over, his whiskers twitching in amusement. He could see that his son adored her. It was as plain as the shell on his back.

"Next time you choose to stay, please do not forget we have a spare squab. It should prove to be more comfortable."

"I understand." she said with complete acceptance. Even though the boys were now in their twenties and she several years older still, it seemed more than fair to respect the rules of his house.

"And you are welcome to place it in any room you wish, Miss O'Neil."

April blinked in surprise...did he just give her permission to sleepover in Donatello's room?

"O...Okay." she stuttered.

"After all, you are both grounded and intelligent adults." he explained, "I would be remiss not to trust you both." April's mouth dropped open in shock as she hastily nodded.

"Thank you." she whispered.

Splinter bowed his head and slowly shuffled back towards the kitchen sink, as an unseen grin of delight broke across his face.

...

1 year

"Take a right here." Donatello told her as they drove steadily along a back-route to New York.

"Here? "

"Yeah, quick, don't miss it!"

She swerved the van sharply to the right, almost tipping it, as he proceeded to guide her down and an ever dwindling series of country roads. Eventually they hit a dirt track, and traveled along it through dense vegetation until it ended up at the foot of a large lake. It shimmered majestically in the late afternoon sun, bordered by tall reeds, gnarled copses of trees, and open fields of grassland. April looked around, stunned - aside from them, it was completely deserted.

"You know... I could be wrong, but this doesn't look like the same city I left." she said, eying him suspiciously.

"It's a rest break. I thought it might be nice if I packed some food so we could eat on the road."

April shot him a surprised look.

"I like it!" she said delightedly as threw car into park, "And I could do with a break. I almost forgot how long the trip out to Northampton was."

"Well, I probably added another hour just getting to this place." Donatello confessed wryly.

"I know." April said as she pulled up the handbrake with a grunt, "But you had that look in your eye, and I just had to run with it. No regrets, though, look at this place."

It was indeed a spectacular view. They soon retreated from the vehicle and Donatello laid out a picnic blanket alongside the van, fluttering it high before it landed evenly on the ground. He unpacked their lunch - bread, cheese, fruits and wine, which they devoured with ravenous hunger. Feeling full of nervous energy, Donatello soon found himself under the hood of the van, trying to ratchet tight some of the loosening brackets. April stretched out drowsily on the blanket, watching him with an amused smile. Before long he had wiped his tools on a rag and went back to join her.

"All better?" she asked with a hint of a grin.

"The last leg of the trip should be." he said, playing freely into her teasing, "I hope so, anyway."

They were feeling relaxed, watching as the sun began its descending voyage below the horizon. It reflected of the lake in a wreath of moody colors, casting everything in a sepia light. Far in the distance they could hear the warbling call of birds coming home to roost, gently landing in a smooth streak on the surface of the lake. Water rippled sluggishly around them, circles within circles, fading out into the smooth glass. Donatello felt utter contentment here with her amongst the beauty of the hidden lake. He looked back, his heart almost stopping at the sight of her, even still, after all this time together. Her white sundress clung revealingly to her breasts and flared out from her waist, exposing bare skin that glowed beneath the sunset. My angel, he thought lovingly. He wanted to take her right there, lay her down by the flowers and make her gasp in pleasure as she clawed helplessly at his skin. But there was something far more pressing on his mind.

"It's so beautiful here, so peaceful." she mused, watching the sunset glisten off the surface of the lake.

"I'm glad you like it."

"I do. But just about most things would be relaxing after last night, right? I think I would have decked him if you hadn't, Don."

Donatello smiled uncertainly, still feeling partly ashamed that their visit to the Casey's farmhouse had resulted with him in a fist fight. He'd been expecting it, though. He flexed his knuckles, still lightly bruised from the incident. Casey, on the other hand, had not fared so well. Most of the weekend had gone off without a hitch, and for the most part Casey had even been acting civil. But when he had drunkenly started in on April with jibes of her being a 'freak fucker', something inside him had snapped.

'Don't you ever talk to her like that.' he had snarled between gritted teeth, sounding so much like his brother that the others had quickly turned their heads, waiting for the impending blow-up.

Casey had sneered bitterly and took an unsteady swing before being promptly downed by Donatello's powerful left hook. He had dropped like a lead weight, over before it even started. The fight had caused a kerfuffle amongst his brothers who had instantly separated the two of them. The look on Raphael's face had bordered on murderous, but he had kept Casey submissive to any further violence: 'Ya lucky Don got to ya first, 'cause if open ya trap like that again, ya won't be walkin' around to tell the tale, got it? Now settle the fuck down before I really get this party started.'

"He's an ass, April. When he invited all of us over, I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt - for your sake. I know you want us all to get along... but I think it's going take a lot more than just time."

"I'm sorry, Don. You're right. Everything seemed to be going well...I just wish it hadn't ended like that." she grabbed his bruised hand and kissed it, "The others will calm him down, I'm sure. And I think us not being there will help."

"Undoubtedly." he muttered derisively. April stroked his arm tenderly, trying to appease the rare flare up of his temper.

"Besides," she said with a kind smile, "I get you all to myself now."

He looked back up at her, any anger instantly dissipating.

"My favorite part of the weekend." he replied gently. He took her hand in his, so small and warm, and dragged his thumb across her naked ring finger.

"Mine, too."

April sat back with a sigh and began picking the small wild flowers at the edge of their picnic blanket, braiding them together, the little daisies, dandelions, and blades of grass forming a spindly chain. Lying on his side, he quietly observed her, eventually closing his eyes to soak in the last of the sun's warmth. He heard her begin to hum, and flickered his eyes open, grinning at her busywork. Keen to learn, he picked up a tiny flower and tried tying it into a loop, quickly realizing that his dexterity was nowhere near hers. He tried again, finally getting the shape he wanted.

"What are you making there?" Donatello asked with a hint of a grin as he slipped his clumsy work behind him.

"Top secret business. But it's something for you." she told him as she wove another flower stem into her creation.

The chain gradually reached a length she was satisfied with, and she tied the ends together and hung it over his head to sit around his neck like bohemian lei.

April tilted her head to one side in appraisal of her handiwork, her hair glowing like fire in the sun's setting rays.

"Much better."

"I feel so pretty." he smirked.

She laughed and shifted herself between his legs to lie back on his plastron, her dress riding up her thighs as she settled down. He admired the view of her bare flesh from behind her as the garland she had made quickly fell apart under her body.

"Oh well. Such is life." she mused, catching a falling daisy and twisting it between her fingers. The whirling petals tickled his shins.

He smiled and picked up some of the fallen flowers, setting them in them in her hair like little stars.

"They look much better on you, anyway." he rumbled quietly.

"So do you." she quipped.

Donatello laughed, the vibrations running through her body in a comforting sensation. She wriggled her hips closer to him, wanting to feel it everywhere.

"I can arrange that." he murmured into her ear, kissing her smooth shoulder, a soft spot by the strap of her dress.

She tipped her head back to talk to him.

"You're insatiable." she whispered, her eyes sparkling.

"Well...look at you!" he protested with a smile, "I can't help myself. And in that dress, too..." he trailed off lasciviously.

He began kissing her, tracing tenderly down her neck as he drank on the sweet nectar of her scent. Her breaths grew heavy at the loving attention and he felt a lustful heat race over him at the sound. He was still kissing her when he ran his hand down her arm to take her hand, slipping the woven flower band he constructed moments earlier onto her ring finger. She broke away from him and looked down at what he had done. A small gasp escaped her as a flush of shock rose to her face.

"Donnie?" she asked in a hesitant whisper, her heart pummeling mercilessly, "What are you-"

"I'm already yours, April." he whispered gently, "Be mine."

She turned around onto her knees to face him, stunned. It was so unlike her to be at a loss for words, he thought. Nervously, he tried to bridge the silence.

"I know it's not the same, that it could only ever be informal...but I love you, and I want to make it right between us. Say yes, April, and I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy."

April said nothing, her breaths leaving her in short, light pants, and for a fleeting moment he was terrified that she going to rip it off in revulsion. She looked down at her hand and then back up to him, ghostly white. Tears began to brim in her eyes as a tight smile formed on her face. Unsteadily, she swayed on the spot. Donatello reached out and held her hand in comfort, alarmed at her distress.

"April?..." he asked in concern. His throat was suddenly gripped by a tight panic, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Yes..." she finally whispered, "Yes!"

She stumbled forward and threw her arms around him, knocking him back to the ground. He laughed as relief and ecstatic joy washed over him, quite literally bowled over by her reaction. She covered his face in kisses, the last one lingering and deep, one that he felt all the way down to tips of his toes.

"Really?" he asked in a choked whispered.

"Yes!" she said again, "Donnie...I love you. It's yes!"

He let out a deep sigh of happiness and lifted her hand to kiss it, trying to fight the back his own tears.

"Thank god. " he whispered shakily.

They were the only words he could muster, overwhelmed by her joyful response. He relaxed back down onto the blanket, almost in a state of disbelief...she said yes...April...the woman he loved, the woman he cherished...life was truly beautiful. Now, he thought, now is the time I would choose to live in forever.

His thoughts were broken into by a gasp.

"Oh no !" April cried out, as the flower stem band slipped from her finger in pieces.

He rolled back up into a kneel and reached into his belt pocket, bringing out a little box.

"This one might work better."

She slapped him on the arm at the ruse.

"Donnie!" she growled, and she broke out laughing as warm tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Do you mind if I try this again?" he asked.

Tears ran silently down her face as she shook her head. He tried to remember to breathe, feeling light-headed under the weight of the moment. Looking at her again, it all came back in a rush of love. He cracked open the box, revealing a pale violet tanzanite gem flanked by two diamonds on a silver band. Her hands flew to her mouth in utter surprise. It was gorgeous, sparkling as brilliantly as their constellation in the night sky.

"Will you marry me, April? I love you...and I'm completely lost without you."

April's head swirled as an influx of intense emotion swarmed her. Just moments ago she had been making a simple necklace out of flowers, and now she was facing a future, a promise, with the person she loved more than anyone.

Her tears fell as she nodded her head, beaming with happiness.

"My answer's still the same, Donnie." she laughed, "Of course it's yes! I don't care if it's just you and me in front of a drumfire. I love you, you ass!"

She fell towards him, crushing her lips on his as tears streamed down her cheeks. He kissed her back, heady on her rush of love. He wiped her tears away, and lifted his mouth to kiss her forehead.

"I swear I thought you were going to say no this time." he said shakily, as his body felt fire and ice run euphorically through it.

"What if I did?" she laughed.

"I'd be heart-broken." he admitted, "But to hell with it, I'd still do everything in my power to make you happy."

"You already do." she said tearfully, wiping her face with the back of her hand, "Okay, maybe it doesn't look like it right now, but...I'm ecstatic. I swear."

He nodded, holding his own tears at bay.

April laughed again and he exhaled happily, trembling as he slipped the ring onto her finger. The jewels danced in the light, like they had always belonged with her. She held her hand out in front of her.

"Oh, Don." she murmured, "It's beautiful."

He smiled, watching her face light up beneath the orange blaze of the sun. Earth's closest star paled in comparison to her. After all this time, he was more in love with her than ever.

"I got Mikey to do a little investigating for me." he whispered, brushing his face by her ear.

April blinked. From nowhere came the memory of the night over two months ago where she had been at the lair, unable to sleep, and watching the home shopping channel with Michelangelo as they indulged in ice-cream and critiqued the jewelry. They had spent over an hour waving their spoons at the screen as they jokingly spewed forth their scathing commentary.

"They knew you were doing this? Your family?" she asked. She was floored. His brothers had all been in on it. Well, that would explain their odd behavior when she and Donatello had left the farmhouse earlier on.

"Yes." he answered, trying to hide the tremor in his voice, "I've been planning it for months. And when the chance to travel here came up...I knew."

"Here?" she asked looking around at the gently lapping water of the lake and the field of tiny wildflowers rippling under the light breeze, "Why here?"

A new thought struck her, and she looked down at the ring and back at him uncertainly.

"My god, how were you able to-"

"Afford it?" he asked with a barely contained grin, "I've done well on some of the work I've been developing and patenting. I mean, really well, April. And there's something else I wanted to ask you...I have enough to buy some land. And I thought if you liked it here-"

"You mean right here?" she interjected curiously.

"Yeah."

"Beneath our feet?"

He nodded, his eyes brimming with excitement.

"It's private, it's quiet, and it's not too far from New York if we want to divide our time between the places. We could have a home, April."

April froze in surprise...a home? Here?

"Just think about it." he pleaded, "I know it's a lot to take in."

She nodded rigorously, her eyes darting from her ring, to the lake, to his face.

"Okay." she whispered, suddenly swarming with exhilaration, "I'll think about it. " her eyes glistened as she took a deep breath, "Alright, I've thought about it."

He looked at her questioningly, and she responded with nothing more than a excited smile. Donatello let a happy chuckle escape him as he leaned forward and wrapped her in a tight hold.

"Good." he breathed.

"You're full of surprises today, Donnie." she said shakily, "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

Donatello looked askance as he released a heavy breath.

"That's it." he said as he pecked her cheek. He stopped to pause, "No, wait. It's inscribed."

He tilted his head towards the ring. April looked through her tears at his expectant face, and pulled it off to read the inner edge...

My beautiful pain, My love, My life.

Her body began heaving with silent laughter as tears fell from her eyes and for a moment he was certain that he broke her. She closed her fist tightly around the ring and fell forward onto the rug.

"You didn't!" she finally managed to say between bouts of laughter as little flowers and stems from her broken garland clung to her all over. Trembling, she sat back up and slipped her ring back on, peering up into the star scattered swath of pale indigo sky above her.

"Too much?" he asked, grinning happily.

"Perfect." she said seriously, "It's perfect." She climbed forward, falling into his arms. She cupped his face, laying a tender kiss upon his lips.

"I love you." she whispered.

"That's a relief, because I'm completely crazy about you." he replied with a quiet smile.

Smiling, she grabbed his mask tails and leaned back, and he fell forward onto her in a controlled tumble of strong limbs. He held himself over her and stroked her hair, his eyes hazy with love.

"You're so beautiful." he whispered.

"You make me feel it, Donnie. Every day. Even when I don't believe it."

"To me you are." he said softly, "And anyone that disagrees is sorely mistaken - even you, Miss O'Neil." he said, kissing the tip of her nose. She crinkled it, blushing with a humble glow. How did he always manage to say just the thing to make her melt?

"Hm, that's funny." she chuckled, stroking his cheek, "That's exactly how I feel about you."

April glanced back down at her ring, as a staggered sigh of elation escaped her. She was engaged, and where they lay would quite possibly be their home...she let the thought buzz around her head, still in a little shock. But there was one thing she was certain of - she couldn't wait. The world burned brighter than ever, as her excitement burst forth. Who cared if it wasn't some ordained and bloated church affair? The most important thing to her was already in her arms.

"We're going to be married..." she whispered uncertainly.

"Yeah." he confirmed, his eyes twinkling as a small smile grew on his face.

"You and I?"

"That's right." he nodded.

"Who's going to do it?"

"We'll find someone." he said as he kissed her cheek. He already had some ideas as to who could perform the ceremony, but would wrangle the fourth high priestess from the order twigs if it would make her happy.

"Okay." she breathed, "Holy shit."

"Yeah." he confirmed again with a chuckle.

"And this...this will be our home?" she asked in wonder.

He nodded, his face suddenly serious. He quickly looked up over the grassy field to where the lake glistened serenely beneath the sinking sun. It was beautiful, but it was all just a place without her.

"Only if you're here with me." he told her gently, looking back into her eyes.

She kissed him softly.

"Of course I'll be. You mean the world to me, Don. So much has happened...so many things keeping us apart..." she began, her eyes searching his face, "but there's just no possible way in my heart I could live without you."

Donatello eyes stung with unfallen tears. Forcing even breaths, he tried not to show how much he knew it to be completely the other way around.

"April..." he barely choked out before dropping his head, "I know I couldn't live without you. My world is empty without you in it. What would I be fighting for if not for us? You've opened my eyes to something more than just surviving. You're the love of my life, Miss O'Neil. And I want start a life with you. A real life. As much as I can give you, anyway."

"Oh, Don." she finally managed to breathe, her eyes lovingly fixed on his, "You already give me so much. Anything else is just...it's icing."

He let out a quiet exhale, uncannily calm. Life seemed so simple with her in it. All the nonsense was filtered out, and all that remained was what really mattered. Not the Foot. Not the fighting. Not their endless battle to restore what had already been lost.

"I love you." he said quietly. From the moment he had met her, he had known it.

She smiled, her eyes laden with unrelenting desire.

"I have a something for you, too." she breathed, tracing her fingers down the taut muscles of his arm. It tickled his skin, and he felt himself stir lower down, piqued by her playfulness.

"Oh yeah?" he murmured. April took his hand and placed it on her leg, guiding it upwards beneath the hem of her dress until it reached the warm nook of her inner thigh.

Donatello tilted his head in surprise.

"No underwear?" he whispered lustily. He felt himself harden under her control, he loved it when she like this, seizing any power he had to bend him to her will...just as much as the opposite way around.

April shook her head and placed a finger on his lips.

"Touch me, Donnie." she whispered with a seductive lilt, her eyes wandering shamelessly over his body.

With a wicked glint in his eye, he bent down to kiss her inner thigh, tracing his soft kisses upwards, knowing that before he was done, she would be screaming his name in the throes of ecstasy.

.

They lay naked in each others arms, a tangle of limbs, the scent of each other upon them, basking in contentment as the chirring chorus of cicadas surrounded them. April's cheeks still burned warm in the early evening air as they looked up into the heavens above them.

"There it is." he whispered, pointing upward and kissing her head.

The twin stars of the campfire constellation twinkled at the end of his fingertip. It seemed forever ago when they had first declared it as theirs, a time when they had still only been friends. How things had changed...

"If only those stars knew what they would be talking about a year ago." she mused idly, rubbing her foot on the inside of his calf. The corner of his mouth shot up into a sultry smile.

"Maybe they're looking at us now." he murmured, glancing down appreciatively at the soft curves of her inviting body.

April stifled a grin, and slapped him across his plastron

"Very funny."

"I wasn't joking." Donatello chuckled, and unable to resist his carefree mood, she snuggled up closer into the crook of his arm, feeling the rumbling of his laughter pass through her. Adoringly, she began running her fingers along the creases of his plastron. He liked it when she did that. They lay in silence listening to the croaking of frogs nearby, as the moon reflected off the lake in a fractured glow and bathed them with light.

"We should stay here the night." she whispered, "We can put the back seats down in the van and leave at dawn."

"Sounds good." he said, kissing her cheek.

Promptly she sat up, grabbed her dress from the pile of his padding gear and pulled it over her head. Instantly she was dressed. April turned back to look over her shoulder.

"I'm being eaten alive." she explained, swatting away mosquitoes that had descended down upon them with the dark, crushing the buzzing swarms against her pale flesh. He accosted her with a devious grin.

"I'm not that bad, am I?"

She rolled back on top of him, straddling his body.

"I'll give you bad, Mr Hamato. I know just where to bite you, too." she said, gnashing her teeth.

"I'll take it." he pleaded lustily, placing his hands just above her knees and gently massaging her. It felt good. Too good.

She shook her head, her eyes glimmering with desire.

"Like I said, insatiable." she breathed. Just as suddenly, she hopped off him, "Hold onto that thought."

April skipped over to the van on a mission for repellent. She swung open the door and jumped up onto the seat, locating it quickly within the glove compartment. Humming happily to herself, she began slathering her legs with the citronella lotion, hanging them out of the open vehicle. Inspired, Donatello leapt up and joined her. He leaned over between her parted legs to turn the van key. Reaching further in, he switched on the stereo and began flipping through the radio stations, finding nothing save a static whisper.

She tutted at the radio static, then squeezed out a palm full of the lotion and began to rub his shoulders and neck as he leaned genially into her gliding strokes.

"Try the AM channels." she said, smoothing in the repellent. Such beautiful skin, she thought admiringly. She lingered longer than necessary, just to feel it beneath her hands.

"Are you alright there, Miss O'Neil?" he grinned at her business-like expression.

"Hm?" she replied vaguely, "Oh. Yeah. All done. I'm just feeling you up now."

He chuckled and quickly flicked over to AM, twisting the knob, and greeted with nothing but further hisses and crackles. Suddenly something picked up.

"Wait, here we go."

It dropped in as if out of the blue - a woman's clear alto singing a tune from another time, accompanied by a slow horn band.

"I know this song." April said in faint surprise, "My dad used to have this album in the store. It's an oldie from the forties." she rubbed her arms and neck with the remaining lotion then slapped her hands on her thighs, completed with the task.

"It's nice." he remarked.

April smiled, "It is. I think it's called 'I Know Why'. Good work, Don. You've transported us back to the war."

"I knew I left that time machine around here somewhere..."

She laughed and wrapped her outstretched arms around his neck, clinging to the edge of his carapace.

"Sometimes I don't even know if you're kidding about that stuff." she whispered, leaning her head in to kiss him. That frightening intelligence - it burned bright inside of him. She could feel it whenever he was around, drawn helplessly to it. No-one made her feel like he did. No-one. April breathed in the citrusy scent of the lotion, her lashes gently fluttering as he finally pulled away.

He took her hand and delicately kissed the inside of her wrist.

"Never about anything that matters, captain." he said with wink.

She caught a glint of her ring from the corner of her eye and grinned despite herself.

"Well just so you know, I'm keeping my eye on you. I think you're trying to sleep your way to the top of the ranks."

His eyes glittered with unkempt longing, "Then I hope it's working."

"It might be." she replied with a teasing smile, as she stroked his cheek fondly. They held each others tender gaze as the music played on softly behind them.

"Dance with me." he urged in a whisper.

April dropped her chin and looked up at him coyly, her hair tumbling in soft waves by her face.

"How could I say no to you?" she whispered before falling willingly into his arms.

He gently lifted her back down to the ground as one hand traveled up over her waist to rest in the small of her back, pulling her close. Her arms encompassed his neck as together they danced beneath the stars, spinning in slow circles to the gently swinging beat of the music. Lovingly, she rested her head on his shoulder, feeling his heart thump beneath his chest plates. She smiled knowing that hers was beating in time.

"That's better." he whispered into her ear.

"Definitely." she agreed dreamily.

His cheek nuzzled against hers, and he heard her breaths, small and quick. Slowly their lips found each other in a soft beguiling kiss, as a torrent of love ran through them both. A divine moment that connected them together. Donatello held his head against hers, his heart roaring with love. If those stars had known back then how good his life could be, he would never have believed it possible.

This must be a dream, he thought wistfully. Even still he was waiting to wake up, alone on the floor with a rope tied to him.

Round and round we go...

And as they danced, he thought of all the dreams he had been having lately, so exhilarating and so beautiful that he couldn't help but hope they came true. They took him to a place from where his love could only grow. He kept his wish close to his heart, a secret hand he dare not play too soon. But with her love behind him, anything seemed possible. And he knew it was there, he could feel it as strongly as his own, as powerful and vast as an ocean. But even he couldn't know that the next time they would dance to this song would be a sacred moment to them, a day just around the corner at the beginning of their lives together.

As the music ended, she looked back into his eyes.

"Let's go for a swim." she whispered.

Donatello grabbed her hand and they ran laughing to the lake's edge, two souls in love, passionate heat within the icy embrace of the water, so entwined they seemed as just one.

...