Chapter 82

The Finale is finally here! I just want to say again how much I appreciate and loved that you guys followed this story right up until the end. A part of me wishes I went a little farther, but I think this is a great way to end it. This isn't goodbye for me! I'll be writing that Ritsu Kasanoda story I mentioned a while back and maybe a Harry Potter one! So for now, it's see you later!

Four Years Later...

In a small theatre a few streets off Broadway, a rehearsal for their latest production was wrapping up. Actors of different genders, ages, and styles began packing up their belongings and planning what to make for dinner.

A young college-aged man gathered up his backpack and the loose papers sticking out of them. His pale skin almost reflected with the stage lighting as he marched to one of the minor lead girls.

"Stacy, you were great!"

The blonde girl looked over and sighed.

"Tim, you ask me every rehearsal. I'm not going out with you."

Some of the actors chuckled. Stacy was in her sophomore year at a local college for theater. Ever since she began working with the theater group in January, after she was recommended by the famous Elliot Weber, Tim was insistent on asking the girl on a date. However, she gave the exact same excuse each and every time.

"I told you, I have a boyfriend."

"No, you don't! I haven't seen a trace of a guy around you! Just your roommates!"

Stacy laughed. Her longer blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

"Speaking of which, we've got a party to get to."

Stacy stepped out of the theatre and saw two of her roommates outside: Holly and Zoey.

Zoey had cut her long black hair and now had it as short as Holly's. Holly was wearing her glasses and had a large box in her hands.

"Sorry, guys. Rehearsal took longer than normal."

Holly huffed.

"I had to leave class early to run and get this cake and we still waited!"

Zoey sighed as the three walked to a sewer grate a few alleys over.

"You left History 101 and it's a summer class. I'm sure you're 4.0 GPA average won't be too damaged."

"Easy for you to say! You're a senior this fall! You've got a handle on everything and have graduate school figured out!"

Stacy laughed.

"What kind of cake did you get this time?"

"Chocolate with butter-cream frosting," Holly said trying to manage her way into the sewer with the cake.

"Sounds good!"

Zoey's phone chimed.

"My parents want me to tell Donatello happy birthday."

"They've really gotten used to you guys together that well?" Holly asked surprised.

"It took almost three years but yeah! It helps that the guys come with us to PA every now and then. Your mom would probably be fine with you telling her about Mikey."

"Hey, one step at a time. She nearly freaked out when I told her I was dating him."

"Well when do you plan to have her meet him?" Stacy asked.

Holly was quiet.

"It won't be that bad," Stacy said. "My parents were way worse when I showed them my boyfriend was Leo. Remember? Leo had to stay underground for like a month when they tried to go all Area 51 on him."

"I mean Mikey and Mom talk on the phone. She likes him enough and she knows we don't live together!"

Holly was still very nervous about her mom meeting Mikey. Her poor heart might not be able to take it.

"Let's just get to the Lair. Goodness knows Raphael and Slash are probably tearing the place apart."

At the Lair, shouting echoed from the bedrooms into the lab where Donatello was.

"I told you a thousand times! Keep your morning star out of the hallway!"

"It's not my fault if you're a lousy ninja and can't watch what's in front of you!"

As the purple-masked turtle worked with April and Casey on their college homework, he couldn't believe the turtle duo were still fighting like teenagers. Casey had begrudgingly followed April to college but was an undeclared major. April was studying to be a psychologist. With her father now returned back to a human, he was happy to see his daughter following in his footsteps.

"Slash and Raph are at it again," Casey muttered. "Are you guys really okay with him living here?"

"After a year, I think we've just gotten used to their fights. Plus, since Claire isn't here, I think they need each other right now."

With it being summer, Claire was able to follow Coach Foucault to the Summer Olympics in Rio and see what Olympic coaches had to do. By working with the couch for the last four years, she was learning to become a gymnastics coach and open her own studio.

Raphael and Slash were okay for the first few days, but with Claire being gone for nearly two weeks and not heading home until tomorrow, the boys were on edge. The girl had become an almost mother-figure for Slash and often treated his injuries when he got hurt.

Over the years, Raphael's relationship with Claire had grown much stronger. They had a special night each week when they would just drive around the city in his Stealth cycle and be with each other.

Donatello was happy his brother could feel so comfortable with someone, although his brother still had a fiery temper that could be triggered with almost anything.

Although nothing compared in his mind to-

"Hi, guys!" Zoey said walking into the lab.

Donatello swiveled around in his chair as Zoey came over to hug him.

His precious Zoey-chan .

She meant everything to him. After their first kidnapping, there were some close and dangerous calls for Zoey and Claire being taken by the Foot. He always worried about the next attempt since the two girls were usually able to escape on their own, which made the Foot irritated.

He buried his hand into her now short hair. After she graduated high school and officially stopped working at the Star Studios, she cut her hair short. It was sad to see her beautiful long tresses go at first, but it was almost like she wanted a new start at her new school.

And with her future quickly heading into biomedical engineering, Donatello was happy she taught him anything and everything she learned in school. He was able to keep in contact with certain professors from different lectures they attended over the years, but the world was still not ready to have a mutant turtle roaming around on campuses.

"Happy mutation day, Don-kun."

"Thank you," he said kissing her. "Did Holly get the cake? It's all Mikey's been talking about."

Holly placed the cake in the fridge as her boyfriend kept circling around her.

"Come on, sweetie! Tell me!"

"No, you have to wait until it's time for cake!"

"Tell me!"

"No! It will ruin the surprise!"

Every year, the girls, or rather Holly, had arranged a special cake for the boys on their mutation day. The first cake was shaped like a turtle, then a ninja star, and last year's was in the shape of a ninja.

Holly had wracked her brain for weeks for this year's cake and she wasn't going to let Mikey ruin the surprise.

Holly turned around and saw her boyfriend was on his knees.

"Please! I'll give you one of my 6iv drilburs!"

"Mikey, you have three boxes of them on your game..."

Mikey had become increasingly addicted to playing Pokémon games. After Pokémon X and Y had been released and the craziness died down, he begged the girls to get him the game. He had sold some of his more expensive comics to his favorite comic book store, Patrick's Collectibles and Gifts, to buy a Nintendo 3ds.

Holly had even started playing Pokémon again and loved that she could feed and pet her Pokémon in the game.

Mikey hugged Holly and pretended to cry into her shoulder.

"I can't help it! Shiny Excadrill was worth it!"

Holly laughed.

"I love you."

Mikey looked into her eyes and smiled back brightly.

"I love you too! Now will you tell me?"

Stacy walked into the dojo expecting Leo to be meditating with Master Splinter or practicing some new kata.

Instead, it was pitch black.

"Hello? Anyone in here?" she called out.

She didn't see anyone besides Mikey out in the living room.

A foreboding feeling came over her.

"If you're planning something..."

A menacing growl was heard before she heard something charging at her. She instinctively reached down and grabbed the scruff of the dog's neck. He tried wiggling out of her hold and biting her, but she was able to pin him down.

"Good boy, Hikaru! You almost got me!"

Someone turned on the lights.

Stacy looked over and saw Leonardo was leaning against the wall. She let Hikaru get up and the dog started bouncing around, excited to see his other master.

"Training him still after all these years?"

"Hey, he's saved our butts more times than I can count. Never hurts to keep him on his toes."

Leonardo pulled out a treat from a jar on the floor and tossed it to Hikaru. While the dog was distracted, Leonardo went over and took his girlfriend's hand.

He still remembered the day he worked up the courage to talk to Stacy. At first, he pictured her screaming in terror and plotting to kill him.

Instead, she began yelling at him for not finding her sooner and being a coward.

As she yelled and hit his arm, Leonardo knew she was different than other girls...and loved her for that.

She never sugar-coated anything and loved training and becoming stronger. Her boxing skills rivaled most of the people in her gym.

Stacy looked up and Leonardo.

"Something on your mind?"

"I was thinking maybe we could go on a date tonight."

Leonardo and Stacy didn't have normal dates like other people. Stacy would change into her stealth suit designed by her parents and the pair would defend the city from the Purple Dragons and the occasional Kraang attack. Her suit was black and had gun-metal plates defending her joints and vital organs. A modified motorcycle helmet protects her identity and has a small computer interface that allows her to communicate with her parents if she needed.

She smiled.

"Sounds good to me. I brought my suit!"

Claire had never missed a mutation day before. She was always one of the first people to show up with a huge smile on her face and a present for the boys in her hands.

If Raphael was honest with himself, he was a little down she wasn't able to make it to the party this year.

Holly pulled out the cake and proudly opened the box lid.

It was in the shape of the Hamato Yoshi's family crest.

"It took me a while to have the baker understand what I wanted and I ended up having to draw it based on memory!"

Everyone started commenting on how great it looked as Master Splinter cut the cake.

Raphael's T-phone chirped.

He gave a quick glance to Master Splinter, making sure it was okay to answer. The rat sensei nodded.

Raphael went towards his room for some quiet and answered his phone.

"Hey, Babe. When are you coming back?"

"I'm sorry, Raphael. I tried to make it back early but all the flights were booked. I'm heading back tomorrow. How was everything? Did Holly get the cake?"

He chuckled.

"Yeah. Cake looks pretty good too."

He heard her sniffling on the other end.

"What's wrong?"

"I just feel bad I couldn't be there. It's your mutation day."

The red-masked turtle smiled.

"You love me, right?"

"Of course I do, you know that."

"Then you'll be here for the next mutation day. And the one after that. And every Christmas...missing one day doesn't mean the end of the world. We still have a lot of years ahead of us, right?"

"Yeah," she said with a struggled laugh.

"Babe, it's fine. You'll be back soon. And then we'll be together again. I love you."

"I love you too...my hot-tempered, crazy ninja turtle."