A/N: Um... well, I don't think I should tell you that I've finally updated this fic. (The news are pretty obvious). I've been sick the last couple days and decided to sit down and work on one of my (too many unfinished) TMNT fics. The decision fell on this one, and here we are. Sweet story, innit? Anyway, it was beta read by the GLORIOUS talent - Dierdre. If you still haven't read any of her stuff, well... Quite frankly, I don't know what's wrong with you. Maybe you should have someone look into that? Heh. Just kidding. But seriously, though. I give lots of cred to Dierdre, escpecially to this chapter (which I wasn't feeling too happy about until she sent me the beta read version). Hope you guys like it. Don't forget to review. As for my review responses, they can be found under my author forum at Stealthy Stories, a TMNT forum which you can find the link to, just by going to my profile. That said, ENJOY!

Chapter 2

Turning over for the forth time in the past minute, Raphael let out an aggravated sigh on behalf of his restless mind. Outside the room, he could hear the soft sound of the coffee maker, providing the quiet apartment with its only sign of intelligent life. Lacking anything else to do, his eyes were automatically drawn to the red brightness coming from the digital clock on the nearby bedside table.

10:22 p.m.

Whatever sleep he could have caught during the time spent in this bedroom, it was no longer a viable option for would be home within the hour, and the very least he could do as her house sitter was to be awake once she walked through the front door. Taking in a deep breath, he sat up straight in bed, feeling his back muscles protest from having stayed horizontal for so long. With his bare feet touching the mild warmth that always seemed to blanket the reporter's floors, he rested his lower arms on his legs and spent a moment studying the white bedroom doorframe, noticing absently that one of the corners needed a quick repaint.

He was obviously stalling. Why else would he be studying the paint job on April's bedroom door?

Knowing that this was as good a time as any to join his brother in the kitchen, he finally rose to his feet and walked to the door. He pushed down the handle with uncharacteristic quiet, as though he were hoping Leo wouldn't notice him if he kept a low enough profile. Of course, the door always made that familiar squeak once opened, so whatever unconscious plan his mind had cooked up, it was quickly tossed aside.

Strong, dismissive steps took him through the short hallway and into the kitchen, where he found Leo on a barstool, the newspaper from this morning unfolded before him on the counter. Slightly relieved that his brother hadn't bothered to look up at his entrance, he set off to fetch a cup from one of the upper cabinets, picking the same one he'd used for breakfast this morning. He hadn't realized it before, but when he slipped his large index finger through the slightly worn ear of the blue cup, it occurred to him that he always picked this particular one whenever he was at April's.

As if having awaited his arrival, the machine conveniently finished brewing, and he was lucky enough to be the first to enjoy the steamy smell of hot, black coffee as he poured it into his cup. The calming sound of the liquid filling up the inside of the oval porcelain walls made his tongue water in anticipation.

Putting the pot back in its place, he hungrily lifted the cup to his mouth, his lips gently closing over the cool edge.

"You're not even gonna acknowledge me?"

Before he even got to taste the coffee, Raphael felt his body tense in irritation, secretly wishing he had eyes in the back of his head so he wouldn't be so temped to turn around just to prove his brother wrong.

"What?" he replied insouciantly, before taking a careful sip of the hot liquid. "Ya want a thank you for puttin' on coffee?"

The annoying sound of uncooperative newspaper pages being turned hesitated so briefly that only a brother would have noticed before the blue-masked turtle spoke again from behind him, "Did you sleep all day?"

Raphael smiled briefly to himself at the obvious sign of topic switch. "Some," he answered shortly, downing a few more mouthfuls of coffee and ignoring the fact that both his tongue and palate would be entirely rid of their top layer of skin by tomorrow.

That was when the real question finally reared its ugly face. "And you're not even gonna mention it?"

"There's nothin' ta mention," he insisted, licking his lips.

"Right..." Leo humored him, still loudly turning the pages of his paper. "Can you honestly say that you haven't thought about him at all since last night?"

"Why would I have to?" Raph nonchalantly replied. "I ain't having this conversation with you, so ya can juz stop tryin' out different approaches ta stick yer nose in my business."

The noisy sound of the newspaper finally being put down on the counter alerted Raph that this conversation was far from over. "Be that as it may," Leonardo said in a tone that tried to remain even and controlled, "we still have to decide on how to tell April."

"What?" Raph asked in bafflement, turning around to meet his brother's firm stare for the first time since his arrival. "Are you fucking kidding me? We don't have to tell her shit."

"S'cuse me?" Leo said, his eye ridges rising in mild shock.

"What good would it do her?" Raph asked rudely, setting down his cup on the counter behind him. "I don't think she needs ta deal with old wounds like this one when coming back from a funeral."

"People were violently attacked a block away from her home," Leo countered calmly. "I think she deserves to know."

"They weren't people, Leo," Raph firmly pointed out. "Purple Dragons, rememba'?"

"Whatever, Raph. There was a fight right down the street, and she needs to be more careful now. Someone very dangerous is using her neighborhood as his personal playground."

"Fine, then we'll tell her ta stay on her toes," Raph angrily agreed. "But we leave the 'vigilante ghost' out of it."

Leo narrowed his eyes in exasperation. "My god, Raph, why are you being such a-"

Before the blue-masked turtle had the chance to finish his sentence, the sound of a key being turned in the look shifted their attention to the front door. It soon opened to reveal April, who was pulling a small suitcase on wheels behind her as she entered the apartment, her other hand still holding the keys.

"Hey, guys," she said lightly. As she turned around to close the door behind her, Raph took the opportunity to stare gravely at Leo, making sure he wouldn't bring up the issue of their dead friend supposedly stalking the streets just outside of her apartment.

Unaware of the heated conversation she'd conveniently interrupted, the reporter turned around to face them with a tired yet, as always, kind smile. "Everything go all right?" she asked, walking into the kitchen with her suitcase trailing behind her.

Raphael kept his gaze locked on Leo, although he could clearly notice the flush of worry that seemed to wash over their friend's recently blissful features through the corner of his right eye, where her attention almost frantically darted between the two of them.

"Raph?" she asked, earning his eye contact almost instantly. "What's going on?"

There was a long moment of silence, wherein April's worry seemed to almost overpower her, until Raphael finally opened his mouth to answer, "Nothin'. We were juz talking, is all," he said, exchanging a tense glance with Leonardo.

While his words had calmed her down considerably, there was still a hint of doubt in her tone as she spoke. "About what?" she asked, letting go of her suitcase and stopping to look at both of her friends.

Again, Raph turned to meet his brother's eyes, his own stare reminding them of their previous conversation. The moment seemed to last a bit too long, though, for April soon pushed the subject a second time:

"Guys...?"

"There was a fight in one of the alleys down the street," Leo finally revealed, causing April to turn her head in his direction.

"A fight?" she questioned, her face twisting with worry. "My god. Was someone hurt?"

"Raph and I went over there to check it out," Leo explained in a serious tone. "Someone had beaten up a bunch of Purple Dragons, so we called the cops to let them know where to look." April acknowledged his words with a small dip of her head, and he continued, "But the perpetrator is still out there somewhere, so try and be extra careful from hereon out, okay?"

"Of course," April nodded briskly. "Then again," she added, putting her keys on the kitchen table and proceeding to take off her black, knee-length leather coat, "how bad can a person be if all they're guilty of is cleaning the streets of those Dragons?" Whipping her wet hair across her left shoulder, she hung her dripping coat across the back of one of her kitchen chairs and finally met their eyes.

"Well," Leo began hesitantly, "you never know for sure what this person's reasons were for attacking them. After all, he's proven to be very dangerous."

Raph nodded in agreement, relieved his brother hadn't repeated one of his many bad habits and actually told her the truth. "Yeah," he said, earning the brunette's attention. "An' for all we know it was prolly juz anotha' gang, fightin' ta move up the scale, y'know?"

"You've got a point," April said, taking a moment to think about it. "I'll make sure to keep my eyes open whenever I go outside." She wrung her brown curls clean of rainwater with her fingers. "So," she then said in a refreshing tone, "you two have any fun while staying here?" Walking passed them to fetch a cup for herself, she missed the bitter looks of amusement the two brothers exchanged behind her back.

Raph was the one to answer. "We didn't kill each otha', if that's what'cha mean."

Turning around with a half amused expression, April closed the top cabinet. "Clever," she said, as Raph instantly moved out of the way to give her full access to the coffee maker. "Seriously, though," she spoke with her back turned to them. "Wha'd'ya do? I mean, besides alerting the cops to that fight," she added briefly, turning around with her cup of coffee almost nudging her bottom lip.

"Not much, really," Leo said, putting his forearms to the bar counter. "We watched some TV, fought over the remote. You know, the usual business."

Smiling knowingly behind her cup of coffee, April said, "I can imagine."

"What about you?" Leo then asked, his face sobering up a bit. "How was the funeral?"

"Oh, you know how those things are." She shook her head tiredly at the memory. "People giving endless speeches, tears, pain and just plain awkwardness; I had an all right time, considering."

Nodding understandingly, Raphael leaned his shell against the counter and crossed his arms over his plastron. He'd never actually been to a funeral – for obvious reasons – but he could definitely relate to the agony and unease that came when being around people after someone's death. It wasn't something he wanted to go through a second time.

"Though, the whole time, I couldn't help thinking about him," she added, much to Raph's dismay. She must have noticed it, too, because she briefly met his eyes with an apologetic, almost guilty look, before hesitantly continuing, "I know it's been almost a year, but apart from today, it's the last funeral I've been to. ...And then I couldn't help feeling guilty for mourning someone else during poor Audrey's funeral," she added, laughing in spite of herself.

"It's not something you could control," Leo said softly, offering some words of comfort in the suddenly tense kitchen. "The relationship you had with Casey... it was just entirely different than the one you had with your late neighbor. I'm sure she would've understood."

"Yeah," April said, Raphael quietly observing her as she wistfully caressed her lips with the cool edge of her coffee cup. "I guess."

Good thing they never had to be stealthy and actually break into this place, because her old, time forsaken windows would most likely – if not certainly – give them away. Once the gap was big enough for him to fit through, he carefully moved aside a flowerpot that stood on the windowsill and climbed inside, closing the window almost completely behind him.

Turning around to have a good look at the dimly lit kitchen and living room, he took off his fedora and held it possessively in his right hand as he stepped further into the apartment.

"April?"

When no answer came, he lazily tossed his hat on the couch beside him and spared one last glance out the window, where nothing but his own reflection could be seen in the pitch-black darkness. "April?" he then called out a second time, walking up to the kitchen counter, where the two paper bags of food and everyday necessities stood ready.

Maybe she's asleep, he briefly considered. If that truly was the case, however, he couldn't possibly just get their stuff and leave. Splinter had taught him better manners than that.

Picking up a DVD case that rested on the countertop, he read the cover, on which was emblazoned in big, red capital letters: 'AGENT RED.' Turning it over to survey the back, Raph quickly realized it was a pointless action movie with none other than Dolph Lundgren – the King of Turkeys himself. April wouldn't possibly rent something like this… unless of course, she had a gun pointed to her head.

Though I guess Casey would, he considered with a small smirk. This was definitely a flick that would fit the Brooklyn Beast's embarrassing taste… that and every movie starring Steven Segal.

Suddenly alerted by the sound of a door closing, Raph instantly looked up and put the movie back on the counter. Peeking down the corridor that led to April's bedroom, he found his friend stopping in her tracks upon discovering his presence.

"Oh," she said in surprise, almost shamefully. "I, uh... I didn't realize you were here."

"Yeah, I just came ta get our stuff," Raph explained with a dull nod.

"Right." April flashed a silly smile. "I completely forgot," she said, shaking her head at her own forgetfulness. Looking closer, Raph quickly noticed the wet streaks on her cheeks and the redness around her eyes and nose.

Concern immediately blossomed inside of him.

"You okay?" he asked carefully, not really sure if it was his business to ask.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," April said, forcing yet another smile. "Just had a little argument, no big deal."

"Case?" Raph asked, knowing the answer to that question even before she nodded.

"Yeah, but it's nothing," she quickly said. "I called him about this movie we were gonna watch..."

"Agent Red?" Raphael interrupted with half a grin.

Returning his smile, April chuckled through her tears. "Yeah, that's the one."

"So what, uh... what happened?" he asked, not sure whether or not he was stepping on dangerous ground. But as soon as her tears seemed to return with a vengeance, he certainly got his answer.

"Apparently he... he forgot and was on his way to this hockey game when I called. He said he couldn't give up his ticket," she said, silent tears raining down her emotional face. "Of course," she then added with a brief chuckle, "I had to get all upset and start screaming at him, and things kinda just went downhill from there, you know?"

Raphael simply nodded understandingly, not knowing what else to do. He was never good with tears. Any one of his brothers would have been a much better person to be here in his place, even Mike who could never stay serious for more than a minute. At least that would have been sixty seconds of saying and doing the right thing, before he'd inevitably try to lighten the mood with another one of his bad jokes.

"So," April continued, trying to act as though she wasn't even crying. "Did you check to see if everything's there?" she asked, motioning to the grocery bags standing on the counter with her left hand, which still held onto the portable phone. "They didn't have that cereal you asked for, so I, uh… I hope Mikey won't mind Rice Crispies."

"Crispies'll be fine," Raph said supportively. The two of them drifted off into silence upon meeting each other's eyes, April's still flooded with tears.

"Yeah, cuz I figured, you know," April sniffled, trying to retain some kind of control over herself, "there's a prize in the box, so maybe that will distract him from the fact that they aren't his usual breakfast… or at least make up for it," she weakly added, as though it was taking everything in her power to keep talking.

Not knowing what to say, or if he should even say something in the first place, Raphael simply nodded empathically, wishing he could sometimes just make Casey's thoughtless decisions for him. Because, god, he couldn't stand watching her cry!

"Raph..." April finally broke down with a loud sob. She walked the two steps that parted them and buried her heated face in the soft curve between his neck and left shoulder, her tears rubbing off on his skin. "Why does he always do this?" she cried, desperate for answers, her fisted hands reaching up to rest on the upper plates of his plastron, unaware of how he suddenly tensed at her touch.

Instinctively, Raph's arms awkwardly reached around the petite form of his friend, hesitantly stroking her slightly trembling back with his right hand. "S'okay. He doesn't mean anything by it," he quietly told her, feeling painfully torn between his two friends. "If he had any idea how upset you got by this, he wouldn't have gone ta that game."

"Yeah, right," April snorted in disbelief.

"Of course he wouldn't," Raph insisted, still stroking her back. "He cares about you; you know that. If ya called 'im and he could actually hear that yer in tears because of what he did, he would come straight back 'ere."

Looking up from the safety of his arms, April met his eyes through her glassy tears. "You really think so?"

"Hey, who's the guy's best friend?" Raph asked with a playful smirk. "I'm tellin' ya, I know these things."

April broke into a short chuckle, moving her hand up to her face to wipe away the tears. "Thanks, Raph."

"Go an' call him," he said, giving her an encouraging smile. "I'll just head back to the othas with the groceries. I'm sure Mike's hallucinating about singin' pizzas by now."

Laughing again, April disentangled herself from his arms and went to call Casey for the second time that night. Suddenly stopping in her tracks to look over her shoulder, she wondered, "How'd you get so good at this emotional stuff, anyway?"

"What?" Raph asked in return. "Yer not planning for this ta get out ta the othas, are ya? Cuz, ya know, I have a reputation ta protect."

"Right," April smiled knowingly. "Raphael, He with the Heart of Stone. Got it. Your secret's safe with me," she promised, finally heading back to her bedroom, evidently in a much better mood.

As soon as the brunette was out of sight, Raph's shoulders visibly relaxed, and he blew out a long, tense breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. Turning around to the counter, he quickly collected the grocery bags in his arms and held them close to his plastron, where the ghostly sensation of her warm body still resided. He, out of all his brothers, was definitely not the right person to comfort April, he decided with a heart that finally seemed to loosen up inside of him. Especially not when it hurt him so much to see her in tears, tears his best friend was responsible for, nonetheless.