A Place To Stay

A Place To Stay

A Place To Stay

April looked at Don with tears in her eyes. “Where will we stay?” she asked.

Don was the first to respond, “We certainly aren’t going to leave you out on the street…………….under it, maybe, but not out on it.” He laughed at his own joke and the guys laughed too. He heard Splinter’s sharp intake of breath, but chose to ignore it.

April sniffled. “But I stayed with you the last time the Purple Dragons burned me out of my place. I can’t take advantage of you again.”

Mikey piped up then, “Oh, I’m sure someone will come along someday and destroy our ‘sewer, sweet sewer’ again and we will need a place to bunk. That’s what friends are for, right?”

April thought back to all the piles of pizza boxes, and stuff strewn all over her house, of having to have the guys disappear whenever someone knocked on the door, and of having to worry constantly that the Foot would figure out where they were staying and destroy her new home and she really wasn’t sure she wanted to owe them. “Uh, guys,” she hesitated and looked around at their green smiling faces. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.” She thought she heard Splinter sigh with relief. Perhaps he was remembering, too.

Raph grumbled, “So, where else will the four of you stay? With Casey?” Raph knew she had no where else to go. He also knew Casey would drive her crazy. Raph just seemed to love getting her riled up. He may act like a hothead, but April knew he really did care what happened to her.

She glared straight into his eyes. That is when she noticed the smirk starting. Oh, how she wished she had somewhere else to go, just so she wouldn’t have to let him win this battle of the wills. Finally she sighed in defeat. Raph knew then that she was beat. “No, there is nowhere else.” As he turned away, April was sure he saw him grinning. Oh, how she wanted to beat him at his own game!

She turned to Master Splinter then. She was surprised at the look in his eyes before his usual unaffected expression returned. He had actually looked like he was enjoying their verbal battle! “Master Splinter, would it be possible for the girls and me to stay here until we have a safe place to return to? I mean, we wouldn’t be any trouble. We could cook and clean up around here and, and, “

Splinter held up his hand. April stopped talking immediately. “Yes, you and your friends may stay, but my sons need the practice cleaning up after themselves. You will not have to clean up for them.”

“Oh, thank you,” she gushed. She ran forward and impulsively hugged Splinter. The old rat looked shocked at first, then pleased, as he quickly hugged her, then stepped back. “You ladies may use Leo’s room and he can bunk with Mikey. His room is the largest.”

Leo looked shocked.

Stay tuned for what happens next. I will try to post Waking Up soon.