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Author's Chapter Notes:
Hey y'all! Updating again so soon, because Ashee & I are impatiently waiting for Nick/Howie to call her back, like Jacon, their 'assistant' said they would....They had better call her! Anyways, here's another chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Only own Catarina, Marietta, & story idea. Mirage Studios owns everything TMNT.

Rina and Mikey set off over the tops of the roofs, staying to the shadows for the most part. Overhead, the full moon was visible, meaning that not a single star could be seen. For once, they didn't turn the run into a competition. When they got to April's apartment, the window was already open for them. The neighbors would have only thought that April was trying to catch a breeze.

"Hey April!" exclaimed Rina, looking around the room as she slipped in through the window.

Mikey was right behind her, accidentally knocking his shell against the window frame. He whipped around and began checking the glass for breaks.

"I heard that, Mikey!" shouted April from the bedroom.

Finding a split in the window frame, Mikey flashed an innocent grin at Rina, "Hehe, let's just pretend that didn't happen."

"Rina, what'd he break?" April as she walked in, tying her hair up into a ponytail.

Rina grinned as she sat down on a stool at the island bar. "He didn't reeeally break anything," she said, twirling the ends of her bandanna around her finger.

"See, April, I wouldn't break your stuff," Mikey said, standing squarely in front of the window.

"Yeah, just crack it," Rina put in and Mikey gave her a look of betrayal while she grinned.

April sighed but waved it off. Her last house had been torn apart because of the turtles; a little busted window frame wasn't all that bad. "It's okay. Hungry?" she asked as she started to move around the kitchen.

"Sure!" both Mikey and Rina exclaimed.

"How does ramen sound?" she said, pulling a pot out from a cabinet near the stove.

"Like heaven," said Mikey as he sat down at the other seat at the bar.

"Good. I was getting hungry," replied April with a smile. Being a great multi-tasker, April could talk and cook at the same time without burning anything. "How is everyone back at the lair though? Is Marie any better?" she asked as she turned on the stove with a flick of her wrist.

Mikey and Rina glanced at each other. They didn't want to worry April, but she had asked.

"She's okay, I guess," said Mikey, shrugging his shoulders, "Not much better, but maybe she's over the worst of it."

"That's good, maybe she'll feel better in a few days," said April, smiling reassuringly.

Rina nodded and then remembered the gift she had stored around in her belt. "Oh, April, I brought these for you," she said as she reached into a pouch and pulled out a pair of senbon. They were black with the gold kanji for 'spring' etched on the side.

"Oh, wow, Rina, thank you!" April said as she picked up the black senbon. "They're great."

Rina smiled, "Well, since Master Splinter taught you to use them, I'd thought you'd probably like a pair that you could wear when you're out somewhere. A kunoichi's best weapon is a disguised weapon," she said, quoting Master Splinter with a tired roll of her eyes.

April nodded and pocketed the slender weapons. "I'll wear them often."

"Hey, you never wear that sweater I got you last Christmas!" exclaimed Mikey with a mock hurt tone.

"No, that's because it's…umm…" April began the sentence but couldn't finish.

"In the exact words of Raphael, 'It looks like the damn cat ate it and spat it back up again,'" declared Rina, smirking at Mikey.

Mike thumped her in the arm and it soon became an all-out war.

"Hey-Hey!" April exclaimed. "Enough you two. You're going to break something!"

"Maybe you should put less valuables out," Mikey chirped, swatting Rina one last time and giving her a Look letting her know enough was enough. "Then maybe we wouldn't keep breaking things."

April rolled her eyes. "Maybe you guys should stop inviting Casey to your place, and maybe Splinter would have less broken things as well," she stated.

"Point taken," Michaelangelo replied, smiling. "Though, that is amusing to watch."

Rina snorted. "For who? You and Raph, or Sensei?"

Mikey smirked. "Why, Raph and I of course!"

"Even if you have to clean it up?" Rina challenged.

"Ah - okay, it's not so funny," Mikey admitted. "Especially when they spill soda on my comics!"

April shook her head, handing each turtle a bowl of ramen, then sitting down with one herself. "You guys never change," she smiled. "I like that. I know what to expect."

"Well, you can definitely expect the unexpected," Rina giggled. "Especially if Raph and Marie get into it - you never know what'll happen."

April shook her head. "I always said they were too much alike."

Michaelangelo shrugged. "So how's life been for you, Ape? What's been going on? What have we missed out on?"

"Oh, not too much," April replied, as they all sat eating. "The usual. Work, Casey, work, Casey, work."

"Soooo you really like Casey then, huh?" Mikey smirked, wriggling his eye ridges at her.

April groaned, rolling her eyes as she slapped his arm playfully. "Mikey! It's not like that - well, least not entirely."

"Oooh! Details!" Rina insisted.

"We've been dating off and on for a while now, as you know," April said. "And I think we just may finally take it up to the next level."

"Marriage?!?" Rina squealed.

"No!" April exclaimed, then blushed. "Not yet, anyway. But I have asked him to move in with me."

"Say goodbye to all your valuables then," Mikey laughed. "Casey'll have 'em knocked over in no time!"

"Tehe, April's taking the next big step down the road to getting married to Casey Jones," Rina teased, smirking up at the older woman.

April turned a bright red color of a human blush and shook her head, "I'm thinking that it's a good decision, don't try to dissuade me."

"I wasn't gonna," replied Rina, holding up her hands innocently.

"Bull in a china shop, April," Mikey said.

This time, April launched a pot-holder shaped like a chicken at his green head. After they had eaten, April suggested that they all sit down and play a card game. Knowing that the turtles' reflexes canceled out the chance to play Egyptian Rat Screw, April suggested that they play phase 10, a game that would last at least an hour and probably make all three of their heads hurt. After about thirty minutes, Rina took pity on Mikey who was glaring at the card game,

"Hey, April, will you teach me how to French Braid my hair again?" April agreed and they started watching a rerun of Batman while April re-taught the turtle girl to braid her hair again.

After the movie had finished, Mikey and Rina left April's apartment with the promise of calling her soon with an update about Marie. They raced across the rooftops with practiced ease and at a moderate speed. There was no reason to rush home, and it was a nice night out besides.

"I've figured it out!" Donatello exclaimed as he came out of his room and proudly waved a piece of paper in the air.

"Got what, Brainiac?" asked Raphael as he glanced at his brother as the purple-clad turtle rushed by the couch.

Donnie ignored him as he rushed back to Marietta and Catarina's room. "Sensei!" Donnie said as he rushed into the bedroom.

Master Splinter looked up at him from where he was sitting on Marie's bed. "Yes, my son? What is it?" he asked, glancing at the paper in Donatello's hand.

"I think I know exactly what Marie has," he said, smiling at his little sister. She was asleep, her hand thrown up over her eyes.

"This is…" asked Master Splinter, his eyebrows knitted together in anticipation.

"Influenza," Donatello answered, holding the sheet out for his father to look at. The rat took the paper and glanced it over. Yes, the symptoms were correct for everything.

"It was either that or tonsillitis and I ruled that out on because she hasn't had that many sore throats," said Donnie.

Master Splinter nodded, "That sounds correct, Donatello."

Donatello beamed at the fact that he had finally figured out just what was wrong with his sister. "She must've just caught a really bad case of it," he stated. "All we have to do is keep doing what we're already doing and she should be fine within a few days - maybe a week or so. It all depends on just how bad her case really is."

Master Splinter nodded. "Thank-you, Donatello. It is a relief knowing that she will be okay in the end," he stated calmly. "Though, I have always known Marietta to be a fighter. She is my little rebel, after all."

Donatello nodded. "Hai, Sensei," he replied. "I'll just tell everyone else to be careful they don't catch it."

"Thank-you, my son," Master Splinter nodded, leaning back in the rocking chair that had been placed next to Marie's bed so he wouldn't have to sit on the cold floor so much. Marie also liked knowing someone was right there in case she was in need of something.

Donatello bowed somewhat, then hurried on out of the room to inform his brothers of his find.

"Well, that's a relief," Raphael grunted, his arms over his chest. "Means the Runt'll be back to her old self in no time."

Leonardo groaned. "Great. Just when we're finally getting along," he stated. "I mean, I'm thrilled she's going to be okay - but her mood swings are the worst! I like it better when she doesn't hate me so much."

Raphael chuckled. "Leo, she don't hate yah. She's just stubborn as a mule, and refuses to admit how much she truly does care about you. I'm not the only one she looks up too, yanno."

"Thanks Raph," Leo replied, a small grateful smile on his face.

Raph shrugged. "Whatevah."

Michaelangelo and Catarina came into the lair then, both all smiles and in great spirits.

"Hey!" Rina grinned. "April says hi!"

Donatello smiled. "Well, that's always good to hear."

"How's Marie?" Rina asked, concerned once more.

"Just the flu she's got," Donatello informed them. "So be careful you don't catch it, it seems to be a bad bout of it."

The two who'd just entered the lair nodded, then headed for the kitchen for some water - rooftop jumping made them extremely thirsty.

"Oh, hey, Raph?" Rina called out from the kitchen.

"What?" Raphael called back.

"Casey's movin' in with April this week!" Rina told him, as she came out of the kitchen sipping at a glass of ice water. "April invited him to move in."

Raph laughed. "There goes her china," he commented, smirking smugly. "I told her it wouldn't last long with that lug around."

"Yeah, well, it doesn't exactly last that long when we're around either," Leo pointed out.

Raphael shrugged. "So what else is new?"

Donnie shook his head, as he headed back into his lab to fix something that had been broken earlier that week. It was then a loud cry was heard, coming from the girls' bedroom.

"RINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"