Metallaxis

Chapter 12

3rd person POV:

It had been a lot of time. Well, to them it only seemed like it never was enough but time was passing by rapidly. And there were not just little things that had occurred during that time.

Her father was turned human and was supporting her, her two best friends were happily dating with each other and of course she was with her favorite geeky-genius turtle. When his brothers found out, it was quite an awkward moment, but after a while she realized how fun it was to actually see them exchanging money and arguments thanks to many bets they had put on them. Mutants or not they were still teenage boys after all…

Another incident that troubled the whole family was the reappearance of their master's daughter. Of course, everyone was accustomed to the powerful kunoich known as Karai, but seeing her accept her true heritage and become a real member of the family was something very pleasant, until of course, the incident.

Master Splinter had become really distant. If anyone was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him, they would easily spot the hurt and pain in his eyes. This attitude is what broke the team's spirit down. Leonardo was being inundated with guilt and would do everything to get her back. Raphael tried hard to bring his brother round and maintain his patience. Mikey's cheerful soul was shuttered as he watched his beloved family falling apart.

And finally, Donnie. He now more than ever wanted to get the retro-mutagen ready. He felt like everyone depended on him and so he chose to work hard, with no rest until he had it. He would do anything to help his family and he was thankful enough for having April around to ease the growing pressure he was getting under.

There wasn't much hope left in any of them. All they could do was wait.

…

April opened her eyes slowly at the sound of a very excited Donnie screaming with enthusiasm. "I did it! I finally did it!" She managed to hear. Suddenly a very intense feeling of déjà vu filled her as she knew what he meant by screaming these words.

She quickly got up from the couch, ignoring the aching pain on her back, as she rushed towards the Lab. She burst into it with unbelievable force and instantly came face to face with her favorite turtle. One look was enough to reassure her that what she thought was true. She rushed to his place and wrapped her arms around him.

Suddenly her enthusiasm started to cease. She had been waiting for this moment for a very long time, but somewhere along the road she had forgotten what it was she awaited for. Was that finally the end of her journey as a mutant? Would her life now turn back to what it used to be? She desperately wanted to be a human again, but through this time she had experienced feelings that made her feel more alive than any other time. She finally belonged to a family, she had friends who she knew were there for her. Hell, what else could she ever ask for?

Donatello shifted in her arms. He felt it too. He parted himself from her and stared worriedly in her eyes. He had finally made the retro-mutagen. He was now able to give her her life back. As excited as he was, he was also terrified. She was his only love. After craving for her for so long he had finally made her his. As much as he wanted her to be happy, he was almost sure he wasn't enough for her to be so. She needed to become a human again. She had to.

She saw it in his eyes. Fear, desperation. She knew she loved him. She really did. Changing back into a human wouldn't change the way she felt. Nothing would be different between them. Or would it? Despite being sure about her feelings, she shared his fear. It was like everything was about to end. Like it was only a journey that they both had enjoyed, but they had finally reached their destination and knew there was no way back.

But that again was her decision. She was not only afraid of ending the journey, but she was also afraid of the little part in her that told her not to go back. Like there was a voice in her head, guiding her to what she really wanted and not what she thought as ideal.

Donnie chose to break the hurting silence between them. "I finally did it" he repeated his earlier words now more resentful. "You can finally turn back to human and get your life back…" he continued seeing that there was no sign of response from her side.

"Yeah…" she managed to say. She could guess the unspoken words that hid behind his voice. "I don't wanna lose you… Stay with me… You don't have to go back…" But Donnie wasn't so selfish to tell her all that. He just wanted the best for her, but yet a request would have made her decision a lot more easy.

In an attempt to hide her rising tears she buried her face in his neck. He knew how hard it was for her but he didn't want to interfere. As much as he wanted her with him she had the right to chose what she wanted. She wouldn't be gone after all. He tried to relax and provide her the comfort she needed.

After some quiet minutes she pulled away. She crossed the room and sat on a chair. She avoided looking in his eyes because she knew she would face an expectant look. A look that wanted an answer. He slowly approached and kneeled down right in front of her. She finally gave up and looked at him. They wouldn't fool each other any longer.

"You know you can choose whatever makes you happy…" he said with a calm and reassuring voice.

"I don't know what makes me happy anymore…" she said bursting into tears. His heart ached at the sight but he didn't protest. He knew she wanted to turn back.

"It's okay. I will be here for you no matter what you choose. All of us will." he answered with a little more confidence. He raised his hands and wiped away her tears. She needed him to do that. To be with her. To comfort her. To love her.

She tried giving him a smile. To show him that she was okay, that she was glad he was with her. But he knew everything was about to end. None of them wanted things to end though. She was happy with him. She was happy with the life she was given and she thought that her mutation had become for a reason. Maybe she needed to see that she had more than she ever thought she had. She had him. And that was enough to make her happy. She just needed to show him that.

"I won't…" she spouted.

His eyebrows suddenly narrowed in confusion. "You won't... what?" he asked her while his heart started beating faster and faster as he knew he was about to get the answer he awaited for.

"I won't turn back. I love you and I am happy just being with you. I couldn't have asked for more…" She said confidently. His expression shifted to utter happiness. He couldn't find any words to express his feelings so he forced a passionate kiss into her lips. It was the kiss that settled the life they were given together.

After they broke away, they exchanged fulfilled looks and they both knew what they had to do. It was about time they got their sister back and rebuilt their precious family, one step at a time.

A/N: Hehe... So... I'm back?... Well I know it took me like the whole summer to update but I was away and with a writer's block so... Anyway, this is the final chapter. The events of the fanfic are following the events of the show so Karai was obviously mutated... I decided it was best to end this story here, before the new episodes come out, because it would get way more complicating. It is less than a week for our turtles to come back and I am very excited. I hope you enjoyed my story and I couldn't thank you enough for all the reviews and support. Thank you very much!

Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT