A Christmas To Remember
Epilogue: Together Again
One Year Later
The snowy buildings of New York glistened as the sun went down and the crescent moon came up.
Raphael sat on the roof of April O'Neill's apartment, watching the last part of the sun going down. Winter had come and was almost gone. It was the night of New Year's Day and everyone was coming from parties and making their way home.
Raph sighed and carried on watching some drunken people walk home. He didn't mind drunken people, I mean; they're only having fun. Where's the harm in that? It was just that they were happy and he was . . . well . . . not, so happy.
He tapped his legs against the roof of the building and grabbed his trench coat more tightly around him. He watched puffs of cloud escape his mouth and disappear.
"Hey Raph", said a voice behind him. "You should come inside. We shouldn't stay outside in the cold too long, it'll slow our systems down".
"Thanks for that, Leo", Raph said, not turning around.
"Just saying bro; and Casey wants to have an arm wrestle with you", Leo stood behind his brother, willing him to turn around.
"S'ok, I'll be there in a bit", Raph answered.
"You sure?"
"I'm fine, Leo. Don't worry about me. Give me at least 5 minutes of peace", Raph watched the remains of the sun disappear.
"Ok", Leo said slowly, then turned to go back inside.
Raph watched his brother leave the rooftop. He didn't exactly need five minutes. He had been out here for nearly half an hour. He was just thinking . . .
It wasn't as though he was depressed. He was just . . . what was he? He missed Tailor quite a bit but it couldn't have anything to do with that . . . could it?
When she left he was upset, but he'd never tell his brothers that. Splinter had known he was a little bit upset and had left him to his own problems. She had phoned and spoken to him a few times and she wrote so many letters to April, Casey and them.
Raph smiled as he remembered one letter:
Hey guys!
S'up? I hope you're missing me! I'm missing you!
Today dad and me just did the traditional father / daughter togetherness gig. We went swimming in the small lake that's here. Fed my adopted elephant, we also hung around with my mum's best mate, Ash (aka; Ashley). She's cool. Since mum died she always came round to cheer us up, (and with the best cookies!).
I hope you're doing ok. Erm . . . I think that's a question as well as a hope! I have already sent April a letter and I'm seeing if I can come down in the summer holidays (I'm afraid it's a 'maybe'). I've already sent one to Elliot saying the same thing. I miss him as well.
Don't worry about me! (Well . . . I hope you do worry about me!). I'm fine - and glad to say I'm tanned!! A lovely golden / brown . . . but don't worry! It doesn't compare to your lovely green shade!
Missing you!
Lots of love! (And hugs for Mikey),
Tailor xXx.
She had sent that letter in May, Raph remembered. But she couldn't come in the summer holidays, she had to stay and look after her dad because he broke his foot when redecorating her bedroom.
Something tapped Raph on the shoulder and he growled.
"Leo, I told you, I'm not coming down!" Raph whispered angrily.
"Not even with an old friend?" said a voice.
"I -." Raph stopped and turned around. "What -.?"
Tailor smiled at him. "Surprised ya, huh?"
Raph didn't say anything, just nodded his head. He studied her carefully. She was definitely tanned. Her blonde hair was a lighter colour and it was tied back in a plait. Her skin was a darker golden / brown than he last saw her and her blue eyes glowed with happiness. She wore a pair of blue jeans and a navy blue top / jumper that had 'Spirit' written across it in fancy red writing. She had her 'adidas' trainers on her feet.
"Something wrong?" she asked, noticing him looking at her.
Raph shook his head and smiled. "What are ya doing here?" he asked.
Tailor smiled and shrugged. "What? No 'hello'? 'How are you'? Or 'nice to see you Tailor. I missed you so much'? How about a 'you look great'?"
Raph pulled a face at her. "Does it matter?"
"Umm . . . yes", Tailor answered, she watched Raph stand up and wipe the front of his trench coat. "Come give me a hug then", she added.
"I don't do hugs", Raph said, hands raised up.
"Aww, I do", Tailor ran into him and put her arms around his neck. Raph stumbled back a little, but hugged her back, he was really glad she came back, but he didn't know why or how.
"I missed you", she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.
Raph shivered a little. "I missed you too", he said quietly.
Tailor pulled away from him. "You shouldn't stay out here", she said, grabbing his arm. "Come on, let's go back inside. I have to go see Elliot then I'll come back here".
"How did you get here?" Raph asked her.
Tailor turned to him and smiled. "How everyone else gets here . . . an aeroplane. I wanted to surprise you so dad arranged for me to come on New Year's Day. I'm a bit late though", she added.
"Have you seen the others?"
"Yeah", Tailor said. "Mikey nearly strangled me though!"
"He would", Raph said.
"He missed me", Tailor said proudly and in a teasing tone. "Now the only person I have to surprise is Elliot. His parents have taken him to a party and they said that I could surprise him there. Am I good or what?"
"Erm . . . nope", Raph said.
She punched him playfully on the arm. "It was a rhetorical question".
//
'RHP' club was where Elliot's family went every year. Tailor had only been a few times but she had spent all of her New Year's Day in India. The only time she came with Elliot was on his birthdays. It was the club that most people went to when they hung out. But only members could go in.
Tailor walked in the door and was stopped.
"Membership card?" said a man at the door.
"Tailor O'Neill", Tailor just replied.
The man eyed her up and down. "O'Neill?"
"Yes", Tailor said. "O'Neill".
The man grabbed his clipboard off the counter next to him and flipped over several pieces of paper. He raised his eyebrows at her.
"For Elliot?" he asked.
Man, are you always this nosy? Tailor thought. "Yes".
"Go in", he said, watching her with eyes like a hawk.
Tailor smiled and walked past him. She entered the room and smiled. 'RHP' was a small square room with table going round all of it. A D.J stood in the middle with music blaring out of the speakers. Quite a few people were dancing and Tailor's eyes scanned the room.
She had spotted her target. Elliot was sat, hunched in a chair, opposite her. He didn't see her because his head was down and he was fiddling with a beer mat, looking bored. Tailor spotted his parents slow-dancing on the dance floor.
She walked over to where Elliot was sitting and smiled. "Hey handsome", she said in a joking voice.
"I am not in the mood to flirt!" Elliot said, his head still down.
"Whoa", Tailor said. "Flirt? You mean you flirt when I'm not here?"
Elliot's eyes shot open and his head slowly lifted towards her. He hadn't recognised her voice because his mind was somewhere else. She looked great though, in her blue jeans and navy blue top.
"I -."
" - You . . . ?" Tailor put her hands behind her back and leaned towards him, waiting for an answer.
"I -."
" - Yes?" Tailor stood there, grinning.
Elliot's shocked face broke into a grin. "You look great", he said.
"Thank you", she said. "But flatterer ain't gonna get you outta this. You said flirting"; she raised her eyebrows. "Whadda mean flirting?"
"A girl's been hitting on me", he explained. "I snapped".
"Obviously", Tailor's eyes move sideways to the D.J and she noticed that another slow song had just started playing. "Dance?" she asked Elliot.
"Totally", Elliot replied, getting up. Tailor looked at him, in his blue jeans and (from what she could see in the disco light) red shirt. She smiled. He hadn't changed a bit . . . except his hair, she noticed, it was a bit shorter and was spiked up more on the top of his head.
On the dance floor, Tailor put her arms around Elliot's neck. She had promised April she would only be half an hour so she vowed to spend every minute of it.
Elliot's hands went around her waist and he tried to ignore the satisfied looks he was getting from his parents.
Elliot's dad, who was like an older version of Elliot, smiled and mouthed 'hello' to Tailor. She smiled back and mouthed 'hi'. His mum was resting her head on her husband's shoulder so she couldn't mouth anything to Tailor because her head was turned the other way.
'Titanic' was the only slow song they normally played but this time 'RHP' was playing 'Hallelujah' that Tailor noticed a couple of kids were asking the D.J shyly. Tailor smiled, at least it wasn't 'Titanic' - listening to 'Shrek' seemed better.
"I missed you", Elliot said to her.
Tailor smiled at him. "I miss you too. I'm sorry I couldn't come in the holidays. Dad had to go and fall off the stepladder".
Elliot smiled. "S'ok - I didn't think you'd be able to come until the next summer holidays, I was worried about you".
Tailor nodded. "I know, ditto, but now I'm back and a perfect 16-year-old girl. I'm only staying here for half an hour. But I can see you tomorrow because I'm staying with April for three days. We can catch up".
"Nothing to catch up on", Elliot replied. "Garth has a girlfriend".
"No way!" Tailor said. "When?"
"Just before Christmas . . . and she's nice . . . she isn't a tart or anything. I made sure. They really suit each other, and she's energetic, I think you two would get along".
"Yeah . . . cool", Tailor said. "And you?"
"Nah, I don't want a girlfriend. She might interrupt our friendship".
Tailor smiled. "Nothing could interrupt our friendship".
"I'm happy being single", Elliot said, smiling.
"You've always been single!" Tailor corrected him.
//
When Tailor entered April's apartment Mikey hugged her for the fifth time that day. Leo and Donnie were sitting on the sofa. Splinter was sat in the armchair and Casey, April and Raph were sat on the floor, so they could talk properly.
"Ok, Mikey, you can stop strangling me now", Tailor said jokingly.
"But I missed you!" Mikey said back.
"I know", Tailor said, patting his shell. "But you'll miss me even more if you strangle me to death!"
Mikey smiled and let her go. He walked over to wear Raph was sitting and plonked himself next to his brother.
Tailor smiled and shook her head. She grabbed a stool from the counter and pulled it over to the sofa where Leo and Donnie were sitting. She perched herself on it, resting her elbows on her knees.
"So, my dear, what did you do when you got back to India?" Splinter asked because they didn't make much conversation when she came back. It was amazing how excited she was to see Elliot again.
All attention turned to her, wanting to know the latest gossip.
Tailor's smile widened a little. "Well . . . I was a bit miserable for a while - I'll admit - but dad and me wanted to spend quality time together so basically I spent all year with him . . . then all holiday looking after him".
"Cool! Not fair though! Why do you get all the fun?" Mikey said.
"I don't get all the fun, Mikey", Tailor pointed out. "Because none of my friends were there to share it with me . . . and I couldn't kick your butt on Sonic, dude".
"How dare you!" Mikey said in a nasty voice.
"I dare", Tailor said back, smiling. "And I did".
"I'm hurt", Mikey said sadly, his hand on his plastron.
"Aww", Tailor said, putting her hand on her heart. "Right in the centre"
"Yeah", Mikey answered, his head lowered.
"Aww", Tailor said again. She got up and walked over to him. Bending down, she kissed his cheek softly. "I'm sorry".
Mikey smiled. "And the other cheek".
"No way!" Tailor said, straightening up. She smiled and looked down at him, but caught a glimpse at her watch. 8:00. "Oh my gosh! Mobile!" She jumped over Mikey and dashed up the stairs. Elliot said he was going to text her and put where to meet tomorrow.
The guys heard her footsteps up the stairs.
"Man", Donnie said. "You wouldn't think a mobile was so important".
"Yes", April agreed. "But Tailor has so many friends that to some of them, a mobile is a life line to her, it's the only way she can keep in contact with them".
Leo nodded. "But how many people does she talk to on her mobile?" he asked, resting his cheek on his hand.
"Erm", April held up her fingers and started counting down. "Ok. Emma. Garth. Jamie. Elliot - definitely. Daniel - he's her gym instructor but they're good friends. Probably her dad if they don't write. That's it I think".
"What about us?" Mikey asked.
"We don't have mobiles", Raph said, pointing out the obvious.
April smiled. "She'd write to you".
"Yeah", Casey said. "You know she always wrote to you".
"24 letters. 2 each month. Yep, I'd say she did write to us a lot", Donnie pointed out, smiling.
"We kept them in the cabinet draw", Leo added. "They were so full of detail - and we would never chuck them away".
"Leonardo is right", Splinter said. "We would never dream of doing that".
The others nodded in agreement.
Raph's head gave a small nod. It was true though. He had read and reread every one of Tailor's letters, and every one of them described whether she was feeling sad or happy. He could never do that. Raph would never have been able to put all his emotions into one letter. But Tailor had become a changed person. When she first met them she was strong, but didn't held much confidence. Now, she was strong, and had the entire confidant she needed to stand up to her enemies. Raph smiled a little, he admired that. He admired that she could now stick up for herself and that she realised she would always have her friends to back her up.
"Ok, back!" Tailor announced, emerging from the stairs, he mobile clutched tightly in her hand.
"Sure you wasn't texting precious Elliot?" Raph asked, jokingly.
Tailor rolled her eyes. "No - I rang him instead!" She smiled brightly at him and plonked herself on the floor. "See", she said, going into her dialled numbers and bringing up Elliot's number.
"Lovely", Raph said.
"Innit?" Tailor asked, her eyes glowing with happiness.
Raph smiled at her. That was another thing that had changed about her. Her eyes. They were now full of happiness instead of lost and sadness. They glowed so much brighter than they used to and it made her face look sweeter and her dimples stand out more. He was happy she was back.
Raph glanced at Splinter and saw his Master smiling proudly at him. 'I am so proud of you, Raphael', came a message to Raph's head instead of out loud. Raph frowned confused, then realised that Splinter was just telling him how he felt.
Raph nodded at his Master in a way of saying 'thank you'. Splinter nodded back at his soon and Raph put his gaze back on Tailor.
"See? How much proof do ya want?" Tailor asked him, showing him a text message off Elliot that simply said 'ring me'. She pressed the down button on her phone so that the date and time came up. "Nah!" she stuck her tongue out at Raph.
"Very convincing", Raph said, sarcastically.
"Innit?" Tailor said, again.
"Innit", Raph mimicked and then ducked when she tried to hit him.
"I'm not talking to you!" Tailor said falsely and then she turned her attention to Mikey, who was asking to play on the games on her phone.
"I'm crushed", Raph said with the same falseness.
Tailor looked back over her shoulder and gave him her best smile. "You should be", she said. "But I'm sorry", she added softly.
Raph ignored the slightly shocked stares from his brothers and smiled at Tailor. His brothers had never seen him get along with anyone so well, except April and Casey. But Tailor was like April's flesh and blood so it was very easy to get along with her. And she was different, he didn't know why, but there was a slightly difference there.
"You ok?" Tailor asked, spotting the way he just stopped talking.
"Yeah", Raph answered.
"I'm glad I'm back", Tailor whispered, so the others couldn't hear. "You may not know this, but I missed you a lot, Raph".
"Yeah, you too", Raph answered.
And he meant it . . . really he did . . .
//
(Thank you so much for the reviews! Hope you enjoyed this story! I enjoyed writing it! And I love all you guys for reviewing it! - Personal thanks to Danceingfae - Daydream - Raphielle - Lenniluvsbrian - and . . . anyone else - sorry if I didn't mention you - love ya all! Maybe I'll do another story, I dunno yet - but love ya anyway! . . .
. . . I'm sorry if I don't write another story for a while - it's my last year in school and I really need this time to study for up-coming exams . . .
. . . yours truly,
tmnt_luver xXx.
Epilogue: Together Again
One Year Later
The snowy buildings of New York glistened as the sun went down and the crescent moon came up.
Raphael sat on the roof of April O'Neill's apartment, watching the last part of the sun going down. Winter had come and was almost gone. It was the night of New Year's Day and everyone was coming from parties and making their way home.
Raph sighed and carried on watching some drunken people walk home. He didn't mind drunken people, I mean; they're only having fun. Where's the harm in that? It was just that they were happy and he was . . . well . . . not, so happy.
He tapped his legs against the roof of the building and grabbed his trench coat more tightly around him. He watched puffs of cloud escape his mouth and disappear.
"Hey Raph", said a voice behind him. "You should come inside. We shouldn't stay outside in the cold too long, it'll slow our systems down".
"Thanks for that, Leo", Raph said, not turning around.
"Just saying bro; and Casey wants to have an arm wrestle with you", Leo stood behind his brother, willing him to turn around.
"S'ok, I'll be there in a bit", Raph answered.
"You sure?"
"I'm fine, Leo. Don't worry about me. Give me at least 5 minutes of peace", Raph watched the remains of the sun disappear.
"Ok", Leo said slowly, then turned to go back inside.
Raph watched his brother leave the rooftop. He didn't exactly need five minutes. He had been out here for nearly half an hour. He was just thinking . . .
It wasn't as though he was depressed. He was just . . . what was he? He missed Tailor quite a bit but it couldn't have anything to do with that . . . could it?
When she left he was upset, but he'd never tell his brothers that. Splinter had known he was a little bit upset and had left him to his own problems. She had phoned and spoken to him a few times and she wrote so many letters to April, Casey and them.
Raph smiled as he remembered one letter:
Hey guys!
S'up? I hope you're missing me! I'm missing you!
Today dad and me just did the traditional father / daughter togetherness gig. We went swimming in the small lake that's here. Fed my adopted elephant, we also hung around with my mum's best mate, Ash (aka; Ashley). She's cool. Since mum died she always came round to cheer us up, (and with the best cookies!).
I hope you're doing ok. Erm . . . I think that's a question as well as a hope! I have already sent April a letter and I'm seeing if I can come down in the summer holidays (I'm afraid it's a 'maybe'). I've already sent one to Elliot saying the same thing. I miss him as well.
Don't worry about me! (Well . . . I hope you do worry about me!). I'm fine - and glad to say I'm tanned!! A lovely golden / brown . . . but don't worry! It doesn't compare to your lovely green shade!
Missing you!
Lots of love! (And hugs for Mikey),
Tailor xXx.
She had sent that letter in May, Raph remembered. But she couldn't come in the summer holidays, she had to stay and look after her dad because he broke his foot when redecorating her bedroom.
Something tapped Raph on the shoulder and he growled.
"Leo, I told you, I'm not coming down!" Raph whispered angrily.
"Not even with an old friend?" said a voice.
"I -." Raph stopped and turned around. "What -.?"
Tailor smiled at him. "Surprised ya, huh?"
Raph didn't say anything, just nodded his head. He studied her carefully. She was definitely tanned. Her blonde hair was a lighter colour and it was tied back in a plait. Her skin was a darker golden / brown than he last saw her and her blue eyes glowed with happiness. She wore a pair of blue jeans and a navy blue top / jumper that had 'Spirit' written across it in fancy red writing. She had her 'adidas' trainers on her feet.
"Something wrong?" she asked, noticing him looking at her.
Raph shook his head and smiled. "What are ya doing here?" he asked.
Tailor smiled and shrugged. "What? No 'hello'? 'How are you'? Or 'nice to see you Tailor. I missed you so much'? How about a 'you look great'?"
Raph pulled a face at her. "Does it matter?"
"Umm . . . yes", Tailor answered, she watched Raph stand up and wipe the front of his trench coat. "Come give me a hug then", she added.
"I don't do hugs", Raph said, hands raised up.
"Aww, I do", Tailor ran into him and put her arms around his neck. Raph stumbled back a little, but hugged her back, he was really glad she came back, but he didn't know why or how.
"I missed you", she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.
Raph shivered a little. "I missed you too", he said quietly.
Tailor pulled away from him. "You shouldn't stay out here", she said, grabbing his arm. "Come on, let's go back inside. I have to go see Elliot then I'll come back here".
"How did you get here?" Raph asked her.
Tailor turned to him and smiled. "How everyone else gets here . . . an aeroplane. I wanted to surprise you so dad arranged for me to come on New Year's Day. I'm a bit late though", she added.
"Have you seen the others?"
"Yeah", Tailor said. "Mikey nearly strangled me though!"
"He would", Raph said.
"He missed me", Tailor said proudly and in a teasing tone. "Now the only person I have to surprise is Elliot. His parents have taken him to a party and they said that I could surprise him there. Am I good or what?"
"Erm . . . nope", Raph said.
She punched him playfully on the arm. "It was a rhetorical question".
//
'RHP' club was where Elliot's family went every year. Tailor had only been a few times but she had spent all of her New Year's Day in India. The only time she came with Elliot was on his birthdays. It was the club that most people went to when they hung out. But only members could go in.
Tailor walked in the door and was stopped.
"Membership card?" said a man at the door.
"Tailor O'Neill", Tailor just replied.
The man eyed her up and down. "O'Neill?"
"Yes", Tailor said. "O'Neill".
The man grabbed his clipboard off the counter next to him and flipped over several pieces of paper. He raised his eyebrows at her.
"For Elliot?" he asked.
Man, are you always this nosy? Tailor thought. "Yes".
"Go in", he said, watching her with eyes like a hawk.
Tailor smiled and walked past him. She entered the room and smiled. 'RHP' was a small square room with table going round all of it. A D.J stood in the middle with music blaring out of the speakers. Quite a few people were dancing and Tailor's eyes scanned the room.
She had spotted her target. Elliot was sat, hunched in a chair, opposite her. He didn't see her because his head was down and he was fiddling with a beer mat, looking bored. Tailor spotted his parents slow-dancing on the dance floor.
She walked over to where Elliot was sitting and smiled. "Hey handsome", she said in a joking voice.
"I am not in the mood to flirt!" Elliot said, his head still down.
"Whoa", Tailor said. "Flirt? You mean you flirt when I'm not here?"
Elliot's eyes shot open and his head slowly lifted towards her. He hadn't recognised her voice because his mind was somewhere else. She looked great though, in her blue jeans and navy blue top.
"I -."
" - You . . . ?" Tailor put her hands behind her back and leaned towards him, waiting for an answer.
"I -."
" - Yes?" Tailor stood there, grinning.
Elliot's shocked face broke into a grin. "You look great", he said.
"Thank you", she said. "But flatterer ain't gonna get you outta this. You said flirting"; she raised her eyebrows. "Whadda mean flirting?"
"A girl's been hitting on me", he explained. "I snapped".
"Obviously", Tailor's eyes move sideways to the D.J and she noticed that another slow song had just started playing. "Dance?" she asked Elliot.
"Totally", Elliot replied, getting up. Tailor looked at him, in his blue jeans and (from what she could see in the disco light) red shirt. She smiled. He hadn't changed a bit . . . except his hair, she noticed, it was a bit shorter and was spiked up more on the top of his head.
On the dance floor, Tailor put her arms around Elliot's neck. She had promised April she would only be half an hour so she vowed to spend every minute of it.
Elliot's hands went around her waist and he tried to ignore the satisfied looks he was getting from his parents.
Elliot's dad, who was like an older version of Elliot, smiled and mouthed 'hello' to Tailor. She smiled back and mouthed 'hi'. His mum was resting her head on her husband's shoulder so she couldn't mouth anything to Tailor because her head was turned the other way.
'Titanic' was the only slow song they normally played but this time 'RHP' was playing 'Hallelujah' that Tailor noticed a couple of kids were asking the D.J shyly. Tailor smiled, at least it wasn't 'Titanic' - listening to 'Shrek' seemed better.
"I missed you", Elliot said to her.
Tailor smiled at him. "I miss you too. I'm sorry I couldn't come in the holidays. Dad had to go and fall off the stepladder".
Elliot smiled. "S'ok - I didn't think you'd be able to come until the next summer holidays, I was worried about you".
Tailor nodded. "I know, ditto, but now I'm back and a perfect 16-year-old girl. I'm only staying here for half an hour. But I can see you tomorrow because I'm staying with April for three days. We can catch up".
"Nothing to catch up on", Elliot replied. "Garth has a girlfriend".
"No way!" Tailor said. "When?"
"Just before Christmas . . . and she's nice . . . she isn't a tart or anything. I made sure. They really suit each other, and she's energetic, I think you two would get along".
"Yeah . . . cool", Tailor said. "And you?"
"Nah, I don't want a girlfriend. She might interrupt our friendship".
Tailor smiled. "Nothing could interrupt our friendship".
"I'm happy being single", Elliot said, smiling.
"You've always been single!" Tailor corrected him.
//
When Tailor entered April's apartment Mikey hugged her for the fifth time that day. Leo and Donnie were sitting on the sofa. Splinter was sat in the armchair and Casey, April and Raph were sat on the floor, so they could talk properly.
"Ok, Mikey, you can stop strangling me now", Tailor said jokingly.
"But I missed you!" Mikey said back.
"I know", Tailor said, patting his shell. "But you'll miss me even more if you strangle me to death!"
Mikey smiled and let her go. He walked over to wear Raph was sitting and plonked himself next to his brother.
Tailor smiled and shook her head. She grabbed a stool from the counter and pulled it over to the sofa where Leo and Donnie were sitting. She perched herself on it, resting her elbows on her knees.
"So, my dear, what did you do when you got back to India?" Splinter asked because they didn't make much conversation when she came back. It was amazing how excited she was to see Elliot again.
All attention turned to her, wanting to know the latest gossip.
Tailor's smile widened a little. "Well . . . I was a bit miserable for a while - I'll admit - but dad and me wanted to spend quality time together so basically I spent all year with him . . . then all holiday looking after him".
"Cool! Not fair though! Why do you get all the fun?" Mikey said.
"I don't get all the fun, Mikey", Tailor pointed out. "Because none of my friends were there to share it with me . . . and I couldn't kick your butt on Sonic, dude".
"How dare you!" Mikey said in a nasty voice.
"I dare", Tailor said back, smiling. "And I did".
"I'm hurt", Mikey said sadly, his hand on his plastron.
"Aww", Tailor said, putting her hand on her heart. "Right in the centre"
"Yeah", Mikey answered, his head lowered.
"Aww", Tailor said again. She got up and walked over to him. Bending down, she kissed his cheek softly. "I'm sorry".
Mikey smiled. "And the other cheek".
"No way!" Tailor said, straightening up. She smiled and looked down at him, but caught a glimpse at her watch. 8:00. "Oh my gosh! Mobile!" She jumped over Mikey and dashed up the stairs. Elliot said he was going to text her and put where to meet tomorrow.
The guys heard her footsteps up the stairs.
"Man", Donnie said. "You wouldn't think a mobile was so important".
"Yes", April agreed. "But Tailor has so many friends that to some of them, a mobile is a life line to her, it's the only way she can keep in contact with them".
Leo nodded. "But how many people does she talk to on her mobile?" he asked, resting his cheek on his hand.
"Erm", April held up her fingers and started counting down. "Ok. Emma. Garth. Jamie. Elliot - definitely. Daniel - he's her gym instructor but they're good friends. Probably her dad if they don't write. That's it I think".
"What about us?" Mikey asked.
"We don't have mobiles", Raph said, pointing out the obvious.
April smiled. "She'd write to you".
"Yeah", Casey said. "You know she always wrote to you".
"24 letters. 2 each month. Yep, I'd say she did write to us a lot", Donnie pointed out, smiling.
"We kept them in the cabinet draw", Leo added. "They were so full of detail - and we would never chuck them away".
"Leonardo is right", Splinter said. "We would never dream of doing that".
The others nodded in agreement.
Raph's head gave a small nod. It was true though. He had read and reread every one of Tailor's letters, and every one of them described whether she was feeling sad or happy. He could never do that. Raph would never have been able to put all his emotions into one letter. But Tailor had become a changed person. When she first met them she was strong, but didn't held much confidence. Now, she was strong, and had the entire confidant she needed to stand up to her enemies. Raph smiled a little, he admired that. He admired that she could now stick up for herself and that she realised she would always have her friends to back her up.
"Ok, back!" Tailor announced, emerging from the stairs, he mobile clutched tightly in her hand.
"Sure you wasn't texting precious Elliot?" Raph asked, jokingly.
Tailor rolled her eyes. "No - I rang him instead!" She smiled brightly at him and plonked herself on the floor. "See", she said, going into her dialled numbers and bringing up Elliot's number.
"Lovely", Raph said.
"Innit?" Tailor asked, her eyes glowing with happiness.
Raph smiled at her. That was another thing that had changed about her. Her eyes. They were now full of happiness instead of lost and sadness. They glowed so much brighter than they used to and it made her face look sweeter and her dimples stand out more. He was happy she was back.
Raph glanced at Splinter and saw his Master smiling proudly at him. 'I am so proud of you, Raphael', came a message to Raph's head instead of out loud. Raph frowned confused, then realised that Splinter was just telling him how he felt.
Raph nodded at his Master in a way of saying 'thank you'. Splinter nodded back at his soon and Raph put his gaze back on Tailor.
"See? How much proof do ya want?" Tailor asked him, showing him a text message off Elliot that simply said 'ring me'. She pressed the down button on her phone so that the date and time came up. "Nah!" she stuck her tongue out at Raph.
"Very convincing", Raph said, sarcastically.
"Innit?" Tailor said, again.
"Innit", Raph mimicked and then ducked when she tried to hit him.
"I'm not talking to you!" Tailor said falsely and then she turned her attention to Mikey, who was asking to play on the games on her phone.
"I'm crushed", Raph said with the same falseness.
Tailor looked back over her shoulder and gave him her best smile. "You should be", she said. "But I'm sorry", she added softly.
Raph ignored the slightly shocked stares from his brothers and smiled at Tailor. His brothers had never seen him get along with anyone so well, except April and Casey. But Tailor was like April's flesh and blood so it was very easy to get along with her. And she was different, he didn't know why, but there was a slightly difference there.
"You ok?" Tailor asked, spotting the way he just stopped talking.
"Yeah", Raph answered.
"I'm glad I'm back", Tailor whispered, so the others couldn't hear. "You may not know this, but I missed you a lot, Raph".
"Yeah, you too", Raph answered.
And he meant it . . . really he did . . .
//
(Thank you so much for the reviews! Hope you enjoyed this story! I enjoyed writing it! And I love all you guys for reviewing it! - Personal thanks to Danceingfae - Daydream - Raphielle - Lenniluvsbrian - and . . . anyone else - sorry if I didn't mention you - love ya all! Maybe I'll do another story, I dunno yet - but love ya anyway! . . .
. . . I'm sorry if I don't write another story for a while - it's my last year in school and I really need this time to study for up-coming exams . . .
. . . yours truly,
tmnt_luver xXx.