Author's Note: Finally, here it is: the final chapter of Falling, Falling, Fallen! I want to thank you all for the reviews for this story, the likes and the favorites, and for having patience with my updates! Real life's been hectic, but I'm glad I stuck with it until the end and kept writing. So now we have Donnie doing therapy to walk again after his shell injury, but he's not doing well. The brothers decide he needs to take a risk and have true closure with April, thus starting another talk. Will Donnie finally forgive April, or will he keep holding onto his anger and resentment? Well, let's read and find out!

Chapter 17: Heal

One month later

"C'mon, Donnie! You can make it!"

Michelangelo meant well, he really did. But his cheers of encouragement only made Donatello nervous. The longer he stared down the path made of gym mats, the farther away the end seemed. His body shook and made the makeshift railing of his 'therapy path' tremble in-sync. The way his brothers stared at him with hope made his anxiety grow and push doubt into his mind.

The last attack from April made his recovery from his injuries longer, to his dismay. Rockwell had him cleared a week ago to start physical therapy. It started small; a few leg stretches and laying on his shell again. Even those were painful at the start until he forced himself to endure it. But now he started on the most difficult aspect of his therapy: walking again. Which meant Mikey treated him like a baby just learning to walk by the way he smiled and stretched his arms out.

"C'mon, Donnie! Come to your baby bro!" Mikey encouraged in an overly-high voice.

Donnie instantly frowned and tightened his grip on the railing. "Mikey, don't talk in the baby voice. I'll do better if you're not watching."

"Then who's gonna catch you if you fall?" Raphael interjected, watching his purple-clad brother like a hawk and watching for a sign that he would collapse.

The remark considerably humbled Donnie as his eyes glided to the floor. His brothers only wanted to keep him from getting hurt. They felt a fall would crush his confidence in walking again and they wanted to prevent any and all falls. They meant so well, but he wasn't that fragile. Surviving being thrown into the pavement proved both his durability and will to live. He just had to get the hang of walking again until he was ready to be back on the field. He should be happy he wasn't paralyzed.

Why did he still feel a weight inside?

He didn't want to, but he thought of the face that had been absent for the past month: April.

Her regular visits to the lair halted after that night in his room. If she did visit, he wasn't aware, or the others refused to tell him. Her tessen and tanto remained in his room, pushed into the corner instead of being taken to the dojo. Why he didn't have Master Splinter take them, he could never figure out, but he found himself staring at them every now and then. Just one glance at the weapons brought on an unwanted sense of longing and emptiness. Part of him actually missed April. He missed her laugh, her smile, her energy, the way she listened to his stories…

Yet he still had nightmares about her. He still had nights where he could hear her angry shouts, her cruel words, and he could literally feel her lashing out at him. He remembered so much of the bad that he didn't want to think about the good. Looking at it now, it honestly made him sound bitter. Maybe he wanted to be bitter if it meant never getting hurt again. But was holding onto the hurt having the opposite effect?

Donnie shuffled a few steps forward and immediately started to stumble. A sharp pain reverberated through his lower shell and he thanked the spirits above for the rails he grabbed onto. Leo immediately rushed to his side and held him up before his knees could hit the mat. Raph took over and pulled him to his feet, then held his brother as he let out a frustrated sob. Mikey went in and gave his brother some words of encouragement.

"Baby steps, D," Mikey soothed, "You're gonna get it if you keep trying."

Donnie lifted his head from the crook of Raph's shoulder and wiped his eyes with a frown. "I-I knew it'd be difficult…but it shouldn't be this hard. It shouldn't still hurt."

"The pain will lessen as you use your legs more. There won't always be success on the first try, but that just means you have to keep going." Leo assured.

Instead of wanting to keep going, however, Donnie instead requested, "Can I just sit down for a while? I need pain medicine."

Though they wanted to make Donnie keep going and try again, pushing him would more than likely make him refuse to do it all-together. Leo helped his brother to his wheelchair and went to find his bottle of pain pills. He carefully monitored how much Donnie took so that he wouldn't grow addicted to it or overdose on it. While the turtle in blue went on a pill bottle hunt, Raph and Mikey left the dojo and began holding a conversation.

"Just startin' on it and it's already fallin' apart," Raph murmured to Mikey, careful to ensure the turtle in purple didn't hear, "He can't spend th' rest of his life in a wheelchair swallowin' pills. Either he walks again or doesn't."

Mikey looked at him with sad eyes and whispered, "Raph, he's been like this since he yelled at April. I know he might get mad, but…"

Raph didn't know what Mikey had in store until he saw him pull out his T-Phone and pull up the A's on the contact list. The name highlighted on the screen made his green eyes widen and he hissed, "Mikey, are you suggestin' we call 'er? Donnie'll blow a gasket!"

"I know, but what if it helps? This might be the only way to make him want to walk again!"

Raph bit his lip and contemplated what could possibly happen. If they actually invited April over to talk to Donnie, it could either help him let go of the bitterness setting him back or put him all the way back to square one. He wasn't blind; he knew Donnie's mental state contributed to the lingering pain and giving up with little effort. He could remember the physical symptoms he suffered when he once held onto his own anger. He knew Donnie and April both needed total closure, even if Donnie didn't totally forgive or trust April again. The two of them needed a talk that didn't involve yelling.

"…Do it, Mikey."

Raph could only hold his breath while Mikey dialed her number and greeted her with a quiet, "Hey, April? I…we need your help."

One hour later

Donnie sat in his wheelchair and felt his pain medication taking effect. While his pain didn't completely disappear, enough of it was gone to where he could think of what happened earlier. His eyes went to the floor as he thought of how easily he called it quits on his first try. He thought of how pathetic he looked from crying over his legs giving out. No matter how much he tried to drown his pain or how much strength he mustered up, he couldn't muster the willpower to do it. He didn't even know if this was worth trying.

He suddenly heard footsteps. Taking his time to look up, he murmured, "Guys, can I just take a break for today-"

Donnie froze when he saw it wasn't his brothers stepping in. Into the dojo stepped April O'Neil.

There was an awkward silence between the two, prompting Donnie to take the time to really look at her. She wasn't in her kunoichi uniform or even her jersey and jean shorts, but in a light-yellow blouse and simple blue jeans. She even wore her hair down instead of having it in the usual ponytail. But it was the way her face looked that really took him aback, as she looked she'd aged some years while holding a calm air around her. He found it strange that the calm almost seemed soothing.

He hadn't seen her in a month, but looking at her made it feel like years.

"…A-April?"

The redhead waved shyly and greeted, "…Hey there, Donnie."

The first thoughts in Donnie's mind screamed at him to get away from danger. They told him to watch for those glowing blue eyes and another close-encounter with the pavement. The more those thoughts permeated his mind, the more his shell hurt. Other thoughts told him to yell at her to go away and tell her how this was still her fault. Then there were the thoughts, in a soft tone, telling him to let her speak. The part of him that wanted to give her a second chance. Donnie merely sighed and cleared his head, taking a deep breath as April cautiously stepped closer.

"You…you look nice today," Donnie noted, feeling a small blush rise to his cheeks, and corrected, "I-I mean h-how are things?"

April felt her heart drop when the turtle still looked scared of her. Still, she knew it would take more than being absent for a month to change things. Twirling a lock of hair around her finger, she replied, "Oh…things have been okay. It's been quiet without you guys."

So far, so good. Against his earlier feelings, Donnie decided to dip his toes into the metaphorical waters and let her keep talking. "H-How's your dad?"

"Great, great," April answered, "He and I had a lot of talking to do. He's been scared for a while…but things are okay between us. I even took his advice and attended one of those anger management classes. I think it's something even Raph would enjoy."

Donnie found himself stifling a chuckle, taking himself by surprise. He forgot the way he used to laugh at some of her jokes. A painful feeling of nostalgia flooded through him, but the walls were still up and he was afraid to completely let them down. He kept on questioning, "Well…what've you been doing other than making peace with your dad?"

April's face fell for a moment. She wanted to pour her heart out over how much she missed him and the way things used to be. The look in Donnie's eyes told her she needed to keep telling him her progress; to give him enough evidence to show she made changes for the better. It would still be up to him whether or not to accept it.

"I've been studying hard in school. I don't know if Casey told you, but I graduate in two weeks. I've…also been working to fully control my powers." She offered a somber smile and commented, "Dr. Rockwell's a better teacher than he gives himself credit for."

At the mention of her powers, Donnie visibly gulped. He still saw those glowing eyes and heard that disembodied voice in his dreams. The voice of Za-Naron with April's tone intertwined in it. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he totally blamed April and didn't put any blame on the Aeon. April listened to the spirit, though the spirit started all of this mess to begin with. April didn't seem like she came looking to make excuses, either.

Wait…why did she come in the first place? Donnie quickly put two and two together and asked, "My brothers told you to come here, didn't they?"

The redhead almost jumped out of her skin at the accusation. Instead of going into utter denial, she sighed and confessed, "They did. Mikey and Raph thought having me come here would give you motivation to walk again."

Donnie's eyes widened, feeling a sense of betrayal stick through his heart. Traitors.

"At first, I didn't want to. I felt like coming here would do more harm than good. But then…Mikey said you wanted to give up. He said that you fumbled the first try and wanted to call it quits, even if you didn't say it out-loud." She saw the shocked look on Donnie's face and stepped forward, looking into his eyes and hammering down, "The Donnie I know doesn't give up, no matter what obstacles get in his way. I learned not to give up when Za-Naron tried to take over…I won't let you give up on walking."

Donnie had the urge to tell her that the Donnie she knew died when he hit the pavement, but that wasn't true. He just wanted to say it to hurt her; to be petty. Was it still worth it to hold onto the hurt and let it hold him back from healing? He remembered long ago that April learned not to hold grudges…maybe it was time he did the same.

Clutching at the armrests of his chair and feeling hot tears prick his eyes, Donnie confessed, "April…I…I can't exactly trust you for a while…not fully, anyway." Reaching up to wipe his eyes and get a few sniffles out, he told the stunned redhead, "But…but I forgive you."

April felt her own tears begin to seep through. "Donnie…"

"I miss you, April. I-I miss how things used to be before all this happened," The genius turtle hiccupped, "I've been so bitter and angry…I wanted to hate you. I-It's gotten to the point that it's…it's been making the physical pain worse. I felt like giving up…because I saw no point. It wouldn't take away what happened or…or how much you hurt me that night. Some nights…I even wanted to die. B-But you're right…that's not who I am."

To April's surprise, Donnie slowly offered his hand to her. He let her have the chance to take the first step…and now he needed to follow suit if things could start healing between them. "I can't fully trust you…but I'm more than willing to give you the chance to earn my trust back."

April hesitated for a moment but threw caution to the wind and placed her hand inside Donnie's. No sooner after she did she let herself be pulled into an embrace with the turtle in purple. Donnie didn't flinch or go rigid; he actually held her and didn't want to let go. He didn't want to hold onto the anger and end up pushing her or anyone else away. He wanted to heal, both physically and emotionally. He could feel the relief radiating off her and seemed to absorb it as his own relief grew.

Letting go after what seemed like a long time, April asked, "Donnie…do you want to try to walk again?"

Donnie looked surprised, but eyed the mats and rails before replying, "…Yeah."

April smiled softly. "I'll watch you. I won't leave your side."

She carefully helped him out of the wheelchair and guided him to the starting point. It was then that the other turtles came into the dojo to check on the duo's progress when they saw their brother standing once again. They immediately rushed over to the sides of the railing and prepared for Donnie to fall again. This time they could see the strengthened resolve on his face, like a weight lifted off his shoulders after too long.

The turtles and April held their breaths when Donnie shuffled his first step forward. His arms and legs trembled from lack of use combined with anxiety, but he was determined not to fail this time. He wanted to get better, and he was going to get better. He took a breath and pushed his other foot forward, wincing at pain shooting through the shield of medication. He needed to be strong, he needed to endure.

"You're doing it, Donnie! Keep going!" Mikey cheered.

The genius turtle took another step and felt his knees buckle, but he held tight to the railing and pulled himself back up. He pressed on and took yet another step forward, feeling his confidence grow with each. Even when his legs already screamed with fatigue, he kept strong and kept going.

"Donnie, don't give up!" Leo encouraged.

"Keep those feet movin', Brainiac!" Raph shouted.

Halfway down the path, Donnie's knees threatened to give out again. His arms grew tired from holding the railing so tight and he feared he would fall again. Just as he accepted going down again, April appeared at the end of the path, ready to meet him and ready to catch him. The same person who hurt him would be the person to catch him if he fell.

"You're almost there, Donnie! You can do this, I know you can!"

Now panting, Donnie blew a breath out of his nose and mustered up the strength to stand straight and shuffle forward. The pain and stiffness grew unbearable, but his willpower drowned it all out and kept him going. The shuffles grew brisk, and the wobbling in his weakened legs lessened slightly. Donnie huffed and pushed himself to the last few inches until his strength finally petered out and he collapsed into April's arms.

There were cheers from his brothers, but he only focused on the happiness written on the redhead's face. It wasn't just the happiness that he made it to the end of the path, but the happiness that they were beginning to heal. After everything that happened, Donnie found a genuine smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He could finally feel happiness that he could start getting closure. At this point, nothing could keep him down…not even Aeon crystals or evil alien spirits.

For the first time in a long time, Donnie didn't feel afraid.

And for the first time in a long time, Donnie slept peacefully that night.

And that's the end of the story! Once again, thank you for everyone who's reviewed this and followed with it to the end! Though Donnie's not ready to fully trust April, he's willing to forgive and give her the chance to earn his trust back. He's taking April's lesson about grudges to heart. At least we get the start of a happy ending for these two!

I may write a sequel to this, but it'll just be a one-shot. I'll also be working on getting my new story, "The Power Inside Him" aka 'Donnie receives the Aeon Crystal instead of April' posted before long. Not to mention more updates on Turtle Dove II and Turtle Dove Tidbits.

Thanks again, and I hope you've enjoyed this story! Until next time!