It's been a while but this would not leave me alone. For all of you who have read "Turtle On Painkillers Equals Snuggles" here is the LONG over due epilogue. I am not terribly happy with it but it works. Enjoy :)

After Painkillers

If you could imagine a cliché seen that fit the moment perfectly then it would have to be the sunrise over the hill with the rooster crowing in the background to fit the moment in the Hamato lair. All four turtles were sound asleep in the living room with pillows, blankets, and assorted snack bowls strewn all over the place. The after math of last night's movie night and snuggle warfare. Once the brothers had woken up from their nap in the dojo with Annie they had started prepping for the nights activities, Annie had skipped off to the kitchen to make some fun snacks unbeknownst of the four turtles rearranging of the living room. When Mikey announced that everything was ready did she notice that the living room suddenly became the palace of pillows. She didn't even think that the turtles had enough pillows to almost literally start a pillow fight apocalypse. After a small skirmish of who would be sitting by Annie ended with all four once again crowded around her did they settle down and watch the movie, which happened to be the Avengers.

Halfway through it however eyes began to droop and one turtle in particular got very clingy. Leo had decided not to share Annie this time and succeeded in curling up in the corner of the couch with her for the last half of the movie. The credits rolled as another snuggle fight broke out but this time it was between the three youngest, over who got to snuggle with Raph. Apparently Donnie and Mikey had enough sense to seize this opportunity to be with the most aggressive, now very passive, turtle while it lasted. The fight ended in a tie with Mikey on the left, Donnie on the right, and Raph smiling in the middle on the floor. Annie had watched with an amused smile with Leo drifting off on her shoulder, though he soon slid off her shoulder and onto her lap.

With her internal alarm clock going off Annie was the first to wake up, she sat up and stretched before looking down and seeing Leo still asleep with his gentle but vice like grip still around her waist. Sighing because Master Splinter was not here to save her this time Annie began to gently extract herself from his arms. Twice she was caught in his grip but on the third try she managed to get away stopping to check his injury while she was at it. It was healing nicely and had already lost the swelling caused by the blade. Nodding in satisfaction Annie once again trotted into the kitchen this time however, she planned on taking things slowly. The boys would be waking up soon and the effects of her herbs would now be gone and the memories of the previous day would be back. Chuckling softly Annie set about the kitchen, this was going to be a fun morning.

As per custom Leo was the first of his brothers to come out of dreamland and into the waking world. Yawning into the back of his hand he pushed himself into a sitting position and rubbed his eyes, once the sleep was cleared from them he opened them and nearly did a double take. On the floor in front of him was Raph smiling softly in his sleep with one arm around Mikey and the other around Donnie. The scene practically screamed "Blackmail!", and lucky for Leo there was a camera on the small table by the arm chair. Smiling to himself Leo quickly snagged two shots of the priceless scene before gently shaking Raph's shoulder.

"Unh, g'way." Raph grumbled.

"It's 8:30 in the morning Raph, way past time to get up." Leo said gently. Now Raph's amber eyes were open.

"Is it really that late?" he asked. Leo nodded, "And Splinter hasn't killed us yet why?"

"No idea, oh and before you move I suggest you detach your new limbs." Leo said with a smile. Raph looked down and groaned in a brotherly fashion at his younger brothers, this caused Donnie to stir and start rubbing his eyes.

"Wow, I have not slept like that before." He said sitting up and stretching thereby releasing one of Raph's arms.

"This is what it feels like to get a Full twelve hours of sleep genius." Raph chuckled. Donnie gave him a half-hearted play punch on the arm.

"So how did we wind up on the floor again." Donnie asked pulling Mikey off of Raph who jumped to his feet and started stretching. About that time smells from the kitchen drifted by the nose of the youngest serving as his alarm clock.

"Mmmm, what's for breakfast?" Mikey slurred a bit as he sat up and yawned.

"No, idea. Wait a minute, none of us are in the kitchen, and Splinter isn't up, whose cookin'?" Raph asked. Leo took one small sniff and instantly smelled raspberry tea.

"Smell's like Annie's cooking." He said. Three smiles met his gaze as his brothers imagined what the queen of the kitchen would make this time.

"Hold on, I thought Annie left after putting us to bed after our mission." Donnie mused.

"Yeah me too, I remember that she gave us that stuff in the tea and then-" Mikey broke off. Almost simultaneously the memories of the previous day came back to the four ninjas who looked at each other in shock. There was a collective groan followed by a group face palm.

"Tell me you guys remember what happened." Raph whispered. Three nods answered him, "Good, then I'm not crazy."

"So if we all remember it, then it happened right?" Mikey asked.

"Yes Mikey, it happened." Leo sighed shaking his head and placing a fist against his forehead in embarrassment.

"Including those moments with Annie?" the orange masked turtle asked. Leo's eyes shot wide open and a fine blush appeared on his face.

"Oh no!" he groaned sitting back down on the couch. His brother just grinned like sharks at him, "Tell me this is a dream!"

"Dude you totally snuggled with Annie!" Mikey laughed.

"After giving the poor girl a cold shoulder last week? Bro you are vicious!" Raph cackled.

"Poor Annie!" Donnie laughed in agreement.

"Haha, very funny." Leo growled. Getting up he left his brothers and went to find Annie and apologize for the embarrassing moments he had put her in.

"Breakfast will be ready in five!" Annie's voice sang out of the kitchen. Leo swallowed hard before stepping in the kitchen and nearly bumping into the tawny haired girl, "Ah! Leo! Ooh man you startled me!" Annie said placing a hand on her heart for emphasis.

"Sorry about that." Leo replied with a weak smile, "Um, Annie, I uh, well I wanted to apologize for putting you in any embarrassing circumstances yesterday and last night." Leo said rubbing the back of his head.

"It's ok Leo, no need to apologize." Annie told him with a smile.

"Yes there is! I mean, oh gosh this is weird." Leo gave a nervous chuckle.

"You hugging me in a drug induced state? Nope, that's not weird, now Raph giggling and giving me a hug? That was weird!" Annie said with a soft laugh. Leo looked at her with a raised brow, "Yep, that happened."

"Really now?" Leo said throwing a sly glance over his shoulder.

"Yea, and you can save the blackmail for after breakfast." Annie admonished him. Leo smiled and subconsciously watched her as she worked her magic. She was making her infamous and very deadly cinnamon rolls that somehow were non-fattening. How she pulled that off no one would ever know. The cinnamon rolls were accompanied by assorted fruit, hot buttered croissant rolls, and scrambled eggs.

"Ok, breakfast is ready!" Annie said as she placed the food on the table with Leo's help. An orange blur sped over to the table.

"Mmmm! Looks good, as usual." He said with a wink at Annie.

"Thank you for gracing us with your cooking Annie, as always it is a delight." Splinter said taking his place at the head of the table.

"I have to agree with Sensei, we used to think Mikey was the only good cook around here until you came along." Donnie said giving her a kind smile.

"Now we eat better than ever, not to mention healthier." Raph said giving her a one armed hug. Annie smiled and sat down. Splinter gave the ok and the four turtles tucked into their meal, Leo went straight for the cinnamon rolls.

"So my sons, how are you feeling today?" Splinter asked. None of the turtles caught the mischievous glint in the old rats eyes, but Annie did and she fought back a grin.

"Great, no muscle soreness, left over bruises, even Leo's wound isn't causing him any pain today!" Donnie said happily, "Whatever those herbs were that you used I would like to place an order for a life time supply." He said giving Annie a grateful smile.

"I'll work on that." Annie laughed.

"I am glad to hear that you are all recuperating, and I do believe that we owe Ms. Annie a gift of thanks to show our gratitude do we not?" Splinter asked. The four turtles were quick to agree and started talking about what to get Annie who was flushing from embarrassment.

"There is no need to worry about finding the right gift, I do believe I have a suitable one for her if that is alright with you my sons." Splinter said with a smile.

"Absolutely!" Mikey said with a grin. Splinter raised a furry brow.

"We're sure that whatever you have for her will be perfect Sensei." Leo said with a calm smile.

"Very well then." Splinter got up and walked over to Annie. He reached inside of his robe and pulled out a packaged wrapped in mint green paper, "Here Annie, I hope that this will give you fond memories to cherish." Annie did not miss the twinkle in Splinter's eyes as she took the gift. Carefully she pulled back the paper to find a small photo album, the turtles crowded around behind her to see what was inside. Annie opened the cover and burst into a fit of laughter.

"What?! How did? Who took that?!" Raph yelled.

"Aw man! Talk about embarrassing!" Donnie groaned.

"Dude, we look drugged." Mikey said smiling.

"We were drugged shell for brains. Really Sensei? You had to give her a photo album of those photos?" Leo asked plaintively. On the first page was a picture of all four turtles curled up around Annie in the dojo.

"You guys are so cute in this picture!" Annie laughed, "Ooo, this is a good one!" the photo was of Donnie asleep in his bed with his arms wrapped around his laptop. Annie continued to look through the album as the brothers groaned in their misfortunes. Pictures of Raph sneaking into Leo's room, Mikey using Annie as a stuffed animal, breakfast the next morning, Kata lessons, and the ultimate pillow fight the previous night had Annie grinning happily. Turning the page she found a picture that made her squeak and blush as red as Raph's mask.

"What's the matter Annie?" Leo asked. Annie just ducked her head and pointed at the picture, "Oh you have got to be kidding me!" Leo groaned. It was a picture of him asleep on the couch with Annie asleep wrapped in his arms. Her face was soft and relaxed for once, while Leo sported the biggest, happiest smile in the world.

"Aww! You two are such a cute couple!" Donnie cooed. Raph just roared with laughter.

"One more word and you guys are turtle soup!" Leo growled.

"Leo and Annie sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-Aaaahhhhh!" Mikey's song soon became cries of terror as Leo chase him around the lair spitting death threats. Annie watched them with a smile and carefully slipped the album into her bag. Sighing she turned back to save Mikey from Leo as Donnie and Raph were incapacitated due to laughter. Hopefully she'd be able to prevent any injuries, she'd had enough of four turtles on painkillers for at least a month!