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Everything Must Come to an End

Li cleared her mind, breathing in and out, practicing the mediation techniques Master Splinter had been teaching her. She'd been struggling with the repercussions of what Bishop had done to her for over two weeks and had, with Splinter's help, been taking steps to start healing. He had been guiding her through different meditation techniques for the past two weeks and she was feeling a lot better because of it.

"Uh, Sensei, do you mind if I interrupt you guys?" Li jumped when Donny slid open the door where she and Splinter had been meditating.

"What is it my son?"

"It's time to take off Li's splints." He looked over at her. "Are you ready?" She nodded and waited while he came over and picked her up.

"Very well, we will resume tomorrow." Don carried Li into his lab and set her down at the examination table.

"Okay, I'm going to remove your splints because you healed so quickly, but you're going to have to be careful and use crutches for a bit." Li nodded. Anything was better than being carried everywhere. He set about taking off her splints and Li's attention was caught by the test tubes with her name on them.

"Did you find anything else?" Donny turned toward the source of her attention and nodded.

"Well, you know our 'cure' isn't exactly a cure, I mean, once the mutagen mutated the DNA, on such short notice we couldn't eradicate it without damaging the DNA strand, what we did instead was contain it so that the mutagen was isolated in one strand, unable to affect you physically. Basically the mutagen is still inside of you, it just won't affect you anymore. But don't worry, the symptoms will fade with time."

"Symptoms. More than one. I thought I just had a high temperature and that was it." Donny rubbed the back of his head.

"Well that's the only one I've been able to detect so far, but your body may have other changes that you haven't noticed, because you haven't been on your feet in so long."

"Like?"

"Uh…well you were infected with feline DNA so heightened balance and agility aren't outside the realm of possibilities."

"Great." Just what she needed, side effects from being mutated. He finished and Li swung her legs up and down. She paused when the feeling of pins and needles started plaguing her.

"They fell asleep." She stated in annoyance.

"Your circulation is bad from not using them in so long, here." He sat down next to her and started rubbing the feeling back into her legs.

"Do you know about the other people that were mutated?" Donny paused and regarded Li for a second before beginning his ministrations again.

"Theoretically their symptoms will last longer than yours because of the length of their mutations. But I don't know for sure. Checking on them is hard to do after they're in hospital custody."

Li didn't say anything as Donny continued massaging her legs. He finished and swapped legs. Her legs were dry and flaking.

"Next time you'll have to use lotion."

"Oil would be better." Raph came to stop outside the door. He had been going to the kitchen to grab something to eat before checking on Li when he heard Donny and Li's voices from his lab. They were talking about lotion, and…..oil? His mind started working through the possible reasons they could be talking about lotion and oil. Motor oil, but why would Li think lotion would be needed? Li knew more about cars than that. He heard her gasp.

"That felt good."

"Oh, let me try to do it again." A click was heard as Raph's brain went into overdrive. Li and Donny looked up in surprise when the door slammed open to reveal an angry Raph. Not actually registering that Donny was in fact massaging her legs and not other parts of her, he shoved him to the side, threw Li over his shoulder and left the lab, leaving his brother alone and confused.

"What just happened?" Li blinked in confusion as she was suddenly hanging upside down and being moved through the lair. Raph stalked into his room, slammed the door, and Li found herself right-side up again as she found herself suddenly half lying sideways on a hammock, Raph's hands gripping it to keep it in place on either side of her.

"What were yah tinking? Da yah know what kinda ideas you're puttin' in his head? What did he tell yah? Yah can't trust dat turtle he's a pervert!" Li blinked innocently.

"The circulation in my legs is bad cause of the splints, and he was helping me so I could walk."

"If your legs need rubbin' I'll be da one doin' it." She just stared at him. He leaned in and kissed her.

"Now come on, let's get ya back on your feet." He grabbed her arm and hoisted her to the floor, leading her away to the living room.

Piper had just come back from wash duty at April's carrying a basket of her and Li's clothes when Mikey almost ran her over on his skateboard.

"Sorry babe, gotta run!" He disappeared down the tunnel and she turned and walked into her and Li's room and began separating their clothes and folding them on the bed. She started when a familiar pair of green arms wrapped around her from behind.

"I thought you were supposed to be gone all day." Leo buried his face in her hair.

"I missed you." She straightened and put down the shirt she had been folding.

"I'm not leaving yet." She felt him smile against the back of her neck.

"I know." She resumed folding the remaining clothes and he loosened his hold slightly so he wouldn't restrict her.

"Master Splinter is making sushi tonight, but we could go somewhere afterward."

"Oh, like where?" She knew he wanted her to choose so she purposefully didn't answer. She like it when he picked where they went on their dates, he tried so hard to make her smile and have a good time that she couldn't help but want Leo to decide.

"Where ever you want to."

"That's a tempting offer. How do you know I won't pick some place awful?"

"Cause I'll tell you. I know, just surprise me." He raised an eyebrow as she turned around to face him.

"Are you sure?" She nodded and pecked him on the lips.

"I'm sure." She turned around and finished folding the clothes on the bed, setting the basket on the floor. She turned around to see Leo smiling fondly at her.

"What?" He headed for the door, still smiling.

"Nothing." He headed toward the tunnel his brother disappeared through and quickly found him, practicing a new trick on his skateboard.

"Hey bro."

"Mikey, I need your help again."

Later that night saw everyone at the dinner table sans Piper and Leo, who had left on the sewer slider with Master Splinter's permission.

"So Da Vinci, where we going?"

"I can't tell you, it would ruin the surprise." She rolled her eyes as the sewer sled glided into the Hudson. Well, at least they weren't staying in the sewer. She smiled as she took in the lights from the Big Apple and the expanse of the Bay ahead of them. She watched Leo's back as he directed the boat, the strong set of his shoulders, illuminated by the city lights. She grabbed his hand and held it tight. She didn't want to go back home, the past five weeks had been some of the best of her life. She hated knowing she would have to leave soon.

"Are we going on a romantic sewer slider ride?"

"Can't tell you." She nodded.

"We're going on a romantic sewer slider ride." He smiled and said nothing.

"Ow, I stubbed my toe." Currently, everyone was watching Li attempt to walk. Mikey had moved the couch out of the way and was enthusiastically pulling her around the room, Donny giving support. Raph had been working his punching bag but was getting annoyed as he noticed Li wasn't improving.

"Cut it out Mikey, can't you see she's tired?" Splinter came into the living room carrying a tea tray and set it on the table that was next to the couch.

"Come sit and rest. You will not be able to walk in one night." Li collapsed onto the couch with Donny's support and sighed.

"I know. I'm just sick of being carted everywhere." Mikey came up behind her and grinned as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Don't worry babe. I don't mind carrying you." He wiggled his eye ridges. "In fact, I kinda like it." Raph stood behind Mikey glaring. He hit him on the head, and pulled him away from Li.

"Ow! What was that for?" Mikey held his head and glared at his brother.

"What do you think shell for brains?" He sat down next to Li, and switched the channel to a wrestling match. She had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. He'd be mad if she said it out loud, but Raph was so cute when he was being protective. She gave Mikey an apologetic look and tried not to cringe as two sweaty men grappled with one another. If only he had better taste in TV shows……

"Go Leo, you can do it!" Piper cheered Leo on as he tried to win her a prize. He had taken her to a sea side carnival. At first she thought they were just going to watch the lights from the sewer slider, but then he hid the slider under a dock and took her to shore. She didn't know if it was a good idea, but once ashore no one looked twice at them.

He was currently attempting to win her a prize at a carnival game, but was having trouble. Something Piper secretly found very amusing. Leo threw another ball, attempting to knock over the milk jugs. He failed.

"Tough luck sport." The carney recollected the balls and offered one to Leo. "Want to try again? It'd be a shame if this pretty little lady didn't get a prize." He tried once more, hitting the milk jugs right in the center. They didn't fall. Piper pointed at the man accusingly.

"Shenanigans!" The carney started quickly collecting Leo's money and began putting his things away.

"I don't know what you're talking about Missy." Piper slammed her hand on the money.

"This game's rigged. I call shenanigans."

"Just cause your beau here lost is no reason to start causin' a scene."

"The heck it ain't, I'm calling shenanigans. So do you want to do something about this or should I start talking louder?" The carney tried shushing Piper.

"Keep it down. Here." He pulled down a stuffed panda from his stand and shoved it in Piper's arms. She turned around and proudly smiled at Leo.

"Here Da Vinci, I won you a prize." She held the panda out to Leo, waiting for him to take it. Leo took it hesitantly.

"Aren't I supposed to win you the prize?" Piper waved her hand dismissively and took his arm as they continued perusing the stands from the shadows. His disguise wasn't good enough to be seen by too many people. Though he knew she meant well, he couldn't help but feel slightly emasculated. The guy was supposed to win the girl the toy, not the other way around.

"Sooo Da Vinci, whatcha gonna name your teddy bear?"

"Uh…"

"Leo, you have to name the panda. It'll be sad if you don't." Okay, now she wanted him to name the toy? This was just a little too girly.

"Uhh, you name it."

"Okay!" She smiled and took the bear from Leo, hugging it close to her chest, she walked backwards facing Leo. "Wanna ride the Ferris wheel? Ow." Piper stumbled as she ran into a funnel cake stand. "Funnel cakes, I love funnel cakes! Just a sec." She ran to the front of the stand and ordered a funnel cake. She stood waiting while they made it and examined the panda, cooing to it loudly. People stared while they walked by and stared as the small brunette talked to the stuffed animal.

"Oh what should I name you? Da Vinci wanted nothing to do with it. Gosh he's so lame sometimes. Oh I've got it, Sexual Harassment Panda!" The employee handed her the funnel cake and she skipped back over to Leo, who for some reason was trying to hide behind his hands. "Here you go Da Vinci! And guess what I named your teddy bear. He is now Petey the Sexual Harassment Panda!" Leo stared blankly at her.

"Sexual Harassment Panda?" Piper nodded and took a bite of the funnel cake.

"Yeah haven't you ever seen that episode of South Park? Sexual Harassment Panda!"

"Huh."

"It's a funny show. But I don't think you would like it, let's go on the Ferris wheel now." They got in line and Leo pulled his hat down over his head. They entered the glass encased pod and began their slow ascent, stopping frequently when other riders entered their own pods. Petey the Sexual Harassment Panda lay forgotten on the seat as Piper all but plastered herself to the glass to see the lights.

"It's beautiful." She breathed and he scooted closer to her. He watched her watch the lights of the city and smiled softly. If someone had told him two months ago he would fall for someone like her he would have laughed in their face. But here he was. He liked that she was quirky and unusual. He like that she brought a different perspective and view of the world that he would never have imagined. And when she smiled at him he wished he could stop time and live in that moment forever. It was like those smiles were just for him. He wrapped his hand around hers. Piper looked away from the window and smiled at Leo. And he couldn't help but smile back.

"Wake up." Li nudged Mikey with her foot, but his snoring continued. They had brought out the junk food when Wheel of Fortune came on and Mikey ate three-fourths of it, falling into a food coma after Jeopardy. Li sighed and gave up. Mikey was three sheets to the junk food wind. She grabbed her crutches and got off the couch, only to feel herself lifted off the ground, her crutches falling onto Mikey, who snorted but didn't wake. She was pulled against Raph's plastron as he carried her out of the room.

"You don't have to carry me." She argued, but he just grunted and shifted her weight, bringing her closer to him. He carried her into Mikey's room and set her on the bottom bunk, before going back to get her crutches. She bit her lip, the heated feeling she often got around Raph intensifying. Everyone was either sleeping or out, and Raph was walking back into the room with a fiery look in his eyes. She felt herself flush from the look he was giving her. He advanced on her and placed both arms on either side of her, effectively trapping her to the bed.

"Raph?"

"Shhh." He leaned in to kiss her, but she pushed on his arms and tried to stand up. She managed wobbly and he moved back and held her arms. They stood face to face and she opened her mouth to address their growing relationship when his mouth met hers. The kiss was slow, neither of them wanting to break away from the other, but it had more feeling then she knew one action could have. It was a slow burning fire that quickly turned into an inferno. Her legs gave out but it hardly mattered, his arms were holding her so tightly against him. One he had in a tight embrace around her waist, the other had moved from her face to around her shoulders, keeping their upper and lower bodies together. She couldn't move if she wanted to.

They broke for air but hardly paused, their passion was the fire and their bodies fueled it. He brought her into another heated kiss, more aggressively pressing against her. She opened her lips to him and he took great pleasure in mapping out the new territory. She was vaguely surprised when her back hit the wall, she had been sure they had been next to the bed, but the thought left her quickly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He brought her closer to him, their bodies melting into one. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he held her up, their tongues battling for dominance. He sucked lightly on her lip and she moaned, bucking against him. They broke apart, but Raph still wasn't done with her. He ground his hips into hers as she started working on his neck, alternating between nips and licks. His hand made its way to her back and cupped her ass. He pulled apart and attacked her mouth again. The hand that was on her ass made its way to the front, and Li heard her pants unzip. She pulled away from Raph, panting.

"Stop. We have to stop."

"Why?"

"I can't do this, we can't do this." Raph pulled away and set her down, keeping his arms around his waist to steady her.

"What da shell are yah talkin' bout?"

"Raph, I can't."

"Can't what? Be with a turtle? After everyting…"

"No you idiot. I can't sleep with you yet and especially not in Mikey's room." Raph blinked.

"Oh." He had been ready for a fight, but was completely off the mark. He was incredibly relieved she wasn't rejecting him, and instead redirected his energy towards kissing her again.

"I can respect dat."

"Well good, we haven't even been on one date yet."

"We went out riding." He nuzzled her neck.

"That's not a date….well okay, that was half a date. I would need at least two and a half more dates before I would consider sleeping with you."

"You wanna grab dinner and half a movie?" She smiled.

"Let's not get too eager now, or I'll think you only want me for my body." He kept one arm wrapped around her and reached up with his other hand to brush the hair out of her face.

"Dat's just a bonus babe." She leaned down and kissed him again.

"Shut up."

Piper was crawling on the floor around the couch looking for her book. Leo stood behind her, trying to pretend he wasn't staring at her skirt-clad ass.

"Here it is!" Piper held her copy of Red Queen victoriously above her head. She slapped it down on the table and got to her feet, brushing the dust off of her skirt. "Good, now I just need to find my phone. Haven't needed that thing in weeks." She decided not to continue the sentence. Leo, however, was persistent.

"Wait, you mean you haven't talked to your parents at all?" She turned around.

"Well I couldn't talk to them, they thought I was a fugitive, and Bishop could have traced the call."

"Piper, that was two weeks ago." She shrugged. She didn't really have an answer for that. "Piper, you need to talk to them."

"Hello, I'm going home, remember? I'll see them then." She turned around and walked into the kitchen. She did not want to talk about this, Leo, however, did.

"Piper you should have called them. They must be worried about you."

"No, I've already got this worked out. I'm going to feed them some bogus story, and they'll drop it. Besides, maybe they haven't noticed."

"That you've been gone for five weeks?"

"Look my parents fall into the absentee category. I don't think a five week stint of no communication is going to show up on their radar."

"That can't be true." Piper ran her hand through her hair exasperated.

"Look Da Vinci what does it matter? I'm going home in a few days so it doesn't really matter. Why do you even care?"

"Why don't you care? They're your parents."

"Yeah, my parents, not yours. So back off." Leo put his hands up.

"Look, I'm sorry. I just want to be, I don't know, you're leaving and I want to be…involved. I don't want you to leave, I just…."

"Oh please Leo you weren't even sure you wanted to still be with me, and now you're trying to tell me how to interact with my parents?"

"I'm not trying to tell you to do anything. And I do want to be with you! I thought it was obvious…" He trailed off, unsure, and she went and wrapped her arms around him.

"It's okay, let's just talk about something else, okay?" She said with fake enthusiasm. Leo's shoulders slumped.

"Yeah, sure." Piper wrapped her arms around him and leaned against his plastron.

"Look, I'm sorry I'm just trying to pick a fight so that leaving will be easier."

"I'm sorry too. And it's not forever." He added, looking into her eyes, seeking reassurance.

"Yeah, just till I'm done with school. Not long." She leaned her head against his plastron and he tightened his arms around her. It wasn't long. Not really.

Raph had taken Li out riding several hours before, trying to forget that she was leaving tomorrow. His chest hurt whenever he thought about it. It was a feeling so unusual for him that at first he thought he might have been having a heart attack.

Li wrapped her arms around Raph, her cheek resting on his shell. She smelled the scent of gasoline and motor-oil. He had been working on the cycle before he took her out, she inhaled again and knew the smell would always remind her of him. She closed her eyes and felt the air rush by her. Why did she have to finish college? The single girl had finally found her mutant man and now she had to leave. Typical.

Raph slowed his bike to a stop, they were back in the city now but nowhere near the lair. She scanned the area and smiled when she noticed where he took her, their rooftop. The sun was setting as he hoisted her up to the fire escape. She sat at the ledge and smiled as Raph pulled her into him. They sat in silence, listening to the fog horns from the freighters and the sounds of traffic. She would miss the city when she went home. She sighed and leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. He sensed her discontent.

"Something bothering yah toots?"

"I just…I don't want to leave."

"I know, I don't want yah ta leave either."

"It's just I'm so close, I only have this last semester before I'm done and I've been working toward this for years." She sighed again and watched a ferry pass. "I wouldn't leave if I didn't have to." Raph turned away from her.

"I know dat… I'm just worried dat if yah leave I won't see yah again." Li grabbed his muscled arm and turned him back to face her.

"No way, I'm coming back, I'm not even sure I can stay away till the semester is over." Raph let a little smile touch his face.

"Can't stay away from me, can yah?" Li smiled and wrapped her arms around him. He embraced her and buried his face in her hair, taking in her scent.

"Nope, you're stuck with me." He smiled.

"I'm okay wit dat."

"Flight 396 to Rush, South Dakota boarding first class." Li stared at the floor of the airport concentrating on anything but her impending flight. It wasn't just because she was terrified of flying, no, the sick feeling in her stomach and the welled tears behind her eyes had nothing to do with the plane. It was the thought of leaving Raph that was making her stomach turn. She finally met her perfect guy—turtle--- and she was leaving. It wasn't even that long, but she had this fear that when she left everything would disappear, like it didn't even happen. Like he didn't happen. What if she got home and suddenly she woke up and she was still waitressing? She leaned forward, letting her hair cover her face. She didn't want this all to be a dream. She didn't want to leave the life she was building here to be a dream.

"Now boarding seating two." She pulled out her ticket to check her seat and found a wrapped box in her bag. She pulled it out and looked at the tag attached.

To one of my two gals. Mikey's super awesome fun time care package! Inside was some of his cookies, an issue of Silver Sentry she had been reading, and a picture he had drawn of she and Piper with hearts in their eyes looking up to Mikey dressed as the Turtle Titan with bulging muscles. She snorted and looked over at Piper, who saw what she was looking at and quickly rooted through her own bag. She came out with Donny's PDA and a picture of Mikey as the Battle Nexus Champion standing on top of a podium with Piper handing him the trophy and Li holding onto him Princess Leia-style. They both looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Leave it up to Mikey to think of the best good-bye presents ever." Piper examined Donny's PDA.

"I wonder how long it'll take Don to notice this is gone?"

"I wonder how long it will take him to kill Mikey?" Piper shrugged and started playing with the PDA.

"Not long. Oo solitaire."

"Final boarding call for flight 396." Piper turned off the PDA and gathered her presents from Mikey.

"That'd be us." Li put the picture Mikey drew in the folds of her new comic book, holding them close. The picture, her one physical reminder that this wasn't a dream, and that she would come back and he would still be here when she returned. She took one last look as she and Piper boarded the plane. She would be back, count on it.