Hello again! DarkUnderworld here=)

So this is the final chapter of the story, I hope everyone enjoys it.

Again thank you to MarMar for letting me finish this for her and thank you to everyone who reviewd the last chapter. Thank you so much for your support! It is greatly appreciated=)

and now on with the show...

Chapter 9: Reaction

Donatello looked at his cell phone in irritation. He was trying to carefully mix two volatile liquids together and one slip could end up blowing himself and the lab, up. This was of course an extreme exaggeration as the two liquids would only manage a small puff of smoke as its expenditure of energy, but this exaggeration was what he told himself would happen if he stopped to answer the phone. He looked at the number and saw Casey's number blinking with urgency. He ignored the call as he placed the stopper into the test tube and placed it gently into the rack in the mini fridge in his lab. He pulled off his gloves and threw them in the garbage.

He refused to call the muscle man back. He didn't care what was going on between him and April. He didn't want to hear him gush about how happy he was that he had learned that April was pregnant. He was determined to push April as far from his mind and heart as he could. She had obviously decided that she didn't want anything to do with any of them anymore and he couldn't be happier. In fact he was grateful, because now he no longer had to watch the object of his torment look at him with eyes filled with uncertainty and turmoil. She had made her bed, her choice, and now she had to live with it.

Don looked over his shoulder as Leo slowly entered his lab, his face pale and strained. "Donny." Leo began softly.

"I'm busy Leo." He said curtly as he turned and sat down in his computer chair, pulling himself up to his desk and focusing his attention of his computer screen. "Tell them congratulations or whatever from me." He said offhandedly as his heart clenched in pain.

Don was suddenly spun around in his chair. His eyes widened in shock as he took in the angry and stricken features of his oldest brother. "Congratulations? Really Donny? What the hell is wrong with you!" His brother asked angrily.

"What's the matter with you?" Don asked defensively as he tried to turn his chair back to his computer screen, but Leo wouldn't let him budge an inch. Donny stood angrily forcing Leo to move back.

"My problem is that I just told you that April was hit by a car and…"

Don didn't hear the rest of what Leo said. He had stopped listening when his brother had said 'hit by a car'. Don felt his vision go black as he fell to his knees in shock. "Is…is she okay?" He asked his voice shaking with controlled emotion. Tears had already begun to prick his eyes as he thought about his every action since the night he and April had spent the night together, and he regretted every one. He would never regret their night together, but he regretted his actions afterwards. He should have stayed with her until she woke in the morning so they could talk about what happened and what their actions would be afterwards. Instead he had run, like a coward, because he hadn't wanted to be embarrassed or worse, rejected. But what was April supposed to think? He had run out on her. She had probably believed that he had thought nothing of their sexual romp together and had accepted Casey's proposal because she thought that Don didn't care about her. His actions afterwards certainly gave proof to this theory.

He closed his eyes with regret trying to catch his brother's softly spoken words. April was in the hospital, she was in surgery and they didn't know if she was going to make it.

The lump that had welled up in his throat grew larger, cutting of his air, and suffocating him.

Leo helped him shakily to his feet. "Donny?" His brother asked in concern, but he just shook his head. Instead he pulled away from his brother and walked from his lab. He found Mikey and Master Splinter sitting in the living room both huddled around the phone that lay on the coffee table.

At that moment Raph walked into the lair. He was pale and shaking. Raph shook his head as they all looked at him, indicating that he had no more news to report on April's condition. Raph sat down heavily on the couch and began talking.

He and Casey had been out scouring the streets for a few more thugs to beat up as a last hurrah, since April didn't want Casey going out on vigilante duty anymore. That April had caught them doing this after Casey had promised not to, was horrible, because she had been so upset that she had run headlong into the path of an oncoming truck.

Raph hadn't followed Casey, only running when he heard the squeal of the tires. He had rounded the corner just in time to see April struck by the truck and go flying through the air like a broken doll. Afterwards he had been unable to do anything to help their friend, needing to stay in the shadows as a crowd of horrified onlookers rushed to help April who lay motionless, in the middle of the street.

Donny had sat down gingerly on the couch during Raph's recounting of the story and when his brother had finished Don stood and began to pace back and forth in fear filled agitation.

"I should go." Don said finally coming to a desicion.

"Donny you can't do anything." Leo said as he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I know and I know that she is in the best possible hands she can be, but I just can't." He said with a shake of his head. He knew he was being illogical and irrational, but the need to be by her side was too overwhelming.

Leo put a hand on both of Donatello's shoulders and stood in front of him. "You can't do anything Donny, all we can do is wait." His brother insisted.

"I don't want to wait!" Don shouted at his brother trying to struggle past him. Don needed to see April, to get down on his knees in front of her and beg her to forgive him for being a total and complete ass, and tell her that if she wanted to be with Casey that he was okay with that and that she would always be his friend, no matter what.

"Donny." Leo growled giving him a push which caused Don to stumble back slightly. "What is the matter with you? You aren't even thinking straight!." Leo said as he blocked Don's path again.

"Of course he isn't thinking straight." Mikey's quiet voice broke through the oppressive strain of the room. "He loves her." Mikey stated.

"We all love her Mikey." Leo protested as Don fought hard against the tears that welled up in his eyes at Mikey's statement.

"We love her, Donny's in love with her, big difference." Mikey pointed out softly.

Don's shoulders slumped in defeat. He could try to deny his brother's observation, but he couldn't.

"That's why Donny has been acting so cranky since Casey and April got engaged." Mikey said as if Don's feelings for April should have been obvious to everyone.

"But Case and April have been dating for years. That never bothered Donny before." Raph protested in confusion.

"That's because I never thought I had a chance with her before." Don shot back with irritation. Of course he had been bothered by April and Casey dating, he had just never allowed himself to hope that she would ever be more than just his friend...Until that night.

The silence of the room was palpable as his family stared at him, their eyes questioning. He realized that he had revealed too much and at the same time he felt a small trickle of relief run through him.

He realized that his brothers and father were still waiting for an answer from him in regards to his somewhat cryptic statement. Sudden shame blossomed within him as he realized the full enormity of his actions that night. Yes, he loved April, but she was still going out with Casey, who was supposed to be his friend, and he had betrayed this friendship, because that was what April did to him. She made him insane, but he knew that he liked that she did this to him.

Donatello walked to the couch and sat down slowly, his family still waiting or an explanation. "I love her." He began earnestly. "I think…I've probably always loved her. But I knew April would never look at me that way, so I was happy for her. But...Do you have any idea what it is like to be called over time after time to be her shoulder to cry on after her and Casey had a fight? It tore me up into little pieces, but I did it anyway because I was her friend. And this last time…" Don shook his head back and forth almost unable to continue. "This last time things were different. She didn't look at me like I was just her friend. She looked at me like I was a man and I...I couldn't stop myself." His voice trailed off as he remembered his glorious night of passion with the woman he loved.

"Donny, what did you do?" Leo asked his voice sounding harsh and unforgiving.

Don turned his face away from the questioning eyes of his family. "I don't regret what I did. I know I should and I do to a certain extent, but not for the right reasons. If I could do it all over again, I would, in a second."

"Whadya do Donny?" Raph growled his fists clenched together in anger. "You kiss her?"

"Raphael." Their father snapped in warning as Raph shook out his anger slightly, acknowledging that this was not the right time for it.

Don remained silent as his family's eyes widened in shock and accusation. "I regret that I betrayed Casey, I do." He said with a hint of misery in his voice. "I know my actions were wrong and immoral, but…" His voice trailed off because there was no excuse for his actions. He had done what he had done because he had wanted to, and had foolishly believed that April would leave Casey for him.

Some of these thoughts and emotions must have broadcast themselves across his face because Mikey stood and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I need to talk to her Mikey." Don said desperately to his family. "I need to make things right between us because I have been furious with her for choosing Casey, and that wasn't right because I never asked her for more, I just left. And now…I may never be able to make this right." His voice broke with grief and regret.

The phone chose that moment to break the strained silence of the room with a clamouring ring. Don looked at the device with trepidation and knew that he couldn't answer it. Leo finally stepped forward, opening the phone, and listening to whoever was on the other line. His brother's face went serious and then grim. Don buried his head in his hands letting the tears that he had been repressing finally fall.

Leo finally closed the phone with a snap. Donatello looked up at his brother hoping, no, praying, that his tearful reaction was unwarrented.

Leo looked at them grimly. "She's out of surgery, and she is going to be okay. She had a few broken ribs, and a punctured lung, but..." Leo took a deep breath as if his next words were painful for him to utter. "But April might lose her baby."

Donatello felt his heart drop to his knees. He closed his eyes in misery. He knew April well enough to know that once the shock of being pregnant wore off, that she would have embraced the idea of motherhood. He swallowed down his fear and hoped that she wouldn't have to suffer the tragedy of losing the baby.

"Donny, did you know?" Leo asked him sharply as Don nodded wretchedly in response. "Is the baby yours?" His brother asked more gently after a slight pause.

Donatello shook his head. "Casey's." He answered in a barely audible voice.

His family nodded. "Casey says that April is going to be out of the hospital in a couple of weeks, depending on how fast she recovers." Leo informed them. "And I think maybe it would be a good idea to stay away from both April and Casey for a while." Leo paused a moment and then continued. "All of us." Leo said looking pointedly at both Raph and Don.

Don hung his head in shame and nodded. He stood then, slowly walking to his room. He knew that eventually his brothers and his father would want to talk to him, but he didn't want to talk to anyone.

Don didn't think that he would be able to sleep, he didn't want to, but found that he managed to fall into an exhausted slumber anyway.

April blurrily opened her eyes.

She was drifting through a constant sea of dulled pain. Her first thought as she regained consciousness was: I'm Alive!

The thought was an incredible relief until she remembered the truck and her pregnancy. Fearfully she moved her hand towards her belly, but this progress was halted as a firm, warm hand gripped her own. She turned her head sharply and encountered Casey's relieved, warm gaze.

"Hey, how ya feeling?" Casey asked gently.

April looked into Casey's kind eyes and felt...nothing. She appreciated that he was there, but it was a pair of deep set brown eyes contrasted by a slash of amethyst, that she longed for.

"Casey..." She said as she remembered what she had been reaching for a moment earlier. She pulled her hand away and set it on her belly.

Casey looked at her with worried eyes. "The doctors say that you and the baby should be fine."

April nodded as relief flowed gently through her like a welcoming spring. "How long have I been here?" She asked him as she tried not to shift too much in the uncomfortable bed. Doing so tended to shoot blazing sparks of pain across her chest.

"Three days." Casey answered promptly. "April, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have chased you or lied to you and I'm sorry." He said earnestly.

April shook her head as tears slowly trickled down her cheeks. "Casey, I was going to tell you..." She began but Casey cut her off.

"I know." He said squeezing her hand tightly again. "I get it why you wouldn't tell me about the baby. You didn't think that I was gonna change and I guess you were right." April opened her mouth to protest but Casey continued to talk. "I was only doin' it as a last hurrah before you an' me got hitched, but I know I was just foolin' myself. I probably wouldn't be able to stop. But I would have tried." He said earnestly. "For you...for our kids. I know I can change." Casey gathered both of her hands into his large, calloused ones. "Please April, just give me another chance." He begged her.

April looked into Casey's earnestly pleading gaze and fought back the tears that threatened to fall, but knew what she had to do. She gave Casey's hand a gentle squeeze. "Casey, I love you, and I will always love you." She began gently, "But I am not in love with you anymore."

He looked at her in shock, her words having surprised him. "Listen, April…" He began but she cut him off.

"Casey," April said trying to gather her courage to say what needed to be said. "When we fought that one night and you left me after I gave you that ultimatum of either being with me or being a vigilante, there was a huge part of me that didn't think you were coming back. You had to go and think about it. I was devestated and...I turned to someone. It was then thay I realized then that I didn't love you anymore."

Casey froze. April couldn't even tell if he was still breathing he sat in the chair so still and unmoving. He blinked slowly and shook his head as if he couldn't process what she had just told him. "Who?" Casey growled as he let go of her hands roughly.

April shook her head. "That doesn't matter Casey, I messed everything up, with you, with him, but I don't want to live a lie anymore."

Casey stood angrily, his fists clenched to his sides in white knuckled anger. "Who was it?" He asked his voice low and deadly.

April shook her head. "I am leaving New York when I get out of the hospital. If you want to still be in our child's life I accept that, if you don't, I accept that too." April said as Casey breathed in deeply, his icy blue eyes full of betrayal and anger.

"I'll find him April," He said ignoring what she had said, his mind too focused on her betrayal. "And when I do I am going to beat him into a tiny, bloody pulp." Casey promised as he stormed from her room in a furious rage.

April closed her eyes in relief, glad that Casey would not waste any more time thinking about her, and thankful she hadn't told Casey who she had cheated on him with. She knew that Casey would never suspect Donny so she knew he would be safe from Casey's wrath. April only hoped that when she got out of the hospital that Casey would have moved all of his stuff from her apartment, so that there wouldn't be any awkwardness or fighting, because she didn't want to fight anymore.

April closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Donatello heard a commotion coming from the living room. He frowned and walked from his lab, curious as to what the ruckus was about. Don felt himself start in surprise at seeing Casey in the lair, though he knew he shouldn't really be too surprised. It was possible that Casey had an update about April and had come to tell them in person since they hadn't seen him in the three days since the car accident. Don stopped just outside his lab, Casey and Raph oblivious to his presence.

"Come on Case." Raph said trying to calm the big man down. Casey looked agitated and angry.

"She cheated on me Raph!" Casey yelled in fury and Don felt the blood drain from his face.

"Come on Case." Raph said gently. "I know, but I can't have you beatin' the snot outta Donny, even if he does deserve it." Raph grumbled.

Casey looked down at Raph in shock as betrayal rolled through his eyes. "You knew!" Casey took a step back from Raph. "And whadaya mean Donny?"

"Uh…" Raph said as he looked over his shoulder and Don caught his brother's eye. "You didn't know?" Raph squeaked, but Casey's attention was already focused on Don.

"Some friend you are." Casey growled though Don didn't know if Casey was talking to him or Raph.

"Case." Raph pulled on Casey's arm and got an angry punch to the shoulder for his efforts.

"You should have told me…bro." Casey said angrily to Raph, his voice dripping with betrayal.

"I didn't know!" Raph protested. "I just found out."

Casey launched himself across the room with a loud roar of fury. Don didn't move to protect himself against the bigger man's assault. Don figured he deserved whatever Casey was going to do to him.

Casey's fist connected with Don's jaw, sending him crashing to the floor in a painful heap. Raph held the bigger man back while Mikey appeared out of nowhere and helped.

Casey stopped fighting against Don's brothers and motioned that he was done. He straightened out his clothing as Mikey helped Don to stand. Don gently shook his baby brother off.

"I'm sorry Casey." Don apologized softly. "Nothing I can ever say will excuse my actions, but...I love her."

"And you think that makes it okay!" Casey asked with a furious shake of his head.

"Of course not!" Don protested.

"You're a deceitful bastard." Casey growled, pointing his finger at Don ferociously.

Don narrowed his eyes at the bigger man."And I got tired of picking up the pieces each and every time you walked out on her." Don replied his own anger flaring to life. Casey opened his mouth but Don continued. "She deserves better than you." He growled and then put in softly. "She deserves better than me too."

Casey glared at him angrily and shook his head in frustration. "I can't listen to this shit anymore." He snapped, quickly turning and striding away. He paused for a moment and threw over his shoulder. "As soon as she's out, April's leavin' New York." He said as he angrily stalked away.

Don felt his shoulders slump. "I don't want to hear it Raph." Don said as he headed back to his lab and closed the door behind him. He leaned against the door and slid to the floor, burying his head in his hands.

Don didn't understand. April had told Casey that she had cheated on him, but not who she had been with. April had to know that if she told Casey, that Casey would leave her. And now April had just lost Casey, who was the father of her child.But why did she tell Casey and destroy the future they were going to have together? And why was she leaving New York? He wondered bleakly at this last thought.

Don had lost her. Not that he had ever really had her; only for a glorious hour had she ever really been his.

April finished signing her release papers, handing the clipboard back to the woman who had the authority to finally let her out of the hospital. She was still battered, bruised and sore, but she was allowed to go home. She had been in the hospital for two weeks and she wanted to go home, pack some things and get as far away from New York as fast possible.

Casey hadn't come back during her two week stay, not that she had been expecting him to, but she had felt the absence of his presence anyway.

"You ready April?" Casey's voice asked from over her shoulder. She froze but shook herself out of it. Casey would never be here to pick her up. He hated her now, just like Donatello.

"April." Casey's voice came over her shoulder again and she quickly turned in surprise. She winced in pain, but strong hands helped to steady her.

She looked up in shock at Casey who smiled kindly down at her. "Casey!" She exclaimed in astonishment.

"Hey April." Casey said rubbing his neck awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him as she bent down to collect her bag. Casey was faster and hefted the bag over his shoulder, offering her a supportive arm.

"Pickin' you up." He said as if the answer was obvious.

"You know what I mean." She said as he led her through down the hallway and outside to his van.

Casey turned and faced her as they stood together on the sidewalk. "I know…I did a lot of thinking. I was mad, really, really mad and felt really hurt. Punched Donny in the face, made me feel a little better. But..."

"Casey!" April said in worry as her eyes widened in horror as fear ripped through her.

"He's fine." Casey waved off her concern. "Thing is I did a lot of thinkin' and I realized that…I messed up too. It doesn't make what you did okay or hurt any less, but I shoulda never just walked out on ya. You asked me for a choice and I left to go think about it when the choice shoulda been obvious. An' I know tha' we can't be together any more, but...I still wanna be in my kid's life, so that means it's best if you an' me can get along."

April felt tears prick her eyes. 'Thank you Casey." She said earnestly as Casey helped her into his van. "You can drop me off at my apartment." She told him as he got behind the wheel.

"Uh-huh." Casey said as he pulled into traffic. April closed her eyes and nodded off to sleep.

April woke just as she felt the van pull to a stop. She blinked around in surprise as she took in the dim lighting and brick covered walls.

Casey had driven her to the lair.

"Casey!" She hissed in shocked anguish as she slouched down in her seat which sent searing pain bursting to life across her chest.

"It's okay April." Casey said as he opened his door and slid from the seat.

Raph approached the van with his hands held up in surrender, or showing Casey that he was unarmed. Raph looked suspicious but listened to what Casey had to say. Raph nodded as Casey walked back to the van. Casey helped her out even as she protested. "Casey, Donny hates me. He has a right to hate me, just like you, I..." She whispered urgently to him as he waved her off.

Raph had vanished but a moment later Don came running into the garage, panic written across his face and a fire extinguisher prepped and ready in his hands.

"April?" Donatello asked in shock as he slowly realized that whatever Raph had said to him had been a lie to get him to come into the garage.

April looked over her shoulder and found that Casey had vanished somewhere leaving her and Don alone.

"Donny, I.." But she never got a chance to finish. Don dropped the fire extinguisher with a loud clatter and was across the room before she could even blink.

He gathered her up gently in his arms. "I'm sorry April. I am so sorry for everything I did and said. I thought I had lost you and then I heard that you were leaving." He pulled back and looked at her earnestly. "Please don't leave. Please don't leave me." He begged.

April felt her heart soar with relief and joy as she leaned in and kissed Donatello with a love and a passion that she knew would last a lifetime.

She had too many things to say to him, too many apologies to give. Her frenzied mind was too full to think so she said the only thing she could think of to say. She pulled away and looked at him "I love you Donny."

"I love you too April." Don said with a smile full of pure love and joy as he clutched her to him as tightly as he dared.

April closed her eyes as she breathed in the gentle scent of him. She knew that their life together was not always going to be smooth or easy; there would always be bumps in the road and struggles to overcome, but with Don by her side, she knew that she would always be happy, regardless of what challenges were thrown their way.

The End

I hope everyone enjoyed. Thoughts and opinions are always welcome!=)