Love and Hate

Chapter 11

Long Lost Friends

Donatello walked into the clinic and breathed in sharply when he saw Mike and Cam standing outside a stall. He took a deep breath.

" Mike?" He and Cam turn to face the clothed figure. Cam realized that he was dressed almost like Mike. Michealangelo stepped forward.

" Donatello?"

" Ya . . . I uh . . . heard about what happened and I wanted to make sure everything was ok." Mike smiled under his hat and gave Don a hug.

" It's good to see ya bro!" Cam looked at him curiously.

" You two are brothers?"

" Ya, this is my brother Donatello and Don this is Cam."

" Donatello?" Cam remembered Mike mentioning it once.

" Ya, this is the brother I told you about. He helped pull those hidden files to help you." She smiled and shook his hand.

" Thanks." She said somewhat shyly.

" You're welcome. So Mike, this is the young lady you're so interested in?" Mike's face turned red and Cam's did too.

" Oh sorry . . . I'm kind of a big mouth." Cam smiled.

" That's ok."

" So what are you doing?" Don asked, looking around.

" Watching Butterscotch Ruler." Mike said. Don nodded and walked with them to the stall. He looked in to see a large Thoroughbred horse with a cast on his foreleg.

" Nice looking horse."

Later that day, after Mike, Don and Cam had left, they went to a nice little restaurant to eat. Mike and Cam told Don about the horse and the accident in a more descriptive way.

" I heard that Richard was killed riding his motorcycle." Don said.

" We heard. He almost killed Vicky. I talked to her late last night, but she said she was busy. There was someone there with her. One of her friends I guess. She was pretty shaken up, but she was getting over it. Her horses won't be coming back for a few days though. She wants to rest a while longer." Cam said.

" When do you two go back?" Don asked.

" I am not sure. I have to ask the vet to see when Ruler is fit to travel, but probably not for a few more days. I want to wait until the rest of the horses are back at Silver brook." Cam said.

" Oh I see. Hey I have to go to the restroom, so I'll be right back." Don got up and walked to the rest room, but before he went in, there was someone he noticed. Suddenly, his heart jumped into his throat as April turned to face him.

" Leo?"

" Um . . . no . . . Don." April backed up a little from the shock.

" Donatello?!"

" Yea."

" Oh my God!" She was about to approach him, but he backed away.

" April don't. I...I just . . . " She stepped back, the hurt clearly expressed on her face.

" Don, you left 15 years ago without even goodbye and now that we meet again, you won't even hug me?"

" April I'm sorry . . . it's just . . . "

" I know what it is. Leonardo explained to me and Casey how you guys might feel." Tears streamed down her face now.

" But I hope you know that I loved Splinter like a father too and Raph as a brother. You remember that." She turned and walked away. He quickly went to follow her, but she got into her car and sped away. Don looked after her in pain.

" I'm sorry April." He felt the tears come to his eyes. He didn't want to hurt her and he had longed to see her. Why did he have to be so stupid and say the wrong things? He had been too shocked to acknowledge what he was saying to her. She had helped them so much and this is how he repays her. Now he felt horrible.

April stormed into her apartment and threw her bag down and was about to go to her room, but Leo and Casey come out to look at her.

" Honey what's wrong?" Casey asked with concern. She whirled around.

" You were right Leonardo! Your brothers don't want to see us! Don was at the restaurant I went to and he wouldn't even let me near him." She turned and went into her room and they could hear her cry even through the shut door. Casey looked at Leo who looked sadly looked out the window.

" I wish she hadn't seen him here." He said quietly. Casey nodded in agreement.

" I'm gonna try to comfort her." Leo nodded and Casey went into the room with her.

Cam was back at the clinic with Ruler and Mike and Don were at their hotel room talking. Mike looked down at his green hands when Don mentioned that he had seen April.

" I didn't mean to hurt her. I just . . . I don't know. Things were weird when I saw her. I felt weird. I mean . . . I haven't seen her in over 15 years and then all of a sudden she pops up out of no where. I hadn't wanted to talk to her or any human ever again, but that was a long time ago. I hadn't thought about that in a while." Mike nodded solemnly.

" Leo might be mad at us now if he hasn't already been for the past 15 and a half years. Man I miss the old times. I miss them all, Don. I miss Raph so much." Don leaned over and hugged his brother.

" It's ok Mike."

" I used to think about doing exactly what Raph did ya know." Don jolted up right in shock.

" I did. The only thing that ever kept me sane was you and then Cam came along. But I am afraid of losing her. She doesn't even know what I am. We've known each other for almost seven months and she had not even seen a part of my body. Don what if she rejects me?"

" I don't know Mike. You two are so close of friends. But with humans . . . I just don't know. It's hard to tell what humans do anymore. Half the time it's for no reason. Like Richard, the only reasons he had for killing Vicky's mom and then trying to kill her was greed. I don't know how Cam would react if she saw you or me. It's a risk you'll have to think about, before you take it."

Mike nodded in agreement. But what would his decision be? Would he show himself for what he was and risk losing her? Or would he keep himself a secret and still take the same chance? Now he was sure, he didn't know what to do.