Love and Hate

Chapter 15

Plans

Vicky sat down next to Raphael the day after the party.

" You wanna go ride some horses?" She asked teasingly. He eyed her and grimaced.

" I guess not, huh?" He shook his head and heard her giggle.

" Oh ya, I forgot to ask you, why didn't you come down to the party yesterday? You said you would tell me?" He heaved a sigh and turned to face her.

" All right babe . . . it's because of Michealangelo . . . "

" Mike? But he's a nice guy . . . "

" I know . . . it's just . . . he thinks I'm dead."

" Well . . . wait . . . how would he know you? ...."

" Vic, he's my brother." Vic almost fell off the couch at the sound of that.

" Brother? He's a turtle too?"

" Ya. I didn't know he lived around here . . . "

" He doesn't. He lives in Florida. But he came down here to visit Cam."

" Oh." Raph was silent and just starred at the floor.

" I never thought Mike would be your brother. I wonder if Cam knows."

" I think she would. They were holding each other during the party and when you left I could see them kiss."

" Well, obviously she has no problem with him being a turtle." She said and looked at him.

" So I guess she's all right too." Vic smiled and kissed his cheek. She looked at his belt to see something red there. She pulled it out and looked at it.

" A mask? I haven't seen this before."

" I know. I like to keep it hidden. It's my ninja mask. Splinter gave it to me a long time ago. He gave us all one." She smiled lightly. She knew that his father and brothers were a sensitive subject for him so she tried not to press on it.

" Were they all red?" He shook his head.

" They were different colors. Leonardo's was blue, Mike was orange and Donatello was purple."

" Hm . . . Renaissance artists. I don't know why I didn't make the connection before. Where do the other two live?"

" I'm not sure. If I know Leo he would still be in New York with April and Casey. As for Don, he could be anywhere."

" Don? Cam told me he went to see Mike at the clinic. Of course she didn't tell me he was a turtle, but she said he came from California. I guess that's him."

" Ya. He's a computer nerd. We already know what Mike is and Leo? I don't know. He was like our leader. We never really got along. A brotherly kind of fight that happened like everyday. I don't know."

" What were your brothers like?"

" Well I already told you about Leo . . . Mike is nice and we used to get along better than anyone else. Don . . . he was shy kind of. He liked to stay stuck to his damn computer. He never really fought with anyone. He stayed out of the way a lot and he liked to skateboard. He also hung with Mike. I guess everyone liked Mike. Leo was usually with Splinter. I liked to go out and bust skulls with Casey. I was a hot head then. I think I still am."

" Ya you are." He looked at her and she smiled at him.

" Are Casey and April....human?"

" Ya. April O' Neil and Casey Jones. Of course they are married so she might have Jones as her last name."

" Nice."

Mike and Don had talked on the phone for a long time. He told Don about how he proposed and she accepted. Don was happy for them and he was glad to hear Mike so cheerful. He was also asking Don to come down and see them.

Donatello packed his things neatly. He was thinking about moving and he wanted it to be close to Mike. He packed some things and loaded them into his car. He would be driving down to Texas this time. He wanted to have his car with him this time around.

Vicky cantered her horse down the road with Cam at her side. Vicky sat tall on her bay stallion Solid Heart. He was yet another one of Vicky's retired racers. Cam was on Break Away who was a nice looking chestnut brood mare, currently not pregnant. Cam pulled up and started to walk her mare next to Vic. She took a deep breath and looked at Vicky.

" Vicky there is something I need to tell you." Vic turned to look at her and stopped her horse.

" What is it?"

" Ok......Mike proposed to me last night . . . and I said . . . yes." Vicky's eyes widened.

" You two are getting . . . married?"

" You're not mad, are you?"

" No of course not! That's great news . . . but . . . he." Vic didn't know how to Cam that she knew what he was. She couldn't let her know that she and Raph were together or that Raphael was alive for that matter.

" But Vic, there is something about him you need to know."

" Cam. I already know. He's a turtle." Cam's face showed clearly the shock she was feeling.

" How did....you know that?"

" I've known. I....I just know. I'm happy for you though. When is your wedding date set anyway?"

" Um . . . I don't know. We were kinda hoping to have it at Silver Brook. I mean it's not like we can just walk into a church and get married."

" True. Well set a date and it will be arranged. By the way, the construction workers are gonna start on your new house today. Everything you mentioned that you wanted to be in it is being put into the plans. It should come out nicely. I guess you and Mike will be living together?"

" Ya I think so. He will move his things over as soon as the house is done. Which shouldn't take that long since you have a whole bunch of people working on it and paying them to do it quickly."

" Ya I know. I just want you to move in quickly. It will be nice to have you around to give some company and take care of your new horse."

" Ya. I still can't believe that you gave him to me and his first foal."

" Believe it. You deserved it just like I said. I have plenty of horses to take care of and after you having to give away your horse because of financial problems.....I thought Butterscotch and his foal would make a nice present. And I can guarantee that you won't be having those kinds of problems anymore. I pay my staff quite nicely for their work." Cam smiled and was happy now that she had a stable job and good pay to help her through it all.

" Thanks Vic."

" You're more than welcome." They cantered on a little ways more before turning back.

Mike looked out his cabin window a few days later to see Donatello pulling into his driveway in his violet Eclipse. He smiled and walked out to greet him.

" Nice car. Your color too." Don smirked and threw his bag to him. Mike laughed and carried some of the stuff inside. Don followed and looked around.

" Nice looking place."

" Ya, but I'm only renting it. I will be moving in with Cam when the house is built."

" Built?"

" Ya. Vicky gave her a large birthday present and I do mean large. She gave her Butterscotch Ruler, his first foal when it is born, a three million-dollar check, assigned her as their full time jockey, and she is building a house for her. I guess they like each other a lot."

" No shit!" Don was impressed.

" Must be a rich chick!" Don stated as he set his bags down.

" Ya she sure is. I hear she has more than 70 million dollars in the bank. A lot is from her mother, but she earns a lot too from her racehorses."

" Boy. She's got more money than me."

" How much do you have?"

" About 40 million from being a computer specialist. It's good pay too."

" I have some, but only about seven million. It's enough though. I'm still earning too."

" Cool. I guess we are doing well for ourselves." Don said casually.

" Thank God. All though I do kinda miss the old place even if it was a sewer. I guess it was more like home when all of us were there." Don nodded in silent agreement and sat down at the table. Mike made them some coffee and Don sipped it quietly.

" I wonder if I should call Leo."

" Go a head if you want to." Don picked up the phone that Mike set in front of him and dialed the number.

" Hello?" Don froze.

" Um, April.....this is Don. Is uh...Leo there?" He heard her heave sigh.

" No, he isn't. He's losing it."

" What do you mean?"

" Well the other day he had come home with blood all over him and we asked him what happened and he said that he had killed some boys without a care in the world. He's more like Raphael now. He went out again and is probably doing the same thing." Don was shocked that this was the same Leo that had been telling Raphael all his life to stay calm and try not to do too much damage.

" Well um....can you tell him I called? I'll try back another time."

" I will. Bye." Before Don could say bye, she hung up. He turned to Mike.

" I think she's still steamed at me, but she said that Leo was out. He had been killing people like Raph used to." Mike looked at him shocked.

" Shit! Is this our brother Leo?!"

" Ya I think....." Don wasn't entirely certain what the problem was, but he could take a logical guess. Mike seemed to know exactly what he was thinking.