Things Change

Chapter 6: Exploding Cake

April found Leonardo cleaning the living room, organizing things and gave her a smile. The blue cladded turtle looked up, her eyes watery from all of the dust, but she smiled back nonetheless. "I brought you tea."

"Thanks." Leonardo replied warmly as she observed her red haired friend. "The dust in here is killer. I may need a new rag."

"You know, you have helped me quite a bit." April states with a sigh. "And you are supposed to be resting."

"I don't mind." Leo answered waving her hand dismissively. "I still don't get why you help us so much. I am endangering you by staying here."

April smirked and placed her hand on the turtle's. "I owe you, and if Master Splinter would not refuse, I would invite you guys to live here, this place has never look so clean, and you sure help me with English homework."

"No, you don't owe us. If anything, we owe you. I mean, we are always getting you in troubles..." The blue cladded turtle says blatantly.

"...and saving the world in the process...Leo, believe me, you owe me nothing." She whispers reassuringly. "You are family."

"What is it like?" Leonardo asked suddenly.

"What?" April said, serving more of the tea.

"Being a girl?" Leo continued rather reluctantly.

The question took April by surprise, but Leonardo always tended to be the most innocent regarding people, which was not a surprise considering she was the first female they had met. And April could see that deep inside the leader facade, she was still much of a kid, despite all the training she had undergone. Leo knew a lot of strategy, and had a lot of battle experience, but somehow it had always stricken the red head how she seemed different from the rest, more willing to believe in the goodness of people and one to measure herself very harshly.

"Is this about Donnie?" She questions softly.

'Donnie?' Leo thought, amused. "What did he say?" She asked as she lifted a magazine-filled crate.

"Well, the other day he was asking for books he could give a troubled teen he met, I sort of asked him if they were for him..." The red head admitted, embarrassed.

Leonardo could not hold her laugher. "No...they are not for Donnie, they are for a friend of his...a very confused girl he knows."

"Hmm, well that's sweet of him." April replies placing a hand over her heart.

'Yeah, it is.' The blue cladded turtle thought, smiling softly at the thought of the purple cladded turtle.

"So, the party starts in a couple of hours and I need to get the decorations up." April declares with a wink. "Thanks for helping clean the place up, and don't over exert yourself. You're still technically sick."

Once again Leonardo waved her off. "I'll be fine. I'm going to head back to the lair and help the guys." She smiled and headed for the door. "Later, April!"

.....

Leonardo was received by a plaster of dough in the face as Michelangelo had apparently managed to make the cake batter explosive.

"I didn't do it!" Michelangelo exclaims, with his hands still holding the bowl and evidences of batter on his face. "You know how much I love you, right?" His puppy eyes were in full bloom.

"So...I guess I should help you clean then." Leonardo stars, taking a spatula to remove the batter that had made it to the ceiling. "Jeez...."

She had finally managed to remove all the cake batter from the ceiling and most of it from her face. Mikey handed her a wet towel and even offered to wash her bandanna, taking it without even consulting her. Immediately she felt nude, considering their masks were one of the few articles of clothing they wore.