Regrets

The Apartment

"Mom! Mom, come quick!" Mikey called when he ran into the local diner where his mother always had her lunch.

"Michelangelo? What's wrong?" Shen asked in a panic when she saw her youngest son in terrible distress.

"It's Raph, he's back at the house he's packing him bags, I think he's running away." Mikey whimpered.

Shen quickly grabbed her keys and dashed to her car...

******

Raphael was rushing around the house, getting the last of his stuff together. He knew that Mikey had left and it was only a matter of time before his father arrived and the last thing he wanted was another fight.

Just as he was getting the last of his clothes he heard the front door open and close.

He sighed before turning around and was shocked to see Tang Shen instead of Yoshi.

"So, you're sneaking away like a thief in the night?" She asked sadly.

"I didn't was another fight." He replied.

"Do you have time for a drink before you go?" She asked hopefully.

"Not really."

"Oh, right, are you in a rush?"

"No rush."

"Um... where are you going to be staying, I'm not probing or anything, it's just that there might be mail for you."

"I'm stayin' at Casey fer now, then I'll get a place." He shrugged. It hurt him to see the sorrow in his mother's eyes but he just couldn't stay there any longer.

Shen nodded before gently taking a hold of Raph's hand and leading him over to the couch and sitting them both down.

"Listen to me Raphael." She pleaded. "I know that your father can be a bit controlling but it's only because he loves you and your brothers."

"No he doesn't Mom, he just wants everythin' ta go his way, he doesn't care about what I want or if I'm happy."

"So what do you want?"

"I wanna be with Leo and Yuki." He replied in a desperate voice and Shen sighed.

"Right, well then you want to stay in New York, well there are colleges closer to home."

"No, I'm not goin' back ta school, it's a waste of time." He said as he stood up. "I need another job so I can buy an apartment."

"Raphael, you're eighteen years old, what is the rush!" She exclaimed. "Just do you're exams, you might even get a better job."

"I'm going." He told her before grabbing his bags and heading for the front door. Once he was gone she silently wept...

******

The next day Leona and April where standing on Leo's front doorstep as they prepared for the best day of their teenage lives.

The day they finished their final exams.

"It'll all be over in a few hours." April smiled. "Oh and tell your parents I'm booking you for tonight, girls night only."

"I might not be able to make it." Leo admitted with a sigh.

"Why?"

"I've got no one to watch Yuki, Dad's still working over time and Gran's going out again to she her old friend."

"Why can't Alopex look after Yuki?"

"Are you kidding me?" Leo glare. "After what happened last time I'll have to be dead before I let her watch my daughter for even 5 minuets."...

******

Raph nervously followed the human man up the creaky stairs. He was looking into renting an apartment and this guy was the landlord.

"This is it." The landlord said as he opened the door to show the apartment.

It was a small, two bedroom thing with a tiny bathroom and a small joint kitchen and living room. It was pretty empty except for a few bits of furniture and kitchen equipment.

There were also boxes full of useless junk filling up the space.

"So, is it just gonna be you living here?" The man asked Raph as the turtle looked around.

"Um, no, I'm hopin' that my ex and our little girl might come here and live with me and all." He replied.

"You're ex?"

"It's complicated."

"Look I could be doing myself out of a deal here but I'm gonna give ya some advice; don't let any woman tie you down to something if you don't want it 100%, ya with me?"

"Yeah, so how much?"

"65 a month."

"Plus bill?!" Raph exclaimed. "Why?! There's nothin' in here ta break?!"

"Welcome to the real world kid." The man shrugged.

Raph thought about for a moment before smiling. "How about I get rid of all this junk and ya charge me less rent?" He asked.

"No, can't do that." He sighed and Raph turned to leave before the landlord grabbed his arm to stop him. "Hand on kid, if you clear everything up I'll wave the rent a bit, still interested?"

"Ya bet." Raph smiled and the two men shook hands, sealing the deal...

******

Finally, for the first time in months, Leona felt she could relax. She had just finished her final exam and now she felt like a huge weight had been taken off her shoulders.

April and Casey had taken Yuki for the afternoon so she didn't have to worry about that.

Suddenly there was a loud car horn behind her and when she turned around and saw Raph's truck slowly following her. She stopped and Raph parked next to her before rolling down his window.

"How'd ya exam go?" He asked with a big smile on his face.

"It was fine; you're looking very pleased with yourself, have you been up to something?" She smiled.

"I might have, get in and I'll show ya." He said and with that Leo threw her bag into the back and climbed into the passenger seat...

******

When they arrived at the apartment building Raphael covered her eyes and slowly lead her up to the third floor where the apartment was.

"Pretend it's like one of those house huntin' shows, look beyond tha junk." He told her before removing his hands so she could get a good look at the apartment.

"Look beyond the junk?" She echoed in disbelief.

"Forget about it, it's all goin'." He told her. "So what'd ya think?" He asked nervously.

"It's alright, why?"

"'Cause it's ours, I mean if ya want it, I rented."

"With what?"

"It's not that much." He shrugged at he moved some boxes out of the way. "Get some paint, a few nice lamps and stuff, it'll be nice and cosy and the landlord said we can do what we want with tha walls except knock'em through; do ya like it?"

"Yeah but..."

"But what?"

"It's only got two bedrooms." She said and Raph sighed. "Raph, I do want us to try again but I'm not ready to share a room with you and if Yuki's going to be living here to she's gonna need her own room too."

"Well, you two can have tha rooms and I'll sleep on the couch."

"I can't make you do that!"

"Ya won't, I want ta do it 'cause want us ta be a proper family." He told her. "So, do ya want ta give us another try?"

Leo looked him in the eyes and sighed...