Michelangelo, even at twenty years old, is excited and fidgety as he sits with the rest of his family at Annalise's graduation ceremony. She sits proudly amongst her fellow graduates, the idea of her recent scholarship award making her head spin with possibilities.
"Annalise Hughes!"
She gets up, moving to the podium and taking her diploma. Her family cheers and hoots, Mikey the loudest of them all.
At the end of the ceremony, they cue up a video. It plays happy music and shows hundreds of pictures from the year. The dedication goes to Annalise for creating it, and everyone in the audience cheers for her again as a certain disguised mutant hollers "BOOYAKASHA!"
Soon, the students all toss their hats in the air and scream out in glee at finally escaping high school. Annalise runs right into Mikey's arms, him spinning her around excitedly.
"That's my cupcake! You rock, dudette!" he exclaims, kissing her nose.
She laughs and returns the sweet peck to his own nose as he sets her down. She proceeds to hug everyone else, bouncing on the soles of her feet with glee.
"Um...is it weird if I ask about that scholarship of yours?" Donatello asks hesitantly,
Mikey's face falls as she drops her gaze. The family glances at one another warily, Taylor and Raphael giving one another knowing glances.
"Well...I was accepted into a game developer's program with a full scholarship." She rubs the back of her neck. "It's gonna be good, amazing even! I'm happy I got that award at all..."
Mikey sniffles and hugs her close to him, his eyes filling with tears. Leonardo glances at Splinter, as if asking for permission to step in, but the disguised rat only shakes his head.
"I don't want you to leave," Mikey whispers, his mouth right next to Annalise's ear.
"And I don't want to leave you...but I have to make a life for myself." She cups his face in her hands, her fingers grazing the blond curls as a kind smile flickers over her lips. "But that doesn't mean we aren't together and don't love each other."
He nods, tears running down his face. "Who...who's gonna scare away your nightmares? I said I'd be there for you-"
She pecks his lips gently, pulling away as their foreheads touch. "I'll be okay, Mikey. A soldier's daughter knows how to fight past a few little nightmares, okay?"
He hugs her against him yet again, trembling. "I-I'm just gonna m-miss you so much...my precious cupcake."
She tries to blink away the tears growing in her eyes too. "And I'm gonna miss my Mikeykinz."
YOU ARE READING
Together As Mutants (Book Six)
FanfictionNew York is at peace. Shredder has been defeated, his minions scattered, and the Kraang have been neutralized. The threat of Mutacorp is no more. The Purple Dragons still operate in the slummy alleyways of the great city, but with no one to pay them...
