3Epilogue:
"I'm telling you, Michelangelo. It's a science consisting of exact measures and specific conditions; make an alteration in the equation and you produce variants in the whole formula."
"Karen, no You're making my brain hurt." Mikey whined, "It's so not a science. It's an artsy expression. There's freedom to do whatever makes you happy. Cooking should be a joy, flavors should sing, the chef should be skipping through a field of daisies with the sun shining and stuff."
"I'll allow you that. Perhaps we shall call it an art and a science."
"Yeah, sure, fine." Mikey grumbled good-naturedly, looking for the spatula to frost the cake they'd both worked on with butter cream, "Anything to make me suffer."
She grinned, taking a pile of plates out of Ura's hand and placing them in the sink then taking off one of Mikey's crazy frilly aprons. The dishes would have to be washed if the group wanted to eat dessert civilly upon plates with forks. Donnie silently entered the kitchen and started the task, despite Karen's protests. Finally, she settled on drying them while chatting with him.
Ura stood, leaning upon the kitchen doorframe, from which she had a perfect view of both parties in the kitchen and in the "dining room".
Two months had passed since they'd crushed the grassroots campaign of the Rocket Gang in New York, and they had had a big dinner celebration thing, just because.
Leo, Raph, Splinter, Casey, April, Kojirou, and Musashi still sat at the table, all calm and relaxing-like. Reminded her of the first meal she'd had with the turtles.
She closed her eyes.
"The food was great guys! Be sure to thank Karen and Mikey for us." April started, smiling cheerily and standing. "Unfortunately we won't be able to stay for dessert."
"What? Whaddya mean, April?" Casey sputtered.
"We have an important prior engagement."
"Huh? Oh, c'mon, can't it wait?"
"No Casey Jones. You know how important it is to me."
"Oh fine." He grouched, "Hey I'll see you guys around. And be sure to save some of that cake for me."
Mikey, Karen, and Don happened to come out to bid them goodbye.
Soon the lair turned to a happy silence.
"So…we did it." Karen started, distributing the plates methodically. "All dan'in were defeated or arrested and convicted since."
The silence turned curious for some, and subtly dread-filled for a few others.
"Well. I know I said it before but I just want to thank you all again for your help."
They knew she was getting at something, even the most oblivious knew.
"During the time we were here you guys never ceased to amaze us with your caring and strength and honor. You're great warriors and have become our best friends." She had finished with the plates and was now fiddling with her hands, "Um, I guess what I'm trying to say is that you guys will always be in our hearts…no matter how far apart we are physically."
"Wait. Are you trying to say you're leaving us?" Mikey asked, tone broken.
"Well, we did what we were assigned to do. And now our superiors want us back home."
A not so happy silence ensued.
"Um, anyway…we just wanted to give you something." She muttered quickly reaching for something in her pocket.
"We don't want anything from you." Leo was the only one able to find his voice.
"No, no, really, take it, it's a gift." She said, holding an envelope out to him; when he refused to make a move for it, she went ahead and grabbed his hand, firmly placing it in his palm.
She went back into the kitchen. Musashi raised an eyebrow and pretended to study her fork uncomfortably. Ura looked away. Kojirou sat still rather happy looking, raising a drink to his lips.
Leo sighed and decided to open the envelope. To his surprise five tickets fell out—obviously fake, designed to look like plane tickets…
Karen came back in, "So, you guys up for a vacation?" She asked, façade of sorrow displaced by beaming mischievousness.
They all just stared.
"What?"
"Why don't you all come with us? Visit Nomékop—it'll be okay! It's safer for you there than here, and it's a private plane, and you guys can stay in a nice place, and get pampered, and relax!" She was near beside herself with motioning arms and spinning around.
"Uh, well." Leo looked to his brothers and then his sensei. "I—we…"
She held up her hands giggling and backing away, "I know, I know. You guys need more time to make your decision and all that. But I so know if you come with us, you won't regret it!"
Raph looked at Karen as if she lost her head; then he glared at Musashi to see if she was in on it too, but she had her back to him. He nudged her, and she merely fell over, hugging herself, shoulders shaking, trying to keep it in. Mikey merely stared at Karen with his mouth open, unable to believe that she'd pulled such a trick—he'd totally missed the whole 'why don't you come to Nomékop for vacation' part. Leo still looked confused and bewildered as if he didn't know what emotion he was supposed to be feeling at the moment, an uncommon look for him that Ura couldn't help but smile at. Don was wondering about what possibilities such a land could hold and what he could possibly expect there.
Splinter sat calmly, a gentle smile on his face. If he had been surprised he hardly showed it.
Soon everyone was looking to him for some sort of sign of approval or disapproval.
He stood, with an 'excuse me' and left the table, leaving all gawking after him.
"Master Splinter, aren't you going to tell us what we should do?"
"I leave that choice to you, Leonardo. But entertain our guests for now." He turned and entered his room, "I have some packing to do."
-Fin
(My dearest readers, your pardon I beg for every mistake and error, every cliché and meaningless line. I hope the lengthy passage has provided you with some amusement one way or another and I thank you for coming so far. The likeness of any major oc may be found and viewed in various areas of my 'homepage')