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It had been years. Time gets away from them. After hard won battles and wars, the Earth is safe and mutants are allowed and by some welcomed on the surface. They move on. Never quite forgetting the trauma and losses they faced when they were young. They move forward together. They hold hands as they step into the sunlight. Stepping into the world. But that was 10 years ago. They were in their thirties now. April still freshly and fondly recalls the memory, the turtles stepping into the sun, squinting and unsure. Even after the Mutant Rights Campaigns had succeeded, they were still apprehensive. They were honored as heroes, they all saved the world more than a few times after all. She let a faint smile cross her face, she just wished Master Splinter had been there to see it. Enough reminiscing, April, you have a reunion to get to.
April collected her bag, it was new, gift from Karai and Shini. Their offer for April to join in on their relationship still stood after all these years. April still politely declined with a blush, as aro/ace as she was, it was still a hard offer to refuse. She brushed her dark and curly hair out of her face, opened the door and hailed a hov-tax. Traffic in New York was still a nightmare, hover taxis or not. Now that she was in the cab, she was free to dissociate and remember as the Taxi ascended and whizzed past buildings in the open air. Leonardo had come out as nonbinary shortly after Mikey proudly announced he was genderfluid. April and Donnie had already started their transitions when Casey and Raph had came out themselves. They all believed Splinter would be proud of them all. Unbeknownst to them, he was, somewhere, a ghost rat dad gives an enthusiastic thumbs up. April had always said it would be nice to have more girls in the group. Both girls, Casey and Raph had agreed.
The hov-tax screeched to a halt. April perked up, was she here already? The driver gave her a strange look as she stepped out near a familiar looking manhole, the rest of the area seemingly only barren and abandoned apartment buildings, the driver shrugged and sped off. April smiled, she always got that reaction. She lifted the manhole cover with ease, she was a kunoichi after all. She hopped down and started walking.
“IM HERE!!” April enthusiastically shouted as she hopped over the subway turnstiles, as much as the turtles upgraded the lair, the turnstiles remained a constant.
“APRIL!!!” Mikey hollered, wearing his “Don’t kiss the cook (unless you’re Mondo)” apron. He made it himself. Mikey literally leaped into her arms, knowing perfectly well April could carry him. She laughed and put the turtle down as they embraced, Mikey always knew how to make her feel youthful again. Leo looked up at the commotion, they and three others shot up.
“Hey Apr-“ Leo began before getting interrupted with the chorus of “APRIL!” that Raph, Donnie, and Casey yelled. They all practically ran over and gave her a hug. She grinned ear to ear, god she loved her family, she thought as she was practically squished to death by said family.
“Raph, I saw you yesterday!” She exclaimed, arching her eyebrow at her queer platonic partner.
“Maybe I just like hugs April.” Raph said, obviously with no intent to free her friend.
Eventually they all separated and Karai and Shini approached holding hands per usual. “April-chan!” Shini crooned before giving her a kiss on the cheek, April flushed red and exchanged a smile with Karai. April surveyed her family with an appreciative smile on her face, Donnie and Casey exchanged sappy and only a little bit insulting pet names with each other quietly, Casey had dramatically draped herself over Donnie. Raph was conversing with her other queer platonic partner, Lieutenant Y’Gythgba, who had managed to make it to this month’s get together despite traveling the galaxy as a war hero. Mikey was greeting his partner Mondo who had just walked up. Leo was introducing everyone to his boyfriend Carter, who finally got work off to come to one of the monthly dinners they all have together (Leo had been talking about him constantly, they get like that when they like a guy.) Karai and Shini were whispering to each other giggling at how much Leo blushed whenever Carter talked. That was her family alright.
The lair was a bit cramped with the Mighty Mutanimals joining in too on monthly reunions whenever they got the chance, but it was a nice and cozy cramped. Mikey shouted something about the food being ready and everyone filtered into the dining room that Mikey had added when he decided to stay in the lair and follow Sensei’s tradition of training new ninjas. They ate and chatted and smiled, exchanging stories and news. Raph and Casey had finished a new art collab together. Donnie and April’s robotics and environmentally safe chemicals company was running smoothly. Mikey and Leo are teaching classes at a local dojo in their free time, when Leo isn’t running his tea shop that is. Bebop and Rocksteady had sent another post card to Slash and apparently they were adopting a kid. Shini and Karai’s barely legal only slightly criminal empire is running at tiptop shape as usual. After dinner the Mutanimals filtered out saying their goodbyes, thanking Mikey for dinner, and promising their return next month.
The remaining adopted family + some new members all sat on the couch surrounding the TV and put a movie in as the norm on these monthly gatherings. Although they all skyped nearly every day, it was different being in the lair, in each other’s physical company. It was nice. It was home. It was family. April smiled softly content to be squished between Raph’s scarred shell and Casey’s boney shoulders, it was cramped, and it was lovely. She didn’t really watch the movie, she just sat content to soak in the other’s company. April had a feeling the rest did the same. She leaned against Raph’s shell and felt herself dozing off. “I think..” She began with a yawn, “We need to do weekly dinners..?” She saw nods and muttered agreements. April smiled sleepily and allowed herself to fall asleep, safe and comfortable in the arms of her family. The others followed suit, content with their family’s company to shield them from whatever the world had to throw at them.