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They'd made it. Somehow, they'd all escaped in one piece.
It had been hell, New York was burning, and they'd nearly lost each other countless times, but in the end they had all piled into Kirby's embarrassingly old van and driven out of the state entirely. Later, when wounds had healed and energy had been recovered, they would make plans on how to hit the Kraang and hit them hard. But for now they were all a big, sweaty, dirty pile of tired teenager and they had showers and beds waiting for them.
At least, that's what April had thought they were going to do. She was certainly tuckered out enough for a bath and a day-long nap, but her friends -her strange, wonderful, resilient friends- had other ideas.
They'd decided to explore the area surrounding the farmhouse and, despite Casey's multiple assurances that they were safe, Leo and Donnie had set out to do a perimeter search. Mikey had found a stream with a giant rock next to it, so he'd climbed to the top and proclaimed himself king.
At which point Raphael reached him in one bound and shoved him off.
Mikey emerged from the stream, spluttering, but any complaints died on his tongue when he realized where he was and soon he was whooping and splashing. His glee was so contagious that Raphael forsook his newly-claimed boulder and cannon-balled after his brother. By the time Donnie and Leo made it back, Raph had Mikey in a headlock, and the two taller brothers joined in to pry him off. Soon the situation devolved into a free-for-all, with all sorts of kicking and screaming and splashing involved. None of them had taken their gear or masks off but right now they didn't seem to care.
April stood in the shade of a tree and simply watched them as they tossed and swam. Their shells glimmered, wet and jewel-like, and the waning sun set off a million different shades of green on their skin that April hadn't ever imagined existed.
Squabbling soon turned into laughing, and their tussling broke down into swimming races and playful shoves. April stood there, a stranger to their moment, and realized that incredibly, impossibly, after everything that had happened, she had never seen them happier, healthier, or more at home.
At some point, Casey joined her. He looked as worn out as she felt, but just as relieved. She saw the moment he looked over at their friends, the moment he went utterly still and simply stared, and she knew, she knew he understood.
"They were never meant to be stuck in the sewers." She said to him, doing her best to keep her voice steady.
Casey sighed and rubbed at the back of his head. He turned to look at her, eyes oddly bright, and for a while he didn't say a thing.
"They're gonna have to go back, red." He finally muttered, almost inaudibly. Almost guiltily.
"Not forever." She replied, with the kind of finality in her voice that never failed to make others back off.
And just like that, she'd made herself a promise.