After the Mexican food is eaten and the designs get their finishing touches, it takes another full school week before Annalise can return to the lair. In that time, she texts Michelangelo and keeps uploading videos, all while doing her schoolwork and helping her mom with chores.

For a little while, Annalise's life goes back to its normal.

Then, Friday after school comes and Annalise sits on her bed, waiting for Michelangelo to come and get her. She can find her way to the lair fine now, but having Michelangelo with her makes her feel better.

There's a soft knock at her door. "Annalise?"

"Yeah, mom?"

Leanne Hughes enters the room, Pepper trotting in at her heels and quickly finding a spot to curl up on. Annalise smiles, setting her comic book aside and hooking her arms around her knees.

"So...you're going over to Michelle's again?" Mrs. Hughes asks, starting to massage at her fingers.

Annalise nods. "Yup. I'll call if she wants me to stay over, though."

Mrs. Hughes nods, gaze becoming distant as she looks at some photos Annalise has on her wall. Annalise nibbles her bottom lip and hugs herself a little tighter. Michelle...well, Michelle is actually Michelangelo. When her mom started asking her about the new friend she was always hanging out with, Annalise couldn't bring herself to tell the truth.

So, instead, she photoshopped a picture of Michelangelo and her, changing the skin tone and such until the turtle looked more like a ginger teenaged girl with freckles and blue eyes, then introduced her as Michelle. Leanne believed Annalise, thank God, and now Annalise just has to hold out until her mom starts asking about meeting "Michelle's" parents.

"Mom?" Annalise asks.

Mrs. Hughes blinks, shaking her head a few times before forcing a wobbly, tired smile. She's only thirty-seven, but grief and the hard work of being a widowed mother have creased the corners of her mouth and eyes prematurely.

She moves to her daughter and reaches over to try and adjust the wobbly part of her hair. "I'm sorry, sweetie, I've been very spacey lately," she murmurs. Annalise tries to squirm away from the hair fixing, but Leanne is steadfast. "I...just wanted to see how you're doing."

Annalise arches an eyebrow, a hesitant smile quirking her lips. "I'm fine, mom," she says. "Why?"

"I've, well...I've just noticed that you've been a little happier lately," Mrs. Hughes admits as she sits down on the bed. She starts adjusting Annalise's hair again and this time, she doesn't squirm. "For a while, you seemed really down and I was scared. Depression does run in the family..."

The teen blinks a few times. "What...I..." She takes a breath. "I wasn't depressed."

"And I'm glad." A soft smile. "I thought it was YouTube getting you down, all that screen time—" Annalise frowns at her and she waves her hand apologetically. "I know, I know, I'm not going to pester you about that."

"Mom," Annalise repeats with a small laugh. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Mrs. Hughes looks away and tugs at her fingers. "I'm not assuming anything," she starts, darting a gaze at her before again looking away. "But...okay, the way you've been acting is similar to how I acted when I first started dating your father." Her voice breaks a little and she swallows hard. Annalise's eyes widen. "I don't know if you've met a boy or something—"

"Mom..."

"Annalise, I get it, you're young, you want to start dating," Leanne continues. Her eyes are almost teary. "Just, please be careful."

"Are you saying you don't want me to date?"

Leanne purses her lips again and Annalise feels her gut twist. There's a lot that Annalise and her mom don't talk about and romance is right near the top of the list. Annalise never thought much of it, especially since until recently, there wasn't a boy out there that she wanted to give her time to.

"I don't want to control your life, but...I am scared for you," Leanne admits. "You know, your dad and I were high school sweethearts. I don't regret anything about being with him, but...I can't help but want to protect you from getting hurt even if I know it's inevitable."

Annalise opens her mouth, then closes it again. Pepper lifts her head off the ground and lets out a tiny whimper, making Leanne reach down and scoop the terrier into her arms. The dog licks at Leanne's chin, tail wagging, and Annalise reaches out to pet her back.

"So...if there was a boy I liked," Annalise starts, slowly. "What do you want me to do?"

Mrs. Hughes sighs. "Promise you'll keep talking to me?" She sets Pepper down on the bed. "I want to be here for you during this, because I don't know what it's like to raise a teenager, so...I'm sorry to ask it, but I'll need your help to figure it out. Bear with me, okay, sweetie?"

Annalise nods, wishing more and more that the knot in her stomach would just go away. "Okay, mom."

Mrs. Hughes reaches over and pinches her cheek lightly. "I love you."

"Love you too."

She stands and heads to the door, donning a calm smile. "Have fun with Michelle. Call me if you need me."

"Yup!"

Pepper launches herself off the bed and disappears after Leanne. Annalise takes a deep breath and slumps back against her multiple pillows, pressing her hand against her forehead. Her phone buzzes and she rolls over and snatches it off her bedside table.

M: Everything's done! We're heading to the cyberverse tonight! :D

Annalise's eyes widen and she rolls onto her back, hoisting the phone above her as she types.

A: What? Seriously??

M: Yup! You good?

A: Yup :)

M: Cool! See you soon-ish :P

She sighs and sets her phone down, swinging her legs off her bed and hurrying away to tell her mom that Michelle wants her to sleep over.

----------

Michelangelo and Raphael hurry across the rooftops, wary of the humans wandering around below them. It's risky enough that they're out before the sun has set, but they had to run some last-minute errands for Donatello and Sarina.

"Want to tag along to Lisey's place?" Michelangelo asks as him and his brother come to a stop at a halfway point between their home and hers.

Raphael shakes his head. "Nah, I'm just gonna head home. I've got everything I need." He shakes the bag of supplies in his hand, emphasizing his point.

Michelangelo nods. "Cool beans, bro! I'll be home faster than Crognard can destroy an army of Goraks!"

He leaps away, spinning and flipping as he goes. Raphael waits until he's but a speck in the distance before turning around and heading in a different direction. His heart pounds faster and faster with every step, his mind and heart tugging at one another in a battle for dominance over his next decision.

He slows down, nearing the spot that he often stopped at during the first few weeks after their separation. In this spot, he would listen for her singing, and in this spot, he would stop himself from going after her. Tonight, he keeps going.

She's just started a song. He can tell by her voice. When she sings, she starts soft and melodic as if soothing the words to sleep. Then, she slowly builds until her voice is stronger or wracked with emotion.

It's emotional tonight, weakened and rough like she's on the last stretch until it's all over. Even the beginning is tinged with it, acting as a blanket over the pain in her words.

"The way your words hang in the moment suspended when
You say something you can't take back again.
A heavy hush takes hold.
The quiet won't let go.
I was there watching you,
Watching me, missing you.
I've been lying and I don't know why I do.
Maybe the truth hurts, so
It's easier not to know.

"Wonder why does it
Hurt to try when the
Last goodbye's never
What we're here for?"

There's a change, her guitar sounding stronger and her voice just a little louder. It's still choked with emotion. The words hit Raphael in the heart like a drumbeat. Is this song for him or is it just something she felt like singing? He hopes for the former.

"So sing it back if you're with me.
I wanna hear how your heart speaks.
While we're young.
While we're young.
This should be the time of our lives."

He can't sing but when he listens to her, he feels like he could. Her words have a way about them, like even in her sorrow, she's commanding you to obey. It makes him feel more sure about telling her. If she wants to hear his heart, he'll let it speak.

"And I've been so lost without you.
Are you lost without me too?"

Yes, yes, I've been lost, he thinks. I'm coming to find you, Taylor. Hold on a little longer.

"While we're young, while we're young.
This should be the time of our lives."

The guitar fades to only a few chords, leaving her borderline a capella.

"Got a wish, got a wish that I
Can just get back to where we came.
God I miss, God I miss you now,
And I can't even say...your name."

The chords fade completely as soft cries shatter the calm silence of the night and Raphael's heart in tandem. He runs faster, tunnel vision blinding him to anything but her, and he leaps soundlessly onto her fire escape.

Soft, cream-coloured curtains hang over her window, closing her off from the outside world. He stares at them for a second, a stark reminder that she gave up on waiting for him to come back, and sucks in a deep breath. Time to be brave.

He sets the supply bag down on the metal grating of the fire escape and squares his shoulders, reaching over to knock on the glass. He hears a few soft sniffles before silence blankets him, stifling him, and he wonders if it's too late to back down. This was stupid, he tells himself. Why would she want to see him?

The curtains part and there she is.

Her makeup is smeared slightly around her eyes, her tears leaving tracks on her tanned cheeks. Her hazel eyes are reddened and her lips tremble with sorrow. He stares at her like she's never looked more beautiful than she has right now, his heart freezing up and his expression pained.

Her face floods with disbelief. "R-Raph?"

"Yeah...it's me," he whispers.

Taylor fumbles with her window latch for a second before shoving it open and climbing out of her room. She sits down on the window ledge, crossing her arms over her chest, and he just keeps looking at her. He swallows, heart pounding and the brisk wind buffeting his mask tails.

"What...what's up?" he asks, trying to sound nonchalant.

She wipes her eyes and forces a hollow laugh. "Nada. Just...broke up with this guy I was seeing."

He fails to hide the torrential downpour of emotion that twists his face, relief and sympathy mingling with jealousy as he crosses his arms over his chest and glances away. "Oh, then...the song..." he mutters.

"It wasn't for him," she says, a little bit of bite in her tone, and he almost smiles. She's still got it. She sighs and looks to the sky, adding in a whisper, "Siempre fueron tuyos."

"I still don't know Spanish," he says.

"I know," she replies with the barest trace of a sly smile. "So," she continues before he can, "what's up with the warrior in red lately?"

He glances at the supply bag at his feet, pursing his lips. If he could grow a pair and spit it out, that would be great.

"I'm heading off on a mission into cyberspace. Sarina says there's a chance that we'll never come back," he says. Her eyebrows arch, lips parting. "And if I don't...I couldn't go without telling you, how, how I feel. That, deep inside, despite everything...I...I really..."

He trails off, his chest so tight that he feels like he can't breathe. Taylor's lips pucker into a cute little pout, concern furrowing her brow. He tries to clear his throat as heat floods his cheeks.

"Raphael?" she murmurs. God, he missed the way she says his name.

He runs a hand over his head, taking a deep breath. "Just...that I still love you."

Her mouth gapes and she covers it with her hand. Her eyes stay wide, her knuckles white on her windowsill. The silence that invades next is constricting, suffocating him, and he looks at his feet as he starts to back away.

"That's it. I'll go now," he says.

"Aye aye aye!" Taylor leaps to her feet, stammering away in rapid-fire Spanish as she grabs his wrist. He stops, then turns to face her as her eyes start to water. "Raphael, you can't just tell me you love me and leave."

"That was my plan," he admits, sheepish.

"Well, that plan is muy estúpido," she retorts as a few tears slip down her cheeks. He reaches over and brushes them away, the way he used to before, and she grasps his hand. "Raph..."

"I hated it," he says, making her blink a few times. His grip tightens. "For so long after, I...all I wanted was to hate you." He can't look her in the eye, cheeks darkening. "I'm sorry for saying that I did."

She emits an incredulous laugh. "You're saying sorry?" she echoes, shaking her head. "Raphael, you've got nothing to be sorry for."

His expression is soft, vulnerable. "I should have told you about how I felt. That's what I'm sorry for." Her eyes seem to sparkle, on the verge of teasing, and he snorts. "What, do you want a bigger explanation? A balcony scene? Flowers? 'Cause this is all I've got."

"No," she says, running her fingers through a strand of hair as she leans closer to him. "I just want you."

He has to close his eyes and take a very long breath. She's still her, that's for sure. She's still the girl he fell in love with. When he gets himself to look at her, she's reverted back to a more thoughtful, gentle look.

"Look," she says, hesitant. "I don't know what this whole...mission thing is, but be careful. Por favor," she pleads. "Promise me you'll come back."

He doesn't respond for a moment. He can't promise her something that might not come true. He wants to promise her what he's sure of and he isn't sure of anything anymore. "Taylor," he says, hand spreading against her cheek. "I..." He shakes his head and she leans closer to him, touching her forehead to his as his eyes close. "I want to, Tay, but I can't...I..."

She smiles weakly. "Okay, that's..." She takes a soft breath. "If you don't come back, I'll kill you," she teases under her breath.

He smirks, leans in, and presses his lips to hers. As he wraps his arms around her, bringing her closer, her arms find his neck and they press their bodies together. It's a simple kiss, nothing out of the ordinary, but it's like a cool drink of water on the hottest day of the year. Raphael can't believe he didn't come to her sooner.

He breaks away, arms still around each other, foreheads still touching as their soft breaths linger in the space between them. She takes one more breath and steps away, kneeling to snatch up his bag. When he stands back up, Taylor cups his chin and steals one more kiss, connecting them for another bittersweet second.

"Te amo, Raphael," she says. There's a bounce in her tone, making her sound more like she's sending him off to work for the day rather than a potentially deadly mission.

His entire body warms up and his heart loses ten pounds of emotional baggage. She steps away, letting him hop over the railing and dangle there by one arm, feet propped against the grating as he hesitates. He meets her eyes one last time, serious.

"We'll talk later," he says.

He disappears into the night and Taylor smiles. In its own way, he made her a promise after all.