When April got to the lair, she was surprised to find it so quiet. The boys made enough noise to wake the dead most days. But not today, it seemed. She found Raph dressed in human clothes, sitting on the couch. He was trying and mostly failing to shake bills and loose change out of a red piggy bank that looked as though it had seen better days. He tucked the fair number of bills into his wallet and then into the pocket of his jeans. He was wearing a big red hoodie with the hood pulled over a black baseball cap.

"Hey, big guy! What do you need me for? You look as though you're all ready to head topside by yourself."

Raph started a little bit. Apparently, he had been so lost in thought he hadn't heard her come in. That was weird. True her turtle friends weren't always the sharpest knives in the drawer, but they were ninjas. They usually knew when she was around.

"Oh, hey April. I need your help."

"I know. You just texted me."

"Yeah. I, uh, well I wanna decorate my room."

April raised a dark eyebrow at him, incredulously. "Really? Couldn't you have gone to Mikey for that? He's the artistic one."

"No. I mean...yeah Mikey's artistic, but I don't want it to be what Mikey likes. I want it to be what I like."

"And you need my help to--?" she asked, confused.

"Be the voice of reason. Just because I don't want it to be what Mikey likes doesn't mean I want it to be completely tasteless."

April threw up her hands in mock exasperation and said, "Alright big guy, you got me. Where we goin' first?"

They returned about an hour-and-a-half later April carrying two bags worth of stuff and Raph with four large paint cans. It wasn't much, sure, but it was a start.

April looked pleased, but tired. She took out her phone and gawked at the time. "Oh man, Raph, I'm sorry. I was gonna help you pain, but I gotta go! I forgot I took an extra shift and it starts in 30 minutes!"

Raph smiled. "No problem, April. I'll figure something out."

Painting would be much slower with just him. Hmm...maybe...He whipped out his phone and shot Casey a text.

Hey. Painting my room. Could use some help.

Her response was almost immediate. Seriously?

I'll have my bros bring us back a pizza. Free food.

I'm game. Be there in ten.

Raph chuckled and quickly sent his brothers a text telling them to bring home a meat-lovers for him and Casey.

When she arrived at the lair, she was wearing a plain grey hoodie and ripped jeans. Raph had changed out of his street attire and put the rest of his new room décor away in a kitchen cupboard for now. He'd also taped down a large tarp on the floor of his room. Everything was pretty much ready to go.

"Nice painting clothes." He said.

Casey eyed him suspiciously before warily accepting the complement. "Thanks, I think."

"Ready for some painting?"

"Do I get the food before? Or after?"

"After! If you get it before you'll just take the free pizza and be off."

She laughed and rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Yeah, guess you know me by now, huh?"

Raph led the way to his room.

Casey looked around the room, then at the paint. "Nice color."

"We'll see. I think it'll work out nicely, but ya just never know from those little display squares they have at the store."

"What are you talking about, turtle? This color looks great on moi! Ergo, it'll look great on your walls."

Raph had chosen a much darker shade of red, since he felt that bright red walls would have been a bit too much. Besides he liked his room to be a little dark. It was cozier that way.

"Oh, so it looks good on you, huh?"

"Damn straight!"

Raph dipped a finger into the paint and flicked some onto her face and sweatshirt. She yelped, grabbed a paint roller from a dish already filled with paint and waved it around threateningly.

"Don't make me use this, reptile!"

Raph picked up the other roller and began working, chuckling to himself. "That is kind of the idea."

Casey's face turned scarlet. "Well I—you—ugh! Point taken." She got to work.

After a bout of silence, they started talking. It wasn't until about ten minutes into the conversation that Raph realized this was the first time he'd ever really talked to her. It was nice. Having someone other than family to talk to. They discovered they had a mutual love of wrestling and working out. She had a cat named Clunk, which Raph thought was bizarre. Hours went by as they talked and painted. When they were finally done, they leaned back and beheld their handiwork feeling satisfyingly exhausted.

"So, what do you wanna do now?"

"Well, I'm sure there are way better things to do around here than watch paint dry." Just as Casey said it, her stomach growled. "Eating, for example."

"Yeah. My bros have gotta be back with that pizza by now." Raph agreed, and they headed out to the main room.

The other three turtles were watching a Lou Jitsu film with Splinter.

"Where's the pizza, guys?"

Leon pointed to the kitchen, looking a little surprised by the sight of Casey. Casey didn't notice. She'd practically flown over to the pizza and pulled off a slice, devouring it enthusiastically. They leaned casually against the kitchen counter.

Her mouth half-full of pizza Casey mumbled, "Wanna know a secret?"

Raph leaned in confidentially.

Casey swallowed her food and whispered, her cheeks a little red at admitting this to one of the turtles. "I've never watched a Lou Jitsu movie..."

Raph stared. Had he heard that right? He must have. There was nothing wrong with his hearing. But how was it possible?

Casey looked a little embarrassed.

"You got time for a movie marathon?"

Casey stared at him, seemingly mulling it over, then nodded.

"Alright!" Raph whooped. He called out to his brothers, "Lou Jitsu movie marathon, bros! Make your suggestions now! Casey here needs to be educated."

"In that case—" Master Splinter rose and looked at Casey. "I shall join you. But first we need more snack foods!"

"Shelldon?" Donnie asked.

The little drone saluted dutifully. "Comin' right up, brah!"

Shelldon returned moments later with a tray of popcorn, chips and sugary snacks. They were all settled in front of the Don's projector moments later, with rapt attention on the screen.

Three movies later, Splinter was snoozing in his chair. Mikey had fallen asleep on the floor hours ago. Donnie and Leo were staring with red watering eyes at the television, yawning every 30 seconds or so. Finally Leo got up.

"Alright you guys, it's getting really late. I'm going to bed. Donnie, you should too. Raph, can you carry Michel to bed? He always gets a sore neck from sleeping on the floor. And Casey you should probably head home soon."

Casey looked as though Leo had just killed her cat. "What?! No! We must finish them! We haven't seen nearly enough! We must watch ALL—"

Raph covered her mouth to keep her from waking up Mikey. Once he felt confident that she wouldn't yell anymore, he removed his hand.

Master Splinter opened his eyes at once and blinked sleepily at his sons and their guest.

Leo was frowning at Casey, but Raph was down for more movies.

He whispered to Leo, "C'mon, Blue. I'll make sure that we're quiet, we won't bother anybody."

Leo narrowed his eyes, but finally he shrugged. "Fine, but if you get to loud, I'll shut this marathon down."

Raph looked at Casey and gave her a thumbs up. She did a victory dance.

They were there all night working their way through the massive pile of Lou Jitsu films, periodically they would pause to discuss certain points or to fawn over cool moves they wanted to ask Splinter about in the morning. Then at the end of a particularly long film with an epic battle scene, Casey turned to Raph looking extremely excited.

"Hey Raph, you know what we should do now?"

Raph raised an eye-ridge. He glanced down at his phone for the time. Almost 5 am. "What?"

"We should go topside and try re-enacting that action scene! I know this old warehouse topside! It's been abandoned for years, but I bet all the conveyor belts and stuff are all still there! C'mon, dude, it'll be epic!"

"I'm sure it will, but its 5am. I'm...we're not really supposed to go topside in daylight any more than we can help. It can be risky for us. If the guys or Master Splinter found out...I could get grounded."

Casey frowned. "How 'bout if we get you back before sun-up? Huh?" She smiled mischievously. "They won't even need to know!"

"You're sure this warehouse is abandoned?"

"100%" she said confidently.

"And no one has to know."

She smiled. "Our secret. Cross my heart, hope to die." She held out a fist.

Raph gave her a hard fist bump and she did another victory dance.

"Alright! Lets blow this joint! TO THE—" she realized midway that she was too loud. "I mean—to the warehouse!"