AN: Long chapter ahead full of #Capril fluffiness ^_^

Proposal

Casey Jones had never felt so nervous in his entire life. Everything has to be perfect tonight if it's going to well, something that Raphael told him almost as much as the man told himself. April has been patient with him, far more patient than he deserves.

Casey sighs, looking to the little black box tucked away in his pocket. He can just see the shadow marking on his arm peeking out from under his sleeve, reminding him of why it's taken so long for him to get back to normal.

"I don't think I can do this," he whispers to himself, already feeling unnecessarily anxious for when April will arrive. "What would you tell me right now?" he wonders, thinking of his Spanish friend who died around five years ago.

The twenty-five year old shuts his eyes, trying to remember what she looked like the last time he saw her; seventeen years old, happy, almost at peace. For a moment, he swears that he can hear her.

"Hockey Puck, this girl loves you. You're twenty-five, she's twenty-four, it's the perfect time to finally settle down and start a family," she seems to say. He imagines her smile. "And come on, really? You can't do this? Remember what I told you? Yeah, you've got this, Jones."

"Hey Casey!"

He nearly jumps, looking up at the owner of the voice. April stands before him, a shy smile on her face. She's wearing a simple red dress, casual yet cute. Her hair is out of its usual ponytail, falling around her shoulders. Casey has to remind himself not to gape at her for too long.

"Sorry I'm late. Work went a little longer than usual," she apologizes, slipping into the spot in front of him.

He gulps. "Uh...y-yeah, no problem, Red."

He flashes his signature smile, making her smirk and roll her eyes. She settles down to look at the menu, seemingly oblivious to her boyfriend's nervousness. He grips the box in his pocket a little tighter, running over what he should say.

"Uh...April?" he asks, his voice almost breaking.

Her baby blue eyes flicker upwards over the menu. "Uh...Casey?" she imitates, making him let out a short laugh.

"Hey, look...um...we've been through some times, huh?" he asks. "Like...I completely smacked you with a hockey puck when we first met, and I didn't understand anything about Trig and I said that you dig at x because 'X marks the spot'."

She laughs. "You really angered me sometimes," she agrees. "And for the most part, that hasn't changed."

He rubs the back of his neck, tousling his shaggy hair. "Yeah, and then I got eaten by a giant worm?"

"That was so gross!" She laughs as she pokes her tongue out. "But I'm glad you got service from the digestive system."

He doesn't respond, just gazing at her as she laughs again at the idea. She just looks so naturally beautiful; her shoulders shaking with giggles, the goofy expression on her freckled face, everything.

He takes a deep breath and pulls the box out of his pocket, hiding it in his lap. She stops giggling to look up at him, a smile remaining on her lips. He breathes deeply once more.

"April, you're really the most wonderful girl I've ever met," he admits. "I'm no one special, just a hockey coach by day and a vigilante by night. You've dealt with me being an idiot for years and years, and...you've helped me through a lot of hard times." He lifts the box up, sliding it across the table and opening the lid. April gapes at the ring inside, her eyes filling with tears. "So...uh, Red, do you still want a guy like me as your husband?"

She lets out a choked laugh as tears start to run down her face. "It's about time you asked, Jones," she jokes. "Yes, I will marry you."

She gets up and moves over to him, leaning down and pressing her lips to his. He smiles behind it as he slips the new ring onto her finger.

Goongala.

Wedding Day

"Big smiles, everyone! It's a big big day!" Sarina says, rushing around as she readies the last touches on April's hair.

Annalise and Taylor help her, fixing her dress and touching up on makeup. Destiny sits near the entrance into the church, peeking out at the crowd of relatives that have gathered. All of Mr Jones' old teammates, April's relatives, and others are mingling waiting for the service. She rubs her human patch absentmindedly, looking back at the gathered girls and trying to look happier than she feels.

"I've been waiting so long for this," April sighs, a dreamy smile on her face. "Can you believe it?"

"It's happening, honey," Taylor says through a laugh.

Meanwhile, Casey gets ready with three of the humanized turtles. Raphael fixes his friend's tie, lips pursed with concentration. Casey stares off into the distance, nearly trembling with nerves. He keeps rubbing his arm, a tick that's developed over these past few years.

"Look, you just go out there, breathe, and marry April. Simple," Leonardo comforts, picking a few stray pieces of white fuzz off of Casey's tux.

"Yeah, except everyone's watching," Casey says.

Donatello steps in, smiling as he adjusts his glasses. "Look, here's something. Yeah, you're all nervous waiting for it to happen, but then it happens. She walks in in her beautiful white dress, all smiles behind her veil, and boom! The world disappears and it's all her." He does jazz hands for a second. "Easy."

"Heyo! Is this where the man of the hour is?" a familiar voice chimes in as a man pokes his head into the room. His blue eyes seem to twinkle as he grins, his golden earrings glinting. "Casey! Lookit you! You're all big!"

"Harry, really? Calm down," a blond man cuts in, laughing softly as he too slips into the room. He smiles at Casey. "Hey there, kiddo."

"Nezbits! Hey!" Casey greets, moving forwards and hugging them both. "I thought you were busy!"

"We changed our plans," Harry says, nudging Casey's chest with his fists. "Can't miss your big day, now can we?"

"No, you cannot," Raph butts in, smirking.

"Woah, hey! You guys are human for today? Sweet. Awesome work there, Donatello," Harry compliments, thrusting his hands out towards the three disguised mutants.

The men laugh. Eustace nudges Casey aside and places a gentle hand on his shoulder, his warm brown eyes nearly smouldering.

"She's happy for you too. I just know it," he murmurs.

Casey smiles weakly and nods, casting a quick glance upwards. "Yeah...I know she is."

Michelangelo pokes his head in, the laughter of the five Hamato toddlers ringing out behind him. He exhales heavily through a smile.

"Time to go, dudes!" he announces.

Casey gulps. Raph moves to his friend's side and squeezes his shoulder. Again, the hockey coach manages a smile, glad to have his best man at his side.

"WE-DDING! WE-DDING!" Harry chants as Eustace ushers his exuberant husband from the room.

----------

April waits outside the large doors leading into the sanctuary, waiting for her cue to enter. Her bridesmaids are still gathered near her, talking to one another in low tones while the groomsmen and Master Splinter try to keep the kids in check. Dakota wears an eyepatch over her robotic eye, the only kid other than Mitch not wearing a human patch. The other toddlers are wearing them, dressed in more formal attire and gripping baskets of flower petals.

"I feel pretty!" Mitch exclaims, swinging in a circle as he giggles.

Copeland huffs, not liking the fact that her hair is pulled into a bun. Dean waits patiently in his place, his chest puffed up as he tries to imitate his dad's proud stance. Asher fidgets a little in place whilst Dakota stands next to him, Mitch the only one waddling around with no regard.

The groomsmen and bridesmaids receive their signal and head to their spots, Raphael and Taylor eagerly taking the maid of honour and best man spots. The kids toddle after them tossing flower petals around, making April smile as she takes cleansing breaths.

Only then does the redhead realize that Destiny hasn't quite left yet. The disguised wolf-raven stands off to the side, dabbing underneath her eyes in an attempt to save her mascara from running. April's face falls.

"Hey...Des," she greets, practically gliding as she moves to her tall friend's side. "Are you gonna be okay with going out there?"

Destiny smiles weakly, nodding. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Sorry, I was thinking about stuff again," she says. She flashes a smile and quickly squeezes April's hand. "I'm really happy for you and Casey, April. It's a big day."

She smiles. "I'm excited too."

"I'll see you at the alter. I'll be the pretty one with the brunette curls," the woman jokes. "You know? I'll be near the handsome hockey player."

With a teasing wink, she disappears into the sanctuary. April takes a deep breath, noticing her fidgety father scooting towards her. She smiles lightly and moves to his side.

----------

All Casey can say about what happens next is "Donnie was right". Her hair, her eyes, her smile, and he forgets about everyone watching him. It's all her, nobody else.

Throughout the whole ceremony, from the vows to the "I do" to the exchanging of the rings, he feels light and free. He just knows that his guardian angel is smiling down at him.

Talks About the Future

"Hey...April?" Casey yawns, tousling his bedhead as he wanders into the kitchen of his, now their, apartment.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," April greets, pecking his cheek before she returns to making coffee. She's wearing one of Casey's oversized hockey t-shirts as a sort of nightie, her hair loose and messy.

He smiles, scratching his stomach. "Good morning." He watches her prepare their morning drinks for a moment before he takes a long breath. "Uh...look, I wanted to ask you about something."

"Ask away," she returns. She lets out a short gasp as she nearly drops one of the coffee mugs, snagging it out of the air just in time.

"With...kids..." he says slowly, noticing her leaning her ear towards him. "When do you want them?"

Her eyes widen a little bit as the coffee maker shuts off. She puckers her lips, pondering.

"Well...originally, I thought we wanted to get a more secure foundation going, you know? We can ease into married life, keep at our jobs and get more income." She smiles at him, checking if he's listening. "Why? What were your thoughts?"

He shifts in place, toying with the waistband of his boxers. "I sorta thought we could try around now? I mean, if you do get pregnant, the kiddo would be around the same age as Destiny's baby once she has it."

April purses her lips. "Uh...Casey?"

"Yeah?" He blinks a few times.

"Des...had a miscarriage. She isn't going to have a baby anymore."

Casey's eyes widen. "Wolfie lost the baby and no one told me?!"

She arches one eyebrow as she places a hand on her hip. "I told you last night, remember? You wondered why she was so sad during the wedding."

He gives a sheepish laugh as he wanders closer to her, a sultry smirk on his face. "Right...because I was thinking about that last night...that was the only thing on my mind..." he purrs, leaning closer to his wife and clicking his tongue.

She flushes red and punches his arm, turning her back to him. "Oh please, have some decency, Jones."

"You still call me by our last name, sweet thing?" he teases, wrapping his arms around her from behind and pressing a few lazy kisses to her shoulder.

She rolls her eyes, her face scrunching for a second as she tries to remember what they'd been talking about. She snaps her fingers.

"Right," she says, turning around so that she's facing Casey. "On the topic of kids, I think we should wait. Give it a year or two, then we can give it a go. Good?"

He leans over and pecks her lips. "Very good."

"You never matured from that seventeen-year-old self, huh?" she asks.

He shrugs. "Hey, Casey Jones was born this way, baby. Can't change who I am that easily."

She smirks, poking his nose with the pad of her pointer finger. "We'll just see about that."