"Leo?"

Leonardo looks up as Destiny wades closer to him, eyes darting towards the beach. She's sticking close to him—her hearing aids aren't water resistant and, with how hard Donatello and Sarina have worked on them, she opted to keep them off for the day. Even though she's human-appearing, he can clearly picture her wolf ears flattening against her head. Her mannerisms are engrained in his head.

"Yeah?" he asks.

"Bianca keeps staring at us."

Leonardo looks towards the beach. Bianca is doing a terrible job of acting aloof. She's holding her magazine up but her eyes are clearly elsewhere. She's been on the same page for the past five minutes.

"Or...maybe me," Destiny adds, wrapping her arms around herself.

Leonardo frowns a little and looks back at her. She's wearing a simple black bikini with a tie in the front and high-waisted bottoms. Even with the high waist, the dark scars crossing part of her stomach are visible, and her hand covers it the second she catches his gaze moving there.

"She doesn't matter," he says. It's hard to find a balance between speaking loud enough for her to hear and soft enough that it doesn't introduce everyone else to their conversation. "You look beautiful, as always."

Destiny doesn't look convinced. Leonardo spares another look at Bianca before focusing fully on his girlfriend, grasping her hips and dragging her closer to him. She meets his eyes, lips pursed, still clearly nervous.

"And even if she's staring, let her," he murmurs, letting his hands drift from her hips to the small of her back as he comes even closer. "I've got an idea to distract you."

She narrows her eyes a little. "What?"

He grabs her tight and jumps, plunging them both into the water. They burst back to the surface after a second, Leonardo already laughing as Destiny splutters, gasping as she gawks at him.

"Rude!" she exclaims.

"Payback!" he retorts.

"For what?!"

"That time back when we first met and you threw me in the lair's pool!"

Her mouth falls open even as she starts to laugh. "You threw me in, jerk!"

His eyes widen and he thinks over the memory. She took a picture of him with her new t-phone, he chased her, he...he threw her in the pool.

"Oh. Whoops...?" he says. A wicked grin spreads across her face. "Wait! Wait, wait—"

Before he can defend himself, she lunges, tackling him back into the water with a shout, and they both go under with a splash and a spray of bubbles.

----------

While Leonardo and Destiny keep splash-fighting and play-wrestling in the water like a pair of wolf cubs, Donatello stands on the shore with Sarina at his side. She keeps twitching whenever the water splashes, whenever the pair resurfaces just to tackle each other back into the surf.

"A sting-ray pool was one thing," Sarina says. "This is another." She eyes the sky, bright and sunny, then the water. "Actually, I believe I need to apply more sunscreen—"

"No. No, no, no," Donatello says, tugging her back even as she tries to walk away. "You've applied more than enough sunscreen."

"I'm very fair-skinned, Donatello!" she insists. "The sun is not to be trifled with!"

Even on top of the generous sun protection, she's wearing a grey wetsuit with purple and blue striping—it covers her throat, her entire torso, arms down to the elbows and legs down to the knees. Not only that, she's wearing a baseball cap over her short white hair. It's the most athletic he's ever seen her look and, honestly, it's cute.

Aside from her cuteness, if she was worried about getting burnt, she shouldn't be. She's covered.

"If you're that scared of the water, we can go back to the blanket," he suggests.

Sarina pouts a little, briefly looking back at the rest area with the ever-watchful parents. "I do not wish to ruin anyone's fun."

Donatello eyes the beach. Leonardo and Destiny are splashing around like a bunch of kids at play. Raphael, Taylor, Karai, and Shinigami chicken fight in the waist-deep water. Jack, the only adult in the water, floats far enough away that he doesn't seem bothered by any of the commotion. Michelangelo, Annalise, Casey, and April play a serious game of catch further down the beach. As Donatello glances their way, Casey makes a diving catch that sends even more water flying into the air. The other three cheer their approval as he hoists the football into the air, thumping his chest and hooting like Tarzan.

"I don't think you could," Donatello says. He gives her hand a small shake. "Hey, um...Taylor's family brought buckets. I'm sure they'd let us borrow one and we could go looking for shells?"

Her entire demeanour seems to brighten. "And creatures too?"

"Of course!"

She visibly relaxes, hugging his arm tight. "I'd like that very much."

----------

"Give it up, Shini. I've got this," Taylor taunts.

"Oh really? That's funny, because I was thinking the same thing about you!" Shinigami retorts.

The two girls grip each other's hands, shoving against each other with all their might, while Raphael and Karai face off against each other from beneath.

"When's the last time we had a rematch, Raphael?" Karai asks, smirking.

Raphael flashes a grin. "Too long ago, if you ask me. Too bad we're gonna destroy you."

They're pretty evenly matched. Karai and Shinigami's pairing ends up being more top-heavy, but Shinigami is stronger than Taylor while Raphael is stronger than Karai. Both teams tussle, shouting and splashing, fighting for the upper hand.

At the exact same moment, Raphael shoves Karai and Shinigami shoves Taylor, sending both teams careening into the water.

"VICTORY!" they all scream as they pop back to the surface. "What?! No! We won! We won!"

"Tie?" Shinigami asks, pushing her soaked black hair from her amber eyes.

"I'm okay with a tie," Taylor says, panting a little. "I don't think I have a tiebreaker round in me."

Both girls look at their partners. Raphael sighs.

"Just this once," he says. "Good fight, sis."

Karai laughs. "You too."

They start back to the beach, running into Isabel on the shore. She has the most heartbroken look on her face, scooping water into her pink plastic bucket. Lola is still playing in the sand with her dad and little brother.

"You okay, chica?" Taylor asks.

Isabel looks up, lip pouted out. "Mama still hasn't swam with me. She said she would."

The four teens look towards the umbrellas. Bianca put her magazine down only to lay on her towel and sunbathe. Taylor frowns.

"Let's ask her again," she says, reaching for Isabel's hand. "Okay?"

Isabel nods, perking up a little, and she grabs her hand. Her and Taylor head up the beach, Raphael, Shinigami, and Karai behind them.

"How is the water, my children?" Splinter asks as they approach. He's reading in his seat, looking very relaxed in his board shorts, Hawaiian print shirt, and sunglasses.

"Pretty nice," Karai says. "We're gonna take a break."

"I don't tan well, but that won't stop me from trying," Shinigami says as she settles onto her towel, stretching out with a long sigh.

Karai smirks at her as she sits down at her side. "Don't cry to me when you get burnt."

Shinigami gives her a very loving middle finger. Meanwhile, Raphael lingers as Taylor approaches her mother.

"Mamá," she says.

Bianca immediately perks up, rolling off her stomach and sitting up. "Taylor! Done swimming? Ready for mama-daughter time?"

Taylor frowns. "Isabel and Lola wanted you to swim with them."

Bianca looks at her younger daughter as she gives her the biggest possible puppy dog eyes. "Oh, I did, didn't I?" she says, laughing.

Taylor exhales. "If you want mama-daughter time, it should be all three of us." Isabel seems to get even perkier, nodding as she grips Taylor's hand tightly.

Bianca purses her lips briefly. "If you insist!" She smiles at her middle daughter. "Isa, how is the castle going?"

"Luz keeps wrecking it," she huffs.

They glance over at the castle just as Luz kicks down the tallest tower, right in the centre. Lola lets out a wail and Alessandro lifts Luz away from the sand, reaching out to calm his daughter. Of course, being taken away from the sand causes Luz to start screaming too.

"Oh, no," Bianca mumbles.

"Everything okay?" Jack calls, returning from the water with his lounge float under his arm. "Alessandro, can I...help?"

"Please," Alessandro says. "Gracias, mi amigo."

He hands Luz over to Jack, who settles the baby on his hip while Alessandro focuses on his daughter. Bianca gasps and rockets to her feet, rushing past Taylor, Isabel, and Raphael.

"No, Jack, give him to me. I can take him," she insists, snatching the baby back and starting to bounce him. "Oh, Luz, honey. It's okay. We'll make a new castle for you to smash."

Lola hears her mother's words and starts to cry harder. "No! I don't want him to break my castle!"

"Bianca..." Alessandro says. He picks Lola up, hushing her as he gives his wife a sharp glare. "Maybe don't say anything about breaking castles right now, my dear?"

"I was trying to get him to stop!"

Luz sobs harder and harder, his tiny face getting red with effort. Isabel clings to Taylor's leg, staring up at her parents with wide, scared eyes, and Taylor looks back at Raphael.

"Raph, maybe we can—"

Only, of course, the craziness must continue, and Raphael is starting to look...green.

Taylor's face pales. "Raph...y-you..."

He frowns. "What?"

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Isabel's hugging her leg and Raphael's patch is wearing off and there are children screaming and she has to act now or else...god, she doesn't want to know what else!

"Splinter, can you take Isa? Emergency, sorry!" she shouts.

She pries Isabel off her leg, pushes her as gently as she can towards Splinter even as she apologizes, grabs Raphael's hand, and sprints away.

Bathroom: she needs a bathroom or a change room or somewhere private! She saw a small one on the way in, one of those beach hut-type things with a shower attached to it for quick swimsuit changes. She spots it up ahead and somehow makes herself run faster.

She yanks open the door, throws Raphael inside, follows him in and slams the door shut behind her. When she turns, Raphael is a turtle again, wearing a suddenly very stretched-out pair of swim shorts.

"Oh...shell," Raphael pants, looking down at himself, eyes wide. "I'm sorry, Tay. I didn't think it'd wear off so quick. I—"

"It's fine. It's fine, I think we got away with it," Taylor says. She looks at the door again. "Um...fuck, do you think Donnie brought extra patches? Or anyone did?"

"No clue."

She grips her hair, taking a long, deep breath. "Okay. Okay. I'll go out and ask the others about patches. I'll tell my parents that you...uh..."

"Had...to take a crap?"

"What the fuck, no! This isn't even a proper bathroom!"

"Geez, I panicked! I ripped my shorts, then?"

"Sure, that works. I'll do that. Hang tight and I'll be right—"

She throws the door open, fully intending to rush out into nothing but open air and instead runs right into both of her parents.

"Taylor, are you okay?!" Bianca exclaims, talking a mile a minute. "What happened? Is Raphael—"

Taylor freezes. Behind her, Raphael puts his arms over his body, as if briefly forgetting that the patch is gone and he's got his shell again. Jack and Bianca both see him, take him in.

Bianca's shock morphs into something like a smile. Jack's remains.

"Is...that a giant turtle?" he asks.

"Raphael is a mutante?!" Bianca squeals.

"Yes, and...don't just shout that!" Taylor exclaims. She shoves both her parents back and shuts the door, leaving Raphael alone. "You didn't see anything! Go back to the beach!"

"Oh, Dios Mio," Bianca whispers. "Ohhhhh! Ohhhhh, it all makes sense! How many of those other kids are mutants? Are all of them turtles? How are they making themselves look—"

"Mamá, cállate!"

She gasps. "Cállate?! You tell your own mamá cállate?!"

"I'm still stuck on the giant turtle thing! Explain!" Jack butts in.

Inside the changing hut, Raphael waits, listening as the rapid-fire angry Spanish outside gets even angrier. That's one way for them to find out.

----------

"Okay, both of you!" Taylor snaps. "Stop! I'll explain, I promise!"

Finally, her mamá and papá fall silent, although Bianca is still jittering with some weird sort of excitement while Jack looks like he's about to pop a blood vessel.

"You know about mutants?" Taylor asks, looking pointedly at her mother.

Bianca puts her hands on her hips. "Of course! God, I used to see them all the time, but they're sneaky! Good at hiding! And don't get me started on the news about those alien invasions."

Jack stares blankly at his ex-wife, then his daughter. "Those...those invasions were real?"

"You thought they weren't?" Bianca asks.

"I...all I knew was I was in my cell, then I was having this horrible dream about mining crystals on a purple metal planet, and then I was in my cell again..."

"Well, they were real, alright," Taylor says. "Raph and his brothers are the ones who saved everyone."

"I...I..." Jack's mouth opens and closes like a goldfish, words failing him.

Bianca shoves past Taylor and rips open the door again. Raphael holds his hands up but she's already fully into his space, cupping his face and turning it this way and that.

"I've never seen one so close!" she says. "And here I thought you weren't all that interesting, Raphael! You should've said something sooner!"

"Look, lady—" Raphael starts, jerking his head away from her.

"Mamá, please leave him alone!" Taylor begs, grasping her mother's arm and tugging.

"Oh, stop! I'm just admiring him!" She grabs his hand, pressing her palm to his. "Such big hands! Ooh, and your feet too! You know what they say about—"

"Okay, that's enough!"

Taylor shoves herself between the two of them, separating her mother from Raphael. He crosses his arms over his chest, brow furrowed, and Taylor points at her parents.

"Both of you, go back to the beach. We'll talk later when we're not in public, okay?" she utters. "Putting a pin in all of this!"

She unceremoniously shoves Bianca out of the changing room, shuts the door again, and leans her body against it while she catches her breath. She waits, listening, until she hears footsteps retreating.

She lets out a long breath. "Oh my god...Raph, I'm so sorry. I—"

Her words fail as he brings her into a tight hug. She lets out another breath, quivering a little as she returns the embrace in full, burying her face against his throat, right in the soft spot between his shell and plastron.

"I'm sorry," she repeats. "I didn't—"

"It's okay, Tay. They were gonna find out eventually, right?"

Taylor pulls away, her eyes widening. Her mamá is headed back to the beach—her loud-mouthed mamá who's about as subtle as a polka dot jumpsuit at a camo convention.

"I have to run," she breathes.

He nods. "I'll be here. Promise."

She cups his face, kisses him on the mouth, and runs like the wind.

Raphael sinks onto the built-in bench on the far wall, dropping his head into his hands. What a day.