Life With the Turtles

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

Here is a story idea I came up with recently. I came up with it based on a couple of sources. First was recalling the beginning of TMNT II when the turtles were living with April. Also, a thread recently on the other turtle board regarding April's stats and how she gave Irma a hard time about her diet. there are references to both. Set in the cartoon universe

Life With the Turtles, Part I

   April O’Neil returned to her apartment after a long day at work as a reporter for Channel Six news. In addition to returning to her apartment, she was coming back to five roommates she had recently acquired. Her friends, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and their mentor Splinter had been staying at her place for the last few weeks. April was trying to get some sleep one night when she heard a tapping at her window. Sure enough it was Leonardo, explaining to her that some flooding in the sewers had left the turtles without a place to stay. April had thought to herself that they were turtles, so water shouldn’t be a problem for them. However, the turtles had rescued her more times than she could count, so she figured she owed them plenty. It was fun having them around for a little while, but she was hoping their sewer home would go back to normal really soon.

   April drew her keys from her pocket when she nudged a pizza box on the ground with her booted foot. She looked down at the box containing a fresh pizza pie and picked it up. Taped on her door was a note that April recognized as Michelangelo’s writing: “Pizza dude, this should cover it. Keep the change. Thanks.” April thought to herself. “I should have known what the dinner plans would be tonight. Same as almost every night the last few weeks.” April smiled and put her keys in the lock when she heard one of her neighbors say hello.

   “Oh hi, Mrs. Futterman,” April replied as she closed her door again really quickly to make sure her neighbor didn’t see inside.

   “Hello there, April,” said the kind looking older woman. “I saw you on the news again, you were great as always.”

   “Oh, thank you.”

   “Pizza again?” Mrs. Futterman asked. “I see that delivery man come by here all the time now.”

   “What can I say…” April started, trying to cover for the guys. “I’ve really had a thing for pizza lately.”

   “Well, it certainly doesn’t show,” Mrs. Futterman commented. “Although quite frankly dear I keep expecting to see a whole lot more of you the next time I tune in to Channel Six.”

   “I guess I’m just lucky,” April smiled.

   “And that loud aerobics you do must help as well.”

   “Oh that,” April said. “Yeah, that definitely helps keep the pounds off too. Anyway it was nice talking to you Mrs. Futterman.”

   “Take care April,” Mrs. Futterman said as she walked down the hallway.

   April quickly darted into her apartment with the pizza and shut the door behind her. Just then Michelangelo snatched the pizza box from her hands and brought it to the table. “Alright, pepperoni and bacon. Now it just needs a little peanut butter…” Michelangelo began.

   Raphael snatched a slice and looked up at April. “I must say she’s right, it really doesn’t show,” Raph said before a bite.

   “Oh it will if you guys keep going for pizza at this rate. Couldn’t you guys order say, one of those antipasto salads too?”

   “Well my dear,” Splinter began as he emerged from another room. “If you want I have no problem sharing some of my sushi with you.”

   April eyed the sushi on Splinter’s plate. “No offense, Splinter, but I think I’ll take my chance with the pizza.” April sat down and helped herself to a slice.

   “None taken my dear,” Splinter responded.

                                                          --------

Later that night, April lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. In the living room she could hear the television was still on and rather loud. April rolled out of bed and opened her door. “Guys, I don’t mean to be a bother, but I do have work tomorrow.” The turtles were hanging out in her living room, watching a Godzilla movie. Splinter had apparently long been asleep, probably used to the amount of noise the turtles generate.

“Oh sorry April,” Leonardo said. “It’s just, you have an awesome T.V. I’m glad we managed to save the one in our den before the flood, but it sure isn’t like this one.”

“Well could you just turn it down a little?” April asked with a yawn.

“Sure thing, April,” Donatello responded as he reached for the remote.

“Thanks guys,” April yawned.

                   --------

The yawning continued the next morning at work.

“Whoa April, sounds like you didn’t get much sleep last night,” April’s best friend Irma observed.

“Yeah, well the turtles have been living with me the last couple of weeks,” April whispered. “I love those four reptiles, but they sure can be a little loud.”

“Well, if you want some other company tonight, my date has a friend who would probably be interested in meeting you.”

“Sure, what the heck?” April answered. “A night away from the turtles would probably do me some good.”

Later in the afternoon, April returned home to the four turtles munching on some microwave pizza rolls.

“Alright guys, I’m going to try to get a nap in right now, but I have a date coming over tonight, so do you guys mind if you…you know, went on a patrol or something?”

“We aren’t enough companionship for you?” Raphael asked semi-sarcastically.

“We’d be glad to,” Leonardo responded. “It’s been a little too quiet out there lately.”

“Thanks guys, you’re great,” April said cheerfully as she headed to her bedroom.

                                                  ------

Elsewhere a few hours later, Leonardo kicked a purse-snatcher in the face, sending him flying backwards. “Do you guys think maybe we’re taking advantage of April’s hospitality?” he asked his brothers.

“Dude, our place is totally flooded,” Michelangelo responded as he caught the purse in mid air.

“Well to be honest, we haven’t exactly checked the sewer lately,” Donatello added as he caught the purse Michelangelo tossed his way with his bo staff and lowered it to the woman it had been stolen from.

“What do you think, master?” Leonardo asked Splinter, who sat cross legged by a nearby chimney.

“This is something you must decide for yourselves, my sons,” Splinter answered.

“Oh, throw us a bone here master,” Raphael responded. “Just give us a hint here and we won’t ask for any more for like…three weeks. Turtle’s honor.”

“I say we check the sewers… in another three days,” Splinter chuckled.

“Sounds like a plan,” added Michelangelo with a smile.

At about the same time, April awoke from her nap. She stretched her arms, looking forward to her double date with Irma. April stepped out of her bed and onto the floor, and felt something squishy under one of her bare feet. April lifted her foot up, and sure enough it was some old pizza.

“And I thought you guys never left a slice behind?” April muttered to herself. She hobbled over to her closet and chose her dress for the night, and then went to get herself cleaned up. When she emerged from the bathroom she was trying to get her dress on all the way, but found that she was fighting with the zipper. April took a look at herself in the mirror and frowned. “Don’t tell me…” April began as she sped walked back to the bathroom. She stepped onto her bathroom scale for the first time in a while. Worrying about weight was usually Irma’s department, but April couldn’t help but gasp.

“Eight pounds!?” April nearly shouted as she looked down at the number the red arrow stopped at. She knew where that weight must have come from; she just stepped in it. Just then she heard a knock at the door. April walked over and looked into the peephole: it was Irma. April opened the door.

“April! The guys are outside waiting! What’s taking so long?”

April pointed at the zipper on her dress. “The turtles and their pizza…”

April and Irma’s dates stepped into the doorway, and saw that April’s apartment was a pigsty, with magazines, garbage, and especially old pizza boxes strewn about.

“I just remembered, I gotta do my taxes. Sorry little ladies,” one of the men said.

“I probably should help him. He’s no good with numbers,” the other said as he darted off.

“Oh, they were probably going to be no fun anyhow,” Irma said in an attempt to cheer April up. “Although I haven’t had a good date in some time.”

“Well, the night is young. How about I go get changed and we get some ice cream?” April asked.

“Oh no you don’t,” Irma scolded with her finger pointed at April. Irma certainly was always in the mood for ice cream, but she wasn’t about to let the opportunity get away to get back at April for being a stickler for keeping Irma on her diet back when she grew to nearly fifty feet tall. “I’m sorry April, but as your friend I feel that I have to say it might be in your best interest to go on a diet. And if you want to be called a little lady again you gotta stick to it, missy!”

“Ugh, I guess I had this coming, didn’t I?” April groaned.

[LenniluvsBrian]

All that over eight pounds?!!?!? Pfft.


Okay, I scoff - but for me, I freak over 5 - lol.


~Lenni~

[Jephael]

That was an awesome story! At first I couldn't tell which universe you were implying but then I heard the mention of Irma!

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

That was an awesome story! At first I couldn't tell which universe you were implying but then I heard the mention of Irma!

When I referenced her touching the pizza box, maybe I should have specified with her "white boot". Maybe I should have gone the full nine and mentioned the yellow jumpsuit too.   Yeah, I wasn't sure which universe to put it in for a while. I have some ideas brewing for future parts. April's issues with living with them aren't over yet.

[lexy3643]

the turtles don't sound much fun when you live with them.

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

the turtles don't sound much fun when you live with them.

I figure they would be hard to deal with on such a regular basis. Especially considering that their diet mainly consists of pizza, while not taking a toll on them due to their ninja activities it might on others.

I'm still coming up with ideas for part two, but if I were to say anything preview wise I'm thinking Shredder and his goons are due for an appearance, and Irma certainly isn't done getting back at April.

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

I finally finished Part 2

April O’Neil performed exercises in front of her television as an aerobics videotape ran in her VCR.

   “C’mon everyone, fat isn’t nearly as formidable a foe if you face it head on,” said the fit female instructor in the video in an attempt to raise the spirits of the viewer.

   “Easy for you to say,” April responded as she lunged forward in response to the video. “You don’t live with four pizza addicted turtles!”

   Almost as if on cue, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello emerged one by one through her window.

   Michelangelo whistled in April’s direction in response to what she was wearing. She looked like she had just stepped out of the video, clad in a yellow leotard and a pair of legwarmers. April caught her breath before responding, “grow up, will ya?”

   “Dinner time!” Raphael exclaimed excitedly. “We’ve earned it after all the punks we rounded up today.” April looked over at the boxes Donatello had in his hands.

   “Pizza…come on guys!” April groaned as she adjusted her headband. “Couldn’t you guys give something else a try?”

   “Why? You’ve always been up for pizza before,” said Michelangelo.

   “That’s before I finally stepped foot on my scale guys,” April explained. “It’s why I dusted off this darn tape. You guys keep bringing pizza over to my apartment and I’m going to be the new turtle blimp!”

“Don’t be ridiculous April,” Raphael began. “You’re as slender as the day you slipped through that sewer drain and met us!”

   “I barely fit through that thing,” recalled April. “Now I’d probably get myself stuck!”

   Raphael realized his attempt at complementing April didn’t work. “Storm drains are overrated anyway. Manhole covers are where it’s at. You look like you’ve worked out enough to handle another portion of a pizza pie. What do you say?”

   “Oh, all right,” said April, finally caving. “No one tell Irma, though!”

               -------

A few days later, Irma knocked on the door to April’s apartment. April was just about ready for work, and she carefully maneuvered her way to the door, careful to not step on the turtles that were lying asleep in her living room. April looked through the peephole and opened the door. “Quiet Irma, the guys are still asleep,” she warned.

“Don’t sweat it,” Irma whispered. “Hey, it’s been nearly a week. How about you step on the old scale?”

“Actually Irma,” April began. “We really should head over to Channel Six soon. I gotta get ready for that oh so important piece about the old ice cream parlor,” April said sarcastically.

“Nonsense, we got plenty of time,” responded Irma in a chipper mood. “I’ve already lost four pounds. Pretty soon those guys will be wishing they had stuck around!”

“Oh, all right,” April said reluctantly. They both made their way to the bathroom. April stepped onto the scale, closing her eyes, nervous about what would happen as the result of not being able to break the turtle induced pizza habit.

“April! Isn’t that another three pounds?” Irma nearly shouted.

“Keep it down Irma!” April scolded in a softer tone.

“You’ve been cheating on your diet haven’t you? After all that talk to me about not going off of mine back in the day.”

“I tried, it’s just with the way the guys eat and with them living with me and it always being around…”

“Maybe you should ask them if they can go back to the sewers now,” Irma suggested. “You know the camera already adds ten pounds, and combined with this…”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” April moaned looking up at the ceiling.

            ------

Later that afternoon, the turtles were in April’s living room watching her on the news.

“I’m here with Friendly Frank, owner of Friendly Frank’s Ice Cream Parlor, celebrating its grand reopening. Friendly Frank, how does it feel to be back?”

“Well, Miss O’Neil, I’m glad the renovations were able to be made before the summer season, so I could provide the good people of New York with…”

Frank continued on as Vernon and Irma watched the interview from behind the camera. “This assignment looks right up April’s alley, considering how she’s been filling out that jumpsuit of hers lately,” said Vernon in a snide manner.
Irma gave Vernon a quick elbow to the gut. Sure she was unhappy that April couldn’t stick to her diet after getting on Irma’s case about hers, but she was still going to stand up for her friend. “Not everyone can be blessed with a long lasting metabolism like you, ya toothpick,” Irma shot back.

“Hey, the way I see it, if she gets fat Mr. Thompson won’t want her in front of the cameras anymore and I become his main man, bringing in the female audience.”

“Oh, please” Irma said rolling her eyes.

Just then two hulking figures came crashing through the glass door of the parlor. None other than the humanoid warthog and rhinoceros, Bebop and Rocksteady.

“They just got done with the place!” Friendly Frank cried as he ducked for cover.

“Give us ya sundaes and no one gets hoit!” Rocksteady ordered while hitting his left palm with his right fist.

“You moronic mutants!” shouted Shredder from behind them. “You were supposed to be headed towards that jewel exhibit!”

“We gots hungry,” Bebop said in defense. “Besides, they’re sure to have money in the register. It’s win-win!”

“And that reporter is here too!” Rocksteady pointed out. When Rocksteady lifted his arm to point at April, Irma fainted. Vernon characteristically ran for cover behind the counter. The cameraman stepped in front of Rocksteady to nobly defend April, but he was easily lifted up and tossed into the wall. Rocksteady grabbed April and hoisted her over his shoulder. She punched and kicked but as usual it was no good. The mutant’s hide gave even the Ninja Turtles trouble.

“With her as a hostage the turtles are bound to show up,” Shredder pointed out. “And I’m feeling in good enough form to finish them off for good today!”

“Glad to hear it, Shredhead,” Raphael blurted out. “Because we’re in the mood for a challenge!”

The four turtles leaped down from the nearest building and went to work on defeating Shredder.

“Rocksteady, get her back to base!” Shredder ordered while deflecting Raphael’s sai with his bladed gauntlet.

Rocksteady hustled as best he could away from the fight, carrying April with him while Bebop and Shredder fought the turtles.

“Jeez, O’Neil,” Rocksteady began between breaths. “You feel heavier and heavier every time we kidnap ya. Would you mind laying off the ice cream?”

April’s face turned a slight red. “For your information, it was mostly pizza!” April shot back.

“Hey, he’s getting away with April!” Michelangelo shouted before nailing Bebop in the head with his nunchucks. Bebop was only down momentarily due to his thick skull, but Raphael managed to free himself from the fight and head after Rocksteady.

“I hope those toitles can meet a lighter damsel in distress,” Rocksteady said. Now that was one remark too many for April, who gave as hard a kick as she possibly could in a fit of rage. The kick hit Rocksteady where it counted, and his grip loosened. April fell off of Rocksteady’s shoulder, and Raphael dived, catching her before she could hit the sidewalk hard.

“Phew, April, have you gained weight?” Raphael asked semi jokingly.

“Don’t start!” April shouted.

After the turtles managed to knock Bebop onto Shredder, the villains decided it would be best to run and live to fight another day.

                                                  ------
Hours later at her place, April sat at the table while the Ninja Turtles enjoyed some hard earned pizza.

“You know I love you guys, but…”

“We have overstayed our welcome,” Splinter said while walking into room.

“It’s not that I want you guys away from me, I want the pizza away from me guys! Irma told me that Vernon is counting down the days until the cameraman is going to have to work extra hard to get all of me in frame!”

“We’re sorry, April,” Leonardo said. “Old eating habits die hard for mutants I guess. We’ll be out of your hair soon enough, right guys?”

“Right,” said both Donatello and Raphael at the same time.

“If it will help you shed the unwanted pounds, you can always take some martial arts lessons from us dudette,” Michelangelo suggested.

“I think I might take you up on that guys,” April said.

Raphael smiled. “Although April, even if this diet thing doesn’t work out, you can be secure in the knowledge that fat people are a lot harder to kidnap!”

April gave him a look like she wanted to strangle him as the other turtles quickly packed up the pizza and headed for the window. Splinter followed after them. “You're on your own dude!” Michelangelo said quickly as he quickly dove out of the window

[Dejablue]

Sweet story! I can't find any good OT turtles fanfiction anywhere.  Would you happen to know of any archives that have some OT turtles stories stored inside them?