I sat in the middle of the fabrics laid out on the floor and groaned. It was very tempting to throw my hat off, but because I was in the middle of an arts and crafts store, I really couldn't afford to do that. I was already causing a scene with a couple of employees who walked by and asked if I planned on picking my mess up. Of course I did, I was just having a crisis.

     Now, you must all be wondering what the heck I was doing in a craft store in a pile of fabric bundles. To answer that, the jist is that my brothers were turning sixteen in a couple of days and I still didn't know what to do. Since April was back, I could now actually do some shopping instead of having to go out and hope someone was willing to pay a one day freelancer. So the two of us, plus Casey decided we would go out. April suggested I sew them something since I had used my abilities to make the holes for my shorts.

     I really had no idea what the heck I was doing. All I knew was that I would be hand sewing fleece at the most... Maybe I could just get all of them cards if all else failed. Picking cards was probably the only thing I didn't fail at. I just stared at the different bold colored fabrics before groaning and slamming my face against the one I held in my hands.

"Yo Alex... Did a tornado blow through this isle?"

I looked up at Casey, "A hurricane of frustration! I'm about to just get them all cards!" I moaned, "Even then I'd feel horrible! They're family to me! I gotta get them something!"

April raised a brow at me as she looked at my pitiful state, "Why don't you make them some throw pillows. You all have plenty of beanbags and blankets, what could a few pillows do?"

I thought on it and jumped up, "THAT'S BRILLIANT! But what do I make them? I know I could make Mikey a video game control, pizza is too complicated, just so ya'll know. I could make Donnie a science-y bottle with some kind of liquid in it, but what about Leo and Raph?"

"Couldn't you make Leo a sword? Like the same one he destroys stuff with," Casey asked.

"For me to be happy with it? No... I guess I could attempt to make a bonsai tree? Oh! I'll make a circle with the katana crossing and then I won't have to worry about details!" I gasped dramatically, "I'LL MAKE RAPH A TURTLE! JUST LIKE SPIKE!"

     I rushed around happily as I picked up all the colors I would need. I sent Casey to get pillow stuffing and April went to start looking for threads. The ladies at the counter stared at me as I hiked over with a cart full of fleece. I apologized and got half a yard of fabric each. April and I ended up tag teaming to look for thread while the fabric was getting cut.

     When we got back to April's the red head got me paper and scissors and a pencil. Casey was gathering decorations to bring to the lair. Sensei was going to train the guys longer than usual tomorrow so we could make it a grand surprise.

     April was waiting on the cake and sat down to help me with my work. I had already drawn out the patterns and what needed to be cut out. So she cut out the fabric while I was working on Leo's katana pillow. Because it was late afternoon, April and I found ourselves working into the early hours of the morning. Casey dropped by, asking if we had a moment to spare for a walk, but we declined. April was getting her presents wrapped and I was only finishing Leo's pillow and I still had the others to go.

     It was three in the morning when I got the presents finished. April had retired at one and was going to finish the cake in the morning... The cake fairy came and put the icing on it and put it together so it would only need decoration. By then it was four and I crashed. April got me up at nine and I was still groggy and my gifts still needed to be wrapped. Casey came back with gift bags and a few boxes so we could try to get the surprise party together within one trip at the least.

     I hulled all the gifts while Casey got the decorations and April took care of the cake. We set up the kitchen and I was ready to go back to sleep by the time I rushed back with 10 different pizzas. I was the fastest out of us and Casey forgot to make his run by the pizzeria. Thankfully I was back in time as we lounged in the kitchen for a few minutes.

"What the shell is all of this?!"

     Raph reaction was priceless as the others soon came to see what we had done. Mikey's eyes got all wide and sparkly from happiness. Donnie was dumbfounded and just stared. Leo's eyes were set on the three of us.

"SURPSISE, LOSERS," I cheered, "IT'S YO B TO THE DAY!"

"Surprise, guys," April shouted.

"Happy birthday," Casey complimented with a smirk.

"You... You guys did all of this...for us," Leo asked.

I jumped up and tackled Mikey in a hug, "Why not?! You deserve all of this!"

"Yeah! It was Alex's idea to make it a surprise party," April confessed.

"I told you not to tell," I hissed.

Raph pulled me in a ruffled my already messy hair, "You're the coolest, sister. No wonder why Sensei was making us work our shells off."

"Cause I'm a fabulous convincer," I squirmed free, "Now, who wants pizza?!"

Casey opened all the boxes, "We got your favorites."

     Sensei was just in time to watch his sons devour almost all of the single pizzas. I sat to the side and yawned. We sang happy birthday and watched the boys dig into the beautifully decorated cake. I was ready to pass out, but they hadn't opened their gifts yet! Even then my eyes started to drift closed as we walked into the living room so we could have more space to watch.

     I yawned again as I sat next to sensei. I really wanted to see their reactions to the duds Casey had decided to get them all.

"Alexis," Sensei addressed me, "You seem very tired."

"I stayed up late making their gifts," I whispered as Raph opened up Casey's box of rocks, "And then I helped April ice the cake so she wouldn't have to worry about it this morning..." I ended up leaning against sensei as he placed a hand on my head, "Then Casey forgot to pick up the pizzas, so I had to do that. I'm exhausted."

"You are a dedicated worker."

"Most of the time," I yawned again.

He chuckled, "You're welcome to take a nap. April is recording them."

"As long as she's doing that..." I was drifting, "Then I can...look back later."

----------------------------

"Thanks for the bonsai tree, April," Leo thanked the red head.

"Alex gave me the idea," she smiled from behind her video camera, "I think you and Raph were the hardest to shop for."

     Leo looked over at his sister who was asleep against their sensei. The wise rat smiled at his sons while he kept watch over his youngest, adopted, daughter. Who knew how long the two humans, the hybrid and sensei had been planning this for? Hopefully, the wolf hadn't been plagued by more nightmares, thus her reason for sleeping now.

"Guys! There's still more," Mikey was covered in whipped cream from Casey's dud present, "And they're from Alex! I wonder what she got us."

     All four took their gift and pulled out each respective gift. Leo held the large circle pillow that looked like it had two katanas crossing over the front. Raph held a turtle that had a collar around it with the name Spike. Donnie help a large Erlenmeyer Flask that looked like it held some kind of green mutagen substance or something. And Mikey automatically hugged the game controller pillow. There were grins all around and if the girl had not been asleep, she would have been brought into a bone crushing group hug.

"You know, she spent almost the whole night making them for you guys," April commented.

"She made these," Donnie asked shocked, "They almost look store bought!"

"But what store sells a pillow shaped like katanas," Raphael asked, gesturing to Leo's pillow, "Or your dorky, science bottle?"

"That makes them even better," the youngest turtle cheered.

"She hand sewed them all," the red head added.

"I change my mind! The best!"

Leo was still admiring his pillow, "I didn't even know Alex could sew."

Sensei chuckled, "She has many talents. She has fixed a few of my old robes."

"Wow! Thanks Alex, these are amazing," Donnie told the sleeping girl.

The camera was pointed at Alex, "I guess she crashed a while ago." April turned the camera back to the boys, "Now what do you all say? She'll be wanting to know what your reactions were later."

"Thank you!"

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A/N HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM ME TO YOU!!!

My birthday passed recently, so I thought, why not a mutation day party. I'm still in the middle of making on for Alex, but that's going to come later. I realized, as I was publishing this chapter, that my short stories are a little out of order and I have no desire to fix it up right now. 

But yeah, birthday gift from me to you, and I hope you lovelies have a wonderful day!

Tootles~

-Muse