Epilogue:

{Karai}

It's been almost eight months now since I last saw Leo. Life has spurred on, waxing and waning like the moon, and I've been busy doing my father's dirty work while also keeping a lookout for any sign of the turtles.

The city's been pretty quiet. I didn't believe at first that Leo and his brothers actually managed to defeat the Kraang, but now I see that they must have. The streets that were once bustling with mutant freaks and alien crime are now littered with normal scumbags and simple robberies. A few gang issues, two murders, domestic abuse cases and drug dealers are the only sorts of crime making any headline.

And it's…weird. I mean, I'm not complaining, but I'd gotten so used to the insanity of New York that now I'm just bored. And it certainly doesn't help that my mutant friends are nowhere to be found.

I sheathe my sword on top of the high rise, gazing out longingly at the lights of the city below. It's too normal. I can't stand it.

I miss him.

I shake my head to scatter the wayward thought, clenching my jaw in response to such ridiculous notions. It doesn't matter. They're gone now, and after everything I said to him before we parted, I can't exactly expect him to be popping into my life anytime soon.

But he said…he said he'd find a way.

Did I believe him? No. But I wanted to see him try. It's what makes Leo so interesting; seeing what he will do in order to accomplish something. I wanted to see what he could come up with, the lengths that he would go to free me from the prison of my blood.

Father's driving me nuts, and it's only getting worse as I grow older. He won't give up on his whole revenge obsession—not after the scouts and I told him of spotting the turtles months ago. He knows they're out there, and he's not going to stop until they're all dead. It's sad, really, to see what this has done to him. He's practically insane by any ordinary account. It's like his mind has been bent on the notion that he can't let go or move on until Hamato Yoshi and his disciples lay dead at his feet. His thirst for revenge is the only thing keeping him alive, like he's been stuck with an IV that's dripping rage and hatred into his veins. It's all he is now.

He's wasting away, and worse—he's dragging me down with him.

Come on, Leo, I repeat in my head for the hundred thousandth time. The city looks so vast, so cluttered—so full of life beyond my own. I'm just a small piece on the board, and as I dwindle away, life moves on without me. I'm being suffocated by this world of lies and greed, by the hands of my father, by the blood in my veins, the family I can never escape. But no one can see me.

No one…except him.

And the words come on a whisper, a hope set adrift on the wind. I dream that I want with all that I am.

"Set me free."

…

It's getting late. Or early—I forget. I ditched the scouts forever ago to wander off by myself so I can think and breathe without the hands of my father pulling the strings. I'm so tired of being alone. So tired of this life here in the darkness. I thought I knew what I wanted, but as the time passes and the fog of my childish mind lifts, I'm finding more and more that I have no idea what I want. Where am I going? What will my life become if I continue down this aimless road of underground crime and black markets? Filth. All of it. That's what we are down inside.

I release a breath and swipe my katana across the nearest satellite system sprouting from the rooftop, no doubt cutting off whatever mindless crap someone in the apartment below was filling their head with. After all, I'm having a bad day—it only seems fair someone else should, too.

I swing my sword at the air a few times to blow some steam before plopping down against the ventilation unit.

Stupid. My whole life is one big, stupid mess.

Training was a train wreck. Father found everything wrong with everything I did, and then made one of his idiot pawns spot me and correct my exercises the entire time. It was humiliating, like I wasn't even good enough for him to stand in the same room as me. And I know it's just because he's angry at my indifference. He wants me to be as obsessed and twisted as he is, but I can't. I can't even fake it. He knows I ditch scouting missions, he knows I skip out of training sessions, and he knows I wander off away from his vigil on a consistent basis. He can sense my rebellious spirit, and he's doing everything in his power to crush it. But I don't care anymore. Honestly, I don't. I don't know how long it'll take for him to kill me or dump me somewhere far away from here, but it doesn't matter. I'm ready for my life to change, for better or for worse. Anything to get me out of here.

I kick at the busted dish in frustration, nostrils flaring, mind seething.

I just hope those idiot scouts don't track me down anytime soon, because I'm one misplaced word away from decapitating somebody. It'd sure make my night a lot more interesting—

Thud.

I whirl around, but I'm not fast enough to evade the figure hurdling itself at me with arms wide. I can't even grip my sword properly before I'm hoisted off the ground and squeezed way too tight.

"Karai!"

The voice sounds familiar—bright, bubbly—and very, very excited to see me, which is odd, seeing as how most people aren't.

I gasp, unable to breathe as my brain frantically puts this all together. I see the scales, the green, the shell—and in the dark, I make out the orange tail of a mask.

Michelangelo.

He twirls me around a few nauseating times before dropping me back on my feet. I stumble, sucking in a breath and steadying myself on the vent system, looking up at him in dazed wonder.

"W-What?"

It's all I can get out. He's beaming a smile at me like I'm his best friend as he shifts his weight excitedly from one foot to the other.

"Sorry," he apologizes hastily. "Didn't mean to freak you out, but we were on patrol and I totally thought I saw you running around up her by yourself, so I came to check—"

"What're you doing here?" I growl, throwing up my defensive walls and smoothing my icy composure back over myself. I'm happy to see him, really, but it all makes me nervous. Besides, the only turtle I've ever really connected with was Leo, so his brothers are foreign territory to me.

His chirpy confidence wavers at the sharp tone of my voice. He steps back a little, unsure.

"I just wanted to find you," he says, his voice wilting like a child in question. "To say thanks…for saving Leo."

I straighten and blink, and after a moment of allowing the shock to complete a single, cool wave throughout my body, I sheathe my blade behind me and let my shoulders slump a little.

"Oh."

Don't be awkward.

"Uh…you're welcome, I guess."

He clasps his hands behind his back and traces his foot idly along the ground, averting his gaze.

"The hug was too much, wasn't it?"

I can't help the chuckle that escapes me. "No—I mean, sort of… I'm just not used to…physical contact." I shrug. "You know, beyond fighting."

His gaze flicks back up to mine, baby blue striking hot amber. "Oh." He glances around, like he's physically looking for something to talk about.

"So what're you doing out here by yourself?" he asks. I set my jaw.

"Just…thinking. My scouts are getting on my nerves and I…" I trail off and look away. Why am I talking to him like this? I'm not supposed to be seen with him—with any of them. There could be people watching right now—

"Mikey? Mikey, what are you doing up here? I thought I told you to—"

That familiar voice is lost in a hitch of breath as I turn to see him, standing on the roof's edge, those blue eyes wide and bright against the dark backdrop of the city.

"Karai?" He says my name like a hope, a whisper suspended in disbelief, as if he never expected to see me again. Our eyes lock, and everything else seems to cease existing around me in those three long strides he takes to meet me. My breath is caught in my throat like a lump, with all the things I want to say, with all the emotions I want to express, to understand, but can't. After eight months in my darkness, withering beneath the shadow of my father and my duties, seeing Leo lifts some unseen force from within my chest. But the illusion is broken when the younger brother pipes up.

"See Leo? I told you I saw her up here!"

But Leo rolls right over his words, his eyes on me. "Karai, what're you doing here?"

I regain myself as quickly as I can, scraping up any resolve I have left to patch up my walls again.

"I should be asking you the same thing," I retort, folding my arms over my chest. My eyes flit over his body, taking in the details. His scars have faded tremendously, but there's still a few across the side of his neck and along his plastron that stand out, darker than the rest of him. The indentations remain in the hard shell of his chest and back, like little chips in his armor. But his shin is no longer a gnarled mess of bone fragments—it's smooth and straight, save for the jagged scar running down the length of it. I think he's grown a bit, too.

He keeps glancing around like he expects someone to jump out at any second, and it's a bit disappointing. He's the only friend I have, and I never thought I'd see him again, but now he's here and he can't even keep his focus on me long enough for my mind to be able to ground itself in this moment.

"We're out on patrol," he explains quickly. "Heard some Purple Dragon members were causing trouble on Fifth." Another scan of the area. "What're you out here for?"

I shrug, trying to play casual and shove down the bubbling mess of heat boiling away in my gut. I breathe deep and stifle the emotions.

"I was on a scouting trip." I shoot a glare at Michelangelo, who returns my hot stare with a sheepish grin and a timid chuckle. "And then he showed up."

Leo groans and turns to his brother. "Mikey, you know you're not supposed to wander off alone. If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. There could've been Foot soldiers out here with her, or any number of—"

"Dude, chill," Michelangelo grumbles in an attempt to placate his older brother. "First off, I'm not dumb enough to jump into a situation before scoping things out a bit."

Leo gives him a hard stare, and he corrects himself.

"Okay, I'm usually not that dumb. But I checked, I swear! I just wanted to thank her for helping you out, that's all."

"Well you could've said something before running off," Leo growls. "Scare me half to death on our first night out—"

I clear my throat and nod towards the buildings to the right. "This isn't the greatest time to have a spat, you two. My idiot scouts are probably right across the street, and it'd be hell for all three of us if they were to notice me up here with you."

Leo's gaze hardens. "You're right. It's not safe." He looks to Michelangelo and jabs his finger down towards the alley to our left.

"Get back down there; find Raph and Donnie. They should be waiting around the corner, if they're any better at following orders than you are."

"But what about Karai?" he asks pleadingly. "They'll wanna see her too, Leo."

"Go, Mikey. I'll be right there."

He huffs out a breath, but complies nonetheless. In less than a second, he's across the roof and out of sight.

"Sorry," Leo murmurs, his gaze lingering on the space his brother had vanished from. "I hope he didn't freak you out or anything."

I laugh. "Nothing freaks me out anymore, Leo. And it's fine… He was nice." I pause, lowering my voice. "I didn't think you'd tell them about me."

He shrugs. "Kinda had to. Things got a little…out of hand, to say the least. It's been rough these past few months since I got home."

I nod, trying to visualize what might have happened the instant his family saw him stagger back to them.

"Your limp's gone," I say idly, my brain scrambling for conversation pieces.

"Yeah," he chuckles. "Donnie had to do some sort of invasive surgery on it. He put this metal rod in the bone to keep it all together. Recovery sucked…but I'm walking, so I guess it paid off."

I chew on my lip, feeling closed in by all the thoughts spurring around in my head. I just want to sit here and talk with him, like we did before. I need someone to vent to, to spill my secrets and trust that they won't be spoken. The tension that drifts between us is driving me mad. It wasn't like this before—

You pushed him away, remember?

I swallow hard as the memory resurfaces. Him trying to lift my spirits in that dark alley, me blocking him out with my walls, with my fears and uncertainty. I told him that we wouldn't see each other—that everything would be different. I made him feel like I didn't want to be near him anymore, when the exact opposite is true. I need him here. I need someone, anyone, to be here when my world grows too heavy for me to bear. I can't do this by myself.

But he breaks the silence with a sigh and rubs the back of his neck. "I'm sorry...I should go now." He takes a step back, and my heart lurches. "I don't want to get you in any trouble—"

"No!" I say suddenly, reaching for him as he turns to leave. He stops, his eyes on my outstretched hand in anticipation. Heat flushes through me. I curl my fingers back into my palm and lower my arm to my side, looking away. I can feel him watching me, waiting.

"I, um…"

Come on, come on—say something, you idiot—

"I'd like to see your brothers, if that's alright with you."

His eyes search mine, and my throat works. I don't know what's up with my lack of composure, but I'm making myself out for a fool.

Stupid, stupid, stupid—

"Okay," he says slowly, tilting his head. "Where do you want to meet?"

I glance around and feel my skin prickle. This is such a bad idea, I'm going to get myself killed—

"Where we were last," I say quietly.

And then I turn on my heels, bolt from the roof, and jump down into the darkness below.

~T~

{Leo}

She drops out of sight into the streets, leaving me there with her last words hanging on the breeze.

Where we were last.

I stare after the empty space she once filled, feeling my chest ache. I didn't think I'd find her again, but there she was, alone up here…

Doing what?

I try to think of how her life's been since I left. Eight months is a long time. She looked older. Tired. Darker, too. Her eyes were different, and I could sense something in her voice, in her spirit. Not defeat…

But tension.

The dead calm before the storm, the stillness of the sea before the raging winds rip the waves to shreds. She looked taut and ready to snap. A mine waiting to be set off. All that energy, that frustration and pain, just building inside of her.

And where have I been?

My brow knits as an overwhelming sense of concern ripples through me. She's had no one this entire time. No one to talk to, to joke with, to spar with. Just her and her father and all the hell in-between.

And the way she reached for me tore at my heart. There was desperation in her voice, in her touch. She needs something to ground her, or she's going to break.

I set my jaw, steeling myself over as I remember the promise I made her. I whirl around, speeding across the rooftop and hurling myself into the air. With outstretched arms and coiled legs, I catch the side of the fire escape and spring off of the metal railing, launching myself down onto the asphalt with hardly a sound. In seconds, I'm on my feet and around the corner of the alleyway, where my brothers are waiting.

"Leo," Mikey whispers quickly. "Leo, did she leave? What'd you talk about? Is she—"

"Come on," I mutter gruffly, like I don't care. "We're taking a short detour."

"A detour?" Donnie repeats. "What for?"

"Yeah," Raph growls. "What about the Dimwits? I thought we were gonna bash some heads, Leo—"

"We will," I assure. "But there's something else we have to do first."

Raph just scoffs. He's not as keen as he usually is to start a fight with me—not on our first night out, anyway.

"Okay, fine. What?"

"Just follow me."

And they do. Without a word, they fall in behind me, quiet as the dead. We sneak through the streets, moving like ghosts across the city. I keep waiting for one of them to argue, to break the stoic silence that's settled on us, but they don't.

Ever since I got back, it's been…different. I mean, for the most part, things have shifted back into some form of normality, but the scars are still there. We fight about it sometimes, when we get frustrated. Raph will bring it up when he thinks I'm being unfair. For the first few months, he was unusually clingy, like he was afraid I was just going to disappear. He'd pass it off through his tough-guy attitude, but I could see that fear in his eyes, and I knew he was only picking on me more because it was his way of convincing himself that I was actually there. And partially because I deserved it. But he doesn't deliberately dig up the past to hurt me. He uses my absence against me only when he feels he needs to, which is alright—as long as it doesn't become a regular card he plays to guilt-trip me when he wants his way.

Mikey, as expected, doesn't bring it up at all except for a few jokes here and there. He doesn't use it against me in any way, and he's returned to being his old prankster self. We spent the first month together catching up on games, movies, and comics—all the "important stuff" that I missed out on while I was gone. It's been nice bonding with him. It's different, mostly because I've seen glimpses of just how much he had to grow up with me gone, but it's a good kind of different.

And then there's Donnie. Donnie's been…well, I can't really explain what he's been. He's still doing his genius thing, hiding in his lab for a majority of the day and spouting off random science that no one really asked for or will ever need to know. But like Mikey, Donnie's grown so much through this whole thing. It's in his eyes, in the way he holds himself—even the way he argues. He hasn't brought up our fight, or anything else, since the day he punched the crap out of my face. But I can see it in his gaze when we disagree—a silent, heavy stare that reminds me that the pain and the anger is still there behind those dark eyes, lingering. He's certainly grown as a fighter, too. He's calm, collected, and focused, but there's a storm behind that serenity. A tempest just waiting for the right moment. Sometimes during training, it'll come out in a blow that's a little harder than it should've been, or when he sneaks a few extra hits in for good measure. It's not like Raph's short fuse; it's quieter, patient. Donnie bides his time, searching for the perfect opportunity to unleash that madness. He's becoming a force to be reckoned with, but at the same time, he's never been a better follower. Every order I give, he follows to a T. All the sarcastic comments have come to a screeching halt—well, for the most part. He still gets in his jab when he feels he really needs to.

I glance back at the three of them as we round another corner. I'm surprised we've gotten this far without one of them stopping us and complaining. But there's nothing—just the sounds of the city and the soft slips of footsteps as we move.

And almost an hour later, we arrive at the docks. I duck and roll behind an old fishing building to scope things out before I wave them over. They fall in line behind me—again, without a word. It's actually kind of unnerving not to hear some sort of opposition from them. My eyes scour their faces one by one, searching for an emotion I can place, but all I can see in their gazes is curiosity and unwavering trust. My heart skips a beat as I realize how much they depend on me…and how much I depend on them.

I swallow it down and turn back to the docks, noting the spray of the sea against the wooden beams and remembering how I would listen to the sound of the waves all day long while I rested. My chest aches from the memory, and I shake it off.

Focus.

"Come on," I whisper, motioning forth. We sneak past another few buildings, stopping twice to duck down and evade a passerby. But in another five minutes, we're alongside the warehouse I spent so much time in. I wrench an old window open and we crawl into the darkness.

Raph's voice breaks the thick silence of distant waves and dripping pipes.

"So you wanna tell us what we're here for, Fearless?"

I hold up a finger to keep him quiet just as I remember that he can't see it.

"Did anybody bring a giant flashlight?" Mikey whispers.

"Mikey," Raph mutters. "Just because you carry random things with you doesn't mean everyone else does."

"Why would anybody have a giant flashlight on them during patrol?" Donnie adds. "Where would we even keep it?"

"Well I thought someone would be more prepared, you know? I mean, we're ninjas… We work in the shadows and all the fun stuff. Just thought it'd make sense for one of us to have a flashlight."

"Tch," Raph scoffs. "Then maybe you should stuff your shell full of flashlights instead of water balloons—"

"Guys, quiet down, will you?" I hiss. I feel around for something familiar just as the swinging lamp overhead flickers to life. I jump back, shielding my eyes from the sudden burst of light and accidentally knocking Mikey into Raph.

"Watch it!" Raph growls.

"Sorry!"

"How slow are you guys?" Karai's voice fills my senses, and I blink until my vision clears and she comes into view. "I've been waiting here for forever."

Mikey squeals and bounces in front of me. "Karai!"

I snatch him by the shell and yank him back into place.

"Well we couldn't exactly take the main street," I reply, smirking. Her lips tug into a grin, her hand on her hip, and her eyes flicker towards my brothers.

Raph shoves his way between Mikey and I, his gaze rolling right over her like he's sizing her up. "You brought us out here to see her?" he grumbles. "I thought this was something important!"

"Raph," I growl, jabbing him with my elbow. I smile sheepishly. "He means 'thank you.'"

She glares hard at my idiot brother, and for a moment, I think she's going to say something smart, but her lips thin out and she crosses her arms. I realize her tough-girl exterior has appeared over whatever broken demeanor she wore earlier. She's never really been around all four of us at once—not on good terms, anyway. She probably doesn't know what to do.

Mikey hops past me, waving his arms excitedly. "So is this where you stayed, Leo? This place is huge! I bet it even echoes—HELLO!" His voice rings throughout the spacious warehouse, bouncing off the walls and returning in pieces.

"Mikey!" I hiss. "Keep it down!"

"Heh." He clasps his hands behind his back. "Sorry." But not a moment later, he's spinning around and pointing at things. "So where'd you sleep? On that couch?" He throws himself forth and starts jumping on the old sofa, drawing groans and creaks from the worn down frame.

"Dude, this thing's way bouncier than the one at home!" He flops down on the cushions and slides off. "Can we keep it? Please!"

I rub my temples with my fingers in an annoyed fashion, but to my surprise, Karai's watching my little brother being an idiot with a smile on her face.

"It's odd that a building this big was left abandoned," Donnie pipes up from the behind. I glance over my shoulder to see him wandering along the back walls, nudging old boxes with his bo staff and tapping his chin thoughtfully. "What was this space used for? Manufacturing?"

Karai shrugs. "You could say that. My father used it a few times before he built his own place in a more…discreet area of town."

I can sense the tension immediately suck the oxygen from the air at the mention of Shredder. Sometimes I forget how close Karai is with him. My brothers definitely don't like to hear her speak of our mortal enemy in such a casual fashion.

"Whoa," Mikey—thankfully—interrupts. "What're all these splotches?" He points at the dark stains in the concrete and looks at me. "Dude, is that your blood?"

I step over to where my little brother stands and stare down at the spatters, frowning. "I don't remember…" I turn to Karai. "Did I really bleed that much?"

She looks at me like I've just asked the dumbest question she's ever heard. "You practically exploded," she mutters. "What did you expect? Paper cuts?"

Her remark goes over my head and my mind drifts. I wonder what that was like. Obviously, I was unconscious, but she was here…helping me. I glance at her from my peripherals, and I can see the look in her eyes. She remembers. I was on my death bed, bleeding out, broken and completely gone in mind, body, and spirit—but here she was to pull me back.

Another ache emanates from my chest, like someone's pulling a string through my flesh. Why does it hurt so much to look at her and remember? I'm home now, where I'm supposed to be. I have my family back.

So why do I feel remorse?

I shake it off again and try to focus. I can't think about then, because it's gone now. What's in front of me, my family, is what matters.

It's then I realize how quiet things have gotten. I lift my head to see my brothers glancing back and forth from Karai to me. Heat rushes to my face from the weight of their stares.

"So you really did help him," Raph mumbles, his eyes averting to the blood stains at his feet.

"Is that a statement or are you just attempting to thank me again?" she asks sarcastically. Raph glares back at her, his expression gruff.

"Don't push it," he says past gritted teeth. "I still don't like you."

She merely smiles, shrugging off his hostility.

"Oh, tell us the story!" Mikey chirps, hopping over to where Karai and I are standing. He folds his hands together and drops to his knees in his famous begging position. "Please?"

Her brow arches and she takes a step back from my obnoxious brother.

"I'm sure Leonardo already told you what happened," she dismisses. "There's not much to tell, anyway. I found him and brought him here until he was well enough to return home." Her shoulders lift and drop again absently. "That's it."

"Aw, come on!" Mikey pleads. "You're telling me you spent over a year with him, and he didn't once do anything embarrassing? You've gotta give me somethin' to work with here!"

A smirk tugs her lips and she glances at me, no doubt remembering a number of things I wasn't conscious of doing. Heat seeps through my cheeks as I recall how many times I talked in my sleep. What did I say? Oh man, I bet it was humiliating—

Like that time I told her she was pretty—

I bet that's not even close to what else I must've done to look like an idiot-

No, no, shut up, shut up!

I clear my throat in a desperate attempt to break the awkward tension that's settled over me.

"Mikey, I already told you everything that happened. Besides, Karai doesn't have time to sit here and entertain you; we came here to thank her, that's all. And we've got Purple Dimwits to take care of, remember?"

"Yeah!" Raph shouts enthusiastically. "What're we standing around for?" He slips his sai from his belt and twirls them around in the air. "Blah, blah, gratitude, blah—thanks for saving Leo's shell, Karai! Now let's get going, before we lose them—"

"Slow down, Raph," I chide. "I didn't say we were leaving right now."

Raph groans, baring teeth. "Fine, whatever—have your little kissy fest. I'll be outside when you guys are ready to go do something fun."

He walks off towards the window and hoists himself out, making an obvious climb to the roof. I watch him vanish and frown when Donnie speaks up.

"Not to ruin whatever moment you were trying to make, Leo, but Raph's right. We've got to get going if we want to make it to Fifth before they get away again."

He steps over to us and extends his hand towards Karai. "Thank you," he says with a small smile. "You deserve a lot more than gratitude for what you did."

She takes his hand, her eyes softening, and they shake on it.

"You're welcome," she replies quietly.

He nods at her. "You just let us know if you ever need help with anything." He slides his bo staff back into his belt. "You know, as long as it's legal."

She chuckles at that and he steps away.

"I'll be out with Raph when you're done, Leo."

He waves us off and makes for the window, slipping out in a split second and disappearing into the outer darkness.

"My turn!" I turn on my heels to see Mikey scoop Karai up from the floor and squeeze her into a suffocating embrace. Her eyes snap wide and she makes a little sound in the back of her throat—

Probably because she can't breathe—

"Mikey!" I hiss. "Mikey, knock it off—put her down!"

He hums happily and hugs her tighter before setting her back on her feet.

"Thanks, Karai," he chirps, steadying her with a hand on her shoulder as she teeters. "You should totally hang out with us sometime. We could eat pizza and watch anime—" He gasps loudly. "Oh, oh! We could totally have a sleepover! And you could train with us and go out on patrol—"

"Mikey," I growl, jaw clenched.

Come on, take a hint, little brother.

He looks at me with those big, innocent eyes and chuckles nervously.

"Oh, sorry… I'll just, um, go wait outside with Raph and Donnie." He smiles and waves. "See ya later, Karai!"

And with that, he takes off for the window, stopping just before climbing out. "But seriously, we should hang out."

"Go, Mikey," I grumble.

"How's next week? We doing anything next week, Leo?"

"Mikey."

"Okay, okay, sheesh!" He hops into the window space and waves again. "Bye!"

The faint sound of him scrambling up the side of the building draws a relieved sigh from me. My shoulders slump.

"Sorry," I mutter. "I thought that'd go… Well, actually, I had no idea how that was going to go."

She laughs, hugging her arms around her waist. "It's fine. I just wanted to see how everyone was…make sure you guys were okay and stuff. But they all seem fine. You guys must've worked through most of it by now."

I shrug. "Well, yeah. Sort of. It still comes out every once in a while, but for the most part, we're good." I frown. "Sorry about Mikey, by the way. He's a hugger."

She smiles. "I didn't mind…he's sweet. For a mutant turtle, anyway." She arches her brow at me, smile widening while my mind short-circuits from the fact that she just called Mikey cute. "Pizza and anime? Is that what you guys do when you're not saving the world or blowing up?"

I chuckle nervously. "Well, uh, not all the time. I mean, I prefer sci-fi, but that's—"

Shut up, Leo—you're being a dork again.

I clear my throat, scrambling. "We mostly train and stuff. That's just, um, a pastime when we're not busy—which we usually are, but sometimes—"

"Sci-fi?" she questions, hand on her hip and a glint in her eye. "Which show?"

Do not say Space Heroes—

"Space Heroes."

UHG!

She laughs, and my face turns red.

"I-I mean I used to watch that," I stammer. "But I totally don't anymore—"

"Calm down, Leo," she pacifies, clearly amused. "It was just a question."

But you laughed.

"Besides, I haven't watched TV since I was a kid. It's not like I would know what any of that is."

But you laughed.

She shakes her head and sighs, grinning. "Well, you guys certainly made my night better." Her eyes flick up to mine and my breath hitches.

"Thank you," she says earnestly. I nod, swallowing down the lump in my throat. There's so much I want to say to her, so much that she needs to know...but I can't.

Silence fills the room, swift and heavy, laced with the ghosts of our time spent here and all the things neither one of us will say. She breaks it when she clears her throat and nods towards the window.

"You should probably get going. You're brothers are waiting out there, and I have to get back before I get into trouble."

It's like an ice pick being shoved through my gut. My chest feels cold and heavy, but I dip my head and avert my gaze. "Yeah," I whisper. "I, um… Thank you, for seeing us and stuff. I'll, uh, see you around?"

Her stare holds mine. "Maybe."

She says it so solemnly that it translates to "Probably not." I swallow again, feeling constricted by the weight, by this strange pain wrapping around my chest. Around my heart. Her eyes look so dark, so sad, that I just want to hug her, to hold her and tell her that everything will be alright.

But instead, I turn on my heels and head for the opening. Every step feels like a broken promise, a neglected hope. I stop, my hands on the cold sill of the window. My brow knits, and I glance back at her, standing there by herself in the big, empty room.

"I didn't forget," I say, loud enough for her to hear. "And I meant what I said, Karai. I will find a way to make you safe."

Even from where I stand, I can see her golden eyes waver, wet with the threat of tears. Her jaw clenches and her hands curl into fists at her sides. I expect her to tell me to give it up, like she did last time. I expect her to brush off my promise as another empty, forgotten dream.

But she doesn't. Instead, her gaze captures mine, stilling the breath in my lungs and the blood in my heart. Her voice is so steady, and yet so broken, like her every hope has been hung on them.

"I'm counting on it, Leo."

I swallow hard, trying to breathe past the weight lodged in my chest. I grip the window sill even tighter and pull myself up.

"Goodnight, Karai."

And then I'm out, consumed by the darkness.

My brothers are waiting for me when I reach the rooftop. Raph stands to his feet, stretching in anticipation.

"Finally," he breathes. "You two done making out yet?"

Normally, his remark would send heat running through me, but it just goes over my head.

"Come on," I say indifferently. "We've got criminals to catch."

"Psh," Raph scoffs. "They're not exactly 'criminal' material."

"So is Karai gonna start hanging out with us now?" Mikey asks hopefully. I refrain from rolling my eyes.

"It's not the same as with April," I mutter. "Karai's…complicated."

"And also the daughter of a psychopathic murderer," Raph adds.

I ignore him. "She's been putting herself in a lot of danger just to be with us," I explain. "She can't exactly 'hang out.'"

"I know," Mikey grumbles. "I just thought it'd be cool to have another human friend who's also a ninja. There aren't a ton of people like that, you know."

"Yeah," Donnie chuckles. "Humans trained in ancient Japanese battle arts who also accept our mutant appearances are kind of in short supply."

Mikey sighs heavily, and Raph gives him a good, solid punch in the shoulder to cheer him up.

"Don't be so glum, man. We're gonna go kick some butt!"

Mikey's eyes brighten. "And then get some pizza?"

"Shell yeah!" Raph grins, slinging an arm over our little brother. "Butt-kicking ain't official without some pizza!"

The two start laughing, shoving each other around for fun as we ditch the docks. I watch them with a faint smile on my face when Donnie pulls up beside me.

"It was nice of her to see us like that," he says idly. "She risks a lot for you…doesn't she?"

My throat works as I struggle for an answer I know I can't give, because his question is probing for something deeper.

"Yeah," I say weakly. "She does."

Mikey and Raph's laughter echoes behind us as the two continue to joke and mess around. But I feel far away from that, with her gold eyes burning behind my own.

"Leo...is everything alright?" he asks, obviously sensing my distress.

"Not really," I answer soberly. I look out to the city as we move, to the dazzling lights and motion, to the life that moves beyond our own.

I'm counting on it, Leo.

I think of her, of everything that's happened, of everything I've promised, and I feel my heart steel over with resolve.

"But it will be."

THE END

A/N: Whoo! We've finally reached the end of this glorious, angsty story!

First off, I want to thank all of you who have stuck with me through this story. Thank you for the time you took to read my drabble, for all the reviews, encouragement, and support. I couldn't have gotten this far without you guys pushing me forward! *HUGS*

And man! This thing took forever, but I'm happy with how it turned out, and I hope you guys are as well. Not everything was solved, but that's just life. It's a journey of ups and downs, but every step means something.

Originally, this story was meant to be a prequel to my other story, Inhuman. But when this took a different direction...well, it no longer serves as a proper prequel. That being said, there are going to be inconsistencies between the two stories, but Inhuman IS MEANT to take place after this. So if you guys want to check it out and see what happens, obviously, I encourage that. Just know that the only real consistent points are between Leo and Karai's growing relationship, and the Technodrome incident is mentioned in a few fights that Leo and Raph have. Yes, they beat each other up a lot. Angst everywhere!

So yeah, if you want to read that, that'd be pretty cool.

BUT ANYWAY.

Thank you guys again for everything you've done! I look forward to hearing from you in this story and the next!

Have a turtle-tastic week! :D