~ Author's note.

Thank you for all the great reviews everyone! For those confused about Karai's rescue, I promise that all will be explained soon, after the prologue. Thanks again!

Home Again

Chapter Two

The dojo was filled with anticipation. Each ninja was completely still, eyes darting to every face opposing them. Finally, one of them lost his patience.

"So, are we gonna do this or what?" Raphael asked.

"Aw yeah!" Michelangelo cried, striking first. "Ninja melee dawg!"

Donatello blocked his attack. Then flipped back to put some distance between them. Raphael choose to go for Leonardo but, half way through his charge, Karai caught his sais with her katana.

"What's the matter, Raph?" Karai teased, pushing him back. "Afraid to fight a girl?"

In an instant, Raphael's temper took over. "If you want a beat down sister, all you have to do is ask!"

Karai grinned devilishly. "Bring it on!"

With no one to fight at the moment, Leonardo took a few minutes to observe.

Michelangelo wasn't focused on the fight so much as he was funning around. Donatello was doing a good job of keeping his cool. His fast paced mind was three moves ahead of his brother. Although, it was all he could do to physically keep up with the hyper active Michelangelo.

A cry from Karai drew Leonardo's attention away. She had Raphael on the defensive. His hot headed brother had plenty of muscle and skill, but Karai was just as skilled and far more cunning. Considering that she had ate, slept and breathed ninjutsu since she could walk, it wasn't big a surprise.

She was in much better shape now since her homecoming. Her skin's healthy glow had returned quickly. Building her muscles back up took a bit longer, but now she was back in full swing.

Instead of fixing it the way it was before, she decided to keep her hair long, like her mother. She did cut off the faded blonde dye at the ends, but her hair grew out again pretty fast. However, she didn't entirely abandoned hair dye. She did a streak of blonde at the front. In Leonado's opinion, it looked much better this way, especially when she braided it like she had today.

She was wearing the silk blouse I liked best too. It was pastel blue with white buttons. It had a high neck and was sleeveless. It hugged her curves well, and so did the black pants she paired it with.

While he had gotten caught up in admiring Karai, he had not forgotten one of the fundamental ninja rules. Always be aware of your surroundings. Apparently his brothers had decided to gang up on him. He ducked just in time. Donatello's bo staff missed his head by inches. At the same time, Michelangelo was swinging his nunchucks at Leonardo's ankles. Leonardo bent backwards just as they were about to make contact. Putting his hands on the floor, he lifted his legs up to both dodge Michelangelo's attack and catch Donatello's staff between his feet. He slammed it into Michelangelo's shoulder, making him drop one of his weapons. He caught it in his hand as he rolled back. Popping up to his feet, he slung out his little brother's kusarigama. Like lassoing cattle, he entrapped them in the chain and yanked them off their feet. If they hadn't been standing so close together, it wouldn't have been so easy.

"Nice try guys," Leonardo commended, unsheathing his twin katana. "But try harder next time."

"Whatever," his brothers huffed in unison.

Laughing, Leonardo went to cut into the next fight. By the time he got there, Karai had Raphael pinned to the ground, and he was boiling over it.

"Alright! Alright! Get off of me!" he shouted.

Karai released his arms and backed away. "Anything you say little brother." If looks could kill, Raphael would have vaporized Karai. He hated it when she called him that, especially in that haughty tone she carried so well.

Leonardo tried to clear his throat to keep from laughing, but it came out as a choked chortle. This made Raphael all the more angrier.

"You got something to say?!" Raphael demanded, rising to his feet.

Leonardo shook his head. "Nope. I'm good." Raphael grumbled something under his breath as he limped off. Probably along the lines of "Stick it up your shell." Now it was just Leonardo and Karai.

"You ready?" she asked, lifting her katana.

Leonardo raised his as well. "Always."

While untangling himself from Donatello, Michelangelo shouted, "Then start already!" Then sooner this was over, the sooner he could enjoy some down time.

At the end of his sentence, it began. Everytime their blades met was like a flash of lightening. Both moved at blinding speeds. Karai was more flexible but Leonardo was sturdy. Whenever she managed to slip behind him, he used his shell as a shield. She was like the unyielding river, and he an unmovable mountain.

Eventually, when their swords were locked, Leonardo was able to shove her weapon out of her hands. It flew across the dojo, skidding to a halt at their master's feet. Smirking, Karai put up her fists. Stubborn girl that she was, she wasn't close to conceding defeat.

"Where's that blinding powder when you need it?" Leonardo mocked, feeling cocky.

She didn't reply, busy planning on how to put him in his place. The determination lit a familiar spark in her eyes. His confidence shrank at the sight of them. Before he lost his nerve, he decided to strike first, but she maneuvered around his blades easily. She slipped up through his arms and gave him a peck on the cheek, stunning him. While his defense was down, she pounded her fist into his jaw, knocking him off his feet and making him drop his swords.

Lying on his shell, he stared up at the ceiling, in a daze from both the blow and the kiss. Karai's face appeared above him. She was leaning over him, giggling and offering a hand to help him up.

"You okay, Leo?" she asked.

He drew his mouth into a tight line. "You cheated." She rolled her eyes, still giggling. "Did not." Leonardo grabbed her hand in both of his but, instead of letting her help him up, he kicked her in the stomach, pushing her up in the air. Still holding her hand, he slung her down on the floor behind him. Now she was lying flat on her back, gasping for breath.

"Did too," he chuckled.

When she found the air to speak, she managed to say through deep breaths, "Did... not..."

The others walked up and helped them both up.

"So who won?" Michelangelo asked, scratching his head.

"In training, there are never any losers Michelangelo," Splinter explained. "As long as you are learning, that is all that matters."

Every one of his students stared at him thoughtfully, but Michelangelo.

"Well, if there were any losers, Raph totally got his shell kicked," he snickered.

It wasn't unusual for Raphael or Leonardo to best him in combat, but Raphael was always smug about it. The fact that Karai had beat him with little to no effort made the youngest turtle giddy.

Bursting with laughter, Donatello held his splitting sides, also tired of playing the roll of punching bag for Raphael.

Turning red from embarassment as well as rage, Raphael let out a loud yell. His brothers' jovial faces turned fearful. Both side stepped behind their sister for protection. She sighed deeply while shaking her head, disappointed that they had backed down yet again. As she looked at the wild fire that was Raphael, her expression softened into an understanding one. Throwing a supportive arm around her brother's neck, she said: "The only reason I won today is because you let me get inside your head." Disarmed by gentleness of her voice, Raphael released the building tension in his shoulders. She gave him a smile and started walking him out of the dojo. "If you had kept your emotions in check, it would've been a different fight. We'll have a rematch when you've cooled off. Then we'll see who the better ninja is." Even though he tried not to, his angry face melted into a small smile.

"Thanks, sis," he said quietly.

The rest of the boys followed them out into the entertainment area, leaving Splinter behind as their conversation moved to other subjects. Filled with pride, he watched them go. Having their family whole was like a salve to all his remaining heartaches. The only person he longed for now was Tang Shen. He wanted her to watch their daughter grow and change with him, and maybe help the boys improve their table manners.

Amusing himself with the thought of his wife at the dinner table, he sat down and tried to meditate.

In the other room, the boys gathered around the television. One of Michelangelo's favorite cartoons was on. Karai stood behind the couch to watch the first few minutes, finding it silly and immature. Then her Tphone chirped at an incoming text from April.

Ready for our girls' day out?

Having almost forgotten about it, she left the boys to their cartoon and went into her room.

Yes! I need some fresh air!

While she wasn't too excited to go hang out at the mall, she needed a break from being with the guys all the time, especially Leonardo. Since the day he brought her home, there was hardly a minute where he wasn't close by. Not that she was entirely annoyed by it, but a girl needed room to breathe.

Searching for her new favorite outfit, she rifled through her clothes rack. There wasn't a closet in her new room, so the boys had dug up the old, rusty rack at the city dump. They found some furniture for her too.

Remembering their efforts fondly, she stopped and looked around. It had been Leonardo's room first. He had generously given it up and moved into the old storage room. It was smaller, but he claimed that it didn't bother him. He words were, "Girls need more space than guys do."

His blue paint was still on the walls. It was a soft, peaceful shade, so she had decided not to change it. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.

His scent obstinately clung to every corner, but that didn't bother her. It had helped calm her down when she was having nightmares. Every time she woke up, it reminded her that she was home. After the very last one she had, Leonardo himself was there.

Breathing heavily, dripping with sweat, she sat up in her bed, shivering from the lingering image of Oroku Saki. He was the man she had once called father. She once thought he loved her, but he never showed her the kind of affection Splinter did. Still, he raised her. A childhood full of lies didn't change that. Thinking about the small happy moments they shared, few that they were, gave her a sorrow that burned in her chest, as if someone had died. Knowing that he was responsible for her mother's demise should make her hate him, right? Yet she felt so heartbroken, and she didn't understand why. He had used her, controlled her and caused the worst season of her life. She had been so full of hatred at first. Why was she feeling so sad now?

A few small knocks on her door startled her.

"Karai," Leonardo whispered behind the door. "Can I come in?"

She wiped the sweat off of her face before giving permission. The door opened half way at her response. He poked his head in and smiled at her. "I woke up hungry and made some ramen. Want some?" The smell wafted in as he waited for her answer. It was comforting.

"Sure," she said, crossing her legs and grabbing her ankles. "I could eat."

His smile grew wider as he pushed the door the rest of way open. Balancing two bowls in his left hand and forearm, he turned the light on with his right hand. She scooted up further on the bed to make room for him. Then he sat down and gave her a bowl.

"How did you know I was awake?"

As she was asking, Leonardo was in the middle of sucking in a few strips of noodles. Once they were down his throat, he answered, "Supreme ninja skills." This made her laugh a little bit.

They ate their noodles in silence at first. Near the end of their meal, Leonardo asked, "So, what's bothering you?" Not wanting to answer, she sipped the last of the broth in her bowl, trying to think of a little white lie. Although, she knew that he wasn't going to let her off the hook easily. Still, she had to try.

"I'm just having trouble sleeping," she said, setting her bowl on the bedside table. "That's all."

Knowing her eyes would betray her, she stared down at her hands, scratching away the dirt under her nails. Of course, Leonardo wasn't buying it. He finished the last of his ramen and put the emptied bowl over hers.

"The nightmares are getting worse, aren't they?"

She flinched. How did he know? Releasing a deflating sigh, she pulled her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees.

"Yes," she whispered. "But I'm dealing with it."

Tilting his head to try and catch her eyes, he asked, "So what else is going on that you're not dealing with?" He put his hand on her shoulder. "What ever it is, it's probably the reason you're nightmares aren't going away." This whole family thing was still new to her. She wasn't used to someone going to so much trouble to help her.

"You don't need to sit up with me, Leo. I'm not fragile," she said, feeling strangely ashamed. "I can take care of myself."

As if expecting her to say that, Leonardo moved to sit right beside her, so close that their arms were touching. "I know you can, but you're apart of our family now. We help each other through problems. I can't see you like this and do nothing." Finally, she lifted her head to look at him. On his sad, maskless face, she could see markings of deep concern.

Without warning, everything started bubbling up. Sobs crawled their way out of her throat, and tears started rolling down her cheeks. She had completely lost control and let it go. Rubbing her eyes furiously, she fell on her side into Leonardo's lap.

Again, he wasn't surprised. He gently turned her over, pulled her up to his chest and wrapped his arms securely around her. Desperate for something steady to hold on to, she put her arms around his waist. She held on as tightly as her trembling body could, pressing a wet cheek to his plastron.

"He lied to me," she said brokenly, hardly above a whisper. "He lied to me my whole life. Then he... he... I..."

Her tightening throat cut her words short. Leonardo rested the side of his face on the top of her head, rubbing circles in her back.

"It's okay, Karai," he said quietly. "You're allowed to grieve for the person you thought he was."

She shook her head. "But I don't want to! I hate him."

"He told you that he was your father, and he cruelly proved that was a lie."

"He's a monster!"

"You don't have to be ashamed of how you feel, Karai. Your real father isn't going to think any less of you. None of us will judge you."

He took her chin and turned her face up to look at her. His smile was warm and supportive. "The only thing you're guilty of is being human." Those words had her crumbling in his arms, and she was too tired to try and hide it.

He held her like that until her tears had finally run dry. After that night, she began coming to terms with all that she went through.

She didn't see the need tell Splinter anything. Even though Leonardo was right, that her real father wouldn't feel betrayed or hurt, a part of her still felt guilty. If it would pain her father even in the smallest way, she wanted to spare him that. Besides, now that she had plucked the thorn from her side, and let the festering wound breathe, her broken heart was healing nicely.

"Karai! April's here!" called Michelangelo from the other room.

"Be there in a minute!" she called back.

She quickly put her outfit on and left, abandoning her demons as she closed the door behind her.

~ Thanks for reading!