2 chapters in one day! Yes! I really enjoyed writing this part, for some reason. Takes place on the same night Leo and Karai "stole" the sword. Again, if this is not up to my usual standards, or there are misspelled words, I've been sick all day and up since 5:30 am, so kinda running on fumes. Enjoy!

One trip to the junkyard and another trip to the UPS office later, I'm running across rooftops, still giddy from Karai's kiss. Suddenly, I stop. I feel eyes on me. I'm not alone. I search the rooftops and spot a slim figure hiding in the shadows across the street. Karai. I smile at her and I'm about to wave when I hear an angry voice behind me.

"LEO!" I whirl around to see Raph marching up to me.

"Raph! Wha-what do you want?" My mood instantly sours.

"Well, let's see. Maybe an explanation about why when we were fighting for our lives against Snakeweed, you were with a girl in the Foot!"

"What? H-How did - "

"April texted Donnie saying you were going to the Byerly Building. But when I got there, you were nowhere to be seen. So I went to April's to see why she thought you would be there. And I learned some pretty interesting things. How could you Leo? That girl is in the Foot!"

"Her name is Karai." I stare at him coldly.

"Oh, excuse me. KARAI is in the Foot. Doesn't that make everything all right? Happy?"

"Lay off Raph. I know what I'm doing." I try to walk away, but Raph steps in front of me, blocking my path.

"Leo, she is using you! Whatever she wants from you, it's for her benifit and our downfall."

"You're wrong. There's good in her, I can sense it."

"She is in the Foot, Leo! The first chance she gets, when you're no longer useful to her, she'll stab you in the shell and take you to Shredder."

"She would never do that. You don't know her like I do."

"Oh, and you know her so well."

"I don't have to take this." Again I try to march away, but again Raph stops me.

"Actually you do, fearless leader." Something inside me snaps. I'm usually good at keeping my temper, but Raph has pushed me too far today. My fingers curl into a fist and I let a punch fly. Raph wasn't expecting that. My hand hits his face and he falls onto his shell, frozen with shock, eyes wide open. I have never hit him before.

I stand over him, my shadow looming across his plastron like a dark presence and my eyes narrowed into angry, upset slits.

"But I'm not the leader anymore, am I? You took that away from me, and now you're trying to stop me from being friends with Karai. Well you can't. She is my friend and she understands me more than you ever have." My voice is trembling by the end of the sentence, and with nothing else to say, I flee.

I run as far away and as fast as I can. For a while I hear footsteps behind me, but they fade out as I pull ahead. This is my reward for training extra-hard; I can run much faster and far longer than Raph can, even after all I've done today.

I run and run, not sure where I'm going, just anywhere but the Lair or where Raph is. I run from him and all this tension between us and the sick feeling in my stomach. How could he? How could he attempt to take away everything that means something to me? He's my brother, but with a brother like him, who needs enemies?

I round another corner and collaspe against the side of the taller building next door. I'm in one of the poor sectors of the city; one of those rundown collection of cheap apartment buildings that you don't want to be in, even in broad daylight. I'm sweating buckets and my breath is ragged and whezzy. The sweat drips in my eyes and burns them, then runs down my face. I'm not positive that it's just sweat.

"You're pretty fast for a turtle." A female voice says from in front of me. I look up and see Karai. Her eyes widen and she whispers, "Oh." I must look awful.

"Hey Karai." I attempt to sound normal. I fail miserably.

She sits down beside me, close, but not too close. "I couldn't help but overhear." I nod. I understand. I saw her myself.

"So that's one of your brothers, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah. Raph." My voice is cold and curt, more than I meant to be.

"Hey, no need to be like that!"

"Sorry. I'm just really mad at him right now. He has no idea what it's like being me, yet he's basically trying to destroy my life."

"Ya wanna talk about it?"

I look at her, surprised. "I didn't take you for the type to listen to people's feelings."

"I'm not, but you're no fun when you're down. Plus it might help you."

I sigh. "You're probably right."

"I always am."

I smile a little. "Well, I guess it started right before I met you. We were chasing down this 12- foot tall regenerating weed mutant called Snakeweed that was kidnapping people - "

"Okay, weird hobby, but go on."

"And we corner it in this deadend alley. Raph wanted to charge it, but I decided to take it from above. It was less risky that way. He argues, but follows me. We move to take it out, but it was gone. I guess he went into the sewers or something. So Raph starts harping on me about how I'm a horrible leader and how if we did it his way, we would have won. So we argue and I leave. He has no idea what kind of pressure I'm under to make sure the entire team makes it out alive, none of them do, and all they do is complain. And now Raph has made it his personal mission to become leader instead of me. And I just don't get him!" I half-yell this last part. I'm extremely fed up with Raph. At this moment, I wouldn't care if I never saw him again.

"Calm down. It's not the end of the world."

"Yeah. But yelling helps."

She smirks. "I'm guessing punching him in the face helped a lot too."

"Totally. I may go back and do it again." I smile back at her. For someone who's supposed to be my enemy, she sure can cheer me up.

"So did you really mean what you said?"

"Huh?"

"About me being your friend. Were you serious?"

"Of course, Karai. You're definitely my friend. You're a better friend than Raph, that's for sure. Why does that surprise you?"

"Well, I've never really had a friend. My whole life has revolved around the Foot, and I've learned it's best not to get emotionally attached to anyone in the Clan. Someone who's here today won't necessarily be here tomorrow, especially if they're of low rank."

"Then I will be your first." Of course, I would rather be more than just friends, but it's a good start.

Karai smirks at me, and I feel heat rising to my face. "Friends with the enemy. I'm pretty sure there's irony in there somewhere."

I shrug. "Maybe."

"So what are you going to do for the next few hours? It won't be light 'till 6:30, and I'm guessing you don't want to be back at your sewer hideout until you absolutely have to be."

"Got that right. I don't know. Wanna have a rematch? I believe I was winning when we left off."

She scoffs. "In your dreams, hero boy. I was kicking your shell."

I smile and stand. "Oh, it is so on." I stretch and walk to the other end of the roof. We both draw a sword. I bow, and after a beat, Karai does the same.

"Yaaaah!"

"He-yah!"

Our blades clash and we spar, not as enemies, but as friends.

Raph lovers, I'm sorry, but he was a jerk in that episode, so that carried over into this, especially after he found out Leo had an interest in a Foot girl.

So, yay! They are getting closer, becoming friends. Tell me what you think, PLEASE, and I'll answer any questions as best I can. Hope you liked it. This is probably going to be a three shot or maybe four. I'm kinda playing this by ear, going with the flow. So again, review and I'll see you later! Thanks!