A/N- New chapter already? Had a spark of inspiration so here you go :) am really appreciating the comments guys so PLEASE keep them coming. They do honestly help xxx ENJOY!

Chapter 6

Leonardo tried to speak to Venus when she exited the meditation chamber, but before he could even approach her she headed straight for the dojo. He saw a look of determination on her face and thought that if she was anything like him, it would be better to leave her to it. He was tempted to go and ask Master Splinter what had happened between them but shrugged any worries off his shoulders; Master Splinter never got angry with Venus.

He thought with some guilt about their own conversation. Everything was fine until the church had been brought up; Leo found himself stumbling as the memory flashed through him. He couldn't mention it to his father, not just because he had no idea how Sensei would react but because he didn't know how Venus felt about the whole thing. But Master Splinter had sensed his hesitation and Leo was secretly glad when he was excused. He just hoped that Venus had seen sense and kept quiet too.

He didn't feel ashamed about what had happened, not in the slightest. In fact, he had felt strangely relieved that it had happened. The tension surrounding the pair had immediately lifted in that moment, and he remembered it with a smile on his lips. It had been fleeting, their tiredness taking over before they could do anything more. He felt a little regret that the moment had been so small, but appreciated its tenderness considering both the turtle's lack of experience. It had seemed right, as their first time, that it should have been short and sweet. But Leo wondered if it would also be their last time. The previous tension appeared again this morning, and had been present ever since. He didn't know how Venus felt and to be honest, he was unsure of his own emotions too.

Master Splinter suddenly emerged from the meditation chamber and called his students to their morning training session. If he was surprised that Venus was already in the dojo he didn't show it. Leo could see she was trying to produce a shield again but didn't complain at the summons to ninja training. The five began with basic defensive attacks before moving onto offensive. Venus panned them all, an underlying frustration marking her attacks and making them almost vicious. She even knocking Leo to the ground. He looked up in surprise as she loomed above him, standing ready to attack him. He had managed to disarm her of her sword earlier but she was still threatening, even without a weapon. Leo eyes widened as he saw a glint of hatred in her own that he had only seen in Raphael when he had had one of his outbursts. He suddenly saw her hand twitch and remembered the first night they met; the fury she had shown when engulfing the Shredder in flames, her anger consuming her. He moved his leg slightly, ready to spring up at the first sign that fire would suddenly spew from her hand. Then he saw Venus blink and shake her head slightly, as if coming out of a trance. Her eyes returned to their normal blue, banishing their previous red tinge. He saw her look to her hand and then to Leo, and step back in horror as she realised what she could have done. Leo stood up slowly and bowed in defeat, Venus returning the gesture before kneeling in front of Master Splinter.

"Well done Venus. You managed to defeat your opponents despite their advantageous experience. However, you did not perform your skills with the acute accuracy that is required of a ninja. You used the strength borne out of frustration to overwhelm them, which is a dangerous ally. I will expect more control from you next time."

"Yes Sensei." Venus bowed her head in respect before standing. Master Splinter announced the training session had finished, and led his sons out of the dojo. Donatello turned as he realised Venus hadn't moved.

"Err, Venus? Are you coming?"

"No, I'm going to train a little longer."

"Okay, just don't over work yourself. We don't need another Leo around," Donatello chuckled softly, attempting to joke. He frowned when Venus refused to turn and just stood there, so he left her to it.

Venus meanwhile took a deep breath, thankful for the peace. She needed to gather her thoughts, calm herself down and strengthen her mind. She couldn't believe what she had just done; the look of fear on Leo's face would never leave her memory. She had never felt that lack of control since the night she'd discovered her family, and she had vowed to never allow something like that to happen again. But her frustration and anger with Master Splinter had caused a weakness.

She exhaled loudly, taking the stance for producing a shield. She would master this skill today, no matter what. She wouldn't eat, she wouldn't drink, and she wouldn't sleep until she could summon her energy to create something that would not just protect herself but the others too. She just had to.

The guys didn't see Venus the whole day while she trained non-stop. Michelangelo even tried to bribe her out with a peanut butter sandwich but she ignored him, prompting him to just leave it by the door. Donatello went to check on her and stepped back in surprise when seeing the focus on her face; he'd never seen her so intent and determined. She thrust her hand out in front of her and small sparks erupted from them. She growled, turned and violently kicked the air before returning to her stance. He watched amazed for five minutes as she repeated the pattern, kicking her leg out whenever she tried to summon her energy. He could see the frustration in her eyes and decided to leave her before she saw him.

But Venus had known he was there. Despite being completely focused her awareness was still sharp. She was shamed by the fact she still couldn't produce a shield and continued to try for the rest of day.

Venus focused into herself, summoning the energy deep within her. She drew it out and made the power almost float in her hands. She then caused it to become dense, willing it to flatten out in front of her. A tiny solid circle of energy appeared in front of her before shattering. She growled, having managed that tiny improvement hours ago. She kicked her leg out for what seemed the thousandth time only to have it suddenly caught in the air. She twisted her body, ready to throw her fist at the offender before Leonardo's dark blue eyes came into view, stern. She stopped immediately and he released her leg, blushing a little despite the concern etched in his face.

"Hey," he said awkwardly, knowing he'd disturbed her training but also knowing that it was necessary before she wore herself out. To his surprise she smiled at him, but he could see the weariness in her eyes.

"Hi. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, erm, we were just about to head out for patrol and wondered if you were going to join us."

"Oh, I don't know, I should really keep trying to get this right-"

"Oh come on Venus!" Leo exclaimed, frustrated at her dedication. He'd found himself unable to think of anything all day apart from their kiss last night and had realised that he wanted to spend some time with her, even if it meant his brothers would be with them. Venus raised her brow in surprise and he attempted to rectify himself. "I mean, you could use the fresh air. You've been so focused all day; a good run should help clear your mind. And over-working yourself will only wear you out, rather than help you improve."

He knew he'd won when she sighed, and internally cheered, not realising that outside he was grinning. Venus smiled at the look on his face, a small hope kindling inside her after seeing his reaction. They stepped into the living room, earning surprised looks from the guys.

"Finally decided to leave your cave then, Shinobi?" Raphael asked, smiling in relief. Although he hadn't said so, he had been just as worried as his brothers. Donatello hit him on the arm before leading the group out.

"Wait!" Mikey suddenly exclaimed as they reached the doorway. He ran into the dojo before sprinting back and shoving the sandwich he had made Venus into her mouth.

"Mikey!" she choked as his brothers glared at him while she attempted to chew.

"What? You can't run on an empty stomach." The four turtles shook their heads and began to walk out, Mikey following them. They were stopped by the banging of a staff hitting the ground.

"My sons, where are you going?"

"On our evening patrol, Sensei," Leo answered. The old rat frowned.

"And you Venus?"

Venus stepped forward and swallowed the sandwich. "I'm going with them Sensei, as usual."

"I would have thought you would have wanted to perfect your shield technique to avoid a failure like last night?"

The entire group flinched at his words, silence falling upon the room. His sons were confused by his attacking remark; he surely didn't blame Venus what happened? He was never angry with her, not that he ever had a reason to be.

"She has been training all day, Sensei," Leo began, his throat tight for fear of offending his father. He could feel the tension and confusion in the room. "So we thought she would need some fresh air. It will help her focus-"

"She should already be focused!" The turtles flinched again. Their father barely ever snapped at them, let alone Leo. Their leader frowned, a tiny spark of anger alighting within him; why was Sensei attacking Venus? He'd been sharp with her ever since they got back this morning... A flood of dread suddenly filled him. Did Sensei know? Had Venus told him about last night? Or had his stammer earlier given all away? But why was he so angry about it, and seemingly not angry with him?

"As a skilled practitioner of qigong, Venus should always be focused. Her inability to master the shield skill simply means she needs more practice or needs to clear her mind of any distracting thoughts."

The way he said thoughts made Leo flinch again, and he turned to see Venus staring at the ground, a slight blush on her cheeks. He suddenly had the urge to smile but his father's stern voice brought him back.

"I suggest she does not leave the lair until she has managed to master her energy and manipulate it in shield form."

"But Sensei, that could take hours!" Mikey wined, sensing the tension rising in the room.

"Hours, days, weeks even, depending on how dedicated she is." He stepped forward until he was directly in front of Venus. She lifted her head and stared at his face.

"Until that skill is mastered, I cannot let you leave with my sons, for their own safety. You must focus, Venus. What would Chung I say about your inability?"

Everyone held their breath while they tried to comprehend what Master Splinter had just said. Had he really just used Chung I against Venus? Raphael saw tears prickle Venus' eyes and saw her angrily blink them away. He never saw her cry, and wasn't about to start now.

"Sensei, how could you?" he growled, earning shocked glances from his brothers. Master Splinter snapped his gaze to his hot-headed son.

"The truth is a painful encouragement, Raphael. Now go for your patrol." The rat turned away, causing more anger to swell within Raphael.

"But Sensei-"

"GO!"

Although the group were used to Master Splinter scolding Raphael, he had rarely shouted at him with such vehemence. All turned to Venus, who refused to look at them and instead rushed off to the dojo. Leo sighed sadly, knowing they had to go on patrol, and so turned to walk out, his brothers following him.

Venus sunk to the floor as soon as she reached the dojo, her breathing jittery from trying not to cry. She couldn't, not in front of the guys and certainly not in front of Splinter. But she was so confused; why was he being so cruel to her? What had she done to earn such scorn? She thought back to the moment he mentioned Chung I, how she was aware of everyone's emotions but her own. Within the guys she had felt shock and sympathy, followed by anger in Raphael. She was a little glad he had dared speak out against Splinter yet disappointed that Leonardo hadn't. But what did she expect? Leonardo could never speak out against his father, being both the dutiful leader and son. She knew if it came to a choice between her and the old rat, she would want Leonardo to choose the latter, if for his own conscience.

She had no idea why that thought came into her head. She remembered Splinter's emotions; anger, worry and, for some reason, conflict. Maybe he didn't know whether to say what he did or not, but it was too late now. As her father said: There are three things that cannot be returned; the stone after it's thrown, the time after it's lost, and the words after they are said. They can only be forgiven, not forgotten. Thoughts of her father brewed the bubbling frustration within her and she again tried to summon a shield. She tried time and time again but to no avail. She found herself kneeling back on the floor, exhausted, her thoughts swimming. She saw her father dying in front of her, heard Master Splinter's words ringing in her ears, felt Leonardo's kiss...

She shook her head, the last thought having played through her mind all day. She had been focused, yes, but in the back of her mind the thrill of last night buzzed. It was the distracting thought that Sensei had mentioned, she knew, but didn't know how he knew of it. She sighed and crossed her legs, settling down into a meditative position. Maybe if I clear my thoughts and find my inner peace I can finally focus properly, she thought, and began to breathe deeply, losing herself in her mind.

Her previous thoughts fluttered past her as she focused deep within herself. Memories of her training with the daimyo and shinobi elders arose but she couldn't find any help in their teachings. So she went back to the original source of her knowledge; she went to Chung I. Sifting through his teachings, she suddenly found herself standing in the doorway of their home. The temple was standing serenely, not destroyed and laying in ashes. She stepped inside but couldn't sense anyone there. She made straight for her room, and found it in its old state; her pictures were hung on the walls, as were photographs and scrolls. On her small table stood a frame which held the photo from her birthday that she had brought with her. She smiled a little, her ever-present homesickness for once stayed. She turned and made her way through the living room and out onto the decking that served as their meditation area. She watched the sun set beyond the mountains and the calm water of the lake began to darken. She took in a deep breath and sighed. She was finally at peace.

"Mieh Pei Chi."

Venus spun round at the mention of her old name, spoken by such a familiar voice. She smiled at her father, who stood proud and seemed a little younger than when she had last saw him. He looked strong.

"Father," Venus whispered, happiness blooming in her heart.

"You dare call me such a thing."

The blooming stopped, and was instead swapped with ice which stabbed at Venus' insides. What did he say?

"Father? I don't-"

"How dare you! You call me father despite your failures."

"How have I failed?"

"You cannot use your energy to summon a shield. You are weak. Being with the rat and your freak kin has clouded your skills. You have failed as a shinobi."

"'Freak kin'? But father, they are just like me! You told me to find them!"

"I trusted you to be strong enough to not let go of you heritage. But you have forgotten. You have been distracted."

"I had to adapt! I'll admit that I struggled with mastering fire but I did in the end. And they helped me! I was too young to be master-less, and I have trained with the other elders and the daimyo himself. I have even achieved quintessence! How can you be disappointed with me?"

"Because you are still learning! And you have chosen a distraction over the continuation of you skill development."

Venus frowned, confused at her father's words. He raised his arm in front of him and closed his eyes, and suddenly images from last night flooded her mind. She shook her head and blocked them out.

"How-?"

"He is a distraction. He will stunt your development."

"Why aren't you happy for me?!" Venus suddenly screamed. She loved her father deeply but after all she'd been through, she had expected their reunion to be completely different. "I do not know what will happen with Leonardo but I trust myself to be able to strike a balance between my personal life and my Shinobi training. I thought you would be glad of my happiness."

"And what life could you have? You are freaks of nature, cursed to live underground for all eternity. Any children you had would also be cursed, and could never know the sweetness of freedom. And as they grow, they will curse you for bringing them into such a cruel world." Venus couldn't take any more. She tried to leave by jumping into the lake but Chung I grabbed her. "You must only focus on your training. Your failure has shamed the Shinobi clan and myself. You have already failed me once as a daughter; I did not expect you to do so as a student."

"What do you-?" Images of Chung I's murder pierced her mind and she winced in pain and betrayal. "It wasn't my fault-"

"You allowed your father to be murdered and then didn't even have the strength to avenge me! How can you call me your father when you betrayed me in such a way. You have no honour, and the code of Bushido which you have decided to follow so religiously has been stained by your lack of duty."

"No-"

"Yes Mieh Pei Chi. You have forsaken your duty as a shinobi, and even your name. My daughter is gone, and a creature called Venus shamefully walks in her place."

"NO!"

Venus wrenched out of his grip and plunged into the river. She woke up on the floor of the dojo, covered in cold sweat and shaking. She panted, trying to calm herself down but Chung I's words pierced her ears and she cried out in pain. She stood up and ran out of the dojo, through the lair and sewers and eventually up to the surface. She pushed the manhole cover away and made for the rooftops, her fear fuelling her sudden adrenalin. She craved comfort and safety and so made for the once place in the city where she had experienced true happiness and could stay hidden; the abandoned church. She threw herself behind the stone altar and let her silent tears pour from her face.