WHOO! This story is officially novel length! I think 60,000 actually counts as novel length too, but I personally think that's too short. Regardless, MINE'S NOVEL LENGTH ANYWAY! (Yes, I'm insanely excited about this. Judge if you like.) Actually I'm kind of interested in, once done, eliminating the connections between tmnt and the plot to try and get it published. Do you think that's stupid? Obviously awful Twilight fanfiction can do it... x.x Do you think mine is good enough?
I'd really appreciate your opinion on the above once you've read the chapter. Well, I hope you enjoy!
Raph and Karai take their time on the way back to the lair. It is, however, from no fault of Raph's. If it was up to him they would have beaten the others back to the lair. Karai keeps stopping along the way though and makes it impossible to pick up any kind of speed.
Raph wants to yell at her and get her going, but every time he glimpses her face he loses the will. Instead he sighs and accommodates her new speed. But eventually they do make it back. Raph's patience is thinner than it's ever been, but no screaming has gone down.
It does, however, make it especially hard to deal with what's happening in the lair. Everything is surely quieter than what it was when they first brought Leo here, but the tension remains palpable. Everyone is gathered around Leo, sitting wherever they can.
The sight of it makes Raph freeze. It sends a chill of unimaginable proportions up his spine. Their assembly puts only one idea in his head – a funeral. He's seen enough tv shows to know this is how people act in hospitals when someone is going to die.
Karai makes the same connection, but it doesn't affect her half as badly. She's already in a state of disrepair so no one would have noticed anyway. She glances over at him and her brows knit together. She tentatively touches her hand to his shoulder. "He'll be fine." She echoes his words from before. Only she doesn't believe it, not after seeing this scene.
Raph girts his teeth and clenches his eyes shut. "I can't do this." His voice is thick. He shakes his head slowly. "I can't." He breaks free of his frozen state and hurries past them. He doesn't even peek at Leo. He can't bear to see him so broken, not in this scene. He heads straight for his room.
Karai stares after him for a long desperate moment. She wants to call him back. She can't do this on her own. Just the thought causes tremors to wrack her body. She sure as hell can't go over with them either. She wraps her arms around herself protectively.
She slowly starts to shake her head. "I can't either." She whispers. She moves like a ghost to the far side of the room. She reaches the wall and presses her back firmly against it. A soft, pained sigh escapes her lips and she slowly slinks down the wall until she is sitting. Then she buries her head in her hands.
As quiet as she is, everyone notices her presence. They throw passing glances her way, but Leo is the only thing that matters. To all of them but one – April. She keeps her head turned and watches Karai move all the way to the wall.
April frowns deeply. From what she's seen of Karai, she should be right here with them. Realistically she would even be on the couch with Leo's head cradled in her lap. Yet not only is she far away, but she is seemingly unconcerned with him.
April shifts and cranes her neck a little farther. She means to be subtle about it, but even this slight movement garners Donnie's attention. "What are you doing?" He murmurs weakly. He almost sounds uninterested.
April jumps slightly at the sound of his voice. No one has spoken since they finished tending to Leo. "She's all alone." April whispers. "And she's upset." She wipes at her face, trying to get rid of the tears from her own heartache.
Donnie tears his gaze from Leo for a moment. "So?" He says flatly. This incident has done nothing but solidify his ill thoughts toward Karai.
"So it's wrong." She pretends not to notice his contempt. "She out of all of us shouldn't have to be alone." She bites her lip as she meets his gaze. "I didn't have to be." She feels the tears come back to her eyes.
Under normal circumstances Donnie would be flabbergasted by the implications. But so much has happened and she's been with him so frequently that he takes it with only a slight flutter of his heart. "You're like family April." He reaches out and gently runs his thumb along the rim of her eye, wiping away the fresh tears. "Of course I won't let you suffer."
April shudders under his touch. She wonders how she ever found him creepy. Now she can see him as nothing short of endearing. Still she pulls away. "And I can't let her suffer." She gives him a sharp look, but it's a relatively weak effort.
Donnie scowls, but it is just as unimpactful as her look. The pain and uncertainty is just too great right now. It's all they can do to not break down. "Be careful." He remembers telling her this before. His opinion is no different now.
"Yeah, cause a weaponless, crying girl is gonna be so dangerous." She half smiles. She stands slowly, holding his hand all the while. She doesn't let go until she walks too far to reach.
Donnie grips her hand. Only as she moves away does he let his fingers unfurl and release her. The tips of his fingers tingle from the trail she left with her own as she departed.
April watches him over her shoulder for longer than she'd admit, but with a swift shake of her head she clears her mind. She focuses her gaze ahead of her, on the broken girl before her. She stops just a foot away. "Karai…?"
Karai starts as the imperfect silence shatters. Her breathing hitches and she jerks her head up. She clenches her hands into tight fists. For a moment she forgets where she is – remembers only that Leo is dying. As she sees the bright orange hair she knows who it is, but still can't bring herself to relax in the least.
April accepts her defensive silence and continues as if it isn't there. She gets down on her hands and knees and crawls up to the wall. Once face to face with it she turns about and leans heavily against it. She sighs softly.
Karai peers at her with great intensity. Her eyes are wild with fear and mistrust. Everyone in this family has something against her. No act can be completely of kindness. She learned that from her father most of all.
Silence settles back in place around them. It quickly becomes suffocating and even Karai is dying for a breath of sound. She just can't make it herself.
April the glances over at Karai. She doesn't look quite as on edge, but she is definitely still on full alert. That all too familiar desperation also surfaces. It makes April grimace before she finally speaks, mostly in an attempt to hide her expression. "Are you alright?" If not her then no one will break the ice.
Karai scoffs. It's an involuntary sound that she immediately wishes she had controlled.
April looks through narrowed eyes at Karai. She isn't sure how to interpret the noise. "What?" She says with a hint of aggravation.
"Why do you bother?" Karai's voice is strained. It takes all her strength to keep from crumbling.
April blinks at her. "What do you mean?" She tilts her head slightly.
Karai shakes her head. She raises her knees up to her chest and lays her head sideways on them. "Why bother." She repeats, vaguely. "I'm not worth it."
April is taken aback by the sheer amount of hopelessness in Karai's tone. "How can you say that?" Her brows knit together and her mouth gapes in confusion. "You're just as important as anyone else."
"Hmph." She rolls her eyes. "So I've been told." Only it is far more convoluted. "Daddy would always tell me I was just like everyone else – just as important," A wry smile passes her lips. "Because I was absolutely worthless."
April blanches. "Your father…he…" She can't articulate how that makes her feel. "How can anyone be so cruel?" She breathes in horrid amazement. "And to his own daughter…" She covers her mouth.
Karai doesn't need to see April to know how she looks. It's the same way Leo looked at her, minus the passionate fury. "You get used to it." Karai shrugs. She grimaces despite herself. She never really has.
April looks skeptically at her even though there's no way Karai can see it. "No you don't." She says it bluntly.
Karai cringes as she's hit with the cold, hard truth. A sob catches in her throat. "It's horrible." Her voice cracks. "He's never loved me. No one has." She lifts her head and stares pitifully at April. "Leo…he…he's the only one."
April tries to hide it, but again she is stunned by the life Karai leads. This time she can't even find the voice to speak.
"So he can't die." Karai chokes out. "Or I…I'll be alone. Again."
April hesitates. She knows what she should say, but she isn't sure it's safe speaking for everyone. Donnie especially. Her eyes flash with sudden seriousness. Maybe she can't speak for them, but she knows what she wants and believes, "You won't be alone."
Karai glares at April through misty eyes. "You can't promise me-"
"He won't die." She asserts. Then April softens. She sets a hand on Karai's shoulder. "But even without him, you won't be alone."
Karai can't help but be a little afraid of what is being offered to her. Her pulse quickens and eyes widen noticeably. She swore never to do this again. Leo was supposed to be the only person she was foolish enough to let in.
"I may not be your friend." April admits. "But I'd be there to make sure you didn't fall too hard." In retrospect it sounds completely corny, but not at all false. "I wouldn't let you be alone."
Karai stares in awe for a moment. Once her mind catches up with the moment she bursts out laughing. It's a strange sound, broken yet amused all at once. She holds her head with a hand and wipes her eyes with the other as tears somewhere between relief and humor roll down her face.
April is stupefied. She stares with no shortage of confusion. "What?" She demands. She thrusts her fists down hard in her lap. "Stop laughing at me!" She almost wishes she'd never said any of it.
Karai stifles her laughter and slowly calms. "I'm sorry." She shakes her head. As she locks eyes with April she is lucid again and misery settles back down on her. "I just needed that…to laugh."
She smiles weakly.
April feels bad for that too. Karai doesn't laugh. Still, she was the one who made her laugh. It makes her smile to herself. "I understand." She chuckles. "I…I cracked one day after my dad was-" She cuts herself off.
Karai blinks twice. "After what?" She's surprised by just how genuine her interest is. Maybe hearing something tragic with someone else's life will help, as horrible as it sounds.
April drops her gaze. She laces her fingers together and squeezes. She might as well. "He was kidnapped." She bites her lip. It has never stopped bothering her.
"I see." Karai hates April in that moment, or maybe she just hates herself for not actually hating the girl. Because April's revealing doesn't help a bit. She actually feels worse, as if her heart plummeted to her stomach. "I'm sorry…"
April forces a smile. "It's fine. The boys promised to get him back. I just have to wait a little longer." Truthfully is gets harder to believe every day.
Karai refuses to go down this road. Things are painful enough. So she quickly steers them back to a familiar path. "And thanks." She smiles softly. "Raph tried…sort of. But it was just weird." She shakes her head. "You…you actually made me feel better. A little."
April beams. "I told you – you won't fall far with me."
…
For days everyone watches Leo. The first day no one moves either. They go in and out of sleep as they lean against the couch in awkward ways. Mikey and Donnie end up asleep on each other too. Splinter stands as long as he can, then he winds up asleep by the couch as well.
It is only as the next day comes that they disperse, and then only for short periods of time. It is these short periods of time that Karai uses to her advantage. When they are off sleeping or occasionally destressing by playing she wanders over to Leo. She sits before him with her legs crossed and hands in her lap. She watches his face intently, as if he might wake up at any given moment.
He doesn't.
For nearly a week they tend to him, but never once does he open his eyes. Hope quickly dwindles in their hearts and minds. Sure, Leo's breathing. That's always good. But what good is it if he never sees, hears, or speaks to them again? He's like a coma patient.
As the week comes to an end everyone stays away for longer. It becomes increasingly easy for Karai to sit before him. In fact, she's almost always there now. Only today is a little different. She is not alone. As she sits in silence she is joined by a familiar face.
It's a bit of a shock to her, but she hides it well enough. She has sort of gotten used to him being nowhere when anyone else is there. But here he is, finally – Raph. After a week of avoiding Leo, or at least doing so stealthily enough so no one saw, he makes an appearance.
Karai glances at him from the corner of her eye. He's no different than a week ago. The only thing is his eyes are dark underneath and a bit puffy. He has probably been crying, just like everyone else. Although she'd never call him out on it. It would be the cruelest of blows.
Raph sits silently on his knees. He doesn't look at her. He doesn't even try to. He gaze is so unwavering and expression so stiff it's as if he is looking without seeing. There is only emptiness in the depths of his clouded green eyes.
Karai tears her gaze back to Leo. Just as always the only part of him that moves is his chest. Despite the usualness of it she can still feel her heart sink. She bows her head and tries to hide her misty eyes. When is April going to be back? She can't take much more of being alone today, only accompanied by this painful silence.
Raph continues to stare blankly ahead. But he slowly moves his lips, saying, "I shouldn't have took him out."
Karai perks at the sound in the endless silence. "What?" She'll do anything for a little bit of conversation, even if it's pointless small talk.
"It's my fault." He mutters, almost as if he is talking to himself. "I made him leave that day. The day you left." He grits his teeth. "It's my fault."
Karai frowns deeply. Of course that's what he would dwell on. "Is that why you've been avoiding him?" She hesitates, but says it anyway. "Avoiding me."
Raph grunts softly. How self-centered of her. Making it about her. Still, there is validity to it. "I can't face it." He goes on as if she'd never spoken. "If he doesn't wake up…it will be all my fault."
Karai resists the urge to comfort him with a light touch. Raph isn't like April or Leo. Contact is not his kind of thing, not unless it involves knocking people senseless. "No, it's mine." She says instead. "I ran away, and I let them hurt him. Don't pretend you did anything at all."
"I started it." He insists. But his usual flare is void from his face and words. It sounds more like he's reciting a well rehearsed play. "It doesn't matter what you say."
Karai's lips turn upward, but it's a far cry from a smile of any kind. "You like to blame yourself, don't you?" It's a lot like the way he adamantly fights for the value of life. Ironic really. "You don't think too well of yourself, huh?"
Raph shrugs. It's just the kind of thing Leo would say. Only by now this would have escalated to a fight. With her it's barely a conversation.
"Funny, since you value life so much." She almost wants him to yell at her. "Yet your own means little, especially in the face of others. Like Leo. And…even me."
Raph scoffs, but it isn't enough to reignite the spark within him. "I just want the people I care about to be ok." He shrugs. "When I can't protect them…" He lets the unsaid words hang in the air for her to take herself. She already knows it.
Karai nods. "I understand." While she's only really cared about one person through her life, it's been enough for her to finally get it. Funny that it would end up being the same person for both of them.
Raph stands suddenly. "I'm…gonna go." He turns and leaves. He heads back to his room, the one place he can hide his deep seeded emotions from everyone.
Karai bows her head. "Ok." They both know what he really means. He is saying thanks – for talking like nothing's wrong, for acting like he hasn't been crying, and mostly for not telling him it will be alright. Because they really don't know.
…
Another days slips by. Karai sits with her head flat on the couch beside Leo. She sees nothing but darkness with the cushion pressed so firmly to her face. It's nice this way though. It gives her the feeling that she's floating, kind of like a dream. She can even pretend for a moment that her situation isn't even real. It's a nice dream.
It's so nice that she is almost really asleep. It's been a long day, no, week. She has barely slept at all. Not to mention there really isn't much of anywhere to sleep. Of course Leo's room is open, but it just feels so…wrong. She can't go near there, not with him in such a condition.
Just as she feels herself dozing she hears someone. The footsteps are soft, but not as if the person is creeping. Definitely not Raph. Actually, it doesn't sound like any of the turtles. Which meant- "Karai," Splinter's voice washes over her.
Karai tenses instinctively. She reaches out beneath her head and gently takes hold of Leo's arm. It gives her a sense of security. He is her anchor in the face of a surely furious father. Her only question is why he took so long to confront her.
Splinter notes her defensive reaction. "You don't have to be afraid." He wonders fleetingly if it is simply a logical behavior when faced with someone whose child was harmed or if it is more a learned behavior to any parental figure.
Karai doesn't move. If anything she clings to Leo tighter. "Why?" She says in a muffled breath. "I'm not stupid."
Splinter raises a brow at her.
"I know this game." She half laughs. "I've played it too many times to count, and I won't be goaded into it. Not this time." A shiver runs up her spine as she remembers all those times growing up where her father did this.
Splinter decides that it is definitely the latter of his assumptions. "I'm not the Shredder." He doesn't sugarcoat it. He crosses his arms with no lack of contempt. "I don't play games and I don't lie, especially not to my children."
Karai feels a surge of anger. She releases Leo and jerks up. She whirls around and shoots him the nastiest look she can muster. "I'm not your child!" She bites back. "You old rat!"
Splinter is undaunted. "You are now." He answers coolly.
Karai starts. Her fury transforms into shocked confusion. She is suddenly very lost in her mind. A panic wells within her and her breathing quickens. She can't find the words to speak.
Splinter ignores her distress. Right now it is not severe and hopefully he can quell it with his next words anyway. "Leo has risked everything for you. He hid you, ignored his brothers, disobeyed me, gave away our location to save you, and risked his very life just to get you back after you left him." He gives her a sharp look. "Do you really think I can think so little of you after all this?"
Karai hunkers down under his intense gaze. She clenches her hands on her legs as she prepares for some sort of blow. "No." She squeaks. She's sure he thinks of her constantly. She's sure he hates her. She doesn't realize what Splinter really means.
Splinter eyes her curiously. "I don't hate you." He sees the fear in her eyes and understands this is what she thought. "You misunderstand me."
Karai loosens, but it is so marginal it makes little difference. She's bent on believing he is going to come after her after all she's done to Leo.
"I meant that you are important to me." It's far more complicated than that, but he doesn't want to have to explain every little detail of how he came to such a conclusion. "While I'm still not sure if you can be completely trusted, you are a member of this family."
"Me…" She breathes. "Family?" She stares in wide eyed disbelief. She searches his face for a sign of deception. When she finds none, it makes her a bit frantic. She can't believe that after everything he can not just forgive her but somehow bring himself to let her into their family. "You're insane."
Splinter quirks a brow in amusement. "Am I now?"
Karai still has a lurking fear of what he might do if she says something out of turn, but she speaks anyway. "Yes!" Her voice wavers slightly despite her certainty. "How can you do that!? How can you accept me," She snaps her finger. "Just like that!" She looks absolutely offended.
Splinter looks hard at her. "You think this was easy?" He frowns. "You think I thought about it for a few minutes or even a few days? No," He shakes his head. "This has taken me months. Ever since I noticed Leo was sneaking out."
Karai is a bit caught off guard by how long he was aware of this thing. Then again, he probably didn't know who she was. "So." She glowers. "I was just a person then! Not the daughter of your sworn enemy! You've only known that for a couple of weeks at most."
Splinter nods. "Indeed. Which made it even harder." He admits. "That's why I've watched you like a hawk ever since he brought you here."
Karai ducks her head and swallows hard. She didn't even notice him before. Was he really so clever? "But you never did anything." She accuses with much less fire. "Why? I could kill them if I wanted to."
"But you don't." A small smile twitches at his lips. "After watching you, I know that you have no desire to kill any of my sons. Not if you can help it." His eyes narrow then as he says, "But that's the problem. You don't seem to think you have control."
"I don't!" She suddenly becomes intense and so very desperate. "Don't you understand!? I'm not the one calling the shots! I don't have a choice in anything anymore!" If she ever did. Tears well in her eyes as she chokes out, "I'm going to hurt them…eventually."
Splinter sighs. "Child," He kneels down before her. "That's where you're wrong." He reaches out to gently touch her cheek.
Karai cringes and pulls back. A soft whine passes her lips as she anticipates a rough blow. When there is none she opens her eyes a sliver. His hand is on her face again, but it's so gentle she barely feels it.
"There's always a choice." Splinter draws his hand back. "You chose to keep meeting Leo for all those months and you chose to run away that day just as much as you are choosing to argue your point right now."
Karai bows her head. A single tear breaks free and trickles down her face. "But what if I mess up?" She whimpers. "I…I almost killed Leo before…" He may be dying anyway too.
Splinter puts his hand beneath her chin and tilts her head up so she looks at him. "Everyone makes mistakes." He shrugs. "That's life." He smiles softly. "What matters is that you can keep those you care about safe, even if you put them in danger."
Karai finally can't hold the tears back. They seep from the corners of her eyes and roll down her face. "He always told us how horrible you were." Her voice shakes terribly. "How you were the one who killed our mother, even though I knew he did it. But…"
Splinter's smile becomes very sad. "He is a master of deception." His voice holds a cold edge despite his efforts. "But I assure you, even though you are the daughter of my sworn enemy, I won't ever hurt you." He gives her a sharp look as he says, "Unless you hurt my sons first."
Karai manages a broken smile. "Thank you." She whispers. She leaps forward and wraps her arms around his neck. She holds on tight. "Thank you so much…"
Splinter blinks down in surprise for a moment. Then he smiles again and moves his arm around her. "It's nothing child." He just hopes the peace can last.
…
Everything changes with the day that follows. The brothers start to gather around Leo as if by some premonition. Even Raph comes out to sit with them. Only Karai stands back. She is closer than usual, but it's still farther back. Stranger still is the fact Splinter is with her. He is sacrificing close proximity just to be by her. Perhaps it is because April is absent, gone to school for at least another hour.
Then it happens. Everyone jerks to attention. Leo shifts for the first time. He says something, but it's mostly dreamy mumbling. Yet they are all over it. Each asks at least twice what he says and what he means. They hold their breath in anticipation and clutch the rim of the couch after they say all they can. This could be it.
Karai sucks in a soft breath. Her body tenses and she shifts as if she is about to push off to run a race. Her fists clench instinctively.
Splinter eyes her carefully. While her position is odd, he understands it completely. She's in love.
Leo groans softly. His mind is hazy and all he sees is darkness. Slowly his eyelids flutter open and a bleary world is revealed to him. What stands out in the darkness is purple, orange and red – no golden or black. Even as confused as he is, he feels his heart sink.
"Leo!" His brothers cry simultaneously. "You're ok!" They swarm him. Mikey hugs onto his arm, Donnie hugs him around the neck and leans his head lightly against Leo, and Raph simply grins from ear to ear. Tears well in all their eyes.
Karai's body aches with indecision. She wants to go to him, she has the whole time. But she doesn't want to spoil the moment. They are his brothers and this is their moment. Besides, the deserve it more than her – the person who did this to him.
"How do you feel?" Raph asks with all the tentativeness in the world. He manages to sound like himself, but it is an emotion he is not used to experiencing.
"Considering I was nearly ripped to pieces a little bit ago..." He gives a cracked smile. "…pretty good."
Concern flickers across all their faces, most notably Mikey. "Dude," He says in tentative disbelief. "It's been more than a week."
Raph smacks him in the back of the head. He scowls, but as he looks to Leo again his expression softens. "Yeah, it's true."
Leo blinks twice. "Oh." A frown tugs at his lips. "That bad, huh?"
They all nod. Donnie, however, speaks. "We thought you were going to die for a little while." Maybe he shouldn't say it, but it's the truth. Why hide it from him?
Mikey cringes as the mood plummets. He scrambles to pick up the pieces. "But you're ok now!" He grins from ear to ear. He hugs a little tighter. He nuzzles him softly. "Everything's ok."
Leo reaches out for Raph. "You're doing ok then?" He asks weakly. His eyes shine with concern.
Raph chuckles lightly. "I'm fine." He reaches out and lines his hand up with Leo's. Leo's is a little bigger and somehow that's even more comforting than touching. "I'm just glad you're alive."
Karai whines softly to herself. She wonders if they'll ever leave. Probably not for hours.
Splinter watches her with sad understanding. "You can go to him you know."
Karai starts at the sudden intrusion into her thoughts. She jerks her head up to look with knitted brows. "But I…" She shakes her head and her down hearted expression falls further. "I don't deserve it."
Splinter frowns deeply. "Of course you do. Just as much as any of my sons."
Karai's widen as she is overcome with emotions. Tears fill her eyes and the corners of her open mouth turn upward. "Splinter…" Her voice quivers faintly.
Splinter nods toward Leo. "Go on." He urges. "He needs to see you too." Splinter just hopes Leo does not hold a grudge after Karai very nearly went through with killing him.
Karai wants to run, just as she always planned, but it doesn't feel right. Instead she goes against ever fiber in her being and walks slowly toward them. Each step is a battle as her mind screams that she shouldn't be anywhere near him, not after what she did. Still, she makes it there, just behind everyone else.
At the sound of footsteps Leo perks. He looks up and sucks in a soft breath. There she is – Karai. So they brought her back after all. Despite how they'd found them, they still found it in them to do it. He isn't sure whether to be happy or annoyed with them.
His brothers notice the shift in him and follow his gaze. They experience carrying degrees of intense emotion as their eyes fall on her. Mikey looks sad, Raph smiles sympathetically, and Donnie scowls at her.
Karai clasps her hand in front of her. She ignores all their piercing gazes. She focuses solely on Leo. "Leo," She breathes. She watches him carefully, for any signs of hatred or pleasure. She can never be sure after what happened. "I…"
There's no denying it, he's not mad. Hurt maybe, but even that emotion is nonexistent in the face of her alive and well. He remembers the Shredder hit her once, so seeing her this way is good. "You're here." He smiles wanly.
Karai smiles back, but hers is broken. Tears well in her eyes and her lip trembles.
Raph knows that this is her moment. He nudges Mikey and moves aside. Mikey does the same, leaving an opening for her. Thankfully Donnie is already out of the way. He would have never moved.
Karai tentatively advances. She stands above him for a moment then sinks to her knees. A few tears break free and trickle down her face.
Leo reaches out and touches her face. He rubs his finger over her tears and wipes them away. He doesn't say a word.
Karai shudders beneath his touch. She's missed it. No, she's missed him. Her body quivers with sorrowful desire and she leaps up. She throws herself at him and wraps her arms around his neck. "Leo," She buries her head in his chest. "I'm sorry."
Leo cringes and makes a soft sound of protest against the pressure she puts on him, but it is quickly overcome with overwhelming emotions. He closes her in a tight embrace, pulling her even closer against him. He lays his face down in her hair and breathes her in.
Karai knows just by his reaction that everything is alright. Maybe he's hurt because she's sure she can feel him shaking against her, but it's nothing irreparable. It makes her choke up and her next words sound broken. "I'll fix it. I'll stay here forever. I-I…"
Leo slips an arm from around her and places a finger over her lips. "You don't have to say anything." His hand slips down to her chin and he pulls her head off of him, tilting it up so he can see her misty golden eyes.
Karai's heart beats double time. She abides by his words and keeps her mouth shut tight.
Leo looks down at her intently for a long moment. Then he acts. He lowers his lips to meet hers and kisses her gently.
Karai kisses back with gentle passion. She doesn't want to hurt him. He's still in a bad state. But she wants him to understand how happy she is, now that he is with her again.
Leo cups her face with one hand and shifts the other to the back of her head. He runs his fingers through her hair and is surprised to find it is knotted for the first time since he met her. She really was a wreck while he was out.
The boys quickly become uncomfortable. They aren't used to such displays of affection anyway, but for some reason it being Karai and Leo makes it even worse. It is Mikey who is the quickest to disperse. He makes a sound and then scampers off.
Raph follows him shortly. Mikey headed for his room – and no one goes in his room when he's not there. Strangely it is Donnie who lingers longest. He studies them as if the key to Leo's insanity lies somewhere within such actions. Only when he becomes frustrated over the lack of a solution does he stalk off.
Finally they are alone. Splinter left much earlier. Karai pulls back from the kiss, her breath a little heavier. Her eyes shine brighter than they have in weeks. Her heart is aflutter as she stares softly up into his dark blue eyes.
Leo stares back into hers. His smile spreads across his face. "You're beautiful." He says without thinking. It is reminiscent of a time long ago, but not so long ago.
"And you're a mess." She half laughs. It makes things feel a little more normal. She slips off of him and back to the ground.
"Your mess." He chuckles. Leo struggles to scoot as far as he can on the couch. He makes room for her to lay with him even though it will be nowhere near as comfortable.
Karai crawls up beside him. She snuggles in as close as possible and leans her head over on his shoulder. She moves her arm over him and hugs him loosely and slips her hand down to his. She curls her fingers around his hand and squeezes. She isn't sure she will be able to let go for a while. "I love you…" She says absently.
Leo squeezes her hand back. He smiles in content and nuzzles her cheek. "I love you too." He then lays his other hand over her arm if only to assure himself that this is real.
Karai breathes in deeply. She relishes in his familiar scent. She is so much calmer than ever before just because of it. It's so comforting, in fact, that she feels her eyelids grow heavier as the minutes slip by.
Leo yawns softly. He's exhausted, but for completely different reasons. "You know," He murmurs dreamily. "It's nicer this way…without that old secret place." He chuckles.
Karai laughs softly in response. "I kind of miss it." She shrugs. "It was simpler then." Complicated to meet, but simpler to get away with it. Although this new feeling of acceptance…it's nice.
Leo reaches up and strokes her hair. "It'll get better." He kisses her lightly on the forehead. "We don't have to worry about anything anymore." Except Donnie.
"I know." She whispers. It's the last thing either says before they drift off into peaceful sleep. It feels just like that first night in their secret place. Only no sneaking. This time, everything is alright.
Aw, everything is alright...for now. *evil grin* But for how long?
So, what do you think? I'm on a roll, huh? Maybe I can keep it up, but I don't know. I have to go back to work on Monday. :( So we'll just have to see. And like I said at the top, I'd love your opinion on the whole novel thing. I think as long as I change names, the fact they're ninjas, added a few chapters to the beginning, and alter some other details, it could work. Would any of you buy it if it were a book? That'd be cool...
Anyway, please review! I love constructive criticism! :)