Looooong time since the last update… but I won´t give up!
Thanks to Cynlee for beta reading and correcting, and thanks to everyone who still has the patience to follow this story.
TMNT belong to Mirage

Chapter 11: Training

Tally sat a little bit aside from Splinter and watched him while he supervised the training of the Turtles. He still had his arm and his leg in bandages, but besides that he was fine. During the second day after Raph's encounter with the men from the circus she feared he would get a pneumonia. When she said so, Leonardo left the Lair and came back a few hours later, carrying a large bottle with a green liquid in it and accompanied by another mutant, who introduced himself with a polished manner as "Miyamoto Usagi ".

At this rate, Tally was not even wondering any more. She just asked herself if it wouldn´t hurt to tie up one´s ears this way- especially those long ears. They later told her that the rabbit with the swords was actually not another mutant, but from another dimension.

Not that this would have made a difference to her.

First, she protested when they infused her furry patient with the liquid, but nobody cared. After three days, in which Splinter became noticeably stronger, she asked for the recipe.

Another week later, he moved from the sanitary area to the sofa in the living room, although he had still problems walking without help. Tally couldn't help but stare. She had never seen anyone recovering that fast, but the Turtles didn´t seemed surprised.

When she asked again about the strange medicine, Donatello and Michelangelo told her two very different stories about the battle nexus and Mikey dragged her out of Don´s lab and into his room, so that she could admire his trophy, while he told her the story of his great battle and his terrifying opponents again and again. Tally thought to herself that his most terrifying opponent must have been his brother Raphael and smiled, which encouraged Mikey to tell the story a fourth time.

She didn´t mind. With no siblings, no living relatives and no really close friends ( her work has always been first), she kind of embraced them all. Leonardo, who was polished, reliable and responsible; Donatello, being reserved, but on the other hand exuberant when a conversation led to engineering; Raphael, who avoided her if possible, and Mikey, who possessed an absolutely cheerful nature. In private she envied them a little bit about being so close to each other- about being a family.

And Splinter. She was not be able to make head or tails of him. On his own way he was even more diffident than Raphael. At the very moment his fever declined, Tally asked herself how she could have ever thought of him as helpless. Behind his calm, self controlled attitude was a iron hard determination.

After around two weeks she thought she would get a stroke when she saw Splinter apparently starting with Ninjitsu training. When she jumped at him and gripped his shoulders to force him back at the sofa, he just looked up and although he didn´t utter a single sound, she suddenly didn´t dare to hold him any longer against his will. Luckily he just performed Tai Chi, for she was sure she would have lost her nerves otherwise.

He sure was difficult! On top of it, he called her "Miss Brown" again instead of "Tally", which was some kind of personal insult in her eyes. After all they have been through, one would think he saw her as a friend.

On the other hand, he hardly called April with her given name, too.

Three weeks had passed by now and Tally still lived in the Lair, although she slept now in a room the Turtles had used as a storage room. She referred it to herself as some kind of vacation, for she had to go back to the "surface live" soon enough and there were a whole bunch of problems waiting for her- police, insurance…
She sighed at the mere thought of it.

Splinter watched Leonardo and Donatello sparring. They both were highly concentrating , watching each other carefully and searching for a opening in the defense of their opponent. Donatello struck, aiming for Leonardo's side, but he dodged it and kicked Donatello in the plastron. Donatello stumbled and Leo disarmed him at once.

"Well done", said Splinter to indicate that the fight was over, then he walked to Donatello to show him another counter strike movement. While Leo and Don listened, Raph didn´t pay attention and Mikey was goofing around. Splinter sighed. Although he had to admit that making Raphael so angry that he didn´t think clearly anymore was a safe way to beat him, he told Mikey to exercise another hour in the dojo after the "official" training.

"Sit down, my sons" he advised them and prepared for meditation. He waited until his sons sat in a line in front of him, then he closed his eyes.

But the usual calmness of meditation wouldn't occur. Instead, his mind was filled with thoughts about their latest house guest. It was… irritating. And irrational. He never felt disturbed by Miss O'Neil or Mr. Jones.

Wait… he sighed silently. Mr. Jones- oh yes. But in a totally different way. Staying calm was impossible when Raphael and his friend wrestled on the floor.

A few days ago he supervised April´s ninjitsu training. He had seen both women talking for hours with each other. They seemed to have become friends, so he wasn´t wondering when Tally came along and watched April's efforts. After some time, she asked if she could join. He agreed, demonstrating a few warming-up exercises and then some basic hits.

She executed them, he stood half behind her, and he reached for her wrist to correct her position. Then he felt her warm skin at his hand, he felt the tips of her hair at his cheek and smelt her scent, slight traces of sweat, green tea and the peach shampoo she had used this morning. For a split second he paused, totally unaware why he had touched her at all. Then she stiffened, he flinched embarrassed and confined himself to giving only verbal comments for the rest of the lesson.

Luckily, nobody had noticed, even though ((April commented that this lesson would have been shorter than usual. He explained that he still was easily exhausted. While the two women headed for the bathroom, he didn´t dare to look at Tally.

Even now, he shifted his weight on his ankles with unease. He didn´t know what was the problem, or how to behave. Should he apologize? He had continued the training the next three days up to today, and had touched neither April nor Tally. He stayed formal while he had to talk with her, and avoided her otherwise, which wasn´t that easy.

To be honest, he enjoyed to talk talking with her. Again, he shifted his weight. He surely had to come to a decision, or the situation would become worse. She already appeared to be offended. But not now. He would meditate upon this later, when he was in his room and alone.

"Open your eyes, my sons."

They bowed, he bowed back, then he left the dojo after Leonardo and retreated into his room.

Michaelangelo watched him going and then he asked (very quietly) Donatello: "Wasn´t I supposed to get some extra training?"

Donatello raised his eyebrows surprised.

"Maybe he forgot it?"

"Master Splinter? Never ever!"

"Then you should consider yourself a lucky Turtle who-"

"-has lots of free time for video games! Want some Alien Invaders?"

Donatello peered at his energetic brother. An extra training session would have given him time to work in his lab. But he knew exactly, if he would refuse now, Mikey would do his very best to be a pain in the neck for the rest of the day.

He deeply sighed.

"If need be…"

Mikey was already at the monitor wand. "I take the red controller!"

Donatello followed less excited.

They were in the midst of a space combat when Michelangelo suddenly asked: "You think he´s ill?"

Donatello looked at him, irritated. "Who?"

"Master Splinter!"

"Of course he´s still ill."

"No, I mean…" Mikey hedged, "He… usually he never forgets anything, and… and… he forgot the extra lesson and and and… he´s not getting any younger".

He only whispered the last part and looked away.

Donatello stared at his younger brother, misunderstanding until he finally realized what Mikey tried to say.

"Nonsense!"

They turned to the computer game again, dropping the subject in tacit consent. But the fun was over, and when Donatello quit the game a few minutes later Michelangelo didn´t complain.

Don went to his lab, deep in thought. Although he had rejected Mikey's speculation immediately, he pondered it over and over. His master had been hurt severely, when the Foot had strangled him, and when he was near-drowning his cerebrum was undersupplied with oxygen, and then he had had this high fever…

Don shook his head resolutely. What was he thinking? But he had to admit, Splinter behaves very strange these days. He was unusually inattentive. Nervous. A few times he didn´t even notice when someone addressed him. Don sighed deeply, then he went slowly to the bookshelf, took out a medical encyclopedia and searched for "Alzheimer´s disease".

Meanwhile in the bathroom, Tally sat on the rim of the tub and watched April putting makeup on. She wondered in private if Casey would notice it. Surely not. Nevertheless, April worked on her eyelashes carefully. She waited until April lay aside the mascara, before she asked: "Do you think Splinter is still angry at me?"

April turned around. "Why should he? You rescued him, didn´t you?"
Tally measured her words carefully. "Well, because of Rob he was caged and Rob was my-". Her voice broke.

April sat down beside her and took hold of her hand. She waited a few moments, then she asked hesitantly: "Did you love him?"

Tally wasn´t sure what to answer. She shrugged her shoulders. "Dunno."

"You would know if you´d been serious about him."

Tally waved her other hand meaningless. April smiled vaguely.

"You just know how people are when you experience them in extreme situations."

Tally nodded sadly. "I also think it´s better this way."

She didn´t wish to resume that topic.

"Mikey is great and I really get along with Leonardo and Donatello. Raphael can´t stand me, but that´s okay as long as he doesn´t fall in his attitude of that night again. But Splinter has been avoiding me for quite some time now, he even refuses to speak with me."

A smile crept across April´s face. "You shouldn´t pay so much attention to Raph's mood changes. It takes months until he fully trust someone. It´s just his nature. And Splinter talks about his feelings once in a blue moon. It´s hard to say what he thinks about someone. But he is keen to be polite, so you should just ask him what´s wrong."

The two women left the bathroom. Tally was still deep in thought when something nudged her back. "Hi!"

"IIIEEEH!"

Shocked she jumped in the air and turned around. Mikey backed off, embarrassed. Then he smiled widely .

"Did I startle you?"

Tally pressed her hands against her chest and breathed deeply, watching Mikey grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Sorry sis. I just wondered… can you bake a chocolate cake?" he asked innocently, performing his best puppy-dog eyes.

Tally shook her head in disbelief.

Mikey opened opened the door to Raph's room.

"Kitchen´s waiting, Raphie!"

"What?"

"I told you I can persuade her to bake a cake. Now it´s your turn, or you won´t get anything!"

He hastily closed the door so that the pillow wouldn't hit him.

Nevertheless, one and a half hour later they all sat together and enjoyed a marble cake. Mikey had agreed toTally's condition that he would clean the kitchen later. Then she had had a very hard time rescuing the cake batter, because she had stupidly agreed to let him clean out the bowl, but unfortunately forgot to say he was allowed to do so after she put the better part in the cake pan.

Now he already gulped his second piece of cake. She was so sure he would get an upset stomach after that .

Raphael sat at the other side of the table, once in a while throwing a moody look at her. She wondered why, but she hadn´t heard the previous talk between Mikey and Raphael. She was just curious why Raphael had cleaned the kitchen.

Splinter sat in his armchair, slowly eating his piece. He had thanked her, but didn´t look at her. Now it seemed to take his whole concentration to prick the fork in his piece of cake. Tally looked at the Turtles. She was not the only one to watch Splinter. Donatello and Mikey observed him as well. Finally Splinter noticed the three looks glued to him. He looked up. "What´s the matter, my sons?"

Hastily the two averted their eyes and mumbled something unintelligible. Leonardo looked up. Raphael turned his eyes.

Splinter waited a few seconds, then he turned his attention to his cake again. He felt awkward. Michelangelo and Donatello had been watching him the whole afternoon, and having Tally at close quarters wasn´t actually helping. The meal ended in silence, but from the corner of his eye he looked at Mikey and Don and saw them watching him the same way. He finished quickly, stood up, bowed before Tally- Miss Brown, why did he call her Tally by himself?- thanked her again for the cake and took refuge in his room. He finally felt safe when he closed the paper-covered door behind him.

What was wrong with him?

He forced himself to take a deep breath, then he lit a few joss sticks and some candles. This familiar, routine act helped him to ease up. He knelt down on a pillow and allowed his mind to drift, to let go of sorrows and discomfort. Then he concentrated on the feeling of the pillow under his knees, the warm air, the scent of the incense, the candle wax and something else…

Splinter opened his eyes and moaned, frustrated. For the first time in his life, he regretted his sharp sense of smell. Although Leonardo had changed the sheets, she had slept in his bed and her scent was still on some of the pillows. He looked at them wearily, then he grabbed a plastic bag and stuffed the pillows into it. He knotted the bag, lay it aside and kneeled on his cushion, hoping that he could finally meditate in peace now, when this special scent reached his nose again.
It knocked at the door.

"May I enter?"