!SPOILERS FOR "BEYOND THE KNOWN UNIVERSE"!

I was not happy with the premiere, and I don't think Karai would be either so here's a reactionary drabble.

Forgiveness

"And oh man, that time Leo tried to flirt with an alien girl? HILARIOUS!"

Michelangelo and Casey burst into laughter, but the rest of the room went eerily quiet.

Immediately Leo's head whipped towards Karai, whose eyes had widened, a surprised expression painting her face. However, it quickly faded into something much, much scarier.

Coldness.

Her fingers tightened around the glass she was holding.

A dark chill traveled along Leo's spine when she began to smile.

"Alien girl?" She asked, and now her eyes had settled on Leo.

It wasn't the first time Leo thought "I'm going to kill Mikey", but this time it was about ten times more genuine than any other. "It wasn't-! I mean, I didn't-! I wasn't being serious-"

Karai's lips twitched. She put her glass down on the table and rose from her seat, not saying a single word as she exited the kitchen.

"Karai! No, wait!" Leo stumbled after her, catching up with her in the living room, the shades of the dojo playing as background to what Leo knew was gonna be a very, very difficult conversation, "Please just let me explain!"

She spun around so suddenly that Leo almost bumped into her. Arms folded, she shot him a glare that seemed to scream "go on, spit it out".

Leo's mouth went dry, he swallowed, rubbed the back of his head, "W-well, you know I-" He laughed awkwardly, "I was just playing around-"

"Playing around?" The anger in Karai's voice made Leo wince, "Are you serious? That's your excuse?!"

"We weren't even dating back then!" Leo blurted out, "And it's not like you-" He stopped.

"Like I what?" She urged, and Leo could tell with a single glance that he'd royally screwed up with that line, "What the heck were you going to say?!"
"Nothing! Look, she… it didn't mean anything, she wasn't even interested in me! And it was just one time! I learned my lesson, okay? You're the only-"

"Only girl for me?" She said with a mocking tone, "Oh aren't you just a sweetheart!" She clasped her hands together and fluttered her eyelids "Oh, Karai, I missed you sooooo much! I've been looking everywhere for you! I'm so glad you're safe!" Her expression turned disgusted, "Go to Hell, Leo."

His face turned a bright shade of red, and he wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or indignation, "I wasn't lying when I said that, Karai! I meant it!"

"Did you? Or did you mean it because there weren't any pretty alien girls around for you to flirt with?"

He let out a deep sigh, "Karai, I'm sorry-"

"Oh, no no, I'm very happy that you were living it up there in space while I was sleeping on the street, too ashamed to come back home after all the horrible stuff I'd been made to do," Karai's eyes had started turning glassy, "Afraid you all hated me… that you… that you didn't want me anymore… that you wouldn't…" Her words faded out. She reached up to rub the tears out of her eyes, "Forget it, I don't care..."

Leo had been silent, staring at her with a mixture of horror and sadness. He remembered back to that time, on that planet, in front of that dirty bar. The alien girl had reminded him of someone, of something, a feeling he'd almost forgotten about until then. He hadn't associated it with Karai, at least not consciously, but now…

He moved closer, and Karai offered little resistance when he put his arms around her.

"I'm sorry."

Karai sniffled, leaned against him, "I hate you."

"I know. I deserve it," Leo rubbed her back softly, "I'm sorry."

They stood in silence, and Karai listened to the steady beat of Leo's heart. She closed her eyes.

He's such an idiot.

"I forgive you."