Karai felt her blood run cold. Shredder turned to leave, his mind already plotting the execution of her baby.

"No" She pleaded as tears started to form in her eyes, "no, no, no, no!" She called, scrambling towards the cell door as Shredder shut it in her face. "No, wait no!" She begged, now gripping the bars and pulling on them desperately. "NO!" She screamed, tears lacing her voice. But Shredder was gone, and Karai hit her knees. "No, no, no, no, no" she sobbed, wrapping her arms around herself as she let out an agonizing scream of desperation.

Xever didn't know what was going on when his boss stormed into the dungeon, and he didn't ask. But he did listen to every word of the exchange between the former father and daughter when suddenly the next room fell silent; and then he heard the threat.

"You will watch that child die," Shredder stated, and Xever knew that his boss was serious.

What happened next was almost a blur to the mutant fish; Shredder stormed out and the next thing he heard was Karai crying loudly in her cell. For a moment he hesitated, wondering how quickly he would perish for committing a deed as treasonous as the one he was currently planning out. His common sense told him to forget it, that Karai is nothing but a bratty teenager who had betrayed her clan. But the memories of his brother's girlfriend still plagued his mind. He remembered how Mariana was so quiet after the loss of her son; truthfully he doubted much pain stemmed from the loss of his brother. But he remembered hearing her cry in the middle of the night, almost every night. He remembered how he could visibly see that every time she got up she was forcing herself to do so. Looking back on it Xever realized just how much she pushed herself through; without her drugs not only did she throw away her way to escape but all her other problems must have come crashing down back onto her shoulders; it's a wonder she didn't kill herself. He let out a sigh of defeat; he would've done anything to bring Gabriel back to Mariana but he just couldn't. Now, however, he can help Karai.

"I must be out of my mind," he grumbled before he decided that it was now or never, so he entered the room that contained Karai's cell.

The sight that Xever was met with was by far the scariest sight yet. Karai was screaming, the sounds escaping her mouth feral and strangled by sobs. She was on her feet, something Xever did not expect, and yanking on the bars as if her life depended on her ability to rip the iron door right off it's hinges. But of course it's not her life that hangs in the balance, but her son's.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Xever tried to shout over Karai but she looked as if she didn't even hear him. She just kept pulling on the bars, desperately yanking at them even though she knew that no matter how long she pulled they would never break free.

"Karai!" Xever tried again but it was no use, in fact it may have even made things worse. Karai let out a louder, even more feral sounding, scream before she suddenly quieted and sunk to her knees.

She doubled over with tears streaming violently down her face as she sobbed and Xever just stared down at her with a completely blank face before he took his key and unlocked the door.

The sound of the tumblers in the lock moving got Karai's attention. She looked up but found that she could see nothing through the tears clouding her vision so she wiped them away and was met with the sight of Xever opening the door. She looked at him quizzically; why was he opening the door?

"If I were you I would get going" he said and for a moment Karai just stayed where she was, completely stunned. But eventually she wiped away what remained of her tears and shakily got to her feet, wondering if maybe this was some kind of test. She half expected Xever to slam the door right back in her face, but he didn't.

Slowly and cautiously she stepped out of the cell and once she was out Xever closed the door.

"Just so you know you don't stand a chance against Shredder, and as much as you deserve to sit and rot in this cell and rot, your son deserves the chance for his mother to at least try and save him." The mutant explained as he locked the now empty cell. Truthfully he didn't believe that, he knew that Karai was right to run from Shredder; that she was right to hate him. It's also true that she doesn't stand a chance, fighting Shredder, but with her son on the line Xever knows that somehow she'll find a way to escape.

"Thank you" Karai said, her eyes now dry but her face still a fading red color and completely stunned by what he was doing.

"Just remember that if you survive, you owe me one. Now get out of here before I change my mind." He said and with that and a small smile that she was trying to hide Karai bolted off.

"Come on Justin" Casey groaned, after his conversation with his sister he decided that maybe she was right; maybe he can do this.

Putting it into perspective he realized that both Shredder and The Kraang know about Justin and giving him up would only make it easier for them to find him. They'd be able to track him down, if he stays then that way Casey knows he'll be able to protect him. The main problem actually has nothing to do with Justin, but with Karai. He needs to get his dad and Jen to stop investigating before it's too late. But as for Justin, he can handle him. So presently he's at the lair, bent over down in the pit as he tries again to get his son to walk with Raph sitting on the couch making sarcastic remarks about every five minutes. Justin's gotten better; he's at least grasped the concept of standing now.

"Come on Justin just move your foot" the frustrated teenager instructed, after what felt like forever but was only a few minutes of standing here completely bent over Casey's back was starting to ache and it was getting on his nerves.

"Just put one foot in front of the other-" Mikey began to sing from almost a room away before being cut off by both Raph and Casey.

"Mikey!" They snapped in unison, Mikey had been singing that a lot in the past week and although it was funny at first it was starting to get on everybody's nerves.

Casey was about to say something else, complain about something, when suddenly they heard footsteps. Immediately both Raph and Casey looked over at the front entrance; where they could hear the footsteps quickly approaching.

"How'd anyone get past Donnie's security?" Casey questioned as Raph got up, already spinning his Sais around his green hands.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out" he said before stalking over to the turnstiles.

Casey knew he should've moved, picked Justin up and gotten the hell out of that room, but for whatever reason he didn't. He and his son both stood there, rooted in their spots as if their feet were glued to the floor. The footsteps were getting closer, and they were moving fast. Labored breathing now accompanied them and it became apparent that there was only one person. Suddenly Raph's hard expression turned to shock,

"What-?" But that was all he managed to get out before, of all people, Karai came into view and hopped over the turnstiles. She completely blew past Raph as she bolted into the living area.

"Karai?!" Casey exclaimed, completely bewildered. He was thrilled to see her, he really was, and it felt like a huge weight was just lifted off his heart. But at the same time he couldn't help but wonder how it was that she was back here.

Karai didn't stop running until she reached the pit, and when she did she slid onto her knees and came to a halt right in front of Justin who immediately released his grip on his father's fingers and latched his hands onto her shoulders. Casey watched as Karai buried her head in the little boy's shoulder and held him tightly against her, and he decided that the question of how she was here could wait. He knelt down as he heard a strangled gasp of breath escape her mouth, she was crying. Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder Karai looked up to see the hockey player offering her a small smile before reaching out and gently wiping away one of her tears with his thumb.

Casey had no idea what came over him. Especially after their last conversation (that wasn't initiated by their son's kidnapping) he really should've known better than to think she'd actually let him wipe away her tears. But something just washed over him and the same thing must have washed over her because she actually let him go through with the small gesture and even gave him the slightest ghost of a grateful smile in return.

"It's ok, you're home now." He said to her and her response to that shocked him more than anything. He didn't know what exactly he expected; in fact he didn't expect anything at all. But Karai unwound one of her arms from Justin and used it to pull Casey into their hug. Putting the shock aside it felt nice and he didn't even hesitate to hug her back.

"Karai's back!" Mikey's voice suddenly exclaimed; the youngest turtle had entered the room unnoticed at some point during the little reunion. With a small laugh Karai released Casey and Justin and got to her feet, just in time for Mikey to come up behind her and lift her off the ground.

Karai couldn't help but laugh as her little brother picked her up and spun her around, despite the battle they were about to face she couldn't help but let Mikey's infectious joy get to her.

"How did you escape?" Leo questioned as he, Donnie, and April entered the room just as Mikey finally placed their sister back on the ground. A small smile had been playing on Leo's lips, how could it not? But it quickly dissipated when Karai's face turned grave.

"Shredder broke his word, his coming after Justin." She confessed

"What?" Casey gasped

"Why?!" Raph growled almost at the exact same time.

"I don't know, he stormed into the dungeon screaming about me breaking the deal and talking to someone. But I don't know what he was talking about, I didn't talk to anyone." Karai panted her explanation, the fact that she had spent the past couple hours practically sprinting through the city finally hitting her.

"It's Shredder, he probably just said that so he'd have an excuse to come murder us." Raph theorized but Karai shook her head.

"I don't think so. The deal I made was for Justin's safety, he never would've agreed to yours. I figured he'd break the deal eventually but not like this, he seemed legitimately convinced that I contacted someone." She said and April glanced over at Casey.

"What about Fishface? He let us send you that message, and stupidly we did, do you think he set you up?" Leo suggested, slightly ashamed of the fact that his missing Karai and giving into the recording idea could be what set her son up for death.

But Karai shook her head, "I don't think so. At first Shredder just came in to rough me up-" she started but Casey cut her off.

"He beat you?!" The boy demanded, his hands curling into fists at his sides as an angry fire engulfed his eyes.

"He didn't see the phone until after that, but he never turned it on and saw the recording." Karai continued; her only indication that she had heard Casey was her voice rising at the very start of her sentence.

"Casey? You don't think Jennifer went after Shredder, do you?" April asked and if Casey reacted at all, his anger only grew stronger.

"Who's Jennifer?" Karai questioned while lifting her son into her arms

"One of my dad's friends" Casey seethed, he hadn't thought of it but now that April said it he was more than sure that Jen was the cause of this. "She's a private investigator and when I had to tell him that you were kidnapped-" he began but Karai cut him off.

"You what?" She demanded, her eyes flashing with danger.

"Look I'm sorry! But you didn't exactly leave me much of a choice!" Casey exploded

"Well sorry to inconvenience you! But you could've told him I left willingly" Karai snapped back

"And when you came back? He'd hate you and tell me to keep Justin away from you!" Casey argued

"So what? What does it matter what your father thinks of me?" Karai demanded and when Casey didn't respond everyone realized just how quiet the rest of the room actually was. Everyone was watching Casey and when he noticed that he just huffed and stomped out.

"Forget it!" He called over his shoulder

"Where are you going?" A voice demanded, Splinter's voice. It caused everyone to jump, for they had not realized that their father and mentor was standing at the base of the steps coming from the dojo.

"I'm going home," Casey finally answered but Splinter shook his head

"No you are not. The Shredder knows that you are Justin's father or at the very least knows that Miwa trusts you with him. He will go after you Casey, so for the time being you and Justin are to remain here." He decided and although Casey growled in response he knew Splinter was right.

"I'm sitting outside then" The hockey player amended and with that he trudged out of the lair.

It was quiet for another minute or two before Karai broke the silence by asking April to take Justin and handing him off to the red head, much to the baby's dismay.

"I'll be right back," Karai giggled before placing a kiss on her son's forehead and walking out of the lair, leaving the other's to stare after her.

"So does that mean she's going to have emotions from now on?" Raph joked as they watched their normally tough as nails sister walk away.

"Does that mean you're next?" Leo retorted which earned him a slap from his hotheaded brother.

Karai found Casey sitting just around the corner from the turnstiles and ended up taking a seat next to him.

"Great, you come out here to yell at me some more?" The boy demanded but Karai wasn't fazed by his anger.

"Actually I came out here for my answer, why do you care what your dad thinks of me?" She asked him, she sincerely wanted to hear the answer to this because really she couldn't imagine why he would.

Casey shrugged at the question but Karai noted how he refused to make eye contact with her, he just stared ahead blankly.

"Justin was not created in a conventional way," He stated bluntly

"Which is exactly why your dad's opinion of me shouldn't matter" Karai interrupted "I mean I know we were going to try and be friends but I didn't exactly imagine ever going over your apartment unless it was just to grab Justin or drop him off, and even then I probably wouldn't leave the doorway." She continued but she almost regretted it when he looked at her with… well it was a look she couldn't place but he looked almost like he was upset that she thought that would be the extent of her friendship, and secretly she was to.

"Ok that aside, I've told my dad that, you know you and I…" he trailed off awkwardly but Karai nodded.

"Yeah, thanks." She said, never in her life did Karai believe she would ever thank someone for lying about something as serious as knocking her up but under the circumstances such a lie is actually better than the truth.

"But I don't want that to be my dad's, or anyone's, whole opinion of you. Like while you were captured Angel had to bring Justin to my hockey practice" He began to explain

"Angel?" Karai interrupted

"My little sister" Casey said dismissively "but anyway because of that all the guys on the team now know I have a son and they keep saying 'hey bring the baby mama around sometime' or 'hey when are we gonna meet the girl you knocked up?'" He continued

"Hey I told you you could walk away, you had the chance to preserve your social life then-" Karai snapped but Casey cut her off.

"I'm not talking about me! Believe it or not Karai I actually care about you, and before you start yelling again I cared about you before Justin came into our lives. I care what people think of you because I care about you and when my friends refer to you simply as 'the girl I knocked up' it pisses me off and I literally just want to punch a hole through the nearest wall!" Casey seethed, the rage was overtaking his veins and he was so focused on it that he didn't even notice the contemplative look on Karai's face before she smiled, he only noticed when she planted a kiss on his cheek.

Instantly his anger melted away and was replaced by complete and utter shock as he stared at Karai with unbelieving eyes. Karai didn't look entirely sure of herself, but her small smile showed that she didn't regret her unexpected actions.

"I'm not great at saying thank you, or used to having people who care about me." She explained awkwardly and Casey only chuckled.

"So we're good?" He asked and Karai smiled

"We're good," she agreed.

"Good because whether Shredder's after us or not I think raising this kid is going to take us both," Casey commented with a laugh.