Before I start this chapter I'd just like to say thank you to anyone who has stuck with this story since chapter one. I don't know how you did it, I know the story isn't that great but thanks anyway for all you're support and reviews! They're all really helpful and they push me to finish the story(: So with that, lets get to it.

Chapter Fourteen.

I circled my opponent, he was watching me carefully with his striking blue eyes. I watched as they analyzed me, waiting for my next move. I spun my bo-staff in my hand effortlessly and pointed it at him. I narrowed in my eyes on his katana, his hand twitched as if getting agitated I wasn't making my attack. I gave him a half grin and I ran toward him staff pointed at his chest. Instead of dodging me he held his ground and caught my staff between his two katanas forcing me backwards. A sharp pain shot up through my chest from my wound that still resonated on my stomach, it was scarring over now, but at times it'd let me know it was still there. I huffed out a long breath trying to ignore the pain.

This time he came at me, one katana drawn aimed right at me. I shuffled to the side swinging my staff to connect with his knees, I expected him to fall but he just rolled back up on his feet smirking at me. It was hard getting back in the swing of training, while still being injured.

I ran at him again, waiting for him to snag my staff with his katana, I felt the sword sink into the wood of the staff and I twisted my bo-staff as fast and as hard as my strength could muster. I watched as Leo's trusted sword went flying through the air in-between Don, and Mikey's heads then reluctantly hit the wall and fell to the ground with a clang. When I looked back at Leo, for the first time since I've met him he looked in shock, trying to figure out what just happened. I saw an advantage and I took it, I twirled the staff in my hand before striking Leo with it, sending him to the ground. As he laid on the ground, I walked over beside him and poked his sides with my staff. "Who's next?" I said teasingly.

As I walked back to Master Splinter I got slaps on the back, and high-fives from the seated brothers who witnessed the takedown of their leader. "Alex, that was very impressive for your first time back." Splinter said as he eyed me with a smile.

"Thank you Sensei."

"Perhaps that is enough for you today? You mustn't forget you have wounds that need healing." He said looking at my hand that clutched my stomach.

"Hai, Sensei."

I turned to walk out of the dojo and into the kitchen when a hand stopped me. I turned around to face the blue clad turtle, looking me over to make sure he hadn't harmed me in our spar. "Alex, are you alright?" He asked

"Yes Leo, and you shouldn't go easy on my just because I'm supposed to be healing." I said giving him a reassuring look.

"Alright, just making sure." He said resting a hand on my shoulder.

"Thanks." I said looking over his shoulder at his two brothers who were now engaged in a spar, grunting and jabbing at each other. I laughed at the way Donnie taunted Raph as they fought, only enraging him more.

"You'll be back for tonight's training too, right?"

"Yeah, If Splinter lets me. Watch out though, you might get your ass kicked by a cripple again." I said smirking at him. He just shook his head and turned to re-join Mikey on the side of the dojo.

The decorations had come down from Christmas, the tree had been brought up and left in an alleyway somewhere. I walked back to my room through the barren living room, stopping to pick up left over clutter from cleanup. As I entered my room I turned on the lights and shut the door, changing into regular clothes. I had worn my typical leggings and hoodie for training and they were all sweaty. I threw them into a pile at the edge of my bed, making a mental note to ask April to do my laundry for me sometime. I hauled on an oversized sweater and an old holey pair of skinny jeans. I slipped on a pair of fuzzy boots and sat down on my bed for a moment, to let my breath catch up with me.

I looked down at the box that rested bedside my feet and picked it up letting it sit in my lap. I carefully took out the helmet Donnie had made for me, I can't believe I'm actually going topside for the invasion. I was overjoyed and terrified at the same time. Anzo was gone, but the kraang were still out there and they wanted something from me. Something not even Don could find out, even in all the files he downloaded from TCRI he couldn't find anything. I slipped on the helmet and it hummed to life, I adjusted the knob on the side of the helmet for the volume to the police scanner and listened for any activity.

"Code 59 down in china town by the old fortune cookie factory, suspected purple dragons."

"Okay, we're sending out another patrol to check it out."

"Copy."

Code 59...I racked my memory for the meaning. It was criminal mischief, and of course it was the purple dragons. I kept listening to the static as numerous calls went back and forth, one stuck out to me after I had been listening for about five minutes.

"We have a 261A, repeat 261A, suspect around the age of twenty two, is not speaking."

"Victim?"

"We're trying to get her to talk, pretty shaken up."

"Alright bring him in for questioning."

261A was attempted rape, something I used to come across all the time when I patrolled by myself before I met the turtles. It was brutal, watching these girls lay helpless underneath these men, sometimes it was kids doing this to other kids and it made me sick. I was able to stop almost all of them I came across, but I only patrolled a small portion of the huge city. I knew more of them were out there that I couldn't help, I tried to tell myself the police showed up, or even a bystander walking the sidewalks.

I missed patrolling by myself, it gave me an escape. I could do anything I wanted, but now I followed under the orders of Master Splinter and Leo. Even when I went on patrols with the brothers it wasn't the same. I had to fall in line every time, never able to overstep my boundaries or do things my way. At the same time though I was grateful for a family, and that's all that mattered now, making sure I didn't lose them.

I slid off the helmet and placed it back in it's box. I knew the guys were out of training by now, and had probably all gathered in Don's lab waiting for an update.

"Are you crazy! we're not even ready yet!"

"Leo, I can't control when it happens, you knew it could've been anytime!"

"Don, Leo, calm down! What else does it say?"

I stood outside the doors to Don's lab listening to the brothers arguments. Apparently something had come up. I slid through the doors unnoticed and lingered in the back for a while.

"There are thousands of kraang lined up in dimension x, they're going to come through portals once the invasion starts. There's nothing we can do to stop it guys."

"And this is all happening this week?"

"That's what it says." Don said resting his head in his hands.

"Mikey, get ahold of April and Casey, let them know." said Leo.

"How are we going to stop them? I mean, we've never had to go up against anything like this before." Said Don shaking his head, still in his hands.

"We're going to have to give them everything we've got, plus we have April, Casey and Alex to help."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Alex? She's not ready to go topside. I wont let you take her on this mission she'll get hurt." Raph said to Leo.

"Agreed" Don said looking to Leo.

"We all agreed she'd be fine to help out." he shot back

"That was when we all assumed the invasion wouldn't be for another month Leo." Raph said getting in his face, Leo just pushed him back.

"We need as many people as possible and she's ready, did you see her this morning? She took me down." he said shooting back at Raph.

"Leo, she's still healing, chances are she'll get hurt even worse if she goes topside." Said Don.

"If you guys saw what I see in her, you'd know she's been dying to get out of here, she needs this. She's strong and she can handle herself, I know she can."

I was touched by Leo's words, and he was right. I was ready to get out and go topside. To feel the sweet sting winter chill on my face, and run along the rooftops once more, even if it would be my last time. I had a possibility of dying out there, we all did.

"Leo, I see that flame in her too, but she's delicate. We all know what it feels like to lose her. Hell, she's been lifeless in my arms before, and that nearly killed me, killed us. If we lose her out there we'll lose her forever this time, no miracles."

Raphael was right, but I was going to risk my life to protect my family. I stepped out of the shadows, finally revealing myself. "I'm going no matter what" I got surprised looks form the brothers as they realized I had been there for a while. "I know I'm injured just hear me out. I have powers, I have weapons, and I have been trained for fighting my whole life. I may not be prepared, but neither are any of you. We go together, as a family and nobody gets left behind."

"But Ale-"

"No I'm going, if you leave me here I can find my way out on my own. Don't you realize? I'm fighting no matter what."

"Alex, your cut. It's not properly healed all the way." Said Don looking at me worriedly.

"Don't worry about my cut right now, It's deep but it's healing, I'm healing. It's be wrong to leave me here when I can be a big help to you all."

"She's right bros, we need her." Said Mikey, who hadn't spoken up the entire time.

"No." said Raph glaring at me.

"Try and stop me." I said smirking, then turned and walked out the doors. I was going no matter what, and now that the invasion was coming, just a few days away I had to get ready. I walked to the dojo and took my nodachi down from where it hung on the wall. I strapped the holder around my back and slowly slid out the sword. I listened for any footsteps, signaling a brother was coming after me, particularly Raphael. When I heard silence I figured he was arguing with Leo in Don's lab still.

I held my sword with both of my hands and ran through the basics, just stepping and swinging. Then started getting more into it. I would step swing and twirl to face the other way, still swinging. When my uncle had taught me these moves, it always reminded me of the old movies scenes where the two armored men fought, trying to see who could kill their opponent first. I mastered sword handling easily when I was younger, graduating the highest skill level at only age ten.

I must've been in the dojo for over an hour, because Master Splinter found me and called me to the kitchen for his mid-day tea. I always joined him, finding that I was the only other one of the family to enjoy tea like Splinter did. When he found me I was covered in sweat from practicing with my nodachi, he looked at me worriedly and waved me over to the kitchen.

I sat across from him as he poured the steaming water into my mug. I twirled the tea bag around in the water for a few minutes watching the water go from clear to a light honey brown color.

"I am worried about my sons Alex." Splinter confessed to me.

"Why sensei?" I asked.

"They've grown restless over this talk of an invasion. They think they have to train constantly, and it's getting to them. I can see the tiredness in their eyes. It does not help that Leonardo has been having nightmares again."

"I think they need a break, maybe you should give them training off tonight?"

"Perhaps..." He stroked his chin.

I sipped on my tea, the warmth made me relax a bit. The sweet taste of honey flooded my senses and I could feel my heartbeat slowing down.

"You should hear how they argue over you Alex, two on two, one side needs your help the other side refuses to let you." He said almost chuckling.

"If I may ask? What do you think Master Splinter?"

"I think the choice is yours. I see both sides, you are injured, facing more injury if you go...but you are ready, you're spirit makes you long for the world outside. The way you handle that nodachi...I've never seen someone so in touch with their weapon...not even Leonardo."

I just smiled at him. "Thank you Sensei."

"You are welcome, my daughter." He said smiling at me as he exited the kitchen going back to his room to meditate.

I walked out into the living room to find the boys getting ready for their nightly training.

"No training tonight guys!" I said trying to get their attention.

"Oh thank God!" Mikey said crashing on the couch turning the tv on.

Don just dropped his bo-staff and took a seat next to Mikey leaning his head on the back of the couch falling asleep.

"Are you sure?" Leo said looking at me.

"Splinters orders." I smiled at him.

"Movie night!" Mikey yelled and scrambled over to his stash of movies lended to him by April. He plucked out a comedy and popped it into the dvd player. When the movie popped up on the screen he clicked play and returned to his seat on the couch. I walked over to the other couch, grabbed a blanket and snuggled up. Leo sat across form me on the bean-bag chair and drifted in and out of sleep.

Suddenly I felt the couch cushion move and realized Raphael had sat down next to me, his eyes on the tv screen. "You're not going with us." he said, eyes still on the screen.

"Whatever you say." I said cuddling up under his arm. He pulled me in tighter and pulled the blanket up around my shoulders scrunching my knees up to my chest and leaning my head on his plastron. I didn't know when the invasion was coming. It could be tomorrow morning or two days away. I thought about what April said, about how if I wasn't there when the van left for her farmhouse they would be forced to leave without me. I knew there was a chance I'd be left in the city, it was a chance I was willing to take to protect them. I wanted to make a difference this time, to actually save the people I loved instead of watching them get killed.

I traced my hand along Raph's arm that was draped over my shoulder. You can't lose him. I told myself. Do anything you can to protect him.

I felt my eyelids getting heavy and I drifted off into a deep sleep along with the brothers. We needed our sleep for whatever lie ahead of us.

A/N: Again thank you for everyone who's stuck it out this long into this never ending storyline. I appreciate it and love you guys! I tried to put more emphasis on the invasion in this chapter, showing scenes of Alex getting ready for it with her sword and training. I love reading your guy's reviews and what you have to say. Please, review, review, review! I'm sorry if this story is dragging out, but I have big plans for it's future. Also, I've been sick for the past week and have been loaded up on homework from school, it might take a while to get chapters out.

Thanks for reading!(: