Chapter Twenty-One

Still Wary

When Raphael, Donatello, Pandora and Karai reached the kitchen, Leonardo, Mona and Michelangelo had set up the table with different pizzas, salad and drinks.

Pandora looked excited when she saw the pizza and begged to be lifted into her high chair to which Raphael complied and gently lifted her up and placed her in her high chair.

"Wow!" said Donatello "You got quite a feast there!"

"All our favourite pizzas!" said Mona, she looked up at Karai who hung back a little as she stared at the food.

"You okay Karai?" she asked.

"I'm fine..." said Karai licking her lips slightly as she looked at the food.

"Come and help yourself." said Mona gesturing to the plates and cutlery.

"Thank you." said Karai.

This wasn't the first time Karai had joined the turtles and Mona for lunch in the kitchen.

Most of the time when she first arrived, Mona and Leonardo had brought her broth to her room since she just wanted to be alone to grieve, but after a couple of weeks she had decided to try and get out of her room and eat with the turtles.

But it wasn't easy sitting with the turtles, Mona and Splinter, as the atmosphere was so tense you could cut it with a knife.

Half the time, Raphael would focus on making sure Pandora was eating, Michelangelo wouldn't joke around and Donatello would keep his head down.

Even if Splinter, Leonardo and Mona tried to make conversation it was never a warm atmosphere.

Picking up a plate to help herself to food, Karai looked up and saw Michelangelo was giggling and joking with Pandora, the little reptile lifted her bruised hand and Michelangelo saw it and his face fell.

"Oh dear Little Geisha!" he said cradling her hand gently before placing a couple of gentle kisses there "What happened to your hand?"

The others instantly looked over and Mona looked at Raphael in question, but before the red masked turtle could say anything, Karai spoke first, telling her that Pandora had fallen off the sofa when she was bouncing on it.

"Karai came to the rescue though." said Raphael giving Karai a look of thanks "But I feel kinda bad I didn't get there in time," he stroked Pandora's head tenderly and the little reptile giggled and leaned into his hand "She's my daughter..."

"You didn't mean to Raph." said Donatello "It was a mistake, it doesn't mean you're a bad dad."

"No." said Karai "You're not a bad father, Raphael. From what I've seen, you're so protective of Pandora, and she clings to you when she's upset or scared, because she knows you'll protect her."

Mona smiled and looked at Raphael who kept his head down, everyone didn't know if he was embarrassed or ashamed.

Mona instantly walked over and hugged her mate and the red masked turtle held her close as tears formed behind his mask.

"I should have been watching her..." Raphael whispered "I should have helped her."

"Raph..." said Mona "It's okay, Pandora doesn't resent you because of it, she loves you!"

Karai smiled softly at Raphael and Mona at how affectionate they were but also because she was seeing a different side to Raphael's character, as long as she had known him, he was always the most aggressive, most ruthless of the turtles and never hesitated to throw a punch or stab with his sai at anyone or whatever got in his way or threatened his family.

But here, she could see how protective he was of his daughter, and how gentle he was with her, and with his mate Monalisa.

She looked at Leonardo who stood there looking sympathetically at Raphael.

"I did not know Raphael could be like that?" she said quietly to Leonardo "So passionate and caring."

"Under that hard skin." said Leonardo "He is gentle and loving, Mona was one of the reasons he softened up."

Donatello agreed.

"And since Pandora was born." he said "He's never been happier to be a father."

"I admire him." said Karai placing a hand on her stomach, "Maybe watching him and Mona, will teach me to be a good mother to my baby."

"I'm sure Mona and Raphael will help you prepare for motherhood Karai." said Leonardo with a soft smile.

He looked back at the lovers and Pandora and chewed his lip.

"Well, I know Mona will," Leonardo thought "I just hope Raphael shows some compassion, after your deed earlier."

Karai watched as the two lovers broke the embrace then began to coo over their daughter, as she did, she soon began to imagine herself being a mother to her new baby, even though Chaplin was no longer with her, she hoped she would be a good mother, no matter what.

"Maybe if I watch Mona and Raphael." she thought as she sat at the table, "I could learn a lot about childcare, I know Pandora's a toddler, but I'm sure I could learn well especially when my child reaches that age."

Taking a mouthful of salad, Karai's thoughts soon turned to the thoughts of the Shredder and the Foot.

Since living with the turtles, she had never ventured topside, terrified that the Foot and the Shredder would find her, it drove her mad that she couldn't get outside, and she started to wonder if she wanted to see outside, she could try going outside during the day, but there was still that worry that there were some Foot spies in the city.

The Turtles and Mona had gone topside as they did most nights to patrol the city and keep the gangs from causing trouble, they had run into the Foot Ninja a few times when they were patrolling, but they had taken care of those ninja.

It worried Karai that the Foot were still up there searching for her, it seemed they would never stop until she was found.

"I won't let you find me Shredder..." she thought placing her hands on her stomach in a protective manner "Nor will you find my child...we will evade you...you'll never get your hands on my baby..."

At Foot Headquarters, Shredder stood in his throne room and looked out of the window.

He was furious that Karai still hadn't been found, neither her or her child.

"How is it possible?" he snarled "She fled her home and into the city, and now she seems to have vanished into thin air!"

As he continued to stare out of the window, he suddenly heard the doors open and several ninja walked in.

"Well?" he asked in a dangerous voice.

"Nothing my Lord." said the head ninja "We've searched high and low in our area! We found nothing."

Shredder glared and walked over to his table.

"What about the rest of the ninja?" he snarled.

"Still searching my Lord..." said the first Ninja "We searched the alleys, the harbour, the houses, everywhere, still nothing."

"Where are the Venomous Five?" Shredder asked.

"Still scouting my lord..." said the ninja.

Shredder glared again.

"Those reptiles better be hard at work..." he said "I will not have anyone give up the search until Karai is found! I don't care if it takes days, weeks, even months, but she will be found! And whether the baby is inside her or has been born...I will make her suffer for her betrayal..."

The ninja bowed to Shredder in agreement.

"You're dismissed." said Shredder "And send the next group of Ninja out there to search for Karai, tell them leave no dark area unexplored or stone unturned until she is found!"

"Yes my Lord." said the head ninja bowing again then leading the Ninja out of the throne room.

Shredder watched them go then looked outside at the city again as he took a sip of sake.

"You're out there Karai..." he snarled "I know you are...you can't hide from me forever."

Hmmm, seems some trust is being built, yet there's still a way to go. But it seems that Karai has some role models to watch to prepare her to become a mother.

But all the while, the Shredder and the Foot are still searching...