FF: EEP I was almost late with this one!

WOLFJADE28: Dōitashimashite! You and me both- i love posting chapters!

FF: Now then, how do you guys think Liza will react to seeing Splinter? Scream? Faint? Panic? React calmly?

CHAPTER TWENTY

"Everything's fine, Sensei." Leo quickly explained, slipping past his brothers to stand by his father. "Liza just got sick on the way over."

"Threw up in tunnels." Mikey clarified, grimacing sympathetically.

"It's okay- M'fine." Liza whispered, wincing as she tried to sit up and gently wave away Donny's warning hold on her shoulder. Distantly, she knew she should be shocked at his appearance- but after months of hearing about their father and being visited by teenage mutant ninja turtles, and especially after having her energy sapped thanks to getting sick, the shock simply didn't last that long.

"It is alright." The mutant rat held up a calming hand, noting the faintly glazed look in the brunette's eyes. "Rest. Take what time you need to recover."

"Are you sure?"

"I will wait."

"If it's alright…" Liza reluctantly sank back down, her movements tentative, as if she were preparing for him to sudden retract his offer to let her rest.

"Rest, and come join me when you feel you are ready." Instructions delivered, he calmly turned and walked back the way he came, slipping past paper doors into a darkened room.

Suddenly noting the silence coating the room, the brunette cleared her throat and awkwardly murmured, "Well...that was very nice of him."

"Just hospitality." Leo hummed.

"No, it was common sense." Donny corrected, smacking lightly at her arm as he scolded, "You don't push someone who just threw up- especially if that person is yourself!"

"But I'm fine!" Liza protested, flinching away from the reprimanding taps and trying to keep her glass balanced.

"Oh really? Get up and walk across the room and then run back."

"I meant for talking." The brunette pressed deeper into the cushions, sipping at her water almost sulkily.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Mikey wrapped his arms around the brunette's shoulders as best he could, sending Donny a pouty protective look. "She's had a rough night."

"Hey, I get enough from you guys- she doesn't need to pick up any bad habits."

"Are you saying we're a bad influence?" Mikey gasped, mock-outraged.

"She's hardly ever seen us when we're hurt, how could we have passed on any bad habits?" Raph rolled his eyes.

"Osmosis?" Liza offered quietly, smiling when Mikey laughed and Donny groaned. Her smile faded when she looked around. "Where's Leo? He was just here..."

"Dojo." Mikey and Raph spoke at the same time.

"He's almost always practicing or meditating." Donny shook his head. "You need a crowbar or something to pry him away."

Liza's expression pinched slightly, concerned. Did he really work that hard and so long? Wasn't that unhealthy? And why did he leave? He never seemed to linger long when she was there, and he'd never come to see her. Maybe...he didn't like her?

She smoothed out her expression and sighed softly, sipping some more water. No. She'd give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he just didn't know what to say, or maybe he didn't see the point in sticking around with his brothers soaking up her attention.

She listened to the brothers' bantering and offered tiny comments here and there for a few minutes, before finishing the rest of her drink. "Thank you for keeping me company, but I think I should go talk to, uh...your sensei." She faltered over what to call their father. "Sensei means 'teacher', right?"

"Yeah. Do you know Japanese?" Donny perked, pausing mid-snark at Raph to smile at the brunette.

"No- well, only very little. My sister loved languages." Liza confessed as she carefully heaved herself up, relieved that her stomach had settled, and looked for a place to put her cup. "Uh, where do I-?" She cut off when she realized what she'd said, grip on the glass tightening.

Mikey popped to his feet and took the glass from her hand, eyes widening in excitement. "You have a sister?"

Liza tensed, her lips pressing together.

Shoot. She'd meant to say 'friend', how had that slipped out? After all those months keeping her lips sealed and carefully avoiding certain questions and answers, and now she'd messed it all up. Curse herself for letting her guard down! More importantly, how was she supposed to answer this one, when even she didn't know the answer?

She looked to the orange clad turtle and gave a tiny, sad smile. "...yes and no." She murmured gently, heart beginning its familiar aching, before slipping past them to hurry to the paper doors their father had disappeared into.

She stopped before them, her hand hovering over the wood. She had no idea what to expect. He seemed nice, very calm- even serene. But…

Liza glanced back at the boys she'd left behind, but quickly flinched back around when she saw their confused and questioning looks- though it was Donny's odd look of knowing sadness that made her heart ache worse and her stomach tighten. She knocked delicately on the wooden part of the doors, the desire to escape the inevitable questions giving her the courage to act.

"Enter."

She swallowed and took a deep breath, and then gently slid one door open. She shut it behind her and turned, but had to pause with a quick, sucked in breath.

The room was beautiful.

It was dark, yes, but the numerous candles lighting it up gave the atmosphere a soft, warm feeling. A little bonzai tree grew on the shelf of a bookcase, though the top shelf was decorated with delicate knicknacks. Tapestries with Japanese characters painted on hung on two of the walls. In the middle of the room was a mat, a dark wooded table, and four cushions spread out in a row before it.

On the side of the table opposite to her, was the brothers' sensei.

Watching her reaction calmly with dark eyes.

Taking another breath, she carefully approached and, after a moment of nervous consideration, sank onto the cushion that allowed her to be directly in front of the mutant. A quick thought wondering whose cushion she was kneeling on flitted through her mind, before she shooed it away, eyes lowered.

"...you room is beautiful." She whispered into the silence, tension coiling in her already abused stomach.

"Thank you. It has taken much work." He smiled softly. "Do you know why you are here?"

"You wanted to talk to me." Liza answered, gaze flicking to his a moment before returning to the floor. "Thank you for waiting. Not just now but...back then."

"It would not have been wise to overtax you when you had just endured a traumatizing experience."

She nodded, wondering if he was talking about all those months ago or when she'd thrown up only a few minutes ago. Maybe both? "It was very kind of you…"

There was a slight pause. She didn't dare to look up.

He chuckled. "You do not need to be so anxious. I assure you, all I wish to do is talk."

"Oh, no, I'm sorry, I just-" She cut herself off, biting her lip, staring hard at the cushion she sat on. There was a tear that had been expertly sewed shut on the right corner. "I just don't know what to expect…or do..."

"What do you think will happen?" He asked. She marveled at the steadiness of his calm tone- how did he do that? How did he sound so perfectly neutral yet encouraging?

"Um, I think...I think you're going to try and get a feel of my personality...of who I am as a person...maybe some background info. T-to make sure I won't be a danger to you, or your family." Liza whispered, struggling to calm her rapidly beating heart.

"You are very perceptive." He hummed.

"I try…" Her voice was barely a whisper now.

"And you succeed." He chuckled. "Before we indeed speak of what you said, however, I believe proper introductions are in order."

"My name is Liza Michaels." She lifted her eyes nervously, unsure about the warm expression on his face. "It's nice to meet you." She added nervously.

"My name is Splinter." He caught the slight tightening in her expression and smiled. "You may call me as such. It is of no offense."

"I'm sorry," She ducked her head, flushing. "It just seems….incredibly informal."

"Would you prefer another name to call me?"

"No, no. I-I'll get used to it." She bit her lip and glanced around, giving a nervous laugh. "This is all just...a little overwhelming."

"Understandable." Splinter nodded sagely. "Now, I wish to ask you something."

Her gaze flipped back to him and she tried to keep the anxiety from her voice. "Yes?"

"I know of what happened all those months ago from my childrens' perspective, but I wish to hear it from yours as well."

Hazel eyes widened. "I- I don't know if I can remember it all, I….I wasn't in a very good place for a while...mentally I mean." She whispered, a faint tremor rippling through her body. "It's..still hard to think about it."

"I am aware. Just tell me what you can, what you are comfortable with." He assured her gently.

"Okay..." She whispered.

FF: Oh dear. Liza's all scared and apparently has a sister! Liza! Why you no tell us these thing?! :(