lizzybudd: Yeah, I had to have Yuki meet April and Casey sooner rather than later. I know I portray Casey as a bit of a jerk in a lot of my stories but his jerkness comes off as either him not thinking things through or him being defensive of his little brothers. I enjoy you thinking things out loud. :) Thank you for reviewing!

Queen Dove: Thank you so much! Yuki's certainly working out a few things on her own, but it does help when she's got a pack behind her. Mikey's great with her now, isn't he? I love him loving people because he's such a sweetheart. Thank you for reviewing!

ImpossibleGirl01: Welcome and thank you! You're very kind. I've never had a pet bigger than a hedgehog but I've always thought that being close to a dog or cat would cure many ills. :) Thank you for reviewing!

wolfimus prime: Welcome to you, too! It's always wonderful to see new followers, favourites, and reviewers! Thank you for reviewing!

TMNT-Queen: Haha, you're welcome! ;) Casey's a jerk because he's scared for his bros but he'll come around. April's already ahead of him on that front, though, eh? We're going to have to work with Leo and Don, won't we? Thank you for reviewing!

Guest: Congratulations on being the 100th review! Hooray! Don't worry about being busy, I understand. :) I don't hate Casey, per se, but I do get a little fed up with him. I understand where he's coming from - he's only protecting his little brothers and sometimes he just doesn't think - but he's kind of my personal scapegoat in my TMNT stories. I, too, love Yuki and Raph's relationship. She's still very animalistic, especially when it comes to new situations (she cowered behind Raph's legs when confronted with Casey and hid under his chair because April had taken her chair at the table and she didn't want to assume anything by sitting elsewhere). The guys finding out about Yuki's training and brainwashing is in the works but it might be a few chapters later than where we are now. You are more than welcome, and thank you for reviewing! (PS. You're welcome to include an unofficial username if you'd like. I'd love to address you directly since I have several anonymous guests who review and it's hard for me to differentiate.)

Author's Note: Welcome to Mai'shardstyle (awesome username, by the way!). Thank you for the follow! I hope everyone had a joyous holiday! I wish all of you the best for the coming year, and thank you all for being so wonderful to me! Also, sorry for the wait, everyone. Between family and being under the weather, I've had a hard time concentrating on writing. Also, my parents got Netflix, and I've introduced to them the concept of binge-watching. Go me! This chapter's a little short but a couple of things happen. Enjoy!

Chapter 21: Of Leathery and Fuzzy Company

"Ow!"

"Easy, Mikey," Leo urged. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just got my fingers pinched. Man, remind me to never have one of these in my room. They're a hassle."

Leo nodded and took the next few seconds to make sure the full-length mirror hung straight. "I think that did it. Good job."

He watched Mikey step back and ascertain the mirror's straightness for himself, and smiled. Mikey's eye for detail was one of the reasons why he'd asked for his brother's help in the first place. Leo had taken care of material and colour while Mikey had designed the layout. Don and Raph were good for nothing in this department except manual labour, but while Raph had helped bring in the bookshelf and dresser, Don had taken Yuki out into the tunnels for an introduction to Leatherhead – to guarantee the surprise.

"I dunno, Leo," Mikey mused, a thoughtful frown pulling at his mouth.

"Why? What's wrong? Is it not straight?" Leo had a level somewhere around here – borrowed from Casey – but Mikey shook his head.

"Not that, bro. I'm just wondering if getting Yuki a mirror is the best thing for her."

"Why wouldn't it be? April recommended one."

"Yeah, I know. It's just…Yuki was human. Don't you think her own reflection would, I dunno, upset her or something?"

Leo smiled at his baby brother. It had been barely a week since Raph had first brought Yuki through the front door, and he couldn't help but admire how close his two youngest brothers had become with the former Foot Elite. Both Raph and Mikey possessed loud personalities: Raph's straightforwardness and Mikey's gaiety helped kick Yuki's hesitancy to the curb. She became fierce in the dojo, training solely against Raph unless they were doing drills or kata; and Leo had heard her laugh just the other day when Mikey had told her a joke. Leo could only stand back and watch Yuki's personality unfold, and he knew the credit lay with his youngest brothers. That was why he had undertaken this project: he wanted to do something for Yuki, too. But he would never have thought that Mikey could see so much of someone who was still very much a stranger in their home. Then again, Mikey had always had a knack for feeling out…feelings. He understood without judgement – at least, he did now where Yuki was concerned – and Leo admired that quality in his brother more than even his ability to cook.

"I don't think she's bothered by what she looks like so much as what she's lost," Leo chose to say. He took Mikey's shoulder. "She's been used to being not human for a long time. I think we're in the clear."

"If you say so," Mikey said, still looking dubious. "We can always take the mirror out, though, right?"

"Right. But remember: she sees her reflection all the time in the bathroom mirror and she's never complained."

"She never complains anyway."

This was true and Leo inclined his head in acknowledgement. "You can always ask her?"

Mikey looked away. "I don't like to. She's gotten better but I can tell sometimes that our questions bug her. There's a look in her eye that's…tired."

"Well, hopefully this will help." Leo swept an arm out to encompass the made-over storage room.

"Do you really think she'll like it?"

Leo cocked a smile at him, smug and proud of their work. "Where's your confidence? She's going to love it."

-:-:-:-

I tried not to sigh as I trotted through the sewers' mild chill. "You do not require my assistance, Donatello. I'm confused why I'm going with you."

Donatello glanced at me sidelong. "In light of recent events –"

"Namely me scaring the skin off Hun," I grumbled.

"- both Leo and Master Splinter don't want anyone running around by themselves. We're not leaving the tunnels but the Foot have been known to lay traps for us."

"But…they don't know the lair's location."

"That they don't, but they know we frequent the surrounding areas."

"So I am your…bodyguard?" I wasn't sure if I liked that notion; my memories of Karai were still fresh. I would protect my new pack because it was my honour and duty and because I wanted to, but serving one of the turtles to wherever we were going as extra muscle was not exactly conducive to my mental recovery.

Donatello faced me head-on. "Never. You're never going to be a bodyguard. You're our friend, Yuki. Master Splinter just wants us safe."

"And your brothers are too busy to go with you," I observed.

His face pinched, his mouth and eyes scrunching. "I…I can't say."

"It has something to do with them moving boxes out of that room by the dojo," I said, my eyes narrowing. "And the hammering."

"…Maybe." He sighed and smiled. "It's a surprise for you, okay? And that's all I'm going to say about it."

A surprise? For me? I suddenly wanted nothing more than to turn tail and run back the way we'd come, but I had a duty to fulfill and a question to answer. "Okay."

He glanced at me, one brow ridge raised as if to ask why I wasn't bombarding him with questions. Deciding to leave it alone, he said, "Also, there's someone I'd like to introduce you to. He's another mutant. He's, well, a little intense sometimes but he can't help it. He's a crocodile and highly intelligent."

I slammed to a halt. He was a what? A WHAT?!

"Uh, Yuki?"

Fighting down my rising panic, I did my best to keep a straight face as I looked at Donatello. "Forgive me," I said, "but I could have sworn you just said that the mutant we are going to see is a crocodile."

"Um…because I did?"

"Oh. I see."

"Is, um, that a problem?"

No. No, of course it wasn't. Because it wasn't. "It could be." Curse my ingrained honesty! "I mean, we're both apex predators."

Donatello's face visibly paled. "Oh. I hadn't thought of that." Then he rallied, "He's a really nice guy, though. He's a genius, really, and the only one who can keep up with me in the lab. He was mutated by accident, like we were, but ended up in the not-nice hands of a man named Agent Bishop. He was tortured and experimented on which resulted in berserker episodes of rage."

"That does not sound safe, Donatello."

"He's as safe as he can be." Donatello's brow sank low, his eyes downcast. "He can't live with anyone but he's close enough if we need his help or he needs ours." He looked up, meeting my eyes unflinchingly. "He's our friend, Yuki. He's part of the pack."

Then I would do my best to remain on good behaviour. I nodded and was about to reply when a draft brought scents to my nostrils.

I tensed, my ears up and swivelling, my tail quivering.

"Yuki? What is it?"

I sniffed again, hoping against hope that I was wrong. I wasn't. "Jaguar and White Tiger are nearby."

Those brown eyes went wide. "Are they close?"

"I can smell them," I reminded him. "That's close enough."

Donatello swept his staff out with one hand and pulled out his shell-cell, hitting the S.O.S with the other. "We can't lead them back to the lair."

I nodded, crouching and unsheathing my claws. It would be a fight, then. Not even a week after Lynx's death, I was now engaging my brothers in a battle for our lives. Squeezing my eyes shut, I braced myself against the rearing wave of emotion that threatened to sweep me away. My brothers. My White Tiger. My Jaguar. My former Pack, my Pack still, and I was about to use my teeth and claws against them.

And for what? My own self-preservation? Was I that selfish?

A scuff of tough skin on concrete brought me back to reality: Donatello's heartrate had accelerated but he fought to stay calm; his fear, not strong enough to burn, trickled through the air. My new packmate was afraid.

Mikey would never laugh again if I let his brother die.

Raph would never smile again if I let his brother die.

Hanged if I let their brother die.

Hanged if I abandoned even one of my brothers to a fate unasked and unwanted.

My claws clenched against the hard ground, scraping. I would fight for them all to save them. "Donatello," I hissed to him, "watch your back and sides. Jaguar likes to ambush."

He nodded once and took a shaky breath, but his hammering heart evened out a fraction. Good thing, too, because White Tiger leaped out of the shadows right in front of us like a wraith, his teeth bared fully and his claws extended.

I snarled and leaped, clashing with him in midair and knocking him to the ground.

"White Tiger!" I cried as we rolled. "Brother, ototo, listen to me! Don't you recognise me?"

"Whoa!" A rush of displaced air and a whump of wood against flesh alerted me to Donatello engaging Jaguar. "You weren't kidding!"

We stopped with White Tiger on top and, oh, man, this was bad! I writhed beneath him but he was too heavy!

"Snow Leopard."

The appellation stilled me and I looked up into my brother's vivid, blue eyes. "Brother?"

"No," he snarled. "You betrayed Master, betrayed the Pack. You are not my sister. You are not Pack."

I ignored the knife the words were to my heart, and said, "But they stole us, White Tiger! They lied to us! We are not what we thought. Please!"

He smirked at me and licked his chops. "Only prey begs. We have our orders from Master and we will obey."

"Master killed Lynx!" I screamed. "Don't you care about what happened to Lynx?"

My question threw him and he blinked at me. "I know of no one named Lynx," he bit out grudgingly – honestly, truthfully.

Lynx. He didn't… They didn't…know? But...but they were there. They had been there when Master had... No, they did know. They just didn't - couldn't - remember.

No.

"No!" I shouted and slammed my fist into his cheek. My blow tossed him sideways and I scrambled upright. "Jaguar! Who is Lynx?" I cried without taking my eyes off White Tiger.

Jaguar snarled behind me and there was a pause in his battle with Donatello. "I know of no one named Lynx."

In the midst of my piquing horror, curiosity niggled my brain: the wording. It had been the exact same wording.

But then the horror swamped me and I screeched, rounding on the spotted cat. "She was our sister! She was our packmate! She was Pack! She was our sister!"

"By your word only, traitor," White Tiger spat as he gained his feet. "Enough of this. We have our orders, Jaguar. Kill the traitor and the turtles. We will do it one by one if we have to."

"I very much doubt your success."

Someone else arrived on-scene without anyone's notice which was a miracle in and of itself because the someone was gigantic. He was taller than Hun and wider still. He topped White Tiger by more than a couple of inches and outweighed him by at least thirty pounds. His skin was armour, his long snout filled with teeth and muscle that shamed our bite force, and his eyes were narrowed with an unsettling intelligence and rage.

In a distant corner of my brain, I thought, So this is Leatherhead.

But greetings had to wait because Leatherhead charged Jaguar who stood closest to Donatello, and backhanded him so hard that he hit the opposite wall.

White Tiger blinked at the newcomer and said softly, "Go your way, stranger. We have no quarrel with you."

Leatherhead's yellow eyes turned an eerie pale green, his pupils narrowing to slits. "You attack my friend and the one with him. Any quarrel you have with him is with me as well."

White Tiger pulled his lips back, his ears flat. "Very well then." He loosed a roar, Leatherhead snapped his jaws, and the two titans clashed.

"Don! Yuki!"

Coming in from one of the adjacent tunnels, Leonardo led Raph and Mikey through the melee, stopping only to take on Jaguar when he jumped at them. Raph immediately spun back to help, and Mikey arrived at Don's side.

"Come on!" Mikey shouted at me.

Before I could take a step, I heard claws slice through flesh and a quiet grunt of pain.

"Raph!" cried Leonardo

I spun at the call and launched myself at Jaguar, noting absently Raph bleeding on the ground. With Jaguar focussing on Leonardo, who was a raging blur of green, blue and silver, he didn't hear me coming, and I was on top of him in an instant, snarling and spitting.

Jaguar roared and rolled me over but my front claws were hooked into his fur, and I used my legs to kick him clear. I followed after him, swiping at his head. He barely managed to dodge and when he looked at me, I could both see and smell his fear.

"White Tiger, we are outmatched!" he yelled over the roars of the two largest mutants.

I kept my eyes on Jaguar yet heard White Tiger's agreeing growl. "Then a parting gift is in order."

Something silver glinted in my furthest peripheral and I whirled instinctively.

Claws slammed into my side from an unexpected direction: Jaguar. I had turned my back on Jaguar.

The silver flew for Leonardo's head but he deflected with a twist of his katana just as he shouted, "Yuki!"

I slumped to the floor and felt Jaguar step over me. "For the traitor," he whispered, and then he was gone, White Tiger disappearing with him back into the sewers' shadows.

"Raph," I moaned, reaching for the turtle. My vision swam. Pain flared in my right side. I could smell the blood, his and mine.

Hands fell against my side, cloth pressing, and I cried out.

"Easy, Yuki, easy. It's all right. You're going to be all right. We need to stop the bleeding."

On the fringes of my fading senses, I felt the approach of Leatherhead. His voice was low and calm as he said, "Bring her to my home. How is Raphael?"

I never heard how Raph was. The darkness engulfed me.

-:-

Thank you for reading!