My name isn't Satou. It's Kobayashi.

Mei leaned over the bathroom sink. It's mineral-stained, toothpaste-globbed state was still tidier than her emotions. She looked up into the mirror.

Kobayashi.

Immediately, she whirled around and leaned over the toilet, vomiting up the sparse contents of her guts. Clutching at her stomach, she was seized by dry heaves for several minutes.

Kobayashi.

What had she been thinking? Telling Karai her true name had been an easy way to find out how much the girl knew, but now it was likely that Karai would ask her father—father, indeed—about the name. She had endangered Karai as well as herself.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Mei tried not to imagine Oroku Saki's face laughing and gloating over her. She vomited again; thin green fluid splattered out of her mouth. She coughed and heaved for a few more minutes.

Hands shaking, she sat up and pushed her hair out of her eyes. She blew her nose, clearing away the vomit that had been forced up the back of her nasal passages. Turning back to the sink, she rinsed her mouth and brushed her teeth.

She startled herself when she caught a glimpse of her reflection. Her face hadn't been that hollow and pallid since before she met April.

Kobayashi. She had put the name away for a reason. Even since being reunited with her brother-in-law, she hadn't used it much. It made her think of Kenshin's strong, comely face. His warm arms encircled around her. All of the kisses that they stole when the children weren't looking.

It also made her think of the last time she had seen his face while he lived. Steely gazed, unwilling to give into fear, he had looked her in the eye and said his last words.

"Mei, be strong. Be strong—"

Then the blade went into his lungs. Blood gushed from his mouth. His eyes became wide and staring.

He was gone.

At the memory, Mei abruptly vomited again, and a slurry of stomach acid and toothpaste splashed into the sink.

There was a gentle knocking. "Mei? Mei, are you okay?"

It was April. "I'm fine," Mei replied hoarsely. "I'll be out in a minute." When she had finally collected herself enough to leave, Mei drew a deep breath and opened the door. To her surprise, April was sitting in the hallway. "Sorry to keep you waiting. It's all yours."

"I wasn't waiting for the bathroom," April said in a tiny voice.

Mei's stomach flinched. There was no way that she could handle April's trauma in addition to her own right now. "What is it, April?"

"You're not okay," April said. "What happened? Why won't anyone tell me what's going on?"

Mei swallowed. Leonardo and the others had wanted to keep this from April so that it wouldn't upset her. But April was upset already. It didn't matter at this point. "We're trying to get help from the Kraang, but the Kraang won't trust us. So, we're using a front. We're working with the Foot." The words were as acid as vomit as they tumbled out of Mei's mouth.

April's eyes widened. "The Foot—but—"

"We're using Karai. She's agreed to help us."

A flash of indignation surged through April's face. "Shredder's daughter is a lying witch. There's no way she's actually going to help us."

"She is, in exchange for information about me."

April's jaw dropped. "Mei! No! She's going to take that straight to Shredder. What if Shredder comes after you? This is a terrible idea!" Her face whitened.

"It's the only option." Mei felt her hands shaking again. "Sixteen years ago, I was defenseless. Not anymore."

"This is ridiculous! Does Splinter know about this?"

"Know about what?"

Mei and April whipped their heads toward the end of the hall. Splinter stood there.

"Sensei, they're using Karai to help them get in touch with the Kraang!" April said, her voice panicky.

Splinter's eyes lit with anger. "What?"

"We don't have a choice, Yoshi," Mei snarled. "Besides, she has already agreed to help us."

Splinter glanced uneasily at April. "Mei, can I speak to you privately?"

Nodding, Mei spun on her heel and headed straight for the dojo. She could hear Splinter a few steps behind her. Once they were inside, Splinter shut the door.

"Explain," he commanded.

Mei drew a deep breath and closed her eyes. Then, without further hesitation, she followed her sensei's order. She didn't open her eyes again until she had finished explaining everything.

"Why didn't all of you come to me?" Splinter said, sparks in his eyes.

"You sealed yourself off!" Mei shouted. "Besides, you never would have gone along with this."

"How can you be willing to do so? Leonardo is brave and intelligent, but this plan is ill-advised. I forbid the four of you to do this."

Mei bristled. "It's too late. We've already begun. Karai knows my name is Kobayashi."

Splinter started. "She does?"

"I told her. She didn't recognize it." Mei's tone softened. "Yoshi, we have a chance to reach her. If we try nothing, we'll lose Donatello forever. But if this succeeds, we'll have both your son and your daughter back."

Splinter closed his eyes. Small orbs of water beaded on the fur around them. "If it doesn't, we will be no closer to our goal, and Oroku Saki will not rest until he finds you and finishes what he started."

Mei's stomach lurched. "Donatello and Miwa are worth it to me."

Splinter squeezed his eyes even more tightly shut. His whole face was twisted up in pain. He ran forward to her and threw his arms around her, his grasp so tight that it hurt. "If you are willing to do whatever it takes," he choked. "Then I must be, as well."

Mei surrendered herself to his embrace, resting her head against his shoulder. She flashed back in time; Kenshin's strong arms encircled her.

"Mei—I—" Splinter's voice cracked. Abruptly, he pushed her away and walked over to his collection of things from Japan. In silence, he stared at his family photograph for several minutes, his face taut with confusion.

All around Mei, the past shattered. Kenshin was gone, and she was alone.

She hugged herself. Be strong.

The door to dojo slid open. "Hey, Auntie M—oh, sorry," Michelangelo said.

"That's fine," Mei said, forcing herself to be calm. "What is it, Michelangelo?"

"I was gonna start on lunch, but I forgot that Raph kinda smashed everything in the kitchen." Michelangelo held up a metal saucepan, perforated in multiple locations with holes about the diameter of a sai's spire. "At least I only messed up my own stuff."

Splinter snapped out of his reverie and stared at Michelangelo, shaking his head. "Mikey-bo," he said, his voice weak and tremulous. He went to his son and held him in a tight embrace. "My son. I love you."

Mei couldn't help but think of Kenshin hugging their sons.

Michelangelo squirmed uncomfortably. "Uh, love ya too, Sensei."

"Forgive me, my son. I have not been here for you. But I am here now."

Michelangelo's lip quivered for a moment, then he gave into Splinter's embrace. After a final squeeze, Splinter released his son.

Michelangelo grinned. "So did you seriously just call me Mikey-bo?"

With a vaguely impish expression, Splinter replied, "Absolutely not."

"Whatever. So, is it cool if I order pizza? Leo's all tapped out for money."

Mei fell back into the present. She shook her head. "How exactly do you boys even get money?"

"Dude, people drop that stuff like crazy," Michelangelo said. "Solid. Coinage. Finders keepers, like a turtle do!"

"Why don't I call and we can use solid plastic," Mei said.

"Pssh. Money's not made of plastic, Aunt Mei. Even I know that."

Splinter heaved a longsuffering sigh and shook his head. "I will join you two shortly."

As Mei walked out of the dojo with Michelangelo, she glanced over her shoulder at Splinter. He had gone back to looking at his family portrait, the confusion in his expression doubled.