Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I was having a bit of writer's block and I'm also building to a high point in one of my other stories so I've been a little distracted from this one. Everytime I tried to come back to it I just was kinda like 'nah.' But I just got a review asking me why I hadn't updated it yet and felt kinda guilty, also this morning I had come up with some great ideas for the next chapter so when the review came in I decided it was time to do something about it.

So prepare for some Leo/Karai bonding time!

Please Review!

Ch. 36–The Snakelike Voice of Reason

Leonardo was stretched out on the floor in his room, slowly but surely dozing off. His dark blue eyes widened, then closed again with impending slumber. The blue-masked turtle had taken Karai to his room several hours earlier where he proceeded to lay her down on his bed. For the past few hours he'd been watching over her, making sure she was comfortable, but mostly just waiting for her to wake up.

Just as the turtle fell into a light sleepy haze a quiet groan split the air. Leo shot up from his place on the floor so fast he practically had whiplash. His dark blue eyes stared down at the snake-like figure, now wide awake.

Karai's bright green eyes fluttered open slowly. The first thing she saw was the eldest turtle's worried face staring down at her. The aggression that had become default after her mutation rose in her once again, but she pushed it down. No, I know Leonardo. I won't hurt him. She thought determinately. The mutant leaned back into the pillow with a sigh. Slowly, she turned to the leader of the turtles, who was now right at her bedside.

"Leo…" she ground out with much difficulty. Flashes of what had occurred assaulted her mind. They were foggy, almost unreal. Like figments of a bad dream…a nightmare. Inwardly, Karai prayed that it was no more than that, but her common sense knew enough to tell reality from the subconscious. She would have said more, but Leonardo reached out and grabbed one of her snake-like hands in his.

"No, Karai, wait. Before you say anything I wanted to…About your mutation…" The blue-masked, blue-eyed turtle paused, his gaze lowering to the floor in disappointment. "I'm sorry I couldn't have…"

An eerie light filled the room as she shifted into human form, and Leo looked up at her. Karai lifted her other hand to brush gently against the side of his face. Normally she wasn't this open with her emotions, and especially not with others, but the firm, yet trusting nature of the turtle in front of her had made her feel strangely inclined to trust him. If she was honest with herself, it always had. For, after all, he alone understood her like no-one else ever had before.

Leonardo's dark blue eyes stared into the unfamiliar green gaze of the girl on the bed. Of course, Raphael's eyes were bright green as well, practically neon green in fact, but Karai's were different. Hers were a little bit bluer with speckles of lighter and darker shades mixed in. When she touched his face, Leo had almost flinched because he had not been expecting such an action.

"It wasn't your fault." She stated plainly.

Her voice had also changed. Instead of darkly mature and smooth-sounding, it was now more airy and light, but with no less intensity that was for certain. As Leonardo finally processed her response he replied, "But I might have…"

"And gotten yourself mutated in the process." She lingered on the 's,' even if only slightly.

"I'm mutated already, it would have been easier for me." His blue irises glowed iridescently with the strength of his conviction.

"But not for your brothers." Karai replied, her neon green snake-eyes gleaming even brighter.

The turtle conceded, knowing full well that neither of them would get anywhere with this argument. Karai was obviously unwilling to give up ground, as was he. Both of them believed, all too strongly, in their own arguments.

Silence spread once again before Karai whispered, "Did I…" her voice hitched and she went no further.

There was no need to, though. The blue-masked ninja could read on from her face what she had been unable to convey: Did I hurt them?

"Yes, but it wasn't your fault." He answered, hoping she wouldn't ask how badly. Even he himself lacked the answer to that question. After all, he'd been waiting in here with her.

"How much?"

And of course, it's the first thing she asks. He thought dryly. When the turtle didn't reply Karai moved so that she was sitting up on the edge of the bed, and motioned for Leonardo to have a seat beside her. He did so, and there was silence for a third time. Leo put his hands in his lap casually and Karai swung her legs softly.

Finally the turtle decided to break the silence, "You could have been killed going after Shredder like that."

"M-hm." She replied, staring at the floor of his room.

Leonardo looked down there too, but he turned back to her after a moment and said, "That was a very stupid thing to do."

"M-hm."

He looked down again before looking back at her, "I…was really worried." And then after a pause, "We all were."

Silence ensued yet again, a strange and awkward hole in the conversation. Karai looked down at her hands, so seemingly human, yet so alien. Leo followed her gaze and whispered, in a softer, more caring tone, "Was it hard?"

The green-eyed mutant sighed, "Hardest thing I've ever had to accept in my life."

"I'm sorry."

"I told you: it wasn't your fault." She accentuated, staring firmly into the deep blue gaze beside her.

"Maybe not, but that doesn't make me feel any less responsible." The turtle replied, letting his focus drop to a small spot on the carpet.

"Exactly, so please Leonardo," At the sound of his full name he looked over at her, staring her straight in the eyes. "How bad is it?"

Leo paused. He wanted to tell her what he knew, but he didn't want to hurt her. Also he didn't want to make her feel guilty for something she had absolutely no control over.

"Well, Leo? Will you tell her the truth, or shall I?" Came a female voice from the door.

Their heads snapped up to the figure in the doorway, her frame silhouetted by the light pouring in from the hallway behind her. The lizard-mutant took a few steps into the room, and Karai got her first good look at her. She seemed vaguely familiar, and judging from her somber expression she had probably been with the turtles on the night in question.

From her seat on the bed beside him, Karai could feel Leo tense. Within seconds the turtle was on his feet, though he made no movement to approach.

Karai raised an eye-ridge. She appeared to be some kind of mutant lizard. And she was not happy. Not one bit.

"What are you doing here, Mona Lisa?" Leo growled out. Karai glanced at him, then the lizard, who was taking her time with a response.

Mona Lisa's dark brown eyes flicked open, red and swollen, as though she had been crying. Karai's chest tightened uncomfortably. Something's really wrong.

The lizard stared directly at the eldest turtle, though it was clear from her posture that she was well aware of the other mutant's presence in the room. "Oh nothing, Leonardo. I just figured you'd want to know when one of your brothers is dying." Her statement was caustic and ringing, like a good hard slap to the face.

Leo took a staggering step backwards, both his and Karai's eyes wide with shock. As soon as the shock faded, he was directly in front of Mona Lisa. He gripped her shoulders aggressively, searching her gaze for something, anything that could indicate that this wasn't entirely the case. When he found nothing he recoiled dumbfounded, stunned, and hurt.

Karai pushed herself to her feet, wobily making her way over to Leo's side, grabbing his forearm lightly for support. Mona's eyes followed her warily, which did not go unnoticed by the snake mutant or the turtle.

"How?" Karai asked for clarification, her own memories of that night were still fogged over, and likely to remain that way.

Mona Lisa surprisingly made eye-contact with her, but directed her answer to Leo, "Karai's bite was deep, her venom is potent. It's a miracle he isn't dead already. Also, that's part of the reason I'm here. The poison that the Foot injected me with was similar, but Karai's contains certain elements that Donatello and I can't quite determine, mutant elements probably. At this point, our only hope would be to use a sample of Karai's venom to try and create an antivenom. Unfortunately, by the time we complete it, the damage done to his systems could be irreversible, or…he may die before we have a chance to administer it. It may already be too late."

"I'd be willing to provide as much venom as needed to try and find a cure." Karai answered without hesitation and Mona nodded in impassive appreciation.

"Thank you."

Leo was still a little tense, but most of that attitude had faded as soon as he heard the news of Raphael's condition. He was in a spin, his mind reeling at the possibility of losing his immediate younger brother. An existence, a world without Raph…it just seemed unimaginable.

Then, as if in afterthought, he glanced from one female mutant to the other, surprised that Mona Lisa had made no moves against Karai. Their gazes were locked, and they never took eyes off each other, probably out of distrust, but there was no tension between them, merely an atmosphere of cold, stoic understanding.

It was Mona Lisa who spoke next, this time to Karai, "I'm sure you can understand that I am extremely reluctant to trust you. Although, I hope you will also understand my position. I am aware of all the good things you have tried to do for this family as well, I know that you have accepted them as your family. Forgive me if I take a negative or aggressive stance towards you. Had circumstances been reversed," she gave a pointed nod in Leo's direction, "You would probably feel the same."

Karai glanced at the eldest turtle for a moment, imagining that if hers and Mona's (who she assumed was probably involved with Raphael) positions were reversed.

Leo would have been hurt…practically at death's door…How could I ever forgive the one responsible? I wouldn't, plain and simple. But maybe Mona Lisa will, in time come to forgive me. At least I hope so. All the apologies in the world cannot take away the red-masked turtle's injuries now.

"Yes," she spoke quietly, her voice slightly hoarse with emotion, "yes, I would."

The blue-masked turtle, who was now trying to catch up on what had just passed, looked back over his shoulder at Karai. Positions reversed? She would do the same? What is that supposed to mean, like if I was the one hurt because Mona had attacked me and Karai was left to deal with it? But does that mean…if she would do the same… Does that mean that she…? The turtle stared at Karai searching her expression for an answer, before he realized that it was not the right time. Raphael could die at any moment and the only way to save him was to find an anti-venom asap.

As if reading his thoughts, Mona Lisa held out a small cylindrical container with some kind of cloth-looking covering on top. "If you'd provide me with a venom sample I might find an antidote before it's too late." She said solemnly.

Karai nodded, took the container and shifted back into snake form. Puncturing the container's top with her fangs she let plenty of venom drip off her fangs slowly into the bottle. She handed it curtly back to the lizard mutant, who grabbed it and left the room without another word.

Leo glared after her and growled, "She shouldn't act that way. You're Sensei's daughter. If she wants to live here and train with us she ought to show you some respect."

Bright green snake-eyes narrowed. The urge to protect the female mutant's stance surged within her. She felt lucky Mona would even speak to her at all. Leonardo had no right to demand something from Mona Lisa which she herself believed could not be given! There was a soft growl before the snake slithered directly in front of Leonardo and glared at him. "If anyone should have some respect, it's you! She's chosen how she wants to handle the situation, and given the circumstances, she's already treated me better than what most would have done given the situation! Respect doesn't mean a thing when it comes to protecting the ones you love, Leo. You of all people should know that. And I think you owe her an apology for the way you've been treating her. She has feelings too. She's practically falling apart, Leo, if anything she needs extra support, not criticism."

"But the way she…"

"Forget the way she treats me, Leo! Your whole family is probably going to be on edge around me for the next couple of weeks! Just man-up and go apologize! I think it's blatantly obvious that you both have been under too much pressure to make calm and rational decisions!" The snake finished, pushing the blue-masked turtle out the door, before slamming it closed in his face.

Defeated, and finally acknowledging that the mutant snake was right, Leo sighed. As soon as all this is over, I'll apologize. He promised himself. Leo started to head for the lab, but he ended up turning for the dojo, not wanting another confrontation with Mona Lisa quite so soon.

He couldn't have predicted the magnitude of the events that would come to follow...

Review Please! It really makes me want to update more often, and it also lets me know you like the story and that you want me to continue! Thanks so much, I really appreciate it! Later!