Life has a special way of kicking you in the nuts while simultaneously beating you senseless with a vat of mutagen, a revenge-crazed fake-Daddy, and four months of uncontrolled violence sprees.

But, Karai risks a glance at a blue-eyed terrapin, life also has a way of benefiting you of a stupid, adorable boy who can't seem to give up on her. Honestly Karai has to wonder how many lemons and ass-kickings it's given Leonardo, her former enemy, her former friend, and now her something else.

"So," she starts casually, catching Leo's attention as he peels his eyes away from the fire. The flames illuminate the curve of his jaw, the small little dots on the surface of green skin, and his glum ocean-blue eyes. He honestly looks like a kicked puppy, and probably feels like one, too. "How's the fire?"

He doesn't answer at first, only looks back at the fire with an empty gaze, like he's seeing nothing, but also seeing everything. Reliving whatever happened in that construction site, or thinking of three months he's lost before he awoke in that bathtub. There's the faint lift of his shoulders, though, and she purses her lips. "S' okay," he mumbles, wincing when he speaks. His voice is still hoarse from disuse, but the sound of his voice has changed altogether. His voice sounds like he aged forty years. Fifteen going on fifty.

"Could be a little bigger," Karai says, a grin curling her crimson lips. "A couple years ago I let Shini convince me to help her light a classmate's room on fire. Some of our classmates were spreading rumors about us, not that I cared of course, but the little bitch sorta had it coming."

Leo raises one eye ridge, and asks, "Who's Shini?"

Not an answer she initially expects from aggressive rule follower, but it's better than nothing. "My friend from Japan. She's training to be the spirit of death."

"And you helped her burn down a girl's room?"

"She was accusing me of being a slut, Blue. I had to defend my honor," Karai says, overdramtically slapping a hand over her chest, looking flabbergasted as he stares back at her flatly. The same way he would when she tried to rope him into participating in illegal activities.

("Karai, we can't just steal a fireman's truck," Leo sighed, shaking his head while his hand covered in his face in resignation.

"Well not with that attitude," Karai grinned, flashing teeth. "Of course we can. I already knocked the guy out—"

"You did WHAT?!")

"Right," Leo rolls his eyes skyward, a touch of exasperation.

"Well what would you do if someone spread nasty rumors about you?" she counters, drumming her fingers on the armrest.

He pauses, too long of a pause, enough for a slow spreading, ear-splitting grin to spread across her face. He scowls as she snorts. "Oh, Blue, you are truly a bad boy in the making."

"Am not."

"Are too," she shoots back playfully, something warm spreading across her belly when she catches a hint of a smirk on his face.

"Is this your way of cheering me up?"

"Uh, no," Karai scoffs, offended at the very idea. Ludicrous. Absolutely ridiculous. "I just thought I'd tell you a fun story while we wait for the power to come back on. This place is fucking boring."

Leo barely hides his smile, amusement glittering in his eyes. "Sure," he says, a chuckle in his throat.

She grins and stands, asking, "I'm getting something to drink. You want anything."

"No," Leo says, and she nods in acceptance and turns to find if O'Neil's father hid any liquor when Leo adds, "Karai."

She's three feet away when she turns her head, raising a questioning brow.

Since the first time he woke up, Leo wears a sincere, unhidden smile. "Thank you."

She tries not to react, blinking once, and shoves the down that weird warm gooey feeling simmering beneath her cheeks. Another blink and she bears a smirk, rolling her eyes. "Whatever," she scoffs, disappearing into the kitchen.

Once Karai is out of his sight, she allows her smirk to rise into a smile. Life is weird. Life sucks sometimes. But right now, it doesn't feel so bad. She almost believes there's a bright side to it.