Woo!

First of all, thank you guys for the all the favs and especially for all the reviews. They mean a lot to us and they help keep us motivated. Feedback is also appreciated, so keep those reviews coming!

We're also making the chapters shorter from now on. The good thing is that we'll probably be updating a tad more frequently because of that.

Still building up the setting here, so it's going to be a fairly light-hearted chapter.

Enjoy!


Raph could tell it was morning both by the sounds of activity going on outside his door and the tense discomfort in his bladder. Groggily he kicked off the bundle of sheets tangled around his legs and rolled off his bed. He scooted for the bathroom through the hallway and across the common room and a wave of distress slapped him in the face when he found the door was locked from the inside.

"Who's in there? I really need in!" he cried, knocking on the wooden surface.

"It's me!" said Karai's voice.

"And me!"

Raph reeled at the sound of Mikey's voice also coming from beyond the door.

"Are you both in there?" he shrieked in bewilderment.

"Yeah, I'm doing my makeup while also providing Mikey with some emotional support."

"It's stuuuuck," Mikey whined pitifully, after which Raph heard him groan in effort.

Oh, crap. Literally. Nevermind that this seemed so wrong, they were also going to take forever and he really needed to go.

"Hey Raph, while you're waiting, write down whole-wheat cereal on the shopping list! Mikey needs more fiber!"

"Can you put that on pizza?"

Raphael grimaced considering the implications. "YOU'RE DISGUSTING! Come out and do that yourselves! It's my turn!"

"Your turn was fifteen minutes ago, Raph. You skipped it so now you have to wait."

"I'm gonna burst!"

"Tell it to the bathroom schedule."

"YOU PIECES OF-"

Raph growled in frustration, giving the piece of paper nailed to the door a look of pure hatred, maybe hoping it would spontaneously disintegrate by the sheer intensity of his glare. If not, he would just shred that stupid bathroom schedule into confetti and throw it on Karai's stuck-up face.

"Dude, just go in the sewers!" Mikey's voice said.

"What?! I'll dump YOU both in the sewers!"

"This is what happens when you don't follow the bathroom schedule, Raph," Leonardo said coolly behind him as he passed by with an empty cup of tea.

"Oh, bite me, Leo. You always get up two hours before any of us do, you fanatic."

"Early bird gets the worm," Leo said with a smug smile, walking away. "Or in this case the.."

"Ugh, just shuttuuuup," Raphael groaned. "I mean, seriously! One bathroom for a family of six?!"

That's it! They didn't need a bathroom schedule; they needed a second bathroom.

At that very moment, Donatello made to walk by with a fresh cup of coffee and his laptop.

"Hey Donnie, you know, we're definitely gonna need you to build another bathroom."

"Sure thing, Raph. Would you like one jacuzzi or two?" Donnie replied in the sweetest voice before grievance took over his features. "I'm not your plumber! I have more important things to do!"

"What are you talking about! This is extremely important!" Raph's legs curled around his own crotch, his voice coming out a bit squeakier than he would've liked.

"If you think so, pick up a manual, or find a tutorial on youtube, and do it yourself! Or just follow the bathroom schedule..." Donnie concluded gracefully, heading for his lab and sipping on his fuming coffee, clearly having no time for this crap.

"Aarrgghh! If I hear any of you say bathroom schedule again I'm gonna-"

And a fraction of a second before Raph would've popped a vein, the bathroom door swung open and out came Karai and one ecstatic-looking Mikey.

"All yours, big guy," she sneered, only growing more amused the angrier Raph looked.

He scrunched up his face in disgust and defeat as the odors from within hit his nostrils. He could almost feel a little part of his brain rot away instantly. How could she be in there for so long and not drop dead?

"Dude, put some clothes on, I can see your elbows!" Mikey gasped like a Victorian dame. "And your knees!"

"Shut up already, Roger Rabbit! What are you, girlfriends with Karai now?!"

Raph swung, but Mikey was too quick and he was in too much of a hurry, so he allowed his clown of a little brother to roll away inside his shell. It was at times like these that Raph wished he were an only child, he thought gloomily as he scrambled inside locking the door behind him.

Karai then strolled her way towards Leo, who was just back from the kitchen, and smacked his lower shell lightly with Mikey's magazine before setting it down on the bench.

"Morning, Leo! Ready for another training session where I profusely kick your shell?"

The turtle adopted his most indignant Queen Leo expression and headed for the dojo without another word.


The paper screens never were all that good at blocking the noise, but Splinter still paid little to no attention to the screams and the insults -a routine side effect of being the father of a bunch of teenagers- as he balanced the Sword of Yurikawa on his palms, weighing it. It must have been the fifth time he had performed all the various quality tests, but it was so satisfying how perfectly balanced and how excellent the overall craft was. The master ninja swung the sword around in a flourish, the metal singing through the air as though slicing it, before lovingly sliding it back into its sheath.

He lingered there, gazing at the object as if he could see his children's faces on it. And Miwa… It had been her idea. The thought stirred a well of warmth inside him.

There wasn't a day in which Miwa didn't do something that reminded Splinter of her mother. Whether it was her tendency to hide behind a mask of strength and composure, or a simple gesture, Splinter marvelled at how amazingly similar they were. She couldn't possibly remember seeing Tang Shen do those things. However did she acquire such mannerisms?

There was only one place worthy of his newest treasure. He had already prepared the space on the wall just above the dojo's kamidana, and he stretched to gently let the sword sit on the hanger. Like a guardian of the rest of his keepsakes and souvenirs, each holding a cherished memory. And once again, after seventeen years, the current Miwa was a part of it all, in the picture from the previous night that Donatello had printed, and in the fine weapon that had made her think of him.

Splinter nodded his head in approval at the ensemble just in time to greet the turtles, his daughter and Casey, who were at that moment entering the dojo all prepared for their daily warm-up and training.

"Good morning, my sons and daughter. Are you ready for today's training?"

"You're in a merry mood today, sensei," Donatello observed, smiling in reaction to Splinter's cheerful tone and pose, his ears pointing straight upwards and his hands held loosely behind his back in a carefree manner.

"After our little party last night, how I could I not be?" Splinter said, wiggling his whiskers with satisfaction.

"I see you've made some rearrangements to the kamidana," Leo added, signalling towards the shelf.

"Ah, you've noticed. Yes. Your gifts had to occupy their rightful place among my dearest possessions, of course."

The whole of the group approached the kamidana to better see the new additions, pausing to revisit the older elements as well. There was the turtle tank where they had all swam once as babies, all those years ago, and it seemed impossible that they had even fit in something so tiny. Especially lanky Donatello…

Displayed were also Splinter's old photos, sole proof of his past life, his human self posing next to Tang Shen and a baby Karai. And now the Sword of Yurikawa and the new family picture from the celebration at Murakami's, with every member present, were part of this miniature museum of Splinter's life.

"It came out nice! Flattering!" Mikey said, pointing at all the smiling faces in the photograph.

"Yeah, except for that hobo that photobombed us. When did that happen? Oh, nevermind, it's just Casey," Raph said through a scathing grin. The joke received the approval of the siblings, who all broke into thunderous laughter.

Casey, who had that day decided to skip first period after all and come to the training as audience, let out a menacing growl that only spread Raph's smile wider still. Splinter imposed order with a dry clap of his hands and the youngsters all went immediately silent, even when a few tears of laughter still ran down some of their cheeks and it was hard to keep composure.

"Alright, there has been enough lollygagging. Let us begin."

"Hai, sensei!" they all replied in unison, bowing before their master. All except Casey, of course… Splinter gave each sibling a curt nod indicating their positions, and shot another one at Casey, signalling a corner where he could settle in and watch, and he was in such good mood that not the faintest trace of disapproval crossed his features at the boy's casual disregard for protocol.


It was a Friday, so April wouldn't be showing up at the lair until much later, if at all. Casey, however, considered hanging out in Raph's room would be a much better use of his time than sitting at a desk having complex equations go in one of his ears and come out the other. Even after Raph's insulting joke, the notion of reconsidering and going to class instead of hanging out was outmatched by his deep dislike of Algebra. If he was feeling pissed at Raph, they could always smack it out of each other. But he couldn't fight equations, and throwing the book across the room was never satisfying enough.

Because the turtles had just come out of training, there was a pungent smell of sweat in the air, probably accentuated by the flapping of Raph's arms as he pounded away at his drum set in the enclosed space of his bedroom. Meanwhile Casey lay on Raph's bed, drawing in his sketchbook.

Casey didn't mind the smell of macho. He was more than used to it and he associated it with good things, like hockey, or spending hours beating the crap out of thugs with Raphael. If anything, it inspired him, and he was currently in the zone, his pencil scribbling away so fervently the paper could catch fire.

The best thing was, he had the perfect anatomy model right there in the room with him. Casey had to admit, Raph was packing a fairly impressive set of guns. Funny how there was a lot more Raph in these pages than even April, he thought. But then again he always preferred drawing testosterony things like monsters and big, brawny dudes, and Raph could count as both.

Damn! That reminded him…

"By the way, Raph. Can we-" he stopped short when he realised Raph couldn't even hear him over the deafening drum solo. Casey took off a shoe and hurled it at him. The shoe reached its target and the noise died instantly.

"What gives, Jones!" Raph yelled rubbing the side of his head.

"Yeah, uh, I almost forgot to tell you, I can't make it tonight. We'll have to kick Purple Dragon ass another time."

Raph put down his drumsticks.

"What? But we already knew where these guys would be tonight, remember? We spent an entire afternoon following them around for this!"

"We'll do it again tomorrow! It can't be that urgent."

"What the hell, man. You never skip on a good beating. Especially not with the Purple Dragons."

"Yeah, I just got this… commitment." Casey winced. He really was trying hard not to give it away like April asked.

"Commitment? With who?" Raph said and threw him back his shoe. "You don't make commitments! Not unless they involve busting some heads."

Casey finished putting on his shoe without bothering to untie the laces first. He was this close to lying for April, but he figured it couldn't hurt to tell Raph. In truth it could hurt not telling him, as the knowledge of having been lied to would surely provoke his fury. He'd been dying to tell someone anyway.

"Uh, well… Don't spread this around, okay? But April and I kind of have a date today. I'm gonna meet her at five."

Raph's eyebrows quirked. He looked surprised and a little taken aback.

"Oh," he said a little too casually. "Okay. Well, why didn't you just say so?"

Casey gave a non-committing shrug and tried to make himself look distracted with his drawings.

"I dunno, cuz… This is my first real date with April, you know? It's a big deal." He deliberately left out the part where April practically begged him not to tell anyone.

"So you had to keep it a secret?"

"Not a secret, okay? We just didn't wanna call attention to it."

"Does Donnie know?"

Casey felt his stomach drop at the mention of Donatello, and he wasn't even sure whether it was because of guilt or annoyance or both.

"I dunno, I… I didn't tell him…And April asked me not to, so..."

Raph sighed, which only made Casey more nervous.

"Dude, what do you want? It's not like I'm making April do this, you know? She asked me. And Donnie'll just have to deal."

Raphael puffed.

"Look, I'm not my brother's nanny, alright? He can take care of himself," he said in a bad attempt at appearing level-headed.

"Okay…" Casey wasn't the most observant of persons, but it didn't take a genius to know Raph was peeved. He tried to think of something to say that could ease the tension. "Well… maybe you can help me out! Look! What do you think of this shirt?"

Raph gave Casey's forced cheerfulness a leveled stare as the kid took out the crumpled garment out of his bag and slipped it on over his other T-shirt, after which he stood, showcasing the combination to his audience. But the audience was clearly not in the mood for a show.

"I dunno what to tell ya, man. I mean, it's got sleeves, it's got the tiny buttons on the front."

"Come on, man. I took this out of my old man's closet. You think she'll like it?"

"Do I look like I would know anything about shirts or girls?" he grumbled out as he walked around his drum set to head for the exit, his mouth a straight line. "Imma take a shower, if the bathroom schedule will allow it."

"Wait! Raph!" Casey called after the turtle, and was met with a stiff glare. "Just do me a favor and don't tell anyone, okay? If anyone asks, I'm at the rink, or out with you or something."

"Okay, fine," he mumbled then marched out the door. "You two have fun."

"Thanks," Casey muttered to himself once he'd left, throwing his hands in the air in surrender.


The two kunoichi had been sitting on those swings for a while now and Casey was already running late.

April grazed the side of her head distractedly with her fingertips while they waited, tracing the french braid that ran from her temple over her ear and down towards her neck. She couldn't stop touching it. The feel was strangely addictive.

"Looks good on ya, Karai said with a knowing look.

"Thanks. It's a little more daring than what I'm used to."

Of course, next to Karai's new look, April's braid and colored streak would hardly catch anybody's attention, and immediately she felt stupid for considering such a trivial thing 'daring'. Karai was sporting the punk-est haircut April had ever seen; shaved sides, the top combed forward ending in a set of pointy bangs colored red and the back pulled into a ponytail, the tips brushing her neck at shoulder height. It matched the torn jeans and leather jacket she was wearing nicely.

The overall look was almost as imposing as the wearer herself and memories of the old Karai flashed through April's mind. After months of letting her hair grow as it would, this seemed like a form of expression. It was as if she was trying to regain that part of herself that had been dormant ever since her world had been flipped upside down.

This wasn't the first time they'd hung out together, Karai and her. Back when she was a new arrival at the lair, after having been turned back to human by Donatello's special retromutagen, April had helped her out in the wardrobe department. She'd let her borrow her clothes at first before it turned out she was more comfortable wearing Casey's dingy old sweatshirts anyway, rather than her yellow tank tops which she actually refused to go out in public with. Later she would offer to go shopping with her and she would let herself be dragged through the more obscure parts of town looking for the kind of stuff she liked. After what she'd been through, April only wanted to chip in in whatever way she could.

And yet even now April would be lying if she said she didn't still find her energy and forwardness a bit daunting. Even after months of coexisting, her makeup arsenal replenished and her assigned bedroom slowly acquiring a lived-in feel to it, having a casual conversation with Karai could still prove a challenge. Nevermind the fact that she'd tried to kill her more than once, Karai was also an energetic, cocky kunoichi with a personality that couldn't go unnoticed if she really tried. And when she wasn't brooding, she was cracking jokes at everyone's expense, no matter whose dignity had to be sacrificed.

But there was a will there, to belong, to amend, that April admired, and she was more than happy to help her find that happy place.

"You know, Karai? I'm glad you're with us. I was missing some feminine company after my best friend turned out to be a kraang spy," April said, and it wasn't a lie at all. Maybe she was trying to sound more optimistic about Karai than she felt, but she wasn't lying.

"Really? I'm so used to the absence of 'feminine company', I don't even notice," Karai replied with a touch of pride.

"How come?"

Karai leaned back on the swing, legs sprawled in a display of burly content.

"I didn't have many girl friends when I was growing up. There were other women in the Foot, of course. But me being Oroku Saki's daughter they were beneath me, so we never talked."

There it was now- hesitation- filtering through the cracks of Karai's mask of confidence at the mention; guilt, uncertainty, shame… The once Princess of the Foot had spoken with all the ease in the world. Could've fooled anyone. But not April.

"Must have been tough," she offered gently, waiting to see if Karai was up for it. After barely a couple of seconds, Karai responded.

"Yeah, it was, when I was younger," she shrugged, relentless in her efforts to appear as though she didn't care anymore. "At times I wondered what it would be like to be one of those girls who go to school in their uniforms and talk about boys, but as the years went by I was too busy to care. In the end I grew to like that kind of lifestyle. It made me feel empowered; superior."

A beat as she debated whether to tell her, the creaky chains of the swings being the only sound between them.

"Can I confess something?" she said finally, a hint of childlike shame in her black lined eyes. "Sometimes I miss it "

"What?"

"Being Oroku Karai."

Afraid that April might've gotten the wrong idea, Karai immediately backpedaled.

"Not like that. It's just that… My life was resolved. I had my road all paved out for me, I knew who I was, and who I wanted to be. It was easy. And now it's all different, and nothing's clear..."

At her own words, the kunoichi gave April a tentative look laced with remorse. She looked as if she regretted saying that out loud, but deep down she knew Karai had been aching to tell someone this for a long time.

"Well… now you can pave your own road," April offered brightly. "You have a thousand doors open for you and you can choose what path to take."

Karai chuckled.

"Were you bitten by the Splinter bug too? It must be contagious."

Leo, who half the time acted as if he was trying out for Splinter Junior, came to mind especially.

Catching the small rut of April's brow, she quickly added "You know what? You're right. Back then I thought I had everything I ever wanted at arms reach, when really I didn't know what I was missing out on. But at least I get a chance to just be a girl now."

April gave her an encouraging smile.

"Glad you see it that way."

Karai scooched her swing closer to April's, suddenly serious and speaking in a grave voice.

"Hey, I know this is hard for you, being with me…"

April tried to look surprised.

"No! No way!"

"Don't be silly, of course it is! Not too long ago we were both fighting to the death in this very park."

"I-"

"No, hear me out! Look, I know apologizing wouldn't help. Besides, I'm terrible at it, and it would be a lie…" Karai clutched April's arm, thinking she was going to run away. "Well, actually, not exactly a lie! I said that because the person I was is not the person I am today, if that makes any sense... " Realizing what she was doing, she quickly let go of April's arm and groaned in frustration. "Did I ever say I'm really bad at this?"

In her mind Karai knew that was an understatement. The kind of people she'd been surrounded by growing up, her rigid upbringing, everything and everyone in her life had taught her that any emotion outside of rage or hatred was a sign of weakness. She was having a rough time trying to counteract those teachings, hard as she tried.

April sensed her anguish and quickly interjected, her hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay! I get what you mean."

Karai stared at her in hopeful expectancy.

"Besides, you may have beat the crap out of me that day, but I totally messed you up," April said with a smirk, an attempt at being amusing.

Karai, her gaze still fixed on hers, started laughing in guffaws giving April's shoulder a friendly swat, and April declared it a success.

"Not just! You threw me down a flight of stairs. Good job, by the way! I'm still feeling that one."

"Hell yeah."

"You were pretty good. I've been training for this since I was four, and you still held your own. A few years of training with father plus a few tips from me," she added with a wink and a grin, "and you're on your way to becoming a great kunoichi."

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet. You're still many bruises and sprained ankles away from all that. But don't worry, I'll gladly provide my share of those."

Karai punched her own palm for emphasis.

"Ooh, yeah… I'm looking forward to it," April said, and winced just thinking about it. Still she smiled, feeling a lot more animated. Karai returned the smile, and this time it wasn't sly or evil; it was a genuine, thankful smile.

"So hey," Karai said then. "Let's talk about something a little lighter while we wait for Mr. Jones, what do you say?"

"Sure!"

"We could try some girl talk. Like what's the deal with you and Casey?"

Right away April panicked. Out of all the topics...

"What do you mean?"

"You guys going on a date?"

"No, we're just gonna hang out for a while."

"And what about Donnie?" she asked craftily, wiggling her eyebrows. April scoffed.

"What about him? We're friends. We're all just friends," April assured, waving her hands around.

"Okay, fine. I was trained in the art of touchy subjects, and I think I just hit the bullseye. But you were very cool to me today so I'll let that rest for now."

April wasn't quite sure whether that was supposed to make her feel relieved or threatened.

"Thanks, I think."

Of course the inexhaustible warrior pressed on.

"But hey, while we're on the subject of boys… You've known the guys for a long time. Tell me at least once you've seen them take out their joysticks."

It took April a couple of seconds to process the question.

"What?!"

Suddenly she was wishing they could go back to talking about ninjas and beating the shit out of each other. It served her right for hoping the next conversation topic could be a little less compromising.

"Come on, you've lived with them for long periods of time even! Don't tell me you never tried to take a peek, you know, in the bathroom…?"

"NO!"

"Not even out of scientific curiosity? You can't tell me you never wondered what they looked like."

"I am… not…"

"You ever seen an actual turtle's? I'm actually a little concerned, aren't you? I mean, being part human I'm expecting something more familiar and a little less… from an Alien movie, but who knows?"

"Are you listening to yourself?"

Oh, Karai was most assuredly listening to herself. And she was enjoying every word.

Meanwhile April's cheeks were almost brighter than her hair now and she was unable to articulate full sentences, merely mouthing the beginnings of words like a fish out of water.

Just like an act of divine providence, Casey entered the scene.

"Hey, sisters." He walked up to the two girls, the gravel crunching under the sole of his sneakers.

April lifted her gaze up at her saviour and immediately jumped to her feet.

"Casey! Thank God, let's go!"

"Wait, so what were you two girls talking about?" Casey said, realizing they must have been discussing something really interesting to make April want to flee like that.

"Turtle penises."

"Oh," Casey said, eyebrows raised in interest. "Cool. Please fill me in."

"Casey, no!"

"Nah, we didn't get anything clear," Karai said disappointedly.

"Nice hair by the way."

"Thanks! Say, Casey, you're a guy. You ever seen Raph's winky?"

"Nah, he's kinda private about it and always switches to ninja mode when he has to go."

"I'm seriously considering looking through Donnie's notebooks, I'm sure he's got some anatomical study somewhere."

"Probably! Dude's always prepared..." Casey shrugged, and to someone who didn't understand English the conversation might have seemed as innocuous as if they'd been talking about the weather. April couldn't take anymore of such flagrant lack of shame.

"That's it. I've had enough penis talk for today," she stated, yanking Casey's arm to haul him away from the swings.

"Hey, you know I was kidding about the whole spying on them in the toilet, right?" Karai yelled after them, not caring one bit how many apartment blocks were alerted to the kind of conversation they'd been having or how many heads were turned in the vicinity.

"And that's why I don't go in the lair's bathroom anymore," Casey pointed out with a snicker as they both ran from the scene, speeding down the street.