A/N: Hey guys! This chapter was a little tricky, and it was a little shorter than I'd thought, but I think I did okay with it, and I hope you guys like it too!

There's a mixture of fluff and drama in this chapter (druff? fluffma? I dunno XD) so be prepared!

I OWN NOTHING!

Enjoy!

Chapter 37

"Apologizing does not always mean you're wrong and the other person is right. It just means you value your relationship more than your ego."

― Mark Matthews

Without the help of the engines – and due to the massive dent in the back of the sub, which the traumatized teens do their very best to forget about – despite their tireless peddling, it was another half-hour before the Turtle-Sub reached the city, and another fifteen minutes before the turtles managed to weave the giant hunk of metal through the maze of tunnels and resurface in one of the massive underground drainpipes nearest to the lair.

The moment Raphael popped the hatch open, the turtles leapt out of the sub, with Michelangelo dramatically sucking up the 'fresh air' as he slid down after Raph. Donatello, on the other hand, was too busy clutching the phone in his shaking hands, barely able to dial the number in before pressing the device to his ear. They'd taken far too long to get back to the city, in spite of their best efforts, and with April still out there, on her own, with Karai still after her…

A part of him, the rational part, knew that they were already too late, that April had been captured and taken to the lair of the Shredder to be interrogated, tortured, or worse, and that they'd failed as her best friends to protect her as they'd promised. But the other part of him, the part that cared about her, believed in her and her abilities so much that it hurt, wanted to deny it, wanted to hope and pray…

"Come on, April…come on, April," Donnie whispered to himself, desperately begging the heavens above that she answered. She had to answer. She had to be okay. She had to. They'd already lost a lot of people in such a short time…they couldn't lose April, too…

"Hey, Donnie!"

In all his fifteen years of life on this planet, Donatello was certain he had never felt such joy as he grinned widely, his heart leaping with joy upon hearing her beautiful yet exhausted voice through the speakers.

"APRIL! You're okay!" he cried, so filled with relief that he simply couldn't contain himself. At his sudden exclamation, his two brothers, equally as relieved, whirled around to grin up at him. She was alive! She was okay! She'd actually manged to escape Karai!

"You hear that, guys?!" Donnie cheered, raising his arms in the air like he just didn't care. "My sweet princess is alive!"

Instantly, Mikey and Raph lost their smiles, and stared at Donnie as though he'd grown two more heads, their eyes wide and mouths hanging agape. At first, Donnie was confused as to why, but then as he slowly registered what he'd just said out loud, for all – including April – to hear, his smile vanished, too.

Oops. Perhaps he should've cared just a little bit.

Turning around, so he couldn't see how Raph smacked a hand over his eyes or how Mikey dropped his forehead to the floor in despair as he mumbled incoherently about how much of a nincompoop Donnie was, Donnie lowered his voice as he spoke into the phone again.

"Did I mute that?" he asked flatly, though he knew the answer was 'no, he didn't'.

"Let's agree that you did," April winced in reply.

Still far too relieved to argue or feel as embarrassed as he normally would have been – because she was alive, darn it! – Donnie just shrugged and smiled. "You got it!"

It was another ten minutes of anxious waiting before April finally arrived at the lair. She had barely made it down the steps at the entrance before the three turtles were crowding around her, bombarding her with questions consisting mostly on her well-being, how she managed to escape from Karai, and most notably, from Raphael that is, 'how the heck she was still able to smile at them with her face swelling like a balloon'. April had merely laughed it off, with only a little wince as it pulled at her injuries, before Master Splinter rushed into the main room and carefully led her away towards the dojo to treat her wounds.

Donnie watched her go, a smile stretched across his face. However, once April was out of sight, with both Mikey and Splinter making sure she didn't stumble on her own two feet as she climbed up the stairs, the smile quickly morphed into a deep scowl, his brows furrowing and his eyes narrowed darkly. And at his sides, his clenched fists were shaking.

How dare Karai, that little witch, lay so much as a hand on April, their friend, their sister? How dare she hurt her, toss her around like she was no better than the scrap off the street? How dare Shredder even think about going after her?

And how dare Leonardo, after he'd sworn that no harm would come to April, allow such a thing to happen to her?

If anyone, be it the Foot Clan, the Purple Dragons, or even Leonardo, ever laid even a finger on her head again, made her hurt as badly as she was hurting now despite how hard she tried to hide it, Donnie swore with a fiery vengeance, with every fiber of his being, that he would personally tear them to pieces, and then throw their sorry remains into the smouldering pits of –

A firm hand on his shoulder abruptly brought him out of his trance. Blinking rapidly, Donnie turned to his left to find Raph looking up at him. He hadn't even realized he'd been standing there, watching him, until now.

His brother's expression was unreadable, but Donnie could clearly see that the same fire was burning within his emerald orbs, despite his unusual composure. "She's okay, Donnie," he said evenly, giving Donnie's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "She made it back. Focus on that first. Save the anger for later."

At that, Donnie's eyes widened, the aforementioned anger slowly dissipating as he stared at his older red clad brother in disbelief. Had Raphael, the most hot-tempered person one would ever have the displeasure of meeting, just told him to save his anger for later? Any other day, Donnie would've either laughed in his face, or declared him seriously ill and rushed him into the lab for further examination.

However, this time, Donnie just smiled, closing his eyes and releasing a slow, calming breath that washed away the remnants of his fury, before he turned back to face Raph. "…I know. Thanks, Raph," he said, lifting up a hand to cover Raph's and giving it a squeeze. But his smile dwindled, another small frown appearing on his features. "But if they ever go after her again…"

"…then we'll be there, no matter what," Raph said determinedly. "Until she's able to really take care of herself, we will be there."

The brothers shared an affirmative nod, and after giving Donnie's shoulder one last pat, Raph released him and followed the others into the dojo. Donnie stood there for a moment longer, processing everything Raph had said with a thoughtful frown as he folded his arms. Yes, he could save his anger for later, wait until April told her side of the story before he suddenly lashed out.

However, there was one thing he did have to do very, very soon. He had to confront a certain someone about what the hell had just happened. And if a few painful blows were exchanged instead of words in the process, well, Donnie could deal with that just fine.

With that in mind, Donnie nodded to himself and then hurried on after Raph, retaining his cool composure as he climbed up the stairs and entered the dojo.

It was already very late in the afternoon by the time Karai managed to walk back up the steps of the subway and start her journey back to Shredder's lair. With her head lowered and her arms wrapped guardedly around herself as she half limped half walked along the footpaths, pedestrians no longer veered out of her way out of apprehension as they had done earlier. Now, they watched her with worried curiosity, with some whispering among themselves about 'the poor girl' as she passed.

What a sight she must have been. Her hair had become mangled after angry hands had viciously tugged at her roots, her face discolored with bruises on her chin and on her left cheek, her jacket ripped at the right arm, and she was pretty sure her right hand was bleeding. Not only that, but with every step she took, her aching brain only throbbed harder.

Still, she paid little mind to the onlookers, keeping her eyes glued to the concrete as she pretended to not hear them. The last thing she wanted was someone stopping her and calling an ambulance or the police or something. She'd been absent from the lair for long enough, and soon, Foot Soldiers would be out looking for her, before bringing her straight to Shredder.

However, the moment she reached her destination and began climbing the stairs leading to the old church building, Karai decided that she was going to do everything in her power to avoid the Shredder.

If he saw that she'd returned to the lair empty-handed, combined with the bruises marring her face from her fall after the O'Neil girl, a mere beginner, had thrown her down the stairs of a subway, there was no way he was going to allow her past him, not without some form of punishment for her humiliating failure…and knowing him, it would be a punishment that she knew would be as painful as any other she'd ever received, and would definitely leave a mark. She hadn't bothered – or dared – to check if the wounds on her back from her last punishment had healed at all, and she wasn't all that eager to gain a new one so soon.

So instead of reporting to him immediately, like she should have, Karai pushed open the front doors and slipped inside with the intention of running straight to her own room and hope she didn't run into Shredder, or Bradford, or Xever, or anyone that would escort her to her father.

She didn't want to see the disappointment in his eyes as he looked down at her, like she was no better than any of the other Foot Soldiers under his command. She didn't want to feel the sting of his open palm or his fist across her face, or his blades pierce her back again. All she wanted was her room, her bed. She wanted to treat her injuries – her right hand really had started bleeding, and was hurting almost as painfully as the rest of her – and then go out to find…

"Karai?"

So deep in her own tangled thoughts was she that she didn't notice the green and blue figure standing in the shadows by the front doors. With a light gasp, Karai whirled around to come face to face with the one person she had somewhat hoped to see.

However, not even the sight of her best friend leaning against the door-frame, his arms crossed and a surprised look on his face, could ease the tension weighing down upon her. In fact, if anything, it only made her all the more anxious…and all the more guilty, as the memories of what they'd said earlier – of what she'd said to him – burned scorching holes into her heart.

"If you like them so much, why don't you go with them instead?! We don't need you here! You can crawl into whatever dirty pile of sewage they came out of for all I care! That's where you really belong!"

Averting her gaze from the turtle, Karai wrapped her arms around herself tighter, her eyes fixated on the floor as she idly chewed on her bottom lip. After the whole ordeal, and after getting some sense literally knocked into her, everything had finally caught up with her; the words she'd spat at Leonardo like venom, the uncontrollable, maddening rage dragging her down near the point of insanity as she hurled it at April…and then the girl's sudden confession…it left her feeling raw, exposed, vulnerable…and stupid. So very stupid.

A part of her wanted to blame April for that as well. However, there was no rage left in her. All of it had already been unjustly spent.

The two of them stayed there for what felt like a lifetime, neither of them saying a word or moving an inch from where they stood. Karai could feel Leonardo's eyes on her, but she kept hers down. For the first time since she'd known him, she felt ashamed to even meet his gaze. How could she look him in the eye, after everything she'd said to him, everything she'd accused him of, and what she'd done – or could've done – to a friend of his…after letting her emotions get the better of her so easily? Even though what he'd said had been just as hurtful, she couldn't find it in herself to blame him anymore…because all he'd wanted to do was protect his friend.

After all, if the roles had been reversed, he would've done the same for Karai without a second thought. She knew he would have. And yet…

She'd missed the moment in which Leo finally moved from his spot, and in the next moment he was standing right in front of her. She managed to stifle another gasp as she finally lifted her eyes to meet his, despite the fact that she was already an inch or so taller than him.

Karai had expected to see resentment, sadness, or even smug satisfaction at her obvious failure. Instead, to her immense surprise, there was only worry, which gradually became more evident as he reached out and gently took her right hand in his, noticing the blood seeping through the bandages.

He looked back up, studying her bruised face, before he let out a soft sigh, one that spoke of fond exasperation.

"Come on," he said, leading her by the hand as they walked through the hallways together, once again falling into silence. All the while, Karai's mind was reeling with confusion as she allowed herself to be gently tugged along by the younger turtle. Why wasn't he mad at her, after everything they'd said earlier that day? There was no way he could've possibly forgiven her already, regardless of how much he cared about her.

When they reached Leo's room, he opened the door and moved aside to let her through first, before he slipped inside and shut the door. He turned, reaching out and placing his hands on Karai's shoulders and pushing down on them slightly, until she got the message and sat down on his futon, crossing her legs and resting left her elbow on her knee and restraining a wince at her bruises. Neither of them said a word as Leo moved around the room like a ghost, grabbing the first-aid kit before coming back to sit in front of her, just as she finished taking off her jacket and her red t-shirt, leaving her in the simple black tank top she'd worn underneath. With her arms bare and her dark bruises on full display, it was now very clear on why she'd been in so much pain; they'd turned a dark shade of purple, and were about the size of baseballs.

Eyes widened, Karai swallowed thickly.

Wow. Who knew falling down the stairs would leave such a mark?

Despite the sight of her, Leonardo began to treat them with care, his movements slow and practiced as though he'd done it over a thousand times…which was no real exaggeration, knowing how often Karai got herself hurt. His expression was unreadable, and throughout the process, aside from the occasional hiss of pain from the kunoichi, the room was as silent as when they'd entered.

Finally, as Leo finished applying bandages to her face, Karai decided that his silence was starting to annoy her, and the beginnings of a scowl appeared, regardless of how sore her face was. Why wouldn't he say something already –?

"Are you okay?"

Caught off-guard again – seriously, how out of it was she today? – Karai blinked hard and met his tranquil gaze. He'd already finished treating her bruises, and was sitting with his hands on his lap as he regarded her patiently.

She blinked again. "Huh?"

"I asked if you were okay," he repeated, and then shrugged one shoulder awkwardly.

After a moment, Karai looked down at her hand again, examining the new bandages wrapped neatly around it. "…no…not really," she replied quietly. "…your friend, April…she managed to take me off guard and escape, throwing me down some subway steps. I've gotta admit, for a newbie, she's got a pretty good throw–"

"I didn't mean that," Leo interjected, and then slid his eyes away from her for the first time that evening as he idly played with the wrapping around his wrist instead. "…I meant…after…y'know…"

Karai looked back up at him, her eyes slightly widened as she stared at the blue clad turtle, who was doing exactly what she'd done earlier as he avoided her gaze. It was only now that Karai could see how nervous he truly was, how nervous he'd been this entire time, but had been too busy worrying over her to show it. He was just as guilt-ridden as she was, and had probably been anxiously preparing for and dreading this moment for hours after she'd stormed off.

Oddly enough, knowing this made Karai relax a little as she let out a sigh, knowing that they were pretty much on the same page. "Honestly…I dunno," she admitted. "I mean, it still hurts, a little...but…"

When she trailed off, Karai feared they'd descended in yet another uncomfortable silence.

However, it was only seconds before Leo broke it again as he sighed heavily, his shoulders drooping with despair as he looked up at her again.

"Karai, I am so sorry," he said, his voice suddenly wavering dangerously as he reached out to take her left hand in his, holding it as tight as he dared. "I never meant to hurt you; I never meant anything I said! You're not a liar, or a spy or anything else I said you were, but I…I-I was just afraid! I was afraid that you'd think I was betraying you if I ever told you about April. I was afraid that you'd hurt her, and I couldn't let you go because…because…"

He ducked his head down, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Aside from you and Tiger Claw, I've had no one else to turn to, a-and unlike you, I can't just go out and make new friends outside the Foot; they wouldn't accept me the same way you do. And when I met April, it felt…it felt so nice, to find another person like you that I could talk to, relate to, and trust…but I couldn't let anyone else know about her. I had to keep her safe, even though it meant lying to you again…"

All the while, Karai listened intently to every word Leo said without uttering a single word, her eyes widening. She'd never once thought that Leo had been lonely, or had felt as though he couldn't talk to her about certain problems out of the paranoid fear of being rejected or ridiculed by her, or his own father. She hadn't even considered the fact that, just maybe, April had actually been helping him, making him happy again rather than deceiving him, stealing him away from Karai as her enraged, almost possessive thoughts had led her to believe.

And she'd come so close to ruining one of the only good things in Leo's life, all because she'd been overcome by her ego, by her jealously…

Oh, Leo…

"I never meant to make you feel like I was replacing you, Karai," Leo continued brokenly. And Karai swore she heard the faintest of sniffs as he held her hand tighter. "I never wanted you to think I was leaving you, or Tiger Claw, a-and I'm…I'm so sorry. You mean the world to me, and I almost –"

She'd heard enough.

Karai moved, cutting him off as she pulled her hand from his grip and flung both arms around his shoulders, tugging him close and holding him as tight as she could. She felt him go stiff with shock in her embrace, but she could care less.

Though her lower lip was trembling, she fought back the tears with every fiber of her being. She couldn't cry, not now, not when she still had something to say to him.

"You don't have to apologize, Leo," she said. "You just wanted someone else that could make you happy when I couldn't. You just wanted something good to come out of all the bad crap that's been happening to you. I get it, now. It's me who should be apologizing; I went out and nearly destroyed that last good thing you had, all because I was…I was blinded by my own jealousy, my fear of losing my only little brother…and for that, for everything I ever accused you of, I'm sorry."

She felt his shoulders starting to shake, as if he was trying his damnedest to hold back tears as well. The last thing she wanted was to make him crumble…but there was yet more she had to tell him, in order to truly restore what had been broken.

"And, just so you know," she added, bringing up her hand to lay it gently against the back of his head. "We do need you here…I need you here, Leo. And that's never gonna change, no matter what. Okay?"

Leo's breath hitched. And then finally, finally, his strong arms flung around her waist and held her tight. As he nuzzled his face into the crook of her shoulder, just as he'd done when they were younger, though he made no sound, Karai could feel the dampness on his cheeks. He was crying. Damn it. She hated it when he cried; it always made her feel like doing the same.

But as she hugged him tighter, with no intention of letting him go yet or shedding any tears, she had the comfort in knowing that their precious bond had been restored, possibly stronger than ever. And she swore, no matter what, that she'd never let her ego, her jealously, or anything or anyone come between that bond ever again.

Not even the Shredder himself could tear her away from her little brother. She would make sure of that.

When enough time had passed, the two released a long breath before they eventually parted, and Leo wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand as he sniffed. Then, a watery smile stretched across his face as he chuckled softly. "Thanks, Karai," he said, bringing up his hand again to rub the back of his head, "for forgiving me…I'd honestly thought that you wouldn't."

Returning his smile with a lopsided smirk, Karai only shrugged. "Hey, like I said, I get it now," she said, and lightly punched his shoulder with her good hand. "So don't worry about it anymore. But next time, don't leave me out of the loop, alright? Because, seriously, there's only so much family drama I can take at one time."

Leo chuckled again, a true grin spreading across his lips as he shook his head. "Oh yeah, you can say that again," he jested. "By the way, you're going to have to put some ice on that bruise on your cheek; it's already starting to swell up…unlike your deflated pride."

Sighing, Karai rolled her eyes, raking a tired hand through her mess of black hair. "Yeah, I know. But it still stings like a son of a – wait, what did you just say?" she snapped, pinning him with a sharp glare as she narrowed her amber eyes dangerously. "My 'deflated pride'? What's that supposed to mean?!"

Now Leo's grin could rival the Cheshire cat's as he feigned innocence and looked away, finding the ceiling far more interesting than the deadly look she was currently giving him. "Oh, nothing," he sang, resting his hands atop each other on his lap.

"It better not be about how I got beaten by April," she growled through clenched teeth.

"Why no, Karai, why on earth would you think that?"

"Are you serious right now? Five seconds ago you were telling about how scared you were about me hurting her, and now you're laughing at me because she got lucky?! What the heck, Leo?!"

"Hey, you said it, not me."

"You're treading on a very thin line right now, three-toes."

"Your face looks like balloon by the way, and it really doesn't go well with your helmet-head."

"I'm going to strangle you –"

Any further banter or half-hearted death threats between the two were ceased as the door opened.

Mouths clamping shut, the teens turned and looked up to find Tiger Claw stepping inside, looking just as surprised to see them as they were to see him. However, after a moment of staring, his surprise softened into a smile as he approached them, folding his hands behind his back. "Well, I see that you two have finally made peace with each other," he noted with a small nod of approval. "That is very good. I'm glad that you value your relationship with one another more than you value your egos," he added with a knowing raised brow.

In response, Leo and Karai offered the old tiger mutant lopsided grins of embarrassment, before turning to each other once more. Leo sent Karai a true, loving smile, one that she feared she'd never see again. And not even the swelling bruises on her face could prevent her from smiling back.

Tiger Claw was right. Though it had been a long and rather emotional process, and though there were still many other problems that they had yet to face and resolve before they could truly rest, at least they had finally made amends.

For the time being, that was more than enough for them.

"Now then," Tiger Claw announced as he placed his hands on his hips. "With that issue finally out of the way, I believe it is time that we talked about the ordeal concerning that Kraang ship from the other day."

The moment shattering, the world seemed to grind to an unsteady halt as the young ninjas snapped their heads around and gawked up at the mutant tiger with wide eyes, just as his smile fell and morphed into a disapproving frown.

Oh yeah… they'd completely forgotten about how he'd gotten electrocuted back then and had yet to fully understand the reason why, along with the fact that a Kraang ship had appeared from out of nowhere, and had attempted to vaporize them all. And thanks to Karai, Tiger Claw had been given every reason to suspect that they had something to do with the attack, and the presence of the Hamato turtles at the docks.

With their other pressing issues weighing down upon them, the Kraang ship ordeal had slipped their minds entirely. And now, with their expressions practically screaming 'guilty', it was safe to assume that they were now in big trouble.

Leo and Karai shared a look, their guts churning with growing dread. "Uuuuhhhh…" they mumbled. There was no more lying their way out this time, that much they knew, but if they didn't think of something soon, they'd be toast for sure.

It seemed that there was only one way to solve this.

"It was her!" Leo cried, pointing at Karai.

"It was him!" Karai shouted at the exact same time, pointing at Leo.

Sighing heavily and shaking his head as the two of them turned to glare at each other accusingly, Tiger Claw found that even though this situation was utterly outrageous and frustrating, he couldn't deny the fact that he was also inwardly very relieved to see the two of them back to the way they were, and relieved to know that his son had taken their conversation to heart.

Leonardo's bond with his younger brothers had been fractured, possibly beyond repair, and for him to lose Karai as well, the only companion he'd had throughout his childhood, would have been devastating. However, it seemed that not even the raging feud between two ninja masters, or a heated battle between their own inner demons could tear them apart. For that, he was truly very glad.

However, the matter concerning the Kraang ship and the battle at the docks…

"So, I take that it was a team effort, and the result of another one of your foolish plans, correct?" Tiger Claw asked, regaining the young one's attention again as they timidly, reluctantly, nodded their heads up at him.

"You're gonna bite our heads now, aren't you?" Karai winced with dread.

"That is an excellent question, Karai," he replied, folding his arms and giving them a near menacing grin as his fangs glittered.

Leonardo, having accepted his fate long before Karai had, simply sighed and hung his head. "No escaping the inevitable is there?" he muttered.

"Another excellent question, Leonardo," he said.

The teenagers exchanged another look, realizing that there really was no escape, before sighing again. "Well, let's get started then, I guess," Karai shrugged uncaringly. "But could you hold back just a little? I kinda got humiliated already after getting my butt handed to me by a newbie."

"I can't make any promises."

"Damn."

To say that Splinter had been beyond worried would've been a severe understatement when he'd heard the news of how April had been pursued by a member of the Foot Clan from his sons later that day. In fact, he could have sworn he'd been in danger of a heart attack, knowing that the girl he'd been training for only a few months, despite her impressive progress, had been forced into combat far before she was ready for a real fight.

However, when April arrived at the lair, still standing on her own two feet and still very much in one piece, relief flooded through him like a raging river as he hurried over to her and guided her into the dojo to treat whatever injuries she'd sustained from her battle, doing his very best to calm his rapidly beating heart. He didn't want to give Donatello another reason to worry about his health, not when they had April to attend to.

Once he and his ever watchful sons – who also proved to be some of the biggest worrywarts he'd ever seen when it came to the young red-head – had ensured that she was going to be just fine, and would only have a few minor scars left behind, Splinter had asked her to tell them exactly what had happened. At first, Splinter had presumed that she would have been far too shaken up from the ordeal to properly tell them, which he would have been perfectly fine with. He understood that after fighting for your very life for the first time, one would need a little time to recuperate, to ease the remaining anxiety and adrenaline pulsing through their veins.

However, that was not the case with April O'Neil.

"And when her guard was down," April said, using dramatic hand gestures to truly paint the picture for her audience, "I flipped her down the subway steps and bolted!"

With that, April's thrilling tale of how she'd faced off one of the most dangerous warriors of the Foot Clan came to an end as she turned to face the brothers sitting on the bench in the pit, who all watched her with varying expressions of awe, pride and pure adoration. She then folded her arms over her chest and smiled, despite the fact that her face was covered in plasters from the number of dark bruises.

"That is awesome!" Donatello exclaimed, his brown eyes shining with joy as he gazed up at her.

"You rock!" Michelangelo crowed, pumping his fist into the air with a wide grin splitting his face.

"Kick butt!" Raphael chuckled, giving her a thumbs up in approval. If even his most sarcastic and brashest son was giving her such praise, regardless of how mangled she looked from the aforementioned events, then she really must have, as he had so eloquently put it, 'kicked butt'. And with a soft chuckle, Splinter was very inclined to agree, despite his wording and despite April's somewhat overzealous retelling of what could have been a terrible disaster.

"Impressive, April," he alleged from the other side of the room. The four young ones in the pit turned to look up at him as he continued, a warm smile gracing his rodent features. "You used your training well. And you fulfilled the most important goal of the ninja: to come home alive."

Stifling a giggle, April bowed to him. "Thank you, Sensei," she said, and Splinter knew she meant it from the bottom of her heart, despite her earlier bravado. However, in reality, it was he who was thankful – so very thankful – that the heavens had spared the young girl a terrible fate at the hands of Shredder's daughter. And from the looks he received from his sons as their gazes met his, it was clear that they felt the same.

"Looks like I can take care of myself after all!" April added with a shrug and a bright smile that could have melted the old rat's heart.

He nodded to her. "Yes…"

April's mile grew wider.

"…and no."

April's smile vanished. "Huh?" she muttered, her brow raised in confusion. Splinter was well aware that they all very much hated it when he did that, especially when it was out of jest, to get an amusing reaction out of them. But this time, it was anything but a joke. And though he knew that what he was about to tell her would shock her, maybe even anger her after she'd accomplished such a feat, there was simply no other choice.

"Karai may have failed this time," Splinter explained, bringing up a hand to stroke his beard and inwardly bracing herself for her reaction as he continued, "but if Shredder wants you, he will stop at nothing to find you. And with the Kraang after you as well, the wisest decision is for you to remain here, in the sewer, with us."

Just as he'd predicted, April was very shocked as her eyes widened to saucers. "What?!" April cried.

Even Michelangelo and Raphael had their mouths agape at their master's sudden declaration.

"Oh that's great!"

All eyes turned to Donatello after his sudden exclamation, which he clearly hadn't thought through very well – or at all, which was a surprise. When the realization of what he'd said caught up to him, the young leader blinked hard, before looking up to find he'd become the center of April's annoyed glare as she frowned deeply.

"I mean, oh that's horrible," he said, trying and already failing to make amends, "y'know, that your life as you know it is over and, um…I'll shut up now."

Splinter raised a brow at his second eldest, though he couldn't see it. I believe it is best that you did, Donatello, he thought dryly. For someone so intelligent, the matters of his love-struck heart often blotted out his common sense.

"I-I can't stay down here!" April continued, turning her near pleading gaze back up to Splinter. "I mean, what about school, my friends…everything?"

However, despite her claims, even she knew that there was nothing else she could do as she walked over to the other side of the pit, setting herself down on the floor with her back against the bench. Hugging her knees to her chest, April sighed heavily as she let her head fall down on her knees in despondency.

All the while, Splinter watched her with a growing sense of regret. With so many things already going wrong in the girl's life in such a short period of time, it felt almost criminal of him to keep her away from her home on the surface, away from her education, even away from her aunt, who would surely be worried by her sudden disappearance. However, despite the nagging guilt, the ninja master stood firm by his decision. He, as well as his sons, cared very deeply for April, and to allow any further harm to come to her by the hands of the Kraang or the Foot Clan was unthinkable. Surely, this was but a small price to pay to ensure that she was safe.

But still, he wished that there was some way he could shed even a little light through the dark clouds hovering over her head as she sat there.

Sure enough, much to his surprise, salvation arrived sooner than he'd thought, and in the most unlikely form.

"April, Master Splinter's right."

All eyes suddenly turned to Michelangelo, who regarded April with an uncharacteristically solemn gaze from his seat behind Donatello. Standing up, his baby blue eyes fixed on her the whole time, his youngest son walked around his brothers and stopped in front of her hunched form, before bending down on one knee. "I know it seems kinda sucky right now, but trust us, it's not gonna be permanent," he continued, reaching out and laying one hand atop one of April's. "Until we stop those dudes, this is the only place you're gonna be safe."

Whilst April, Donatello and Raphael all stared at the youngest turtle with wide and incredulous eyes, Splinter could only watch with growing pride. He'd been a witness to this other side of Michelangelo before, especially in times of crisis…most of which involved their lost older brother. And though Splinter loved his child's boundless enthusiasm and bright, positive outlook on the world despite its constant darkness, it was moments like these where his son truly shone.

And it was clear that what he'd done was working as April's eyes turned to the side in thought, the wheels finally turning in her head, before she let out another sigh. "So, once we stop them, I can have my life back?" she asked softly, looking back up at Mikey.

"Absolutely yes, April," the orange clad turtle affirmed, his warm smile returning once more in what Splinter knew was an attempt to chase away the last of her doubt, in a way that none of them could have ever hoped to do.

At that, April's uncertain frown disappeared, replaced with that same determination that Splinter and his family had come to love so much as she laid her other hand on top of Mikey's. She looked up at Mikey, giving him a short nod, before turning to the rest of them, her brows furrowed and her shoulders squared.

And Splinter was certain he'd never been more proud of her at her next words, her voice hardened and full of unwavering resolve.

"Let's get started."

A/N: BOOM! You go, April! I hope you liked it! Like I said, it was shorter than what I'd planned, but no worries, I have WAY more in store for you guys in the next chapter, so stay tuned for more!

Next Chapter: Donatello goes out on his own to seek out a certain other turtle, the Foot Clan earns a new member in their ranks, and the boys are in for a lot more than they bargained for when they find out who it is...