A/N ~ HELLOOO! Thank you all so much for your patience, I'm sorry it took so long to get this out! And for those of you who read my latest Drabble...mwahahahaha. Your reviews for that are amazing XD I hope you all enjoy this, and reviews are very much appreciated!

I OWN NOTHING.

Enjoy!

Chapter 48

"My family is my strength and my weakness."

~ Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Two days which Donatello would look back on with fondness and call quite possibly, the most peaceful days of his life.

In those two days, the Hamato family had become fully acquainted with April's father, who had continuously expressed his deepest heartfelt gratitude towards the brothers for their daring rescue – if it could really be called 'daring' rather than 'foolish and reckless'. After a quick examination, Donatello deemed that apart from his thinness due to lack of proper feeding, anxiety and exhaustion, the man was in good health; all he needed was plenty of food and rest, and he would be right as rain. In the meantime, father and daughter continued to catch up with everything the other had missed, making up for what was lost.

New York City, oddly enough, had been free of any of the major incidents that had quickly become commonplace these days; there was hardly any Foot Clan activity, but the brothers decided against worrying about them for the time being; keeping in mind Splinter's earlier lesson regarding their complacency – a lesson none of them would soon forget – the other ninja clan had still become less of a challenge for the turtles as of late. The Purple Dragons were the most active in their crime-committing spree, but they were third-class wannabes; the brothers could take them in their sleep, a fact which even Splinter had agreed with.

Most peculiarly, though, was the severe lack in Kraang disturbance in the city; not just in any general neighborhood, but in the city as a whole.

Donatello had found the silence from the otherworldly invaders especially odd. After the rescue mission – well, 'rescue mission' that'd quickly turned into a 'Escape from Vicious Aliens Who Want to Eat Your Face' fiasco that no one, namely Michelangelo, would ever let Donnie forget – he'd been sure the Kraang would've been out for blood, scouring the city relentlessly in search for their missing 'trump card' as it were; they'd long since figured that the alien blobs had been using Kirby as a means to lure April out of hiding, so losing him would mean losing their chance at an easier capture.

This absence of said violent 'manhunt' was both a blessing and somewhat of a curse. It meant that April and Kirby were safe from their wrath for the time being, but there was also a possibility, however slight, that the Kraang were actually less in hiding and more in waiting.

With this unsettling premonition looming overhead, Donnie kept a close eye on the city streets via the security cameras he'd hacked into – which was totally not illegal or anything by the way – as well as the Kraang Communication Orb that April had found in the sewers. The last part was proving to be a little tricky, however; no one, not even the girl it had somehow 'called out' to, could figure out how it worked. It did nothing, didn't look especially threatening, and only really reacted whenever April was near. But Donnie would not give in so easily. Despite knowing next to nothing about it, Donnie knew that deciphering it would be absolutely vital in stopping the Kraang's oncoming invasion.

Two days turned into three. Then three into four. Soon, a whole week had passed. By now, Donnie had hooked the Kraang device to his computer and had begun the deciphering process – with little success, unfortunately – and there was still no sign of the Kraang. It was becoming less and less unnerving with each day.

Though he didn't want to admit it aloud lest he jinxed the whole world, he was ready to believe the Kraang had given up. Even they had to admit defeat some time, right?

Then late one night, Donnie was startled awake by the loud, repetitive buzzing of the round white object that currently occupied most of his desk. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes and cracking his stiffened neck from side to side – pulling an all-nighter and falling asleep in a hunched position was never a good idea and yet Donnie seldom remembered to heed his own advice – he blinked rapidly and cast his gaze over to the Orb.

Donnie's eyes blew wide. "Holy Toledo!"

The Kraang Orb was glowing, florescent purple lights casting soft pink hues across the darkened room. The thing was actually working, and Donnie hadn't so much as touched it in hours, which could only mean –

Oh man, he'd been right. The Kraang had been planning something, biding their time in silence, keeping their distance from the turtles, outside of their radar. Donnie had been right.

So why did he suddenly feel so sick to his stomach?

"Hey, have you guys seen Donnie this morning?"

Michelangelo and Raphael, joined by a rather amused Kirby holding a mug of hot chocolate in his hands – curtsy of a willing orange clad turtle with the solemn promise to not experiment with flavor by adding pepperoni slices – barely looked away from the television screen in front of them as the two brothers shook their heads in unison at April's concerned inquiry.

"Nope. Didn't show up at breakfast either," Mikey replied from where he lay on his stomach, chin resting on a pillow and legs kicking idly back and forth as baby blue eyes stared at the screen with a raptness not even Splinter could inspire within the freckled turtle teen. From where she stood at the edge of the pit, April nearly giggled aloud at the thought.

"The only reason Donnie gets a 'Get Outta Training Free' card is 'cause he promised Splinter he'd crack the code to that Kraang gizmo he's got stashed in his lab," Raph muttered, reflexively yanking Mikey's mask tails as a silent warning for the younger turtle to back away from the screen. With a grumbled protest that Raph ignored with gusto, Mikey obediently shuffled a few inches away until Raph gave him a satisfied nod. "Personally, I don't think it's gonna be telling him anything any time soon. It's just a hunk of junk."

April inclined her head with a slight frown at that. "I wouldn't go so far as to say that, Raph. I still have…I dunno, a feeling about it, especially considering the Kraang were still looking for it in the sewers, way too close to the lair for comfort I might add."

"The Kraang are hunks of junks then."

April's frown deepened with mild irritation, her brow raised. "Okay then, while that's true, what about that one time it, y'know, called out to me?"

"Then your brain's a hunk of –"

"Think very carefully about what you say next, Raphael."

The red turtle turned and graced her with a wide crud-eating grin instead, one which April pitched a spare cushion at with enough force to have him toppling onto his side with a startled cry once it hit the mark. Feathers spouting every which way, Mikey burst into a laughing fit whilst Kirby only chuckled and shook his head at their antics.

After admiring her own throwing skills, April sighed and turned on her heel towards the kitchen. At this point, the boys were a lost cause. "Well, in any case," she groused without any real heat, "it's not good for Donnie to stay cooped up in the lab. Might as well do something to help whilst the rest of you are sitting around watching…wait, what are you watching?"

"We're introducing your dad to the amazing world of 'One Piece'," Mikey chimed as Raph collected himself from his embarrassing flail, spitting out feathers as he did so. "We're in the Alabasta Arc, we've just met Ace."

April rolled her eyes heavenward. "Of course. Well, good luck with that, I'm gonna go make Donnie something to keep him awake. Hopefully by know he's figured something out with the Kraang Communication Orb."

"'Kay!" Mikey said before turning back to the screen. April ducked under the curtains that hung from the kitchen's entry and shook her head with a fond smile. Leave it to Mikey to be, quite possibly, the only person in this household – lairhold? Sewerhold? Who knows? – to be taking the imminent threat of a possible invasion so lightly, as he did almost anything and everything else. Then again, the aliens in question had been particularly quiet in the past few days. Perhaps he couldn't be blamed for his laid back attitude.

Still, whilst she welcomed the peace with open arms – how could she complain with her father finally safe and sound? – something continued to linger in the back of her mind, like an itch she couldn't scratch, a code she couldn't crack.

Something was wrong. She just couldn't place it, not yet. She just hoped she did before it was too late.

Her brows furrowed in mild frustration as she finished brewing Donnie's tea. Well, if anything she would go to Splinter later to see if he had any of his wisdom to impart upon her. He somehow always did, no matter the situation. Right now, Donnie needed a pick-me-up.

Smiling at the thought of said tech-guru, April carefully picked up the mug and exited the kitchen just in time to hear her father cry "There are over five hundred episodes of this show?!", followed by a chorus of boisterous laughter that was music to her ears as she made her way across the lair. It warmed her heart to hear her father's own laughter soon accompanying the boys' as she reached Donnie's lab doors.

I have a sneaking suspicion that I am going to hate being right after today.

Those exact thoughts were on repeat like a broken record in Donnie's thoughts as he furiously typed away at his keyboard, oversized fingers gliding with practiced ease despite the raid beating of his heart and his fraying nerves. He had half a mind to fetch April – if anyone could calm his nerves and keep the dark thoughts of imminent death and destruction at bay, it was her – but as it was, he wagered that wasn't a very good idea. He couldn't risk missing any of the Kraang feed emanating from the Orb. Plus, he was too afraid to even tear his eyes away from the screen much less find the will to actually get off his rear end –

Speaking of the devil – or in this case the red-headed angel – April chose that moment to enter the lab, carrying a hot mug of coffee carefully between her hands, and though Donnie didn't look up to greet her with a smile, one graced his lips softly a her presence anyways, the bitter aroma of the drink she held wafting towards his nose. She must've noticed him working himself ragged for the last week, and had opted to perk him up however she could. Donnie would've fallen over himself with flustered gratitude with such a sweet and caring gesture…would have, had he not been so focused on downloading the feed from the Orb.

Thank you Kraang, you picked an awesome moment to finally show your ugly fanged faces. Damn it.

The red head quickly noticed his sudden shift from exhaustion, the sunny smile falling from her face in an instant, and she set the mug aside, taking her place at his right side. "What's with the alarm, Donnie?" she asked, though her tone told the purple clad leader that she already, if only vaguely, knew the answer.

"The Kraang Communication Orb is going haywire," he replied nonetheless, "which means those brain blobs are up to something big."

Both pairs of eyes glued to Donnie's monitor, they watched in amazement as streams and streams of data appeared on the screen coupled with charts and outlandish symbols, none of which even Donnie could read. To the untrained eye it would've been complete nonsense, the scrawls of a carefree two-year-old, but Donnie of course knew better.

"What is this, alien language?" April muttered under her breath, echoing Donnie's thoughts exactly. "Can you decode this stuff?"

After inwardly fawning over April's complete faith in his skills, he slid a glance over to her. Reddish brown met sky blue, and in that instant the two, though for all the world to see were entirely different, were in perfect accord. This was it.

"I guess we're about to find out."

April nodded, reaching up to grasp his shoulder and squeeze it tight. Her silent gesture was all he needed to know that no matter what, she was with him. He had her support, her trust, and right then and there, Donnie couldn't have asked for anything more.

Swallowing, he turned back to the screen, typed in a series of codes which came as easy to him as breathing, and without further delay, he hit 'Enter'. "Translating now."

Mere seconds was all it took. And no matter how prepared they'd deemed they were to bear witness to what the Kraang had in store, April's horrified gasp filled the chilling silence befalling the underground lab. Donnie, his mouth agape and wide brown eyes unbelieving, could only stare, hands hovering, shaking, over the keyboard.

Oh I hate being right.

It was late in the evening, and Leonardo was wide awake despite the tiredness in his aching bones.

His scarf hiked above his snout, armored leather-bound arms folded over his chest, the turtle leaned against the wall of the vacant hallway, eyes closed and brows furrowed, ears strained to listen to the sounds of Foot Soldiers rushing left and right in adjacent hallways. He tapped a finger against his bicep, impatient but collected all the same as he waited, still and silent.

The Invasion was soon to begin. A nightmare that he along with all of mankind shared was going to become a reality in a matter of hours; it was repulsive to think that a member of their own kind was an ally to the creatures behind what was to transpire. Then again, Leo expected nothing less from a man as vile and twisted as Oroku Saki. He suppressed a growl.

The Foot were in the midst of preparing for whatever it was the Kraang had in store – Leo hadn't paid any heed to the briefing, too focused on keeping his breaths even and his hands steady at his sides – and he could feel the tension in the air, the anticipation, and for some, he could feel their fear; an alien invasion didn't exactly happen every day, after all. Everyone had been given their orders, their cues, and they were obediently following them to the letter lest they incurred Shredder's wrath. As for Leo…

"When the invasion begins, do everything in your power to help your brothers."

He'd been given different orders from his master – his father.

"With the world at stake, the only thing of importance is that you complete your mission, no matter what you have to sacrifice…or who."

And he intended to follow them, no matter the cost.

It was rather ironic, considering that his original orders were to go out into the city and ensure the other turtles didn't interfere with the Kraang's plans, to capture or eviscerate them if necessary. If under different circumstances, Leo would've laughed.

"Hey."

Resisting the urge to jump in surprise, Leo opened his eyes, raised his head and found serene golden-brown eyes staring him down levelly. He tugged down the scarf from his snout, and offered his new company a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Hey."

Karai was leaning against the opposite wall, mirroring Leo's somewhat relaxed posture, her expression unreadable to the untrained eye. Leo knew she had her own orders to follow, her own schedule to keep; she was supposed to be heading for the sewers with her own squad, where they were sure the turtles were hiding April and her recently 'freed' father, and lay the trap there. She should've been long gone by now in fact and yet there she remained, staring at her brother, not a word leaving her reddened lips.

Instead of reminding her of her duties – she'd always been a rebel, why stop her streak now? –or attempting 'before the great battle small-talk', Leo chose to meet her silence with his own. The commotion in the background grew ever softer; he had to make a move soon, had to leave before anyone grew suspicious, but he didn't. In the darkness of the lonely hallway, Leo met Karai stare for stare, watching, waiting.

Then he saw the familiar spark in her golden eyes, the slight tilt of her head, the subtle clenching of her fingers into a fist, and Leo understood.

Karai knew. She always knew, somehow, always managed to catch Leo out; they'd known each other for years, after all. Worse still, this wasn't the first time he'd attempted to leave without saying anything.

He didn't know how Karai had found out, but for the first time Leo found that he didn't care, couldn't bring himself to care. She knew now, that was all that mattered. Still, he'd expected her to be far angrier than this. Or was her silence merely the calm before the storm? He'd rather the screaming and shouting; it'd make his inevitable parting somewhat easier knowing that he'd have one less reason to return to the Foot. His only friend despising him for yet another betrayal would be more than enough to keep him away.

Finally, in a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper, she said,

"Are you sure about this?"

"I am," Leo replied without hesitation. He didn't even attempt to lie to her, not again. He wasn't nearly so cruel as to hurt her like that again, nor was he a coward. He'd face her retribution, in whatever form it took, head-on.

"This isn't going to be like the other times, Leo," she said firmly in warning. "If Shredder finds out, he will kill you. Not even I would be able to help you. You walk out that door, and you're signing your own death warrant."

"I'm aware of that." He noticed Karai had spoken without heat, without a hint of hurt. She wasn't resigned or uncaring; if anything she was curious. Worried? Leo wasn't sure. But even so, he narrowed his eyes into a hardened glare, and asked her slowly, deliberately,

"Are you going to try and stop me?"

Karai's brow twitched. Leo's glare didn't falter.

It was a challenge and both of them knew it. Would Karai try to stop him? Would she tell Shredder of Leonardo's true intentions? Would she let him go, pin the blame on Tiger Claw instead? She had every right to do all those things, or worse; she could kill Leo right then and there, tell Shredder what he'd been planning to do all along, what he'd been doing behind his back, and the man would barely bat an eye.

And Leo would never hold it against her, not ever. What he was about to do was a deliberate act of betrayal against the Clan he'd been raised in, the comrades he'd fought alongside for years, the ones he'd lost in previous battles, and by proxy, betrayal against his best friend, his sister. She had her duty, her loyalty, to her clan and her father, and as a kunoichi bearing that emblem she would not – could not – withhold carrying out what needed to be done…even if that meant taking the life of someone she considered her family.

Whatever they did would forever affect the bond they'd forged over the years. It would either strengthen or shatter it, and they wold have to live with the consequences – or die in knowing that they'd chosen their path and could not turn back.

Karai pushed herself off the wall, her piercing gaze never leaving Leo's as she walked over. Leo met her halfway, preparing himself for the worst as Karai raised her hand, curled it into a fist –

"Good to know that you're still an idiot, three-toes."

– and rapped her knuckles against Leo's head. Playfully.

Leo stiffened, his mind drawing a complete blank. Whatever he'd been expecting, that hadn't been it.

"Eh?" he replied dumbly after a moment of stunned silence on his part.

When Karai smirked, it was genuine and without malice. "As you've guessed, I heard everything you said to Tiger Claw, and everything he said to you," she said, lowering her hand to instead plant it on her hip, taking a casual stance. "I know…I know I should stop you. I should tell Shredder…but…"

"But you won't," Leo finished for her, relief flooding through him like water bursting forth from a dam as a smile finally graced his lips. He inwardly praised whatever other power there was in the world when Karai returned his smile and shook her head.

"I won't tell him. I get it, y'know?" She shrugged lamely. "Family's always been important to us, more than anything. Besides, I never wanted any part in this Invasion to begin with; knowing that this whole mess is partially my fault anyways –"

"We've been over this –"

"– I said partially."

"…fair enough."

"Like I said, knowing it's partially my fault is another reason why I'm not overly keen on the whole 'letting the aliens take over our world' thing." Then she chuckled, shaking her head in what Leo could only assume was pure disbelief. "Out of all the people in this stinking city I would've bet on to get us out of this mess, it'd be you and your brothers. They're crazy enough to take on the whole damn armada, and you're crazy enough to follow them and help them out."

Leo felt his grin widen at that. "Can't say I argue with that. Being raised and trained alongside someone like you plays a factor in my apparent craziness, though."

"And that I'm proud of," she nodded. Then her grin sobered somewhat. "…to be honest, I've seen this happening for a while."

Leo tilted his head, brows creased as his own smile faltered. "Seen what?"

She rolled her eyes at his apparent cluelessness and flicked his forehead, ignoring his whined protest. "You were getting closer to your brothers," she elaborated. "Every time we crossed paths you got closer and closer to them. I saw how much they loved you, how much they want you back even though they barely know you. This right here, you wanting to risk everything just to help them, was pretty much inevitable."

She turned away, rubbing at her arm reflexively, and Leo said nothing, waiting for her to continue. Which after a moment of hesitation and a heavy sigh, she did.

"I…I can relate to them, I guess. I've…I've had the same feelings, y'know…for my mother. Even though I've never met her, I never knew her, I've done everything I can to at least honor her memory. I get it, Leo." Her smile turned somewhat sad, accepting, and Leo wanted nothing more than to wipe it away, but she went on before he had the chance.

"This…this'll be bad if Shredder ever finds out. You know that. And you're still going along with it?" she asked softly.

His heart aching for her, Leo reached out to take her hand, squeezing it tight. "I am. I have to. They're my brothers, Karai. I may have hated them at first, but that was before I realized that I had nothing to truly hate them for."

He swallowed thickly, feeling his eyes start to burn as he quickly shut them tight. "For so long I've been lying to myself. I've never really hated them. Really I…I miss them. I need them. I…"

He remembered Michelangelo's smile, his infectious boyish laughter, the unconditional love shining in his baby blue eyes every time he opened his arms to embrace Leo however reluctant the older turtle was. He remembered Donatello's honesty, his profound wisdom, his understanding, his kindness and willingness to trust despite the rift between them. He remembered Raphael's ferocity, his ambition and unyielding passion, his determination to drill the truth into Leo's head, the safety Leo felt when he'd held him in his arms that night.

He remembered his brothers, and he smiled, meeting Karai's gaze once more as he shrugged. Never before had his thoughts been so clear. No longer were they tainted with loathing, rage, loss or darkness. Now…

"I love them. And they love me."

…there was only light.

Karai gaped at him for a moment, almost marveled at how those words directed at those he'd once loathed so passionately, fell so naturally from his lips. Truth be told, Leo found it hard to believe, too; it was almost overwhelming to think of how far they'd come, how much they'd been through, to get to this very moment. Of course, Leo couldn't say the same for Hamato Yoshi – never would, probably, not as long as he lived, as long as the murderer of his sister's mother lived – but still…the three turtles he'd raised and trained were ignorant of his lies and betrayal. They didn't deserve to meet their end, certainly not by the end of Leo's blade, or anyone else's. Not if Leo had any say in the matter.

And now, for the first time, he did have a say. He wouldn't let his fear of the Kraang, his fear of Shredder, stop him from doing what he knew was the right thing. Protecting his brothers, saving April, and as an added bonus, saving the world. And if the consequences were that he met his end by Shredder's hands…well, he would die knowing that he'd made peace with them, that Tiger Claw would be proud he'd made the right choice…that Karai had supported him all the way.

The black clad kunoichi smirked again – though Leo knew it was only a failed attempt to hide the true smile underneath her cocky demeanor – her amber eyes warm and aglow in the dark hallway. Grasping Leo's shoulder with her free hand she pulled him closer, closing her eyes when their foreheads met. "You mutant teenage turtles," she chided without heat, "so cheesy and emotional."

Leo chuckled wetly as he too closed his eyes, leaning into her familiar touch and squeezing her hand still in his grasp. "Whatever you say, helmet-head."

They stayed that way for a time, neither of them ready or willing to pull away though they knew their time was short. There was a chance they would both make it through the Invasion alive, that Leo's actions would never reach Shredder' ears, that they would see each other again soon. But still, they couldn't quite bring themselves to part ways. It felt too much like saying goodbye.

Leo opened his eyes the same time Karai did, and in that instant the two were in perfect accord. They knew what they had to do. They had to go, now, before anyone suspected anything other than what their master had assigned them. They had to part, which after a moment of great hesitation, they did. Leo was the first to step back, letting Karai's hand slip from his as they both drew a deep breath.

Pain and longing flickered in Karai's eyes like the wings of a butterfly; one moment there, gone the next as her usual grin took claim over her features once more. "Good luck foiling our evil plans, Leonardo," she said.

Leo returned her grin and rolled his eyes. "Tch. Good luck ruling the world if I don't come back, Karai," he teased back, earning a wicked snicker in response. Then, without another word, Leonardo turned on his heel and made his way briskly down the hallway. He didn't run to the entrance of the church, but he didn't dawdle either, and he didn't dare look back over his shoulder. He didn't want to see Karai lingering where he'd stood, watching him leave her behind. He didn't want her to see the moisture pooling in his eyes, lord knows she'd tease him for it –

"You'd better come back. Three-toed idiot little brother."

Karai's words had been soft, barely heard over the rapid beating of Leo's own heart, and Leo nearly stumbled, nearly choked on his own silent gasp, nearly turned around to march right back over to his sister and wrap his arms around her and never let go.

'Damn you. Damn you damn you.'

Instead, he kept on going, giving the girl a flippant wave of his hand before disappearing from around the corner out of her sight.

Only when he was outside of Shredder's domain, three rooftops and a five minute rest later, that he moved over to the edge of a building and sat down heavily on the concrete, hugging his knees to his chest, and let the tears fall. And through the tears dripping down his cheeks, he was grinning.

'Damn it, Karai,' he thought with a giggle that was almost hysterical, not bothering to wipe his eyes as his mask turned dark and damp from the tears splashing on his metal knee-pads. 'I think I'd preferred it if you'd just yelled at me instead.'

First Tiger Claw, the man he owed his life to, the man he loved and respected as his father. Then the three brothers he'd once despised, each and every one of them somehow worming their way back into his heart in their own special ways. And now Karai, his first human friend as a child, his beloved and loyal sister despite her own hatred and the darkness of her own past…

Leo sniffed, a watery laugh bubbling from his chest, and he shook his head. Five hours until everything went to hell, and there Leonardo sat, crying yet smiling fit to burst on a cold rooftop as he wondered how on earth a life such as his, which had begun in darkness and loneliness, lies and bloodshed, had managed to surround him with people like them?

For the first time in such a damn long time, he was finally, truly happy. He was happy.

He was either the luckiest turtle alive, or the most screwed. There were people in this godforsaken city that actually cared about him, loved him, wanted him to live. And if he failed, he was going to lose them all again.

And they would lose him, forever.

A/N ~ Oh Leo :'D

I hope you enjoyed that, and thank you all so much for your patience and support! More are on the way!

Next Chapter: The plans are set into motion, and danger is imminent. Who will win and who will fall? One thing's for sure, Leonardo wants to ensure the Kraang fall no matter what had to be done.