A/N: Ok, got a bit of a ramble for ya this time, just 'cos there's quite a few Ken-do references in the next couple of chapters! 'Kotei' is a blow to the wrist, 'Men' to the head and 'Do' to the mid-riff. These are the terms used in Ken-do and are also yelled during each type of strike. Shinai consist of a central wooden beam with three flat outer shafts of bamboo that are tied together in such a way they make a loud 'klack' when the shinai strikes something, preferably not very hard 'cos then you end up with a broken shinai! It is very much a sport where 'psyching out' you're opponent gets much better results than just trying to hit 'em as hard as possible.

A type of armour is worn during competitions, including a helmet with a metal 'grid' for the face, a chest plate and wrist guards, though the armour is mainly heavy canvas, laquered wood and the like as opposed to metal, for the most part. The armour is quite expensive, so I doubt very much the TMNT would be able to get a-hold of any very easily. In this series I've got them substituting other sporting equipment for it, like the catchers gear in baseball.

Ken-do translates as 'Way of the Sword' (or so I believe), but today it is very much a competative sport as opposed to a 'traditional' martial art training regime (though it does get you VERY fit!). However, it does have it's roots in the training samurai did for dueling, where the aim was to kill (or maim the sword arm) of your opponent with the first and only blow.

Many thanks to CPQ for beta-reading, you do a wonderful job chica. Many thanks too for the reviews from virtual wenrog and artykidd. And a whoping huge THANKYOU to those who nominated this fic and series in the Fan Fic Awards! That's a great honour for me. Thank you.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the TMNT, or any related characters (much to their relief, I'm sure!) If there is anything else in this story you recognise from somewhere else, then I don't own that either.

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Thursday, November 1

I allowed my sons this morning to sleep or do as they wished; to recuperate from their battles of last night. To my relief none of them, or our friends, was badly injured. However I did sense a strange tension within the Battle-shell on our journey home from April and Caseys' apartment. Michelangelo was oddly subdued; perhaps because of the loss of his treats and costume during their combat?

The hopes I'd had yesterday evening regarding a seeming change in Raphaels' attitude of late have come to naught. If anything the recent unease between him and Tausha seems to have escalated dramatically. So much so that I was careful not to allow the two of them to spar together during the light training session we held this afternoon. It seemed only Donatello was capable of gleaning a smile from her at all.

Friday, November 2

We returned to our normal routine today. Again I did not feel it prudent to allow Raphael and Tausha to spar together. I was concerned that she did not seem to be happy with Michelangelo either, but Leonardo has since shed some light on what transpired between those three on Halloween night. I have often warned Michelangelo and Raphael of the 'dangers of living in a glass house'. Perhaps this time the stones will leave a lasting impression.

I would like to see an easing of tension within the lair soon however, it is starting to take its toll on all of us. There have been times when I have shared some of Leonardos' concerns regarding Raphaels' friendship with this girl, but if she is to stay I would prefer it to be on good speaking terms with all. The way things stand now I doubt many of Leonardos' concerns are particularly valid.

Saturday, November 3

Morning practice was again apprehensive, although Taushas' mood did not seem as dark as it has been these past two days. She even laughed at one of Michelangelos' jokes. Thankfully Raphael left for Caseys' before we departed on our scavenging trip. I did not feel comfortable with the thought of leaving Donatello to mediate any arguments that may have erupted between Raphael and Tausha in our absence; there have been none so far, but I fear it is only a matter of time.

Leonardo has been hoping to find a new whet stone, so we decided to begin our excursion with the dumpsters behind the Dojo and Equipment Store on Bleeker Ave. Unfortunately Leonardo had no luck, but we did find two punching pads that had slight scratches in their leather, and a shinai that had been discoloured by water damage along one of its outer shafts. Humans are so wasteful, refusing to purchase goods simply because of small aesthetic flaws.

Michelangelo insisted we take the shinai as well. I do not understand why, we have plenty of bokken for our needs. I have not trained my sons with shinai since they were too small to handle the weight of the heavier weapons, and all those we had have long since been broken. Although, from the mischievous grin he gave me when I asked what he intended to do with the weapon, I suspect it will be utilised for some prank soon.

Sunday, November 4

Michelangelo has made me proud of him today. Leonardo has yet to allow Tausha into our armoury, or to join in the live weapons practice. I believe he is simply trying to ensure she understands she is only a guest here, and so not entitled to complete freedom within the lair. From her body language I know Tausha finds it frustrating at times that she is not allowed to train with anything other than the wooden practice weapons, but to her credit she has never complained about being separated from her Ninja-to. I doubt any of my sons would be so gracious in regards to their own weapons under similar circumstance.

However, I had forgotten she also had a shinai with her when she came to the lair. With much aplomb, Michelangelo presented our newly acquired one to everybody after lunch, and Leonardo readily retrieved Taushas' from the armoury. We spent a pleasant afternoon learning the nuances of her sport. From my memory, my Master Yoshi never indulged in the competition of Ken-do, preferring a more traditional style of training, and it was refreshing to try something a little different to the kata we are used to.

It is a simple sport, but most enjoyable. Even Raphael joined the fun after half an hour, complaining the sharp cracks from the shinai, and his brothers' cheers and laughter, were drowning out the television. I should not have laughed myself, but it was quite amusing to see Tausha score a 'Kotei' and two solid 'Men' blows upon him, before he realised it is more a contest of wills and speed, rather than strength. Thankfully she yielded her shinai to Michelangelos' requests for a turn, before she received too many bruises in reply.

It kept us all entertained up until dinner. I am certain Leonardo and Tausha would have liked to continue on with it this evening, but they opted for accompanying Donatello to Junk Island instead. The trio left a few hours ago now, I hope they will not be gone for too much longer. Raphael has become quite agitated since they left and his obnoxious attitude is getting out of hand.

Being able to indulge in her sport again seemed to lift Taushas' spirits remarkably. She gave Michelangelo a hug in thanks after dinner, and I overheard her apologise to him regarding her harsh words on Halloween night. She even tried to start a friendly conversation with Raphael before she departed. And I am disappointed (but not surprised) he did not reciprocate well.

Monday, November 5

Raphaels' behaviour has become a concern to me. He refused to retire last night until his brothers returned, but as soon as they arrived home he went straight to his room with nothing more than a foul look for anyone. Despite everyone being civil to him, even Tausha, he has been terribly short tempered and rude to all today. I have instructed him to come speak with me once his afternoon chores are finished, this simply cannot continue.

I do hope Raphael will not ruin this evening. Donatello has managed to 'hook us up' (I believe that is the correct phrase?) to a cable television channel we have never accessed before. Apparently it will be airing a live event from Australia that Tausha is very excited about. April and Casey will be joining us soon for dinner, and to watch as well, and I believe Tausha has asked April to bring some specific supplies that I am very much looking forward to. I must admit my curiosity has been piqued as to why this event is so important to Tausha. And why she would like us all to wear such curiously decorated hats for it, although Michelangelo has outdone himse…

Splinter closed and put aside his journal as the shogi screen door to his room slid open.
"You still wanna see me?" grunted Raph, drying his hands on a tea-towel as he peered into his Sensei's room. The greyed rat sighed away his annoyance at his sons' rude tone.
"Yes." he assured dogmatically, watching with astute eyes as Raphael shut the screen behind himself with a little more force than was necessary, stalked over to the low table where his father was seated to give a slight perfunctory bow before dropping to sit rigidly, pointedly looking over the rats' shoulder toward a kanji print fixed on the wall.

A few minutes trickled by with no sound, no change in their respective postures. It was a tactic that often worked well on his other sons when they knew they were in the wrong. The pressure their own conscience, the silence, the considerate eyes of their father, created was enough to at least start them talking. Splinter knew it was unlikely to work on Raphael; he was too adept at hiding behind his wall of anger to be influenced greatly by subtle devices, using the heat of his rage to obscure his own guilt, even from himself.

However, it also gave the sensei time to regard his son, decide on the best way to breach that wall. He knew from experience that if he was not careful Raphael would either shut down, internalising his fury; or flare-up in an irrational outburst that could well lead to him storming out of the lair, or worse. Not that Splinter was afraid of his son, he feared for him.

Raph blew a heavy breath through his nostrils in annoyance as his father took a long, deliberate sip of his tea. Splinter had expected it, knew it was only his sons' respect for him that prevented the turtle from demanding why he was wasting his time. Placing his cup back on the table with care the Master calmly stated;
"I think it is time Tausha left us." He watched, almost in bemusement, as a gamut of emotions ran across his sons' face.

Raph was caught completely off-guard; he'd expected a lecture, or even a punishment, for the way he'd been acting lately. He knew he'd crossed a few lines; as always, once he'd gotten himself worked up over something, like Taus' hissy fit, he couldn't seem to unwind himself. There was too much other emotional crud he just didn't know how to deal with; it was easier staying mad. But his fathers' blunt suggestion seemed to bring all the stuff he tried so hard to suppress straight to the surface. It almost threatened to overwhelm him, feeling he'd been swept up in a vortex, before it all subsided leaving him strangely cold and empty at the thought of her leaving.
"Why?" he finally managed to utter.

"Do you know why I allowed Tausha to stay with us?" Splinter gently queried. As Raph shook his head, his father continued "I believed that out of the four of you, the majority were happy for her to stay. Despite your initial falling out with her over her father, I was impressed with how quickly you resolved that anger to accept her as a friend once more. And that left only Leonardo with concerns regarding her staying with us. You are no longer children, Raphael. I have tried to step back from arbitrating solely on the basis of what I deem is right, and allow you and your brothers to make your own decisions. In relation to this girl, whilst I have my own concerns regarding your relationship with her, I am willing to let her stay as long as that majority in favour of her doing so is maintained."

Splinter paused to allow what he had said to sink in. He watched the cogs turning and started his answer before Raph could ask his inevitable question.
"Over the past two weeks the tension between you and Tausha has been undeniable. I am starting to think that you have allowed your annoyance with certain events to strain the relationship you have with her to the point your friendship is in jeopardy. You fought so hard against circumstance, your brother…, and me, to build your relationship with this girl. I am disappointed that, in the end, you are allowing your own anger to defeat you."

"But…" Splinter over-rode Raphaels' objection to go on with his explanation, his voice growing stern,
"She is not family as we are, my son. You cannot expect her to remain staunch in the face of your attempts to alienate yourself, as your brothers and I do. And I do not see any real reason why you should be behaving so towards each other, regardless. The only logical conclusion I can reach is you are no longer comfortable with her staying here."

Raph stared down into his lap, at the small towel he'd twisted tight in his hands. Eventually, he didn't bother looking up to murmur,
"I don't want her to go…"
"What will it take for you to reconcile this?"
"An apology would be a nice start..." Raph muttered darkly. Deliberately 'mis-understanding' Splinter asked in his usual level tone;
"Yes it would; why, then, have you not?" As he'd expected, his sons' head snapped up to favour him with a glare of disbelief and indignation.

"I meant from her!" snapped Raph "She started this whole mess! There's no way in hell I'm gonna say I'm sorry before she does!" Undaunted by his sons' outburst Splinter calmly pointed out;
"Tausha seems to have overcome the worst of her annoyance over what transpired at Halloween, although I suspect she may feel that you are the one that is required to apologise first…"
"Tough." scowled Raph.
"My son, a battle ends when the opponents down weapons and step away; actions often speak louder than words."

The sensei paused to see if his advice had any impact, watching as his son muttered something evil under his breath. Despairing that Raphael needed more than words to spur him into action, Splinter fixed him with a stern look.
"You have two days in which to rectify this situation. If I don't see you at least make an attempt to resolve the issues between Tausha and yourself in that time, I will evict her from our home." Raph gaped at him in utter shock.
"B…but if you send her back to Hun…, he'll hurt her!" It was all Splinter could do to maintain his strict countenance, the father in him wanting to console his son at the sudden distress in voice. As it was, only his tone softened slightly;
"There are other options we can consider in regards to where she can go. I, too, do not wish to see Tausha punished by her father. I will not force the two of you to apologise to one another, but I do expect you to take every opportunity to make amends and bring an end to your hostilities as soon as possible. Is that clear?" A brief battle between apprehension and indignation played out on Raphaels' face, before he dropped his head to mutter,
"Yes…,Master."

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"And here I was, thinking you didn't care for the 'finer things in life'!" teased April lightly as she filled the last tall, plastic glass with champagne and put it on the tray with the others.
"Yeah? Well, I can stomach 'em once a year I reckon!" laughed Tau in reply, rinsing the small punnet of imported strawberries she'd asked for.
"Ow!" pouted Mike as Tau slapped his hand away from stealing a fruit.
"Just wait 'till we've finished will ya?" she berated him with a grin.
"Why? What'cha gonna do with 'em?" asked Mike, curiously looking over her shoulder.
"This!" explained Tau; pulling the leaves off one berry she dropped it into one of the bubbly-filled glasses.
"Ooooh, does that make the champagne taste like strawberry?" enthused Mike.
"Nope. But it makes the strawberry taste like champagne!"
"Awesome!" Mike grinned as he picked up the tray to carry it out to the living room.

"Oh wow!" exclaimed Don, helping to move the pizza boxes and make some room on the coffee table for Mikes' tray. The race was starting at 11:00am in Melbourne, so it was airing at 07:00pm in New York. Since it coincided fairly closely with dinner-time the plan had been to save the pizzas' until after the event. Half had survived so far.
"Is this really how they celebrate this in Australia Tau?" asked Leo, pushing the brim of his hat back up out of his eyes.
"Yep!" she grinned.

Mike had come up with the idea of making hats, instead of finding them. Besides, he had a good store of bright craft paper for them to use. Leo's had been the first made, hence why it was a little too large, but the simple 'pirate hat' design had worked well overall, and produced two large, flat surfaces on which images from the pile of horse pictures Mike had scavenged, from magazines and the like, could be glued. The other turtles each had one in their favourite colour; Splinter's was white, Casey's black, April's yellow and Tau's green.

At first Splinter had thought the yellow creature, drawn in Michelangelos' unmistakable hand on each side of Taus' hat, was a rat. But that didn't make any sense, especially since the animals' feet seemed too long and it was wearing… boxing gloves? Shaking his head the sensei had dismissed it as yet another part of her culture he didn't understand. Mikes' was the only hat that was different. He'd tried his hand at making a cardboard top-hat, and had done quite well. Of course it was bright orange, and boasted a 'My Little Pony' (sans tail) stuck to the top of it!

"Thank you April." said Splinter, trying to keep the disappointment from his voice as he eyed the berry at the bottom the glass she gave him. "Thank you very much!" he brightened as she offered him first pick of the fresh berries that she'd hidden behind her back.
"Well, this seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to for some damn horse-race." grumbled Casey, shifting to make room for April on the couch. "What's so red-hot special about it anyway?" Tau shot him an incredulous look from her where she'd sat on the floor, the far side of the coffee table, between Don and Mike.
"Um, hellooo! It's the 'Melbourne Cup'. Only the greatest horse-race in the world! Sheesh! Back home they call it the 'race that stops a nation'; and it does! Everyone watches it. I've never missed going to one yet! Well, not since Mum and I moved back to live in Oz anyway..." she petered out.

Sat next to Casey on the sofa, Leo nudged him with his elbow, giving him a shake of his head. Confused Casey looked to Raph perched up on the arm of the couch for an explanation, but only got a terse shrug in reply. Casey didn't push it, it was pretty clear that Raph wasn't in a great mood, his hat crumpled in his hands. Given Mike had seen fit to glue pictures prominently featuring the rear ends of horses onto the red paper, Casey figured he could see why.

Fascinated, for the most part, the group watched the events unfold on the big screen. The women moving about the stands, dressed in gaudy and outlandish outfits, only made more bizarre by the often too large hats they wore; the dapper looking men, many in long-tailed tuxedos and top hats. Tau gave her own running commentary, pointing out people and horses she knew, explaining the jargon being used, and answering questions from her friends. Finally, the time for the actual race arrived, and even Casey found himself leaning further and further forward as the commentator got more and more excited, clapping and giving a "WHOOT!" as the horses crossed the finish line.

Tau's reaction was even greater; she leapt in the air pumping a fist in victory.
"YEAH! I KNEW Serenity would win! I just knew it!"

"You ok?" Don queried with a raised eye-ridge as she seemed to wipe away a tear. Nodding vigorously she turned back to the TV to watch the post-race interviews. Once the winning trainer and jockey had been grilled, the reporters turned their attentions to other dignitaries at the track. A group of rosy-cheeked, older gentlemen appeared on the screen.
"OH! Mr Reynolds! He was like an uncle to me…" exclaimed Tau, quieting to hear what was being said.

"Who woulda thought Serenity'd win it, eh? After comin' in last, last year." asked one jovial looking fellow; almost spilling the pint of beer in his hand as he gestured.
"I c'n tell you who." replied Mr Reynolds solemnly "Ol' Benny Corbin, God rest his soul. He told me to look out fer that mare last year. 'She may start slow', 'e said 'but give 'er a chance and she'll surprise yer.' I c'n tell yer, I'm glad I took that advice" he patted a thick wad in his top shirt pocket. "I propose a toast. 'To Benny.' Thanks fer everything mate! We miss ya."
"Here, here." murmured all his compatriots, raising their glasses.

"So who was this 'Benny' guy?" grinned Mike, expecting another yarn from Tau. He'd loved hearing all her little snippets about the people on the screen. His smile waned as she put her hand to her face, her back still to the rest of the group as she stood in front of the TV.
"Tau…, are you alright babe?" he asked in concern. Tau started to nod but it quickly changed to a shake of her head. An instant later she dashed away, her hand still over her mouth as she sprinted up the stairs to her room; her hat falling, unchecked, back down to the main floor. Shocked by her sudden change in demeanour the rest of the group barely moved until her door banged shut.

Mike and Don shared a worried look;
"What'd I say…?" asked Mike forlornly.
"I'm not entirely sure…" replied Leo, rising from the couch "but it's obvious something's upset her. I'll go talk to her."
"No, wait Leo. I should do it 'cos…"
"Hang on guys; maybe it'd be best if I had a girl to g…"
"Stop." Splinter interrupted Mike and April, his stern tone gaining everyone's attention. "I think Raphael is the most prudent one to speak with her." All four turtles gaped at him in disbelief.

"I… I'm sorry Sensei, but I don't think they're on the best of terms at the moment." cautioned Leo.
"Raphael has known her longer and better than any of us. Does it not stand to reason then that he should be the most able to console her?" asked the Master.
"I suppose so." murmured Don after a long pause. Splinter fixed his tempestuous student with an incisive look;
"Well, my son? You are her friend, are you not?" Given his despicable attitude of late, Leo expected Raph to irately argue the point. To his surprise his brother looked almost pale, his jaw working briefly as if he were about to speak before he gave a curt nod and set off after the girl.

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A/N: For those that are wondering about the Aussie references in this chapter; I was not exagerrating about the insanity the Melbourne Cup race incites here in Oz. There is a parade for it the day before through the streets of Melbourne. On the day anybody who is anybody in Oz in terms of celebrity, politics or involved with the 'horsie set'' try to be there, a fashion (and hat) competition is held at Flemington Racecourse (where it is run), just about everyone places some kinda bet on the race, and the results of it are newsworthy to the national media for anythng up to a week afterwards.

There are also 'creative' hat competitions across the country, and work stops whilst all watch it on TV. At one place I used to work the resident socialite even tried to ban access to the alcohol for those that did not wear a hat specifically decorated for the day. Needless to say she was soon put in her place and the beer and champers flowed free to all! I have no idea when or why the champaigne and strawberries tradition originated, but that is another staple 'must do' for the event. The idea is to leave the strawberry in the glass over multiple drinks. It makes the strawberry taste like mush, but it does also seem to pack a wallop in terms of getting you even more drunk! Or maybe it's just the extra little bit of sugar that does it after downing a couple of bottles of champaigne... lol! Needless to say the characters only had one glass each in this chapter, I reckon they've suffered enough hang-over wise in this already!

Finally, Tau's hat is green because 'green and gold' are the Aussie sporting colours. The 'rat' on the side of her hat is a boxing kangeroo, another sporting icon.

PS: Kudos to you if you spot the 'Firelfy' references in this chapter. I don't own anything of theirs either! If only the Fox network had listened to such adivce, eh?