A/N: This chapter was kinda short, so I added the Epilogue to the end - plus a little extra!


Amaya woke to the smell of food cooking. Slowly, she slipped from the bed and found her kimono. She made her way into the bathroom to clean up a bit and then trailed her fingers down the wall as she headed for the living room. She paused as the sound of metal scrapping caught her attention to her left.

Donnie stopped short as he came around the door of his lab. "Oh, Amaya. I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

She shook her head. "No. That wonderful smell did."

He chuckled. "That'd be Sarah making breakfast."

"What was that noise a moment ago?"

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh, I was repairing the computer console. But…uh, don't tell Sarah. I'm supposed to be in bed."

Amaya giggled. "Oh, I see. I won't tell."

"Thanks. I'll be in there in a few minutes, okay?"

She smiled and continued down the hall. She tried to remember what Leo had said about his room. She followed the three couches around and then stepped across the open space, her hand brushing a doorframe. She was about to knock when there was a soft voice beside her.

"Can I help you, Amaya?" Sarah asked. She reached out and took her hand from the door. "This is Master Splinter's room." She paused, her voice cracking a bit. "We don't really go in there."

Amaya blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought…"

"It's alright. We….The guys haven't decided what to do with his things. I think it's just too painful to deal with yet." She took a deep breath. "Come have some tea with me while we wait for everyone to get up." Sarah took Amaya's hand and led her into the kitchen. She set her at the long rectangular table with a cup of hot tea.

She sipped it and smiled. "This is very good."

Sarah smiled. "It's the brew Leo likes. I figured you'd like it too." She moved around the room, preparing the rest of breakfast. After a few minutes she settled into a chair across from her. "Amaya, I want to ask you something. What are your intentions with Leo?" The other girl sat quietly not really knowing how to answer. "You have to understand, my position. They're very precious to me. I'd never allow anyone to hurt them. Don't get me wrong. I'm down right thrilled that Leo found someone to care about. And I believe you too genuinely care for him. But you have to understand that, our lives are nowhere near normal and if you choose to stay with him, your life will never be normal either."

Amaya set down her cup. "As I told Leonardo, normal is relative. By most standards my life has not been normal either. And I understand that due to their differences their lives must remain secret."

"It's a bit more than that. Our home has become a sanctuary. Each of us bares scars from the lives we had before. Kala has escaped a war-torn planet in another dimension. My own father tried to kill me from half way across the galaxy. And Cat was mostly discarded by the world above. But here we're safe and loved. And no matter how dangerous things get, we have faith that our turtles – our husbands will always protect us. So, in turn we must always protect them."

Amaya nodded firmly. "I understand." Sarah hadn't meant physical protection rather protection of their hearts and souls, the things that made them uniquely them.

"I'm glad." Sarah smiled mischievously. "Now, how about some juicy details? You and Leo were alone for a long time on the flight home, right?"

Amaya sputtered a wild blush painting her cheeks, making Sarah snicker.

Suddenly there was a screech of metal and Sarah rolled her eyes. "Donnie thinks he's being so sneaky, but I know he's not resting like he's supposed to be doing. I bet he's in his lab working on his computer." Amaya merely smiled and Sarah snorted. "I thought so. I'll be right back."

Amaya couldn't help but chuckle as the other girl left the room. A few moments later a warmth entered the room and she knew instantly who it was. "Good morning."

Leo lifted one of her hands and stroked his thumb over it. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

She blushed a little. "Not as well as the night before."

He let out a low chuckle. "Neither did I." He sat beside her and began filling his plate. Once he was done, he explained what was on the table before her and helped her fill her plate.

"Should we not wait for the others?"

"Uh, no. That's not usually a good idea. Once Mikey gets in here it's pretty much gone." Leo explained.

"Yep, that's why everyone tries to beat him in here." Cat said with a laugh as her and Raph entered the kitchen.

Raph huffed as he flopped in a chair. "Yeah, I swear that knucklehead has a hallow leg or somethin'."

"Hey, I'm a growing turtle." Mikey said from the doorway. Kala trailed a step behind.

"Yeah, you're going to be growing out with the way you eat though." Raph clipped.

Mikey snorted but his retort was cut short as Mira came charging past him. She promptly latched onto Leo's arm and climbed up into his lap. "Uncle Leo! I missed you!" The toddler had been so intent on her parents the night before, she'd barely registered he was there.

He laughed as she nearly strangled him with her hug. "Mira-chan! I missed you too."

She leaned back with a large grin. "Do we get to start my training today? You promised, remember?"

He laughed again. "Yes, I remember." Her eyes fell on Amaya and he watched as several emotions crossed her face. "This is Amaya. She's going to be staying with us." He watched her young mind process the information.

A light suddenly lit her eyes and she nearly jumped into the woman's arms. "Aunt Amaya!"

Amaya laughed nervously as she held the small turtle. Mira didn't seem to be phased at all by her odd opaque eyes. Leo blushed. "Uh, well, it may be a little early for that…"

Mira giggled. "That's the same thing Uncle Mikey said about Aunt Kala."

Mikey, who'd been snickering, turned two shades of red, while Kala nearly choked on her orange juice. The others laughed at their expense. "Mira, honey, it's not polite to pry." Sarah said as she took the small turtle from Amaya.

Donnie weaved his way around the table, a slightly sour look on his face. He'd gotten a good fussing at for not staying in bed like he should have. He couldn't blame his wife for being irritated. She was worried about him after all. He had bled out a lot the night before. And had it been anyone besides himself he would have insisted they stay in bed as well. He sat quietly, filling his plate as his family continued to chat around him.

Leo finally pushed his chair back. "Alright, fellas time for training." Donnie started to stand, but he put a hand on his shoulder. "Not you Don. You need to heal up. No point in ripping those new stitches out already."

"What about me?" Mira bounced up and down.

Leo chuckled. "You do your studies and we'll start on your training this afternoon, okay?" He headed for the dojo with Raph and Mikey.

Cat stood and stretched. "Well, I'm goin' upstairs and open up the shop."

"Do you need some help?" Kala asked.

Cat smiled. "Sure you can help me do inventory. I've been putting it off for a while." The girls continued to chat as they headed for the elevator.

Donnie looked down at his plate and pushed around the little bit of hash browns that remained, while Sarah began clearing the table. Amaya frowned. "Is something wrong?" She was wondering why it had got quiet all of a sudden. What she didn't realize was there was a battle of wills going on between the couple.

Donnie looked up. "Uh, no."

"Daddy's pouting." Mira provided with a grin.

"I am not." He protested. But even that sounded like a whine. "But I don't see why I can't work on the computer, it's not like I'll be lifting anything heavy."

Sarah shook her head. "Just humor me, love. I'd just rather you not strain yourself today. Okay?" She leaned down to place a kiss on his cheek and he gave her a soft half smile.

"Alright."

"Daddy, can we do the math book again?" Mira asked, pulling at his arm.

He smiled. "Sure." He allowed his daughter to pull him out of the room.

Sarah smiled as she turned back to the sink full of dishes. She sighed. These days there seemed to be a lot more to clean than there used to be. Amaya slid back her chair and came around the table. "May I help?"

Sarah's smile returned. "Actually, yes. How about I wash and you dry?"

Amaya smiled as well. It was strange how easily she seemed to be fitting into this new family and how quickly everyone seemed to be accepting her.


Time passed as Amaya found her niche within the growing family. Most of the day she would spend at either Leo's side or Sarah's, learning and teaching in turn. They were all very impressed with her knowledge of herbs and remedies. Raph would listen intently, while Cat would smile knowing a new plant was sure to show up in his growing garden. Mikey had even started playing small pranks on her, which Leo explained was his way of welcoming her into the family.

Late one night when the guys returned from a patrol, Leo found her sitting on the couch with a cup of tea in hand. "Amaya, is something wrong?"

She shook her head with a small smile. "No, I just cannot sleep."

The other brothers wandered off to their rooms as he sat beside her. "How about I sit with you a while then?" He wrapped an arm around her drawing her against him. She sighed, relaxing into him. It was nice to feel his arms around her again. Their time alone seemed so fleeting since their arrival. He brushed a hand through her hair and placed a kiss on her brow. "Is that better?"

She yawned. "Yes, much better."

He slipped the cup from her hand and set it on the coffee table. "Good."

She snuggled deeper into his side, resting her cheek against his chest. "I feel so safe here in your arms. I wish it could always be so."

"It can." He said softly into her hair. Her heart sped up as he lifted her chin. "If you'd marry me. Be my wife, Amaya. Be with me forever."

Tears welled in her eyes to spill down her cheeks. "I'd be proud to call you my husband, Leonardo."

He kissed her then with more passion than ever before. He pulled her gently into his lap as he dug his fingers into her dark hair. A soft moan left her, causing him to growl with pleasure. Her arms snaked around his neck, pressing her body against his.

He panted as he released her lips. "I don't think I'm helping you get to sleep." He teased.

She smiled. "I should think I'll sleep very well now, knowing I will never have to be without you again."

He kissed her again. Tomorrow they would pass the cups of sake between them, much as his brothers had done with their wives. The only difference would be that Splinter would not be there to perform the ceremony. But Leonardo knew without a doubt that somewhere his father would be watching and smiling as his son began his new path.


Epilogue

Leo paced the floor of the lair. How had they talked him into this? And what on Earth had possessed him to agree? He twitched his hands behind his shell. He glanced towards the elevator for the hundredth time in the past five minutes.

"Leo, you're goin' to rub a hole in the floor." Raph groused from the couch.

Mikey leaned over the back of it. "Yeah, Donnie went with them. There's nothing to worry about."

Leo turned to glare at them. "Nothing to worry about! Are you out of your mind! It ain't like they've gone to the grocery store. She's in surgery for crying out loud!"

"Yeah, but April says this guy is really good. He's supposed to be the best in his field." Raph reminded.

"Yeah, and he's doing it for free as a favor for April." Mikey chimed in.

Leo returned to pacing. It didn't matter. He didn't like leaving Amaya on the surface without him, even if all the girls and his brother had went with her. He should have gone too. This was just too important for him to sit out. Donnie had insisted he stay behind, saying this was a routine surgery, nothing too complicated. He'd promise it'd only be a few hours.

His pace increased as a stray thought ran amuck in his mind. What if things were different when she came back? What if she didn't want him anymore? It was true that it had only been three months since returning home and only two since they'd married. And to all he knew there was never a drop of doubt in her about the choice. Yet, how could he be sure.

Mira had been watching him from her place beside Raph. She knew he was nervous about something, but she still didn't understand what. She turned her head towards the door. Leo caught this. "Are they headed home, Mira?" She nodded. "Are they happy?" She nodded again and he let out a breath.

Raph folded his arms. "You see, Leo. You're worryin' for nothin'."

Leo just turned and returned to wearing a rut in the floor. A few minutes later the sound of the elevator made them all look up. He held his breath as the doors slid open. Amaya stepped out surrounded by the other three girls. April and Donnie followed after them. Amaya's eyes were covered in soft gauze. He rushed forward and embraced her.

"Leonardo…" She relaxed into his arms with a soft sigh.

He brushed a hand through her hair. "I was so worried." He lifted his head to look at his brother. "So?"

Donnie smiled. "It went even better than we could have hoped for. The scaring was fairly shallow, so it made repairing her cornea a lot simpler. He said we could remove the bandage within the hour." He glanced at his watch. "Actually, we can remove it now. It's been long enough."

Leo clutched his new bride tightly. "Are you sure?"

Donnie nodded. "Yes, like I said this is a fairly common procedure now. We'll just have to watch for infections like with any surgery or injury. Beyond that, there's nothing to be concerned about."

Leo led Amaya to one of the couches and knelt in front of her. "Are you ready?"

She gave a slow nod. "Yes."

The others watched and waited as he removed the gauze from her eyes. He held her hands as she tried to focus.

Amaya blinked several times. The dim light of the room seemed harsh to her. She squinted and then slowly opened them. Leo watched her, his heart in his throat; the fear of rejection resurfacing all over again. As their eyes met, he realized that hers were now even more intense than they had been before. On the surface they were a blue gray shade, that reminded one of a storm cloud, cool and powerful. But there was a fire in them brewing just below the surface. They seemed to see straight into his heart with even more clarity than before.

He lowered his head and looked away, shame filling his heart. Her hands gently cupped his face and turned it back up to hers. "You are….amazing."

A slow smile crept across his face. He lifted her hands and pressed kisses to her knuckles. "You are too, saiai. You are too."

&*&*&*&* Teaser

Mikey lay in bed, his eyes fixed on the video game in his hand. Kala crawled up beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Mikey, I've been thinking about something."

"Hmm, what's that?" He kept his eyes locked on the small screen.

"I think I'd like to have a baby."

The game fell out of his hands and skidded across the floor. He turned his head to stare her. "You do?"

She smiled. "Uh huh."

His eyes were as wide as saucers. "But I thought…"

Her smile broadened. "I'm over all that now. This experience with Kassic has shown me that life can be fleeting. So, it's time to take a leap of faith."

He grabbed her in a fierce embrace. "Babe, I'd leap off the Brooklyn Bridge as long as it was with you."


A/N: Saiaia is beloved. I hope you like'd it! See you next time!