Leonardo had awoken the next morning feeling like a burden had been lifted from his shoulders, he realised with quiet awe he wasn't dreading the day ahead and that hadn't happened for as long as he could remember. He noticed his wife too had a glimmer back in her eyes that had been absent since their wedding day. They breezed through the morning in a blissfully coordinated blur, the simple tasks that had previously resulted in awkward silences and serious conversations were executed without the need for discussion. Jade seemed to sense the lift in their mood and went off to school beaming without protest, although she had pulled a face only a six year old could muster when Leonardo kissed Quayla goodbye with a little too much enthusiasm.

Now he sat with his brothers in the dojo facing Master Splinter who assigned them a sparring partner each and they began their training for the day. Leonardo was paired with Raphael and Donatello with Michelangelo, he was grateful for that as he hadn't broached last night's incident with Raphael yet but he hoped Michelangelo had made good on his promises and at least spoken to Splinter. Splinter had excused himself to meditate shortly after issuing their exercises so it was hard to gauge his mood.

He focused on Raphael who was advancing quickly for his attack and deflected the sai cleanly with his katana. Raphael easily dodged Leonardo's answering lunge with a backflip and grinned sadistically.

"Slacking bro," he chortled.

Leonardo shook his head, "Just warming up," he twirled the swords around with a flick of his wrists and paused to glance over at Michelangelo. He addressed his brother in a low voice so the others couldn't overhear, "Raph, about last night, I talked to Mikey and he's pretty cut up about the girl he's met. I said if Sensei agrees then he should invite her over officially and that we'd support him."

Raphael rolled his eyes and let his sai do the talking for him, Leonardo matched his blows but he could feel his brother's anger reverberating through him. "Ain't your call Leo, it's too dangerous," he growled in reply.

"It's just one girl Raph, there are four of us and I asked Quayla to be here too. Mikey needs this, please be nice okay?" Leonardo countered.

"I am nice," he huffed and caught Leonardo's swords in his sais before shoving him back, "I coulda kicked his ass but I didn't."

"Noted," Leonardo smirked, "So are we all good?"

Raphael nodded begrudgingly and used the opportunity to land what could have been a severe puncture had Leonardo not reacted at the last second. He looked a little surprised that he'd almost caught his older brother out but then a wicked smile spread across his face, "Tired oh fearless leader?" He said it loudly enough to stop Donatello and Michelangelo in their tracks.

Leonardo sheathed his swords and folded his arms across his chest; he feared he knew where this was headed, "No."

"Raph," Donatello cautioned from across the room, "We agreed not to."

Raphael shrugged innocently, "I didn't say anything, just wondered if Leo got any sleep is all, only there was this annoyin' thumping noise and-,"

"Urgh, alright enough!" Leonardo cut him off before he could embarrass him any further, he was already blushing, "I'm sorry if we disturbed you all, it won't happen again."

Donatello's Bo staff bopped him lightly on the head; his approach had been flawlessly silent. "Don't be ridiculous Leo," he gave Raphael a pointed glare and thwacked him on the head a little harder, "We agreed!"

Raphael rubbed his head and muttered, "You and Mikey agreed."

Leonardo noticed the youngest brother had remained silent throughout their exchange, normally he would have at least tried to get a joke in, and that he hadn't was worrying. "Hey Mikey, how did it go with Alexis?" He asked and tried to keep it sounding light.

Michelangelo looked pale under his mask, he swallowed hard. "Uh, she's coming over later, I told her everything," he sounded nervous, nothing like he had the night before; "Sensei said it's okay."

"What did she say when you told her?" Leonardo asked he couldn't help it now; concern crept into his voice like an old friend.

"Not much," Michelangelo replied glumly, Donatello put an arm around him and even Raphael rubbed his shell reassuringly. None of them wanted to see him hurting. "She just said she'd come over tonight and logged out, I think she's angry with me."

Raphael let out a throaty chuckle, "Heh. Q was mad with Leo yesterday, look how that turned out."

Leonardo rolled his eyes, "Yes, thank you Raph," he coloured again, "He's right though," he conceded to Mikey, "Yesterday was a disaster but it made me realise what I was missing, maybe she just needed time to process?"

"Perhaps you would all like to take your minds off such matters and focus on your training."

Their father's voice rang out across the dojo and all of the turtles immediately bowed their heads.

"Hai Sensei," they chorused in shame-filled unison and they began again in earnest. This time Leonardo partnered Michelangelo but he could tell his heart wasn't in it so against his own inner Sensei he went a little easier on him.

"Jeez Mikey, stop fidgeting," Donatello hissed beside his brother.

The two stood expectantly outside the garage door waiting for their guest to arrive but so far she was running late. As each minute ticked by Michelangelo's nerves increased, he had begun tapping his foot five minutes earlier and was now all but hopping on the spot. He ceased bouncing at Donatello's behest but now his hands wouldn't stop shaking so he jammed them under his armpits and clamped them tightly.

"She's not coming," he muttered, "I blew it."

Donatello tutted, "It's only been ten minutes, traffic could be bad," he squinted in the darkness and flicked down his goggles, "I can see headlights." Michelangelo snatched the goggles off Donatello's head so quickly he almost removed the bandana with them. The disgruntled turtle readjusted his mask and shook his head in despair at his brother's antics, he watched him proffer the goggles up to his own eyes then a bright smile appeared on his face.

They slunk back to the shadows when the taxi drew close and observed as a slight, dark haired woman climbed out of the cab. She looked young, barely over eighteen, and donned black framed hipster glasses that she pushed up the bridge of her nose when she leant forward to pay the driver. When the taxi pulled away she stood clasping her bag to her middle and peered anxiously over her glasses.

"Um, Michelangelo?" She whispered into the darkness.

He stepped forward, enough to let the nearest street light pick out his features, and held up a timid hand. "Hey Alexis." There were no disguises today, he stood almost wincing as she gradually appraised him then moved slowly forwards. Her mouth dropped open a little the closer she got, even the night before she had heard more of Raphael than she'd seen as Michelangelo had done his level best to shield her from the barrage of insults that flew their way.

"This is my brother, Donnie," Michelangelo said and pulled Donatello forward so she could see him too, she didn't recoil but she swallowed hard when she realised she was outnumbered. "Please, don't be scared," he begged, "I'm still me."

When Alexis found her voice it came out as a squeak, she covered her mouth with her hand and stammered through it. "A-are a-all of your brothers uhh, t-turtles?"

"Yeah," Michelangelo replied meekly, "Would you like to meet the rest of them? I mean I totally get it if you don't, it's just I don't get to have friends over and you're like, totally cool and I know I should have been honest but you get it right? I um, just wanted you to like me," he rubbed his head and raised his brows so he could give her his best attempt at a puppy-dog stare, it had served him well in the past, his brothers rarely refused a request that preceded it.

She took a minute step backwards and clutched her belongings a bit tighter. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

Donatello held out his palm and sniffed the air experimentally as two large droplets of water splashed on his hand. "It's starting to rain; perhaps you should come in until it passes? It's perfectly safe, I assure you," he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Michelangelo did the same and nodded vigorously.

Alexis reluctantly obliged and picked her way over the growing puddles towards them, Michelangelo tried his hardest to keep the smile from his face as she followed them down the tight alley into one of the concealed entrances to their home. The old pumping station had served them well; the docking bay that once received the deliveries now housed the Battleshell and provided an excellent space for any engineering projects as well as a gateway to the outside world that didn't involve crawling through the sewers.

The light in the garage was dimmed and when they finally heaved open the door (after completing half a dozen access codes on the control panel) to the living area the stark contrast of brightness made them all blink. Alexis's head tipped up and a small gasp escaped her lips as she took in the enormity of their hidden home.

"Pretty sweet, huh?" Michelangelo nudged her gently and she flinched at the sudden contact, "Sorry, I can show you around if you want..." he gauged her reaction and saw with a sinking heart, fear. "Or we could just sit for a while." She nodded and Michelangelo ushered her to a seat on the least shabby couch, he hovered for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. Donatello coughed to get his attention and pretended to pour himself a drink, Michelangelo cottoned on a second later, "Ohh, right, can I get you something to drink Alexis?"

She whispered and stared at her hands, "Coke if you have it please."

In the kitchen moments later Michelangelo banged his head repeatedly against the refrigerator door while Donatello poured the drinks. He sighed, "Mikey, please don't break that."

"Why?" Another bang signified he was still tormenting the appliance. He uttered in a muffled voice "She thinks I'm a monster."

"What's going on?" Quayla hissed as she slipped in to join them, "Mikey why is your date sitting alone?" She regarded him with folded arms as another bang echoed around the kitchen, "Not going well then?"

When Michelangelo lifted his head and faced her his eyes were glistening, as well as the pain there was anger in their blue depths. "Cute, please, you're human - just tell her I'm not a freak," he spat the last word; it took both occupants of the kitchen by surprise.

Quayla raised her eyebrows and exited the room, she took the glass from Donatello on route, "Yeah sure, I'll see what I can do," she took a hasty intake of breath and mumbled, "No pressure then."

She parked herself at the opposite end of the couch to the other woman and handed her the coke, it was strange to have a visitor in their home and Quayla suddenly felt awkward and exposed, even Master Splinter had opted for anonymity on this occasion. "Hey," she smiled and feared it was more of a grimace but saw the relief register on the girl's face anyway, "I'm Quayla, Mikey's sister in law."

Alexis shoved the glass onto the table and scooted closer to Quayla, she pushed the dark frames up her nose as if to verify that the person in front of her was human and, satisfied with what she saw, held out her hand. "Alexis." The two shook and she dropped her voice to a whisper, "Michelangelo really had me going, I actually thought he was serious! Does he ever take the suit off?"

Groaning inwardly, Quayla shot a menacing glare toward the kitchen, she was sure she caught a glimpse of orange bandana peeking around the door frame. "Alexis," she began gently, "Mikey isn't wearing a suit, and he told you the truth. He actually is a turtle but he's also a great guy, he's kind and funny and you should give him a chance to show you that." Alexis ran her hands through her hair, her breathing had begun to sound laboured, Quayla wondered if she was having a panic attack.

"But, but you, you said you're his sister, you're human!" Alexis exclaimed.

"I'm married to his brother, and yes he's a turtle too," Quayla answered, it came out a little sharper than she anticipated. Leonardo, as it happened was keeping an eye on Jade until she fell asleep, they had decided until they were sure this friend of Michelangelo could be trusted Jade would remain undiscovered.

Alexis nodded slowly as she processed the new information then her eyes darted around the lair, they fixed upon something beyond Quayla's shoulder and with that she seized her hands with her own. "We can escape," she tugged Quayla's hand in a breathless panic, "You don't have to stay here."

Quayla extracted her hands and slapped a palm to her forehead; this girl was getting on her last nerve. She took a deep breath before answering, "Listen to me carefully. I chose to be here. This is my family and they are amazing. You like heroes? Well the turtles are as heroic as it gets, if you want to leave they won't stop you, they'll just worry about you getting home safely."

"Oh," Alexis flushed crimson, "I'm sorry."

"Apologise to Mikey, he really thinks a lot of you," Quayla replied and rose to leave, she spied Leonardo padding quietly down the stairs, he must have finally gotten Jade to sleep. She inclined her head towards the dojo and he nodded, changing course and leaping nimbly over the handrail. He would need to be filled in on the evening's events and she wasn't looking forward to relaying the prejudice she had just witnessed. She leaned over the sofa to whisper in Alexis's ear before she joined her husband, "I'm not a hero, if you hurt Mikey or tell anyone what you saw here I will find you and you will regret it." It was an empty threat of course but better it came from her and not Raphael, which would only serve to fuel the fire.

As she pulled the dojo door across behind her, Quayla snuck a peek back at the sofa. Michelangelo had reappeared and was tentatively offering his companion a game controller, he plunked down beside her when she took it and beamed as he excitedly explained the game to her. She still looked unsure but nodded in the right places and soon the noise of the artificial guns drowned out the need for further conversation.

"Spying?" Leonardo's smooth voice in her ear made her jump slightly. He grinned having managed to sneak up on her successfully and catch her out.

"Yes," she groaned in reply and shut the screen, her hands slid down the lacquered frame as she let out an exasperated sigh, "I, urgh, I..."

"Gave Mikey's date the third degree," He reached behind and hefted a katana from its sheath then handed it to her; she frowned and adopted the first position of their favourite set. "I get it, you were just looking out for him," he spoke softly and fell into step beside her, their blades moved as one cutting through the air in measured precision, golden light from nearby candles picked out the glinting edges of the steel.

"It's not that," Quayla replied and upped the tempo of the manoeuvres, it betrayed her emotion, "She thought you were holding me captive and that Mikey was lining her up to be next. Why would anyone make that assumption? What right does she have to judge any of us?" Her anger spilled over as she punctured the darkened space ahead of her with vigour.

Leonardo paused and extracted his katana from her hand which was still outstretched then gently turned her to face him, her eyes burned into his, "You know precisely why she might think that but in time she won't, hopefully," he added and gestured to the sword in his hand, "Is the invisible man safe now or should I keep this?"

She took a deep breath and retrieved the sword, it was heavier than her own but the worn bindings always felt comforting somehow, "He'll live. Sorry, I just can't stand hearing someone talk about any of you like that. I wish the world saw you the way everyone does in the Nexus, it doesn't matter there."

"Give her time to adjust, Mikey said he trusts her and we have to do the same," he answered and continued where their steps left off.

Quayla shrugged a little unconvinced but decided it was useless to protest further, the wheels were already in motion and the noise level in the living space confirmed it. More voices seemed to be partaking in the game, snippets of half conveyed advice on how best to advance to the next level drifted through to the dojo, it made it hard to concentrate.

Leonardo uttered a small groan as the shouting and laughter increased, he hoped it hadn't caused Jade to stir; he lowered his katana and shot his wife an apologetic smile. "We should probably go join them, for Mikey's sake."

"Okay," she conceded, "For Mikey."

The only seat left was the armchair; Leonardo guided Quayla into it and perched on the arm beside her. He waved at Michelangelo to get his attention and the youngest hit the pause button prompting a few choice words from Raphael, who was apparently winning.

"Bro, you made it!" Michelangelo exclaimed and he turned to Alexis, "Introducing the last turtle of the bunch, our fearless leader. The one and only, Leonardo."

Leonardo squirmed at the grandiose introduction and nodded once at the girl beside his brother, adding a polite, "Hi, nice to meet you."

Michelangelo didn't give Alexis chance to reply. "You've met Cute, I mean Quayla, already right?" He grinned at Quayla and she forced herself to smile in return, the remorse of her earlier threat had set in and she was quite sure Mikey's date wouldn't forget their meeting for quite some time.

"Yes, we met," Alexis replied coolly and focused her attention back on Michelangelo who was only too happy to gloss over the tension that had fallen upon the room. He was in the process of restarting their game when Donatello's shell cell started ringing.

"Hey April," He answered and then listened for a moment, nodding as he did so. He fumbled around the back of the sofa for the remote then clicked a different T.V screen on and the news began rolling across the screen. "Oh yeah, I can see it alright," Donatello replied as the headline, 'GANG VIOLENCE ERUPTS DOWNTOWN,' filled the screen followed by, 'Police struggle to gain control, advising all citizens to stay home.'

"Sounds like our cue," Leonardo stood immediately, "Tell April and Casey if they aren't home already to get somewhere safe."

Donatello nodded and conveyed the message just as the main lair door squealed in protest at being told to open.

"We were already on the way over," April's voice trilled, she made way for Casey behind her. He pulled the security lever up and pushed a button to the left of the door's mechanism, the sound of several bolts deadlocking echoed around them. She breezed in with her eyes focused on the T.V, it still blared out the sensational breaking news.

"Yeah, we was just givin' ya a heads up," Casey added and gave Raphael a passing high five, "Speakin' of heads Raphie boy, whaddaya say we go break some?" He whipped the hockey mask perching on his head down, just the blue of his eyes glinted through and they were full of anticipation.

"Just what the doctor ordered Case," Raphael chuckled and retrieved his Sais from the weapons rack.

Michelangelo's head whirled from Alexis to his brothers, "But, but, what about Alexis?" He stuttered. The girl in question was now all but hiding behind him.

At that April tore her gaze away from the drama playing out in front of her. "Oh, guys, I'm sorry, I didn't realise you had company," the redhead exclaimed then strode purposefully toward Alexis, "I'm April," she grinned and jerked her thumb at her partner, "The big lug is Casey, sorry for barging in."

"That's alright," Alexis replied shyly and nudged Michelangelo gently, "I should go."

The orange clad turtle heaved an enormous sigh, "Duty calls I guess," he appealed to his eldest brother, "Leo, Alexis lives in Hoboken can we drop her off on the way?"

Leonardo rolled his eyes, he would have preferred she stay put but after Quayla's revelation earlier he had no choice but to agree. "Yeah, we'll take the battleshell. Mikey, you take Alexis and get strapped in, it could get rough out there. Donnie, Raph and Casey you too. We'll be with you in a minute."

Quayla slipped the sheaths for her katana over her head and twirled the swords she had plucked from the wall once before sliding them in behind her. She then made a beeline towards April to request babysitting services as Splinter had retired to bed hours ago and she would no doubt be at the lair waiting for Casey to return anyway. Leonardo intercepted her path.

"I think you should stay here."

Quayla did a double take. "What? Why?"

"Because Jade needs you and I need you to be safe," he replied calmly but his gaze had dropped to his feet.

She cupped his face so he couldn't avoid her stare. "Don't bring Jade into this, that's a cheap shot," she kissed him briefly, "I'm coming with you, you need all the help you can get and besides, I promise not to die."

"That's not funny Quayla," Leonardo growled and removed her hands. He stalked off towards the Battleshell leaving her to instruct April and catch up. She almost didn't make it but clunked her seatbelt clip into the backseat just as Donatello tapped the accelerator.

Michelangelo said an awkward goodbye when they dropped Alexis off, he looked like he wanted to hug her but didn't dare so they exchanged an odd, half-hug, and half hand shake at the Battleshell door. He trudged back to his seat and watched her let herself into the apartment building, she appeared a few moments later at a second storey window and waved at him, he returned the wave enthusiastically then as the van pulled away folded his arms and slid further into his seat.

The others exchanged worried glances, Raphael who had moved to sit opposite took the hint and leaned over to him, "Uh, you okay bro?"

Michelangelo shrugged in reply, the steely expression he reserved for the fiercest of battles had settled upon his face. "Those creeps downtown just cost me a date," he muttered, "Put your foot down Donnie, my chucks want chumps."

"Yes Sir," Donatello answered accompanied by the rev of the engine as he floored the accelerator.