Kayla entered the lair with a sigh. She dropped her motorcycle helmet and bag by the couch before heading toward Don's computer desk where he was sitting.

"Hey, Don. What's up?" she asked as she stood next to him.

Don glanced up at her. "Not much, but I can't talk right now. I'm working."

Kayla leaned her shoulder against the wall by his desk and crossed her arms casually. "Yeah? What else is new?" she joked.

Don shook his head. "No, I mean I'm actually working. I got a job."

Kayla's eyes widened. "A job? Doing what?"

Don pointed to the headset he was wearing. "I got a job as an IT Tech Support."

Kayla grimaced at him. "Really? Don, you could do way better than that. Heck, if you wanted you could be a rocket scientist."

Don chuckled a little at her. "Yeah, I guess. But I need to think of the family, too. We can't keep living off of April's groceries."

Kayla thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess." she said after a while. "Hey, Don. Could you help me with my math-"

"Hold on." Don interrupted her before talking into the headset. "Good afternoon. My name is Donny. How can I help you this evening?" he asked in a friendly voice. Kayla sighed and walked over to the couch by the TV. She stood behind it as Mikey was watching the News.

"Hey, sis. What's up?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Nothing." she answered as she sat next to him. Truthfully she really needed Don's help with her math homework. They were going to have a test on it the coming Friday, which was three days away, and she didn't really understand any of it. Kayla's attention fixated on the TV when a News report came on.

"And in other news we try to find out: Who is the Nightwatcher?"

Kayla looked over at Mikey as he leaned forward eagerly to listen to the report. "Who's the Nightwatcher?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh! He's this new vigilante. He's been all over the news, everyone's talking about him. Now, Shh!" Mikey put a finger to his lips before turning back to the TV. Kayla did the same. Her interest was officially peaked.

The whole report was basically the reporter interviewing a few people who claimed to have seen this Nightwatcher guy, but they also showed a few video clips that someone had managed to get.

"Oh come on, that's crap." Kayla couldn't help speaking up when she saw the video. It was really blurry but you could see a person in a big metal suit walking around on the edge of an apartment rooftop. "Either he's really bad at staying hidden or he's just so full of himself that he just HAS to be in the spotlight."

"What do you know 'bout it?" a voice spoke from behind her. Kayla looked over her shoulder to see Raph standing a few feet away with a can of pop. He looked tired and a bit pissed off, but he always looked like that lately.

"Well, he's just walking around in plain sight. It's like he's asking to be seen." Kayla pointed out.

Raph took a chug of his pop before shrugging. "What's wrong wit' that? It's not like he's got any reason ta hide. It's not bad to want a little recognition for doin' things."

"No," Kayla admitted, "but he shouldn't need to be recognized for doing something good. We never did." Kayla pointed out. It had been a while since any of them had gone out for some vigilante work. Ever since Leo left Master Splinter had forbidden any surface activity apart from Kayla's schooling and such.

"Yeah, but how many times did all of us wish we could get a little credit?" Raph asked rhetorically. "At least da' guy's out there puttin' lowlifes behind bars instead of the otha' way around."

Before Kayla could retaliate Raph turned and went back up to his room. She watched him leave, wondering what his problem was. Mikey noticed the look in her eyes.

"Hey, ya wanna see a new trick I worked out?" Mikey asked as he held up his skateboard. Kayla looked blankly at him for a moment before shaking herself out of her thoughts.

She smiled with a little enthusiasm. "Yeah." she answered as she followed Mikey over to the half pipe.

Kayla leapt into the air and somersaulted down the railing of the entranceway stairs. She landed gracefully on two feet and held her arms in the air.

Don looked over at her from where he was sitting at the kitchen table with April sitting across from him.

"What are you so happy about?" he asked, though he couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.

Kayla had a huge grin on her face as she approached. "Oh, nothing. I just got back from the auditions Katie and I signed up for." she answered casually, trying to remain calm. It was already near the middle of November.

Don's smile grew as what she answered sunk in. "You guys made it?" he asked happily. Kayla nodded vigorously, her smile growing.

"Congratulations. You two will do amazing, from what I can hear when you practice at my apartment." April put in before glancing down at her watch. "Oh, I have to get going. I have a meeting with a new client. See you guys later." she said as she grabbed her coat and purse.

Kayla laughed and shook her head slightly. When something green caught her attention she turned her head. Her eyes widened and she furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Um…Don?" she asked unsurely.

Don put his coffee mug down. "Yeah?"

She pointed her finger across the room. "What's that?" she asked, her voice giving away how weirded out she was. Sitting on the floor across the room was a giant turtle head. It was about twice the size of her brothers' heads, had big blue eyes, and a giant toothy smile.

Don followed where she was pointing. "Oh, that's Mikey's." he answered as if it were no big deal.

"Mhm. Okay. I've always known Mikey had a big head, but…care to elaborate on that?" she leaned back on the table and looked back on her purple-masked brother.

Don laughed slightly. "Mikey got a job."

Kayla stumbled, nearly falling to the floor in surprise. "Mikey? Got a job? I didn't even think the words Mikey and Job even fit in the same sentence."

Don laughed again. "Yeah, well, I finally managed to convince him that if he wants to keep buying pizza and comic books he's gonna need his own money. So now he owns his own business called Cowabunga Carl. It's a little kids birthday party gig. Hey!" Don looked thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe you could get a job helping him out."

Kayla looked at Don like he'd gone crazy. She thought for a moment. "Maybe…but only if YOU'RE in charge of paying me. Knowing Mike he'll spend it all on pizza before he remembers he has to pay me."

Don laughed as he answered. "True." Kayla and him both laughed until Kayla looked at the tabletop. She just now realized that there was a pile of letters.

She quickly grabbed the mail and started flipping though it. She didn't notice Don watching her with a sad expression. Not finding what she was looking for Kayla set the letters back on the table. She tried not to show how disappointed she was.

Don tilted his head to look up into her eyes. "Leo didn't write, if that's what you were wondering." Kayla looked away, hugging her arms to herself. "When was the last time he wrote?" Don asked curiously.

Kayla bit her lip. "It's been…nine days." she answered. Don raised one eye ridge at her and she sighed. "I know, I know. I sound obsessed. But he promised every week. It's been over a week. I can't help it." Kayla sat at the table and put her head in her hands.

Don placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know it's hard, but if you think about it he said every week. Not every seven days. He wrote you a letter last week. He hasn't yet written you a letter this week, but this week doesn't end until Saturday, and that's four more days away still."

Kayla lifted her head and thought over what her brother had said. "Yeah. I guess your right. I'm just really impatient."

Don smirked at her. "Well, you're a little behind on your training. How about we fix that?" he offered. Kayla smiled and nodded before following her older brother to the dojo.

Kayla closed her eyes as she inhaled deeply through her nose and slowly let it out through her mouth. She opened her eyes and watched as two girls and a boy performed 'Die Young' by Kesha. The guy was playing the drums while one girl was playing some kind of techno sounds on her keyboard and singing a little background vocals while the other girl was doing all the singing. They had several different colored spotlights on them that changed to the beat of the music.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked down at Katie. She was a couple inches shorter than Kayla. Her short, dirty-blonde hair was straightened so it came just above her shoulder, her bangs were pinned back, and her highlights seemed to glow. She was wearing a spaghetti-strapped dress that was black until her waist. Then from the waist down was a light pink. She was also wearing black boots.

"You're going to be fine. You look great and you have this song burned into your mind. Everything is going to be okay." Katie whispered to her. Kayla's black hair was curled, thanks to April, her bangs straight and hanging to the side of her eyes. She was wearing a simple black dress. It was a spaghetti-strap that hugged her hips gently with ruffles at the bottom, ending just above her knees. She was wearing matching black flats.

"If Raph ever saw me in this dress he'd flip." Kayla murmured to her friend, trying to lighten the mood and relax herself. She heard Katie laugh and some of the stress left her own shoulders. "Is your family coming to watch?" she asked, looking back at her friend.

"My parents came and they brought Alana. She really wanted to see this." Kayla nodded in agreement. Alana, along with everyone else except April, had no idea what song they were performing. They wanted it to be a surprise.

"What about your family?" Katie asked curiously, breaking Kayla out of her thoughts.

She looked at the ground. "April's coming. I think that's it. I'm not even entirely sure my brothers knew the contest was tonight to be honest. And even if they did I doubt they'd come." Kayla shrugged.

"Our next performance: Kayla and Katie." Kayla's head whipped around and stared at the stage. The three teens who'd been performing earlier were off the stage and all the spotlights went off. The stage was pitch black as Kayla felt someone nudge her onto the stage. Two people escorted Kayla and Katie onto the stage carrying the keyboard and microphone.

As Kayla stood in the center of the stage with the microphone in front of her she glanced over at Katie. She could barely see her friend who was about two feet to her left and about a foot behind her.

Kayla squinted slightly as a spotlight turned on, blinding her for a moment. She heard Katie start playing as her eyes adjusted to the lighting. Thanks to her ninja training her eyes quickly adjusted and she felt her stomach turn. She stood facing what seemed like a few hundred people.

(Sound the Bugle By: Bryan Adams)

She took a deep breath, calming herself. Her eyes drifted to the far back of the auditorium. Her eyes focused on familiar red hair. She felt a smile spread on her face as she saw April, who smiled back at her. She saw a camera on a tripod in the aisle by her row, but that wasn't all she noticed.

Sitting by April at the very end of the row by the camera was a dark form in a dark purple hoodie. On April's other side was Casey, who appeared to be asleep until April elbowed him. Next to Casey was a dark form in a bright orange hoodie and next to him was another form in a red hoodie. Kayla almost lost her train of thought. Her family was here.

Kayla blinked a few times and focused on listening to where Katie was in the song. She needed to focus so she wouldn't make a fool of herself. When Katie reached the right spot Kayla took a deep breath.

"Sound the bugle now

Play it just for me

As the seasons change, remember how I used to be

Now I can't go on

I can't even start

I got nothing left, just an empty heart

I'm a soldier

Wounded so I must give up the fight

There's nothing more for me

Lead me away

Or leave me lying here"

Kayla felt the usual chills run through her as Katie played one of the many instrumental sections. She kept her eyes fixed on the very back center row where her friends and family were. She could see April smiling but wished, more than anything, that she could see her brothers' faces.

"Sound the bugle now

Tell them I don't care

There's not a road I know

That leads to anywhere

Without a lighter

I fear that I will stumble in the dark

Lay right down, decide not to go on

Then from on high

Somewhere in the distance

There's a voice that calls, 'Remember who you are'

If you lose yourself, your courage soon will follow

So be strong tonight

Remember who you are"

Kayla closed her eyes taking a deep breath as she waited…

"Yeah!

You're a soldier now

Fighting in a battle

To be free once more

Yeah, that's worth fighting for"

Kayla took a deep breath and realized that people were applauding. She looked back at Katie as her friend moved around the keyboard and stood beside her. They took each others hand and bowed before the spotlight turned off and they walked off the stage.

When they were safely back stage Kayla let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

Katie was laughing with relief. "See? I told you you'd be fine." Kayla leaned against a wall and laughed back, too shocked to say much else.

Two girls came up to them, Kayla remembered them from earlier in the show. They both played the violin. She noticed that they were about as shy as she was when it came to big crowds.

"Um hi." one of them said as they approached. "You two did really good." she complimented.

"Thanks." Kayla and Katie said at the same time. "You were really good, too." Katie added.

"Thanks." they both answered quietly before walking away.

They waited through three more performances and then they had to wait for the judges to make a decision.

After about fifteen minutes of waiting for the judges the host moved to the center of the stage. Everyone quieted down and all the contestants moved to the edge of the stage, hiding from the crowd just behind the curtains.

"In third place we have…Chris and Andrew." the crowd and the other contestants applauded as two boys stepped onto the stage. Kayla couldn't remember what they performed off the top of her head. The boys were handed a third place trophy as well as a $100 check. Then they stood off to the side and waited.

"In second place we have…Kayla and Katie." Kayla felt herself go numb before Katie pushed her forward. The two friends walked out onto the stage. Kayla was handed a silver 2nd place trophy less than a foot tall. Then Katie was handed a $200 check. They looked at each other, both having huge smiles on their faces, before going to stand by Chris and Andrew. The two boys smiled at them before they shook their hands and all four of them congratulated each other.

First place went to the three who sang 'Die Young' before Katie and Kayla, which didn't surprise Kayla at all. They were really good. After a bunch of announcements and such they were all escorted off the stage.

Katie and Kayla split up to go to their families. Katie was carrying the trophy while Kayla had the check. When she made it to the back she saw her brothers talking with April and Casey. She smiled as she approached them.

"Hey." April came up and hugged her. "Congratulations. I knew you could do it."

"Thanks." Kayla smiled before turning to her brothers. "What are you all doing here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" she asked as she hugged Don and Mikey.

"What?" Mikey joked. "Don't wanna be seen in public with us?"

Kayla laughed. "No, it's not that. I just about had heart failure up there." she answered. They all laughed in response. Kayla looked over at Raph. She could just make out his face under the hood. She waited for him to say something; she honestly hadn't even spoken to him for a few days.

"So…how did I do?" she asked all of them, wanting someone to break the silence.

Don looked surprised. "Do you really need one of us to tell you? You guys won 2nd place!" Everyone laughed.

Casey even stepped up. "Ya did good, kid. Even I was impressed." he joked, earning him a jab in the ribs from April.

Kayla looked over at Raph. He had his arms crossed and was looking at the ground. She walked a little closer to him so she was only about four steps away from him.

"So?" she asked, desperately wanting his opinion.

He looked up at her, silent for several seconds. "Ya couldn't find a longer dress?" he finally asked. Kayla smiled and everyone laughed, even Raph chuckled a little. "Seriously though, ya did great. Nothin' less than what I expected."

Kayla looked at the ground, feeling her face heat up in embarrassment.

After that they met up with Katie's family, took pictures, split the check, and Kayla agreed to just having a picture of them with the trophy so Katie could have the trophy. Just knowing what she was able to accomplish was enough for Kayla. Alana also kept congratulating them and commenting on how great they did, which was nice but was kinda getting annoying.

Afterwards they all stepped outside. It was December 4th and Kayla was super excited for Christmas break. Kayla wearing a brown leather jacket. As they stepped outside Kayla looked up. Small white flecks were lightly drifting from the sky.

April stood next to her as they admired the scene. April's voice was barely a whisper. "The first snowfall."