Kayla stumbled down the subway station steps, clinging to the railing. Her whole body was shaking so violently she wasn't sure if she'd be able to stay on her feet. Most was from the cold, but her legs ached from the run and she felt like they were going to give out. Her hair was wet and knotted, her throat sore, and her chest was still heaving from running and from crying. In the back of her mind she knew she looked like crap, but she didn't care.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs she still kept a hand on the wall. Mikey was skateboarding on his half pipe, Casey was playing a video game, and Don and April were working at the table they had set up near the kitchen. No one seemed to notice her yet. As Kayla stumbled forward all her emotions that had been building up made her feel like she might explode. She saw her old skateboard laying on the floor right in front of her.

She finally snapped.

Kayla slammed her foot down on the end of the board, making it flip into the air. She caught it with one hand and chucked it with all the strength she had, screaming in frustration. It smashed into the wall and splintered into multiple pieces.

Kayla jerked back, slamming her back into another wall, and she slid down it until she sat on the floor with her knees bent up. Her arms went above her head and her hands fisted her already-knotted hair. The tears that had finally stopped started again, coming in loud sobs. She wasn't even sure why she was crying.

"Kayla? Kayla, what's wrong?!"

"What's going on?"

"What's wrong with her?"

"Kayla, are you okay?"

All their voices were blended together to the point Kayla wasn't sure who was asking what. She could feel all of them bunching around her, someone's hand was on her shoulder. She felt like she was suffocating. She needed air.

Kayla clumsily pushed herself off the wall, shoved her way past her friends and brothers, and stumbled across the lair to her bedroom. In her haste she bumped into the doorway a couple times before she finally managed to shut the door. She pressed her shoulder against the door and covered her mouth, trying uselessly to muffle her crying as she slid down to the floor once again, tucking her legs beneath her as she rested the side of her head against the door.

April's voice floated from outside her bedroom, "Kayla, do you want to talk? If it's not something you want to talk with your brothers about you can tell me." she offered. Kayla didn't say anything, just kept her hand over her mouth. She heard April sigh and receding footsteps told her she was going back to the others.

Kayla forced her breathing to slow down as she pressed her cheek against the smooth surface of the door. She could barely hear them talking.

"Dude, what was that all about?"

"Mikey, do you really think any of us would know? We were here just like you." Don replied.

"Do you think it has something to do with Leo? They aren't exactly on good terms right now." April reasoned.

"But then why would she be crying?" Mikey pointed out.

"Who knows? She's a girl. Girls are impossible to understand." there was a loud smack, followed by Casey shouting, "OW!" April must've hit him.

"Ya think one of us should try talkin' to her?" Mikey asked.

"April tried, Mikey. If Kayla won't even answer I doubt she'd be willing to actually talk right now."

"I know. I just don't like seeing her like that."

They stopped talking and Kayla barely heard the scraping of the entranceway opening.

Mikey's voice lit up. "Hey, Raphy boy. Couldn't stay away, could ya?" he joked.

There was a silence and Kayla sat up slightly to peak through the keyhole under her doorknob. She barely saw Raph's shell as he disappeared through the doorway of the dojo. The others glanced among themselves.

"Jeez, is everyone gonna come home grouchy?" Mikey asked jokingly.

"I suppose Leo'll come home angry next." Casey added.

April looked concerned. "Do you think something happened with all of them? I mean, it's seems like a strange coincidence that both Raph and Kayla would come home so upset."

Don shrugged. "I'm sure we'll hear about it eventually. Right now we have more important things to worry about. Like saving the world." Don added pointedly as he went back to his computer screen.

Mikey glanced among the others as they went about their jobs. "I'm gonna go eavesdrop on Raphy. Maybe Sensei'll whack him or something."

As Mikey skipped away Kayla dropped back to the ground and pulled her legs up to her chest, wiping away a few stray tears. Her breathing was still shaky and her chest and head hurt from crying. She was also still cold and shivering from being wet, but she wasn't in the mood to change into some dry clothes.

After a little while Kayla heard Donny's voice again.

"So, Mikey, did you get your juicy gossip?" he asked teasingly. Kayla rested her head against the door again, figuring she had nothing better to do than listen. There was silence before Don spoke again. "Mikey?"

"Mikey, what happened?" April asked worriedly.

Kayla furrowed her eyebrows and pressed her ear more firmly against the door to hear better.

"Mikey, what did you hear?" Don asked more firmly.

Mikey's voice was so quiet Kayla almost missed it. "He said, 'they took him,'."

"What?" Don nearly shouted.

"Raph told Splinter that someone took Leo." Mikey repeated a bit louder. "And he laid Leo's katanas on the ground in front of him, except it was only the handles. The blades were snapped clean off."

"You mean…someone took Leo?" April repeated in shock. Mikey nodded sadly.

"What?" a quiet voice made everyone turn their heads. Standing in the doorway of her bedroom was Kayla, her eyes were wide with fear, her mouth slightly open, and tear stains running down her cheeks.

Before anyone could say anything footsteps came from the dojo. Everyone looked to see Master Splinter leaving the dojo with Raph following right behind him.

"My children, I have terrible news." he said gravely.

The fear in Kayla's eyes switched slowly to anger as she walked forward, gradually picking up speed. She passed her friends, brothers, and father before she reached Raph. She shoved him in the chest with both her forearms.

"How could you?!" she screamed at him, tears beginning to flood her eyes. "I told you! I told you this would happen! I told you to walk away! Why couldn't you just listen to me? It's all your fault!" she pounded her fists against his chest as she screamed. Raph just stood there, watching her sadly as she hit him, doing nothing to stop her. The others tried grabbing her arms but she yanked out of their grasp and dropped to her knees, hunching her back and clutching her stomach with her arms as she began crying once again.

She didn't hear Master Splinter lead everyone away, saying, "Come. They need this."

When everyone left Raph crouched down, resting on the balls of his feet, and resting his elbows on his knees as he tried to get eye level with her. He let her cry for a few moments.

"Kayla." he said quietly, seeing if she could hear him over her crying. "Kayla, I'm sorry. You were right. I shoulda walked away. I was wrong, and I'm sorry. Hey," Raph put his finger under her chin, making her look up at him, "I know you're mad at me, an' I deserve it. You can punch me, kick me, scream at me, you can hate me for the rest of your life if ya want; but right now I need your help. Leo needs your help." he dropped his hand from under her chin and she dropped her head again.

Kayla stared at the ground for a moment, not saying anything. Finally she looked up at him. "You know, thanks to the two of you, I've cried more tonight than I have in the past year." Raph smirked sadly and she couldn't help doing the same. She sighed, dropping her gaze again. "When this is over…I'm allowed to punch you once before I'll completely forgive you."

Raph chuckled. "Okay deal. So…you're gonna help?" he checked uncertainly.

Kayla snorted and rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, I'm definitely gonna leave savin' the world, and our brother, to you guys." she joked sarcastically before adding seriously, "Of course I'm helping."

Raph's smile grew as he stood up. "Good." he answered as he offered his hand to her. Kayla took it and was pulled to her feet. Together, the two walked over to where everyone else stood around the table as Master Splinter was telling them what happened to Leo.

"Long have we been in hiding, perhaps too long." he finished as they walked up, Kayla standing between Mikey and Raph.

"Well, what do we do now?" Mikey asked uncertainly.

Raph stepped forward, his arms crossed over his chest. "I'll tell ya what we're gonna do. We're gonna rescue our brother, and then we're gonna save New York City."

YAY! Time to save Leo…oh yeah, and New York. Can't wait to start writing the next chapter. Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing, it's really appreciated.