Kayla looked back over her shoulder into the car. "Thanks again for the ride, April."

"No problem. Have a good day." April smiled as Kayla shut the door and headed toward the huge front doors of the school.

Today was Wednesday, the first day back at school. Spring Break had gone pretty good after the day they saved Leo and New York. She had managed to finish all her homework with a whole three days of break leftover. They had gotten back in routine for training and patrolling, and Kayla was pretty proud that Leo noticed she'd gotten better at fighting since he left.

She had asked April to give her a ride to and from school today since she had so much stuff to carry from all the homework. She didn't particularly feel like carrying an extra thirty-some pounds over her shoulder on her board or her motorcycle. She first headed to Mrs. Lewis' room.

As she peaked in the doorway she knocked a couple times with her knuckle. Mrs. Lewis looked up from her desk where she was doing paperwork.

"Oh, Kayla. Come in. I'm glad you came in of your own accord." she smiled as she moved her things to the side and Kayla sat in a chair in front of her desk. "So, how was your break? Do anything fun?" Mrs. Lewis asked pleasantly as Kayla dug through her bag for her math assignments.

"Um, yeah I actually had a really great time." she answered happily, but still being careful about what she said, "How was yours?" she asked as she flipped through her math assignments that she pulled out.

"Oh, pretty good. I got to go to my sister's place in Florida for a few days and meet my newest nephew." she answered.

"Cool. Well, here's all my math assignments that were on the list you gave me." Kayla set the assignments down on the desk. Mrs. Lewis picked them up and flipped through them, checking her own copy of the list every so often. When she was done she seemed slightly surprised.

"It looks like you actually got all of them done." she commented.

"Don't sound too surprised." Kayla joked.

Mrs. Lewis smiled. "Well, I'll check these off on your grades and that should bring you up to least a high C if not better."

"Thank you. I better go to my other teachers to give them the rest of my assignments." Kayla responded as she stood up.

"It's good to have the old you back, Kayla." Mrs. Lewis commented with a smile. Kayla smiled back as she turned to leave.

About twenty minutes later Kayla walked out of her Chemistry class after giving her assignments from that class to her teacher. That was her last class to stop at and now she had the rest of the morning until first hour to herself, which was a good twenty minutes.

"Kayla!" a voice called from down the hall.

"Guess not." she muttered to herself as she turned towards Alana and Katie as they approached.

"Hey, how was your break? We didn't get to hang out at all." Katie commented as they caught up and began walking down the hall.

"Well, how about you guys sleep over Friday night?" Kayla offered with a smile, "Donny said you could, if ya want."

"Yeah, definitely." Alana answered excitedly.

"Oh, hey. Did you guys hear about what happened last week?" Katie suddenly interrupted.

Alana and Kayla glanced at each other. "What are you talking about?" Alana asked her cousin.

"There was a report last week about something that went on at some building called Winters Corp or something like that. There was some kind of explosion or something and now the owner Mr. Winters is missing."

Alana turned to Kayla. "What?" she asked when she noticed Kayla looked a bit nervous but also trying not to smile. Alana crossed her arms. "What did you do?"

"What makes you so sure I did something?" Kayla asked, pretending to be offended but also teasing her friend.

"Cause I know you." Alana retorted, which made the trio laugh. Kayla looked around.

"Okay, okay, you got me. Come on."

They sat in a corner booth in the cafeteria as Kayla told them about everything that happened over her spring break.

"Wait, Leo's back?" Alana interrupted happily when Kayla began her story.

Kayla laughed. "Yeah, he actually came home the first day of break. Now hush so I can finish."

It took a good ten minutes for Kayla to tell her friends everything that happened from Leo coming home to fighting the stone generals. When she was finished Alana and Katie were staring at her with blank faces. Katie was the first to speak.

"You know, I should be shocked by that whole story, but I've come to expect weird stories from you and your family." Alana and Kayla laughed. "And honestly, I'm not too shocked that you're the Shadow Archer. I really should've guessed that."

"Yeah seriously." Alana laughed. "It's so obvious I don't know how no one figured it out."

"Kayla?" a voice spoke from Kayla's other side. Kayla looked up to see Marcus looking at her slightly nervously. Kayla looked at Alana and Katie with a nervous smirk.

The two cousins took the hint and got up to leave.

"We'll see you in class." Alana said as they left. Marcus took their spot across from Kayla. They were quiet for a few moments.

"So…what do you want to know?" Kayla asked nervously, wanting this to just be over with.

Marcus sighed and raised his eyebrows. "Well, I guess for starters…what made you want to be a vigilante?"

Kayla thought on how to best answer that question. "Well, I don't know. I guess it's just the best way for me to help people when the law isn't enough." Kayla shrugged, not sure if that answered his question.

Marcus nodded. "Well, what made you pick the name Shadow Archer?" he asked with a slight chuckle in his voice.

Kayla laughed slightly, too. "Well, I'm really into archery. I've been practicing pretty much since I could walk. So I figured that'd be the best kind of weapon to use."

Marcus nodded. "Fair enough, I guess. Hey, do you know the Nightwatcher? There've been rumors that you've both been working together lately."

Kayla nodded. "Yeah, I know him. We kinda…had a few run-ins the past several months and finally decided to team up."

"That's cool. This next question's a little off topic, but…what happened to you this past year?"

Kayla was a little taken aback by the question. "What do you mean?"

"Well, everyone says you used to be the quiet, goody two shoes type. Then, outta nowhere you're failing classes, getting in fights, and getting dropped from the swim team. What happened?" Marcus's voice was fairly quiet, showing that he was actually pretty concerned. Kayla thought for a moment. Normally, she would've found some way around answering that kind of question, even to her own family. But she realized that she actually…trusted Marcus.

Kayla swallowed nervously and licked her lips as she thought of how to answer. "Long story short; my oldest brother left last year. Our dad had him leave and he didn't tell us until the day before he made him leave. My brother promised he'd write to me every single week, and he did at first. But after a few months the letters started coming less and less often and finally after spring break last year he stopped writing all together. And he was actually supposed to come home last Spring break, too, but he didn't. I guess you can say my trust issues went up to their maximum level." Kayla chuckled sadly and Marcus smiled sympathetically. "But, he came home last week, actually. We kinda got off to a rocky start and all, but now we're good. I'm actually really glad he came home, even though about a week ago I woulda said I never want to see him again." she laughed quietly again and looked at the table.

"Wow. So, are you doing better now?" he asked quietly.

Kayla smirked and nodded as she looked back up at him. "Yeah, and I'm actually gonna try in school, now. And I guess you can say I've actually…hung up my cape." she laughed a bit.

"Really? So, you're not gonna be the Shadow Archer anymore?"

Kayla shook her head. "Nope. I'm gonna…leave that to the professionals while I work on getting my life back in line."

Marcus nodded again. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

Later that afternoon, around three thirty-five, Kayla walked out the front doors of the school. She looked around and walked to the front sidewalk to wait for a familiar car to pull up. She sighed deeply, breathing in the cool, fresh air of early spring.

"Well, long time no see." a familiar mocking voice spoke from a few feet behind Kayla.

She sighed again, but this time out of annoyance as she turned around to see Alex along with a group of his friends Brock, Carter, Andrew, Matt, and Austin.

"What do you guys want?" she asked, trying not to sound too hostile. She promised Leo she'd do everything she could to avoid getting in fights, and this time she would do anything she could to keep that promise.

Alex walked up until he was in her face; his face mostly blank, but there was a hint of anger in his eyes. "Payback." he answered threateningly.

Kayla's eyebrows rose a bit in surprise and she took a step away from him, trying to walk away. But he reached out and grabbed her arm roughly, stopping her from leaving.

She tried to pull away but Carter and Austin held her arms while the others smirked and Alex stood in front of her. She could easily pull away and beat the snot out of all of them, but she fully intended on keeping her promise to Leo, even if it meant taking a beating. And she could easily take a beating, this one would be nothing compared to ones she'd taken in the past. Alex then made a fist and pulled it back, ready to punch her full force.

"Let her go." a dark, threatening voice spoke from behind. Kayla looked over her shoulder along with the two guys who were holding her.

Behind her stood a tall, tough-looking guy in a red, baggy hooded sweatshirt, jeans, a ball cap, and sunglasses shielding his face. Kayla, however, recognized him immediately.

"Why don't ya mind your own business?" Alex retorted, "This doesn't concern you, it's personal."

"Well, you've just made it personal for some of us." a new voice answered, causing everyone to look the other direction behind Alex. Brock and Andrew stepped away from each other to reveal Marcus standing there with a couple of his friends that Kayla didn't know the names of.

"This doesn't concern you, either, Marcus." Alex retorted, clearly getting annoyed at all the interruptions.

"It does when you mess with my friends." Marcus snapped back. Kayla couldn't help but smile. She heard several murmurs and looked around to see a fairly large crowd had begun to form around them.

"I'm all for watchin' a good fight and all, but how is this a fair fight?" a random guy from the crowd asked. "Six guys against one girl? What's your guys' problem?"

Carter and Austin glanced nervously at each other over Kayla's head before slowly letting go and backing away from her.

"Yeah, seriously. Why don't you guys just leave her alone? You've been giving her problems for at least a couple years. Why can't you just back off?" asked Alexis, who Kayla talked to a long time ago at the ice cream shop. Kayla hugged her arms as she looked around. She didn't even know most of these people, but it seemed like they were all sticking up for her.

"Ya know what?" a guy stepped out of the crowd to face Alex. "I for one am sick of watching you do this to people. You don't like them for some random reason so you decide you're gonna get your gang to beat them up just because you can't do it alone. Everytime I saw Kayla fight you I was always rooting for her because she actually had the guts to stand up for herself. I'm not gonna stand here and watch you gang up on her. If you mess with her, you mess with the rest of us."

The rest of the crowd murmured in agreement and some even took a threatening step forward, closing in on Alex and his friends a bit.

The small group of boys glanced nervously at each other. Kayla could tell Alex was a bit nervous but was trying to hide it.

"Alright, fine!" he snapped before he shoved his way through the crowd with his little group following behind him.

The crowd dispersed apart from a few of them who approached Kayla, basically saying things along the lines of, "Good job," or "Let me know if he gives you more trouble,". Kayla was honestly shocked so many people actually cared. Lastly, Marcus approached with his friends behind him.

"Hey, so you okay?" he asked with a smile.

Kayla nodded with a smile of her own. "Yeah, that was actually…pretty shocking. I didn't expect that many people to…defend me. Just out of curiosity, what made you stick up for me?"

Marcus put his hands in his jean pockets and shrugged. "It just pissed me off that he was willing to gang up on you like that, especially since it looked like you just wanted to walk away."

Kayla nodded. "Yeah, I promised my brother I'd avoid getting in more fights."

Marcus smiled again. "Well, good luck; both with that and dealing with Alex. If he says anything to you just let me know." he shrugged with a crooked smirk.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks. I'd better go." Kayla said as she pointed behind her with her thumb.

"Yeah, see ya tomorrow." Marcus waved as he and his friends turned to leave. Kayla turned around and saw the guy in the red hoodie who stuck up for her leaning his back against a street light with his hands in his jean pockets. Kayla smirked and approached him.

"Aren't you a little old to be in high school?" she asked teasingly when she stood in front of him.

Raph smirked down at her from under his hood. "What, no 'thank you for savin ma shell'? Ya ungrateful little runt." he remarked sarcastically.

Kayla dropped her mouth in pretend shock. "Turd." she retorted back. "Seriously, though, what are you doing here?"

Raph pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the parking lot. "Pickin' ya up. April was busy." Kayla looked at the back of the lot where the newly-spray painted, formerly dubbed "Cowabunga Carl" van was parked with a familiar blue sweatshirt sitting in the drivers seat.

"Cool." Kayla answered as the two crossed the street and headed to the van.

"So, that Alex kid…he the one who's been givin' ya trouble?"

Kayla looked at her feet. "Depends. If I say yes are you gonna kill him?"

Raph shrugged. "Depends."

Kayla looked up at him. "On what?"

Raph looked down at her seriously. "On if he keeps hurtin' ya."

Kayla smiled. "After what just happened, I doubt he will, but ya never know, I guess."

When they got to the van Raph got in the front passenger seat while Kayla got in the back.

"Hey Leo." she greeted her oldest brother as she shut the door. "Alana and Katie say they can't wait to see you again."

Leo smiled at her through the rearview mirror. "So they're coming Friday?"

Kayla nodded. Suddenly Raph turned around in his seat and looked at her with a teasing smile.

"So, Kay, who was that kid who came up ta ya before we left?"

"You mean Marcus?" she asked.

Leo looked back again. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Marcus as in the Marcus who called you over break? The one you wanted to have a private conversation with?" Leo asked teasingly, which made Raph pay even more attention.

"There somethin' I need ta know, Kay?" Raph asked, only slightly teasing this time.

"No!" Kayla shouted, a huge embarrassed smile spread across her face and she was sure she was as red as a tomato. "Marcus is just a friend, I swear on my life."

Raph looked doubtful, but still with a teasing smirk. "Okay, if ya say so. But if you get a boyfriend I may haveta kill him."

Kayla rolled her eyes and looked out the window to her right. Her brothers could be so annoying sometimes.

Whenever people met her family the first time they usually screamed, fainted, or wanted to dissect them. Everyone thought they were freaks, but in reality they were no different than any other family in the world. With a younger brother who liked to torment his older siblings, an overprotective older brother, siblings who liked to embarrass their younger sister in front of her friends, and a parent to keep them all in line; they were every bit the same as any other family out there.

And Kayla had never been more happy to call them her family.

THE END