Yay, update! We're getting really close to the end. I hope you enjoy!

Raph staggers back to the lair, his expression worn and his body weak. It's all he can do to keep himself from trembling. He swallows hard, multiple times. He fights down the swelling anguish. And they're all there – his family. Tonight apparently they decided to hold a late night tv session. Or maybe they were waiting for him. A chill races up his spine. He walks a little faster.

Donnie catches the movement from the corner of his eye. He tilts his head in his brother's direction. "Hey Raph." He smiles. "Back so soon?" Generally he follows Alopex until nearly morning. Maybe Leo really got to him. Stranger things have happened after all.

Raph flinches and does not acknowledge his brother. He walks faster and turns hard, into the kitchen. He throws himself in a chair facing away from everyone else. He rests his elbows on the table and shoves his face down into his hands. He shudders. I have to tell them. He can't leave Leo to suffer, no matter how much he doesn't want to admit his mistake.

Donnie frowns. He exchanges glances with Mikey. "What was that about?" He thinks aloud. He tilts his head back to peer up at their father. "What do you think?"

Splinter's mouth presses into a thin line. His gaze intensifies as he stares heatedly at the wall. He knows that look. "It's not good." He shakes his head stiffly. "We must talk to him."

Donnie jumps up in a heartbeat. His chest feels tight with this revelation. Oh God. Was Leo right? Had Raph attacked him? Did everything go terribly wrong – spiraling until it was completely out of control? Still, he keeps his steps calm and cool. He takes deep breathes in and out and braces himself for the very worst. "Raph," He curses himself as his voice wavers slightly. He reaches out to lay a hand on Raph's shoulder. "I want to-"

Raph jerks his head up and smacks Donnie's hand away. "Don't touch me." He glares daggers at his younger brother. He quivers and is beyond thankful his rage disguises his overwhelming guilt.

Donnie's brows furrow. He takes slow steps back. A deep frown forms. He opens his mouth and then closes it again. He sighs, shaking his head. What's the point? He trudges out of the kitchen, weakly throwing his hands up.

Mikey sits on his knees as he peers over the couch. As his brother exits Mikey springs into action. He leaps over the couch and takes his turn at it. Donnie never was very good at handling Raph. He subdues himself as he enters the kitchen, careful not to seem at all happy. Of course he's worried, still his optimism tends to get the better of him even in the worst scenarios.

Raph stiffens. He is very aware of another person in the kitchen. His hands curl into a fists as they linger just below his chin. "I swear to God Donnie I-"

"It's me." Mikey's voice is tiny.

Raph lets out a breath. He glowers at the table. "Whadaya want Mikey?" His words are thick, said through gritted teeth.

Mikey slinks over to Raph's side. He turns slowly so that he can better face his brother. Then he sees it. He gasps. The pain written across his big brother's face is excruciating. "Raphie…" He says it without thinking, an affection from their childhoods.

Raph stifles a whine. He never did like that wretched nickname, or more precisely, what it did to him. His well-built walls didn't stand a chance, not then or now. "What?" His voice is soft, vulnerable.

Mikey sinks down into a chair. His eyes widen and shine with concern. "What's wrong?" That look in his big brother's eyes is more than a little disconcerting.

Raph bites his lip. "Mikey…" He can't bear to meet his baby brother's eyes. "I…I…messed up."

Mikey tenses. He opens and closes his mouth around empty words for a long moment. His heart quivers with all the meanings that Raph's words could hold. "W-What do you mean?" He has a sickening feeling that he doesn't want to know.

Alopex strolls into the lair then. Her steps are lighter as she crosses the room and heads toward the kitchen for a small snack. As she hears Mikey's timid question, however, she freezes. She tilts her head to the sound of them and carefully pulls back the cloth to peer in on the scene. Her fingers curl around the frame of the door and she doesn't dare walk in on them.

Raph's throat tightens. He wrings his hands and presses his forehead to them. "I-Leo, he…he's gone. They…got him. The Foot."

Mikey jolts upright and sucks in a sharp breath. His eyes widen and heart skips a beat. "Raph…" He struggles for words. "What did you do?" If not for the fact Raph had just said he messed up then Mikey would have never guessed he was to blame.

Alopex jerks back and presses herself hard against the wall. Her eyes grow wild with panic and her heart stops for an instant. Every muscle in her body tenses. She trembles slight with every breath she forces in. No…it can't be. She shakes her head slowly. "Leo…" Her voice wavers.

Raph flops his arms over and throws his head down into them. "It was just a fight." He sighs. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

Alopex looks around her as if the answer lies somewhere within the lair. She snaps her head forward and narrows her eyes. No. She won't let this happen. She charges into a run across the living area and toward the exit.

Donnie catches the swift movement and looks up from the television. Oh. "Hey, Alopex-" He waves, but knows when she does not return his greeting that she did not notice him. She can't still be upset with him. He frowns and his brows knit together. Right?

Splinter narrows his eyes. "Hmm…" As fast paced as she tends to be, her steps were still too fast. There was a panic about her. She found something out just now, something that put her on edge. But what? His gaze drifts to the kitchen. "Raphael…" He says under his breath so even Donnie can not hear. "What have you done?"

Alopex races through the sewers. She flies up the ladder and out the nearest manhole. She better be here. She leaps from roof to roof, running far from the lair – to a place she knows far too well at this point. A place she wishes she never returned to after that first exchange.

She lands smoothly and stands slowly, putting off an air of calm that she doesn't feel. She looks about her, her body tense in preparation. This can't go well. Her stomach twists in knots with the bitter knowledge. "I know you're here." She says to the empty darkness.

For a long moment there is nothing but silence. Then from a hidden alcove there is a sharp cry. A figure charges out and rears their fist back. They punch at Alopex.

Alopex pushes back. She avoids the blow, her heels pressing hard on the edge of the building. "So, you aren't happy, Karai."

Karai breathes deeply in and out. Her lips twist in a snarl and her eyes burn furiously. "You're damn right I'm not happy." She springs forward and jumps, kicking at Alopex.

Alopex moves like lightening to the side. She pivots and hurries to take more steps away.

"What the hell happened?" Karai catches herself at the edge of the roof. She twists and goes for Alopex again. "You promised me Raphael!" A growl rips from her throat. "Not Leonardo."

Alopex notes how Karai's voice wavers ever so slightly as she speaks Leo's name. "What does it matter?" She yells back. She continues to avoid Karai with ease. The woman is so possessed with rage that she is no match. "You wanted a turtle and so you got one."

"I should have you killed!" Karai jerks her weapon from its sheath and stabs at Alopex's chest.

Alopex scoffs. "Me?" She narrows her eyes and bares her teeth. "What about you!? It was only my job to lure Raph here. You were supposed to handle the capture. It's not my fault you can't tell the difference between red and blue."

Karai screams. "Traitor!" Her hand gripping her weapon quivers slightly and her expression weakens.

Alopex blinks. The anger falls away, giving way to confusion. Then it hits her. A single syllable laugh issues forth. Her lips curl into a smirk. Her eyes dance with a cruel light. "Oh." She half laughs. "I get it now."

Karai falters. She barely catches herself and stops the pursuit. "W-What?" Her voice is full with anger, but fear creeps in at the edges.

Alopex throws her head back and laughs again. "It's not about me screwing up. Not really anyway." She shakes her head. "If it had been Donnie or Mikey you wouldn't have cared at all. But…this is Leo." She crosses her arms over her chest. "And you're his human. Just as much as he's your mutant."

Karai chokes on air. She nearly falls over. "W-What?" She trembles despite her efforts. She can barely keep her grip on her weapon. "What the hell are you talking about!?"

Alopex grins. "Each of the turtles has a human. Donnie has April, Raph has Casey, and Leo…he must have you." She bounces her head back and forth in satisfaction. "And you share his feelings. So, you can't bear to see him hurt." Her eyes darken. "Tortured."

Karai shudders. Images flash through her mind of all the things she knows will happen – are probably happening as they speak. "No." She grinds out. "It's not true. None of it." She shakes her head. "You just broke a deal. You screwed up."

Alopex snorts. "Yeah, sure, whatever. But don't worry," She blinks and the amusement in her eyes becomes stone hard resolve. "He won't be there long. I won't let my family fall apart." She bares her teeth. "No way in hell."

Karai clenches her hand tighter around her weapon. Still, she finds herself blowing out a heavy breath. "Good luck." She scoffs. She turns hard on her heel, barely hiding the relief that sweeps over her face. Please. She clasps her hands at her chest and shuts her eyes tight for a fraction of a second. Don't let him suffer for our mistake…my mistake.

Alopex watches the girl leave. She notices the hunch in her shoulders and the shift in the way she moves. Alopex grins, but it is fleeting. No time for stupid teasing. She has work to do. She swivels and leaps from the roof. She lands and shoots into a run, back toward the place that was so close to being home. Back to the place where she will now be a criminal.

…

Raph sits on the couch with his head resting against his folded hands. He bites his lip and forces back the pain. He's had enough. Absolutely enough. Yet there's nothing he can do to make it stop. His father's constant barrage of demands isn't helping either.

"Raphael!" Splinter looks sharply at his son. "Enough of this. Wallowing in self-pity will get us nowhere. Tell us – what happened with Leonardo." They need more than just 'the Foot got him.' Mikey told him that much already. He needs to give details – location, circumstances. Anything!

Raph doesn't respond. He presses his lips tighter together and shakes his head, rubbing the skin against his knuckles.

"Raphael!" Splinter struggles to remain calm with his son.

Alopex hears Splinter's cries from outside the lair. This won't be good. She stops and presses herself hard against the wall just outside the lair. She breathes in deeply and squeezes her eyes shut. She breathes out. Splinter's sharp voice jolts her out of hesitation and she faces the way to the lair – mere feet away. It's now or never. And there isn't a choice for it to be never. She has to do this. She must repent.

She swings her arms at her sides and walks with smooth steps into the lair. She does not jump the turnstile like she would have on any other day. She pushes it and it is loud, almost deafening in a place so full of tension.

Every jerks around. Even Raph removes his hands from his face. Their eyes widen and they tense in preparation. As they see it is Alopex they sigh, but it is halfhearted all the same. "Alopex," Splinter nods to her and manages a weak smile. "My child."

Alopex cringes at the endearment. Why did all this have to happen? Why? It was so perfect before. She had a family. She bites her lip and regret dances in her eyes. Still, she can't hide the truth. "Hello," Her voice is strained.

Donnie's brows knit together and a deep frown forms on his lips. "What's wrong?" As cool and calm as she appears, he sees her true feelings. It's in her micro expressions. He just can't figure out the source.

As soon as Donnie mentions it, Splinter sees it too. The lines leave his face and his forced cheer slips away. "Alopex?" He raises his brows.

Alopex sighs. She comes to a stop in front of them and she no longer has the effort to look collected. Her shoulders slump and her eyes fill with pain. "I'm sorry." She whispers.

Raph zones in on this. "W-What?" Did something happen? Was he right all along? Then again…his expression crashes into despair. Nothing she has done can be worse than what he did tonight. "It's…my fault." He cuts Alopex off.

"Huh?" Oh, right. Alopex grimaces. He still believes that. "No." She swallows hard. "You're wrong." An angry spike surfaces in her tone.

Raph narrows his eyes. "What?" He utters cold laugh. "You stupid girl. You don't even know what I'm talking about! So how can I be wrong? Huh?" His hands clench into fists and tremble fiercely. "It-It's my fault. MINE." Tears sting his eyes. "Leo-he, I…" He smashes his fist into the couch. "I let the Foot get him."

Alopex bares her teeth. "You self-pitying moron." She snarls.

Raph starts and blinks up at her.

Splinter and Mikey stare and her with varying degrees of confusion and uncertainty.

"It's not your fault – none of it!" She sighs and shakes her head. "I mean, yeah, fighting with Leo like a dumbass was your fault, but nothing else was. If not for…" She averts her eyes. "Your fighting wouldn't have mattered if I…" She can't find it in her to admit it.

Splinter levels an intense stare at her. "Alopex," He says through clenched teeth.

Alopex shrinks beneath his gaze, but it gives her a push she never would have had in any other circumstance. "Splinter," She says carefully. She looks at Raph however. "What happened tonight…it was all my fault."

Time freezes. The air grows thick and everyone's hearts stop. They can barely remain standing the revelation is so startling. Raph, however, is most overwhelmed. He struggles to process this and when he finally grasps it he explodes. "No…NO." He springs to his feet and charges at her. He grabs her scarf and jerks her forward, her face an inch from him. "You liar! You dirty stinking liar!" His breathing catches in his throat and he trembles terribly.

Alopex forces herself to meet his eyes. Such furious, passionate eyes. Yet now…so sad. "It's true." She grimaces. "I made a trap, a week ago. But not for Leo. It was supposed to be…for you."

Raph gapes. His grip loosens and his knees grow weak. They tremble just as much as his hands. "No…" He croaks. His eyes burst with savage resolve. "NO." He throws a punch at her.

Alopex catches his fist in her palm. She looks at him with tears of her own. She smiles, but it only bitter, just like the taste in her mouth. "I'm sorry." She says softly, her tone wavering.

Raph whimpers. His knees buckle and he sinks to the ground.

Alopex follows him. Only then does she release her hold on his fist. "So sorry."

Raph curls forward. A sob catches in his throat and his ironclad resolve snaps. "I hate you." He raises a trembling fist and moves it toward her, but it has no power behind it. It collides with her cheek and leaves only a tiny indent.

Alopex curls her fingers around his wrist and pulls his hand off of her. She wraps her other hand around the back of his head and brings it forward until their foreheads rest against each other. "I know." A sob escapes her. "I hate me too."

Raph can't stop it. The tears spill over his eyes and trickle down his cheeks.

Alopex hurts enough to cry with him, but she forces herself to be strong. At least stronger than him right now, when he is so uncharacteristically weak. "But I'll fix it." She says mostly to Raph, but not only to him. She hopes Splinter and the other two understand this, especially Donnie. Please understand.

Splinter bores holes into her with his icy stare. How could this be? How could she betray them so? He'd trusted her. They all had. He'd even considered her part of the family. How wrong he'd been…how wrong they'd all been.

Mikey hangs his head. He keeps his eyes averted. He can't bear to see his big brother reduced to such a state. But more than anything he can't bear to look upon the girl he had trusted so fully. He'd helped her through her hardest of times and she'd saved their lives mere days ago. So how…why? He swallows a lump in his throat. This can't be real. Leo…

Donnie curls his hands into fists. He gnashes his lip, drawing blood. No…no…NO. He glowers down at her, but in his eyes there is nothing but cold hard betrayal. He had…she…but…he wants to scream. But his voice is gone from him, too overwhelmed by the shock of it all. He clenches his eyes shut tight. His lip trembles. Thoughts attack him relentlessly. There is only one, however, that speaks above the flurry. Raph was right. A tear slips down his face. Emotion blinded me.

…

Karai walks with nonchalance down the street. The cool night air wisps through her hair and brushes her cheeks like soft kisses. The night is deep and haunting. Shadows shift and leap out at her as if to strange her. Only she doesn't even flinch. Those are the nightmares of childish girls. Besides, there are demons far worse lurking right within her home, ones she is pointedly avoiding at this very moment.

She meant to go back immediately, to find some way to grab her father's attention. But in the end it was all so very pointless. Her father could never be dissuaded, not even when she was a child and would give him her puppy dog face. And that was over silly nonsense like candy and free time and the like. This though…this was his obsession. This was Leo. It may not have been everything he dreamed of, but it was certainly everything he could ask for in this moment.

She cringes as thoughts snake through her mind at just what this implies. Still, she reassures herself again with the assertion nothing she could have done – could do now – would have saved him. Then why does it hurt? Her heart aches. Could this be…guilt? No. Her affection for the creature absolutely does not run so deep.

She laughs. Affection? As if. Attachment perhaps? No. Then…what? A frown blossoms on her lips and her eyes grow dim as she resigns herself to the truth. She was foolish. She allowed their games to become something more to her. As did he. So now…it's all that and more – affection, attachment, and…quite possibly…love. These are things she as a trained assassin was never meant to feel, especially not to the enemy.

She looks up, high to the sky. She can see her father's building from here. It's not too far. Not that that's surprising. She has walked all over this city now. She's wasted away the night, almost anyway. Soon the sun will rise and the destruction reeked by her father with be clear. It probably is already. She hisses as if burned, only this burn is a far worse kind. It burns her very soul. Such a coward. She should have fought. She should have laid in waiting for the opportunity to strike and rescued Leo. Especially after everything he's done for her.

She shakes her head. Instead she just walked around this God forsaken town while he was certainly being tortured. She let this happen to him. She sighs. She has no honor. She is no brave warrior. She is only a coward. She sneers at herself in the mirror of a shop. But…not all is lost.

She snaps to attention. No! She may not be able to fix this, but she can mend what is broken – their bond. She shoots into a run. Because he is still alive. He has to be. She cringes. Please.

Karai reaches her home in a few minutes and snaps back as she was before. She walks coolly into the building, an air of indifference about her. She surveys the area much as anyone would look around their home – idly. At least she pretends to. In actuality she makes sure of every positioning of the guards and the cameras. She does not acknowledge any members not just because she doesn't have time but doing so would put them on alert. She never pays attention to them even when she has the time.

She easily makes her way to one of the higher points of the building, being sure to grab an oil lamp on her way. She hesitates as she wonders about the whereabouts of Rahzar and Fishface. Then she decides it doesn't matter. She can silence them easily enough. It's only her father that is the issue. Still, she moves on. She goes down the corridor leading to the prison.

It is strangely quiet as she reaches the end. Her brows knit together. Perhaps her father has already given up. A tiny smile splits her lips. That's either really good or really bad. She grimaces. Probably a combination of the two. She draws in a breath and steels herself for the sight she'll see.

She nabs the key from the wall and gently slides it into place. She swings the door open and it creaks loudly. She cringes at the sound, but it is truly not something to worry about. It's just so quiet. She takes slow, careful steps into the dark room. Her footsteps echo almost as painfully.

From the darkness there is a gasp of breath and a stifled whine. Nails scratch along the floor in a scurry.

Karai cringes with each move she hears. "Leo," She breathes. "It's me." The movements cease, but she can't be sure if it's from relief or fear. She thinks to light the lamp in her hand. It casts a soft glow around the area and she gasps. She nearly drops the lamp in her shock. "Leo…"

Leo lays in a heap on the cold floor. His body is laced with cuts and bruises. His eye is swollen and his lip is engorged. Blood drips from his wounds and stains the floor around him.

Karai sets the light down to the side. She kneels and scoots as close as she can. She disregards the blood on the ground. It'll come off her armor easily enough. "Leo," She chokes out. "I'm so sorry."

Leo looks through half lidded eyes. His breathing is ragged and his body trembles faintly. His lips part, but he can't find the strength to say a word.

Karai knows she should leave it. She shouldn't touch him like this. It will only hurt him worse. Still, she's as selfish as ever. Reaches down and carefully cups his face in her hands.

Leo whimpers with her touch, even as gentle as it is. His heart beats faster, whether from the sharp pain and fear or from his wretched feelings he can't be sure.

"Leo," She can't help but keep saying his name. It like her anchor. It makes it feel so much more real. Yes, he's alive. She can say his name – address him. "I'm should have stayed. I should have helped you." She shakes her head fiercely. "I should have listened to you. I'm sorry, sorry…so very, very sorry." She hiccups.

Leo lifts a trembling arm and lightly touches her hand.

Karai perks. She meets his eyes once more and through the clouded front she can see the true emotion that lies beneath. She utters a strained chuckle. "Of course…of course you'd forgive me anyway. You idiot." She retracts a hand and rubs at her eyes.

Leo smiles. She is ever the same. Even when so tortured she still finds it in her to be able to call him name's. Somehow that's nicer than anything she could possibly do. A sense of normalcy in the ever increasing chaos.

Karai pauses, but only for a fraction of a second. She manages a tiny, worn smile and she leans down. She lays a kiss on his cheek. His blood stains her lips and she tastes metal, but she isn't bothered. She draws back slightly, enough to whisper in his ear. "Just wait a little longer." She sits up straight and carefully lays his head back down. "They'll come for you soon."

Leo makes a soft unintelligible sound. A sound of understanding.

Karai forces herself to stand, the lamp in hand once more. A deep grimace mars her features. "Don't you dare die before then." She bites her lip and turns hard on her heel. She makes sure to put everything as it once was and then takes heavy steps away from him. "Sorry…" She peers a final time over her shoulder, watching where his figure should be if not swallowed whole by the darkness. Then she races from the room.

Leo takes comfort in her words. It eases his fear, but it does leave one burning question still unsolved. Why? If this was never supposed to happen, and it wasn't, Karai's face was proof enough of that, then why did it happen? Was it supposed to be someone else? More importantly, if not Karai, then who set him up? Who? The answer dances on his lips, but he refuses it. No. It can't be. It just can't.

But it must be. Alopex.

So what did you think? There's something about the last scene that is bothering me, but idk. Other than that I thoroughly enjoyed writing this. Next up - mega super finale time! Please review!