Leonardo nodded approvingly at Sayuri after sipping his tea. He was forced to admit that the Asian woman had a better hand for that particular brew than anyone other than his Sensei. Drinking it produced a reminiscent feeling of spending quiet time in the kitchen with Splinter. Even when their tea time didn't include much speech, Leonardo usually came away feeling comfortable and warm. Something about Sayuri's semi-formal manner increased the sense of déjà vu even further.

Sayuri gave the blue-masked turtle a questioning glance, as if she didn't believe he liked the tea as much as he'd indicated. "The Sencha can strike some as having a 'vegetal' flavor. I would have been happy to make you something else, Leonardo-san."

Leonardo chuckled. "Sayuri, it's completely appropriate. I grew up on this tea; it was one of the blends that my Sensei favored. You'd have a hard sell with my brothers, but I'll never refuse the Sencha. It takes me back to a good place."

Sayuri's face relaxed as she sat down across from him. "Pardon me, Leonardo-san. I forget that your upbringing was not altogether different from my own."

"It was plenty different. Our Sensei gave us exposure to the Japanese culture, but we're fully American too. We received a fusion effect. The Sencha reminds me of my father, and makes me appreciate it even more. Domo arigato, Sayuri-san."

The woman smiled shyly. "You are welcome. It's a wonderful feeling to be among all of you; I only wish that it was under better circumstances."

Leo nodded soberly. "Truer words were never spoken."

"I have been considering this move for months," she said thoughtfully. "Ever since the holidays when we visited all of you at Lotus Salvus. I expected to feel a little awkward there, as if I was an outsider looking in. It was nothing like that. Your family felt like my own, for a few days at least."

"You are a part of this family, Sayuri," Leo assured her. "I'm glad you felt like you belonged. We love having you and the kids with us."

She sighed shakily. "You don't realize the impact that all of you have on Shunshi; an influence that is sorely lacking in his life. I love him more than I ever imagined I could, but I can't fill this part for him. My heart breaks for him, and for Hisui. She was never a child. Hisui is deadly serious, and she puts Shunshi ahead of everything else. I have never heard her ask for anything for herself. She didn't even complain about being forced to leave Kouhei."

Sayuri looked down at her cup, staring at her tea rather than drinking it. "Their love for each other is admirable, but Hisui's burden for Shunshi feels too strong. I think she would do anything for him, including leaving Kouhei behind. I fear that she is forever going to push her own life back in favor of her brother."

"It's easy to understand why," Leonardo replied. "She's been the only one there to protect him for several years, and that instinct isn't going to just disappear. She wants to keep Shunshi safe, but she also wants him to be happy. Seeing him get things that he desperately wants is probably the only reward Hisui thinks she needs."

The woman set her cup down. "I know that I shouldn't allow her to pour all of her energy into her little brother at her expense, but I don't know how to stop her either. I cannot tell her to step away and live her life. I cannot force her to fulfill her dream of going to school and being a veterinarian. How can I tell her to abandon Shunshi?"

He shook his head. "It's not the same thing, Sayuri. Moving on and living her life doesn't mean she's abandoning her brother, and maybe that's what she needs to hear. It's in his best interest that she allows the power to shift too. They're brother and sister: progressing into following her dreams won't change that. By choosing to hold herself back, I believe she'll limit how far he's willing to go."

Sayuri nodded. "This is not easy for me, Leonardo-san. I didn't give birth to them. I didn't have the opportunity to raise them. I have come in so late in their lives, I often feel like I don't have a right to say certain things."

"She might not act like a child, Sayuri, but Hisui still needs guidance. I think you have more to teach her than you're comfortable with offering. It doesn't matter that you weren't there from the beginning. What matters is how you interact now. You've proven yourself to be trustworthy, and you are the governing force in their lives.

"They haven't had stable leadership, and that's something you can give them. It's not about ruling with an iron fist…but you know there are things you need to say to Hisui. She seems to respect you a great deal, and if there's anyone who can 'get away' with it, it's you."

She exhaled. "I have to force myself to give her direction. It's not comfortable for me to do, but I agree that it is necessary."

"You have instincts, Sayuri, and wisdom that you've developed over years of experience in life. You need to share those things with them. Just because you've never been a parent doesn't mean you have nothing of value to give them."

The woman gave him a faint smile. "I miss them. The thought of them in them being in another state with Shunshi so angry…"

Leonardo shook his head once more. "Sayuri, he's a little boy. You did what was best for him, and that's all you can do. His anger will fade, and maybe he'll gain some understanding in time. But you can't be afraid of upsetting him. You're the adult, so you get to make the tough choices, and you don't need to apologize for them. Shun is the child, and he has to see that getting mad won't win him any arguments."

"You are right, Leonardo-san, I know you are. It is my responsibility to do what must be done." Sayuri swirled around the steaming tea in her cup. "It is nice to talk to you in person this way."

"Likewise, and it's nice to see you with Greg." Leonardo smiled meaningfully.

The woman colored slightly. "I wish we had time to just enjoy it."

"You will," he told her. "This situation with the Akiudo won't last forever. You and Greg deserve some time to yourselves. You've never had any." Leonardo said nothing more, because he could tell the woman was getting embarrassed.

Sayuri finally took a sip of her tea. "Yes…it is needed."

Leonardo turned his head as he heard someone at the door, and grinned when he saw Greg.

"Hey. Are you two solving the world's problems?" the sandy-haired man asked.

"Not today. Actually, we were just talking about you," Leonardo said teasingly.

"Okay, I'm gonna go now…" Greg pretended to head for the door.

"Why don't you come sit down, Heff?" Leo invited. "I ought to call Calley. I told her I would hit her up this afternoon."

Sayuri's brow creased, and even Greg looked at him strangely.

"Hit her up," Leonardo emphasized. "You know, call her. All the cool kids are saying it."

"It's nice to know where I stand," Greg said impishly, settling down at the table with Sayuri.

Leonardo waved at the pair and exited into the living area. The room felt too crowded to make for a good place to talk on the phone, so he went down the hall to his bedroom instead. He lowered to the end of their bed and hit Calley's speed dial.

The young woman answered on the second ring, with an expectant tone that communicated she'd been waiting on him.

I think I took too long to get back to her, he thought ruefully. "Hi, Calley," he said apologetically. Leonardo heard a sharp intake of air, and for a moment he was worried that she was upset with him. "I'm sorry I didn't call you sooner."

The sniff that returned from her end made it sound more like she'd been crying. She had yet to utter more than a two-word greeting.

"Calley, what's wrong?"

"It's sort of complicated, Leo." Her voice was strained. "I'm not having a good day."

"I'm alone here, Calley, and I've got all the time in the world. Talk to me. What's going on?"

Calley hesitated for such a long time that he grew more nervous.

"Please tell me what's wrong," he pressed. "Is this about the gun-battle with the Akiudo?"

"No…yes. I'm not sure," she said honestly. "I've got several different emotions rolling through my mind, and I'm struggling to separate them. I'm worried about you and everyone else, but it's more than that, Leo. You remember when I told you about the impression of danger I had, right after you guys found Don? That was before we even knew the Akiudo was involved."

"Yes," he said softly. "I remember."

"The sense of dread was so strong, and I knew it meant nothing good. But I thought with you guys going in more prepared, it might be different. I don't know how else to say it, except that the feeling is getting worse."

"How is it getting worse?"

"It's just intuition, Leo. It isn't as if I'm having psychic visions of the future."

"Calley, how is getting worse?" He felt himself getting frustrated at trying to drag it out of her. "Have you had a dream?"

"Dreams, plural," she corrected.

"About what? The city or the family?"

"Both," she replied. "I didn't want to say anything. I don't want you under extra pressure, whether it's real or only my imagination."

Leonardo held his breath before urging her to continue. "Clearly it's upset you, Calley. I need to know what they're about."

"It's…devastation, Leo, worse than what I can remember from the earthquake. The smoke from the fires was so heavy that it seemed to be blocking out the sun. At least…I thought it was smoke. I don't know what else it could have been. There appeared to be this giant mass of darkness that covered every square mile of the sky.

"It reminded me of some of the scenes in the direct aftermath of the earthquake, but the catastrophic circle was bigger, a lot bigger. You remember that there were several parts of the city that weren't impacted heavily by the earthquake—"

"Right, it was localized," Leonardo said mechanically.

"This wasn't," she said. "Whatever happened, it was a large scale event."

Leo swallowed hard. "What about the family? What have you dreamed about us?"

"Leo, my fear is feeding this."

"Then you need to talk it out. Telling me won't put us in more danger than we're already in."

"I've seen death at least four different ways," she confessed. "All that tells me is that the Akiudo doesn't view you as prisoners this time. Takashi may want to take you alive initially, but he has no intention of your surviving." Calley's tone was flat, and Leonardo could tell that she was fighting with emotion. "They won't play fair, Leo, no matter what kind of deal they offer. You can't agree to any terms Takashi might put forward, because he has no intention of following through."

"I know, Calley," he tried to reassure her. "I know we can't trust him to do anything that he promises. The only reason we would agree to meeting him would be to set up some kind of assault of our own. Unfortunately, we don't have any information yet, and Takashi hasn't tried to contact us."

Leonardo sank further down on the mattress. "I don't know what to do, Calley. We're stuck waiting on him to make a move, which hopefully won't involved killing several more innocents. Even one casualty is too many in my opinion. Maybe Don will find something on those flashdrives, but I'm not sure. My gut is telling me that the Travel Agency was nothing more than a cover for the Akiudo."

"I'm sorry for dumping this on you, Leo, but I can't repeat it to the girls on this side."

"No, don't," he said quickly. "You weren't wrong to tell me though, Calley. I'm your husband."

"I wish you were here."

"I wish I was too. I wish the Akiudo had already been vaporized, and I could be enjoying the mountains along with you. Don't hesitate to tell me anything, Calley. I may not be able to do anything to help, but I still need to hear it…and you shouldn't be forced to carry it alone."