Chapter 22: Coming Home
A/N: I know it's been a while, but I decided to put this up now. I've had a lot of sinus problems and real life stuff, so that's why I haven't been putting this up. I'm so sorry, and I hope this will make up for it. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed so far. Your patience and kind words have been great. I hope you enjoy this chapter, too.
Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot of the story. Lucindra is owned by Mirage.
Raph loved patrolling when it was dark out. He loved the night life and seeing what the people were up to. Most of the time, he and his brothers tended to patrol in the quieter parts of the city, but sometimes, Raph went to the noisier parts just to see what was going on. This time he was patrolling a busier part of the city, and Lucindra was with him.
"You think we're gonna find any action tonight, Raph?" she asked him.
"I dunno, but it's worth a shot to see what we can find," he answered.
"Hey, what's that over there?" Lucindra asked, pointing to a rooftop across from them.
Raph saw where she was pointing and saw Karai surrounded by a group of Foot Ninja, Dogpound, and Fishface. "Well, that's weird," he noted. "I wonder what they're up to."
"Let's wait and find out," replied Lucindra.
"Why did you betray Master Shredder?" demanded Dogpound.
"I didn't betray him!" replied Karai. "I attacked and injured one of the Turtles. Don't you think Shredder would be pleased by that?"
"You took orders from someone other than him!" snapped Fishface. 'That is an act of betrayal."
"I had no choice!" protested Karai. "She threatened me!"
"And who is this girl?" asked Dogpound.
"I never learned her name," answered Karai. "I was ordered to attack Leonardo, and if I didn't, she was going to pin April O'Neil's death on me. There was no way I was going to let that happen so I followed her orders."
"That is still an act of betrayal," grumbled Dogpound. "Master Shredder told you not to attack the Turtles until he gave the order. You should have alerted Master Shredder to the threat. He would have taken care of it for you."
"She told me not to tell anyone about it," replied Karai. "Just let me go, and I won't bother any of you ever again."
Dogpound laughed. "So, you really think it's that easy to escape the Foot, girlie? What you have done is a blatant act of betrayal, and the penalty for it is death. Just because you're Shredder's daughter doesn't mean you get off with a slap on the wrist."
"I'm not Shredder's daughter!" spat Karai. "He stole me from my father and killed my mother!"
"Enough of this nonsense!" snarled Fishface. "The time has come for you to pay for what you did. I can take care of this myself with one bite."
"No!" Dogpound barked. "Poison will only prolong her death. I say we throw her off this building. If anyone asks, we could always say she killed herself." He picked Karai up and got ready to throw her off of the building.
"Shit!" Raph cursed. As much as he wasn't a fan of Karai, watching her die in such a manner wasn't the answer. Motioning to Lucindra, the two of them jumped to the roof where Dogpound, Fishface, Karai, and the Foot were.
"Stay out of this, freak, if you know what's good for you," Fishface snarled.
"Not a chance," Raph replied.
Lucindra produced a ball from her pocket and got Dogpound's attention. "Hey, boy, you want the ball?" She began tossing the ball up in the air and catching it. Dogpound's eyes were fixed on the ball, and his tail began to wag as his animal instincts began to take hold of him.
"Bradford, what are you doing?" hissed Fishface.
But Dogpound didn't hear him as he continued to watch the ball. He moved back from the edge and put Karai down then moved toward Lucindra.
"Go fetch!" Lucindra ordered and threw the ball as hard as she could. Dogpound raced after the ball, barking happily and forgetting all about Karai.
Fishface growled and lunged toward Lucindra, but Raph blocked his way and threw a pepper bomb in his eyes. Then he began kicking Fishface repeatedly until he fell off the building and landed on the ground. Then he grabbed Karai and began throwing smoke bombs so the Foot Ninjas couldn't see where they went. They leapt off of the roof and into the nearest manhole. Raph told Lucindra to go home while he took care of this. She agreed and wished him luck before heading to a manhole cover closer to her apartment.
"Do you think we lost them?" Karai asked him.
"I think so," answered Raph. "I don't know how the others will act when they see you, so you better be prepared for that."
As they stepped into the Lair, they found Leo sitting in front of the TV. When they entered, he unsheathed his swords when he saw who was with Raph.
"What is Karai doing here?" he demanded.
"She's been exiled from the Foot," Raph answered. "They were gonna throw her off a building, but Lucindra and I stopped them. I figured it would be safer to bring her down here."
"Raph, what were you thinking?" shouted Leo. "Have you forgotten that she's our enemy and that she is loyal to Shredder? Have you forgotten how she attacked me and caused me to lose my memory?"
"She didn't have a choice!" Raph protested. "Look, let her explain it."
So Karai told them exactly what had happened and why she'd been ordered to attack Leo. "If I didn't, she would have pinned April O'Neil's death on me," she said. "I didn't want to attack you, Leo, but she made me."
"Don't you see that Robyn was playing with her, too, Leo?"
"And how do you know she's telling the truth?" Leo asked him. There was no way he was going to give in and give Karai another chance. "She could have lied to you to find out where our Lair is and to finish us off."
"If I had wanted to kill you, I would have attacked your brother and not let him rescue me," Karai told him. "Shredder has exiled me and wants me to die. I can see now that he truly isn't my father. A true father would never turn his back on his children no matter what. I accept the truth that Hamato Yoshi is my true father."
Leo was surprised at her words, but his expression remained stony. "Get out of here, Karai," he ordered. "I don't ever want to see you here again."
"Leo, I'm sorry," Karai pleaded. "If I could do it all over again, I never would have attacked you. Can't you forgive me?"
Leo pointed a katana at her. "Get out!" he yelled.
"Leonardo, enough!" Splinter chastised. "You will lower your voice. Now, why is Karai here?"
Karai explained her story to Splinter and told him of everything that had happened. Splinter listened to her story until she was finished and contemplated the events that had transpired. He was surprised at the turn of events but pleased that his daughter had finally come around and accepted the truth. Miwa was home at last.
"Sensei, we can't let her stay here!" Leo protested. "Have you forgotten all that she put us through and what she did to me?"
"I am very aware of what she did to you, my son," Splinter replied. "Karai explained herself to you and offered an apology. It is up to you to forgive her for what she has done and move on."
Leo's look was icy. "I don't think I can ever forgive her for that," he answered.
"In time, I hope that you will change your mind and stop being so foolish," warned Splinter.
"Leo, give her a chance," begged Mikey. "She said she was sorry."
"Look, Leo, Karai and I may not be the best of friends, but I couldn't just let her get killed like that," said Raph. "No matter what she's done, she's still Splinter's daughter and belongs with her true father. So suck up your pride and forgive her."
"If you don't want to do it for yourself, at least do it for Master Splinter," added Don.
They waited as Leo contemplated what they all had said. Raph and the others were sure Leo would see sense and forgive Karai, but Leo's hard mask came back into place.
"Sorry, but I can't forgive her, not even for Master Splinter," he replied. Then he turned and went to his room.
"Man, what an idiot," Raph muttered.
"That is enough, Raphael," Splinter admonished. "We have all had a long day, and I am sure Miwa would like to get some rest. You may sleep in the guest room just as April did when she was here. In time, I hope that we can make it more comfortable for you so that it will truly be your own, Will that suit you?"
"Yes, it will," Miwa replied. "Thank you, Father." The words still felt foreign to her, but she knew that in time she would be used to them as well as used to her new name. She bowed to him and let Raph escort her to her quarters.
"I'm sorry about Leo," Raph said. "He can be so stubborn sometimes."
"Oh, like you?" Miwa teased.
Raph laughed at her remark. "Yeah, I guess Leo and I are alike in some ways," he mused. "I just hope he comes around and accepts you as his sister."
"Have you accepted me so soon, Raph?" Miwa asked him.
Raph didn't hesitate as he answered, "Yeah, I have. I mean, it's gonna be weird havin' you around all the time, but we'll get used to it. Just make sure to leave your feminine items where I can't see them. April was sometimes careless about that. Mikey even put a sanitary napkin on my bed for a dare once. Let's just say he was black and blue for a while after that."
Miwa laughed at his story. "Well, don't worry about that. I'll be discreet about it. Speaking of which, I'm going to have to go topside to get clothes and other things, too. I left all of my stuff at Foot Headquarters."
"Yeah, we can help with that," Raph told her. "I can always get Lucindra to go with you so you're not by yourself since we can't go out in the daytime."
Miwa grinned at him. "Thanks, Raph," she said. "I knew there was a reason I liked you." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and bade him goodnight. Raph stared in shock after she kissed him and then composed himself and went to his room.
He got ready for bed and pondered everything that had happened to them. It had definitely been a crazy few months, and he had a feeling it wasn't going to end for them at all. He just wanted Leo to forgive Miwa and accept her as his sister. Sure, Leo was carrying the burden of Robyn nearly killing him and his own sister attacking him on Robyn's orders, but he really needed to let it all go. Raph made a vow to help Leo see sense and figured he could get Mikey and Don in on it, too. They couldn't afford to fall apart as a family now. They needed to band together to protect their sister and their clan. With that last thought in his head, Raph drifted off to sleep , hoping that the days to come would be better.
A/N: And that's the end of another chapter. Just one more to go before this story is complete. I know Leo's being pretty stubborn about the forgiveness thing, but you have to remember that he's been through a lot lately and is having a hard time coming to terms with all of that. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.