Karai's P.O.V

Everyone sits down at the table. The turtles had found a big dining table and set it up in the living room behind the pit. I sat down at the end of the table. I didn't want to sit next to Shini because I knew that she and Casey would most likely be kissing or flirting.

I was sitting between Mikey and Eva. Mikey was digging into his plate and Eva was giggling in amusement. Mikey swallowed and looked at me. "So sis, how's the Foot clan going?" He asked with a smile.

I sighed. Does everyone have to keep bringing up the Foot clan? "It's going." I said simply.

"It must be hard to run a clan." Eva said.

"It is but I'm used to difficult challenges." Eva chuckled a little. "So Mikey told me that you can transform into a mutant snake, is that true?"

I nodded while chewing on a piece of steak. "Can I see? I'm very curious about what you look like." She asked. "I would Eva but my mutation takes a lot out of me and I just got done with hours of training. My body is still a bit sore." I lied.

Actually my mutation makes me stronger and faster. It's just I didn't feel like being looked at as some amazing zoo animal right now. I looked at Eva to see disappointment on her face then at Mikey who looked a bit disappointed himself, obviously he wanted to see my mutation too.

I sigh. "Ok."

Eva and Mikey's eyes lit up. I stand up and back away. My hands turn into snakes, my skin turns into white scales, my eyes turn into green reptile eyes, and my teeth into fangs. Eva looked at me with amazement. "Wow! Incredible! Oh, you're so beautiful."

I smiled a little. "Thanks. Can I transform back now?" Eva nodded and I quickly turned back. Just then Leo came out of the kitchen with Liz holding a big chocolate cake. She set it down in the middle of the table.

Mikey's eyes sparkled with excitement, he tried to grab a piece of the cake but Leo slapped his hand away. "Mikey! You can't have cake until you finish your dinner!"

"Come on, dude! Am halfway done with my plate!" Mikey argued and tried to grab a piece again only to have his hand slapped a second time. "Ow!" He whined.

"Mikey, if you grab a piece of that cake I'm gonna tell-" Leo stopped when he realized what he was about to say and his eyes drifted away sadly. Mikey's eyes did too when Leo almost said his name. He then put on a smile. "It's ok Leo. You're right, I'll eat my dinner first." He tried to cheer up his brother but Leo looked back at him with dull eyes.

"Do whatever you want Mikey, it doesn't matter anymore." He said coldly and Mikey watched his brother take a seat next to Liz, sadly.

My hands started to shake. Leo has always been all about following the rules but I guess he was that way because he didn't want to disappoint Splinter. Now that he's gone Leo could hardly care anymore.

Couple hours went by and Leo finally gave everyone the signal nod to start talking to April. Donnie nodded and turned to April. "Hey April."

She turned to him while chewing on her desert. "Everyone has noticed you've been kinda off lately. I think it's time we tell them what's going on." He said gently and April looked at him coldly. "I told you Donnie that I will tell them when I'm ready!" She almost shouted.

"See that right there is why you need to talk about this now! Already you're starting to lose your temper!" I said sternly then she glared daggers at me. "Karai, you don't understand! If they know what's going on it will hurt them plus it will risk more of a chance of my dad finding out that-" She stopped.

"That you and Donnie are dating." I finished for her and she looked at me like she was about to kill me.

"Hold up, that's why you've been trying to keep your guys' relationship a secret?" Raph said.

Donnie and April looked at him with surprise. "You knew?" They both said.

"Duh, it was pretty obvious, we all knew." Shini said with a smirk. "Wait. What's the big deal of Kirby knowing you guys are together?" Leo asked with a suspicious face.

April sighed. "My father doesn't want me to be with a mutant." She said sadly. Everyone but me and Donnie gasped.

"Mr. O'Neil is mutess?!" Mikey said, with complete shock.

April nodded.

Raph acted the same way I did when I saw April and her dad arguing. He hit his fist on the table. "That jerk! After we risked ourselves to save his ass from the Kraang!"

I flinched at his outburst then I turned to Leo to see his reaction and was surprised he was looking at April with angry eyes. "So what if Kirby is 'mutess' or whatever Mikey said. Why are you hiding it? Are you ashamed of my brother?" Leo said with anger in his tone.

Everyone looked at him with complete shock and disbelief. Leo is usually so understanding. I would expect this kind of reaction from Raph but not Leo. Then again, his reaction is understandable. April was the first human who ever accepted them for who they are and to suddenly find out she might not have fully accepted them would be painful.

April looked at Leo like she couldn't believe what he just said. "What?! No! I am not ashamed of Donnie! I care about him and I love being his girlfriend!" She shouted and Donnie blushed a little.

Leo looked skeptical. "Then why didn't you tell your dad the truth?" April sighed. "I'm scared to. I don't want to ruin my relationship with my dad. We've always been so close."

I was expecting Leo to soften his gaze but he didn't. He still looked not convinced. "Ok, then why didn't you tell us?"

"I was worried you guys would get hurt knowing you risked your life for someone who doesn't see you as...human." She explained. "Yet you told Donnie and you obviously told Karai too since she didn't react like Raph did."

I growled. What is Leo's problem? Anyone would be scared of their parents not accepting them or their choices.

"I only told Donnie because I didn't want him to get the wrong idea and I didn't tell Karai. She came by and overheard me and my dad arguing." I looked at Leo who still didn't look convinced. "It's true Leo. She didn't tell me. I went to April's apartment to apologize for our fight and I overheard everything."

Leo then turned to me. "Karai, how did you feel when you overheard everything Kirby said?" He asked and I was a little nervous to answer. "I was angry because he disrespected the ones who saved him and his daughter." I said a bit nervously and Mikey put his hand on top of mine to relax me.

"What were the exact words he said?" Leo asked and I hesitated. "He said that April can't be in a relationship with a mutant because it will ruin her life."

"And what did April do? Did she defend us? Did she defend her kind?" Again I hesitated, I didn't like where this was going. I glanced at April who put her head down in shame "No, she ran to her room and cried." I finally answered.

"What did you do?"

"I climbed in her window and comforted her." I was starting to get more and more nervous. What is Leo trying to do? I wanted us to talk to April to help her not make things worse. "Did April comfort you? Did she even ask if you were okay after hearing what her father said?"

I tensed and looked down. "N-No but-"

He ignored me and turned to Donnie. "Donnie, did April tell you what Kirby said?" Donnie looked down. "N-no she didn't."

"What did she say?" He asked, his voice slightly rose. "She just said that Kirby didn't want her to date a mutant." Leo nodded and turned to April. "April, I think it's best if you don't come over for a while."

"WHAT?!!" We all yelled.

"Leo! April, wouldn't do anything to purposely hurt us, you know that!" Donnie tried to reason with him but he didn't listen. "No, April clearly doesn't accept us!"

Raph turned to him. "What are you talking about?! Nothing she said proves that! She risked herself for us countless times!" Leo glared at him. "And we risked ourselves for Kirby and April, clearly that means nothing!"

Mikey looked at his oldest brother with disbelief. "Come on dude, you're not being fair." Leo then hit his fist on the table. "None of this is fair Mikey!! None of this! April didn't defend us so that must mean she's ashamed of us and herself!"

April rose from her seat. "I just don't want to disappoint my dad, Leo!! You out of all people should understand that! Splinter's approval meant everything to you!! If you did anything to disappoint him, you would be beating yourself up for weeks!! And you know what? Splinter would be disappointed in the person you've become!!"

Everyone gasped, April's eyes widened and she covered her mouth ashamed of what she said. Leo got out of his seat and ran to his room with Liz right behind him. When we heard a door slam everyone looked at April. Not only did she hurt Leo but she said Splinter's name out loud in front of the turtles and disrespected him by using his death to hurt Leo. Everyone made it an unspoken rule to not say Splinter's name out loud...ever.

Donnie looked at April and saw that she was crying. "April-"

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to say that! It just came out! I would never use his death to hurt you guys!"

I watched as April begged for forgiveness while Donnie rose from his seat to comfort her. This is all my fault, if I didn't push Leo to have all of us talk to April this wouldn't have happened. I ran out of the room and into the dojo. Luckily, everyone was too focused on April to notice.

I leaned on a wall and slowly slid to the floor. I started shaking. "Why do I keep messing things up?" I buried my face into my hands.

"Because I raised you to destroy everything you touch!" A deep scary voice said. I gasped and looked around. "You do not belong with them Karai, you never have and you never will!" The voice grew slightly louder and I started to shake even more.

"W-Who are you? Show yourself!" I demanded. The voice laughed and stepped forward. My eyes widened in disbelief, there standing in front of me was...Shredder himself but he wasn't a mutant anymore, he was human again.

"You? But Leo defeated you, how are you still alive?!" I said in a shaky voice.

"I have survived countless assassins, the best ever in Japan! Did you honestly believe a turtle could defeat me!" I glared at him. "Then why didn't you try to take back the Foot? Why did you not attack us?"

"Why would I? Thanks to you, Hamato Yoshi's gone. I have no need for the Foot clan and I no longer have reason to kill the turtles."

"Then why are you here now?" Shredder stepped forward. " I came back for you, my daughter. You do not belong here...you belong with me."

"Never!" I yelled.

"You know it's true. You said it yourself. You will always be Karai, my daughter, and nothing can ever change that." I covered my ears and closed my eyes tightly. "No! It's not true!"

Shredder laughed. "Oh really? Look at everything you have caused. Thanks to you Splinter is dead and the turtles are falling apart without him. Face it Karai, you are just like me... A MONSTER!"

My eyes began to water and I shook my head. "No, you and I are nothing alike!"

"You can deny it all you want but you will always be my daughter! And I will always be a part of you!!"

The Shredder laughed and the room slowly began to get swallowed up by darkness. Shredder then wrapped his arms around me and dragged me in the darkness with him. I tried to break free but it was no use.

"No, Let me go! NO!"