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Waiting For You	By : MysticMewtwo Category: Comics > Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Views: 7074 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 12
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Battles
Chapter Fifteen

Alisa carefully brushed her long golden dark brown hair as she finished getting dressed. For a moment, she experimented with trying to put it up in a bun, but decided she didn't like it, and proceeded to fuss with it more. She didn't understand why she was so picky all of a sudden about how she wore her hair. It was always fine flowing freely down her back.

She gave up and continued brushing to straighten it out again. She supposed she was still nervous with what happened earlier that morning. She hadn't slept at all like she planned. Instead, she had lain in bed staring up the ceiling for hours until she couldn't take it anymore and finally got up.

She placed the brush then back on the dresser, took a last look in the mirror, and headed out of the room. As she walked to the stairs, she glanced towards Leonardo's room and noticed his door was open. He was probably already downstairs and had been so for a while as was his usual routine.

Thinking of him made her feel better and brought a small smile to her lips. He was so good to her and he never let her feel she was a burden even if at times she felt that way. He would quickly dispel those thoughts. She was always happy to be near him and she looked forward to being able to practice today with him and his brothers.

She soon reached the main floor and started to walk to the kitchen where the sounds and smells of breakfast were. She was greeted warmly by most of the family as she entered the room. As usual Raphael did not, but he briefly shot her a dark glare only she caught, and if it could kill, she knew she'd be dead already.

However, she was not concerned with him at the moment as she noticed one turtle was missing.

"Where is Leo?" she asked.

"He said something about going to April's a little while ago," Don replied, "Said it was important he talk to her as soon as possible. I'm not sure what it was though that he couldn't wait until tonight."

"Leonardo's reasons are his own and we must respect them," Splinter interjected, "It was a private matter that he insisted it needed to be taken care of right away."

"He wouldn't even stay for breakfast," Mikey added, "He told me I didn't have to save any for him either. He just grabbed a muffin and left."

"He'll be back for practice though, right?" Alisa inquired.

She wanted him to be there for her first session with them. It wouldn't be right without him and she wouldn't enjoy it as much either. Donatello saw the look in her eyes, hope mixed with building disappointment, and his heart went to her in sympathy. He knew today was kind of a big day for her. They had talked about it last night when the fight began. Master Splinter had been intrigued with Leo's information and wished to see her perform himself. They all did.

"He said he'd try hard to," Don said, quietly, "He knows how important today is to you."

She nodded her head a little, seemingly satisfied with the answer. She didn't feel there was any reason for her to doubt him. Leo always came through for her. He would be here in time, she was sure.

However, at the end of breakfast when he had not shown up, she began to worry. By the time she filed into the dojo with the others for practice and he still was not here, her spirits had plummeted sharply. He wasn't coming, and as far as she was concerned, this day no longer mattered.

She felt a hand on her shoulder suddenly and her eyes met the gentle and wise soft black eyes of the rat. He spoke not a word to her, but suddenly her heart no longer felt so heavy anymore. If Leonardo could not be here in body, at least he could be with her in spirit. It was what she thought Splinter was communicating to her.

He smiled warmly as her lips quirked a bit with their own smile. He then gestured to her to join his sons and she quickly went to stand in place beside Donny. The lesson began shortly thereafter and she was soon too focused on it to even think about Leo.

She did her best to keep up, drawing on all her endurance and stamina. Surprisingly, she was able to match their pace well and followed without trouble. In fact, compared to the conditions she was once used to being trained under, this was like heaven. Splinter-san was a far more fair and patient teacher than Oroku Saki had been. Failure was not an option with him and one learned very quickly what was expected of them.

After a vigorous warm-up, they were separated into pairs for a hands-on-hands sparring session. Don and Mikey were assigned to be partners, while Splinter put Alisa together with Raph. Instantly, there was a degree of varying reactions among the two, but Raph's was the most visibly seen and heard. He looked almost horrified by the thought.

"This is some kind of joke, right?" he demanded.

The rat's whiskers twitched slightly and he frowned disapprovingly at the accusation.

"There is no joke, my son," he answered, "You are to work with Alisa."

"Can't Donny be her partner instead?" Raph protested, "Or Mikey? Why does it haveta be me?"

"I chose to partner the two of you for very specific reasons," Splinter explained, his voice firm, "And they are not to be defied, Raphael. You may either continue the lesson or I shall see you later in my room."

Not in any mood for a lecture, the red-masked turtle clamped his jaw shut tight, and then stomped over to his position. The look in his eyes he gave her made Alisa recoil inwardly. She had a feeling she was in for a real fight and chances were she would not walk away unscathed this time.

She was not wrong either for as soon as Splinter gave the starting command, the turtle lunged at her. She had to duck quickly to dodge his dragon punch and then did a backwards handspring almost immediately afterwards as he attacked again. She barely had time to catch her bearings before he was charging at her like an angry bull.

For the first five minutes or so, she was purely on the defensive. There was no room on the offensive. He was relentless. His tank-like physique nearly bowled her over dozen of times. It was all she could do to keep on her feet.

She searched frantically for an opening of any kind. She had to strike back, had to break through his defenses, or it would end very badly she was certain. Raph was trying to prove a point, but she wouldn't let him win. She wouldn't let him bully her any more.

The perfect opportunity came when he swung at her and she ducked under his range yet again, leaving him wide open. Instantly, she went for it and never looked back. It ultimately turned the fight completely around in her favor.

Raph was hell-bent more than ever now to put her out of commission, but she was starting to become a bit of a handful. She wasn't very powerful, but she was quick and light on her feet. This enabled her to perform attacks consecutively and to come in at close range. It was making him that much angrier.

Alisa felt the air rush out of her lungs as her back slammed to the matted floor. She lay there dazed and disoriented, unable to breathe for a few moments. When she drew in breath again finally, it felt like a thousand knives were jabbing her in the chest.

"Master Splinter! He's going to kill her!" she heard dimly. It sounded like Donatello, but she couldn’t be sure. Her ears were ringing. She was vaguely aware of Raphael standing over her, breathing heavily. He'd thought he'd won. As she regained her bearings, she struggled to pull herself up. This fight wasn't over.

It was a kick he never expected. Alisa put all of her remaining strength into it and the force sent him tumbling to the floor on his shell like a ton of bricks. Then she collapsed into a heap on her side, her breathing labored. Her whole body ached, particularly her face where she felt a throbbing sensation on her left cheek and a burning one on her right. Something wet and sticky trickled down it; sweat or maybe blood.

She gulped in air as she tried to bring her breathing back under control. A few moments later, she began to force her body to move to sit up, but a gentle hand stopped her. She looked up and saw the purple-masked turtle through blurry eyes kneeling beside her.

"No, lie down," Don told her, "Just take it easy and rest a few minutes. You've fought quite a battle there."

He then leaned in closer so only she could hear what he had to say next.

"That was amazing, by the way," he added, softly, "You're the only one other than Leo, or Master Splinter, that has taken Raph down completely. Of course none of us can beat Sensei."

The young woman managed a weak smile. She was starting to feel a little better now. After another minute, she tried once more to push herself up into a sitting position, but this time, Don didn't interfere. He was fortunate she listened to him the first time. He knew she would not feel inclined to do so again.

A shadow fell over them suddenly and both glanced up to find Raphael standing there. He appeared as exhausted as she was, but he'd fared better than her physically. There was perhaps a small bruise or two here and there, but nothing that would be more than minor irritation for a few days.

Alisa tensed slightly at his presence while Don regarded him a little warily. He hoped he didn't start anything else. The temperamental turtle was staring at her until Don thought he would bore a hole right through her with his eyes. In fact, it almost seemed as if he was really looking at her for the first time.

"You okay?" Raph asked, a little gruffly.

She blinked, completely caught off guard by the question. This was new. Was he actually being considerate to her?

"Yeah," she finally answered, softly, "Thanks."

He made a sound then that resembled a grunt.

"Ya might wanna get some ice for that bruise," he told her, "Let Donny fix ya up."

She nodded her head. Then, in another surprise gesture, he extended a hand down to her. She couldn't believe the sudden change in attitude he had towards her. Maybe, at last, they've come to an understanding and neither was as bad as the other thought after all. She grasped it with her own and he pulled her up to her feet.

Her legs felt like they were made of leaden Jell-O and she wobbled slightly. Don watched her uncertainly for a moment, and nearly reached out to steady her, but she soon regained her balance. She began a steady, but slow walk then to the dojo entrance and out into the center of the lair. Don followed behind and they headed towards the downstairs bathroom so he could retrieve bandages and antiseptics to treat the cut on her right cheek. Luckily, it was only a superficial wound, so she wouldn't have a scar, but it was bleeding quite a bit.

It was as if he had appeared out of nowhere, but suddenly, Leonardo was standing in their path. How long he had been home, it wasn't certain, but he was still dressed in his street clothes; dark royal blue hooded sweatshirt, long dark pants, and brown hiking boots.

The smile on his face quickly dissolved into a look of horror when he saw Alisa. Her face was bruised and one side was entirely streaked with blood. She looked like she'd gotten into a fight. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he could only think of one person that she would have.

"Alisa," he said, his voice almost constricting.

He reached out and took hold of her chin to turn her head gently where he could inspect the injury closer. It wasn't as bad as it appeared, but the sight caused anger to rise within him nevertheless.

"Donny, what the hell happened?' he demanded.

"It's okay, Leo," Don attempted to calm his furious older brother, "She's all right."

"Raph did this to her, didn't he?" Leo seethed.

"It's not what you think," Don assured him, "They were in a sparring match... Leo, you should have seen it. Alisa is quite the fighter."

"He could've killed her!" the blue-masked turtle protested.

"But he didn't," Don pointed out, "And you know better that we would've stopped him before such a thing would've occurred. Splinter would not have paired them together if he was worried Raph would mortally harm her. He knew Alisa could handle herself and she did. She beat him, Leo. She took him down."

Leo opened and shut his mouth several times, which hurt his jaw to do so, but he was momentarily rendered speechless. He was still angry, but now a sense of awe and even pride was creeping in as well. Master Splinter had always told them the size of their adversaries mattered not and this lesson was never truer than it was now.

The emotion was lost, however, as he gazed over her and felt his heart wrench. She looked terrible. She might as well have taken on a faction of Foot ninja for all his younger brother must have put her through.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked her, his voice gentler.

"I'll be fine, Leo," she answered, quietly, "Nothing a hot bath and a nap won't cure. I am exhausted."

"I am sure you would be," he agreed.

He noticed a flash of red then out of the corner of his eye and almost automatically honed in on its source. His brow furrowed as he watched Raphael trudge out of the dojo and in the direction of the kitchen. He seemed perhaps tired, but no worse for wear; unlike Alisa. Leo planned to speak with him later about what happened.

She could see the look in his eyes and knew what he was thinking. If he carried out such an action, it would not end well. In fact, it could possibly jeopardize the tentative truce she and Raph had reached. For all of their sakes, she must intervene.

"I want you to promise me something, Leonardo," she spoke up suddenly, quietly.

She only addressed him by his full name now when it was important and by her tone, it was very important that he listen carefully. He immediately returned his attention back to her and nodded his head slightly, indicating he was ready to carry out her wishes. He would do anything necessary for her.

"Promise me," she continued, "You won't corner Raphael. You'll do more harm than good. Just trust me. The matter has been resolved. He and I have come to an understanding."

Leo opened his mouth in what would have been a protest, but she cut him off.

"Just promise," she persisted, her voice rising a little with the urgency.

Her emerald eyes locked with his and he found he couldn't have denied her if he tried. She never would have trusted him again if he did. He was a turtle of his word and he would give her that. No matter how much he wanted to come to her defense. It was obvious to him now she could take care of herself. She could fight her own battles.

"On my honor, I promise," he vowed, softly.

She gave him a pleased smile and he felt his own lips curl into a smile as well.

"Thank you," she said, her voice equally as soft.

"You're welcome," he replied.

He briefly touched her shoulder then.

"Go on with Donny now so he can patch that cut before infection sets in," he told her, "Then I'm sure you’ll want to get cleaned up afterwards, so I'll see you a little later."

She nodded and a moment later, began walking to the bathroom again with Donatello. Meanwhile, Leo headed upstairs to change out of his disguise. He was feeling angry at himself. He should have been home in time for practice. Then the number would've been uneven, she might not have been paired with Raph, and she wouldn't be injured. That was what upset him the most; the fact his brother had hurt her.

However, he paused a moment to consider the outcome he was just told. If what Alisa said was true, that she and Raph had resolved their differences, then it meant the fighting would finally cease on all sides. Now, maybe Raph would stop resenting her and actually make an effort to know her. In turn, Leo would no longer need to defend himself, or her, to him, and life would become much easier around the lair after so many weeks of tension.

This meant also he could now focus entirely on the other problem that bothered him, but he wasn't so sure yet if that was a good thing. His stomach still felt queasy when he thought about it. April had called it butterflies.

Talking to the red-headed young woman had calmed him down a bit and alleviated some of his anxieties, but heightened many others. It was all on the approach, she'd told him. If he came on too strongly, Alisa might withdraw from him. His number one fear already was she would reject him. He didn't want to jeopardize their friendship should he fail utterly.

Leonardo gave a heavy sigh and put away the clothes in a bureau drawer. Maybe he should just forget about it and move on. He could suppress these feelings as easily as he had other emotions in the past. It was all such foolishness anyway.

He noticed then the piece of loose sketch paper lying on the floor that had fallen off his desk. He reached to pick it up, turning it over in the process, and his resolve suddenly crumbled like a ton of wet sand as his heart contracted inside his chest. Her sweet face and gentle, but determined eyes stared back at him; one of his many countless drawings of her.

He realized it would be useless to pretend these emotions for her didn't exist. He couldn't face her every day like that and expect things to be the same. It would never work. The best thing he could do was to take a step forward and embrace it rather than keep fighting it. He knew he couldn't deny it any longer.

He was in love.

End Chapter Fifteen
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Waiting For You