Round house punch.

Round house punch.

Side elbow strike.

Front Thrust kick.

…Or was it roundhouse kick, roundhouse kick, side elbow strike and then jab punch?

I shook my head and started over.

Roundhouse kick.

Roundhouse kick.

Side elbow strike.

Jab punch.

….Or was I right the first time?

Crap.

I huffed and turned my attention back to the bag and resumed striking. I didn't pay attention to the order or the form this time. I hit the bag with whatever part of me I felt like hitting it with.

My numb fist strikes the punching bag again and it makes my whole arm ache. I bit my lip to keep from crying out and keep going. I had been practicing the same stupid kata for hours and I still couldn't get it right.

How the guys managed to train like this every day for fifteen years and still keep going strong is beyond me. Just watching them train sometimes is exhausting. But maybe that's just because a couple months ago I was still in gym glass at school and I was usually the last person to finish the laps around the track.

But despite being exhausting to watch, it's always astonishing too. Their fluid movements, their agility, their speed, their focus. Sometimes, I don't even realizing I'm staring so hard until Raph flicks me on the forehead and tells me to wipe the drool off my chin.

It makes me really anxious to get caught up with them. Maybe then I would get to leave the sewer and go topside when they do. I could kick Karai's butt the way she kicked mine. Finally get the Kraang of my back and take my dad back from them. There were so many butts I wanted kick, but I had zero skill to do it.

It was beginning to piss me off.

I hit the bag with another roundhouse kick. I nearly collapsed but I at least got the freaking bag to move for once.

I know I should be more patient. I know I should have more faith in the guys. And I feel horrible saying this, but the more I stayed down here, the more I wanted to have my old life back.

I miss going to school and flunking all my math classes. I miss rushing around the house like a maniac so I could get ready for school in time. I miss pushing myself past my limit to survive in that freaking jungle known as high school. I miss all the obnoxious jocks. The annoying goth kids. The nerds that kept hitting on me.

I know it's not exactly a perfect life but it was still my life, and a bunch of aliens who speak horrible English and some stupid ninjas shouldn't have the right to take it away from me.

Most of all, I miss my dad. I miss going home him at the end of the day and complaining to him about all my problems. I miss hugging him while he kissed my forehead and told me everything was going to be okay. That tomorrow would be better.

Thinking of my dad hurt me more than any of my sore muscles did. I'd been trying to distract myself from thinking about him too much but it wasn't easy. Seeing the guys with Master Splinter made it hard for me to not think about him.

I thought that being around Master Splinter would make it easier on me. That being around him more and getting fathering from him would make it easier to cope…but it only made me miss him more.

I sighed again and glared at the bag. My breathing was heavy. My chest hurt and my lungs were probably going to burst at any second now. Every muscle in my body ached and I thought my body was going to give out. I should have stopped a long time ago but I needed to let all my issues out.

I guess you could say that talking it out was an option, but to me; it wasn't. I couldn't go to the guys and complain to them about everything. Not after everything they had done.

So instead, this stupid punching bag had become the embodiment of all of my problems, as well my way of coping.

I swallowed thickly. My heavy breathing was turning into wheezing. I took another stance as I prepared to strike the bag again with a roundhouse kick.

When my foot hit the bag, I expected to hear another satisfying smack. Instead, I heard a faint popping sound. I felt it too. My foot felt like it was being eaten from the inside out by fire ants. My vision got all blurry again. But it wasn't just the tears this time.

I grabbed the punching and tried to pull myself to my feet.

Big mistake.

I took one step and collapsed again, falling flat on my face.

I don't know what happened, but when my body hit the ground this time, all my limbs went limp. I didn't have the strength or the will to even thinking about getting up. I tried to move my arms or my legs but I couldn't feel anything. I didn't even have the strength to my head. I remained helplessly face down on the mat that smelled of sweat and must. 15 years of four sweaty teenage boys had not been kind to this thing. Or maybe it was just me. I'd been in here rage training for hours. Now I had collapsed onto the mat with my armpit in my face and didn't have the strength to move.

Oh how smooth of me.

I wanted to call for help but I could barely speak through my heavy wheezes. I began to sob. Even that hurt. With each choked gasp, my wheezes got heavier. The pain in my chest increased.

I couldn't move. I couldn't call out.

So I lay there. Aching. Injured. Crying. And pathetic.

I was so pathetic…

As I lay there, I heard the screen door to the entrance dojo open. There was a sharp gasp and seconds later I was being lifted into strong arms.

It was Master Splinter. He repeatedly asked me what had happened as he carried me out of the dojo. I only managed to choke the words, "My ankle."

He took back to his meditation room and set me down a bench.

I took the time to briefly trade my self-pity for shock as I looked around.

I had never been in Master Splinter's meditation room before He had politely asked that I keep from wandering in there without his permission. And I could see why. All around the room were fragments of his past. Some of it made sense. A kimono hung on the wall here or there. Some Japanese blossom plants. Some scrolls. A couple paintings. Photos of his late wife and daughter.

But there were other items that were really random. Like a cracked porcelain doll head and this random chunk of wood. I wanted to ask about them, but decided it would be better not to. Besides, even I did try talk I'd sound like I had I had frog in my throat that had a frog in its throat.

He came back over with some bandages, a bottle of water, and a bag of ice in hand. He silently sat before me and began to get work. He gently took my foot and I winced. His grip was light enough so that it hurt too much but at the same time, the grip was in escapable. He placed the bag of ice on my ankle and handed me the bottle of water. I greedily snatched it from him and chugged down the first three quarters of it in seconds.

I pulled the bottle from my lips and wiped away the drops had had escaped my mouth and fell on my chin. I swear one drop fell onto my chest and evaporated. I was that hot. And not even the good kind of hot.

Master Splinter put a little pressure on the bag of ice and sighed. "You should know better than to train like this. While it is good to be dedicated and apply yourself, you should not push yourself to the point of injury."

I nodded numbly and took another sip of water. My breaths weren't as heavy and the pain in my chest subsided a little. "I...I know Master Splinter…"

"Then why did you do it?" He asked again. Or perhaps demanded was a better way to put it. His voice stern and he looked at me with hard eyes.

Uh-oh…

I fumbled to form a response. What I was supposed to say? I was going stir-crazy, got angsty and instead of talking to someone about I decided it would be easier to try and literally try and train myself to death?

That probably wouldn't go over very well.

"I just…lost track of time is all," I said in a small voice between breaths. I kept my eyes averted. I didn't like looking at angry Splinter. Just hearing angry Splinter was bad enough.

"You lost track of time?" He asked, though it seemed more like he was mocking me.

"…Yes?"

"I am the one asking, you April." He retorted.

He was really gonna make this difficult wasn't he? "

"Yes."

"I don't believe you."

I sighed. He sighed too. I guess my crappy mood was just contagious.

"I want you to tell me the truth, April" He said again. His voice more gentle this time. Or least less pissed off.

I decided there was no point in trying to avoid talking about it. According to the guys, Splinter was like a walking polygraph. A walking ninja polygraph at that.

I sighed and shifted around uncomfortably. "I…I was upset."

"You were upset?" He echoed.

I narrowed my eyes at him. That was getting annoying. "Yes. I was upset and I just needed to blow off some steam. I…I guess I got a little carried away?"

"A little?"

"Okay, okay! Geez, you don't quit do you? A lot carried away alright...but it's fine now, okay."

Master Splinter nodded and hummed a little. "Is that so?"

"Yes, it is so. Now will you stop answering me with questions?"

"Will you tell me the truth?"

I huffed.

"It makes you feel better, that was not a question. It was simply a command disguised as a question."

"Why would that me feel better?"

"As I said, it was not another question." He crossed his arms and looked all stern again. "I want you to tell me what happened, April."

I averted my eyes and fought more tears, clenching my fist at my side. "You guys…you've all been really good to me. Taking me in and trying to help me find my dad. And I know that should be enough for me and that I shouldn't be upset anything but…but…I just…

"You want your life back? Your father?"

I bit my lip and finally met eyes, tears streaming down my face. "Before I fall asleep at night, the last thought I have is that he's run out of time and we won't be able to save him. It's the thing I thing when I wake up too. It was me they were after the entire time, not him! He's somewhere suffering all because of me and there's even anything I can do about it because I'm stuck down here!"

I turned away and slumped against the wall, crying hysterically. I expected Splinter to be upset with me and that I was just being a little brat and tell me that what this was for the best and to get over it.

Or at least that's what I felt I deserved to hear.

Instead, he came and sat next me, pulling me into him so I could cry into his robe. I hesitated at first but after a few seconds I clutched him back, burying my face in the fabric. I wasn't quite sure how long this went on. A few moments later he pulled me away and wiped my face. I guess he tired of the snot and tears on his robe.

"You should not feel as if your anger is not justified, April." He swallowed and his voice became heavy. "When I had my life taken from me, I was angry as well. I thought I had nothing…"

His voice trailed off but I had a pretty good idea of where to pick up. I wiped away what wetness was left on my face and sighed. "Until they came along," I finished for him. I chuckled a bit. "Guess they've done a lot of good for the both of us…I should have more faith in them…"

"You should have faith that they will do everything in their power to find your father and bring him back to you. As well as give you your old life back. But…you are right to be apprehensive. I will make you no promises that I do not I can keep. Only time will tell of your father's condition. And in that time, know that you have a family here to support you."

I smiled a bit and nodded. "I'm glad I do. Because the punching bag in the dojo needs some improvement in the support are," I said flexing my ankle around. It felt good enough to remove the ice bag and Splinter wrapped it for me.

"You should rest yourself for a few days. You will likely miss a couple days of your training," He said, as we left the meditation room together.

A few days off from training sounded good until realized I was going to have work like crazy to get caught up. It was almost like being back in school. Falling behind and going insane to caught back up on everything. Even now school problems still applied to my life.

"Yeah, I know. Let's just hope I don't make this mistake again,"

Splinter winked at me and smiled a bit. "No worries. Next time, I will be there with you." He said ruffling my hair. Or at least trying to do. It didn't work out all that well because my hair was still sweat ridden and damp. But still, I felt the love behind it.

I looped my arm around his as we entered left the dojo. "Thanks…I like the sound of that,"

(A/N): Heh, yeah I know. A sliiiight shift in tone here, right? I just figured that there would plenty of things to "adjust" to besides the guys not knowing anything about girls and being awkward and adorable. But no worries, there's more of that to come. ;-)