Get ready Berry. I'm about to give you the enemiest to loviest story ever

(hopefully)

-----

Rita felt the sting of the cage's bars against her back again. She rubbed her bandaged arms and sucked in a breath.

"Come on, guys." she whispered. "I don't think I can take this for much longer..."

The lock suddenly clicked on the cage. Rita looked up. The door creaked open and a hand extended inside.

"Keep quiet and come with me." a voice muttered.

Rita cautiously took the hand and was pulled out of the small space. The person ran with her toward the door Uncle Leo and Uncle Raph had broken in through two days ago. They pushed it open and slipped out with her.

"May I ask where you're taking me? I'm not that interested in being held captive again." Rita asked.

The person didn't reply. They just kicked a manhole cover out of the way and jumped in. Rita quickly followed.

The person took their mask down.

Rita raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

"My names Cara. Now do you want to go home? I know Donnie misses you." she stated.

"How do you...nevermind, let's just go. I won't question how you know him." Rita answered.

"Great!" Cara walked away.

Rita rushed to keep up. They continued walking for quite a while before the lights pouring from the Lair came into view.

"Your welcome for the rescue! Catch you around, kid." Cara vanished into the shadows.

Rita, still confused, stumbled closer to the light of the Lair. She grabbed onto the edge and pulled herself into the large space.

"Ohmigosh! Rita! Dee, Rita's back!" Mikey shouted when he saw her.

Rita froze and looked toward her father's bedroom where he stood outside. She glanced away and rubbed at her bandages again.

Donnie rushed down to her quickly and pulled her into his plastron. "You have no idea how worried sick I was."

Rita let tears run down her face. "I do know. I'm sorry for making you worry."

"It's not your fault. Teresa just-"

"Oh would you stop saying it's Resa's fault! We obviously know now it was not her because she's right here!" Mikey retorted angrily.

Teresa shifted on her feet nervously nearby.

"_Anyway_, I'm just glad you're home safe, Rita." Donnie whispered.

-----

Isamu leaped up from his bed and tossed on the same ragged clothes. Tigerclaw snored in a different bed across the room.

"Okay, Isamu. This morning is a new morning. Get Rita in the room, take her out after thirty minutes, and you're free until the next time you have to." Isamu couldn't help the twinge of anger pass through him again.

Isamu left the room. He glanced down the hallway and went to the right. He entered a new room a few feet away. Isamu walked past the huge stack of boxes and stared into Rita's cage.

"Anddd...she's gone. Okay, well, Tigerclaw doesn't have to know." Isamu shrugged, not being able to help the flash of relief inside of him either.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Tigerclaw appeared.

"So my daughter somehow escaped?" he asked.

Isamu backed away slowly. "Um, yes sir."

"And you weren't planning on telling me?"

"N- I mean yes I was planning on telling you sir." Isamu nodded.

Tigerclaw raised a hand up and brought his claws down on Isamu's face. Isamu yelped and fell to the ground. He lifted a paw up to his eye only for a bloodstain to be left there.

"Get her back, or her life won't be the only one lost today." Tigerclaw growled.

Isamu carefully stood up. "Yes sir."

Tigerclaw turned around and went back to the room. Isamu sighed and headed out one of the doors on his right. He moved over the closest sewer lid and leaped inside. Getting to their Lair would be easy. Getting Rita back to Tigerclaw with her family around, not so easy. He could shapeshift into one of them, but that would be too suspicious for her after what happened the first time.

"Get it together, Isamu. Maybe you can shift into a rat? That wouldn't be as suspicious." He whispered to himself.

Isamu pressed his back against a wall and felt the tingly sensation as he got smaller. The shift finished and he scurried toward the familiar pouring light.

"Get in, get her out, go back. Easy as that." Isamu said. "But what if..." he glanced into the large room and spotted her walking toward a medical symbol beside it. "What if it isn't...?"

-----

Rita stared up at the ceiling of the med bay. Being in here was boring, but she knew she had to be. She had let the scratches and cuts buried beneath her black fur get so infected they didn't look like what they were anymore.

"Psst! Rita!" a squeaky voice shouted quietly. "Down here, we need to talk!"

Rita closed her eyes and growled. She reopened them and looked over the side of the bed as much as she could. "What is it, dog?"

Isamu shifted back into himself and nervously avoided her gaze. "Tigerclaw wants me to get you back."

Rita growled a little louder. "Then you can tell him to find himself someone else to have Bebop and Rocksteady toss around, cause I ain't going back there."

"I know. I don't think I have the heart to bring you back and watch you get hurt again." Isamu admitted.

Rita stared into his eyes. "And why's that?"

"I don't know, I just can't. You're probably going to say no to having your wounds healed again and I couldn't bear to watch them get infected the first time." Isamu stared back into her eyes.

Rita gasped at the emotions she saw stirring there. She looked away and puffed her cheeks out. She couldn't let him get to her.

"Rita! You still doing okay?" Donnie steps into the med bay.

Rita sat up and blocked Isamu from his view. "Yeah, yeah, I'm perfectly fine!" she put her hand on Isamu's head and pushed him down.

"That's good. Who was behind you?" Donnie questioned.

Rita laughed nervously. "No one, dad. Just a pesky rat, you know how it is."

"Sure. I'll be back in an hour to see how you're doing." The softshell turned around and went back to his lab.

Isamu slowly rose up and looked over the bed. "Is he gone?"

"I think so." Rita replied.

"Good. I should probably get going now and tell Tigerclaw that...well I'll think of something along the way." Isamu started shifting into a rat again.

"Who are you talking to Rita? Who is that?" Marg suddenly asked.

"Oh uh hey, Marg...I was just talking to myself." Rita replied.

"Rita, you're as bad at lying as Uncle Donnie. I know I heard a guy's voice in here." Marg narrowed her eyes.

Rita quickly glanced at Isamu then at her blankets. Marg slowly approached.

"Fine, fine! There is someone here, but you can't tell anyone, please! Who knows what they'll do if they find out Tigerclaw sent someone to come get me!" Rita broke out.

"Who's Tigerclaw? And why is he sending people after you?" Marg questioned.

"Oh right, I hadn't told you yet. Well, Tigerclaw is...my real...dad and the first time that I was taken, Isamu here had shapeshifted into Rita and lured me away into...somewhere and had me become two certain mutants plaything. Then Uncle Leo, Uncle Raph, and grandpa tried to rescue me, but it didn't really work, that was two days ago, then this girl named Cara rescued me and brought me back. Now, Tigerclaw, or Isamu's boss, sent him after me and to bring me back." Rita flashed a small smile at her cousin.

"What?!" she shouted.

Rita quickly covered Mary's mouth. "Hush! Please!"

Marg pushed her hands away. "Fine. I won't say anything. But why are you trying to protect him?"

Rita sighed. "Because I can see that he doesn't agree with what Tigerclaw is doing."

"He still kidnapped you!" Marg argued.

"He probably didn't have a choice!" Rita shot back.

"What's going on? Why are you two fighting?" Donnie demanded.

Rita held her breath and glared at Marg.

Marg slowly turned to face Donnie. "Rita and I were just arguing about...um..."

"Spit it out." Donnie said.

"We were arguing about Uncle...Leo! How he didn't have a choice on whether to go and save Rita...or not." Marg made a nervous smile.

"That's a weird topic to be fighting over, but whatever. You better rest, Rita, or so help me..." Donnie spun around and left again.

"Where is he?" Marg asked.

"Done there. He should be a rat." Rita pointed on the other side of the bed.

Marg walked over to the other side and picked Isamu up by his tail.

"Careful!" Rita whispered.

Marg out her other hand up and let Isamu put his feet down. "I'll get him out of here, but he better not come back." she glanced down at him.

"I have no plan to." Isamu took a deep breath as Marg carried him away.

-----

Rita stewed over what Isamu's eyes had betrayed for hours. She couldn't quite put her finger on what emotions had been in that beautiful gaze of his.

Donnie had been checking in on her every hour. He had said she was finally allowed to leave the med bay whenever she wanted.

"Rita, I have a question." Uncle Casey's voice made her jump.

"Come in." she whispered.

He walked in slowly and approached her bed. "You've met Cara?"

Rita raised an eyebrow but nodded. "I have. She was the one who brought me home."

Uncle Casey glanced behind him as a girl stepped into the room with and waved at Rita.

Rita widened her eyes. "That's how you knew Donnie! How long have you been living here?"

Cara put her hood down. "Casey brought me here a while back."

"Uncle Casey? Why?" Rita wondered.

"Well, I had found wandering in the sewers. She had told me she was looking for someone. I quickly realized she had been looking for you four. I didn't know why but brought her here and kept her in the garage." He explained.

"What would you want with us?" Rita narrowed her eyes at Cara.

"There's a storm coming. One that won't be favorful to any of you. I got to see you train and each day you got much more ready for it." Cara explained.

"What's going to happen in this...storm?" Rita asked nervously.

"That is something I do not know. But, Rita..." Cara stepped closer to her bed and took her hand. "I also know that you are going to lead the others through this."

"But Uncle Raph was the leader of him and his brothers! So shouldn't Marg be the leader?" Rita panicked.

"Child, you are the one to lead your cousins. Legacy can't matter to you. You were made to be the leader. Marg isn't prepared for the storm." Cara whispered. "I wish there was more I could tell you."

Rita's face scrunched up and she looked away. "I can't do that..."

Cara moved her face to stare into her eyes. "You can do this. Everyone believes in you."

She took a hand from Rita's and pressed it to her chest. Glowing green spirits appeared around them. One in particular stood closer then the others.

"We will all be with you along the way." he whispered. "Every single one of your ancestors."

Rita looked toward Cara, but she was glowing green too. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

"Gram Gram..." Rita felt tears stream down her face.

"They told you...oh child, you have been through so much..." She gently cupped her cheek.

Rita leaned into it and nodded.

"We have a task for you." the taller spirit said. "We'll need you to teach your cousins the ancient Hamato technique, Ninpō. They will need this for what is to come. Karai."

Karai removed her hand from Rita's cheek and hand and stood up. She raised her arms and looked down at Rita with a smile. Rita watched her disappear and heard a quiet whisper in her head. The other spirits disappeared too. Cara and Casey stared into Rita's eyes.

Rita took a deep breath. "I think I'm ready."

-----

Donnie came into the med bay a few hours later and caught Rita on her feet.

"Good to see you walking again." he stated.

Rita looked deep into his eyes, desperate for him know what she had seen. Fortunately, he caught on quick.

"I see." he smiled. "I'm proud of you."

Rita smiled back and stumbled on shaky legs toward the exit. "Hopefully the girls learn as easily as you four did." she left and headed for the garage where she had told them to go.

"What's first, Rita?" Anna asked when she arrived.

Rita stood in front of her cousins. She glanced behind them at the shadows before bowing her head. "Hamato Ninpō doesn't come from you alone. Trust each other like we all trust everyone."

Teresa got it first. Anna followed, then Marg. Rita got it last.

"It probably shouldn't have been that easy, but whatever." Rita shrugged.

"Maybe someone got lazy." Anna said.

"Maybe." Rita agreed.

A loud crashing sound came from outside. Rita turned her head toward it.

"It's begun..." Cara whispered. "Too early..."

The four rushed out of the garage. Tigerclaw flashed his claws out and raised his arm to strike.

"No!" Rita screamed. "Go, girls! Go!"

Rita leaped down and instantly ran at Tigerclaw. She pushed him away from Donnie and growled. He turned around and tried striking her. Rita dodged and swiped up Donnie's broken tech bo nearby. She struck Tigerclaw's chest with it and knocked him back more.

"Dear daughter, why must you fight against your own father? You can join me." Tigerclaw whispered.

Rita glanced at Donnie's shocked look before answering. "I told you before, you have no right to call me _that_ anymore. This is where I belong now."

"And which of these turtles has been taking care of you, hm?" Tigerclaw questioned.

"You don't deserve to know." Rita snapped.

She ran at Tigerclaw and pelted him with blows. He caught the tech bo once and tossed her away. She got back up and looked around. Anna, Teresa, and Marg were taking on Bebop and Rocksteady easily. Isamu was nowhere to be found. Rita hurried back to Tigerclaw and sweeped his legs out from under him.

"Girls, I need- ngh." Tigerclaw kicked her back. "get our dads out of here!"

Rita beat Tigerclaw back into a corner and blasted him farther away. She went back to Donnie and stood him up. She started walking him toward the garage.

"Oh no you don't. You're not getting away from this fight." Tigerclaw's voice growled.

A ninja star flew through the air. Rita glanced back at it too late. It broke through Donnie's battleshell and lodged itself deep into his softshell undernearth.

"No! No no no!" Rita spun on her heels angrily. "What did you do?!" she shouted at Tigerclaw.

Donnie sagged in her arms. Marg poked her head out of the garage and saw them. Tigerclaw started throwing more ninja stars. Rita desperately carried Donnie the rest of the way to the garage. Marg slammed it closed behind them.

Rita dragged Donnie closer to his brothers. Raph gently took him from her. Rita sobbed and fell to her knees in front of them. She covered her face with her hands.

"Oh no..." Isamu whispered suddenly. "I-I got here too late."

Rita turned toward his voice. She needed someone. Anyone. "Isamu? Where are you?"

Uncle Leo blocked him from her when he exited the shadows. Isamu merely got closer and pushed him out of the way. He sank beside Rita and put a hand in hers.

"I'm so sorry, Rita. I tried to get here as fast as I could to warn you." Isamu sighed.

Rita buried her face in his fur. "At least you tried..."

Marg, Teresa, and Anna got down beside Rita with him and put hands around her. Uncle Raph, Leo, and Mikey slowly laid Donnie down in front of Rita after getting the star out and backed away. He inched his hand closer to Rita and she gasped and clasped her hand tightly around his. Donnie twisted his head toward her.

"This really hurts..." He grunted.

"I know, dad." Rita whispered. "At least you're okay."