Destiny wakes up again after what feels like hours. No sounds are made outside the room, prompting her to think that everyone's asleep. She gets up, padding slowly to the door and pushing it open, making her bandaged shoulder quiver. She glances over her shoulder and eyes the crutches leaning by the bed for a moment before shrugging them off. In her mind, she's always been one for quick recoveries, or maybe that's her stubborn nature insisting that she doesn't need the healing that she does.

Her stomach growls, making her tense as her ears scan for anyone who may have heard the loud sound. Nothing except for the steady drip of water in the damp tunnels reaches her. She heads towards the kitchen, wanting to stop her stomach's discomfort. On the counter in the kitchen is an old pizza box and a little note.

Destiny,
I managed to save a slice for you. Enjoy it :)
Donnie

She smiles a bit and opens the box, taking the piece of pizza out and munching on it contentedly. It disappears swiftly and she looks around as she stretches her sore shoulder a little and brushing her hands off. Something moves outside the kitchen.

Her wolf ears twitch as she freezes, listening. A prickly feeling crawls up the back of her neck, footsteps approaching nearer and nearer.

Something touches her shoulder and she yelps. She spins around and pins the attacker to the ground, claws extended and aimed at their throat.

She meet Leonardo's surprised look, his eyes wavering to the claws still situated against the nape of his neck. She takes a few short, panting breaths as he slowly lowers his raised hands. A soft chuckle leaves him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he apologizes.

She scrambles off of him, cheeks flushing with colour and tail pressing closer to her body. "No, I'm sorry," she says. "I'm not used to other mutants being around and I acted recklessly."

"That's not your fault," he says. They stand in a tense silence, the only sounds the occasional drip of water or the fridge whirring. He clears his throat. "You got the pizza Donnie insisted on leaving for you?"

She nods. "Yeah...thanks again."

He smiles. "Thank Donnie. He had to stop Mikey from eating it, and let me tell you, that is no easy feat."

"I'll do that."

There's another beat of silence. Destiny forces herself not to physically cringe, wishing that their conversations would stop having these awkward breaks. Maybe now is the time for her to slip back to bed...

"How'd you learn that?" he inquires.

Her eyes widen a little as she puckers her lips. "Learn...what?"

"When you pounced on me, those reflexes were pretty quick," he compliments, giving her a look that's almost playful in nature. "Also, when you took the pizza out of the scooter a few days ago, I noticed that you performed a pretty good flip."

Her face flares with heat again, making her flick her hair in front of it as she lowers her head. "I just sort of picked it up..."

"You must've had a teacher or something." He tilts his head a little, his curious expression rather adorable. "Were you...in any clan?" He tenses at that, like something that has to do with clans is incredibly terrible and horrifying.

Destiny shakes her head in response. "No. I've been pretty much on my own for my entire life. I learned everything just by experience...but it's not much. I've just fended off creeps, among others."

Leonardo's lips twitch slightly as his shoulders sag. "For being self-taught, your skills are impressive."

"Thanks." She returns the minuscule smile before glancing around, hooking her thumbs in the tattered loops of her jeans. "What are you doing up?"

"Oh, well, I couldn't sleep. I thought I'd watch TV when my brothers wouldn't tease me about it," he answers, hand trailing to his neck. He rests it there before dragging it along his cheek and exhaling. "You...you could join me, if you wanted?"

"I should probably get more rest," she says, shaking her head as she forces a fanged smile. "So...I'll be off."

She brushes past him, limping towards her current room. Behind her, she hears Leonardo's soft footfalls make their way to the living room before the TV switches on. She stops short as she hears a familiar theme song. When she looks back, seeing the blue-masked turtle sitting right near the screen; blue eyes sparkling, face spread in a wide grin. What's more, she recognizes the show.

"Is that...Space Heroes?" she asks as she settles down on the bench.

Leonardo jumps a little, looking over his shoulder and taking in her reappearance. He smiles warmly, an almost childlike excitement written across his face.

"Yeah!" he answers. He looks down for a moment, his face falling. "Everyone thinks it's lame though," he admits. Destiny bites her lower lip absentmindedly as he pauses the show and pivots his body to face her. "Your backpack has Space Heroes on it, so...you like it, right?"

She looks at her feet, scuffing her good foot against the ground. "I think I do."

"Think?"

Her lips twist into a mini grimace as she shrugs. "Uh...well, I have a few memories of watching it but I don't know if I actually like it," she says.

He gives her a look that's wrought with skepticism, but it disappears and he pats the spot beside him. "How about you find out?"

-----------

"Wait, so Bianca isn't Captain Ryan's daughter, and she was born a Cortexicon?" Destiny asks. "Wow...I didn't see that coming at all."

She's taken a spot beside Leonardo, the two of them gazing right at the screen with wide eyes. She doesn't know what it is about this show—it's probably the nostalgia of her forgotten pieces of childhood—but she likes it, even if it can be cheesy.

Leonardo grins, nudging her lightly with his shoulder. "See? You like it," he jokes.

She rests her chin on her hand, her head bobbing up and down. "It's...amusing," she says, glancing sideways at him. "It was probably made for kids."

Leonardo pouts, his hands tightening around his knees. "That doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed by an older audience."

She smirk just the littlest bit. "Oh, did I strike a nerve?" she coos.

He rolls his eyes. "No, you didn't."

"Leonardo, Destiny."

They jump, nearly falling into each other as they scramble to their feet. Splinter stands a little ways away from them, one hand on his staff and one eyebrow raised.

"You should be asleep," he scolds gently.

"Sorry Sensei," Leonardo says, turning off the TV.

"Sorry..." Destiny echoes.

"Back to bed, both of you."

Leonardo nods, dashing off towards his room. He glances back at Destiny once more, waving goodnight before going in. Splinter switches his attention to her and she quickly hides the dopey smile that's fixed itself on her face.

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

"A little sore, but otherwise, good," she replies. "The ankle isn't too bad."

He nods, stroking his goatee. Somehow, Destiny knows that he doesn't want to talk about her injuries.

"Destiny, are you going to stay here?" he inquires, solidifying her assumption.

She bites her lip, her tail swaying lightly. "I don't want to overstay my welcome. I mean, you helped me out and everything. I can just go back to my old way of life."

"Did you enjoy that way?"

She thinks for a moment. She thinks of the freedom she experienced every night, running and flipping and twisting beneath the light of the moon. She thinks of the thrill of never being tied down to one spot and the beauty of the sunrises and sunsets that she got to see every day.

Still, her mind wanders to the cold winter nights spent huddled in a ratty blanket, the days spent without decent food, the loneliness that she felt at times; the kind that made her feel cold and lost. She thinks of every single day being another fight for survival, learning how to fight back against those who may attack her, never knowing who was a friend and who was an enemy.

"No, but it wasn't all that bad at times," she finally answers.

Splinter steps closer to her, his height making her feel slightly intimidated. "Then why don't you stay here?"

She shakes her head. "I don't know...I'm not used to having friends."

He smiles. "The only way to change that is by having friends. Do you understand?"

"I guess."

"Yes or no?"

"...Yes."

His eyes squint with a smile as his whiskers twitch. He nods shortly. "Go rest. We'll see you in the morning."

She bows quickly and heads off to her room at her new limping gait, going in and shutting the door with a soft click.