#alicat

"You're right. I just...I dunno anymore Don" he sighed rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Give her some time she'll adjust" Donnie patted his shoulder.

-

Great, he was stuck with the silent cat. Well at least she wasn't noisy like his brothers. He glanced over at her. Nope nevermind he rather she was noisy. Ugh yeah he wasn't sitting in the lair with her silently observing. "I'm going out for a run, coming?" She blinked "yes, Ali come." Drat he was hoping she'd say no, ahwell at least he'd be outside.

-

The run had not gone as planned. He had stopped some thugs from robbing a store and they had called their pals. And there were ALOT of them. with guns. and tasers. It was not going well, he didn't know where Ali went and he was tiring out. He didn't see the taser coming until it was too late. Hitting the ground, he struggled to defend himself. Then suddenly he didn't need to. Black paws stepped into his vision blocking him from the thugs. She was swift, savage, and didn't leave his side.

"Leo hurt?" She extended a hand.

"I'm fine" He begrudgingly took her hand "Thanks" he noticed blood. "You're not fine though, where are you hurt?"

"Ali not hurt"

"Yes you are. There's cuts on your arm." Looking down at it she seemed surprised to see the injuries. "Ali not hurt"

"Yes you- agh nevermind let's just get you patched up"

-

"What happened to you? And why's Ali hurt?" "Not hurt"

"what? Yes you are, look at-"

"Don't bother Raph I already tried, she doesn't think she's hurt for some reason"

"Cmon Ali let's go get that patched up" Mikey pulled her toward the infirmary. "So, Leo. What happened?" Raph crossed his arms, waiting. Leo retold the encounter. "She...protected me. And I didn't tell her too. She acted of her own accord."

"That's good, girl needs to make her own decisions. What I wanna know is why she did, you haven't really been nice to her"

"I don't know Raph, I really don't"

----

"Come, Ali, join me" Splinter patted the space next to him. The boys were sparring as part of today's training. She padded over. Splinter noticed how she seemed to note the way he sat and did the same. He turned back to watching his sons. Ali sat quietly and watched as well. After a few minutes. Splinter glanced over and noticed how attentively she was watching, her eyes flicked back and forth taking it in, almost as if she was memorizing each action they took. Her ears were upright, taking in each sound. The tip of her tail twitched almost as if she was in action herself. Hmm, he wondered...maybe...yes he would try it, it would be good training for his sons as well. "(Insert word Splinter uses, idr what it is), Ali, would you care to spar with them?" Her tail and hands twitched excitedly. "Ali spar?"

"If you want"

"Yes"

Splinter smiled and nodded "then up you go" His boys' expressions where a mixture of excitement, confusion, worry, and confidence that they could take her without a problem. She soon proved how wrong they were. Splinter was impressed at how well she did after merely watching. She was swift and fluid, however her mimicry also included the boys flaws and tendencies which resulted in her eventual downfall. Splinter praised all of them, and had asked her if she would like to participate again. When she hesitated all four of his boys looked over and had said please. She nodded. Splinter smiled "Training is concluded for today, get some rest my children."

---

Ali was looking down at the object she had been handed, holding it carefully as she could. She may be a cat but careful gentleness didn't seem to come easy to her. "What is?"

"It's a comic book, that one's one of my favorites. If you like it you can read the rest if you want." Mikey and everyone else were learning how to tell her emotions, she wasn't very expressive in the normal way. If he was right, the current one was confusion. "Yknow a book? Something you read? ...do you know how to read?" Hesitation. "No"

"That sucks, I'll teach ya then"

-

"Mikey, what are you doing?"

"Teaching Ali how to read, what does it look like?"

"Oookaaay, wouldn't Dad or Donnie be better for this?"

"Eh, dad's first language is Japanese and Donnie would go all scientisty on her."

"True, how's it going so far?"

"Really good, she picks up on things really fast. Right?" She blinked "yes?"

"Hmmm, guess you're a good teacher then, Mikey"

he puffed up "of course I am, I learned from the best didn't I?"

~~

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