Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT

Please excuse me if any of the characters seem a little out of character, it was hard trying to predict what they'd all be like in the future. Sorry. :(

Chapter 1

She tried to get up, as the building was crumbling around her in flames. It was no use, her body was scorched in the explosion, and left her disoriented. Hardly able to move, Cleo gagged on the toxic smoke. Her lungs ached and she felt herself growing weaker every second.

"I can't die," she told herself, "Not now, not after what I have been through. . ."

She couldn't see, the smoke stung her eyes and she was crying, but Cleo thought she heard someone calling her name, crying it, screaming her name in desperation.

Cleo recognized the voice immediately, "D-daddy?" He was here, " Daddy!" her voice was hoarse and hardly audible in her mind, but he heard it.

Leonardo found her, he himself, was covered in burns and cuts, "Cleo! You're alive!" He scooped his daughter up in his arms, earning a cry of pain, "It's gonna be alright, Cleo, I promise."

His daughter tried to offer a smile, but failed, "The truth?"

He kissed her forehead and repeated his words, "I promise."

The burning flames brought down the ceiling, Leonardo and his daughter were lost underneath the burning remains of what once was the Foot headquarters.

**Days Earlier **

Leonardo was busy practicing advanced katas in the dojo, his sixteen-year-old daughter, Cleo, was obediently kneeling under the old tree in the center of the chamber, watching her father intently. Her eyes were narrowed into sea blue slits, as she leaned forward, observing his motions, and attempting to memorize the actions. She could see how hard he was working, from the sweat that gleamed off of his green skin, and his heavy breath that echoed through the dojo. His swords reflected Cleo's image when he came near her, she saw her own teal mask and youthful face for only split seconds on the silver blades, giving her the thrill of excitement.

Of course, her father taught her how to hold a sword, and to swing it with the correct form, but she never knew how to perform such perplexed movements. She knew she wouldn't learn either, her signature weapon was the Kusarigama, and she would eventually learn complicated katas that even her father wouldn't understand. Cleo trained under master Splinter, learning everything that she needed to know, but unfortunately, the master was getting older, and wasn't as quick as he used to be when he was training his sons in the art of ninjutsu, so her uncle Michelangelo would often assist in her training.

"It's only a matter of time before you're that good, kiddo." It was Donatello, he sat beside her and watched his older brother with a water bottle in hand.

Cleo glanced at her uncle, "You think?"

Uncle Donnie patted her shell, "Think? Cleo, I know. You are just as dedicated to your training as your father is. He was practically a master at seventeen."

"Seventeen?" she asked, "Wasn't that how old he was when he met my mother?" Cleo was told that her mother was from an enemy clan, and ran away to be with her father, but died giving birth to her. Donnie explained that her mother was a human, and that humans weren't capable of giving birth to mutant turtles, and that Cleo herself, was lucky to be alive. She understood that she was the only thing her father had left of her mother.

Donatello cringed at the question, "Well, they actually first met when they were fifteen, and Leo had a terrible crush on your mother already, but it wasn't until Karai turned seventeen, that she started to love him back."

She nodded, "Oh. Okay." Cleo knew that her father and uncles didn't like talking about her mother, Karai, and left it at that for the sake of her uncle.

Leonardo came to a halt, and sheathed his weapons. Donnie stood and offered him the water bottle, her father took it and emptied the water, "How was that, Cleo?"

Cleo stood up, "That was amazing!" she exclaimed.

Donnie and Leo smiled at each other, "I was just telling her how it wouldn't be long before she was as good as you." Donatello told him.

He nodded, "I wouldn't be surprised if she was even better than me."

Just then they heard Michelangelo call everyone into the kitchen for lunch. The three turtles left the dojo and made their way to the kitchen to eat. Mikey had already set the table, and Raphael and Splinter were already sitting in their usual spots around the rectangular table. Leonardo and Donatello sat down, and Cleo jumped over the back of her chair, landing in her seat. Her father gave her a look, and she shrugged.

"Ah, lunchtime!" Raph said, "I'm starving!"

Mikey slammed a huge plate of Sloppy Joes in the middle of the table, "You are in luck then, my brother! Starve no more because I made Pizza Joes!"

They each took a Sloppy Joe, and dropped them on their plates. Michelangelo went to the stove top and poured a cup of tea, "Tea for the master," he handed the cup to his father, who thanked him with a smile, then he reached in the fridge, "Two cold ones for Leo and Raphie." he set the beers in front of his brothers, then went back in the fridge, "A chilly Pepsi for little Leo, uh, I mean Cleo." He put the can on her head, then turned to the coffee maker, "And finally, a big cup of coffee for my very brainy brother, Donatello the scientist."

Donnie took the cup and sipped on it, "Alright, what do you want, Mikey?"

"Nothing," he replied with a toothy grin, "Can't I just appreciate my older brother's genius like mind?" He took out his own Pepsi and sat down between Cleo and Splinter.

Donatello rolled his eyes, "Uh-huh."

The family finished their meal together in silence, Cleo read somewhere, or maybe she heard her uncle Don talking about it, but somehow she knew that whenever people talked, they spit, and now she was always thankful that her family liked to eat in quiet. Saliva grossed her out, and was one of her biggest weaknesses when she was rough housing with her family. Just the thought of it made her shiver, and she willed herself to finish eating quicker.

Once everyone was done and the table was cleaned, Leonardo left to take a shower, Donatello retreated to the lab with Michelangelo following him, and Splinter decided to meditate in the dojo, leaving Cleo and Raphael.

Cleo stood up awkwardly, "I'm going to clean my room." She stated, sure her uncle had something better to do than babysit his teenage niece.

Raph stood up after her, "Okay, I'll be watching TV if you need me." and he walked past her. Her uncles always wanted to be sure Cleo felt safe to come to them if she needed anything.

She just nodded even though he wasn't looking, then ran off into her bedroom. She jumped on her bed and laid there on her stomach for a few moments, vaguely remembering her father ordering her to clean her room that morning. She groaned, and rolled over to stare at the ceiling with dull eyes, "Why does cleaning have to be so boring?" she wondered aloud.

Hi guys, I'm new here so pointers would be excellent! Thanks!