Set during the time of Leo's temper problems after the defeat of Shredder. What if Leo had a girlfriend before the fight, and after.
My first time trying a POV story. I'm not giving myself a name. If I must put something of a name of sorts in, I'll just put the word ME in brackets. (me)
I have been friends with Leo and his family for a long time, up until these hard times. You would think that after the turtles and Splinter defeated the Shredder that they would have been really happy and have a lot less problems.
Though they have all long since recovered from their physical injuries, Leo is the only one I am really concerned for. He has not been himself since before the final fight with Shredder. He is so moody that I am really cautious about approaching him anymore. We used to be so close, and now, he is so distant.
I love the whole family, but Leo was the turtle that I got close to the most. I admired all of his qualities. He seemed almost perfect to me. How much he cared for his family, the best fighter, how he handled his swords, was like a parent at times, how close he was with his dad, his planning strategies, how graceful he could move, especially for a being with a shell on his back and front.
Leo also respected me; my space and likes, and dislikes. I could always talk to him. He had admired me for my love of other living beings who were different than humans. I respected him for liking to want to protect humans, and that's how we had met. He had saved me before I had gotten in trouble. I wasn't one who liked to fight really. I just avoided confrontations if I could help it.
Leo had been out for a run that night alone because he had needed some air. He had heard me scream and all, just like any other damsel in distress. Some gang punks were advancing on me, had my purse, and were starting to do other things to me, but Leo had stopped them before they could take it further. He beat them to a pulp before they took off running.
Then Leo had turned to me. I wasn't too sure who had saved me at first, but I was more than grateful for the save. Usually whoever has shown concern for me greatly, I do become good friends with them soon after.
He had been about ready to get back to the roofs when I spoke up. "Hey, wait."
Leo turned around. "Yes?"
"Who are you?" I asked.
"My name is Leonardo." He said from his place in the shadows.
"You don't look human." I said.
"I'm not. If you'll excuse me, I should be going if you're alright ma'am." Leo said.
"I'm not hurt, but I would have been if not for you saving me moments ago. But you don't have to go. I wouldn't mind getting to know you a bit more." I said.
Leo had been shocked at that, that the girl he had saved, me, had not run away screaming. And instead, wanted to be friends with him. "But aren't you shocked at my appearance?" He asked. He knew I had seen him by now.
"A bit, but I like things that are not normal. And as seeing you are in the form of a turtle, I love turtles." I said.
Leo had been happy to hear that. For a long time, we snuck around. I had my own apartment, and he would come to see me every few nights when he could get away from his family. We learned about each other and all and about our families. I promised to never tell a soul about him.
Leo's emotions had changed around the lair after he had first met me. He was happier, and eventually, his brothers had to follow him one night to my apartment and saw us together. And when Leo tried to leave, he was confronted by Don, Mikey, and Raph.
We had only been seeing each other for a couple of months, and Leo was a bit miffed that his brothers had followed him, but they had to find out some time. The next time he came over to see me, he brought them too.
I was a bit surprised, but it was finally nice to meet them. I loved Don right away from the sound of his gentle voice. Mikey was funny to me. I was a bit put off though about Raph, him not smiling right away. He was just worried if the girl his brother was seeing was good enough for him.
To this day, after I had been evicted from my apartment because my job wasn't paying me good enough anymore, and I couldn't pay my bills anymore, I told Leo about it, and he offered me to move in with him and his family. I had come to know his family by then, and I gave him a quick yes.
The turtles helped me move my stuff into the lair as quickly as possible. And I have been here ever since.
Master Splinter was more than welcoming when he had heard about my dilemma. The wise rat is strict when it comes to ninja training, just as Leo can be, but outside of that, he is a great person. I never like to call him or his sons just what they are as species entirely all the time. I prefer to think of them as beings rather than animals. Though I call animals living beings too.
I may not be a shadow warrior, but I could fade into shadows and be a sneak. Leo has offered to teach me how to fight, but I have told him that he can't push me too hard. My body has always been too sensitive to pain. Overactive pain nerves I guess. I get hurt too seriously, and then I can barely move. Plus it didn't help that my back had had an injury at one time.
I am more the kind of girl who I don't mind watching Leo train with his family, but I prefer the quieter times with him. The more loving times, when I can manage to pull him away from his ninja way of thinking for awhile, to get him on his more caring side of things that stand for hanging out and learning some things besides about martial arts.
And we had even been so close as to actually cross the line of being more than just good friends. The more intimate kind of things. And we even 'did it.' I liked it, and mostly because I loved him.
Though I detest most of human history because it has been mostly NOTHING BUT war, I don't mind learning from Leo about Japanese culture and language. I do kind of have short term memory, but its more of selective memory really. He does often have to remind me of what to say, but he is happy to have me as a student of sorts.
When Leo's busy, and no one is training with him, I will also try to hang with Donny. He tries to teach me science stuff, mechanics, and computer stuff. Leo doesn't mind me hanging with his family. Don does trust me in his lab, compared to his baby brother, Mikey. I may look around and read labels on beakers, but I don't go to lengths to mess something up. It's not mine and don't have a desire to kill us all.
I'll also hang with Mikey to watch some great videos, as I am, just like him, a TV critic. Though through him, I watch more than the horror movies I liked before. Mikey likes all kinds of horror movies, but he'll put up with what I like to watch too. Disney, love, action, drama, suspense, just some examples.
Raph and I have come to an understanding that I am not confrontational. If he wants to talk to me, he has to be calm. I just don't know how to talk to people who are yelling at me. I told Leo about it once and he warned Raph about it. The main reason is because it's always been that my own words have always been twisted against me when there is a argument. I hate that! I can't defend myself with words when someone's mad.
Raph is also tolerant of me because I'm not a goofball by any means. I'm pretty serious, except when watching a funny show or movie. Or watching Mikey be silly.
I hate to see Leo and Raph fighting, and I am even real good about calming Leo down. I just let Raph calm himself down. I don't get in his way, and he has respected me for that.
I have always had a bad way of eating. And I will eat junk when I watch movies with Mikey at times, but when I'm with Leo, he'll have me eat healthier things. I am a VERY picky eater when I am not eating junk. He has urged me to try some new foods, though I have said that if I don't like something, I'm not going to eat it.
We exercise together too. Not the kind of ninja exercises, but just walking, or just doing some body workouts. He keeps me in shape really well.
But all that was in the past. Now these days, Leo just mostly seems to spend his time training all the time, and rarely has time for anything else but that and meditation. I can barely get him to spend quality time with me. He's always talking in his strict leader voice, his grumpy voice. I can't even remember the last time I saw him smile.
I know how Leo feels about failure. Despite his rough exterior right now, I know he still loves us all as his family. But he did tell me before now, like he had told April, that he still felt responsible for what happened on that ship. I could sense some sort of depression. A depression was ruining his life.
Leo has been mad like this for over 4 months now. I just about can't take it anymore! I want to be friends with him again, but this is not my Leo. The Leo who was loving and understanding. I don't know this Leo, and don't want to.
Shredder's gone, Leo. I know it's not easy to get over something like that, but you can't let it consume you.
He pushes his brothers harder and harder every day to go beyond their normal limits. Raph gets extremely annoyed at him for it, and really wants to attack him for real. He has done it a few times and hurt him before. And right now, I don't blame him. And I think Leo has been also wanting me to join them more than ever, just because I live with them.
One night, Leo thought he was going to have a good go at it. He was just wanting me to learn how to fight, but it took me by surprise.
I was just watching TV and I thought the boys were all out on patrol, but apparently, Leo had stayed behind, or came back and let the others go on patrol instead. He came out of nowhere and turned off the TV. And then said, "Come on, right now. We have some training to do." He said in his strict voice.
"I was watching that, Leo." I said.
"You can watch TV later. Training, right now!" He ordered. He began to walk away.
I had always had a fear about being ordered like that. I had never expected it to come from Leo. He had never forced anything on me. And now he was. I didn't want to be yelled at, so I just quickly went after him. I didn't want to train right now, but what choice did I have?
When we got to the dojo, Leo told me to get a wooden staff. Not the kind that Don uses, but a smaller one. After I got one, I said, "Just remember Leo, I don't have the kind of skills you do."
"I know, and I just want you to be a better part of the team. You need to know how to fight in case it ever does happen again." Leo said.
"I almost never leave the lair. I'm a home body."
"I know, but you just need to be ready. Now we are going to begin." Leo got ready. He had taken off his sword harness. He had another staff in his hands.
"Just can we start out slow and gentle then?" I asked.
"That's how we started out years ago, but keep in mind that an enemy won't go soft on you. You need to toughen up a lot more." He said.
"You know by now I am not a fighter, Leo! I know you want me to be a better asset to the team, but I'm not a turtle, and not a warrior. And violence has been going on for centuries. I don't want to be a part of it! It never really solves anything."
"You don't have to be a turtle, or a warrior. It's just to help you defend yourself when we can't be there for you one day. Now take your stance." Leo ordered.
I had seen some female warrior show where I did remember her saying that when it came to sword fighting, you must always keep eye contact to anticipate the next move, and I was up against the sword wielding turtle, but he was fighting with a wooden staff right now. But I would remember that when we were ready for swords.
Leo worked me pretty hard for the next couple of hours. I was overheated and sweaty by the time we were done. My face was deeply red. He had never seen that on me before.
"You ok?"
"Yeah, fine." I lied. I was just ready to get away from him. His attitude was making me mad.
"Ok, we're done for today." Leo said.
I bowed in the show of honor after the battle is over, and quickly left the dojo, and went to the bathroom. He watched me go from the room. I didn't really care what he thought right now.
Once in the bathroom, I immediately took a shower. I had to get out of those sweaty, dirty clothes and get rid of the sweat. My body temperature was soaring to probably about fever high, and I didn't feel good at all right now. I felt dizzy and tired. Then when I was done in there, I just went to my room that I had been given and locked the door. I didn't want anything else to do with Mr. Moody tonight.
Leo had scared me good that evening. Now I just wanted to avoid him, just like his brothers did most of the time.
I was VERY sore the next day and couldn't hardly move. He had hit me a few times and I had landed hard on my back too, aggravating the old injury now.
I had blow-dried my hair last night so I could go to bed. I didn't even wait up for the others. I couldn't help but cry because of the pain I was in today. I didn't even leave the room for breakfast, just a trip to the bathroom and back to my room, I could barely move.
Usually I was out in the kitchen in the mornings with everyone else, eating with them. But I wanted to avoid Leo right now. I wasn't hungry anyway.
Out in the kitchen, the others were concerned about me, Don especially. "She's still in her room Leo. You didn't work her too hard, did you?" He asked.
"I worked her hard enough that she worked up a sweat and got red in the face a bit. But I was pushing her to go beyond her limits to be able to defend herself." Leo replied.
"Leo, she's not used to that! You shouldn't have pushed her that hard!" Don snapped at his older brother.
"If she's going to be a part of us, she does need to learn to defend herself." Leo said.
"I'm going to go check on her." Don said. He got up and left the table.
I wrote this all by myself. The girl is supposed to be me. Some things that happen to me are real and some are fake. I've been wanting to write a story between me and my two fave turtles.
And readers are welcome to share ideas of what could happen in the story. Just write it in the reviews.
Well, I hope you all read and enjoy my first POV story. If I don't get everything right of how to write it, well, like I said, first story doing this about an 'I' person. No flames please.