Yes! I made it to part ten! *cheers* I am so happy with this story so far. I'm even happier bout seein all you guys still readin my stories! More reviews would be nice to see, but I'm gonna write this story with or without them. Let's see what's in store for our heroes in the chapter!

The Story

Splinter led Sukari to his room and held the door open for her. She walked in, saying thank you to his kind gesture. He closed the door behind him. "Kneel please," he said to Sukari kindly. She did as he said without complaint. "Would you like some chocolate?" he asked, holding out a tin in front of her. She looked at it in surprise and hesitantly took a small piece. He watched her movements, noticing how cautious she was. She nibbled a bit off a corner as Splinter sat in front of her. She gazed at him. She felt this odd peace around him that made her feel somehow comfortable. "Would you mind telling me what happened?"

"I don't really know, sir," Sukari answered. "Raphael and I just escaped from my… master's facility. I suppose that Leonardo saw the bruises and cuts on Raphael's face and blamed me for something." Splinter nodded. He reached out to the tray in front of him, noticing Sukari flinch. He picked up the incense bottle and poured a little into a bowl. He lit a candle under it and soon the room filled with the smell of lavender and vanilla. Sukari took another bite of the chocolate.

"What relaxes you, my dear?" Splinter asked. Sukari looked up at him in confusion. What did relax her?

"I think that music could be something that I enjoy," she replied.

"Music," Splinter said, rubbing his chin. "What kind of music?" Sukari got even more confused. Why was he asking her these questions?

"Um… pop, I suppose," she said. "Rock, metal, I guess." Splinter kept nodding. Sukari was getting slightly frustrated. Was there even a reason he called her in here? "Sir," she said, "forgive me, but why do these questions matter?" Splinter smiled.

"You can tell a lot about someone by the music they listen to," he replied. Sukari looked at him in total frustration.

"And what, sir, have you been able to 'tell' about me so far?" she asked with a little too much snap. Splinter looked at her, amused.

"I sense a lot of anger inside you, Miss Oruku. Yet, I also see a hint of spirit inside you. Pop music has a beat and mellow lyrics, which can mean that you, given the chance, can be very upbeat and, shall we say, peppy from time to time. Rock and metal are a bit rougher, however. Most songs in those genres are very angry and violent. I can't help but feel as if you have a lot of pent up anger and hatred inside of you. Am I correct?" Sukari gazed at him is surprise, then sighed, putting her head back down.

"Bishop," she said, "Josh, the Purple Dragons; I wish they would all just die. They've taken so much of my life away from me. I'm sick of being seen as a toy to the men that come into my life. Every punch, slap, kick, and hit from an object that they serve only makes my hatred grow. I don't know if I can take much more of the pain. Though all I feel is numb, my mentality is much more brutalized."

"I understand what you mean, Miss Oruku. How old were you when Bishop found you?"

"I was five years old. He didn't find me; he took me away. He took my family away. It's hard for me to even remember what they looked like."

"Who was in your family? Do you remember their names?"

"Yes," Sukari closed her eyes, "My sister's name was Oruku Ninalia. My brother was Oruku Ezekial. My mother was Oruku Wisteria." Splinter nodded once again.

"Do you remember anything from age five down?" he asked. Sukari looked up at him and nodded. "Would you care to tell me what you remember?"

"I remember every detail of the day I was taken. I wouldn't be able to say, but I can show you." Splinter nodded again and moved closer to the girl. She put her hand out towards him. "This may feel a bit funny." She touched his forehead with her palm and closed her eyes. She accessed her most deeply hidden memories and found the necessary one.

(Flashback)

"Mommy!" cried a small child as she ran through the forest to her house. She carried a large pink conch in her small, green, three-fingered hands. Her small tail bounced behind her as she ran. She had short brown hair and big, brown, pupiless eyes. She had the features of a small humanoid lizard, but the physicality's of a human. "Mommy!" she cried again. She ran up the porch to her home and opened the door. A woman was standing in the kitchen, wearing an apron and flour on her face. Her features were the same as the child's, but her hair was dark auburn and her eyes were the same color. She smiled when she saw the small five-year-olds excited look when she ran into the kitchen.

"What do you have there, Sukari?" she asked, scooping her daughter into her arms.

"I found a sell! I found a sell!" Sukari said, holding the conch to her mother's snout. Wisteria gasped melodramatically and touched the shell.

"Wow!" she cried in astonishment. "Do you know what kind of shell that is?" Sukari shook her head. "It's a conch, baby doll. If you do it right, you can blow into it and it will make a funny noise." Sukari gazed at her mother in amazement.

"What kind of noise?" she whispered. Wisteria leaned her head down.

"Like… this!" she put her mouth on Sukari's stomach and blew against it, making a funny sound. Sukari shrieked with laughter.

"What did she find today?" asked a deeper male voice. Wisteria turned to look at her seventeen-year-old son, Ezekial. He looked just like his mother. Same features, green eyes, and the same color hair. He looked at his baby sister with amusement.

"Zekey!" Sukari cried in excitement. Her mother put her down and Sukari ran to her brother, who squatted down so he was at eye level. "I found a sell." Ezekial looked at the pink conch and smiled.

"That's really cool, Sukari," he said, making his baby sister beam with pride.

"What's the big deal, mother?" said an annoyed female voice. Wisteria, Ezekial, and Sukari looked over to see Ninalia, the thirteen-year-old middle child. She, like her family, had the same physical textures. The only difference was that her hair was black and cut short. Wisteria gave her a sympathetic smile and continued making cookies, as she had been doing when Sukari came running in. "It's just a shell. They're all over the beach." When Ezekial saw the hurt look on Sukari's face, he shot Ninalia a look.

"Why must you do that to her every time she finds something? You're killing her spirit, little sister." Ninalia glared at her brother.

"How many times must I ask you not to call me that?" she said through clenched teeth.

"At least once more, little sister," Ezekial replied mischievously. Ninalia bared her sharp teeth and hissed at her brother, who hissed right back.

"I don't like it when you guys fight," Sukari pouted. Wisteria looked at her youngest and smiled. She was just so darling when she pouted. She admired how beautiful the child was.

Wisteria suddenly sensed something in the air that wasn't right. There was an evil in the air and a presence that she had felt before; five years ago. Wisteria turned her head to her daughter again and then to Ezekial and Ninalia, who were still arguing. She looked out the small window in the kitchen and saw someone; someone with a gun.

"Kids!" she said loudly, catching her children's attention. "Someone's here. It's a dragon hunter!" Ezekial and Ninalia's eyes went wide and Sukari cocked her head to the side. She put her shell down and stood up and faced her mother.

"Mommy," she said quietly, "what's a dragon hunter?"

"Someone bad, Sukari," Wisteria replied. She turned to look at her other children. "Ezekial, Ninalia; take Sukari out of here and get away as fast as you can."

Suddenly, a can crashed through the window and landed on the ground. It immediately started spewing tear gas.

"Get out, kids!" Wisteria cried. Ezekial picked Sukari up and grabbed Ninalia's hand and ran out the back. They went through the forest and stopped soon. Ezekial looked around in confusion.

"Where's Mother?" he asked in panic. Sukari clutched to him, wrapping her small tail around his wrist. "Mother!" he called. When he didn't hear a reply, he made a decision. "Ninalia," he said urgently, "take Sukari. Get yourselves as far away from here as you can and do not get caught." He hugged the little girl before putting her in Ninalia's arms and ran back towards the cottage.

"Zekey!" Sukari cried. "Zeke!" Ninalia shushed her gently and ran. She soon got to a large sycamore tree and stared at it. She nodded slightly and put Sukari down. Sukari stared up at her sister in confusion.

"Stay here," Ninalia said, breathless, "don't make any sound. I'm going to go find help." Sukari stood up and put her arms over her head, gesturing for Ninalia to lean down. Ninalia leaned and hugged her sister tightly and pet her head.

"Don't leave me, Nini," Sukari whispered. "I don't want you to leave me."

"I'll be back," Ninalia promised. She let go of her sister and ran off deeper into the forest.

…..

"Mother!" Ezekial cried when he saw Wisteria. She was on the floor in the living room laying, with a bloody lip, at the feet of a sinister-looking man wearing a black trench coat and holding a gun in his gloved hands.

He looked up at Ezekial and smirked.

"So this is the eldest of your little 'family', Wisteria," he said mockingly. "How incredibly pathetic." Ezekial clenched his fist. The man bent down and fisted Wisteria's hair, pulling her up. She cried out in pain and Ezekial charged. Two men with guns grabbed him before he could reach his mother. They began to hit him with the guns, with their fists, and with their shoes. He was yelling out at them, begging them to stop.

"Stop, Please!" Wisteria cried. They didn't stop until the dark man whistled. They stepped back and Ezekial fell limp to the floor. The man still held Wisteria's auburn hair in his hands. She was gazing at her son, hoping he was still at least conscious.

"Ezekial!" she called. Ezekial didn't move at all, except for the rising and falling of his chest. She looked back at her captor, who was smiling down at her evilly. "You'd better hope he's not hurt, Jonathan Bishop."

"He'll be just fine if you cooperate, Wisteria," Bishop replied. He threw her down to the floor again. She propped herself on her arms and looked up at him. "Where's the child?" he asked. Wisteria didn't answer. He brought his hand hard across her face. "Where is she?!" Wisteria looked away defiantly. Bishop pointed his gun at Ezekial and locked it. "If you don't tell me where she is, I'll shoot him." Wisteria looked up at him in horror, then closed her eyes.

"Even if I die," she said, "even if you find her, she will never be yours. You may be her father, but she will never be yours." Bishop looked at his commandoes and nodded. One of them struck a match. Bishop walked away from her. She crawled over to her son, who still lay on his back. He was awake now. Wisteria put her arm around him and he held her hand. She sang her lullaby:

"Listen to your heart when they're calling for you. Listen to your heart. There's nothing else we can do. I don't know where we're going and I don't know why, but listen to your heart before we tell them goodbye."

The commando dropped the match on the lightly leaking tear gas and ran. The gas caught fire and soon the house was engulfed in flames.

(End of Flashback)

Sukari let go of Splinter's hands with a jolt. That memory was too painful for her to go on. Splinter put his hand on her head as it was bowed. She flinched slightly and wiped her eyes.

"Child," he said quietly. She looked up at him through puffy eyes, "I am so sorry. Your mother and brother; that should never have happened to them." Sukari looked down again.

"Bishop found me shortly after that," she said. "I always knew he was my father, but I could never imagine him having ever cared about that. He just tried to kill me, so I don't think he even does."

"Agent Bishop is anything but a caring person, Miss Oruku," Splinter said.

"I figured that out the first week I was with him," Sukari replied. "Sir, may I ask a question?"

"Of course."

"Why is it that Leonardo doesn't like me? Did I do something wrong?"

"Leonardo is the eldest of all my sons," Splinter said. "He is very cautious and cold towards people he doesn't know well. After finding out who your father is, he's probably even more suspicious of you. I, however, sense a kindness in you that I haven't seen in a long time." Sukari bowed her head again. Splinter cocked his head to the side. "What troubles you, child?"

"There is a reason I know your sons, sir. There is a reason that I wasn't surprised when I found out about your sons."

"Such as?"

"Before I began freshman year, my master was able to find your sons names' in the school's computer system. That's why he enrolled me in that certain high school. He told me to find all the information I could about them. He said that if I did, then…" she trailed off.

"Then what?" Splinter asked.

"He offered me freedom. I would no longer have had to endure his harsh punishments. I would no longer be a subject of ridicule for the Purple Dragon men. I wouldn't have to…" she took a breath. "I wouldn't have to marry Joshua Mason."

"The boy who attacked you?" Splinter asked in confusion. Sukari nodded and wiped her eyes again. Her scratches and bruises were beginning to disappear.

"He was kinder once," she said with a forced chuckle. "He would hold a door for me, buy me a soda at school, even walk me to class, but when Bishop told him that he and I would have to get married, he turned from kind and nice to mean and cruel. He hit me the first time and I didn't even expect it." Splinter sighed and thought for a moment.

"Though you are the daughter of Bishop," he said finally, "and though you were forced to find information about my sons, I don't see you as a traitor or an enemy. You are merely a scared, young lady wishing for freedom," he paused and she looked up, "and for love." Her eyes went wide. He smirked. "It was very hard not to notice the small trace of lip gloss on Raphael's lip." He laughed a bit and Sukari smiled and blushed. "I haven't a single problem with you and Raphael being with each other, just as long as you know what you are doing and are prepared for whatever your relationship brings you to." Sukari smiled and nodded. She suddenly thought of something that made her heart drop.

"How can I ever go back?" she said. Splinter put his fingers on his chin. "My master just labeled me a traitor and allowed Joshua to shoot me in the head." Splinter nodded. He soon looked her in the eye again.

"If you wish," he said, "you are welcome to stay. I have given the same offer to your friends, seeing as they do not wish to live in a small apartment any longer. You are all welcome here as long as you wish." Sukari's eyes widened in surprise. Was he offering her a home? He smiled at her as if he was reading her mind. "Anyone who would die for one of my sons can't be all bad," he chuckled. Sukari couldn't contain her happiness. She jumped up and threw her arms around Splinters shoulders. He laughed and patted her on the back. She let go of him and he stood. He put his hand on her shoulder. "Welcome to our family, my dear. You may go now." Sukari bowed to him, turned, and walked out the door and entered the lair.

Welcome to the Family

Sukari wandered around the lair, taking in all of its details. She like the yellow and blue tinted walls and the multiple television sets. She had never watched a television before. She saw Michelangelo playing his video games while Carolie sat next to him. The two were conversing. Something about the left trigger and x-button making something explode, she didn't know. She saw Raj talking to Leonardo. Her gaze on him seemed to be a lot harder than it usually was. She seemed like she was scolding him.

"Raj?" Sukari called. Raj turned to look at her and her stare changed to concern. "Where's Raphael?"

"In there," Raj replied, her accent heavy even with only two words. She pointed to the door to Donatello's lab.

"Thank you," Sukari said, walking towards the door. She knocked on it.

"Come in," called Donatello's voice from the other side. Sukari opened the door to see Donny stitching up the scratch that was above Raphael's eyebrow.

"Hi, Sukari," Donny said with frustration in his voice. Raph kept moving his head away from the needle, insisting that he was fine.

"Are you okay, Raphael?" Sukari asked after saying hello to Donny.

"Yeah," Raph replied, "I'm fine. Try tellin' Don that." Sukari chuckled.

"Raph, I only have one more stitch to make and I'm done!" Donny said impatiently. "Just stay still for a second." Raph rolled his eyes but let Donny do that last stitch. Once Donny was done, he packed up his kit and put it on a shelf.

"Donny?" Sukari asked. Donny looked over at her. "Would it be all right if I could be alone with Raphael for awhile?" Donny nodded, half smiling, and walked out of the room.

"How are ya?" Raphael asked. Sukari turned towards him and smiled.

"I'm alright," she said. "Your father told me that I can stay here if I wish." Raphael smiled.

"I know," he said. "Don told me dat he probably would considerin' he offered da girls." He grabbed Sukari's hand gently and pulled her closer. She stood over him as he was sitting. She touched his face lightly and moved her thumb over the scar. She moved her entire palm over it and did her quick healing process. When she was done Raphael took hold of her hand and moved it over his mouth and kissed her palm. Sukari climbed on the bed next to him and embraced him resting her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her.

"I'm sorry, Raphael," she whispered.

"For what?"

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had any broken ribs and you wouldn't have had to witness any of what happened tonight." Raphael paused for a moment. He then grabbed her shoulders, turned her to face him, and pulled her onto his lap. She seemed surprised, but didn't struggle. Instead, she straddled his lap and put her hands on his shoulders. Raph grabbed her wrists gently.

"If it weren't for ya," he said, "I wouldn't have gotten dat time with ya in Central Park, I wouldn't have realized ma feelings for ya, and I wouldn't have gotten dat kiss in da tunnel. None of dat would've happened. I should thank ya." Sukari looked at him with tenderness in her eyes.

"How, Raphael," she asked, "could you have fallen in such deep love with me in a mere measurement of three days? How could I have done the same for you?" Raph put his hand on her cheek.

"Why ask?" he said.

"I never believed in love before, Raphael," Sukari said. "I always thought that love was meant for small children when they find a stray animal or a pretty object. All I've ever known is lust. All I ever realized was that it hurt to be touched out of the influence of lust."

"Dat's just 'cause," Raphael started, putting his hands on her hips, "all da bastards dat ever had da nerve ta touch ya didn't care about ya like I do. Sukari, I don't want ya ta think dat I'm only doin' dis just 'cause ya beautiful. I…" he trailed off. Sukari put his face in her hands and put her lips against his. He moaned softly and she did the same. He pulled her closer to him so she was against him and she put her arms around his neck. His hands began running down her hips and his tongue wrapped around hers.

He suddenly flipped slowly and ended up on top of her on the bed. She took no notice of this. He tangled his fingers in her hair and ran his hand along her leg. Her lime skin was darkening out of what she was feeling. He suddenly left her mouth and went on to her jaw line, her neck, and her collar bone. Sukari started to feel worried. He began moving against her and she got a little anxious. She liked this feeling, she loved this man, but she didn't want to go too far; not yet, anyway.

"R-Raphael," she said with her hands on his chest. He detached from her collarbone and looked at her. "I-I'm enjoying this; I really am… it's just that… I don't want to go too far. Not now." Raphael looked down at her in slight confusion, but it quickly changed to understanding.

"Okay," he said, pushing off of her slowly. She sat up, still looking at him, feeling as if she had disappointed him. Raph grabbed her hand and led her out of the room. She followed him hesitantly because she saw his brothers and her friends all in the living room. They had been waiting for the two.

"Sukari," Raj said, her voice hard, "Leonardo has something he wants to say to you." She looked at Leonardo and nodded her head. Leo looked at Sukari and she looked back at him shyly. He looked her up and down with only his eyes.

"I just… wanted," he looked at Raj, "to tell you that I'm sorry about what I did and said. I saw Raphael's face and then you and I snapped. I didn't mean to offend or hurt you, so, if I did, I'm sorry." Sukari gazed at his eyes, but they remained straight. They were emotionless and it made her uncomfortable. Nevertheless, she nodded to him.

"It's alright, Leonardo," she said, meeting his gaze. "I understand what you must have been thinking." Leo's eyes narrowed slightly and tension came between the two. Sukari matched his hard gaze with her own.

"And what, may I ask," Leo said calmly, "did you believe I was thinking, Sukari?" Sukari raised her eyebrows.

"You know who my father is," she said, keeping her strong gaze on him, "and you know the background that I came from. You believe that I helped Bishop, maybe unintentionally, to lead him to Raphael therefore causing him to hurt him. I will freely and gladly admit that I, at first, was trying to collect information from Bishop, but I never told him anything." Leonardo glared at her and stepped towards her.

"So I was right," he said. "You were leading us to trouble." Sukari glared back.

"I just said that I didn't tell him anything, Leonardo," she said.

The tension between the two was building thicker by the second. Raphael was about to come in between them, but he saw the look on Sukari's face and backed off.

"What makes you think I believe you?" Leo asked.

"Leonardo!" Raj exclaimed. "I thought we were going to be adults about this."

"I think it's a good question," Sukari said. "Why don't you let me show you? I did the same for your father, I see no reason why I can't for you. Why don't I just show you why I would never do anything for Bishop?" Leo looked at her awkwardly. He didn't expect her to be prepared to open up and offer that. Everyone looked at her the same way and she merely stood.

"Sukari," Raj said, "Why not tell all of us? You and I seem to be the only ones in the room who actually know your story." Sukari looked at Raj and nodded.

"In order for me to do that," she said, "I need you all to concentrate and relax. No tension may pass through us, or it could hurt every one of us." She looked at Leonardo. "We wouldn't want that, would we Leonardo?" He glared at her for a moment. Sukari sat down and everyone else did likewise. She held out one hand toward Raphael, the other toward Raj and the two each grabbed one. This continued until each person had another's hand and they were all in a circle. "Now concentrate on clearing your mind." They all did and Sukari summoned her memories. When she found the proper one, she opened it.

Insolence

(Flashback)

"Gentlemen," said Agent Bishop to his scientist colleagues, "today I have something to show you. Do any of you remember the legends of the Dragons?" The scientists groaned.

"Honestly, Jonathan," said Dr. Wright, "this again? I thought you gave up on that."

"Well Dr.," Bishop sneered, "you may want to see this than." He pressed a button and a door slid open to reveal a small cage containing a child-like creature with short brown hair, a small tail, and large, scared, brown eyes. She looked around at the astonished scientists and her eyes grew wider and she curled into a ball.

"My God," Dr. Wright said, taking off his glasses. He gazed at the creature and stepped over to the cage, causing the little girl to move to the other side of the cage, away from him. Bishop walked over and unlocked it. He reached in and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and she whimpered. He took her out of the cage and carried her to the front of the small audience. They all gazed at her in amazement.

"Gentlemen," Bishop said, "may I introduce to you the first baby dragon ever captured by human hands." The men clapped. Bishop put the girl down and she curled into a ball again. She wasn't expecting it when Bishop nudged her with his shoe and knocked her over. She jumped up on all fours and looked up at him then the men who were staring at her. "Sukari," Bishop said. She looked up at him, "why don't you talk to the men who came to see you?" Sukari looked at the men and walked hesitantly over to Dr. Wright. He looked down at her and she looked at his hand, then hers.

"How come you have five fingers and I only have four?" she asked. He chuckled down at her and she cocked her head. "What's so funny?"

"You're a smart little girl, aren't you?" Sukari bowed her head and backed away from him a little. She sensed something about him that didn't feel right to her. When he reached down and grabbed her by surprise, she was proven correct. She squeaked in shock and her hand lashed out. Her small sharp claws caught his forehead. He yelled out and dropped her and she landed on the floor with a thud.

Bishop walked over to her and picked her up. He held her up in front of him. She was breathing in anxiety and hiding her hand. She looked at Bishop in fear and he was glaring at her. He grabbed her jaw and squeezed it. She cried out in pain and grabbed his wrist. He moved and grabbed her arm and twisted it, turning her around and causing her to scream. He leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"If I were you," he growled, "I would never do that again. Understood?" Sukari's eyes went wide and she nodded. He dropped her and she tried sneaking away slowly.

"How on earth did you get your hands on a baby dragon?" asked one of the other doctors.

"Her family died," Bishop lied, turning around. He saw Sukari trying to sneak away and he picked her back up by her waist. She struggled in his tight hold and he grabbed her arm and squeezed. She cried out slightly. "They were incapable of taking care of a small child, so they left her behind and died in a tragic fire in their home."

"That's not true!" she yelled at him, surprising him and the doctors. He dropped her in shock. She turned to face him. "My mommy didn't just die! You hurt her! My brother didn't just die either. You started the fire!" Bishop grew angry and struck her face. She yelled out and fell onto her side. Bishop bent and picked her up by her arms. She struggled and kicked out at him while he walked over to her small cage. He threw her into the cage and her back hit the bars. He slammed and locked the door and pressed the button again. As the door slid closed, Sukari let out a blood-curdling, shrill scream, causing the men to cover their ears.

(End of Flashback)

The connection soon broke and Sukari fell weak onto her stomach. Raphael knelt next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. He lifted her up a little and placed his knees under her. She rested on his thighs and looked Leonardo tiredly in the eyes. He was breathing heavily and staring at her in horror.

"D-do you… understand now?" Sukari asked. Leo looked at her and then at the floor in front of him.

"You…" he said, "you were so young." He looked at her, then at Raphael, then his brothers, then Raj. He looked back at Sukari and she offered him a weak smile.

"Now you know," she said. "I've made my fair share of mistakes, Leonardo, and I've paid for them all, however harshly. I'm not asking for protection or even respect, but is it too much to ask for your trust?" Leo gazed at her for a moment, and then stood. He walked over to where Raphael was kneeling and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said, "for real, this time. I didn't realize your situation. You are welcome here." He looked at the other girls. "All of you are welcome here." He walked over to Splinter's door. "There are six free rooms. Each of you may choose one. Welcome to the family." He soon disappeared into the room.