Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT.
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"Father?" Cleo only addressed him formally when she was worried for him or any of her uncles, "Are you okay?" she grabbed his hand with hers, he slowly registered that their skins were nearly the same color.
He snapped, "I'm fine. Just tired."
Mikey looked between the father and daughter, "Leo, you didn't happen to have nightmares last night, did you?"
Leonardo leaned forward, "Yeah, so?"
Cleo looked down at the pig, "I did too." She said quietly.
Her family looked at her, as if she was a complete stranger to them. Cleo just stared back, the memories of the nightmares and the conversation between her father and Raphael filled her head. But instead of giving in to her discomfort and fear, she pushed it all away, and put an emotionless mask on, "Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"Are you sure you don't wanna talk about it?" Donatello asked her, concern snaking around his voice like a cobra.
She shook her head, "No, I don't wanna talk about it. Dad's the one that seems most disturbed, don't you think?"
Raph gave a disapproving look, "For a minute, it looked like you were about to have a mental break down."
"Both of you look like you need more sleep. I'm sure master Splinter wouldn't mind if you slept in for a few hours, it is the weekend." Donnie stated.
They looked at each other, "I don't know, Donnie." Leo said uneasily.
Cleo agreed with her father, "We'll be okay, I think."
Raph shook his head, "You know none of that stuff that you dreamed was real, whatever it was, it didn't happen."
"It seemed real. . ." Cleo squeezed her pig even harder than before.
Michelangelo drank the last of their orange juice straight from the jug, "Dude and dudette, we'll cover for you if you're so worried about Splinter. And if you're scared about the nightmares, Cleo, we're always here for you, and Leo, bro, when you wake up, you'll know none of it ever happened."
At first, they resisted, but their exhaustion won the battle between their concerns. Leonardo and Cleo finally agreed to sleep longer.
The two of them left the others in the kitchen and slammed their doors in unison. Donatello put Cleo's bowl in the sink and poured himself a cup of coffee, "There is something wrong with them."
"Yeah, it was like Cleo was about scream, and then it just all went away, like nothing was bothering her." Mikey agreed.
Raphael took a bite of his pop tart, "Karai would do the same thing."
Donnie furrowed his brows in confusion, "Cleo usually shares her nightmares with us. I wonder why she didn't this time? And what about Leo, he looked like he didn't sleep at all. Something strange is going on here."
"Well, right now they are probably sleeping like little babies, let's not wake them up with our suspicions, Donnie-Boy." Michelangelo swung an arm around his purple banded brother, "Just give them some time, when they wake up everything will be pizza and ice cream again!"
Donnie rolled his eyes, "I guess you're right Mikey. . . I'll let them sleep in peace."
**Almost 17 years ago**
Karai slid out her phone from her pocket, and crouched down, hiding in the shadows of the warehouse near the park. She dialed her lover's number, "Pick up, pick up!" tears slid down her face, and her free hand wandered to her stomach.
"Leo! . . . I'm pregnant, if The Shredder finds out he'll. . . No! I can't just disappear! If he finds me, us, he'll make sure the baby suffers! . . . Okay, just please promise me, Leonardo, you'll make sure that the baby lives, even if I don't make it out. . . Promise me! . . . I'm sorry, I had to know our baby will be safe . . . I love you, Leo. I'll see you soon." She hung up and broke down, there wasn't enough time for her to leave, and not enough time to keep herself and her child alive. They both would certainly die at the hands of The Shredder.
** In the lair**
Leonardo fell against the wall, and slid down to the floor. He closed his eyes and saw Karai, laying down, miserable and in pain, slowly dying. Then he saw himself, holding a crying baby. He instantly knew his love wouldn't survive, and he'd keep his promise.
"I'm sorry. . ." He whispered, "What have I done?"
He started sobbing violently, his entire body was trembling with sorrow. The horrible noises startled his three brothers and two friends, who were sitting in front of their TV.
Mikey was the first to reach him, his little brother knelt down, "Leo, what happened?" the others gathered around him, Donnie knelt on his other side and put his hand on Leonardo's shoulder, "What's wrong?" He questioned.
But their asking was in vain, the eldest brother was too devastated to even pronounce a single word, instead, he cried even harder. Raphael pulled the two youngest to their feet and suggested that they let the leader cry himself out first, then they could begin asking questions. The rest agreed, April sat next to him on the floor, and tried to soothe her usually calm friend by telling him that everything was going to be alright, even though she had no idea what the problem was.
Eventually, he was calmed, and only sniffling like a small child. Casey gave him a box of tissues that he found, while Donnie tried asking again, "Leonardo, what's wrong?"
Leo shook his head, "K-Karai. . . She's pregnant."
The entire family stared at him with disbelief, "Is it. . . Yours?" Raph questioned.
He nodded, "Yes. The Shredder will kill Karai. I promised her that I'd protect the baby if she- if she survived long enough to-" he started crying again.
". . .Have the baby." Casey finished.
The three younger brothers exchanged looks of uncertainty and fear. A baby? Helping Karai escape The Foot and The Shredder just got a whole lot more difficult than it already was. Really?
April hugged Leo, "Can't we try to get her out sooner?"
He didn't return the embrace but seemed to appreciate it, "No. Karai's too worried that The Shredder will find us. She said that if he did, he'd make it a point to make the child suffer."
"How are you gonna tell Sensei about this?" Donatello wondered.
He only seemed to shrink inside himself and didn't reply. Disappointing their master wasn't exactly something any of them were used to. It was always heart breaking for all the family. Even Casey shivered at the thought of telling master Splinter about Karai and her baby that was on the way.
**Almost 17 years later**
Cleo sat on the edge of her bed, sweaty and panting for breath. She hugged Mr. Bacon tightly, being a victim of nightmares isn't easy when they come again the moment you close your eyes to rest. Sleeping wasn't an option anymore, she tried sleeping at least nine times already, and each time she saw her parents, devastated about an accident that would eventually lead to Karai's death. Herself. She had killed her mother, hadn't she? No. No, Cleo didn't kill her mother. It was an accident. A crazy, freak of nature accident. But then again, Cleo's entire family was a freak of nature too. It was a chance. A stupid chance that Karai died and Cleo lived.
She couldn't take thinking about this anymore. One day and night was enough to drive her crazy. She wondered who she was, and who her mother really was, and finally decided to just join her uncles in whatever they were doing until her father awakened. So she could ask him about the full truth. Cleo wore her emotionless mask and left the stuffed animal behind.
Sorry for the late update :( No hard feelings?
