Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, but I do own Rosalind.

A/N - OK, this chapter just came to me today, when I was writing the next chapter, and I had to put it in. I sincerely hope that I didn't mangle Leo's personality too bad, because I was doing so good with it before. (at least, I hope so) I was just trying to imagine his reactions, with everything that's changed with them now. I apologize now for him being too out of character. I tried. I don't want to anger any Leo fans out there, so I'm sorry if I wrote him wrong.

Chapter 5 - Learning All over Again

Leo sat, reading a book, when he heard the baby cry. He sat back, looking around. There was no one around.

"Don?" He called. No answer. "Mike?" Where was everyone? He opened his mouth again, but a voice in the back of his head stopped him. 'Raph, really? You're going to call him?' He shook his head. He'd have better luck getting Mikey to give up pizza.

Leonardo stood, and walked into the baby's room. He looked down into the crib. Rosalind's tiny face was screwed up in a wail, and bright red.

"Hey, what's the matter, baby?" He whispered. She hiccupped once, then took a deep breath, and screamed full force again. He leaned down and awkwardly patted her stomach. "Uh, it's OK, baby, stop crying."

He mentally went through everything that could be wrong. He sighed. He was no good at this. If Don didn't have the baby, it was more likely to be found with Mike than anywhere else. Not that Leo didn't like her. He did, he just wasn't totally comfortable with her yet. He blamed the fact that Mike was always hogging her, but knew that wasn't really it. 'What is it, then?' He thought to himself. He wasn't good with babies, he told himself. 'Liar.' The thought swept through his head. He'd held her once, shortly. When they'd first had her. And it was different then. She was only going to be there for a few days, no pressure. No emotional commitment. She was someone else's, and he just wanted to try holding a baby. No harm.

God, he sounded just like Raph.

When had he become so emotion- phobic? Was he? When had it become so hard? The answer lingered in his mind, but he refused to acknowledge it. He'd always been too busy training or studying to focus on emotions like that. He'd never been as emotional as Mike, or Don even. He was raised to respect his master and his brothers. And he loved them, all of them, even Raph, unconditionally. But this time was different. This time it was a commitment. He looked around, sighing again. Still no one. He looked down at her again. She looked up at him, then burst back into tears.

He sighed, then gently picked her up. Her cries softened slightly, and he brought her up to his chest. A feeling of warmth ran through him, and he looked down at her. She sniffed, still whimpering. She was so trusting, so loving. So innocent. He longed for the days when they'd been that innocent. When they could trust that easily. She started crying again, and he began gently swinging her from side to side, and her cries quieted, then stopped. He looked down at her, and found that she was staring at him, her face thoughtful.

"Well, Rosalind, you sure have given us a shakeup, haven't you?" She looked at him still, eyes locked on his. He chuckled. "Well, I didn't really expect an answer, now, did I?" He sat down with her, and shifted her so that he could look down at her. "I can't get those guys to practice more than twice a week, now, you know. Except for Raph, and soon I'm going to need another sparring partner, if we train together anymore, well… We need a serious redo in the training department." He grinned down at her. She opened her mouth, yawning.

"Yeah, I know, I'm not us funny as your Uncle Mike, or as clever as your father, and I don't have much to give you… but I promise, I'll always be there to protect you." He whispered the last part. Yes, he could do that. He could promise that. He looked down at her, and then smiled again. She was sleeping. He gently rose, and then carried her back to her crib, laying her gently inside. He softly caressed her head, feeling the soft, downy brown hair that was beginning to grow. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard after all. He smiled to himself, then walked back over to the table, where he'd abandoned his book. He sat down, his heart lighter, now, than it was before. He picked up the book, smiling to himself.

**********************************

Don paced back and forth, holding Rosalind in his arms. She was screaming, her face red.

"Come on, baby." He said softly. "Shhh… Please." He pleaded with her wearily. She'd been screaming for the past half an hour. He looked towards the other's rooms warily. Sooner or later, someone was bound to wake up. He hoped it wasn't Raph. With that thought, he tried to calm her down again.

"Come on, Angel. Shhh. Please." He jiggled her up and down, softly.

Michaelangelo walked out of his room, rubbing his eyes. "Did you try her bottle?" He asked, yawning.

"Of course." Don looked at him, then smiled. His face still had a crease from his pillow in it.

"How about her di- di- diaper?" He yawned again.


"Mike, I…" Don began, but stopped, when both Leo and Raph walked over to them. "Sorry guys." He said to them as they walked up.

"What's wrong with her?" Raph asked.

"I don't know." Don sighed. "I can't get her to calm down."

Leo shrugged, then leaned against the wall, stifling a yawn himself. "No problem, Donnie. She's a baby. She'll do that."

"How do we get her to stop?" Raphael asked, looking slightly annoyed.

"I don't know." Don said again, frowning. He looked at them helplessly. "I've been trying forever."

Leo pushed off of the wall, and walked over to Don. "Let me have her."

Don looked at his brother.

"Give her to me." Leo reached for her. "She likes it when you do this." He began gently swinging her back and forth. After a minute, she stopped crying.

"How'd you do that?" Raph asked in awe.

Leo shrugged. "Just my natural gift, I guess."

"Well, thank you." Don said, and Mike nodded.

"Yeah, dude." Mike turned back. "I'm goin' back to bed."

"Me too." Raph nodded. "Night, guys."

Don reached for the baby, but Leo pulled back. "I'll… I'll put her back to bed." He said.

"Really?" Don asked, smiling.

"Yeah." Leo shrugged. "No problem."

"Thanks." Don left to go back to bed.

"Night." Leo called. He took her back to her crib, and looked down at her. "You know, I think we needed something to keep us on our toes. I think you're going to be just what we needed." He looked down at Rosalind. He didn't know when it had become so hard, but he was learning again. 'Just what we needed.'

He smiled down at the sleeping baby one more time, then went back to bed.