Chapter 3

"What was that all about?" asked Raph.

"I have no idea." replied Leo. Why had Cassi reacted like that? Could she know something about Splinters disappearance? It didn't add up.

"Smart as I am, I'll never understand girls." Don shook his head.

"We should stay here and wait for her to come back." Leo decided.

Mike changed the channel.

---

A half hour or so later, the boys heard the familiar sound of Splinter's door opening. They turned to see both Cassi and Splinter walking out.

"Master Splinter!" The four cried as they ran over to him.

For some reason, Mikey couldn't take his eyes off Cassi. Something was different about her; he just couldn't put his finger on what it was.

"Something wrong, Mikey?" Cassi asked, her eyes shining brightly.

"Something is different about you."

"She changed her outfit!" Raph punched Mike teasingly on the arm.

It was true. Her bandanna used to hang like pigtails only coming to her shoulder. Now they hung on one side, like a ponytail. One strip hung over her shoulder, the other behind her shell. She was also wearing magenta gloves that came to her elbows and magenta boots that came to her knees.

"So, why the change?" Don asked.

"You know how we update our costumes every so often?" Her eyes were sparkling with excitement, yet she kept a strait face.

The four nodded, their faces blank.

"I overheard you guys saying that sixteen might be one of those ages." She still held a strait face, but her eyes were saying 'I-know-something-you-don't'.

"Cassi, what are you getting at?" Leo wasn't the only one running out of patience.

"WE'RE SIXTEEN!" She shouted joyously. Everyone but Splinter was startled by her outburst.

It took a moment to sink in. To Cassi's surprise, Mikey burst out laughing.

"That's a good one Cassi!" he said when he had calmed down some.

"Mikey, she's not joking." Don was staring at a calendar. "We really are sixteen!"

"Happy Birthday, guys!" Cassi handed each of them a box wrapped in brightly coloured paper.

They each unwrapped two gold-coloured pins. They weren't very big, about the size of a penny. Engraved on the surface was the initial of the turtle who received it. There was also a note.

Here is a pin I made for you. Happy sweet sixteenth!

Cassiopeia

On Leo's there was a P.S.

Leo,

I need to talk.

I'll meet you later.

Don't tell the others.

This is between you and me.

Cassi

Leo looked up and Cassi's eyes met his. There was a silent plea in her eyes. Whatever it was that she needed to talk about was important to her. Leo nodded. A look of relief fell upon her face.

"These are awesome Cassi! I'm just sorry we don't have anything for you." Don smiled sadly.

"Don't worry about it. Meeting you four was the best present I could have ever gotten. Come on guys, I have a surprise for you. We won't be up too late Master Splinter."

"Somehow Cassiopeia, I doubt that."

"We'll be in the P.R. if you need us." Cassi started off towards the entrance to her lair.

"What's P.R.?" whispered Mike to the others. Raph shrugged.

"You'll find out, Mike. Are you guys coming?" She started walking again when she saw them hurrying after her. She leapt up to the second floor. The boys did the same. They gathered around Cassi who had her shell pressed against a door.

"Welcome to my party room!" She swung open the door. Multicolour lights were flashing. Music was blaring. Soda's and pizza were on a table by the wall. Teenage paradise.

When the other three had gone in, Leo turned to Cassi.

"You wanted to talk?"

"Yes," she replied, "but not tonight."

---

"Hey, I'd like you guys to meet someone." Cassi said the next day, once the boys were finally awake. Excitedly, she took them into her part. She led them into a very large room. It was at least the size of a football field, if not two. There were long narrow pathways weaving in and out of the walls. They appeared to twist and lead down below them.

Cassi put her fingers in her mouth and whistled sharply. Mike was about to ask what was going on when the ground beneath them began to shake. None of the boys were prepared for what happened next. A giant white serpent slithered out of the pathway nearest to them.

Mike screamed. The others were frozen in spot. Mikey was about to make a break for it when Cassi grabbed his arm.

"It's okay." She told them, laughing, "Sugar won't hurt you!"

"S-s-sugar?" Mike asked trembling. Cassi let go of him and walked over to it. She patted the snake's head, which was bigger than Cassi was.

"Yes, her name is Sugar. I named her that because she looked so sweet when she was little and because she's white and her scales shimmer." Cassi explained.

"Why…?" Don started. He couldn't finish. He was still in shock.

"I used to be really lonely when I was younger so I tried to create a friend. Only, when I put the mutagen on Sugar, something went wrong. I still don't know what. Anyways, she became my pet." She said. Sugar lowered her head to the ground, gazed at the boys and seemed to smile.

"Is she bowing to us?" Mike asked.

"No," Cassi replied grinning, "She wants to take you for a ride! Just climb up and hold on." Cassi instructed. "Oh, and Sugar," she added once the boys were on, "Not too fast, okay? They've never ridden a snake before."

---

A month passed. Cassi (and Sugar!) became part of the boy's lives. Cassi met Casey for the first time. The other four were shocked to discover that she already knew April, and had for a few years! By the end of the month, the boys thought they knew Cassi pretty well, but the truth is, they didn't have a clue.

Leo got into bed. Another night of not knowing what Cassi needed to talk about. Perhaps she had forgotten about the note she gave him a month ago. Maybe I'll never know he thought sadly to himself.

"You'll find out tonight. Follow me." Cassi's voice came from behind him.

"How do you do that!" Leo asked in shock from being surprised. He hadn't heard her come in to his room. Sometimes, it was as if she made no sound at all. She didn't hear him; Cassi was already bounding out the door. Leo hurried after her. Looking around, he saw no one. He peered down at the main floor. No one was around.

"Cas--" He started to call out her name. A magenta hand clamped over his mouth.

"Shh!" came a sharp hiss. She let go of his mouth. Leo watched as she checked to make sure the others were asleep.

Cassi jumped silently down to the main floor. With a glance around, she waved for Leo to follow.

"Come on!" she whispered grabbing his hand and running toward the door. Somehow, he had a feeling that this wasn't the first time she had ever snuck out.

Once they were in the sewers, Cassi pulled out her sword and used it like a torch. She continued to lead him up and down the sewer passages. Finally, she stopped. Cassi sat down on a small platform.

"Have a seat," she told him sighing, "I have a lot to tell you."

---

Leo was in shock.

"This is a joke, right?"

"No." Cassi shook her head.

"Let me get this strait. You're not our sister?"

"Biologically, no, I'm not."

"And you're not a turtle, you're a --"

"That's right. Well, that's what my DNA is anyway." Cassi cut him off looking away.

"Why didn't you tell us this when we first met you? Why did you say you were our sister?"

"A simple reason," She began, "I found out about this when I was twelve. How would you feel if the boys you had thought of as brothers suddenly weren't? You all were dear to me, and I didn't want to compromise that for when we met. I don't want them to fall in love with me, I just want a family."

Leo nodded. It did make sense.

"And," she continued, " I'd like to keep it that way. For now, during the day or when they're around, I'm your sister. At night or when it's just you and me…" Cassi trailed off as she blushed. Leo smiled. He knew what she was getting at.

"Alright, I'll tell you why I'm blushing so much. I've always had a thing for you, ever since I found out that is. You, I couldn't quite make myself consider a brother still. Donny said he doesn't understand girls; I don't even understand myself!" She said nervously. There was an awkward silence between the two. Finally, Leo spoke.

"Come on, we better be getting back."

Cassi nodded in agreement. She stood and grabbed her sword. Leo took her hand. To Cassi, they reached home way too fast. She stopped a few feet from the main door.

"I'll use another entrance to my part so Splinter doesn't hear the one in your part." She explained.

"Can we meet again tomorrow night, same time?"

"I'd like that." Cassi said softly before planting a kiss on his cheek. She opened the hidden door to her lair, blushing madly now. "Goodnight Leo." The door shut automatically behind her. I can't wait for tomorrow! She thought as she headed to her room.

Leo placed his hand where she had kissed him. I'd like that too he thought as he headed into his home. I'd like that a lot.

---

Leo was starting to fade of to sleep when a high-pitched scream shook the home. Four turtles emerged from their rooms to see what was wrong. They didn't go to Cassi's room. They went to Mikey's.

"What happened? What's wrong?" asked a half- conscious Don.

A loud snore was Mike's reply. Raph rolled his eyes. Cassi was acting odd. She had her hand on Mike's forehead and her eyes were clamped shut. She seemed to be concentrating on something.

"What're ya doing?" Raph asked staring at her.

"Shh!" she whispered not opening her eyes, "I'm reading his mind to find out what he was dreaming of." She was silent for a while, except for a snicker. Suddenly, she let out a gasp as her eyes popped open and she stumbled backwards. Leo caught her before she fell.

"What did you see?" asked Leo, helping her to her feet.

Cassi took a deep breath in. "It starts out really funny. Mikey is running through a field of daisies toward a pizza. The pizza is running towards him. He hugs the pizza and they fall to the ground together. Out of nowhere, a huge shadow casts over them. It was a huge beast that looked like it was made of rock. There were others behind it." She paused and closed her eyes. "One was red and one was blue. The blue one was smaller than the others. That's all I can get." Her eyes opened once more.

"Sydney and the others!" Don said.

"Can someone please tell me why you are all in my room?" Mikey looked as annoyed as he sounded.

"We'll tell you tomorrow, Mike. Right now we're going back to bed." With that, Cassi left the room and headed back to her room. The others did the same.

---

I should have told them about the other parts! I should have told them about how it had me and what happened when it slipped the crystal around my neck. A shudder ran through Cassi. She sighed a ragged sigh. Good thing it was just a dream.

Another part flashed through her mind as she pulled back her covers. In this part of Mikey's dream, they were still in the field, but the scene had changed somewhat. She had been lying on an old, tattered couch and she wasn't breathing. Leo was kneeling beside her. Sobbing, he placed a rose in her limp, folded hands.

Cassi lay on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. This was twisted, simply twisted. The next part scared her the most. She wasn't sure why, but it did.

In the final part of Mikey's dream, they were still in the field, but the other parts were gone. This time, Cassi and Leo stood alone, older then sixteen. There were wedding bands on their hands, and Cassi was holding a baby wrapped in a pink blanket. Out of nowhere the Foot appeared. They snatched the child from her hands. Cassi and Leo didn't have their weapons, and were knocked out. The Foot got away.

I understand why Mike screamed. I would have too. Cassi shivered although she wasn't cold. I'll tell Leo tomorrow night she decided. After all, they did involve him. Cassi sighed, closed her eyes and slowly drifted off into a restless sleep.

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Authors note: I hope you all like it so far! I'd appreciate reviews so I could improve the next chapters and make them better! What do you all think?