Heya friends! Hope you're all doing fine! Things have been really hot here in the UK! And there are times I thought I was going to melt in the heat! But I still managed to update another chapter to this story, this time focusing on Leonardo and Kemeko!
Chapter Two
Leonardo sat at a little table looking across to Kemeko who sat opposite him cradling a small bowl of noodle soup in her hands and stirring it with chopsticks.
This was an activity they both enjoyed together, a father/daughter private lunch in their private meditation room in the lair.
Often once a month, Leonardo and Kemeko would spend a night having a private lunch together, it was their special tradition, and one Leonardo would do with Splinter so they could just spend one on one alone time.
Often, Splinter had these private lunches with either Jasmone Tea or Saki so he could speak to Leonardo more about his role as the leader of the Ninja Turtles and how one day when Splinter was no longer around that he would have to take over at the sensei and official leader and guardian of his brothers, sister, daughter and niece.
Leonardo loved those moments with his sensei, the rat he had looked up to as a father and mentor, and wanted to pass the same tradition to Kemeko as she was not only his adopted daughter, but his protégée, and one he vowed to turn into a great ninja warrior.
Yet with his private moments with Kemeko, Leonardo preferred just to spend precious time with the girl who he had loved as his real daughter, since the day she was placed in his arms and she had imprinted on him.
He just wanted to spend quality time with her, bond with her, love her, and teach her his way of learning ninjutsu and meditation and his way of thinking when it came to the martial arts, even though along with Pandora, Kemeko was learning her own style and way of fighting with her signature weapons and had picked up her favourite style of Kung Fu.
Whilst Pandora preferred the aggressive and lethal Tiger style and the energetic Monkey Style, Kemeko preferred the speedy Snake Style and the accurate Praying Mantis Style which pleased Leonardo that she had chosen speed and accuracy in her fighting.
Leonardo smiled softly as he gazed at the girl he had raised since she was just a baby.
Her olive skin was smooth and flawless, her long silky black hair hung down straight and shiny like a waterfall yet was held back slightly on the right side with a blue and white lotus hair-comb, a Christmas Gift he had given her, and her soft grey/blue eyes were unblinking as she delicately ate her noddle soup.
Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table
Barely awake I let precious time go by
Then when she's gone, there's that odd melancholy feeling
And a sense of guilt I can't deny
Lifting some Jasmine Tea to his lips, Leonardo often thought of how she being the only human often felt slightly out of place amongst mutants, especially since she still didn't know the full story of how she came to live with the Turtles.
She would often ask why she was the only human, and would ask where she came from, and Leonardo felt guilty, and he wanted to explain the full story, even though it tore through his soul as he remembered every little detail.
He knew one day he would have to tell Kemeko the whole story, why her mother and father were no longer in the world and able to raise her like they had wished.
All he had told her so far was that her parents died when she was a baby, and they had entrusted him to look after her, which was not far from the truth, and that they loved her so much which seemed to satisfy Kemeko's curiosity.
Yet Leonardo left out the parts with Shredder and the Foot, how that Monster, the Leader of the Foot, was her grandfather and he had killed Kemeko's parents because in his eyes, they had betrayed him when they abandoned the Foot altogether and his sinister plan to raise Kemeko as his new heir if he had gotten his filthy hands on her.
Right now, he didn't know when would be the right time, as Kemeko was still young, and the truth would break her heart, but he kept pushing those worries away, as all he wanted to do was give Kemeko the best childhood ever and be the best father he could to her.
What happened to the wonderful adventures
The places I had planned for us to go
Well, some of that we did, but most we didn't
And why, I just don't know
"Father?"
Leonardo blinked and shook his head as Kemeko's voice brought him back down to Earth.
"Father? You okay?"
"Huh? Oh I'm sorry Lotus, I was, two and a half miles away."
The young Japanese girl laughed.
"Meditating even when awake?" Kemeko asked "When we're supposed to be having our daddy/daughter lunch?"
"Sorry about that sweetheart." Leonardo smiled as he sipped his tea "Got a habit of that haven't I?"
"Maybe a little!" Kemeko giggled "And I thought Pandora could be a dreamer sometimes!"
Leonardo just chuckled.
"What were you thinking of anyway?" Kemeko asked.
"Oh nothing!" Leonardo answered quickly "Just wondering what our next escapade might be? Our next daddy/daughter time?"
"Pizza on a rooftop?" Kemeko suggested "Or maybe a night in Central Park if it's a starry night?"
"A starlight picnic sounds good." Leonardo said.
"Maybe one day you could take me to an open-air music concert?" Kemeko suggested.
Leonardo nearly choked on his tea when she said that.
"What?!" he asked surprised.
"Not like into the concert father." Kemeko said "Like on a rooftop nearby so I can see and hear it? I'd really love to see a live concert!"
Leonardo sighed slightly with relief.
"I know that it's difficult to walk amongst the humans, unless it's Halloween or the event is Fancy Dress or Mardi Gras." Kemeko continued "But I'd love to go!"
Leonardo smiled again.
"Well Lotus Blossom." He said "If that's what you'd like, we can arrange it!"
"Oh thank you!" Kemeko smiled excitedly "Thank you!"
Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see what's in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Kemeko then got up and walked over to Leonardo before hugging him close around his shoulders and neck, and Leonardo hugged her back around her waist as he was still kneeling on the floor.
"You're growing up so fast Kemeko." Leonardo thought as he hugged her close "A little too fast for my liking, if only I could go back to the days when I first held you in my arms, when I bottle-fed you, when I bathed you, dressed you, you relied on me so much, and now here you are, a lovely young girl and will one day turn into a beautiful young lady, as well as a great Shadow Warrior."
He thought back to a particular day when Kemeko was about five and they were at Casey's Farmhouse during a warm golden summer and they had decided to go for a walk together in the woods nearby.
Flashback
"Stay safe you two!" Splinter said as he stood at the porch watching Leonardo as he took Kemeko's hand 'And remember to be back before suppertime!"
"We will Sensei!" Leonardo said with a smile yet he rolled his eyes that his master still sometimes treated him like a child.
"You heard our sensei!" Michelangelo called from the front door "Be back on time! Otherwise I'll be a very hungry turtle!"
Leonardo shook his head at his younger brother then looked down at Kemeko who was looking bright eyed and excited.
"You ready for a little adventure Lotus Blossom?" he asked.
"I sure am daddy!" Kemeko grinned.
Leonardo smiled back.
"Then let's go!" he said then turned to walk with her away from the farmhouse waving at Splinter as he did and before long they were strolling together through the woods with the sunlight shining through the leaves.
Before long, they were about half a mile away from the Farmhouse and Leonardo let go of Kemeko's hand to let her run on ahead a little bit.
"Don't run too far okay?" Leonardo called as the child ran ahead.
"Okay daddy!" Kemeko called back then she spotted a butterfly and she started to chase it.
Leonardo sighed at how cute Kemeko looked as she watched the butterfly until it flew above her head.
Kemeko then hopped up trying to grab it then started to run faster as it flew ahead more.
"Careful Kemeko!" Leonardo called out "Don't run so fast! You'll trip!"
Yet Kemeko wasn't paying attention as she was far too occupied with the butterfly.
Leonardo jogged up to catch up with his daughter then he saw her heading towards some small rocks that were sticking up through the grass.
"Kemeko!" he called.
But it was too late, Kemeko too busy watching the butterfly to realise what was going on went for the rocks and she tripped before rolling head over heels over the grass.
Leonardo gasped and raced after Kemeko in worry as he watched the girl tumble then he saw her hit up and shake off stars before her shoulders started to shake then she burst into tears.
Leonardo instantly leapt to Kemeko's side and knelt beside her.
"Kemeko?" he asked "My Lotus Blossom? Are you alright?"
He studied Kemeko who had her hands up to her eyes and weeping and he soon saw she had a cut knee as well as some bruises forming.
Quickly he scooped Kemeko into his arms and held her close.
"Shhh, shhh." He soothed "It's okay Lotus, it's okay, Daddy's here! Daddy's got you!" he pulled her close and held her to his plastron and Kemeko sniffled and sobbed against him.
"There there baby." Leonardo continued to soothe "I've got you, I'm gonna look after you."
"I cut my knee daddy." Kemeko whimpered "I'm hurted…"
"It's okay Lotus." Leonardo whispered "I got you, I'll kiss it better." He leaned down and kissed Kemeko's knee as well as took some wet wipes and some plasters from a pouch on his belt and used them to clean the grazes and dress them.
"There we go!" he said when he had finished "All better?"
Kemeko nodded and sniffled before snuggling close into Leonardo and kissing his cheek in gratitude.
"Thanks daddy." She said "I love you daddy! Will you stay with me?"
"Of course I will baby." Leonardo smiled "I'll be here forever for you! I'll never leave you, not for one moment!"
Kemeko sniffed again and snuggled closer to her father and Leonardo leant against a nearby tree and cradled Kemeko close.
"I love you Lotus Blossom." He said "More than you'll ever know!"
"And I love you too daddy!" Kemeko smiled "And we'll always be together right?"
"On my honour Lotus." Leonardo smiled giving his adopted daughter as kiss on the forehead before resting back against the tree, Kemeko leaning on him and he started stroking her silky hair to comfort her.
As they sat there together, Leonardo took the time to feel Kemeko in his arms and her warmth against him, feeling not just her small frame against him, but the fact she loved and trusted him with her life and that she felt safe with him.
Leonardo held her closer and he looked up at the sun shining through the leaves before closing his eyes letting himself drift off into a short afternoon nap.
End Flashback
Leonardo smiled with nostalgic bliss as he remembered that day, he had almost slept all afternoon, but he had awoken with time to spare before heading back to the farmhouse with Kemeko and in time for dinner as well as evening training with his brothers and adopted sister.
He missed those days when Kemeko was still only a young child and ran to him when she was hurt and needed him to comfort her.
Kemeko rarely did that now, and since she was learning to fight, she had started to learn to take pain and any scrape she received no matter how painful and rise above it.
Yet Leonardo still remained close and was there if she needed him, as long as he was still around, as long as he was still her adopted father and mentor, he would always be there for her, because he loved her so much.
Awww! So cute! I do enjoy writing scenes with Leonardo and Kemeko, out favoraite blue masked turtle is such a good father to Kemeko. I really do look forward to writing more scenes with them both!
Stay tuned for the third and final chapter coming soon!