Well here's the next chapter. I don't own the TMNT but the characters of Sam, Sydney, Madi and all other OC's are mine.

Chapter 7: Spirits

When Sam woke up the next morning she found herself snuggled against Mikey's plastron. She tried to get out of his arms but quickly found herself stuck between a turtle and a hard place. "Sorry about this Mikey" Sam told the turtle before she used the old technique of pressure points to get out of Mikey's strong grip.

After Sam escaped Mikey, she made her way to the kitchen to start a pot of tea for herself. She spotted Leo in the living room and felt her insides begin to burn. Leo had no idea what she was about and had been quick to judge. Mikey had called him level headed which Sam found extremely funny considering he tried to kill her last night.

Then there was Mikey. Sam felt safe around him and she had only known him for a few hours. He had a calming effect on her. He had stopped her from trying to turn Leo into turtle soup. She had asked him to stay with her in her bed to protect her from the mighty Leonardo. Sam could handle all of that and she was actually grateful. Last night she didn't have one of her nightmares.

Sam shuddered. Her nightmares were usually bone chilling, body paralyzing, dark abysses that she found herself in almost every night. Sam worried her family with her nightmares. She would often wake up screaming bloody murder, white as a ghost, and sweaty. She never remembered what they were about only that they had been enough to make sleeping for her very unpleasant. Sam remembered when her nightmares started.

It was a week after she had watched her boyfriend Ben's murder at the hands of the Wolf Coven. Ben had pushed Sam out of the way of a bullet coming straight towards her. He had taken it in the chest killing him instantly. Sam tried to get the body of her beloved out of the alley and to a hospital but she heard the cry of police sirens and took off leaving Ben's body alone with the thugs she knocked unconscious.

When Sam came home she had locked herself in her dojo and didn't leave it for weeks. Her parents were very worried but they did not make her leave the comfort of her dojo because they thought it was her way of grieving, but they were wrong. Sam had been meditating, trying to reach Ben in the spirit plain but she could never find him only darkness. Sam would often cry out his name while in deep meditation to find him but that had proven ineffective. For the first time in her life she felt truly alone.

That's when the nightmares started. When they started, they were terrifying black abysses that Sam found herself trapped in. Eventually it became too much for her and she stopped meditating but the black abyss had come to while she was sleeping. When she was sleeping it seemed the abyss just covered her in complete darkness that she could never wake up from.

Then Sam just stopped sleeping. Every day and night she would train until she had passed out from working herself to hard. Her dad had threatened her that if she did not take it easy that he would make her stop and lock her weapons up and she would never be able to get them. That was also the year he refused to send Sam to Japan to train with her Sensei.

"Mind if I join you?" Sam was snapped out of her thoughts by Master Splinter who was staring at her with very curious eyes.

"No" Sam said motioning to the seat across from her. She asked him "Would you like some tea? It's jasmine green. It's one of my favorites."

Master Splinter gave Sam a warm smile as he sat down. "Thank you Samantha that would be lovely."

Sam got up to pour the grey rat a cup. When she sat back down Master Splinter asked her "Why does such a beautiful young woman carry the world's burdens on her shoulders?"

She shrugged. "I don't know why sir. It's just the way I've always been."

Master Splinter was touched by the level of respect Sam seemed to have for him but he told her "Call me Sensei"

Sam looked puzzled. "Sir?"

Master Splinter got up from his seat and walked over to Sam and took her hand. "I see you are distressed Samantha. Let me help you. I know your Sensei, The Ancient One."

"You do?" She asked him

"Yes, I met him when I went to Japan in the spring to burry my Master Yoshi next to his beloved Tang Shen."

"Whoa! Wait." Sam interrupted him "You took four baby mutant turtle to japan?"

Master Splinter laughed "No Samantha. I took them when I thought they were mature enough to handle the trip. They were about five."

Sam gasped in surpise. "You're Splinta-san. My Sensei has told me much about you." She let out a small giggle. "But he forgot to mention you were a mutant rat." She bowed to him "Splinta-san, would you teach me how to fight again? It has been so long since I've trained. I'm a bit rusty."

Master Splinter looked into Sam's hopeful eyes and said "It will be my pleasure Samantha. Now let us go back to my home. Before we begin to train the body we must train the mind."

Sam bowed to him again "Yes Sensei."

Casey awoke the next morning. He was still furious with Leo for attempting to harm his niece. He considered Leo to be one of his brothers as he did all the turtles but he had crossed the line when he charged at Sam attempting to cut her with his katanas. Sam was his full blood.

Back in Ohio he had grown up with Sam. He was ten when his older brother had brought Sam home. Casey was the middle child out of a brother who was ten years older than him and a sister who was three years younger than him.

He remembered how he felt when his older brother placed Sam into his arms. "She's so pretty Dustan." He has told his older brother.

Dustan laughed and asked him "Will you watch over her and protect her when I'm gone?"

Casey's eyes lit up and he nodded. When Dustan left the room, he held the infant closer to him and whispered to her. "Hi Sam, I'm your Uncle Casey. I'm gonna keep you safe. I promise."

Dustan had meant for Casey to watch his daughter while he was at work, but now it held a new meaning. Casey turned over and looked at the picture of him and Dustan. He grabbed the picture and looked at it. He felt tears sting his eyes. "I promise bro. I'll keep them safe."

Casey got up out of bed he walked into the kitchen and saw Sydney and Madi talking to April. He kissed all of his favorite girls, but he noticed one was missing. 'Where's Sam?' He wondered looking around. He thought maybe Sam was still sleeping in her room. He opened her door and found Mikey sleeping in her bed.

"Mikey what the hell are you doing in Sam's bed?" He asked angrily

Mikey fell out of the bed and hit the floor. He looked in the doorway and found a very angry Casey looking at him his blue eyes burning. Mikey crawled back into a corner and began to tell Casey why he was in Sam's bed.

"She asked me to stay in. She was scared Leo would try to off her in her sleep."

Casey looked into Mikey's baby blue eyes and saw that he was telling the truth. His eyes softened and he held out a hand to help him up. "Sorry Mikey, I guess I'm a little over protective when it comes to my gurls."

Mikey laughed and took Casey's hand. "A little?" He asked him.

Casey looked at him and shrugged when they got out of Sam's room he remembered what Mikey told him.

"She was scared Leo would try to off her in her sleep."

The words kept buzzing in Casey's skull as he rushed to the living room, grabbed Leo by the neck and pinned him to the wall. "What did you do to her?" Casey asked through a jaw clenched so tightly he could have broken some teeth.

"What are you talking about?" Leo asked trying to pry himself from Casey's grip.

Casey's eyes burned even brighter when he said "You know what I'm talking about! What did you do to Sam?"

"I didn't do anything to her! She isn't worth my time anyway."

Casey threw Leo into another wall and charged after him.

"CASEY!" April screamed at her boyfriend. She was mad at Leo too but that didn't mean Casey could just fight him like that.

Casey stopped and looked at April in her hands she was holding a note. April walked over to Casey carefully and put some space between him and Leo. She gave Casey the note and he read it.

Mr. Jones,

I have taken Samantha back to my home to meditate in peace. Tell my sons they are due back to train soon.

Master Splinter

Casey looked at Leo but he didn't apologize for attacking because the truth was he thought Leo deserved it. He turned around Raph was behind him Sais ready just in case things between Leo and Casey turned ugly. He handed Raph the note "Master Splinter wants you guys back at the lair."

Raph read it and walked into the kitchen where Sydney and Madi were. "Your sister is at the lair, would you gurls like ta come?" He asked them. He laughed when he saw Madi do a fist pump and rush into her room to get dressed. Sydney looked at Raph and nodded and went to her room to get dressed. When she came out into the living room she gave Leo a look so intense that could have melted steel.

Raph laughed he was enjoying everyone hating on their fearless leader. Raph also enjoyed when Master Splinter scolded Leo for trying to decapitate Sam. Master Splinter had told Leo that there would be major consequences for his rashness.

'Maybe these gurls are good thing.' Raph thought laughing to himself as he led Sydney and Madi down the manhole that led to their lair.

Read and Review. Chapter 8 will be up soon.