Thank you to everyone who has read my story and special thanks to Kaaayyytteee and NRLetcher for their encouraging reviews. I do not own the TMNT but the characters of Sam, Sydney, Madi and all other characters are mine.

Chapter 12: Unexpected Voice of Reason

Sydney was watching Sam on the couch. Sam's pills had finally worn off. She was sitting with her knees clutched to her chest. She had a tired looking somber expression on her face that even made her way to her eyes. Her eyes which were usually a green hazel were now almost a golden brown.

"Sammy are you okay?" Sydney asked her sister very concerned.

Sam looked over at her sister but did not answer.

"Sam?" Sydney scooted closer to her sister and placed a hand on her shoulder. Sam shrugged her off and continued her staring contest that she was having with the twelve turned off TVs. Sydney decided she had enough and walked back to the dojo to see if the Turtles were done.

Sydney bumped into Raph and Mikey on her way to the dojo knocking her down on her tail bone.

"Opps! Sorry dudette I didn't see you there." Mikey said helping her up

Raph laughed. "Yea shorty we couldn't see you done there."

Sydney sent Raph a glare then rubbed her tail bone. She sighed "It's alright Mikey." She released herself from his grasp and continued her walk to the dojo.

"Hey Syd, where's Sam?" Sydney turned around and looked at the orange banded turtle he looked nervous, but his eyes hid something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She motioned over to the living room area. She stopped Mikey as he was about to leave.

"I'd be careful." She warned him. "Sam isn't feeling okay right now."

Mikey's baby blue eyes darkened. "Oh okay. I'll just go skateboarding I guess." He said sadly. Sydney grabbed his arm as he walked past her. She smiled at him. "Sam doesn't want to be alone. Do you know a certain turtle who could keep her company?" She hinted at him. Mikey smiled back at her and took off down the stairs to the living room. Sydney laughed walking to the dojo humming a little tune.

Leo was meditating. He had finished his punishment a few minutes ago and was calming the rage that was building up inside him. The last thing he wanted to do was apologize to Sam he believed he did nothing wrong. 'She did!' He thought to himself. 'She is the one at fault here she is so pathetic. The way father looks at her like he sees something great in her its repulsive. She's nothing special just a stupid girl who knows a few tricks.'

Leo saw a shadow move into the dojo, a small feminine shaped shadow. He began seething. 'Great! What does Artemis want?' He ground his teeth together. His temper was really starting to become uncontrollable. He though how nice it would feel to put his hand around her neck until she couldn't breathe anymore. He heard light footsteps coming closer. "What do you want Sam?" He asked angrily through a clenched jaw. Leo looked up and saw Sydney with her arms out in front of her as if she was pushing something away from her.

"Easy killer." Sydney said taking a step closer to him.

Sydney's body hit the candle light, and Leo froze staring at her body. Her deep caramel summer tan shimmered in the candle light. Her eyes shone a deep deep dark beautiful brown. Her chestnut brown hair was darker in the dim lighting of the dojo, but it was down past her breasts with side bangs that fell a little in front of her left eye. Her full plump lips were a pale reddish color. Her face held a small crooked smile, but Leo found it breath taking. He felt his eyes wonder down her body. Her hair was covering her breasts, but Leo could tell they we're big and perky especially in the tight green t-shirt she was wearing. He traveled down her body. She was skinny but curvy; her legs were slender but muscular. Leo was wondering how she looked that from behind. He pushed that thought from his head. 'What the shell's wrong with me?'

Sydney cleared her throat. Leo snapped himself out of his thought and looked back into her gorgeous deep dark brown eyes. He got up from his meditation position and walked closer to her. He was about three feet away from Sydney when her scent reached his nose, cinnamon and vanilla. It was so delicious to him he wondered if he could have a taste of her. 'What the shell is going on?' He backed away a few feet. He looked down and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Do you need anything Miss Jones?" He asked her a little nervously.

Sydney laughed. The sound was like angelic music to Leo's ears. "Please call me Sydney. Only teachers and old people call me Miss Jones."

Sydney played with her hair nervously. "So what are you doing in the dojo by yourself?"

Leo looked up and into her eyes. She looked genuinely curious about what he was doing. "I was mediating." He said happily. "Would you like to join me?" He asked Sydney.

Sydney shook her head. "No, actually…I came to practice in here. I thought no one was in here, but I guess I should be going." She turned around and walked towards the door.

"Wait!" Leo almost shouted. Sydney turned around puzzled by the blue banded turtle's outburst.

"You can practice in here." Leo told her as he motioned around the dojo.

She looked at him skeptically but shook her head. "It's alright Leonardo,"

"Leo." He corrected her.

"Okay well Leo, I'll just leave you to your meditation."

Leo smiled at her. "I can meditate anytime. I insist."

Sydney shrugged. "Okay but its kinda dark in here."

Leo laughed and walked over to a light switch flipping it on. "Better?" He asked Sydney with a small genuine smile. Sydney returned one back. "Yes much better."

Leo walked around blowing out the candles out of the corner of his eye he saw Sydney stretching. He was practically drooling on how flexible her body was. He was curious on what she was practicing for. "What are you doing?"

She looked up at him confused. "Stretching?"

Leo shook his head and sighed. "No I mean what you are practicing for."

"Cheerleading." Sydney answered him happily. "I do every day. Well almost every day because Sam said my body needs a break. Although when she was still training she practiced everyday for hours on end. And during soccer season it was worse." Sydney laughed. "Sam would wake up train for hours, go to soccer practice and practice for hours, come home, eat, meditate, and finally crash so hard no one could wake her up until she got up and repeated the cycle over again."

Leo felt a flash of anger come over him. He looked into her brown eyes and it was like the anger became extinguished. He wanted to keep talking, but about anything but Sam, but to his dismay she continued her rant.

"You know you kind of remind me of her Leo."

"What?" Leo asked in disbelief.

Sydney giggled. "Well do you practice every day?"

"Yes."

"Do you protect your family? Are they more important than you?"

"Yes my family means the world to me."

Sydney laughed. "Do you like tea?" She asked him.

Leo looked at her confused but answered her strange question anyway. "Yes."

"Meditate after every work out?"

"Yes."

Sydney laughed. "Wow, you and Sam are so alike."

Leo felt kind of dirty being compared to Sam, but maybe Sydney had a point. It made more since to him that Master Splinter would pick to train Sam if he saw qualities that Leo had in her. It was possible. Maybe he had over reacted, but he was not going to admit he was wrong at least not now.

"SYDNEY BROOKLYN JONES WHERE ARE YOU?"

Sydney cringed at the mention of her full name.

Leo laughed. "Brooklyn?"

Sydney growled. "My dad got to pick my middle name and he wanted to name me after the city he grew up in."

Leo walked closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I think it's cute." He said with a smile.

Sydney shrugged him off. "Well I should go."

Leo didn't want her to leave. She made him feel amazing and she was beautiful too.

"Can I see you again?" He asked her.

Sydney laughed. "I think we are going to see plenty of each other."

Leo smiled down at her. "I guess you're right."

Sydney walked out of the dojo and found her uncle and April waiting by the entrance to the lair.

She saw Madi was giving Raph a big hug which shocked her because she didn't think Raph was the hugging type. Raph ruffled her hair.

"Thanks for cleaning my bike with me Mads."

Madi answered happily. "No problem Raphie. Sam would never let me touch her bike."

Sydney watched as Raph spotted Sam and stared at her lustfully. Raph returned his stare to Madi a big smile breaking across his face. He hugged Madi again. "Well ya can help me any time ya want Mads."

Sydney looked over to Sam who was talking to Mikey with a very small smile on her face. Sydney felt grateful that Mikey had gotten her sister slightly out of her depressed state for a few. Sam hugged Mikey which he returned happily. Sam turned to join her sisters; uncle and April at the lair entrance to go home, but Mikey grabbed her by the wrist and stopped her. He smiled brightly at her.

"Stay here for a second."

Sam looked confused but nodded. Mikey ran upstairs, and then came back downstairs clutching something to his chest. Mikey handed Sam a very worn looking panda bear stuffed animal.

"His name is Ted. He helps with nightmares. I think you could use it."

Sam took the bear from Mikey and clutched it close to her chest. "Don't worry Mikey, I'll keep Ted safe." He assured him.

Sydney didn't know what the big deal about the bear, but she wasn't going to question it.

"Well see ya guy's later." Casey said.

Then the five of them left the lair, but not before Sydney felt a certain blue banded turtles gaze on her.

See Leo isn't a complete jerk and I know what you're thinking no Leo isn't a pervert it's the first time he ever looked at a girl who wasn't April who is like a big sister to them. I was also thinking of making Raph a sort of big brother to Madi I think he would be prefect he's loyal and very protective, and I think Madi would be good for him too. I would again like to thank all your readers. Read and Review.