Author's Note: Greetings people of the fanfic cyberverse! :D

Holy cow, it's been a while since I actually posted anything on this site. I know, I know, I still have other incomplete stories I really need to update on. (Sorry for those who are waiting for me to add on to my current Danny Phantom/Teen Titans story. I promise I'll add to it soon TwT) But, if you're like me and have been keeping up with the new TMNT cartoon series that Nickelodean just released last fall like it's your mission, then you should understand why I kind of pushed my other fics to the side and started up this one.

Btw, this is my first ever TMNT fic. Well, my first one that actually got posted on this site. So be kind. TwT I'm always open to criticism, but no flames, please. :P Also! This story was heavily inspired by fanfic author, GirlyGeek and her story "Life Changes". If you haven't read it, go read it. It's an incredibly adorable fic. :3 Also let me know if you find way too many similarities. I tried really, REALLY hard to make my story not sound too much like GirlyGeek's since it was inspired by her story, but just to be sure, please someone who has read "Life Changes" let me know. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor will I ever own the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics, cartoons, video games, action figures, movies, or anything else that has to do with TMNT. Those rights dutifully belong to Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. However, the rights to Samantha Jones and any other character in this story not associated with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics, cartoons, video games, action figures, movies, etc. belong to moi. :)

Enjoy the fic!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

"The Waiting Ones"

Prologue

New York City. The Big Apple. The Capital of the World. Gotham. No matter what anyone called it, the names given to describe the big, bad outskirts of New York never seemed to capture the essence of the city itself as a whole. The sporadic, flashing lights that smoldered the stars in the night sky, the soaring skyscrapers that seemed so tall they could cut through the clouds that lingered above, or the hustle and bustle of New Yorkers shouting, laughing, pushing, and cursing as they tread the busy streets that pave the city; they were all unique attributes that made New York City what it was: a city of activity, a city of commotion…

…and unfortunately, a city of crime.

However, unbeknownst to the people of New York, the police weren't the only ones that kept all the muggers, gangbangers, creeps, and just plain out psychos in check. Unbeknownst to them, there were others who lurked in the shadows, keeping a watchful eye on the nightlife like guardians of the dark and protectors of the weak.

"For the love of all that is holy, are we there yet?"

A chorus of frustrated groans answered that question, making Michelangelo wince apologetically. He knew this was the, what, seventh time he asked that same question. But holy hell, it felt like they had been walking for hours!

"Mikey, I swear to God, Jesus, the Virgin Mary and whoever the hell else is up there, if ya open yer mouth one more goddamn time, I'm gonna throw yer crippled ass off this roof." Raphael spat, looking his younger brother dead in the eyes with his hands balled into tight fists.

Leonardo peered over his shoulder and shot his hotheaded brother a warning glare. "Calm down, Raphael. We're almost at Casey and April's apartment. Besides, if you throw Mikey off the roof then he definitely won't stop whining."

"Hey! Its bad enough I have to hobble old man style all the way to Casey and April's apartment. The least you guys could do show a little sympathy." Mikey glared.

"We are showing sympathy—" Donatello pointed out once they finally reached the fire escape. "—Sympathy for each other after having to listen to you whine and complain all the way over here."

Leo chuckled at his brother's comeback, climbing the last step before he reached the window that lead to Casey and April's living room. He glanced inside to make sure at least one of them was home and lightly tapped on the glass once he saw April coming out of the hallway carrying an open cardboard box. She immediately smiled at the sight of the four brothers and set the box down before rushing over to let them in.

"Hey, guys, what's up?"

"Hey, April," Leo greeted, waiting until she motioned for them to come inside before he stepped over the windowsill, Raphael following closely behind. "Sorry to drop in unexpectedly at such a late hour."

"Don't even sweat it. You guys know you're always welcome here anytime." She smiled warmly before glancing over her shoulder towards the hallway. "Casey! Come to the living room! The guys are here!"

Raph moved out of the way for Donnie to come in next before he helped Mikey crawl through the window. "Mike here kinda got his shell handed to him by a coupla Purple Dragons while we were out on patrol."

"Oh no. Is he hurt badly?" April asked, rushing over to the window to help Don assist their younger brother.

The purple-banded turtle rolled his eyes. "Hardly. No fractures, no broken bones, just some mild bruising and a sprained ankle that he swears feels like it's broken."

"Let's see how you feel after someone bashes your ankle with a metal bat. Ouch!" Mikey hissed before finally making it through the window and into the apartment.

"I'll go get him some ice," April reported, making sure the orange-banded turtle was steady on his feet before she made her way to the kitchen.

Leo glanced around the living room while Mikey hobbled his way to the nearest chair, the sound of the faucet echoing from the kitchen. It had been a while since him and his brothers had visited Casey and April at their apartment and not much had changed, from what Leo could remember, aside from the floor being littered with opened up boxes labeled JUNK and STORAGE.

The blue-banded turtle's beak cringed slightly at the pungent smell of cleaning products that wafted through the air. If he had to take a guess, Casey and April were probably getting a head start on their spring-cleaning. A big head start, seeing as it was the middle of August.

"You kids having a little shindig or somethin'?" Raphael asked, nodding towards a half-put-up banner that spelled out HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Leo's eyes widened slightly. He hadn't even noticed that banner hanging precariously from the ceiling.

April came back into the living room and handed Mikey some ice wrapped in a dishtowel and a glass of water, which he happily accepted before leaning back against the only armchair that decorated the living room. She looked up at the banner and smiled. "It's for Casey's cousin, Samantha. She's going to be turning sixteen tomorrow and we're having a birthday party for her here."

"Birthday party?!" Mikey cringed, almost spilling his glass onto the floor.

Donatello rolled his eyes and patted his brother on the shoulder. "Just sip your drink and find your happy place, Mikey."

"Hold up, Casey's got a cousin?" Raph asked, raising an eye ridge curiously.

"Why do ya sound so surprised?" Casey laughed, entering the living room with another cardboard box labeled STORAGE before he set it next to the couch.

Raphael grinned. "Never really figured there were more of you boneheads out there, Caseman."

Casey rolled his eyes and took a seat on the longer couch, looking Donnie's way when the brainiac raised his hand as if he were in class. "Uhm, just out of curiosity, why are you having the party here? Aren't most of your relatives in Massachusetts?"

Casey glanced over at April, who in return gave Casey a similar look of slight apprehension. Leonardo inquiringly raised an eye ridge before Casey wet his lips and spoke. "Actually, I'm glad you brought that up, Don. As you guys couldn't already tell by all the boxes we got lying around, we're clearing up a few things to make room for Sam."

Raph spoke slowly, as if the gears in his head weren't turning quite yet. "Ya mean…"

April nodded. "Sam is going to be living with Casey and I while she finishes high school up here, so she can familiarize herself with the city before she transfers to college."

"Awesome! When do we get to meet her?" Mikey asked, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

Casey chuckled softly, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. "Sorry buddy, but it's probably gonna be a while before we introduce you guys to my cousin. I don't know how she's gonna react to four giant mutant turtles with ninja weapons and masks." He grinned, looking up at the four brothers. "Don't wanna scare the poor girl before she even gets herself settled."

"You and April turned out fine." Raph grinned, making his way to the kitchen. "Besides, I think we're pretty tame compared to some of the freaks ya see out in the city."

Leonardo crossed his arms over his plastron and made eye contact with all of his brothers. He already knew where Casey and April were going with this conversation and figured if he didn't set any guidelines, his brothers were going to find themselves overstepping their boundaries. "Regardless of whether her reaction is good or bad, we have to respect Casey's decision and wait until he feels Sam is ready to meet us. This means we can't just drop in unannounced anymore like tonight."

"Soooo I take it that whole us being always welcome here anytime statement just flew out the window?" Mikey asked, looking directly at April before receiving a smack upside the head from Raphael once he retired from the kitchen to the living room, beer bottle in hand.

"That ain't the only thing that's gonna be flying out the window," he growled, taking a quick swig of his beer.

Casey smiled at the turtles. "C'mon, fellas. We'll still be able to go out on patrol and stuff, so it's not like we won't be able to see each other. And eventually you'll be able to meet Sam, just after she's gotten herself situated."

"So what college is she planning on going to up here after she's finished high school?" Donnie asked, seating himself on the arm of the chair Mikey was currently lounging on.

"The John Jay College of Criminal Justice." Casey grinned. He shook his head slowly, his shoulders bouncing a little as he chuckled, as if remembering a funny joke. "Girl's got spunk wanting to work for the NYPD. Especially with a city that has more criminals roaming around than a penitentiary."

"A cop, huh?" Raph smirked. "How does that make you feel, Mr. Vigilante Man?"

Casey casually shrugged away the hotheaded turtle's question and reached over to grab a box in front of him labeled CLOSET. He dug through it before pulling out a leather-bound photo album labeled 'Memories' and waved it in front of the turtles. "You guys wanna see some pictures of me and Sam?"

"You know it!" Mikey exclaimed as he sprung up from the chair, forgetting about the towel of ice that was resting on his ankle as it fell to the floor. Donnie rolled his eyes and picked up the towel while April giggled and shook her head.

Good thing I tied it, she thought, turning back towards the kitchen before glancing over her shoulder. "I'm going to go make some hot chocolate if anyone wants some."

"I'm pretty set," said Raphael, waving his beer bottle for April to see while him and his brothers all huddled around Casey and his book of memories. The vigilante waited until everyone was comfortable and opened it up to the first page, where a picture of him as a teenager and a petite grade school girl greeted them with bright, warm smiles.

"Is that her?" Mikey asked, pointing at the girl standing next to Casey in the photo. She was downright short and looked no older than six-years-old. Compared to Casey, she only reached up to his hip.

Casey nodded and smiled sincerely at the photo. "That was when Sam was in the first grade and I was in high school. I went to school up here in New York though. Before Sam was even born, her parents moved back to Northampton, so I never really got to see her growing up."

"So Sam and her parents used to live here in New York as well?" Donnie asked.

Casey nodded, his face taking on a solemn appearance. "I was ten when I heard they were moving back. My ma said it was because they were having trouble keeping up with their house payments, but I knew the real reason. A month and a half before my aunt and uncle decided on moving, my dad was killed by those Purple Dipshits. After that, they were concerned about their unborn daughter's safety, so they packed their things and hightailed it outta here. If they woulda only stayed three more weeks, I would've been there the day Sam was born…."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Casey." Leo offered a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. He glanced back down at the album, noticing how big both Casey and Sam's smiles were as they stood glued at each other's hips. "From the looks of it, you two appeared to be really close, despite living in separate states."

Mikey smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, so it's not like the move did any damage. You still saw her from time to time. And I'm sure the moments she got to see her favorite cousin were the best moments of her childhood."

Casey's lips tugged gently into a genuine smile before he whispered his thanks to the turtles. He turned the page, showing them more pictures of him and Sam together. One picture that stood out, however, was one of Sam donning a baby blue mini dress with white stockings and a pair of pearl white ice skates. Her dark, midnight brown hair was put up into two adorable little pigtails as she smiled at the camera, a big gap in her mouth where her two front teeth were supposed to be.

"Aww," Mikey gushed.

"So she's a figure skater?" Raph asked, hovering over Casey's shoulder.

Casey nodded, turning the page to show more pictures of Sam in various figure skating outfits, holding up a decorative display of medals and even a few trophies. Leo's eyes widened slightly, blown away by all the medals and trophies Sam had achieved at such a young age, making the blue-banded turtle to believe she held an incredible amount of skill. However, the next picture seemed to make his eyes widen for a completely different reason.

"This was from our last family reunion at the park in Northampton two years ago, about a month or so after Sam turned thirteen," Casey pointed out, showing the guys a picture of just the upper part of him and Sam. The two were pressed together, cheek to cheek, with Casey's arm wrapped around Sam's shoulders and Sam holding the camera up at a typical Facebook angle. The blue-banded turtle felt like someone had just punched him in the plastron, knocking the wind out of him for a moment as he gazed down at the photo.

That's Casey's cousin…?

"Heh, now we know why you lucked out in the looks department, huh, Case?" Raph grinned, playfully nudging Casey in the back.

"She's cute," Donnie and Mikey both said in unison.

"She's … beautiful…." Leo spoke softly, his dark brown eyes transfixed on the photograph. While no longer the small young child with the short hair and toothless smile in the previous photos Casey had shown them, Sam had evolved over the years from a cute little girl into a blinding beautiful teenager.

Leo looked at the photo as if he were eyeing a magnificent painting, his eyes trailing from Sam's dark, chocolate tresses that seemed to carry off a slight twinge of red in the sunlight, flowing elegantly in perfect layers past her shoulders, to her smooth, creamy colored skin, to her hypnotizing eyes of evergreen, making them almost look gray in the luminescent sunlight. He had also noticed that Sam had gone through a little growth spurt through the years, now at level with Casey's chin in the photograph.

The blue-banded turtle literally felt as if her beauty had taken his breath away.

"Where was this picture taken?" Don had asked, snapping Leo out of his trance and pointing at a photograph of Sam sitting outside what looked like an old coffee shop. She was seated at an umbrella table, iced coffee set next to her, and dressed in an elegant, snowy white sundress with a cut off jean jacket worn over it and muddy brown cowboy boots. In her hands was a book, but while Sam's head was facing down, her gorgeous evergreen eyes stared up at the camera, flashing a soft, friendly smile. Leo's heart thumped hard in his chest.

"That was at the local bookstore and coffee shop on the boulevard in Northampton," Casey stated, chuckling softly as he looked down at the photo. "If that girl wasn't figure skating, she had her nose buried in some book."

"Sounds like someone we know." Raph nudged Leo in the plastron, giving his brother a playful wink.

Leo shot his brother a lazy glare. While Don was in fact the smarter turtle out of the four of them, his specialties strictly lied on technology and machines. If Donnie was caught reading something, it was usually always on a computer screen and was either a list of hard-hitting facts or just a streamline of information. Nothing with a compelling storyline or captivating characters, just manuals on how certain things worked or news stories.

Leo, on the other hand, held a passion for literature. Whether it was writings from Shakespeare, Ray Bradbury, or even Haruki Murakami, no matter the genre, if it was a work of fiction and painted a vivid picture in his head, Leo read it. Cover to cover.

"Woah! She's a skater chick too?" Mikey exclaimed, pointing at a picture on the next page. This photograph showed Sam standing in front of a rather large off ramp in what was obviously a skate park, one hand on her hip and the other flashing the peace sign as she winked at the camera. She was dressed in nothing but a black tank top and cutoff black workout shorts, all decked out in protective gear and worn out electric blue roller blades.

Leo stood, flabbergasted. She even looked beautiful in nitty-gritty sportswear, transforming her from an elegant-looking girly-girl to a badass tomboy. It was almost as if Casey were showing them photos of two different girls; twins with two separate interests, only wrapped into one amazingly breathtaking young woman. The blue-banded turtle felt his heart thump viciously against his plastron, causing him to shift from foot to foot uncomfortably. What the shell was wrong with him?

At that moment, April had finally emerged from the kitchen with a tray of mugs and chuckled with amusement as she handed everyone their hot chocolate. "Sounds like your cousin has herself an admirer, huh, Casey?"

Leo winced at April's words, his cheeks darkening almost ashamedly as he forced himself to tear his eyes away from the photo album. While it was obvious April was clearly talking about Mikey's excited outburst, he couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of guilt in the lower pit of his stomach for eyeing Casey's cousin – Casey's younger cousin – in such a … licentious manner.

The blue-banded turtle placed a comforting hand on his abdomen, taking in a steady breath to calm the butterflies in his stomach. Was he feeling okay? Surely he'd never eyed young women like this before when he came across them during patrol or when he was watching something on TV that showed rather beautiful women. Why all of a sudden was he feeling both light-headed and like he had just rode that crazy rollercoaster at Coney Island Mikey was always raving about whenever they showed the commercials for it? Maybe he was coming down with something….

Casey glanced over at Mikey and smiled. "Do I gotta keep my eye on you in case you start hitting on my little cousin?" He laughed.

Mikey grinned and stood up from the couch. "You know what they say, dude, once you go green, no other color reigns supreme!" He laughed, shooting everyone a wink and two finger guns as his grin got wider.

The orange-banded turtle received nothing but blank stares and awkward silence until Donnie emitted a face palm with a discomfited shake of his head. "I'm pretty sure you're the only one who's ever said that, Mikey."

"It's called trade marking, dude. Duh." Mikey grinned, sitting himself back on the couch next to Casey.

April smiled with amusement and took a sip of her hot chocolate, her eyes scanning the living room as she did so. She sighed and placed a hand on Casey's shoulder, giving him a disappointed frown. "I hate to cut the fond memories short, Case, but we really have to finish cleaning up here if we want Sam's room to be ready by tomorrow morning."

"Would you like us to help?" Leo offered, trying to sound as normal as possible as the unsettling twist in his stomach finally began to subside.

Casey grinned. "Is it gonna cost us?"

"Welllllllll…" Raphael started, flashing his brothers a grin.

April giggled, reading the brothers' minds as she made her way towards the kitchen. "I'll go heat up some pizzas."

Uggh! I'm so mad! I had this awesome text icon of a shell that I was going to use as brackets for this story, but when I upload on this site, it looks all weird and nothing like a turtle shell. D: Oh well. :(

Anywho! I hope y'all enjoyed the prologue! :D Now that spring semester is coming to a close, I'm going to try to update to this story quickly. I've already got Chapter 1 almost finished and I'll have about two weeks of free time (well, not counting work :P) to add on to this story before I start summer semester on June 10th. Don't forget to leave reviews! Reviews buy the turtles more pizza to nom on! :D

Catch you guys later!