A lone figure stood on a roof. His muscles were well defined as the rain pounded on his greenish body. Slowly, the rain slid down his dark brown shell. He looked out towards the city and sighed. The rain outlined the muscles of his body as he stood there. His eyes were dark and mysterious, not letting any emotion show.

When he gets back, I'm going to kill him, thought the figure as he stood on the roof, scanning the city. Soon, he jumped a few roofs and stopped. He looked around quickly. The tails of his blue mask sprayed the water that it couldn't soak in when he quickly moved his head.

God Raph, why do you have to be so damn stubborn, he wondered as he looked around. It had been a bit more than five hours since he had seen Raph. He knew Raph was able to take care of himself but he still had his doubts.

Master Splinter told him not to worry about Raph but he couldn't help it. It was who he was, well, kind of. He always had to be the responsible, perfect, fearless Leonardo that they all thought him to be. There was never an escape for him. Rarely was he able to get opportunities to spend time alone.

Oh how he envied his brother. No one cared when Raph went out but did they care if he went out? Of course they did. It was 'uncharacteristic' of a 'great' leader. He hated it. He hated it with a passion. Why did he have to get the title of leader? Why not Raph? Why not the middle child?

Leo sighed. Am I doomed to live my life this way, thought Leo to himself. He looked up at the sky, as if the dark, cloudy sky would have his answer. He knew it wouldn't. He knew he probably was going to be stuck with this unwanted role all of his life.

He looked down at the street below him. There he saw a couple with a little child playing in the puddles. Leo laughed at the child. It reminded him of himself when he was a child sixteen years ago. A woman took the child by the hand and led him out of the rain and into shelter while waiting for a bus. She walked over to the man in the shelter also and kissed him. Leo looked away from the family.

Damn it, I can only look at these families from afar and never have one of my own, thought Leo. He was twenty-one and lonely. He only wanted companionship, the type that his brothers or Master Splinter could never give him. He sighed.

He looked around again and decided to give up on his search for his brother. He was probably okay but that wasn't the real reason he went out to look for him. He was really looking for him to possibly hang out, something the two of them never did.

He looked down at the ground again and saw another family come into the bus shelter with the other family. The two children began to play together, showing that they obviously knew each other, possibly from school.

Leo sighed. He remembered the days him and Raph were best friends and inseparatable. They would never do anything without the other. It wasn't until the ninja training started to pull them apart and Leo began to grow up quickly and Raph was left in Leo's dust in the race to grow up. While Raph enjoyed a carefree childhood, Leo began to grow up quickly, feeling he was too old for childish games. Raph and Leo tried to maintain their relationship but it was gone by the time they had turned 12. Leo cursed his training for that but never really did anything to save what was left. He was sure his lectures that were left to him to give weren't helping any.

"Leo?" said a voice.

Leo groaned as he knew who was calling him on his 'shell cell.' He took it out of his belt and opened it up.

"What's up, Don?" asked Leo.

"Master Splinter wants you and Raph back," said Don.

"Got it. I'll be back soon," said Leo.

He folded up his cell phone again and placed it back in his belt. He softly sighed. Back to my wretched job, thought Leo to himself. He turned and started to do the roof jumping that he had enjoyed. He jumped down into an ally to the nearest manhole cover. It wasn't the same one he had come out of but he knew being hidden was his best bet.

He slowly and quietly pulled the manhole cover away, exposing the sewers under the streets. He was about to climb in until he heard something. It had sounded like a groan of pain and unconsciousness, a woman's groan to be exact. He walked over to the dumpster where the sound seemed to be coming from. He peered in. His eyes widened at the sight of what he saw.

Leo's brown eyes widened in amazement. Right in front of him was a female mutant turtle. Without wasting a second, he scooped her up and out of the dumpster. He placed her down and looked over her injuries, or body.

He had never seen anything like her. Her shell was medium sized but it was slender, making her seem thinner. Her arms and legs were thin but semi-muscular. It was obvious that she had been in a battle recently since she was still bleeding from her wounds. Knife scars and stab wounds marks adorned her body. Her maskless face was beautifully round.

Leo took off his eye mask and used it as a tunicate for a cut that wouldn't stop bleeding. He knew it would take him only a few minutes to get back to the lair so it wouldn't be too hard to keep her from dying.

Carefully, he picked her up and placed her into the sewers. Once in the sewers, again, he placed her down and pulled the manhole cover back over. Again, he picked her up and began to run with her in his arms to the lair. He didn't know how long she had been in the condition she was in but he knew that she needed help and soon. It wasn't long before he got to the lair.

"DONNY! DONATELLO! HURRY, HELP!" yelled Leo.

Don ran towards Leo thinking he was injured then is eyes fell on the large green bundle in his arms. Don's eyes grew wide and he turned and ran to get the supplies he would need to help treat the girl turtle. He grabbed what he could and brought it to the couch where Leo had laid the girl turtle. He quickly got to work on patching up the girl turtle.

Mikey walked out of his room to see what Leo was yelling about. He looked on the couch and saw a green figure. He didn't even see who it was but feared the worst.

"Leo, what happened to Raph?" asked Mikey.

"That's not Raph, that's a random girl turtle I had found," said Leo.

"Random GIRL turtle?" said Mikey.

Soon Mikey's eyes softened and a smile came over his face. He laughed and patted Leo on the shell.

"First it's Raph, then you. Never thought you had it in you to bring home a girl," joked Mikey.

"Oh thanks," said Leo dryly.

"What is this about bringing a girl home?" asked an old and soft voice.

Leo and Mikey turned and bowed to Master Splinter. The old rat walked over to his sons. His fur grey with age and wisdom. His eyes showed love but firmness for his family. He strolled over to Leo.

"Leo found a turtle girl somewhere and brought her home," said Mikey.

"A girl turtle?" asked Master Splinter, shocked.

Leo nodded slowly as he closed his eyes. He watched Master Splinter walk over to Donatello and look at the girl turtle. He followed Master Splinter and looked at the girl turtle too. He noticed her tiny green body was bruised. He looked at her curiously.

She was a pale green but it could have been because of loosing too much blood. She was measured to be only at five feet tall. Her hands laid limply at her sides as Donny patched her up.

God, she's so tiny but so beautiful, thought Leo as he let his eyes look over the girl turtle again. He remembered that as he carried her, she weighed next to nothing to him. He never thought he would ever feel this way about someone or something but he wanted to be there when she woke up. He shook his head. I've gotta get these thoughts of lust out of my head, thought Leo to himself.

Once Donny was finished patching her up, he took a piece of plastic with blood on it and went to his lab. Mikey and Leo looked at each other before following Donny. They watched him as he took a bit of the blood and dropped it onto a test strip. He placed a green chemical on the slide and watched the reaction.

"Don? What are you doing? Is she okay?" asked Leo curiously.

"I don't know. She was half dead when you brought her here, Leo. We can only wait. I was just seeing if she was related to any of us. Luckily, she isn't. Her blood says she can also conceive children and should be compatible with any of us," said Donny.

Master Splinter listened outside of Donatello's lab. Hearing his son say this made him worry. If she was to live then his sons may fight over her for the right to mate with her. If she died then she would be merely a memory which his sons couldn't fight over. Although his sympathy fell for the girl turtle, he hoped in the darkest regions of his heart that she would die, not only to ease his fears but to prevent the destruction of his family.

Raph had come home that night to find Leo still up and looking at something on the couch. Raph looked at his older brother, wanting to know what he could possibly be looking at so early in the morning. His curiosity started to get the better of him. He began to walk towards his brother, trying to sneak up on him quietly.

"Nice try, Raph. I can hear you a mile away," said Leo, not even bothering to look in the direction of Raph.

"Nothing gets by you, does it, Splinter Jr.?" asked Raph in a mocking tone.

"Drop the sarcasm," said Leo.

"Why?" said Raph in a sarcastic tone.

"Look, I don't need this right now," said Leo.

"What? No lecture?" asked Raph in false disappointment.

"No, I didn't have one in mind. Did you want me to lecture you?" asked Leo just as sarcastically.

"No but it's the first," said Raph.

"Whatever," said Leo.

Raph walked over to his brother's side and looked at the couch. There laid the girl turtle. Wow, she's not bad looking, thought Raph. He sized her up.

"Where'd she come from?" asked Raph.

"I found her in a dumpster, half dead," said Leo simply.

"You actually brought home a girl. Heh, think she'll go for ya?" asked Raph with a sly grin on his face.

"Doubtful but I doubt she'll be any different towards you," said Leo in a slight mocking tone.

"Yeah right. You're impossible to get along with," said Raph.

"So are you," said Leo in retaliation.

The two brothers looked at the girl turtle. They both couldn't help but remember the past where they were both almost exactly alike, almost like twins. As they looked at the girl turtle, they looked the way they did when they were five, both watching their favorite TV show, Superman. They sat side by side, as they watched her.

"Well, this brings back memories, doesn't it?" said Raph, almost absentmindedly.

Leo nodded. He couldn't believe that they weren't fighting. Normally, they would be fighting right about now but instead, they were sitting together in silence, occasionally exchanging words. This had been unheard of for almost ten years.

"Yes it does. We haven't sat together without fighting for what? Nine years?" asked Leo.

It was Raph's turn to nod. He too seemed fascinated with this girl turtle to an extent. He didn't seem to be half as fascinated as Leo.

"Yep. Sounds about right. When did we really start to drift?" asked Raph half to himself.

"I think when Master Splinter started working with me more than you," said Leo.

"That's right. You started to act like Splinter Jr.," said Raph.

"Let's not start fighting. We were doing so well," said Leo.

Raph nodded in agreement. A moment in silence passed between them again. Raph looked at Leo and Leo looked at Raph. They realized that they were getting along again. It felt like a part of them was back in place, a friendship that was once lost but rediscovered.

As the two brothers sat together in silence and occasionally exchanging some words, Master Splinter watched and listened to his sons. He hadn't seen Leo and Raph sit together since they were children almost ten years ago. Those ten year though seemed like an eternity. He smiled to himself. Hmm.maybe this girl turtle is a blessing in disguise, thought Master Splinter as he watched his two sons sit side-by-side.

Leo sat at his old desk. He had a pencil in his medium green, three fingered hand. He looked at his drawing and began to put in more detail to his drawing. He looked at his drawing and smiled. He was not quite satisfied with the drawing yet. He wanted to add more detail.

He started on her shell first. Slowly, he placed the appropriate lines on the outline. He started on the lines closest to her shoulders and worked his way down. He slowly and painstakingly drew each line as if he were drawing the next masterpiece. Planning and almost measuring where each line should go, he placed the lines.

He never understood why he drew these figures. In fact, he had been drawing them since he was thirteen. Things like this seemed to come to him when he wanted companionship. He was always looking for it but never felt as if he had found it. Since he was still alone and still NOT Leonardo, himself.

After finishing the girl turtle figure, he worked on the figure behind her. It was a muscular figure with his hands on the girl's hips. The cheek of the male was against the cheek of the female with his eyes closed, seeming to be deep in thought. A pair of katana was visible, protruding from the back of the male's shell. Slowly, he added as much detail as he could.

He never showed these pictures to anyone. They just weren't the thing for the 'great honorable leader' to draw or think about. He couldn't help himself to not draw these images. They were mainly his feelings.

He had tried writing but when Michelangelo found the journal, it did prove to be disastrous since after that, the guys were in Leo's room looking for it until he burned it. Since Leo drew so rarely, he was able to hide his drawings. He found it easier to hide individual pieces of paper than a journal full of paper. Occasionally, he would put a few words about how he was feeling on the back of the drawing, letting what was left to get out out.

After completing the drawing, he looked at it. Then his eyes widened as he realized what his soul wanted to get out. He saw it was of him, holding the girl turtle that he had found the previous day. He looked at every detail of the girl. It was very life like. The only difference was that he had put an eye mask around her eyes and drew them closed. Then he looked at the image of himself. He looked happy, contented, and complete.

Leo's heart broke. He worried about never being able to have what his soul desired. Then again, he realized his training may prevent him from ever having her. If she was ever taken by the Shredder, he could be persuaded to do Shredder's bidding just by using her as a bargaining chip. Even if Shredder didn't use her, she still would have had the risk of being killed or even worse. He hated putting more people at risk.

He shook his head violently. His long mask tails flew around wildly when he did. He hated those thoughts of 'the leader.' They were starting to become him, taking over every bit of his mind and letting the real him be pushed back. God, I almost feel like a schizophrenic, thought Leo as he tried to push the 'leader' part of him back.

He cursed his leadership position. It was taking over his mind, never leaving him at peace to think like himself anymore. It was rare when he thought for himself since most of his thoughts put everyone else first. Thanks to this position, it put the whole world first and put him on hold no matter how bad things looked for him.

Why couldn't Raph, Don, or Mikey be chosen, thought Leo. He knew the answer to that. He knew it deep down inside of him. He hated it! He was the respected one of the four. He was the one looked up to when Raph wasn't around. HE was the one who had the natural knack for Ninjutzu. He was the 'perfect' choice for any ninja master to make leader.

He placed the drawing down and stood. Casually, he strolled over to an old book case in the corner of his room. Carefully, he pulled out a photo album and opened it with even more care. He leafed through it and stopped at a photo that he was always wanting to frame. The photo was taken with an old Polaroid camera. It was of Leo and Raph as young children standing together smiling, one arm behind the other.

He smiled as he remembered the days he longed for again, of him and Raph getting along. Raph, if only you knew how little I want this job, thought Leo to himself. He knew the title of 'Leader' wasn't great as it sounded. He couldn't deny that it was an honor but what you give up is too much. He hated the sacrifices he always had to make. Sometimes, he believed that becoming leader is the ultimate sacrifice in his life. He had to let the thoughts of a leader suppress his mind and it was doing its job.

Slowly and carefully, he closed the album and placed it back on the book shelf. He walked over to his drawing again and sat back down. Again, he picked up his pencil and started writing what was left for his soul to pore out. When he was done, he looked at what he had written.

On the paper, was written the words, "what I can never have."

Master Splinter sat in his study. It had been a week since the girl turtle was brought home by his eldest son and it seemed like this new presence was for the better. Through the week, he had noticed that Leo and Raph weren't fighting as often, in fact, they were starting to sit around and exchange a few words without a single fight erupting. This had surprised him in many ways. He was far from what he thought was going to happen.

He got up and decided to check on the new turtle. She had not awakened yet. He looked over the female figure. She was healing quickly which was a good sign. She was starting to get some natural color back into her face. He hoped she would awaken soon. He took her hand like he would with any of his son's and rubbed it.

Suddenly, he suddenly felt a bit of pressure surrounding his hand, as if someone was squeezing his hand. He looked down at the female turtle, seeing that she was moving. He placed her hand back at her side and ran over to where his four sons were watching TV.

"Donatello, the girl is awakening," said Master Splinter.

The four turtles jumped to their feet and ran to see the girl. The four young turtle men surrounded her, curiously eyeing her.

Her eyes flittered open, reveling her dark black eyes. She looked around her new surroundings before jumping to her feet, getting ready to run.

"Relax, we're not going to hurt you," said Donny as gently and softly as he could.

She looked at Donny. She had no idea what to think or do. She shyly sat back down on the bed which she had been laid on and looked at the surrounding turtles then to Master Splinter.

"Are you okay?" asked Donny.

The girl turtle nodded in response.

"Where'd ya come from? Heaven?" asked Mikey.

The guys smacked Mikey upside the head while the girl turtle giggled and shrugged. The guys looked at each other then back at the girl.

"OWW!" yelled Mikey as he put a hand to the back of his head.

"What's your name?" asked Leo.

The girl now gave him a questionable look. She never had a name. She shrugged. A name was not something that she had the luxury of having.

"You don't have a name?" asked Leo.

She shook her head again. The guys looked at each other again then to Master Splinter who was giving her a worried look.

"My child, are you able to talk?" asked Master Splinter.

She looked around quickly before reaching for Donny's note pad and pen. She quickly, but neatly began to write what she was wishing to say. Tears began to fall on the note pad as she wrote. Then she handed the message to Master Splinter.

"I have never tried, therefore, I'm afraid I do not know," read Master Splinter out loud to his sons.

"Man, this could be interesting," said Raph as he walked over to the wall and leaned against it.

"My child, do you have a home?" asked Master Splinter, worried for the girl's safety.

She shook her head. She did but it was gone now. She didn't care though. It was an evil place.

"Well, I believe you should remain here with us," said Master Splinter.

She looked at Master Splinter with wide eyes as she looked at the four muscular turtles. Fear was written in her dark black eyes. She was showing all the signs of not liking the idea.

"What is wrong, my child? Are you scared of my sons?" asked Master Splinter.

She nodded wildly. She watched the four guys exchange looks as if they were asking why to each other.

"Aww, come on, Mikey's not gonna hurt ya," said Raph, walking over to Mikey and rubbing his head.

"RAPH!" yelled Mikey.

"None of them shall hurt you. I promise you that," said Master Splinter.

She looked at him and hugged him. As she hugged him, she began to cry softly. Master Splinter hugged her in return, letting her cry for a while. She felt his soft fur in her skin, knowing that he was telling the truth. When she stopped crying, she pulled away from him slowly. She looked back at him.

How could someone hurt such a beautiful and gentle creature, thought Master Splinter to himself. He knew for the safety of everyone, she should stay with them.

"Would you mind staying with us?" asked Master Splinter.

She shook her head.

"Then you will need a name," said Master Splinter.

He thought for a second before looking at his sons for help. He had NEVER named a girl and there were no well known female renaissance painters. The guys looked at each other before they looked at him with a questioning look.

"I know! How about Callisto?" suggested Mikey as he looked at the girl.

"Why are you naming her after a villain on Xena?" asked Donny.

"Well, you know what we say, all the good ones end in 'O,'" said Mikey as a joke.

She gave him an 'it's not bad but not quite' look. She liked a part of it but not completely. She started to spell out the name on a note pad. Then she changed the 'o' to an 'a'. She wrote a message on the note pad and handed it to Master Splinter who took it.

"Callista?" asked Master Splinter.

She smiled at him. She did everything to show she liked the sound of it. There was something about it that made her love the name.

"Very well then, my child, you shall be known as Callista," said Master Splinter.

She smiled. Finally, she had a name and she felt like someone. Her eyes looked at the four turtles and then to Master Splinter. She took the note pad again and wrote another message before handing it back to Master Splinter.

"She wishes to know our names and what to call us. I am Master Splinter," said Master Splinter.

The boys went around and said their names. Her eyes followed each of the voices as she sat up and tried to make herself look as proper as possible. Her eyes stopped at Raph. My, is he hansom, thought Callista as she pretended to pay attention to the last of the group, Leonardo.

Leo sat in his room again after helping Callista get settled into her room. He sat at his desk, drawing again. This time, he didn't draw himself in. He drew who was now known as Callista looking at her own reflection in a lake. He painstakingly placed every line almost in the perfect place. As her figure took form, he thought about how much he wanted someone to talk to him and give him the companionship he so desired.

He rarely blinked fearing that if he did, a line would be out of place. He tried to put in as much detail as possible into the drawing as he could. He wanted to catch everything and show EVERYTHING he could so that the drawing could show her some justice of her beauty.

As Leo sat at his desk sketching every detail of Callista's complexion, in the doorway stood the very figure he was drawing. She stood there for several minutes, wondering what it was Leo was doing. She began to move silently into the room. She looked over Leo's shoulder, not even letting him know she was there.

Amazement fell over her face as she watched Leo draw her. She was amazed at the detail that he had paid to every little thing in the drawing. Her eyes followed every detail brought on by the pencil that was controlled by Leo's green, weathered, strong hand.

Leo sat up a bit more and noticed Callista in the room with him. He jumped a bit, scaring her and causing her to jump back into the katana rack. The rack fell, spilling katanas and letting them unsheathe themselves. Leo jumped up and ran to help Callista up.

"Callista! Are you okay?" asked Leo as he helped Callista to her feet.

Callista nodded as she got up. She looked behind her at the rack of katanas that were now everywhere. She looked at him in fear.

"Callista, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just happy you weren't hurt," said Leo as softly as he could.

Callista calmed down and knelt down, starting to pick up the katanas. She placed them in her left arm.

"Be careful, they are sharp," warned Leo as he began to help pick up the katanas and resheathed them.

It didn't take them long before they had the katanas off the floor and placed them on the bed. Leo slowly picked up the rack and placed it against the wall. He walked back to the bed and started to take some of the katanas and put them onto the rack. When he was done with his armful, he looked over at Callista who was looking at the picture Leo was drawing moments before.

Callista looked at the amazing detail. 'This is beautiful,' thought Callista. She looked at Leo and made eye contact with him. Then she looked around for a piece of paper. She watched as Leo walked back to his desk and handed her a piece of paper. She began to write her message and let Leo read it as he said every word.

"Did. You. Draw. This? Yes, I did," read and answered Leo.

She smiled and wrote another message. Leo read each word out loud.

"This. Is. Good. Who. Is. This. Supposed. To. Be? Thank you. I was trying to draw.well, you," read and admitted Leo.

Callista looked at him in shock. No one had ever drawn a picture of her. She looked at the picture again. 'Is this really me,' thought Callista to herself. She thought the girl turtle in the picture was too beautiful to be her.

"Are you okay?" asked Leo, afraid he may have come on to her too hard.

Leo mentally kicked himself. 'Great going, stupid, you scared her,' thought Leo to himself. He couldn't believe how stupid he was. He was ready to swear off drawing until he realized he was being hugged. He looked down to see Callista hugging him. He hesitated a bit before hugging her in return.

'She's so tiny,' thought Leo as he hugged her. He paid attention to how she felt in his arms. Something inside of him felt complete. He wanted her more than ever now. He felt the leader part of him told him no, it was not to happen.

She pulled away and smiled at him. 'He's just like his brother,' thought Callista. She wrote on the piece of paper a message before looking up at Leo, letting him read what she wrote.

"Good night, Callista, sleep well," said Leo.

She nodded before leaving the room. She walked out of the room, deciding never to tell anyone about the drawing.

Leo watched as she left the room, scared she would tell someone about the drawing. Soon, something made him relax. He didn't know what but it did. He turned away to set the katanas back on the rack. After grabbing a few, he looked towards the door. He smiled. He knew his life would never be the same again.

It had been a week since Callista had woken up. She was just starting to speak in a rough English which she picked up thanks to the other turtles, TV, and Master Splinter. She would try to talk as much as she could although it was very hard on her vocal cords since she wasn't use to speaking herself thus causing many sore throats for her. She would even try to read what she wrote by sounding out the words but with the rules of English in reading out loud, she would often make the guys laugh at her attempts. This often made her storm off annoyed and cause one of the guys, normally Leo or Mike, to follow her and tell her that they didn't mean to laugh.

Each of the guys seemed to adjust to her well. Raph stayed away from her normally and did his own thing. He wasn't really sure about her but he did feel sorry for her. When they did talk, it was only for a few seconds. He didn't really want to talk to her about how fun it was to beet up punks since the first time he did, she looked at him in disgust. After that, he never talked to her about that. He also wasn't very good at talking to women which made him extremely uncomfortable talking to her although she would often try to talk to him. The only experience he had then again was with April but she was going out with Casey, not to mention the act that he talked to her like he would to a sister.

Donny was often times engrossed in his experiments which he would often try to explain to Callista. She showed great interest in them. Donny had once told her that she was allowed to help provided that she didn't have Leo's 'touch of death' for computers. She would find this funny and try to do what she could to help him. Donny loved having someone around who he could talk to about experiments. He was also amazed at how intelligent she was just in the way of knowing elements and chemicals. She would sometimes correct him too before something happened. She would explain the effects of what could happen if he mixed certain chemicals together. Although she was great at science, Donny didn't think of her as potential mate or girlfriend. As it turned out, he thought of her most often as a sister.

Mikey was often times found either in the kitchen cooking. Callista would help him make dinner and other things. At first, she questioned his taste in food but soon, she got use to his odd concoctions of food and spices. She found cooking with him fun. He would tell jokes that would make her laugh and smile for hours. Mikey liked her quite a bit. To him, she was wonderful. He loved everything about her. His advances would have been obvious to any girl who lived around guys all her life but they weren't very obvious to Callista. He wasn't discouraged though. He just figured she'd figure it out soon.

Leo was quite shy of Callista. He found himself hardly ever being able to talk to her. When they did talk, it was about ninjitsu and occasionally what each weapon in his room was. Trying to be as polite to her as possible, he told her what each weapon was, sparing her the details of what they were used to do and how they would be used. Few words ever passed between them. When they did, Leo started stuttering like crazy and became clumsy with his words. Sometimes, he swore that he sounded like he was the one who had the speech problem. To avoid the teasing and bashing of his brothers, he found the best way to avoid it was just not to say anything.

Master Splinter enjoyed having Callista around. She was quite caring and helpful in his opinion. After all, the lair had never been this clean until she came along. The guys were actually keeping the lair clean so that she didn't have to see them as slobs. Him and Callista would often talk about history and would talk about ways to help his arthritis. She would bring him tea to drink when she felt he could use some. He loved her like the daughter he never had.

"Calli, could you tell Leo dinner will be done in twenty minutes?" asked Mikey, using Callista's nickname.

"Okay," she said with a smile.

Callista ran out of the lair. She had gone up to the surface before to get Leo. She liked going outside at night even if it was just to see the stars. She was nervous to go out though but she knew where Leo was all the time. He was normally up on the roof of his usual building, looking at the city. She got there quickly. She ran up the fire escape and saw him standing in the light of the moon.

She laid her eyes on his body. She noticed how muscular he really was. His shell was slightly more oval than his other three brothers. The tails of his eye mask flew in the wind. His back was to her, not seeming to care about anything. He's as cute as his brother, thought Callista.

Callista got herself on the roof. She slowly walked up behind Leo. She was also silent as she walked up behind him. Her slowness and quietness made her seem almost ninja. As she walked towards him, she admired his complexion, seeing him as attractive but not really seeing him as a potential 'mate.'

She slowly lifted her hand to tap Leo on the shoulder. Just when she was getting ready to, she found herself on the ground with Leo on top of her with wide eyes and turning bright red.

"Do you do that to all women?" asked Callista as she looked into Leo's eyes.

"N. . . n. . . no. You're j. . . just lucky," said Leo, nervously as got to his feet to help her up.

Callista looked at him and giggled. To Leo, her giggle was like music that he knew that he would never be able to get out of his head. Still bright red, he cursed himself for being so ninja. He hated to think that had he had weapons, he could have killed her. He hated the ninja training. It corrupted his mind, not letting him have the peace to be tapped on the shoulder by the turtle woman he loved. As much as he loved his own father, he cursed him too.

"I see. What were you thinking about?" asked Callista simply.

He looked at her. She was actually trying to start a conversation with him. She was actually trying to open him up. He looked at her and sighed. He needed to open up and relax.

"Raph," sighed Leo.

"What about him?" asked Callista softly.

"The past. We use to be such good friends before we started learning ninjitsu. Now, we fight like crazy," said Leo without stuttering.

"You do?" asked Callista, with surprise since she never really noticed Leo and Raph fighting in the lair.

"Yeah, we just haven't really fought around you out of respect. Actually, we haven't fought at all since you've woken up," said Leo thinking back.

Callista nodded. She was trying to figure out so much. This whole thing was new news to her.

"Why do you fight now? What happened?" asked Callista.

"We drifted. After we started learning the art of ninjitsu, Master Splinter started working with me more, causing Raph to get jealous. Although we tried to remain best friends, we couldn't. He started becoming a rebel and I became very serious," said Leo as he looked up at the sky.

"Did you want this to happen when you were little?" asked Callista.

"No. I wanted to be Raph's twin like I was. When I was given the 'honor' of the position of leader, Raph got jealous. He tried not to let it get to him but he just got jealous and well, we pulled apart while I grew up quickly and he got to stay young for a while longer," said Leo feeling lighter.

"Why do you still.dwell on it?" asked Callista, although she had problems getting out the word 'dwell.'

"It kills me inside when Raph and I fight. I hate it with a passion. He just doesn't know what he has. What he's had. He has no idea that if I was given the chance I would gladly give up leadership just to him and I would go out and do what I've always wanted to do," said Leo as he watched a bunch of kids laughing.

"What stops you?" asked Callista stepping closer to him.

"Master Splinter and my role as leader. Master Splinter would never approve of my actions and it would be very irresponsible for me to do that," answered Leo.

"No, I meant what stops you from telling Raph how you feel?" asked Callista.

"I don't know. I just don't feel like I can. He wouldn't understand," answered Leo with a sigh.

"Well, you guys taught me that talking is a very powerful thing. Tell him that you miss the days when you two were young," said Callista.

Leo thought about her words. He knew she was right. Raph needed to know. He wanted to end these fights that they had for so many years that continued to tear him apart. The only question was how would Raph react to this idea? Leo hoped that Raph would want the old times back too. Then he suddenly he had an idea. He smiled.

"Calli, you're amazing! You're right; I do need to talk to him. I think I know how to too," said Leo as he suddenly hugged her.

Callista hugged Leo in return, taking in everything about him. She felt like she could stay in his arms forever. She didn't want him to pull away. Then suddenly, what she really needed to do set into her mind. She broke the hug and looked back up at him.

"Dinner's very soon, we need to get back home," said Callista shyly.

Leo nodded. He offered her his arm which she gladly took and led her down the building. He was happy that she was on his arm and not his brothers'. He loved the natural high her gentle touch gave him. This was what he wanted in his life. He never wanted this high to end. 'If this is what it feels like to be on drugs, then damn, I'm sure as hell addicted,' thought Leo as he almost thought of Callista like a drug. As they walked, Leo realized something more, when he was having the conversation with Callista, he didn't stutter once.

A strong, muscular figure stood on the roof of a building. His eyes scanned over the city, searching, hoping that they would show him what he wanted. His maskless, green face was tense, almost serious. He continued to look around until his eyes showed him what he wanted, a green figure on a motorcycle.

The figure followed the motorcycle. Roof jumping was something he was quite good at thanks to years of doing the art. He jumped following the motorcycle closely, cutting it off the best he could. When the motorcycle finally stopped, he did. He stayed on the roof and watched the dark green figure get off his bike and begin to beet up some punks. Suddenly, one of them pulled out a gun.

The first figure jumped from his hiding place. He looked at the punk with the gun and kicked it out of his hands. He then proceeded to knock him out. He watched his brother fight the others with ease. He walked back into the shadows. He watched the fight come to a quick end.

"I know you're there, Leo. I'm a ninja too ya know," said Raph, not happy to see his brother.

Leo walked out of the shadows. He smiled an 'I have something to tell you' smile as he walked out of the dark and into slightly more light.

"Here to keep an eye on me and lecture me when I screw up I suppose right?" asked Raph, annoyed.

"Didn't intend to. I could but that's not why I followed you," said Leo trying not to start a fight.

"If its Calli liking me, I hate to say it but I know and I'm not interested," said Raph.

Leo's heart broke. She was after Raph, his brother. She had no interest in him. Leo's eyes started to burn with a fire. He couldn't get angry at Raph. It wasn't Raph's fault she was attracted to him. In fact, Raph was not interested in her. Leo then turned his mind to the reason he had come.

"Actually, that's news to me but again, that's not the reason I came," said Leo, pretending that the information didn't faze him.

"Then why did you follow me?" asked Raph annoyed.

"To talk," answered Leo, simply.

"Jeez, couldn't you wait until I got home?" asked Raph.

"Well, if I did, then we would have Don and Mikey breathing down our backs. Times, Master Splinter would never approve of what I'm about to tell you," said Leo.

"Okay. Why the hell aren't you wearing your eye mask?" asked Raph.

"Didn't feel like it. Felt like coming after you as me, Leo, who I wanna be. Not Leonardo the ninja student or the perfect son or the leader. Just Leo," said Leo as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

"Leo the way you wanna be? What the hell? When have you talked like me?" asked Raph confused.

"Cause I feel like it. Times, I've been thinking, we need to hangout without fighting more," said Leo.

"WHAT? Who are you and what the hell have you done with Leo?" yelled Raph pointing to his brother.

"No one's done anything to me. This is how I wanna be but can't because of Master Splinter and his choice to make me leader," said Leo.

Raph looked at Leo skeptically. Leo had never been one to rebel. He just couldn't believe that the perfect son wanted to get out of his position. He looked at his older brother with a questioning look.

"Okay, so what brought about this?" asked Raph.

"Bottled up emotion that builds up over the years. Look, I've been sick of us fighting. I wanted to tell you, you've got it easy. You have no idea what I would give just to have one day of what you have," said Leo in a serious voice.

"Me? What about what you have? I mean, Sensei looks at you like you're perfect cause you are! I have nothing compared to what you got. Heck, I would actually love to be leader even if it's for one day," said Raph.

"Wanna trade lives?" asked Leo with a grin on his face but in a still serious voice.

Raph looked up at his brother in shock. Sure, they would joke like this when they were young but they were twenty-one now! They were grown adult turtles. Who would have thought that he would have heard those words come from the mouth of his older brother. Mikey, Raph was able to see but it wasn't Mikey who said it, it was Leo.

"Why should you wanna trade lives with me? All I do is roam the streets, no one cares except for you when you sit and lecture me on how 'reckless' I am," said Raph.

"Exactly. No one cares what you do because you're not expected to be the responsible one. You're not expected to lay down your life for everyone in the group. You're not expected to sit through endless hours of brainwashing and lecturing from Master Splinter. Heck, you've never had to go through more intensive hours of training just so you would be a perfect assassin," argued Leo.

"So if you're so jealous, why the hell do ya lecture me?" asked Raph, taken back by what his brother had said.

"Because I'm jealous. Okay? I can't have what you have. I know I can't. When I do, I'm looked down upon," said Leo feeling anger well up inside but at the same time feeling like a ton was just taken off his shoulders.

Raph couldn't believe what his brother was saying. He had never thought Leo was actually jealous. Raph looked at his brother again who was putting his weight against the wall of a building, lounging. He had no idea what to do; he hadn't ever thought this situation would happen.

"Why do you think I'm so lucky?" asked Leo.

Raph stared at his brother. He knew he could never answer that question easily. There was never one factor. Although he wanted Leo's position, he never really thought about what Leo ever had to endure.

"First off, Master Splinter always chose you to be the leader. Second, you get the attention while the rest of us get jack shit of his attention on a regular basis. Third, you are never punished or yelled at," started Raph as he used his hands to count the points.

"Believe me, the attention factor is something I'm very willing to give up. The only reason I don't get into trouble is because I'm worked harder if I do act up. So why cause more unwanted attention to yourself when you don't want it?" asked Leo.

Raph nodded. It was true. On occasions, Leo did seem to hate attention and always tried to put it onto one of his brothers. It wasn't able to be denied. Raph thought about how they once talked about this when they were about eight, four years before their friendship would turn to ruins. Leo did say he hated the attention and that's why he would try to pass it to Mikey since he was the easiest to get the attention onto. Suddenly, Raph started to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" asked Leo.

"Gee, I dunno Leo, this sounds like a repeat of thirteen years ago. Remember?" asked Raph, trying hard to contain himself as he found the situation funny.

"No, I don't," said Leo, failing to see the humor

"Remember back thirteen years ago you once told me you hated attention?" asked Raph as he smiled at the thought of the past.

"That's right and I told you I was trying to pass it all onto Mikey," said Leo chuckling and then smiling.

"Yeah then remember Master Splinter walked into the room and told you it was time for your practice?" asked Raph starting to laugh harder.

"Yeah, god, was he pissed. Got a nice hour lecture on that," said Leo as he too started to laugh harder.

The laughter felt good to both brothers. They hadn't shared a good laugh since they were young and now, the friendship was being reborn. They could both feel it. They felt a part of them, once lost, come back into being.

"Ya know, we need to hangout more. You're pretty cool when you don't act all leaderish," said Raph, as he calmed down.

"Yeah. I think it would do both of us some good. Maybe fighting considerably less would help too," said Leo smiling.

"What? No fighting? Come on, where's the fun in that?" said Raph as he gave an evil grin.

"Very true," mused Leo as he too gained an evil grin.

"Have more fun with it and you should start the fight. Make it more interesting," suggested Raph.

"Just like old times," laughed Leo.

The two brothers laughed a bit longer before Leo's shell cell went off, once again, killing the moment. After Donny told Leo to once again come back, Leo put the cell back in his belt. Leo looked briefly at Raph before the two of them started to laugh again.

"Gotta get going," said Leo as he started to leave.

"Now, Leonardo, don't bring back anymore chicks," said Raph still laughing.

"Don't worry I won't but you had better this time. Oh, and please, make sure she's the same species," laughed Leo as he walked away.

Raph watched his brother as he left. He shook his head. God, that was pretty damn fun, thought Raph to himself. He made a mental note to not fight with Leo but joke with him a bit more. He walked back over to his bike and got on. He began to ride away with thoughts of the past coming back to the future.

Callista was making it obvious in the lair whom she had her eyes on. She would often watch Raph practice with Leo while they would spar. She had the habit of comparing the two brothers. She loved watching them since they were both so much alike. She loved the way they were built. It just seemed to entertaining to listen to them diss each other and then laugh right after the fight which in turn baffled Don, Mikey, and Splinter.

Mikey would watch Callista quite a bit. He did what he could to get her to see him in the way he wanted. He knew Raph hadn't told her he wasn't interested in her so she was still after him. Mikey figured that Raph's loss was his gain. He started to work on gaining a relationship with Callista. He would often try to get her to talk or watch a movie or two with him but that didn't always work since she didn't seem to like the gory parts. It also didn't help that Leo and Don would tell her that if she got scared, to smack him.

Leo and Raph started to spar more often but in a friendlier way. Occasionally, they would walk out of the lair and talk. They would joke around when they were out of the lair and call each other names and sometimes knock out some punks, drug dealers, or stop a burglar or a rapist. They seemed to enjoy their time to talk and catch up while they were out. It had been two weeks since they had talked in the ally.

"So ya gonna get the girl or what?" asked Raph while they were on the roof of a building.

"What? Who?" asked Leo.

"Who? Calli! Last I checked no one else brought a chick home," said Raph.

"Nah, I don't think she really likes me. She likes you better," said Leo.

"Yeah but I'm not interested. Besides, when I brush her off, she watches you," said Raph.

"That's only because I'm around you. Have you ever noticed how she watches me ONLY if she sees me around you?" asked Leo.

"Yeah but why do you avoid her?" asked Raph.

"I don't avoid her!" argued Leo.

"Yeah ya do. What? Fearless leader afraid?" teased Raph.

"You know I hate that nickname," said Leo.

"Then why the hell won't ya talk to her? Tell 'er ya love her," said Raph.

"It doesn't work that way. Besides, I've got no women skills," said Leo as he laughed.

"No women skills? Whatcha need them for? Just go to her and tell her how ya feel. Besides, if you don't, Mikey sure as hell will," said Raph seriously.

"Mikey? Mikey's after her too?" asked Leo.

"Yep. He's been flirting with her like crazy. Don't tell me you need someone to help ya out, heck, I'll set ya up with her if I have to," said Raph.

"What? Wait a minute, Mikey's been asking you for advice on her! I don't think I could. Besides, I'm a ninja, it's too big of a danger to be around me. She'd be better off with Mikey," said Leo as he looked out towards the city.

God, the more things change the more they stay the same, thought Raph. He heard this before. Leo was reverting back to the leader. Raph knew that Leo still slipped into it although he was trying to get out of the position more and more.

"Aw, don't pull that leader shit again. Leo, Mikey likes her and believe me, I don't think you realize how much she also likes you. I mean if she likes me then she would sure as hell would like you if you gave her a chance. Besides, when are you going to think about yourself?" argued Raph.

"I don't know, Raph. Every time I start talking to her, I screw up and start stuttering. I sound SO stupid," admitted Leo as he looked over the city.

"Relax, she's not gonna bite yer head off," said Raph in a teasing manner.

"That's easy for you to say," said Leo.

"Look, just talk to her like you would with April but don't try so hard. Trust me on that," said Raph.

Leo nodded. Raph did have a point. When he did try, he stuttered but when he didn't think of being perfect to her, he messed up. He knew what he had to do now, let his real colors show through. Leo turned from his brother and began to walk off.

"Ya gonna talk to her when ya get back?" asked Raph.

"Oh hell yeah," said Leo.

"Go get her before the major flirt gets her," laughed Raph.

She's cute but what do I need her for when I've got my own, thought Raph to himself as he watched his brother walk off to talk to Callista.

He couldn't believe how badly he screwed it up again. He liked Callista but he had no idea how to tell her. Times, the talk that night went horribly. He couldn't believe how bad it went. First he started stuttering and then Mikey came along and dragged Callista away from him. He was ready to kill Mikey for it. After Callista and Mikey walked off, Leo went to his room.

Leo took out a piece of paper and began to draw like a mad man (or turtle). He pored all of his feelings in the drawing. He started out by sketching a female turtle figure. He drew her with the greatest of ease. He knew every detail on her body by heart which he spared no expense adding. Then he drew another figure. This one was slightly less muscular than he was but still was taller than her, holding her hand. The male turtle was leading her away from something. Then his attention went to the next figure, himself. He sketched himself with the look of sheer sadness on his face as he stayed in the shadow. Then his attention went to the background. He sighed as he began to draw more of the background.

Leo was so annoyed at himself that he didn't even hear someone enter his room. The figure walked in not even detected by Leo which was normally unusual. God, he must be taking it hard, thought the figure as it walked even closer to Leo. He watched as his brother drew quickly but making the drawing look as lifelike as possible. Once Leo placed the pencil down, the figure put a reptilian hand on Leo's shoulder, causing Leo to jump in surprise.

Leo whipped around quickly to see Raph. Raph looked rather nervous when Leo turned. Leo let out a sigh of relief.

"God, Raph, don't do that," said Leo.

"Sorry, bro. I came to see how you were taking the news between Calli and Mikey," said Raph.

"What news?" asked Leo.

"After I put her down nicely, she ran to Mikey and well, now they're together," said Raph calmly.

Leo put his head down and turned back to his drawing. He sighed and continued to shade in the shadows. He didn't even notice his brother looking over his shoulder as Leo continued to add the last details.

"I never knew you were able to draw like this," said Raph, softly.

"I don't show it. Don't you dare mention them or I'll have to kill you," said Leo dryly.

"Look, Leo, I know you liked Calli but it's her decision," said Raph.

"I told you there was nothing between us," said Leo.

Raph sighed. He knew that Leo was not in the mood to talk. Raph looked at his older brother before sighing and deciding to leave for a while.

"Leo, ya know where I am if ya need to talk," said Raph as he backed up slowly.

No answer came from the worker at the desk. His drawing was sucking him into the void of emptiness. Once Raph left, Leo sharpened his pencil. He looked at the picture of Michelangelo and Callista. He took his pencil and looked at the bottom of the drawing. A white place at the bottom of the page showed.

He wanted to write something more. First, he started to write it in Japanese but then he erased the kanji and began to write in English. He knew his hand writing wasn't the neatest but it was okay to him. He wrote the words 'What I never can or will have.'

Mikey and Callista had been together for a month. It slowly killed Leo to see them together but at the same time, he was quite happy for them both. He hid all of his feelings inside until he either got to his room or got outside the lair and went for a sprint with or without Raph. He hated to see them together but he couldn't exactly tell Mikey that he didn't like the fact Callista and he were seeing each other. He kept everything hidden.

Master Splinter thought that Callista was the best thing for Mikey. She was his main source of motivation to get up in the morning and practice. The only thing that worried Master Splinter was the fact that she was very reluctant to be with him. She wouldn't be with him unless the rest of the family was there too. He wondered if it had to do with her mysterious past that she never talked about. He couldn't force her to talk but he could only offer an open ear to her.

Callista was having problems of her own. She continually had nightmares at night. Most of the time, Mikey ran in to make sure she was okay but she would push him away from her, not wishing to see him until the morning.

Every night, Leo would get out of bed and stand outside the door and watch her, afraid to go inside in fear of causing problems between him and his younger brother. He couldn't comfort her in his opinion. Leo would sigh and ask himself, 'what would she ever want me for? She's got Mikey, the funny one.'

Soon, things go so bad that she wouldn't allow Mikey to see her at night to calm her down or in the morning. As usual, Leo was outside the room, looking in and seeing her cry. His heart broke as he watched her cry. He had no idea that he had actually been seen by her but never by Mikey.

"Leo? Please, come in here," said Callista.

Leo froze. He hesitated before entering her room late that night. He still stayed near the door if Mikey came in. He looked at her black eyes. She looked clearly upset. It broke his heart even more.

Callista got out of bed and walked over to him. She looked tired but frightened. Fear was written in her eyes. She walked over to Leo and hugged him. She didn't want to let go. There was too much pain for her.

"Calli, are you okay?" asked Leo in a worried voice.

Callista shook her head. She cried into Leo's shoulder as she thought about her past. She suddenly had a feeling. It was a feeling of someone tugging on her heart. She never had that feeling before but she kinda liked it. She only had the feeling when she was around one turtle and it wasn't Mikey.

"Would you care to talk about what happens in these nightmares?" asked Leo softly.

Callista looked at Leo with her bloodshot eyes. They were red because of her tears. She closed them and rested her head on his shoulder. Although her action was barely noticeable, she shook her head slightly.

Leo gently picked her up into his arms, this time, taking in everything about her as he walked to her bed. She was so light to him. If he hadn't known any better, he would have said he was carrying a feather. Her tiny figure trembled as her tears fell. He soon placed her on the bed and pulled up the blankets around her.

"Leo, could you stay with me tonight?" asked Callista.

Leo looked at her in shock. This was Mikey's girlfriend asking him to spend the night in her room. What if Mikey caught them? What if Master Splinter found out? These questions raced through his mind. A part of him cried out 'yes' but another part cried out 'no.' He had no idea what to do. He looked into her pleading eyes. He sighed silently to himself. God, she could make me do anything, thought Leo.

"Alright but I've gotta leave early I in the morning so no one finds out about this," Leo said in a soft voice.

Callista began to move to the other side of her bed.

"What are you doing?" asked Leo afraid he knew the answer.

"Making room for you. You're not going to sleep on the floor," said Callista.

Leo was hesitant. He was afraid of what would happen if Mikey ever found out about this. Would she tell him? If she did, should he deny it? He just didn't know what to do. He wanted to and she was welcoming him but his leader side wanted him not to do it for honor and team reasons.

The temptation was so great. Never had he felt temptation this strong. How he wanted to but his leader part of him was telling him no.

*Leo, honor! You know better! She's Mikey's girl. You know that if she was yours, she would be in danger 24/7!* said the leader side.

*Tell me something I don't know, you annoyance! You're the reason I'm miserable!* argued the REAL Leonardo.

*Grow up! Leo, you've got to make sacrifices for the team and you should know, love is the first thing on that list!* said the leader side.

*Shut up you damn teacher's pet! I've given up practically all of my life just for this freaking position! Hell, I even gave up my best friend! Now you're telling me to give up the one last thing that could possibly make me happy? I don't think so! You've only made my life miserable!* screamed the real Leonardo.

*Do what the hell you want but if you're caught by Michelangelo, don't come to me and tell me I was right! Besides, remember, you've never seem Michelangelo angry and I don't think you need him to hate you.* said the leader side.

"Callista, I can't. I don't want to hurt Mikey. He loves you," said Leo, as he gave in to the leader side of him.

I am such an idiot, thought Leo to himself. He wanted to join her. He was sure he would have if she didn't have Mikey. How he envied his brother. He wanted to be with her but he knew that it was more than likely that he would never have her.

Callista looked at Leo. She was disappointed. For some reason, she wanted him with her. Not Mikey. But Leonardo. She sighed, understanding why he was refusing her. She put her head down.

"I understand. You just don't wish to create tension between you and Mikey. If there was, you would blame yourself. I shouldn't have asked," said Callista softly.

Leo looked at her. He couldn't being himself to give in but, god, did he want to. He bowed to her and looked into her eyes.

"Good night, Callista," he said softly.

He turned and began to walk back to his room. He suddenly felt someone grab his arm. He turned to see Callista out of bed and holding his arm. He turned to her.

She looked at him lovingly before kissing his lips. She managed to shock Leo. It shocked her when she suddenly felt Leo return the kiss. She could feel his internal struggle as she kissed him. She loved the soft feel of his lips on hers. 'He's a better kisser than his brother,' thought Callista.

Leo pulled away reluctantly. He bowed again to her. He couldn't have her and he knew it.

"Good night, Callista," said Leo and he left the room.

Leo awoke that morning in his own bed. He was alone in his room as usual. He looked at his alarm clock. He had twenty-five minutes before he had to get out of bed for practice. Slowly, he turned onto his shell and put his hands under his head. He sighed quietly. Memories of the kiss the night before filled his mind.

He had never been kissed before. It was a new experience for him. God, did he love the feeling. He wished he could have kissed her again. He loved the feel of her lips on his. The warmth of her lips warming his own as the heat continued down to his heart, making it skip a beat was something he wanted to feel again. His desire was so great but he held it back.

He sighed. He felt like drawing but he knew there was not enough time to complete it. He hated starting things he couldn't finish unless he had to. He knew the perfect picture to draw. He wanted to draw her again. He smiled then chuckled. Callista had become the subject of all of his drawings anymore. He was only inspired by her. It was no longer the fury of battles or the art of the ninja, it was her.

He thought a bit more about the kiss she had given him. It wasn't deep but it wasn't a quick peck on the lips. He didn't know how to describe it. He did know however it would make things a bit weird for him. He just didn't know how to face her. Knew what happened, he did love the feeling but she was Mikey's girlfriend, not his! He decided to act like it never happened. He didn't need Mikey to know that his girlfriend kissed him. He didn't want to have Mikey hate him for what his girlfriend did.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Damn alarm, thought Leo as he turned off the alarm. He got out of bed and put his belt and eye mask on. His thoughts would first be on warming up before his brothers, giving him enough time to get the events of the night before out of his head.

His only threat for anyone to find out was Master Splinter. Master Splinter was able to sense when he and his brothers were trying to hide things. He knew he couldn't think about it at all if he wanted to make sure no one found out.

He placed his katanas on his shell. Time to play to play leader, thought Leo as he left his room. His job was about to start again for another day.

Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Don were practicing under the supervision of Master Splinter. The katas were done with such precision. In unison, they did the fluid movements, perfectly, carefully.

Callista walked up behind Master Splinter. She smiled at Mikey before smiling at Leo. She was affected from the events the night before. For some reason, she was no longer feeling like she was in love with Michelangelo. She felt she was in love with another turtle.

She watched everyone do the kata. First her eyes laid on Donatello. He moved fluidly only because he had done that kata so many times that he just didn't seem to care. Then there was Raphael. His movements were incredibly fluid. It was obvious that he had practiced more than two of his brothers but it seemed like he was trying desperately to out due his brother. Then she looked at her boyfriend, Michelangelo. His movements were slightly jerkier than his brothers but at the same time, they were fluid. Lastly, she watched Leonardo. His movements were practically perfect. He was so fluid with his movements.

Master Splinter looked at Callista and smiled. He could see the love in her eyes for one of his students. He watched her gaze pass from one student to the next, watching each one performing the kata. He noticed her gaze stop on Leonardo. 'Hmm, why would her gaze not go back to Michelangelo,' thought Master Splinter. He paid attention to the five turtles in the room with him. There was something which just wasn't right.

"Callista, may I speak to you after the boys complete their practice?" asked Master Splinter.

"Yes, Master Splinter," said Callista as she turned to him and bowed.

She turned her attention back to the guys and watched them carefully. She loved watching sparing the most. She loved the way she could compare their way of fighting to each other's through this way.

It wasn't long before the guys ended their practice. Leo continued to spar with Raph. Don went to his lab and Mikey ran over to Callista and hugged her. Leo looked over and ended up being taken down by Raph.

"Distracted by. . .umm," said Raph as he gestured over to Callista and Mikey.

Leo nodded weakly and got back up to his feet. 'Jeez, women are VERY confusing,' thought Leo. He got up and watched Mikey and Callista for a bit.

"Mikey, I've got to talk to Master Splinter. He requested to speak to me," said Callista.

"Don't keep Master Splinter waiting," said Mikey with his goofy grin.

Callista laughed and walked towards Master Splinter's study. She knocked softly as she wondered what it was that Master Splinter wished to her about. She was afraid that she knew but there was still the chance that he didn't.

"Come in, Callista," said Master Splinter.

Callista slowly walked in and closed the door behind her. She was obviously nervous. The guys rarely came in unless they were either in trouble or they needed his advice. The fact that she was asked to come in scared her.

"You wanted to speak to me, Master?" said Callista as she bowed shyly.

Master Splinter nodded and offered her a seat on a green pillow across him. She walked over to the pillow and kneeled down onto it, feeling the soft fleece on the skin of her legs.

"I noticed your gaze on my sons. It stopped at Leonardo and not Michelangelo. I was wondering if there was anything wrong," said Master Splinter.

Callista gulped. She knew there was no hiding anything from Master Splinter at this point in time. She was hoping to keep everything about the night before a secret. She didn't want to get him into trouble because of her.

"No, Master Splinter. There's nothing wrong but I just feel like I'm not in love with Michelangelo anymore," admitted Callista.

"What has brought about your change of mind?" asked Master Splinter.

"I don't know. The nightmares, I feel, pull me farther away from Mikey. I as much as I try, I cannot see him as a lover, not anymore," admitted Callista.

"And do you see Leonardo in that way?" asked Master Splinter.

"Yes, very much so. I feel so close to him. I know he loves me but he will not allow me nor him to hurt Mikey," admitted Callista

"How do you know that he loves you?" asked Master Splinter.

"I know I vowed never to tell anyone about this but his drawings, they're of me," said Callista as she thought of the most recent drawing that she had found on the floor of his room after finding he had fallen asleep at his desk.

"Drawings? Leonardo draws?" asked Master Splinter in disbelief.

"You did not know this? Master Splinter, it often makes me wonder if he is truly happy. I had found a picture that he had drawn over a month ago when Mikey first told me he loved me. It was of me and Mikey in a passionate embrace while Leonardo was in the shadows, almost crying. On the bottom of the drawing, he had written the words 'what will never be,'" explained Callista.

Master Splinter looked at Callista and nodded. He never knew how jealous his son was of his brother. Leonardo was the type who wouldn't allow anyone to see how he was really feeling. He then realized there were other changes in his eldest son since Callista had been brought home, such as Raphael and Leonardo being best friends once again.

"I had never known of this hidden jealousy of his brother," said Master Splinter in surprise but calmly.

"It's not just Mikey whom he has been jealous of. I have gone to the roof to retrieve Leo and Raph. They both would talk about how they envy the other, how they wish that they could of switched lives. Leo has said he feels honored that you blessed him with the honor of being leader but he feels stressed and wishes he had more time to be who he believes he should be. Raph envies Leo that you gave Leo more attention when they were young. Leo often times wishes he could be as reckless as Raph so that he could forget about the responsibility he's always faced with," said Callista, not sure how Master Splinter would take the news of his son.

"Leonardo has never expressed this to me," said Master Splinter, in shock.

"He's been afraid that if you knew, it would be a failure to him. He only wants to make you proud of him," said Callista.

Master Splinter nodded in response. He knew how true this was. He had indeed chosen Leonardo to lead his brothers but he never expected that teaching him at the age he had started would possibly prove to be the worst idea that he could possibly had. He looked at Callista. Could it have been that Leonardo was actually bottling up his emotions and not allowing them to show until Callista managed to bring them out? It was completely possible, after all, Leonardo did draw and he didn't know about that. His heart sank.

"Callista, what do you intend to do about your relationship?" asked Master Splinter.

"I was thinking about doing what the guys call breaking up with Mikey. I would like to still be his friend but I can never be his," said Callista.

"This has nothing to do with that kiss you and Leonardo shared the night before, does it?" asked Master Splinter.

Callista froze. Had he been watching them? She was now scared. She wished the earth would open underneath her and swallow her up.

"You know?" asked Callista in shock.

"Indeed I do, child. I heard your cries of fear and I walked to your room only to find Leonardo was already there comforting you," explained Master Splinter without emotion.

"I know I tempted Leo in a wrong way but, Mikey and my past. . . they just don't seem to mix," said Callista.

"What had happened to you in the past?" asked Master Splinter.

Callista began to cry as she thought of her original home. Painful memories filled her mind as she thought of her past.

"I was raped and nearly killed by my 'boyfriend.' Leo seems different from other male turtles I had known. I don't know why but I feel more complete with him," explained Callista as she let the tears roll freely down her face.

Master Splinter looked at her in shock. Never did he think that her pain was this deep. He knew that she feared his sons when she had first come to them thanks to Leonardo but he never knew what it was that had frightened her. Then he thought of other turtles. He never thought there were others like them.

"I am sorry. I had no idea that you had gone through this," apologized Master Splinter.

"It's okay. I know this still does not excuse my tempting your son but I do have feelings for him," admitted Callista.

Master Splinter sighed. He now knew more about his son than he cared to know. He knew his son was in love with the girlfriend of his brother's and she loved him in return. He didn't know what to do anymore. This was far beyond his knowledge.

"When do you intend to tell Michelangelo how you feel?" asked Master Splinter.

"I'm not sure. I think I may tell him soon. I'm afraid to say it but the boyfriend who raped me and nearly killed me was a lot like Mikey. I just hope he understands the pain I have gone through," said Callista, sadly.

Master Splinter nodded. He hoped the same as well. He didn't know how Mikey would react to this news but he knew that it would be hard.

"You are dismissed Callista but please remember, after telling Michelangelo your feelings, wait a while before pursuing your love for Leonardo. I do not think you wish to create tension between the two brothers," said Master Splinter.

"No. I do not. I will wait for a while before I do express my interest in Leonardo," agreed Callista.

Master Splinter nodded a satisfied nod. He knew her intensions were good and she would stick to her agreement. He watched as she got to her feet and bowed. 'She seems so perfect for my son if what she said was true,' thought Master Splinter. It wasn't that he didn't believe her; it was just that he knew he would have to read his son better.

Callista broke up with Mikey that day. Mikey took it pretty well although he did not quite understanding why she had but the point was she broke up with him. He knew it was coming but he hoped that he was going to be wrong. He tried to act normally. He, for some reason, felt it was okay. He figured that it was probably because he felt the relationship was over in the first place.

Callista never told Mikey about her past boyfriend or her rape. She just didn't think he would understand. None of the guys would in her opinion. She knew Master Splinter didn't know the pain she had gone through. It was too painful to even begin to remember. For nineteen years she had to deal with the abuse. She didn't want to go through that again.

Although Mikey and Callista broke up, it was not noticeable. Not even after a month. The tension, now that they had broken up, seemed gone. They still were great friends who did a lot together. No one had even noticed that they had really broken up, although, they had thought everyone noticed.

Shredder had been dormant for a while. They knew that it was only a matter of time before he would strike. When he would, none of them knew. They could only speculate. They feared what would happen if Shredder had found Callista. It was their biggest fear, especially for Leo.

Leo still drew Callista in several of his sketches. The more he thought about how he couldn't have her, the more beautiful she seemed to him. It raised his desire so much more. He only wanted to feel her close to him again. His lips ached for hers again but he just knew it was wrong; he couldn't have her, no matter what.

Raph and Leo had spent a good amount of time out of the lair. They seemed to love their runs as they teased each other about every little thing. Their talks seemed to make them both appreciate the past even more. Their runs sometimes brought them topside to kick some punks' and gangs' butts. They loved it. It was all great until they ran into the Shredder.

Leo and Raph had taken their run topside. It wasn't long before they ran into the Purple Dragons trying to hurt a poor defenseless woman. Raph and Leo looked at each other and smiled. They instantly knew what the other was thinking, after all, insane minds think alike and tonight, these two were definitely insane. They drew their weapons.

"HEY! Didn't your mother ever tell you that it's not polite to hit a lady?" asked Raph.

"Especially the ones who are too scared to fight back," added Leo.

The Purple Dragons threw the woman aside, letting her run away. They turned their attention to the two turtles in the ally with their weapons drawn. Slowly, the Purple Dragon gang members took out their weapons and attacked the two brothers head on.

Leo and Raph looked at each other and smiled again. Leo ran towards them and jumped up, grabbing the fire escape. He swung over the Purple Dragons, did a flip and landed directly behind them. Both brothers shot each other an evil grin.

"Show off," said Raph.

"GET THEM!" yelled the leader of the Purple Dragons.

With that, the Purple Dragons attacked them. They swung their chains, bats, and knives at the brothers but nothing got passed them. One by one, the Purple Dragon fell. It didn't take long before they were all down. The turtle brothers put their weapons back in place.

"How many? 13," said Raph with a smile.

"Does that beat me? I only got 17," said Leo with a grin.

"I hate you," laughed Raph as he and Leo did their old secret handshake from when they were kids, which they had revived.

Shadows started to fill the ally. Leo and Raph looked around. They discovered that they were surrounded by the Foot. The two brothers cursed at the same time before exchanging evil grins.

"Start over or continue?" asked Leo darkly.

"Continue," answered Raph just ask darkly.

The Foot gathered around the turtles. Their various weapons such as kamas, katanas, and other such weapons were drawn. They stood ready to attack, waiting for the order. Elites stood around also. There was an exact count of 40 Foot Soldiers and 12 elites.

'We can take them,' thought Leo and Raph. They redrew their weapons and waited for the first attack. Gripping their weapons, they turned and stood back to back, waiting for the first call of an attack.

Neither side was moving. They wanted to know who was going to set off the fight. The tension rose. No one moved a muscle. It was going to be a fight no one would forget.

It was very still as the turtle brothers stood at the ready, ready for any sudden attacks from the Foot. The brothers thought felt like they were in their ready positions for hours which was only for several minutes. They slowly moved so they were facing opposite ways but side by side.

"God, when is this going to get started?" whispered Raph to Leo.

"When someone other than us makes the first move," answered Leo.

"What? Great, can't ya be you in a battle for once?" asked Raph.

"What? Act like you? Well, never done that with the Foot," whispered Leo.

"I'll take it as a just charge into it," said Raph.

"Go for it," said Leo.

Raph jumped and started the attack. Leo ran towards his side of the Foot, taking a few of them off guard. Leo went after the elites first, wanting to finish them off quickly. He twirled his katana around, clearing room for himself. Two or three at a time would come and attack him, trying to tire him out. He knew this tactic. They were only toying with him.

I've gotta keep myself from getting tired, thought Leo to himself as he tried to conserve his energy. He knew this would turn bad if they did manage to get him to fall into their trap. It would be very bad to leave his brother to fight the rest. It was then he decided, if he was going to go down, he was going to take as many as he could out with him.

Raph was having an easy time knocking off the Foot Soldiers. He had no real plan. He was just going in and kicking the butts of random Foot Soldiers. His kicks and punches were well thought out as he threw them. As he fought, the Foot Soldiers fell, as did the elites.

Twenty-one, twenty-two, I think I won this time, thought Raph as he continued to fight and keep track of how many Foot he was knocking out. He smiled evilly as he fought. He looked at all the Foot Soldiers who were trying to fight him. Just then, he realized, he had not fought and elite that day.

He shot a look towards his older brother. His jaw dropped at what he saw, his brother being beaten by the Foot Elites. Raph's eyes widened as he watched his own turtle brother hit the ground.

The elites grinned under their masks as they looked at the fallen turtle. Guilt wrapped around their hearts a little but their desensitizing made them not feel it too much. Not one of them noticed Raph who was running up behind them getting ready to knock them out.

Raph quickly wiped out the elites who were around his brother's body. Once they were gone, he guarded the unmoving body of his brother from the Foot. Suddenly, the ninjas heard some loud sirens. The Foot vanished while Raph picked up the body of his brother.

"Raph?" asked Leo weakly.

"Yeah, hang on bro. I'm getting' you outta here," said Raph as he carried his older brother like a young child.

Raph jumped into the first sewer he sewer he saw with his brother. He looked over his brother's injuries as he ran. Leo had various cuts of various sizes from the weapons the Foot were using. He was loosing blood fast and he needed to get medical attention fast. Raph quickly sped up his pace to get to the lair. He knew Leo didn't have much time.

Raph ran as fast as his tired legs would carry him to the lair. All the way there, he didn't even concentrate on the fact that Leo was heavy. He ran into the lair it haste.

"DONNY!" screamed Raph.

Donny jumped up and ran to his brother. There, Donny's jaw dropped, his older brother, near death once again but this time, with a brother to help him. Donny's mind drifted to the Christmas adventure they had when they were fifteen and Leo was nearly killed by the Foot when Shredder made his first sign he was back.

"Bring him to the lab and put him on the table," commanded Donny.

Raph ran to the lab, brushing past Callista, who had come out of her room to see what the commotion was about. Callista ran after Raph to see what was wrong. There, she saw Leonardo, lying lifelessly, on the table. Tears came to her eyes and she turned and ran towards her room. 'I never got to tell him,' thought Callista as she dove onto her bed and cried into her pillow.

Callista cried on her bed. She didn't know if Leo would make it. It hurt her to see him like this. She wanted him awake, telling her it was okay. Her hot tears spilt down her face, slowly leaving their mark.

"Oh Leo, don't die," cried Callista softly into her pillow.

She wanted to tell him how she felt. She loved him, there was no more denying that. If he died, she wouldn't know what she would do. She wanted a part of him with her if he was going to die.

She got up and wiped her tears away. She wanted to see how Leo was. Slowly, she mustered up the courage to walk out the door and walk towards the lab where Donny was stitching Leo up.

"He looks like Frankenstein," said Mikey.

"Now is not the time, Mikey," scolded Raph as he hit Mikey upside the head.

"Shut up you two! This is delicate work," yelled Donny.

"Indeed, Donatello must concentrate if he is to do this correctly," said Master Splinter.

Callista gulped before walking in the rest of the way. Her steps were shaky as she walked in. She stopped between Mikey and Master Splinter. Her eyes were on Leo the whole time. She couldn't believe her own eyes when she saw him, his lifeless body, lying on the table.

Master Splinter looked at Callista. He knew she was hurting worse than his other sons. Never being in love himself, he couldn't tell her how to deal with it. He watched a tear escape her eye.

"Don, will he be okay?" asked Callista shakily.

"I don't know, Calli. To be the truth, I don't know if he'll survive the night. The Foot got to him pretty badly," said Don sadly as he looked up from working on Leo.

Callista fought herself to keep her tears in but she knew it was a loosing battle. She quickly turned and sprinted out of the room. She couldn't think of not having Leo around. She ran to Leo's room.

Slowly, she walked in and turned on the light. She looked around and saw the desk that she had always seen Leo at from day one. She made her way over to it, hoping there was a drawing that he accidentally left on the desk. Sure enough, there was.

It was of her again. This time, the picture seemed lighter. It was of her looking at a rose with her right hand gently touching the petals while her left hand held it, carefully avoiding the thorns. She focused in on every detail. It was so exact that it made her wonder how long Leo had been paying attention to her. Then she noticed his words on the bottom of the page, 'What I will never have.' She shook her head. She found the pencil he had used and an eraser. She smiled as she erased the word 'never.' Then she looked at the picture again.

"Defacing good art?" asked a voice.

Callista whipped around quickly, placing the sketch down. There in the doorway, stood Raph. She wasn't really afraid of Raph but it was times like this that he startled her. She looked at him in fear.

He walked in calmly and continued to walk towards the desk. He looked down at the picture which he had seen her change. Slowly, a smile crept across his face but relaxed a bit when he saw how scared Callista was.

"Aww, come on Calli, You know I'm not gonna hurt you," said Raph as softly as he could.

She relaxed with Raph's words. She looked at Leo's drawing. She loved the detail and everything. She still wasn't sure if Raph was mad at her.

"I'm not mad about the picture either," said Raph.

"Oh. I wasn't sure if you would be," said Callista.

Raph looked at the picture. He noticed the only thing changed was the word 'never.' He suddenly felt happy for his brother. He wanted him to wake up so he could run the piece of paper down to his brother and show him.

"I came to make sure you're okay," said Raph as he looked at Callista.

"Not really. What if Leo dies? What happens then?" asked Callista, hating to think about what could possibly happen.

"I don't know, Calli, but I promise you one thing, if Leo does die, I'll be kicking the Foot's asses from here to Hell," threatened Raph as he pulled Callista into a hug.

Callista hugged Raph. She remembered at one time, she wanted to be in those arms. She started to compare each of the brothers' embraces as she hugged Raph. Raph's embrace was strong but too strong for her liking. He didn't seem to put too much into the hug at all. Mikey's was too soft. He held her like he was afraid she would break. She felt protected but nothing like Leo's. Leo's was always strong, ready to protect as if something could happen at any time.

She wanted Leo. Oh how she wanted him. She missed him. She walked out of Raph's arms and sat on Leo's bed. She gripped his pillow and held it. She took in the smell of it. It had it sent on it.

"You love him, don't you," said Raph simply.

Callista nodded. She knew that she always had. She couldn't lie to Raph.

"He's always loved you, ya know," said Raph just as simply as before.

"I know. I've loved him for a while too but never told him. That's why he needs to pull through. He has to know," cried Callista as she cried into the pillow.

Raph nodded. He wanted Leo to hurry and recover just so he could hear what Callista could tell him. This could change Leo's life if he could find out.

"Don's done working on Leo if you wanna go down and see him," said Raph.

Callista looked up. She didn't want to be in the room if Leo died but at the same time, it could give her the perfect opportunity to be with him and be closer than she ever was to him. She stood up slowly and hugged the pillow once more. Softly, she laid the pillow back on the head of Leo's bed.

"Thanks, Raph," said Callista.

"No problem," said Raph with a small smile.

Callista smiled back at him a bit before walking out of the room to see Leo.

A small, slender figure slowly walked into the lab. Her steps were very shaky as she walked into the tight place. The smell of rubbing alcohol could be smelled; obviously it was used in the sterilization. Her nose burned as tears stained her cheek. She slowly and carefully walked over to the sleeping figure on the table.

A blanket covered the body of Leonardo. The only body parts that stuck out were his head and his arms. He laid there helplessly, in the unconscious state that the Foot had placed him in.

Callista took a seat at on the chair next to Leo. Carefully, she took his hand and brought it to her lips. She kissed it softly and held it close to her face. Her tears soon started to fall onto Leo's hand, staining them also. She cuddled his hand as she wished he was awake.

"Oh Leo, I wish you were awake. There's so much I feel I need to tell you. I never got to tell you how I truly feel about you. Leo, I love you. I never realized just how protected I feel when you're with me or how complete I feel in your arms. Being with Mikey only brought me pain. I should probably tell you what happened to me before you brought me home," said Callista.

Callista sighed. She hated thinking about the past, yet, she needed to get it out some how. It was the first time she was going into detail with it. She never told any of the turtle guys about it and she wished for it to say that way. Now, she wanted to tell Leo.

"Before you found me, I lived in a lab. I was never taught how to speak but someone taught me how to read. Anyway, that's not the important part. What is important is that I did have a boyfriend. He too was a turtle. His name was Damon. I thought I had the perfect life. He was very much like Mikey and I loved him very much. It all changed until a month before you found me. Damon started raping me repeatedly, trying to get me pregnant. When I never conceived, he raped me once more and beat me. When he thought I was dead, he discarded my body in the dumpster where you had found me," said Callista as tears came down her face.

She squeezed Leo's hand softly. Her right hand traced the muscles on his upper arm slowly, taking in every detail of him. She never noticed how strong he really was. She wished she could have the arms she was touching hold her once again. She sighed and moved closer to the table.

"Leo, you saved me that night. Please don't die on me! I need you here! I don't know what everyone will do without you. I don't know how else to tell you I love you, Leo. I should tell you that I changed a part of your drawing. You said 'what you will never have.' I changed it to 'what you will have' and you will if you wake up. Oh Leo, please wake up," cried Callista as she hugged Leo and cried into his shoulder.

Callista sat back in the chair after crying for a while. She didn't know if Leo could hear her but she was almost positive he could. She placed her head on the table and cried. She missed him. She wanted him back. Slowly, she let her sorrow-filled tiredness over come her. With that, she fell asleep at Leo's side.

Callista awoke that morning to someone stroking her unmasked head gently. Her eyes fluttered open. She found she was still at the table but Leo's head was not where it had been. A three fingered hand softly stroked her head.

Callista jumped back in fright, falling off the chair in fright. She looked on the table and saw what she had deemed impossible. There, getting off the table to help her up was Leonardo.

"Are you alright? I'm sorry I scared you," apologized Leo as he helped Callista up.

Callista's eyes widened as a smile found its way on her face. Before she knew it, she was jumping into Leo's arms and hugging him tightly. He was in rough shape but she didn't care, he was alive. She felt his arms wrap around her tightly. She never felt so complete before.

"Leo! I thought I'd never see you again!" cried Callista.

"I know, Calli. I know," said Leo as he held Callista close to him.

The two of them stayed like that for a few minutes. Neither of them wanted to move. It was bliss for both as their hearts found themselves to be whole. They both relished the closeness of the other, neither of them knowing what to say.

Leo took in everything. H had never hugged someone so tightly. He was just happy to have her in his arms the whole time. Although he was still unaware that her and Mikey were no longer together, he still felt great holding her even if it was for a few moments. He closed his eyes. If death was to come upon him at that very second, he would have definitely died happily.

Callista was so happy to see Leo awake again. Her wish had definitely come true. There was nothing else she could have ever asked for. All she wanted was to be like that for the end of time but first thing was first. She pulled away from him reluctantly. She knew Leo had to recover before she held him longer. She could almost see the disappointment in his eyes when she pulled away.

"Leo, you need to rest. You can hug me later," said Callista as she softly pushed Leo backwards to the table.

"On that thing? Do you know how uncomfortable that thing is?" asked Leo, almost laughing.

"Well then get to your room. I'll get Donny so he knows you woke up and you're being stubborn," said Callista.

Leo laughed a bit. He knew she would get Donny but he wanted her to stay. He watched her leave the room before walking to his room. He felt his legs hurt like Hell but he didn't want to admit that it was that bad. He sighed as he climbed into bed. He was in pain, granted but his heart ached for Callista more.

Soon, Donny, Master Splinter, Raph, Mikey, and Callista walked into Leo's room. Everyone was glad to see Leo was awake and being his normal self, at least when he was injured or sick which was to get up and move around like a lion in a cage. After a complete check up, Leo was not happy about Don's poking and prodding. He at least knew that he was alive. Donny told him not to practice for about two weeks.

"Two weeks? Donny, I can't say down that long," argued Leo.

"My son, you had a very bad incident with the Foot. I do not think it is wise for you to try and continue your training while you are in this condition," said Master Splinter.

"Yeah, Leo. It's only to make sure you heal up. Besides, it looked as if you may have torn some muscles. You should rest for a while. Besides, we'll be sure to keep you entertained for two weeks," said Donny tying to calm his brother down.

"Yeah, dude, you've got me here! If anyone can keep anyone entertained, it's me! Times, when I can't do it, I'm sure our pretty little Callista can keep ya busy in more than one way," laughed Mikey.

Callista walked over to Mikey and smacked him up side the head.

"Ouch! Hey, Calli, what was that for?" yelled Mikey.

"That was for the comment! It was completely uncalled for! I'm not that kind of girl!" scolded Callista.

"Sorry babe," said Mikey.

"Further more, don't call me Babe!" scolded Callista as she watched Mikey cower away from her.

"Looks like you're sleeping in the doghouse tonight, Mikey," joked Raph.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Listen to the funny mutant," said Mikey.

"What are you talking about Raph, I'm not seeing Mikey anymore. We broke up a month ago," said Callista.

Raph, Don, and Leo's eyes suddenly focused on Callista. They didn't even notice that she was single.

"Well, that just shows how observant you boys are," laughed Callista.

Everyone laughed for a while before leaving Leo to get his rest. Raph stayed behind. He was happy to see his brother awake. There was one thing that he had to show his brother. He walked over to the desk when everyone left the room.

"Be like you, huh? I act like you for one battle with the Foot and look where it gets me," teased Leo.

"I think you'll thank me for this later. But look at this. Calli changed one little thing on your picture and believe me, when I talked her, she proved one thing to me, she's in love with ya," said Raph as he handed Leo a piece of paper.

Leo looked at the sketch and noticed immediately that the word never had been erased. His heart stopped. He now felt like he was going to have a heart attack. The one and only girl he had ever loved loved him back. His eyes grew wide.

"Pretty sweet, eh Leo? You got the girl's heart. She likes ya," said Raph.

Leo nodded at a loss for words. He couldn't believe that she was now in love with him, the last for her to be in love with but the one who was determined to keep her. He just couldn't believe that she could potentially be his. He handed the drawing back to Raph and smiled.

"Thanks for the idea, Raph. Maybe these two weeks of being down will be worth it after all," said Leo with a small smile.

"You better believe it. Heck, if I could have this treatment, I'd use it to my full advantage. You had better use it too," laughed Raph.

"I think I'll use it to a good extent," laughed Leo.

"Well, you need to rest and I'll catch ya later," said Raph as he started to leave.

"Yeah. See ya, Raph," said Leo.

Leo watched his 'twin' exit the room. He flopped down on his bed. He couldn't believe that Callista was finally going to be his. He was going to make sure that he didn't mess this up.

It had only been a few days that Leo had been bed ridden. It was true. He did have a torn muscle which Don was able to patch up some how. While Leo let that heal up, he remained in bed. Callista was always in the room, talking to him and joking around with him. He was happy to have her around and she always seemed happy to be with him. It made him feel great when she was around. They never seemed to get enough of being with each other.

Leo hated the night. Everyone always went to bed and then when he had to sleep during the day, there was no one to be with. He still hadn't made any advances on Callista and he was determined to. Finally, on the fourth night of his sentencing to bed rest, he decided to make a move.

"Are your nightmares any better, Calli?" asked Leo, knowing the answer to the question he had asked.

"No. They still haunt me. I wish they would go away," said Callista while sitting with Leo in his room.

"If you ever need me, I'm here," said Leo as he slowly put his hand over her hand.

"Thank you, Leo. I don't know how much more I can take of these nightmares. I just want them to end," said Callista.

"I know. I know," he said as he pulled Callista into a hug.

"I haven't slept since they started," said Callista once she pulled away after a while.

Leo wanted to help her the best he could. He cared for her but he had no idea what to do. He was stuck. He wanted to tell her how he felt which was no easy matter although she already knew how he felt.

"Calli, I wanted to tell you something. I know you know this but I need to tell you myself," said Leo.

Callista looked at Leo. She had been dying to hear these words. She too wanted to tell him how she felt but she had no idea how to do that either. She wanted to but she felt held back. He only wanted to break free from her nervousness.

"And I have something to tell you and I believe you know what it is," said Callista.

"You first," said Leo.

"No, you first," said Callista.

"Calli, I want to tell you that. . . well, I love you," said Leo as he said the first part slowly and the last part quickly.

He felt like a ton was just lifted off him. He finally got rid of his burden which had haunted him for three months. Suddenly, he felt physically weighed down as he realized Callista was in his arms. He quickly wrapped his arms around her, not wishing to let her go at all.

"Leo, I love you too. I had changed your picture while you were gone. You said you could never have me and you can. You can have me! You have me how," cried Callista.

They stayed in the embrace for a while. Neither of them wanted to leave it. They had finally found each other. Everything in the room seemed so much brighter. Even the light had seemed brighter.

It wasn't long before their lips found each other's. Their lips locked and soon the kiss deepened. Their lips danced for several moments. When they finally broke, they looked at each other breathlessly. Their lips ached for each other's but there was no need to over do it on the first night.

They just couldn't stop looking into each other's for a while. They just hated to part. Callista finally broke the contact by moving onto Leo's bed. She hugged him again, never wanting to leave his strong hold. Leo wrapped his arms around her and sighed with contentment.

Leo thought of his first drawing of her that he had made. It was of him holding Callista. He smiled. 'What I can never have my shell,' thought Leo to himself as he held Callista close to him.

Callista looked up and noticed the time. It was already midnight. She sighed. She didn't want to leave Leo. Not for anything. She loved him too much and she didn't wish to have him not be with her.

"It's getting late," said Leo.

"Yes. You need to rest," said Callista.

"I'm not tired. Besides, I sleep enough during the day," said Leo.

"Then I'll stay with you. Besides, my nightmares keep me up anyway," said Callista.

"You should try to sleep," said Leo.

"I know. I'm not going to bed if you're staying up," said Callista.

"Are you trying to spend the night with me again?" asked Leo with a smile almost laughing.

"You're more sarcastic than you let on! I like that. But if you want the truth, it may help my nightmares. I've tried everything else but that," said Callista with a slight laugh.

Leo laughed. He knew she was joking to an extent. He wanted her to stay with him. He had no intention of doing more than resting with her in his arms if she did stay with him that night. He secretly hoped she would stay with him.

Callista looked into Leo's eyes. She wanted to stay but she didn't know if she should. She was at a loss. She had no idea what to do. She didn't want to ask but he was leaving it to her.

"Do you want me to say?" asked Callista.

"Only if you're okay with it. I do not have any intentions of doing anything more than resting," admitted Leo.

"Okay. I'll stay with you. Maybe it will help," said Callista.

As Leo made room on his bed for her, while Callista walked over to his door and shut it. She turned off the light and slowly climbed into bed next to Leo. He slowly put his arms around her and pulled her close. They kissed each other good night before Callista fell asleep in his arms.

Leo smiled to himself. He couldn't believe what he had. He had his dream come true. He finally had the companionship that he had desired for so long. Now came the hard parts, explaining his actions to his family and protecting her from one person, his enemy, the Shredder.

Leo awoke that morning feeling great. He thought it was all a dream, that he had told Callista how he had felt about her but realized how it wasn't a dream when he had woken up. There in his arms laid Callista, sound asleep. He smiled and pulled her closer to him. He could care less about what he was going to tell his family.

Suddenly, it hit him. What was he going to tell Master Splinter? He couldn't just tell him the truth, that he hadn't indulged himself since he was a child and he just couldn't help himself. Then again, he couldn't just lie. He was stuck but it didn't really matter to him. He would figure something out only if Master Splinter called him on it.

He looked at her sleeping form for a while. Her eyes were closed with her unmasked face. She never had a mask and he wished to remedy that. Her slender left hand was resting on his plastron He noticed how smooth her skin was compared to his. He just couldn't believe how soft it was to him.

As he pulled her closer to him, she snuggled closer to him for warmth and slowly buried her face in his neck. He loved the feeling. He just couldn't believe that this feeling was his and what he was feeling, not one of his brothers telling him what it was like.

Leo thought for a while again. The question of how would he explain this to Master Splinter popped back into his mind. Slowly his mind started to come up with ways to explain this action. 'How do I explain this? Well, I can always say we were watching a movie and she fell asleep on my bed.wait! I don't have a TV or a VCR in here! How about we were talking and she fell asleep next to me? Yes! That works,' though Leo as he looked at his sleeping love.

He tried his best to resist the urge to kiss her but his self-control failed him. Not even he could resist the power of the sleeping beauty in his arms. Softly, he kissed her forehead.

Callista awoke that morning very refreshed. It had been so long since she had slept so well. She opened her eyes to see she was staring into the eyes of Leo. Again, she buried her face into his neck, showing her unspoken affection. She held him tightly to her, being careful of his wounds.

"Good morning, Callista," said Leo as he again hissed her forehead.

"Good morning, Leonardo," said Callista while still having her face buried in Leo's neck, making her words muffled.

Leo's heart felt like it was fluttering. He finally had what he had always desired. There was nothing that could make that moment more perfect. Well, not quite. A knock on the door had caused Leo to jump. Callista quickly sat up and pull herself onto the chair that she hadn't moved since the night before.

Suddenly, Mikey was standing in the door way. A tray of food for Leo was in his hands. Suddenly his eyes grew wide as he tried to stifle some laughter. He walked in slowly.

"I hope I'm not disturbing anything," said Mikey as he walked towards Leo and Callista.

"No, you didn't disturb anything. Only us talking," answered Leo.

"Sure, bro, you expect me to believe that?" asked Mikey, with an evil grin.

"MIKEY, nothing happened!" said Leo.

Mikey smiled at his brother again. He didn't quite believe his brother. 'Hey, even Leo deserves to be happy no matter what,' thought Mikey as he thought he knew what happened last night after seeing Leo and Callista jump. He laughed to himself before giving Leo his breakfast.

"So, Calli, we missed ya at breakfast. Wanna come and get something? You can tell me all about it then," said Mikey playfully.

"Nothing like what you're thinking happened, Mikey," said Callista with an annoyed tone of voice.

Leo watched as Callista got off the chair and followed Mikey out of the room. He had no doubt what rumors would be circulating around the lair. He also had no doubt that Master Splinter would be up talking to him about the 'events' that never took place. He ate his breakfast slowly.

Suddenly, there was another knock on the door. Leo looked up to see Master Splinter standing in the doorway. His reaction looked neither happy nor angry. Leo couldn't tell what it was that Master Splinter came to talk to but Master Splinter never entered one of their rooms to talk unless he was annoyed or one was injured.

"Leonardo, I wish to speak with you about something," said Master Splinter.

Leo looked up and groaned silently to himself. He knew this was coming. But he just didn't know when. He had actually hoped that Master Splinter wasn't here to talk about that with him at all.

"Yes, Sensei?" asked Leo.

Master Splinter closed the door to Leo's room. He slowly walked over to the chair next to Leo's bed. He watched as Leo's eyes showed complete fear.

"What is wrong, my son?" asked Master Splinter.

"I assume Mike yelled out what he believes happened between me and Callista last night," said Leo.

Master Splinter nodded. He knew what Mikey had come down teasing Callista about but he didn't know whether it was serious or not.

"May I set the records straight?" asked Leo nervously as he looked into his father's eyes.

"Yes, my son," answered Master Splinter.

"First of all, nothing happened last night. We only fell asleep next to each other! That was all, nothing more," said Leo, talking faster than he ever had.

Master Splinter looked into the eyes of his son. He didn't believe Leo would be one to be dishonorable but at the same time he didn't want to put anything past his son. He looked at Leo and squinted. 'Should I go with my gut on this one or should I explain some things to him,' thought Master Splinter to himself.

He didn't really care but what Callista and he had talked about was true. He had spotted a drawing on his desk and stole a glimpse of it. It was obvious that his son only wanted someone to be with and to talk to. He suddenly realized that his son had finally found one who he had wanted. He smiled and placed his hand on Leo's shoulder.

"Leonardo, as much as I hate to say this, I must, you are twenty one years old, I cannot tell you what you may and may not do anymore. I am your sensei and can only tell you what I believe is right. You must choose for yourself if this is what you want. I cannot force anything upon you anymore," said Master Splinter.

Leo looked at Master Splinter dumbfounded as Master Splinter spoke. Leo had never heard these words come from his mouth. He couldn't believe that he was saying this to him!

"Leonardo, I know I had ruined the friendship between you and Raphael. I already regret that. I cannot take back my decision, although, I do not regret my decision. I must allow you to still be happy although you must remember that it cannot get in the way of your training and leadership to your brothers," said Master Splinter.

"Master, please, nothing happened between me and Callista," said Leo, still worried about what Master Splinter was trying to tell him.

"My son, I do not care what you and Callista have done but as long as you both feel the same about each other, I have no quarrel with it. I know she cares for you deeply and as I can see, your art work shows it also," said Master Splinter.

Leo tried his best to keep from blushing. He knew that his sketch had shown how he was feeling but now he was ready to kick himself for leaving that out but then again, it may have been his saving grace.

"It's true, Master, I do love her but she's in danger with me though," said Leo.

"Does your heart really tell you that? Or are you trying to protect her although you know you will be lost without her?" asked Master Splinter.

Leo looked at Master Splinter. He could tell by Master Splinter's look that he was trying to get him to look at what he wanted, not what his brothers or Master Splinter wanted.

"I'm just afraid that she will end up dead and I'll be in a worse state. I do love her and I won't lie to you on that but shouldn't I do what's best for the ones I love?" asked Leo.

"Yes but ask yourself if it's best for you. If she is not happy and you are not happy, then you have done nothing but cause each other sheer misery," said Master Splinter.

Leo nodded. He knew that this was something Master Splinter was right about. He was out of trouble with the Callista sleeping next to him. He was just wondering why Master Splinter was encouraging him to be with Callista. Did he know something that he didn't? Master Splinter cleared his throat, obviously changing the subject.

"Callista did not scream or cry last night," said Master Splinter.

Leo looked at Master Splinter. He was right. Callista's nightmare didn't come last night. Leo let a smile find its way to his lips and he let out a chuckle.

"I see, you noticed it too. I'm sure she enjoyed the sleep. It may be beneficial that you allow her to stay with you just so her nightmares do not return. She needs to sleep. I know she does not sleep much when she has them. I understand you love her but I ask you not to do anything you may regret until our enemy is defeated," said Master Splinter.

Leo couldn't believe what he was hearing. Master Splinter was actually encouraging this also. He watched as Master Splinter got up. He knew practice would start soon.

"I must go, you should rest and remember my words," said Master Splinter.

"I will, Sensei," said Leo.

Leo watched as Master Splinter left the room. He sighed and then put his breakfast, which was finished onto the chair. He laid back down. He was out of trouble but now the question was how would his brother act? 'I wonder how my brothers are going to act, maturely I hope,' thought Leo. His questions were answered when Callista ran into his room and suddenly slammed the door. 'I guess not,' thought Leo.

It had been two weeks since Leo and Callista had hooked up. Neither of them could have been happier. Callista hadn't told Leo about her past and nor did she intend to unless she had to. She couldn't bear to think of what could possibly happen to Leo if she told him of her past. It hurt her just to think about what it could cause. She kept her mouth shut as she went through the relationship.

Callista continued to sleep with Leo in the same bed to keep her nightmares away. Although Leo would be up and practicing before she even woke up, it didn't seem to matter to her. She was only happy to have him near her to help keep those nightmares away.

Leo started training again. He was more laid back though. Leo was actually starting to tease the others back whenever they teased him. This did surprise the others to a great extent. He still didn't mind the long practices but he did seem to take more breaks from ninjitsu. The nagging had stopped which made the others quite happy.

Callista loved to sit and watch Leo practice. She would get a smile from Leo as he preformed a kata every so often to which she would give a smile in return. She just seemed to love watching Leo and Raph spar in their competitive yet, friendly ways. She never seemed to mind Leo spending so much time training. After all, it wasn't like she had much of a choice.

Michelangelo seemed to be happy Leo was seeing Callista. He never did find out about the kiss. Mikey seemed happy that Leo was happy and that helped him get out of practicing as much when Splinter wasn't around. His sights now settled on the new girl turtle that Donny had brought home.

Donny was now busy patching up the new girl turtle he had found. She was also beaten almost to death and thrown into a dumpster. No one knew where she had come from but from what they were able to gather, she might have gone through the same thing that Callista had gone through. She was still unconscious but she would hopefully recover like Callista did.

Raph still acted like himself, doing the things he always did. He never told anyone where he was going but that was Raph. He didn't need to tell everyone. He just went out and came back as always. He also spent time with his brother which he started getting the joke name from Mikey 'Leo's twin gone wrong.' Raph didn't argue. He thought it fit him perfectly.

Leo and Callista seemed to enjoy cuddling when they could but there never seemed to be time. There was also never peace for the two of them. Whenever they did try to cuddle, Leo was teased mainly by Mikey without mercy. Although Leo was use to it but he still hated it with a passion. Most of the cuddle time for them was when they had the lair to themselves or when Splinter was the only other one in their lair.

"Leo, are you alright?" asked Callista, noticing her love's tenseness.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Leo.

"You're a horrible liar when I'm leaning on your shoulder," giggled Callista.

Leo chuckled. She was right to an extent. His muscles normally tensed up when he was worried about something. He couldn't deny his leader instincts. They were just too strong for him. He sighed.

"I'm worried about Shredder. If he comes and catches you, it could mean disaster. He's been dormant for too long and I'm afraid he'll strike soon," said Leo.

Callista smiled. She understood his concern. Leo would do anything for her and she knew it. If Shredder had in deed gotten her, Leo could easily be taken over. There was no way around Leo's concern.

"I know. I hope that he doesn't strike anytime soon. I don't need to be upset while Donny patches you up," teased Callista.

Leo laughed. He knew very well what she was talking about. He could still feel the injuries that he had gotten from the elites. He hated them too with a passion. He leaned over to kiss Callista.

"Hey, Leo, stop making out with your girlfriend and get your shell over here! We got problems here," said a voice coming from Leo's shell cell.

"I could have told them that," muttered Leo at the shell cell.

Callista giggled as Leo reached for his shell cell. He shook his head and unfolded the phone.

"What's up?" asked Leo into the phone.

"Leo, we got a Foot problem on first and main!" yelled Raph.

Leo moved the phone away from his ear and gave the phone an annoyed look. He knew Raph was loud but he didn't think he was this loud.

"Okay, I'm on my way," said Leo seriously.

Leo folded the phone up and sighed. He got up off the couch and walked over to his weapons.

"Shredder's attacking?" asked Callista.

"'fraid so. Stay here. I'm going up to help them," said Leo as took his two katana off the rack.

"But what about your injuries?" asked Callista with concern in her voice as she rose to her feet and started to walk over to him.

"I'll be fine. Besides, the guys need me. I promise you, I'll be careful," promised Leo as he walked towards her.

Callista nodded and hugged him. They stayed in their embrace until Leo's shell cell rang again.

"Leo! Where the hell are you?" yelled Raph from the shell cell.

Leo let go of Callista and answered his shell cell.

"I'm on my way," said Leo before he hung up.

He kisses Callista and slowly backed up, letting their hands slide apart straight up in front of them. Then their hands were no longer touching, he turned and ran to the exit to the lair, only turning for a split second to mouth 'I love you' to Callista. He left the lair to help his brothers.

Callista sighed and plopped back onto the couch. She could only hope that he would make it out of the fight okay and would come home to her in one piece.