Authoress' Notes : I know, I know - two new stories in less than a 24-hour period! It's a miracle, lol. ;) Anyway, short explanation for this : I know people are gonna say Leo and - possibly - Donnie are OOC, but they're as close to In-character I can get for the storyline as it stands for the scenario. This takes place during the end of chapter two - "Two Leos Equals a Headache Part I" - of my Kathy Chronicles story "Quality Time In 1990?". Basically, this is a different take on why Leo treats Kathy the way he does and keeps her at a distance. The resulting different decision causes Kathy, Leo, and Donnie to go down a different path than they had considered before.
Anyway, I hope everyone reads, reviews, and most of all : enjoys. If you have suggestions for my writing, I'd love to hear it.
Dedication : To the person, since it doesn't tell me who, who wanted to read a DonniexKathyxLeo story. This is for you! I hope you enjoy. :D
Summary : DonniexKathyxLeo. Stuck in an alternate universe to their own on their own, Kathy and Leo become closer and get to know each other better than they thought possible. When Donnie finds them, this is the resulting Quality Time on a Different Path. Turtlecest : LeoxDonnie inside. Please, R&R!
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own any of the characters mentioned or shown below, with the exception of Katherine "Kathy" Jones (no relation to Kat a.k.a. randomlass a.k.a. Neko-chan, before anyone asks); the Ninja Turtles cast belong to Nickelodeon, and the original concept of the Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles are the creations of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. I'm just borrowing them to satisfy my Muse, and my Reader's thirst.
Disclaimer (2) : I don't own Kathryn "Ryn" Thompson, mentioned in this story. She's the sole property of the magnificently talented randomlass a.k.a. Kat a.k.a. Neko-chan and all that to me! I just have blanket permission to play with her charries. :3
Quality Time on a Different Path
"You alright?" Kathy blew a piece of her hair out of her face as she stumbled, and was caught in a pair of firm arms, for what felt like the thirtieth time that morning, but she knew she wasn't that clumsy.
"I'm good, thanks, Leo -" Kathy stopped, mentally swearing as she let his real name, not his Alias slip out.
He chuckled warmly, "It's fine - the other Turtles have gone out for a morning run, so we're by ourselves." He smiled at her, his hands sliding down to rest on her hips as he steadied her, "You're really having issues with this, aren't you?"
She frowned a bit, disliking the way her body was reacting to him as she felt heat pool in her stomach at his touch, but she continued attempting to ignore it, "Ninjutsu is harder than Karate - Karate, your feet are generally flat on the floor, while you're more on the balls of your feet in Ninjutsu."
Leo nodded, "That's right. Okay, try it like this." He stepped away from her and did the turn she was having issues with in the Kata, the leg he wasn't pivoting on sweeping out slightly in a motion she recognized as being Sweep Three from what the Karate practitioner knew was called the Sweeping Stanza in Karate. "Try it," he nodded at her, his gray eyes observing her intently as he stepped back and crossed his arms over his plastron.
Kathy stood still for a moment, breathing and finding her center. Opening her hazel eyes, she redid the Kata to the point she was having the trouble and, copying the leg sweep he had just done, she executed the turn flawlessly and seamlessly completed the Kata with the next few moves. When she was done, she flushed as he clapped, a proud smile on his face. "Very nicely done, Kath," he praised, his gray eyes warm and affectionate.
She grinned and, unexpectedly, threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I did it!"
Leo stumbled slightly at her unexpected weight, but wrapped her in an embrace nonetheless. "You did." He allowed himself a moment of weakness and breathed in her scent unnoticeably, "You've been working hard the past few days."
"It helps when you explain it and demonstrate it - you're so patient," Kathy pulled back smiling. Suddenly, her demeanor changed and she lowered her eyes from his, stepping back, "Uhm, Leo, can I ask a question?"
Leo nodded, eyeridges furrowing, "Of course, but let's go somewhere we won't be interrupted." He gestured her to lead the way, sensing he wasn't going to like what she had to ask.
Kathy bit her bottom lip, but led him to a secluded area nearby they'd found a few days previous on a walk together. She sat down on the ledge of the half-knocked down wall, swinging her legs slightly as she gazed at him where he chose to sit on the ground in front of her legs facing her. He simply stared back at her, his eyes questioning her. She averted her eyes from his and asked, "Leo, why did you hate me? Y'know, before we came to this Reality?"
He was taken aback and startled a bit, "Hate you? I never hated you, Kathy."
"You never were very fond of me, Leo," she sighed. "We couldn't even call each other friends until recently. You even pulled away from Donnie when he and I started dating, which hurt him. He misses you."
"Kathy, I don't hate you. I can't."
"Can't?" Kathy's head snapped up and she met his eyes, her own hazel confused and his gray vulnerable.
He sighed, shifting, "Sometimes I wish I could hate you, Kathy." He closed his eyes, "And I try, but then you do something so uniquely you and I can't. The truth is," he opened his eyes, "I care for you, but I care for Donnie, too. I couldn't be close to you, because if I was, I'd lose myself and get hurt. I can't be hurt again."
An idea of what he was trying to say formed in her mind, and she shook her head, "Leo -"
"Can I finish, please, Kathy?" The was a desperate tone to his quiet plea and she found herself swallowing the bundle of nerves in her throat.
"Okay," she whispered softly.
Leo smiled gently at her, but it was a smile with an edge of sadness, "I was wary of getting to know you at first, but the more I knew about you, the more I found myself caring for you. When Donnie began to show signs of interest, too, I knew I had to step aside."
Her eyes widened and she found herself moving to kneel in front of him, "Oh, Leo... I'm sorry..."
"What are you sorry for?" He reached out and grasped her hands in his, squeezing lightly, "You did nothing wrong."
"No, but you loved Donnie before I did, didn't you?" Kathy pursed her lips together, eyes sad.
Leo was surprised, "How...?"
"I guessed," she admitted. "I originally thought that you were just so protective of Donnie because he was the only one of you in a relationship, and your past with Karai, but that's not it. I see that, now. I always thought it weird, but never asked. Why didn't you ever tell him?"
"He's my Brother, Katherine," he argued weakly.
"You were raised together," Kathy allowed, "but that doesn't make you Brothers, per say. Ryn and I were raised together, but we're not related. At one point, we considered becoming more than just Best Friends and like Sisters, but then I got engaged with Takashi and it was a non-issue. I've never believed in having another on the side, and neither did he. Through him, I met two people who don't let the fact that they're twins get in the way of their devotion and love for each other. They go so far as to shun people who say anything about their love being "wrong"." She shrugged, "I'm just saying that love shouldn't be defined in black and white - if it was, I wouldn't be here right now."
"Why are you pushing me towards Donnie? He's your Boyfriend, Kathy..."
"Because I love him, and I'm not exactly impartial to you, either," she gave a small grin. When he simply looked at her, raising an eyeridge, she shrugged, "You're attractive. Before, your personality rubbed me the wrong way."
"And now?"
"Now, I know the real Leonardo Hamato and he needs to stop hiding, just because he had one bad experience," Kathy squeezed his hands, her grin softening into a smile. "I will tell you that Donnie will hear you out, if nothing else. He was incredibly hurt when you stopped spending one on one time with him and withdrew - he loves you, but I can't tell you how he loves you. You won't know his feelings on the matter unless you talk to him. Love doesn't need to hurt, Leo." She opened her mouth again, only to be cut off in what was an unconventional way - he got onto his knees and cupped her face in one large hand, causing her voice to die in her throat.
He leaned in and gently slanted his lips over her own, well aware of the sudden tension in the air as his hand moved to cradle the back of her head. He didn't press for more, just a soft brushing of their lips. When he pulled back, he wasn't able to move far as her hands unconsciously gripped his biceps for balance. "And if I said Donnie wasn't the only one I loved?" He murmured, moving to gather her to him as he breathed her in. "What if I were to say I find myself loving the big-hearted Kunoichi I'm holding in my arms, too?"
"Wow... helluva kisser..." she murmured, eyes wide even as she relaxed into his arms. He chuckled, causing her to turn her eyes up to him, twisting slight in his arms so she was sat sideways on his lap, "You don't play fairly, Leo. I can't say I love you as yet, but I do care for you more than I thought I wanted to - until this past week when I got to know the you that you hide away. Besides that, I have absolutely nothing to say, except : you're not allowed kissing other girls - that should be a lethal weapon."
"Of course I don't play fairly - you've met my Brothers," Leo smiled, just holding her in a loose embrace, nuzzling his beak into the back of her neck as she curled closer to him unconsciously. Only one thing would make this moment perfect... Oh, Donatello, I hope you won't hate me at the end of this.
I can't wait until Donnie gets here; is Leo going to be surprised, Kathy smiled happily as she allowed herself to relax more into the male behind her. Hopefully, I get to watch... She grinned mischievously before it dropped as they heard running footsteps heading towards them.
"Caprice! Lee!"
"Leonardo?" She sat up in Leo's arms as his younger Doppelganger came into view.
"What's wrong, Leonardo?" Leo stood up, helping Kathy up at the same time.
"Michelangelo's missing, along with Master Splinter!" Leonardo babbled, pacing back and forth. "Raphael, Donatello, and I split up to find you, because we don't know what to do or how to get them back or-!"
"Leonardo, calm down," Kathy reached over and pulled the younger Turtle to her in a hug, rubbing his shell. "Breathe with me, okay?" She took several deep breathes, continuing with her soothing rubbing on his shell; a few moments later, he was breathing in sync with her. "Good, now, what happened?" She tilted her head downwards a bit as she pulled away so she was looking into his dark eyes, not noticing the soft look in Leo's gaze as he saw her motherly actions.
"We were out for our morning run, when when we were ambushed by Shredder and his goons, Bebop and Rocksteady. Master Splinter and the Shredder started fighting, while my brothers and I were fighting with Bebop and Rocksteady; the last thing I remember before waking up, along with Raphael and Donatello, on top of the apartment building we were fighting on, was the Shredder tossing down a smoke pellet," Leonardo explained quietly, "We woke up alone."
"It's going to be alright, okay?" Kathy cooed, rubbing him arm gently before she turned her attention to Leo, "Uh, Lee, any ideas?"
"We don't have enough experience as a team for a full-frontal attack," he mused thoughtfully. "So our best bet would be a sneak-attack. First, we'd need a way into where ever Shredder is holding them. Leonardo, where's the Shredder's headquarters?"
"Dimension X, why?"
"Do you have a way there?" Leo asked his Alternate self.
"Donatello can have the transporter up and running pretty fast, Lee, why?"
"Kat-price," Leo caught himself at the last moment, inwardly rolling his eyes at how she threw him off track effortlessly. "How are your acting skills?"
"Passable, so long I'm acting and not lying, Lee," she furrowed her brows at him, confused.
"What do you feel about playing the role of a crooked intergalactic cop?"
))) To be continued... (((
Authoress' Notes : *cries* Oh, thank Mercy for Neko-chan! *sends much love* You are my savior! Anyone who knows me, knows Leonardo is my least favorite Turtle of the four, mainly because of his portrayal in most media. Neko-chan gave me a prompt of Leo being distanced from Kathy and Donnie because of his feelings for them being less platonic than he wants them to be, and this is the result. Not too bad, considering I've only been working at it the past four hours... :) I'm decently happy with it.
As always, I'd love, love to hear your thoughts on this - what do you like? What do you dislike? The usual, y'know.
There will be a second, possibly a third, part of this, so keep an eye out!
Thank you to everyone for Reading, Alerting, and Favouriting myself and my Stories, but most especially to those who take the time to Review; it means a lot. I think everyone else who is also an Author/ess knows this as well as I do.
Please Read and Review; the more reviews an Author/ess receives on a story, the more and quicker s/he is spurred to write. I accept all reviews: Comment, Compliment, and Criticism (preferably Constructive Criticism); I accept Flames, but nothing with swearing in it, since the Default Profanity Filter is on my reviews.
Cowabunga,
Lor a.k.a. uncutetomboy