Chapter 9

The Promise

Six weeks had passed since Rose and the kittens were born. April had taken Rose and Anton out for their evening walk, so the Turtles took the rare opportunity to play "Call of Destiny." Raph and Mikey were playing a fierce game with each other to see who could make the most kills and last the longest without dying. At first Raph was in the lead with the most kills, but then Mikey used a grenade to blow him and twenty enemies out of commission, putting him in the lead by two kills.

Raph slapped his leg in frustration. "Fuck!"

Mikey pumped the air. "Aw, yeah, baby! I rule the world!"

"Shut up!" Raph shot back, "The rules were to not kill each other."

"Rematch?" Mikey offered.

"Yeah, I'll getcha this time."

Mikey looked at Leo. "Hey, Leo, wanna turn? I could really use another man now!"

Leo stood up. "No thanks, I'm going to bed early. Enjoy your game, guys."

And with that, Leo left for his room. Raph looked after Leo with suspicious eyes.

"He's hiding something." Raph said to the others, "I know it."

"I've seen him in my lab making things." said Donnie. "Things like bracelets, necklaces, and a bottle of perfume. He also had things like a T-pod, a laptop, and one of my solar-powered mini generators."

"Gifts for someone?" asked Mikey, "Like for a girlfriend?"

Raph stood up. "I just wanna know where he's sneaking off to."

"What about you?" asked Mikey, "You've been sneaking off as well. Only it's like Leo's had his brain taken over by aliens and he doesn't even know who we are anymore."

Raph hid his annoyance. "What I do is none of your fucking business. The minute he walks out tomorrow morning, we're following him."

In his room, Leo went to his closet and dug out his amulet. He kissed it and held it close to his heart. He needed to be with her again. It had been so long since he had seen her and he was going crazy from the absence.

Leo hadn't revealed his plans to take her to New York with him, but he had already been preparing for that. He made some slight changes to his room, including a vanity and full-length mirror for Venus. He knew by now what she liked and what her favorite things were, like cherry blossoms and blue things. He also made some kunoichi gear for her by request, complete with an azure mask. Azure was her favorite shade of blue.

Tonight, he was going to see Venus de Milo again.

Venus was sitting near the stream with Mimi and their best friends, Chiko, Ami, Kikuko, and Tamiko. The five women were busy washing laundry as they talked about their weekend, but Venus hardly paid attention to them. She was too lost in her daydreams with Leo.

It hurt her that she hadn't seen him in a long time. Nearly two months. She hated that she had keep their relationship a secret. She hated her mother and sensei for being the reason they had to keep it a secret. Venus refused to tell Akuko anything about her behavior and managed to work around her questions. Akuko even made threats, but Venus still refused to give in. In the end, Akuko gave up, but now she had turned into a tyrant.

Venus didn't care. When staying with them, she just knocked them out every night so she could roam the house and yard freely in her black cloak. She didn't just wear it to see Leo anymore. Night time was her hour now. The night and shadows had become her ally and comfort. An escape from her gilded life.

"Kameyo?"

Venus snapped out of her daydream when she heard Mimi speaking to her.

"What is it?"

"What is what?" Venus asked.

Mimi frowned. "You've been acting strange for the last few weeks."

"She's just stressed out because Akuko's been acting up lately." said Ami, "I don't know what her problem is."

"Don't worry about her, Kameyo." said Chiko, "Master Haku will work something out."

Venus didn't say anything as she returned to washing her laundry. Her friends could tell something was up with her, but they didn't suspect the truth yet. The women continued to chatter on, but Venus soon returned to her daydreaming.

She remembered his gifts to her. Under a secret loose floorboard in her room, Venus had hidden gifts Leo gave her in a small suitcase. She took it back and forth with her when she switched between her parents' homes. Leo's other gifts besides the cloak and tessen were a music player Leo called a T-pod, a laptop with a mini generator and satellite up-link she could use to watch movies and surf the internet, and bracelets and necklaces of different designs and colors. All of the jewelry, from the colors to the shapes, matched her tastes exactly. She didn't wear any of the jewelry, but she often downloaded new music and wrote in her laptop journal whenever Emi and Akuko were not around. It was like her secret friend. But she wish she could tell someone else about it.

Venus longed to see Leo again. He was not like her mother or sensei. He respected her opinions and listened to everything she said. She did the same with him. Sometimes they agreed and sometimes they disagreed, but they always understood each other in the end. Some people called him a monster, but he was anything but a monster or freak in her eyes. Leo had always been kind and gentle to her.

Then things turned bad when Kikuko asked Venus a question. "Kameyo, which ninja do you think is the most handsome?"

Venus didn't think before she spoke. "Hamato Leonardo."

The girls gasped in shock like she had spoken of a great evil. Venus realized she had spoken too late.

"Hamato Leonardo?!" They all cried.

"The leader of the Master Mutant Ninja Turtles?!" gasped Chiko.

"But he's a monster!" cried Tamiko.

Venus thought quickly. She was able to talk her way out of Akuko's questions by being evasive, so she decided to try it.

"You asked me who I think is handsome," said Venus, "Not who I think is nice. Besides, I'm a mutant turtle. Does that mean I'm a monster?"

"No, of course not." said Ami, "You're our friend, but why him?"

"He is tall and muscular, has blue eyes, and looks like warrior. You don't see me as ugly, so you cannot say he is ugly, either. Besides, I like people with blue eyes."

The girls didn't know how to answer this. Ami was the only one who spoke. "O... kay, that's an interesting answer."

The women continued on with their conversation, but Mimi watched Venus closely. Venus looked away, getting more uncomfortable. She knew Mimi didn't fall for her trick. Seeing that her family's laundry was done, Venus excused herself to go home. Then she felt the amulet hum and vibrate. Venus smiled as she took the amulet from inside the front of her kimono. She held it close and kissed it, she had to prepare for tonight. Venus was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice Mimi watching in the distance.

That morning, Leo donned his dark gear along with his black mask and cloak and snuck into Donnie's lair to get a T-portal. He then quietly left the lair through the fire escape tunnel. He didn't notice his brothers following him. Raph was leading the way as the three tip-toed along the shadows. When Leo disappeared around a corner, Raph moved closer and peeked carefully around the wall. Leo whispered something into the T-Portal that Raph couldn't hear. He knew, though, that he was telling it the location he wanted to go. A second later, a hole opened in the air.

Leo walked through the portal. Urging his brothers to run, Raph and the others ran for the portal as it started to close. They were barely able to make it as they dove into the portal hole. The three ended in a pileup on a grass field outside a forest at night time. Raph pushed Donnie and Mikey off him and stood up. He saw Leo running in the shadows of the trees in the forest. Raph signaled his brothers to go on and they ran after Leo, following from a distance.

Venus sat under the cherry trees waiting for Leo to arrive. The leaves were already gone. The branches swayed as the chilly autumn wind blew. It seemed to take forever for her mother and sensei to fall asleep tonight. She came early to see Leo and was getting impatient. It had been so long since their last date.

Then she saw the tall hooded figure standing over her and knew who was under the hood before he removed it.

"Leo!"

"Venus."

Leo helped Venus to her feet and she smiled as he removed her hood. They held each other close as Leo stroke her back.

"Please, don't make me wait that long again." she said.

"I'm sorry, Venus, but I had some family issues and my work in New York never ends." Leo showed Venus a picture he had pulled out of his cloak. "Here's my new niece, Rosetta."

Venus smiled at the sight of the new baby turtle. Donnie held Anton up in his arms, and April held Rose in a pink blanket. The baby turtle was fast asleep and simply adorable.

"She's so cute." she said.

"She was born naturally right on time." said Leo, "She is very healthy and she and April are doing just fine."

Venus was happy that April had safely given birth.

"So, shall we get on with our evening?" asked Leo.

Venus took Leo's hand as they walked through the orchard. The two turtles didn't even notice the rustling of leaves as Raph, Donnie, and Mikey arrived near the forest line or a shadowy figure as Mimi spied on the two behind the trees. Leo and Venus walked the orchard, catching up what happened while they were away. At the pond, they took of their gear and clothes and swam for a little while, diving under water and splashing playfully at each other.

At one point, Donnie and Mikey started shoving each other as they fought for the be viewing spot. They were making a lot of noise. It scared Mimi and Leo and Venus were too busy having fun to notice. Raph stopped his brothers before they could make any more noise.

When they finished swimming, Leo and Venus watched the stars while they dried off. Venus helped Leo as she pointed out all her favorite star constellations. After they finished stargazing and got dressed, Leo started on Venus's training with her tessen. He already taught her how to attack, throw, and block with it. This time, he was going to teach her how to disarm someone with it.

He started off slow, instructing her how to handle the tessen and the steps to predict and avoid an attack. Then he went a little faster with his sword sheathed. Finally, he did it with his full blade drawn and would make no que. Venus had proven to be a fast learner. After missing him the first time, Venus caught Leo's katana in her tessen and, with a twist of the fan, managed to take Leo's sword from him. Without warning, she flipped him over onto his back, pinned him down with her foot, and brought the sword down, the sharp blade missing his head by half an inch.

Mimi watched from the shadows, astonished. The same was true about Leo, as well as his brothers still hiding in the brush.

"I bet you didn't expect that." said Venus with a sly smile.

"No, I didn't." said Leo, still shaken.

She released him and retrieved her tessen. Leo got up as he took back his sword and cleaned off the dirt before sheathing it.

Then Venus frowned, "I hate that city. It holds you away from me."

Leo looked hurt. "It's not my city that hold us apart. It's my war with the Foot Clan and my job, my many responsibilities. My brothers are my team and I'm their leader. If New York wasn't as beautiful and peaceful at night, we never would have gone to the surface."

"How can such a place be beautiful at night?" asked Venus, "I was told that New York is a dangerous place, especially at night."

"Crime is a part of life in a big city, Venus." said Leo, "I fight it every day, but that's only a fraction of what the city is like. You should see the buildings and skyscrapers on a clear night. The sight of the lights is more magnificent than you can ever image. Times Square and Central Park will leave you silent with awe, and the sewers and subways aren't bad if you know where you're going. I lived nearly my whole life in the sewers. Our lair is like an underground house."

"You make your home sound like a dream." said Venus.

"One day you should come and see this dream for yourself. I could take you all over the city and show you it's sights."

"I would love to see your home," said Venus, "But for now, I only want to see you."

Leo's heart skipped a beat at her words. She was willing to go with him.

"Oh, Leo?" said Venus all the sudden, "I heard about a kiss called a French Kiss, but I didn't want to ask anyone about what it meant. What exactly is it?"

Leo looked at Venus, a little uncomfortable and embarrassed. "Um, well… I'm not sure how to tell you, Venus. You may not like it, but… would you like me to show you?"

"Yes."

He leaned towards her. "If you want me to stop, just tell me."

Then his lips met hers. Leo's heart raced nervously as he parted her lips and slid his tongue into her mouth. Venus gasped, startled. He broke away.

"You don't like it?" he asked.

Venus shook her head. "No, it's just… I'm surprised. I had no idea it was like that. Could you do it again?"

Leo smiled. He began kissing her again and this time, she kissed him back. It drove him mad as his tongue slid back into her mouth. Their kiss grew hungrier as they embraced tenderly. Venus grew bolder and slipped her tongue into his mouth. Time seemed to stop as their tongues mated.

In the shadows, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey stared slack-jawed, wide eyed, and dumbstruck at the turtle couple. They suspected Leo had an affair, but this was a dangerous game. Mimi was too awestruck to even look away as the two continued to make out.

Leo flinched as Venus started to unbuckle one of the straps on his harness and opened up her jacket. He realized what she was doing. She was trying to seduce him right here in this orchard, to make love with him. But this was a dangerous place to do it.

He stopped her at the second buckle. "Wait! Don't!"

Venus looked hurt. "Why not?"

"Not here." he said, "We're not ready yet. You don't even know how difficult it is for me to stop."

Venus shook her head. "I am ready, Leo. I love you."

"I love you too, Venus," said Leo, "But it's not the right place or time. You don't understand the cost of the consequences. Can you honestly return home in the morning like that?"

Venus became scared at the seriousness of his voice. "Are you saying everyone will notice?"

"Your mother and Akuko will. Once they find out, they'll lock you up for the rest of your life. They might even take you away, somewhere where no one can find you. We'll never see each other again."

Venus felt her world crashing down as tears streamed from her eyes. Leo held her close, trying to comfort her. She said that she loved him, but it pained him to know that he couldn't give her what she really wanted.

"Oh, Leo, what will we do?" she asked, "Will we have to stay this way forever, meeting in secret?"

"No, Venus," said Leo, "I'll take you to New York City someday, but only when you're ready. I know you have friends and family here and you'll need some time to think about it. I'll wait for a month and then we'll talk about it. When you're ready, I'll take you home with me. We'll be able to do it then."

"You promise?"

Leo tilted her face towards her. "Yes, I would risk anything for it. Even if I have to die trying."

He wiped her tears away as he kissed her again and fixed her jacket.

"It's getting late." said Leo, "You better head home."

"Goodnight, Leo." said Venus.

"Goodnight, my little butterfly."

Venus kissed him goodbye before walking into the woods. Leo couldn't believe that Venus tried to seduce him. He couldn't risk losing her. The light of his life, the other half of his heart. The only safe place for them to do it was in New York. She was willing to come with him, but she wasn't ready yet. He hoped that a month will be long enough for her to make up her mind. Leo sighed as he rebuckled his harness. He turned around to leave and nearly jumped out of his shell.

Standing behind him were his brothers.

Ah shit…