A/N: Just saying, the books mentioned here are two of my all time favorites which is why I chose them. I dunno why, I just felt like saying that. Anyways, Thanksgiving break has started which gives me a four day weekend so, if I'm lucky, I can get a lot of these chapters typed up and I can post them. We're getting pretty close to the end and the next book it going really well. Anyways, sorry for holding ya'll up. You can start reading now =D

Leo awoke to the breakfast bell ringing. Realizing that if he wanted breakfast he'd have to hurry, he rolled out of bed. Something fell off his chest as he did so and landed dully on the floor. He leaned down and picked it up, seeing that it was the book he'd been reading the night before, White Fang. Shade had given it to him when he'd finished reading Call of the Wild for the second time.

As he left his room and headed for the Mess, Leo thought back on the time he'd lived in the Outcasts. It had been almost three months since he'd shown up at the Outcasts and a lot had changed for him. He was now among the top shooters of the Outcasts, a top class sniper. His broken limbs were fully healed, their only remnant being the long scar on his right forearm where the bond had popped out and then put back in place with screws and stitched up. On his back were his two katanas that Mac had crafted specifically for him and a .9mm Beretta 92 was tucked into its holster that was clipped to his right hip. A little over a week ago, he'd made the decision to join the Outcasts and now wore the Outcasts' 'loose' uniform; a pair of dark jeans. He also had a black hoodie to go with it. Added to this, he had a tattoo on the left side of his neck; two katana crossed behind a smoking gun with a viper wrapped around the ensemble, head reared above the blades, jaws open wide. He'd gotten it just a week ago, actually a few days after joining, from a mutant white tiger named Nakita. Shade had been there with him and had even suggested the viper. The two of them were almost always together and had become very close. Leo'd also become very close with Xavier, but not the way he had with Shade. Over the past month, he and Shade had taken to going off to some place private for the two of them to hand out, even managing to get up to the surface a few times with no trouble…

This was maybe their fifteenth time going off together. Shade had taken him to the rooftop of the abandoned storage building that housed the entrance to the base. He laid back against a skylight and Shade sat beside him with her head on his chest, his arm moving around her waist and holding her close.

"Do you think you'll stay?" she asked suddenly after a few minutes of silence. Leo hesitated, thinking about his answer. His brothers had probably stopped searching for him now. He knew they needed him, but knew that was also the reason he couldn't go back. They depended on him too much to be the level-headed, 'fearless' leader so that they could goof off and shirk their responsibilities. With him gone, they'd have to grow up and stop being so childish. He longed to go back, if only to set their minds at ease. To let them know that he was okay; was still alive. He sighed sadly, his mind in turmoil.

"Is that a no?" Shade asked, looking up at him.

"It's complicated. I want to go back, but if I do they'll never learn to be responsible for themselves and their actions. Now that I say it out loud, I guess it's a little stupid." He replied.

"No, it's not." She smiled up at him. "So, is that a yes?"

Leo couldn't help but smile at the hint of hope in her voice.

"Do you really want me to?" he replied with his own question.

Would that really be so bad?

"Uh-uh, I asked you first. Twice actually." She said.

"No, it was two different questions." He said, earning a glare from her.

"Yes, I'll stay." He said, smiling and looking down at her. She smiled and reached up her hand, the one not on his shoulder, to pull him down into a kiss. Leo's eyes flashed with his shock as she caught him off guard before he leaned in closer, closing his eyes. He pushed away for a second.

"So, that answers my first question." He said, unable to hide his wide smile. Shade laughed, unable to hide a small one of her own.

"That implies you have a second."

"Well, I do now. Does this officially make us a couple?" he asked.

"Instead of answering that, how 'bout we just take this a step further?" she asked. Leo, at first confused, realized what she was saying. His first reaction was shock, but then his lips spread into a smile.

"I think I can live with that. Fair warning, it'll be my first."

"Good and no worries; mine too." Shade answered, going back to their kiss as he helped her remove her gun belt. As it slid off, he pulled her closer to him and deepened their kiss.

Leo shivered, wishing they'd brought a blanket. Shade, despite having warm fur, shivered beside him and he pulled her closer to him.

"Next time, let's do this someplace warm." He said.

"No protests here." Shade answered.

"Maybe we should head back now." Leo said. Shade nodded and stood up, picking up her clothes and dressing. Leo stood and waited as he had no clothes of his own at the moment.

"I just realized something; you're brother's gonna kill me." Leo said as they headed back down to the base.

"Only if he finds out." Shade smiled mischievously. "I won't tell if you won't."

Leo smiled despite himself. "Well, if he does, at least I'll die happily."

"Besides, even if he does find out, you'll get lucky. Now, if it was Tristen and my dad, then I'd send you off." She said.

"Well that makes me feel loads better."

Leo smiled to himself as he entered the Mess, heading straight for the head table. For some reason, he'd never left it. Now that he'd joined the Outcasts, he'd been added to the Chamber as somewhat of a liaison from outside the Outcasts home ground and also someone who knew more about the Kraang which had inadvertently created most of the mutant members of the Outcasts. The Kraang had moved out years ago though, so no mutants had been created for quite some time. Most of the younger mutants were born rather than created. He still maintained his place beside Shade. Looking at her, he couldn't help but smile. Since the night on the rooftop, they'd done the same thing every now and then and had kept to the idea of staying in warm places, although they had gone up on the surface a few times. It was one of the many things convincing him to stay, that this was where he belonged.

"So, anything planned for today?" Shade asked. Her tone suggested she had a job for him rather than wanting to get some alone time.

"Nope. Whaddaya need?" he asked.

"Can't tell you here. Meet up in the Chamber room. Tristen'll be there too along with some others." Shade said. Leo nodded and began eating, wondering what they needed him for.