15

A cold draft blew through the sewer tunnels, making Alexandria shiver. Rubbing her hands over her arms, she tried to warm herself with little success. The damp stones beneath her feet weren't helping either. It was like walking over ice. Shivering again, she gritted her teeth and continued onward.

"So where are you taking me?" she asked, looking to her right at Leonardo.

"To the surface," the clan leader replied ambiguously.

He turned his head to meet her gaze, a teasing smile playing around the corners of his mouth. The expression was so adorable that Andria grinned in return. Rolling her eyes, she laughed.

"I meant where on the surface are you taking me to?" she corrected.

"To the rooftops."

"Leo…"

"What?"

"Stop being such a butthead and tell me where we're going," the black-clad ninja commanded. As an afterthought, she added, "Please?"

"It's a surprise."

Andria lifted an eye ridge inquisitively. "Should I be worried?"

"Don't you trust me?" the male answered with a question of his own.

"I wouldn't be walking through the sewers alone with you if I didn't," she replied.

"Um…okay...thanks, I think?" Leo countered, his brow wrinkling in confusion.

The smaller turtle laughed again. Reaching out with her right hand, she wrapped her fingers around his left wrist.

"I trust you, Shuhan."

"I hope that I haven't given you a reason not to," he said quietly, his heart skipping at her gentle touch.

"Hmmm," Andria mused. Glancing off to the side, she pretended to be deep in thought for a second. "You did seem pretty shifty there for a while…"

Realizing that she was kidding, Leonardo chuckled. "What convinced you otherwise?"

"Klunk told me you were an okay guy."

"Good to know I have a cat's approval."

The two teenagers looked at each other and laughed. Unsure of what to say next, Leo diverted his attention to the tunnel that stretched in front of them, keeping an eye out for the underground landmarks that would tell him where they were. At that moment, they passed by a side channel on the left that was boarded over with wood rotted from water damage.

"We'll exit the sewers at the next manhole," Leonardo announced. He glanced at Andria just as another violent shiver rocked her body. Frowning, he stopped walking which caused her to halt as well. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," the female assured him. She cocked her head slightly as she peered up at him. "Why?"

"You're shivering…" he observed as he watched her limbs tremble. Touching her left arm tenderly, he was surprised by how cool her skin felt. "Andria, you're freezing."

"Hey, I can't help it. I'm cold-blooded," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Do you want to go back? I don't want you to be cold all night long."

"No way," Andria refused, shaking her head. "I'm fine really. I'll be better when we're on the surface."

Leo eyed her dubiously. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," she insisted. Taking his left hand in both of hers, she held it to her chest as she begged. "Please, Leo? Tonight was supposed to be just you and me…" The smile on her face was coy as she fluttered her eyelids at the katana-wielder. Hips swaying, she stepped closer, employing every bit of her feminine charm to try and persuade him. "…I've been looking forward to this all day."

It worked. Andria watched him melt like butter in a hot frying pan. Maintaining her innocent expression, she held back a wicked giggle as he gave in to her.

"Okay, we'll keep going," Leonardo conceded, trying hard to keep his eyes on her face and not on the swell of her breasts. "But we can always go home if you need to get warm."

"Or we could stay out here and you could keep me warm," Andria suggested, releasing his hand and pressing up against him.

The blue-banded turtle's face reddened. "O-or…that…"

Placing her hands on either side of his waist, she dragged her thumbs over his leather belt. "So…what are you going to do with me?"

Though it took a great amount of effort, Leonardo resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her. Instead he reached down and, seizing her by the wrists, gently pried himself out of her embrace. He offered her another smile. Keeping hold of her right hand, he resumed his former pace, leading her further down the tunnel.

"You'll see," he promised in a voice that was much calmer than he expected. "Come on."

Andria tried not to pout at Leo's stubborn refusal to give her a straight answer. The older turtle's self-control was apparently much stronger than she expected. Something would have to be done about that. She studied him out of the corner of her eye as she walked, pondering the many possible ways she might wear down his iron will-power. Her frown morphed into a determined smirk. She always did like a challenge.

The clan leader looked at the girl again, but she was too preoccupied with examining the tunnel walls surrounding them to notice. Leo returned his eyes to path ahead of him. His mind ran rampant as he tried to make sense of both his thoughts and emotions concerning Andria.

There was no point in denying the fact that he was physically attracted to her. More than once he found himself distracted by her curvy figure as it sashayed around the lair, her body language speaking to him loudly. Despite having essentially zero experience with girls, Leo wasn't so naïve that he couldn't tell when she was flirting with him. Her near-constant teasing embarrassed him as much as it thrilled him because, although he enjoyed the attention, he didn't know how to react to her advances.

In all honesty, Leonardo had fantasized about an intimate relationship with Alexandria. She provoked the animalistic urges that lurked within him and at times it was a struggle to keep them in check. But Leo wasn't just hoping to get under her tail.

Call him old-fashioned, the eldest Hamato son wanted to get to know her first. Truly know her, past and present. They had been living together for about two and a half months and in that time Leo had only managed to get brief glimpses of who she really was. Such sightings occurred in the rare instances he had one-on-one time with her like when they shared a meditation session. He wanted more of those opportunities, wanted them to learn about each other so that they could connect spiritually and emotionally.

He wanted to romance her.

Unfortunately, he didn't know how to do that either. Leo didn't exactly have a role model to follow in that regard. Sure, he could ask Master Splinter for advice, but what help could his bachelor father provide? Casey might be able to tell him something, but Leo didn't think their friendship was deep enough to have that kind of conversation. The human was Raph's pal, not his. Asking April would be way too awkward. Given these options, it seemed like he would have to figure this out on his own.

Before Leo could give the matter anymore thought, the pair of turtles reached their underground destination.

"It exits out into an alleyway," the leader explained to Andria as they stood by the maintenance ladder. Reaching out, he placed a hand on a rusty rung. "I'm going to go up first to make sure it's all clear. Once I'm out of sight, count to thirty and if I don't reappear, you can follow me up. When you get to the surface, replace the cover and get into the shadows quickly. I'll be waiting for you."

Releasing her hand slowly, Leo started to climb. Andria watched him ascend until the darkness overhead consumed him. As instructed, she began to count inside her head. A couple of seconds passed and she heard the sound of the metal manhole lid lifting free and sliding across pavement. Then there was silence. Andria reached the final number and, since the older turtle had not returned, scrambled up the ladder.

She paused at the top and peered out cautiously to ensure that the alley was indeed empty. Seeing no one, the female lifted herself out of the sewer. The manhole lid was heavy, but she replaced it easily enough. In the blink of an eye, she had darted into the shadows right next to Leonardo. It was almost impossible to detect his outline in the absence of street lights, but Andria could sense his location by the powerful vibe that his chi radiated. Her sharp nose had also picked up on his distinctive scent – musky with just the slightest hint of incense.

Without saying a word, Leo took ahold of her hand again. He guided her over to the fire escape of the old brick building they were pressed against. Very gently, he lifted her arm to place her fingers around the railing of the iron staircases. The katana-wielder released her and leapt up to the first level. His feet had hardly touched down before he had bounded to the next. Following the cues, Andria jumped after him, her movements as silent as his.

She vaulted onto the rooftop, landing lightly on her feet. The black-clad ninja glanced around until she caught sight of Leonardo who was standing a few feet to her left in the shadow of the building's large ventilation unit. In a few quick steps, she was at his side.

"Are you going to give me the silent treatment for the rest of the night?" she whispered teasingly, resting a hand on his right forearm.

Leonardo chuckled softly. "Sorry, force of habit."

"Do you usually lead your brothers around like that?" Andria wondered. "So…" Lazily, she dragged her fingers up over his biceps to settle on his shoulder. "…hands-on?"

Goosebumps erupted all across the leader's flesh and he could feel the heat return to his cheeks.

"My brothers already know how to exit the sewers here," Leo answered, allowing her hand to linger this time. "But I still need to teach you."

"You know you could have just said 'follow my lead'. You don't have to treat me like I'm three years old."

"…I...er…"

Alexandria giggled at his sheepish expression. Moving in closer, she relocated her hand from his shoulder to his chest.

"Silly, Shuhan," the girl said in singsong while tracing the upper edge of his plastron with a single finger. "I don't mind. Some things are easier to learn if the instructor is a little more…" Her other hand found rest on his hip. "…personal."

Leonardo swallowed hard. "Is that so?"

"Mmhmm," Andria purred. She tilted her head slightly and her sly grin broadened. "Is there anything else you want to teach me tonight, Leo?"

The terrapin leader was trying his best to ignore her sensuous touch. It was difficult especially since her last statement had sent his mind hurtling into the gutter where it momentarily imagined what he could possibly teach her in between the covers of his bed. Leonardo quickly pushed such thoughts aside, instead wondering if all girls acted this way or if only Andria did. He certainly never suspected that she – the ninja with a quick temper who ferociously butted heads with both Raphael and him - was so coquettish. Still, he was determined not to let her get to him.

"Yes, actually," Leo replied coolly, her hands slid off of his body as he stepped away from her. Crocking a finger, Leo beckoned her to follow him across the rooftop. "Come over here."

Andria blew a frustrated breath. It seemed that girls weren't the only ones who liked to play hard-to-get. Aggravating though it was, she couldn't help but like it at the same time. Undeterred, she followed the taller turtle.

Leo stood at the edge of the roof that ran parallel with the street. His eyes habitually scanned over the sidewalks below, looking for anything or anyone suspicious. Not a soul was out at this late hour, save for an alley cat perched on the stairs of a townhouse three buildings over. He glanced to the left as Andria joined him.

"Do you know where we are?" he asked her.

"Why? Did you forget?" she responded cheekily.

The older of the two chuckled. "We're on the corner of Sixty-eighth Street and Madison Avenue. This is part of the Upper East Side neighborhood."

"Is that so?" Andria commented, placing her hands on her hips as she surveyed their surroundings. "And just what brings us here tonight?"

"Master Splinter told me to help you learn how to get around the city," Leonardo answered. "You've been here for nearly three months now and you've hardly spent any time on the surface. If you're going to be an effective member of this team, I need you to be able to navigate the streets without always relying on someone to help you get around, especially when we're out on patrol or on missions." He gave her a stern look. "Or when you decide to sneak out of the lair."

Alexandria smiled widely. "Is that concern I detect underneath your disapproving stare, Leonardo?"

"I worry about you," he admitted timidly, rubbing the back of his neck. "And everyone else."

"Too much worry will make you grow old before your time," the smaller turtle cautioned. Stepping closer once again, she reached up to cup his cheek. "You'll get wrinkles and ruin that handsome face of yours." Andria giggled as he blushed at the compliment. Releasing him, she turned to look out over the neighborhood again. "Besides, it can't be that hard to move around this city."

Leonardo could still feel her hand on his face. He resisted the urge to touch where her fingers had been by crossing his arms over his chest. "I think you might be surprised at how easy it is to get lost."

"As long as I know which way is north and which way is south, I'll do just fine."

"Do you know the cardinal directions?"

"Sure," Andria said and pointed in front of them. "The East River is that way." She jerked her thumb backwards. "Jersey is that way." Then she waved to the left. "The Bronx is that way." Finally, she gestured to the right. "And the Brooklynn Bridge is that way."

The leader was impressed by her accuracy. He lifted an eye ridge and looked at her with mock suspicion. "Have you been sneaking out at night to run around the city?"

Andria feigned a look of offense. "How dare you make such an outrageous accusation. I am nothing but innocent."

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

"Well then, you obviously don't need me to show you around," Leo announced. Turning, he made as if to head back towards the fire escape. "We might as well go home."

"No!" Andria protested with a whine. Rushing forward, she seized his arm to stop him from walking away. "Leo, you promised!" She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Please?"

Leo smiled as the girl hugged his limb tightly. "Alright then."

XXXXX

Two hours passed before Alexandria finally succumbed to the cold. Or rather, that's when Leonardo decided not to believe her denials anymore and insisted that they return to the lair. They had covered a lot of ground in that amount of time, running rooftops through a good portion of the eastern half of Manhattan. The leader had been pleasantly surprised at both her speed and endurance. She had absolutely no problem keeping up with him and, even though he knew it was necessary, Leo found himself disappointed that their surface escapade had to end.

"So I take it that California never gets this cold?" he speculated as they traversed a different section of sewer to get back home.

"Very rarely," Andria replied. "Like every couple years or so, there's a cold spell, but it's usually in the sixties or warmer this time of the year. If I was at home, I'd probably be on the beach right now."

"At one-thirty in the morning?" Leo questioned, looking at his watch.

"It's only ten-thirty there - a perfect time to be out. You can see stars for miles and watch ships out at sea as they pass by or just sit and listen to the waves."

"That sounds amazing."

"It is."

"Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes," Andria confessed, her fingers fidgeting. "I miss hanging out at the beach with my brothers, Hiroshi and Daichi. We always had a lot of fun together."

"I'm sorry," Leo murmured, looking at her sympathetically.

"What do you have to be sorry about?" she wondered. "It's not your fault that I'm here."

"But you're not where you want to be."

"That doesn't mean I don't like where I am," Andria insisted. Glancing to her left at Leo, she gave him a smile. "Even if it is freezing cold."

The katana-wielder smiled in return. "It'll be better in a couple of weeks."

"I'm holding you to that."

Rounding a bend in the tunnel, the two came upon the entrance to the lair.

"We're back already?" the black-clad ninja said incredulously. "That was fast."

"I took a short-cut," Leo informed her, opening the door.

"Eager to get rid of me, huh?" she teased as they entered the lair together.

"What? No!" he declared somewhat loudly, stopping to look at her face-to-face. "I don't want to get rid of you, I like you…" His cheeks burned a bright red once he realized what he had said and he quickly tried to correct himself. "…I-I mean…I like spending time with you…."

Leo's embarrassed stuttering ceased when Andria giggled. Without any warning, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his middle, pulling him into a hug. The older turtle tensed for a moment, then relaxed and allowed his own arms to encircle her shell.

"Thank you for taking me out tonight," she told him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Y-you're welcome," Leo stammered as he reveled in the feeling of her body pressed up against his.

"Can we go again? Soon?"

"Sure."

"I can't wait," Andria said softly. Standing on the tips of her toes, she gently nuzzled his cheek and then kissed it. "Goodnight, Leo-chan."

A smile was on her face when she pulled back and lifted her gaze to meet his. Leonardo swore his heart was about to explode. The voice inside his head was screaming at him to lean in and kiss her. But before he could act, she had slipped out of his embrace and started walking towards her room.

"Goodnight, Andria," he called after her.

The girl glanced back over her shoulder and acknowledged his farewell with a little wave. He watched as she disappeared from sight and he heard her bedroom door close a few seconds later. Sighing heavily, Leo headed for the bathroom to get himself ready for bed.

He was halfway there when he was set upon by his brothers.

"You're back late," Donatello's voice said from behind him. Startled, Leo spun around to see the genius emerging from his lab, a stack of papers in hand. Donnie grinned at him. "Lose track of time?"

"I'm well aware of the time," the eldest stated evenly.

"Are you sure?" Michelangelo chimed in, following Don out of the lab. "You've been gone for hours." His mouth stretched into a huge grin. "Date went that well, huh?"

"Training went just fine, thank you," Leo replied pointedly. His brow furrowed in confusion at his youngest brother's presence inside Donnie's sanctuary. "Why are you in Don's lab, Mikey?"

"I'm helping Donnie fix his sonicator instrument thingy."

"Which wouldn't need fixing if somebody hadn't been messing around with it in the first place," the purple-banded turtle added irritably.

"I said I was sorry!"

"Uh-huh," Donnie grumbled in disbelief.

"You two should get to bed," Leo interjected, cutting off Mikey's retort. Turning, he continued on his way to the bathroom. "We've got a full day of training tomorrow."

Donnie and Mikey exchanged glances. Grinning, they hurried after their older brother.

"Hang on, Leo," Don said. "We want to hear all about your date with Andria."

"Is there going to be a second one?" Mikey questioned boldly. "Did you kiss her?"

Leonardo felt his entire face heat up. He refused to give them the satisfaction of an answer. Entering the bathroom, he swiftly shut the door and locked it, preventing them from pursuing him any farther. His voice was muffled by the solid wood when he addressed them.

"Goodnight, you two."

XXXXX

Alexandria hummed happily to herself as she prepared to hop in the shower. Unwinding the strips of black leather from around her wrists, she thought about the events of the night. She had enjoyed Leo's company. The clan leader was interesting, to say the least, and lot more fun than his strict disposition implied.

He was also very attractive.

She had been well aware of this fact a long time ago, but tonight had granted her the opportunity to truly appreciate it. Leo's physique practically dripped with sex appeal and Andria felt compelled to be with him. Against her better judgment, she hadn't been able to resist kissing him.

Not that he really seemed to mind.

With her wrists guards off, the sole female proceeded to remove the two blades hidden below the band on her upper left arm. She tossed the weapons on her desk haphazardly. Both skidded across the surface and fell to the floor. Cursing quietly, Andria knelt down to retrieve them.

The first one had landed a few inches to the right. Picking it up, Andria looked around for its mate and spied its handle just barely sticking out from underneath the desk. As she reached for it, her fingers brushed against something else. The turtle claimed her blade first and then grabbed the mysterious object.

Her discovery turned out to be a flash drive. She sat for a few moments, examining it and wondering where it had come from. Then realization hit her and a whole slew of memories came rushing back to her.

This was the flash drive that she had taken the night they had all been captured by Bishop.

"How in the hell did you manage to get down here?" Andria asked the device. Standing, she placed her weapons down gently this time. "And why the hell did I forget about you?"

Biting her lip, she contemplated her next course of action. The night's air had chilled her to the bone and she wanted to ease that discomfort with a hot shower, yet she was eager to find out what information was stored on the flash drive. Overcome by curiosity, she walked over to sit down her bed where her laptop was and plugged the device into the computer's USB port.

Andria's fingers drummed against her leg impatiently while she waited for the drivers to recognize the hardware. When the window finally opened, she clicked on it frantically and found that the flash drive contained absolutely nothing.

Annoyed, she scoffed loudly. "What the fuck, Bishop?"

Staring at the computer screen, Andria thought hard. Had Bishop planted that flash drive for her? Or was it completely irrelevant - a mere coincidence that she was trying to make meaningful? Either way, Bishop had put it there to mess with her mind and that was exactly what it was doing.

Several minutes passed before understanding finally dawned upon her. Setting her laptop aside, Andria held her head in her hands as she laughed. Bishop wasn't going to give her information so easily. He was going to make her earn it.

Bishop wanted her to return to the place where he had held her.

And she was willing to do it.