*CHAPTER 1*

HYPOCRICY

LEONARDO:

I felt the sun, warm on my face, and a cool breeze swept over me, rustling the thin curtains. As I slowly came to my senses, I smelled food. I sat up, rubbing my eyes, and yawned. The door opened. "Morning, sleepyhead."

I grinned at the beautiful woman who stepped into the room. "Morning."

She sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled at me. "Sleep well?"

I laughed at that. With her, I didn't sleep much. Eight months we had known each other. Three months ago, we'd made love for the first time. Life since then had changed dramatically for me.

"Madonna, this is gonna burn!" a voice called from the kitchen.

"So shut it off!" she yelled back, over her shoulder.

I smiled again, and lay back down, staring up at the ceiling. I stretched out on the bed, and recoiled. "Hey." The voice came from the open doorway now. I turned to see Katarina, her dark hair pulled behind her loosely. "You're gonna be late, you know that?"

Madonna grinned. "Yeah, I know."

"You gotta get yourself out the door this morning," Kat informed. "I got called in to help write the noon show. I'm leaving. Bye."

Madonna and I both waved, and Katarina disappeared. I heard the front door to the apartment close behind her. "Hey, aren't you leaving, too?" I questioned, turning my attention to Madonna. "For a few days, right?"

She sighed. "Yes. Family business. Why?"

I cupped her chin. "So I guess that means this is the last time I'll be seeing you for a while."

She smiled. "You knew that last night, Leo, or you wouldn't still be here."

She was right about that. Though I spent many evenings here, I rarely stayed the entire night. I ran my finger down the center of her throat and she batted it away. "Come eat. It's gonna get cold."

"You cooked breakfast," I mused, smiling. "I could get used to this."

RAPHAEL:

I started to get worried around four. By 8:30, I was beyond worried. I was pissed. "Where's Leo at?" Donatello asked, emerging from his room.

"Never came home last night," I mumbled. "I'm about to go find his ass."

Donny stared at me for a moment. "Why?"

"Since when does Leo take off for the entire night without telling anyone where he's going?"

"Hey, dude, Leo can take care of himself," Mike defended, coming out of the kitchen. "He probably just needed some time alone."

"All night long?" I shot at him.

Donny sighed. "No, Raph's right," he mumbled to Michaelangelo. "Leo doesn't usually take off without letting anyone know where he's going."

Mike shrugged. "I would. If I wanted to be alone."

"For twelve hours?" I snapped.

"Maybe he's got a girlfriend," Don suggested, smiling at the thought. "You never know."

I laughed cynically. That was an interesting thought. "This is Leonardo we're talking about, remember? What would he be doing with her all night? Discussing the mortality of life and the wonders of the universe?"

LEONARDO:

"You're late."

She laughed quietly and rested her head on my shoulder. "I know."

"No, I mean, you're really late."

She was quiet for a moment. I ran my hand up and down her back and listened to the sounds of the city coming through the open window. "You know something, Leo?"

Her voice was soft and innocent, carried on the gentle breeze. The curtains rustled as the faint scent of the morning flooded the room. "Hmm?"

"I still don't quite see where I fit into your whole equation."

I considered her words, not quite sure what she meant. "Equation?"

"You know exactly what you want out of life, and death. And I don't see as I have anything to do with it."

I pulled away and stared into her blue-green eyes as she sat up, moving a few inches away on the black leather couch. "That's not true," I told her, somewhat hurt.

She smiled warmly and raised her hand to my cheek. "Not that you don't love me; I know you do. But it's like... I don't fit."

I considered that for a moment. "Why do you say that?"

She pulled away completely, pulling her legs up in front of her. "Okay. In a word, Leo. The one thing you strive for, that you would give your life for."

"Honor," I answered without having to think much about it.

"Death before dishonor," she nodded, repeating my words.

"Yes," I agreed. "You understand that."

She smiled knowingly. I knew she understood that. When we had first discussed the concept, she had taken the words right out of my mouth as I tried to explain. "But then you act as if you're ashamed of me," she sighed.

Instinctively, I wanted to say she was wrong about that. But I considered her words carefully. "No, not... exactly," I finally answered.

"What do you mean, not exactly?"

"Not... ashamed really. Just cautious."

"Why?"

I sighed. I knew what the bottom line was here. We'd been over it before. "I just don't want to give my brothers any ammunition to use against me if I can avoid it."

She laughed. "So I'm ammunition, now?" she smiled.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her close to me again. She rested her head on my shoulder, and said nothing for a long time. "You really think they'd do that?" she whispered.

"Raph would."

"You really don't get along with him, do you?"

I hesitated. I hated admitting that, but she was right. Over the past few months, we'd grown further apart than we'd ever been. "We're... a lot different," I answered.

"And you think he'd be mad if he found out? About me?"

"Oh, I know he would," I laughed, considering the thought. I didn't want to imagine the fight that would lead to.

"Why?"

I paused for a minute, not sure how much I should tell her. I didn't like talking about my brother behind his back, even if he was an idiot. But she was asking a legitimate question. It concerned her, and I had no right to hide the answer. "I get mad at him when he... sleeps around. And I don't want him to think that I'm being a hypocrite."

She ran her thumbs over the insides of my wrist, rubbing gently at my pulse. "Why?" she whispered.

"Why what?"

"Why is it any of your business who he sleeps with?"

I ran my fingers over her hair. "He puts us all in danger. Doesn't think before he acts. And every person who's seen us is an added risk. Hell, his last girlfriend just wanted him to get her pregnant so she could experiment on..."

I stopped. That was going a little far. I wasn't even supposed to know that. "Hmm," Madonna acknowledged. "And how is that not hypocritical? Why am I not a risk?"

I considered her words. "I'm careful."

She laughed quietly and snuggled closer to me. "Riiiight."

MICHAELANGELO:

Raphael was pacing back in forth in the living room. "Dude, what is your problem?" I laughed at him. "Leo's a big boy, he can take care of himself."

He shot me a look that could kill and I sighed as I sat down on the couch. I didn't understand why Raph felt he had to keep tabs on Leo. Maybe because Leo kept tabs on him. I couldn't tell if he was genuinely concerned or just pissed. At any rate, I wasn't going to talk to him. I didn't need that volcano erupting in my direction. I grabbed the remote and flicked the TV on. Raph spun around.

"Turn it off," he ordered.

I stared at him. What the hell? "Look, if you got a problem with it..." I started, calmly.

"Turn the damn TV off!" he yelled.

I didn't pick fights with my brothers. Certainly not with Raph. But I could only be pushed so far. "Raph, go obsess about Leo somewhere else, okay?" I shot at him. "I want to..."

He spun and hurled his weapon at the TV. Sparks flew as the metal crashed through the screen. I sprang to my feet. "What the hell is your problem, Raph?" I yelled at him. He glared at me, challenging me. Fury sparked in his eyes and for a moment, I thought he might attack. I almost reached for my weapons, fully prepared to defend myself, but he backed down. I watched in anger and confusion as he spun and walked away.

He passed Donatello on the way out. No words passed between them. As he came into the room, he looked to me for an explanation. "Uh, what happened to the TV?"

I shot him a pathetic, mildly sarcastic glance, and turned my attention to the stack of comic books on the coffee table. Donny sighed. "I don't get it," he mumbled, pulling the plug on what was left of the box. "Why's he so mad about Leo being gone all night?"

"I don't know," I shot back. "But it's starting to piss me off."

There was a moment of silence. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him pull a sai out of the shattered remains of the TV. I sighed and dropped the comic in his lap. "Donny, you think he might've taken it seriously when you said about Leo having a girlfriend? I mean, you saw how he tensed when you suggested that."

He thought about that for a minute. "I'm not so sure I took that seriously, Mike," I mumbled. "I don't think Leo's interested in women."

"Well, maybe not like Raph is," I agreed. "But really, regardless of where he is right now, if Raph thinks that..."

"There could be some major tension around here," he sighed. "I know."

"And really, I'm not sure who I'd agree with. I mean, if Leo's out there..."

"He's not," Don interrupted. "He wouldn't do that."

"How do you know?" I pressed.

"Because. It's totally hypocritical, and he knows that. He wouldn't do that to Raph."

I sighed, and picked up the comic book again as Donny started cleaning up the mess from the TV.

MADONNA:

With a sudden burst of playful energy, I curled my fingers under his plastron and found the two, mirrored sensitive spots hidden in his sides. I had discovered them quite by accident, but they had proved most valuable. I smiled as I jabbed hard. He gave a shout of laughter, trying to double over and grab my hands at the same time. I pulled back just in time and jumped off of the couch.

"What the hell was that for?" he grinned up at me.

I smiled and shrugged. He sat up and reached out to grab me, but I jumped back, tripping over my feet. He lunged at me and missed. I laughed out loud as he fell off the sofa and landed in a heap on the floor. It didn't take him long to get back up to his feet, but I was already on the other side of the couch. I knew I was in for it. I laughed as I held my hands in front of me, like that would fend him off. "Please?" I smiled, pacing with him on the opposite side of the couch.

In one, clean movement, he vaulted over the top of the couch and I shrieked as I ran to my room and tried to slam the door. But I didn't make it in time. I tried to push him back, but I was nowhere near strong enough. I finally gave up and took a step back. "Please don't!" I laughed, doubling over in the hopes of protecting myself. "Please?"

He lunged toward me and I jumped back, not quite sure where I was expecting to get away to. I was closer than I thought I was to the bed. The backs of my legs hit it and I stumbled backward, reaching out to try and grab Leo. I just barely caught him, but I threw him off balance and he only fell on top of me instead of helping me up. He jabbed his fingers into my stomach and I tried to writhe out from underneath him. This was not the position to be in when he was trying to tickle me. "Please," I begged, trying not to laugh. "Leo!"

MICHAELANGELO:

Leonardo showed up around lunch time. "Where've you been, bro?" I asked. "We were... worried."

"Worried, my ass," Raph shot, bursting out of his room. "Where the hell were you?"

Leo shrugged. "I got sidetracked."

"Sidetracked? For fifteen hours?"

Leo turned to look at him. "You were counting?"

"Damn straight I was counting! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Raphael, you're overreacting."

Understatement of the year.

"Raph, give him a break," Donatello defended.

Raphael turned and stared at Donny, as if he was determining whether he was more interested in fighting with him or Leo. He turned his attention back to Leo. "You know damn well how pissed you'd be if I did the same thing," he snarled. "You'd lecture me until I..."

"Raph," Leo sighed, resting his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Give it a rest, okay? I had some personal business to take care of."

Raphael lashed out and Leo blocked him reflexively. Raph pulled his hands back and stepped up, inches away, his hands on his weapons. Leo stared back, defiantly. He didn't want to fight, but we all knew he would. Suddenly, Raph turned and walked away. We didn't see him for the rest of the day. *CHAPTER 1*

HYPOCRICY

LEONARDO:

I felt the sun, warm on my face, and a cool breeze swept over me, rustling the thin curtains. As I slowly came to my senses, I smelled food. I sat up, rubbing my eyes, and yawned. The door opened. "Morning, sleepyhead."

I grinned at the beautiful woman who stepped into the room. "Morning."

She sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled at me. "Sleep well?"

I laughed at that. With her, I didn't sleep much. Eight months we had known each other. Three months ago, we'd made love for the first time. Life since then had changed dramatically for me.

"Madonna, this is gonna burn!" a voice called from the kitchen.

"So shut it off!" she yelled back, over her shoulder.

I smiled again, and lay back down, staring up at the ceiling. I stretched out on the bed, and recoiled. "Hey." The voice came from the open doorway now. I turned to see Katarina, her dark hair pulled behind her loosely. "You're gonna be late, you know that?"

Madonna grinned. "Yeah, I know."

"You gotta get yourself out the door this morning," Kat informed. "I got called in to help write the noon show. I'm leaving. Bye."

Madonna and I both waved, and Katarina disappeared. I heard the front door to the apartment close behind her. "Hey, aren't you leaving, too?" I questioned, turning my attention to Madonna. "For a few days, right?"

She sighed. "Yes. Family business. Why?"

I cupped her chin. "So I guess that means this is the last time I'll be seeing you for a while."

She smiled. "You knew that last night, Leo, or you wouldn't still be here."

She was right about that. Though I spent many evenings here, I rarely stayed the entire night. I ran my finger down the center of her throat and she batted it away. "Come eat. It's gonna get cold."

"You cooked breakfast," I mused, smiling. "I could get used to this."

RAPHAEL:

I started to get worried around four. By 8:30, I was beyond worried. I was pissed. "Where's Leo at?" Donatello asked, emerging from his room.

"Never came home last night," I mumbled. "I'm about to go find his ass."

Donny stared at me for a moment. "Why?"

"Since when does Leo take off for the entire night without telling anyone where he's going?"

"Hey, dude, Leo can take care of himself," Mike defended, coming out of the kitchen. "He probably just needed some time alone."

"All night long?" I shot at him.

Donny sighed. "No, Raph's right," he mumbled to Michaelangelo. "Leo doesn't usually take off without letting anyone know where he's going."

Mike shrugged. "I would. If I wanted to be alone."

"For twelve hours?" I snapped.

"Maybe he's got a girlfriend," Don suggested, smiling at the thought. "You never know."

I laughed cynically. That was an interesting thought. "This is Leonardo we're talking about, remember? What would he be doing with her all night? Discussing the mortality of life and the wonders of the universe?"

LEONARDO:

"You're late."

She laughed quietly and rested her head on my shoulder. "I know."

"No, I mean, you're really late."

She was quiet for a moment. I ran my hand up and down her back and listened to the sounds of the city coming through the open window. "You know something, Leo?"

Her voice was soft and innocent, carried on the gentle breeze. The curtains rustled as the faint scent of the morning flooded the room. "Hmm?"

"I still don't quite see where I fit into your whole equation."

I considered her words, not quite sure what she meant. "Equation?"

"You know exactly what you want out of life, and death. And I don't see as I have anything to do with it."

I pulled away and stared into her blue-green eyes as she sat up, moving a few inches away on the black leather couch. "That's not true," I told her, somewhat hurt.

She smiled warmly and raised her hand to my cheek. "Not that you don't love me; I know you do. But it's like... I don't fit."

I considered that for a moment. "Why do you say that?"

She pulled away completely, pulling her legs up in front of her. "Okay. In a word, Leo. The one thing you strive for, that you would give your life for."

"Honor," I answered without having to think much about it.

"Death before dishonor," she nodded, repeating my words.

"Yes," I agreed. "You understand that."

She smiled knowingly. I knew she understood that. When we had first discussed the concept, she had taken the words right out of my mouth as I tried to explain. "But then you act as if you're ashamed of me," she sighed.

Instinctively, I wanted to say she was wrong about that. But I considered her words carefully. "No, not... exactly," I finally answered.

"What do you mean, not exactly?"

"Not... ashamed really. Just cautious."

"Why?"

I sighed. I knew what the bottom line was here. We'd been over it before. "I just don't want to give my brothers any ammunition to use against me if I can avoid it."

She laughed. "So I'm ammunition, now?" she smiled.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her close to me again. She rested her head on my shoulder, and said nothing for a long time. "You really think they'd do that?" she whispered.

"Raph would."

"You really don't get along with him, do you?"

I hesitated. I hated admitting that, but she was right. Over the past few months, we'd grown further apart than we'd ever been. "We're... a lot different," I answered.

"And you think he'd be mad if he found out? About me?"

"Oh, I know he would," I laughed, considering the thought. I didn't want to imagine the fight that would lead to.

"Why?"

I paused for a minute, not sure how much I should tell her. I didn't like talking about my brother behind his back, even if he was an idiot. But she was asking a legitimate question. It concerned her, and I had no right to hide the answer. "I get mad at him when he... sleeps around. And I don't want him to think that I'm being a hypocrite."

She ran her thumbs over the insides of my wrist, rubbing gently at my pulse. "Why?" she whispered.

"Why what?"

"Why is it any of your business who he sleeps with?"

I ran my fingers over her hair. "He puts us all in danger. Doesn't think before he acts. And every person who's seen us is an added risk. Hell, his last girlfriend just wanted him to get her pregnant so she could experiment on..."

I stopped. That was going a little far. I wasn't even supposed to know that. "Hmm," Madonna acknowledged. "And how is that not hypocritical? Why am I not a risk?"

I considered her words. "I'm careful."

She laughed quietly and snuggled closer to me. "Riiiight."

MICHAELANGELO:

Raphael was pacing back in forth in the living room. "Dude, what is your problem?" I laughed at him. "Leo's a big boy, he can take care of himself."

He shot me a look that could kill and I sighed as I sat down on the couch. I didn't understand why Raph felt he had to keep tabs on Leo. Maybe because Leo kept tabs on him. I couldn't tell if he was genuinely concerned or just pissed. At any rate, I wasn't going to talk to him. I didn't need that volcano erupting in my direction. I grabbed the remote and flicked the TV on. Raph spun around.

"Turn it off," he ordered.

I stared at him. What the hell? "Look, if you got a problem with it..." I started, calmly.

"Turn the damn TV off!" he yelled.

I didn't pick fights with my brothers. Certainly not with Raph. But I could only be pushed so far. "Raph, go obsess about Leo somewhere else, okay?" I shot at him. "I want to..."

He spun and hurled his weapon at the TV. Sparks flew as the metal crashed through the screen. I sprang to my feet. "What the hell is your problem, Raph?" I yelled at him. He glared at me, challenging me. Fury sparked in his eyes and for a moment, I thought he might attack. I almost reached for my weapons, fully prepared to defend myself, but he backed down. I watched in anger and confusion as he spun and walked away.

He passed Donatello on the way out. No words passed between them. As he came into the room, he looked to me for an explanation. "Uh, what happened to the TV?"

I shot him a pathetic, mildly sarcastic glance, and turned my attention to the stack of comic books on the coffee table. Donny sighed. "I don't get it," he mumbled, pulling the plug on what was left of the box. "Why's he so mad about Leo being gone all night?"

"I don't know," I shot back. "But it's starting to piss me off."

There was a moment of silence. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him pull a sai out of the shattered remains of the TV. I sighed and dropped the comic in his lap. "Donny, you think he might've taken it seriously when you said about Leo having a girlfriend? I mean, you saw how he tensed when you suggested that."

He thought about that for a minute. "I'm not so sure I took that seriously, Mike," I mumbled. "I don't think Leo's interested in women."

"Well, maybe not like Raph is," I agreed. "But really, regardless of where he is right now, if Raph thinks that..."

"There could be some major tension around here," he sighed. "I know."

"And really, I'm not sure who I'd agree with. I mean, if Leo's out there..."

"He's not," Don interrupted. "He wouldn't do that."

"How do you know?" I pressed.

"Because. It's totally hypocritical, and he knows that. He wouldn't do that to Raph."

I sighed, and picked up the comic book again as Donny started cleaning up the mess from the TV.

MADONNA:

With a sudden burst of playful energy, I curled my fingers under his plastron and found the two, mirrored sensitive spots hidden in his sides. I had discovered them quite by accident, but they had proved most valuable. I smiled as I jabbed hard. He gave a shout of laughter, trying to double over and grab my hands at the same time. I pulled back just in time and jumped off of the couch.

"What the hell was that for?" he grinned up at me.

I smiled and shrugged. He sat up and reached out to grab me, but I jumped back, tripping over my feet. He lunged at me and missed. I laughed out loud as he fell off the sofa and landed in a heap on the floor. It didn't take him long to get back up to his feet, but I was already on the other side of the couch. I knew I was in for it. I laughed as I held my hands in front of me, like that would fend him off. "Please?" I smiled, pacing with him on the opposite side of the couch.

In one, clean movement, he vaulted over the top of the couch and I shrieked as I ran to my room and tried to slam the door. But I didn't make it in time. I tried to push him back, but I was nowhere near strong enough. I finally gave up and took a step back. "Please don't!" I laughed, doubling over in the hopes of protecting myself. "Please?"

He lunged toward me and I jumped back, not quite sure where I was expecting to get away to. I was closer than I thought I was to the bed. The backs of my legs hit it and I stumbled backward, reaching out to try and grab Leo. I just barely caught him, but I threw him off balance and he only fell on top of me instead of helping me up. He jabbed his fingers into my stomach and I tried to writhe out from underneath him. This was not the position to be in when he was trying to tickle me. "Please," I begged, trying not to laugh. "Leo!"

MICHAELANGELO:

Leonardo showed up around lunch time. "Where've you been, bro?" I asked. "We were... worried."

"Worried, my ass," Raph shot, bursting out of his room. "Where the hell were you?"

Leo shrugged. "I got sidetracked."

"Sidetracked? For fifteen hours?"

Leo turned to look at him. "You were counting?"

"Damn straight I was counting! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Raphael, you're overreacting."

Understatement of the year.

"Raph, give him a break," Donatello defended.

Raphael turned and stared at Donny, as if he was determining whether he was more interested in fighting with him or Leo. He turned his attention back to Leo. "You know damn well how pissed you'd be if I did the same thing," he snarled. "You'd lecture me until I..."

"Raph," Leo sighed, resting his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Give it a rest, okay? I had some personal business to take care of."

Raphael lashed out and Leo blocked him reflexively. Raph pulled his hands back and stepped up, inches away, his hands on his weapons. Leo stared back, defiantly. He didn't want to fight, but we all knew he would. Suddenly, Raph turned and walked away. We didn't see him for the rest of the day. *CHAPTER 1*

HYPOCRICY

LEONARDO:

I felt the sun, warm on my face, and a cool breeze swept over me, rustling the thin curtains. As I slowly came to my senses, I smelled food. I sat up, rubbing my eyes, and yawned. The door opened. "Morning, sleepyhead."

I grinned at the beautiful woman who stepped into the room. "Morning."

She sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled at me. "Sleep well?"

I laughed at that. With her, I didn't sleep much. Eight months we had known each other. Three months ago, we'd made love for the first time. Life since then had changed dramatically for me.

"Madonna, this is gonna burn!" a voice called from the kitchen.

"So shut it off!" she yelled back, over her shoulder.

I smiled again, and lay back down, staring up at the ceiling. I stretched out on the bed, and recoiled. "Hey." The voice came from the open doorway now. I turned to see Katarina, her dark hair pulled behind her loosely. "You're gonna be late, you know that?"

Madonna grinned. "Yeah, I know."

"You gotta get yourself out the door this morning," Kat informed. "I got called in to help write the noon show. I'm leaving. Bye."

Madonna and I both waved, and Katarina disappeared. I heard the front door to the apartment close behind her. "Hey, aren't you leaving, too?" I questioned, turning my attention to Madonna. "For a few days, right?"

She sighed. "Yes. Family business. Why?"

I cupped her chin. "So I guess that means this is the last time I'll be seeing you for a while."

She smiled. "You knew that last night, Leo, or you wouldn't still be here."

She was right about that. Though I spent many evenings here, I rarely stayed the entire night. I ran my finger down the center of her throat and she batted it away. "Come eat. It's gonna get cold."

"You cooked breakfast," I mused, smiling. "I could get used to this."

RAPHAEL:

I started to get worried around four. By 8:30, I was beyond worried. I was pissed. "Where's Leo at?" Donatello asked, emerging from his room.

"Never came home last night," I mumbled. "I'm about to go find his ass."

Donny stared at me for a moment. "Why?"

"Since when does Leo take off for the entire night without telling anyone where he's going?"

"Hey, dude, Leo can take care of himself," Mike defended, coming out of the kitchen. "He probably just needed some time alone."

"All night long?" I shot at him.

Donny sighed. "No, Raph's right," he mumbled to Michaelangelo. "Leo doesn't usually take off without letting anyone know where he's going."

Mike shrugged. "I would. If I wanted to be alone."

"For twelve hours?" I snapped.

"Maybe he's got a girlfriend," Don suggested, smiling at the thought. "You never know."

I laughed cynically. That was an interesting thought. "This is Leonardo we're talking about, remember? What would he be doing with her all night? Discussing the mortality of life and the wonders of the universe?"

LEONARDO:

"You're late."

She laughed quietly and rested her head on my shoulder. "I know."

"No, I mean, you're really late."

She was quiet for a moment. I ran my hand up and down her back and listened to the sounds of the city coming through the open window. "You know something, Leo?"

Her voice was soft and innocent, carried on the gentle breeze. The curtains rustled as the faint scent of the morning flooded the room. "Hmm?"

"I still don't quite see where I fit into your whole equation."

I considered her words, not quite sure what she meant. "Equation?"

"You know exactly what you want out of life, and death. And I don't see as I have anything to do with it."

I pulled away and stared into her blue-green eyes as she sat up, moving a few inches away on the black leather couch. "That's not true," I told her, somewhat hurt.

She smiled warmly and raised her hand to my cheek. "Not that you don't love me; I know you do. But it's like... I don't fit."

I considered that for a moment. "Why do you say that?"

She pulled away completely, pulling her legs up in front of her. "Okay. In a word, Leo. The one thing you strive for, that you would give your life for."

"Honor," I answered without having to think much about it.

"Death before dishonor," she nodded, repeating my words.

"Yes," I agreed. "You understand that."

She smiled knowingly. I knew she understood that. When we had first discussed the concept, she had taken the words right out of my mouth as I tried to explain. "But then you act as if you're ashamed of me," she sighed.

Instinctively, I wanted to say she was wrong about that. But I considered her words carefully. "No, not... exactly," I finally answered.

"What do you mean, not exactly?"

"Not... ashamed really. Just cautious."

"Why?"

I sighed. I knew what the bottom line was here. We'd been over it before. "I just don't want to give my brothers any ammunition to use against me if I can avoid it."

She laughed. "So I'm ammunition, now?" she smiled.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her close to me again. She rested her head on my shoulder, and said nothing for a long time. "You really think they'd do that?" she whispered.

"Raph would."

"You really don't get along with him, do you?"

I hesitated. I hated admitting that, but she was right. Over the past few months, we'd grown further apart than we'd ever been. "We're... a lot different," I answered.

"And you think he'd be mad if he found out? About me?"

"Oh, I know he would," I laughed, considering the thought. I didn't want to imagine the fight that would lead to.

"Why?"

I paused for a minute, not sure how much I should tell her. I didn't like talking about my brother behind his back, even if he was an idiot. But she was asking a legitimate question. It concerned her, and I had no right to hide the answer. "I get mad at him when he... sleeps around. And I don't want him to think that I'm being a hypocrite."

She ran her thumbs over the insides of my wrist, rubbing gently at my pulse. "Why?" she whispered.

"Why what?"

"Why is it any of your business who he sleeps with?"

I ran my fingers over her hair. "He puts us all in danger. Doesn't think before he acts. And every person who's seen us is an added risk. Hell, his last girlfriend just wanted him to get her pregnant so she could experiment on..."

I stopped. That was going a little far. I wasn't even supposed to know that. "Hmm," Madonna acknowledged. "And how is that not hypocritical? Why am I not a risk?"

I considered her words. "I'm careful."

She laughed quietly and snuggled closer to me. "Riiiight."

MICHAELANGELO:

Raphael was pacing back in forth in the living room. "Dude, what is your problem?" I laughed at him. "Leo's a big boy, he can take care of himself."

He shot me a look that could kill and I sighed as I sat down on the couch. I didn't understand why Raph felt he had to keep tabs on Leo. Maybe because Leo kept tabs on him. I couldn't tell if he was genuinely concerned or just pissed. At any rate, I wasn't going to talk to him. I didn't need that volcano erupting in my direction. I grabbed the remote and flicked the TV on. Raph spun around.

"Turn it off," he ordered.

I stared at him. What the hell? "Look, if you got a problem with it..." I started, calmly.

"Turn the damn TV off!" he yelled.

I didn't pick fights with my brothers. Certainly not with Raph. But I could only be pushed so far. "Raph, go obsess about Leo somewhere else, okay?" I shot at him. "I want to..."

He spun and hurled his weapon at the TV. Sparks flew as the metal crashed through the screen. I sprang to my feet. "What the hell is your problem, Raph?" I yelled at him. He glared at me, challenging me. Fury sparked in his eyes and for a moment, I thought he might attack. I almost reached for my weapons, fully prepared to defend myself, but he backed down. I watched in anger and confusion as he spun and walked away.

He passed Donatello on the way out. No words passed between them. As he came into the room, he looked to me for an explanation. "Uh, what happened to the TV?"

I shot him a pathetic, mildly sarcastic glance, and turned my attention to the stack of comic books on the coffee table. Donny sighed. "I don't get it," he mumbled, pulling the plug on what was left of the box. "Why's he so mad about Leo being gone all night?"

"I don't know," I shot back. "But it's starting to piss me off."

There was a moment of silence. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him pull a sai out of the shattered remains of the TV. I sighed and dropped the comic in his lap. "Donny, you think he might've taken it seriously when you said about Leo having a girlfriend? I mean, you saw how he tensed when you suggested that."

He thought about that for a minute. "I'm not so sure I took that seriously, Mike," I mumbled. "I don't think Leo's interested in women."

"Well, maybe not like Raph is," I agreed. "But really, regardless of where he is right now, if Raph thinks that..."

"There could be some major tension around here," he sighed. "I know."

"And really, I'm not sure who I'd agree with. I mean, if Leo's out there..."

"He's not," Don interrupted. "He wouldn't do that."

"How do you know?" I pressed.

"Because. It's totally hypocritical, and he knows that. He wouldn't do that to Raph."

I sighed, and picked up the comic book again as Donny started cleaning up the mess from the TV.

MADONNA:

With a sudden burst of playful energy, I curled my fingers under his plastron and found the two, mirrored sensitive spots hidden in his sides. I had discovered them quite by accident, but they had proved most valuable. I smiled as I jabbed hard. He gave a shout of laughter, trying to double over and grab my hands at the same time. I pulled back just in time and jumped off of the couch.

"What the hell was that for?" he grinned up at me.

I smiled and shrugged. He sat up and reached out to grab me, but I jumped back, tripping over my feet. He lunged at me and missed. I laughed out loud as he fell off the sofa and landed in a heap on the floor. It didn't take him long to get back up to his feet, but I was already on the other side of the couch. I knew I was in for it. I laughed as I held my hands in front of me, like that would fend him off. "Please?" I smiled, pacing with him on the opposite side of the couch.

In one, clean movement, he vaulted over the top of the couch and I shrieked as I ran to my room and tried to slam the door. But I didn't make it in time. I tried to push him back, but I was nowhere near strong enough. I finally gave up and took a step back. "Please don't!" I laughed, doubling over in the hopes of protecting myself. "Please?"

He lunged toward me and I jumped back, not quite sure where I was expecting to get away to. I was closer than I thought I was to the bed. The backs of my legs hit it and I stumbled backward, reaching out to try and grab Leo. I just barely caught him, but I threw him off balance and he only fell on top of me instead of helping me up. He jabbed his fingers into my stomach and I tried to writhe out from underneath him. This was not the position to be in when he was trying to tickle me. "Please," I begged, trying not to laugh. "Leo!"

MICHAELANGELO:

Leonardo showed up around lunch time. "Where've you been, bro?" I asked. "We were... worried."

"Worried, my ass," Raph shot, bursting out of his room. "Where the hell were you?"

Leo shrugged. "I got sidetracked."

"Sidetracked? For fifteen hours?"

Leo turned to look at him. "You were counting?"

"Damn straight I was counting! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Raphael, you're overreacting."

Understatement of the year.

"Raph, give him a break," Donatello defended.

Raphael turned and stared at Donny, as if he was determining whether he was more interested in fighting with him or Leo. He turned his attention back to Leo. "You know damn well how pissed you'd be if I did the same thing," he snarled. "You'd lecture me until I..."

"Raph," Leo sighed, resting his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Give it a rest, okay? I had some personal business to take care of."

Raphael lashed out and Leo blocked him reflexively. Raph pulled his hands back and stepped up, inches away, his hands on his weapons. Leo stared back, defiantly. He didn't want to fight, but we all knew he would. Suddenly, Raph turned and walked away. We didn't see him for the rest of the day.