For Kiko Kamia: The Shredder's an alien? Really? Totally didn't see that one coming! Guess that's what happens when you grow up without a television. Well, that makes me feel about a thousand times better! Thanks so much for that little tidbit.

Yay! A review from Gothchick 101! I was afraid you'd died or were suddenly refusing to continue reading. You were my first reviewer, and your opinion really means a lot to me. Thanks!

So, now I'm done buttering up my fans...uh...I don't own the TMNT, just A.J. and the plot.

The second time he went to see her, he brought her home to see his brothers.

"Hey guys!" he yelled as they descended the stairs. "Guess who I brought back?"

"A.J.!" yelled Mikey, bounding from his spot in front of the TV to grab her up in a big hug. She put down the bag she had been carrying and ran to meet him, giving a cry of surprise and delight as he swept her off her feet and swung her around. Donny was no less enthusiastic when it was his turn either, eagerly rising from the easy chair he had been sitting in to embrace her.

"Hey, how are you doing?" he asked as he let go.

"I'm fine," she answered, brushing her hair out of her face. "I'm doing great."

"Whoa!"

Everyone turned to Mikey, confused by his sudden outburst.

"What?" she asked, noticing that he was looking at her.

"I guess I'm just not used to seeing you in normal clothes," he said, blue eyes wide. "You look great, babe!"

She smiled, and blushed.

"Well, our school uniforms aren't exactly flattering."

She really did look great in her tight, dark blue jeans and a white, long-sleeved shirt that clung to the curves of her body. She was wearing a pair of small silver hoops in her ears, and a pretty silver necklace to match hung around her neck. Leo also noticed that she had painted her fingernails the same, iridescent color that he had seen on her toenails: the purple that changed from blue to green with the light.

Mikey grinned at his brother.

"Sorry, bro. But I had to say it."

Leo waved his hand.

"It's okay." To A.J., he said, "Don't mind Mikey. He's just pointing out the obvious."

"Well, at least someone noticed," she said with mock exasperation. Both Leo and Donny looked sheepish. They had all been thinking it, of course, but Mikey had been the first one to say it. Probably because he wasn't as shy as the others.

She looked around the lair.

"Where's Raf?"

Donny and Mikey sighed, and rolled their eyes.

"Out," said Donny.

"Again," Mikey added. "He left shortly after you went to get her, Leo."

For a moment, her face fell, but she tried to smile anyway.

"Oh, I hope I didn't scare him away."

All three of them shook their heads.

"It's got nothing to do with you," said Leo. "He just…"

"Does this," Donny finished for him.

"Oh." Her face brightened. "Well anyway, I have something for you. A sort of thank-you present for saving my life."

She went over to the bag that she had been carrying. When she pulled out its contents, Mikey's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Whoa, no way! Oh, thanks so much babe, I've been dying to get one of these!"

It was a Wii, supposedly the latest in video game technology. Mikey took the box from her, holding it with as much ease as she'd had difficulty. With that out of her hands, she dove into the bag and surfaced again, holding out three cases.

"I wasn't sure which ones you'd like, but I got these for you as well."

She held the games up for them to see, but they didn't recognize them. Mikey grinned anyway, and dashed back to the TV.

"Donny, help me set this up! You rock, A.J.; this is so awesome!"

She smiled as she handed Donny the game cases.

"You're welcome," she said. She looked at Leo, and put her arm around his shell. "He's just like a kid."

Leo also smiled fondly at his brother, who was now trying to untangle the wires and making a bigger mess than he'd started out with.

"You didn't have to do this, you know," he said to her as Donny began to untangle Mikey from the wires.

"I know. But I wanted to. I mean, you did save my life, and I would be horribly rude not to reward you in some way."

"Seeing you walk away alive is enough of a reward for us."

"Yes I understand that, but still, I felt like I needed do something for you, so there you go."

"It must have cost you a fortune."

She shrugged.

"Well, I need to get a job anyway."

"You really didn't have to…"

"Oh stop it, already," she said, lightly slapping his arm. "You like to see them happy just as much as I do. More probably, because they're your brothers."

"Hey, you dudes wanna play too?" asked Mikey, now free from the wires, breaking their conversation.

"No thanks, Mikey," she answered. "I never was much of a video game person. We'll just watch."


Later that evening, after he had taken A.J. back home, Leo was practicing with his katanas in the dojo when a soft knock interrupted him.

"Yes? Come in," he said. The door slid back, and Master Splinter entered. He bowed. "Master?"

"I was watching you with A.J. tonight, my son, and I think it is time you have your own room."

"My own room? But why?"

"It is natural to want a little privacy when you are involved with someone," said the old rat. "And I think you are ready to have your own space now. As a leader, it is important to have some time by yourself, to think, and to clear your mind. And, no doubt, you and A.J. will want to spend time together here, without your brothers interfering. Tomorrow, I think, we will clear out one of the spare rooms in the back for you. If you have no objections," he added quickly, realizing that he had not given Leo a chance to answer him.

"No, Master," said Leo. True, it would be nice to be able to be with A.J. without fear of her father walking in on them, and without having his brothers get in the way, and it would be very nice to get away from Mikey's snoring, as well as Raf's restless movements, even though he was the furthest away. It might be lonely, but Leo would have to accept it. They were growing up, there was no denying that. They weren't kids anymore, and they needed their own space.

"Good," said Master Splinter, turning to leave. He got about halfway around, then he stopped. "And Leonardo?"

"Yes, Master?"

"If you have any questions, about anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask me."

"Yes, sensei. And thank you."


Over the next couple of months, life fell into a busy routine of everyday adventures. On the nights they weren't out patrolling the streets, they were inside training, playing video games or hanging out with A.J., who now had begun to fall in line as part of the family. She got a job as a courtesy clerk in a supermarket a few blocks from her school, and often, when her shift was over at eight, the boys came to pick her up and take her back to chill for a few hours before she had to go home. During these times, she and Leo would run off to his new room together, talking for hours about everything, or nothing, Donny would help her with her homework if she had any, or Mikey would make her sing for them. Since the rest of them had discovered her voice, they would pester her into singing for them until she finally gave in, or threw her pencil at them, even if she had horrible aim. Also, Leo taught her a few basic techniques in self-defense, to ensure that she would never be taken advantage of again, at least not without a fight. He taught her the proper way to use her arms to break her falls, and how to roll over her shoulder to avoid breaking her neck when she was flipped over. He discovered that, while she was sweet and innocent off of the dojo floor, on it she was as feisty as a weasel, absolutely refusing to give up, even when he managed to trap her somehow with no hope of getting out, often hurting herself in the process of her mad struggling. There were plenty of bruises, pinched nerves and strained muscles involved in these lessons, something she didn't seem to mind, and waved Leo off when he tried to apologize.

"Trust me: this is nothing compared to what I've gone through," she said as Donny held a pack of ice against her shoulder after one particularly nasty tumble she'd taken.

"I'm sorry," he said anyway. "I was trying to go easy on you…"

She scoffed.

"Do you think those bastards who raped me cared about going easy on me, just because I'm a girl?"

But it was because he wasn't like those bastards that he went easy on her. Truth be told, he was really afraid to work with her like this, because no matter how careful he was, he managed to hurt her all the same. She insisted it was her own stupid stubbornness that got her hurt, but he knew she was just trying to make him feel better. Unlike many girls he saw on TV, who cried when they broke a nail, she took her hits, shrugging them off like they were nothing, and he guessed it may have had something to do with what had happened to her. She even took to wrestling with the boys, and though Leo and Donny beat her all the time, Mikey let her win, often rolling over and pretending to plead for mercy when she tried to pin him down, though he could have easily thrown her off. This play-fighting was generally harmless and all in good fun, but there was one incident when it got scary.

Leo and Donny were sitting on the couch, watching Mikey and A.J. rolling around on the ground in front of the TV, engaging in another wrestling match. She had managed to pin him down with her hands planted firmly on his shoulders, using her legs to hold herself on the ground, and he was wailing in defeat. Raf had been out, and right at that moment he returned to the lair. Leo and Donny heard him, but Mikey and A.J. were occupied with what they were doing, and paid no attention. He looked a little tired, but otherwise in somewhat of a good mood, and eager to join the fun. He placed his finger to his lips, indicating to Leo and Donny that they be quiet as he crept up on Mikey's "attacker." His ninja skills served him well; A.J. never heard him coming until he yelled, "I'll save ya, bro! Gotcha!"

He grabbed A.J., pinning her arms to her sides and crushing her back against his chest. She let out a scream, a genuine scream of terror, and the boys, who had started to laugh, immediately fell silent. Held about six inches off the ground with her hands pinned and her legs kicking uselessly at the air, she turned to the only weapon she had left, and sank her teeth into Raf's hand.

He roared in pain and released her, stumbling backward, not sure whether to be shocked, angry, or hurt.

"Yow!" he bellowed, shaking his bitten hand. They could see deep marks in his skin where her teeth had been, and while she may have bitten hard enough draw blood on a human's hand, their skin was thicker, and harder to break. He stared, first from the wounds, then to their cause. He had a bit of a smile on his face, not really sure if she had meant to hurt him or not, and whether he should laugh, or apologize.

"Ain't you feisty?" he said.

But it was no laughing matter. A.J was standing curled in on herself, her hands tucked under her chin, her arms covering her breasts, looking pale and scared. Her eyes were as wide as a frightened rabbit's, and she had a horrified look on her face. Of all the boys, she was the most afraid of Raf, and now she thought that she had pissed him off, and he was going to pound her, girl or not, even with his brothers in the room.

But he didn't. He was too astonished that she could snap so quickly.

"I'm s-s-sorry," she whimpered, to terrified for tears. "You scared me. I didn't mean to overreact. I just…I don't like…"

"Forget it," he muttered, regaining his composure, aware that everyone was staring at him, and he didn't like appearing surprised or without a scowl on his face. He jumped up to the upper levels to brood, leaving a very strained group behind him.

With Raf's departure, three heads turned to stare at their little human friend, who was trying to shrink in on herself.

"I don't like people sneaking up on me, or grabbing me from behind. It reminds me too much of…"

Leo was already on his way to her side, and when her knees gave out, he was close enough to catch her almost immediately. He picked her up and carried her to the couch, where he sat down with her in his lap. Mikey and Donny moved from their places so they could help their brother comfort her. Under their reassuring hands, they could feel her entire body trembling.

"I just reacted," she tried to explain. "I didn't even think. I was just…suddenly so scared. It was like…"

Leo shushed her, folding her into his arms as Donny scratched lightly at her back with his fingertips. Mikey, from his position on the floor, rubbed her shin, not really sure of what else to do, or if it helped at all. Still it was the best he could do.

Glad to be quiet, she leaned against Leo's shoulder, feeling like crying but the tears wouldn't come. She was sure Raf hated her now. He had always shown her a little more than dislike, but she was willing to bet that was the straw that broke his back. What was it about her that made him hate her so? Was it because she was dating his brother, and that just gave him one more reason to hate him?

"He'll get over it," said Donny. "You didn't really hurt him that badly. I think you mostly just surprised him, and he doesn't like to get caught off guard like that."

After a while they got her settled down, and no one saw Raf for the rest of the night. They all had learned a valuable lesson than night, and after that, they knew not to come up behind her, and to make their presence known if they did. For a while, they were afraid she might not want to come back, but she did. Talking with her on the phone, they discovered that she was just as cheerful as she had ever been, as if it had never happened.

"I think it's a redhead thing," she told Leo when he asked her about it. "Our ability to bounce back is incredible."

Certainly was. She should have been a nervous wreck after all she had been through, but the only mental scars she had were a fear of the dark and a sensitivity to being crept up upon.

Other than that, she may as well have been normal.


One night, after almost two weeks without a break, Leo strapped his swords to his back as usual. They'd gotten into a rather nasty scuffle with an extravagant gang network, and it had taken them forever to finally track down the supposed "top dog," and turn him over to the police. It had been a trying experience for all of them, nothing like what they had been through with the Shredder, but still not pleasant. After a full day's rest and even a couple hours over his usual wake-up time, he'd called A.J., explained the situation to her, and agreed to go out. What they were going to do, he wasn't sure, but they usually decided when they met. Leaving his new room, he headed towards the exit.

"Bye guys," he said to his brothers, who were all stretched out in front of the television, watching some cheesy horror movie with really bad special effects. "I'm going to see A.J."

"'K," said Mikey.

"Whatever," Raf grumbled.

"Hey Leo, before you go," said Donny, getting up from his chair. "Let me make a suggestion. I'm not telling you how to run your love life, but don't you think you ought to take her out on an actual date instead of all this laying around doing nothing? I mean, sure it's nice to just spend some time together, but that's bound to get boring soon. Why don't you spice things up a little bit and take her somewhere?"

Leo laughed. His brother was no doubt a genius, but he could be really stupid sometimes.

"You know, that would be a great idea if I was human. But, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not. There's not very many places a giant mutant turtle can take his girlfriend out for a romantic bite."

As he turned to go, Donny's voice stopped him again.

"You do have one advantage the human population doesn't."

He turned back around to face his brother, who was grinning widely.

"What's that, Donny?"


"I'm going out, Dad!"

"Where?"

"For a walk."

"It's too dark to walk."

"I don't care."

"Are you seeing someone?"

"No."

"Is it your boyfriend?"

"Bye, Dad."

A.J. closed the front door behind her, rolling her eyes. Everything her father had said was true of course, but was she going to tell him that? Hell no. Not only would he be mad she had a boyfriend in the first place, but when he saw it was Leo, it would be just like a Frankenstein monster movie, except real. Torches, pitchforks, the whole nine yards. And, knowing her father, he might probably go so far as to blame the entire Orphan Train business on him, call him a monster, and not rest until his head was in a trash bin. She shuddered at the thought, then shook her head. Her Leo was way too smart to wind up with his head in a trash bin. She couldn't see him being so stupid as to get himself killed by a bunch of jealous men who thought he had raped and killed their daughters.

She frowned into the darkness, then laughed out loud. That would be just like her father. The thing was, she couldn't see Leo raping anybody. Sure he was a little different; okay, a lot different, but she could she her own father raping her before her strange boyfriend.

Now that was sad. But, as she actually had been taken advantage of, she considered herself an adequate judge on the matter.

She shivered, and drew her coat tighter around herself. In the new autumn the temperatures at night fell rapidly, and one had to wrap up properly to avoid chills. A.J. had never liked the cold, and more often than not she wore long-sleeved shirts, gloves, and a sweatshirt. Tonight though, she wore her nice coat, leftover from her younger days when she had been a little bit of a tomboy. The thing was black, with huge silver buttons and it came down to her ankles, but it was the nicest coat she owned. Plus, it kept her warm, especially for what she was wearing tonight: a beautiful, but thin blue-green shirt that matched her eyes and once again, hugged every curve of her body, and a knee-length black skirt made of silk and ruffles. She hoped he liked it; it did look a little ridiculous. Black stockings and her school shoes, the only heels she owned, completed her getup, while a black choker necklace and chandelier earrings to match did for jewelry. Her phone was stowed safely in one of the pockets of her coat, just in case.

She waited for Leo out in the front yard, because she was so sick of listening to her father, mother and brother fight.

A few minutes later, she saw him land on the roof of her townhouse and head for her window, preparing to knock on it. She put her hands to her mouth and called, "Hey, Leo! I'm over here!"

He turned and looked around for a minute before he found her. When he jumped off the roof and landed in front of her, she felt the ground tremble a little bit. She giggled.

"Heavens. Don't hurt yourself."

He shrugged.

"I've jumped worse. That was nothing."

She just smiled, rolling her eyes, and stepped forward, sliding her hand into his. He jumped, then closed his fingers around it.

"Your hands are cold," he observed.

"I have bad circulation," she said. "My hands and feet are always cold."

"Really?"

She nodded.

"Oh. I never noticed. Well, come on."

He switched her hand to his other one, and put his arm around her waist, preparing to take her up to the rooftops. Though it was fun, A.J. had something different in mind, and after she had gone to all this trouble to look pretty, she really didn't want to get all messed up.

"Can we just walk for a little while? Just for a little bit?"

He frowned at her.

"And risk being seen?"

"We won't be. I know somewhere we can be alone."

That appealed to him. He raised an eyeridge and gave her a half smile.

"What did you have in mind?"


There was a smallish sort of park a few blocks from her neighborhood. It was nice, rather dark, and very, very quiet, where they could talk in low voices and not have to yell over the traffic. They circled around it a few times, holding hands and talking. About what is not important, nor will it ever be known. The secrets Leo and his A.J. shared together were not meant to be discussed by any third party, and only the moon and the trees surrounding them know the words that were spoken that night.

Eventually, A.J. was struck by a sudden craving for a root beer float, even though it was too cold for ice cream, and she asked Leo if he wanted one.

"I've never had one," he said truthfully. She stared at him, half in disbelief, half in shock.

"You're never had one before?"

He shook his head.

"Never."

"You're seventeen years old, almost eighteen, and you're never had a root beer float? Never?"

"I take it I'm really missing something here."

"Uh, yeah! You can't go through life without trying it at least once. Come on." She tugged on his hand. "I'll get you one."

"Okay, but…"

She waved her hand.

"I know, I know, don't worry. I'll buy them, and you stay hidden. Relax, it'll be fine."

As usual, he couldn't refuse her anything. Plus, she wasn't going to make him follow her, and he was rather eager to try a combination of ice cream and soda. Maybe it would be as sweet as she was. And afterwards, he would take her to the place only he could take her. No human alive could do this, at least no human boy she was likely to meet, and it was going to just blow her mind.


They stood at the very top of an extremely high apartment complex near the edge of town, one of those fancy new ones that stood higher than some of the skyscrapers downtown. With two Styrofoam cups clutched in her hands, A.J. had her eyes closed, the wind whipping her hair around her neck. Leo stood behind her, and even though they were a good six or seven feet from the edge, he had both hands on her hips, just in case she freaked out and lost her balance when she opened her eyes. Being this close to her, holding her so intimately, and having her trust him…Leo couldn't describe it. He had never felt so good before.

"Okay," he said in her ear, having to bend over a considerable distance to do so. "Open your eyes."

She gasped as the whole of New York City stretched out before her, lights glittering blue, red, green, yellow and white.

"Oh Leo! It's beautiful!"

"Isn't it? This is what my brothers and I get to see every night we go out."

"Really? Oh, you're so lucky!" She leaned against him, and he put his arms around her. "This is so awesome. Thank you."

They held for a minute, then, feeling a little beaten up by the wind, decided to sit down and drink their sodas.

"This one's yours," she said, after a moment's consideration. "I like mine with chocolate syrup." She dug two spoons out of her coat pocket. "The ice cream's probably melted a little by now. Here." She handed one to Leo. "Stir it up."

She took the lid off her own cup, stuck the spoon inside it, and stirred it around. Leo copied her, putting the lid back on when she did. She noticed, and smiled.

"There's no particular way to eat these things, you know."

To hide his embarrassment, he stuck the straw into his mouth.

"Hey, these are good."

She grinned, her straw between her teeth.

"Told you. You're really missing out."

"I was. You'll have to make these for my brothers sometimes. They'll love it."

Her eyes widened as she took the straw out of her mouth.

"You mean your brothers have never had them either?"

He shook his head.

"We used to hear about them on TV and stuff, and we always wanted to try them out, but I guess we never really around to it. Things just kept coming up."

"Oh, you poor, deprived turtles. Well, one day, I'll bring you guys the fixings and we'll have an all-out sugar party."

"Ooh, that's bound to get scary."

"Really? Why?"

He looked at her seriously.

"You've never seen Mikey hyped up on sugar."

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, that would be scary."

"It is."

He stuck the straw into his mouth, drawing out some more soda. It was a beautiful night. They sky was completely cloudless, the few visible stars in clear view. They had all of New York City at their feet, each other at their sides, and sweet treats in their hands. It was a perfect night for lovers, two kids who were a part of the world below them, yet strangers to it.

What could make it better?

"You look really nice tonight," he said, realizing that he had had not yet told her.

"Really? You think? 'Cause I think my skirt looks a little silly."

"No, I like it. It's beautiful, just like you."

She blushed fiercely, and he moved closer to her. She took a gulp of her soda, staring down at her knees. They fell silent for a while, enjoying the clean smell of the air, far above the pollution of the city. She cupped her hands around her cup, drinking, her eyes thoughtful, then she took the straw out of her mouth, moved closer to him and said softly, "Leo?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you love me?"

At last. One of them had been bound to say it, and he was glad it hadn't him. Maybe now was the time to tell her something that had been nagging at his mind lately. She had a right to know; they had been going out long enough. He just hoped she didn't get the wrong idea.

"Well, in order for me to answer that question, I have a confession to make," he said, smiling to lighten the mood.

"Ooh, a confession!" she squealed, scooting even closer. "Tell me!"

He was silent for a moment, getting his thoughts in order and deciding what was the best way to begin the story. The beginning was usually the best place to start, but finding the right words was going to be difficult.

"It was a little over a year ago, maybe even a year and a half, now that I think about it. I think it might have been early May, because it was before I left for training. My brothers and I were out, back when fighting crime was all fun and games. I landed on some sort of stadium, like for baseball, but without the baseball field. I got curious, because I could hear music. I looked down, and I saw you. I know it was you, because no one else in the world has hair like yours." He reached up and curled his finger into a lock of it. "You were on stage singing, and I couldn't take my eyes, or ears for that matter, away from you. Not only were you so gorgeous and so captivating, but your voice was unlike anything I've ever heard before, and trust me, I've heard a lot of things."

Her eyebrows had been twisted together as he had been telling his story, trying to remember the said occasion, then suddenly her eyes lit up and she gasped.

"Oh yeah! I remember that night! Yeah, that was my school's end-of-year/ summer kickoff talent show. Wow, you were there? You saw me?"

He nodded.

"That song you were singing; you were asking for a hero. Someone strong and sure and…is this right…larger than life?"

"Holding Out for a Hero, by Bonnie Tyler. That's the name of it. Hey, now that I think about it…okay, this is going to sound really, really corny, but I think I felt you there. I mean, I didn't know it was you, because I didn't see you, but I felt something there. That's kind of creepy, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is. That song, and you, have been on my mind ever since. I just couldn't get you out of my head, even through my training."

Concern flickered across her face.

"Oh, no. I hope I didn't cause you to lose your focus."

"No. A true ninja doesn't allow himself get distracted like that. You had nothing to do with it. But to answer your question, yes, I do love you. I have loved you from the moment I first saw you that night at your talent show. Why do you think I saved you? I mean," he corrected himself quickly, realizing what he had just said. "I wouldn't have left you there if I hadn't recognized you, but… that didn't come out right."

But she was smiling, and taking his hand in hers.

"I know. It was just one more reason to pick me up and take me home, right?"

"Well, yeah…but…"

"What?"

"I can't help thinking…in light of what's happened to you…" he paused, not really sure how to say this. "If I had gone up to you that night and…I don't know…told you how I felt: told you I wanted to be your hero, then maybe…maybe…this whole Orphan Train stuff wouldn't have happened. If I had come up to you sooner, maybe things could have turned out differently."

"There you go, blaming yourself for everything again."

"First rule of leadership: Everything is your fault," he said, smiling. She rolled her eyes.

"Leo," She put her soda cup down, and clasped both her hands around the one she was already holding. "Look at me. Even if you had promised to be my hero that night, you wouldn't have prevented what was going to happen. I was kidnapped while you were in Central America, so there was nothing you could have done to protect me, no matter what happened."

He turned away. He couldn't bear to hear her say these words. But she refused to let go of his hand. Her own were cold, but they were so close together, and he found himself turning back, staring at her lips, mesmerized by the way they moved when she spoke.

"But you still saved me. Even if you couldn't prevent my capture, you still found me, took me back to the lair, and nursed me back to health. You carried me when I couldn't walk, saw that I had food to eat and gave up your bed for me. You are my hero Leo, whether you realize it or not. Because of you, I'm alive and sitting here today. But most importantly, you taught me how to love again."

He stared at her, afraid to believe his ears.

"I…what?"

"I haven't really loved anyone since my girlfriend died. But you changed that. You make me feel like I'm someone special, and because of that, my life is yours. Forever."

There she went with that I-owe-you business again.

"No, please don't start that again."

"It's already started."

"We've been through all this before; you owe me nothing."

"I love you!" The words struck him dumb. "And when you're in love, you're willing to give up everything you have for the other person." She moved even closer, and their legs touched. He could feel the heat radiating from her body: felt his own catch fire. He longed to pull her to him, hold her fragile frame against him, and never let her go.

"If you really love me," she was saying. "You'll take what I'm offering you. You say you love me, now prove it."

Leo put his cup down, the soda completely forgotten. He wrapped his hand around his other, and hers.

"If you offer me your life and your love, then I accept with all my heart, and on my honor, I swear to protect that life. I'll never let anything happen to you, not as long as I can defend you. I'll keep you safe, as long as I draw breath." He brought their entwined hands up to his lips, kissing her fingers, inhaling the scent of her skin. "If you are mine, then I am yours, if you'll have me."

She closed her eyes, letting his words warm her better than the coat she was wearing. When she opened them again and looked at him, he could see they were shining, sparkling with happiness. He felt his heart skip a beat, then throb so hard it was almost painful. God, could this really be happening?

"Leo?"

"Yes?"

"You can kiss me now, if you want."

His hear picked up the pace yet again, beating so fast and hard he was sure it was going to come out of his mouth at any moment. Her eyes met his, so shy, so innocent, yet so full of trust. Nothing would please him more than to grant her request, and he wanted to do nothing else but that. He released her hands, sliding his up her neck as he slowly closed the distance between them. After all, it was their first kiss, his first ever, and he wanted to savor it, remembering every little detail.

Her lips were cold at first, but as soon as they touched the heat began to rise. He had to admit, he'd dreamed of this moment for a long time, but kissing her in real life was so much different that he could have ever imagined. Her lips, her hair, her skin, everything about her was so soft, so fragile, unlike anything he had ever felt before in his life. How he had gone so long without her he would never know, and now that he had her, he didn't think he could survive without her. He willed himself to get lost in her kiss; forget the whole calm and collected ninja master thing. It felt good to lose control once in a while.

And there was surely no better way to lose control than this.

The wet tip of her tongue touched his lips, catching him off guard. He hadn't known people kissed like this. His first reaction was to jerk back in surprise, but something held him still: a part of him that he didn't recognize, but told him this was how it was done, and to stay. As her arms slid around his neck, he pulled her closer, until the length of her warm body was pressed to his, copying her. Her lips were sweet with the ice cream, and the inside of her mouth tasted like chocolate. She made a soft noise in her throat, and he hesitated, unsure of what that meant, but she didn't break the kiss, so he guessed that she didn't want him to stop. He deepened the kiss, the very touch of her lips sending fire through his body.

After what seemed an eternity, she pulled away, breathless.

"Oh, my God," she gasped. "I've never been kissed like that before!"

"Like what?" he asked, suddenly worried he had done something wrong.

"With such intensity, such passion! I've been kissed before, but the other boys I went out with didn't really seem to want to. I…I can't describe it, but it was like they really didn't care about what they were doing, or the person they were kissing. Like they were just doing it because that's what lovers do. But you, Leo. You're different."

He smiled. Really? Him: a freak of nature, not even human, with no experience in this field whatsoever, had managed to redefine kissing for his girlfriend? Surely a thing like this was unheard of.

"What about your girlfriend?" he asked. She hadn't mentioned her.

A.J.'s face looked a little remorseful.

"I never kissed her. I mean, I did, but it was just a peck on the cheek or the lips. Nothing like what you and I were just doing. Come on, we were fifteen years old; we didn't know any better."

He couldn't help smiling. Now he understood what people meant when they said they felt like they were flying. Nothing in the world could bring him down now, not while they were together, wrapped in each other's arms, staring into each other's eyes. He felt like he was going to explode, so great was his happiness.

And from the looks of things, A.J. was feeling the same way. Her tiny frame looked as though it couldn't contain so much pleasure and joy, and she had to let it out somehow. She squealed as he tickled her, squirming against him until they were entwined again in a passionate embrace, their mouths fused together so perfectly as if they had been born simply for this moment.

Their root beer floats sat beside them, entirely forgotten.

I love this chapter. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Poor Raf though. Everything just blows up in his face, doesn't it?

Okay, maybe four teenagers stuck down in the sewers for eighteen years with no connection to the outside world but a television would have tried root beer floats eventually, but I think it adds a nice touch to the story.

I hope A.J.'s not turning into too much of a Marysue. What do you guys think?