I am SO sorry this has taken so long.

Raph: No your not.

ZIP IT!

Mikey: muttering definitely woke up on the wrong side of the coffin this morning.

Don: I'd say she's PMSing.

SHUT IT! calming down anyway I was going to put this on yesterday, but my stupid sister hogged the computer all night watching "Edward Scissorhands"

Oh, I love that movie! Tim Burton is such a great director.

Yeah he is....QUIT TRYING TO BOND WITH ME!

Leo: whispering I think someone needs a nap. Don, you still have that knock out gas we used on you sometimes while Master Spilnter was in cyberspace?

Don: Nods and goes to get it.

So Aneras, how was your Halloween?

Fine I guess, I couldn't go trick or treating because my parents say I'm going through a "Transitional phase" where I need to stop going out on Halloween despite the fact that it's like my favorite night of the year, so I passed out candy in a last minute witch costume instead.

...Okay whispers hurry up Don.

Anyway, about the story...

Raph: Disclaimer: She owns nothing!

Don: blasts Aneras with knock out gas.

faints

Leo: Enjoy

Leo's Ordeal

Chapter 3

"You're absolutely sure she's safe?" Kimra and Leo were on the roof of the apartment discussing the current situation.

"Of course she is. What I want to know is why you have this need to protect her," she said. "It can't just be because she's your little sister." Leo was thankful that Sarena was asleep, she didn't need to hear this. "Well?" Leo knew from Sarena that it was best not to try Kimra's patience, but this was something he really didn't want to admit, not when Sarena was so near asleep or otherwise. Besides Kimra knew already, why was she trying to get him to admit it? "Leo, I think Sarena told you that I don't like to be kept waiting."

"Yes," he whispered more to himself than to her.

"Yes what?" she asked.

"I I love her, more than I'd ever admit." What was wrong with him? Why was it so hard for him to say he loved Sarena?

"Because she's also your sister." He opened his eyes not realizing he had closed them. "You're worried that she won't love you anymore if she found out, not even as a brother. That being the case you're trying your best to just be her big brother." Kimra leaned over to whisper in his ear with an evil grin on her face. "How long do you think you can control yourself? How long do you think it'll be until you have to have her like Shadow did?" That's when Leo self control snapped. He pushed Kimra away from him so hard she fell backwards.

"Don't ever compare me to him," he demanded. "Don't ever try to twist the fact that I love her and would die for her if I'd have to with that demon's lust." Kimra smiled and picked herself up.

"And with that I official withdraw my crush on you." Leo looked confused. "Yeah, I've had a crush on you for a while now, but knew you'd never go for me since you already had someone you were in love with. I just wanted you to admit it out loud before I got over you." She smiled. "Sarena's lucky to have a guy like you watching over her." She began to walk to her apartment window. "You do realize that even though they have crushes on her friends your brothers haven't gotten over their crush on her. Just remember that."

"Kimra, why are you doing this?"

"I just want to get you two together. Sarena's one of my best friends and I want her to be happy. It just so happens that you make her happy." She disappeared leaving Leo alone. Leo went back into the girls' apartment and as soon as his head hit his pillow he was in the mind he shared with his little charge. She was tucked into the covers of the bed, her lips slightly parted. It took all the control Leo had been able to wrestle back to keep from kissing her right there. Sarena stirred as she sensed his presence.

"Leo?" He looked into her half lidded eyes as she sat up slowly waking from the realm of dreams. He couldn't take it anymore. He had already lost his control once today and the little he had gotten back was now gone. Placing one hand next to her and another beneath her chin he closed his eyes and covered her lips with his own. He felt her stiffen at first, but then relaxed as she kissed back. Gathering back his control he broke the kiss reluctantly and she moaned in disappointment. Leo turned to go to his bed above her when she grabbed his arm. "Sleep with me." He knew the request was completely innocent, but he couldn't stop the images coming to his, their mind. He quickly banished them, remembering who he shared a mind with, and lay next to her as she snuggled into his plastron. Leo wrapped an arm around her as they fell asleep.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No I'm not going just because you keep saying…"

"Please?"

"No!"

Unknown to the two siblings Don and Kimra had made a plan to get Sarena back in the Lair. The two had arranged a sleep over to, at the very least, get Sarena to talk to her brothers again. Sarena, however, was determined to keep her (Leo's) promise of not showing her face in the Lair until Shadow was gone which was why she had had Luna bring Mikey's hockey mask from when they went to the Super Slam Hockey game with Casey.

"Come on, it'll be fun." The girls were packed and ready to go, but the two Splintersons, now wearing the hockey mask, still needed convincing. "Besides, if you don't agree we'll just drag you down there," said Kimra. They still wouldn't move.

"You know Donny if you were expecting company you shouldn't have planned the sleepover." When they got there Miyamoto Usagi and his friend Gennosuke had just arrived from dimension 2nd Earth. The girls had had to drag Sarena to the Lair in the end, but they had managed to get her there none the less.

"Usagi?" she asked. Leo then took over for two reasons, 1. Shadow was there and 2. He was hoping his friend would be able to recognize him.

"Rena-chan, I was just about to ask where you were." Usagi called her Rena-chan because, and Leo thought this was obvious, he had a small crush on her. They had met at the same time that Leo had met him at the Battle Nexus. He suddenly felt a little awkward about being in Sarena's body with his friend calling her Rena-chan.

"You see Sarena and Leo are kind of in the middle of a fight, I know it's hard to believe, but…" Raph trailed off.

"Okay I think I'll catch up with you guys later," Casey said as he left. Don explained to him later that Gen had called Casey a monkey.

"Hey Luna where are you going?" asked Mikey as Luna headed for the door.

"I assume Donatello remembers that tonight's my night off." She winked at Leo and then left.

"That's right," Don remembered. "I let her go visit a friend for the night so that Sarena could stay."

As they left to show their guests around Usagi placed a hand on Leo's shoulder and whispered "Good to see you again Leonardo-san." Leo's eyes widened, he had recognized him.

"So, how do you like the Tortuga Siblings' Big Apple Tour so far?" Now that the hockey mask was gone Leo had put Sarena's bangs in front of his face to hide his eyes from his brothers. Even though it was a slight change one of them, especially Don, would clearly notice that his eyes were no longer their original wide green.

"Pshh, tourist." Leo nodded in agreement not really listening. His attention was more focused on Shadow.

"Hey Rena, you okay?" He raised his eyes a bit. Don was staring at him with a look of concern on his face. He nodded. As the tour went on he kept closer to Usagi hoping that being closer to his friend Shadow would keep away and it seemed to work. Having someone besides Kimra know their situation filled him with relief, even if he didn't completely know the situation.

'Leo, do you really think Usagi knows?' Sarena asked.

'He said my name directly to me, I'm assuming so,' he assured her.

They got back a little while later and automatically Mikey asked "Are you gonna cook dinner Rena?"

"Of course Mikey, why wouldn't I?" Leo asked in her voice.

"Cause you haven't been here in so long," explained Raph.

"Yeah, we were starting to think you didn't care about us anymore," said Mikey. Leo smiled and, as he had now put the mask back on, patted his little brother on the head. Walking to the kitchen Sarena took back control of the body.

'Better let me handle this one Leo. Remember what happened the last time you tried to cook?' she reminded him. That dinner had included a small explosion, mashed potatoes, and Don swore that, whatever they were having for vegetables, his moved.

'It was one time and I was tired, that's all.'

"Rena-chan." They turned and in the kitchen door way was Usagi. "I'd like to speak with you alone. I'll wake you before dawn." With that he rejoined the others.

'Usagi?'

That night Leo and Sarena slept on the couch while Usagi slept in Sarena's old bed under Shadow. The girls slept with their crushes, Gen slept in Mikey's room, and Kimra slept in Don's.

Usagi examined the room that, until recently, belonged to both his crush and his friend. In the front half of the room there was a bunk bed and a screen where he assumed Sarenaty kept her clothes. On the other half of the room was a desk, presumably for Sarenaty to do her schoolwork, some bookshelves, katanas, a few candles, and, on one bookshelf, there was two white roses in a blue and green painted vase. One was alive and well, the other seemed withered and near death. Next to the bunk bed was an end table with three photos on it. Usagi examined each. One had her entire family in it, another was of her and her human school friends, but it was the one in the middle that stood out the most. It was a picture taken a year ago of Sarenaty and Leonardo together, him holding her in a loving embrace. It was obviously meant to show how much care this brother had for his little sister, but Usagi could see it showed how much love Leonardo had for Sarenaty. He climbed into Sarenaty's old bed while Shadow climbed into the one above him.

Later that night just before dawn Usagi careful made his way out of the room and down to where Sarenaty/ Leonardo slept. Sitting on the arm of the couch he gazed at his crush's sleeping form. Wanting to brush a stray hair from her face, but knowing that Leonardo might be in control he instead nudged her gently to wake her and sure enough he was greeted with narrow blue eyes instead of wide green.

"Leonardo-san, I thought it best we speak," he explained. Leonardo nodded and brought himself to a sitting position.

"What is it Usagi?" he asked. While Usagi found it odd that his friend was speaking through his sister's body he brushed that notion aside for now.

"Is Rena-chan listening?" he asked. After a short pause Leonardo nodded and seeing a greenish gray misty shape next to Leonardo, Usagi knew his words were true. "It's about this creature controlling your body."

"We call him Shadow," Leonardo responded.

"Yes, Shadow. If this thing is in any way a threat to Rena-chan I want to help," he said. Leonardo sighed.

"Look Usagi," he said "I know you have a crush on Sarena." Usagi was about to say something, but Leonardo held up his hand to stop him. "I must warn you...I love her too and I will not give her up, without a fight, to anyone." Usagi smiled.

"I know you love her Leonardo. It was painfully obvious, seeing the way you reacted when your brothers pushed the two of you under the mistletoe last Christmas," he explained. Usagi stood. "There is someone I like back in my world and, although do still have a crush on her, I will not fight you for Rena-chan affection." Leonardo looked confused, but Sarena next to him seemed even more confused. Almost as though she had missed out on about half of their conversation. "It is obvious that she is in love with you." When he looked back at him it was Sarena's eyes he was looking at.

"Thank you Usagi," she said. "For understanding enough to let me be with Leo." Usagi smiled and brushed a stray hair from her face.

"I'd do anything for you Rena-chan, but Leonardo is always here as I am not," he said. "Besides, he is much more worthy of you than I am." As he saw her struggling not to yawn, he lay her down on the couch and covered her with the blanket. The now bluish gray misty shape wrapped itself around her and nuzzled her cheek. "Go back to sleep Rena-chan," he said. "I will keep Shadow from disturbing you." He left.

'Leo, are you alright?' she asked. Her brother seemed a little tense as he wrapped his arms around her. In his spirit form it wasn't the same as when he was flesh, but it was still warm. He gently kissed her eye lids to close them.

'I'll be fine Sarena, just go back to sleep.' Sarena was a little worried, and Leo knew it. He hadn't let her hear most of the conversation and she hated it when her brothers kept something from her. Leo lifted her chin so that she'd look into his eyes. 'I promise someday I'll tell you, but for now please go to sleep,' he begged her. While it amused her that Leo had, almost uncharacteristically, begged she closed her eyes and snuggled into her brother's plastron as they began to enter their shared mind.

"The sharpest blade in all the lands is useless in untrained hands, but I wonder what they say of overtrained hands..."

Later in the afternoon, they had stopped a assassin warthog named Koijiro and Gen and Usagi were preparing to take him back to their world. The two siblings didn't stick around to watch them leave. They said a quick good bye to Usagi before disappearing into the shadows outside the Lair, having already said goodbye to their brothers earlier. Removing the hockey mask, Sarena took one last look at the Lair's entrance as Usagi began to enter the portal and when she turned back Leo pushed back into their mind. Directly in front of Leo was Shadow. Not giving him a second, Shadow grabbed Leo and slammed him against the nearest wall. Leo winced in pain as the stone met his back.

"I'm surprised you haven't done anything to her yet. I'd assume it'd be torture to be in the body of the girl you love and not being able to do anything," Shadow said keeping his voice low. Leo glared back at him and gulped nervously. He had gotten used to being in a girl's body, though it had required a few months of therapy courtesy of Kimra, but Shadow was right. Though he'd never admit it, he was going crazy being in Sarena's body. His prized self control was the only thing keeping him from losing it. Sure he'd broken a few times, but he had never fully snapped. "How long do you think you can control yourself? What will you do if you can't" Can you protect her from me and yourself? Think about it." He dropper Leo to the ground and began to walk back into the Lair.

"Shadow," Leo said. The being turned to look at him. "I swear on my life, I will control myself, I'll get my body back, I'll destroy you and keep Sarena safe forever. There's nothing you can do that will keep me from her. The two of us are one now and forever." With that Leo snuck away into the shadows and out of the sewers. Shadow looked on with a smirk.

"We'll see about that."

Well Aneras is still knocked out so I guess we'll just leave before she wakes up. Hope you all enjoyed the story.

All: Later! leaves

wakes up I'm gonna kill them for this. Anyway I know I said the deadline for "Valentine's Day Spell would be Thanksgiving, but I haven't even started the chapter yet and I have no idea what to write since my beta reader has gone AWOL and my romance expert and I aren't friends anymore. It may take a little longer than expected, but I'll try to get it out before 2010 starts. As for my other two stories, "Coraline" is almost finished and I'm about 2/3 done with "The Cat's Meow" They should be out before Thanksgiving. This time I promise. I have practice tests coming up for Math, Bio, and English so they'll cost me about a week, maybe less. Thank you and, yes I know it's a little late but, Happy Halloween.