Chapter 23

NOTES: I do not own anything associated with the TMNT universe; my characters are of my own creation and not to be used without my permission.

Our second couple is up now; let's see how things fare with Leo and Brissen, shall we? The next chapter will include Donatello and Isleen; then Raphael and Rose. I am leaving Casey and April for last because theirs is going to be quite different; and it will lead us into the next phase of their lives. Oh, and this chapter has quite a few suggestive parts in it, so those who embarrass easily, you have been warned.

Leonardo, as always, was up early. He liked the peace and quiet, and it also gave him a chance to meditate for a while before he would proceed with his workout. Today he and Brissen would be leaving for some much needed time away and he was definitely looking forward to it! After he meditated, Leo decided to go for a jog around the property to check on things.

Leo was joined by two of the dogs, Tippy and Mitzy; these German Sheppard's had taken a liking to him and followed him whenever he was outside. He didn't mind them coming along and was actually happy for their presence; they could sense things at times that he could not, and it was always a good thing to have extra sets of eyes and ears around when one of them went out alone.

Leo was in such a good mood that he decided to just forgo his exercises and have some fun with the dogs. While he ran the length the open fields, he would throw the dogs' favorite balls and laugh as they raced to see who would get to it first. Rose got the dogs from a rescue organization when they were a year old. The canines fit in quite well at the estate, and they were so laid back that you would not have known that their first year of life was filled with abuse and neglect.

After about an hour of play, the dogs were panting heavily; so Leo decided to get back to the house so he could get them some breakfast, and see if anyone else was up. With Tippy on his left, and Mitzy on his right, the three of them walked back to the house; the dogs happily exhausted from their play. "You girls sure give me a run for my money!" Leo smiled down at them, stopping momentarily to give their heads a scratch. The girls responded by vigorously wagging their tails and licking his face. "Ok, ok, ok, I love you too!"

Making their way up the path to the front door, Leo noticed that Brissen was sitting on the porch swing sipping a cup of coffee. "Good morning my dear, you are up early." Leo smiled warmly at her, bending over and giving her a sweet kiss.

"Yeah, I wanted to get things ready so we could get going before lunch." Taking another sip from her cup, Brissen patted the spot next to her, motioning for him to sit with her. "Nobody else is up yet, thankfully. I love Seren and Rose like sisters, but trying to pack when they both are wanting to know any and all details about what we'll be doing can be distracting!" She chuckled to herself, oh yes, they talked; about EVERYTHING! Seren had filled them in on what she and Michelangelo did, and Brissen knew she'd be doing the same with Leo when they returned as well. And if the packing were to wait till they got up, she and Leo probably wouldn't be getting out of there till way after lunch! Anyways, Brissen really didn't have an itinerary for this trip; she decided to just let things happen naturally.

"I made some breakfast for you sweetheart; it's in the oven keeping warm." Resting her head on his arm, Brissen just sat there with him for a minute or two, letting the morning sun creep onto the front porch and warm them both. "I could get used to this quietness; no chaos for breakfast, just… quiet."

Leo smiled; placing a soft kiss upon her head. "Let's hope this quiet lasts for at least an hour; you know soon as Mikey and Seren get up they will start cooking; and that will wake up Raph, who will probably be noisy, which will wake up Rose; and she'll yell at him for waking her up; then Donnie will hear them and get up; it's a never ending cycle!"

They both laughed, knowing all too well that most mornings were EXACTLY like that! Attempting to stifle their laughter, the couple sat there for a few more minutes, just enjoying the morning and each other's company.

Leo's stomach started to grumble, which made Brissen giggle again. "We'd better get some breakfast in you before your stomach wakes the whole house up!"

So, inside they went to eat; and amazingly enough, nobody got up through the entire meal; which Leo thought to be a small miracle since any smell of food cooking would ALWAYS wake Michelangelo up!

With breakfast done and the dishes rinsed off and placed in the dishwasher, Leo and Brissen make their way upstairs to their room to begin packing. They were mostly done when they heard the others stirring, starting with Mikey, of course.

The door to their room was shut; and they were trying to be quiet; hopefully nobody would bother them; at least till they were done packing. This proved to be quite difficult because EVERYONE was in a mood this morning. Not a bad mood, mind you; for once they were all in a pretty decent mood, which Leo said was another small miracle!

Seren suggested to Mikey that he go out to the hen house to bring in some fresh eggs for breakfast; to which he promptly replied, 'No." This response, in turn, got Seren to tease him of being afraid of the chickens.

"No, I'm not the one scared of 'em that would be Donnie!" Mikey was a bit loud saying this, and his older brothers heard him; which started a chain reaction of things.

Donnie: I am NOT afraid of those birds!

Mikey: (opening the bedroom door) Yes you are D; every time you go near that coop, those birds go crazy!

Donnie: No they don't; they just think I have food for them is all!

Mikey: You're afraid because they are gonna chase you; and you will scream like a GIRL!

Raph; Will you two shut up already! Hell, I'll get the damn eggs then!

Mikey: And milk the cows to while you're at it Raph, some fresh milk would be good!

Raph: Yeah, at least the cows LIKE me, and Hera doesn't HUMP me!

Rose: RAPHAEL! (giggles)

Raph: HUMPING HERA! Run Mikey, here she comes!

Mikey: WHERE?!

Yeah, this vacation is MUCH needed! It was just no use now to remain quiet. Attempting to compose himself, and failing to do so, Leo just covered his eyes, laughing his ass off along with Brissen. "I guess I should go and intervene before things get out of control."

"Yes you should hun; the way it's going already… it's a start off to a wonderful day!" Ending that sentence with a laugh, Brissen zipped up another piece of luggage. "Rosie will have a lot on her hands with those three; I hope your brothers survive through it!"

More laughter between them. "I'm sure they will… mostly."

"Oh hell now, I gotta stop laughing before I piss myself!" Brissen was almost doubled over laughing; her side beginning to hurt from the excursion of said laughing. "Yeah, I think I need to use the bathroom." She ran for the toilet, tears streaming down her face as she heard Raph tell Mikey he was gonna dunk him head first into a pile of cow poo.

All Leo could do was shake his head and laugh. "Never a dull moment in this house!" He said to himself, opening the bedroom door and stepping out just in time to grab ahold of Raphael as he tried to catch Mikey to do what he just said he would.

Things calmed down during breakfast; Leo knew once his brothers had some food in their bellies, they would be in a better mood, and he was correct. Thank God for that! He had to redirect them more than once so the subject didn't stay on the cow poo dunking, and thankfully it worked after the fourth try.

Donnie had mentioned that he and Isleen were going to work with one of the other mutants that allied with them during the Ghost Labs battle. She was affectionaly known as Doctor Cluckingsworth, this came from Michelangelo, who gave all the mutants names since they were only referred to by numbers while at Ghost Labs. Dr. Cluckingsworth proved to be a genius, and she fit in with will Donnie, Isleen and Dr. Rockwell. This brilliant bird had watched the people at Ghost Labs make the mutagen that turned them into what they were today; and she was sure they could recreate it for further study to see if there was a possible way to reverse the effects of it.

Leo was happy about that; it would keep Donnie busy and mostly out of trouble with his brothers. The eldest turtle also reminded is baby brother to stay away from their lab because this was some serious research they had to do and couldn't be interrupted whatsoever. However, Leo was pretty sure that Seren could keep him busy doing things; since those two got back, they were spending almost every moment together, and it wasn't unheard of for them to go on long walks in the woods for hours on end. Raphael was covered as Rose knew a thousand ways to keep him productive and out of trouble. Their father would be fine and he would help the girls to keep his brothers in line should he be needed to do so. He had also taken up a new hobby; birdwatching. He would go up to the little hideaway Rose had on top of the barn with his binoculars and watch the birds fly to and from the birdhouses he had made and placed on the rooftop and surrounding trees.

He could leave with Brissen now and his mind would be at peace with things here.

The packing finished, the couple said their good byes to the others, and off they went. Splinter and Rose were the last ones outside; they watched as the Jeep drove down the road and out of sight. Sighing softly, Rose stood there for a long moment, and then bowed her head to say a silent prayer for their safe travel.

"Saying a prayer my daughter?" Splinter smiled, patting her arm. Rose responded with a nod of her head, and then sighed once more. "Do not be worried my dear, they will be safe."

"I know father, it's just… I cannot help it but worry. With everything that has gone on over these past few months…"

"I understand, you care so much for us all, and wish to see us safe as well. You are a good person Rose, and we are all thankful to know and love you." Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, Splinter was going to say something else, but Rose stopped him.

"Father, I… I just want you to know; I was lost before you and your sons came into my life. Now my heart is filled to overflowing with love and joy; thank you for bringing your sons up to be compassionate and loving, and for showing me that a family bond is the strongest thing." Leaning forward, she bowed to him, then wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a kiss upon his furry cheek.

Splinter returned the hug, his eyes misting up with tears. "My dear, the pleasure is all ours; you have also taught my sons what true love really is, and you love without judgement. You see who they truly are, and they, and myself, love you for that."

Rose was crying, as was Splinter. His words touched her heart; as did her words to his. "I am honored to call you father, and I hope to never fail you during the course of my life."

While this was going on, Raphael, unbeknownst to them, was watching and listening. He heard everything they said, and was tearing up as well; but he'd never tell Rose or his father that he had been there; he wanted this to be their time together, however, he was thankful he got to witness what happened. Quietly, he went back into the house, then came out again, slamming the door open so they knew someone was coming. "What ya guys doin', the left a while ago, ya watchin' for somethin' to fall outta the sky?"

That comment made Rose roll her eyes. "No smartass, we were just having a father daughter moment. See, I said DAUGHTER; you're his son so move it on outta here!" With that, Rose stuck out her tongue at him, which prompted Raph to be even MORE of a smartass.

"Then I guess I shouldn't tell ya that Mikey got on Donnie's nerves and he's threatening to sew our baby brothers mouth shut."

"Sweet Jesus, Donnie wouldn't!" Rose had no idea if Raph was just messing with her, or if it was indeed true. 'This is gonna be one hell of a day!' she thought to herself.

Splinter suggested "Perhaps I can assist you in straightening out this matter Rose? "

'I would be grateful for the help father." Rose made a note that, if what Raph said was not true, she was going to make him clean the chicken coop for the next week!

Leo and Brissen made good time and arrived there right around dusk. Norman was there waiting for them. He greeted them warmly, asking how their trip went. He also commented that Mikey and Seren were very nice and polite; and that there were no real problems with them.

"Boy the miracles just keep on coming today!" Leo burst out with. Brissen gave a quick rundown of how Mikey really was so Norman got a better grasp of what Leo said.

He had a hard time believing that Michelangelo was that hyper and mischievous, having only seen the nice side of him. However, those two were only there one week, so he saw very little of how the youngest turtle really acted.

They got settled in and Norman let them know if they needed anything, he was just a phone call away; then off he went, leaving Leo and Brissen to their time together.

Dinner was simple; a cheese pizza with basil and fire roasted red pepper. Seren had told Brissen about how nice it was to have their meal on the back patio; the view was to die for! She wasn't wrong; they could see for miles in any direction and the stars! God, were there actually that many of them?

"This is nice, isn't it?" Leonardo spoke softly; his eyes scanned the sky, taking in everything that he could. Wrapping his arm around Brissen's shoulders, he pulled her in close. Mikey wasn't kidding when he told me about this, it's just amazing!"

"Seren said the same thing! It's so beautiful… so… calm; and most definitely peaceful!" They both chuckled at that last part; no yelling; no teasing; no fighting… it was a dream come true for them!

The minutes turned into hours, and they knew the time was getting late. Loathe to go inside, but the two knew they had to clean up in the kitchen; reluctantly, they pulled themselves away from the beautiful night sky to clean up. While doing this, Leonardo had a wonderful idea; it was something that Raph had told him about the master bedroom.

You see, Rose and her parents loved the outdoors, and in each bedroom there were floor to ceiling windows that sat across from each bed, giving the person a beautiful view of the trees and stars. He wanted to make this first night special for her, so excused himself for a bit to go upstairs and plan a little surprise for her.

Brissen knew he was up to something, just didn't know exactly what though. However, she played along with it, knowing that, with Leo, it was always good.

The view did not disappoint; Leo stood there for several long moments staring out into the clear night. You would never see this kind of clear in New York City! He pulled himself away from the windows, concentrating on the task at hand. Rose had asked him what he needed to make his time with Brissen memorable; he had thought long and hard about it, and then gave her a list of what was needed. Norman had done a good job of obtaining the items and placing them where he had asked. Now all Leo had to do was light the candles and turn down the bed. He had also decided to toss some rose petals onto the bed and nightstands, since roses were Brissen's favorite flower. Finding the stereo, he took out one of her favorite CD's and popped it into the player. Turning the volume down low, he pressed play.

The sounds of the forest mixed in with the softness of classical music, really setting them mood just right. Rose was also able to get Leo a little something extra for Leo, although he didn't know if Brissen would like it or not. She assured him that his lady would indeed enjoy it, and he would as well.

Laying the gift on the bed, he went downstairs to see if she needed any help finishing up. Everything was done and Brissen was sitting in the kitchen flipping through a magazine, waiting for him.

"He gently took her hand in his, placing a soft kiss on it, he whispered in her ear. "Come with me, I have something I want you to see."

Her breath caught in her throat for a brief moment as delightful shivers coursed up and down her spine. She loved it when he would surprise her, and it was all she could do from shaking herself to pieces when he whispered in her ear. However, she followed him, and when they arrived at the bedroom door, he told her to close her eyes.

Brissen did as he instructed; her body heightened in awareness, his fingers lightly trailing their way up her arms to her shoulders. A slight moan escaped from her lips, making Leo smile with pleasure as he led her to the bed. "Ok, you can open them now and look."

Her legs almost gave out on her for how beautiful things were. The rose petals on the bed; soft music stirring, the windows thrown open, letting in the crisp night breeze… it was all so wonderful! She glanced down at the bed, noticing a wrapped box with the most beautiful bow around it.

Leo once again whispered in her ear. "Go ahead and open it sweetheart."

Near trembling with excitement, Brissen's shaky hands tugged at the bow, which came easily undone. Taking the lid off of the box, she gingerly removed the tissue paper to reveal a silk and lace short nightgown and matching panties. Removing it from the box, Brissen held it up in front of her. "Oh my gosh Leo, this is perfect; I love it! Thank you!" Rewarding him with several kisses, she was overwhelmed with love and happiness for him.

"Look in the box again, there's more." That sexy whisper again; god, she was having such a hard time controlling her desires right then and there; but she did as requested.

Gasping at what she next found, Brissen blushed with excitement. " Leo, a rabbit vibrator, you naughty turtle you! How did you know?"

Leonardo was blushing as well, but for a different reason then Brissen. He was turning red because… well because he had never had this kind of experience before, Brissen was his first; and to add into the mix a sex toy; well, he was kind of… flustered, to say the least. When he approached Raph about what Rose had told him, his brother laughed, but did not make fun of him. "You know the girls, the talk a lot about us. When Rose told Brissen about the one I got for her, and how it amped up our sex life; Brissen wanted it as well, but she was unsure how to approach you about it. Seriously Leo, it ain't just pleasure for the girls; it actually had me so turned on just watching Rosie use it, that I about nearly came right then and there!"

Jesus, Leo did NOT need to hear that! But it got him thinking some about it. He still wasn't so sure; however Rose insisted to at least try it out once. If he wasn't comfortable with it, that was fine. Damnit that Rosie just loved to help out in every way!

Pushing away those thoughts of Rose and her helpfulness, Leo was going to make this memorable for them, even if he had to use that weird looking vibrator to do it!

He did have to admit; seeing her get excited by the prospect of using that thing really DID turn him on; somewhat. But hey, why not, huh? Taking the package from her, Leo opened it and placed the batteries where they needed to be. "Why don't you change into your gift baby so we can get started."

Brissen kissed him again with such force that he almost lost his balance. Hurrying into the bathroom, she quickly changed; stepping out to show him how she looked.

"Wow, just when I thought you couldn't get any more beautiful; you go and do it." Walking up to her, he slowly ran his hands up and down her arms, approving of the soft moans she was giving him. His hands traced the outline of her breasts, working their way down towards her stomach; soon, his lips followed suit, trailing firm kisses where his hands were at moments ago.

He was quite pleased with her response as he grew more confident. Picking her up in his muscular arms, he carried her over to the bed, gently laying her down on it. "How did I get so lucky to find someone like you?" He started again kissing her on every inch of her body, his hot, moist breath sending delightful shivers down her body. "You know you mean the world to me Brissen; I love you to the core of my being."

"Oh Leo, you are the best thing to happen to me, really." Cupping his head in her hands, she gently smiled at him. "You have no idea of how happy you make me; you came into my life at just the right moment, filling me with so much happiness and love. I never want this moment to end."

"It won't Brissen, I promise you; and I am about to show you too!" Playfully nipping at her neck, he wrapped his right hand around the vibrator, turning it on.

Brissen started to giggle as he trailed it down her chest, to her smooth white belly, then beyond.

Rose was right, as always. The two of them broke all kinds of new ground that night, their love for one another growing by leaps and bounds.

The two lovers finally fell off to sleep around dawn, exhausted and satisfied that nothing could shake their bond. They slept well into the day, waking up a few hours after noon. Taking a nice long shower together that ended with some wonderful love making, the two dried off and got dressed.

While they were making lunch, the talked about many things. Leonardo found out that Brissen was an only child like the other girls; her parents had Irish ancestry but were not born in Ireland. Her mother was a University professor in psychology, her father was a welder. Brissen also went to college and majored in business administration. She had started her own training class with a MMA twist to it; and it really took off, that's how she met Rose. The two girls had a lot in common and were inseparable; then Rose met Seren and two became three. Add on Isleen and the quartet was complete.

Brissen also talked about how badly she missed her parents; and how close she was with them. It was difficult for her when they passed away, but somehow she managed to pull through it. Leo asked her if, when they returned home, she wanted to visit her parent's gravesite. Brissen agreed to it; she had not been there in the last year, and she could introduce him to them. She knew it sounded silly, but Leo said it wasn't; that he would be honored to accompany her there and meet them.

They talked about their lives in general, what they wanted to accomplish in life; where they wanted to visit; marriage and family, important things like that. Leo confided in her that his two worst fears where if he lost his brothers and father; and if he lost her. She reassured him that nothing like that would ever happen to him, and he was content with that.

Their conversation lasted for hours, neither getting tired of hearing the others voice. The nights were filled with new things to try out (there was more than just a nightgown and vibrator in that box ;) ), and slow, sweet lovemaking. The two found that they could speak to one another about anything, and Brissen helped him grow more confident in his lovemaking, being as this was his first relationship with a woman.

Hell, they even confided in one another about secret things that were tried out here and there, just to see what happened and how it felt. It was Brissen that left Leo blush more than he with her. The worst Leonardo ever did was learning how to French kiss with a stuffed dummy that they used to use for practice, and all four brothers took a turn. Brissen's was a bit more… racier; hence him blushing.

She recalled a story from two years ago; she, Rose and Seren went out drinking and dancing. The night was fun and they returned home via a cab when the club closed. Seeing as how the girls were still wide awake, they decided to break out some more alcohol and crank up the music. Well, one thing led to another, and soon all three were pretty well lit. They were laughing and dancing, having a blast; when suddenly, Seren decided that they should play a game of truth or dare.

That was where things started to get to the racy part. Seren dared Brissen to kiss Rose; Rose dared Brissen to lick Seren's bare breasts, so on and so forth. Before they knew it, all of them were naked and doing things they never thought they'd have the courage to do! And yes, they remembered it all as well; however they were not ashamed of it, rather, they found out that it was enjoyable and fun. This did not happen often, Brissen confiding that it only came about three other times. The girls actually learned a lot about their bodies and how they responded to certain things.

Leonardo was taken back a bit by what Brissen was saying. He knew that his lady liked it a bit on the rough side, however she told him that what she really wanted was someone who would make her feel so aroused, that just by being around him, she could orgasm. She also let him know that he did indeed do that to her, and that made him grin from ear to ear!

Seren was a bit stronger with her sexual desires, liking things kept short and sweet… and many times over. Leo had wondered why Mikey was always so tired, now he knew!

Rose, well, she just liked everything and was game for it all. Leo kinda guessed that was it because Rose was also a VERY verbal lover; and she was not shy about voicing her satisfaction about Raph's lovemaking skills. She also didn't much care if they heard her or not, saying that 'it's natural it vocalize during sex, spices things up some!'

"Dear lord, we are one big bunch of sex crazed perverts, aren't we!" Leo responded with, making the two of them laugh with delight because they knew it was true!

The rest of the week went on like this; talking, eating and making love… not a bad vacation at all!

So, with the week coming to a close, the couple packed up their things and gave the house a good cleaning, especially the bedroom and bathroom. They really didn't feel like Norman should be doing that part, they were rabbits in heat yeah, but he didn't need to know that.

Thanking Norman for taking care of the house and being a wonderful caretaker, they left, waving goodbye to him as they drove down the driveway. "Damn, I hope to God they didn't leave any Polaroid's behind like the other couple did; that was a bit embarrassing to have to mail them back to Rose."

Keeping his fingers crossed that he didn't find any surprises; Norman made his way back towards the house to clean up and get it ready for the next couple.