The rain whipped at my face as my best friend and I dashed over rooftops to escape from the wrath of the Kraang bots who were after us. We've been in this chase after the five bots had taken back the power cell and the crew had to split up in order to keep them busy. Leonardo and I lost the others just a few blocks away and we weren't even sure if we had lost them or not. But we didn't exactly want to slow down to find out.

My apartment came into view and I had to will myself to keep going. Leonardo swept me off my feet and we jumped over the horizon and we both entered through the unlocked window.

The rain was pouring in, which was soaking up the warm-wooded floor. I stood up to shut the windows, locked them up, and drew the shades with my shaky arms. That was way too close for anytime to relax. I was hoping that no one had seen us enter the building.

I turned around to come face to face with Leo. He had a look of worry in his blue eyes and I placed a hand on his arm.

"Oh, it's okay Leo. My grandmother's gone for a vacation in Puerto Rico. She'll be back in a week. You can stay here for safety."

Leonardo sighed and relaxed under my grip and I moved to take off my soaking black and white converse sneakers. I felt my body swaying back and forth. A firm hand reached out to me and placed itself on my arm to keep me upright and I felt the world spinning around.

*gasp!*

"Brianna, you're... you're!"

I heard Leonardo gasp and I was wondering what was going on. Leo lightly lifted my dark blue shirt which made me blush a deep pink. I wanted to protest but inside of my tongue, I felt something heavy in my mouth. I gazed down to where Leo's expression had led me to and then I heard myself gasp.

*gasp!*

There was a deep wound that was slashed across my stomach. The blood had stained my shirt and it was dripping onto my skinny jeans. I was trying to remember how I got the wound in the first place. But then in my mind, the image came to me. I was imagining myself dodging the blasts from the bots' guns. It must have been the Kraang's weapons that injured me. I must have been so pumped in that battle, I didn't realize that I had that wound there.

But now I just stood there, realizing that I was pretty beat up. I felt the muscle pulse beneath my skin and the bruises on me were stinging me everywhere. I felt like I was going to lose my appetite, but I didn't want to admit it to Leo.

It must have been my very first tough and intense mission with the guys. Even though I had told them that I was perfectly fine helping them in combat. Dang, I was realizing how fighting can be brutal with all of the enemies around me and my friends. Even though I was fully trained by Master Splinter, it still wasn't enough to keep myself completely safe.

Maybe my parents were right. I think my confidence has gotten the best out of me. I was looking down at my injury. The cut didn't look too bad. I was thinking that I might need stitches, but I was still imaging myself what the rest of me would look like if I hadn't protected myself very well.

'My god, how am I ever going to explain this situation with my grandmother?' I thought to myself.

I felt really weak because I had lost some blood then I lost my balance which nearly caused me to pass out. But my best friend caught me. I knew that he was concerned about me.

"Brianna, are you okay?"

"I'm... I'm fine Leo. I just need to wash up..."

So I crawled on my knees to the bathroom and turned on the light. Every move that I made had caused me to have a splitting headache which also caused my body to go into pain. The blue masked mutant stayed close to me and I felt myself going into more pain. I crawled up in front of the bathtub and started turning on the warm water.

I was slumped against the tub's edge and I felt like I was going to get really sick. When the water was at a reasonable height, I cupped the water with my hands and washed my face. Then I ran the water over my arms, but it felt like I had lost all my feelings I had in my system.

But then out of the corner of my eye, I saw Leo leaning over me and switched off the water. I realized that it was a bit too close to the top of the tub and it would have overflowed if it weren't for him.

'How did I not notice that?' I was thinking to myself.

But then after a while, Leo did something that I thought was disturbing for me. He was lifting up my shirt which was exposing my back and I blushed a very deep pink.

"Leonardo... What do you think you're doing?" I asked.

"I just wanted to help you take off your clothes. I don't want you to catch a cold."

"Dude! Are you out of your mind?!" I yelled at him.

I was getting really crazed at him. But I knew that Leo was right. He knew I might catch a cold if the rain water soaks up inside my body.

'I wish I didn't have to do this, but I have to in order to not get sick.' I said to myself.

"Come on. It's not going to hurt ok? Oh, wait a minute I got an idea."

I was curious on what he was going to do. Leo found a big bandana from the hair basket beside him and covered his eyes with it. It was a great idea so he wouldn't see me.

"See? Now I won't be able to see anything from you."

"Okay Leo. If you think you can do it, then I'll let you do it." So I took off my clothes only leaving out my bra and underwear. I felt a little bit shy and embarrassed, but I knew that Leonardo would take care of me. Even if I was exposed a bit.

I felt my body being lifted by Leo's strong arms and he placed me carefully in the tub. And I can't believe I still had my undergarments on. The water was like my heat and relaxing source that can calm me down. My body seemed to float as I tried to have my head rested against the end of the tub, but I kept sinking into the water. I also tried to sit up on my own and keep my head above the water, but I couldn't. It feels as though if my body had lost all of its functions and it both annoyed and scared me.

"Man this doesn't seem to be working out so well. Leo? Can you come in the bathtub and help me get all washed up? I think I also need your help getting me to get in a comfy position." And I blushed. Leo was suprised and he blushed a deep red, but he was worried about my physical health. In his mind, he does care about me.

"Ok Brianna. I'm coming in."

So Leo lifted me up once more, then he did what I told him to do. This was something that I didn't see him do everyday. He got in the bathtub and placed me in between his legs so I can rest my head on top of him. His body fixed me up to where I wouldn't drown if I was left alone. I was feeling something warm in my chest, but I didn't know what it was. So I just ignored it.

"Leo? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course Brianna, anything."

"Why do you wanna help me? And all of this for me?" I asked him.

"You're like my best friend for God's sake. I never had a good friend like you."

"But you know you don't have to do this. I can do this on my own. Honestly, I could."

"But I do. I care about you like I care about my brothers and their safety. And plus, I want to make sure that you're ok."

"Ok Leo. If you say so." and then I blushed. Leo wrapped my waist around me with his strong, yet gentle arms under the water. Then I took my hands and intertwined my fingers with his under the crystal clear liquid.

It was kind of weird being this close to Leonardo. I mean seriously, I hugged him and did everything for him back from the past few months, but this was unexpectedly different. I was thinking that his body might be a bit too cold or something coming from his nature as an amphibian, but he wasn't. He was as warm as a blanket and he felt like any other male of my kind would.

I felt myself blush and also in my mind. I wanted to make up an excuse so I can get out of the tub, but the water felt so soothing on my skin. And I would have to say that I was pretty calm, Leo was looking quite comfortable too. Something about me being in his embrace, surrounded by him made me feel so... safe. After a while, I was getting a bit tired because of the warm water's hug and it caused me to yawned.

*yawn*

Leo heard me yawn and he knew that I was getting tired.

"Hey. Are you getting tired Brianna?"

"Maybe just a little tired." I answered him.

"How about we just rest up for a while? And then I could help you wash up."

"Ok Leo." So I've closed my eyes softly falling asleep in the turtle's arms.

It felt as though if 20 minutes had passed by. During those 20 minutes, I was listening to the trickling sound of the water. The water was as warm as a fireplace. It was giving me and Leo the warm embrace. While I was still resting, I was listening to the kind and gentle breathing coming from Leo. I could also hear his heartbeat, which was singing a soft lullaby to me.

After we've rested up a bit which seemed like a long time, Leo woke me up and he gently ran the soap with a washcloth over my body. It was both kind of hurting and soothing me at the same time. My body laid limp against Leo and I felt very warm to him. I let him scrub off the grime and mud on my body that came from our rooftop run.

Leo cleaned up my wounds with such care it made me feel bad about being nervous the first time when I met the gang. This was Leo, my best friend in the whole world. I know that he would never, ever take any advantage of me. He was always there to take care of me and to protect me just like I did for him. And if I were in his place, I would do the same.

And although I'd never admit it, I loved the way he drew the cloth over my skin, the feeling of his fingers grazing my bare skin, and how gentle he was. It was intoxicating and deep down I kind of didn't want the treatment to end. I liked the way that Leonardo was touching me. It was weird for me to think about that, but I felt truly safe. Feeling loved by him. Like no one else could ever touch me like Leonardo did.

A moment later, Leo dropped the wash cloth and the pain was somehow gone. I heard the sound of the drain and felt the water starting to go down there. I felt my body being lifted out of the warmth of the water and I was being wrapped carefully in my soft blue towel.

I guided Leonardo to my room while he carried me bridal style and he laid me down on my bed. I was feeling well enough to open up my eyes and I looked up at my best mutated friend who was examining his surroundings with his covered blindfolded eyes.

He came over to me and felt my stomach to how the wound felt like to him. I lightly sat up and spotted a first aid kit on top of my dresser. I told Leo that there was a kit on top of the dresser. So I guided Leo to where the kit was at and Leonardo found the first aid kit and clicked it open. He was feeling for the gauze and ointment and came back to me. He felt the wound on my stomach and I placed my hand on his.

"It's okay Bre. I got this."

"Are you sure you got this?"

"Of course Brianna. I got this. Donnie gave me a few lessons if somebody got hurt."

"Of course. From the primary Dr.Donatello himself."

I sat up and nearly passed out because of the pain I was in. So I got off of my bed and began taking off my dripping wet black undergarments. Leo was wondering what I was doing and I freaked out. I let out a fake cough and I think it seemed to have snapped him out. He knew what I was doing instantly which he totally forgot about.

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Sorry about that Brianna."

"It's ok Leo."

So I took off my wet matching undergarments and got into a new pair of light blue and pink undergarments. I felt the coldness coming from the air and I wanted to wrap myself in all the warmth I could find. But first, I had to tend to my terrible wound first.

I took the ointment and the gauze from my bed and dabbed the ointment at my wound. I cried out in pain and I saw Leonardo flinch. It was like he wanted to turn around and help me but in the end, he changed his mind and he wanted to respect my wishes.

So I began to wrap the gauze around my body but then I froze. My muscles refused to move at a certain point and I couldn't bring the gauze around my torso. So I sat on my bed thinking about what I should do. And then I glanced at my mutant friend.

"Leo... Could you help me with this job?" I asked him.

"A-Are you okay with me helping you? I mean it's your wish I need to obey."

I paused and thought honestly about my answer. Then I said,

"Yes Leo. It's ok."

So the mutant slowly turned around and I saw that red blush that was on his face. I called out to him and he came over to me with his blindfold still on. I handed Leo the gauze, and then I've turned around so he could help me wrap myself up. The white bandage was being led by him around, around, and around my body. His green hands were leading the gauze with such care and delicacy.

When he was done, he tied it and took a step away from me. But I grabbed his hands and kept them at my stomach. I was feeling his body being hitched up with nerves, but I couldn't find the way to let him go.

"Bre, is everything okay there?"

"Yes, Leo. Can I have this moment with you?" I asked with my soft toning voice.

"Ok Brianna."

I felt his muscles relaxing and after a few moments, I felt his warm forehead resting on the back of my neck. He was rubbing my stomach with his hands which made me sigh. I closed my eyes and I breathed softly. I was warming up to how his body felt against mine. In my mind, this was all of the warmth that I needed. In the back of my head, I saw Leonardo exposing a smile on his face and I gave myself a smile as well.

But Leo broke away from me and felt his way to where my bed was located at. Then I went to my closet and took out my favorite blue pajamas, came over to Leo and then he helped me get into them. My pajamas felt so comfortable and warm, I've almost passed out instantly.

"Okay Leo. You can take off the blindfold now."

"A-Are you sure Brianna?"

"Yes Leonardo. I am sure."

So Leo took off the blindfold, folds it carefully, and placed it on top of my dresser. But then I saw something that surprised me.

I saw Leo was in a little bit of bad shape as well, and if it hadn't been for the Kraang, then it could have been worse. One eye seemed to have puff up from a black eye, a cut ran across his cheek, and his skin seemed to be bruised all over his body. I approached to my injured friend and we were looking into each other's eyes.

I ran my fingers over Leo's wounds with a frown on my face. It made me feel upset on the inside of my heart. He placed his hand over mine and smiled at me.

"It's okay Brianna, I'm fine. I'm already used to this. And besides, I'm not fully human, it doesn't hurt me as much as it would hurt you..."

"So you do care about me."

"Of course I do. You're like a little sister to me."

I was so tired, I nearly passed out but Leo caught me. He picked me up bridal style and tucked me in bed. A yawn had escape from my mouth, which made him feel a bit drowsy. A while later, I was watching him apply the ointment and gauze at his own wounds.

"Man. I didn't know that you can do all that work by yourself."

"Yeah. It takes a lot of practice to get this done."

He took the kit, placed it back on top of the dresser, and turned around to leave through the window. But then a thought struck me, so I got out of bed and reached out to grab his wrist.

"Leonardo... Wait!"

"I should get going now, Bre. You should release me."

"But I don't want you to leave me. Don't leave me. Please?" I pleaded with my dear life.

Leo was looking at me in his surprise emotion. I swallowed the lump that was in my throat and I was thinking frantically.

"I mean come on now. The Kraang could still be out there looking out for us. I think it'd be safer if you just wait it out. And plus, I don't want you to get drenched in that rain again. You might catch a cold."

I knew that I was thinking crazy about having a boy in my house, but I didn't want Leo to go off alone. And I didn't really feel like being alone without anyone. Leonardo smiled and held my hand in his.

"I'm not going anywhere, Brianna. I promise."

I smiled and relaxed into my pillow. Leo sat on the ground beside my bed but I shook my head.

"Leo. Why don't you sleep with me?"

"Umm... I don't want to. It might be weird if I slept with you."

"Come on, don't flake out on me. You're my best friend. And besides, I want you to get comfortable."

"Okay Brianna. If you say so yourself."

So I made some room on my bed. The blue mutant's face turned into a crimson color like a rose but he smiled and climbed into bed anyway. He tucked the blankets around us and I instantly snuggled up to the turtle's plastron.

"Leo."

"Yes Brianna?"

"I just wanted to say thank you so much for taking care of me. I felt safe with you and I had the good times with you and your family."

"I'm glad you're having a great life with us Bre."

"Yeah, me too Leonardo."

We closed our eyes and drifted to sleep. But Leonardo said something to me.

"Brianna. Can I ask you something important?"

"Of course Leo. You can tell me anything."

"Brianna I just wanted to say is that when I met you first time, my heart exploded like a bunch of fireworks. I instantly fell in love with you and I wanted to ask you out all those times ago. But I never had the guts to tell you. I didn't want to say this because my brothers would laugh at me that I love a girl."

"So... What are you trying to say to me?"

"I'm saying this to you because... because... I love you."

I gasped. The feeling in my heart was telling me to say the truth out to him.

"I... I... I love you too Leo. I've loved you ever since you rescued me the first time. I was always afraid of asking you too because I was thinking that it wouldn't work out between us."

"But it doesn't matter if we're different, it matters who you love dearly. Especially best friends that we all know and love."

"Yeah. You are absolutely right Leonardo."

So we both leaned in slowly as our foreheads touched each other. And after a while, Leo touched my face lightly with his hands.

'I think it's time....' I said to myself.

Leo got to me closer and closer and then he kissed me, with his warm lips. I was surprised, but I got used to the warmth of his lips.

My heart was having a melting feeling like an ice cream cone. He stopped kissing me and I was looking at him with my soft brown eyes.

'Wow Leo. I didn't know that you were such a great kisser.' I said to myself.

I blushed and then Leo gave me another kiss, but it was longer and I was kissing him back. After a while, I stopped kissing him so I can get some air. Leo asked me a good question only his best friend could answer.

"Brianna?"

"Yes Leo?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes Leonardo. I would love to be your girlfriend."

So we kissed as a celebration of our relationship. And then so on we made love to each other.

* A few minutes later... *

Leo gratefully wrapped his arms protectively around me and lets out a deep sigh.

"Brianna. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Leonardo-san." With a smile on my face.

We were listening to the rain outside almost like a relaxing lullaby. In my mind just a few hours ago, we had been drowning in our fears, but now we've fully conquered them. Together as a team. But not just as a team, but as a new couple.

I felt Leonardo's torso move beneath me and heard the gentle breathing coming from his lips. I kissed his forehead and laid down on his plastron. His appearance made me blush and I felt my eyelids getting heavy. I let out a yawn and faded into a deep sleep.

'Sweet dreams my dearest Leo. For I will be here with you. Always.'