★☆★☆★☆
𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐚—𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫
𝚊 𝚋𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝
★☆★☆★☆

"𝙋𝙇𝙀𝘼𝙎𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙔𝙊𝙐𝙍𝙎𝙀𝙇𝙁 𝘼𝙏 𝙃𝙊𝙈𝙀!" Splinter smiled at the girl who sat on the blue bed.

A dim lamp now lit the room from the side of Leo's bed. She could hardly believe she had been playing smoochy with the mutant turtle minutes earlier. Already she chose to erase that entire interaction from her mind.

Although, it did give her quite the ego boost to know that she was apparently attractive enough to him that he would dream of kissing her.

"Thank you for your hospitality," she said sweetly to the old rat who was walking out the door.

"Of course, if you need anything please do not hesitate to bother any of my sons... and if purple acts rude or weird just tell me," he added at the end before gliding out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Stevie sighed while falling over the bed with a puff. As much as she did not want to admit it, the blue one was right. She had nowhere to go, she was not even sure what to do with herself. At this point she was a danger anywhere she went, at least if she was here these people seemed like they were more equipped to handle it than most.

Stevie felt no need nor want to open up about herself and let them in; however. Not because they did not seem kind but rather because they seemed too kind. What were the chances that she stumbles upon some apparent family from an alternate future?

It seemed a bit far-fetched for her, and the timing of it was rather suspicious as well.

Stevie constantly has to stay vigilant: she had to have thick walls and keep her head on the swivel.

The bed smelled like blue. Not that she was paying attention to that or anything, of course not! It's just that they sorta snogged for a quick second and... yeah.

Stevie could not help herself but snuggle further into the bed. Despite the uncomfortableness of her clothing, it was just so comfortable.

What is this? Memory foam?

Indeed it is. She kicked her boots off, rolling further into the sheets.

She was just so tired. And against her will, her eyes started to get heavy. Honestly, she had only meant to mess with blue just a little, she had planned to leave his room after a few minutes. She just needed a few minutes to clear her mind. Stevie was not a total douchebag, she was not actually going to steal his bed for the night.

Despite his father's offer of it.

But it was just so comfortable, and blue slept in it every single night. Surely he would not mind just one night away from it, for the greater good, of course.

Her greater good, that was.

He could surely spare just a bit of pity and kindness for the needy.

That was all the convincing that Stevie needed before her eyes became too heavy and she was closing them. Seconds pass by before snores escaped her mouth. Her uncomfortable clothing digging into her was a little price to pay for the beautiful cozy warmth of the bed.

The lights were still on and everything, but Stevie could care less.

★☆★☆★☆

Minutes later, as Leo's twin left them and the others stood around uncomfortably — Leo grumbled in sudden annoyance.

Leonardo was "mister chill" nothing bothered him. Things did not grind his gears often. Humor and laughter rang throughout his soul, and funny little quips danced on his tongue. It took a lot to really push his buttons.

Things such as his family being in serious danger, his brothers being an annoyance, and well... a certain little space minx stealing his bed!

Like what the hell, Splinter?

His father just offered that wench his bed and robbed him blind of sleep for the rest of the night.

No one liked sleeping on the couch. Especially when Leo was so used to that perfect memory foam bed that he totally did NOT steal from a mattress store.

Of course not, Leo was no thief! No, the lights in the store had only been off and Leo had only made Donnie go with him so that both of them could get a marvelous cooling memory foam (with pillows too!).

It was not like Leo had kept a portal open leading straight to the lair from the closed mattress store standing by Donnie's side watching as his twin ordered Shelldon to carry two of those phenomenal mattresses out.

Okay, fine, they totally did it — but in their defense, they literally saved the world! This mattress store would not even be there if it were not for the likes of the turtles!

The mattress store is doing the world justice by providing the two with a way for the most adequate of slumbers so that the heroes might be rested enough to save the day.

Yeah, so, therefore, King's Mattress Firm actually owed him it.

That's what the disaster twins kept telling themselves at least, Leo more so than Donnie as it was a well known fact that the slightly older twin had very little morals.

Leo hates to think what his twin would turn into without his brothers.

"This has got to be a sick joke," Leo groaned while rubbing a hand down his face. "Are you sure I was married to that monster, Casey?"

Casey rolled his eyes at Leo's overdramatic antics. Patting him on the back of the shell, the human nodded his head.

"Yep, it was definitely her, and I'm pretty sure you guys always argued because Stevie had a tendency to kick you off the bed. But hey," he shrugged starting to walk toward the hallway, "what do I know? See you all in the morning!"

And like that — Leo's future student was gone.

"Uh, yeah, we should probably get some shut eye," Raph awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the slightest bit guilty about leaving his younger brother on the couch.

Mikey was already gone, having followed Casey without another word. The normally energetic turtle was too tired for this.

It was around 5 in the morning, but seeing as the turtles stayed out into the uber late hours of the night — it might as well have been midnight for them. They normally went to bed around three in morning and would wake up sometime after noon.

Leo crossed his arms with a pout, and Raphael pointed to one of the small storage closets.

"It's just for the rest of tonight Leo, just grab some blankets and a pillow," Raph sighed, trying to keep his voice upbeat.

Leo only stamped his foot like a toddler, "But I don't want just any blankets and pillow. I want MY pillow and blanket!" His blankets and pillows also being stolen items from King's Mattress Firm.

"Little brother," Raph placed a hand on his shoulder, "it's just one night," and with that he scurried off to his own room and left Leo groaning.

Leo paced around for a few minutes before his annoyance reached a boiling point and he was stomping down the hallway.

If Stevie wanted to leave then she could leave, he had already offered their place to her, he was not about to get on his knees and beg her.

He may have offered her the lair as a safe haven but he certainly had not offered his bedroom nor his bed to her.

Gorgeous space girl or not, that was his bed that he had worked hard to take!

Leo opened the door to his room ready to tell her off. If she really wanted to stay then she could sleep next to him, and that was as far as Leo was willing to go.

The best offer he would make.

However, much to the ninja turtle's surprise, he was greeted by the girl wrapped in his blankets snoring away. He paused, mouth slamming shut as he took in the sight. It had been less than five minutes, how was she already fast asleep?

Leo knew the answer for he had been there himself at one point. To be so tired that falling asleep felt more like passing out.

His shoulders sagged, and despite his previous salty attitude, he knew he would not be able to wake this precious space girl up.

The space girl that he had kissed right in the spot that she was currently sleeping in.

Immediately, a dark blush took hold of Leonardo's face but a dorky grin spread over his features. He was embarrassed (though he would never admit that), but he was more proud than anything.

He kissed a hot alien oh-ho-ho.

Katy Perry's song "ET" came to mind with the thought of him kissing her.

Her lips had been nice and full, perfectly kissable. And a great kisser she was, arguably the best that Leo had ever kissed especially considering the circumstances.

Leo had not kissed many people, and his romantic history was certainly not very big. However, in the time since he was fifteen, he managed to explore enough. Sweet kisses here and there from random Yokai of both genders.

Leo has never been in an actual true relationship, rather situationships and talking phases that had never lasted more than a month.

This experience has only been with yokai and mutants though, even if Stevie was not fully human, she was still his first human kiss.

He had been shocked by the softness of her lips, and standing here Leon realized that he wanted to do it again. Leo wanted to kiss her so badly.

He gripped the door handle a bit tighter, swallowing heavily while gazing at her.

Neon Leon could not do it, and so after a few more seconds of watching her sleep, he realized how creepy he was being (for his standards, not Donnie's) and gave a soft smile. Switching the light switch off, darkness traveled the room before his little night light in the corner lit up.

The design of stars quickly spread over the roof. The starry nightlight was something he had savaged as a kid and kept ever since.

There was something so ethereal about seeing the snoring girl wrapped in his blue blankets under the false stars of the nightlight.

With that, Leo turned away and closed the door behind him. Perhaps Raph was correct, one night on the couch would not hurt him. And so, he got an extra pillow and some blankets and bundled up on their squashy couch with a Jupiter Jim movie playing as he fell asleep.

★☆★☆★☆

Stevie groaned as she woke, turning over. As she turned, her lips turned into a frown at the uncomfortable feeling that greeted her. It was her midsection. Reaching down in a sleepy manner, Stevie's eyes suddenly popped open.

Her belt was still attached. She fell asleep with her belt full of active and loaded weapons.

Well, that was not dangerous or anything...

Looking around, she was greeted by Leo's dim room and the girl cursed while sitting up and throwing the blanket off of her. She had not meant to fall asleep, in fact, that had been the last thing she wanted to do.

But his bed was just so comfortable and she had been so tired.

No matter, she felt well rested.

Stretching, she yawned before noticing the whisps of energy that flowed throughout the veins of her being.

Stevie admittedly woke up in a far better mood than she had been in the past few days. Even though her clothing had been pulling against her skin uncomfortably and left red marks from sleeping.

Standing up, she stumbled toward where she knew the light switch to be and turned it on allowing a bright light to filter throughout the room.

Stevie shoved on the boots that she had thrown off the previous night. With a roll of her shoulders, she chose to be polite by Earth customs and folded the blankets neatly in the center of the bed.

After which she decided to be snoopy and wander around the bedroom. She soon realized something that she had not last night.

This bedroom was a subway train car, this entire bedroom was quite literally a scavaged subway car that was completely transformed. There were piles of comics all over the room, some at the foot of the bed and others pushed toward the walls.

Stevie enjoyed anything when it came to reading, any type of story was her forte. And so curiously, she wanders over to one of the piles and immediately noticed that the majority of them were space-themed, superhero-themed, or martial artist themed.

The posters hanging on his walls were similarly themed as well. Lou Jitsu, Jupiter Jim, and even some Space Wars stuff. His bed sheets were blue and Stevie could not help but smile as she saw the space design on the blankets she had previously been using.

Her mask was still in place on her head and Stevie was left debating with herself. They had offered her a place: she had no choice but to take it. She trusted herself enough, the quintessence did not seem to be the so-called "ancient power of destruction and light which consumes all... even those who dare wield it".

That was how the Kree Empire described it at least and what her father always told her growing up. Now that seemed a bit far-fetched.

Stevie shivered at that.

Her vision flashed white-hot... POWER.

Maybe being by herself was not such a great idea. Taking a few deep breaths she attempted to clear her mind, and it helped with the random flashes of heat she had been receiving since absorbing this damn thing.

With that thought in mind, she silently made her way to the door and opened it. She looked left and right down the hallway, which was more of a tunnel than anything. There was nothing, it was clear.

Sneaking the rest of the way down the hallway tunnel thing, Stevie was greeted by the main atrium area. Now that she was not dead tired and running, she took everything into account. It was not just the sewers but rather an entire abandoned subway station.

Fairy lights hung high on the walls, there was a basketball hoop and that same comfortable squashy-looking couch. A few other sitting chairs, and one recliner that was an ugly beige but looked incredibly comfortable. There was a television placed as well, a rather fancy-looking flat screen.

She rose a brow at this.

Other tunnels filed off into other places, and through one of the tunnels, she could hear voices. Without hesitation, she immediately darted in the direction of it. Stevie paused outside before peaking in.

It was a kitchen, and it appeared that everyone sat around speaking with each other. There was Casey she quickly noticed, he was scarfing down a plate of eggs and bacon. Michelangelo stood at the stove frying something that smelled rather delicious and Stevie was suddenly overwhelmed with memories of her mother twirling around the kitchen when she was younger.

Her mother loved to cook and that had been passed down to her. But Stevie had not had the privilege to cook in a while.

Donnie sat at the table next to April O'Neil, both of them drinking from white mugs filled with what she could only assume to be coffee. Deep bags were sat under the turtle in purple's eyes leading her to believe that he had not got an ounce of sleep.

The rat father sat at the head of the table with his own food plate and mug of tea in front of him. Stevie rose a brow when she noticed Raphael shoving boiled eggs down his throat, and just next to him Leo was watching him with a face of disgust.

They were all dressed differently from what she had seen — color-coordinated masks each with long tails, black shorts, and different gear strapped across them. She tilted her head at the stickers on Mikey's shell, the purple tech shell that Donnie wore, and most of the markings that scraped over the entirety of Leo.

All yellow markings other than the bright red slashes that took the shape of half-moon crescents over his eyes.

"Ugh, can you like go one morning without eating over two dozen boiled eggs?" Leo groaned at Raph who shrugged.

"Nope," he popped with a swallow of another egg. "Raphael needs to stay big and strong!" He flexed his arms and Leon shook his head.

Donnie appeared bored, typing away on his phone.

"I can't believe that was your guy's night," April laughed, "I mean you kissed her Leo? You really thought it was a dream? No wonder she tried to run away and did not want to talk to you guys!" April was barking and Leo groaned loudly.

His face was flushed in embarrassment. "Err — I know! No need to rub it in, April!" He sobbed before resting his head in his arms on the table.

"Erm," Casey said with a mouthful of Mikey's delicious food, he would never be able to get used to real food, "y'know, maybe I should not have said anything and let everything play out naturally. Now I feel like I've interfered with the plans of the time and space continuum or something..." everyone ignored Casey's words, especially Leonardo who chose to wave off his future student.

He did not need common sense right now!

"Honestly, Leonardo, how do you expect that girl to become my daughter-in-law now? Perhaps you still have a chance purple," Splinter rubbed his chin in thought while eyeing Donnie with hope.

Donnie snickered lightly at Leo's cry of indignation; however, the scientist yelped as Leo slapped the back of his head.

"Ow — what was that for?!" Donatello demanded and his twin simply glared at him.

"You steal my chances, and you're dead," Leo glared and Donnie opened his mouth ready to argue back, something that would ultimately lead to a pathetic slap fight between the two.

"I didn't say anything, blame pops. Besides, it's not my fault you already blew your chances by being idiotic—!"

April, knowing her brother well quickly cut in, "Did you find anything with all those blood samples you took Dee?" She interrupted before the two could start a classic disaster twin argument.

Raph sent a glare to Splinter who only looked amused at the sight. Sometimes Splinter liked to simply stir the pot between his family: nothing that would lead to too drastic of a fight or anything, but something that was just enough for comedy.

Stevie's lips were pursed from where she stood eavesdropping on the conversation, a prominent flush on her own face.

His chances?!

"Yes, definitely not enough to come close to fully understanding, but thus far I have been able to conclude that it is a perfect mixture of the human genome and alien..."

"Ugh," Leo clicked his tongue, cutting off his twin, "boring," he nearly sang, "we don't need to know the intricacies of it! I saw enough of her purple blood to last me a lifetime!"

"Her blood was purple?" April questioned the blue turtle with wide eyes, getting in his face.

Leo looked back with his own wide eyes, but he was used to the antics of April O'Neil.

Stevie sighed: her mother bled red and her father bled blue, therefore as a perfect mixture of the two, she bled purple.

"Uhm, yeah..." Leo allowed the last word to drift off longer than the others.

Donnie stared at April from where his head was resting on his arm, an excited smile on his face.

"I know — she was sporting my color!" He piped excitedly and Leo looked at him in disturbance along with his other two brothers.

"Uhm, I don't know if the color of her blood can count as her sporting your color..." The blue turtle deadpanned.

"Yeah," Raph crossed his arms, "just because we all bleed red does not mean you guys are sporting my color... does it?"

"Oh my gosh, Raph," Leo chuckled while pinching his snout, "no, we are not," he ended in a salty manner.

Stevie was standing simply listening and watching with her lips pursed. This was odd, it was so casual and so easy that she almost was suspicious of it. There was such a beautiful presence about this odd family.

The cheery way that the youngest was flipping pancakes, the humming of the old rat father as he drank his tea surrounded by his children — the two twins who quipped and quacked at each other, April who was leaned against Casey both with smiles written across their faces and Raph who stood happily watching over everyone.

Stevie hummed, and just as she opened her mouth to reveal herself and attempt to alleviate any sore spots that had been caused — a force hit her from behind.

Stevie screamed as she was tackled and shoved onto the kitchen floor, a body on top of her holding her arms captive behind her back.

"I HAVE CAPTURED THE PERPETRATOR!" Cassandra Jones screamed, her brown eyes heavy with fire and her hair just a tad grown out from the shaved nature she usually kept it.

Every single person in the kitchen jumped about 20 feet at the sudden act of chaos, and Stevie having NO clue what was happening other than her being held down against her will started to struggle.

"What the fuck!" She cried, managing to flip herself and the two women began to wrestle.

"Wait — stop!"

No one could be sure who had yelled that for everyone was on them in a second trying to pull them apart, but amid the fighting — Stevie accidentally started the flying mechanisms to her rocket boots and the two went flying around the kitchen.

The alien girl thought this would get the woman off her, but Cassandra was far more talented than she seemed. The woman managed to heave herself on Stevie's shoulders and was pulling at her hair causing them to go whirling around in the air.

They came to Michelangelo, or rather they flew above Mikey who quickly tucked his head inside his shell to avoid the hot fires from the boots. Sadly, the fires got close enough to the cooking pancakes in the oiled pan that a fire immediately erupted.

"MY PANCAKES!" Mikey screamed as the fire grew in the pan, and suddenly his siblings stood around him panicking over the fire.

Upon having a mini heart attack, Leo turned around with a smirk. His eyes glistened as he watched the two spinning around the air.

"Ladies there is enough of me to go around," Leo attempted to smooth the situation with a joke, chasing after the two. "Stevie, Cassandra—AGH!" Leo had attempted to help by jumping in the air trying to catch them only to be promptly knocked out by an accidental roundhouse kick — via metal space boots — to the head.

"Sigh," Donnie shook his head at his twin, kneeling down with his goggles already in place to look over the injury. It is a concussion, but with their mutant healing, he would be fine within the day. "I always knew Leo's jokes would get him killed one day..." Donnie said when he realized that Leo would be fine, he was just briefly knocked out at the moment.

Splinter did not move from his seat, simply sipping his tea.

"Do not insult the master with poor technique, Cassandra!" He called in the midst of drinking his tea.

"HAI, SENSEI!" Cassandra or as many of the brothers had taken to calling her, Sandy — yelled back.

"Dad!" Raph yelled with indignation as Mikey was desperately trying to put out the fire.

Casey had taken cover under the table, watching the women who used to be (would be?) his mothers fight with an open mouth. This was exactly what happened the first time around!

In the original timeline, and Casey heard this story multiple times as it was that hilarious, when Leo had first brought Stevie to the base, he had stepped away to go get his brothers.

While he was gone Cassandra saw Stevie and thought she was an intruder in their home then proceeded to tackle and attack Stevie. Leo and his brothers came back to the two women flying around with Stevie's space boots fighting.

Casey was now watching this same thing occur firsthand in a different timeline.

To see the story he had heard multiple times come to life.

But it brought questions, and it also confirmed something in Casey Jones.

It was written in the stars, it had to be. Stevie Carter was bound to meet this family: she was bound to Leonardo and she always would be.

Stevie managed to stop the rockets in her boots seeing as flying was only making it worst, and both women suddenly fell to the ground and away from each other. Huffing, the space girl quickly pulled herself into a standing position and raced through the exit of the kitchen — her side aching heavily.

She prayed those stitches were not ripped but there was no way it was not from that fight. Her lip felt busted as well and she could feel a bruise forming on her cheek from the right hook Casey sent her way.

Stevie was pretty sure that the woman had a chunk of her hair.

Casey attempted to leap after her, the kunoichi somehow managing to look virtually unharmed. Before she could make it, Raph stepped in her way and grabbed her from around the waist holding her firmly against him.

"No," Raph said sternly, not allowing her to move, "she's a friend, that's Stevie," he explained and Casey's eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh, my mistake," she said before waving it off casually and Raph was shaking his head with a deep sigh.

"Leo? LEO!" Mikey was sobbing at Leo's side now, the pan not on fire anymore as the water ran on it, only smoking heavily.

Donnie was attempting to calm Mikey down as Leo was groggily waking up, complaining about his head.

"We'll grab her!" April shouted to Raph following Casey who was already racing out of the kitchen to go after Stevie.

Raph was too busy scolding Cassandra about attacking before talking to take notice of the two humans sneaking away. Splinter continued to sip his tea with an amused smile on his face.

Stevie was racing away, attempting to calm the beating of her heart down. Adrenaline was spiking through her system, and she was becoming incredibly warm. Like far warmer than what was natural or safe.

She paused at the entrance, once again greeted with the empty quiet tunnels of underground New York City. Her hands came up to grasp at her hair, her eyes closing tightly as her vision flashed.

Power.

THE POWER.

It was all red hot, everything was burning — she could see the energy swirling. Blue and pink and gold whirling like a storm, she was getting warmer.

Stevie groaned as she quickly became overwhelmed with the sensations, biting her lip in an attempt to bring herself back to the present. It was too much for her.

Casey and April burst into the living  room just at that moment — their brows furrowing when they saw Stevie clutching her head with her eyes tightly screwed shut. They noticed how her breathing was picking up, and both of them immediately mistook it for a panic attack.

Lord knows how many all of them had — especially since the Krang attack.

"Stevie..." Casey said, approaching her slowly with his hands raised, "it's okay, this is a safe place..."

"DO NOT FINISH THAT SENTENCE, JONES!" She growled.

Casey jumped, not expecting that sort of tone to be taken with him. Especially since he had not done anything to garner that type of response. He took it as her being angry at the attack.

"I am sorry — my mom," he quickly corrected himself, "Cassandra should not have jumped you like that. I promise it was just a horrible misunderstanding—"

"No, Casey," Stevie was now gasping falling to her knees while trying to alleviate the burning sensation any way she could.

April had leaped forward in an attempt to help her only to be stopped by Stevie holding out a firm arm as though to motion her not to come any closer.

"This place isn't safe because I'm here," the alien cried in pain and Casey's brows furrowed before his eyes lit up with understanding.

He could not get a word out before the sass and snark of April O'Neil spoke.

"Girl, that's a little dramatic, don't you think?" April had no chill, her words spilling easily and Stevie found herself staring at the other girl with a look of disbelief.

"Bitch," Stevie said with a shake of her head, clenching her hands and yet it seemed to be just the distraction she needed.

Within the next second, the girl felt herself cooling down. No longer was she glowing, rather everything within her seemed to settle and she breathed a sigh of relief from where she had been crouched on the ground.

"A bitch who is smart," April smirked watching Stevie stand up.

Stevie sighed but gave April a hesitant smile, "fair enough," she said to the only other female in the vicinity.

At that moment, five figures came barreling into the room.

"GUYS!" It was Raph who hollered, all of them stopping feet away from the trio of humans, "Cassandra is going to apolog—" Raph was unable to finish his sentence for Cassandra slid in front of the four brothers and bowed deeply.

"My sincerest apologies," she said before standing back up and Staevie stood there scratching the back of her head awkwardly.

The alien could not exactly blame her, Stevie had been standing there eavesdropping on the others for a minute. It was probably highly suspicious and odd to anyone who happened to see her.

"All good," Stevie shrugged it off, forcing herself to smile in a friendly manner.

No use in once again working everyone up especially seeing as she was about to try and stay with them for an undetermined amount of time. Well, they might not be so welcoming after that fight — a fight which literally knocked Leo out and set their kitchen on fire.

In fact... Stevie looked to Leo with honest remorse on her face — he had been so nice to her (he was a character, and they snogged, sure, but he was kind nonetheless) and there she had gone knocking the dude out. Not to mention she stole his bed for the entire night.

"Uhm," she suddenly said shyly, before anyone else could pipe up and everyone was staring at her in curiosity.

It did not take long for everyone to notice where her eyes were focused... Leonardo. But as soon as they made eye contact, Stevie averted her gaze in shame.

"I am really sorry, Leonardo... for stealing your bed and knocking you out..."

There was a pause.

And suddenly, "Aww, you are so adorable!" Leo cooed.

Stevie squeaked as his voice came from directly in front of her, the girl looking up and realizing that Leo had somehow managed to move in front of her both at the speed of light and extremely quietly.

He was staring down at her with a look of both mischief mixed with excitement. Stevie eyes widened as he leaned in so that his face was close to hers — personal space no longer a concept.

"Well," he chuckled, "that is quite alright, something tells me that you needed my bed way more than I did last night, and I don't think you exactly meant to knock me out... did you?"

"No, of course not!" Stevie rushed and Leo was chuckling.

She pouted as she understood that he was only messing with her. She opened her mouth to come up with some sort of retort, blowing a piece of her hair away from her face. Leo's eyes gleamed, and he spoke before she could.

"How many people have told you..." he trailed off thoughtfully, leaning even closer and Stevie was furrowing her brows as his eyes bore into hers, "that you have the sweetest eyes I've ever seen," he said the last part sweetly, but his voice took on a slightly lower octave.

Stevie gasped in surprise, her face erupting in a blush. No one had ever told her that actually. Stevie averted her gaze to the floor, breaking eye contact.

Casey's breath caught, his eyes wide as he watched the exchange. A vision flashed through his mind.

Master Leonardo stood with one hand holding Stevie's and his other rubbing her cheek as though she were the most precious thing he'd ever touched. Stevie was much smaller than the mutant, even though she was not particularly short, the very top her head barely brushed Leo's chest.

It was quite adorable actually, and Leo was always so gentle with her (even though Stevie was a literal alien who could take the force of being hit by a car and survive).

"You have the sweetest eyes I've ever seen, Amor..."

Casey shook himself out of it. That was something that Leo had always said to Stevie, and quite often. So for him to see Leo saying it for the first time was odd, and Stevie's reaction was even odder. In the future, Stevie had always smiled brightly when Leo said that to her — rarely was she ever as flustered as she is now.

Hell, Stevie could not even look Leonardo in the eyes.

"Ugh," Donnie groaned, "gross," Leo yelled as he was literally shoved to the side, "now, Stevie — assuming you will be staying with us for a while, I think it is time that I show you my lab. I am in dire need of a capable assistant..." and with that, the turtle in purple was leading her off toward his lab, animatedly talking about some sort of engineering program.

He was extremely happy when Stevie began to bounce the conversation back, understanding everything he said and contributing. It was glorious.

Everyone looked to each other in confusion at this exchange — they had not even really confirmed if she would be staying with them. And there was still the whole important conversation about why Stevie was even on Earth in the first place.

Not to mention whatever the hell this quintessence thing was!

But okay Donnie just steal her to interrogate her yourself then...

Leo had barely stood up, his eyes portraying pure fury at the audacity of his twin. Seeing the two figures disappear into the lab, he quickly darted after them. Unfortuantely, the lab doors closed just as he approached them.

Leo attempted to knock on the doors and open them only to be greeted with the armed locks. It was sound-proof as well — that stupid robotic alert warning him that "Donatello is currently busy and the lab is sound-proof, please give him a ping if this is an emergency otherwise leave".

Leo growled, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall opposite while glowering.

Even though Stevie was his supposed future wife or whatever, she was still a new friend and he'd hoped that he would have been able to snag her as his best friend: like how April and Donnie were so close.

And Raph and Cassandra. Hell, despite how close Casey was to Leo, he suspected the boy was closer friends to Mikey only because he still viewed Leo as a sort of father-figure.

However, the whole Donnie-April thing was what made this more frustrating, Donnie had already claimed April as his ultimate best friend!

Leo wanted a partner in crime so BAD! So forgive him, okay?

He wanted to impress her and get to know her — she was an alien so she was bound to like Jupiter Jim and video games and he could teach her how to skateboard.

Plus, she probably had SO many cool stories that Leo was just dying to hear.

Leo sighed while leaning against the wall opposite — yes: he could be patient. He would sit and wait.