Leo's Faith.


When she had jumped off of the rooftop, Leo's heart was in his throat. He knew it would be too late as he jumped to the rooftop but things aren't always what they seem to be. Mostly with Arienne's life and her family.

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and I do not make any money of this story.

Dedicated to: Margui, Kris, LiTtLeMiSsPeRfEcT4465 & Brandacelynn. I could not have gotten so far with my other stories, thank you. This one, is for you, enjoy.

Author's Note: Arienne is pronounced: a-ree-AN, Nickname: A-ree.

French form of ARIADNE-Means "most holy", composed of the Cretan Greek elementsαρι (ari) "most" and αδνος (adnos) "holy". In Greek mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos. She fell in love with Theseus and helped him to escape the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, but was later abandoned by him. Eventually she married the god Dionysus.

This Story may sound like a Prologue to "In Paradise" but it is not. Just a one-shot to possibly a whole story, but we will see. Please Read and Review, thank you!

Leo's Faith:

The cars that were zooming down this lane and up that one were a soft hum in the starless night of the sleepless New York City. People were either heading to work, heading to dinner or heading straight to bed. The streets were packed but that didn't really bother him.

'Just as long as they don't look up and stare for too long,' he thought to himself as he leaped off of a roof top that was only two blocks from his home.

His breathing was fast, his heart rapidly pounded away in his chest trying to get oxygen to his legs and brain. However, he wasn't tired from running from one rooftop to the next. His training had given him a lot of stamina and even though a good long dueling with his younger hotheaded brother would beat it down, this, running, was nothing.

"Leo, status report," he heard from his shell cell as he slowly came to a halt on one rooftop.

Leo grabbed his shell cell from his waist belt.

"Yes Donny, over," He replied to his young brother.

"Nothing to report on North side of town. Raph had a few run-ins with the Purple Dragons but they didn't tell him anything. Mikey is still on his route and I will check in with him after I am done talking with you," Donny informed him as Leo heavily sighed.

"Donny, we have to make sure that they aren't going to do anything stupid. Just because the Shredder is no more we have to keep an eye on the other gangs within New York City. Keep looking and tell Raph not to get into any sorts of fights, they'll be hot tempered as he is if not more. Team up with him after you get a report from Mikey," he replied back to Donny, though he was a little irritated with Raph.

"On it," Donny said before he got off.

Leo shook his head and looked around where he was. This part of town was very classy, even to the humans that were living here. It was a small-gated community and where he was standing, Central Park sort of extended into the backyards of the people who lived here.

Before he was ready to jump, he saw something from the left corner of his left eye. It was fast movement and what he saw was a young woman jumping from a rooftop.

Leo's heart was lodged up in his throat and he acted on instinct alone. He ran as if his life depended on it towards the young woman.

Luckily, when he jumped onto the same rooftop that she had jumped off of it had shadows from the trees and the long branches had grown very close to the street so no one would know that he was there. He looked downward, hoping his fears didn't come true. However, what greeted him also shocked him. The young woman wasn't dead. Splattered all over the street.

"Where are you?" he asked to himself.

"I think you should be asking is, who are you but, I could be reaching for it," he heard a very soft but firm voice to his left.

Looking towards the voice, he saw from the shadows of the trees a young woman on a swing. She was probably, by his guessing, around 5'4. Her body looked to have hourglass curves, long dark brown hair that went to her shoulder blades and her fierier brown chestnut eyes that made Leo swallow. She was beautiful, flawless skin that glowed against the streetlights and the clear glass windows where she probably lived.

"I thought you had jumped off of the rooftop," he truthfully told her.

"What? Why would I do something like that? Although I have thought on it many times," she replied back but still sat on the swing.

"I caught you from the corner of my eye and I raced over here to catch you but, I knew I was already too late," he answered her, further explaining to her.

She looked at him and a soft faint blush appeared on her face. A soft breeze blew from where she was sitting over to where Leo was crouching. The soft but heavenly perfume that she had on was almost mouth watering. It was a warm vanilla, a rose or cheery blossom mixture. Whatever it was, it almost made Leo loose his footing on the branch.

"So really, who are you?" she asked him carefully going back to the first question.

Leo's eyes looked at her. Even though she was beautiful and smelled like that of wonderful flower, he also noticed that she was in nothing more than shorts and a nice blouse.

Jumping down from the branch, he softly landed on the rooftop but stayed within the shadows. The young woman kept her eyes on him the whole time that he moved from the branch to behind her.

He moved only where the shadows of the old tree gave him and it was only a few feet from where this young woman sat, now facing him fully.

"I am Leonardo. I am out on a routine patrol with my three younger brothers. Now, who are you?" he replied back to her but not revealing too much information at once.

"Arianne Lyn. I came up here because my parents are arguing again," she told him until they both heard voices coming from her bedroom that was under their feet.

"Arianne Lyn, you better not be up there on that blasted swing of yours again! If you are, I will cut the branch off, like I did last time!" a very livid and intimidating male voice rose up through the open window.

"Oh no," she whispered and then quickly got off of the swing and darted towards the tree branches exactly where Leo was.

She climbed her way through the limbs of the tree and then all was still. Leo was very thankful that he was now over one house though he hoped that Arianne was all right since it looked like her father had a flashlight with him. Her father combed the tree for her even though she wasn't there.

Leo looked at the house that he was at and thankfully, the window was open next to a office. Taking a pad of paper and a pen, he very quickly wrote his thoughts and waited for Arianne's father to be gone however, he did hear the very loud and stressful voices of Arianne's mother, Arianne herself fighting back and then her father who soon joined in. It didn't settle well with Leo that two parents would gain up on their only child like this. The arguing lasted for half an hour.

He slowly waited until all of the arguing had stopped and the lights were turned off. Soft sniffling and crying sounds came from the swing area, creeping over to it, he saw Arianne with her back towards him softly crying to herself. His heart went out to her. He wanted to hold her in his arms although he knew that was impossible because of what he was. He wasn't a human like Arianne or her parents. No. He was a turtle. A mutant teenage turtle.

"Arianne?" he softly whispered to her concerned.

"Just go away," she whispered back.

"I can't. Not after what I saw and heard from my spot," he replied back.

She didn't say anything just softly cried to herself. Leo was at a total loss here. He truly wanted to hold her in his arms and comfort her. Letting her know that whatever it is that her parents have against her, it will turn all right in the end.

"I uhm…I have this piece of paper for you. It's the number to my s-cell phone, you can call me any time whenever they are hurting you," he softly told her and walked towards her.

"Why do you care?" she asked him, still hurting.

"Because," he barely whispered very close to her ear. "Someone has to for you to live,"

"What if I don't want to live? What if I want to end it?" she asked him her eyes were closed as thick heavy tears trickled down her beautiful face.

Heavily sighing Leo then clenched his jaw, hard. How dare her own parents, who have no right to treat their only daughter in such a fashion. She has no one turn to, no one to turn to help whenever they gain up on her like this. It made Leo's blood run scolding hot.

"Then you will be giving up on not just yourself but also on me as well," he firmly stated to her.

"But you don't even know me! How can you have so much faith in a broken person?" she cried softly, her tears were now running freely down her face.

"I may not know you though I do not want you to give up on yourself. I do not want you to think that death will be the answer to everything to life because it's not. Yes the pain that you are feeling is hard to handle and a lot to take in, however, in the end, you will have a better life. What your parents are doing is wrong, Arianne, and you know it too. Please don't kill yourself because"

"My oldest brother is off in college with a family of his own and I am still stuck at home because I can't get into college. My parents won't let me go to college. They want me to work the nasty jobs that I have worked through my high school years and never be like my oldest brother is," she cut him off.

Leo's mouth went dry very suddenly and his hands very gently gripped the ropes of the swing until his knuckles turned a very pale green.

"Why would they do that to you? I thought they loved you to the point where it didn't-?"

"They did until I graduated and was free of their care. I asked if I could go to college though my dad said that he would only be paying for a year and then I would be on my own. Well that year came and went and I have been having trouble finding a job and going to college. I even asked my two older brothers for help although my parents told them not to give me any kind of money because I was in the red which I am not," she cut him off again.

"Arianne, just how old are you?" Leo very tenderly asked her, he did not want to start an argument with her since her parents have been doing this for some time.

"I just turned 21 this past Monday of March," she answered him softly whipping away her tears that were slowly drying.

Leo was quiet for a while. He may be heading into his early twenties but he knew that they were supposed to be of good times not that of sorrows and hurt.

"How old are you?" she asked him.

"I will be 20 this April. The 1st," he answered her and very gently handed her the piece of paper.

"Are you leaving?" she asked as she looked at the paper in her hands.

"No, not yet. You are still not thinking of killing yourself, are you?"

"Slowly it's fading. It's just… why can't they send me off to college. What is so scary for me to go to college? I don't want to be a worker bee all of my life and be labeled the black sheep of my family which they are trying to do,"

"My friend works at an antique shop, I can put in a good word that you need the money and need to go to the community college. In addition, Arianne, it will get your parents off of your back for a while, but it will show them that you can go to college and graduate from it. I promise," Leo suggested to her.

Turning around, Arianne looked into the shadows, which Leo had retreated to the tree after he had handed her the piece of paper.

"You would do that?" she asked him miffed.

"Yes and I don't break my promises Arianne. April Jones, who runs the shop, does need some help around the place. Besides her husband knocking things over and getting her upset. It takes very careful hands and know how to treat costumers how you wanted to be treated. I can easily set the interview by tomorrow morning if that's early enough for you?" he said back to her.

She looked at the shadows and then looked down at the rooftop.

"How early?" she softly mumbled to him.

"Hang on," he told her and then called April after he pulled out his shell cell.

"Hello April? I am sorry for calling at such a late hour but I was wondering about that job opening for your shop? It is still open right?" he asked into his shell cell.

Arianne shifted from one foot to the next after her shock had quickly disappeared. She listened to Leo talk softly into his cell phone and waited patiently but also was kept on alert for her parents.

"Arianne? How does 10:15 in the morning sound?" Leo gently pulled her attention back to him.

"Huh? Uhm… that's fine, just-"

"How about this, she will meet you in Central Park around 8:45 in the morning so that the both of you can get to know one another better and it will give the both of you a better understanding of what the interview is going to be about," Leo interrupted Arianne as he smiled.

"Okay but is it alright with uhm...Mrs. Jones?" Arianne asked him not wanting to be a burden then she already was.

"Yes and I will be there too, just keep your eyes open okay?" he reassured her.

Arianne suddenly asked him "You will? Why?"

"So that your parents won't hound you like they did tonight. Oh, sorry April, I will see you tomorrow morning, night," Leo told Arianne but hung up with April to let her sleep.

"The real reason, Leonardo," Arianne pressed him.

"Not only about your parents but also I want to get to know you more, however I can't uhm…"

"You sleep during the day and is a owl at night," she finished for him.

"Yes, but I am not an owl," he softly chuckled to himself.

"Thank you, for stopping by, Leonardo," she told him.

"I am thankful that I did stop by and please, call me Leo. Even though I want to stay here all night, I have to get back to my brothers and then head home. Call me within about an hour from now," he informed her after he knew she wasn't going to kill herself.

"May I give you a hug?" Arianne softly asked him.

Leo's heart was once again up in his throat and the desire to hug her was so hot that he wanted it to happen but what would she think of him if she saw him? Let alone guess what he was if she touched him for a hug? He couldn't touch her.

"I am sorry, Arianne. Even though I would really like to, I can't," He replied heavily back.

Nodding sadly, Arianne sat back down on the swing and looked at her feet.

"Silent as a ninja, but pure of heart as that of a knight," she mumbled low though he had heard her.

"If it helps, I will come back every night," he suggested to her, not wanting to lose this slowly growing friendship with her.

"I would really like that, may be you can read the rest of the poem that I have in mind tomorrow night?" she replied to him looking up into the tree.

"You write poems? Interesting," he commented to her.

"I will tell you more if you tell me more of you," she countered him.

"Sounds wonderful but, please go to bed, you have an interview tomorrow and I don't want you to be tired from our conversation tonight," he told her smiling.

"Yes Leonardo," she replied back, softly smiling too.

Leo gazed at her for a bit before he saw her get up from the swing and head back into her bedroom through a window. Very quickly, he climbed up near where the ropes of the swing were and then untied them. He moved the swing further into the shadows next to a cubby whole area and that it was safe and far away from where her father had looked.

Writing a quick note, he left it hanging on the lower smaller branches, then very soon jumped down into the park, and ran to the closet manhole cover.

The next morning, Arianne was walking around the pathways of Central Park. She did not know what this April woman would look like so she kept her eyes open. Thankfully, Leo's plan worked for her parents. Her father had asked her where she was going for this early in the morning. When she replied that she found a buser job, he was very pleased and told her not to come back home until she was hired. Well that was half an hour ago.

'Leo said he would be out here, but where? Central Park is huge for one person.' She thought to herself until a piece of paper tumbled into her face.

Catching it at once, Arianne read the note. It had Leo's unique handwriting.

"Good morning, Ari. Stay in this area, April should be here soon. She is a red head so keep your eyes open. I hope everything goes well.


At this small little note, Arienne smiled. Looking up into the trees, she did not find Leo but she could feel his presence was in this area of the park.

"Excuse me but are you Arienne Lyn?" she heard from behind her. When she turned back around, she saw a woman with red hair and emerald green eyes.

"Yes, I am and you must be April?" she replied a little hesitant on meeting April.

"Leo said that you needed some help and that you were beautiful," April stated, looking at Arienne from head to toe.

Arienne was wearing her best gray slacks, a soft white blouse with some indigo colors in it with the matching jacket to the slacks. Her long dark brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail as that made her look like a businessperson with her small black purse hanging off of her right shoulder.

"You are beautiful," April commented as Arienne blushed.

"Thank you," she replied back, glancing over her shoulder into the trees.

"Care to tell me a little a bit about yourself?" April asked her next while Arienne knew that Leo was no longer here.

"I just graduated about a year or so ago, I had about 3.9 score which is good for any kind of University which I am hoping to get into. I have two older brothers who are already out of the house and never talk to me. Kyle Lyn is my oldest brother and he has a family in the upper New York, he is never in this part of town unless it is the holidays. Marcus Lyn is my second older brother and he lives in the same gated community as my parent's do, which is just over there," Arienne started and pointed over to her house.

April's eyes widen at the house that Arienne was pointing to, as she nodded.

"I uhm…"

"Leo already told me fully, this morning, on what has happened so far and I want to help, Arienne. In any way I can, I want to help you. Leo was so upset about what happened last night that I told him to go mediated outside. Somehow or another, you really got to his heart and that is somewhat rare," April softly interrupted her.

Arienne remained silent and wondered what else Leo had said about her.

'I got to his heart? How? He saw and heard what had happened last night. I am not that special, am I?' she thought to herself while April was walking over to a bench.

"What do you like to do in your spare time?" April asked her next.

"Uhm…what spare time?" Arienne asked her in return.

April looked a bit alarmed at this and then said "Do you read? Go running or something? Take pictures? You know, do something that is fun for you?"

"I don't. I am either trying to convince my parents that I am looking for work or cleaning the house when they are at work," she told her truthfully.

"Arienne, how about, for today, I give you that? Just so, you know what it is like to have fun? Because everyone needs to have some sort of activity that is fun to do," April said on the spot, getting irritated with Arienne's parents.

"Like what?" she replied, wondering what will happen now.

"Come on, I have a few things in mind that makes me happy," April told her and got up from the bench.

Arienne glanced back over at the trees and stayed put. She wanted to see Leo again. She wanted to talk to him again, like she did last night. A piece of paper floated down to where she sat and she gently took it.

"What is wrong? Are you frightened to go with April? If so, she's a wonderful person and friend, Ari." It said.

"I am not frightened, I just want to talk to you," she barely whispered aloud as her eyes looked up at the tree again.

Another piece of paper floated down to her as she then felt his presence stronger now. He was much closer to her.

"Isn't that what we're doing right now?" he had written to her.

"No, I want to speak with you like last night," she whispered again.

"What is it that you would like to speak about?" he whispered in her left ear.

"Leo may I speak with you privately?" April then whispered to him.

Arienne got up and left them be. She walked over to a Starbucks stand and bought some drinks for everyone with the little money that she had.

"Arienne," April said to her as she gratefully took her drink.

"Yes?" she replied to her.

"You're looking for a full time job, right? Well I did some calculations on how many hours you would need at my shop and I can't pay you that much however, I know a good friend of mine who works within a museum and she's looking for someone," April explained to her.

Arienne looked down and mumbled "Oh,"

"Please understand, that I wish I could hire you, but financially I can't," April tried to reassure her.

"What kind of museum?" Arienne asked next, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"It's the Metropolitan Museum of Art actually, but what you would be doing is data collecting and making sure everything is where it should be and not in the public eye. Sometimes you would but that would only be if they are over flowing and such which only happens when students come by," April explained to her.

"May I speak with Leo, please?" she asked her hoping that she could speak with him.

"Yeah," April told her and walked away as Arienne walked over to the tree.

Even though she was silent and did not alert Leo that she was there, she saw now in the daylight, his back and weapons.

"Leo?" she asked him as he turned to her but then jumped into the tree branches again.

"Ari? You startled me," he whispered down to her.

"I uhm…bought you a coffee. Ooh wait, I bought you some green tea by mistake, I am so-"

"I actually prefer tea over coffee and green tea is alright with me," he softly interrupted her.

"How can I give this to you if you're up in a tree?" she whispered to him.

"Set it on the ground and I will get it," he replied to her.

She did what he said for her to do and waited.

"Leo, should I apply to this museum?" she asked him nervously, glancing at April and then at the empty cup holder.

"I don't think now would be a good time to be picky. However, if you are nervous of going to this place, I know that my brother, Donny, can look around within it for today. I know it will do him good to get out and about," he said back to her while she nodded.

"Why do you carry weapons? And was that really your back?" she asked him sipping her hot cocoa coffee mix.

Heavily sighing, Leo cursed himself silently and wondered how he was going to explain this to her? Would she freak out, as so many other women have when they see him or his brothers when they help them out of tough times?

"Arienne you have to do me this promise and what I am asking is something that will make you disappointed but, it's for your own protection," he told her as he lightly drank from his cup of tea.

"I won't tell anyone, Leo. I promise," she said to him though she really wanted some answers about who he is.

"Thank you, Ari. Now what is it that makes you a bit uneasy of taking this job?" he softly asked her.

"How do I tell my parents? What will-?"

"Ari, this isn't about them. This is your life; it is not about their life. Eventually, they must know that you will go to college, whether they like it or not. Do not give up on your dream, Arienne. Do not give up on you," he interrupted her sternly.

"How can I be confident as you, Leo?" she barely uttered the words to him.

"Find the inner strength that you have inside. You can be a fierce young woman when you focus on it, like when you argue with your parents. I have seen it, Ari," He encouraged her.

"Alright, but if this goes wrong, I am blaming you for it," she teased him a bit.

He chuckled softly and replied "Do not worry, it won't go wrong. Just enjoy today. I have to get going now, thank you for the tea and coming here,"

"Will I talk to you again, later on tonight?" she asked him quickly, her hopes were hanging by a thread for his answer.

"Yes, around 9:45 PM. It will be the darkest at that time," he replied to her smiling.

"Thank you Leo, for everything," she whispered in return.

"You're welcome, Ari," he whispered back before he jumped away from his spot and headed home.

Arienne went with April to go see her friend about that job.

Pacing around on the rooftop, Arienne wondered where her swing had gone. Her thoughts knew who had taken it down. Her father. He said to her one day some years back, that she needed to grow up and stop being a child when it comes to such things. Arienne never did throw away her swing but today, her heart had sunk when she saw the tree was bare of it.

"Ari? Why are you out there?" she heard Leo's voice from the branches of the trees.

"Well my swing was-"

"I put it over here so your father wouldn't cut it down and it's easier for me to talk to you," he interrupted her as she walked further into the thick branches of the tree.

There, just nicely tucked away and out of sight was her swing. Smiling at this she walked over to it and sat down. Leo smiled too and sat down on the branch closer to the tree.

"How did today go?" he asked her curiously.

"I got the job. The area that I will be maintaining is the Japanese art display, data and a little bit of giving tours but, that is it," she answered him smiling.

Nodding he then replied "I kind of figured you would since I looked up the opening myself on my brother's computer,"

"How many brothers do you have?"

"Three younger brothers, I am the oldest and even though at times it is hard on some days with them, I wouldn't trade it for the world,"

"What are their names? And are they like yours?"

"Our names are from the great four renaissance masters. You know I am Leonardo, but I was named after him. Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo,"

"So how are they different from one another and you?"

"Well, Raph likes to work out a lot or hang out with April's husband, Casey. Donny likes to tinker on anything that is technology or help us within this world. In addition, Mikey is the kid of the family. He loves his comic books and video games way too much at times but, I hope he never changes, you know?"

"And what about you? You are the oldest but…?"

"I am the leader of my brothers. Our father had it like that since he found us when we were infants. I am always looking out for them and training a lot for their sake,"

"Hmm…April said that you meditate? What for?"

"My family and I believe in Bushido, Ninjutsu and being a true ninja warrior. I am the only one who takes it seriously or true to heart because of our enemies that we make throughout our adventures,"

"So you're a ninja but study Bushido and Ninjutsu? Don't they counter act against one another somehow?" she asked him.

Leo had to come up with something because she was right. However, what was the best answer to give her?

"Bushido was kind of like the Samurai way of Chivalry and stressed importance on Honor to death. It possessed seven virtues (Rectitude, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Honest, and Honor & Loyalty). Being a ninja was to fight un-honorably. You were to be an assassin. Therefore, the codes of Ninjutsu were espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination. All of which aren't very honest, respectful, or honorable," he honestly told her.

Very gently from his branch, he leaned down and started to push the ropes forward and backwards so that Arienne would swing just a little bit. She did not mind this, but she still wanted her questions answered about him.

"So, which one do you and your family go by?" she asked him, leaning against the left rope thinking.

"My family and I lean towards Bushido however we behave like ninjas, the stealth, espionage or spying, and being silent when we go patrolling but we do not take in the assassin part of it. Plus from both Bushido and Ninjutsu we train of the martial arts. So we take little pieces of those three and use them against our enemies," he answered her.

"Oh," was all she said back to him, letting the soft motion of the swing be the only action for tonight.

"Arienne," Leo began. "Before you uhm…met me, what would you do when the situations with your parents got out of hand? How would you deal with it?"

"I would come up here and just swing on my swing. I would cry and be angry and let my emotions run their courses but, I would talk to no one about this," she answered him, very slowly looking up into the heart of the tree.

"Why don't your older brothers help you? I mean, I am the oldest and I try to help my younger siblings as much as possible but, something here within your family doesn't add up right," he asked her, curious to know more of her family.

"We were close, when we were younger however, that slowly changed when we got older. Kyle doesn't talk to me because he has his own family to look after, though I do miss him. Marcus well…he's a bit of a snob right now or from what I have heard whenever he visits. They all ignore me whenever I try and speak with him or Kyle. That house over there, to your right if you were looking at it from across the street is his house. He never is home during the night, always out partying and such or is with Kyle because Marcus is going after the same degree that Kyle has," she explained to Leo.

Jumping down and holding the rope of the swing still, Leo was wanting to hold her because this wasn't right. This wasn't a family. Arienne shouldn't have been born to and to learn of this.

Wavering into his nose, Leo inhaled the very unique perfume that she uses. It calmed his heart down and made him think clearly. He wanted to know what it was that she used so he could buy it for her in the future.

"I really wish I could hold you, Arienne but, I can't. I am sorry," he whispered in her right ear.

"Why can't you show me what you look like? Are you afraid that I won't accept what you look like?" she asked him softly.

"I have faced many people and most of them are women. My brothers and I are the same in looks but, we are different from one another," he answered her the best way that he could.

Not saying anything in return, Arienne knew that if she poked around too much, Leo would leave because of it. So for now, she dropped it.

"You said that you had a poem for me to read? Is it finished and may I read it now?" Leo asked her, changing the subject.

"I haven't been able to write anything about it but, I do have older poems and stories that I keep," she replied, wanting to look behind her shoulder at him.

"I will wait here until you come back," he whispered low to her before he jumped back into the branches of the tree again.

Arienne quickly got off of the swing and hurriedly walked to her bedroom window skylight before she disappeared. Leo breathed deeply and couldn't help but think what kind of perfume she used.

"Leo?" her soft voice echoed near the swing.

"I am still here, Ari," he whispered back.

"You still want to read my poems and stories?" she asked him, sitting back on the swing again with a box in her hands.

"Is that all from you?" he asked her in awe as he jumped down to the roof but stayed in the darkest parts of the shadows.

"Yeah, I guess I forgot to tell April that I do have a hobby or hobbies. One of the books is a photo album of the pictures that I take and also the drawings that I draw," she explained to him as she then very gently put the box on the ground that was close to him.

Kneeling down, Leo looked through her box and found the smell of her perfume strongest here.

"No offence or anything but what is the perfume that you use?" he asked her boldly.

"You don't like it?" she asked back.

"I do like it but, I am miffed on what it is," he expressed to her.

"Oh, well uhm. It's not really a perfume; it's my shampoo and conditioner with the lotion that I use daily. I use black raspberry vanilla for my hair and Peony lotion for my body, which I need some more of both soon," she said to him shrugging her shoulders.

"What kind of shampoo and conditioner? What brand, I guess I should ask you," he asked her, still looking through her box.

"Oh, uhm…I usually buy it at the local shop of Heavenly Body and Co.? they usually have both there and if not, they should have it in the back room area. That place is so wonderful to go, if you're female that is," she told him smiling at the end.

He softly chuckled and replied "Well I am not female however, I think April can go with you since she's been looking for good uhm…hair and body products for her husband, Casey to drool over,"

"How long have they been married Leo?" she asked him.

"For about a year and half which is frightening in and of itself because these two had a very strong dislike for one another. Now though, it's a bit weird," Leo began to tell the story of how April met his brothers and family and then how they met Casey and so on.

That night, Leo and Arienne talked nonstop. They discussed about a lot of topics, mostly what they both have in common and hobbies but Leo and Arienne both gave very little about their families or the situations that they both have been.

Night after night, Leo would go and visit Arienne. They would either talk nonstop for one night or just listen to the humming city. It was their outlet for one another and it gave them both peace within their minds and souls. For now, he and Arienne were taking their sudden friendship slowly.

Whenever Arienne's parents would argue with her about something, she would call Leo if he could come by. Most of the times he could but other times, and he would really hate himself for saying this, he couldn't.

Leo kept Arienne a secret from his family and mostly to his enemies. That was something that he couldn't bare to think about. That if his enemies knew of her, then she would get captured and tortured for information about him or his family and he wasn't going to let that happen.

April made a promise to Leo to keep Arienne a secret from the others of their tightly knit family. April didn't know why but she completely forgot who Arienne was after of a month though, she never forgot the promise that she made to Leo.

As the stars that were hidden by the city lights and the cars zooming throughout the city streets, Leo silently within his heart of his soul, was glad that he made the choice to stop at Arienne's house and to help her out.