Hey all, so this is a fic I have had stuck in my head for a bit now, so I am finally writing it. This is for SleepingSeeker who wanted a Leo love story:)

Also don't worry, I have not forgotten or abandoned my other fics, I hope to have updates for all of them soon.

Anyway I hope you all enjoy. It is a little more lighthearted than my other fics, so enjoy:)

Chapter 1

Leonardo stared out into the darkened night, the horizon lit with the electric lights that filled the city that never slept with a yellowish glow.

Tonight the city was louder and more alive than it usually was. More people roamed the busy streets, laughing, talking and enjoying the company, the thrill and mystique that only Halloween night could bestow. The only other night that was filled with more revelers packing the streets was New Years Eve.

He looked down upon the street below and watched as the humans pretended to be monsters for one night, and then tomorrow, would pack away all of the costumes, the makeup, fangs, masks and wigs for another year; becoming human again -normal again. But Leonardo knew that he and his brothers were not normal and never could be. They could not easily remove a costume, but were instead freaks of nature that would terrify and be hated by the humans if they ever discovered their existence. He and his brothers were this city's hidden protectors, and would always exist outside of that world -in the shadows- helping the very humans that would seek to destroy them.

Even Leonardo could appreciate the irony of the situation, but tonight his thoughts were not occupied by such weighty subjects or thoughts. In fact, they were otherwise occupied by his younger, hot-headed brother's words instead.

"I am not boring," he grumbled out loud to himself. "And I do not have a giant stick shoved up my ass. I know how to have fun, I'm just too busy to have fun," he continued mumbling before realizing he was talking to himself and continued his irritated monologue in his head. It isn't my fault that I have to be the responsible one because no one else in this family seems to know the meaning of the word.

With the death of their father two years ago, it seemed to be harder and harder to keep his brothers in line. He knew that he could never replace Master Splinter, but still, the burden of the responsibility for his family's health, happiness, and general welfare had fallen upon his shoulders. And although he was only 25, he felt 50 going on 70 for all the trouble his brothers had gotten into lately.

His brother's antics would have given him grey hair if he had any, but lately it seemed as if his brother's were pushing the limits of his tolerance for disobedience, mischief and risks.

It had begun with Donatello leading a very big, very viscous, very territorial guard dog on a merry chase through a junkyard, toppling over a large, teetering pile of junk that had caused a near chain reaction of catastrophic proportions as seven other piles had fallen in reaction to the first. Donatello was lucky to have gotten out in one piece and had almost been caught, by the night guard.

Then there had been Raphael, who after a night of stalking and searching for gangland scum to teach a lesson to, had come home with a knife wound in his side that had Leonardo praying to any god who would listen to spare his brother's life.

And finally there had been Michelangelo, who had been caught skulking around a comic book store by a couple of teenage girls who had posted pictures of him all over the internet. (Luckily the girls had thought their brother was wearing a cosplay -whatever that was- costume, but still.) He had tried to get Donatello to erase any and all of the pictures from the internet, but Donatello had informed him that once something was posted, it would be a futile effort to try to get rid of it.

He let out a heavy puff of warm air that condensed, turning into a light white mist before it vanished. He rubbed his jacket clad arms, the weather unseasonably cold this year and grimaced in irritation.

His brothers had all ganged up on him, telling him he needed to 'relax' and 'chill' when Leonardo had begun into a lecture on proper behaviour. Raphael had then informed him that he 'wouldn't know fun if it snuck up on him and bit him in the ass.' Leonardo had refuted his brother's accusation, but Michelangelo had readily agreed with Raphael's words, which had consequently injured his feelings for some reason. Raphael had then said he was' boring' and had a huge stick shoved so far up his ass, that it would take a twenty pound crane to drag it out. Leonardo had protested this and was about to give Raphael the tongue lashing he deserved, right up until Donatello -that traitor- had agreed with Raphael.

Leonardo had felt as if a knife had been plunged into his back at his brother's words. Donatello had then amended that he wasn't agreeing with the stick thing, but that Leonardo did have to loosen up because he was turning into a cranky, boring, curmudgeon.

The last word had confused Raphael and Michelangelo until Donatello had easily explained that curmudgeon meant that he was a surly and bad tempered, and held tightly onto his convictions even if they were wrong.

Which brought Leonardo back to why he was sitting on a rooftop, getting cold, and watching the ever growing throng of humans gathered in the streets of Times Square.

Raphael had bet him that he wouldn't be able to mingle with the humans and have a good time for just one night. And since it was Halloween, he could technically do this, even though he didn't want to. Unfortunately he couldn't turn down his brother's challenge because if he did, it would mean his brothers were right, and he couldn't let them be right, because he didn't want them to be right.

He took a deep breath, bracing himself before he silently made his way to the teeming mass of humanity below.

(Page Break)

Raphael watched as his older brother slipped from the rooftop and made his way to street level, where things were beginning to get a little rowdy, but so far, not in a bad way.

"You really think that this is a good idea?" Donatello asked in a worried voice.

Raphael gave an unconcerned shrug. "He'll be fine. If he even manages to talk to a human I'll be amazed. Besides, you're the one who called him a curmudgeon."

Michelangelo chuckled at the word, smiling broadly. "Don't worry, Donny, Raph's right, and I think this will be good for him. The only time he actually leaves the lair is to go out on patrol or go to April and Casey's."

"And get us out of trouble." Donatello pointed out.

"Yeah," Michelangelo agreed. "But that's still like...work."

They all nodded thoughtfully in agreement.

Raphael stretched and smiled. "So what are we going to do now that Leo is finally out of the lair?"

Michelangelo grinned. "Skateboard soap hockey?" Michelangelo's eyes lit up with excitement.

Raphael grinned and looked towards Donatello who shrugged. "Just try not to break anything. If we don't keep the lair in order and everything just the way Leo left it, then we will never get Leo out of the lair EVER again," he warned.

"And then Leo'll make us do double training and double patrols," Michelangelo squeaked in horror.

They all shared a look of grim, feigned horror.

"Watch a movie?" Michelangelo offered up after a few moments of silence.

"Yeah, good idea," Raphael agreed sullenly, turning and making his way back home.

(page break)

Leonardo scanned the crowd and moved easily through it. No one gave him a second glance. He had been stopped a few times as he was given a thumbs up at being 'dressed as that guy on the internet', but he had still felt extremely uncomfortable.

He wanted to vanish back into the shadows, hide and not be pretending that he was a guy dressed in a turtle suit. He wanted to be back home, quietly enjoying a book on his bed while mentally compiling the training routines he was going to do with his brothers, and what routes they would patrol that night.

Even though they had a truce with Karai, Hun and the Purple Dragons, Bishop and Baxter Stockman, it didn't mean that there weren't still crimes being committed; they were just being committed by other street thugs or random individuals. And even though Leonardo would admit that their lives were a lot less dangerous than they had been, it didn't mean that they could stray from their mission, or their duties as ninjas.

He stumbled slightly as someone bumped into him. He flinched back from the contact but found that his arm was being held in a firm grip. He balled his hand into a fist, ready to defend himself from what he automatically felt was a threat.

"Sorry," a soft feminine voice said as he caught the profile of a woman dressed as a fairy, threading her way through the crowd. He had a fleeting impression of long golden-brown and copper hair laced with silver ribbons and threaded with cerulean blue and silver leaves. Large ethereal silver wings emerged from her back and bobbed slightly as she vanished into the crowd. He uncurled his fist, hating himself for reacting to a gentle touch as if it was an attack.

He closed his eyes and tried to relax, realizing that his brothers might be right about his needing to unwind. Although looking around the crowd, he could admit to himself that he didn't belong here -and not just because he was a mutant turtle pretending he wasn't. It was more that he had no interest in what was going on around him. He didn't know anyone, the crowd was too loud, too many moving bodies in a tight space, he didn't drink, didn't want to get to know anyone, talk to anyone and he was bored.

Whatever his idea of 'fun' was, it wasn't this.

He sighed, knowing he couldn't go home yet. He would have to stay put for at least an hour before he could head back to the lair and pretend he had actually enjoyed himself. He glanced up, eyes darting along the rooftops above him wondering if his brothers had stopped spying on him yet. He could not see shadows hunched within the darkness and determined his brothers were gone.

He let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding and felt his shoulders sag with relief. Just because he couldn't go home didn't mean he had to hang around in the crowd any longer. He would stay, but he could hang around the fringes, rather than in the center.

He made his way carefully through the throng, avoiding the humans and managing to make his way to the back of the crowd. He took in a relieved breath and felt some of the tension leave his shoulders. The crowd was more manageable here.

A flash of silver caught his attention out of the corner of his eye, dragging his gaze towards an alley where a silver wing slipped from view.

He was about to turn away when he saw two men slink into the alley. Adrenalin flared to life within him, prickling across his skin as his muscles tensed, ready for a fight. Stealthily he fell into the shadows creeping his way towards the entrance of the alley.

Two costumed men were blocking his view of the woman, but he could just make out the curve of a silver wing.

"Come on," one man -the taller of the two- encouraged, a lustful lilt to his voice. "Just one kiss from the pretty fairy, that's all I'm looking for," he edged closer as the woman took a step back, the moon caught her hair, illuminating the silver ribbons and blue and silver leaves.

Recognizing her as the woman that had bumped into him, he slowly slid his katana blades from their sheaths and made his way silently into the alley, ducking into the shadows, the darkness cloaking him and hiding his movements.

"I already told you, no," the woman fumed, sounding more angry than frightened.

"Maybe he'll turn into a handsome prince," the other man, -the shorter, lankier of the two- piped up, and Leonardo wondered if the two men were drunk. There movements were slightly hunched and jerky.

"I don't think any amount of kissing would turn your friend into a handsome anything." she replied scathingly as Leonardo inched closer.

"Oh, snap, she's got a mouth on her," the lanky one said with a hint of humour in his voice.

"I can tell you what else I want her to do with her mouth," the bigger man insinuated, his voice full of laughter at his witty rejoinder.

"You're disgusting," the woman shot back, taking another step away from them. "Just because you look like pigs doesn't mean you have to act like ones."

"We're goblins," the lanky one said smoothly, his costume strongly resembling a pig, or boar, with a pig-like snout and tusks. "What do you expect?"

"Ahh I see," the woman said with laughter lacing her words. "And what would a goblin wish with gold and a fairy's kiss? Do you think that because you are a fairy that I would allow you to get even close to me?"

"I'm a goblin, not a fairy." the bigger man bit back.

The woman laughed. "Still a fairy."

"Call me a fairy again..." the man snarled.

"Fine, fine," she said with a wave of her hand, "Goblin wretch, how is that?"

"Much better," the larger man sniffed smoothing out his clothing, a black armband with a red symbol embroidered onto it.

Leonardo frowned noticing that the lanky man also wore the same armband.

"She's right though, we're still technically fairies," the lanky man put in.

"Shut up, Josh," the larger man growled. "And stop getting sidetracked," he said turning his attention away from his friend and looking at the woman, whose face Leonardo still could not see as the two men began stalking threateningly towards her. "A kiss was just a small tithe, something that would have gotten you a little better treatment. But because you refused, well, now things are going to get very unpleasant for you."

"I can only imagine," she replied sarcastically.

"Wait, Carl, look at her arm." Both men looked at the blue arm band shot through with silver embroidery.

"We found her!" the lanky man shouted enthusiastically.

"Found me?" the woman asked. "Why were you looking for me? There are any number of other-"

"Mandrake wants you," the bigger man said with a satisfied tone.

"W-why? We have a truce," she refuted.

"We never had a truce," the taller man informed her threateningly.

Leonardo was finally able to see her face, the smile falling from her lips, the rest of her expression hidden by the silver half mask she wore.

"If he thinks to ransom me..." she began, but the larger man cut her off.

"He wants you."

"Why me?" she asked taking another step back.

"Because your mother is dead."

"W-what?!" she stammered. "That's impossible," she said shaking her head back and forth. "My mother was heavily guarded-"

"Traitors within her guards," the lanky man said smugly. "And Mandrake has heard of your reputed beauty and has spared your life so that you may sit at his feet, slave to his every whim and desire."

"No," she said as she tried to dart away.

Leonardo moved then, leaping from the shadows. "Step away from her," he snarled lowly, swords ready as he slid into a defensive posture.

The two men looked over their shoulders in surprise. "Come on! We found her first," the lanky one whined.

"So you think you can steal her from us and give her to Mandrake and claim all the credit? I don't think so," the larger of the men said as he spun hoisting a battle axe up and over his head before bringing it down. Leonardo spun his finely honed katana blade easily slicing through the wooden handle of the axe.

The bigger man's face was vaguely boar-like as well in appearance. He wasn't wearing a mask, but he was heavily made up with makeup and prosthetic pieces that had been applied to his face to create the pig-like effect. He looked down at the head of his axe which had fallen to the ground.

The two men looked at each other in shock. "Dude, are those real?" the lanky one asked.

Leonardo didn't answer, only lunging at them.

"Poison smoke bomb!" the lanky man yelped as he threw three black fist sized bags at him. Leonardo spun, managing to kick the bags away and back towards the fleeing men. Leonardo then turned, grabbing the woman around her waist and hauling her further into the alley. Ignoring her light flowery scent and the warmth of her body burning through his clothing he waited for the three bags that now lay on the ground to explode or hiss with poisonous gas.

He relaxed, releasing her when the bags did nothing but lay there. He supposed the two men were bluffing; perhaps had planned on using the bags to try to coerce the woman to going with them quietly, possibly by threatening the populace.

He turned to her. He had expected her to run, most of the people they rescued tended to flee as soon as they were able. But she hadn't.

"Are you really taking me to Mandrake?" she asked him. "Or are you on our side since you are wearing blue?"

He frowned at her. "I'm not with them," he answered, sheathing his weapons.

"Then, thank you for saving me," she smiled at him. "But the goblin was right you know, real weapons aren't allowed," she said pointing at his katana blades. "And if you are on our side you should be wearing your colours on your arm," she said stepping into him, her breasts brushing across his jacket covered chest, arms going around his neck. He was so shocked by the movement and by her proximity that he didn't even react as she deftly untied his mask and removed it from around his eyes, before she easily tied it around his upper arm.

She stepped back allowing himself to finally get a good look at her. Her hair fell around and over her shoulders in a waterfall of golden, russet and copper waves. Her pale skin almost glowed in the moonlight, her silver cupid's bow lips raised in a smile. The rest of her face was obscured by a sliver and blue half mask shaped like a delicate butterfly. His eyes travelled down past silver butterfly wings just over her shoulders to a slim figure, the filmy, diaphanous cerulean blue dress lovingly hugging each pleasing curve of her body.

"There we go. Though you don't have a clan mark either, or did you defect?"

"I-what?" he shook himself, feeling confused. The woman had just been told that her mother had been killed and she had almost been kidnapped and she seemed ot be strangely composed.

The smile fell from her face, her hand flying up and covering her mouth. "Oh my God, you aren't larping are you?"

"Huh?" he asked stupidly, finding that she had so far completely managed to rob him of all coherent speech.

"You aren't part of the New York Masque of the Courts Halloween Ball are you?"

"Uh… the what?" he asked feeling out of his depth.

" Live action role playing."

"Live action role playing?" he asked completely mystified.

"I'm so embarrassed," she said hands still held up to her face, before she let out a gasp. "And you thought those guys were really...? I thought the bad acting and lousy dialogue would have given everything away."

"So those men weren't...?" Leonardo's voice trailed off as he walked over and picked up one of the black bags the men had dropped. He opened one poured out the rice that was inside. He felt his own cheeks heat with embarrassment. He closed his eyes, realizing that he was wound so tightly, he was looking for trouble where there wasn't any.

"Uh...no. It's part of the game," she answered. "The two courts the Seelie and Unseelie are to meet on All Hallows Eve when the borders between this world and the other world is at its thinnest. So they have a ball, drink and dance, but apparently the Unseelie's King has decided to...sorry." she cut herself off with an embarrassed cough. "I don't normally...my co-worker Marissa was supposed to play the Seelie princess Aeri, but she came down with laryngitis, and bronchitis, so she asked me to fill in. I agreed since I knew what was going on because that is all she has talked about for...and I wasn't busy... and I'm rambling, sorry."

"No, that's okay," he said opening his eyes and standing, feeling like an idiot.

Seeming to sense his discomfort and possibly his irritation, she approached him slowly. "But seriously, if I had have been in trouble, I know I would have appreciated the help, so thank you."

He gave a hitched shrug, and took a deep breath. He tried to look at the bright side, at least someone had actually thanked him for saving them -even if she hadn't actually needed saving- it was nice to not be feared more than the perpetrators they were usually saving the victims from.

"And with the fancy sword work, I take it that you practice a lot."

He gave a half smile which felt strained, bitter even. "You could say that." He mentally shook himself realizing that he was getting upset because he knew the only reason this woman wasn't running away from him in fear was because she thought he was in a costume.

"I feel bad now." She reached out and touched his arm.

He flinched slightly and looked down at his arm, surprised by the gentle touch. The only human who ever touched them without the intent of injury was April, and not recoiling was something he found hard not to do.

"I wish I could repay you in some way..." she bit her lip and his eyes drifted over the silver lips, indented slightly by her white teeth. He wondered for a moment what it would be like to pretend to be human, for just one night. Maybe kiss a woman, feel her touch without her drawing away in horror.

So deep in his thoughts had he fallen that he almost completely missed her next words.

"...Fairy kiss brings good luck and a thirty pound bag of gold," she said with an embarrassed smile. "That's why the 'goblins' wanted...never mind."

He blinked down at her as she stepped into him. "May good fortune smile upon you," she said with a self depreciating smile, "Knight Errant," she gave him a kiss on the cheek, pausing for a moment and then pulling away.

She was looking at him, but he was unable to read her expression -hidden as it was behind the mask- but he felt that suddenly something had changed. He body language shifted and he felt his muscles tighten, his fight or flight responses flushing his body with skin tingling adrenalin.

She took another slow step back, tipping her head to the side. A buzzing noise came from her side and she jumped slightly before rummaging around in the folds of her filmy, frothy, layered blue gown.

"Eleven o'clock," she said looking at cell phone. "That means we all gather for the Ball, and I suspect Coronation too, since Mandrake 'killed' my mother. Which means I become Queen of the Seelie court. And Mandrake's evil plains have been foiled for another year."

He looked at her and he had no idea what expression was upon his face because he didn't know what emotions to feel. She had lightly kissed him on the cheek, but her lips had been soft and warm and had sent a spark of something through him.

"Right...uh...thanks again," she said swiftly walking past him.

He didn't know what to say or do, and knew there wasn't anything he could do. It wasn't as if he had any reason to talk with her anymore, and she was obviously busy, doing her...larping thing...

Manners however forced him to acknowledge her words of gratitude. "You are welcome," he turned and bowed his head to her.

She gave an awkward wave before turning on her heel and striding towards the mouth of the alley. Her pace slowed and she mumbled something under her breath, turning around, but now slowly walking backwards. "Are you busy?" she asked motioning with her cell phone. "Since I'm the Queen now, I could use an Knight Errant to protect me from the rampant Unseelie hordes until Midnight when the veil rises and we vanish into the night. "

Every instinct within him screamed at him to decline, turn and vanish into the shadows and forget the fairy woman in front of him. There would be no point. Much like Cinderella the night would end at midnight, and the beauty offered in front of him would vanish, and his coach would turn back into a pumpkin. He swallowed, about to decline her offer, but instead he gave a respectful bow. "As my Queen commands."

"And what do I call you, Sir Knight?"

"Leonardo," he answered truthfully, not even trying to come up with pseudonym.

"Well then, Sir Leonardo, shall we?" She held out her hand and after a moment's hesitation, took it.

Thoughts and opinions are always welcome:)