True Love’s Kiss...

Back in the lair, the air was charged with nervous energy. Everyone was worried about Liz, and as more time passed it was obvious she was getting much worse. Her once lively skin tone was now slowly turning paler by the second and her lip started taking on a bluish tinge to them. Her beautiful brown hair was also turning whiter by the hour…. It was painfully obvious to everyone there in the lair that they did not have a lot of time to find the cure. Everyone had at that point gathered in the dojo to trade thoughts on how to save Liz but for some reason Master Splinter had asked Leo to keep watch over Liz, just in case she wakes up. 

            Behind the closed doors of the dojo, Donnie passes a cup of green tea to Gwen and she accepts with a small smile. She takes a grateful sip letting the warmth of the tea comfort her. She knows this spell… it was one she was warned about in fairy tales. A specific one called 'Legend of the Ice Queen'... this was a bad omen for sure.

                                   "So, Gwen," Donnie spoke first and Gwen hesitantly looked up from her tea cup to face him, "you said you recognized this curse… can you elaborate? Just so we know what we are dealing with and how to--"

                                    "If you're holding anything back the only person you're hurting is her." Raph said gruffly as he cut Donnie off mid sentence, "If you know what the cure is we will do whatever it takes to get it, you don't owe us anything, we just wanna help… Understand?"

             Donnie and Mikey don't even hesitate to voice their agreements with Raph and for once it seems like they were all on the same page. The girls trade somber knowing looks and each of them nodded in agreement.

              Gwen lets out a heavy sigh that seemed to be loaded with the weight of a thousand worlds, "This is a curse from an ancient legend turned fable but still holds a grain of truth to this day. The legend of the Ice Queen… she was not always evil and it was said she was once a beautiful princess beloved by all whom she met-- but an envious sorceress cursed her heart to freeze and with that she changed drastically into the evil that became the Ice Queen."

                                    "Well?!" Mikey, who was on the verge of tears and on the edge of his seat while listening to Gwen tell her story, speaks up, "What's the cure to the frozen heart? I mean there has gotta be a cure right?! RIGHT?!?!?!"

             This time it is Vicky who speaks up, "It's not that simple… a curse on the heart has to be cured the same way."

                                     "Now who's speaking mumbo jumbo?" Raph snarked which earned him a glare from Vicky.

                                     "What Vicky means is that if a person has a frozen heart, another person with a warm heart must do an act of true love to thaw said frozen heart... it is the only way." Gwen looks down into her cup glumly then sets the cup on the tea tray.

            Just then Leo burst into the dojo, "Guys she's getting worse!!"

            Within minutes everyone was up and out of the dojo and in the living room huddling around the couch where Liz laid unconscious. Her once wavy brown hair is now the color of freshly fallen snow, her skin is pale beyond belief, her once rosie pink lips are now blueish- purple, and frost was beginning to form on her shirt and pants. Vicky clenched her fists and was just about to bolt again, when something warm and rough grabbed her hand… snapping her out of her thoughts of running anywhere. She looks at what has her hand to see it was Raph's hand firmly holding hers. This caused her to blush and when their eyes met she looked away nervously. Leo looks down at Liz and even in her changed state she still looks beautiful to him. With Master Splinter being ever so perceptive to the emotions of his sons, silently signals for everyone to go back to the dojo. Since everyone caught on to the hints Master Splinter was throwing out, and since Leo was lost in his own thoughts, the only people left in the living room were Leo and an unconscious Liz.

            Leo easily kneels by her side and takes one of her freezing limp hands in his, "I apologize in advance for what I'm about to do. If it were up to me this would happen under much different circumstances and this usually works to break curses in the fairy tales… so, no more stalling."

             He lets out a shaky breath as if he was trying to calm his nerves and failing miserably. Then his eyes close as he leans down, bracing his other hand on the armrest by her head, and covers her lips with his in a very gentle manner. One second passed then another, he pulled away from her slowly fearing it was a myth about a true love's kiss… suddenly Liz's eyes fluttered open and relief flooded through Leo's chest. In one swift motion, Leo lifts her up in his arms and does the unthinkable…. He kisses her. Liz's eyes widened to diner plates at the sudden display of affection but as the kiss continued her eyes slowly closed as she began to kiss him back. Her hands roam over his large muscular shoulders and chest, and then the mood is killed by a sudden cough in the background which makes her pull away from him as if he had cooties. Yet Leo still had a firm grip on her waist and gave no intentions of letting go any time soon.

                                     "Well, don't stop on our account." Vicky teased, "But you two lovebirds might wanna think about getting a room to share if he kisses you like 'that'...ok kids?"

             Once reality sets in on Liz about what just happened, she is as pink as pepto-bismol, which is not too hard since her complexion is completely paler than a ghost. Also she notices his arm is still around her waist. Liz looked up to protest the situation but found that his brothers, and her sisters, and even Master splinter had all but left the area… leaving her all alone with Leonardo. She turns to face him and she is met with him pulling her into a tight hug.

                                     "I'm sorry… I should have asked but there was no time… you were… I thought…" he was trembling and tripping all over his words, her heart ached at the pain in his voice so she did the one thing she could do to comfort him.

    She pulled herself away and gently held his face in her hands, "Leonardo, you saved my life that much I am aware of and I am eternally grateful."

    With that last statement she ends it with a slow and meaningful kiss full of hidden desire. This coaxes a low moan from Leo as he then suddenly sweeps her up bridal style and makes his way to his room at a hurried pace. Liz lets out a laugh that's a cross between excited and giddy. Somehow she knows he would never do anything to hurt her, and that made Liz feel safe in Leo's capable hands.