Chapter 1

Raphael furrowed his brows as Rachel zoomed around the room, "You were happy as a clam on the couch yesterday and now you're leaving?" he walked over and placed a hand on hers as she set a shirt in her suitcase, "Rae, what's wrong? Will you come back? I thought we had everything worked out…"

Rachel bit her lip as his hand touched hers. Her first instinct was to get her hand away from him, but she decided to just calm herself down. Yesterday she had no idea that she had been pregnant until she checked since her red moon didn't touch her for a long time and she had felt sick. Not only that, she persuaded Bria to also check and now that she knew, she wanted away. She wanted to get rid of the child, forget it happened, and get stronger birth control pills. "I'm fine; I'm going to be at my shop." She told him with a smile. "We're still together, I'm not leaving you. I merely want a visit with my friends. I'll be back before you know it. I promise."

"Take your shell cell, please?" Raph held her hand to his beak and kissed her fingers, "I love you, please be careful." He sensed there was something else besides the fact she wanted to see her friends, "I trust you." He wanted her to stay, but if she needed to go then he wouldn't force her.

"I know." Rachel said softly as he let her hand go. "I'll call you so often you'll probably turn off your phone." She joked lightly as she shut the suitcase closed and zipped it. She went to the night stand and took her shell cell and the charger cord. "I love you Raph." 'And that's why I gotta leave.' She thought to herself as she gave him a smile. "Don't worry about me."

"I'll worry about you anyway, and I'll call you just as much," Raphael laughed and hugged her, "I can carry your bag to the Turtle Taxi for you."

"Thanks." Rachel said as she pulled away from the hug.

Raphael felt she didn't want him to touch her, and was hurt, but he hid it and grabbed the suitcase. They walked out and downstairs and they waited in the living room for Bria where Donatello was pacing back and forth, "Yo, Don, what's up?"

Donny was worried. So far it had been a few months or so since Lily had left. He was getting anxious about how she was doing and whether or not she was okay. He looked up and his heart sank. Raph was carrying Rae's bag. Bria was just about done packing too. Where they trying to be subtle in their leaving or where they really going to come back? He bit his lip. "I'm just worried about Lily; she hasn't been home in a long time."

"She should be home very soon." Rachel soothed, knowing all to well that Lily must have already had her kittens and was just as ready to go home. "Don't worry yourself sick Don. She's fine."

"Here I am!" Lily shouted happily from the front door. She had only meant to spend a month, but Ian and the others had needed her help so she ended up staying for two more months. Sadly her shell cell had died halfway through the second month so she was only able to pass letters to Donatello. It had also been a very long three months considering she had to give up her kittens.

Lily had waited desperately hoping Fran would show and tell her to keep them, but as days and weeks went by he did not show, and so she had to give them to the women who promised to take care of them. It hurt her so much, she wanted to keep them, but she was afraid for them. The cat shook her head of the depressing thoughts and shut the door, hurrying over to Donny.

"Lily!" Donny cried out as he went over to her and hugged her tightly. After breathing in her scent for a while he let her go. "I was worried about you."

"I'm so sorry I took so long. Dire situations occurred and they kept me away," Lily wrapped her arms around Don's neck and sighed in relief, "I missed you so much.

"I missed you too." Donny said with a smile as he gently pulled away from her. "I'm so glad you came home safe."

"I'm glad I came back safe as well," Lily grinned but she reached up and traced the darkness under his eyes that had reached under his bandana, "You barely slept at all."

"How could I when I felt like you were in pain and scared?" Donny asked softly.

Lily bit her lip but then kissed him, "I love you, Donny. Come on, let us both rest."

Brianna hummed a random tune as she packed up her suitcase. She felt this was her only choice, there was too much going on that would harm the child either physically or mentally. One enemy or another would take the babe, or some disaster would happen that would kill them. She couldn't let anything like that or worse happen.

"You and Rae are leaving." Leo said softly in the doorway, "What for?" He walked close and looked at the suitcase. "Is it anything I can do to help with?"

"Leo!" Bria gasped and placed a hand over her chest, "You startled me!' she thought over what he asked and couldn't bring herself to speak the lie she had thought about telling him to explain her absence. Instead she sighed and sat on the bed, placing her hand over her abdomen, "The only thing you can help me with is settling my soul with what you have to say."

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" Leo frowned as he made his place on the bed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He paused, thinking. "Are you thinking of giving the child away for adoption?"

"Yes…Rae knows of some supernatural people," Bria murmured, "Leo, I want to keep the baby, I don't want to give them up, but…what else can I do?"

"What you can do, is ask if there's a family that wouldn't mind watching the child at least until you're able to come for it." Leo replied softly, "Is Rae going to give your child to the family or is someone else?"

"I'll do it myself," Bria smiled at Leo and hugged him, "When the time comes, we'll both get the child," she told him, "I'm not a monster for giving him/her away, am I? Being scared for them…is that enough reason?"

"You're not a monster. You're doing the right thing, Bria." Leo said softly with a smile. "It's admirable, and I know that the child will be safe. I wish I could come with you, to be there, but I don't know where you're going or where Rae's planning to take you. I'll always be a phone call away."

"What do you want to name them?" Bria smiled as she got back up and finished her packing, "I need a boy and a girl name since I won't know what the baby will be until he/she arrives."

"Penny and David," Leo said as after a while of silence, "Unless you know a better boys' name." He smiled at her kindly.

"I love David," Brianna giggled and zipped the suitcase, "Thank you so much, Lionheart. I love you." She kissed him tenderly, "I think you should tell Raph. I don't know Rae's reasons, but he should know."

Leo blinked, "Rachel's pregnant too?" He paused. "Of course I'll tell him, I'll let him know."

Raphael watched as Brianna came out with Leonardo and smiled faintly at how affectionate they seemed. However, the red-clad turtle did not miss when they hugged how Leo's hand drifted close to her abdomen, but then quickly let her go. Frowning he followed his elder brother and the girls out to the Turtle Taxi and they put the bags in the trunk as the girls got in front, "Rae, be careful," he said again, "Call me if you need anything, and I'll give it to Andy to give to you if you're that set against me not being with you."

"I'll be fine." Rachel soothed at him. "I'll call you even if I don't need anything. I want you with me...just not for this. See you soon." She kissed his cheek before she got in and shut the door. The engine started, the garage door opened, and the turtle taxi drove off into the night.

Leo walked next to him. "We need to talk, Raph." He said solemnly. It was going to be difficult to explain. He bit his lip. "Come on, I'll make something for us to drink."

Raph frowned as he watched the road until the garage door closed all the way again. He turned and followed his brother to the kitchen, "It seems I have a lot more work to do with her, bro. She won't tell me shit."

"If she told you the same thing Bria told me, your actions may cause a deep rift." Leo said softly. He understood Rae's fear. After all, Donny had told them that they can't reproduce. Now, it turned out that they can. Raph would be in shock, maybe even angry at being deceived, even though it wasn't Donny's fault. "It's a scary road she's going down, and even though it'd be easier to have someone with her, she didn't want you to...because she wants to keep herself in a light that you see her in."

"You're speaking riddles. I had enough riddles for a lifetime with the test she gave me. Give it to me straight, Leo," Raphael scowled.

"Rae and Bria are expecting a child." Leo said bluntly, "Our children."

Raph took a step back like he had been punched in the chest. That's what it felt like anyway. His heart suddenly hurt and he furrowed his brows as he gripped the chair, mindlessly pulling it out enough to sit in it before he fell from the shock. She left...because she was pregnant? She distanced herself because…

"Oh…" he wheezed, "That's…that's fantastic. Just what I needed, more problems with her…she doesn't want the child does she? She wants to give it up and forget about it…like it never happened. She doesn't want to know she spawned a child from a damned turtle. I get it, that's just swell." Raphael stood back up, "That's why she didn't want me touching her. Makes sense now…"

"No!" Leo shook his head quickly. "I doubt that. I think she wants to give it to a better home because she doubts her capabilities of taking care of a child. I think she also believes you're not ready to be a father. To be honest, I think she's doing the right thing. The Foot would just enjoy taking our children and using them for experiments."

Raph looked at Leo squarely, "That may be true, but you didn't feel rejected earlier. She didn't want me near her. I held her hand, she was relieved when I let go. I hugged her; she wanted nothing more than to get away."

Leo frowned. "I don't know what to say to that." He admitted. "What I will say is this, I think your wrong about her not wanting to be around you, if anything, I think she knows that what she's about to do will hurt and even betray you. I think she feels as if she's unworthy to be held by you. But that's my opinion."

"Unworthy?" Raphael chewed his lip, "That...does seem like her. Though being a turtle I feel it should be the other way around, that I'm unworthy of her." He shook his head, "I suppose you're right. My hot head would've caused a rift...but with what I've been through with her how else was I supposed to think? You and Bria are, like, the perfect couple, no problems at all so far, you don't think twice about what she does or says, you know she loves you. Rae...she's still so hesitant, I get confused. You know me and when I'm confused, I don't do well."

"Bria and I have problems too like any couple." Leo disagreed. "We just know how to talk it over." He paused. "Rae's been through a lot and so have you. It takes a toll on both of you."

"Yes it does," Raph sighed and then patted Leo's shoulder, "Thanks, bro. So, what do you think the little squirt will be for you? I always pictured you having a son."

"It may be," Leo said with a smile. "I hope it is. But I'll be content with a girl too. What about you?"

Raph smiled faintly, "I'll have to rely on Bria telling me what the kit is, but I don't really care. Though if it's a girl, I'd hope she looks just like her mother," he grinned, "What would you name your boy?"

"No, we haven't sadly," Raph shrugged, "If it's a girl, I've always liked Natalie or Grace," he smiled happily, "I hope the pregnancy goes okay. Let's tell Donny when he wakes up; I'm sure he will want to run tests and other scientific stuff."

"I think so too." Leo replied with a slight smile. "Let's go inside."