Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT or any of it's characters. I do however, own Maya, Suki, Niko and the unborn baby.

Wow, it's been a while huh? I have no excuse this time...oh, wait...I've lost my motivation...and my laptop of three years finally kicked the bucket. Poor thing. It lasted a long time though, so it will always be remembered. I need some feed back people! Please! Give me ideas and I can type up another story!

XxX

"You're leaving, aren't you..." Maya asked as she watched Raph shrug on his old leather jacket and put his sais into his belt. "Please Raph...I thought we agreed, you wouldn't leave until at least Niko was at least sixteen. He needs his father."

Sighing quietly, Raph turned and looked over at his clearly upset wife. He didn't want to leave her or their children but the only way to keep them safe was if he left to go fight the Shredder with his brothers and April. If he ever found a way to this world there was no way any of them would surive. "Maya, I know what I said but I have ta go now. Usagi said that Leo and Mikey were almost killed in the last attack and I can't let that happen!"

"And what are we suppose to do? Just stay here and pretend that everything is still normal? Suki's ten years old and Niko is only four! And I'm two months pregnant!" By now she was in tears and tryiing to keep her voice down so she wouldn't wake up the kids. "I can't do this without you, not now!"

Closeing his eye tightly, Raph hung his head as Maya turned around and smothered her sobs with her hands, her tears leaving wet paths along the fur on her cheeks. Walking up behind her, he wrapped her in a tight hug and lightly put a hand on her tummy, imagining the tiny life the two of them made. Was it a boy or girl? What would they look like? The only things he hoped for was that they would be born healthy and happy and be a full term baby.

Niko had been born when Maya was only five months along, right in the middle of the orchard. There had been no time to go and get a midwife or call our for help because he needed to focus all his attention on catching him as he slid out of his mother's body. He had been so small and weak that many people in the nearby village didn't think he would make it.

But he proved everyone wrong. Their sickly son had grown into an adventurous toddler and was already showing signs that he would make a fine ninja when it came time for his training to start. But now...

Hugging her tighter, Raph let go then gently turned her around, holding her by the shoulders.

"I'm sorry Maya...but I have to do this...I have to make sure you and the kids'll be safe."

"...what do I tell them? They'll have questions...they'll want to know where their father went to..." She knew that look in his eye...there was no stopping him when he was like this. "What do I tell this one?" She put her hand on her tummy, feeling scared that she would have to be the one to raise their last child on her own until he came back.

"Tell them...tell them that I had to go to war...to protect the place where we came from. And tell this one...that their father is sorry he couldn't see them grow up, but that he loves them with everything he has." Cupping her face with his hands Raph kissed her deeply and hugged her one more time before turning towards the childrens room. "I'm going to say goodnight one last time."

Watching as Raph went to see Suki and Niko, Maya sank onto the pillows in the living room and curled up around herself. She would allow herself to cry after, when Raph was gone and no one was there to hear her.

Looked down at the sleeping faces of his children made him want to reconcider leaving them while they were still so young. But if he didn't leave now there was no telling what would happen to his brothers and April back on earth. If the Shredder killed them then there would be nothing stopping him from going to other worlds, finding other dimentions. The thought of what he would do to his family was to much to bear.

Swallowing hard, he kneeled down and lightly stroked Suki's hair, smiling slightly when she let out a loud yawn and leaned into his touch. "Daddy's gonna miss ya Suki...you gotta be a big girl and look afta mommy, Niko and the new baby...when you're older, the orchard'll belong to you..." After placing a light kiss on her forhead, he moved over to Niko's bed, silently admiring the way his dark green skin and black stripes made him blend in with the dark.

He had the look of a turtle minus the shell, with bits of cat thrown in. Like his sister, he had cat ears ontop of his head only his were black to match his stripes and tail. An added surprise was when he found out that his son could climb walls thanks to extremely thick and powerfull claws coming out of each finger and toe.

'The perfect ninja...only I may never get to see him reachi his full potental...'

He thought as he carefully picked Niko up and held him close, sniffling as he purred in his sleep. "You're the man of the house now son...you gotta look afta everyone once yer older...practice bein' a ninja...don't let me down..." With that, he put his son back into bed, tucked him in and gave him one last kiss goodnight before turning to leave.

"Daddy loves you both..."

Before he left, he picked Maya up from the floor and carried her to their room and made love to her one last time. They both needed this, to forget what was about to happen and just let go, to feel good. After Raph pushed himself deeper into Maya repeatedly then finished inside her while she clawed at his back panting, he watched her drift off to sleep, all the while stroking her hair and reminding her how much she ment to him.

Leaving his family was going to break his heart but if that's what needed to be done to keep them safe then so be it.

XxX

And that's the end of that. Just a quick oneshot to show the night Raph had to leave to go back to Earth. Not much but it's something to sink your teeth into. Meh. Tell me what you think and what you would like to see.

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