I am sooo sorry everyone. I really am. But with writer's block on how to bring together this chapter and coming up with ANY ideas to continue this story and any sequels have left me nearly with nothing. Not to mention the (forgive my literal language) hell that I went through in life outside of this story. I mean, I had school to finish, exams for Honors and AP, and the whole looking at houses thing and moving, then there was my vacation thing with just my phone as the only thing with wi-fi in which I could use and then I forgot my folder with the plans for the next chapters. Ugh. It's a lot of work. And then I get new ideas for other stories; and there was this really good one that I was on like the third chapter but since I didn't check my fanfiction account it was automatically erased. Yeah, a living hell for a writer. And since I'm in a rented house I have to use my phone's wi-fi on the computer and the one I had didn't work and I got a new phone. Though that last part is actually not so bad.

Although if I am able to finish some other stories or one-shots or chapters I'll try to upload them as soon as possible. But no promises. School is starting soon, anyways. And it's a new school too. One in which I'm taking art! I could only be allowed one so I didn't get the chance to audition for Creative Writing. But I've got to be honest: I would have been accepted-no questions asked.

Well: enjoy the next (this) chapter.

P.S. I DO NOT own Finding Nemo or Disney or The Little Mermaid. Characters and all.

CHAPTER 7

By the next day, the turtle brothers were well rested and had split into two groups with their two closest human friends. While Donatello and Michelangelo paired off with Casey to the other side of the mall, April, Raphael, and Leonardo were in search of the things in which every newborn would need: clothes, bibs, bottles, and blankets, with the resident hot-head and future father as the bag holder.

Raphael had no idea how girls enjoyed shopping. Oh, wait. Looking down at his current predicament he answered his own question when he looked back up at April chatting animatedly with his mate quite enthusiastically. Of course, he always thought that his every day work out's would pay off, but this was ridiculous. While Leo didn't have to hold on to anything for obvious reasons, April had thrown all the bags from the four different stores they went through on to Raphael's grasp, so, of course any chick would like to go shopping for a long, long, agonizingly long time as long as they had a mule to carry all they have bought. Swell.

He followed the eager red head and the nervous leaf green turtle to the next baby store, mind snoozing off to Lalaland as he waited by the entrance for both of his charges. Twenty minutes later, April dragged an abashed turtle to the counter, ready to pay for whatever she had picked worthy. He went to them, peeking over her shoulder to see just what she had picked this time. Baby bottles with the animated baby sea turtle's large dark eyes staring back up at him. He had to admit it was rather cute, though, so he couldn't complain at all at the red head's pick.

While April had the bottles paid for, the cashier, a young lady with straight brown hair, stared curiously at the three of them. April noticed and saw the question in the eyes of the young girl and settled with a quick lie, grasping onto Leo's arm and laying her head on his shoulder while giving the girl a dopey smile. "Oh, this is my husband," she said in an upbeat voice, "and he's a friend helping out." She waved her hand behind to him. If his size didn't intimidate her into believing the quick lie, his hard stare must have for the brief moment that the girl's eyes stared into his sunglasses rather curiously and flirtatiously before turning back to her work, giving April the shopping bag and wishing a good day to them. Before Raphael could turn around to follow them, the cashier girl leaned over the counter and dropped a small slip of paper into the open pocket of his jacket, flashing him a smile before waving him good bye.

Once he was outside he could feel Leo's unsettled aura hit him like a freight train. Raphael didn't need to strip Leonardo of the dark blue beanie, sunglasses, or scarf to know that his cheeks were a darker shade of green verging on to a burgundy color, most likely burning with jealousy, and sapphire eyes scrutinizing him down like a child that had been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. And, technically, he wasn't the one to stick his hand anywhere on anyone else but his precious mate.

Leo stalked over to him and reached a hand into his pocket, bringing out the small slip of paper that most likely held the girls phone number and tore it into little pieces before throwing the shredded slip into the nearest trash bin and returning once more to his friend and mate. Well, that would be one disappointed girl in the world. Raph smirked, falling into step with his still burning mate before pushing him into the hall that led to the restrooms. April had taken the hint and stayed waiting for them to be ready to continue, a small amused smile on her lips.

With little effort, Raphael backed Leonardo into an isolated corner until his mate was stopped by the wall, Raphael blocking out any other view.

Even though he knew exactly why his brother had him in this position, Leo still asked with venom laced in his voice. "What?" he spat.

Raphael remained quiet before bringing his hands up to place his sunglasses on top of his forehead and repeating the procedure on Leo, minding the bags that claimed his wrists. His amused amber eyes stared down at Leo's hardened sapphire blues. "You know 'what'?" he replied casually in a whisper. Leo's eyes squinted in irritation before looking to the side, his way of showing he didn't want to talk before breaking. Raphael grasped his chin and turned Leo's face to him. "Ya kno ya don' hav' ta be jealous o' some strange broad takin' me off into tha sunset." It was a statement rather than a question for it held no room for doubts or any pointless argument.

Leo's soul stared into Raphael before realizing that he had nothing to envy for, he was Raphael's one and only.

Raphael smiled as his mate's eyes relaxed and his aura was calm once more. He kissed the top of the other mutants head, wishing nothing more than to strip their clothes and give him a proper one, skin on skin, but, of course, any unfortunate human that came by would call the authorities.

On the other hand, Leo had the same thoughts in mind, a knowing smirk glinting in his sapphire eyes. "You owe me?" he rasped out, barely above a whisper.

Raphael played along, a smirk stretching along his own lips. "So, you wanna get funky tonight?"

A playful punch to the arm sent out a chuckle from the large anthropomorphic turtle. Leo brushed past his beloved and set towards their human friend, remembering to bring down the sunglasses and almost subconsciously starting to move his hips from side to side, a move he had perfected after he and his Raphael had become one.

The breath was knocked out of Raph in the most pleasurable way possible as his vision was brought down to the swaying hips. He knew that with no unnecessary clothes to cover that gorgeous bottom of his beloveds, he knew for sure that the leaf green tail would be swaying from side to side mesmerizingly.

Oh, yes, things were going to get funky that night after all.

Donatello watched on as a very exited murky green turtle spoke animatedly like in one of the cartoons he still watches. Perhaps that is what has affected the youngest turtle brother.

'Or maybe Master Splinter refrained from telling us that he has dropped Mikey on his head too much,' the genius turtle tried to rationalize to the most possible solution. 'Or maybe it was Raph knocking on his skull so much.' A breathy chortle escaped Donatello's throat, trying to focus back on the present, not seeming to notice the sultry figure making its way towards him.

If there was anything Michelangelo hated most in the world it would have to be the bimbo that was all over his brother.

He had been making decisions out loud about all the different shades of paint they would need to color the baby's room, but when he asked Donnie for an opinion his brother's uncomfortable aura made its way to him as a woman's voice purred out a seduced "hello." Mikey turned his head towards his brother, seeing a young woman leaning heavily on Donatello's arm, trying to have his attention on her oversized breasts.

Oh, hell no.

Coming up with the most pleasing plan to show the bimbo to fuck off, Mikey came up to his brother's other side, grabbing his face and turning it towards his before squealing in a high voice, "Oh, Antonio! There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you! Naughty husband!" To make the show even sweeter for himself, Mikey placed a loud sounding kiss on his brother's covered lips. That seemed to piss off the young woman, if a stomp of a heel and retreating angry, frustrated, footsteps were any indication.

Mikey savored one more millisecond before letting his brother go and standing back to where he was, holding two colors in the air towards his brother, a cheerful smile in his voice masking the thudding heart that refused to come down from its high. "So which would it be: aquamarine or cyan, Donatell-io?"

Donatello tried to come up with an answer, he really did, but the (sadly) short memory of his brother 'kissing' him was put on replay by his brain. But then Mikey is acting like nothing even happened and it, sort of, kind of, maybe, set all the mini Donatello's in his head running and screaming. All that was running through his head was: 'Does Mikey even like me that way?'

From the end of the aisle, Casey Jones laughed at the scene of the two brother's.

In all honesty, Raphael liked to keep his male pride with its rep, but this was ridiculous. Walking around the mall for hours on end, being the shopping mule, and trying not to stick his sai down anyone's throat that came near to flirting with his mate. No, no, no. He was never going to do this again.

The three family members were passing by yet another baby store (seriously, why did the mall have so many?), a display catching the irritated turtle in his tracks.

When Leonardo turned to see if his lover was still behind them, he stopped when Raphael, indeed, had stopped, eyes captivated by what laid on the opposite side of the protective glass. Worry etching on his covered features, Leo stepped in beside his mate, looking at what exactly caught his attention.

Not understanding how the object in their line of vision could captivate Raphael as so, Leonardo decided to crack the silence between them and, possibly, get an answer from him. "Umm, Raph." When the other turtle didn't turn to look at him, Leonardo continued anyways, trusting that his words would bring back his Raphael to the present. "What are you looking at?"

A stretched moment of silence passed before Raphael turned his head to his brother's. Not processing what had happened, Leonardo was already in the store, Raphael's hand grasping his arm, both mutants standing before the mahogany crib put on display. "You want this crib, Raph?" he asked. There was nothing wrong with the crib. On the contrary, it was completely beautiful and just what every mother would need for their child: there was the general space for the baby to sleep in, and then a thin drawer for the diapers and necessities to clean a baby as well as the small table in which to change the baby in. But all through their mall time, Raphael had shown no real interest in what they got for their children when April was making the most (all) of the decisions, with Leo's approval on the designs. But why now, and on a crib no less.

Raphael turned to him before looking back down on the crib. "'S not the crib I'm interested in," he rasped out. He pointed at the mattress that laid neatly on the inside of the crib. "I like the sheets."

Leo stared down once more, this time at the sheets. He smiled and nodded. "You're right, Raph. They're perfect," Leonardo agreed.

With time spent on asking one of the workers for the exact same sheets and a semi-long line later, Leonardo placed the packet wrapped set of baby turtles swimming in an ocean background on the counter, sliding it towards the cashier woman, Raphael and, now, April standing on each side of him. A strange look was sent to them for a much longer period of time as the cashier, a plump middle aged woman with straw hair in the shortest ponytail, stared at them. Raphael acted first, throwing an arm over Leonardo's shoulder and saying in a monotone voice to the woman on the other side, "He's my boyfriend expecting our baby and she's our friend helping out."

Raphael felt Leo tense beneath his hold and heard April's breath catch in her throat. Inwardly, Raphael was grinning, even as the cashier shrugged and finished charging them before they left the store.

Donatello's cheeks were still burning when the many cans of paint were being bought. The scene just kept playing in his mind's eye over and over. Michelangelo kissing him. Sure, it was supposed to be fake and wasn't a real kiss, but still. Michelangelo. Kissed. Him.

'Does this mean anything? Was it just for show? What does he think?' Thoughts like these circled his head like the Tweety bird. Sadly, even a genius couldn't figure out other people's intentions, even if that person was his youngest brother.

A vibration emanated from his pocket, startling the terrapin. Realizing it was his phone, he took it out and read the message.

"The others are finished and they're waiting for us at the food court," he told the other two males.

At the mention of food Michelangelo's form visibly brightened. "Then what're we waiting for dudes! Let's go!" Grabbing as many of the buckets of paints he could carry, Mikey zipped past the other people around the store and out the entrance.

Donatello shook his head. It was good to see that some things might never change.

"'Ey boys. Get any work out?"

Casey and Donatello frowned while Mikey merely pouted and sat beside his hot tempered brother, laying everything down around his feet and taking an exaggerated deep breath before rambling. "I'm absolutely exhausted. Do you know how many different color paints there are to pick from! Man, even my cooking has less color. But of course there's not as much color in the world as your vocabulary, Raphie-boy." Michelangelo dodged the hand that would have caught him behind the head if he hadn't jumped on to the next seat farther from Raphael's reach.

Leonardo shook his head from his brother's antics, laying his head on Raph's shoulder as he looked on at his family. It was a good thing they had managed to get the farthest table away from everyone else (even if it was closest to the bathrooms). And it was a blessing that no one looked twice in their direction.

One sniff from the air and Leo was already turning his head to watch his red headed friend place the warm, mouthwatering churro's on the table. Leonardo sniffed in the direction of the chocolate and caramel covered goodness staring back at him. With no regards for the rest he started with one and ate through as many as he could get before the rest caught on.

Having filled two churro's in his stomach, Raphael stopped to look at Mikey, taking out the bed sheet that had caught his interest and showing it to his brother. "You think you can make somethin' with dis design?"

Michelangelo swallowed the munched churro and looked closely at the little animated cartoon turtles. He nodded. "Totally, bruh. Maybe with Nemo hanging out with Flounder while Mickey Mouse ride's on the back of Crush. Ya know, to keep it Disney themed."

Raphael shook his head yet smiled anyways.

If the loud THUMP that came from the main area didn't notify Splinter of his family returning home, the ramblings of his youngest son and groans of the rest of his family surely did. Coming out of his room, walking cane at hand, Splinter smiled at his family members. "How was your day? Did any of you seek what you had in mind?"

Leonardo was the first to speak, surprising Master Splinter greatly as he watched his eldest son drop on the couch with a sigh. "Exhausting! My feet are killing me! I would have made Raph carry me if it wasn't for 'acting normal'."

Michelangelo announced his day with a bright smile on his now uncovered face. "Mines was awesome! I totally got new ideas for the theme in the baby's room! Sea turtles-slash-Disney-slash-Finding Nemo crossover 2.0!"

Splinter turned to his second oldest son. Raphael shrugged. "I think I like ninja trainin' betta'."

April came up beside him, a heartwarming smile on her kind face. "We had fun. It's better than with Casey." She pointed her thumb at her husband. "He complains all the way."

"Exhilarating," Donatello gasped as he crossed over to his lab.

The rest of the family looked for Casey's response. "Least I wasn't looking at dresses." A shift of a dark green hand came up behind the man's head drawing out the satisfying "oomph".

Leonardo turned from one side to the other as he looked at his form through the full length mirror in his room. Settling on looking at his left side, he cupped his lower abdomen where the baby would surely be. He frowned. "I think I'm getting fat."

Although the comment was meant to be unanswered, Raphael stood from the messy bed and came up behind his lover and hugged him towards his hard plated chest. He kissed his brother's neck lovingly. "No yer not. Ya weigh more but that's jus' the baby."

Lips turned down in a frown, Leo looked at the reflection of his mate. "Yeah, I guess so. But my organs feel squished. And I'm eating a LOT. So it could also be fat."

Leonardo turned to face Raphael, receiving a kiss on his forehead and a light one on the lips. "Maybe it's jus' the baby makin' space," he rationalized.

"Yeah," Leo agreed reluctantly. "It makes me want to pee all the time."

A throaty chuckle escaped the dark green lips of the other terrapin, lightly pulling at his mate's hands towards the bed. "Time fer bed."