"So are you doing anything tonight?"
"Going out to eat dinner with my… boyfriend's family" Xena felt her stomach turn like a washing machine, "He came back from his trip at the beginning of the week"
"Wow, I didn't even know you had a boyfriend" PJ said, with a slight defeated look on his face, "You never mention him. All you ever mention is your son but you never show any of us pictures. The way you mention your boyfriend makes me feel like you're not too pleased with going. Do you want out of the situation?"
Xena mentally rolled her eyes as she was well aware of PJ's feelings for her, "No, I feel like I should go. He hasn't seen his… son in a long time so he should see him. Thanks anyways"
PJ smiled, "Text me if things get awkward, I'll be by my phone"
Xena gave him a forced grin, "I'm sure you will. Most likely going to ask about our English midterm. It's not too hard of a subject. Just look over the notes I gave you"
PJ only nodded to her as he agreed with what she said as Xena zoned out. She liked PJ as a friend but the constant asking out was making her really wish she could tell him the truth. Not to freak him out or anything but just to make the guy back off and think of her as weird. Xena nodded when PJ looked to her to see if she was listening. She took a glance over to her phone and notice that she should start heading home if she wanted to take Aidan off of her cousin's hands in order for her to do her work. A thought suddenly made her perk up as she heard one of their friends thoughts in the distance.
Arianna's voice said through her head, "It's PJ! Oh, and Xena. I should just casually go up to them and see what's up, I hope she didn't accept going on PJ's studying session. He's been telling everybody about how he and Xena went on a date"
"What?!" Xena blurted out as PJ looked down to her.
PJ repeated, "I said Mr. Gold can be a bit pushy with his deadlines"
"Hey, guys!" Arianna beamed as she came up to them.
"Hey, Arianna. How's everything?" Xena ignored PJ to keep herself from demanding why he told everyone a lie.
"Nothing really, I just was about to go to the library to study up on our dreadful midterm for next week" Arianna replied in a dramatic tone.
Xena perked up, "That's perfect timing actually! PJ was talking about how he needed some help with some of the notes he missed! I would love to but I have to go to a dinner with my boyfriend's family"
Arianna seemed both surprised and happy to hear the B word come out of Xena's mouth. For once, Xena was happy to have that word come out smoothly for Arianna as well. PJ, on the other hand, looked like he could use a bus to run him over right about now. Xena didn't care as she finally found a way out of this mess, for now. She smiled as she hoped PJ was kicking himself for boasting to everyone in their study group about their "date" last time.
"Oh! I didn't know you had a boyfriend" Arianna was saying.
Xena nodded, "He was studying abroad in Central America for a while but now he's back"
Arianna cooed, "That's great! I didn't know that people are coming back from studying abroad midway through the semester"
"Yeah, well, he decided to stay a little while longer" Xena lied.
PJ finally spoke up, "You seemed awkward about it earlier, are you sure you don't want to join us?"
Xena said in a firm voice, "I'm positive"
"Weird. She's never mentioned her boyfriend who just so happens to be the father of her kid until today. She doesn't even show us pictures of her baby anyways. I wonder if she really has a kid in the first place. Xena really throws out a lot just to make excuses for not hanging around us. I wonder if it's because of Ian…" PJ's voice droned on and on.
"So what do you want to cover, PJ?" Arianna asked as she turned to him.
"We can do this a different time if you're too busy, I feel like I need to overlook everything" PJ lied.
Xena felt her vision zone out as she saw four walking statues roaming freely throughout the streets of New York. Chaos was roaming around them as burning cars and smashed windows were everywhere. She heard a war cry that was familiar to her as Raph jumped down from nowhere charging at the four statues in a rage that Xena didn't find familiar. The anger clouded up his mind so much that Raph wasn't aware of how careless he was as a stone blade drove into him from the side.
Arianna yelled out, "Hello, Xena! You okay?"
Xena blinked a little bit, "What?"
PJ spoke up, "You dazed out but then looked scared of something"
Xena waved it off, "I just realized that I need to go home. I need to run an errand before tonight"
"Okay, we'll see you soon" Arianna said slowly.
"Don't forget to text us" PJ said hopefully.
Xena turned and didn't answer him as she didn't even want to give him a slight glimmer of hope. She felt sick to her stomach at what she saw, she's never seen death before this one. Her mind kept on replaying how angry and driven Raph was to destroying the statues, which only meant that something happened to his family in order to drive him that furious.
"I have to try and reach out to him" Xena mumbled as she called the Turtles' home.
"What's up dude, this is Cowa-"
"Mikey! Is Raph there?"
Mikey cheered up, "Oh, Xena! What's up, girl?"
"Is Raph there, Mikey" Xena repeated again.
"Nah, he stormed out about 10 minutes ago, why do you wanna leave a message?" Mikey asked.
Xena sighed as she mumbled, "No, I guess I can talk to him at dinner tonight"
Mikey yelled out, "Alright, cool! Dinner's at 7 and come earlier! We wanna see the little dude… oh, and you also"
"Don't worry, I'll be there" Xena mumbled.
"Might I also suggest that you be a little bit happier also" Mikey whispered into the phone, "We already got one Raph, we don't need him in a psychic human form"
Xena rolled her eyes as she saw Casey's car that she borrowed in the distance. She took out the keys as she tried to make a mental note before seeing Leo again.
"Don't worry, I'll be on my best behavior" Xena promised.
"That's my sis!" Mikey yelled through the phone, "See you before 7!"
Xena replied, "Yeah, see you"
Xena trudged through the sewers, not really too hurried to get over to the lair anytime soon. It's been a whole month since she's heard from Leo both from his last letter and last communication. She absentmindedly rubbed her barely protruding stomach under her large sweater that she borrows from Casey. It hurt and confused her as to why Leo hasn't been back when he told everyone that he was coming home. She remembered the destroyed look on Splinter's face when he finally got a hold of Usagi who told them that Leo left nearly two weeks before. That was when Leo wrote saying his final goodbye, to everyone, not to her in a separate letter as he used to.
A sharp pain in her lower abdomen suddenly made her hiss out as she threw herself onto the side of the wall. Xena stood there confused as she felt her stomach, never had she experienced that feeling before. At first, she thought it was nothing and decided to walk a couple more steps until the pain came back again but this time, it sent her down to her knees. Xena let out a terrible scream as she clutched her stomach, praying that it will stop. Her breath came in at jagged pieces as she tried to move but the pain was too much to bear.
"No…" Xena whimpered, "What's happening?!"
Donnie was walking through the sewers on his way home from one of the junkyards not too far away to pick up some tools he could eventually use. A shrill scream echoed through the sewers, making Donnie drop the trash bag of equipment and pull out his bo staff. He cautiously and quickly went to the sound but then recognized the girl's voice screaming, "Help me!" Donnie quickly ran over to Xena's side as she was laying flat on the ground.
Donnie was about to assess her when Xena reached out and grabbed onto his hand as she looked to him with tearstained eyes, "The baby's coming!"
"What?!" April let out when Donnie relayed the message as he held the crumpling teen in his arms, "That can't be! She's only six months pregnant"
"What do we do?! What do we do!" Mikey yelled out repeatedly.
"We need to get her to the hospital!"
"No! What if the baby looks like us? She'll be all over the news within 40 minutes of giving birth"
"We need to deliver it here then"
"Here?!"
"Well, do you have a better idea?"
"Enough!"
Everyone, with the exception of Xena, quieted down as they all looked to Master Splinter for guidance.
He turned to Raph, "Raphael, you are the strongest, take Xena into the dojo. Quickly, but also gently"
Raph nodded as he picked up Xena off of the ground as she screamed painfully from being moved once again as Master Splinter looked over to Mikey.
"Get all of the spare bedding materials as fast as you can, Michelangelo!" Master Splinter turned to Donnie, "You will get all the other equipment that you will need that you have read upon for giving home birthing, Donatello"
"Casey, get water; one in a big bowl and a tall glass for Xena to drink out of" Master Splinter instructed, "April, you will get the wash cloths and join me in the dojo"
When the equipments were all brought together and laid out, Master Splinter ordered for Donnie and April to stay in the dojo with him as Casey, Mikey, and Raph stayed out. The waiting was horrendous for the three waiting outside. The screaming, pleading, and muffled words just made the other three wish they could do more to help. Two hours later, the screaming stopped as the three glanced to one another wondering what happened in the room next door. That was before they all heard a healthy cry come from the dojo as April came out holding a tiny green baby in her arms. The other three quickly came over and smiled down at the baby as he cried freely and loudly.
"Well, would you look at that" Raph chuckled, "The little guy is the first turtle to ever have hair"
Mikey smiled, "He's so tiny!"
"How's Xena?" Casey asked.
"Weak, the stress took out a lot from her. She wasn't even ready to give birth at six months" April told him.
"Why did she? What happened?" Casey asked.
Donnie came out just in time as he wiped his hands with a towel, "I think it's because it made it's own birthing cycle. For a turtle, he stayed longer than usual but for a human that range was a lot shorter and considering how he is both, he had to compromise for being both creatures"
"So what happens now?" Mikey asked what was on everyone's mind.
"Now" Master Splinter said from the door, "We try to get the mother back to full health"