Later that day, Raphael, Leo, Don and the kids piled into the van and drove to the farmhouse. Don was driving, so Leo and Raphael could watch their kids, who were definitely handfuls. The twins sat on Raphael and Leo's laps. Lily was next to Leo and Leo jr was next to Raphael. "Daddy," Leo jr said, turning to Raphael. "Where are we going?"
"To the farmhouse," Raphael said. "Remember we went there for Christmas."
"I need to pee, Daddy."
"But ya went half an hour ago, Leo."
"I have to pee, Daddy."
"Fine. Don, pull over. The squirt needs ta pee."

"Okay," Don said, pulling over to the side of the road.

"Do ya need ta go, Lily?" Raphael asked.
"No, Daddy."
"Ya sure?"
"Yes, Daddy."

"Come on, buddy," Raphael said, handing Amy to Leo and taking Leo jr's hand and leading him outside to a bush. "Here ya go."
Leo went and Raphael had just seated him in the van when Lily piped up. "I have to pee, Daddy."
Raphael heaved a deep sigh and said, "Come on, sweetheart. Anyone else need ta go?"

"Nope," Leo and Don said in unison. Then Leo added, "Need some help, Raph?"
Raphael shook his head. "No." He and his daughter went outside and returned to the van a few minutes later. "All done," Raphael said, taking Amy from Leo and sitting down. "Floor it, Don. Now we should be there in a couple of hours. Try ta sleep, kids."

Leo jr pressed his snout against the glass and gazed outside, eyes wide as they passed a sign advertising a circus. "Daddy, can we go to it?" he asked, looking at Leo. "No, buddy," Leo said. "We can't."
"Why not?" Leo jr asked. "It'll be fun. We can all go."

The two parents looked at one another and silently came to a mutual decision. It was time to tell their children. "Because we're different," Raphael said. "And people don't like different, Leo. There are some bad people out there and they'll stop at nothin' ta hurt us, ya understand? It ain't safe ta go near humans."
"But, Daddy, there are tigers and lions and..."
"Leo, I know ya don't understand now, but one day ya will."

"But April and Casey are humans," Lily said. "And they aren't bad."
Raphael looked at his daughter, who was very bright for her age, and said, "That's true. There are some good people out there, but, it still ain't safe ta go near humans. Ya will understand when yer bigger."

There was silence for a long time until there was a retching noise. "Oh, no," Raphael said, staring at Amy in horror and holding her at arms length. "Amy's goin' ta be sick. Stop the van, Don."
Don did and Raphael rushed outside. Just in time as Amy immediately spewed all over the grass. When she was finished, Raphael rubbed her shell soothingly and said, "There. There. It's okay. Ya feel better now?" The baby gurgled at her father and Raphael smiled. "Come on. Let's get ya cleaned up." Going inside, Raphael got out tissues from a bag and dabbed at her face. "There, Amy. All clean now, honey."

"She smells," Leo jr said, wrinkling his nose. "Daddy, she smells!"

"Is she okay, Raph?" Leo asked.
"Car sick. That's all. She'll be fine." He checked Amy over and sighed. "Leo jr is right. She needs ta be changed. May as well change Ali too." Raphael changed his daughters and then sat back in his seat, cradling Amy. "Okay, Don. Hit it."

At midnight, they arrived at the farmhouse. Going inside, the older kids ran about, exploring, while Raphael, Don and Leo took in the suitcases. Raphael settled the twins in his and Leo's bedroom, in a cot he'd brought along, went into the kitchen and took out three beers, cracking them open. Handing them to Don and Leo, and taking a swig of his, he said, "The twins are asleep. Where are Leo jr and Lily?"
"They were exploring, but are now passed out on the sofa in the lounge," Don said. "Trip must have tired them."
"Good. I'm kind of beat myself. Leo, ya comin' ta bed?"

"We going to leave them on the sofa, Raph?" Leo asked.
"They can sleep with me," Don said. "I'll tuck them in. Night, guys."

"Thanks, Don," Raphael said, grabbing his mate's hand and going to their bedroom. The parents bent down, kissed their sleeping babies and crawled into bed. "How ya feelin', Leo?" Raphael asked. "Ya've been very quiet this evening."
"Thinking about earlier. About us being so different. It pains me that the kids will never be able to have a normal life, make friends, see the world."
"Me too, Leo. My hope is that someday we'll be accepted, but I know that'll probably never be happen. The kids will be regarded as freaks, just like us."
"It's not fair, Raph. They never asked for this kind of life."
"Neither did we."
"But we knew what kind of life they'd have and we went ahead having kids. Does that make us bad parents?"
"No. It makes us, heh, human, Leo. I mean, it's normal ta want ta settle down and have a family. I ain't sayin' that those who don' t, are abnormal, but ya get what I mean. We wanted the kids and they've been a blessin'. Ya regret havin' them?"
"No, but I'm sad that they'll never belong anywhere."
"Yeah, they will. With us and our family."
"You know what I mean."
Raphael sighed. "Yeah. I know they'll find it difficult, Leo, but I'll...We'll be there for them."
"What if they want families of their own, Raph? There aren't other mutant females or males out there. And what if they want to be with a human? We got lucky and had each other."
"Our kids ain't datin' no humans and as for families of their own, it just ain't possible. They'll have ta accept it."
"What if they find love together?"
"That's just sick, Leo! Look, we ain't biologically related, so what we have ain't gross, but that would be so wrong."
"It's possible that'll happen."
"I pray ta God that it don't."
"You believe in God, Raph?"

Before Raphael could answer, Leo winced in pain and clutched his belly. "Leo, ya okay?" Raphael asked.
Leo pulled down the bedsheets and noticed blood dripping from his slit in his lower plastron. "No. Get Don now."
"What's happenin'?" Raphael asked fearfully.
"Get Don!" Leo screamed, as the pain intensified.

Raphael jumped out of bed, ran to Don's room and yanked it open. "Don," he said, trying not to wake his sleeping babies beside Don. "Need ya. Leo's bleedin'."

Don immediately got up and followed Raphael to the bedroom. "Leo, I want you to lie still while I examine you," Don said, pulling the bedsheets off of Leo and running his hand over Leo's belly. "Does it hurt there?"
"Is he goin' ta be okay?" Raphael asked anxiously.

Leo nodded. "And there's blood. Don, they're coming, aren't they?"
"Yes. You need to lie still. I'm getting my medical supplies."

"Leo, the babies are comin'?" Raphael asked.
"Looks like," Leo said, grimacing in pain.
"I'm here," Raphael said, grabbing his hand. "I'm here. I won't let go, okay? And Don will do his best."
"Raph, they aren't supposed to be coming this early. You know that it means they won't make it."
"Leo, don't think 'bout that. Focus on stayin' strong. I'm here." Raphael pressed a kiss to his beak. "Yer gonna be okay, Leo. I know ya will be."

Don appeared a few minutes later with an incubator and his medical supplies. "Found this in one of the spare bedrooms," he said. "You and Leo had your clutches of eggs here and stayed here until they hatched, Raph. Now I need you to keep talking to Leo while I do this."
"Do what?" Raphael asked, eying the scalpel Don held.
"I'm going to have to cut the eggs out, Raph. It's the best chance of their survival."
"Ya ain't touchin' him," Raphael snapped. "He could die and ya don't have any anaesthetic, do ya?"
"No. Raph, it's the only way. If I don't, Leo could bleed out and die."

"Do it," Leo said weakly. "Raph, it's going to be fine. Don knows what he's doing."
"Ya better," Raphael said, glaring at Don. "If he dies, yer gonna know what pain feels like."

Don ignored his brother's threat and sliced into Leo's belly, removing a mass of white eggs and placing them into the incubator. Then he stitched up and cleaned Leo. "Lie back, Leo," he said. "All done."

Raphael peered through the glass of the incubator and said, "Two eggs? Wow."
"The babies are eight weeks along, Raph. You know what that means?"
"The babies have a shot at makin' it," Raphael said happily. "Ya hear that, Leo? We're gonna be parents again and ta twins again. Leo?"

His mate was fast asleep, exhausted. Raphael smiled at him tenderly. Then turning to Don, he said, "I'm sorry, Don. I was worried and I shouldn't have snapped at ya."
"It's okay, Raph. I'd probably have done the same thing. You should get some sleep too. It's been a long day."
"Yeah, I'm buggered. Thanks, Don. Leo and I both are grateful."
"You're welcome, Raph. You thought of names yet?"
"We like Troy, but it's not definite."
"You have plenty of time. Night."
"Night and thanks again."
Raphael gazed at the eggs and beamed. "Ya are Leo and my miracles and I know ya will make it," he said. Raphael snuggled next to Leo and was soon asleep.