Chapter 21: Surprises

It wasn't until late that night when Raphael finally had a moment alone with Monalisa. He had kept an eye on her from a distance all day, just in case she needed him, and because it made him feel good to see her so happy spending time with her family again. He was glad everything had worked out the way it did.

After leaving the playground her parents had taken her home, where they spent the day learning everything their daughter had done during the time she had been away, sharing more tears and laughter and just plain celebrating her return. Henry chattered the most, telling his big sister all about what he was doing in school, and how he was going to take computer classes soon and major in physics once he got to college, just like she did.

Finally, the hyper ten-year-old wore himself out and was carried to bed, and his parents decided it was time to get ready for bed themselves. As soon as she had the chance, Monalisa slipped out onto a small balcony that was connected to one side of the house. She pulled the thick drapes that hung on the inside of the patio door shut before sliding the glass door closed. Raphael, who had been watching from down by the rosebushes growing next to the house, scurried up the balcony stairs.

"Sorry I didn't introduce you," Monalisa apologized. "I thought having me home and meeting my mutant friends all in one day might be a little too overwhelming for them."

Raphael understood. "It's okay," he told her with a grin. "I'll just come back tomorrow."

Giggling, she pulled him into a tight hug. "You were great today. I can't thank you enough."

"It was nothing," he murmured.

Having her in his arms reminded him of the kiss she had given him earlier. He hadn't stopped thinking about it, or wondering just what it meant.

The slender reptile let go of him and stepped back, until she was resting against the patio door. She folded her hands behind her as her dark eyes studied him. "I lied, you know."

Raphael blinked. "Huh?"

"When I told you that I don't remember what we fought about. I do."

The sarcastic turtle didn't see the point in bringing that up now. Or at all. "Didn't we put that behind us?"

She gave him a strange smile. "It was over popcorn."

Raphael blinked again. "Popcorn?" he echoed. She had to be kidding.

"We were watching a movie and I accused you of pigging out and eating it all. You denied it. Strongly, I might add."

The young ninja was silent for a long moment as he thought back on his vague memory of that last night he saw her. "All that yelling was over popcorn?"

Giggling again, Monalisa looked down at her bare feet. She ran a hand up and down her arm, still behind her back. "I knew you didn't the whole time. Michelangelo did, after I told him he could. You didn't know a thing about it because you had fallen asleep ages ago."

Raphael gave her a blank stare. "So, what you're trying to say is that we were only arguing because...you're insane?"

Still looking down, the female mutant let out a nervous laugh and fiddled with the pink scarf around her neck. "We had been watching a monster movie and you just up and fell asleep with your head on my shoulder. After that I think I watched you more than the movie. I'll never forget how you looked in that moment. So still and peaceful and innocent. Just like a little boy."

She tapped her toes on the smooth tile of the balcony floor. "I'll never forget because that was the moment I realized I was in love with you."

Raphael felt his face heat. "Oh," was all he could say.

"I didn't think you'd ever feel the same way about me, so I kind of panicked. When you woke up I did the first thing that popped into my head and picked a fight with you over something stupid, then ran off."

Chuckling, she shook her head. "I got pretty good at running away from things, huh?"

She tapped her toes again. "I'm not telling you this because I want you to love me back," she went on, faltering now. "I mean—I do, of course I do, but..."

The slender mutant took a breath to steady herself. "I made up my mind today that I'm not ever running away from something again. I'm going to face life head-on, even if things don't go the way I want them to. And if it wasn't for you I don't know if I would have ever have gotten the courage to decide that."

Finally, Monalisa lifted her eyes, her gaze expectant. Imploring. Raphael waited a second or two, and when she didn't say anything else, he asked, "You finished?"

She nodded.

"Good."

The strong mutant grabbed her small arms and yanked her against him. Monalisa let out a startled sound, which was muffled by his mouth clamping over hers. He kissed her good and hard as he held her to him, reveling in the feel of her soft lips, the way her skin warmed and her heart raced in her chest.

When he finally let go, she staggered back and slumped against the patio door with a thump. Her dark eyes were wide as she stared at him, flushed and short of breath. She touched her fingertips to her lips. "What was that for?"

"Just making up for lost time," Raphael said casually.

He moved closer, leaning forward until his forehead bumped hers. "Can you do me a favor? Don't ever run away again. I miss you too much."

She shook her head, eyes locked with his. "Never. Especially not from you. Not if you want me."

Smiling now, he lightly gripped her small shoulders. "I always have."

Being gentle this time, he drew her into his arms and kissed her again. They took their time getting to know each other's mouth, brushing whisper-soft kisses against the other's cheeks from time to time as their hands drifted over arms, shoulders, hair, shell.

They broke apart when a light suddenly went on, shining through the patio drapes. "Mona?" came her mother's voice. "Are you out there?"

Monalisa quickly turned and opened the door. "Just getting some air," she said.

Her eyes were full of longing as she looked back over her shoulder. Raphael was already making his way down from the balcony. "Tomorrow?" she asked in a soft voice.

Raphael smiled. "You got it."

For the next few days Usagi puzzled over who he was going to find in this world willing to marry him and his Elizabeth. At night he let the thought slip from his mind as he enjoyed his bride-to-be, while come morning he couldn't help but feel saddened as she left their bed to get ready for work. He had been unsure of it at first, but now he realized that doing something productive and interacting with others more often was good for the sweet girl. She liked her coworkers, and the samples she brought home were quite tasty.

It did his heart good to see her so happy, especially after the painful experience she just had. After he proposed to her the other day, they had gone out a little while later to the aquarium she used to work at. Since she had been told not to return, they had both gone in disguise.

Telling the animals she loved that she had only come back to say goodbye had been extremely hard on her. They all cried and begged her not to go again, but she had no choice. They nearly ran into the man responsible for her losing her job in the first place on their way out. When they went home again, Elizabeth had fled to their room in tears.

Her smile had returned the next day, but Usagi had to wonder if the unhappy trip wasn't still on her mind. She seemed like herself most of the time, but sometimes when she woke up in the morning she looked weary, even if they had not enjoyed each other the night before. And she often looked fatigued when she came home from work, though when he expressed concern she insisted that her job wasn't difficult or hard on her.

"Maybe I'm coming down with something again," she noted at dinner one night, with a hand pressed to her forehead.

"I certainly hope not," Usagi said in concern. "If so, I insist that we postpone our wedding. I would not dream of having you tax yourself while you are ill. Although there will be no wedding to postpone, if I cannot find someone to marry us," he added sadly.

Elizabeth frowned, but only for a second. "You know something?" she said, brightening. "I bet Master Splinter would."

The samurai thought this over. It would be nice, he decided, to be married by one of his friends, with the rest of his friends present. In fact, he could not think of a nicer way to be married.

"All right," he agreed with a smile. "If you are feeling well enough to go ahead with our plans, I shall ask him in the morning."

The next time Leonardo stopped by to visit his family, the mood in the lair had greatly improved. Everyone was smiling, and passing around a postcard from Donatello giving a brief description of his trip and all the 'fascinating' things he was seeing.

"Translation? Boring," Raphael quipped.

He looked a lot happier than he did a few days ago, and he explained that things had gone great with Monalisa's parents. Leonardo was glad to hear it.

Lotus, who had come with him this morning, was off to one side with Splinter. They were talking quietly, though the female ninja looked a little awkward about it. She always felt funny around the wise rodent, which Leonardo couldn't blame her for. She had kidnapped him once, after all.

But she had already apologized repeatedly, and Splinter had assured her that all was forgiven. With a smile, he offered her some of the sushi he was eating for breakfast. She accepted the raw food and popped it into her mouth.

"Ew, she ate it," said Michelangelo with a grimace.

"It is food," Lotus said calmly. "What else should I do with it?"

"She's got exotic taste," Leonardo said mildly, his gaze loving. "We had calamari for dinner last night."

Raphael wrinkled his nose. "Isn't that squid?"

"I believe so," put in a new voice.

Their group turned to see Usagi approaching them, looking as cheerful as Leonardo had ever seen him. "Good morning, my friends," he greeted.

He paused when he saw Lotus, who looked at him curiously in return. Smiling, Leonardo put his arm around her waist. "Lotus, this is our friend Usagi," he told her. "Usagi, this is Lotus. My, um, my..."

"Special someone," the lagomorph supplied, blue eyes full of understanding.

Leonardo nodded wordlessly. He had been about to say 'fiancée,' but he hadn't told his family about their engagement yet. That wasn't quite how he wanted to break the news.

Michelangelo, who had been sitting on the couch playing video games, turned the TV off and got up. "How's Lizzie doing?" he asked, with an expression that said he was trying to act casual.

"I would have asked her to come with," said Usagi, "but...no offense, but she means to keep her vow to never set foot in the sewers again."

"No offense taken," Leonardo mumbled.

"I did not want her to come along anyway," the rabbit samurai continued. "She was ill when she woke up this morning and I insisted that she stay in bed. Fortunately it is her day off today or else I imagine she would sneak off to work the second I left."

His voice held more affection than disdain. "She works at a sushi bar now, right?" asked Michelangelo.

"Blech," said Raphael. He glanced at Splinter with a grin. "On the other hand, sounds like your kind of place."

The rat merely smiled and took a sip of his tea. Usagi went over to him, hands clasped so they were hidden by the long sleeves of his kimono. He looked hopeful about something. "To get to my reason for coming here today," he began, "I have a most humble request."

"Of me?" said Splinter, sounded surprised. "Of course. What is it?"

"I..."

Looking nervous now, Usagi bowed his head. "I am in need of someone to perform my wedding ceremony."

Leonardo, who had been leaning his shell against the back of the couch as he listened, lost his balance and toppled over. While he got up and rubbed his sore rear end with a wince, Michelangelo gaped. "Wedding?" he echoed.

The news that the kind, soft-spoken rabbit was getting married wasn't surprising in itself, but the fact that he had found someone to marry outside his home world sure was.

Raphael recovered first. "Who's the lucky lady?" he asked with a grin.

His smile shy, Usagi absently plucked at the edge of his sleeve as he said in a soft voice, "Miss Cassidy."

Michelangelo flinched like he'd just been slapped. "You're marrying my Elizabeth?" he cried.

The rabbit fixed him with a hard frown. "She is not yours," he said coolly. "She does not belong to anyone except herself. She is free to choose as she pleases."

For a second it looked like Michelangelo wanted to turn this into a fight, but the samurai's words made him pause. And to Leonardo's relief, he turned away and didn't say anything else. There really wasn't any way he could argue; Usagi was right.

Raphael, never one to keep his mouth shut, broke the uncomfortable silence that followed. "We're just a little surprised to hear that she chose you."

Leonardo wanted to elbow him for being rude, but Usagi smiled. "So was I."

"If everything is decided," put in Splinter, "then it would be an honor to join the two of you in marriage."

The samurai let out a breath of relief. "Thank you," he said, beaming.

Clearing his throat, Leonardo moved over and stood at Lotus' side. She automatically took his hand and held it tightly. "There's something I need to ask, too," the blue-clad turtle began.

Splinter turned to them, eyes curious. "Yes?"

Leonardo looked at the woman standing beside him for a moment, his heart swelling with love. Lotus caressed his face with her eyes before placing her head on his shoulder. Smiling, Leonardo looked at Splinter again.

"Would it be all right if we made it a double wedding?"

As soon as Usagi left, Elizabeth got out of bed and took a short walk to the nearest pharmacy. When she got home she was much too agitated to even think about lying down again, so she paced the halls for a while, then went back to her room and started brushing her hair, hoping the repetitive activity would calm her nerves.

She forgot that brushing her hair too much made it frizz wildly out of control. Grumbling, she pulled it all back into several braids before making a tight bun. She frowned at herself in the mirror; her face looked pale while her cheeks were flushed, making her freckles appear darker than usual.

The animals looked worried about her as she wandered the shelter, then out to the garden, but when they asked her if something was wrong, all she did was shake her head. She wasn't saying a word until Usagi came home.

Finally, after the morning and part of the afternoon was gone, Hyena let out a short, savage bark. It wasn't half as polite as the uninterested growl he gave when Obento came home, but Elizabeth was so relieved she didn't even scold him as she hurried to open the door. Hyena didn't see anything wrong with it; it was his way of testing the rabbit's bravery.

Usagi always came right in no matter what, head held high. Today he gave Hyena an absent pat as he closed the door. Growling, Hyena muttered, "I wonder how he'd taste marinated in lemon juice?"

Elizabeth shot him a look before pulling her fiancé into a tight hug. After kissing him soundly, she asked, "Did he say yes?"

"He did," the furry samurai replied with a smile. "Only there is something I must tell you."

The young redhead was more than a little anxious to talk about something else, but she kept quiet as Usagi went into the kitchen and started preparing lunch. As he warmed the teakettle, he explained to her that Leonardo was also getting married.

"Really? To who?"

"A ninja woman named Lotus," he said. "They asked if their ceremony could take place alongside ours."

Elizabeth lifted her eyebrows in surprise. "You mean, make it a double wedding?"

For a moment the idea made her frown; she had pictured their wedding being very small and private. But after thinking about it, she decided it would be nice to have all their friends there. And the other couple was probably one of the only ones in the world as unique as the two of them. Merging their special day might be fun.

"That sounds nice," she decided.

She tapped a finger on the tabletop for a second, then ventured, "How did they react?"

Usagi understood what she meant. "About how you'd expect," he said, still facing the stove. "If you mean someone in particular, I believe the news was rather upsetting to him."

Elizabeth had figured that would happen. Usagi had told her about Michelangelo stopping by to see her while she was at work the other day, and she had been wondering if that was a sign that he still had feelings for her. She hoped the thought of her moving on with someone else hadn't hurt him too much. She also hoped he found someone else soon, someone who made him happy.

"The wedding is scheduled to take place on your next day off," Usagi told her, as he stirred a steaming pot. "Although if you are still feeling poorly, everyone was very kind and agreed to wait until you are well again."

Elizabeth was startled. "So, the wedding is next week? That doesn't give me very much time to get ready. I don't even have a gown yet."

"Miss Lotus has already offered to shop with you for everything you need. As I understand it, she is rather wealthy."

"Oh."

The redhead thought this over. She had never been shopping with a ninja before, but since this was the woman Leonardo had chosen to marry, she didn't see why it would be any trouble.

"Is that everything?" she asked.

Usagi looked up from his cooking. "I believe so. Why?"

The petite girl looked down at her hands, which were nervously fiddling with her obi. "There's something I need to tell you."

Looking concerned, Usagi put his cooking chopsticks down and came over to the kitchen table. She could tell by the look in his blue eyes that he had figured out something important was going on.

"What is it?" he asked, smoothing his soft hand over her forehead. "You are not more ill than we thought, are you? I was so worried this morning when you could not keep your breakfast down."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I'm fine. It'll be a while before that stops happening. It's normal."

Usagi gave her a puzzled look. "Normal? What do you mean?"

She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm her nerves, but it didn't slow her thumping heart as she answered. "I'm pregnant."