Over the next few days, the ghost continued his attacks upon the baby. Leo was absolutely refusing to be alone now, and the ghost was maliciously enjoying himself. Leo was now at 19 weeks.
Finally, during one attack, the baby was so agitated that it kicked out real hard, and Leo actually felt it.
"Oof! The baby!" Leo said. This was just after the most recent attack.
"What's wrong, Leo?" Don asked. He had his arms wrapped around his brother for comfort, as much as he could try to give.
"I felt it." Leo said, panting. "I felt it move!" He had a slight smile on, despite his pain.
"Really?" Don asked.
"Yes. And I don't think I've been happier to feel it. It means it's alive!" Leo said.
Don smiled too. He put his hand on top of Leo's hand. Just some brotherly comfort and love.
The ghost however, did not like this one bit. But he knew if he had a chance of trying to take the baby's soul, he had to let it live. But he did love causing Leo panic attacks and pain. Right now, the feeling of love radiating out from the two brothers was too strong for him to attack again.
Don was secretly worried that the pregnancy might not be going well and that his brother was going to lose the baby.
Master Splinter was very worried about his oldest son. He knew that Leonardo wanted his child, but he was worried about what the pregnancy was doing to his son. There had been one too many mishaps already, and Leonardo was not even halfway through the pregnancy.
Splinter went into a meditative pose and soon entered the astral plane. He wanted to know if there was something else possibly trying to harm him or his baby. Because there was nothing physically wrong with him, and nothing was stopping the attacks. Just someone holding Leo was the only way Leo could make it through the pain of the attacks.
The astral plane.
Splinter looked around. He sensed there was something nearby. He walked towards it. As he got closer, its feeling was not a friendly one.
Then he saw the figure of what appeared to be a human in tattered clothes in front of him. Brown hair, wicked, dark eyes.
"Who are you?" Splinter demanded.
"Aww! The rat. What are you doing in my domain?" He growled.
"Trying to find out what is causing my son harm. It is you, isn't it?" Splinter asked demandingly.
"Of course."
"Why are you trying to harm his baby?"
"Simple. I need a new body. And the baby just may be the one for me."
"I will stop you from ever being born as my son's baby! Stop harming him or you will kill the baby and my son!" Splinter yelled.
"I don't plan on killing either of them, Rat! I am just agitating the baby's soul so it will want to leave, and I will take over. That's why it's causing your so-called son pain when I attack the baby's soul. And you can't stop me! I will have the baby's soul replaced with my own!" He laughed evilly.
"Never will you re-enter this world, Demon!" Splinter yelled.
Splinter now woke up from his meditative state, and he got up immediately. He had to warn his son.
Leo had been ordered on bed rest for a little while because of these vicious attacks. Splinter came up to the room where he and Raph were now keeping each other company.
"My sons! I have just come out of meditation and I have some bad news!" Splinter said in a worried voice.
Leo and Raph looked over at their father. "What kind of bad news?" Raph asked.
"It's about your baby, Leonardo." Splinter said.
"What about the baby?" Leo asked, suddenly so worried about its safety that he put a hand on his stomach.
"I was in the astral plane just moments ago, and I have to warn you about what is causing these attacks on the baby. There is an evil spirit trying to attack your child." Splinter said in a hurry.
Leo's eyes widened. "An evil spirit? What does it want?"
"He wants your child's soul."
"WHAT!?" Leo and Raph shouted in unison.
Leo sat up quickly. "What does he want with its soul? Is he trying to take its life because of something I've done?"
"He did not say. He never even told me his name or why he is here. But he wants to replace the baby's soul with his own. He is trying to agitate the baby before he does so." Splinter explained.
"He ain't getting my niece or nephew's soul!" Raph snarled.
Don and Mikey now came running up the stairs. They had heard the shouts and yells. They both had to know what was going on.
"What's going on up here?" Don asked.
"Leo's baby's life is in danger!" Raph blurted out.
"What?! How? Why?" Don asked in a panic.
"An evil spirit wants its soul!"
"I don't get why he would be doing this. Is there something I've done for this to happen?" Leo asked.
"We don't know, Leo. But we will find out." Raph promised.
"The only way we can talk to this spirit is through meditation, and find out why he is here." Splinter said. "If you could join me, my sons. We must stop him from harming Leonardo and the baby anymore."
All four turtles joined Splinter on the floor and got into sitting positions. This had to be stopped now before it got any worse. But at least there was an answer to why Leo was in so much pain.
But before they could really begin, Leo felt the pain again. "Oh no! It's attacking me again!" He grunted in pain. He had his hands clutched on his swelled belly. "Oh! Please, Spirit! Stop! Stop hurting… me!"
The pain got so intense this time that Leo began to lean over to the side. Don got to him first. "Just try to breath, Leo!"
"It… hurts!" Leo moaned.
"I have an idea, my sons." Splinter said.
"Anything! Just please, make the pain stop!" Leo said, tears in his eyes now.
"Put all of your hands on Leonardo's stomach." Splinter said.
Splinter and Leo and his brothers all put their hands on Leo's belly. "Focus, my sons. Think of strong, loving energy. It should be enough to stop him this time."
Don, Leo, Raph, Splinter, and Mikey all focused on how much they loved each other and this child. That they wanted it to be born healthy and it would be well loved.
Their energy from their chis also came out and into the focusing. Leo tried the hardest to focus. He had to protect his baby.
In the astral plane, the turtles and Splinter were there now, and they were all focusing very hard to drive the demon ghost out.
The ghost man found it hard to stay there from such strong, powerful energy. He was driven out from his attack, but now he was able to be seen by the turtles and Splinter.
"You will not have my child's soul!" Leo shouted at him.
"Get out of here!" Raph added.
"Go back to where you came from!" Mikey said.
"We will protect his baby with our lives!" Don said.
"But you were the ones who invaded my home, and now a price must be paid." The man finally said.
"What are you talking about?" Leo demanded.
"When you came into that cabin, that was my home. And I haven't had so much fun in a long time. And the baby gives me an opportunity to be born again. It was not my time to die." He said.
The turtles realized what he was saying, but they were not going to allow him to take the baby's innocent soul away from it.
"You are better off having an afterlife than taking the baby's innocent soul. I sense in you much evil, and this baby has done nothing." Splinter said.
"Even so, I will not allow you to take my baby's soul from it!" Leo yelled angrily. His energy then got stronger for the love of his child.
"Do what Leonardo is doing, my sons. Send this spirit away." Splinter ordered.
More energy rose from Leo's brothers as well, and it began to channel into a flame, like it had done some years ago against the Shredder's evil Foot Mystics.
The man was not liking this at all. He knew the family was making their point known to him that he was not welcome here, and not welcome in Leo's baby's body.
The energy reached him and it pushed him far into the astral plane.
The turtles and Splinter woke up, and now took their hands off of Leo.
"Wow! That was beyond incredible!" Mikey said.
"We saved the baby." Raph said.
"And I hope he never comes back. Guys, we must stay away from that cabin in the woods." Leo said. He put his hand on his belly and rubbed. "So, no more attacks?"
"No more pain and attacks, my son." Splinter said and hugged Leo.
"Thanks guys, but I just don't get it. Why is everything happening to me?" Leo asked.
"What do you mean?" Mikey asked.
"I mean that I've had a whole lot of problems almost from the moment I accepted being pregnant." Leo said sadly.
"You must not think these bad thoughts, Leonardo. That's what bad spirits feed off of." Splinter said.
"And we will get you through this pregnancy together." Don said.
Leo smiled, but he couldn't help but wonder. "Thanks."
After that, the evil spirit never came back. And Leo was now experiencing something new; movements from his baby!
The movements were light and gentle like. It was almost the baby's way of saying, "Thank you for saving my life, Daddy."
Leo couldn't have been prouder or happier just to feel that his child was alive after all the torment he and Junior had gone through.
Thanks to Darkunderworld for editing.
The battle with the ghost was definitely inspired by the episode Bad Day, and a Xena show most of all.
I love to see what you all think of this.