Okay, I'm done torturing you… Maybe. *evil cackle*

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em.

Chapter 28: Weeks 10 to 13

Don turned onto his side, staring into the dark. Two tiny eyes watched him; Don whimpered and rolled back over. He hadn't been able to get the images of the first baby out of his head – and now the second had joined the first in his nightmares.

He hadn't been able to save either one. Logically, Don knew both would never have survived – but having seen the guilt and despair in Leo, he couldn't help but wish he could have saved them, somehow.

"You couldn't fix Mikey," he muttered to himself. "What makes you think you could fix a hatchling born with gastroschisis?"

This line of reasoning didn't help, however; Don was especially guilty about being unable to help his little brother. The look in Mikey's face when Don had first realized why he wasn't speaking had broken his heart. His guilt had skyrocketed after he had tried to make that electrolarynx – Mikey wasn't going to have any of it, clearly.

Leatherhead had listened to Don's story a few days after they had arrived, offering advice, but even the crocodile admitted it was a bad situation. After the first baby had been found, Don was driven back to his friend and cried on his shoulder, ranting about his inability to fix things. The larger mutant had let him rant until Don felt empty.

Don felt his eyelids droop; he wanted the sleep so badly, but it was filled with the deformed ribs and little beating heart outside of its host's ribcage.

You could have saved them, an incessant voice said in his head.

There was nothing I could do, Don yelled at the voice again.

You saved Leonardo from his wingsYou can build a cell phone out of practically nothingBut you can't save one lousy baby? Some brother you areSome father you'll be.The voice snickered evilly; Don thumped his head against his pillow. How can you help him if he won't even talk to you anymore? When those eggs hatch and little deformed hatchlings fall into their father's arms, will he even bother to call for you? Or have you failed him so completely he won't trust you again?

Don sobbed once, quietly, and buried his head under his pillow. He wanted to drown that damn voice out – but he knew he couldn't.

If another one dies, will you tell him the remaining one can't possibly be viable and insist on killing it? Did you get a thrill from injecting that little baby? You are so like Bishop, you know…

I am not! Don argued. Here, at least, he was on more solid ground.

Yet you experiment on your brothers just as surely as he does. Oh, no, you don't tie them to tables – they trust you too much for that.

Don leaned up just enough to thump his head on the wall a few times. He ended up with a headache, but the voice had finally silenced. Eyes leaking tears, Don lay on his side, watching the door. He didn't know what he wanted to come through it… Or maybe he was watching for Leo to come pounding in with another dead hatchling.

To his surprise, the door creaked open; Don sat half-way up, quickly wiping his face clean. Mikey entered, barely visible in the dark. The computer light was the only thing on in the room, but it let Don identify his brother.

"Hey… Mikey… Do you need something?" Don asked quietly, sitting up and starting to stand. Mike shook his head and pushed Don back onto the bed, sitting next to him. He signaled that he'd heard something, and then pointed to Don's forehead and the wall. Don cracked a small smile. "Sorry for waking you up, Mikey. I just had a bad dream."

Mike frowned and, though Don resisted slightly, drew his older brother into a hug. Don hugged Mikey back; when the youngest gently crooned and rubbed his shell, Don let his tears go. He wasn't ashamed of crying in front of Mikey, but the youngest had better things to worry about than the braniac's nightmares.

"I couldn't save them, Mikey," Don sobbed quietly. "Leo… He wanted me to… But I just couldn't! I can't do anything; I can't fix your voice box, I can't bring back Leo's kids. I don't even know if the other two will make it, and if they do, the chance of their being deformed is almost 90%, and I don't know if I'll be able to fix that!"

Mikey gently sat him up and wrote carefully on a pad of paper he produced from his belt. Donnie read it quickly. Some things you can't fix, bro. Sometimes we have to change; sometimes it's from a bad thing, but it can be a good thing, too. We'll survive. Leo loves you; he loves all of us. He's scared, and he needs to do what he thinks is right. He doesn't expect you to fix everything; he appreciates it, but he understandsdeep downthat there is nothing you can do sometimes.

Don sighed and shook his head. "Mikey, I performed surgery on my brother without any experience – and he came out just fine. Why can't I fix your voice box? Why couldn't I keep them alive?"

Mikey glanced down and then back up; his eyes were shining with tears now as well. He took the pad back and wrote quickly.

I don't want fixing. I did, originally, but now… I'd rather you remember my voice as it used to be than settle for second-best. I can deal with it now; it's been a year. You need to stop beating yourself up over that. I forgive you; I forgave you the moment you took the thing-a-ma-jig back.

Don smiled briefly upon reading that and wrapped an arm around Mike as the turtle continued writing.

Leo doesn't expect you to work miracles. You might think so, occasionally – he expects a lot! But it's not impossible, and he knows there are limits to what can be done. Would he be grateful for you to have kept his babies alive if they had to live in an incubator the rest of their life? I don't think so.

Don shivered. The thought of trying to keep two babies alive in their conditions, without access to the newest medical technology… It would be a nightmare, but he would have done it, for Leo. The babies, though; they would have grown up without ever seeing daylight, or enjoying a run by night, or playing video games with Uncle Mikey or wrestling with Uncle Raph or tinkering with him…

Don't be hard on yourself, Donnie. You do everything you can. We understand that, and we love you for it. But I'll stop loving you if you don't get some rest!

The braniac chuckled and hugged Mikey. "Thanks, Mike. Who knows, you might be smart under there after all." Mikey chortled and rose, winking at his elder brother. Don lay back down, comforted. When the voice returned, he told it – in Raph-terms – to bug off and let him sleep.

~~TIME WARP~~

Don paced in front of the nursery. He'd expected the hatching to happen around today's date; he was waiting for any sign from Leo that it was happening. Mikey was in the kitchen, cooking; it was the youngest's response to stress. Raph was, predictably, in the dojo, pounding on the punching bag. Lil' Sis was in the living room with Master Splinter and April.

Splinter and April had decided to watch their favorite soap opera on the TV. Don had invited April to talk to Leo, since the turtle wasn't responding to them much, but she hadn't gotten much out of the locked-up male either. April had decided to wait with the turtles; she said they needed more estrogen in an environment about to welcome babies into the world.

Within the room, Leo was mimicking Don's pacing. He glanced at the clock, and then back at the eggs. He had cleaned the dirt off of them a little, and cleared the area around the nest as well as a path to the door. It was along this path that he paced now.

The egg with the larger "X" on the top had squeaking a few minutes ago; he was nervous. He didn't want to ask for help from his family – he'd abused them horribly over the past few weeks, especially after shutting them out. Don't they have a right to be parents, too? He'd asked himself this over and over in the long days when he couldn't sleep.

A selfish side of him answered that they didn't, because they hadn't had to carry the eggs from Mexico and lay them. Another side said yes, because for all he knew they contained DNA from all of his brothers.

Another little peep rose from the eggs; Leo rushed over, searching for cracks. Neither showed signs of breaking, but one of them was definitely making more noise. A dent had formed on the top, but Don had assured him – before Leo shut himself away – that the denting was normal and healthy.

Leo glanced at the door. He wanted Don's help, but… Would Don be willing to give it? Taking a deep breath, Leo moved towards the door. He'd beg Don if the braniac wanted it; he needed his brother's help, and he knew it.

He carefully shifted the table out of the way and removed the debris before slowly opening the door. Don was standing right outside, apparently startled.

"Oh! Um… Leo!" Don kept his voice down so he didn't alert their brothers. The guarded look in Leo's eyes worried him. "Is everything alright?"

"Don, I need your help. I know I've been horrible…"

Don waved his hand. "Leo, you're forgiven; I forgave you a long time ago. I love you, and I know you do what you think is right. I'll explain more later. Let's see!" Don was excited; the prospect of being an uncle – and probably part-father – was something he'd wanted to be able to claim ever since he'd realized where babies came from. The idea of having a little one of his own was something that enchanted him, though he knew it would never happen. He knew they weren't fertile with humans.

Leo let him in and left the door open slightly. Don knelt down next to the eggs and, with permission from the eldest, tapped gently. He examined both, said they looked healthy, and went to find a stethoscope.

"Mikey, heat some water up and get some warm milk," he ordered into the kitchen. Mikey blinked and looked at him questioningly, then peered over Don's shoulder at the nursery, his face lighting up. "Exactly. Master Splinter, April!" Don sped into the living room.

Both adults turned; they clearly were expecting bad news. The wide grin on Don's face made April respond in kind, and Master Splinter relaxed. Lil' Sis snorted at them all, sensing the excitement. "They're hatching – not yet, but soon! Mikey's getting hot water and warm milk for the babies. Raph!" Raph emerged at Don's bellow, clearly startled. It wasn't often that the braniac raised his voice, especially to that level.

"Go help Leo. He needs to have someone with him. I need some tools." Raph grinned and hurried into the nursery, only pausing to lock Lil' Sis in her room so she wouldn't try to get into the nursery. He was followed by April and Master Splinter. When Don got back into the room, Leo was kneeling next to the larger egg, hands on both sides of it. Raph was watching, grinning foolishly; clearly he was excited and had given up trying to hide it.

Master Splinter was sitting on a pile of dirt, watching the scene from where he was out of the way. April was kneeling next to Leo, murmuring – probably motherly advice from her mom, Don suspected. He handed Leo the stethoscope. "See if you can hear anything," he said. He wanted to listen, too, but he knew Leo needed it more.

The eldest quickly put the plugs into his earholes and gently pressed the head on the egg. He waited a few minutes; the whole room held its breath. There was a tiny sound – Don thought he imagined it until Leo's face lit up. "I heard him!" Leo laughed. "He squealed!"

"Definitely Mikey's kid," Raph grunted, good-naturedly. Mike appeared in the doorway, carrying a pot of water that steamed. He put it down in the dirt where Don asked him to and stayed; he'd left the milk on a very low heat on the stove, and he wanted to watch.

"Leo, can you hear any pecking or scraping?" Don asked. Leo turned his attention back to the egg, listening for long minutes. He moved the head of the stethoscope around, and then shook his head. "Nothing?" Don asked.

"Heart, and breathing – or something – but nothing like a scrape," Leo said, his voice cautious. "Is that… bad?"

"Not at all," Don reassured him. "May I?" Leo handed over the stethoscope and Don listened carefully. "It's definitely breathing air, which is good. I can't hear any bad signs; heart beat is strong. April, in my lab there is a small device. It's sitting right on the table, and it's kind of shiny. Could you grab it, please?" April was off like a shot; Mikey moved in next to Leo and, with a nod from the eldest, gently rested his hand on the egg that wasn't getting any attention.

She returned moments, after Mikey had convinced Raph to touch the second egg, too; the hothead was patting it gently, kneeling opposite from Leo.

Don pressed buttons on the little device and then held it to the egg. Leo peered at it; it seemed to be something like an Xray, but how Don had made one that small, he'd never understand.

"Leo, look here," Don ordered. Leo couldn't make heads or tails, but he saw movement – and his heart soared. "He's ready to come out, but he has no egg tooth. You'll need to break the shell open." Leo blinked and eyed Don.

"But animals are supposed to break out of their shells – it strengthens them," he argued. Don shook his head.

"If they have egg tooths, yes, but this little one doesn't. You need to help him. Here." Don pressed a tiny hammer into Leo's hands. "Just tap once or twice, very gently, and let's see how he reacts."

Leo held his breath – as did the rest of the room – and very, very lightly tapped the shell near the top. They waited for a second, and then a tiny tap sounded from inside. Leo grinned widely.

"He knows you're trying to help him. Keep going – gently." Don backed off to let Leo work and gathered cloths. He spread them around the base of the egg and on Leo's lap as the leader very gently tapped around the crown of the egg. Cracks appeared slowly; Don almost asked Leo to hurry up.

The hatchling was responding to the attention with peeps that almost sounded demanding; Raph grunted that the "little guy" wanted out already, and Leo tapped a little harder. The entire crown – about four inches across – broke off, dropping slightly. Leo put down the hammer and covered his hand in a cloth from his lap before removing the piece of shell very carefully.

A little beak emerged; it was shaped like Leo's own, slightly slimmer than his brothers', and was a very dark green, almost black. It shined in the light, breathing in fresh air with small gasps. The room was entirely silent; the baby rested, beak propped on the wall of his egg.

Don peered over Leo's shoulder but couldn't make out anything. Before he could tell Leo to continue, the hatchling opened his mouth and squeaked at them all. April gasped in delight; Leo looked ready to die of happiness as his grin stretched across his face. Mikey was clearly so excited he could hardly contain himself; Raph chuckled.

Leo carefully drew his finger over the beak; the little creature responded by opening his mouth, a pink tongue lolling out of toothless gums to lick the finger. Evidently, the baby liked what he found; the tongue swept around, looking for more to taste.

"You can break the rest out," Don suggested quietly, enchanted. Leo picked up the hammer and gently tapped again; the beak disappeared, and Leo stopped. There was an answering tap from inside the egg, and Leo grinned, tapping again. It took another few minutes, but another – larger – section of shell dropped in, about six inches this time. It moved as the little creature underneath the light piece of shell tried to crawl out of the new hole; stubby legs protruded from the shell. Leo gently lifted off the debris again, setting it very carefully aside, and reached in slowly.

Don held his breath; now they would know if this baby was born healthy or if they'd need to make the impossible decision again. Leo carefully withdrew his arm; a tiny, slimy body was curled up on his palm. It was about as big as two of Don's palms put together, and it hung over the side of Leo's a little. He brought the baby to his lap and carefully put him down on the rags; the hatchling snuffled and moved.

Leo had eyes only for his baby. It was a very dark color, or the slimy coating was tricking his eyes. He had felt at least two limbs on his hand; they appeared to be clawed. The little baby was obviously a turtle; it had a dark yellow plastron, and Leo realized it was upside down. Tenderly, he turned it over and four little limbs sprawled out of the baby, along with a stumpy head. Overall, it weighed about two pounds, and had a shell about eight inches in diameter.

He gently wiped his shell clean with the cloth; he peeped at him. He hadn't opened his eyes yet, but Leo felt the connection anyway. Once the tiny turtle was finally clean, Don handed him a warm, damp cloth; Leo gently bathed the hatchling again. Cleaned, he was a very dark green; in the right light, or lack thereof, the turtle would almost disappear.

The four limbs were strong, Don reassured him; they were also clawed. The tiny claws came from their turtle origins, he explained. The shell was slightly soft to the touch; Don said it would harden over the next few days. The plastron had a small hole in it of pink flesh, and the braniac explained it had been for the yolk sac and would close over within the next week or so.

Leo carefully picked the little baby up; the hatchling lay in his arms and finally opened his eyes. They were a bright amber, and seemed to glow from a fire inside. The baby rested his eyes on his father and squeaked, arms moving.

"It's too early to tell if he'll be bipedal," Don whispered. "But he's certainly intelligent." The little head tracked the sound and waved his arms at the speaker; Don grinned and offered the little guy a finger. The claws scratched at his tough skin, and Leo chuckled.

Mikey peered at them, as did Raph; Master Splinter and April were hovering over Leo. He carefully shifted so everyone could see the little one. Mikey scooted closer carefully, crooning over the little baby. Raph stood up and looked over Don's shoulder until the genius demanded he get closer.

"He won't bite," Leo chuckled, using one cautious finger to stroke the baby's plastron. The tiny guy waved his arms and squealed happily.

"Donnie, do we know his gender?" Leo asked quietly. Don shook his head.

"We won't know for a little while, probably, unless he takes after humans in that regard. May… May I?" Leo nodded immediately and motioned for the braniac to sit; Don made himself take a calming breath before accepting the tiny bundle. He rocked it gently and pulled back the cloth Leo had swaddled him in.

"Oh!" Don quickly covered the little one back up, blushing. Leo raised an eyebrow. "Um… April, can you confirm my findings here?" April blinked and then grinned widely and, with permission from the father, picked up the tiny one, checking like Don had. She laughed and handed the hatchling back to Leo.

"Congratulations, Leo. You've got a baby girl there!" The brothers were dumbstruck.

"A girl?" Raph grunted.

Mikey chortled in his chest and made a hand-pump of victory before holding out a hand to Raph. The hothead grumbled.

"We had a bet," Raph explained to the rest. "I said they'd all be guys, 'cause that's what we are, and Mikey said one'd be a girl…"

"Well, my sons, it appears we will have a baby girl among us from now on," Master Splinter said, voice conveying his happiness. "That means there will be no more foul language – Raphael." Raph grinned sheepishly and nodded.

Leo gently handed Mikey the baby and watched his youngest carefully, but the orange-banded turtle handled her like a piece of fine china. Master Splinter also held her, and she found his whiskers very fun to play with; he handed her off to April after the strong baby had yanked one a little too hard.

"What will you name her?" April asked, handing the little girl back to her father. Leo looked into her amber eyes and then back at the group.

"I did… Look at girl names, just in case," he said quietly. He looked back down at the baby, and then at Splinter. "I would like to name her Kiziah. Hamato Kiziah Tama." Master Splinter smiled and nodded.

"It is a good name, my son."

"What's it mean?" Don asked curiously.

"Kiziah means "light of the heart" in African… And "Tama" is Japanese for "jewel" or "surprise," so it fits," Leo said quietly. He smiled at his daughter. "Hey… Kiziah."

Don grinned and repeated the name, loving the sound. It fit the tiny turtle so well.

Mikey grinned and forced himself not to think about the fact that he would never be able to say his niece's name… Morwen, he thought to himself. Darkone.Itfitsher. Armed with a nickname for her already, Mikey felt himself lighten up; saying the name didn't matter. The child would grow up knowing her Uncle Mike loved her just as much as his brothers.

"Donnie… When will the other egg hatch?" Leo asked suddenly. The other egg had been silent the whole time. Don shrugged.

"It'll hatch when it's ready. They don't need to hatch at the same time; in fact, it's probably better they don't, so we can give Kiziah all the attention she needs." Don grinned. "She might be hungry. It's hard work, hatching." Mikey got up and went to get the milk.

Don tested the temperature when Mikey brought it back and let it cool for a minute, just in case, before giving it to Leo. He held the small bottle – fitted with a spill-proof nipple – in front of the little turtle's face. She scrunched up her beak and sniffed at it; Leo carefully squeezed the bottle and a little drop of milk splashed the girl's face.

Mikey grinned at the dumbstruck look on the hatchling's face as it licked at the white liquid. Kiziah opened her mouth and lolled her tongue around; Leo moved the bottle closer and she latched on, her little hands coming up to grasp the sides of it automatically.

"A healthy baby," Master Splinter commented, grinning. Raph snickered.

"Sure loves t' eat. Definitely got some'a Mikey in 'er." Mikey stuck his tongue out at Raph but grinned; he loved the idea of having a baby girl share his genes.

"I'll go find her some little outfits," April promised. Leo started to protest, but she insisted, saying it would be a gift from her and Casey, and left to find her boyfriend and tell him the good news.

Don motioned for Mikey, Raph, and Master Splinter to leave Leo with his baby; Mikey took the pot, and Don gathered the used rags. Leo was almost oblivious, watching his baby girl drink the milk happily.