DISCLAIMERS/NOTES

1. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by Nickelodean (I think). I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.

PART 35

There was just the three of them in the room. After much coercing, their family finally agreed to leave them be for a time.

The others had stuff to do. Cuts and scrapes to attend. News reports to investigate. Rest to take. It was discovered Mikey's ribs were not broken, as initially feared - just heavily bruised. Raph and Casey kept a wary eye on eachother. And Leo was torn between making sure Karai was alright both physically and mentally, and Splinter had not pushed himself too far in the rescue attempt.

Which left the medibay to themselves.

The remains of the shell had been skooted away. The cord had been cut. The placenta passed. Everything was cleaned up as best as possible, given the circumstances. Those circumstances being Donnie and April... taking in their new son.

April, still not strong enough to even sit up, turned her head to the turtle in the chair at her bedside, a small bundle in a blanket in his arms. She was beyond exhausted, but there was no way she would sleep now: she just became a mother, and had to look at her baby boy.

A smile crossed her weary eyes at what she saw. Donnie, the man she loved, her soulmate, was staring awestruck at his child. Their child. His expression reminded April of whenever she would see him working on a new invention - his focus entirely on the job at hand. But this was different: there was a sense of sheer wonder in his brown eyes now.

At the moment, the baby was asleep, clearly tuckered out. He dozed noiselessly, as quiet as anything. Fact was, he had not made a single noise, other than barely-audible gasps and yawns, since he...

Since he hatched, April thought to herself with an inner smirk. It was strange; in the months since discovering the state of their baby inside her womb, the thought of actually laying an egg shook April to her core. But now? Now their little miracle was here, alive, and seemingly healthy? It did not matter. April did not care at all how he came to them. He was here, and that was all that mattered.

The minutes following his emergance was full of activity, once the initial gawking in shock passed. Donnie approached the newborn like a lost treasure, while the others in the room hastily crowded around. The scientist quickly went into investigative mode, looking over his son intently. It was several minutes before April herself got to see him, before Splinter poked his head in and ordered Leo, Raph, Karai and Casey to leave, to give the new parents space alone.

When April finally got to see her son, her heart nearly burst. Needless to say, his crossbred parentage was obvious. He had a little bit of both turtle and Human, though, if one was objective, he leaned more on the turtle side. His head was more rounded than a Human's, and he lacked a distinct nose. However, he also had petruding ears and a faint impression of hair on his flat, soft scalp. Naturally, it was red.

He had four digits on each hand, and three on either feet. He had no tail, but his skin colour was a very pale green. Perhaps the most surprising thing was his lack of a shell. At least an outward one. However, there was an ever-so-slight convex to his back, and both that and his chest were noticably harder than the rest of his body, which had the typical baby fat.

Yes, he was certainly part-Mutant turtle, part-Human. And to Donnie and April, he was absolutely perfect.

Donnie shook his head slowly, for what seemed the millionth time. "I can't believe it," he breathed - again, not for the first time.

April, weak as she was, reached out and gently touched the blanket wrapped around her son. "Let me see," she whispered.

"I'm sorry," Donnie blurted. He shifted in his chair and angled their boy until he was facing his mother.

"He's so beautiful," choked April, as tears trickled down her eyes. Once more, she thought she was going to die of happiness. "I can't wait to hold him... "

"You will, as soon as you're strong enough," soothed the ninja, his purple mask long discarded. "I promise. But right now, you must rest. I'll... I'll go take him out, show him to the others."

April was already beginning to succumb to sleep. "No... please... just stay here. Stay with me."

Donnie's face melted. "OK, my princess. Whatever you say."

There was one last thing before April could close her eyes and give in to her exhaustion. "A name... his name... "

"We can decide that later," Donnie blinked.

April managed to shake her head as her eyes lidded. "Already decided... remember?"

Recollection of their talks over the months seemed to dawn on him. "You sure?"

"It's perfect... " she slurred as she closed her eyes. With a final defiance of sleep, she smiled. "He's perfect... "

The last thing she heard as she finally drifted off was the father of her child's voice. "Rest, my angel. We'll be waiting."

TO BE CONTINUED