NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later

Four days later...

Ding Dong

"Just a minute!" Gaia called out as she ran out of the steaming bathroom and put on a fuzzy white robe. Celeste awoke from her nap on the couch and mewed curiously as her wet master hurried to the door and looked through the peephole.

To the human's delight, a certain cyborg Turtle was standing at her door with a bouquet of cheery blossoms and lilies. With a big smile, she grabbed the knob and slowly opened the door. "Hi, honey," she said with lust in her eyes as she purposely opened her robe a bit to reveal a little more of her chest. She then twirled a strand of her wet hair with her finger. "Just got out of the shower."

A blushing Donnie smiled shyly at her and opened his mouth to speak, but then a pair of soft lips locked against his in a passion kiss and he felt her wrap her arms around his neck. He moaned in her mouth and was about to return the embrace when he suddenly remembered that they were still in the hallway of her apartment and the other tenants could be watching. He gently and reluctantly pushed her off and broke their kiss. "Um, let's step inside where it's more private, shall we?" he whispered with an apologetic grin.

She giggled and nodded. "Sure." She took the bouquet and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for the flowers."

The moment Donnie walked into the living room, Celeste jumped off the couch and sprinted to him, affectionately rubbing against his leg and purring. "Hey, Celeste," he chuckled as he picked her up and stroked her back. "Missed me?"

"You know, it's funny," Gaia scratched her cat's chin with an amused smile. "She used to hate your guts and couldn't stand to be near you. Now she can't get enough of you."

Donnie shrugged. "Well, if people can change, then cats can change, too, I guess."

"That reminds me, how's Leo?"

The grin on Donnie's face dropped at the mention of his brother's name and he gently put Celeste back down. "He's doing fine. But he still won't let me fix his hand. Without a thumb, he'll never fight with his swords again. I mean, he could try but it would be extremely difficult."

"At least he's still alive," Gaia softly said as she rubbed the back of his neck. "And you three get to start over and be a family again."

He smiled a little and nodded. "That's true." He watched fondly as she walked into the kitchen and poured some water into a vase for her flowers. "But you know, I still feel like our family is incomplete."

Gaia nodded with a sad smile as she set the vase down on the counter. "Of course without Mikey, it will always feel like that."

"I'm not talking about Mikey," Donnie said, catching her by surprise. "Mikey will always be with us. What I'm hinting at is...well, look in the bouquet."

Confused, Gaia complied and carefully look through the flowers, then she nearly dropped them in shock when she saw the now repaired Rolex watch that she bought for him. With trembling hands, she pulled it out and turned to Donnie with wide amber eyes. "Donnie," she whispered, "how...?"

He smiled lovingly at her as he walked into the kitchen and took the watch from her. "I found it the night we rescued you. While I was fixing it, I saw the inscription on the back." He flipped it over and pointed to the engraved words, Donatello, Love Of My Life, Will You Marry Me?

Her cheeks blushed from embarassment. It was supposed to be a surprise, but then the Shredder kidnapped her and ruined everything.

"I made the mistake of leaving you, Gaia," he carassed her cheek with his normal hands and looked deep into her eyes. "I won't make the same mistake ever again for the rest of my life." He then took her hand and slipped something over her finger.

Gaia looked down and clasped a hand over her mouth to supress a sob, but the tears came spilling down her cheeks freely. On her finger was a ring with a beautiful Scolecite stone.

Donnie put the Rolex watch on his robotic wrist before gently grabbing her face and kissing her. As he pulled away, he whispered, "Gaia Anastasia Mako, I will marry you."

She could no longer control herself and pressed her lips against his in another passionate kiss, only this time, the overwhelming joy in her heart turned into warm energy that flowed out of her body and into his like a stream. Donnie smiled to himself as he felt their souls literally becoming one.


Four months later...

"God, I hate this," Shadow nervously bit her fingernails as she fidgeted around in her chair.

Everyone else in the waiting room- Raph, Donnie, Gaia, Kirby, and Casey's sister Sarah- were just as tense as she was. The two Turtle brothers wore trench coats, sunglasses, and fedora hats as disguises, and Raph lowered his glasses to look at Shadow, who sat across from him.

"Deep breaths, kid," he said softly. "It'll be okay."

"Yeah, your Mom is tough," Kirby reached over and patted his granddaughter on the back. "These things take time."

"But what if something goes wrong?" Shadow's voice cracked slightly. "I mean, the Shredder experimented on her and..." She sighed and cradled her head in her hands. "Look, I don't mean to be a nervous wreck. It's just-"

"We understand," Donnie told her. "You've been through a lot. We all have. But Mr. O'Neil is right, your Mom is strong. One of the strongest people I've ever met."

"If Shadow is nervous, I can't imagine how Casey must be feeling," Sarah commented. "Poor guy."

All of a sudden, something began to squirm around under Raph's coat, and a squeaking sound made everyone else in the room turn their heads and stare at him.

Raph grinned sheepishly and stood up. "Excuse me." He hurried down the hall and shut himself in the men's bathroom. Once the coast was clear, he reached into his coat and pulled out a baby mutant Turtle, holding him in his palm. The infant blinked his tiny black eyes a few times and squeaked again.

"Sandro Hamato," Raph chuckled as he shook his head, "you need to learn to be more quiet if you're gonna be a ninja like Daddy someday."

Sandro, or Sandy as he is affectionately called most of the time, grabbed his father's thumb with his tiny hands and began to suck on it.

"Okay, I know what you need." Raph reached into his pocket and pulled out a pacifier, which Sandy gladly accepted. The proud dad smiled warmly as he stroked his son's head.

Three months ago, Mona Lisa surprised Raphael with four eggs in their bed, and six weeks later, two Turtles and two Salamandrians, all boys, hatched under a heater that Donnie had specifically built for them. The two Turtles were named Sandy and Giotto (or Gio) and the two Salamandrians were named David and Angel. Sandy was the smallest of the brothers, but he had so much spunk and courage, and he even had a birthmark on his plastron that was shaped like a lightning bolt. Gio had blue spots on his body that he inherited from his mother and he couldn't stand to be away from her for more than five minutes or else he would start crying. Angel was very quiet and mild-tempered, and he was the splitting image of his mother. David was a little fireball of energy and his scales were a blue-greenish color and his eyes were emerald like his father's.

The night they hatched was the greatest and happiest moment of Raph's life, and he wanted to spend every moment with them. For the first few nights, he stayed awake to watch them sleep until dawn, and Mona finally convinced him to get some sleep, himself, since they would all still be there after he woke up.

Sandy continued to suck on his pacifier until he eventually fell asleep in his father's hand. Raph sighed happily as he held his son close to his plastron. "I really do love you, kid," he whispered.

Meanwhile, back in the waiting room, Donnie groaned and shook his head. "Seriously, why couldn't he just leave that baby back home?"

"Because he's crazy about his kids, you know that," Gaia giggled and hugged her fiancé's arm. "He can't stand to be apart from them, so Mona allowed him to bring one instead of all four."

Just then the doctor appeared and Shadow immedately stood up from her chair and braced herself for bad news, biting her lower lip and clutching her chest.

"Shadow Jones?" the doctor called out.

The teen gulped and stepped forward. "Y-Yeah?"

He smiled at her. "Congratulations. You are officially a big sister."

She instantly sighed in relief as the others clapped in congratulation and joy.

"The delivery was a success," the doctor continued. "No complications at all. Your mother is very tired, but she'll be all right. Are you ready to meet your brother?"

Shadow nodded eagerly and followed him down the hall. She could barely contain her excitement as he led her to the nursery. They stopped in front of a large window and he pointed to a baby with a bit of red hair on his head and slightly pink cheeks in the second row of bassinets. "That's him right there." He gestured for the nurse behind the glass to bring the newborn and show him to his sister.

Tears filled Shadow's eyes as the nurse came forward with the baby, and when her brother opened his eyes and revealed their beautiful blue color, she let out a gleeful squeal despite herself. He was so precious! She couldn't wait to hold him.

"Shadow Jones, meet Mikey Jones," the doctor announced as he patted her on the back.

She pressed her hand against the glass and smiled at the baby who stared curiously at her. "Hi, Mikey. I'm your big sis."

As if in response, the corners of Mikey's mouth lifted into a smile. At that moment, she knew that she would do anything to protect him.

...

When she stepped into the recovery room, the first thing she saw was her mother lying in bed with her eyes closed. Her hair, which had grown back, was wet with sweat and the bangs clung to her forehead. There were bags under her eyes and she looked extremely tired just as the doctor said.

Casey sat next to the bed and held her hand, and when he heard his daughter walk in, he turned around in his chair and smiled at her. "Hey, kiddo," he whispered. "Did you see your brother?"

Shadow nodded with a smile. "He's amazing," she whispered back.

Suddenly, April fluttered her eyes open and grinned. "He is," she said weakly. "Our little Mikey is amazing." She then slowly lifted her hand and gestured for Shadow to come, which she did. The teen stood next at the other side of the bed and took her mother's hand. "But you know," April gently rubbed her thumb over Shadow's, "you're just as special and precious to us as you were the day we found you. And having a baby hasn't changed that."

Casey nodded in agreement. "Your mother's right."

"I know, guys," Shadow chuckled and patted her mother's hand. "You don't need to worry about that. Oh, and Mom, I want to show you a new trick that Gaia taught me."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, squeezing April's hand slightly. April looked up at her slightly confused, then her eyes widened as she felt warm energy suddenly flow into her hand and throughout her entire body and her strength was quickly coming back. This lasted for no more than ten seconds, and it stopped the second Shadow let go of her mom's hand.

She opened her eyes again and grinned. "Feeling better now?"

April slowly sat up and looked at both Shadow and Casey bewildered. "Y...Yeah. I feel great." She then laughed as she reached over to touch Shadow's cheek. "You're getting better every day."


A month later...

It was a perfect day to have a wedding at the O'Neil farmhouse. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky and the temperature wasn't too hot nor too cold. Just about everyone was there to celebrate the union between Donatello and Gaia, family and friends, humans and mutants. Tables had been set up on the front lawn for the reception dinner, and Ronny had set up a buffet table and cooked the dishes himself.

Mona sat under a tree with her four baby boys and Chompy. The huge space turtle wagged his tail happily as he continued to lick David's face, causing the infant to squeal in amusement. Gio and Angel slept soundly in their mother's lap, and Mona smiled as she stroked their little heads.

"Hey, ya little rugrats!" Slash laughed as he approached his little nephews. "Who wants to ride the airplane?" When Sandy squeaked and raised his arms, Slash picked him up and lifted him high above his head as he made airplane sounds and ran across the field.

April, Karai, and Casey laughed as they watched Slash play with Sandy. They sat together at a small round table and little Mikey slept in a baby carriage, a pacifier in his mouth.

"I can't get over how adorable little Mikey is," Karai said as she stared at the baby's cute sleeping face.

"Yeah, he's a sweet little cherub," Casey chuckled. "When he's being quiet."

"Casey..." April elbowed her husband but was giggling.

Just then Shadow walked up to their table, wearing the blue wrap dress with the pink waist ribbon that she had originally bought for her Broadway date with Danny. "How do I, uh, look?" she asked them with a shy smile. She wasn't used to wearing dresses, but she had to look her best as the Maid of Honor.

"You look beautiful, honey," April said with a proud smile.

At the buffet table, Danny, who had volunteered to help Ronny with the dinner, glanced back at Shadow, who was showing off her pretty new dress to her parents, and his cheeks began to blush.

Ronny noticed this and began to chuckle. "You still like her, don't you?" he asked with a smirk.

Danny looked at him and nodded with a small, sad smile. "Yeah, but I pretty much blew all my chances with her."

The cook raised a surprised eyebrow. "Oh? Was it really that bad? I heard you broke up with her."

Danny lowered his glance and nodded. "I lied to her about who I was. I thought that by breaking up with her, I was protecting her. But things just got worse."

Ronny grunted understandingly. "We all have done things we're not proud of. But Shadow's a very forgiving person, you know."

"Yeah, I know. I'm surprised she still considers me a friend, or even talks to me."

"Well, you've proven yourself to be a good guy after you helped her and the others save the world. Who knows? She just might give you one more chance, and when she does, you'd better not screw it up, kid." He then handed the teen a basket of freshly baked rolls. "Now set one on each small plate, will ya?"

An old, rusty R.V suddenly drove up to the front yard, squeaking as it bounced up and down on the dirt road, and once it had been parked, Mondo peeked his head out through the driver's window. "Hey! Did we miss the wedding?"

"Nope," Shadow said as she walked up to the vehicle. "We would never start without the guest of honor."

The entry door opened and Pete hopped out in excitement. "Hi, everybody! Merry Christmas!"

Shadow held back her giggles and patted the pigeon on the head. "Hi, Pete."

"Pete, I need your assistance!" Dr. Rockwell called out from inside the R.V.

"Yes, sir!" Pete cried and jumped back into the vehicle, and less than a minute later, he reappeared, but this time he was slowly going down the steps backwards and holding a man's hand.

That man was none other than Timothy, now back in his original human form, although there were a few changes. His lost right eye had been replaced with a glass one, which looked larger than his organic left eye, and he was completely bald, never to grow hair again, not even eyebrows. But aside from those notable changes, he looked normal overall. He even wore a tuxedo with a red rose pinned to the lapel for the wedding.

Since his legs were still very weak, he needed help to walk, and Dr. Rockwell held one hand while Pete held the other as he slowly wobbled down the steps. He face lit up the moment he saw Shadow and he grinned from ear to ear. "Shadow!" he cried out in a raspy voice.

Shadow smiled back and hugged his neck. "Hi, Timothy! You look fantastic!" She took his arm and nodded to the two mutants. "I can take it from here, guys." She slowly guided the guest of honor to the table that was reserved for him and everyone else clapped and cheered once he reached the chair.

Slash walked up to Rockwell, still carrying Sandy in his hands. "You did an awesome job, Doc," he said with a smile.

Rockwell chuckled softly and shook his head. "I can't take all of the credit. Donatello wouldn't even sleep until we had finally found the solution. In all my life, I have never seen a person work so vigorously."

...

In the old barn, the groom was getting ready for the big moment, nervously pacing back and forth and fumbling with his cufflinks. He was dressed in a purple tuxedo, a black tie, and an orange rose on his lapel. "You can do this, you can do this, you can do this..." he chanted quietly to himself over and over again.

Raph sat on a hay stack and chuckled as he watched his brother. "You're gonna make yourself sick, bro. Chill."

"Easy for you to say," Donnie grumbled and continued to pace.

"Hey, the way I see it, you're already married to her. In a spiritual sense, anyway. You're just making it official in legal terms."

Donnie stopped pacing and looked at his brother with a serious expression. "You don't understand. I've dreamt of this moment for years. I want it to be perfect for both me and her."

"It will be perfect, Don," Raph softly told him. "You're stressing way too much over this."

The cyborg took a deep breath and took a seat next to Raph. "Maybe you're right." After a moment of silence, he looked at him with very somber auburn eyes as he gently touched his rose. "I know that Mikey and Splinter are with us in spirit, but...still...I wanted them to be here in person on this special day. It can't be perfect without them."

Raph sighed softly and wrapped his arm around his brother in a comforting hug. "I know, man. I wish my kids could've met their grandfather and knucklehead uncle. All I can do is tell them stories and show them old photographs. But you're not alone anymore; we can miss them together and it won't hurt as much."

Donnie's frown slowly lifted into a grin. "It does hurt less. You know, this is all because you never gave up on us, Raph. You saved our family. If it weren't for you, I never would've met Gaia, and I would've been alone for the rest of my life." With his normal hand, he touched Raph's shoulder and gave it a loving squeeze. "Thank you."

The older brother shook his head. "It was Mikey who saved us. I actually came very close to giving up a few times, but he helped me find the courage to go on. He's the one who brought us back together, not me."

"Speaking of familes, where's Leo? He promised me he'd be at the wedding."

"Leo came, Donnie. He's just...hiding somewhere in the woods." Raph sighed softly and turned his head toward the barn doors. "He still feels ashamed about his past wrongdoings and can't face his friends yet. Well, except Karai. But with a little time and patience and persuasion, we'll get him to-"

"Come out of his shell?" Donnie finished for him with an amused smile. The two brothers stared at each other for a moment before they burst into laughter.

Just then, the doors opened a bit and Casey poked his head in. "Hey, guys, it's about that time," he said with a grin.

Donnie took a deep breath and slowly exhaled before he stood up and brushed the dust and hay off his suit. "Alright. I'm ready."

...

Everyone gathered around the front porch of the farmhouse, which served as the altar, and the support beams and deck railing were decorated with beautiful flowers. The pastor from Ronny's church, Matias Daza, who was also the cook's most trusted friend, had been asked to be the vow master of this unique and secret wedding. He stood next to Donnie, Raph, and Shadow on the porch as they waited for the bride to come out through the front door.

Nearby at the DJ table, Pete pushed a button on a CD player and the instrumental song "Lotus Flower" by Eric Chiryoku began to play. Less than a minute, Gaia stepped out onto the porch and revealed her beautiful form to everyone. Her dress was a snow-white short-sleeved fishtail with a lace neckline. She wore a floral wreath veil and a head circlet that had a diamond star pendant. Her ruby lips sparkled with glitter and the ends of her long dark hair were slightly curled. In her hands was a bouquet of cherry blossoms, white roses, and lilies, all of which were tied together with a purple ribbon.

Donnie couldn't contain his tears at how beautiful his wife-to-be truly was and they managed to spill down his cheeks. Raph smiled proudly at his brother and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Shadow stared at her friend wide-eyed and open-mouthed for a moment before she snapped out of it and gave her a big hug. Gaia handed her the bouquet before taking Donnie's trembling hands, and the music stopped as the two turned to face the pastor.

Matias cleared his throat and began to speak in Spanish. Damas y caballeros... He stopped and chuckled in embrassment. "Sorry. Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the joining of Hamato Donatello and Gaia Anastasia Mako in marriage. With love and commitment, they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife. Donatello and Gaia, through your commitment to each other, may you grow and nurture a love that makes both of you better people, a love that continues to give you great joy, and also a passion for living that provides you with energy and patience to face the responsibilities of life."

At that moment Metalhead came forward with a satin pillow, upon which lay the Rolex watch and wedding ring. He took one step up the deck stairs before he tripped and fell down, dropping the ring and watch in the process. Everyone gasped while Donnie groaned and facepalmed.

Shadow hurried over to the robot and helped him onto the porch. "It's okay, Metalhead," she said softly to him. She placed the pillow back in his hands and patted him on the head before she went back to Raph's side.

Metalhead proudly presented the ring and watch to his adoptive parents and chirped happily. Donnie smiled and nodded in approval and Gaia gave the robot a peck on the forehead.

Matias continued on with vows. "Do you, Donatello, take Gaia to be your lawfully wedded wife, promising to love and cherish her, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?"

Donnie smiled lovingly at Gaia and looked deep into her eyes as he said, "I do."

The pastor turned to the bride. "Do you, Gaia, take Donatello to be your lawfully wedded husband, promising to love and cherish him, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?"

Gaia nodded and pressed her lips against Donnie's hand in a tender kiss. "I do."

Donnie took the ring and placed it on her finger. "This ring is a token of my love. I marry you with this ring, with all that I have and all that I am."

Gaia took the watch and placed it on his right wrist. "This watch is a token of my love. I marry you with this watch, with all that I have and all that I am."

Matias smiled as he placed his hand over the couple's conjoined ones. "By the power vested in me by God and by the State of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Dontello, you may kiss your bride."

The cyborg Turtle leaned in to kiss his lover, but she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in, herself. As they kissed passionately, the crowd clapped and cheered for the newlyweds.

From behind a tree in the woods, a certain mutant Turtle with a blue ninja mask watched the entire ceremony and clapped his hands, too. "Way to go, Donnie," he whispered with a smile.

...

As Tesla's Love Song played on the CD player, Donnie and Gaia engaged in a slow dance with everyone else watching at their tables. At the buffet table, Ronny and Danny cut the cake into slices, but the cook stopped for a moment to nudge the teen.

"Hey, go ask her to dance with you," Ronny whispered and nodded to Shadow, who sat with her parents.

Danny looked at him shocked. "What? No way!"

"Why not?"

"It would be pointless. She'd just say no. Besides, look at me," Danny gestured to his casual clothing. He wore a simple red T-shirt and jeans that had holes in it. "I'm not properly dressed for this occasion."

Ronny just laughed. "Come on, this is Shadow we're talking about. She won't care about your clothes. Go on. Dance with her."

Danny glanced at Shadow and gulped nervously. He was afraid that she would flat-out reject him in front of everyone, even though he deserved it. But this may be his one chance to fix things between them and start over. He wanted to be her boyfriend again, because he felt truly happy with her. When they were together, he didn't feel so alone.

He took a deep breath and put the kitchen knife down on the table. "I'm gonna go ask her to dance with me."

At the O'Neil table, Casey noticed Danny walking toward them and smiled as he got an idea. He leaned over to tap Shadow on the shoulder, and when he got her attention, he whispered, "Hey, don't look now but Danny's coming. Ask him to dance with you."

"What?" Shadow exclaimed with a blush. "No! I don't dance! You know that!"

Casey looked at her confused. "What are you talking about? You were the best ballet dancer in elementary school."

Now Shadow's entire face was beet red. "Dad, please...!" she whispered urgently and pressed a finger against her lips to shush him just as Danny arrived at their table.

Danny smiled bashfully at his ex-girlfriend and rubbed the back of his neck. "H-Hey, Shadow," he nervously said. "Um...how are you doing?"

"Good," Shadow simply said as she glanced down at her plate.

"Good. S-So uh...w-wanna dance?"

She looked up at him in shock. "What?"

"Wanna...dance?" he repeated in a more quiet voice.

Casey couldn't contain his laughter. This was too much. "Well, maybe it's time my little girl showed off her ballet-"

"I'd-love-to-dance!" Shadow cut him off and stood up from her seat, taking Danny's hand and pulling him to where Donnie and Gaia were. Did she just get blackmailed by her own father? Oh, there would be payback later.

April touched her husband and whispered to him, "We'd better go over there and join them so that she won't feel embarassed." When he nodded in agreement, she turned to Karai, who was making faces at the now awake Mikey. "Karai, do you mind watching Mikey for a moment while Casey and I dance?"

"Not at all," Karai replied with a smile and nod.

Shadow felt her cheeks getting hot when Danny put his hand on her waist and held her hand with the other. When she looked up at him, his forehead was wet with beads of sweat and his own cheeks were flushed, and she could feel his fast heartbeat in his fingers. She couldn't help but giggle. "You've never danced with a girl before, have you?"

He chuckled a bit and shook his head. "N-No. You're my first."

April and Casey joined in and all three couples slowly danced to the music. From the buffet table, Ronny smiled to himself in victory and watched the youngest couple move together in harmony.

So you think that it's over

Say your love has finally reached the end

Any time you call, night or day

I'll be right there for you if you need a friend

It's gonna take a little time

Time is sure to mend your broken heart

But don't you even worry, pretty darling

'Cause I know you'll find love again

Yeah, love is all around you

Love is knockin' outside your door

Waiting for you is this love made just for two

Keep an open heart and you'll find love again, I know

Love is all around you, yeah

Love is knockin' outside your door

Waiting for you is this love made just for two

Keep an open heart and you'll find love again, I know

Raph sat next to Mona under the tree and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to his plastron. He cradled Sandy with his other arm and the baby Turtle was nibbling on the ends of his tattered mask. Gio and Angel continued to nap in Mona's lap while David tried to grab the ladybugs in the grass.

Donnie and Gaia looked so much in love as they danced gracefully. At one of the tables, Rockwell handed Timothy a piece of cake, and the moment the human took the first bite, a tear escaped his normal eye. It was the first time in years that he tasted something so delicious and sweet. At another table, Slash and Monda were laughing at some kind of joke that the gecko just told. The normally tough and cool Karai cooed at baby Mikey in his carriage. April and Casey watched with pride as their daughter danced with her first crush.

Love will find a way

Darlin', love is gonna find a way

Find its way back to you

Love will find a way

So look around, open your eyes

Love is gonna find a way

Raph closed his eye and smiled blissfully to himself as he basked in all the love around him. Everything was so perfect. Everyone was so happy.

But then the smile suddenly dropped.

Well, almost everyone.

...

Leo could hear the music playing at the farmhouse, but he chose to seclude himself within the woods and sat on a log all by himself, with nothing but the hidden critters and crawlers as his companions. He idly traced the snake tattoo that was still on his plastron with finger for nearly an hour. On his left hand was a stump that used to be his thumb before Alopex cut it off.

He could imagine the happy looks on everyone's faces as they danced and visited with each other, and he wished that he could be a part of that. But he couldn't. Not yet.

Just then he heard the bushes rustle behind him and swifted turned his head in alarm.

"Leo?" Raph stepped out from behind a tree and was holding a plate with a piece of wedding cake and a fork on it. The one-eyed smiled sadly at his brother as he walked toward him. "I saved you a piece."

Leo glanced at the cake then somberly shook his head. "No thanks. I'm not hungry. Just...go back to the party, Raph."

He heard his brother sigh softly, but then he felt the log shift slightly as the other Turtle sat down next to him.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself, man," Raph said. "You need to have fun every once in a while. It's good for your body and mind."

Leo shook his head again. "You don't need to worry about me, Raph. I'm fine."

Raph just gave him a skeptical look.

"Really, I'm fine. I just need some time and space to, you know, think things over."

A mouse suddenly appeared and slowly approached the two, staring at Raph's cake with hungry beady eyes. Raph smiled and set the plate down on the ground. The mouse happily accepted his gift and engorged itself with the delicious dessert. It stopped for a moment to squeak a few times and seconds later even more mice popped out of the bushes and joined in on the feast.

Raph chuckled and stood up from the log. "Well, take all the time you need, but just remember, your family will always be there waiting for you." He placed a gentle hand on Leo's shoulder. "And you already know that I got your back, bro. Always." Then he turned and walked away.

Leo watched as Raph headed back to the party then turned his attention back to the mice. One of them stopped eating and looked up at him, its whiskers and nose covered in white frosting. The Turtle chuckled softly at the cute sight, forgetting his inner struggle and sadness for a moment.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a large black snake struck at that particular mouse and had a tight grip on its head. The other mice immedately fled and left its comrade to die alone. Leo watched in horror and disgust as the snake slowly gobbled down the poor creature until it disappeared down its throat. The snake stayed very still and stared up at the Turtle for what felt like an eternity before it slithered away into the woods.

Leo felt sick to his stomach and buried his face in his hands.

Huge thanks to BrightLotusMoon for allowing me to use her character Gaia!