Warnings:

Mentions of blood

Eventual Tsest (kinda) Don't like. Don't read.

Slow burn Raph/Leo pairing

Light swearing

Dyslexic writer

Possible OOC

Total lack of medical knowledge

Please read authors note at the end.

Disclaimer: Only thing I own is a few TMNT action figures from the 80s and 90s. In other words I don't own TMNT this is just a fanfiction.

Chapter 2

"Raph, what happened to Leo?" asked Don trying to stay calm as he's searched Leo for injuries.

"I don't know. His stomach's crampin' real bad. He puked. He has a fever, and he's bleedin'!!" said a very freaked out Raph looking up at Don.

Donny started examining Leo, noticing where the blood was coming from and how the cramps were coming in waves. After a minute or two Raph asked, "What's wrong with him, Don?"

"It can't be! Leo's a guy. Right...?" thought Don and said "It can't be."

"Can't be what?" asked Raph.

Don said, "I think it's dystocia."

"English?" said Raph, confused at the strange word.

Don said, "I think Leo is egg bound." But seeing Raph's and Mikey's confused looks, he continued, but was having a hard time even believing what he was saying. "It's what happens when a reptile can't push out an egg. It gets stuck."

"Don... Leo's a guy!" said Raph looking at Don like he had grown a second head.

Don shrugged and said, "I'm not so sure he is now."

Raph was about to say something smart when Leo jerked and screamed in pain.

"Raph, help me lay him on his back." said Don kneeling down to grab Leo's legs. Raph and Don laid Leo on his back and Raph stayed at Leo's head to act as a pillow.

As he knelt between Leo's knees, Don said, "Leo, the next time a big cramp comes I want you to push with it. Okay?"

Leo was nodding his head when another cramp came. "Push!" yelled Don.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!!" screamed Leo as he pushed as hard as he could. More blood came out.

"Dude! What's that white thing trying to come out of Leo's butt?!" said a very freaked out Mikey, eyes large in alarm.

Another cramp came and Donny yelled, "PUSH!!"

Leo pushed as hard as he could and he passed out from the pain afterward. "Well, I believe we can safely say Leo's is not a guy." said Donny holding up the large discolored egg Leo had pushed out. Raph and Mikey just looked at the egg with their eyes huge, extremely shocked.

"So, Raph...? We don't have to worry about this being fertilized, right?" asked Donny hesitantly.

"What de heck yuh askin' me for?! You're de Brainiac!" yelled Raph angrily.

"Well, I always wondered about the tension between you two." said Donny with a shrug.

"Yeah dude! There's like mondo tension between you two. I was actually wondering myself. Not that I would care. No judgement here." said Mikey also shrugging.

"Yeah same here. No judgment. Just don't want to throw out my niece or nephew." said Donny to a rapidly blushing Raph.

"What?! NO! He's my brudder!" said Raph extremely uncomfortable blushing very hard.

"Sister, actually." said Donny. "And the chance of us actually being related is pretty slim."

"Whatever Brainiac. Let's get outta here." said Raph trying to change the subject. "Got any bright ideas on how tuh get outta here?"

"You don't call me Brainiac for nothing." said Donny smirking as he grabbed his grappling hook out of his bag.

"Great! Let's get outta here." said Raph looking down at Leo. "How are we goin' tuh get Leo out of de pit?"

"Since you're the strongest we can tie hi...her to your back." answered Donny, changing the pronoun to her."I've got rope in my bag."

"Of course yuh do." said Raph, shaking his head and smiling.

~~~~~

Leo woke up in the Infirmary in Don's lab. He was in a lot of pain, but he tried to block it out. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain hit him and he couldn't keep the gasp from coming out. He felt a hand on his shoulder and jerked and gasped again.

Someone said, "Easy bro. It's okay. Just relax. "

"Raph. It was Raph." Leo thought and sighed in relief. "What...happened?" he asked weakly after the pain died down.

"Um... yuh might want Don tuh tell yuh." said Raph looking very uneasy. "Great why did he have tuh wake up on my watch?!" he thought.

"Raph...tell me." said Leo, turning his head to look at Raph, feeling very weak.

"Ya'laidanegg." said Raph, very quickly.

"What? Slow down." Leo said, not understanding.

Raph sighed, "Ya' laid an egg. Don said de egg got stuck and yuh got an infection."

With an eye ridge raised Leo said, "Funny Raph. What really happened?" Raph crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Leo. Seeing his brother's reaction Leo said, "Raph! I'm a guy! Guys don't lay eggs!"

"Sorry bro. You're not a guy. Don and April checked. You're a girl." Raph said. He saw Leos eyes go wide and tears form in the corner of his eyes.

"What?!" said Leo in shock.

"Leo? Yuh had no clue yuh were a girl?" asked Raph concerned for Leo.

"No." whispered Leo, and turned his head to blankley stare at the ceiling, lost in thought.

"It's alright bro. Girl or guy, yuh still Leo." said Raph and squeezed Leo's shoulder.

Leo said, "Thanks, Raph." He stared at the ceiling for several minutes lost in thought and eventually fell asleep.

~~~~~

A week passed and Leo was back on his feet. He was still very sore and was not allowed to train yet. Master Splinter and all the guys but Raph were retreating him different. They were calling him things like she, her, sis and daughter. Leo didn't like it. He didn't want to be a girl!! He was a guy inside! He just had the wrong reproductive parts!

Don had explained to him why he didn't even know he was a girl. He had said that gender isn't very important to Turtles until they reach sexual maturity. Sometimes you can't tell the difference between a male and female turtle until they reach a certain size. And female turtles take longer to mature than males. That made Leo feel a little bit better and not so stupid.

Master Splinter had called Leo to talk to him, so Leo headed to Splinter's room.

"Master, you wanted to talk to me?" asked Leo after he entered Splinter's room.

"Yes, my S...daughter. Sit." said the old rat from his spot knelt on the floor. Leo knelt down and waited for his master to speak.

"Leonardo, I have been thinking about this for the past week. It was a hard decision, but I feel it's the right one.

"You will no longer be the leader. Raphael will take your place as leader. Women are not meant to be leaders. I am sorry." said the old rat.

"Yes, Master." whispered Leo fighting back tears and wondering if he had failed in some way.

"Stay here while I get your brother." said Splinter as he walked out of his room.

A minute later he walked back in with Raph. Raph looked over and saw Leo kneeling on the floor with his head bowed.

"Raphael, sit." said Splinter pointing to the spot beside Leo as he knelt back down in front of them.

Raph knelt down beside Leo and looked at his brother. Something was up.

"Raphael, you are now the leader of your brothers and sister. Leonardo is no longer the leader." said the old rat.

"WHAT?! WHY?! Leo's a great leader!" yelled Raph angrily jumping to his feet.

"Raphael! Women should not be leaders! It is not right!" yelled Splinter.

"Dat's not fair! He has been a great leader!" yelled Raph.

"Raphael!! You will refer to your sister as she or her. Not he or him!" said the old rat.

"Father is ashamed of me for being a girl." thought Leo. At this point he was about to lose control of his emotions so he stood up and turned to leave the room. Raph turned and looked at him.

"Leonardo! I have not dismissed you yet! SIT!" yelled the old rat.

Leo just stood there trembling with his head bowed and his hands clenched at his sides facing the door. Raph looked back to the old rat, eyes hard, and calmly said, "Leo is my leader. I refuse. Whether HE'S a guy or a girl HE is my leader."

"My son, a woman is not strong enough mentally or physically to be a good leader. It would bring shame to this family." said Splinter.

Hearing this, Leo was deeply hurt. Splinter was ashamed of him. "Why hadn't his Master told him he had been failing at leading his brothers before this?" he thought and ran out of Splinter's room and out of the lair with tears running down his face. Raph glared at his Sensei and turned and ran after Leo.

Splinter came out of his room and Mikey and Don met him right outside his door. They heard the yelling and came to the door to listen.

"Master Splinter, I refuse too. Leo is my leader. I won't follow anyone else. I don't care that Leo's a girl." said Don angrily.

"I can't believe you said that to her." said Mikey glaring at the old rat. "Leo's my leader. I don't care if she's a girl. Leo's still Leo." he said with a shrug.

"Leo's always been a girl we just thought she was a guy. Raph is a good second but Leo is our leader. Right Mike?" said Don turning to look at Mikey.

"Yep! Nothing's changed really. Leo's just growing up." said Mikey with a shrug.

"Let's go find Leo and Raph." said Don turning to leave. Mikey close behind.

Splinter sighed and headed back to his room to meditate on his two youngest sons words.

Authors note:Splinter is one of my favorite characters. I know he probably would not make this decision for Leonardo because he's a girl, but I thought what if he did? What would happen? How would it affect Leo?I was going to wait to upload this chapter until after I finished writing chapter 7 but I decided to go ahead and post it after getting a notification that I have a follower.