Ever since finding out about Voron's big plan, the tensions in the Hamato household relaxed considerably.
They knew they had it in their hands, whatever the dear mayor's psychotic vision was. For fifteen years absolutely nothing had happened, there had to be something seriously wrong in Voron's head if he still thought someone would attack.
Leonardo felt tons lighter, though still far too heavy. The worry about Mikey and their unborn babies hung over him and his mates, and it probably wouldn't lift until Michelangelo passed the eggs and the twins hatched.
Fortunately, so far no more worrying symptoms had shown. As long as they kept the belly nice and toasty, and Mike didn't eat anything too cold, there were no cramps.
The babies seemed healthy otherwise, their hearts beat steadily like they're supposed to do. The only thing changing was what doctor Dreon had predicted.
The eggs had grown to their full size now in the eighth month, and with the stiffness of Mike's plastron, they pressed uncomfortably against it. Kion had the same problem, and Telon was quick to assure that it wouldn't hurt or accidentally break the eggs because of the fluid.
There was this constant pressure that bordered on painful, especially when they moved, but Mikey was happy to endure that because it meant they were really okay.
And boy did they move. The eggs pressed so hard against his inner belly, he felt the slight kicks and twisting through the thin shell. Through his plastron those subtle movements were sadly not easy to feel. Despite it being uncomfortable, Mikey had hoped to share this experience with his mates.
However, they were happy to feel the simple rotating, especially with their still high-strung nerves. It was quite amusing, there was barely a moment where there wasn't anyone touching his bulge.
"Mommy, papa said nap-time." Amy's voice rang out as she and her brothers entered the living room.
Ky was already yawning and climbing the couch. Mikey rolled his eyes good-naturedly.
While Leo used his renewed fire to prepare his own campaign and stuck to Voron to be up-to-date on the mayor's election plans, and Raph went back to teaching the cops, focusing on combat techniques, Donatello stayed home 24/7 to take care of the toddlers and make sure Mikey was alright.
Michelangelo did surely enjoy to see Donnie acting as a housewife. The cooking could use some work, but he appreciated the effort.
He could hear him work in the kitchen, cleaning up after the mess he made for lunch.
He sighed as he continued pacing and rubbing his belly. "In a few minutes, sweetie. Your siblings are quite restless today."
The triplets were all standing on the cushions now, holding onto the back of the couch and watching their mother pace with cute pouts on their little faces. Mikey couldn't help but laugh.
The kids have grown so used to him napping with them, Mike was actually worried that they wouldn't go back to sleeping alone after he gave birth.
He gave up trying to soothe the eggs and sat down on the couch with a wince at the slight twinge of pain. He settled back against the cushions with a blanket, smiling when his toddlers snuggled up to him immediately.
Ky nuzzled his belly, giggling when he felt the mad shifting against his cheek.
"Dey okay?" Nix asked timidly, his little hands resting on the swell. In the two months after their talk, he's got quite used to the idea of more siblings. It was a heartwarming sight, him acting like that towards them.
"Yes, angelcakes. They're okay. They're just not tired enough to sleep yet." Mikey explained.
Amy gasped. "We tell story!"
Mikey grinned at the sweet idea and rubbed a hand over his daughter's head.
"That's a great idea. I bet they'd love that."
And so the toddlers launched into their own version of Cinderella, each telling a small part of the story before switching. They grew more tired, yawning frequently until they just nestled close to their warm mother.
Giving a yawn of his own, Mikey finished the tale for his children.
A gentle kiss on the crown of his head brought him out of his way to dreamland. Careful, as to not disturb the slumbering children, an olive green hand wandered down to rub soothingly over the baby bulge.
Mikey smiled at the caress and purred, tilting his head to the side so Donnie's chin could rest comfortably on his shoulder as he leaned over the back of the couch.
The voices of their siblings hadn't done much to calm the twins down, so the movement was easy to feel.
"I love this..." The genius whispered, heart jumping at the shifting under his palm. He nuzzled the side of Mike's face.
"... You know, you could develop a drug so that you can get pregnant next."
Donatello blinked, pulling back to frown at his younger mate.
"Have you lost your mind?"
Mikey laughed quietly. "You said you love the feeling of them shifting around. If you were pregnant yourself you could feel it even better."
"..." Don was silent for a while, not really knowing how to react. Was Mikey serious?
"Eh, no drug could create the necessary organs."
"... But you'd like to, right?"
"Sweetheart, what is this all about?"
"Can't you just answer the question?"
"I... I don't know. I mean, I thought about it, but since it's not possible I didn't really..."
Mikey looked at Donnie's face. The genius met his gaze and shrugged.
"I'm glad with how it is. And seriously, when I look back to the triplet's birth, I'm double glad."
He chuckled when the pregnant turtle playfully slapped his hand.
"You're gonna tell me why you were asking?" Mikey yawned and shrugged.
"I just really like imagining you as the housewife." The pregnant turtle grinned. "You know, with the cooking and cleaning, maybe a cute frilly apron..."
Donnie blinked, while Mikey giggled at his dumbfounded expression.
"Alright, time for your nap. You're clearly starting to hallucinate from exhaustion."
xxxxx
A few days later, in a prison across the city, an alarm blared. It took the prison warden a while to get there, even though he was using full speed.
The alarm was coming from his high security section, and his brain was about to explode with anxiety. He knew something like this would happen. Why would anything good happen? To him of all people?
As he's feared, the cell was open, the lock apparently having been picked. He was gone.
"Fuck..." The warden cursed.
"He's nowhere in here, we searched everything." A guard reported. The warden nodded, rubbing his temples.
"Take some more guards, search the streets. We have to find him or Voron is going to kill us."
xxxxx
Meanwhile Raphael was closing up the dojo, about to lock the door. It had been a successful day in his opinion, he couldn't deny that he loved getting this kind of exercise again after months of barely doing anything aside from playing with his kids.
It was quite dark already, and chilly. Raph wanted to get home to his family as soon as possible now, cuddle up with them under warm blankets and maybe read a bedtime story to the triplets.
Running footsteps made Raphael turn around, frowning at the sight of a rather skinny turtle on the verge of collapsing where he stood. He seemed really underfed, and exhausted, dirty.
From the distant Raph could hear more footsteps. The turtle – a sub from the looks of it – tried to continue running, but it was clear he couldn't go on anymore.
"What are ya running from?" He found himself asking, startling the smaller, but older turtle.
"P-Please... I can't go back..." In the light of the streetlamp Raph could see the tear-tracks on that haggard face.
The pursuers weren't visible yet, but Raph assumed it were rapists probably.
Liking the prospect of getting some real exercise, he cracked his knuckles.
"Don't worry, I'm gonna take care of them."
The other turtle shook his head and took a step closer to Raph.
"You can't fight them, they're gonna lock you away too!"
Lock away? His green eyes blinked as he worked out the meaning behind this.
"Wait a sec. Are you running from the cops?"
The other turtle didn't answer, just tried to wipe the tears that streamed ceaselessly down his haggard face.
Leo would surely scold him for this. But he couldn't just let this turtle fend for himself. What could a weak little someone like him have done? Probably trying to steal food. Nothing that would get him to deserve being locked away.
Raph unlocked the door again and gestured for the other turtle to come inside. "Quick, they're coming."
The shorter one almost stumbled over his own feet as he hurried to comply. From the window they watched some sort of special cops run by. As soon as they were out of sight again, Raph turned around to fixate the other turtle.
"Ya should stay the night here, being alone on the empty streets makes ya a too easy target."
Dark eyes blinked.
"Upstairs is an apartment, there's some canned food. Take a shower. You're about the same size as my mate, there should be a spare jacket too you can use. I suggest ya leave through that window tomorrow and stay within the crowd, blend in."
"Why are you helping me...?"
That was actually a pretty good question. And it would be really nice to have a plausible answer to it. The muscular turtle shrugged.
"Dunno. I guess because I know how it is. To have to hide and run."
The guarded posture relaxed a little. Apparently he found Raph's answer to be sincere.
"Thank you..."
Raphael waved him off. "Don't mention it... Like, never. My other mate probably wouldn't approve." He cleared his throat, going to the door. He didn't have much time to stay and really think it over. He had to pick up the bracelets for the triplets' birthday in a few days before the shop closed for the day.
He was just hoping he didn't just do something terribly wrong because he helped that turtle...
xxxxx
"What do you mean 'he's gone'?!"
"He picked the lock, sir, it's-"
"You have to be kidding me! He can't pick a lock with bare hands!"
Voron paced his employee's office, debating if he could fire the warden for his incompetence.
"Mayor, we searched the whole prison, and the streets. He's nowhere to be found."
"He's starved! He couldn't have come away on his own!" The warden didn't speak, not knowing what to say with Voron so pissed.
"W-We're still searching for him... there's just no t-trace of him."
"This is impossible! He can't just vanish! Not in his condition!"
Suddenly Voron stopped his pacing.
"What if he had help?"
"Sir?"
"What if those blasted rabbits helped him get out?!"
"Someone would've noticed rabbits running around. They couldn't have come into my prison unseen." The warden tried to intervene, quite unsure of what to make of Voron's insane expression.
"Nobody saw that blasted sub flee either!" The warden winced at the jab.
"No, I'm sure they helped him. Their ally. He's with them... They're gonna attack!"
"Uhm..."
"They're probably hiding somewhere in the city... you're right, there's no way they could just walk the streets without being seen..."
Despite thinking the mayor completely lost his mind, the warden really didn't want to lose his job.
"Mayor Voron, please let me and my guards-"
"Your guards are good for nothing!"
Voron rubbed at his chin, walking over to the window.
xxxxx
"No, I know just the right turtles for the job..."
"I still think you're completely over-reacting."
"Hey, just because your nausea is finally gone we won't ease up on the precautions."
Kion rolled his eyes good-naturedly, letting Bogen add another hot bottle to the nest of unbearable heat.
A week ago his horrible nausea finally went away completely. After having been copped up in his house for so long he yearned for a little scenery change. But anything other than visiting Mikey and his family was not on the over-protective okay-list.
"Seriously, I'm starting to believe that the heat is making them hyper-active." Mikey said with a frown from his place next to Kion, rubbing at his belly.
"Oh yes! I swear, he or she is moving around like crazy!" His tender smile betrayed his irritated tone as he looked down at his own bulge.
With all other problems and symptoms, finding out the gender beforehand was the last thing on his mind. Not that it was possible at this point of the pregnancy.
"Yeah, the twins too..." Mikey blinked a few times before groaning and entangling himself from the blankets. At Leo's instant hovering he chuckled, holding out his hands to have Leo help him up.
"Chill, I just have to pee again."
Kion laughed, knowing the feeling.
"Last night he went for the bathroom like twice an hour." Donnie chuckled behind his hand.
"Good thing our walls are so thick, or the kids would've learned a few horrible curses." The proud grin didn't quite fit his tone.
"Just wait until they start pre-school... My mom was shocked at my new vocabulary." Telon laughed.
"We're going to home-school them." Leo commented dryly as he helped Mikey get comfortable on the couch again.
The midnight blue eyes narrowed, about to scold when his pregnant mate refused to take the blanket.
"They just settled down." Mikey said quietly, as if speaking louder would disturb the eggs. "If we go with the heat-equals-activity theory, I really don't want to over-heat them."
From the baby monitor on the coffee table they heard their children laugh as they played in the triplets' playroom, enjoying their time together.
A shell cell ringing disturbed the comfortable atmosphere. Leo grabbed his phone with a frown.
"It's Voron..."
"What the shell? You had your weekly meeting just yesterday. What could he want?"
"Only one way to find out..." Leo said, answering the call and putting the phone on speaker.
"Hello?"
"Leonardo! I need your help! They took her!"
The turtles exchanged frowns at the frantic voice of their mayor.
"Who took who?"
"Asinda! Those horrible rabbits took her! I knew that they would strike one day, and I was right! But that they would go that far..." Mikey, having grown fond of the female over the last weeks, put a hand over his mouth with his eyes widened in worry.
"Wait, how do you know it was them? Are you sure they kidnapped her?"
"It has to be them! There's no other one capable!"
There was a second of silence.
"They took some other turtles too."
Leo's eye-ridges raised in surprise at the news. His mates shrugged as he met their gazes.
"Why don't you call the cops then? This seems like a serious kidnapping case and I'm sure-"
"They won't be able to find them!" Voron interrupted him. "Nobody knows where their hideout is, and who knows what else they're capable of! I need you and your mates' special skills!"
Bogen crossed his arms, a very deep frown on his face as he shook his head. Leo's eyes narrowed at that.
"Voron, we can't leave Mikey alone with the kids in his current state."
An exaggerated sniffle was audible over the speaker. "I'm so scared for her safety... I bet they're already planning a bigger ambush! What if your family is the next target?"
As the mayor babbled on, Leo shook his head, muting the phone so the other turtle couldn't hear them.
"You have to go. I don't want Asinda to get hurt." Mikey finally said.
"Sweetheart, we don't even know if he's telling the truth."
"And I don't recall hearing about any missing turtles." Bogen stated. "We were only told to keep an eye out for a prisoner that escaped two nights ago."
Raph winced at hearing that, hiding it by clearing his throat. He was pretty sure the sub he helped was that prisoner.
"We would've noticed a group of rabbits running on the streets for sure."
"But who else would kidnap a few turtles. And for what reason?"
It was quiet for a few moments aside from the kids babbling and Voron's heroic monologue.
"Maybe the rabbits know of ninjutsu. Just because the turtles here don't know, maybe the other races do." Donnie mused, crossing his arms. "I mean, if we assume he's telling the truth."
"Guys, please. I don't want her to get hurt or worse just because we don't trust Voron." Mikey practically begged, rubbing his belly with both hands now to calm the twins as they reacted to his nervousness. "You have to help!"
Leo, Raph and Donnie looked at each other until the eldest sighed and rubbed his face.
"I guess it would be alright to take a look. If there's a hideout we could try to find it."
"But if we do, we do it with style." Raph chuckled as he and Donnie left the living room.
Leonardo huffed and un-muted the phone, interrupting Voron's monologue.
"We're going to take care of it. We'll call if we find something."
The call was ended before the mayor could launch into another grateful speech.
"What the shell...?" Telon asked with a frown as Don and Raph came back, carrying a box between them.
Despite being worried for his friend's safety, Mikey couldn't help but smile as his mates opened the box and pulled out their old masks.
"... What's going on?" Kion asked, confused as to why his friends were playing dress-up now.
"Are those weapons?!" Bogen asked, eyes wide as he peeked into the box. "You do know that it's illegal to own weapons without the proper education, right?"
Raph was grinning from ear to ear as he expertly spun his weapons. Since they've had to flee so suddenly and without their real ones, they had to find substitutes in the other dimensions they've visited.
"Oh believe me, we have the proper education."
"We need a plan of action first." Leo spoke up, going into full-leader mode. "Do you know of any abandoned buildings?" He asked the three native turtles.
"Abandoned? Why would someone abandon a building?" Telon asked.
Bogen rubbed at his chin. "No wait. What about the mine?"
"What mine?" Leo inquired.
"We attempted mining here in the west side of the city a few years ago. But the ground was too unstable, it was too dangerous. So we left it as it was."
The blue-banded turtle nodded.
"Well, rabbits in nature are tunnel-builders. It would be a good starting point." Donnie supplied.
"Alright. Where is that mine?"
"I'm coming with you. I'll show Voron what we cops are really capable of."
"No. We need you here. You have to keep an eye on Mikey and the kids."
Bogen shook his head. "You won't find it without my help. We closed the trail so no one would stumble across it accidentally."
"Take him with you. I will protect them." Telon said, determination in his eyes. "It's the least I can do after... well."
"If there even is something to be protected from." Kion added.
Leo hesitated, but eventually he sighed. "Fine. But I swear, if you let anything-"
"Leo, I swear on Elia's life, on the life of my unborn baby, I won't let anything happen to Mikey or the kids."
He held the midnight gaze without faltering.
Donnie leaned over to nuzzle Mikey's beak, smiling when hands played with the purple mask tails.
The pregnant turtle returned the smile, trying to take calming breaths as to not get a panic attack. The twins were upset, if the crazy moving was any indication. It cramped horribly.
"Be careful..." He said softly, chuckling when Raph and Leo joined the group hug.
"We will, promise. It's probably nothing anyways."
"Yeah, the most dangerous thing would be the mine collapsing right on our heads, anyways." Raph winced at the elbow hitting his side when Mikey paled two shades. "I was just kidding, baby. We're gonna be fine."
xxxxx
About an hour later Mikey was pacing the living room, just having finished his second call.
They've made the deal to call in every twenty minutes to give updates, so Mikey wouldn't worry his tail off.
"Will you please sit down? You're making me nervous." Kion shook his head. "I thought we agreed that they're going to be fine."
Mikey bit his lip, closing his eyes as he kept rubbing his belly to soothe the cramps. "I know... I just have this feeling..."
"I'm starting to really hate your gut feelings." Kion sighed. "Look, Bogen knows how far they can go before it's too dangerous."
Telon entered the living room, coming back from checking on the children.
"I put some lullabies on, they're probably going to fall asleep soon." He announced, frowning at Mikey's slightly pained expression.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"Not... not really. Just all cramped up."
"Here, sit under the heat lamp. Maybe they've grown too cold."
Michelangelo shook his head, taking a deep breath at a particular painful twist.
"It doesn't feel like it... I think it's because I'm so worried. I just have a really bad feeling about this..."
The doorbell ringing only minutes later intensified this bad feeling. Telon rushed past the still pacing Mikey to open.
"Surprise!" A female voice carried over to the living room as Asinda and Reno pushed past a slack-jawed Telon to enter the hallway, carrying some presents.
"We know it's late, but we wanted to bring by the presents for the triplets' birthday tomorrow. Are they already asleep?"
She stopped when she noticed the three turtles staring wide-eyed at her.
"What? Did something happen? Alright, I know, Voron said I should wait until tomorrow so we could go together. I just couldn't resist, and- oh my..."
Asinda trailed off at Mikey's gasp, watching with her own eyes wide as liquid gushed down the sea-green thighs.
"Oh shell..."