Chapter 16

Leo and Mikey had finally reached the entrance to the farmhouse and Leo opened the door for them both to quickly head inside before any of the Foot ninjas noticed them.

By this time, Mikey was starting to feel another contraction coming on and he winced in pain as he sat down on the first couple of steps that led up towards the shared bedroom and rubbed a hand on his belly to try and ease the pain before he could start walking up the stairs.

Leo was with him in an instant after he closed the front door. He knelt to his level and held his brother's other hand for support.

"It's alright, little brother, you're doing fine. Breathe deeply and slowly...just like I taught you weeks before…" Said Leo in a soft, reassuring voice.

Luckily, the first and now second contractions were mild and only 10 minutes apart for now, so there was still time for Donnie, Raph, and Master Splinter to come back before the baby arrives. However, this didn't mean that Mikey tolerated pain very well, no matter what level it was.

Mikey just nodded at Leo before he started concentrating on the breathing techniques that his brother had been teaching him weeks before today. A few minutes passed and the contraction had died down, so Mikey decided to make a move up the stairs with Leo supporting him again as he steadily made his way up to the shared bedroom.

As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, they made their way towards a bed that was next to a window, so that Leo could keep an eye on the battle that was continuing outside whilst he was looking after his youngest brother, and Leo moved the blanket before Mikey sat down on the edge of the bed with a sigh of relief.

"Okay, Mikey, let's get your clothes off. We don't want your 'Maid of Honour' uniform to get ruined now, do we?" said Leo with an amused look on his face, which Mikey returned back with a laugh and smile of his own before he nodded in agreement.

Mikey managed to take off his bow tie, tuxedo jacket and shirt, and trousers, whilst Leo helped to take off his shoes and socks before helping him settle onto the bed with the blanket placed over Mikey's upper legs and rounded belly, and pillows were placed behind Mikey's back to help him sit up in a comfortable position for the birth later on.

As he was doing this, Leo noticed a bag on another bed next to Mikey's, which he discovered to belong to Donnie due to being purple in colour, and he peered inside to find out in astonishment that it was filled with birth and baby essentials such as towels, a washcloth, milk formula powder, nappies, baby blankets, and bottles, as well as a first aid kit. He then looked up to check on Mikey, only to see him look over at him with a pained smile on his face.

"Donnie thought…that it would be… best to be prepared…just in case our baby…came during our time here…" Mikey said whilst breathing through another contraction that started shortly before he started talking.

"Well, he definitely made the right decision to do so..." Leo replied as he smiled back at him and then went into the bag to get the necessary things like the first aid kit, washcloth, and towels out before walking back to Mikey's bed and placing the stuff on the bedside table next to him. He then went to fetch a bowl of water from the bathroom to soak the washcloth in it before placing it on the same table with the other essentials.

After doing that, Leo grabbed one of the towels from the pile and placed it under Mikey's bottom half and laid it out past his legs. Just seconds after doing that and backing away, a sudden gushing noise was heard and Mikey felt a warm and wet sensation in between his legs.

"Oh, no…my waters broke!" Mikey said in a panicked way. Leo saw the panic in his little brother's face and approached him quickly to put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Stay calm and relax, Mikey...it will still be some time before the baby decides to show itself..." He said calmly to help keep Mikey from freaking out even more since they both knew that the labour and birth might progress more quickly after the waters have been broken.

"O-Ok…" Mikey said whilst he worked on maintaining his composure and slow down his breathing after almost having a panic attack, before feeling relaxed again.

Whilst his little brother was doing this, Leo peered out of the window to check on how their family and friends were doing in the battle against the Cyber Shredder and the Foot. During his observation, a concerned look began to develop on his face as he watched his mate Raph fight against the Cyber Shredder alone. Mikey noticed this when he turned his head to check on him.

"Leo, you ok? If you need to go and help Raphie and the others, you can...I'm not stopping you. I'll be fine…" Mikey said to his brother, who looked at him with a surprised expression on his face.

"No way, Mikey...I promised Donnie that I'd look after you until he gets back. Besides, Raph can take care of himself since he has learned over the past few years to not jump in without checking what's around him first. Thanks for your concern about me and the others though, little brother…" Leo said with a grateful smile on his face.

Mikey smiled back at him before grimacing due to feeling another contraction kicking in, but this one was slightly more painful and earlier than the others he had not long ago, meaning that he was halfway from giving birth.

"Owww…it hurts…!" He cried out before Leo came over and held his hand again and wiped his forehead with the damp washcloth in his other hand for support and comfort.

"I know, Mikey, but you're doing really well…remember to focus on something else instead of the pain..." Leo said calmly.

Mikey nodded in understanding before he spoke again to try and distract himself from the pain.

"I totally…give you my…upmost respect for…you having to go… through all this yourself…back then, bro…"

"Heh, yeah…but it will all be worth it in the end when you hold your baby in your arms for the very first time…" Leo said with a heart-warming smile when he thought back about the moment when Kane was born and was holding him in his arms for the first time whilst he was talking to his little brother.

Mikey smiled warmly and proudly at his oldest brother before he was startled by the sound of a ringtone, which was coming from Leo's shell cell.

Leo took his shell cell out of his trouser pocket and looked at who was calling him before answering it straight away, with Mikey listening next to him.

"Don, what's your status?"