The next morning, December 1, Leo woke shortly after five a.m. and looked at his sleeping mate, who was snuggled next to him, her head resting on his plastron. He couldn't believe that the gorgeous woman had once been his macho, aggressive brother and that they were an item. It was so surreal, but Raphael-Natasha had been right about the feelings they shared for one another, their deep connection, and that's what mattered, right? Everything else could be overlooked, the lies, the deception, the fact Natasha had once been a man. All that mattered was now and the future, right?

"Why are ya starin' at me, Leo?" Raphael asked, opening her eyes and peering at Leo.
"I was thinking how surreal this all is. You were a guy and now you're a girl, we're a couple and there may be babies and…."
"Do ya wanna back out? I'd be devastated, but if ya wanna do that, I'll learn ta deal with it," Raphael said in a small voice. "I can maybe ask Donnie ta change me back or we can live as sister and bro and we can co-parent, but not have a romantic relationship. Is that what ya want, Leo?" Raphael asked, gazing intently into Leo's sapphire eyes.
"No! It's not. You were right. We have a connection and deep feelings, however they came about. I love you and I don't want to give you up. I'm just saying it's kind of strange. That's all."
"I know, right? I can't believe I got boobs, hair and can lay eggs, but I'm also kinda excited 'bout it, because I can give ya a family and we can cement our love with them. That's special. It wouldn't have happened had I stayed Raphael. Maybe Donnie woulda helped scientifically, I don't know, but now he don't have ta and we can have a family the natural way," Raphael said animatedly, her golden eyes shining in happiness. "And now that mutants got rights, the kids don't gotta live in the shadows in trepidation. They can have a normal life and so can we."
"Humans will still regard us as freaks, Raph. Nothing will change that."
"It's Natasha or Tasha, Leo, okay?"
"I know. I'll get there. We'll still be treated abysmally and people will never understand us. They'll hide behind their prejudice. The only difference is that we can walk around them in public and we'll have to endure their stares, their sneering and their revulsion. Our babies will be regarded as monsters. People don't like what's different and they never will. No matter how hard we try to fit into society we never will. You know that and all we have is each other and Donnie and Mikey. That's how it's always been and that won't change."
"We got April and Casey. Ain't they like family?"
"Like family, yes, but they have their own lives and are human. They fit in. We don't. Part of me thinks we should remain here in the sewers. What's the point of subjecting ourselves to a society that detests us?"
"Because this ain't a life, Leo. We just exist, doin' the same mundane shit daily. Ain't ya sick of it? I am. I yearn ta do more with my life and we're gettin' a golden opportunity. Sure, we're gonna face challenges, but ain't no different ta what we've been through and we've faced worse. We can get through them and make our lives fantastic. Besides, like ya said, we got each other and Donnie and Mikey and we ain't alone. I understand yer scared…"
"I'm not scared. I've faced the Shredder, I've…."
"Yer scared, Leo. Admit it. Ya don't like the humans after all they've done ta us. I don't neither and I'm also scared, okay? But I know we can get through it together. We just gotta have faith, babe."
"Babe?" Leo said and raised an eye ridge.
"Ya hate the endearment?"
"No, princess," Leo said and smirked. "If you can handle being called that."
Raphael shrugged and said, "I don't care what ya call me. Ya could call me mud and I'd still like it, because ya called me it. I kinda like princess."
"Wow. You're quite a sap," Leo teased.
"Perhaps, but that's what couples do, Leo. Endearments, cuddles, hugs. It's normal."
"I know. I have my reservations about life on the surface, but I'll give it a chance. I'm still leader….."
"Ya ain't in the bedroom and we both know that," Raphael said and grinned. "And we both know that the woman's really in charge in the relationship."
"Your cockiness hasn't changed," Leo quipped, looking at Raphael fondly. "I'll concede to your leading in the bedroom, but my leadership role hasn't changed outside of it. If I feel that life's too dangerous on the surface, we'll move back down here. Do you understand?"
"Whatever ya say, muffin," Raphael said and nuzzled her beak against Leo's. "I love ya, Leo. So much and I swear we're gonna have a great life. Us and our babies."
"Love you too, Rap-Tasha."

Leo's phone rang. "Hey, Donnie. What's up?"
"Morning, Leo. Put me on speaker." Leo did. "Hey, Raph."

"It's Natasha, Donnie. Remember that," Raphael said and huffed.
"Sorry. Anyway sorry to call so early, but I can't contain my excitement. I talked to a realtor about ten minutes ago and she was also kind of pissed about such an early call, but she quickly got over that when she learned I was keen about the two bedroomed apartment I saw on her company's website. The tenant moved out a month ago and she's battled to find someone else to rent it. I can't understand why. It looks okay from the pictures."
"Hear that, babe?" Raphael said excitedly. "Donnie found us a place. Can we move in now, huh?"

"Calm down, hon," Leo said.
"Hon, babe, what?" Donnie said in surprise.

"It's endearments, Donnie. Couples do that and we're a couple," Raphael said snappily. "Ya will when ya find a chick. Now, where's this place?"
"East Harlem. Let me give you a quick history lesson about the area. It's also known as Spanish Harlem, is part of Upper Manhattan, roughly encompassing the area North of the upper East side and East ninety-sixth Street up to roughly East one hundred and forty-second Street East of Fifth Avenue to the East and Harlem Rivers. It's not part of Harlem and it's predominantly Latino. It's had it fair share of strife, historically suffering from many social issues, such as the highest jobless rate in New York City, teenage pregnancy, AIDS, drug abuse, homelessness and an asthma rate five times the national average. It has the second highest concentration of public housing in the U.S., close behind Brownsville, Brooklyn."

"Is it safe, Donnie?" Leo asked.
"It's a working-class neighborhood and has the highest crime rate in Manhattan. Fifteen people were murdered in twenty-eleven, but…."
"No buts. No. It doesn't sound safe, Donnie. I don't care what bull the realtor may have sold you, but we're not moving to a crime infested area. That's final. Don't glare at me, Rap-Natasha. My word is final. We're not moving there, even if it's dirt cheap. I'd rather stay in the sewers."
"Good thing I didn't have my heart set on that place. I'll call that lady back and tell her we're not interested, even though the place was only a thousand a month for all of us."
"I'd rather pay more and live longer," Leo hissed.
"There's another place. It's six grand a month and is on eightieth Street on the Western Side of Central Park. It's a three bedroomed apartment. It costs more, because of the location and the neighborhood's a safe one, close to schools and shops. It's at ninety Riverside Drive. I phoned that male realtor first and we have an appointment at nine. "
"Donnie, but that's a posh area! What if….?"
"Leo, look, we have the money. That ten grand I gave you covers one month. Mikey said he has another ten and by then we should have jobs. Casey and April also said they'd help, so stop stressing. Be at the lair at eight and we'll drive there together. Have to go."

Donnie disconnected the call.

"Wow," Raphael said happily. "Ya hear that, Leo? We're gonna have a place of our own in a fancy area. Who'd a thought that'd happen?"
"I heard."
"Why ain't ya chuffed, babe?"
"I love your enthusiasm, but what if we don't get jobs?"
"We will. The Universe always has a way of makin' things work out, babe. This is exactly the start we were lookin' for. Didn't ya say we gotta have faith? So why don't ya have some now? Look at me, Leo. It's gonna be terrific," Raphael said and kissed her mate's cheek. "Just think by tonight we're gonna be in an apartment with clean water and…."
"Assumin' the realtor likes us."
"I can be real charmin' and so can the others. He'll love us. Come on, Leo. Have some faith."
"Fine. I'll try."
"That's my sweetheart," Raphael said and kissed Leo tenderly on the lips. "I can't wait, Leo. I can't and we're gonna christen everyplace we can with our love."
"You're so bad."
"I am and ya love it," Raphael said and smirked. "Up for a round? We got oodles of time."
"How could I refuse an invitation like that?"
"Ya can't. Now claim me and make me yers. Bite me, fuck me and show me I'm yers and only yers."

Leo pushed his mate down onto the bed, ensured she was wet enough by inserting a finger into her cloaca and thrusting it in and out. Then he plunged his rod inside of her, making her groan in anticipation, as she raked her nails down his arms.

XXXX

Raphael, Leo, Donnie and Mikey left in the van a little after eight ten and drove to Eightieth Street. Raphael wore her pink dress and a trench coat and the others wore trench coats and fedoras.

They soon arrived at their destination, a forty storied red brick building, and were buzzed inside.

XXXX

"This is some place," Raphael said, taking in the Persian carpets, the Pine flooring, the antique porcelain vases behind the glass cases in the lobby and the Renaissance paintings on the walls. "I could like it. No. I love it. If this is just the lobby, what's our place like?"

We don't belong here, Leo thought.

A middle aged bespectacled man with silver hair and a rotund figure approached them. He was dressed in a gray double breasted suit and black leather shoes.

Leo thought the man looked like someone out of a fashion magazine and that he clearly had money. He was probably also a snob and there was no way in hell he'd like them, a bunch of mutants from the sewers. They'd be shot down in a nanosecond and….

"Good morning," the man said, studying them in amazement. He'd expected humans. What were these? Tortoises? The bulkiness could be shells and they had green faces. What? Was this really his appointment? "I think you've lost your way. The zoo is outside. Please be on your way. I have a meeting and this place isn't for….."
"Zoo?" Leo cut in sharply, his eyes narrowing. "We don't belong in a zoo and have just as much right to be here as you. We have an appointment with you. My brother, Hamato Donatello made it. That's Donnie with the glasses. That's my brother, Mikey. I'm Leonardo and this is my fiancée, Natasha. Mutants have rights now. We're mutant turtles and we have just as much right to be here as you do. You'd be prejudiced if you didn't at least show us the apartment and we could sue you for discrimination. Maybe take it to the equality court."

"That's right," Mikey said.
"It's the least you can do," Donnie said. "It took us close to an hour to get here."

"Please," Raphael said and clasped Leo's hand in hers. "Pretty please. If yer worried 'bout cash, we can pay ya. Now and for next month on the spot and we're real quiet and….Well, not quiet…."

Frank blinked. Mutant turtles and equality court? He'd really seen it all now, hadn't he and he'd thought the eighty-year-old goth he'd seen the previous week had been weird. This took the biscuit. No. The damn whole cake.

Frank swallowed hard. If he refused, the angry sapphire eyed turtle would probably follow through with his threat and maybe hit him. He looked fierce and what if the equality court believed them and he lost millions. How would he retire to the South of France then?

"Come this way," Frank said. "it's on the twentieth floor."

The family followed him into the elevator and they rode up to the twentieth floor.

XXXX

The elevator door opened a while later and Frank led them to an apartment at the end of a long corridor. He opened the door and they all went inside.

XXXX

The apartment wasn't as lavish as the lobby, but it was neat, had pine flooring, three bedrooms, two en-suite bathrooms, a huge open plan kitchen, a dining area and a terrace that was large and which had a built in barbecue. It overlooked a small park, where kids were playing.

The apartment was unfurnished, but that was okay. They could easily bring their possessions from the lair and make it a home. That is if the realtor agreed.

Raphael and Mikey had oohed and aahed the entire time and Leo and Donnie knew they were smitten with the place, which was in a safe area and close to shops.

Donnie and Leo also loved the apartment, but they didn't think the realtor would consent. He'd regarded them with disdain and scorn the entire time and had stood stiffly to one side after he'd shown them around.

"This is exactly the place we need," Raphael said. "I love it, Leo. Really love it. I think the babies would love it too."
"Babies?" Frank asked and raised an eye brow.
"Yeah! I'm gravid and I'm gonna lay eggs. One of the rooms is gonna be the nursery if ya agree, but if ya don't, I don't know where I'm gonna stay. Places are so hard ta find and it's only us four. Nobody likes us, because we're mutants. They think we're hideous and freaks and we ain't. We may look different, but we're good and honest and all we wanna do is be happy and have a great life. Why can't we have that? It ain't our fault we look this way and…I just want my babies ta have a great life too and they can't if people are so cruel. Yer my babies' chance ta have a decent place, Mr. Frank. Please let us stay here."

Frank swallowed hard. So Natasha wasn't only a mutant, she was gravid with the temperamental Leonardo's babies and he'd be pissed if his babies didn't have a place to stay, like any dad would be. Frank knew he'd be heartless and well on his way to the equality court if he refused the mutants. Shit.

"Oh, the babies!" Mikey said. "Yeah. Natasha's expecting twins. We're so excited, huh, Donnie?"
"You bet. They've got names picked out and ideas for the nursery."

"Screw it," Frank said and adjusted his glasses. "It's Christmas in the not too distant future and while I had other appointments this meeting, I'll cancel them. I own the building and have the lease here."
"Ya mean this place is ours?" Raphael said hopefully.
"Yes. How can I refuse an expect mother, huh? I'd be a jerk. Here's the lease. Sign it and settle yourselves in. I do expect the first two months of rent now and I'll make a copy of the signed lease and will bring it over later."

"Here," Leo said, handing Frank the ten grand Donnie had given him and Raphael.

Mikey gave Frank another ten grand in cash, as Donnie signed the lease.

The others penned their signatures to the lease as well.

Frank nodded and said, "Very well. I'll be off then. I hope you Hamato's are happy here. Good day."

"Thank you," Leo, Donnie and Mikey said in unison.

"Thank ya, Mr. Frank," Raphael said and patted her plastron. "Me and the babies are so grateful. Thank ya. I assure ya we won't be no trouble."

Frank left the apartment.

"Babies?" Donnie said, when Frank had left. "Really?"
"Nope," Raphael said, her golden eyes shining mischievously. "But there soon will be, so technically I wasn't lyin'."
"Shameful, Raph!" Donnie scolded. "Lying to him like that!"
"Shut up! My deception worked, didn't it? We got a place of our own and I'm soon gonna have babies, so what's the big deal?"

"I don't care," Mikey said. "I'm just happy to have a place. I like it. Think of all the wonderful memories we can make here and I can't wait to use the kitchen. Yahoo. This place rocks and maybe when we have enough money, we can buy a house someday! And I don't care that you're a couple either, guys. Donnie told me and I thought that was weird at first, but I'm cool with it, as long as you're happy."
"Maybe," Donnie said. "We should get our stuff from the lair. Leo, Raph…."

"It's NATASHA, Donnie!" Raphael snapped.
"Sorry! Natasha and Leo, we're going to get the stuff from the lair. It'll be a few trips. You guys stay here and settle in, but no funny business."
"Ya mean we can't fuck on the kitchen counter?" Raphael said impishly, a devilish grin on her face.

"Fuck no! I have to serve food on it," Mikey said in horror. "Come on, Donnie."

Raphael laughed, as Donnie and Mikey left the apartment.

Raphael wrapped her arms around her mate and said, "So, Leo, what do ya think of our place?"
"It's nice and is clean."
"Nice and clean. Is that all?"
"It doesn't feel like home," Leo admitted. "It's alien and sterile and don't smell like home."
"Ya said we gotta have faith, Leo. Ya quittin' on me?"
"No. Just saying."
"We can make any place home, Leo. We've proved it when we've moved a bunch a times and I think we can make an incredible life here. Us and our babies if we have them. Trust me and have faith."
"Okay. I'll try."
"Great. Now let's christen the kitchen counter," Raphael said, discarding her trench coat and then tugging off her dress. She climbed onto the kitchen counter, wagged her tail teasingly and said, "Come on, baby. Ya know ya want me."

Leo stripped, his shell embarrassingly tight at the sight of her gorgeous body on display for him. He dropped down with a loud growl, pushed her down onto the counter and thrust a finger in and out of her, prepping her.

Leo then thrust his cock inside of his mate and said, "Going to claim you!"
"Go for it, stud," Raphael said and looked at him lovingly. "I need ya and want so bad."

Leo thrust in and out of her and soon formed a steady rhythm that had them seeing stars, as pleasure coursed through their bodies, Leo's churrs and Raphael's moans reverberating throughout the apartment and probably also down the corridor, but they didn't care. All that mattered was them and their immense love for each other.

Raphael thought, as they made love, her golden eyes glazed over with happiness, love and lust, Leo and I can get through anythin' together. I love him, he loves me and I know we're always gonna be together. Nothin' or no one can separate us or destroy what we got.

A/N Will Leo's misgivings come true? Will the family adapt to life on the surface.