Chapter 29
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I raised my hand up towards the light, smiling at the warmth as the sun started to rise. It really was looking like it would be a beautiful day...
For the most part, the war was now over. We'd won... we'd beaten the Yeerks, and now what was left of the human forces were banding together to finish of the last of the hidden pockets of Yeerks. They were easier to spot, now that all the pools had been destroyed. All they had to do was wait for the Yeerks in their heads to finally die, and the people would be free.
Did I regret killing so many people that could have been saved? Of course I did... but there was one important thing I'd learned from all those years in war, it was that you either kill, or be killed. There is no time for mercy, for regrets, when your in the midst of it all. My first experience in battle showed me that...
It was odd, thinking of how everything kind of came back around near the end, the Terinans... that female...
I swung my legs back and forth off the edge of cliff I was sitting on, leaning back on my hands and just watching the sun rise over the treeline, finally starting rise into the sky, looking to me like a big yellow ball.
All of us...Sequae, the Animorphs, the turtles... my group... were now big time news. What he hadn't known was there were camera crews filming at our last fight, and they had somehow managed to catch alot of the action without being seen or blown to smithereens. So... now our faces, and our names, were everywhere. I could only guess General Cardwell had a hand in making us front line news. He was the only... I guess you could say... normal person, we'd interacted with, who knew our names.
What would happen next, I wasn't sure. I was a little afraid of going back into society, back into what I guess you would call the 'real' world. I honestly didn't know where any of us would go from here.
I did half worry we'd leave the base and all go our separate ways, finding that I was so used to calling it home. So many memories, good and bad... living with my big adoptive family...
"There you are" I heard from behind me, managing to move my head just enough to see Donnie come and sit down, a hand on my back as he smiled down at me.
"Yep, here I am" I moved to give him a quick kiss, before resting my head on his shoulder, feeling him pull me close as we sat there.
"Been looking for you"
I looked up at him "Why? Everything all right?"
He nodded a little, moving away and going to grab something he had on him, finding it was one of those large travel mugs with the little cup as the lid.
"Rtaia wanted me to bring you this"
"Hmm... tea" I smiled, taking it from him and opening the cap, inhaling the sweet aroma.
"Still feeling sick?" He asked, and I moved back from the edge of the cliff as he followed, sitting on the ground not far from it. I twisted open the cap, then going to pour the hot water into the little cup.
"Not so much since Rtaia made this" I took a sip, feeling a small tingling go through my body, then offered him a taste. He respectfully declined, smiling at me as I took another sip.
Neither of us could work it out, but I had been feeling off since just after the last mission. We could only guess, and I had put my money on the fact the last year or so had been so full on, it had finally taken a toll on my body. So... Rtaia had given me this 'medicine' of sorts. A tea, packed with nutrients and antioxidants she thought my body might need, and it seemed to be working.
"Everyone else okay?" I asked as I raised the cup up once more, drinking the last of what was in it and seeing Donnie frown a little.
"Yeah, for the most part. Kristiana and Serah must have eaten another bad pizza of Mikey's though. And... well..."
He looked almost sad as he looked at me "I don't know what we're all going to do now"
I sighed as I put the cup back on the travel mug, placing it beside me "I don't either Donnie. I... to be honest, I really don't want to leave the base"
"It's our home" He smiled a little at me, and I moved into his lap, cuddling into him as we both looked back out at the sun rising.
"We've all become so close. And now... well, I don't want everyone to go off in their own directions. I want to stay and have fun and be silly and..."
I sighed, closing my eyes and just enjoying being with my ninja nerd for the moment.
"Guess that's what they call growing up though?" Donnie chuckled a little, and I couldn't help but shake my head at him, smiling and leaning up to give him a quick peck on the cheek.
"I think we grew up a long time ago" I finally said, still feeling so unsure about everything. We fell into a comfortable silence, before I felt him rubbing my arm a little.
"Hey, maybe we'll get lucky, and no one else will want to leave" I turned to look up at him, smiling hopefully. He shook his head a little, instead moving to kiss me gently.
"Little miss hopeful" He murmured, his cheek against mine as he put his arms around me in a hug, which I happily returned.
"One can dream" I told him, then an idea struck.
"I know there is one thing we need to do"
"And what would that be?" He asked, smirking as he pulled back to look at me, shifting his glasses up again.
"You need to meet my family" I told him "And... well... they need to meet your brothers and Splinter and all that too"
He just looked at me "I understand me overdue to meet your family, but...uh..."
"Well..." I shifted myself on his lap, so now I was facing him "If you were really serious about... well... that night on the Eiffel tower..."
I found it hard to keep going, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks as I looked up at him. If he-
I gasped in surprise as he grabbed my head in his hands, kissing me with more passion than I'd ever felt from him, pulling back and looking straight into my eyes.
"Dead serious. Jade I love you... more than anything"
"I love you too" I moved to kiss him, but he pulled away slightly, and I finally saw the serious look in his eyes.
"Donnie?"
"Jade, I didn't even think any of this could be possible. I thought... well, I thought I'd be with my brothers and Splinter for the rest of my life, and that was it"
"Donnie, I-"
He hushed me, before continuing "Then I met you. And... I didn't know what came over me. Besides April, you were the first girl I'd met who saw me as... well... something besides just a big mutant turtle"
I wanted to say something else, but I knew it was taking him a lot of effort to get this out, so I just sat quietly.
"Then you sat with me, and got to know me, you listened to me... and I... really found it hard to take my eyes off you sometimes. And then... after everything... all the bad things you went through, you kissed me. A girl... a human girl... kissed me!"
I couldn't help but little giggle at how his voice went high pitched, and he let out a little snort, before, seeing him raise an eyebrow. I covered my mouth, trying my best to stifle any more noises.
"Well... then you just kept surprising me. And... well... Jade, I really do want to marry you. I don't care how weird it is, or if we can't make it 'official' by human standards or anything! I want to spend the rest of my life with you... no matter what!"
The last comment brought me to tears, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him close and sniffling a little.
"Oh Donnie, you are everything I've ever wanted"
"A mutant turtle?"
"Oh you... Donnie!" I scolded, even as I held him closer "I just... I... ditto... to everything you just said"
He chuckled a little, holding me as close as he could and stroking my hair a little.
"You were the first guy to accept and want me for who I am Donnie. You amaze me more and more every day. The way you smile... some of the things you do... the way you just... everything you do, I just love. And I never want to loose you"
I felt his fingers slide up into my hair as I moved to look in his eyes, our lips once again meeting in a sweet and passionate kiss.
This was the perfect moment, and I don't think I'd ever felt happier than at that moment. Life... I felt, was about to get so much-
(JAAAAAAAADE!)
We both jerked apart, looking for the direction the thought speak had come from.
(OH MY GOD JAAAADE! JAAAAAAADE!)
I got up off Donnie's lap, half pulling him up and both of us looking around.
"Wait... Serah?" I looked up at Donnie, who shrugged at me, looking equally confused. We couldn't see any sign of her.
"Serah! Where are you?!" I called, turning to the cliff face and finally seeing what looked like a red-tailed hawk heading towards us, flapping almost awkwardly.
"Ser-AH!" Before I knew it she slammed into me, making me loose my balance and crash back into Donnie, the three of us hitting the ground.
"Ow" I muttered, feeling what I thought was Serah flap weakly, finally managing to move off my poor turtle and setting Serah down.
"Not a good entrance" Donnie muttered, and we watched as Serah shifted back, looking at the two of us.
"I... sorry... wait, where you two-"
"No!" We both said in unison, hearing Donnie shuffle uncomfortably as I blushed a little, biting back the words but a few more minutes and we might have.
Any other time, I knew Serah would have made a blunt joke, but I was surprised when she grabbed my arms, shaking me a little.
"Oh my god Jade! I need to tell you... I just... I can't believe it!"
"Wait... slow it down" I managed to loosen her grip just enough so I didn't feel like I was being crushed. Instead, I led her to a spot away from the cliff edge, making her sit down. I sat in front of her, with Donnie sitting just to the side of us.
She grabbed the sides of her head, still looking like she was in disbelief. Her eyes were between wild, and looking like she wanted to cry as well as hit something very, very, hard.
"I didn't even know this was possible! I mean... I know... it... when you..."
"Deep breath, and put your arms down... look at me" I tried to talk to her soothingly, taking her hands in mine and making her look at me. I smiled at her a little as I squeezed her hands to assure her.
"Jade... Rtaia just... she just told me I'm pregnant"
It felt like a lightning bolt just hit me. Some crazy... messed up part of my mind wondered if she was pulling a weird prank on us, but...
The rest of me knew... the way she was reacting to this...
"How is that even possible?!" Donnie almost squeaked, sounding about as shocked as I felt.
Serah could only shrug, before she eventually found her voice again.
"I... I don't know... I mean, sure, Leo and I have-"
"Don't say it" Warned her.
"Our physiology is so different... how is it even possible for our... for us turtles and you girls... to be even compatible for... for reproduction!" Donnie was up and pacing now, sounding almost panicked.
"I don't know. But... Kristiana found out the same time as I did"
"Wait, what?!" I almost yelped, feeling like I was about to faint. They were both pregnant?!
"Have you even told Leo yet?!" Donnie's voice was high pitched again, turning to look at her finally. She looked down, her lower lip trembling, and Donnie half slapped his forehead.
"Oh great, so now I know Leo's going to be a father before he does!"
"I don't even know how to begin to tell him!" She protested, tears in her eyes now.
"And... oh my god Mikey is gonna have a heart attack!"
"Kristiana was going to go tell him... I just... I don't know... I wish I'd spoken to her first..."
"But instead you came out hunting for Jade, to tell her that you're preg- oh no, Jade?"
I looked up at Donnie, seeing fear in his eyes. A horrible sinking feeling stirred in the pit of my stomach then.
"Donnie, you don't think-"
"Well, you haven't been well, and-"
"But... I haven't been... I mean... ah fuck!" I slapped my own forehead.
"Rtaia?" He suggested.
"Rtaia" I confirmed, and we both got up to head back to the base, leaving Serah there, gawking at our backs as we left.
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I pushed the little cotton ball on the place where Rtaia had taken blood, seeing her turn to a piece of equipment, placing the blood sample into it.
"We should know within the hour" She said finally, looking from me to a very nervous Donnie.
"Rtaia... how is it possible that Serah and Kristiana are pregnant?" I finally asked her, hearing Leo talking to what sounded like Raph somewhere in the main room. I wondered when Serah was going to tell him... poor guy...
"I... do not understand it myself. Physically, it should not be possible. Although, your bodies are... compatible... it should not be genetically plausible"
"Exactly what I thought" Donnie muttered, more to himself than us. Then his eyes went wide, and he moved towards the open door.
"Uh, hey, Ithiell!" Donnie now called out, hearing a faint "Yeah" in reply.
"Could we please get your... input... on a new situation?"
"Sure"
In seconds Ithiell was joining us, looking from Donnie to me, before giving Rtaia a strange look.
"You're not trying to do some weird inter species study, are you?" He asked her.
"No" Donnie shut the door, and we explained the situation to him, his eyes suddenly going wide.
"Uh... I reaaaally hate to say this... but I noticed Amanda has been very moody lately. A lot more than she usually would be. Cries at the drop of a hat..."
"We... no way" I muttered, knowing they were all looking at me but I didn't care.
"Jade, care to share?" Ithiell finally asked, and I finally managed to look at him, biting my lip a little.
"Ithiell... we can't all be... pregnant... could we?"
"We do know that humans are compatible with Chanaibens, Ithiell" Rtaia added, eyeing him carefully "Have you been having-"
"You know, I'm not going there but... I think I'll get Amanda and Rachel in here as well"
"Good id-"
Before he could finish, we heard a horrible thump, and Kristiana scream "Mikey!"
All of us were out the door in a matter of seconds, looking at Leo and Raph, who were giving us the same sort of stare.
"Where did that come from?"
"The hanger!" Leo sprung into action, all of us following.
"Mikey!" Raph yelled, as we all came across a shocking sight.
Mikey was on the floor, obviously passed out, and Kristiana was holding his head, tears in her eyes.
"What happened?" I went over to her, a hand on her shoulder as the boys surrounded their brother's lifeless form.
"He just... he fainted"
"Doesn't sound like Mikey" Leo muttered as Donnie quickly checked him over.
"He's just out, just small bump on the head it looks like. Nothing serious"
"I didn't have time to catch him. I just... well, I told him some shocking news... he kind of didn't take it too well"
"What the heck did you tell him?" Raph grunted, half shoving his brothers younger form a little in an attempt to wake him up, but he was out cold.
"Well, I just... he's going to-" Before she could tell us, the hanger bay door opened, and Serah strode in, a determined look on her face.
"Serah, are you all right?" Leo got up, moving to go to her but she was already there, hands on his chest and starting to push him backwards.
"I have to tell you something, and I have to tell you now before I chicken out"
"Serah, maybe we-"
"No, Leo, I have to do it now!"
He hit the wall near us, Serah's hands both pressed on his chest, staring up at him as he looked awkwardly down at her.
"Um, Serah-"
"Leo, I need you to know... I'm pregnant and you're going to be a dad!"
The air in the room was tense, as I don't think any of us even moved. I could see the wheels turning in Leo's head, showing through on his face.
Anger, confusion... denial... disbelief...
"S-serah, I don't-"
"I don't either, but it's the truth and you gotta deal with it!" She stepped back a little, hands on her hips.
I think at that point it finally sunk in, and we all watched in horror as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and his legs gave out under him.
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We all sat in the main room, none of us talking but all of us feeling grim.
Rtaia's results had revealed devastating news; all five of us girls were pregnant. How? We didn't know.
What we did know was that Serah and Kristiana were at least a month further along than the rest of us. I was the last to... get pregnant... or so she'd told me. I was two weeks behind Amanda and Rachel.
"Mom is gonna kill me" Serah finally muttered, and Kristiana nodded in agreement. The girls had gotten Mikey and Leo back up, but even they looked grim.
I felt Donnie squeeze my hand a little, and I looked up at him. He tried to smile, but I knew... even he was worried. He was going to be a dad and I was...
I was definitely not ready for this.
"What...what are they gonna be?" Mikey asked the question I think we were all thinking.
"Mutant humans?" Rachel wondered, hearing Raph grunt a little at her.
"Still can't believe this"
"Neither can any of us" Leo muttered to his brother "I didn't... I mean..."
"Well, your mating habits have been quite frequent, and per-"
"Thank you Rtaia, I think we all understand how mating works by now" Ithiell cut her off, sharing a look with Amanda. She was fiddling with a loose thread on her jumper, trying to rip at it without destroying the whole article of clothing.
"How are we going to tell Splinter?" Donnie asked, looking at Leo, who sighed and rubbed his eyes.
"I really... don't know. I'm still having trouble even believing this is real"
"You and me both" Raph shook his head "We're mutants, how are we even able to... reproduce"
"Tough word" Mikey pouted a little.
"Oh he is going to kill us" Serah put her head in her hands.
"Well... maybe not us... but definitely the boys" I tried to sound fake cheerful, hearing Donnie groan from beside me.
"Jade, this isnt-"
"My children"
I think all of us froze in that moment. Well... all of us except Rtaia.
A billion things went flying though my head... what to say... how could we carefully explain the situation, because hiding it would do no good... how I was going to survive any more training sessions with him now I was-
"Sensei, we uh... didn't hear you come in" Leo was up instantly, bowing slightly at Splinter. Mikey and Donnie followed their brothers lead, with Raph choosing to grunt and look away like he usually did.
I got up as well, trying to look the part of the dedicated student.
"My dear sons and daughters... I heard the commotion, and then your conversations while I was attempting to meditate in the dojo"
My heart leapt to my throat, looking up at Donnie, who's face probably mirrored my own.
"Uh... busted?"
"Mikey!" Leo slapped his arm, making him whimper a little.
"Uh, Splinter, we-"
"My sons, join me in the dojo"
I heard small groans from the boys, squeezing Donnie's hand before he let go and seeing the fear in his eyes as he slowly got up to follow his brothers.
The four of them filed into the dojo, but Splinter turned to the rest of us.
"Ithiell?"
"Uh... yes Splinter?" Ithiell looked a little nervous then.
"You are my son also... please, join myself and your brothers in the dojo"
"Oh...uh... of course" He shared a look with the rest of us girls, moving to where Splinter was, giving him a small but respectful bow before disappearing inside. Splinter looked at each of us girls, his face unreadable.
"We will not be long" He turned slowly, and instantly Serah was up, gaping a little as I watched her start to shift, the rest of the girls trying not to do anything to alert Splinter as she shrunk.
I knew what she was doing, and hurried to catch up to her, knowing if Splinter caught her she would probably be in deep trouble from him.
Splinter shut the door just after we squeezed in, two tiny flies, and we both latched ourselves to the ceiling as quickly as possible.
(Are you insane?!) I snapped at her.
(Well... let me think... we're pregnant to turtles... so, yes, just a little!)
(If Splinter finds out about this we're toast!)
(Well...maybe you are...)
We both trailed off, watching with the shattered vision of the fly as Splinter moved to stand on the podium, in front of the turtles and Ithiell. All were sitting on their legs, and all looked remorseful.
"My sons" Splinter began in a low voice, stroking his whiskers "I am very disappointed in you and your behavior. Your irresponsibility in this matter has saddened me greatly"
"But... Sensei, we didn't mean to-" Mikey moved to get up.
"Silence, my son!" Instantly Mikey was down, groaning a little. Splinter had literally knocked his feet out from under him...
"I understand, that you boys are... young... but I believed you... my sons... would be more responsible than what you have been lately. Do not think I have not noticed your... actions..."
"Sensei, we-"
"No, you will listen" Splinter grabbed Donnie's leg, knocking him back on his shell. I heard him make let out a small and painful groan.
(Splinter is pissed) I muttered, letting the girls outside know as well.
"Clearly, you were not thinking of the consequences such actions would bring!"
(I've never seen him so mad) Serah said, and I hummed in agreement.
"Sensei" Leo stood this time "Mikey is right, we had no intention of-"
"Silence!" Now Leo was down, and I heard Serah let out a small whimper, seeing Leo grit his teeth as he moved to get himself back into a sitting position.
"Splinter, the turtles and I-ow!" Ithiell yelped as Splinter now smacked him on the back of the head to silence him. I was surprised Raph hadn't tried to say anything yet, as he was the hot-head of the group. I think he was still trying to process it all...
"You have greatly dishonored this family by your actions. The only way to return honor to this household is to..." Splinter suddenly smiled "Marry them"
"Wait, WHAT?!" Raph jumped up, almost yelling, and instantly he was down. I almost let go of the ceiling I was so shocked.
(Oh my gosh...)
(Okay girls, what the hell is going on in there?!) I heard Rachel ask (I just heard Raph yell out)
(Uh... tell you later) I muttered, watching as the five boys grumbled a little.
"I do not see why this is an issue... as the five of you love those girls very much, and they feel the same for you, my sons"
"Sensei..." Leo seemed to be choosing his words very carefully "We do love the girls, but we weren't even aware this could even happen. I mean, with Ithiell we had an idea he might, but... Sensei, we're... mutants..."
"Gee, thanks Leo" Ithiell muttered, scratching his head a little.
"Being a... mutant... as you say... does not excuse you from your responsibilities now"
"Well... Jade and I already want to get married later on-"
"No"
They all froze.
"You will get married, and very soon"
"How soon?"
Splinter just smiled, and I heard the boys muttering between themselves.
(Oh... well, looks like we're all going to be having shotgun weddings girls)
(Maybe all on the same day, if Splinter gets his way) Serah added.
(Well... shit)
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I would just like to credit my old time writing friend Karone-Sakura for helping me write the last part of this chapter!
She is amazing and has helped me so much, THANKYOU SO SO MUCH!
If you get a chance guys, go check out her page, and her stories :)
Constructive Criticism appreciated!