Chapter 6

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Spring was well underway and as usual it was an exciting time for the Turtles. The cold weather was a thing of the past for the time being. That meant they could come up to the surface more often. It had been about two months since the birth of June Jones, and April and Casey had sent an official invite to family and friends to properly introduce their daughter to them. Their human relatives had come to see the little bundle of joy for the weekend then left early Monday morning. April had some time to tidy up and put away the baby gifts before nightfall, when her other, non-human friends were supposed to stop by.

Casey heard the familiar soft tapping on the window by the fire escape while April breastfed June. He looked over at his wife for any indication that she was ready for her next wave of visitors. April adjusted her clothing then laid the burp cloth over her shoulder. She gave Casey a simple nod as she gently patted the baby on her back. The woman smiled as she heard the window slide open. Her Turtle friends had become extremely skilled at silent movement, yet April was aware of their presence as they made their way to the living room. She laughed when a familiar, green, freckled face loomed over her shoulder.

"Hi, Mikey."

"Hey, new mommy!" he greeted as he made his way to the front of the couch. April was now cradling the infant in her arms. June was quite alert and seemed very interested in Michelangelo. With a smile full of tenderness Mikey stroked her soft, black curls. "Aww...she's so tiny and cute!" he cooed as Raphael took a seat next to April and gave her a one arm hug.

"Cute kid," he commented as he played with one of June's tiny toes. By now the rest of the Turtles had gathered in front of the couch to admire the precious little one. They couldn't help but notice the pride on Casey's face. Venus sat quietly observing the human baby practically in awe.

"She's beautiful, you guys!" Donatello exclaimed. "She's got Casey's hair and complexion and April's eyes and nose." They each took turns playing with June while April held her until they all got the surprise of their life when Raphael asked to hold her. The other Turtles watched him closely, especially Venus. She noticed how gentle he was and how he made sure to support June's little head. The baby remained calm and looked as if she was right at home. What really got Venus' attention was that soft, loving expression in his eyes. For a brief moment she caught herself wishing he would look at her that way, just once.

April let each of the Turtles hold her daughter until baby June fell asleep in Leonardo's arms.

"Leave it to Leo to bore a baby to sleep," Raph joked in his usual deadpan manner. Leonardo simply rolled his eyes as April gathered up the baby in her arms to take her to her crib. Venus gave June a little goodnight kiss before April put the baby to bed. While she did that Casey made an offer he knew his friends couldn't refuse.

"Hey, you guys hungry? We ordered some pizza earlier..." He didn't even have to finish that sentence. Casey heated up the food and the Turtles dug in. All except one. Both Casey and April noticed Venus picked at her one slice of pizza then only ate half of it. That was odd since Venus usually ate as much as the boys. "V, you feelin' ok?" Casey asked as Mikey polished off the rest of her slice without a second thought.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just not very hungry," came her quiet reply. Casey shrugged it off, but April wasn't convinced. Something about Venus' posture told her that the female mutant was feeling uncomfortable for some reason. She didn't press the issue though. She figured if something was bothering Venus she would confide in her. April wasn't aware that the brothers had already noticed Venus' diminishing appetite over the past couple weeks. They all suspected what the reason for that was but none dared to speak of it. With hugs and heartfelt farewells all around the Turtles ended their visit with the Jones' and their new baby. Casey watched his wife closely as their ninja friends vanished into the shadows. She had those wrinkles in her forehead she always got when she was thinking really, really hard.

"What's on your mind, babe?"

"Venus..."

"What about her?"

"It's as if she's keeping something really important from us." April noticed the odd look on her husband's face so she decided to drop the subject. "Ah well, if she really needs to get it off her chest I'm sure she'll tell us." Casey nodded in agreement as she settled down for bed as April hoped she was right about Venus.

Back at the Lair the turtle in question was undergoing what she felt was an interrogation from Donatello. He was bombarding her with all kinds of questions while they sat in his lab.

"How long have you been experiencing lack of appetite? Are you losing a lot of weight? Are you feeling any discomfort? Do you feel ill or dizzy? I noticed you've increased your basking time. Why is that?" The questions kept coming and coming until Venus had enough. It was the scowl on her face that made it clear that Donatello needed to give her a break with the questions. "Ok, why don't we take a trip to Leatherhead's to run a few tests. It shouldn't take long." With a shake of her head and a sigh she reluctantly agreed. Once they arrived at their mutant ally's home Donatello briefly explained the situation the the mutant gator.

"Hmmm...it looks like you'll be providing me with another blood sample, my dear," Leatherhead responded as he gave Venus a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. Venus knew the routine by now and stuck out her right arm. With a shake of his massive head and a lighthearted chuckle, the mutant scientist drew a sample. The analysis only took a few minutes, but it seemed like forever to the young Turtles. Leatherhead returned looking a bit concerned as he explained the results. "Miss Venus, your hormone levels are indeed elevated. That suggests to me that you are pregnant." He noticed to look of excitement on Donatello's face and worry on Venus'. "Have you been experiencing any tenderness here?" he asked as he gently place a hand on her plastron. Venus nodded in response.

"Just a little."

"Alright. Well, according to the research we've done on red-eared sliders you aren't going to have much of an appetite during this pregnancy. We just don't know how long gestation will be nor if it will be a live birth." Venus' eyes widened at that last statement as Leatherhead turned to Donatello. "Someone must keep a close eye on her and I suggest she remains off of patrol for the remainder of the pregnancy for safety reasons.

"And absolutely no sparring," Donatello warned. "Tai Chi is fine though." Venus wasn't going to argue against that. After the pair left Leatherhead's home they chatted away about possible changes they would make to the nesting area, including adding a baby monitor and security camera. They were so immersed in the conversation they didn't notice the person leaning against a nearby wall.

"So, is everything all right?" Both Donatello and Venus nearly jumped out of their shells at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Geez, Leo! You scared the crap outta me! How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough. And you know you should be more alert, Don."

"I know, I know. I should be in ninja mode, not scientist mode right now. Got it."

"Good. Now, tell me what's going on." This time Leonardo looked directly at Venus.

"Ah...well, Leatherhead ran some tests and discovered that...umm..." She could tell Leo was losing patience with her hesitation by his posture and glare. "...I am pregnant. That is why I have a loss of appetite. It turns out it is normal for...our kind." The Hamato clan leader took all of this information in, gave a thoughtful nod, then started walking towards the Lair. Venus and Donatello gave each other a look before following. Venus trotted ahead of Don until she was at Leo's side. She didn't feel like talking to his carapace. She cleared her throat before continuing her explanation.

"Leatherhead recommended that I no longer go out on patrol during the pregnancy. Oh, and sparring is out of the question. Tai Chi would not be as strenuous though..." Her voice trailed off when she felt the eldest Turtle's eyes on her. He then draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him to kiss her on the cheek. They all were quiet as Venus shyly ducked her head and Donatello suddenly found the ceiling quite interesting.

Once they all got back to the Lair Donnie couldn't wait to share the news. Raphael smirked and slapped his older brother on the shell really hard.

"Congratulations, Fearless, for being the first of us to knock up a girl. You da man!" Leo snarled and pushed his laughing brother away from him. "Better you than me, bro!"

"Oh, C'mon, Raph! Stop being such an ass!" Michelangelo snapped as he filled Klunk's food dish. Raphael simply gave his little brother the finger in reply. Mikey fumed a bit to himself, not because of Raphael's behavior, but because deep down he wanted to be the one to accomplish what Leo had. He was also frustrated with himself for not having the confidence to even approach Venus. The truth was he had no clue what to say or do and was way too proud to ask for advice.

"Oh man! Wait til April hears about this!" Raph teased as he gently poked Venus' belly. Leo yelled at him to leave her alone which sparked yet another argument between the two brothers. As usual Mei Pei Chi tuned them out. She was busy watching Michelangelo halfheartedly playing with his cat. She wondered why he seemed so down when her Shell Cell rang. She answered right away when she recognized the number.

"Hello, April!" All arguing and teasing ceased at the sound of that name. The guys gathered around Venus to listen in on the conversation. She rolled her eyes and put the Shell Cell on speaker phone.

"Hey, V! Just called to see how you were doing. Casey and I were a little worried when we saw that you weren't eating. Is everything all right?"

"Yes, I am fine."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. I am just going through a bit of change right now."

"Oh really? What kind of change?" They could all hear the sudden serious tone in April's voice. Venus hesitated answer. She didn't feel right just blurting it out. She was a bit grateful when April did it for her. "V, you're pregnant, aren't you? Am I right or wrong?" The young mutant cringed at the human's accusing tone.

"Uh, y-yes." She frowned at hearing April's heavy sighing.

"Ok, honey, this is umm...Listen, if you need anything we're here to support you. You hear that, guys? I know you're listening. And Leonardo, I trust you to do the right thing." All but Raphael seemed a bit surprised by that comment. "And guys, you make sure to let V get plenty of rest and please don't aggravate her. You hear me, Mikey?" They others snickered at the freckled faced Turtle's 'what-the-fuck?' expression. "Oh, and Venus...thanks for being honest and not hiding this from us until later. We're just a phone call away so don't hesitate to contact us, ok?"

"Yes, ma'am," was Venus' humble reply. She smiled in spite of her apprehension about the whole situation. She was anxious yet relieved that she was surrounded by great support from her family.

For the next couple months the expectant mutant had to find creative ways to occupy her time while the brothers did all they could to protect their loved ones, especially her. Three of the brothers would go out on night patrol while one stayed behind to protect the Lair and the pregnant Venus. They did this in rotations, but it seemed Michelangelo would make the most of his time spent with her. At first glance Mikey wouldn't seem like the deepest person, but Venus could tell he was quite emotionally mature. She noticed how he could read all of their moods with pinpoint accuracy and knew just the thing to say to break any tension. He also seemed to know the right thing to say or do to cheer her up. Of all of the Hamato brothers, Mikey was the sweetest and most attentive to her, even more so than Leonardo. Venus thought it was a shame that his older brothers underestimated his emotional intuitiveness, and learned how to appreciate it herself.

She saw it even more clearly with his impeccable timing whenever one of his brothers came home with an injury or when there was an immediate danger that needed to be dealt with. At one point it appeared the Foot was getting too close to discovering their home. It didn't surprise Venus at all when Mikey came up with a clever way to throw the enemy off their trail. He always presented his ideas in a bumbling way, but she knew it was all an act. When it came to distraction tactics Mikey had Leonardo beaten at times, hands down. The older brothers just didn't fully appreciate it because he was the youngest.

One humid summer day in mid-June Venus was very grateful that Michelangelo was there with her. Around mid-day she started feeling very uncomfortable in her lower abdomen. Mikey picked up on it right away.

"What's wrong, sweetness?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.

"I'm not sure," Venus responded as she got up from her meditative pose. She felt the sudden urge to go...somewhere. Without a thought she headed for the basking room. Mikey followed close behind as he pulled out his Shell Cell. After it rang several times his brother finally answered.

"What's up, Mikey?" Leonardo was whispering so he figured they must be in surveillance mode.

"I hope you guys aren't about to rumble cuz V is acting kinda weird."

"Weird how?"

"Well, for one thing...she's breathing kind of hard and takin' off all her gear." The blue masked ninja didn't like the sound of that for multiple reasons. "Hold on a second..." For a moment Mikey could hear muffled cries and several quiet thumps. An unfamiliar voice cried out, "What the hell happened to you guys?" right before police sirens could be heard blaring in the distance. Soon the sound of panicked voices were far in the distance and was replaced by splashing footsteps. "Ok, now what's goin' on, Mike?"

"Leo, you guys need to get back quick! I gotta go!"

"Mike, wait! Don't hang up!" But it was too late. His little brother had already shut down his Shell Cell. Leonardo turned to his two younger brothers who had no clue what was going on. "Raph, Don, the police can handle the rest. We're going back to the Lair now!"

"What the fuck's goin' on, Fearless?" Raphael hissed as he broke into a full sprint to keep up with his brother.

"I'm not sure. All I know is that Mike said something is going on with Venus so we need to get home fast." For Leo that was all he needed to know to get him running to her side.

In the meantime, the now stripped down Venus was in the basking room kneeling in the pit she and Donatello had designed in the months prior. She had a feeling what was happening and it terrified her. She didn't know how things were going to turn out. Mikey had figured it out too and had gathered as many blankets he could find. He also scooped up a bucket of water from the pool in the main basking area. By now Venus was on her hands and knees with her legs spread wide. Something clicked in Mikey's mind as he hopped into the pit behind Venus. He dug a shallow hole in the space between her legs then climbed back out. He filled a misting bottle he used to deter Klunk from scratching the furniture with water. He sprayed some of the fluid on Venus' face and neck as she took slow, deep breaths. He rubbed his hands over her shell in comforting circles as she felt as if her insides were slowing being pushed out of her body. She gripped the soft soil in her three fingered hands as she locked eyes with Michelangelo, whose face mirrored her own fear.

"You're gonna be ok, sweetness. Leo and the others will be here soon." Venus simply nodded and put her head down on her hands. Just as she felt another wave of pressure she heard the door burst open. Mike's head snapped up and relief immediately registered on his face when he saw his siblings. Leonardo made a lightning fast assessment of what was happening and began to try to push his brothers out of the room, starting with Mikey. However, the laboring female grabbed onto the youngest brother and shook her head. Raphael could tell Leo was about to go into the irrational zone, so he broke Leonardo's grip on Mike and quickly pushed the eldest against a nearby wall, pressing his arm hard against his chest to limit his movement.

"Get the hell off me, Raph!" Raph didn't back down as he looked his eldest brother in the eye and spoke to him in a calm, even tone.

"Calm down, Leo. No need to cause a scene. Venus is gonna be ok. Just pull yourself together." Leo blinked and took a deep breath. Once he felt his brother relax Raphael backed off of him. Donatello gasped in amazement as he saw what appeared to be a fleshy tube emerge from between Venus's thighs. He gripped his bo in his hand as something creamy-white and round slowly made its way out of the tube. The object landed softly and silently in the shallow hole between her legs. It was about eight inches in diameter and spherical with a leathery shell with light-green, swirling markings.

By now Venus was still gripping Michelangelo's arm so hard he was hoping he wouldn't bruise. She looked up at the others, who could see the moisture in her eyes from the strain. She slowly got up and sat to the side of the shallow nest to take her own first glimpse of what she had birthed. The boys were kneeling on the outer edge of the pit staring at the egg as if an alien ship had landed in their midst.

"Mei-chan, you ok?" Leo asked, not taking his eyes off of the beautiful yet alien looking object. Venus gave a silent nod as she crawled over to gently and carefully mound the loose soil around the egg to keep it from changing position. Both Raphael and Leo offered a hand to help Venus out of the pit. Leo rested a hand on the back of her shell to make sure she was steady on her feet. He then took her to the basking pool and helped her bathe while Mikey watched from the door. Donnie was still staring at the mostly buried egg debating with the scientist in him that wanted to badly to touch it. Raph came over to his still worried looking youngest sibling to give him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"You did good, Mikey. Splinter would be proud." With a ragged sigh Mikey leaned on his brother as his tears of relief spilled over his cheeks. He was so glad Venus was ok. One thing was on all of their minds. Whether they were ready or not, the new addition to their family was going to rely on them totally for all his or her needs. It was time to put the carefree days of their youth in the past and step into adulthood.

*Next Chapter: The Turtles break the news about the egg to April. The bond between Mike and Venus grows stronger, which gets a rise out of Raph, for some strange reason. Also, a new addition is welcomed into the Hamato Clan.