Zoe

"Hmmm," I open my eyes and he's lying next to me with that damn grin on his face. I remember what has transpired and as I look around me, I realize we are in the lair. I bolt upright and scan the side of him closest to me. "What happened?"

He doesn't answer, he just keeps staring at me. That massive hand attached to those brick muscled arms gently reaches around the back of my head and pulls me to him. His lips are on mine and before I know it I'm losing myself in him. If we could just melt into each other we might be satisfied. Maybe. Hmmm, maybe not.

I break away from him, "Are you okay? What happened? It's not this side." I move back and he pulls me to him again, "Stop it you big brute. You're going to hurt yourself more." But there's a pleading in his kiss and he's looking at me with those heart piercing eyes.

He finally releases me and I leap to his other side. I'd like to smack the smirk off his face, but what I'm seeing twists a knot in my gut. "Stop. Oh you're a mess. SHIT RAPHAEL! WHAT HAPPENED?" I run my finger lightly around the massive cauterized slash in his bridge, the severity of his wound striking a chord of fear within me.

"Zoe, I'm fine." He shrugs.

I clench my teeth and glare at him, "Stop being so, so - This is NOT FINE!"

He's staring at me, still seemingly carefree. Suddenly I remember our baby. My hand flies down to my belly and he smiles.

"Good?" I ask searching his face.

"Good. Come here." He reaches for me and I don't want him to hurt himself more so I crawl in bed next to him, curling up on his good side, resting my head against his shoulder. Tracing my fingers along the ridges of his plastron, I let them slide off the edges and gently run them across the tender flesh between his plastron and carapace. The energy radiating from beneath my fingertips is static, filled with my life force, somehow I can feel his responding and the sensation radiates up to reach into me.

He makes a low guttural rumble, "Stop Z-"

The energy builds up inside me like water seeking its path, finding its way to my eyes slipping down my cheeks. "I was out longer than you. Wasn't I?"

He frowns, "Yea, a couple days."

I know he can feel my tears dripping onto his plastron. He gently stops my moving fingers and holds my hand in his. All of that electricity is trapped now, there, between our hands. It's welling and burning.

"I let you go Raph. I ddddidn't want to- I didn't think I was ever going to find my way back. I couldn't- It took me forever to find you." I stammer as the tears flow more freely, torn between surrendering to the weight of my emotions and fighting them off. "I can feel you now, but I'm leaving the pain portion of our bond off. I need you to not reach for it. With everything we have at risk right now," I shook my head, "I didn't want to, this isn't what I wanted but-"

"Stop Z," he sighs, "I know. I wanted you to and I understand." He releases my hand and slides his fingers over my side, gently sweeping over my belly. "It's fine, I'm glad you did."

"Don't say that. Don't ever say that," I push myself up and look in his eyes, "I didn't want to do it. And I wouldn't have, but I think you put that thought in me. I could feel you push me away-"

His eyes were so open, so soft, so filled with everything I've ever dreamed of. "Shhh, come here, your killin' me." He tugs me back to him and I close my eyes breathing him in, relishing the comfort his presence provides me, grateful that we've all survived this ordeal.

We must've slept for hours. At least I was sleeping. I open my eyes again and he's actually rolled onto his good side, is resting his head in his hand, propped up with his arm. Of course he's looking at me again. He always does that. Sometimes he wakes me up. Sometimes I ignore him. Sometimes I get lucky enough to do it to him. He hates it, or he acts like he does. Hell he probably likes it and hates that.

I draw my eyebrows together and stretch. "Why are you looking at me like that? Why hasn't anybody tried to wake us up? Where the kids? Oh, did April have her baby?"

He chuckles and suddenly he's hovering over me resting his weight on his forearms. "Hmmm, what do you wanna know first?" He plants feathery kisses along my brow and down the side of my face before he grazes his teeth over my earlobe and again on my jaw. Then he hovers around my neck slightly behind my ear. His breath heats my flesh and I gasp.

"Uh, what? Wwwhat?" It's so hard to think when he does that.

"I'm showing you why I'm lookin at ya, so shut up." His voice resonates in my chest and my heart jerks. His lips find mine and we seek each other, mouths reaching, tongues grazing, always wanting, ever so greedy, softly, then harder, before I nip his lip. A rumble escapes from his chest and he breaks away, nudging my head to the side as he slips down to my collarbone to nip me back. I squirm beneath him as his fingers brush over my breasts, rolling them in his hands, his face sliding between them, consuming me in a trail of kisses. He reaches a hand under my hip and brings his lips to my belly, kissing my skin and whispering, "Hello there." I shudder and writhe, wanting to be as close to him as I can get and frantic to get beyond the torture he enjoys making me endure. He chuckles, "What's wrong Z? I'm tryin to talk to our son, here." My hand flies down to his face and slides under his jaw pulling him up to me.

"It's a boy?" I gasp.

He slides back up, resting his weight on his forearms again, lightly pressing his lower plastron against me. "Uh-huh MMMM… shell and all," he looks in my eyes and I stroke his skin between his carapace and plastron again. It tickles him. He hates it and growls at me. "I'm bein so nice to ya. I'm answerin' all ya questions and you go n do this." He shakes his head at me and grins wickedly. He slides back down, taking his lips and nibbling on my ribs, which tickles me, making me squirm more.

"Ah, ah stop it. Stop! Ah," I wiggle and giggle like a little girl and before I know it he's plunging into me and we're dissolving into each other. We've intertwined our flesh, green and pink, hard and soft, warm and cool, tears and laughter, trust and safety, needing and wanting, pushing and pulling. I'm lost in him and he in me, from where we are nothing can touch us. He is my foundation and I am his. He's let me in. With me he is unguarded because he knows it's safe here and I feel it most when he's inside me. He looks in my eyes and I'm consumed, completely and utterly shattered.

He shutters and rests his face against mine, "I will never get enougha you."

"And I you, Big Guy and I you."

He rolls over and groans a bit then growls in frustration.

"You probably shouldn't have done all that."

"If I don't get outta this bed I'm gonna be useless. My muscles are stiff. I needed a workout." He rolls his massive frame back toward me.

"You and me both, but I don't think that was the kinda workout you needed. I sure liked it though." I kiss his cheek and he smiles.

"April had a girl, Rachel. She's cute. Don's been up here, done an ultrasound on you twice. He's also given you your injections. Karai and Leo are taking care of our Littles. You've eaten, showered, all that stuff, but you keep going back to bed. You're kinda like a zombie." He runs a hand along my cheek and I sense worry from him, "Z, you've been up here over a week."

I swallow hard, my heart suddenly frantic, "What?"

"Don's trying to figure it out. I'm supposed to get him now that you're awake. He wants to talk to us together." He frowns, pulls me against him and kisses the top of my head.

I opt to shift the topic away from myself, "Rachel, huh? Cute name." I'm not in pain and don't feel sick. I'm probably just tired from growing a baby and the whole ordeal…. But over a week? I climb from the bed and reach out a hand to him, "Come on, I want to go meet her."

He climbs to his feet and I reach for the doorknob just as a knock comes against it. I open it to face Donatello.

"Hi Donnie, congrats on Rachel, we were just coming down to-"

Donnie frowns at me then glances at Raph who's standing behind me. "Zoe, you need to get back in bed."

I flinch, disarmed by the severity of his tone. "I feel fine, Don."

"I need to talk to you both." He looks at Raph again, "I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner. I needed to be sure." His arms are full with the ultrasound equipment he uses. "And I've been busy checking out Karai and Exodus."

I feel my eyebrows come together, "What's wrong with the girls?"

"Can you guys let me in? I need to set this up," He ignores my question.

Raph steps back, wrapping an arm around my waist, pulling me with him. He doesn't let me go but pulls me closer to him.

"Donatello what's wrong with the girls?" I ask again, watching as he starts setting up his equipment. My palms are damp and I wipe them against my sleep-shorts.

"I'm more worried about you than I am them. They'll be fine in about seven months." He shakes his head and looks at me. "Your cycles all lined up. I always thought this might happen."

I feel the corners of my mouth turn up, "You're kidding me. They're not."

Donatello sighs.

"Wait, Exodus was supposed to be sterile. How is this possible?"

Don fiddles with his equipment, "It's like she's evolved since being around you, Karai and April. Her body literally underwent changes. I've been running some tests but it's like she wasn't fully matured and now she is. It's wild. You hybrids are just- Wow."

"I'll take that as a compliment." I grin, "This is awesome and crazy. Wow. There will be six kids in our family soon."

Donatello sighs again.

"What's wrong Don?" Raph asks his brother and I feel his fingers tightening around my arm.

"I think I should show you. Zoe, do you mind?" Don opens his hand and gestures for me to lie down on the bed.

Raph loosens his grip on me.

"Sure Donnie. What's going on?" I lie down on Raph's side of the bed, inch up my shirt and slide my shorts down a little further on my hips. This isn't my first, or even second baby, so it's all routine to me now.

Don squirts the cool gel over my abdomen and I feel goose-bumps cross my flesh. When he presses a small black wand against my skin a frantic beating sound fills the room.

It doesn't sound like either Anton or Andrea's heartbeats did. Raph and I look from each other to Donatello.

"What the-" Raph moves to look at the screen as Don guides the wand over my belly.

"There's one," he holds the wand and taps some buttons on the keyboard then moves the wand again, "there's another," he moves the wand again, "and there's another." He taps the keyboard again and moves the wand to yet a different spot. "From right here and if I do this," he clicks a few buttons, "now you can see all three of them."

Raph and I are staring at the screen where three individual shell shapes are clearly visible. "You've got to be kidding me." I manage to choke out.

Raph sways.

"Oh shit, Zoe!" Don drops the wand and snatches me from the bed right as Raphael collapses right where I was lying.

Donatello stands me up and looks over his brother.

"Is he okay? Is it his wound or the… the… I'm sorry, three. Three, really?" I feel really lightheaded and Don grabs me again, sitting me down next to Raph.

"It's a lot. I know. Trust me. It was hard to not say something to Raph when I figured it out a couple days ago, after I'd done your second ultrasound. I thought something was strange on the first one but I couldn't see them clearly. Now there just a bit bigger and it's clear." Don still has a hand behind my back as if I might fall over.

I sit staring at the frozen image on the screen. I'd swear it was a mistake if I wasn't looking at it myself. "Don, how am I going to deliver-" I glance up at him.

His amber eyes are darting over my face. "That's exactly what I'm worried about."

I look back at the image again. Three shells. "They're all boys." My heart pounds, Anton will have brothers. I look up at Donatello, "What do we need to do?"

His mouth falls open, "Zoe, I don't know if-" he stops himself and looks over at Raph. "We should wake him up. It's not his wound it's the shock of- uh- it's shock." He looks over at our nightstand and grabs the glass of water off of it then tosses it on Raph.

"What the-" Raph sits up quickly, wiping the water off his face. He looks around, teeth clenched, nostrils flaring. As he gets his bearings, scanning over Don's face, then mine, his jaw releases and his breathing settles. He looks from me to the screen. Don and I don't move while he processes.

Several minutes pass before Raph looks at Donatello. "This is not good."

Don frowns, "No."

What? What? My teeth clench, I stand up, throw my hands on my hips and glare at them. "Fuck you both." I throw open the bedroom door and storm downstairs.

"Zoe!" They both yell after me.

I don't want to hear from either one of them. And damn trying to get away from them. Fuck.

"Zoe!" They yell again.

I feel our families eyes fall on me from various places around the living area of the lair. Mike and Exodus are playing with Antonello and Andrea on the floor. Karai is holding Rachel while April fishes through a diaper bag. Splinter emerges from the kitchen holding a cup of tea. Leo stands beside him.

My eyes dart over them. Andrea and Antonello squeal at the sight of me but I shake my head and Mike and Exodus wrap an arm around each of them quickly. I bolt for the lair door.

"Leo, stop her!" I hear Raph yelling as the door shuts behind me. He's slower than usual with his injury, which should give me a few seconds lead.

Thankfully I've got Cheetah speed because I want to be alone and I hate the confines of sewer tunnels. I bolt for the nearest exit and scale the ladder quickly, but I struggle with the manhole cover.

"Zoe!" Leo's hand wraps around my ankle. He doesn't pull but he's clearly not going to let go either.

"Let me go, Leo." I stop struggling with the cover and swallow. My body is trembling.

"Zoe wait, just wait. What's going on?"

It dawns on me, as I look into his wide blue eyes, that maybe he doesn't know. "Get me out of here Leo." Tears slide down my cheeks, "Please, please, before he catches up to us. Please."

He nods and ascends the ladder, wrapping an arm around my waist, taking me with him. Moving the cover aside he carries me from the sewer. We emerge street-side into the crisp early autumn night air. "Zoe we can't be out long. The Foot are on the move again and we've had some run-ins with a few hybrids. That's how Raph got hurt." Leo doesn't put me down, but makes his way to a fire escape in a nearby alley and carries me with him to the rooftop.

"Stockman?" I ask as he sets me on my feet.

"He's working with that other scientist you named… what was it?" Leo's head snapped up suddenly before he pulls me behind him, moving us behind a utility closet.

He must've sensed something. I check in emotionally and feel Raph. Damn it. With our bond I should've know he was going to find me in no time.

"Zoe!" He yells for me.

Already?

"Zoe, please, no one is going to hurt you." Donatello at least tries to sound calmer than my obviously frantic mate.

I scoff and Leo looks down at me, obviously confused. "What's going on, Zoe?"

"Leo, if you're helping her hide, you're contributing to the risk of her life. Come out Brother." Donatello's voice is edging on panic now and it rocks Leo.

"What is he talking about?" Leo hisses at me.

"I'm fine Leo."

He shakes his head before he snatches me up, carrying me straight to Raph.

"Put me down," I say through clenched teeth and Leo places me on my feet.

"What the hell are you doin'?" Raph snaps at me.

Don and Leo step back and to the side, but do not leave, which is unusual because when Raph and I fight everyone usually clears out.

"When were you going to tell me how you got hurt? Or were you just planning on distracting me every time I asked?" I yell at him, jabbing a finger in his plastron.

He grabs my hand and holds on to it. "Not now Zoe."

"Really? Well then when? The Foot are looking for me again aren't they? I'm not stupid Raphael. You start making regular trips here, without me, and instead of a couple days you're gone for a week at a time. You come here twice as much as we used to. All of you are getting hurt more often and much worse. So, what is it, are Isaac and Stockman working together now? What, they've hired The Foot to look for us?"

"Sounds like you don't need me to tell you anything." Raph hisses shooting a glare in his older brother's direction, "Thanks, Leo."

Leo doesn't back down from that, speaking in his typically calm tone, "She has a right to know what's going on Raph. What, do you think she's not going to ask questions? And we all need to keep our voices down. We're exposed here."

Raph clenches his teeth, closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, struggling for control, all the while he never lets go of my hand.

"We need to get her home Raph." Don looks ready to snatch me up himself and I think he needs to relax. It's not like I'm giving birth right now for crying out loud.

"Shhh," Leo looks around, surveying the rooftop. I catch glimpse of some shadows moving on the rooftop across from us. As they move closer Raph pulls me into him, then guides me behind him.

He's not well enough to fight right now. When will I ever learn not to overreact and run off?

We draw back into the darkest corner of the roof, Don and Leo taking the front which is where Raph would rather be.

The shadows grow clearer and I peek from behind Raphael's shell to see two Foot ninja surveying the roof. Raphael's grip on my hand tightens. I reach up and wrap the fingers of my free hand around one of his sai. His free hand grabs mine and he glances back at me, shaking his head.

I roll my eyes and release the weapon. He wraps his hand around it and we watch the scouts move closer.

Leo and Don each attack one, knocking them out in seconds.

"Let's go, there will be more." Leo motions his head at us, but Raph has already spun me around and snatched me up.

He doesn't talk to me as we make our way back home and I don't care, I don't want to talk about it anyway. As Raph carries me into the lair, Donatello is already barking orders at us.

"Take her straight back to bed. We need to finish our talk." Don's never sounded so hard before. I don't like it.

"Put me down." I look up at Raph who ignores me, the worry on his face sends an ache within me and in a gentle voice I tell him again, "I said put me down." I reach out a hand to touch his cheek and he freezes. His eyes close and I hear him take a sharp breath, as if I'd hit him. "Put me down Raphael, please." But instead of honoring my request, he pulls me tighter against him and carries me straight upstairs to our room. He doesn't stop until he kicks the door shut behind him.

He stands there holding me, and his emotions roll through me. The roller coaster that is Raphael is a familiar one to me. For the five years we've been together. For the way we are similar creatures in behavior and for the way we are bonded. I feel his anger radiate off him, but it quells in the wake of his love which is a fierce barrier strong enough to protect us both. What is uncharacteristic for him, and I've only seen it as many times as I can count on one hand is fear. The only thing that scares him is the thought of losing a family member. That's it, there is nothing else… well maybe cockroaches but that's different.

"Zoe, whatever Don tells us to do is what we have to do." He sets me to my feet slowly and keeps one hand on either of my arms, holding me to face him.

I don't respond because there's a knock on the door. "Raph, I need to talk to you two," Donnie says through the door.

Donatello isn't usually this insistent. He's worried over me with both Antonello and Andrea and he worried over April even more with Rachel. I understand. There's hardly anything normal or textbook about mutant, hybrid or even human pregnancies. There's always something odd. With Antonello I was unusually mean the entire pregnancy and his birth was very hard on my body. With Andrea everything went so smooth, I barely knew I was pregnant, her birth was easy and I recovered quickly. April's pregnancy went pretty well too, she just cried a lot and craved barbecue chicken. But both of the easier pregnancies were in the delivery of baby girls and they both appeared human.

Raph moves me out of his way, but keeps one hand wrapped around my wrist, as he opens the door and lets Donatello in.

Don looks at his brother and I can see the bleak outlook in his eyes.

My blood heats up and I jerk my hand, trying to get it away from Raph's grasp, but he isn't letting me get away twice.

"Knock it off Zoe." He tugs gently trying to get me to stop my struggle. His voice has an odd even tone to it that leaves the impression of a rock sinking in my heart.

I hate this. I hate the way they are looking at me.

"You're both scaring me. Stop fucking looking at me like that!" I stop struggling and look away from them.

"You should be scared. Zoe, you're life is in danger." Don takes a step towards me and I feel his fingers hover over my shoulder. "I don't even know where to begin with this. Please look at me."

I shake my head and bite my trembling lip. I'm not going to crack, I'm not. But if he touches me and Raph won't let me go…

"I can't look at either of you right now because you won't give me any space." I hold up the hand that Raph has in his grip and wave it, "and I need some space!"

"Zoe he can't give you any space. You can't run from this. You don't have any time to waste." Don's voice is a soft, sad, whisper.

My blood runs cold and I inhale sharply, my stomach plummeting. I turn slowly, ignoring Raphael completely, fixing my gaze on Donnie. "What are you implying Donatello?" My voice sounds strange even to me. It sounds strained, or braced.

He looks me dead in the eyes, "You know what I'm saying."

I reach back with my free hand and deck him as hard as I can. The punch throws him back but he rights himself quickly. But when I try to launch myself at him Raph snatches me up. His voice stops me. It's never sounded this way before. He sounds… broken. "Zoe. Stop, please, stop. Please." I look away from the purple clad brother, raising his arms to shield himself, to Raphael's face. Tears slide freely down his cheeks, he blinks and looks away from me, taking a deep shuddering breath.

I try to swallow the sick feeling rising up from my turning stomach. "You've got me in your arms Raphael. Let my hand go." He takes another pained breath and I feel his grip loosen. I reach up, turn his head to face me and wipe away his tears. "We are not doing anything to hurt these babies so stop." He looks into my eyes and I hurt for him. He's at my mercy. I'm sorry for that, but I won't be swayed and he knows it. "Put me down Raphael, please."

Reluctantly he sets me to my feet. I take one of his massive green hands into my own, then turn to face Donatello while wrapping Raph's arm around me at the same time.

"Donatello, we are not going to hurt them. I'm prepared to give my life to get them here."

Don's eyes close and I hear Raph gasp as if I've knocked the air from him.

"Why? You have two babies already. Zoe, what will they do without you?" Donatello can't help pressing me.

"Because, Antonello will finally have brothers, others who look like him and are what he is. There's nothing I won't do to give that to him." It's the whole reason Raph and I decided to have a third baby. Anton is lonely. He loves his uncles but he longs for another child like himself and it's no secret to any of us.

"He has us," Don replies.

"You know it's not the same Donnie. You're adults." I shake my head and stroke Raph's arm with my fingers.

"There's no guarantee any of you will make it," Don whispers.

"I'm willing to risk it, so both of you just stop. I feel fine. I say we just go on as normal." I continue tracing Raph's arm, hoping it's quelling some of his fears but doubting it.

"Zoe, I don't know how you can even deliver them." He looks at Raph, who looks away, "you'll probably need a caesarean. I don't know if I can do that and keep you from getting a secondary infection." He reaches out a hand to stop my moving fingers and I feel Raph stiffen and look at his brazen younger brother.

"Donatello, I know you're just trying to help, but I need to talk to Raph alone please." I look into his amber eyes and he moves his hand off of mine. "You're not going to change my mind Donnie, so either decide to try and do your best to help me, or leave me to die. That choice is yours. What happens to these babies is mine," I look into Raph's eyes, "and mine alone."

I hear the bedroom door close behind me. Raph's eyes glisten with fresh tears and he shakes his head. His arms are around me but they loosen as he steps back from me and looks at the punching bag in the corner of the room. He scoffs.

"What is it?" I ask softly, watching him carefully. I grant him the space he's just taken because I wanted it myself earlier and wished he had enough faith in me to give it to me when I asked for it.

"I always thought someone would take you from me at some point. Or that you'd leave or maybe I'd eventually die protecting ya. I mean no one is actually together forever because there is no forever." He shakes his head again, it's a slow sad movement and his eyes show a depth beyond the punching bag he's staring at. It's an odd thing for him to have such things to say. He always struggles with words, but at this moment, it's as if he's resigned himself to my fate. He looks at me, "I never thought you'd go out like this."

"For Gods sakes Raph, I'm not dead. Don't tell me you're going to retreat inside yourself and put up a wall between us for the next seven months!" I take a step towards him and he steps back. He turns and leaves the room without looking back. I'm not surprised to hear the lair door slam shut behind him.

I leave the room and head for the stairs.

"Let me carry you," Donatello says, and I find him leaning against the wall outside of our bedroom.

"I'm fine Don. I can walk. I swear I feel fine." I glance down into the living area and see it's empty. I look at Donatello and see a mix of emotions in his eyes.

"Fine. But I'm going to research everything I can on multiple births and cesarean's. If you want me to get behind you in this then you have to agree to do whatever I ask you to do. I won't put my neck on the line for you if you're not going to team up with me." He puts a hand on each of my shoulders and looks me in the eyes, "Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"

"We're a team, teams work together not against each other. I can't do whatever I want just because I think it's okay."

He nods, "Don't let me down Zoe."

"Don't let me die Donnie." I try to smile at him but he shakes his head.

"I'll try not to." He rubs his face, "God I hope you all don't go into labor at the same damn time. I'm going to start researching birth control. This is getting to be too much."

I laugh a little and he finally cracks a small smile.

"So where is everyone else?" I look over the lair and absorb the small but noticeable changes that have occurred in the last five years. There's now a pack and play behind the couch and children's toys scattered everywhere. Crayon drawings of the brothers with my kids hang on the walls, and baby blankets are strewn across the couch. My heart is full, I'm happy, and if I can give this gift to my son, my life will be complete.

"They're in the dojo waiting for the all clear," Donatello answered.

"Do they know what's going on?" I take a step towards the stairs.

"No. We need a family meeting because in addition to your news, Karai and Exodus, there's a threat we all need to discuss too. But we can't have a meeting without Raph." Don steps alongside me.

"He'll be back. I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid." I look to the lair door.

"He won't. With you at risk, he won't risk himself because of the kids." Don rests a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"I guess you're right." I look back at him, "You know what Donnie, I'm going to just lay down if it's okay with you. This whole thing has wiped me out."

"That sounds like a good idea Zoe. All of this will still be here when you wake up."

I offer him a small smile as I retreat back to my room. I do suddenly feel drained. A nap might help.