Zoe

Three Weeks Later

I toss and turn trying to find some semblance of comfort. After I had taken to curling, stretching, rolling and shuffling, pretty much every two hours throughout the nights Raph had given up trying to sleep next to me, resigning himself to a pallet on the floor. No wonder pregnant women slept so much, or were tired all the time. We spend half the night just trying to get comfortable enough to sleep at all.

"Uh-mmm-hh," I grunt. I didn't realize I was making any noise at all, until my hypersensitive ninja's head popped up close to my face.

"Are you okay Z?" He studies me, awaiting my response.

One thing I love about my freaky animal genes is the ability to see well in the dark. What I don't like is the look on Raphael's face. When he worries my heart wrenches into a knot, and my skin burns with this horrible ache, to reach out and remove whatever's causing him trouble.

I'm in a fog of half sleep until he speaks to me. I don't realize I'm trying to wiggle away from the tensing of my lower abdomen. I gaze groggily into his eyes, "What makes you ask?"

He raises both eye ridges, "You've been grunting every couple minutes for the past half hour."

His words swirl around in my head before I can make sense of them. Grunting every couple minutes… My eyes dart over his face and my hand flies down to my tightening belly, "Oh my God, Raph, get Donnie! I thought, I thought – get Donnie!"

My ninja is gone in the blink of an eye, leaving the bedroom door open to the nightlight lit hallway. My heart is racing, slamming against my breast. No, no, this can't be happening. Reaching down, with tingling fingertips, I cradle my belly. "It's too soon babies. Not yet." I feel another cramping sensation and let out a small grunt. I have to stay calm. I have to stay calm.

Donatello appears in the doorway with Raph behind him. He reaches to flip on the light but I wave a hand at him, "You'll wake the kids." My babies share a bunk-bed where the crib used to be, a telltale sign that we are quickly running out of space in the farmhouse.

"That's not important right now Zoe," Don shakes his head and I move to get out of the bed.

"I'll come to you, we can go downstairs." I push myself to a sitting position, and grunt again.

"No way, you don't move," Donatello flips the light on and my kids are instantly protesting.

Raph scoops up Andrea and she cries against his shoulder.

"Raph, what's going on?" I hear Exodus's voice from the doorway.

Donnie puts his face in front of mine, trying to block my view. "Okay, Zoe look at me, Raph will take care of the kids, look at me." I keep watching Raph with Anton and Andrea, while grunting between contractions. "ZOE, look at me! Raph get the kids out of here, give them to X and Mike. Then get Karai and April and get back here!"

Raph scoops up both kids and disappears with Exodus.

"Zoe, look at me. How far apart are the contractions?" Don kneels beside me and grabs my wrist, checking my pulse.

"I- I- I- don't know, Don, it's too soon. It's too soon." My lip quivers as my heart bangs in my chest. I lick my lips and swallow. Why is everything tingling? Why is this happening?

"Try to calm down Zoe." Don reaches under my chin, looks me in the eye, "Slow, deep, breaths, slow." He nods his head as I try to focus on what he's telling me. But I can't help the tiny voice in my head, asking; did I do something to cause this? Tears slip down my cheeks as I force each breath in and out. "Good, better, keep doing that."

"What's going on Donnie?" April appears in the doorway, wrapping her pink silk robe around her. She glances over at me as Karai's voice calls from the hallway. "What's going on? Is Zoe alright?"

I groan, "I didn't mean to wake up the whole-" I gasp as another contraction hits me.

"Zoe, breathe. Just breathe." Don nods as I follow his instructions. His amber eyes do not reflect any of the fear I'm sure he's feeling. All the energy he sends to me is soothing. "April, I need you to check her see if she's effaced, I'm going downstairs for some supplies. Karai you're with me. Raph just go sit with her. Leo, keep this room calm and focused. Zoe needs to just focus on controlling her breath. Hyperventilating isn't going to help right now and I don't want her passing out."

I didn't realize I'd closed my eyes and I never heard Leo or Raph enter the room. "Ugh, I don't want Leo in here while April checks me. Raph you get out too. I'm not mentally prepared for this right now. If you're not a girl or Donatello, get out!" I slap my hand on the bed, flop my head into a pillow then swipe away stray tears. "This can't be happening."

"Move it boys! I'll call you back in when I'm done." I hear April shut the door and make her way to me. "Alright Zoe, let's do this. I'm sure everything's fine. Let me take a look before Don gets back and they all try to weasel their way back in here."

I nod, wipe away more tears, throw back the covers and remove my underpants. April checks me quickly.

"Well?" I ask her as she covers me back up with a blanket.

"Your two centimeters and twenty-five percent effaced Zoe. But your water hasn't broke and Don may be able to get the contractions to stop. You have to stay calm." She rubs my arm, speaking to me softly.

I take a deep shuddering breath and hear shuffling and pacing in the hallway.

"Let him in before he explodes." I point to the door then flinch as another contraction torments me, threatening the pre-term birth of my babies.

April wraps a hand on the doorknob and steps back with it to avoid being trampled. Raph, Leo, Don and Karai, file in.

I can't bring myself to look at Raph, but allow him to take my hand.

"Two centimeters, twenty-five percent," April informs Donatello.

"Okay, that's okay Zoe. I'm going to set you up on an I.V. it will have some medicine in it to help stop the contractions. All I want you to do is try to stay calm and relaxed." Don taps Raphs arm and Raph extends my hand and turns my palm up, exposing my veins to Donatello.

I feel a stick and pinch as he sets the line. Keeping my head turned away, I focus on my breath. Slow. Deep. Breaths. This is going to be okay. Everything will be okay. I steel a cursory glance over the room and see Donatello ushering Leo, Karai and April out in the hall. He steps out with them closing the door behind him.

"What's going on?" I whisper and realize my eyelids are heavy, "Raph, why am I so tired?"

"Donnie gave you a little something to help you sleep. Don't worry it won't hurt the babies." He strokes my hair and I drift off.

XXX

I awake feeling my body has relaxed. "Mmmm," I murmur, opening my eyes to a pair of intense green ones fixed on me. I feel my babies wiggling and know they are still safe and alive within me. I breathe a sigh of relief.

"How ya' feelin?" He has my hand in his and I wonder how long he's been kneeling beside me.

"Better," I look behind him and see monitors on our dresser, then realize I'm connected to all of them. "What'd I miss?"

Donatello steps into the room and I can tell he hasn't left me any longer than Raph has. They both look exhausted. Don smiles at me though, "They stopped. The babies look good. I'm putting you on full bed rest Zoe. Only get up to go to the bathroom and walk up and down the hall, then back to bed. I don't want you throwing a blood clot on me either so that's why you get to walk." He starts disconnecting everything so I can move around.

"Fine. Can I at least get a book or a television… a laptop… an iPad? I've got a long ways to go yet." I lean my head back into my pillow and look from the ceiling to Raph, "and I need a shower."

"I think we can work out some entertainment." I hear Michelangelo's voice, before he pops his head in the door, Exodus appearing behind him. He steps into full view and he's carrying a tray of food.

"Oh let's all pile up in here and watch a movie!" Exodus squeals, reaching out for me.

I open my now wire free arms to her and she crawls in bed on the opposite side from Raphael, to hug me tight.

He leans over and kisses me on the forehead, "Call me when you're ready to shower. I'm going to check on the kids."

Mikey brings the tray over and sits it in my lap. "I thought you might be hungry."

I smile at him, "You're the best Mikey." I watch Raph step out in the hall, "Can you do me a favor and make sure he gets something to eat too? And see if Sofu can watch the Littles so he can take a nap? I can tell that neither he nor Donnie have had any sleep."

"Sure thing Z. But then I'm coming back with a TV and some movies!" Mike rumples my hair and I smile at him.

I look over at Exodus, who is glowing, as she watches her orange clad lover all but skip out of the room. "How are things with you and Mikey? Did you pick a name for the little guy yet?"

Exodus blushes, "Zoe, I couldn't be happier. Really. I don't know if I ever thanked you for busting me out of the facility but I am over the moon, so thank you."

"You and Mike have thanked me almost every day since you met." I laugh and motion for her to share breakfast with me, which, in her pregnant state, she's glad to do.

"Hey, what are you two doing in there and can we join?" Karai appears in the doorway with one hand on her belly and April right next to her.

"Please come in, Mike's supposed to find us a television!"

We pile in the bed together, polish off my breakfast and watch Mike return with a TV for us. I don't know what the first three movies we put in were. I fell asleep on each of them.