Raphael

It's early morning and Zoe is nursing Kei for the fourth time since his arrival. She's still pale as death, with dark circles under her weary gray eyes, her lips pale and chapped, yet as she holds the tea green infant in her arms, she's never looked more beautiful.

I thought we were sleep deprived caring for Anton and Andrea when they were each born. Taking care of three infants at the same time is torture. Even with my brothers each coming back for the child they named, Zoe nurses them every two and a half hours and each one is a hungry guy, eating for fifteen minutes each. That's forty five minutes of feeding and another ten for me changing everyone's diaper, by then it's been almost an hour and is almost time to start over.

But as the sun creeps through the window in the front door, drifting down the hall to the lab, and Donnie unhooks Zoe's IV telling her we'll take her upstairs this morning, I feel a wash of relief. As Zoe hands Kei over to April and Karai forces Leo to pass Hisao over to us, I'm getting excited.

"What time is it?" I ask for the tenth time in the past half hour.

"Go see if they're up yet. You're driving me nuts." She yawns but the gleam in her sleepy gray eyes tells me she's just as eager. Her gaze shifts to Karai, "Do you mind seeing if Mikey can bring Grey down and invite X to come with him. I think Master Splinter, Antonello and Andrea are getting ready to meet our newest family members."

Karai wipes the sleep from her eyes, yawns and disappears into the hall.

I kiss Zoe's head then slip out the lab door and right as I step into the kitchen my Sensei, Anton and Drea have just closed the back door.

"Good morning Raphael. I trust that all is well?" Sensei's eyes glisten and I give him a slight bow.

"It is." Then looking from my father to my children I ask them, "Do you guys want to meet your baby brothers?"

"Yes!" They both shriek, attacking my legs. Scooping one up in each arm and motioning for my Sensei to go first, we make our way to the lab.

Splinter held each infant in turn, gazing at them with reflection in his eyes. Then Leo, Donnie and Mikey each held a baby so Andrea could kiss the top of their heads.

Antonello grips my hand, staring at them without saying a word. He gazes up at me with wide green eyes and I see myself in him for the hundredth time, only this time, I'm seeing the best of me, and the best of him.

"Anton there is no one else in the world like you. Daddy and your uncles are not even, exactly like you. You are very special and we love you."

"Daddy," he swallows and the hope in his eyes tugs at my heart, "are they like me?"

Zoe bites her trembling lip. She nods through her tear covered, long red lashes, "Yes, Baby, they are just like you."

"Mommy, why do you and Drea' look different than me and Daddy? Franklin's mommy and sister look like him."

Anton releases my hand and walks over to where my brothers stand, and they each kneel so he can see the babies. Antonello holds out his finger, looks over at me and I nod, then he offers it to Grey and the infant wraps a tiny green digit around his big brothers. A spark of light illuminates Antonello's green eyes as he studies the baby.

"What is his name?" Anton asks suddenly, looking up at Mikey.

"Grey. You can't tell cas' his eyes are closed right now, but they look just like your Mom's." Mikey smiles at Anton, "Do you like it?"

Antonello's head bobs enthusiastically, "Yes! Yes!'

He glances at Donnie and points to the baby he's holding, "What's his name?"

"Kei, it means blessed. I think this family is blessed Antonello, don't you?"

Anton reaches out his other hand, offering it to Kei who, like Grey, grabs his big brother's finger eagerly. "I do," he whispers, gazing into Kei's brown eyes.

"Anton, we just can't be seen by humans. It's not safe. They're scared of us and we don't want that. People do crazy stuff when they get scared."

"You mean when they don't understand."

Antonello looks to me then his mom, "I have brothers of my own." Although he's smiling, tears stream down his cheeks and I find it impossible not to cry with him.

I hear Leo take a deep breath and see him look away then back as Antonello approaches him.

"And what's his name?" Anton grins, wiping away his tears and touching the top of Hisao's head with his hand.

"Hisao, it means life story. And I don't know a family with a greater story than this one." Leo glances at me and I nod, then he holds the baby out to Anton, "Antonello, do you want to hold your baby brother?"

Anton's head whips around to look at me and Zoe.

"You're brave Daddy."

"How's that?"

"You save people even though they'd hurt you."

"Go on Antonello, it's ok." I smile at him through the damn mist in my eyes and I feel Zoe's fingers wrap around my hand. I don't know when I told her last, but I love her with every fiber of my being and I make a mental note to be sure I let her know it and soon.

"Sit in this chair and hold your arms out, be careful of his head, okay Anton?" Leo guides my four year old to a chair and the boy sits diligently, following my brothers every instruction. When Leo places Hisao in Antonello's arms he lets out a nervous gasp, as his eyes study every feature on the infant.

"I can't have friends cas' I'm the only me and I'm scary to everybody. But I didn't do anything wrong. It don't make sense."

"No, it doesn't and I'm sorry."

"Just like me." He whispers as he touches the baby's cheek and hands, "Just like me." He kisses his brothers head, "I love you Brother."

Zoe had been right all along. There really was no greater gift she could've given Anton and with it within her power to try, she did, and for all our suffering, it was worth it.