Disclaimer: I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

A/N: this is written in junction with dondena. The idea is hers. She is beta as well. Also these turtles are based off of the 1987 old toon turtles. It takes place after the 'Red Sky'. Shredder and Krang, and Lord Dregg are all long gone.

XXX

But Donatello didn't have time when his children were growing thus stretching out his belly. It wasn't too big yet, but he was showing clearly now. His nausea and fatigue was gone completely. It was one thing that he was grateful for. But he would rather have the nausea back; even ten fold if he could continue to put off telling his brothers and Sensei. He knew they were already growing suspicious at his ever growing belly and the excuses he gave to get out of the training.

It was later one night that Splinter came into Donatello's lab. He stood there while watching Donatello look though some books. Finally he spoke up as he leaned on his cane. "Donatello, why haven't you been training with the others?"

Donatello dropped the baby book he had been looking through. "Oh! Sensei, I didn't see you there. Training, well, I-"

"Donatello, you can not fall behind in your training. You must remember that you are ninja, as well as a scientist. To be both you have to work hard at both." Master Splinter said as he looked around the lab that was filled with all types of robots and machines.

"I know Master Splinter, it's just that…" Donatello stopped, not quite able to tell Master Splinter just yet.

"Donatello, you are starting to lose the fighting edge. No excuses tonight. You will do the night patrol with your brothers tonight." Master Splinter narrowed his black eyes at Donatello.

Donatello gulped and nodded. "Yes, Sensei." He said with a small bow of his head.

"Very good." With the parting words, Master Splinter turned and walked out.

"Aw man. What am I going to do? I've put this off for so long. I told April that I'd tell them on Christmas, but that's only a week away." Donatello dropped his head into his hands.

Xxx

The city's nights had turned bitterly cold, the crystal clear skies brilliant with stars. A light snow had already fallen on the city and the promise of another was heavy in the air, filling it with a crisp scent.

The turtle van stopped outside a rather large church.

"Why did you stop, Donatello?" Leonardo asked.

"Yeah bro, I thought that we were heading to Vinnie's? He's having that Christmas bash, I don't want to miss it." Michelangelo said from behind Leonardo.

"Shh. Listen." Donatello said as he rolled down the window.

Thinking he meant some kind of danger, the turtles shut up and listened. There was a sound, but it wasn't the sound of danger. It was the simple sound of a church choir singing Christmas carols.

Raphael looked out the window, then rolled his eyes. "A church? They're singing carols. What, you hearing the calling?"

Cantankerously Donatello sighed, "You know any Christmas carols?"

Raphael huffed, "Of course." He began to spout 'Deck the Halls" when Donatello interrupted him.

"How about 'Silent Night?"

Raphael began to sing it when he stopped and glared at Donatello, catching the meaning. "Hey! I'm the wise guy here!"

As the others laughed at Raphael's expense, Donatello found him self gazing at the Natively Scene in the front of the church. Needless to say, none of the turtles were not a practicing Catholic by any means… or any other religion for that matter. They knew of the Buddhism that Master Splinter followed, but they never missed out on the celebration. But this year, Christmas was special for him.

His mind swimming with thoughts of his upcoming children, he listened to the choir, listening intently to the hauntingly beautiful strains of 'Carol of the Bells.' The song was by far one of his favorites of the Christmas songs. He watched the choir stand outside, singing to the passerby's. They stood in formation, each man dressed in matching top hats and capes, the women in crimson cloaks with hoods. Although it was cold, each member sang joyously, a warm twinkle in each set of eyes.

"Alright Donatello, lets move on. We have one block to cover, then we can go to Vinnie's." Leonardo said, dragging Donatello away from his thoughts and watching the choir.

He sighed and started the van again, driving on.

"What's wrong Donatello? I've heard of the Christmas blues, you got the Christmas Greens?" Raphael piped up from the back.

"Knock it off Raphael." Leonardo said as he continued to stare at his brother.

"Fine. Lets just finish this patrol so we can go to Vinnie's."

They drove on some more. As they rounded the corner of the last block that they were patrolling, all their eyes widened at the sight of a black van racing toward them. Donatello swerved and the van tipped and skidded on the icy road then spun. He heard the shouts of his brothers as the turtle van finally slid to a stop and Donatello took a deep breath.

"Roller derby Donatello. Next time I want to see what I had for dinner I'll get you to drive." Raphael said sarcastically as he cupped a hand over his beak.

"Who were those maniacs?" Leonardo asked.

"I don't know but we'll soon find out." Michelangelo said in a slight panic.

"Why's that Michelangelo?" Leonardo asked, as he looked around.

"Because they're getting out of the van and heading this way with mean looks and mean clubs." He said as he pointed out the window.

"Then lets show those thugs some Christmas spirit," Raphael said as he jumped out of the Turtle Van with the others following him.

Donatello's eyes widened when he saw the two men. They were the same men he had run into when he had escaped. He had knocked them for a loop, and from the looks on their faces they planned to do the same to him. They barely spared a glace at his bros, but instead moved on toward him.

The biggest, a red head pointed at Donatello. "Sir wants you back Donatello, because of what you are carrying."

Donatello's eyes widened and swallowed nervously as he instinctively put a hand on his stomach. His bros choose that moment to look at him strangely.

"Just what are you carrying Donatello…this goon's purse?" Raphael quipped with a grin.

"Ah thanks Raphael, get them angrier then they are dude." Michelangelo said as he pulled out his nunchucks.

"It's a talent," Raphael said. "Don't worry, I'll have them after me like flies in a trash can." Raphael jumped out in front of the goons and stuck his tongue out at the redheaded man, with a loud "NYAH!!" It was enough to turn the man's face as red as his hair.

Following Raphael's diversion, Leonardo drop kicked the redhead's partner, but both humans were used to rough housing and were built up in the muscles department. It took a lot more than a kick to keep these goons down and as Raphael slid to a stop causing the tall man to run into him, Raphael used this to his advantage and flipped the man over his shell and on the ground. The man looked up to see the orange masked turtle grinning down at him. Quickly Michelangelo smashed at the human with his nunchacku, but he got a strange surprise. The man brought up his legs and gave a good kick in Michelangelo's stomach, sending him flying.

"Hey dude, when you're down you're supposed to stay down." He complained as he rubbed his stomach.

As Raphael and Michelangelo squared off with the redhead, that left the other one to Donatello and Leonardo. The man blocked Leonardo's attacks with his wooden club and then grabbed him by the shell and spun, throwing Leonardo in the nearby alley.

Then, the blond man turned to Donatello. "Now, you come with us to make things a whole lot easier on you and your disgusting brothers. Just because you all have those fancy ninja moves doesn't mean we are weak," he snickered, "You are Sir's property now."

Donatello narrowed his eyes as he glared at the human that towered over him. "No, I'm not. My body, my choice. I took you both out once I can do it again." He then used his staff to knock the club out of the man's hands, then he backhanded the man. The human fell down but stayed down when Donatello used his bo staff as a bat and slammed the wood into his head. The man was out just as Michelangelo and Raphael finished off the other man.

Leonardo had come back out of the alley he had been tossed into. He only had a few bruises and was ready to jump into the fight when he ended up watching his purple masked brother. The man had said something to him and Leonardo saw the stance in Donatello change. Earlier when the men had come out and spoke to Donatello he figured that these men were from that scientist's lab to recapture his brother. But what the humans said was rather odd. Leonardo watched as his brother took the man down rather roughly.

"You guys okay?!," Leonardo asked.

"We're fine." Michelangelo answered.

Leonardo then turned to Donatello. "What did that man mean by 'Sir wants you back because of what you are carrying'?"

"Uh, I-don't know Leonardo." Donatello said nervously as he replaced his bo.

"Ah come on Donatello, you're the big brain and the one that was gone for two weeks." Raphael said as he followed Michelangelo into the Turtle Van.

"I don't know. It could mean a number of things. None of which I'm aware of." Donatello answered as he started the Van.

Leonardo was silent for a while as Donatello drove the Van and on the walk back to the lair. They were almost there when he stopped Donatello and allowed his two other brothers to walk on. They were already moaning and groaning about how that fight made them miss Vinnie's pizza party.

"I could, like, go for a midnight snack before bed dudes." Michelangelo said.

"Are you always hungry or something?" Raphael asked. "Ah well, I think there's some leftover pizza in the fridge."

"Donatello. You are hiding something. You have been laxing on your training and even your experiments. Your behavior is also very strange. Not to mention-" Leonardo's eyes dropped to Donatello's ever expanding belly. "if you don't talk to me at least talk to Master Splinter."

Donatello pulled his arm away feeling extremely guilty for all the lying. He knew he couldn't hide his pregnancy any longer. "It's nothing." He said but hung his head at the annoyed look his brother gave him.

"Alright. I'll talk to Master Splinter." He said, giving in.

XXX

While all his other brothers sat around the TV and ate leftover pizza, he paused outside of Master Splinter's room. He was about to let one of the most important figures in his life know of the news. He felt like he had failed his Sensei in some way.

Splinter was waiting inside meditating, his traditional method of keeping himself calm, although Donatello could tell by the scowl on his master's face that something was wrong.

"Master Splinter, we're home." Donatello said.

"Yes, I know." Splinter said. He opened his eyes and stared up at Donatello. "You have something you wish to tell me." It was not a question. It was a statement. Splinter had known something was wrong with Donatello. He just waited until Donatello was ready to tell him on his own.

"No-I mean yes." Donatello said while shaking.

Splinter motioned the place in front of him. "Sit down my student."

Donatello did what Splinter said. Sitting down he moved until he was comfortable. When he was he looked back up at his Master.

"Now Donatello. Start at the beginning."

Taking a deep breath Donatello did just that. When he was finished he just waited.

Splinter closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Hmm. I see why you kept this from your brothers and me. The only thing I'm disappointed in is your lack of faith in your brothers and your Sensei. You say you are pregnant. And it is done-how you say? Artificially? You sure that you want to keep these…babies?" Splinter asked.

"Yes Sensei. There were moments of doubt. To the point that I went to the human Dr. Jane Goodfellow for an abortion. But I couldn't do it. Not after I heard their heartbeats. You taught us that killing is wrong. How could I kill them? They are a part of me. It doesn't matter if it is immoral and unnatural. They are living beings. I can't do that."

Splinter was quiet for a moment, as he took deep calming breaths. He then looked up at his son. "I am proud of you. You are right, the abortion would be wrong. It is not they're fault nor is it yours. We all have come a long way. This is only a small test in our faith in ourselves. Now tell me…what did this Goodfellow say?"

"She said that I'd be able to carry them fine. It'd have to be a cesarean birth. I have to see her every month." Donatello said, a big part of the stress that he had been carrying around lifted.

"Now. When are you telling your brothers?" Splinter said as he placed a hand on Donatello's shoulder.

"At the Christmas party that April is throwing. She said that she was inviting Jane Goodfellow and her daughter Tanya. They can help me tell my bros."