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.
A/N: All I have to say about Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael. About freaking time!
XXX
Donatello was sitting on the couch a few days later. His brothers were out on their last patrol of the night and Tanya was sitting between him and Splinter. She had come over after work to bring him and Splinter each a sushi tray. She was eating from a bag of popcorn as they watched the TV together. Donatello had already finished his tray; the twins seemed to just suck the food right out of him, leaving him almost always hungry. Tanya had laughed when he told her this. He now no longer wore a belt around his waist. His belly kept on expanding and just felt too tight to wear anymore.
He cast a glance at Tanya. She was intently watching the program on the TV. Donatello wasn't interested in the show. Many thoughts and plans were running through his mind. He dismissed them almost as soon as they came. He dealed in electronics and physics, not emotional ideas. He was a hardened scientist that had a past prejudice against humans. April had been the first human he had known and it still took him awhile to trust her. There had been a few others that showed him that the mammals were almost like him and he like them. He didn't realize he was staring at Tanya when she suddenly turned her head and met his eyes. Donatello's eyes widened when she smiled. Unexpectedly, he also felt something slip into his left hand and tighten. Donatello's eyes dropped down to see Tanya's mocha colored hand in his own. The smoother skin was in struck contrast against his pebbly green skin. He raised his eyes back to her's. She frowned then started to pull away. Automatically Donatello tightened his hand, keeping hers from escaping.
On the other side of Tanya, Splinter noticed this and hid his smile.
They continued to hold hands until the other turtles came in. They came in noisily with both Raphael and Leonardo discussing something while Michelangelo was just chattering nonstop. Michelangelo slid four pizzas onto the old coffee table. He smiled at Tanya, "Hey there dudette. How's it hanging?"
"Totally rad dude," Tanya said with a straight face, while Donatello shook his head and rolled his eyes while smiling.
Donatello looked over at his other two bros. "How was the patrol?"
Leonardo looked over at this purple wearing brother, "Rather quiet actually. Only two muggings, and even they were by petty punks." He nodded at Tanya. "Hello Tanya."
"Hey."
"So Tanya, you staying for a late night pizza?" Raphael asked as he flopped down at the coffee table and flipped open one of the cardboard lids.
Tanya looked down at her watch. "Love to but can't. It's getting late and I have to be at work tomorrow." She gave Donatello's hand one last squeeze.
Raphael had lifted a slice of pepperoni and cream cheese pizza out of the box, when he noticed this. He lowered the slice and watched them intently. A smirk grew on his face as Tanya stood up and pulled on her coat and a very familiar fedora.
"I'll be too busy tomorrow, so I won't be able to swing by. But either way, I'll call you later. And remember you have an appointment this Saturday. The zoo will be closed. See you later Donatello. Bye guys."
"Bye Tanya," They chorused.
"Bye Tanya," Donatello waved to her.
She waved back and disappeared out the door.
"Aww look at him," Raphael said, as soon as she shut the door.
"What do you mean, Raphael?" Leonardo said, looking over at Raphael, then Donatello
"Yeah, what do you mean?" Donatello said.
"You tell me." Raphael said as he stood up and crossed his arms.
Michelangelo leaned over the couch, "He's in love."
Leonardo and Raphael looked at Michelangelo and said "Obviously."
"Oh please, give me a break, I'm not in love." Donatello said.
" Yes, you are." all three of his brothers said, in unison.
"Then why are you blushing?" Mikey asked.
"I'm not." Donatello said.
"Yes, you are." Replied all three of his brother, yet again at the same time.
Raphael leaned against the wall by the TV, and began to count on his fingers, "You hang with her quite a bit, and when you ain't doing that you're talking to her. Then when its not that it's 'Tanya says this' and 'Tanya says that'. Plus we did catch you holding her hand just now. And you gave her your old fedora. The one you wouldn't even let us borrow."
Donatello struggled to get up. Once he did he crossed his arms and gave them all a sour look, "Ok, one, she's that's being nice and not judging me because I'm pregnant and because I'm male. Two, she's one of my doctors and true it may be 'Tanya says this' and 'Tanya says that' but it's also 'Jane says this' and 'Jane says that'. And the reason I didn't let any of you borrow the hat is because for some reason you three are always losing yours." Donatello said as he looked around at his smirking brothers.
"Well, what about you holding her hand?" Leonardo said gently.
"Yeah bro, how could you not at least have a crush on her? Dude, she's hot!" Michelangelo said.
Leonardo shook his head. "All right guys. That's enough. If Donatello doesn't have a crush on Tanya then he doesn't."
"Thank you Leonardo," Donatello said as he turned and walked into his lab.
"Why'd you call it off, Leonardo? He was beginning to crack." Raphael said as he flopped down onto the couch.
"Well remember we need to be more supportive." Leonardo said as he joined his brother.
"What was that called then?" Michelangelo said as he headed to the kitchen.
"That was called teasing."
"Hey bro, that's what we do." Raphael said, turning to his brother. "Yeah, you were doing it too," he added.
"I know, I know. But remember what Tanya said, 'He's happy about the twins.' She's right. I've seen it. I know you all have too."
"Yeah, I've seen the way he's rubbed his stomach. Plus I have to admit that it'll be totally rad to be an uncle and have baby turtles running around." Michelangelo said as he came out of the kitchen with leftover pizza.
It was then that Splinter decided to come out of the shadows he was hiding in. He had been listening and was now glad his students were on their way to becoming brothers again. "I'm proud of you my students."
The three turtles jumped up when the old human now rat came in. "How so Master Splinter?" Leonardo asked.
"Ninjitsu teaches one to fight, to defend, helps guide one on the path of honor. But that is a code that one can live by. Life however is a different code and if one does not balance both, one can stray from both paths. There is a point of life where both paths can blend into one. The three are back on that path. Your treatment of your brother had you starting down the path of the common life. Joining back together as brothers puts you back on the path. Your brother Donatello now has several paths. He is both ninja and scientist. Soon he will be a parent. Mother and father to the two lives he is carrying. His path will always be rockier now. Some must travel this alone and can make it, but your brother doesn't have to if he has his family to help." Splinter fell silent after his little speech.
Leonardo looked at his brothers then back to Splinter. "We understand."
"Do you?"
"Yes. We were wandering off the paths that had been laid out. By accepting what has happened we are back on the paths. Donatello will always have a difficult path because he is both a ninja and a scientist and will have the babies." Leonardo said.
"Good. Take this all to your heart and learn from it. Now, what are you going to do about it?" He asked as he looked around at the turtles.
They all thought for a moment until Michelangelo spoke up. "I know. We can start by…."
XXX
Donatello came out of his lab. He was wearing the same getup from the day that he had spent with Tanya. He was taking the Turtle Van and normally wouldn't wear any human clothes but lastly it had been colder so he wore the sweatshirt and pants and the trench coat. He had given Tanya the fedora he had worn but it wasn't like he didn't have more so he wore another hat. As he walked to where the Turtle Van was he was surprised to see his three brothers hanging around the Van.
"Guys, what are you doing here?" He asked.
Leonardo smiled, "We're coming with you."
Donatello blinked, "Why?"
"Because bro, we've been jerks lately and not there for you." Raphael said from the driver's seat. He was half hanging out.
Michelangelo came up and put an arm around him, "But you are now dude." He guided his brother to the van and climbed in, Leonardo following. Raphael started the Van and drove it out of the tunnel that it was parked in.
"So guys, why the change of heart?" Donatello asked.
"Let's just say our eyes were opened." Leonardo said.
Donatello looked at them funny but dropped it. The next few minutes were awkward but soon they all started to become comfortable. The drive to the zoo wasn't long so there wasn't any real conversation. They drove around back where Jane had told Donatello to go to minimize the chances of being spotted.
Tanya was waiting for them. She smiled at Donatello, and if she was surprised at the sight of his brothers she didn't show it. "Come on. It's warmer inside. Mom is just setting up the ultrasound machine." She waved them in. Donatello followed her as his brothers followed him.
They walked into the largest exam room. Jane had just finished laying out a series of interments. She looked up and unlike Tanya she didn't hide her surprise at the sight of all four turtles. "Hello Donatello. I didn't realize you had brought the whole troop."
"Heh, they kinda followed me." Donatello said as he walked forward and jumped up onto the table.
"Yeah, he was wondering if he could keep us." Raphael said from beside Tanya.
Tanya just rolled her eyes and pulled some gloves on, "Cute Raphael." She said as she picked up picked up a needle. "Donatello, I'm going to take a blood sample. We are going to see if you aren't building up any hidden toxins."
Donatello nodded and held out his right arm, and moved the pad so she could. He had long ago got used to the blood drawing, having even done blood tests on himself.
All three of the brothers were left to standing and watching the proceeds with big eyes. Donatello ended up watching them and having to keep his snickers to himself as he laid back. He had a slight superior feeling. As Jane ran the ultrasound probe over Donatello's bulging plastron an image showed up on the screen of the machine. "There they are." Jane said as she pointed to the image.
All the turtles leaned forward. "That's the babies?" Michelangelo asked, pointing at the screen.
"Yep. See here," she pointed to the image again, "There's the feet... and the hands. It's rather hard to still see clearly. In fact we won't see the babies clearly until they're born. But we still can see some things like…Oh, see that…that arch? Looks like they are forming a shell. It'll still be very soft right now, and when they are born."
"Hey, you keep saying 'they'. I only see one." Raphael said.
"That's because we are looking at the twins from the side and thicker plastron. If we do this…" Tanya gently poked the side that the probe was on, "this twin will move and we'll see the other." When Tanya had poked Donatello, the image on the screen shifted as the twin moved around and another faint image came up. It was the other twin. Donatello had given a slight groan when she had poked his side and made the baby move.
Donatello turned his brown eyes to Tanya, "Can I hear them again?" He asked.
Tanya smiled down at him, then reached over to the ultrasound machine and turned it up, then pushed another button. "Listen to this. That's the heartbeats."
Leonardo frowned slightly, "That's very fast. Is that good?" He asked.
Jane laughed softly, "Perfectly normal. In fact, everything's perfectly normal." Jane turned the machine off as Tanya helped Donatello wipe the cold gel off of this sides and plastron. "Ok Donatello. They're perfect. There looks to be no damages to the twins from the toxins. The only problem I foresee is that they have moved up to the front of your intestines. But they aren't putting any pressure on your innards. They will be small at birth. But what worries me is how I'm going to have to go in to get them. I want to try to refrain from cutting into your plastron. It'll take…"
"The longest to heal. I know. You saw they are going to be small…which side are they on the most? It feels to me that they are evenly spaced but they have to be leaning to one side the most." Donatello said as he looked thought-full.
"It seems that though they were injected in each side, they are favoring the right side the most." Jane said.
"So, go in that way. They are right beside each other, yes? Then go in that way." Donatello said as he poked his own side.
"We may have to. But we'll decide what to do when you are a week to the due date." Jane said.
Tanya had disappeared with the ultrasound machine. She had now returned and handed a paper to her mother.
"And when is Donatello due?" Michelangelo asked.
"We had estimated he would carry for six mouths, but it could be as long as seven. There is no way to be sure. Towards the end of next month you all will have to help keep an eye on him. He is nearing the end of his fourth month, so there is only two to three months left." Jane now turned to Donatello. "When Sir implanted the twins in you he had been giving you dosages of female hormones, then some more. Your body had then begun to produce some of the hormones, then for some reason it stopped and you almost lost them. We then boosted the hormones again and now your body is producing estrogen and progesterone. So for now, no more of the Rhogam. But we will watch it closely."
Donatello nodded and slid off the table. "Thank you Jane."
"Very welcome." She then nodded to the turtles and walked out of the room, all the turtles following her. At the door Tanya slipped a large manila envelope in his hands. "I want you and your brothers and Splinter to come over to our apartment next week. And don't open this until you get home."
"Thanks Tanya." He smiled. He looked at her with a cute shy expression of his.
"Welcome. Now go on." She smiled and waved to his brothers waiting in the Van, then turned and went back inside.
Donatello climbed awkwardly into the Van and before his brothers could say anything; he turned his brown eyes on them. "Not one remark, agreed?"
"What? I wasn't going to say anything. Right bros?" Raphael said as he braided his hands.
"Not me." Michelangelo said.
"Not me." Leonardo agreed.
Donatello continued to stare at his brothers before he turned away, not noticing the others beginning to grin. But as for them coming to his appointment with him, the trio had been amazed at being able to see the babies finally, see them move, and hear their heartbeats. Donatello hoped that having them see his babies would really make them want to have the babies around even more.