"You mean she never told you?" Raph shook his head no. "Well, then do I have a story to tell you."
"Really?"
"Yes, you see it all happened three or four years ago after we found her lying in the hospital bed. She looked absolutely terrible. I remember seeing her lying there, as if she was dead. Pale as paper. But when she awoke the first thing she asked for was a torn mask."
Raphael laughed. "That was mine. I gave it to her before the tower fell." He fiddled with the end of his bandana absent mindedly.
"Well, when she heard that you and your brothers were dead she got up from the bed and walked toward the window." She paused. "She yelled at the top of her lungs, 'ARE YOU HAPPY NOW, SHREDDER! YOU GOT WHAT YOU ALWAYS WANTED! THEY'RE DEAD! NOW WHY DON'T YOU COME HERE AND KILL ME AS WELL!' " She twiddled her fingers. "I've never seen her so devastated. And I've never been so confused as to why on earth she would want to be killed. After we returned from the hospital she tried to twice." Raph's face became pale. His wife was a suicidal? That didn't sound like the Dona he knew.
"I... I never... I never knew. Why?"
"After your 'death' she found no reason to continue living. Then about three months after the incident she met Toby. They became best friends. She told Toby everthing. From the day the tower collasped to about trying to end her life. But, Toby began to fall in love with her. She had sworn on the day she returned home from the hospital never to love again. So when she noticed he was falling in love with her, she was scared." Raph was still trying to asborb all this.
"So... what's up wit da flirt?" He was referring to Toby.
"You see after his mother died he had a hard time of letting go things that were important to him. So, don't be mad with him. He really helped your wife."
"I see." There was a pause. A long quiet pause.
"How about joining me in the living room? We can watch some television." Raphael gladly accepted her offer. The silence had been quite awkward for him. They spent hours watching the "Cosby Show". Then Raphael felt a presence. He turned around to she that his wife was standing there.
"D.P.?"
"Hey, Raph." She walked toward them. Then he saw that something was different about her.
"Ya don't look to well, Babe. Ya okay?"
"Yes, are you well?" her mother asked, turning around.
"Yeah, the baby just won't stop moving. I've been up for awhile and I thought that I would join you." Raph helped his wife to the couch.
"Dona, ya should be restin'; not walkin' around."
"Raph, being pregnant doesn't mean that I'm immoble." She sighed as she put her head back on the couch. "I wish that the baby would stop being so active. I'm getting nauseated." She placed a hand on her large belly. "Looks like I'm gonna have to skip on going to the mall tomorrow."
"It's all right, dear." Dona's mom assured her.
"I'm gonna stay here and watch you." Raph insisted, but Dona shook her head.
"No. You should go. My dad gets lonely when my mom goes on these 'trips'. " She laughed till she felt a small pain.
"You all right!"
She simplied smile. "Yeah honey, the baby was just kicking. Calm down." She then started to get up. "I'm going back to bed. And, Raph..."
"Yeah?"
"You're going. Toby will be here to watch me." She then continued to walk toward the room. Raph stared after her.
"Well then. I suppose that means I have no choice." Raph shrugged.
Dona's mother smiled." I guess I should be going to bed as well. Goodnight, Raphael."
"Night, Mrs. P."
"Please. Call me Amy."
"Sure. Night, Amy." He then walked back to his room with his wife.
-
In the morning, Dona was up early to make breakfast. She picked up a few pointers from Mikey since he loves to cook so much. "Dad, can you get Raph and tell him that breakfast is ready?"
"Sure." He walked to his daughter's room and found out that Raph wasn't there. "He's not in the room, Honey!" He yelled.
"Try the bathroom! He loves to take hot showers in the moring!" Thomas laughed as he went to see if Raph was in the shower. As he was coming for the bathroom door he heard someone singing off tune. "That has to be Raphael." he said to himself. He then knocked on the door.
"Yeah! Who is it!" came Raphael's voice.
"Thomas! Your wife is calling you down for breakast!"
"A'right! Tell her I'll be down in a minute!"
Thomas laughed, "Okay!" As he walked down the stairs he saw Dona on her way up.
"What's he doing?"
"Taking a shower." He laughed to himself.
"Let me guess. He's singing isn't he?" She almost laughed herself.
"Yes, he is." They both laughed together as they walked into the kitchen. "So, how's breakfast coming along?"
"Good." Then there was a pause. (A/N: DT: There's a lot of pausing huh? DG: Sometimes people in a fic just need a moment to think of what to say next...ooor the author doesn't know what to put next so they fill it in with a pause! DT: Monica, be quiet.) Then the phone rang.
Dona's father said, "I'll get it, Dona. Hello? Yeah, sure hold on. Dona, it's a guy named 'Donny'. Know him?"
"Of course! He's Raphael's brother!" She rushed over to the telephone. "Donny!"
"Dona!"
"Hey, Don! What's up?
"Not much. I called to see how things were with Raph. Can I speak with him?"
Dona laughed, "He's a little busy at the moment, Donatello."
Donny sighed, "Singing in the shower again isn't he?"
"Yes, he is."
"Well, I was hoping that if it was all right if I stopped by later today?"
"But of course! I'll be home with my friend Toby while Raph, my mom and dad are at the mall."
"Great! I'll be there at three o'clock!"
" 'Kay, Don. See ya!"
"Bye!" Dona then hung up.
"Raphael's brother is coming over later. That is if you don't mind, Dad."
"No. Not at all. I would love to meet the rest of the family!" He said happily.
" 'Kay, now where's da food?"
Dona almost jumped out of her skin, "Raph! Don't scare me like that!"
"Sorry. Can't help it." He pulled a seat next to Thomas and began to eat.
"Good?" Raph nodded in approvement.
"Raph, Don called." Dona told him.
"Weally?" He said with his mouth full, "Wah he waht?"
"Nothing. He's just coming over later and hun... please eat first; then answer."
He swollowed hard, "Sorry, babe. So... Mr. Purr..."
"Please. Friends and family call me Thomas."
"Daddy likes that. It so-called makes him feel younger." Dona laughed. Then Toby walked in. "Slept well?" She said with a sarcastic tone.
"Har har har. Very funny, D." His hair was an absolute mess and he didn't even get out of his p.j.'s. He tiredly slumped his body onto the chair. "So... what's for breakfast?"
-
Dona's parents and her husband started to get ready for their day at the mall. "Call me if anything comes up... 'kay?" Raph then kissed her on the cheek.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine; 'sides Toby will be here to watch me."
"Yeah." He looked over at Toby. "That's what worries me."
She slightly slapped him on the arm, "Raph, please. Behave."
"Yes ma'am." he said, grinning fondly at her. She smirked, and pecked him on the cheek before pushing him out the door after her parents. As Raph headed to the car after Amy and Thomas, he look over his shoulder to gaze uneasilly at Toby. Behind Toby, Dona raised her eyebrows. 'Sorry.' Raph mouthed, smiling at her, and she sighed and walked into the house, Toby following her and closing the door behind him.
Thomas got into the drivers seat, where Amy told Raphael that he could sit in the passenger's seat while she sat in the back. Thomas pulled out of the driveway and soon they were on their way to the mall. On the way, Raph was silent and stared out the window. Thomas gave him a look. "Raphael...everything alright?" Raph jumped at the sudden interuption to his thoughts, and nodded.
"Yeah...sure...I'm fine." Raph stuttered, and Thomas raised an eyebrow.
"Sure about that?" Thomas urged, and Raph sighed.
"I'm just worried about Dona, that's all." he admitted, and Amy smiled.
"Oh, Raphael, Dona will be just fine." she assured him, and he sighed.
"But what if she goes into labor and I'm not there for her? She IS into her ninth month."
"Raphael, if she goes into labor Toby will be there to help her until we can get there. Don't worry. She'll be fine." Amy told him, and he nodded, and smiling a little.
"Alright...if you say so, Amy." Amy smiled and winked.
"I do say so." she said, and he shook his head, grinning. Soon, they arrived at the mall, and were now walking inside it. Raphael stared at Thomas as the man babbled on about all of the stores they should go to and how he was going to spoil Raphael like there was no tomorrow.
"Um...Thomas...breath much?" Raph asked, slightly humored. Thomas stopped babbling, smiling. Raph was partly relieved; he really didn't need anything, and all this talk about being spoiled was starting to make him feel guilty. Thomas stopped ubruptly and dragged Raphael into a fishing shop, Amy laughing at them and following. "Thomas, I really don't-ah!-need all of this!" Raph moaned, straining under the weight of all the stuff Thomas was insisting they buy for Raph.
"Nonsense, son!" Thomas said merrilly, and Raph groaned as Thomas piled more object onto the already large pile.
"Thomas, really! I don't need all of this...ACK!" he stumbled and almost dropped everything as Thomas hurriedly pulled him to the counter. Thomas took out a credit cart and told Raph to put everything on the counter. Raph did so, and sighed. "Amy, Thomas has gone mad. I don't need all of this!" Raph begged for Amy to understand, and Amy chuckled.
"Raphael, just go along with it. He's only expressing how much he appreciates you joining the family." Amy told him, and Raph sighed. He shrugged, and yelped as Thomas yanked him out of the fishing shop and into another one, this time the movie store.
"Thomas, really. Don't spend a thousand dollars on me, please!" Raph said, and Thomas grinned. "Already spent two hundred in the fishing shop, might as well go up eh?"
"Two hundred!" Raph exclaimed, but his only answer was Amy's laughing and Thomas babbling on about what movies they should get. They walked out of the store, Thomas now carrying five movies inside the bag he had used for the fishing stuff. Raph smiled. "Thomas...are you sure you don't mind spending this much money? I don't need all this stuff, you know."
"Raphael, for the last time, I WANT to give you this stuff, okay?" thomas said, smiling, and Raph smiling as well.
"Well, that's really nice of yah, Thomas."
"Don't even mention it."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back at the house, Dona and Toby were sitting on the couch watching some TV show they'd never seen before. It was really funny and they were laughing hysterically. Then, the doorbell rang. "That must be Don!" Dona exclaimed, and jumped up to run to the door. She opened door and grinned. "Donny!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly and making him stumble.
"Geez Dona! Careful with that stomache of yours! And you've only been gone two days, ya missed me already?" Don laughed, and Dona scowled playfully. Toby got up to stand behind Dona.
"Oh um...Don this is my friend, Toby. Toby, this is my brother-in-law, Donettello." Toby nodded and shook Don's hand, trying not to make Dona mad by acting like he had around Raphael. Dona smiled at Toby, signalling a thanks. Toby winked at her, and Dona rolled her eyes. "Toby, you're done with that, remember?" she hisssed, and Toby shrugged. Don looked from one to the other, eying Toby suspiciously. Dona grumbled and said," Please come in Donny."
"Oh wait Dona! I have a present for ya!" Don said cheerfully, and she smiled.
"Aww, Donny! You're so nice." she said, hugging him, and he blushed.
"Least I could do, Dona. Now come on! It's in the Battle Shell!" Don took Dona's arm and led her out to the Battle Shell, and opened the back doors. He reached inside and took something out, and set it on the ground.
It was a crib. A plain white, but very pretty crib. "I didn't paint it, we don't really know if it's going to be a girl or a boy." Don said, and Dona hugged him tightly again.
"Thanks Donny! It's great! Oooooh, you're the best!" she squealed and Don laughed.
"Easy Dona, easy! Where's Raph?" Dona let go of him and smiled. "He and my parents went to the mall to go shopping for stuff...my dad's probably spoiling him right now."
Don grinned. "Raph hates being spoiled. Says it makes him feel guilty." Dona shrugged, and told Donny to come inside.