A/N: GAIS! We be done! Bahaha! :,D At last, I made it. Though I am going to write an epilogue for this story and eventually a sequel, this fic essentially wrapped up. Hopefully, I did a good enough job and did it accurately e-e. Can't tell you how difficult this chapter was to write. So, I'm praying that my wonderful readers enjoy it. READ AND REVIEW OF COURSE. Hope you like it!
NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.
"I'm feeling pretty lousy, I'm scared as all hell. But, Donnie's here. So I'm okay."
"Yep! I got your back, Shiho. Now, let's just get you relaxed before you next contraction."
Shiho's labor was progressing faster than Donnie was able to keep up with. But he was at least prepared. Even so, he was still hoping that Leo would show up before she sped up and went off the deep end and became completely dilated. Every minute was crucial at this point.
Leo just couldn't miss this.
Adrenaline had a funny way of stifling panic and terror, or at least keep it at bay. Leo couldn't even feel the needles of pain that stung into the bottom of his feet as he raced home faster than he had in a long time. Raphael trailed right behind him, not letting himself fall too far behind because he was the one carrying Linda. Without her, Shiho had little hope of staying calm even if she had Donnie there to coach her through the motions. Neither of them paid attention to how quickly the minutes ticked by until they had at last come to the entrance of the lair. Linda was right, they moved fast.
Leonardo had to brace his knees with his palms for a moment to catch his breath. True to nature, that adrenaline masked the fiery burn in his lungs and the tight dryness in his throat. Now it was catching up with him all at the once. But he made it. He hadn't received another call from Donnie which meant that Shiho at least wasn't pushing yet. Soon, though, the gravity of their situation crushed down on his shoulders and chest as he realized that this was it. Shiho was in there right now, about to make him a father. Suddenly he felt dizzy and swallowed thickly as he was joined at his side by Raphael after Linda had been set down.
"Ya ready, man?" He asked, placing a firm hand on his brother's shoulder. Linda gathered herself and thoughts as she pushed up the sleeves of her shirt. Leo closed his eyes and gulped once again before making the door open. Linda was the first to dash inside and up the stairs; her medical bag was clenched tightly in her grip as she ran to the bedroom.
"Yeah. This is going to happen whether I'm ready or not, anyway…" Leo muttered as he stepped inside. Gathered around the television sat Fiona, Saundra, Casey, and Mikey who nervously bounced Aanika on his knee. All at once, every set of eyes in the room were on Leo as Raph pressed his hand once again to his brother's shoulder for reassurance. Out of Mikey's lap Aanika bounded towards Leo and launched herself into his arms.
She squealed. "Daddy's home!"
With a smile, Leo's strong arms came around the youngling fox and embraced her against him. His beak nuzzled into the soft brown curls of her hair and kissed the side of her head.
"Yeah, I'm home. Guys, where's Shiho?" He said, his large hand running through Aanika's hair while she clung to him with her arms around his neck. Leo cradled his arm under her backside when her head came to rest on his shoulder and her face nuzzled into Shiho's favorite spot against his neck. Wordlessly, Casey pointed up the stairs towards their bedroom. Already, he could hear faint cries of discomfort coming from behind their door as he guessed his mate was experiencing another contraction.
"Alright, Sweetie. Stay down here with Uncle Mikey, I need to go see Mama," Setting the little one back down and kissing the top of her head, Leo coaxed a smile out of her. "That's my girl. Now behave."
"Let's go, Shortstack," Raphael gently grasped Aanika's tiny hand in his own and led her away to the rest of their family to keep her occupied. Leo took his chance and made the dash up the stairs and nearly tripped over every other step. It felt like the hallway was a mile long as he ran towards the room that he and Shiho shared and flung himself through the door when he at last reached it. Linda was already inside and talking with Donatello. But there she was, his golden girl sitting up in bed looking absolutely beautiful despite the redness in her cheeks and her disheveled hair.
"Leo!" She cried when she laid her eyes on him. Joy flooded her veins and brightened her eyes when he came over to sit and envelope her in his arms. "Oh thank goodness. I'm so happy to see you…"
"Told you I'd make it," Leo chuckled, gently captured her fragile chin between his fingers to tilt her face up. Shiho's eyelashes fluttered as her eyes came to a close when he leaned in and kissed her sweetly. "Sorry I'm late."
"Well, not too late. But, she's getting close Leo. She's dilating. Fast," Donatello informed his brother once he let go of his vixen to move up behind her in bed. Shiho settled between his legs and leaned into his plastron, comfortable at last.
"Where's she at, Donnie?" Leo said, rubbing his hands against his mate's arms.
"Just over eight centimeters now. I expect in the next hour or so, she'll be ready to push."
Shiho groaned inwardly when Donnie finished and dropped her head back against Leo's shoulder, a look of disdain plastered on her beautiful face. He knew she was in pain. He also knew there wasn't a damn thing that he could do. A small pang of guilt kicked him in the gut as the typical thought entered his mind. I did this to her. She's in pain because of me.
"So, what do we do, Linda?" Leo said, shaking himself free of his thoughts. The redhead chuckled and stood beside her cousin, arms folded. April was anxiously chewing the nail of her thumb as she and Shiho silently communicated with each other.
"Nothing left to do but wait, honestly. Her body will do the work, we just have to be patient. I'll check her again soon but you need to just sit with her. The contractions are bigger and longer now and she's going to need you."
Leo nodded his head a few times and leaned his chin into Shiho's shoulder and rested his cheek with hers. The soft skin was slightly moist from the perspiration she'd worked herself into from her battle with the contractions. Even the soft fur on her ears was damp, he knew it'd only get worse when she started pushing. But Leo couldn't wait, he was just barely able to keep the lid on his overzealous excitement. His dream of having a family was just hours away.
"I'll be right here. Don't you worry, Shiho," he whispered into the soft tufts of white fur in her ear. Shiho was able to put on a small smile when his hands came forward to hold her round belly, trying to feel the little lives through the fabric of her nightgown and the confines of the womb. He wanted to see them more than anything in this world, to hold them, and tell them how much he loved them. When Shiho's nails dug into the muscles of his thighs, Leo came back from his cloud. She was contracting and clenching her teeth tightly together to suppress whatever screams she would have made.
"Okay, give me your hands, Sweetheart," Leo husked into her ear, grasping her fragile hands for her to grip his fingers. The crushing pain of Shiho's constricting digits was enough to make him focus. "Good job. Breathe now…almost done…"
Linda and April both mirrored each other by nervously biting their lips as they watched and listened to Shiho's shallow and labored breathing. They were all cut off from the view of her eyes when she squeezed them shut and gripped Leonardo's hands just a little tighter. She was unsuccessful in containing a small groan and a hiss as she squirmed uncomfortably. Donnie stood beside the O'Neil cousins and muttered amongst them about what was going to happen next.
"Oh God this is a long one…Ahh…" Shiho chewed her lip and inhaled deeply.
"Atta girl, you're almost there and doing great," Leo's whispers continued until the tension in her body pulled away and her hands released his from their grip. He took his palm and smoothed back her hair and kissed her temple, letting her relax against his plastron once again.
"Lindaaa make this go by faster!" Shiho whined with her eyes closed. Linda went into her bag and pulled out a small bottle of clear fluid and gave it a little shake. She approached the fox and knelt at her bedside holding the bottle between her thumb and index finger. Tall ears opened to full bloom as she curiously loomed forward to look at the bottle in Linda's possession. "What's that?"
"Pitocin. It's what I give my patient's to make their labor progress faster. Usually, I only give this to the women who've just been checked into the hospital so they aren't sitting there for sixteen hours."
Shiho winced. She was only at this for two hours, and couldn't imagine what those poor women were feeling, being in labor for that long. But she felt there was more to Linda's explanation.
"But, I only give this when they're about two or three centimeters dilated. You're almost there. I can give this to you now and see if it speeds things along. But there's always the risk of something going wrong. I don't know how this medicine will affect you. It's up to you, Honey."
Again the fox chewed her lip as she lulled over the decision. One the one hand, she could have this labor done and over. But on other, there was the possibility of her body reacting violently to the Pitocin. Her and Leo exchanged a long glance and silently debated the option in Linda's hand.
"…No. I can't risk anything happening to them…" Linda nodded with a smile and tucked the medicine away and returned it to her bag. April winked at her best friend as a sign that she was proud of her. April knew more than anyone what these babies meant to Shiho and Leo, taking a risk like that would do nothing but destroy them if it the situation took a bad turn.
"How do you think it's goin'? Sit still Shortstack," Raph muttered as Aanika anxiously climbed all over him to find something to do. Casey wrapped tape around the end of one of his hockey sticks and just shrugged. He knew that if any of them tried to get into that bedroom, Shiho would rip their limbs off.
"Dunno, man. Just gotta stay out of their way until it's over. That means you, little girl," The vigilante pointed at the smaller fox, making her giggle and wiggle her ears. The two hybrid sisters sat huddled together on one of the loveseats with their hands tightly clasped together. The group all looked up at the sound of Splinter closing the sliding door of his room as he emerged. Remarkably, they all felt a strange sense of relief at the sight of him.
"Stay calm. We must all keep our energies as tranquil as we possibly can. I suggest we all meditate now and concentrate on a safe arrival of the little ones."
Mikey was the first to groan quite audibly at the idea of meditating. His outburst earned him a sharp glare from his sensei and caused him to sit up straight and chuckle nervously. Every member of the family, including Casey and Aanika, sat in a circle on the floor to relax and shut their eyes. Splinter sighed heavily and they began their group vigil of meditation, sending as much positive energy as they could muster into the air in the hopes of Shiho feeling their support.
"Ah! Linda! Linda! It's bad. It's bad! Please tell me I'm ready!" Shiho cried after another agonizing hour of labor and contractions. Her thighs grew weary and began to tremble and ache, her energy not far behind in depleting itself. Leo did what he could and never left the bed, staying right behind her and letting her squeeze his hands as hard as she needed to. April and Donnie paced nervously after they'd set out a few sterilized forcep scissors and set the stack of towels that Donnie had folded onto a small, portable table to Linda's left.
Linda lifted the sheets and parted Shiho's weak legs to see how far along they were now. Shiho panted and collapsed back against Leonardo's plastron in exhaustion as Linda felt around. Leo's eye ridge furrowed in worry and guilt at his mate's enormous discomfort, he only wished he could take the pain away. Linda clicked her tongue and withdrew her hand and motioned for Donnie to move the tall lamp closer and maneuver the light between Shiho's legs.
"Alright, Honey. I hope you're ready because you're dilated. Actually, you're more than dilated, feels like we have eleven centimeters to work with. Donnie? Tell one of your brothers to go get me a large bowl of warm water, now!" Donnie flinched before sprinting outside to do what Linda ordered.
In his chest, Leo's heart raced in a turbulent mixture of fear and excitement. It was time. It was finally time. Linda had waited for Donnie to return with a sloshing bowl of warm water and set it down on the other table to Linda's right. Shiho slipped down a little lower and set her trembling hands into Leo's palms and took as many deep breaths as she could.
"Okay, now, April and Donnie; I need you two to hold her legs under her knees and pull them open and back. Shiho when you push, I want your chin down to your chest and hold your breath and push for ten seconds. We're going to push on your next contraction. Okay?"
Wide eyed and terrified, Shiho nodded and swallowed to wet her dry throat. Leo whispered words of love and encouragement into his mate's ear in his attempt to calm her down so she could focus on the task at hand. When her eyes squeezed shut and her chin came down to her chest, Leo braced himself for the crushing pressure on his hands. Linda pulled the light down for a better view and situated herself on the stool she'd been sitting on.
"Okay! Now, push Shiho…atta girl…push, push, push…" Linda chanted as Shiho counted in her head.
5…6…7…Oh God!...9…10…She gasped and released her muscles. It took every ounce of restraint to not scream her lungs out, she'd never felt such an enormous and intense pain in her life. She felt it all, the baby's head stretching her more than she'd ever been and her muscles contracting all at once to push it out. Behind her and to her sides, her family cheered the fox on to keep going. So push she did, Shiho pushed with all of her might.
"Awesome job, Shiho. Beautiful push, gimme another one just like that, come on. Don't give up!" Linda urged the tired fox. Chin to chest, Shiho pushed again and mentally counted. She swore she was being split in two as the pressure of the baby's head was more than she could handle.
"OW! Fuck, I can't do it! Leo…Leo, I can't do thi-"
"Yes you can. Come on, Baby. You're almost there, we can't have this family if you don't keep going. Now push, Babe, push…" He said right into her ear, chanting "push" slowly, over and over. Shiho gave it another go and sucked in a large breath before bearing down and forcing her muscles to push. Linda moved her hand to grab the blue suction tool as she started to see some progress.
"No! Oh God, no! Ah…AH!"
"Shiho I can see the top of her head, come on, Honey you can do this. Do not stop pushing. Just go, go, go!" Linda ordered. Shiho's efforts to keep her cries at bay were futile as she gave in and just let it out. Donnie couldn't imagine the agony she was in and supportively rubbed her thigh as he held it open with his other hand. "Get ready folks, she's crowning."
Downstairs, her family was growing more anxious by the minute with each scream she made. Fiona fidgeted nervously and Saundra started to grind her teeth together. Both sisters were tuned in to Shiho's pain and couldn't stand to sit by idly while she suffered. They were reprimanded by a dissatisfied grunt from Splinter and did their best to sit still while in his lap, Aanika whimpered. Splinter held his warm paws over her ears to muffle the sounds of her mother's screaming. He lifted one paw to whisper to her.
"Do not fear, little one. Your mother cries only from a temporary pain, this will not last forever."
His voice did much to ease the trembling of the young fox as she broke her focus and turned in his lap to bury her face into his furry chest. Splinter softened and brought his arms around his grandchild, rubbing her back to soothe her whimpers. Though he seethed a calm energy, the old rat was chomping at the bit to find out the condition of his daughter. He couldn't handle much more of the waiting but had to stay composed for the sake of everyone else. If Splinter broke, chaos would ensue among the family.
"Almost there, Shiho, her head is almost out. Just give me one more push and you can relax for a minute," Linda said, turning and maneuvering the emerging head of what she gathered was the fox child. The top of her head was dressed in dark hair but broken by two small ears that were pressed flat against her scalp. Shiho's chest heaved with thick breaths as she dug her fingernails into Leo's hands and clenched her teeth for another push.
"Good, good, good! Come on, don't stop. Almost…almost! Lots of hair on this one," Audibly, Shiho gasped when she felt a strange relieve in pressure and took a moment to steady herself. Between her legs, she could hear the wet sounds of Linda suctioning fluid out of the infant's nose and mouth. "Great job, Shiho. We're almost there- Oh my!"
Linda was interrupted when she finished cleaning the airways and the baby broke into a loud gurgle and then a scream. The sound pierced Leo through the heart, a feeling that he'd never felt before. Both Donnie and April looked down and burst into an excited frenzy.
"Oh my God, Shiho! You're almost there! I can see her, I can see her!" April giggled. Shiho looked dumbfounded as she found the strength once again.
"Yup! Okay, girl, small pushes now. I need to get the shoulders out, and it's tricky. You could tear if you push too hard, understand? Small pushes."
Shiho gave Linda a look, too breathless to tell her that she was nuts. Leo did everything in his power to keep it together as his mate focused on small pushes. The pressure and urge to just launch the baby out was intoxicating and overwhelming, especially when the shoulders began to pass through. Shiho suddenly arched her back and let her muscles release at the sudden wave of incomprehensible pain. The ninja felt his finger joints popping under the crushing grip Shiho had suddenly taken on and pursed his lips together.
"Easy…easy…good girl, Shiho. Alright, shoulders are out now give me a nice big push and we'll have a baby," Linda didn't have to tell her twice. Shiho focused intensely and practically shot the baby out from within her. All at once, the suffocating pressure disappeared and Shiho fell back against Leo's plastron as Linda held up the wet newborn for all to see. Just like they'd seen on the sonogram, there was her tail. Not even close to fluffy like her mother's, but slick and narrow.
Braced with the sudden cold, the baby screamed ad put her new lungs to good use. Shiho panted through broken sobs when Linda placed the wriggling infant on her chest and toweled her down to wipe her clean. After severing the umbilical chord, Linda let the infant lie on her mother's chest for a few more moments before handing her away to Donnie to finish cleaning her small body. Shiho's bright eyes followed her newborn everywhere she went, her ears open wide at the sounds of her intense crying.
Leo couldn't believe the power that his mate possessed. Right before his eyes he watched this beautiful, strong woman give him the ultimate gift. A gift so special and precious that no one else other than Shiho retained the ability to replicate; a family. His eyes, like the fox's, stayed glued to his newborn as he, too, fought for breath. The moisture in his eyes was unmistakable as it trickled down his cheeks and soaked his mask. Shiho was a blubbering mess as she reached her arms out for the new baby that Donatello had finished bundling up.
The genius took a moment to look at her tiny face; wrinkly and a little strange but beautiful all the same. He could make something this beautiful, too. Now that he knew it was possible. But he all but lost his breath when the infant opened her eyes and greeted him with the same intense, violet glow that her mother had.
"Donnie, give her the baby, you dope!" April hissed when she noticed he was taking too long. Donnie snapped his head up and noticed Shiho's beckoning arms and smiled nervously before gently settling her where she belonged. Linda stayed focused on cleaning Shiho up before the next one came and giving her a once over to check for tears.
"There you go…she's gorgeous, sis. Great job…" Donnie's voice was quiet in his awe as he set the distressed infant in Shiho's arms. Once there and against her mother's body, her cries subdued and turned into quiet whimpers. The turtle and cousins gave the mated pair some room to breath and stepped back as they relished in their glow. Donnie had never seen his brother look so…so happy. Purely happy.
"There she is…" Leo whispered, resting his chin on his mate's shoulder and looking down at the settled infant. Shiho's palm cupped the back of her small head and ran her thumb over the tiny ears that she'd inherited. She loved her already.
"Oh Leo…all of that trouble we went through, it was worth it," Shiho managed to speak through her barely contained sobs. The vixen leaned down to press a soft kiss against her child's warm forehead and nuzzled against her. All that was left now was to get the second baby out and they'd be complete.
Leo didn't bother wiping his face; he knew he'd just cry more when the second baby came. Instead, he kept his eyes on what he and Shiho made with the biggest smile he'd ever worn. His palm cradled her little head and sent a wave of warmth throughout his body. Now that he was seeing her, hearing her, touching her…it was real. He only wondered what his brothers and sisters were thinking downstairs, he was sure that they had heard the newborn's echoing cries.
"Donnie, take her please. And bring her to Splinter, number two is coming," Shiho grunted and trembled as her brother quickly withdrew his niece from Shiho's arms. Linda was fast on her stool as he made a careful dash outside to do as his sister asked.
"Guys, look! We've got one! It's a girl!" He called, breaking everyone's focus and turning their heads towards the stairs that he was descending. Splinter's eyes softened when they landed on the small bundle in his son's arms. Both hybrid sisters were in an instant fit of tears and on their feet to greet Donnie on his way over. They both got a look of her little face and simultaneously "aww'd" at the sight. His brothers and Casey hesitantly moved forward to get their first look, too.
All three of them cleared their throats in an attempt to not cry. Splinter chuckled at their bravado and moved to sit in his comfortable chair and held out his arms. Donnie followed Shiho's request and let their master be the first of the family to hold his grandchild. Aanika inquisitively leaned over the arm of the recliner to get a look at her new sister before being lifted up by Mikey. The whiskers on Splinter's muzzle twitched as he gazed upon the fresh face of their new arrival. He was silent as he caressed the back of her head with his supporting hand and let a smile form along his muzzle.
"Welcome, little one. Welcome to our family. We have been waiting for you for quite some time," He said in a low voice.
"Does she have a name yet?" Fiona piped, clinging to Donnie's arm and excitedly looking on to the new addition.
"Not yet, Shiho is starting on Baby Two right now, I think she and Leo will do that after."
"Say hello to your little sister, Dudette. Isn't she pretty?" Mikey said, holding Aanika to his plastron. The little fox didn't know what to think just yet, up until now, she was Leo and Shiho's only concern. Now, she had to share their love and attention and she wasn't sure if she liked it. But, she nodded anyway.
"Yeah…she's pretty…can I see Mama now?" Her light voice chirped as Donnie made his way back up the stairs and chuckled.
"Not yet, Sweetie. You will soon, though."
"DONNIE!" Shiho's screeching voice tore through the lair and he raced back up the stairs and sprinted back into the bedroom. There, Linda was already back in position and April had one leg held back.
"Oh, jeez. I'm sorry! I'm coming, sis!" The turtle scrambled his feet and was quickly at his sister's side and held her leg in place. Shiho's cheeks puffed out a few times with some quick breaths as she readied herself for Round Two. This time, she was more nervous than before. This was the child she'd seen on the ultrasound with a carapace just like Leo's. She wondered if this was going to be more difficult.
"Alright, Shiho, just like before. Chin to chest and all of your strength into your bottom. Baby's head is a little high up so you'll have to push a little more and a little harder, okay?"
"Fuck me!" Shiho groaned. Linda laughed.
"That's what got you into this situation. Now, push, Shiho."
Shiho didn't find Linda's joke very funny and growled a bit before launching herself into another hard push. Again, the numbers counted in her head and her muscles bore down on the infant inside her. Leo continued his encouraging chants in her ear and Donnie and April kept their gazes locked between her legs. If she weren't giving birth, Shiho would be throwing the biggest fit over all the attention her crotch was getting. This process was exhausting and embarrassing.
"Woah, it's coming down fast, Shiho ease up a little. Shiho! Shiho stop!" Linda pleaded.
"I can't! I gotta push, let me push. AH! Let me push, please, let me push," Shiho begged when she was told to stop. Leo pressed kisses to her neck and the sides of her face to ease her cries. The bone crushing pressure of his mate squeezing his hand was intense when she was holding back.
"Shit, hang on, Sweetie. I know, I know it hurts. But just hold on while I make a small cut. This baby's head is just a little bigger and isn't going to pass. This is going to sting a little…" Linda made the decision to go on with an episiotomy and made a small incision downwards. Shiho's eyes pricked with hot tears at the burning sensation as Linda made the incision for more room.
"Oh my God…now...now Linda. Gonna push! Oh God, gonna push!" Shiho groaned and lifted her hips just a bit before Linda could stop her and put her muscles to work once again. Shiho wasn't going to stop until that head was out and she could take a break. Leo made the attempt to glance down to see what was going on, but Shiho's belly blocked any view he would have had. April and Donnie, on the other hand, were getting a clear shot and tried to soothe their fox by caressing her thighs.
"Okay, push…push Shiho-"
"I AM PUSHING!" Shiho screamed, frustrated that Linda made her stop in the first place. With Linda's assistance and Leo's soft words in her ears, Shiho managed to push the baby's head free of her birth canal and took a deep breath; she took a few deep breaths actually. She'd never felt more deprived of air than before today.
"Awesome, sis! Head is out, looks just like Leo!" Donnie exclaimed, his grip on Shiho's leg tightened as he grinned. Shiho looked to April for confirmation and chewed her lip when the red head nodded furiously. With cleared airways, the infant belted out a scream that rivaled its sister. Leo gulped; he could only imagine his child now. A few more minutes and he'd see how accurate his imagination really was.
"Leo…Leo make it stop hurting."
"I can't, Baby. Just push, Honey, push and it'll be over soon. Come on, I know you can do this," Shiho panted through ragged breaths, her bangs clung to her face and her neck and chest glistened with sweat. "I know you're tired, Honey. But just a little longer. You can do this, don't stop."
"'Kay Shiho, this might hurt more than before, we've got a shell to get out this time. Little pushes for the shoulders now…that's it…that's it…nice and easy, Mama," Linda cooed as her experienced hands turned and moved the baby's shoulders. She did her best to ease the infant's shell out and found the carapace was remarkably smooth and soft. Shiho received the go ahead and put all of her strength into her last push with a loud, agonizing groan.
And before she knew it, it was over.
With a drawn out gasp, the fox had at last pushed her child from inside her and into Linda's waiting hands. A few enormous gulps of air and Shiho did her best to sit up when Linda held up her newborn and set it on her chest. Donnie was right. The baby was the spitting image of Leonardo. Only a few differences separated the two; a smaller carapace and plastron and five fingers and toes instead of three and two. The skin tone was also a lighter shade of green.
"What is it, Doc?" Leo asked, his eyes stuck on the screaming infant the April and Donnie had begun to towel off. Shiho took notice that the umbilical chord was attached where her daughter's had been through a soft lift in the plates of the plastron. Unbelievable still.
"Well, if my studying has done anything, I'd say we have…" She paused and held the baby still for a moment. "A boy! Haha, good job, Shiho."
Like before, Donatello plucked the newborn from his mother's chest and went about drying him off and wiping him clean. Leo ducked his head into the crook of Shiho's neck as his shoulders shook from his cries. The fox laid her hand on the back of his neck and nuzzled the side of his face. She knew he wasn't able to express what he was feeling and did what she could to understand. April took one last look before darting out and throwing herself against the railing.
"Guys! It's a boy!" She yelled. Shiho's ears opened when she heard her family rise in a collective cheer. Now all that was left was to hold both of her children and sit with Leonardo.
"Thank you…" Whispered the blue masked turtle into his mate's neck. There was no possible way for her to really understand what this gift she'd given meant to him. There were so many things at once that he had to be thankful for that he didn't know which one to choose. Thankful that Shiho had come home that night after disappearing into a strip club. Thankful that she wanted to be his mate. Thankful that she was always by his side. Thankful that she carried and gave birth to his children despite all of the pain she experienced.
"And number two," Donnie muttered with a smile as he placed the turtle hybrid into Shiho's arms as she sputtered through another set of sobs. Both parents were in absolute bliss and awe, the child in Shiho's arms was nothing short of a miracle.
After Linda had helped Shiho clean herself in the shower of the afterbirth and stitched up her incision, the exhausted fox and ninja had been left alone in their room for some much needed privacy. The entire family had been in their room and surrounded Shiho and Leo after the twins had been born. They'd gotten their fill of the babies, for now, and let the new parents relish in their happiness alone. Shiho was thankful for the privacy and took the opportunity to get some sleep. It was well past seven in the morning and she was drained. Leo found it hard to stay asleep and stayed up with his twins in his arms in the rocking chair that April and Casey had bought a few weeks ago.
"You guys don't know how lucky your mom and I are to finally have you here. We almost thought we would never get to have something as special as you two. And here you are…" With a baby in each arm, Leo rocked slowly back and forth.
After Linda had taught Shiho how to breast feed, she and Leo had decided on names. For their daughter they chose Allegra, which in Italian meant cheerful and lively. And for their son; Erasmus which meant beloved and desired. Which is exactly what he was, what they both were. Both beloved and desperately desired little blessings that their parents couldn't stop cherishing. Neither twin would ever be able to understand just how much Leo loved them, how precious they were in his heart. Even now, as they slept soundly in his arms he couldn't take his eyes off them. They were so different in their appearance. Allegra looked everything like her mother while Erasmus was every bit his father. His only exception was the violet eyes he shared with his sister and mother.
Their differing appearances didn't matter to Leonardo whatsoever. All that he cared about was that they were his. Even though she looked like Shiho, his daughter was his flesh and blood. His mark on the world that said he existed, that his bloodline wouldn't leave this world with him. His blood ran through their veins.
Allegra's lips moved in a phantom sucking motion while her brother's eyes moved rapidly under his closed lids. Leonardo only imagined what they might have been dreaming; there was so much for them to see. He didn't know that the low rumble of his voice as he spoke to them eased them in their sleep. They'd heard his voice often in the womb, though it was muffled, they knew exactly who he was.
"How're you getting along there, Daddy?" Leo's euphoria was interrupted by the sweet hum of Shiho's voice, bringing his gaze up from his children to see her lying on her side facing him with her eyes barely open.
"Just fine," He said with a soft smile. Shiho shifted slightly and giggled. "Why are you awake? You need to rest, Shiho."
"Mm…too sore to sleep. And I missed them," Leo chuckled and stood up before moving over to the crib that Donatello and Casey had put together last week. Slowly and gently, Leo lowered his precious twins onto their backs and watched them sleep. It was with a long exhale that he turned around and crawled into bed with his fox.
"I still can't believe they're here. Shiho, you were amazing," his arms opened for her to crawl against his plastron. When she did so, he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her forehead tenderly. "You have given me the best gift a guy could ever want."
Shiho huffed a small, exhausted chuckle. "Well, I didn't do it by myself. You helped a little. I just…it isn't real yet. I mean I see them, I smell them, I hear them. But it still feels like a dream."
Leo nodded. He knew just what she meant and how she felt. With his hand, he rubbed up and down her back, paying attention to the bottom of her spine. He realized how much she ached and wanted to ease as much of her pain as he could. In the crib, the parents could hear their infants cooing in their sleep, making them smile and look at each other. Leo could see the exhaustion in her beautiful face but he could see the happiness and joy more than anything else. She'd never been more gorgeous than she was right now.
"I love you, Fuzzball."
Shiho giggled and kissed her turtle softly.
"I love you too, Domehead."
Her ear opened when she picked up the sound of a soft whimper coming from one of her twins. Clutching the top of Leo's plastron, she settled and sighed contently. Leo closed his eyes as he spoke to his children.
"And we love you. Our little legacies."
Sappy turle.