The next day, Leo's anger at being put on bed rest had lightened up some more. He didn't like being in this situation until it was time to have his twins.

Leo sat up in bed and tried his best to meditate. He wanted to clear all the negative energy out of his system if he was going to accept this.

Raph brought him his breakfast that morning and caught him in meditation. "Yo, Leo, time for breakfast." He said as goofy as he could.

Leo heard him and opened his eyes. "Thanks, Raph." He accepted the tray of food once he settled down again.

Raph sat down on the bed. Leo looked up at him. "What, Raph?"

"I know you're mad about this having to happen, Leo, but if ya want the babies born soon, this has to happen. Ya were the one who made the choice of carrying the little guys or girls to term." Raph said.

"I know I did, Raph, but I didn't expect this to happen." Leo said. "If I hadn't fallen yesterday, it might be different."

"Maybe, maybe not. Since you told us about the other two, Don and Leatherhead might have made you do it anyway in the last weeks. They have you scheduled for surgery next week. It's not that long, big bro. You'll make it until then." Raph said.

"Next week still feels like a long way off. Ngh!" Leo winced.

"What?"

Leo let out a breath. "It was one powerful kick." He put his hand on where he felt it.

"Maybe he's hungry?"

"Maybe."

"Is it still kicking?"

"Yeah, why?" Leo asked.

"I know I haven't been as into it as everyone else, but can I-?" Raph hesitantly reached out his hand.

Leo nodded his head. "Sure."

Leo took Raph's hand and put it where he was feeling the kicking.

Raph felt weird about doing this, but he was a little curious. Suddenly, there was a good sized bump under his hand. He opened his mouth in shock.

Leo smirked. "Not what you expected?"

"I've just- never felt anything like that before."

"Raph, when I woke up all those months ago and found out that this happened to me, I wasn't sure what to think at first. But how was I going to? When I felt all lonely in that facility, it did bring a certain part of me to realize that they were my only family there, and they were depending on me to keep them safe and give them nourishment. Of course I still am, but back then, you have no idea how hard it was for me to find out that the first one and later, the second one, had died. I was doing everything just right." Leo began to cry.

"It's going to be ok, Leo. Ya won't let these two down." Raph tried to comfort him with his words before Leo really broke down.

"Sorry. I just can't help it. And yes, I won't let them down." Leo wiped his eyes.

"And if ya think about it, with all the stress from the attack, these last two were meant to be fighters. They have survived it all. One of them must be yours."

That thought did bring a smile to Leo's face. "True. I know I am a fighter to have gone through all I did and still kept them out of evil hands. I will never let Bishop or Johnson get their hands on my babies."

"Don't forget that they still share DNA with possibly Don and Mikey too. And we are all fighters."

"Yeah, you all are. We've seen each other through rough times in the past and we are going to get through this as well. This is just the newest tough challenge I have yet to face, and then we all have to take care of and raise them." Leo declared.

"Yeah. Well, it's been nice talkin', but your breakfast is gettin' cold. I should go now. I'll see ya later, Leo." Raph said and left the room.

Leo smiled as he watched his red banded brother leave the room. At least Raph had come around to accept everything that was happening. He settled down and ate his breakfast.

….

Don and Leatherhead were now checking on the twins every few days. With the scheduled surgery just days away, they wanted to make sure everything was alright until then.

As Leo lay on the table, seeing his kids on the screen, it made him want that dream to become reality, to finally hold them in his arms. But he also dreaded the surgery at the same time. What if something went wrong with him or the twins? There was that risk yes, but it was the only way the twins could be born successfully.

Leonardo had made it to thirty eight weeks along and it had felt like a long time. He thought that this week would never come.

"You've done a marvelous job in taking care of yourself, Leonardo. Though this pregnancy was not natural for you, you have made it through many hard months and you've been through a lot." Leatherhead told him proudly.

"Thanks, Leatherhead."

"And the toughest challenge will begin as soon as they are outside of your body."

"Yeah, but I've carrying them all this time and I won't let them down. It is a new time in mine and my family's life. We don't even have a lair anymore. But in time, we will find one when warmer weather returns. We can't stay up here forever." Leo said.

Then Don spoke up. "Leo, I know you have done really well throughout this pregnancy, but should anything go wrong during the surgery, like too much blood loss, we will need blood to save you."

"We do need to be prepared for anything, Leonardo." Leatherhead agreed.

"Yeah, I know. Alright, take it." Leo said.

"No, we aren't going to take it from you. My blood is compatible with yours, should anything happen. But I do want to take a little blood sample to make sure your blood count isn't too low or too high." Don said.

Leo's arm was prepped for just a little blood to be taken. Then it was Don's turn to have some good amount of blood taken for an emergency in case one might happen.

"It's amazing that you don't take that much from me, but you take a lot from yourself." Leo said.

"Leo, yes, you may have a lot more blood circulating right now, but you need all of that blood to help you sustain looking after the babies." Don said. He felt a little woozy after giving some of his blood. Leatherhead then put a patch up over the wound.

Don rubbed his arm after he got up from the chair.

"If there is something wrong, I have to know." Leo said.

"And we'll be sure to tell you. Back to bed now." Don said.

"I know." Leo went back to his room. The weight of the twins almost felt like too much anymore when he was on his feet.

….

During his last two weeks of pregnancy, Leo had stayed in bed most of the time like he was supposed to, but still got up when he felt restless or needed a bathroom break. When he got up when it was training time in the daytime, he would stare at the barn while his family was out there. He still missed training terribly. Now he couldn't even exercise anymore.

At one point, Don had brought up the subject that he didn't mean to hurt Leo's feelings at all, but if all four babies were still inside him, his stomach would be much bigger and he would have had to be on bed rest a lot sooner than that. Any number higher than one was a risk, but twins were the lower risk kind of multiples than higher numbers. But even carrying one had its challenges too.

April had spent a good deal of time hanging out with Leo. She understood him the most. But Leo did let his other family members and friends hang out with him as well to keep him entertained when he didn't feel like sleeping.

Playing cards and board games, talking, doing breathing techniques with April, and meditation were the main ways Leo was kept entertained. Though he found some of them entertaining, Leo wasn't up for many kinds of games. He was just plain restless no matter what went on.

Leo felt useless just sitting here in bed on his shell for so long. He wanted the twins to be born so he could heal and get back to being like he was before. He was tired of depending on everyone to feed him and bathe him. He was tired of feeling and being fat.

One night, Leo had a weird dream.

'"Please… save my babies." Leo said weakly. "Don't let them die."

"Leo, we won't let them die." Don said.

"Thanks." Then Leo blacked out.

"Leo? Leo? LEO!" Don cried out.

Then the machine started giving off a straight out BEEP.

Then, Leo thought he saw his body and Don and Leatherhead holding two little bundles that started to cry. And why wasn't he moving? He wanted to hold his little ones. But then, something had gone wrong delivering the twins and Leo had given his life for theirs.

"No. It can't be. I wanted to be there to watch them grow up and name them." Leo said.

Then later, he saw how heartbroken his family was when they heard the news that he had died after the babies were born.

"I knew Leo carrying those babies was a mistake!" Raph screamed. "They killed him!"

"Raph, we will take care of them as Leo would want us to." Don said, tears streaming down his face.

"I want nothing to do with those little monsters! They killed him!" Raph screamed again.

"No." April was crying really hard, holding her stomach, to cradle her unborn baby. Casey had his arms wrapped around her.

Mikey was crying as he was holding a baby that looked like Leo. It was Leo's son.

Splinter held the other baby, another one that looked like Leo. Another son.

Leo was sad that he couldn't be there to raise his two sons. But he knew his family would try to go on without him.

Leo woke up, panting heavily. He looked down at his stomach. It was still pretty swollen. He lay back down. It was just a dream, but it had felt so real.

"I won't give up on you two. Not now, not ever." Leo held his belly. "I will be there to watch you grow up and I will be the one to teach you the ninja arts."

Then, the thought occurred to him about the sexes. Was he having two sons? But what if he was wrong? He would accept them no matter what they were.

Leo didn't want to reflect on the dream. He would make it through the surgery. He wouldn't bring it up to the family because he knew it might cause concern over him, but he still dreaded not being able to raise his sons.

Beta read by Applepye.