(Thank you for the review Dragongirl180! And without further ado the next chapter.
Oh and interesting fact: humans are all born with some form of blue eyes (in most cases I am sure there are exeptions) which change to their set color by one year. The color is based on the amount of melanin you have in your iris. Much like the color of skin.)
Chapter 30
"Father"
How does one escape hell, when the devil guards the gates ready to devour all that you know and love body and soul?
You distract him and run like hell. Seams simple enough. But the devil spares no mercy and knows no kindness bringing with him utter defeat and loss much worse than death.
Raphael was aware of this. His senses heightened by it. Everything he loved, his past present and future resting in the balance reliant on distraction and time.
They were behind him and not far off. He could almost hear the movement of their clothing over the pounding of his heart thundering in his ears. He had led them down two levels out of the drainage pipes and into the sewers. Through twists and turns circling around till even he had to double check his whereabouts in the catacombs of New York's sewer system.
Hearing footsteps around the bend Raphael picked up a piece of debris from the floor of the tunnel and threw it causing it's clanging to echo threw the sewers as he stepped back vanishing into the darkness where he waited.
Bishop rounded the corner angry and bleeding. He didn't slow as he followed the sound that had echoed against the walls just moments ago, his men charging after him.
Raph waited for most of them to pass before stepping out the darkness. Reaching out he caught the last of the men by the sides of his head and with a twist and sharp yank brought their enemies down by one. Gently, so not to make a sound, Raph lowered the body to the ground as he watched the others disappear into the tunnels ahead.
Satisfied that they were most likely lost and would be for some time Raph doubled back intent on finding Donatello and Arayah.
*scene change*
"So here's the plan…!" Leo shouted above the sound of the bullet rain that pelted down eating at their wavering cover. "As soon as they stop to reload we get to the roof! We have more space up there and it's not as easy to get cornered…"
"Leo! I don't care! Just get me the hell outa here!" Mikey cut his brother short.
It was then that Leo decided he should have stayed at April's. But no he had to go running out with a bum leg to play cat and mouse with an armed helicopter. Sure they could dive into the sewers and play the same game with the drones that wondered around down there but why do that when you can try and be an acrobat on roof tops while feeling like your leg is going to fall off. This was not one of Leo's best decisions.
The moment the gun fire paused Mikey was pulling his tiring brother into a run and helping him ninja his way back to the roof just before the bullets began to rain down again chasing the duo across the roof tops.
*scene change*
It hadn't taken Raphael too long to find Don and Arayah. All he had to do was do the direction he had sent them. And as he got close the sounds of Arayahs pained sounds coupled with Don's attempts to sooth her had made it relatively easy to pin point them. Which was worrisome.
Arayah cried out as another contraction bore down on her. And she had thought having her finger cut off had hurt. She would have thrown up except she didn't have anything left in her stomach.
Raphael's hand snapped up covering her mouth to stifle the sound, earning him an angry look from her. "I'm sorry babe," He whispered, "but you have to keep quiet or they'll find us."
If he had found them because of her pained sounds so could Bishop.
She took a couple deep breaths as the contraction ended then found herself engulfed in pain again as another almost immediately bore down on her again. This time however she gripped Raph's wrist pulling his hand down hard on her mouth to stifle another outcry.
The tears that rolled down her cheeks damn near broke Raph's heart. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered. "I am so sorry, Arayah, for everything."
She choked on another sob as her abdomen contracted again, everything in her body telling her to push.
"Isn't there something you can do?" Raph growled at Donnie who was poised between Arayah's bare legs trying desperately to look like he knew what the hell he was doing.
He had been systematically going over everything he could remember reading and then systematically going over everything that was wrong with the entire situation. The environment was filthy and uncomfortable, as most storm drains tended to be. They had nothing but zip ties to tie off umbilical cords, simply because they just happened to be something he tended to carry around, and nothing to help Arayah if there were any complications. Which there was a high probability of.
Don licked his lips as he tried to find an answer to ease Raph's upset. But the truth was that, at the moment, Don had nothing.
Don shook his head and swallowed down the lump in his throat. "No, Raph, there isn't."
Disappointment evident on Raph's worried face, he turned back to Arayah. "You're goin' to be alright." He told her firmly as he brushed his freehand across her forehead, then more to reassure himself he repeated. "You're goin' to be alright."
*scene change*
"We gotta get out of this Mike!" Leo yelled trying to remember what hiding spots were close by. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.
Mikey looked over at his brother where he sat, ducked behind a brick roof shed trying to catch his breath, an expression of pure agony contorting Leo's face as he tried to adjust his hurting leg under him.
There was another brake in the gun fire and frustrated and out of usefull ideas Mikey stepped around the side of his hiding spot and threw a nunchuck as hard as he could at the helicopter.
"What the hell you do that for?" Leo asked giving Mikey a confused look.
Mikey looked down at Leo and shrugged. "Thought it would make me feel better."
"Did it?"
"No not really… I lost a chuck."
Suddenly a high pitched wine pulled their attention back to the helicopter. Mikey's nunchuk sat broken and wedged in the helicopter's tail rotor bringing its spinning to a halt.
Agent Scowalski looked back at the stuck tail rotor just as the machine began to spin around its own center causing her to pitch forward, the landing skid missing her by mere millimeters as it whizzed by her head. Her tight bun coming loose in the fall as the wind began to rush around her ears, her breath being pulled from her lungs before she could even let out a scream. The fear and uncertainty all came to a sudden stop suddenly and painfully.
Agent Scowalski opened her eyes to look down at the burning wreckage that had at one time been a helicopter, in the street below as she balanced cracked ribs on a conveniently placed sideways sitting flag pole.
Meanwhile two green faces peeked over the side of the building above.
"Duuuude I can't believe she made it. I thought she was goner for sure." Mikey exhibited his surprise before pulling out his rope and grappling hook.
"What are you doing now?" Leo asked as Mikey hooked the grappling hook onto the ledge then, using the rope, started to climb down.
"I can't just leave her there." Mike stated.
"Why not?" Leo asked feeling a little confused by Mike's desire to help one of the people that had just been shooting at them.
Mike looked from his brother to the woman struggling to keep herself on the flag pole. His heart twisting pathetically with sympathy. "Look at her Leo."
Leo rolled his eyes but had to admit how awful it would be to nearly escape death by burning crash just to fall to your death because of loss of grip. "Just hurry up before the other helicopters get here."
Mikey slipped down the rope till he stood at the base of the flag pole.
Agent Scowalski looked up at the turtle she had just been chasing and panicked convinced he was going to do something to cause her to go plunging to her doom. She tried to push herself further out on the pole ignoring the pain in her ribcage till she couldn't bear any more. Trying to put her weight on her hands she slipped.
Mikey's reaction was quick as lightning stepping out and snatching her wrist before quickly pulling her to him.
"It's ok." He reassured her as he looked down into her frightened blue eyes.
"Hold on." He instructed as he grabbed hold of the rope and began to pull the two of them up to safety.
Agent Scowalski did just that. Wrapping herself tightly around the turtle and closing her eyes tight as she prayed he wouldn't suddenly, and justifiably, change his mind and fling her from him.
But he didn't. Michelangelo stepped onto the roof and then gently began prying the agent off of himself if for no other reason so he could breathe without breathing in her flowery fear filled scent.
"Happy now?" Leo asked not hiding his pained annoyance.
Mikey nodded and started following after his brother. "I think you need another vicodin and maybe some valium."
Leo rolled his eyes, limping around the corner of the brick roof shed.
Scowalski set down on shaky legs before sliding down to sit on the roof. For a moment she considered reaching for her gun as these two mutants that had looked down on her. But considering the kindness just shown and the fact that she was definitely at a disadvantage in size, number, and position she decided against the action and instead watched as the two faded into the darkness the thrumming of helicopter propellers filling the air as spot lights came to illuminate the agent and harshen the shadows that had swallowed the hunted.
*scene change*
"Oh my god, that's a head." Don breathed out as he looked down on parts of a woman doing something he wasn't sure he had ever wanted to see.
"What?" Raph asked, a look of shock sweeping across his face.
"What, the hell, did you expect?" Arayah snapped before bearing down again.
"Oh god, those are shoulders." Don exclaimed quietly as he reached down supporting the baby's head.
"Are you going to do that with every… gahh!" Arayah yelped as another contraction prodded her to push again.
"Shhh." Raph shushed her as he tried to decide how to be supportive and keep her quiet so they weren't discovered.
Arayah responded by slapping him. "Don't you shush me, you son of a…"
Raph would have had something to say about being slapped had another contraction not attacked her.
"Oh my god, it's a hole baby." Don squeaked as he brought the baby up into his arms. It was amazing to have been there to hold, not a mutant, but the first of a kind the future of his species. His brother's child…that wasn't breathing. Don's excited expression fell at this realization.
"Shouldn't it be cryin' or something?" Raph gave Don a worried look.
Don looked from Raph to Arayah then down to the bluing baby in his arms. Then determined not to lose her he set to work cutting and tying off the umbilical cord then trying to stimulate the baby into breathing. "Raph you're going to have to catch the other one."
Concern was replaced by panic as his face paled. "I'm what?"
Arayah's fingers digging into his forearm, as another contraction raked threw her, spurred him into moving.
"I can do this." He whispered to himself as he moved to kneel between her legs. Nothing in the aria looking like he had remembered it. "I don't see no baby, Don."
Don didn't look up from the baby he had laying in his arms to answer. "Just wait." He needed Raph to hold his own right now. He couldn't focus on both. He had checked the baby's mouth, rubbed her chest in an attempt to stimulate her, turned her over and patted her cracked shell, an injury that must have been sustained in the wreck. "Come on, baby, come on."
Out of ideas Donatello leaned down, put his mouth over hers and blew just enough air to make her tiny chest rise. He then pushed on her chest, carefully but firmly, attempting infant CPR. He then put his mouth over hers again and repeated.
Raph watched his brother trying to hold back his fear trying to have faith that the baby was going to be ok.
"Raph!" Arayah's voice caused him to snap back to the task he was supposed to be focused on.
Raphael looked down and was surprised by how much progress had been made in the few moments he had been focused on Don. "Oh jeeze." Raph's hands quickly reached down to support the second infants head and shoulders. "You're almost done sweet heart."
Arayah put all that was left of her energy into that last push, the baby sliding out into his father's hands, announcing his arrival with a powerful wail of displeasure.
Then as if she had been waiting for her brother the first baby let out a whimper that quickly shifted into a full outcry followed by Donatello's excited laugh.
Of all the sounds he never thought would be music to his ears, the sound of their cries filled Raphael with such relief and joy it could only be expressed by the tears that slipped from his own eyes wetting his tattered bandanna. In his arms he held a son squirming, tiny, and utterly amazing.
"Here." Don said as he handed Raph his daughter, who immediately caught her father's attention with her bright apple green eyes.
They were both so… ugly and yet so beautiful with their angry scrunched up faces and covered in what Raph could only describe as goo. Her tiny feet that kicked out, with five little toes, tiny little hands balled up in fists, each with five little fingers. The boy carried characteristics like his father with three thick fingers and two toes, and honey on rye brown eyes. Raph was mesmerized by them, these two little babies… his babies. "I'm a father." He whispered as if he had just realizing that they were, in fact, his.
Don set to work cutting the second baby's umbilical cord. "Raph, I need you to move. I need to make sure Arayah is ok."
"Huh?" Raph looked up from the babies in his arms to his brother as he came out of his stupor. "Oh ya, ok."
Raphael moved out of the way and moved up by Arayah's side. "Look." He was almost breathless with pride as he held up the fussing infants for her to see. "Look what you did."
Arayah couldn't help but smile back at him, despite all the worries that flooded her at the site of the twins. "Ya, I grew the first turtles with belly buttons. What are you going to name them?" She shifted uncomfortably as she dealt with a much easier contraction.
Raph looked down at the babies in his arms. With everything that had been going on he really hadn't thought about what to name them. "How about 'kicked the grim reaper's ass' and 'lucky as fucking hell'?"
Arayah laughed. "umm well…"
"How about you guys discuss it later. Let's see if we can get some place a little safer and get them cleaned up. And get ahold of Leo." Don said as he wrapped Arayah's pants around her waist and then scooped her up. "We need to keep the baby's quiet while we move. Think you can nurse them?"
In hindsight he probably should have asked her that before he had picked her up. And he wasn't sure if it would be an instinct for them as turtles don't nurse like humans do. But he had to hope.
Arayah nodded, then with Raph's help adjusted them under her shirt accordingly. She couldn't say it was the most comfortable experience, having two infants latched on to her breasts. It kind of made her feel a little strange. But she wasn't about to complain as there currently weren't any other options.
Raph reached to take Arayah from Don's arms.
Glad to turn her over to him, Don deposited the woman and infants into Raph's arms. He couldn't help but smile at his brother who was grinning so immensely.
"Come on." Don said with a chuckle before he led them down the drainage tunnels and further away from Bishop.