It was a good thing that Donatello had tethered some waterproof crates full of fresh water and food, in his preparations before the storm. When the waters settled, Leo and Raph waded through the chest deep waters to collect them, finding them where Don said they would be.
Several days passed before the waters receded down to ankle deep levels and they were able to assess the damage to their home.
“It’s salvageable,” Donny stated as he looked around.
“There is a good chance that this place will be flooded with city workers soon,” Leo pointed out. “Someone is going to come out to assess the damage. We should leave before that happens.”
Mikey moaned, “I really liked this place. Can’t we just wait it out and see what happens?”
“We can wait it out from a distance,” Leo pulled Mikey into a warm embrace. “When the fate of the structure is decided then we can see if we can stay here.”
“Maybe it’s time for a trip to the farm,” Raph offered.
Donny shook his head, “You weren’t around for that discussion. Members of Casey’s family are out there right now, including Casey and April. Going out there wasn’t an option for us to begin with.”
“Well, they’ll be leaving to come back to New York soon won’t they?” Raph argued. “I mean, they got homes here they gotta tend to right?”
“Maybe,” Leo nodded. “When we get the go ahead from Casey and April, then we’ll go out there, but for now we need to disappear. Gather what you can, we’re leaving today.”
They collected everything that would indicate that they had been there; everything else would be brushed off as debris dragged in by the storm. A great deal of their things were lost to them and they were grateful that Donny had the since to pack all their pictures and irreplaceable items in the same waterproof crates as he did the food.
They trudged through the sewers in search of a temporary place to stay while they waited for news from Casey and April. Their ninja training was put to the test as the sewers were flooded with workers, searching for damage from the storm.
Fortunately they didn’t have to stay long. Two days after they had found a relatively dry and out of the way spot, April called them to let them know that the farm house was vacant.
The Turtles again moved to the relative safety of the farm while the city of New York recovered. Casey and April had made sure that the kitchen was well stocked and that there was plenty of fire wood to keep them warm.
Raph kept his distance from Donny, despite his desire to be with him. He had promised Donny that he would wait for him and he was going to stick to it.
Donny trained alone with Mikey and stayed clear of Leo and Raph most of the time. He did make the effort to be near them and would occasionally curl up in Raph’s lap. When he did, Raph wouldn’t move for fear of frightening Donny or making him uncomfortable.
There were other days where Donny pulled away entirely, not even letting Mikey near him. His sobs could be heard throughout the whole farmhouse and it took every ounce of Raph’s control to keep from running to Don.
They stayed out at the farm for three months before they got the all clear from Casey and April. When they got back to the reservoir station it had been cleaned out and patched up.
“Time to start over again,” Mikey sighed, shifting his bag on his shoulder. “You’d think I’d be used to it by now.” He looked over at Leo, “Can we still live here at least?”
“Yeah,” Leo nodded. “I think it’s safe to move back in.”
Slowly they started to rebuild their lives.
**
Leo walked into his room, amazed at how quickly Mikey had made a mess of it. He walked over to a pile of towels in the corner and started to collect them. “Why would he even do this?” As he placed the third one over his arm he noticed something tucked in with the towels.
Setting the ones in his arms down, Leo got on his knees to get a closer look. He pulled another towel aside and saw a smooth white surface nestled within the pile. His heart jumped to his throat as he stared at the egg.
“M… Mikey!” Leo hollered, turning to the door.
Leo couldn’t breathe. He placed the towels back over the egg, praying that there was just one within the mound.
“Mikey!” Leo yelled again as he stood and backed away from the pile.
“Yeah, Leo,” Mikey answered as he walked into the room, closing the door behind him. “Don’t yell so much, Donny’s having an off day.”
Leo turned to face his mate. “Is there something you need to tell me?” he pointed to the pile of towels.
A smile crept across Mikey’s beak, “Oh that.”
“How can you be so calm?” Leo’s voice broke. “How many are there?”
“Four,” Mikey answered, watching as Leo sat down on the bed and the color drained from his face.
“Four?” Leo leaned forward and covered his face. “When did it happen?”
“April helped me with it yesterday,” Mikey walked over to the pile and pulled out on of the eggs. “You were out with Raph at the dump.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help you through it. Why didn’t you tell me?” Leo dropped his hands and looked up at Mikey.
Mikey chuckled and tossed the egg to Leo, “Because it wasn’t that big a deal and you were busy with other things.”
Leo’s heart stopped as the egg flew through the air. He reached out and caught it, dropping his hands to follow through with the motion so not to jar it. “What are you doing?” He yelled, glaring at Mikey.
“Dude,” Mikey crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you really think I would keep something like that from you? I’ve already told you that I’m not ever gonna lie to you again.”
Leo looked back down at the egg in his hands and turned it over, “It’s wood.”
“Yeah,” Mikey walked over and took the egg back from Leo as he sat down on the bed. “I was feeling weird so I talked to April about it. We figured out that despite being infertile, I still had the instinct to lay eggs. I mean, we’ve been having sex so I guess my body got all confused or something.
“Any way, April came up with the idea for me to make a nest and place some eggs into it. She got me these and I buried them in a pile of towels.”
“Did it help?” Leo asked.
“Yeah, I think so,” Mikey leaned over and placed his head on Leo’s shoulder. “Turtles don’t stick around after they lay their eggs so once it was done I felt a lot better.”
“You could have talked to me about this, you know,” Leo kissed the top of Mikey’s head. “I wouldn’t have brushed it off or laughed about it.”
“I just wanted to talk to a girl about it and I was gonna tell you,” Mikey sighed. “We’ve just been so busy.”
Leo chuckled, “You freaked me out.”
“Would it have really been so bad?” Mikey asked in a small voice.
“You said it yourself,” Leo shifted so that he could lift Mikey’s chin and look him in the eyes. “This life wouldn’t be fair for a child. That, and I’m not ready to be a dad; I wanna be able to have you all to myself. That said; if they were real, I would have been more than honored to be the father of your children.”
Mikey smiled, “I like being all yours.”
Leo took the egg back and tossed it on to the pile of towels. “I’ve got you here now,” he wiggled his eye ridges.
With a happy squeal, Mikey giggled as he was pushed back onto his carapace and bit his bottom lip, “What are you gonna do to me?”
“What I have in mind apparently confuses your body and instincts a little bit,” Leo moved so that he was looming over Mikey.
Mikey waved it off, “I have a solution to that minor little problem now.”
“Good,” Leo husked, pressing in for a heated kiss.
**
Raph walked into his room and froze when he saw Donny standing there. It had been about a month since the Turtles had returned to New York and this was the first time Donny had entered Raph’s room.
Raph was afraid to speak or move. He didn’t know why Donny was there but he didn’t want to give him a reason to leave.
“Hey,” Donny forced a smile. “Don’t just stand there, please.”
“Okay,” Raph took a step forward. “What do you want me to do?”
Donny closed the gap between them and placed his hands on Raph’s plastron, “Hold me.”
Raph wrapped his arms around Donny and held him close. He could feel Donny trembling so he did his best to soothe him. “Don’t force yourself to do anything you ain’t ready to do, Donny.”
“I want to be with you Raph, even if it’s just to be in your arms,” Donny pressed himself up against Raph. “I want to sleep here tonight.”
“I will do whatever you want me to do,” Raph kissed the top of Donny’s head. “So long as you are happy.”
“I don’t want to lose you,” Donny whispered.
“That’s never gonna happen,” Raph assured him. “You take as long as you need. I ain’t going nowhere.”
“You protect me in my dreams,” Donny admitted. “Even in my worst nightmares, you are there to protect me. You fight him off and beat him up and you keep me safe.
“He haunts your dreams?” Raph asked as he fought to hold back tears.
Donny nodded his head, “They are all the same. He either finds his way here or he’s waiting for me in the Nexus and I have to fight him. He’s sabotaged the safety features and he tries to rape me in front of everyone but you manage to come to my rescue. You beat him up. You’re so strong; he doesn’t stand a chance against you.”
“You’re a strong fighter, Donny,” Raph insisted. “He didn’t face you in a fair fight. I probably wouldn’t have done any better. You’re giving me too much credit.”
“You’ll keep me safe,” Donny mumbled. “You won’t let him hurt me again.” That was when Raph realized that Donny was starting to fall asleep.
Raph lifted him and placed him into the hammock then climbed in to spoon him. “I will keep you safe.” He kissed Donny on the head and held him close. “I swear he will never hurt you again.”
**
For the first time in months, Donny slept through the night without a fitful dream. He woke feeling refreshed and some of his anxieties had dissipated. He turned in the hammock and realized that he was alone.
Sitting up, he smiled to himself. Raph must have left early, not wanting to be there just in case Donny was having an off day. But Donny actually felt better than he had in a long time and he would have welcomed waking up in Raph’s arms.
With a happy sigh, Donny fumbled his way out of the hammock and made his way down to breakfast. The smell of fresh coffee greeted him as he entered the kitchen and he headed straight for the pot to pour himself a cup.
“Where’s Raph,” Donny asked after sitting down at the table.
Mikey shrugged, “Must still be in his room.”
Donny shook his head, “No. I just came from there.”
“Oh?” Mikey smiled, looking back over his shoulder. “You were in his room?”
“I slept last night in his room, yes,” Donny blushed. “He held me as I slept, that’s all.”
“Well,” Mikey turned back to his cooking, “it’s a step forward anyway.”
“I do feel better,” Donny admitted.
“Well enough that I can join you?” Leo asked as he stepped into the kitchen.
“Yes,” Donny nodded and Leo sat down at the table. Donny took a sip of coffee and was happy with how relaxed he was. He looked up at Leo and didn’t shy away when their eyes met, “Have you see Raph?”
“No,” Leo shook his head. “He wasn’t in the dojo.”
“Where could he be,” Donny mused, taking another sip of coffee.
After breakfast there was still no sigh of Raph and Donny started to worry. He opened his shell cell to track Raph but there was no signal. That only worried Donny even more.
He searched the lair, looking for any sign of where Raph could have gone. When he entered the room where they had the supplies for entering the Nexus, he saw the only clue he needed.
Fresh symbols were drawn on the wall and the floor was still wet around the area. Raph had entered the Nexus and Donny had a sinking feeling that he knew why.
