Golden Angel

Artemis groaned, having leaned over the toilet as her stomach pulled.

She’d started feeling horrible only a couple weeks ago, and she’d begun to worry when she realized she’d missed something VERY important…

Her period…

She hadn’t said anything, gave various excuses to keep running to the bathroom, often joked about the strange cravings that started coming up…

They weren’t that bad, nor that frequent, but they worried her into a near panic.

Midnight food raids became more frequent, but she used Airbending to avoid Chi’s detection and her ninja stealth to keep out of her brother’s range.

She’d been dreaming of some peanut butter pickles when Mizu approached her friend…

“Artie?”

Crimson eyes focused on worried blue, and the gold-banded turtle tensed.

“Is something wrong? Did Leo call?”

“No…but…I get the feeling something is wrong…with you…” The Waterbender admitted.

A confused expression, and the she-turtle looked to her other friends and brothers to see ‘uninterested’ looks.

“…What’s this about?”

“You’ve been acting weird…Are you sick?” Don wondered.

“No.”

Chi’s eyes narrowed, and Artemis did her best to keep her heart rate even.

“I’m not sick. Can’t a girl go to the bathroom?”

“Not this often…” Kasai admitted.

“…Are you…throwing up?” Mikey wondered.

“You mean an EATING DISORDER?!” She demanded, instantly feeling insulted.

“Why the HELL would I go and do that?!”

“That’s what WE were wonderin’!” Raph retorted.

“I’m not!!”

Standing up, she fought back a wave of dizziness from the sudden movement.

“I thought you all knew me better than that!!”

“Well, you’ve been acting strange!”

Mizu put a calming hand on her friend’s forehead, soothing her anger…

“We just want to know what’s wrong…”

Artemis pulled back slightly…

“…I don’t know what’s wrong…”

“Are you sick? Nauseous?”

“…I’m nauseous…” The turtle admitted.

Chi sighed.

“…Is it…?”

Artemis knew when she was caught…

“I think so…”

The Earthbender sighed, rubbing her temples, and Mikey gave his girl a confused look.

“Babe?”

“…Have ya tested it?”

“…No…”

“Well, go on. Don’t cry o’er it ‘fere ya know it fer sure.”

“…Right…”

As the gold-banded turtle headed off, everyone turned to Chi…

“What was that?” Don wondered.

“…She’ll tell ya when she fin’s out what’s goin’ on.”

A few minutes of tension, the group hanging around the couch to wait for Artemis…

She finally stepped out of the bathroom, biting her lip…

“…It was positive…”

“What was positive? HIV? AIDS?”

Don was panicking, thinking of all the diseases his sister could have…

“Guys…I’m having a baby…”

A stunned silence…

“…Yer what?” Raph questioned, stunned.

“I’m having a baby.”

A grin nearly split Mikey’s face in half…

“I’m going to be an uncle!”

Kasai’s smile was slow but true, and she positively beamed.

“I’m happy for you, Artemis.”

“I hope it’s a boy!” Mikey stated excitedly, hopping around.

“What can we do to help?” Mizu wondered.

Don shook his head, mind already revving.

“We can’t be sure. Apparently, the signs are the same as a human pregnancy, but I’m not sure if the actual birth will be…There’s too many variables…”

“This ain’t just a science project.” Chi replied.

“It should be a ‘appy occasion.”

“’Cept the father ain’t ‘ere ta ‘ear ‘bout it…”

Artemis looked down at the thought, and Kasai smacked the red-banded turtle upside the head for it.

“What?!”

“This is already a hard enough situation for her.” The Firebender reasoned.

“Don’t make it worse.”

“…Sorry, darlin’…”

She smiled a bit at the gruff, apologetic look, and giggled.

“Sometimes, you’re the sweetest person I know.”

He blushed almost as dark as his mask…

“Whate’er…”

“…Is Raph BLUSHING?” Mikey taunted.

“Hey, he is!” Don joined in.

“He’s actually turning red!”

Sai were then imbedded in the floor…

“…On the other hand…”

“He’s not blushing, after all…” Mikey agreed.

“…What’s Splinter going to say?” Mizu wondered.

Silence fell as everyone pondered that…

“…I’m going to find out. I’ll have to tell him.”

“Artie…”

“He’s going to find out eventually, especially once I start showing…”

“Ya need ‘elp?” Raph wondered.

If anything, they suspected she’d be frightened to death to tell their father she was pregnant.

She’d already promised against sex until they would be the legal age as adults.

To tell her own father that she and Leo had lost their senses…

They could only imagine how terrified she must be…

But when they looked back at the familiar crimson eyes, they found she wasn’t frightened at all.

She looked like she always had, determined and proud and just a bit wary of what she’d come up against.

It was the look of a warrior and a sister, and it was the very reason her brothers instinctively trusted her.

A protector, a confidant, and the most understanding sister they’d ever heard of.

“I’ll be fine.” She assured, walking towards Splinter’s room.

She passed Mitsukai, who roared softly and nuzzled her mistress, who patted her shaggy head and whispered soothing words before moving on.

Artemis stopped outside the door, gathering her wits, before softly touching the door.

“Come in.”

Carefully opening it, the she-turtle slipped inside before sliding it close.

“I sense something is bothering you, my daughter…”

She gave a soft smile, kneeling on a pillow before the elderly rat.

“It’s not a bad thing, sensei…” She assured.

“I just…there’s something really important I think you should know.”

Trying to keep herself calm as Splinter focused his attention on the gold-banded turtle, Artemis fought the urge to bite her lip…

“I’m…pregnant…”

He sighed…

“I should have known your mating season might have such an outcome…”

“I’m happy, sensei. I’ve…always wanted a child.”

“You might still be too young…”

“Me and Leo can handle it, sensei.”

She smiled reassuringly.

“Besides, I would have thought you’d love having grandchildren.”

“I do, but I felt this might be too soon for you…”

The jade-skinned turtle rubbed her neck…

“Well, I guess fate decided to prove us both wrong…”

Splinter smiled a bit.

“You seem to have gained much wisdom since your trip to the Spirit World…”

“Well, I suppose…”

“Has Leonardo been informed?”

“…He’s still not home…”

“Then I suggest you wait up to tell him.”

“I know, sensei…”

Hours passed after that…

Artemis was snuggled into her Sky Bison’s fur, watched the others as they slowly headed to sleep for the night…

As time passed, she got more worried for her lover…

Finally, the door opened, and the blue-banded turtle slipped into the lair…

“Love…”

“Artemis? What are you still doing up?”

“I…need to tell you something…” She admitted, sliding down to the ground.

“Can it wait until morning?”

“No.”

The crimson-eyed turtle took hold of his hand, gently leading him to his room…

“Artemis?”

“Leo, I’m…pregnant…”

Silence made the air thick as he tried to comprehend that…

“You’re pregnant?”

“I thought I’d just said that…” She joked half-heartedly.

“How? I mean…when?”

“I just found out today…I think it happened a couple weeks ago…”

He remembered that night…

Strawberries and chocolate syrup…

Candlelight…

“…Are you okay?”

She nodded, smiling.

“I couldn’t be happier. That’s our child inside me…”

A flash of worry…

“…Are you okay with it?”

He seemed to be trying to pick the right words…

True, this meant he’d protect her more fiercely, but…

He had never admitted it, but Leo had always wanted a little girl to coddle…

“I’m great.”

A reassured look, the worried creases loosening from her features...

“Come on…”

He led her to the bed, and she slipped under the covers, snuggling into the warmth as he joined her.

Wrapping an arm around her, he felt her nuzzle his shoulder tenderly before relaxing.

Leo carefully put his free hand on her stomach, imagining a little baby turtle sleeping inside there…

“I love you, Leo…” She breathed, already dozing…

“I love you too, Artemis…”

‘And I’ll protect you and this baby the best I can…’