Sequel: Angel's Child ›
Golden Angel
Chapter 81
“…You two are CRAZY…” Artemis muttered, sitting on the edge of a canyon as she rubbed her large belly.
Mitsukai seemed to roar in agreement, and both seemed to have a good time giggling.
“Ha-Ha…Good one, love…”
“I try.”
The jade-skinned turtle smiled, and slid into meditation again…
Three months of practice made it second nature…
She felt something was coming…
Not sure what it was, exactly…
But a darker feeling overpowered whatever it was…
Something bad was going on…
“Love, something’s wrong…”
“What is it?”
“Something’s going on with the others…I think they’re hurt…”
Leo turned to look at her, seeing the lightly-glowing arrows on her skin…
“We need to go.”
Artemis stood up, her fully-expanded belly nearly making her teeter as she climbed onto Mitsukai’s back.
“…NOW would be nice, love.”
“But we still aren’t done…”
“You have learned all you can right now. You must go.”
Leo nodded, jumping onto the Sky Bison’s head before she took off, speeding into the air towards home…
‘I hope we’re not too late…’
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Landing in a dark alley to keep Mitsukai out of sight, the couple headed down into the sewers to get home.
Artemis was worried, almost panicked with it, though Leo managed to keep her reined in.
However, nothing could have stopped her panic when she saw the gaping hole that used to be their front door…
“No…”
Running forward as well as she could, the gold-banded took in the sight of the destroyed lair…
Scorch marks, boulders strewn on the floor, wet walls…
“Leo…”
“Oh no…”
Leo had his weapons drawn as he looked at the destruction, when Artemis perked…
“Love?”
“What?”
“Something’s here…”
A large robot landed, having jumped from the second floor, and both turtle’s glared hotly.
“The Foot…”
Leo jumped in, and Artemis used bricks to latch the feet to the ground.
Unable to move, the glass protecting the goon was cut to bits before air knocked the metal contraption onto its back.
The blue-masked turtle grabbed the man by his shirt, looking deadly serious.
“My family. Where are they?”
“You’ll get nothing from me!”
The click of a button, and the whole robot began to convulse…
Leo jumped off, pulling Artemis out the door to be safe from the explosion…
“We need some answers…”
“I think I know where we can get some…”
They managed to contact Angel, and had her send a note to April via pizza box.
Waiting on the rooftop across the street, Artemis fidgeted a bit in nervousness.
They’d left Mitsukai in the warehouse because of her large size, but the gold-banded turtle didn’t want her to get ambushed…
“Love, I’m sure they’re okay…”
“I know…I…I still feel them…”
The purple-haired girl stepped out of Second Time Around, and put the pizza box into the telephone booth beneath them…
Once Leo managed to bring it up to them, he opened the cardboard.
Both were met with a familiar sign, cracked, that read ‘Home Sweet Sewer’.
It was Mikey’s…
A note was there as well, and the jade-skinned turtle got the gist of it…
‘Karai told her that the others were killed…’
“She’s a lying bitch…”
Crimson eyes locked with brown…
“I’m not showing her any mercy this time, Leo.”
“…I know…Me, too…”
“Then let’s go find them.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leo had decided to swim through the Hudson river on his own, since his mate was in no condition to do so, and she waited for him on the sandy shore.
He came back with an air tank, and dropped it next to her…
“…It’s nearly empty.” She noted.
“And the Shell Sub’s wrecked.”
“Donnie won’t be happy to hear that…”
Leo sighed, piecing everything together…
“If Don managed to make it to the surface…They would have come up right about here…And would have headed to the pier for shelter.”
“Then let’s check there first.” Artemis agreed, following her lover.
She stopped beside buildings, putting a hand on a wall to sense vibrations…
When the she-turtle paused, sensing something, Leo nodded and lifted her up into his arms.
Jumping inside through a busted skylight, they searched the gloom…
“Guys? Guys, it’s us! Where are you?”
…
“Artie?”
Whirling around, the jade-skinned turtle was greeted with the sight of Don, Master Splinter, and a semi-conscious Kasai…
“Donnie! Sensei! Kasai! You’re all okay!”
That’s when she noticed the limp her brother had…
“Let me take care of that…”
Bringing water to her hands, she helped ease the pain and reset the twisted ankle he had.
“Thanks, Artie…”
“No problem.”
“It’s good to see you guys again…” Kasai slurred, trying to wake up…
“Same here, sis…”
“We need to get you three out of here before anymore Foot show up.” Leo stated.
They managed to get into the sewers, Leo hefting Kasai on his back as Artemis tried to help Master Splinter, when she realized where they were…
“Aren’t we under Central Park?”
“Yeah.”
The blue-banded turtle was looking intently for something, and seemed satisfied when he found a boarded up doorway.
He managed to pull away some boards so the door could open, and everyone stepped onto the suspended walkway on the other side.
The whole place was rather large and spacious…
“This should do for now.”
“This looks like one of the earlier pumping stations for the reservoir. I think I’ve seen it on some of the old city planning maps.” Don noted, whistling.
“VERY nice…”
“Leonardo, Artemisia, now that Donatello and I are safe-.”
“Already on it.” Artemis assured.
“We’ll find them. And I’ll send Mitsukai here to keep you guys company.”
Leo led her back to the sewers around the lair, where the found the remains of a blown-up Tunneler…
“Donnie will DEFINITELY not be happy now…”
Something caught her eye…
“Footprints…”
“Several yards from the wreckage…Either Raph or Mikey.”
Stepping through a hole in the wall, they found a bag of cat food, a broken plate, and a comic…
“Mikey…”
Leo was concentrating again, and the crimson-eyed turtle kept quiet until he started walking again…
It seemed like someone was watching them, and the she-turtle smiled when she realized who it was…
“Chi, long time no see.”
“Artie?”
The petite girl relaxed…
“Yeah, it’s been a while…”
The Earthbender was sitting beside a sleeping Mikey, who had a hissing Klunk on his shell…
“It’s alright, Klunk…” Leo soothed, patting the kitten until he relaxed…
Chi shook her boyfriend awake, and he groggily sat up, looking around…
“Leo? Artie?” He slurred.
“That’s us.”
“I had the strangest dream…” He continued as they helped him stand…
“You were there…and the Tin Man…and the Cowardly Lion…and the Grouchy Raph of the West…”
Both turtles smiled at their youngest brother’s imagination…
“It’s alright now, Mikey…”
“You’re going to be okay…”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Artemis was starting to tire from all the trips back and forth, but she couldn’t rest peacefully without her whole family safe and alive…
But that other feeling, the feeling that something IMPORTANT was coming…
It was coming back…
But the jade-skinned turtle pushed it to the back of her mind, intent on finding Raph and Mizu…
Crimson eyes blinked when she registered a trashed Battle Shell on the street…
“Shell Cycle tracks.” Leo noted.
“That’s definitely Raph’s helmet.” She agreed, and the blue-banded turtle ran to retrieve it.
He started concentrating a third time, and Artemis couldn’t help fidgeting…
Something was making her restless…
“The D train…Coney Island!”
The jade-skinned turtle pulled out her wings, offering a hand…
“Then lets go.”
Accepting the offer, Leo let her fly up into the air and head straight for Coney Island…
When the train tracks came into view near the amusement park, the brown-eyed turtle told her to land so they could search for Raph and Mizu.
A soda can was thrown from behind a support…
“Want to make it a bit more obvious, tough guy?”
A sai glinted, but the red-banded turtle paused when he realized who it was…
“Princess?”
Another figure popped up…
“Artie? ARTIE!”
Mizu ran to hug her friend, her sister, and Artemis happily returned the gesture.
“Been way too long, hasn’t it?”
“Yeah…Ya sure got bigger, princess…”
“Shut up, Raph…And everybody’s okay.” She added before Raph could worry.
“…I’m glad yer both back…”
“So are we.”
“Let’s head back to the others…”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They got home with a grumpy Raph, and everyone was happily reunited…
Well, everyone but RAPH was happy…
He was still miffed that Kasai had gotten hurt and their home destroyed…
“Nothing is permanent. We must learn to flow with change.” Leo advised.
“It seems Leonardo has learned a thing or two from the Ancient One…Yes…I can see it in your eyes…In both your eyes…”
Artemis smiled proudly.
“I have my children back…”
His expression turned grim, seeing something else…
“And I can see something else…You must be careful…she will be well-guarded…and her skills are much improved…”
The crimson-eyed turtle nodded, standing straighter.
“And so have mine.”
“Come on, love…”
The couple headed for the door…
“We’re going to get some food and supplies. We’ll be back.”
Artemis was glad she could still fly without hurting herself…
Stopping across the street from the Foot headquarters, she waited for Leo to catch up…
“Love, are you sure you want to do this?”
“She’s gone too far this time. I can’t…I can’t just sit back and let this go unpunished.”
“…Promise me you won’t risk anything…”
“I promise. I’ll Earthbend her into the ground…”
“Just don’t do anything you’ll regret.”
“I won’t.”
She flew forward on silent wings, and Leo used a hook and rope to follow her inside.
It was actually rather easy for them…
Taking the plaque Mikey had loved so much, Artemis threw it like a shuriken so it struck the pedestal of a jade statue of Oroku Saki.
It caught Karai’s attention…
“Hello, Karai…”
The kunoichi seemed surprised that Artemis had gotten so close…
“We got your message…”
“Impressive. Security here is pretty…tight…But here you two are…undetected…”
“So you decided to become the new Shredder?”
“Yes. And your doom.”
Karai placed the Shredder helmet on her head, turning to face the pregnant she-turtle.
“Will you be honorable and fight me alone, kunoichi?”
“Of course. But I feel bad…”
The jade-skinned turtle smirked…
“I mean, you’re all alone against me. That doesn’t seem fair for you.”
“You are a fool!”
Artemis looked calm as the katana came for her, and side-stepped the blade calmly…
Neutral jing…
Waiting…
Waiting for the perfect moment to strike…
“Why do you not fight me? Why do you not attack?” Karai demanded.
“Because you’re not worth it.”
“Why you-!”
No matter how hard the older kunoichi tried, she couldn’t manage to land a blow…
Artemis seemed to have fun torturing her opponent in such a way, dancing away from blows…
Lighter-footed than she seemed…
But then that urgent feeling struck again, and the crimson-eyed turtle decided to end it…
A column of earth struck the new Shredder onto the ground…
“I hope you’ve learned a lesson.”
Fiery eyes seemed to burn straight through green…
“Don’t mess with my family, and don’t mess with me. Or next time, I’ll actually try.”
Artemis stepped away, heading for Leo, when water flew up, slashing the head off the statue…
“Maybe you’ll take the warning your father kept ignoring…”
She disappeared into the shadows of the room, and escaped with her mate.
Leo managed to get Chinese food and some medical supplies and blankets his lover insisted on.
The trip back was slow, since Artemis was feeling strange pains, but everyone beamed when they got back.
“Chinese food for breakfast?” Mikey wondered…
“…Works for me!”
“We checked this out, sensei. It’s rather safe. Maybe we could stay here…fix it up a bit…”
Splinter nodded, when…
Artemis’s eyes widened, and she stopped reaching for a carton…
“Love?”
“L-Leo…”
She tried to keep her voice steady…
“My water just broke…”
Silence as everyone’s eyes widened…
Chi and Raph had the first thing to say…
“Shit…”
Mizu snapped out of her daze at this, and jumped into action.
“Donnie, you and Kasai go heat up some water. Mikey, get those clean blankets and lay them on the ground. Chi, help Leo lift Artemis onto them, and keep a blanket for the baby. Raph, get a bucket for the water.”
Once Artemis was settled, the Waterbender positioned her correctly as Mikey held a blanket.
Raph was fidgeting, so the blue-eyed girl decided to give him something to do.
“Leo. Raph. Both of you hold her hands. Once she starts feeling contractions and starts pushing, she’ll squeeze as hard as she can, alright?”
Both nodded, and Don brought the hot water over.
“Wet some rags and put them on her face. She’ll sure need it…”
“Alright, sweetheart.”
Everyone was worried, but the first ones to know the contractions were coming were Leo and Raph…
Both agreed afterwards that she had one SHELL of a grip…
Mizu seemed a bit surprised…
“She’s almost fully dilated already…This baby’s coming fast…”
“Could ya tell it ta come faster?” Raph ground out, feeling like his hand was going to snap…
Artemis was biting back cries of pain, and was panting with the effort as Leo tried to soothe her…
“Alright, I’m ready…Time to push, Artie…”
The she-turtle did just that, head falling back as she pushed with all her strength…
The pain was becoming too much…
“It’s crowning…”
A cry found its way out of her throat, and she couldn’t stuff it back in no matter what she tried…
“It’s alright, love…You’re almost there…”
“I-It really…h-hurts…”
“We can tell…” Raph griped…
“It’s worse…than that…” She replied, giving him a tired glare…
“It’s like…pushing a…watermelon…between your…legs…” She panted out.
“Ouch…”
“You think?”
The others were hovering around, worried for the gold-banded turtle, as Mizu encouraged her sister.
“Come on, Artie…Don’t give up…Keep it up…”
“You can do it, my daughter.”
“Yeah, you can do it, Artie!”
“Don’t be a quitter now!”
“We’re all here for you!”
With a final push and a silent scream, there was another sound in the lair…
The little baby turtle was born…
Mizu used a blade of water to cut the umbilical cord, and cleaned the little baby up a bit before wrapping a warm towel around it.
Don came to check the little one…
“It’s a baby girl…”
Still tired, Artemis reached out for her child, and the little bundle was handed over.
The little turtle was the same jade color as her mother, with a cute little sweetheart-shaped top on her plastron.
She had large crimson eyes, and reached up for her mother with little three-fingered hands…
“She’s adorable…” Artemis breathed, nuzzling her daughter…
Leo gently took the baby as his mate tried to rest now, and looked down at the little child.
She looked so SMALL in his arms, in the large blanket…
The little baby looked up at him curiously, as if trying to understand who he was…
Then a cute grin spread across the little green face, and she reached up to take hold of his large finger.
A sputtering giggle, and the baby seemed to tire, yawning loud enough to almost make her jaw crack…
“What do you want to call her, love?”
Leo looked thoughtfully at the dozing little girl…
HIS little girl…
“…Angela…”
Artemis smiled, nodding…
“I like that…Angela…”
“It’s Italian, right?” Chi wondered.
“Yeah…for angel…” Kasai replied.
The two new parents relaxed now, knowing their family had grown…
And how fiercely they were going to protect their newest member...
Mitsukai seemed to roar in agreement, and both seemed to have a good time giggling.
“Ha-Ha…Good one, love…”
“I try.”
The jade-skinned turtle smiled, and slid into meditation again…
Three months of practice made it second nature…
She felt something was coming…
Not sure what it was, exactly…
But a darker feeling overpowered whatever it was…
Something bad was going on…
“Love, something’s wrong…”
“What is it?”
“Something’s going on with the others…I think they’re hurt…”
Leo turned to look at her, seeing the lightly-glowing arrows on her skin…
“We need to go.”
Artemis stood up, her fully-expanded belly nearly making her teeter as she climbed onto Mitsukai’s back.
“…NOW would be nice, love.”
“But we still aren’t done…”
“You have learned all you can right now. You must go.”
Leo nodded, jumping onto the Sky Bison’s head before she took off, speeding into the air towards home…
‘I hope we’re not too late…’
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Landing in a dark alley to keep Mitsukai out of sight, the couple headed down into the sewers to get home.
Artemis was worried, almost panicked with it, though Leo managed to keep her reined in.
However, nothing could have stopped her panic when she saw the gaping hole that used to be their front door…
“No…”
Running forward as well as she could, the gold-banded took in the sight of the destroyed lair…
Scorch marks, boulders strewn on the floor, wet walls…
“Leo…”
“Oh no…”
Leo had his weapons drawn as he looked at the destruction, when Artemis perked…
“Love?”
“What?”
“Something’s here…”
A large robot landed, having jumped from the second floor, and both turtle’s glared hotly.
“The Foot…”
Leo jumped in, and Artemis used bricks to latch the feet to the ground.
Unable to move, the glass protecting the goon was cut to bits before air knocked the metal contraption onto its back.
The blue-masked turtle grabbed the man by his shirt, looking deadly serious.
“My family. Where are they?”
“You’ll get nothing from me!”
The click of a button, and the whole robot began to convulse…
Leo jumped off, pulling Artemis out the door to be safe from the explosion…
“We need some answers…”
“I think I know where we can get some…”
They managed to contact Angel, and had her send a note to April via pizza box.
Waiting on the rooftop across the street, Artemis fidgeted a bit in nervousness.
They’d left Mitsukai in the warehouse because of her large size, but the gold-banded turtle didn’t want her to get ambushed…
“Love, I’m sure they’re okay…”
“I know…I…I still feel them…”
The purple-haired girl stepped out of Second Time Around, and put the pizza box into the telephone booth beneath them…
Once Leo managed to bring it up to them, he opened the cardboard.
Both were met with a familiar sign, cracked, that read ‘Home Sweet Sewer’.
It was Mikey’s…
A note was there as well, and the jade-skinned turtle got the gist of it…
‘Karai told her that the others were killed…’
“She’s a lying bitch…”
Crimson eyes locked with brown…
“I’m not showing her any mercy this time, Leo.”
“…I know…Me, too…”
“Then let’s go find them.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leo had decided to swim through the Hudson river on his own, since his mate was in no condition to do so, and she waited for him on the sandy shore.
He came back with an air tank, and dropped it next to her…
“…It’s nearly empty.” She noted.
“And the Shell Sub’s wrecked.”
“Donnie won’t be happy to hear that…”
Leo sighed, piecing everything together…
“If Don managed to make it to the surface…They would have come up right about here…And would have headed to the pier for shelter.”
“Then let’s check there first.” Artemis agreed, following her lover.
She stopped beside buildings, putting a hand on a wall to sense vibrations…
When the she-turtle paused, sensing something, Leo nodded and lifted her up into his arms.
Jumping inside through a busted skylight, they searched the gloom…
“Guys? Guys, it’s us! Where are you?”
…
“Artie?”
Whirling around, the jade-skinned turtle was greeted with the sight of Don, Master Splinter, and a semi-conscious Kasai…
“Donnie! Sensei! Kasai! You’re all okay!”
That’s when she noticed the limp her brother had…
“Let me take care of that…”
Bringing water to her hands, she helped ease the pain and reset the twisted ankle he had.
“Thanks, Artie…”
“No problem.”
“It’s good to see you guys again…” Kasai slurred, trying to wake up…
“Same here, sis…”
“We need to get you three out of here before anymore Foot show up.” Leo stated.
They managed to get into the sewers, Leo hefting Kasai on his back as Artemis tried to help Master Splinter, when she realized where they were…
“Aren’t we under Central Park?”
“Yeah.”
The blue-banded turtle was looking intently for something, and seemed satisfied when he found a boarded up doorway.
He managed to pull away some boards so the door could open, and everyone stepped onto the suspended walkway on the other side.
The whole place was rather large and spacious…
“This should do for now.”
“This looks like one of the earlier pumping stations for the reservoir. I think I’ve seen it on some of the old city planning maps.” Don noted, whistling.
“VERY nice…”
“Leonardo, Artemisia, now that Donatello and I are safe-.”
“Already on it.” Artemis assured.
“We’ll find them. And I’ll send Mitsukai here to keep you guys company.”
Leo led her back to the sewers around the lair, where the found the remains of a blown-up Tunneler…
“Donnie will DEFINITELY not be happy now…”
Something caught her eye…
“Footprints…”
“Several yards from the wreckage…Either Raph or Mikey.”
Stepping through a hole in the wall, they found a bag of cat food, a broken plate, and a comic…
“Mikey…”
Leo was concentrating again, and the crimson-eyed turtle kept quiet until he started walking again…
It seemed like someone was watching them, and the she-turtle smiled when she realized who it was…
“Chi, long time no see.”
“Artie?”
The petite girl relaxed…
“Yeah, it’s been a while…”
The Earthbender was sitting beside a sleeping Mikey, who had a hissing Klunk on his shell…
“It’s alright, Klunk…” Leo soothed, patting the kitten until he relaxed…
Chi shook her boyfriend awake, and he groggily sat up, looking around…
“Leo? Artie?” He slurred.
“That’s us.”
“I had the strangest dream…” He continued as they helped him stand…
“You were there…and the Tin Man…and the Cowardly Lion…and the Grouchy Raph of the West…”
Both turtles smiled at their youngest brother’s imagination…
“It’s alright now, Mikey…”
“You’re going to be okay…”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Artemis was starting to tire from all the trips back and forth, but she couldn’t rest peacefully without her whole family safe and alive…
But that other feeling, the feeling that something IMPORTANT was coming…
It was coming back…
But the jade-skinned turtle pushed it to the back of her mind, intent on finding Raph and Mizu…
Crimson eyes blinked when she registered a trashed Battle Shell on the street…
“Shell Cycle tracks.” Leo noted.
“That’s definitely Raph’s helmet.” She agreed, and the blue-banded turtle ran to retrieve it.
He started concentrating a third time, and Artemis couldn’t help fidgeting…
Something was making her restless…
“The D train…Coney Island!”
The jade-skinned turtle pulled out her wings, offering a hand…
“Then lets go.”
Accepting the offer, Leo let her fly up into the air and head straight for Coney Island…
When the train tracks came into view near the amusement park, the brown-eyed turtle told her to land so they could search for Raph and Mizu.
A soda can was thrown from behind a support…
“Want to make it a bit more obvious, tough guy?”
A sai glinted, but the red-banded turtle paused when he realized who it was…
“Princess?”
Another figure popped up…
“Artie? ARTIE!”
Mizu ran to hug her friend, her sister, and Artemis happily returned the gesture.
“Been way too long, hasn’t it?”
“Yeah…Ya sure got bigger, princess…”
“Shut up, Raph…And everybody’s okay.” She added before Raph could worry.
“…I’m glad yer both back…”
“So are we.”
“Let’s head back to the others…”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They got home with a grumpy Raph, and everyone was happily reunited…
Well, everyone but RAPH was happy…
He was still miffed that Kasai had gotten hurt and their home destroyed…
“Nothing is permanent. We must learn to flow with change.” Leo advised.
“It seems Leonardo has learned a thing or two from the Ancient One…Yes…I can see it in your eyes…In both your eyes…”
Artemis smiled proudly.
“I have my children back…”
His expression turned grim, seeing something else…
“And I can see something else…You must be careful…she will be well-guarded…and her skills are much improved…”
The crimson-eyed turtle nodded, standing straighter.
“And so have mine.”
“Come on, love…”
The couple headed for the door…
“We’re going to get some food and supplies. We’ll be back.”
Artemis was glad she could still fly without hurting herself…
Stopping across the street from the Foot headquarters, she waited for Leo to catch up…
“Love, are you sure you want to do this?”
“She’s gone too far this time. I can’t…I can’t just sit back and let this go unpunished.”
“…Promise me you won’t risk anything…”
“I promise. I’ll Earthbend her into the ground…”
“Just don’t do anything you’ll regret.”
“I won’t.”
She flew forward on silent wings, and Leo used a hook and rope to follow her inside.
It was actually rather easy for them…
Taking the plaque Mikey had loved so much, Artemis threw it like a shuriken so it struck the pedestal of a jade statue of Oroku Saki.
It caught Karai’s attention…
“Hello, Karai…”
The kunoichi seemed surprised that Artemis had gotten so close…
“We got your message…”
“Impressive. Security here is pretty…tight…But here you two are…undetected…”
“So you decided to become the new Shredder?”
“Yes. And your doom.”
Karai placed the Shredder helmet on her head, turning to face the pregnant she-turtle.
“Will you be honorable and fight me alone, kunoichi?”
“Of course. But I feel bad…”
The jade-skinned turtle smirked…
“I mean, you’re all alone against me. That doesn’t seem fair for you.”
“You are a fool!”
Artemis looked calm as the katana came for her, and side-stepped the blade calmly…
Neutral jing…
Waiting…
Waiting for the perfect moment to strike…
“Why do you not fight me? Why do you not attack?” Karai demanded.
“Because you’re not worth it.”
“Why you-!”
No matter how hard the older kunoichi tried, she couldn’t manage to land a blow…
Artemis seemed to have fun torturing her opponent in such a way, dancing away from blows…
Lighter-footed than she seemed…
But then that urgent feeling struck again, and the crimson-eyed turtle decided to end it…
A column of earth struck the new Shredder onto the ground…
“I hope you’ve learned a lesson.”
Fiery eyes seemed to burn straight through green…
“Don’t mess with my family, and don’t mess with me. Or next time, I’ll actually try.”
Artemis stepped away, heading for Leo, when water flew up, slashing the head off the statue…
“Maybe you’ll take the warning your father kept ignoring…”
She disappeared into the shadows of the room, and escaped with her mate.
Leo managed to get Chinese food and some medical supplies and blankets his lover insisted on.
The trip back was slow, since Artemis was feeling strange pains, but everyone beamed when they got back.
“Chinese food for breakfast?” Mikey wondered…
“…Works for me!”
“We checked this out, sensei. It’s rather safe. Maybe we could stay here…fix it up a bit…”
Splinter nodded, when…
Artemis’s eyes widened, and she stopped reaching for a carton…
“Love?”
“L-Leo…”
She tried to keep her voice steady…
“My water just broke…”
Silence as everyone’s eyes widened…
Chi and Raph had the first thing to say…
“Shit…”
Mizu snapped out of her daze at this, and jumped into action.
“Donnie, you and Kasai go heat up some water. Mikey, get those clean blankets and lay them on the ground. Chi, help Leo lift Artemis onto them, and keep a blanket for the baby. Raph, get a bucket for the water.”
Once Artemis was settled, the Waterbender positioned her correctly as Mikey held a blanket.
Raph was fidgeting, so the blue-eyed girl decided to give him something to do.
“Leo. Raph. Both of you hold her hands. Once she starts feeling contractions and starts pushing, she’ll squeeze as hard as she can, alright?”
Both nodded, and Don brought the hot water over.
“Wet some rags and put them on her face. She’ll sure need it…”
“Alright, sweetheart.”
Everyone was worried, but the first ones to know the contractions were coming were Leo and Raph…
Both agreed afterwards that she had one SHELL of a grip…
Mizu seemed a bit surprised…
“She’s almost fully dilated already…This baby’s coming fast…”
“Could ya tell it ta come faster?” Raph ground out, feeling like his hand was going to snap…
Artemis was biting back cries of pain, and was panting with the effort as Leo tried to soothe her…
“Alright, I’m ready…Time to push, Artie…”
The she-turtle did just that, head falling back as she pushed with all her strength…
The pain was becoming too much…
“It’s crowning…”
A cry found its way out of her throat, and she couldn’t stuff it back in no matter what she tried…
“It’s alright, love…You’re almost there…”
“I-It really…h-hurts…”
“We can tell…” Raph griped…
“It’s worse…than that…” She replied, giving him a tired glare…
“It’s like…pushing a…watermelon…between your…legs…” She panted out.
“Ouch…”
“You think?”
The others were hovering around, worried for the gold-banded turtle, as Mizu encouraged her sister.
“Come on, Artie…Don’t give up…Keep it up…”
“You can do it, my daughter.”
“Yeah, you can do it, Artie!”
“Don’t be a quitter now!”
“We’re all here for you!”
With a final push and a silent scream, there was another sound in the lair…
The little baby turtle was born…
Mizu used a blade of water to cut the umbilical cord, and cleaned the little baby up a bit before wrapping a warm towel around it.
Don came to check the little one…
“It’s a baby girl…”
Still tired, Artemis reached out for her child, and the little bundle was handed over.
The little turtle was the same jade color as her mother, with a cute little sweetheart-shaped top on her plastron.
She had large crimson eyes, and reached up for her mother with little three-fingered hands…
“She’s adorable…” Artemis breathed, nuzzling her daughter…
Leo gently took the baby as his mate tried to rest now, and looked down at the little child.
She looked so SMALL in his arms, in the large blanket…
The little baby looked up at him curiously, as if trying to understand who he was…
Then a cute grin spread across the little green face, and she reached up to take hold of his large finger.
A sputtering giggle, and the baby seemed to tire, yawning loud enough to almost make her jaw crack…
“What do you want to call her, love?”
Leo looked thoughtfully at the dozing little girl…
HIS little girl…
“…Angela…”
Artemis smiled, nodding…
“I like that…Angela…”
“It’s Italian, right?” Chi wondered.
“Yeah…for angel…” Kasai replied.
The two new parents relaxed now, knowing their family had grown…
And how fiercely they were going to protect their newest member...