words in italics are flashbacks, words in normal print are current day events, unfolding as the story does.
one day down in the sewers of new york city there was a small family finding themselves rather concerned for the father of the family as he laid in his bed coughing extremely harshly, they did not yet know it but this would turn out to be his last night on the planet. as the family began to realise that their father wasn't going to last the night they began to get upset however the father, a rat named splinter, heard their tears and knew what was to happen so he began to think back over his life and found himself wondering how had this all begun? and he allowed himself to drift into his memories.
as splinter walked through the sewers one day he heard noises in the sewers not far from him and as he had four young children to protect he decided that he should check it out to ensure that the noises wasn't caused by someone who would wish harm on him and his children and began to slowly walk to the tunnel where the noise was coming from. as splinter found the tunnel that the noises were coming from he carefully looked in only to see a large mutant being tortured by three men with electric zappers and while at first splinter held back he then realised that with so few mutants he should look after his own kind and he charged for the men, smashing into them all then he quickly realised they were robots so he disabled the robotic parts and only moments later he heard the other mutant growling as it began to wake up so splinter ran to its side to determine if it was badly injured.
as splinter opened his eyes and stopped sinking into his memories he saw that the door was opened slightly so he said "who is it?" but his voice was harsh from the coughing and illness raging through his system but then he heard a little voice say "it's me grandpa, can we come in?" and splinter said "of course little cody, can you ask your other grandfather to bring me some water please?" and with that the young boy in the doorway nodded then ran off. as everyone came into splinters room and began to come around his bed he heard his son say "you can fight this right dad?" then splinter said "not this time, leatherhead has brought me as much time as he can" and at this leatherhead said "he is dying boys, i feel it will not be long before he is gone either" then he held his husband's hand and helped him to settle down a little as splinter once again let himself drift off into his memories.
as splinter stood outside the entrance to leatherheads home he felt his heart pounding as he thought through what he wanted to say to leatherhead one more time and soon he walked in but as he did he caught sight of leatherhead who said "how can i help you splinter?" and this made him nervous again however splinter then began stammering and said "i wanted to ask you something leatherhead" so leatherhead said "what is it then?" but this made splinter nervous again and his eyes began to dart around the room, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest and he was getting increasingly sweaty but leatherhead could see this so he sat splinter down and gave him some water. as soon as splinter had calmed down a little leatherhead sat beside him and said "what made you nervous? what is it you need to say?" and this was when splinter knew he had a chance so he just blurted it out and said "i kind of love you, will you go on a date with me?" then he looked away but leatherhead said "oh splinter i would love to go on a date with you, where would you like to go?" and splinter said "well i was thinking i could make us a picnic to enjoy in this really nice clearing i know of in the forest nearby" so leatherhead said "that's a date then, tomorrow?" and splinter nodded then walked off. the next day when splinter awoke he had a spring in his step as he knew that he was going on his date with leatherhead and while his sons had at first disapproved of leatherhead and splinter going on a date as they were afraid the large gator might hurt their dad they had to admit that leatherhead made splinter a lot happier and later that day splinter went to leatherheads with a full picnic basket of food and only half an hour later they were sat in the sun enjoying their food but as the day went on and night began to draw in splinter said "we should be going home" so leatherhead took him back to the lair but before he went back to his home he said "you're not getting away without a kiss from me" then he pressed a hesitant kiss to splinters lips before smiling at him and walking away to his home.
as splinter once again opened his eyes he smiled as he remembered his memory of his and leatherheads first date but just then he launched into a coughing fit so leatherhead gently sat him forwards and rubbed his back then once the coughing had stopped splinter smiled at his husband but as splinter started to sit back he couldn't catch his breath so he leaned into leatherheads supporting arm again however even this didn't seem to help and leatherhead could see this so he said "one of you get his oxygen tank, he needs help with his breathing" so splinters daughter roxy dragged over the large canister and passed splinter the mask which he placed over his face and as he took the first gulp of oxygen he was grateful for the assistance with breathing as each breath seemed to be harder to take, like trying to breathe underwater. as splinter finally got his breathing under control he tried to remove the mask but leatherhead said "keep it on love, trust me, you need it" so splinter did but as he looked into the eyes of his family he didn't want to leave them all however he felt like he had no choice, his body was betraying him and he was already growing weaker, no longer able to fully move on his own as he had been able to only hours previously, he knew somehow that this night on earth would be his last, his suffering finally over so he said "my love, need rest" so leatherhead nodded then said "we will be right here when you wake" so splinter closed his eyes as he fell into a gentle sleep, drifting once more into his happiest memories.
as splinter woke up he was really happy and excited as it was finally the big day, his wedding, he was now sitting up in bed looking out of the window over the farmhouse where preparations had already begun to take shape for the wedding however just then splinter heard a knock at his door so he said "who is it?" and he heard a voice say "it's leo dad, i came to help you get ready" so splinter said "enter" and with this the door opened then leo said "how are you feeling today dad? i expect you're really excited, i can't believe leatherhead agreed to marry you" and splinter said "neither can i, i am feeling rather short of breath though" then he began to try and stand but leo said "relax dad, catch your breath first, for both of you" then he put his hand over his fathers swollen belly. as splinter felt leo's hand drift over his heavily pregnant belly he smiled and soon he was able to get up so leo helped splinter to dress himself in the suit they had specially made for him to expand as his waistline did with the pregnancy and later that day as splinter stepped into the tent to the wedding march everyone gasped at how good he looked and as he came up next to leatherhead splinter said "you look lovely" then leatherhead said "you more so darling" and with this the wedding began and only an hour later the person conducting the ceremony said "you may now kiss the groom" so leatherhead took splinter in a passionate kiss just like the first one they had shared then he also placed one hand to splinters bump where their first baby was almost ready to join their family.
as splinter woke up he saw his family all looking down on him so he said "what?" then he heard leatherhead say "it's alright love, just relax, you are getting weaker, try to rest" and this was when splinter realised how weak and tired he felt so he laid back on the pillows and once he was comfortable he looked around his bed at his small family, a family made up of his husband, four sons, two daughters and three grandkids. as splinter laid on the bed his family sat around sharing stories but soon splinter looked tired and leatherhead could tell that he was fading fast so he said "children this may your last chance, you may want to start saying your goodbyes" so one by one all six of splinters kids came to his side and said what they knew would be their final goodbye to their father, a man who they love with all their heart and didn't want to lose. once splinters kids were finished his grandson cody went first as he was the youngest and had the most to say and as he was sat on splinters bed he said "granddad please don't leave us, we have so much still to do, what about your promise? that you would always be here for me?" then splinter said "i will always be there for you, in here" then he pointed to cody's heart and this made the young boy smile so he slipped off of the bed and allowed his big sister to take his place and soon she too was finished leaving only the oldest of splinters grandchildren, a girl who was now nearly sixteen, but as she sat down splinter knew something was wrong so he said "can i have a moment with annie alone?" and leatherhead nodded then the others left with him. as soon as the others were gone annie said "what is it granddad?" and splinter said "i may be old and i may be dying but i know something is wrong, tell me about it?" so annie said "i'm scared granddad, i can't tell anyone else, they'll hate me" then she started crying silently so splinter pulled her into a hug then said "they will not, tell granddad?" so annie said "i got attacked granddad, they did this to me" then she slid her shirt up to reveal a large swelling which splinter knew was a pregnancy bump and as splinter took this in he said "oh love, you have to tell the others, i will support you but you look almost full term" then he called the others back in.
after weeks of feeling ill splinter finally went to leatherhead and said "love i have been feeling ill lately, can you do some tests for me?" then leatherhead said "of course my love, tell me what has been wrong" so splinter said "i have been losing weight recently and i have a small lump on my side, i am really worried leatherhead" so leatherhead said "it's alright love, i will find out what is wrong with you, i can treat anything" then he had splinter lay on a bed so he could begin his tests. a few hours later leatherhead went back his husband's side and said "love i know what is wrong with you, the results scare me too, i am sorry love" so splinter said "why? you said you could treat anything" and leatherhead said "i didn't expect this, there are only few things i cannot treat, this is one of them, you have cancer" and this floored splinter who said "what? no! it can't have" so leatherhead said "i am sorry love, you have terminal cancer of the stomach" then he started crying as he didn't want to lose the first person he had ever loved and the first who had shown him compassion.
as splinters family came back in they could see that he was strangely content so they took their places back at his side and leatherhead said "you are at peace aren't you?" then splinter said "yes, there is only one thing that needs to be addressed first" then he looked to annie so everyone else did as well and it was then that annie realised splinter was holding on only because he needed to know that someone else knew about her baby so she said "guys i need to tell you something, i was attacked and i'm pregnant" then everyone gasped and leatherhead said "that is why he still holds on and fights?" but then splinter gasped as he could hardly breathe and suddenly everyone knew that splinter had no reason to hold on now, his family was happy and had all said their last goodbyes so everyone stood around the bed and leatherhead held splinters hand. as leatherhead held splinters hand he could see that his husband was terrified so he said "it's alright love, do not fight it" but splinter was scared of dying and this was evident so leatherhead carefully laid next to his lover and cuddled him then splinter calmed down so leatherhead held his husband for what felt like an eternity as he breathing started to slow and soon splinter gently closed his eyes for the last time and as his whole family watched splinter let out his last breath, finally releasing his spirit from the mortal pain of his cancer ridden body. as everyone saw splinters chest no longer rise they looked to leatherhead who said "he is no longer in pain, he is gone" and as he said this they all began to cry as though they had prepared for his death it was still upsetting for them, it was so upsetting that annie suddenly doubled over clutching her stomach as she screamed in pain, her baby obviously coming.
as splinter and leatherhead sat in their bedroom only a week after learning about splinters cancer they heard a knock at the door so leatherhead said "come in" and the door opened to reveal donnie who said "papa, dad you should know that everything was successful, she's going to be fine" then splinter said "thank you donatello, i wish to speak with leatherhead alone now" so donnie nodded then left. as soon as donnie was gone leatherhead said "what is it babe? do you have another question about my diagnosis?" and splinter said "leatherhead i'm scared, i have a really big secret that i hid expertly, even from your tests" so leatherhead said "tell me love, it may interfere with my planned treatment" then splinter said "i'm pregnant, that's why i'm scared" so leatherhead took splinter into a hug and said "oh god love why didn't you say earlier? will you be keeping the baby?" then splinter gave a small nod before he said "you will have to look after the baby though, i will be too weak" so leatherhead smiled and said "of course love, i will just be happy to have a little bit of you" then he put his hand over splinters stomach. a few months later splinter had a really harsh episode where he found it extremely hard to breathe which was caused by the cancer but as he laid on his bed resting splinter could feel pain in his stomach but while he knew that this could be caused by the cancer his biggest concern was for the baby so he yelled "leatherhead something's wrong! i think it's the baby!" and at this leatherhead came running then he said "calm down love, i am here now" then he started to examine his husband but soon splinter could see that he was losing his positivity so he said "what is it leatherhead? is something wrong with the baby?" and leatherhead said "i cannot save it love, we have to do a surgery to remove it, the baby died but due to the cancer spreading you cannot naturally abort it" and as he said this splinter gave a small nod before he broke down crying.
as splinter was lifted out of his body he got the feeling of floating and for a few moments he could see his whole family and his body but then someone came up to him and said "you have a choice to make splinter, i can send you back to your family in an unconventional way or you can move on to the afterlife" then splinter said "no doubt, send me back to my family" and just then he saw annie double over in pain but before he could offer her some form of comfort in his ghostly form he felt himself falling towards his family and everything went black. as splinter opened his eyes he saw that he was surrounded by fluid and he realised that he was obviously in someone's womb but he then started to wonder who he was inside but then he felt something poke him and it hurt so he kicked out violently hard not caring that he was causing pain to someone he loved but only seconds later he felt a soothing hand over the outside of the stomach he was inside then he heard leatherheads voice saying "be calm my baby, i am only sorry your father could not meet you" and this was when splinter realised that he was in leatherheads womb, that he had made leatherhead pregnant and had been sent back as his own baby but he had never known that leatherhead was pregnant.