All We Have is Right Now
A/N: Hey, it took me long enough, but I finally decided to put this story up. This story came right out of the season finale and is a look at what might have happened if Leo hadn't survived the Technodrome crash. I hope you guys enjoy it.
Disclaimer: TMNT and everything that goes with it belongs to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot of the story.
Summary: A chilling look at what might have happened if Leo hadn't survived the Technodrome crash.
The Turtles rejoiced as they made it out of the Technodrome, but Raph wasn't in the mood for celebrating. He wanted to go back in there and get his brother, but it was too late. Suddenly, the Technodrome crashed into the water with a huge splash.
"Leo!" Mikey cried. "Noooo! I can't believe he's gone!"
April hugged Don as he murmured his brother's name.
Raph waited to see if Leo would surface. He waited to see his brother swimming toward them, laughing at how the joke was on them and ready to celebrate their victory. He scanned the water and kept on waiting to see if Leo would join them.
But he never came to them.
"Raph, we have to go," Don told him.
"No, I'm not leavin' without our brother," Raph said staunchly. "He has to be around here. Maybe he got washed up on shore or somethin'."
"You know if there was the slightest chance of that, he would have let us know by now," Don pointed out. "He'd never leave us waiting like this."
Raph knew Don was right, yet he didn't want to believe that Leo would die. It just wasn't like him to do anything like that. "Okay, but we have to get his body," he said. "We can't just leave it here."
"This water is too expansive, and I don't think we'd be able to find it," Don told him. "We can try again later, okay? For now, we need to go home and tell Splinter."
A pang hit Raph at the thought of what their father would say when he found out his eldest had died to save them. He'd already lost his wife and daughter, and now he had lost a son. It would crush him, but they knew they couldn't keep it from him. It wasn't right.
Nodding, Raph waited until the pod hit the shore before they all climbed out and went to the Lair, their hearts heavy with their grief. Splinter wasn't there yet, so they just sat on the couch and told Kirby what had happened. He gave them his condolences, but even that didn't help. Raph went to Leo's room and stared at it. No one would occupy it now. He saw the Space Heroes posters and the figurines that adorned his brother's shelves. Some of those figures were form his brothers. Raph remembered how he'd condemned Leo's love of Space Heroes, but he'd give anything to hear Leo spout one of Captain Ryan's lame speeches before heading into battle. How empty their lives would be without their big brother.
Mikey came to the door and said, "Raph, Splinter's back."
Raph sighed and made his way to his sensei's room. This was a task Leo usually did as leader of the team, but now Raph had taken up that mantle. Could he even lead in his brother's place? He remembered the last time he'd tried and how horribly it had gone. What if he got them killed?
Splinter turned as Raph entered his room and was surprised that it was not the son he expected. As soon as he saw his son's expression, he knew something was wrong. "Raphael, what has happened?" he asked.
"Sensei, Leo's gone," Raph replied. "He went down with the Technodrome. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen to me."
Splinter's eyes filled with tears at Raph's words. "Leonardo," he whispered and bowed his head. Then he looked up at his second oldest son. "Were you able to recover a body?"
"Not yet, but Don said we could try maybe tomorrow," Raph answered. "But if we don't find him, then there's nothing we can do about it. I just wish there had been another way. Why did he have to be so stupid?"
"He was not being stupid, Raphael," Splinter said gently. "Your brother was brave and made a noble sacrifice for all of you. You should be proud of him."
"Well, I'm not!" Raph spat. "He got himself killed for nothing. He was selfish for leavin' us without a leader. None of us can fill that spot, Sensei. You know I can never do it."
"That is not true, Raphael," Splinter told him. "When I was choosing a leader, I did consider the possibility that any of you could lead, but I chose Leonardo because I saw something in him that made him fit for the position. He gave me that reason, but while I did not tell him the truth and told him that it was because he had asked, I knew the real reason was because he was meant to forge the four of you into the warriors you have become, and he has. I believe that you can take his place, Raphael, and that Leonardo's spirit will guide you along the way. You must do this for your brother, Raphael. He would want you to lead. Will you at least try?"
Raph thought about it and figured Splinter was right. Leo would want him to try his best, and he would do it for Leo at any cost. "Hai, Sensei," he said softly. "I'll do my best."
"That is all I ask of you, my son," Splinter said. "Now, we must go join your brothers."
"So, what happened to you, Sensei?" Raph asked him.
"I learned some things from Shredder that I did not know about before," he answered. "But that can wait for another time. For now, we must mourn Leonardo and celebrate his life."
They found Mikey, Donnie, April, and Kirby in front of the television as the news played. But when the news was over, Mikey flipped to the shows that had been recorded and saw the final episode of Space Heroes, an episode Leo had never gotten to finish.
"Hey, let's just watch this," he said. "I think Leo would want us to."
Normally, Raph would have rolled his eyes at the thought, but he made no objections this time, so Mikey played the episode.
They watched as Captain Ryan told his crew to leave, feeling a sense of déjà vu that Leo had told them the exact same thing. Then they watched as Captain Ryan went down with his ship as the crew looked on from afar. There was a pause as Crankshaw bowed his head and said, "Farewell, Captain Ryan." Then the show ended with the crew looking on at the water before the credits played.
Raph clenched his fists. "This can't be right!" he cried. "It just can't end that way!"
"Raph, it's just a cartoon," Mikey soothed.
"But he died just like Leo did," Raph said. "He didn't get to live, and neither did our brother. I hate Captain Ryan and I hate Leo. I hate him!"
"Raph, you don't mean that," Don said softly.
"The hell I don't," Raph growled. He shook his fist to the sky. "You hear that, Leo? I hate you! I hate you!" He kept yelling it until the weight of his grief made him collapse and he began to sob. "I can't do this, bro!" he cried. "I just can't!" He felt his brothers kneeling beside him as they tried to soothe him, but it didn't work. Nothing could erase the feelings he felt at that moment. He just wished it wasn't real.
22222
With a gasp, Raphael sat up in bed. He felt his cheeks and noticed they were wet with tears. What had just happened? He looked around his room and saw he was in bed. Had Leo really died? He leapt out of bed and hurried to his brother's room, prepared to see it empty wit no one there. As he approached, he saw his brother lying in bed, the covers tucked around him. Was he alive, or was he really gone? He had to find out.
Raph crept up to his brother's side and began shaking him. "Leo, wake up," he begged. "Please wake up. Show me you're okay."
Leo stirred and was startled to see his brother there. "Raph, what's wrong?" he asked. "Did something happen?"
Raph breathed a sigh of relief. "Leo, you're okay," he whispered.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Raph," Leo answered. "What's this all about?"
The tears spilled down Raph's cheeks as he told Leo about the dream. "I dreamed you were dead, Leo," he sobbed. "You were gone, and I couldn't save you."
A tender look crossed Leo's face, and he pulled Raph into a strong embrace. "It's okay, Raph," he soothed. "It was just a dream. I'm right here. I'm here, bro, and I'm not dead. Don't cry." He continued to soothe his brother until Raph's sobs quieted then planted a kiss to his cheek.
"Don't do that to me again, Leo," Raph whispered. "I don't want to lose you."
"Raph, look at me," Leo commanded. Raph obeyed, his green eyes fixed on Leo's dark blue ones. "I can't guarantee that I won't sacrifice myself for you guys again, but I'll do my best to stick around as long as I can. We can't worry about the future all the time. All we have is right now, Raph, and that's what we need to concentrate on. I'm not dead, and none of the others are either. We're all here and we're gonna stick together through everything, okay? Let's just take it one day at a time."
"I know that, Leo, but I can't help but think about what might have happened," Raph told him. "I keep picturing you goin' down with the Technodrome and not comin' back."
"But I did come back, Raph," Leo told him. "Any time you have that dream, just tell yourself that I made it and that I'm here for you. You can even come in here and sleep if you want. Just don't be afraid anymore, little brother. I'll always be here."
"Okay, Leo, I'll try," Raph promised. "Hey, if you did...you know…die, would you want me to take your place?"
"There's no one I'd rather take my place than you, Raph," Leo told him. "You'd make a good leader."
Raph snorted. "Yeah, we saw how that went before," he grumbled.
"Yeah, but that was just one time," Leo told him. "I think that you could do it, and you know what? I think I'm gonna start showing you how to lead so that if anything happens to me, you'll be able to do it without any worries. Does that sound good?"
Raph nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like a plan," he answered. "I love you, bro."
"I love you, too, Raph," Leo replied as he gave his brother another hug. "Now, hop on in so we can get some sleep. We've got training tomorrow, and I have a feeling Sensei won't let us off the hook even if we did save the world."
Raph laughed and joined his brother, happy that he had someone he could count on to have his back. He was thankful Leo had been spared and that he would still be there to lead them on whatever adventures they had next. Leo tucked the Space Heroes blanket around him and Raph drifted off to sleep with his brother's arms around him, savoring his brother's touch and knowing that at the end of the day, Leo would always be there for him.
The End
A/N: So, that's my take on what happened during the season finale or a possible scenario. I loved the season finale and can't wait for season two. I have another bunny based on the finale that I hope to get out soon, too. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.