Disclaimer: I don't own those righteous dudes. But I'd love to right for the comic or even the show, if anyone wants to put that bug in their ear for me.
A/N: Okay so this is still part of my ongoing series. So, a couple quick points to remember. The guys are around twenty eight here, they aren't kids anymore. Which also means Splinter is very old. In the original series he looked to be around fifty when he first found them.
And yes, this fic is primarily for Leo, but the first three chapter will be very sad and I do suggest a box of tissue in places. After that things are going to pick up a bit. So be patient and don't be angry. The first few chapters are essential to setting up the rest of the story. So, just hang in there.
Sarah woke to a strange sensation. A voice in the back of her mind said there was something wrong within the walls of her home. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was only slightly earlier than she normally rose and so she switched off the alarm. Her first instinct was to check on her spouse and child. Sitting up, she gazed down at Donnie. He was sleeping soundly.
Slipping from the bed, she put on her robe and shoes. Sarah quietly opened the door and stepped out into the silent lair. She paused beside Mira's doorway, before leaving. Her daughter's steady breathing let her know she was also sleeping soundly.
She turned away from Raph and Cat's bedroom, and towards the living room. She walked quietly passed the room Kala and Mikey now shared. She paused there, stretching out her senses, until she turned towards Splinter's room. Normally she wouldn't have disturbed him, but her feeling of uneasy was growing.
Donnie jerked awake as he was suddenly filled with fear and grief. In the next room, Mira stirred as well. His young daughter had obviously also felt the flood of emotion through her empathic powers. "Mama? Daddy?"
Donnie glanced at the empty space beside him. He already knew his mate was not there. Making his way to the entrance to Mira's room, he found her already coming around the door. "It's alright, sweetie. I'll go check on Mom. You go back to bed." He gently guided her back to her bed and covered her up. He kissed her round head. "Go back to sleep, okay?" Mira nodded and cuddled the old teddy Mikey had given her.
Donnie left the bedroom pulling the door to but not shut. Glancing around he could tell no one was up and nothing seemed out of place. As he made his way through the lair, he noticed the light from Splinter's room. Something deep inside him twisted into a knot. His father had been sick of late and had spent the last few days in his room mostly sleeping. Now he wondered if it had been more than a simple illness. As he approached the shoji screen, he could make out the small shape of his wife, kneeling on the floor. The screen was already partially ajar and so he slid it the rest of the way.
Sarah was kneeling beside Splinter, one of his hands was pressed between hers as she rubbed the back of it gently on her cheek. Tears poured down her face, dampening the sleeve of his kimono. When she turned to look at him, the pit of his stomach twisted even tighter. Slowly he approached and knelt beside her, afraid to see what she was seeing. But as he looked on the old rat, he was faced with the overwhelming truth.
The skin beneath his fur had gone from a slightly pinkish color to nearly gray. His breathing was shallow and when Donnie felt for his pulse, it too was very weak. Tears welled in his eyes. He was dying. What more could be said. Splinter had long out lived a normal rat's lifespan as well as many humans and was nearly eighty. It had been coming for a while, though none of them had ever spoken of it. Hoping as all children did, that their father would live forever.
Sarah leaned forward and placed a kiss on Splinter's brow, her tears landing in his coarse fur. "I love you, Father." Splinter's eyes opened slowly and he granted her a gentle smile. Even though he said nothing, she understood. She placed the hand she'd been cradling into Donnie's. "I'll get the others." She placed a soft kiss on her husband's cheek before she rose and left the room.
Sarah wasted no time as she rushed to Leo's room. She shook his shoulder. "Leo!"
He immediately woke. "Sarah? What is it?"
Sarah tried to speak around the lump growing in her throat. "Splinter." Leo didn't have to guess at what she meant. He was out of the bed in a matter of seconds. Sarah turned and hurried down the lair to Raph's room. She banged on the door, not afraid that it might irritate him that he was disturbed. "Raph! Raph, you have to hurry!"
Inside there was a curse and footsteps pounded the floor. The door was swung open. One look at Sarah's tear stained face, sent him running down the hall. A moment later Cat appeared in her t-shirt and shorts. "What's going on?"
Sarah took her sister-in-law by the hand and led her back towards Splinter's room. She paused to knock at Mikey's door. A moment later the door was opened and he blinked at her through sleepy eyes. He swallowed hard. "Sarah?" She nodded and he turned pale. Without further questioning he ran across the living room to his father's room.
Kala appeared and Sarah silently took her hand in her free one and led the two girls to the other side of the living room. They stopped there. They could see the shape of the four brothers bent over their father inside. Cat glanced at Sarah, who was wiping away her tears. "He doesn't have much time."
"Mama?" Sarah turned to find Mira, edging around the couch. "Why is everyone so sad?"
Sarah scooped the four year old into her arms, and held her tightly. "Your grandfather is very sick."
"Sofu? Are you going to give him medicine?"
Sarah shook her head, fighting back the tears again. "No, sweetheart, there is no medicine for what he has."
Inside the room, Splinter opened his eyes again. Donnie and Mikey knelt to his right, while Leo and Raph knelt to his left. "My sons, I am not long for this world." Tears were already streaming down the brothers' faces. Mikey choked back a sob, as his father's gaze landed on him. "Michelangelo, you of all my sons have the strongest of hearts, you are the binding force among your brothers. You must continue to be strong for them and remind them each of who they are."
Mikey nodded, barely able to speak. "Yes, Father."
Splinter turned his gaze to Raph, who was trembling. "Raphael, I am so proud of you, my son, - of what you have become. You have learned to temper your anger with compassion. Loving and receiving love in return. For this, you will only become stronger. Your brothers will need your strength and compassion in the coming days." Splinter took a ragged breath, gasping a bit.
Donnie placed a hand on his shoulder. "You should rest, Father."
Splinter turned his eyes to meet his gaze and Donnie swallowed hard. "No, I must speak now. Donatello, I have watched you grow immensely over the recent years. You have accomplished amazing things, while always keeping our family first. Remember, that as you put others first, do not forget your own needs."
Donnie nodded. "Yes, Father."
Splinter turned his head to his eldest. "That is also true of you, my son. You now wear a great burden as head of our family, but as you face it do not forget that your brothers will bear it with you. You have learned all that I can teach you, Leonardo. You have mastered the way of Bushido. Of that, you should be proud, as I am."
Leo bowed deeply. "Yes, Father."
Splinter looked around at the four brothers. "I love you all, my sons." They each in turn, expressed their love for him –their father, their teacher. Just then a pair of tiny feet came through the open shoji screen.
Donnie caught Mira as she tried to get around him. "Sofu?" Sarah had followed her in, trying to catch the runaway tot. Now she stood quietly behind them. She was reluctant to deny her daughter an opportunity to see her grandfather one last time.
Splinter's eyes rested on the small turtle for a moment before he spoke. "Mirakuru…"
"Sofu, why is everyone sad?"
Splinter's lips lifted just a hair. Mira reminded him so much of his sons when they were small. "Because they love me."
"I love you too, Sofu." Mira pulled away from her father to bend and kiss her grandfather on the cheek.
"And I you, little one." Splinter took another ragged breath and closed his eyes. "I must rest now."
Sarah took Mira by the hand and guided her back out of the room, touching her spouse's shoulder warmly as she left.
The four brothers kept vigil over their father as his breathing grew shallower and shallower. When it finally ceased, no more than half an hour later, Mikey buried his face in his hands and sobbed. Donnie wrapped his arms around his little brother, letting his own tears flow freely. Leo pulled the sheet up to cover his father's head. Then held Raph's hand as the two eldest cried silent tears of their own.
Over the next few hours, one by one the turtles left their post at their father's side. The first to emerge was Mikey. He didn't speak to anyone instead he crawled into his bed and continued to cry. Kala had followed him, shutting their door and comforting him as best she could. Another hour passed and Donnie emerged. He found Sarah sitting with Mira on the couch. Cat sat nearby on the adjacent sofa.
Mira jumped up as her father entered. Sarah stood and embraced him. He sighed, resting his head on her shoulder. They did not need words their bond pulsed with their shared grief and heartache.
"Daddy, is Sofu going to be okay?" Mira's innocent question made tears want to spring to his eyes again.
Donnie sat down and pulled his child into his lap. "No, Mira. He won't. He has gone on to heaven."
"Why did he go? Will he come back?" Mira's large brown eyes looked between her parents' distraught faces for answers.
Sarah sat beside her husband and placed a warm hand on his arm, as she spoke to their little girl. "No, sweetheart, when someone dies and goes to heaven they can't come back."
Tears began to well in those innocent eyes. "But you can make him better, Daddy, if he's sick. You can fix him."
Donnie swallowed hard, trying his best to keep the sob out of his voice. "No, Mira. I can't."
Mira's bottom lip began to tremble as tears began to flow. Sarah rubbed gently on her little head as she spoke. "Mira, honey, there are things even your daddy can't fix." The little turtle began to sob in truth now as she understood she would not be seeing her grandfather again. Sarah wrapped her arms around them both as they comforted their child.
Cat swiped at the tears that streamed down her own cheeks as she stood and began pacing. She had known Splinter for the least amount of time but it didn't mean they had not grown close in the last few years. He had always shown her kindness. And now as she listened to little Mira cry, she was reminded of the day her parents had died. She had not been much older than the little turtle and even now that loss still hurt some. She walked towards the doorway just as Raph stepped from Splinter's room.
Raph looked at her and then away. She went to him, but he caught her shoulders and held her away from him. "I…I need to be alone right now."
Cat nodded. "I'm here for you, when you're ready." He nodded as well. Then he left her for the dojo. Within a few moments the sound of a punching bag being beaten echoed through the lair.
Inside Splinter's room, Leo still knelt. He felt like he should say something or do something, but he had no idea what. Every time he heard Raph hit the punching bag, he cringed. He knew exactly how his brother felt – helpless, broken. Perhaps he should have done more to prepare himself for this moment; more to prepare his brothers. They were his responsibility fully now. How was he ever going to fill his father's shoes?
Would he be able to keep his family safe, especially as it grew? Would he be able to give their future generation, what their own father had given them? Mira needed a safe place to grow up. And if his brothers decided to have children, they too would need this world that Splinter had so lovingly created.
Leo sat for a long time, contemplating all the things that Splinter had taught him - all the rules that they had broken as children, all the training he had given them, all the love he had shown them. He didn't know how long he'd sat there, but when the blanket was laid across his shoulders he realized the lair had grown quiet and dark. Sarah knelt beside him. She sat quietly with him for a long time before speaking. "Leo, I know this doesn't sound like much. But we are here with you. Don't forget that. You're not the only one that lost someone they loved today and you're not the only one in pain. We know how you feel, because we are feeling it too." She took his hand. "So, don't push us away. Lean on us, draw strength from us, from your brothers. Alone we are weak, but together we are strong."
Leo gave her a small smile. "Thanks."
Sarah set a hand on the cold, still form. "You'll have to decide what you want to do with his remains soon." She withdrew her hand. "I won't tell you to go to bed. I know you won't sleep anyways." She placed a warm kiss on his cheek before rising to leave.
"Sarah?" She turned back to look at him from the doorway. "I'm glad you're here. Splinter was too."
She gave him a gentle smile before leaving. Leo again was left to his thoughts. Night became day as he held his vigil. At last he rose, his feet and legs were numb and his throat was dry. He stumbled into the kitchen to get a glass of water, not bothering with the lights until he reached the kitchen. He poured himself a large glass and glanced at the clock. It was nearly seven thirty in the morning. He wondered if his brothers would be able to get up or if he'd have to force them to. He considered this as he took his drink into the living room.
As he flipped on the lights, he gave a start. April was sleeping on one of the couches. She must've arrived sometime yesterday.
She lifted her head. "Leo?"
"What are you doing, April?" He asked.
She sat up, looking down at her hands in her lap. "I didn't want to leave you guys. I wanted to be here for you." She stood and hugged him. "I'm so sorry, Leo."
He returned the hug. He knew his old friend was hurting just as bad as he. "When did you get here?"
"I came as soon as Cat called me, maybe about noon yesterday."
He looked at her in surprise. "You were here all day yesterday. Why didn't you…?" He gestured to Splinter's room.
She shook her head. "I didn't want to disturb you."
"You have a right as much as the rest of us to say goodbye."
"I will, but first is there anything I can do for you guys? Anything at all?"
Leo sipped his water. "Well, there is something. I was thinking, maybe we should take Splinter's remains to your farm so we can properly cremate him."
Tears shimmered in April's eyes. "Leo, I would be honored."
He sighed as he sat beside her on the sofa. "I also think I want to take him home."
April blinked. "Home?"
"To Japan, to his family's burial grounds."
"What!" Raph roared from behind them.
A/N: -dodging rotten tomatoes- Alright I know it really sucks that Splinter dies but as I said its necessary. -dodges more rotten vegetables- Please don't forget to review if you're not too mad.
