Yes, yes, I know I promised an update within a couple of days after the last one, and it has now been a week, but RL got crazy busy and I didn't have time to do either my final checks or upload the new chapter. Anyway, its here now, okay?

Oh, and my apologies if Raph seems a bit OOC from here onwards - its necessary for the plot. :) If you have any issues with my portrayal of other characters, please R&R, stating ideas for improvement. No flames please - they don't help at all.

DISCLAIMER: I still don't own TMNT :'(

Over the next week, he was determined to make it count. He tried to make sure none of his bros suspected anything was up, but he wanted to spend as much time with his family as possible. He trained with Leo, played video games with Mikey, tried some meditating with Master Splinter, and tried to spend time with Donny in his lab. He went out with Casey each night, and visited April. If anyone suspected anything was up, they didn't show it. They all just seemed to assume that he'd got tired of being anti-social. However, all too soon, the week was up.

Raph glanced at his clock. It was 11pm. He had already decided that he wouldn't leave a note – they'd only try to come after him. However, he had decided to leave a few things for his family. For Mikey, he left a drawing of him and Mikey holding hands – Mikey had drawn it when they were six years old, and Raph had kept it ever since. For Donny, Raph left the remote-control car Donny had fixed up and given to him for Christmas when they were ten. For Leo, Raph left a couple of wooden swords – he remembered how the two of them had played with them when they were younger. For Casey, Raph left a note saying that he could have the Shell-Cycle - he knew Casey would take care of it, and he'd always admired Raph's bike. For April, he left an origami lotus flower, because he knew how much she loved them, and for Master Splinter, he left his first red bandana, the one his sensei had given him when he started his ninja training. He took one final glance around his room, his home, before walking out into the main room.

As he passed Mikey's room, he glanced at his youngest brother, still wearing his orange mask even though he was asleep. He then walked past Donny and Leo's rooms, thinking sadly how this was the last time he would see his brothers. Tears pricked his eyes, blurring his vision. He quickly walked on, knowing that if he lingered there, he would never bring himself to leave, and that would spell disaster for his family. He didn't look into Master Splinter's chamber – he was such a light sleeper, he would sense Raphael's presence, and wake up. Silently, Raphael left the lair for the last time.

As promised, Karai was waiting for him on the roof when he arrived. "Ah, I see you have honoured our agreement."

Raph nodded, "I said I'd come, didn' I?"

Karai seemed to consider, then said, "Are you sure that this is what you want? Are you sure you are willing to sacrifice your own life in return for the protection of your family?"

"Without question," Raph growled. Karai nodded, and made a signal to her ninja. Before Raph could react, he felt a sharp pain, and his world went black.

Mikey's whistling could be heard from the kitchen as he cooked breakfast. After a few minutes, he yelled, "Hey, dudes! Breakfast's ready!" Leo, Donny, and Master Splinter all came and sat down at the table, but Raph did not. Master Splinter frowned,

"Where is Raphael?" Everyone shrugged at their sensei. He signed, "Michelangelo, go wake your brother, please." Mikey ran off to wake his older brother. A minute later, they heard a sob from Raph's room. They all ran over, thinking Raph must have hit Mikey for waking him. However, they found Mikey sobbing on the floor, clutching a piece of paper to his plastron.

"Mikey? What's wrong?" Donny asked, kneeling beside his younger brother. With trembling hands, Mikey showed Donny the now tear-stained picture he was holding.

"He's gone." He sobbed.

"We don't know that Mikey – maybe he's gone for a walk or something?" Donny knew that sounded totally lame, but he so wanted to console his brother. He then glanced at the other items laid out of Raph's hammock. His eyes fell on the remote control car – Donny's eyes filled with tears as he picked it up. "I can't believe he kept this – for all these years."

Leo eyed the swords, remembering the fun times he and Raph had had when they were little. They had been best friends back then. "Why would he go? Where would he go?" he thought. Then aloud, he looked at his father, who was holding a scrap of red cloth. "What's that, sensei?"

"It is Raphael's first bandana – the one I gave him when he first began his ninjitsu training." Before their eyes, Master Splinter seemed to age several years. Somehow, he knew his second oldest son had left them, but he couldn't think why.

"I'm calling April and Casey – they need to know," Leo said, dialling their number. "Who knows, they might even know where he is." However, Casey and April did not know where Raph was. When they came over, Leo handed them the things Raph had left for them.

"There's no way I'm havin' his bike!" Casey growled. He was hurt that his best friend had left without telling him. April said nothing, as she fingered the petals of the paper flower. It was folded roughly, so she could tell Raph had made it himself, which only made it the more special.

"So, what's the plan, guys?" she asked, looking especially at Leo. Leo remained silent.

"Well, we…er…we don't know where he's gone," Donny replied instead.

"Well, then, we better start looking." April took charge. After deciding who was going to check where, they all went out into the night to look for the missing mutant. A few hours later, they all met up back in the lair.

They looked at each other expectantly, each hoping that someone else had found something out. Mikey finally voiced the question everyone was too reluctant to ask, "Has anyone found anything?" His blue eyes began to fill with tears as everyone shook their heads. Donny put his arm around his shoulders, but Mikey shoved him off. "I don't want you – I want Raphie back!" Mikey ran into his room, and could be heard sobbing into his pillow. After a while, it went quiet – Mikey had evidently fallen asleep. Leo sighed – Raph, despite being a tough hothead, had always been close to Mikey. They had relied on each other – now Raph was gone, Mikey must feel so lost. What must Raph be thinking? He shook his head, before going to bed - they would all need to rest, so they could search again tomorrow.