025. Dying

"Happily Ever After."

It's a nice thought.

The "happily" part is pleasant enough. And "after," of course, implies a continuation, reaching out indefinitely into the future.

It's the "ever" that's the tricky part. Because "Happily Ever After" is, of course, an ending - and endings, by their very nature, are the antithesis of "ever."

"Ever" was beginning to feel like an awfully long time to Donatello.

He winced, the pain in his knees rousing him from his groggy musings. Where the hell?…he glanced out the window. Oh right. The farmhouse. The last of the autumn leaves trembled on nearly-denuded branches, scraps of red and gold, while the stoic pines looked on impassively, still draped in their greenery. He adjusted the blanket in his lap…he could never seem to stay warm these days, and his joints ached terribly, nearly all the time.

There was a knocking at the door.

"Mm?" Don cleared his throat, "Come in."

A middle-aged woman with graying, reddish-brown hair came in, carrying a glass of water.

"Georgie," Don sighed, smiling.

"How you feeling?" she smiled back.

"Old," Don replied, truthfully, and Georgia laughed.

"Well, it's time for meds again," she said, crossing to his dresser and reading the labels on a few orange bottles before finally selecting one, "So you'll be feeling better soon."

"Mm," Don offered, noncommittally. At this point, he didn't think he'd ever really feel better, but he obediently swallowed his pain pills with a glass of water, and leaned back into the rocker, swaying gently from his motions.

"Do you want to go to bed, or stay there?" Georgia asked, running a hand over his smooth head.

"I think I'll just stay here," he said slowly, "Where's the girls?"

"Lily is downstairs with Paul," Georgia reported, "They're watching a movie with the kids. And Alexis is back at Vassar, remember?"

He didn't. It was getting harder and harder to keep track of things. He couldn't even remember his newest great grandchild's name. He knew the boy was Yoshi…but the baby? Something with an C? No, the more he tried to remember the more it slipped out of his grasp. His eyelids suddenly felt very heavy, and the pain in his joints was vaguer now, less distinct. Hm. That was quick.

He felt Georgia's lips brush his forehead.

"Get some sleep. I'll check on you in a few hours."

"Mm," Don murmured. He was suddenly very, very tired. The drugs didn't usually work this fast. He dragged himself out of his stupor for one last thing.

"Georgie?"

"Yeah?"

"Love you."

He sensed her smile, rather than saw it, as his eyes were still closed. "Love you, Daddy."

The door clicked shut gently behind her.

It only seemed like moments later when it was flung open again, and he heard a joyful shout:

"Donnie!"

His eyes flew open immediately. He'd know that voice anywhere.

"April?!"

It was impossible - could not be - yet there she was, looking young and healthy and beautiful and alive, her blue eyes sparkling, her hair still vibrantly red, and without thinking, he sprang out of his seat and ran to her, joyfully wrapping his arms around her, breathing in her scent.

"But - how?!" he stammered in joyful disbelief, "You - you're…"

But she just gave him a sad little smile, and put a hand on his cheek. Turning to look behind him, he spied his former self slumped in the rocker, unnaturally still, mouth slightly open.

"Ah," he said, "Well, that explains that."

He held up a hand, and examined it - the skin was no longer loose and grayish…it was young and firm and a vibrant olive green. April wound her fingers through his in their familiar, awkward fit, and he turned to face her again.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured reverently, "I almost forgot how beautiful."

"You forgot?" she teased.

"Almost," Donnie beamed, his eyes heavy-lidded with affection.

Smiling, April tilted her head up and closed her eyes, and like coming home, he lowered his lips to hers, and as joy flooded through him he heard an abrupt cough from the hallway, and -

"Sheesh. Get a room, you two."

Donnie interrupted the kiss with a soft "smack" and his jaw dropped in delight, because there he was, standing in the hallway: young and smirking and with two green eyes shining back at him through the red of his mask, no ugly, jagged scar dragging from his forehead all the way down to his chin…

"Raph!"

He rushed to meet him and threw his arms around his brother, tears prickling the corners of his own brown eyes.

"I missed you," he said, fervently, realizing as he spoke just how true it was.

"We missed you too, Donnie," Raph admitted gruffly.

"Oof!"

Don was nearly bowled over as Mikey crashed into them, squeezing them both tight.

"Donniiiiiieeeeeee! Took you long enough, dude!"

"Sorry," Don apologized sheepishly.

"No worries," Leo said, strolling into view at the bottom of the staircase, with Karai on his arm, "We waited."

Casey leaned over the staircase railing as well, to wave hello, and he was whole and hearty and strong, not a single sign of the gaping gunshot wound that -

"'Sup, egghead? You take good care of my girl?"

"Our girl," Don smirked, sliding a hand around April's waist, "You may have had her first, but I had her last."

Casey threw back his head and laughed, just the way he always used to.

"Huh," Don said, glancing back at the room he had just left. It already seemed so far away…his former self so small. He felt a little guilty leaving him there - him? Himself?

"It's okay, sweetheart," April prompted, gently.

"Georgia…"

"Georgie's a Grandma," Casey said, arms draped over the banister, "She's all grown up, Don. We did our job."

"She'll be okay," April promised.

"I didn't…" Don held up his hand again, turned it forwards and backwards, examining it, "I didn't really expect any of this."

"Surprise!" Mikey said, and they all laughed.

"Yeah," Don chuckled, "But…"

"Here he goes," Raph said, shaking his head with a wry grin, "I told ya."

"What if none of this is real? What if this is just some…hallucination or something? You know, neurons firing randomly while things shut down?"

"Buzzkill," Raph coughed into his fist, and Mikey snorted.

"Is it a nice hallucination?" April asked softly in his ear.

Don took in the sight of his brothers, his family…inhaled the scent of April's shampoo - he'd almost forgotten, but now it was all rushing back, and his eyes were prickling again…

"Yes," he said, turning to gaze into her blue eyes, "This is, by far, the best hallucination I've ever had."

"Well there's another 'hallucination' here who's been waiting a long time for you," Leo said, smiling warmly. He and Karai stepped to the side, making way for -

Don heard the tapping of the walking stick before he ever came into view, and his heart skipped a beat, and instantly, he felt like a child again.

"Dad," he whispered, his tears finally overflowing, and he was running now, taking the stairs two at a time, and the years seemed to fall off of him as he ran, until he crashed into his father's midriff, his chubby child-like arms barely able to meet around his waist, face wet with tears buried in the comforting scent of his fur.

"Welcome home, my son," Splinter murmured, stroking his head.

And at long last, they all lived happily ever after.