A/N:
In this chapter I do talk about aspects of religion, I for one am a Christian but I know there are different beliefs. Know that I am only bring it up because of a situation and questions the turtles are dealing with and asking. No Flames please. I am not preaching anything its just the questions the turtles are asking is what is bringing it up. Believe what you want to I am not judging any one.

Firsts chapter 26

First Lesson About Life

Splinter was out scavenging for his sons on a late night in mid December, since they were now 13 he started to bring them with him more often but one at a time, tonight he had Donatello with him.

They had been out for a while now.

They were not getting random items this time they were out to get enough food for the winter. Splinter had heard from an old man back in November that this was going to be a very hard winter. So Splinter wanted to be prepared, every week for the past month he had taken at least one of his sons with him to gather what they would need for the harsh winter ahead.

Going to yet another grocery store dumpster Splinter noticed a figure laying near by, turning to his second youngest he said quietly "Donatello, be as silent as you can, we do not want to disturb that person over there."

Donnie nodded his understanding and stayed close by the dumpster, he noticed an odd smell coming from the person near by, but he tried to ignore it. He could hear his father rustling around in the dumpster looking for supplies.

Donne noticed that the person never moved and they had been there quite some time, he took his bo off his back and used it to touch the person, when he didn't receive any response he knocked on the dumpster to get his father's attention.

Splinter appeared over the edge and asked "what is it my son?"

"i think something is wrong with that guy... he hasn't moved and we have been here quite a while."

Splinter jumped down and approached with caution, he told his son who was moving in next to him "stay back."

Donatello remained by the dumpster and waited for his father.

Splinter noticed the smell, and knew what it was... he looked back at Donatello, then went over took the cover off the man. Splinter noticed how grey the man was and could see there was no breath leaving his mouth. Looking back at his son he covered the man up, going over to his child he told him "Donatello, the man is gone."

Frowning he asked "what do you mean gone?" Splinter didn't have to answer him for Donatello already knew the answer, "you mean... he's... dead?"

Splinter nodded and said "yes, he is dead my son."

"why didn't he go home if he was so cold?"

"he didn't have a home my son."

"why?"

"My son, even humans have a story, just as we do. I was virtually homeless when I came to America, but I was fortunate to find work and a small apartment. This man may not have been so lucky. He may not even have a family that knows about him."

"i thought every one had a family?"

"Not every does, some people do and some don't."

Donatello just stared at the figure and couldn't rap his mind around what he was seeing, he asked "can we call some one?"

"yes, we can. Come my son, I know of a pay phone near by."

While his father made a phone call Donatello stood by and thought about the man in the ally... where do people go when they die? Why do people die? Why did he die alone?

He was so focused on his thoughts he didn't hear his father talking to him, Splinter had to gently shake his son's shoulders to get his attention. "Donatello, my son come, we must go."

In the distance Donnie could hear the sounds of sirens coming their way, he felt his father take his arm firmly and pull him into an ally near by. Looking up at his father he wanted to ask so many questions but he knew he had to remain silent so they were not discovered.

Splinter could see it in his sons face that hey were going to need to have a talk when they got back home.

Forty five minutes later Splinter and Donatello arrived home after doing a little more scavenging, the entire time Donatello didn't utter a word except yes or no when asked a question.

During supper Leo noticed his younger brother being out of the norm quiet, even Mikey's endless chatter did not faze him. He also noticed that his younger brother didn't eat hardly anything before asking to be excused from the table. Leo hurried and finished his meal, he had to find out what was going on, Splinter had been mentioning that he was going to choose a leader soon and he along with Raphael were the only two runner ups for the position. And he wanted to impress his father enough that he would choose him.

Getting up with permission he went after his genius brother, he found him in his bed under his blankets. Leonardo could hear the sounds of his little brother crying, he knocked on the door frame before entering. He could hear Donnie take a sharp breath in and then he said miserably "what do you want Leo?"

Donnie felt his older brother sit down next to him on the bed, "i want to talk, why didn't you eat dinner?"

"not hungry."

"Did something happen while you two were out?"

"No..."

Leo could feel the tension build in his little brother and he patted his brother's shell and said "i am always here if you need to talk bro. Don't be afraid to come to me."

He saw the blankets move and he knew his brother shrugged as an answer. Leo nodded and got up, once outside the door he ran into Raph who looked at him questioningly.

"what were you doing in my room?"

"Checking on Donnie."

"Why?"

"Didn't you notice he was so silent at dinner, and then left with out eating?"

Raph rolled his eyes and sad "jeez your dense! Didn't YOU notice how he came home crying when they got back? Donnie always tells us about the things he sees up top, and always tells us if he found something interesting. Or what faze the moon is in or what ever... Something happened on the surface and it rattled him, if ya push him to talk he will just keep away even more."

Leo stood there in silence for a moment before asking "so your saying to just give him time to come around?"

"yes, he needs space right now, I told him when I saw him crying before that if he needed to talk that we was all here and he would always have some one. I opened the door now he just has to let us in."

"When did you get so much like Splinter?"

Raph chuckled and said "cause Splinter told me the same thing when I had tried to get him to talk earlier."

Leo nodded his understanding but wondered why his little brother was so upset.

"you don't think he got into trouble up there do you?"

Raph shook his head and told his younger brother "nah I don't see him getting THAT bad when going to the surface, not if he ever wants to go back up."

Both brothers were silent for several moments, Splinter came into the hall and saw his two eldest sons he asked "is every thing ok my sons?"

Leo and Raph looked at each other and Leo said "what happened to Donnie?"

Splinter, watched his two sons for a moment before saying "my sons, that is for Donatello to tell not me, lets just say he had a bad scare tonight."

In saying he left them to their thoughts and went to meditate, as he entered his room up the hall he said "let him be tonight my sons, he will talk when he is ready."

Leo and Raph just looked at each other and knew they would have to just wait, they hoped what ever was bothering their brother would surface and he would ask for help.

Many nights had passed and Raphael laid once again on his back and listened to his little brother cry in his sleep.

His patience wearing thin as the nights went on, he was growing tired of hearing Leo telling him to just be patient. Today during morning practice they had gotten into a heated argument, it nearly got them thrown into the Hashi. But Splinter knew they were growing frustrated.

Michelangelo didn't understand what was wrong with his immediate older brother, he just knew he wasnt acting like his self lately. He had tried to make jokes, and try and lighten the mood for his brother but he could tell something was off. Donnie was way out of character that was all he needed to know.

Donatello knew his brothers cared but he just couldnt tell them what was wrong, and the nightmares kept haunting him like tonight, he could hear Raph's frustrated sighs and knew he was like a volcano ready to blow.

He laid there and cried for several minutes more before he heard the mattress above him groan as his oldest brother got up. He looked to the foot of the bed and saw Raph descend the ladder, he knew one of two things, Raph was either going to talk to him OR he was going to the bathroom.

He saw his brother coming his way and he knew he may not get out of it this time by how angry Raph looked.

Closing his eyes tight he rolled over to face the wall, he felt unfortunately a strong pair of hands pulling his shell around to face him.

"Nice try brainiac! Not gonna work this time, now listen, I have been patient for over a week now and you know damn well that is hard for me. Now your going to tell me what happened and your NOT gonna shrug me off this time!"

Raph had been speaking in a loud whisper, but Donnie got the point loud and clear, sitting up in his bed he set his shell against the wall with his head lowered due to the bed above him.

Taking a deep breath he said softly "Raph do you ever think about where we go when we die?"

Raph frowned deeply and asked "why would you ask that?"

Donnie shrugged and replied "i dont know, its just a question."

Raph knew there was something else "does this have to do wit what happened last week?"

Donnie nodded but didnt say anything.

Raph sat and waited in silence as he could see Donnie still had something to say.

"when we were out... I saw someone laying near the dumpster by the wall on a bench, Splinter was in the dumpster and told me to just stand there and make sure the person didnt wake up and see me. I went over after a while of him never moving... and poked him with my BO staff... he still didnt move... then I realized that a strange smell was coming off of him... I called for Splinter and he came and checked on the person..."

Donnie hiccuped as a freash round of tears formed in his eyes, "the guy... he was dead..."

Raph frowned and said softly "this is what has been bothering you?"

Donnie nodded and continued "yes... when Splinter pulled the guys blanket back I saw his white face... and I mean really white. I had never seen something like that before..."

"what about that rat we all found some years back? That didnt bother you?"

"it didnt bother me because it had been hit by a car, and was swept down the drain hole on the street curb. This bothers me because it was a human, some one who probably had a family..."

Raph usually left the sentimental stuff for Leo, but his little brother was opening up to him so he tried to push the weirdness of this situation away and help. Putting an arm around his brother he told him softly
"Donnie... if the guy was homeless then his family wasnt around or just didnt care..."

"why would some one turn away on their family?"

"i really dont have an answer for that, what I do know is that a real loving family is there for each other and dont turn the other away when they have a problem. Maybe that guy turned on his own family, or maybe he didnt want to burden them with what was going on with him. We will never know."

Just then the door creaked open and Splinter stepped into the room "What you say is true Raphael, we do not know the man's story. Donatello that man, I checked up on him, he had no family in New York... but he did have family in another state that knew nothing of his situation."

Both turtles looked up at their father the same question in both of their eyes.

"I have my ways my sons, besides we do have a phone. The man had a job and was laid off a couple of months ago, with the hope of returning to work he didnt bother his family with what was going on. Every one has their own story my sons."

Donnie looked up at his father who took a chair and sat across from them, he asked his father "where do we go when we die?"

Splinter smiled at his son and told him honestly "well my son, there are multiple theory's. Some say we dont go anywhere, others say that we go to this place called heaven."

"what if we are bad?"

Splinter looked over at his eldest son and said "how about we make this a family discussion, I think that all four of you are going to have a lot of questions."

Donnie looked up and asked as his father left "in the middle of the night?"

"Right now is as good a time as any my son, you will sleep better knowing the answers to your questions."

Splinter went to go wake his remaining two sons, then he went back to the other two. "boys will you come to the living room."

Raph and Donnie stepped out into the hall way to see Leo and Mikey who still had sleep in their eyes.

Splinter watched his children sit, he stopped Donnie "Donatello, please come up here."

Donnie stood next to his father and Splinter put a hand on his shoulder and said "Donatello is ready to talk about what happened last week, I will let him tell you then I have something to say."

Donnie took a deep breath and said "last week I saw a man up on the surface, he was dead when I found him. I have never seen that before and it scared me, I didnt know how to take it. I know you guys always come to me for answers cause you know most of the time I have an answer for nearly everything. But this was the first time I had ever been stumped on something, I didnt understand what had happened or why he was dead."

Leo and Mikey nodded their understanding, and Splinter motioned for his son to sit down, clearing his throat he said "my sons, I have tried for 13 years now to keep you all safe from the outside world, but there are just somethings that I can not protect you from. What your brother witnessed was a normal part of life, and it is confusing if you never have seen it before. You all remember the rat that fell down from above that had been hit by a car. Well this is more then just your typical animal falling down from the streets. With out humans we would probably not survive if it wasnt for them producing food, if it was possible we would grow our own food down here but we can't do that.

This was all a life lesson my sons, for every man that dies a new one is born."

Mikey raised his hand "where did he go when he died?"

"Probably to the morgue Mikey!" Leo told his brother.

Splinter hushed Leo and said to his youngest "Donatello asked the same question, I will tell you the same thing. Some people believe we go no where, others believe we go to heaven when we die."

Raph asked again "what about if we are bad?"

"depends my son... if your a killer, or some one who stalks people to intentionally hurt them, or do other various crimes then you go to a place called hell."

Mikey asked next "so if we dont eat our veggies, cuss and have a bad attitude?"

Splinter smiled inwardly at the innocent question but knew who he was intending it towards said "well, since I am pretty sure I know who your talking about, he will go to where ever he chooses to go. I for one believe in heaven, so their for that is where he may go in my mind. You see Michelangelo you have to do more crimes then just not eating vegitables, and having a bad temper to go Hell."

every one was silent for a few minutes then Leonardo asked "so did that man go to heaven or hell?"

"i do not know that my son, we never know really what happens when we die, but we make guesses and hope they go to a better place when they die."

The four turtles looked at each other before Donatello asked "I have heard people say certain words on the surface over the years... but the scream it some times so I dont know if its a bad word."

Splinter thought about what his son ment, then it dawned on him, "ah the name in question is not a bad word my son, but it does depend on how it is used that makes up the meaning. Some people believe in this man called 'God' and his son 'Jesus' other people dont belive."

"so when we go some where when we die we go see them?"

"Yes that is what some believe."

"then who controls Hell?" Raphael asked

"the devil."

Every one was silent, Splinter looked over at the clock and noticed it was four O'Clock in the morning, he asked his sons "are there any more questions?"

The four brothers looked at each other and then they all shook their heads, Splinter then asked "do you want to go back to bed? We normally get up in just about two hours."

Again the four looked at each other and Donnie said "i want to go back to bed."

Splinter nodded as the other three looked at each other and then Raph spoke up "i am going back to bed too..."

Leo and Mikey shrugged and Mikey said happily "i will just stay up." Leo decided this to be a good idea too.

Splinter told his sons "you may my sons but please be respectful of your sleeping brothers, we wont have morning practice as it has been a trying night, we will just have afternoon and evening practice."

They all nodded and went their separate ways.

Splinter knew this had been a show of growing up as they had asked some very good questions, he knew that one day he too would be gone and he hoped that he helped them prepare for that.