Disclaimer: Read the Prologue for it. =P

Warning: Major angst for everyone

This takes place when the turtles are 12.

'Dreams can give wings, but if enough is enough, then they can be the gateway to eternity' --My own quote (you'll understand later.)

Whew. I'm so tired. My life's going down the drain. Turns out we're moving, (for the goddamn fifth time!!!!) I'm starting school, had a fight with parents, had a fight with relatives, etc.

Oh well.

..........................................................................................

Leo sighed as he heard his brothers sneaking out again. "What are you all doing?" He asked them, but they ignored him. They seemed to be doing that a lot now. But Leo wouldn't give up. "You guys know that we're not supposed to go up to the surface!!!!"

Raph growled at him, his eyes flashing with annoyance. "So? Whatchya gonna do about it, tattle-tale to Splinter?"

Leo shook his head. "No. I'm gonna go with you."

Donny scoffed. "We don't need you!"

Leo stared. Donny was always the more quieter and nicer one. He always readily accepted Leo's decisions and never said anything that mean about them!

All three turtles turned to go, but Mikey paused. "Sometimes you're too annoying, Leo. Can't you ever just leave us alone?"

With that, Mikey turned and trotted after his two brothers, heading for the surface.

Leo stared in shock after them, blinking back tears. That had hurt. That had really hurt. He was only trying to make sure that they don't do anything stupid...

He sighed. Splinter wasn't home yet. And most likely he wouldn't be home for a good five hours more. It was summer and lots of people were out and about.

Leo hesitated. If he went and told Splinter, then he'd be in trouble for not being the 'elder brother' and stopping them. But if he did find Splinter, then that would take some time and what if his brothers got into trouble? Then he'd be in trouble for not being there to protect them.

Leo sighed again. He hated being the elder sometimes. He always had to be perfect and strongest. A model for his younger siblings. He cannot afford to make mistakes.

He'd have to go after them to make sure they didn't do anything stupid.

...........................(on the surface)

Leo quickly found his brothers. Years and years of running after them did serve their purpose in tracking them. That, and his unusual knack of finding things did come in handy at times.

"We shouldn't be here." He voiced. Raph huffed.

"You just had to come, didn't you? What, don't you trust us enough?"

Leo let his shoulders drop. "Not out here."

Raph clenched his hands into a fist. He turned to face Leo. "Well, no one asked you! Can't you just fuckin' leave us be?"

"Language Raph!"

"I don't fuckin' care! You're not Splinter!"

"No, but I'm your elder brother!"

Don and Mikey had to hold Raph back from jumping onto Leo at that. Don shot a glare at Leo.

"Fine! If you wanna come, then we can't stop you." He said, before letting Raph go and turning around.

Raph huffed before stomping off after Don. Mikey shrugged and skipped off after them.

Leo let his head drop. Maybe he shouldn't be here...no. He thought. I have to be here. I need to watch over them!

He followed them silently.

........................(few minutes later)

Leo looked around. They were in a human cemetery. This was the first time he'd been here. And the way his brothers were acting, this was their first time as well.

Leo walked over to the nearest tree and sat down, keeping an eye on his brothers as they were jumping around, playing.

Suddenly, Mikey let out a happy yelp. "Raph! Don! Look what I found!"

They quickly rushed over and from the looks of it, they were pleased with it. Leo sighed and stood. Better see what they found.

He quickly made his way over and looked over their shoulders at what they found. It was a small statue.

Leo had heard about people who sometimes made little statues of angels to remember those who passed away. This must be one of them. He thought.

He could see why his brothers liked the statue so much. It had a small, but very pretty face. It was upturned. But it was sad for some reason...

Suddenly, Leo paled. He stared at the face before looking down at the small slab of stone where they put the name.

The person had died a month ago. By the date, the person was young, only twelve. The same age as all of them.

Leo froze. He paled even more, but he looked at the statue's face once more. The face reminded him of someone...

Leo thought for a second before realizing who. Rebecca!!!

The angel statue reminded him of Rebecca!!!

He gulped before looking down at the name. The last name was chipped off, but the first name was still there. And it was Rebecca.

Leo closed his eyes. Now he understood why she had liked that song Concrete Angel so much. Pieces of the song began coming back to him.

A statue stands in a shaded place,

Leo looked around. The statue was standing in a shaded place.

An angel girl with an upturned face,

The statue was an angel girl, with her face upturned.

A name is written on a polished rock,

Her name was written on a polished rock,

A broken heart that the world forgot.

She was forgotten to the world, Leo realized. The living world. She was dead.

Through the wind and the rain she stands hard as a stone,

In a world that she can't rise above,

But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place where she's loved,

Concrete Angel......

She was a concrete angel...He realized.

Leo suddenly felt immense sadness. Poor girl, he thought. He looked at the statue again.

Suddenly, he felt weak. Then, darkness.

...........................

Don was listening to his brothers argue about whether or not to keep the statue and take it home. Mikey wanted to, but Raph thought that it was ugly.

Suddenly, Don heard a faint 'thud' behind him. He whirled around.

"Leo!!!" He cried, seeing his brother lying unconscious on the grass behind him.

Both Mikey and Raph stopped bickering. Mikey quickly knelt beside Leo and tried to wake him. Raph just stood over him, looking angry.

"Leo! For god's sake, this ain't funny!!!"

Donny glared at him, before checking Leo's pulse. Leo was very pale.

"He's not joking Raph!" He growled at him. "Something's definitely wrong with him!"

Raph looked confused. "Wrong? There's nothing wrong with him! Splinter said so!"

Donny shrugged. "Splinter could be wrong..."

Mikey looked at Donny, wide-eyed. Don ignored him before looking at Raph. "Go get Master Splinter!"

Raph shook his head, looking worried. "Uh, uh. We'd get in trouble!"

Donny glared. "Well right now, Leo's the one in trouble! Get Splinter!!!"

Raph hesitated before running off.

..................

Raph ran down the sewer tunnels, searching for Splinter. Stupid Leo! He growled angrily to himself. He's gonna get us in trouble again!

But he couldn't help feeling worried for him. Why'd he keep fainting?

Suddenly, he heard something move in the shadows. Raph froze, contemplating whether to run, scream, or fight.

Before he could choose, a voice rang out from the shadows. "Raphael! What are you doing here?"

Raph almost laughed in relief. It was Splinter! "Master Splinter! I'm sorry! ButwewentuptothesurfaceagaindespiteyourordersandLeotriedtostopusbutwewentanywaysandLeofaintedagain!" He said hurriedly, hoping that Splinter only caught the last part. No such luck.

Splinter's ears twitched, indicating that he was angry, but he said, "Where?"

Raph gulped and lead the way.

..................

Donny was really anxious. He knew they were in trouble, but he was more worried for Leo. He was fine. Leo had no fevers or anything that would or could have him just faint like that.

Suddenly, he heard running footsteps approaching. Both him and Mikey stood up, ready to defend Leo from whoever was coming. But they dropped their stance when they saw Raph and Splinter.

Splinter's ears were twitching. Don bit back a groan. They were in deep trouble.

..................

Splinter had to hold himself back from exploding right then and there. He had TOLD them over and over again WHY not to go to the surface. And they DELIBRATELY went against it.

But there was other important matters to attend to right now. He thought, lifting up Leonardo. He quickly made his way back to the Sewers.

He didn't need to look behind him. He knew that his other sons were following.

.....................

Leo groaned as he opened his eyes. He had never felt so weak in all of his life!

Blinking, he looked around the room. He was in his room. Suddenly, he felt immense happiness bubbling inside of him. Maybe it was all just a dream!

But his eyes caught the look on Splinter's face.

And he knew that it wasn't a dream. And that he was going to get it.

..................

Leo sighed as he lay in bed. Splinter had ordered him to be bedridden for the rest of the day. They still couldn't figure out why he was fainting all the time.

Leo groaned. His head hurt. Splinter had spent the last half an hour yelling at him about how he should be a model and watch over his brothers and on and on and on.

Leo felt like he just wanted to break down and cry. Why'd he have to be so goddamn perfect all the time? Couldn't he just have a little break and do something he wants for a change?

Raph had looked in a few minutes ago to bring him some herbal tea, by order of Splinter. They had gotten yelled at as well, and ordered to train for the rest of the day as punishment. Leo, in his current condition, was excused.

Raph had looked as if all he wanted to do was jump at Leo. But he had just gritted his teeth and snared at him. "You have to be so goddamn perfect don't ya?" He had hissed. "We wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you! You did this on purpose didn't you?" He had accused. Leo had been too stunned to answer.

"Don't try to deny it! You fainted on purpose so that Splinter would come, and we'd get punished but you'd be excused!" Leo was about to argue, but what Raph said next shut him up.

"I hate you!!! You know what??!! I wish you just fuckin' died and would leave us alone!!!"

Leo stared up at the ceiling. He felt tears trickle down his face as he remembered that. He made no move to wipe them away.

........................(That night)

Leo and Rebecca were sitting on a bench again. Leo hadn't felt like playing much. He hadn't felt like talking either. So he had just sat and listened to Rebecca chattering happily away beside him.

Finally he couldn't take it anymore. "You're dead, aren't you?"

Rebecca froze. "What?"

"You're dead...aren't you? Don't lie, please."

Rebecca hesitated before looking up at the sky. "You saw my grave, didn't you?"

Leo nodded, staring at the ground.

Rebecca sighed. "Yeah. I died a month ago."

"So all that stuff you said, about your aunt and uncle coming in three days was all a lie?"

Rebecca shook her head. "No. They did come in three days. But the night before they arrived, my parents were drunk. Really, really drunk. I tried to sneak away, but they caught me and beat me. They beat me and left me by the wall of my room. I would've been fine, but as my dad started to go, he turned and threw a beer bottle at me. It hit my head. I died five minutes later."

Leo looked at her. "I'm really sorry, Rebecca." He whispered, sincerely.

She smiled before looking back up at the sky again. "My aunt and uncle arrived the next morning to find me dead, my mom had gotten into a car crash and died, and my dad had committed suicide. They had buried my mom and dad, but had built the statue of an angel for me. They knew that my favorite song was Concrete Angel, and that I liked angels."

She sighed. "But it's okay now."

Leo looked at her. "Why can't you, you know, move on?"

Rebecca shrugged. "I don't know."

Leo looked down at the ground. "Do you mind, if I stay with you? You know, keep you company until you can move on?"

Rebecca looked at him surprised before grinning. "I'd like that."

Leo grinned back.

..............................(three hours later)

Rebecca smiled. Leo had kept her company for three hours before he had to leave.

She had lied. She knew why she couldn't move on yet. The Gates of Heaven could only be opened when the Angels extend their hand.

She looked up at the moon. It was a crescent moon. Just a thin little crescent.

And the Angels would soon extend their hand.

..........................................................................................

Ouch. Don, Raph, and Mikey were definitely out of character. Sorry!

R&R PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!