Okay, as I said earlier, I do not like character death and there is still more to the story. So please keep reading and let me know what you think.

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Ch 27 Renewed Hope.

After what seemed like hours, the small family finally reached their home, Splinter walked over to the lab and laid Leonardo down on the Donnie's lab table. He placed his paw on his face and gently stroked his cheek still wet with the tears that had fallen from Splinter's eyes. He sighed heavily and turned to his other sons.

Michelangelo was crying and clinging to Leo's hand while the other two stood and continued to stare down in disbelief, tears falling from their eyes. He needed to get things to help with preparing Leo for burial, but he did not want to leave them alone.

Splinter cleared his throat. "My sons. I...we need to prepare Leonardo for..." His eyes closed and he held back a sob that threatened to rise from his throat. "Prepare him for burial." He told them. "I have oils and herbs in my room." He looked to his youngest son. "Michelangelo, would you please assist me..."

"NO!" Mikey cried, still holding his brother's hand tightly. "I don't wanna leave him." He laid his head on his brother's arm. "I don't want him to be alone."

Splinter cast his eyes downward. "I will get what I need." He looked at the other two. "Will someone please fetch me a bowl with warm water and a cloth so I may cleanse him?"

Donnie looked up at Splinter and nodded stiffly. "I'll do it Sensei." He told him. He was just about to walk out the room when he turned back to Splinter and pointed at his side. "We should take care of your wound Sensei." He told him.

Splinter looked at where his kimono had been cut and dried blood now shown clearly around the frayed edges. With everything that had happened, he had completely forgotten about the cut. "It is fine my son." He told him. "Let us take care of your brother and then you may see to me." He looked back at Leonardo's body, this was something he wanted done as quickly as possible.

Donnie nodded and began to walk away. "I'll get those things you requested Sensei." He added, his voice sounding tired.

"I'll help him." Raph replied. The two left the lab.

Splinter placed a paw on Mikey's shoulder. They looked at each other for a few moments before Splinter left the lab to gather what he needed.

In the kitchen, Donnie and Raph went about gathering the things Splinter had requested. They worked in silence and moved about the small room like zombies.

Finally, Donnie spoke. "We'll be okay, right Raph?"

Raph looked over at Donnie. "Of course we will." He told him. "We'll grieve and we'll always remember him, but we will be okay. Leo would be angry with us if we didn't move on."

Donnie nodded and filled a bowl with water. "Where do you think Sensei will...want to take Leo?"

Raph shrugged. "There's a large tree at the O'Neil farmhouse Leo use to like to sit under and meditate." He answered, his voice low and sounding so far away. "We'll let Sensei know and see if April's dad will allow us to..."His voice trailed off as he thought about what needed to be done.

Donnie turned off the water and stared straight ahead. He picked up the bowl but it slipped from his hands and fell back into the sink. He sighed heavily, realizing he needed to once again refill the bowl. As the water ran, Donnie suddenly found it hard to keep himself upright. He leaned heavily on the sink's edge and let out a whimper. Raph turned to him and saw his shoulders shaking. He walked over to him and wrapped his arms around him from behind. Donnie turned to him and held him tightly, bringing his head into the crock of his neck, tears falling freely. The two held each other for a long while, reassuring each other it would be okay, that they would be okay.

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In his room, Splinter walked over to a small cabinet that sat across from his bed. He let out a heavy sigh and opened it, inside were small bags and jars filled with a variety of oil, herbs and spices. Some he used for illness and others were used to aid in keeping the lair fresh and clean. Now he had to use some to prepare his son's body for burial. He knelt on the tatami mat he used for a bed and picked through the various things he would need. As he sat there, he noticed the old book of his ancestors still next to the small chest it had been found in. He picked up the book and reread the page of what happened the last time the demon had possessed his ancestor's oldest child. He shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe it had happened again. He had wanted to protect his son and keep what happened last time from repeating itself, but once again, he had failed.

He shook his head and opened the small chest to put the book away. While moving things about to accommodate the book, he noticed a small picture inside the chest. One of him holding a small turtle. It was one taken by Michelangelo during the time Leonardo had been turned into an infant. Splinter didn't have many pictures of his sons as babies and he was grateful to have at least this one, more so now then ever. Splinter smiled at the picture of the two of them. Splinter holding Leo in his arms, rubbing his head and humming a soft lullaby as he tried to soothe the infant to sleep. Memories flashed through his mind as he thought of that short time. How he wished he could have it all back again with all his children, young and innocent.

He sighed again, and went back to gathering the oils and herbs he would need to use on Leo. This wasn't the first time he had to do this, and he feared it may not be the last. As he finished gathering the things he needed, his mind still miles away, a sudden scream coming from the lab brought him out of his reverie. "Michelangelo!"

He got to his feet and quickly ran out into the main room where he saw the other two turtles also quickly running out of the kitchen looking widly about. The three of them ran toward the lab and found Mikey cowering in the corner, his eyes wide with fright.

"Mikey!" Raph ran up to him. "What's wrong, what is it!?"

MIkey pointed to the lab table where Leo's body still laid. "He's alive." Mikey cried out. "He grabbed my hand and looked at me."

"Mikey." Donnie began softly. "It was just a reflex or...or something like that." He told him.

"NO!" Mike yelled. "He opened his eyes, grabbed my hand and begged me to help him!"

The other three stared at him in disbelief before looking at each other then turning to look at Leo. Splinter walked over to the still body. He stared deeply and noticed that there was something different about him.

"Mikey, your just upset." He heard Raph tell him in a very harsh voice. "Leo's dead, okay, so just stop acting..."

"No," Splinter turned back to them. "Michelangelo is correct." He placed his paw on Leo's forehead and stared down at his son in shock. "Leonardo is...alive."