Here's the next chapter! Thanks to those of you who reviewed! :)

Raph...

Leo stumbled down the rest of the fire escape, eyes growing wide at the sight lying before him.

Raph was crumpled up in a heap. His left leg was awkwardly twisted to the left, and tiny scratches and cuts littered his skin. But the worst part was his shell. The lightning bolt scratch had cracked, stretching down towards his stomach. His chest was heaving, wildly gasping for breath. Donnie was kneeling at his side, hands fluttering helplessly over his plastron. Mikey was standing guard, nunchucks raised, as he watched and defended Raph from the Foot soldiers lugging Shredder's body away. Leo collapsed at Raph's other side and grabbed his hand, the other pressed over his mouth.

"Raph, you gotta stay with me here," Donnie was saying, hands still flying over Raph's plastron. Raph was still gasping, eyes clenched tightly shut in pain.

Leo felt something wet start to seep onto his knees, and he looked down. Rivulets of blood were staining into his kneepads, and bending down, he peered at Raph's side - the back of his shell had splintered and cracked, too, and he swallowed. He leaned back up and caught Donnie's eyes, who just shook his head, looking lost.

"Come on, Raph," Leo said. He barely noticed Mikey dropping to his knees next to him, nunchucks lying forgotten at his knees.

"You're going to be okay!" Mikey said, making Leo jump. "Right, Donnie?"

"I-" Donnie looked frozen, and he shook his head jerkily. "I don't think-"

"It's 'kay, Donnie," Raph gritted out. Tears and sweat were staining his bandana, but he opened his eyes, looking over at Leo fuzzily. His gaze slid over to Mikey, and he grimaced to point. "Your... neck?"

Mikey lifted up a hand, fingers ghosting over the bruises already started to blossom. "I'll be okay, thanks to you," he said, and tears started bubbling up in his eyes.

"Raph," Leo whispered, at a loss for other words. Raph turned his head, the effort obvious. His breath was growing more and more shallow, his blinks longer and longer.

"Leo," Raph said. "I... I'm-" He took a final breath, and he didn't let it back out.

Mikey let out a cry, and Leo felt Raph's hand slacken and fall in his grip.

No...

"Raph, no!" Leo croaked, eyes flying open with a start. It took him a moment to regain his bearings, to realize it was just a dream, and he took a shaky breath and started to cry.

Days went by, and Leo was getting worse. One morning, Leo woke up, and he knew it was time.

"Donnie? Mikey?" Leo said, and immediately burst into a coughing fit. "I think..."

"I know, Leo," Donnie said. His eyes were sad, and he gently clutched Leo's right hand. "It's okay."

"I love you, bro," Mikey said from his left.

Leo felt his eyes start to flutter. "I'm sorry," he said, and he could speak no more. He took a breath and gripped each of his brothers' hands, closing his eyes. Everything melted away, and he knew no more.

It felt like an eternity had passed before Leo opened his eyes again. Everything was white, pure and blinding, and he lifted a hand to cover his eyes. He sat up, waiting for his eyes to adjust, and then he looked at the back of his hand, turning it back and forth.

It was smooth and bright, unblemished and unwrinkled. Leo looked down at his chest and legs - all the scars he'd accumulated over the years, all of the spots, were gone.

"Whoa," he said, eyes wide. He pushed himself up off the floor, feeling like he did when he was twenty, all youth and energy and freedom.

"Took ya long enough, Fearless," a familiar voice said, sounding amused. Leo looked around to see Raph standing there, arms crossed and cocky grin on his face.

"Raph," Leo breathed, eyes wide.

"Well?" Raph said, raising an eye-ridge and spreading his arms wide. "Didn't you miss me?"

Leo snorted, but he was up and hugging Raph before he could blink. Some things never changed.

See? Happy ending.

Also, I was skimming back through some of my old stories, and wow, I like to torture Raph apparently.

R&R.