Keep Holding On

Chapter 1: Death

A/N: This little plot bunny was inspired by a challenge from Stealthy Stories. While I originally stated that I wouldn't take said challenge because it involved killing off Splinter, I suddenly began thinking about it while working on a different story, and the bunny just took shape. The challenge was to write a story about what would have happened if Splinter had died from his injuries during Exodus and how the Turtles would be affected by it. So, I have decided to take on this little bunny. Splinter fans, please don't hurt me. I'm not just killing him off for the heck of it like some authors have done. I'm doing it for a good cause just to see if I can branch out beyond my usual fair of happy ending stories. I hope that you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT and any related characters associated with them. They are the property of Nickelodeon Studios. I do own the plot for the story.

Summary: When Splinter dies from his injuries after the final battle with Shredder, the Turtles must learn to deal with the loss of their father. Then a friend of Splinter's offers the Turtles a chance to start anew and tries to help them heal from their loss. Can the Turtles band together, or will they fall apart in their grief?

The battle had been going on for a long time now. The Turtles and Splinter were determined to stop Shredder from destroying the Utroms. Michelangelo was fighting one of the Foot Ninjas when Shredder appeared with cables that were electrified. Seeing his son in danger, Splinter pushed Michelangelo out of the way and took the shock himself. The Turtles watched as their father's body convulsed as the electricity surged through him. They cried out in fear as he slumped to the ground. Was he alive, or had he been killed instantly? The Turtles had no time to really process this as they were still fighting to help their friends. In the end, the Turtles suffered injuries of their own, and they feared that they had failed the Utroms.

As Shredder left, the Turtles tried to regroup. All of them were in pain, but they knew they had to do something to stop Shredder. Donatello suggested blowing up the ship, even though it meant they would have to sacrifice themselves. The Turtles were reluctant at first, but they made their decision as their father struggled to sit up and gave them permission to do what they must do. Leonardo didn't want to do it and felt that maybe there was a different way, but he looked at his brothers and father and knew that there was no other option. Don overloaded the power core, and the Turtles braced themselves for the explosion that would end it all. But before anything could happen, the Utroms came to their aid and whisked them into the infirmary to get treated. Shredder, Chaplin, and Karai were locked away as prisoners and would stay as prisoners until a trail was held.

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Leonardo awoke and stared at his surroundings. Where was he? Where were his brothers and father? Had they defeated the Shredder? He thought that maybe they had died, but then he felt immense pain in his shoulder. No, they definitely hadn't died because if that had happened, he doubted he would feel pain. Someone had rescued them, but he couldn't place who it was. They weren't at the farmhouse, so it hadn't been April and Casey.

"I am glad to see you're awake, Leonardo," a familiar voice said. Leo turned to see Mr. Mortu come into his room. "You are lucky to be alive."

"Mr. Mortu, where are my brothers?" Leo asked. "What happened to them?"

"Your brothers are stabilized now," Mortu replied. "Donatello suffered a sprained right arm, Raphael has suffered broken ribs, Michelangelo's kneecaps have been shattered, and you have sustained torn ligaments in your shoulder and a part of your shell has been broken. You have also suffered bruised ribs."

Leo was relieved to hear that his brothers were okay, even though they were injured just as he was. But Mortu had left out one important family member. "What about Master Splinter?" he asked.

Mortu's face filled with sadness at the mention of Splinter's name. "I'm sorry, Leonardo, but we couldn't save him," he said sadly. "He went into cardiac arrest shortly after being brought here. We did all we could to revive him, but his heart gave out due to the electrical shocks he sustained. He was also badly burned, though we have tried to fix it as best we could."

Leo's heart shattered right then and there. He couldn't believe it. Master Splinter was gone? Although his father had often prepared them for the day when he would no longer be among them, Leo wasn't prepared for this. Now, he would have to take up his father's mantle and the responsibility. He'd have to do a better job at protecting his brothers. He'd failed at protecting his father and had caused his death. He couldn't do that to his brothers as well. Tears filled his eyes and dripped down his face. Even though he knew he'd have to be strong for his brothers, he took some time to grieve on his own.

Wiping the tears from his eyes, he asked, "Do my brothers know?"

Mortu nodded. "Yes, I have informed them as well," he replied. "You are the last one to know. They are not taking it well either."

"We need to be together," Leo insisted. "You can't keep us separated like this."

"I will make arrangements for you to all be in one room," Mortu told him. "You are right. You cannot face this grief on your own."

"Can we see him?" Leo asked him.

"You will see him soon," Mortu promised. "But right now, you all must heal from your own wounds first. I will go and arrange for a room to be prepared for all of you. Then I will come back and take you there."

Leo nodded and watched as Mortu left the room. He couldn't believe this was happening. Splinter had really left them. Thoughts of Shredder and Karai entered his mind, and a hard look came over his eyes. They would pay for what they had done. There would be no mercy for them and no escape. He would make sure of that. But first, he had to be there for his brothers and grieve for his father.

"I'm sorry, Sensei," he whispered. "I failed you. I caused all of this. If we hadn't had to sacrifice ourselves, you would still be alive. I can't do this on my own, Father. I can't lead them like you want me to. Look what happened to us. There's no way I'll be able to do this. I'm not skilled enough like you." Sobs wracked his body as he cried for the future and for what had happened. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Splinter was supposed to die of old age when the Turtles were older, not by electrical shock. How would they go on? Who would be there to guide them and help them with their decision now? None of them were fully trained ninjas yet. Leo knew that he couldn't teach his brothers what he didn't know in the first place. He knew that sooner or later, they would follow their father. There was no way they could survive without him.

A few hours later, Mortu came back and wheeled Leonardo to a different room. His brothers were all there and looked up expectantly as he was brought in. They place him next to Raphael, who had bandages covering his broken ribs. Donatello was on Raph's other side, a sling on his arm, though he appeared to be less injured than the others, which was a good thing. Michelangelo was on Don's other side, his knees wrapped in bandages and a dejected look on his face. Leo knew that Mikey was taking Splinter's death just as hard as he was. For a moment, no one said anything as they all just looked at each other. Then Mikey spoke up.

"He saved me," he whispered. "He pushed me out of the way. That should've been me who got electrocuted, not Sensei. I should be dead right now."

"Mikey, don't say that," Don begged. "It wasn't your fault. Splinter didn't want you to die, so he saved you. We didn't know it would kill him."

"It's not your fault, Mikey, it's mine," Leo added. "I should have come up with a better plan to protect us. If you guys have to blame anyone, blame me."

"Leo, knock it off," Raphael ordered. "It wasn't your fault or Mikey's. It was Shredder's fault, and after we get out of here, he's gonna pay for takin' our dad from us."

Leo knew Raph was right. It all came down to Shredder now. They had to make him suffer just as they were suffering now. He needed to feel the pain they were feeling. First, he had killed Yoshi, and now he had killed Splinter. They had to make sure he didn't tear apart any other families.

"Does anyone know what happened to Shredder?" Leo asked his brothers.

"I asked Mortu, and he said they're holding him prisoner," Don replied. "There's going to be a trial in front of the Utrom Council to sentence him for his crimes."

"Damn, I was hopin' we'd be the ones to cause him sufferin'," Raph grumbled. "But at least he won't be able to hurt no more people. You think they'll put him in prison or somethin'?"

"It depends on what the Council decides," Leo replied. "I doubt he'll get a light sentence though."

After that, the Turtles became silent. There wasn't much for them to really say at the moment. All of them were still grieving for their father. After they were fed, Mortu told them that they could see Splinter. They were all nervous as they were wheeled to where Splinter's body lay. Dread filled Leo as he gazed upon his father's charred remains. Splinter looked so peaceful as though he was just sleeping, though they all knew the truth. Mikey began crying soon after he saw the remains, followed by Raph and Don. Leo squeezed out a few tears, but he tried to hold back the rest. He needed to be strong for his brothers now. Raph could see Leo's struggle to hold it together and squeezed his brother's hand. "It's okay, bro," he whispered. "Just let it out."

Leo tried to keep up the façade, but memories of his father's sacrifice and what they had almost done to defeat Shredder came flooding back. Once again, sobs wracked his body. "I'm sorry, Sensei," he whispered. "It's my fault." He felt Raph's hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him, but Leo didn't care. He had caused all of this, and now it was his job to make it up to his father.

After a short vigil by their father's side, the Turtles were taken back to their room. Mikey kept crying, and Don continued to comfort their youngest brother, even though he was feeling sad as well. Raph wanted to talk to Leo about what he'd said, but Leo wanted to be left alone. He closed his eyes and tried to block out the sounds of Mikey crying. He tried to pretend that this was just a nightmare and that he would wake up at any minute to find Splinter asking if he wanted some tea. But Leo knew that when he opened his eyes, the reality would hit him again. Splinter was gone, and there was nothing they could do to bring him back.

Mortu came in to check on the Turtles. All of them were asleep now, and his heart went out to them as they suffered in their grief. He would have to ask them about the funeral and what they wanted done, but there would be time for that later. He would have to let them process the grief first and heal from their injuries before asking them for anything. Shredder's trial was in three days, and he knew that the Turtles would want to be present to see him sentenced. Mortu had spoken to the Council, and they had assured him that Shredder would no longer hurt any innocent lives again. Mortu had been reassured about this, but it didn't change the fact that Hamato Yoshi and now Hamato Splinter were both gone. Shredder had killed them both and had changed the lives of those who had been closest to them. Mortu knew the Turtles would never be the same again. They would need guidance to get through this horrible time, and Mortu felt that he knew just the one who could help them. He hurried away to discuss things with the Council and make arrangements for the Turtles.

A/N: So, now the grieving process will begin. I really hope you guys aren't mad at me for killing Splinter off like that. I just want to explore this possibility. So, who is the one who will try and help the Turtles through their grief? And how will the Turtles deal with Shredder's trial and Splinter's funeral? Find out in the next chapter of Keep Holding On. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.