Hi guys, sorry for the wait. I had ideas for this chapter but I can't get my ideas down it seems like… So bare with me, if it's awful, please tell me and I'll delete it or redo it. Thanks guys. Read and review!

Disclaimer: totally… yeah I own the turtles… and Hell is frozen and pigs fly…

Special thanks to my friend MysteriousFeather for helping me alot with this chapter.

Leo waited until he knew everyone was asleep before he came home, he wasn't sure if Don had told them yet or not, but he didn't want to risk it. He walked into the Lair, making no noise as he went up the stairs and into his room, the moment he reached the sanctity of his room he closed the door and panted slightly. He despised feeling weak. Winded just going up the stairs? That was crazy. He slowly made his way to the bed, sitting down he removed his pads and swords and placed them on the floor by his bed and then laid down himself, he reached over and turned his light off. He rolled to his side and fell asleep with his mask on.

*Morning*

Donatello was up early, pacing the kitchen. He was trying to prepare himself for what he had to tell his family. He knew Splinter would help but he also knew the health questions would be aimed at him. He went to the coffee pot for what was now his 3rd cup. Sitting at the table, he put his face in his hands. He had text April last night for her and Casey to come over for breakfast. He didn't want to worry anyone else that night. Now it was morning, he had no clue what to do, let alone what to say.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a tired Casey and a fresh looking April. She wasn't a morning person but she was a woman. She held Casey's hand as she basically dragged him into the kitchen.

"Where is everyone?" April asked Don, curiously as she went to the fridge and helped herself to a bottle of water and then pointed Casey to the coffee maker.

"Good morning April, Casey." He bowed his head in greeting and went to the stove to put on his tea. "I just woke them, they'll be here shortly." he said as he sat at the table beside Don.

Donnie wasn't looking at anyone, he was looking down into his coffee now. His hands slightly twitching. April gave him a look, her eyebrows raised.

"What's wrong?" she demanded of him sitting on the other side of the purple banded turtle.

"Not yet." Donny whispered, shaking his head slightly, he was waiting on his brothers.

Mikey and Raph came in the kitchen, Mikey looking happy as usual and Raph looking pissed.

"Wha' we doin' up so early for? An' where's Leo?" Raph asked everyone and sitting in a chair, watching Mikey as he followed suit.

Donnie gave a shaky breath, his gaze lingered on his mug as words became to form on his lips. "I've…. as you might have noticed I've been stuck in my lab a little more than usual."

A loud grunt caught his attention and Donnie's soft brown eyes quickly moved to his red masked brother.

"An' that's newsworthy because…"

Donatello knew well enough on how impatient his brother was, especially when it came to his work. But he had to take his time as he spoke, if he said the wrong thing it might cause an explosion from his temperamental brother and there would be no stopping it, not with the news he was burdened with.

Donatello took another breath and started again with more courage in his voice.

"As I was saying, the work I have been doing isn't about some invention or appliance Mikey broke."

"Hey" Mikey interjected

"Anyway" Don spoke hoping he wouldn't be interrupted again. "This work concerns Leo." Now the room was silent and all eyes in the room focused intently on the purple masked turtle.

"I have been running some tests, specifically on blood and the results were… distressing." Donatello waited for another outburst but only silence followed. His eyes moved from each figure in the room, he could easily see the concern in their gazes.

"The blood tests I ran showed an interesting anomaly. I had hoped they were incorrect but after repeating the test countless times I had discovered that Leo's blood had been creating immature blood cells."

"I'm no genius Don but you make it sound like a bad thing." Raph interjected.

"Regrettably it is, immature blood cells means that they are defective which also means that they die." The eyes around the room widened and Donnie's moved back to his mug. He didn't notice how his grip had tightened, his knuckles turning white. 'If I keep this up I'll end up breaking the mug cutting my hand. I have to relax and just get this over with.' Donnie thought to himself.

"There are numerous conditions that could cause this, one I thought might have had to do with our mutation but it actually turned out to be something different… something I never thought could happen to us… something I thought I could control, could at least..." Tears began to burn the purple masked turtles eyes. An unexpected rage began to rise within him and his hands started to shake. Donnie was startled when a pair of small feminine hands grabbed his and his watery brown eyes looked up into April's. A gentle yet concerned smile graced her lips and it only made the turtle feel more miserable.

"The results are irrefutable. Leo… Leo is sick and it's spreading to quickly…"

A rough pair of green hands grabbed his shoulders. Donnie looked up to meet a pair of fiery amber eyes. Raph's body was tense, and his hands started to tighten on his shoulders but Donnie didn't flinch.

"Donnie, what's spreading! Wha' ain't ya tellin' us. Stop spittin' out this science crap and just say it!"

"Leo has Acute Myeloid Leukemia!" The words left Donnie's mouth so fast he hadn't even realized he said them until he saw the look of dread the flashed through Raphael's eyes.

Tears began to fall from Donnie's soft brown eyes as he frantically looked at his loved one's. Each one showing despair, pain, grief. It hurt knowing he was the one who brought on this misery. But it had to be done… I did the right thing. Tears continued to roll down his cheeks. Why does doing the right thing sometimes make me feel so miserable?

A sudden animalistic roar shook Donatello out of his thoughts. Raphael had erupted, and struck the kitchen table with his fist, watching the wood crack when his brother hit the table.

"Raphael!" came Splinter's stern voice. "Calm down!" he told his second eldest.

Raphael slumped in his chair when his father spoke. "Sorry…" he muttered. "I'll find a new one later." he crossed his arms in defeat.

April looked up and met Donnie's eyes, "What are we going to do?" her voice hoarse from crying, tears still trailed down her face, she could care less about them though.

"For once I really don't know… there's so much we don't know about the Leukemia, the equipment needed, let alone how our mutation would react to the Chemotherapy. There's a lot I need to do and I have more tests planned but other then that its really a guessing game."

"You know you don't have to do this alone Donnie." April spoke. "We all want to help, no matter how small the task." But her words went unnoticed, Donnie was now completely focused on the task at hand.

"I'll start doing more research and tests..." he spoke aloud as he ran through different scenarios in his head. "We'll have to put him on a leukemia diet.." he trailed off as he turned on his heel and went to his lab.

April watched him go with great concern and then turned to look at Mikey, who had been uncharacteristically quiet. He was sobbing silently, he didn't have anything to say, unsure of anything right now.

"He'll get through this, Mikey." she stood and walked to him, then crouched beside him and took his hand. "It is Leo we're talking about." She smiled a little for his benefit. She wasn't sure of this AML, but she knew she had to be a big sister to her friends. Possibly even a mother figure, she wasn't sure but she knew she'd be a good listener. She had to be.

"You're right." he said, smiling a little through his tears at her, he hugged April tight.

"It's going to be fine." April rubbed his shell, holding him back, "I know it.." she said softly in his ear slit.

Raph went to the dojo, Casey following him. He went to the punching bag and took everything he had out on it. After he knocked it off the chain he sat down in the floor, staring at it.

"Man, he's Leo, he'll be okay. He's a fighter." Casey tried to reassure his friend. Raph shook his head.

"How can you fight what you can't see?" he asked rhetorically. He stood and went to the weights and began to lift them, he would go up top but it was daylight and he knew it would make his family worry more. He didn't want that on his family, they have enough on their plates, he had enough on his plate.

"You just fight to live." he shrugged as he watched Raph, spotting him. "I don't know about this kind of thing, never knew anyone with it… or much about it."

Raph put the weights back on the rack and sat up. "I'm going to walk through the tunnels." he stood and walked off. He didn't want anyone to see him cry, and that was what he was about to do.

Raph walked out of the lair moving as fast as he could so he wouldn't be stopped by one of his brothers or Sensei. The tunnel was dark and the sound of rushing water could be heard echoing throughout the tunnels. Raphael's fast pace escalated into a full on run. His vision blurred as the tears began to form, and the area that surrounded him began to mesh into the same dark image.

Raphael's lungs burned as he frantically ran, trying to stop the upcoming tears. A sudden burst of exhaustion hit the gruff turtle and he immediately stopped and started looking for a dry spot to sit. To his right he found a dry patch sat down pulling his knees to his chest. Burying his face in his knees while he wept, for what seemed like an hour. He loved his big brother. He didn't want him to be sick, let alone die.

But what could he do? He wasn't a genius like Donnie, he wasn't a caretaker like April, or a person who could lighten the mood like Mikey. He was Raph, a rough and tough ninja who only knew how to fight. Can't fight what I can't see, which makes me freakin useless.

How was Raph to fight an invisible enemy, an enemy that was killing his brother right in front of his eyes. Oh Leo, what the shell are we gonna do? A terrifying thought raced through the red masked turtles mind. If Leo's gone, what's gonna happen to us, the team?! Raphael's breathing began to quicken. How can we survive without Leo, he's our leader, our brother! Raphael shot up from the floor, pacing, the burning in his lungs starting to return.

I… I can't let this happen! I can't let him die! A roar erupted from his lips and Raph looked for the closest thing to begin his assault on, the wall. Punch after punch the frustration began to life and the horrifics thoughts began to leave and was replaced by a pain in his fists.

With a long sigh the red masked warrior moved away from the wall, not even bothering to look at his hands. We need you Leo… I need ya. Please stay strong bro, please fight.

And that's it for this chapter guys. Another thanks to my friend MysteriousFeather, She's awesome! Read and review guys!