Hi guys! since I've had the accursed writers block here's a one-shot so you guys know that i'm still alive :D

My name is Donatello Hamato.

For those of you who don't know, I'm a mutated teenage turtle…

I know it might be hard to believe but… it's the truth.

For the past few weeks I've had this feeling of teaching my brothers how to do from small surgeries to grave ones. Like deep cuts and stuff like that...

Tonight we're going patrolling and the bad feeling I've been getting is stronger by the second. Almost at the lair's entrance I stopped walking. The others noticed this and turned to me. "Forget something Don?" Leo asked. I looked at him and said "no, it's just… uh… never mind lets go" Leo at first seemed like he wanted to ask what was wrong but by some reason he didn't.
'Maybe I'm just being paranoid. Nothing's going to go wrong' or so I had thought.
As we went patrolling we spotted a couple of guys breaking and entering a jewelry store and like we always do we went to stop them.
As we neared the store the bad feeling that I've been having was back stronger than ever. Now I have the decency to think that something could go wrong. 'No! Don't think like that! Everything will be fine' I kept thinking to myself.

Right now we were on top of the robbers and as the last one came out Leo gave the signal for us to attack. By now all four of us were in battle, well that's if you could call it that. It like it was no challenge at all. These guys didn't even seem to know how to block an attack. Everything seemed to be going well. That is until I saw one of the robbers pull out a gun from their jacket and pointed it at Mikey. I felt my eyes widened as my body moved forward. "MIKEY!" I managed to yell. He looked towards me as the guy fired his gun. For some reason I saw all of this happen in slow-motion. The guy pulling the trigger, Mikey looking shocked as he heard the gun going off, Raphael and Leo turning around to see what was happening. Everything went to normal speed when I pushed Mikey out of the way and felt a sharp pain in the middle of my plastron. In that very moment I thought that everything lost its sound. Or was it that I couldn't hear anything? As I fell to the floor I could see Leo and Raph rushing towards me, looks of panic and fear were edged on their faces. 'Funny I'd never thought Raph could have an expression like that on his face' I thought.

Before I hit the floor I felt arms wrap themselves around me and heard muffled words I can't really understand them but I did get some of them. "Donnie!" "Please" "we're gonna" "lair"

The lair... Our home... My home...

Yeah, that'd be great I want to go home. To our sensei, our father...

Before I knew it everything went dark...

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.* .*.*.

I awoke with a start. As I looked around I could see I was in our lair. More specifically in my room. I also checked for a bullet wound on my plastron but it wasn't there. "Had I dreamed that?" I voiced my thought to myself. I got up from my... bed? Well this is weird I could've sworn I had been in my lab. 'Oh well maybe one of the guys brought me to my room and I can't remember' I thought as I made my way to our living room. Out of my brothers the one I saw first was Michelangelo. He was sitting in the makeshift couch and… not watching tv?

Now that I notice he does seem sad and has been crying? "Mikey?" I called but he didn't respond. I moved closer to him and laid my hand on his shoulder. "Hey Mikey, what's wrong?" I asked but still nothing like he couldn't hear me or was ignoring me. "Come on Mikey tell me what's wrong" I tried again but same as before he did not say nor did nothing to acknowledge my presence.

"Mikey?" I heard Leo call out from behind me. This time Mikey did lifted his head and said "yeah?" even though I barely heard him. How come Mikey wasn't speaking to me? Had I done something that had made him sad and is now ignoring me?

"You can see him now if you want to" Leo said bringing me out of my thoughts. Mikey nodded and stood up from the couch and went to the lab? Why would he go there? Although Leo did say something about a 'him'. Guess I'll ask who this 'him' is. Walking up to him I could see the same sad expression on his face like the one Mikey had. "Hey Leo what's going on? And what did you mean by him?" I asked him but just like Michelangelo he said nothing. He sighed and began to go the couch. Okay, what is going on!? I went and stood in front of Leo so he could stop and explain to me what going on. But what happened next left me wide-eyed, surprised and scared to the bone. Leo had actually passed through me and continued his way to the couch.

He passed through me... but that could only mean that…

'No, no, no, no, no, no, no this can't be happening it had been only a dream none of that had been real right!?' I thought frantically as I made my way to the lab. If my hunch is correct then…

As I entered the lab I saw Mikey, Raph and Master Splinter gathered around one of the beds we had in here. I neared the distance so I could see who was the one in the bed. As I got closer I swear I could feel my heart at my throat as it pounded ever so rapidly. When I finally reached the bed all my fears were confirmed right there and then. The one who laid there was… me.

My chest area was covered in gauze which on could see a small amount of blood peeking through. "So… it had been real? Everything had really happened?"I said out loud. "No, I can't accept this. I don't want to die, not yet. Master splinter! Mikey! Raph! Can't you guys hear me!? I'm right here!" I yelled trying to get their attention but to no avail none of them could hear me.

How ironic. If this situation had only been a thought in my mind I would have been amazed and trying to figure out how is this possible. This out of body experience…

But in reality I'm terrified knowing that this may be the last time I see my family ever again, to have them right in front of me and not being able to tell them I'm here.

I tried for the tears not to come; I really did but just the thought of…

I couldn't take it anymore! I moved towards Mikey and tried to shake him but hands went through. So I tried to call him but to no avail. He just stood there over my body with tears rolling down his face. 'Maybe I can contact master Splinter can somehow.' I quickly thought turning to our sensei. "Master Splinter! Please if you can hear or at least feel my presence give a sign!" I tried to once again with even more tears running down my face. I tried again and again but nothing happened. By now I'm as frustrated as I can be, scared to my very being. So I turned to my last resort: Raphael…

But same thing still happened none of them, none of them could neither see or hear me. I felt more tears stream down my face as I tried to come up with something to let them know I was here.

A week has passed and I still haven't been able to "contact" them. I even tried possessing my brothers but that didn't work either. I went to the lab where my body was and tried to (once again) see if I could get back in my body. Nothing worked. I went back to the living room and sat at the couch. Thinking. Just... Thinking, of everything and anything. Nothing I tried worked. I've also notice that my brothers and master splinter haven't talked much lately. They haven't even trained anymore. All they do is go to the lab to check on my spiritless body and made sure it would get the nutrients it needed. Master splinter rarely left the lab now; he just sat there waiting for me to wake up. Mikey didn't do much either just moped around all day. They barely ate as well; I guess they were paying too much attention to "me" to notice their own needs. This was making me mad, just because I may be lying on my death bed doesn't give them the right to let themselves go. I can't stand seeing them like this!

But I can do nothing...
Nothing to help their mood. I cannot reach them. I can no longer do anything for them.

I felt fresh tears running down my face again. 'I can't help them anymore. I can't train with them. Talked to them, even if they didn't understand less than half the things I said' I chuckled at that. Just imagining Mikey and Raph's confused faces made a smile on my face.

All of a sudden I felt a strong pulse with in my chest area. After a second it was gone. "Could this be-" I started to think but got interrupted by the same pulse I had before. This one lasted a bit longer.
"Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo come quick something is happening to Donatello" I heard master Splinter shout. Quickly I saw my blue, red and orange banded brother hurry themselves to the lab. I made my way there myself but halfway to the lab another pulse hit my chest which almost brought me to my knees. It was starting to hurt and the pulse stayed longer each time. Every time it hurt more and more as it spread through my entire body. When I finally arrived at the lab I could see Leo, Raph and Mikey hurrying themselves in and out of the room. Trying to forget the pained pulse that hit me once more I moved closer to see what was happening to my physical body but by the now resounding flat beep of the heart monitor I already knew. My body was giving up...
I was dying for real. This time I was actually going to die... Yet I felt no distress, even with pulsing pain that I was experiencing, seeing my brothers and master panicked in trying to revive me, even with the knowledge that I was to die I felt calm. I don't know why but I felt completely calm aside from the pain of course.
It was hard to explain. I felt sad there was no mistaking that, I felt scared but mostly I was confused as to why I felt so calm...

Another pulsating pain hit me but quickly went away as I felt a hand touch my shoulder. Surprised I turned and who I saw standing there made a chill ran down my spine and my blood run cold.
Standing there in long black robes, his face completely hidden by the hood he wore.

It was the reaper...
Or also known as Death...

"It is your time to come with me young one" he said in a deep scratched voice. I looked down with a saddened expression on my face. "P-please, c-can I at least s-say goodbye to them?" I asked timidly. I looked up at him once again. Looking to see if he would allow me to.
"You may" he said as gestured towards my family.
"But how do I do that?" I asked the reaper but soon noticed that everything -aside from the continuous flat beep- had gone quiet the minute I voiced my question. I slowly turned towards my family and what I saw surprised and made me the happiest turtle alive. They were staring at me... At me!
I felt a smile begin to form as I took a small step towards them."G-guys" I said barely above a whisper. They blinked like three time before they took a moment to look back at the table where my body lay. They're eyes widened and looked back at me.
"Hurry young one we must leave soon" said death's deep scratched voice behind me. I looked at him briefly and nodded.

"Donnie?" Raphael asked when he seemed to finally find his voice. I looked back towards them now with a sad smile upon my face. "Yeah Raph?" I answered him but he said nothing just moved to me and hugged me or at least intended to since his arm went through my body. Michelangelo was next to step forward tears running down his face. "A-are you d-dead?" He asked me. I sighed nodding an affirmative and to this only more tears came to his ocean blue eyes. Lastly Leo and master Splinter came forward at the same time.
"My son... Does this mean you are here to say your farewells?" Father asked.
I looked at him and smiled "I have always been here father. Though neither of you could see or hear me but yes I have been given this chance to say my goodbyes to you guys" I said tears welling up in my eyes again. As expected all three of my brothers Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo began to protest to please stay with them. "I can't. You guys know that if it was up to me I would stay but..." I looked back to the reaper, who patiently waited for me. "I'm being waited upon. I was given this chance to say my goodbyes and I will" I felt the tears already flowing across my face. "Please don't mourn too much for me after I'm gone okay?" As I said that they began to protest again but I lifted my hand which silenced them. "For these past weeks I have seen all of you worry to no end about me. You guys barely ate and when you did it wasn't even half the half of a pizza slice. Master Splinter though I am grateful that you had kept watch over me it was not healthy to just sit there all day and night without rest. None of you have trained ever since I got shot. This may not be the happiest moment of your life considering mine just ended..."
They all gave me looks of disapproving my dead humor but I chuckled all the same. "I don't want you guys to be all mopey and junk like that. I want for you guys to keep living like we always had before. True I won't be there anymore but at least I know I can count on you guys not to be al mopey and stuff like that. You don't know how happy i am to finally be able to talk to you guys after these weeks." I said with a smile as tears still fell down my cheeks. Though I wasn't the only one, Leo, Mikey, master Splinter even Raph had tears in their eyes.

"I guess I have nothing else to say... Just please eat well and train just like before even though I won't be there anymore..." I said as I hugged every one of them which surprised me when my arms didn't go through.
"Donnie, even though it won't be the same without you we will carry on your last wish for us. We will not disappoint you" Leo said.
"You guys better cus If you don't I'll come back and haunt your shells" I said with a mock glare and chuckling a little. "Well, I guess this is goodbye..." I said sullenly. All of them took a sad expression and we group hugged for one last time.

"Young one it is time for us to leave" said the reaper. I looked at him once again and nodded looking back to my family I said "I have to go" I took a step back from them and smiled "it was nice living with you guys while it lasted." I said taking a bow of respect towards them and master Splinter, turned and walked besides the reaper "I have said my goodbyes" I said to him. He nodded and started to open what seemed to look like a portal door. Now my brothers could no longer see or hear me again. I turned to look at them for one last time before entering the portal which I was enfolded by darkness...

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

"Donnie? Don wake up!" I heard a voice say my name it sounds like...

"Come on bro wake up!" Leo said loud enough for me to jump upright and hit my head with the lamp I had over my desk. "Ow!" I yelped grabbing my head at the slight pain that the lamp caused. Looking around I saw that I was back in my lab and Leo was standing there. "Huh... Wha- Leo? What's going on?" I asked him.
"It's time for patrol so I came to get you" he said.
When he said that I was confused. Didn't I just die? I remember going through the portal the reaper had created but after that…

I can't remember…

I looked around the lab just to make sure I was here. Leo must have notice something because he said "you okay Donnie?" I didn't answer him right away. Before he could say anything else I asked "Leo, if this were some kind of dream would you tell me?"

For a moment he looked at me with a confused expression on his face. "Donnie, why would you think this is a dream?" he asked. Already feeling tears welling up in my eyes I said "nothing, no reason"

"Donnie, don't lie to me. You're about to cry, what's wrong?" he said. I didn't answer rubbing my eyes trying for the tears to cease but they just wouldn't stop coming. "Donnie, you know you can tell me anything right" he said softly now. I slowly nodded my head looking at him. He waited patiently for me to start speaking. "I… the last thing I remember, for what seemed to be as real as it ever was… um…" I couldn't form an exact sentence. For the first time I was at a loss of words. I didn't know what to say. "Don't worry Don. Take your time there's plenty of it" Leo said in a comforting tone. I nodded and began once again. "I think I dreamt my own death Leo…" I finally said with my voice slightly shaking. Leo now had a surprised and concerned look on his face.

"Mikey was about to get shot and I pulled him out of the way and the bullet hit me instead. God it hurt so much… and I soon passed out" I proceeded to tell him the rest of the story of what I had experienced in my dream he just stood there listening to every word I said not getting annoyed or impatient.

By the time I was done fresh tears were rolling down my face and Leo was hugging me. Suddenly Raphael and Michelangelo came through the Lab's door and also hugged me without uttering a word. This only brought more tears to my eyes.

Because this… right here and now is what I would have missed the most if I had really died…

LT: And so we're at the end of this short story... I think i made Donnie OOC-ish ._." what do you guys think? R&R your thoughts about this fic :D

well until-

LT: huh? isn't this about the time i get interrupted by someone? and why do i have a feeling of running for my life?

D: you better run if you yourself dont want to die...

LT: AAAAAGH! DONNIE DONT SCARE ME LIKE THAT YOU ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK! D:

D: Pity...

LT: i am sensing hostility from you... i should run now...

D: you should

LT: *Disappears* 'bye guys thanks for reading! 'til next time :D