Wow! I can't believe I'm finally gotten back into this AU; it is probably my favorite one that I've written... I love it that much. I've recently been on a TMNT kick, so this is the byproduct of my spare time + old fandoms.
To those of you that are new to the AU, you might want to go check out the first story in the series - Happiness is Bliss. But a quick summary is that when Donny disappeared in the SAINW world, he left behind a daughter (Bliss) that Raph ended up raising. This is what happens after the episode officially ends.
I'm also very rusty at TMNT writing, so if anyone would love to help a girl out with Beta-ing characterizations, I'd love to talk to you more!
Enjoy!
Bliss's POV -
I tumbled through the crack, landing on my knees and still gripping Donny's hand. I turned around, glimpsing April's teary face, hand raise in a wave. I raised my hand still holding her picture frame back at her, the other still clutching Donny's. The electric blue of the portal crackled once, twice, and vanished with a few sparks. It was the last I'd ever see of my home world.
I felt Donny squeeze my hand and turned back around with wide eyes. He whooped and beamed at me, excitement etched into every line on his face.
"It worked!" he said, standing up and pulling me with him. A wave of dizziness and nausea washed over me, and I stumbled. Donny steadied me until it passed.
I groaned, straightening up and wiping the back of my mouth. Obviously this meant I wasn't meant for inter-dimensional world travel. "Wait a minute, so you mean I'm in-"
"My world? That's right!" Donny said, beaming at me. "Sorry it took me so long, it took me a couple of weeks to find all the parts I needed to build the portal. There's only so much you can find in the dumpster. I had to ask April to special order some parts for me."
I frowned, some part of that not sitting quite right with me. "Wait, it's only been a couple of weeks for you? It's been a year for me!"
"A year?" Donny said, mouth open. I nodded, eye ridges raised. "That's fantastic! That means the time in your world goes by quicker than here! Also, since you're thirty some odd years in the future, I wonder what-" he stopped talking when he saw the look on my face. "But that's not important right now. How have you been? I know we never really got to talk, especially after..."
I knew what he was going to say: after the death of my uncles and his sudden vanishing immediately after. I looked at my feet, scuffing my toe into the ground. "I miss Uncle Raph," I admitted. "April's been doing all she can, but it's not really the same."
Donny nodded, sympathy in his eyes. "I have good news, then," he said, the excited look coming back in his eyes. "Come on!" He started heading towards the door, and I clutched the picture frame to my chest and followed. He opened the door and walked out, and I hesitated, standing in the doorframe.
I blinked, taking in their home. "I've never been in the sewers before," I said, and he turned to look at me. "I have to say this isn't quite what I was expecting."
"Not bad, huh?" Donny said, turning back around. High ceilings, couches, a monster of a TV parked in the corner. I eyed it with envy, never having seen a TV bigger than a textbook. "Hey guys?" he called out.
Someone lurched up from one of the couches, grinning. "He lives!" they said dramatically, throwing an arm over their forehead, and I couldn't help but giggle.
"Mikey," Donny said, sounding fondly exasperated. "Where are the others?"
That was Mikey? I thought, eyes wide. I mean, I'd heard Raph's stories growing up, but actually meeting him - er, my Michelangelo, at least - made me really uncomfortable, and I can't say he was my favorite uncle over there. I hid behind the door frame a little bit more.
"Leo's off in the dojo, Raph's working on his bike." Mikey bounced up, tossing a comic book on the couch. "What's up?" And oh, now there was the surfer accent I was told about.
"Can you go get them for me? I have a surprise." Donny turned and met my gaze, grinning.
"LEO! RAPH!" Mikey screeched, cupping his mouth. I grimaced. "DONNY NEEDS US!" He lowered his hands and grinned.
"Thanks," Donny said dryly, rubbing his ear gently.
"Always happy to help!" Mikey bounced on his heels, jumping over the couch and up close to Donny. "So what's this surprise? A tank? A jetpack? Oh, I've always wanted a jetpack. Donny, you shouldn't have!" He lunged up and engulfed Donny in a hug, and over Donny's shoulder met my gaze. I looked away and immediately scooted out of sight, mentally cursing.
"Mikey," Donny laughed, pushing him away. I felt a sharp stab of envy at hearing their sibling dynamic.
"Who's that?!" I heard Mikey say, and I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead back against the wall. "You have a girl in there!"
"Just... wait, Mikey," Donny said pleadingly. "Wait until Leo and Raph get here!"
"But-!" I could hear signs of a tussle and wondered just what exactly was going on.
"Wait until Leo gets here for what?" I heard someone else say, a voice I vaguely recognized as being Leonardo's. It was definitely him he just sounded a lot less tense and sad than it was in my world.
"Yeah, I'm kinda busy, Brainiac," another voice snarked, and my heart lurched into my throat.
"Raphael," I whispered, feeling tears well up in my eyes. I pressed a hand to my mouth, feeling my heart pound wildly. I missed him so much. We never even got to really say goodbye. He raised me, and there was so much I wanted to be able to say to him, but then it hit me. This wasn't my Uncle Raph. This Raphael wouldn't know me, wouldn't remember anything about my life. My shoulders drooped, and I knew all this, but shell, it was really good to hear his voice again.
I guess I tuned out for a bit, because when I shook my head to clear it and listen in on Donny again, they were arguing.
"No, we need to wait on Master Splinter!"
"You didn't tell me to call for Master Splinter! MASTER SPLINT-"
"Enough, Mikey, Leo already went to go grab him!"
"Sheesh, Raph, let go of me! Come on, Donny, I already saw her! Can't you just introduce her to us already?"
"Wait, you have a girl back there? Damn, Don, I didn't know you had it n ya!"
"Ew, gross, Raph, it's not like that! She-"
"Donatello? What is so urgent that you needed to get my attention during my stories?" Another voice joined the fray, one I didn't recognize at all. I assumed it was Master Splinter, and felt a strange thrill run through my stomach. I'd heard so many stories about all of these people - my family - and what they were really like in the glory days with Uncle Raph. This was going to be so weird.
"Sorry, Sensei, but I knew you definitely wouldn't want to miss this," Donny said. "Bliss? You can come out now."
I stuck my head around the corner, peeking out at the others, and wow, they were all so young. Michelangelo had both arms, Raph both eyes, and Leonardo no glasses? I guess I never really thought about what they'd look like, young and happy in their prime, before my Donatello ran away and messed it all up. Man, this was way out of my pay grade. I took them in, and they watched me as I stepped out and slightly behind Donny.
"Ha! I told you he had a girl in there!" Mikey crowed, slinging an arm around the neck of the turtle standing closest to him. That turtle happened to be Raph, standing with his arms crossed and mouth open. A similar look of surprise was mirrored on Leonardo's face, and I finally turned my gaze to the last person standing there, Master Splinter. He was watching me, face impassive, tail flicking. I didn't know what that meant and looked hesitantly at Donny. Maybe my mask was crooked? I self-consciously straightened it. That was something Uncle Raph used to get on my case about, and I didn't realize how much I missed those reminders until I was standing there meeting everyone with a cock-eyed mask. Great. Such a good first impression.
"Guys," Donny said proudly, holding an arm out in front of me. "Meet Bliss. This is my daughter."
"Hi," I said shyly, waving with my one free hand. They took me in again, eyes growing even wider, before immediately turning to Donny with angry looks.
"Your WHAT?" Leonardo said, exchanging shocked looks with Michelangelo. "How is that even possible?"
"Dude," Michelangelo said. "I'm an uncle!" He bounced up and down until Raph gave him a shove away. Raph didn't say anything, staring at me with narrowed eyes.
"Ah," Master Splinter said, eyebrows relaxing in understanding. "Bliss, I have heard all about you. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."
"You have?" I said, tilting my head to the side. But that must mean they all...
"I haven't!" Raph spat, looking angrily at Donny. "What do you mean, you have a daughter?"
"She's from the hell-world I went to with that whole fiasco with the time scepter," Donny said soothingly, raising his hands placatingly. He turned to me and shrugged. "Er, no offense."
"None taken," I said, silently agreeing. It was kind of a hell-world.
"I told you guys that it was set in the future where the Shredder had taken over, where none of you were together anymore and I had run off and disappeared thirty years before, right?"
"Yes," Leonardo said slowly, the wheels obviously turning behind the mask, "but you failed to tell us you had a child in that time."
"Not me, other Donatello," Donny said. "But it's really not my story to tell. In fact, I don't even know all of it. We barely got to talk over there, because once we took down the Shredder and all of you..." he trailed off, and I flinched. Mikey scuffed his foot on the ground. Obviously Donny had told his brothers what had happened to them over there. Just not about me. Gee, way to make a girl feel special. "Well, I got brought home, and it left her. I built a portal and got her back." He shrugged.
"Wait, how did you build the portal?" I asked curiously. "How did you even find the right world again, there's gotta be billions of other universes out there!"
Donny's eyes lit up as he turned back to me. "Well, so I took a sample of some of the particles that came back with me, and from there I built a-"
Michelangelo groaned. "She's a nerd, too!" In a flash, Master Splinter up and whacked him with his cane, and he whined, rubbing his shin and hopping on one foot.
"I, on the other hand, would love to hear more about you, Bliss," Leonardo interrupted, giving a pointed look to Donny and then turning to Master Splinter. "Sensei, you knew about her?"
"Very little," Master Splinter said, looking at me. "Donatello came home from his, ah, trip and told me about the other universe, how he left you alone and had to get back to you." Raph shot Donny a glare when he said this. "I would be very interested in hearing more about you as well."
"I still can't believe you didn't tell us about her," Raph muttered, loud enough for Donny to hear. Donny flinched, and Leonardo elbowed Raph in the side, hissing something so quietly under his breath I couldn't hear him. Raph rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, grunting and elbowing Leo back.
"I didn't even know if the portal was going to be successful," Donny said. "I didn't want to let everyone down if it didn't work, or if you never got to meet her." Raph muttered something else, and Michelangelo ignored him, coming up to me and slinging an arm around my neck.
"Ignore Raph," he said, leading me over to the couch. The others followed. "He's always grouchy. I'm Mikey, your cool uncle. We're gonna be best friends! Do you like video games?"
"I know who you are," I said, still not used to this happy, not creepy version of Michelangelo. I tried to gently shrug off his arm, but he didn't seem to notice, and so it stayed. "I've only met you a handful of times. Same with you, Leonardo. And no, I can't say I've ever really played any video games." I sat down on the couch, jumping a little as Michelangelo let out a loud shriek right in my ear.
"No video games? Donny, that really is a nightmare world!" Donny rolled his eyes at Michelangelo's antics, and sat down on my other side. Master Splinter settled into a comfy looking armchair, with Raph and Leo standing behind him.
"Sorry, Bliss, but we've only met a handful of times?" Leonardo said, shaking his head a little. "I don't quite understand." Master Splinter looked at me attentively, ears pricked.
"I'm afraid I don't know the whole story," I said. "I never met my father. Uncle Raph raised me, and I only met you and Michelangelo once Donny came to our world."
Raph straightened up. "I raised you?" he said in disbelief. I nodded, and he shook his head. "I can't deal with this right now," he spat, turning around and stomping off.
"But-" I said, reaching out a hand after him.
"Raph!" Leonardo called, turning and trying to grab his shoulder. Raph shook it off and stomped out, slamming the door to his room behind him. Master Splinter shook his head, ears twitching.
"Just give him some space," Donny said. "Let him clear his head. Sometimes he just gets like this, though I guess you'd know that as well as any of us." He grinned at me, but I couldn't really return it.
"I can't believe you let Raph raise your kid," Leonardo said, not angry but obviously in shock.
Donny raised his hands. "Again, not me. Other Donatello. And I'm telling you, that guy apparently had a few screws loose."
"Oh trust me, so do you," Michelangelo twirled his finger like he was crazy and stuck out his tongue at Donny. I couldn't help but laugh at that.
Leonardo shook his head. "Please, Bliss, continue." He took one look at Raph's closed door and looked back at me, eyes wide.
"So, my dad met a girl — my mom — another mutant turtle. Her name was Venus. I don't know anything about her, except that I probably have her eyes, and she never met you guys."
"You mean there's another female turtle out there?" Michelangelo beamed. "Dibs!"
"I wonder if she's in our world, too," Donny mumbled, a far-off look in his eyes.
"But... that must mean there could be a lot more of us out there!" Leonardo said, exchanging a hidden look with Master Splinter. I didn't know what it meant and decided to continue on.
"She and my dad used to meet up at the junkyard, and they ran away together when some bad guy named The Dragon Lord starting hunting her. They didn't want to involve you guys, so they ran away. He disappeared for fifteen years." Master Splinter pursed his lips, and even Michelangelo stayed quiet now to listen.
"For years they were on the run, until they finally defeated The Dragon Lord. They got married and then had me, and once they thought it was safe, started to go back to New York to finally meet you guys." I shifted in my chair, looking down at the picture frame still clutched in my lap. Leo eyed it curiously, but didn't ask any questions. "They didn't know The Shredder had taken over. Work camps, curfews. He didn't even know they'd taken you guys down, but The Shredder found them and stopped them. He killed my mom, and my dad took me and ran."
"How old were you?" Leonardo asked, forehead furrowed.
"One, maybe? A baby. Too young to remember." I shook my head. "I miss her, I guess, but I didn't know her. But my dad, he took me to Uncle Raph and pretty much just dropped me on his doorstep, saying he wanted to go back up against The Shredder for my mom." I shrugged. "He never came back for me. I guess he lost the fight. So Uncle Raph raised me, taught me how to fight with his sai and a Bo staff. The first time I'd ever really been outside our home was for my birthday, and that just happened to be the day we saw Donny for the first time. A couple of days later he organized a meeting, and the rest is pretty much history."
"She fell on me," Donny said proudly. I giggled, remembering.
"I didn't realize your world was that bad," Leonardo said, shaking his head. "And I absolutely still can't believe Raph raised you." He laughed, but it was a hollow sound.
"He did the best he could," I said, trying to defend him. "He was only missing an eye. You were newly blind, and Michelangelo only had one arm."
"Not cool," Michelangelo said, shuddering and holding up both of his hands and looking them over, top to bottom.
"But we defeated the Shredder. None of you made it," I flinched, trying to get the image of fallen Raph out of my mind, "but April did, and she kinda took care of me once Donny left."
"April's in your world?" Michelangelo said. "Is she still kick-ass? I bet she's super old." Master Splinter cleared his throat in a warning. Michelangelo hastily changed the subject.
"April's my friend. But I didn't meet her until I met the rest of you. She's super kick-ass! She totally took down Karai." Leonardo blinked at that. "And now she's helping to rebuild New York."
"Awesome!" Michelangelo said, looking proud. "What about Casey?"
I shook my head. "I never knew Casey. I think The Shredder killed him before I was born. Or you, Master Splinter." I saw one of his ears twitch, and he looked thoughtful for a moment. Michelangelo's shoulders slumped.
"I don't even know what to say," Leonardo said. "This is a lot to take in." He studied me for a moment.
"Tell me about it," Donny said, and Leonardo raised an eye ridge. "You're not the one who found out he has a kid."
"Did just find out we were uncles though," Michelangelo said, making a face at him. "Thanks for the heads up."
"Mmmm," Donny pulled a face. "Not the same thing."
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Bliss," Master Splinter said, ignoring their arguing. I leaned forward, trying to hear. "I am very glad you are here with us now. You are family. You are welcome to stay with us as long as you like."
I felt my eyes fill up with tears. "Thank you," I said, a little choked up. "I grew up hearing all about you guys. I can't believe I'm finally meeting you." He smiled at me, and I smiled a watery one back.
"I would love to talk to you more later," Master Splinter said, "but I know you must be very overwhelmed right now."
I glanced over at Michelangelo yelling at Donny over my head. "A little," I admitted.
"I can help you set up a room, if you want," Leonardo offered. "We have a spare."
I nodded, and he motioned for me to follow. I stood up, and so did Master Splinter.
"If you need me I will be finishing my stories," he told me and Leonardo, bowing his head and walking away.
"I can't believe that was Master Splinter," I said, shaking my head as Leonardo and I walked out of the living room.
"I can't believe you didn't know him. Or any of us." Leonardo said, casting me a side look.
"You and Uncle Raph... didn't really like each other in my world," I said carefully. Leonardo blinked, looking a little stung. "I don't know why though, you've been super nice to me so far. You're very different than my Leonardo."
"What was your Leonardo like?" he asked curiously, leading me to a storage closet and grabbing some sheets. He also grabbed a stack of towels and a pillow and dumped them in my arms, using his foot to shut the door behind him. I balanced the frame on top.
I guess he saw me grimace when he asked, so he wrinkled his beak. I opened my mouth to respond, but instead a big yawn came out. Funny, I hadn't even realized I was tired until that conversation was over. Adrenaline pumping, I guess. He blinked, turning me around and leading me to a line of subway cars.
"You know what? We can talk about it later," he said, and I nodded in agreement.
"Will Unc- I mean, Raph be okay?" I asked, almost tripping up.
Leonardo was nice enough not to point it out. "Donny's right, he just needs some time." He didn't look super happy, like he agreed with that statement much, but I didn't argue with him. He led me to a car at the end of the line. "This one's yours."
I stepped up and opened the door. There was a little bed shoved in there, and a bunch of storage boxes. It was tiny and cramped, and I loved it. It reminded me of my room at the resistance headquarters.
"We can clean those out later," he said, looking a little embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his head. "This used to be a storage closet, but we turned it into a guest room for when April needed to crash here."
"I love it," I said truthfully. "Thanks, Leonardo."
"Please, you can call me Leo," he said, smiling at me. It faded away only a moment after. "But only if you feel comfortable doing that. I don't know how you knew me over there." His cheeks flushed. "I really don't know the protocol for this," he admitted. "It's not everyday you meet some alternate dimension niece you didn't even know you could have."
"Leo's good," I said, a little amused, but totally getting how it felt to be walking on eggshells. "We're like the same age. I don't want to call you Uncle."
"How old are you?" he asked.
"I just turned sixteen."
He laughed. "You're younger than us, then. It's like you're more of a kid sister then, than anything else." His shoulders relaxed, and I could tell that was how he was going to choose to process everything in his head. "I'll leave you to it, then. If you need something, just come find one of us." I grinned at him, and he turned and walked back off towards the den.
I stepped inside my room and turned on the lights. I dumped the towels and sheets on the corner of the bed and grabbed the picture frame, setting it up on the bedside table. The turtles in the picture looked like the ones outside. I wonder if they have a copy of this picture, too? I could ask Donny tomorrow. I flopped down on the bed, plastron down, and was out before I could even bother to reflect on what all had happened that day.
Please, please, please review! I would love to know what you guys think! :)