Hey everyone!
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a fanfic here on FFN called 'A Ghost of a Chance', written by the amazing Suthnmeh (Poleepkwana on this site) and Violette-Aner. It only took a few words for me to fall in love with it, and upon reading all of the chapters, it became my favourite fanfic of all time!
And well, you know me, I had to write about it :D
I highly recommend checking out 'A Ghost of a Chance' before reading this one-shot. I know it's a big fanfic, but it's definitely worth your time! I honestly couldn't recommend it more. It's just so well-written, and a must-read for a TMNT 2012 fan!
To Suth and Violette, thank you so much for writing AGOAC. As a writer myself, I know how much work goes behind writing each and every chapter, and I wanted to let you know that you've created something truly beautiful. AGOAC is a masterpiece, and it's been such a pleasure reading it.
(Coincidentally this is released on Christmas Day so... Merry Christmas! Consider this your gift from me :D)
Without any further ado, here's 'We'll Do It Together'!
"So what you're saying is that we can go back in time to prevent all that shit from happening."
Donnie couldn't help but smirk at the confused looks on his brothers and Casey's faces.
Mikey was sitting on Donnie's office chair while hugging the back of it and spinning around. Behind him stood Raph and Casey, always leaning against each other. On the contrary, Leo was distanced from the group, prefering to rest against the door of the lab.
It had been a while since Donnie had gathered everyone in his lab, but what he had discovered wasn't to be kept a secret. He had merely been messing with some old Kraang technology when he started getting weird readings. It took him a while to decipher them, but after days of work, he realised he'd seen that phenomenon before.
Time travel.
Of course, it was more complicated than that. The turtle had hit the perimeter of a wormhole that was just big enough to transfer a signal as far as decades into the past. If only he could find a way to expand it, they could go through the vortex too, and maybe, just maybe, be able to turn their life around.
"That's precisely what I'm saying, Raph."
Well, not really.
It wasn't their life they'd be changing, but rather the life of another version of themselves.
Still, the thought of fighting against what they went through filled Donnie with hope.
The day Raph had called to tell them about Karai was engraved on Donnie's heart. Ten years ago, the kunoichi had sneaked out at night to join the Lotus clan against their fight with the Shredder. Apperantly Raph had been knocked out when Karai realised she was being followed, and by the time he woke up, it was already too late.
They lost their father to Oroku Saki ten days later.
Donnie had been the one to realise Splinter was gone, but just like what happened with Karai, it'd been too late.
Going back would be like putting an end to his nightmares by preventing someone else's from ever starting.
"Of course, there's still months of work left to do," Donnie continued. "I've been studying the wormhole for the last few weeks, and although I have an idea of how we can make this work, I'm going to have to build the actual machine, and I don't know what parts I'll need yet. Not to mention I need to keep studying the wormhole to see just when exactly it'll be strong enough to-"
"The answer is no."
Donnie's gaze left his notes to meet with Leo's serious one. He looked as if he could pierce right through his plastron with that look, but then again, there wasn't really a time he didn't anymore.
"But Leo-"
"I said, no, Donnie, so let it go!"
Without a second word, Leonardo took off.
"Don't worry, dude," Casey said, and it was clear he was holding back a smile. "Let Elsa get some air and think about it."
Mikey broke into giggles at the new nickname, followed by Raph and Casey. Maybe Donnie would have laughed too if it wasn't for the fact that his best concept in months had just been thrown in the dumps.
A concept he actually felt passionate about.
Donnie hadn't felt that way in a while. Not ever since April-
The turtle shook his head, his hand hovering above his shoulder strap. The tiny piece of paper he hid behind it had started to burn, and he wanted nothing more than to take it out, but his family was watching.
"Do you need a moment alone, Dee?"
Donnie couldn't tell just when the others had stopped laughing, but his youngest brother's voice showed no sign of joy, something unusual for him.
"Yeah," Donnie responded, unable to say anything else.
He followed the three with his eyes - and couldn't help but pay extra attention to Casey and Raph's linked hands - as they exited his lab.
"Hey Donnie," Raph said, sticking his head back in the room. "Try not to take it personally."
Raph disappeared, closing the door behind him. The loud thud the door made wasn't nearly as loud as Donnie's sigh. The turtle sat down, and he instictly reached out for the nearest pen.
It made a click! sound when Donnie pushed the button on top, and he soon found himself opening and closing it again and again, just to hear it. It was his only distraction, but it just wasn't enough.
Block the thoughts out, he told himself. They're no help to the situation.
Donnie managed to start breathing normally again. Everything was going to be okay, as long as he kept ignoring the images of the events he wanted to prevent, like the ones in which Raph held Karai's unconsious body in his arms or his father's body on the floor of the Shredder's lair, and the memory of his family almost breaking apart, when April-
The pen slipped out of his fingers, falling on the ground.
Donnie followed.
His head became flooded with memories, washing away all his efforts at keeping it together. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes, only to fall and wet his bandana. Distant memories hurt like recent wounds, and nothing else mattered. How he wished he could hold her in his arms again-
He felt so stupid. So naive. He had accepted that he'd probably never talk to April again long ago, so why was it coming back?
He tried to blame it on the fact that Leo had denied his plan, and to be fair, part of the reason of his breakdown was on this. A huge part.
He should have presented the facts better. Maybe then, Leo would have at least considered it.
He found himself reaching for the piece of paper behind his shoulder strap again, this time actually taking it out and unfolding it. The wrinkled picture looked as if it had been through a lot, but the cherished memory was still clearly displayed.
Donnie was in that picture, but he wasn't alone. His favourite redhead was wrapped in his arms, smiling widely at him. She was holding the camera, having captured the moment Donnie placed a sweet kiss on her cheek.
April would have known what to do.
Donnie let go of a half-choked chuckle as he pictured her bringing him warm coffee in his favourite mug. The times she had hugged his problems away were countless, but the turtle still managed to recall every single one of them.
How could he forget? The memories he made with her had been the happiest moments of his life, and he'd give anything to have them back.
If only Leo hadn't stormed out his lab the way he did, Donnie would have been able to relive some of these memories, or at least help one version of himself do so. He knew himself better than anyone after all, and he was sure that the Donatello at the other side of the vortex would cherish these moments more than anyone else in the multiverse.
He had to change Leo's mind.
And just like his brother had, Donnie stormed out his lab, stopping outside the dojo. He took one final glance at the picture in his hand. "Thanks, April," he said with a smile, before putting it back where it belonged, close to his heart.
Donnie took a deep breath, before sliding the door open and stepping in the training room. The calm aura it carried almost soothed him, but was quickly cut away by the sound of his brother's swords piercing through the air.
Do it for your family, Donnie put a hand on his chest, where the picture was. For April.
"I think you should reconsider," he finally said.
Leo looked at him with the corner of his eyes, and put away his katanas. "I already told you, the answer is no."
"And I just told you to reconsider," Donnie responded. If he were honest with himself, he could already feel the anxiety building up inside him. "We already know it's possible, and we've done it before."
"Last time was different," Leo crossed his arms. "We didn't have much of a choice, remember?"
Leo was right; They hadn't exactly planned their trip through time back then, as Fugitoid had literally appeared during the end of the world, not to mention their experience with Renet had been traumatizing. Regardless, that wasn't enough to put Donnie down.
"Well we do now, and it's the right one," Donnie said. "We could go back and make things right. We could save everyone! I've been writing down the events that went down when the Lotus appeared, and-"
"Do not say that name," Leo interrupted him. His body had tensed up at the mention of the Lotus clan, and that was certainly not a good thing.
Although hesitant at first, Donnie spoke up again. "What I'm trying to say, is that we're not going in blind. We have the upper hand here, we know what went down! It's only a matter of preventing it."
"And how exactly are we going to do that?"
"The wormhole is not big enough for us to go through, but it's still strong. I could easily hack a satellite and send a signal to another timeline. If I can get my past self to expand the wormhole from his end, we'd be able to go back."
Leo huffed, shaking his head. "That's… That's crazy talk, Donnie, no one has ever done that."
"I can do it, Leo. I know I can. And when we get through that vortex-"
"If we get through the vortex!" Leo raised his voice, catching Donnie off guard. "Have you even considered how shocking this is? You can't just call us all in your lab and ask us to revisit the most traumatic moment of our lives!"
Donnie could have yelled at Leo at that moment, but he knew better. Of course he was aware of how big what he was asking for really was. The memories of that period haunted him to this day.
"Not a day goes by that I don't think about what happened," Donnie mumbled. His brother had turned his back at him, but Donnie knew he was listening. "I don't think there's anything that will ever make me forget."
Feeling his sorrow return, he placed his hand on his shoulder strap once more, feeling the warmth coming from the picture he was protecting.
"But this is exactly why we have to do it," he continued. "Please, Leo… Just think about it."
Leo's body seemed to give in at the softer tone, as there was no more tension in his posture, his shoulders lowered and his fists unclenched. Despite his ingenuity, Donnie was not a mind reader, and could only hope Leo's thoughts agreed with his motions.
"Is this really going to change the way things are?"
Leo turned around, eyes locking with Donnie's. It was then that Donnie noticed the faint red color at their corners, and the thin layer of liquid covering them. Their blue color was glimmering, trying to reach out.
"I… don't know." Donatello admitted, and realised he had been fidgetting his fingers. "The last time we time travelled, it didn't really change what happened to us - the ones who were travelling - but rather to our past selves."
"Which means?"
"If it's anything like the other time, the changes would have no effects on us, but only on them."
"Them?"
"Us! But from the past!" Donnie was quick to explain. "According to the multiverse theory - or at least what I know of it - we'd be creating a new timeline the moment we interfered with the past. We could prevent everything from happening there, but not here."
Leo didn't respond.
The silence that filled the room was somehow loud in Donnie's ears. It was never a good sign when Leo took this long to process something, and although that was what Donnie had asked him to do, it made every single one of his muscles tense up.
Remember what it's for, he thought. Remember who it's for.
"This may not change the way things are… But it could change us. Past us and present us. We could learn from this, from ourselves!"
Donnie let himself relax, taking one last breath. He could do this.
"Leo… I may not know all that'll happen, but I know myself, and I know you. If there's any chance to prevent a version of myself from going through what I have…" Donnie took a step forward, giving Leo a reassuring look. "I'm willing to take it. No matter the cost."
It just looked like Leo couldn't.
Donnie shook his head, turning around to face the door. "Even if I have to do it on my own-"
"Donnie, wait," Leo sighed, grabbing his brother's arm. Their eyes locked again, and Donnie noticed a tint of sympathy in Leo's. "We'll do it together."
It was impossible for Donnie to hold back his grin, and it became even harder when Leo returned it. He felt his chest puff with joy, and it was as if he was floating.
Without thinking, he launched himself into Leo, their plastrons colliding. His big brother was quick to wrap his arms around him, sending a sense of warmth all over his body. Donnie couldn't remember the last time he had hugged his brother, and it honestly felt so good.
The thought of the moment coming to an end initially saddened him, but the start of an attempt to change things for the better kept his spirit too high for his smile to fade away when Leo did pull away.
His older brother patted him on the shell, a look of determination Donnie hadn't seen in a long time reflecting on his eyes.
"Let's do this."
Donnie nodded at him, and for the first time in years, he thought maybe things were okay.