A/N: Hello again! I hope you all are enjoying this, I see you reading. Makes me happy! So this is a feel good chapter, things wrapping up and unfolding. Enjoy!
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CHAPTER 10- Big Brother
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Things are finally calming down to a satisfying normalcy within the secret, underground lair. Maybe underground lair isn't the right term nowadays. To Leo, it's been feeling more like a love shack. It's not a lewd or overly passionate vibe. Leo just identifies the difference between him and his brothers and the lovely company they are keeping; he realizes, not to anyone's intentions, how left out he is.
Mona seems happier and, damn it, so does Raphael. There are no more shouting matches or slamming doors. She and Raphael leave the couch, hand in hand and stroll towards the kitchen. The red-banded brother gives his leader a smirk, not at all hiding his mirth. Leo sees that something has happened between those two, though neither have vocally solidified anything with the rest of the crew. Leo has kept his cool about it, not wanting to pry. Still, he is very happy for them.
Donatello and April, well, those two haven't been in each other's space any less. Leo hears them laughing and talking softly in the garage. He sees their feet dangling out of the Shellraiser. Soft music plays from it's tape deck radio. Leo sees April's feet roll on top of Donnie's and he looks away. It is sometimes hard for Leo to watch their behavior. There is so much affection that April has for his younger brother, it is pleasant and painful to witness.
Leonardo slides to the edge of the diving pool. From there, he can look up to the second floor and see that Michelangelo's bedroom door is still closed. Leo remembers, a few days ago, very early in the morning while on his way to the dojo, he spotted his baby brother. Mikey snuck to the kitchen and came out with a half-full pizza box and a bottle of apple juice from the fridge. Leo's face flushes at the thought of Mikey needing to replenish his and Kala's energy for the obvious activities taking place therein. His brother is not a baby anymore.
It has been a full week since the graduation and the Neutrino's arrival. Karai has missed another Sunday dinner with the family. Even Casey and Irma and The O'Neils come down this time. During dinner, Leo noted Casey teasing Raphael with not-so-subtle innuendoes towards his new relationship with Mona. Mona and Irma ignored them. Donatello was acting like more of a gentleman in front of Mrs. May O'Neil than he really needed to. April constantly touched and complimented him, chasing away his worry and showing him that he has enough approval from her parents. Splinter could not stop smiling at Mikey and Kala; his youngest son has become a man.
To Leo's ease, no had mentioned Karai, not until Michelangelo strode out of the kitchen presenting his famous watermelon cake. He had made it known it was Karai's favorite. After dinner, Splinter had pulled Leo aside to inquire. His father made him promise to talk to Karai before the following Sunday to settle this squabble, mentioning that he gave the same request to his daughter. Leo plans to wait until the last minute, knowing she would as well. There was so much pride, among other things, between them.
Setting aside that chore from his mind, Leonardo makes one more visual sweep of the area before slipping out of his home, making his way to visit Toni.
...
Leonardo arrives at Toni's window, finding her in workout attire; loose, black gauchos, and a fitted, beaded tank top. Her long, dark, curly hair is up in a messy bun. She invites him in, leading her into the living area where he turns on a few lights. He looks around and sees her couch pushed towards the kitchen and coffee table against the wall, leaving her area rug open and unobstructed.
"What's going on here?" Leo asks.
"I came back from pottery class and remembered that we are learning new poses in my hot yoga class tomorrow and I'm not at all prepared. I was setting up to go over what I remember."
"Hmm." Leo smiles. "Was that before or after I texted you?"
Toni unknowingly matches his smile. "I was going to practice either way, I swear. But... I thought it wouldn't hurt to have your help, you being a ninja master and all."
"Oh, Really?"
"Yeah." She answers excitedly.
"Well..." He teases her. "I don't know. I mean I already led a training session with my brothers this morning, and don't forget that I have to climb up and jump across buildings every time I come to visit you."
She giggles. "Please, Leo. It's relaxing." She reaches out to him, laying her hands on his forearm. "Would you like me to show you some moves that I learned?"
"Alright." Leo unstraps his belt and sets his katana blades aside. He stands on the rug with her.
She stands before him. "Ready?"
"I am ready, sensei." He bows slightly.
She giggles again. "Ok, this first one is the Standing Back Bend, then we'll do the Table Top, The Cat, Low Lunge and the Down Dog."
During the short session, Leo becomes a bit unnerved, not so much by how her lithe body seems to bend effortlessly through each pose, but by her touches. In between each stance, she has him freeze so that she can feel along his arms and legs to make sure he is doing it correctly.
"Since I am the only blind student in the class, my instructor has to literally pose me into each stance... yes, I think you've got it. Spread your legs apart a bit more. You should feel the stretch in your calf muscles in that pose... it's what my instructor Jodie says anyway... how do you feel?"
"Er... good. I can see how this could be relaxing." He says through the distraction. "This is very similar to the katas my brothers and I do daily.
"Katas?" Toni says as she reaches for his hands to have him stand up. "Would you show me some?"
Leo takes a breath, wanting to discourage her curiosity... and his odd and building desire to touch her back. But, her face lights up and he somehow cannot refuse. "Let's do position one. Katas are all about finding and maintaining one's center."
Now, it is Toni's turn to fret. Though Leo does his best to be cordial, his gentle, guiding touch, his silent shuffling around her, the sound of his voice, so low and so close, his smell, and the shivers rippling along her spine make it hard for her to keep balance.
"Keep your legs bent, your feet under your shoulders, and your face forward." He says. "And your hips..." He places his hands on her from behind. "And abdomen should be held firm. A good deal of your balance comes from core strength, not just foot placement."
"Core s-strength. OK." She doesn't breath until he removes his hands from her hip and belly. She hasn't done a sit-up since college and she doesn't want him to feel the evidence and obvious difference from his taught muscles. When he does, however, step away, the warmth emanating from his body leaves her as well.
"From this position, bring your elbows in, make a fist and punch forward, turning your wrists when fully extended." He instructs. He allows her to punch his palms a few times. Her delicate knuckles can feel the rough callus of his hands.
"You practice like this with your brothers all the time?" Toni asks.
"Yes, but it's a bit more intense."
"If your brothers are built anything like you, I bet." She mumbles. She throws controlled punches into his palms a few more times. She thinks about having to going back to work tomorrow, the 2nd trimester of the school year. April ended very quickly. She's prepared all of her lessons, but the first week is always hard. She punches harder. "This feels good, a real stress reliever. Just pummel my troubles away."
"One of my brothers would agree with you completely." Leo admits.
"Speaking of... when do I get to meet them?"
Leo pulls his lips to one side and looks away from her. Things are better at home, sure. But is he ready to introduce his new friend into the fold? He doesn't want to just yet. Honestly, he wants to talk to Karai first, just to see where they stand, if his absence from her has been as lonesome as her has been from him. Something tells him that she hasn't been as affected as he. He's missed Karai, wants her to be a part of the crew again, a part of him again. With that last thought he shakes his head. It would be too awkward to bring Toni around just yet; he doesn't want their friendly relationship to be misinterpreted. "Soon." He says.
"Huh..." She grins. "They don't about me, do they?"
"What?" Leo lowers his hands and she practically topples into him with her right hook. He catches her and spins her around. "Sorry." He says.
"I take that as a no." Toni turns back to him.
He crosses his arms over his chest. "It's not like I won't. I know they'd like you. It's just not the right time yet."
Her gray pupils seem to wink at him. "I'm sort of flattered to be your secret friend and everything, but did you forget that your brothers are ninjas too? How long do you think you can sneak up and visit me?"
"Believe me..." He says with a tone of pride. "My brothers have no idea of my comings and goings. They are busy with... other things."
"If you say so." Toni says with a bit of coyness. "Hey, let's try one more thing." Toni sidesteps over to her couch and, pulling off a cushion, drops it to the floor. "Jodie, my yoga instructor, said something about teaching us how to stand on our heads... wanna help me out?"
Leo is glad she can't see his grin. "I'd love to."
Meanwhile, crouched within the shadow of the neighboring building, three, young, mutant ninjas are surveying the apartment building their eldest brother is currently occupying.
"How long we gonna sit out here?" Raphael sneers.
"Until he comes out, I guess." Michelangelo says.
"Do you really want to confront him as soon as he exits? How awkward would that be?" Donatello asks.
"I don't care how awkward it is. Thinks he can sneak out every Sunday night, like we wouldn't notice! We should go in and crash his little secret party right now." Raph growls.
"We don't know what he's doing or why he's there. There may be a good reason." Donnie offers.
"What if he's in trouble?" Mikey asks.
"He ain't in trouble." Raph says. "But he will be when I'm done with him, havin' fun without me."
"Leo? Fun? Not likely." Mikey says.
"And I don't think he's in danger... at least not physically." Donnie gives his brothers a look as he refocuses his binoculars, watching faint shadows in one of the top floor windows.
"What does that mean?" Mikey asks.
Raphael sighs. "Donnie thinks Leo might be meetin' Karai in private, but I don't believe that."
"Why would Leo keep that a secret?" Mikey asks.
"Because." Donnie says as he puts his binoculars away. "Leo told us he would keep strong and not give into what Karai wanted since she doesn't feel the same way about him. I wouldn't put it passed Leo to keep his need for her a secret from us. His pride would be on the line. And I wouldn't put it passed Karai to rent a small, inconspicuous apartment to accommodate him. It looks inexpensive and it's close to the Lair."
"He would not keep that a secret." Raph reiterates. "Leo got more balls than to just crawl back to that cold woman."
Donnie shrugs. "I wouldn't think less of him. He's... mortal after all."
Raphael groans his doubts rather than voice it. "Well, I ain't leavin' til I know the truth. Ain't you got a way for us to spy on him anything without breakin' in?"
Donatello rolls his eyes. He shifts and rummages through his trusty duffle bag. He pulls out a small, metal, gun-like contraption. He aims at the window with light coming through and shoots. A small needle pierces into the wooden pane; a blue light blinks on its receiver. Donnie puts the gun away and pulls out some type of remote. He switches it on and fiddles with the dials.
"Th'heck is that?" Raph asks.
"This is a radio transmitter. It will pick up sounds close by and send them through this speaker on my remote. If I can find the right frequency, we should be able to hear what's going on inside."
"Now, we're talkin'. Why the hell you wait so long to use that thing?"
"Leo's privacy." Donnie reminds him. "This is the lesser of two evils. I don't want you to break in just yet."
"Are you... sure you want to know what's going on in there? What if we hear something we don't want to...?" Mikey warns.
"This is just a precaution on my part and to also salve Raph's curiosity. If we DO hear something... private, I'll simply turn of the device and we all agree to talk to Leo once he returns home."
"What if we hear him struggling, or fighting... or a guitar or something?" Mikey says.
"A guitar?" Donnie raises a brow at his goofy brother. Then we... I don't know, react accordingly." Donnie shakes his head. He licks his lips. "This might take a moment for me to find a good channel. Hold on a sec."
"Fine." Raphael crosses his arms. Instead of staying quiet and waiting patiently, he taps Mikey's leg with his outstretched foot. "So, I noticed you ain't played your video games all week. Thought you woulda died without them. I'm guessin' you've discovered something better ta do with your time?"
"W-what do you mean?" Mikey asks him.
"Oh, Come on, Mikey... or should I just call you Magic Mike now?" Raphael wrinkles his brows at him.
Mikey's eyes widen and he looks away. "I don't want to say."
"Phff." Raph spits. "Don't be such a prude! Our little brother finally gets some and you wanna be shy about the details."
Donatello stays quiet, focusing on his remote.
Mikey's face turns red. "Come on, Raph. That's private stuff. I don't think I should."
"Don't be such a tight wad and tell us how it was with Kala!"
"Why don't YOU tell us about Mona? Or, or ask Donnie about April?" Mikey retorts.
Donnie almost drops his delicate device on the ground.
Raphael frowns. There is NO way Raph is going to admit that Michelangelo got to 'home base' before he did. What kind of macho man would he be if his brothers knew he was the last virgin? It's not that he doesn't want to go all the way Mona. She's sexy as hell and he knows it would be a life-changing experience, but the thought kind of scares him. He knows that Mona likes him. But, he is sure his feelings are much stronger than hers. And when it DOES finally happen, he'll want to do it all the time. What is he going to do when it's time for her to go back to South America? He cringes at the thought. "What me and Mona do is grown-up stuff. And thinkin' about Donnie and April is like thinkin' about my brother doin' my sister... and that's just gross."
"Guys!" Donnie whines.
Mikey chuckles. "Yeah, I know what you mean."
"So, tell us. Kala don't look like she'd be average at anything." Raph says.
"Uh... no she is not." Mikey looks away again.
"I'm curious as well, Mikey." Donnie looks up from his remote. "Please understand that it's purely scientific. I don't have access to Neutrino anatomy literature, and it's not likely you'd allow me to give Kala a full examination."
"Like hell I would." Mikey glares at him.
Donnie chuckles. "Mikey, we're happy for you. When you get a chance to experience something like this, who else can you tell but us? Who would we tell? Aside from how much you love each other, it's not everyday a mutant turtle consummates with an alien from a different dimension. I am all the way intrigued." He reasons with him.
Both of his brothers quietly wait for Mikey to break. It doesn't take him long. He licks his lips. "It was... amazing. And we did it so many times in so many ways. I never thought there was anything in the world as great as what Kala and I have done together."
"What's it feel like?" Raph asks.
"Like..." Mikey smiles a big, dreamy smile. "Like I'm diving into a hot sponge soaked in honey, over and over until my brain explodes. And Kala… I light her up like fireworks."
Raph's jaw drops. He slaps Mikey on the shoulder. "Way ta go, bro!"
Donnie tries to hide his blush while asking a studious question. "Technically, how is she built... as far as her 'plumbing' is concerned?"
"I'm pretty sure she's not like a human girl." Mikey says.
"How so?" Donnie asks.
"Well, she has like these small, silky ridges across her, um... 'Sponge honey'... and I don't think there is a hole." Mikey says.
"No hole? How does she, ya know, go to the bathroom?" Raph asks.
"I'm not sure. When she's in the bathroom, there's always a bright light... and then the toilet flushes." Mikey shrugs.
"Hmm... perhaps her 'Sponge honey'... I'm sorry, I just feel weird saying that." Donnie drops his head to one side.
"Don't ever say it! Only I call it that! She'd kill me if she found out!" Mikey yells.
"Ok,Ok." Donnie says. "Perhaps her 'ridges' not only secrete for intercourse but to make way for procreation. Kala did mention once that baby Neutrinos are called 'orblings'. Maybe the Neutrino female's ridges recede to expel an egg. She's definitely not a reptile, nor would I classify her as a mammal. She's more of a fowl."
"Kala isn't a foul anything, Donatello!" Mikey starts.
"No! F-o-w-l, as in, from the bird kingdom; eggs, feathery hair, narrow skeletal system, it's just a hypothesis."
"Geez, Don, only you can make sex sound boring." Raphael sneers.
Donnie sighs and goes back to his remote. "Again, I'm happy for you, Mikey. And if Kala ever mentions how Neutrinos make babies, I'd love to know."
"W-why would she ever tell me that?" Mikey asks nervously.
"Never mind." Donnie grins. His device fizzles to life. Muffled voices arise from the small speaker. "Something's coming through!"
"Are you sure you want me to let go now?" Leo asks Toni.
"I... yes. Ok, let go!"
Leonardo leans back on his knees and lets Toni go. Her palms are firmly on the floor as her head balances on the couch cushion. Her left leg is bent forward and her right is bent back. She's wobbly and her arms are tense, but she's doing it.
"I got it... this is hard... all my blood is rush to my head... why do people do this? This is NOT relaxing." Toni says.
Leo laughs, making Toni laugh. When she does, her legs loll to one side and Leo is quick to catch her. "Do you want to get down now?"
"Oh yeah." She groans as her face smashes against the cushion. Finally on the floor she rolls onto her back and exhales. "I'm going to rest here for a minute."
"That's fine." Leo turns and lies back, his head resting on the other side of the cushion. "Do you feel dizzy?"
"If feeling like you're spinning on the ceiling is dizzy, then yes." She says.
Leo smiles and he tilts his head back, trying to get a glimpse of her. All he can see are curls. "Toni, please don't think me insensitive by asking but..." Leo grabs her attention and she sits up on her stomach, her elbows in the cushion. He turns faces her, focusing on her green pupils, swimming in a sea of gray. "Do you ever wonder what it's like to see?"
"Sometimes I try, but it's a hard concept to grasp. I know what I'd do if I could see."
"And what's that?" Leo asks, truly interested.
"I would travel the world with my mom."
"Oh." Leo says lowly. "Where is your mom?"
"Last time she called, she was in Sri Lanka, traveling with a small caravan towards the mainland." Toni ends quietly.
Leo feels guilty for asking. "I'm sorry. I didn't know how sensitive a subject it was."
"It's OK..." She hums a small laugh. "Rose was young when she had me. She thinks she did her best. She thinks I'm old enough and independent enough to be on my own. I'm glad she's able to finally live her dream."
"What do you think?" Leo asks her.
"I think... it must have been very hard for her. It was only she and I. She was in love once. When my mother was a junior in high school, she instantly fell for the foreign exchange student from France. They hit it off within the few months he was in the states." Toni tilts her head in thought. "Rose would later tell me that it was an evening she would never forget. The night before the French student left to go back to his country, I was conceived. Rose never heard from him again and nine months later, I was born: Antoinette Rosebud Gustav. My first name comes from my father. His name was Anton. My middle name is from Rose, of course. And Gustav is my father's surname."
Leo nods. "Do you think that's why your mother travels? She's searching for Anton?"
"I believe that's what she was doing at first. Then, she fell in love with the different places and the people that lived there so... she found something else to fill her heart." The sadness of her last statement creeps into her voice.
Leonardo can't understand why a mother would leave their blind child to fend for herself. Though Toni is far from helpless, it must have been very lonely for her. Rose chose the world over her daughter. He doesn't like Rose very much right now. Yet, here he is, lounging in a cozy apartment with the lovely Antoinette Gustav. As if Toni can interpret his silence, she reaches out and lays a hand on his. "My mother was so young when she had me. She worked very hard and gave up her childhood for me. I am the result of her successful parenting. And now, she can follow her dreams. I have dreams too... some of them are impossible, but... maybe all dreams aren't meant to come true. If they did, you and I wouldn't be here today, so I'm not all that upset about it."
Leonardo stares at her. He can't believe she is praising her mother and her blindness because it led to their meeting. It's flattering, but still. He can't really comment on that, so he changes the subject. "So... Antoinette. It's a French name, very pretty. Can I call you that?"
"Not on your shell." She answers drolly, making Leo laugh. "Toni is just fine,"
"Yes, you are." Leo adds. Oh, there he goes. But he can't help it. Toni is just too easy to compliment.
The three, snooping turtles listen intently to the sound of a low-speaking Leonardo and a soft, female voice.
"Well, he's not alone." Donnie says.
"And he doesn't sound like he's in danger... is that Karai?" Mikey asks.
"That ain't Karai." Raphael says. "Leo would never go back to that 'relationship' unless she was ready to give him what he's been wantin'. He'd be so flippin' happy, we'd have noticed, or he would have told us. We don't know who he's with." He stares at the device a moment longer. "I'm goin' in."
"Raph!" Donnie calls to him.
Raphael gets up and jumps over to the fire escape where they saw Leonardo enter.
"Come on, Donnie. You know you want to." Mikey smirks, jumps, and lands next to Raphael, who is already tapping rhythmically on the windowpane.
Toni stretches an ear towards her bedroom. "Leo... do you hear that?"
Leonardo sits up and peers down the hall. He hears it. "I think this is the end of our quiet evening... Is it alright with you if I invite my meddlesome brothers in?"
Toni gasps. "Oh! Of Course!" She stands and stumbles over the cushions. "I told you they were good ninjas."
"Hey." He teasingly tousles the sloppy bun on her head.
She playfully slaps his hand away. She perks up. "I'll bake some cookies!"
Leo looks at her strangely. He cranes his neck a bit, watching her disappear into the kitchen."Ok."
He then walks towards the bedroom. He peeks in and sees three wry smiles in the window. He walks around the bed and Raphael and Michelangelo begin to hoot and make googly eyes at him. He opens the window. "You two are exactly how I thought you'd be... Come to join in on the foolishness, Donnie?"
"Hey, I claim being concerned about you. I planned on bailing once I confirmed your safety." Donnie says.
"Not me." Raph says honestly. "I wanted ta catch ya doin' somethin' bad. You want us to give ya five more minutes?"
"Shh. She'll hear you." Leo hushes him.
"How? She got bat ears or somethin'?" Raph pushes inside, followed by Mikey. Donnie closes the window behind them.
"Let's meet her already!" Mikey says excitedly.
"She's in the kitchen, baking cookies for you." Leo says.
"Sweet! I already like her." Mikey says,
Leonardo leads his brothers into the living area. He stops short when he sees how Toni and he left it.
"Well, well, well." Raphael walks around the room. "What was going on in here? Pillows all over the place... and your belt and swords against the wall. Care to explain?"
"Raph..." Leo warns.
"I was just showing him some hot yoga!" She calls out from the kitchen.
The turtles turn to the archway and a petite, brunette appears.
"Toni, I'd like you to meet my brothers." Leo says.
Toni smiles. "Hello." The oven beeps. "Oh, I'll be right back!" And she's gone again.
Her greeting is so candid; it puts the three turtles on edge. Leo should tell them, but he decides let to the party crashers figure it out for themselves.
In the brief moment he sees her, Donatello catches the faint grey clouding the woman's eyes. He quickly throws an all-knowing look at Leo. Leo grins at him.
"Hey, Leo?" Mikey inches closer to his brother. "She is hot. How'd your sour mug not scare the poor girl away?"
"Yeah? How come she ain't freak out when she saw us? How long have you known her for her to treat us so normal like?" Raph says.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Toni comes out of the kitchen, wrapping her hair tightly in a neater bun. "Would you rather I scream and run around my apartment, or hide behind my blue couch?"
Donnie looks away and smiles. Raphael still is not getting it, looking at the girl like she's nuts.
Mikey points at the couch. "Um, your couch is red."
She walks over to her couch and runs her hand along the top. "I think you're right. It does feel more blue than red. Oh well, too late to return it now!"
Mikey walks up to her and stares into her face. His mouth opens up wide. "Oh, my gosh. Like to play tricks, huh?"
"Yup!" Toni says cheerfully.
"Hi, I'm Mikey." He shakes her hand.
"It's nice to meet you, Mikey." She cups his face. "You're a cutey too."
"And I'm Donatello. Just call me Donnie." He takes her hand.
"Hello, Donnie. My, you're tall." She pats his cheek.
Raphael stands there, watching his brothers acting weird. And why is this strange girl touching them like that? Leo is just grinning at him. "Uh... what's goin' on?"
"What do you mean, Raph?" Mikey says.
"Yeah, what's wrong, Raph?" Donnie says.
"Are you feeling OK, Raph?" Leo says.
"Yeah, Raph. Why don't you take a seat on my blue couch?" Toni giggles.
Raphael's eye twitches. He's missing something, that's obvious. And now everyone is all of a sudden in on it except him. There are few things he hates more than being the butt of a joke. "The hell is goin' on? And why is everyone smilin' like their brains turned to pudding?"
Toni giggles. "Wow, Leo was right about you, Raphael... You ARE like a chili pepper."
"The FUH does that mean? How do you know Leo? Why you actin' like you've known us for years and... what is so funny about callin' your stupid red couch blue?"
At that everyone starts to laugh. Raphael is starting to boil. "This ain't funny."
"Oh, come on!" Toni laughs. "Can't you take a joke? Were you half-baked when you were hatched or something?" Everyone except Raph is hooting now.
"Hey! I didn't come here to be made an ass of!" He turns to Leo. "Leo, we thought you were in trouble, but you seem fine, so you and this wacko woman can kick rocks!" He storms back to the bedroom.
"Wait!" Toni goes after him and reaches out to touch him. She catches to his arm and he yanks it away. "I'm sorry! It was just a little joke. Don't go. I'm just really excited that you're here. I'm really glad to meet you, Raphael. Just please, stay."
He feels her run her hand up and down the swirling grooves of his shell. Nobody knows how soothing this is to him. It has been a long time since anyone has driven away his anger or fear in this way. And the way she says his name cools him off all the more. Plus, he smells the cookies in the oven. He folds his hands, not yet ready to give in. "I think I'd rather watch bread mold."
"Look me in the eye and say that." Toni dares him.
Raphael turns and looks her in the eye. He opens his mouth and. "..."
Toni feels his harsh exhale rush over her face. She reaches up and runs her hands over his face. "It's nice to meet you, Raphael." She smiles.
Raphael, still dumbfounded, looks over at his brothers smiling at him. He lowers his head. "Not cool, guys."
"What's not cool?" Toni says. "You've just met the great Toni Gustav. I have the ultimate power of sightlessness." She touches her nose. "And a great sense of smell... the cookies are done. Would you help me in the kitchen?"
"Uh, Sure." Raph says.
"We'll straighten up the living room." Leo says.
Toni sets out a glass plate, and some cups on her counter. She then takes the mitt hanging on a hook over the sink, pulls the cookies out of the oven and turns it off.
Raphael stares at her as she moves freely through her kitchen. "You didn't make those cookies from scratch, did ya?"
"Oh, no. They are store bought, but still really good."
"Oh, I was about to say… are you a mutant?"
Toni laughs. "There's some milk in the fridge. Could you get it out for me, Raph?"
Raphael swivels around in the tight space and opens the fridge. He pulls out the carton. "Almond milk?"
"It's good for you." She giggles. "I promise it's not gross. It's vanilla flavored."
He sucks his teeth. "I guess I'll try it. Can't have cookies without milk."
"You are so brave." Toni teases him once more earning a small chuckle from the gruff-sounding turtle.
The two join the others in the living area. They all sit and snack and get the opportunity to meet Toni for themselves. The brothers immediately understand why Leo was so drawn to her. She's pretty and kind and easy to talk to. They are at ease with the new human quickly. Every so often Leo gets the eye from one of his brothers and he understands. It's going to be a long walk home of him explaining things.
Good thing Leonardo has nothing else to hide from his brothers. And since they barged in on him, he thinks they should honor one request; that they not tell the girls about Toni just yet. If they know, they'll breathe way too much into it… And if Mona finds out, Karai will surely find out.
And Leo will make a point to contact Karai, sometime next week, as he promised his father.
…
Toni slides down her window and locks it. She lies in her bed with a big smile on her face. Not only did Leonardo show up, not only did she get to spend more time with him, talk with him, and learn more about him, she got to meet his family.
Mikey is hilarious. He's a food enthusiast, music lover, and a big ball of good feelings. She can tell, by how the others treat him, that he is the youngest. They allow him to be the goof, though there is something very mature about him. Tony likes his laugh.
Donnie is very soft-spoken. Toni could tell that there is a lot of intelligence behind his words. He really didn't say much; chuckled at Mikey's jokes, agree with Leo's statements, sighed at Raph's bluntness. More time with him, and Toni is sure to find him fascinating.
And Raphael… he's a lot of fun. Once he feels comfortable with Toni, he says exactly what's on his mind. Raphael is Toni's second favorite, in that it is easy to tell how he's feeling. He is easy to ready. He's easy to trust.
After midnight, Leo makes the call for them to leave. She appreciates him thinking of her needing rest for her first day back to work, though she doesn't want the night to end so soon. They cleaned up the empty plates and cups, turned off the lights and left.
Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo… if THAT doesn't blow her mind enough…
Aside from how amazing Toni finds them to be, something else she learns about them is what's REALLY keeping her wide-awake: April, Kala, and Mona. Before Toni met Leo, voices were voices and people were people. Friends were those who came close and spoke to her. Friends were touches and smells and familiar words. She hadn't had many friends. Leo was the first to ignite other feelings. But he's more than just a voice and he is much more than just a person. Leo is different in a way she can't fully describe. Because he is different, because other people can 'see' his difference, for the first time in a long time, Toni is fearful of taboo.
When Toni was twelve, her mother Rose took her to the community pool. Toni had never been, Rose assuming her daughter would be disinterested. But Toni liked it. She sat by the edge, dangling her feet in the cool, chlorine-water. She enjoyed the sound of the others splashing and chatting. The warm, pebbly edge of the pool felt good under her skin. So good in fact that she allowed her fingers to play a part. Rose returned from the popcorn stand, to Toni's side, finding her hand in her bikini bottoms wiggling around. They left immediately. Rose was very embarrassed; the college lifeguard and the teenaged boys did nothing but stare at the blind girl fondling herself. Rose had never seen Toni do that before. That is when Rose became strict with Toni's appearance and instilled in her socially acceptable behavior. Toni had no idea others could know what she was doing. She was never told it was wrong to do that in public.
"People know what you were doing. They know, without touch or taste or smell. What you did is normal, just like going to the bathroom or getting undressed is normal. But, you don't do those things in public. Touching yourself is a private thing. You do that by yourself, or you may attract the wrong people, or be rejected by the right ones." Rose had told her. "Do you want to look like you don't belong?"
Toni smashes her head into her pillow. She bites the inside of her lip and rubs her stomach. Leonardo must look like he doesn't belong, just like his brothers… but April, Kala, and Mona… the way the turtles spoke of the girls in their family… it makes Toni's head spin. Mona, a human turned into a lizard, and April, a human just like her, are close to Raph and Donnie in more ways than Toni is too shy to ask. And Mikey, Toni laughs to herself in disbelief, is in love with a person from another world.
So maybe what Toni is feeling isn't purely taboo. Those young women can see and appreciate what others cannot. Maybe Leo, well… he didn't mention a fourth girl. It doesn't matter, Toni still feels the same way; the feeling is making her warm. The warmth makes her fingers wander. And that's OK because she is alone.
This back-to-school week is going to go by so very slowly.
…
A/N: So, The Turtles meet Toni. As she's developing, I like her more. She's no super hero, scientist or street fighter, but she's brave, I think. She is literally meeting strangers in the dark. And is sort of getting 'hot and bothered' over one of them!
Thank you for reading and enjoy the rest of the weekend! It's been a beautiful day.