I do not own Dr. Elder, nor any characters from the TMNT universe. Dr. Elder and Quinn belong to CheshireDreaming. The TMNT belong to Viacom.

Don't forget to check out CheshireDreaming's account at; CheshireDreaming dot deviantart dot com -She's the co-author and the person who really deserves the credit for this story ever getting started.


Chapter Fifty; Tammy


I watched the steam rise from the mug through narrow eyes.

"I thought you were getting water." Mikey grunted, getting a glass for himself.

"Wasn't strong enough and the water was hot." I replied, focusing on my drink.

Mikey gave me a look and leaned closer to take a sniff. He really shouldn't have done that, his jumping backwards and gagging startled poor Thatcher. Once Thatcher had established that the turtle was not, in fact, trying to step on him Thatcher let off an annoyed "Muff!" and returned to his food.

Mikey was waving his hand in front of his face and trying to stop the coughing. "What is that?" He demanded. "Wait, that's not peppermint Schnapps is it?" He looked torn between shock and hope. "You drink?" The turtle asked incredulously.

I glared at him through the steam. "I don't know what Shnops are but I do drink hot chocolate with mint extract… lots of mint extract." I sipped my drink, allowing the thick, sweet, silky flavor of chocolate to slide over my tongue even as the mint stung slightly at my lips, leaving me with an aftertaste like a breath of subzero mid-January air. Devine.

"So you don't drink either?" Mikey asked.

"No. No-no-no, no… yes… not unless the alcohol in mint extract counts… considering how much I use it just might." I frowned and swirled the rich brown fluid in the mug. Streaks of mint oil reflecting rainbow colors surfaced and were mixed back under. Sighing I looked up. "I thought you'd be happy about all this. You love comics, right?"

Michelangelo nodded, "I do, and it's cool –really cool- … only…" He was still frowning. That alone was enough to give me another shock, even when he was serious he didn't frown but here Mikey was looking positively depressed. "Why didn't she tell us sooner? I mean, I thought we were…" He trailed off, sounding hurt.

Admittedly, I could understand his feelings on that, but apparently we were experiencing two different expressions here. My world was cracked way beyond the seams and I was questioning all the science I'd ever learned was true and what science was truly fiction while Mikey was upset that his friend had lied to him. "You sound like you're used to this kind of thing." I noted dryly.

"Hm?" Mikey looked blank for a minute before realization set in. "Oh! That! Yeah, no problem. We travel to different dimensions and through time all the time! … heh, time." Time travel? Wait... what?

His flippant mood didn't last long though. Within moments he was sinking back into frowny-face. "Why didn't she tell us sooner? First she gets sick and doesn't tell anyone, now this?" GAH! Big blue eyes on the verge of tears! Not cool! "Why doesn't she trust us?"

There's a question I could answer. "I really can't say how precisely like our world hers is, but if there's any similarity for humans it's no wonder. We're not exactly taught to trust anymore." Great, now my world is corroding rapidly and depressing me. I need more mint hot chocolate… a double this time.

I could feel Mikey watching me as I went about fixing another drink for myself but he didn't say anything, not even when I offered him some –hold the mint.

After I'd settled myself on the counter with a fresh mug in hand I could tell that Mikey was still wanting to talk. I tilted my head slightly and offered, "Penny for your thoughts."

He turned his attention back to his glass before quietly asking. "You said 'we're not taught to trust'… does that mean… do you trust us?"

I nearly choked on my drink. After sputtering for a minute I managed to cough up a "What?"

Mikey was playing with his glass, head down but still looking up at me. "Do you trust us?" He asked meekly.

Now how the heck does anyone answer a question like that?! I'd known these guys for less than a week! Barely more than a weekend! "I…" I really didn't know how to answer that. How was I supposed to? I swallowed and looked into my drink. Swirls of minty oil but no easy answers. "I don't know." Wait… that didn't feel right, almost like a lie, weird. "No, yes… kind of." Sighing I looked up. Gosh darn him and his blue eyes. "I haven't known you guys for very long, so I'm not about to make you godparents to my firstborn or anything, but I do trust you guys way more than I should for someone I only met last Wednesday… under less than perfect circumstances might I add." I couldn't help but smile slightly at the memory of me absolutely freaking out in their living room, not far from where I stood now.

Mikey managed a slight smile as well. Unfortunately it didn't last long before he was staring at his glass again. "Thanks." He murmured. I felt my own smile melting away. Quinn had been spending a lot more time with these guys than I had, it was no wonder Mikey felt a little hurt, but I could also understand why Quinn kept her mouth shut about certain things. That didn't excuse her… especially when it concerned her own health, but it did keep me from standing where Mikey was now.
I bit my lip, thinking for a minute. "I'm sure she has her own reasons Mikey." I told him. "Just give her some time." He nodded but I was still unhappy with this advice. I'm not very good at helping people through their problems…

"So are you okay?" Mikey asked. "I mean, you believe her, right?"

Wow… hot chocolate, with pretty rainbows on top.

"Or do you?" He pressed slightly.

I sighed. "Yeah… for some reason I do. I mean, it fits. As insane and as crazy as all this is, it fits...Either she's telling the truth and is from another dimension or she's pretty loony in her own right, but she doesn't strike me as off so I'm inclined to believe her." My head seemed to be shaking from side to side of its own will, "I'm about two steps from throwing this mug on the floor and screaming 'everything I know is a lie'."

"Do it, do it!" I looked up, Mikey was smirking. I dipped my finger into my hot chocolate and flicked a couple drops at him. He reacted with one of his girly screams. "Augh! It burns! I smell like a candycane!"

"That's not peppermint!" I argued.

He stopped his act. "But I smell minty fresh." He argued.

"There's a difference between mint and peppermint." I corrected.

"Is it anything like the difference between pork and bacon?"

We bantered like that for a few minutes before the teasing lost its fun and we lapsed into silence. After a few seconds I asked. "I saw Donnie heading for his lab. Any idea where Raph went?"

Mikey shrugged and put his glass by the sink. "Out." He said. "Raph does that when things get all nutty. He'll go out, burn off some steam, come home when he feels like it." I nodded.

After finishing off the last of my hot chocolate and deciding I'd better cut myself off before I found out if mint extract really did have the ability to make me drunk I left the kitchen with the intent of getting my stuff together and heading back to my apartment. Hopefully Mikey would take me if Leo was still busy.

Much to my surprise Leo was waiting at the table where I'd left my bag earlier. He looked serious… talk with sensei serious not lecture serious. "Would you be willing to stay here instead of returning to your apartment?" He asked as soon as he saw my attention.

"I… uh…" The question was rather sudden. I hadn't even considered it. "I'm not staying in Raph's room again." I finally said.

"Fine, you can share with Quinn or we can try to fix up the other rooms." He said. I blinked, that was way too easy. "Master Splinter and I agree it would be for the best if you stayed at the lair from now on."

"I still have to go to work." I objected.

"Understood and agreed, but we really think you should stay here outside of work." Leo said quickly. "If there's anything you need from your apartment one of us will get it." There was an urgency to his tone that made it clear that while he was being polite he'd rather not give me a choice if he could help it.

"Fine." I agreed. "But why so sudden? I mean, what happened to my needing to lay low and stay at my apartment?"

"It's…" Oh boy, he's not meeting my gaze, what is it? "It's really difficult to explain. I really need you to trust us though; your staying at the lair is the safest option right now."

Something new was up. I didn't have the slightest what it was and I didn't like not being told what it was, but…

"Alright, I'll stay."