Chapter 20: Unfamiliar Faces
Author's note: I will aim for some brotherly fluff and reunification in this next chapter, but reader beware: Peter is still having a bit of an emotional breakdown. He literally just met his brother and isn't sure about how to feel about meeting the rest of his family. You will probably see more of Peter's character than Leo's in this chapter. Remember Peter has developed some trust issues in this life of his: he just found out that his whole life is practically a lie and the one person he thought he could trust above everyone betrayed him.
"Are you Kidding me!" Bebop covered his ears as Donnie continued to yell at him for turning off his phone. But hey! It had been a crazy last few hours, he just needed some time to process. I mean he just saw his friend get turned into an actual rhino so in bebop's eyes the turtle could just chill.
"Look, Dog you have me now so just chill"
"Chill?!" Donnie's eyes twitched. "I just found out that my older brother, who I thought was dead, could be alive. And he's out there in the city with a mad scientist literally after his blood and you want me to chill?!"
Bebop took a few steps back, his hand held up in surrender.
The sound of footsteps ended the discussion as the two turned to see Raph running across the rooftops toward them. Letting out a breath, Bebop ran a hand down his face, his mind spinning from all this new information. So much for keeping things uncomplicated.
Turning to the turtles the mutant Pig pulled out his phone "you" he pointed to Donnie `"catch him up, I'm going to go make a call. Ask Peter to meet me in the alley I dropped him off at"
Raph just gawked at him before his hands clenched into fists. "You mean all this time we've been stressing you could have just called him?!" The hothead growled, his green eyes narrowed dangerously.
Donnie pinched the bridge of his nose, saving his argument about this until later, wanting the phone call to be made as soon as possible. "Look, Bebop, it would be best to leave out everything you just learned. We don't want to overwhelm him or scare him away. Just tell him you need to meet up to get more information on Stockman."
Looking between the two fuming turtles, the mutant pig nodded. "Got it dude, Just stick to the basics"
"You're going to love the liar bra! When you get home, I'm going to fix you your favorite dinner and we can have a movie marathon and" I zoned out as the most energetic soul I have ever met continued to ramble on. Since we left Murakami's after helping him clean up and make sure the sheff was okay Mikey hasn't stopped talking. Which to be honest had been a little comforting, his constant dialog has kept my mind from wandering too far into the abyss: that is the crazy thing that I am doing!
I take a deep breath as I follow the orange clad turtle across the rooftops. He'd been keeping a pretty slow pace for me which is fine. I could probably keep up at normal speed but I don't mind this beginning level pace he's set. I'm pretty sure he hadn't seen me fight back in the noodle shop, and after everything that happened with Baxter I'm not ready to let him know all my secrets, brother or not.
"...Dee's always done stuff like that, he's really smart. 'Like I don't understand what he's saying half the time' smart. I'm not dumb I'm actually the genious of dimension X, but listening to Donnie is like trying to solve those big math problems you know with all the numbers.."
"algorithms " i supplied
"Yeah alget-go-rythems" he struggled with the word, I smiled. His ever-bounding joy was almost infectious. I was surprised I wasn't more freaked about the situation, but something about Mikey seemed to calm me down. I just have one of those feelings, the kind Mikey mentioned back at Murakami's the kind of feeling where you just know something. Wow, it was relieving to know someone else had intuition like that. Part of me feels like I know Mikey, how he talks, his unfaltering joy and energy. I just met him twenty minutes ago and already I have an innate instinct to protect and care for him. When he called me his big brother, it just felt right. But at the same time Mikey is a stranger. I have no memories of anything from before a year ago. Even if he is my brother, I don't remember him.
"..and then I mutated april's cat"
What!
Okay that was an odd place to tune back into the conversation, but from what Mikey has told me he and his family have a lot of weird adventures. It almost makes what happened to me sound more normal.
"Ohh I can't wait for you to meet Ice cream kitty, you're going to love her."
My pace slowed. I'd almost forgotten. The introduction to Mikey had been awkward, I'm not looking forward to any more of those. And who knows how the others will react to me. Will they be as open and accepting as Mikey? Will they even want me around?
I look down at my five fingered hand. Seeing MIkey's hand when he pulled out that shell shaped phone had been like a slap of dejavu right in the face.
A loud ringing assaulted my ears. Slowing my pace to a stop I turned around and dug into my backpack for the phone Bebop had given me, pulling it out to answer the ringing before it drew any unwanted attention.
"Hello?"
"Peter!" Bebop's voice answered. "Dog I am so glad I got a hold of you. Look man we need to meet up"
"Ugg" I look over to where Mikey's standing patiently waiting a few feet away. "I can't right now Bebop..some..something came up"
"What do you mean something came up?!" Bebop's voice squeaked "Whatever it is, drop it. This is big. Like maga big dog"
I ran my hand across my face, I was so done with surprises. I had just found my little brother. Couldn't fate give me some time to process that before it sprung anything else at me?!.
"Is it life or death?" I ask
"Uhh" I can tell my blunt question catches him off guard "life or death..?" I hear other voices in the background in response to his response and I can't help but smirk. "No… its not but its still really important"
"So is the thing that came up" I let out a sigh, preparing to compromise, but before I could suggest meeting tomorrow Bebop's voice interrupted.
"Look I wasn't supposed to tell you this" he whispers and suddenly I'm on edge. "I was just supposed to get you to meet me under the pretence that I need more info about Stockman, but Peter you can't blow this off, it's big. Like life changing big!"
Apprehension coils in my gut. "What weren't you supposed to tell me?"
"My friends, you know the ones I was meeting with? Well they think you're their brother" I close my eyes Bebop's words fading away. Mikey was telling the truth. I mean I believed him but Bebop's confirmation makes it just even more real.
"Peter? Peter?!"
I can't deny this, if Bebop's with the other turtles it means like Mikey they want to meet me. I can't run from this, I can't hide from this. I take a few deep breaths. I mean it's more than I could have hoped for, finding them and them looking for me. But..it's just all happening so fast!
"Peter!"
Oh yeah right, I'm still on the phone.
"I..I gotta go.."
"Wait no Peter..I didn't tell you where to meet up.."
I barely registered my thumb clicking the hang up button, as I stared down at the phone in my hand.
That probably wasn't a smart thing to do.
"Leo?" I look up and see concerned baby blue eyes " Are you okay" Mikey asks.
I nodded mutley, too tired to correct Mikey that my name is Peter not Leo. Flying across the rooftops with Mikey felt natural, it felt free. But I was so wrapped up in the journey I hadn't quite wrapped my head around the destination. Bebop's call had pulled me right back down to earth and made the reality of my situation all that more concrete.
"That was Bebop..he said something about..and I gota.." words just don't work as my mind reels. I'm not sure I'm ready for this. Out of everything I had been anticipating in the short timespan that I had learned about my hidden past, having my family out looking for me had not fallen into consideration. I wasn't sure how to react. I mean I don't even remember them and I don't exactly look the same. Mikey hadn't been disappointed, but what if they were?
"Hey" I looked up to see baby blue eyes staring into mine. "It's going to be okay."
A loud ringtone interrupts the night once more. Mikey sticks his tongue out in concentration as he pulls out his own phone, a bright smile spreading across his face. "It's our bros, bro!"
I don't even have time to respond before he's answering.
"Hey Dee! I have the best news!" A pair of arms wrap around me tight as Mikey squeezes me, letting out another joyous squeal. I try to push away from the embrace when another voice on the other end of the phone stops my trek.
"..I'm working on using satellites to pinpoint his exact location via his phone..I wouldn't have to do this if someone wasn't such a blabbermouth!"
I..I know that voice.
You've reached Donetello's phone, I'm not available right now, so please leave a message and I'll get back to you shortly.
Mikey pulls away and the voice on the other end fades with the distance.
"Whow, hold on Dee, whatsup?"
"What'sup? Whatsup?! Whatsup is that we just lost our brother. Again!"
His words knock the breath right out of me. I feel my earlier crippling anxiety ebb away overtaken by the need to comfort. Mikey sends me a confused and hurt look.
"I..I just hung up on Bebop" I answered.
With a nod Mikey cuts off the explanation of the rambling voice on the other end of the phone.
"Uhh..Dee..I can explain..you said Leo had something come up?.." a smile returns to Mikey's face. "I'm the something that came up"
I push down the smile that wants to spread across my face.
Mikey's volume on his phone must be turned up cause even without him right next to me I can still hear the high pitched response on the other end of the phone. "What!"
"I know, isn't it great!" Mikey beams. "It was fate! I was on my way over to you guys when I passed by Murakami's which was being attacked by purple dragons, and after I kicked butt I heard this voice and it was Leo!" Mikey's big blue eyes filled with tears once more as he held the phone closer to his face" He's the same Donnie! I mean yeah he's human. But his voice is the same, and he still does that calculating look he gets when he's making a big decision and ohh he even smells the same!"
I should feel overwhelmed right? I mean I practically just had a breakdown over a phone call. This should really be freaking me out right now. Why am I not freaking out?! Obviously I'm insane because I'm just standing here, listening to Mikey talk about how I smell the same. Just why?
"Uh yeah, he's with me. Kinda checked out right now. Which makes sense now since I know that it was Bebop that just called him." a beat of silence passes and I am growing really self conscious right now.
"Mh Yeah we'll meet you back at the lair"
After hanging up the phone Mikey beams his smile back toward me and I had a feeling that things were going to be okay. Whoever Mikey was talking to obviously felt okay with Mikey showing me to their home. Things were going to be okay.
Things were not going to be okay!
Were standing just outside the door to 'lair'. It wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be the rest of the trek across the rooftops. The last thing I was expecting was for Mikey to lead me into the sewers, though it does make sense, as mutants in a world that would not accept them I can see many tactical advantages to such a location. Although I was feeling oddly comfortable underground and had been able to keep my anxiety at bay with Mikelangelo's upbeat commentary, all such illusions shattered like glass when we reached the turns tables of an abandoned subway station.
I took a few deep centering breaths, as I stared at the entrance to the home.
Their home.
Not mine.
I took a hesitant step forward, grabbing my shirt sleeve nervously as I followed an exuberant Mikey through the turnstiles.
"Honey we're home" Mikey called out before turning to me with a beaming smile. "Welcome home Leo!" I was more prepared this time when Mikey pulled me into another crushing hug and spun me around. "Oh I've been waiting ages to say that" he squealed, nuzzling into my hair again.
With my feet back on solid ground, I turned to face the sound of footsteps, coming face to face with two other mutant turtles one in a red mask and the other in a purple, and two humans: a red haired girl who stood just feet away with her hand over her mouth and the boy in the hockey themed shirt who had been picking on me earlier today at the warehouse.
In the tense silence that hung in the air, I let my eyes travel back to the two other turtles. Trying to take in every detail: every scratch and scar, chip in the shell, tooth gap, anything that might spark a memory. Fighting back against the waring anxiety and doubt that raged within me I closed my eyes, pulling my emotions into control and putting on my mask before opening my eyes once more.
"Hello" my voice came out more calm than I expected.
Mikey backs away from me, his smile bright. I watch as fiery green eyes widen and the turtle in red takes a hesitant step towards me.
"Leo?"
A pain of sympathy shoots through me. Looking into the turtle in red's electric green eyes and seeing the emotion, the grief, the hope, the headache and longing there I wonder what I think I'm doing.
"I'm sorry" I answered. "My name's Peter" I look down at the floor pulling on the sleeve of my flannel. I saw how much it hurt Mikey when I didn't recognize him, when clearly he recognized me, and it hurt just as much to see that same pain written across red's face as well.
"We know" I look up in surprise to see Purple step forward. "Look Peter..we lost our brother a year ago to Stockman the same time he mutated you. I know this may all seem a little overwhelming and unbelievable to you right now. But please give us a chance to prove it to you." Meeting his eyes I could read the same longing I'd seen in Mikey's, and my heart ached. I wanted to belong to this family. I wanted to be their brother.
I let out a sigh. "I'm sorry about your brother and I don't mean you any harm, I want to help you." I don't even realize I'm baking up until they start stepping towards me. " But..what if I'm not who you think I am, and even if I am.." I shake my head. "I have amnesia, I don't have any memories of who I am let alone who you are" I wince at how blunt this is coming out. "I'm sorry" I hold out the flashdrive. "Mikey brought me here and although I want to believe I'm your brother, it's not fair to you. Because even if I am, I don't remember you"
Before I can turn and leave, a hand on my arm stops me and I turn to see bright electric green eyes staring into mine. "Look..Peter" he chokes on the name. "We just..we just know. And like Donnie says, we can prove it..just give us a chance...we don't care that you're human now..or that you can't remember. ..Hopefully we can fix that. But even if we can't, you're our brother Leo." I fight back tears of my own as I look into the tearfilled sincere eyes of the turtle in front of me.
"Just let us prove it" I look down at the hand holding my own. A green three fingered so familiar to the one in my dream.
I look back up at the brick brown eyes boring into my own and a calm resolution settles over me.
I let out a breath. "Okay"
A smile spread over his face showing his gap tooth. I felt my spirit settle. I had made the right decision. I would stay, if my presence hurt them in any way I would leave. But for now I would let myself have this, I would let myself belong to this family. Cause that's what they were my family. There was no denying it. I might not remember them completely but I did have one memory. Of a three fingered hand holding a shell shaped phone about to call Donetello. I had agreed to let them prove they were my brothers, but I already knew they were. This was just to buy me some time to come to accept it and grow comfortable with this fact and maybe just maybe remember them. Remember me.
"My name's Donnie"
Donatello
"and this is Rapheal"
"You can call me Raph" I smile and shake their hands, the introduction as awkward as meeting Mikey.
"This is April" Donnie continues the introductions.
"Peter" I shake April's hand trying to find any familiarity with the girl before me. Red hair, green eyes, yellow jumpsuit. Nope.
"And this is Casey"
"Casey Jones" the baller corrects shaking my hand.
I smile "I'm not sure about tour bus maps, but I highly doubt the sewer is one of New York's finest sights" I watch as confusion and then recognition spreads across his face.
"Do you know each other?" Raph looks offended as he looks between the two of us.
Shaking my head I go to explain, "no, I just ran into him earlier today."
Taking in the looks the comment received I don't think that was much better.
"You ran into him?!" Donnie growled, poking Casey in the chest. "We've been worried sick all day and what? You just passed him on the street?"
"Hey how was I supposed to know" Casey defended "I wasn't even paying attention! I didn't know it was Leo, dude was just standing there staring at a destroyed building. Who does that?! I was just giving him a hard time, thought he was a lost tourist, he had a backpack, looked lost, was just staring at that old decapitated warehouse..." Casey trailed off, his eyes widening in realization.
Before I could let the baller open that can of worms, I had the flashdrive I held to Donnie, shifting the conversation.
"The formula for the mutagen should be one here" I pulled at my shirt sleeve again. "And some of stockmans notes..it's not much but"
I was cut off as arms encircled me once more, though not by the enthusiastic ball of energy I had grown to expect it from.
"Sorry sorry" Donnie pulled away suddenly looking shocked by his own actions as he rubbed the back of his head, whipping tears from his face. "That was probably a little too forward, it's just.."
I saw Raph and Donnie exchange a look and I understood.
"Pssh " Mikey waved, heading to the kitchen. "Don't worry about It. I've hugged him at least half a dozen times just on the way here, he's used to it by now. Or at least he's going to be." Mikey grinned at me in a way I can only describe as younger sibling mischievousness. I had worn that smile dozens of times over the past year and knew it well. Like it or not, I now had a younger brother who was evidently determined to get me used to brotherly affection. I could tell Mikey was an affectionate and emotional person, but looking between Raph and Donnie I didn't really know what to expect.
"So.." I fiddled with my fingers not really sure what to say.
"So ah Le.. I mean Peter, we were thinking of offering to let you stay with either me or April since Stockman is after you and all but since you're you know Leo, you should probably crash here" Casey said, heading over to lounge on the couch that took up a majority of the middle room.
Looking over at Raph and Donnie I tried to read their expressions.
"Is that okay?" I asked hesitantly, not really sure if that would be crossing the line. I really didn't have anywhere else to go.
"Of course it's okay if you stay" Ralph's firefly green eyes held so much intensity I didn't really know how to react.
"Thank you" I shuffled my feet uncertainty.
"Okay" Mikey re-emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray full of what I guessed were movie snacks.
"Crognard the Barbarian reruns are on tonight" Mikey set the tray down before pulling me by the arm onto the couch to sit next to him, Donnie and Raph following suit. "We should totally have a movie night."
That actually sounded like a good idea, a relaxed atmosphere to slowly get to know Mikey, Donnie, Raph, April and Casey.
"That sounds like a great Idea Mikey" April smiled as the red head took a seat at the long couch.
"I have to agree," Donnie smiled, taking a seat on my right.
"What do you think Peter?" Donnie sat down gingerly on my right.
"That sounds like a good idea," I smiled. "Though I have no idea what Crognard the Barbarian is" I admitted.
"What?!" At first I couldn't tell if Mikey was actually offended or was being dramatic for comedic purposes. But after one look from those baby blue eyes I had a feeling it was the first one.
Casey let out a genuine laugh as he leaned back in his seat. I felt the tension drift from my shoulders.
A few episodes later we were all laughing together, the conversation was lighter, more natural. And if they all shifted closer around me, I pretend not to notice.
As the night went on things just seemed to shift into place, like pieces falling into a very old puzzle. Raph threw popcorn at me for my quote on quote 'lame commentary'. Donnie and I got into discussion over the logic of the episodes and Mikey grew comfortable enough to lean on my shoulder.
As my eyelids grew heavy, I didn't fight against sleep. I felt safe with them. I felt safe in their home. It might not be mine just yet, but maybe just maybe it would be. One day.
