Chapter 26: Of Cookies, Scars and Toasters

"Just need to compensate for the molecular structure of the DNA fragmentation and then manipulate the formula to adhere to the principles of regular mutagen and then.."

Mentally it was hard not to feel a bit a twinge of da-ja-vu watching Donnie work, his tongue sticking out of his mouth as he leaned over the desk, goggles pulled over his eyes as he mixed vats of chemicals, a determined look plastered on his face. How many times had I seen this same scene in Baxter's lab ? Shaking my head to clear my thoughts I approached the resident genius.

"Hey Dee how's it going?"

"If you're here to pull me away from my work again, nice try Peter but I still have a few hours before dinner and I have not been working long enough to validate intervention." He pushed back his swivel chair gliding past me as he moved from the desk with the microscope to his computer.

"Actually I'm not here to intercede between you and your unhealthy habits this time." I chucked, because man I've only been here a few days and how many times have I had to pull the purple banded turtle away to eat or sleep.

"Oh" he pulled away from his screen a frown forming on his face. "If you hear about the blood test, they won't be done till at least tonight and.."

"I'm not here about that" I cut him off. I was actually looking forward to those finally being done. I only really agreed to the blood test for Donnie's sake. The way he was looking at me asking, pleading with me to let him prove it to me. That I was their brother..I just couldn't say no. I already knew I was their brother...at the time I just hadn't accepted it yet.

"Oh"

I rubbed my arm suddenly feeling silly for the reason I was actually there. "I was wondering if you needed help with anything?" I tried to keep the hopeful tone out of my voice.

Donnie bit his lip glancing between the chemicals on the table and his notes by his computer before letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry Peter, but this is just too important."

I blinked, not sure how to respond to that.

"These are very complex equations and the variables I am dealing with are so unpredictable. The mutagen is dangerous and unstable and I just don't need you underfoot."

Ouch.

"You'd just be bored anyway and I don't really have the time to explain everything. Bebop is worried about Rocksteady staying in the zoo and I have no clue if time plays a factor in the effects of the mutagen and it's already been a year and.."

My irritation and hurt about Donnie's dismissal and belittlement melted as I saw the lost and desperate look in his brick brown eyes.

"Donnie.." I reached out, placing my hand on his. "You need to stop putting so much pressure on yourself."

Donnie looked away, his features uncertain and overwhelmed.

"Hey Donnine, look at me" meeting his eyes I pulled up all the confidence I could muster letting a steely veil of calm wash over me so that it reflected in my expression. "Everything is going to be okay."

I heard him take in a short breath, his eyes widening and for a moment. I wasn't sure if I was going to be pulled into another hug. I also wasn't sure if I should run.

"Thanks Peter" Donnie smiled, his eyes slightly misty. I felt a surge of relief knowing I'd made him feel better but I also felt slightly at odds of what to do as he turned back to his computer, his action sending a clear message of dismissal.

"You sure you don't want a hand ?" I asked, the toe of my tennis shoe pivoting back and forth on the floor, as I fidited, stalling. "I'm no genius but I do know a thing or two about science" seeing that my words had no purchase I added "my roommate was a science professor and he talked alot" he was also a crazy mad scientist with serious issues but I decided to leave that last part out.

"Peter" Donnie let out a sigh. "I'm fine, you don't have to worry about me." he waved as his hand the other organizing notes "why don't you go check on Raph or Mikey, see what they're up to?"

I let out a sigh, leaving him to his work. I couldn't ignore a small sting of disappointment and betrayal; though the latter was from much more complex issues that had more to do with a certain mad scientist than the purple banded turtle. Baxter had always been grateful for my help and put me to work. Well almost always, until he started growing secretive, working on a project that I would only later learn held secrets that would destroy our 'brotherhood' forever. I let out a sigh, I knew Donnie's reason for turning me away was much different than Baxter's had been but I couldn't deny that it still hurt. Mostly I had just wanted to grow closer to the resident genius and was running out of things to bond over. He had all these memories to draw back on and while I technically did have one memory of Donnie, it was not pleasant. I'd been growing closer with Raph and Mikey; why couldn't I with Donnie?

I sunk down into the cushions of the couch with a sigh.

"Hey Leo" Mikey beamed. "Dee kick you out of his lab?"

"Yep" I answered, enunciating the 'p'.

"Don't sweat it dude" Mikey waved it off. "He kicks me out of the lab all the time, bro"

THAT I could understand, with Mikey's non-plause energy, wild imagination and short attention span I can only imagine the type of recus he would cause in Donnie's lab. And I'd already observed from Raph's behavior that he usually doesn't take much interest in Donnie's wok unless it involves a new toy he gets to play with. But part of me was secretly hoping that Donnie would recognize my sincerity and at least give me a chance to prove that I could be of some help, or at the very least keep him company. I let out a sigh. I understood the pressure this experiment put on him, he had not one but two memories depending on him, possibly more since Baxter still had a dose of Reverse Retromutagen left on him.

"I know just the thing to cheer you up dude!" Mikey beamed pulling on my arm as he practically dragged me to the kitchen.

I blinked as Mikey started pulling out a whisk and mixing bowl. With a smile I started pulling out some of the other needed supplies for the cooking endeavour ahead. "Alright what are we making Mikey?" I held up a hand. "And before you answer, remember that it's something we all have to like."

Mikey taped his chin with a spoon and his expression was thoughtful.

"How bout chocolate chip cookies?" He beamed "everyone loves those!"

"Okay" I agreed with a chuckle. "But no special ingredients"

"What about gummy worms?"

"In half the batch" I negotiated,"but that's it."


Mikey hummed as he whisked, dancing around the kitchen as he stirred.

I smiled as I pulled a batch of cookies out of the oven. We ended up making snickerdoodles as well. We decided to make a second batch of cookies for April, Casey and Bebop and reasoned that we'd give them half chocolate chip and half snickerdoodle; therefore the need to make snickerdoodle cookies.

Scooping the batch of chocolate chip cookies onto the cooling rack, I moved the yellow mixing bowl toward the sink to make room; we'd used a different bowl for the snickerdoodles. Twice the cookies equals twice the clean up, I reasoned filling the sink. It makes it easier to clean as you go so you don't have a mess at the end, only delicious cookies. I rolled up my sleeves and started scrubbing the dishes, content listening to Mikey humm an unknown song as he scooped the dough onto a fresh cookie sheet.

"Heads up" water splashed over my chest as Mikey dropped the now empty snickerdoodle bowl into the sink.

"Mikey," I grumbled, pulling my sud covered hands out of the sink to try and wipe at the front of my shirt.

"Haha sorry dude" Mikey laughed while handing me a towel.

I let out a sigh, it wasn't the end of the world, it would dry, plus I needed to do laundry anyway. Another plus for being a turtle I guess: no laundry.

Mikey's blue eyes grew wide, looking down I saw that his hand was still outstretched handing me the towel. Panic surging through me my eyes drifted to the reason for his alarm.

I had rolled up my sleeves to do the dishes.

I hadn't even thought.

I always keep my sleeves down to cover my scars.

My scars that are now clearly visible.

Hurriedly I pulled down the sleeve of my flannel covering the burn marks once more. Panicked, I looked up to see big blue eyes filled with tears. I could feel fantom brushes of hot fire on my arms and back, closing my eyes, I pushed it away. Taking in several calming breaths I opened my eyes to find a very worried Mikey. His hand was outstretched like all he wanted to do was grab me and pull me into a bone crushing hug, but he looked hesitant like he was afraid that if he squeezed too hard I would shatter.

Oh Mikey. I reached forward and pulled him into a hug in which he returned full force.

"D..does it hurt?" he hiccuped and I felt warm tears sliding against my skin as he pressed his face into the side of my neck.

"No" I reassured him not anymore.

"It's..its from the f..fire isn't it?" He asked, hugging me unbelievably tighter.

I nodded mutually, grateful when he seemed to sense my answer.

"Is..is that why you always wear the sleeves?"

The question had me a little taken aback. I wasn't aware they'd been that perceptive.

I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath before pulling back.

Whipping away the trail of tears from his orange mask, I cupped Mikey's face.

"There's some things I tend to keep to myself" I let out another breath. "People tend to not..respond well..to my scars..so I just usually keep them covered..Plus"' I let out a sigh, my gaze wandering away from the loving concerned eyes staring at me. "After everything, this is the one thing I try to forget."

A pair of strong arms encompass me once more. "Oh Leo" Mikey buries his face in my shoulder. I sling an arm around his shell comfortingly.

"Please don't tell the others" the request comes out as a whisper.

He nods, leaning back once more to wipe the tears from his eyes. "No, I won't. This, this is something you need to tell them yourself."

I let out a sigh, glad that he understands.

With a breath I brace my hands against my knees pushing myself to my feet once more, stretching out a hand to help Mikey to his feat.

"We should get back to work if we want the kitchen back in order before the cookies are done"

The smile on Mikey's face is strained, as though it is forced, but he takes the offered hand.

I return to the sink, pretending I don't feel his still worried eyes on my back. I roll my sleeves back up as I finish the dishes.


Righty tighty lefty loosey. I reminded myself as I worked on the screws on the toaster.

After the rather emotional revelation with Mikey, I had just wanted some tea and toast to calm my nerves. The toaster and I had been on fairly good terms so far but of course that truce had to end today! I let out a sigh turning over the toaster to see what was wrong.

Mikey had been on the more sensitive side for the rest of the day, hovering around me at all times as though he was afraid that I might break. Although he kept his promise and didn't say a word about it to Raph and Donnie, I could tell they were picking up on his behaviour and growing concerned.

I let my head flop down to rest on my arms, my hair pillowing around me. I could tell that my brothers seemed to hold a more rosey colored perspective of what had evidently happened to me after the fire.

And why shouldn't they?

I was alive after all, and from the rubble of the once formable warehouse and the bits of information I knew of the incident; logically, no one inside the building during the fire should have survived. I shouldn't have survived. Now with me turning up out of the blue, alive! It makes sense they would assume I had managed to escape either before the fire or before it became out of hand. Not after the entire building had collapsed in a fiery rubble.

I let out another sigh, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hands.

Telling Raph and Donnie about the scars would only be the start of it. What about Baxter? I had a feeling that the notion of me roomating with the guy who had mutated me would not sit well with them. Learning that Baxter had tricked me into believing I was his brother, and practically kidnapping me, would hurt them to their core.

Plus, like the fire I have a sneaking suspicion that they hold the opinion that Baxter's and I's paths haven't crossed or if so to a minimum. And from the data the flash drive holds, with Baxter reporting that he got the DNA needed for the reverse retromutagen from a blood drive, I'd say that assumption isn't exactly out of left field. This secret has the potential to devastate them!

My eyes drift back to my arm. Mikey hadn't even seen the worst of my scars. The burns on my forearms were nothing compared to the ones on my shoulders, back and side. I wince as Mikey's hurt filled eyes flashed through my mind's eye again. Seeing my burns had shattered the illusion that I hadn't been in the fire. I had no doubt that Mikey had questions, that he was concerned and worried. I didn't know what to say to relieve those worries or to calm his fears.

Sooner or later I would have to tell them the truth; the whole truth. I was just afraid of how they would respond.

"Can't sleep either huh?" I turned to find a tired Donnetello, empty coffee cup in hand heading into the kitchen probably here for a refill.

I shake my head. "You're still up? I thought you'd gone to bed"

He shook his head, looking slightly guilty. "I couldn't sleep, I thought I'd try another approach to the reverse retromutagen, maybe I'm just looking at it wrong" he let out a sigh, pouring another cup of caffeine into the cup. "So what are you doing up?"

"Oh just conferring with my arch nemesis" I answered, picking up the screwdriver once more, I was so close to getting this thing back to working condition.

"The toaster?" Donnie asked, confused walking over to look over my shoulder, his eyebrows raising in surprise. "Your..you're fixing the toaster?!" he asked in disbelief.

"I broke it earlier," I explained. "I don't even know what I did!" I exclaimed in frustration. "There are times I wonder if the toaster just has it out for me!"

"So, you're fixing the toaster" he repeats his voice still holding a trace of disbelief, I turn to level him with a 'what-does-it-look-like-i'm-doing' look.

Shaking his head Donnie takes a seat down beside me. Shifting over, I let him examine my progress. I feel a shimmer of pride at the impressed and shocked expression on Donnie's face.

I let out a chuckle as I picked up the tools once again, resuming my work. "As I told you before, my...roommate was a scientist. He grew tired of me constantly accidentally breaking the toaster, so" I shrugged "he taught me how to fix it myself."

Donnie just continued to balk at me.

"So earlier" Donnie fidgeted with the handle of his mug "when you came in and asked if I needed help.."

I looked up and met his gaze answering his unfinished question. "Like I said, I'm no genius but I did pick up a thing or two." I hadn't talked much about my life this past year and sitting here with Donnie it didn't feel all that hard to just talk. "After waking up remembering well..nothing I wanted to learn any and everything I could. I can't even tell you how many days I spent at the public library reading anything I could get my hands on." I shrugged. "I found that learning things, although time consuming, wasn't all that difficult. I felt like I was just soaking it all up, like I couldn't get enough"

Donnie just nodded as though my ramblings made perfect sense. "Actually that makes sense, they say teaching a language or skill to a child is easier than teaching an adult because their minds are like sponges. Since you lost all your..memories" he choked for a second "it makes perfect sense that your brain would respond in a similar way." As though a lightbulb had been turned on in his brain, Donnie's face brightened. "Of course" turning he grabbed my arm excitedly. "It makes perfect sense now! Baxter wasn't altering the synapses of the brain; he was just glossing over them to create a blank slate, this would encourage the individual to form new memories and create new synapses further covering the previous ones. It all makes sense now." Donnie exclaimed excitedly.

I sat there stund for a second. Suddenly all the times Baxter pushed me to try new things and move forward took on a whole new meaning.

Before Donnie could bound away to work himself into further exhaustion with this new found development I reached out and grabbed his arm. "I think that's enough for tonight Donnie"

"You don't understand, this is a huge breakthrough! It's just what I've been waiting for!"

"And it can wait till morning, when you're more alert and focused."

"That's what the coffee is for."

"You can't live off of coffee!"

"I'm not, I had dinner and several cookies...this..this is too important to put off."

I shook my head. "It will still be there tomorrow."

"Look you just don't understand!" I couldn't help but flinch as he grabbed my arm. Noticing Donnie's eyes immediately softened before he pulled his hand away tactfully. "Peter, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice softer this time.

I shake my head. "Nothing" I let out another breath. "Look, trust me I get it. I really do. I understand why you're pushing yourself so hard, I know the pressure you feel but Donnie everything is going to work out okay. We believe in you, you got this, but you need to take a break every once in a while."

Donnie let his eyes drift down, remaining silent.

I let out another breath. "If you can't sleep, you can sit here with me for a while, let me know what's on your mind, maybe help me with this toaster but". I took another breath, "you need to take a break. You're too close to it right now. You had that breakthrough when you stepped away from it for a moment."

"Your right" he let out a breath, crossing his arms as he continued to sip his coffee.

Relieved that the genius didn't seem like he was going to bolt back to his lab, I picked up the screw driver once more; pushing away the fantom brushes of fire against my skin from the brief contact from my mind, and instead focusing on my project once more.

"So, have I always had a hidden talent to destroy the toaster, with just my mere presence?" I asked conversationally.

Donnie let out a chuckle relaxing into his chair. "Oh trust me that's a gift we've all tried to understand for years now. I mean Raph's short temper and lack of patience results in a broken toaster fairly regularly, even Mikey can break the toaster with his creative cooking ideas, but I can't even tell you how many times you've come to me because you broke the toaster. Most of the time I don't even know how."

I let out an understanding chuckle. "Trust me, me neither. When I worked at the Pizza Ria, I was surprised they didn't fire me with how many times Marcus had to fix the toaster"

"Oh" Donnie's interest spiked.

I let out a laugh. "I was also no wiz in the kitchen. It was a walking disaster zone!" I chuckled at the memory. "I was just lucky that Ms. Tribony was too kind of a heart to fire me. Seriously, I don't deserve all the second chances she gave me. She was so patient, determined that I could learn to cook."

"I'd say she was right," Donnie smiled.

I smiled in return. Handing Donnie the screw driver and shifting the toaster so he could work on it as well.

For the first time that evening I felt the stress of the day slip away as I sat there in the kitchen with my brother, fixing the toaster.


I know I'm not supposed to say this but I love this chapter, although slightly hard it was soo fun to write.

The balancing act of Peter's secrets is growing more and more precarious with time, I needed to have something start to slip, and to me it made the most sense that it would be with Mikey.

Also Donnie and Peter needed some brother bonding time. :)

Please Review. I'd love to hear your thoughts, questions, critiques, and feedback.:)

God bless and stay safe

-Windofmysoul