(Rachel's POV) (Flashback is narrator's POV)
First, I want to say that I know I should've told you my story, and I'm sorry. I said as Raph, Leo, and Sensei sat with me in Mikey's room. They were all staring at me, their eyes telling me to continue. "It all started back many years ago. My step brother Jason and I were trying to think of a mother's day gift."
"How about we bake her some cookies?" Rachel asked.
"We're not allowed to use the oven Rachel." Her older brother reminded.
"Oh yeah. Well, what about a bus ticket?"
"We did that for Christmas."
"How 'bout some flowers?"
"That's a perfect idea Ray! Not just any flowers. We'll go to the flower shop on Lexington and get her some white roses."
"We finally decided to get her some roses. So pulling all our money together, we bought two beautiful white roses. Unfortunatly, that's when the trouble started."
"Thank you Mr. Harrison. Have a nice day." Jason said as he left the flower shop. "Won't this be great Rachel? Mom's gonna love it."
"Yeah, it's a lot better than a bus ticket." Rachel said laughing.
"Yeah. Hey, you wanna stop at the pet shop Ray? I hear they have some new snakes in today."
"YEAH! Let's go Jay-Jay."
"I had always loved snakes and Jason knew it. We had some extra time before we had to be home, so Jason took me to see the snakes. I said, my brothers staring at me. My brother, Raphael, looking particulartly puzzled.
"What kind of girl likes snakes?" He asked me, as I chuckled.
"Raph, when have I ever been a girly girl?" I asked him as Mikey laughed from his bed, just waking up.
"My son, how are you feeling?" My father asked as Donnie propped Mikey up to get him to drink some water.
"Tired." Mikey said as Donnie checked him over.
"Well, his pulse is fine. His blood pressure's a little high, but I expected that." Donnie said as I scooted over to him.
"Just get some rest bro. You'll be fine." I said as he fell asleep. "Anyway, we were on our way home when..."
"You're luckly Mr. Wilson thinks you're so cute." Jason said as the two were walking back home. "That turtle is so cute Ray. What're you gonna name it?"
"I don't know yet. Do you think mommy's gonna let me keep it?" Rachel asked, as she looked at the small turtle in the cage.
"Rachel, you've brought pythons, lizzards, and terruntulas into our house. I don't think a turtle will be out of the question."
"I guess. Hey Jason, I'm kinda tired. Can we rest?"
"Yeah, sure."
"So my brother and I rested at the playground two blocks from our house, while I played with my turtle. Soon, things started to get out of control."
"Well, let's get going." Rachel said, standing up. Looking down at her brother, she grimiced. He was sweating and his right eye was starting to twitch.
"I can't." Jason muttered as he layed down on the grass.
"What's wrong Jay?" Rachel asked him, as he bent over in a fetal position and started to puke. "Jay?"
"Rachel, go find mom or dad." Jason said before he went speechless and started to convulse.
"What I didn't know then was my brother was having a seizure. So I did as I was told and ran back to the house. I cut through the allies and was running so fast I didn't see the canaster of ooze. I tripped over it and it broke, sloshing the ooze all over me."
"Ow, I'll take care of my knee later. I gotta get mom. I have to save Jason." Rachel said to herself.
"As I ran, i didn't realize that I was changing. So by the time I got to my mom, well things weren't exacly kosher." I said, starting to tear up. I felt an arm around my shoulder. Leo smiled at me.
"It's ok Ray, keep going." Leo said as I took a deep breath. I couldn't keep going, it was too hard.
"Long story short, my mom thought I was a monster. She punched me and gave me a black eye. Then, if that wasn't enough, she slammed me with her purse and sprained my ankle. She called my step dad and he found Jason and took him to the hospital. He was ok, but I was never the same again." I said. Now I was full on sobbing. I hadn't told that story except to Jason a few years later when he discovered me.
My family now looked full on discgusted. I tried to hide my face, until I realized it wasn't me they were disgusted with. "My child, I am so sorry." Master Splinter said, hugging me as I cried. I just couldn't stop. It felt like a dam had just been broken within me. Nevertheless, my father just held me, rocking my fragil body back and forth as I cried. Meanwhile, he just sat, humming me a japanese lullybye.
As I finally broke free of my father's comfort, my brothers just looked at me sadly. I know they wanted to say something, but they just couldn't. But that was ok, neither could I.