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Alice’s eyes looked at PS-2018’s dimensional screen; she sometimes spoke with Donnie from there. Oddly, never with Parry. Perhaps unlike other Donatellos since he didn't see himself as one anymore, there would be no possibility of communication. Alice herself had become one for all, just a compound. Sometimes she didn't know how much she was the PS-Blue-2018 Dorothea Marin or a composite of pasts and ideals of her multiversal counterparts. Asking PS-2018 Donnie or the other Donatellos she managed to talk to sounded like a waste of time.
Her gaze fell on Gyoji, who was managing the Battle Nexus, Wonderland, now. Finding out his name just meant “referee” in Japanese made her awkward. A role wasn’t a name; titles shouldn’t be more than that. At most, they could be a nickname. Perhaps she should change it. Would he mind?
"Daimyo"
Alice sighed when she heard him. Maybe she had stared too long. "The Akashic library is adapting fine. Right?"
"Hai"
Alice tried her best to ignore how much his mask made her think of paper or the nameless gods in “Spirited Away." Perhaps one day she should emulate that movie; she liked the storefronts. The bathhouse would be something warriors might enjoy. Once upon a time, the one she called Onii-san spoke about them being relaxing when clients weren't around. Alice wasn't sure if she'd been at one. Or if any of her other selves has
"The market, I have decided to call it Scarborough Fair."
Gyoji nodded, writing it down; the declaration would soon be made. Alice really needed more managers. Big Mama's past slaves made her uncomfortable to keep, reminders of a past she'd rather not remember.
"Daimyo, what were you looking at?"
"Don't ask what you know." Why was she being harsh today? Alice flexed her hands, as if that could help with it.
"Yes, I was attempting to understand your fascination with this universe in particular." Reasonable explanation; he always had one. That’s why Alice liked him. Did he ever get hurt by her? If he did… he rarely seemed to say so.
"Someone I used to know... Made a portal. I'm seeing if it's used for its original purpose or just random travel." Alice turned, blinking away the manifestation of glasses that almost appeared. She is Alice, not Dorothea, not Alyssa… not any of her shards. Alice.
"Wonderland showed your concern." He was right; the walls had become more cave-like. Protrusions of different mineral crystals she had seen in the multiverse manifesting. Calling it "concern" may have been the positive way of referring to this emotion. Alice herself couldn't really tell what it was.
"People I care about could be in danger. Other versions of me do not hold the power level I do." Why was she even spelling this out? Lately she forgets she's no longer talking to herself.
"What will you do, Daimyo?" Perhaps she should pay him to become a therapist. Could the war staff become one?
Alice stood, deciding she had postponed her self-imposed mission for too long. "If you see Lita or America around, tell them I'm out on vacation and that they can help themselves to any of my personal rooms"
"You're leaving?"
Alice nodded. "Temporarily. If the calendar of PS-2018 shows seven days passed, you are free to send someone to get me."
"Hai, Daimyo."
With the war staff, a portal opened. The world felt uncanny; everything was the same as the outside of her own battle nexus, and still... Different because it wasn't hers. Not yet.
She was back to the rabbit, 26599 Dorothea, was when chosen by the staff, without the brown dye. Inconspicuously dressed, like a warrior for battle she asked the guards how she could sign up for the next event. Of course, they were huffing with laughs as they guided her. Alice was aware of what they might be thinking. Not that she cared; this was just part of the process... A favor she knew PS-2018 Donnie or PS-Blue 2018 Usagi (or was it Bee now?) couldn't do. Not because they didn't have power, she mused. Parry just wouldn't allow it.
Don't freeze when you see her. Don't call her Auntie Mama. Do not bow more than necessary.
"Awww, what a cutie-patootie!"
The same purple skin. The same hair. Those cat-eye glasses… a dark purple suit. Red lips… Alice's fur stood on end; her ears struggled to stay straight. Shove the feeling into the back of the mind and disconnect.
Be a doll, Dorothea. Alice.
"I wished to fight Dawn Dragon."
Parry perhaps would never know she used his alias for this. But the way Big Mama’s gaze sharpened… Alice gripped her skirt tight.
"Oh, my... But we need to find him first!" Alice wanted to run from this toxic sweet voice. She didn't. Instead, she stared blankly at the curtains, tuning out the whole conversation about contracts. The war staff vibrated, humming recognition, small enough that nobody noticed when it fused with the floor. The size of an ordinary key, looking like the skeleton ones. A trinket to many, yet Alice could feel the start of the merge, of conquest.
"...And you have to sign, righttttt here, rabbity-pookie!" The inside of Alice's mouth tasted like purified water. Stage one before bile would rise, the girl focused on the feeling of her cotton skirt. Deep breaths…
"Yes, but! Ummm, Miss Big Mama, ummm I'm a big, big fan and..." At least nerves were making this believable. She took out a paper, as practiced. "Could you sign your name here? So, I can frame it! Please?"
"A fan? Well, of course! I do adore all of you wonderful fansies!" None the wiser, the spider yokai smirked, taking the paper. The flourish of her actions made Alice's stomach churn. Purple ink glided on the page, the scratching of the fountain pen sending shivers.
"Done, sweetheart; now your turn."
Alice looked at Big Mama, and before the woman could keep insisting, the curtains had grabbed her. Big Mama struggled, gagged by the cloth, turning into her spider form. But she still felt weak, her heart beating faster; the office was changing; it was no longer in her colors or aesthetic. Purple skin turning darker as the living cloth began to constrict tighter.
How many have you harmed? You deserve this! ALL OF IT
“Seven years! Seven years you took! You groomed me; you used me! I’ll turn every mental scar into something you can’t hide. Every version of you will feel it.” Nothing else mattered. Only this. Making sure this monster understood. All the pain. All the suffering. “I won’t let you off easy.”
Alice blinked away from the flashback. The echoes of it were ignored as she turned around, every servant of Big Mama having their collars suddenly deactivate. Wonderland and this battle nexus are now one and the same. Could this be considered conquest? Alice didn't know and didn't care; the war staff reappeared in her hands as she walked away.
"Gyoji"
"Hai, Daimyo," the familiar manifested next to her as she handed him Big Mama's signature. Robes flowing calmly as he manifested more of himself to evacuate the others.
"Burn the paper after 40 seconds." She could feel herself shake, paws clammy. A human trait in this mutated body? that could cause problems "Light Yagami didn't notice the page missing?"
"No, Daimyo," Gyoji obeyed calmly. "Just as you asked, was it necessary?"
The use of the death note, right. The very same question Athena asked when I asked her to give me the pages in exchange for her and her companions for the Nexus Arena.
"Just insurance. She's difficult." Alice answered the same way she had to the goddess, "I did not want to repeat the mess. The slaves that are free, offer them legitimate jobs in Wonderland or snack payment for what Big Mama did to them. Tell me if I need to manifest more gold."
"Hai" The familiar tilted its head. “You are not done."
“I have more to do; I do not need your company for this.” She ignored the tingling on her clammy hands, changing her outfit into something more distressed; after all, the next place she was going to needed her to blend in “Thank you for helping me; you have done well. Just as we did before, the contracts of the enslaved have been broken. Offer them a legitimate job and compensate them for the backpay. If they do not want the job, still give them the payment from this universe’s Big Mama's treasury. If you need more, let me know, and use the one from my own. I’ll manifest more later. Do you know of any yokai therapists available for them in this universe?”
“Hai. I will send their details and pay for a year's worth of appointments for those who chose to work through it. " Gyoji was always so efficient. "I will also retract the bounty on Dawn Dragon/Parry and his children."
She let out a breath and nodded, opening the next portal: PS-F-2003.
The first thing that hit was the smell, smog coming from the various factories. A futuristic hellscape that would have been surprising had it not become a trope in fiction. Alice was lucky she had decided to use her humanoid rabbit form. A little… Parry would probably not recognize her. She no longer was dyed with brown henna, and her hair... It was much longer than that time. Her hands (paws?) fidgeted with the braid. She hadn’t thought this through; the crossroad of decisions was now making her head overwork.
A crash made her flinch. When had she walked into this building? Yelling, metal against metal, quips. Blurring into one. The scent of… blood? Alice saw them, four older humanoid turtles. One familiar-looking: Parry, once upon a time, Donatello. Right flank, missing one eye, Raphael? That was expected. He seemed to be holding well… Blue, eyes unseeing, head tilting towards the sound and wind. Unmistakable for Alice, this was Leonardo.
Rear…
Her breath caught, missing one arm, orange mask: Michelangelo. Did he still answer to that name in this universe? He still had his siblings from the looks of it, the only loss may have been Parry. Should she tell Obsidian when she meets him again about this? His future did mirror this one: robots, Foot Clan conquest. Sure, it was the shredder's grandson who took over in Obsidian’s universe, but it was almost the same in the way the city seemed to run.
Maybe Alice went a little overboard in causing coincidences with her reality bending. The older turtles hopefully were too distracted in the fight to notice they shouldn’t be able to throw them and cause ten to short circuit. And perhaps she was pushing it with the whole idea of making Karai slip and hit a rock at just the right angle for death. Keeping intrusive thoughts at bay was a little hard at this moment.
“Who are you?” The voice of PS-F-2003 Leonardo almost made her jump.
“A-Alice… like t-the book?”
“Alice! Leo, let her go; I know her." Parry’s worried voice made the whole moment feel a bit less tense. She hadn’t expected the former purple turtle to start checking her over, mumbling some worried things.
“You’re bleeding." Alice wanted anything to distract from the confusing feeling. People fussing this much was… odd. “I can help”
"We're fine, just a scratch," grumbled PS-F-2003 Raphael (she really needed shorter ID’s for them). Alice couldn’t help but mentally disagree. Would PS-2018 Donnie appreciate it if she used her reality-bending to help his uncles? Reverse every injury. Perhaps make the vision of PS-F-2003 Leonardo come back and PS-F-2003 Raphael and PS-F-2003 Michelangelo get their missing parts to regrow. Or would that make him feel bad for not being the one to build the prosthetics? Could said prosthetics allow for vision to be repaired?
“What are you doing here?” Parry’s voice brought her slightly back to earth.
“I… sensed a nexus point via energy from your… portal device." She did not want to see the looks on their faces. “Some research made me believe your medical aid would be insufficient, and so… I came to heal in case of a battle.”
“You know medicine?” PS-F-2003 Michelangelo’s comment made Alice want to sink more into the ground. Were her bunny ears giving her away? Tap, tap, tap… Parry’s fingers felt callous. Focus on here. On now.
“I’m not a medic. But I have… abilities that could allow for me to heal." Maybe she shouldn’t have made his arm regrow when she said this.
Because of the whole gasping and the whole freaking out by the older turtles. Loud. Loud. Blurring. Machines were buzzing. Her eyes quickly traveled to the others.
Done.
Two to go.
Done.
One to go.
D-
“Alice”
“I’m sorry, Parry, you need medical aid; you’re bleeding through the bandages." She ignored the mumbles of the others. "I don’t wish for Donnie and Usagi to worry."
“I understand you want to help, but please, ask next time.” Parry gently stated.
Alice nodded just to keep him calm. He needed to think she was a good influence, or he might disapprove of her wobbly friendship with PS 2018 Donnie and PS-Blue-2018 Usagi. She couldn’t afford that. Even if she thought his request was currently inefficient because she knew they would deny her for some (in her opinion) invalid reasoning.
I’m not a doctor; these rules make no sense to me, Alice bit back the snark. “Have you spoken to Donnie yet?”
Parry’s eyes widened, letting go, tapping on his comm. Typical.
"Hello? Mother? Is everything alright?” PS-2018’s Donnie’s voice was a bit muffled; Alice absently wondered if the other turtles could hear.
“Yes, everything’s fine.” Parry’s voice was soft and calm. Did Alice sound like that to others? “Can you open the portal for me, Donnie?”
"You are coming home, correct?”
Her ears twitched at that comment. Why would Donnie even ask that? Had Parry done something to make him believe that? Was the title of mother tied to abandoning their children to their own? She stopped the involuntary tension she felt on her leg; stomping was childish even if the current rabid instinct begged to show the displeasure. Parry was not like 26599 Dorothea's mom… Parry would never leave his children to be taken care of by terrible people or own their own without precautions. Parry was a male…
Projection averted.
“Yeah, baby, of course I am.” There was a trembling breath. There. The distress… Should she manifest chamomile tea? “I found your uncles. We’re all coming back.”
A different kind of boiling arose from within. Well, at least she thought her temperature felt off. Cold hands, hot face? Donnie was so lucky; she wished she could have that. Did a version of her have that? Now was not the time to research.
“Is that okay?” Parry asked, tone softer. For some seconds, Alice’s breath hitched. Did Parry notice? The overlay of him and…
“Yes, yes, of course it is! I’ll open the portal!”
The rabbit quickly went to inform the other three, who apparently seemed to have adjusted to the changes she had done. Or maybe trying to make her think so. Next time, she would ask first and listen. That’s what makes her look non-threatening. Had she said anything wrong? Were they still resentful? Her heart wanted to leave her chest, noisy. Stories depicted that, but most of them said it was positive… Alice disagreed.
This was terrible. Leave. Your job is done.
“Be nice to Donnie." Alice told the turtles that they weren’t Parry. “Be nice to his siblings. Be kind to Usagi. Patience is needed with all, mostly Parry.”
Simple language would get to them. Right?
Perhaps it was wrong of her to diagnose, but Parry had similar symptoms to one of her many conditions: dysthymia. She should probably ask later for his mental health chart. He may have a better understanding of life with this condition than she had. She didn’t threaten them; she should have, but that would be counterproductive to her goal: her friend's family approving of your bond.
The portal came to life with flickering blue and orange lights, almost like the sunsets Donnie could find videos of online. Donnie stood in front of it, rubbing the back of his hand. Parry from the other side couldn’t wait to see him hugging his son; the warm smile just caused Alice’s wish to leave to become bigger. Would it be impolite to leave? What if Donnie thought she hated him?
“Mother, what happened? We need to get you to the infirmary immediately-!” Good, he hadn’t noticed her.
“It’s okay,” Parry soothed, squeezing his hands and bouncing them between them. “I’ve already been patched up.”
The war staff could take her right now back home.
“Should we come back another time?” PS-F-2003 Raphael said. His hand WAS now on Alice’s shoulder. A shiver went down her spine. This isn’t a client. This is their family. Family is close. They are not my family. Even if they were my family… don’t touch me. Don’t. don’t.
Donnie startled. “Ah, you are my… older male siblings of my mother. Greetings! I am Donatello. It is, uh.” He trailed off as they stared at him. “Hi…”and then "Alice."
She bowed and waved automatically. How was she supposed to approach this? “Hello…”
"C-Can I hug you?!" His voice was filled with an emotion Alice was unable to decipher. The bunny blinked, nodding a little. Feeling shy at the overwhelming situation. It had been so long since they last spoken in person… she had been busy within another dreamscape.
She had believed it would have been awkward, perhaps resentful. Apparently not. The turtle held her tight; Alice wanted to melt in the feeling of safety he gave her. Was this something every Donatello could cause? There was so much to say… but her mind wasn’t allowing for any of it to surface. She hugged back, a light nuzzle from both. Parry then moved, placing his hands on their shoulders, now shielding Donnie and Alice from the older turtles.
Parental replacement = Parry
Uncle replacement=Unree/Ruddy (Raph was rude)/Uncem
Godfather replacement= Gofry (huh, it sounded like Joffrey)
Mentor replacement = Teacher, sensei, Maestro-
"This is my son.” Parry’s voice broke her out of her thoughts.
“I can see the resemblance,” Michelangelo, now Gofry, said sarcastically.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Leonardo, Maestro, was offering his hand for Donnie to shake.
What could Alice even do to help Donnie feel less anxious? Repair. She needed to fix this situation. Was their anger her fault? Or had these older turtles gotten something against Donnie? Alice bit the inside of her cheek; she couldn’t do anything to these guys. It would cause more trouble to Donnie. To Parry as well.
“And she is—"
“A friend” Donnie had begun to stim with her hair, just like he used to at the dreamscape. He had let go already. She was no longer safe. They were staring. At her? At Donnie? At Parry? Parry explained his name and how he was no longer Donatello. Explanations that were registered at the back of her mind.
Her fur felt like static—too much.
Too much.
Gofry was a terrible individual in her eyes.
Be civil. These are Donnie’s uncles; they did nothing to you… Gofry will not harm Donnie. Risk assessment needed to-
"Alice," she blinked, nodding to Donnie with a light, "Excuse me," to the older turtles. “Why are you here?”
“I sensed a Nexus event from your universe, and I needed to make sure things were… ok." Alice hesitated; there was nothing to hold, no jacket or anything. Keep your hands to yourself; don’t grab hands without permission. Jacket sleeves are fine. He had none.
“Mother was persuaded at last to go meet his siblings."
“I see." Silence was loud. Too loud. Fill it or he'll hate you. Alice could notice, though, on Donnie's expression. Was he mirroring hers? “Are you overwhelmed?”
“It’s difficult to speak. I need… to teach you… Sign…”
“Perhaps…” She handed him a tablet, silicone, one of the erasable ones from her childhood. Neon purple plastic. “Meanwhile… if you wish… You can write with this, and then slide off the message…”
People. Social interaction. That’s all she could think when she saw the kitchen, like the family reunions Dorothea’s father had. One who was closer in age to her and Donnie sat on a wheelchair, yellow spots, signature colors of orange. That was Angie; Donnie spoke of him before. And then, to Alice’s horror… toddlers. Babbling, twittering for food from his lap. And then there was an eight-year-old snapping turtle (PS-2018 Raph? Donnie's Raph?) feeding a… 6-year-old who mirrored Angelo’s appearance.
Don’t notice me; I don’t exist. Speak to toddlers they remember forever. They don’t understand the way you speak. They ask too much. Too much. Loud. Loud. I’m not a nanny I’m not…
She blankly stared at the scene, like a Renaissance painting… if only it were one, the sounds wouldn’t be sending these electric feelings in her. The shoulders began to hurt. But Donnie? He was the opposite, already cuddling a red-eared slider (Pr-2018 Leo? Donnie's Leo? She needed more names). A simple explanation about how Parry found their new uncles.
Decibels were high in their excitement. Why couldn’t she find it cute the way Donnie did? She would need to study this aversion. Would Donnie introduce her? Should she introduce herself? Had they even noticed she was there? Alice looked at her hands. Had she caused perception blocking? No, this was normal… this was what supposed to happen back when she… when Auntie mama-
Thoughts were interrupted by Parry entering. Alice was falling into autopilot, answering questions when asked. Though her voice sounded soft and a bit higher. Huh, her voice tended to do that with strangers…
“Using your nomenclature, Donnie… I thought of alternate names for your uncles. Though your family and they should decide if they agree or not.” She heard herself say. And then on the board she had given him she began to write down what she meant.
Michelangelo=Godfather replacement=Gofry
Raphael = Ruddy (starts with R and sounds similar to Rude, mixing the nickname Raphy with Rude)
Leonardo=Mentor replacement=Maestro
“I cannot call you uncles, for obvious reasons," she added.
“Why?” Surprisingly, it was asked by PR 2018 Leo.
“Oh… I…” Alice wondered if what she was about to say would cause problems. “I have a father and a mother already. I don’t… view Parry the way you do.”
Run, run. Run.
“Oh! Why can’t you have another mommy?”
“Not everyone wants another one” Parry was helping; Alice almost sighed in relief. “Like Leon, he has his own dad but doesn’t want a mom. Alice has the same."
Luckily this seemed to satisfy a little bit. The conversations kept on coming; Alice didn’t speak much, munching on the honeydew. Sweet… She liked it more than melon.
“Do you have a Usagi like Leon?” when PS-2018 Leo asked that to Maestro, her ears twitched. “Mommy said we don’t have a Usagi here, but that’s okay, cuz Usagi’s my big brother, and he’s here lots to play with us. I like him a lot more than Leon, so I'm glad he’s my brother instead of Leon too.”
“I used to. He had to return to his own world, so we don’t see each other anymore.” Was Maestro’s response, filled with nostalgia? Alice didn’t have that problem exactly. Leon’s usagi… was also Alice’s. She called him her brother for such a long time… but how long since they last saw each other? Did he remember her? Did he forget her? Was he happy? She hadn’t asked.
“It’s okay, I’m sure he still misses you and wants to see you!” Leo looked at the older turtle earnestly. “I was scared Usagi wouldn’t want to see me anymore when he went home with Leon, but then he came back, and he said he missed us a lot! I’m sure your Usagi’s just as nice!”
"Mm. I’m sure…”
He had pivoted the conversation, but she couldn’t stop thinking of it. She had sent some messages to his new number a while ago. He, well… barely answered. So when it remained unanswered, she didn’t send more. He had other things to do… Alice knew. Still, maybe she should investigate what the situation was with Maestro and PS-F-2003 Usagi. Something… felt off.
They had mentioned something about bedtime. Alice supposed she should take her leave? But the look Donnie and Angie gave her and Parry telling her she didn’t need to leave kept her. She slept better when she was close to someone she trusted.
“If you think of all the kids as science projects, he hasn’t really changed,” Gofry pointed out.
A chill settled over the table. Why? Was that a bad thing? Alice closed her eyes, reaching into the Akashic records… and realized it probably was that they had a negative connotation towards the phrase. Trauma? She made note to avoid calling anyone in this household that. She didn’t want this reaction directed to her.
“I’m going to put the bitties down for a nap,” Angie said, quickly rolling away from the table.
Donnie had both arms wrapped around Leo, and Raph had Mikey cuddled in his arms. A nearly inaudible hiss sounded in Donnie’s throat. Alice’s ears instinctively pinned down when hearing it “We are not projects,” he growled. “Mother does not treat us as if we were.”
Gofry blinked, confused. “Huh? I didn’t mean it like that—"
“Did… you mean that Parry pays a lot of attention to them the way he pays attention to things he's hyperfixated on?” Alice was trying to piece together everything. She flinched at the gaze directed from her… friend. Donnie was angry. “It’s not an excuse… I'm just confused… people have… different… definitions…”
“You guys should go rest,” Parry said quickly. “I showed you the empty rooms before; can you find them again?”
Autopilot took over again; she never realized when she ended up where she did. Donnie's room? Right, he said she could stay there. She quietly materialized her sketchbook, drawing Usagi. Drawing Donnie. Drawing… Could she tell Donnie what she did? Would he end up telling Parry? Would Parry find out about her kill count? Did it count if they were variants of the same person?
“What was all that about?” Gofry's voice was harsh. Muffled through the wall.
“They’re mutants like us,” Parry explained; he sounded exhausted. She had fixed his wounds, not his… tiredness. “But they weren’t mutated by accident. They were created by a yokai named Draxum that was… A lot like Bishop.”
Alice made a note to investigate who Bishop was in other variants of the 2003 universe. Luckily she was acquainted with one. She wrote it on the page, drawing Don 2003 (not Parry; those were, in her opinion, very different aesthetics). She had gotten distracted enough (or their voices had been too low for her to catch) that she only heard when Parry continued.
“I was looking for a way home. For a long time. Ten years. And then the kids came along, and I…” His voice shook faintly. Alice felt a knot form in her throat. “Their version of Splinter had died protecting Donnie, Mikey, Raph, and Leo from Draxum. I couldn’t risk… I couldn’t risk them losing another parent. I couldn’t leave them alone.”
“Hey, Don. It’s okay-“
Maestro’s voice was interrupted by a slamming of hands and plates rattling. Alice gritted her teeth as Gofry yelled. "No, it isn't!”
Would it really be a bad idea to do something against him?
“Dammit, Mike, keep it quiet!” Scolded Ruddy “There’s kids around!”
“I’m sorry.” Alice bit her lip as Parry said that “I didn’t think things were so bad…”
Why did he sound like her mother? Her mother with Auntie Mama? Every variant of herself flashed in her mind, always with their meek voice trying to diffuse a fight. The times the Dorotheas asked if this was a fight, only to be dismissed. This wasnt yelling... just talking loudly. They said. Auntie said that every version of her, even if she wasn't big mama, echoes the... mom. Mom would always suffer. Keep quiet, or you'll make it worse. Help Mom after; comfort her. Let Mom blow off steam and listen to Mom. Thats your job... your job you-
"Bad?" Gofry scoffed out a laugh. Alice stiffened but didn't stop drawing. “The planet was invaded by an alien dictator that destroyed everything and enslaved humanity! How much worse can it get?!”
The memory of sitting by the office while the yelling happened. Back then she did nothing. She didn’t think she could do anything. And now… Alice couldn’t do anything if she didn’t want to risk Parry disliking her enough to kick her out. And worse… Donnie deciding-
“No, he should keep apologizing!” Alice never realized she had her pencil in her mouth until Gofry said that. The wood taste wasn’t bad, she liked the metal end “We looked for him and did so many things to try and find him, and he was here picking up kids left and right?! He just went off and made a new family and left us behind like nothing!”
“What was he supposed to do?” Maestro asked. “Never move on? Not help them?”
Alice wondered on the answer to those questions as well.
“Of course this is what you and Raph agree on." Gofry really was unrelenting. Just like Auntie in every universe, that's fate. “Fourteen fucking years of fighting and you’re finally agreeing on Don abandoning us!”
Alice hated that she just related to Gofry. 26599 Dorothea had seen her own mother start studying a master's degree, and that made… Auntie Mama be alone with 26599 Dorothea longer. The feeling might be the same, right? No, it was selfish to relate what she lived with in a war.
“These kids needed him. You’ve seen them. Angie and Donnie are as scarred up as we are, and they’re fifteen.” Ruddy impressively was also being reasonable. “What was he supposed to do?”
Scars… She never pointed those out. Well, she tried not to. She took the pencil out of her mouth. Bending reality to repair it.
"We needed him.” Gofry hissed. “You stopped trying, Don!”
Alice could shove in his face evidence of the opposite. Her eyes landed on her notebook; perhaps she could manifest it right now? Should she ask Gyoji to throw it in his face?
“I had two toddlers, a baby, and a teenager that needed more help than I could give!” Parry’s voice finally blurted out, cracking. “I couldn’t even take care of myself and they—if I was working on the machine and I got pulled through again, they would have been alone, and they–”
“Maybe you should’ve thought of that before you built your stupid machine in the first place! You and your stupid need to fix everything! If you hadn’t built that damn machine, then Leo and Raph never would have started fighting, and Sensei wouldn’t have died, and we would have been okay! I hate that you chose them over us, I hate you!”
Stomping. Alice rushed out when she heard that. She found him, Donnie. She said nothing for a few seconds, just following him. What could she even say? She had no idea what he could have thought about it. They reached the lab.
“If he never met us, this problem wouldn’t happen." Alice stared at Donnie when he said that. She sat next to him as he searched through his things.
“His relatives being angry at him?”
He nodded.
“No, it wouldn't."
“How would you know?”
“I have access to the Akashic records… I did some research on other… possibilities.” Alice admitted as he built. “You are not necessarily the reason he couldn’t return. You are actually one of the few reasons he is even able to save them on time.”
“Then I should make it so he never got lost in the first place." The answer was between a hiss and a growl, one she knew was reserved for the enemy.
Alice didn’t know if telling him this would make Usagi and 26599 Dorothea herself never be free. Live enslaved by Auntie mama for- Alice shook her head.
“He wouldn’t want that."
“I want him happy," his voice made her internally flinch, her ears flattening "and he will be happy with his REAL family."
“When parents choose to care for their children, they tend to be happy…” Alice didn’t mention anything relating to postpartum because that had nothing to do with this situation. Though, perhaps, 26599 Dorothea's mother had it. “Why do you think he’s unhappy?"
“His family hates him."
“That isn’t your fault.” Don’t call Goofy immature. Alice had to remind herself, "By that logic, you, your brothers, Angie, the bitties… Usagi… they are also at fault. I am also at fault for telling him to find usagi when I saw Parry.”
Donnie paused. “I want to fix it…”
“Me too…” Did she? She wanted her friend happy... this wouldn't make him happy, would it?
“We could…”
“No, we can’t. If you do this…” Alice looked at her hands. “Yes… Angie might survive. Usagi might too… but it will take longer to be free. They would have become worse in trauma. You would… have to become a parent at nine...”
Alice avoided mentioning herself in this. She didn’t know what would have happened to her. She hadn’t seen other versions of herself under Big Mama's thumb yet… A soft knock interrupted their conversation. Donnie hit a button on his computer, easily going back to his project. Had he chosen to ignore Alice’s statement? Or was he trying to be stubborn?
A recording of his voice sounded. “Science is progressing! Please do not disturb!”
“Hey,” Parry’s voice came through, even more withdrawn than usual. “I know today was rough. Do you feel like talking a bit, or do you want me to leave you be?”
“Science is progressing! Please do not disturb!”
Alice glanced at Donnie. He shook his head. She stayed silent.
“Love you, Donnie.” Parry said softly. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Donnie squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, scratching over his hands and scales. Then, he flexed his fingers and went back to work.