The Bestest Christmas
Rated G
Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.
It was Christmas Eve and a youthful Rama was finding it awfully hard to relax when all she could think about was the fact that Santa was coming, that very night in fact.
She was full of that nervous excitement that any parent could relate to. The high energy that came only to the very young when they knew something exciting was going to happen. The child knew, without a doubt, that they had waited for what felt like, to them any ways, Forever! And all that anxious waiting had grown to a feverish pitch inside.
Many parents could easily accept that sort of wild frantic excitement from any five year old, what they might not accept was that Ramiela wasn't human.
She looked like a bipedal turtle, except for her shoulder length black hair, the high cheekbones set in her round face and the five digits on each hand and foot.
Rama was normally pretty energetic to begin with but the thought of ' Santa coming' caused her to be as active, and destructive as a tornado.
Her dad, Michaelangelo had been chasing her all around the playground in an effort to wear her down, only it seemed to be having the opposite effect as Rama seemed far more awake, then when they had started.
" Come on daddy catch me" Rama squealed.
" Haven't you had enough Rama?" Mike asked hopefully, " I mean it is way past your bedtime and Santa can't come until you're in bed." He wheedled.
Rama's only reply was a merry little laugh " Daddy can't catch me! Daddy can't catchs me." She chanted as she stuck her tongue out at her father " Nyah!"
Mike pulled a chuck from out of his belt tapping the wooden grip in the open palm of his right hand " Come here Rama daddy is going help you go to sleep" Mike coaxed.
Rama turned on the wooden plank bridge she was on, and started wiggling her butt " Gonna smack my butt" she stated then yelled " Gonna chuck me out of my shell" she chortled merrily.
Mike laughed at her " I've got things to do I really can't play now" He informed her " Why don't you just play alone for a bit."
With that said Mike turned to leave. ' Maybe,' he mused ' she'll wind down faster without a playmate.'
Mike decided to go to the kitchen and start making cinnamon buns for the morning.
Rama played contentedly for a few minutes but quickly grew bored and decided to see what else she could do for entertainment. She wasn't going to bed. She was going stay up and see Santa.
" I wants to see Santa." She whispered. She couldn't recall that a few years back she had seen Santa. All she knew was she wanted to see him this year.
With the thought of seeing Santa in mind she ran out to the living room to look at the tree, glowing under the pretty lights and colourful decorations. Rama loved the tree it was so beautiful, and as far as she was concerned, it was what made Santa come in the first place.
Santa came to put presents under the tree, which meant to see Santa she should be near the tree but then she thought of something else. She turned a slow circle looking at the old battered furniture and the path Santa would have to take to get from the door to the tree.
Rama gave a grin and a little giggle came forth and she quickly skipped off to gather what she needed.
….
Mike had kept an ear out for his daughter and realized that she had been quiet for much too long, especially when he considered the circumstances of the evening, this long silence could only mean one of two things.
Rama had given up on playing and curled up somewhere to sleep.
Mike shook his head at that possibility ' Maybe when pigs fly but you are only trying to kid yourself with that one.'
The other possibility, and this option was far more likely, was that Rama was getting into some sort of mischief that she knew, she shouldn't be.
Mike groaned and rolled his eyes as he set the dough to rise and washed his hands at the sink " Why Splinter had to go and give me that dratted parent's curse I'll never understand but it sure seems to be working" Mike muttered to himself as he headed in search of his daughter, and whatever scheme she was probably cooking up.
As he moved into the living room, in full ninja mode, planning to sneak up on his daughter and catch her in the act no matter where she was. He spotted her sprawled on the floor.
Rama was tying an end of her jump rope to an armchair leg, so the rope was only five or six inches off the ground. Tied to the jump rope by bits of string and yarn were some bells of varied sizes.
The bells had to of come from the dojo training cupboard, they were used to train students in certain things where silence was required. Rama had all ready proven her efficiency in keeping the bells silent in lessons, so it was no surprise she had managed to get them out of the dojo, and on to her skipping rope without a sound.
" Ramiela!" Mike barked.
His sharp tone and use of her full name caused the turtle child to jump instantly to her feet, jolting the rope and sending the bells on it to ding-ding-ding-a ling.
" Yes daddy?" Rama asked her chest heaving slightly as she tried to look innocent.
" Just what are you doing?" Mike demanded
" I wants to know when Santa comes." She explained, " I gonna sees him when he makes the bells go."
" So you are setting a trap for Santa Claus huh?" Mike wondered.
Rama thought her dad didn't sound too mad at her so she nodded her head in agreement.
" Do you realize Rama that if Santa finds out about this, and he probably will because Santa is very smart, that you won't be getting any gifts from Santa." Mike informed her.
" Yes Santa brings me present. I justs wants to sees him" Rama insisted.
" Yeah but you see Rama, Santa could get hurt on something like that. If he was badly hurt he couldn't finish his rounds and then there would be children who wouldn't have gifts to open on Christmas morning." Mike explained kindly, " So Santa decided that any child who is bad enough to try and trap him as he makes his rounds loses out on all their gifts because they are trying to take gifts away from other people. In fact because Santa takes such deeds very strongly, he won't deliver presents to that child for years, and years."
Rama had never heard this before she blinked in surprise " Really daddy?" she wondered.
" Really Rama. You want to try and catch Santa though go right ahead. But don't expect any presents for you under that tree in the morning" Mike confirmed. " Still you go ahead and do it if you want." Mike gave her a dismissive wave before turning back to the kitchen.
Rama stared down at the skip rope as she chewed at her lip her brow wrinkled in thought. She looked over her shoulder at the tree and her stocking waiting to be filled. She very much wanted all the presents Santa would be bringing. Daddy had sounded so sure too, Daddy knew almost every thing where Santa was concerned.
After some thinking she bent down and untied the rope, she had been bad enough this year as it was with all the trouble she had caused with her baby cousins, she really didn't want to risk losing her gifts just to see Santa.
Mike, watching her secretively, noted his daughter bending down to untie her rope and take the bells off to return them to the dojo. He chuckled a bit to himself pleased that Rama had made the right choice, and finding it difficult to believe that Rama had really bought his story.
A while later when the cinnamon buns were in the oven Mike went to check on Rama he found her sleeping on her plastron under the tree, her head pillowed on her crossed arms.
He smiled as he picked her up and packed her into her bedroom tucking her into bed.
Rama woke long before anyone else and she couldn't help but go peek out at the tree to see if Santa had come, and even more importantly if he had left her any presents. Due to the fact she had been very bad this year, there had been some talk that Santa might not bring her much.
So she tiptoed out to the tree, gifts were piled up all around the tree, and stacked up every where under it as well.
"Santa come. He leaved lots of presents" Rama yelled in such a loud voice that no one was left sleeping after wards.
Mike came out of his room giving a massive yawn and scratching his plastron mumbling something about tying the kid to her bed and duct taping her mouth shut.
" Daddy looks all the presents. Santa come leaves lots of presents" she squealed as she dived down by the tree staring in fascination at the gift pile an eager look on her face.
As the other adults stumbled from their rooms with wearied smiles and massive yawns they headed, as if drawn magnetically, to the kitchen for their morning jump start coffee.
Mike started Rama on a scavenger hunt to find her stocking it seemed Santa had decided to hide it this year. The hunt took her to the playground, the kitchen, her own bedroom and finally she found it in the dojo.
By that time everyone was awake enough to open presents and they all took their seats around the room waiting for the gifts to be handed out. Rama sat on the floor near the tree bouncing on her butt in her excitement.
" Who gets to play Santa this year?" Don asked.
" Me!" Raph declared, " I am the one in red after all."
" Yeah but your not exactly the jolly old elf" Mike teased, " even if you do happen to be green."
" Stuff it Mikey" Raph snapped as he grabbed a present and tossed it across the room " Here Leo."
Leo caught the package " I hope it isn't breakable" he muttered.
" Why you plan on breaking it?" Raph wondered.
" Me uncle Raphael. One for me. Please!" Rama begged.
" Okay lets see." Raph scanned the packages " This one is from Santa to you."
Well over an hour later almost all the gifts had been opened and piles of loot was stashed around each person's spot.
Rama at that point was almost buried under toys, books and games as well as a special CD player and CDs to use with it. She was sucking on a candy from her stocking and feeling quite happy with her stash of goodies.
Raph made one final check around the tree to insure all presents had been given out then he spotted one hidden in the branches.
" One last gift for Ramiela"
Rama perked up at the sound of her name as she received the red foil wrapped gift from her Uncle.
" Whose it from Raph?" Mike asked. He was sure Rama had received all her gifts from family members and Santa too.
" Its from me" Raph admitted.
" You got her the movie" Mike began.
" Yeah that and a little something else as well." Raph agreed.
By now Rama had ripped off the bright paper and was trying to pry open the box, she managed to open it after minimal struggle. Her jaw dropped and her eyes grew large as she saw the contents of the gift.
She bounced to her feet squealing, " Uncle Raphael bought me sais. Uncle Raphael bought me sais." With that she flung herself at her Uncle, who caught her and tossed her into the air.
" Thank you Uncle Raphael. Thank you so muches." She hugged and kissed him.
Leo looked up at his brother " You know she shouldn't have her own weapons this early." He declared trying not to let his irritation come through in his tone.
" Look Leo she has kept her promise to respect weapons and not take my sai for more than a year." Raph began " that plus she has to learn how to handle a sai and she can't use mine they are too big for her." Raph smirked a bit " Besides I'd like to see ya try and take them away from her."
Rama gasped as she realized what her uncle had said, was it possible Sensei would take her sais away? It was his kids she had been so mean to earlier in the year after all. She turned large pleading eyes on her Sensei. " Can't I keeps the sais Uncle Raphael gives me Sensei?"
Leo looked at her earnest face a look of uncertainty bordering on sorrow filled her eyes. " You can keep them as long as you respect your weapons and use them in the dojo only. You can clean them in your room," Leo ordered " but you are not to use them any where but the dojo and only when you have myself or Raph with you." He decided.
Rama visibly relaxed and smiled " Uncle Raphael teaches me sai?"
" You bet ya kid" Raph agreed tousling her hair.
Rama grinned wider as she hugged him and kissed him again " It's the bestest Christmas ever" she announced.
Raph smiled as he hugged her back " You could be right Ramiela" he agreed.
The End
Happy Holidays to all and hope you enjoyed a bestest Christmas of your own. Ramica