Silent Night

Hey Everyone. This is my little Christmas story that for some reason struck me the other day. It is coming out late and fast, but I wanted to get it posted by Christmas. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: None of it belongs to me. There we go.

Merry Christmas everyone!


"Weeeee, wish you a Merry Christmas,

We wish you a Merry Christmas,

We wish you a Merry Christmas,

And a happy new…"

"Mikey, I swear to God." Raph growled. "If you don't stop singing Christmas carols you're going to go flying like Santa's reindeer right off this roof."

"Come on Raph!" Mikey countered. "It's only five days until Christmas! Where's your spirit?"

"Frozen, along with my toes." Raph muttered, rubbing his chilled arms with his hands.

"Order up one big lump of coal for Raph!" Mikey yelled, grinning widely.

Leo snickered softly from a few feet away where he stood at the roof's edge, watching over the bustling streets silently.

The four brothers atop the roof became silent once again, the only movement coming from the youngest jumping around happily catching falling snowflakes on his outstretched tongue. Raph sighed heavily and twirled his sai absentmindedly in his hands. Christmas was a time that never really appealed to him like it did the rest of his family. Sure, he loved the presents and the closeness of his family, but the whole Christmas spirit thing, Santa Clause, the lights, the eight flying reindeer, it just didn't excite him like it did the rest. He didn't get excited when the first snow fell, he didn't get teary eyed during the overplayed and corny Christmas specials that Mikey insisted on watching every single year, he didn't sing along to Christmas carols on the radio. Raph shrugged lightly to himself. Christmas was just Christmas.

"Deck the halls with bows of holly!"

Raph physically jumped and let out a small shout as the familiar Christmas carol was belted out right next to his sensitive ear. He turned and saw his youngest brother standing over his shoulder, grinning at him mischievously. He glared.

"I am going to hurt you!" Raph bellowed, and turned his body and bounded through the thick fallen snow after his youngest brother who was laughing and continuing to belt out more of the carol. He leapt into the air and tackled Mikey to the ground, both of them falling unceremoniously into the snow. Mikey couldn't help but bubble with happiness as him and his brother wrestled in the fresh snow.

"Guys, quiet down." Leo scolded lightly, turning his eyes away from the city and letting them rest on his two other brothers.

"Tell him to stop singing those damn songs." Raph countered as he held Mikey down in a headlock and pelted him with snow balls.

"Dude, Santa is totally going to be skipping over you on Christmas." Mikey said, trying his best to protect himself from the onslaught of snow.

"Come on, Mikey." Don said from near Leo, twirling his bow lightly. "Don't tell me you are still going on about Santa."

"What do you mean?" Mikey asked, putting on his most innocent face.

"Mike, Santa is for kids." Raph said, once again twirling his sai.

Mikey let out a loud sigh. "You guys tell me every year that Santa doesn't exist, but I refuse to believe it."

Don rolled his eyes. "Mike, it would be impossible!" he said, ignoring Mikey as he rolled his eyes. "There is no way a guy could get all around the world in one night! It's a scientific impossibility. And how is a guy that out of shape going to carry around all of those presents. And flying reindeer. I don't even need to begin on that."

"Uh, magic." Mikey said, as if it was obvious. Raph and Don rolled their eyes simultaneously. Mikey frowned. "Come on, Leo, back me up on this!" he pleaded to his silent brother.

"Oh no," Leo said playfully, turning his eyes once again from the city. "You guys aren't dragging me into this age old argument again."

"Whatever." Mikey said, kicking at the snow with his foot. "I believe, and no one can convince me otherwise."

Suddenly a sharp scream was carried up to their reptilian ears by the frigid, howling wind. Leonardo tensed and quickly turned his head back front. The other three snapped to attention, their earlier argument forgotten, and they rushed to the roof's edge with their leader, all trying to locate the citizen in trouble. Another scream echoed over the wind, this time more panicked, but this time they were able to attain a general location.

"Come on." Leo said softly. "Let's go!"


The four turtle brothers slowly and silently drug their cold and tired feet through the long tunnels of the sewer system. Leonardo lead the pack with his eyes downcast and arms held limply at his sides. Donatello and Raphael were not far behind, each silent, their eyes lowered. Michelangelo brought up the rear, his normally lively gait was sullen as he drug his feet over the chilled cement. There were no jokes, no arguments, no celebration.

Leo chanced a glance back to his youngest brother, concern filling his eyes. Mikey didn't notice his brother's worried stare as his eyes raked the floor, a few unshed tears brimming the edges of the light brown orbs. Leo began to slow his pace, allowing his other brothers to pass. He fell into stride with Mike, who didn't acknowledge his presence, and walked silently next to him. Finally, after the silence threatened to choke them all, Leo chanced words.

"Are you O.K. Mikey?" he asked softly, his voice echoing gently off the surrounding sewer walls.

Mikey raised his head slightly and looked at his eldest brother and sniffled softly. "No." was all he answered, then let his eyes fall back to the floor.

Leo became silent again, unsure of what to say next. He opted for walking next to his brother, trying his best to quietly extend support. A few more silent minutes passed.

"It's not fair!" Mikey suddenly voiced, turning and quickly punching his closed fist into a near by wall. The other three brothers froze and turned to look at the youngest. Mikey took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes, finally letting a few tears escape his eyes. "Why did she have to die?" he asked to no one in particular.

"Mikey," Leo said, letting one of his hands drift to his brother's shoulder. "We tried to get there in time. We were too late." He said, taking a deep breath, trying to forget the lifeless face of the young girl in the alley who they had failed to save. She couldn't have been more then twelve or thirteen years old. Leo swallowed back the lump forming in his throat. "We caught the bad guy. He's in jail. Unfortunately, we can't save everybody. But we tried." Leo's voice was soft and unconvincing as it trailed off. He watched Mikey carefully.

Mikey took a long shuddering breath. "But its Christmas!" he said, his voice shaking. "People are supposed to be happy, loving, caring. But the guy that killed her wasn't loving, and her family won't be happy. People aren't supposed to die on Christmas!" He closed his eyes and let a few more tears fall.

"I know," Don said, coming up next to Mikey and putting his hand on the back of his carapace. "It isn't fair. But there are still loving people in the world. Don't judge the spirit of Christmas on one bad event."

"How can I believe in the spirit of Christmas when there is so much pain and suffering?" Mikey asked bitterly, kicking a pebble at his feet.

"Mikey…" Leo started, hating to see his brother suffering.

"No, you guys were right." Mikey said flatly. "There is no Santa. There is no spirit of Christmas. Christmas is a crock." He began to walk faster and brushed past Leo and Don and ignored the hand of Raph as he moved past. The other three watched him go, their eyes full of sadness, but neither of them tried to catch up. By the time they reached home, Mikey was already within his room, the door tightly barring him from the rest of the world. The three remaining brothers dispersed, each making their way tiredly to their beds, hoping that tomorrow everything would be better.


When Raph woke up the next morning and entered the living room, he paused in shock as he glanced around the room. Mikey's stocking was missing from the mantle. All of the decorations that his youngest brother had worked happily to hang were now taken down, leaving nothing but lonely, empty nails and stretches of wire in their place. The Christmas tree that Leo and Don had brought home was bare, leaving nothing but empty branches. Raph bit his lower lip with concern and moved his way tentatively to the kitchen. He found Mikey sitting silently at the table, stirring his spoon through an untouched bowl of cereal with his eyes down cast and a frown upon his face. He glanced over to the trashcan and saw it brimming with the Christmas decorations that had once graced their lair.

"Mikey, what did you do?" Raph asked, sitting down lightly next to his brother, eyeing him with concern.

"I got rid of Christmas." Mikey answered simply, his voice soft.

"Why did you do that?" Raph continued. He had hoped that Mikey's sadness from last night would pass by now, but it was obvious that the blow last night had wounded Mikey deeply.

"Why do you care?" Mike asked scowling. "You hate Christmas anyway." He then stood and made his way out of the kitchen, leaving Raph sitting by himself, unable to think of anything to say.

As Mikey stomped through the lair, he passed Leo who was making his way to the living room. "Mike, Rudolf is on in a few. Aren't you going to watch it with us?"

"Whatever." Mikey said with anger. Leo watched as he made his way past and entered his room, letting his door slam tightly behind him. Leo frowned. As he continued his way into the living room he gasped at the bare walls and missing decorations.

"What happened here?" he asked, unable to tear his eyes away.

"Apparently Mikey decided to redecorate." Raph said, coming up next to his brother. "Or undecorated is more like it."

Leo's frown became deeper as concern for his youngest brother began to take over. The concern only deepened as Mikey remained in his room throughout the day. He ignored them when Leo made a round of hot chocolate, he yelled at Don who tried to coax him out with holiday music. Even Master Splinter was unable to get his youngest son to open his door.

By the beginning of the evening, Leo had seen enough. He turned and threw on his jacket without a word and silently headed for the door. Only Don was around to notice.

"Leo, where are you going?" he asked, walking quickly over to where Leo stood.

"I'm going to try and renew Mikey's faith in Christmas." Leo said determinedly. "I can't stand seeing him like this, Don, and I'm determined to fix it."

Don looked at Leo silently. "What do you plan on doing?" he asked.

"I don't know." Leo said honestly. "I'll know what to do when I find it."

Don once again stared at Leo. "I'm going to come with you." He said, reaching out for his coat. "I feel bad for what I said to Mikey the other night, and though I know that isn't why he's depressed, I'd give anything to have our happy, Santa loving brother back."

Leo let himself smile softly at Don's words and didn't protest. The two shrugged their jackets on over their shoulders and disappeared quickly and silently out the sewer door, unseen by the rest of the family.


Leo and Don walked across the rooftops triumphantly, a small package held within Don's freezing hands. They were quickly making their way back to home after spending hours wandering through the busy city streets for the cure to Mikey's depression. It had taken longer than either turtle had thought, but after braving the frigid cold and the large crowds of oblivious holiday shoppers, they felt they found the perfect gift for their heartbroken brother to help bring happiness back into the holiday.

Don shivered lightly and pulled his coat tighter around his body. He looked over to Leo and saw him quickly rubbing his hands over his arms in an effort to warm his cold blooded body. Don could feel the cool winter air creeping into his body. They had to get home soon and get warmed up. Being out for hours in the middle of winter didn't sit well for a cold blooded turtle.

Don silently picked up the pace and heard Leo's footsteps quicken as well in an effort to keep up. Don felt another shiver wrack his body and once again hugged his arms tightly against him. He was so caught up in the cold that he didn't notice Leo had stopped for a few seconds. He turned once he realized his oldest brother was no longer beside him and looked to his brother for answers. Leo stood still and silent, and motioned quickly with his hand for Don to come back. Don followed the gesture quickly, once again planting his feet next to Leo's side.

"What is going on?" he asked quietly, though he didn't know why he was whispering. Leo didn't answer right away. But when he did, it made Don shiver once again.

"We aren't alone."


Don made his way slowly and painfully across the snow covered rooftops, clutching his burden tightly to his body. He felt as though he was going to collapse, his body was overcome with weariness and cold and pain. Don coughed roughly, the spasms almost causing him to drop the limp body within his arms. He managed a glance down to his brother's still form. Leo was paler than he was before, his face now becoming tinged with blue. Don swallowed hard and realized sickly that he was probably not fairing much better.

How had the night gone so wrong? All he and Leo had wanted to do was find something perfect for Mikey to make him happy again. It was supposed to be a quick trip. But nothing in their lives was ever easy. The ambush had been quick and unexpected. The members of the foot had crept up on them silently and had caught them unawares, each caught up in the icy weather. Don's heart had sank as he reached for his bo and was met with empty air. Both of them had left their weapons at home, as two short forms caring a large stick and two sharp swords on their backs through crowded city streets would draw unwanted attention.

They had fought bravely, but their movements were slowed as the surrounding cold hindered their movements like heavy weights. Leo had gone down first, taking a blow that Don had been too slow and cold to block himself from. Luckily, once Don was down to just himself, there were only two foot left still standing. Either by luck or the grace of God, Don had been able to dispatch them, and with dread filling his heart he had made his way to Leo's still side. A nasty wound was found at his temple, bleeding heavily as all head wounds do. Don had check his vitals, finding a slow, but steady heartbeat. He could have died with relief. Quickly, without thinking, he had lifted Leo into his arms and had desperately started toward home, knowing that their only chance was to get themselves out of this cold and call for help.

Don's body was once again wracked with coughs, causing his body to collapse from under him, bringing him and Leo to the freezing, snow covered ground. Don weakly moved his hand to his mouth, wiping the saliva from his face, then desperately reached for Leo, pulling his brother's body close. If only they still had their jackets. Don and Leo had had to shed them on the rooftops to allow more agile movement, and in Don's freezing desperation to get home, he had forgotten them. Don tried to stand again, but his legs betrayed him, failing to respond to his command. His arms and legs felt like lead weights. His eyelids felt heavy, he couldn't remember ever being more tired. Don swallowed hard, realizing he would make it no farther. He slowly reached for the cell tucked carefully in his belt. He pushed the button and watched with dread as it failed to respond. He realized with a sickening feeling that the moisture from the snow had probably killed it. He reached for Leo's belt where he knew his brother's cell should be and was met with empty space. Leo must have lost his phone in the fight on the roof.

Don laughed morbidly at their bad luck, but the laughter was quickly cut off by deep coughing. Sometimes it was horrible knowing everything that he did. As the cold leaked deeper into his body, Don could narrate to himself everything that was happening to lead to his helplessness. Don slowly recovered from the horrible coughing fit, and desperately reached for his brother's body, pulling it close to him, trying to share warmth that he knew he didn't have. They were cold, they were alone, no one knew where they were or even that they had left. They had no phone, no coats, and no hope. Don reached into the pocket of his belt where he had stored the small gift he and Leo had found for Mikey. He pulled the small object out and rested it against his plastron, drawing comfort from the gift. As the cold began to envelope him further, Don found that he was no longer able to keep his eyes open. His last thought before darkness claimed him was that it would take a Christmas miracle to save them now.