Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT, just Maya and her pets.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! This is a special story for the special season! Hope ya guys like it!
Maya was watching the guys set up a tree in the lair, head tilted in slight confusion. She didn't understand what they were doing or why they were putting up lights all over the lair and the tree. Looking up from where she was sitting when she heard a sound, she saw Master Splinter standing beside her. " Oh. Hello Master Splinter...can you tell me...what are the guys doing?" She asked while pointing a furry finger at the turtles who were trying to make sure the tree was straight.
Smiling down at his daughter, he sat down beside her and explained. " My sons are getting ready for Christmas. Miss O'Neil and Mr. Jones will be joining us this year seeing as you can't travel very far without needing a rest."
Tilting her head in the other direction and twitching her tail, she looked at her Sensei. " But...Master Splinter...just what is Christmas?" Maya blinked at the surprised look on his face and turned to see the guys looking at her in shock as well. She had meant to keep her voice low, but they still heard her. " Uh...did I ask something wrong?"
" Dude, how can you not know what Christmas is? It's like, the best holiday around!" Mikey said as he stood on a ladder while trying to put a star on the top of the tree. However, he was leaning to far out and the ladder wasn't stable. The outcome, was for the ladder to lean one way and him the other, and fall off. Klunk was on the floor right under the ladder and would have been crushed had not Blue suddenly jumped up and picked up the kitten by the scruff of his neck, pulling him out of the way. " OWW!! Ahh! Klunk! Where are you?!"
" Seriously Mikey, could you be any more of a klutz? You almost crushed your kitten!" Leo said as he pointed at Blue who still had the scruff of Klunk's neck in her mouth and walked away towards Maya.
' Thanks Blue...Are you all right Klunk? You're shaking like a leaf!' Maya asked the scared kitten as Blue gently put him down in her lap.
' You...you can talk to me? You can understand me?' Klunk asked as Maya picked him up and held him. As they talked, April and Casey walked into the lair, both carrying several bags and some presents. When Jack and Blue saw Casey, they both made threatening sounds and moved closer to Maya. Neither one had forgiven him for scaring Maya when she had first woken up and hated it when he got within five feet of Maya.
" Hey April, hey Casey. Here, let us help." Donny said as he and the others quick helped them, then whispered so that Maya couldn't hear them. " We have a little problem you two...Maya doesn't know what Christmas is..." The group looked over to see Maya holding a purring Klunk, Blue and Jack by her side while talking to Master Splinter who was trying to explain what Christmas was all about. All he got for his troubles was a now very confused Maya who's tail was now wagging back and forth, showing that she still didn't understand.
" The poor girl! How can she not know about Christmas?" April said as she put some of the presents under the tree.
" She was livin' on the streets April...and before that, she was under the Shredder's control...she would have been to busy just keepin' herself alive to think about stuff like that." Raph said while looking over at his girlfriend. So much had happened to her in her short life, it was unfair! She had lost her mother...that was something neither he nor his brothers could ever understand. " Wish there was something we could do for her..."
As April set the rest of the gifts under the tree, an idea came to her. " I think I have just the thing guys! This is her first Christmas, so we have to make it special for her...Raph, do you think you can keep her in your room for the rest of the night? Here's what I have planned..."
Christmas Morning, 12:00am
Raph opened one eye, then the other. Looking at Maya who was cuddled against his plastron, he made sure that she was asleep before carefully climbing out of the hammock and moving towards the door. Opening it, he looked outside to see if the others were ready. After getting the signal from Leo, he moved back to the hammock and gently shook Maya's shoulder. " Maya? Come on Maya, wake up! You gotta see this!"
Making a little sound, Maya opened her eyes, then yawned and stretched. " What is it Raph? Is something wrong?"
He smiled at her while she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and shook his head. " No, nothing's wrong, but you have to see this!" Helping Maya from the hammock, he held her hand and motioned for her to be quite while pointing out the still opened door. " Look..." Both of them peeked out the door to see non other than...
Santa taking presents out of a sack and placing them under the tree.
Maya's eyes went wide as she continued to look out the door, her mouth opened slightly. " Raph...is...is that...Santa?" She asked while gripping his arm. Master Splinter had explained that a man called Santa came by once a year to give them gifts. It was a time for them to spend the day together with family and friends while just relaxing and knowing just how lucky they were to have each other. A smile spread over her face as she continued to watch Santa place the last of the gifts under the tree. " He is real!"
Laughing quietly at the look on Maya's face, Raph wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. " Yep...he's real alright!" Truthfully, it was Casey dressed up as Santa, but since he was too far away for Maya to catch his scent, everything was going according to plan. " Come on, we should get back to bed. You can tell the others that you saw him later on when they aren't sleeping...See? Even Santa has to go now." They both waited until 'Santa' was out of sight before moving away from the door, Raph giving the signal that the plan had worked. Closing the door behind him, he climbed back into the hammock and held Maya as she purred, falling asleep in each others arms.
Christmas Morning, 7:30am
Everyone was gathered around the tree, giving each other knowing smiles as Maya told Master Splinter that she had seen Santa. " You were right Sensei! He is real! Raph and I saw him putting presents under the tree!" She said with a wide smile on her face.
Master Splinter smiled at Maya. April was right; Maya was acting very much like a little kid, which was something that she had missed out being. Just seeing her smiling and being so happy for seeing something so simple made the old rat even more glad that she had come into their life. " I'm glad that you're so happy my child. Now, I believe you have some gifts under the tree for you." Handing a gift to her, everyone smiled and chuckled while watching her tear open the gift.
It took half and hour to get through all the gifts, but they were all glad that they had made Maya's first Christmas so special for her. She had gotten a book on relaxation from Leo, some comic books from Mikey, a picture of all of them from Master Splinter and a mixed CD from Donny. April and Casey had given her some new cloths and chocolate which she had a small sweet tooth for. It was Raph that gave her the best gift.
Opening the box, Maya's eyes went wide and the smiled even wider as she lifted the necklace. " Oh Raph, it's beautiful! Thank you!" It was a simple golden chain with a small heart shaped locket. When she opened it, it showed both her and Raph resting on the couch in each others arms. She let Raph take the necklace from her and put it around her neck before turning to him and planting a kiss on his lips. " Thank you Raph." She then turned to everyone else and smiled with them. " Merry Christmas everyone!"
Needless to say, Maya's first Christmas was one they would never forget.
There ya have it! Maya's very first Christmas...let me know what ya think of it! Late everyone, hope your Christmas was great!
A mistake has bee fixed! If you guys see anymore, let me know ASAP!
Remember: Reading + Reviewing equals one happy Deadly Fangs!