Disclaimer::Sighs:: I still don't own any of them...Except for Jesse, Joe, and MJ.

Author's Note: Ok...keep in mind for me people, this was written like three or four years ago...so my writing might seem a little weird. This is also a Christmas story that I had posted on my website (but I had to remove it and another one which I'll be posting very soon to make room for some other things). So...I hope you enjoy it. It's a Raphael story by the way. Oh! Also! Since this was written about four years ago and it nothing to do with the Mikey/Gwen trilogy I've been working on. Just so you know. Enjoy!

"Deck the halls with greens and stuffing, fa la la la la hm hm hm hm."

"Mikey, that's not how the song goes!"

"So? It sounds better that way. Where was I? Oh yes! Light the tree and eat the pizza, fa la la la la…hmmmm…pizza. Eh. Jingle bells, Raphie smells…" Michelangelo and his brothers were busy decorating their home, which was really a lair in the New York City sewer system, for Christmas. It was Christmas Eve and they wanted to make sure everything was perfect for when Santa got there that night. For the most part they didn't believe in Santa anymore, except for Mikey. Something told them all he would never stop believing.

Raph groaned loudly and chucked the wad of Christmas lights across the lair in frustration. It never failed, every year he got stuck untangling the tangled up mess of lights. He hated it. He hated lights, he hated everyone's good mood, but most of all, he hated Christmas. Sad, isn't it? A child of no more than 15 hating Christmas? He didn't always hate it. When he and his brothers were younger, it was he that would drag everyone out of bed to go and see what Santa had brought them. He wasn't sure when that all changed, all he knew was that the holiday had lost its awe and wonder. It's magic that could cause even the low life scum to keep out of trouble for at least one night was gone. He no longer felt it. Instead, he felt a hollow and empty place in his heart. A soft of longing he couldn't explain.

"I hate Christmas lights!" he fumed. Mikey looked up from his task of stringing popcorn for the tree and stared at his brother with wide eyes.

"Whoa! Major turtle tantrum! You better watch your tempter bro, or else you'll get nuttin' for Christmas."

"Who cares!? Christmas is no fun anymore anyways! Why are we doing all of this anyways? We're just gonna take it down again in a week anyways!" Raph kicked the box of Christmas lights and nearly hi Mikey's pet cat Klunk. Donny, who had been working on setting up the Christmas tree, looked at his brother and shrugged.

"Because we do it every year?" he asked before turning his attention back to he tree.

"Cuz if we don't, Santa won't come! I hope he got my letter. I asked for a turbo powered SXL remote controlled speedboat and a PS2 and 'Jak and Daxter' and…"

"No! I mean there's gotta be something else besides getting gifts. Christmas has become way too commercial. I hate it. I hate Christmas. It's pointless."

Everyone, including Klunk it seemed, stopped what they were doing and stared at Raphael in disbelief. Mikey's mouth was hanging open like a fish and he wasn't too sure he had even heard his brother right.

"You…hate…Christmas?" Mikey questioned still in shock.

"Yeah! I hate it. It's stupid and pointless. It's for suckers who waste money on stupid gifts and it's pointless!!" Growled Raph as he tossed a snowflake Mikey had made to the small heater and watched as it smothered into nothing.

"Are you saying Master Splinter is a sucker for saving money to buy us small gifts?" Leo asked, more than slightly annoyed with his brother.

"Hey, if the shoe fits, Leo!"

"Hey, don't worry 'bout it Leon! Splinter doesn't buy the gifts anyways. Santa brings 'em! Remember?" Mikey had the innocence of a child, which made it hard for many people to find ways of saying 'No' to him on subjects he believed strongly in. Sometimes his child like innocence would cause his brothers to wonder if there was something seriously wrong with him or if he was just acting like that as some form of security. Leo looked from Mikey to Donny and then back at Raph before nodding.

"Yeah Mike. But sometimes Splinter gets us stuff too."

"Oh yeah. I forgot."

"That's another thing! This whole Santa thing is a load of crap! There is no such thing as Santa! You're 15 Mikey, get over it! He ain't real!" Raph looked at Mike hard with his cold eyes as he felt his anger start to build up again. Mike stared at Raph with a looked of disappointment and heartache playing on his face.

"Raph, knock it off. If Mikey wants to believe in Santa let him. There's nothing wrong with believing in something." Leo stated calmly, trying not to upset both Mikey and Raph.

"There's plenty wrong with it Leo! He's 15 years old! It's time he grew up!"

"You mean like you have? Raph, you're 15 too; it's time you showed some compassion towards other people! So just leave Mikey alone."

"God! You guys are hopeless! I'm outta 'ere!" With that, Raphael grabbed his coat and hat and stormed out of the lair. Mikey looked at his two remaining stunned brothers with pleading eyes.

"He…he was only joking right? He didn't mean it…did he? Everything he said, he didn't mean it?"

"Of course not Mikey. Why don't you and Klunk go get Santa's Christmas pizza out of the oven and get it ready to go?" Donny suggested, patting his favorite brother's shoulder. Mikey shrugged and his smile returned.

"All right! C'mon Klunk, sing it with me now! Jingle bells, Raphie smells, Leo laid an egg, the battle shell lost its wheel and Donny took ballet, HEY!"

Leonardo and Donatello both groaned and smacked their foreheads.

"Ya know, sometimes I hate that guy. Yeah…" Donny said, shaking his head before looking back to the Christmas tree.