Here's the other Christmas story I promised! I took me a while to write, but I like it, and my muse is satisfied. Now I can maybe get some sleep...
Anyways, I changed some Christmas songs around, so hope you like!
Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT characters, nor do I own the original songs that I changed in this story.
TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT
T'was the night before Christmas
And all through the lair,
Not a creature was stirring,
Not even a-
Mikey stopped the poem in his head as he heard the soft sound of someone going by his door. It was too light to be Raph, and the absence of shuffling meant that it wasn't Don. And Master Splinter never came up to the second story unless it was an emergency, so that left only one other person in their household.
Being as quite as he possibly could, he got out of bed and tiptoed over to his door. Trying to be silent, he cautiously cracked it open and glanced out into the hallway. There was no sign of Leo, so he opened the door all the way and carefully stepped out into the hall. Glancing to his left, he saw that his eldest brother's door was open a crack, but it was dark inside. Stealing another glance down the hall, he stealthily made his way to Leo's room and chanced a look in; it was empty, the covers on the bed strewn about. On the floor were pieces of wrapping paper, a pair of scissors, and scotch tape. But the small pieces of tape everywhere and scraps of left over paper were scattered around. It was the messiest Mikey had ever seen his brother's room, and he quickly ducked back out, not wanting to intrude. If Leo was wrapping presents, then he had no business being here.
Turning around, he walked back to his own room, head down as he made sure that he didn't trip in front of his other brother's doors. Even though Raph was a heavy sleeper, and Don's room held many objects that made odd noises, either of them were opt to hear when something was out of place.
Mikey was so caught up in making sure that he was silent, that he wasn't paying attention, so it came as a surprise when the top of his head slammed into something hard. Stifling a cry and rubbing the sore spot, he looked into the eyes of his eldest brother.
Mikey smiled innocently as Leo stood there, looking expectantly at him.
Come on… Think of something!!!!
"Hey, Leo! Fancy seeing you here!" Mikey said, grinning
His elder brother raised an eye ridge while Mikey kept smiling like an… well, like an idiot.
"What're you doing, Mikey?" Leo finally sighed.
"Um… just… going to the bathroom!" Mikey cried, quickly thinking of an excuse.
"Mikey, the bathroom is the other way…" Leo said, eyes narrowing.
Curses!
Mikey smiled sheepishly at his brother, who continued to look at him, suspicious.
"Just… go back to bed, Michelangelo," Leo sighed after a while. He moved over so that Mikey could get by him. Mikey smiled at Leo and quickly walked the short way to his room. He reached his door and stopped, looking over his shoulder at his brother. Leo was standing there, watching his every move, arms crossed in front of his chest. Mikey smiled once more, and then entered his room quickly, quietly shutting the door behind him.
He waited until he heard Leo go into his own room, and then the door closed. Then waited a few more minutes longer before he got up from his bed and opened his door eve-so-quietly, peeking his head out into the hall.
"Michelangelo…"
Mikey quickly retreated into his room and shut the door with a soft click. He hurried back to bed and shot under the covers.
T'was the night before Christmas
And all through the Lair,
As each turtle slept soundly,
Leonardo stealthy set up a snare
Maybe Mikey would try to actually get some sleep tonight…
TMNT
Don chuckled as he heard Mikey hurry back into bed. It was just like Mikey to sneak downstairs and look at the gifts under the tree before morning. He tried every year, even when Leo was away in the jungle. Master Splinter had caught him one year and made Mikey wait the entire before he could open his presents; "too get the true meaning of the holiday" he had said. By three o'clock that afternoon, Master Splinter had given in; Mikey looked so pathetic, even Master Splinter didn't have the heart to carry on the punishment any longer.
The brainy turtle yawned. He had to admit; he was excited about tomorrow as well. He hated to admit it, but he got just as wired up for Christmas as well. He loved opening up presents, though that wasn't the thing he like about the holidays. He liked spending time with his family without having to talk about anything ninja, or do anything that they normally did. It was a time where he didn't have to think about being a mutant turtle; he could just be a kid.
Don shivered slightly and pulled the blanket around him up more, so that his head was practically buried in it. It got colder at night in the sewers, especially at night. That's why, a few years ago, Don had installed heaters in each of their rooms; being cold-blooded had its disadvantages. He had installed one in almost each room, except the kitchen. When they were cooking, it tended to get a little hot. And even though Don and his brother's didn't mind, Master Splinter did have a bit of a problem, especially with all that fur.
His brother's didn't like the sound that the heaters made, so Don had made them quieter. But he left his the way it was; it didn't bother him, as his room was filled with other machines that made noise. In fact, if he didn't have the sound of the heater going in the winter, then he doubted he would be able to sleep. He smiled as he listened to the machines around him.
Ding, ding, dizt
Ding, ding, dizt
Ding, ding, ding, ding, balump
Spitz, spitz, spitz, spa-zit, spitz, spitz,
Ding, ding, dizt, spitz, balump
Don smiled. Just a few more hours left…
TMNT
Raph yawned. He couldn't sleep. He didn't know why. He could usually sleep through anything; even Mikey snoring on the couch right next to his ear. But ever since he had heard Leo quietly pass by his door a few hours ago, he hadn't been able to get back to sleep. So, there he lay, swinging slightly in the hammock that he used for a bed.
He thought about everything that had happened this past year. Everything from Mikey falling down that ladder and spraining his ankle, to him becoming the Nightwatcher, Leo coming back from his training period, and all the way up to a few days ago when Don had accidently set his lab on fire while trying to perform an experiment. Raph smiled at the thought.
Christmas had always been his favorite holiday. It was the time where he liked to reminisce. And it was the one time of year where he and Leo actually got a long. Of course, ever since the Winter's Incident, Raph had to admit, him and Leo had been getting along quite well. But ever since they had dragged the Christmas decorations out, they had been even better. They were even joking around, and Leo wasn't so hard on him when he went out with Casey. So long as Raph promised to call after a few hours, and as long as Leo promised not to go after him unless Raph needed him, then everything was okay.
And this Christmas, Raph was happy that his older brother was home. For the past two years, it just didn't feel the same without him. Leo was always the one Raph liked to get a present for, because seeing Leo's face as he received something from Raph, usually hand-made, was a gift in itself. Just the way that he would smile and gently run his hand over the gift, or the way that one year- the year before he left for training- tears had filled his eyes, ever so briefly. Raph smiled warmly as he remembered. That was the best year in his opinion.
This year will be better, Raph thought about the gift he was giving his elder brother. He had searched high and low for the gift, and he had finally found it in a small, shack-like store downtown. With a little help from Casey, Raph was able to get it, and he was anxiously awaiting the morning, when he could see Leo's face as he opened the present.
Raph was quiet for a few minutes as he listened to the sounds in the sewer. There was nothing coming from Leo's room.
Big surprise.
The soft hum and small mutterings from Don's room were normal. It had taken his younger brother a while to go to sleep, but about an hour ago he had finally slipped away into dreamland. Mikey, on the other hand…
If he doesn't go to sleep soon, there's no way he's going to last the day…
Raph could here his youngest brother tossing and turning in his bed, muttering tiny, unharmful curses at their eldest brother. Every time he tried to sneak downstairs, Leo would call him out, making the orange-banded turtle shut himself in his room once more.
Which brought him back to Leo. He was silent, which would make one assume that the eldest turtle was sleeping, but the constant quiet yelling at Mikey would prove otherwise.
Raph sighed. I guess… in a way, Leo is a lot like Santa… he thought, remembering the old, jolly man with a white beard and a funny laugh that the four of them believed when they were little.
He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake,
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good to Leo, or you're presents he will take!
Yeah, that pretty much summed it up…
TMNT
Leonardo smiled as he heard Mikey hurry back to bed after yelling at him for the thirtieth attempt to sneak downstairs that night. He knew as soon as he had passed his youngest brother's room to put his gifts beneath the tree for morning that Michelangelo was not asleep. And he knew, that when he returned upstairs, that he would be sulking around on the second floor.
So it came as no surprise when he saw Mikey tip-toeing downstairs when he came back up the steps. After sending him to bed, and making sure that his other brothers were still in their rooms, if not awake, he retired to his own room, where he continued to meditate upon a mat on the floor. There were no candles lit, nor was there any incensed burning. He simply sat there, letting his mind wander, and making sure that Mikey stayed where he should be.
Leo was glad to be back for the holidays, but there was still something missing. He was happy that he was with his family again, and that him and Raph were getting along better than ever, but something was still absent from his life. What it was, he didn't know; he could just feel it in his heart.
"Mikey…" Leo warned as he heard his brother's door open again.
It quickly closed with a soft click and then he heard Mikey's quick footsteps back into his bed. Leo smiled. Attempt number thirty-one. And it was already four in the morning.
Leo loved Christmas; it wasn't his favorite holiday, but it was close up there. Not fighting with Raph, singing carols, watching movies… just being with his family. It was one of the few times that he could let loose; no leader responsibilities, no practicing, no getting up four hours earlier than everyone else for private practices. He could just be a regular teenager.
And Leo couldn't wait to give his family the presents he had gotten for them. He had stumbled upon them accidently, except for Raph's. He had searched for ages trying to find the perfect gift for his immediate younger brother, and he was anxious to give it to him. He had finally found it in a small shop downtown, and he couldn't wait to see Raph's face as he opened it.
Having Christmas in the jungle for two years was pretty lonely. He had tried to make it special, but the fact was, he just couldn't. He hadn't even known when Christmas was, as he had lost count of the days a while before hand. The only reason he knew was because the village he watched over had started putting up decorations. And the second Christmas, Leo had to admit, he had hardly cared. He was just so busy, and when the decorations went up, he turned a blind eye. He didn't have time for a break.
But this year, surrounded by people he loved, he couldn't help but be in the spirit.
Leo relaxed fully as he heard soft, real snores come from Mikey's room. The youngest turtle was finally asleep. And Don has fallen asleep hours ago, and Raph had conked out about forty-five minutes earlier. And Master Splinter was quiet, so that meant that he could finally get some sleep.
He picked himself up from the floor and made his way over to his bed, where he slipped under the thin sheet and put his head on his pillow.
Silent night,
Holy night,
All is calm,
Don't start a fight
Don't tell them about
The trap set above their height.
Leo smiled widely. Setting that little trap that told him if any one of his brothers opened their doors, it immediately let him know.
But who was he to tell them that?
TMNT
Master Splinter took a long breath in, letting the air fill his lungs before letting it out slowly. Now that all of his sons were asleep, he himself could get some sleep too. He slowly got up from the spot on the floor of his own room and put out the single candle that he had burning. He smiled as he made his way over to his own bed in the corner.
It was nice to have his family back together again. And even better was that Leonardo and Raphael were getting along splendidly. And his family was whole again. That's all that mattered.
As he walked to his bed, he thought about his boys. They had all come a long way since the Winter's Incident, and he was confident that the four of them would fine when he was gone. Leonardo was a strong Leader, and Raphael was already becoming his Second-In-Command. Donatello was wise beyond his years, and Michelangelo could keep them looking on the bright side of things.
Yes, they were going to be fine. But for now, it was time to let them be the teenagers they were. Master Splinter smiled to himself as he snuggled into his bed.
They say Shredder got defeated by some ninjas
Walking home from Foot Headquarters, Christmas Eve
You can say there's no such thing mutants,
But as for me and my boys, we believe
Master Splinter still had a smile on his face as he drifted into sleep.
TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT
Okay, so this story is very long, and so I'm going to split it up and post chapters.
But let's look at this chapter, shall we? I wanted Splinter's song to be something that you wouldn't think, and fun, so I chose "Grandma got run over my a reindeer". And in case you didn't understand Don's, it's supposed to be "Jingle Bells." Mikey's wasn't a song, but it's kinda what got this idea rolling. And Raph's was pretty obvious, as was Leo's.