I LOVE TURTLES TOTS!... just sayin'…I work with three year olds and it's a WONDER what they are able to say… it's like I'm talking to teenagers sometimes. LOL one of them even corrected me today on song lyrics… ;p
December 5th: Christmas Tree
Title: Tree of Trash
Summary: Splinter and CO. decorate the tree
Genre: Family/Humor
Character: Splinter, Tot!Turtles
Dis: I don't own TMNT
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Hamato Yoshi, now known as Splinter, sat upon a ragged red rug in what was his current home. When people thought of the sewers they thought of rancid smells, trash, and sewage. Not to mention rats, for he used to be one of those people, but was now one of the many rats that frequented the systems. He thought of the sewer as home. For three years he's been living underground and he managed to turn what used to be an uninhabitable section of the Manhattan sewer system into a welcoming atmosphere for him and his newfound family: four tiny turtles that have transformed into something more.
"Quit pushing, Raph!" said Leonardo, donning a blue bandana that covered half his head. The bandanas had been found one night and when Splinter decided that he would train then in the art of ninjitsu, the bandanas had been a gift. A promise, that he would do his best to train them to be not only the best ninja that they could be, but the best PERSON as well.
"I'm not pushing, Leo!" growled Raphael, wearing the red bandana that marked the raging temper he had since the beginning. Splinter worried: because yes his son was strong willed, but at times that could be a weakness.
"Raph, you ARE pushing," corrected the turtle in purple. Donatello. He had opted for the purple to indicate the power of his young ones mind. Only three, Donatello was brilliant and has developmentally surpassed his brothers and has the mental capacity of at least a ten year old.
"Shut up, DON!" yelled Raphael.
"Master Splinter, Raph told me to shut up! OW!"
"STOP IT!" ordered Leonardo, already acting in the role of leader Splinter knew he would one day take.
"QUIT!"
"I'm hungry…" said the youngest son, Michelangelo, who wore the orange bandana for his spirit. Michelangelo was a free spirit, his personality as bright as the sun, and loved easily: but was also easily hurt if he felt like someone was disappointed him. Not part of the tussle he watched with his wide blue eyes, until Raphael made a fist and smacked him upside the head. "OW! RAPH!"
"MY SONS!" said Splinter sternly, having enough of the debacle before him.
Four young, three year-old turtles straightened in a kneeling position, hands extracting from a brother's bandana tails or stomach to rest peacefully in their laps. His ear twitched in slight irritation as Raphael got one more elbow jab in Leonardo's side before mimicking his brothers' stature. Sighing as well as mentally counting to ten for patience, Splinter opened the bag that he had set beside him and four sets of curious eyes were on him as he pulled out a plastic evergreen tree. It was missing some branches and the top was bent but it was the best he could come up with. Setting it on the ground it tilted slightly to the right and the four sets of eyes were alternating between looking at him and the fake tree.
"It's a tree…" said Raphael, clearly not impressed.
"A plastic one," said Donatello observantly.
"What's it for?" asked Michelangelo, ever curious.
"My sons," said Splinter. "The holiday of Christmas is upon us. It is tradition for a family to decorate the tree to get into the Christmas spirit."
"Sensei, what will we use?" asked Leonardo.
"Trash," said Splinter.
"TRASH?!" asked all four.
"Well, this tree was once trash, and numerous items in our home used to be trash. We much look past the outside exterior of not only objects, but others, to see the true potential of-"
"NEAT! LOOK AT THAT!"
Splinter sighed as first Michelangelo, then the others, jumped to the bag and started digging inside. Perhaps the lesson he wanted to teach would have to wait until next year. For now, he watched, as they took turns (for the most part) putting things on the tree. Splinter had to remind Raphael that pushing and shoving would result in a time-out and he also had to tell Michelangelo a few time to share the decorations in the bag. Leonardo did well for the most part and he had to remind Donatello that the tree did not have to be perfect, and to stop straightening his fellow brother's ornaments after they put them on the tree. When it was all said and done, the crooked tree looked… Well, not that much better than before, but the project was something his newfound family did and he knew he'd forever remember this moment.
"It looks…" Donatello broke off, studying it as an ornament placed on the bottom of the tree fell off and rolled to the side. "It looks…"
"TOTALLY COOL!" cheered Michelangelo. "Can we plug it in?"
"Of course."
Splinter carried the small tree, careful to not let any more of the decorations fall to the floor. The consisted of semi-used ornaments, a couple red socks with holes in it, tattered garland, and what he was certain used to be fishing net. Finishing it off was a set of clear lights that had some bulbs missing but still worked. It had taken him some time to find all the items while his sons slept at night but seeing all their eyes light up when he finally plugged it in was worth all the hassle.
Sitting on the floor, Leonardo and Donatello immediately took spots on his lap and Raphael stood at his right side, hugging his arm and resting his head on Splinter's shoulder. Sitting in front of the group on his stomach with his feet kicking and his head propped up on his arms, was Michelangelo, who seemed to be mesmerized by the lights.
"It's pretty," said Donatello.
"Yes," said Splinter. "It is a job well done my sons."
"So…" Michelangelo looked back over his shoulder. "What IS Christmas?"
"Yeah, can you tell us?" asked Leonardo.
"Ok," said Splinter. "Let's start from the beginning…"
Two minutes later, Splinter looked on in amusement at Michelangelo sprawled on the floor, sound asleep. Leonardo and Donatello were still on his lap, asleep as well; their heads nestled against his chest. Raphael was the only one awake, his wide green eyes staring into his. Splinter could see he was struggling to stay awake. Raphael was always the one that fought bedtime the hardest.
"Master Splinter?"
"Yes?"
"We have a tree…"
"Yes, we do."
"Do we get presents, too?"
"Perhaps," answered Splinter with an amused twitch of his whiskers.
"Really?" asked Raphael, green eyes lighting up brighter than a jade stone.
"Really."
A pause, then, "Do we get to eat something other than worms and algae?"
"I…" Splinter was taken aback. "Perhaps…"
"GOOD!"
And just like that, the fourth turtle finally succumbed to sleep, leaning against Splinter's side, his snoring muffled against Splinter's shoulder.
"Merry Christmas my sons," he murmured softly before his own eyes were captured by the lights, as well as the memories they possessed of his past.
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END! Until tomorrow… I'm not feeling well so cross your fingers I'm able
