Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait, but here's Chapter 11. This is Christmas-themed, and I don't care that it's just November; I'm posting a Christmas chapter! The turtles and their sister come home for Christmas, and two certain turtles deal with their own personal issues, all the while getting great gifts and celebrating before their training starts. Rate and review!
Chapter 11: Christmas Turtles
"Deck the halls with boughs of holly! Fa la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!"
"Mikey…" Raphael grunted.
"Tis the season to be jolly! Fa la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!"
"Miiiikeeeyy…"
"Don we now our gay apparel! Fa la, la, fa la, la, fa la, la!"
"MIKEY…"
"Troll the ancient Yuletide car-"
"MIKEY!" Raph finally roared. "Will you SHUT UP!? Your singing STINKS!"
Michelangelo just responded by pouting followed by sticking his tongue out at the currently-angry turtle. Letting out a dangerous growl, Raph proceeded to climb the bunk bed to get to his little brother and beat the snot out of him. Leonardo sat quietly on his bunk bed, which was formerly occupied by Cheyenne, and watched the two bicker. He had to admit Mikey's singing was off-key, but was that really worth beating him up over? His attention shifted when he heard Donatello sigh; apparently he was watching too.
"Is it normal for them to act like that?" Leo asked.
Donnie placed his hand on his forehead. "The time I've known them, they do this all the time." He suddenly smiled as he was overcome by a wave of nostalgia. "But…that's what siblings do. They fight…and that's normal."
"Donnie…are you okay?" The blue-eyed turtle asked. "You've been quiet ever since we left California… Are you still concerned over what Father said…about us staying with him to train?"
The taller turtle shrugged and wrapped his arms around his knees. "I…guess. I know it's something we need to do…but…it's just…I've never been separated from Chey for no more than a week. A month or more? I…I don't know if I'll be able to handle it…"
"Donatello…with all due respect…you need to be able to learn to adapt without her. I know you two are close…but she won't be there forever…and you can't keep depending on her."
"But…"
"Leo's right, Donnie."
The taller turtle whipped his head in the direction of the front seat to see Cheyenne glancing over her shoulder right at him while they were stopped at a red light. He could see it in her eyes that she wasn't looking forward to saying what she had to say…what needed to be said.
"I know…I've been dreading this for a long time…but you're close to being a grown man. Pretty soon…we won't get to be together all the time. We'll both be grown up and living our own lives…having families of our own. But even with that…that doesn't mean we'll stop being brother and sister. We're still gonna have a bond no matter how far apart we are…"
"…"
"But hey, let's not worry about that right now!" She insisted with a huge smile on her lips. "Right now, let's focus on celebrating Christmas and having some family time!"
Donatello swallowed hard and rubbed the tip of his tongue against the gap in his teeth; how was she staying so positive and upbeat when they were going to be separated? What if it wouldn't be for just a month or two? What if it would be for YEARS? He knew she was one day going to move out when she found someone to spend the rest of her life with…but he never looked forward to it, no matter the circumstances. He wanted her to be with him…but maybe he was getting a little too possessive. But he wanted to share the moment with her when he mastered Ninjitsu…when they found Splinter…when they defeated Oroku Saki…was that too much to ask for? But the smile on her face…that always brightened his day and he would never take that for granted.
"Yeah…let's make that family time worth it…" He muttered to himself.
"Dude, this road's really narrow!" Michelangelo gasped. "Are we almost there?"
"We are almost there, Mikey!" Cheyenne announced. "We'll just have to navigate this RV onto the gravel road…and it's a little steep and it can get PRETTY bumpy."
All the turtles except Donatello thought she was just exaggerating…until the tires of the RV finally hit upon the gravel rock, causing the large vehicle to bounce every few feet. Of course Donnie and Chey were used to this terrain, but the others were holding tight to the table and bunk beds to keep from being thrown onto the floor and into the back. And if the bumpy road wasn't enough, they also had to navigate sharp curves, which seemed to be no problem for the brunette. The curves caused the RV to sway a little and throw the boys off-balance, but they quickly got back on their feet. All except Donatello and Cheyenne went up to the windshield to look at the approaching house.
"Dude…this is where you live?" Mikey asked. "It looks…cozy."
"Of course it's cozy!" The brunette smiled. "Beats living in the city any day!"
"No offense…but will there be enough room for us?" Leonardo questioned. "I mean…including your parents…that'll make seven of us in a small house, and Christmas is still at least a week away…"
"You guys worry too much! Erika didn't just send us an RV and food…she also sent some air mattresses and such for you guys to sleep on! We've also got a couch and love seat if air mattresses are too uncomfortable, and she sent you guys some warm pajamas and winter clothes!" She parked the RV in the driveway and flashed a grin. "Think of it as a Christmas present from her."
Donatello scratched his head. "How does Erika have all that money to do this?"
"Never mind that, egghead!" Raphael argued. "I just wanna see what the place looks like on the inside!"
The turtles and Cheyenne exited the RV, relieved to be able to stretch their legs and arms and get some fresh air, albeit cold air. Donatello smelled the air and caught the scent of smoke; looked like Dad built a fire just recently. He could also see into one of the windows some activity in the kitchen. Well…they were home right around time for dinner, so hopefully Mom had enough for seven.
"All right guys!" Cheyenne clapped her hands together as she led them to the front door. "Welcome home!"
The turtles stood in anticipation as the brunette stuck her house key into the doorknob, twisted it a few times, and opened the door. It swung open…and the first thing that greeted them was the smell of something warm…with some spice, maybe pepper or chili powder. Donatello and Cheyenne knew what the smell was, and it was making their stomachs growl. They were instantly greeted by Shadow, who had been waiting at the window but came to the door to greet his favorite human.
"Mmm…Mom's made chili!" The brunette sighed. "You guys are gonna love it! It'll warm you up inside and out!"
"Welcome home, everybody!" An older female voice called.
Everyone turned and saw a blonde woman wearing a worn day-shirt and pajama pants along with flip-flops. Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo didn't know who this woman was, but Donatello and Cheyenne ran forward and hugged the woman…their mother.
"Do we have extra bowls set, Mom?" The brunette asked. "We've got three extra stomachs to fill!"
"As a matter of fact, yes!" Sandi smiled. "We've got the dining room table cleaned off just for them; it hasn't been used in years! Come on in boys, you must be starving!"
Michelangelo felt his stomach growl and grinned. "I could go for some hot food!"
Leonardo bowed his head and clasped his hands together. "Thank you for your hospitality, Okasan."
Raphael glanced to the side and nervously stared at Cheyenne. "Y-Yeah…thanks…"
Everyone rushed into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat…everyone that is, except Raphael. Cheyenne was the first to notice this right as she was about to grab her bowl, and her concerns rose when she heard the front door open and close quickly. She set her bowl back down on the counter and went to follow the rougher turtle to wherever he went to.
To her relief…he was simply sitting on the porch, even though the polished concrete was cold on his rear and thighs. Breathing out a sigh, she walked down the steps and took a seat next to him. He didn't even look at her; he just kept his green eyes staring into the distance at a field brimming with wild hay and weeds.
"I figured you'd be right behind Mikey in the kitchen." Cheyenne started. "You've got something on your mind, don't you? Come on…you can tell me all about it."
Raph hugged his knees to his chest and buried his face into his hoodie. He already liked this place…it was warm, the mom was nice, the food smelled good…so why was he so uncomfortable? Why was he so…scared? He wanted to keep it all bottled in and tell no one about it…like he always did. But with Chey…he just couldn't do it, and even if he tried, she wouldn't let him. He finally turned to her and breathed out a held breath, fog forming in front of his face.
"I just…don't get me wrong…I had a good life with my mom…but Chicago was always cold…unfeeling…something I had to get used to." He suddenly started rubbing his knuckles against his eyes. "Here…it's totally warm…in more ways than one…and you guys live out in a place where…you can be comfortable with being a freak."
"Raph…"
"And your mom…I know Donatello's been with ya all these years…but seeing three more mutants…she wasn't afraid…she didn't try to chase us away…s-she welcomed us with open arms…" He turned his eyes to her. "And then…there's you…"
"Me?"
"Y-You don't take crap from anybody…but at the same time, you'd give someone the shirt off your back if they needed it…even if they were a mutant…" A quiet sniffle erupted from him. "I…I wish I had a sister growing up…one that was just like you… W…W-Where've you been…all my life?"
Cheyenne stared at him with utter sadness in her eyes, and she didn't even flinch when Raphael leaned next to her and buried his face in her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him, keeping him warm from the cold, and whispered, "Sshh…Raphie, don't cry. That sister you've wanted all your life…you have her now…she's right here. You don't have to worry about being alone any longer…you'll never be alone." She paused and looked him in the eyes. "You have your brothers…Mom and Dad…and me too. So don't you ever think that you're alone in this world…don't you EVER think that."
Unbeknownst to the two…someone was watching them. Donatello stared at them from the door, his hand against the glass and a feeling of hurt written all over his face. Why did he feel hurt; he should be happy that Raph was opening up to their sister. He knew what it was…it was the attention she was giving Raph…and not him. He was jealous, even though it was uncalled for. But he was used to having Chey all to himself…but now he had to share her with three others. It wasn't a bad thing…but it still brought up a twinge of jealousy in his mind…
"Face it Raph: you can't dance!"
"Me? Look at you! What kind of move is THAT!? The system can't even recognize it!"
Leonardo and Donatello watched Raphael and Michelangelo as they were in Cheyenne's room playing Just Dance on her Wii. Ever since the rougher turtle talked with the brunette, he had been more outgoing with his brothers and even with the people he now considered mother and father. He smiled more, laughed more, and even felt comfortable putting Spike in his sister's room to keep him safe from the cats. Everyone was officially in a celebratory mood…except for Donnie. To everyone else, it was counting down the days to unwrap presents and eat good food…but to him, it was counting down the days until he had to be away from home…away from his parents and sister.
"Hey Donnie, you and Leo wanna play?" Mikey asked, holding up the controller.
Leo jumped from the bed, wanting to give this thing a try because he never played video games before…but Donatello stayed put. This immediately caught the attention of his brothers, and all he could do was fake a smile and wave his hand.
"Y-You guys go ahead…I'll play with Chey once she gets back from shopping."
"Donnie, what's wrong?" Leonardo asked. "Are you still upset about going away from home? We'll get to come back after we get done with training; you're worrying about it too much and I'm concerned."
The taller turtle's face suddenly contorted into anger. "You guys may not be bothered by it, but I am! What if we're not gone for a couple of months; what if it's actually YEARS!? Haven't you thought about how we'll never get to see our sister again!? Hasn't that possibility ever crossed your minds at all!?"
Raphael was the once to sigh. He set down his controller and slowly walked up to his brother. After staring at him for a quiet moment, he suddenly drew his fist back and smashed it directly into Donatello's face, causing him to fall on his shell onto the bed and clutch his face in pain. Leo and Mikey gasped and went to help their brother up until the rougher turtle stopped him.
"Raph, what the hell was that for!?" Donnie cried out. "Are you crazy!?"
"Raph…why'd you punch him?" The smaller turtle asked in shock.
Raphael turned to look at his stunned brothers. "Trust me…it's for his own good." He suddenly went over and, to everyone's surprise, helped his brother back into a sitting position. "Donnie…you have a tendency to over think stuff, and it's driving me nuts…but most of all, it's driving YOU nuts. It's driving ya so crazy that you can't even enjoy being at home!"
"B-But…" Donnie was about to argue before Raph stopped him.
"Ya think Big Sis would want to see you actin' like this? She'd be upset that yer worryin' about something that's NOT gonna happen. If we have to train for an extra month, so be it! That's just how it has to be, and we just gotta live with it." He paused and let out an exasperated sigh. "Donnie…I know. I'm gonna miss her too…we're ALL gonna miss her…but sitting around moping and worrying isn't going to change the fact that we have to train so we can fight Shredder and save Yoshi."
Everyone was surprised that it was Raph giving Donatello a lecture…RAPH of all people. Even though they hadn't known him for very long, it was expected that Leo would be the one to scold their brother…but Raph? Sure, most of the time he let his fists do the talking, but even he knew when it was necessary to speak his mind. Right now, Donnie needed to know that his behavior wasn't getting him anywhere and it wasn't making the situation any better…and he knew it deep down. Wiping at his face, he just stared at Raphael…who suddenly smiled and offered him the Wii controller.
"Come on Bro…have some fun."
The taller turtle hesitated for a second, still digesting the words his brother spoke to him. He was right…he had been worrying over nothing…and even if they had to be gone for an extended period…they would definitely be reunited with Chey. After all…she made it clear that she was going to help them find Yoshi no matter what. Finally, a smirk broke out onto his lips as he grabbed the controller from the rougher turtle and stood next to Leo, who was waiting for him.
"Thanks Raph…"
The clatter of dishes and silverware could be heard echoing through the kitchen and dining room of the house. At the kitchen table sat Cheyenne, their mother, and their father, while over at the dining room table sat Donatello, Raphael, Leonardo, and Michelangelo. The brunette was able to tell that Donnie had a much more positive attitude than he had for the first few days since they came home…but she didn't realize she had Raph to thank for that. She let out a laugh when she caught a glimpse of Mikey gnawing on a turkey leg and Leo staring at him in amusement. Raph meanwhile chewed on a roll and Donnie calmly stuffed a spoonful of peas and mashed potatoes into his mouth.
"I'm telling you guys, Santa DOES exist!" The freckled turtle argued.
"We're gonna have to have a LONG talk with you, Mikey." The rougher turtle sighed.
"So we're actually going to get presents tonight instead of Christmas morning?" The blue-eyed turtle asked the taller turtle.
"Yeah, that's what we've done the past few years, mostly because Mom and Sissy go over to our cousin's house for Christmas."
Cheyenne suddenly placed her plate in the sink and clapped her hands together, earning the turtles' attention. A huge smile was on her face as she suddenly held her arms up and declared, "All right boys, ready to open presents?"
Michelangelo was the first to stand up, food threatening to fall out of his full mouth as he shouted, "PRESENTS! Where are they, where are they!?"
"Come to the living room and we'll hand 'em out!"
The boys immediately got up from the table, remembering to take their dishes to the sink and clean their faces, and followed their sister and parents to the living room. Donatello and Leonardo took a seat on the couch next to their mother, while Raphael and Michelangelo sat on the love seat and their father occupied a rocking chair. The brunette had no problem standing up; after all, she was the one fetching the presents. They could hear a closet door opening and closing quickly along with the rustling of bags and tissue paper steadily getting louder. She finally came back into the living room holding up bags and boxes.
"All right boys, let's see what we've got for you! Okay…Leo, why don't you go first? We found you last, so it's only fair…"
Leonardo nodded and took a box from the brunette, which was wrapped in green and had a blue ribbon on it. His fingers gingerly started ripping the wrapping paper off, being careful not to damage the ribbon, and he let out a gasp at what was encased in the paper.
"Y-Y-You got me the entire Space Heroes DVD collection!?" He sputtered. "C-Collector's Edition!?" He suddenly let out a classic fanboy cry, which was unusual for him, as he leapt off the couch and hugged the brunette tightly. "THANK YOU SIS!"
Cheyenne smiled and patted Leo on the shoulder with her free hand. "Aww, don't mention it!" Her eyes went to the rougher turtle. "Okay Raph, your turn."
Raphael was handed a bag and carefully reached in to see what he got. When he pulled it out, his eyes widened when he realized there were two objects. The first was a Corps Cadaver art book for the first half of the comic series; how did she know he liked this comic? The second was…a sketchbook. There were even some pencils and erasers to go with it. Did she know that…
"I noticed you picked up one of my sketchbooks and doodled on a few of the pages." Cheyenne stated. "And you're really good…so I thought I'd give you something to let you express your talent."
"…Wow…thanks…" Raph breathed out before getting up and giving her a big hug.
The brunette handed a long box to Michelangelo, who took it with glee. He instantly started shredding the green and orange wrapping paper off before popping open the cardboard box underneath and squealing so loud it hurt everyone's ears.
"AAHH! A SKATEBOARD!" He cried out before wrapping Cheyenne up in a bear hug. "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!"
The brunette smiled sheepishly and petted him on the head. "I'm glad you love it." She grabbed the bag she had left and walked over to the couch. "And last but not least…this is for you, Donnie."
Donatello took the bag, which felt a little heavy, and curiously reached in to see what he received. It felt metallic…and plastic…among other things. He pulled out the object…and it was one that looked very familiar.
"T-This is…"
"It wasn't hard to figure out that you were building your own laptop." Cheyenne stated matter-of-factly. "Unbeknownst to you, I found it and took it to Erika…so we could put the finishing touches on it; Erika's closer to your tech level than I am. I tested it and it's fully functional AND we made a custom charger." She suddenly let out a laugh. "I know how you've been begging for once ever since I got one."
Donnie's hands started shaking, threatening to drop the laptop that was in his grasp. He managed to steady himself enough to set it down on the coffee table, get up off the couch, and hug his sister.
"Thanks…" He sniffled. "Hey…got you something special."
Donatello disappeared into his room and came back with a box wrapped in red and pink gift wrap. Confused, the brunette took it from him and slowly started to unwrap it, earning stares from all four turtles. Underneath the wrap was a white box, and she peeled away the tape holding it shut to see what was inside. She loudly gasped, throwing off the top and pulling out the object inside.
A beautiful red, white, and pink kimono.
"You know how you've always talked about going to Japan?" Donatello asked. "I told the guys about it, and they thought it was an awesome idea. I saved money for the past few years until I had enough to order that. I-I know it's not a plane ticket to Japan…but it's a start, right?"
He didn't have time to say any more words as Cheyenne rushed forward and hugged him, ushering the brothers to join in as full-blown siblings. Sandi gushed over the sight, pulling out her camera and taking a picture. Michelangelo was the first to break away, throwing his arms up in the air and shouting out, "This is the best Christmas EVER!"
"Well it's not over yet!" Cheyenne announced out-of-the-blue. "I have an extra little surprise for you!"
The turtles watched their sister disappear back into the hallway and come back just a minute later…something behind her back. She wouldn't reveal what it was, no matter how much they tried to look. A smile was fixed on her lips as she finally spoke, "Okay guys…kneel on the floor and close your eyes."
Confused, the boys did as they were told, sitting on their knees and placing their hands on top of them before squeezing their eyes shut. She pulled the objects out from behind her back and knelt first in front of Raphael.
"All right…now hold very still-Mikey, no peeking!"
Michelangelo quickly shut his eyes again. Raph could feel fabric touching the skin on his face and some type of knot touching the back of his head, and something falling onto his shoulders and shell. Cheyenne next moved to Leonardo, then Donatello, and finally Michelangelo. She finally stood straight up, grabbing a mirror from the table and stating, "Okay guys, you can open them now!"
The turtles opened their eyes…and looked right into the mirror to the change in their appearance. Each of them now sported headbands that showed their eyes…each in their favorite colors…the colors of their baby blankets. That's when they realized the fabric felt eerily familiar.
"I knew you wouldn't be able to keep your baby blankets forever…so I made them into something you could keep with you longer…and to show that you'll be full-fledged ninjas. Raph's was a little more worn, but I think it fits his personality, and I didn't have much to work with on Mikey's, so I made the tails on his shorter. What do you think?"
Michelangelo touched his and instantly grinned. "This is awesome! We're ninjas!"
"I have to admit…these look cool!" Raphael complimented. "Makes me look tougher."
"This was very nice of you to improvise with our baby blankets." Leonardo stated. "Thank you…"
"I agree with Leo…" Donatello nodded. "Thanks, Sissy…"
Cheyenne suddenly clapped her hands together, hugging the kimono to her body. "All right, so do the Ninja Turtles want dessert? The pumpkin pie should be ready just about now!"
The boys suddenly raised their hands. "AWESOME!"
