A/N Thank you guest reviewer for the question. I knew there was still some confusion on that.*Her name is Koda, but when I first started the story my computer would keep automatically changing it to Coda and I didn't want to fight with it. I finally corrected that and I just haven't had the motivation to go back and fix all those chapters. It was stated in an author's note a while back, but mine are long and boring so I can see why it would be skipped over. XD
Chapter 37
We all sat in a circle around the tree, Leo sat in a chair that Raph had pulled over. My brothers watched us intently, but they didn't seem so nervous as before.
"So who gets their present first?" April asked cheerily as she glanced around at us, addressing us all for a vote. Of course most of us already had this planned out, Splinter should get his present first, as Raph's present to him was the most impressive and thoughtful in all honesty. It showed Raph had a good heart somewhere, buried deep under his thick layer of anger and sarcasm, and damn thick head of his.
"Splinter." The turtles, Karai and I all chorused, all turning towards him. Splinter wore a bright smile as he looked around at us, his gaze turning to Raph as the red clad turtle stood.
"Yes, Sensei, you should go first. I was your secret Santa and your gift is downstairs." Raph said proudly, starting to head towards the cellar door, he stopped by Leo. "Now if you'd all follow me..." He stated gesturing to us all. He looked down at his older brother with a smug grin as everyone stood, the older terrapin giving his younger brother an odd look. "Leo and Koda helped me with this, so they get credit too." Raph said, quickly scooping up Leo before he could protest. We all chuckled as Raph lead us towards the basement with an embarrassed Leo in his arms. We all made it down the stairs in almost complete darkness, once we all were at the bottom floor, Raph flicked on the lights setting Leo down on his good leg. All gazes were on Splinter, whose eyes went wide as if fireworks just went off in front of him. He stood there taking in every detail, before he strode over to the wall and traced his fingers along the paintings.
He turned sharply to Raph, Leo and I, still with a shocked expression. "Raphael, you did this?" He asked with his lips curling into a smile, Splinter seemed over joyed and most of all surprised at the gift he had just received.
"Hai, Sensei. Leo and Koda helped a lot." Raph chirped, hooking his arms around our shoulders and tugging us closer to him.
"Raphael, this is beautiful. All three of you have done an impressive job." Splinter complimented and continued to look the place up and down. He came over to us suddenly and wrapped all three of us in a hug. "Thank you my sons and Koda." Splinter spoke with pride, Raph and Leo smiled, hugging their father back, but my arms wouldn't follow suit. I almost wanted to step back, Splinter was their father, not mine and I felt guilty being thanked for a gift I helped make for him. I didn't even know where my own father was on Christmas, and I just for some reason felt it was wrong for me to be giving so much attention to Splinter, who at this point really had become a second father, but he wasnt. I didn't have gifts for any of my own family because I didn't even know where most of them were.
Once Splinter's arms loosened I tentatively separated myself from the three of them as I stared at the ground. I almost felt ashamed that I gave so much care to someone who was not my own family, I know I shouldn't feel this way, if anything thankful but I could not help the ache in my heart. None of them seemed to notice my distance I made between us as we head up the stairs.
Back in the living room, we continued our secret Santa. Splinter conveniently had Mikey, who had me, and then I had Leo. Splinter had gave Mikey a new pair of nunchaku, his were no longer in the best of shape, especially after our battle with Shredder, they were just like his other ones but these were shiny. Mikey of course attempted to put them to use immediately by performing a few simple katas with them in the living room around us. Once he had gotten a glare from Splinter and a few glares from us he set the new weapons in his belt and plopped back down on the floor.
Mikey sat tall. "Koda, you already know my gift to you, with some calculations, Don says we got enough wood to last the rest of the Winter." He beamed. It was relieving to know all that wood was cut and that was one thing off my shoulders. I returned a grin to him in thanks. I wouldn't have to do it myself, there was Mikey's and well everyone's other gift to me which was my two brothers, that was left unmentioned though, not wanting to stir up emotions.
"Thank you Mikey, that is much appreciated." I thanked joyfully. I looked over to Leo who turned to me with his usual smile. I got kind of nervous, what if he didn't like it? I knew Leo wouldn't reject it and would hide whatever he thought, but what if he thought it was stupid or weird? Ah why did it matter anyway, not everyone likes what they get, I was proud of my present to him. I spoke up after that small hesitating second. "Welp, I was Leo's secret Santa." I announced with confidence, hiding what I thought on the inside. I was right next to the tree so reached under and grabbed the blue wrapped bundle and handed it off to Raph who passed it to Leo, who took it with a curious look.
Leo unwrapped it gently in silence, which made the moment for me even more nerve wracking and suspenseful. Once he had enough wrapping paper off it to see what it was, his face grew a big genuine smile, my stress melted away, when Leo smiles like that he likes something. He traced his hand over the Hamato symbol sewn into it on the back, which I folded so it was displayed on top. Leo looked over to me then picked the kimono up, holding out in front of him and looked it up and down.
"Koda, I love it. Thank you." Leo said with sincerity, I smiled brightly, Leo then chuckled briefly as he set it on his lap. "Heh, now I won't feel naked anymore." He commented playfully which got laughs from every one. I felt better knowing Leo really did like it.
"I want one!" Mikey chimed, diving over between Raph and I from across the room. "Can you make me one? An orange one?" He pleaded.
"Yes Mikey, I would love to." I said laying an arm over his shoulder as we watched over everyone else.
We spent the next half hour with our exchanging gifts, to sum it all up; Leo drew Kirby a cool picture of the farmhouse, Kirby got Karai a cool black T-shirt with a blue dragon going around it, Karai made a cool necklace for April, and April gave Raph a bunch of stress balls as joke of course with a big bag of candy. And the two knuckle heads, Donnie and Casey threw each other's gifts at each other. Casey had gotten Donnie a new tool box, and Donnie made these... Casey's words not mine, "wicked" skates, that actually hovered so Casey could move at just under 30 miles per hour on almost any surface.
Of course these hov-skates were tested immediately as the hockey player ran outdoors with Raph to try them out. We all sort of chatted for a few seconds, then we were all startled at a loud bang on the front window, we all turned heads. Finding Casey had flown into the front window like a bird, he smashed his face against it and surprisingly enough his strong head didn't break through the glass. We watched amused as Raph peeled the incompetent teen off the window from the outside and spit shined the window where Casey had slammed into it. We all laughed and talked for a while, also watching Casey repeatedly fly into the tree outside.
Everyone broke up to get ready for the day, I was left with my two brothers and Leo in the room. I had gotten up a few moments before everyone left to sit with my brothers, who seemed a bit more accepting now. It was quiet until Leo spoke up snapping me out my trance on the lit tree.
"Koda, I really do like this you know. It's pretty cool." He smiled holding the kimono.
"Thank you, Leo." I replied calmly, though on the inside it made me feel pretty proud.
He seemed to hesitate for a moment. "I would have put it on earlier, but I-uh... need some help." Leo spoke shyly, making a faint gesture to his leg. I wasn't entirely sure if that was him asking me to help him, so I stayed quiet without an answer. After a moment of silence, I was about to ask if he wanted me to help him, but he beat me to it. "Do you mind helping me? I want to wear it." He stated. I smiled and gave a nod.
"Sure thing, prideyMcpridepants." I chuckled as I made my to Leo and gave him a hand in standing up.
"Yeah, yeah... you *cough* redneck." Leo whispered as he got to his full height.
I cocked my head and gave a joking glare. "What?" I questioned playfully.
Leo gradually looked the other way. "Oh no, nothing, it's a cough I get when I'm around you, it calls you a redneck." He snickered, saying the 'redneck' with a false accent. I shook my head and laughed, Leo's attempts at funny jokes sometimes were actually funny.
"Okay pal, better have that looked at." I chuckled.
"Don't worry, Don knows all about, he's got it too." Leo said laying a hand on my shoulder to maintain his balance as I held out the kimono and he slipped an arm through.
"I don't suppose y'all got it?" I spoke letting my light accent emphasize itself to follow the joke while Leo switched hands and I maneuvered the kimono around him.
"Oh yes, I fear humans can catch it-" He laughed but hissed as he slipped his left arm halfway through the sleeve, the aura in the conversation quickly turned serious. Leo took his hand from my shoulder to clutch the left side of his torso with a grunt and he squeezed his eyes shut with a grimace. I quickly stood next to him to give him something to lean on.
"Leo you alright?" I asked concernedly, pulling the kimono the rest of the way so it wouldn't hit the floor. I didn't like when Leo was pained, especially if he showed it, then you knew he had an issue.
Leo took a deep shaky breathe looking back at me. "Yeah I'm okay, just ya'know, a-a hole blasted in my shell that hasn't healed yet." He said with a nervous chuckle, which turned into another grunt as he tensed up, pulling his shoulders in and hunching over a bit, completely letting all his weight go to me. I wrapped my arm over his carapace to help him.
"Do I need to call Donnie?" I asked getting my T-phone out knowing Don was in the barn, I was looking Leo up and down he got paler and he just lost all his strength. I saw around his shell, the bandage that had been wrapped around it, I had gotten so used to it I forgot it and the crack underneath was there. I felt bad for Leo, I hated seeing him so fragile, I didn't even want to think that because that's not what he was...but he was fragile. He hides everything so I forget some times that he is still injured.
"N-no." He faltered letting his forehead rested on my head, he hissed again as his whole body tensed. "No. No Donnie, just... I-I need to sit down." He stuttered trying to pull away to the chair.
"Okay, take it easy." I muttered, helping him sit very carefully in the chair. Leo clenched his side and he kept his eyes squeezed shut as he was short of breath and almost panting. Splinter had entered hearing the commotion, he lay a paw on Leo's shoulder.
"Is everything alright?" Splinter asked stroking Leo's shoulder as he looked to me for an answer, Leo squirmed in discomfort.
"I-I don't... I don't know." I admitted feeling nervous under his calm gaze. "Leo-"
"Donnie... Donnie told me something about a torn muscle." Leo groaned curling his left leg closer to himself. "And I think I just pulled it. It's on fire!" He yelled.
"Do you want some ice?" I asked frantically
"Please!" Leo replied quickly.
"I will get it." Splinter stated just before I budged. "Stay with him." He said leaving. I gave Leo's shoulder, which was now covered in beads of sweat, a few squeezes, there wan't much I could do, I wasn't a miracle worker. I hated this, this wasn't Leo, but he was just to weak right now, he couldn't help it.
Leo finally looked up at me with pleading eyes. "I'm gonna be sick-" I cut him off trying to distract him.
"Leo, don't say that-"
"No I am. Th-this hurts so bad it's making me nauseous." Leo admitted, gulping and squeezing his eyes back shut. "Get Donnie." He said shakily, I pulled out my T-phone.
Splinter returned with the ice pack and swiftly slipped it under Leo's hand causing Leo to cry out in pain. I watched Splinter, he was obviously distressed to see his son in such a state, he held onto Leo's other hand while I texted Donnie. The others walked into the room, probably curious, but master Splinter shooed them away.
"My son, it will be alright." Splinter said wiping some sweat off Leo's forehead, Splinter looked down to the floor, I could see a tear roll down his cheek.
"Master Splinter...?" I asked reaching out to him but he shook his head so pulled away. Knowing master Splinter still felt part of Leo's pain was on his fault, I whispered; "Sensei, it's not your fault, you are not to blame." But he only looked away.
"Sensei." Leo croaked, grabbing our attention. "Please, this isn't your fault. You d-didn't do it." Leo grunted with his eyes closed. Splinter turned away from us, then released Leo's hand as Donnie barged in, he walked away with out another word. I could only watch him go silently wanting him to come back so we could comfort him.