I own nothing. One scene is from the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Episode "Christmas Aliens" with one word of dialogue dropped and a line only referred to rather than written out.

Please enjoy for free. I make no money from this. :)

Splinter smiled as he picked up the phone. All his sons had failed to come down with fevers or show any signs of infection after injuring their feet. Now they all were standing on their feet without pain. Michelangelo had been calling it a "Christmas Miracle." They hoped tonight to do "some serious decorating" for their party tomorrow as Michelangelo was also saying now.

Leonardo had actually not started extreme, physical activity as Michelangelo and Raphael were trying to after healing. He had instead picked up pen and notebook and then written down enough new haiku to reach the amount the Ancient One had required for him to receive his gift for Usagi san. Of course, it would take another Christmas miracle for the sword to arrive on time, but perhaps they could persuade their guests coming from the Battle Nexus to remain with them a while until it did.

While he heard the phone on the other end ring, Splinter lifted the notebook he held to read the lines on it aloud. Soon, Splinter heard a voice on the other end of the line. "Hello?"

"Ancient One …"

"Oh, Splinter san, I was expecting your call. How are your sons' feet?"

Splinter grinned. "My sons have all healed fully now, Ancient One."

"Good, very good. I had a feeling they might." Splinter could hear the grin in his voice.

"Would you like me to read Leonardo's latest haiku to you now, Ancient One?"

"Yes, yes, read, read, Splinter San."

Splinter grinned again and did so. When he was finished, the Ancient One said. "Ah, he reached the amount I asked for in my challenge. Very good. Now that Antique Shop woman can get the package I sent her out of her store!"

Splinter's ears lifted. "April? You mean … How long has she had the sword my son wanted for his friend, Ancient One?"

"Since it arrived there after I first mailed it, I imagine! I thought an antique sword would gain less attention by being mailed to an antique shop rather than an empty-looking warehouse Splinter san. Besides, after everything you told me about Leonardo, I was fairly certain he would rise to my challenge. Even if some of the haiku I had to listen to over this phone were very, very bad."

Splinter frowned a little. "For a beginning, I did not think he did too badly, Ancient One."

"Indeed, I wish he'd done less well and written more in the beginning. He is too afraid of failure, your Leonardo."

Splinter's ears fell again, and his frown grew. "I know."

. . .

Leo grinned as he put out a Christmas decoration. "This is great!"

Raph's rough voice came from the other side of the column he was wrapping garland around. "Leo ... if you say that one more time, I'm going to pop you one!"

Leo continued to grin unabated for a full moment. Then his smile wavered a bit. "Hey Donnie, are you sure we haven't gone overboard with all this for our guests? I mean, it's looking less and less like I imagine Usagi's world must be like."

Raph peeked at him from around his column. "We got more guests coming over than just Usagi, you know?"

Leo nodded. "I know. But ... not all of them might be used to all this anymore either ..."

His brainy brother's voice came out a little terse from the kitchen he was giving a thorough cleaning and organization-overhaul to in preparation for feast-making. "Leo, you want to be the one to tell our resident decorating expert to tone it down a bit, be my guest."

Leo opened his mouth to reply. Before he could, an orange-clad turtle carrying a box of garland dove down from the rafters shouting "Cowabunga!"

Raph's voice sounded even more ticked off a moment later. "Mikey!"

Leo chuckled from beneath the length of garland hiding his eyes from the sight and hanging over his nose. He guessed Raph now had a similar situation. The next day, he actually encouraged his most over-active brother to go blow off some steam enjoying Christmas-time in New York City camouflaged in a coat, hat, and orange scarf, by himself, while they made the finishing touches on ... everything. Raph actually said "Thank you."

. . .

"Easy Leo, everything is going to be fine."

Donnie laid a hand on the shoulder connected to the arm, connected to the hand, holding the sword Leo was staring at as he held it in front of his face. It "was" small. It was the perfect size for Usagi!

Sensei's eyes had gone wide, when April O'Neil had lifted it out of the box it had been shipped to her in. The package had been in her shop, apparently, since less than a week after he'd received his challenge from the Ancient One to earn it. Her eyes had scrunched up at their corners and her lips had curved into a mischievous smile as she had handed the blade over to him then. He'd noticed Casey giving April a goofy grin behind the back of her head. Leo shook his own head at the memory. Donnie gave him a light punch on the arm. "There, you are!"

Leo's grin fell away. "I don't know, Donnie ... Usagi's polite. Even if he hates it, he'll probably act like he loves it. How will I tell?"

Donnie's mouth twisted. "I ... wouldn't let anyone else know you fear he'll hate the sword Master Yoshi's sensei sent you for him."

Leo winced. "You're right." He turned, stiffly for him, and carried the present out of his bedroom and toward the soon to be decorated tree. The spruce had just been delivered by Casey Jones. They had to hurry and decorate it for Christmas before dinner.

Guests had already arrived. His own guest was soon to arrive. The moment of truth was almost here. It was almost enough to make him stop worrying about the fact Mikey wasn't back yet, after "he'd" sent him out no less, but not quite.

. . .

Usagi fidgeted a bit. Best clothes on ... check. It was the same outfit he'd worn during the tournament in fact. Leonardo's present was in his hand. He drew it out of its sheath to look at his reflection in it one more time. It had been cleaned in a way probably few other blades were, when not in the battle nexus, before being handed back to him less than an hour ago.

Now, he only had to wait for his fellow guests before they left together. He might have strode back and forth while he waited if he was not afraid it would spoil his appearance. Gennosuke strode up to him. The bounty hunter's own great, hulking body hung loose. His biggest grin was on his face. "Easy, Ronin! You're not going to your death!"

He turned to his friend with serious eyes. "I might wish I were dead if I humiliate Leonardo, his father, or his brothers in some way, not to mention our current host who has so graciously prepared us for this and is accompanying us."

"Bah! I'm sure you'll make some little mistake or two! But I think our hosts will forgive and still feed us both despite it."

The rabbit glared at his friend. He inwardly sighed and rolled his eyes. A full stomach, if not always directly on the Bounty Hunter's mind, was never far behind it.

Usagi's scowl melted away as the Daimyo of the Battle Nexus entered the room. He stopped before them. "Are you both ready, Usagi, Gennosuke?"

Usagi smiled back forcing his body to relax and letting his face take on a serene expression. He was going to see his good friend. They were all invited to Leonardo's home. They had already done great things together and earned each other's trust. The Daimyo was taking them and would help them do the right things there. It would be a good and glorious time. Everything would be fine. "Yes, Daimyo, we are ready."

"More than ready," Gennosuke echoed.

. . .

As time passed, Leo tucked his gift for his friend under the tree and continued to help decorate it with Master Splinter and the Silver Sentry: Mikey's guest. Where was his superhero obsessed brother? Leo turned slightly to watch Raph and Angel act out Casey's plan to get April to kiss him under the mistletoe. The hockey-player got smacked on the lips by April with the sprig instead. It was a nice distraction from the nerves gnawing at his stomach just beneath his shell.

A swirling circle of light appeared over their home's pool of water and watery route into the sewer system. The luminous shape got taller to become an oval. Soon it looked big enough to let something very tall enter by it.

Leo took a breath, drew his gift out from under the tree (better to get this over with) and hid it behind his shell. Then he walked by his father's side over to face the portal with him. It disappeared in front of them. In its place were his and Sensei's friends. The Daimyo stood tall in the middle. Thank goodness their new home had high ceilings. Sensei's old friend dwarfed not only their Sensei and Usagi standing on the Daimyo's right, but the rhino bounty hunter standing on the Daimyo's left as well. Leo felt small before the ruler of the Battle Nexus in more ways than one too. He imagined even Casey would feel the same way, maybe even the Silver Sentry.

That same Daimyo of the Battle Nexus leaned forward at his waist to them in a half-bow. Both Ronin at his sides did the same. It was the Daimyo who spoke, however. "It is an honor to be in your home Splinter san.

He and Master Splinter repeated the gesture back toward their guests. His father said, "The honor is all mine."

Leo straightened. He was already facing his friend who smoothly and quickly said a Japanese phrase in his usual, even, yet, somehow, friendly tone. Man, in all the wildness and craziness of his own life, Leo had forgotten how he missed that calm dignity Usagi brought with him wherever he went. The rabbit walked a little in front of the Daimyo and brought out his own arm that had been hidden behind his back. "I got you something." His eyes were wide, unusually so for the Samurai if Leo recalled correctly. His own eyes widened, when he saw what the rabbit brought with him.

"A sword!" A thrill went up the spine within Leo's shell. All this time, he had been so worried about doing all he could to make Usagi feel welcome and like he was a full Christmas party participant, he hadn't expected the rabbit probably celebrating his first Christmas, let alone his first, third-earth, New York City, American Christmas, to bring him a gift. And it was perfect!

Leo grinned and reached out for the blade. Even in its sheath it was obvious from the shape, color, and texture of that it was a traditional Japanese Katana the perfect length for him. Wow ... He almost teared up. He hadn't had a new blade for himself since ... since February, when he and Raph made the ones on his shell now, together, to replace those the Shredder had broken. The broken ones had been a gift years before from Sensei, who had gotten them from the Ancient One.

Speaking of which ... Leo held out his gift toward the Ronin with a grin. "I got you something too!"

The rabbit's eyes went wide. "A sword!" He grabbed and held it horizontally beneath his gaze. The size of the Samurai's eyes barely shrunk as he studied it. "What a wonderful gift."

Leo smiled as he watched his friend. Donnie and the others had been right. Mission accomplished ... Now, where was Mikey?

. . .

Usagi stared at the blade. It was decorated with a bow and some of that ... mistletoe the Daimyo had mentioned, pointed out, and described briefly to them, a symbol of peace he had said. An odd thing to decorate a sword with, but ... perhaps not as much as one might at first think.

After all, it "would" be nice to only use this blade to spar, with Leonardo a little later perhaps, and then Gennosuke, and even Tomoe Ame. He decided then not take it into battle unless he absolutely had to. It was a gift given in friendship and peace and thus to be used in such.

He smiled. All this time he had sweat, and worried, and more over getting Leonardo the perfect gift to repay his generous invitation. And Leo greeted him with this. It was just the right size for him too ... How had he managed it?

Gennosuke interrupted the moment as he should have known he would. "Nice letter-openers boys! Now, where's the free chow? I'm starving!"

Usagi refrained from rolling his eyes in the presence of his hosts. Splinter waved them toward the table in the room. "Please, come, all are welcome at our table." The rat turned and led the way. Usagi, Gennosuke, and the Daimyo followed him and Leonardo in that direction.

Usagi had been concerned he wouldn't be able to keep the rhino from picking up and pocketing or simply eating food left out in the meantime, and thus had asked the Daimyo if they might arrive as close to the feast portion of festivities as possible. It seemed to have made them the last guests to arrive, though he didn't see the Battle Nexus champion anywhere.

Usagi almost regretted his request as he longed to start sparring immediately with Leonardo with their new blades. He glanced at the turtle and saw him grinning back at him. The Samurai smiled back. He knew in his gut his kame friend was thinking the same thing. They both held their new, beautiful blades close to their hearts as they walked.

A New Year's gift to all of you! :) What did you think?

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes