Chapter 12: The most Wonderful Time of the Year
Hi!
I'm finally done with finals! Yeah! :)
Okay, so on with the story! Like I promised this will be a christmas chapter. Merry Christmas in May (or whenever you're reading this)
Oh and Scribeofheroes, I watched that episode of the 2003 TMNT you recommended, thank you.
This chapter is going to be kinda short, but I tried to weave in a dash of joy and a bit of angst.
The party seemed to be going well. I never would have thought our humble two bedroom house would have been the chosen location for the holiday gathering but I was no less glad to have all our newly formed friends and colleagues here to celebrate. Captain Avery was here from the police station as was my partner Parker and his wife Taylor. Baxter had a few colleagues of his own here for the party as well. Professor Reid who had offered him the job and who Bax trained under as well as a few other professors he had become friends with. And of course Mrs. Tribiony was here with her husband and her son Marcus.
A smile spread across my face as I looked around at the people I knew and cared about all gathered together to enjoy one another's company during this joyous season.
I know that technically this isn't my first Christmas, but it sure feels like it. It will be the first Christmas that I can Remember.
Glancing around I had to close my eyes momentarily and soak it all in, knowing that this right now is one of those memories I will want to stock away and treasure forever. I had been doing that alot these last few weeks. Ice Skating with my brother and Marcus. Caroling down the street with the church and finding out that I loved to sing. Wrapping gifts with Bax and getting tangled in ribbon, baking with Mrs. Tribony who actually admitted that I'm improving as a cook. Patrolling with Parker, stopping crimes and cleaning up the city, feeling like I'm making a difference.
I open my eyes.
"Hey Peter, not falling asleep are you" Baxter nudges me playfully. "If so you will feel the fury"
"of the high caffeinated coffee" I finished for him taking the second mug he held in his hands. "Thanks, and no snoozing on this end" I smile. "Just thinking about the last couple of weeks"
Baxter pushed his glasses higher up on his nose taking a seat next to me on the coach. "It's been good, hasn't it?" he smiled nodding. "I just love this time of year" he continued, speaking my thoughts exactly.
"What do you love most about this time of year?"
"I don't know, all of it?" he shrugged smiling sheepishly "I don't know. It's just nice, you know everyone together all that holiday cheer. Family. Friends"
I smile "it's nice"
We watch Marcus sneak up on Sally, Mistletoe held behind his back. I blushed slightly. Sally came with the girl I have a crush on, who works at the Library. We'd become friends over the last few months. I might not be as brave as Marcus and definitely won't sneak up to her with Mistletoe but I'd really like to get a kiss from Shannon. I spend a lot of time at the library, first because after waking up remembering nothing I wanted to learn about anything and everything. Now it's partially because of how big of a crush I have on her.
Baxter nudges me playfully as he notices that my gaze has wandered to the brown haired girl in the glasses talking amiably with professor Reid about Wildlife Biology and History.
I nudge him back almost choking on my coffee as my eyes meet brown eyes so deep and wise that I feel as though I could get lost in them. Baxter, the ever caring and sympathetic brother that he is just laughs at my humiliation. Feeling my cheeks heat up I sink further into the couch holding what is left of my coffee in front of my face hoping to slip away from the world and my humiliation.
To some refelf Bax picks up the forgotten conversation moving away from the fact that I can't flirt and will never gain enough courage to just ask her out!
"So what's your favorite part of the season Peter?"
I thought for a moment before a smile bloomed on my face. "I love what this season symbolizes."
Baxter sends me a questioning glance.
"Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus's birthday, a time to remember a promise given and kept." Smiling, I remembered a verse from Luke chapter two. " And the angel said unto them, fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tiding of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger"
Turning to Baxter I continued. "Christmas is a time for giving. It's a time to remember the best gift we ever received, how God gave us the gift of His Son and that Jesus Christ gave us the greatest gift of all: he laid his life down for our sins and mistakes so that we could have eternal life."
"Wow, that just got deep" Bax answered leaning back into the couch.
I thought for a moment searching to put it in a different way "to me Christmas is a reminder of Jesus and his sacrifice for us. You see Bax, we all make mistakes in life, we all get turned around, lose focus or get lost in one way or another. Jesus came to help us not to judge us. To me Christmas is a reminder that we all have a start at a new beginning that even if we make mistakes we can have forgiveness and have a new start. That we can overcome the world and rise above that through him we can overcome the world. Be born again."
"Have a new life, be a new person" Baxter interrupted, his gaze distant.
I smiled, leaning against my brother's shoulder.
"So Christmas is a promise?"he asked distantly. "Of what? of salvation? Of forgiveness? Of a new start?"
"All the above" I smiled "have I ever told you why Easter is celebrated?"
"Raaapph" Mikey's squeal sounded across the lair as the youngest of the turtles chased his brother around with a christmas hat.
"For the last time, Mikey, I'm not wearing that!"
"Oh come on Raphie"
"Don't call me that!"
The youngest turtle turned his puppy dog eyes to his older brother. With a huff Raph grabbed the christmas hat that was covered in so much glitter that the star actually sparkled. "One hour" he growled crossing his arms. In his opinion that hat looked like a unicorn threw up on it but his little brother made it and despite years of practice none of them but Leo had been immune to the puppy dog eyes.
"Thank you Raphie"
"Don't call me that" the hothead answered no really fire in his tone as he sank down onto the couch next to his intelligent brother who was also sporting a sparkly christmas hat this one of snowflakes and not the Christmas star like his was.
"Not a word" he growled.
"Oh come on Mr. Softy you called me Snowflake for an hour after Mikey gave me this hat." Donnie joked, nugging his older brother in the side with his elbow.
The corner of Raph's mouth turned up in a smirk.
"Ohh we should make Cookies!" Mikey's enthused voice hollered from the kitchen. The two older brothers smiled at each other. Mikey's exuberant attitude and never ending energy may get exhausting at times but it was so nice to see again, after..Leo. They had all lost their footing to say the least. It was just nice to see Mikey so happy again. It was hard. Still was, but they were getting through it. As a family.
It was going to be their first Christmas since the fire. Since Leo...
"April is bringing down eggnog and Cassey is bringing over some Christmas movies. Don't worry" Mikey held up his hands as though trying to ease his brother's complaints although not a word had been said. "I told him to only bring the classics"
"Like rudolph"
"Miracle on 34th st."
"Santa clause"
"And White Christmas" Mikey smiled
"He's bringing a wonderful life, right?" Raph asked
"Of course!" Mikey smiled. "You can't have Christmas without its a wonderful life"
"It was Leo's favorite" Donnie's smile was strained. It still hurt to bring up memories of their lost eldest. Donn had done some reading on the five stages of grief and knew that the day would come when the memories would bring feelings of good times, love, comfort and laughter. Those feelings came too but Don still felt the Leo sized hole in his life, the hole he knew his other two brothers felt too. Tears stung at the geniuses' eyes.
The lair was decorated so beautifully, they had all had fun decorating the lair for christmas. Hanging up the lights, helping Mikey get untangled from the lights. Hanging the tincle, fighting with the tinsel. But there had also been the hard moments to, the moments they would all feel the loss. Where they would miss the brother who wasn't there. Moments like this one.
When Mikey pulled out Leo's stocking.
When Leo's favorite christmas song would come on the radio.
Just this evening they were going to Murakami's to pick up an order of Pizza Gyoza and Mikey swore he could sense Leo nearby. The genius nearly bulked when Mr. Murakami stated he'd given away their order to someone who reminded him of Leo so much that the old man thought he was the lost turtle for a second. Raph had actually tackled Mikey to keep the youngest from running out and tracking down this human who had their brother's voice. Donnie shook his head pushing the memory away, it was moments like that one and this one where the weight of Leo's loss was ever heavier.
Suddenly two pairs of arms were around him, looking up Donnie's eyes met the gaze of baby blue and fiery green, each with their own unshed tears in them as his two brothers hugged him tightly. Yes the holiday was good but it was also hard.
Throwing and arm around Mikey on his left and Raph on his right the genius hugged them back just as tightly.
"I miss him too Dee. I miss him too"
Donnie closed his eyes as Raph pressed his face against his brother's shoulder letting his tears slip down his face.
"I know Raph, I know"
Hugging his brothers close. Donnie knew they would get through this.
It has been a hard past few months. But they were healing, they were moving forward.
There was good, there was bad.
But they were handling it all together. As a family.
Donnie knew just as his brothers did that they would get through this.
Christmas stood as a reminder of a promise.
That was something Leo taught them.
He always liked to remind them during this time of year what the holiday really was about.
New beginning.
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord"
A stifled sob fell from the genius's lips. Yes Christmas stood a symbol of God's promise. He just needed to remember that all things worked toward the good for those who loved God. Right now things were hard. But Donnie had hope, things would get better.
Authors note:
Merry Christmas..in May (or whenever you're reading this) :)
As the storyline is around Christmas right now I just wanted to make mention of the Lord's promise and his sacrifice: when he gave his life for our sins. The story of Jesus can be found in the Gospel (the books Mathew, Mark, Luke and John). God Bless you in this season and keep you all year long.
Scripture:
Luke 2:10-12 " And the angel said unto them, fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tiding of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger"
"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6)
John 14:27-28 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I."
Godbless.
