Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. HTTYD does not belong to me either.
Warnings: Mentions of past character death. Unbetaed.
Summary: For four months now, Mikey's been stuck in the wrong universe, separated from all he loves. He's never been away from home at Christmas before but there's a first time for everything. But that's okay, because he's with a family who needs him as much as he needs them. 2k12/2k3 crossover.
Comments, thoughts and concrit is always welcome.
* If you ever see my stories posted anywhere other than Deviant Art, FFNet, AO3 or Live Journal, they have been stolen. Please report them.
AOtGO – Far From Home
Ch 4 – December 25th
A hand suddenly clamped down on Mikey's shoulder and the overwrought turtle screamed in fright, all but hitting the ceiling as he jumped flailing from his chair and knocking it over with a noisy clatter.
"It's just me, Mikey," Leo's calm voice murmured soothingly from behind.
"Leo?" Mikey yelped, turning around to face him. "Dude! You just about gave me a heart attack!"
"A ninja should always be aware of their surroundings," Leo admonished, trying to hide his amusement.
"It's like three am and we're in the middle of nowhere!" Mikey complained loudly. "And it's Christmas!"
"Then you obviously need more training." Leo found himself unable to hide his growing smile.
"What? I've already trained more in four months than in a year back home! You guys are slave drivers!"
"Shh! Raph and Don are sleeping," Leo chuckled into the gloom.
Mikey mock glared, "How can anyone even sleep with that snoring? He's like a parade of Thunderdrums circling the house, dude!" Mikey cried melodramatically, trying and failing to keep his voice down.
Leo canted his head in confusion, "Is that some kind of musical instrument?"
"No way does Raphie sound musical," Mikey laughed, imagining Raph as an out of sync, one-turtle band. "Nuh dude, Thunderdrums are dragons. Loud ones that use their voice as weapons."
"Sounds like your kind of dragons then," Leo replied dryly. "Though I can't say I've ever heard of them."
"You really need an education in the classics, bro!" Then Mikey's face fell as he realised what he just said and he was quick to apologise. "I... I'm so sorry, Leo... I... didn't mean to call you that..."
"It's fine, Mikey. I don't mind," Leo hastily reassured the younger ninja.
"Really?" Mikey asked dubiously. Despite the gloom, he was sure he'd seen a flicker of pain in the older turtle's face.
"I would have minded when we first met, but not any more," Leo admited softly. "Anyway, are you okay, Mikey?"
"Huh? Yeah dude. I just can't sleep is all..."
"It seemed like it was more than just that." Leo eyed Mikey, his sharp, penetrating gaze boring holes deep into Mikey's soul.
For a moment Mikey was tempted to blurt out how he really felt. How it was all so unfair that it was Christmas and he couldn't be with his brothers and father, but even through his own misery, he was aware how much worse it was for this family who would never even get to see their own lost brother again. So for once, he managed to hold his tongue.
"Hey Leo?" Mikey suddenly began instead. "For the sake of the whole planet, you gotta promise me something, dude!" Mikey filled his face with an intensity that threw Leo off guard.
"If it's within my power," Leo agreed cautiously, wondering what Mikey was trying to talk him into this time.
Mikey's voice dropped to a serious whisper as he leant close, cupping his mouth like he was about to spill a huge secret. "Never let Raphie sleep near a cemetery," he said. "Ever!"
Leo stilled in surprise. That was not what he'd been expecting at all. "What? I'm not entirely certain why he would, but why do you say that, Michelangelo?" Leo asked, slightly flustered.
"Because his snoring's so loud it'd wake the dead!" Mikey said with utter conviction.
Leo glanced in Raph's direction, "I know he's loud," Leo admitted, trying not to laugh at the seriousness Mikey still displayed, "but..."
"If he does Leo, then we'll have the next Zombie Apocalypse on our hands!" Mikey interrupted.
Now Leo did laugh. "That's absurd, Mikey!"
"The next Zombie Apocalypse, bruh! And if that happens, we'll all be boned!" Mikey reiterated loudly, throwing his arms dramatically into the air and accidentally dropping his blanket again. Realisation hit and with a shiver, Mikey quickly crouched down, grabbing it and wrapping it around himself again. "Just like in 'Dawn of the Desperate, Dandling Dead' part twelve!"
"You really should ask Don to explain just how impossible something like that even is," Leo suggested, shaking with silent laughter.
"I know what'll happen. Question is, can you live with yourself afterwards?" Mikey turned back to face the window as he spoke. He smothered a snicker. 'Whoever said Leo's immune to distraction is seriously in denial.'
"I think I'll take that risk," Leo chuckled. "You know, you really should go back to bed. I'll get Raph to stop snoring."
With that, the older ninja walked over to Raph's side, very deliberately touched his arm in a way that, even in his sleep, let his brother know it was family and therefore safe, and then rolled the snoring turtle onto his side. Raph quietened almost immediately as Mikey stared wide-eyed in amazement.
"Dude! How?"
"It's all in the wrist," Leo smiled tiredly. "Now, bed!" he said, pointing to it.
Mikey laughed and glanced back at the window again. "Hey look, bro! It's snowing!" he breathed in wonder. He'd only ever seen flakes actually falling a few times in his life and he never grew tired of it.
"I guess there'll be enough snow to play in after all."
-:-
Mikey groaned and opened his crusty eyes. He felt liked he'd only just fallen asleep but Raph's deafening snoring had started back up, waking him already. Mikey turned his head, seeing Raph was back on his plastron and that's when Mikey noticed the room was beginning to fill with pale sunlight. He sat up in bed, looking around the unfamiliar room and suddenly realised that this was the first time in his life waking up with the sun. With a surge of excitement, Mikey felt an overwhelming urge to get out up and watch the sunrise.
Leaping out of bed and shivering in the frigid, early morning air, Mikey quickly grabbed his borrowed pullover before rushing to the window to eagerly look out. The window was frosty but he could still see through it enough to make out the sun beginning to peek over the trees of the nearby forest. He breathed heavily on the glass before rubbing it clear and gazing out, ecstatic over finally getting to watch this wonder of nature for the first time in his life.
He smiled broadly. It almost felt as though there was magic in the air as the sun ascended, casting its golden glow across the treetops and causing the freshly fallen snow to glisten in its brilliance. For several minutes, he basked in the spectacle before him, at least until his stomach rumbled loudly.
Glancing around, Mikey was amazed to see his other-dimensional brothers all still fast asleep, though with the freight train rumbling in the nearby bed, he would have been more surprised if any of them could have heard him. Still, he was shocked that Leo hadn't at least woken up from his movement about the room; he was normally such a light sleeper. However, he then remembered back to how everyone behaved yesterday. There was sadness here but even so, they were all relaxed, knowing this was a place of safety for them; safety enough for Leo to let down his guard.
For a moment, laughter threatened as he thought of all the things he could do to prank Leo without him being aware right now, but then his stomach growled again and he allowed a smile to flicker across his face at the thought of pancakes dripping with maple syrup and mozzarella sauce. Right then and there, he made up his mind and crept out the room to go start on breakfast for everyone.
As the young ninja reached the bottom step, he headed directly for the kitchen but as he turned, something caught his eye across the room and he did a triple-take.
The Christmas tree whose lights refused to work the previous evening was now fully lit up; the lights changing colours and brightness as if in time to a merry beat and Mikey's jaw dropped at the colourful spectacle before him. After a couple minutes of simply staring and taking in the sight, his gaze wandered over the other small but obvious changes to the room.
Thick, fluffy strands of tinsel now hung throughout, glowing in time with the tree lights as if listening to the same song, and fake snow was added to the tips of the tree branches with a light hand. There weren't really any other changes apart from the sense of magic in the air like he'd noticed while watching the sunrise, however, that same feeling now pervaded the entire room. Despite his almost overwhelming loneliness from the night before, Mikey felt a warmth filling him that he'd desperately missed since first finding himself in this dimension and his smile broadened.
It was as though the warm thoughts and loving feelings of his family somehow reached him, even all the way across the dimensional barriers separating them, and right then, he knew with absolute certainty that everything would be okay.
All of a sudden, Mikey heard the faint tread of someone on the stairs behind him. He turned to look and grinned up at a sleepy looking April, laughing as she tried to smother a jaw breaking yawn.
"You're up early," April observed through another yawn. "Excited for Christmas?"
"I am now!" Mikey laughed. "It looks amazing in here!"
April peered past him, eyes widening in wonder and suddenly fully awake. "Either someone's been playing tricks overnight or the guys really were telling the truth," she breathed.
Mikey nodded. "Can you feel it in the air? It feels like love and hope, just like the perfect jelly bean and jalapeno pizza!"
April pulled a disgusted face. "You'll never convince me that that's a thing in your world," she said as Mikey continued to grin broadly at her. "So why are you up so early anyway? I thought you guys normally didn't get up until nearly midday."
"Yeah, they do sleep pretty late, but only because they're up all night. It really does make sense," Mikey shrugged. "But yeah, I couldn't sleep. Raph's snoring was worse than a swarm of angry, buzzing bees when you're throwing their hive into a wannabe super villain's face!"
April giggled. "I know he can be pretty bad, but really?"
Mikey nodded emphatically, his demeanour one hundred percent serious. "Anyway, since I was awake, I thought I'd come down and start on breakfast. I make awesome pancakes with cheese sauce, you know!"
April's expression started out pleased but quickly morphed to one of disgust again. "Please tell me you're not serious, Mikey," she pleaded.
"I'm always serious, when it comes to food!" Mikey said solemnly. He then laughed suddenly at April's disbelieving look. "You'll see! I'm making enough for everyone!"
Shaking her head, April said, "Only if you make the sauce as an optional extra. Deal?"
"Deal!"
-:-
While Mikey prepared breakfast, April made a start on the Christmas feast, happily accepting help from the young ninja once breakfast was ready to go. She watched him carefully, giving him cooking tips while they worked; she had zero intention of allowing his food experimentation or the strange variations he was known for, to disrupt their festivities. As they worked, they cheerfully chatted, Mikey excitedly telling April all about his first sunrise.
Nearly an hour and a half later, the rest of the household made their way downstairs and to Mikey, it was obvious that all but Casey also felt the same magic in the air as he. The magic that washed away the loneliness, making everything feel better than it really was.
"Okay, which one of you chuckleheads was it that ninjaed the extra decorations in the night?" Casey accused loudly. "You guys said the lights didn't work but they sure seem to now."
Donnie shook his head, "I assure you Casey, it was none of us. We were all asleep until a few minutes ago."
Casey turned to April and Mikey as everyone filed into the kitchen.
April laughed and exchanged a conspiratorial grin with Mikey, "It wasn't us either. We've been busy preparing the feast. Everything was already lit up when we came downstairs."
"Right!" Casey scoffed. "And I suppose you're gonna tell me 'Santa' did it."
"There is no one else who could have, Mr Jones," Splinter assured with a faint smile on his furry face.
"Right!" Casey snorted.
Cheerfully interrupting, Mikey announced. "Breakfast is ready, dudes, Splinter Sensei! Sit down and I'll grab it for you!"
"How long have you been up?" Leo asked curiously as he headed to the counter to make drinks for everyone. He wasn't really surprised; unless they were out very late in the night, this Mikey was usually up long before the rest of the family simply because that's what he was used to, however, he also knew the younger turtle hadn't slept much during the night.
"Since dawn," Mikey answered brightly. "That was the first time I've seen the sun rise. It was stupendously awesome, dude!"
Splinter smiled at Mikey's enthusiasm. "Yes, the dawn is quite the wondrous sight to behold," he said as he settled into his seat.
It didn't take long but soon Mikey was serving huge stacks of thick, fluffy pancakes. When he placed the maple syrup and gravy boats full of mozzarella sauce on the table, Casey screwed up his face in revulsion.
"Why would you put cheese on pancakes?"
"Cause the brat's obsessed with pizza is why," Raph said dismissively, pushing the gravy boat away from himself. "Just be glad he didn't put tomato paste on them."
"Done that before," Mikey grinned. "It's weird but really good. My bros weren't so thrilled with it though and made me promise never again."
"Whatever were they thinkin'," Raph said sarcastically. "Should have stopped you with the cheese too."
"Nuh, they like that one. Besides, people have cheese on crepes all the time," Mikey shrugged, pouring a generous amount on his own stack.
"Crepes are not the same thing as pancakes, Michelangelo," Donnie pointed out calmly.
"I know that but they're close enough," Mikey insisted.
"Not really. They may look similar but it's a different recipe, a lot thinner and not sweet."
"People make dessert crepes all the time too!" Mikey sniffed indignantly, stuffing half a dripping pancake into his mouth.
"But we're talking about pancakes."
Mikey swallowed his mouthful, "Sweet and savoury go awesomely together!" Mikey insisted. "Donnie dude, just try it. You'll love it, I promise!"
"No thank you."
At the sight of Mikey's disappointed face, Splinter smiled calmly. "Could somebody please pass the cheese?"
April passed it along while Mikey beamed happily at Splinter.
When Splinter finally tried a bite, his face lit up at the taste. "This is quite delicious, Michelangelo."
A few minutes later, Leonardo tried it also.
-:-
Half an hour after breakfast, everyone moved to the slowly warming family room; Leo had gone in ahead to start the fire while everyone was finishing breakfast.
Most of the gifts given to Mikey were practical; brand new, warm winter clothing that fit far better than his borrowed garments, along with a custom made pair of snow boots that actually fit his rounded three-toed feet but there was also a few art supplies and a cookbook. Mikey in turn felt bad over not having been able to give anything as extravagant in return but everyone seemed happy with his handmade gifts, one of which was a decorated Japanese style teacup which he had made for Splinter. Luckily for Mikey, April had known someone with a kiln willing to fire it up for his gift.
The biggest delight of the morning was the moment when Casey bent down on one knee, proposing to April in front of everyone.
"Yes!" April's hands flew up to cover her mouth as she laughed happily. Moments later, she threw herself forward into Casey's waiting arms and kissed him passionately amid the cheers and catcalls from everyone else in the room.
"'bout time she made an honest man outta ya, Jones," Raph teased as the couple finally pulled apart for much needed breath.
"Congratulations, Miss O'Neil, Mr Jones," Splinter said warmly. With a twinkle in his eye, he quickly added, "I do hope you bring me many grandchildren into the world."
Casey turned and winked in Splinter's direction. "We'll certainly have plenty of practise for just that."
"Casey Jones!" April cried in mock indignation as she gave him a playful slap. "You should know better by now than to kiss and tell!"
"I got braggin' rights to the most beautiful woman in the world, how can I not kiss and tell?"
"Oh, Casey..." April blushed furiously.
The gift giving soon continued, the atmosphere cheerful and bright, until finally just two presents remained. Neither had names attached but from the intertwined blue, red, purple and maroon ribbons curled around the large, A3 sized, flat gift and the orange around the far smaller, it was obvious who each was intended for.
Mikey watched curiously as his other-dimensional family unwrapped their unexpected gift together. As they did, a faint but familiar smell gently wafted across the room, making itself known even above the smell of pine and roasting meat in the kitchen. Mikey closed his eyes and breathed deeply, drinking it in.
"Mmm... Pizza gyoza..."
"... If I didn't know better, I would swear this was Mikey's work..." Donatello's hesitant voice eventually spoke up.
Mikey's eyes shot open at the words, taking in the expressions on his extended family's faces. He watched as April stood and walked around behind them to also look.
Raph's face was a shifting myriad of emotion as he stared dumbly at the canvas Splinter held in front of them.
"Maybe it really is... Maybe it's something he painted long ago and we lost him before he could show us?" Leo ventured softly. "Someone must have found it." Leo's eyes drifted around, carefully studying each person in the room.
"It smells... fresh, my son," Splinter murmured, as if in a dream.
The expression on Raph began to settle, hardening into a fierce, yet hurt glare and looking as if he wanted to tear it suddenly apart.
Curiosity finally overwhelming him, Mikey jumped to his feet and like April, moved around to take a look for himself. Casey was close behind.
"If it had been kept in an airtight container all this time, then that could explain the fresh paint scent," Donnie suggested quietly.
Mikey took in the sight, breathing in amazement at the lifelike family portrait painted in oils. Raphael and Leonardo in the back, each with a hand on one of Splinter's shoulders. Splinter was in the middle with Donatello and Michelangelo beside him and slightly in the front.
Donnie began shaking slightly as realisation dawned. "This is based on the last family photo we took..." he said faintly, "only a few weeks before... There's no way he would have had time to complete this... not to mention that we would have found it long ago..."
Mikey wasn't so sure about that. Before he started using the bedroom, it hadn't been touched in months. Besides, chances were that his lost counterpart may have had a hidden away place for painting that no one else knew about, just like he himself did. None of his family knew his true talent for drawing and painting; he always showed them the silly doodles instead, since he didn't want the teasing, or lectures, that would come if they knew he actually put effort into something.
"Are you sure about that, Don?" April's soft voice questioned. "Besides, if I remember right, wasn't it his idea for you guys to pose like that for the photo?"
For a moment, Donnie seemed to struggle before finally answering. "Well, the possibility of finishing something like this in that short amount of time is slim but it does technically exist."
Everyone relaxed slightly at these words but then Donnie continued talking. "However, when have any of you ever known Mikey to sit or even stand still long enough at a time to even come close to completing a painting as detailed as this in just a few short weeks?"
"So where did it come from?" Mikey found himself asking curiously.
Splinter closed his eyes and breathed deeply for a couple of minutes, slipping almost into a meditative state. "The magic is stronger than I ever felt before," he finally said softly.
The three brothers looked at each other, each wanting to continue questioning but knowing some things were best left alone so instead, they relaxed and let it go. Casey however, burst out in frustration.
"What's that supposed to mean, Master Splinter?"
"It means we were visited by a miracle," Splinter answered simply. He turned to look up at Michelangelo. "And what gift did you receive, my student?" he questioned before Casey could demand further explanation that he simply could not give to someone who refused to believe.
"Uh... I haven't looked yet?" Mikey laughed nervously. He'd been far too distracted by first that delectable scent and then curiosity over theirs to open his.
He quickly went back to where he'd been sitting, nearer the warmth of the fireplace and dropped. As he landed into a seated position, he scooped up the small gift, pulling on the bright ribbon. Moments later he found himself staring in bewilderment at a small, turtle shaped object in the palm of his large hand. He held it out in confusion. "What's this, Donnie?"
Donatello reached over, plucking it from the younger ninja's hand. After a moment he replied, "It's a flash drive, Michelangelo. A small, portable memory stick for computers."
Mikey canted his head, baffled, "Why would anyone give me one of those?" he asked. "If it was for you, I'd get it... but why me?"
Donnie smiled tightly, "Well, there's only one way to find out." He handed the flash drive back to Mikey before getting to his feet and going upstairs. A few minutes later, he returned, clutching his laptop as it booted.
Fiddling with the memory stick, Mikey watched anxiously as Donnie lowered himself to the ground beside him. The older genius held out his hand, silently asking for the device back and then plugged it into the computer. Within seconds, a folder popped up containing a video file and another folder.
Mikey stared apprehensively as Donnie clicked on the file and handed him the laptop.
The video then burst into life, focusing on three ninja turtles, one tall mutant rat and two human teenagers.
"Merry Christmas, Michelangelo," a loud chorus of voices all but shouted through the tinny speakers.
Mikey's jaw dropped and the flabbergasted turtle felt as though his heart stopped momentarily.
Everyone fell silent on the recording, except for his father.
"We know that due to circumstances beyond our control that you cannot join us for the holidays, my son but we would have you know that we miss you more than any of us thought possible..." Splinter's ears twitched and flattened in his obvious distress.
"Thanks to several events, we are now certain that you have somehow been spirited away to another reality to our own. However, you can be certain that we have not and will not give up on finding you and bringing you home, whatever it takes.
We know that you will not be able to watch this video until you are safely home again but regardless, we wished to record personal messages for you as a way to include and to show that our thoughts lay with you on this day."
Mikey stared ahead, tears threatening as the video went dark momentarily, only to brighten again, focusing on his father alone. As the mutated human rat opened his mouth to speak once more, the video suddenly froze and Mikey started in panic.
"What happened? Donnie, fix it! Please!" he begged, turning where he sat to face the technological genius.
Donnie smiled at him gently, "Don't worry, Michelangelo, it's not broken. I just paused it a moment with the space bar."
"Why?" Mikey whined.
"This video is obviously personal, so we're going to leave you alone so you can watch it in peace." Donnie explained softly.
Splinter nodded and slowly rose, everyone else in the room following suit. "While you spend some quality time with your family, my student, we shall visit with our own lost Michelangelo."
Mikey bit his bottom lip, unsure if he really wanted to be left alone; the video was both awesome and terrifyingly sad all at the same time, reminding him yet again how lonely he often felt since finding himself stuck in this dimension. However, he knew the other family that had so graciously taken him in needed time of their own too, so he kept his mouth shut. Though he couldn't help but cast a half desperate look Leo's way.
Leo gave Mikey a slow but reassuring nod, as if to say 'You're going to be just fine, have faith and believe in yourself,' and Mikey found himself returning the gesture with a confident nod of his own.
Then everyone left, heading outside and leaving Mikey on his own with his video letter for company.
-:-
"Michelangelo my son, you have no idea how relieved I was to find you in the Astral Plain last night," he chuckled, before adding, "not to mention, surprised. It seems that I have greatly underestimated your ability for meditation. You must know, when you do finally return home, I will not be making that mistake again."
Mikey giggled, then groaned as the implications of that statement hit him.
Splinter's ears shifted, making him appear downcast. "I am very sorry that I lost the connection with you that night. I could sense how close you were to your limit, yet I... foolishly allowed distraction to separate us."
Splinter nodded decisively. "I will give you time to recoup your strength and then I shall begin reaching out to you from within the Astral Plain more frequently. Hopefully we will come across one another again."
-:-
"Hey little brother," Leo said with a slightly strained smile. "To be honest, I'm not entirely certain about recording this video, especially since, can you believe it? It was Raph's idea." Leo laughed, but to Mikey's ears it sounded forced.
"I think the main reason I have a problem with recording this, is the fact that you won't even see it until after we find and bring you home where you belong." Leo suddenly straightened, looking directly into the camera with Captain Ryan like confidence. "And make no mistake, Mikey, we will find you."
'No,' Mikey thought with a smile, 'not Captain Ryan confidence, Leo confidence.'
"So you'll already know that and pretty much anything else we have to say by the time you finally do get to see this," Leo added with a self conscious laugh, making Mikey grin even harder.
"I do need to say, Mikey, it was a huge relief to hear Master Splinter made contact with you last night, even if it was only for a couple of minutes," Leo said. "I'm not sure if you realised it at the time but I sensed you via the Astral a few weeks after you disappeared on us. You were in pain and terrified at the time... and there was a strange turtle in front of you that somehow reminded me enough of me to believe that he'd help you.
"It's good to know for sure that you came out of that alive."
-:-
Casey stood looking very uncomfortable and rubbing the back of his head as if embarrassed.'But,' Mikey thought, 'the dude doesn't even know how to be embarrassed...'
"Hey, uh... Mikey. I never really got the chance to get to know you before you pulled that disappearing act of yours but it's good to know you're still alive out there. Raph was pretty unbearable for weeks after you left, you know."
The teenage vigilante paused again, obviously not sure what else to say. "Make sure you stay safe, dude and try to have a good Christmas. We'll get you home soon as we can."
-:-
"Hey buddy," Donnie said with a nervous smile, looking everywhere but at the camera.
"Sorry it's taking so long to find you but at first we didn't even know you were lost in another dimension! It was only thanks to Leo sensing you within the Astral Plain twenty four days after you vanished, that we even began to suspect what happened to you." As Donnie spoke, his voice became faster and higher pitched, showing just how distressed he was at the thought. "We since discovered a couple of other clues supporting that hypothesis; a week later and then about three weeks after when we discovered that the Kraang now have smaller, portable, dimensional portals."
He shook his head in wonder and perhaps frustration. "But do you realise just how hard it is finding any trace of you? Do you know just how many dimensions there even are out there, Mikey? Do you..."
"Chill, Donnie boy," an unfamiliar but amused voice soothed.
Donnie stopped, slowed his breathing and schooled his features as he calmed down once more.
"Yeah... Thanks..." he replied, shaking his head in embarrassment.
He then looked up at the camera, this time, directly into it. Donnie smiled warmly, the way he used to smile at Mikey before they started spending time topside, "Sorry about the lecture, Mikey," he chuckled, "but it really is quite fascinating, the things we've seen while trying to find you. If you're willing to listen, I'll tell you all about them when you're home safe.
Donnie went quiet for a few moments, looking back down to the ground as he seemed to contemplate what he was saying and Mikey grinned. Everyone thought he was the excitable one, but get Donnie in discovery mode and not even Mikey could keep up with that enthusiasm. He reached out to touch the screen with a pang filling his heart.
Since they started going topside, Donnie didn't give him the attention he used to, but Donnie was still his best friend in the family. The one that, despite their vast differences, got him. The one that was often, somehow, on the same wavelength. Donnie would deny it of course, he always did, but Mikey knew it was the little things; the looks exchanged, the fist bumps, the flashes of inspiration that somehow allowed them to feed off of each other. In general, it was their camaraderie in the face of Raph's bullying and Leo's arrogance when it came to ninjutsu.
Sure, Donnie could be really irritable and snapped at him, and everyone else, a lot, but when it came down to it, Mikey found there was no one more patient with him than Donnie.
He loved all his family dearly, but it was Donnie's friendship he missed the most... and from the recording in front of him, he could see how much Donnie was also missing him. It hurt and he wished he could throw his arms around his brainy brother to comfort him, because Mikey knew that no one else in the family was likely to do so in his place.
But he couldn't... he was stuck far from home and barring a miracle, it would still be months before he could reach out and comfort his brother.
Donnie's gaze flicked up and down several times, floor to camera. He finally took a deep breath and grinned that brilliant gap toothed smile. "I'm not really sure what else to say that won't lead me to babbling on about things I know don't interest you," he said. "What I do want to tell you though, is this. Stay safe and don't give up on us. Whatever it takes, we're coming for you buddy. Don't ever doubt it."
-:-
"It's been so hard on all of us not knowing what's happened to you, Mikey, and even after all these months, we still don't know. But at least we now know for sure you're alive and probably safe from what Master Splinter was able to tell us," April said softly, a massive look of relief causing her to wilt where she stood looking at the camera. "The guys were frantic the night you vanished; we all were. The worst thing was that it was weeks before we even began to suspect what happened to you."
April took a deep breath and shook her head, laughing almost nervously. "Honestly, I have no idea what anyone else has talked about with you, Mikey, but I wouldn't be surprised if they already mentioned these things." She paused as she thought. "So how about I just talk about other news instead?"
Mikey nodded eagerly. He didn't really care about what his friend was going to say, just that she did speak to him.
"Well first, some good news. D finally found a retromutagen for my dad! He's been home safe for the last two months now and he doesn't blame any of you for what happened." April then smiled sadly. "While he knows what happened, he doesn't really remember much of his time as a mutant bat. Just random flashes here and there."
"It's for the best, really, especially when you consider his experience with the Kraang before that,"
Mikey's face crumpled at the reminder of his part in the terrible accident that mutated Mr O'Neil, but he was relieved to hear he was now cured.
"Um... oh! My friend Irma has been becoming more insistent about meeting my 'secret friends'," April laughed, motioning the quotation marks with her fingers as she spoke.
Mikey's eyes shot wide and he grabbed the sides of the laptop screen, shaking it as if it were April's shoulders. "You have secret friends? Why didn't you tell us!" he cried, forgetting for a moment that April couldn't hear him.
But she seemed to anticipate his response and with a giggle, replied, "And by secret friends, I mean you guys, Mikey."
Mikey let go of the screen and laughed self consciously, actually glad that no one else was in the room to have witnessed that.
"Hmm... what else... Your brothers have made a new friend. In some ways, he's a lot like you and even better, he's promised to help us to find you! This is really great because we can really use all the help we can get. Oh... speaking of... Donnie lost Metalhead... He upgraded him to help with the search for you but then Metalhead sacrificed himself to save them. D was really cut up about it..."
"Aww, that sucks... but D'll rebuild him even better than before," Mikey sympathised, "and probably with enough weapons to take out TCRI solo," he added with a laugh.
"He'll probably try to rebuild him, but not until after we get you back," April continued as if Mikey never spoke. "There's just too little left of him..."
-:-
Raph stood a couple of metres from the camera, staring resolutely to the wall at the side. Finally he sighed and looked up. "Honestly Mikey? I'm not really sure what to say that hasn't already been said and you know I'm not really good at expressing myself without resorting to my fists in the first place."
He scowled. "The others don't know this, but I've been doing these videos for a while now, so if I ever actually do show you those, you'll already know most of anything I could say right now."
Mikey stared in confusion; he had no idea what Raph was going on about, though that wasn't really unusual.
"But that's the reason I thought to suggest to the others to do a video letter to you," he shrugged. "They were all so upset knowing you're alive but unable to be here for Christmas so I thought something like this would help them the way it's been helping me cope over the last few months."
"I wish I could have done this for you guys too, but I didn't know it was possible," Mikey whispered. "I don't even know how this happened. I miss you all so much, especially today, Raph..."
"I owe you an apology, Mikey... It was my fault you lost Master Splinter in the Astral Plain last night. I was fighting again and knocked us into him..." Raph admitted quietly. "I'm really sorry..."
Raph shifted around uncomfortably, saying nothing for a good minute. "Hey, you better keep alive and safe, knucklehead, or I'll have to beat the green off you," he eventually said, slamming one fist into the palm of his other hand for emphasis.
"Merry Christmas, Mikey."
-:-
The file stopped playing and Mikey's heart lurched at the abruptness of it. He felt as though he was both overflowing with the feelings running rampant through him, and empty, all at once. For several minutes, his thoughts and breath heaved as he stared ahead at the black screen. Then suddenly, Mikey couldn't take any more and reacted.
Jumping to his feet and shoving the laptop away, he tore through the family room and the kitchen, not even noticing the delicious smells as he raced out through the back door.
Without thinking, Michelangelo pelted across the yard, ploughing through the ankle deep snow as he raced for the barn. Heaving with emotion, he shoved the door open and entered the dark space.
-:-
"There you are, Michelangelo."
Mikey half heartedly flicked his gaze up to see a very worried Donatello closing the barn door before running towards him. He tightened his arms around himself, shivering in the winter air.
Donnie reached Mikey's side and pulled him away from the wall before wrapping a thick blanket around the younger turtle. "What on Earth possessed you to leave the house without getting dressed first?" he asked. "This kind of cold can be deadly!"
Mikey didn't answer, but he did grip the blanket and pull it tighter around himself.
Sighing at the lack of response, Donnie pulled out his Shell-cell and called Leo and Raph. "I found Michelangelo in the barn, guys." Hanging up again, Donnie returned his attention to Mikey who'd closed his eyes. "Don't go to sleep!" he cried in sudden alarm.
Mikey couldn't find it in him to verbally respond, but he did at least open his eyes again, staring past Donnie to the now closed doors.
"Michelangelo?" Donnie ventured after a bit. "Mi... Mikey?"
Mikey looked straight into Donnie's eyes in shock at hearing Donnie actually use his nickname, before suddenly flinging himself forward into the older turtle's arms.
While he couldn't see if there were any tears or not, Donnie suspected Mikey's shaking wasn't actually due to the low temperature. Hesitantly at first, he wrapped his arms around the quivering turtle and pulled him closer, thoughts racing as he tentatively rubbed at Mikey's shell.
"Are you alright?"
Mikey shook his head against Donnie's jacketed plastron.
"Was there bad news in the recording?" Donnie asked softly, after a while.
Again, Mikey shook his head, somehow pressing even closer.
"Then did someone say something you didn't want to hear?"
Mikey couldn't seem to make up his mind whether to nod or shake his head and seemed instead to settle for some weird combination of the two.
Donnie then became aware of the barn door opening again and twisted his head to see Raph running towards Mikey and himself, carrying a pile of warm clothing while Leo carefully closed the barn door behind them.
"What the shell were ya thinkin', Mikey?" Raph snapped furiously as he reached them. "Do you know how worried we were when we came back to find you gone and with a storm comin' in?"
Donnie gave a sharp shake of his head, silently warning Raph to back off.
"Is he okay?" Leo asked softly as he joined them, crouching down alongside the trio.
Donnie turned back to face Mikey better, continuing the soothing rubbing of the younger's shell. He was glad to see Mikey calming down at last. "I'm not certain, Leo. Mikey hasn't said anything yet."
Leo and Raph immediately gave Donnie a penetrating look that all but had Donnie squirming uncomfortably.
Picking up on the tension, Mikey moved back enough to look up at the two new arrivals without pulling out of Donnie's arms. He sniffled slightly. "I... I'm okay dudes... I just... I just miss them, that's all... It was hard hearing how their lives went on after I came here..."
A pang ripped through Donnie's heart and he pulled Mikey back in close. He knew how he felt and wasn't quite sure what was worse, missing one family member and knowing he'd never see him again, or missing everyone he'd ever known and cared about, knowing he couldn't seen them again for a very long time, yet getting a brief taste of what he was missing. Seconds later, he felt Leo and Raph's arms engulf them both and Mikey finally relaxed in the bundle of arms.
"We understand..." Donnie said softly.
"That's right," Leo added. "It's especially hard to be apart during the holidays but remember, even though we aren't the same thing, you still have us Mikey, and you have no idea how grateful we are to have you here this year."
Mikey inhaled unevenly, as if having trouble catching his breath as he listened.
"What they said," Raph muttered, just loud enough to be heard. "Doubt we coulda coped through any of this shit without you with us..."
Mikey smiled, melting into the warmth surrounding him. "Th... thanks guys. I'm glad that if I couldn't be home, that I'm at least here with you."
-:-
Epilogue to come.
