Thanks for your patience! Enjoy the new chapter! I've been looking forward to writing it!

Chapter 21: Realization

Noelle couldn't believe that Christmas was only 15 days away.

The days following Thanksgiving flew by. Noelle trained as much as she could with Splinter, leaving her exhausted and sore but feeling stronger than ever. She went on patrol with the turtles at night, all of them wrapped up in their winter gear as the air turned frigid and frosty. While she knew she was still nowhere near the boys' level of fitness and skill, she'd still come a long way than when she'd first started. She was able to pull herself up higher ledges and vault over narrow gaps without any problems, something of which she was really proud of. Whenever April came along on the patrols, the two girls would help each other with little boosts up taller walls and encouragement during fights. Noelle still wasn't directly involved in combat, but if somebody came her way she would get a few hits in until one of the guys came over to help her.

However, with each passing day Noelle also became more and more uneasy. Was her mom locked up in some horrible cage and neglected? Was Savannah suffering while her daughter ate with friends and fought against gang members on a daily basis? It just didn't seem right to Noelle, so she promised herself that her mom would be rescued no matter what. The only unfortunate thing was that even with the bugs Donnie continued to send out, there still wasn't a trace of the Kraang and their hideout. It was unsettling.

What was perhaps the most troubling of all at the moment though was that Noelle wanted to just lay in bed all day. Her forehead was hot and covered with sweat, and yet she was freezing at the same time. She curled in on herself and stuck her hands between her knees so that her body warmth would heat up her palms. She groggily eyed the clock and noticed that it was already ten. Usually she would be up by now, but she just couldn't seem to force herself to wake up. Still, she didn't want to be rude to everybody else, so she pushed herself to stand up on her wobbly legs and shakily slip her robe on before she stumbled out of her room and towards the den.

As soon as Mikey saw her shuffling awkwardly down the hall, he knew something was wrong.

"Noelle!" he called out as he rushed over and caught her before she landed face-first on the ground. He worriedly stared at her scarlet face and briefly glanced at Leo, who immediately sprinted towards Donnie's lab. "Hey, you okay?" he asked her with concern as he wiped a bead of perspiration off her forehead.

"Really hot," she mumbled out before attempting to push herself back up. Her clothes felt like they were sticking to her skin.

"Thanks girl! I try," Mikey teased with a wink, earning a weak embarassed chuckle from the blonde.

Donnie spurted out of his lab towards them with his little white medical kit that he always kept nearby in case of an emergency. He knelt beside the sickly girl and placed a hand on her forehead. "She's running a fever," he stated before he inserted a thermometer into her mouth. A moment later it beeped off and his eyes widened. " Her temperature is 103. We need to get her back to bed now so she can sweat it out. I'll give her some medicine first." He reached into his kit and grabbed a bottle to pop out two pills. "Leo, can you grab me some water please?"

"Got it."

The Leader rushed into the kitchen, leaving the two brothers alone with their coughing ill friend. "Mikey, do you mind carrying her to her room after she takes her medicine?"

"No problemo dude."

Leo returned with the drink and handed it to Noelle, who took the pills with and cup with trembling hands while Mikey laid a palm on her upper back to help keep her up. She really wasn't well, and he was trying not to be worried about it for her sake. She looked completely miserable as she downed the medicine before she fell into him in an exhausted heap. He stood up with her in his arms and followed Donatello back to Noelle's room while Leo observed from behind.

The lights were left off as Mikey sat her on the bed and aided her in taking her robe off. Once the material had been shed he laid her down, trying not wince over how warm her skin felt through her clothing.

"I'm sorry," Noelle mumbled in embarrassment. "I don't know what happened."

"It's okay," he reassured her with his usual smile. "D is gonna take good care of you and I'll be around too." He reached over and tenderly squeezed her hand.

Donnie walked through the doorway with a drenched washcloth, his eyes not missing the way his little brother's hand was protectively wrapped around Noelle's. He smiled at the display and decided not to tease him about it, for now, at least. "Here we go. This should help cool her down a little." The lanky turtle stood next to Mikey and set the cool cloth over Noelle's forehead. "I'll make sure somebody comes in every two hours to check in on her. We should probably let her rest now."

"Okay." Mikey didn't really want to leave her, but he knew she really needed to sleep. Noticing that she'd already started her slumber, he gave her hand one more squeeze before he followed his older brother out of the room, only turning around to look at her once before he closed the door.

"Feel better, okay?"

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True to Donnie's word, somebody went to check on the poor sick girl every couple hours. Her rag was changed, and April helped take Noelle to the bathroom a couple times when she needed to use it. Lunch was skipped because she was simply too tired to eat, but when dinnertime finally rolled around, April prepared a bowl of chicken noodle soup and grabbed some water to bring to her friend. Mikey had been restless with worry the entire day, so when he saw a chance to spend time with Noelle he took it by following the red head back to the blonde's room. Fortunately, Noelle seemed ready to eat by that time.

"Thank you. I'm sorry about all this."

All three friends were seated comfortably on the bed as Noelle gradually sipped her soup, the hot liquid wetting her dry throat and lips. She had regained some color back in her face, no longer being the exhausted pale person she'd been after first waking up that morning. The sleep had really done her a lot of good, and from what Donnie had gathered from taking her temperature right before he meal, her fever had dropped to 100.

"Hey, everybody gets sick," April stated with a sympathetic smile on her face. "I'm just sorry that it's you right now."

"Yeah, why couldn't it have been Raph?" Mikey added on. "Although I guess if he was sick I wouldn't be able to bug him all day."

The red head smirked and rolled her eyes. "So Noelle, Christmas is coming up. You got any plans?"

Noelle lowered her empty bowl down and leaned back against her propped up pillow, her fingers resting over her blanketed stomach. When she was younger, the idea of Christmas had always excited her. It wasn't the presents that she looked forward to the most, but rather the whole magical serene atmosphere of not only the special day, but some of the days leading up to it as well. It was as if everybody suddenly got along and believed that peace on Earth could actually be achieved, and to be able to watch the snow fall from her bedroom window just added to the enchantment.

This year would be different though. She didn't feel as excited as she usually did, and it left a gaping hole in her heart that she never knew existed until now. "To be honest, I haven't given it much though," she responded while trying not to let the ache she felt sneak into her voice. "It'll be different this year, so I'm not entirely sure what to do."

Recognition and melancholy gleamed in April's eyes. "I understand how you feel. This will be my first Christmas without dad, just like this will be yours without your mom, right?"

The blonde nodded. It comforted Noelle a little to know that somebody else was going through the same thing she was, even though she wished that wasn't the case. The idea of somebody experiencing Christmas without their parent was just really dismal, especially since it was one of her closest friends. Still, that was something that the two girls bonded over, and maybe they could use that to help each other out if the holiday became too emotional for either of them.

"But you guys got me and my bros," Mikey clarified with a grin, eager to clear out the suddenly heavy atmosphere. "It'll be totally great!"

"Yeah, you're right." April playfully nudged the terrapin with a smirk.

Noelle gazed at her green friend in thought. "Do you and your family usually decorate the lair for Christmas?"

"Uh, not really. I mean, sometimes D finds stuff out in the dump and we might put it around somewhere, but that's it." Mikey's eyes lit up. "Ooh, we could totally decorate this year! Let's do it!"

"My thoughts exactly," the redhead agreed. "We'll even get a tree and some ornaments."

Noelle thought back to the small Christmas tree her and her mom had up every year. Of course, she was the one who ended up decorating with what little decorations they had. Her favorite part of the festive design was the angel at the top. She liked to sit in the dark and watch it glow because it made her not feel so alone, like there was hope out there for her to find a new friend and somehow earn the love of her parents one day. Even now, with all her friends and the renewed relationship between her and her dad, she still thought the angel on the tree was the most beautiful decoration of all.

"We always used an angel to top our tree," she vocalized. "It was like a beacon of hope for me." Her eyes trailed over to April. "What did you use?"

"A star. I always got to stick it on top of the tree." April smiled fondly at the memory before she noticed her friend's empty bowl. "Well, we should let you rest. Let's head out Mikey."

"Feel better!" The orange-masked reptile pulled his friend into a tight hug and skipped out of the room, content and elated with the whole idea of decorating. Noelle smiled and scooted down below the covers when her light was turned off, where she slipped into a deep sleep while thinking of trees and angels.

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The next day, Noelle still didn't feel well, but her fever had at least broken. She was mostly just exhausted and needed to rest some more, much to Mikey's disappointment. He was hoping she'd be up to help them decorate with the items April and Casey had brought over, but he cheered up when Leo suggested that it could all just be a big surprise for her when she felt better.

The tree the two humans brought down was a fake, as it would have been extremely difficult to lug a real one into the sewers. Mikey played Christmas music on the radio and hummed out the songs he knew with a jovial grin that barely left his face, even though his eyes constantly turned towards Noelle's room to see if she had miraculously recovered. His good mood only increased when April gave each of the brothers a round green ornament with a ribbon that matched their mask and a pair of googly eyes on top to give a representation of them. It was a dorky adorable gift that Raph teased her about but happily accepted anyways. Casey had some hockey ornaments to add on, and April had brought a couple boxes of hers from home with the brothers' help.

"What's this?"

April turned away from the tree to look at Mikey, who was holding what looked like two small leaves held together by three plastic red berries.

"That's mistletoe," she explained, already regretting what she was telling him. "When it's over two people's heads they have to kiss under it."

"Oh realllly?" With a sneaky smirk Mikey ran over to Donnie and held the mistletoe up so he could give his older brother a big kiss on the cheek. Donnie scoffed and rubbed the wet spot on his face. "I love you D!"

"Gee thanks."

"Mwah! Love you Leo!"

"Ugh, love you too."

"Don't you dare touch me don't you dare-ugh! Mikey!"

"And I love you Raph!" Pleased with his progress in annoying his brothers, the energetic terrapin stuck the fake plant in his belt in case he needed to pull it out and be annoying later.

April just shook her head and wished that Noelle could've been around to see the holiday chaos. She only hoped her friend got better soon.

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Noelle slept the entire day away, waking up only to eat soup like she had before. This time, Mikey brought in his radio so they could listen to Christmas music together, humming and singing along to the familiar tunes that she had grown up with. She felt her spirits gradually lifting up as she listened to him talking about the ornament April had given him and how he'd discovered what mistletoe was and had used it on his brothers, prompting the blonde to laugh before bursting into a coughing fit.

Once the meal was over, she ended up sleeping the rest of the day until night finally arrived and she felt her shoulder being shaken.

"Noelle."

She groggily squeezed her eyes shut, convinced she was still dreaming as she snuggled against the pillow and basked in the warmth of her blanket.

"Psst! Noelle! Wake up!"

She forced her eyes to finally open, only to peer through the darkness and into Mikey's excited face. "Mikey?"

"Yeah!" he loudly whispered as he stepped back. "I have something to show you! C'mon!"

Her eyes glanced at her clock to see that it was exactly midnight. She was confused as to what was going on, but Mikey looked like he would burst from enthusiasm at any moment, so she decided to follow along and see what he was up to. He extended a hand out and she slipped hers into his, her face growing warm as he pulled her out of the room.

"Close your eyes."

She did as he said, trusting his direction as he navigated her into the hallway and towards the unknown. It wasn't long until she felt herself stop and his hand left hers, though she could have sworn he had squeezed it before letting go. "Okay, and open!"

[Frozen-We Were So Close]

When she opened her eyes she saw the den with a modest-sized Christmas tree right next to the TV. Ribbons were hung up everywhere, along with some bells and garland. The tree was covered with ornaments and lights, glowing beautifully within the darkness of the lair. A round rug lay at the base of the artificial plant, and thin strings of lights hung off of the ceiling.

"It's so pretty," she breathed out, unable to prevent the smile from spreading across her lips as she took in the whole majestic scene. Mikey looked pleased with her response and guided her forward until they were right in front of the glowing tree.

"It's just missing something," he coyly stated as he reached down beside one of the couches and pulled up a familiar looking angel.

Her breath caught in her throat. It was the one her and her mom used every single year back at the apartment building. Luckily, it had somehow remained unscathed from the commotion that had taken place only a few months ago. She shakily reached out to take it, pressing it firmly against her chest in some sort of hug.

"Hope you don't mind, but April, Casey and I went back to your place earlier to find it. I'm glad it's still in one piece," he admitted. "I thought you would want to put it up."

She nodded earnestly and watched as he hunched down so she could climb on and reach the top of the tree. She sat on his shell, extended the angel out and set it right at the very top. She flipped the switch on its side on, causing it to glow just as beautifully as she remembered. Noelle slid off of his shell and put her feet flat on the floor, her eyes not once leaving the angelic glow. Her heart suddenly hurt as she was hit full-force by the realization that it would be the first Christmas without her mom. Her heartache combined with the remnants of a fever caused tears to spring to her eyes as she sank to the floor, her shaking frame immediately enveloped by warm arms as Mikey lowered himself to the same level as her and held onto her.

[+]

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she hastily tried to scrub away the trails of water rolling down her face. "I really am happy, I promise."

Mikey gently rubbed her back and rested his face against her head while he sat on his knees. "It's okay, I get it. It's okay to be a little sad and miss your mom." He watched as she continued to wipe away more tears, but unlike the other times she'd cried there was at least a smile on her face, and he couldn't help smiling back.

"The angel really is beautiful though. I just can't believe you found it. It means so much to me." She pulled back sniffling, but the way the lights danced in her eyes showed a deep joy that Mikey appreciated and found beautiful. If he could do anything to make her smile, then he'd do it.

"It does look really pretty," he cheerfully agreed, his hand lowering itself down from her back and onto her hand. He squeezed her fingers together before his hand retreated away to rest on his knees as they both stared at the tree and admired the elegance of it all. At that moment, they weren't a human and a turtle staring at a fake tree in the sewers, but just two people basking in the glowing miracle of Christmas. They were two close friends enjoying each other's company in the comfort of their home.

Noelle smiled as she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off to sleep from the fatigue of her sickness, her head relaxing against Mikey's shoulder. The teen boy glanced down and saw her sleeping, her breath gentle and calm against his skin. His lips curled up and he carefully lifted her off the floor so he could take her to her room, his eyes barely leaving her slumbering expression for even a second. The lights glowed off her skin and hair, giving her an angelic appearance that he was unable to look away from.

As he laid her on the bed and tucked her in, he felt his heart pounding beneath his plastron. Even through the dark he could see her sleeping form, and as he just analyzed her features he became aware of a warm feeling blossoming around him. The feeling didn't clearly have a name, at least not yet, but he knew that it meant Noelle was the most precious person to him. He loved his brothers, April and even Casey a lot, but the emotions and feelings he had for them were much different than what he held for Noelle. Her smile made him smile, and for some strange reason he just wanted to give her a really, really long hug. She was not only beautiful, but really nice too, and that made him want to protect her even more.

He swallowed nervously as an idea suddenly entered his mind. He nervously reached into his belt and pulled the mistletoe out so he could hold it above their heads, and with his cheeks burning, he closed his eyes and kissed her on her forehead, her skin smooth beneath his lips. He pulled back after a few seconds and placed his fingers over his lips as they tingled from their contact with her, and he knew in that moment, without a doubt, that he had feelings for his best friend.

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Noelle felt refreshed when she woke up. She was still embarrassed over crying the previous night, but for some odd reason she was also really happy. She smiled as she dressed herself and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, feeling like nothing could really bring her down. With light steps she wandered down the hallway and beamed at all the Christmas decorations, her mood somehow brightening even further.

"Ah, good morning my child," Splinter greeted as he was about to enter the dojo. "How do you feel?"

"I actually feel pretty well, Sensei," Noelle honestly responded with a smile. "I guess I just needed some rest."

"Perhaps, but you should wait until at least tomorrow before you go back to the surface. I am certain the cold weather played a part in your illness. If you would like though, you may join me for meditation later."

Noelle hadn't been meditating as often as when she'd first started, and it sounded rather calming, so she nodded and promised to meet him later. She went to the kitchen and saw only Raph and Leo sitting at the table while Mikey hummed as he made them breakfast. Raph grinned and nodded at her.

"Well, well, look who's finally up."

"Who?" Mikey asked prior to turning around with a slice of toast in his mouth. His eyes widened when he saw his best friend standing at the table and immediately rushed over to pull her into a hug, the piece of toast falling from between his lips. She giggled as he lifted her off the ground and spun her around. "Yay! You're awake!"

"I am!" When he set her back down they exchanged smiles. Mikey thought of when he'd kissed her forehead and turned red, while Noelle remembered how he'd spun her around the night the snow fell and blushed as well. "So, uh, want some breakfast?"

"Oh, um, sure." She seated herself next to Raph and just stared at the table, her cheeks pink and eyes held in some sort of daze she wasn't aware of. Raph looked between Noelle and Raph and then glanced at Leo, who mirrored the same exact queasy look. Both brothers remained silent, but it was clear that they shared identical thoughts.

This was way worse than Donnie and April.

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The lair was silent except for the gentle breathing emitted from Splinter and his blonde pupil. The brothers had left about a half hour ago, so Noelle took the opportunity to join her Sensei in meditation. With her mind cleared and body relaxed, she felt fresh and far better than she'd felt in days. It was almost as if all the sickness had left her body along with all the negative thoughts that occasionally plagued her mind, most of them the same ones that brought self-doubt and fear of not being able to reach her mom in time. She was unaware that Splinter had opened his eyes and was watching her relaxed form with interest, proud of how far she'd come with her training and just life in general.

"How different do you feel now than when you first started your lessons?"He asked, prompting the girl to lift her lids and focus on her teacher.

"I feel more confident, I think," she replied after contemplating her thoughts for a moment. "I feel happier too."

"I can tell. You have come a long way since my sons first brought you here. You are no longer a scared girl, but a brave young woman. I could not ask for a better person to be Michelangelo's friend."

The way he spoke brought a deep sense of pride to Noelle. He just sounded so fatherly and appreciative that she couldn't help smiling. "Thank you Sensei. Mikey has really helped me out. I don't know what I'd do without him." She felt herself growing warm as she admitted the thought.

"I know, my child. Our session is finished. You may go."

"Hai Sensei." Noelle stood up and bowed before she walked out of the dojo, leaving behind a contemplative Splinter as he considered her and Mikey's friendship. He nearly asked her what her feelings toward his youngest son were, but decided against it. His children would simply need to find their own way, just like he had to.

Splinter closed his eyes, and allowed himself to drift back into memories of when he was younger and had first laid eyes on his beloved Tang Shen.

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Noelle strolled to her bedroom, steps light and airy as she swayed her body gently to silent music. She wasn't sure if it was because of the meditation or the upcoming holiday, but her spirits felt high and she had the urge to paint, though what she'd make she wasn't sure of. Sometimes that happened, where she wanted to be creative but had no idea what she'd create. Sometimes it was important for her to just fall back and allow her creative mind to take over.

[Gothic Storm-Whisper of Hope]

She entered her room and closed the door behind her softly, her hands pressed against the wood as she pushed her back off of it and advanced towards her pile of art supplies next to the dresser. She grabbed a paint set and squeezed the tubes with the desired colors out onto her art palette before she reached for her iPod and switched it on. With paintbrush in hand she stood in front of the blank canvas, her eyes scouring the surface while her fingertip tingled with the desire to create. She closed her eyes and allowed the music to envelop her.

For but a moment she remained blind before her eye lids flew open and her paintbrush dipped into a small glob of green. The bristles flew across the board in a circular motion. She added in some yellow and mixed the two together before adding the new color to her canvas. She moved faster, the brush smearing itself in various colors and lathering the board. Her eyes closed as the paint flew. The music engulfed her senses as she spun, dipped the brush in orange and swirled before flicking the droplets off, remain paint splotches land on her wrist and cheek. She continued her twirl, switching back and forth between the canvas and palette. Dipping, spinning, painting; all lost in the music as passion and creativity took over. The desire was so personal and much stronger than any other time before as she brought her creation to life. She barely took in what she was painting, only allowed herself to remain in the trance and bask in the strength of passion. Her hair whipped around. Another spin. Dip. More green for the surroundings. Faster. Swipe across the canvas. Mix the colors. Smear. Spin. It was a dance of fluid movement and twirls, from one color to the other. All in time with the music.

And then, everything stopped.

Her eyes opened and her senses returned, leaving her stunned and confused with reddened cheeks as she stared into the bright baby blue eyes of Mikey. Her lips parted in surprise and wonder as she marveled at the painting of her best friend standing in a forest, smiling and looking like he was about to burst out of the canvas at any moment to pull her into one of her usual hugs. He just looked so alive and carefree that for a moment she was frightened that he would start moving at any moment and ask why she was watching him.

[+]

She set the palette and paint brush down on the dresser slowly, her heart rapidly pounding in her chest while her face felt like it was on fire. She'd never experienced something so personal while painting before, and the fact that it was Mikey just jumbled her thoughts even more. Her fingers shook as she hesitantly reached forward and rested the tips against the canvas, her body overwhelmed with emotion as she realized that everything leading up to this moment was a giant indication of what she really felt, or what she thought she felt anyways.

April watched her friend's inner battle with herself from the door way, her freckled dimples glowing in excitement. The red head was easily able to tell that Noelle and Mikey liked each other, and this only confirmed it. She remained quiet and tried to keep her glee under control though; this was something the two of them needed to figure out, and she'd only interfere and provide an opinion if she was asked to.

April gently rapped her knuckles against the side of the door frame, catching the blonde off-guard with a startled squeak before she stood right in front of the painting. The redhead laughed and shook her head prior to walking into the room. "Relax, I won't tell anybody. It's seriously beautiful though. I think he'd love it."

"I'm a little scared," Noelle admitted, her shoulders slumping in defeat and failing to hide the picture. "I always feel weird around him, but not in a bad way. I've never felt like this before and I honestly don't know what to do."

"Didn't expect to give advice so quickly," April thought to herself in amusement. "Just do what comes naturally. Be yourself. It's okay to have a crush on somebody, and Mikey is pretty awesome."

"I have a crush on Mikey," the artistic teen practically whispered with wide eyes. She'd never had a crush on anybody before, and to say it out loud just made the whole thing more real and nerve-wrecking. "Do I?"

"Well, that's just my guess. I think this is something you'll eventually get an answer to on your own. Just continue hanging out with Mikey and you'll find out soon enough."

"O-okay." Noelle's face was bright red as she carefully turned the easel around and hid it in a corner. She supposed that her friend was right, and that whatever was meant to happen would happen. She couldn't help feeling a little happy as she thought about Mikey and how she might like him. He always went out of his way to make her happy, and he succeeded every single time. She trusted him with her life, but if it came down to it, could she willingly put her heart into his hands? She didn't know if she was ready for that or not. As gazed up at the painting though and saw his face smiling down at her, she felt warmth blossoming in her chest.

Yes, she could trust him with her heart.

"Casey is here too. We were going to see if you wanted to watch a movie with us. You up for it?" April asked. "We brought some pizza over too if you feel like you can eat it."

Noelle looked at her friend, and a smile spread across her face. Four months ago she'd been sitting in her room all alone, wishing for friends and to be accepted by others. Now, she was being invited to watch a movie by her two human friends while her heart fluttered for her non human one. Life had changed drastically, and the part concerning her parents had hurt, she couldn't help but be grateful for the opportunity she'd been given for her new life. She beamed at the picture once more and followed her friend out of the room.

"Okay, I'm coming."