Note: Some more words in Italics are the Swedish words for the dishes Tyroth serves up. Also in this chapter was a little scene Tyroth requested, I hope you like it! :D

Chapter Eight

Last Night

Some time later, everyone was in the living area with the desserts, because of all the food they had had a Christmas dinner there was no room for pudding so they decided to wait until later in the evening.

The rest of the day had been spent playing on the Wii, though some of the gang had felt sick from playing after having such a huge meal.

"It has to be said..." said Michaelangelo "Tyroth! Your meals are the best!"

"Hey!" said April in a playful way "You saying the birds weren't good enough?"

Michaelangelo looked sheepish until April started laughing.

"He's got a point Tyroth." she said "You're a great cook!"

"He is the best!" gushed Sephie.

Tyroth scratched the back of his neck as he got a little shy.

"You give me too much credit!" he said "And we still haven't gotten the desserts yet!"

"Dessert!" Michaelangelo's eyes widened happily "I love desserts!"

"If you still have room in your bellies!" said Tyroth with a grin "Let us serve up the desserts!"

"I'll give you a hand, baby." said Sephie hopping up from one of the sofas.

Everyone watched as the Dragon and Gecko disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a couple of trays, Sephie even had one balanced on her head and tail and Tyroth had one on his tail too!

"Careful!" cried Mona worried.

"Don't worry!" said Sephie confidently "I've been practising! All that training on the plum flower poles way back have helped!"

"Okay..." said Mona still ready to grab anything in case it fell.

But luckily she didn't need to as Sephie and Tyroth placed the trays on the table before them all and at once the turtles eyes boggled out of their skulls as they saw the selections of desserts and sweets before them.

There were mince pies, Christmas Cake, shortbread cookies, as well as the Saffron buns they had before, but there were some other dishes they didn't know.

Seeing their friends puzzlement Tyroth gestured to the dishes.

"This here..." he began isKnäck or Christmas toffee, this here is Pepparkakor or Gingerbread, brown cookies flavoured with a variety of traditional Christmas spices, Julost, Christmas cheese with Crackers to go with it and this..." Tyroth then produced a bowl with Rice pudding "Is Julgröt - Christmas rice pudding but...with an almond hidden inside!"

"An Almond hidden inside?" asked Michaelangelo.

"You mean like a good luck charm?" asked Donatello.

"Yeah!" said Sephie "The cook puts an almond in it, the the one who gets it, gets good luck or will be the first to get married! In fact, we got a story behind the Rice Pudding!"

Tyroth nodded warmly as he remembered.

"Indeed we do!" he said "When Sephie and I spent our first Christmas together with my family, we served up this very pudding and when we were served our helpings, the almond had broken in half and we got one each!"

"Wow!" said Leonardo.

"That's so cute!" said Mona "It was if you were meant to be together!"

April smiled warmly and squeezed Casey's knee affectionately and Raphael placed his hand on Mona's.

"I guess you're right there Lizard Lady." Gushed Sephie nuzzling Tyroth who nuzzled her back.

"Shall we see whose got good luck this year?" asked Tyroth as he took out some plates and began to serve up the pudding.

"Sounds good to me babe!" said Sephie as she helped her mate serve the pudding.

Before long everyone was given a helping of pudding and were eating it.

"Mmmm! This is nice!" said Raphael.

"Yeah!" said Michaelangelo "Delicious!"

The others agreed as they ate their share of pudding, it soon wasn't long before Mona pulled something out of her helping of pudding.

"Oh no way!" cried Sephie "Did you find it?"

Tyroth grinned.

"I think she did babe!" he said.

Mona pulled out the object revealing it to be the almond, but there was only half of it!

"Only half!" cried Donatello.

"Where's the other?" asked Leonardo.

His question was soon answered as he heard coughing and he looked across to Raphael who had eaten some of his pudding and was leaning over with his hand over his mouth.

"Baby?" asked Mona in worry "Raph, Baby are you okay?"

"Bitten off more than he can chew?" asked Michaelangelo.

"My son?" asked Splinter standing up and walking over.

Donatello jumped up ready to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre on him and Leonardo was ready punch the back of his shell.

"Looks like he's gonna be sick!" cried Casey as he saw Raphael looking rather pale.

Suddenly Raphael spluttered into his hands and began breathing again.

"You okay Raph?" asked Tyroth worried.

Mona wrapped an arm around her mate worried then saw what he had coughed up.

"The almond!" she cried.

"Raph got the other almond?" asked April.

"Well he almost choked on it!" said Michaelangelo.

Raphael blinked as he recovered from choking and looked up.

"Looks like I got the lucky charm..." he croaked.

"Well, half of it anyway." said Sephie "Because Mona got the other half!"

"Huh?" said Raphael as he looked at Mona who held up the other half with a smile.

"Wow!" cried Tyroth "What are the odds? Another couple shares our luck?"

Sephie grinned.

Raphael despite his coughing looked at Mona and smiled and Mona nuzzled him gently.

"Looks like we are meant to be together Raphael..." she whispered softly "I love you..."

"I love you too babe." Raphael purred.

Two days later, the gang got ready to travel to Mutopia.

Tyroth and Michaelangelo had prepared lunches and dinners for everyone as it was going to be a long journey.

In fact Tyroth had used up the leftovers from the Christmas feast they had to make packed lunches, and there was more than enough for them so they wouldn't go hungry on the road.

April and Casey said they would share the driving and the mutants would hide in the back so they wouldn't be seen.

Donatello made sure the suitcases and bags were in the back as well as made sure their were blankets for everyone so they could be comfortable.

"I'm so excited to see everyone!" said Michaelangelo as he climbed into the back, the others following.

"Me too!" said Donatello "I wonder how the Chicago Knights have been getting on?"

"I hope Sara's been following the exercises I showed her." said Mona.

"I'm sure we shall find out..." said Splinter as he climbed into the back "Leonardo..." he looked back at Leonardo who climbed in after him along with the others "Everything okay back in the lair?"

"Yes Master." said Leonardo "Everything's turned off and Donatello's made sure the lair's locked up and the security up until we return!"

"Well done." said Splinter "Then if we're ready, we can go."

"We're ready!" said Sephie.

"Me too!" said Michaelangelo.

"Okay." said April "We're ready to drive off if you're all comfortable?"

Tyroth made sure everything was in the van and nodded.

"Ready when you are April!" he called "Let's go for it!" he then closed the doors of the Battle Shell and sat back with Sephie.

"Whoot!" Michaelangelo cheered "Mutopia! Here we come!"

"And to see many friends! And Put on a show!" said Donatello.

"Which everyone should enjoy!" said Leonardo

"Yeah!" said Sephie "I can hardly wait!"

Everyone cheered in agreement.

The Battle Shell then started and they began to drive out of the garage area and through New York and in the direction of Mutopia to begin their second part of Christmas.

Lol! Poor Raphael! At least he didn't choke on the lucky Almond! And he and Mona got the good luck for the year! :D

Now they're off to Mutopia to spend their second Christmas there and perform their show!