Chapter 8: Christmas Surprise

A/N: I know it's been a little while for this fic, but I had the inspiration to write this due to the holidays. I really hope that all of you are having a good holiday season and that you'll enjoy this chapter. Sorry I couldn't get it up sooner but I was busy.

Disclaimer: See chapter one

I sighed as I hung up my Christmas ornaments on my tree. Holidays were often hard for me not only because of my dad not being here but David being gone as well. He was serving in the military in Iraq and wasn't able to come home. I felt bad about that because Christmas was always a special time for all of us. Now, it just felt empty without David. Sure, I could talk to him on the computer, but it wasn't the same as having him here.

As if on cue, my computer made a noise, indicating that David was on. I hurried over and wiggled my mouse to wake my computer up and activated my webcam.

"Hey, sis, how's it going?" David asked.

"Okay," I replied. "You?"

"Pretty good," he answered. "Are you decorating your tree?"

"Yeah, I just finished up," I told him. "Are you doing that, too?"

"Yep, we have a small tree though," he said. "It's not very big. I bet yours is fantastic though."

I laughed. "Not really," I responded. "It's pretty small actually." I sighed. "I wish you could come home for Christmas."

"Me, too," David agreed. "It sucks not being in New York this year. But, hey, this is the life I chose, so I have to deal with it, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, you do," I said to him. "I just wish you had chosen a career that kept you close to home."

"I know, Aub, but I had to do this," David reminded me. "You know how it was when Dad died. I just had to join and get rid of the assholes that did this to him. And now that we have, we can rest easier."

I wasn't so sure about that. Sure, bin Laden was gone, but there were others that would take his place. No matter what anyone said, terrorism would never die. We'd always have to worry about it and be cautious no matter what. However, I didn't want to fight with David about that. Now wasn't the time.

"So, how's Ben doing?" David asked me.

"Great," I replied. "We're having a great time catching bad guys."

David laughed. "I bet you two are raising hell, aren't you?" he asked me.

I laughed, too. "Yep, we sure are," I said.

"And how's Greg?"

"I haven't spoken to him," I said. "He's coming for Christmas though. I'll tell him you said hi."

"You do that," David said. "I hope Mom's holding up okay."

"She's doing the best she can," I replied. "You know she misses you though."

"I know that," David said with a sigh. "I miss her, too. But I'm sure she'll send out a care package like she always does." He paused as he heard something in the background. "Look, I gotta go," he said. "The guys want to get together for drinks. I'll talk to you later, sis. Merry Christmas."

"You too, bro," I said as my heart sank. I hated when he had to leave, but I knew he had no choice. It was what he did for a living. I turned off the computer and continued to decorate the house for the holiday. I truly wasn't into the holidays like most people were, but I still tried to decorate just to have some semblance of what it used to be for me. Holidays were so much fun when I was a kid, but now things had changed. The family was apart more and more, and it just wasn't right.

"Need any help?" a voice asked. I turned to see Leo framed in the window. He always stopped by once every night to check on me.

"No, I'm good," I replied. "Just finishing up. But I'm glad you stopped by."

"I came to invite you to our Christmas celebration," he said. "We have one every year."

"I'd like to, but I'm having Christmas with my mom and brothers," I answered. "But maybe I can stop by later."

"Hey, come when you can," he said. "And if you can't make it then, you can always come another time. We don't mind celebrating more than once."

I smiled at that. "That's cool," I said. "I'll be sure to stop by when I can." I had a sad look on my face, and I think he could see that.

"Are you okay, Aubree?" he asked me.

"I'm fine," I answered. "I'm just sad that David won't be here again. We always had such fun on Christmas."

"Well, I'm sure he'll be thinking of you just like you'll be thinking of him," Leo reassured me. "I heard on the news that the President is going to be pulling troops from Iraq. Maybe he'll come home to you."

"I heard that, too, but I'm not getting my hopes up," I said bitterly. "You know how politicians are. They just make empty promises they can't keep."

Leo didn't respond to that. Instead he changed the subject so I wouldn't feel upset anymore. I was grateful to just have him there. At least he was a source of comfort in all of my chaos that was my life. He didn't stay long but he did promise that everything would be okay. I thanked him for the encouragement and got ready for bed. I just wasn't as optimistic as he was about things. Maybe it was just the way things happened to me or whatever. I just never got my hopes up anymore.

22222

Christmas Eve was now upon me. I got ready for the day and headed to my mother's house, carrying my famous dip I often made for chips as well as the presents I had gotten for the family. Mom greeted me and gave me a big hug. Ben was also there as was Greg. Only David and Dad were missing, and I knew that out of the two of them, one wasn't ever coming back. I shook that thought off and entered the house, setting down what I had brought. The tree looked as good as it ever did, filled with ornaments and beautiful lights.

"Dinner will be ready soon," Mom said. "Just make yourselves at home."

I sat with Ben and Greg as they watched the pregame show on Fox before the game. The Giants were supposed to take on the Jets soon, and I was rooting for the Jets. I just didn't like Eli Manning as much as I liked his brother, Peyton. Eli was just too arrogant for my tastes. As we watched the pregame and listened to Frank Caliendo announce his picks while imitating John Madden, the doorbell rang.

"Oh, that must be the special guest I was bringing," Mom said. "Aubree, will you answer the door?"

Special guest? I wondered. Who could it be? I hurried to the door and opened it. Then I let out a shocked gasp. There was David dressed in his military uniform, a smile on his face.

"Surprise!" he said. "Happy to see me?"

"David!" I gasped. "You're home!" I ran into his arms and began to cry. He held me and stroked my hair. It felt so good to hug him. I just couldn't believe it was real. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming home?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he replied. "Mom knew, but she didn't want me to tell you guys."

I laughed. "You sneaky son of a bitch," I teased. "You were always one for playing jokes on us."

"Yeah, I sure was," he said. "Can I come in?"

"Oh, of course," I said, stepping aside. "I didn't get you a gift though."

"That's okay," he said. "Being here is a gift all its own."

Ben and Greg were surprised to see David too, but that wore off as they all gave hugs. Then we all settled down to watch the game until Mom called us in for dinner. David led the saying of grace before we ate, and I actually participated this time. Normally, I didn't but I figured it was a special occasion. During dinner David told us stories about his time overseas, and we all filled him in on what was going on here. Greg told us about his latest movie he was directing and asked us all to see it. We promised we would.

Then we opened presents. I received quite a few good gifts including some clothes, perfume, bath items, and even a Kindle. David hadn't given us gifts, but we didn't care about that. We also got stockings just like before filled with candy. It made me feel like I was a little kid again. We talked about past Christmas celebrations and remembered about all the adventures we had.

Mom decided to go to the evening mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and we all went too. Even though I didn't practice religion anymore or believe in any of it, it was still nice to spend time with my family, which is why I decided to go. Mom was pleased by that, but I told her that it didn't change my views on anything. She understood that and just said that it meant a lot for her that I went anyway for the sake of family.

"So, David, when are you going back to Fort Bragg?" I asked him.

"After New Year's," he said. "I was planning on staying with Mom for a bit and then maybe hanging out with you and Ben for a few days. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine," I replied. "I'm going to a Christmas celebration tomorrow with some friends, but you can always come by afterward. It shouldn't take long." I really wanted David to meet the Turtles, but I knew it was too risky. I promised that one day, I would introduce the Turtles to him and see how he took to them.

I said goodbye to him and promised to see him the next day. I was so glad to have my brother home and was so glad that he'd surprised me. It was just a wonderful Christmas surprise.

22222

The next day, I hung out with the Turtles and gave them and Splinter their gifts. I was disappointed that I hadn't been able to hang out with them the day before when all of their friends showed up, but they didn't mind. They knew how much family meant to me, and they were happy to learn that David was back. They gave me presents too, which was very nice of all of them. It was just a happy day all around.

After I hung out with the guys, I went back to my apartment and hung out with David and Ben. We had a blast playing the Wii and seeing who could win a Royal Rumble match on the newest WWE game. David beat us, which wasn't surprising. It was just a great day for me. I got to hang out with my friends and my family. Having David come home was the best present I could ask for and definitely something I would remember for a long time.

David spent time with us often during that week until he had to return to Fort Bragg. He promised to e-mail us and call us as much as possible and even promised to visit again once he was able to. He said he wasn't sure if he'd have to go overseas again but he hoped he wouldn't. After he left, I still felt a hole in my heart, but it wasn't as big as before. I think it was because I knew that he was still here and not where he could get killed. That brought me some comfort knowing that he wasn't as far away as he'd been before. I just hoped he'd never have to leave again, but sometimes it was unpredictable. Still, I knew that I would cherish the times he was here and never take them for granted.

People celebrate Christmas for different reasons. My reason is my family, and this Christmas was a testament to that fact. Our family was partly whole again, and even though Dad couldn't be there with us, he was in our hearts all the time. Maybe he was reincarnated in another body and was still out there. I liked to think of that and thought it would be a good thing if he was. Maybe he would come back to us one day when we least expected it. But for now, I would celebrate the ones I did have with me and be thankful that I had them in my life. That was all I could do. Mariah Carey had it right when she said that she only wanted the one she loved for Christmas. I had asked for that, too, and had gotten my wish. Hopefully, the New Year would bring more happiness and joy to my life as well as my family and friends.

A/N: Yay. My bunny has been written! I had been thinking about this for a long time but never got the chance to write it. I'm glad I did now. Feel free to leave a review after you've finished reading. I hope that you have a shelltastic holiday season wherever you are. And may the New Year bring you joy and happiness. I might write a New Year's prompt, too, so look out for that probably sometime this week if I can do it.