Day five: silent night, musical night

December 18th

Leo had long finished eating the peppermint flavored chocolate from the calendar, but he couldn't stop staring at the message on the red paper that accompanied it with little doodles of music notes in each corner.

Get those angelic pipes ready.

Okay, now this one had to be a joke.

Leo wasn't the sharpest sword in the dojo, but even he knew what they were talking about.

Caroling, they were talking about caroling.

He'd seen people caroling in specials and heard them from above the sewers as a child and developed a fascination with it. Not as strong as other holiday traditions but a fascination no less.

He thought it would be fun to try, but learned quickly the rest of his family wasn't as enthusiastic.

It wasn't like he didn't understand, it would be difficult to hide…their whole situation, even bundled up in winter clothing. Not to mention they hadn't exactly been easy for Splinter to wrangle when they were little, and he'd learned as he got older most people found caroling annoying.

Still, he wanted to do it at least once, it never stopped anyone else before, right?

April had offered to go with him once as a sort of duet. Unfortunately, she'd gotten sick, and they'd had to cancel. He'd understood of course, but she must have seen his disappointment as she'd promised they would try again next year.

…Unfortunately, next year ended up being invasion year.

Had April spoken to his brothers? Was that why they were doing this? It made the most sense. Leo couldn't help smirking, wondering how she'd talked them into it.

Scratch that, he wondered how she talked Splinter into it.

For all his love of karaoke and desperation to join their band, the rat hadn't hidden his animosity for caroling. Of course there was no guarantee his Father was coming, actually there was no guarantee his brothers were coming. It could still be him and April and his brothers just wanted to make it fancy.

"Guess I'll find out" he mumbled to himself.

"A star, a star, dancing in the night. With a tail as big as a kite…" Leo heard his twin sing from his room.

Alright, so Donnie was definitely coming.

He should've expected that, really, Donnie may have been more of a dancer, but he also enjoyed singing. All of them did, his brothers just hadn't loved the idea of having doors slammed in their faces.

Which was fair cause who did?

Although it made him wonder even more what changed their minds, or at least Donnie's as he was the only one confirmed joining in so far. It was true they'd changed their minds about a lot of things he'd brought up in the past recently, had they really been that shaken up by the invasion?

Well, that was a stupid question. Of course they had, he'd be more worried if they hadn't. Perhaps such a close call had inspired something in them? Never mind that they couldn't celebrate properly last year, they were almost never able to celebrate again, why not go all out now?

That didn't really explain why they kept looking to him when they'd clearly planned everything. He just couldn't believe it was because he was the leader, especially when he'd done such a lousy…

Leo gave his head a shake. No, his family didn't want him thinking like that, no matter how justified.

It probably had nothing to do with status. A lot of what they'd planned so far was based off suggestions he'd made over the years; they were most likely just drawing inspiration from them. Maybe, since they were technically his ideas, they were merely letting him take the lead.

That was…plausible, but that still didn't explain why they'd left him out of said planning if that was the case.

More importantly, it didn't explain the advent calendar.

As Leo walked to the kitchen pondering, he noticed the door to Raph's room was open. He'd been wondering since day one if his brothers had their own calendars but had yet to find a good time to ask. If only because they changed the subject every time he tried to ask anything related.

Maybe it was time to take matters into his own hands a little.

Looking around, Leo quietly snuck into his older brother's room. On first glance, he couldn't spot anything, maybe Raph put it away? Or he had the kind that hung off the door?

"Leo?" He jumped with a gasp as he spun around to Raph in the doorway. "What are you doing in here?" He asked, brow raised in confusion before his expression morphed into a sly smirk "ah, trying to find your gift, are you?"

"N-no!" Leo stuttered with a blush. He may have given into temptation a few times in the past, but he was nowhere near as bad as Mikey! "No, I was just…curious about the note" it wasn't a lie, per say, he really was curious and was more likely to receive an answer "are you seriously telling me we're going caroling?"

Raph didn't look entirely convinced, but as long as he didn't ask further questions, Leo could live with the snooping accusation. "Well, yes and no" he replied with a shrug and apologetic grin "it was the original idea, but April did some reconnaissance and…yeah, folks are still a bit too jumpy. But…" Raph continued; his smile now cheerful "Señor Hueso said we could sing for his customers at the restaurant!"

"For real? I mean I know Hueso and his family do, but I thought Dad said yokai didn't really celebrate Christmas?" Ignoring that they'd somehow convinced the skeleton into doing this for the moment, how would the patrons react?

"Well Run of the Mill is up here, so Hueso said the customers are used to the exposer while dining" Raph explained.

"Huh" that did make sense, Splinter had implied something similar about Big Mama, even Draxum had said as much. "I'm actually surprised you talked him into it" Leo admitted with a smile.

Raph chuckled with a shrug as he guided the slider out of his room. Leo did his best to hide his disappointment, he'd have to find time to search his brother's rooms for calendars properly later. Still, he couldn't deny he was looking forward to their sort of caroling.

Although it dawned on him Raph hadn't actually told him how they managed to get Hueso on board. It wasn't that big a deal in the grand scheme, but he couldn't deny he was curious, Hueso was a tough nut after all.

Perhaps he could get something out of Hueso himself if he was in such a generous mood.

Leo hummed his favorite carol as they walked to Run of the Mill. They'd left early so they could eat and plan out their playlist, or so he assumed. No one had said anything to him about which songs they'd be performing or what order. Of course they could be waiting to tell him once they started, that appeared to be a recurring theme.

Not that he was complaining.

…Much.

Behind him, his brothers, April, and Splinter watched on. How they wished they could've included real caroling in the plan, but it couldn't be helped. They could understand that the people of New York were still traumatized by the Krang, and Leo appeared to be happy enough singing carols at Hueso's.

Besides there was always next year if Leo was up for it.

Upon entering the restaurant, they were greeted by a modest collection of Christmas decorations. Lights similar to the ones from last night were hung, the tables had little centerpieces and themed tablecloths, there was even a tree near the maze of death.

"Ah, you're here early" Leo's face lit up as Hueso approached them with his usual neutral expression.

"Señor Hueso! Feliz Navidad!" He greeted cheerfully with a wave "I love the decorations!"

"They are the same ones as the previous year, Pepino" he replied casually, but a small grin made its way onto the skeletons face. He motioned for them to follow and lead them to a booth.

"So how'd they do it?" Leo whispered to Hueso, leaning in.

"Qué?"

"How'd my bro's talk you into letting us sing here tonight?" He prodded further "gimme all the details, did Raph beg? I bet Raph begged." He put on his best puppy dog face in a desperate bid to improve his odds of getting information.

Not surprisingly, it did nothing to sway the yokai as Hueso's expression remained neutral, even with the grin. "I hardly see why you'd need to know such things" he replied coolly, ignoring Leo's pout.

At least he could say he tried.

Hueso handed them each a menu once they were seated. Honestly, it probably wasn't necessary, they had the whole menu memorized by heart. Minus the holiday items they were just noticing, the majority of which were desert and beverage retaliated that they were totally trying all of before the end of the holiday.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" Leo asked as they waited for their order.

"Oh, we kind of assumed you had one already" Mikey confessed.

Leo supposed he could understand that, he had a plan for almost everything else. "Mm, not really, no" he admitted, absentmindedly as a waiter brought them all hot chocolate. He couldn't help but notice his was the only one with whipped cream and cinnamon "I mean, there are a few songs that are absolute musts, but beyond that…?"

"Yeah, which ones?" Raph asked.

"Well for sure the classics. You know, Holly Jolly Christmas, Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls…" he counted them off on his fingers as he spoke. Having only three on each hand, he went back and forth between them a few times. As he did, Mikey took note on his phone "then there's that one I can never remember the names of…"

"Hum it" Donnie said, holding out his phone. He had one of those apps that could identify music open. They were sitting next to each other, so Leo easily leaned in and hummed softly. Donnie glanced down at the screen "it's called Sleigh Ride" he said as he read the results.

"I think it might be a good idea to stick with the festive ones" Leo confessed. "Since yokai don't really celebrate the holiday, they might not be into the more religious songs, best to avoid them" Mikey gave a small gasp, looking at him distraught. "With the exception of The First Noel, of course" he assured him quickly, making him smile. He wasn't about to leave out Mikey's favorite.

Raph and April hummed as the looked over Mikey's shoulder to read the list. "…I don't know if we can get through all of them" April confessed reluctantly, almost guilty "but we'll certainly try."

"It's cool if we can't" his expression was casual, but his tone was reassuring. He didn't understand why she felt guilty, it couldn't be helped if they couldn't do every song, he didn't even expect them to.

Their many pizzas arrived, and they wasted no time digging in. "Alright, let's try and organize what we've got. With luck we can perform the majority" Donnie took hold of the box turtles' phone, looking over what was written down. "I know you've said otherwise, Nardo, but do you have any preference?" He glanced at his twin with an arched brow.

Leo looked over his shoulder at the list in deep concentration "hmm, I guess We Wish you a Merry Christmas would be as good a place to start, it's not too long…" he began slowly. As he spoke, Donnie organized the list accordingly "boy, I hope we don't piss off all of Señor Hueso customers" he said, the thought only just now striking him.

"Aw, come on" April scoffed "I'm sure our singing isn't that bad!"

"Well, yours isn't! You've got the voice of an angel!" Leo said with a wide smile. April blushed with a smile of her own, waving her hand bashfully "but still, they might not be too happy to be entertained by us. We don't exactly have the best reputation in the Hidden City."

"Don't worry about it" Donnie said casually but he was already plotting. If anyone heckled them and ruined his twin's night…

…Well, here's hoping Hueso would be more forgiving than Donnie.

"Hey, you didn't mention your favorite" Raph realized as he reread the list. There was no mention of The Twelve Days of Christmas anywhere, he couldn't even remember hearing Leo bring it up as they were organizing.

"Well, yeah most people find it annoying" Leo said with a shrug "Don Tron's said multiple times I'm the only one who can stand it."

"Tough" Donnie said bluntly.

Mikey nodded, taking back his phone and typing away "yeah, if nobody likes it, they'll can suck it up."

Hueso listened in on the family's conversation as he tended to his patrons with a grin. While he was a tad worried about Donatello's potential retaliation should anyone protest, he shared the brothers' sentiments.

He could only hope he could throw the troublemakers out before the family got to them, for the poor fool's sake.

He glanced over to where Junior was helping Piel set up the karaoke machine the turtles had brought over earlier that week. His smile growing as he watched his son and brother chat happily. He and Piel still had a long way to go, but there was no denying their relationship had definitely improved for the best, and he had Leonardo to thank.

It was one of the reasons he'd offered to let them do their caroling here when his brothers had been drowning their sorrows and frustrations in pizza because they couldn't do traditional caroling for their plan.

Their plan was a lovely one, and he was glad to contribute however little he could.

He still remembered the first time Leonardo came to the restaurant after all the unpleasantness. The young turtle he'd come to know, usually so bright and full of life still heavily bandaged, visibly thinner and paler, and in need of forearm crutches just to stay upright. It had been a somber sight, despite the boy's best efforts to maintain his usual cheery disposition.

Of course that paled in comparison to the first time he'd seen Leonardo after the invasion…

Hueso gave his head a shake 'none of that now' he scolded himself.

Tonight was meant to be a nice night.

Passing the karaoke machine again, his brother gave him a thumbs up, earning a nod in return. "Disculpe Pepino" he spoke up upon returning to their table "we're all set, you can start whenever you please."

"Oh nice, thanks Bone Man!" Leo smiled widely, earning a small grin and a nod in return. He turned to his family, not even bothering to hide his excitement "we ready to go?!"

"As we're gonna be" Raph said confidently.

Leo all but leapt from his seat and dashed towards the machine, his family close behind. "Should we, like…say something?" He asked as he picked up one of the mics, looking between his family.

"I'll introduce you" Junior offered cheerfully. Leo smiled and gave him the mic with a pat on the head. "Hola! Welcome to Run of the Mill!" The boy announced happily, getting all the patrons' attention "we have something special tonight, my friend Leo and his family from the surface will be sharing songs from the human holiday Christmas!" He looked up at Leo as he handed back the mic "how was that?"

"Couldn't have done it better myself" he said proudly before turning to the crowd, a few rolled their eyes or scoffed, but he was grateful to see most of them looked intrigued. "All righty folks, you heard the kid! Get ready for some holiday cheer! And if you must throw food, please try and aim for our mouths!" It was a joke of course, so he didn't understand why everyone looked so nervous.

Mainly because his back was turned to his family, so he didn't see the threatening death glares they were giving, daring the audience to try anything.

Said glares were gone once he turned to face at them.

"They know I'm kidding right?" He whispered apprehensively, covering the mic for good measure "maybe I should apologize?"

"I'm sure they do" Raph assured him with a smile, sending one last warning gaze to the customers over the sliders head. Were they being too harsh? Perhaps, but Leo had been through enough heartache.

Leo still looked a bit worried but decided to let it go for now "alright so without further ado…"

He motioned to Donnie, who started up the machine with the first song already selected. Instantly music filled the restaurant, with the rest of his family armed with mics, he looked back out to the crowd with a wide smile as they began to sing.

"We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas…"

"You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear, voices singing, let's be jolly, deck the halls with boughs of holly!"

Hueso smiled as the Hamato family sang Rockin Around the Christmas Tree. They'd been at it for about an hour and a half now and were still going strong, it was honestly impressive. He had to admit they were all decent singers, not professional level, but still nice. Leonardo wasn't kidding about Miss O'Neil; she really had the voice of an angel.

They were actually providing a nice ambiance. Despite the earlier reservations the customers seemed to have been won over and were enjoying them, or the ones visibly paying attention anyway. As long as no one was openly jeering them, there shouldn't be an issue.

Maybe he should host karaoke more often.

As the song came to a close, a few yokai clapped politely while Leo browed dramatically. "Thank you! We're gonna take a quick snack break then it's back to the show!" He promised enthusiastically, his family already making their way back to their table.

"I must say, you all certainly know how to put on a show" Hueso chuckled as he set down some drinks.

Splinter puffed his chest "well, they are my boys" he said coyly with a smirk. "And, well…" he chuckled, polishing his claws "…not to brag, but I was quite the talented actor in my day. Some would say the greatest of my generation."

"Keyword was" Donnie mumbled to his brothers teasingly, none of them bothering to hide their snickers as their Father shot them a dirty look.

Raph cleared his throat to smother his laughter and looked at their list "anyway which song should we do next?"

"…Could I, perhaps, make a request?" Hueso asked hesitantly as he set a new pizza down, adjusting his tie.

Leo looked at him with a surprised smile "I didn't know you knew any carols. But I guess it makes sense, your restaurant has been here awhile. Alright, lay it on us!" He drummed the table excitedly, happy that Hueso was getting in on the fun.

Hueso smiled warmly, his gaze lingering on Leo before looking away. "Silent Night" he spoke softly after a moment, almost sad.

Leo tilted his head curiously "Silent Night?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully "well we were going to avoid the more religious ones, but I guess one more couldn't hurt…yeah, we could sing that next" he glanced at the others for their opinion. They all nodded in agreement "okay, Silent Night it is, ooh do you wanna sing it with us?

"Tempting, but I'm far too busy I'm afraid" he declined politely. Hueso smiled as he left to tend to another table, sparing a glance back at the family.

Memories from the previous year replaying in his head all the while.

Last year…

Hueso could say he'd experienced much darkness in his life, but by far, this was a contender for the top ten.

Maybe the top five.

The skeleton man stared at the unconscious young turtle in the bed, trying to remain strong for the sake of the boys Father. He'd known it was naïve to think Leonardo would be back to his usual self upon awakening from his coma, but he couldn't help daring to hope.

It was clear his family had hoped the same, and he couldn't blame them. Seeing Leonardo so lifeless, hooked up to all this medical equipment, there was almost no difference.

Everything about the sight was wrong.

"I'm sorry he wasn't awake for your visit" Splinter said quietly from his seat next to his son. "But for what it's worth, he's barely coherent when he is" he gently stroked his head, being mindful of the bandages, his eyes never leaving his child.

"I understand, Señor" he assured him, although it was hard to hide his disappointment. This was only the third time he'd been able to see Leonardo and his family, the Hidden City had been under serious lockdown ever since the invasion.

He looked around the infirmary, there were no decorations as theirs had been destroyed some time ago according to Raphael. The closest thing to one was a small, paper Christmas tree on a nearby table with tiny decorations made from cardboard and construction paper. He also spotted a music player, filling the room with Christmas carols.

"My boys' ideas" Splinter said, noticing his stares "they were hoping it would help Leonardo's morale." He looked at his son with a sad smile "my baby Blue has always been a celebrator…Christmas is his favorite…" he squeezed his eyes shut, but it didn't stop the tears from falling.

Hueso frowned sympathetically, able to imagen what the rat was enduring with painful ease. If this was his son…he didn't even want to entertain the thought.

"I am well acquainted with his love of the holiday; I have no doubt he appreciates the gesture" Hueso assured the rat. He didn't look away from his son but gave a nod in thanks. "Speaking of this time of year" Hueso continued as he moved to a nearby table "I brought gifts, they're not much but I hope you all enjoy them."

He set the boxes of chocolate down, all wrapped in festive paper. His gaze fell back on the old ninja "go get yourself some food Señor, I'll watch him for a while" he said softly.

"I appreciate the offer but-"

"I'll alert you or your sons should something happen" he promised. Splinter appeared to consider but was still hesitant. "You'll be no good to your boys if you wear yourself out, least of all Pepino" he spoke firmly but gently "I say this as one Father to another."

That seemed to do the trick, as Splinter gave a nod. "You're right" he agreed as he stood up from the chair with a stretch. He stopped at the door, looking back at his son again "you will get me if something happens." He repeated, it wasn't a question "he's fairly stable, but…you will get me if something…anything happens?"

Hueso nodded firmly "you have my word" he promised, hand over his chest. Satisfied, Splinter quietly left as Hueso took up the vacant seat. He looked at Leonardo's unconscious form, trying to focus on a time when he was loud and rambunctious, anything but the reality before him. Hesitantly, he took the turtles hand in his, mindful of the cast.

A soft gasp escaped him when the hand gently gripped his. Hueso looked at Leo's face, only to find him still unconscious.

He didn't shed tears, being a skeleton, but he could still cry.

Taking a breath to keep his composure, Hueso lowered his head and softly recited a prayer in Spanish. He wasn't an especially spiritual man, but if there was a chance it would help, he'd do what he could.

All the while Silent Night played quietly in the background.

Hueso let out a soft breath as he gave his head a shake to regain his composure. No point in dwelling on the past. Leonardo was back to his usual self, or at least close to it, and they were going to help however much to get him the rest of the way.

That's what mattered now, and he would do his part.

The boys might be a lot, but he didn't want to know a world without Leonardo any more than his family did.

Never again.

"Ah! Before I forget Pepino" Hueso spoke up as he saw a table exchanging gifts. He briskly walked to his office and returned with several brightly wrapped boxes in his arms. "Feliz Navidad Pepino, Hamatos, Miss O'Neil" he said with a smile as he passed out the gifts to their respected receiver.

"Aw! You didn't have to do that!" Leo said cheerfully as he took his gift "thanks so much!"

Hueso's grin grew "it's nothing fancy but I do hope you like them." Well, the rest of the family's presents were fairly simple, but Leonardo's was a little special. There was chocolate just like the others, admittedly a bit more expensive, but there was also a picture of a smiling Leonardo accompanied, curtesy of his eldest brother Raphael.

Said picture was incased in a sapphire frame with the word "Champion" in gold written along the bottom.

Hueso couldn't convince the Minotaur to put the photo on the wall of champions. Even if she agreed they'd been more than heroic during the invasion, especially Leonardo, she was a stickler for rules. They'd cheated their first time in her maze and had yet to retry, so their photos would remain off the wall.

There was no rule that he couldn't provide his own picture as a gift though.

"Of course we will! Do you want us to open them here or wait till Christmas day?"

"Whatever you wish, oh Junior!" He called out to his son. Once the boy saw the gifts on the table, he rushed over, taking something out of his pocket.

"Feliz Navidad, Leo!" He cheered, handing him a small gift wrapped in blue paper decorated with snowflakes.

"Thanks kiddo" Leo gushed sincerely, giving the skeleton child a hug. "Actually, come to think of it…" he pulled away, tapping his chin thoughtfully before pulling out his sword. He created a small portal and reached in, pulling out three wrapped gifts with a mock gasp "what's this now?!"

Junior gasped excitedly, his face brightening. Hueso, the Hamatos and April watched with amused chuckles "what do we say Mijo?" Hueso asked playfully while reminding his son of his manners.

"Gracias!" Junior cheered excitedly as he took the presents.

"Spoiler alert, the biggest one's yours" Leo whispered to him playfully. Hueso didn't think it was possible for his son to get more excited at that moment, but Leonardo always loved to prove him wrong.

Junior handed the present with Hueso's name on it to his Father and scurried off to bring the second to his Uncle. "You got Piel a gift?" He asked in surprise, brow arched.

Leo shrugged "I didn't want him getting jealous and going evil again." Hueso shook his head with a chuckle "alright, I think we've left our adoring public hanging long enough" Leo laughed as he stood "shall we fam?"

"Indeed, we shall" Donnie agreed "lead the way Nardo." The family stood and began to make their way back to the karaoke machine.

"You know, maybe we should work Feliz Navidad into the roster" Mikey suggested, before looking back at the skeleton man "you cool with that?"

Hueso shrugged "I have no qualms, but I can't speak for the patrons." He winced slightly "we tend to hear that one a lot from the streets." Mikey nodded in understanding "although if I'm desperate to clear out any hanger on's before closing…" he mused playfully, earning a laugh from the box turtle.

Hueso smiled as Leonardo and his family took the mics again, happy to hear a few customers cheer for them a little. His smile growing alongside Leonardo's at the sound.

It was nice to see his sobrino so happy after all he'd been through the year before.

A few seconds later, the small family's voices filled the restaurant with Silent Night. Hueso returned to the tables, enjoying and memorizing the sound of Leonardo's voice. Partly out of fear it may be taken away, partly to appreciate every second of it.

He liked to think they'd all learned and developed a new appreciation for many things in the past year. For many people.

"Sleep in Heavenly peace, sleep in Heavenly peace…"

An appreciation that Hueso, that all of them, wouldn't let go of anytime soon.

Silent Night is my favorite Christmas carol. I know no one asked or cares, but it is.

Last I checked, song lyrics weren't allowed to be included in fics on here. Hence why there's no real caroling in a chapter about caroling. Sorry about that.

Hopefully you enjoyed what little was included?

Once again thank you for the nice comments.

Anyway, till next.