Day six: going for gold

December 19th

"Christmas, the snow's comin' down. Christmas, I'm watchin' it fall…"

Leo quietly sung to himself as he got dressed, still riding the high of yesterday. It might not have been traditional caroling, but he'd enjoyed himself no less. Plus, maybe next year he and April could try again.

Third times the charm they say.

He'd already eaten the chocolate from the calendar, sea salt caramel, but he'd yet to read the note. Currently the green paper sat waiting on his desk.

Leo had to admit, he had no idea what could be on the agenda for today, he couldn't think of anything left for them to do. Not off the top of his head anyway, but there were twelve days on the advent calendar so clearly his family had come up with something.

Well, he couldn't deny his curiosity was growing now. As were his suspicions, but he could work on that later.

"They're singing Deck the Halls, but it's not like Christmas at all…" he picked up the paper, unfolding it and read the note.

There was a drawing of a pair of skates accompanying the message.

Lace them up.

Leo paused.

They were kidding right?

Fun fact, none of the Hamato brothers could ice skate except Leo.

Splinter wasn't much better, actually he might've been the worst of them.

April could handle herself no problem, but it was far from her favorite winter activity. That's why he never asked them to join him, even if he invited them to watch, they'd complain about the cold.

Leo was content to go skating himself, however lonely.

He never imaged they would suggest going skating themselves, and quite frankly, he was having trouble wrapping his head around it.

"Mikey!" He cried as soon as he caught sight of his little brother "that note, that was a joke, right?" He asked carefully "I mean, not that I wouldn't love to go skating with you guys but that was a joke, right?"

Mikey giggled, loving the look on his face. It had become a fun perk of the plan "no joke bro!" He said with a wide smile, tongue sticking between his teeth.

"Wha…why? Not that I'm not happy to have you guys come along-wait" a thought suddenly hit him as his eyes narrowed in suspension "are you guys still worried about me being alone?" Ever since he recovered from his injuries, his family freaked anytime he wasn't within arms length for a good while.

They'd gotten better in the past months, but it was clear they were still apprehensive if Raph's texts were anything to go by.

Leo understood, but it could get a little suffocating.

"Oh no, nothing like that" Mikey assured him casually. It was true they didn't like the idea of Leo being on his own in the dark and cold winter night, but they knew they had to start letting go "we just thought we'd give it another go, you never know when you won't get another chance."

Okay well that made sense, Mikey had gotten into the habit of trying new things since the invasion. He'd always been the more adventures of the four, but that had increased after the near end of the world. A lot of his new endeavors were pretty mundane truth be told, but he argued those were the most important.

Life's too short and it'll end without warning he'd said, he wanted to experience as much as he could while he could.

"Alright, but then what are Raph and Donnie's excuses?" Leo hummed hesitancy.

Mikey shrugged "why would they need one?"

"Well, the last time I talked Donnie into skating he said he wouldn't go again unless…" he trailed off with a frown "…oh I get it, funny" he said in a deadpanned tone that almost rivaled said genius.

Mikey was about to question him until he recalled the declaration himself. Donnie's exact words had been he'd go skating again when the world came to an end "pretty sure its just a coincidence. As for Raph…well actually I don't think he had a specific reason. I think he just wasn't a fan."

"All the more reason for me to give it another shot" Raph spoke up as he joined them, throwing his arms over both their shoulders. "And for the record, its not just us" he explained "Pops, April, the Joneses, and Barry are coming too."

Leo went to respond when he paused, replaying what Raph had just said. "Wait, Draxum is coming?" He asked in disbelief "okay this I gotta to see."

Suddenly Leos face fell "wait, I can't go. My skates were destroyed by the Shredder, and I haven't gotten new ones." He still recalled finding them when they'd gone back to salvage what they could, the blades had been snapped off and there were long gashes in them.

In all honesty he hadn't been that surprised. He'd had them for years and their age was beginning to show. It would've been a miracle if they'd come out unscathed, but it'd still been disheartening to find them beyond repair.

He had a lot of good memories with them.

Still, he was overdue for a new pair, so he supposed it gave him the excuse he needed. Sadly, he hadn't gotten around to doing so last year with the invasion, it wasn't like he was well enough to skate anyway.

He didn't really have an excuse for why he'd failed to get new ones this year, it'd just slipped his mind.

"No probbles" Donnie chimed in "in addition to acquiring a pair for each other, we also retrieved a new pair for you" he explained, eyes glued to his phone.

"Oh, you guys didn't have to do that" Leo began quickly, only for Donnie to wave him off.

"Its fine. Draxum even brought us to a shoe shop in the Hidden City so these should fit you even better then your old ones" it was true his old skates had only ever fit so well; they'd been made with humans in mind after all. He'd managed though, working around the problem with a pair of extra larges. "Now tally forth" his twin said, pointing in a random direction as he walked away "the questionably safe frozen waters await us."

"After breakfast, Dee!" Mikey scolded, escaping Raphs hold to chase after him. Raph shook his head with a chuckle and followed, still holding Leo.

Leo allowed himself to be led to the kitchen, mulling over the conversation. He was still having trouble understanding why his brothers were willing to go skating but if they were sure about it, he wasn't going to stop them.

Who knew, maybe they'd been practicing in secret and wanted to show off.

Once again, they were all bundled up and out in the fresh air of the winter wonderland that was the big apple. It was a bit chillier than when they went sight seeing, but that was good. It meant the ice would be in perfect skating conditions.

Leo examined the new skates his family got him, he had to admit, they were quite nice. He couldn't even tell the difference between them and human skates. His brothers had him try them on before they left to make sure they were a good size, and he was amazed to find they fit like a glove.

"So, what's the fastest rout to Rockefeller Center?" Mikey asked once they were out of the sewer and on the streets. April and the Joneses had been there when they arrived, so now they were just waiting on Draxum.

"I wouldn't know" Leo replied absentmindedly, still studying the skates "I usually go to this pond-"

"I thought you went to the rink in Rockefeller Center" Raph interrupted, looking surprised, they all did.

"I mean, I've always wanted too, but both you and Dad said it was too risky."

"And this was the one time you decided to listen?" Donnie asked in disbelief with an arched brow. His face and tone more deadpanned then usual.

"I wasn't about to spend Christmas grounded" Leo argued like it was obvious "and no way I was taking chances with Santa's naughty list." Suddenly it hit him why they were having this conversation "wait…" he finally took his gaze away from the skates "are we going to Rockefeller Center?"

"Yeah" they all said together.

"But we were just…is that why Casey acted so weird when I suggested skating there?"

"I was afraid I'd give todays surprise away" he confessed sheepishly with an embarrassed smile, Cass patting him on the head.

"In our defense, when you offered to take Junior there, you made it sound like you've skated there before Leo" April explained.

Leo shrugged "well like I said, I've always wanted too. And I was honestly thinking of trying to go this year since I…" he trailed off, unsure if he should continue. They were out here to have fun, he didn't want to ruin it, but the way they were looking at him made it clear he wasn't getting out of this "…I almost missed out."

Just as he'd fear, his family wilted ever so slightly. He'd kept his wording vague enough, but they'd still picked up on what he'd meant.

"I-I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything…" Leo began backtracking quickly, only to be cut off by Raph pulling him into a hug. His hold was gentle but strong, like he was afraid to let go, which he might've been.

He looked up at the snapper uncertainly and was greeted with a warm smile. "Well, hey, this just means this will be even more special than we planned" he said casually, but the emotion was still present.

"Heh, I guess it will be" he agreed as Draxum approached.

"Well, against my better judgment I've arrived" he grumbled, although he didn't sound nearly as annoyed as he looked. It got even harder for him to put up the front as Mikey excitedly tackled him into a hug, not that this was a surprise. Even the former villain couldn't deny his soft spot for the youngest Hamato.

"Hey Barry, really looking forward to seeing you on the ice" Leo teased, giving him his best, snarky smirk. Draxums mouth twitching didn't go unnoticed by him.

Splinter nudged Cass and motioned for her to lean down. "There's a twenty in it for you if you make sure he lands on his butt" he whispered.

"Pops…" Raph said in a low, warning tone, giving him a stern look.

"What?! Blue would love it!"

Leo knew they were just here, but as they approached the Rockefeller Center rink, he felt a new excitement well up in him.

He couldn't believe he was really going to be skating here!

"You excited Leo?" April asked playfully, already knowing the answer from his expression.

"Absolutely!" He cried in delight "this is, like, the second big ticket item on my Christmas bucket list!" He was so engrossed he didn't notice the knowing looks his family were giving each other. Donnie had to gently elbow Mikey to stop his giggling, but this also went unnoticed.

Once his skates were laced up, Leo stepped up to the rinks entrance. He stopped by the door, staring out at the ice in anticipation. With a deep breath, he set foot on the smooth surface and glided off, his smile growing.

Back at the benches, Draxum watched him take to the ice like a fish to water. "I must admit I'm surprised, he's quite skilled" he confessed "he didn't strike me as the graceful type, none of you did in spite of your ninjutsu." A fact he absolutely blamed on Splinter, which the rat caught if the dirty look he was getting was any indication. He would've thought the great Lou Jitsu could competently teach his craft but apparently that was too much to ask unless the fate of the world was at stake.

"Oh, Leo's always been a natural skater" Raph said proudly "and he's always been the most graceful of the four of us."

"Which one could argue is the same as being the tallest elf" Draxum smirked as Splinters glare intensified "but impressive no less" he concluded with a nod.

Wordlessly, the goat yokai stepped onto the ice and glided off with professional precision. The others watched in amazement as he joined Leo's side in no time, meeting his gaze as he passed him and performed a triple axel with ease, coming to a stop before the slider with a grin.

Leo looked at him with shock and awe. "You skate?!" He asked in disbelief; he'd been excepting to watch him fall over constantly or sit on the bleachers the whole time pouting about humans.

Draxum held his head high in pride "you don't know everything about me" he said smugly, hands on his hips.

"Apparently" Leo couldn't help agreeing "hey, maybe I got my skills from you" he teased.

"We share no biological connection, and we were together for a few weeks at most prior your mutation" Draxum retorted but couldn't fight the smirk. As he glanced behind them, his expression fell into a grimace "but perhaps you're onto something because spirits knows you didn't get the skill from Lou."

Leo followed his gaze, gasping as he caught sight of his family.

Mikey was rolling out of control, arms flailing in a panic. Donnie was clinging to April like his life depended on it, his legs ready to buckle any moment, and poor Raph was already on his butt, struggling to get up. Meanwhile, Splinter was clutching the side of the rink, cursing in Japanese under his breath.

The Joneses were fairing better at least, Cass was aiding Casey with what Leo assumed was his first venture on a rink. Although he was doing pretty well, maybe he had been skating before?

Leo quickly skated up to Mikey and steadied him, simultaneously helping Raph up best he could. "April, you good?" He asked, accepting that he was the only thing keeping his brothers upright at the moment.

"I got Donnie" she assured him even as the softshell briefly lost footing, but April kept them steady.

"Are you sure you guys wanna do this?" He asked cautiously.

"Absolutely!" Donnie assured him with as much confidence as he could muster. "Exasperated sigh, maybe we should've practiced more" he lamented as he tried to straighten himself, letting go of April only to resume his grip on her as she chuckled.

"Aha! So you guys were practicing behind my back!" He cheered triumphantly. His family all avoided his gaze with a blush as he giggled "hey don't worry about it, it actually paid off. You're doing way better than the last time you set foot on the ice" he assured them.

Mikey smiled happily "really?"

"Absolutely, and I'm sure after a few more lessons you'll be able to show me up" he teased with a wink. His grin fell, however along with his family's expressions "What?"

"Show you up?" April repeated slowly, like she didn't believe what she'd just heard.

"Yeah, you know. Take me down a peg, put me in my place-"

"Why would we want to do that?" Mikey asked softly, looking and sounding so troubled by the notion.

Leo shrugged "well why not? Its not like I don't know I'm cocky" that seemed to do little to ease the atmosphere "hey I know its something I gotta work on. After all, its not about-"

"Don't."

Leo flinched at Raphs harsh tone, apprehensively glancing at him. He had a minor glare, but it was more sad then angry. They'd all grown to hate that sentence, especially when they heard it coming from Leo's mouth.

He wished he'd never said those accursed words to his brother.

Raph took a deep breath to calm himself, he wasn't going to let that ruin today, and especially not the plan.

"We just wanted to skate with you" he assured him with a warm smile "we thought if we asked for your help, it would ruin the surprise but now that we're here…" his expression became more sheepish "…think you could give us some tips? I don't know if you noticed, but we need all the help we can get."

Leo couldn't help but snort "yeah, you really, really do" he agreed with a nod "two really's." Adjusting his hold on both his brothers so they were now hand in hand, he gave them a reassuring smile "alright, lets start with not falling down."

"I like that plan" Raph nodded "love not falling down."

"I got it, I got it, I got it" Mikey called out as he waved his arms franticly "I got…I-I don't got it, I don't got it!" He cried as he began to fall. Fortunately, Leo was by his side in an instant to steady him.

"I gotcha bro" he said with a smile.

Mikey sighed "thanks Leo, I swear you make it look so easy." He clung to his arm, trying to get his legs steady but they wouldn't stop wobbling. "Man, we really should've made more time to practice. We were just so busy" he lamented.

"Oh?" Leo smirked coyly "and what was it, dearest baby brother, that had you so busy?"

"Nothing you need to worry about right now, nosy!" Mikey teased, flicking his forehead with a giggle. He gave another sigh "I guess we just thought what practice we did get in would be good enough. I mean you'd think being a ninja would make me better equipped."

"How would ninjutsu translate to ice skating?" Donnie questioned from where he continued to cling to April. "Granted they both require balance, stamina, and self control, but they're two different forms of athletics" he explained matter of fact, but in the way that said he was only so sure of what he was saying himself without admitting he didn't completely know.

April giggled, gently nudging him without sending them both tumbling. "You don't know the first thing about ice skating" she said slyly, never afraid to call him out.

Donnie chuckled "I really don't" he confessed with a warm grin, leaning just a little closer to her. April leaned in as well with a smile of her own, it was honestly an adorable sight, even with Donnie still seconds away from falling.

If anything, that actually made them look cuter.

"Yes, Red one! Show the ice whose boss!" Cass cheered vigorously from where she was aiding Raph, the poor guy would be doing the worst if it wasn't for their Father. Currently Splinter was trying to get up only to fall back down repeatedly.

"GAH!" Raph finally lost balance, grabbing the edge of the rink at the last second with a sigh of relief. "I'm starting to think I'm not cut out for this" he confessed tiredly "Raph just aint graceful."

"Neither is Cass, but that isn't stopping her" Donnie pointed to the former Foot soldier, who was tearing up the ice with maniacal laughter.

Leo chuckled, shaking his head "you just gotta maneuver your weight" he explained offering a hand. Passing Mikey to Draxum, Leo got his older brother on his feet "just keep your eyes on me, the more you look at your feet, the more likely you'll fall" he explained, moving slowly.

"Oh, I hope we haven't botched this" Mikey said anxiously as he watched.

"I did warn you this might be too much" Donnie reminded him.

April smiled at them both reassuringly "hey, Leo doesn't look too upset right? And he's clearly having fun. I think we can call this a success."

Mikey hummed "still, lets make sure the rest of the plan goes extra well from here on out!" He said with determination. The others smiled in amusement; they weren't surprised by Mikey's resolve.

The plan had initially been his idea after all.

"Right, that's it!" Splinter suddenly announced as he finally made it back to the rinks entrance. "I have had my fill of falling; I'm throwing in the towel" he looked at Leo apologetically "I'm sorry my son" he said sincerely.

Leo just smiled "hey, no sweat Dad. You lasted longer than I expected, you don't have to skate. Honestly none of you do."

"You sure? We're not wreaking your fun, are we?" Mikey asked worriedly.

"You could never!" Leo assured him quickly "its nice just having you all here."

The rest of the family smiled, touched by his words. They wanted to say the same, tell Leo how nice it was just to have him here with them, knowing how close they came to loosing him.

They couldn't though, not yet, but soon enough they would.

"Thank you, my son" Splinter smiled with a nod "I'll make sure to get us all some hot chocolate." He promised as he walked towards the concession stand.

"WHIPLASH!" Cass suddenly cried as she appeared like a bat out of Hell, grabbing Raph from Leo and dragging him by the arm. Somehow, she managed to get a hold of Donnie, Mikey, April, and Draxum as well and proceeded to drag them along the ice in a straight line. All the while ignoring their panicked protest.

Leo laughed as he watched, skating off to avoid being next when he spotted Casey, who'd been spared his future Mothers sneak attack. "Hey Casey" Leo called as he skated up to the time traveler "I've been meaning to ask, have you done this before? You're doing great."

Casey smiled sheepishly with a blush "well kind of" he said as he scratched his cheek. "As I said, winter was pretty dangerous when I was growing up, so I've never been on a real rink" he explained best he could in public without raising unwanted questions "but a few times Sensei got Master Donatello to rig one up in the base and gave me and the other kids a few lessons to distract us."

The boy's face softened as the happier memories filled his head. Memories of him and his few playmates giggling as they skirted around the frozen floor, while strong hands and a gentle smile showed them the way. "It was lots of fun, but it was more enjoyable to watch Sensei" he looked at Leo, his smile growing "it was one of the few times I'd see him look that peaceful."

Leo stared at him in surprise before smiling back. It was nice to hear his future self and Casey had some good times in that awful future.

"So…" he leaned in closer, his expression now more mischievous "did my brothers ever improve?"

Casey glanced at the other three turtles before leaning in "not in my timeline, they didn't." The two giggled quietly "but I assume you might've, I'm not an expert."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, you were pretty good for an old man" he said with a sly smirk as Leo gasped dramatically. Casey quickly skated away as Leo took chase, both laughing happily.

At some point, the rest of the family decided they'd had their fill, at least for the time being.

Now they were seated in the bleachers watching Leo. He wasn't doing anything flashy, just skating around leisurely making figure eights, an air of tranquility and peace around him. It was quite calming just watching him.

"He really is good" Donnie commented as he sipped his hot cocoa "he could go pro if he wanted."

"If it wasn't for…this whole situation" Raph added, waving a hand around his face before a thought popped into his head. "Unless the Hidden City has something…?" He looked to Draxum curiously, who shrugged and waved his hand in a so-so manor.

Well, that was something to consider they supposed.

They fell into silence as they watched Leo, a content smile on his face. "The plans working…right?" Mikey suddenly spoke up hesitantly, looking down with a worried frown.

The others looked down as well, they knew he was referring to Leo's earlier statement about showing him up. "Sure, its working" Raph did his best to reassure him "you've seen how happy he's been these last few days, and its just gonna get better!" He smiled confidently, this seemed to please Mikey a little as they returned to watching their brother.

Leo, meanwhile, was lost in his own little world. His focus only on the sound and feel of his blades against the ice, the light chill against his face, and the faint music playing from the speakers.

He wanted to enjoy as much of this as possible to make up for last year.

Leo smiled warmly as he looked around. They'd come in the afternoon, so there were no lights on, but the decorations were still beautiful, especially the tree. He skated closer to the tree, looking up at it with shining eyes.

"I must confess, I'm impressed" Leo blinked and turned to see Draxum standing next to him "we've been here for hours and you've yet to mention the time I threw you from a rooftop."

Leo chuckled softly "yeah, well…that's old news, you know" he said quietly. Draxum frowned, easily picking up on what was unspoken.

Being thrown off a roof was no longer the worst thing to happen to him.

"Besides" he continued with a shrug "everyone deserves a pass at Christmas."

Draxum hummed thoughtfully "Michelangelo was correct about your love for this holiday, although the way he described it, he made you out to be more of a gremlin then usual."

"Ha! He wasn't far off" he confessed "you just happen to catch me in a calm mood. You should see me normally." His attention returned to the tree "although I wont lie, being here is probably helping."

Draxum studied him "this was truly that important to you?" He asked, sounding honestly surprised and curious "I fail to see the appeal so far."

Leo rolled his eyes with a snort "you don't see the appeal with anything that involves humans" he reminded the yokai. Draxum nodded with a shrug as Leos face softened "I don't know how to explain my love for Christmas to you, most can't" he continued as he leisurely skated away, Draxum following "I mean, there's the obvious. The gifts, the food, the decorations, but there's a bit more to it. Its just a little hard to put into words, its just like…"

He looked back at the tree "…everything just feels more, I don't know…hopeful this time of year."

Draxum studied the young turtle, who looked more mature than he'd ever seen him. Truth be told, he knew Leonardo the least of his four creations, and he'd made little effort to try thus far.

Not that Leonardo made it easy, always bringing up being dropped from a roof.

He was beginning to regret not making an effort.

He'd been lucky enough to avoid the invasion, having been helping Big Mama of all yokai with protecting the Hidden City. They'd come close to being breached, and in hindsight, he wondered if those Krang were the threat from the prophecy he'd heard.

Draxum couldn't pretend he wasn't relieved to hear Michelangelo's voice when he'd called for assistance. Though spirits knows he tried, especially when he saw his boys. Not that he doubted the integrity of his work but…it'd been harder than he'd like to admit seeing them in such a state.

Especially Leonardo.

Words couldn't describe the feeling that consumed him.

He could honestly say, after everything he'd been through, it had been a humbling experience.

"I think I understand what you mean" Draxum hummed in agreement, without saying too much. It was hopeful seeing Leonardo so well when he'd been as good as dead the year before, because that's what Leonardo was at the end of the day according to his brothers.

He was a beacon of hope.

His family's hope.

"So" Leo suddenly spoke up, pulling him out of his thoughts "are you gonna tell me where you learned to skate or are you self taught like me?" He asked with a playful grin.

Draxum snorted, not bothering to hide his smirk "I could, but I don't see why I should" he remarked, his smirk growing as Leo pouted. "I am, however, willing to teach you a bit of what I know" his smile became more sincere "if you're interested."

Leo looked surprised by the offer, understandably so as they never really spent one-on-one time together. "I mean, if you're willing to put up with me" he teased, but there was a tone in his voice and look in his eyes that held some truth.

"I would" Draxum said, his voice was calm and neutral, but he made it clear he was genuine.

"Well then name the time, Barry" he said cheerfully, skating in front of him. His face was mischievous, but his smile and eyes were warm. He didn't know whether Leo picked up on his sincerity or not, but he honestly hoped he did.

Draxum snorted in amusement "sounds like a plan." He skated around him, satisfied with the interaction and feeling hopeful for the ones to come.

It was high time he stared bonding with all his boys, after all.

Halfway finished! Who hoo!

Confession time! A big reason most of my stories have been on hiatus was because I was trying to get this one ready for the holidays. The Forest Beyond the Trees came out when it did because I've been working on it for quite a while and only just finally figured out the ending. As for With or Without You…I got really inspired, you know?

Now that this is out, hopefully those other stories will pick up a bit. Maybe even some new ones? We'll see.

Once again, happy for the comments.

Till then merry Chris-Hanukkah-mas and a happy Rama-Kwaanza-Dan.