Because You Weren't There

Chapter 1 - Baby, It's Cold Inside

*Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, 'It's a Wonderful Life', or 'The Greatest Gift.'

*'Because You Weren't There' Summary: After an argument with his brothers, Donatello gets a chance to see what the world would be like if he had never been mutated. **Set during season two.

*Author's Notes: Ever since I was a little kid, 'It's a Wonderful Life' has been my very favorite movie and I've always wanted to write something along that line. So, here's my attempt to recreate the holiday magic that Frank Capra (film director and producer) and Philip Van Doren Stern (author of the short story the film was based on) did with their beautiful tales of how no man is a failure who has friends. Or, in this case, no 'turtle' is a failure who has 'family.' ;)

This work was originally intended to be a 'Shell Shot,' but it wound up a wee bit longer than initially planned, so I will be posting it as a short, multi-chapter story. I have been working on this piece for almost a year now and I'm really, really hoping you're all going to like how it turned out.

'Because You Weren't There' is dedicated to my extraordinary friend, Captain Vegeta. Her beautiful short story, 'What is Santa Claus?' inspired me to write a Christmas story of my own. I love you very much, my dear, dear friend.

All right, let's get this one started. Thanks so much for reading. ;) CJ

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Chapter 1 - Baby, It's Cold Inside

I stare down in glassy-eyed disbelief at the shattered pieces of my latest project. Nearly every waking minute of my 'spare' time the past two weeks has been devoted to the new pair of night vision ooze goggles that now lay broken in my trembling hands.

In a matter of five minutes, all my hard work and effort had been carelessly destroyed.

I'm not sure what hurts more. The fact that my invention is ruined or the fact that my own brother did this.

"Sorry, D."

These are two words I hear far too frequently come from the lips of my youngest sibling. While I can see that Mikey feels remorse for what he's done, it's impossible for me to take his apologies seriously anymore. Not when he's constantly wrecking my things. He knows how hard I've been working on this project, yet he used it for his own personal amusement.

"Sorry? SORRY!?!"

The sheer volume of my voice makes Mikey shrink partway inside of his shell. It also makes my older brothers come bursting into my lab; their eyes wide, searching the area as though something had exploded. In a way, I guess it had. Or rather I had.

"What's going on in here?" The second Leo sees the busted goggles clutched in the palms of my hands, realization washes over his face and his shoulders sink like he's disappointed there wasn't an 'actual' emergency. He then sighs out the word, "Oh."

As usual, Mikey is quick to jump to his own defense. "It was an accident! I swear it!"

Is he freaking kidding me?

"That's what you say every time you break something, Mikey! You knew these weren't a toy, and yet, you treated them like they were! You have no respect for my stuff!" To say I had reached my boiling point would've been a severe understatement. Now, whether my sudden outburst is due to overworking myself, a lack of sleep, or a result of seasonal affective disorder, I couldn't tell you. What I do know is that my whole body is shaking with anger.