Hey everyone! So this is my Christmas special for the year. Part two will be updated on December 14. Just to warn you, part one isn't very Christmasy, but it sets up the scene for what happens in part two. Also, this story contains some tender subjects that should be handled with maturity. Nothing inappropriate, just more serious. I don't condone anything some of the characters may have done, just to put that out there. Also, this is essentially set in the future for Ninjago but present time for us. If you don't know what I mean, you'll figure it out when you start reading.

Aside from that, merry Christmas and please enjoy!

August 1985:

Maya grinded her teeth as she tried to ignore the pain. Something poked her and made her want to scream. In the past couple years, her elemental training had lead to its fair share of injuries, but nothing compared to the pain she felt right now. She'd chosen this.

Deep inside, she felt the burn of guilt. What if things had gone a different way. If it weren't for her training with the elemental masters, her story may have gone a different way. But her training had led to her meeting Ray, the guy she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, if only he would see it that way too.

Maya knew that if Ray were to ever fall for her, she'd have to get rid of her rebellious past. Some things had to be sacrificed. But no matter how she justified her actions, for love and for Ninjago, someone still nagged at her that this was wrong. It was too late now though.

"Lord, forgive me," Maya whispered.

December 1, 2018, the monastery:

"At seven months along, your baby has developed its own personality and is growing rapidly. Your baby will be stretching out its fingers and toes, as she is now able to move them," Nya read off her phone the monthly email she and Jay received about what to expect during pregnancy.

"So you're saying our daughter's personality is determined already?" Jay asked.

Nya nodded.

"Awesome! I hope she's as strong willed as her Mom," Jay kissed Nya's cheek.

"And I hope she's as funny as her dad," Nya replied.

"Can you two stop?" Kai interrupted, "There are people trying to eat breakfast here!"

"Kai, don't you care about your niece?" Jay asked.

Lloyd and Cole made eye contact. Zane raised an eyebrow. Anybody could tell this wasn't about to go down well.

"I just hope she's not a hopeless romantic like either of her parents!" Kai rolled his eyes.

"You're just saying that cuz you and Skylor broke up... again!" Lloyd interjected, "What is it, eighth time's the charm?"

"Ow!" Nya cried out. She put a hand on her abdomen and the other on Jay's shoulder to keep from falling over.

"You're not going into labor, are you?" Kai asked. Jay's face turned white. Since Nya and Jay had announced their pregnancy to their parents, Maya had told Nya plenty about how she was born two months early and had spent several weeks after that in the hospital. Nya's biggest fear had become giving birth early, and thus it was Jay's as well.

"This doesn't feel right!" Nya groaned again.

Later that day, Ed and Edna's Scrap and Junk:

It was days like today that Edna couldn't help but think of Bella. Years before Jay had landed on her doorstep, she and Ed had had their first child. Edna would've liked to say that Bella had been her everything, but it simply wasn't true. She hadn't realized what a treasure Bella was until she was gone.

Edna hadn't been paying attention, she never had, so when she first noticed the slight drizzle, the way it was drizzling now, it was too late. She'd went outside to find Bella and found her goodbye letter instead. Her Bella was gone, crushed herself in the trash compactor because her world was falling apart and her parents were too self absorbed to notice.

She and Ed almost divorced, Edna prayed for another child, one she was told she was too old to have to prove to herself she could be a better mother. Then God sent her Jay, quite literally from up above.

Jay saved her marriage and kept her from repeating her daughter's actions. That's why when Edna got the phone call from Jay at the hospital she began to panic.

"Lord, don't take Jay's child from him because of what I've done."

December 14, 1992, four weapons shop:

Maya wasn't one to waste time on tears, but today it seemed like there was plenty of time to spend crying. She unclipped her locket and popped open the heart. Inside it she had placed the ultrasound photo of her baby daughter. Her dead baby daughter.

Miscarriages were the cruelest trick that could be played on a mother to be. All Maya's hopes and dreams literally were ripped out of her. She'd already picked her baby's name. Isabelle. She'd wanted to name her daughter that since she was eight, and now her Isabelle would never open her eyes, never know how much her mother loved her. And what about the child who was never loved? No child deserved to be unloved and cast away before taking their first breath. Maya longed for all the unborn children, she wanted them all to have a chance she wished hers were given.

Although there was still a large possibility she could get pregnant again, Maya just knew there would never be another Isabelle. It just wouldn't be the same.

It wasn't the same. Maya and Ray buried the ultrasound and locket under a tree. Maya hardly went out after that, that was until 1994 when she became pregnant with a boy. Although Maya refused to pick a name until she held her son in her arms, she loved her son every day and prayed for a safe arrival into the world.

Kai was born July 18, Maya's birthday. She thanked God for the little blessing she held.

"And please Lord, grant me a daughter as well."

He did.

Nya was born April 15, 1996, and Maya at last had a daughter to hold in her arms.

December 1, 2018, the hospital:

"Are they okay?" Jay stood up frantically as the nurse returned to the waiting room, "Can I please see my wife?"

The nurse nodded, "Your wife and daughter are going to be fine, but you should know, they're in rough shape. Nya's going to have to go on strict rest until your baby is born."

Kai snorted, relieved to hear that his sister was okay, "She's gonna hate that!"

"You two go in and see her, we'll send your parents in when they get here," Lloyd told Kai and Jay.

"Thanks guys," Jay smiled, "You have no idea how much Nya and I just appreciate you guys being here."

"Anything for our niece," Cole shrugged.

Nya's face brightened as Jay and Kai entered her room, "Hey," she said meakly.

"Hey, love," Jay sat down on the edge of Nya's bed and picked up her hand, "How are you feeling?"

"I've felt better," Nya sighed, "I'm just so thankful that our daughter survived."

Jay kissed Nya's forehead, "Yeah, and I'm glad you did too."

"So, I heard you're going on house arrest, huh?" Kai asked as he took a seat in a swivel chair the other side of Nya.

Nya nodded, "Yeah, but I'll do anything for my child."

"Nya! We were worried sick when we got Jay's call!" Maya exclaimed as she and Ray entered the room, "Is my grandchild alright?"

"She's fine, Mom," Nya smiled candidly.

"Oh thank the Lord!" Maya praised.

April 15, 1996:

Maya wasn't supposed to go into labor for another two months, so when the contractions started while she was boiling noodles for Mac and cheese, Kai's favorite, it caught her off guard and sent her falling to the floor.

"Ray!" Maya shouted, "The baby's coming!"

Ray came rushing in from the shop. Moments later, the three of them were in the car on their way to the hospital. Maya fought the urge to scream. Only once before had she felt something like this. This time, instead of fighting it, she welcomed it. Soon she'd hold her daughter in her arms.

"Hold on little one," Maya whispered, "We're almost to the hospital. I can't wait to meet you."

December 2, 2018:

Edna woke up to a sore neck from sleeping in the hospital chair all night. When Nya was told she'd be staying the night, she and Maya insisted Jay go home and sleep in an actual bed. Nya and the baby were fine, and the two of them would stay with her. She had been dreaming about Bella again. She always dreamt about Bella when she slept in weird places. How long had Bella felt like she was sleeping in a stranger's house? At least it brought Edna comfort to know Nya would never cast away Edna's grand daughter the way she'd cast away her daughter.

Maya and Nya were already awake.

"So it's a plan then?" Maya asked.

"I need to confirm with Jay, then yes," Nya replied.

"What's a plan?" Edna asked as she rubbed sleep out of her eyes and searched the side table for her glasses.

"Jay and I are going to stay with my parents until the baby's born," Nya explained, "We'll be closer to the hospital and I want to be with my mom. I, I..." Nya stopped, searching for the words.

"Don't want to be alone in this?" Edna finished for her, "I understand. As long as Maya you're okay with it, I'd like to visit, to be with you too. I know it's scary after what happened yesterday."

"Thank you Edna," Nya smiled and tears formed in her eyes. She wiped them away with her pinky, "Whew! Hormones are getting to me!"

Maya laughed, "and of course you and Ed are welcome any time. Ray and I love having company. That's why we built our house and shop together. It made it easy to do dinner with out customers."

At that moment, Nya's phone buzzed. Nya grinned, "Jay says he'll meet us at the shop tonight with our stuff."

December 14, 1991:

Bella gagged as she entered her foster parents's junkyard. She'd been here for five years and she still couldn't stand the smell of rubber tires melting in the sun. Ed and Edna didn't seem to notice. They didn't notice a lot. Last night she'd stayed at her friends without telling them. Nobody searched for her. She wondered if they'd even noticed she was gone. Edna had told her once, she wasn't able to have kids, but she'd always wanted to be a parent. She finally was a parent, a horrible parent.

Upset, Bella hurried to her tiny excuse for a room and began to release all her bottled up anger.

To whom it may concern (which apparently is nobody):

I've had enough. My boyfriend dumped me, and I had nobody to tell. Ed and Edna are always physically here, but they're not here, here like they said they would be for me. They broke their promise just like Mom did. She said she'd never leave me then drunk her way into oblivion and never woke up. Ally didn't keep her promise when she told everyone how I failed my precalc test. And Carl broke his promise too when he said he'd love me forever then dumped me. I'm tired of everyone breaking their promises. That's why I must do this. To everyone who promised to be there for me, you're the reason I'm doing this.

Without regrets,

Bella

Without thinking, Bella rushed outside and pinned the letter down with a rock and turned the trash compactor on. She slid down into it, closed her eyes, and she waited.

December 6, 2018, four weapons:

Jay laid awake staring at the glow in the dark stars glued to the ceiling of Nya's old room. They'd settled in a few days ago, but Jay still wasn't used to sleeping in the new space. Everything was still the way Nya had left it seven years prior when she and Kai moved into the monastery. Everything Nya hadn't bothered to take with her still sat collecting dust, including an old Jamanickai High sweatshirt tossed on the back of her desk swivel and a faded post it with finish precalc homework scribbled on it in rushed handwriting. Nya's backpack hung on a hook by the door, and her precalc textbook sat open on her desk. Various colored pens were scattered around her desk and nightstand. Bible verses and pictures of Nya and her old friends were pinned to a clothes line on the wall opposite Jay.

This side of Nya fascinated Jay mostly because he never saw it. He wondered how things would've been different had they grown up together. Would he have known more about the things that were important to her back then? Sure the ninja had all talked about high school before, but it was different than actually seeing. He wouldn't have known Nya color coded all of her binders. Seeing this side of Nya made Jay love her even more if that was even possible.

Jay rolled over and looked at Nya. She was long sound asleep with an arm draped protectively over her stomach. Jay put an arm around her and shifted closer listening to her breathing.

"Lord, please keep Nya and our daughter safe," Jay prayed quietly.

Nya's eyes fluttered open, "Is something wrong?" she whispered.

"Not at all," Jay replied, "I didn't mean to wake you."

Nya shifted over snuggling close to Jay. "Okay," she said as she closed her eyes, "I love you."

"I love you too."

December 7, 2018:

"Good morning, Jay" Ray greeted as Jay walked down stairs still in pajamas with a tired look on his face.

"Coffee?" Maya asked and raised a pot she'd just made.

"Yes please!" Jay replied. Maya handed him a mug, and he sat down beside Nya, "Good morning, love."

"Good morning," Nya replied and smiled though her face was weary.

"Do you feel okay?" Jay asked and gently put a hand to Nya's forehead.

Nya removed it. "I'm fine, Hon. Just a little bored. I don't know how much more sitting around I can take."

"Hold on, I think I might have an idea to fix that," Jay grinned and pulled out his phone to shoot a text at the rest of the team.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang. Maya opened it to find Kai, Zane, Cole, and Lloyd holding grocery bags and smiling far too much to mean anything good.

"You guys came!" Nya exclaimed as she joined her mother in the front room, "Jay said he was going to invite you."

"Yup. And what we didn't tell Jay was that we were bringing a fun game with us," Lloyd winked.

"That doesn't sound good," Maya remarked, "What kind of game is it?"

"You'll see," Cole shrugged and walked straight into the living room, "Unfortunately Wu couldn't make it, so we were told to videotape this for him," he explained as he set up a mini tripod for his phone.

"Nya, I'm afraid we're going to have to blindfold you," Lloyd said and began tying a bandana around her eyes before Nya got a chance to protest.

"Also, we need to blindfold Jay, where is he?" Kai added.

"In the shop with Dad," Nya replied as Lloyd attempted to lead her to the couch.

As soon as Jay was blindfolded and seated beside Nya, Kai cleared his throat, "Okay you two! Within the next couple months, you are going to be parents. I know you've been reading lots of parenting books and thinking you've got this, but I'm here to tell you that you aren't! Fortunately for you, we all happen to be childcare experts!"

"Are you sure about that?" Jay challenged.

"Did I say you could talk?" Kai barked, "No! Anyway, today's lesson will be on a very important aspect of your baby's nutrition. Baby food. It's important to make sure your child gets a proper amount of food everyday, so they don't starve and die, but babies find several of the flavors found at the local grocery stores disgusting and won't eat them, leading to their starvation. Today you will be doing a blind taste test to figure out what those flavors are, so you know not to buy them for your baby."

"Oh no!" Nya groaned.

"Oh yes! Earlier today Cole and Lloyd were tasked with the important job of finding the weirdest baby food flavors for you to enjoy, and boy did they deliver!" Kai exclaimed, "Now, all you two have to do is figure out what each flavor is and rank from best to worst each of the flavors. Easy."

With that, Cole and Lloyd shoved a spoonful of some pink lump into Jay and Nya's mouths.

"So, what do you think it is?" Zane asked the pair as they both stared gagging.

"Radishes?" Nya guessed, feeling the sting of tears beginning to form and the tingling almost spicy but not quite taste on the back of her tongue.

"Correct!" Kai applauded, "Point one goes to Nya! Time for round two. In this round, it may be hard to guess, so we're allowing you to smell it first.

Spoons were held under their noses allowing them both to smell the next food.

"It smells like cat food!" Jay remarked, "You didn't buy cat food too, did you?"

"I'm gonna throw up!" Nya threw off her blind fold and ran off.

"Maybe that one was a bad idea..." Kai remarked as Lloyd shoved the spoon in Jay's mouth.

"It is cat food!" Jay exclaimed.

"No!" Cole informed him, "It's pureed chicken liver."

"Same thing," Jay shrugged.

A moment later, Nya returned with a glass of water.

"Are you alright sis?" Kai asked as she sat down again.

"I'm fine," Nya replied, "But no offense, I'm going to sit out the rest of this game."

For the next hour, the ninja watched Jay and Kai, who was voluntold by Jay he had to fill Nya's place, tried all of the types of baby food. Nya laughed as Jay fake pretending to like some awfully unappetizing flavors. She knew he was doing it to make her smile. She loved that man so much. By the end of it, Nya's realized her stomach hurt, but in a good way. Not from wanting to throw up, not from the agony that sent her to the hospital days ago. It hurt from laughter. For the first time since the hospital trip, Nya wasn't afraid she'd lose her baby.

December 8, 2018:

Nya was wide awake this time instead of Jay. In fact, this was the first night Jay had slept soundly that week. As for Nya, her baby was currently kicking her in the ribs and keeping her awake.

She felt the urge to get up, all week she'd done nothing strenuous, and the thought of lying still any longer made her legs itch with anticipation. Silently, Nya crept down stairs for a glass of water.

To her surprise, Maya was still up reading, and Ray was passed out on the couch beside her as an old telenoveva played quietly.

"Hey Mom," Nya whispered and came into the room.

"Hey sweetie, what are you doing up?" Maya smiled and patted at the seat next to her.

Nya sat down, "Couldn't sleep. Somebody decided to practice their fighting skills."

Maya's grin faded. She put her hand on Nya's belly, "You practice hard my grandchild. When you come into the world, I want you to be strong, even if it means keeping your mother up all night."

Nya laughed, "Especially then. I just want her to be healthy."

Maya's eyes welled up, "I do too. I'm sorry my punishment had to carry on to you too darling."

"What?"

Maya rubbed her eyes, "Darling, I'm going to tell you something I've only ever told your father. I'm sorry you have to hear this..."

"What Mom? I can handle it."

"I know you can darling," Maya sighed, "Here it goes."

"When I was a teenager I put myself in unsafe situations. Sure I had my elemental training, but besides that, I had the tendency to hang out with the wrong kind of people. I had a boyfriend, but he was always pressuring me to drink and do things I didn't want to. Then I met your father, and I realized he was the type of guy I'd rather be with. I went to break things off with my boyfriend, and he got angry, he threw a chair at me, and he..."

"I'm sorry Mom," Nya choked.

"By some crazy odds, I got pregnant. I should've kept the baby, but I was so scared. I didn't want to give up my training, and I was scared your dad would've judged me for it even though we weren't dating yet. I was selfish. All my life, I'd wanted a daughter, I was too dumb to realize God was giving me one on his time, not mine. Then years later, I miscarried your older sister. Then I had Kai. I thought God was punishing me for aborting my first child. Then I got pregnant with you, and there were all sorts of complications. I didn't believe God had forgiven me until you were born. Then you nearly lost your daughter..." Maya burst into tears.

"I wish I didn't know that," Nya whispered and joined her mother in softly crying. It was complicated. She knew God forgave her, and Nya herself forgave her, even if it wasn't her place to. She just couldn't go back to not knowing.

Later, Nya returned to bed, her face still itchy and red from crying.

Jay woke up as Nya slid back under the sheets, "Is everything alright?"

Nya shook her head and another bout of tears began. Jay held her waiting for her to calm down enough to speak coherently.

"I wish I could tell you," Nya whispered between ragged breaths, "But it's my mom's secret to tell, not mine."

"I understand," Jay replied and hugged Nya until her quivering stopped, and she fell asleep in his arms.

So, on that depressing note, what are you guys doing for Christmas? My family is hosting twenty people! Yikes! It will be fun but definitely hard to get a warm shower. Thanks for reading this, and I can't wait for you all to read part two!

Merry early Christmas!

#God's Not Dead!