Warning Viacom would never have anything to do with me. So please, no narking? Also, this contains Alternate Universe mention to the death of the Turtles but IT NEVER HAPPENED IN THE ACTUAL UNIVERSE TIMELINE! Understand? Sooooo... no real character death's when you have a Time Paradox involved!
Everything built on that one point, the soul of the matter. The lack of breath at the very idea, the painful pull towards hope. The tug deep down inside towards a welcome answer. But, there hadn't been any other answer.
A thousand negative responses still pointing to one conclusion. An inevitable point of failure where the cosmic mystery took back its grace and left ruin in its wake. Unstoppable, inevitable fact that Death is the one thing invincible even for walking, talking mutants with resources and friends who spanned the multi-verse and beyond. Months of searching and still nothing had stopped the breakdown of the mutagen.
Once the Utroms notified them of the source for Leatherhead's illness, April and Casey abandoned Earth to follow them and journal anything they could from the unique family that had welcomed them both; childhood stories forgotten by his sons, reasons to cling to honor tighter than a lover, detailed explanations of the simple useful items that made a life out of sewer hovels and rubbish, the rules for fighting unworthy enemies, amazing pranks that couldn't go unforgotten, how to find hope from the darkest moment. The six journals filled to overflowing with promises to never be forgotten despite the chance creation.
Promises that held through the strange internet virus that animated machines and turned them against humanity years after the couple returned to Earth. The journal set was the first thing April grabbed when they decided to relocate permanently to the abandoned Lair. Mrs. Jones read to her grandchildren from the treasured writings every night and then to the other families the Lair came to shelter. Donatello's skills and information proving invaluable in the new world. Leonardo's honor guiding the young through impossible decisions. Raphael's fierce joy of battle arming them better than stolen weaponry. Michelangelo's example of enduring laughter lighting the darkest nights. Splinter's wisdom in parenting guiding those unused to such conditions. Leatherhead's faith in hope holding out against dark realities. A thousand fortunate souls fed by the example of unbeaten warriors, humans born in the very places they once called home.
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Unknown to the survivors, the 1,001st child was conceived the night the oddly dressed visitor stepped out from a ring of light. Several generations clamored 'Time Mistress' as they recognized the nameless blonde's description from their nightly stories. "Wow! I guess I get the job after all. Today's my first unescorted internship day!" The noisy Lair quieted in an effort to hide what the residents knew of her future events.
A small hand tugged on fabric barely covering her hip, "I'm Cody Arnold Jones, Time Mistress! What'cha doing here?" She smiled at having the odd task made easy right off. Sometimes Lord Simultaneous really had things Timed perfectly.
"I'm looking for your mommy, Cody! I have a gift for her. You want to give it to her?" She handed over the large baby basket and the six year old red-head babbled as any child manages in the presence of a legendary figure who acted friendly.
"You're pretty, just like my Aunt Rene! What's Null Time like? Can I visit? What's your name? Where's your Time Scepter?" She was giggling by the second question.
"Really, I use the Time Scepter eventually?" The child only looked at her as if she was crazy for not knowing that. He led her into a room with many machines in various states of repair.
When he reached a man with red hair helping a woman repair an oven, he introduced her, "Mommy! This is the lady Grandma Shadow reads to me about. She brought this for you." The Jones' looked surprised at the pair then moved behind a cabinet to gain privacy from too many prying eyes. Concern and confusion at the recognizable visitor's presence made them slow to talk so she went straight to the truth once Cody was sent to play.
"Like, I guess that's congratulations to us both; since I get the job of Time Mistress and you're gonna have a girl!" Her words stunned the couple and the eventual-Time Mistress grinned and fidgeted with the edge of her cape. "Well, it's like this, my boss Lord Simultaneous, really hates futures with a million depressing outcomes. There's lots of Time Change Capacity right now and if we remove somebody from this Timeline who's bursting with Possible Time this Earth changes to one where the mutagen was stable!" She acted relieved it only took about an hour to move from explaining complex time manipulations to answering parental concerns.
"Your daughter will grow up never knowing illness or hunger, loved by a Null Time employed couple whose only option for kids is her and allows her to learn anything in the entire Multiverse of Time. I gotta tell you, it's a fun way to grow up! I'm a third generation Null Adoption!" The broad, proud grin seemed to settle something for the man and he turned to his wife, grabbing the hands clutching her flat belly protectively.
She blinked tearful, blue eyes as he made her stop staring at the clock-adorned blond. "You can unmake all of this. We all wondered 'what if' the mutagen had been stable. I know the Turtles would have stopped the Shredder from going viral but it'll only happen if you are brave enough to dare it." She sniffled, shaking her head and he changed tactics, "We… we'll send her with a journal and use Cody's favorite name pick, Renet—." He was interrupted by the Time Mistress bursting into angry shouts.
"That time manipulative geezer, he just said be myself! I'M RENET! I never knew anything—," her rant ended in happy tears as she was pulled into arms that she never remembered but still felt familiar. Cody found them seated side by side later when he came to have his toy 'Time Scepter' repaired and his mother sniffed back tears.
"Cody, this is your sister, Renet." Cody stared at his favorite story-time hero, absolutely delighted.