A/N: I take no ownership of Martin Luther King's famous quote from his "I Have a Dream" speech. I have the deepest respect for him, so please do not flame me for how I use it here in this chapter. I am a fervent supporter of equal rights! The best thing that has ever happened in our great country of the U.S.A. was the vision of this incredibly brave man! I can only imagine what we could have accomplished had he not been forced out of this world! And, yet, positive changes were still made, regardless, and are still being made! Never, ever forget his sacrifice. May his dream live on.

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After they had returned to Mike's, the moment Devon was out of the SUV he was racing for the front door. He was up the stairs in a flash and in his bedroom before the rest of the family had even crossed the threshold.

The family filtered into the house with Seth and Gabby leading the way. Just pulling into a guest parking spot was Serena in her rental and Cassandra as her passenger. Close behind them was Don and Raph arriving with Thomas, who drove the sedan.

The pastor had a prior engagement that he couldn't get out of. Due to moving the wedding date up, Seth felt fortunate that Pastor Brown was even able to squeeze them into his very busy schedule. The man visited for a while right after the ceremony concluded, but then left for his other appointment.

Leo decided to stay with the professor at the hospital to keep him company. Don would then relieve his brother with Raph doing the honors after him. Considering Perry's weakened state it was now only a matter of time. Don didn't want him to be alone, so Leo volunteered to take the first shift.

The tests that came back showed that the professor's heart attack was a coronary occlusion. Basically, he had a blockage of one of his main arteries to the heart. Though the attack was mild initially, the increased stress on the organ from his cancer had only made the damage worse.

The doctor's prognosis gave Perry maybe a week, if that much, to live. Don was understandably saddened to hear this news. He wondered, though, about having his friend return to Mike's and being around family for what little time he had left. Keeping the professor in the hospital where he would be closer to emergency facilities seemed the wiser choice. But Don wanted to make sure that the professor's last days were happy ones. He planned on speaking with his friend when he took over for Leo later on. Don wanted most of all to do whatever the professor deemed best for himself. If being around family in a home environment was what he desired then Don would make that happened.

One thing Don did decide, though, was to keep the news from Gabby until the day after her wedding. He knew he was gambling. The professor might not even make it that long. However, Perry tried his best to appear improved and upbeat so that his daughter would leave for Mike's confident that he would be all right. It was a brave front that the professor put on. This only added to the amount of respect that Don had for him. He was aware that Perry would want Gabriella to have one day free from concern and worry.

******

Over the weekend Gabby had exhausted herself with her refusal to take breaks from her vigil by Perry's bedside. But once they had her home Sunday, Gabby was forced to stay there. Not knowing how to drive she was stuck. Despite how angry she was, Seth was able to calm her down and insist that she get some rest.

Decorating the Christmas tree that evening helped to relax Gabby. But there were moments when she would go off by herself.

It worried her family when she would do that. However Seth sought her out and discovered that trimming the holiday tree was a tradition of hers and the professor's. Since there wasn't anything the family could do, Gabby knew she had to just deal with it.

Once the tree was decorated, Rahab made hot cocoa for everyone. Then, as an afterthought, she microwaved a couple batches of popcorn and had the family make strings of it to add to the decorated tree. This seemed to help Gabby's mood and soon she was laughing and appearing to be enjoying herself.

Now that she and Seth were finally married, it was time to celebrate!

******

As Don and Raph walked into the house, they heard Devon shout from the second story landing.

"Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, I'm free at last!" Devon exclaimed as he quickly descended the stairs. He was now in sweatpants and a loose fitting shirt. Gone were the tuxedo, the tie, and his irritability.

"What's wrong, Devon? Don't like wearing a suit?" Don asked his nephew as he smiled.

"Gah, like I enjoy having my tail in a vice. No way, Uncle. Give me my sweats when it's cold and my beach shorts and tank when it's hot. Ditch the suits and deep six 'em, as far as I'm concerned." And then he made for the kitchen to grab something to eat, "Man, I'm starved!"

They all laughed at him, but were just as relieved as he was. Everyone was getting pretty annoyed with all of his complaining about having to wear a tuxedo.

Seth wanted to get changed out of his suit as well and Gabby was eager to sans her dress for something more casual, too. So they walked up the stairs together towards their respective bedrooms.

"See you in a few." Seth said, kissing his wife as she came to her bedroom door.

Gabby blushed and commented, "So – what room do we – ah – well – sleep in tonight?" She started to giggle a little which put a smile on Seth's face.

"Not sure. Haven't thought that far ahead, yet. Maybe – the guest house since your father's still in the hospital?"

Gabby scrunched up her nose and shook her head, saying, "Doesn't seem right, Seth. Well, maybe once we're into something more comfortable, we could discuss it then?"

"Sounds like a deal, Gabs." Seth replied. He kissed her once more and then left to go to his room.

Gabby was in her closet trying to find something comfortable to wear. She had her wedding dress hanging up already and now she was going through her wardrobe. She had plenty of clothes, but today was special and… then she heard something.

Gabby stood there and listened. The door of the closet was opened but she was well inside her wardrobe. Not sure who could have come into her room uninvited, she grabbed up her robe and quickly put it on. Just as she turned around to face the open doorway, a figure moved across the threshold. It was Seth.

"Seems kind of silly for us to be dressing in separate rooms." He said softly. He had his regular clothes on already but he could see that Gabby was in her robe.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He said as he turned around out of reflex. "I thought you'd be dressed already."

Seth began to walk back towards the bedroom door, but Gabby quickly caught up with him and turned him around.

"No, don't go. You're – right. It is silly. But…I guess because we've only been married a short while…it's only natural." And then she kissed him.

Seth embraced her and held her close to him. The intensity of their kiss lingered a good long while. He felt so much passion for her and he could sense that she felt the same way towards him.

Earlier, while he was dressing in his room, Seth wondered about how resistant Gabby would be later on. He did not want to force her on any issue and it was of great concern to him. Coming into her room uninvited and then seeing how she would react would be a good indicator for him. He hadn't planned anything other than that.

However, allowing the moment to overwhelm them, now that they were married, Seth wrapped his arms and his tail tight around Gabby. He sensed her excitement and knew that whatever Jason had done was not going to interfere with their marriage.

When they broke their kiss, Seth gushed, "Gabby, I love you so very much."

He looked deep into her eyes and saw her own love for him. He then picked her up suddenly and carried her over to her bed. Laying her down gently and then sidling up next to her, he kissed her a second time. She never resisted him but kept her gaze steadily on his.

"I love you very much, too, Seth!" she whispered softly. With a full heart, Gabby implored, smiling, "Show me what it's suppose to be like."

Seth brushed a strand of hair from her face and asked quietly, "Now? What about the celebration?"

"Ours first!" she giggled. "You did lock the door, didn't you?" she asked with a mischievous grin.

"You'd think I'd come in here, now that we're married, and not do that?" he replied.

Then he kissed her deeply, sensing her submit to him completely.

******



"Have you seen Seth and Gabby?" Raph asked as he came into the house from the backyard.

Rahab replied as she was putting the last of the appetizers on the dining room table, "I know that Seth wanted to get his tux off. I saw both of them going up the stairs about an hour ago."

Raph's eye-ridges shot up and he started for the stairs, "Oh yeah? Well, we'll just see about…." But Rahab stopped him as she grabbed his good arm.

"Raph, ex-husband dear – let them be! They're in their own rooms. I saw Seth walk Gabby to her bedroom and only she went in there. Seth went to his!"

"Yeah, but you said it was about an hour ago. How long does it take to change, anyway?" he replied tersely.

Rahab looked towards the stairs for a moment, but then she shrugged, "Hey, they're married now, so what's it to you, Dad?" Then she laughed and went back to getting the rest of the meal on the table. "And I would suggest that you do not guard the stairs! Gabby's room is right at the top. If Seth is indeed in there, I don't think they want to walk out that door and then see you looking up at them!"

Raph grumbled, "Yeah, guess you're right. Still, she's my daughter and I know all about that stuff, and…" He kept growling about it as he made his way towards the gym. Raph figured that if he was just out of sight completely, maybe he'd be able to cope with it better. Getting a little workout – as limited as it would be, considering his broken arm – might help expend his energies.

Rahab chuckled to herself. She had neglected to tell Raph that after Gabby and Seth went to their respective rooms, she had seen her son moments later enter his wife's bedroom. That was an hour ago.

Musing to herself, Rahab commented, "Hopefully they won't lose track of time and remember that we still have guests."

Then she went about her tasks, humming a little of Unexpected Song to herself.

******

Gabby and Seth managed to get back downstairs unnoticed. Everyone else was in the living room, gathering around the Christmas tree and visiting with one another.

As they walked into the room they were greeted by Cassandra and then by Serena. Gabby had been a little shy around her mother's friend and hadn't had a chance to talk with her before heading back to the house from the hospital. Now, there was time to get over her insecurities and become better acquainted with Serena.

"You sang very well today, Gabby!" the woman said, smiling. "I knew you could, too; way back there in New York." She laughed, "Your mom shared with me that you had a nice voice."

Gabby gushed, "Well, she did teach me all I know. Of course, I didn't realize she was my mom at the time, but...now that I know, I couldn't be more proud to be her daughter!"

Cassandra then said, "Well, speaking of that. Since we are all now family through this marriage, I think that I need to make an announcement." Looking at Serena and then over at Gabby, Cassandra beckoned both of them to her. They stepped over and stood next to her.

Serene smiled, but Gabby was a little puzzled. She looked over at Don thinking that he was in the 'know'. But he only shrugged like he was as much in the dark as everyone else.

Taking a deep breath, Cassie looked at Serena. Getting a smile from her, she looked back at the rest of the family and declared, "I would like to introduce you to… my oldest daughter!"

A pin drop could have been heard in that next instant.

Don just stared, completely floored by Cassandra's news. Finally finding his voice, he stammered, "Y-your daughter? B-but we thought Gabby was your only…"

"Nope. Serena was born first. About twelve years before, actually." She stated calmly.

Gabby looked over at who was now seeming to be her sister and was stunned. "You're my – sister?" Her eyes widened as if she just couldn't believe the news. "How?"

Cassandra cleared her throat and, taking Serena's hand firmly in her good one, began, "Well, I'm sure most of you, if not all, know that I had been betrothed years ago to a certain individual whom we all know and hate. About two years before my encounter with a certain group of sentient reptiles..." There were a few snickers among the group. Cassie smiled, but then continued, "Saki and I were very close. Keep in mind that I hadn't found out, yet, how he had really acquired me. I became pregnant and he decided that he did not want to have any babies around. So…he forced me to give her up."

Rahab gasped in shock and seemed stricken with what Cassandra had just shared. But, before she could ask any questions, Cassie continued.

"So, after Gabby was born and I managed to flee the compound before the fire consumed it, I made a point to look for Serena. Saki had tried to erase all traces of her adoption, but I was very adept at computer hacking and retrieving information. I ended up discovering that Serena was adopted by an English couple and they had taken her back to Briton. I wasn't able to follow through right away because of living in Montana for ten years. But after the professor returned to Connecticut, I found that Serena had returned to the states to seek a career on Broadway. As fate would allow it, we became friends. She knew ahead of time that she had been adopted so when I showed her the proof of my relationship to her, it wasn't hard for Serena to accept me."

Cassie looked at her daughter and smiled, "We've tried to keep in touch ever since, despite her busy career."

Then Serena added, "And speaking of which, I will have to be going in few minutes. But, first, I want to talk with my sister privately."

Gabby was so stunned she didn't know what to say. Serena Brightwell was her sister! She giggled a little just out of sheer surprise. The next thing she knew, Serena had taken her hand and was pulling her out of the living room, leading her towards the family room.

They were gone for only a short while. When they returned, Serena bid her farewells, gave both her mother and sister a hug and kiss, and then left.

"She has to catch a flight out to Montreal. Serena has a concert tomorrow evening and she needs to rehearse first thing in the morning. " Cassie explained.

"I'm surprised she had the time to even come to the wedding." Gabby commented.

"Oh, she wouldn't miss that for anything. But as luck would have it, she doesn't do holidays like Christmas or Tuesdays! Mostly it's midweek or weekends. I was quite nervous, as you can imagine, when you decided to up the date on your nuptials." Cassandra smiled as she glanced at Seth and Gabby.

There was a bit of a pause in the conversation as everyone tried to digest the news. It had left most of them quite surprised, to say the least.

Finally, Don exclaimed happily," Well, since we're in the announcement mood, guess it's time for my little bit of news." He stood up and from behind the chair he was sitting in he pulled out a rather large manila envelope. He then walked over to Gabby and presented it to her. "This is my wedding gift to you, Gabby and Seth. One of several, but for now I want you to open this one first."

Devon commented, "Golly, Uncle Don, looks like you went all out on the wrapping."

Don laughed and then said, "This one would have taken an entire warehouse of paper to wrap. I thought it best to keep things simple."

Gabby took the envelope and smiled. "What is it?" she asked.

"Open it and see." He said simply.

Everyone leaned forward or turned towards her in eager anticipation. Some had smiles on their faces as if they knew, while others were as dumbstruck as the recipient was.

There were papers inside and when Gabby took them out she saw a very legal looking heading at the top of them. It was from some law office back in Connecticut. Her heart started to race as she read the wording below it. Then, she started to cry, putting her hand over her mouth in complete shock and surprise. Tears streamed down her face as she wept.

Seth held her, not understanding why she seemed so upset. But then she looked up at Don, smiling. Immediately she went over and hugged him, crying. She was speechless.

Seth took the paperwork and, after reading what it said, looked up at his uncle and asked, "You bought Perry's house?"

Don finished, "And I'm giving it to Gabby as a wedding gift. It's hers forever."

Seth was not as happy as Gabby, "But, it's cold back there. It's very cold back there, in fact."

Getting some measure of control back, Gabby stated, laughing, "I don't necessarily want to move back there, Seth, but I wouldn't mind using it as a summer home or a place to just get away." Then she added, "You'll like it, Seth. It has lots of room and …" looking over at her father and Uncle Don, "it has a really big attic!"

The two turtles laughed in amusement at the recollection Gabby was referring to. Yes, she had come quite a ways from that day they had first met her. It wasn't so long ago, but for all that Gabby had gone through and was now looking forward to, it seemed like half a lifetime has passed by. Though Gabby had much to learn, she was now home, surrounded by people and a husband who loved her, looking forward to the day when she would share that love with her yet unborn child.

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A/N: This is the last regular chapter before the epilogue. I want to thank all of you who have faithfully persevered through this REALLY long story. If you haven't done so or if it's been a while, I wouldn't mind your comments. I already know it was too long, so please try to focus on positives or areas needing improvement. I apologize to those who prefer shorter fair, but I am one who doesn't like glossing over things. The epilogue will be a challenge for me as I will have to 'gloss'! Pray for me! :0) No, pray for you that it doesn't generate another chapter – like this one did! HA! Yes, this was supposed to be THE epilogue. Oh well. Anyhoo, there will be a teaser in the epilogue. Let's see how many of you can figure it out.

Y'all be blessed.