Thank you so much for being patient with me! I went on vacation after posting the last chapter and life has been stressful for me before and after vacation. The vacation did help me figure out how to start this chapter and I pray it will flesh out as I go. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Here comes a new chapter!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "TMNT" nor "Meet the Robinsons," nor "Criminal Case." I only own Lilianna, Ryan, Venus, Athena, James, Karena, Diana, Jasper, Jessi, and Justine.


July 29, 2045 - North Hampton, New York, USA

LILIANNA'S POV

James and I, hand in hand, ran out of the chapel to our cheering families and friends, who were surrounding us, waving fire sparklers above their heads. James and I glanced at each other with a fond smile, and we shared a kiss. The cheering got louder.

"Good luck!" our families and friends had shouted.

"Safe travels!"

"We love you!"

We started running again until we reached my flying car. I hopped in the driver's side while my newlywed husband sat next to me. We waved to our families and friends and then we took off for the airport in Albany. I looked in the rear view mirror, noting that my parents had followed us so that my mom could drive my flying car to New York City to get my things.

It did not take us long to get through security, as it was late at night. All too quickly, it was announced that our flight was about to take off. James and I turned to my parents and hugged them.

"We love you both," Dad told us.

"Be safe in Hawaii," Mom encouraged us. "But have fun on your honeymoon. Be sure to bring souvenirs back to your new home."

"We certainly will," I replied with a fond smile. "We love you so much."

I kissed my parents and James hugged them one more time. Then we got onto the airplane, took our seats, and blew a huge sigh of relief.

"Finally!" James exclaimed.

"Finally," I replied sweetly.

"It's just us," James said. "Well, and all the people we're sharing the flight with."

"But we're alone," I corrected him with my gap-toothed grin. "No one else we know personally is here. It's just us."

I started to lean in to kiss James.

"Excuse me!"

We both jumped suddenly, turning towards the stewardess now standing above us.

"Are you Mr. & Mrs. James Anderson?" the stewardess asked us.

"Yes," James replied with a puzzled expression. "May we help you with something?"

"Oh, no, no!" the stewardess replied, feeling flustered. "It's nothing like that. Someone named Donatello Hamato paid for an upgrade on your plane tickets to first class. Would you follow me, please?"

"Look at your dad, pulling through for us," James whispered as we got up from our seats.

"Yeah," I replied, blushing. "He really is the best dad in the world."

We walked up the cabin into first class, where there was no one else. The cabin was decorated with red rose petals on the floor and white tulle all around the cabin. There was a bottle of champagne in a bucket of ice and two glasses next to it.

"I think I'm going to enjoy having Donnie as my dad," James said with a chuckle.

"Thank you, ma'am," I told the stewardess. "We just got married a few hours ago, so this is absolutely perfect."

"The pilot figured that out when you were wearing the most beautiful dress I had ever seen," the stewardess explained. "Then my boss discovered the upgrade and it all clicked with the crew. We put this together for you."

"You didn't have to do that," I said, again blushing. "We're just ordinary citizens getting married and going on a honeymoon."

"We don't get a newly married couple often. They all go to New York City. This was the least we could do to wish you well on your marriage."

"Thank you so much!" James and I replied at the same time.

The stewardess disappeared into the cabin. And then, the plane started to take off. James cupped me, placing his right hand under my chin. I turned towards him and finally gave him a kiss as the plane moved around the airway.

"Let's have some champagne!" I suggested. "I never really did drink or eat at the wedding."

"Wedding cake will be served."

"Huh?" James and I asked at the same time.

"That's a thing?" he asked.

Suddenly, a table popped out from the floor and on it were two pieces of chocolate cake with two forks.

"I'll pour the champagne," James said.

After he popped the cork off, he poured the champagne into the two glasses.

"Cheers!" I said happily, holding my glass up.

"Cheers to us and the start of a brand new life," James replied.

We clinked our glasses and sipped our champagne. I had a look of disgust on my face.

"I know what everyone's talking about now," I said. "I think I'd rather have red wine over this."

"Red wine will be served."

"No!" I yelled. "I don't want red wine!"

"Red wine order canceled."

"Whew!" James and I exclaimed at the same time.

"What kind of wine do you like?" James asked.

"I really enjoyed the cherry wine my dad had me try," I answered.

"Cherry wine will be served."

"This isn't New York, but what service!"

Suddenly, a glass of red wine popped up from the table. I took a sip and the blend of cherries was perfect.

"Okay, now let's try this cake," James suggested.

We tried the chocolate cake. My eyes widened in delight.

"This is better than Uncle Mikey's cake!" I said happily. "It's absolutely perfect with the cherry wine."

"May I try the wine?" James asked.

"Sure!"

James took a sip of wine. He gave me a thumbs up.

"This is good! I don't know what the magic words are to ask for another glass of cherry wine."

"Cherry wine will be served."

Another glass of cherry wine popped out from the table.

"Now we can enjoy ourselves," I told my husband with a grin.

We clinked our glasses again and enjoyed our cake and wine into the night.


July 30, 2045 - Westport, Connecticut, USA

WILBUR'S POV

"We are finally home!" I shouted happily.

"Wilbur!"

I winced at my wife's tone. I turned around to take a peek at our baby daughter in Karena's arms. We both blew a sigh of relief when Diana remained asleep.

"I'd better put her in her bed before we accidentally wake her up," Karena said, immediately beelining for the stairs.

"Jessi and I are going to go to bed, too," Jasper, Russell and Amy's son, said with a yawn.

"Yeah, it was a long day," Jessi said in agreement.

"Go ahead, children," Amy Young Crane sleepily encouraged them. "Dad and I are going to spend a little more time with Wilbur and Karena."

"We'll be home in a little bit," Russell chimed in. "Good night, kids."

"Good night, Mom," Jasper and Jessi replied in unison. "Good night, Dad."

The two teenagers left, leaving the three of us alone in the living room. Amy and Russell took their seats in the recliners while I sat on the couch, waiting for my wife to come down. Thankfully, it didn't take long. Karena appeared in the living room and sat down next to me.

"So, what did you all think of the wedding?" Karena asked.

"It was absolutely beautiful," Amy answered with a blissful smile. "Lily and James did an amazing job planning it."

"Donnie and April helped, too," I chimed in. "Oh, thank heavens I'm off tomorrow! I can't believe it's midnight already."

"Speaking of which, how's the job hunt going, Karena?" Russell asked.

"I found a job at Staples High School," my wife answered. "They had an open position for music education, so I immediately applied and I was hired shortly afterwards. Though it's going to be really hard being away from Diana again."

"You'll both get through it," Amy encouraged her. "You're both strong women. And besides, this won't be the first time. You were away from work when she was born, right?"

"Hey, she's got a point there," I replied. "You took maternity leave when Diana was born and you went back for a month. I remember how heartbroken you were leaving Diana at home with the family. Maybe this time will be easier."

"And I'll be there to watch her, like I promised," Russell chimed in. "Don't worry, Karena. Diana's in good hands."

"Russell's right," Amy said with confidence. "I remember when Jasper was born and I kept crying at work because I was away from him. I had escaped into the bathroom and pumped milk while talking to Russell on the phone. He assured me Jasper was in good hands and when I got home, not only was Jasper fast asleep, but when he woke up, he was all smiles when seeing me. I knew from that point on Russell would be an amazing daddy, and I know you two will be amazing parents. Hey, you are amazing parents. Diana has smiled practically all day today!"

"I do wanna try to be a better father to Diana than my dad was to me," I said with a frown. "And I gotta thank you, Amy. You've given me a job that makes it possible for me to be home with my family."

"Hey, anything I can do to make sure you and your family are provided for," Amy replied. "Russell made sure of it when I was pregnant with Jasper. I want to pay it forward with you two."

We all let out sighs of contentment.

"So, when's Jasper leaving for college?" I asked.

"Next week," Russell answered. "Amy and I are going to travel to Kankakee with him and help him move into his dorm."

"Jessi insisted on staying here in case you two needed her to take care of Diana," Amy said.

"Hey, that reminds me, who's going to take your place while you're gone?" I asked. "I know your old boss took care of you in the past, but now you are the boss."

Amy laughed.

"Don't worry, Wilbur. You remember Renet Hamato, right? I've been training her to fill the void as my team coordinator, but we haven't been able to find anyone as dedicated as Renet is to teach the new hires about time travel and learning the Latin language."

"I fondly remember Renet," I replied with a smile. "She's Mikey's wife. She's going to be amazing in that role."

"Wait, Wilbur," Karena chimed in. "Didn't you tell me Athena is going to college for history education?"

"Yes, she is."

"What year is she in?"

"Oh goodness," I said, scratching my head. "I think she just finished freshman year of college. But knowing Athena, her head is always in history books and historical fiction."

"Do you both think this Athena would make for a great Latin and time travel teacher?" Amy asked.

"Absolutely!" Karena and I responded at the same time.

"Because Athena is Renet's daughter," I explained. "And Athena looks a lot like her mother. Heck, she's more like her mother than she is like her father. But she's a sweet girl, and she's fierce when she needs to be."

"Really?" Amy replied, clearly impressed with what I said. "Do you think you can ask Athena to give me a call? I won't be able to hire her right now but I'd like to set her on that path. I'm sure her mother would like to help out also."

"Why me?" I asked. "Why not ask Renet?"

"Wilbur, I've learned a lot about mothering from my own mother and from being a mother myself. Athena is still a teenager. If I have Renet ask her daughter about this job, Athena will not want to follow in her mother's footsteps."

"I would have disagreed, but we understand," Karena replied. "Athena looks up to her mom a lot."

"Actually, I was going to suggest having her cousin Lily convince her to go down that path," I chimed in. "Lily is the most persuasive person I know, and she has the confidence to boost."

"Of course!" Russell exclaimed excitedly, slamming his fist into his other hand. "In order to be a criminal psychologist, one has to have strong manipulative traits. With her telepathy, Lily's got that trait."

"And also the fact that Athena is the cousin Lily speaks to the most," I replied with a sigh. "I'll talk to Lily once she moves in to her new place in Pacific Bay. But I can't make any promises."

"Wait, what?" Karena asked with tired surprise in her voice. "Whatever happened to, Wilbur Robinson never fails?"

"Wilbur Robinson grew up, got married, and had a baby," I answered tiredly. "And not to mention he works in a time machine every day."

"Okay, Wilbur, I haven't worked you that hard yet," Amy said with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm a father too. Then again, I could be talking like this because today was a tiring day. Exciting for Lily and James, tiring for me."

"We were best man and best woman," Karena replied. "I'm beat. Going back to the topic of Athena, she's been a saint helping me help Lily plan her wedding."

"The drive was tiring," Russell muttered. "From Westport all the way to North Hampton. The drive back home was the longest four hours I've ever gone through."

"I hope the Turtles got back home okay," Karena said as we all muttered in agreement.


New York City, New York, USA

RYAN'S POV

"Praise Hera, we're home!" Auntie Renet exclaimed as we walked through the turnstiles into the lair.

"I've never been so tired in all my life," Uncle Raph grumbled.

"I have never been so excited to go to sleep," Auntie Mona replied.

"Sleep is calling my name!" Athena exclaimed happily.

"Same here," Venus replied. "We're turning in. Good night everyone!"

"Good night," we all muttered.

The girls went into Venus' room. Uncle Mikey and Auntie Renet went into their room and then Uncle Raph and Auntie Mona in theirs. Only I remained with my parents.

"Ryan, I sense you would like to speak with us," Dad said in the silence.

"Hai, sensei. Could we head into the dojo?"

"We can," Mom answered.

I followed my parents into the dojo and sat down across from them.

"What would you like to discuss, Ryan?" Dad asked.

"Girls... and... dating."

My parents glanced at each other and blushed.

"Well, we'll try to answer your questions the best we can," Mom said with awkwardness in her voice.

"You don't have to answer my questions based on your experiences," I assured her. "You can use any one of us. I, umm..."

I blushed awkwardly.

"I... asked Justine out on a date tonight. I'd been thinking about it for a while now and felt bold tonight. But Justine turned me down."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ryan," Dad replied with a frown. "Are you alright?"

"If I was, I wouldn't be asking you questions."

"I think you'd be asking questions no matter what," Mom tried to correct me. "What kind of questions did you have for us?"

"Dad, how did you know Mom was the one for you?"

"Mom and I have a lot in common," Dad explained. "And she taught me to go outside my comfort zone, to let loose once in a while. We balance each other out."

"Your father inspired me to be a better leader not just for the Foot Clan or my family, but also a better leader for me. I used to be so carefree and your father has taught me discipline."

"It didn't matter to me when Splinter told me your mom was his daughter. I was still in love with her. But I didn't tell him that. I didn't want to disrespect him."

"And I felt the same way about him," Mom chimed in. "I didn't want to tell Splinter about us."

"So that's why your ceremony was more private than the others' ceremonies," I replied, hanging my head down. "You felt it would have dishonored Master Splinter."

"Ryan, I felt lucky when I married your mom," Dad explained. "But when you were born, we were both worried for you."

"All of the Turtles were worried when their children were born," Mom chimed in again. "I remember each one talking to me with concern. Donatello told me of his concern with Lilianna not finding love because of her hands and feet. You were born a mutant turtle with traits of a human and a snake. And don't forget, Venus was also born a mutant turtle with human and Salamandrian traits. Athena, while she looked human, is still a mutant in her blood."

"Mom, I know you're trying to help," I replied. "But what does this have to do with me?"

"You never really explained why you wanted to talk to us," Dad said.

"Yes, he did, Leo," Mom corrected him. "He asked a girl out and she turned him down."

"She turned me down because she's a Christian and I'm... well, not a Christian," I explained. "I understand but it hurts. I just... thought we had a connection and I blew it."

"You followed your heart, Ryan," Dad tried to comfort me. "Sometimes we take a risk at something and sometimes it turns out to be worth it. But don't do what Uncle Donnie did when he first fell in love with Aunt April: he kept trying to please her with gifts and he was following her everywhere she went."

"Dad, the start of the next school year is going to be really awkward: Justine and I live together. We lived with Lily, but now that she's married and moving across the country, Venus and Athena are moving in with us."

"Ryan, all you can do is take things one day at a time," Mom assured me. "This will pass. Or this may blossom. You never know. I was actually surprised when I discovered I was falling in love with your father. At first I was just playing with him, but then I felt liked a little girl inside when I thought about him in that way. I had never felt like a little girl before."

"I can't imagine being raised by someone like the Shredder," I replied with understanding.

"He had preached a lie the first seventeen years of my life," Mom explained with a frown. "Your father helped me see the truth. If it wasn't for your father, none of us would be here."

"But Ryan, don't ever forget the most important lesson," Dad encouraged me. "Never lose hope. Justine might give you a second chance."


JUSTINE'S POV

My parents, aunt and uncle, and I finally got back to our hotel in Saratoga Springs after helping Donatello and April clean up their farmhouse from tonight's wedding celebration. Overall, the day was successful. Lily married the love of her life and I stood by her. The dinner was delicious and so was the cake. And I danced the night away despite my complicated situation with Ryan Hamato, Leonardo's son.

I bit my lip, still feeling guilty for turning him down when he asked me out. All I could do was stand in the doorway of our hotel room while my family took their shoes off.

"Well, I need to go to the loo and freshen up," Mom said, coming my way.

I finally let out a sigh, allowing my Oklahoman accent to ring throughout the room.

"Guys, I need to talk to y'all about something."

"Oh!" Mom exclaimed, stopping in her tracks. "Okay. Is it important?"

"It's about something that happened to me tonight."

"Yeah, I'd say that's important," Dad replied, gesturing my mom to sit back down. "Are you okay?"

"Actually, no."

"What's gotten ya down, honey?" Aunt Jessie asked with her western accent.

"Y'all know Ryan Hamato, right?"

"He's the teenage mutant ninja turtle, right?" Mom asked. "Leonardo's son?"

"Yes. He asked me out on a date during the reception."

All eyes were glued on me and everyone blinked.

"And?" Aunt Jessie broke the silence.

"I turned him down," I explained, tears coming back to my eyes. "Mom, Dad, I remembered what both of you said about dating someone who's not a Christian. That was why I said no. But I feel guilty, because I wanted to go on the date with him. I absolutely adore Ryan. I love playing video games with him and he knows how to make me laugh. But now I've probably made everything awkward because I said no and we live together. He's never going to look at me the same way again."

"So you feel conflicted?" Dad asked.

I let out a sigh, relieved that, for once, my father was understanding.

"Exactly. What do I do?"

"Justine, sweetheart, dating is not the easiest thing in the world to talk about," Mom said, rubbing my shoulder. "There's no right answer on how to date."

"Your mother is right," Dad chimed in, rubbing my other shoulder. "We have both encouraged you to date another Christian because that was God's standard, as the Bible has said."

"However, I have recently reread the book of Exodus," Mom explained. "And I learned that when the Israelites left Egypt, some of the Egyptians went with them because they were willing to follow God and learn His ways."

"Wait, seriously?" I replied in shock.

"I think what yer parents are tryin' to say is if you want to date Ryan, then we think ya should give it a try," Aunt Jessie encouraged me.

"You never know what you'll find if you don't take that first step," Uncle Buzz spoke with a smile. "Aunt Jessie gave me that courage. And then your mom gave your dad that courage, too. We all think you are capable of giving Ryan the courage he needs."

I smiled.

"Ryan already has that courage, thanks to his parents. He had the courage to ask me out, after all."

"Justine, you've always been courageous, too," Dad encouraged me. "You are always willing to try something new, and you've always managed to change my mind if I didn't agree with it. Maybe you can change my mind this time. You have my blessing to pursue a relationship with Ryan."

I suddenly teared up and hugged both my parents.

"Thank you both for being open about this," I cried.

"Anytime," Dad replied. "I promise I'd be there for you, and I'm listening now."

"We both are," Mom said.


North Hampton, New York, USA

DONATELLO'S POV

April and I collapsed on the Murphy bed in the bridal suite, our old bedroom. We took lots of deep breaths to get our breathing back.

"I forgot... how tiring... it is... to clean up... after a wedding."

I chuckled at my wife's breathlessness. Then I took some more deep breaths.

"How long has it been since our last wedding?" I asked.

"Christmas," April answered before letting out a sigh. "I hope Casey and Shinigami can be convincing with our daughter's wedding."

"This was the biggest wedding we've ever thrown here, and this was only our sixth one!"

"I hope Lily's idea works to promote the farmhouse works. I know we agreed that we needed a hobby, but it doesn't help that we're losing money over this. Thank heavens for your job as head professor."

"You know, that reminds me: now that Lily's married, now what?"

I sat up, putting my elbows on my thighs and my fists under my chin.

"Donnie, we live in the lair," April replied, sitting up and rubbing my shell.

"Yeah, a lair full of empty-nesters and no children to teach," I replied.

"Says the biology professor who teaches college students for a living. You just want to go back to work."

"I want my daughter in my arms again!" I cried.

I felt my wife rubbing my shoulders as tears came to my amber eyes.

"Donnie--"

"I know, I know. She's a married woman now. I already promised to let her go, so I need to let her go."

"You know, there is one topic we could talk about: grandchildren?"

"Oh goodness, April. We don't even know if any of our children are capable of having children."

I threw up my hands and then slapped my thighs.

"I know Lily was concerned because she's a mutant," I continued on before letting out a sigh. "Master Splinter always spoke about having grandchildren someday but he died before he could see it. How did he do it? He somehow had hoped that we would be able to have children. How do I get that same hope?"

"Donnie."

I turned to see my wife's perfect face. She smiled before pulling me in for a kiss.

"Lily grew up to be a woman of faith," she told me. "What would Lily say if she was here right now?"

"She would tell me to put all my worries with God, just like I told her to all these years."

"Exactly. And yes, Lily is just as scared as you are. I know. She is scared of being a mother. She thinks she's going to do a terrible job."

"What?! That's poppycock! I know Lily is going to be an amazing mother someday because she had two amazing parents... or at least, I think we were amazing parents."

"Shh..."

April caressed my cheek.

"We were amazing parents, D. Lily told me herself. She's a married woman starting her own life and her own family. We raised her right, as far as I'm concerned."

This time, I pulled my wife in for a kiss.

"Let's get some sleep, A. It's been a very long day. I love you."

"I love you, too."

We turned out the lights and fell asleep on the bed, falling into a bliss of the past.


Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

LILIANNA'S POV

"Lily, Lily, wake up."

I felt myself being shaken awake.

"Is it daylight yet?" I asked sleepily.

"It's not just daylight," James answered with a smile. "Aloha, Lilianna. Welcome to Hawaii."

I gasped, suddenly waking up. I looked out the window to see a sparkling, blue Pacific Ocean and the shores of Honolulu. The skyline was more similar to Todayland's skyline than it was Oklahoma City's, but there were some things from the past that stayed the same.

I glanced down and chuckled. I was still in my wedding dress, but I had no complaints; I was very comfortable. I decided to wear it off the plane for now.

"How did you sleep?" James asked with a fond smile.

"It was nice. Not the best sleep in the world, but being in first class and being surprised like this... it was nice. What about you?"

"It was nice. But it will be really nice once we get to our hotel room."

Eventually, the plane landed. James and I were the first to get off the plane and we were greeted by two Hawaiian women with leis. They gasped at the sight of my wedding dress and then they smiled. One woman held out a white lei and the other placed a blue and purple lei around my neck.

"Welina mai i Hawaiʻi, e kuʻu hoa."

"Mahalo nui iā ʻoe, e kuʻu hoa," I replied in Hawaiian with a smile.

"How do you know Hawaiian?" James asked in awe. "Did you study Hawaiian on Duolingo or something?"

"Or something," I answered with a wink, pointing to my mind.

"Ah!"

I smiled, happy that he understood what I was saying. We eventually made our way to the bus. The bus made its way to our hotel. I did not know which hotel Cornelius and Wilbur booked for us, however, so I was in for another surprise.

"The Hyatt Regency?" James spoke as we arrived.

"What time is it?" I asked.

James took out his phone and glanced at it with widened eyes.

"No wonder it looks like the sun just rose! It's only seven o'clock!"

"Seven?! Golly! And it's one o'clock in New York!"

"Careful, Lily. Remember we're flying home to California instead of New York next Sunday. We'll be in a different time zone then."

"Oh, fun," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Well, thank heavens my family knows not to call us this week. Though calling them from California is going to be fun. Right now it's ten o'clock there."

"Hey."

James turned, set his suitcase down, and placed his hands on my shoulders with a smile.

"We're here in Honolulu right now. Let's enjoy our time here before it's over, okay?"

I smiled back, knowing he was right.

"Okay. Let's get us checked in!"

We walked into the hotel and up to the receptionist.

"Aloha!" she greeted us with a warm smile. "Welcome to the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa. Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, they should be under James Anderson," my husband answered. "My wife and I are here for our honeymoon."

"Oh, yes! Here you are! You are reserved for one of our penthouse suites. Do you know who paid for your reservation?"

"Cornelius Robinson paid for us, ma'am," I answered. "He is a ku'u hoa."

"He is, indeed," the receptionist replied with a smile. "Cornelius once stayed at this very hotel with his wife. Then we hosted his son Wilbur and new bride Karena."

"We're dear friends of theirs," James said fondly. "They stood with us at our wedding yesterday."

"Hoʻomaikaʻi iā ʻolua. I piha kou male ʻana i nā pōmaikaʻi."

"I'm sorry?" James asked.

"Mahalo," I replied before turning to my husband. "She said, congratulations to you both. May your marriage be full of blessings."

"You know our language?" the receptionist asked with a big smile.

"ʻAe, ua aʻo au i kāu ʻōlelo ma Duolingo."

"I'm guessing you said something along the lines of studying with Duolingo?" James asked.

"'Ae," the receptionist and I answered at the same time.

"Here are your cards," the receptionist said, handing us our cards.

"Mahalo, e ku'u hoa," I replied.

"He mea iki."

James and I got onto the elevator taking us to one of the top floors. Then he inserted his key into the door and opened it. I let out a gasp at the room. It was very spacious with pink, red, and white tones. Ahead was a huge window with a view of the Pacific Ocean.

"Whoa!" I breathed in awe.

Suddenly, I felt myself being scooped up.

"WHOA!" I shouted.

I glanced up at James, who started to carry me through the threshold. I laughed.

"What are you doing?" I asked. "This isn't home!"

"It's home for the week," James replied with a smirk. "And besides, I want to take you to the lanai."

James carried me across the room and to the lanai outside. Then he set me down. I let out another gasp as I took in my surroundings. The ocean and the blue sky were crystal clear. To the left were more buildings along the shore, and to my right was more ocean and shores. Suddenly, James wrapped me in his arms from behind. I leaned into the touch with the ocean-smelling wind hitting me in the face.

"Hey, you should get out of your wedding dress and into another outfit so we can start our adventure together."

I grinned at the idea, turned around, and kissed him deeply.

"You should get out of your wedding gown also," I suggested.

"I think there's only one bathroom," James replied. "You should go first."

I turned around to face him and gave him a kiss. After smiling at him, I went inside and into the bathroom. It was so spacious that I had room to transform myself back into the nightgown and brown contacts I was wearing yesterday morning. I went into the living room to grab my suitcase and took out a pink sleeveless dress. I changed clothes and then put on pink closed-toed sandals. Lastly, I brushed my long red hair, slightly wavy from my wedding yesterday.

I walked out of the bathroom and back onto the lanai where James was still standing, admiring the view.

"Hi, handsome."

James turned around and dropped his jaw at the sight of me.

"Hello, gorgeous!"

I giggled, thrilled that I could not read his mind in the moment.

"It's your turn," I told him with a smirk.

"Well, I don't think I can compete with you. But what were you thinking of doing today?"

"We were on the plane for quite a while this morning," I answered. "I wouldn't mind moving my legs around and doing some sightseeing."

"And you're going wear those?" James asked, raising his eyebrow and pointing to my feet.

"You forget that I can run in heels."

James immediately understood, nodding his head in affirmation. He immediately went inside while I went back outside. I enjoyed the cool breeze blowing against my hair as I waited for my husband to change.

I decided to take out my phone and research what the area had to offer. I found there was a car rental place walking distance away. I also pulled up a list of places my parents had gone to when they were here for their second honeymoon.

"I'm ready."

I turned around to see James, dressed in a grey polo shirt, blue jeans, and grey sneakers.

"Well, some of these places my parents went to were walking distance, but some are quite far. However, there is a car rental just a block down, so we can easily rent a car for the week and drive to where we want to go."

"Easy enough. Let's go!"


August 3, 2045 - Pacific Bay, California, USA

DONATELLO'S POV

April and I finally pulled up to Lily and James' new home right on the border of the White Peaks and Ivywood Hills districts in the city of Pacific Bay. I let out a gasp at the outside. The house was a beautiful light shade of blue with two stories and a garage. From the front, there were two windows on the bottom floor and three on the upper floor. It reminded me of our farmhouse where we raised Lily.

We looked behind us to find that no one else had arrived yet. Leo, Raph, and Mikey had all rented out moving trucks. Leo and Raph rented out trucks from New York and packed Lily's things in it. Meanwhile, Mikey, Renet, and Athena had all flown to Todayland and rented a moving truck from there, packing up James' belongings.

"Well, why don't we look at the place before the rest of us get here?" April suggested.

"Sounds good," I replied. "I want to see what we're working with."

April and I went up the steps, took the key that James gave us and unlocked the door. We stepped inside. Right next to us was a closet and ahead of us was a staircase leading to the second floor. We ventured right for now into a spacious living room with blue walls. It was a light shade, but it was not too bright. There were the same two windows we saw from outside the house on the right and two ahead.

Next to the window was a door leading to a smaller room with orange walls with a door that would lead us into the kitchen with golden-yellow walls. Inside the dining room was one wide window and the kitchen had two windows that let us peak into the backyard, seeing quite the view of the mountains. I smiled, the memories of the farmhouse coming back to me.

We turned to our left to find a half bathroom with pink walls and one stained-glass window. There were two more doors to the left of the bathroom: one led to a pantry and the other led to the garage.

April and I circled back around to the living room and went up the stairs. We did circle around to finish walking up the stairs to the second floor. The first door we found was another closet, and the door next to it was another bathroom. This time, this bathroom had light green walls and a shower. Just like at the farmhouse, we turned left and found two bedrooms, both with grey walls. The last room straight ahead was the biggest room on the floor and would be the master bedroom with beige walls. After entering the master bedroom, we found one more door leading to the master bathroom with both a tub and a shower, this room with white walls.

"This is the most colorful house I have ever seen," April whispered in my ear.

"And I don't even think Lily's seen this house yet," I replied. "She may want to repaint. But for now, we can just move the furniture where we think it would go. We still have the next few days to build the things we need."

"Build? Donnie, we're not home."

"Hey, this place is big enough for me to build a work table and make things!"

"Let's just worry about the furniture and making sure it's in the right place," April replied, rolling her eyes. "And besides, Lily can take care of herself and she can build things, too. She inherited her intelligence from you."

"True."

We suddenly heard horns honking from downstairs.

"They're here," I said. "Let's go."


August 4, 2045 - Todayland, North Montana, USA

JUSTINE'S POV

My parents and I arrived back at my apartment in the afternoon. To my surprise, my roommates' stuff was already present inside. Then I remembered Lily and her new life.

"The Hamato Clan must be in California," I told my parents. "Lily and James are moving into their new home on Sunday and her family's helping her move in this week."

I smiled.

"Lily will come home to an organized house... hopefully."

Then I frowned.

"I just wish she was still with us."

"Justine, Lily is alive, not dead," Mom replied with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't think that's what Justine meant, Bo," Dad said before turning back to me. "I often wished that about Andy. I had to let him go once I realized we were all turning human and had become human ourselves. He had his own life to live and we did too. And now, Justine, you and Lily are leading different lives."

"I know," I replied. "And I'm happy for her. It's just--"

All three of us jumped when we saw a pink door appearing out of nowhere. Ryan Hamato entered the room.

"Ryan," I breathed out.

I immediately felt awkward. I could tell he felt awkward too when he placed his right hand across his body on his left elbow.

"Hey, Justine. May we talk?"

"We'll be outside," Mom told us as she and Dad walked out of the apartment.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "I thought you were helping move your cousin's things."

"I was," Ryan replied. "It was a group effort putting everything in place. The house is beautiful, but those last owners were eccentric. Every single room was a different color."

"Lily's gonna hate that."

"Yes, she is."

We chuckled before our awkward glances returned to our faces.

"I've been doing some thinking--"

We chuckled at our awkwardness, our thoughts starting the same.

"Ladies first," Ryan encouraged me.

"I wanted to apologize," I started. "I was raised a Christian and our rules and standards are different from the world. I'm afraid I got the harsh end of the stick. My parents stuck to what the Bible said and preached that to me."

"I'm actually the same way," Ryan replied. "I was raised in the Shinto religion and my father also relies on the book. Uncle Raphael is the same way. But unlike my uncle, my parents preached that book to me and it became my life. I wish I didn't have to worry about being the best and just have fun for a change. That was why I asked you out on a date in the first place."

I laughed, not believing what I was hearing.

"My daddy's always wanted me to take over as sheriff someday, but I know being a sheriff is his calling. My calling is very different. I have no desire to work in the criminal justice field. All I want to do is heal animals and maybe humans who are not well... and ride horses, of course. What is your calling, Ryan?"

"Ironically, I'm studying criminal justice. Does that change your opinion of me?"

Ryan suddenly scoffed and glared at me.

"Oh wait, your opinion of me has already changed because you're a Christian."

"Would you talk that way to Lily, Athena, or Venus?" I shot back. "Or Donatello or April? Yes, I initially turned you down because we worship different beings. But my mother told me something that I think you'll find interesting. Have you ever heard of the book of Exodus?"

Ryan's glare went away and a confused expression replaced it.

"Oh, of course not," I said angrily. "You're not a Christian."

It was my turn to scoff.

"Actually, you know what? Never mind. You'll never get it."

"Try me!" Ryan yelled angrily. "If Lily can be open to it, so can I."

"You really wanna know?" I yelled back.

"YES!"

"OKAY!" I snapped and then took some deep breaths to calm down. "Have you heard of Egypt?"

"Yes, they were a powerful empire at the start."

"Well, God's people, the Israelites, were slaves to the Egyptians. After 400 years, God finally sends an exile, Moses, to free his people. It takes ten plagues for the Pharaoh to release them, but the Israelites eventually leave Egypt as free people. However, my mother and I both learned that some of the Egyptians started to believe in our God instead of their own gods, so they went with the Israelites and adapted their ways. My parents encouraged me to ask for a second chance with you. That's what I was trying to say."

I glanced down and Ryan just looked at me.

"Look, we both have fathers who prefer to go by the book," I explained before slamming a fist onto the table. "I hate rules! Did you know that I was pretty much confined to my house until I turned 16? I could only go into town on Saturdays and Sundays."

"Try being stuck in the sewers until you're 16," Ryan shot back. "The only time I went to the farmhouse was during Christmas. That's it! My only school days were the weekends when Uncle Donatello drove down with Aunt April and Lily."

"I was homeschooled, too," I replied. "If I wasn't doing school with my parents, I was doing chores outside in the barn or inside the house."

"I had cleaning chores and ninjutsu practice. That's it. My dad forbade me from going topside. It drove me crazy!"

"My dad, too! I was never allowed in town. In fact, when I got in trouble at school once and at the saloon, not only could I go back to school. He tossed me in jail."

"Are you serious?" Ryan asked with shock in his voice. "He makes me think of the Shredder. The Shredder raised my mom to be an assassin. But when she discovered the truth about her real father, my grandfather, the Shredder threw her in jail. Hopefully your dad hasn't lied to you all these years."

"Thankfully, he hasn't," I replied with a sigh. "He was just strict and never gave a listening ear."

"I feel my dad's the same way, too."

Ryan threw his hands up in the air.

"Screw it. Justine, I want to take you out to dinner and this time, I'm not taking 'no' for an answer!"

I blinked and then blushed. I silently thanked God for Lily giving me advice on how to connect with Ryan and then let out a sigh.

"It's a date. Where and when?"

"Let's move this stuff around first," Ryan suggested. "Then maybe we can head to Futureburgers before Venus and Athena get here."

"That sounds like a plan," I replied, finally with a smile. "Well, you know what Venus and Athena's things look like. Would you help me?"

"With pleasure."


August 5, 2045

ATHENA'S POV

"It feels good to be back in Todayland," Venus said as we entered our new apartment.

"Yeah, and the best part is the three of us are sharing this apartment with Justine."

Venus and I set our books down on the table in front of the television. We gave each other confused glances.

"It's a little weird that Justine isn't here to greet us," Venus said skeptically.

"Ryan, too," I replied. "Let's look around."

Venus and I split up and searched the apartment. I made a beeline for the kitchen to grab a Dr. Pepper.

"OH MY GOSH!"

My eyes darted towards Justine's room. I set my Dr. Pepper down and dashed to the bedroom. I let out a gasp as what I saw: Ryan and Justine were in bed together.

"Am I missing something?" I asked, not knowing how to feel.

"Did you two go on a date?" Venus asked.

"My parents were right," Justine replied dreamily. "Giving Ryan another chance was worth it. He's a great kisser."

"We didn't need to hear that!" Venus and I exclaimed at the same time in disgust.

"It turns out my parents were right, too," Ryan said, also with a dreamy smile. "I never gave up hope. I had a great time with Justine."

"Oh, you really had a great time?" Venus remarked, though I could not tell if she was sarcastic or not.

"Yeah, totally. Justine's an amazing kisser.

"Venus, I'm getting weirded out," I said, running out of the bedroom.

"Athena, you have a boyfriend!"

Not caring, I ran out of the apartment and texted my boyfriend Skyler. I went on the campus lawn and laid on the hammock there for five minutes.

"You wanted to see me?"

I turned to my left to see my blonde-haired boyfriend standing with a concerned look on his face.

"Yes, thank you for coming on such short notice."

I got off and hugged him. Then we leaned into each other for a sweet kiss.

"So, what's up?" Skyler asked.

"Ryan and Justine were in bed together!" I blurted out.

Skyler's blue eyes widened.

"A mutant turtle and a human mated together?"

"Well, I'm not sure about that," I replied. "But I feel uneasy about it. I mean, sure, Lily and James are going to bed together now and they're probably having sex like it's the best time of their lives. And we've been steady. We've been taking our time. But Ryan and Justine? I never saw that coming. It makes me feel weird about... you know..."

"I have no plans on going down that path with you until we get married," Skyler assured me.

I placed my head on his chest and hugged him, appreciating all he's done for me.

"Ryan and Justine both just weirded me out and I had to get out of the apartment," I continued. "I feel bad for leaving Venus there. She wants nothing to do with marriage and all that. And she's lucky. It's hard for mutants to find love, but Lily proved us wrong. James is her high school sweetheart."

"Hey, we're high school sweethearts, right?" Skyler asked. "And you look nothing at all like a mutant. How are you a mutant?"

"My blood and DNA. My father's a mutant turtle just like my uncles. My mother is the only human who is totally human, hence why I look one hundred percent human. I'll probably have some kind of problem the older I get."

"You'll be fine, Athena. Do you trust me?"

I looked up and I closed my distance, giving my boyfriend another kiss.

"Absolutely."


August 6, 2045 - Pacific Bay, California, USA

LILIANNA'S POV

"Welcome home, Mr. Anderson."

"Welcome home, Ms. Hamato."

James opened the door to our new home, and then he scooped me into his arms, to my delight. He carried me across the threshold again after we came home from a fantastic honeymoon in Hawaii. After we went inside, we kissed each other passionately, and then he set me down.

"Well, are you ready to look at our new home?" James asked.

"You betcha! I know my family was planning to fix the place up for us, but I've never seen it."

"You'll love it. I picked a home right on the White Peaks and Ivywood Hills border of the city. We'll have the best of both worlds: the mountains and the forests."

"Well, let's take a look!"

James took my hand as we walked into the living room, which was very spacious. There were two couches with two recliner seats and a coffee table in front of them. There was a television against the wall in between the two windows looking over Ivywood Hills. I smiled, glanced at James, and we both nodded in agreement: the living room looked good.

Next, we entered the dining room. It was a nice small room with a mahogany table that could sit six people. I felt content with this room also and ventured into the kitchen. The kitchen reminded me so much of my childhood home and I smiled. I peered outside and gasped at the view. There was a forest right in front of me with mountains behind it.

"The weather is going to be absolutely perfect," I said out loud with a sigh of contentment.

I opened the two doors in the kitchen. The first one led to the bathroom and the other led to the garage. The garage was updated to include a door on the ceiling for the flying cars.

"Shall we go upstairs?" James asked.

"Sure."

James and I circled back around to the living room and went up the stairs. First, I saw another closet and a bathroom. Then we walked around the corner to find two bedrooms. I smiled. The first bedroom had James' bed and the second had my bed in it. Both rooms were decorated based on our pasts and our interests.

Lastly, we ventured into the master bedroom, which had the queen-sized bed, the one of many wedding gifts we had received specifically for this bedroom. This bedroom was decorated perfectly and reminded me very much of my parents' bedroom. There was a bathroom next to the bedroom, complete with a shower and tub.

James and I laid down on the bed and held each other's hands.

"You know, I do have one complaint," I said.

"What's that?" James asked.

"Every single room in this house except for the two bedrooms are different colors! It's driving me crazy!"

"So what do you want to do about it?" James asked.

"I really do like the grey in those two bedrooms," I explained. "I want to paint this bedroom grey, too."

"Okay."

"And the hallway? I want that to be the same color as the living room."

"Pastel blue?"

"Yes! And then the dining room and kitchen should be the same color."

"Which one, the yellow or the orange?"

"The yellow. It's much more opening than the orange."

"Those all sound like reasonable colors," James replied. "So, I guess that makes this our first home improvement project."

I laughed.

"I guess so," I replied. "I'm excited at the thought of painting with you. Too bad we start school tomorrow."

"About that..."

I sat up in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Because I got accepted to Pacific Bay University so late, I won't be able to start attending classes until January. I'm going to spend this week trying to find a job."

I let out a sigh.

"Yeah, I should be doing that, too. And I don't want to go into the entertainment business. That chapter of my life is over. If I'm going to sing, I'm going to do it at church worshipping God."

"Or here at home putting me to sleep."

I chuckled.

"That, too. Do you have any suggestions?"

"As long as you promise to give me a suggestion too," James answered and I nodded firmly. "Try to find an entry-level job with your degree. You don't have the license to be a counselor. So why not try to find work with psychiatric patients?"

"That's not a bad idea," I replied with a thoughtful smile. "Since you want to go into pharmaceutical medicine, why don't you try to find work as a pharmacy intern or pharmacy assistant?"

"Good idea," James said.

We both let out a sigh.

"So, what should we do tonight?" he asked.

"Sleep!"

I closed my eyes, not caring if I slept in my clothes. I felt my husband kissing me on the forehead, and I smiled.

"I love you, Lily of the Valley."

"I love you too, Jim Dear."

We both then fell into a marital nighttime bliss, sleeping in each other's arms. This next year was going to bring us challenges, but I knew we would overcome them.