Alrighty, another chapter done! I saw Disney's newest short, "Once Upon a Studio," and I absolutely loved it. It made me smile when I found Wilbur and Lewis in one scene.
Anyway, it got me thinking that it was time for another Lily-and-Wilbur team-up. And besides, I never wrote about Wilbur's first months in New York City as a T.I.M.E. agent, so I'm due. This kind of changed my plans for how this story will go, but, again, I'm happy with how it turned out. Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons," "TMNT," nor "Toy Story." I only own Lilianna, James, and Justine.
October 13, 2045 - Elkhorn, Oklahoma, USA
BO'S POV
Woody and I woke up. Woody went outside to do all the chores around the farm while I got started in making breakfast and coffee. After an hour, the chores were done and breakfast was ready.
"Heavenly Father," Woody prayed. "We want to thank you for this food and we pray it will nourish our bodies. We want to lift Justine up to you today. We pray that she is doing good in school and doing good in her life. And please help me take care of our little town and I pray we will all have a good day. In Jesus' name I pray, amen."
"Amen," I echoed.
We opened our eyes, but we didn't carry smiles on our faces. We were frowning.
"You haven't heard from Justine, either?" Woody asked me.
"No," I answered with a sigh. "No letter since August."
"Something must have happened if it's been that long," Woody replied with a grim look on his face.
"Now, Woody, it may not be that bad," I tried consoling him. "She's in her final year of school. She may just be busy."
"Busy enough to not write nor call us since August?" Woody asked with a raised eyebrow.
"She hasn't called you either?" I asked with surprise in my voice.
"Nope. Something's wrong. I'm gonna call someone she knows."
Woody took out his cell phone.
"Woody, darling, not at the table," I sternly told him.
Woody froze.
"You're right. What's another thirty minutes?"
We finally started to eat breakfast. We ended up eating in silence, still worrying about our daughter.
Todayland, North Montana, USA
DONATELLO'S POV
Just as I got myself ready in a spare room in Robinson Industries, I heard knocking on the door. I turned to see Justine, wearing a long-sleeved green dress with an empire waistline made with white lace. The dress went down to her knees and she wore white cowgirl boots with it. She did not have her blonde hair up in braids today. Instead, her long hair was down and wavy with a hair clip on each side of her head.
"Hi, Donnie," Justine greeted me with a smile on her face.
"Hey, Justine. How are you doing today?"
"I'm actually doing a lot better. The only symptom I have today is this little bump."
Justine placed her hands on her hips, pulling the dress against her body to reveal a small baby bump. I couldn't help but smile, proud of how far Justine had come since she discovered her pregnancy.
"Well, let's examine that, shall we? Go take a seat."
Justine walked over to the chair and sat down on it. I took measurements of her bump. Then I put on my stethoscope to hear the baby's heartbeat. Suddenly, my phone rang.
"Oh, excuse me for one moment."
I walked over to the desk where my phone lied and I answered it.
"Donatello."
"Hi, Donnie. It's Woody. I'm sorry for calling you during your busy day but my wife and I were wondering if you've seen Justine lately and if she's okay."
"Justine is, once again, a student in one of my classes," I answered the sheriff from Elkhorn. "And so far, she's doing well in my class."
"I'm very happy to hear that," Woody's deep, kind voice rang on the other side. "We hadn't received a letter nor a call since August and we've been worried. Has anything happened to her since then?"
"No, not that I'm aware of," I lied with a straight face. "As far as I know, Justine's been doing fine. I wouldn't worry too much about her, Woody. She's a tough girl. As a matter of fact, Lily told me the other day your daughter's a black belt in karate. Did you teach her how to fight?"
"Her mother did most of the teaching. I was Justine's sparring partner."
"Fascinating. Well, I am with someone right now, so I will need to let you get back to your day."
"Oh, of course! Have a good day, Donnie."
"You too, Woody. Goodbye, now."
I hung up. I turned to see a look of happy surprise on Justine's face.
"You actually lied to my dad?" Justine asked with laughter. "I'm impressed. Lily told me you're not good at lying and you just pulled it off with a straight face!"
"Zip it," I sternly replied. "I lied because I want to respect your privacy. I take patient confidentiality very seriously. If you want to tell your dad you're pregnant, then you do so at your own timing. Now, let's get back to this."
I cleared my throat, putting a smile on my face.
"So far, your pregnancy's been encouraging. Your baby is the size of a lime and all the body parts are in place. From now until birth, all the body systems inside the baby are being formed. Now, you mentioned you have no symptoms, which is good! Just make sure you are drinking lots of water. Do you have any questions for me? Or is there something you'd like to discuss?"
"No, no questions," Justine answered. "Not about the baby."
The cowgirl bit her lip.
"Okay, maybe I do. Lily told me that her mother, your wife, was scared when she carried her. How did she muster up the courage to go all the way?"
I pondered this for a few moments, thinking of all my memories with a pregnant April.
"April was scared from the very beginning," I explained. "Shortly after we found out she was pregnant, she started writing in a journal. She wrote down all her thoughts. April talked about how she felt while Lily was growing inside her. She talked about her own life as well as mine. She wrote everything she was feeling down with a picture of herself that day. It made her look forward to Lily's birth."
I chuckled.
"Heck, she was excited to meet our little girl," I continued. "Tell me, Justine. Do you enjoy writing?"
"I received a journal for my sixteenth birthday and was writing in it constantly," Justine answered. "But I stopped writing once I started college. I got so busy since I moved here."
I put a hand on her shoulder.
"Maybe you can take it up again," I told her with a smile. "Think of it as writing to your baby, and one day, your child will be curious and look through it, knowing what all happened before his or her birthday."
Justine suddenly started crying. My smile turned into a frown.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"I hate that I'm going to say this, but I don't ever want to see my dad again," Justine answered. "I'm scared that I'm going to get hurt."
"Come here, Justine."
I spread out my arms. Justine got up and embraced me, her tears falling onto my lab coat. I held her close to me as if she was my daughter.
"You're safe here, Justine," I assured her. "No one is going to hurt you. Shh..."
October 14, 2045 - Pacific Bay, California, USA
LILIANNA'S POV
I glanced out the window from our living room, holding a hot cup of coffee in my right hand. My long red hair was in a French braid, draped over my right shoulder as I continued to wear my pink nightgown and robe. The window was cracked open, a comfortable 60 degrees outside with the sun shining in the blue sky.
My first thoughts went to Justine, as they always went to ever since she told me of her unplanned pregnancy. She was now twelve weeks pregnant, but now, she carried a smile on her face. She had gone from being scared to being happy over the last seven weeks. She absolutely loved her job at Tallulah's shop, not only making dresses for other pregnant women, but also making them for herself. Justine Pride looked absolutely radiant in her new maternity dresses. Right now, she wore dresses that concealed her small bump. I remembered her telling me she did not want her pregnancy to be obvious to her classmates and professors.
Then I prayed from my heart, that God would continue to watch over Justine and my family, asking him to keep them safe. I silently asked God to watch over me and James also, to help provide us with everything we needed.
My thoughts then drifted into my own situation. Like Ryan, I had thought I wouldn't be able to have children. I was born a mutant. I had expressed my fears about childbearing to both James and my dad. To my surprise, my dad had dismissed them, believing that I was able to bear children. James, on the other hand, was understanding and encouraging and told me to keep praying. However, back then, I had also confessed I did not want children. But now...
"Are you okay?"
I jumped slightly and quickly turned around to face my husband, fully dressed in a purple T-shirt and blue jeans. I let out a sigh.
"Yes, I am fine," I answered.
"Is it Justine again?"
"No. Myself."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
I pondered, wondering how to explain my thoughts to him. I finally chuckled when I realized what was happening.
"I think I have baby fever," I spoke. "First, Karena had a baby and now Justine's having one. I'm Diana's godmother and Justine already told me I will be this baby's godmother. It just makes me wonder if my own baby is in the works from God."
"That's possible," James replied.
He bit his lip. I did not need my powers to know something bothered him.
"What is it?" I asked.
"You're not... pressuring me to having a baby, are you?"
"No!" I exclaimed. "James, I'm not ready to have a baby yet! And I don't think you are either. We've slept together, sure, but we haven't gone physical since our wedding day. I was starting to wonder if something was wrong because of that."
"Now that you mentioned it, I'm relieved you're not pressuring me," James explained. "Thank you for giving us time to grow first. My parents are the ones who are pressuring me to give them grandchildren."
I raised an eyebrow.
"They are aware that I'm a mutant, right? I might not be able to have children."
"Look, if your parents had you, then you can have children," James replied.
I rolled my eyes.
"Sure, but there's a very high chance our children will be mutants. Heck, I might even have a baby mutant turtle because I have that kind of DNA! Who knows how everything will turn out?"
"God does," James answered with a smile. "Trust him, Lily. You always have. For right now, cherish all the moments you will have with Diana and the baby on the way. They may prepare you for your own."
I smiled fondly at my husband, who pulled me close and kissed me on the forehead.
"I don't know how often I'm going to be able to see Diana," I replied. "Wilbur and Karena both have jobs and they have a friend taking care of Diana. It's Russell who takes care of her, actually."
"How long has it been since you spoke with Russell?"
"Oh, I'm texting him often."
"Hmm... maybe you could spontaneously show up and help Russell with Diana."
I shook my head.
"I work during the day and go to school at night. I only get the weekends off, just like Wilbur and Karena."
"Well, you could always visit with all three of them. You do have a portal. That reminds me: does Wilbur still have his now that he lives in New York?"
"Yes, he does, but he has pledged not to use it unless it's an emergency."
"That's probably for the best," James replied. "He is Cornelius Robinson's son, after all."
James' face suddenly lit up.
"I just realized something: you're an inventor's child as well. Do you get tired of new technology?"
"Nah, I find it all fascinating if I can figure out how it works. My dad taught me to appreciate life, which includes everything organic, modern, and advanced. I have a few inventing skills, myself."
"I'd like to your hands in motion sometime."
I smiled at him again.
"I just might," I replied.
We held each other for a few more tender, sweet moments, looking at the sun rising over the Ivywood Hills suburb.
"Well, I'm gonna try to chop some firewood," James spoke. "You wanna come with me?"
"Nah, I'm alright. I have an errand to make. I'll join you for lunch later?"
"Sure. I'll even cook it for you."
I kissed him on the cheek, and then we shared a passionate kiss.
"I love you, Lily of the Valley."
"I love you too, Jim Dear."
James left the living room towards the kitchen. On he was out of earshot, I spun around, transforming into Aumanil. I walked to the front door. I walked outside and then flew south.
It took me about half an hour to fly to Theodore Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles. The last time I had come here, Karena had been kidnapped. While I had ended up saving her life, I also took a life, something that I would mentally continue battling to this very day.
I had felt an urge to come here, like it was some kind of calling. I made my way down to the boiler room where Karena had been kidnapped and where the Magician made his headquarters.
"Okay, Lord, what are you trying to tell me here?" I asked out loud.
I closed my eyes and listened for the silence.
"Go to the drawers."
"Huh?"
I thought I was going crazy, thinking that someone spoke in my mind. But I followed my instincts and went to the drawer cabinet. There were four drawers.
The top drawer contained folders that held information about every single universe imaginable before Karena moved to the future. Todayland. Metroville. My father and uncles' version of New York City. Gotham City. Minas Tirith. And so on.
The second drawer contained information on Karena and all the friends she had made during her travels before she moved to Todayland. Something prompted me to glance at my father's file.
There were many pages that corresponded to my father over the years. In fact, there was one page for every year my father first made his appearance to the 'public' in 2012 until the Magician died in 2039.
I sat down and read every single page, curious about how my father lived all those years. I learned that it took my father the longest to figure out Splinter's lessons, which was ironic since he had a very high intelligence quotient. If he wasn't inventing something, he tried to find ways to please my mother. He was quite competitive with Casey for my mother's heart only to discover my mother was in love with my father all along.
The Magician had also learned of my parents' marriage, their college degrees, where they worked, my birth, and where they lived. Feeling disgusted that the Magician was somehow able to obtain this information, I closed the folder and put it back in the drawer.
I went to the next drawer, which contained folders filled with information about the Magician and the people he worked with. My eyes widened at what I found among them: Antonio and Angelo Fulci, sons of the Fulci twins, Vic and Vinnie, who were arrested in 2017.
"Wait, they're the ones who kidnapped me?" I asked out loud. "Who else?"
I eventually found more children of the former Italian mob of New York City. I found a man named Salvatore who is the son of the Hammer. Dr. Farrell had a son named Dante, who also had an M.D. Lastly, not only was there a man named Marco Vizioso, but Don Vizioso himself was the mastermind behind my kidnapping, not the Magician.
I mentally freaked out. The same man who tried to have my dad dissected alive was responsible for my being kidnapped. I took out my T-Phone and sent a text.
"Uncle Raph, I need your help. Aumanil discovered that Don Vizioso was responsible for my kidnapping, not the Magician. Is the Don still in jail? Was the Magician a toy in his plan? What was the Don's plan for me?"
I continued reading the files as my uncle texted me back.
"Aumanil's gonna have to talk to Don Vizioso himself. The Don was initially arrested because your mom submitted evidence of illegal weapons to the courts. Not only would Aumanil have to submit evidence of kidnapping a minor but she would also have to get a confession from the Don."
I blew a raspberry. I did not want to go to New York alone to face Don Vizioso himself. After what my dad told me about him, it was too dangerous.
Then I let out a delightful gasp. I had a friend who is now an agent for the government. I gave him a call.
"This is Wilbur."
"Wilbur, hi! It's Aumanil."
"Lily?" Wilbur responded with a delightful voice. "Hey, stranger! How's it going? You caught me at a good time!"
"Well, good!" I said in my normal voice. "I'm doing good, but I need your help."
"Oh? What's the sitch?"
"What is this, Kim Possible? Anyway, I'm doing some investigating at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles. You know, the school Karena graduated from before she moved?"
"Yes, also the place of the Magician's headquarters where Karena was taken to after her kidnapping. I take it you found something?"
"Wilbur, the Magician was not the one who planned my kidnapping. I just discovered it was Don Vizioso who thought of the plan to kidnap me."
"What?" Wilbur responded in disbelief. "That's impossible. I thought he was in prison."
"Wilbur, you're an agent for T.I.M.E. Can you do some digging on him? And then maybe you can help me-- I mean, Aumanil, talk to the Don?"
"Well, I can see what I can do. I'm a historian, Lily. My job is to analyze historical documents and compare the correct timeline with the timeline that's been messed up. I'm not a field agent, though I've been trained to be one, should I be needed."
"Please, Wilbur," I pleaded with him. "Raphael thinks I should go talk to the Don and after what my dad told me, I don't want to do this alone."
"Why didn't you say that before? Of course, I'm gonna help you! You forget, you're talking to Wilbur Robinson. I may be grown up, but I can still break a rule or two if needed."
I chuckled at his enthusiasm.
"No rule-breaking needed, Agent Robinson," I replied with a smirk. "When should we meet up?"
"Well, I don't head back to work until Monday, and I don't work weekends. It would have to be sometime in the afternoon."
"Can we make that early morning?" I asked. "You are aware it's only one o'clock over here?"
"Are you serious?" Wilbur asked, again in disbelief. "I hate time zones. It's four o'clock in Westport."
There was a pause.
"How about this?" Wilbur continued. "My shift at work starts at nine o'clock Eastern Time. What time is that by you?"
"Six A.M. It'd be perfect for me. I can take the portal to New York and then I'll just take the portal to my job when we're done with the Don. My shift starts at seven."
"I'm glad I'm not in your shoes. Karena's too, for that matter. Her day also starts at seven. But Lily, could we do Tuesday instead of Monday? I'd like to spend my shift on Monday digging up everything I can on Don Vizioso."
"Sounds good to me," I replied with a grin. "I'll see you Tuesday."
"See ya later, Aumanil."
I chuckled as we hung up. I flew back to Pacific Bay and enjoyed the rest of the day as Lilianna Hamato, a household wife on Saturdays and Sundays.
October 16, 2045 - New York City, New York, USA
WILBUR'S POV
I clocked in on my phone in my office and I immediately got to work in researching Don Vizioso, as Lily requested. I put on my blue screen-resistant glasses before booting up my computer.
"Alright, Vizioso," I said out loud with a determined look. "Let's talk. Tell me your secrets."
I was able to find his biography on the internet, and I started to read through it. I was floored when I read his full name.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" I exclaimed in annoyance. "His real name is Donatello, too?"
I rolled my eyes, deciding to stick to what he was most known as.
"Let's see," I said as I scrolled down and analyzed the content. "Don Vizioso is an immigrant from Italy, believing in a better life in America. He brought his mafia to America to establish control in New York City after the 9/11 attacks."
I paused for a second from my reading.
"What is this, the 1930s?" I asked out loud, continuing to read. "He was eventually forced to serve a Japanese entrepreneur named Oroku Saki, giving him his part of the city for money and food. Once he discovered there were mutants in the city, he started his mission to eliminate them with anti-mutant weapons, which were later confiscated and turned into the New York City Police by April O'Neil and Oroku Karai."
I nodded my head slowly.
"Right, and that was how he got in jail."
I continued reading, discovering that he was divorced and had a son named Marco, who eventually moved to America after the Don's arrest. I paused again when I saw the word released.
"Uh-oh," I said, my eyes widening. "On July 29, 2045, the prison officials believed Don Vizioso served his time and has been released. He lives in his home in New York City."
I immediately took my iPhone out and dialed Lily.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Lily, it's Wilbur."
"Hey! What's up? But I want to warn you that I'm driving right now."
"I'll make this quick," I replied. "Don Vizioso's not in prison anymore. He was released while you were getting married."
"What?! Are you sure?"
"I just read his biography online. I'm gonna call the New York Police and confirm his release, but meanwhile, I'm gonna try to figure out where he lives. He didn't move back to Italy."
"Do NOT tell my dad," Lily warned me. "Just the mention of his name will bring painful memories of what could have been and he'll shut down."
"What do you mean?" I asked. "Does that have anything to do with why the Don was in prison?"
"Unfortunately, no. The Don tried to hire Dr. Farrell to dissect my dad alive. He got impatient and had the Fulci twins try to dissect him."
I let out a gasp louder than I wanted it to be.
"Your dad didn't suffer any injuries, did he?"
"No, praise Jesus. But because of what the Don tried to do, my dad almost killed him in cold blood. Those memories have haunted him since."
"Have you tried to help him get past that?"
"No, but I did help him realize that he didn't have to go through his PTSD alone. Listen, Wilbur, I also found files on the Italian mafia and their children. They were also involved in my kidnapping."
"The original gang or the children?"
"Both."
"Lily, you need to bring the evidence to the New York Police."
"I can't, Wilbur. The kidnapping happened in North Hampton. The New York City Police have no jurisdiction there. And besides, this is a ninja matter. We ninjas handle it differently."
"Okay, sure. But there has to be someway for the Don to go back to jail for orchestrating your kidnapping."
"That's where you come in. I have to get a confession out of him as Aumanil. Uncle Raph says we need it and that will be evidence enough. By the way, did you know the Magician had a file on you, too?"
"What?" I replied with a complexed look. "What do I have to do with this?"
"You and Karena started a relationship before she moved to the future with you. The Magician had to have gotten your information from whatever movie or book you came from in Karena's old world."
"Meet the Robinsons," I replied. "I actually thought Karena was from the past at first only to find she had no idea what I was talking about, and vice-versa. But I wonder why the Magician didn't try to find Karena until you were kidnapped."
"He did try, through me. Actually, he had tried to kidnap my dad, who was close with Karena, but when his goons found me and I revealed I was his daughter, they thought I was a better target."
I heard Lily chuckle in the background.
"You know, if I never had gotten kidnapped, I would never have met you nor my husband. I guess when I visit the Don, I'll have to thank him."
"He doesn't owe you anything," I angrily replied. "What he did was sick. He deserves to spend the rest of his life in a jail cell."
"Amen to that! And to think he got released on MY wedding day. He must have planned something in order to get released."
"From what I've read about him, I wouldn't be surprised."
"Listen, Wilbur, I'm almost at work. I gotta let you go."
"Yeah, I need to get back to work, anyway. I'll see you tomorrow, Lily."
"See you tomorrow, Agent Robinson."
I chuckled as we hung up. I finished up my research on Don Vizioso and started researching the life of Carl Jackson, the Magician.
October 17, 2045
LILIANNA'S POV
I transformed into Aumanil at six o'clock in the morning at Pacific Bay. Then I took the portal three hours ahead to New York City at the address Wilbur shared with me. I found Wilbur standing outside of his navy-blue flying car. Once he saw me, he walked up to me and shook my hand.
Wilbur looked absolutely incredible in his T.I.M.E. attire. He did wear his signature upside-down-lightning-bolt shirt, but he wore a brown leather jacket over it. Instead of wearing the usual blue jeans, he wore brown pants to match the jacket, and instead of black sneakers, he wore black boots. He also wore an advanced eyepiece over his right eye.
"It's great to see you here, Aumanil," Wilbur greeted me with a kind grin.
"It's good to see you too, Agent Robinson," I replied. "You look amazing."
"So do you. Well, shall we?"
We both walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. Wilbur reached into his pocket to grab a wallet of some kind. The door opened to reveal a young man, who looked to be in his thirties. He had black hair and brown eyes, and he appeared to be taller than Wilbur.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"Yes," my friend replied. "I'm Agent Wilbur Robinson with the Temporal, Investigation, Management, and Exploration Agency and this is my friend Aumanil Evenstar."
I gave my friend a weird look when he introduced me, but my look quickly vanished to play along.
"Does Don Vizioso live here?" Wilbur asked.
"He's my father," the man answered. "I'm Marco, his son."
"May we see him?" I asked. "We have some questions we'd like to ask him."
"We've got nothin' to hide."
"Thank you, kindly," Wilbur replied.
We followed Marco into the house and into the living room where an obese Don Vizioso sat. He looked very different from his picture. He looked to be in his seventies, now having grey hair. He's lost a little weight, but he was still surrounded by Italian food.
"Buon giorno," my friend spoke.
"Father, this is Agent Wilbur Robinson and Aumanil Evenstar," Marco introduced us to him.
"An agent?" Don asked, stuffing his face with spaghetti. "What brings an agent into my humble home?"
"Aumanil?"
I stepped forward.
"I'm investigating a kidnapping that happened in October 2038 on behalf of Lilianna Hamato," I explained, aware that Wilbur was taping this entire conversation. "We all thought Carl Jackson, the Magician, was responsible for the kidnapping. But I've recently learned you were the mastermind behind it. If you've been in prison until a few months ago, how did you hear of Lilianna Hamato?"
"The plan was to kidnap her father, the purple-masked mutie," Don explained gruffly. "He almost killed me! And then he called the cops and had me arrested! For what? Carrying illegal weapons of all things! This is a free country, is it not? I can carry whatever guns I want to."
"Warfare is illegal in New York City, Vizioso," Wilbur reminded him.
"Yeah, right, so that government officials like you can carry them and threaten us if we don't comply with the law."
"That is not my job," Wilbur sternly replied, his brows furrowed and his finger pointed.
"Okay, cool it, you two!" I snapped. "We are not here to discuss weapons. What do you know of Carl Jackson?"
"He kept calling himself the Magician," Don explained. "But he was no magician. He sure was a mastermind, though. He came to me every week with new information about the Turtles."
"When did he start visiting you?" I asked.
"February 2024. The Magician told me of the purple one being married to the woman who threw me in jail. I wanted revenge on them both, but the Magician said he wanted to wait until he found some girl named Karena. Said he had his own revenge. The Magician sure was confused. Kept claiming Karena just vanished from the face of the earth. But he still wouldn't get me out of jail."
"The Magician himself was a prisoner," Wilbur chimed back in, his right hand on his chin. "Were you cellmates?"
"No, we met in the cafeteria during one of our meals," Don explained. "The Magician was released in May 2023. He looked so smug about it while I sat in the same cell for twenty-eight stinkin' years! I thought I was gonna get my revenge when the Magician revealed that O'Neil woman was pregnant with the purple one's child. But the woman survived the birth."
"So, what you're basically telling us is that the Magician spied on Lilianna's family her entire life?" Wilbur angrily asked.
"Yeah. He spied on the others, too. Each Turtle had a child, but all the women survived. But the purple one was the key. I wanted to kill him personally. The Magician eventually found this Karena in a city called Todayland in August 2037 and we started to create our plan. Our children would kidnap the purple one to lure Karena out of hiding. And then the Magician would capture and kill Karena himself while I kill the purple one from the confines of my cell."
"But that plan didn't work," I replied with a disgusted voice.
"No!" Don exclaimed angrily. "Our children are so stupid! They decided the purple one's daughter was a better target and took her instead. She had no connection to Karena. And our children came back to us empty-handed, telling us this girl escaped. Now it's not just the purple one I want dead. I want all the muties dead so I can take back this city, just as it should have been mine twenty-eight years ago!"
"Is that a threat?" Wilbur asked sternly.
"Muties have been a threat back then, and they are a threat now. The congressmen who passed that stupid mutie law are so stupid. They're monsters, I tell ya!"
"Thank you for revealing that very interesting piece of information," Wilbur said with a smirk on his face. "You are finding yourself one step closer to being back in prison, which is exactly where someone like you belongs."
Wilbur and I walked out of the house and back to his car.
"Did you get it?" I asked.
Wilbur smirked and replayed the start of our conversation.
"I got everything," he answered smugly.
Wilbur's smug smile quickly went away. I quickly sensed a presence behind me.
"LOOK OUT!"
Wilbur yelled just as I spun around and punched my attacker in the stomach. Suddenly, another presence appeared in the window with a gun.
"Wilbur, watch out!" I yelled.
A bullet crashed through the window, heading straight for Wilbur! Thankful that I could read the bullet's projectory, I ran over and blocked the bullet, just inches away from his face.
"Move, Aumanil!" Wilbur yelled.
The agent took out a laser stun gun and fired at both the marksmen and the melee attacker.
"Thanks," I told him.
"No, thank you," Wilbur replied. "I'm not surprised the Don stored weapons in the house. He sounded pretty defensive about it."
"Your gun is so much sweeter than those," I said with a grin.
"Oh, I love this gun," Wilbur explained, returning the grin. "I invented it, you know. Throughout my time-traveling experiences, it was never my desire to take a life, though I wished I had a more efficient weapon to defend myself. So I invented this stun gun, like the clone troopers used in a galaxy far, far away. You can knock someone out, but there's no way to kill them. That way, you're stopping the criminal, but yet giving them another chance to do the right thing."
I continued to smile and I placed my right hand on his shoulder.
"T.I.M.E. is very lucky to have you, Agent Robinson."
Wilbur looked thoughtful for a moment.
"I have a feeling we'll be working together again in the near future," he told me. "And I'm not just talking about Aumanil."
Wilbur winked at me. I shook my head.
"Wilbur, my life is in Pacific Bay. In fact, I should be heading back soon."
"Go ahead. Thank you for your help."
"Thank you for helping me close a chapter of my life."
We hugged. I opened the portal to return home."
DONATELLO'S POV
I had just returned home from Todayland when I saw a familiar friend in my lab. I had to do a double take on who he was, but there was no doubt about it with the black cowlick.
"Wilbur?"
He smiled at first, but it quickly went away.
"Is everything okay?" I asked.
"You might want to sit down, Donnie," Wilbur told me.
"It must be important if you're here and not at home with your family."
I took a seat at my desk. Wilbur bit his lip and rubbed his neck.
"Lily's been investigating her kidnapping in Pacific Bay," Wilbur explained. "And it led her to asking for me to do research on Don Vizioso. Once we discovered the behind-the-scenes of her kidnapping, we interrogated Vizioso together."
I suddenly became terrified, and I felt myself shaking.
"Is my Lily Mae okay?" I asked with a trembling voice.
"Yes, she is fine. She went back home after saving my life. The question is, are you okay? You're shaking."
"I'm sorry, Wilbur. Any time Vizioso is mentioned, I start shaking, afraid he's going to harm me or my family again."
"Well, there's good news and bad news."
"Can we start with the good news?"
"Lily and I gathered enough evidence to put Vizioso back in jail."
I blinked.
"Back in jail? Does that mean..."
"Vizioso was released the same day Lily got married," Wilbur replied. "I came to make you aware and to assure you Vizioso will go back to jail after admitting he had planned to kidnap you and had hired goons who kidnapped Lily instead."
I started to hyperventilate.
"Donnie?"
Wilbur's voice sounded like a blur. The memories came back. One of the Fulci twins ready to slice and dice me. I needed to get out.
"Excuse me!" I cried.
I ran out of my lab, out of the lair, and up the ladder out of the sewers and into the city. I ended up running to the 9/11 memorial. I took my purple mask off and started to let the tears fall. I felt mindless in that moment, traumatized with fear.
Pacific Bay, California, USA
LILIANNA'S POV
I had just gotten home from work. I glanced at my phone to find a voice message from Wilbur. I opened it.
"Hey, Lily, it's Wilbur. So I went to your dad to tell him our findings and he just ran out of the lair. And he was crying and shaking. I've never seen him do that before and I'm worried for him. Unfortunately, I'm no psychologist. Would you be able to come to New York and help me? I'm worried he's going to hurt himself. Thanks."
I glanced at my watch to find it was almost time for me to go to my night class. Rolling my eyes, I transformed into Aumanil again. And, once again, I took the portal to New York City.
New York City, New York, USA
DONATELLO'S POV
I continued to stand, frozen in place, at the 9/11 memorial, listening to the waters falling. I had even thought about jumping in those waters just to make these feelings go away.
"Donatello."
I jumped at the sound and I was shocked when I found my daughter, dressed as Aumanil, standing behind me. I turned around with glassy amber eyes.
"Wilbur told me what happened. Are you alright?"
I let out a shaky sigh.
"No, I'm not. Aumanil, I need help."
"Here, let's get you back home."
Lily sounded soothing. I nodded. She wrapped an arm around me and she led me back into the sewers. I went down first and Lily followed. She wrapped an arm around me again as we walked to the lair together. Renet was the first to see me and she let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh, Donnie!" Renet exclaimed, running up to me and giving me a hug. "Wilbur told us what happened. Are you okay?"
"You are the second person to ask me in those exact words tonight," I replied with a dry laugh. "But I've been better."
"We've been worried about you, D," Leo chimed in. "I know what's happened to you regarding Vizioso, but I didn't know it affected you that much."
Leo sighed.
"Do you regret letting him go?"
"I never let him go," I answered. "I called the police on him and April presented evidence to put him away. But now..."
"Now he's a free man," Raph chimed in angrily. "We need to find evidence to put him back in jail to rot!"
"I have the evidence right here."
Everyone jumped to see Wilbur emerging from my lab. Wilbur smiled with relief when he saw me. He walked up to me.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
I chuckled, happy that everyone cared about me.
"I will be, thanks to all of you," I answered.
"And Wilbur, if you manage to put Vizioso back behind bars, we will forever be in your debt," Leo chimed in.
"Leo, don't say such things," Wilbur replied wisely. "No one's died. I'm just doing my duty as a citizen."
"Your parents raised you well. You must be proud."
Wilbur's smile got bigger.
"I hope I raise my daughter in the same way, if not better."
"Ryan could use some wisdom from you," Leo replied. "Now that he's becoming a father and all."
Wilbur's smile went away and he sighed.
"How's he taking it?"
"He's taking jt rather well, actually," Karai answered. "And so are we. Ryan's promised to be there for Justine and we've promised to stand by them. Justine's been scared of her parents ever since she found out."
"I know. Mom told me. I can't imagine how Justine's feeling. Karena and I are great friends with Woody and Bo. Of course, now that I told Donatello the truth about Vizioso, I have to be careful when I speak to the Prides. Because I work for the government, I have to be careful with what I say."
"I remember being told that when I started working at T.I.M.E.," Renet replied. "It wasn't easy. But I found it more fulfilling than working for Lord Simultaneous. How are you liking it since I taught you?"
"I'm living the dream, Renet," Wilbur answered happily. "I never thought there was actually a job that matched what I dreamed of doing."
"What did you dream of doing as a kid?"
"Being a time-traveling investigative agent. I even made up the Time Continuum Task Force and played pretend."
"Well, now look at you! Only you're doing more than you dreamed of doing. Amy tells me you're the best historian to ever walk through those doors."
"I used to go time-traveling a lot when I was a pre-teen," Wilbur explained. "I guess all that experience paid off."
Wilbur glanced at his phone and frowned.
"Shoot. I'm supposed to be home with Karena and Diana for dinner. I'm late."
"Did you take the portal?" Leo asked.
"I gave mine back, remember? I only live an hour away. See you guys later!"
"Bye, Wilbur!" we all yelled as he left the lair.
"Dad, could we talk?" Lily asked me.
I followed my daughter, still dressed as Aumanil, into my lab and we took seats at my desk.
"How are you feeling?" Lily asked.
"Wilbur was a very good distraction," I answered. "I feel fine."
"Well, now that we have evidence that the Don admitted to planning my kidnapping, we can throw him back in jail for the rest of his life for planning the kidnapping of a minor. Heck, we can throw everyone in jail for playing their parts in it."
"Will you be here when that happens?"
"I don't know. Though Wilbur now has the right to arrest them since we were attacked. I hope he'll let Uncle Raph know."
I freaked out again.
"You were attacked?" I yelled. "Are you hurt?"
"Dad, I'm fine!" Lily shot back. "Wilbur and I worked together to take them down."
Lily let out a sigh, releasing her anger.
"Look, Dad, I know I'll always be your little girl, but we discussed this. If I couldn't defend myself, I wouldn't be in the Justice League, nor would I be married and living in California."
"Lily, listen to me," I sternly replied. "The Vizioso gang are dangerous. They tried to exterminate us and if they are free, they will try again. People like them will never give up until they have accomplished what they want. I don't want you going up against them alone. You will die. I know you are not a little girl anymore, but--"
"DAD!"
We stood up in silence. Lily was angry while I looked at her with a mixture of shock and guilt in his amber eyes.
"I am 21 years old!" Lily angrily spoke. "I'm a married woman with superpowers and you still don't trust me to do things on my own. I cannot promise you that I will come out of every encounter alive. I will die one day, you're right. But please! Please let me decide if something is worth taking a risk or not."
She glanced at her phone. Her eyes widened but then she blew a sigh, sounding slightly relieved.
"I have to go. I have a class to go to."
Lily spun her heel and walked to the door. I bit my lip and called after her.
"Lily, wait--"
"There's nothing to say, Donatello."
I felt like I was punched in the stomach as Lily walked out of my lab. I sank in my chair, feeling guilty about how I spoke to her.
"Great!" I said out loud, wanting to kick myself.
Pacific Bay, California, USA
LILIANNA'S POV
I got through my three-hour class, got home, and I slammed the door going into the kitchen. I entered the dining room where I saw my husband eating the food he cooked for us.
"Hi, honey!" James greeted me with a huge grin on his face.
I glared at him.
"Shut up, Jim!"
I stormed into the living room, and I felt James following me.
"Whoa, whoa, hey, hey!"
James grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him.
"What is wrong, Lily?"
"I was trying to comfort my father and he ruined it!" I snapped. "What an idiot!"
I let out a huff.
"I gotta go to the bedroom to relax," I angrily said.
James let me go. I stormed up the stairs. I got into the bedroom and I collapsed on the bed. I sighed again, covering my face and feeling guilty for the tone I took with my dad.
New York City, New York, USA
APRIL'S POV
"Hey, April."
I turned to see my husband at the door to our bedroom. I smiled, but then frowned when I saw a downcast look on his face.
"Are you okay, D?" I asked.
"No. May we talk?"
I patted the bed. But instead of sitting on it, Donnie lied on it.
"Boy, you're really upset," I said. "What happened?"
"I treated Lily like she was a little girl again," Donnie confessed, covering his face with his hands. "I am so stupid! When will I ever learn? All I was trying to do was warn her of the dangers of handling the Vizioso gang. I didn't mean to be hard on her."
"Donnie, if you see your mistake, then you're not stupid," I assured him. "This should be an easy fix."
"Easy? April, parenting was never easy."
"Donnie, you are correct, but you are thinking way too much into it. Lily loves you. I know that, and you know that. Just talk with her. And knowing Lily, she's probably feeling guilty just for fighting with you."
Donnie shook his head.
"No, she was right this time. I messed up."
"Just talk to her, Donnie!" I snapped.
Donnie shot up with shock written in his amber eyes. It was my turn to cover my face.
"Donnie, I'm so sorry!"
"Shh."
My husband started to rub my back.
"We're all uptight about the whole Don Vizioso thing," Donnie said with compassion in his voice.
"Could I come with you?" I asked, glancing at him.
Donatello simply smiled.
"You've been enough help already."
"Please?"
We stared into each other's eyes, and then we nodded, understanding each other.
Pacific Bay, California, USA
LILIANNA'S POV
I sat up on the bed as I heard knocking on the door.
"Come in, Jim!" I yelled.
James entered the room.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine now," I answered. "I'm sorry I snapped at you."
"What happened between you and your dad?" James asked.
"My dad freaked out when I told him Wilbur and I were attacked," I explained. "Then he had the gall to treat me like a little girl and warned me about the Vizioso gang."
"Was that all he did?" James asked with a raised eyebrow. "Lily, you're his daughter. He loves you. If he didn't, he wouldn't have warned you. I think he just wanted you to have the tools you need to take Vizioso down again."
I let out a dry chuckle.
"Oh, gosh!"
I covered my face.
"I am so stupid! I quickly went on the defensive when I didn't need to. I need to talk to him!"
Suddenly, we heard knocking on the door. James and I have each other a weird glance.
"Who else is here?" James asked. "It's just the two of us."
"Who is it?" I shouted.
"It's Dad."
"I got it."
I walked over to the door and opened it to reveal my dad, who looked saddened.
"Hey, Lily. Could we talk?"
"Please?"
"I'll be downstairs," James announced.
"April's downstairs if you'd like to join her," Dad replied.
"Mom's here, too?" I asked.
"For support," Dad answered as he closed the door behind us.
We walked to the bed and sat down on it.
"Dad, I'm sorry--"
"Lily, I'm sorry--"
We chuckled in embarrassment when we spoke at the same time.
"Ladies first," Dad said with a laugh.
"Dad, I want to apologize for the way I spoke to you. James and I talked it over, and I realized you love me and care for me. I should have listened to you instead of drawing conclusions and acting like a kid."
"Oh, Lily."
Dad and I hugged.
"You're not the one who needs to apologize," Dad continued, gazing into my brown eyes. "If anyone needs to apologize, it's me. I treated you like you were still a child and you didn't deserve that, not after everything you went through. And besides, if you've survived after all this time, it's enough for me to realize you can take care of yourself."
"Thank you, Father. But you're right, too. And that was why I asked Wilbur for help. He was the best person to help me, and he delivered."
"I'm happy to see you teaming up with Wilbur again. It's been a while."
"It's been difficult since we're literally across the country from each other," I replied. "Thank heavens for portable portals."
"That's one good thing that came out of the Kraang trying to take over our planet."
"But that's not the only thing," I replied, giving my dad a kiss on the cheek.
"What was that for?" Dad asked, blushing and rubbing his cheek.
"I wouldn't be here if you weren't."
We hugged again.
"Are we okay?" Dad asked with a smile.
"Yeah, we're okay," I answered fondly.
We walked out of the bedroom and walked down the stairs to meet our spouses. They both stood up and hugged us.
"Are we all okay?" Mom asked.
"Yes, we've made up," Dad answered.
"Whew!" James and my mom exclaimed, shaking each other's hands to our amusement.
November 10, 2045 - New York City, New York, USA
WILBUR'S POV
I started my computer up with a smile on my face. Don Vizioso and his gang were back in jail, some of them for good. Raphael and I teamed up and gave the evidence to the police. So now I was awaiting the court date so we could testify against him.
Suddenly, my phone rang.
"Robinson."
"Wilbur, there's a certain Justine Pride here to see you."
My face scrunched up in confusion.
"Okay," I replied with hesitation. "Send her in."
What was Justine doing all the way in New York? How did she get to New York when she's supposed to be in school? What did she need me for?
My mind was swarming with questions when Justine, wearing a red dress with an empire waistline that hid her baby bump, walked into my office. She had a scared look on her face, but her fears disappeared briefly to look around my office in awe.
"This is the most incredible room I have ever seen," Justine said with a teary smile. "I've never seen so many books in one place!"
I chuckled, but then I decided to get to the point.
"Justine, may I help you with something? I know you're not here for a social visit."
"Wilbur, it's my parents," Justine replied, her fear returning. "They wrote me another letter. They hadn't heard from me since August so they're flying to Todayland today. And they're looking for you."
"Me? Why me?"
"They know we're friends. Since you are Todayland's best representative, my dad thought you would know best about what's going on with me. They're gonna find out about this baby and I'm scared!"
I let out a sigh. Woody and Bo were unaware that I had moved to Connecticut. There was one person I knew to call.
"Hello?"
"Lily, it's Wilbur. I've got Justine here with me and we've got a problem."
