Hi everyone. I had created a timeline for how this story is going to go until the end and realized I didn't really have a story for around this time. The idea for this chapter came only a few days ago, and now I'm thinking that this may be the start of yet another trial for Lily.

This is a sensitive chapter that may not suit every viewer. I did not think that I would write this kind of chapter, but I'm actually happy with how it turned out. Of course, there's more to come on this.

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

August 21, 2045 - Todayland, North Montana, USA

JUSTINE'S POV

I suddenly woke up to uneasiness in my stomach. Then, I suddenly wanted to gag. I jumped out of bed, ran into the bathroom, and emptied my stomach into the toilet. I let out a cough as I finished puking. I flushed the toilet and rinsed my mouth out.

I slowly walked out of the bathroom and walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. I groaned when I found out it was five-forty-five in the morning. Curiosity struck.

After grabbing a glass of water, and making sure I did not wake up Ryan, I walked back into my bedroom. I grabbed my phone and called one of my professors.

"Donatello."

"Hey, Donnie, it's Justine."

"Justine? You don't sound well. Are you alright?"

"No, I just emptied my guts in the bathroom. I definitely will not be in class today."

"Do you need to come see me?"

"I don't want to get you sick," I replied.

"Justine, don't be silly! I'm a doctor. I handle sick patients all the time. And besides, it's rare that I ever get sick. Come see me in my office at seven-thirty your time. I'll make sure I bring a bucket with me."

"Thank you, Donnie. I'm gonna try to get some more sleep."

"I think for right now, that is very wise. I'll see you soon."

I hung up and immediately tried to go back to sleep. All too quickly, I woke up to my phone ringing. I groggily answered the phone, my stomach still upset.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Justine, are you doing okay? It's Donnie."

"I got more sleep but my stomach's still upset."

"Do you think you're able to stop by my office? It's already seven-forty."

"SEVEN-FORTY?! Crumb! I'll see you soon!"

"Take your--"

I hung up, quickly changed into a T-shirt and jeans, put on sneakers, and hurried to Donnie's office. I knocked on the door, panting breathlessly, amazed that I had not puked once from my run.

"Come in!"

I opened the door and slowly walked into the office to greet the purple-masked ninja turtle. He turned and smiled at me.

"Good morning, Justine. Are you doing okay?"

"Where's the bucket?" I asked, suddenly feeling the urge to puke.

Donnie handed me the bucket just as quickly as his smile faded away and I puked.

"Yep, I'm writing you a pass and emailing all your professors," Donnie said with a concerned voice. "Now tell me. When did your symptoms start?"

"This morning when I called you the first time," I explained. "I felt just fine last night."

"Hmm, what all did you eat?"

"Venus, Athena, Ryan and I have a Sunday tradition of ordering pizza. We ate pizza and drank soda all day."

"That's not very healthy," Donnie replied. "If you had pepperoni, that is a lot of sodium. The soda only makes it worse with all the acids that are in it. Please, go home and rest. Please call me everyday with an update, okay?"

"Thank you, Donnie."

August 25, 2045

ATHENA'S POV

I woke up and heard Justine puking once again. I got off my bed and woke my cousin.

"Athena, what is it?" Venus groggily asked.

"It's Justine. She's puking again."

"She's been puking all week," Venus replied, slowly getting up. "I hope she's okay. But do you want to hear the strange thing?"

"What?"

"Justine felt totally fine at night. Remember when we ordered our usual Chinese food on Wednesday and Justine felt well enough to eat the crab rangoon?"

"And then she'll go right back to puking the next morning," I replied, noticing the trend. "I think Uncle Donnie needs to do some sort of allergy test on her."

"Let's go talk to her."

Venus and I went to the bathroom together. Justine opened the door, not looking well.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked.

Justine glared at me.

"Do I look okay?" she yelled. "I don't understand it. I felt totally fine last night and here I am in the bathroom again!"

"Athena and I were just talking about that," Venus said. "We think you need to see Uncle Donnie about some sort of allergy test."

Now Justine glared at my cousin.

"The only time I have ever puked is when I got my appendix removed!" she yelled. "I've eaten fine before this week. What do allergies have to do with this?"

The phone started to ring. Venus and I glanced at our phones, but our phones were silent. Justine took out her phone and answered it.

"Hello? Hi, Donnie. No, I'm puking again and I'm frustrated. I feel fine at night when I eat dinner but when I wake up, I'm throwing up."

Justine's eyes suddenly widened.

"I gotta go!"

She hung up.

"What is it?" Venus asked.

"Get out," Justine snapped at us. "I need to change clothes and go to the drugstore."

Justine slammed the door on us. Venus and I glanced at each other with concern in our eyes.

"Is Justine okay?" Ryan suddenly asked behind us.

"We don't know, Ryan," Venus answered. "She's been puking every morning for the past week."

Ryan bit his lip.

"I hope she's okay," he said. "You know, we were supposed to go on a date tonight. I hope she'll feel better by then."

Pacific Bay, California, USA

LILIANNA'S POV

I was cleaning the living room when I heard knocking on the door. Confused as to who it could be at noon, I walked over to the door and opened it. I let out a surprised but delighted gasp.

"Justine! Hi!"

My smile immediately faded away when I saw a downcast look on her face, surrounded by two blonde braids.

"Come on in."

"Thank you," Justine replied with sadness in her voice.

"Not that I'm not glad to see you, but how did you get here?" I asked. "Aren't you supposed to be in school right now?"

"Your dad excused me from all my classes this week. I wasn't feeling well. As to how I got here, I took Ryan's portal."

My eyes widened.

"You took a portable interdimensional portal from a ninja?" I asked with surprise. "I'm impressed!"

"I am a black belt in karate."

"That would explain things," I replied. "Well, it's just me at home. James is at work and I don't have classes until four today. I was just cleaning and making lunch. Does meatloaf sound good?"

"Honestly, no," Justine answered on the verge of tears. "And that's one of the reasons why we need to talk."

"Oh, Justine."

I frowned with compassion.

"Well, we can sit in the dining room while I eat my lunch or we can go up into one of the bedrooms if you'd like."

"Thank you, but I'd rather sit here."

"Sure. Let me take care of my meatloaf really quick and I'll be right back."

As I walked into the kitchen, I analyzed my thoughts. I remember seeing Justine upset at my wedding back in July, but she seemed even more upset today. I started to worry something had happened. I shrugged, realizing that if something didn't happen, she wouldn't be at my house right now.

I took the meatloaf out of the oven and set it down on the counter for it to cool off. I walked back into the living room and sat on a couch with my best friend.

"Is this about Ryan?" I asked with concern.

"No, but it's related to him," Justine answered.

"Why don't we start at the beginning?"

"After I moved back into my apartment, Ryan appeared through his portal. We spoke, we fought, and then we connected. We went on a date to Futureburgers. We had such a good time we both wanted to take things further. We shared our first kiss together, which was heavenly. Then we went under the sheets."

I gasped loudly.

"We decided we'd go on a date every Friday to strengthen our relationship," Justine continued. "We enjoyed our first date that much. But then I started throwing up everything I'd eaten on Monday. I puked every day this week and then..."

Justine paused, taking something out of her pocket and handing it to me. My eyes widened at what I was holding: a positive pregnancy test.

"Oh my gosh..."

I was speechless.

"And Ryan's the father?"

Justine nodded, letting the tears drop from her brown eyes.

"Oh boy," I continued, shaking my head. "I don't know whether to say congratulations for having the courage to have a relationship with my cousin or I'm sorry you're going through this."

"What am I gonna do?" Justine cried. "Ryan's a mutant turtle! This is not going to be a normal baby! I won't be able to tell my parents about this. My mom won't know what to do. And if my dad found out about this, he'll disown me."

I raised an eyebrow.

"I highly doubt he'll do that," I replied. "I think he's learned his lesson. But I do agree about your mother. My dad may be the only one who can help guide you through."

"I don't even know if I want to have this baby, Lily!" Justine yelled, tears streaming down her face as she stood up. "My entire life is at stake!"

"Would you like me to call my dad?" I offered. "He needs to hear this."

With glassy eyes, Justine nodded. I took out my T-Phone and dialed my father.

"Hello. You've reached the voicemail of Dr. Donatello Hamato. I am unable to take your call right now, but please leave your name, number, and a message. I will call you back as soon as I can. Thank you."

After I heard the beep, I left my message.

"Hi, Dad, it's Lily. Listen, Justine took Ryan's portal to my house and she's in a difficult situation that only you may help her with. Please come over as soon as you can. I love you."

Todayland, North Montana, USA

DONATELLO'S POV

I returned to my office after my last class ended for the day. I opened up my T-Phone and found I had a voice message from my daughter. I smiled, putting the phone to my ear to listen to her message.

"Hi, Dad, it's Lily. Listen, Justine took Ryan's portal to my house and she's in a difficult situation that only you may help her with. Please come over as soon as you can. I love you."

My smile turned into a frown. I gathered my things and took the portal to my daughter's home.

Pacific Bay, California, USA

I appeared in the living room with a concerned Lilianna and a tear-stricken Justine. Lily got up and gave me a hug, and I returned it.

"Thank you for coming, Dad," Lily greeted me.

"Of course," I replied before releasing the hug and turning to her friend. "Hi, Justine. Are you doing okay? You suddenly ended our call this morning."

"I'm a little better than I was this morning, now that I'm here," Justine answered, hanging her head down. "But I'm so conflicted right now."

"How so? Did something happen?"

"Ryan and I had a date and now..."

Justine paused, and I saw tears coming out of her brown eyes.

"I'm pregnant, Donnie."

"Oh, my..."

I was speechless. I sat on the couch next to Lily. I wasn't mad at Justine. Instead, I felt compassion. On the other hand, I was unsure of my feelings towards my nephew. I, too, felt conflicted.

"Okay, let's take this one thing at a time," I finally spoke. "Justine, when was your last monthly?"

"July twenty-first."

I did the math in my head.

"So it sounds like you're about five weeks along," I explained. "But this is Ryan's child you're carrying. This will be a risky pregnancy."

"I know," Justine replied, finally gazing into my amber eyes. "And that's why I'm unsure if I want to have this baby or not."

"Oh, Justine," Lily started to say, putting her right hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Justine, it is your choice to make," I assured her. "But I must warn you: I do not specialize in abortions. I might have to refer you to someone who does if you decide you do not want the baby. If you decide to go through with this pregnancy, I will do my best to take care of you throughout your journey into motherhood. I would have to see you somewhere in Robinson Industries instead of New York every month, but I promise we will work this out. Will you promise to at least think about it?"

"And does Ryan know?" Lily asked.

"No, only you two," Justine answered. "I came here immediately after I got my results because I trust you, Lily."

"I think you need to tell Ryan," Lily suggested. "It's his child you're carrying. He deserves to know."

"As to who else needs to know, I think you need to tell Athena and Venus, too," I chimed in. "They live with you. And we've raised all our kids the way Splinter raised us: to be kind when someone needs goodness in their life. And right now, you need that. I'm very sure Athena and Venus will help you."

"Venus is actually stronger than I am," Lily replied. "So if you need her to carry something heavy, she's got your back."

For the first time today, Justine smiled.

"Thank you, both. Lily, would it be alright if I spent the weekend here with you? I need to think about this."

"You can stay for today at least," she answered. "I'd have to talk with James about you spending the weekend here. Granted, we do have two spare bedrooms right now--"

"Forgive me for interrupting, but why did you buy this particular house if it's just the two of you? Are you planning on having a family soon?"

Lily and I glanced at each other and shrugged.

"James was the one who made the down payment," Lily explained. "He bought this house because of me. My moving in was the first time I've seen it. I do want a family, sure. But right now, I just started a new chapter. I'd like to spend some time in this chapter, just the two of us, first."

"When you decide what you want to do, Justine, please come to my office," I told her. "I'll be going back home now to spend the weekend with my family. It was nice seeing you two, and please tell James I said, hi."

"Will do, Dad," Lily replied.

We all stood up and Lily gave me a hug. I returned it.

"I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

Once Lily and I released the hug, Justine suddenly gave me a hug.

"Thank you for giving me hope, Donnie."

Then she went upstairs. Lily and I exchanged concerned glances before I took the portal back home.

August 26, 2045

JUSTINE'S POV

I barely ate dinner with Lily and James last night. It was not just because I had morning sickness from my newfound pregnancy. I also felt upset and so conflicted. I even went to bed early, or perhaps I went to bed on time due to the two-hour difference in time zones.

I spent all day today in the bedroom filled with Lily's childhood memories, thinking about who to tell and who to go to. Of course, Lily, James, and Donatello were the first people I would trust with my life. I went to Lily first when I found out about my pregnancy, and then Donnie offered his support no matter what I would decide. James was understanding once Lily explained things.

Venus and Athena were not only my roommates but also fellow Christians. I remember connecting with Athena from the moment we met at Karena's wedding. They both also made me feel at home because we had more in common than we ever imagined. I could easily trust them with my pregnancy. I smiled, most certainly taking Lily's advice to heart.

The Robinsons were hospitable as well, especially Franny and Billie. I remembered sleeping in the guest room next to Billie's room and it was the most comfortable bed I had ever slept on. We all connected because they, too, were outsiders and full of quirks. I wondered if Franny would allow me to spend a night or two again with them during the pregnancy.

Then, I panicked. If I were to keep the baby, I would have to provide a room for him or her. My apartment definitely did not have the space. Where would I go? There was no possible way for me to move in with Lily and James nor with the Robinsons. Lily and James just started their married life while Franny and Cornelius had done their part in raising Wilbur. Wilbur and Karena, who now live in Connecticut, were busy living their new lives while raising their baby girl. I could not impose on them by bringing another baby into the house so soon.

Oklahoma was now out of the picture and in my past. I now knew I would never be able to go back again. If my dad had not hesitated in throwing me in jail for my sins, he surely would throw me in jail again for sleeping with a man outside of marriage and having a baby out of wedlock. And my mom, while she is a doctor, would not understand the complications with my pregnancy. I was now all alone with no family to go to.

I started to cry, wailing into the pillow. I now hated my life and wished I was dead. After a few minutes, I heard knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" I wailed.

"It's Lily. Is everything okay?"

"No, it's not!" I screamed.

The door burst open and Lily ran into the room, not hesitating at all in giving me a hug. I cried into her shoulder.

"Justine, I'm so sorry," Lily said.

I swore she was crying with me. I pulled apart and glanced at her. She had taken her brown contacts off and, sure enough, there were tears in her blue eyes. I let out a sigh.

"I take it you've read my thoughts just now?"

"About you wanting to be dead?"

I nodded sadly.

"Aww, Justine, you are not alone," Lily replied, putting her hands on my shoulders. "Why do you think that?"

I shook my head.

"I can't go back to Oklahoma," I explained. "My dad would throw me in jail and my mom wouldn't understand."

"Why on earth would your dad throw you in jail?" Lily furiously asked, and this was the angriest I had ever heard her.

"He's thrown me in jail before. If he found out I got pregnant out of wedlock, he would not hesitate to do it again. And he may go out and kill Ryan."

"Oh, Justine, I understand your hormones are out of place here, but you are thinking of the worst things possible. But please let me assure you that you are not alone and that you do have family who love you no matter what."

I glanced up and found a smile through Lily's tears. I let out another sigh, wiping away my tears.

"You have me and my dad, for one," Lily explained. "My dad's already made the promise to be the father you need when your own dad can't, okay? I'm actually now family because you are carrying my cousin's child, which makes my dad your family, too. I do not believe my family will judge you. Uncle Leo and Auntie Karai may be angry at their son for being irresponsible, but knowing them, they'll accept your fate with Ryan and love their grandchild. And besides, they encouraged Ryan to try again at asking you out."

I sniffed and then smiled.

"Really?"

"Really. People do change, if you let them. You didn't just give Ryan a chance to prove himself as a good partner; you proved that to yourself, too. And look at you, now having a baby! It means you and Ryan love each other. Your date with Ryan went really well, enough for him to realize there is something between you two."

Lily suddenly placed her hand on my stomach.

"Please, Justine, don't throw your life away. Things always work out as long as you give them to God."

I started crying again, and we shared another hug.

"Lily, I still want to go to nursing school," I confessed. "I don't want this baby getting in the way of that. But how would it be possible?"

"Didn't I just say, things always work out?" Lily replied, raising an eyebrow. "If you ask God and the right people, they will help you. Your plans are just changing a little. Ryan wanted to be a police officer in New York. That may not happen anymore because now he has a new responsibility."

"Shoot," I mumbled before speaking up. "What are we going to do? It all seems hopeless."

"Justine, everything will turn out the way it's supposed to, according to God. Okay?"

I nodded.

"Justine, deep down, I know you want to keep the baby, and you are so brave for going through this. My mom was so scared when she first found out about me. She was worried she wasn't going to make it. She was worried that I wasn't going to make it. But she went through with it, despite the risks involved, and we both survived. I was a very happy, healthy baby when I was born. You've got my back."

"Thank you, Lily," I replied. "I knew I could trust you. But Lily, something else came to mind. There's not enough room in my apartment to make a nursery for the baby. What do I do?"

Lily pondered for a moment.

"Let Ryan know what's going on first," she answered. "Then I imagine Ryan will be telling his parents. Once that happens, let's all have a meeting at the Robinsons' house and figure out your next steps there."

I blew out a deep breath.

"Please pray for me," I told her. "I'm going home tonight."

"Are you sure?" Lily asked with a concerned look. "Do you need me to come with you?"

My eyes widened with hope.

"Would you, please?" I asked desperately. "I don't think I can do this alone."

"Of course."

We hugged each other.

"I need to let James know I'm heading to Todayland for a couple hours," Lily said. "I'll be right back."

Lily left the bedroom and for the first time in a while, I smiled, knowing it was all going to be okay.

Todayland, North Montana, USA

Lily and I took her portal back to my apartment.

"Justine!"

Athena, Venus, and Ryan all ran towards me and hugged me. I suddenly felt like I was getting squished.

"Okay, guys, I need breathing room!" I gasped.

"Guys, let's give Justine some space," Lily said. "She's going through a lot."

Venus and Athena gasped with delight.

"Lily!"

"Yes, hello!" Lily replied happily as two of her cousins gave her a hug.

"What are you doing here?" Venus asked happily. "I thought you'd be in California living married life with James!"

Lily laughed.

"Married life has been wonderful, so far. I'm here because Justine asked me to be here with her."

"Justine, are you okay?" Athena asked with a concerned glance. "We've all been worried about you, especially Ryan."

"That reminds me," I spoke up. "Ryan, may we see you alone?"

"Sure," the mutant turtle replied hesitantly.

Lily and I followed Ryan into my bedroom. I sat down on the bed with Lily as Ryan continued to stand.

"Is everything alright?" Ryan asked.

"There's something you need to know."

I let out a long sigh.

"Ryan, I'm pregnant."

Ryan's brown eyes widened and there was a look of panic in them. He placed both of his hands on his bald head and started to rub it nervously.

"Ryan, are you okay?" Lily asked.

"That's impossible," Ryan breathed. "I thought..."

Ryan grunted in anger.

"I'm a mutant turtle! How are you pregnant?"

"The way normal human beings get pregnant!" I snapped. "You're a human being, too, underneath that shell!"

Ryan took some deep breaths to calm down.

"Justine, I am so, so sorry. I didn't see this coming. I thought it would be impossible for us to have a kid because of, well..."

Ryan gestured to his body.

"Ryan, what did you expect?" Lily asked with a confused look on her face. "My parents were mutant turtle and human and here I am safe and sound. Same with Athena! Heck, so are you! The question is, what are you going to do? I ask because you now have a new responsibility."

"Yeah, one that my parents are not going to be happy about."

Ryan sighed.

"Justine, I know we've only gone on a couple of dates, but I'd like to see my promise through and keep going with you."

My eyes widened with surprise.

"But what about the baby?" I asked.

"If Lily, Athena, and I all survived, then there's a good chance this little one will, too. I'd like to see this through, too. I promise I'll take care of you. But the problem is, I don't have a job."

"I have one, but it's at the club," I replied. "I'm the bartender. I may have to leave that job, now. And there's another thing, Ryan. I'm graduating next spring with nowhere to go and limited income. What are we going to do?"

"Let's tell my parents, first," Ryan answered. "Then we'll go from there."

"Do you need me for this?" Lily asked.

"Please?" I begged. "For me?"

Lily frowned.

"You're really scared," she said.

"I thought my future was set. And now, everything is changing around me."

Lily gave me a hug and I returned it. Ryan eventually joined in the hug and I started to cry.

August 27, 2045 - New York City, New York, USA

I knocked on the door to Donatello's lab. Donnie looked up and put a kind smile on his face.

"Come on in, Justine."

I walked in and closed the door. Then I walked over to his desk and sat down on a chair next to him.

"Ryan and I came to bring the news to his parents," I explained. "We're both going through with it."

I was scared that I was going to be judged. But Donnie simply smiled and nodded.

"I'm glad you both talked it over," he said. "And I am happy you are including all of us in this."

"I trust you. I wish I could say the same for my parents."

"I still think you need to tell them," Donnie replied, his smile fading away. "But please let me promise you something: if your dad does not give you the love you deserve, then I'll be the father you need in his stead. I think I promised this before, but I want to make it clear that I want to help you. Okay?"

"You have, and I understand. Donnie, I can't go home anymore. I know my dad will throw me in jail again because we're having the baby out of wedlock."

"I've thought about that, because I'm not very thrilled that my nephew did not think this through. I'm sure his parents will discuss this with him. But, I do know what Splinter would do if he was here."

"Who was Splinter again?" I asked.

"Hamato Yoshi, our sensei and our father. He raised us to become the beings you all know. Splinter would scold both you and Ryan because he is just. But he would also welcome you into the family with open arms because you're carrying his great-grandchild."

Donatello let out a sigh and laughed.

"I can't believe I just said that. A great-grandchild."

I giggled. Just hearing those words actually helped me calm down.

"Would Leonardo and Karai feel the same way?"

"Leo will for sure," Donnie answered. "Karai, on the other hand, was brought up by a more strict man named Oroku Saki, the Shredder. Karai has grown ever since she discovered who her real father is, but she still has some... vengeance, within her. Unfortunately, Ryan inherited it from her. But there is a positive to this: if anyone were to try to harm you, including your dad, Ryan would hurt them, making sure you were safe. I think Ryan would beat himself up for impregnating you, but he'd move forward with you."

"I think so, too," I replied. "He panicked at first when I told him. He's promised to be there for us."

"Good," Donnie said, his smile coming back.

My smile, on the other hand, faded away. Donnie noticed it and frowned.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I have nowhere to go after I graduate in the spring. And the baby's due in April. There's no way I can provide this child with everything while moving into a new place with limited income."

"You still want to go to nursing school, right?"

I nodded.

"Ryan's got another year in Todayland after this one. Maybe the Robinsons can help us."

"Can we arrange something where all of us, excluding my parents, can talk about this?"

"Of course! I also need to talk to Cornelius about providing me a room to do all your exams. And we need to schedule your appointments. You're five weeks along right now, so I'd have to schedule you on the Friday every four weeks."

"What days would that be?" I asked.

"September 15, October 13, November 10, December 8, January 5, February 2, March 2, March 30, and then every Friday in April."

"Are we on breaks for any of those days?"

"We're still on winter break on our appointment in January," Donnie answered. "Which means we'd have to come up with some sort of alternative."

"Well, would I be cleared to fly back to Todayland that week?"

"Yes, it's very likely you would be cleared. Where are you thinking of going for Christmas?"

"Actually, I was thinking about spending it with you all," I answered. "That is, if that's okay."

"I'd be on board, but you'd have to ask Leo."

LEONARDO'S POV

Karai and I were meditating when we suddenly felt a presence entering the dojo. And it wasn't just any presence.

"Ryan, is that you?" I asked excitedly.

"Yes, Father, it's me."

I woke up, and then Karai opened her eyes. We both got up, ran over to him and hugged him.

"It's so good to see you!" Karai said excitedly.

"It's... good to see you, too," Ryan replied sheepishly.

We abruptly broke the hug.

"I sense there's something you wish to tell us," I spoke after some hesitation.

"Yes, Father. And I already know you and Mom are going to be mad."

"Mad?" Karai replied with confusion. "How come? Why would we be mad at you?"

"Do you remember when I asked you questions about dating because Justine turned me down?" Ryan asked and we nodded. "Both of us mustered the courage to ask each other out again. So we did. The date went so well that we decided to go out again. But then Justine canceled our date this past Friday because she found out she's pregnant... with my child."

Karai and I froze in place. I was unsure of how my wife was feeling in that moment, but I had many thoughts swarming throughout my mind, and they were all jumbled.

"Mom, Dad, just say it," Ryan spoke again. "I messed up. But I'm willing to make this right. I already promised Justine I'd be there for her and the baby. I want to get a job to help her."

"And what job would that be?" Karai snapped.

"I don't know, maybe a job at Futureburgers or something, something to bring money in to help Justine."

"Oh, Ryan, I don't even know where to begin," I finally spoke, and I sounded angry. "Mom and I have taught you, many times, to be responsible for yourself, to make the right choices for yourself."

"I was trying to be!" Ryan replied. "But I thought it was impossible for me to have a kid. That's why Justine and I had sex!"

"Ryan, that statement alone tells me how responsible you are for yourself," I replied, a mixture of anger and sadness present in my voice. "You don't think. You just do it."

"Oh, come on, Father! You tell us that all the time during fights!"

"Fights do not equal real life, Ryan!" Karai yelled. "Now you are responsible for not only yourself but two other people as well. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Look, I'm not a child, okay?" Ryan yelled back. "I know what I did was wrong. Heck, I already apologized to Justine for it! But like I said before, I also promised to be there for her because I put her in this mess. I want to make it right. I want to be present with Justine and the baby because I love them."

Ryan paused, realizing what he said.

"I know, it's only been three weeks and I'm already saying I love them. Well, it's the truth! I thought Justine was beautiful from the moment we met. Our quality time playing video games is so precious to me. Heck, we spar together from time to time and she is amazing! She's the coolest person I've ever met, and if you tell me never to see her again, I promise you'll never see me again."

"How dare you say that to us!" I yelled. "Why would you assume we'd tell you not to see Justine again?"

"Because that's what Justine's parents would say to her about me!" Ryan shot back. "Justine is scared because she thinks she'll be abandoned. I do not want that for her."

Karai and I glanced at each other with sadness in our eyes. Ryan was right. What's done is done. The best we could do now was to be supportive of both Ryan and Justine.

"Ryan, listen to me," Karai finally spoke. "If you were the Shredder's son, then yes, he'd tell you to leave and never come back. But we're not the Shredder, and we are not Justine's parents... yet."

"Huh?"

Ryan's anger quickly faded away, revealing shock in his brown eyes.

"What do you mean, yet?" he asked.

"Master Splinter taught me to look after our family," I explained. "It meant treating everyone with kindness and justice. I've tried to mirror Master Splinter for years, yet I know I'll never be like him. Now Justine is a special woman. I can see that. She's overcome much of her past to bring her to where she is now. Justine will have to face her past again. But if what you are saying is true, then yes, we will be Justine's parents as well. Uncle Donnie already made a promise to be the father she needs. I need to be that person, too, because she's now carrying my grandchild."

I smiled, understanding how Master Splinter felt about having grandchildren someday.

"And I'm actually happy that you and Justine are having a child together. But if you want to please Justine's parents someday, you are going to have to take her as your wife. You don't have to right now, but as soon as you're ready, you have our blessing to welcome Justine to the family."

"Arigato, sensei."

Ryan, Karai, and I embraced each other with much love in our hearts, ready to move forward with one more new chapter.

September 2, 2045 - Todayland, North Montana, USA

LILIANNA'S POV

"Thank you so much for hosting us, Franny."

"Anything for you, Lily," Franny Robinson replied with a smile on her face. "It's so great to see you again. How's married life?"

"Married life has been a dream!" I answered with a blissful smile. "James and I have both landed jobs. James is working as a pharmacy assistant at a drugstore and I just got cleared to work as a mental health technician."

"What does a mental health technician do?" Billie asked.

"I would pretty much help children with their treatment for whatever mental disorder they have," I explained. "Some will have depression and suicidal thoughts while others will have angry outbursts because of their mood disorders. Not only will I help remind them of their coping methods, but I'll also be teaching them some things about real life."

"You're going into therapy, right?" Gaston asked with a grin.

"Criminal profiling, actually. I've been reaching out to Dr. Crane and asked for advice often."

"You are going to soar no matter where you go, Lilianna," Lucille encouraged me.

"Alright, let's start this meeting," Justine announced, standing up. "Thank you all for meeting with me. I would like to make it official that I am going out with Ryan and that I am six weeks pregnant with our child."

"WHAT?!" the Robinson family shouted with shock.

"Justine, sweetie, are you alright?" Franny asked her with compassion.

"I'm fine right now," Justine answered. "But I'm scared. Thankfully, I have the entire Hamato family behind my back, and I pray that we'll have your support, too."

"Of course, you have our support," Franny assured her, holding her hand. "But where are your parents? They should be here, too."

I stood up, deciding now was the time to chime in.

"Justine has decided not to include her parents at this time," I spoke, representing her. "Franny, she's scared. Woody's already thrown her in jail once because she, a 16-year-old girl at the time, sang in the saloon. Imagine her telling him she's pregnant and single. Justine is so scared that her own father will abandon her when she needs him the most that she won't even consider going back home to Elkhorn. When the time is right, she'll tell them."

Justine smiled at me with glassy brown eyes.

"Thank you, Lily. With that said, I have another dilemma. I'm graduating Todayland University in the spring and will have to move out of my apartment. But I'll have nowhere to go. That's the real reason we're meeting. I still want to attend nursing school, but I can't afford a home with limited income. I've already quit my job at the club because of my pregnancy."

"Then work for me!" Tallulah suddenly chimed in. "I could use an assistant, but I also hear you're quite the seamstress. You could easily help me make dresses and even create your own brand. That will help get the money in your pocket."

"You'd do that for me?" Justine asked, her voice breaking.

"Yes, I totally would. Hey, maybe you can create a maternity brand and sell your style."

Justine suddenly got up, ran to Tallulah's seat, and hugged her.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! But now where would I go?"

"Hmm..."

Franny pondered for a moment.

"When's your baby due?"

"The end of April," Justine answered.

"Just before graduation. Hmm..."

Franny pondered again.

"Ryan, what do you plan to do in the meantime? If you want to help Justine, then you'll need to get a job, too."

"Would anyone accept me?" Ryan asked.

"I will," Dad chimed in. "I've asked Lily before. But now that I'm taking care of Justine, I'll be needing an assistant. And not the kind of assistant Lily was offered. You'd be helping me grade tests, clean my office up. I promise I'll pay you a good wage. And you can either put your money towards your school loans or you can help Justine with it. It's up to you."

"I think this is a good opportunity for you," Uncle Leo chimed in.

"How much would you pay me?" Ryan asked my dad.

"You'd get forty dollars a day, working two hours with me from two to four, Monday through Friday. And I'll really be needing your assistance because I'm the head of the department. It's been stressful the last few years because I've done everything myself. Granted, it's part-time, but--"

"Uncle Donnie, I'll take it," Ryan interrupted him with a grin.

"You will? Wonderful!"

"As for the housing for Justine, I have a couple ideas," Franny continued. "We can either find her an apartment that is affordable for her and her baby to live in; or, with Cornelius's permission, we can give you Wilbur's room. After all, Diana spent her first months there."

"If you're even thinking of renting Wilbur's room to me, I'd rather get permission from Wilbur," Justine replied. "While it's your house, it's his room. And besides, we're only in September. April's quite a ways away."

"Would you like me to call Wilbur?" Franny asked.

"No, not right now. We'll get to that point when we get there."

"Justine, sweetie, please listen. Between your pregnancy, school, and work, you will be swamped. I'd rather ask Wilbur now instead of your baby's birthday. Every person who leaves this house is family, and you are family. Please let me make that call."

Justine sighed, and we all glanced at each other. The cowgirl gave a firm nod.

Westport, Connecticut, USA

KARENA'S POV

Wilbur and I sat in the living room enjoying our time with our seven-month-old daughter. Wilbur was reading stories on his phone while I continued fiddling around with the choreography for the marching band and color guard's performance. Diana carried a big smile on her face, marveling at all the toys she was surrounded by while lying on her tummy.

I smiled at her briefly and I got back to my choreography. The high school here was just as big as Todayland High, so the transition for me was no big deal. But now that I was working with a new mascot, the choreography was a bit difficult for me to imagine. I chose a theme based on hit songs from the 1980s.

"Karena, look!" Wilbur suddenly yelled.

My eyes darted to my husband who looked at our daughter. I glanced over and saw that she was on all fours. With a big smile, she placed her right hand in front of her and moved her left leg forward. Then she moved her left hand ahead of her right hand and moved her right leg forward.

"She's crawling!" I said excitedly.

Wilbur's phone started to ring just as I got down onto the floor.

"This is Wilbur."

"Diana, come to Mama!" I said excitedly.

"Oh, hi Mom!" Wilbur spoke into the phone as Diana started to crawl towards me. "You called at the perfect time. Let me turn the camera on."

Wilbur then got down on the floor and pointed his phone towards us.

"Come on, Diana!" I encouraged her. "You can do it!"

I looked up to see Franny on the screen. Then I looked back down to see Diana's hands on my knees.

"Mama!"

Wilbur's jaw and my jaw dropped.

"Her first word!" we shouted excitedly.

"Two skills in one day!" Wilbur yelled happily.

"She's becoming a mini-Wilbur!" Franny replied with a fond smile on her face. "Hello, Karena."

"Hi, Mom! How are you?"

"I'm doing well. Wilbur suggested I go back into teaching and I took over your post. It's going splendidly."

"That's great!" I replied to her and then looked down at my daughter. "Diana, go to Daddy. Go on!"

"Come on, Princess," Wilbur encouraged her. "You can do it!"

"What about your job at Staples High?" Franny asked me. "How's that going?"

"It's been exciting and scary at the same time," I answered. "It's the same size as the school in Todayland, so the transition's been easy. But I'm meeting totally new people and it's been a little hard settling in, especially because I'm teaching students of the best high school in Connecticut."

"Wow! That's a lot of pressure. But you can do this. It was hard for Wilbur when he first started at T.I.M.E."

"I know. Wilbur told me. We've been supporting each other both in the work field and in the family field. Thank heavens for the Cranes. When we need a break from life, they're willing to help us watch Diana."

"Speaking of which, guess who else is having a baby?"

"Lily?" Wilbur guessed with a shocked voice. "Already? I thought she didn't want a baby."

"No, not Lily. But I'll tell her you said hi. She's actually here with her family right now."

"She and James flew out to visit?" I asked with a smile just as Diana reached her father. "How nice!"

"No, just Lily. The entire Hamato clan used their portals to come here. Justine is the one who's pregnant."

"WHAT?!" Wilbur and I exclaimed at the same time.

"Huh?" Diana asked with a curious look on her face.

"Karr, why don't you put Diana down for a nap?" Wilbur suggested.

"Good call," I replied. "Come on, sweetie, let's go take a nap."

I picked up Diana, who immediately started crying.

"Shh, it's okay. We're going to La-La Land!"

But Diana continued to cry.

"Here, I'll do it," Wilbur chimed in, walking up to me. "Would you keep Mom company?"

"Sure."

I handed our daughter to Wilbur, who immediately started bouncing her up and down.

"Time to go riding on a horse, Princess," Wilbur said with a smile.

After mere moments, Diana's crying subsided and it was replaced with little laughs. I smiled at the touching moment.

"Time to go up the hill!" Wilbur announced, carrying Diana up the stairs.

I turned my attention to Franny.

"Wilbur's been so amazing for Diana," I said.

"Wilbur always had an active imagination growing up " Franny explained. "And it's only gotten bigger. Diana's lucky to have a daddy like him."

"Oh, it's not just his imagination that is benefiting Diana," I replied. "Wilbur's been a huge help to me too. He'll only let me help her if she needs to be fed at night. If we're both home, he'll do all the diaper changes and all the baths and all the feedings."

"Wow! That's a big switch from being the kid who didn't want to do any of his homework."

"Wilbur's really striving to be the best dad for Diana... and the best husband for me! He's amazing."

"I'm back," Wilbur announced.

"Hey! We were just talking about you."

Wilbur pouted and put his hands on his hips.

"What embarrassing thing did you talk about this time?" he asked.

"Nothing embarrassing, sweetie," Franny assured him. "In fact, Karena was talking about how wonderful you are at being Diana's dad and Karena's husband."

My raven-haired husband relaxed and blew a sigh of relief.

"Thank heavens. So, Justine is pregnant? How did that happen?"

"Well, she and Ryan became a thing after Lily's wedding and they went all the way on their first date."

"Dang!" Wilbur exclaimed. "I'm actually more surprised about Ryan going all the way. After the way Justine was brought up, I wouldn't be surprised if she was the one who decided to go all the way."

"Here's the thing, Wilbur. Justine is so scared about what Woody would do that she's not going to Oklahoma at all. She wants nothing to do with her parents."

"I don't blame her," Wilbur replied with a grim look on his face.

"Is there anything we can do?" I asked. "Justine had all these dreams and now she needs help."

"Yes, she's asked for help with living arrangements. She's living in a two-bedroom apartment with three other people and the baby is due before she graduates. She'd have to move out before that happens. She did take a job with Tallulah at her dress shop, and that should help her finances some. But we're unsure if that will be enough for her to have her own place. Dad and I could find a place for her, or we've also thought of renting out your room. After all, Diana spent her first months there."

"Hey, as far as I'm concerned, it's no longer my room," Wilbur replied. "If you need to help someone, especially someone like Justine, please give them my room. I like knowing that my room is being used to help people. And please don't charge Justine rent. Just tell her to take good care of herself and her baby and to stay however long she needs to."

"I'll let Justine know. She actually wanted me to wait until the baby was born to ask."

"Yeah, no," Wilbur said. "Things like this need to be planned in advance. You were right to call us."

"How is Justine doing overall?" I asked.

"She's scared, Karena, and rightly so. However, Leonardo and Karai are on board and supporting Justine and Ryan. Donatello became Justine's surrogate father in case Woody decides not to be there for her."

I chuckled, not at all surprised Donnie would volunteer to be someone else's father.

"So Justine has all our support here, and so does Ryan."

"So in case Justine's parents try to call us, what do we say?" Wilbur asked with worry in his brown eyes.

"Wilbur, follow your gut. You say what you feel is right."

Wilbur and I glanced at each other. While we couldn't be in Todayland to support Justine, we knew all we could do was pray for her.

Wilbur ended the call with his mother. We both knelt down on the floor, clasped our hands, and prayed for understanding on all sides.