I want to thank all of you for following this story up to this point. This is not Lily's wedding chapter, but the next one will be.

Karena Edwards and Lilianna Hamato are two of the characters I made that I kind of grew up with. I created Karena back in high school as part of a creative writing assignment and it went along with my admiration of Wilbur. Karena represents who I was in the past. Now Lily was made during my college years as just a psychic girl who by coincidence is Donatello's daughter. But now that I've written this story with Lily as the main character with a family, Lily represents who I am now and who I want to be in the future. I am thankful for my imagination that created these two characters and all of these stories.

But for now, enjoy!

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


May 29, 2045 - New York City, New York, USA

LILIANNA'S POV

After we ate our dinner at One Dining inside the One World Observatory, we ordered desserts for all seven of us. Then, Athena was ready for our next game.

"This one is called Finish the Bride's Phrase," Athena explained as Amy handed out the papers. "As we all know, Lily is psychic, so she can read what is in our minds. Now, we have to try to read hers!"

I cracked up laughing and clapped my hands loudly. I thought I was starting to get drunk, but I was already loving this activity.

"So, the rules are to read Lily's mind and try to guess what word she will use to fill in the blanks," Athena continued. "But the answer will only be correct if it is the same as Lily's. Of course, the person with the most amount of answers wins."

"I'd like to add another rule," Amy chimed in. "Lily can drink to her pleasure. But if your answer is incorrect, you have to take a drink. This time, Lily will keep track."

"Let's give this a try," I replied.

"Let's give ourselves five minutes," Athena said. "We'll reconvene when the dessert comes. Ready? Go!"

I noticed my mom wasn't participating. She just sat and enjoyed herself.

"Mom, you aren't participating?" I asked.

"I can read minds too, you know," Mom answered with a wink. "I'd be cheating."

"Here."

I reached into my purse and got out a pair of sunglasses. I gave them to my mom to put on.

"Can you read my mind, now?" I asked.

"No! Thank you!"

"Yay!" we all cheered.

I watched my mom participate with the others. Before we knew it, our ice cream came and we finished our activity.

"Alright, Lily, read off your answers," Athena happily told me.

"Okay! Wedding day."

"That was too easy," Karena replied.

No one took a drink.

"Well, alright then," I said, moving down the list. "Groom hugger."

We all cracked up laughing to the point where we were crying. Everyone took a drink.

"Still tied, huh?" I asked with a grin. "Let's fix that: bridesmaids party."

No one drank.

"Seriously?" I replied with shock. "You really know me, which means I picked the right girls for my bridal party! Okay, so the next one... love and honor."

"YES!" Venus and Athena exclaimed, high-fiving each other.

"Thank you for the sunglasses," Mom said, taking a drink.

Karena, Amy, and Justine also took drinks.

"Okay, here we go," I said. "Ring bearer."

"Yep," everyone replied.

"Okay. I love you."

Mom was the only one to take a drink.

"What did you write down?" I asked her.

"I love my mom."

We all clapped.

"Well played, Aunt April," Venus said. "What's the next phrase, Lily?"

"White trees."

"Whelp!" Venus exclaimed, drinking her water.

Everyone else took drinks.

"It's all hits and misses here," I said with laughter. "Okay, what about cake table?"

"Hey, I got one!" Amy said excitedly.

"I got it too," Athena replied.

Karena and Justine were the only ones to take a drink.

"Okay, the next one is bachelor house."

Everyone took a drink.

"Lily, you are the quirkiest person I have ever met." Justine said as the rest of us laughed.

"Holy ghost."

Everyone except for Karena took a drink.

"Hey, way to go!" I told her. "So Venus, Athena, and Karena are tied. Let's see... Flowers galore."

This time, it was Justine who didn't take the drink.

"Whew!" I exclaimed. "A four-way tie. Next one is... honeymoon dreams."

Athena was the only one who did not drink.

"Ooh!" everyone exclaimed.

"Alright, come on!" I replied. "Let's tie Athena somehow. Best man's suit."

Venus, Athena, and Amy took drinks.

"Alright, Karena is tied up with Athena!" I announced. "First date."

No one drank.

"Okay, then. What about, mother hen?"

"No!" everyone exclaimed as they took a drink.

"You couldn't say GOOSE?" Justine yelled with some slur in her voice.

Justine was definitely drunk now.

"Waitress!" I yelled. "Can we get a cappuccino, please?"

I turned back to the table.

"Okay, where were we?" I asked. "Newly beloved."

Everyone drank.

"I thought the phrase was dearly beloved?" Mom asked.

I blushed. I was clearly buzzed.

"Oh! Well, my bad. But anyway, blissful marriage."

No one drank.

"And the last one, romantic drive?"

"Yes!" Athena yelled, not taking a drink.

"Hold on, Athena," Karena replied. "I got that one too."

"Ooh!" Amy exclaimed. "Another tie!"

"No, Karena wins," Athena sternly replied. "I've already won tonight."

"Athena, are you sure?" I asked.

"I'm sure. But I think you and Justine need to share your cappuccino."

"No! I want my own!"

"We got you, Lily," Venus replied. "In fact, let's make that four more cappuccinos."

"Lily, may I speak with you?" Amy asked me.

"Sure!" I answered way too enthusiastically.

Amy and I walked to one side of the observatory deck where we saw another view of New York City. Only now, it was night.

"Lily, you mentioned you didn't want kids," Amy said. "Are you okay?"

"What's wrong with not wanting kids?" I asked quite bluntly.

"Uh, nothing. Nothing at all! It's just... you're the first woman I've known to not want kids. I thought all women would dream of having children one day."

"My mom had a miscarriage with my brother," I explained, spilling it all out to practically a total stranger. "My dad always claimed that it was because she was under a lot of stress and her blood pressure was high. But I think... that Yoshi was growing to be a humanoid turtle just like my dad and he was causing her pain. I don't want what happened to my mother to happen to me."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry your family went through that," Amy replied sweetly. "That must have been hard. But honey, all babies grow differently. No two stories are the same."

"And I'm a mutant!" I continued to the point of yelling. "I'm 25-percent turtle, 25-percent Kraang, and 50-percent human! How would I be able to carry a healthy baby? I don't think I have that capability."

I started to cry, knowing full well that I was now drunk. I sank down to the floor and bawled.

"Lily, I'll be right back, okay? I'm gonna try to find that coffee Venus ordered for you."

Amy returned quickly with a drink in her hand.

"Please drink. It'll help you get sober again."

The drink felt amazing to my lips. It was hot, but I didn't care. I wiped away my tears as Amy put her hand on my left shoulder.

"Listen, I didn't know if it was possible for me to have kids either," Amy explained. "I had been exposed to radiation for a long period of time when I was 24. I had the exact same fears you did. Despite being cured, I wasn't sure if I was cured enough to have a baby. But a miracle happened. One year after I married Russell, at the age of 35, I discovered that I was pregnant. I cried happy tears when I told him. But the tears after that were full of fear and worry. I worried so much that I would miscarry that I almost did. My tummy didn't grow very much until I was in my third trimester. And then I worried that I would give birth prematurely. I started to feel assured when my tummy tripled in size over six weeks. And then, I had a scare. I started having labor contractions at only 36 weeks. Thankfully, the doctors were able to stop them. I was on bed rest and I carried the baby to full term. On his due date, my son Jasper was born a perfectly healthy baby. Three years later in 2030, I birthed my daughter Jessi after a very pleasant pregnancy."

I glanced at her, gingerly holding my coffee, appreciating the warmth the mug gave to my hands.

"Lily, you already have the traits of a mother: compassion, love, faith, endurance, persistence. And just through this conversation alone, I think we've both learned that you will be an amazing mother someday. You just need to place your faith in God. Pray that he will give you a child to love. God already knows what your child will look like. You need to believe in yourself, too."

Deep down, Amy was right. I'd give everything to have a child of my own and raise him or her like my parents raised me. But I was scared about what kind of mother I'd be. But right now, I was starting to get better. Emotionally better from Amy's story and words of affirmation. And physically better because I became aware of my surroundings again.

"Thank you, Amy," I finally said after a sniff and a sip. "I haven't known you for very long, but you're a good friend. I'm sorry things got personal."

"Hey, this day is about you, after all!" Amy replied with a smile. "It's your bachelorette party and your birthday!"

I let out a loud gasp. I had totally forgotten that today was my birthday.

"And we're having desserts and everything."

I gazed out the window.

"It's probably melted by now."

I let out a sigh.

"I'm kind of missing Uncle Mikey's birthday cake right now."

"It's not too late, you know," Amy assured me. "Why don't I pay for everything and the six of you can make it back home to celebrate your birthday with family."

I smiled.

"That sounds good."

Amy and I walked back to our table and were met with five worried faces.

"Lily, we are so sorry for being insensitive at your party," Justine tried to explain.

"No, don't apologize," I replied. "It's not your fault. You are all supporting me and I couldn't have had better friends and family then the five of you."

I put my hands over my heart with a fond smile.

"Thank you for being here with me. It's time to go home. Amy said she's going to pay for all this."

After Amy paid for our food, we went back down the elevator to the main floor. We exited the One World Trade Center, walked past the memorial, and found a manhole cover to climb down into the sewers. We walked around the sewers to find the lair. When we got there, we walked through the turnstiles, and suddenly...

"SURPRISE!"

I jumped. The rest of my family, as well as Wilbur and Diana, were all waiting for us.

"I hope we weren't too late to celebrate," Uncle Mikey said. "I've got cake and ice cream ready for you all."

"Uncle Mikey, the timing couldn't have been more perfect," I replied. "Would you cut it up and serve everyone, please? I need to speak to my parents first."

"Oh!" Dad exclaimed. "Well, okay. Let's go into my lab."

My parents followed me into their lab. Once we got inside, I turned around and smiled at them.

"I want to thank you both for being my parents," I explained, clasping my hands together. "You both have made a lot of sacrifices to care for me."

"We love you, Lily Mae," Dad replied with a fond gap-toothed smile. "It only feels like yesterday when we were celebrating your first birthday."

"It only feels like yesterday when you were born!" Mom said with a giggle.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," I replied.

"Oh, I think I know," Mom said with a frown. "You're doubting your ability to bear a child?"

"Not just to bear a child but to be a mother. I never thought I'd be a good mom. You both set the bar high for me."

"None of us had it easy, Lily," Mom explained. "We were all worried about what would happen because our husbands were humanoid turtles. But all four of you survived and have grown up to be amazing humanoid mutant beings."

"Lily, I'm going to go into doctor mode here for a few minutes," Dad explained. "And I am sorry if this feels very personal. You do get monthly periods, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then there's the answer you're looking for."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"If you are getting that every month, then it means you have the ability to get pregnant every month. Please do not rush into it. Take your time. You were born about six and a half years after Mom and I got married. But Lily, I was scared too. Right when Mom was using all her strength to push you out, I admitted my fears. I wasn't sure what kind of father I would be and I was even afraid that you were going to hate me."

I felt like I was just shot in the stomach. I placed my hand on my stomach and let out a breath I had been holding.

"Dad, you had the exact same fears I'm having right now. How did you overcome them?"

"It's not really something you can overcome, Lily Mae. I will admit, there were a few days where I really messed up and I thought for sure you hated me. But then you came back and reminded me that you loved me and it was enough. It helped me prove to myself that I had raised you with all the love I could muster. And I know you will, too, someday. James knows it too."

"He told you?"

"Yes, he did. But I didn't want to talk to you about it right away. I wanted you to come to me when you were ready. And it seemed that tonight was the night to do that."

I smiled and then hugged my father. He hugged me back.

"Thank you for listening, being understanding, and helping me," I replied.

"You're welcome."

We broke the hug. Dad gave me a gap-toothed grin.

"Now, shall we have cake?"


June 10, 2045

"Thank you for helping me plan your ceremony, Lilianna."

"Any time, Uncle Leo."

"So I have some questions for you that I hope you can answer on behalf of yourself and James. Do you plan to write your own vows?"

"No, James and I want a simple wedding."

"Really?" Uncle Leo replied with a surprised tone. "The girl who has practically lived through everything wants a simple wedding?"

I raised an eyebrow. My blue-masked uncle nailed everything.

"Okay, I see your point. Let's see..."

Uncle Leo took out his phone and started to scroll as we continued to sit on the dojo floor.

"Okay, I found a nice short Christian ceremony," Uncle Leo said, giving me his T-Phone. "Look through it and see if it's okay."

I read the script. He found the first Christian script. While it matched my beliefs, there were a lot of statements that I knew would make my uncle feel uncomfortable.

"Uncle Leo, you've never read the Bible, have you?" I asked.

"No, I'm afraid not," he replied.

"The script you picked has some sayings that you could only understand when reading the Bible. You were raised in the Shinto religion and you have pledged yourself to it, just like Master Splinter. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable while reading this. It's against what you believe."

"Lily, this is your wedding."

"But you're our officiant and our sensei. Please, let me find a different script."

Uncle Leo put one of his hands on my shoulder and smiled at me.

"The world needs more people like you, Lilianna. Thank you for being understanding."

I scrolled down the list. I found a Baptist script that could work, but then I found a Protestant one.

"Take a look at this one," I told him.

I have his T-Phone back to my uncle and he started to read it.

"This is actually perfect," Uncle Leo said afterwards. "I do have a small prayer I'm supposed to recite, but I will honor it. It is your God bringing you two together after all."

"Arigatomas, sensei."

"But may I offer you a suggestion?"

"Hai."

"Why don't you sing a song during the ceremony? It can be after you pledge your vows."

"That's not a bad idea," I replied.

I took out my phone and scrolled down my music list. To my disappointment, I didn't have very many songs that would work during a ceremony. Then I found one. I started to play it.

"Hmm, this could work," I said out loud.

I ended up playing "Our Wedding Day," a song sung in Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance.

"It is a nice song," Uncle Leo said. "But maybe you have a song that better represents your vows?"

"I think I have just the thing!"

I scrolled down further to find Savage Garden's Truly Madly Deeply.

"Yes!" Uncle Leo exclaimed excitedly. "This is perfect! But how will we change the sound to make it your song?"

"I think I have the solution to that."

I immediately tapped the song directly above it: Cascada's version of it.

"Perfect. We can have Uncle Mikey play this song after you and James exchange the rings. Unless James isn't wearing a ring?"

"Yes, he wants a ring," I answered. "A simple gold band."

"And what about yours?"

"A gold band with a medium-sized diamond in between two small ones. Uncle Leo, we've got this. My dad helped me out with the ring shopping."

"So what all do you have left?" Uncle Leo asked me.

"I'm heading to Todayland with Shinigami in a few weeks to take engagement photos and to try on my dress. Tallulah told me she needs to see if she needs to adjust it one more time before finishing it. The bridal shower is happening there too."

"What about the cake testing?"

"Already done. Uncle Mikey, Auntie Karai, and Athena have all been helpful."

"I take it they've helped you decide on dinner?"

"Yes. Though it took some convincing to tell Uncle Mikey not to serve pizza for dinner. We're having pizza for lunch."

"That's smart. Music?"

"We've decided on the main parts. It's the events in-between and before the ceremony that we're stuck on."

"I'm not an expert in music, but what if you did a mix of your favorite songs, James' favorites, and some instrumental music?"

"That's a good idea for dinner and dessert!"

"So you're stuck on the prelude?"

"Pretty much."

"Try to go for classics on piano," Uncle Leo suggested. "Or maybe... that first song you played... are there any similar songs to that?"

"Yes!" I answered enthusiastically. "I think you're onto something there! Irish music as well as music from When Calls the Heart. Thank you! I gotta jot this down so that I can tell Uncle Mikey."

I couldn't help but give my uncle a kiss on the cheek before skipping out of the room. I went into my parents' bedroom to relax on the bed, excited that I was one step, one day closer to my wedding day.


July 28, 2045 - North Hampton, New York, USA

DONATELLO'S POV

After April left for her shift, Lily, James, and I made the drive to the farmhouse so we could get started with decorating it for the wedding tomorrow. It took us four hours to get there due to the heavy traffic on this Friday morning in the city.

"Why don't you two head on in to the living room?" I suggested to the kids. "I'll be inside in a few minutes."

Lily kissed me on the cheek before she and James walked inside, hand-in-hand. I smiled, noting how well James had adjusted to her physiology to treat her with love.

I got out of the Party Wagon and walked to Splinter's grave. I knelt down as if I was going to have an important conversation with him. I smiled. I looked ahead to see the picture of my sensei, myself, and my brothers, all with smiles on our faces, taken with a camera Splinter had taken with him to New York. To the right was his green cane. I let out a sigh, very content with my life in that moment.

"Well, sensei, tomorrow's a big day," I told his grave. "My little girl's getting married. Can you believe it? I used to think the four of us were fortunate just to have our own love interests, but actually marrying them and having our own children? This has all been such a blessing. And now, Lily's found love and will start her own family."

I let out a sigh, my smile fading away.

"I hope I raised her right. I finally mustered the courage to let her go and live her own life, and it took years for me to figure that out. I've learned a whole lot of things from being her father. I learned another kind of love. I've learned new meanings of protection."

I chuckled.

"I remember one time Ryan was bullying Lily during a training session and he had hurt her. I remember Lily running to my lab while crying..."


FLASHBACK: July 28, 2031 - New York City, New York, USA

I was in my lab messing around with Kraang technology when I heard a little girl crying. I let out a gasp, recognizing that cry as my own little girl's cry. I hurried out of the lab and found little Lily running towards me.

"Hey, Lily Mae, what's wrong?" I asked sweetly with a frown.

"Ryan hurt me!" Lily wailed.

"Oh, no. Where did he hurt you, sweetie?"

"My tummy."

"May I lift up your shirt so I can see?"

Lily nodded, tears streaming down her small face. I lifted up her shirt a little to find a red mark on her skin. I kissed her tummy, letting her know everything was going to be alright.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"He hurt my leg and my arm, too."

"Oh goodness," I said, letting out a sigh. "Which arm and which leg?"

Lily pointed to her right shoulder and her left thigh. I examined her thigh first. I lifted up her shorts and found the beginning of a bruise. I kissed that area. Then I pulled down her shirt collar towards the right shoulder and found a bruise there also. I kissed there also.

"Lily, I'm sorry Ryan did this to you," I told her with a saddened voice.

"Ryan's mean!" Lily yelled, suddenly angry.

"Hey, we don't say mean things about other people," I gently but sternly replied.

"But it's true, Daddy! He hurt me because I beat him in class. I think he's jealous of me."

I let out a sigh. This was not the first time Ryan's displayed jealousy against his older cousin. But this was the first time Lily came to me in pain because of that.

"Lily, you're absolutely right," I told her. "What Ryan did was mean. But it doesn't mean that he is mean. Think of Uncle Raphael for a minute. He's always angry, right?"

Lily nodded.

"He's always angry when he loses to Uncle Leo. He's competitive, and sometimes, that is a good thing. It's not a good thing if you are competing against someone in your family and you're thinking more about winning than training. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes, Daddy. But can you make Ryan not hurt me anymore?"

"I can't promise that, sweetie. That's Uncle Leo's job as Ryan's daddy. But I will talk to Ryan, okay?"

Lily nodded.

"May I have a hug?"

"Oh, of course you may."

Lily wrapped her small arms around my neck and I embraced her, my big hands holding her small back. Then I kissed her on the cheek.

"I want you to go into the kitchen and get an ice pack from Ice Cream Kitty, okay?" I told her. "Then go relax and watch some TV, alright? Do you understand?"

"Yes, Daddy."

Lily left the lab and I marched into the dojo. Leo looked up towards me with concern in his blue eyes.

"Hey, Donnie, is Lily okay?" he asked.

"Lily's got some bruises, but she'll be fine. I told her to get an ice pack and to watch some TV."

"Lily's a warrior," Leo replied with a smile on his face, which immediately faded away. "She'll be fine. Right, Ryan?"

Ryan just froze in place, hanging his head down, not saying anything.

"Ryan, I need you to answer me, please," Leo sternly told his son. "Is there something you'd like to say to Uncle Donnie?"

"No."

"Ryan--"

"Leo, let me handle this," I interrupted him.

I knelt down to Ryan's eye level.

"Hey, Lily told me what happened. She thinks you are jealous of her because she beat you. Is that right?"

"What does jealous mean?" Ryan asked ignorantly.

"It means that you want something that Lily has. You wanted to win, right? But Lily beat you. Because of that, you're angry and you hurt her on purpose. Is that right?"

"Yes, Uncle Donnie, but she deserved it!" Ryan shouted. "She always beats me!"

"Ryan Leonardo Hamato, we do not yell in this dojo," Leo angrily replied.

"You yell all the time, Daddy!"

"That is different, my son. I yell the Japanese words for begin and stop. After that, we use our indoor voices. You need to use that indoor voice this instant."

"But Daddy--"

"Listen to your father, Ryan," Karai sternly chimed in.

"Hmph!" Ryan exclaimed, crossing his arms.

Leo let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Donnie. I thought I got through to him when we talked about it."

"What did you see, Leo?" I asked.

"You explained it exactly as it happened. Lily beat Ryan, who hurt her in the arm, leg, and stomach."

I let out a sigh and turned back to Ryan.

"Ryan, I need you to look at me, please."

"No."

"Okay, then," I replied sternly. "Then you will listen to me because I will not repeat myself. Lily came to me crying. I hate seeing my little girl hurt. I hate it even more when I learn it's her own cousin who has hurt her, and even more so when it's on purpose. Anger is self-destructive and it will take you down a path that is hard to return from."

I paused, feeling angrier than I was a minute ago. Ryan clearly did not want to learn from his experience.

"If I ever hear of you hurting my daughter again, you will hear it from me. It won't be your father yelling at you. It will be me. Am I making myself clear?"

"But Lily--"

"Nuh-uh," Karai chimed in angrily. "Lilianna won fair and square. You did not accept that and got angry. You went too far. Next time you hurt your cousin, you're going straight to your room. No. Excuses. Do you understand me?"

Ryan's glare washed away and he looked like he was about to cry.

"Yes, Mommy."

"I'm so sorry, Donatello," Karai told me.

"No, don't apologize," I replied angrily. "Just get it through to your son's thick skull that it's not okay to hurt little girls. Especially his cousin!"

I stormed out of the dojo and found myself sitting in the living room with my daughter, watching Super Robo Mecha Force Five. I could not help but move her onto my lap and hold her close, promising myself I would never let Ryan or any boy hurt her again.


PRESENT

I gazed down at Splinter's grave and let out another sigh.

"Thankfully, Ryan's learned since then. But I swore I would always protect her. Of course, I failed, multiple times, but Lily's shown she can take care of herself. She never let the negativity of anyone get to her. She's a phoenix, coming out stronger from the ashes. And at the same time, she's a dove, promoting calm and peace."

"Father."

I jumped and turned around. Lily was standing behind me.

"How much did you hear?" I asked.

"I got worried when you never came in," Lily explained. "So I came out to the Party Wagon to check up on you, and I saw you at Splinter's grave. When I got there, you were talking about how you hoped you raised me right. You did, Father. I never said you were a bad parent because you are the best parent I could ever have. You believed in me. You were always there to treat my physical and emotional wounds. You were always there to cheer me up. You taught me everything you know. You inspire me, Father, and I love you for it."

"Oh, Lily..."

I got up and hugged her, and she embraced me back.

"Are you okay?" she asked me.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. Are you okay?"

Lily blew out a huge sigh.

"I just can't believe I'm getting married tomorrow."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" I replied excitedly. "Let's get everything ready! Everyone else will be here later tonight!"

The four of us worked together to get all the tables set up inside the barn and outside. While April gathered the white linens, James and I gathered the chairs. Lily decorated the backyard with the fairy lights.

"Is anyone here?" we heard a woman yelling from the driveway.

"We're over here!" I yelled.

I turned around to see Justine and a cowgirl with braided red hair, wearing a red cowgirl hat.

"Hi!" Lily yelled, running up to the two women and hugging them.

"Hey, Lily!" Justine greeted her happily. "I'm sure you remember my aunt Jessie. She helped... gather flowers for the decorations."

"Oh!" Lily exclaimed. "I thought Venus was going to do that."

"I'm sure we'll figure something out," I assured her.

I held my hand out for the woman to shake it.

"Donatello. But you may call me Donnie. I'm Lily's father."

"Jessica, but everyone calls me Jessie," the cowgirl replied with a western accent, shaking my hand. "Justine's spoken very highly of ya, Donnie. On behalf of the Pride family, we wanna thank ya for teachin' her and bein' there for her."

"It's been a pleasure!" I said with a grin. "Justine's one of my top students and Lily's confidante."

"Well, we've come to help decorate. Where should we begin?"

"Why don't you start at the church?" I suggested.

"Great idea!" I heard Venus yell from a distance. "And great timing! I got the decorations and bouquets!"

"Any word from the rest of the family, Venus?" Lily asked.

"Tallulah's coming with the dresses soon. In fact, the entire Robinson family flew to New York earlier this week. They've either checked into a hotel or are staying at Wilbur's home in Westport. I hear it's not a bad drive from the city to Westport."

"What about our family?" I asked.

"They're on the way. I took the portal here so I could start decorating."

"Well, then giddy up!" Jessie yelled excitedly.

I chuckled at Jessie's enthusiasm as I continued to set up the chairs.


LILIANNA'S POV

"If I could have everyone's attention, please."

I turned toward my dad, who had clinked his glass after we had a delicious dinner.

"I want to thank all of you for joining me and my family in this rehearsal dinner for my daughter's wedding tomorrow," Dad continued with a gap-toothed grin. "When my daughter, nephew, and nieces were born, none of us imagined our children getting married. But now, my daughter has found love and will start a new chapter with her beloved tomorrow. I pray that Lily and James will have a blissful marriage just like April and I did."

There were mixes of praises in English and Japanese as we all took drinks.

"Follow us to the church!" Mom said excitedly.

My family, James' family, and our bridal party followed my parents into the crystallized church. Thankfully, the sun was still out and it was in the west, so the light shone through the church doors. We all took seats in the front rows as my parents walked to the front, standing on the first step.

"This is a beautiful place!" Jenny, James' mother, said happily. "When was it built?"

"Two years ago," Dad answered. "I built it from the ground up."

"You built it?" Bob, James' dad, replied with surprise. "You're not just an inventor. You're an architect!"

My dad laughed.

"Why, thank you! But let's get this rehearsal on the road."

"We'd like to thank Lily's aunt and uncle, Mona Lisa and Raphael, for being our ushers," Mom announced. "They'll be at the doors greeting our guests and guiding them to their seats. The first two rows will be reserved for the families of the bride and groom."

"Another one of Lily's uncles, Leonardo, will be the officiant," Dad continued. "And her last uncle, Michelangelo, is not only the one who baked the cake, but he is also our DJ for both the ceremony and the reception. His wife Renet will be helping him at the reception after dinner."

"Renet and her other aunt Karai are currently out buying the food to make the dinner. They'll be spending tomorrow morning cooking it."

"But today, we are going to rehearse the ceremony and the grand entrance at the reception. If the bridal party and parents can head on outside, Mikey will take things over from there.

"But don't forget James and Leo will already be on the stage!" Mom yelled as we all got up.

Once most of us got outside, my dad started talking again.

"Let us know when you're ready, Donatello," Auntie Mona said.

"I'll give Mikey the signal," Uncle Raph chimed in.

"Okay, here is the order in how we'll enter the church," Dad explained. "First, Bob, the father of the groom, will escort his wife Jenny and my wife April. Bob and Jenny will then sit on the right side of the church while April will sit on the left side. They will start walking when the piano starts to play in the song. Then, then the words filled with are sung, Randy will escort Venus and Justine down the aisle. Randy will go stand with James and Venus and Justine will stand on the left side of the stage. Now, when the chorus ends with the words remember me, Wilbur will escort Karena and Athena down the aisle. Mareena, when you hear the words pray and tears of joy, you start pushing Diana on the invention I have made for her. I will show you that tomorrow morning. Raph and Mona will close the doors when they enter the church. Once you two are done, you both will sit on the right side of the church. April, when the second chorus ends with remember me, you will stand and motion the guests to stand with you. Raph and Mona will then open the doors again to reveal me and Lily. Lily, you and I will start walking down the aisle when the last verse begins. Once we're clear, Raph and Mona will close the doors. Once the song is over, Raph and Mona will sit on the left side of the church and the ceremony begins. Any questions?"

All of us shook our heads.

"Alright, let's practice!"

"We're ready, Mikey!" Raph yelled, closing the door.

We heard the song start to play, and Raph and Mona opened the doors again.

"Lily, we should back up some so that it's not obvious we're behind Mareena and Diana," Dad suggested.

"Good idea," I replied in a whisper.

We took our steps back as my mom started to walk into the church with my future in-laws. We gave ourselves quite the distance between us and Mareena and Diana. Eventually, Randy, Venus, and Justine entered the church. Not too long after, Wilbur, Karena, and Venus went in. And then, Mareena and Diana entered the church, and Uncle Raph and Auntie Mona closed the doors.

"How are you feeling?" Dad asked me.

"Ask me again tomorrow!" I answered, biting my lip. "I'll be even more nervous tomorrow than I am now."

My dad chuckled.

"I was nervous too. But when I saw your mom walking down the aisle, my nerves were gone. I smiled, knowing that I wanted to marry her and that I was making the right decision for myself. This was what I had dreamed of the last five years. And it was the best day of my life."

We walked up to the church doors and smiled at each other.

"But are you ready to practice?" he asked me.

"Yeah, let's do it."

The doors opened. Everyone who was currently present in the first two rows were standing up and gazing at us. When we heard our cue, we started walking slowly down the aisle. Right now, it felt like a practice run, and I let out a huge sigh of relief. I remained calm for the rest of the walk. James simply smiled at me.

We eventually made it to the stage when the song was about to end.

"So I'll hug you and shake James' hand," Dad explained. "I'll give my daughter to you, James, and then I'll take my seat next to April as you escort your bride up the steps to the altar. So how did we do, Mikey?"

"It was perfect!" Uncle Mikey said happily as James helped me up the steps.

"Well, then I'll take over," Uncle Leo said into the microphone. "Guests, you may be seated."

The family in the front two rows sat in their chairs.

"So I have a script here that Lily found for me to use," Uncle Leo explained. "First, I open the ceremony up with an invocation, and a charge to the couple. I'll ask you both and anyone among the guests to speak if there is any reason whatsoever why James and Lily should not marry. After that is the presentation of the bride. Donnie, I will ask who is presenting Lily to marry James. Your response will simply be--"

"Her mother and I do," Dad replied, finishing his sentence.

"Exactly. James and Lily will then face each other and hold each other's hands. You will both repeat these vows after me to each other, and you will both repeat after me during the exchanging of the rings. Then, Lily will sing a song. When she's finished, I will pronounce James and Lily husband and wife and tell James to kiss the bride. And then the recessional will start."

"Well, that's easy enough," James replied with a smile.

"Now, Donnie put me in charge of orchestrating the recessional. Here is the order of who will walk down the aisle out of the church: Lily and James; Wilbur, Karena, and Athena; then Randy, Justine, and Venus. Mikey, would you go ahead and start the song?"

Yaz's Only You, started to play.

"You all go on your own pace," Uncle Leo encouraged us. "This is a happy moment."

Uncle Raph and Auntie Mona opened the doors. James and I linked our arms, walked down the steps, and then walked down the aisle out of the church. Not too long after, the rest of the bridal party showed up.

"Okay, now everyone come back inside!" Uncle Mikey said into his microphone.

We walked back inside the church.

"Okay, the bridal party can stay in here while the rest of you do the cheering outside."

Our families went outside.

"Now we're gonna do the reception a little differently," Uncle Mikey explained to us. "We're going to introduce the two bridesmaids first, then the two maids of honor, and then the best man and groomsman. And I command you to have fun with it!"

We all laughed.

"But if you don't like it, then we can always change things, but it may be awkward."

We laughed harder.

"Now let's see if this works."

Uncle Mikey started playing Journey's Don't Stop Believing.

"Ladies and gentleman, are we ready to have the best night ever?"

I could barely hear cheering from outside.

"Let's give a big cheer for our bridesmaids, Venus de Milo Hamato and Justine Jessica Pride!"

Uncle Raph and Auntie Mona opened up the church doors. Venus and Justine ran outside holding hands. I laughed merrily while James clapped.

"Next up are our maids of honor," Uncle Mikey announced. "Karena Michelle Robinson and Athena Shea Hamato!"

Karena and Athena danced their way outside.

"Now let's welcome our groomsman and best man: Randall Samuel Peterson and Wilbur James Cornelius Robinson!"

Wilbur and Randy did moonwalks outside as Uncle Raph and Auntie Mona closed the doors.

"And here is the moment you've all been waiting for: our newlyweds!" Uncle Mikey announced behind me. "Allow me to introduce to you for the very first time: Mr. and Mrs. James Michael Anderson and Lilianna Mae Hamato!"

Uncle Raph and Auntie Mona opened the doors again. We held each other's hand, held them up in the air, and walked outside with grins on our faces.

"How was that?" I asked.

"I actually liked it," Wilbur replied. "It's different. And yes, it's weird because I'm not escorting my wife outside. But the pairing makes sense."

"I don't know," Justine replied, one hand on her hip. "It kind of makes us all look gay and lesbian. After all, Wilbur and Karena are married. They should be entering the reception area together. And Venus and Athena are sisters. It wound make more sense for them to walk out together. I don't mind being paired with Randy."

"Well, let's run it with Justine's suggestion," Uncle Mikey suggested.

Uncle Mikey turned towards me and James.

"You two are good to go, maybe have one last date together before you tie the knot."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Uncle Mikey gave us a wink.

"Now go before the sun sets!"


Todayland, North Montana, USA

I had used the portal to take James to the arboretum one last time.

"I thought your chapter in Todayland was over?" James asked as we took our walk.

"It is," I replied. "It's only fitting that I give you your wedding gift at our special place."

"Funny you mention wedding gifts..."

James reached into his pocket and took out a piece of paper. He handed it to me with a smile on his face. I unfolded the letter and started reading it.

"My Lily of the Valley, we made it. Our wedding day is here. Ever since I met you that February night at the winter ball, I knew you were in my life to stay. You were different, but you were an angel. You're my angel. I know you will protect me with all the strength and love you have in your small, muscular body. But you've given me a second chance every time I have made mistakes, and you've shown me unconditional love. You've taught me more about God than anyone I've ever known. That was why I decided to ask you to marry me."

I teared up, taking off my brown contacts as I continued reading the letter.

"I can't wait to see you walking down the aisle. You'll be more than my angel today. You'll be a goddess, a queen. I can't wait to smile with you, laugh with you, make promises together. I can't wait to celebrate with you and be married to you for the rest of our lives. I can't wait to dance with you in my arms tonight and every night for the rest of our lives."

I immediately imagined myself dancing with my future husband as I continued reading the letter to the finish.

"You've told me of all your trials. You were born a mutant and only knew your family, who are mutants with you. You were kidnapped and taken away from your family, forcing you to learn how to survive. I'm happy you were kidnapped because if you weren't, we'd never meet, and I'd be missing out on loving the most magnificent human being in the entire universe. You learned more about yourself in ways you've never thought possible and became a superhero. And then your most recent trial came: your grad school acceptance letter. Despite being rejected four times, you never gave up on yourself. Instead, you prayed, day and night. You never give up on yourself nor on the people you love, and I know for a fact I am in healing hands with you. I love you, my Lily of the Valley. I'll see you down the aisle. Love, James."

I hugged my fiancé tightly, and he embraced me back.

"Thank you for this," I told him. "My gift is probably going to pale in comparison to what you gave me."

"Oh, Lily, how could it? Your love will always be bigger than any gift we could possibly give each other."

I blushed.

"Well, here."

I dug into my own pocket and gave him my gift.

"A handkerchief?" James asked, rubbing it against his face with a fond smile. "It's so soft."

"Justine helped me pick the best fabric."

"This is very thoughtful."

"I have a feeling you might cry on seeing me tomorrow."

"I think we both will," James replied. "We're about to enter the best day of our lives, after all. It's going to be very emotional."

I wrapped my hands around his neck and gave him a flirty grin.

"You wanna know why I said yes to marrying you?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"I'm the psychic, and yet you can read me like a book. You seem to know exactly what I need and how I feel before I even say anything."

"You've taught me how to be mindful and perceptive," James replied. "I can't wait to follow you anywhere."

I pulled him into a deep kiss. He eagerly kissed me back. Suddenly, my T-Phone rang. We ended our little make-out session and I answered my phone.

"Hello?"

"Lily, where are you?" Karena asked me. "We need to give you your wedding gifts!"

"Just spending a little time with my fiancé before we're married," I answered with blush in my cheeks.

"Well, get over here! We all want you to see what we got you!"

"Okay, okay!" I replied with laughter. "We're on our way back."

I hung up.

"Bridal duty," I explained.

"I understand," James replied with a smile.

We quickly pecked each other before taking the portal back to New York.


North Hampton, New York, USA

JUSTINE'S POV

"She's coming," Karena said as she hung up the phone.

"Where did she go?" I asked.

"She just said she was spending time with James."

"No wonder they're perfect for each other," Athena replied.

"So how are things going with you and Skyler?" Venus asked with a grin.

Athena blushed.

"Things are going," she answered with an awkward smile.

"They're going well?" I asked with a smirk.

"Yeah!"

"Here I am," Lily suddenly announced.

We turned around towards the door.

"Thank goodness!" Athena exclaimed, blowing a sigh of relief. "Now the focus can be on the bride!"

"Did I miss something?" Lily asked with a smirk.

"Absolutely nothing at all!"

"Just Athena and her boyfriend," Venus replied, still holding her grin.

"Okay, girls, let's get this last activity going," Karena said.

Athena mouthed thank you at her.

"So every wedding has the tradition of something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue," Karena explained. "With that said, let's get started. Athena? Justine? Venus?"

The four of us walked to where the wedding dress was standing and lifted the big blanket off it. When the dress was revealed, Lily let out a huge gasp with a big smile on her face.

"Something new and something blue!" we all told her happily.

"Oh my gosh..."

Lily was speechless. She slowly walked over and admired her wedding dress. She gazed at every single lily that was sewn into the dress and she traced the white and green lace that was on the bodice.

"Something old," I announced, taking out a handkerchief with light blue lace. "It was my mother's when she married my father 28 years ago."

Lily accepted the gift and held it against her heart. Then she looked at me with a look of concern.

"Justine, it's your mother's. Are you sure about this?"

I blew a small raspberry.

"I have no plans on being married any time soon. And besides--"

"No, Lily's right," April chimed in. "And besides, I have a something old would work better. We'll call the handkerchief something borrowed."

"That's better," Lily replied. "So what is this something old, Mother?"

"This was my mother's," April explained, handing her daughter a silver necklace with white flower pendants. "My dad gave it to me when I got married and now it's yours."

"Mom, it's beautiful! Thank you."

Lily turned towards me, holding my hand.

"Thank you all for being with me on my big day."