Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing moms in the world! I held off posting this chapter because Lily herself becomes a mother and is celebrating her first Mother's Day, so we get our first glimpses of her as a mom. We also got a big thing going on the other side of the good-evil spectrum, which will heavily impact the Hamato Clan.
I hope you enjoy it! I'm always open to ideas too for any of my characters, so please leave a review if you'd like.
I am also working to publish a chapter in Hanashi, which has Karai finding out about Ryan. But I'm reworking it to include April and Donnie's first days as parents as well. See you later!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons", "TMNT," "Criminal Case," nor "Lord of the Rings," nor do I own Ginny Owens' "Remember Me." I own Ryan, Venus, Athena, Skyler, Jasper, Anna, Lilianna, James, and their new baby (his name is a surprise!).
May 7, 2050 - Pacific Bay, California, USA
DONATELLO'S POV
I carried Anna in my arms and followed James into the spare bedroom. I placed her down on the bed and quickly examined her.
"What happened?" James asked.
"I don't know!" I answered in bewilderment. "One minute she was helping me deliver your son and the next she yelled and fainted! At least her breathing's okay. She has no fever."
"You don't think it's seeing the birth, is it?"
"No, that can't have been it. You and Lily both told me how experienced she was in the Houses of Healing. I think there's more to this than meets the eye."
"So, what do we do?"
"All we can do is let her rest. She'll wake up later. But right now, we need to tend to Lily and the baby."
We walked back into the master bedroom where we saw Lily gently smiling down at her newborn son. I also noticed she had already birthed the placenta. I quickly discarded it in the bucket on the right side of the bed as James walked up to her.
"He's so beautiful," Lily told her husband in awe. "I never imagined it would be like this!"
"How are you feeling, Lily Mae?" I asked with a smile.
"I am so tired," she answered, still gazing down at her son. "But he was worth all the pain and fatigue."
"Well, we still need to cut the umbilical cord. James?"
I gathered the clamps and scissors from the towel on the dresser as James lied the baby down on the bed. The baby was white, but I knew the coloring would change in a matter of days.
"So is cutting the cord different because he's a humanoid turtle?" James asked.
"It does take a little more effort, but otherwise, no, there's no difference. So I'm going to place two clamps on the cord. One will go by the belly button and the other just about two inches away. You are going to cut in between the clamps with these scissors."
Lily and I watched in awe as James cut the cord. And then, the baby's first cries rang around the bedroom. It was beautiful. Lily started to cry again, but she smiled through her tears.
"Lily, he's absolutely precious," I told her in awe.
"I know, right?"
James carried the baby back to Lily and they held him together.
"I'm gonna go downstairs and tell your mom the news," I told them. "She texted me that she was here."
I grabbed a towel so I could wipe my hands off and then I went through the hall and down the stairs. But when I got down there, I saw the entire family gathered in the living room.
"Oh!" I exclaimed in surprise. "Hello, everybody."
"After you left, it didn't feel right for all of us to sit in the lair and wait," Leo explained.
"They asked me if they could come along," April chimed in.
"We all wanted to be there for Lily because she's been there for all of us," Venus said.
"And we do mean all of us," Wilbur said, holding Diana in his lap.
I grinned.
"How's Lily doing?" April asked.
"She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy," I answered.
Everyone cheered and yelled in excitement.
"How did the surgery go?" Mona Lisa asked.
"It didn't! Lily pushed him out on her own. And you should have seen her. She was incredible!"
All the women gasped in awe, and then Karai stood up.
"Lily did what I couldn't do. You and April should be proud of the daughter you raised together. She gained her strength from you and never gave up. She's going to be one hell of a mother."
April and I glanced at each other with proud smiles on our faces.
"She already is," April replied.
"And I think you should be the first to see our grandson," I told her.
We went back up the stairs and into the master bedroom. Lily glanced up at us with a bigger grin on her face.
"Hi, Mom."
"Hey, Lily. How are you?"
"I am a mixed bag. I'm tired. There's a little bit of pain down there. I'm still contracting even though the birth is over. But I've never felt so much joy in my life."
"I felt exactly the same way when you were born," April replied fondly. "Holding your baby in your arms is worth all the pain you can muster."
"Would you like to hold him?" James asked.
"I'd like nothing more!"
James held the baby and handed him over to his grandmother. April then started to cry as I gazed down at him.
"You know, Donnie, when I held Lily for the first time, it was the best day of my life. Now, holding our grandson... it feels like a fresh start all over again. I never imagined I'd be a grandmother."
"You and me both," I replied. "That reminds me, Lily, James, what do we call our grandson?"
"You may call him Donnie," Lily answered with a huge grin.
April and I glanced at each other in confusion.
"I don't understand," I replied.
"His name is Donatello Akihito Hamato," James explained.
I gasped and I clasped my hands over my mouth.
"We decided this together," Lily said. "We made a deal. If the baby was a boy, he'd take my name. If the baby was a girl, she'd take his. Father, you've always been there since I was born and you taught me to have compassion. You were my gift of God when I was born. And now, my son is my gift of God, and I promise to teach him to show compassion just like you taught me."
Of all the names I was expecting to come out of my daughter's mouth, it was not my own name. It was my turn to cry. I never knew what my name meant, but now I knew.
"Dad, are you okay?" Lily asked.
I walked over and put her hands in mine.
"This... is the greatest gift I could ever receive from you, Lily Mae. Donnie, it is."
We hugged despite Lily being in pain.
"Come on, D!" April encouraged me. "Come say hi to your grandson!"
I laughed through my tears, which had soaked my purple mask. But then I had a thought. I took off my mask and handed it to Lily.
"Here. Donnie's first birthday gift from his grandpa, so he knows who I am."
Lily took the mask and held it against her heart.
"Donnie and I will always cherish this. Thank you. Now, go!"
We chuckled before I walked back up to my wife and grandson. After we held him for a few more moments, he started to fuss. We handed him back to his parents and then April and I started back down the hall.
"Donnie?"
I froze. Anna was awake.
"April, go ahead and head on down. I'll be there in a minute."
I walked back into the spare bedroom and found Anna sitting up.
"How are you feeling?"
"That's a good question," Anna answered, shaking her head. "How did I get in here?"
"You fainted while helping me deliver Lily's son Donnie," I explained.
"She named him after you?" Anna asked in awe. "That is the most honorable thing she has ever done for you!"
Anna suddenly gasped.
"What is it?" I asked.
She looked at me with horror in her green eyes.
"The Shredder is alive! That was what I saw when Donnie was born."
"How do you know this?"
"I've had visions throughout the day. First, they were of this vat with lots of retro-mutagen in it. And then, when Donnie was born, I saw the Shredder coming out of that vat. And he looked like the perfect clone."
I didn't know what to say. Was Anna telling the truth? Was the Shredder really alive? Or was it only a vision?
I shook my head, deciding to share this with the family later.
"You get some rest," I told her. "We'll talk about this later."
Anna nodded, and she lied back down and slept.
I joined April back downstairs.
"Donnie is the cutest thing in the whole world!" April gushed.
"Of course, you say that!" Mikey replied. "He's your husband!"
"You don't understand, Mikey," I chimed in. "Lily named her son after me."
Everyone in the room had their jaws dropped.
"Congratulations, D," Leo said, shaking my hand. "That's quite an honor."
"So when can we meet him?" Renet asked.
"The new parents are requesting two at a time," I answered with a grin.
"And those who have correctly guessed that Lily was having a boy will go first," April reminded the clan with a smirk.
We fist-bumped each other.
ANNA'S POV
I woke up again, but this time, it wasn't Donatello who woke me up. In fact, I had to do a double take on who it was.
"Lily? What are you doing in here?"
"I'm checking up on you. Are you okay?"
"Again, I should be asking you that! Are you okay?"
"I could be better," Lily answered with an honest smile. "But I couldn't be happier. Right when Donnie was born, all the pain just went away. Thank you, by the way, for your help. I don't know what I would have done without you."
"It was my pleasure. How is Donnie?"
"My dad did all the tests on him and he is the healthiest baby my dad's ever seen! Even healthier than I was at birth!"
We laughed.
"You did really well, Lily," I encouraged her. "First you take care of yourself. Then you found out your baby is a humanoid turtle and you persevered through it. Then you naturally gave birth to him, which everyone did not expect. Where is Donnie?"
Lily's smile got bigger.
"Would you like to see him?"
I gasped.
"Really?"
Lily nodded giddily as she took my hand. She led me next door and to the crib. Her newborn son slept peacefully with a small smile on his face. He had no hair, white skin from being inside her womb, and a healthy-looking plastron and shell. His sleeping position was that of when he was in the womb. I couldn't help but smile at him.
"Lily, he's absolutely beautiful!" I whispered to her.
"Isn't he?" she gushed.
She leaned down and kissed his head.
"He just needs a little nap," she sweetly said. "He's had a very long day."
"We all have," I replied.
"Anna, let's go back to your room," Lily suggested.
We walked back to the next room and sat on the bed.
"Anna, I noticed you screamed at the same time I did," she told me. "You didn't scream because of the birth."
"No," I answered, shaking my head. "I had another vision, and unfortunately, this one is real. At the same time your son was born, Baxter Stockman brought the Shredder back to life."
Lily's jaw dropped in horror. Then she took a few deep breaths. Then, she gazed into my green eyes.
"Anna, you need to tell me everything you saw. Now, you mentioned you saw a vat full of retro-mutagen. Was there anyone in that room?"
"Only Baxter Stockman. There was no one else."
"Hmm... you had visions all day, yes?"
I nodded.
"Did anything else interest you?"
I tried my hardest to remember everything.
"In one of my visions, I saw cherry blossoms, lots of them. And there was also a shrine."
"Anna!" Lily suddenly gasped. "Baxter Stockman was in Japan! Tokyo! But it's weird. I've flown on the Javelin every week over Japan and did not find him. He must have been underground."
"Probably the entire time."
"If Baxter Stockman was underground this whole time, then who used the portals?"
"The portals were a distraction," I concluded. "It has to be the Vizioso mob! They led the entire clan on a cat-and-mouse chase!"
"We need to talk to Leonardo."
"We need to talk to everybody. But you need rest, Lily. You just gave birth a few hours ago."
As if it was on cue, I heard the cries of little Donatello in the next room.
"Duty calls," Lily said with a shrug.
I tugged her wrist, pulling her back for a moment.
"Lily, there's something else. The Shredder doesn't last long. He will die by somebody's hand... your son's hand."
Lily let out another gasp of horror.
"You're telling me that my son is going to be the one to finish this Shredder?"
"Yes. He is our new hope in the clan."
Little Donnie continued to cry.
"No," Lily sternly replied. "I refuse to believe this. I will not raise my son to be a murderer! I will teach him to do what is right and just, and murder is never the answer! Now if you'll excuse me, I have a baby to nurse."
Lily slowly walked out of the room.
"I'm coming, Donnie!"
I let out a sigh and I silently prayed Lily would be right about little Donatello's character.
May 8, 2050
LILIANNA'S POV
I was now lying in bed with my husband while the rest of the Hamato Clan slept in various rooms of the house. Everyone was very excited and supportive to meet the newest member of the clan for the first time. Some expressed surprise that little Donnie was a humanoid turtle, as I had not told everyone.
Everyone offered to help in some way. Uncle Mikey, Auntie Karai, and Athena offered to cook meals that would last us three months. Uncle Leo and my mom would fix us drinks and help clean the house. Venus and Justine would stay and tend to my garden and orchard that I had started.
Aunt Renet and Anna offered to help me adjust to motherhood by teaching me to change my baby's diapers and how to give him a bath. Auntie Mona would teach me more tai chi to help me heal. Uncle Raph and Ryan would help anyone who needed heavy lifting since they were the strongest of the clan. Skyler was in charge of the grocery shopping.
And lastly, my dad would monitor me to make sure I was healing and Donnie was adapting the way he should to a very new environment.
But I felt uneasy about Anna's recent vision of my son defeating the Shredder.
"Lily, you've got that look again," James suddenly spoke.
"You got night vision?" I asked sarcastically.
"What's wrong, Lily Mae?"
I glared at him.
"First of all, the only one who can call me that is my dad. Second of all--"
"Boy, something's really wrong. What's going on, Lily of the Valley?"
"Better. The Shredder's back."
"What?! I thought he's dead!"
"Anna saw Stockman successfully bringing a Shredder clone to life. But she also saw our son eventually killing him!"
"Well, Donnie's born into a clan of ninjas," James suggested with reason. "Maybe it's his destiny."
"Not if I have a say in it!" I replied with determination. "We may train Donnie to be a ninja, but we're not letting him kill anyone."
I grunted.
"He was just born five hours ago and I'm already worrying about this. Why can't I just enjoy this little thing?"
James turned my head towards him and smiled.
"You can, Lily. Focus on one day at a time, like you always have. You were looking forward to being a mother for so long. And right now, all you can do is rest and bond with our son."
As if it was on cue, Donnie started crying again in his room.
"Here we go," I said out loud.
"Lily, wait, let me go this time," James offered.
"James, please?"
He let out a sigh, nodding at me to go. I got out of bed and into the nursery.
"Hey, Donnie," I said sweetly with a smile. "Let's get you out of there."
I gently picked my son up and held him close. I walked him over to the window where a full moon shone up above.
"Look at that, Donnie. You were born on a full moon. Isn't it beautiful?"
He cooed, and I chuckled in response.
"You know, my daddy made a promise to me the day I was born. So now, I'm going to make a promise to you. I promise to always listen to you, no matter what happens. I promise to raise you to be the best human being you can be. I promise to encourage you in whatever gifts you are given. I promise to show compassion so you can give compassion to others. And I promise to always watch over you, no matter what becomes of me. You are my son, and I love you, so very much."
I kissed his head and he cooed again.
"Let's put you back down for another nap. I know you won't have a sleep schedule for some time, but eventually you'll go to sleep just like the rest of us. I love you, my sweet boy."
I walked away from the crib. I looked back at him one more time and fondly smiled at him. Then I left the room and walked back to my bedroom.
James was already asleep when I painfully got back in bed. It was the longest day of my life, but it was worth every minute. I kissed my husband and then I finally went to sleep.
I woke up to little Donnie's cries. I glanced at the clock and found it was eight in the morning. Since I made my promises to my son at one-forty-five this morning, I had woken up again three more times. The first time was because he wanted to be fed. James ended up taking care of him the other two times and let me sleep.
I turned to my side and noticed James was gone. I slowly got up, still in pain from childbirth, and walked into the nursery, where I found Anna in the rocking chair with little Donnie in her arms.
"Lily!" Anna exclaimed at the sight of me. "You're supposed to be in bed!"
"And yet you didn't tell me that last night?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"There's actually a reason this time, I swear! And it's not just to rest."
"Well, if I'm going to go back to bed, may I, at least, hold my son?"
"Oh, of course!"
Anna handed little Donnie to me and I immediately smiled just as he opened his eyes.
"Hi, Donnie!" I greeted him sweetly. "How do you feel about us bonding together, hmm?"
I carried him out of the nursery and into my bedroom. I first set him down on the bed so I could get back on the bed myself. Then I picked him up again and held his bare body against mine. I was still wearing the purple nightgown and it felt very comfortable.
I closed my eyes, enjoying my bonding time with my son. But at the same time, I was still very tired. I almost fell asleep with Donnie on my chest.
"SURPRISE!"
I jumped awake and Donnie started crying.
"James!" I snapped. "Shh!"
"Shoot!" James quietly exclaimed, setting down a tray. "Sorry! May I see him?"
I let out a sigh and handed the baby to him.
"I'm sorry, Donnie," James quietly told him. "I was trying to surprise your mom. I hope you can forgive me."
Donnie started to calm down and eventually snuggled up in his chest.
"Lily, I'm--"
"I know," I replied with a smile. "He's forgiven you. And I forgive you, too."
"Are you saying that because of the breakfast tray?" James asked with a smirk.
I chuckled.
"The breakfast tray was a nice touch. But no. I can read Donnie's thoughts, remember?"
"I'm amazed you can when he's just about twelve hours old."
"I've read his thoughts when he was inside me, too. Thank you for the breakfast."
"Happy Mother's Day," James replied with a fond smile.
I blinked.
"Today's Mother's Day?"
"Yes, it is, and you're now a mother."
I put my hands up to my face and started crying.
"I would have gone to get you flowers, but I was--"
"Too tired," I finished his sentence. "All three of us are. Come here, both of you."
James first handed me our son. Then he gathered the breakfast tray and put it in front of me. Suddenly, I noticed Donnie's face leaning towards my breast.
"James, why don't you help yourself first? I gotta nurse him."
James smiled and cut our pancakes. After Donnie latched, we gazed at each other and shared a sweet kiss.
APRIL'S POV
"Is there a reason why we're just sitting here?" I asked.
"Wait a minute," Justine said, counting each of us. "We're all women."
"Yes," Karai replied. "But Lily's upstairs with her family and Venus and Athena are elsewhere."
"And besides, Athena was the one who told me to wait in here," Renet chimed in.
"And I was told by Venus to do the same," Mona Lisa said.
"But how does Justine fit into the equation?" I asked.
"Wait, Anna's not here either," Renet realized.
"Happy Mother's Day!" all four Turtles and Ryan suddenly yelled out with smiles on their faces.
"What is all this?" I asked with surprise.
"Breakfast for the best women in the world," Raph answered, handing his breakfast to his wife.
I watched as Ryan handed breakfast to his mother while Leo handed it to Justine. Karai smiled fondly at her son. I gazed forward as Donnie handed me my breakfast.
"D, aren't you exhausted from last night?" I asked.
"I'm never too exhausted for you, my dear," Donnie answered with a wink. "I helped James make breakfast for Lily. And now it's my turn to give to her mother on her behalf."
I blushed as he kissed me on the forehead. Then Athena handed breakfast to her mother while Skyler gave her flowers.
"Happy Mother's Day, Mom," Skyler told her.
"Skyler, you're too sweet," Renet replied. "So, do you think you and Athena will ever try for a child?"
Skyler and Athena glanced at each other.
"Nah," Athena answered. "After hearing Lily scream last night, I think we'll wait."
"I still can't believe she birthed the baby by herself," I said in awe.
"I'm in disbelief myself," Donnie replied. "Though now you all need to be careful about what you call me if my grandson and I are in the same room."
"Anna's already calling him Little Donnie," Athena suggested.
I grinned.
"I love that! And I have no doubt Lily will start calling him that, too. But we've also called you 'D' before. We might stick with that."
"It's all up to you!" Donnie replied.
My husband suddenly frowned.
"Leo, is today a good day to have a meeting of the whole clan? Anna and Lily discovered something you'll want to know."
"Let's wait until evening," Leo suggested. "Let the mothers in the clan have their day."
"Yeah, and I need to check up on our newest mother anyway."
DONATELLO'S POV
I examined Lily again this afternoon.
"You do have a small tear by your perineum," I explained.
"No wonder I'm still in pain," she replied.
"I'm going to give you two stitches, and I'm sorry, but this will hurt. But I promise you'll be better in a few days."
"Good thing school's over for both of us for the summer. I'm not sure I can focus on anything else."
"And you shouldn't," I encouraged her. "Becoming a parent for the first time is a big deal. Bonding with your son is very important. It can help you heal faster and it can help him start growing in a healthy way."
I winked before I applied the stitches.
"But then again, he's already very healthy. He's had a very good start to his life."
"All I want to do now is to just hold Donnie in my arms. He's my world."
I smiled, remembering my first days of being a father.
"I never wanted to let you go either. You had become my world that day. I cherished every day I took you with me to my lab. I wanted to show you everything, and it didn't matter to me how old you were. But then I learned I had to be careful not to let the very dangerous stuff near you."
Lily chuckled, and then she frowned.
"What's wrong?" I asked, frowning with her.
"I know I won't be back at work for three months, but what do I do when I have to leave Donnie for the first time?"
"Your mom asked me the same thing. She was so worried that something was going to go wrong that she almost didn't go back to work."
"So what did you two do?"
"I told her that after she left, you would look forward to seeing her, and you'd always give her a big smile. And you did, every time. It made your mom so happy so see you smile so big. You see, Lily, absence makes the heart grow fonder."
Lily smiled before I continued.
"And I, too, learned that when you were taken from us. I was so worried that I had lost you that I just kept praying you'd find your way back to us. When we reunited, I had never been happier to see you than the day you were born."
I got up, went around the bed, and sat down by her side.
"You are already an amazing mother, Lily Mae, and I am so proud of you."
"Everything I am, Father, is because of you. It's why I named him after you."
"Speaking of which, who's watching him?"
"Dad, relax! He's napping and James is in the rocking chair. So what do you want me to do in the meantime?"
"Get as much rest as you can for the next few days. Of course, take care of Donnie when you need to."
I chuckled.
"It's gonna take me some time to get used to having someone else with my name."
"This is partly because I've always wanted to call you Donnie," Lily replied with a wink. "But you never let me because you're my dad."
"Oh, is that it?"
We shared a laugh and then her smile faded.
"Dad, you called a meeting about the Shredder tonight."
"Yes. You're welcome to join us if you'd like."
ANNA'S POV
"Thank you, everyone, for being here," Leonardo started. "D, would you like to start things off?"
"I'm actually going to pass the floor to Anna. She's the reason we are having this meeting tonight."
All eyes were on me.
"While Lily was in labor, I had been having visions," I explained, biting my lip. "It wasn't clear on what this vision was about until Little Donnie was born."
I took a deep breath.
"The Shredder is alive."
There were lots of exclamations and gasps in the room.
"Are you serious?" Wilbur asked with shock.
"How is that possible?" Raphael asked.
"Anna, did you figure out who revived Shredder and where he did it?" April asked.
"Yes, with Lily's help."
"Anna and I worked together to find that Baxter Stockman brought the Shredder back to life in Tokyo, Japan," Lily explained, holding Little Donnie in her arms. "But I thought it was strange that while I was flying the Javelin over Japan numerous times, I never found him. Stockman must have worked underground."
"Which brought us to the question of who used the portals this entire time," I continued. "Lily and I believed that the Vizioso mob had escaped prison specifically as a distraction so Stockman could finish the job."
"So you think the Vizioso gang used our portals to travel back and forth between dimensions?" Mona Lisa asked.
"Yes."
"That actually makes sense," Donatello replied. "But we need to confirm this theory."
"Mother and I will leave for Japan tonight," Venus proposed. "It's our portals they stole, after all."
"Leo and I will go with you," Karai chimed in. "Tokyo was my home. You need a guide."
"I will go, also," I replied. "It's my vision we're confirming."
"That should be enough," Leo said. "I agree with Venus. We leave tonight."
LILIANNA'S POV
Once again, I woke up to Donnie's cries. I got up out of bed, feeling a little better since my dad gave me some stitches. I put on my purple robe and waddled over to the nursery.
"Hey, Donnie, shh," I greeted him quietly as I picked him up. "Shh, I'm here now. Everything's okay."
A strong smell suddenly filled the room.
"Well, Donnie, let's see if I can do this right. It didn't look hard, right?"
I took him to the changing station and remembered everything Anna showed me on how to change a diaper. I cleaned my baby twice before putting a new diaper on him.
"There! All better! Right, Donnie?"
I saw a small smile on his face.
"Alright, I'm going to put you down for a nice little nap until you wake up again okay?"
He cooed happily as I carried him back to his crib. I set him down and then I kissed him on his little head.
"I love you, Donnie. Good night."
I walked through the door, but then Donnie started to cry again.
"Oh, Donnie, what is it?"
I picked him up again. I held him up against my chest, but then I noticed he had turned towards my breast again. Letting out a sigh, I sat on the rocking chair and prepared myself to nurse again. Donnie seemed very eager to eat.
"Goodness!" I exclaimed with a chuckle. "It's no wonder you weighed eight pounds when you were born! Don't eat too much, okay? You still need your sleep."
After a short time, Donnie finished eating and I put him back in his crib.
"Wait a minute."
I picked him back up, put him against the left side of my chest, and I patted his shell. I heard him burp twice and I blew a sigh of relief.
"I'm glad I remembered that," I said out loud. "Now we can try to put you back to sleep."
I put my son back in his crib and attempted to walk out again. And then he cried again.
"Oh, Donnie, what do you need now?"
I moaned, walking back in the nursery and picked him up again. I had changed his diaper and I fed and burped him. The only thing I could think of was giving him my love.
I walked him to the rocking chair and I sat down in it. I started rocking him to sleep and started to sing a song.
"Lavender's green, dilly, dilly, lavender's blue. When I am queen, dilly, dilly, you shall be king. Who told you so, dilly, dilly, who told you so? Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly, that told me so."
I glanced down at my newborn son as his cries dwindled. I took a breath to continue singing quietly.
"Call up your men, dilly, dilly, set them to work. Some to the plough, dilly, dilly, some to the fork. Some to make hay, dilly, dilly, some to reap corn. While you and I, dilly, dilly, keep ourselves warm."
I glanced down again, only this time, he was asleep. I got up and carried him back to his crib. Nevertheless, I continued singing.
"Roses are red, dilly, dilly, violets are blue. Because you love me, dilly, dilly, I will love you. Let the birds sing, dilly, dilly, let the lambs play. We shall be safe, dilly, dilly, out of harm's way."
May 9, 2050 - Tokyo, Japan
ANNA'S POV
The five of us took the our portals to Tokyo to try to hunt the Shredder.
"Anna, you are the only one here who has some kind of psychic power," Leo told me.
"I'm no psychic," I corrected him. "I can only see what is happening from far away."
"What can you see right now?" Mona Lisa asked.
I scanned the area.
"I found the Vizioso gang! They're at a... burned down dojo."
Leonardo's eyes widened.
"Splinter's home," he said in realization.
"Come on!" Karai prompted us.
We followed Leo to what used to be the dojo, which had its history over the years.
"This dojo..." Karai spoke somberly. "My mother died here."
"The place Splinter's chapter in Japan ended," Leo replied with sadness. "He took Tang Shen's dreams to heart and fled to New York."
I suddenly let out a loud gasp. Something was playing in my mind. I followed this vision into what was left of the dojo.
"Anna, wait!" Leo yelled behind me.
My vision led me to a hidden door in the ground.
"A secret passage?" Venus asked with confusion. "How did you find it?"
"It wasn't me," I answered honestly. "It was--"
"Stockman," Leo sternly finished for me. "Lead the way, Anna."
I opened the door and made my way down the stairs. The other four ninjas followed me. When I got to the ground, I let out a gasp.
"This is from my vision!"
"And there's..."
Leo paused.
"Well, at least Donnie's retro-mutagen is in that vat."
"But where did Stockman get the rest of it?" Venus asked.
"I maaade it!"
We all gazed up and saw Stockman-Fly hovering over the retro-mutagen.
"Ladiesss and gentlemen, I pressssent to you, Mazzzter Ssshredder!"
I could not believe my eyes at what I saw next. A man dressed in armor somersaulted over the vat and landed in front of us.
"It... it can't be!" Leo exclaimed in terror.
"Shredder!" Karai exclaimed in horror.
"Venus, Anna, get behind me," Mona Lisa told us.
"I've grown up, Mother," Venus replied.
"I'm not afraid," I said.
"Karai, my daughter," Shredder said in a deep voice. "You've come back after all this time."
"I am not... your... DAUGHTER!" Karai screamed.
"Get him!" Leo yelled, drawing his katanas.
Karai and I drew our swords and prepared to fight him. Mona Lisa had her sword from Salamandria while Venus took out her sais.
"Where are the other Turtles, freak?" Shredder asked.
"I'll never tell you!" Leo angrily answered.
The five of us fought the Shredder to the best of our ability. Unfortunately, our abilities weren't enough. The Shredder took everyone down easily, and I was left standing alone.
"Who are you, girl?" Shredder asked, staring down at me.
"One girl you do not want to face," I answered, preparing my sword.
With his gauntlets, the Shredder and I dueled. I remembered my father's training and remained three steps ahead of him.
"Impressive," Shredder said out loud as we continued to fight. "Very impressive. But you won't defeat me."
"We'll see about that!" I shot back with some cockiness.
We pressed on with our duel.
"Go, Anna!" Venus cheered.
"Go for underneath the arm!" Mona Lisa suggested from the sideline.
I analyzed the Shredder while deflecting his blows. Mona Lisa was right. The Shredder had no armor underneath the arms. Waiting for the right time, I struck his right armpit. He screamed. But suddenly...
"AAAAAAAHH!" I screamed very loudly.
"ANNA!" Leonardo screamed.
"We need to get out of here!" Venus yelled.
I was in so much pain in my lower back that I did not notice the smoke bomb Karai released. I felt carried away as everything went black.
Pacific Bay, California, USA
DONATELLO'S POV
"DONNIE!"
"DONATELLO!"
I shot awake at the screaming.
"What is with all the screaming?" Raph asked.
I let out a gasp at what I saw.
"Oh my goodness!" I exclaimed. "Anna! Get her upstairs!"
Leo carried Anna up the stairs and I followed close behind with my medical bag.
"What happened?" I asked as we continued up the stairs.
"Anna was telling the truth!" Leo exclaimed. "The Shredder is alive!"
"Anna!" Lily suddenly exclaimed. "What happened?"
"Lily, go back to bed," I told her.
"Lily, your primary responsibility is protecting your son at all costs," Leo sternly told her. "And I'm going to tell Ryan the same thing."
"I'm staying, Dad," Lily shot back. "I'm helping. I can heal her."
"Well, then first things first, we need to stop the bleeding. Good thing Anna's already passed out."
I paused and gazed at my daughter.
"Are you sure you're up for this? You're still recovering from childbirth."
"At any given rate, Little Donnie's gonna be up and crying any minute. And besides, Anna was there for me. I want to be there for her."
I remained silent as we worked together to stop the bleeding. There were two deep, long scratches across her back, and the red dress she wore was now ruined. After we stopped the bleeding, I washed her wounds. Lily closed her eyes and she started to make motions with her hands.
"Rin. Pyo. Toh. Sha. Kai. Jin. Retsu. Zai. Zen."
Her hands suddenly glowed, and she placed them on Anna's back and repeated the mantra twice. The half-elf suddenly moaned. I gazed at her back. The scratches were gone!
"You have done well, Lilianna," Leo proudly told her.
"So what do we do now?" I asked. "Lily, the Shredder's alive. What if he goes after you or Donnie?"
"Splinter hid from the Shredder for fifteen years," Lily replied. "If he can do it, then so can Ryan and I."
She sighed.
"There's something that's been bothering me. Anna revealed to me that she saw another vision. But this vision has my son killing the Shredder! I had vowed right then that I would not raise him to be a killer. But what do you two think?"
"Lily, do you remember when you accidentally killed the Magician?" Leo asked and she nodded. "Donnie, was it your intention to teach her how to kill people?"
"Absolutely not," I answered. "We are trained to be ninjas so we can defend ourselves and others who are unable to defend themselves. Lily killing the Magician was an unfortunate accident. And Splinter... he never harmed an innocent."
"But I work for the police department and we arrest people for taking the law into their own hands," Lily chimed in. "I already swore to James that I would not raise Donnie to be a killer."
"Then you raise your son the way you see fit," Leo replied. "I'll tell Ryan the same thing. In fact, I'm going to call another meeting today. I have an idea, though Lily, Donnie, I don't think you'll like it."
LILIANNA'S POV
"After the events in Japan, I have a theory," Uncle Leo explained in another family meeting. "The Shredder only knows of six of us: myself, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, April, and Karai."
"And Baxter Stockman knows of myself and Venus," Auntie Mona chimed in.
"And then Wilbur and I are known by the Vizioso mob," I replied.
"Where are you going with this, Father?" Ryan asked.
"I think I know," Dad answered with a frown. "Leo is suggesting we lay low."
"WHAT?!" Ryan, Venus, Athena, and I all exclaimed.
"The Shredder is gonna be coming after us sometime soon," Uncle Leo explained. "It's best that he doesn't know that the four of us have children. The Shredder doesn't know that Venus is Raphael's daughter."
"I, unfortunately, cannot lay low," I replied. "Baxter Stockman already knows I'm Donatello's daughter. He will not hesitate to tell Shredder."
"But he doesn't know that you are now a mother," Dad chimed in. "Lily, Leo's right. Your main priority now is your son, whom you need to train on your own."
I freaked out.
"How? I know nothing about being a ninja master!"
"Lilianna may not know about being a ninja master," Uncle Mikey chimed in. "But Aumanil does."
"Mikey's right," Uncle Raph chimed in. "What would Aumanil do? And what about you, Ryan? What will you do?"
"I will teach Isamu everything I know," Ryan answered. "But I already know I won't be the perfect teacher."
"Even the best teacher makes mistakes," his father replied. "Splinter made mistakes. I made mistakes. Mistakes help you grow and they give you wisdom. I believe that both you and Lilianna have what it takes to become the best ninja masters you can be."
Venus suddenly sighed.
"Aunt April, Uncle Donatello, I'd like to ask your permission to move into your farmhouse."
"What?" Mom replied with shock.
"What do you mean?" Dad asked
"I'm the only child of the next generation who does not have a home of her own," Venus explained. "If Uncle Leonardo says it is best if we separate, then I am willing to do my part to protect my family."
"Wait, if Venus goes, then Skyler and I will go, too," Athena chimed in. "We thought about buying a house, but Venus, you need help with your business."
"I'd be honored to help you out," Skyler said with a smile.
"You are aware that I will be your boss?" Venus asked with a raised brow.
"As long as it helps us put food on the table."
"And you can use the chapel as a greenhouse," Dad suggested.
"Thank you, Uncle Donatello, but why don't we build a a greenhouse in addition to the chapel? It'd make for a relaxing place after a ceremony or a service."
"That is a good idea, and I will build it for you. But if the Shredder has returned..."
My parents glanced at each other with frowns on their faces.
"We have to shut down our business."
"Then we'll take one more trip to the farmhouse together," Uncle Leo proposed.
May 13, 2050 - North Hampton, New York, USA
DONATELLO'S POV
The entire Hamato Clan enjoyed each other's company while helping Lily and James settle into parenthood. We prepared them for three months before Lily would return to work, and at the same time, we worked together to build a greenhouse for Venus and got her, Athena, and Skyler moved in.
April and I took down the decorations for the two bridal suites. The bridal suite was the master bedroom again where Athena and Skyler would sleep. The groom's suite was now Venus's bedroom, and she had already assured us she had no plans of getting married. We also took the assembly line in the kitchen down and returned the kitchen and dining room back to their original state.
Skyler ended up buying barn animals so that he could also sell chicken and meat when he could. He had enlisted Justine's help to settle into that lifestyle as she was raised on a farm herself.
I stood outside after a week's worth of work and glanced around. While this was still my property that I shared with April, it was no longer my home. I had prayed that Athena, Skyler, and Venus would give this house the same love April, Lily, and I gave it for 25 years.
A tear left my right eye and started to soak my mask. Not only was a new beginning for Athena, Skyler, and Venus, it was also a new beginning for Lily and James. They had a new baby, and now their focus was to raise Little Donnie to be the best ninja he can become. Ryan, Justine, and Isamu would continue their chapter in Todayland, though they were saddened that Isamu now had to be homeschooled. Ryan would continue to stay at home to be his teacher and father. And unfortunately, me and my brothers would not have many opportunities to see our children nor our grandchildren anymore. The life we knew was now gone.
"Dad?"
I turned around and saw Lily alone.
"Where are James and Donnie?"
"They're inside saying goodbye to the family before we leave for home. I need to speak with you."
"Certainly. What's on your mind?"
"I know we can't really see each other, anymore, which is going to drive me nuts!"
"I think I know what you're going to ask," I interrupted her with a calm smile. "Yes, you can still call us."
"Oh, good!" Lily exclaimed, blowing a sigh of relief. "I was worried you'd have to wait until Donnie grows up for you to hear from him again."
"No way would I ever give up an opportunity to hear from my grandson! Nor would I give up an opportunity to see you again."
"And I thought my moving out to marry James was bad. This, now that I have a baby..."
Lily let out a heart-wrenching sigh.
"This is so much worse."
"Hey, Lily Mae..."
I put my hands on her shoulders.
"This is only temporary. We'll reunite someday. It's just dangerous having all of us be together because of the Shredder. Shredder may already be aware of you, but the last thing we need is for him to be aware of your son. If Shredder ever found out that you have a son, he will stop at nothing to be sure he is dead. And he may kill you to get to me."
"Just like the Magician when he kidnapped me."
"Exactly."
"And what of Wilbur and Anna?"
"Thankfully, the Shredder doesn't know of Wilbur. That may be an advantage for us. Anna's already fought the Shredder and lost. We're all very thankful she survived. I have no doubt the Shredder will know of Anna since Stockman has seen her, too."
Lily then glanced back at her husband and son, who had just come outside. She turned back, and then we shared a long embrace.
"I love you, Father."
Lily started crying.
"I love you too, Lily Mae."
I remembered a song I had sung to Lily when she was just a child. I remembered the song Karena and I had danced to at her wedding. And lastly, I remembered the song that played when I walked my little girl down the aisle. Trying hard not to burst into tears, I started singing softly.
"Remember me when the children leave their Sunday school with smiles. Remember me..."
"When they're old enough to teach," Lily started singing along with me in harmony. "Old enough to preach. Old enough to lead! And age to age, and heart to heart, bound by grace and peace. Child of wonder, child of God, I've remembered you!"
"Remember me," I finished singing.
We broke our embrace with tears in both our eyes. I walked over to James to say goodbye to him and Donnie. Before I knew it, they were taking the portal back to Pacific Bay.
"Are you okay, D?" April asked.
All I could do was take off my mask, kneel on the ground, and cry.
"I thought Lily's kidnapping was the worst that could happen," I tearfully confessed. "But this, not ever seeing your family for a longer period of time, is so much worse."
I felt April's calm hand on my shoulder. I turned to gaze at her with glassy eyes.
"Hey, we defeated Shredder once. We can do it again. And once that happens, we'll see Lily, James, and Donnie again. And nothing will ever separate us anymore."
I leaned into her, my head landing on her chest as she put her head on top of mine. I was very thankful to still have April by my side, no matter what. We eventually left the farmhouse to head back to New York City to resume our own lives.
San Diego, California, USA
ANNA'S POV
"How's your back?" Jasper asked as we walked alongside the beach.
"Much better," I answered. "Lily's got the gift of healing, too. Leonardo explained to me what happened, which came with news I wasn't expecting to hear."
"What happened?"
We stopped walking. I gazed out at the sunset.
"Now that the Shredder's back, Leonardo's ordered the entire Hamato Clan to lay low. Athena, Skyler, and Venus moved into the farmhouse, which means Athena has to drive three hours just to get to work."
"Oof!" Jasper exclaimed. "I would not want to do that."
"That's why I moved here. Justine and Ryan had planned to enroll Isamu in preschool, but they can't do that anymore. So now Isamu will be taught everything at home, and that was what Justine was trying to avoid since she was homeschooled for many years. Lily and James are now on their own with raising Little Donnie."
"No, they're not," Jasper corrected me. "They have the two of us, too. We're his godparents."
I raised an eyebrow at him.
"We are his godparents? But we're not married!"
"We technically don't have to be married in order to be godparents. I just texted Lily and told her I'd be honored to be Donnie's godfather. But what of everyone else?"
"I don't know what they're gonna do. Leonardo and Karai are closing their schools. Donatello and April had to shut down their business. Speaking of which, I'm sure April will continue her job at Channel 6. But Donatello uses the portal to get to his job in Todayland, and his job is very important. He's told me he's not ready to retire yet."
"What about Raph and Mikey?"
"Well, Raphael is at risk because he works with the police. The Shredder might easily find him. And Michelangelo..."
I sighed.
"He's the owner of the pizzeria. He might have to shut down, too."
"How old are the Turtles?"
"They're in their fifties. So, they could retire if they want to."
"I can't see Donnie retiring," Jasper replied. "From what my dad tells me, he loves his job. He's always desired to help people, so I doubt he'll stop doing that. And what about you, Anna? Does the Shredder know who you are?"
"He was impressed by my skills when we fought. But I don't think he knows me yet. But I won't give up."
"Good."
I glanced out again at the sunset. When I glanced back, Jasper was down on one knee.
"Jay, what is this?" I asked with a chuckle.
"I've always known that my future was with you, but now I know for certain I want to be your husband. You've changed my life for the better, Anna. And I know we'll take great care of each other. I want to provide for you and give you a house when you start your own practice."
I let out a gasp as Jasper took out a black box and opened it, revealing a silver ring with a simple diamond on it.
"Anna Swan of Gondor, will you marry me and become my wife?"
I started crying, and I nodded eagerly. He slipped the ring on my finger and then swept me up and twirled me around. We shared a sweet kiss as the sun set behind the horizon, turning the sky orange with grey clouds.
May 14, 2050 - Pacific Bay, California, USA
LILIANNA'S POV
Once again, I woke up to Donnie's cries.
"Lily, stay put," James told me. "I'll be right back."
"Thank you," I replied with a blissful smile.
I tried to go back to sleep while my husband took care of our son. I had felt much better since I gave birth just a week ago. The tai chi I had done over the course of my pregnancy made all the difference.
But I was suddenly very nervous. I am not only Donnie's mother, but now I was also his sensei. I never saw myself as a leader even though at some point, I was the leader of the clan.
"Lilianna may not know how to be a ninja master, but Aumanil does."
I was so thankful for Uncle Mikey's confidence in me to train Donnie. In fact, everyone had shared confidence in me to be the best mother for my son.
My thoughts were interrupted when James walked back in the room with our crying baby.
"Well, he doesn't need to be fed," James explained, handing me our son. "And his diaper's clean. I tried rocking him, but he won't go to sleep."
"It sounds like we are being alert tonight, right, Donnie?" I sweetly asked our newborn.
Donnie's cries softened as he heard my voice.
"Oh, I see how it is," James replied with a smirk. "You just wanted your mama."
"After having the house full of ninjas for the past week, I think Donnie's noticed the silence."
I gazed down at him, and he was now gazing up at me with his black eyes. I let out a sigh.
"What is it, Lily of the Valley?" James asked.
"How do you think I'll do as his teacher? I'm confident in my abilities as a mother--"
James put a finger on my lips.
"Lily, you worry so much about certain things. You will do fine. The purpose of training Donnie is so he can defend himself, just like when your parents trained you. If he can do that, then you will have done your job as his teacher. Just take it one day at a time. Donnie won't grow overnight and neither will we."
I smiled at that, and to my pleasant surprise, Donnie smiled, too.
"Always have hope, Donatello Akihito," I told him with confidence. "That is the greatest virtue to have throughout your entire life."
I kissed his small head before he drifted off to sleep. James and I went back to sleep with our baby between us. We went to sleep ready to tackle our future as a new family.