Hi, guys!!! So I was finally able to log in to this site on a computer at work and I was finally able to seen my stats. And HOLY COW! I am blown away by how many of you came to read my stories, especially this one, "A New Life," and "A Robinson Storybook" (pretty much, the "Meet the Robinsons" version of "Hanashi"). So thank you, thank you, thank you!

And if you can believe it, this is chapter NINETY! My goal is to get to 100 chapters. Whether that 100th chapter will be the end of the story or not... we'll see! We are nearing the end, though. We have reached 2055 and this story will end 12 years from that point.

As you've gathered from the last chapter, this is a continuation and finale of my reimagination of "Suspect." Lots of action from Lily here. So... enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons," "TMNT," "Criminal Case," "Choices: High School Story," nor "Lord of the Rings." I only own Lilianna, James, Little Donnie, Anna, Jasper, and their new baby.

April 20, 2055 - New York City, New York, USA

LILIANNA'S POV

The Javelin was fast. I arrived in New York City in only an hour. It was already ten o'clock in New York, so time had well passed since Wilbur's phone call. I landed the Javelin on the roof of T.I.M.E. headquarters and used my powers to lower myself down to the entrance.

As Wilbur said, the doors were locked. I used my telekinesis to unlock the door and I got in. I got well into the quiet lobby when suddenly...

"HALT! How did you get in here?"

I turned to around to see the security guard Wilbur spoke of. To my pleasant surprise, she was a woman. But she blinked when she did a double take.

"Wait a minute, I've seen you before," she said in awe. "You've gained weight, but... you're Aumanil!"

"You are very intelligent," I replied with a fond smile, reading her mind. "Zara."

"What are you doing here?"

"I am here to help a friend. He's been wrongly accused of theft and my goal is to clear his name."

"Well, normally, we'd have to call Amy about asking for help on the outside," Zara explained. "But I believe this case calls for it. Please, allow me to tell you the truth about who I am."

"You are Field Agent Zara Tien, disguised as a security guard in case anyone suspected of the theft of six time periods returns to T.I.M.E."

Zara blinked.

"How do you know so much about me?"

I pointed to my mind.

"Telepathic powers, remember?"

"You read my mind... literally!" Zara replied enthusiastically. "I still can't believe I'm talking to the Aumanil."

I chuckled.

"I need your help, Zara. You know where everything is. But we need to keep this discreet. You have a job to do here. It's best we keep it that way in case someone does come back."

"I wish I could come with you."

"Me, too. Is there anyone else here that can help us?"

"Yes, our tech expert Kai Malano. He's been looking at the cameras all day. He's in his office."

"Can you take me there?"

"No, but I can tell you where it is. It's on the second floor all the way to the end. You'll want to turn left to get there. If you turn right, you'll enter Amy's office."

"Thank you, Zara. Now, I'm going to do a mind wipe. This is for our protection."

"I understand."

I prepared to wave my hand over Zara's mind.

"You will keep watch and alert Kai of intruders," I manipulated her gently.

"I will keep watch and alert Kai of intruders," Zara repeated after me.

"You are doing an amazing job."

"I am doing an amazing job."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Despite my baby bump, I ran to the stairs and went up to the second floor. I decided to examine all of the offices first, and my first stop was Amy's office. I turned right and walked all the way down the hall.

I used my telekinesis to unlock her door and got in. Wilbur had mentioned her computer was normal and I was able to use my hacking key to get in. I was floored at what I found. The entire world was in debt due to the missing money. It turned out the globe never recovered.

"Well, now I know why inflation skyrocketed," I said out loud.

After I turned off Amy's computer, my next stop was Wilbur's office. I turned on his computer and I saw a very different story. According to Wilbur, the timelines were unaffected by the thefts.

"Something's not right," I spoke out loud.

I examined the computer in depth, both inside and out. The computer was clearly infected with a virus, but this wasn't like any other virus. When I examined the outside of the computer, I noticed a key unlike the others. I unplugged the key. Suddenly, a loud noise was released in the room. Wilbur's timelines now matched Amy's as he received numerous alerts about the changes that had occurred. Whoever hacked into Wilbur's computer had planned this heist well, masking their activity so he wouldn't notice. I examined the key, which had a password written on it: UofHartfeld2047.

I pocketed the key and went into Ashley's office. I found numerous degrees on the walls. She had apparently graduated from the University of Hartfeld numerous times. She received two bachelor's degrees in science: one in accounting and the other in psychology. She recently graduated with her master's degree in forensic psychology. I examined her office some more. I noted the connection between her education and the key I had found and headed off to find Kai.

I walked all the way down the hall to the other end of the corridor. I quietly opened the door and found the tech expert hard at work.

"Kai Malano."

Kai jumped, turned around, and saw me.

"Who are you?" he yelled. "How did you get into headquarters? How did you get past Zara? How do you know who I am?"

"I am Aumanil of the Justice League. I am here to help you on the theft case. Zara guided me to you."

"Aumanil?"

Kai stood up and shook my hand with a smile on his face.

"I never thought I'd see you in the flesh. I have heard stories about you saving the world from interdimensional and interspatial threats, but actually meeting you... you are a dream."

"I am honored to work alongside you," I replied, realizing he was from Hawaii. "I have visited your home once and it is a beautiful place."

"What can I help you with, Aumanil?"

"I found this key in Wilbur's office. Please do not plug this in. It is a virus."

"How do you know this?"

"I examined Amy's computer as well based on a tip I received from Wilbur himself. While the timelines were corrupted on her computer, they were normal on Wilbur's. This key prevented Wilbur from seeing any threats or changes in the timelines. The owner of this key is your thief, and she planned this very well."

"She? You know who it is?"

"I believe so, but I need your help to confirm my suspicions. Wilbur mentioned the two females who are on the suspect lineup were Grace Delaney and Ashley Faris. What can you tell me about them?"

"Grace has been with us for a long time now," Kai explained. "She started out as a forensics expert in a city called Grimsborough. She broke her engagement and ventured all the way to Antarctica. Grace returned to the world of criminal justice when the Bureau recruited her to become a coroner after their former coroner was arrested for murder. After the Bureau disbanded, she returned to Antarctica where she remained until our first coroner Janis retired."

"And Ashley?"

"Ashley is our newest member of the team. She's only been here for six months. She replaced Marina Romanova, our previous profiler who had retired very recently. She came us on time-traveling missions in those six months. After Marina and Amy, Wilbur is the most perspective member of the team and started to distrust Ashley."

"How come?"

"Ashley was always out of the Time Machine," Kai continued to explain. "But of course, Wilbur minded his own business and kept his thoughts to himself. He seemed angry every time he paged Ashley back to the Time Machine to analyze something in her specialty. Ashley is a very effective profiler, always doing her job and providing her expertise. If she was needed for seduction, she did it well."

"I take it she's a good manipulator?"

"Yes, very much so."

"There is one more place I'd like to check: the Time Machine."

"I will take you there," Kai replied. "I've been meaning to go there anyway. Come on."

I followed Kai to another floor and into a door that led us to the most spacious room possible.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed in awe. "It's so huge!"

"Yeah, it's easy to get lost in it with all the history in the world. We actually had a stowaway from Ancient Egypt when we first started out, and that stowaway turned out to be quite the saboteur, changing history for the worse."

I followed Kai down the two flights of stairs and into the Time Machine.

"Let me take you to the evidence room," Kai suggested. "All the clues Amy and Renet found were taken from here."

"What was Ashley's piece of evidence?" I asked.

"She was caught on camera venturing out of the Time Machine on her very first mission while Jack and Zara were investigating. But since then, that particular camera, and the camera in the evidence room have been tampered with."

"The more we speak of Ashley, the more convinced I am that she is the--"

I paused. A vision started to play out in my mind.

"Kai, you need to fix those cameras," I told him sternly. "She's inside this Time Machine."

"How did she get in?" Kai asked, taking out his phone.

"Kai, there is no time! GO! We need those cameras operational if we are to catch her!"

Kai ran out of the Time Machine while I continued to find our thief. I got into the evidence room and found a black hooded figure. I closed my eyes and got into her mind. It was her.

"Do not move," I calmly told her. "I do not want to hurt you."

Ashley slowly turned around. All her face was covered except for her dark brown eyes.

"How did you get in here?" she asked with surprise. "You're not authorized to be here."

"Neither are you, Ashley. You are a suspect in a theft investigation, are you not? Renet kicked you off the team so she could investigate the thefts."

"How do you even know who I am?" Ashley asked in bewilderment. "Who are you?"

"I am Aumanil, and I am here to stop you from making another big mistake. You are already wanted by Chief Young. Why are you here?"

"To plant more traps. Amy will suspect Kai, then Zara, then Renet. Then she'll have to trust me."

"Why would she trust you when there's already proof you were involved in the thefts?"

"Because I'll be the only one left!"

"Your team trusted you, Ashley. Why are you stealing money from different time periods?"

"The older something is, the more I'll be paid for it."

"Do you have any idea what you have done?" I asked angrily. "The timelines are in financial chaos because of you!"

"The timelines are in financial chaos because we cannot trust our government! Even after that disaster of the 2020s, the government continues to show us why they are corrupt and refuse to help the people who need it the most."

"You may speak some truth, but taking the law into your own hands is not the answer. Now money laundering from past time periods, that is most certainly not the answer. You stole from the peoples of those time periods!"

"Oh, please! The Jurassic Era did not have any money to begin with."

"Ashley, I can see your mind," I finally revealed. "You stole a Tyrannosaurus Rex and sold it! That dinosaur ate its new owner and went on a rampage in Taiwan because of you! So you not only committed theft, but you also committed murder!"

"Shut up!"

Ashley suddenly drew a weapon, which was a red-bladed lightsaber!

"I'm going to give you one chance to leave here peacefully."

"And let you get away with the crimes you've committed? You can't fool me, Ashley. I, too, am a profiler. I know your tricks."

"Then you'll die here."

I shook my head. Going into combat was the last thing I wanted to do, considering my condition. But I could not let Ashley leave. I drew a single white-bladed lightsaber and ignited it. Ashley charged at me and I deflected her blow.

I remembered all those Tai Chi lessons Auntie Mona Lisa had taught me when I was pregnant with Little Donnie. I read every one of Ashley's moves as I either dodged or parried her blows. We eventually traveled out of the Time Machine as we continued to fight.

Ashley was the driver of the duel. She had clearly intended to kill me, but I sensed there was something else to her intentions. She had failed to set a trap for the rest of the Temporal Crimes Division due to my intervention. I suddenly got a window, did a small spin to avoid a blow, and pulled down her hood, revealing her long black hair along with the rest of her face.

"How did you figure out it was me?" Ashley demanded.

"You are a profiler," I replied. "You tell me."

"You're a mind-reader. You tell me."

Ashley continued to walk towards me as I walked backwards down the stairs to the second floor.

"I simply put the pieces together. The cameras on the Time Machine caught you sneaking out on all six missions. The camera in the evidence room saw you taking something out after the first investigation."

"No, it didn't," Ashley denied it. "The camera has poor quality."

"Oh, please!" I replied, rolling my eyes. "This is 2055. Technology is at its height, and this entire building is proof of that. And the cameras weren't the only evidence. Wilbur saw you leave every time."

"Wilbur needs to mind his own business!"

"His office is right next to yours. Do you really think he would not have noticed? Perhaps that's why you framed him for theft."

"Wilbur is just as manipulative as I am."

"Perhaps, but he doesn't use manipulation to hurt people. Not only did you steal money and that T-Rex from all those time periods, but you broke the trust of your team. And speaking of Wilbur, I examined his office and Amy's office. Amy's computer was totally normal. Wilbur's had a virus, caused by a USB key of yours."

"You don't know that it was mine!" Ashley, again, denied it.

"Oh, Ashley, you need to stop lying to yourself," I replied, shaking my head. "It's only going to bring you lower and lower until you find yourself falling inside the black. I found a password on the back of the key: UofHartfeld2047. You graduated from the University of Hartfeld in 2047, did you not? I remember seeing your diplomas in your office."

"Alright, fine!" Ashley yelled furiously. "I did it! I stole all that money and the T-Rex. And you already know why."

"To become richer. You were going to keep the money all to yourself. Why?"

"My brother and I were raised in a poor neighborhood," Ashley explained, putting her lightsaber away as we stood at the stairwell in the second floor. "We couldn't afford anything but the basics. When I got accepted to Hartfeld, I took every opportunity possible to achieve the best life for me."

"Well, you certainly fell off the wagon somewhere."

"When I completed my doctorate degree, Amy had looked me up. She seemed very impressed with my manners of seduction. She hired me on the spot. I went back in time for the first time and I thought, no one's going to notice if some money went missing."

"Well, Amy noticed," I replied, crossing my arms over my bump. "Her timelines started roaring at her from the get-go."

"And that was a mistake! I thought Wilbur was nosy enough. That was why I created the virus for him. I should have created one for Amy, too. I could have gotten away with all this."

"You clearly have no remorse for what you've done," I sternly told her, taking my phone out. "I am going to call Renet and have her come and arrest you since I am in no capacity to do so."

"Good. But..."

I suddenly yelped in pain. She had kicked my T-Phone out of my hand and broke it.

"You are going to call nobody," Ashley said in an evil tone.

"Careful, Ashley. I have telekinesis, too. I can easily take your phone and call Renet from it. In fact..."

I held up my right hand and froze her in place.

"What, what are you doing?" Ashley asked, now freaking out.

I waved my left hand over her head.

"You will call Renet on your phone."

"I... will... NOT!"

I tried harder to focus despite the baby kicking me.

"You will call Renet on your phone," I angrily told her.

"I... will... call Renet."

Ashley took her phone out.

"Renet? It's Ashley. Listen, I'm in a bind here."

"Ashley!" I yelled, getting her attention. "You will confess to Renet of your crimes."

"I... will... tell Renet... of my crimes. Renet, I stole the money and the T-Rex from the past. I am with Aumanil and she is forcing me to tell you what I've done."

"You will tell Renet you are at T.I.M.E. headquarters," I told her.

"I... am at... T.I.M.E. headquarters."

"You will hang up now."

"I... will... hang up... now."

Ashley ended the call. I released her, but I continued to wave my left hand over her.

"You will go to your office and remain there until Renet finds you," I told her. "You must obey."

"I... must... obey," Ashley replied, her voice sounding strained.

I let her go and let her walk towards her office. I started to walk back towards Kai's office just as Kai was walking towards me. Suddenly...

"Aumanil, LOOK OUT!"

I quickly sensed Ashley trying to kick me from behind. Thankfully, I dodged out of the way right on time.

"You are a coward, trying to attack me from behind!" I yelled.

"Your mind tricks will no longer work on me, Aumanil!" Ashley yelled back.

We drew our lightsabers and fought again, trying my hardest to not let her escape.

San Diego, California, USA

ANNA'S POV

Jasper and I had been home for some time. So far, I had meditated in the entirety of my labor and I had found myself living my mother's memories.

My mother had labored in the Houses of Healing, and she, too, meditated for most of it. Her pain had worsened to where she could no longer meditate. I was praying I would do the same.

I had texted Lily that I was in labor because I wanted her at my side. But strangely, she never replied. I started to worry about her as I felt another contraction. I moaned.

"JAY!"

I breathed through the contraction as my husband entered the bedroom.

"Just breathe through the contraction, Anna. I'm here."

"Ooh, have you heard from Lily?"

"No. I never reached out to her. I have texted my parents though."

"What did they say?" I asked as the contraction ended.

"My dad might be able to come but my mom won't be able to. My mom explained that there was a theft investigation going on at her work and she can't leave until the thief is caught."

I remembered the mass text.

"Renet texted me the same thing and told us to not help Wilbur."

"Wilbur must be a suspect," Jasper correctly assumed.

Suddenly, I saw a pregnant Lily in combat! She was facing a woman wearing black robes and the woman was about to do a roundhouse kick!

"AAAH!" I screamed.

"Anna! Is it the baby?"

"No! It's..."

I screamed again as the woman kicked Lily a second time. My vision suddenly went black.

"Jasper, Lily's in trouble!" I yelled in horror.

"What did you see?"

"Lily was fighting a woman who just knocked her out. I have to go find her!"

"Anna, you can't!" Jasper sternly replied. "You're in labor. The baby could be here any moment."

"Jay, I'm in early labor. It's okay. Besides, some walking around will do me good."

"Anna, no."

"I need to help my friend, Jay! I can't sit here and do nothing."

"You are preparing for childbirth!" Jasper yelled angrily. "That is not doing nothing!"

"I have to go."

I got up, activated my portal, and went to New York.

New York City, New York, USA

DONATELLO'S POV

I heard knocking on my lab door and found Renet standing there with a look of worry in her brown eyes.

"Donnie, I need your help."

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"I just received a call from the thief confessing her crimes. And Aumanil is with her."

I let out a sigh.

"Lily figured it out."

"DONNIE!"

Renet and I became alert at the sound of my wife. In a panic, I ran to our bedroom. April had fear written in her blue eyes.

"April, are you okay?"

"It's Lily! I can't sense her anymore! We need to go find her!"

"Come on!" Renet shouted. "She's gotta be at T.I.M.E.!"

The three of us took the Party Wagon to T.I.M.E. When we got out, we saw another familiar face.

"Oh, good!" Amy Young-Crane blew a sigh of relief. "You heard the alarm go off."

"Actually, Ashley called me from here. Amy, she's the thief. Aumanil made her call me."

"Aumanil?" Amy asked with a raised eyebrow. "How did Aumanil get into T.I.M.E.?"

"She has psychic powers," I explained. "And that's why I'm here."

"Aumanil's been hurt!" April blurted out.

"Donnie, April, you go find Aumanil," Amy sternly told us. "Renet, we need to find Ashley ASAP!"

The four of us ran inside into the lobby where we found a security guard lying on the ground.

"Oh my gosh!" Renet exclaimed. "Zara!"

I rushed over to the slain guard and examined her.

"She's alive," I revealed, checking her pulse before I examined her head. "She was knocked out by a blunt object."

"HELP! SOMEBODY, PLEASE HELP!"

"What was that?" Amy asked in alarm.

"That sounded like Anna!" I answered, also feeling shocked. "And I thought Aumanil being here was risky enough!"

"What do you mean?"

"Aumanil is pregnant," April revealed. "And so is Anna. Donnie, go! I'll wake up Zara."

Amy, Renet, and I hurried to where Anna's screams came from. We all gasped when we discovered a huge vault that had been broken into. But words could not describe the picture that was in front of me.

A very pregnant Anna was cradling Lily, dressed as Aumanil, who was clearly knocked out cold. Next to them was a man with tattoos all over his body and his brown hair up in a man bun.

"Anna!" I yelled. "I'm here."

"Oh, Donnie, thank heavens!" Anna cried. "I found Lily like this!"

"But what are you doing here?" I asked in alarm.

"I felt Lily being kicked in the head twice. It felt like I was right here when she passed out cold."

I examined Lily's unborn child. Thankfully, she gave me a kick, telling me she was okay.

"We need to get you two out of here," I spoke.

Amy suddenly gasped.

"I need to call Russell! Jasper texted both of us saying Anna was in labor. I need to tell him she's here!"

"WHAT?!" I yelled quite angrily. "Anna Swan of Gondor, why the shell did you come here? That was a very reckless thing to do!"

"I am not giving birth when my best friend is hurt!" Anna shot back. "My friends have always come first."

"Well, we cannot take both of you back to my lab. It's too risky."

"You can go to my place," Amy offered. "Jessi's moved out now. And besides, it'll save Russell some money. I'm gonna call him and tell him you're coming."

"AAH!" Anna screamed suddenly.

"Anna? Are you okay?"

Anna could not answer me. She moaned throughout the entire contraction.

"Donnie, go!" Amy yelled. "Anna, you're gonna have to walk on your own, okay?"

Anna nodded through the contraction and got up when it was over. I carried my daughter in my arms. Renet assisted Anna until we reached April and Zara, who was now awake. Renet stayed with Zara while April helped Anna into the Party Wagon. Instead of heading home, we were heading to Westport.

Along the road...

LILIANNA'S POV

I slowly woke up. First, I heard screaming close by. Then I felt we were moving. I moaned, making my presence known.

"Lily! Thank heavens, you're awake!"

"Father? What happened?"

"We found you passed out in front of the safe at T.I.M.E.," Dad explained.

"Oh," I moaned.

Then I remembered what I was doing at T.I.M.E. in the first place. I gasped.

"Ashley! Has she been caught?"

"We couldn't find her, Lily," Mom revealed from the driver's seat. "She's gone."

"Oh, no."

I started to cry.

"This is all my fault."

"No, Lily Mae, it isn't," Dad sternly replied. "Ashley caused this entire thing by stealing from the past and causing a huge ripple in time. Despite your condition, you did the right thing. And I am proud of you. Now what Anna did was reckless because she's in labor."

"Wait, what?" I interrupted him, gazing at my friend in shock. "Well, that explains the screaming."

"But if it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have found you. You did what you needed to do and it earned Wilbur his innocence."

"So what's going to happen now?"

"We're going to Amy and Russell's house," Mom explained. "We're going to put you in Jessi's room and Anna will give birth in Jasper's room."

Anna suddenly gasped. I thought she was contracting at first.

"Jasper!" she exclaimed. "I totally forgot about him!"

"I will go get him once we're settled in," Dad replied. "And speaking of which, let's examine you."

"Dad, wait!" I yelled. "Is my baby okay?"

"Yes, your baby is okay, but I will examine you both again when we get there."

I nodded. I watched my dad examine Anna and her baby as she contracted.

"April, speed this up!" Dad suddenly yelled. "Anna's eight centimeters dilated!"

San Diego, California, USA

DONATELLO'S POV

After getting Anna and Lily settled in at the Cranes' residence, I took the portal to San Diego to get Jasper. I appeared in the living room of his house.

"Jasper!" I yelled. "It's me, Donatello!"

"Donnie?"

Jasper hurried down the stairs to see me.

"It's Anna, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yes. She's very close to delivering and she needs you there with her. I came to get you."

"Where is she?"

"At your folks. Lily's there, too."

"Oh, thank you, Jesus!" Jasper exclaimed in relief. "Let's go!"

Westport, Connecticut, USA

APRIL'S POV

I sat in the living room with Russell. His wife was still at T.I.M.E. with Renet and now Raph. We heard Anna's screams and moans from downstairs, birthing her baby with Donnie and Jasper's help.

"I remember being there with Amy when she gave birth to Jasper," Russell suddenly spoke. "Her water broke at work and I had to go get her. We ended up going to a hospital in New York because she was having strong contractions. But Amy was brave, just as she always had been. She didn't complain once about the pain childbirth gave her. Anna sounds brave. And she's a warrior. So I'm not worried."

I smiled. Just then, Amy came inside and slammed the door.

"Amy!" Russell exclaimed with shock. "Is everything okay?"

"What did you find out?" I asked.

"That my new profiler stole money from five different time periods and a T-Rex from another!" Amy angrily explained. "I've trusted every single profiler I've met so far. Why did I trust this one?"

"Ames, you've only worked with two profilers," Russell replied with a raised eyebrow. "Ashley's your third."

"Amy, is there anything you can do?" I asked.

"Renet and I had tried to take the Time Machine to intervene and money still went missing," Amy answered. "At least the T-Rex is back in its time period, the owner's life was spared, and there never was a rampage in Taiwan."

Anna screamed again from upstairs. Amy buried her face in her hands.

"Oh my goodness, I forgot about Anna! Oh, and Jasper!"

"Amy, honey, relax," Russell soothed her, rubbing her shoulders. "Jasper's here. He's with Anna."

Amy let out some deep breaths.

"April, how is Lily?"

"Ashley gave her a concussion," I explained. "Lily's lucky. She's okay. The baby's okay."

"Speaking of babies."

The three of us turned towards the stairs and saw Donnie coming down the stairs with a smile on his face.

"Anna and Charity are doing well," he announced. "Amy, you made it just in time."

Amy suddenly laughed with a mix of joy and disbelief.

"Charity?"

Then she smiled.

"It suits her. May we see them?"

"Certainly."

Amy and Russell went upstairs to meet the newest member of the family. Donnie and I approached each other and then embraced one another.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Absolutely. And you?"

"Russell and Amy are a strong couple. He wasn't worried at all."

"I wasn't either," Donnie replied. "Lily's our strong girl. Speaking of which, let's go see her."

April 21, 2055

LILIANNA'S POV

I finally got permission from my dad, the doctor, to sleep. I had used the healing mantras during the night. My father was amazed I healed very quickly. Unfortunately, I was put on bed rest for a week for precautionary measures. James insisted on taking a week off as well to take care of Little Donnie.

Anna finally had her daughter last night and she and Jasper have never been so happy to become parents after all this time. Jasper walked Charity over to my room for me to see her and she looked just as beautiful as her mom. We had teased that she would have red hair when she grows up.

Renet and Amy had declared Ashley a fugitive when she cleaned her office out, left a resignation notice, and stole money from the vault. For the first time in my 30 years of life, I lost a fight. I will admit that my pride was hurt. I made it my personal goal after my daughter is born that I would find Ashley and put her behind bars. I felt there was more than what Ashley had told me.

I heard knocking on the door, and in came my dad and Amy.

"Hey, Lily."

"Hi, Dad. How's Anna?"

"Anna's healing well. She knew exactly what to do and she's doing amazing. So is Charity."

"Lily, I'd like to speak to you alone if that's okay," Amy requested.

"Oh! Well, okay."

"I'll be downstairs with Russell," Dad said.

I nodded. He left the room and Amy closed the door behind him. Amy then sat on the bed and smiled at me.

"I wanted to ask you some questions about last night."

"Ask away," I replied, returning the smile and looking into her blue eyes.

"How did you know there was a theft investigation at T.I.M.E.?"

"Wilbur called me at my dad's insistence. He gave me some clues that helped me narrow down the suspect list."

"Did you tell Aumanil?"

"She already knew. Of course, she sprung into action right away."

I paused, rubbing my baby bump.

"That is, despite her condition."

"I already know, Aumanil," Amy replied, holding my hands.

"You knew?" I asked with surprise.

"Renet and I saw the security footage of your confrontation with Ashley. We saw you and Kai working together. And we saw Zara helping you because she trusted you, and you trusted her. And besides, Russell mentioned you had telepathic powers. But I had no idea you could do all that you did with them. Renet even told me you manipulated Ashley into calling her and confessing her crimes! You're like the Wonder Woman of this generation."

"Well, Wonder Woman has inspired me, but I've always been myself. I never tried to become someone else besides Lilianna Hamato and Aumanil."

"Hamato... now I know you and Donnie are related because you're his daughter. Are you related to Athena and Renet as well?"

"She's my aunt. Athena is my cousin."

Amy grinned.

"Tell me, Lily, what do you do for a career?"

"I'm a profiler myself. I've been with the Pacific Bay Police for almost ten years now, since 2046. I started out as an intern and then I got hired on as an assistant and then promoted to profiler a few years ago when I received my doctorate degree. Russell was my supervisor."

"Oh, that's right! Russell had mentioned that. And it's actually funny you mentioned the police because that's where I first got started myself, and so did Russell."

"I've heard," I replied with a smile. "Lily Toussaint is my boss."

"Oh my goodness!" Amy exclaimed, putting her hands over her heart. "Little Lily is a police chief? Where did the time go?"

"You knew her?"

"I worked with her father Yann. He and his family were wonderful to me and Russell."

I read her mind and my eyes widened. There was more to this conversation than I anticipated.

"Amy, what's this really about?"

Amy let out a sigh, her smile finally disappearing.

"After you discovered Ashley was the thief and I was called to headquarters, I was furious. We had just hired Ashley back in November as our profiler replacing Marina, who had retired. I'll admit, I'm hesitant to hire another profiler. The first profiler I worked with was a genius and really knew what was going on in one's mind. Though, I could be biased. I married him."

I chuckled.

"And then Marina... she was smart, too. Her seductive ways didn't work at first but she got better over time and became a key member of the team. And then there's Ashley. I thought she would do as good a job as a profiler... only to find out she was a thief and had been stealing from the very beginning. But you, Lily, you pieced together the evidence so quickly. Have you ever worked in the field before?"

"I work in the field all the time. I'm a mother to a young son and a daughter on the way as well as a profiler of the Pacific Bay Police Department during the day. At night, I'm Aumanil of the Justice League, who has trained her entire life to become a kunoichi of the Hamato Clan. And it all started when I was kidnapped at fourteen years of age."

"Oh, bless your heart!" Amy exclaimed in horror.

"My powers have inspired me to learn about the mind. And I've been learning since."

"Well, like I said before, I've been hesitant to hire anybody, especially a profiler. But maybe I can make an exception."

"Meaning?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'd like to hire you as our new profiler. I've known you for a while and you already have trust established with Wilbur. Honestly, I wish I had listened to him regarding Ashley."

"What do you mean?"

"He complained about Ashley being out of the Time Machine when she didn't have an analysis to conduct. Having Ashley with us changed Wilbur. I noticed when he first started coming to work with a frown on his face instead of a smile."

"Really? I thought he loved his job."

"He does. Or at least, I hope he still loves his job despite everything. But when he started to complain about Ashley, I kept telling him it will blow over and she'll adapt. At first, it seemed to help Wilbur feel easier about himself. But more recently, he didn't seem to care. And then Renet and I suspected him of theft."

Amy laid back in her chair and placed her hands on her face.

"Oh, I wouldn't blame Wilbur if he didn't forgive me after all that."

"Amy, you're overthinking this," I soothed her. "This is Wilbur we're talking about. He may be mad for a little bit, but he's always forgiven the people who have hurt him. He will forgive you, I promise."

Amy smiled again.

"Thank you, Lily."

"And I, personally, would love to work at T.I.M.E. New York's my home and I've missed it very much. I'd just have to talk to my husband and my son about it."

"I love that you include your son in important discussions. How long until you have an answer?"

"Give me two weeks," I answered with confidence. "I gotta go home and see my family once I get off bed rest."

April 28, 2055 - Pacific Bay, California, USA

My dad took me home through the portal and it felt wonderful to see my husband and son again. I felt much better since last week. Unfortunately, Ashley was still on the loose.

I helped James put Little Donnie to bed and then we retired to our bedroom.

"Did anything exciting happen while you spent the week near New York?" James asked.

I grinned.

"I got a job offer at T.I.M.E.!"

"Wait, what? Seriously?!"

"Amy was so impressed with how I solved the crime that she offered me a job while we were talking about it. She needed a profiler she could trust. And it's obvious she thinks highly of Wilbur because he was the main reason she offered me the job."

"Well, what do you think? Isn't it kind of risky moving across the country when you're pregnant? And is it worth it?"

"Yes! The job is double my salary."

His blue eyes widened.

"Alright, you gotta take the job. Not only would it help support the four of us, but I may never have to work again. I'll be able to stay home with the kids."

"I thought about taking the job because it means moving back to New York."

James smiled.

"You never wanted to leave New York, did you?"

"No. I wanted to stay. But Pacific Bay was the only place that gave me the opportunity I needed at the time. And it's been wonderful here."

"There's just one catch: Anna."

"Anna's going to be fine!"

"That's not what I mean. When Anna first came to this world, you were living here. You've been here with her for about the past ten years. How is she going to react to you moving?"

"That's something I'll have to ask her. And we need to talk with Donnie about this, too."

April 29, 2055 - New York City, New York, USA

WILBUR'S POV

I knocked on my boss's door and poked my head in it.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Wilbur, yes! Please come in!"

I closed the door and took a seat across from her.

"Wilbur, I feel I owe you an apology."

My chocolate eyes widened with surprise.

"An apology? What for?"

"I don't feel that I have supported you enough the past few months. I noticed when you stopped smiling at work. I should have checked in on you and not brush your concerns about Ashley away. I'm sorry if I'm the cause of your stress."

"Amy, that's crazy! You never were the cause of my stress, though, yes, I could have used your support. Ashley stirred a hornet's nest and it's spiraled out of control. We will make everything right again."

"I know we will. But Wilbur, I'm sorry for driving you away. I hope you can forgive me."

"Amy, you did nothing wrong. But I forgive you, anyway. Thank you for proving my innocence."

"Actually, you can thank our new profiler for that," Amy replied with a smile. "She's the one who solved the case."

"Wait, you've hired a new profiler already?" I asked with shock. "That's the fastest you've ever hired anybody!"

"Well, she won't get started until September. She's going to spend her last couple weeks in Pacific Bay. Then she's going to move here, have her baby, and then bond with her daughter for a few months before she officially joins us."

I cracked up laughing, now realizing who she was talking about.

"You're hiring Lily?"

"Yes. She accepted my offer this morning. You were the first person to come to mind when I interviewed her. It was clear you trusted her to solve the case and she came through, even in her condition. She's got guts!"

"That's Lily for you. She can surprise you with some skill you could never imagine."

"Like manipulating Ashley to confess to the crime."

We chuckled.

"But I need some advice."

"Sure," I replied.

"We don't have a profiler to show Lily around and to train her. I thought about asking Marina to come out of her retirement for a week or two to train Lily, but I don't want to do that."

"Besides Ashley, Marina's the only profiler who knows what's going on behind the scenes. I don't think you have a choice."

"Okay. Next thing. Lily mentioned she's from New York, so this will be a homecoming for her. Maybe we could throw a homecoming party for her on her first day here."

"I think she'd like that," I replied with a smile. "But don't just confine this to the team. Include the Hamato Clan in it. But we'd have to be discreet about it."

"Athena did mention her clan was in hiding," Amy replied in thought. "We'll try to bring in as little as possible. I'd love to invite her parents to the party. But I'll admit, I was surprised to discover April's her mother. I had no idea April had children."

"April and Donnie have been married for almost 40 years."

"A reporter and a ninja turtle... who would have thought?"

"Donnie," I answered with a chuckle. "He knew all along. I think the only thing powerful than Lily is their love for each other. So, September, huh? What day?"

"It all depends on when Lily has her baby. And Wilbur? Thank you. Ever since moving here, I don't think I had been able to truly trust anyone else until you came along."

"You're welcome."

I returned to my office and resumed my work, feeling happy for the first time in a while.

May 6, 2055 - Pacific Bay, California, USA

LILIANNA'S POV

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, Little Donnie! Happy birthday to you!"

"Make a wish, Donnie!" James encouraged our son.

With a big breath, Little Donnie blew out the candles. My parents and Anna's family were here with us to celebrate him turning five today.

"It only seems like yesterday Little Donnie was in our arms for the first time," Dad reminisced.

"And just over a month from now, his little sister will be here with us," Mom replied, her hands gently caressing my baby bump.

"So, when do I get presents?" Little Donnie asked with his perfect grin.

"Hold on there, bud," I replied with a chuckle. "Don't you want some cake first?"

"Okay, cake first."

"You guys go ahead without me," Anna said. "I'd like to feed Charity first."

"Go right ahead," I encouraged her. "Your daughter comes first. We'll save you a slice."

James and I worked together. I cut the cake that Anna generously made while James placed a scoop of ice cream on each plate.

"I'm so happy you and Mom could be here this evening," I told my dad.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world! I can't believe he's five now. Where did the time go?"

"I know."

I suddenly started crying.

"I want him to stay small forever!"

My mother came around and hugged me from the side.

"I know exactly how you feel, Lily. I felt the same way about you when you turned five. You were so cute with the pigtails--"

"Mom!" I suddenly lashed out at her. "Not now!"

"Sorry!"

I let out a few deep breaths as I continued cutting the cake.

"Mama, are you okay?"

I smiled through the tears.

"Mama's emotional, sweetheart," I told my son. "Please don't worry. I'm fine."

"Here you go," James said, handing Little Donnie his cake.

After I finished cutting the cake, my husband took me to the gaming room.

"Are you sure you're up for this? Telling everyone here about the move?"

"We need to, James."

"But on Little Donnie's birthday? How will he react after celebrating him?"

"Little Donnie's growing up. I'm sure he'll take it well."

We returned to the dining room and enjoyed the dessert with the family. Soon enough, it was time for presents.

"A seashell?" Little Donnie asked. "It's so big!"

"It's not just a seashell, Little Donnie," Anna explained. "You can hear the ocean calling you. Hold it up to your ear."

He did, and his mouth opened in awe.

"That's so cool!"

"Now you'll always have the Pacific Ocean with you, no matter what."

Little Donnie opened the next gift.

"A camera! Cool!"

"Ooh!" I exclaimed. "That is cool! And it's a Polaroid, too! Who's it from?"

"Grandpa. Thank you, Grandpa!"

"You're very welcome!" Dad replied happily.

"A book? But there's nothing in it!"

"Not yet," Mom corrected him. "With that camera, your pictures will print off and you'll be able to put them right in this book."

"Oh!" Little Donnie exclaimed. "It's a photo album. Thank you, Grandma!"

My son then gave me a look.

"Mama, I think something's bothering you. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am fine. Whose gift you do want to open next? Mine or Daddy's?"

"I'll do yours first, Mama. I want to see you smile."

My heart melted as he opened my gift.

"It's a map of the United States! Cool! Thank you!"

"You're welcome. And last but not least, Daddy's gift."

"It's a compass?"

"It was my grandpa's compass," James explained. "Donnie, if you ever get lost, you can use this compass to guide you. And I'll teach you how to use it. But you have to promise me to be very careful with it."

"I promise, Daddy. Thank you, everyone, for the presents!"

"You're welcome!" we replied together.

James and I glanced at each other and nodded, ready to tell our son and everyone else the news.

"We have some news to share with you," James started. "There's a reason why we had you get these for Little Donnie."

"I did notice a theme," Dad replied. "Are you three planning a big trip before the baby's born?"

"Yes," I answered. "But the trip is one-way, Dad."

"What does one-way mean?" Little Donnie asked.

"Donnie, we're going to move to Connecticut in a few weeks."

Everyone's jaws dropped, including Little Donnie's.

"Are you serious?" Dad asked.

"Yes," I answered. "Amy offered me a job offer as T.I.M.E.'s profiler after... you know. And I accepted the offer. I don't start until September, but we'd like to settle in before the baby's born."

"That's smart," Mom replied. "But it's all so sudden!"

"It all did happen pretty quickly. But I'm so excited to go back home for good."

"Mama, you are home," Little Donnie said with confusion.

"Homes are transitory," I explained. "What matters, Donnie, is that the four of us are together. And it'll be exciting! We'll be closer to Grandma and Grandpa, so you can see them more often. We'll be neighbors with a boy your age. And you get to have so many adventures in New York City! Won't it be so fun?"

"But I like it here," he replied with sadness.

"I know, Donnie," James said. "You were born here. You can move back here once you get older. But for right now, you're too young to be by yourself. Mama got a new job that will help all of us."

I shot him a look as our son started crying.

"Excuse me!"

Little Donnie ran out of the dining room, up the stairs, and into his room. I heard the door slam.

"I knew this was a bad idea," James said.

"You aren't helping!" I snapped before letting out a sigh. "I better go see if he's okay."

I slowly followed him to his bedroom. I knocked on the door and let myself in. My birthday boy was crying on his bed, and my heart melted again. But this time, I felt sad. I sat on the bed next to him and softly rubbed his back.

"Hey, Donnie. Are you okay?"

"No."

"What's wrong?"

"Why can't I stay here? Why do we have to move?"

"Donnie, you're our little boy and we love you very much. It would break my heart if we left you here by yourself. I've been alone in the middle of the country before and it's not fun. I felt lonely."

"Have you ever moved before, Mama?"

"Yes, twice. I went to college in Todayland and I lived there for three years. When Daddy and I got married, we moved here so we could build a life for you."

Little Donnie slowly sat up in bed.

"I'm scared, Mama. Why do things have to change?"

"That is a very good question, Donatello. Change is a part of life. It's inevitable. You can't stop it. But what really makes you grow is your reaction to change. You can let it beat you up like you are doing right now. You'll never grow up if you have trouble adapting. Or you can let change flow through you like a river. And sometimes, a big change like this ends up being the best thing to ever happen to you. And you, Donatello, are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I am so honored to be your mom, especially on your birthday."

Little Donnie stood up on his bed and hugged me. I hugged him back from the side, as I was limited in my range of motion.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, sweetie. Happy birthday."

"Mama?"

"Hmm?"

"May I touch your tummy?"

I smiled.

"You may."

Little Donnie knelt down again and caressed my bump with both his hands. He moved slowly. After a moment, we both gasped.

"I felt the baby kick!"

"Yeah, she's still got it!" I replied, rubbing the place she kicked me.

"Mama, you should name her Mika."

"Mika?" I asked with a laugh. "How come?"

"Mika means change in Japanese."

"That is true."

"And the baby will come after we move to New York, right?"

"That's right."

"So, her name is now Mika. Do you like your new name, Mika?"

The baby moved. I laughed again.

"Donatello Akihito Hamato, you silly boy!"

I tickled him and Little Donnie laughed his little heart out.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked.

"Yeah. Thanks, Mama."

"You're welcome. Now--"

We were interrupted by knocking.

"It's Anna. Donnie, are you okay?"

"Yes, Auntie Anna, I'm okay!"

I chuckled. Auntie Anna, I thought with amusement.

"Donnie, why don't you get the door?"

He answered the door.

"Hey, Lily, can we talk?"

"Sure! Donnie, why don't you rejoin your family downstairs? I'm sure they'd love to see you."

"Okay, Mama."

He left the room.

"Wait!"

He ran back in the room and kissed my baby bump. Then he went downstairs.

"Well, that explains the For Sale sign on the lawn," Anna started. "You really are moving?"

"Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"I saw a vision of you doing a patrol in New York City. It was bound to happen. We're going to miss you."

I saw the frown on Anna's face. This was not the first time someone moved away from her.

"Oh, Anna, for one, no one's dying," I assured her. "Secondly, we're not going to the Grey Havens. And third, you do have a portal. You are more than welcome to visit us, and we'll visit you."

"Thank you," Anna replied with a smile. "I'd offer to help you move but--"

"It's not needed. My mom is taking time off work and she and my dad are driving out here to help us."

"Oh, good!"

We stood in silence before we hugged each other.

"Hey, Anna, do you find yourself wishing you were home in Minas Tirith?"

She smiled.

"Not anymore. I have nothing to go back to. My father's passed. My mother and brother sailed to the Grey Havens. My time in Minas Tirith was over one hundred years ago and yet I stayed. I hadn't truly lived until I found myself here with you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Lilianna, for helping me find my new family and my new purpose."

"Oh, Anna..."

We hugged again. Anna was right. My chapter in Pacific Bay was about to be over. It was time to return home.