Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay. I had to figure out how to write this chapter, as this chapter is also a way for me to cope with some news I learned on Christmas Eve. I did not handle the news well because of my own circumstances and it got me back to what Lily is going through on the same topic. This chapter is meant to be one of healing and trust and I hope I have accomplished that. Today, when I finished it, I had a newfound hope that my dream of having a child will come true, and so does Lily. With that said, there will definitely be a time jump in the next chapter. The next chapter will start in 2048. Happy Reading!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons," "TMNT," "Toy Story," nor "Lord of the Rings: The Third Age." I only own Lilianna, Anna, Justine, and Isamu.

January 12, 2047 - New York City, New York, USA

WILBUR'S POV

Getting to the Turtles' lair had always been interesting ever since I moved to Westport with my family. I always drove and parked close to the World Trade Center. I always took a look around the 9/11 Memorial and paid respects to the lives that were lost all those years ago. Then I had blended in with the crowd before finally finding a dead end with a manhole cover for me to dive into.

I made the trek to the lair from that manhole cover and walked through the turnstiles.

"Hi, everyone!" I announced.

"Hi, Wilbur!" Donnie greeted me, walking out of his lab.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, noting how quiet the lair was.

"We all have our own lives now. Thankfully, like you, I'm off every Saturday and Sunday. Renet is also off, but she's patrolling the city with Leo and the other ladies. It's just me and Anna here right now."

"Anna's already here? Perfect! Is she in the dojo?"

Donnie nodded.

"Thank you."

I walked into the dojo to see Anna already sitting criss-crossed on the floor.

"Hey, Wilbur," she greeted me with a smile on her face. "I'm ready to learn from you."

"I'm actually impressed that Lily and Donnie suggested you learn from me," I explained, joining her on the floor. "I must have been a good teacher to Lily."

"If you don't mind me asking, did Lily learn her shield from you?"

"She did! I, too, have a psychic power, but my power's more defensive. I can close my mind off from any interfering thoughts and also from Lily's telepathy. Donnie's mastered that power also, but on his own terms. But you are different, Anna. You had the gift of foresight in Middle-Earth and now you've discovered the possibility of your spirit powers coming back to life. I'm in charge of bringing back your gift of foresight. Now, what do you do with that?"

Anna smiled.

"I had this gift for as long as I can remember," she explained. "I always sensed when my father was coming home from either working in the Citadel, or from a battle, or from a hunt for wayward orcs. And..."

Her smile disappeared.

"I also saw my father dying of old age. Then when he did die, I could no longer see the future, near nor far."

"Well, let's start with something simple then," I suggested. "I have to believe you were motivated to use your powers because of the newfound hope within your soul. Let's start with some meditation. Do you know how?"

"Yes. Leonardo meditated with me and helped me hear my father's voice again."

"Good. So we're going to close our eyes and quiet our minds. I cannot read your mind, so you'll have to guide me. Once everything is silent, I will ask you a question."

"Okay."

"Now, close your eyes and breathe."

We closed our eyes and took deep breaths. We breathed for about five minutes until our minds were empty.

"Now, Anna, let's start slow. What do you see?"

It took Anna some time to answer.

"I see... Donatello. I see him walking out of his lab, walking into the kitchen. He's grabbing a cup of coffee. Now he's walking back into his lab. He's setting the coffee down on his desk before walking out again. He can hear me. He's walking towards us."

I heard footsteps and opened my eyes. Across from me was, indeed, Donatello.

"Open your eyes, Anna," I told her.

Anna opened her eyes and turned around to see Donnie standing there behind her.

"What were you doing just now, Donnie?" I asked.

"I was just grabbing a cup of coffee," he answered.

I grinned. Anna's power worked!

"I was right?" Anna asked.

"I suppose so!" I answered. "Did you want to go again?"

"That is the point of this lesson, after all: repetition until mastering a skill."

"Very true."

"Do you need me to leave the room again?" Donnie asked.

"No," I answered. "This time, Anna, I want you to span your foresight to outside the lair. Let's close our eyes again, take some breaths, and empty our minds."

We closed our eyes again and took some breaths.

"What do you see now, Anna?" I asked.

"I see... Lily?"

"Really?"

"Yes. Lily. She's in her room, sitting on her bed, and she's... crying? She's crying about a baby, and she's scared."

I opened my eyes with worry, and so did Anna. Anna's green eyes suddenly lit up as if she was inspired.

"I gotta go," she said.

"What? Go? Where are you going?"

"To help a friend."

Anna took out her portable portal and walked through it. I glanced at Donnie, who frowned.

"Did I miss something?" I asked.

"I'm starting to wonder if I missed something," Donnie replied, rubbing his neck. "April told me Lily swore off having children because of her experience delivering Isamu. But I haven't heard anything since. Maybe she changed her mind?"

"Lily's not one to just change her mind so suddenly. And besides, she's gone through a lot the last couple years. She got married. She moved to a new city. She's had two new jobs with an internship in between. She's still saving the world as Aumanil. And she's had to take care of Anna."

I paused, remembering my meeting with the Hamato cousins last week.

"But now that I think about it, Lily had looked at Isamu with a look of sadness. Maybe she has changed her mind about wanting children."

"I noticed that too while she vacationed here," Donnie replied. "She's not the same person she was two years ago. I hope Anna can give her what she's looking for."

Pacific Bay, California, USA

LILIANNA'S POV

I stood at the window with a tear-stained face, gazing out at the mountains of White Peaks when I suddenly heard knocking on the door. I wiped away the last of my tears as I walked to the door. Expecting James, I opened the door. But then I let out a gasp.

"Anna! Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here? I thought you had a lesson with Wilbur."

"I did," Anna replied. "And then I saw you crying. I had to come see you to make sure you were okay."

"What do you mean, you saw me crying? Did you have a vision?"

"No, my gift of foresight came back. I felt your father's every move and then I saw you lying in bed crying."

I let out another gasp. Anna accurately described what I had done in the last hour.

"If you knew what I was doing, then you must know why I was crying," I said out loud.

"You want a child of your own," Anna replied.

I glanced up. Anna now knew my deepest desire.

"Sit down," I told her. "You deserve to know everything."

We sat down on the bed together.

"I didn't want children at first," I explained. "It all started when I was cast as Mrs. Potts, a mother, in a musical we did in high school. I received so many compliments on my performance that I felt annoyed at the thought of being a mother. The subject didn't come up again until Karena was pregnant with her daughter Diana. I was there at her birth and I witnessed Karena birthing with such courage. I saw that and I felt unworthy. Then I helped my dad deliver Isamu, Ryan's son, and I felt so sick witnessing it that I swore off having sex and having children. But after this vacation and watching Justine with Isamu, I'm starting to have doubts about my decision. I wonder if God heard me when I said I didn't want children, or if he has something better planned. I don't know anymore."

I buried my head in my hands and I felt Anna smoothly rubbing her hand on my back. I let out a trembling sigh.

"How often is God on your mind?" Anna asked me.

I searched my memory banks and realized that I had been living the past year feeling alone.

"Not as often as I thought," I answered. "I've been so focused on my life and other people's lives that I made no time for myself nor for God."

I sighed.

"What have I done?"

"You have done nothing, Lilianna," Anna answered. "You've been stressed with life changes, and that is understandable. You've also doubted yourself, which is human. I've doubted myself lots of times, much like my mother. But Lily, you can't dwell on the past. The past is done. You need to find a way to forgive yourself and move forward, look forward to your future because your bloodline has not ended."

I scoffed.

"How would you know?" I asked, looking up at her.

"May I?" Anna asked.

She had a kind smile on her face and held her hands up. As I had yet to put on my contacts, I looked into her eyes and realized she wanted to help. I closed my eyes and nodded.

Anna placed her hands on either side of my face and started taking deep breaths. I opened my mind for her to read, but then something incredible happened.

"I see you, enduring the most amount of pain possible, bringing a child into the world. You're helping your father deliver your baby. Now the baby's in your arms and you're crying, praising God for giving you this gift."

I opened my eyes and I saw Anna had opened her eyes, too.

"Anna... I saw it, too."

"You saw my vision?" Anna asked with surprise. "Word for word?"

"Yes. I wonder if it's because of my powers."

"That is possible. While you cannot see the future, you can see many things in the present. But in this instance, you were open-minded. You were willing to see what I see. You chose hope, Lilianna. And I have to believe you will have your baby. Maybe not now, but in God's timing. You made me believe I will see my father again. Now allow me to help you believe God will turn you into a courageous mother in his timing."

I started crying again, but this time, I smiled with those tears. Anna and I embraced each other. For the first time ever, I felt hope that I would be a mother someday.

New York City, New York, USA

DONATELLO'S POV

Wilbur and I waited patiently in the lair until Anna returned. I felt worried for Lily all this time. April had told me of Lily's decision to not have children after Isamu was born and it broke my heart. My daughter was not one to give up so easily.

I pondered this a little while longer. Lily had Anna to distract her. She led Anna to Jesus after we discovered a possibility of her father being a believer, and Anna was now living in high spirits. Now, it was Anna's turn to help Lily. I had imagined that now that Lily served her purpose with Anna, she had returned to dealing with her own problems.

Then I remembered my own experiences when I first became a father. Taking care of Lily was not easy. Lily was very alert and had always woken up me and April every night. It drained April so much that I ended up taking care of Lily at night, unless, of course, she needed to be fed. I returned to my coffee addiction and had discovered a coffee made in Mexico that had helped me stay awake for days.

I was starting to worry that, perhaps, being a grandparent was not to be when I saw Anna coming through the portal. My eyes widened in surprise when I found Lily following her.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"I hope so," Anna answered with a smile. "I have calmed Lily down for the time being."

"Dad, may I speak with you?" Lily asked.

"Certainly."

Lily and I walked into my lab together and we sat at my desk.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

"That's a good question," Lily answered, biting her lip. "I feel that I messed up when I told James I didn't want children. I haven't made love with him since then."

I frowned.

"What about our experience troubled you, Lily Mae? I noticed you were off since Isamu's birth."

Instead of the usual scowl she would give me for calling her by her pet name, she looked relieved.

"I watched you do the surgery, Dad. I figured I'd watch in case this popped up in an emergency and I wouldn't be able to find anybody else to help. But when I saw you digging into Justine's uterus, I felt sick and I decided I didn't want to go through that myself. In fact, I've felt unworthy as a future mother since Diana's birth."

"Oh, Lily."

I put my hand on her left shoulder.

"Hey, I've felt unworthy of being a father before."

"Really?" Lily asked, glancing up at me.

"Yes. You forget, I would rather be doing my experiments than practicing ninjutsu. It would take me mere seconds to learn a mathematical equation but it'd take me days to learn Splinter's lessons. I always imagined myself dying first of all of us because of that. And sweetheart, my relationship with your mom was not perfect. I always messed up trying to get her to see me the same way I see her. I was surprised when she kissed me for the first time, and even more so when we shared our first kiss together. And when I couldn't get your mother to give up her Aeon crystal, my last thoughts were about my failing her. When I came back and we talked privately, she mentioned wanting to have a baby with me."

"Did that make you nervous?"

"Oh, definitely! I'm a humanoid turtle. I wasn't sure I'd be able to be a father. But despite all that, I promised your mom that having a baby would happen. We first tried that night. No baby. We got married and tried again. Still no baby. After five years, I was starting to worry that my being a father was not meant to be, that I was unworthy of that challenge. But then..."

FLASHBACK: September 4, 2023 - North Hampton, New York, USA

I was working on an experiment in my lab when I heard knocking. I glanced over and dropped my jaw.

"Hey, D."

My wife was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her long red hair flowed with the wind, the wind carrying it away from her shoulders. Her bangs were also brushed aside to reveal her beautiful blue eyes, her cute freckles, and her drop-dead gorgeous smile. Her shoulders were bare as she wore a transparent purple baby-doll nightgown, revealing her purple laced bra and purple laced thongs. She wore no shoes, and her legs were just amazing to look at.

I couldn't help but drop my experiment. I stood up and walked over to her. I caressed her cheeks with my hands and she leaned into the touch. My hands traced her jawline, her shoulders, and finally down to her hips.

April tensed at the touch and pulled me in. She made a beeline for my lips, giving me a kiss that I eagerly returned. We played with each other, giving each other some tongue. For now, my hands remained on her hips while she played with my glutes and my shell.

Then it was my turn to tense up. Her hand was very close to my private section and it felt very pleasant, so pleasant that I stopped kissing her and took a deep breath. April, however, didn't stop. She continued to kiss me, leaving traces of her kisses along my jawline and down my neck. I felt her taking off my lab coat and she continued to kiss me down my shoulder. I moaned at every kiss. She then bent down and kissed closer to my private place.

"April, wait," I finally spoke breathlessly. "We're still in the barn."

"There's no one else here," she replied seductively.

"That's not what I mean. And besides, are you really willing to go through this again? Maybe it's not meant to be."

April stopped kissing me for a moment, stood up, and glanced at me with hope in her blue eyes.

"I feel pretty confident about it this time," she replied, caressing my cheek. "Come on, Donnie. Please, do this for me. I love you. I want to make love with you. I have a good feeling about this and I know somewhere deep down your soul, you do, too."

That was enough to convince me to take things further. I swept her up and carried her through the threshold just like I did on our wedding day in 2017. I carried her through the kitchen, up the stairs, and into our bedroom. After I set my wife down on the bed, I removed my bo staff and belts, and then I joined her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked with caution.

April then sat up, grabbed her T-phone, and started playing a song I recognized all too well. We put our phones down and stared at each other with love in our eyes. She caressed my cheek while I played with her hair.

"I want honey. I want cream. I want sugar. I want a dream. Said baby, supernatural. Honey, you're supernatural."

We started kissing each other again with the blanket over us. Each kiss felt heavenly, and I knew I wanted more. Eventually, with lots of turning, her nightgown went off and was thrown to the floor.

"I want kisses. I want steam. I want you missus. I want to scream, oh, oh, yeah, baby! Supernatural."

Then her thongs and bra were taken off. We were finally ready to act and make love again.

PRESENT

I smiled, finishing the story of April and me conceiving Lily.

"It turned out to be the best sex we ever had. And a few weeks later, we found out about you. I was excited, but I was still scared that I was going to mess up."

My daughter frowned.

"You see, Dad? You get me."

"What are you scared of the most about parenting?"

Lily shook her head.

"I don't know. I make more money than James does. I'm going to be the one out of the house, bringing home the dough. A mother needs to be with her child and I won't be able to do both. And I'm also scared that when I do raise my child someday, he'll resent me because I'm gone often."

"Sweetheart, your mother had those same fears when you were born. She was given three months off to bond with you. When the time came for her to go back to work, she was so worried that you weren't going to be taken care of."

"So what did you do? And I'm sorry if you've told this story before."

"No, don't apologize," I assured her with a smile. "I'll gladly tell it again as long as it helps you. I assured your mom that I would take care of you."

"Wait, I think I remember," Lily replied, returning the smile. "I don't know how, but I do. Mom always left a bottle of milk home in case I got hungry while she was gone. You always took me into the barn to watch over me while you did your experiments. But you took extra care so that you wouldn't hurt me. I remember enjoying being with you in the barn, and when I started growing up, I had always desired being in the barn with you to watch you and learn from you."

"It made your mom happy that I was able to stimulate you," I continued. "Soon enough, she stopped worrying about us and just trusted me with you. Never did I know that I would enjoy being a dad simply because I got to watch you grow up into this amazing woman who changes lives for a living. You have your mother's spirit."

"And I have your heart, Dad. The thought of motherhood still scares me, but now I'm confident knowing that parenting is a learning experience and that I'll have that baby someday. Anna told me to lean on God's timing."

"Exactly!" I replied with a grin. "Mom and I both became better people because you came into our lives. Children have a way of doing that. I have to believe the same will happen to you in God's timing. Don't worry about set timelines. Don't worry about what you don't have. Thank God for what you do have: a family. I'm thankful for mine everyday, whether they're here with me or if they're far away."

Lily glanced over at the door.

"How do you think Anna's doing?" she asked.

"She's learned how to use her powers before, so I'm not surprised she's learning quickly. This may be the only lesson she'll have with Wilbur. It may be our turn soon."

"But where will we teach her?"

"There's a source of light coming from above where Splinter's tree is," I explained. "And the lair is surrounded by water. You saw how Anna used that water to attack you. We have the tools right here."

"But Anna will need a weapon."

I grinned.

"No need. She already has one."

February 2, 2047

ANNA'S POV

I grinned as I clashed my sword with Aumanil's. I was slowly starting to feel like the daughter of Gondor I once knew and it felt amazing. We played offense together. We played defense together. It felt like I was training with my father again. But this time, my father was part of my soul, and I was fighting with my equal.

Aumanil read every single move I would make. But I also took my father's teachings to use and remained two steps ahead of her. During one of my parries, I saw the light above the tree. I led Aumanil exactly where I wanted her. And when the time was right, I let out a cry and lifted my sword, the light hitting it just right.

"Ah!" Aumanil cried, now covering her eyes.

I grinned, now having the advantage over her. I sheathed my sword, and I spun around to perform a spinning back kick, my foot landing in her stomach. Aumanil groaned, falling to the ground on her knees.

I heard clapping to the side, and I turned in that direction to see Leo and Donnie applauding me.

"Only three people have defeated Lilianna and Aumanil in her lifetime," Leo spoke with a proud smile. "Donatello. April. And now, you, Anna Swan. Well done."

"Arigatomasu, sensei," I replied, bowing to him.

"So, tell me. Was it motivation that helped you bring the light to the fight?"

"Not just motivation, Leonardo," I answered. "I remembered what my mother taught me and cherished it."

"Guys?" I heard Aumanil speak. "We have a problem."

I turned and watched Aumanil stand up. But something wasn't right. While she got up with no problem, she walked in a manner that wasn't herself. Her arms were spread out as if she was looking for something.

"Dad? Where are you?"

"I'm over here," Donnie answered with concern in his voice. "Are you okay?"

"No, I can't see anything!"

Leo and I glanced at each other in alarm and then ran up to Aumanil. I gasped and immediately felt guilty; Aumanil was blind.

"Oops," I finally spoke. "Lily, I'm so sorry! I might have to tone it down next time."

"Well, now we know Aumanil's weakness," Donnie replied. "Bright lights. When shone right into her eyes, they render her blind. Anna, is there a way to reverse this?"

"We'll find out. I've healed wounds and poisons in the past, but I've never dealt with blindness before. Let me try. Lily, close your eyes."

Aumanil closed her eyes and I placed both hands over her eyes. I closed my eyes and I felt her opening her mind to receive the gift I was about to give her.

"What grace has been given to me, let it pass to her. Adda, help me give her the gift of sight. Let it be your will that her blindness is not permanent."

I then opened my eyes.

"Open your eyes, Lily."

Aumanil opened her eyes, and I smiled when I saw her blue pupils again. She smiled at me and bowed to me.

"Thank you, Anna."

"Thank Jesus," I replied. "He helped me give you your sight back."

"I think I'd better take you to the lab to be sure your sight's okay," Donnie suggested.

Aumanil nodded. She wrapped her arm around her father and they walked out of the dojo together.

"Will she be alright?" I asked.

"Knowing Lily, yes," Leo answered. "She'll be alright. She has healing abilities also, but she rarely uses it."

"How has she remained undefeated all this time?"

"She is my best student. She was always ready to learn something new and to practice it. She took the advice of all of us to heart. Ryan takes every single word to heart, even lies. Venus is very strong-minded and relies too much on her strength, just like her father Raphael. Athena, like Michelangelo, is easily distracted."

"And what about me?" I asked.

"It is... difficult to tell," Leonardo answered after some hesitation. "You are very intuitive, disciplined, determined, very much like Lily. But neither of you have a competitive nature. You only fight because it's right. In this case, you train to gain your powers back after losing them a long time ago. And you are learning very quickly."

Leo paused for a moment.

"Have you thought of a having a dual identity like Lily?"

"No," I answered with confidence. "I meant what I said to Lily. If I have my powers back, it's because I was granted those powers. I no longer claim them as my own. I plan to use them in secret, but I will not become another Aumanil. I dream of making a difference, absolutely, but regularly using my powers is not my path."

"You remind me of April, Lily's mother. She felt more confident in her powers as she grew up, married Donnie, and became pregnant for the first time. But she doesn't use her powers often. She still practices using them, of course, to keep up."

Leo let out a sigh.

"Between you and me, I am worried that Lily's powers will get to the point where she won't be able to control them. April went down that exact path and almost killed Donnie."

"I know Lily, Leo, and I don't believe that will be the case. But I imagine it would be better to be powerless than full of power."

Leo simply smiled.

"Having powers is a huge responsibility. But unlike Lily, you carry wisdom."

I gave him a look of shock.

"Why don't you think Lily has wisdom?" I asked.

"She's still young, and she's still learning about the world. You seem to be someone who always thinks about the consequences of others and of yourself. In a way, I'm glad you have become a part of Lily's life. She has someone to look up to outside her parents."

"I'm not a substitute parent, Leo. I'm just another woman whose goal is to challenge the people around her."

Leo smiled again.

"Splinter did the exact same thing you are doing now. He challenged us every day to improve our skills and to improve our line of thinking. He would have loved you. Heck, he would have been your student."

I chuckled.

"I'm afraid I've missed out on a lot in the one hundred years I grieved my father. I'm unsure I would have made a good teacher."

Leo put a hand on my shoulder.

"But you will make an amazing lawyer. We're all lucky to have you here with us."

I smiled and hugged the ninja turtle. Leo felt shocked at first but then he hugged me back.

Pacific Bay, California, USA

LILIANNA'S POV

I was folding laundry in my bedroom when I heard knocking on my door. I turned around and saw Anna at the door. I smiled.

"Hey!"

"Hey," Anna responded, not returning the smile. "May we talk?"

"Sure. It looks like you have something on your mind."

"I do. Leo and I were talking about our powers and we got to talking about you."

I froze.

"Really?" I replied. "Did he say something was wrong with your powers?"

"No. Actually, he thinks I have better control of my powers than you do. He's worried you'll lose control like your mother did."

"What?!"

I hastily turned around with a shocked expression.

"My uncle, my sensei, actually said that?"

"Yes. He was concerned."

"What the shell?" I replied, now furious. "This has to be because of my vision!"

Anna now looked confused.

"What vision? The one with your child?"

I let out a sigh, the anger washing away.

"No, worse. I'm in New York trying to stop this huge mutagen bomb from going off. But every time I try to stop it, I die by a gunshot wound. I'd get this vision once in a while but it's becoming more frequent lately."

Tears started coming to my eyes, and I had to take off my brown contacts.

"Anna, please promise me you will stop me if I lose control."

"What?" Anna asked with shock. "Lily, I'm unsure if I can do that."

"You must!" I cried. "My dad tried to stop my mom once and he almost died. You have powers and strength and courage. And you're the closest to me right now. I'm not my mother, but I'm counting on you to stop me if I lose control."

Instead of replying, Anna simply hugged me. I returned the embrace, my tears falling on her shoulders.

"Just for you, I promise. But I highly doubt you will lose control. In the time I've known you as Aumanil, you seem to know what you are doing. Whomever taught you to use your powers has taught you wisely."

Anna chuckled.

"Uncle Leo also told me you don't have wisdom. But Lily, I think he's wrong. You've gone through so much and you've endured it all. You have more wisdom than you know."

I felt angry again as we continued our embrace.

"Lily, may I see this vision of yours?" Anna asked.

I nodded. We closed our eyes and I opened my mind to let Anna in.

"I see... a desert. It looks like nothing I've ever seen before. There's nothing there. Everyone is gone. But wait, I see someone: Raphael. There's a robot with him who looks like... your father? But he's younger. Maybe... your son?"

I opened my eyes and so did she. We both frowned.

"Did you see this vision?" Anna asked.

"No, not this time. I saw nothing. Everything was black."

"Yet you saw the vision I had about your baby?"

"Yes. Does that mean...?"

Anna frowned even more.

"You probably didn't make it. But I wouldn't worry about this too much. It's not set in stone, which is the best part about visions. They might happen, or they might not."

I shook my head, now feeling weary.

"I wish I felt more at peace," I told her. "I wish I could just... forget this vision altogether. I'm tired of feeling like I have the world on my shoulders. I enjoy being Aumanil and saving the world, don't get me wrong. I just wish I felt more optimistic about my life, especially now that I know my death will not be a peaceful one."

"Lily, you need to put your past behind you, but you also need to place your future in God's hands. Your family has the belief to just focus on today. After all, Jesus does say that tomorrow has its own problems."

I chuckled, feeling a little better.

"I need to beat this vision out. But how do I do that?"

"Do you think it's possible to have more nightmares if you're under stress?" Anna asked.

"Absolutely."

"Maybe think of something more positive before you go to sleep."

I chuckled again.

"I could start counting my blessings," I replied. "I had a journal, but I've gotten so busy I hadn't the time to write in it."

"What if I got you a gratitude journal?"

"I'd love it! But Anna, you don't have to do that. I can buy my own."

"Nuh-uh!" Anna playfully exclaimed. "You've paid for my food, my thirst, and my bed. Please allow me to return the favor."

"That reminds me. Have you found a place yet?"

Anna frowned.

"No. But I realized something too. San Diego is a longer drive than I thought it would be. If I'm going to be going to school down there, I need to find a place in San Diego. But I don't know how I'm going to do that if I'm working five days a week."

"Well, we can take a week in the spring and spend the week in San Diego. I'll book us a hotel and everything."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Of course! That's what friends do. And besides, I've always wondered what San Diego was like. I hear it's beautiful."

We smiled at each other before ending our conversation with an embrace.

February 3, 2047 - New York City, New York, USA

DONATELLO'S POV

I woke up at my desk to see Lily, wearing a small black dress, coming through the portal. I felt even more confused when she looked angry.

"Huh?" I asked sleepily. "Lily? What's going on?"

"Where's Leonardo?" Lily angrily asked.

"He's probably in the dojo," I answered, doing a double-take to make sure it was my daughter and not my wife. "Is everything okay?"

Lily walked right past me, her long red hair swaying as she moved forward.

"Lily, wait!"

I bolted out of my chair and followed her out of my lab. I felt her angry energy as she walked into the dojo. I took a quick glance to see Leo sitting in a meditative state. In the next second...

THWAP!

"Ow," Leo mumbled, rubbing his left cheek while awakening from his meditative trance. "What did I do now, Raph?"

"It's Lily, you jerk!" my daughter barked.

"Lily Mae!" I yelled with shock.

"You told Anna that you were afraid I was going to lose control of my powers?" Lily barked again, ignoring me.

"Lily, I'm--"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lily snapped at Leo. "I'm the one with my powers here. If you think I am losing control, I want to be the first to know about it. I'd rather you tell my father this than a friend whom you just started training!"

"Lily, I'm sorry," Leo finally spoke, a guilty look on his face. "You're right. I should have discussed this with you."

"When were you going to discuss this with me? Anna just got her powers back and suddenly you're afraid I'm going to lose control of mine? Is Anna suddenly a better student than I am because she managed to defeat me?"

"No!" Leo angrily replied. "That temper right there is why I'm afraid. I remember how your mother allowed her Aeon crystal to control her and change her emotions."

"Newsflash: I'm not my mother! My mother and father raised me better than that! Next time you want to talk about my powers, talk to me first!"

Lily spun on her black heel and walked past me out of the dojo. I glanced at her walking towards my bedroom before I turned back to Leo.

"The last time I saw Lily that angry was when she and Ryan were fighting," he told me as I crossed my arms.

"Leo, why did you tell Anna about this?" I asked, shaking my head.

"Because I trust her and she's close to Lily."

"We're all close to Lily," I corrected him with furrowed brows. "She's right, you know. She's the first person you should be talking to about her powers. And more importantly, she's your niece. Now you may have lost her trust!"

I stormed out of the dojo and let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. I walked to my bedroom and knocked on the door. I chuckled at the thought of knocking on my own door before opening the door. Then I frowned. I found Lily sitting on the bed with her head hung down. I knelt down in front of her and gazed up at her.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked.

"I've never snapped at my sensei before," Lily said with sadness. "I should go apologize him."

"No, you shouldn't. You were right."

Lily blinked.

"Leo should have trusted you," I continued, holding her hands. "He should have told you his worries, not someone else. Heck, if he had told me, I would have told him to talk to you. I have no control over your powers, sweetheart. Only you do."

Lily grunted.

"You know, I never imagined myself wishing that I didn't have these powers," she explained. "But now I wish I didn't have this responsibility. I wish I didn't have visions so that I wouldn't have to worry about dying. I wouldn't be invading my close friend's privacy. What I'd give, Father, to not read someone's mind all the time."

Lily took off her brown contacts and started to cry.

"What I'd give to not be the perfect student," she tearfully said. "What I'd give to not be the perfect daughter, or the perfect wife."

"Oh, sweetheart, come here."

I got up and held my arms out. Lily bolted out of the bed and ran into my arms and cried into my plastron. I rubbed her back.

"Shh, Lily Mae, it's okay to feel these things," I soothed her. "You're human. We all are. You are perfect just the way you are, my kind, compassionate, brave little girl."

"Even when I mess up?"

"Especially when you mess up, because you always fix your mistakes. That's what makes you brave."

"Fixing my mistakes is brave?" Lily asked with a sniffle. "I never thought of it that way."

"You're just like your mom," I consoled her, caressing her left cheek with a smile. "You always admit your mistakes. Not many people do that nowadays. And you don't give up. You try and try again. And I know how hard you've worked to not lose control of your powers. And I trust you. I trusted your mom when she lost control, because I knew she would be able to overcome her inner demons. And you will too. You just need to believe in yourself. It's in your blood."

"Thank you, Father. And what about Leo?"

"I think he gets that what he did was wrong. I chastised him after you left. He should have trusted you."

"I wish he was more of an uncle than a sensei."

I sighed.

"I think that was why he and Ryan fought so much," I hypothesized. "He always tried to follow Master Splinter's teachings to the T. He was always trying to be the perfect student, the perfect son. But when he makes mistakes, he admits them and then learns from them."

"Donnie's right."

I stood up and turned around to see Leo standing at the door with a frown on his face.

"And so are you, Lilianna," Leo continued, walking into my room. "I'm sorry I didn't talk with you first about your powers. It's just that..."

Leo paused, letting out a sigh. I glanced back and watched Lily read his mind.

"You're scared that I'll do the same thing my mother did," Lily spoke. "I will admit, after Anna told me what you told her, I was scared. I'm still scared that my powers won't be enough."

"Won't be enough?" Leo replied with widened eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Anna shared another vision with me, but this time I couldn't see it. She had a vision of a future that I am not a part of. I had already passed away."

Leo and I glanced at each other with worry in our eyes.

"Lily, I don't want to pressure you to be the perfect student," Leo told her. "But I promise to be patient and listen to you."

He chuckled.

"It sounds like I'm the student today, learning something from your father, the professor. Do you need my help improving your powers?"

"You already have," Lily answered with a smile as I blew a sigh of relief. "You've trained me to defend myself all these years. Being a master kunoichi is a power of its own. And you're not the only teacher. My parents, Wilbur, J'onn, Anna... they've all taught me so much about my powers. I know my powers will not control me. I'm stronger than that, even though it looks like it's otherwise. I've been stressed ever since I moved to California."

"A life-changing event is often stressful," Leo replied. "We've all been there before. Believe me, the stress will not go away. But you can control how you handle it. I understand Isamu's birth had an effect on your decision to have children and you buried yourself in that. Have you thought about talking to Justine? She was very concerned about you during your vacation here."

"No, but that's not a bad idea. Sounds like I'm visiting a friend."

Todayland, North Montana, USA

JUSTINE'S POV

I heard knocking on the door just after I got my son dressed again.

"Dada?" Isamu asked with a curious look.

"Maybe," I replied with a smirk before calling out. "Who is it?"

"You've got company, Justine!" Franny spoke on the other side of the door.

I glanced back at Isamu and shrugged.

"Well, it's probably not Dada, darlin'," I told him. "I wonder who it could be. Would you like to find out?"

Isamu laughed with a huge smile on his face. I picked him up and walked out of the bedroom. I followed Franny to the living room. When I saw who it was, my eyes widened with surprise.

"Lily! Hi!"

"Hey," Lily replied with a halfhearted smile. "We need to talk."

"Oh."

My smile disappeared.

"Franny, would you watch him for a few minutes?"

"Of course!" Franny answered, taking my son from my arms.

"Thank you. Lily, let's go in the train room. Billie's out in the city with her train."

We took the travel tube to the train room, walked up the stairs, and then sat on a couch. The sun was coming in through the window, and for a moment, it felt warm.

"Justine, I need to apologize," Lily started.

"Apologize?" I repeated with surprise. "What on earth for?"

"For not being the godmother you and Isamu need me to be. When I was in New York, I felt saddened every time I saw Isamu. I couldn't laugh or smile. I just..."

"Walked away," I finished her sentence with a frown. "I noticed. I also noticed at our meeting about the Turtles. You looked saddened, as if there was no hope for you."

"Justine, do you remember the day Isamu was born?"

"How could I forget?" I asked with a laugh. "It was the day my life brightened. Isamu is my new hope."

"It was also the day my life darkened," Lily replied. "I'm sure you remember I helped my dad with the surgery."

I now realized where this conversation was going before Lily continued.

"I was so grossed out when my dad dug in your uterus that I started being afraid for myself. I'm a mutant, like Ryan. What if that was me on the table instead of you, fighting for my life bringing a child into the world? You see, I never wanted to be a mother, but then I watched Karena being pregnant and then I saw you. It got me thinking maybe motherhood was a possibility."

"And then Isamu was born and it changed your entire perspective of pregnancy," I finished her thoughts.

"I told James after I returned home that I did not ever want to have a child," Lily explained, taking off her brown contacts. "We haven't had sex since then."

"What? Oh Lily, listen to me. Pregnancy is hard. I haven't met a single woman who said it was easy. Your body is changing to accommodate your growing baby. You are changing so you can prepare yourself to be a mother, to care for this baby. Motherhood is harder. You watch your child grow up and wonder what kind of person he'll become. Will he be an angel or will he be a monster? But in order to take care of a baby, you need to take care of you. And if you take care of you, your baby will see that and will learn to take care of himself, though he may need your help at first."

Lily let out a sigh to prevent her tears from falling.

"Justine, how do you do it?" she asked. "It's just me and James and I'm stressed."

"Lily, I think you've been living in grief for so long, like Anna has. Only your grief is not having a child. Lily, I think deep down, you do want a child. You just need the confidence and tell yourself, I will be a good mom. Because Lily, you're not a mother yet, but you are already a good mom. You are already worrying about a future of a child who hasn't even formed yet."

Lily smiled, tucking her red hair behind her ears.

"Thanks. Anna shared a vision with me about my giving birth to a baby so now I know it will happen someday."

"Just give it time," I advised her. "Let God handle this. Well, of course you need to bond with James to help this along."

"There was another thing," Lily chimed in again. "I've been stressed because I've had no other family around me. I moved to Pacific Bay to continue my education. James came along for the ride because he wanted to be with me. But there are some things I can't discuss with James and I need family there with me. But everyone's got their own lives. You and Ryan started a family here. Venus and Athena both plan to return to New York when their college education is over. I'm in Pacific Bay. But then again, everyone is together in the lair except for me and Ryan, who now have families of our own."

"You miss the feeling of togetherness, huh?"

"Yes. At least with my dad around, I felt so confident in myself. I knew everything was going to be okay."

"Honestly, I felt the same way when Woody was still in my life."

"Wait, really?" Lily asked with surprise. "You haven't felt confident since you disowned him?"

"After I disowned him, I felt worse, like I would live to regret it. But then Isamu arrived and he gave me a whole new meaning to life. I'll be passing whatever my parents taught me down to him and I'll end up being the brave one because my child needs me to be there for him. And I already know you will do just that, Lily. You being a mom will happen someday. God's answer right now is, not yet."

Lily smiled again.

"Do you think you'll ever let Woody back in your life?"

"I already have, but I'm not ready to call him Dad yet. We've been writing letters. He knew I was pregnant when I disowned him, so I've been talking about Isamu and Ryan. I did tell him I was engaged."

"How did he react to it?"

I sighed.

"He thought I could do better. I don't think he's content with the idea of my marrying a mutant turtle."

"Then that's his loss," Lily replied. "Because of your love for Ryan, Woody has a grandson, whether he likes it or not."

I shakily let a breath out.

"What do I tell Isamu when he asks about his Grandpa Woody?" I asked.

"The truth. You tell him the truth. It's better to tell your child the truth than to sugarcoat it and give him false hope. That kind of thing seriously impacts a child the younger he is."

"Once again, Lily, you're the wise one."

"But may I give you a piece of advice?"

"Sure."

"I've known Ryan since we were babies. Pretty much right after I was born, Karai found out she was pregnant with him. Ryan's been a butthead all his life until he got bullied in high school."

I couldn't help but laugh. The Ryan Hamato my friend knew was entirely different from the man I was going to marry in over a year.

"You laugh now," Lily continued, joining in my laughter. "But I'm serious. Ryan was surrounded by girls, so he did not waste time bullying me for beating him in every sparring session."

"Ryan was seriously a sore loser?"

"Yes! But then he became quarterback of the football team and his entire demeanor changed. He actually became a leader. Isamu is Ryan's son and he can easily inherit his father's buttheadedness."

Lily and I cracked up laughing.

"Well, thankfully, Isamu has me as his mother," I said confidently. "If he ever turns into a butthead, I'm going to steer him right."

"Good."

We hugged each other.

"Will you forgive me for running out on you after Isamu's birth?" Lily asked.

"Oh, sweetie, there's nothing to forgive," I answered with a smile. "You just keep prayin' for that baby. It will happen."

We got up and took the travel tube back to the living room.

"Is everything alright?" Franny asked, handing Isamu back to me.

"Yes, everything is fine," I answered with a smile. "Thank you for watching him."

"Oh, Isamu and I had a good time. Is that right, little baby?"

Isamu giggled as Franny tickled his chubby chin.

"Justine, may I hold him?" Lily asked.

I grinned.

"Of course."

I handed Isamu to his godmother and Lily held him with love in her heart.

"You are so loved, little one," she told him sweetly. "I'm sorry I haven't been here for you, but I promise I will be here now. Your mama was right. You are a new hope... for all of us."