Hi guys! It took me a while to figure out how to write this chapter. I didn't cover the state fair in too much depth because I already did that in "Insanity." Instead, we get a very serious chapter about Justine's past. Now, keep in mind that whatever I wrote about here is not covered in "The Sheriff's Daughter." This chapter may just inspire me to get back to writing in that story. But for now, enjoy this chapter!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons," "TMNT," nor "Toy Story," nor do I own Sixpence None the Richer's cover of "Don't Dream It's Over" nor Christina Grimmie's "Ugly." I only own Karena, Lily, Venus, Athena, and Justine.
P.S. Got another recommendation for you! I've been playing "Hogwarts Mystery" since February and I absolutely love it! Now I've only been into Harry Potter for a short time and have only seen the first two movies, but this game was perfect for me to learn about the wizarding world. Give the game a try! Granted, you do run out of energy quickly, but my advice is to try to come back to it after at least an hour. The energy bar actually fills back up rather quickly. Enjoy!
September 20, 2042 - Todayland, North Montana, USA
JUSTINE'S POV
"Come on, Lily! I wanna see you!"
"Give me a minute!" Lily yelled from the bathroom. "I've never worn a dress like this before, nor have I worn cowboy boots!"
"I promise, you are going to look amazing! And I'll do your hair afterwards."
Lily opened the door and started to come out.
"Thank you," she said with a smirk, trying a Western accent with all her might. "But that won't be necessary, partner."
Lily had emerged from the bathroom, her longer layers of hair in two braids, one on each side of her head. She gave volume to her shorter layers, making it big like women would do in the 1980s. She sported black eyeliner and mascara with lavender eyeshadow to bring her brown eyes out.
The lavender dress I sewed for her was absolutely perfect! The bodice fit her curvy torso perfectly, making her curves prominent. Her sleeves were just barely showing off her shoulders. The skirt was an A-line design that went just below her knees. The white cowgirl boots I got her fit her perfectly.
"Okay, now twirl around," I suggested, excited to see the skirt.
"Oh!" Lily exclaimed, looking hesitant. "Okay."
Lily just stood there, trying to figure out how to twirl. I stood there dumbfounded, putting my hands on my hips.
"Lily, I know you can dance. Just twirl! Or maybe twirl slowly."
"True. Thanks."
Lily did a small twirl to her right, but I wasn't satisfied.
"Lily, the skirt flows when you twirl," I explained. "I'm sorry, but you gotta be a tad faster about it."
Lily let out a frustrating sigh.
"Okay, what I am about to show you stays in this room. Got it?"
Lily sounded stern.
"Okay?" I replied hesitantly.
Lily finally twirled at the speed I wanted her to turn. I was so excited to see the flow of the skirt, which ended up being perfect! But suddenly, a bright light entered the room. I had to shield my eyes so I wouldn't go blind. The light then went away and I opened my eyes again. Lily looked like a totally different person. She wore a white jumpsuit with only one strap over her left shoulder. She also sported a pair of white boots and a pair of shiny silver bracelets. Her two braids turned into one French braid in the back of her head, and her short layers of hair and bangs were brushed back. But what shocked me the most was that Lily had blue eyes instead of brown ones.
"Wait, how did you do that?" I asked, clearly shocked at the revelation I just saw. "Who or what are you?"
"I know you have a lot of questions about this," Lily answered in a slightly deeper voice. "Lilianna Hamato is my born name. Do you remember when I told you the story of how I was kidnapped?"
I nodded.
"Well, I discovered that I have psychic powers. I can read minds. The more I learned about my powers, the more I unlocked my potential. With my powers, I can also move things. I can fly. I can stop a bullet from hitting someone or myself because I can see things before they happen. But the power that started all of this was my ability to read minds and enter someone else's mind. The only people that know about this are my family, Wilbur, and James, and now you. When I am dressed like this, I am my true self and I call myself Aumanil, which means a kind, compassionate spirit."
"So you're like a superhero?" I asked, and Lily nodded with a kind smile. "Oh my gosh! That is amazing! I'm roommates with--"
Lily hurriedly covered my mouth.
"Secret. Identity."
I nodded and she let me go.
"Sorry," I said sheepishly. "Your secret is safe with me."
"Thank you," Lily replied kindly. "Now to go back to being ordinary."
Lily turned slowly the other direction, and the bright light came again. This time, Lily wore the purple dress, cowgirl boots, and two braids on either side with her short layers returning to full volume and her bangs over her forehead.
"So is your eye color really blue, then?" I asked.
"Yes, I was born with blue eyes," Lily answered. "I had my dad make me brown contacts to cover up my ability to read minds. I've learned quite a bit about my powers ever since I found out about them."
"So why brown? You would have looked amazing with green eyes."
Lily laughed.
"Thank you, but I inherited my blue eyes from my mom. Had I inherited my eyes from my dad, they would have been an amber brown. This way, it still shows that I am April and Donatello's daughter."
"Okay, that makes sense. Sometimes I'll dream of having my mom's blue eyes, but I've always been thankful to have my dad's brown ones. I mean, how often do you see a blonde woman with brown eyes?"
"I think having brown eyes suits you," Lily complimented me. "You're smart and sassy. When it comes to analyzing our parents, most people will think negative things and try not to repeat what our parents did. I was taught long ago to realize which traits I received from my mom and which ones I got from my dad. Then, I take the traits that made them the people they became, and I apply them to myself. For example, in order to escape my kidnappers and to keep going, I had to be resourceful like my dad and resilient like my mom."
"I never thought of it that way," I replied in awe.
"I've met your mom a few times. You are sweet and sassy like her."
Lily pondered something.
"Your dad named you, didn't he? Because your name literally means justice, which best represents your dad. And you have always fought for what is fair and what is right, just like your dad."
I smiled. Lily then put her left hand on my right shoulder.
"Your dad means well. But the most important lesson my parents have learned was to listen to their child. You are the core of your family. If anything happens to either parent, then it impacts you. You don't need to know everything that happens in your parents' lives, but if it involves you, you deserve to know. If your parents did something and you think it's wrong, you need to tell them. You can't just assume it'll go away on its own or that they won't listen to you. They have to listen because you are their child."
"Have you ever doubted your parents before?" I asked.
"Once, not too long ago, actually. I accidentally hurt someone at school with my powers. Another student saw me and reported me to the principal. My dad was furious. The principal had told him I injured this kid on purpose. I tried to convince him that I was doing the right thing because he had bullied my cousin Ryan, but my dad continued to scream at me, insisting that I should have stayed out of it, which was out of character for him. I didn't want to speak to him anymore. Then my mom tried to get the truth. She believed me at first, but then she agreed with my dad, that I should have stayed out of it. Needless to say, I ended up taking the portal to New York City and spent the night there. I had never doubted my parents so much before and even had a grudge against them. Ironically, it was the kid I had injured that told me to make things right with my dad, to not let a grudge come between us."
"And y'all are now past it?"
"Yes. My parents learned, again, to listen to me and they apologized for it."
Lily paused and laughed.
"I was bawling my eyes out and my face was red when I ran to my dad's office asking for his forgiveness. But I'll never forget the words he said when I apologized for running away from him: We never wanted you to leave. But we are sorry for pushing you away. Please come back to us."
I laughed gently.
"Your dad makes me think of Jesus."
"I think it was Jesus talking through my dad, just telling me that he loves me no matter what kind of sins I commit and that he would always forgive me and welcome me home. I had never felt so at home before, and I think it made me a better person."
We smiled fondly at each other, Lily's story sinking into my heart.
"But hey, let's come back to the present," Lily suggested, swaying she dress around. "I absolutely love this dress! You did good. Thank you for making it for me!"
"You're welcome!"
"Now I believe it's your turn to change."
I ducked into the bathroom to change into my red polka-dot dress.
LILIANNA'S POV
Before leaving the dorm, Justine had also given me a white cowgirl hat and a white denim jacket to match the white cowgirl boots. Justine, meanwhile, wore a red cowgirl hat, a red polka-dotted dress, a blue denim jacket, and brown cowgirl boots. She, too, had braided her hair into two braids.
"So, tell me what we're doing at..."
Justine paused.
"What is this place called again?"
I chuckled.
"The train station," I answered. "I'm very surprised you've never heard of one."
"We never had a train pass through Elkhorn before!" Justine defended herself.
"But anyway, my dad sent me a text," I explained with a confused expression. "He wanted me to show up here, but I don't know why. It's Saturday. He's usually in New York with the rest of my family."
"It's interesting you say that, because Wilbur just sent me a text telling me to meet him here," Justine replied.
Suddenly, a pink portal appeared to my left. We both jumped. I let out a gasp when I saw my parents and my two youngest cousins coming out of the portal. I squealed, running up to them and hugging everyone.
"Oh my goodness!" I exclaimed. "What are you all doing here?"
"Word went around that there was a fair going on in Todayland," Dad explained, showing his gap-toothed grin. "I've never been to one before, so I figured on giving it a shot."
My mom chuckled, patting him on the back of his shell.
"Neither have Venus nor Athena, dear. I, on the other hand, have been to the fair before. Once your dad told me, I told him we had to go."
"I hope you don't take it the wrong way, Mrs. Hamato," Justine chimed in. "But you look like you're going to the beach."
I rolled my eyes at Justine's remark, and then I glanced at my mom, wearing denim shorts, a yellow tank top, and white tennis shoes.
"That was rude," I whispered to my roommate.
"But I said--"
"It doesn't matter. It's not your place to judge. Remember, Justine, you are not your father."
"It's so nice to see you, Lily!" Athena suddenly yelled happily, hugging me.
"This was certainly a nice surprise!" I replied. "You remember Justine, don't you?"
"Yes, I do!"
"And I remember you!" Justine replied excitedly. "It's wonderful seeing you again, Athena. And you too, Venus."
"We hear you are the expert when it comes to state fairs," Venus said with a smile.
"I am. But now we need to wait for Wilbur and Karena. I got told they have a surprise for me."
As if it happened on cue, the train pulled up to the station. Wilbur and Karena emerged out, along with...
"Mom, DAD?!" Justine exclaimed with surprise in her voice.
"Hello, Justine!" Woody, her father, said happily.
He walked over and gave Justine a hug. She hugged him back, but I felt lots of emotion inside her, mostly of sadness. Bo Peep, her mother, joined in on the hug. The Pride family broke their hug and approached the six of us with Wilbur and Karena behind them.
"They wanted to surprise you," Wilbur explained with a smile
"Isn't it wonderful?" Karena, wearing a pink dress, asked.
"Yeah, wonderful," Justine answered, sounding rather glum.
I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to face Athena.
"Is it just me or is Justine not excited to see her parents?" Athena asked in a whisper.
"I agree. Justine did tell me they were not on good terms."
"Mom, Dad, you remember Lily, don't you?" Justine asked with a forced smile on her face.
"Indeed," Woody answered, shaking my hand. "It's great to see you again, Lily."
"You also, sheriff," I replied. "Bo, it's very nice to see you again."
"Same to you," Bo replied with a fond smile. "And Donatello? This is quite the surprise!"
"Yes, we are here too," Dad said with a laugh. "This is my wife April. April, this is Dr. Bo Pride and her husband Woody."
"I've heard of you both," Mom replied, shaking their hands firmly. "It's nice to officially meet you."
"All good things, we hope," Woody said. "And who are these lovely people?"
"These are my nieces, Venus and Athena," Dad introduced my cousins.
"Well, shall we go?" Wilbur asked.
The ten of us walked to the monorail station and boarded, heading our way to the outskirts of Todayland to see the state fair.
"Now when we get there, I want to get pictures of y'all," Woody told us with a smile on his face. "I brought my Polaroid camera."
"I had no idea those still existed!" Dad exclaimed excitedly.
"Oh, I've had mine since before Justine was born," Woody explained. "Bo gave me the camera along with a card that said we were going to have a baby."
"Aww, that's adorable!" Mom gushed and then looked confused. "Now, wait, Justine explained to Donnie that Elkhorn is a small town like in those old western shows. Bo, how did you find out you were expecting?"
"I didn't at first," Bo explained. "But early on, I felt my dresses and jumpsuits were getting tight. With my seamstress skills, I just let them out. But they keep getting tight to where I had to make completely new dresses. And then, one day, I felt a flutter in my tummy. I thought it was strange at first. But then after another hour, I felt it again. And it all clicked. I was having a baby. What about you, April? How did you find out about Lily?"
"Donnie did a blood test and found something that revealed my pregnancy. Donnie knew first."
"I remember my reaction when I find out about it," Dad replied with a laugh. "I was yelling to all the birds that I was going to be a dad while running around the farmhouse."
Everyone laughed.
"That's similar to my reaction," Woody replied. "I couldn't help but ride Bullseye into town and announcing to everybody that we were having a baby. I got lots of applause and meals on the house until Justine was born."
We continued to talk until we reached the state fair. Woody took pictures of all of us. When Woody was in the picture, my mom took the photos. I was in amazement when we first stepped foot into the fair. There were some carnival rides like a Ferris wheel and bumper cars. I also spotted a rodeo and some petting zoos.
"Lily, wanna explore the rodeo with me?" Justine asked with a grin.
"You know, I've never seen one before," I replied. "Let's go!"
"Woody, would you like to take a walk with me?" my dad asked her dad.
DONATELLO'S POV
Woody and I walked away from the rodeo and walked around the fair. Wilbur and Karena continued to spend quality time together as a newlywed couple. Justine and Lily remained at the rodeo with Bo, April, Venus, and Athena.
"I do enjoy a good rodeo every time we travel to Oklahoma City," Woody told me with a fond smile. "It's a strenuous sport, but not something I would risk. Have you ever visited Oklahoma, Donnie?"
"Yes, actually. But I'm afraid it was not for pleasure."
I let out a sigh.
"My daughter was kidnapped in 2038 and April and I tracked her down to Arcadia, a small town about thirty minutes away from Oklahoma City. Unfortunately, we could not find her. We did visit Oklahoma City and only made one stop: the Oklahoma City National Memorial. We only went there to make peace with what happened before going back home. Thankfully, Lily found a way to contact us all the way from Todayland and we reunited with her here."
"So you never really explored the memorial?" Woody asked.
"No. We sat and looked around. It is a very serene place, very peaceful. We only spent about 20 minutes there. We needed to get back home."
"Well, it is more than just a memorial, Donnie, but I understand why you went. It's a place for peace and hope for the families of all 168 victims of the bombing."
"Wait, what bombing?" I asked in alarm.
"What all do you know?" Woody asked me.
"The information I received about the memorial was pretty vague. All I knew was that there was a federal building with unique architecture and now it's gone. Come to think of it, it was revealed that a memorial was built there because of a bombing."
I paused, now realizing why the memorial in Oklahoma City truly stood.
"It wasn't just veterans who died, was it?"
"There were a few who were veterans," Woody explained. "But that building housed many federal agencies, including recruiters for the U.S. Army & Marines. Even the Secret Service was housed there. One of our own decided the government needed to change and decided to blow up that building to prove his point. For so-called justice, he killed 168 ordinary and innocent citizens, including 20 children."
I let out a grunt of disgust and put my hand on my stomach, wanting to puke.
"Donnie, are you okay?" Woody asked with a concerned voice.
"Yeah, yeah, I will be," I answered weakly. "How could anyone be so cruel to kill innocent children who could have had so much potential to change the world for the better?"
"I think the only one who knows the answer to that question is God."
Woody let out a sigh.
"The bomber was indeed a monster. I remember hearing about his execution in 2001. He had no emotion in the chamber and had a look on his face that said he would do it all again. Violence doesn't change the way people think, Donatello, nor does it fix anything."
"You're right and wrong at the same time," I pointed out, no longer feeling nauseous. "You're right in that violence doesn't fix anything. Take Pearl Harbor in 1941. When we got bombed, we declared war on Japan, who had sided with Nazi Germany. The war continued for three years until Japan was bombed and Hitler died after we liberated France and all the Jewish prisoners that had survived. However, yes, violence does change the way a person thinks. Now take the Oklahoma City bombing. Now, I may not know much about what happened. But 168 families were impacted. They all lost a loved one. And loss heavily impacts our lives. Some would now think that weapons should be banned from the country to prevent any other acts of terrorism to occur. Some would seek avenge and revenge, wanting justice not just for those victims, but for other victims too. They start fighting for a cause. And others feel gratitude and will keep their loved ones even closer."
"And then the September 11 attacks happened."
"Yes, and we were very much impacted by it," I continued.
"How so?" Woody asked.
"Splinter had raised myself and my three brothers in the sewers of Manhattan. We were very close to the Twin Towers."
I let out a sigh, memories of the attacks coming back to me.
"We were all shy of turning four when the attacks happened. We were eating breakfast after doing our katas. I remember hearing this big BOOM at around 9 that morning, and then all too quickly there was a second one. Splinter suddenly knew we had to evacuate and we got out of our lair. We had just barely crossed into New Jersey when we saw one of the towers collapsing. Splinter still thought we were too close to the damage and we ended up living in the sewers of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for some time."
"Wow!" Woody exclaimed. "How long were you in Pennsylvania?"
"We were there for about a year. Splinter found a TV and I helped him make it work so that he could monitor everything going on in New York since the attacks. We returned to New York once he deemed it safe enough for us. It was a good thing, too, because we've heard of people becoming sick as a result of the attacks. It was really easy for us to become sick once we returned to the lair, but thankfully, Splinter had his healing mantras and I eventually started learning medicine. I had asked Splinter to gather everything I needed to make it, and he always provided."
I smiled, realizing Woody was the first one I spoke to about this.
"I haven't even told April or Lily about it," I continued. "Thanks for letting me open up about it. The September 11 attacks were something we all wanted to forget. We missed our time in New York, and it was hard adjusting in Pennsylvania. But we never will forget, because it will forever be part of America's history."
"Anytime," Woody replied with a smile. "And thank you. Bo was right about you: you are someone I can learn from."
"And that's what I want to talk to you about," I replied, stopping our walk and turning to face him. "It's about Justine. She's a student in one of my classes."
"She hasn't done anything wrong, has she?" Woody asked with worry.
"No, not at all! She's a very hardworking student. I'm pleased to have her."
My smile faded away.
"I've encouraged Justine to visit me in my office and she's been able to open up to me."
I glanced around before whispering in Woody's ear.
"I am aware that you and your friends were once toys."
"Yes," Woody replied. "And Karena was the one responsible for our changing into humans. So you're aware of our history. What does this have to do with Justine?"
"Have any of your adventures inspired you on how to raise her?"
"Who are you to judge how I raise her?" Woody asked, suddenly turning angry.
"A father with a daughter of his own, whose daughter knows yours quite well!" I shot back. "We're both concerned for Justine. Lily was under the impression that things were not going well for the three of you and Justine even told me you put her in jail."
"She broke the law, Donnie."
"Yes, she did. But was jail the answer?"
Woody crossed his arms.
"What would you have done in my stead?"
"Woody, Lily broke a few laws herself. She drove underage without a license or a permit. She accidentally killed someone, her kidnapper as a matter of fact. And she also drove while watching a movie on her phone, almost getting her killed. And not once did I think about calling the police, which you are at home. Lily is my daughter, my responsibility. If I were to hear of Lily doing something wrong, I ask for her side of the story and I listen to her. I don't punish her until I have all the facts. Woody, you did your job as the sheriff, but what about your job as Justine's father? Looking back, was jail really necessary for Justine to learn not to sing in the saloon? If it really was wrong, then my daughter should be in jail too. She's singing at an adult underground club. You know, I was originally against it, just like you, until I realized that Lily is an adult and she is responsible for her own choices. My job is to support her and love her and to be there for her when she needs me to be. What about you, Woody? What is your job as Justine's father?"
Woody's anger melted away, not coming up with an answer.
"Lily's blessed to have you for a father, Donnie," he said with a frown. "My primary focus was for Justine to follow the rules of the house, make sure all of her chores were done. Of course, that changed when Justine started going to school in town. She avoided coming home to spend time with us and spent her nights with her friends and singing at the saloon. The night I put her in jail was the third time I had told her to stop singing in the saloon. I decided I had enough. I had Slinky keep watch at the saloon for Justine and he immediately sent her home. Before she left for Todayland, she spent the entire time in her room. Whenever she came down for dinner, she wouldn't talk to us. In fact, her face was always red because she was always crying."
Woody now looked extremely depressed.
"I really messed up, didn't I?" he asked. "I'm the reason she chose to go to college here?"
"I can't answer that for you nor your daughter, sheriff," I replied sadly. "But it does sound like you favored order over your daughter's happiness. She does love you, Woody, but she doesn't feel heard by you."
Woody let out a sigh.
"What do I need to do, professor?"
I put a hand on his shoulder.
"First, pray. God has always listened, and he'll listen now. Then reach out to Justine. You need to do the work. You both need to do the work to improve your relationship. And involve Bo, too. Bo is your wife and her mother. And from what I hear, she's an excellent mediator."
Woody put his right hand on my left shoulder, and then we hugged.
"Would it be alright if the three of us spoke with you Monday morning before our flight?" Woody asked.
"I can spare an hour," I answered with a gap-toothed smile. "How does seven-thirty sound?"
"We'll see you then. Meanwhile, shall we get back to our families?"
"Let's go."
September 22, 2042
JUSTINE'S POV
After writing Lily a note telling her where I was at, I walked across campus to Donatello's office. I greeted my parents outside and we walked in together. However, Donnie wasn't in his office, so we had to wait for sometime.
"Thank you for being patient!" Donnie greeted us with a smile.
I watched him unlock his office and we followed him in. It truly was an impressive office. All three doctorate degrees were hung on the wall above him as well as licenses for him to practice medicine and to teach and do research. There were pictures of his family on his desk and there were lots of books on his shelves. I had never seen such an old-fashioned office before and I loved it. It was a nice feel compared to the modern, contemporary, more technological offices the other professors stayed in.
"Now, I'm no counselor," Donnie explained after he settled in. "My wife and daughter are the psychology experts. But I was the peaceful one of the team back in the day. After spending years with my girls, I feel qualified to help you. Justine, why don't we start with you? What truly brought you to Todayland?"
I did not hesitate at all to answer, feeling ready to answer every question.
"I needed to start my own life. I aged out of school at the top of my class."
"Okay, let's talk about that for a moment," Donnie replied. "What do you mean by aged out?"
"I turned 18 back in February. I continued to attend school until May when Miss Anderson hosted a small graduation ceremony for me. She also revealed that I had been accepted into Todayland University with all of my tuition paid off with scholarships because I had high grades."
"Do you have a diploma, Justine?"
"Yes, my aunt Jessie found a way to become a notary and had a diploma made and signed by the administration at McAlester High School. She is very convincing when she needs to be."
"Very interesting," Donnie replied with clasped hands. "Now Justine, please tell me about Elkhorn. What was your role in town?"
"Elkhorn is not on any map," I explained. "My parents found the town in 2017. My dad is the sheriff and my mom eventually became the doctor, as you know. I'm gonna let my parents explain things from here."
"Are you sure?" Donnie asked with a frown.
"Yes, I'm sure. Explaining it in my point of view is... weird."
"Well, I'm sure you know most of what happened, Donnie," Dad chimed in. "At first, it was just Bo and me. Then Jessie and Buzz eventually found us. We built a ranch together and then a town. The friends we had made at Andy's house and Bonnie's house heard about us and found their way here. I asked each friend what their dream job would have been and the four of us made that happen."
"Wait, what?" I asked, never knowing the true purpose behind each citizen until now. "Dad, I thought you assigned each citizen to their jobs?"
"Justine, it was never my intention to control the town, and you knew that. A leader always listens to his people. And you, Justine, we've always listened to you, but you always pushed yourself away from us."
"Dad, it took you years to allow me to go into town and go to school," I replied, tears coming to my brown eyes. "I always thought you were controlling and that whatever you said was final. I felt no hope for myself and that was why I moved to Todayland. Todayland is the symbol of hope, something I needed. Dad, I loved you, but I never believed you heard me. You always had this mindset that you knew the exact answer for what was best but you never took the citizens into account, especially me, your own daughter."
"Are you okay, Justine?" Donnie asked me. "How have you felt since moving here?"
"Like I can be myself without having to worry about every little thing my dad would worry about. I feel more free."
"Let's talk about that for a moment. You both told me Justine was put in jail for singing in the saloon. How did all three of you feel when that happened? Let's start with you, Bo."
"I disagreed with Woody," Mom replied. "Justine was only 16 when she was thrown in jail. But I never believed it was the answer to her breaking the law. Murder and theft are one thing, but being thrown in jail for singing to people? Justine was only doing what she loved doing."
The tears started to fall. I never realized my mom had taken my side until today.
"I had no idea you felt that way," I told her through sobs. "I'm so sorry for ever doubting you, Mom."
"Justine, how did you feel that night?" Donnie asked me.
"I didn't think I was family that night. I felt like another criminal, like my own father had no care in the world. I practically begged Aunt Jessie to spend my nights at her place, but she always told me to return home to talk to my parents. But I never did. When I was home, I stayed in my room, never wanting to speak to them. Thankfully, I had my cat Chloe to keep me company."
"Thank you for sharing, Justine. Woody, how did you feel?"
"At the time, I thought I did the right thing. Justine had broken the law for the third time, so I put her in jail for the night. I released her the next morning because she's my daughter. I love her. But she immediately walked away from me when I released her. I started to get a feeling I did something wrong when Justine never came home until curfew. I was often tempted to call Dr. Crane and ask for his advice. He's a forensic psychologist, you know. We have a doctor in Elkhorn, but not a counselor. And Dr. Crane lives in Connecticut. I doubted he would have come all this way to talk to us."
"Never judge a book by its cover, Woody," Donnie advised my dad. "So you never asked your daughter what was wrong?"
"No, I didn't want to make things worse."
I couldn't hold it in anymore.
"You made everything worse by not speaking to me!" I yelled. "I needed you, Dad, when I felt alone in the jail. I needed you when I spent all my nights in my bedroom alone with Chloe. I overheard you talking to Mom and all I heard was this will pass. You thought I needed to take the first step. In some cases, it's the parent who needs to take the first step. I respected you, Dad, until you threw me in jail. I wanted an apology and you never gave it to me. When I heard we were invited to a wedding in Todayland, I decided to do research and immediately applied to college there. I didn't care how you felt about me anymore. I needed to do this for me."
I dropped to my knees and cried my heart out.
"I love you, Dad, but I can't be around you. When I was inside the jail, I wanted to die because I didn't think anyone cared, especially you."
"Justine."
I glanced up at Donnie, who had a compassionate frown on his face.
"May I speak to you alone?"
I nodded. My parents walked out of the office as I continued to cry on the floor. I suddenly felt two strong hands lifting me up off the floor. I looked up at Donatello, into his amber brown eyes. I couldn't help but hug him and hold on to him tight. He hugged me back as I cried onto his shoulder.
"Shh, I promise you are safe here, Justine," Donnie soothed me, rubbing my back.
"I am so, so sorry, Donnie," I replied tearfully.
"Don't be. You said what you needed to say. You were having suicidal thoughts when you were thrown in jail?"
I nodded and continued to cry, realizing Donnie was the only person I had talked about this with.
"Do you have any suicidal thoughts right now?" Donnie asked me.
"No. I feel more safe here than I did in Elkhorn."
"Justine, I am so sorry for what you have gone through. You didn't deserve to have that happen to you, and you are not alone in that. Your mom believed in you. She always has. Now I need you to look into my eyes and promise me something."
I broke the hug, looking back into Donatello's brown eyes.
"If anything goes wrong, please come to me or Lily, okay? If you need to speak with your mom, we will help you. Okay?"
I nodded, smiling through the tears.
"Now, I am going to write you a pass that will excuse you from classes today. I will write an email to your professors explaining your absence. I want you to go back to your dorm and rest today. Okay?"
"You'd do that?" I asked.
"Yes," Donnie answered with a smile on his face as he wrote my pass. "I'm a father first, a doctor second, and then the professor. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and I want you to take care of yourself today. Now, as you leave, please send your parents back inside."
I nodded. I walked out of the office and was greeted by my parents.
"Are you okay?" Dad asked me.
"Donnie wants to see you both," I answered with a frown. "I'm going back to my dorm."
I paused, biting my lip.
"And... this is goodbye, Father. I can't speak to you right now. I'm going to need some time to heal my heart before speaking to you again."
I hurried down the hallway as my dad called out my name. I didn't care anymore. I held the pass close to my heart as I returned to my dorm and immediately returned to sleep.
DONATELLO'S POV
The day flew by and before I knew it, I was back in my office grading papers. Justine was on my mind all day. I was genuinely worried for her after learning about her past. I had hoped having the day off would do her some good.
I suddenly heard knocking on my door, and in came my daughter, wearing a light blue shirt, a dark blue skirt, and blue heels. Her red hair was voluminous as always.
"Come on in, Lily Mae," I greeted her with a smile on my face.
"Hey, Dad. How was everything today?"
"Oh, today went fine. Every class went well. What about you?"
"Same. My classes were good."
There was a pause.
"I saw a note from Justine that said she was going to see you. Is she okay?"
I gave Lily my full attention now, putting her hands in mine.
"I gave Justine a pass to take today off. She and parents talked about her past and how they weren't getting along. I won't get into the details because I made a promise I wouldn't. But Justine isn't okay. She needs you, Lily. Justine needs to heal from her past and she needs all the support she can get from both of us. Now, her mother was supportive and I encouraged her to call Justine whenever she can."
"What about Woody?" Lily asked.
I let out a sigh.
"I encouraged him to write her letters. Justine does not want to talk to him. With letters, Justine has the choice whether to read them or not. I would like you to remind her of that."
"Of course. And I'll also remind her that Woody does love her. His thoughts just aren't in the right place."
"I agree. But Justine should be the one to tell you all of this, not me. I'm just here to guide her, and as her roommate, so are you. I gave Justine the day off from school today."
"Justine normally does a duet with me in my shows," Lily replied. "Maybe that will cheer her up."
"Or even yet, give her the spotlight for one song," I suggested with a smile. "She was put in jail for something she loves doing, and it wasn't right. I imagine Cornelius gave her special permission to sing with you."
"Yes, he did. Nothing's going to happen to her here."
Lily let out a sigh.
"You know, Woody and Bo came to one of my shows Saturday night. I saw them in the audience. And Justine was with me. She didn't sing with me in that one show, so I had to do the song by myself. But I'll talk to her before I perform."
"Thanks, Lily."
"Speaking of which, I should go."
"Good luck!"
Lily and I hugged before she left. I sat down at my desk and prayed.
"Lord, only you have the gift of healing the heart. Please be with Justine now as she heals from her past. And please be with Woody as he processes how to move forward from his mistakes."
LILIANNA'S POV
"And if they make you feel ugly, just imagine everybody in a birthday suit," I sang with a big smile on my face, wearing a sparkly red dress with red boots. "Imagine everybody in a birthday suit. Yeah, if they make you feel ugly, just imagine everybody in a birthday suit. Imagine everybody in a birthday suit. Uh-oh, uh-oh! Funny how it works when you switch the roles. Uh-oh, uh-oh! Never knowing what's underneath until it gets exposed. And if they make you feel ugly, just imagine everybody in a birthday suit. Imagine everybody in a birthday suit."
My audience cheered wildly when I finished the song.
"Thank you very much! That was the late Christina Grimmie's Ugly. Now tonight's shows are going to run a little differently. The next song that will be sung is Sixpence None the Richer's Don't Dream It's Over. But I will only be backup tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce our guest singer, a little songbird from McAlester, Oklahoma, Miss Justine Pride."
There was clapping in the audience as Justine came up on stage to sing. She wore a green, long-sleeves dress with white flowers on the skirt. She wore white cowgirl boots to match, and her blonde hair was in two braids. The frog band started to play the song as Justine walked up to the microphone.
"Thank you, everybody, for coming out to hear my friend sing," Justine said with a grateful smile. "And thank you, Lily, for allowing me to let my voice free tonight. This is a very special song to me. I've listened to Sixpence None the Richer for as long as I can remember and this song is my favorite from them. I've built walls when I was a teenager and today, I've decided to tear them down. And what better way to do that than to share my favorite song with all of you?"
The audience cheered before Justine sang with a sweet voice.
"There is freedom within, there is freedom without. Try to catch the deluge in a paper cup. There's a battle ahead, many battles are lost. But you'll never reach the end of the road while you're traveling with me."
I held my microphone up to my mouth, preparing to sing with her.
"Hey now, hey now, don't dream it's over," we sang together. "Hey now, hey now, when the world comes in. They come, they come to build a wall between us. We know they won't win."
Justine started to sing the second verse after only one measure.
"Now I'm towing my car. There's a hole in the roof. My possessions are causing me suspicion but there's no proof. In the paper today, tales of war and of waste. But you turn right over to the TV page."
We sang the chorus again and we enjoyed listening to the frogs play an interlude for a minute. I side-hugged Justine while we waited.
"You're doing amazing," I whispered.
"Thank you for standing by me, Lily," Justine whispered back. "It means a lot to have a true friend at your side. I miss Emily, but you're more than a friend to me. You're my sister. You're the sister I never had."
We hugged each other tightly, trying hard to fight back tears from our brown eyes. All too soon, the interlude was over, and Justine prepared herself to sing again.
"Now I'm walking again to the beat of the drum. And I'm counting the steps to the door of your heart. Only shadows ahead, barely clearing the roof. Get to know the feeling of liberation and relief."
Justine let out a contented sigh before we sang the chorus twice to finish out the song.
"What a night!" Justine exclaimed.
We took off our boots and collapsed on the couch, letting our exhausted but contented sighs.
"You were awesome up there," I complimented her.
"So were you. You know, you're one of the bravest women I've ever met."
"You're brave too! Finally telling your parents how you've felt since your dad put you in jail and then telling your dad off. Not many people can do that."
"I'm torn, too," Justine replied with a frown. "Maybe I made a mistake telling my dad I can't see him."
"No, my dad told me the basics and you did the right thing. Your dad made the wrong decision and now he's paying the price for it. He should have included you and you weren't included. He should have gotten you help and he didn't. I would stick with your mom and Aunt Jessie. In fact, I wanna meet your Aunt Jessie. She sounds like a hoot!"
Justine laughed.
"Aunt Jessie is amazing. She loves yodeling and she loves critters. If a deer came her way, she would not hesitate to pet it. If there was a horse, she'd ask to ride it."
Justine's smile suddenly went away and she turned towards me, putting my hands in hers.
"I'm going to ask a lot of you, Lily, but would you mind if I spent fall break and Thanksgiving break with you and your family? I'm... not sure if I'll be ready to see my dad yet."
"Justine, do not worry," I assured her. "We'd love to have you."
"I know we promised I'd visit New York on your birthday--"
"Hey! It's okay. I promise. Venus and Athena loved spending time with you on Saturday and they want to see you again. And hey, you can spend the nights with me. My parents are the most hospitable people you'll find."
Justine let out a sarcastic laugh.
"You know, it's funny. I could say the same thing about my parents. But I'm not even comfortable in my own home."
I frowned.
"And that's not okay. You're their daughter. You should be their number one priority, not other guests. You are more than welcome to visit us in New York. We'll treat you like one of us. We do have two human friends, you know, and Auntie Renet is Uncle Mikey's human wife. Auntie Karai was a human before she was mutated. Now she can either look human or she can turn into a serpent."
Justine smiled.
"That actually sounds really cool. I mean, not all of us were human toys. Rex, our entertainment man, was a toy Tyrannosaurus rex. Hamm, our banker, was a piggy bank."
"So you understand?"
"Yes."
"Let me call my parents and see what they say, okay?"
"Sure."
I dialed my parents and put them on speakerphone.
"Donatello."
"Hey, Dad."
"Hey, Lily Mae! It's great to hear from you!"
"Lily Mae?" Justine asked with a fond smile.
"It's Dad's pet name for me," I explained. "My middle name is Mae."
"That's actually really adorable."
"Oh, hi, Justine!" Dad greeted my roommate. "I take it we're on speakerphone?"
"Yes, Dad, you are," I answered. "Is Mom there with you? We wanted to say hi to her, too."
"Oh, yeah! Let me put us on speaker."
"Hi, girls!" Mom greeted us on the other line.
"Hi, Mom!"
"Hey, April," Justine greeted her. "Thank you for letting us talk to you."
"Hey, you can call us anytime," Mom replied, sounding happy. "So what's up? How are you two doing?"
"We doing good," I answered. "We just came back from my show."
"How was it?" Dad asked.
"Both shows were a success. I took your advice and had Justine sing a song."
"Which one?" Mom asked.
"Don't Dream It's Over by Sixpence None the Richer," Justine answered. "It's my favorite from them."
"Justine has the sweetest singing voice," I chimed in. "She did amazing."
"Did it help you at all after everything?" Dad asked.
"It did, actually," Justine answered. "Thanks for asking. Now may I ask you both something?"
"Sure!" Mom replied.
"After everything that has happened in my past and what all was talked about today, I'm not sure I'll be ready to go back to Oklahoma for fall and Thanksgiving breaks. I asked Lily if I could spend them with y'all instead. But Lily wanted to get your permission first. She tells me you two are quite hospitable."
"I don't see why not," Dad answered. "Are you sure about this? I mean, if you do spend your breaks with us, would you promise me to at least call your parents? I'm sure they'd want to hear from you if they can't see you."
"That's a promise I can keep," Justine replied.
"Now we should warn you about Thanksgiving break," Mom explained. "We spend Thanksgiving and the following weekend in the lair. The lair is in the New York City sewers. There are twelve of us: the Turtles, their wives, and their children. We may have to warn Leo about your presence."
"I'm not afraid, April. My dad's friends weren't human toys. And I am really good at keeping secrets. I'm the sheriff's daughter, after all."
"Do not worry, Justine, we trust you," Dad replied, and I sensed a smile from North Hampton. "Mikey's gonna love you. He loves cooking for people. That's why he has his own pizzeria. Because of that, our Thanksgivings are different. We don't eat turkey. We eat turkey pizza. I hope that's okay."
Justine laughed merrily.
"That sounds amazing."
"And Athena and Karai, that's Lily's aunt, they help Mikey cook. I know for a fact they will love having you. And we'd love to have you over for fall break."
"Thank you so much!" Justine replied happily. "I know you guys aren't family, but at the same time you are."
"Hey, I've known the Turtles since I was 16 and I always felt like I belonged," Mom explained. "They became a second family to me, and even more so when they became my real family after I married Donnie."
"Family isn't just blood, Justine," Dad explained. "It's the people you become friends and those friends promise to stick by you. Family consists of people you choose to love. It doesn't have to be because you share the same blood, the same genes. Me and my brothers were all adopted by Splinter and he treated us like we were his sons. Heck, we were his sons. And in a way, with the mutagen, we really are his sons, a part of him becoming the people, or mutants, we are today."
"Thank you, Donnie."
I heard a yawn on the other line.
"Goodness, it's almost midnight on our end," Mom said with fatigue in her voice.
"Oh, right," Justine replied. "You're in Eastern Time. Why do time zones exist anyway?"
"That is a lesson for another time in my office," Dad answered with a chuckle. "Right now, it's time for us to go to sleep. We love you both."
"We love you too, Dad," I replied. "And thank you for accepting Justine."
"It's our pleasure!" Mom replied. "Have a good night, you two."
"Good night!" Justine and I replied at the same time.
I hung up the phone and Justine immediately hugged me.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best!"
I laughed, now understanding how my dad felt.
"Anytime. Going to bed actually sounds like a good idea. It's been a busy day."
"I can't sleep now!" Justine replied. "I napped most of the day."
I pondered, and then I came up with an idea.
"Have you heard of Harry Potter?"
"Sorry, no."
I let out an exasperated gasp.
"How have you not heard of Harry Potter?" I asked. "Okay, we're going to give you a little quiz, and then I'm going to introduce you to a game I think you will enjoy."
I gave the quiz to Justine and looked over her answers. I have her a pleased smile.
"Okay, so the game is called Hogwarts Mystery," I explained. "It takes place before the books and movies and it takes you through quite the story. So when you first play, you get to choose your wand and then you go through this sorting ceremony. You would have to pick your house. According to this quiz, you would belong in Ravenclaw."
"Really?" Justine replied with a surprised expression.
"Come on! When you're not dwelling on your past, you're always ready to learn and you're witty. I mean, you knew everything there is to know about state fairs and you are an expert on a horse. You don't mince words. You just get right to the point."
Justine smiled.
"So what house do you fall under?"
"Hufflepuff. I'm patient, loyal, and I fight for what's fair."
"And your cousins?"
"Athena's a Ravenclaw, too, which is why you two get along so well. Venus is a Gryffindor and Ryan is a Slytherin. I actually analyzed the rest of my family, too. Uncle Leo and Auntie Karai are both Slytherins. Uncle Raph and my mom are Gryffindors. Uncle Mikey and Auntie Mona are Hufflepuffs. And my dad and Auntie Renet are Ravenclaws."
"Leonardo is a Slytherin?" Justine asked with a surprised expression. "From everything I've heard about him, you'd think he's a Gryffindor."
"You see, I thought about that too until I realized... Uncle Raph doesn't plan things all that well. If anything, he acts out of bravery. Uncle Leo is brave, but he's the leader and makes up most of the planning, always making sure the missions are a success. Not all Slytherins are evil."
"That's a good point. Like your dad said earlier, don't judge a book by its cover."
"Justine, are you okay? I understand you had a rough morning."
"It hurt to relive the past and finally let out everything that was holding me back, including my suicidal thoughts."
"You thought about suicide?" I asked quietly. "Oh, Justine, that would have broken your parents' hearts."
Justine let out a sigh.
"I didn't think about that. I just thought about dying in that jail cell, thinking I didn't belong."
"Justine, I don't think that's true at all. Sure, your head was in the clouds while riding your horse. You wanted more than what Elkhorn could offer you and that's why you're here. But it doesn't mean you weren't loved. Your dad has a lot of work to do to regain your trust, but I have to believe he never stopped loving you."
"I'll never forget the look on his face when I told him I couldn't talk to him for a while. He actually looked heartbroken, like he regretted everything."
"All parents will go through something like that. No parent is perfect."
"I wish your father was mine, too."
I laughed.
"You're not the first. Wilbur said the same thing because he didn't think his dad set aside time for him."
"Really?"
We laughed.
"I know Donatello is not Jesus, but the way he looked at me, the way he cared about me, it reminded me so much of him. He's a Christian, too, isn't he?"
"Yes, he is. He's the one who taught me, actually. Cornelius gave him a Bible and it's changed his life. Actually, you two share a lot in common. Dad often felt left out, too. He's the smartest and he's very gifted in mechanics, medicine, robotics, but he spent most of his time in his lab. But he never complained about being left out. He just continued doing what he loved doing. But he loved my mom more. My mom always took priority over his experiments. And when I came along, I also became top priority. Ever since my mom entered his life, family came first, and at times, my mom was more of his family than his brothers who ended up teasing him for his crush."
Justine smiled.
"Your dad is more Christian than I ever imagined him to be. My dad's both the sheriff and the judge and yet he calls himself a Christian."
"He is a Christian. I know. But he has a lot of pride in him, so he has trouble admitting when he's wrong."
Justine blinked at me.
"Yeah, that pretty much nailed it. You barely know my dad and yet you know him at the same time. Does that come with your powers?"
"For the sake of my secret identity, let's say I have a sixth sense about people. I am studying criminal psychology, you know."
We laughed.
"True. Why don't you go to bed? I'll try this Harry Potter game you told me about. I'm Ravenclaw, right?"
"Right. Good night, Justine."
"Good night, Lily Mae."
I let out a playful gasp and hit Justine with a pillow.
"Two can play at this game!" Justine playfully yelled, hitting me with a pillow.
I squealed. We enjoyed a good pillow fight, laughing our hearts out before we both ended up retiring to bed. Justine never tried playing Hogwarts Mystery that night.