First, I want to give a shout out to all of you who've read and favorited my little Apritello short-story collection "Never For Nothing." It's actually gotten me thinking about writing more short stories mostly featuring the next generation of the Hamato Clan - that is, Lily, Ryan, Venus, and Athena, and it'd be based on a song from my playlist that shuffles at random. I haven't started a new story since "Never For Nothing," so it's an exciting thought to think about. I also thought about writing about Lily's childhood since only one chapter was really covered before her kidnapping. We'll see where this goes. But for now, dive in with me as I write, and you read, the Stockman Search Montage... well, at least the first half. Enjoy and review!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons," "TMNT," "Toy Story," "Criminal Case," and "Lord of the Rings." I only own Lily, James, Ryan, Justine, Isamu, Venus, Athena, Anna, Jasper, and Karena.
P.S. While writing this chapter, I published what will be a new collection of stories called "Hanashi." Let me know what you think of the first story, set when Lily was only six years old!
September 19, 2048 - Chicago, Illinois, USA
ANNA'S POV
After a lengthy meeting in New York City, I was the first to search for Baxter Stockman in Illinois. After my class in San Diego, I got on the first flight to Chicago. It ended up taking me four hours to get to the Windy City and I landed safely.
I got off the plane and to the baggage claim when I saw Jasper waiting for me. We greeted each other with a hug.
"Welcome to Chicago," Jasper greeted me.
"The skyline is absolutely amazing," I replied with a fond smile.
"I'll have to give you a tour of Chicago sometime when it's not one o'clock in the morning."
"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, feeling floored. "I thought it was eleven o'clock! Did I miss a couple hours?"
"Time zones. San Diego is in Pacific Time. This is Central Time, which is two hours ahead. And we should get going. You booked the hotel, right?"
"Hotels, yes. One is here in the city."
"Perfect. I'll drive."
I followed Jasper to his car and we made it to our hotel just in time for us to go to sleep.
I woke up at nine o'clock, got ready, dressed up in a red jumpsuit while braiding my long red hair. Jasper drove his flying car the entirety of our trip today. I had summoned my water stallion from Lake Michigan.
We traveled to Indiana today. At first, Jasper drove on Interstates 80 and 90 while I rode alongside him. Once we reached South Bend, I felt the stallion's energy fading, and I had to join Jasper in the car.
It took us an entire day to drive all over Indiana, with Fort Wayne and Indianapolis being the two big cities to search. But I could not sense a trace of Baxter Stockman anywhere in Indiana. Jasper and I, however, did enjoy exploring Indianapolis, a city mostly known for its NASCAR racing. After finishing our trip all around the state of Indiana, we rested in Evansville.
September 20, 2048 - Evansville, Indiana, USA
Jasper and I got up, ate breakfast, and made our way back to Illinois. This time, I wore a blue dress with my hair still braided. I had summoned my water stallion again alongside the Ohio River. We crossed into Illinois, making a stop at Metropolis to take our pictures next to statues of Superman and Wonder Woman. We continued alongside the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers where I eventually came upon the most interesting bridge I had ever seen.
My phone rang, and I found Jasper trying to call me.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Anna, where did you go? I can't find you."
"Let me find out," I replied, opening my maps app, but then feeling confusion. "That's weird. It looks like I'm in the middle of nowhere next to the Mississippi River and south of Interstate 270."
"There's no landmark name?"
"No."
"Okay, what road are you closest to? Or do you see anything out of the ordinary?"
"I approached this long bridge across the Mississippi with a bend in it. There are two small towers emerging from the water. I'm the closest to West Chain of Rocks Road."
"West Chain of Rocks Road? I've never heard of that before."
I suddenly had a vision. Donatello and April had gone through this area before in search of their daughter.
"Jasper, I just had a vision. Where are you right now?"
"I'm passing the Cahokia Mounds historic site on Interstate 255."
"Jasper, get on Interstate 270 and then take the Old Alton Road exit. I'm gonna try to explore the area and figure out where exactly I'm at."
"Anna, how did you know that? Was this a part of your vision?"
"I can't explain how I suddenly know. But we're not the first ones to come here."
I rode my water stallion alongside the Mississippi and found a road that led me to a parking lot. I got off my stallion and walked up to a historic marker that told me where exactly I was.
"Jasper, I'm at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge."
"That explains the Chain of Rocks Road. I take it Old Alton Road will take me there?"
"Yes. I'm going to take my stallion back onto the river and explore the bridge."
"No, Anna. You may be caught for trespassing those towers. Thankfully, walking across the bridge is legal and is actually a Route 66 landmark."
"Route 66? Well, then I'll stay put."
I waited ten minutes while my stallion enjoyed the swim in the Mississippi River. There were tourists who had decided to stop and enjoy walking across the bridge on a beautiful fall day. Eventually, Jasper arrived, got out of his car, and walked up to me.
"I've been reading all there is on this marker," I told him. "The history behind this bridge is very impressive. Route 66 had five different crossings from Illinois into Missouri since 1926. It looks like this one is closed to air and ground traffic."
"My parents drove on Route 66 when they got married," Jasper explained. "They got married in Pacific Bay in 2024 and Route 66 was their honeymoon. From Chicago, they continued to take Interstate 80 until they reached New York and then settled in Westport where Wilbur lives now."
"It seems that Donatello and April have been here as well in search of their daughter. That was my vision."
"Well, I highly doubt Baxter Stockman would be here."
"No, I do not sense his presence. Stockman would want a place to build a lab. Those intake towers, while perfect to hide in, are too small for him to build a lab. But this bridge is still curious to me."
I started to walk across the bridge, and it was the longest bridge I had ever crossed, even longer than the bridges in Middle-Earth. The sound of the waves of the Mississippi River clashing into each other was beautiful as the wind blew my loose hairs in my face. I had known Jasper was taking pictures of me behind me as I explored all the history of this bridge. Meanwhile, I started having visions of travelers galore crossing this bridge, from back when it opened all the way until today. I had a feeling Route 66 was more than meets the eye and I immediately fell in love.
It took us an hour of exploring until we eventually landed on Missouri ground. I felt content in that moment.
"Shall we continue?" Jasper asked. "We still have the rest of Illinois to cover."
"Yes, let's go."
While Jasper ran back over the bridge, I summoned my water stallion again and continued our ride along the Mississippi until we reached the small town of Galena. From there, after learning of President Ulysses S. Grant's history, we drove all over the state, traveling through numerous cities: Rockford, Springfield, Decatur, Champaign, Bloomington, and then finally Chicago. We were not able to find Stockman anywhere.
Calling it quits, Jasper and I checked back in to our hotel in Chicago and I flew home to San Diego the next day.
September 24, 2048 - Westport, Connecticut, USA
DONATELLO'S POV
I returned to my lab right after work. I had received texts from Karena, who told me she wasn't feeling right. What had surprised me, however, was her revealing she took a pregnancy test and it had come back positive. I had told her to come to my lab right after school so that I could take some tests.
Karena had eventually joined me in my lab and I examined her.
"How did Anna's trip to Illinois go?" Karena asked me.
"Anna and Jasper shared some adventures together," I answered. "But Anna could not find a trace of Stockman in Illinois nor Indiana."
"Darn. So, what's next?"
"Unless Wilbur's planning on exploring his area between now and mid-October, Anna's flying out again. This time, she'll be exploring Wisconsin and Iowa."
"Wilbur's been scouring those timelines like crazy," Karena explained. "But Stockman still hasn't broken any time travel laws."
"Perhaps Stockman doesn't know about time travel," I hypothesized. "Which is great. But unfortunately, he still has Lily's portal. He could have used that to get to any of the Ten Dimensions. But the Utrom Council has not alerted me of any activity yet."
"Have you tried to search for him through interdimensional travel?"
"Leo has. Leo's gone to the Mirage dimension to warn the Turtles of that reality. Mikey's gone to Earth-2 to warn those Turtles since he and Michelangelo get along really well. Raph's found an Earth-3 and warned those Turtles."
"Is there an Earth-4?" Karena asked jokingly.
"Actually, yes," I answered. "April's found that one. Though she wasn't a fan of those Turtles' behavior."
"Just how many universes are there of you guys?"
"Apparently, a lot. We're in Earth-7, according to Krang. But anyway, let's finish examining you. Have you felt any fatigue, nausea, rapid mood changes?"
"Yes, yes, and no. I've been calm the last few days."
"Okay. How's your appetite?"
"I can't eat breakfast without throwing it back up," Karena explained. "Otherwise, I'm fine."
"When was your last menstrual period?"
"Four weeks ago."
I then felt confused.
"So you're telling me you took a pregnancy test right when you were supposed to get your period and it came back positive?" I asked, raising a brow.
"Yes, Donnie, I am."
"Well, I'm going to take some blood to be safe. If you want to hang around here for a bit, you may. Venus and Mona should be in the greenhouse."
"That actually sounds amazing," Karena replied with a smile. "I'll be back."
I took some of Karena's blood and spent the next hour analyzing it. After that hour, I was relieved that Karena did not have cancer, which was what worried me at first.
I knocked on the greenhouse door and walked in.
"Hello, Donatello," Mona Lisa greeted me.
"Hi, Mona," I replied with a smile. "Karena, I finished analyzing your blood."
"And?"
I grinned.
"Congratulations, Karena. You are, indeed, expecting your second baby in less than 36 weeks."
Venus squealed in delight as Mona hugged Karena.
"Congratulations," Mona told her with a smile. "You are already a wonderful mother to Diana. You deserve to have another."
"Thank you, Mona."
October 16, 2048 - Chicago, Illinois, USA
ANNA'S POV
I landed safely in Chicago, this time during the day time. I had taken paid leave so that I could go out early. Jasper had his fall break, so this trip was easily worked out.
Of course, Jasper was there to greet me at the baggage claim. We greeted each other with a hug.
"How was your flight?" Jasper asked me.
I let out a sigh.
"It was peaceful, but my thoughts were filled with worry."
"Oh? Who are you worried about this time?"
"Lily. We just found out Karena's expecting again. Lily's been trying to have a baby for about 18 months now and nothing's happened. I'm worried she's going to worry herself to death."
"I'm sure Lily will be fine," Jasper assured me. "She's a strong woman. She's gone through a lot and she's always been resilient. But meanwhile, shall we get started on our journey through Wisconsin?"
"Sure!"
Jasper drove north while I rode my water stallion beside him. We eventually crossed the border into Wisconsin. I was in awe at the scenery of Lake Michigan and the woods of Wisconsin. But before we could explore any more, we checked ourselves into a hotel in Milwaukee. I took advantage of the late night hours and rode my water stallion all over the city. Unfortunately, I was not able to find Stockman. I finally returned to my hotel room and fell asleep.
October 17, 2048 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
There was not a lot to patrol in the entire state of Wisconsin. The only other city we truly patrolled in was Madison, the capital of the state, and Stockman wasn't there. We eventually drove straight north into more wooded areas and then we drove along the Mississippi River again down into the state of Iowa.
We had settled into the city of Davenport for the night. Again, I took advantage of the late night hours and patrolled the city. And again, there was no trace of Stockman.
Jasper and I spent our entire Sunday driving around Iowa. It reminded me so much of Southern Gondor. There were nothing but plains throughout the entire state compared to the wooded areas of Wisconsin. However, there was one area that peeked our interests.
We stopped at the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, which mostly displays the life of Jesus with such awesome architecture and formations. I was amazed to hear that Jasper was also a Christian and he had only good things to say.
The big cities we had explored were Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. Then we returned to Davenport for the night before we would drive back to Chicago for my flight back home. As wonderful as my weekend with Jasper was, our mission remained pointless. There was still no trace of Stockman.
November 25, 2048 - Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
JUSTINE'S POV
Ryan, Isamu, and I landed safely at the airport in Tulsa. I had already made my mother aware that we were returning to Elkhorn for Thanksgiving. As happy as I was that I took the first step to mending my relationship with my father, I was still nervous about seeing him, especially because my last name was no longer Pride; I had taken Ryan's name on our wedding day a few months back.
"Take my hand, Isamu-san," I told my young son.
He took my hand as the three of us got off the plane. Then we made our way to the baggage claim where we saw my mother, wearing her blue jumpsuit and purple cloak.
"Gamma!" Isamu yelled excitedly.
I chuckled as he ran towards his grandmother. She easily picked him off the ground and twirled him up above her.
"It's so good to see you, Isamu!" Mother said excitedly. "And it's very good to see you, Ryan and Justine. Emily's been excited about your turn since you told me."
"Hi, Mother," I greeted her with a hug as she held Isamu on her right hip.
"Hi, Mom," Ryan greeted her, giving her a hug.
"Well, let's go home. Woody's looking forward to seeing the three of you."
We exited the airport and climbed into my mother's pink flying car. The drive to Elkhorn was longer than I thought it would be, but at the same time, time went by very quickly. Before we knew it, my childhood home was within distance. My father sat on the porch waiting for us as my mother drove us over the barn and parked her car in it.
The four of us got out of the car and my first instinct was to go to the horses, but not before I picked up my son.
"Hi, Genevieve," I greeted my father's horse, who nuzzled into my free hand. "It's so good to see you. This is my son, Isamu. Isamu, this is Grandpa Pride's horse, Genevieve."
"Kon'nichiwa, Genevieve!" Isamu greeted her in Japanese. "Hajimemashite!"
Genevieve let out a little neigh as if she understood what my son was saying. We then went over to my horse.
"Howdy, Bullseye," I greeted him. "Isamu, this is Bullseye, my horse. Bullseye, this is my son, Isamu."
Isamu repeated his Japanese greetings and Bullseye let out a loud neigh, but with a smile on his face as Isamu touched his mane. Then we walked over to another horse.
"Isamu, this is Auntie Lily's horse Morwen. Grandma and Grandpa have been taking care of her since Auntie Lily's in California. Morwen, this is my son, Isamu."
Morwen only stood still as Isamu grabbed her mane.
"Haha?"
"Do not worry, Isamu-san. Morwen is shy. I think she'll only ride with Auntie Lily and Grandpa. Well, let's go inside and see Grandma and Grandpa and chichi."
We walked out of the barn and up to the house. When we walked in, Isamu saw his grandfather and excitedly ran up to him. My father picked him up with a big smile on his face.
"Hey, howdy, hey, Isamu!" Father happily greeted him. "You've grown up a little!"
"Hai!"
Everyone in the room chuckled. When my father heard me, he set Isamu down. He walked up to me and hugged me, and I embraced him back.
"It's nice to see you again, Justine," Father told me.
"Happy Thanksgiving, Father."
My father then shook Ryan's hand, doing his best to adjust his fingers to fit Ryan's.
"Son, it's good to see you," Father greeted him. "Well, I've made some meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and carrots if you'd like to join us for dinner."
After we said our prayers, which made Ryan feel awkward, we started eating.
"So there's a reason we're here other than to celebrate Thanksgiving with y'all," I started the conversation as the food was passed around.
"I knew it!" Father exclaimed.
"Woody!" Mother reprimanded him before letting out a sigh. "I take it this involves Baxter Stockman?"
"Yes," Ryan answered. "We've been unable to find him in New York City, Todayland, and Pacific Bay. Actually, my father believes Stockman is here."
"You can't be serious!" Father exclaimed again.
"Think, Father," I chimed in as I gave myself a helping of potatoes. "Right now, Elkhorn seems to be the perfect place for Stockman to hide. You are the only source of security in this town compared to Todayland's robot sentries. With that said, Ryan and I would like to patrol the mine."
"You think Stockman is in the mine?" Mother asked.
"Absolutely," Ryan answered. "Justine's been giving me the down-low of Elkhorn's layout and we believe Stockman could hide in the mine, or worse, transform the mine into a science lab for his mutations."
"And if the latter is the case, then we're all in danger," I chimed in. "Everyone in this town would be Stockman's experiments on cloning."
We all paused our conversation, thinking deeply about the situation as we ate our meal.
"And if Stockman isn't here, then we have to patrol the entire state of Oklahoma this weekend," Ryan finished. "Then we'll come back for a few weeks not just for Christmas, but also to patrol the states of Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, and Louisiana. This guy must be found, Woody."
There was another pause. I watched my father deeply contemplate what we said.
"What are you thinking of doing, Woody?" Mother asked.
"But why would Stockman come to Oklahoma?" Father asked.
"Have you not been paying attention to what we said?" I roared, standing up in anger.
"Justine," Ryan soothed me, putting his hand on my shoulder and pulling me back down to my seat.
My father let out a sigh.
"We'll do a patrol in the mine tonight," Father announced. "But you two will need to dress for it. This is a dark mine. You'll need hard hats with headlights and more appropriate clothes."
"I've already made clothes for the occasion," I replied with a smirk.
Todayland, North Montana, USA
APRIL'S POV
"What a long flight!" I exclaimed as my husband and I got off the plane.
"No kidding!" Donnie replied, rubbing his right shoulder. "Well, let's not waste time dawdling. Lewis is expecting us."
"Wilbur should be with him."
"Oh, that's right! I forgot he and his family flew to Todayland for Thanksgiving a few days ago."
"I wonder if we should ask Wilbur if he'd like to join us on patrol," I suggested.
"April! You are aware we are patrolling both North and South Montana, right? That's going to take us all weekend! Wilbur is here to be with family."
"But you don't know Wilbur, D. Wilbur has always been adventurous. That's what landed him his job at T.I.M.E."
"Okay, we'll ask him," Donnie replied. "But don't count on him saying yes."
We went to the baggage claim to pick up my suitcase and then we went out of the terminal. Once we got there, we found Cornelius and Wilbur there to greet us.
"Donatello!"
Cornelius and Donnie hugged each other and then patted each other on the back. Then Donnie shook Wilbur's hand.
"I'm glad you got here safely," Wilbur told us. "It's good to see you both."
Wilbur carried a smirk.
"Now I'm not as psychic as Lily is, but you two aren't just here for Thanksgiving, are you?"
"No, I'm afraid not," I answered honestly. "You were there at that meeting. Donnie and I are also here to patrol all of Montana, North and South."
"Count me in on your patrol around North Montana," Wilbur replied firmly.
"Speaking of which, how are your patrols going?" Donnie asked.
Wilbur frowned.
"Nada. Zip. Zilch. I'll go on patrols on Sundays. Each state so far is small enough for me to drive around and come home the same day. I can't find Stockman anywhere. And he still hasn't broken time travel law. The only state I haven't checked is Maryland."
It was Donnie's turn to frown.
"Anna's search in the Midwest is proving to be futile, too, even with her gift of foresight."
"Then maybe Stockman is up here," Wilbur replied with a shrug. "Just not in Todayland. You know, Alberta and Manitoba are Canadian states. He could be hiding there because of that."
"April and I are intending to come back around Christmas to investigate those two states. Are you and your family coming back for Christmas?"
"No. My folks are coming to us for Christmas. But if you'd like, my dad can rent something out for you."
"I think we'll have the same arrangement as this time," I replied. "But thank you, Wilbur."
"Well, shall we go?"
Donnie and I followed Wilbur to Billie's train where we boarded. It was already evening when we had left the airport and Todayland was lit up. I had forgotten how beautiful the city was at night and I enjoyed the ride very much. Along the way, I did a telepathic scan for Stockman and I could not find him. I had wished Lily was here so that she would do a scan with me.
We eventually arrived at the Robinson mansion and we got off the train in the living room to be greeted by Karena and Diana.
"Doctor Donnie!" Diana yelled excitedly.
"Hey, sister!" Donnie greeted her happily as she ran towards him.
I watched Donnie pick her up and did a light toss in the air as Diana laughed with joy. I giggled, finding Diana's name for him cute.
"Doctor Donnie, huh?" I whispered to him.
"That was how Karena introduced me to her," my husband whispered back. "It must have stuck."
"Now, Diana, Doctor Donnie and Miss April just had a long flight from New York," Karena told her daughter. "Let's give them some space, okay?"
Donnie put the little girl down and then hugged Karena.
"I'm actually very surprised to see you," Karena told us as she hugged me. "What brings you to Todayland? Didn't want to miss out on a Robinson Thanksgiving?"
"Actually, we're here to patrol North and South Montana," I explained. "But we'd be happy to join you if you'll have us."
"We insist!" Franny chimed in, running up to me and giving me a hug. "It's so good to see you, April."
"You too, Franny."
"Neil and I have arranged it for you and Donnie to sleep in Wilbur's old room."
"That'll be fine," Donnie replied. "But please keep in mind that we won't be here Saturday night. We'll be spending the night somewhere in South Montana."
"Yes, Wilbur explained your situation to us. Do whatever it is you need to do. You two are always welcome here."
"Thank you, ma'am."
Elkhorn, Oklahoma, USA
RYAN'S POV
After everyone in town had gone to bed for the night, Woody, Justine, and I left Isamu in Bo's care and rode horses into town. I had to ride behind Justine since Morwen had refused me.
I had admired Justine's skills on a horse and was now understanding of her plans to build a horse ranch in Todayland. She still had a long way to go to become a veterinarian, but I knew the Robinsons would help her make her dream come to life. I felt confident Uncle Donnie would help out also. Her parents, on the other hand, I was unsure of. But I adored her aunt Jessie.
"Psst!"
"Whoa!" Woody commanded his horse to stop. "Who goes there?"
"Woody, it's me!"
"Jessie?"
We turned around and I chuckled. The red-haired cowgirl was riding her own horse in town and had caught up to us.
"Aunt Jessie!" Justine exclaimed happily but quietly. "What are you doing here?"
"Goin' ridin' with ya!" Jessie answered with one hand on her hip. "Did ya think I'd go without seein' my favorite niece?"
"Jessie, we're not just riding," Woody replied. "We're looking for somebody in the mine."
"Prospector Pete's gone missin' again? He always turns up in the same place!"
"Not this time, Jessie," I replied. "Yes, we're going to the mines, but we're looking for Baxter Stockman. But we are enlisting Pete's help."
"I'm goin' with ya."
"I disagree," Justine chimed in. "Four of us is too many."
"Justine, may I speak out my opinion?" Woody asked before answering his own question. "I do believe the more of us there is, the better. We can split up and find Stockman that way. Ryan and I both have torches. I can go with Justine while Ryan goes with Jessie. Prospector Pete can keep an eye out in case we need to leave the mine."
"I agree with Woody," I replied, remembering my father's training.
"I'd rather be paired up with Aunt Jessie," Justine said with disdain in her voice.
"I go with Justine," Woody repeated himself, gritting his teeth. "While Ryan goes with Jessie. That is that."
"Let's go before it becomes too late!" Jessie said, already taking off on her horse.
The three of us followed her out of town and up to the doorway to the mine.
"Howdy, Sheriff Woody!" Prospector Pete greeted us with a kind smile. "What brings you out here this late at night?"
"Prospector, this is my son-in-law Ryan Hamato," Woody introduced me to him. "Ryan, this is Prospector Pete. He's usually mining for gold."
"Welcome to Elkhorn, Mr. Hamato."
"Thank you, Prospector."
"Remember the plan," Woody reminded us.
We all got off our horses and put on our helmets. At first, we were in the mine together. And then there was a fork in the road. I went to the right with Jessie.
"While we're down here, I wanted to say, thank you."
I turned toward the cowgirl with surprise in my brown eyes.
"What for?" I asked.
"Fer takin' care of my niece," Jessie explained with a frown. "When Woody told me what happened in Todayland a couple years back, I was heartbroken. I was afraid I'd never see her again. But then I heard she was gettin' married to ya and I had to come to the weddin'. Oh, she was absolutely beautiful. I'm happy she's found someone like ya to take care of her. I took her under my wing when she was a teenager. She worked in the mercantile with me and she opened up the town's first newspaper."
I smiled, not realizing the difference my wife had made in this little town. But then a question came into mind.
"Where were you when Woody threw his own daughter in jail?"
Jessie sighed.
"I was at work in the mercantile. I hadn't heard Woody had thrown her in jail until Justine ran to me and begged me to let her stay. She had even said that she never wanted to see her daddy again. It broke my heart. So I told her, gal, if ya ever need a place to stay, my door is always open for ya. You are safe with me and Uncle Buzz."
"And did Woody or Bo say anything to you?"
"Woody was furious, yellin' at me and tellin' me that Justine was his daughter and not mine. Well, I yelled back. I told him, if I was the sheriff, I'd never throw my own daughter in prison. If the thought had ever come across my mind, then I would have never deserved to be a parent. Woody was a good father to an extent. But he always put the law first and that was what drew Justine away. I don't blame Justine for not wanting to see her daddy again when I heard she was expectin'. I so wanted to fly over to Todayland just to see her but I didn't want to be the source of her pain."
I frowned.
"Jessie, you never were the source of her pain. Heck, throughout the entire pregnancy, Justine had wished you were there with her. But if you were to tell her this now, I think she'd be understanding about it. But the thought of Woody was too much for her, so she pushed all of her time in Oklahoma away. If you had come to Todayland alone, I'm sure Justine would love to see you. Heck, I'd love to see you again. Justine's told me so much about you and I'm happy getting to know you. Though I'll admit, your religion is odd to me. I was raised in the Shinto religion."
"Have your gods in the Shinto religion died?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked in confusion.
"In order to have true hope, you must overcome the impossible. And our God has done that."
Jessie continued to walk on. I still felt confused but followed her deeper into the mine.
JUSTINE'S POV
"So how do you feel about all this?" Father asked me as we lifted our torches above us.
"I'm not comfortable," I answered honestly. "I wasn't comfortable with Leo's idea of my returning to Oklahoma to look for Stockman. You're sure you haven't seen him?"
"I've done five patrols in Elkhorn and the surrounding cities every day. I haven't seen a human-bug-thing. So your trip out here was Leo's idea, huh?"
"Father, please, stop."
We paused and faced each other.
"I don't know who you're going to hate more, me or Leo," I confessed. "But the entire Hamato Clan did a patrol in a hive that somehow stayed in Todayland despite Wilbur fixing his mistakes. At first, Wilbur and Athena had reason to believe Stockman was hiding there. It's perfect. Lily nor Anna can't trace anything underground unless they're underground themselves. But we found nothing. Then Anna spoke of how Stockman was never in Todayland because of how tight security is in the city. Then we realized you are the only security Elkhorn has and the town is not on the map."
"Which makes it the perfect place for him to hide," Father finished my thoughts, letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions."
"You didn't know," I replied with understanding. "But I also needed to come to Oklahoma to mend our relationship. I think you walking me down the aisle and dancing together was a huge step."
"Thank you for giving me that chance," Father said, putting a hand on my shoulder with a genuine smile. "I want to be a better father and an even better grandfather."
"Well, let's start by searching for Stockman together."
Father and I continued deep into the mine, praying we'll either find Stockman or make it out alive.
Saskatoon, North Montana, USA
APRIL'S POV
Donnie and I had patrolled the entire state of North Montana in the late hours of the evening. It didn't dawn on us until just now that North Montana was a combination of southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan.
Donnie did all the driving on the flying car he rented. I mainly used my powers to do a telepathic scan. It was nights like tonight where I wished Lily was here with me so we could scan more areas together.
"I'm not finding anything on my scanners," Donnie finally spoke after hours of driving.
"I can't sense anything," I groaned in frustration. "And I'm getting tired."
"Yeah, me too. It's getting late. Let's turn in at the Robinsons' so we don't miss Thanksgiving."
November 27, 2048 - Great Falls, South Montana, USA
DONATELLO'S POV
"Well, Justine just called," April spoke as we entered the city of Great Falls. "Stockman's not in Elkhorn."
"So Woody was right," I replied. "He called me, too. Says he's been patrolling Elkhorn and the surrounding towns like crazy. I'm glad he kept his word."
"They're doing the patrol around Oklahoma today," April continued. "In fact, the Pride family has separated."
"How so?"
"Buzz is covering northwestern Oklahoma while Jessie is patrolling the southwest. Woody went up to northeast corner and Bo, the southeast. Ryan went directly north towards Kansas while Justine went to Oklahoma City and then south with Isamu."
"You know, I'm proud of Justine!" I replied with confidence. "After everything she has gone through since she moved to Todayland, she's stepped up to become a leader, especially in setting aside her differences with her dad and trying to mend their relationship. That takes a lot of guts."
"You know when I noticed Justine was truly growing up?" April asked before answering her own question. "When she was pregnant with Isamu. She realized she had to step up in her responsibility. She ended up creating her own brand, graduating with her bachelor's degree, and then graduated twice in the same day so she could start work as a nurse. And yet she still makes time for her family."
"You know who that reminds me of?" I asked as she shook her head. "You. You were practically in the same boat when you became pregnant with Lily. You drove to New York City five days a week to be a news reporter but still made the drive home to see me, to bond with an unborn Lily, and just relax."
"We can talk about who is the best mother later," April replied nonchalantly. "We need to find Stockman."
"That reminds me of something."
"Oh, Donnie--"
"No, I'm serious. Has Lily been acting down lately when she talks to you? She took the news of Karena's pregnancy pretty hard when she found out."
"How far along is Karena?"
"Sixteen weeks. She's due in mid-May."
"Now that I think about it, she's been sounding more frustrated. She and James must still be trying."
"That's what I told her to do. I mean, that's all they can do. That, and don't stress about it as much."
"Do you think we should speak to her?" April asked, now with concern in her blue eyes.
"We've spoken to her plenty of times about this. If we continue to talk to her, that's only going to stress her out. Yes, we're her parents, but there are times when we need to step back and let her handle things on her own. And this is one of them. It's in God's hands now."
April let out a sigh. I took a quick glance at her. She was now 52 years old and she still looked like she was 30. And she was beautiful. Suddenly, she blushed.
"D, you know Lily's not the only one who's psychic. But I gotta say, you don't look a day over 22."
It was my turn to blush. It was true I aged slower than my brothers, who now carried some wrinkles. Raph and Mikey now had hair on their head as well. Raph had started to let his brown hair grow out while Mikey's was a platinum blonde. Leo had started to grow black hair, but Karai disliked it and he shaved it off. I had yet to see hair on my head or my face, and I was okay with that.
I shook my head, ready to focus back on our mission to find Baxter Stockman.
"South Montana is just as big a state as North Montana. We better move before we decide to spend the night here."
We spent the next two days driving around South Montana. The national parks were absolutely breathtaking, and April and I had agreed to take our breaks in those parks. Unfortunately, Baxter Stockman was not in South Montana.
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
ANNA'S POV
"Here we are again," Jasper announced. "The Old Chain of Rocks bridge."
"This has been a nice break from that long drive through Illinois," I replied, ready to stretch my legs.
I had ridden with Jasper this time from Chicago. Prior to our trip to Missouri, Jasper never went home to Westport to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family. Instead, I flew out on Thanksgiving Day and we celebrated the holiday in a hotel room. We also ended up making love for the first time last night. Needless to say, it was very different from what my mother told me, but it felt amazing.
We started our patrol in Missouri walking across the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. I very much admired the Mississippi River from above and the history I learned, again, did not disappoint. I was disappointed in one thing, however.
"Jay, Lily taught me a way to use my gift of foresight to see miles and miles away from my location," I explained, my long red hair blowing away from me. "Baxter Stockman is not in St. Louis."
"How about this?" Jasper suggested. "We take Route 66 through Missouri and spend the night in Joplin. Then we drive north to Kansas City and back through the middle on I-70. Then we drive north--"
"No," I interrupted him. "I do agree with your Route 66 suggestion, but instead, we drive south alongside the Arkansas border, back up to St. Louis, and then drive alongside the Iowa border. Once we hit Kansas City, we drive back to Chicago through St. Louis."
"This had better be worth it," Jasper grumbled. "Has anyone found Baxter Stockman yet?"
"No. Donnie texted the group and told us Stockman's not in North Montana. He and April are exploring South Montana this weekend."
"Well, I take it from this point on, you'll be on your stallion?"
"Is there a body of water along Route 66?"
Jasper took out his phone to look at his maps. His eyes widened in surprise.
"Actually, yes! The Meramec River."
I smirked, using the opportunity to spin myself around and exchange my orange dress for my Gondorian armor. While Jasper drove on Route 66, I rode my stallion alongside the Meramec River. When we couldn't find Stockman in southern Missouri, we rode alongside the Missouri-Illinois border before exploring the north. Our search ended the next day in Kansas City with no sign of Stockman.
December 25, 2048 - New York City, New York, USA
ATHENA'S POV
"Meeting time, everybody," I announced to the entire Hamato Clan in the conference room at T.I.M.E. headquarters. "Thank you all for coming. And thank you, Amy, for letting us use this conference room. Being together has become difficult with the clan all over the United States."
"You're very welcome," Amy Young replied, but she carried a frown. "I'm sorry you all had to meet here on Christmas Day."
"At least we're only missing Justine and Ryan," Uncle Leo replied. "How are you two doing?"
"It still feels odd using technology in a town that practically has none," Ryan answered. "But the three of us are safe here in Oklahoma. Say 'hi,' Isamu."
"Ohayō!" Isamu said in Japanese.
"Good morning!" we all replied happily with waves.
"While we're talking to you, how's your search going?" I asked my cousin.
"It hasn't started yet," Justine explained. "Our search starts tomorrow. We're going to take a one-day trip straight to Omaha, Nebraska and then explore that state the next day. Then we'll explore Kansas the next day. We'll return to Elkhorn for a night before venturing off to New Orleans. After a day of searching in Louisiana, we'll search in Arkansas before finishing off our Christmas break in Oklahoma."
"Good luck with your search," Lily replied. "Wilbur, how are you doing in your search?"
"I am done with my patrols in the states closest to me," Wilbur explained with a frown on his face. "I could not find Stockman anywhere."
"And the timelines?" Karena asked, caressing her baby bump. "Are they still correct?"
"Yes. Baxter Stockman has not traveled back in time yet."
"Yet?" Amy asked with a raised eyebrow. "Are you saying there is a possibility this Baxter Stockman will interfere with the time stream?"
"He stole all he needed from T.C.R.I.," Wilbur explained.
"If he had stolen everything he needed, then the Shredder would have already been reborn," Anna Swan chimed in. "But I do not sense Shredder's presence."
"I don't either," Lily replied.
"Speaking of which, Lily, James, was your search in Washington successful?" Aunt April asked.
"No," James answered with a frown. "The most successful thing we've done was make love over and over again."
"We did not need to know that," Venus shot back while Lily blushed.
"James, you're making it sound like making love was all we did," Lily whispered to her husband before speaking to the rest of us. "We did do a lot of sightseeing and the state was absolutely beautiful, especially the mountains. I'd like to go back again to see the lavender fields in the summer. What about your trip to Alberta, Dad?"
"Unfortunately, your mother and I came back empty-handed," Uncle Donnie answered with a frown.
"Okay, what the heck is going on?" Uncle Raph asked impatiently. "No one's been able to find Stockboy? And what about Anna?"
"Jasper and I have patrolled the majority of the Midwest," Anna explained, but she, too, had a frown on her face. "We could not find him. And I cannot sense him."
"At this rate, I'm tempted to have Aumanil search for Stockman around the world," Lily replied, rolling her eyes in disbelief."
"What all do you have left, Lilianna?" Auntie Karai asked.
"We're flying to Oregon to search there," James answered. "Is there anyone else going places after Christmas?"
"Donnie and I are going to patrol Manitoba and the Dakotas the next couple weeks," Aunt April explained.
"Meanwhile, Anna and I are going to fly to western Arizona," Jasper Crane, Amy's son, chimed in. "We'll be spending the next week driving through Arizona, New Mexico and Texas."
"Jasper, are you sure about this?" Amy asked with concern. "You're not part of the clan."
"I could not have patrolled the Midwest without Jasper's help," Anna chimed in. "I promise to take good care of him. And I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances."
Amy let out a sigh and then smiled.
"Why don't you come and spend Christmas with us?" Amy suggested to the half-elf, unbeknownst to her. "Russell's been wanting to meet you for some time."
"I'd love to, if it's not too much of a bother."
"Jasper's sister Jessi's been wanting to meet you, too. It will be our pleasure hosting you."
"Back to the subject, please," Mikey, my dad, pleaded with us. "Anna, Texas is a huge state. How many days will it take for you two to patrol it?"
"I'm guessing one day each in Arizona and New Mexico," Anna answered. "And maybe two or three days in Texas."
"Anybody else?" Renet, my mom, asked.
All of us shook our heads.
"Lily, I like your idea of having Aumanil search the globe for Stockman," Uncle Leo said. "But how would he be able to travel the world as a mutant fly?"
"What if Stockman figured out his mistake with my mutation?" Auntie Karai suggested. "What if he found a way to turn himself human whenever he wanted to?"
"Or what if he uses my transdimensional portal to travel across the Ten Dimensions?" Lily angrily asked.
We all gasped, realizing what Lily just said.
"I had forgotten about that," Uncle Donnie replied, biting his lip.
"Or worse, what if Stockman stole some time travel parts and used it to alter the timelines?" Wilbur asked.
"Wilbur, Amy, Renet, where would these time travel parts be?" Auntie Mona asked.
"The black market," Amy answered with a frown before turning angry. "Stockman wouldn't dare try to steal from T.I.M.E."
"He already stole from T.C.R.I.," Renet replied. "If Stockman can do that with his M.O.U.S.E.R.S., then he can do that with T.I.M.E., too."
"We need to double our security measures then. Wilbur, is there anyway to contact your father? We might need his help."
"My parents are actually here to celebrate Christmas with us," the raven-haired historian replied. "They're watching Diana right now. I can ask my dad when we get home."
"Also, Wilbur, would you be alright finding a way to monitor the timelines more often?" Uncle Leo asked.
"I would, but my office is turning into a nursery for the new baby. I'd have no other place to do it."
"Why not my lab?" Uncle Donnie suggested. "I can set up a desk just for you. And besides, you and Karena have to be in my lab for prenatal appointments."
"Thank you, Donnie, but I have a routine--"
"Wilbur, it's okay," Karena interrupted her husband. "Diana's usually with Russell after school and then I pick her up. You don't normally get home until after six. What's another hour?"
"If you can't make it, then you can train me how to watch the timelines," Uncle Donnie continued. "I hate time travel, but I want to learn more about it if it helps us."
Wilbur simply smiled.
"Thank you. Of course, I'll train you. I'll tell you what. On the days Karena has her appointments, I'll come to the lair to pick her up and I can show you after her appointments. Consider it our payment."
"That's a good idea," Uncle Donnie affirmed with a grin. "It's a deal."
"Great," Uncle Raph replied. "Now we need to figure out how to find him in the Ten Dimensions."
"Dad should patrol Dimension X," I suggested. "He's always known his way around."
"Raph, why don't you talk with our counterparts in 2007?" Uncle Leo suggested.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Auntie Mona chimed in. "There can't be two Turtles with the same name."
"So you're saying a human should go?" Karena suggested. "Isn't it risky?"
"It should also be someone the Turtles do not know," Mom replied. "Which means I will not be able to go to Earth-3. I have a counterpart there. I'll go to the 2007 dimension."
"I'll visit our friends in 1987," Auntie Karai chimed in. "I don't have a counterpart there."
"I will visit the Turtles in Earth-3," Auntie Mona said. "I do not have a counterpart in that world."
"We're just missing four dimensions," Uncle Donnie chimed in. "The Mirage dimension, the Rise dimension, our counterparts in 2014, and the Mayhem dimension."
"I'm going to be able to understand the Mirage dimension the most," Justine chimed in over the video. "I'll go there."
"Justine, are you sure?" Uncle Leo asked his daughter-in-law. "It could be dangerous. And it's not the kind of world you think it is."
"I'll take that chance. You took me in and I want to repay the favor."
"Very well, then."
"We need someone in the family who can understand black speech in the Rise dimension," Dad suggested.
"I know some Black Speech," Anna chimed in. "But I'm not sure it's appropriate for this kind of dimension."
"Anna, what Mikey means is someone who understands how African Americans speak," Jasper explained.
"Oh! Well, then I'm out. I'm too formal for that kind of thing."
"Why don't you talk with our 2014 counterparts, Anna?" Uncle Donnie suggested. "It's as close as you're gonna get."
"Deal."
"Casey!" Aunt April suddenly exclaimed happily. "Casey understands black speech. We can send him. And besides, the Casey Jones in that universe is a girl. We just need to give our Casey a fake name."
"He's not gonna get along with that," Uncle Raph replied.
"I don't think we have a choice, Raphael," Auntie Karai replied. "Jones is our best bet for that dimension. And then Shini can search the Mayhem dimension. She's one-of-a-kind."
"I take it we all understand our assignments?" Uncle Leo asked.
We all nodded, and we adjourned the meeting to celebrate Christmas with our families.
January 2, 2049 - Glenrio, Texas, USA
ANNA'S POV
Jasper and I got out of the car in what looked like the middle of nowhere. But I knew we were on the Texas-New Mexico border at the ghost town of Glenrio. It was so quiet. So historic. I envisioned the life this town used to have and the life that was attempted to be brought back. But today, it was still a ghost town, and all I could sense was tranquility.
"I've never seen a ghost town in my life," Jasper spoke, though I could not tell if he was in awe or if he was creeped out.
"It's absolutely beautiful," I replied with a grin.
"How?"
"There may be nothing much now, but imagine what this town was like when it was founded. The people bustling in their day-to-day lives and socializing with each other. And then it became another bypassed town on Route 66."
I paused, smiling at my friend.
"I've done some reading, you know, about Route 66. I'm thrilled there are still people who care about the history of the United States, especially about this road tourists called the Main Street of America. That's why this town is so beautiful. It's tranquil, but there's a story to be told."
"So did you read about what happened in Glenrio?" Jasper asked.
"Yes. It was a prosperous town with service stations on the Texas side and bars in New Mexico. There was a train depot that was built because of three railroads. But the depot was lost, and then Interstate 40 was born, bypassing the town completely and the thirty people who lived there left."
"I don't know what's sadder: this ghost town or that we still cannot find Baxter Stockman. Though I'm amazed that you somehow managed to get into Area 51. How did you pull that off?"
"One advantage I have of being in the Hamato Clan was that I was trained to be a kunoichi. I have become stealthier as a result and was able to infiltrate Area 51 without anyone sensing my presence. I'm honestly surprised Stockman wasn't there. It's perfect for someone to hide."
"Why would Baxter Stockman be in hiding anyway?" Jasper asked. "What has he done?"
"I'm amazed you don't remember my telling you. I had a vision where the Shredder was brought back to life and Lily believes Stockman is the key to that. We're trying to find him to prevent him from bringing the Shredder back or else the Hamato Clan will be at war with the Foot Clan again. Plus, Stockman's a mutant fly again and would not want to be around people."
We both sighed in frustration.
"Let's just go home," Jasper said, getting in the car.
Medford, Oregon, USA
LILIANNA'S POV
We turned on the lights to our hotel room, set our suitcases down, and then plopped onto our bed together. We blew sighs of relief together.
"This was the longest week I've ever had," James said.
"You said that when we were in Seattle," I replied with a chuckle.
"And what did we find?"
"New memories. Beautiful places."
"Yeah. Crater Lake was fascinating to see."
"I loved climbing up on Eagle Cap," I replied with bliss.
I felt my husband giving me an odd look.
"You mean Aumanil loved flying to Eagle Cap. We all know what happened."
"What can I say? I was born to fly and I was born to explore nature."
"But we're apparently not meant to find Stockman," James replied angrily. "He's not in Oregon either."
"I was very surprised to not find him in Portland. It's one of the biggest cities in America."
A thought suddenly came to my mind.
"What if Stockman found my father's former enemies, the Vizioso mob? They were in jail with him."
"Has Stockman ever worked with this mob?"
"No. Stockman always worked behind the scenes in his lab. His modus operandi has to be a lab! But where on earth in this godforsaken country could he be? We've covered half the country now!"
"What states are left?"
"The Canadian border, the southeast, Alaska, Hawaii. Justine and Ryan will be done with their patrols here soon. My parents will finish their patrols, too."
"How do you think they're doing?"
I took off my brown contacts, closed my blue eyes and tried to get a link to my mother's mind. Instead, I found Anna's.
"I don't know, but Anna and Jasper did not find Stockman in the southwest," I answered.
I glanced to my left to see James suddenly undressing himself.
"What are you doing?" I asked hysterically.
"Lily, we need to relax," my husband explained. "And what better way to do that than to love on each other?"
I let out a sigh as James took off his shirt. I took off mine, revealing my lavender-laced bra.
"You're sexy when you deeply think about things, you know that?" he asked me.
I smirked flirtatiously at him.
"I know."
We closed the distance with a kiss and covered ourselves up under the sheets.
January 9, 2049 - Elkhorn, Oklahoma, USA
JUSTINE'S POV
"Home sweet home, Isamu," I announced tiredly but excitedly. "Now you get on right up to bed, okay? Chichi and I will be up in a few minutes to tuck you in."
"I don't wanna go to bed!" Isamu whined.
"Son, it's late," Ryan replied. "We're all tired. It's been a long road trip for the three of us. And then we still have our plane trip back home."
"But, chichi-"
"No buts, Isamu-san," Ryan said sternly. "Go get changed and get into bed."
"Hai, chichi."
Isamu dejectedly went up the stairs to change. Suddenly, my parents came down the stairs to greet us.
"Hey!" Father exclaimed happily before bumping into Isamu. "Oh, sorry, son. I didn't see you there."
Isamu suddenly started crying as he continued up the stairs.
"Oh, dear," Mother spoke. "Is he okay?"
"We just got home and Isamu just woke up from a long nap," I explained. "It's been a long trip."
"I think I'd better go check on him," Father said, going back up the stairs and into Auntie Jessie's old room.
"How are you two doing?" Mother asked.
"We're tired," Ryan answered. "And we still have to fly back to Todayland tomorrow."
"Isamu's been a champ throughout all this," I said with a proud smile. "Just like his grandpa."
"Did you find Baxter?" Mother asked.
"No," Ryan answered dejectedly. "We were surprised he wasn't in Louisiana. His ancestors came from the New Orleans area and they were slaves."
"That actually makes sense," I replied. "I mean, why go to a place that only holds bad memories for your family?"
"You hadn't returned to Elkhorn for quite some time until last summer," Mother reminded me. "Did we really give you bad memories here?"
"Father had done the most damage with his authoritarian methods," I answered. "And he's my own father, my family. Family isn't supposed to harm one another. That's why I tried to stay away while attending college. And now I have a life in Todayland: becoming a veterinarian and raising a family. What else could I want?"
"I'm thankful I get to stay home with Isamu," Ryan chimed in. "I didn't realize what I really needed until I met Justine. In fact, it made me take my own parents for granted. I have a deeper appreciation for my father now than I ever did. I think I was a handful, especially since most of my time was spent picking on Lily."
"That poor woman!" I replied in aghast.
"Lily always won. What was I supposed to do, shake hands?"
"Speaking of shaking hands," Father suddenly said, walking down the stairs. "Your son would like to see you both."
"Is he okay?" I asked.
"He's alright now, but he's very tired."
"Thank you, Father."
Ryan and I both went up the stairs and into Auntie Jessie's room where Isamu was sleeping. My father had already tucked him in.
"Hey, baby, how are you doing?" I asked with a smile.
"Sleepy," Isamu answered. "Do we have to get in the car again tomorrow?"
"Well, yes," Ryan answered. "But then we'll get on an airplane and then we'll get on a train and finally be back home in your nice warm bed."
"I hate cars."
"You hate cars?" I asked with a frown. "Why?"
"I get sad. I don't play."
Ryan and I glanced at each other, realizing we had put Baxter Stockman over our own son.
"Isamu, we're sorry," I told him. "We should have asked if you wanted to play."
"We all had a rough trip, didn't we?" Ryan asked.
"And we're sorry we yelled at you during all those car rides. We had our own mission and we didn't even finish the most important mission of all: you. I promise one of us will check on you more, okay?"
"Does that mean more playtime?" Isamu asked excitedly.
"I think we can do better than that," Ryan replied with a smile. "We can practice sword-fighting together."
"Yeah! Can we do that tomorrow?"
"We sure can! And I bet haha will want to join us."
"Oh, I don't know anything about using a sword," I answered sheepishly.
"I'll teach you, Mommy!" Isamu offered.
Ryan and I laughed.
"Okay, deal," I replied with a firm smile.
I held out my hand. Isamu took his small hands and grabbed onto my right hand, shaking it with a huge smile on his face.
"That was a very generous handshake," Ryan praised him. "And now, it's time to go night-night."
"Night, haha. Night, chichi."
"Good night, sweet boy," I replied, tucking him in and kissing him on the cheek.
Ryan kissed our son, turned off the lights, and then left the room with me. We turned in for the night ourselves and slumber immediately took over.
Rapid City, South Dakota, USA
APRIL'S POV
"Donnie, if we keep this up, we'll have travelled all fifty-one states of America by the end of our lives."
"No kidding! First, we drive on three different interstates across the country before driving almost half of Route 66 to search for Lily. Then I teach in person in North Montana. Then we drive all of Route 66 and fly to Hawaii. And now South Montana, the Dakotas, and parts of Canada. But let me tell you, I'd rather drive through all these states for pleasure, not to search for one of our old foes."
Donnie and I collapsed on the bed after I put my suitcase down.
"So you couldn't find Stockman with your telepathic scan?" my husband asked.
"No. Donnie, he's probably in either Dimension X or underground. But then again, my scans can only go so far. Lily's is more powerful than mine. Together we scanned the entire globe."
"Well, we still have half the country left."
"But our part is done, and so is Ryan's. Have you heard from the Prides?"
"Yes. And they couldn't find Stockman either."
I let out a sigh. This search was becoming hopeless.
"At this rate, Stockman will be bringing back Shredder," I said, raising my hands up. "What will we do if that happens?"
"We fight," Donnie answered determinedly. "We fight to protect our family and we'll take him out again like last time. Honestly, I'm glad this is happening now and not when Lily was just a little girl. I don't know what I would have done if Shredder had taken her."
"You're her father, Donnie," I answered with the same amount of determination. "You'd fight the Shredder with claws, if you had to, to get Lily back. You'd kill him, actually."
"Oh, not me. You. You're her mother. You'd kill him if he touched our daughter."
"Let's not relive Lily's kidnapping, shall we?" I asked, sitting up and heading to the bathroom to change.
I sensed Donnie following me.
"Am I sensing some trauma from back then?" he asked me through the door. "How did we get from Shredder being reborn to Lily's kidnapping?"
"Donnie, we're all at that age where we're about to become grandparents. Leo's already a grandpa and Wilbur's becoming a father again. What if we get a grandchild and that kid ends up kidnapped?"
"April, you're overthinking this. Lily proved to be a smart girl when she was kidnapped. Knowing her, I know she'll teach her child what to do, just like you taught her. But do you want to tell me how you really felt when Lily was taken from us?"
"I felt devastated," I answered, already changed into my nightgown and now brushing my teeth. "Just like you. But you beat me to the tears. I needed to comfort you. And I needed to help you find our daughter."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Donnie asked with concern, opening the door. "I would have done the same thing."
"Two of us not being calm would not have done us any good," I replied, now rinsing the toothpaste out of my mouth. "Right now, I'm just hoping Shredder doesn't get reborn and he won't repeat history."
"I hate to say this, but if Stockman tells everything to Shredder, history will repeat. That's why it's our duty to stop Stockman. Stockman belongs in prison and right now, Raph has evidence that Stockman did steal all that equipment from T.C.R.I."
"And I hate to say that Stockman might be dimension-jumping with Lily's portal."
I slammed the toothbrush down on the counter and sharply turned towards my husband.
"I'm frustrated that my powers cannot find him."
"April, if he's not in the area, then he's not in the area."
Donnie walked in the bathroom and put his hands on my shoulders. I instantly calmed down at the touch.
"We'll find him, April."
"But, what if--"
Donnie put a finger on my lips with a gentle smile on his face.
"We will find him, A. I promise. Whether we find Stockman and or the Shredder, we'll win. Okay?"
I let out a deep breath, and I nodded. My purple-clad husband lifted my chin up for me to look deep into his amber eyes. He pulled me towards him. I closed my eyes. Our lips met. We shared some kisses together.
We shared another kiss as he gently lifted me up and carried me out of the bathroom. I was in awe that he was able to walk back to our bed with our eyes closed while still carrying me. He lied me down, our lips still touching. With the next kiss, he joined me on the bed. He pulled my straps down and caressed my arms.
I ended up falling asleep in his arms, my eyes still closed with a smile on my face.