Hi guys! Welcome to not only a new story, but also a reimagination of "Psychic in the Light!" "Psychic in the Light" was originally only a "Meet the Robinsons" story with little mention of the Turtles, but this will certainly be a crossover between the Turtles and the Robinsons. This first chapter was originally doubled the words you see here, so I had to cut it down into two chapters. You'll see the second chapter pop up later today. I just need to add more to the chapter to make it even with this one. These first two chapters, taking place about six years after the last chapter of "Worlds Between Worlds," are featuring only the Turtles. The Robinsons will arrive soon! Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

EDIT: I curiously read an article in Turtlepedia and realized that Rahzar got knocked into the Netherworld. This has been fixed.

September 25, 2023 – North Hampton, New York, USA

APRIL'S POV

I woke up in the bed to discover, again, that my husband was not present. I smiled, aware that Donatello had always gotten up early to tape his physics and biology lessons for his students attending classes online from Todayland University. When he would finish with his job, he had worked on his various experiments.

I was proud of my husband. Shortly after we got married, we had returned to the lair to move most of Donnie's things to the farmhouse and the barn. His first experiments were focused on creating more retro-mutagen to transform Shredder's goons back to being human. Some had accepted, like Xever, while others, like Tiger Claw, Bebop, and Rocksteady declined. The gang had disbanded, resuming either their normal lives or their lives as mutants. Timothy, the Pulverizer-turned-Mutagen Man who had attacked me and Casey ten years ago, was never given the opportunity – he is still frozen in Donnie's lab in the lair.

Around the time of my 22nd birthday, Donnie and I had a surprise visitor: the world-famous Cornelius Robinson, whom we had both met when we all traveled to the future. Cornelius fondly remembered Donatello and offered him the chance earn a doctorate degree. Donnie was given a test and he passed with flying colors, obtaining not one, but three Ph.D.'s: medicine, biology, and physics. Cornelius also met with government officials and made an outstanding case for Donnie, his family, and all of our mutant friends. Thanks to his efforts, mutants were now free to walk among humankind in the city, should they choose to.

As of this day, Dr. Donatello Hamato started his business as a physician for both humans and mutants, and he also teaches college students online for Todayland University. I finished my degree in journalism, thanks to the money Donnie had earned, and we were also able to remodel our home. Donnie was very generous and allowed Raph and Mikey to attend college. Raph obtained his degree in criminal justice and quickly climbed the ranks to become a detective for New York City. Mikey attended culinary school and took over Antonio's pizzeria, turning it into his own restaurant where his pizza is the most loved in the city. Leo declined the opportunity to go to college, following Master Splinter's path. He is still the sensei of the Hamato Clan while Karai is in charge of the Foot Clan. They each have their own dojos in the city, taking them over from Chris Bradford, who perished in the Netherworld.

Donatello and I are no longer the only couple with an anniversary on Christmas Day. Michelangelo and Renet married on Christmas Day in 2018. Leo officiated again, Raph was the best man again while Donnie and I provided the music together. Shinigami and Karai were both maids of honor at that wedding. Leo and Karai took two years to plan their wedding, and they tied the knot on Christmas Day in 2019. Donnie was the one who officiated this time. Shinigami was Karai's maid of honor and Raph was best man for the third time. Mikey did the music and dinner while I did my duties as the flower girl and the cake baker. Last but not least, Raph and Mona Lisa married on Christmas Day in 2020 despite the coronavirus spreading across the country. Donnie officiated the ceremony that year; Raph had asked Leo to be his best man. I was Mona's matron of honor. Karai and Shinigami created the opportunity to make music together. Mikey handled all the food. All eight of us were happy with our lives. To our pleasant surprise, Casey Jones, who plays hockey for New York, and Shinigami had gone on a few dates together. I had prayed that Shini would teach Casey a thing or two about judging people, as Shini had taken a liking to Mikey for some time.

I smiled more as I turned around in my bed to see what time it was, and my smile instantly disappeared: it was nine o'clock! I quickly got out of bed and got dressed. Thankfully, I didn't have to work at Channel 6 News today, so I did not have to worry about calling in late. I was in the mood for a T-shirt and jeans, so that was what I put on. I walked out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and into the kitchen to make myself some breakfast. Well, I tried to make breakfast. I turned on the pot to make some coffee. After adding the water and coffee grounds, I started to brew it. Then, I cracked a couple of eggs, put the yolks and egg whites in the saucepan, and started to scramble them. Suddenly, the eggs started to smell and I gagged. My stomach churned. I ran into the bathroom and emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet.

"That's never happened before," I said out loud.

I immediately brushed my teeth, and then I went back in the kitchen… only to find the eggs on fire and the coffee overflowing!

"Oh my gosh!"

I took the fire extinguisher and sprayed it onto the pan to put the fire out. Thankfully, the coffee had stopped overflowing when I put away the fire extinguisher. I had to try really hard not to spill the coffee on the floor as I poured myself a cup. Unfortunately, I took a sniff and then rushed right back to the bathroom to puke.

"What is wrong with me?" I asked, almost on the verge of tears. "First eggs and now coffee? Someone does not want me to have breakfast today."

After brushing my teeth again, I decided some fresh air would do me good. I went into the barn to find my husband working. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Good morning, April," Donnie greeted me while still working. "You're up late today. You didn't have to go to work?"

"No, thank goodness. There's plenty of coffee and burnt eggs inside if you're interested in taking a break."

"Burnt eggs?" Donnie replied, stopping what he was doing and turning his chair towards me with concern in his amber eyes. "That's not like you to burn eggs. I mean, not since you lived with us ten years ago."

"It's been an off day already, Donnie," I said, putting my hand on my stomach. "I slept in and made a mess in the kitchen. I puked twice because of the smell. Maybe I ate something that didn't agree with me yesterday."

"April, yesterday was Sunday. We always order pizza on Sundays. Besides, we ate the same thing and I feel fine."

"Then what is wrong with me, D?" I asked, letting the tears fall.

"Aww, April, come here."

Donnie held out his arms with a smile on his face. I sat on his lap as he held me. I let the tears fall on the tails of his purple mask as he tried to calm me down with his soothing voice.

"Everything is going to be alright, sweetheart," Donnie soothed me. "You are just having an off day, that is all. Though your nausea is worrying me. Why don't I take some blood and try to find what is going on? It shouldn't take me too long."

Donnie kissed me on the forehead.

"Why don't you go back upstairs and take a nice nap? It should help calm your stomach down a little. I'll clean up the mess in the kitchen."

"Thank you, D. I love you."

"I love you too, April."

DONATELLO'S POV

I took some of April's blood, put it in the fridge, and then escorted my wife back into the house, up the stairs, and into the bedroom. Once April laid in bed, I kissed her on the forehead and went back down the stairs to the kitchen. I frowned at the sight. The eggs were black and past saving. I threw them in the trash. Then, I poured myself a cup of coffee and took a sip. It was so strong that I almost gagged it out. I poured all the coffee down the sink and then I brewed a fresh pot. While the coffee was brewing, I cleaned the kitchen counters and mopped the floor.

I poured myself a cup of coffee and took a sip. After smiling with satisfaction, I went outside and back to my lab in the barn. I set the cup down at my desk, and then I went to the fridge and grabbed April's blood. I put some on the plate and put it under the microscope. But then I hesitated. April very rarely got sick, thanks to her being part-Kraang. I knew nausea was not a symptom of COVID, so I was not expecting to find something of that nature in her blood. I took another sip of coffee, and then I got to work in analyzing April's blood. I put a serious look on my face. The blood already looked different than it did when I usually analyze it. I zoomed the microscope in on the sample. My serious look turned into a surprised one when I discovered why her blood looked different: I had found human chorionic gonadotropins in April's blood.

"April's… having a baby?" I gasped.

I took another look at my wife's blood to see if I was dreaming. I zoomed in one more time, and I did indeed see human chorionic gonadotropins in her blood. I started to laugh with joy.

"April's having a baby," I said out loud. "April's having a baby!"

I laughed more and out of pure joy I ran outside and ran around the barn.

"April's having a baby!" I yelled with joy. "We're having a baby! This is the best day!"

I continued running around.

"I'm gonna be a dad!" I continued to yell excitedly.

I eventually got tired and went back into the barn and could not wait before calling one of my brothers.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Leo!"

"Donnie, hi!" Leo greeted me excitedly on the other line. "You sound excited."

"I've got the best news, Leo. Are you ready to be an uncle?"

"Donnie, what news?"

"I'll be stopping by later today to grab my ultrasound equipment," I continued. "Oh Leo, I'm so excited about being a dad."

"A dad? Wait, April's pregnant?"

"YES!" I squealed excitedly.

"Oh my gosh! Donnie, that is amazing news! How did she break the news to you?"

I calmed down a little bit.

"Actually, I'm going to be the one breaking the news to her. She doesn't know she's expecting. I examined her blood after she told me about her nausea, and I found something in her blood that indicates pregnancy."

"So, how are you going to break it to her?" Leo asked. "And should I tell the others?"

"Please no," I answered. "Once Mikey gets wind of the news, he's going to yell it out to the rest of the world like I kind of did just now."

"True. I think Mikey's going to be the most excited out of all of us. He's always wanted to be an uncle. Donnie, I'm so happy for you and April. You said you are coming later today?"

"Yes, I'll be there in a few hours. April's taking a nap."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you, Donnie. I love you."

"I love you too, Leo. See you soon."

I hung up the phone, left the barn, walked across the field into the house and into the kitchen. I opened the fridge and took out a can of ginger ale for April. Then, I went ahead and made some toast and preheated the oven to where the toast would stay warm for her. Once the toast was done, I set it on a plate and set it in the oven. I looked around for a piece of paper and a pen, wrote April a note, and then left the house. I got in the party wagon and headed south for New York City.

APRIL'S POV

I woke up from a pleasant nap. I got up off the bed and walked down the stairs. I smiled, appreciating my husband for cleaning up my mess. The only thing that was sitting out was a can of ginger ale with a note underneath it. I took the note and read it.

"April, please drink this ginger ale. It will help you with your nausea. I have also left two pieces of toast in the oven for you. That will also help. I went down to the lair to get some things. I'll be back later tonight. I have a surprise for you. I love you so very much. Please take care of yourself. -Donnie."

I smiled as I finished reading the note.

"My husband, the doctor," I said out loud. "I wonder what he's got planned."

I ate the toast and drank the ginger ale. Donnie was right. I did not feel nauseous the rest of the day. I assumed that I had food poisoning from last night and practiced my ninjitsu. I threw my tessen around the various trees in the area, using my psychic powers to guide it. I practiced with my tanto, and I also practiced with my hands and feet. However, my practicing did not last very long. I got fatigued very quickly.

"I need some water."

I walked back inside and got myself a glass of water. I had drank four cups of water before I needed to go to the bathroom. For the rest of the day, it seemed like I was either drinking water or going to the bathroom. Every time I tried to eat something that was not toast, I went back to the bathroom to puke it up. I had hoped Donnie figured out what was wrong with me.

I suddenly heard a vehicle coming my way. I looked out the window to see the Party Wagon pulling into the driveway, which meant Donnie was home. I ran outside to greet him and we ran into each other's arms. After some time, we pecked each other on the lips.

"How are you feeling, April?" Donnie asked me, showing the gap in his teeth with a smile. "Any better?"

"For the most part. I keep going to the bathroom though. I drank lots of water because that was the only thing I could keep down."

"Oh no," Donnie replied, his smile disappearing. "Don't tell me the ginger ale and toast didn't work?"

"Oh, it did! Thanks! But anything else I put in my stomach comes right back up."

"Alright. It's still good to see you're okay though. Let's go upstairs."

"Is that where the surprise is?" I asked.

"Sort of."

Donnie took my hand and led me up the stairs and into our bedroom. We gazed at each other fondly before he finally spoke.

"I took a look at the sample of your blood."

"And?"

"And I figured out why you were nauseous, sleeping in, getting fatigued quickly, everything you are feeling right now."

"Donnie, this is not a surprise. This is a testimony of my impending death."

Donnie's smile faded away quickly and put a serious look on his face.

"April, this is nothing to joke about. And besides, you're not going to die."

"I'm not?" I asked, feeling a little relieved. "Then, what's wrong with me?"

Donnie's smile returned, and this smile was my favorite. He caressed my left cheek with his right hand.

"There is nothing wrong with you, April. In fact, something wonderful is happening inside you. April, we're having a baby. We're going to be parents."

I snorted out a laugh.

"Donnie, I'm not pregnant. I haven't even taken a pregnancy test! It's just a case of food poisoning."

Donnie's smile disappeared and his serious look came back. My smile disappeared also when I realized he wasn't joking. I put my hand on my abdomen, now realizing there was a baby growing inside me.

"Are you alright, honey?" Donnie asked with a frown on his face.

I could not answer him. My mind was swarming with all of these positive and negative thoughts.

"I… don't know," I finally answered after a few minutes.

"Are you not excited about having a baby?" Donnie asked.

"Yeah! Yeah, I am."

"But something is bothering you. What's wrong, April? Please, tell me."

I let out a sigh.

"I'm scared, Donnie. Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited at the thought of having a baby, but I'm scared too. Will the baby look human like me or look like a turtle like you? Will I make it through the pregnancy? Will the baby be born live or will I push an egg out? Will there be any complications during this pregnancy?"

"I see you've done your research," Donnie replied, putting his three-fingered hand on his chin.

"Yes, a long time ago. I never thought I would actually be able to have a baby with you."

I felt Donnie's hand touching my chin, and he lifted my eyes to look into his.

"I, too, wasn't sure if it was possible, but our love-making was worth trying anyway. And it looks like it paid off after five and a half years. April, just hearing your fears is enough to tell me you will be an amazing mother to our child, turtle or human, or maybe a mix of both."

Donnie moved his hand onto my abdomen, on top of my right hand.

"This baby will be smart and beautiful, and I am beyond excited to raising our child with you. And I am beyond excited right now that you're pregnant!"

"Really?" I asked, hope coming back to my blue eyes.

"Really," Donnie answered, putting that kind smile back on his face. "I practically ran around the barn earlier today, telling all the birds that we were having a baby."

I laughed for the first time today.

"I'm happy to hear you say that you're excited," I told him. "It makes me excited too. And you're assuring me that everything will be okay. I can't get rid of the thought that something will go wrong."

"So we'll need to monitor you," Donnie suggested, putting his head down. "And that is okay. This will not be a normal pregnancy. I just want to see you and the baby here and safe."

It was my turn to lift Donnie's eyes to look into mine.

"If it means going through the pregnancy together, then it will be worth it. I love you. This baby is evidence of that."

We pulled in for a kiss. I moved both my hands onto his shoulders while his left hand remained on my flat abdomen. We pulled apart and we smiled.

"Leo made some soup for you. He thinks it'll help you with your nausea."

"Does Leo know that I'm pregnant?" I asked.

"Yes, and only the three of us know. I had to let Leo know so that I could go down and bring back the ultrasound equipment."

"Which means we'll see our baby?" I asked excitedly.

"Yes, that's exactly what that means," Donnie answered, pulling me in for another kiss. "The best is yet to come, April."

November 1, 2023

I got up and put on a T-shirt and jeans. Then I went to the mirror to take a look at myself. I was ten weeks pregnant today, but I was not seeing a visible baby bump yet. Disappointed, I took the selfie on my phone anyway. I had taken a selfie every day since Donnie revealed the news of my pregnancy. I had started a scrapbook, documenting not only my progress, but my baby's progress as well. I'd print the picture I took that day, and then I'll write one thought that stood out about my baby. As it was only morning, I decided not to worry about that yet.

I walked down the stairs to the kitchen and made myself two pieces of toast and ginger ale. That was the only thing that I could keep in my stomach. As I waited for my toast, I decided to grab my laptop from the living room. I started it, and then I opened the internet. I curiously googled 'girl flower names.' Before I could continued, I heard the toaster pop up the bread, meaning my breakfast was done. I brought the toast with me to the table. As I ate, I looked through all the names on the website I clicked on and wrote down the ones I really liked.

"Good morning, April."

I jumped at my husband's voice, and we both laughed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" Donnie said while laughing.

"It's okay, honey," I replied, still laughing. "I guess I was so engrossed in my research I've tuned out everything else."

"What kind of research are you doing?" Donnie asked, getting himself a cup of coffee.

"Baby names. Girl baby names. Names that come from flowers."

My husband walked over to me and sat down next to me.

"Is that what this list is?"

I nodded and showed him the list.

"Lily is my absolute favorite one so far," I told him. "I'd love to do Violet too, since your favorite color is purple."

"I'm not sure how I feel about naming our possible daughter Violet Hamato," Donnie replied, scratching his bald green head. "Now Viola is beautiful. It's the Italian version of Violet."

"Maybe… but I really love Lily for the meaning: whiteness and purity."

I turned to Donnie and put my right hand on his left shoulder.

"Donnie, you have the purest heart I know. If this baby is a girl, I hope that she will get a pure heart from you. And besides, I've thought about decorating the baby's room, and it is going to be white."

"Let's maybe not do all white," Donnie suggested. "But you know we have to come up with a middle name for our baby."

"Well, if it's a girl, that'll be easy. Our baby is due in May, so maybe we can give her that name, but with an 'e' instead of a 'y'."

"And what does May mean?"

"Let's see… in Anglo-Saxon it means kinswoman. In Greek and Scottish, it means pearl. In Hebrew, it is the name of a wished-for child. Lastly, in Persian, it means child of light."

"Well, I think we got the nickname and the middle name figured out," Donatello concluded. "But what could Lily be short for?"

"Looks like Lillian and Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth is too common. And I feel like I'll be calling our baby an old lady if we named her Lillian."

I let out a laugh that was much louder than I intended that to be as I looked more into my search. Then, it suddenly hit me!

"Donnie! I think I got it!"

"What?"

"Lilianna! Listen to this: with the addition of 'Anna' at the end, Lilianna blossoms into a brand new version of the original, with a fresh feel, like those first mild spring days when the sun comes out. I think we have a name for our daughter!"

I paused.

"That is, if this baby is a girl."

"Lilianna Mae Hamato," Donnie said, and then pondered, and then smiled. "I love it!"

"Now we need to find a name if our baby is a boy."

I had more trouble with this one. I had only written down two names.

"Peregrine and Roselin?" Donnie asked, peeking at my list.

"Peregrine means traveler or wanderer," I explained. "We could name our son Roselin if he turns out to have red hair like me, because that's exactly what that means. Sage could be another option."

"I do like Sage. It's simple."

Donnie sighed.

"April, please tell me that we're having a girl."

I chuckled.

"I can't yet. I'm only ten weeks along."

"Oh! That reminds me! Come with me."

Donnie took both my hands and led me out of the house and into the barn. He motioned me to lie down on the cot.

"What are you doing, Donnie?"

"When I discovered we were expecting, I drove down to the lair and retrieved my ultrasound equipment," Donnie explained. "I have it all set up to monitor the baby's progress. Would you like to see it?"

I gasped in delight.

"Can we do that?"

"Only one way to find out. Now this gel is going to be cold."

I lifted my shirt up before Donnie put a cold blue gel on my abdomen.

"Huh, your abdomen is swollen," Donnie noted as he rubbed the gel around my belly.

"I am a kunoichi, Donnie," I replied with a smirk.

"That's not what I mean, April. The farther along in your pregnancy you get, the more swollen your abdomen will be. The ligaments spread out, allowing your uterus to grow. Now, let's turn this on."

I watched Donnie turn on some switches to activate his machines, and then he rubbed an object around my belly, trying to find the baby. Suddenly, I heard something.

"Donnie, do you hear that?"

Donnie stopped moving to listen to what I heard.

"Yes! April, we found it! That's our baby's heartbeat!"

Donnie gasped.

"Sorry, I'll be quieter. I'm just so excited about this. Now let me see if we can get a peek at our baby on this ultrasound machine."

I turned to the left where the machine was and I saw a little white blob in a sea of black.

"Donnie, stop!"

Donnie stopped moving the dobbler, and he turned to the machine.

"April, it's our baby!"

We smiled. We watched the baby squirm around and listened to the baby's heartbeat.

"This is so much cooler than watching squirrelnoids multiply inside their hosts," Donnie said out loud.

"Is there any indication that the baby is a human or a turtle?" I asked. "Can you even tell that?"

"Well, turtles grow in eggs and then they hatch. What I'm seeing, April, is definitely a human baby. Let me see if I can make the image bigger."

I held onto the doppler while Donnie started typing rapidly. I watched the image of our baby get bigger.

"Do you see those arms and legs?" Donnie asked.

I nodded, and suddenly, I understood where Donnie was heading with the conversation.

"The baby's going to be human!" I replied excitedly.

"Keep in mind, April, that when my brothers and I mutated, the last thing we had made contact with was a human. We gained many human characteristics. I had no doubt in my mind you were pregnant with either a human or a humanoid turtle. We'll have to wait until the baby's born to discover which one he or she will be."

"Thank you, Donnie!" I said, tears coming out of my eyes. "But I'm still worried."

"Why?"

"I don't have a bump to show off to people!"

"You don't have a bump yet," Donnie corrected me with a smirk. "I've done some reading on human pregnancy and not having a bump at ten weeks is perfectly normal. Not all babies grow exactly the same during pregnancy. Some grow faster than others. This is our first child, April, so of course I was not expecting you to show immediately. From what I am seeing here on the sonogram, the baby is one hundred percent healthy."

"Really?" I asked, smiling through my tears.

"Really."

Donnie smiled at me with fondness in his amber eyes, and then he shut off the machine. He washed the gel off my belly, and then he washed his hands at the sink he installed.

"Now I think it's time you went to work."

"Yeah. It's a long drive to New York."

"Why don't I go with you?" Donnie suggested. "I can spend the day with my brothers and maybe their wives, and it'd also give us the opportunity to share the news with them."

"That's a good idea! Thanks, D."

DONATELLO'S POV

April got to work on time, and I went right to the lair. I sparred with Leo for a few hours while Raph and Mikey were at their jobs. Then, Leo and I caught up with each other on our lives while watching episodes from our favorite TV shoes: Space Heroes and Super Mega Force Team Five. We had leftover pizza for lunch, which was one huge benefit from Mikey being the boss of his own restaurant. Then, Leo and I did a night patrol when the sun set, giving everyone enough time to make it to the lair.

"Do you miss this?" Leo asked. "I mean patrolling with us every night."

"Sometimes," I answered. "It's hard being away from all of you, but I'm thankful for everything up north. I have April, my jobs, my experiments."

"How do you do it all?" Leo asked, smiling. "I thought I was the one with the burden."

"Our burdens are unique among us. But they are a part of who we are. Master Splinter would be proud of you, Leo."

Leo put a hand on my shoulder.

"He'd be proud of you too, Don. He's proud of all of us."

"Donnie?"

I turned to see April, Karai, Mikey, and Renet all walking into the lair.

"Hey, guys," I said with a smile.

I nearly fell to the ground when Mikey ran over to me and gave me a bear hug.

"It's great to see you too, Mikey," I said with giggles.

"I was wondering when you'd be back down here again!" Mikey replied. "You should try tonight's dinner."

"I can't complain about New York's favorite pizza chef, especially because he's my brother."

I greeted Renet and Karai with hugs and asked them how they were doing. Shortly afterwards, Raph and Mona walked in. I shook their hands, as neither of them liked to be hugged, but they did hug April upon seeing her.

"Let's eat!" Mikey announced.

He took the two pizzas from his wife's hands and distributed them amongst everybody except April, who had declined. Mikey had created two simple pizzas tonight. One pizza had marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni. The other pizza was a supreme with buffalo sauce. Mona and Raph seemed to prefer that one over the simplicity. I had gone into the kitchen to make April two slices of toast. Unfortunately, there was no ginger ale in the fridge, so I simply poured her a glass of water.

"Toast?" Mikey whined, putting his hands on his hips. "Come on, April, you've gotta try one slice of my creation!"

"I'd love to Mikey," April replied. "But there's a reason why I'm having toast tonight. And I'd like to share that reason with all of you."

All eyes were on us as my family continued to eat the pizza.

"Donnie and I are going to have a baby," April announced with a big smile on her face.

I watched the reactions of every member. Leo simply smiled, as he already knew about the pregnancy. Karai and Renet dropped their jaws before taking another bite. Mikey stopped chewing mid-bite, opened his mouth, and the pizza fell out. Mona had both of her hands on her face with a delighted look on her face. And Raph carried the biggest smile in the room. The entire room then erupted in cheers.

"Yes! Yes! YES!" Raph and Mikey yelled at the same time, running to each other and hugging each other.

"We're going to be uncles, Raph!" Mikey yelled excitedly. "I've always wanted to be an uncle!"

"Me too!" Raph shouted excitedly.

"I have never seen Raph so excited about something before," I told Leo.

"He's more excited about the baby than he was about marrying Mona," Leo replied. "He did have Spike for a while, until, you know, he mutated."

"When's the baby due, April?" Karai asked.

"May. And we've already come up with a name if it's a girl, but I'll leave that up to your imaginations."

"Oh, we're good at using our imaginations, right Raph?" Mikey replied with a huge smile on his face.

"Are you two going to need help?" Mona asked.

"I think we're okay for the moment," April answered.

"We may need it once the baby's here," I chimed in. "You know, you guys can always come up to the farmhouse. We'd love to see you all."

"Christmas is coming up," Leo replied. "What do you say, guys?"

"Christmas and wedding anniversaries?" Mikey asked in reply. "Let's do it!"

December 25, 2023

APRIL'S POV

I woke up with a huge smile on my face. It was Christmas Day, which meant Donnie and I had been married now for six wonderful years. I turned around in bed, and for once, I found a sleeping Donatello in it. I caressed his left cheek with my hand, still with a smile on my face, and with my other hand, I rubbed my swollen belly, which was very slowly getting bigger.

I was less than 18 weeks along, and while I was excited to have the baby, I was nervous about how I was growing, despite Donnie telling me that the growth process was normal. My baby bump was still not very noticeable despite it growing slowly, but it looked more like I ate a lot of food, which was also true. It made me wonder if our baby was growing the way he or she should be.

I suddenly felt a flutter in my stomach. I took my hand off of Donnie's cheek and placed it on my baby bump. I laid on my back and rubbed my bump with both hands to see if I would feel the fluttering again. I gasped with delight when I felt it.

"Donnie!" I yelled. "Donnie, wake up!"

My husband moaned.

"April, honey, the one time I get to sleep in and it's still early in the morning," a maskless Donnie grumbled sleepily.

"Donnie, you need to feel this," I prompted him.

I sat myself up as Donnie slowly sat himself up. Then I pulled his left hand onto my small baby bump.

"April, the baby is fine. I tell you this every day: the baby is growing the way he or she should be."

"Donnie, wait a moment."

I rubbed my baby bump with my free hand, and I felt the fluttering again. I watched Donnie's eyes widen when he realized he felt it also.

"Was that… our baby moving?" Donnie asked in awe.

"Merry Christmas, Donnie," I said happily. "This is the most precious gift you could ever give me."

"Aww, honey."

Donnie and I pulled into a hug and then a kiss.

"Happy anniversary, honey," Donnie said with a kind smile. "The best gift you've given me is marrying me and giving me a family. I wouldn't have it any other way."

We kissed again.

"Let's have some breakfast," I suggested. "The family's coming here for Christmas and staying an entire week."

"Agreed," Donnie replied. "The last thing we need is for you to go into the sewers only to puke from morning sickness."

The first thing we did was make breakfast for ourselves. Once finished eating, we cleaned up, and we prepared ourselves to make a Christmas lunch. We went all out. We made chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, everything. Donnie even went all out and made a pizza just for Mikey. Donnie included alfredo sauce, green peppers, ham, tomatoes, and gouda cheese. For dessert, we made the classic fruit cake as well as a dessert pizza with marshmallows, chocolate drizzle, and peppermint candies.

We finished everything just in time. The rest of the family pulled up in the Shellraiser, and Donnie and I went outside, greeting them, hugging them, and kissing them.

"Merry Christmas," we greeted each other. "Happy Anniversary."

We all walked inside the house.

"Just think, Donnie," Mikey spoke up. "At this time next year, we'll have another member of the family."

Donnie and I looked at each other and smiled fondly. Mikey was right. Our little baby was going to be in this house next Christmas with a big smile. This house was going to be even fuller because of our baby, and all of us were excited at the thought. We sat around the Christmas tree and talked about all the Christmases we had spend together the past two years. This was the third year we all spent Christmas together. In the years before that, Donnie and I had rented the house out to each of the brothers and their wives for their honeymoons, decorating it to their hearts' content, and then we spent the week in the lair in New York.

When the eight of us spent Christmas together, we always had a moment of silence for Master Splinter, who was no longer here with us to celebrate. Christmas was his favorite holiday to celebrate, even more than Mutation Day. There was always mistletoe hanging over the doorway to the kitchen with a special rule: we kissed each other, not just our spouses, and I took the pictures. Karai had taken the pictures if I was under the mistletoe. We ate Christmas lunch and then we opened presents around the Christmas tree Donnie and I would find every year in the woods. The last tradition we upheld as a family was dancing to all of our first dance songs. Donnie and I had danced to Lighthouse's Everything. Mikey and Renet danced to Sixpence None the Richer's Kiss Me. Leo and Karai had choreographed and danced to a song used in the "Lord of the Dance" concert called Fiery Nights. Lastly, Raph and Mona had danced to Lighthouse's You and Me.

"Donnie, April, get on the dance floor again," Mikey told us.

"We did our dance already, Mikey," I replied with giggles.

"This is a special Christmas," Mikey explained. "You're having a baby. And I've got a song just for you."

"How are you feeling, April?" my purple-clad husband asked me.

"I think I can handle another dance," I answered.

As Donnie and I stood back up and to the middle of the room, I noticed that Leo and Raph had gone upstairs. I shrugged as Mikey put the music on. The music was the most gentle I had ever heard as Donnie swayed me in his arms. As Christmas was about the birth of a religious icon, the song was about him, but when I listened to the lyrics while dancing with my beloved, I carried a big smile on my face, for I imagined what our baby could possibly do when he or she arrives.

"Don't know how long I'm gonna have you for, but I'll be watching when you change the world," I sang in Donnie's arms. "I look at your hands, they're still so small. Someday, you're gonna stretch them out and save us all."

"I love you, April," Donnie breathed into my ear as the song continued.

"I love you too, Donnie."

We continued to sway in each other's arms until the song ended.

"Go on upstairs, you two," Mikey prompted us with a smile.

Donnie and I shrugged at each other as we started going up the stairs. We knew the rest of the family was following us, and Leo and Raph greeted us at the top.

"This is our very first Christmas present to your baby," Leo announced.

Leo led us not to our bedroom, but to the bedroom next to it. I let out a loud gasp. There was now a crib set up in what would be the baby's room against lavender walls and letters that spelled "BABY" above it.

"Since we didn't know if you were having a boy or a girl," Raph explained. "This was the best we could do. Once the baby's born, you can change the letters."

"Raph, this is beautiful," I replied with both tears and a smile. "Thank you so much."

"Of course, there's going to be more, but—"

"No, Leo, it's perfect," Donnie interrupted, but with a smile on his face. "Thank you."