Hi guys! This story was inspired by the fact that "Meet the Robinsons" celebrated an anniversary yesterday. 13 years ago, the movie came out in theaters. Now, I didn't see this movie until about 2 years later, and the "Keep moving forward" motto stuck with me since. So, this one-shot story takes place after the movie, and in my fanfiction world, it takes place right after "Disaster." Enjoy! DISCLAIMER: I do not own the movie "Meet the Robinsons," I only own Karena and her dad.

April 27, 2013 – Los Angeles, California, USA

KARENA'S POV

I sat in my apartment on a warm Saturday afternoon watching Meet the Robinsons after I had my adventure in said movie. It was an adventure I would never forget. I had made friends with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on an earlier adventure, and Donatello was able to find his way to Los Angeles using the magic remote that I had with my television set. He asked for my help in locating his three brothers, Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo. We found Leo in the world of The Lord of the Rings and fought the battle of Helm's Deep; Raphael we found in Tangled, dancing with Rapunzel and Eugene; and we found Mikey in the future in Meet the Robinsons, where I met Wilbur Robinson for the first time.

I got more than what my adventure carried when I watched the movie, for I got a glimpse of Cornelius Robinson's story on how he became the Founder of the Future, as well as how Wilbur met his dad in the past. My first impression of Wilbur on my adventure was… interesting. Donnie, Leo, Raph, and I had no idea where to start looking for Mikey when Wilbur approached us, offering to help because he was also looking for someone. I thought he looked cute but handsome at the same time, but I saw him as impatient. I also learned that there was no messing around with Wilbur Robinson, because, while he was a good liar, he could easily spot a lie. He almost didn't buy the story on my magic television set when I explained it to him!

Wilbur proved to be more than a 13-year-old boy on both my adventure with him and in the movie. I was actually amazed at how the movie went without me and the Turtles interfering, and I also got a glimpse of how Wilbur dropped Lewis back in the past, even taking him back to when his biological mother dropped him off at the orphanage.

When the movie ended, I thought about how Wilbur and I left things in his world. It was 2037 over there in Todayland, North Montana, and we had decided to give dating a shot. We both knew it wasn't going to be easy, with my being 18 and just about to graduate high school and him just about to enter high school, but we were willing to be honest with each other. It already wasn't easy, because we're in two different worlds. Wilbur had just began his punishment for using the time machines against his father's wishes as well as bringing Lewis to the past and lying to him about not showing him his biological mom. I had no idea if he was going to be able to make contact with me or not. But, I am patient, and knowing him, I know that he is learning to be patient as well.

I decided to give my dad a call because I had never dated anyone before, and I waited for him to pick up.

"Karena!"

"Hey, Dad. How are you?" I asked, immediately putting a smile on my face

"You just made my day! It's a quiet time here in the lab. So, what's on your mind?"

"How did you know Mom was the woman to marry?"

"Personal stuff, huh? Is there a boy you're interested in?"

"More than interested in, Dad. But I'll explain later. Do you have any advice for me when the time comes?"

"Your mother, Evelyn, she was a sweetheart before we got married. Heck, she was always a sweetheart. Every night on the phone, she would sing to me before we hung up, and even before we had you, she would sing to me. Evelyn made me feel like I'm home. She gave me comfort when I needed it, and when I was happy, so was she. What's the boy's name?"

"His name is Wilbur. I met him on an adventure. He explained his background to me and admitted that he never told anyone else in… well, honest words. He just spilled everything out like I was his best friend."

"And how do you feel?"

"I feel the same way… like I can tell him anything and he won't judge me. He's also one to be totally honest whenever I'm in a dump."

"Wilbur sounds like a great guy," Dad said, and that put a smile on my face. "But only you will know if your relationship with him will go far or not. Just continue to be honest with each other and bring each other up, and you will be just fine."

"Thanks, Dad. I love you."

"I love you too, Karena. Be safe now."

"You too. Goodbye."

I hung up the phone, and I started to write in my journal what I would tell Wilbur if he was with me right now.

April 27, 2037 – Todayland, North Montana, USA

WILBUR'S POV

After an adventure I would never forget, I was grounded for a month. My mom had initially grounded me for life, but my dad convinced her to only punish me for one month. I was not to touch the time machines, and my dad had confined me to cleaning up the time lab that I had destroyed after the Bowler Hat Guy stole one of the time machines. My only breaks were meal times and when I went to bed, and today, I was alone. Every person in my family had offered me company, but both my dad and I agreed that it would be best if I learned my lessons without anyone else in the lab. I had a lot to think about anyway.

My feelings were mixed. I was so very happy that the timeline was fixed, and according to my dad, the timeline is even better than it was before the Bowler Hat Guy stole the time machine. I also now have another important person in my life: Karena Edwards. I met Karena while looking for Lewis, and she was also looking for a friend of hers. We decided to help each other, and we gave each other our backstories. I gave Karena more than just what was going on in the present; I gave her the story of how I truly felt throughout all of this, something I had never done before, and Karena never judged me. Instead she encouraged me to learn my lessons and to grow from them.

But, I was also depressed. Karena was not here to help me, as she went back to her world in Los Angeles in 2013, and here I am, serving my punishment, which I deserved. I don't even have Carl to cheer me up, and I don't blame him after everything I put him through. I don't regret my adventure, for I have learned a lot about myself, but I do regret lying to Lewis and not telling him upfront that I was his son. I had also learned to not take my dad for granted. My dad is the smartest man in the world, and he made the world a better place to live with his inventions. But I only thought of myself and took advantage of his knowledge, and I am paying the price for it.

Then, Karena entered my mind as I swept up the remains of the sentry robots. I remembered the conversation we had when I told her about how both the Bowler Hat Guy and I messed up the timelines, and I had told her that I thought my parents wanted me to follow in my dad's footsteps. I had always thought that I was a troublemaker to them, but Karena felt the complete opposite: she had called me wise and smart for learning from my mistakes and trying to fix them the best I could. That encouraged me to tell my dad how I truly felt when we had our talk, and he promised me he and my mom would me more mindful about how I felt.

But somehow, it wasn't enough. I set the broom down and ran back to the train. I paged the train, which took me back to the living room, and I walked to my dad's lab. I walked up the stairs, where I found Carl and my dad in discussion. When I approached them, they both looked in my direction. Carl had shock on his face while my dad raised an eyebrow.

"Wilbur, what are you doing here?" Carl asked. "Aren't you supposed to be cleaning up the time lab?"

"I'm sorry, Carl, but Dad, I need to talk to you. It's important."

"Would you like some company, Lewis?" Carl asked.

"No, we should be fine," Dad answered. "Thank you, Carl." We paused as Carl walked out of the lab. "What's on your mind, Wilbur? Is everything okay in the time lab?"

"Things are moving along," I answered. "I've reached the security protocols already. But that's not why I came to you. I know we talked about how I feel about myself, but I need to ask: how do you feel about me? Do you expect me to follow in your footsteps?"

"Wilbur, you are your own person," Dad explained, putting a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry if we made you feel like you need to follow my footsteps, but it will be okay if you don't."

"You promise?" I asked, looking up at him, and Dad gave me a smile.

"I promise. You can be whoever you want to be, Wilbur. Maybe you can become a police officer of the timeline. But promise me you'll take life one day at a time and grow into your own person. I don't want to see you getting hurt because you're anywhere but the present. After all, these incidents caused your nonexistence, and you not existing again could put your mother and I down a dark path. You are our light of the world."

"I understand."

"Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?"

"No. I wanted to talk to you about Karena, too."

"Karena's a nice woman," Dad said, and I smiled. "She's planning on moving here to Todayland, actually. She asked me and your mom to look for an apartment for her so she could attend school at the University."

"Karena's moving here?" I asked with surprise in my voice. "That's quite a time jump."

"She explained that there was nothing left for her in Los Angeles, but also that you made quite an impact on her decision to move here."

"Would her moving here have any impact of her future though?"

"Carl and I looked at the machine of possibilities, but after her high school graduation, it's like she didn't exist."

"So Karena really was destined to move here?" I asked in awe.

"It would seem so," Dad replied. "Is there anything going on between you two that I should know about?"

"That was actually why I was going to ask you about her. I have feelings for her."

"Oh!"

"Yeah, I was wondering if you had any advice on how to… date?"

"Be careful, Wilbur," Dad warned me. "Karena's four years older than you."

"We both know. Karena didn't think it would be possible, but we're both willing to try."

"My best piece of advice for you then would be to keep an open mind and be honest with each other. But, two big components in any relationship is communication and trust."

"We talked about it, and we're willing to be open with each other. This won't be the easiest thing for either of us to do."

"Don't forget, Wilbur, that I met your mom when I was your age. We took the time to get to know each other and encourage each other as we grew up and fell in love with each other. I'm confident that if your mom and I can achieve our goals and get to where we are today, you and Karena can too. Just, take your time."

"Is it possible for me to contact Karena in some way so that she'll know what's going on?"

I watched my dad ponder in thought as he brought his left hand to his chin.

"I don't think you'll be able to reach her by phone, but maybe you can see her for just a few minutes."

"Really? You would do that?" I asked with hope in my eyes.

"Let's try it. Karena gave me the remote."

KARENA'S POV

I had just finished making dinner when I heard a noise coming from the living room. After I moved my vegetables from the saucepan to the colander, I rushed into the living room and let out a gasp.

"Wilbur! Cornelius! What are you guys doing here?"

"I wanted to see you, Karena," Wilbur, who had chocolate-colored eyes and black hair, explained. "So Dad's allowing me to come here for a few minutes."

"Well, welcome to my apartment!" I exclaimed, giving him a hug. "So is there a reason you're over here besides seeing me? We did just see each other a few hours ago."

"I'm sure it's been more than a few hours," Wilbur replied. "I've been cleaning the time lab since you left."

"Is that your punishment?"

"Yes. That, and not touching the time machines. My only break times are during meals and when I go to bed."

"Oof, ouch," I replied with a wince.

"I know, it's not fun. But I deserve it."

"Wilbur, one thing you always deserve is a second chance."

"I just… the reason why I'm here is because this whole dating thing is so new to me and, well…"

Wilbur paused as he rubbed his neck.

"I just want to do it right, and I don't want to be clingy."

"Wilbur, I'm new to dating, too. It's okay. And I promise, you're not clingy."

"I wanted to come over here because I won't be seeing you for a month."

"I can be patient," I replied with a smile on my face. "I know you're the type of person to be impatient."

"How can I work on that?" Wilbur asked, and he looked nervous. "I know I'm not the best person in the world, but I want to change that… for you."

"Hey, Wil, it's okay. You're young still. I can't change you, but I can help you change, if you let me."

Wilbur remained silent as he nodded his head and looked at me with hope in his eyes.

"Write down your thoughts as you clean that time lab. If thinking about me helps, pretend you're writing a letter to me. That way, when your punishment is over, I'll read your thoughts, and I can encourage you."

"Writing a letter? That sounds like old school."

"Wilbur, trust me, a letter with your handwriting is one of the truest and most beautiful things out there. I would love to receive a letter from you."

For the first time in his visit, Wilbur put a smile on his face.

"Then writing a letter it is."

"It's time to go, Wilbur," Cornelius said, and Wilbur drew me in for another hug.

"Hang in there, Wil. Just take it one day at a time and be patient. You can't find what you're looking for if you rush it."

"I promise I'll work on myself to be the best person I can be."

"But don't forget who you are, Wilbur. You're full of compassion, confidence, and intelligence. Don't lose that."

"I'll see you in a month."

"I'll see you then."

We let go of each other, and I watched Wilbur follow his dad back in the portal back to his world while I stayed in mine. While I ate my vegetables, I started drawing a picture of the boy who changed my life.