Having April along on the adventure has proven to be interesting, so I added a little tidbit for her and Karena. Also, I'm pretty sure I made this story different from both "Disaster" and "Saving the Future," which is the point of this rewrite. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "TMNT" nor "Meet the Robinsons," I only own Karena.

DONATELLO'S POV

The four of us greeted Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Lewis in the garage. Lewis was already underway with fixing the time machine. I took a look at it. It was certainly different than what we were used to seeing.

"Hey, Wilbur, was this a flying car?" I asked out of curiosity.

"You really are smart!" Wilbur exclaimed, squeezing water out of a sponge. "Yes, my dad invented the flying car. The flying car helped the economy out a lot after inflation rose in the 2020s. Not only did the flying car help financially, but it also helped lessen the pollution across the country."

"There is so much potential in this garage," April said in awe. "I never thought a garage would be so beautiful."

"If you think that's beautiful, you should see…"

Wilbur paused, debating on whether to finish his sentence or not.

"See what?" Karena asked. "You're safe with us, Wilbur."

Wilbur just shrugged it off.

"I should help Lewis."

"I'll help, too," I replied.

I started to follow him until I felt a hand touching my shoulder. I turned to face Leo.

"Donnie, I think Lewis is having confidence issues," Leo explained. "But I'm not even sure you can interfere."

"These dimensions have felt as real as back home," I replied. "If I can help in some way, I'll be glad to, especially if it's helping someone who has a lot in common with me."

"What if we mess something up, Donnie?" Raph asked.

"This isn't time travel, Raph," I retorted, but paused. "Well, alright, technically, it is, but this is not our dimension. If we can help, then we will."

"I'm just gonna go back to Wilbur's room and play more chargeball," Mikey suddenly chimed in.

"Don't go alone," Raph warned him, and then let out a sigh. "I'll go with you."

"Would Wilbur have leftover pizza lying around?" Mikey asked as he and Raph were about to leave.

"Check the fridge in the kitchen downstairs," Wilbur answered. "There should be a pepperoni pizza in there."

"I love you, man!" Mikey replied happily as he and Raph finally left the garage.

"I don't even know what I'm doing," Lewis said as he messed around under the time machine.

"Keep moving forward," Wilbur replied.

"I mean, this stuff is way too advanced for me."

"Keep moving forward."

"Again?" I asked out loud.

"And what if I can't fix it?" Lewis asked nervously. "What are we going to do?"

"Keep moving forward," Wilbur answered.

"Okay, can you please stop saying that?" I asked in annoyance.

"I'm with him," Lewis said, getting out from under the time machine on a skateboard. "Why do you keep saying that? And don't say 'keep moving forward'!"

"It's my dad's motto," Wilbur answered, pushing Lewis back under the time machine.

"Why is his motto 'keep moving forward'?" Lewis asked, beating me to the punch.

"That's what he does."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, this time beating Lewis to it.

"That is an excellent question," Wilbur replied, pointing a finger at both of us and giving us both a smile. "Follow me."

"April and I are going to go look around," Karena spoke up.

"Alright, then I'll have the pleasure of telling Lewis and Don the story of 'keep moving forward,'" Wilbur responded. "Follow me!"

Lewis and I glanced at each other and shrugged before following Wilbur up the travel tube to his room.

"Don, is it?" Lewis asked, and I nodded.

"You may call me Donnie if you'd like."

"Donnie can't be your real name, is it?"

"It's Donatello. My brothers and April call me Donnie all the time… or D."

"May I call you Donatello?" Lewis asked with a smile. "I've heard of the Renaissance artist and it's one of the coolest names."

I smiled back at him without showing the gap in my teeth.

"Of course, you can. Donatello was one of my sensei's favorite artists, so I was named after him."

We glanced at Raph and Mikey having fun with the chargeball set before Wilbur motioned us to get on some sort of platform with him. Wilbur shot the platform with some sort of ray, and we were floating up.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed. "This is so awesome! It's a levitation platform!"

"Thanks!" Wilbur replied. "My dad built it for me."

We reached the second floor of his room to see a bed and a nightstand. We followed Wilbur to a window, which slid open. We walked around until we reached a telescope.

"So, why are we up here?" Lewis asked.

"Look through here, Lewis," Wilbur replied, and Lewis took his place. "That's Robinson Industries. It's the world's leading scientific research and design factory. My dad runs the company. They mass-produce his inventions. His motto: Keep moving forward. It's what he does."

"What has he invented?" Lewis asked as it was my turn to look through the telescope.

"Everything," Wilbur answered.

Words could not describe how I felt when looking at not only Robinson Industries, but also the entire city. I immediately fell in love with it. There was so much innovation and creativity involved to create this city. I found monorails, moving sidewalks, flying cars, and so many more things that have changed at least this city for the better. I even witnessed a building pop up after only five seconds, meaning no tedious months of construction was needed. I had hoped Wilbur's dad's genius inventions had made their way around the world somehow.

"Your dad invented the time machine?" I heard Lewis ask.

"Yep!" Wilbur answered. "Five years ago, Dad wakes up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Wants to build a time machine. So he starts working!"

Wilbur dragged me and Lewis away from his bedroom and toward a closet next to it. Wilbur opened it to reveal various blueprints and models falling out.

"We're talking plans and scale models!" Wilbur exclaimed happily.

I smiled, seeing that Wilbur was an amazing storyteller. Lewis and I helped Wilbur put everything back in the closet before we continued on back to the garage. I smiled at Leo, who then joined us in Wilbur's story.

"And… we're talking prototypes!"

A light bulb went on right as Wilbur snapped his fingers, but the light only revealed a single nut.

"That's a prototype?" Lewis asked with confusion.

"The very first!... or what's left of it."

"Yikes!" Lewis, Leo, and I exclaimed at the same time.

"Yeah, dark day at the Robinson House," Wilbur replied as he continued to lead us around the garage. "Prototypes 2 and 3 were not much better."

Wilbur then started to point at various prototypes of Cornelius Robinson's first time machine.

"Number 6, 58, 212, 445, 952, and they all ended up the same way."

"This guy's tried a thousand times to make one time machine?" Leo asked in a shocked whisper.

"He really got 'keep moving forward' nailed down," I whispered back.

"But, he doesn't. Give. Up!"

Wilbur paused as he glanced up at Lewis's fruit hat.

"Dude, I can't take you seriously in that hat," Wilbur said. "I'll be right back."

"Dang it!" Leo exclaimed, bursting into laughter, which prompted me to slap him on the head. "Ow! Donnie, what was that for?"

"Lewis has been through enough already!" I yelled at him.

"I was trying so hard not to laugh, I swear!" Leo cried. "Sorry, Lewis."

"It's okay," Lewis replied with a smile. "I don't like the hat either."

"May we see your hair?" Leo asked, returning the smile.

"You might as well."

Lewis took off the flower hat to reveal long spiky blond hair that pointed upwards.

"I actually love it," I said, smiling. "It definitely suits you."

"Thank you. How do you imagine seeing yourself if you had hair?"

"Oh, we all imagine ourselves as humans all the time," I answered. "If I was a human, I'd have shaggy brown hair, and I'd be pretty lean."

"I'd just be a normal kid with short brown hair with these blue eyes," Leo chimed in. "Raph I think would be the most muscular, and he'd have red hair to go with his temper."

"Mikey would definitely be a blond, like you Lewis, with his baby blue eyes. He'd have muscle, but with a little fat. You know, like Ron Stoppable."

I paused and turned to Leo.

"I have no idea who Ron Stoppable is, yet at the same time, I know who he is."

"Uh-oh. I take it that's a bad thing?" Leo asked.

"Reality is getting worse," I whispered. "If we stay here any longer, then we'll be stuck here forever. We'd never get home!"

WILBUR'S POV

I went back to my room, and Raph and Mikey were still plugging away with the chargeball game.

"Hey guys, just going to get a new hat for Lewis."

"It's about time," Raph responded snarkily. "People weren't meant to be fruit heads."

"You gotta love my cousin Tallulah sometimes. She makes the quirkiest hats and dresses in her shop downtown."

"Ooh! Ooh!" Mikey exclaimed. "I wanna go!"

"Go where?" Raph asked sarcastically. "To Tallulah's dress shop to get you a princess dress?"

I cracked up laughing and actually fell on the floor laughing.

"Very funny, guys," Mikey said, now sulking on the cushion.

"Wait, would you really go and get a… dress?" I asked with uncertainty.

"No way! Though I'd surprise Donnie and April with a dress."

"Donnie and April?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, and then I gasped. "Wait a minute… are they… a couple?"

"Nah, Donnie's crushing hard on her," Raph answered. "I don't think Donnie has a shot with her."

I pondered with a smirk on my face.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

"Oh? And what about you, Wilbur?" Mikey asked. "Do you have a crush on someone?"

"Absolutely not!" I answered, feeling myself blush. "That's not your business."

"Yep, he's crushing on someone," Raph said, noticing the blush. "Is it April?"

I rubbed my neck nervously.

"Karena, actually. And I don't understand it. Her long brown hair, those green eyes, and her raggedy clothes? I may have acted cool upon our first meeting, but she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. And I don't usually… say things like that… or feel things like that."

"Trust me, bro, Donnie acted exactly the same way when he saw April for the first time," Mikey replied.

"So having a crush is normal?" I asked, finding the hat I needed in the closet.

"Yes, definitely," Mikey answered. "And most of the time, crushes pass on."

"Or, and I will smack my head if it happens, April could return her feelings for Donnie and the crush can turn into a relationship," Raph chimed in.

"Do you not want them to be together?" I asked, relieved they were not talking about me.

"I don't think they have a shot," Raph answered. "Donnie's a mutant. April's a human. It would never work."

"Okay, I'm going to tell you what I told Don, but using different words. Don, and you two, are just as human as I am. You have feelings, you have priorities, and you have the capability to live a life, no matter where you do it. So what if Donnie has a crush? Don't crush his heart by telling him he has no chance."

"Good one, Wilbur," Mikey complimented me.

"Thanks," I replied, not appreciating him interrupting me. "Who knows? Maybe April will return Donnie's feelings. Karena, on the other hand, probably won't. She's from a different dimension, and besides, I'm only thirteen. Our relationship will not work. But Donnie and April? They might. And who knows? You two will definitely have a crush one of these days, and you'll feel the same way Donnie does right now."

I let out a sigh.

"I'm going to give this to Lewis. Have fun playing chargeball again."

KARENA'S POV

"Shall we do some exploring?" April asked.

"I'm down for that," I answered with a smile. "You know, this is the first time it's ever been us girls."

"How old are you, by the way? It just feels like we're the same age."

"I turned eighteen about a month ago and I'm moved into my own apartment. What about you?"

"I'm turning seventeen on St. Patrick's Day," April answered with a smile as we walked into the spacious living room.

"Okay, I'm totally going to suggest the Turtles plan a party for you. Your golden birthday falling on St. Patrick's Day? That does not happen very often."

"I'm not sure how well that would turn out. You can't send the guys out on a grocery shopping spree for a birthday party. Besides, I'm not big on parties."

"Then once we return to New York, I'll help you."

"Karena, what about your own dimension?" April asked with worry, and then shook her head. "Believe me, it's okay."

"No, it's not okay," I said firmly. "And I know Donatello would say the same thing. He'd do anything for you, believe it or not."

"I know he would," April's worry turned into a smile. "He's my best friend, and I'm his. He's pretty much become my protector, but I want him to be more than that."

"So you do have feelings for him! I knew it!"

"Well, I'm not… sure yet. I have a lot going on. High school, training to be a kunoichi, trying to find my dad. I can't really sort out my feelings right now. I do think I have some sort of feeling for Donnie that's more than friendship though… and that's all I can say right now."

"So tell Donnie that. Besides, relationships take time to grow, and so do people, both physically and mentally."

"Have you ever had a relationship, Karena?" April asked, now heading toward the blue kitchen and took a seat on blue chairs at the silver counter.

"No. I'm always working or working on school. Just like you, in a way. I just don't have the time for dating, like you. Though I won't lie, Leo confessing his feelings for me felt… strange."

"Leo confessed?" April asked with surprise in her voice. "I totally did not see that coming. I knew he had feelings for Karai, but Karai's in the Foot Clan. So… I don't know. I think Donnie's heart is in a better place than Leo's. But that's just me. I do believe he'd be better off with you than Karai."

"Let's change the subject, shall we?" I suggested.

"Yes, please! What's your favorite kind of music?"

"Rock. No questions asked. The farther back in the music timeline you go, the better. I am a sucker for rock music from the 70s and 80s. What about you?"

"I like rock music, too! And so does Donnie. Sometimes when he's inventing something, he'll play a rock song to inspire him to finish."

Something was bugging me, and I felt the urge to ask April about it.

"You mentioned you were trying to find your dad. What about your mother?"

"We have no idea what happened to her," April answered sadly. "She went out one day to do simple errands and she never came back. We had put up missing posters and everything to try to find her, but we couldn't. We had assumed the worst and moved on with our lives. It's been… hard living without her, but my dad and I enjoy doing things together, and I'd do anything for him to stay happy."

April let out a sigh.

"Why do you ask?"

"I don't have a mother anymore either. She was killed in an accident eleven years ago."

"Karena, I'm so sorry. So that was why you asked."

"Yes. I… I never got over it. My dad is a chemist, so all of his days were spent in the chem lab, trying to create medicines and other things. I pretty much had to raise myself and learn how to live a life by myself."

I smiled at my new friend.

"Learning that someone else was going through the same thing is a huge deal for me, April. It gives me hope that I can move forward. Unfortunately, my dad and I aren't as close as you two. He only has time for me once a week."

"Well, you're always welcome to use that remote and spend time with me," April offered, and I laughed at that.

"That would be amazing. Unless Donnie can somehow make it happen to where our realities aren't destroying each other, I don't think that would be possible, unfortunately."

"Well, you never know," April replied, and then she blushed and pushed a strand of her red hair out of her face and behind her ear. "From what I'm seeing so far, nothing is impossible for Donnie. Who knows? Maybe Donnie will build a time machine."

"Nah, I don't see that happening. Donnie would not be one to change a thing about history."

"That is a good point."

We both stood up.

"Shall we look around some more?"

"April, all we've done since leaving the garage is explored the living room, sat here, and bonded. We haven't done much exploring in this gorgeous mansion."

"I know! I cannot imagine myself living in a place like this!"

April gasped.

"Someone's coming!"

We both turned to see a slender woman walking towards us. She had brown eyes and black hair that was tied up in a bun. She was wearing a black dress with one red stripe and one grey stripe, and she wore black heels to match. In fact, she reminded me very much of Wilbur, and I wondered if this was his mother.

"Hello, girls!" the woman greeted us. "I didn't know Wilbur had more company."

"There's… hehe… more in his room," April giggled sheepishly. "I'm April."

"And I'm Karena. We all found each other."

"What in the world happened to you?" Mrs. Robinson asked me.

She pointed at my clothes. My purple sweater and blue jeans were ripped and ruined. It was my turn to let out a sheepish giggle.

"Battles with bad guys in different worlds?" I asked. "I'm not sure how else to explain this."

"Oh goodness! Let me help you. Let's take the travel tube to my room. You're welcome to come along, April. I'm Franny, Wilbur's mother. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

We followed Franny up the travel tube and then we followed her to her bedroom.

"First, we need to find you both a dress so that you'll both fit in."

Franny disappeared into her closet.

"I'm not sure how I feel about wearing a dress," April said with uneasiness in her voice.

"Aren't you going to prom this year?"

"Yeah, but this isn't prom. I don't wear dresses just for fun. I'm a tomboy."

"Doesn't mean a tomboy will not look good in a dress," I replied with a wink. "Donnie thinks you're beautiful, and so do I."

April looked surprised, and I realized what I just said.

"Umm, yeah, that didn't come out the way I wanted it to. I think what I meant to say is, wear the dress, just for tonight. Who knows? Maybe you'll love it so much you may want to keep it."

"Would Franny have anything in yellow?"

"I do!" Franny answered as if she was psychic. "Try this on."

Franny gave April a dress, and the latter went into the bathroom. Franny then returned to her closet to find me a dress.

"And for you, Karena, this is the dress I wore when Cornelius proposed to me."

It was a beautiful dress. It was a purple tea dress with long sleeves and black polka-dots all around it. There was a black sash for me to tie a bow in either the front or the back.

"I can't wear this, Franny," I told her.

"I insist! I have not been the same woman since that day. I married Cornelius and then I carried Wilbur, birthed him, raised him… my body hasn't been the same since his birth. This dress will not fit me the way it should anymore. But it might fit you."

We heard knocking on the door.

"Come in, Tallulah!"

The door opened to reveal a woman with short red hair wearing a city-styled hat. Her dress matched the hat perfectly, and she rolled into the room in roller skates.

"Tallulah, this is my new friend Karena. Karena, this is my cousin-in-law, Tallulah Robinson. She owns a dress shop downtown and made all the ladies' dresses. April is in the bathroom trying on a dress."

"It's nice to meet you, Karena," Tallulah said, giving me a hug.

"It's nice meeting you too, Tallulah."

The bathroom door opened, and April emerged. She exchanged her yellow jersey shirt, blue shorts, and black leggings for a long-sleeved yellow tea dress with two pockets on her chest and one pocket on each hip. She wore yellow flats on her feet, and she kept her yellow headband and yellow ponytail holder in her hair.

"April, you look absolutely amazing!" Franny complimented her, and Tallulah and I nodded in agreement.

"But something is not right," Tallulah said, examining April on all sides. "I know, it's that ponytail. Let that hair loose, girl!"

April took out the ponytail holder to let her hair free, and the length of her red hair was just right for her.

"Donnie's going to be in heaven," I complimented her with a smile.

April blushed.

"Donnie?" Franny and Tallulah asked at the same time.

"Is he a boyfriend?" Tallulah teased.

"No, he's just a friend," April answered.

"But Donnie has feelings for her," I explained. "But April, how do you feel about the dress?"

"I'm totally keeping this dress," April answered, putting a smile back on her face. "I really, really, really, love the pockets!"

"Well, Karena, it's your turn," Franny beckoned me into the bathroom.

I took off my clothes and put on the dress, which fit me perfectly. Like April, I was not one to wear dresses. But I felt beautiful in this one.

"Mrs. Robinson, was this your idea?" I asked with a smile.

"It's my job as a mother to care for my child," Franny replied. "In this case, I'm caring for children today. Tallulah went to school to study life skills and art and put her passion to life, improving fashion for all kinds of people. Tallulah and I work together often to help someone in need."

"Well, thank you for fixing us up with these amazing dresses," April said with a big smile. "But what are you going to do with Karena's hair?"

"Karena, have a seat."

I sat down on the chair and Franny got to work in fixing my hair.

"So, Mrs. Robinson, what do you do for a living?" I asked.

"Oh, please, call me Franny! My main job is raising Wilbur. When he's off at school, I'm teaching my frogs the different styles of music."

"I'm sorry, did you say you teach frogs?" April asked uneasily.

"Yes, and do not worry. I taught my frogs to be nice. They are quite the musicians. Although Frankie is very mischievous. He always steals Grandpa Bud's teeth!"

"Is Frankie more mischievous than Wilbur?" I asked teasingly.

"Have you met Wilbur?" Franny asked. "He's a smart kid, but he gets in trouble often. He loves his family, but he's very headstrong. He has much to learn still, and I'm not just talking about karate."

"He doesn't seem to be a troublemaker to me," I replied. "He just wants to help people."

"Yes, but he doesn't think of the consequences of helping people. We're kind people, Karena, but we have to draw the line if helping a person means them hurting someone."

"I highly doubt Wilbur would do that."

I had to mentally slap myself for thinking about Wilbur the way I was. I barely knew him and I had a crush on him. Something was wrong with this picture. I was eighteen and he was thirteen. We're from two different dimensions. Staying together would mean reality would be destroyed. But so far, he has been kind to me and my friends, and I absolutely loved the chocolate shade of brown in his eyes. I had to take a deep breath as Franny continued.

"I'm always hearing stories of how Wilbur will take the time machine out for a spin. One of these days he's going to change the timeline to where he doesn't exist. Come to think of it, I had sworn I was living in Magma City instead of Todayland at some point today, but then I realized I was living in Todayland. Maybe I was dreaming."

I sat still as Franny finished fixing my hair.

"Okay, Karena, open your eyes and take a look."

I opened my eyes and did not recognize myself at first! Franny had curled my hair and given me bangs that ended just above the eyebrows. The bangs were side-swept. Franny must have known that I was not of this world for her to pull this hairstyle off.

"Look at that! You are absolutely beautiful, Karena."

"You're perty!" April said in a country accent, which made me laugh.

"May I get a picture of you both?" Franny asked.

April and I shrugged.

"Sure. Let's use my phone."

April handed Franny her T-Phone.

"This is the most unique phone I have ever seen," Franny complimented. "It looks like a small turtle!"

"That's because Donnie invented it for himself and his family," April explained. "After they saved my life, I sort of became family to them."

"Donnie's an inventor, too? He and Cornelius would get along. What is his real name, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Donatello Hamato. Why?"

Franny took a moment to write his name down on a notepad, and then positioned the T-Phone to take our picture. April and I did a friendly pose.

"One, two, three."

Franny took the picture as April and I smiled.

"Okay, maybe a fun one now."

"Wait!" April cried. "Let me get my tessen!"

April went back in the bathroom to collect her tessen from her shorts pocket.

"I think I have something for you, Karena. Which weapon do you associate yourself with?"

"The bo staff," I answered.

Franny got into her closet and took out a white bo staff. She handed it to me, and it was beautiful.

"Okay, I'm ready," April said, emerging from the bathroom.

"Me too," I replied.

"Alright, pose with your weapons!" Franny encouraged us.

We put serious looks on our faces and posed with our weapons before Franny took the picture.

DONATELLO'S POV

Wilbur returned with a baseball cap that matched his shirt: dark blue with an upside down lightning bolt inside a baby blue circle. He placed it on Lewis's hair, and I was surprised at how well the cap hid Lewis's long spiky hair.

"Shall we continue?" Wilbur asked with a smirk. "Where was I?"

"You had shown us all the failed prototypes of the time machine," I answered.

"Thanks!" Wilbur replied.

He started to push Lewis toward the broken time machine.

"He keeps working and working until, finally, he gets it: the first working time machine. Then!"

Wilbur then pushed Lewis towards a model of a blue time machine.

"He keeps working and working until he gets it again: the second working time machine."

"Kind of… small," Lewis replied softly.

"I'm assuming that's a joke," Wilbur replied with a flat affect. "I'm ignoring your for time reasons. This, my friend, is merely a model because, unfortunately, time machine number two is in the hands of the Bowler Hat Guy."

The four of us walked back to the prototype time machine.

"Pretty amazing story, huh?" Wilbur asked.

"Yeah," Lewis and Leo responded at the same time.

"Now, are you ready to start working?"

"Well, Donatello, let's do this!" Lewis encouraged me.

"Let's get a look at the blueprints," I suggested.

Lewis unrolled the blueprints so that they were flat on the floor. I was in charge of handing Lewis the tools he needed, and I'll admit, it was fascinating to watch someone, who has just as much intelligence as I do, working on an invention. All of Lewis's work was done underneath the time machine, and he did some things on the inside also.

"I think that's it," Lewis said with confidence. "I did it!"

"I knew you could," Wilbur said from the driver's seat as Lewis climbed in. "Nice work, my friend."

Wilbur started the time machine, which started just like a car did, but then we heard the motors grinding.

"Lewis didn't fix the engine!" I yelled. "Leo, we need to move!"

I pushed Leo out of the way as the time machine came crashing down again. Smoke filled the car, so Wilbur was prompted to open the hood. When the smoke flew out, their faces were covered in soot.

"Well, you know what they always say: keep moving—"

"Don't say it!" Lewis grunted angrily, interrupting Wilbur's optimism.

I watched as Lewis jumped out of the time machine and kicked the skateboard in anger. Wilbur had a depressed look on his face as he followed Lewis.

"Well, I guess I—"

I was interrupted by an intercom.

"Boys, dinner time!" a woman said.

"Not now, Mom!" Wilbur replied in annoyance.

"If you're not up here in five minutes, I'm gonna come down and get you!"

Just as Wilbur was about to comfort Lewis, the time machine hissed.

"We'd better get up there," Wilbur told us.

"We?" Leo asked with a raised eyebrow. "We can't, Wilbur. We can't be seen."

"You're coming to dinner with us," Wilbur replied sternly. "No objections. You'll be loved by the family. Trust me."

"Wilbur, Leo's right for a different reason—"

I stopped talking when I heard my tweeting alert tone go off.

"Hold on, please. It's April."

I got out my T-Phone to see I received a text from April.

"D, Wilbur's mom fixed me and Karena up. We'd love to see you at dinner."

"I guess we're going to dinner," I said with a smile on my face, but then glared at Wilbur when he made kissing sounds.

"Okay, we're going to dinner," Leo repeated me, hanging his head down. "But Wilbur and Lewis need to be cleaned off."

"No worries," Wilbur replied with a smile. "There's a walk-in washer and dryer in the house for occasions like this one. We'll meet you in the dining room."

"Well, Donnie, we should find Raph and Mikey," Leo suggested. "Let them know they're invited to dinner."

We took the travel tube from the garage all the way to Wilbur's room where we found Raph and Mikey relaxing on the cushions reading comic books.

"Hey, guys, it's time for dinner," Leo announced.

"We're staying here?" Raph asked in annoyance. "We can go home now! Everyone's here!"

"For one, we can't leave without Karena and April," Leo started.

"Second, April and Karena want all of us to come to dinner," I finished.

"And third, Wilbur insisted," Leo added.

"And fourth, I love this place!" Mikey yelled in excitement.

"Not gonna lie: I don't want to leave yet," I replied with a smile. "Let's go have dinner."

"Now the question is, where is dinner?" Leo asked as he walked backwards into the travel tube. "Is it in a dining ro-OOOOOM?!"

Just seconds later, I heard my Space Heroes ringtone go off. I checked my T-Phone to see that it was Leo who texted me.

"Dinner is in the dining room. And everyone seems to be in a good mood."

"That's our cue," Raph said, going up in the travel tube.

Mikey and I followed him up, and just seconds later, we ended up in the most spacious dining room I had ever seen. The walls were green and decorated with gold. There was a glorious chandelier above us with music coming from it.

"Are those… frogs?" I asked.

"Genetically-enhanced frogs, yes," a woman with brown eyes and black hair said, walking up to the four of us. "You must be the friends the girls were talking about. I'm Franny, Wilbur's mother."

"I'm Donatello," I introduced myself and the group. "This is Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo."

"So you're the Donnie fellow April spoke about!" Franny gasped with delight. "I had no idea you guys are genetically-enhanced turtles! On behalf of the family, it is a huge pleasure to have you dine with us."

"Thank you, ma'am," Leo replied, looking a little shell-shocked.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go get the girls. You may take a seat anywhere."

"I think we'll stand, thanks," Raph replied.

Just as Franny walked out of the dining room, a clean Wilbur and Lewis walked in and took their seats.

"This is the biggest family I've ever seen," Mikey whispered in my ear.

Just as Mikey started to count, Franny walked back in with a clean April and Karena behind her. I could not take my eyes off of April from that moment on. I had never seen April in a dress, and that made her even more beautiful. She wore a yellow dress with two pockets, her yellow headband, yellow shoes, and she wore her hair down. This was also the first time I had seen her hair down, and I swore it was more than a crush I had on her tonight; I was falling in love with her.

"Everyone, this is April O'Neil and Karena Edwards," Franny announced. "Girls, meet the Robinsons."

Compliments were given for the two young women from all of the family.

"My mom did a really good job on you," Wilbur told Karena. "Your beauty adds to your personality."

"Thanks," Karena replied while blushing, and I witnessed Wilbur blushing also while looking away.

"Dudes, Wilbur's got the hots for Karena!" Mikey whispered.

"I know, shell-brain," Raph retorted, using my insult. "That's what he told us!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served," a golden robot announced.

My jaw dropped open at the sight of the robot's chest opening to let out lots of mini-robots carrying bowls of spaghetti and meatballs.

"That must be Carl!" I said with excitement. "He looks so cool!"

"Hooray, Italian food!" the man wearing a necktie, Fritz, said happily.

"I want a sloppy joe!" said the puppet on Fritz's hand, or possibly Fritz himself doing a horrible job at ventriloquism.

"Oh, Billie, would you please pass the gravy?" Wilbur's grandma Lucille asked politely.

"Coming to ya, big girl!" Billie replied, steering her toy train that carried all the condiments.

"Reminds me of the time my meatball pizza staved off civil war on the black moon of Keward," the intergalactic pizza delivery man Art reminisced.

"I thought pizza was going to be the main thing of the future," Mikey whined.

"Where's my sloppy joe?" Fritz asked in his puppet voice.

"Thank you for joining us for dinner," the robot said with a smile, introducing himself. "My name is Carl."

"We're the Turtles," Leo introduced us. "I'm Leonardo, this is Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo. The girl sitting between Franny and Wilbur is Karena, and the girl sitting between Franny and Lewis is April."

"Well, let me get you your dinner."

Carl opened his chest four times to give each of us a bowl of spaghetti.

"If any of you likes parmesan cheese, Aunt Billie's got it on her train. She will give you some."

"Thank you, Carl," I replied.

Carl turned around and cleared his throat, getting Wilbur's attention.

"The gravy, please, Aunt Billie," Franny requested.

"We gotta talk," I heard Carl whisper to Wilbur.

I was shell-shocked as Carl's head went underneath the table the same time Wilbur did.

"I want some gravy, over here!" the man in the red and grey suit, Gaston, requested.

I witnessed Franny enjoying a conversation with Lewis and April and getting to know them, and it looked like April shared the same feelings. Lewis, on the other hand, displayed shyness, but he had started to open up when Wilbur emerged from under the table.

"So Lewis, are you in Wilbur's class?" Franny asked.

"No," Lewis answered.

"Yes," Wilbur answered at the same time.

"Yes," Lewis answered again.

"No," Wilbur answered at the same time, and then let out a laugh, confusing Franny and April. "I mean yes and no. Lewis is, uh… a new transfer student."

"Uh, yeah," Lewis hesitantly replied in agreement.

"Wilbur's in college?" I whispered to Leo.

"Wilbur looks like he could be in high school," Leo whispered back. "But no way would he be in college."

"But if he is in college, he truly is his dad's son."

"Where're ya from, Lewis?" Gaston asked, holding up a fork with a meatball in it.

"Canada?" Lewis answered questioningly.

"I think you mean North Montana," Tallulah chimed in, getting in really close to Lewis. "It hasn't been Canada in years."

"Do you know Sam Gunderson?" Lucille asked.

"Well, it's a pretty big country," Lewis hesitantly answered.

"State!" Tallulah corrected him.

"Well, the flag's certainly changed 25 years from our time," Raph said out loud.

"I wonder if you're related," Lucille said, pondering in thought.

"Maybe if he took his hat off," a man in a lab coat and a helicopter hat, Laszlo, said while flying around.

Wilbur froze mid-chew with his eyes wide open.

"Ooh! Good idea!" Lucille replied happily. "Maybe we can see if he has the family cowlick!"

"He can't!" Wilbur exclaimed after he swallowed his food. "Because… uh, he's got… bad hat hair!"

"Bad… hat hair?" Raph repeated. "Horrible reason."

"Nonsense!" Art replied, suddenly standing next to Wilbur. "Nobody cares about a North Montana man and his hat-hair."

"Let's see the cowlick!" Fritz's puppet pleaded.

"Alright everyone, hold your horses," Franny tried to calm everyone down. "Lewis, do you mind?"

"Uh-oh," I said out loud.

I witnessed Wilbur throwing a meatball at Gaston, and then he blamed Franny for it.

"So it begins!" Gaston exclaimed, taking out a mini-cannon. "Ready… aim…"

"We're all family here," Franny said, almost taking off the baseball cap on Lewis's head.

"FIRE!" Gaston shouted.

He fired the cannon, and a meatball struck Franny on the right cheek. Franny rubbed her cheek and ate the sauce and seasoning the meatball left on her.

"Ha! Surely that isn't the best you can do!"

Franny suddenly jumped on to the table!

"Holy, mother of pearl!" Raph exclaimed.

Gaston fired another meatball from his cannon, and Franny deflected it easily, almost hitting the frog singer on the chandelier.

"Impressive, little sister," Gaston commended her. "Your skills are strong, but not strong enough."

"Your words do not threaten me, brother," Franny countered back.

"Enough words. Now the real battle… begins."

After a tense staring contest, Gaston fired one meatball, which Franny deflected and landed in Lewis's dinner. Gaston fired three more. Franny deflected all three. The first meatball hit Bud in the face, moving his dentures out of place. I screamed when the second meatball was deflected; the meatball zoomed right past Tallulah and hit me square in the face. The third one hit the frog horn player and bolted him across the room and against the huge glass window.

"Your meatballs are useless against me!" Franny taunted him.

"Then it's time for… SPICY ITALIAN SAUSAGE!"

Franny gasped as Gaston fired a sausage out of the cannon, which she easily deflected right back at Gaston. The force was enough to knock him out of his chair and wave the white flag. The entire family cheered at Franny's victory.

"Oh, so your mother trained you!" Mikey said to Wilbur after walking over to him.

"Yup! She's a great mentor."

"Is dinner like this every night?" Lewis asked.

"No, yesterday we had meatloaf," Art answered as the frog horn player finally fell off the window.

"Okay everyone, time for the second course!" Carl happily announced, throwing a dirty dish inside his torso. "And what would go better with meatballs than…"

Carl paused, doing a cool stunt with some sort of invention with a spray.

"PB & J?"

"Hey, it's just like—"

Lewis was interrupted when everyone received two pieces of toast from the toaster on top of Carl's head. Everyone at the table got their bread first, with Karena screaming before catching her toast. Then Carl tossed the toast towards me and my brothers, and I ended up getting hit in the face again.

"Gee, Donnie, you invent stuff, you're a ninja, and you can't catch food?" Raph asked, taunting me.

"Well, obviously I didn't expect FLYING BREAD TO HIT ME!" I screamed.

"Cool it!" Wilbur yelled, giving me a glare. "We have a problem."

"Carl?" Tallulah asked as the machine struggled against the robot.

"Is everything alright?" Franny asked.

"We're just… experiencing bugs," Carl answered with strain before banging the invention.

Wilbur and Lewis suddenly walked toward Carl and the four of us.

"My friend Lewis is an inventor," Wilbur said excitedly. "He can fix it!"

"Wilbur, you know I can't," Lewis cried.

"Oh, come on!" Lucille encouraged him. "Give it a try!"

"You don't know what's at stake here," Art cried. "Uncle Joe's seen the toast!"

We all looked toward Joe, Billie's husband in a wheelchair, who whimpered at the sight of dried bread.

"We're past the point of no return!" Bud cried.

Billie ran to her husband.

"If he doesn't get PB & J—"

"We all pay!" the puppet said.

"I don't know," Lewis said with uncertainty.

"You'd really be helping us out, Lewis," Franny encouraged him.

"Please!" everyone begged.

"How would you feel if everyone spoke to you like that?" Raph asked me in a whisper.

"I'd be frustrated," I answered. "I'm just glad it's not me."

I paused, and curiosity got the best of me.

"I am curious as to how this works, though."

I walked over to where Lewis stood and watched him try to fix the machine. I was curious about all the wiring and the detail that was put into this invention. I had guessed that this was one of those inventions that only stayed with the family and was not released into the world. Meanwhile, I overheard Leo talk to Karena and April about our adventures in the garage and around the house. I smiled when April told her story to Leo, about how Franny found them and gave them both a makeover, which neither girl had ever done before.

"So, Mr. Fix-It, how's it looking?" Franny asked.

"Pretty good, Mrs. Robinson," Lewis answered happily. "I've recalibrated the dispensing conduits, and aligned the ejection mechanism, and—"

"Do you really think he'll fix it?" I heard Karena asking Wilbur.

"He will, I promise," Wilbur answered with a smile.

"Okay, that should do it," Lewis said confidently.

This time, I felt uneasy. The last time he said something like that, the time machine had crashed.

"Ooh, this is so exciting," Billie said happily. "Let her rip, Lewis!"

"Quickly!" Art warned us. "Uncle Joe can't hold out much longer."

I turned to see a hysterical Joe in his wheelchair sucking his thumb.

"Go, Carl," Lewis said, giving him the invention.

Carl positioned the spray to fire onto the bread, but it got jammed! Suddenly, both the peanut butter and the jelly exploded and got on to everybody.

"Oh, no!" Lewis cried. "I didn't know! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

"Fascinating," I said out loud. "This has happened before. He must have PTSD."

"You failed!" Bud said excitedly.

"And it was awesome!" Gaston chimed in.

"Exceptional!" Art said.

"Outstanding!" Laszlo said.

"Uh… I've seen better," the puppet said.

"Also fascinating," I said again. "I have never seen such support for a failure before."

"What's so exciting about failure?" Raph asked.

"From failing, you learn," Billie explained. "From success, hmm, not so much."

"If I gave up every time I failed, I never would have made the meatball cannon," Gaston explained, showing affection toward his miniature cannon.

"I never would have made my fireproof pants!" Bud said happily, purposely putting his pants on fire.

"Uhh—"

All four of us were interrupted when the pants turned to charcoal.

"Hehe, still working on the kinks," Bud said sheepishly.

"Like my husband always says…" Franny started to say, and then she gestured to Carl.

Carl put together a fireworks display inside the house of the message 'keep moving forward.'

"Okay everyone, to the washer!" Wilbur announced.

"I think I understand why Cornelius coined the 'keep moving forward' motto!" I said with a bright affect. "It's like Master Splinter says: in order to gain the wisdom, you have to make the mistakes!"

"I'm pretty sure you said that, D," Mikey replied.

"Let's get ourselves washed off," Leo suggested, and we followed him and the girls out of the dining room.