Happy New Year's everyone! I know for sure now that there will be one more chapter in the "Epidemic" reimagination before starting the "For Good" reimagination. I probably will not change much with that one since that was the first story I wrote since returning to fanfiction a few years ago, but I am excited to write the events of this story in Lily and Donnie's POV. Until then, enjoy this chapter!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons" nor "TMNT." I also do not own Edwin McCain's "I'll Be" nor Angela Lansbury's "Beauty and the Beast." I only own Karena, James, Kate & Lilianna.


March 13, 2040 – Todayland, North Montana, USA

WILBUR'S POV

I never saw Lily nor James the rest of the day yesterday, so I had sent James a text this morning asking him to meet me by my locker. I had waited at my locker until seven-forty-five when he finally showed up. When I saw him, I crossed my arms and put a stern expression on my face.

"Hey, Wilbur," James greeted me with a smile. "What's up?"

"Why did you hurt my little sister?" I asked, getting right to the point.

"Huh? I didn't know you had a little sister."

"You know who I'm talking about."

James froze, and his smile melted away.

"Lily?"

"Yep. What did you say to her?"

"Look, Wilbur, I had no idea Lily was a student here this entire time. I mean, sure, there was a cheerleader at all the games who reminded me of Lily, but I had no idea it was her this entire time."

"Sure. You just stared at her and moved on, thinking that she wasn't important? Lily missed you, James. In fact, you were one of the reasons why she asked her dad to let her come to school here."

"I was?"

"Yes! But then I hear that you are dating some other girl because you didn't think Lily was coming back? You never told me about this!"

"Listen, Wilbur, Kate approached me and asked me out to homecoming. I couldn't say no. And I admit, I had a good time, so we became friends. Then she asked me to go to winter ball with her. So I went. We're not in a special relationship or something like that. I think Lily took it the wrong way."

I shook my head in disbelief.

"Lily has psychic powers, James. The fact that you didn't tell her the complete truth completely hurt her. She left school early because you broke her heart. She was waiting for you, James, and you never spoke to her once this entire time because you thought she was someone else. How much more stupid can you get, James? Right now, Lily doesn't even want to talk to you. In fact, she doesn't ever want to talk to you again. And I know her. She was being totally serious. She's got a lot on her plate. She's the leader over her cousins in their own ninja clan. She's a cheerleader. She's a Straight A student. She doesn't really have the time to think about dating. If you want to make this worthwhile, then I suggest marching up to her and telling her the complete truth. And you need to tell Kate the truth, too."

I paused and let out a deep breath.

"Do you even have feelings for Kate?"

James bit his lip.

"No. My feelings for Lily never changed. I was hoping she'd walk up to me one day and just kick things off from our last date."

I let out an angry sigh.

"It takes two people to make a relationship work, James. I should know. I've been in a relationship for almost two years now. Hey, I'm not perfect, but you know what? Karena loves me anyway. Lily will love you too if you admit your mistakes and set things right."

I felt my phone buzzing, and I took it out of my pocket.

"Where are you?" Lily had texted me.

"I have to go."

"Wilbur, wait," James called out as I started to walk away. "Are you sure Lily has psychic powers?"

I stopped and turned around.

"Yes, she does. If you speak to her, I'd suggest telling her the whole truth, or you really will never hear from her again. In fact, if you speak one lie to her, you'll never hear from me again."

I sharply turned back around and headed down for the cafeteria. I found Lily in her usual spot with two plates of breakfast. She glanced up at me with a gap-toothed grin on her face.

"Hey, Wilbur. I was starting to think you'd miss our morning ritual."

"Sorry, I was giving James a piece of my mind."

Lily's grin immediately disappeared.

"Oh," she replied, looking down.

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked.

"No, but I'll survive."

"I told James how you felt, and I told him he'd never hear from me again if he did not tell you the whole truth."

"Wilbur, thank you, but I can stand up for myself," Lily replied with a stern expression on her face.

"Lily, you stand up for yourself all the time. A friend will back you up no matter what. And hey, James actually hurt you, and he's my best friend. I want him to have some common sense, and that was why I stood up for you. Lily, you need to let someone else take care of you once in a while."

Lily let out a dry chuckle.

"It's funny you say that because my dad found me at home yesterday afternoon. I pretty much clung myself to him the rest of the day. He made me my favorite meal, which was the best meal he's ever made in his entire life, he helped me with my homework, and then he sang me to sleep."

I smiled at the reminder of how amazing Donatello was at parenting.

"Is he a good singer?" I asked.

"He's better than my mom. My mom had sang me to sleep sometimes, but she always sang loudly."

We both laughed.

"Wilbur, thank you for standing up for me," Lily told me, putting one of her hands on top of mine. "But I really don't want to see James again."

"Lily, listen, James told me his feelings for you never changed. This girl you're thinking of is a good friend. She probably just wanted someone to have as a good friend, like you are to me. I remember your uncle Leo telling me that everyone deserves a second chance. Please give James that. And while you think about that, I will enjoy this delicious breakfast you bought for me."

Lily chuckled at that as we started to eat.


LILIANNA'S POV

I went to my locker after the final class of the day. I put away the books I did not need to take home, and then I put the books I needed for homework in my backpack. I grabbed my coat, and then I closed my locker, ready to take out the portal to go back to New York.

I started to walk down the hallway and then down the stairs. Suddenly, a girl my age with long blonde hair and blue eyes started to approach me.

"Hi!"

"Hi!" I replied with my gap-toothed grin.

"You're Lily Hamato, right?"

"Yeah. And you are?"

"I'm Kate Hensley. I'm a friend of James."

"Oh," I replied, my smile disappearing again. "Well, it was nice to meet you."

I felt a tug on my left arm as I started walking down the stairs again.

"Could we talk?" Kate asked. "Just us girls?"

I let out a sigh. I nodded. I followed Kate back up the stairs and we went into the library. We took a seat, and I crossed my arms.

"Alright, what do you want to talk about?" I asked angrily. "If this is about James, I do not want to hear it."

"Trust me, Lily, you may not want to hear it, but I insist that you must," Kate replied with a stern expression. "I want to talk to you because James and I spoke earlier today at lunch. We're in the same grade, so you'd think we would share the same classes no matter what. But this was the first time we had actually shared a class together. We were paired together on a project, and that was how we met. He invited me to see him at his football games, but I noticed that he was always distracted. He kept glancing at the cheerleaders. One day, he told me about you, but also told me that you were back in New York going to school there. He didn't think you were coming back. When homecoming came, he mentioned to me that he would have asked you to be his date if he had found any way to go to New York and ask you in person. But he didn't want to go alone, so I offered to accompany him there, just as friends."

"Kate, I don't mean to be blunt, but what point are you trying to get across to me?" I asked angrily.

"Today, James told me that you were a student here all along and he finally spoke to you for the first time all year. He told me he wanted to ask you to go to prom with him. I encouraged him to ask you."

"Kate, I'm sorry, but that ship has sailed," I replied. "I don't want to speak to him again. He broke my heart."

"Lily, listen, I do not know what James told you, but I am not his girlfriend."

"Kate, James has feelings for you. And I have a feeling you have feelings for him too. I'm not the girl for him."

"Lily."

Kate reached out and put a hand on my shoulder.

"What is your heart telling you?"

I started to cry.

"I don't know. I really don't want to listen to my heart right now. You and James have a good time at prom."

I stood up and walked out of the library, not wanting to listen to another word.


North Hampton, New York, USA

I was chopping firewood for the fireplace when I returned home. I opted not to go to the lair for training today because I was too angry to train. My dad offered to stay home with me so I wouldn't be alone. I had assured him that I would be fine and he should go down to New York to see the family and train with them. I would be able to take care of myself, should anything happen.

I angrily chopped a log. I grew frustrated at how every single person in my life suddenly started to talk to me about my nonexistent love life. All I wanted to do is finish this school year out. I did not have time to think about boys and going to the prom. I already had my dream ball last year, and it was magical… that was, until Karena got kidnapped.

I grunted loudly, chopping another log.

"I am no princess!" I yelled, chopping another log, and then another after each remark. "I am a kunoichi! I am a female ninja! I am independent! I am strong! I DON'T CARE!"

The last log I chopped broke into small chips of wood. I felt weary and I felt myself falling down to the ground. I broke down into tears, truly upset over what James had done… or hasn't done. I cried for about five minutes and then I felt another presence that came with the smell of pine trees: my dad.

"I felt exactly the same way you are feeling right now, Lily Mae," Dad softly told me. "We had just turned sixteen. We hadn't just celebrated our Mutation Day. We also celebrated what we thought was the end of the Kraang. We had invited your mom to come to the lair with us. Our celebration ended when I discovered the Kraang were transporting cargo, and when we investigated, it turned out to be mutagen. We made mistakes. Every single canister of mutagen fell from the Kraang stealth ship, and one hit Grandpa O'Neil, mutating him into a bat. After we captured him and saved your mom, Uncle Mikey instantly took the blame for mutating him, and even after I promised your mom I would find a cure, she stormed out, telling me she never wanted to see us again. It broke my heart, and that night, I cried just like you are now. I cried every night until the day your mom came back into our lives."

I looked up at my dad through blue glassy eyes. Hearing him say that he had actually cried put new meaning into the man… or turtle, I called my dad. Through my tears, I smiled, realizing that my dad was human, too, for having these emotions. I started sobbing again and threw myself into his plastron.

"Daddy, please promise me you'll never forsake me."

My dad hugged me back and held me tightly in his arms.

"I promise, Lily Mae, and I promise you are never alone. I won't be there in person all the time, but please know that God is always with you. We must always have hope, Lily."

I felt my phone buzzing.

"Dad, could you get that please?" I asked.

I handed him my phone, not wanting to let go. My dad answered the call for me.

"Donatello."

"Oh! Hey, Don, it's Wilbur. Is Lily okay?"

"She's not okay right now, but she's a strong girl. She'll live. May I take a message?"

"Sure, but is it anything serious, like a broken arm?"

"More like a broken heart," Dad replied.

"She's taking it harder than I thought. Wow. Ironically, that's why I'm calling. I was going to ask Lily to meet me at the arboretum in Todayland tonight. I have a surprise for her. I want to cheer her up."

I perked up when I heard those words.

"Do you wanna go to the arboretum tonight, Lily?" Dad asked me with his gap-toothed smile.

"I'll go if you join the family in the lair," I answered.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, Dad, I'll be fine. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

My dad turned back to my phone.

"She'll be there," he told Wilbur.

"Sweet! Thanks, Don."

He hung up.

"I guess that's my cue to change my clothes," I said, standing up.

"Just be careful, alright?" Dad told me, putting his hands on my shoulders.

"I'll be fine, Dad. I promise."

I hugged him, and he hugged me back. I went back into the house, up the stairs, and into my bedroom. I put on the white dress I wore on my vision quest, put on my brown boots, and armed myself with my bo staff in case I was walking into a trap. I grabbed the portal from my desk, and activated it to go to Todayland.


Todayland, North Montana, USA

I walked out of the portal into the entrance of the arboretum. I found Wilbur standing there with a smile on his face. I returned the smile, noticing the rose petals and candles on the ground.

"Wilbur, what is all this?" I asked.

"Take a walk and find out," he answered with a wink.

I suddenly felt nervous and let out a sheepish chuckle.

"But Wilbur—"

"No buts, Lily. Just enjoy the candlelight."

I started to walk forward. Suddenly, I heard music playing from afar. I turned around, thinking that Wilbur had started the song, but he only shrugged. I chuckled and then started my walk for real.

"The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful stop me and steal my breath."

I followed the path of rose petals and candle lights. I played with my long red hair, currently in curls, with my left hand, and I smiled, wondering who would go through all this trouble to flatter me.

"And emeralds from mountains thrust from the sky never revealing their depths."

I entered another section of the arboretum where I found Chinese lanterns lit up above me. I let out a loud, delightful gasp at the sight. My smile only grew bigger.

"And tell me that we belong together and dress it up with the trappings of love. I'll be captivated. I'll hang from your lips instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above."

I laughed, continuing to look at the lanterns above me. This was well-planned.

"I'll be your crying shoulder. I'll be love's suicide. I'll be better when I'm older. I'll be the greatest fan of your life."

I continued to walk on to the next section of the arboretum. This time, I found lit-up rustic lanterns on the ground. There was also water on the glass, and I realized that the water came from sprinklers. I chuckled, remembering the song that was playing.

"And rain falls angry on the tin roof as we lie awake in my bed. And you're my survival. You're my living proof my love is alive and not dead."

I walked through the water, which soaked me and my long red hair in curls. But I continued to smile, remembering my dad's advice to always have hope.

"And tell me that we belong together. And dress it up with the trappings of love. I'll be captivated. I'll hang from your lips instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above."

The next section of the arboretum had white paper lanterns hanging above me this time. As if it was on cue, I was suddenly surrounded by colorful butterflies. I laughed merrily, admiring the beauty of this scene.

"And I'll be your crying shoulder. I'll be love's suicide. I'll be better when I'm older. I'll be the greatest fan of your life."

This time, I walked into a Tiki-themed section, where torches were suddenly brought to life by fire. The rose petals had been a constant theme the entire time.

"And I dropped out. I burned up. I fought my way back from the dead. Tuned in and turned on, remembered the thing that you, you said."

I walked through the Tiki room and came across a winter-themed section of the arboretum. The candle lights returned, and above me were glass snowflakes. I smiled, remembering my time at last year's winter ball. The Robinson Industries ballroom had been decorated with glass snowflakes, and the disco balls had complimented them nicely when the lights had hit on them.

"And I'll be your crying shoulder. I'll be love's suicide. And I'll be better when I'm older. I'll be the greatest fan of your…"

I walked through this section and entered a fully-lit section of the arboretum, all decked out with rustic lanterns on the ground and white paper lanterns above me. I found one person at the end of the trail, fully covered in rose petals: James Anderson.

"I'll be your crying shoulder. I'll be love's suicide. And I'll be better when I'm older. I'll be the greatest fan of your life. The greatest fan of your life."

My smile instantly went away while James kept his on his face.

"You went through all of this just for me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I asked Wilbur and Kate for help," James explained, walking up to me. "I'm ashamed of myself, Lily. You're right. I should have stopped by earlier, asked if it was you, and said hi. But I led myself to believe you truly were going back to New York. I didn't think you were coming back. I'm sure your dad hates me. And here you are now, after having been a student at Todayland High School all this time."

I turned away, and James let out a sigh.

"Lily, I am so sorry I hurt you all this time. I thought about you every day, but I never took action. I just… saw you as a dream, a dream I always wanted to go back to, only for me to face reality."

I felt James' hand touch my chin, and he brought my blue eyes forward to face his.

"Your beauty, Lily, it tortures me!"

"James, what are you trying to tell me without trying to use quotes from classic literature?" I bluntly asked.

He let out a sigh.

"I feel guilty about not coming to you all this time. I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me. I hope we can be friends at least."

I looked into his eyes, and I saw sincerity in them. I smiled, finally remembering the boy who had danced with me last year. I remembered the boy who surprised me by showing me this arboretum. I remembered the gentle touch of his hands, his beautiful blue eyes, and his soft face. I smiled, and I put my right hand on his left cheek.

"I forgive you."

James blew a huge sigh of relief.

"I was worried you would hate me forever," he told me.

"My dad might hate you right now for hurting me, but I promise it's okay. I remember a lesson my mom taught me. Don't ever hold a grudge against your friends. James, I may not like what you did, but it doesn't mean I hate you. I just pray you've learned from this. That it takes two people to be in a committed relationship. With that said, I'm sorry, too."

"You're sorry?" James asked with a puzzled expression. "What did you do? You're an angel."

I blushed.

"I made the same mistake you made. I never stopped by to say hi. Then again, I've been stressed also. I'm a cheerleader—"

"You're the leader of a ninja clan, you're a straight A student, et cetera."

I was wide-eyed.

"How did you know that?"

"Wilbur told me. And he also told me about your psychic powers."

I blushed again, but for a different reason. I shook my head.

"This is awkward. The only people that know about my psychic powers are the Robinsons and my family."

"I think you having psychic powers makes you the coolest girl in the world."

"Huh?"

I glanced back up at James and I saw a smile on his face.

"You think that—wait, wait, wait. I'm already a freak enough for having only six fingers and six toes. But despite that and the fact that I have psychic powers, you still think I'm the coolest?"

"Lily, like I said, I thought about you every day, all this time. I wanted to see you again. But you're the girl I have feelings for. Kate is just a friend. She helped me prepare to ask you this question."

James stood still, and I just stared at him with a smile on my face. I could not stop thinking about how he thought I was the coolest girl, even with the physical characteristics I inherited from my dad and the psychic powers I inherited from my mom.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" I asked.

"What do you say?"

"Say to what?"

James laughed.

"You're the psychic. What's your answer?"

"James, I can't even think straight right now," I replied with laughter. "Earlier today I felt so angry that I splintered a log. Then you surprise me with all of this, and then you surprise me again by saying I'm the coolest."

"Lily, there's no other girl like you, and I want to go to prom with you. Kate is just a friend, and I'd like you both to know each other more. She's always wanted to meet you, but was always intimidated because you're so beautiful."

I blushed once more. And then I read James's mind.

"Lily, will you go to prom with me?"

"Yes, I will go to prom with you," I answered.

"Yes!" James exclaimed, pumping his hand in the air.

I laughed, and I laughed even harder when I realized my dad may have had the same reaction to my mom saying yes to marrying him.

"James, I need you to promise me something."

"Anything, Lily."

I smiled. This was the boy I met at winter ball.

"We start building our relationship as friends, okay? That was how my parents started their relationship, and I'd like to follow their model."

"I promise. I also promise to listen to you and let you decide when you're ready to take the next steps. I want you to be happy, Lily, but I also want you to be full of purpose. Only you can carve your destiny."

"Thank you, James."

"But is it too much to ask you for a hug?"

"Of course not!"

I walked up to him and hugged him, and he hugged me back. We stayed in this hug for a while before I had to return home to New York.


North Hampton, New York, USA

DONATELLO'S POV

April and I cuddled together on our bed after a long day.

"Do you think Lily's going to be okay?" April asked.

"She's a strong-willed girl," I answered. "She'll be fine."

"I just have a bad feeling about all of this. I really hate that James hurt her the way he did."

"Well, hey now, hey now, don't dream it's over," I sung.

"Okay, that was random," April replied with a small laugh.

"All joking aside, look at us. You held a grudge against me and the guys for so long, and you forgave us eventually. And we got married! Lily and James need to go on that same path. I'll betcha Lily will be smiling when she gets back."

Right on cue, I heard the door to Lily's room open and close.

"I'm gonna tip-toe over there and see if she's alright," April whispered to me.

I watched as she quietly got out of bed, put on her yellow robe, and walked out of the bedroom and across the hall to Lily's room. I heard her knocking on the door.

"Lily, it's Mom. May I come in?"

I chuckled. I laid down on the bed quietly humming the song Don't Dream It's Over. It was time well spent, as April walked back into the room with a peculiar smile on her face.

"How'd it go?" I asked, showing my gap-toothed grin.

"Our baby is growing up!" April cried.

She started sobbing.

"Oh, honey, come here."

April walked back into the bed with her robe still on, and I held her tight.

"Donnie, Lily's going to prom in just two months," April said through her tears.

"Well, April, all girls have to—PROM?!"

I dashed out of bed, sprinted out of the bedroom and across the hall, and knocked on the door.

"Come in, Mom!"

I opened the door with a sheepish chuckle. Lily blushed when she saw my face.

"Dad! I am so sorry! I thought it was Mom forgetting to tell me something."

"She just told me you were going to prom. What happened tonight? Was everything okay?"

"Everything's okay now," Lily answered with a dreamy smile on her face.

I raised an eyebrow.

"James?"

"Yeah. He put together this huge surprise for me and had me walk through the arboretum with rose petals on the ground and all of these candles and lanterns. It was so magical! He apologized, asked for my forgiveness. I forgave him, and then I apologized and said yes to going to prom with him."

"Now wait a minute. Yesterday, you said he hurt you. Now you're going to prom with him?"

"Yeah, Dad, it's called forgiving each other and moving forward," Lily answered. "It's my choice. He was sincere tonight, so I said yes. We're not getting married… at least not yet."

I let out a sigh and sat on my daughter's bed next to her.

"Okay, Lily, I need you to listen to me," I said sternly. "You are not even sixteen years old, and you are a developed young woman. I do not want you thinking about marriage yet. Your mom and I were friends for five years before we decided to get married. I want you to take your time to know yourself first and make sure you are preparing yourself for the future."

"Dad, how can I prepare myself for the future when we are thinking only about one day?" Lily asked.

"Because Mom and I won't be here one day to guide you. One day, you will think about asking us for help, but we won't be able to be there. Being an adult, Lily, comes with making your own choices after thinking about the benefits and consequences of each choice. Hearing you say that you are not getting married yet worries me. Did James talk to you about this tonight?"

"Dad, that's not your business," Lily sternly replied.

"Excuse me?"

"Like you said, Dad, I'm not sixteen yet."

"Exactly! You should not even be talking about marriage right now."

"And yet sex is discussed at school?" Lily yelled. "Teen pregnancy still happens, you know."

"Okay, why are you yelling at me?" I asked angrily. "It is eleven o'clock."

"We're the only ones out here, Dad! And right now, you're driving me crazy!"

"Because I love you, Lilianna Mae!" I yelled, pointing out the window. "I don't want you going out there and doing something incredibly stupid and live with the consequences because you didn't think things through!"

"So my going to prom with James is stupid?"

"Okay, I never said that," I furiously defended myself. "I do not approve of you going to prom with James, but that is your choice. I cannot force you out of it. You are old enough to understand the benefits and consequences here."

"It's just a high school dance, Dad! All I'm doing is going to prom with a friend and having a good time. What is wrong with that? I just… I cannot believe you don't trust me!"

"What is with all the yelling in here?" April asked, standing in the doorway.

"Lily is going to prom with the boy who hurt her, April," I answered angrily.

"Yes, he hurt me," Lily replied sternly. "But he's sorry and asked me for forgiveness. I forgave him, and now I'm going to prom with him because he forgave me. Dad is trying to lecture me on marriage and sex because he thinks my going to prom with James is stupid."

"Lilianna Mae, I never said that—"

"Donnie, stop talking," April sternly told me.

She let out a sigh.

"I cannot believe you two, arguing at eleven o'clock at night. Lily, you forgave James after he apologized, and he forgave you for your mistakes. Okay, that is awesome. And I am happy you two are going to prom together, as friends."

April gave me a stern look.

"As for you, my husband and the father of our child, I know how badly you want to hurt James for hurting our daughter, but if you do that now, Lily will avoid you for a long time. Do you want that?"

Feeling guilty, I looked down.

"I'm surprised at you, Donnie," April continued. "We both know our daughter well, and we both know she wouldn't do something stupid like screwing herself over on a first date and getting pregnant. We taught her how to be responsible. If we hadn't, well, she wouldn't be the leader of the clan. She's smart enough to know what goes on in a relationship like that. If she says she's going to prom with James as friends, then I trust her. She needs your trust too, Donnie, because you're her father and she loves you."

April looked back at our daughter.

"And Lily, Dad loves you with all his heart. He only wants what is best for you. Trust me, if he thinks something is off, then something is off. But tonight, I think this is just a little grudge. You told your dad how you felt about James the last few days, and your dad wanted to hurt him because he hurt you. But he knows that it isn't right. He almost killed a gangster in cold blood because of a personal grudge. You need to fight your own battles, Lily, but never do it alone. Your dad and I will always be on your side, okay? If you are wrong about something, then we will tell you, and then you will learn from it. Okay?"

Lily let out a sigh, as did I.

"On the count of three, I want you both to apologize to each other," April told us. "One, two, three."

"I'm sorry," Lily and I said to each other at the same time.

"Thank you. I'm going back to bed. Good night, you two."

"Good night, Mom," Lily replied.

April walked out of the room. I took one glance at Lily, and we both burst into laughter.

"I am so sorry I made things worse, Lily Mae," I told her. "Come over here."

While still laughing, Lily walked over to me and hugged me. I returned the hug with tears coming out of my eyes. Lily broke the hug and gave me a compassionate look.

"Oh, Dad! You're gonna make me cry because I feel guilty!"

"No, Lily, this is my fault this time," I cried. "I jumped to conclusions. That, and I'm denying, once again, that you're growing up with all of this knowledge."

Lily caressed my cheek, and it felt just as angelic as April's touch.

"Lily Mae, you are going to make some man a very lucky man someday," I told her with a teary smile. "Whether that man is James or someone else."

"Thank you, Dad, and not just for the compliment."

Lily paused, putting a smile on her face.

"You've always been there for me no matter what, even when I was kidnapped and taken away from you. You've taught me many things and you taught me how to study and keep an open mind. I never really thanked you for that, but I am now."

I kissed her on the forehead.

"Thank you for being my daughter and teaching me new things," I told her. "And thank you for loving me no matter what."

We hugged each other one more time.

"And now, Lily Mae, it's time for bed," I said with a smirk.

"Yes, Dad. I love you."

I walked towards the door as Lily got settled in her bed. I turned off the light.

"Good night, my sweet girl," I whispered.

"Good night, Dad."

I closed the door behind me and walked across the hall into my own room. I found my wife already fast asleep. My smile grew bigger at the sight. I joined her in the bed, kissed her on the forehead, and then turned off my lamp to prepare myself for a good night's slumber.


March 14, 2040 - Todayland, North Montana, USA

LILIANNA'S POV

I sat at our usual spot waiting for Wilbur to show up. It did not take him long at all to take a seat across from me.

"Hi, Wilbur!" I greeted him with a gap-toothed smile.

"Hi! I know you're not my girlfriend, but has anyone ever told you that your gap-toothed smile is cute?"

I blushed.

"Wilbur, you're flirting with me!"

"I'm serious," he replied. "James is a very lucky guy. I know you said yes to his promposal."

"Wilbur, that's enough," I said, still with blushing cheeks. "What about you and Karena?"

He bit his lip.

"That's the topic of discussion today. What advice can you give me in regards to asking her to the prom?"

I blinked twice.

"You didn't ask your mom?"

"Not yet. Actually, you're the first one I'm asking. You're the smartest person I know, I mean asides from our dads."

"My dad would give better advice than I would," I replied with a chuckle. "Heck, so could my mom because she was a teenage girl once upon a time."

"Your mom was also a young woman, once upon a time."

"Touché."

"Karena's twenty-one, and this is my only chance of asking her out to prom. She'll be too old next year."

"When my mom was twenty-one years old, she was going on dates with my dad, and then she got married toward the end of that year," I replied with a smirk.

"No!" Wilbur yelled, freaking out. "I'm asking Karena to prom, not asking her to marry me!"

"I'm just saying! But I'll give you advice not from my mom's point of view, but from mine. You know how James asked me to go to prom with him in my absolute favorite place?"

Wilbur nodded.

"Do the same thing with Karena. Older women love being surprised, and they love getting attention because sometimes, they feel the world doesn't appreciate them enough. Yes, we're still fighting this in 2040. Just think about what Karena likes and says are her favorite things, and then use them to your advantage. But the best piece of advice I can give you is this: follow not your heart, but your gut. Your gut will always prove victorious over the heart."


WILBUR'S POV

I came home from school and walked straight to the music room to talk to my mom. I tried knocking, but the jazz music was too loud. I opened the door and strutted in, taking a seat at one of the tables. My mom and her frog band were playing jazzy and big band tunes from the 1930s, and I smiled, imagining myself in the Golden Era of Hollywood. This was one of the few times lately that I had been tempted to take the time machine back to that period just to listen in. But the band eventually concluded their piece, and I clapped, making my appearance known. My mom turned around.

"Oh, Wilbur!" Mom greeted me with a big smile on her face. "What do you think?"

"It sounds wonderful, Mom. Could we talk for a few minutes?"

"Sure! Take five, fellas!"

Mom walked over to my table and took a seat across from me. She kept the smile on her face as she placed her right fist on her right cheek with intrigue.

"Is this about school or Karena?"

I chuckled. My mom was always right, even when she was wrong.

"Both. Prom's coming up and I want to ask Karena to go to prom with me. I guess James asking Lily out inspired me."

"So you're here for advice?"

"You've gotten to know Karena the past few years. Lily thinks I should take her favorite things into consideration, but you've always been good at planning things."

"When your dad asked me to the prom, he asked me with a corsage of my favorite color. He had given me a beautiful red rose corsage."

"Hmm... okay, but Karena's favorite color is green. How would that work?"

My mom pondered this for a few minutes.

"You may laugh at me for even suggesting this, but have you spoken to Donnie?"

"Donatello? What does he have to do with anything? He's Lily's dad, sure but-"

"But Donnie has been in love the longest, even longer than any of us. If there is an expert on love, Donnie is the man- ahem, turtle, to ask."

"And Don does know Karena to an extent. Karena's always looked up to him. I'll try asking him, but it's going to feel weird."

"Knowing Donnie, sweetie, he is an expert at making you feel comfortable. Just talk to him."

I smiled, remembering the few chats I had with just Donatello in the room and knowing my mom was right. I took out my phone and sent him a text.

"Hey, Don. When is a good time for us to talk? I need advice."

I put my phone away and waited for the mutant turtle to text me back. My phone rang instantly, to my surprise. I took it out again to see that he texted me back.

"I'm available right now if you'd like me to come to you. Where are you at right now?"

"I'm in the music room at the house," I answered. "My mom suggested I ask you for advice."

I put my phone back in my pocket. It did not take much time at all before a pink door appeared out of nowhere.

"Whoa!" Mom exclaimed. "What is that?"

"It's an interdimensional portal," I explained. "The Kraang built it, and then when the Turtles defeated the Kraang for the final time, they confiscated all of their technology."

"Yes," Donatello replied as he walked out of the portal and closed it. "It was my youngest niece's idea to use the portals to save Karena's life last year. This was how Lily was able to attend school here all this time."

"Lily has made a bigger difference than any of us knows," Mom complimented him. "You have raised an exceptional daughter, Donnie."

The turtle gave her a huge gap-toothed grin.

"That means more to me than you know. Now, Wilbur, what was it you wanted to ask me?"

"I want to take Karena out to prom," I explained. "Lily suggested I take her favorite things into consideration. Mom suggested I give her a corsage, but her favorite color is green. I don't know of any green flowers."

"Have you thought about giving her a white rose?" Don asked with a gentle smile.

"That's her favorite flower," I replied, returning the smile.

"That actually gives me an idea," Mom chimed in. "Wilbur, does Karena enjoy Beauty and the Beast?"

"That's her favorite movie."

"It's my favorite movie also," Don replied. "Does this idea involve the Robinson Industries ballroom?"

"Not quite," Mom answered. "Robinson Industries is in the middle of the city. But I know of another place in mind. Cornelius was planning on opening a crystal conservatory bridge in a couple weeks. It's next to the arboretum, so we can recreate that vibe there. We just need Tallulah's help to put this plan into action."

"Meanwhile, I'll go back to New York and enlist Venus's help," Don said. "She's learned quite a bit about botany at such a young age."

We all nodded in agreement, and we went our separate ways.


March 15, 2040

KARENA'S POV

I got out of classes for the evening when I received a text message from Tallulah.

"Come to the dress shop ASAP!"

"I hope everything's okay," I said out loud.

I hopped into my white flying car and drove from the university campus to the dress shop. I parked in the back of the shop this time and got inside through the back door.

"Tallie?" I yelled. "I'm here!"

"Oh thank goodness!" Tallulah exclaimed, running into the fitting room.

"What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"There's no time. I have customers waiting for me up front and I made a dress for you to try on. It is waiting for you in this stall."

Tallulah walked over to a random stall and opened the door for me.

"Please try this on and let me know what you think."

Tallulah ran back out to the store. I chuckled, knowing that she did not normally carry this behavior. In fact, of all the Robinsons to have this behavior, Wilbur was always the one feeling like he's in a rush.

"Well, let's see what Tallulah made me," I said out loud.

I entered the stall to find two dresses. One was a long-sleeved white dress that reached just above my ankles. Another was a long blue dress with wide straps. Lastly, I found a white apron.

"Why would Tallulah make me something like this?" I asked out loud. "But okay, if she wants me to try it on, then I will."

I put on the white dress first, and it felt smooth on me. Then I put on the blue dress over the white one.

"Is this Tallulah's way of telling me I need to be more modest?" I asked with a laugh. "Good joke, Tallie."

Then I saw the apron and put it on over my blue dress. I tied the apron in the back. As I tied it, I noticed a pair of black ballet flats on the ground.

"Huh, someone left their shoes here. I should probably let Tallie know."

I walked out of the stall and stood on the platform to admire myself. I shrugged. My curly brown hair was down, and it did not compliment the dresses very well. I still wore the black heels that I had worn all day. Tallulah eventually came back and put her hands on my hips.

"Where are those shoes?" she asked me.

"What shoes?" I asked innocently.

"I left you a pair of ballet flats in the stall."

My eyes widened in disbelief.

"Those are mine?"

"Yes! They go with the outfit!"

"Tallie, what is going on?" I asked with a smirk.

"You are so the belle of the ball," Tallulah replied, returning the smirk. "Go put those shoes on, and then I'll fix your hair."

I knew something was up then, but I didn't want to ask just yet. I went back to the stall to change my shoes, and then I went back on the platform.

"Beautiful, Karena!" Tallulah complimented me. "Now let's do your hair."

I watched in the mirror as she took my hair, put it in a ponytail, and then divided my hairs in half and pulled the ponytail through. She then fixed my bangs by parting them down the middle.

"Now, look!"

I looked in the mirror and I looked like a totally different person! In fact, the woman in the mirror almost perfectly resembled Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

"I appreciate the time it took you to do this," I told her. "But it's not Halloween."

"Oh, trust me, there's a special occasion that's happening at the conservatory," Tallulah replied with a wink.

"The conservatory? But it's not going to be open for another two weeks!"

"Cousin Cornelius is having it opened just for you, Karena. You'll have to go there yourself to find out more."

I gave my best friend a weird look.

"You want me to go out in public like this?" I asked.

"Not in public, Belle. Just go to the conservatory to see why!"

"This had better be worth it," I replied with a grim look on my face.

I walked back outside to my flying car and flew to the conservatory next to the arboretum. It was a gorgeous night outside. The night sky was full of bright stars, and to my surprise, the conservatory was all lit up!

"Okay, I wonder what this is about," I said out loud.

I got out of my flying car and ventured into the conservatory.

"Hello?" I asked loudly. "Is anyone here?"

Suddenly, I heard soft, gentle music.

"What's going on? Is this a joke?"

"Tale as old as time," a male voice sung from a distance. "True as it can be. Barely even friends, then somebody bends unexpectedly."

I ran through what became my new favorite place to be. The lights had bounced off the crystal glass so beautifully. I was very much in awe as I continued to listen to the male voice singing. I walked to the middle of the bridge, and there ahead of me was Wilbur in a dashing costume with a big smile on his face. He started walking up to me as I explored this part of the conservatory. I noticed on my left that Donatello was standing on a set of stairs surrounded by plants. I watched him taking a breath and letting his voice sing.

"Just a little change, small to say the least. Both a little scared. Neither one prepared. Beauty and the beast."

Wilbur was now at my side.

"May I have this dance?" he asked me.

"The pleasure is all mine," I answered with a smile.

"Ever just the same," I heard a familiar female voice, Franny, singing as we started to dance in each other's arms. "Ever a surprise. Ever as before. Ever just as sure as the sun will rise."

I studied Wilbur's outfit. He wore black pants and a blue polo shirt with his cowlick greased up.

"Tale as old as time," Donnie sang as we continued to dance. "Tune as old as song. Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong."

"I had no idea Donnie could sing," I told him. "I see where Lily got her vocal chords."

"Actually, I didn't know he could sing either," Wilbur replied. "The four of us planned this outing together."

"Four of you?" I asked with a smirk.

"Come on! Who else could design your dress to look like Belle's?"

Tallulah.

"Certain as the sun," Donnie sang again. "Rising in the east, tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme. Beauty and the beast."

There was a small pause as the music faded.

"Tale as old as time," Donnie and Franny sang together in harmony. "Song as old as rhyme. Beauty and the beast."

The song concluded, and Wilbur and I clapped for the duet.

"Thank you very much!" Franny said happily.

"Now ask her the question!" Donnie encouraged him.

We both laughed.

"Ask me what?" I asked with giggles.

Wilbur walked back to the stairs to retrieve a container. When he returned, he gave it to me. I gasped with awe. There was a white rose enclosed.

"Oh, Wilbur, it's beautiful!"

Wilbur opened the container and we discovered that it was actually a corsage. He put the corsage around my right wrist, and then he held my hands.

"Karena Edwards, would you be my date at the Todayland High School Prom?"

I nodded eagerly. We hugged each other. Donnie and Franny wildly cheered for us on opposite sides of the conservatory as we drew each other in for a sweet kiss. I had only gone to prom once when I was a high school senior. But this was going to be one for the books.