Yay, another 10K word chapter! We have some involvement from the Robinsons here and we finally end a chapter on a positive note! So I am thinking only a few chapters before I start a reimagination of "For Good" with Lily involved. With that said, I hope you'll enjoy reading this chapter!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons" nor "TMNT." I only own Karena, Lilianna, Ryan, Venus, & Athena.

October 31, 2039 – Todayland, North Montana, USA

LILIANNA'S POV

Just after my cousins guided the last three cured victims of the virus to the bubble transport, most of the family were levitated back up to the surface. I noticed that there were some people that were missing.

"We need to do a roll call," I suggested to my sensei. "Uncle Leo, you're here."

"Raphael?" Uncle Leo asked.

There was no response.

"Donatello?"

"I'm here," Dad answered, and I blew a sigh of relief.

"Michelangelo?"

Again, there was no response.

"No, not Mikey," I heard Auntie Renet say before tearing up.

"April?"

"Here," Mom replied.

"Mona?"

"I am here, Leonardo."

"Karai?"

"Here, Leo."

"Renet?"

"Here," Auntie Renet tearfully replied.

"Wilbur?"

There was no response. It was my turn to have tears coming to my eyes.

"So we're missing Raph, Mikey, and Wilbur."

"I tried to convince Wilbur to come up," Mom explained with sadness in her voice. "He sacrificed himself so we'd get back up here safely."

"No!" I shouted. "No, there's gotta be something we can do!"

I tried to focus my mind to enter Wilbur's, but I couldn't get in.

"I don't understand!" I panicked. "I can't enter Wilbur's mind! Something's wrong! I'm heading down—"

"Lily, no!" Dad interrupted me, wrapping me in a hug. "There's nothing we can do now, Lily. Wilbur did the most noble thing possible. Like he said before, a solution will arise in time. Right now, let's all go home and rest."

I cried in my daddy's arms as the rest of the family headed back to New York. My mom eventually joined us in the hug.

"We should report Wilbur's disappearance to his family," Mom suggested. "Let them know what he has done for us."

"I agree," Dad replied. "Let's go."

The three of us called for Billie's toy train to come to the city to take us back to their house. It was a ten-minute ride, and we were greeted by Wilbur's parents, Franny and Cornelius.

"Donatello, what a pleasant surprise!" Cornelius greeted us.

Cornelius and my dad exchanged handshakes, but my dad wasn't smiling.

"I wish I was here on a better note," Dad replied.

"I'm afraid we have some bad news," Mom chimed in.

"What's going on?" Franny asked with concern in her chocolate eyes.

"We have some good news too," I answered. "The good news is, your son was able to help us find the hive, and we managed to save the 27 victims that had fallen ill to the parasitica virus."

"That is good news," Cornelius replied. "What's the bad news? And where's Wilbur?"

The three of us hung our heads down.

"Raph had been stung by one of the wasps that had hatched," Dad answered. "Mikey went back to tend to him, and we assume he has also been stung."

Dad paused, letting out a sigh. My mom spoke for him.

"Right when Wilbur and our family reached the entrance, he had gotten stung by another wasp."

"He used his chargeball glove to destroy every single wasp before succumbing to the virus," Dad finished, and I noticed tears in his amber eyes, soaking through his purple mask. "Wilbur fought bravely."

"Oh, no!" Franny cried.

Franny threw herself in her husband's arms. We watched them cry for some time before deciding to leave the house.

"Dad, I want to use the portal to head to Karena's apartment," I told him. "I want to break the news to her instead of having her hear of it through the radio."

"Go ahead, Lily Mae. We'll see you soon."

Both my parents kissed me on the forehead, and then I opened the portal and appeared right in Karena's apartment. I was greeted with screaming.

"Whoa, Karena, it's okay!" I yelled. "It's me!"

Karena calmed down at the sight of me.

"Goodness, Lily, you scared me! You just appeared out of nowhere!"

"Trust me, I felt just as scared as you the first time I saw these portals coming to life around me."

"So, what's up?" Karena asked me, gesturing me to take a seat on the table.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," I answered, hanging my head down again. "Wilbur helped me and my family cure the 27 victims of the parasitica virus, and he got stung by one of the wasps that had hatched. But he didn't go down without a fight. He fought with his chargeball glove, taking down every single wasp until he succumbed to the virus. He's stuck in the hive until we can figure out how to free him and cure him."

I saw tears coming to Karena's eyes, but she didn't cry as much as Franny did. She smiled through her tears.

"That sounds like Wilbur," Karena cried softly. "Fighting until the end. Thank you, Lily."

"I promise we'll find him, Karena," I replied, putting my hands on her shoulders and then hugging her. "I won't give up on him. Do you need me to stay with you? I know how much he means to you, and I'd hate for you to be alone."

"Thank you, Lily, but I'll be fine. You should get home to your family. Are you going to be okay? I know you and Wilbur have a routine every morning, and he won't be there tomorrow morning."

I hesitated. Karena was right. Wilbur wouldn't be at school tomorrow. I was going to be alone. I let out a sigh.

"I don't know," I finally answered. "I'll let you know. You take care of yourself."

"You too, Lily."

I opened up the portal again, and I ended up in my bedroom in North Hampton. I immediately lied on the bed and started to cry, mourning my best friend. I cried myself to sleep, not looking forward to hearing the news tomorrow morning.

"Breaking news from the Land of Today. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles of New York City have returned! They were seen rescuing victims of the parasitica epidemic in downtown Todayland. The inventor of the team, Dr. Donatello Hamato, has reported eight deaths among the numerous victims who had been reported missing. The first citizen to go missing, Jeanette Roland, has been cured. Last night, the Turtles have saved 27 more lives. Todayland will be forever grateful to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their family for their noble effort to find these victims. But not all news has been good news. During the rescue effort, Detective Raphael Hamato of the New York Police Department and pizza chef Michelangelo Hamato have been reported missing. Also reported missing is the son of the Father of the Future, Wilbur Robinson. Dr. Hamato has reported Wilbur's bravery during the rescue effort, and we recognize that his sacrifice will not be in vain. Due to Wilbur's disappearance, Dr. Cornelius Robinson and the city council of Todayland have agreed to shut down Todayland High School at this time. Classes will be held online from both Todayland University and Todayland High School until further notice.

December 1, 2039 - North Hampton, New York, USA

I spent all of November trying to master my psychic powers with help from my parents and Uncle Leo. There were many emotions that transpired inside me all this time. I felt grief for the lack of Wilbur's presence. I felt anger for not being able to enter his mind. I felt frustrated at practicing the many techniques of my powers over and over again. I felt infuriated that the high school had shut down because of one person. I felt thankfulness that the football season ended just in time before the high school was shut down. I felt joy that my parents were still around to help me.

I sat silently in the dining room at the break of dawn. Instead of grieving, I focused. I closed my eyes and pictured Wilbur in my mind. I prayed that I would finally be able to enter Wilbur's mind. I meditated and cleared everything in my mind out except for Wilbur.

"Wilbur, I hope you can hear me," I tried speaking to his unconscious. "It's Lily Hamato. I want to help you. Something in your mind has been keeping me out, but I need you to let me in so I can help you. I know you are stubborn. You are probably just as stubborn as I am. But I know you, Wilbur, and you know me. You are a fighter, Wilbur. You have helped us and fought bravely. But I need to know where you are so that my dad and I can help you. If you are carrying a shield of some sort, please lower it. I trusted you. Now I need you to trust me. I love you, Wilbur. If you won't do it for me, then do it for Karena, because she loves you more than I do."

I continued to meditate and concentrate, and I suddenly heard a voice calling me back.

"Lily, it's me, Wilbur. I am alive, but I fear the worst for me and your uncles. One egg survived, and the three of us have been watching it in the throne room down in the hive. I am unable to end this because I am the egg's protector. But you can. Only you can. There is a pair of havoc gloves in the closet in my bedroom. They can create sonic bursts that may be able to destroy the wasp, should it hatch. All you do is clap the gloves together to create the sonic burst. You can also use the gloves to burrow down. You can do this, Lily. I KNOW you can. The three of us have faith in you, Lily, and so does everyone around you. I love you, little sis."

As Wilbur's voice faded away, I started crying. I had finally found a way into his mind, and I finally knew his exact location. I took out my notebook and started a plan to rescue Wilbur and my uncles Raph and Mikey. As there was only one egg left, I prayed that I would be able to end this epidemic once and for all.

"Good morning, Lily Mae."

I looked up to see my dad walking into the dining room and sitting across from me. He had a kind smile on his face, the smile that I loved the most.

"Good morning, Dad. How are you?"

"I'm ready for a new day," he answered. "What about you?"

I gave my dad a big gap-toothed grin.

"I finally found Wilbur!"

"You found his subconscious?" Dad asked with shock written on his face.

"More like I found his spirit," I answered. "I finally broke through! And I think I know how we can save him, Uncle Raph, and Uncle Mikey."

"Is that what you're doing up at the crack of dawn?"

"I've been waking up at the crack of dawn, Dad. I could never really sleep. It's not just Wilbur's disappearance that had been bothering me. It's that his dad shut down the school only because of Wilbur's disappearance and no one else's. I think he made the wrong call for once, or he made the call too late."

"I agree," Dad replied, putting a perplexed expression on his face. "Cornelius had shut down the university because there were too many students going missing. Then he cancels the school because one student disappears after we cured everyone else?"

"Anyway, here's what I got," I said, showing my dad my work. "You, Mom, and I would go down to the hive to rescue Wilbur, Uncle Raph, and Uncle Mikey. I want to tap into Wilbur's mind again to find out how to get to the throne room."

"You forget, Lily, that I went all the way to the throne room with your uncles. I can lead us there."

"Alright. Fair enough. Anyway, you cure them while Mom and I fight them off and cure their minds and spirits."

"What will the rest of us do?" Dad asked.

"Pretty much the same thing as before. Only this time, Uncle Leo can stay at the entrance so that we have a way to get up. Auntie Karai can meet us at the first elevator. Auntie Renet will go down with us to the second elevator. And then Auntie Mona can go with us to the third elevator near the throne room. Ryan, Venus, and Athena will stay on the surface in case something goes wrong. It's too dangerous for them to be in the hive."

"I agree. Now keep in mind, Lily, that because there are three protectors of the egg, three wasps will hatch from it. It happened to me, Uncle Leo, and Uncle Raph when we were your age, and Uncle Mikey saved our lives."

"I guess we're returning the favor then," I replied with a smirk, which turned into a frown. "Athena hasn't handled her loss very well."

"Athena's really bonded with her father over their love of cooking. She took his disappearance just as hard as you did with Wilbur's. But hey, if this plan works, not only will our family be reunited, but this epidemic will be over."

I smiled again, encouraged by my father's message to not give up hope. My mind then went to Wilbur, whose family motto is to keep moving forward.

"You know, Dad? You're right. The only way to move on is to take a step forward. You can't go back. We will save our family and friends."

"That's the spirit, Lily Mae!" Dad replied enthusiastically.

I laughed with embarrassment, and my smile faded.

"Lily? What's wrong?"

"We need to talk, Dad," I replied, clasping my hands together.

"Alright," Dad said, putting that kind smile back on his face. "Let's talk. What's going on in that intelligent mind of yours?"

I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Dad, I love you so much. I've always loved you. You and Mom have always been there for me, taking care of me, singing me to sleep, encouraging me to be a better person. I've been taking you both for granted lately, and I wanted to say I'm sorry. But Dad, I'm not a little girl anymore. Before the school shut down, I was taking driver's education, and Mom's been teaching me how to drive here. If there was one thing I wanted the most from you right now, it's you teaching me how to drive. You love fixing cars. Heck, you singlehandedly built the Shellraiser! And, with help, you modified the Party Wagon. I cannot think of a better person, asides from Mom, to teach me how to drive than you. I'm growing up, Dad. I need you to accept that. Please?"

Dad let out a sigh and put his hands on top of mine, still carrying his smile.

"Lilianna Mae Hamato, I love you. I have always loved you, and I always will, even beyond my last breath. I love you with my soul. I have loved you from the moment your mom and I found out about you, and I am beyond blessed to be your dad. When you were born, I did something I never thought was possible. I laughed and cried at the same time, because you were finally in my arms. I made a promise that day to always love you and watch over you, and to raise you to be a kind, intelligent, and independent woman. There are times when I have failed, but failure only helps us grow. And as your father, I've grown up just as much as you have. Lily, you are right. You are growing up, and perhaps I've been taking that for granted. But it doesn't mean I love you any less. You are my only child, and I will admit that I have had some trouble accepting that you're not a little girl anymore. But please know that you will always be my little girl. I will always cherish the memories I have made with my Lily Mae over the years. And I want to continue making memories with you. You've changed my life in many ways, and if you hadn't been a part of my life, well, let's say my life would have gone very differently."

My smile only grew bigger.

"Dad, I love you too. I think I understand what you are saying."

"Same here with you," Dad replied. "Is it alright if I keep calling you Lily Mae?"

I laughed. I could not stay mad at my dad for long.

"Alright, Dad. But can you promise me one thing?"

"Anything."

"Don't call me Lily Mae in public, okay? Just call me that when it's the two of us because there will be days when I want to be around only one person: you."

"Aww, Lily."

Dad stood up, and so did I. He walked around the table to me and he held me in an embrace. I hugged him back, appreciating the smell of pine trees in that moment and never wanting to let go.

"I promise," Dad spoke after a few moments. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," I replied. "And Dad?"

"Hmm?"

We broke our embrace for a moment. His amber eyes looked into my blue ones, and I fondly gazed at him.

"You'll always be my daddy."

"Oh, Lily..."

We embraced again, and I felt my dad putting his chin on top of my head. Suddenly, I heard the click of a camera. Dad and I turned toward the door to see Mom in the doorway, holding her T-Phone up to her face.

"This is a Kodak moment," Mom said with a big smile.

She wiped away a tear, and Dad and I both chuckled.

"April, get in here!" Dad told her. "Let's take a selfie."

"Well, you got the arms for it, D," Mom replied, walking towards us.

"Wait, maybe I can help," I chimed in. "I'm the kid here, and I'm practically a master of selfies."

"Well, look who's talking! Donatello's daughter."

"My daughter?" Dad replied teasingly.

"Okay, Dad, crouch down a bit," I told him.

I positioned my mom's phone to where all three of us were in the camera. We all shared our biggest smiles, and I took the picture.

"This is a Kodak moment," I said, admiring the picture.

"Well, you were right to boast," Mom replied. "This is a good selife. What do you think, D?"

"It's absolutely perfect," Dad answered. "Let me make you both some breakfast."

"Dr. Donatello Hamato is making breakfast?" Mom asked with a teasing gasp. "You are full of surprises today."

"Hey, I'm in a good mood!"

Dad walked away and Mom sat down at the table.

"I haven't seen your dad that happy in a while," Mom said with a smile on her face. "I take it you two had some kind of talk?"

"Yes, and we're okay. I may have to remind my dad once in a while that I'm growing up, but we understand each other. I even apologized for my behavior."

"Oh good! I'm so glad to hear you say that."

Mom looked down and saw my sketches.

"What's that?"

I smirked.

"That is my plan to free Wilbur, Uncle Raph, and Uncle Mikey."

Todayland, North Montana, USA

The ten of us assembled behind the ice cream shop once more on a silent December night.

"Alright, here's the plan," I spoke. "Ryan, Venus, and Athena will stay here and keep a lookout. I doubt there will be anyone else infected. The rest of us will rope down to the hive entrance. Once we get down there, Uncle Leo will stay behind in case trouble escapes us. Auntie Karai, you'll guard that first elevator. Auntie Renet will follow us and stand guard at the second elevator. Auntie Mona, just like last time, you will be at the third elevator and help Uncle Raph, Uncle Mikey, and Wilbur stay on their feet. Mom, Dad, and I will venture into the throne room and cure them."

"Will this plan work, Lilianna?" Uncle Leo asked.

"I'm confident this plan will work. After all, it worked last time when there were 27 of them. This time it's just Raph, Mikey, and Wilbur."

"Yes, Lilianna, two ninjas and a karate kid. This mission will not be easy."

"No, it won't, but we have to take that risk. And besides, we have a ninja and two kunoichi, both of whom have psychic powers. We got this. I have to have confidence in that."

"Alright, Lilianna, I'll trust you."

"You always have," I replied with a smile, bowing to him.

"Let's move!"

My aunts, my parents, Uncle Leo, and I spelunked down into the hive. I felt relieved the lower we went because the air surrounding us was getting warmer. At the same time, I felt bad for Ryan and Venus. They were both more turtle than human and salamander respectively, so they were more prone to the cold weather. I was thankful that it wasn't below freezing tonight. I prayed that they both would survive the night. After we hit the ground, my focus returned to the mission at hand. Uncle Leo remained behind, and the rest of us ventured forward. My dad had led us, as he had quite the photographic memory. Once we hit the elevator, Auntie Karai remained there, wishing us luck as we went down a level. I was thankful it was quiet and that we had quickly found the next elevator, and Auntie Renet made her station there. Auntie Mona followed us down to the next level, and it took us no time at all to find the last elevator, the one heading down to the throne room.

"If we need help, we'll yell at you, Mona," Mom told her.

"I will be listening for you," Auntie Mona replied.

We nodded at each other as she made her post. Mom, Dad, and I ran into the throne room. We found Uncle Raph, Uncle Mikey, and Wilbur in the middle of the throne room watching a single egg. All of their eyes were blackened.

"Okay, stealth is the key," Dad whispered to us. "It doesn't look like we can camouflage."

"I think I have an idea," I whispered back.

I held out my right hand, and I focused on the egg. I closed my eyes, and I imagined the egg floating in the air.

"It is glorious!" Uncle Raph exclaimed.

"That's our cue, Donnie," Mom whispered.

I continued to focus on the egg as the three victims continued to praise it. As much as I wanted to think about how disgusting that was, I couldn't. I could only focus to not blow our cover.

"What?!" Uncle Raph exclaimed angrily. "What have you done?"

"Donatello has ruined us!" Uncle Mikey angrily replied.

"He's not alone," Wilbur calmly replied. "There is another presence with us, a true enemy, Lilianna Hamato."

I let out a gasp, opening my eyes and no longer concentrating. I dropped the egg. Wilbur roared and lashed out at me. He activated his chargeball glove and tried to strike me many times with it. I had armed myself with my bo staff, but I had to be careful when evading his attacks; the electricity in his glove could not only destroy my wooden staff, but it would also cause my staff to be on fire. Wilbur was a skilled fighter, and we were evenly matched. Suddenly, we heard cracking.

"The hatchling is about to come to us," Wilbur hissed at me. "The hatchling will feed on us all!"

"Not if I can help it!" I yelled back.

"Lily, try to focus on Wilbur's mind!" Dad shouted. "Give me the gloves!"

I threw my bo staff at Wilbur, and then I threw his havoc gloves to my father. Wilbur then charged me with my own weapon. I was able to knock my weapon out of his hands easily. However, he knocked me down to the ground. I looked up to see him charging at me one more time, probably to try to bite me, but I performed a handstand kick to his chin to knock him out. I quickly got up and knelt down at his side. I took this chance to take the syringe my dad gave me and stab him in the neck with it, curing him of the parasitica virus. Then, I placed both my hands on his cheeks.

"Wilbur, it's me, Lily. I need you to listen to me. You have been cured of this disease. Now you need to fight its hold over you."

I suddenly felt myself being grabbed by the wasp that was trying to eat Wilbur. I placed both my hands on the wasp and activated a force field inside the wasp, screaming during the process. My screaming, combined with the sonic bursts from Wilbur's havoc gloves, destroyed all three wasps, and I was thrown down on the ground.

"YUCK!" I exclaimed. "Does anyone have any hand sanitizer?"

"Donnie, is that you?" Uncle Raph asked.

"Welcome back, Raph!" Dad replied, hugging him.

"Dudes, you made it!" Uncle Mikey yelled excitedly. "But where's everyone else?"

"Keeping watch throughout the hive," Mom answered.

I turned towards Wilbur, who was not responsive.

"Oh no."

Not caring how dirty I was, I got up and rushed to him.

"Wilbur?"

I tried shaking him awake. I checked his pulse and found a faint one in his neck. I decided to try to enter his mind again. I placed both my hands on his cheeks, closed my eyes, and focused on Wilbur. I noticed that his body was fighting this disease, which was why he was not responsive.

"Wilbur, it's me again. I need you to fight this. Your body is fighting to get the disease out of you. But you need to fight for yourself. I can help you if you let me. You are a fighter, Wilbur. You always have been. If you can hear me, please fight this! We all miss you very much, and Karena misses you the most. She's spent the most time with your family because you are not there with them. Karena has been your spark. Believe me, you are the reason why Karena fights."

I paused, realizing that my dad was sitting next to me performing CPR on Wilbur.

"My dad and I are both trying to save you, Wilbur. Do NOT die on me. Not now. I need you, Wilbur. You're my best friend, and I've missed your presence. Did you know that your dad shut down the high school the morning after you disappeared? And you were the only student who had gone missing. Everyone else had been cured. I could not come back to Todayland until I figured out a way to save you. Please, Wilbur. Wake up."

I suddenly heard a weak cough. I looked down to see Wilbur's eyes flickering open. I gasped with delight when I saw his chocolate irises again.

"Lily?" Wilbur asked weakly. "What happened?"

"Shh, you're okay, Wilbur," Dad soothed him. "You had the parasitica virus, but you've been cured. It looks like it took a toll on your body though. We're going to get you to a hospital, okay?"

Wilbur slowly nodded, and then he closed his eyes again.

December 2, 2039

WILBUR'S POV

I slowly opened my eyes and found myself in a room with bright lights. It did not take me too long for me to realize I was in the hospital. I groaned, feeling the pain all over my body.

"What happened?" I asked weakly.

I heard a gasp. I turned my head to my right to see my brunette girlfriend sitting down on a chair.

"Wilbur, you're awake!" Karena yelled excitedly. "Oh my gosh! I can't believe it!"

I chuckled.

"I love you too, Karr. What happened? I remembered being stung by that wasp, and then, nothing."

"I think the best person to tell you the story is Lily," Karena replied with worry. "You don't remember anything at all?"

"The only thing I remember is Lily being able to enter my mind to try to wake me up," I answered, sitting up with a feeling of confusion. "The strange thing is, I remember every single word she said. Karr, did my dad really close down the high school because of me?"

"Yes, Wilbur, he did, even after the Turtles cured everyone else."

"That's not like my dad to do something like that. What's the date today?"

"December 2nd."

"DECEMBER?" I yelled out in shock. "I missed an entire month?"

"Take it easy, Wilbur," Karena encouraged me. "Your body's still taking a beating from the virus. I think you got it worse than everyone else. Donnie and Lily were telling me how brave you were after you got stung. You had destroyed every single wasp with your chargeball glove, but the Turtles... well, Leo and Donnie, couldn't save you in time. You had succumbed to the virus."

"I do remember fighting the wasps. Maybe I pushed myself too hard."

"No, Wilbur, you did the right thing, and Todayland saw that as a noble sacrifice. Lily was right about you: you are a warrior, deep down. In fact, Leo approached me one day and offered to train you in the art of ninjutsu."

"Wait, seriously?" I replied with a chuckle. "That's quite an honor."

"He told me you would have no trouble learning it, since your mom had taught you karate all your life."

"I may have to take him up on that offer. I have enjoyed sparring with everyone in New York."

"The children meditated and focused on healing you every night," Karena continued. "Lily would not rest until she found a way to rescue you. Donnie physically saved your life. Your family and I prayed for you every night."

"They didn't try to come rescue me? I'm surprised. Normally if one of us is hurt, they'd search for that missing person in a heartbeat."

"Donnie and Lily broke the news of your disappearance and told them it was best if they did not search for you. We didn't want to risk anyone of us getting hurt too."

"Wilbur, you're awake!"

Karena and I turned to our right to see a nurse walking in.

"How are you feeling?" the nurse asked.

"I'm hurting all over," I answered. "I'm probably sore."

"You were fortunate to survive the virus that's going around. I'm going to do some tests on you, okay?"

"Wilbur, I'll call your family and the Turtles," Karena said. "I'll let them know you're awake."

I nodded my head. Karena left the room. The nurse started to move different parts of my body to see where I was in the most pain. After the tests were over, I went back to sleep for some time.

North Hampton, New York, USA

DONATELLO'S POV

I woke up early as always, and this time, I had a smile on my face. I gazed over at my wife, who was still fast asleep, and I planted a kiss on her left cheek. I got out of bed and put on my lab coat. I walked out of the bedroom and walked into my daughter's room. I smiled at the sight of her sleeping with a small smile on her face. I walked in and kissed her on the forehead. I finally walked down the stairs, through the hall, and into the kitchen to start a fresh pot of coffee.

Suddenly, my T-Phone rang. It was so loud that I jumped.

"Who's calling me at five-thirty in the morning?" I asked with surprise in my voice.

I took out my T-Phone and found Karena calling me. I answered it.

"Donatello."

"Hey Donnie, it's Karena. Wilbur's awake!"

"Oh! Wonderful!" I exclaimed happily. "How's he doing?"

"He's hurting all over, and he's shocked that it's December. The nurse is here now doing some tests."

"Well, once the girls are awake, we'll stop by. April's gotta work today, so she'll go through her own portal. I'm just putting on a pot of coffee so I can start my day."

"Oh! I hope I didn't wake you."

"No, I was awake for about ten minutes when you called," I replied with a smile. "Do not worry. Besides, you called with important news. I think Wilbur's going to be fine."

"Donnie, do you think the university will open back up in January?"

"Well, the good news is that all of the wasps are totally gone without a single egg in sight," I answered enthusiastically. "I don't see why the university wouldn't open up. The high school, too. Anyway, how are you doing?"

"Better now that Wilbur's awake."

"You are one of the bravest women I've met," I complimented her. "You kept on moving forward no matter the circumstances and you've continued to do well in your classes."

"Thanks, Donnie."

"I'd say you're already a member of the Robinson family because you've really mastered their motto. I know it's not my business, but have you and Wilbur discussed marriage in your future?"

"Actually, no, we haven't. But then again, Wilbur's only in high school. He's got his life ahead of him, still."

"That is true."

"But knowing you, you're going to give me advice anyway."

I chuckled. Karena knew me pretty well just from the two years we've known each other.

"Love is tricky. You think you know what you want, but then things change and you have to analyze what love really means again. When I first laid eyes on my wife all those years ago, I fell in love with her in that moment, and that never changed in the five years we knew each other. There was a part of me that knew that April was in my life to be my wife. But I didn't know when that time would come. One day in 2017 after saving the world from an interdimensional Shredder and Krang, I just took the leap and asked her to marry me. And we got married just a little over a month later. We both knew we wanted to marry, so we did, and being married is the best thing that has ever happened to me. If it hadn't happened, then Lily wouldn't be in our lives, and she is our greatest treasure. But there is one piece of advice I will give you right now."

"What's that?"

"Wait until Wilbur's in college. When April and I married, she was studying to be a journalist. Your foundation is always stronger with the one you're going to spend the rest of your life with."

"What do you mean by foundation?"

"Your foundation is your soul, who you are. When you marry someone, the two of you will become one soul, and you set your foundation together. It's your beliefs, the rules you want to make in your household, your traditions, and so on. When something goes wrong, you have your foundation to get you back on your feet. For example, with the entire Robinson family, all they have to do is remember to keep moving forward, and suddenly, they're motivated to start living again."

"What helped you and April?"

"Ironically, we also relied on the keep moving forward motto. I have failed more times than I have succeeded. It's a part of life. But then Cornelius gave me a Bible, and April and I read it together. And then, April and I discovered we were having a baby, so our foundation shifted from keep moving forward to fret not, give your worries to God, and He will take care of you. If you don't have some kind of foundation to fall back on, Karena, then you and Wilbur would not be going anywhere with your marriage."

"I understand. Thanks, Donnie. So what time to do you think you'll be coming?"

"Expect us at seven o'clock your time."

"Got it. See you soon."

"See you soon."

I hung up, and I found April walking down the stairs.

"Good morning, honey," I greeted her.

"Good morning, D. Who were you talking to?"

"Karena. Wilbur's awake."

April's fatigued look turned into a smile.

"Oh, awesome! Wilbur's recovering!"

"Yeah, Karena wanted us to come see him. And besides, I'd like to check on him. I'm kind of his doctor now."

"Kind of his doctor?" April repeated me with a smirk. "Just have Wilbur establish his care with you. He's in good hands with you as his doctor."

"It doesn't quite work that way, April. I don't have a practice in Todayland, so I can't accept new patients there. Would you like some coffee?"

"Sure!"

I went to the cabinets to grab two mugs, the same two mugs we had used ever since we got married 22 years ago.

"April, I just had a thought."

"What's that?" she asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"We're celebrating our 22nd wedding anniversary this coming Christmas."

"It does not feel like it's been 22 years," April replied in a flabbergasted tone. "Although, this will be a special anniversary for Leo and Karai. They're celebrating twenty years of marriage this year."

"Hey, you're right! We should do something for them like we did Mikey and Renet last year."

"And then next year it'll be Raph and Mona's turn."

"And before you know it, we'll be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary," I finished with a wink.

"Oh my goodness, Donnie! Do you have any idea how old Lily would be in three years? She'll be in college!"

"Don't remind me! And besides, it'll be Lily's choice on whether she wants to go to college or not. No matter what she chooses, we'll encourage her."

"Encourage me to do what?"

We both turned toward the hall to see our daughter walking in.

"Good morning, Lily," I greeted her with a smile on my face.

"Good morning, Dad. Morning, Mom."

"We were just talking about everyone's wedding anniversaries coming up this Christmas," April explained. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Sure. Could you put peppermint cream in it, please?"

"Absolutely."

April fixed Lily her cup of coffee and gave it to her.

"Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome. We have good news: Wilbur's awake."

"Yay!" Lily replied happily. "Can we see him today?"

"Yes, we are going to see him," I answered. "But first, we need to eat."

"I'll fix up something," April said, immediately taking out pots and pans.

Lily and I went to the dining room and sat down at the table.

"Dad, what were you and Mom talking about when you said you'd encourage me? What would I be doing?"

I smiled and put a hand on top of hers.

"We were discussing Uncle Leo and Auntie Karai's 20th wedding anniversary and we realized our 25th anniversary is just three years away. It blew our minds when your mom mentioned you'd be an adult in college by then."

"Yeah, college is something I have to think about," Lily replied. "I've thought about applying to Todayland University. You teach there, and Wilbur was thinking of applying there next year. He'll be a senior, so he really has to prepare himself. What do you think, Dad?"

"What matters, Lily Mae, is what you think. If you want to apply to go to Todayland University, then by all means do it. My job is to encourage you, not to discourage you. Only you can decide your future, and if you allow God to help you, you will see your future clearly."

"Dad, how did you decide your future when you were my age?"

"When I was your age, I never thought much about my future," I explained. "Our mindset back then was to make it home alive every night. When we were your age, we were just starting out with our nightly patrols and trying to save Grandpa O'Neil. We knew everything was going to be okay at first. In fact, we were confident in our skills and told Master Splinter that we were just that good. Then we faced the Shredder for the first time. After that, we never took anything for granted ever again, and we just focused on coming home alive every night. We didn't have the time to think about our future. There have been nights where one of us had been captured, but we'd always formulate a plan to rescue your uncle that same night, and then we'd still make it home safely. And then the Kraang invasion happened when we were 17. We had to relocate to this very house for a few months, but our trial every night was still to make it back safely."

I paused, letting out a sigh.

"The only time throughout our trials where we really thought about our future was when we travelled to space. We had travelled six months back in time to prevent this planet from being destroyed, and the future was always on our minds. The first time we could truly think about our future was when we saved the world from an interdimensional Shredder and Krang. And that was when I asked your mom to marry me. I have been looking forward to my future since."

"So always look up to God when thinking about your future?" Lily asked.

"Exactly. Like the Bible says, tomorrow already has its own problems. But hey, if there's something you wanna talk about, please talk to us. We're here to help you."

"Thanks, Dad," Lily replied with a smile on her face.

"Waffles are served!" April announced.

We watched her enter the dining room with a big plate full of waffles, and she had a big smile on her face.

"Help yourselves! I'll go grab the syrups."

Lily and I winked at each other before grabbing our helping of waffles.

Todayland, North Montana, USA

LILIANNA'S POV

The three of us made it to the hospital to see Wilbur.

"Hey, guys," Wilbur greeted us with a smile on his face. "It's good to see you."

"How are you feeling, Wilbur?" Dad asked, returning the smile. "Are you in any pain?"

"Yes, but I'm better."

"Where are you hurt?"

"All over. The nurse already performed numerous tests this morning."

"Where does it hurt the most?"

"My head."

I watched my dad giving Wilbur a gentle massage using his thumbs.

"Excuse me! What are you doing?"

All three of us screamed and turned around towards the door. There was a nurse walking in.

"I am trying to help my patient," Dad answered firmly, holding out his doctor's badge. "I'm Dr. Donatello Hamato, and Wilbur is my patient. My family and I came to pay him a visit."

"Can you confirm that he is under your care?" the nurse asked him.

"Yes. He has been under my care as of now."

"Donnie, what are you doing?" Mom whispered to him.

"Alright, Dr. Hamato, has Wilbur had any medical history we should be aware of?"

"No. He has not had any major surgeries, nor has he been under intensive care until today."

"Has he been prescribed any medications?"

"No, ma'am."

"Okay, now how long have you been a doctor, Dr. Hamato?"

"I've been practicing for over 20 years. I am a professor at Todayland University and I practice medicine back in New York."

I studied this nurse. I saw that she was skeptical of my dad, so she spent the next five minutes researching him. Her facial expressions went from skeptical to shocked when she discovered who my dad was.

"You're one of the ninja turtles!" the nurse exclaimed while blushing. "Please forgive me. How could I ever apologize?"

"You already have and very sweetly," Dad replied with a smile. "I understand your skepticism. I would have been skeptical too if I found some random person examining my daughter."

"Well, I will admit, seeing a giant turtle examining a patient is not a sight you see every day."

"Don truly is one of a kind," Wilbur chimed in from his bed. "I can vouch for him. He's my girlfriend's teacher and he's treated her with nothing but respect. If anything, I actually owe Donatello my life. He's the one who cured me of the virus."

"Even though I've been called a doctor for 20 years, I've practiced medicine on my brothers way back since I was a teenager," Dad explained. "I had to treat myself for injuries when I got beaten up by a mutant monkey, and I've had a passion for medicine since. It's been about 27 years now since then."

"I see you've won a Nobel Prize too, Dr. Hamato. Very impressive. Well, I'll let you get back to your patient."

"Thank you, ma'am."

The nurse walked out of the room.

"Okay, what just happened?" Mom asked.

"I guess I'm officially Donatello's patient," Wilbur answered with a sheepish laugh. "Why did you do that, Don?"

"That was the only answer I could give," Dad answered with a shrug.

"But I thought you couldn't accept patients in Todayland," Mom replied with confusion in her voice.

"I think I can make an exception this one time. That is, if Wilbur's alright with it."

"Hey, you are smarter than my dad, and that's saying something," Wilbur replied enthusiastically. "I'd be honored to be your patient."

The door opened again, and this time, it was Karena and Franny.

"Hey, guys!" Karena greeted us.

Karena and Franny gave us all hugs, and we returned them and exchanged greetings.

"Lily, it is great to see you," Franny told me as we hugged.

"It's always great seeing you, Franny."

We all turned towards Wilbur, who continued to smile in his bed.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Franny asked her son.

"Much better, actually. Don's head massage helped. I'm still in pain, but it's not as bad."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Dad asked.

"Just keep on massaging me. You've got the touch. Karena, could you massage me too? Like, on the neck?"

"Sure, Wilbur," Karena replied.

Dad and Karena started massaging Wilbur, and he sighed with contentment.

"So, what did I miss?" Wilbur asked.

"Well, your teachers have set aside all of your homework in case you were to be cured of the virus," Franny explained. "And we've all volunteered to help you through it."

"I can help too," I volunteered. "Wilbur and I share a couple of classes together. I can catch him up with those."

"But how will that work with school being online and all that?" Wilbur asked.

"We will all help you, sweetie," Franny told him with confidence. "If we did it once through COVID, we will do it again. Your dad is meeting with the city council, and they are deciding when it is safe to open the high school and university up again."

"But Mom, when the school closed down, I was the only student who went missing. Lily made that clear that everyone else had been cured and could return to school."

"Your dad didn't want to take a chance on any wasps escaping the hive," Franny explained.

"If I may butt in for a moment, Wilbur had destroyed all the wasps in the hive even after he was stung," Dad chimed in. "The only thing that remained was an egg, which only harmed Wilbur, Raph, and Mikey because they were controlled by the virus to protect it. They were never going to leave the hive. Todayland was under no threat when your husband closed the high school down."

"And when the three wasps hatched, Dad and I destroyed those," I continued. "We had planned this rescue mission very carefully, even if it took us a month to carry it out."

"Look, Franny, I have nothing but respect for your husband," Dad said. "But when Lily told me of the school's closing, that was one of the few decisions I did not agree with him on. Now, I don't know how you guys had handled COVID in 2020, but New York was shut down because countless citizens were getting sick. Shutting the school down because of one missing student is not a justifiable decision. It sounded like your husband was only thinking of himself rather than thinking of the citizens in general."

"Now may I speak on behalf of the student body?" I asked, and everyone nodded their heads. "I took the school's closing pretty hard. I was angry. I didn't do as well in school because I was grieving Cornelius's decision and Wilbur's presence. We don't just go to school to learn, Franny. We socialize with our friends. We spread school spirit to each other by playing music or playing sports, both of which help us grow and discover our talents. Because the school had closed down and the start of the basketball and chargeball season had been postponed, we had grown very depressed, just like in the days of COVID if I correctly read my history books. Franny, if Cornelius is going to open the schools up, please don't let him wait until January to do that. The sooner we return to school to do the things we love, the more we'll prosper, and we will have a higher chance of success moving forward with our lives."

Franny pondered this for a few moments.

"Donnie, I will take everything you and Lily have said into heart. Maybe you can present your case to Cornelius right now? You're a doctor, and you're a well-respected one. They may listen to you."

"Go, D," Mom encouraged him. "We'll stay here."

My parents smiled at each other, and my dad left to talk to Cornelius.

"You're not failing classes, are you, Lily?" Karena asked me.

"Thank heavens, no. I'm still getting A's, but I haven't been as motivated. Sometimes, having the world on your shoulders is a burden."

"Lily, don't do what Uncle Leo did," Mom told me. "He felt that way all the time when he was your age. You can't carry the world on your own, sweetheart. Let us help you carry it. And knowing your dad, he will make us heard, and he will do us proud."

"Knowing Donnie, I think you're right, April," Karena replied, and we continued to catch up on current events around the world.

KARENA'S POV

Lily and I went to the Robinson house after paying Wilbur a visit in the hospital. Wilbur had sent me a text some time later, saying that he was feeling well enough to be discharged. Franny and Billie had left on the toy train.

"Lily, wanna help me with something?" I asked.

"You want my help to throw a welcome home party for Wilbur?" Lily replied with a smirk.

I blinked a few times.

"How did you know that?"

Lily pointed to her head.

"Psychic abilities, remember?"

I had laughed at that. After we planned out the party, we had spent the last two hours, with the family's help, decorating the house for Wilbur's homecoming. We had gathered decorations in orange, Wilbur's favorite color, and Gaston and Tallulah made a "Welcome Home, Wilbur!" banner to hang over the garage door. Lucille and Art also contributed to making the food for the celebration. Art made the main courses and Lucille made cake and cookies.

When we were done, we heard noises coming from the garage.

"Hide, everyone!" I shouted.

We all hid behind different pieces of furniture, and we waited for our cue. The door to the garage started to open, and we all reacted with glee.

"SURPRISE!" we yelled.

We tossed confetti toward whom we thought was Wilbur.

"Wow! The last time I remember being surprised was when Donnie and April threw a surprise anniversary party for me and Karai."

I winced. That voice belonged to Leonardo.

"I love surprises!" I heard Athena say with excitement. "Is it for us?"

I glanced at Lily, and we both burst out laughing.

"Uncle Leo, I am so sorry!" Lily said with laughter.

"We thought you were Wilbur," I chimed in.

All three kids made the most hilarious faces when they found out the surprise party was not for them.

"Maybe another day, kids," Mikey told them with an assuring smile. "So Wilbur's not home yet?"

"No, not yet," I replied. "But you're more than welcome to help us surprise him."

"Done!" Leo said with a big smile. "We'll find places to hide. Kids, let's hide in the stairs."

Lily and I watched as the Turtles gathered their families in the stairs. The only members not present were Donnie and April. Then I remembered that April had to work at Channel 6 News today and Donnie was trying to convince Cornelius to open the schools back up. Suddenly, we heard more noises.

"Okay, let's try this again," Lily told everyone. "Stay hidden!"

We listened for a more certain noise, and it finally came when we heard the door open again.

"SURPRISE!" we yelled again, throwing the confetti.

"Well, this is a very pleasant way to be welcomed!"

This time, it was Donnie who entered the house with a big grin on his face.

"Oh, DAD!" Lily yelled out.

"It wasn't for me?" Donnie asked, his smile quickly disappearing.

"Once again, we thought you were Wilbur," I replied.

"Again? Who ruined it the first time?"

Leo sheepishly raised his hand.

"Guilty," Leo said.

We all laughed.

"Way to go, sensei!" Donnie teased his brother.

"Come over here, Donnie!" I yelled with laughter.

The purple-masked turtle quickly ran and flipped over the furniture and hid next to me and Lily.

"So what happened?" I whispered.

"I was going to say I have good news and we could listen on the radio," he answered. "But that would ruin the surprise."

We heard more noises.

"Shh, maybe this is it!" Lily hushed all of us.

After a few moments, the door opened again.

"SURPRISE!" we yelled and threw the confetti.

"Aww, how sweet!"

Lily and I let out a sigh. Donnie let out a loud gasp and emerged from his hiding place. Lily and I peeked out from our hiding place to watch him run to his wife and embrace her.

"I thought you had to work!" Donnie told April, giving her a kiss.

"When Lily told me Wilbur was coming home, I thought I'd visit him on my break," April explained, returning the kiss. "I didn't think everyone was going to be here."

"Well, join our little crew of party-poopers," Donnie said with a big laugh. "Leo, come on out! Lily, wanna get a picture of us?"

We all laughed at Donatello's enthusiasm as Lily took out her T-Phone and snapped a picture of the trio.

"Okay, now you guys need to hide again," Lily told them. "We still need to wait for Wilbur to come home!"

We heard more noises, and this time, it sounded like a train.

"This is it!" I yelled. "Everyone hide!"

We all hid again with Donnie and April squeezing in with me and Lily. We listened as the train rolled into the living room.

"There's a train inside the house?" Athena asked. "Cool!"

"Athena Shea Hamato, be quiet!" Renet sternly reprimanded her.

The doors to the train eventually opened, and once again we threw the confetti.

"SURPRISE!" we yelled.

This time, we all emerged from our hiding places to greet Wilbur, Franny, and Billie.

"Welcome home, Wilbur," I greeted him.

We embraced each other and kissed each other sweetly. I had forgotten what it felt like to be kissed by him, and I really enjoyed this kiss.

"You guys didn't have to throw me a surprise party," Wilbur told everyone around him. "And Ryan? Leo? What are you all doing here?"

"You helped us put an end to the epidemic here," Ryan explained to him. "When Lily told us you were coming home, we just had to be here for you. And I am thrilled to say my dad is a party-pooper!"

We all laughed at that while Leo blushed with embarrassment.

"Hey, at least I can say I'm not the only one who ruined the moment," Leo said, darting his eyes at Donnie and April.

Donnie gasped.

"That reminds me, could someone turn on the radio or the TV please?"

Joe turned on the TV to the news channel, and to everyone's surprise, Donnie was on the screen.

"Hey, that's you, Dad!" Lily said. "Let's hear what you had to say!"

We all gathered around the TV in the tiny room.

"We are here today to discuss the future of Todayland University and Todayland High School," Cornelius spoke to the news crew. "And we have Dr. Donatello Hamato here with us to provide this important update."

"Thank you, Dr. Robinson," Donnie replied, and the camera went to him. "For those who do not know me, I am Dr. Donatello Hamato. I am the inventor of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles who helped save the world on more than one occasion over twenty-five years ago. Today, I practice medicine in New York and I am a remote professor of biology and physics for Todayland University. And today, I wish to give you, the citizens of Todayland, an update regarding the closures of Todayland University and Todayland High School. These closures took place because of a genetically-enhanced parasitica wasp who had infected our students with a virus that controlled them to watch her eggs. I am pleased to say that with my family's help, we have eliminated the threat of this wasp. We have saved as many people as we could from this virus, including our very own Wilbur Robinson, who is being discharged from the hospital as we speak. My brothers Raphael and Michelangelo have also been cured. Because of this turn of events, I am pleased to say that with the city council's permission, we will be reopening both Todayland University AND Todayland High School for classes on Monday December 5th. All teachers and students will be receiving an email regarding final exams some time this weekend. Thank you for your patience while we worked to eradicate this virus and save everyone."

Everyone in the house cheered at the news.

"Donnie, you did it!" I yelled excitedly, giving him a hug.

"You're the best, Dad," Lily said, joining us in the hug.

"I am proud of you, D," April told him.

"Donnie?"

We all broke the hug and turned towards Franny and Wilbur.

"Thank you," Franny told him with a grateful smile. "Only you could have found a way to cure the virus. We are eternally grateful for your services."

"Ma'am, please give God the credit," Donnie replied, returning the smile. "God gave me the gift of intelligence, and I've always used it to help my family and to save lives. It has been my pleasure to save your life, Wilbur."

"Who wants cake?" Lucille announced.

"ME!" We all replied in unison.

"Alright!" Lucille replied enthusiastically. "I believe I've made enough cake for everybody in this house!"

We laughed as we grabbed our slice of cake and celebrated the Turtles' success in Todayland and Wilbur's homecoming, looking forward to starting 2040 on a positive note.