Hi guys! This story is much more on a happier note as today is Independence Day in my country... and it's my birthday tomorrow. I wanted to write a little fun story regarding Renet and her time-traveling adventures... and she takes two partners with her! This is probably not my best work, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own "TMNT," and the Declaration of Independence is not my work. I only own Lilianna, Ryan, Venus, and Athena.

Song: "Golden Dream (From "the American Adventure")" by Randy Bright & Bob Moline

Family: Leonardo, Ryan, Raphael, Venus, Donatello, Lilianna, Michelangelo, Renet, and Athena

Timeline: Various

Setting: Various

POV: Renet

July 4, 2033 - New York City, New York, USA

"Thank you, guys, for meeting with me. I wanted to get your permission about something."

"What is it, Renet?" Leo asked.

"Today is the 4th of July," I explained with a smile. "I thought it would be so cold if I took my daughter and your children with me to work to learn a little about our history!"

The Turtles pondered for a moment, glancing at each other.

"I don't see why not," Leo answered with a smile.

"Me, too," Mikey chimed in. "Athena would love it!"

"Renet, don't you work in a place involving time travel?" Donnie asked with concern.

"Yes."

"Will our children go on a time machine?"

"Maybe."

"I don't think this is a good idea," Donnie replied. "Time travel is a very complicated and complex process. And our children are still young, and, at that age, they are very curious about the world. What if you take them on a time machine, they venture off, and make one small mishap that could change our history."

"Well, that's where I and the Temporal Crimes Division will come in," I explained. "It's our job to clean the messes rogue time travelers make."

"But the children could easily make a mistake that will cause a big ripple in time. And that can be prevented by you not taking them on the time machine."

"Donnie, I'm surprised at you," Leo chimed in. "You've become the most open-minded scientist I've ever known."

"Well, I don't blame him," Raph suddenly spoke with his arms crossed. "I never liked traveling in time. And in fact, I'm saying no to this idea of yours, Renet. Venus can learn about our nation's history here at home."

Leo frowned.

"I'm sorry, Renet, but I have to agree with Raph and Donnie. If you do end up taking our children to work with you, it might be best if they stayed at work instead of risking our history. In fact, it would be better if they stayed home with us and we can teach our own kids about how the United States of America came to be."

I frowned.

"Well, thank you all for your input. I'll catch you later."

With my head hung, I walked out of the dojo and into the living room where I saw Lily and Athena watching television together. I smiled.

"Hi, girls."

"Hi, Auntie Renet!" Lily greeted me excitedly.

"Hi, Mom," Athena greeted me at the same time. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I was going to head to work today, but now I'm thinking it might be best if I stayed home with all of you."

"Why?" Lily asked.

"Well..."

I hesitated, wondering if I could trust these girls with my idea. Lily had never told a lie in her life and was seen as responsible. Athena, of course, was my daughter and she loved history.

"I just pitched the idea to your dads about my taking you two, Ryan, and Venus to work with me so you'd learn about how our nation came to be."

"Really?" Athena asked with an excited smile. "Can we go, please, please, please? I've always wanted to see history unfold before our eyes!"

"Athena, time travel doesn't exist," Lily replied with a goofy smile. "And besides, don't we have history books?"

"Yes, it does!" Athena replied, crossing her arms. "Your dad probably told you it doesn't exist."

"Yes, he did."

"Well, what if I proved you wrong, Lily?" I suggested.

Lily pondered this for a moment.

"Well, Daddy always said to keep an open mind."

She smiled.

"Okay, I'll go."

"Yes!"

I pumped a fist in the air.

"Well, shall we go?"

"Wait, what about Ryan and Venus?"

"I don't think time travelling is their thing," I explained, thinking about the two more serious cousins in the clan.

"Well, we should ask them anyway," Lily suggested. "What if they feel left out because we didn't ask them?"

I was surprised.

"Lily, you are knowledgeable and wise for your age! Alright, let's go ask them."

First, we went to Ryan's room, which used to be Leonardo's room before Splinter died. We knocked and then entered the room.

"Hi, Aunt Renet," Ryan greeted us. "I'm just practicing my katas."

"Ryan, how would you like to come to work with me, Lily, and Athena?" I asked with a smile. "We can learn about how the United States came to be."

"No, it's okay. But thank you for inviting me."

"Alright, but can you please not tell your dad or uncles where we're going? They already said no to the idea."

"I'll do my best."

We walked out of Ryan's room and went to Venus's room, which used to be Raphael's room. Raphael and Mona Lisa ended up bunking in the same room as Leonardo and Karai to make room for the children. We knocked and made ourselves known.

"Hi, Venus," I greeted her.

"Hello, Aunt Renet," Venus replied, looking up from her book.

"The three of us are going to my work to learn more about how the United States came to be. We were wondering if you wanted to come with us."

"No, thank you. And besides..."

She held up her book.

"I've got my history right here. I'm content right where I'm at."

"Alright, we'll leave you alone. But please do not tell your dad and uncles where we went."

"I cannot promise that," Venus replied with a raised brow.

"Please, Venus?" Athena pleaded. "It's important to us."

Venus sighed.

"Fine. I won't tell."

"Alright, girls, let's go!" I told them excitedly.

The three of us got into my flying car and we drove to my work. I parked the car in the parking garage and I held hands with both girls, who were both grinning from ear-to-ear. I walked in the front door and greeted the robot receptionist.

"Good morning, Eva! Happy 4th of July!"

"Happy 4th of July to you, Mrs. Hamato. Who are your guests?"

"This is my daughter Athena and my niece Lily."

"Welcome to the Temporal Investigation, Management, and Exploration Agency, young ladies."

"Thank you, Eva!" Athena and Lily spoke sweetly at the same time.

Eva gave them their visitor passes and I took them to my office. After introducing them to the team coordinator, she gave me permission to take the time machine to show the girls what going back in time was like. I got in the cockpit and the girls took seats next to me.

"Alright, girls, are you ready?" I asked.

"YEAH!"

"Well, here we go!"

I turned on the time machine, pulled the controls, and we made our journey back through time.

July 4, 1776 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, British Colonies

"And, we have arrived!"

I parked the time machine outside of Philadelphia. Then, I went into a chest and found costumes that would fit the three of us.

"Put these on. We're supposed to blend in so people don't suspect we're time-travelers. Lily, let me find you a pair of mittens."

"In July?" Lily asked with surprise. "Isn't it supposed to be warm outside?"

"No, no, Lily. Back in the day, a girl wearing gloves means she was raised in a socialite family. That means the family was rich. Athena, I can find you some gloves, too."

After we changed into long-sleeved dresses, leggings, bonnets, and boots, we ventured out of the time machine and walked into the city of Philadelphia.

"Wow!" Athena exclaimed. "Everything is smaller here!"

"The beginning of the United States was rough," I explained. "Thirteen states were known as the British Colonies at the time and the people there were taxed for everything by King George the Third. The civilians were not pleased. In 1773, the Bostonians had a massive tea party, throwing all the tea that was shipped from Britain overboard, saying that they will no longer pay taxes without representation."

"What does that mean?" Athena asked as Lily continued to admire her surroundings.

"It means that the people were not involved when the taxes were imposed. The people had no say in the matter."

"That sounds like how it was back home," Lily replied. "I remember Mommy talking about how horrible politics had been in the-"

I had to cover Lily's mouth due to the rules of time travel, but I understood what she meant. The 2020s were trying times for our country.

"Let's keep walking girls."

We walked around the city until we saw what was one of the biggest buildings in Philadelphia at the time: Independence Hall.

"Whoa!" Athena exclaimed. "It's probably one of the smallest buildings now, isn't it?"

"Well, I'm not sure about that, but it is surrounded by some taller buildings. Philadelphia is not New York City."

Before we went in, I stopped the girls.

"I want to give you some information first. The American Revolution did not start in 1776, but in 1775 when there were conflicts between the colonists and the British army in Concord and Lexington, both in Boston."

"Is this because of the Boston Tea Party?" Lily asked.

"That and many other factors that the British imposed. Now, when we go inside, we need to be extra quiet. Okay?"

Lily and Athena nodded. We went inside and found the room where the Declaration of Independence was read out loud for the first time.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving from their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

We continued listening in, listening to the delegates of the Second Continental Congress read off all the wrongs the King of Britain had done to the colonists and eventually declaring their freedom from Britain. Before they finished the reading, we left Independence Hall and returned to the time machine.

July 4, 2033 - New York City, New York, USA

"And we're back!" I announced. "Let's put your costumes back in the chest."

"Mom, have the people ever had to change the government?" Athena asked me.

"Many times. Because there are always disagreements among the people and the government, and there will always be disagreements. But I'm sure you know of the Civil War."

"Yes, because the southern states believed in the idea of slavery."

"That's right. They made their own government and seceded from the United States as a result. But the north won and slavery was abolished."

"I think we've really grown as a country since then," Lily spoke. "Slavery is gone. Everyone has the right to vote regardless of race or gender. There's no separation between races or religions."

I frowned. While Lily was wise beyond her years, she was still very much innocent.

"Unfortunately, Lily, not everyone gets the motto: freedom for all. You can practice whatever religion you want and you can do anything you set your mind. There are people in the outside world who are cruel and have not learned from history. And when you do not learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it."

"So, there will always be someone who judges you no matter what you do?"

"Exactly. It's why your fathers wouldn't allow themselves to be seen. No matter what they had done to help the world, people had always seen them as monsters."

"But mutants have the right to vote now, right?" Athena asked.

"Yes, they do. Your fathers were mutated with human DNA, so they are just as human as we are. But all mutants have a choice to vote or not, or whether to live among us or not. They have that kind of freedom now, too. And that's what this holiday is about: the freedom to make our own choices. We are no longer told we have to do something or we cannot do something because we are different."

"My daddy always asked, why be normal when you can make a difference with your differences?" Lily replied.

Athena and I smiled.

"Lily, I love your dad," Athena said. "Can he be my dad for a day?"

The three of us laughed as we reported our trip to the team coordinator. Then we got back in my car and we played a tune to listen to on the way home.

"America, spread your golden wings. Sail on freedom's wind, across the sky. Great bird, with your golden dreams. Flying high, flying high."

"What do you two want to be when you grow up?" I asked.

"I want to be just like my dad," Lily answered. "I'm gonna be a scientist!"

"Oh? Are you going to work with chemicals?"

"Yeah!"

I chuckled.

"What about you, Athena?" I asked.

"I want to teach history," she answered. "I just love it."

"Restless one in a world of change, keeping dreams aloft in the rain. Spirit free, soaring through the clouds of time, of time."

"America, you must keep dreaming now," I sang to the two girls. "Dreaming of the promised vow of your pioneers. America, keep on flying now. Keep your spirit free, facing new frontiers."

Then we listened to some of the greatest moments of American history: President Kennedy's speech about us asking what we can do for our country; Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech; and Neil Armstrong landing on the moon in 1969.

"Spirit free, you must keep flying now, reaching to touch the sky on the winds of change. Oh restless one, search for brighter days, soaring through starry skies with your head held high."

"Of those three events, which would you see?" I asked.

"I'd love to see Neil Armstrong on the moon," Athena answered with bliss. "Space must be so beautiful."

"You should ask Daddy about it. He loved it."

"Daddy's been to space?" Athena asked in awe. "AWESOME!"

"What about you, Lily?" I asked.

"I'd watch President Kennedy's speech. He seems like he was a wise president. It's too bad he was assassinated before his term was up. I think he could have made a big difference in the world."

"I can loan you one of my history books," Athena offered. "I've read his speech so many times."

"Okay!"

"What about you, Mom?" Athena asked me. "What would you go back in time to watch?"

"I think I'd watch Neil Armstrong on the moon, too. I've never seen space myself, even though we often travel through space and time."

"You've always seen space as it was, haven't you, Auntie Renet?" Lily asked.

"Yes, that's right."

The song finished playing, and we returned home safely.

"Hi, girls!" Mikey greeted us, giving me a kiss on the cheek. "How did it go at work?"

"We learned a lot about what being part of being a citizen of the United States of America means," Athena explained. "Reading the Declaration of Independence was pretty cool."

"And we learned about what kind of citizens we could be in the future," Lily chimed in. "It was a good day."

"I made you some pizza," Mikey said with a grin. "I hope you're hungry!"

"We're famished!" I answered.

The four of us sat in the kitchen and ate our pizza to our hearts' content.

"Did anyone else know where we really went?" I asked my husband.

"Nah. I just told my bros that you took Athena and Lily to work with her. That's it."

We bumped fists and went on with our day before preparing to watch fireworks in Chinatown.