"Mom? I need advice!" Dean calls as he walks into the living room.

Destiny looks up from her book, her tail flicking a little. "About what?"

"See, I'm going to a movie...on a date. What should I wear?"

Her eyes light up. She tosses her book onto a bean bag chair and jumps up, nearly tackling her son with excitement.

"Who? Who is it?" she asks, grinning.

Dean blushes. "Um...Katie...the cheerleader, that girl I've liked for a while."

Destiny's grin falters slightly. "Really? Katie?"

"Yeah. She asked me out to a movie, so I said yes." Dean shrugs. "We've been seeing each other a lot at football games and stuff...plus she's really pretty-"

"What about Elisabeth?"

He frowns and arches an eyebrow. "What about her?"

She furrows her forehead lightly. "I thought you two liked each other."

His eyes widen and he shakes his head. "Mom, she's my best friend!"

"I know. Your point is?"

"I can't date my best friend. It'd ruin everything!"

"How so?"

The wolf-raven boy falters, flicking his tail nervously. "Uh...well, we'd...uh..."

Destiny smirks. "Exactly."

"Whatever. That's not important," Dean grumbles, heat rising in his cheeks.

"Alright. You're the expert, I suppose." She flaps her wings once. "Just saying, your father and I were Space Hero buddies before we started going out."

He ignores her comment. "What do I wear on this movie date?"

"Button up shirt with clean jeans. Classy but casual."

"Thanks mom."

"No problem, sweetie." She smiles and ruffles his dark hair. "My little boy is growing up so fast."

"Mom..."

"Sorry."

He smiles and hugs her tightly, resting his head on her shoulder. "Love you."

She kisses his forehead. "Love you too."

🍕🐢🍕🐢🍕🐢🍕🐢🍕

"Mom? MOM!"

"Copeland, calm down," Taylor exclaims as she heads out into the front entry. She notices her mutant daughter's obvious distress. "What is it?"

"I need advice about boys."

Taylor grins. "Yes! I've been waiting to have these talks!" She stops short, looking around fleetingly. "Just...make sure your daddy doesn't hear."

Copeland nods, moving to the bench in the living room and flopping down.

"So...what do I do if a guy might like me?" she asks, twirling her pink mask tails around one green finger.

Taylor flicks a lock of straight black hair over her shoulder. "Depends. Do you know for sure?"

The turtle girl sighs. "I think Tiki likes me...but I think of him as my family, you know? He's my best friend."

The older girl nods thoughtfully. "Well, since you two are close, you could just ask him."

"What?! I can't do that! That's so awkward!"

"Why?"

"We don't talk about feelings."

"Maybe you should."

Copeland sighs. "Yeah...I'm just not very touchy-feely."

Taylor chuckles. "Just like your dad and I. He nearly passed out just trying to tell me he loved me for the first time."

The mutant girl laughs. "You told me."

Taylor scoots closer to her daughter, brushing a strand out of her masked face. "Are you scared to talk to Tiki?"

She looks down, her smile falling. "I want to tell him about who I really am. I mean, he already knows that we live in the sewers, but he doesn't know that I'm a turtle." She gestures to herself, falling back against her shell. "What if he hates me and calls me a freak?"

Taylor hugs her daughter close. "He'll love you for who you are. You just have to know when you're ready."

There's a small thump from nearby that makes both girls jump a little. They look to the hallway, and Taylor narrows her eyes.

"Hamato Raphael, have you been eavesdropping?" she accuses.

The red-masked turtle sighs as he leaves the shadows. "I heard something about advice about boys..."

"Dad..." Copeland groans.

"Sorry, Copey. I just want my little princess to stay little sometimes, you know?" he admits.

Taylor smiles, swinging her legs over the couch and giving Raph a quick peck on the cheek.

"It's about friendship, not dating," she murmurs.

Copeland nods, smiling. Raph smiles a little too.

"Good."

🍕🐢🍕🐢🍕🐢🍕🐢🍕

Dakota and Asher sit side-by-side in the lab, looking over their various tinkering projects. Dakota runs her finger over the table lazily, her one red eye flashing lightly as she thinks. Asher looks to his twin, concerned.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asks.

"Fine," she mumbles, not meeting his gaze.

His one blue eye flashes as he scoots closer to her, placing a gentle three-fingered hand on her wrist.

"Tell me the truth, Kota."

She sighs loudly. "It's this weird dream I had the other night."

"What was it?"

She blushes a little. "Well...you and I were sitting together on a grassy hill. We didn't have our disguises on or anything. Lukas was beside me, showing me the newest gadget he was working on. I just...smiled and rested my head on his shoulder, listening." She swallows, looking to her brother.

He smirks a little. "Then what?"

"You sat on my other side. Kelly's head was resting in your lap as you ran your fingers through her hair." She pauses, her slim fingers skipping over her brother's rather thick ones. "She was reading one of her books out loud to you, and you just smiled. We were all happy...just being ourselves."

He smiles and wraps a comforting arm around his sister, squeezing lightly. "That sounds like a nice dream."

"You aren't going to comment on anything?"

"Like what?" he asks. She narrows her eyes, the red one flashing momentarily. He laughs. "You and Lukas? Honestly, he thinks you're cute too. He's mentioned it."

Dakota blushes again. "He...he has?"

Ash nods. "Yup..." He runs a hand over his shaggy brown hair. "Has...has Kelly ever...?"

She smirks. "Maybe...maybe not..."

"What are you two up to?" Sarina asks as she walks in.

"Is it weird to like each other's best friends?" they both blurt in sync.

Sarina's eyes flash with amusement. "Not at all. Some of the best relationships stem from friendship."

"But...what if we break up and it ruins everything?" Asher asks.

"Slow down, Ash. You're acting like you're already dating," Dakota points out.

"Hypothetically."

"Ah..." the slightly older twin murmurs.

Sarina nods thoughtfully as both her blue eyes flash. "If the bond is strong enough, that won't happen. You four have been best friends since grade nine. I think that's quite the bond. Think chemicals."

"Ionic-" Dakota starts.

"-and covalent!" Asher finishes.

They smack their hands together, laughing. Sarina ruffles Asher's hair, making him grin his gap-toothed smile.

"Just let whatever happens, happen," she advises. "That's what worked best with your father and I."

"My bicarbonate!" Donatello calls lovingly as he pokes his head into the lab.

Sarina smiles. "And my sodium."

"NaCO3." The twins laugh and roll their eyes.

🍕🐢🍕🐢🍕🐢🍕🐢🍕

"Dad?" Mitch asks.

"Yeah dude?" Michelangelo responds as their fingers work the game controllers effortlessly.

"I hate lying to Nixie about our family," the curly-haired blond admits.

Mikey turns his vehicle, narrowing his eyes in concentration. "Do you want to tell her the truth?"

"Yeah, but what if she doesn't like me anymore? I like her..." He presses a button, launching a red shell at the driver ahead of him.

"Sometimes humans can be really understanding. Especially if the dudette already knows about us living in the sewers."

"Good point."

"Either way...I don't think you should worry too much. Maybe just causally bring it up. Maybe show her a family photo and ask what she thinks."

Mitch purses his lips, adjusting his SnapBack a little as he thinks it over. The image of a family photo that they took a few years back sticks in his mind, making him smile a little.

Leonardo and Destiny stand near the middle, smiling lovingly with her head on his shoulder and his arm around her waist. Raphael holds Taylor almost bridal style as she holds a peace sign in the air, guitar on her lap. Sarina and Donatello stand back to back, their arms crossed as they wear stereotypical nerd glasses and grin proudly. Annalise piggybacks on Michelangelo's shell, both flashing peace signs and sticking their tongues out.

The kids all stand in front. Dean keeps his wings spread a little, a charming fanged smile on his face. Copeland stands next to him, arms crossed over her plastron and a small smile brightening her pink masked face only a little. Asher has one arm around Dakota's shoulder, and she pretends to be annoyed as she smirks lightly, mid eye roll. Mitch keeps his skateboard tucked under his arm as he drops down on one knee. Venus stands behind him, her arms surrounding her older cousin's neck in a happy hug.

In front of the crazy group is Splinter, sitting crosslegged in a meditative position, a smile on his aging face.

Mitch knows he'd be happy to show Nixie that picture, but only when he knows it's safe for sure.

🍕🐢🍕🐢🍕🐢🍕🐢🍕

"Daddy?" Venus asks, hugging Leo's shell as he meditates.

He opens one sapphire blue eye, meeting the green-eyed gaze of his daughter.

"Yes Venus?" he asks.

"When can I tell Keith that I'm really a turtle?"

The blue-masked turtle sighs, opening both his eyes. Venus sits down his his lap, pulling at her pale blue braided mask tail.

"I don't know, honestly," he answers.

"Blake knows, but I'm just really afraid that Keith will call me ugly or something..."

She sniffs, her small fingers gripping Leo's plastron as she looks down. Leo frowns a little, not liking that his daughter is already thinking low of herself.

"Darling, you're beautiful. If he does tell you that, he's lying," he murmurs, rubbing her shell.

She looks up at her dad with big eyes. "Should I tell him?"

"Only if you want to." He leans down, kissing her forehead. "You have to trust your heart."

"How'd you get so smart, daddy?"

He chuckles. "I'm not smart. I think I'm more wise."

"Like grandpa?"

"Yes. Just like grandpa."

She hugs him tightly, her tiny arms surrounding his neck. He returns it gently, cuddling her close.