Leonardo sits in the dojo, meditating. This time in the morning is usually spent warming up, running through katas, practicing form, then moving into sparring. But, this morning, his brothers were all conveniently busy.

It seems his brothers each planned outings with their girlfriends on the same day, purely coincidental, but still enough to leave Leonardo feeling like he missed out on some unvoiced plans. Raphael and Michelangelo left together to get their girls shortly after Donatello and Sarina hurried from the lair, both looking very human and very caught up in each other.

Leonardo sighs, letting his eyes open as he flexes his fingertips against his knees. He tells himself that, as they get older, responsibilities change and they can't always train at the same time every day. It's not like they'll never train again. Still, it irks him: Raphael just expressed how he felt the team was getting weaker, and Michelangelo has only just gotten back to fighting shape. Donatello...well, Sarina and him worked their butts off to cure Timothy, so they deserve the break.

Not only that, but now Leonardo looks like the neglectful partner that didn't plan anything special for his special lady.

"Something bugging you, Leo?"

Speak of the devil. He looks up as Destiny approaches, wearing her sports bra and athletic leggings, water bottle in hand. She's tied her curls up into a ponytail, fluffy ears poking through the mane. She takes one look at his expression and her lips purse, hand falling to her hip.

"Oh, group training got postponed, huh?" she asks.

He exhales. "Yeah." A tiny smile. "How do you know me so well?"

"It's a special skill of mine," she teases, coming closer as her tail wags, "and totally not because I overheard the guys telling you exactly why they weren't going to make it today."

"And you still got ready?"

"I'll never turn down a one-on-one session with Sensei Leo."

A proud smile spreads across his face. Somehow, when she calls him sensei, it doesn't seem nearly as daunting as when others do it. "I'll do my best not to disappoint."

The shoji screen door at the far end of the dojo slides open and Splinter comes out, an empty teacup and saucer in hand. Leonardo squints at him—he seems chipper, a little floatier than usual.

"Morning, father," Leonardo greets as Destiny bows her head. "Are you going to observe us?"

"Not today, my son," Splinter says, smiling softly at them. "I am sure you possess more than enough skills to teach Destiny and, besides, I made plans."

Destiny and Leonardo share a brief, knowing look, but say nothing. Instead, Destiny smiles, tail wagging again.

"Have fun, Sensei!" she says.

"Thank you, Destiny. I'm sure I will."

He leaves the dojo and, after a few seconds, Destiny bites back a grin as Leonardo purses his lips against his own smile.

"I bet he's gonna see Mrs. Hughes again," she says.

"Don't tell Mikey," Leonardo retorts. "Pretty sure he's still convinced they're going to fall in love."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Destiny pauses, brow furrowing. "I mean, if they did, I don't think that they would do anything about it. Annalise and Mikey mean more to them."

"Whatever it is, I'm glad dad has a friend." They mull over the thought for another second, then Leonardo gets to his feet and stretches. "Well, you ready to do some one-on-one?"

"Totally! Just don't be upset when I kick your shell."

He flashes a wicked smile. "Oh, my love. You only wish you could."

She hums a little as she stretches her arms to the sky. "You know, with Splinter gone, the lair's totally empty," she muses.

He arches an eye-ridge. "That's...true."

The look she gives him makes his stomach tighten in the best way and her tail wags as she comes closer. "So we could extend one-on-one training to outside the dojo?"

His cheeks darken as she leans in close, trailing her hand up his plastron. "I...I think I'd like that," he gets out.

She starts to sink, as if lowering herself to her knees, and his breath catches in his throat. Then, Leonardo's legs fly out from under him and he lands hard on his shell, all sexy thoughts flying from his head on impact. He winces just as Destiny appears above him, flashing her pointed grin as she lets out a barking laugh.

"Let your guard down there, Sensei," she teases through her laughter. "Oh, man, your face—"

He returns her grin, eyes narrowing. "Oh, you're going to pay for that, Destiny."

"I'd love to."

Leonardo decides that maybe, just maybe, having his entire family inexplicably leave the dojo for the day isn't such a bad thing after all.

----------

"Come here, Pepper! We've got a treat for you!"

Michelangelo squats on the Hughes's kitchen floor, waving the retro-mutagen infused dog biscuit in the most tantalizing way he can. Pepper sits inside the open oven, gooey cheese melting off her ears as she tilts her head to the side, scrutinizing the treat.

Annalise hangs behind him, nervously fiddling with her fingers. "It won't hurt her, right?"

"Honestly, I have no clue," he admits. "I've never taken retromutagen."

She giggles. "I would hope not."

He flashes her a smile, then turns back to the mission at hand. He makes a few kissing noises, waving the treat again, and Pepper finally decides to check out what's going on, trotting over to Michelangelo. She sniffs the treat, licks it once, and then it disappears down her throat with a flash of pizza-terrier teeth.

Pepper backs off as she chews. Michelangelo holds his breath. Annalise presses her hands to her mouth in anticipation as Pepper stops chewing. For a second, nothing happens. Then, the little dog's eyes widen and she lets out a whimper, swiping at her muzzle with her paw as she drops to the floor.

She writhes, like she's having a seizure, and Michelangelo holds up one hand as Annalise starts into the kitchen, eyes wide with alarm.

"Woah, woah, it's working! Just hold on," he promises.

Annalise nods, not trusting her voice, and she sinks down to kneel by Michelangelo's side, gripping his arm. Pepper keeps whining, twitching and rolling and scratching as fur sprouts along her back. The cheese melts away, her nose fades from saucy red to black, and in a few short seconds, she's a furry, normal dog again. There's plenty of pizza sauce and cheese left behind, smeared on the linoleum, but Pepper herself is back to normal.

She makes a tiny whining noise in her throat as her muzzle wrinkles, tongue licking at her face as if trying to rid herself of a foul taste.

"Voila!" Michelangelo proclaims. "Good as new!"

"Pepper!" Annalise calls. The dog perks up and she grins. "Come here, puppy!"

She barks and rushes to Annalise, dousing her in sloppy kisses, and Annalise giggles as she pets her. Michelangelo watches them with love in his eyes.

"You sure you won't miss having a pizza dog?" he asks.

"I mean, she looked cool, but it was so impractical," Annalise says, scratching Pepper's ears. "Petting her was messy and way too hot most of the time, the oven being on added to the electric bill, and we couldn't even take her on walks." She coos and squishes Pepper's face. "It was cool, but this is better in the long run."

Michelangelo counts himself lucky that Ice Cream Kitty has never minded not getting walked, content with her life in the freezer. Cats are just less maintenance than dogs, it seems, and Michelangelo is definitely a cat-loving kind of turtle.

A voice from the living room breaks up their puppy session. "Are you two done?"

Annalise's eyes widen, then she lets out a sheepish laugh. "I kind of forgot about Raph and Taylor."

Michelangelo mirrors her awkward amusement. "Me too."

The couple in question sits in the living room. They, along with Michelangelo and Annalise, have made plans to visit the Mutanimals at their base to hang out and get some skating in. Taylor has her guitar with her and, listening closely, Michelangelo can hear her playing it while they wait.

Annalise gets to her feet, moving to the bottom of the stairs. "Mom! We're heading out soon!" she calls.

Leanne appears, part way through putting a gold hoop earring in as she comes down the stairs. Michelangelo pokes his head out of the kitchen, eyes widening when he takes her in. She's far more dolled up than usual—she's let her hair out of its low bun and curled it so it falls in gentle waves over her shoulders, and she's done a bit more makeup than usual. She wears a nice pale pink flowered blouse with a black skirt and a pair of low heels.

"Woah, Mama Hughes, you look great!" he says.

"Oh, you think so?" she asks, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear. "Thank you, Michael."

"Do you have a business meeting or something?" Annalise asks as Michelangelo does an "aw, shucks" motion with his hand.

"No, I'm just going out to the art gallery, then for some lunch. I thought I'd dress up a bit." Her cheeks turn faintly pink and she clears her throat, eyes darting down to where Pepper is still in the kitchen, licking up the remains of pizza on the floor. "Oh! Pepper's normal again!"

Pepper perks up at the sound of her name, rushing over to Leanne in search of affection. She smiles as she gingerly lowers herself to pet the dog's floppy ears.

"Please thank Donatello and Sarina for me," she says, looking up at Michelangelo. "I appreciate it."

"I'll let them know," he replies.

"Hey, are we leaving or what?"

They look up at Raphael, arms crossed over his plastron, his usual grumpy resting face in full effect. Taylor stands just behind him, guitar over her shoulder, and she does a peace sign when they make eye contact.

"Oh, right, I shouldn't keep you kids," Leanne says, rising back to full height and adjusting her purse on her shoulder. "You're going out skateboarding, right? Annalise, you have your helmet and pads, right?"

"Never go skating without them, mom," Annalise says, pointing to the duffel bag by the door.

"Good, good. Have lots of fun." She leans over, kissing Annalise's forehead. "Love you."

"Love you too."

"Goodbye, everyone. Lock up behind you, Annalise!"

And with that, Leanne's out the door. Taylor lets out a laugh, adjusting her guitar. "She's going on a date, huh?" she asks.

"She never said she was going on a date," Michelangelo retorts, crossing his arms over his chest.

Annalise mirrors him. "My mom doesn't date."

Taylor rolls her eyes as she smirks. "Whatever floats your boat, I guess."

"Enough chit chat. I promised Slash we wouldn't take too long," Raphael says, checking his t-phone. He mutters to himself as he types. "Be...there...soon..."

"I'm just gonna let Pepper out," Annalise says, already going to get her leash. "Then we'll go."

----------

The Mutanimals' lair reminds Taylor of the Purple Dragon base—mostly in its grey colour scheme and metal support beams everywhere. It's more warehouse than fortune cookie factory, but the vibe is similar.

Slash greets them with Mondo Gecko close behind him and, after doing a quick introduction for Taylor and Annalise (as the last time they met the Mutanimals, their focus was rather split and no formal introductions went around), they disperse.

Mondo eagerly races off with Michelangelo and Annalise in tow, excited to show them the makeshift skatepark set up nearby. Leatherhead, having been napping near the half-pipe, wakes and greets them as they approach. Slash, Taylor, and Raphael retreat to a hastily-made seating area—mostly old couches and mattresses that look like they were dragged in from the dumpsters and alleyways around the city—and settle in to visit.

"So what's next for the Mutanimals?" Raphael asks.

"We have a base out in Philadelphia. Jack's there right now, seeking out new recruits," Slash says. Taylor frowns a little and Slash continues, "You remember Kurtzman, don't you, Raphael?"

"Sure," Raphael says. He hasn't seen the eccentric reporter in years, not since they fought to get New York back from the Kraang. "He's doing well?"

"I'd say so," Rockwell cuts in. The chimp floats down from one of the higher levels of the warehouse, eyes bugging out for a second. "Ever since the Kraang went back to Dimension X, he's been dedicated to seeking out mutants outside of New York City. He theorizes that the Kraang must be active in more than one state, if not more than one country."

"Is this guy another team member or something?" Taylor asks.

"In a sense. He's our benefactor," Rockwell says. "He's our delegated human, if I can put it so plainly."

"He provides us with intel we couldn't get on our own," Slash adds.

"Ah, entiendo," she murmurs, nodding.

"Any luck finding other mutants?" Raphael asks, curiosity peaked.

"Yes and no," Rockwell says with a sigh, scratching his chin. "We've been trying to find Muckman, that delightful garbage creature that's been in the news every now and then. He's apparently hunkered away in Jersey. Admittedly, our original goal when we returned the city was to find him."

Again, Taylor's brow furrows with confusion. "I'll tell you about that later," Raphael says to her.

"Oh, I remember seeing him on the news," she says with a shrug. "I'm just surprised he's still around."

"He certainly is, and he could be a great asset to our cause," Rockwell says. Up above, a shrill beeping noise sounds and he looks up. "Ah, excuse me. Duty calls." He floats back up and disappears from view.

"It's been tough, though," Slash says. "Mutants are secretive. The ones who have lived as long as we have know how to hide. If we can convince them to join up, maybe we can show them a more fulfilling life of dishing out justice."

Raphael can't help but grin. "Shell yeah," he says. He nudges Taylor. "The more the merrier, right?"

"Mondo's been pretty vocal about finding a girlfriend ever since we got back," Slash adds. "Any tips, Raphael?"

"No clue. Just have to be lucky," Raphael says with a shrug.

Taylor lets out a huffing laugh as she bumps her shoulder to his. "Cállate," she retorts.

"What? It's true."

A good distance away, the skateboarding crew cheers, hollering applause. Then, Michelangelo appears, bouncing back and forth on his feet as he grins.

"Tay! Tay! Could you come play some background music for us?" he asks, folding his hands together and putting on his best puppy dog eyes. "Pleaseeeeee? We're trying to make the most epic skating video ever!"

Taylor smiles a bit as she gets to her feet, grabbing the neck of her guitar. "Can't say no to that."

"Aw, yeah! Booyakasha, girl!"

Taylor kisses the top of Raphael's head before following Michelangelo back to the skatepark. Raphael watches her go, then glances at Slash to see that he's watching her too.

"Luck, huh?" he muses, turning back to his old friend.

Raphael leans back on the couch, folding his arms behind his head. "They have a way of finding us," he says, "or us finding them."

He thinks of Destiny scrambling from her fort of pallets and garbage and of Sarina in her TCRI prison, Taylor running with the Purple Dragons and Annalise tucked away behind a camera. They were always there, growing up above the turtles' heads, and it just took a while for their paths to cross.

"Guess we'll keep looking," Slash says, sounding like he's half-joking. Silence blankets them for a moment as Slash shifts forward, folding his hands in front of him, elbows on his knees. His mottled green eyes narrow. "So, you're serious about her?"

Raphael frowns. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know," Slash says. "Guess it's hard for me to wrap my head around. She's...just a human girl."

His frown deepens, a bloom of rage coiling in his gut, but he swallows it down. "What, you don't like her?"

"Don't be like that. All this just makes me wonder what your future's gonna look like, whether you'll be happy being a family man, all settled down with a bunch of rugrats. That doesn't match up with the Raphael I know."

Raphael's jaw clenches. He hasn't allowed himself to picture a distant future with Taylor, whether out of fear or self-preservation, but he thinks of it now. He pictures them both older, with a few more wrinkles, a few more scars, with his brothers and sisters beside him.

He looks past Slash towards the skatepark. Annalise films with her phone as Mondo and Michelangelo try to jump over Leatherhead, both sideways and lengthwise, and Taylor laughs as she plays the most intense music she can with just an acoustic guitar. Raphael tries to imagine a child, a little tyke with his scowl and Taylor's pretty eyes, and he doesn't know how to describe why his heart clenches the way it does.

"I don't think rugrats are in the cards for me, man," he says. "Like you said, she's a human."

"Ah, forget the kid thing. I can't see a guy like you wanting to reduce himself to a life of nothing," Slash says.

Raphael wouldn't call it nothing. "What are you on about?"

"I'm saying..." Slash continues, leaning forward. "That if you ever get bored and want to expand your horizons, explore a little, the Mutanimals won't say no to another vigilante joining the crew." Raphael imagines that, if Slash had them, he'd be handing him a business card. "You have my number. Just don't be afraid to call."

He swallows the sudden lump in his throat. A younger version of him would be excited at the prospect of finding new baddies to bash, and he hates the way he doesn't get that same rush of excitement. There's more to life than punching criminals.

"I don't know," he says. "I have to think of my family."

Slash lets out a snort, something guttural from the back of his throat. "Now that...that sounds like the turtle I knew. Wouldn't be the first time you chose family over me." When Raphael's eyes narrow, he holds his hand up and pats the air. "I've got the Mutanimals. They're the closest thing to family a guy like me is ever gonna get. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'm jealous of you or not."

Raphael wants to make a quick quip, something like, "You should be. Have you seen my girlfriend?" But he stays silent. Slash stares at him, scrutinizing him, and Raphael gets to his feet. He cracks his neck, exhales, then goes to join the other group.

He wraps his arms around Taylor from behind, hugging her close to him as he rests his chin on her shoulder. She glances at him, pouting her lip a little as she coos.

"Aw, mi amore, everything okay?" she asks.

He nods softly as he watches Michelangelo do one of the sickest flips he's ever seen. "I'll tell you later."