It was Friday night. Nicole had pointed out to Richard they hadn't gone on a date night in so long, and she felt her husband needed to do something other than sitting on the couch and watching TV.

True, often when they left the kids home, it turned into disaster. But, even though they weren't even a few months older, it felt to them as if somehow they had gotten a bit more, responsible, since the last time.

"We'll be gone the rest of the night, kids." Nicole grabbed her purse. "Now, no causing trouble while we're gone."

"Yes, Mrs. Mom," Darwin beamed at his adopted parents. Gumball and Anais nodded. While Anias was more genuine in her promise, Gumball was reluctant. But, perhaps if they've behaved just this once, maybe it would gain their parents' trust, leaving them alone more often.

And so, to even their surprise, they did. They hardly did anything more than watch television and play a board game. Darwin rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm not feeling so good. I think I'm gonna go to bed."

"Dude, it's only eight!" Gumball protested.

Ignoring him, Darwin started up the stairs towards their room.

The hours passed. He should have been asleep by now, but Gumball couldn't. He was feeling bored without his best friend to do something fun (or stupid) with him.

Ears perked, he suddenly remembered a box under his bed: a box full of baby stuff he found in the attic the other day, including diapers, onesies, and pacifiers, mysteriously in his size.

Undressing completely, he slipped into one of the diapers, following squeezing into the pale yellow onesie. To finish, he grabbed a pacifier and popped it into his mouth. True, he no longer needed to teethe, but the feeling of the rubber in his mouth felt good across his gums.

Getting onto his knees, he quietly crawled around the room, bringing back vague, but fond memories, of when he was once a baby.

Finding the door open a crack, he found he could get away with opening it without waking Darwin. Continuing down the hallway he went into the bathroom to admire himself in the mirror. Size aside, he really did look just like a little infant again...and a cute one, too!

Returning to his crawling movements, he turned out from the bathroom to find himself...staring face-to-face with Anais...who could still fit into her diapers and fluffy purple footies.

Gumball stared at her. Anais liked pretending to be a baby, too? His younger sister said nothing. She only smiled through her pacifier, one which Gumball returned.

"...Do you think the kids are alright, Richard? It's awfully quiet," Nicole commented as she walked in the door.

"I'm sure they're fine. They're probably sleeping."

"We better check on them, just to be sure."

Nicole padded up the stairs to Gumball and Darwin's room. A feeling of dread came over her; Darwin was fast asleep, but where was her other son?

"Ooh, Nicole," Richard cooed from the door to Anais' room. "Take a look at our babies!"

Coming up behind him, her feeling of panic began to fade away as the sight of Gumball and Anias sleeping in each others' arms in her bed.

"Shh...let's not disturb them," Nicole whispered.

Sneaking out of the room, they closed the door softly behind them, letting their children sleep.

THE NEXT DAY...

Gumball and Darwin could just barely fit next to Anais in the three-seat baby carriage Nicole and Richard took through the park. Since Darwin hadn't been a baby the same way they were, Gumball let him borrow one of his old baby bonnets and a pacifier, so he could join in on the fun.

Anais smiled at Gumball, and he knew they were thinking the same thing: despite the stares from everyone else in the park, it felt good to be like a baby again.