His Devices, Her Problem
A/N: I obviously don't know what Cherry looked like as a baby and for inspiration, I used details I've heard from my best friend, who is blonde and has blue eyes, to fill in the blanks. This is dedicated to Boris Yeltsin on who requested this one shot. I'm very sorry for the incredibly long wait (I did warn you, didn't I?) and I hope you enjoy this. sorry it's so short and probably doesn't include what you want it to, I just wanted to get it done for you as soon as I could. Also, I feel sorry for Nora so I gave her some extra powers – her laser eyes are pretty cool though.
Dad had said that ThunderSense was a power that let her "sense dangers before they happened" but it was a flimsy and underdeveloped power at best, Phoebe thought, staring as Billy entertained a blonde baby girl (who looked suspiciously like the best friend she'd left downstairs for literally five seconds) by pulling faces and making weird noises. The baby had blonde hair that was so blonde it was nearly blinding and sparkling blue eyes, coupled with a ring of gold in the middle, that were trained on her younger brother. She looked exactly like Cherry, only much younger and innocent.
She glared at Max, feeling both angry at her twin for being reckless around not only their younger siblings but regular civilians who happen to be her freaking friends, but also said younger siblings for not running (seriously Billy, it would have taken you only a couple of seconds) upstairs once the incident had happened. Max turns to her, feeling the steady weight of her deathly but now overused glare, and her glare tightens just a smidge once she sees that he doesn't even look the slightest bit apologetic. There's a moment of tense silence in the room, only broken by Billy's laugh and Cherry's coos, before a wail startles everyone into sound again. Nora screams, the unexpected onslaught of the surprisingly high-pitched noises a torment with her increased hearing. Billy immediately starts to protest, fearing that Phoebe or Max will blame him for making the baby sad while Max and Colosso immediately groan in unison, dreading the noise and mess this baby will inevitably make.
Phoebe ignores all of them save for Billy, and even then it's only to send a hasty reassurance his way. Cherry is holding her chubby arms out, apparently wanting to be held, and she hurries to comply with the baby's demand. She scoops her deaged best friend into her arms and the result is instantaneous; Cherry stops wailing and rests her head in the crook of Phoebe's neck.
She closes her eyes and presses her cheek on top of the near white hair, finding some kind of comfort in knowing that her best friend isn't badly injured, just more innocent and naïve and dependent than she normally is. She turns around slowly, hesitant around this baby who, hopefully in a few hours' time, will be back to her normal age. What if she drops Cherry and then she's hurt and that effects how she is after this? What if Max can't find a cure and Mom and Dad won't let her keep the baby and Cherry has to grow up in an orphanage? What if Cherry finds out afterwards and hates her? What if th-
Inhaling sharply, she hands the baby to Max, quite ready to drag him directly back into the mess he's created but is drawn back by a cry of distress coming from her bestie. Her eye's widen as she feels the tiny hand clutched in her top, mouth dropping open as a whiny, drawn out "Mommy," escapes tiny lips.
With that one word, Phoebe is dragged even further into the mess.
It takes Max nearly a whole day to find a cure and by the end of it, Phoebe is contemplating strangling him for what is probably the millionth time in her life. They struggle to hide the giggly baby from their parents, especially when they call Phoebe upstairs for training or for a talk or for some chores because Cherry apparently can't live without her 'mommy' for even five seconds. When they finally get her back to her normal age, she's asleep thumb tucked into her mouth but otherwise fine. Phoebe doesn't hesitate to tell Max to throw that damned device out and when he doesn't move to do so, she threatens to turn one of their siblings into a baby and then leave him to care for them as she'd done for nearly twenty-four hours.
He throws out his device and that signals the end of her problem.
