Author's Notes: I could have left this story alone. Tommy and Didi have a fun day and maybe everything is repaired, right?
…except no. One good day does not fix a damaged relationship.
Stu and Didi and Dil have a long way to go.
~MC~MC~MC~
"Hmm, let's see here," Stu said as he moved about his workshop, digging through the bins filled with spare parts. With Didi getting a day alone with just her and Tommy he'd decided to bring Dil down with him, so there was no risk of him crying and drawing Didi's attention away from his brother. Normally he didn't like bring the kids down here but he wasn't working on anything real dangerous right now; no welding or anything like that. And it actually would allow him to try some of the new little infant inventions he'd been working on, using Dil as his happily assistant. There was a cradle designed to mimic the womb with a synthetic heart beat and water bed mattress and special lighting; he'd read about those teddy bears that did the heart thing and figured he could top that. And then there was a new kind of bottle that gauged how much formula a baby actually needed based on past feedings. A playpen with a latch that would STAY locked for once… he tried it against pretty much every tool known to man and the only thing that had ever managed to crack it was a plastic screwdriver….
But even with all that his mind was whirling as he tried to think of something he could do to make up to Tommy how he'd been treated over the last few months or so. He hadn't realized it but after Didi had pointed out how utterly focused they'd been on Dil and how little time they'd actually spent with Tommy… well, even without the dream of his mother scolding him Stu felt really crummy about how he'd ignored his eldest. Worst he'd broken promises; he'd given Tommy the bear only to yank it away the moment Dil cried. Yes, Dil was a baby but sometimes Stu forgot Tommy was a baby too. One who didn't understand why his daddy was stealing his toys after promising to give them to him. He needed to make it up to Tommy, to make it up to him and he was sure he could find something down here that would be fun-
Dil let out a screech of protest and Stu pressed his lips together.
"And whatever I do needs to ensure you don't get jealous and take it," he said lightly, with a teasing smile on his face. "Can't have you getting all naughty, can I bud?"
The baby, however, went utterly still at that. His daddy was going to give something to Tommy… and thought he would take it? Like… like he was a bad baby? Bad babies who deserved to have their legs and arms pulled off and replaced with stuffed aminals and blocks and had to live in toy chests forever and ever with the other bad babies?
"NO!" Dil cried out in fright, flailing his arms about. He couldn't have daddy thinking he was a bad baby too! If he did he would send him to live with the bad babies and Dil wanted to stay! He loved mommy and he loved daddy and doggy and Tommy! He had to make it up to Tommy, he just had to!
"Aw, don't worry buddy," Stu said, misunderstanding what was making Dil so upset. "I won't leave you out of this too." He blinked, inspiration striking. "I know… two toys that go together but can be played with apart. One for you and one for Tommy. And I'll make sure each of them fit only your hands and his."
Dil began to tremble with fear. His daddy was going to replace his hands with toys! It was too late! He looked at his fingers before stuffing them in his mouth… that would protect them!
"Hmmm, maybe you need a nap," Stu muttered as he picked Dil up and walked him over to the new cradle/bassinet he'd made. "You'll like this, buddy… it should lull you right to sleep." He smiled and set Dil inside, the baby murmuring and sucking up his tears (and fingers… must protect the fingers!) as he gently rolled and bobbed on the water mattress. It was rather fun! Nice too! And… very relaxing. Very… very…
Stu smiled as he flipped on the tv, changing the channels till he found one of those syndicated judge shows that always seemed to be on. Seeing Dil slowly drifting to sleep he reached over and grabbed a cord that would monitor Dil's sleep patterns so he could see how the crib was working. Gently stripping the baby out of his onsie Stu attached the cord to his belly, not noticing he'd also undone Dil's diaper as he closed the cradle's cover and began to draw up plans for his newest toy, letting out a yawn…
~MC~MC~MC~
Dil blinked. His daddy was no where around and instead he found himself in his stroller, being pushed through a strange room. There were people sitting on benches facing a man in a black dress with the biggest rattle he'd ever seen. There was Philip and Lilip and Chubby and a lot of the big people and-
"TOMMY!" he exclaimed in excitement, seeing his brother standing near a wooden thingie, wearing a suit jacket over his blue shirt. It was like a big wooden block! He reached out for him but Tommy, just like the day before, just ignored him, not even looking at him. "Tommy!" he cried out in desperation.
"This is the plantiff, Tommy Pickles," someone said above Dil, causing him to look about wildly. "He charges that Dil Pickles is a bad baby who is mean to him and poops too much and drools all the time and takes all the toys. He wants him to no longer be his brother anymore."
Dil looked about in confusion as he was pulled from his stroller and set in a highchair next to another tall wooden thingie. "And this is the defendant, Dil Pickles." The little baby blinked when his name was said. "He claims he is a good baby who didn't mean to take the toys and only poops because he drinks a lot from his bottle and promises not to hurt his brother never ever. They have come here to have the mattered settled: Baby Court."
The man that had pulled Dil up moved to a door and called out, "All rise for the Judge." Dil tried to get up but couldn't though. He looked around and saw that people were staring at him, glowering at him not standing for the judge and he cringed in his chair.
"Tommy, would you like to start?" the judge asked.
Dil watched as his brother began to toddle around the court room, arms clasped behind his back. "Ladies and gentlebread. My brother is a mean naughty baby who never gets punished ever!" The crowd murmured and Dil shook his head violently at that. He wasn't a bad baby and maybe he did some naughty things but… but… he was Dil! He couldn't be punished for being Dil!
"Order, order!" the judge demanded. "Tommy, continue."
"Egg-ibit C!" Tommy declared, a video of Dil smacking Tommy with his rattle playing on a tv. Dil cringed as people began to murmur to themselves; he hadn't thought he'd hit Tommy THAT hard but seeing it play out made it look like it really hurt! "Dilly always hits me, even if I dids nothing wrong at all! And he does it when he does bad things too! He will take a car I was playing with and when I nicely ask for it back he'll hit me on the head and then cry so mommy t'inks I hurt him!"
The crowd murmured again and Dil whimpered. That… did sound really bad when said aloud.
"It's true!" Chubby called out. "I'm scared to play near Dil because he hits!"
Lilip and Philip both nodded. "We wouldn't even go near him if Tommy didn't say we had to be nice."
Dil tried to twist to look at them. Lilip and Philip didn't want to play with him? And… and Chubby was scared of him? But… he was their friend.
Right?
"Egg-ibit Star!" Another video of Dil stealing the blankie and drinking all the milk when Tommy was trying to take care of him in the woods played and Dil gummed his lip and looked about nervously as people began to grumble. "I saved him from the monkeys and he took all the bottle even though I was hungee too! And then he took the blankie even though he had on warm jammies. And he didn't wants to share no more!"
"No!" Dil cried out, waving his hands wildly. "Share! Share!" The TV, sensing what he wanted, show him giving Tommy half of the blankie and then him giving up half the bottle to Tommy. He turned and smirked as people murmured in his favor, sticking out his tongue. That showed Tommy! He was right and… wait.
Dil blinked.
He… he was being mean again.
"Egg-ibit Cloud!" Another video showed Tommy and his friends happily enjoying cookies. Dil, angry that he couldn't have a cookie himself, decided not to hold anything in. With a scream of "POOPIE!" he messed his diaper, the stinky so bad Tommy turned green and spit up his cookie, as did his friends. And mommy only noticed Dil and went to clean him up, leaving Tommy and his friends covered in half eaten cookies.
"Bad baby!" someone jeered and Dil sucked his head down into his shoulders.
"Egg-ibit Blue!" A final video of Dil purposely starting to cry because he wasn't happy Tommy was keeping mommy from holding him played. The shot panned in on Dil smiling as mommy and daddy cuddled him… while Tommy began to cry, all alone.
Everyone in the audience fought back tears.
Dil included.
The judge banged his big wooden rattle. "Dil, after viewing this footage I am half tempted to send you back where you came from!" Dil's eyes widened in horror at that. Not that place! It had been warm yes but… but… he'd been alone! There had been no one but him! He didn't want that! He'd never see mommy or daddy or Tommy or anyone every again! "But… in light of the evidence… I must find you not guilty." Everyone began to cry out and protest but Dil let out a sigh of relief. He WAS a good baby and now his brother would have to forgive him. "Yes… in looking at the evidence it is clear that you aren't a bad baby… but a Yucky!"
Dil gasped.
Suddenly hands began to grab him, yanking off his jammies before tugging on long sockies and a dress and shoes. Something plopped on his head and he realized it was hair and he spotted his reflection in the mirror, horrified that he looked like a baby version of Yucky!
"NO!" Dil screamed. He didn't want to be Yucky!
But then Yucky herself leapt to her feet. "Objestons your own!" Yucky moved to where Tommy had been walking about and scoffed. "Drooly there can't be me! That… that is an insult! I'm not nearly as bad as him."
…what?
"I might tease baldy but I've never hit it." She looked at Dil and seemed to grow bigger and scarier. "I've never kept him up or stolen everything or demanded his mommy and daddy only love me! If he is a Yucky he is the worst Yucky there is!"
Dil began to sob. No! He wasn't a bad baby! He wasn't!
"Send him back!" Yucky chanted.
"Even monkeys don't deserve you!" Tommy declared, now as big as mommy.
"Worst baby!" Chubby yelled and Lilip and Philip grabbed him and began to drag him away.
"No! Dil good! Dil be good! Pwease!"
~MC~MC~MC~
Stu blinked and glanced at the clock. "Huh. Must have fallen asleep," he murmured, seeing how late it was. He'd been down in the basement for hours working… forgotten to get anything to eat, having zoned out well past lunch time. Groaning as he stood up, he arched his back to work out the kinks before making his way to the stairs. "Alright, grab a quick sandwich and back to work…"
Stepping out of the door he made his way along the clean, sterile halls. He could never remember where the cafeteria was in this place and he always seemed to get twisted and turned around whenever he tried. Drew and pops had been nice enough to bring him stuff so he wouldn't have to leave Didi but now he…
Stu stopped. Something wasn't right. This all felt familiar but… wrong at the same time.
He looked around in confusion before reaching out and pushing a door open, walking inside a small room. It was dimly lit save for the blinking lights and he glanced about before he spotted IT. The thing he'd never, ever, in a million years had wanted to see again. What had terrorized him nearly two years ago and had haunted his thoughts just a few months ago.
The incubator.
That horrible thing they'd placed Tommy in when he'd been born. With cords running through it and a hard stiff pad and only a single little hole for him or Didi to reach in to comfort-
"Tommy?" he whispered, seeing his son lying inside of the incubator, struggling to breath. He wasn't wearing anything, not even a diaper, cords and wires once more attached to his skin. No… no this wasn't right. This wasn't right at all! Tommy was health and strong! He didn't need the incubator any more! The doctors had said so! It had been the happiest day of Stu's life when he'd been able to actually pick up his son and cuddle him close. Tommy had clung to him and he'd cried as he finally got to hold his son for the first time. What was he doing in there?
He watched in horror as Tommy began to shrink, getting smaller and smaller. The months peeling away, all the progress he'd made to become a happy adventurous boy. Now he was getting tiny again. Too tiny. Unable to lift his head. Barely able to move. So little and fragile again. The incubator was doing that to him. It was taking away his strength. Sucking it away and turning him back into the tiny little premie that had struggled to live.
He had to get him out.
Stu clawed at the class, trying to pry it open. "Hold on, Champ! Daddy will get you out! Just hold on!" Tommy let out a little sigh and closed his eyes. "No! No! Look at daddy! Look at daddy, please!"
"But… you're not my daddy," Tommy whispered. "Not anymore."
"Yes… yes I am! How can you say that!" he pleaded.
"When yous were my daddy you made special toys just for me and tucked me in at night and read me stories…" Tommy took in a shallow breath it was the most horrible sound in the world. "I miss my daddy…" And he knew that Tommy was now too weak to even cry.
"I'm right here, champ!" Stu screamed, crying for Tommy as tears running down his cheeks. "I'm right here!"
"Mr. Pickles, please back away," a doctor said wearing a mask said, pulling on his shoulder. "We need to get to the organs."
"No…no, Tommy needs those!" Stu cried out even as the doctor somehow reached into the incubator and spread Tommy out like he was a frog, a scalpel hovering over his chest. "No! You can't!"
"Why not?" the doctor asked, pulling down his mask to reveal… Stu himself. "Dil wants them more. And what Dil wants…"
"Mine! Mine!" he heard in the distance.
"Sorry Tommy," the doctor who was also Stu said, not really meaning it, "but its just easier to give Dil what he wants-"
"No! Please, don't!" Stu begged. "Don't take my son! Please don't!"
And then Reptar appeared and began to roar.
That caused Stu to jerk up, panting hard as he looked around his work room. "A dream," he whispered, hand pressed to his chest as he turned down the TV. Just a dream. Of the worst time of his life. Of when he'd been so helpless. So much of his life was about fixing things. Making them better or improving them. But back then he hadn't been able to fix Tommy. He'd only been able to sit by and pray that everything would work out. And now he found himself with something else that was utterly broken. The way Tommy had been utterly listless that morning, all the happiness and joy sucked out of him… it was just wrong.
"And I have no idea how to fix it," Stu murmured to himself in defeat.
As for Dil he slowly opened his eyes and smacked his lips as he looked around. He was somewhere warm… and wiggly… and he heard a 'boom boom boom' that was-
He froze.
He knew where he was. In the place before he'd met his mommy and daddy and Tommy.
They'd sent him back!
"NO!" Dil screamed, scrambling to try and lift himself up and escape. He looked down and cried out when he saw he was nakey and that ropey thing was attached to his belly again! They'd sent him back! They'd put him back and now he'd be alone forever and ever! No mommy or daddy or Tommy or doggy or anyone! Nothing! Alone! Alone!
He had to get out! He had to! He had to find Tommy! His brother would save him… he would save him and Dil would hug him and never let him go ever ever!
There was suddenly a light, which he remembered from the last time he'd been in there, and he wiggled desperately, hoping to move towards it and then big hands were lifting him up-
"DADDY!" he squealed as his daddy lifted him up and began to rock him.
"Hey there, what's the matter?" Stu said, rubbing his back. "Have a nightmare?" Dil hiccupped in response, which was baby for "Yes and I hate them and never want them ever again where is Tommy!?" Stu smiled as he rocked Dil back and forth, the infant hiccupping as he calmed down. "Its alright… hey, want to see what I made?" He reached over to grab the two dolls he'd made. They were rather brilliant in his opinion; in order to encourage the boys to play nice he'd made dolls that looked like the two of them! Brother dolls for brother babies! "Here's Tommy-"
Dil stared in horror at the dolly that looked like Tommy.
It was Not Tommy from his dream!
"And here is you!" Stu said and Dil stared at his worst fear come to life as his daddy held up the dolly that looked just… like… him…
~MC~MC~MC~
"Oh my," Chaz said as Dil's frightened scream echoed through the neighborhood.
~MC~MC~MC~
The day had started off so well for Didi.
She'd set about to bring some light and laughter back into her eldest baby's face and for a time… she had. After his crying fit they'd watched cartoons and he'd curled up against her for a nap, something they hadn't done since he was a newborn, and then they'd made the bread. Yummy bread just for her special little guy. She'd cut little pieces and covered them with butter and jams and smiled in delight as Tommy had cooed and giggled and happily gummed on the bread.
It had been a good day.
But as time had gone on and she'd worked to get supper ready she'd noticed that Tommy began to become quiet again. She'd not have noticed it any other day, for Tommy could be quiet the quite tot when he wanted to be… but today she noticed. It was almost like… well, it was like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. To see if things were going to last or if they'd go back to the way they were and he'd be ignored again.
So when Stu had ended up staying down in the basement later than normal Didi had been rather happy, as it allowed her to make Tommy some dinner without constantly being distracted by Dil. Where Tommy could be messy like every baby Dil delighted in spraying everyone with as much bile and regurgitated food as he could, so she had to constantly keep an eye on him. But today she was able to focus just on Tommy, watching as he ate his supper… and how he kept looking at her, clearly wondering, "What is so different now?"
But when she'd taken him to the living room to have a little bit of play time before his bath that's when Stu had come up with Dil, both looking a bit worn down but otherwise good enough. It was only when they'd left the living room that Dil had began to cry, reaching out towards her and sobbing.
"Tommy! Tommy!" Dil cried out as he finally saw his brother, his real brother. Not the Not-Tommy dolly that was going to let Reptar and the other stuffed animals rip him apart and turn him into a toy… Tommy Tommy! He protected him and played with him and gave him hugs and Dil was so sorry he'd ever been mean to him. "My Tommy! Dil! Dil!" But Tommy didn't look at him, just sitting on the couch. Did… did he not hear him? "TOMMY!"
"Oh dear," Didi said, looking at Tommy then Dil. Tommy let out a soft sigh and Didi gently patted him on the back. "It's okay, sweetie… why don't you spend some time with your daddy, okay? You haven't seen him all day." She stood up and swapped with Stu, cradling Dil in her arms while her husband sat down next to Tommy.
"Hey Champ, did you have a fun day?" Stu said only for Tommy to not turn to stare at him. He'd have thought he was interested in something else but Tommy… was just looking blankly at the floor.
His mom's voice echoed in his mind. How he was so close to losing Tommy forever.
"Hey there Dilly willy," Didi meanwhile cooed as she walked towards the kitchen. "Is someone hungry?"
"NO!" Dil cried out, reaching out for Tommy again. "No food! Tommy! Tommy! Want!" He thrashed and smacked his mommy in the face as he screwed up his eyes and sobbed.
"Oh!" Didi exclaimed, nearly stumbling as her glasses fell off her face.
"Deeds!" Stu exclaimed, hurrying over to his wife. "You okay?"
"Just fine… Dil just knocked off my glasses."
"Has a strong right hook, huh," Stu teased as he bent down and grabbed her specs. "Careful there buddy, don't want to hurt mommy, right?" Dil let out a hiccup at that, sniffing and whimpering. "Alright, so we should get him fed."
"I already fed Tommy… one of us should give him a bath."
"Right, why don't-" Stu turned… and saw the couch was empty. "Tommy?"
Didi looked about, just as surprised, before finally spotting Tommy managing to climb the stairs all by himself. She knew that he was adventurous and determined but she hadn't realized he could climb the stairs that easily! Making a mental note that they needed to invest in baby gates she handed Stu their youngest and quietly made her way up the stairs, wondering what Tommy was doing. She tiptoed behind him as he crawled down the hall with a purpose, little bottom wiggling back and forth as he made his way into his room, nudging the door open before crawling itself.
Standing just beyond his sight she watched as Tommy, in the middle of the dark room with only a window to light his way, pulled out a book, staring at it and flipping the pages. She was confused, however… it was far too dark for him to actually SEE what was in the book. So what was he-
And then her heart shattered all over again.
He was reading himself a bed time story.
Because when was the last time she'd done that for him?
Didi's entire body trembled as Tommy sighed before putting the book back and toddling over to his bed. Her baby was reading himself a bedtime story in a dark room with no night light or a kiss on his head. No one tucking him. No one putting him in his warm jammies and making sure he was comfy. No late night bottle to fill his belly. With, from the way it sagged, a full diaper he didn't expect to be changed. How… how many times had this happened? How many times had she been so focused on Dil and everything else that she'd forgotten to do the basic thing of PUTTING HER BABY TO BED?!
The way he moved, with practice eased… told her the horrible truth of her failure.
Tommy laid down and sniffed. He'd known it wasn't going to last. That no matter what his dream mommy said his mommy and daddy would never take care of him again. Dil would always come first. If he wasn't around his mommy might remember him but that was only because his brother wasn't there. She used him as a replacement… a toy that no one wanted to play with but was the only one around.
He should have never hoped. He should have never-
Didi walked into the room, flipping on the light and making him blink. "There you are, sweetie!" she said, trying to make her voice sound cheerful and happy even though all she felt was guilt and misery. She looked down at him, lying on top of his covers, little legs twitched as he tried to get comfortable with his full diaper, and took a breath before continuing. "You snuck away from me really quick, didn't you sweetie?" She reached down and picked him up but unlike before when they'd been in the living room he made no move to cuddle against her or reach for his touch. It was like the morning all over again… all the progress washed away. "We still need to give you a bath, and get you changed and fed, and then a nice story, just you and me."
Tommy stared at her.
Didi stared back and smiled.
Tommy knew… this wasn't going to last.
She'd forget him.
And that made her noticing him hurt even more.
His face crumpled and he began to quietly cry. Not a loud scream like normal. Certainly not as loud as Dil's tantrums. Just a sniffling, weak cry.
Didi cradled his close… and began to cry as well.
"Oh Tommy… it's okay."
She knew she was lying.
It was not okay at all.