"Changes"

Chapter Six

What a long strange trip its been. :) Hope Everyone enjoyed it! Now, for your reading pleasure...

-

"I have an antidote ready." Egon announced from the stair landing.

"Not right now Spengs, there's a couple goopers that need's trapping." Peter breezed past him without so much as a look.

"I could come if I finish with-"

"Isn't it your bedtime?" Ray demanded as he hurried past.

Egon sighed as his glasses slipped down his nose.

"Would somebody just-"

"Janine, do something about Egon, he doesn't want to go to Bee-ee-dee." Peter stage-whispered to Janine.

"I'm not a baby sitter Dr. V." Janine rolled her eyes. Peter gave her a pleading look. "Fine."

Egon felt a flush rise into his cheeks. "There's no need to treat me as if I can't spell."

"C'mon Egon, you we're supposed to be ready for bed already." Janine picked him up.

"Janine!" He yelped. "This is degrading."

"Look at him. Only six and he's to old for his Auntie Janine to pick him up." Janine laughed.

"I am not six, I am an adult, and I don't need to be carried!"

His pleas fell on deaf ears as Janine carried him upstairs. He was soon stripped and dunked into a tub of water.

"Janine, this is insane-mmph!" Egon spat out a mouthful of soapy water that had been poured onto his head. "I can take care of this myself!"

"Egon, don't argue. The last time you were left alone in the tub you poured all the soap down the drain." Janine pulled the plug.

"I did no such thing!" Egon protested. Janine ignored him and wrapped him in a towel.

"You'd think after four years of this, you'd be used to it." She clucked her tongue.

"I'm not four, I'm six! I mean..." He trailed off. The room seemed to have grown since they came in. Janine took advantage of his amazement and dressed him in footed pajamas. She scooped him into her arms.

"Janine, listen to me!" He protested, attention snapped back. "I'm not a child, I just look like one. Something is affecting your mind!"

"Shh Egon, don't be fussy." She stroked his blond curls. Egon twisted helplessly.

They entered a room Egon had never seen before. Light blue paint adorned it. Strange, grotesque cartoon characters cavorted on the walls. In the center of the room was a small white crib.

"Pretty soon we're going to get you a big-boy bed. God, they grow up so fast." She placed him in the crib.

"Janine, please!" Egon stood dumbstruck at the baby-voice that had come out.

"Shh, its okay." Janine cooed. "Its beddy time."

"Why won't anyone listen to me!" Moaned Egon.

His legs suddenly felt weak. He fell backwards onto his rear. Peter entered the room. He and Janine towered over the stricken blond.

"How did everything go?" He grinned at Janine.

"Fine Dr. V." Janine smiled. "He was a little fussy at first, but he calmed down."

"Peter-" Egon tried to say the man's name, but only incoherent babbling came out. His muscles grew weaker and he was forced to lay down.

'I'm shrinking away to nothing and nobody realizes!' Whimpers burbled forth.

Peter looked at him with a slight expression of amusement. " 'Night Egon."

"Just think." Janine said as she flicked the light off. "Soon he'll be crawling."

Egon stared in horror as the walls of the crib rose up around him.

"No...No...Please, no!"

-

Light flooded into Egon's vision.

'Janine-Peter-' His eyes locked on the figure above him.

Joe sighed. "Time to go home kid."

Egon's mind raced as he was lifted.

'A nightmare...I'm still in the body of a six year old...'

Joy flickered before fear hit him again.

-

"Spengs..." Peter watched intensely as a huge dark figure huddled over a smaller one.

The other man fired a test shot into the tree, sizzling several branches.

"Thanks for the beam Dr. Venkman." Ed leered at him. "Pleasure doing business wit' cha."

"Just let the boy go." Peter barely held back a snarl.

"He's fine. As soon as we're gone, you're free to collect him and go on your merry way." Ed loaded the beam into the now vacant trunk.

Winston and Peter stood silently as the two med got back in and pulled out of the lot.

Peter went from 0 to 60 in zero seconds. Winston panted, trying desperately to keep up with the taller man.

"If they hurt him..." Peter growled.

Winston nodded, unable to draw enough breath to answer.

Egon was leaning against a tall oak tree, hands and legs still tied. His mouth was covered with duct tape. His glasses had slipped from his face, and were hanging off one ear. At the sight of the Ghostbusters's approach, he strained at the bonds. Tears were rolling down his face.

"Oh God, Egon." Peter hugged him tightly. Winston was caught off guard. This was the most emotion he'd ever seen either man show.

"Winston, where's the knife?" Peter demanded while trying to remove the tape as gently as possible.

"I got it." Winston cut the cord around Egon's wrists. Peter detached the tape.

"Peter!" Egon clung desperately to the green-eyed man. He was sobbing.

"Its okay Spengs." Peter hugged him back.

Winston cut the final cord. "That's the last one."

"Lets go home." Peter picked the blond up. Egon buried his face in Peter's shoulder, sobs and whimpers still coming fourth. He was trembling.

-

The familiar siren roared into the firehouse. Ray stood stiffly, his ribs still aching from the blow. Janine sat nearby at her desk.

"Is he...?"

"Peter would have called if something was wrong." Ray said staunchly.

Janine nodded and joined the auburn haired Ghostbuster.

The driver side door opened. Winston slid out.

"Where's Egon?" Janine demanded.

He made a 'shush' gesture at the secretary and cocked his head toward the side door.

Peter emerged from the vehicle, Egon still clinging tightly to him.

"He's okay." Janine sagged with relief.

"Egon-" Ray rushed forward and hugged the smaller Ghostbuster, ignoring the pain in his side. Peter made a slight noise as the boy was crushed against him.

"I'm sorry you got hurt." Egon whispered.

"Its not your fault Egon." Ray tilted the angular face so their eyes met. "Okay? Not your fault."

Egon said nothing, but nodded. His arms remained firmly locked around Peter's neck, as if letting go would place him back in the nightmare he'd escaped.

"Lets get you into a warm bath. You'll feel better." Peter suggested.

Egon said nothing.

"I think we can mix the antidote tonight, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to use it." Ray said.

Egon nodded, eyes down.

Janine stood in front of him. "Egon?"

Blue eyes traveled up to meet hers.

"I'm so sorry." She embraced him.

Egon released his grip on Peter and clung to Janine, new tears falling on her blouse.

"Lets give them a minute." Peter motioned for the others to join him upstairs.

"We need to administer an antidote soon." Ray said once they were out of ear range.

"Egon is traumatized, Ray. This isn't the time to be pummeling him with science." Peter glared at the younger man.

"Pretty soon it won't be possible for him to change back even with an antidote." Ray replied. "I know he needs time to recover, but we just don't have it."

"He'll be better after a long sleep. We do have that much time, don't we?" Winston interjected.

"Um, I think so."

"Good. I'm gonna draw a bath." Peter said. "Just make sure he's up there in ten or fifteen minutes."

-

Egon lay in his own bed, hair still damp from his soak in the tub. He'd only gotten in long enough to wash the dirt from his face. Egon hadn't even removed his oversized glasses. Peter suspected the fair-haired Ghostbuster didn't want the other's out of his sight for any length of time.

"Its entirely possible he's going to have some degree of separation anxiety." The psychologist told the others. "He'll be okay, but we shouldn't leave him alone."

"You need to sleep Spengs." Peter approached him.

Egon shook his head. "Its almost dawn. I'll be fine."

"You nearly passed out on the way home." Peter insisted. "You need to sleep."

"No."

The stark denial surprised the brown haired man. "Okay, I'll bite. Why not?"

Egon's eyes traveled from Peter and lingered on the closet.

"Oh." Understanding lit on the taller man.

"Its not an escape I'm worried about." Egon said quickly. "I know logically he's trapped in the containment unit. But..."

"But what?"

"I've been having nightmares." Egon's voice dropped to a whisper.

Peter nodded knowingly. "That's a normal reaction Spengs, especially with what you've been through. But you still need to sleep."

"I think I may be too agitated."

"You're afraid."

Egon's cheeks reddened. "I prefer 'agitated'."

"Egon, its normal to be afraid."

Egon made no response.

"Tell ya what. I'll stay awake, and if it looks like you're having a bad dream, I'll wake you up." Peter said.

The blond thought about it for a moment. "Alright."

-

Peter sipped a his cup of coffee. Egon had entered REM, or dream sleep, half an hour ago. So far his dreams appeared to be pleasant enough, but Peter was loath to desert his post.

'I promised him nothing would happen, and it did. I'm not gonna break another promise.'

Egon wriggled under the covers, and muttered something.

Peter got a mischievous look on his face. He leaned closer.

"What was that Spengs?" He whispered.

"Peter..." Egon mumbled, obviously still asleep. "...Don't want..."

"Don't want what?

"...to be...'lone."

"You're not alone Spengs. I'm right here."

"No..." Egon's face twitched. "Only child...alone."

"Egon, you are not alone." He repeated. "We're all right here, and we're staying here."

Egon shifted again. "Promise?"

"I promise."

"...Thank you..." Egon muttered, less intelligibly than before. He sighed contentedly.

"No problem Spengs." Peter smiled as relief flooded his system. He allowed the Doctor to sink back into deep sleep.

-

"I've got the antidote ready." Ray announced cheerily as Peter came into the kitchen. "I just need Egon's help doing the finial calculations."

"How's the little guy doing?" Winston asked.

"He's gonna be okay." Peter grinned at them.

Relief washed over the others.

A small thump brought their attention to the stair landing. Egon stood there, small fist rubbing his eyes.

"Morning already?" He yawned.

"Early afternoon already." Winston corrected him. "We thought you needed the sleep."

"Thank you."

"The antidote is almost ready." Ray repeated.

Egon's eyes lit up.

-

"I installed a tracker in the proton beams, you know." Egon said conversationally. "We just need to give the co-ordinates to the police."

"You know, there's such a thing as being too prepared." Winston raised an eyebrow.

Egon shrugged as he added the final ingredient to the slimy mixture.

"So, how long will this take to work?" Ray inquired.

"Not long. In a day or so I should be back to normal." Egon peered over his glasses at the test tube. "Although, I am not looking forward to experiencing adolescence again, however briefly."

Peter snorted into his drink. "You were a chess geek, weren't you?"

"Certainly not." Egon sounded offended. "I was in the computer club."

The Ghostbusters kept a straight face for a few moments before breaking up.

"Spengs, just take the damn stuff before we get to far sidetracked down memory lane." Peter chuckled.

Egon obliged him by drinking the contents of the beaker.

"Eww." Peter made a face. "That's nasty."

"That was easier than rubbing it into the skin." Egon shrugged.

"So how can we tell if its working?" Winston asked after a moment.

"Easy." Ray picked up a syringe. "Simple blood test."

Egon's eyes widened ever-so-slightly. "Um...yes. I forgot about that."

Peter patted his shoulder in sympathy. "S'ok Egon. I'll give you a lollypop if you don't struggle."

Egon's eyes narrowed at the taller man. "You know, I seem to remember a certain psychologist who had a pronounced case of squeamishness in college."

"Oh yeah, your opinion is real valid. You love weird fluids so much you slept with the mood slime!"

Egon's cheeks flushed. A slight pressure drew his attention back to Ray.

The occultist withdrew a red needle. "There. Just gotta run it through the analyzer."

Peter smirked at the boy. "I still got it."

Egon gave a mock sigh of exasperation. "I suppose I should have seen that coming."

A loud beep drew everyone's attention to the analyzer. Ray nodded at the read-out.

"Yeah, here we go...its the same as before, but in reverse. You did it Egon."

"Alright, the boy genius still has it." Peter grinned and punched him playfully in the shoulder.

"I didn't doubt it for a second." Obvious relief flowed into his features.

"Yeah right. Lets do something to celebrate." Winston said. "Ice cream?"

"Sounds good." Peter rose. "Egon, tell Janine she's invited."

They glimpsed a small grin on the physicist's face before he took off for the fire pole.

"They grow up so fast." Peter wiped a mock tear from his eye.

The three remaining Ghostbusters began laughing and went to join their friends downstairs.

-

THE END