"El! Hon I'm home!" He called.
"I'm in the dining room!" She called back.
Peter walked into the dining room and saw something that surprised him a great deal. Sitting across from his wife sat a little 5 year old boy with dark curly hair, blue eyes and a tear stained face.
"Peter, this is Neal." El said.
Chapter 3:
Peter didn't know what to say to the little boy wearing a miniature size version of his old CI's suit. Part of him was happy that Neal hadn't run. Another part of him was confused about how this had happened in the first place. And an even other part was scared to death about what this would mean for his best friend.
"Neal sweetie, could you tell Peter what you told me?" Asked El in a soothing and motherly tone. The tiny boy shook his head and looked down trying to hide his face from view.
"Please?" She tried, this time giving Peter a look and nodding in Neal's direction. Again the Neal shook his small head and kept his face from view.
Peter who knew what El's look meant tried to get Neal to talk. "Hey um, do you think that you could look at me for a minute?" He asked awkwardly.
Neal didn't shake his head but instead sat frozen for a moment. He then slowly lifted his head to look at Peter. He had small tears falling from his crystal blue eyes. "I scawrd Petew." He said quietly.
Peter almost ran over and scooped the little boy up to comfort him but decided that it would make them both uncomfortable. He settled for moving closer and bending down so that he was eye level with this new version of Neal.
"I'm sure you are." Said Peter sympathetically. "I know that this it hard and scary for you but could you please tell me what happened?"
Neal shocked Peter by jumping down from his chair, running up to Peter and wrapping his small arms around Peter's neck. Peter had no clue what to do as old Neal hid his emotions and Peter had never had any experience with kids. He gave Elizabeth a helpless look.
Hold him! She mouthed like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Peter awkwardly wrapped his arms around Neal and the child began to sob.
Instinct seemed to kick in as Peter pulled Neal into his lap and started rubbing comforting circles on his back and whispering soft encouragements like "It's alright." and "I've got you."
It took a little while but Neal finally did manage to calm down. Peter placed him on the couch in the living room then sat in a chair across from him. He looked at Neal expectantly. Neal took one last shaky breath and began his story.
"When Diana bwoght me home I felt yucky. My tummy was sad and my head fewt funny." Said Neal pointing to each body part in turn. Peter had to stop himself from smiling at Neal's adorable way of describing how he felt. Peter nodded signaling for Neal to continue.
"I awso fewt sleepy. So I went to have a nap. While I was laying down I stawted to feel hot, like my tub water was tuwned up all the way." He recounted gesturing with his hands to show how big all the way was. "I was a little newvous and I awmost called you but I didn't think it was important enough. When I went to get outta bed I fell because my bed was suddenly as tall as the CN tower!" Neal exclaimed way over-exaggerating. "Then I looked in the miwow and saw that I was small and I got real scawed. So I sneaked on a bus and came here." Neal finished his story.
"Wow Neal.. I... um" Peter struggled to find the appropriate response to his miniature CI's story. Peter turned to look at El for some help but she just shrugged her shoulders. When Peter turned back to look at Neal he saw that his eyes were drooping and he was having trouble staying awake.
"I think it's time for bed." Said El.
"But I'm not sleeply." Replied Neal halfheartedly in between yawns.
"Not you best con Caffrey half-size." Chuckled Peter.
Elizabeth walked over and scooped up the small child. Neal was going to protest saying that he could walk, but he really was tiered. El carried Neal up to the guest bedroom where she gave him one of Peter's old T-shirts to sleep in. She had to chuckle at seeing cute 5-year-old Neal in a shirt that was about 50 sizes too big for him. She then picked Neal up again and carried him to the guest room.
As soon as Neal's head hit the pillow he was out. Elizabeth just couldn't resist giving Neal a little peck on the forehead.
Meanwhile on the main floor, Peter was sitting on the couch trying to figure out how this all happened. How do these things even happen. He thought. Could it have been something he ate? He thought back on all of the things that he'd seen his CI eat that day but he couldn't recall him eating anything other than the the things he usually ate. Maybe it was something he touched. Peter spent a couple of minutes retracing his and Neal's steps to figure out everything that Neal alone had touched. Suddenly it dawned on him. The idol! That has to be it! He thought. Now I know the problem... How do I fix it?
His thoughts were interrupted by Elizabeth coming down the stairs.
"Is he sleeping?" Inquired Peter.
"Ya. He is so cute when he sleeps!" El said with a smile.
Peter too smiled. "So this means your alright with him staying with us until we find a way to reverse this?"
"Of course I am hon! I wouldn't have it any other way." She exclaimed sitting down on the couch beside Peter.
Peter leaned over and kissed El. "Your the best hon"
Elizabeth and Peter watched TV and discussed their situation for a couple of hours more before deciding to turn it for the night. After all of their excitement that day, it didn't take long before they were fast asleep. Their slumber however was soon interrupted by a big crash and a scream coming from the guest room across the hall.
Peter and Elizabeth woke with a start and promptly jumped out of bed and ran across the room. When they turned on the light they both breathed out a sigh of relief. Neal had fallen out of the big queen sized bed and was sprawled out on the floor.
"Are you ok sweetie?" Asked Elizabeth.
Neal looked up and Peter and Elizabeth's hearts ached when they saw that he had tears in his eyes.
"I ok." He said softly trying not to let the tears fall.
"Come here baby." Said Elizabeth crouching down an opening up her arms for the young boy.
Neal began to cry sofly into Elizabeth's shirt.
"It's ok Neal. We're here now." She said sofly.
"Ya buddy. Everything is ok." Said Peter who had started rubbing Neal's back.
They stayed like this for a while until Elizabeth suggested they all crawl into the bed. Neal who had stopped crying agreed. So they all got comfortable and soon enough they all fell back to sleep. Little did they know that this was just the beginning of things to come.
A/N: Thank you all for your reviews! I very much appreciate it! I hope this chapter was satisfying!
Well, bye for now! :)