Note: Thank you for the reviews! Makes me feel this wasn't a dumb idea!

Ch.3: Play Date at the Park

"When the green woods laugh with the voice of joy
And the dimpling stream runs by,
When the air does laugh with our merry wit,
And the green hill laughs with the noise of it."

-William Blake: "Laughing Song" from Songs of Innocence

Audrey soon joined Nathan and Dwight at Haven PD, and quickly organized a search party to look for Jennifer and Duke.

"Duke still seems pretty well aware he's an adult," Nathan was saying, as they searched an area. "But Jennifer, I'm kind of worried."

"She's younger than Duke is," Audrey pointed out. "It's probably affecting her faster. Where would they go?"

"If you were a kid, where would you go on a Saturday afternoon?" Dwight said, scanning the crowd in the ice cream parlor, and all three had the same thought at the same time.

"The park!" they chorused.

"I'll take the south end," Dwight said, and headed out at a quick clip toward the opposite end.

Duke didn't know why Jennifer wanted to go to the playground first, but his concern that would questioned her actions was gone and was replaced with the thoughts of having a good time playing. Right now, he and Jennifer were enjoying themselves on the swings, laughing and smiling.

"That was fun!" Duke said with a big grin on his face, after he and Jennifer were done swinging and got off.

"Told you!" Jennifer said.

"What do you want to do next?" Duke asked, as he looked around the playground.

"Let's play on the jungle gym!" Jennifer said. "Then we'll play Poohsticks!"

"Yeah!"

Nathan and Audrey went into the park, scanning the children.

"Jennifer's wearing a white dress with stars on it and Duke's got on a black shirt and jeans," Nathan said.

As he followed Jennifer to the jungle gym, he caught a glimpse of Audrey and Nathan off in the distance heading their direction, but somehow that didn't bother Duke, and he didn't question why.

"Get out of my way, poor girl!" a boy's voice ordered, getting Duke's attention.

Duke saw a well-dressed boy with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes push Jennifer down, so he could be at the jungle gym first. Jennifer landed on the soft covering, but her elbow hit the cement curb.

Duke ran to Jennifer's side and examined her injury. The skin was really scrapped and the wound began bleeding.

Duke heard Jennifer whimpering and looked at her face to see her lower lip quivering and her eyes began to fill with tears. Duke was confused; Jennifer didn't make a big deal when she accidentally cut her finger. He then realized Jennifer's skin must not be that resilient now she was a child again. His thoughts were broken when Jennifer burst out crying.

"What a crybaby," the bully commented and began ascending the jungle gym.

Duke swiftly got up, glaring at the bully. He marched up to the boy, and grabbed his shoulder.

"Hey!" Duke said, getting the boy to turn around to face him.

Duke then punched the bully in the face, knocking him down. He kept an eye on the bully, as he shook his hand in pain. The bully rolled over, his upper lip was split and his nose was bleeding. He then cried.

"Duke!" Nathan exclaimed, running up to him. He saw the bruises and blood on Duke's knuckles and quickly looked at Duke's eyes. He was relieved to see they remained dark brown, not silver. Meanwhile, Audrey picked up Jennifer and was consoling the girl in her arms.

"Oh, my . . . Seymour!" the mother of the bully exclaimed, running to his side. She looked over her son's wounds and glared at Nathan. "You should teach your son some manners!"

Duke tried not to laugh when he saw Nathan's expression when he heard the mother's words.

Audrey heard a faint cry and looked toward it where she could see two boys fighting.

"Bingo!" she said and she and Nathan raced over.

After Nathan let himself be accosted by the bully's mother, he dragged Duke to where Audrey was calming Jennifer.

"That guy pushed her down!" Duke said, struggling in Nathan's grip.

"What part of 'don't leave the office' wasn't I clear on?" Nathan asked angrily as he released Duke.

"Then stop treating me like a kid!" Duke yelled.

"We're trying, Duke," Audrey told him. "It's not easy. It's natural to want to treat a kid, like well, a kid."

"Jennifer, are you okay?" Duke asked.

"Uh-huh," she sniffled. "I just hurt my elbow."

"We'll put something on it back at the station," Audrey said.

"C-can we watch cartoons again?" Jennifer asked.

"Why do you want to watch cartoons?" Duke questioned.

"Because I like them," Jennifer defended staunchly.

Duke began to say something else, but Nathan stopped him.

"We'll catch up-you two go ahead," he told Audrey, who nodded. He then squatted down so that he and Duke were on eye level.

"This Trouble you're experiencing causes people to become children," he began.

"No, duh, Nathan," Duke snapped. "We just have to figure out how to fix it, that's all, and we'll be back to normal . . . well, as normal as a woman who sees invisible doors and a guy whose eyes turn silver."

"Hopefully," Nathan said.

"What do you mean, 'hopefully?'"

"Duke, this Trouble causes people not only to change back into children, it also causes them to regress to a child state. That's what's happening to Jennifer-if we don't fix this soon, she's going to stay a little girl-and you'll stay like you are."

"You mean we'll forget we're really grownups?" Duke said, stunned. "Has Jennifer forgotten already?"

"I don't know. She still remembers you, she remembers us, so hopefully not. But she's regressing. I think you are too," Nathan told him. "I'm going to do my best to not treat you like a kid anymore, Duke. Vince and Dave think that it-accelerates your condition when you're treated like kids. They also think that whoever owns that locket you found knows how to fix this Trouble. We're trying to find them."

"I don't want to lose her, Nathan," Duke said softly, his dark brown eyes sad. He looked down at his hand, noting the bully's blood on his knuckles. "Kid must not be Troubled," he remarked. "Or my Trouble's inactive while I'm a kid."

"You weren't Troubled as a kid. I was," Nathan replied. "You probably were, but we were lucky Simon decided not to train you as a serial killer at an early age." "Come on; let's get back to the station. Vince and Dave are supposed to meet us there."

"What happens if we don't fix this, and we stay kids forever?" Duke asked suddenly. "It's not like Jennifer and I have family to take us in."

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it," Nathan said, hoping he sounded reassuring. "Let's go."

Audrey placed Jennifer on the sofa in her office and Duke sat next to her. Dwight actually caught a purse snatcher when he was in the park, and was busy with the arrest.

"I'm going to get the first aid kit, okay?" Audrey said and left Jennifer and Duke with Nathan.

"I'll . . . uh, get some ice for your hand," Nathan said and went to get it.

Duke felt a hand softly touch his bruised knuckles and saw Jennifer examining his injuries.

"Do you want me to kiss them and make them better?" Jennifer asked, smiling.

Duke didn't know if child-Jennifer or adult-Jennifer who asked that question, but he nodded. Jennifer kissed all the bruises she could see and Duke actually felt better. He then looked over Jennifer's wound.

"Do you want me to kiss it?" Duke asked.

Jennifer nodded and smiled. Duke kissed her wound and Jennifer giggled.

"Tickles!" Jennifer said, giggling.

Audrey and Nathan then returned. Audrey treated Jennifer's injury, while Duke iced his knuckles.

"Sleepy," Jenifer said, rubbing her eyes, when Audrey was done.

Duke put down the ice and went over to his bag of clothing. He took out the jacket he was wearing as an adult covered Jennifer with it, like a blanket.

"You sleep; I'll watch over you," Duke said.

Audrey's phone rang. After she saw who was calling, she mouthed the word: "Teagues" to Nathan and left to answer the call outside.

"Thank you, Duke," Jennifer said, closing her eyes.

Duke laid down next to her and found himself falling asleep, as he snuggled close to Jennifer. Once again, Nathan found this very adorable.

"Detective?"

Nathan looked to see Rebecca standing in the doorway. She must have seen Duke and Jennifer asleep because she motioned him to step outside.

"The Chief already knows this, but I think you should hear it as well," Rebecca said. " You heard about the trespassers trying to break into a house in broad daylight? Well, they're back, and the man is claiming they're the homeowners' children."

Nathan's eyes widen. Before he could talk, he heard a noise from Audrey's office. He excused himself so he could check on the kids.

When he got inside, he saw Jennifer in the middle of the room, looking lost, while Duke sat on the sofa, looking bored.

"Jennifer?" Nathan asked.

Jennifer turned around when she heard her name. She looked at Nathan and smiled.

"Uncle Nathan!" she happily said, running up to him, and hugged his legs. Nathan was shocked.

"Nathan, Vince and Dave apologized they're running late, but they've found a connection with—" Audrey paused when she saw Jennifer hugging Nathan. Jennifer saw Audrey and smiled again.

"Auntie Audrey! You're here too!" Jennifer said and ran up to her to hug her legs.

Once he was freed, Nathan raced over to Duke.

"Duke," he said, staring into his eyes. "Do you know who am I?"

"Uh, yeah," Duke said with a tone that Nathan hadn't heard in years.

"How old are you, Duke?" Nathan asked.

"10," Duke said and frowned. "Has your brain gone numb as well?"

Nathan looked at Audrey and they both exchanged looks of horror.