There was something in the way that Kit was wiggling uncomfortably in his stocks that made Nine nervous as he approached. He tried to pretend he hadn't seen it but as the wiggling intensified it was becoming harder and harder to ignore. His granddaughter had noticed it and she seemed to be trying to feign ignorance but a small smile twisting her lips told him otherwise. He looked at her before to face Kit and could see a tinge of discomfort on the clown's features and a silent request for help.

"What is it?" Nine asked, pretending he didn't already know the answer and hoping the one he had in his head was wrong.

Kit would have offered any other reply apart from the one he gave had he a choice to, "I need to go to the toilet...just a wee but I really need to go."

"Can you hold it?"

"I have been holding it, since before the Network guys put me in these things. I don't think I can hold it a lot longer, it's starting to hurt."

Despite his animosity towards the clown and his antics there was little denying that Kit's plea was a genuine one. Looking around him briefly he spotted two of Boris' men on patrol and waved them over. They came quickly and he explained to them what the issue at hand was.

Orucov looked at his partner as they tried to reach a decision. Whatever one they reached they knew the final say would come from Boris and they radioed him over.

"What's he done now?" Boris questioned as he walked over from where he'd been observing Robbie in his bush, followed by Sportacus.

"He needs to take a leak," Kit replied in the third person, his need for the toilet becoming more urgent. "If he doesn't go to a toilet soon he's going to do it right here on this spot and one of you lot is going to have to clean up the mess."

Boris, Sportacus, Nine, Orucov and Peters each looked at each other as they tried to work out what to do. They weren't sure they could trust the clown enough to remove him from the stocks that held him securely but they also couldn't allow him to suffer the indignity of publicly urinating himself, as tempting as it would have been.

It took longer than Kit would have liked but Boris reached his decision, "Alright, let's release his legs and stand him up. The arm bit stays on though. One of us will just have to help him get his trousers down."

"I'll do it." Nine volunteered, "You all have patrols to do. Son, help me get him out of these."

Sportacus did as he was told and helped his father unclip the arm and head section of the stocks from the foot plate. Orucov supported Kit's weight from behind as the two Sportacus' released Kit's feet from the base. Peters gave Orucov assistance in getting Kit standing and the two held him until he was able to support himself.

"Back to your house," Nine instructed as he tapped Kit on the shoulder and herded him towards his house.

Despite being securely ensconced in the stocks, Kit moved quite quickly and was soon back at his house. Nine opened the front door for him and passed through, Kit made to follow but the stocks were too wide for the door frame and he bounced back. He tried again only to bounce back once more and Nine sighed with harassment.

"Turn around, try and come in sideways." Nine suggested.

Kit laughed as he realised his mistake and felt a pair of hands help him turn around. Sportacus was behind him, holding in a smile and shaking his head. Having successfully turned around, Kit found himself able to pass through the door and he nodded to the downstairs bathroom door.

"I don't think we're going to have enough manoeuvring room in there." Sportacus said doubtfully. "We're going to have to go upstairs."

Somewhat wishing he hadn't volunteered for this, Nine shook his head. "Ok. Son, take his feet. I'll hold him this end; we're going to have to carry him up the stairs."

To Kit, being carried up the stairs like a plank of wood was something of a strange experience but one he found enjoyable. It was over all too quickly when he found himself set back on his feet and stood in front of the toilet.

Nine deftly bent down and undid Kit's trousers, pulling them down slightly to expose his pants. A thought came to him that this wasn't going to be as simple as it first seemed and he looked at his son who seemed to share this realisation. With his hands and head still in the stocks there was little Kit could do to help them.

Or himself.

"You'll have to sit down and go." Nine reasoned, unwilling to consider the alternative.

Kit nodded; he was too desperate to argue and allowed Nine to pull his trousers down the rest of the way with his pants. He turned awkwardly, glancing Sportacus' arm with the edge of his stocks.

"Sorry," He apologised sheepishly. "Now unless you two want to watch while I go I'd suggest you use your super speed and give me a minute."

Nine surmised what Kit said and he led his son from the room, closing the door behind them and standing on the landing. Standing in silence they heard a sound that cast a sense of foreboding within them, they tried to ignore it, hoping it was nothing. When they heard Kit call them back and re-entered the bathroom, seeing the look on his face they soon knew it was more than nothing.

With a face showing an interesting mixture of guilt, embarrassment and amusement, Kit confirmed their fears. "I am so sorry."

"You haven't..." Befuddlement stopped Nine from finishing.

"Oh no!" Sportacus groaned before something struck him, "Boris has the key, surely we can unlock him from the stocks long enough to do what he needs to do and put him back in them again."

"I wish we'd just done that in the first place." Nine muttered half under his breath. "Go and get the key. I'll stay here with him."

Sportacus ran off as fast he could, leaving his father and Kit in an awkward silence. Both men looked idly around the room while Kit stretched his legs out and rotated his ankles.

"Soooo..." Kit began trying to dissolve the awkwardness by way of conversation, "...uh...nice...weather we've been having..."

Trying not to look at Kit, Nine nodded. "I'd assume so...I only got here this morning."

"Oh yeah...I take it you're here for Christmas. Your first Christmas here with all us guys...exciting..."

"You could say that."

Kit wasn't sure if his attempt at small talk was making the situation any more or less awkward so he decided that perhaps keeping quiet was a better option. Just as the tension in the room was becoming unbearable Sportacus returned into view with the key and both men welcomed him back with relief.

In his haste to get the key to his father, Sportacus went to throw the key to him but inadvertently slipped slightly on the bath mat on the floor and the key flew from his hand. Nine caught it awkwardly, fumbling to hold it firmly but it slipped through his fingers and before he could reclaim it the unimaginable happened.

PLOP

Nine and Sportacus stared at each other, wide eyed and slack jawed as they heard the key fall into the toilet. It had fallen down the gap behind Kit and the clown couldn't help but laugh at their predicament.

Rapidly losing his cool, Nine exclaimed, "Now what are we going to do?"

Unable to answer his father, Sportacus simply shrugged.

Exasperated and trying to think of the least disgusting method of getting the key back, Nine rested his hand on his forehead and closed his eyes. There was no foolproof alternative that came to mind but he knew he'd have to do something. Annoyed with the situation he removed his hand from his forehead and slammed it down on the toilet...

...and the flusher on the lid.