.
Restored
"Back to tinkering, Dr. D?" Shego asked, rocking DNAmy, Amelia, and Killigan as Drakken worked on the Juvinator.
"There must be some way to make this more manageable," Drakken replied.
"Some children, some toddlers," Shego said with a shrug.
"Those three must remain infants," Drakken said, pointing at the children in her arms.
"Yeah, about that, how do you plan to talk your way out of this one? She thinks they're ours," Shego said.
"I'll come up with something," Drakken testily replied.
"Well then you'd better think fast, Drewbie," Shego said.
"Shego, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me Drewbie?!" Drakken demanded.
"Whatever Drew," she replied.
"Thank…" he began.
"Bie," she finished, a teasing twinkle in her eyes.
Drakken looked at her, unimpressed, and said, "You're loving this, aren't you?"
"Oh yeah," she replied, cradling the three babies. "Look at you three, almost asleep. Good babies," she cooed to them.
"That's the last trait I thought I'd ever see in you. Nurturing," Drakken remarked, smirking in amusement.
"Yeah, look, me and kids don't mix, Dr. D," Shego stated. "I just happen to know how to handle them. I mean come on. Most of it? Just common sense."
"Mmm, yes, common sense. Greatly lacking in this day and age," Drakken said, continuing to fiddle. "Shego, we need a test subject." Shego rolled her eyes, put the infants down, and walked out of the room to collect someone.
KP
Shego soon returned with Yori and Maim. Felix, Ned, Josh, Ron, Kim, Tara, Justine, and Zita were held between them. They set the babies down on the table. "This had better work, Drakken," Shego said.
"Please be careful," Yori begged.
"The last thing we need is blood on our hands," Maim added. Drakken blinked blankly then winced. Hmm, that idea was giving mental pictures he could have done without. Yori, Maim, and Shego wrapped blankets around each infant.
"Ready?" Drakken asked.
"Ready," Shego confirmed as she, Yori, and Maim backed out of the way.
"Activating now," Drakken said. Beams of light shot out and hit each of the infants.
All at once, they found themselves looking at a five-year-old Kim, Ron, Josh, and Tara. Ned, Felix, Justine, and Zita all looked to be around twelve. "Whoa, what happened?" little Kim asked.
"We've managed to semi-reverse the effects of the Juvinator. At least we're not stuck with so many babies anymore," Drakken replied.
"I shall go get the other children," Maim said. Soon enough Junior, Bonnie, Hirotaka, DNAmy, Amelia, Killigan, and Monique were all there. Hopefully, Mama Lipsky wouldn't miss her 'grandbabies' too soon. Drakken had decided to try his luck with it. Fukushima must have been taken somewhere by Monkey Fist, but they could worry about him later.
Drakken activated the machine. In a flash, they found themselves with a twelve-year-old Junior and Bonnie. DNAmy and Killigan were back as adults, at least. Monique was five. Amelia and Hirotaka were closer to seven or eight. Now all they had for babies were Hana and Fukushima, at least. Will too, they supposed, but he didn't count. He was with his parents.
"Yes, no more diapers!" Drakken cheered.
"Diapers? Ew," Ron said, obviously disgusted at the thought.
KP
The children listened in horror and disgust to the story being told by the ones who had remained adults, including Monkey Fist who had returned not long after the Juvinator had been used. "That is so wrong," little Monique said. "Why isn't Fukushima big again?"
"Because I'm that unlucky," Monkey Fist answered. Yori shot him a warning glare. "What?" he asked.
"I cannot play with him when he is a baby," Hirotaka complained. "At least if he was bigger we could battle one another."
"There will be no practicing with anyone, Hirotaka. Not yet," Yori chastised. Hirotaka stuck out his tongue at her.
"You were a handful, weren't you?" Amelia asked, frowning at him.
"She is my sister, not my mother," Hirotaka defended.
"Older sister now," Monkey Fist dryly said.
"And I will use it to my advantage," Yori stated, eyes sparkling mischievously. It was rare when she got mischievous.
"I really hope Mr. Hench and Dr. Director get back with Will soon," Justine said.
"Father, I demand to be an adult again!" Junior protested, stamping his foot.
"Junior, there is nothing I can do. If we fiddle with the Juvinator much more, soon you will be raising your pappy," Senior replied.
Junior blinked blankly then grimaced. "You may have something there," he relented. "Nevertheless I want to be big again!"
"You will, young Senior. Heavens, child, show some patience," Maim chastised.
England
"The Nanny Academy isn't far now," Director said to Jack as she bottle-fed Will. They were driving along in one of the fanciest sports cars Betty had ever seen. Of course, Jack wouldn't take a simple car or something so posh as a limousine. Only the best for him. "If you trash this car, you're in big trouble," she said, smirking.
"Hon, you know how good my driving skills are," Jack replied, holding the wheel with nothing more than a couple of fingers.
"Leave the spy driving to me, love," she replied. "We have a baby in the car right now. No unnecessary risks."
"Yes mother," Jack replied, affectionately rolling his eyes. "Is that it up there? The creepy building?"
"That's it," Dr. Director confirmed, nodding.
"Eerie mansion coming up," Jack said, rolling his eyes.
KP
The two walked up to the door with the baby. "Halt, who goes there?!" a voice demanded.
They both froze and looked quickly up. Jack smirked. Standing above them were the Knights of Rottigan. "Reggie, Archie, long time no see," Jack greeted.
"Jack Hench?" Archie asked, leaping down with Reggie.
"What are you doing here?" Reggie questioned.
"Looking for something kept in the basement," Jack replied. "Your turn. Why are you here?"
"During the battle between villains and common criminals, namely traffickers, many of the victims who had been rescued were brought here as a safe haven. We were called on to protect and guard them. We have done so day in and day out since. Many have returned home, but many others have nowhere to go. We remain to defend them in case their 'employers' come looking," Archie answered.
"Here, call me if you two need any help or a relief from duty," Jack replied, handing them both a card.
"Archibald, Reginald, may we come in?" Director asked.
"Of course milord, milady," Reggie replied, bowing and opening the door. The two walked into the house and looked around.
"Hmm, not a bad setup," Betty remarked, impressed.
"Yeah, now let's get to that machine," Jack said, getting right down to business.
KP
"This is going to take a while," Betty wryly remarked, looking at the size of the thing.
"Let me see," Jack said. He examined it closely. "Maim is a smart woman, and old. She would likely have some sort of quick takedown button for her own convenience," Jack explained. She'd custom-ordered the parts for this thing, he recalled. He remembered that order. She was sharp but she wasn't a genius, or an inventor, and HenchCo had what she needed, including expertise. "Here we go," he said, pushing the button. Almost immediately the machine was in pieces. "Eureka," Jack said, smirking proudly.
"Nice, now all we need to do is pack it up," Dr. Director said. "Tell me, Jack, how you knew about the button. You seem intimately acquainted with the machine."
Jack paused and glanced up at her. He smirked cockily and replied, "Very clever, Dr. Director. Is this going to get ugly? Do I need to make sure you stay silent?"
"Is this an admission?" she questioned coldly.
"Sweetheart, invented, bought, and sold fair and square. Come on now, aren't you tired of this game?" he replied.
"You will slip up one day," she said. "I'll wear you down eventually. You can't guard yourself around me forever."
"Ooh, risque," he flirted, eyes lighting lecherously up.
"Dream on," she replied. "Let's go. We'll change Will back later."
"Becoming reattached to the baby, hmm?" Jack asked.
"And you're not?" she replied, smiling back at him.
"Got me there. Maybe I've kind of liked having a baby boy again," he answered, gently stroking the infant's cheek. Will instinctively turned to try and suck on his father's finger.
Middleton
"I'm so bored," little Zita complained. "I wanna play."
"I want candy! I demand candy," Bonnie demanded of Senior and Maim.
Monkey Fist, Drakken, Killigan, DNAmy, Shego, and Yori exchanged looks. "Children, Senor Senior and Nanny Maim are not the kind of parents, or grandparents for that matter, who will give you something as unhealthy as candy," Monkey Fist said.
"I demand candy! Give me it or I'll scream!" Bonnie protested.
"Don't be mean, Bonnie!" Kim said.
"I don't like you, Kim," she replied.
"We don't like you!" Monique argued.
"I'm older now, so there," Bonnie replied.
"But we have more people on our side," Hirotaka boasted.
"It was better when they were babies. No talking," Drakken complained. All the children stuck out their tongues at him and made rude noises. "Why you little…" Drakken began.
"Easy, Drew, et'll be over soon," Killigan assured.
"And by soon he means it had better happen before the end of the day or Jackie Boy is going to be in for a world of hurt," Shego added.
"I have candy!" Ron exclaimed excitedly.
The full-grown ones turned in horror, all eight of them screaming, "No!"
Too late, within seconds every child had gotten a big handful, and the only ones who retained some degree of self-control were Hirotaka, Ned, Amelia, and Josh. The rest of them were bouncing off of walls, literally. Hana was racing around like mad along with the rest of them, screaming in delight at the candy she'd gotten from her adoptive brother. Fukushima, lucky for Monkey Fist, was too young to have candy at all. The British Lord shuddered on remembering what happened whenever that boy got something sugary. Hana appeared tame, that's what.
Years Ago
"I am bored, chichi," Fukushima, sprawled over the grass in his front yard, complained to Montgomery Fiske. "Where is haha?"
"Setsuka is shopping with o ba chan Maim, Fukushima, just count or something. I'm busy," Monty replied, uninclined to play with the child. He had found an artifact that pointed at the Mystical Monkey Legend. Everything else took second priority up to and including his son. Wait, he meant Setsuka's son.
"I am hungry," Fukushima whined.
"Then eat something," Monty replied, rolling his eyes.
"Chichi!" Fukushima demanded.
"All right, all right, look in my bag. You'll find a little brown bag your sobo brought along for me. Open it up and pick a candy. I can't stand such things, but you should find them quite delightful," Montgomery relented.
"Domo arigato," Fukushima said, leaping up and bowing to the man. He raced towards the rucksack and opened it up. He pulled out the brown bag and peered inside. He gasped. They were so colorful! He took out one of every color and began munching on them.
KP
Monty gaped in horror as Fukushima raced around the yard screaming and hollering and laughing, leaping off of walls and onto roofs. He dove into water bodies and sprinted everywhere. "Fukushima!" Monty screamed, seeing the boy swan diving from the roof. He lunged forward and caught the child. Immediately Fukushima broke free and was off again before Monty could even comprehend it. "Oh no you don't, you little rotter," Monty growled.
Immediately he began springing after the boy, utilizing all his speed and every move he knew, yet it still wasn't enough to catch the young one! "You cannot catch me, chichi-ai, you cannot catch me!" Fukushima shrieked back boastfully, charging through the streets.
"Fukushima, get back here this very instant! I insist! Fukushima! That's it, if you do not return in three seconds you will be grounded for so long you'll forget what the outside world looks like! Son!" Monty raged. "Oh your mother is going to kill me, I hope you know that, and I mean literally!" Speaking aloud, but to himself, he added, "Oh gods, I'm a dead man." He cried out in terror as suddenly Fukushima leapt down onto his head.
"I have you, chichi, you cannot escape!" Fukushima delightedly exclaimed as Monty tried to pry him off.
"That's it! You're grounded until the day you die!" Monty shouted furiously.
"No!" Fukushima shrieked angrily.
"Then you have three seconds to get off of me! One, two…" Monty began.
"Fine!" Fukushima replied, slipping off of the man's shoulders.
Monty seized his hand firmly and said, "You're coming with me!" Fukushima looked about to make a rude noise with his tongue but Monty quickly caught on. "Do it and you'll regret it severely!" Fukushima thought his action through then decided it was in his best interests not to carry it out. Chichi might spank him. He didn't like being spanked. Lord Fiske hadn't ever laid a finger on him before, but it was still possible.
Of course, the moment Montgomery let go of the boy's hand to open the door, Fukushima was off. By the time Monty looked back he was out of sight. Monty had almost had a heart attack when he couldn't find the child in the village. It had taken almost all day and into the night before Nanny Maim, Setsuka, and he had been able to track down the little one to a stream in the jungle where he'd finally decided to pass out and sleep. Setsuka was weeping in relief, Maim was shrieking furiously at Monty, but Monty had been too relieved to even care. For the first time in hours, his heart rate slowed down. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off of the child for the next three days, and when he'd left it was begrudgingly. Needless to say, Fukushima never got another candy from him.
Present
The adults were racing all around trying to catch the little ones. It was proving a nearly impossible task. "Enough, enough, everybody stop!" Mego finally screamed furiously.
Everything froze and all eyes went to him. "Mego?" his siblings, all four of them, said in shock.
"That's it, no more playing around. Children, here, now! We're going for a long, long walk!" Mego ordered.
"Yay!" they all cried out in delight, immediately lining up in front of him. He wasn't sure where to go from there.
"Children partner up now and hold hands," Maim said, taking over.
"Okay," they all sang together.
Ned and Felix paired up eagerly. Justine and Zita joined together. Josh paired up with Ron while Amelia and Bonnie partnered. Tara and Kim joined while Monique partnered with Junior. Fukushima and Hana were carried by Monkey Fist. Hirotaka was allowed to go with his currently-older sister. "Sister, where do we walk to?" Hirotaka questioned Yori curiously as he took her hand.
"I am not sure," Yori answered, obviously just as puzzled.
KP
"So where are we going?" Shego asked Nanny Maim, who was leading the group.
"We are walking wherever we walk," Maim replied. "There is no destination, as long as these children lose some of their energy."
"Great," Shego said, rolling her eyes.
"Hey Josh, look, a park," Ron whispered to his partner, pointing.
Josh looked then smirked. "Let's sneak over," he replied. "They'll never know."
"Are you sure?" Ron asked uncertainly.
"Come on, it'll be fun," Josh insisted. Ron hesitated but then smiled and nodded. Quickly the two looked around, made sure no one was watching, then darted off.
"Where are they going?" Tara asked Kim.
"Huh? Who?" Kim asked.
"Ron and Josh," she replied, pointing. Kim turned and started.
"I don't know," she replied. "We could follow them."
"Or we could go to the toy store!" Tara exclaimed, excitedly pointing over at a nearby building.
Kim grinned eagerly. "Let's get Monique, Junior, Bonnie, and Amelia too," she whispered.
"Right on," Tara agreed. The two tapped on the shoulders of their friends, silently conveying their plan. Immediately the group slipped away.
KP
"Hey Hego, Shego, Mego, is it just us, or do there seem to be a lot fewer kids?" Wego One asked.
"I only count five here," Wego Two backed.
"Wait, what? Oh no," Hego said, looking around. "Stop, we're missing some!" The others quickly looked back.
"Try eight!" DNAmy replied in alarm.
"Et's a fine kettle o' fish we're en," Killigan sulked, crossing his arms agitatedly. "Now we need a search party."
"Not necessarily. Where do children go?" DNAmy asked.
"Parks, toy stores, wait…" Hego began.
"Didn't we pass a park a few blocks back?" Mego asked.
"And a toy store?" Shego asked.
"Quick, they might still be there!" Drakken exclaimed in alarm. "If the wrong kinds of people come by, they're doomed."
"Or if other villains Miss Kimberly has fought in the past find her before us," Senior stated.
"That girl was tough even as a child," Monkey Fist grumbled. "I certainly wouldn't want to anger her."
"We need to find them pronto!" Shego stated. Immediately they started to run back.
KP
Meanwhile, in the park, Ron and Josh were joined by Kim, Tara, Amelia, Bonnie, Junior, and Monique. The group ran around screaming and laughing. It was so much fun! There were no adults or bigger friends to stop them from doing everything they wanted. "Catch me, Junior!" Bonnie cried out from the top of the monkey bars.
Junior grinned excitedly. "Si, jump Bonnie!" he eagerly prompted. He wanted to see if she would actually do it. Bonnie leapt without hesitation. "I thought you would not!" he called, catching her. She grinned and climbed out of his arms.
"I told you I could," she boasted, hands on her hips proudly.
"I can do that too!" Kim exclaimed, swiftly leaping up to the top of the monkey bars and jumping down. Ron cried out in fear. He wouldn't be able to catch her! Not that he needed to, she could probably land okay, he hoped. Junior caught her, though. Kim grinned approvingly at him. Junior put her down.
"I could too!" Tara exclaimed.
"Let's see you do it, then," Josh replied.
"Oh," Tara said, suddenly timider. "Um, okay?" Tara scrambled up to the bars and looked nervously down. She took a deep breath and leaped. Junior caught her too and she sighed in relief, smiling up at him.
"Amelia, you try!" Monique insisted.
"Only if you do," Amelia replied.
"Okay, girl, let's go," Monique insisted. She grabbed the older girl's arm and pulled her to them. The two climbed up to the top. Monique laughed and leapt. Junior caught her. Monique scrambled out of his arms. "Come on Amelia!" Monique insisted.
Amelia hesitated, looking uncertain. "It's high," she replied.
"Come Senorita, I will catch you!" Junior insisted. Amelia swallowed and leapt with a scream.
"There you are!" Shego's voice suddenly shot, distracting all the kids. They turned with horrified gasps, including Junior. Amelia hit the ground and cried out in pain. The others turned quickly, startled.
"Amelia!" Bonnie and Tara exclaimed, running to her and helping her up.
"I-I think I sprained my ankle," she said, limping while the two supported her.
"Nice going, Shego," Mego sneered.
"Hey, shut it!" she snapped.
KP
Sensei - who had at this point been brought up to speed on this nightmare, given he'd been the nearest ally they could trust to not totally freak - finished wrapping Amelia's ankle in a forest lair of Drakken's that was hidden in a cave all its own. "You have informed Jack Hench and Dr. Director where they are to come, correct?" Sensei asked, clearly unimpressed with the whole situation but not holding it against them.
"We left a message for them, yes," Monkey Fist replied.
"Continue to calm your minds, young ones," Sensei ordered the children who were still bouncing restlessly up and down. He did some sort of trick on them and they began to calm down. In moments, all the children were fast asleep. "Now, all we must do is wait for your allies to return with the machine," Sensei said.
"Thank you, Sensei," Yori said, bowing to him.
"You should have come to me sooner," Sensei gently chastised.
"Forgive me, Sensei. We were as the Americans say, 'in crisis mode'," she replied sheepishly.
"Now here's hoping Hench and Dr. Director can actually find this dump," Drakken said, looking around. It had been a long time since he'd set up shop out here.
KP
"So we're looking for a random cave in the middle of a forest. Great," Jack unenthusiastically said as they drove through the woods, really wishing he wasn't about to go impromptu hiking through unfamiliar territory with a baby in tow.
"Look at the bright side. It's almost over," Director assured, smirking at him. She parked the car in the small pullout at the head of the trail, and they, along with their infant, entered the forest and began searching for the telltale signs that would lead them to the cave.
Will began whimpering. "Do we have to change him back?" Jack ruefully asked.
"Didn't you tell me earlier that you had no intentions of raising another child?" Dr. Director asked, smirking.
"Well, he isn't really another child now, is he?" Jack asked.
"Didn't you say you didn't plan on raising your son again?" she teased.
"True, but I'm starting to reconsider," he replied, nuzzling the infant with a smile. Slowly, though, that smile fell. "When he's like this, he doesn't despise the very air I breathe. He doesn't fear me or mistrust me. There's nothing I've done to sour his love, and I miss that."
"Hey, he does love you," she replied gently, taking his hand and squeezing it.
"Maybe. For however long that lasts. I've done a pretty good job at ruining our relationship," he answered dryly.
"You have," she relented, "but there's always a chance to make things better. I know it'll never be the way it could have been, but you can still have a relationship with your son. He loves you, Jack. He always will. It's not exactly a standard father-son relationship like you see in movies, but it's a relationship nonetheless. Besides, since when do you like to be typical?"
Jack chuckled, looking down and shaking his head affectionately. He looked back up at her affectionately and said, "Thank you, Betty. For being brutally honest."
"I try," she answered, grinning softly at him and leaning against his arm. Will sobbed, demanding attention. The two parents grinned softly at him and began focusing on the baby.
KP
Director and Jack ran into the cave with Will and the device. "We have it!" Betty cried. She screamed in horror as a bear suddenly reared up, roaring.
"Wrong cave!" Jack exclaimed, seizing her wrist and bolting outside. The bear ran after them. "Up the cliff!" Jack ordered. Betty took the baby and began to climb. Jack quickly followed. The bear roared up at them and tried to reach them, but they scrambled higher and higher. The two looked back down, waiting for the bear to get bored. Will was shrieking with laughter. "We have it, do we?" Jack asked, frowning at her.
Betty grinned innocently, shrugging. Awkwardly she cleared her throat and looked around. "Oh, there it is," she said, pointing at a cave on the other side of the stream.
"Great," Jack complained. "Now we're stuck up here." He sat back against the ledge along with his wife. Director began rocking the baby comfortingly and leaned against her husband with a sigh of contentment.
"This isn't so bad," she remarked.
He glanced down at her, raising an eyebrow, and smiled. He kissed her head lovingly. "You know, you're right," he agreed.
About an hour later, the bear lost interest. The moment it did, they made a break for the correct cave. "We're here!" Jack exclaimed, hurrying into the room.
"Shh!" the full-grown ones all hissed sharply. Jack and Betty froze and blinked blankly.
"They're sleeping," Drakken whispered. "Let's, get the machine up. Jack, I need to talk to you in private."
Jack started, a bit puzzled, but then nodded. He and Director laid out the parts, and soon enough the machine was set up. They almost cheered before remembering the children were slumbering soundly. "What do you want?" Jack asked Drakken as the others talked excitedly.
Drakken looked around then dragged Jack to the side. "I need a memory-wiping potion or weapon or something. Preferably tested and proven. I don't want to hurt my mother," he said.
"You told her you had kids," Jack said, frowning and crossing his arms. He was still shaking his head over that decision, he dryly noted. Luckily for you, I have just the thing you need." He slipped a vial into Drakken's hand. "You didn't get it from me."
"Agreed," Drakken said gratefully, smiling. "Now Hench, I know I haven't exactly been the greatest client..."
"Understatement of the millennia," Jack said, rolling his eyes.
Drakken innocently grinned then cleared his throat. "But, um, thanks for the help," he added. Jack chuckled, smirking, and the two returned.
KP
They watched, grinning, as the children went through the machine one by one. "It is working!" Senior said, grinning and clenching his fist.
"I always loved it when you did that," Maim remarked. Senior smiled at her. Junior went through and came out fully grown.
"Mmm, what happened?" he groaned, waking up. He gasped, remembering. "Wait, I am an adult again!"
"That's a matter of opinion," Shego bit, smirking.
Zita and Justine came through next. "I'm normal!" Zita exclaimed.
"Oh thank science the nightmare is over," Justine said, checking herself over.
Felix and Ned came through after. "Whoa, what a rush," Ned groaned, holding his head.
"I haven't had a sugar high like that since I was a kid," Felix said.
"You just were," Zita joked, smiling at him.
Ron and Josh came through with Kim, Monique, and Tara. "Oh wow, what a day," Ron groaned.
"Being a kid tires you out," Josh said, shrugging it off.
"I found it kind of refreshing," Tara said, slipping off the table.
"I'm just glad none of our enemies came after us," Kim dryly stated.
"I believe you would have been able to handle them even then, Kim," Yori remarked, grinning at her friend and hugging her. Kim hugged back.
"Hey, where's my love? I was traumatized too," Monique teased. Kim and Yori giggled, pulling her into a tight hug as well.
"Whew, thank goodness. I was beginning to believe they would all be little bitty baby waybees forever," DNAmy said.
"Ach, Ah canno' believe tha' jus' happened," Killigan groaned.
Hirotaka and Amelia came through. Amelia looked at her ankle and sighed ruefully. "Too bad it didn't fix my ankle as well."
"Are you badly harmed?" Hirotaka asked worriedly.
"It'll heal in a couple of weeks," she replied, smiling at him and slipping off the conveyer belt.
"Now Will," Kim said, taking the baby from Jack and Betty and putting him on the belt. He went through the machine, but when he came out he remained the same! "Huh? What?" Kim asked. The others looked just as shocked.
"Um, why did the machine stop working?" Tara asked nervously.
"Typical. A glitch. It might take a while to fix. Until then, Will and Fukushima are stuck as infants. I'll get to work on it right away," Justine said.
Kim smelled the air and plugged her nose. "Oh, Will, now?" she asked.
"Congratulations, Miss Possible, you've just been hired as a babysitter," Dr. Director teased, eyes sparkling. "He had his nap so don't let him fall asleep for a while or he'll be up all night. Here's his formula, you can probably find some baby food in the supplies Hank picked up for us. He bathes in an hour. Good luck on your mission."
"Wait, but I... He... What…?" Kim stammered. Dr. Director ushered her off, then looked around for Monkey Fist. He had vanished with Fukushima, so Kim was stuck with just one infant. Probably for the best. Will could be a handful. Smiling, the woman went back to monitoring the machine's progress with the others.
KP
Kim played with the baby looking none too thrilled. "You so owe me, Du," she said. The baby stuck out his tongue in response, looking as annoyed with this idea as Kim was. He babbled senselessly and she smirked. "I know you're trying to insult me, but I have to admit, you're absolutely adorable." The baby sobbed once in protest, looking offended. She grinned and scooped the child up in her arms. "Is someone hungry?" she cooed. The baby stopped whining, looking almost ponderous.
"Pabla!" Will exclaimed insistently, confirming the idea.
"Assuming baba means bottle, pabla must be baby food," she said, smiling and carrying Will over to where the cans were stored. "Here we go," she said, bringing out a small can of pureed peaches. She put Will in a highchair and sat in front of him, opening the can. She spooned out a little bit of the stuff, saying, "Open up for the airplane."
"Lafba!" Will shrieked, grabbing a handful and throwing it at her. She blinked, annoyed, and wiped the food away.
"Let's try this again. Open up," she prompted. Will stuck out his tongue at her. She took the opportunity to quickly spoon the food into his mouth. He coughed and whined, sobbing. "Oh stop being such a baby," Kim teased, smirking. Wait, she couldn't say that. He was a baby. Then again, come to think of it he wasn't much better grown up. Will coughed again. Kim paused, raising an eyebrow. Was he choking? No, he didn't continuously cough. Still, this was slightly concerning. She'd have to be careful. She tried offering him more. He whined, turning away from it quickly and looking a bit scared. "O-oh, okay. No more then," she said, puzzled.
"Hey KP, how goes the sitting?" Ron asked, striding casually in.
"I'm not sure," Kim answered worriedly. All at once the infant sobbed and began vomiting all over the place!
"Whoa, time bomb!" Ron exclaimed, backing away.
"Oh no, no, no, no! Will!" Kim exclaimed, hurrying to grab a cloth. She screamed, slipping in the vomit and falling. "Ew!" she exclaimed. "Ron, get a towel!" Kim ordered, standing swiftly. Ron grabbed one and tossed it to her. She grabbed it and quickly put it under the wailing infant's mouth. The baby was screaming like he was dying or something! Wait. Choking, vomiting, dying? "Ron, check the baby mush! What's in it besides peaches?"
"Only peaches," Ron replied, reading the ingredients. "Why?"
"Can you even be allergic to peaches?" she asked in a panic. "Get Dr. Director, now!" Little welts were appearing on the baby's skin, and right now being covered in puke was the last thing on her mind. Ron, alarmed, raced out to get the woman.
Almost immediately after, Dr. Director and Jack burst into the room and slid to stops, gasping. "Will!" Betty cried, racing to her son and quickly picking him up, holding him so he wouldn't choke and making sure the vomit went into a nearby trashcan. "What happened?"
"I-I don't know. I-I was feeding him and he just began vomiting!" she insisted.
She gasped as her arm was suddenly grabbed and she was roughly turned around. She caught her breath when she found herself staring into Jack Hench's dangerously glittering eyes. "KP!" Ron exclaimed.
"What did you do to my son, Miss Possible?" Jack asked in an eerily calm voice in a tone she'd never heard before and decided immediately she never wanted to hear again. He held her arm so tightly she could swear he was one more squeeze away from breaking it. She stared up at the man in open dread. Only once before had she ever feared Jack Hench like this. She'd disliked him always, mistrusted him always, but had never feared him. Now, though, as she gazed into those cold eyes and was reminded of the day she and her friends had crossed him at the villain convention not long ago, the fear was back in force.
"Let her go!" Ron insisted to Jack. Jack, spotting Ron coming at him released her a little rougher than necessary. Ron wrapped her in his arms instantly, pulling her away from Hench and glaring daggers at the man. "Back the heck off, dude, or I'll pull out the Monkey Mojo on you! Don't think I won't!" Ron insisted, forcing himself to get brave for Kim's sake. He was terrified, though. The last time he'd seen Jack's eyes like this had been at the villain convention, and he'd hoped never to see them like that again. Jack rolled his own eyes at them. Rufus was chattering viciously, though he didn't dare leave Ron's pocket. Anything was possible for a Possible, that was KP's family logo, but for the first time, Ron found himself seriously questioning that.
"Jack, enough!" Dr. Director shot sharply, turning sharply to him. "Make yourself useful and get someone who may have an antihistamine. Will's having an allergic reaction!"
Jack started, fear filling his eyes, and quickly raced to the door. "We need an antihistamine!" he shouted sharply.
"What?" Drakken asked, the first to look over.
"Antihistamine! Now! Will's going into anaphylactic shock!" Jack snapped.
"Oh snap," Drakken said, quickly racing into the room and taking the baby. "Um, Shego, get the epi-pen from my room!"
"Epi-pen? On a baby? Are you crazy?" Dr. Director demanded.
"I don't know if it's the right thing to do, but if we do nothing, it's bye-bye Agent Du! I'll administer a little and hope it works," Drakken defended.
"Miss Possible, so help you..." Jack began.
"Enough! How was she supposed to know that Will had a severe allergy to peaches when he was little, Jack? Even we didn't think to tell her! Or Hank, for that matter, who need I remind you was the one picking up the supplies? She grabbed what was available. This wasn't her fault," Dr. Director said.
Jack gave her a sharp look, then sighed in defeat. She was right, he knew. He turned to Kim. "Forgive me, Miss Possible, but as you can well imagine I'm currently more than a little stressed out!" he said, gesturing to his son who at this point could barely breathe. Kim nodded quickly. She got it, she really did. Shego darted in with the epi-pen and Drakken was quick to administer a small dosage.
"Nrrgh, please work," Drakken pled. Someone was going to get the blame for this if the baby died, and he really, really didn't want it to be him. Maybe Hench would blame himself, he hopefully thought. Parents tended to do that, right? Wow that made him sound like a jerk.
An Hour Later
The machine had been repaired and Will's allergic reaction halted. The baby was fast asleep, knocked out by the epinephrine. "At last," Dr. Director said with a sigh of relief, placing the infant on the conveyer.
"Uh, Dr. Director, is Will still allergic to, you know, peaches?" Kim asked nervously.
"Not as badly. He mostly outgrew the allergy. He still can't have too many of them though," Dr. Director reassured. Kim sighed in relief.
As Will emerged from the machine, fully grown, he groaned, waking up, and put a hand to his head. "Ugh, what happened?"
"Attempted murder," Jack flatly bit, giving Kim an annoyed look.
"From you?" Will bit.
Jack winced a bit. Okay, maybe he deserved that one. He frowned at his son. "Anaphylaxis," he bluntly said.
"Oh, I remember. What, you forget to tell your replacement kid your real one was allergic to peaches?" Will demanded.
"For the love of... We're not going there, Will!" Jack testily said. He missed the baby already.
"Behave," Betty warned them both dangerously. She looked at Will. "I was the one who sent Hank to get supplies. I didn't even think to mention the peaches."
The father and son crossed their arms and looked away from each other in annoyance, falling silent. Will sighed in exasperation and got off the conveyer. "Ugh, what a freak show," he said. "I haven't felt so helpless since I was a baby. Oh, and by the way mom, dad, I understood everything!" Will snapped at his parents. Jack and Betty winced and exchanged awkward looks. Ooh, they hadn't exactly been discreet in their 'flirtations' while Will had been an infant.
"Oops?" Jack lamely offered. Director grinned innocently, hands behind her back.
"Hey, where's Fukushima?" Monique asked, noticing the last one who had been an infant wasn't there.
KP
Monkey Fist lay back on the rocks, holding the baby up in the air. Fukushima laughed in delight as Monkey Fist made him fly. "Dada!" he screamed. Monkey Fist chuckled and brought him back down, nuzzling the baby. "Chi," Fukushima said, falling against the man and snuggling like babies often did.
Monkey Fist cradled the infant. "I can't believe I'm actually admitting this, but I'll rather miss you as an infant. It's been quite the interesting experience," he remarked with a slight smile. That smile slowly fell, though, as he was reminded again of how similar the infant looked to him at that age. "A part of me… a part of me wishes that I had been there to watch you grow into the young man you've become. Strange, really. I haven't felt that way since your mother's death…" Fukushima began to cry, reaching up for him, and for a moment Monkey Fist could have sworn the boy understood. He lifted the sniffling infant once more. The child wore this sort of look of despair that had no place on an innocent baby's face, he decided. "I wanted to find you. I searched everywhere I could think of. By the time I even considered Yamanouchi, it was too late. I was too far gone to piece it together and even if I had... I don't believe that at that point I would have cared... I'm sorry, little one. So, so sorry. I failed you…"
"Lord Fiske? The machine is ready. Or do you wish for more time?" Yori asked from behind.
Monkey Fist glanced back at her. She must have recently gotten up here. He sighed deeply and looked back at the baby. "I lost out on this time years ago. There's nothing that will change that," he bitterly said, sitting up and cradling the child.
She was quiet a moment, reading him. "The words you have spoken to him, he has understood," she finally remarked.
"And you presume to know that how?" he asked.
"Because when Will-san was restored to his true age, he claimed to have understood all that his parents had been doing," she replied.
"Poor boy," Monkey Fist dryly said, gently stroking the infant's cheek.
Yori was quiet, watching him. "You are returning, my lord," she quietly said. He looked sharply back, eyes narrowed warily. "You are returning to yourself," she added, and there was this sort of relief and gentleness in her eyes and voice... He chose not to think about that.
"Am I now?" he replied. He looked back at Fukushima. "Hmm, maybe some small part of me hopes you're correct... The other part, though, rejects such a ridiculous notion."
"Were you ever a good man?" she asked.
He was silent for a long time. "No," he finally and bitterly answered. "I'd always preferred a darker course."
"Why?" she asked.
"Must there always be a why?" he said.
"Perhaps that is a question you must ask yourself," she answered.
He glanced over at her once more and held her eyes a moment longer than was comfortable for either of them. Shifting a bit, she quickly turned away and left at a rapid pace. He watched after her silently then turned back to the baby, who was staring at him in what he could have sworn was shock. "Oh don't you give me that look," he warned, frowning at him.
KP
Fukushima went through the machine and shook his head dazedly. "Ugh, what a headache," he groaned, putting a hand to his forehead and sliding off of the conveyer belt.
"Finally, it's over. No more babies," Jack said in relief. Hana giggled. He looked back. "Okay, almost no more babies."
"And I can finally get back to work on fixing the Juvinator without mother breathing down my neck for grandchildren," Drakken remarked.
"Aye. So wha' now?" Killigan asked. "We jus' walk out o' here wi'out a word t' one another?"
"Yep," Shego said.
"Works for me," Monkey Fist said.
Jack turned to Master Sensei and smiled. "So, Sensei, I'm told you're living out of a cave?" Jack said to the man. Sensei raised an eyebrow and looked at his three ninjas. They looked equally confused and shrugged. "Y'know, I can offer you something a little better than that for your stay here. I pride myself on client privacy and confidentiality!"
"Jack!" the villains snapped.
"In case you've all forgotten, I don't deal exclusively with evil," Jack said. "So long as I'm turning a profit, either side is fair game," Jack said. "Now sir, let me show you a few features of a variety of different locations I have to offer."
"Sensei, surely you are not really…!" Hirotaka began.
"Hush, grandson, I am listening, Mr. Hench," Sensei replied, brushing Hirotaka off and walking out with Jack.
"But…" Hirotaka began.
"Leave it. Your grandfather can handle himself against Jack," Amelia assured, smiling at him.
"Right. We have a vacation to finish," Kim added, grinning at her friends and Junior.
"Vacation?" Will asked. "Gee, thanks for inviting me!"
"Just come. No one is stopping you," Senior Jr. said with a shrug.
Will started, raising an eyebrow at him, then looked uncertainly at his mother. She smiled reassuringly and said, "Go on, honey. Have fun. You've earned it." Will perked up a little and grinned.
"Welcome to the Cheer Squad, Agent Du," Kim teased, smiling and nudging him. He flushed a bit, but he'd be lying if he claimed it didn't feel nice to hear.
END