Someone on Tumblr asked me to consider having Kol's magic require him to wear diapers. I've always been hesitant to use them in fics with vampires and hybrids. I made the exception with Tyler in "Don't you cry no more" as he needed to feel that same level of attention that Jeremy receives. That being said, I felt it was plausible this would happen with Kol as his magic did solve the need for him to breastfeed.

There are a lot of things Hayley prepared herself for when it came to co-sleeping: Kol moving around in the middle of the night and kicking them, snoring, losing out on intimate times with her husband. All worth it when it came to making Kol feel safe and building that bond as a family. Still, they were things she planned for.

One thing she couldn't, was waking up to wet sheets.

At first, in her half-asleep haze, she wonders if Elijah or Kol spilt water. As she gains her barings, she realizes they didn't bring beverages to bed the night before. She fed Kol but that was it. Did he spit up in his sleep?

Hayley gently pulls back the sheets, careful not to awake the sleeping guys beside her. She spots the wet patch surrounding Kol's section of the bed and the front of his sweats. A blip of confusion crosses Hayley's mind. Kol can't wet the bed. None of them have to use that part of their bodies anymore…

Yet, there's no denying what this is.

Hayley gently shakes her son. Kol stirs, mumbling a bit behind his pacifier. Hayley sighs, gently pushing some hair out of his face.

"Sweetheart, you need to wake up."

"No," Kol barely makes out, his eyes still closed.

"Yes, you do."

Kol whines, kicking his legs a little. The minute his foot hits the sheets, he pauses. His eyes slowly open a bit and he wiggles. Heat rushes to his cheeks. Hayley sees the frightened, young look in his eyes.

"It's okay, baby," she whispers.

Kol shakes his head, sitting up quickly. "Nuh uh. Naughty."

Hayley frowns. "No, baby, no, no. Kol isn't naughty."

Kol frowns, curling into himself. He glances down at Elijah, who's managed to sleep through all of this. "Trouble."

Hayley rubs his back. "You're not in trouble. I promise."

"Trouble!" Kol shouts, startling his mother. He hops over Elijah and runs into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

Elijah's eyes are open now. Hayley's frown feels tattooed to her face as she looks from him to the door. Elijah pushes himself back against the pillows.

"What in the world…" He trails off when he sees the sheets. "Why is it wet right there?"

"I think Kol had an accident," Hayley whispers.

Elijah's face scrunches up a bit. "An accident? Hayley, that's impossible."

She gestures to the spot. "There's no denying it."

Elijah runs his fingers through his hair. "I don't quite understand. As a vampire, there is no reason why he should be able to use the bathroom, let alone wet the bed."

"I don't think the how really matters right now. What does, is Kol is freaking out. He kept saying "trouble"." Hayley tilts her head. "Did something happen when you all were growing up?"

Elijah frowns. Hayley doesn't miss the haunted look that comes across his eyes. It's the same one that often appears when they discuss the Mikaelson siblings' childhood. Elijah's only shared enough so Hayley is aware of what shaped Kol, but there are things she knows he's kept hidden. Both for Kol's privacy and to prevent them from having to relive it.

"Kol went through a spell of wetting the loft when he was about 5 or 6," Elijah whispers. "Niklaus tried to help him cover it up, but eventually Mikael found out. First, he whipped Klaus for keeping a secret from him. Then, he took the whip to Kol for not being able to control himself."

Hayley growls. With each passing day, she is relieved that Esther and Mikael are gone. They were cruel, sadistic parents, especially their so-called father. Who punishes a little boy for something like this? Especially to such an extent?

"It happened a few more times. Nik and I tried to talk some sense into Mikael but that only…" Elijah trails off. Hayley gently squeezes his hand. He swallows, shaking his head. "Anyway. I should talk to him. Make sure he knows that won't happen now."

Elijah climbs out of bed and heads for the bathroom. Hayley follows quickly behind, a pit forming in the bottom of her stomach. These two have been through so much. It is a miracle they're both still here today.

Mikael, may he be tortured in hell, would not survive 5 seconds in a room with her.

Elijah opens the door. Kol's curled up on the floor, hugging his legs to his chest. He sees his father and backs up a bit, hitting his head against the tub. His entire body shakes as his pacifier falls out. Elijah kneels in front of him.

"D…Dada, please don't spank me," Kol begs, desperation in his voice. "I won't do it again! Please!"

"I'm not going to hurt you, Kol, I promise," Elijah whispers.

"Naughty. Wet the bed."

"That isn't naughty. Accidents happen." Elijah tenderly holds out a hand. Hayley's body aches when Kol flinches. "I won't strike you, Little Prince, I promise. You're not in trouble. No one will hurt you for this. Mama and I aren't mad."

"I ruined the sheets," Kol whispers.

"Sheets can be washed."

"Mama mad."

Hayley shakes her head, trying to keep herself from crying. "No, Lovebug." She crouches beside Elijah. "Mama isn't mad. Dada isn't mad. Koley isn't in trouble."

Kol sniffles, his body still shaking. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Elijah assured him. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Kol hugs his knees tighter to his chest. Elijah gently rubs his arm. Kol looks down at his hand, anxiety mixing in with the fear on his face. Elijah moves his hand up and down.

"See, no hitting. Just comfort."

Kol bites his lip. "Dada's not mad?"

"Nope. Not even a little bit."

"But Father…"

"Mikael isn't here," Elijah interrupts. His voice is firm, yet filled with love. "He is gone, Kol. Dada and Niky made sure of that, remember?" Kol slowly nods. "Because what does Dada do?" There's silence. "Kol, what does Dada do for his little prince?"

Kol's voice is soft. To someone without supernatural hearing, his words would be impossible to decode. "Dada protects Kol. Keeps bad guys away." He glances at Hayley. "Mama too."

Hayley nods, trying to give a comforting smile, though she still feels incredibly sad.

"That's right," she coos. "Mama and Dada will always protect their baby."

Kol nods. "Not in trouble?"

"You're not."

"I didn't mean to."

"Oh, I know you didn't. But these things happen and that's okay."

Elijah moves closer to Kol. "Let's get you all cleaned up and in some fresh sweats, alright?"

"You can take a bath with Mama," Hayley adds.

"Yes, and Dada will clean up the bed."

Kol hesitates. "Not in trouble?"

Hayley feels as if the great white oak has pierced her chest. What did this man do to her baby?

"Not at all," she promises, holding out her arms. "Can I hold you?"

Kol reaches up. Hayley scoops him into her grasp and holds onto him for dear life. She presses tiny kisses to his face. The apprehension is felt through his bones and heavily beating heart.

Hayley doesn't want to let him go. He's safer in her arms. Nothing can happen so long as she's there.

Except for the mental demons that haunt his brain.

Hayley can only provide the good memories and experiences now. She'll do anything to take away the association of the accident in the past.

"Let's pick out our bubble bath, shall we?"

She doesn't move him from her grip as he consults the numerous bottles lining the tub.

Kol knows something is up when he's handed a bag from GameStop. He doesn't even bother to open it. The plastic falls onto his bed as he looks between his parents.

"What did you do?"

Elijah raises a brow. "You think we did something?"

"You only buy me video games at holidays or when you're trying to make me feel better. It's not Christmas and I can't think of anything to be sad about right now. So…"

Hayley slides an arm through her husband's. "This is a bit of a delicate subject."

"Oh?"

"We haven't been sure how to handle it. We know there's a chance you'll get upset."

"Beating around the bush sure isn't helping."

Elijah speaks up. His voice is serious but not unkind. "We need to do something about your accidents."

Kol's cheeks burn bright red. He tried to tell himself it was a one-off incident until it happened the next night, then the one after that. Even worse, it began happening during the day, but only when he felt younger. He wouldn't realize he needed to pee, until it was too late. Somehow, it never happened when he felt older.

"I…I won't let them happen anymore," Kol stammers.

Hayley crouches down in front of him. "I don't think that's something you can control."

"Yes, I can. We'll figure out why it's happening and…"

"Lovebug, I think it's happening for the same reason you need your nummies." Kol's face grows warmer over the childish name for it. "Your magic is trying to show how young you can be."

"I'm not a baby!" Kol whines, kicking his legs. "I don't wanna be."

"Your body feels differently."

"We know this isn't easy," Elijah says. "And it won't have to be all the time. During the day, so long as you're feeling old enough, you'll wear your briefs. Then, when you sleep or are feeling small, you'll wear protection."

"Diapers," Kol scoffs. "You expect me to wear diapers."

"Kol, you're going to end up ruining the mattress. Even worse than that, you could get a bad rash. You may be immortal, but given your magic keeps adjusting things, what if it makes you sick?" Kol ducks his head. "This is very important."

"We'll work it into your nightly routine," Hayley explains. "And as soon as you're feeling little, we can change you."

Kol squirms. There doesn't seem to be much of a choice here. He knows, logically, that it isn't practical for things to go on as is. Even if he slept in his own bed every single night, it'd just get ruined. When he's feeling smaller, he probably won't care. That part of his life gets locked behind those times.

This, outside being lotioned and dressed for bed, is the only thing that occurs even when he's feeling big.

"I know you're going to say you don't want anyone to know," Elijah continues. "However, I don't know how that would work."

Hayley nods. "Secrets aren't kept very long."

Kol tries to hide a whine. "Marcel is going to tease me!"

"He won't unless he wants to deal with me." Elijah nudges her. "Or Klaus, I suppose."

Kol can see his father is fighting off a smile as he continues to speak. "We won't make it into a big deal. And who knows? Maybe this will sort itself out." Hope spreads through Kol. Elijah is quick to hold up a hand. "But we won't know that for awhile."

Kol sighs. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Not really, but as with everything, we'd appreciate it if you are on board."

Kol grumbles under his breath. Deep down, he knows his parents would only do this if there were no other options. They never force him to be any younger than his body tells him he is. Maybe at one point, centuries ago, he would have suspected nefarious intentions. Now, he sees the genuine concern and protection in his father's eyes.

"If anyone says anything, I get one free punch," Kol barters.

Elijah opens his mouth, but Hayley speaks first. "To the arm."

"Hayley!" Elijah admonishes.

Kol ignores him. "The face. Especially if it's Marcel."

"The arm or no deal," Hayley says.

"Fine."

Elijah shakes his head. "There will be no punching or violence of any kind. Should anyone tease you, I shall take care of it."

"Whatever you say."

"I'm serious."

Kol hides a smile. Elijah messes with his hair.

"You want a bubble bath or a shower tonight?"

"Shower," Kol says.

"Very well. When you're done, come to the bedroom."

Kol takes his time in the shower, trying to delay everything as much as possible. The water runs cold too soon and he runs out of places to wash. Eventually, he steps out and wraps himself in a towel, bolting down the hall before he can be seen.

Elijah gently lays him down on a towel draped over the bed. He starts off with his lotion, making sure to massage it in nice. The lavender calms Kol's anxious bones. The smell acts as a pacifier of sorts, keeping him quiet as he is tended to. Hayley sits by his head, stroking his hair and playing with his face. Kol reaches up his hands, getting the fringe around the center of her night gown. The material feels nice between his index and thumb.

His dad eventually pulls out some supplies from under the bed. He slides the diaper under Kol's bottom. The material crinkles when he wiggles, but it feels soft. Nice.

Why does he have to enjoy this?

Elijah sprinkles on the powder, rubbing it in. Hayley makes loving faces at her baby, whispering how brave he is. Kol blushes a little under the praise.

"A lot has changed since I last did this," Elijah mutters. "These tabs are much easier than trying to figure out a way to wrap it just so."

Kol tilts his head. "You changed my diapers?"

"Yours, Rebekah's and Henrik's." There's a brief pause when their youngest brother is mentioned. "Anyway, that was a nightmare."

"I always forget just how old you are," Hayley teases with a smirk.

Elijah rolls his eyes while Kol pokes out his tongue. "That means I'm older than you."

"Hush now. You're just a baby."

Kol tries to glare, but his heart isn't in it. Elijah double checks that the diaper is on properly. Kol notices the pause, as both parents take him in. They have that look in their eyes. The one they get when they clearly see him as a little boy, even when he's feeling big.

A look he used to hate, and now feels safe, comforting. Loved.

Elijah snaps out of it and puts on his favorite sweats, clipping his pacifier to them.

"There, all done."

Kol sits up, having only a bit of trouble doing so. He gets off the bed and walks around. It's no doubt a little obvious, especially as he walks awkwardly.

"You'll get used to it," Hayley promises.

"Maybe," Kol mutters.

"Come here."

Kol crawls into her lap and buries his head in her shoulder. Hayley gently rocks him a little, pressing tiny kisses to his face.

"We love you, always."

"Love you too."

"You're such a good boy. So brave. Mama and Daddy are so proud of you."

Kol blushes once again as Elijah sits beside her and nods in agreement. "There's nothing you could do to make us not want you, alright?"

Kol nods. "Yeah."

"As long as you remember that."

"Does someone need nummies?" Hayley asks.

Kol thinks about saying no. Maybe insisting on sleeping in his own bed. He's supposed to be a big boy after all…

But he's nice and warm, snuggled up with his mama. He feels the safety of his daddy nearby.

So, he nods. Within moments, he's nursing and playing with his mama's necklace. That alone is enough to lull him to sleep.