"Dean!!!!" yelled Mike through the Howling wind and rain that was pelting his face as he trudged through their back garden. The wind was so strong that he, a jade dragon that was hailed for their strength was almost unable to move. The rain was like tiny razors threatening to cut through his hard skin, but he pushed on. Their back garden was a big place with well over an acre of land itself. It doesn't seem big until you have to travel through it in a dangerous magical storm looking for an extremely powerful little boy with big emotions.
Mike looked and looked for hours but had to give up. "I'll come back out after he falls asleep" he thought to himself. It took a better part of an hour to make it back to the deck that was connected to the house. He climbed the steps and entered the house.
Immediately after walking in Tim asked if he had found Dean to which he responded with a no. "can I go look for him dad" asked Tim "I could probably find him faster than you can"
"absolutely not" he replied "I could barely walk through this storm with my full strength. You would be blown away the moment you went outside"
"i'm not that weak dad" Tim protested
"your first ability hasn't even manifested yet and won't for at least eight more earth years." said Mike as he sat down at the kitchen table "I'll go back out once he cries himself to sleep and bring him in."
"how are you going to fix this?" asked Fey the dragon matriarch "that little boy has spent the better part of his life thinking you were his best friend, only to find out that it was all an act. That your actual role in his life is a father figure instead of a friend. He also found out that Timothy is the one that's supposed to be his best friend whos human age is actually sixteen like his and not twelve like he thought only to find out that he's actually only a toddler dragon who just turned four years old. Dean has the mentality of a six year old boy Mike and the emotions of one too. He was overwhelmed and when he needed you most, when he needed his best friend the most you failed him"
"How would you fix this?" he asked Fey with his head down. She was right. Tera had warned him that his plan was going to backfire on him but he didn't listen to her. and now he has to deal with the the fall out.
"I would let him go" she said "let him be on his own for a while"
"yes" said the fairy matriarch "he needs time to process all that he's learned and he needs time to process your new role in his life as his chosen caretaker"
"he will contact you once he is ready to establish contact once again. He is planning to go to old man Hawks cabin down in gatlinburg, Tennessee. We will be able to keep an eye on them" said the tree ent.
"He can't go anywhere until the investigation is complete. I've said this once already, He will automatically be their prime suspect if he does." Said Mike "And you said them like he's not going to be alone"
"do you honestly think that Timothy is going to just allow his ageling to go off on his own?" asked Fey
"I am not going to allow my baby boy to be four hundred and twenty five miles away from me" he responded flatly "he hasn't even come into his powers yet. Dean can't even control his let alone use them consciously to protect my boy."
"don't underestimate the powers of a golden dragon Mikey, even the babies can take care of themselves in a pinch" said Fey "as far as the investigation goes, I dont think hes going to wait until it's over. Tera you said you work at the same office as his attorney?"
"Yes, did you have something in mind" she asked
"what if we had him contact Child protective services and have them make it look like he was adopted by a wealthy family down in Tennessee" she asked
"That'll never work" said Tera "It could go one of two ways they could do a simple search that would reveal his status as an emancipated minor which would reveal the lie that C.P.S. put together. This would cause him, Mr. Wayne and his case worker to be arrested for fraud. Tim would be placed with CPS down their most likely. While Dean would be charged with six counts of third degree murder after being questioned and them determining that he was the most likely culprit. Mr. Wayne would have his law license revoked and go to prison for accessory. The local CPS office here in town would then be investigated ending with the arrest of everyone that signed off on the adoption. The will that The late Mr. Hawk wrote would be void giving Virgil a chance to get everything while Dean sits in a kids prison for the next three hundred years."
"what's the second potential outcome" asked Fey
"the local office of Child and Family services is in collusion with Virgil. If we have them set up a fake family to try and hide Dean, the case worker is going to tell Virgil. He's then going to try to use this as a way to get everything he feels entitled to. this would make Virgil wonder why he would need to hide like that which would lead right into sanario one anyway"
"Well we can't have that" said Fey as she noticed that it had stopped raining finally.
"I hate too, but I have to agree with Mike on this" said Tera. This statement surprised all the elders in the room. "the reason being is his former aunt and uncle. According to rumors likely spread by the house staff, the hawks are broke. They're lucky they have two pennies to rub together. According to Dean, they will most like start by selling off their vacation homes for as much as they can as well as all the cars and other recreational stuff. This will last them a while but it will eventually run out. Especially if Tammy goes shopping like she does. They will become desperate and may turn to illegal activities to try and get back what they feel they are owed even if it means killing Dean to do it. and if Timmy is there as well then they will try to kill him too. Neither one of them have the skills necessary to sense incoming danger quite yet. So they would be easy pickings"
"I think the two of you underestimate our capabilities" said Ms. Fairweather, the Fairy matriarch. "Mr. Redwood here can have the local tree ent colony keep an eye on the boys as well as Mr. Lionel who can have the local forest creatures protect the boundaries of the property. We'll know their every movement and every movement of every human that gets anywhere near the property"
As they were hashing out details of the boys living down south Mike and Tim were outside in the garden looking for a sleeping little boy. "can you sense him yet" asked Mike
"He should be right around here somewhere" said Tim as his eyes fell on a bunch of bushes that seemed as though the storm never touched them. "Check those bushes daddy, they seem to be the only plants that didnt get wrecked during the storm"
When Mike walked over to the bushes he looked into the center of the circle and sure enough right in the center all curled up with his thumb in his mouth was Dean fast asleep. Mike reached in and expertly picked up the boy who didn't even utter a grown. Mike cradled the boy in his arms for the first time since he had appeared on hatch day sixteen years ago. He looked down at Dean who was still sucking his thumb. "Im so sorry bubba" he said to the sleeping boy "all this is my fault. If I would have been more attentive when you were a baby you'd look up to me as a father and not as a friend. Now I fear that i've lost you forever" they made their way inside the house. Mike sat in his chair and held the sleeping boy as he rocked back and forth.
"You better hope that boy don't pee on you" said Fey as she sat down on the couch.
"Deans never wet the bed a day in his life" said Mike with a chuckle
"that might be true on any normal night but you have to understand that he has the body of a seven year old and he's been through a lot of stress these last few days. It's not uncommon for little boys and girls to experience a few nighttime accidents during these times. Also do you remember the last time he used the potty." she responded with a bit of motherly advice. Mike shook his head at this question. If he was being honest he wasn't really paying attention to Deans restroom habits. "that's what I thought" she laughed "you might want to put something on the boy so he doesnt pee everywhere if he does have an accident."
"oh yeah that'll be great. He's already mad at me, let's wait and see how upset he gets when he wakes up wearing a diaper" said Mike with a chuckle. "what do you think we should do Tera?"
"well, nobody said he had to wear a baby diaper or a toddlers pull up. The local drug store has plain white pull ups that are designed for kids that wet the bed. But I can just buy a pack of those absorbent fitted sheets they make now" she said. She looked over at Tim who was frowning "what's the frown for'
"well, I think he should wear the pull up thing just in case" he said "he has to sleep with me and if you get that sheet thing there's a possibility that I still get wet"
"here's a crazy thought" said Mike "why don't we just wake him up and have him use the bathroom instead of humiliating him in front of a bunch of high ranking officials of the underground."
"we can try but he's totally exhausted" Ms. Fairweather said "which do you think would be more humiliating for him. Wearing something absorbent or having someone helping him use the potty like a toddler"
"I really dont think its going to matter which one it is" Said the satur "he's going to be humiliated either way. If you put him in an absorbent undergarment then someone will have to put it on him. No, he's won't be awake when you put it on him, the humiliation wont hit till morning when he wakes up not only wearing an infantile undergarment but a wet one at that. Then the humiliation of someone seeing him naked will hit. If you take Mikes suggestion he will be humiliated because someone will need to help him which again means someone seeing him naked"
"I think i'll take my chances with the potty" said Mike as he started trying to wake up the boy. It took awhile but eventually Dean opened his eyes "hey bubba" said Mike as Dean continued to suck his thumb. Once the action registered in his brain he frowned and pulled it out real quick and blushed.
"why you holding me like a baby" he slurred sleepilly
"because you exhausted yourself" he replied "before you fall back to sleep you need to go use the restroom so you don't have any accidents while you sleep"
Dean nodded his head "yes, papa" he complied in the most defeated voice ever. Dean might as well have shoved a sword right through Mikes heart when he said that"
"can you walk or do you need me to carry you" asked Mike
"I don't have the strength" he whimpered out
"that's ok I can help you" said Mike as he stood up and carried the boy up the stairs to the bathroom. "alright bubba you're going to have to stand up. Can you do that?" Dean nodded his head and Mike stood him up. He told Dean to lift his arms, after which he pulled his shirt off. He then unbuttoned his pants and hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his underwear and pulled them down.
Dean gasped "hey, why'd ya do that for" he said as his hands went to cover himself.
"you can't use the toilet with your pants on dork" Mike laughed
"I know that, meathead. I am perfectly capable of taking my own clothes off thank you very much" he protested.
"your legs are trying to give out bud. You said so yourself that you don't have the strength to even walk, how would you have taken your clothes off in time to pee. Let's get you on the toilet before you pee everywhere" he said as he picked up Dean and sat him on the toilet. After the boy was done Mike pulled his underwear up and lifted him up leaving his pants on the bathroom floor wear they fell. Dean laid his head down on Mikes shoulder and was asleep again before they made it halfway down the hallway. Mike went into Tims room and laid Dean down on the bed pulling the covers up and turned out the light.
Once Mike had come back down stairs Tera asked how it went. "It went about how we thought it would. He was embarrassed for me to see him naked, but I don't think he will remember to much of it. He was falling asleep while he was peeing. Had to keep waking him up. He protested a bit when I pulled his pants and underwear down though"
"I would too if I were him" said Tim as he played on his phone "you haven't helped me in the bathroom in eight human years. You haven't ever helped him in the bathroom. Couldn't imagine how demoralizing it was to find out that your best friend is actually the person you should be calling papa, that's not human but a dragon that can control his own age on top of having that friend you went to school with since you were three strip you naked and help you pee in the potty like a common toddler."
"The only reason I haven't had to help you is because we had to adapt to human standards. Most four year olds are potty trained and you forget son that your only four years old. If we were still in the underground you'd be in diapers still and wouldnt have that growing spell on you. Its tradition for baby dragons not to start their potty training until the age of five. It's different up here in the human world. Most humans are potty trained by the time they're three and a half. Sometimes even before that. This town is odd though all the kids are out of diapers by the time they turn three." said Mike "I already feel like shit for the lies that got out of control. I don't need anyone else making me feel any worse. Now, if you don't mind son go wash up and eat dinner."
"I noticed that the kids are all potty trained a lot earlier as well so i did a little digging when we first moved here and discovered that the school district requires that all kids be completely potty trained before being enrolled in preschool which starts enrolling at the age of three. Even the private preschools require this."
"It has nothing to do with tradition" said Fey "dragons are just lazy and would rather sleep then potty train their offspring at a decent age. I'm actually changing that. I like the humans rule that their young can't start their education until potty training is complete. Keeping a child in diapers passed the age of three is just absurd and lazy no matter the species."
"This rule is not a common one" said Tera "a least not anymore. In most places it's pretty common for human children to start preschool in diapers....at least in this country. Most usually end up potty trained before going off to kindergarten but some try to send their kids to grade school in diapers. so much so that some schools have had to change their policies or implement policies regarding who can and can't wear them and consequences for not being potty trained completely."
"what are the consequences" asked Fey
" it's different for every school district but there's one in Iowa that got national headlines for their consequences. They now require all kids to be fully potty trained and out of pull ups before enrollment into kindergarten. If they are caught wearing a diaper or pull up to school or they have an accident they will be sent home and banned from returning until parents can prove their child is fully potty trained. They believe that if your child has accidents then they aren't fully potty trained" she said
"well that's stupid" said Mike "kids have accidents, it happens"
"but it's true though" she said "If a child has accidents then they are miss judging the time they need to get to a potty meaning they are not fully trained"
"but what about kids with disabilities" asked Ms. Fairweather. "they cant stop them from wearing diapers if they need them. And what's stopping some parents from trying to say their kids have a disability or try to say their kid needs an emotional support diaper"
This last statement made everyone in the room laugh "i've never heard of an emotional support diaper before but I guess it's not out of the realm of possibilities" said Tera "kids sleep and carry teddy bears and blankets. Anyway a doctor would need to deem it medically necessary in order for an older kid to wear diapers to school"
The other leaders agreed with this and said they would be implementing similar rules. A few said they already had rules for this. They also said that Fey would most likely have issues enforcing this rule because dragons were inherently lazy and labeled it as not important. Once they had dinner and cleaned up Mike sat down with with the elders and Tim to discuss future plans involving Dean.
"So I'm positive that Dean will want to be away from me and I don't blame him. We know about where he's going thanks to magic, however, i'm not comfortable letting such a small boy go alone. Like i've said before he may be sixteen on paper but in reality he's only seven and has been for the past nine years and always will be. Some of you have suggested that I allow your people to watch him and I'm willing to go along with this just to make him happy however My son will want to go with him for obvious reasons and I don't want to seperate the boys any longer, they need each other. I have one stipulation. A tutor, someone to teach Dean how to use his powers until he's had time to come to terms with our new relationship and it'll be up to you son to help him through this."
"you're going to let me go to Tennessee to live with Dean....by ourselves" he said as excitement took over.
"don't get to excited" he said as his boy was bouncing up and down excitedly on the couch. "you will have a task while you're down their. You will call me three times a day. Morning, noon, and night any deviation from that and I will call you. If I call, you must answer. I don't care what you guys are doing. If I have to drive all the way down their because you ignored me i'm going to bust both your butts. While you were eating I downloaded a tracking app on your phone do not touch it or deactivate it. It's my way of keeping an eye on you. Don't think that you're alone because you will be watched and followed no matter where you go. You are to stay away from the tourist traps. You guys are going to have enough issues without having to deal with concerned travelers. You are to make sure Dean does his school work."
"what about me daddy" he asked confused
"you will be to young for school. Now that Dean knows you aren't twelve it's pointless to keep up this charade. So you will go back to looking like your normal four year old self." said Mike
"maybe that's not such a good idea Mike" said Tera "we should make him older. People will be less likely to question a father and his little boy having a fun day."
"no, i'm good with being my normal age" said Tim "we'll figure things out as we go. I know we are young and folks will call the police but we will figure it out."
"Dean will have to get custody documents for you so they don't take you away from him the first time you get the police called on you. Make sure he carries all of his documentation with him everywhere he goes. Because he will need to prove his age at every turn until the locals get used to him."
"do you want to cancel the spell tonight?" asked Tim.
Mike put his hands on top of His his son's head and chanted a few words. Immediately Tim started shrinking in his clothes until a four year old looked up at him and smiled. "theirs my little boy" he cooed as he brushed Tims cheek. "head upstairs and get ready for bed it's passed your bedtime already"
"ok daddy" said Tim in his toddler voice "do you want me to wear a pull up just in case"
"You do what you think is necessary" said Mike.
Tim ran up the steps and tried to get to the toilet but started peeing before he even made it. He was surprised that he didn't start peeing on the couch as he regressed because his bladder was full as a twelve year old. After his bladder had evacuated nearly half it contents on the front of his baggy shirt and the floor in the hallway and bathroom he was able to finish in the toilet. Tim grabbed a dirty towel from the hamper and cleaned up his mess. He then found some baby wipes and cleaned himself up. Tim then opened the closet and looked to see if they had any pull-ups but the only thing he found was a box of size 5 diapers and a bag of boosters. He knew he didn't have any in his closet and they didn't have any storage in their attic. He didn't want to wear tape on diapers or even pull-ups but he wasn't sure if his young bladder was as strong as he was used to and didn't want to have an accident in bed or in public. So he sighed loudly and grabbed a diaper and two boosters because he wanted be extra sure he didnt leak if he did wet himself. After inserting the boosters into the diaper he proceeded to finish putting it on. He looked in the full length mirror to see if it was on correctly and made the proper adjustments. He turned out the light and walked to his room where he saw his dad checking on Dean. "I thought you were going to wear a pull-up" he said as he picked up his boy.
"I couldn't find any so I had to wear a diaper" he blushed a deep red.
"you look so adorable bubba" said Mike "I missed you being this age. But as adorable as you look in diapers you don't need them, so tomorrow you need to have Dean buy you pull-ups if you want protection."
"I know but i'm just not sure of the strength of my little boy bladder. I'm used to the strength of a twelve year olds" he said "I don't want to wear any of it. Makes me feel like a baby but I didn't make it to the bathroom earlier papa I peed all over my shirt and the floor so I have to wear them until I can adjust"
"It's up to you what you wear but it's going to be a pain in the bum to take that diaper off every time you have to go potty" said Mike as he laid the boy beside Dean. He kissed Tim on the forehead and pulled the covers up "good night bubba"
"good night daddy" said Tim as he yawned and scooted closer to Dean wrapping his little arms around the bigger boy. Dean who had been having a bad dream felt a calm wash over him and he visibly sighed and cuddled into the embrace further. Tim fell into the deepest sleep he's ever had in his life that night.
****************
When Dean awoke the next morning he looked around and noticed that he was in Tims room. But when he looked over he didn't see Tim, he saw a toddler no older than maybe four. The little boy was fast asleep and snoring lightly. "who is that" Dean asked himself. "it looks just like Tim only a lot younger and why does he smell like a wet diaper" he picked up the blanket to see if maybe the boy wet the bed but noticed that the reason he smelled like a wet diaper was because he was in fact wearing a diaper "should I wake him up or let him sleep" he thought as he looked at the clock on the nightstand and noticed that it was eleven thirty in the morning "holy crap I slept that long"
Dean decided to get up and headed to the bathroom to relieve himself. When he entered the room he saw his clothes on the floor and the events that transpired there the night before played in his head. His face turned beet red from embarrassment. Once he finished his business he got dressed and headed down stairs. He entered the kitchen and saw Mike and Tera sitting at the table. "well look who decided to join the land of the living" said Tera as she sipped her coffee "hungry dear"
"Not really" said Dean as he caught Mike's eye and blushed again. Looking at the away from him. Mike couldn't stand it anymore and stood up, walked over to the boy who looked surprised and picked him up. Dean didn't protest as he was carried over to the chair that Mike had been sitting in prior and sat down again.
"Please don't be embarrassed Dean" Mike pleaded
"How can I not be" Dean said softly "you saw me completely naked. But I guess I would have had an accident had you not helped me so I guess I owe you now"
"you don't owe me a thing bubba. I just hope you find it in that little heart of yours to forgive me for all this" he stuck his bottom lip out as far as he could to show Dean just how sorry he was.
Dean giggled "your so dumb meathead" he said with a smile "of course I forgive you. I had a lot of time to think it over in the dream realm last night. I had a conversation with a bear who helped me see why you did it. You wont be mad at me if i...ya know...dont call you daddy? I'm still trying to wrap my mind around all of this and the idea of calling my best friend daddy is...."
"weird" said Mike as he cut Dean off "I get it and you can take as much time as you need to adjust just don't stay away forever"
"how'd you know I was leaving" said Dean with surprise
"I already answered that question yesterday in in the van...remember" he said with a smirk
"oh yeah" he said
"Dean I just want you to know that I'm not ok with you being so young and on your own in the mountains of hillbillyville USA. If you could control your emotions better and not devastate an entire town i'd be more comfortable with it. This is why I'm sending your protector with you. He can help you control your emotions." said Mike as he held Dean on his lap.
"I'm going to have enough trouble trying to convince the police and other people that i'm sixteen and not a lost little boy" said Dean "you add a twelve year old to the equation and their going to think its a joke"
"It's a good thing I took the spell off him last night then isn't it" said Mike
"so that boy in bed with me this morning was Tim" he asked. Mike nodded in response. "that doesn't make the situation better. It actually makes it worse. What am I supposed to tell the police when they pulled me over?"
"Hahahaha You can't drive silly. Not only would you not be able to see over the dash but you wouldn't be able to reach the pedals." laughed Mike
"Little people have pedal extenders and sit on pillows so i fail to see the difference"
"little people also look their age" said Mike
"not always" said Mike "did you know that my adoptive parents had me diagnosed with a type of dwarfism that affects the pituitary gland which makes me look really really young. That's what the humans think I have, so I will be fine driving. even the driving restrictions don't apply to me since i'm emancipated. However they may have a problem with me having a four year old boy with me."
"I suggest you contact that attorney of yours and have him make you up some custody papers." said Mike "before you leave why don't you wake up your brother. He'll sleep for days if you let him"
"ok" he said as he leaned in and hugged Mike before being sat back on the ground. He went back up stairs and opened the door to Tims room and saw the little guy digging through the closet. "you looking for a clean diaper?"
"no, im looking for my old clothes from when I was four the first time. Dad saved them and put them in here" he said as he pulled out a pair jeans and a spongebob squarepants t-shirt he also pulled out a pair of socks and a pair of shoes. He started to pull his pants on when Dean stopped him.
"go change your diaper first stinky butt" said Dean as he waved his hand in front of nose.
"I'm not stinky" he protested "I didn't poop"
"you can't smell that?" asked Dean "you reek of soggy diaper. Im not taking a soggy toddler around town with me"
"you're taking me with you right now. But I haven't even packed yet"
"not if you smell like that" said Dean with a smirk
"wait here" he said excitedly as he bounced of to get his diaper changed
"he seems a little bit more energetic then he was before" Dean said out loud "could his maturity have regressed as well. oh well I guess it's not super important" twenty minutes later Tim came back into the room carrying the box of diapers and supplies they had on hand. "what are you doing with all that? You're not going to use all that today buddy"
"I know that dummy" he said as he sat the box down by the door "If i'm planning on living with you i'm going to need them"
"aren't you potty trained though" asked Dean. He was confused as to why his friend was potty trained yesterday but wearing diapers today.
"it has nothing to do with me not being potty trained Dean" he said as he pulled his pants up "I remember how to use the toilet just fine. I'm only wearing them until i get used to my body being this little"
"Sounds like someone could use a little potty training refresher course" said Tera as she entered the room "you may remember what your supposed to do and how to do it, but it's clear by the wet diaper in the bathroom trash can that your body doesn't and that's ok sweetheart. I'm sure Dean will help potty train you when your ready or you can wait and we will potty train you at a later date."
"But I don't want to wear diapers full time." he said as he fastened the velcro on his shoes
"you're going to have to until you can retrain your body again" she said as she noticed the box of diapers and stuff near the door. "whys this box here"
"i'm going to take it with me when we leave for Tennessee" he said with a smile.
"I have a lot to do before I can leave for our new home" said Dean "it's going to be at least a week maybe two before I'm ready."
"but i'm still staying with you right" he asked as he looked up at Dean
Tera walked over to his closet and reached up on the top shelf and pulled down a spongebob backpack she also pulled out a pair of sweats. "those pants you're wearing are to tight baby. They won't allow your diaper to expand which will cause leaks so change into these" she said as she walked over to the box. She then packed a diaper bag for Tim and handed it to him once he was ready to go. "Still a little snug but at least it won't restrict your diaper sweety.
Since I'm the only one in this house with a license I will be taking you to all your destinations today" she said with a smile.
"I was going to call a taxi service but that works too" said Dean with a smile as he hugged Tera
"This isn't Columbus Dean" she said as she returned the hug "We don't have any taxi services here. We don't even have uber or lyft, it's too rural."
"lunch is on me as a thank you for being our chauffeur" he said
"That would be lovely" she said