Hush, Little Penguin

Beach Baby

"You don't need to prove to us, or anyone else, that you can be independent. We know that there are many many times where you could surprise the people who hurt you." Barnacles glanced over his shoulder at Peso. "But you are still a child, like it or not, and we're looking after you now. So it's our job to make sure you're safe and healthy and happy. And right now, you definitely need some fresh air." He turned back to the road. "If you need to talk about anything, you know we're all here, right?"

"I know." Peso moaned. He still didn't feel right about any of this, and none of it felt fair. There were still people to whom he had to prove that  he could stand like an adult. What good was being a child if no one was going to treat you kindly or fairly?

And worst of all, Peso had succumbed to the urge to be one. Why WHY hadn't he ignored the urge to be little again? Why did he so badly want to reclaim his youth? It wasn't bad enough that being a child meant being the gum that everyone stepped on and scraped off, but he still wanted to be that.

And here he was, sleeping in a nursery, eating from a high chair, and ENJOYING it. He just didn't know why.

But if living with the Octonauts was anything to go by, childhood was meant to be enjoyed. And they were trying to help him enjoy it.

It could be wrong...

Peso's thoughts tangled together in a mess and he hiccupped brokenly. Barnacles sighed, and reached over to give him a one-armed hug. "There's so much going on in that head of yours." He whispered mournfully, wishing Peso could have a chance at a normal, painless, carefree childhood. "I wish it were more fair too, Peso. I wish it weren't there."

Peso didn't say anything. he just watched the fish go by, feeling that sudden, strong, familiar urge to hug something soft.

"Peso..." The little penguin looked at the captain.

"If you could grow up so fast, would you really?"

"I wish..."

"You wish you could? Just to prove everyone wrong?"

"I wish I would..."

Barnacles understood and nothing more was said.

After a little while longer, they surfaced by a large mound of white sand and trees. "We're here!" Barnacles announced cheerfully. He petted Peso's head. Even after being their baby for so long, the feelings and memories were still there, keeping the wish to be grown up alive. They needed to fix that.

They wanted Peso to have a comfortable childhood. They wanted him to take as much time as he needed to grow up properly.

As he exited the Gup, he knelt down next to Peso. "You can't force yourself to grow up. These things need to take their time. I know it's confusing and it's sometimes unfair, but that's how it works." He nuzzled Peso and went to help the Vegimals unload their Gup.

The little penguin turned to see Dashi handing hi a bag of beach toys. "We brought you some things to play with." She offered, trying to seem cheerful and sunny in the hopes that it would make Peso feel better. She knew he'd been in a funk lately.

As soon as they reached a shady spot so Peso wouldn't have to look into the sun, Kwazii set the diaper bag down, quickly laid Peso on a towel, and diapered him. If anything, Peso at least felt better about being diapers by his friends. It made him a little more comfortable and a lot more happy to know he had friends, an Octonauts family, that didn't mind doing his diapers. They actually seemed happy to do so.

And the look of concentration of Kwazii's face was funny. And some of the other Octonauts looked just as relaxed changing him as he usually felt while being changed. Apparently, the babying  regression therapy thing worked both ways.