Hiro had two things to be grateful for. One, they hadn't cut his sandwich up into teeny tiny little pieces. And two, even though he knew everything about this situation was wrong, his friends were doing their level best to not treat him like the child he now looked and sounded like. He just hoped other things from that era of his childhood would not come back to bite him. After all, he hadn't been fully potty-trained until he was two-and a half. Of course, there was no real way of knowing just what age he'd gone back to, other than a general idea of his body being about the two-year mark. The month part was up for debate.
Honey Lemon sat across from him in Fred's limo as they headed away from the Manor. Baymax held him in his strong, supporting arms. Since they didn't have a car seat for him yet, this was the next best thing, though he rather loathed the idea of having to sit in a kid's seat again. Unfortunately, that was the nature of the beast. He could barely remember being in a car crash around the same time his parents had died. What he remembered of that wasn't pleasant, nor did he want a repeat.
While the "grownups" talked about what was going on, he was stuck in a car, headed to the store to pick up some essentials. The groups were actually relatively evenly split, all things considered. Wasabi had opted to stay behind with GoGo, Picard, Data, Worf, and Q, to explain to the Doctor what was going on. Meanwhile, Hiro was stuck with Fred, Honey Lemon, Baymax and Troi. He supposed it could have been worse.
What really sucked, however, was that even though he could think like himself, and felt like his intellect was intact, he didn't feel like anything else was. His body was decidedly much smaller and less coordinated. And his emotions seemed more volatile. Not that he'd had any tantrums or anything, but he couldn't help but feel frustrated with his inability to control his body like he'd been able to only that morning. That and he found that with less teeth and a smaller mouth, he couldn't communicate the same way either. That and they were no closer to figuring things out than they had been before he reverted into a toddler.
Running his tongue over his teeth, Hiro discovered he was missing most of his molars and a few other smaller teeth. That wasn't going to be fun, especially if he had to go through teething all over again. He didn't really remember much about that period, except that it was painful.
There was another problem. When he'd run for that alley, back when they'd first found Q, he'd felt something he'd never felt before. It had felt like pain but he knew it wasn't. Maybe it was tied in to his transformation. Maybe it was just his imagination. But, for the briefest of moments, he thought he'd felt himself being split up into several different aspects of himself. It was disconcerting on so many levels. What if it hadn't been just a feeling? What if there was more to it than that?
"The first thing we should probably get is some clothes," Honey Lemon said as she looked towards Hiro. She had the same expression on her face that she'd had back at the showcase that had started it all. It was part pity, part maternal. He could just imagine her wanting to cuddle him up into the smallest bundle possible and not let go. And he definitely did not like that idea.
Well, Hiro supposed, if he was going to be mother-henned, which he rather thought would happen, there was no other among his friends he'd rather have do that. Then the thought of Aunt Cass popped into his head. How on earth were they going to explain this to her without freaking her out? Chances were good, the moment she found out, she'd have him rushed to the hospital for fifty million tests. There was no way he was going to let that happen. He had to find an excuse and fast.
"No teh Aunt Cass," Hiro slurred. This lack of teeth thing was bad business, he decided. That and his vocabulary seemed to have shrunk as well. At least so far as the words he could actually speak. His mental capacity seemed just fine. All the same, it was best to keep things simple. They might not understand him otherwise. Who was he kidding? They were already probably having a hard time understanding him! After all, he could no longer pronounce L's or R's properly.
Fred patted him on the arm. "Don't worry, little fella" he assured. "We won't tell her any sooner than we have to. Right, guys?"
Deanna watched the young heroes as various expressions crossed their faces. She almost hated to say it, but it had to be done. "Just so long as everyone understands that telling her might become necessary at some point," she said. "But I agree now would not be a good time."
Hiro pouted at that thought. It wasn't going to get to that point if he had anything to say on the matter. "No teh," he reemphasized with his arms folded snugly across his chest. He could feel an irrational bout of temper threatening to emerge and did his best to squelch it.
The point was left alone as Heathcliff pulled into the parking lot of one of the area's more upscale malls. Since they were using one of the Whitmore's more fancy cars, they'd all decided it would be better that way. At least it wasn't the stretch limo. That thing took up a lot more space. Not to mention Fred swore up and down that this mall had the better deals on children's clothes. And, despite being a gazillionaire, Hiro had to give it to him. The guy preferred to act and dress like a bum, always looking for a deal. They'd all thought he lived under a bridge before discovering the less known side of him.
Fred waited for Heathcliff to open the door before even getting up. It was one of the little things he could do to make his butler's life a little easier. That and he had to be on somewhat good behavior considering the clientele of where they were. It wouldn't do to ruin his parents' reputation.
"I kind of wish we'd just gone to one of those department stores closer to the university," Honey Lemon admitted as she climbed out of the car. The door to the mall was fairly close and included a uniformed doorman. She could see the gold handles as the light flashed off of them from the sun, definitely not her usual area of choice.
Baymax was the next out of the car. He set Hiro down before exiting the vehicle but the moment he was out, he picked the boy up again. "It will be alright," he stated, oblivious to Honey's concerns.
Deanna was the last to exit the vehicle. She was only a little surprised when Heathcliff courteously offered her a steadying hand. She gave him a smile of appreciation. "I don't think it will really matter," she added, "so long as we can get what we need."
Fred all but bounced towards the door, his shirt hanging low over his shorts, making him look even more like a street bum than some rich kid. "This is going to be so cool! I've always wanted a little brother! And now I kind of do!"
Honey gave him a look meant to tell him to calm down, though he missed the message. "Let's just try to not go overboard or anything," she reminded. "After all, we don't know how long this is going to last."
Hiro found he had to agree with that. If he had his way, it would be of a decided short duration. "Et's go," he said, pointing towards the door. He didn't like the idea of shopping any more than Honey apparently did.
...........................................
The Doctor nodded as he digested everything the others had just told him about recent events. He had to admit their theories made sense. If these people were indeed from an alternate universe, chances were really good Q's abilities had been stripped to try and equal out the equation. The man clapped his hands together. "So, what's been done to try and solve this debacle?" he asked in an eager tone.
Wasabi and GoGo exchanged glances. The Doctor was acting more like an eager child encountering his first field trip than the man they knew and remembered.
Seeing the two heroes weren't exactly prepared to talk, Picard decided to take it upon himself. "Well," he straightened his shirt out of habit, "we've gathered some information about Ley Lines, right Mr. Data?"
The android looked up from some notes he'd taken. After explaining the usefulness of such a practice, GoGo had found him a notebook to write in. "That is correct," he said. "I was able to find a detailed map of these mythical lines and was in the process of creating a physical copy when we were interrupted. I would like to take the opportunity to complete that before we devise any further plans."
GoGo pursed her lip as she glanced at Wasabi once more. They'd refrained from mentioning certain things earlier, mostly because it wasn't their place to say. And they'd made a promise. But now it seemed like it would be for the best if they opened their mouths. GoGo gave a half nod to Wasabi, trying to hint to him to begin but he missed the hint.
Realizing it was up to her, she let out an exasperated sigh. "There's something else you should know," she spoke up, causing all eyes to turn her direction. "I know the others might get mad at me for saying this, but with Hiro changing into a toddler, it kind of changes things." She gave Wasabi a somewhat apologetic shrug.
"If there's anything that will help me understand what's going on, it should be shared," the Doctor mused. "Can't go out without all the pieces on the board."
With that encouragement, GoGo proceeded to tell them how the energy running rampant was affecting Hiro. She didn't have all the details, nor were they needed at the moment. But at least she could give examples. And with Wasabi's added details from the initial onset, it helped even out the playing field, so to speak.
"Now that is interesting," the Doctor nodded as he listened. "Similar energies affecting the same individual in similar ways. No wonder the universe stripped you of your powers. Why, it could literally tear the whole thing apart to have two of you."
Q started at that thought. "Two? Two of moi? You must be mistaken."
The Doctor shrugged, digging his hands into his pockets. His red suspenders stretched as he rocked back and forth. "It's almost like putting two alpha wolves in the same back yard. It's only natural for them to try and fight it out. Except I thought we'd sent the one back." He looked rather thoughtful about that.
"We are straying from the point," Worf spoke up. "The important thing is to find a way to return this energy to Q, where it belongs. With that accomplished, we can return home."
Looking a bit more distracted, the Doctor walked towards the window of the breakfast room. They'd opted to stay there, since it was easier. "Very true," he agreed. "But there's something I need to take care of first." With that he turned and walked out of the room, much to the shock and surprise of those gathered.
Wasabi jumped to his feet. "Hey! Where do you think you're going!?" He had to almost run to catch up with the man as he strode down the hallway.
"Nothing major," the Doctor called out behind him. "Just a little family matter. Won't take more than a minute." The man stopped halfway down the stairs, looking a little lost. Then, realizing Wasabi was still following him, he turned to face him. "Would you mind lending me your car?"
.................................
After walking through what felt like miles of stores, Hiro gave up on the acting big and tough thing and reached up for Baymax to pick him up once more. He'd tried to tough it out. He really had, but his little body just wasn't up to quite the same rigor as his older, more mature one was. Without thinking, he placed the tips of his first three fingers from his right hand into his mouth and sucked on them.
At least they'd gotten the more necessary stuff, he sighed. He wasn't thrilled about the car seat. Apparently the design had changed since he was last this young. The new version included a lot more belts and buckles. That and Honey Lemon had insisted on buying smaller dinnerware for him, made of plastic in case of accidents. And sippy cups. Boy was he not thrilled with that one. He was even less thrilled when Fred had, very economically, added in a pack of diapers and wipes. He really hoped those would not be necessary.
"Getting sweepy," Hiro admitted with a small yawn. All that walking was taking its toll. They were in the middle of picking out various outfits for him to wear when the tired hit. He'd already rejected several, mostly because they were too cutesy and he wouldn't be caught dead wearing them.
"Maybe it would be best to go with something Hiro would normally wear," Deanna suggested when the fifth outfit was rejected. At least they'd gotten him to agree to a two-part pajama set with little robots on it.
The light seemed to go off in Fred's head as the realization set in. "Oh! Right! Sorry about that, little fella! Of course you want the same kind of clothes!"
After that, it became a little easier to get Hiro's approval. And since it was a more upscale shop, they were a little more accommodating of the circumstances. Hiro didn't have to try on every little thing they brought out for his inspection. A couple of measurements by the saleslady gave them all the information on sizing they needed.
During one of the intervals between approving a pair of pants and a shirt, Hiro found himself on the floor once more. He looked around and spotted something soft and fluffy-looking. When Honey turned around and saw him cuddling with a micro-fleece blanket, she couldn't help but smile. "We'll get that too," she announced.
By the time they'd checked out and Fred had flashed his gold credit card, Hiro had fallen back to sleep. "Oh!" Honey cooed over the little boy as she helped Baymax strap him into his new car seat. "He's so precious!"
"I still say we should have at least gotten him that toddler bed," Fred spoke up as he settled inside the small limo. Most of their purchases fit in the trunk, but a few bags had to sit in the passenger area with them.
Deanna shook her head. "That would have been overdoing it," she said. "One step at a time. Besides, I think he should be fine sleeping in a regular bed so long as someone keeps an eye on him."
Finally satisfied that his young charge was properly secured, Baymax squeezed into the seat next to Hiro. "I will be more than happy to watch Hiro while he sleeps to prevent such an accident from occurring," he announced.
"Sounds good to me," Fred agreed as he leaned back against the cushions. "Now to get back and see what everyone else is doing."
Heathcliff started the engine and had pulled out of his parking space when a blue light began flashing. Fred turned to press his face up against the window, his eyes going wide. "Uh, guys, you're not going to believe this, but I think the TARDIS just materialized in the parking garage."
Not wait for anyone else to react, Fred jabbed a small intercom button and ordered Heathcliff to stop the car. Before the butler could so much as come around to see what was going on, the mascot had thrown the door open and was running across the asphalt towards the distinctive blue box sitting under a staircase.
More than a little curious, Honey Lemon followed him, though at a much slower pace. "I thought the Doctor was back at your place," she said when she caught up with Fred.
The door to the TARDIS suddenly flew open as a man with dark hair, wearing a dark blue suit and jacket stepped out, looking frantic. He stopped when he saw Fred and all but ran up to him. "I came as soon as I could," he announced in a rather serious but breathless tone. "I would have been here sooner but the Ol' Girl gave me a bit of trouble."
Honey stared. She couldn't help it. There was no denying it. This was the Doctor. The Doctor she remembered. But why was he here when his newer incarnation should be back at the manor?
.....................................
Wasabi cringed as the Doctor instructed him to turn into the parking garage of one of the most expensive malls in San Fransokyo. "What in the world could you possibly want here?" he all but shouted, trying to understand what all was going on. The mad man with a box hadn't exactly been very forthcoming in his answers, merely staring out the front window with a rather determined look on his face.
"Turn here," the Doctor instructed. "Right here!" He all but grabbed the wheel when Wasabi didn't turn fast enough.
Feeling more than a little panicked, Wasabi slammed on the brakes. "What is wrong with you!?" He was about to continue on that line when he realized where they were and what was in front of them. "How? When?"
"What, where, and why," the Doctor finished for him. "Yes, all very good questions. But if you'd put the car in park, that will get us closer to them. Or would you prefer to just sit here and idle the time away?"
Wasabi was too busy with his mouth hanging open to really reply to that but he wisely put the car in park. Almost mechanically, he turned off the ignition and took out the key. "What in the world is going on here?"
No more than a dozen or so meters from where he'd parked, illegally, sat Fred's limo. But only a few meters further than that, under a stairway in the parking garage, sat a very familiar blue box. And standing just in front of that was an even more familiar figure with dark brown hair.
Wasabi opened his door and stepped out of the car, his expression more than dazed as he walked towards the group standing in front of the TARDIS. "Uh guys? What's going on?"
Hearing Wasabi's voice, Honey Lemon turned around from staring at the Doctor. "Wasabi? Is something wrong? What are you doing here?"
The physicist pointed a shaky figure at the Doctor, his mouth gaping open like a fish. "You... you..."
"And hello to you too, Wasabi," the Doctor greeted cheerfully. He rocked back on his heels with a rather pleased expression on his face, hands stuffed in his pockets. The shock of brown hair was just as messy as ever, though it still managed to look like it was supposed to be that way. And the blue suit was decidedly the same one from their previous encounters.
Then the Doctor looked over the physics student's shoulder and seemed to stiffen a bit. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his expression going more serious, with just enough of a hint of confusion to make everyone wonder the same thing.
The other Doctor sauntered over, his hands in his pockets, though he took them out to straighten his bow tie. "I might ask you the same question," he replied. "What are you doing here?"
Baymax moved out of the limo and waddled over. "There seems to be something wrong with my sensor," he said as he looked between the two Doctors.
"No. Nothing's wrong with it," the darker-haired Doctor said as he continued to stare at his other incarnation. "What you're seeing is real. But why he's here is beyond me. I thought I'd seen the last of you after that one meeting."
Those words seemed to give the other Doctor pause. "What other meeting? This is the first time I've actually met you in the flesh. A bit weird, too, if you ask me." He moved closer as he began to circle his counterpart. "Just answer the question. Why did you come here?"
"Why did you come here?" The older looking Doctor countered. "I sensed a disturbance coming from this area and came to check it out. What's your excuse?"
The younger looking Doctor seemed a bit taken back by that statement. "Well, that is... I went to take the TARDIS on a bit of a run. You know, a quick trip around the moon and back again. I was supposed to be back with Amy Pond, but apparently the ol' Girl had other plans."
The two smiled as if sharing some private joke. "She always did know when and where to send a person," the blue-clad one said.
"Excuse me," Honey Lemon spoke up, "Just what is going on?" She shuffled a bit nervously. She'd just accepted the fact that the Doctor had changed, but now there were two of them standing practically next to each other.
Both Doctors turned with somewhat raffish grins. "Well, you see, what happened is..." "If you'd just give me a second to explain..." they said at the same time.
"Why don't you let me explain?" the one with the bow tie asked. "I am the older of the two of us."
Deanna had joined them by this time, wondering what was going on. She'd made a quick check on Hiro to make sure he was still asleep before exiting the car. "Who is this person?" She pointed to the blue-clad Doctor. For whatever reason, she thought she felt the same thing coming from the both of them, something deeper than just the typical feeling.
Fred all but jumped up and down as he realized what was going on. "Oh, this so cool! We have two Doctors!"
"Two?" The counselor looked somewhat confused. She then glanced at the blue box behind the both of them.
The two Doctors exchanged knowing glances. Almost as one, they spoke once more. "Time Lord."
"It's a bit wibbly wobbly," the second one continued, only to have the other finish with "timey whimey."
Deanna looked like she might have a headache forming behind her eyes so Baymax decided to try and take matters into his own. "I do not understand myself," he admitted, "but these two men are the same person."
But before any further explanations could be offered, Hiro called out sleepily from the still open limo. "Whewe evy go?" He sounded more than a little groggy.
The Doctor in the blue leaned towards the open door with a curious expression. "Who's that? I didn't think any of you had any children."
Fred and Honey Lemon exchanged glances this time. "We don't," Fred answered first. "That's Hiro."
Looking more than a little confused, the Doctor moved towards the car and peered in. "Nah," he said, pulling back. "It can't be." But then he leaned forward again for another closer look. "Hiro?"
Hiro reached his arms out from behind the bundle of buckles and straps. "Docta? Tat you?"
"Hiro?" The man pulled back, then turned to stare at the other Doctor. "That's Hiro?"
With a rather silly smile, the other Doctor nodded. "Yep. That's Hiro. Seems he got zapped by some kind of energy brought to this universe by an alien entity with similar abilities to the Makt, which, of course-"
"Disrupted the natural flow of this universe," the blue-clad Doctor finished. "No wonder the TARDIS brought me here! Why, this is terrible. Do you have any idea what this means?"
Wasabi chose that moment to step back into the conversation. "No, we don't! But it sure would be nice if someone told us!"
"It means," one Doctor started, "the two universes are connected, which wasn't meant to happen," the other finished. "They're trying to cancel each other out."
Honey bit her lip. "That doesn't sound good."
"It's not," the bow-tied Doctor said. "But I believe the energy may continue to try and gather around some point of mutual contact."
The other Doctor nodded. "Makes sense. If only we had another one of those inhibitors, it could help cancel out that possibility. That or we could rewire it to attract the energy instead." He looked sharply at his newer incarnation. "You don't happen to have one, do you?"
Bow tie shook his head. "We gave the last one to his brother. Remember?"
Both seemed to muddle over that for a moment. "We could always make another. But if the energy's different enough, it won't work. That and it might take too long. We'll have to find a pocket to be sure. Of course, we could both be completely wrong about that."
"Would one of you say something that actually makes sense?" Wasabi complained.
Hiro squirmed in his seat, trying to undo the buckles, but his little fingers didn't have the strength. "Want out!"
Honey moved towards the limo, ready to duck inside. "Maybe we should finish this discussion back at the Manor," she worried. "Hiro sounds like he might start getting cranky soon. And we still have a lot of shopping to unload."
Realizing the chemist was right, Deanna strode forward to take charge. "Honey Lemon's right. Besides, I think we might end up with a few more in our group we weren't expecting if we don't move on." She nodded towards two security guards heading their way.
Taking the point, Fred nodded. "Yeah, let's just head back. I'm sure the others will want to know what's going on."
The two Doctors nodded at each other, both heading towards the TARDIS before the one realized it wasn't his. "Oh, sorry," he apologized. "Do you mind if I-?"
"Not at all," the other Doctor answered. "Best not to leave her just sitting around, if you know what I mean." The two shared a laugh as they entered the blue box and closed the door behind them.
Wasabi stared as the TARDIS dematerialized, and then remembered he'd driven the one Doctor to the scene. He groaned inwardly. "They'll probably beat us back there," he complained.
"Then we better get going," Honey pointed out as she ushered Wasabi back to his van. "I'll ride with you." She thought it might be better that way. After all, Wasabi was exhibiting some of the symptoms classic to his usual panic attacks. She'd offer to drive but knew he wouldn't accept it.
Deanna got back into the limo, followed by Baymax and Fred. Closing the doors, both cars headed back to the manor.