1. Chibi

Title: Chibis Author: ZenosParadox Rating: G  
  
Summary: RS, Tu, A, Ma. Sato plays nursemaid to Reed, Tucker, Archer and Mayweather when they are transformed into four-year olds, hence the title, Chibis.  
  
Notes: 16 pages. Written August 8, 2003, and posted at LD. Disclaimer: The characters belong to Paramount. This fiction was written solely for personal enjoyment.  
  
CHIBIS  
  
Doctor Phlox was feeding his bat in sickbay when he heard strange noises coming from decon. When he looked through the observation window, he was amazed by what he saw. He adjusted his scanners, he even wiped his eyes and blinked a few times, but there had been no error. In the decontamination chamber there now existed not four adult human males, but four children. Luckily they were still male; however, their age had regressed to four years, give or take a few months.   
  
One boy had light blonde hair and was jumping about giving merry chase to a happy dark-skinned youngster. Both were tripping over the hem of the tank tops they were wearing and Phlox could see their bare bottoms as they rose off the floor. Obviously the boxers had fallen off long ago. Phlox could see that the tank tops were falling off one shoulder and anticipated the two would soon be stark naked.   
  
A third boy was standing on the bench decrying the unrest in the native population of the decon chamber. He at least had on a t-shirt. His verbal abilities were quite good, but he had a tendency to refer to his comrades as animals. Finally, Phlox found the fourth and last boy also dressed in a t-shirt. This one had dark hair, wide blue eyes, and was sitting very still on the bench as he scanned the activities of the others.   
  
"Sub-commander T'Pol, Ensign Sato, would you please come to sickbay? We have an interesting development."  
  
-----   
  
Hoshi Sato stood beside T'Pol as they looked at the men--no, the boys sitting on the biobeds.   
  
"They're chibis!" exclaimed Hoshi. At T'Pol's questioning glance, Hoshi explained, "They're generally drawings of a runt or child version of an adult in Japanese anime. Uh, never mind."  
  
"I don't think I quite understand, Doctor. Tell me again how this happened?" asked T'Pol.  
  
As Phlox explained that the mad scientist Meikon Gu seemed to have used the Enterprise officers as test subjects, Hoshi watched the boys in fascination. The chibi-Captain began a speech about the need for rats and mice to live together while the chibi-Engineer and chibi-Helmsman jumped off the beds only to climb up again. Luckily Phlox had quickly had t-shirts and shorts made for the boys so they were no longer butt-naked as they burned their energy.   
  
The last boy Hoshi noticed was the chibi-Tactical Officer. The dark haired boy sat quietly absorbing everything going on around him, but not uttering a word. He suddenly turned to look at her with his big blue eyes and Hoshi smiled back at him. The chibified Reed smiled, then shrugged his shoulders and looked away shyly.   
  
"...they maintain some memory of who they are, but they have the mind of four-year olds which means someone will have to supervise them until we catch up with Meikon Gu, the man responsible for this. I can only hope he has a way to reverse the process, Sub-commander."  
  
Hoshi finally let herself be drawn into the conversation between T'Pol and Phlox and said, "That will be quite a job. I spent a summer working at a daycare once and went home exhausted every night. It's the toughest work I ever had."  
  
"Then I think you will be ideal for the responsibilities, Ensign," said Phlox jubilantly.  
  
"What?" Hoshi wasn't sure if Phlox meant what she thought he meant.  
  
"It is the obvious solution, Ensign. You are in charge of the--chibis," confirmed the Vulcan.  
  
"But--"  
  
"I will take care of the dog," said T'Pol magnanimously.  
  
"But--"  
  
"I can assure you they're all toilet trained," said Phlox reassuringly, then added quietly, "I think."  
  
"But--"  
  
"We'll catch up to Meikon Gu in approximately twenty-four hours, Ensign. I suggest you introduce yourself to your charges. Doctor, if you need me, I will be on the bridge."  
  
Hoshi thought T'Pol made a rather hasty exit for a Vulcan. Phlox put a reassuring hand on her shoulder--or perhaps a restraining one--and said, "I think you'll be perfect for seeing to the care of the chibis. They'll trust you."  
  
"But three of them are my superior officers! This feels so odd." Hoshi shook her head.   
  
"Just treat them as if they were your own children, Ensign. Perhaps that will help."   
  
Hoshi knew Phlox was only trying to be helpful, but his statement made her feel old. Hoshi exhaled loudly. If she had wanted children at this point in her life, she would have married Fujito instead of working on her degree. She squared her shoulders and heard the boys making engine noises to add to their gymnastics. She was afraid she would be confined to her quarters with them. "The ship isn't safe for children their age, Doctor."  
  
"I've had cots brought to decon along with any cushions we can find. The bathroom is accessible as is a shower."  
  
"All right, I'll play nanny, but could you watch them for me while I go change out of my uniform? Kids can get messy."  
  
------   
  
As Hoshi changed her clothes, she reviewed the items that could be used to entertain the chibis. A screen or two for movies and simple video games would be useful. She assumed Chef could make some play dough for them since the recipe was so simple. Then she had another idea. She went to the intercom to call T'Pol.  
  
"Sub-commander, I would like access into the officers' quarters. They might have brought items that would be useful in keeping the boys entertained."   
  
"Very well, Ensign. I'll unlock their quarters for you. I expect you will be discrete in your search," said T'Pol.   
  
"Absolutely," assured Hoshi and crossed her fingers. She really hoped she wouldn't find anything too embarrassing.  
  
------  
  
Hoshi surveyed the decon chamber looking pleased at her work. Five cots were arranged along one wall, a small table with short-legged chairs was at the opposite end, two consoles were available for videos and bins held the boy's favorite toys garnered from their quarters. Hoshi squared her shoulders and counted: 1400 minutes to go.  
  
Hoshi entered the medical bay and met a cacophony of chibi sounds. "Ahem, boys? Boys!"   
  
Doctor Phlox was running around trying to calm his animals while the boys were being boys. Hoshi rolled her eyes, put her fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. TWEEET!  
  
"That's cool. I wanna do it! I wanna do it!" said the chibi-Engineer.  
  
"I'll teach you if you behave. Now, tell me your names."  
  
"Tripper!"   
  
"Trav!"  
  
"Okay, and you want to be called?"  
  
"I'm Jonny."  
  
"Nice to meet you, Jonny," said Hoshi with a grin. Captain Jonny? She turned to the shy one who was now looking at the floor as his feet dangled off the bed. She asked quietly, "And you? What do you want to be called?"  
  
The boy merely shrugged and remained silent. Hoshi went to his side and bent at the knees so she could look at him eye to eye. His gray-blue eyes looked into hers with the same intensity she often saw in her Malcolm before the boy let his gaze slide away.   
  
"Can I call you Mal?"  
  
The boy merely shrugged, wrinkled his nose, and sneezed.  
  
"We call him Achoo!" said Tripper as he and Trav began jumping in place to see who could go highest.  
  
"Well, I'll call him Mal. Let's see what Doctor Phlox has for your allergies, all right, Mal?"  
  
The boy shrugged again, but finally spoke in a very quiet though nasally voice that carried his British accent. "Wat's your name?"  
  
Hoshi squeezed his knee and said, "You can call me Cricket."  
  
-----   
  
"Cricket, Cricket, look at me!" said Tripper as he tried to stand on his head with Trav mimicking his every move.  
  
"We need to see the right way, not upside down," insisted Jonny as he sat down to talk his colleagues out of their foolishness. Mal immediately took the cushions off the bench. They were almost as big as he was, but he dragged them and placed them beside either boy just in time for Tripper and Trav to plop onto them. The cushions made a whoosh noise the boys found delightful and all of them started giggling.  
  
"Do again!" yelled Travis as he resumed his position with Tripper right behind him.  
  
"Boys, you're going to get hurt if you--"  
  
Plop, whoosh, giggle.  
  
"--continue doing that. I want you--"  
  
Plop, thunk, "OW!"  
  
"I knew it. Come here, Tripper, let me see your boo-boo."  
  
"Trav knocked my noggin," said the tow-headed boy as he rubbed his head.  
  
"You'll be fine, but no more handstands," said Hoshi as she kissed the top of Tripper's head. All they needed was an addle-brained engineer at the end of this adventure. "Now, apologize, Trav."  
  
"Sorry," said Trav with a smile and a tone of voice reflecting no remorse.   
  
"Ouch."   
  
Hoshi turned at the sound and looked behind her. Jonny had a cushion in his hands and Mal was rubbing his cheek.   
  
"Jonny! Put down the cushion." Hoshi moved quickly to Mal and touched his cheek gently with her hand. She could already see a red mark appearing on the pale skin.  
  
"But he said I could hit him," insisted Jonny.  
  
"You're a lot bigger than Mal is, Jonny. I'm sure he only meant a small wallop," said Hoshi. Mal sat very still without crying but seemed to be expecting something. Hoshi brought her lips to peck his cheek and said, "Here. Now the boo-boo's all gone."  
  
Mal looked down shyly, but Hoshi noticed the little smile that appeared on his face. It all became clear, so she leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "But no more kissing boo-boos."  
  
The dark-haired boy merely nodded.  
  
-----  
  
Hoshi could hear the chibis in the background as she helped Mal create his--well, she wasn't quite sure what they were--from play-dough.  
  
"Hey! Gimmee!" yelled Trav as Tripper took the controls to a video game. The player had to pilot through obstacles in space and Trav had been fascinated by it.  
  
"I just lookin'," said Tripper.  
  
"No, you take it," said Trav with a crocodile tear appearing on his face.  
  
Hoshi decided it was time to intervene. "Tripper, give the controls back to Trav. It's not polite just to take it. You have to ask."  
  
Tripper merely dropped the controls and sat down by Jonny. Hoshi turned back to her play-dough creation thinking the situation was diffused. She monitored the other three chibis through her peripheral vision.   
  
Soon Jonny and Tripper were rocking on their bottoms sideways, bumping into each other. This made them giggle. They then rocked forwards and backwards. That wasn't much fun. Jonny then executed a brilliant maneuver where he did a complete roll on his bottom to land in a sitting position. Hoshi could have predicted that Tripper would try to emulate Jonny and, sure enough, he did. All was peaceful in the bedlam known as decon for the moment.   
  
"Can I play with it now?" Tripper was asking Trav for a turn on a video game after having exhausted his efforts to follow his roll model.  
  
  
  
"No."  
  
"How about now?" asked Tripper ten seconds later as he shifted his weight from foot to foot.  
  
"No."  
  
"You'll let me play, won't you?" asked Jonny of Trav as he also came to stand behind the boy.  
  
"No."  
  
"CRICKET!" Both Jonny and Tripper called to Hoshi.   
  
Hoshi walked away from Mal and called the three chibis together. "Come stand over here. Now tell me the problem."  
  
"He won't let me play. He has to be fair. That's the way to get along. You have to be fair," insisted Jonny.  
  
"I wanna go first!" insisted Tripper.  
  
"All right, boys, this is what--" Hoshi looked up when she heard the sounds of the game going again. While the boys had been complaining to Hoshi, Mal had calmly walked over and begun playing the game. "Mal? I think you need to listen to this, too."  
  
Mal got off two quick shots at an asteroid that was in the path of his virtual space cruiser and the boys immediately ran to his side.  
  
"I didn't know we shoot," said Trav as he jumped up and down in delight.  
  
"I just wanna make it go fast," said Tripper. "Does shooting make ya go faster?"  
  
"I just want to see what's out there," insisted Jonny. "No shooting."  
  
Hoshi gently touched Mal's shoulder and said, "Okay, time to get off. You boys are going to take turns. Now, first will be--"  
  
The Ensign looked around to find the console deserted except for Trav. Mal had slipped out as soon as she had touched him and was back creating his creations. Tripper was going through a bin and tossing out billions of interconnecting blocks with a grin of sheer delight on his face. Jonny was emptying another bin. He carefully removed the plastic animals and sorted them by categories around him.  
  
"Well, since the boys are otherwise occupied, you can have fun with this game until lunch, Trav. Then we'll start turns."  
  
Trav just grinned and grabbed the controls. Flying AND shooting. Now he could really pretend to be the captain of his own ship. What more could anyone want?  
  
Hoshi looked at the chibis and sighed. Only 1300 more minutes to go.  
  
-----   
  
"All right, all hands need to be clean. Tripper, did you remember to wash your hands?" asked Hoshi suspiciously. The boys were indeed potty trained, although Jonny had complained about someone not flushing.   
  
Tripper nodded enthusiastically at Hoshi and blinked his eyes. A lady killer at a young age, thought Hoshi, before asking, "Then why are your hands so dry?"  
  
"I forgot, Cricket" said Tripper, then dashed back to the bathroom sink with Trav following him calling, "Me, too."  
  
Mal and Jonny's hands were still damp, so Hoshi dried them further with a washcloth. At that moment she heard the splashing. Turning to Mal and Jonny she said sternly, "Don't move a muscle."  
  
Flick, flick, flick, splash. Giggle.  
  
"Tripper, you can wash your hair tonight when you take a bath." Hoshi turned off the faucet. Trav had obligingly dripped water on Tripper's head, so Hoshi took another towel to quickly dry off the boy.  
  
"You're a rooster," cried Trav as he pointed at Tripper. Indeed, the boy's hair was standing on end.  
  
"Trav, that's not nice," said Hoshi with a smile. She grabbed a comb to flatten the hair.   
  
"But I wanna be a rooster," insisted Trip.  
  
"Maybe later. Right now we need to eat lunch."  
  
"Yay!" yelled the boys as they ran to the table.   
  
"And then it will be time for a nap."  
  
"Aw."  
  
As they approached the lunch table, Hoshi looked at Mal and Jonny who remained frozen in place. Obviously they had taken her literally and were now in a contest on who could remain immobile the longest. "You can move now, boys."  
  
Jonny and Mal frowned at having their game disturbed, but walked over to the table.   
  
"Yay! Red jello!" Trav just exuded enthusiasm for everything.   
  
"Try to eat everything on your plate--and use your forks," said Hoshi as the boys grabbed the macaroni noodles with their hands.   
  
Lunch proceeded until Hoshi felt a tug on her sleeve. She looked down to find Mal pointing to her dessert. Tripper's little hand was slowly reaching for it. His strategy was clear. Poke a finger into her piece of cake and the dessert would be his. Hoshi calmly moved the cake between her and Mal.   
  
She squeezed Mal's hand, but the boy ducked his head again. She whispered into his ear, "Thank you, Mal."  
  
"Welcome, Kwicket," said the boy.  
  
-----  
  
The soft music was playing as the chibis settled down for their afternoon nap. Tripper and Trav had insisted they didn't need a nap and had curled up to sulk. Jonny kept shushing them, but within five minutes the whining stopped and the snoring commenced. Jonny settled down for a peaceful sleep.  
  
Mal, however, had his eyes wide open although he was staying perfectly still. Once the rest of the boys were asleep, Hoshi sat beside his cot. "Go to sleep, Mal. You need to rest so you can grow."  
  
Mal frowned at her words. "Da say I always small, Kwicket."  
  
Hoshi pressed her lips together knowing that Lieutenant Reed would grow to be quite a compact man although his presence seemed that of a much larger one. She smiled gently as she considered what to say. "You'll be taller than I am."  
  
Mal seemed to consider this, then he smiled, but he still wouldn't close his eyes. "Mal, you need to close your eyes to take your nap."  
  
"I miss Sham," said Mal.  
  
"Sham?"  
  
"My bunny, Sham," said Mal with a sigh.  
  
"Oh, is he a pet or a tuckie toy, a toy you sleep with?" asked Hoshi.  
  
"Tuckie," replied Mal.  
  
"Then I think I know where he is," said Hoshi.   
  
She walked to one of the lockers at the other end of the room and pulled out the small stuffed animal, Sham. The green bunny was no taller than her hand and one could barely discern that his tail had once been a fluffy white. The bunny's ears were threadbare along the edges as if a child had stroked them a lot. She had found Sham in the back of one of Reed's drawers and would have ignored the stuffed toy if not for a protruding green ear.  
  
Hoshi brought the bunny to Mal and watched his eyes widen in delight. He hugged the bunny to his neck and smiled as he closed his eyes tightly. Hoshi patted the boy on the back for a few minutes and felt him relaxing and falling asleep. She would make sure to put the fragile toy back in the locker for safekeeping once the nap was finished. As soon as she heard Mal's regular breathing, she went to her cot to read quietly. Peace at last and only 1100 minutes to go.  
  
-----  
  
"Here are the rules. We're going for a walk around the ship. As soon as anyone of you acts up, we'll head back to decon. Rule number one: Stay by me. Rule number two: Don't touch any buttons. Rule number three: Keep your voices down." Hoshi surveyed her chibis who looked quite refreshed after their nap.   
  
"I wanna lead, I wanna lead!" Tripper, Jonny and Trav were jumping up and down with their hands in the air.  
  
"All right, two of you can lead and two of you hold my hands. Then we'll switch on the way back." Hoshi smiled as she felt a little hand immediately grasping hers. Of course it was Mal. She was surprised when her other hand was taken by Trav.   
  
"Come on, Cricket, they go fast!" Trav exclaimed as he tugged on her hand. He was practically dragging Hoshi along so that Tripper and Jonny didn't get too far ahead.  
  
The brief tour of the ship served to get some of the boys' energy spent. They had seen the engines and Hoshi could see Tripper falling in love with them. They all got a chance to sit in the Captain's chair with T'Pol merely quirking her eyebrow during the demonstration. Hoshi avoided the Armory entirely, but a quick snack in the mess hall was followed by a short visit to hydroponics wherein a game of hide-and-seek ensued. Hoshi could detect the chibis from the convex mirrors on the ceiling of hydroponics, so she let them play.  
  
"I count! I count!" insisted Jonny. He hid his head in his arms and began his count as Tripper and Trav went behind some plants. "One, two, three, seven, six, nine, five..."  
  
"You better hurry and hide, Mal." Hoshi knelt by the boy.   
  
"I sneeze, Kwicket," he quietly admitted after shaking his head no.   
  
Hoshi nodded in understanding. The boy was used to avoiding plants because of his allergies. "Let's go over here and watch then."  
  
Hoshi sat down with Mal on her lap as she quietly pointed out the mirrors above them that allowed her to monitor the other three boys. Mal was clearly fascinated and seemed to enjoy watching the others play. After several rounds, Hoshi felt Mal reaching for something when she felt a tug on the arm that held him on her lap.  
  
"Be careful, you might fall." Then Hoshi looked down to see what Mal was reaching. A blossom had fallen off of the miniature cherry tree they were under.  
  
The boy held the flower in his hand and extended it to Hoshi.   
  
"Is this for me?"  
  
Mal nodded, then turned away shyly.   
  
Hoshi blinked a few times as she held the small blossom in the palm of her hand. She remembered her own childhood where every spring meant a visit to Tokyo and the cherry blossoms. She had been too busy to do it since she began her studies in college. She closed her eyes for a moment and could almost feel the soft breeze on her face as the wind tossed the petals from the blossoms like rain. Hoshi gave Mal a light hug and said, "Thank you."  
  
"Welcome, Kwicket."  
  
***** 


	2. Somebunny Did It

CHAPTER 2: SOMEBUNNY DID IT  
  
Only 1000 more minutes to go, thought Hoshi as she surveyed the chibis. Obviously everyone got hyper in the late afternoon, even her precious Mal.  
  
Hoshi saw the first one coming. Mal had found a spoon from lunch that had dropped on the floor. Too late the Ensign noticed the glob of red on the handle of the spoon. She watched as Mal, with an intuitive sense for trajectory, hit the bowl of the spoon and sent the red jello flying.  
  
Ching, splat!   
  
"Waaaah!"  
  
"Mal, did you have to hit the spoon?" Hoshi went to wipe the red jello off the screen so that Travis could resume playing his video game.   
  
Mal bit his lip, picked up the spoon and gave it to Hoshi. "Sawee, Kwicket."  
  
"Tell Trav you're sorry, he's the one you upset," said Hoshi.  
  
"Sawee, Twav," said Mal.  
  
The little boy walked slowly back to Hoshi with his shoulders hunched. His sad posture made Hoshi's heart break, so she told him, "Just don't do that again, all right?"  
  
Mal nodded then said, "Sham did it."  
  
"Well, that's one mischievous bunny, but don't let him get out of hand, okay."  
  
Mal nodded again, but remained in front of Hoshi as if expecting more of a scolding. "You can go play now, Mal."  
  
Mal looked up in surprise and quickly went to the table with the play-dough. Hoshi's attention was soon directed toward Jonny and Tripper.  
  
"Grrrowl! Roar!" Tripper had taken one of Jonny's plastic lions and was menacing a herd of plastic gazelles.  
  
"NO! The animals all have to live in peace! Lions lie down with the llamas," cried Jonny.  
  
"Tripper, don't make the lion roar like that. Pretend all the animals are friends and you can play with Jonny."   
  
"Naw, wanna play with blocks," said Tripper as he pounced his lion onto a gazelle before beating a hasty retreat.  
  
Jonny picked up the lion and put him in a far corner away from the gazelles. The animal kingdom was again in peace until a play-dough arrow suddenly impaled a gazelle. Jonny's eyes began to well with tears.  
  
Whaching. Whaching. Two more arrows struck a zebra and a giraffe exactly on the neck.  
  
"Waah!"  
  
"Mal!"  
  
He looked up guiltily as Hoshi inspected his weapon. It was ingenious. The boy had taken an elastic snap that was holding the sheets onto the sleeping cots to use as a slingshot. Lieutenant Reed would be so proud of this improvisation! And the aim was absolutely superb. Still, the behavior had to be censured.  
  
"Mal, go pick up your arrows and tell Jonny you're sorry," said Hoshi sternly. She watched the defeated shoulders of the boy as he walked to his victim.  
  
"Sawee, Jonny," said Mal as he picked up his arrows. Jonny seemed placated when he grabbed the last arrow and squished the form out of it while Mal watched mutely. The dark-haired boy merely picked up the blob of play-dough and returned to his table.  
  
"Sham again?" asked Hoshi to take some of the edge off.  
  
Mal just nodded.  
  
"Okay, no more arrows. There are lots of other things you can make with play-dough, so go back to having fun."  
  
Ah, peace and not quite quiet, but at least it was subdued turmoil. The noises from the video game, Jonny's speeches about all the animals living in peace and Tripper's construction noises as he played with the blocks were still present but low-keyed. Until Mal struck again.  
  
Flick, chook, crash. Flick, flick, chook, chook, crash, crash.  
  
"Waah!"  
  
  
  
"Mal!" Hoshi looked at Tripper's towers and was again amazed. Mal had apparently decided to make canon balls from the play dough and had merely flicked them to their target with his fingers. Damn, the boy had great aim!  
  
Mal actually got out of his chair and hid under the table.  
  
"It's all right, Tripper. Here, you can put them back together really fast. See?"   
  
Tripper was still sniffling, but then waved off Hoshi's assistance saying, "I do it."  
  
Hoshi walked to the table and knelt to look for Mal. He had his back turned and had wrapped his arms around his knees. Hoshi's anger dissipated as she noticed he was shaking in fright. What did he expect her to do to him? She called gently. "Mal, I know Sham did it again. Come out and apologize to Tripper for him or your bunny will have to sleep alone. You wouldn't want that, would you?"  
  
Hoshi saw the boy shake his head, but he still didn't move. "Nothing else is going to happen to you. Just tell Tripper you're sorry."  
  
The boy turned his head to look at Hoshi. His eyes were wide in disbelief. She extended her hand to Mal and he finally let go of his huddle and crept out.  
  
"Sawee, Twippah," said Mal quietly.  
  
"Don't go knockin' my blocks off," said Tripper sternly. Mal merely nodded and walked back to his table.  
  
Hoshi released a sigh. She realized she was seeing things in Mal that explained a lot about the grown Malcolm. She lost her heart to the boy when he turned to her quietly and said, "Sawee, Kwicket. I twy be good, not dispoint."  
  
Hoshi rubbed the boy's back gently and said, "No, Mal, don't ever think that. You are a good boy; don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. And you could never disappoint me."  
  
She could feel the boy relax, so she offered, "Let's build a fort with your play-dough, okay. I bet you'd like that."  
  
Mal's eyes lit up. Yes, a fort, walls to hide behind. It was just the thing.  
  
------  
  
Dinner went reasonably well other than the belching contest among the boys. Mal had inadvertently started it with a spontaneous burp, his only entry into the contest. But all the boys were giggling as Tripper asserted his rightful place in the hall of fame of belching--for four-year olds, anyway.  
  
Now Hoshi was in an argument with Phlox. "No, absolutely not. You shower them; I'll dry them off. I can do that with my eyes closed."  
  
"But, Ensign, they're just children--"  
  
"Who will return to being my superior officers when we catch up with Meikon Gu in the morning. I'm not going to blush every time I see them because I've seen them in the all together while they were chibified. It's--it's just too weird."  
  
Phlox sighed. He had been ecstatic when he'd been able to pawn off the childcare duties to Hoshi. Having raised his own children he remembered the energy level required to keep up with youngsters all too well. He supposed he should be grateful that a quick shower would be all the care he needed to extend. Unless Meikon Gu didn't have a reversal process--but, no, one must maintain optimism in such circumstances.   
  
"Here comes Number One."  
  
"Just stand there while I hose you down, young man. Now turn." Phlox was amazed. The dark-haired boy had done exactly as instructed. This was no problem at all. Soap up, rinse off. "Done."  
  
Hoshi wrapped the towel around Mal, but couldn't resist tickling him as she dried him off. His quiet giggles were a nice reward. She sent him off with his bedclothes and called, "Number Two."  
  
"Good to see you, Jonny. Now move over a bit. Yes, I know the soap stings if it gets into your eyes. No, no, it's not time to go yet. Just move your head. I said move your head. Turn that way. Look, I cannot rinse out the soap if you quit dodging the spray." Really, one would never guess this human would grow up to play water polo given the lad's aversion to water. Phlox heaved a sigh once he was finished. Perhaps this was as difficult as he remembered. "Done."  
  
Hoshi caught Jonny in the towel and the boy immediately insisted, "I do it."  
  
"Number Three."  
  
Travis Mayweather is nothing but a ball of energy, thought Phlox as he tried to corral the boy. First he was here, and then he was there. The encounter resulted in the Doctor getting as wet as his patient. "Done."  
  
Hoshi was prepared and caught Trav by hooding him with a towel briefly to prevent further escape. This boy needed no excuse to giggle, but obliged when Hoshi sent him off with his clothing. "Number Four."  
  
Phlox was ready for Tripper, however. Using the spray handle as a weapon, he used his larger bulk to prevent escape and targeted this chibi with a good soaking. This resulted in the youngster deciding to sing at the top of his lungs, but the song was incoherent to the adults. It was something to do with running through brambles and bushes and to the Gulf of Mexico. Phlox barely had the energy to call out, "Done."  
  
Hoshi was armed and had accomplices. The other three chibis made a semicircle to prevent Tripper's escape, so Hoshi once again hooded the boy. His struggles came to naught when he uncovered his eyes to see all escape routes blocked. No streaking tonight!  
  
After Hoshi did a quick rub down and handed Tripper his clothes, she turned to Mal and said, "Thanks for the idea, Mal. You boys really helped."  
  
"Welcome, Kwicket," said Mal with a shy smile. He finally felt he had redeemed himself.  
  
The boys settled down after a bedtime story about a samurai called Kenshin, one of Hoshi's favorite characters growing up. She relayed a story about how the hero and his friends helped out a circus in town and the boys seemed to enjoy it as much as Hoshi enjoyed remembering that particular episode.  
  
Hoshi waited to tuck Mal into bed last. She could hear the other boys already breathing regularly indicating they had fallen asleep quickly. She pulled the bunny out of her pocket and said, "I hope your bunny doesn't plan any mischief tonight."  
  
Mal smiled and hugged his bunny. "No, Kwicket. Sham sleeping."  
  
"Good night, then," said Hoshi and gave Mal a kiss on the forehead.   
  
"Kwicket?"  
  
"Yes, Mal?"  
  
"When I gwow up, will you mahwee me?"  
  
Hoshi smiled tenderly and said, "Growing up takes a long time. You'll meet lots of other girls besides me by then."  
  
"Oh." The disappointment was clearly in his voice.  
  
"But you know what? I hope that when I have a little boy, he'll be just like you."  
  
Mal closed his eyes and hugged Sham tightly as he rolled onto his side. His face held a look of sheer pleasure. As she patted his back, Hoshi realized she would miss the quiet chibi the most.   
  
-----   
  
"You'll be happy to know that the Enterprise has caught up with Meikon Gu, Ensign. It appears that he isn't some villain, but an absent-minded professor. He forgot to turn the beam off in his latest experiment before escorting the Enterprise officers on a tour of his ship. He was quite embarrassed and apologetic. Most important, he'll be able to reverse the process."  
  
Phlox' voice sounded quite cheery as he added, "The boys will be men before they even have their breakfast."  
  
"Thanks, Doctor. I'll wake them up and make sure they're dressed," said Hoshi into the intercom inside of decon. "Don't forget to send their full sized uniforms."  
  
She woke up the chibis in her charge and quickly got them dressed.  
  
"All right boys, you have to listen to Doctor Phlox and do exactly what he says. You'll get to go on the shuttlepod to another ship. It will be fun."   
  
Tripper and Travis started jumping up and down, clapping their hands in delight. Jonny began to prepare a departure speech by saying, "Space, the last playground..."  
  
Mal was very quiet, however. Hoshi saw the concerned look on his face, so she knelt down in front of him. "Don't worry, Mal. Everything will be all right."  
  
"Will I see you, Kwicket?" he asked in earnest.  
  
Hoshi took the small hand into her own. "Yes, you'll see me again. I promise."  
  
It was time to go, but as the boys followed Phlox out of the medbay, Hoshi saw the dark head swivel and large blue eyes held her gaze. The little hand waved and they were gone.  
  
***** 


	3. The Way We Were

CHAPTER 3: THE WAY WE WERE  
  
Ensign Sato was just coming out of the mess hall when she literally ran into Lieutenant Reed. The men had been de-chibified two days ago, but the progression in age took a much heavier toll on them than the regression had.   
  
"Lieutenant! I didn't know you were out of sickbay," said Hoshi with a genuine smile. She was struck by deja vu when Reed turned his head away slightly as a blush crept up his face.  
  
"It's good to see you, Ensign, and even better to escape sickbay." He continued as he noted the question in her eyes. "Yes, Phlox did release us, although he wants us to rest another day before resuming duties."  
  
"How do you feel?"  
  
"Would you want to go through puberty again? In two hours?"  
  
"Ew, say no more. Well, it's good to see you up and around. I won't keep you from your dinner."  
  
"Actually, I was hoping to catch you."  
  
"Oh? Well, then, let's walk to your quarters so you can get the rest Phlox ordered. Why were you looking for me?"  
  
"Doctor Phlox told us that you were--Now how did he put it? In charge of the chibis," said Malcolm.  
  
"You wouldn't have wanted T'Pol, would you?" asked Hoshi.  
  
"She wouldn't be the logical choice," responded Malcolm with a smile.  
  
"Do you remember anything about the past few days?" asked Hoshi.  
  
"It all gets caught up with memories of my real childhood," admitted Malcolm. "However, the word Cricket seems to evoke a lot of warm feelings, but I'm at a loss to understand why."  
  
Hoshi smiled. "I can tell you the story if you want to hear it."  
  
"I'm not sure that I do. Actually, I just wanted to apologize for any trouble I might have caused. I hope I wasn't your problem child." They had just arrived at Malcolm's cabin.  
  
"No, any mischief was caused by Sham," said Hoshi, then she stopped when she realized what she said. Malcolm Reed was the Tactical Officer on the ship. He would likely be embarrassed to realize she knew about the childhood toy he still had with him.  
  
"Sham? You mean Shamrock? Did you find him?" asked Malcolm. He was still too relieved at avoiding a second puberty to be embarrassed about a child's toy.   
  
"Um, yes, if you're talking about the stuffed bunny, green, threadbare ears, grayish formerly white fluffy tail."   
  
"Madeline popped Shamrock into a drawer in my quarters when I gave her a tour of Enterprise just before we left Jupiter station. She had saved him for me and thought it was a good joke."  
  
Hoshi followed Malcolm into his cabin and was surprised when he reached into the drawer to pull out the bunny and gave an honest laugh as he surveyed the old character.  
  
Malcolm turned the bunny to Hoshi and said, "Shamrock, I'd like to introduce you to Ensign Hoshi Sato--"  
  
"He met me as Cricket." Hoshi could barely contain a giggle as Malcolm manipulated the little bunny head to look up at him in wonder, then back to Hoshi.  
  
"Formerly known as Cricket the chibi tender," ended Malcolm.  
  
"How do you do," said Hoshi with a mock curtsey. She quickly added, "I didn't let the others see Shamrock. He's so old and worn; I was worried he'd get ripped up. I only brought him out when you were sleeping."  
  
"Thank you, Hoshi, for taking care of Sham--and me."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Six years later  
  
"Mum, I can't find Sham!"  
  
"That mischievous little bunny. Where could he be hiding?" asked Hoshi as she watched her son toss his blankets and pillow onto the floor in a frantic search for a green rabbit.   
  
Oh no, please don't make me bend down, she thought. She felt her youngest daughter kicking. "No, you can't come out and play. You stay inside Mommy. You can come out in two months like you're supposed to."  
  
"What's all the ruckus?" asked Malcolm as he carried a sleeping two-year old girl on his shoulder. He noted his wife patting their little oopsie that was using Mommy's womb for gymnastics, then turned his attention to his son.  
  
"Dad, Sham's missing."  
  
"Aha, let me put Sora in bed and I'll help you find him, Colin." Malcolm put his bundle in the crib, walked to his wife who was standing by the door, and gently moved her out of the way. He shoved the door aside and spotted the wandering bunny easily.  
  
"Off on another adventure, Sham? No more games of hide-and-seek at bedtime, understand?" The green little head bobbed and Colin squealed in delight. His parents helped him reassemble his bedding and soon the boy drifted off to sleep as his mother patted him gently on the back.  
  
Hoshi felt Malcolm's arms go around her as they watched their sleeping children. "Like father, like son."  
  
*****   
  
Author Notes:  
  
Chibis are the childlike renderings of adults, mostly I've seen them regarding anime. Malcolm's final actions at the end might seem a bit playful, but again, I think that the relief of not going through adolescence again was enough to make him a bit less inhibited. Thanks for reading. No reviews are necessary. 


End file.
