Elijah's Baby Spin-off

Part 12

Later in the afternoon, Lacy sat with Owen in his nursery, reading a book. He was supposed to go down for his evening nap, but he was surprisingly awake.

"Come on, baby. It's time for night nights. Look, Elmo's ready for sleep." Lacy cooed gently, picking up Owen's Elmo plushie.

Owen giggled quietly behind his pacifier, reaching out for Elmo. He tucked him into his elbow and held him close.

The door opened and Bryan stepped in, looking at them.

"Is he still up?" He asked.

"Yeah. What about the other babies?" Lacy asked.

"They're napping in Travis's room. I can try putting Owen down if you want." Bryan said. Lacy nodded and handed the small boy to Bryan.

Owen began to whimper, still having a nice time with his mama. He wasn't sleepy. Bryan cooed and rocked him, holding him close.

"It's alright, bubba, mama just needed a break. Why don't you shut your eyes?" Bryan soothed.

Owen leaned his head on Bryan's shoulder, sucking his pacifier. Bryan laid Owen down in his bassinet and kissed his forehead.

"See you in a little bit." Bryan cooed, turning off the light as he left the nursery.

Forty minutes passed, and Owen began to stir. He yawned and sat up, looking around. Why did he feel so groggy?

"H-hey," he called out, pacifier falling from his mouth. He picked the soother up and studied it, confused. He hadn't used a pacifier since he was a baby.

The door opened and lacy walked in, smiling.

"What's my baby boy sitting on his own for? He's too little for that." She cooed, reaching in to pick up Owen. He struggled in her arms, scared.

"Please put me down." He said.

Lacy was shocked at how grown up Owen was acting. After being regressed for two years, he'd slipped out of his headspace.

"Please? I can walk on my own, lacy." Owen said quietly.

"Bryan? Come upstairs!" Lacy called. She still held Owen, now just watching him. This was the most he's spoken in a very long time, it was so unusual.

Bryan rushed into the nursery and looked at lacy.

"What's wrong? Did he get hurt?" He asked.

"He's out of his headspace." Lacy said, finally setting owen on his feet. He stumbled, but Bryan held him steady.

"You wait here, mama and I need to talk." Bryan said, sitting owen down in the rocking chair. Owen nodded. He was so confused and just wanted to know what was happening. He watched Bryan and lacy leave the nursery and closed his eyes, sitting back and rocking gently.

Lacy and Bryan sat in the living room, trying to figure out what happened.

"I don't get it. He's been in the same headspace for years, and suddenly he slips out of it?" Lacy said, putting her head in her hands.

"Did you do anything different with his routine?" Bryan asked gently. Lacy shook her head and continued to think.

"I was reading his new Elmo book, but that's all. Elmo was talking about learning to tie his shoes and 'being a big boy'"

Lacy's eyes went wide and she turned to look at Bryan again.

"That's gotta be it. Owen got influenced by the book, and when he woke up, he was out of his headspace." Lacy said. "I'll go take care of Owen, but I think our other little ones need you right now." She said, going up to Owens nursery.

Lacy walked in and looked at Owen, who was asleep. She smiled and picked him up, feeling that his diaper was wet. She laid him down on the changing table and cleaned him up quickly and quietly, getting him in a new diaper and onesie.

"I know this is confusing, but mama wants you to get back into your headspace." Lacy cooed quietly. She didn't know if Owen heard her, but she hoped it would help.

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Bryan and Lacy kept owen in his nursery for the rest of the evening, wanting to make sure the other babies weren't influenced to fall out of their own headspace's.

Owen was upset, he really didn't want to be stuck in a nursery when he had no need for it. He sat quietly on the floor, flipping through one of his babyish books as Bryan kept an eye on him.

"If you just cooperate and let mama and I help you, you'll be much happier. I don't like seeing my little boy so sad." Bryan said.

"I'm not your little boy." Owen said, avoiding eye contact. Bryan chuckled and scooped him up.

"Yes you are. Now, it's about time for a bottle. That'll make you feel better." Bryan said. Owen began pushing against him, wrestling to get out of his arms.

"I'm not a baby! Cut it out!" Owen argued, finally slipping out of Bryan's grasp.

In the next moment, Owen opened the nursery door and ran for the stairs, running down them with Bryan hot on his trail.

Owen tripped, falling on his butt down the last three stairs. Stunned and in pain, he began to cry. He's had a bit of padding due to the diaper still wrapped around his waist, but his tailbone got hit.

Bryan made it to the bottom of the stairs and scooped Owen up, cradling him.

Owen couldn't speak, just buried his head in Bryan's neck and cried.

"It's okay, little one. Papa's got you." Bryan soothed, carrying Owen into the living room. He handed him to lacy, explaining what the commotion was.

Lacy held Owen close and rubbed his back, looking at Daniel and Travis, who looked startled. Bryan walked over to the other two and crouched down.

"It's alright, Owen just got a little boo boo. Everything's okay." He said softly. The two nodded and went back to playing with their blocks.

Bryan went to make Owen a bottle, grabbing a little bit of pain medication. He brought it into the living room and handed everything to lacy, who fed Owen. Bryan got Daniel and Travis ready for bed, finally settling them down into Travis's nursery.

"I'm sorry you got hurt, baby." Lacy cooed, kissing Owens forehead softly. The small boy whimpered, still in a bit of pain.

After he was fed and burped, lacy brought him back to his nursery to check him over. He had some bruises under his bottom on the back of his legs, but no other ones. Lacy kissed him again as she changed him into a clean diaper and onesie, laying him down in his bassinet

. She was very sure that he'd slipped back into his headspace, as he was acting very little. Hopefully by the morning, he'd be back to his tiny self for good.