Now that his mother was gone and unaware of the true situation, Jeff was left sitting on the floor, the reality of his temporary punishment sinking in. His limbs felt clumsy, and his speech was trapped behind the physical limitations of his infant body. Frustrated, he tried to express himself, his voice emerging as high-pitched and garbled:
"M-maa... mmom's gooo... ch-change meh b-back!"
Though the words were almost unintelligible, Macy understood the intention perfectly. She crouched down in front of him, a smirk forming on her lips.
"Aww, did little Jeffie say something?" she teased, pinching his cheek gently.
Jeff squirmed, his eyes narrowing in clear annoyance, though he couldn’t stop the involuntary flinch at her touch. He tried to bat her hand away, but his tiny arms lacked the coordination and strength.
"You're so cute when you're grumpy," Macy continued, drawing out each word like she was talking to a toddler—which, physically, Jeff was. "Relax, Jeffie. It’s not like your mom’s going to catch on anytime soon."
She watched him huff and puff, his face reddening not just from embarrassment, but from effort. Despite everything, his expressions were unmistakably those of his teenage self.
"Okay, okay," she said, sitting back on her heels. "I will change you back. Eventually. But come on, Jeff. You did kinda earn a little time-out from reality."
Jeff let out a frustrated whimper, kicking his tiny legs in protest.
"Fine," Macy said, laughing softly. "Let’s get you some juice, and then we’ll talk about restoring your dignity, sound good?"
Jeff groaned, but didn’t resist when she scooped him up.
For now, he was stuck like this—but at least Macy knew who he really was.
After grabbing a juice box from the kitchen, Macy returned to the living room where Jeffie was crawling in a circle on the floor, still adjusting to his baby-sized body. With a playful smirk, she scooped him up with ease and cradled him in her arms. "Alright, Jeffie," she said with a grin, "let's see if we can fix your little... situation."
Jeff, still fully aware inside despite his infant form, scowled up at her with all the force a one-year-old face could muster. He kicked his feet in protest, but all that came out was a frustrated whine.
Macy walked carefully back to the computer desk, the juice box tucked under one arm and Jeff balanced in her lap as she sat down. She set the juice box beside the mousepad, then adjusted Jeff so he could just barely peek over the edge of the desk. His little hands gripped the desk's edge for balance, and his wide eyes scanned the screen.
The Chronivac program was still open, humming softly as it pulsed with energy. Macy moved the mouse gently with one hand, the other keeping Jeff securely on her lap. Jeff tried to point, babble, or at least form a word resembling "reset," but all he could manage was a babbling, "Ma-ma-ma-kee... meh-baa!"
Macy chuckled. "I know what you're trying to say, Jeffie. Don't worry. I'm not going to leave you like this forever," she said, tapping his button nose gently. "But this is kind of cute, you have to admit."
Jeff gave her a flat look and then slumped back slightly, clearly unamused.
"Okay, okay," Macy said with mock surrender, popping the straw into the juice box and handing it to him. "Here. Take your juice and let me figure out how to fix this before your mom gets back and wonders why I'm sitting here with a baby she thinks has always been one."
Jeff took the juice box with both hands and began sipping, not because he wanted to—but because he was thirsty, and there weren’t many options when you couldn’t talk or stand properly.
Macy’s expression softened as she turned back to the computer screen. "Let’s figure out how to restore your awareness to everyone else... and maybe age you back up... eventually."
Jeff, sipping quietly, just hoped that 'eventually' meant 'soon.'