Me and Big Boss Baby followed Ted nervously through the building. As we walked the many halls, I looked out the glass windows, seeing millions of babies all sliding down the swirling slide and entrance way into the real world.

Finally we arrived at a room that looked like a closet, and Ted pushed the door opened. It was a small room... with a small white polished box on the ground, and Ted nudged his head tiredly, telling us to follow.

Me and Big Boss Baby did, and we stood on each side of him, as he unclasped the box, and smoke came out of it... as inside was a golden coloured pacifier.

"A pacifier?" I said, confused.

"Yes... one that will keep all your memories..." Ted said quietly, and looked at his old boss, her eyes shining with fear, "One that you need only suck once a day for a minute... and you will always be you... the you you remember."

"How come..." Big Boss Baby asked, looking at it as he picked it up, and it reflected in her big eyes, "How come there's only one?"

Ted sighed, and took her hand with his free one. He placed the pacifier in it slowly, folding her fingers around it and answered in quiet pain.

"Because... I want to forget."

"I... I don't understand..."

"When you've lived by yourself for a hundred years... never changing... alone..." Ted told her, and looked quietly up at me, my own eyes widening as he spoke these words so solemnly, "It changes you... and sometimes... sometimes, you are not always the baby you thought you were."

He walked away from us after he said this, going to the door and just standing there in silence. We both looked at each other worried, before following and we reached the gateway to the slide in the distance.

"So, is this it?" she asked, tears in her eyes, so upset as she looked in fear at the future just beyond her eyes, "This is the world you want to forget?"

"Yes..."

"But how will I know you'll find me?" she asked, and I looked off awkwardly at all this romantic talk, Ted however, took it quite seriously, "How will I know... that you'll love me again?"

Ted just gave a weak smirk, looking at her with charming eyes, and said to her quietly, a knowing in him that was so much more than any baby had ever had... a Ted that not even I understood anymore.

"Because..." his words were peaceful, quiet and calm. Loving... yet knowing he had to let go, let go and be free.

And the sad thing that I understood just then... is that he wanted to be free from himself... and be like...

Me...

My mouth opened slowly as I realized this and looked at him with worry.

"You always know the one."

Big Boss Baby wiped her face, as tears had started to come down her cheeks from crying and he held her chin up with his hand, smiling at her slowly and she nodded.

"Okay..."

She opened the gate and joined the babies in the queue for a new life... the golden pacifier in her hands.

Before Ted began to head for the slide as well, I stopped him by placing my hand on his shoulder and asked afraid.

"Ted..."

He stilled himself, listening to my words as he watched Big Boss Baby disappear amongst the many babies.

"Ted... I don't want to lose you either..."

He didn't turn to look at me, even though tears had gathered around my eyes as well. And I knew he was smiling a sad smile as he spoke these words with a bittersweet tone.

"That's the thing, Templeton..."

I lifted my hand slowly off him, frightened, as he continued on with a sad honesty.

"Sometimes... it's best to forget yourself... and be born again... be someone new. Because." he continued, and turned to me, holding my hand with his tiny baby ones and seeming so miserable and alone in himself.

"No one would understand the person you are now... so why not be someone... someone who can laugh again, who can cry... and who can be loved."

My eyes were red from my tears, and he pat my hand a few times, before letting go and going towards the slide. I entered too, and followed him.

Before too long I felt myself sliding down the swirling entrance way back to earth, as the clouds and stars and moon around me spun into dizzying sparkles.

And I was gone from Babycorp... ready to go home.

~x~

When I woke up, I realized I was outside in the snow just on the lawn of my family's house.

I sprung up, shivering from the cold, and looked around quickly for him.

"Ted?" I said in panic, looking for my brother and realizing I must have been asleep for hours, "TED?!"

I quickly ran to my house's door and flung it open, running up the stairs and to my brother's room.

For some reason I was terrified, memories of when those little baby workers had come in those plastic suits to my home to make my parents forget about my brother... and asking me if I did too.

I never wanted to forget Ted, the Ted I knew... but I knew I couldn't have my brother as he once was.

When... when he had made his decision.

I opened the door to his room, and just creaked it opened. The room was silent, expect for the slight snoozing of a baby in the white crib.

I approached him quietly, leaning my arms against the borders and seeing him there sleeping.

"Oh, Ted..." I said, beginning to cry... crying like a baby myself as I just couldn't accept this.

I wanted to keep my brother, no, I wanted to keep my best friend.

I didn't even feel like I got to say goodbye to the Ted, to the Boss Baby I knew and loved. I didn't even feel like I got to say... goodbye.

But I would accept his decision, I would accept his choice in being someone new. Someone who was really starting again, and was no longer afraid of the unknown.

Just like I had been when I was born. Just like I was now at seven years old. I ran into life full of excitement, full of wonder and awe.

And in the end, that's what I wanted for Ted. That's what I wanted for my best friend and brother.

I began to walk away, tears still streaming down my cheeks and I heard a deep voice say just as I was about to leave the room.

"Tim..."

"Ted!" I shouted back, and ran back to the crib, looking down quickly to see if he was awake.

He was... and he lay there... just waiting for his last hours of the Boss Baby persona to be up... for his life to start anew.

"Tim..." he spoke quietly and turned around, looking at me with sad tired eyes, but eyes of acceptance and inner peace at his choice, "I want to tell you something."

"What?!" I asked, tears slipping down my cheeks and I cried there, just wanting to know what his wise words would be this time.

"I may forget who I am... but there's something I know I'll always be."

I looked at him, biting my lip in fear. But needed to know. Needed to know.

"...what?"

"I'll always be your best friend, I'll always be your brother... till the end of time... and I hope... I hope you will always be mine."

"Well, duh!" I said in a laugh and he just smirked weakly at that, a little amused at my still kiddish antics.

"I'll be gone in a few hours... but Tim... I want you to listen."

"I am!" I whined, annoyed at him as if he thought I was stupid and he chuckled this time, shaking his head.

"No... listen..."

I lowered my eyebrows close to my eyes, and perked up my ears.

Suddenly I heard it.

Babies crying, wailing in the night in the street and parents running across hallways to the yelling infants to soothe them.

"They're..." I said, happiness coming to my soul and I shook the cot excited, "They're all back!"

"Yes..." Ted said quietly with a smile, and lay on his back, looking at me with love of a brother who was finally at peace, "Yes, they are..."

I smiled in glee, in pure joy and thought of how me and my brother had solved the mystery... had solved everything and the world was saved and back to normal.

But I swallowed, becoming quiet again as I looked down at my infant brother and said quietly... a bit scared.

"Ted..."

He looked at me, a bit confused.

"I know I've never said this... but I've thought it, and always thought it was obvious... but maybe it wasn't exactly..." I was rambling, I knew I was but I had to get these words out, "But bro, Ted Templeton, the great Ted Templeton." I swallowed, afraid to say the words, but when I looked at him... all fear vanished, "I love you, little brother."

Ted looked at me, as if tears were swelling in his own eyes, and he nodded his head. He remained silent for a while before saying with a small smile.

"Yeah, I love you too, big brother..."

"See you..." I said to him, nervously, but glad I got to finally make my feelings clear to my brother. For he was my best friend, and if you love someone, a family member... and friend... you have to let them know. Because one day they won't be there anymore.

And he was going to be gone within the next few hours.

"See you on the other side."

"See you... on the other side..." Ted said with a soft smile and nodded his head. He reached his hand out in a fist, and I blinked my eyes, but crinkled them a little with warmth, knowing what he was trying to put forth.

Our own secret handshake.

I reached my hand forward and held his tiny baby fist with my index finger and thumb. I shook his hand, and then let go... and he smiled a pleased, sleepy smile.

"Well..." I said nervously, tears welling in my eyes again as I looked at him start to drift off... and the next morning he would be gone for good.

Gone... but not really ever gone...

"Love you bro, good night... Ted..."

"Good night, Lesley..."

I screwed a funny look at that answer, and looked at him with a amused expression as he closed his eyes and turned on his side.

"Yeah... g-goodnight... Lindsay... Templeton..."

~x~

The next morning he was gone... and Theodore Lindsay Templeton was back... my baby brother was back... and it was both a sad feeling that the Boss Baby was gone... but also... a feeling of understanding.

Somethings come to an end... some people have to go for other's to have a chance of coming alive.

And sometimes you have to let go of the person you knew... for them to be someone new... someone who could start again.

~x~

I looked at my young daughter warmly as I finished the story to her, and she just looked at me with confused tears in her eyes.

We had just taking her little baby sister home from the hospital and my seven year old of my own, still had many questions about why her baby sister was wearing a suit, and if anything I said was actually true or not.

But somehow, I knew she believed me on this... she knew in her little heart that this story I told her child mind was more real than somethings she had seen and experienced from day one of her life.

"Why did you let him forget?" She asked me, and I just pat her on the shoulder, holding her baby sister in my other arm and looking at her blonde short hair in piggy tails as she slept.

"I didn't let him..." I told my older daughter with a fond smile as I remembered this all, "I just accepted that that's what he wanted... he wanted to move on..."

"I'm telling uncle Ted." my young daughter said in an upset voice and began to run to her uncle who was in the other room talking to his wife and mine.

I listened as she spoke these words to my younger brother and he just chuckled, laughing this crazy story off... like it was pure ludicrous. I sighed... but it wasn't just a sad sigh... it was also a slightly at peace one.

For Ted had gotten what he always wanted, to grow up... and be himself.

And I knew now... that we never really lose the old parts of ourselves... we just... grow up... and change...

And he was still the brother I knew and loved... except he would never say those silly sentimental words to me.

Because Ted had grown up... and surprisingly, was CEO of his own company.

I had to laugh at that fact... as there was always still that Boss Baby... hidden in him.

He came out as my seven year old pulled him by his suit's sleeve and he looked down to his second niece, his wife coming out too and looking at me with quiet eyes.

Eyes that knew the truth that Ted would always deny...

She had her brown hair in a beehive style, and was wearing glasses. And was quite smart and with it... but she had been through a life I could not even imagine... as she had kept that golden pacifier... she had showed me it when I met her when I was aged twenty five... my brother being eighteen years old when he fell for her.

"Uncle Ted! Uncle Ted!" my daughter whined to her blonde uncle and demanded an answer. "Is it really true?! Did you really come down from the sky?"

"No..." he laughed, and looked at me as if I was delusional sometimes with the stories I came up with, "I was born the natural way, which I will tell you one day when you are old enough."

"We will tell her." my wife shouted from away and he only rolled his eyes, breathing out a heavy breath at the lies he thought I told her sometimes.

"Kids will believe anything... ay, Francine?"

"Yeah, completely..." his wife said and my blonde baby suddenly opened her eyes, looking up at me and I knew she was conscious... and was here for a reason... for she had a mission... just like Ted had once had when he had come into our home, the Templeton family.

"But sometimes..." Francine continued, looking at me worried as she looked down to the baby and how the little girl seemed to be stretching as she yawned and grinned at me, "Sometimes... things that seem impossible can actually... be more true than what we know..."

"Yeah... I guess... sometimes..." he had to agree, nodding his head and coming over to me, looking at the baby.

"She's quite with it..." he said, smiling tenderly down to her, and the baby girl just giggled, looking up at me and winking.

I froze a little, as I knew she was going to do something that normal babies never did... she was going to-

"Daddy..." she spoke to me, and I nodded my head, a little in fear. Ted stumbled back astonished, frightened at what he perceived to be a possessed child, "Daddy, we need your help..."

"SHE CAN TALK!" Ted yelled in horror and I just smirked, saying back to him with a smile.

"Well, duh."

"What- those stories you told-" Ted stuttered out, pointing to the baby and then to me and Francine, "They're... they're real?!"

"Well, duh..." I said again with another smirk and chuckled, lifting my daughter up in the air and looking at her with a small smile.

"What is it, honey?"

"You don't mind..." she said nervously, looking at me with worried eyes, as she had something she had to get out... and it was this family she had chosen to be with, "You don't mind going on another adventure...?"

I began to grin widely, and my wife came in, thinking she was hallucinating when she had heard another female's voice that wasn't our seven year old's or Francine's.

I looked to Ted, To Francine, to my seven year daughter and to my wife, and said to the new member of our family... excitement pouring into me again, just like when I was a little boy at age seven and a half.

"I'd love too..."

The baby looked relieved and I continued, looking at my family and adding, my seven year old jumping up and down in excitement that all I told was the truth.

"We'd all love too..."

My baby girl smiled widely...

The Templetons were going to save the world... once again...