The boys were relatively silent as they returned to their dorm, keeping their sound to the minimum of occasional coughs and sighs. Peniel watched them worriedly and Sungjae couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. After all, they overheard Jin Ae telling the children about the tribute concert, a responsibility the caretakers should’ve taken on their own.

When they arrived at the dorm room, Doojoon finally broke his silence, a hint of fury in his eyes. “WHY THE HELL DID YOU NOT TELL US ABOUT THIS PENIEL?!” All kindness and rationality had disappeared from the usually calm leader’s words, shocking everyone around him.

“I-I-” Peniel stuttered. “I didn’t-”

“What did you think we weren’t going to find out!” The boy clenched his fist. “The end of our careers is nearing, and you thought you could hide it from us?!”

“Shut up, Doojoon! We were gonna tell you eventually!” Sungjae intervened, becoming frustrated with the eight-year-old’s attitude.

“When!” Junhyung interjected. “When it was too late!”

“No, when-”

“We trusted you, Appa!” Yoseob said, tears streaming out of his rage filled eyes. “You should’ve told us about this.”

“I... I wanted to...”

“Why didn’t you tell us,” Kikwang yelled. “WHY DID YOU LIE TO US!”

“I DIDN’T LIE!” Peniel finally spoke up. “I didn’t tell you because... I didn’t want to ruin your concert at the park with bad news!”

“Geez, Peniel. We’re professionals. We could’ve handled some bad news.” Junhyung narrowed his eyes.

“Give us a break,” Sungjae spoke, pulling Junhyung away from Peniel.

“Shut up, Sungjae, We weren’t talking to you.”

Hyunseung’s eyes were focused on Peniel. Peniel held his head in frustration, keeping his gaze turned towards the ground. “There’s something else. Another reason you didn’t tell us, isn’t there.”

“No. There isn’t! I swear!”

Hyunseung narrowed his eyes. “Yes there is. You have to tell us. How the hell are we supposed to trust you otherwise.”

“It’s nothing!”

“TELL US ALREADY!” Doojoon yelled out.

“Alright!” Peniel sighed heavily. “ I didn’t tell you because... Because I don’t want you to grow up, okay!!”

The boys were instantly silenced by Peniel’s sudden confession. Even Sungjae was taken aback by his Hyung’s word. “Y-You what?”

Peniel sighed heavily. “Part of me doesn’t want you all to grow up...after all this time we’ve spent together...truth is I like taking care of you guys. I like taking you to school and picking you up. I love how you trained me and I’m a better idol because of you, so maybe... maybe I just don’t want it to end.” He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, brushing away the tears that were threatening to trail down his face, and slowly stood his feet.

“But...despite my feelings. I made a promise to you all. I swore on my life I’d find that gypsy, and do whatever it takes to get you back to normal.” The Beast boys eyed him, warily, as Peniel poured his heart out. “I know it’s probably hard to trust me now... but I swear to you, I’ll find that gypsy. I’ll reverse this spell on you. And I promise, I’ll get you back to your correct ages before that tribute show.”

Doojoon was the first to approach Peniel, his arms crossed. He sighed heavily before looking back at s and instantly knowing all of their feelings were in sync. “Alright, Appa. We’ll trust you.”

Peniel smiled slightly. “Really?”

“We can’t stay mad at you for long, Appa. Not after that sappy confession.”

Peniel blushed stepping back into Sungjae who chuckled.

“Besides, Appa.” Yoseob stepped up. “After all we’ve been through, I don’t think we could doubt you, even if you don’t want us to grow up.”

“You just fell victim to that awkward paternal bond that comes from taking care of children.” Kikwang spoke up. “Not your fault.” Peniel smiled.

“But now that you have a time limit, you better search extra hard for that gypsy.” Junhyung spoke with a smirk on his face.

“Ok. I will.” Peniel nodded.

“So that’s what’s going on here.” Everyone froze as a new voice was heard from the doorway to Beast’s dorm. “A gypsy casted a spell on Beast. Peniel. Sungjae. How could you not tell me.”

Peniel and Sungjae both turned around, eyes wide to see Hyunsik enter from the unclosed front door with a coffee cup in his hand. “H-H-Hyung?” Sungjae stuttered.

“W-What are you doing here?!” Peniel asked as the young boys shuffled away toward the living room.

“I was sipping coffee at Sungjae’s new favorite cafe across the street, when I noticed Beast’s van driving toward their dorm building. Funny, considering the Beast members have been missing for two months now.”

“Hyunsik! Please! I can explain.”

“No need, Peniel. I heard the whole little confession of yours. You guys really need to learn to close the front door.”

Sungjae ran over to his slightly shorter hyung. “Hyung! Please! You can’t tell-”

“Eunkwang?” Hyunsik interrupted. “Are you kidding? Why would I tell Eunkwang? I can’t have that scaredy cat knowing that supernatural stuff like this is real. Can you imagine what’d he’d be like if you told him about evil gypsies that cast spells on idols?”

Both Peniel and Sungjae stopped to imagine their cowardly leader hiding in the closet from evil gypsies. “Oh yeah.” They said in unison.

“Besides,” Hyunsik continued. “You must not have wanted this to get out as a scandal that’d ruin Beast. I’m not sure how the fans would react to their idols being elementary school kids.” He chuckled, noticing the nervous faces on all the Beast kids. “And you probably didn’t tell the rest of BtoB to protect Eunkwang’s naivety to supernatural stuff.”

“Yeah! Sure! Let’s go with that.” Peniel and Sungjae said in unison.

Hyunsik chuckled. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”

Both Peniel and Sungjae sighed with relief and the Beast boys walked over to greet the newest member of their family.

“Thanks, Hyunsik.” Doojoon smiled to Hyunsik.

“Not a problem at all.” He smiled before turning to Peniel. “Alright Peniel. Now for the important matter. Finding that gypsy before the tribute concert. Tell me everything you remember from the night you made the wish, and don’t skip any details.”

Peniel sat in a chair explaining to Hyunsik everything he remembered about his walk around Seoul in September. He explained how he walked Seoul for hours until he stopped at a cafe and left in a hurry. He described what he remembered about the cafe to help Hyunsik figure out his location.

“Why’d you run out of the cafe?” Yoseob asked as Sungjae started preparing dinner with Dongwoon and Hyunseung.

“I’d rather not say.”

“Please tell us Peniel. It could help us determine where you were.” Hyunsik exclaimed.

Peniel sighed. “Fine. They started playing a song I seriously did not want to hear at the time, so I made a mad dash, barely getting to drink my coffee. Kinda a shame, really. From what I could taste, it was a really good caramel macchiato.”

“What song?” Yoseob asked.

“Not important.”

“Hmm. Good caramel macchiato. A song you don’t want to hear.” Hyunsik smiled. I know what cafe you were at. Peniel. C’mon!” Hyunsik grabbed Peniel’s wrist.

“O-Ok. Sungjae. You’re in charge of the kids until we get back!” Peniel yelled before being dragged out the door.

“Wait. What!” Sungjae responded but the other two BtoB members were already gone.

It was hours before Hyunsik and Peniel arrived at a familiar looking cafe. Peniel stepped inside and was immediately re-acquainted with the comforting feel of the coffee shop. “This is it. Hyunsik! This is the coffee shop I stopped at!”

“I figured.” Hyunsik smiled. “I happen to be in here a lot. They tend to play Beast often so I deduced you ran from here because of that.  I like trying different cafes in Seoul.”

Peniel smirked. “You’re a genius, Hyung.”

Hyunsik smiled and nodded. “But now onto business. Where did you sit?”

Peniel looked around the cafe until he found the exact table he sat at, that night in September, and pointed it out to Hyunsik. The two of them sat down at the table and Hyusik ordered them both drinks. After their drinks arrived they sat in silence listening to the music over the cafe radio.

♪Museong ye han nunbit, tta bunhae haneun pyojeong. Yejeon gwaneun dareun, haengdong gwa maltu♪

“Alright then. The sun had set. You had just ordered your drink. A beast song started playing on radio-”

“Bad Girl.”

“Right. Can you recall your actions?”

Peniel sat back and thought for a moment. “I ran out of the shop, I turned right and kept running for about 3 minutes before it turned into a cool walk for about 10 more minutes. It was then I noticed I was hopelessly lost.”

“Why’d you turn right? That’s farther away from our dorm.”

“I have no sense of direction, ok! Geez must everyone give me a hard time about that?!”

Hyunsik smiled. “Alright. Let’s go” He quickly finished his coffee and led Peniel out of the shop before without checking to see if the foreigner’s drink was finished.

After about 20 more minutes of walking, the sun had set and the two boys were searching a familiar area. “I remember this place!” Peniel yelled, pointing to different shops. “It was late. Those shops were closing so I ran around until I found...” He ran off until he came to the entrance of a dirty alleyway. “What... no.”

Hyunsik ran up next to him before turning his gaze toward where Peniel was looking. Before them was a dirty, empty alleyway. “What?”

“I was sure it was here!” Peniel yelled. “The gypsy’s shop was here! It was! I swear.” Peniel fell to his knees looking down. “It had to be... it was our last chance.”

Hyunsik knelt beside his forlorn friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. “It’s ok, Peniel. Maybe you’re just mistaken about the alley. The shop’s gotta be somewhere around here.”

“But I was sure it was here... I recognise the alley...”

“Excuse me. Can you two please step aside?”Hyunsik and Peniel both spun around to see a young woman wearing sunglasses, a hat and a hawaiian shirt while dragging along a large rolling luggage bag. “Oh, hi Dong Geun. I didn’t know it was you.”

She lowered her glasses and Peniel instantly jumped to his feet. “YOU’RE THE GYPSY!”

She sighed and nodded. “Now if your excuse me, I’d like to open my shop.” She walked back the two boys into the empty alley. She held up a purple crystal and almost within an instant, a small blue shop appeared. Peniel and Hyunsik’s eyes widened.

“This throws everything I’ve ever known into question.” Hyunsik spoke, quietly.

“Come on in, boys. I just need to take my things upstairs.” She opened the door to the shop and flipped on the light switch. “Boy things sure get dusty after a 2 month vacation.”

“Two. Month. Vacation?!” Peniel ran into the shop with Hyunsik following close behind.

“Yeah. Hawaii. Beautiful island. If you haven’t been there, you should go. It’s wonderful.” She then turned away from Peniel and looked and Hyunsik, a wide smile appearing on her face. “Well well well. Is that Lim Hyunsik I spy? Aren’t you handsome.”

Hyunsik stepped back and Peniel stepped forward. “We’re not here for flirting or vacation advice.”

“Fine fine.” The gypsy removed her sun hat and glasses, and sat at the table adjacent to her crystal ball. “Have a seat you two.” Both boys sat at the table across from the woman. “How are the boys doing, Peniel.”

“I want you to change them back?”

“Oh?” She raised an eyebrow crossing her arms. “What’s wrong? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

“No it’s not! I just wanted to be a better dancer. Not a father to six kids!”

“Well it’s what you wished for.”

“I just wished for more experience!”

“No, you wished for more experience than Beast. And you got it.”

Peniel sighed heavily. “Regardless. I want them back to normal. They’re about to lose their contracts and place at cube entertainment and I just can’t do that to them. I just can’t. Those boys mean the world to me. And being Beast... it means the world to them.”

Hyunsik patted his friends shoulder and the woman sighed, feeling sympathy for the young caretaker. “I’m sorry Peniel. I can’t reverse the spell.”

“What?!” Peniel stood in panic.

“I told you when you made the wish that it can’t be taken back! That’s just how wish spells work!”

“But you gotta! Those boys are going to lose everything!”

“I don’t know how to! I’m not that strong at spell casting. In fact. Heh heh. Your wish was the first I ever granted.”

“What?!”

“Yeah. First time out on my own. Really exciting. I can’t believe I pulled it off! I mean I did so well, I was rewarded with a vacation.”

Peniel instantly became red with anger. “You mean. I was your GUINEA PIG?!”

“Whoh! Peniel! Calm down!” Hyunsik placed a hand on Peniel’s clenched fist before turning back to the gypsy. “Please, Miss gypsy.”

“Oh please, Darling. Call me Moon.”

Hyunsik rolled his eyes at the flirtatious girl. “Ok, Moon. Please. There has to be something you can do. We’re running out of time.”

“Well. I guess.” She sighed crossing her arms. “I guess I could try making an aging potion.”

“You can make an aging potion?” Peniel said, slightly annoyed.

“I didn’t know gypsies could cook up magic potions.”

“Of course we can! That’s like witch doctor 101.” Moon responded. “Come on. Don’t you know about gypsy brew?”

Both Peniel and Hyunsik tilted their heads in confusion.

“Gypsy magic? Come on I thought that American show about the ponies cleared that up. You know. ♪I’ll cook up a solution with the knowledge I’ve a-♪”

“Save it.” Peniel stopped Moon’s singing. “Just please make us that aging potion.”

“Hmm.” Moon stood up, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed.  “Well I could.” She started pacing. “But it’s not an easy process. Gathering the ingredients alone could take. Oh I’d say...” She turned to the boys with a mischievous smile. “...10 to 20 years.”

“What?!” Peniel yelled.

Hyunsik stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder, sending her a charming gaze. “Are you sure you can’t get them any sooner?” He winked and the young gypsy turned bright red.

“D-Did I say years? I meant days. It’d take about 15 days to gather all the ingredients for the potion.”

“Then it’d be ready on the 22nd. The day before the concert.” Peniel said excitedly.

“N-Not exactly.” Moon spoke up. “Even if I have the ingredients it still takes awhile to make. I have to boil it an hour for every year you want to age something. And since the boys need to gain 15 years...”

“It needs to boil 15 hours. Damn. That’s cutting it really close.” Hyunsik sighed.

“Can’t you get it together any faster?” Peniel queried.

“I’ll do my best, but I have to fly all the way to Central America for some of the ingredients.”

“You’re not just going to take another vacation, are you?” Peniel asked.

“No I’m not!!” Moon yelled. “I’m a...um... semi-professional witch doctor.”

“I thought you were a gypsy.” Hyunsik queried.

“SAME THING.” She sighed. “But there is one problem.”

“What? What could possibly be the problem now.” Peniel complained.

“Well. The potion is just an aging potion. It won’t restore the memories they lost during the wish spell.”

“What?” Peniel asked.

“They won’t get back their memories. I’m sorry but... they’ll still be kids internally.”

“But... they never lost their memories.”

“Eh?” Moon paused.

“They still remember everything about being adults.”

Moon turned bright red, nearly steaming from the ears. “W-What?! You mean.... When I regressed their bodies, I forgot to regress their minds too?! ACK! I FAILED THE WISH SPELL!! How could I forget to erase their memories. Here!” She ran over to her crystal ball. “I’ll fix it right now.”

“NO!” Both Peniel and Hyunsik yelled as they held her by her arms and pulled her away from the crystal sphere.

“That’s not necessary.” Hyunsik sighed. “Just make the aging potion and everything’ll be fine, ok?”

Moon sighed, “Ok. Anything for you Hyunsikie.”

Hyunsik rolled his eyes and let go of the young gypsy.

“Thank you.” Peniel said.

The two boys were about the exit the shop when Moon ran over to the two of them. “Wait.” They both turned around and Moon handed a sheet of paper to Hyunsik. “Here.”

“What’s this?”

“My phone number... you know, in case you need to reach me... about the potion.”

Hyunsik rolled his eyes before smiling and slipping the paper into his pocket. “We’ll keep in touch.”

Peniel stifled a laugh as the two exited the shop. When the door was closed, he couldn’t help but look at Hyunsik and chuckle. “♪Hey, I just met you. And this is crazy. But here’s my number. So call-♪”

“Shove it.”

Sungjae sat on the couch of the Beast dorm, holding onto Peniel’s ipad, with a sleepy Dongwoon leaning against him. “Don’t run off,” Sungjae quoted from the bedtime fanfiction he was reading to the sleepy maknae.

“... he growled before bounding to the tree. The branch continued to crack.“Ah it’s breaking!” Yoseob yelled. Doojoon made his way faster up the tree, jumping from branch to branch. “I’m coming!” Doojoon told him. “No don’t hyung!” Yoseob called, “by the time you get here it will be too…” The branch made a mighty crack. “YOSEOB!””

“Did Yoseob die, Samchon?” Dongwoon asked, looking up at his caretaker.

“Um... I don’t think so, Dongwoon.” Sungjae answered before looking at the tired boy and smiling. “There’s still 27 chapters left in the story. I don’t think they’d kill Yoseob off at this point.”

Dongwoon pouted. “They never kill Yoseob off first. It’s always me or Kikwang.”

“It’s not that kind of story, Dongwoon. None of you are gonna die.” He sighed and looked at Dongwoon as the 6-year-old started to yawn. “But now it’s bedtime.”

“Aww.” Dongwoon complained. “Can’t you just finish the chapter?”

“No. The other boys have already gone to bed. And you had a long day and you need your rest. I’ll finish the story tomorrow.”

Dongwoon yawned again, and stood up, picking up the snoozing Saja from the couch. “Alright, Samchon. See you in the morning.” He gave the caretaker a quick hug before running toward the bedroom.

Sungjae sighed leaning back on the couch. “ Now I see what Peniel felt with that paternal bond thing.” He shut off the ipad and stared up at the ceiling. When he was close to dozing off he heard the lock of the front door and sat up just as the weary Peniel and Hyunsik entered. “Oh you’re back”

Peniel looked up and smiled. “We found her!”

Sungjae’s eyes lit up before running over to the two boys and placing his arms around their necks. “Yes! Way to go!” He let go of his two hyungs. “What’d she say! Is she gonna change them back to normal?”

Peniel sighed before yawning. “Well. It’s sorta difficult.”

“She can’t reverse the wish spell,” Hyunsik explained. “So she’s gonna make an aging potion instead. The only problem is it takes awhile to make. We’ll be keeping in touch. Hopefully it’ll be ready before the concert.”

Sungjae nodded. “At least we finally have a plan of action. Things are finally looking up.”

Within that instant, all the lights in the dorm shut off.

“Now what?” Peniel complained.

Hyunsik messed with the light switch. “The power’s out.”

Sungjae walked over to the kitchen, messing with the faucet, but the water would not come on. “Water’s gone too.”

“Of course.” Peniel remarked. “They wouldn’t pay for power and water for a dorm that isn’t being used. Crap.”

“W-What do we do?” Sungjae asked. “We can’t have the boys staying in a cold, dark apartment with no water.”

“Guess we have no choice.” Both Peniel and Sungjae turned to Hyunsik. “They’ll just have to move in with us.”

A/N: YEY I FINISHED THE CHAPTER IN TIME

The Story Sungjae was reading was Beauty Within a B2stly Zoo by E_magine. One of my favorites. If you b2uties haven't checked it out, I definatly suggest it.

GAME TIME♪♪

Let's here it for pinkhamsters securing a second honorable mention for the in story songs. And a first honorable mention to new guesser maisarahcy for claiming the bonus song. WOOO!!! 

Songs for Chapter 17: 

Special- Beast
Fiction- Beast
Wasn't Me (It's not Me)- Beast

Beautiful- Beast

Bonus

Power- B.A.P.

Two Normal songs and a bold in chapter 18. Good luck all! 

BONUS SONG!

♪Neon tteonagan huedo nal ireoke goerophyeo
Eojjeodaga naega ireokekkaji goerowo
Hage doen geonji naega mwol jalmotan geonji
Uriga wae ibyeoringeonjido moreuneunde♪