Here we are with the fourth chapter everyone!

Sulley learns about Randall's childhood. In the process, the lizard monster is determined to experience what he never got to as a child.


Chapter 4: Childhood Curiosity

Sulley followed Randall as the two toddled around the house. They were in the garage. The lizard monster was very blunt about every room they entered. He avoided telling any past stories about his childhood. Which was odd. Sulley figured Randall would love too, since he seemed like he had a good childhood. His parents were very loving and supporting. He didn't understand why Randall was avoiding it. He looked closer at the reptile. He looked so thin and sickly. Why? Emilia and Cheryal took good care of him. Did they not before something made them realize they were doing something wrong?

"Um Randall?"

"What?"

"Why do you look so sick? Did your parents not take good care of you when they first got you?"

The lizard monster stiffened before turning and snarling at him, fronds standing up in a defensive way.

"Don't you EVER imply that my mom and mama hurt me! They never did! They took very good care of me! They never hit me! They never starved me! They never neglected me! They never abused me! How DARE you even think that they would ever do such a thing to me!? My parents are the greatest parents in the world!"

Sulley took a step back, shocked at Randall's quick defense of his parents. He didn't mean to step over a sensitive line; he was just worried about his health. He looked so sick. He just wanted to make sure that he was okay.

"They did everything for me! They took me in! They adopted me! They raised me! They paid for every hospital visit I had! Which was a lot! Do you know how expensive those bills are!? Especially when your immune system is so weak you had to be confined to your room for more than half your life!? I couldn't even step out of the door without getting sick! Do you know how frustrating that is for a little kid!? Especially to one who's infant years was being abused and neglected that I should've been dead by now!?"

"I-I'm sorry Randall…I was just worried…"

"Well don't! Mom and Mama never ever hurt me!"

"I-I apologize again…"

Randall glared at him then stormed out of the garage, back into the house. Sulley sighed. He hit a very sensitive spot. Now it was going to be harder to get to know him. He toddled after him, not wanting to get the lizard monster in trouble for leaving him behind.

"Randall! Mr. Sullivan! Lunch time!" Sulley heard Emilia called.

The two tots made their way to the kitchen. The ten foot tall monster smiled down at the two when they entered. She sat them down in the highchairs. She went over to the kitchen counter and came back with two small bowls of the spaghetti they had last night. Randall let out a sigh of relief once she had turned her back towards them. He was glad that she hadn't decided to make something else for them.

"So what would you two like to do today? Children shouldn't be cooped up in the house all day." Emilia asked, coming to sit at the table.

Randall fronds lifted up as he looked up. He always wanted to go out as a child to play. The closet thing he had was his backyard. But he didn't have a swing set like many kids did. Too dangerous from what his parents told him. That and he due to his weak health, it would've been just sitting there collecting dust. He knew it was going to be shocking from what he was going to be asking, but he didn't care. He just wanted to experience things he never did as a kid.

"Can we go to the park?"

The other two monsters looked over at him in surprise. He didn't care. He really wanted to go. As childish as it was, the reason he had turned himself into a toddler was so he could experience what he couldn't and to help with his odd feelings of wanting to wear diapers. Emilia smiled.

"Of course baby. That sounds like a great idea. You two finish up and I'll make a diaper bag for us to go."

Randall felt the smile on his face widen. He turned his attention back to his food. He couldn't wait. He never had much interest in such childish things. He still didn't. But if Sullivan or his parents had to ask, he could just blame it on his invention. He just wanted to try this. To get a feeling of what it was like to be a normal kid. He was excited. He wasn't going to deny it.

"You really want to go to the park?" Sulley asked.

"Yea. I think it was my invention." Randall lied.

Sulley nodded. It was plausible. He went back to snuggling with stuffed animals while he slept. He felt his face get hot with embarrassment. He hadn't even realized he had grabbed Randall in the middle of the night. He honestly thought the lizard monster was a plush toy. Maybe going to the park would help the lizard monster forget about his mistake of implying Emilia and Cheryal were bad parents. He never meant that. He decided to keep his mouth shut until he could learn to reword his questions so he wouldn't upset the reptilian monster again. After all, the park could be a way to get to know Randall better.

The walk to the park was a pleasant one. Emilia had managed to find the old baby buggy they had when Randall was little and placed the two monsters in it. The buggy was a dingy yellow, due to it being made in the seventies and for sitting in the garage for so long. Emilia had washed the soft liner so it wouldn't smell so dusty and placed a soft plush green and blue checkered blanket for them to sit or sleep under. The weather was nice and warm, perfect for little monsters to be out playing and not worry about getting too hot. Randall was looking around eagerly, crawling from one side of the buggy to the other, even crawling over Sulley a few times. The blue furred monster gave him an annoyed look, which Randall chose to ignore.

Randall couldn't believe it. He never thought the city could look even bigger than it had before. He knew everything would be larger due to being turned into a toddler, but he didn't realize how large! It was amazing! He didn't really recall much of what it was like to be a toddler. From what he vaguely remembered was mostly just being inside. He never recalled going to the park as a child. Now was the only chance he could get to actually do so! He heard someone chuckling and turned his attention to see Emilia smiling down at him.

"Excited honeysuckle?"

"Maybe a little…" he admitted.

"You have every right to be."

Randall went back to looking around. Before long they had arrived at the park. Randall's fronds sat up when they came up to the play area. Emilia had taken them over to the smaller play set designed for toddlers. She pulled them out of the buggy and sat them on the ground.

"Okay you two, go play. I'll be sitting on that bench making a few phone calls. Stay where I can see you. Especially you Randall."

"Yes Mama."

The two monsters took off to the play set. Randall stood there at the bottom of the stairs. His green eyes wide with wonder. He never imagined he would ever get to do this. Yet here he was. Sulley went over, seeing Randall had seemed to have frozen at the stairs.

"You okay Randall?"

"….I never played in the park before. I was always too sick. I…I hate to admit this… but I don't really know what to do."

Sulley eyes widen in realization. Randall had mentioned that he had been a sickly kid that morning. But he never realized how deprived in some things he was. Going to the park was one of his favorite things to do when he was a kid. He thought that every kid got that pleasure to go. It was now dawning on him that some monsters, like Randall, never got to have that simple delight. Sulley grabbed the smaller monster's hand.

"Well that's going to change. Follow me."

Randall's fronds stood up in surprise as his Scaring rival led him up the stairs to the highest platform of the play area. On top was a game of moveable blocks on the side of one of the walls that had different pictures of monsters of different types. You had to move one of the three blocks to try and match the different sides together. A yellow wheel was on one side. Across the platform was a bridge to get to the other platform on the other side. A slide was on the other platform to lower them down to the ground. Randall's fronds had flattened as Sulley led him across the bridge. They stopped at the top of the slide.

"Try going down it." Sulley urged.

"A-are you sure it's s-safe?" the lizard monster asked, looking down.

"Of course. It might seem a little fast if you've never done it before. So you might fall off."

"What!?"

Sulley chuckled nervously. He placed a hand on the lizard monster's shoulder.

"You won't get hurt. If it helps, you could call your mom to catch you if it would make you feel more comfortable."

Randall nodded. He knew that he shouldn't be so nervous of going down a slide, but he couldn't help it. He always was a cautious monster, something he developed from his overprotective parents. He knew that if he got hurt in any way, his parents would freak. He really didn't want that to happen this week. He looked down the slide. For some reason it felt like it was longer than it was supposed to be. He didn't know if it was because of his paranoia or some effect from the ray. He was more leaning on his paranoia. He always was a nervous monster, he just hid it around other monsters, mostly the men, to avoid looking weak. He looked over at Emilia, seeing that she was busy talking on her cell. He hated to interrupt her. She wouldn't like it if he interrupted a very important phone call. He gulped as he made his way over to the other side and looked over at the railing at her.

"M-Mama?"

Said monster looked up at her son then quickly turned her attention back to her phone.

"Hold on Carl." She told the other receiver on the phone then looked at Randall. "Yes honey?"

"I…uh…" he pointed at the slide.

Understanding what her son wanted, she smiled.

"Do you want me to catch you when you go down the slide?"

The lizard monster nodded. Emilia chuckled, raising a finger to her son, indicating that she'll do it in a minute; she turned back to her phone.

"Carl, I got to call you back. Something came up. No nothing. I'm just babysitting. I'll call you soon. Bye." She stood up going over to the slide. Due to her height, she had to bend down onto her knees so would be able to catch the tiny reptile. "Okay sweetie, whenever you're ready."

Randall gulped as he sat on top of the slide. He shook his head. Fear and worry over taking him. He started to back up. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't. Sulley noticed the other monster's reluctance. Deciding to help him, he gave the lizard monster a light push. Forgetting his own strength, he had accidently pushed Randall harder than he meant, sending him down faster than he wanted. The unexpected action caused the monster to cry out.

Randall had shut his eyes. He dared not open them, fearing that he had hit the ground and had somehow injured himself. After a few moments he opened his eyes to see brown fur. He looked up to see Emilia smiling down at him. He let out a sigh of relief. Emilia had caught him. He could feel himself shaking. He couldn't help himself, he started to cry. He buried his face into her fur. Could you honestly blame him? He had never gone down a slide before and to go so unexpectedly and at a speed he wasn't comfortable with was too much for his already over-panicked mindset. Emilia shushed him gently as she stood up and rubbed his back.

"It's okay baby. It's alright. You're safe." She looked back at Sulley. She cast a quick glance around to see if any other monsters would over hear them. Seeing that they were alone, she turned her attention back to him. "Mr. Sullivan, you go ahead and continue playing while I calm Randall down. Then we're going to head home for your naps."

"Aren't we a little old for naps?" the blue furred tot asked.

"Mentally, but you two physically are two, so a nap when we get home."

Sulley nodded. He was in no position to argue with her. He looked at the crying lizard monster in her arms. He hadn't meant to startle Randall. He just wanted to help him get a feel of what it was like to play on the playground set like other monsters. He watched as Emilia went back over to the bench she was sitting on earlier and started to comfort her upset son. He found a little bit about the reptilian monster, now he just hoped that he wouldn't be so mad at him when they went back to the house.


What was suppose to be a fun day at the park ended up becoming a bit of a scary situation for Randall! Can Sulley and Emilia manage to show him that the park isn't so bad?

Stay tuned for the next chapter!