"Alright Beth, you know the drill. Homework and bed by ten at the latest. I don't want to find him up again watching those old wrestling videos!" Charlie didn't have the heart to just come out and say he was old enough to watch after himself. Okay... it was partially a lie. It wasn't for Beth's sake entirely; it was also for his own. Unlike his father and brother, Charlie was not developing. At twelve he was only 4' and skinny as a rail. He had also been plagued with asthma problems from a very young age and was the constant focus of ridicule during recess. Charlie could remember several times asking his father when -he- would grow and be as big and strong as his brother. To which his father would always reply "Your body will know when the time is right." How about when he was getting his lunch money stolen?

"Hey kiddo." Beth grinned and waved to Charlie from the foot of the staircase and Charlie couldn't help but blush. Beth was the pretty type who didn't really have to try hard. Her hair was dark brown and she had a petite build under the turtle necks and sweaters she seemed to favor. "Hey Beth did you get it?!" She had to have found it! She -had- to! "Have I ever let you down yet?" Beth produced a worn VCR copy of "Iron Bicep: Path to glory!" and Charlie could barely contain his enthusiasm as he rushed down the stairs. His favorite super hero... Iron Bicep! in his first movie performance. Clutching the old tape to his chest Charlie beamed. "You are the best Beth!" She ran a trembling hand through her hair, pointing up the stairs. What was that long dark bruise on her arm from? And why was she carrying that large suitcase? Charlie could only wonder.

"Homework first, macho man violence -after-"

"Awww!"

"Not up for debate little man." Charlie grinned at that and flexed in a double bicep pose.

"Someday I'm not going to be so little!" Beth smiled back and shook her head.

"Someday isn't today Charlie. And even giants need brains if they want to get anywhere." They both had a good laugh as she ushered him upstairs where Charlie rushed through his homework, excited that soon he'd get to watch what was probably the best super hero movie ever made.

"You call this a book report?"

"Awww!"

It was nearing nine thirty when Charlie finally finished up his homework for the night. As the middle schooler stared at his clock he knew there would never be enough time to watch his movie -and- make his bedtime at ten. This called for the... puppy dog eyes. Charlie prepared himself and adopted his cutest smile as he hugged the tape, making his way downstairs. He was halfway there when he heard something however. It sounded like Beth was crying.

"I told you Dad. I'm going to stay with mom and there isn'- No! Just leave me alone!" Charlie felt his stomach lurch as he heard the phone click, followed by broken sobs. The sound of Beth crying, followed by the thought of her -leaving- nearly drove him to tears. Slowly Charlie descended the staircase walking to Beth.

"Beth... are you okay?" Of course she just smiled through her tears and hugged Charlie. Someone was always protecting him. Charlie flushed again as he squeezed her in return.

"Are you going away?" Charlie asked with some reservation. Beth pulled him back by the shoulders and shook her head.

"Not for long...okay? I need to go out of town for a while to see my mom and get things figured out." Charlie sniffled in protest as he felt tears welling in his eyes.

"But I don't want you to go!" Someone was always leaving him.

"Charlie, I'd never leave you for good." Charlie frowned and wiped at his tears with his sleeve.

"Oh! Hey kiddo did you want to watch that video now? We can at least get the first half in before you gotta get to bed." First half usually meant the whole movie.

"But won't you get in trouble if mom catches us?" The last thing he wanted to see was Beth getting yelled at more.

"She won't. Now let’s get out that pop corn. I think about now I could use a good look at a real man." Popcorn was popped and their fears and woes were temporarily forgotten in a rush of snappy dialogue and strategically placed action. Sadly it was not to last. They were part way through the first major explosion of the night when the doorbell rang.

"Who could that be at this time of night?" Beth frowned and left the couch crossing to the door. Charlie hit the pause button and leaned over the couch trying to get a good look at who was at the door.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" The man leaning in the doorway was tall and well built with a sparse bit of stubble and large calloused hands. He had dark circles under his eyes and Charlie could smell something foul on his breath from the living room. Beth looked -really- unhappy to see him.

"Bethy I told you that you weren't going to yer mother's place. You are comin' home with me right now." He reached out and grasped Beth's hands, dragging her partially through the open door. As Beth attempted to pull away it was at that moment Charlie felt a burst of energy he'd never experienced before and vaulted from the couch, rushing to Beth's side.

"She doesn't want to go with you!" Charlie's voice cracked as he shouted at Beth's father who simply shoved Charlie to the floor with a free hand.

"Leave him alone you stupid lush!" Beth's angry scream was followed by a loud hollow thunking noise. The young boy looked up in time to see Beth fall unconscious to the floor.

"Why'd you make me do that Bethy?" Her father lamented, reaching down to scoop her up. Something inside Charlie snapped the moment he saw her fall. As Beth's father turned to haul his daughter away he heard something strange. It sounded like cracking.

"Aaaah...nrgh..." Glancing over his shoulder he could see the boy, only he seemed to be having troubles breathing. His frail little body shook and his shaggy black hair obscured the youth's eyes. Charlie grunted and held out his hand staring at the shaking limb as it seemed to be -expanding- while he looked at it. His chest heaved with exertion and everything felt so tight as he tried to breathe pain lacing through him. It felt like his skin was stretching!

*Snap*

The button to his pants undid itself and Charlie could only stare in shock as his lower body grew longer. "Ugh...W-whats happening to aaaugh... me?" His legs burned as they stretched across the floor growing thicker and hairier with every passing second. In no time Charlie ripped through his pants. However he didn't seem to stop growing there. Soon he felt a tingling in his groin the likes of which Charlie had never experienced. It looked like he had stuck salami down his pants. His briefs bulged out until his massive cock burst through his little white briefs hard and throbbing at the influx of testosterone. It caused Charlie to moan. Large hairy hands reached down to cover his enormous genitals but could barely do the job. Charlie grunted in pleasure throwing his head back. The pleasure was short lived however as more cracking followed.

The not so little man lifted his shirt gasping and wheezing as his pudgy stomach flattened and grew muscles. Abs began to pop up and turn rock solid a treasure trail growing in their wake. The growth continued as his chest and back throbbed and widened to massive proportions, hair sprouting almost everywhere while muscles inflated and pulsed. "RRgh... aah...auuuh" Charlie grit his teeth as the wave of growth continued. His upper body took on a giant V shape and his neck thickened considerably as veins snaked their way up and a large adams apple pushed its way from his thick neck. The grunts and moans coming from the formerly small boy took on a bone rattling bass quality while a thick black beard grew over his face.

Suddenly he let out an earth shattering roar, as the growth sent his inexperienced body into overdrive. His giant meat pulsed again as his balls bloated and grew to the size of tennis balls before sending a shot of thick white seed right into the cement walk way behind Beth's father. His magnificent change over the boy slowed down and after a few moments Charlie was breathing normally. In front of Beth's father he slowly pushed himself up and up and up. The tiny kid had grown into beast of man at over eight feet tall. Charlie was no longer the twig of a boy he had been, instead looking more like an Olympic body builder, an Adonis of muscle and strength.

"She said she didn't want to go with you." He rumbled. All Beth's father could do was stare in disbelief as this mammoth man stood before him. With both hands he reached out and gingerly pulled Beth from her father's grasp, cradling the unconscious girl as if she were a small child.

"Out." A large foot was planted into the much smaller man's stomach. This sent Beth's father stumbling out the door with an "omph!" of pain as the wind was knocked from him. Charlie didn't even bother to look as he kicked the door shut and carried Beth into the living room, setting her down on the couch. She was breathing, and looked like the injury would be a concussion at best.

"I told you I wouldn't be little forever... " As Charlie brushed hair from Beth's face, he seemed unaware to the fact that his muscles were slowly deflating. Swifter than he had changed, Charlie was back to being his skinny little twelve year old self. Minus his clothes.

"Mmm... Charlie?" The sound of her voice snapped the boy back to reality and Charlie suddenly noticed he wasn't looming over Beth as he had been before. He was small, he was skinny, and he was utterly naked.

"Awww jeez!" Like a bolt of flesh colored lightning Charlie shot up the stairs, leaving his sitter to wonder where her father had gone, and why Charlie's clothes were ripped to shreds.

Charlie meanwhile got dressed thinking to himself "I guess my body really did know when the time was right..." •