Rainbow Diapers

I know but I'd like to see Marvel/Captain America designs on non store exclusive Pull Ups. Huggies has had Mickey/Minnie Mouse designs on them for years.

Targets exclusive design is Captain America  

Hey everyone! Nothing much to say about this update except that I should have another three chapters out next week. At this point, I know that everyone might not be caught up on all the chapters, but I just want to finish this story up. I couldn’t believe when I saw when I started this thing… And also looking ahead… there is another poll out for what I next write. This may be the last one, but for now, the three options as well as the link can be found back in other chapters as well as most recently in chapter 27. And just in case you forgot my method or are new here, this poll will remain open until I post my final chapter. When that will be exactly will be posted at the latest during the second to last chapter. Now… last but not least and as usual, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter of my story! Chapter 33: The End of a Patriarch’s Time “And a merry congratulations to 25 years within the company,” Addy’s dad read off the back of a watch at a party to celebrate his time with the company. Next month, she knew that her mom would get one too. Being the day before her own 1st grade piano recital, the family had to coordinate tightly to accommodate everyone. And Addy was happy for her dad… but Warren was also poking her and had been trying to either mess with her or get her to smile for at least an hour now. “Quit it!” she hissed, batting his offending hand away. “Both of you… quiet!” their mom shot back under her breath. “This is your dad’s day, and I expect both of you to be on your best behavior.” She paused and smiled at her husband up on stage who was now smiling and waving back at them. “You’d expect the same if it was you…” “Doubt it…” Warren scoffed. Now 17, he had a bit of an attitude around the household and while he was still a good kid, stress and friends were starting to get to him and change him in a way at least his mom didn’t appreciate. “Me too,” Addy noted in agreement. For her though, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes, not because of an attitude problem but with the prospect of being so uptight like all the adults up there with him and having to wear nice clothes all the time. If her current uncomfortable dress was any indication, she never wanted that job. “Mom… this dress is itchy!” “Hush now,” her mom quickly shot her down. “I’ll see what I can do about it, but right now… eyes on your dad, honey. This is his day and you should be proud of him. He’s made a lot of sacrifices over the years. Some you know about and some… you don’t.” Her mom looked sad and distant for a moment as if she knew and was contemplating each one of those things herself. “25 years is a long time for anyone…” “Ancient practically!” Addy piped in, trying to use the most of her newly acquired vocabulary from her first grade reading assignments, specifically those on Egypt, Greece, and Atlantis… and to break the sorrow she now saw on her mom’s face. To anyone, it was clear that she was becoming deeply dissatisfied lately. Her mom rolled her eyes and turned back to the stage. “Sure dear… sure…” Addy smiled back at her dad as he received the watch in full and took several photos. Mr. Drakos presented the award along with Mr. Bouras, but in the corner of it all, Addy still spotted Mr. Thanatos. Even now, bordering on two years since she had first seen him, he still gave her the creeps. So, Addy just focused on her dad and vowed to give him a big hug once he got off the stage after all the photos being taken. ‘Yeah… that’ll never be me…’ *              *              * He might have been a tough old geezer at times, but her dad’s lessons had stuck in Addy, and she had kept them close to her heart ever since the night she was nearly caught. Since her partial mistake getting the USB and jeopardizing so much for it, she had ambled about and had gotten to know Juventas on a much deeper level to try and hit them from that angle instead. It was to her dismay that she finally realized that Juventas wasn’t just a single monster for her to destroy like she originally thought. Instead, it was large, moving, and cleverer than the average beast most thought it was from the outside. Its tentacles were wrapped tightly around a number of institutions as she began to find out, most not even all that bad… like their medical division out west that had almost single-handedly cured the common cold. It was a marvel… but not enough in comparison to simply do nothing. Each board meeting, she would understand more of the creature she wanted to destroy. And each time, much to her chagrin, the task seemed more Herculean. It was one thing to want to take evil down on the board, and another to keep her family’s company afloat and all the innocent employees working on all the good they did. It was like instead of cleaving the head of the beast off and killing it, she now how to remove it with surgical precision, being sure to keep what she could for what could some day be only a force for good. Meanwhile, the USB stick remained unread, and the object still burned a hole in her mind daily in that state. With the bunker group’s vow to open it together, that required coordination, and coordination was difficult amongst law-enforcement, nurses, mothers, and all sorts of other key players that Addy discovered were now involved with them on some level. What had started as mostly a meeting for others to complain about their days at Juventas in a safe setting, had now grown into a movement. So many had been touched by the evil of the company, and they wanted a piece of taking it apart or at least changing it. Now, though, with the information so close at hand, they had to agonizingly wait for the others to catch up or actually show up. So, for the time, Addie readied herself for the day that her dad would no longer join her as an advisor in the board meetings. He had expressed some desire to do so for a while now, but there’s still seemed to be something holding him back… something he wouldn’t talk about. He would only be gruff about it and push on with his day, trying to find joy in his new and mysterious role in the company’s basement. Even digging around with her private server files on her board-approved laptop, she couldn’t find a thing about what he was doing. But about a week later… to her ultimate delight and somewhat surprise, everyone was finally gathered enough to see what was on the USB stick. “I bet it’s about aliens!” Sam noted with a joking smile. “Nah… betcha’ it’s all about the cover-ups,” Josh added. “How much you wanna bet old Thanatos is still kicking around Atlantica or something like that.” Elena smacked him a little. “Don’t even joke about that! My dad wasn’t high level, but I still met that guy and… yikes! Guy always gave me the creeps. There was just something about his stare. It made me feel… like a little girl afraid of the dark again or something…” Addy couldn’t help but feel the same, even all these years later. And looking around at the nods, she knew she wasn’t alone either. But Addy saw all the new faces. Yes, there were the old ones but from the badges and the personnel who had come in the secret back entrances, she saw the Amazon Bureau of Investigations, or ABI, members of the Littles Liberation Front and Little Protection League, and even a few Bigs from the Amazons Protect Littles, or the APL. In essence, she was seeing representation from nearly half of the pro-Little groups in the whole country… and they were now in her homes’ secret bunker basement. Yes, it wasn’t the nicest of locales to meet always… but she was almost in awe regardless at everyone there. “When are we starting? Some of us have actual jobs and need to get back to them before someone comes looking for us,” one ABI agent complained as he folded his arms. “Please, please…” Josh tried to carol them. “Just a little more patience while we place our backup systems online just in case the USB stick has a problem on it.” He then leaned to Elena. “All good there?” he asked in a whisper. “People are getting antsy…” “Yeah… just one… more… there!” Her hands nearly sprung off her keyboard. “Now, we can open it up and if it does have a virus, it will be done on a closed system. No risks of attacking viruses broadcasting us out back to Juventas… just in case.” “Thank you, Elena,” Addy noted before stepping up to the rest of the crowd. “Good evening, everyone. We are sorry this has taken so long, but as you can see, we have some coming in from around the country. And I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of the reason why we’re here or that we all want to take down Juventas together.” She paused and Elena nodded, waving the USB stick around that Addy had given her earlier today. “Now, we’re all going to see the files one at a time. When I snagged the information, I pulled what I could. Hopefully, each of you can go away with some more knowledge then when you first came and help out your various organizations.” “Can we take a copy of the files back with us?” someone from the APL questioned. This time, Addy’s dad stepped up and shook his head. “I’m afraid not. This information is highly sensitive and if it was to get out before we were ready, many of our lives would immediately be put at risk… no matter how careful we are.” Josh nodded in agreement. “That’s right, but… for those of you trying to use this information for your local law enforcement or just your group, we ask that you have patience with us once again. This is for everyone’s benefit as we verify the information and then enact our own plans to ensure there are no reprisals on any of us.” The Big from APL sat back in a huff, crossing their own arms and seemingly pouting for a moment. But Elena gave a nod, Sam gave a thumbs up, and with her own dad smiling back at her, Addy knew it was time. So, she took a deep breath and gave Elena the cue to pop it in. Once she did… the evidence was everywhere. Seemingly nearly every corner of Big society had been corrupted by a board member in some capacity for at least ten years now. While files for Josh, Elena, and her dad were nearly spotless, Bouras, Drakos, and Allen all had mountains of legal issues now. The problem was though, as everyone had noted, despite the wealth of information out there, none of it could be used or else traced back to their group directly. And with Juventas, there are no second chances. Addy’s eyes, along with nearly everyone else, scanned the various files as Elena slowly filtered through each. Chemicals, compounds, drugs, schemes, blackmails, absolute corruption and bribery to various elected officials… even a tiny fraction of the list could be used to topple some governmental agents who had also been involved. She saw it all and she had to keep from letting her jaw drop open in surprise at all she had found. The file to the bars still seemed to be under lock, but all the rest was amazing… and horrifying in its brutal totality, stretching back decades now. Her eyes almost became blurry due to the sheer volume of what she had uncovered. But still, through it all, the last file noted plainly: only Allen, Bouras, and Drakos were threatening Warren. For Addy, that alone might have been enough. She knew that everyone else was practically drooling over the information that might one day use for their own organizations and private little ventures around here and across the country. But for her, having her brother back was a big deal. Without any doubt now as to who had threatened Julia and Jakey, he could rejoin their organization and things would be swinging in their favor before too long. Beyond that though, she was just excited to have her brother back. With the weight of the board over him, everything was always silence and tension and almost an underlying sense of betrayal whenever he voted with the majority on pro-Big topics. Addy knew it wasn’t him, but it still hurt. Now, he could just be her brother again and not some pawn for the others to push around once things got going and he could trust the bunk group once more. Wanting to celebrate, Addy looked for her dad… and found him staring at the screen of all the file… alone. “Dad?” Addy pressed, now coming over to him and rubbing his back with daughterly affection for a moment. “You okay, or…?” She paused and saw his face. There were devastation and loss written all over it and though Addy had to pause for a moment, she then realized why when she looked back up at the screen. “Oh my…” She winced, realizing what he was seeing. “Dad… your whole life… your career… and it’s this. I’m so sorry.” He and her mom had founded Juventas to help people and while that information was in the files as well… so many other things showed the true cost and scope of the organization it had actually turned into. Her dad sniffed but never shed a tear as he turned to her. “Addy… it’s okay. I… I knew this might happen if the files were ever shown. I just…” He briefly turned back and saw 80+ of the worst files now displayed on the screen above. “I just didn’t realize how many bad things there were over the years…” “But still. I…” Addy grimaced this time and tried to find the words… but kept failing at even that. Her dad held his hand up to stop her. “Easy kid before you blow a brain cell on my account. I’m okay. I just… I need to process all this in my own time. But… never apologize for this information. How you got it? Yeah… that was bad and even stupid,” he emphasized once more, causing Addy to shrink a little. “But don’t you ever go apologizing for doing what’s right. Be smart about it and don’t hurt others… but never stop doing what’s right. One day, you might carry on this place without me…” Her dad suddenly became very distant. “Uh, Dad?” Addy inquired after a moment. “You okay? You just went… a little quiet. Kind of worrying me… like you’re going somewhere…” Her dad shook his head. “Sorry about. As I said… still processing.” He turned back to her. “But what I meant by that is that I won’t always be around… no one lives forever, pumpkin.” He smirked and caressed her cheek like he was trying to memorize for some reason. “But even beyond that… you, your brother, Sam, Emily, and all the rest… you all are the next generation. Your mom and I founded this place to help others when Juventas didn’t seem to try and do that anymore overall. Drakos place profits and bigotry over what was right… and Juventas needs to be fixed.” He sighed and stepped away from the screen. “I think that’s you now…” “And Warren,” Addy quickly added. “With him likely going to be able to trust us now that he knows who was threatening Julia and Jakey… we might even have a vote of 2-4 on the board. And even if not right away, he can definitely come to this group. His mind and his position with the company could be a very powerful ally in this fight now, don’t you think?” “Yes… I think Warren will be a big help to you now…” There was something behind his face… like he knew something more or had an extra trick up his sleeves still. Addy could have chalked it up to simple loss after seeing all the evidence against the company he had put his blood, sweat, and tears into… but she felt it was something else as well now. “Uh, Dad… you know…” His watch started to beep. “Oops! We gotta go, Addy. Board vote in an hour and you know how traffic can be.” Without another word, he seemed to put on a practiced mask of sorts and hopped off to greet a few of the others like old friends before going back upstairs. Addy knew he was right about the time. ‘But why do I feel there’s something else going on here?’ *              *              * At the board meeting, all were in attendance, including Addy, her dad, and both Josh and Elena, all freshly arrived from the bunker meeting. With Oliver secured downstairs, Addy focused on the meeting. “Now… we come to spot about new business,” Mr. Bouras began after the various updates. “I think we should start with a new company out of Atlantica. They seem to have…” “Actually…” her dad piped up, standing up from behind Addy. “I have something I want to bring up today first.” Confused, Addy swung her chair around. They had gotten really good at communicating with each other and she was almost never behind when it came to any new policies or thinking ahead. Her dad was still the ten to her eight steps, but she was getting there. And despite the reveal of the USB stick, they hadn’t discussed anything new. ‘Is this what was on his mind earlier?’ She wasn’t sure, so she leaned in closely. “As you may know, I have been staying on to advise my daughter on… several matters.” He quickly cleared his throat, not for some bile or itch, but almost as if he had a lump in his throat he was trying desperately to remove. “I have stayed on because I felt she needed my help. After today and seeing what I have seen…” He then looked directly at Addy before smiling and returning to the board. “I no longer feel that is necessary. My daughter is fully qualified to do this on her own just like I did… just like her mom did.” “Hold on,” Bouras immediately popped up from his seat by Drakos. “Are you saying… what I think you’re saying?” Addy’s dad nodded. “Yes, old friend. I am. Starting now, I will no longer attend meetings here.” The board murmured heavily. It was always known this day would come, but now, it was so sudden. While he would still work for Juventas in a separate role, seemingly answerable to no one per the finer details of his contract, he would no longer be the vigilant hawk defending his daughter. Already, it became apparent just how much that Allen, Bouras, and above all, Drakos seemed to be pleased. “And… just what will you do then, John?” Mr. Drakos asked, drumming his fingers together as if he was already concocting a plan. “Are you just going to sit in the cafeteria all day and wait for your daughter to finish up while eating muffins.” Addy’s dad chuckled. “You know, while that doesn’t sound half bad, I’m going to split my time between here and enjoying some good old-fashioned retirement. And while here?” He gave a knowing smirk to the board in front of him. “Well, I’m just going to continue in my position and work down in the basement.” Mr. Bouras just managed to get a single syllable out. “An…?” But Addy’s dad shook his head. “Nope. You can still ask all you want but my contract is very clear… no interference from any board member. Per the terms, I wouldn’t even let my daughter in on what I’m doing.” Addy wasn’t sure what to make of all this. It was all so sudden and surprising to her. Yes, she was preparing for this moment, but questions lingered and played about in her head. ‘Is this because of what he saw today? Or was that smile he flashed me in the bunker because he saw me growing beyond?’ She wasn’t sure, but she made a mental note to ask him tonight after dinner once Oliver had settled in. Her dad then almost bowed to the board, a true smile still painted over his face, and waved goodbye as he went over to the door and opened them up. “Goodbye my friends. Good luck with your meetings. From now on… I will enjoy my semi-retirement on my own terms.” And with a whistling tune starting up, he strolled away, the doors slamming behind him. Everyone seemed shocked, most of all Josh it seemed. “Well… that was…” “Unexpected… yeah…” Elena probably took second place for who looked most shocked. It might have gone to Addy before, but now, she remembered his face and she remembered his smirk and his wording and notes of wisdom to her. It was unexpected today… but not completely out of the blue. “Well… we wish him only the best,” Drakos noted with a relieved sigh. “And with whatever the heck he’s doing in the basement…” His eyes shifted about, like he was suddenly worried about something or suspicious about everyone in the room. Instead of accusing anyone though, he cleared his throat. “Mr. Bouras… George… I believe you were discussing new business?” “Huh?” Mr. Bouras spun around and after a curt nod from Drakos, he nodded quickly in return. “Oh… right!” He spun back in his chair and pulled up his tablet once more. “Yes… new business.” He cleared his throat. “As I was saying… I think we should start off with a new company out of Atlantica. They seem to have a new product on the market, and they have offered it to the highest bidder. I believe it will make a great selection for our summer vacationers from over from Earth. Very… addicting, or at least so I’m told…” *              *              * A few hours later, Addy was laid out on the couch and nursing a cup of tea and an ice pack on her head. “Oh hell… that was…” “Rough first day on your own, huh?” her dad pressed sitting down beside her in his own comfy red armchair. “Yeah dad… you could say that,” she breathed, a tiny glare now headed his way. “How could…?” She drank a sip of her tea. “How could you not tell me of all people that you were leaving today? I mean… I was caught completely off guard, and I could barely focus on the presentation! And… they called for a last-minute vote…” “Wait… they did?” Now, her dad seemed a little worried. “Yes!” Addy was trying to calm down but it wasn’t working very well. The board had ambushed her completely and with Warren still under the thumb of Allen, Bouras, and Drakos, he went right along with them in not objecting to voting on not just one… but three new proposals. Her dad listened to it all… occasionally asking a question and a wrinkle in his forehead growing more pronounced but still staying calm overall. “That’s… worrying,” he finally noted. “I guess with me gone, they think they can just bulldoze right over you now.” “And I wonder what would give them that idea,” she said sarcastically. “I mean… come on! I’m not exactly all tough and burly to intimidate them.” “No,” her dad agreed. “You’re not but… you have hope and genuine connections with others. Whether you realize it or not yet, you have a great talent for this role Addy. Plus, I’ve seen your division. Those numbers haven’t been that successful for years now… your passion for both science and Littles is shining through and I’m not the only who’s noticed.” Addy rarely heard any good news, let alone about herself. “You’re not?” “No,” her dad confirmed shaking his head. “I’ve heard it from all departments. You’re doing great. With the board… you’ve got the thinking ahead part down cold. Today, I heard you with the group and with Warren… and with that USB stick. In one move, if you only had more support, you’ve probably advanced the cause by three years at least… likely longer.” With him berating her so much about that night, it was almost shocking to hear him with such praise. “And it’s going to be tough at first,” he noted, sighing deeply, “but I’ll be here for you afterward. And how about this? How about we debrief after each day and I let you know what you voted for or maybe give you some of my keen insight, hmmm? Would you be interested?” Addy didn’t even have to think. “Yes! And…” She winced. “Can we start today?” Her dad laughed. “Yeah, pumpkin… we can start today.” Addy then rapid-fire told her dad about each of the three votes. One was for the acquisition of a new product, another was for bidding on a new drug from Atlantica, and the other she couldn’t quite put her finger on. “And that last one… I don’t know what the heck that was for. Never even heard it…” Her dad sighed, his lips pursed in tension. “Well, you got the first two right, and that’s great. Them passing is fine. Might cause some headaches for the group down in Flosus during vacations this summer with Littles… but possibly okay.” He then paused and winced. “But that last thing… Addy…” He looked deep into her eyes. “I’m afraid to say, but that is a new drug… for Psyche.” “What?” Addy then realized it had passed… and she had inadvertently voted for it, adhering to her dad’s plan of using your strength when she could. Today, had been very nearly a breach of the company’s bylaws and had taken everyone by surprise. The only difference… the pro-Bigs had the advantage still. “Please… no…” Her dad quickly came to her side. “It’s okay. It’s okay…” he calmed her. “You didn’t know and I know that must feel lousy, but… we need to act quick. This drug… it’s actually a policy. With it, it will mean an uptick for all Psyche Littles to ingest our new drugs. You saw the early pilot program a few months ago… this will be countrywide now.” “No…” Addy trembled at the notion. “Dad… we’ve got to stop this.” Her dad nodded and went to go pour himself a drink from his own personal stock by the bookcase nearby. “And we will, Addy. Feel bad if you want to, but… I promise you that no matter what, we will stop it. We will…” After a few more calming words and her guilt weighing heavily and wanting to completely switch the bad day into a good one, she remembered an old celebration technique the family used to do together that was still open nearby. “Hey Dad… I was thinking… uh, it’s no gold watch or a party or anything, but… do you want to maybe go out and get some ice cream with Oliver tonight… to celebrate you finally leaving the board and getting some relaxation in at least a little bit?” Her dad smiled. “Sure kiddo. A cup of mint chocolate chip right about now honestly sounds perfect… right along with my new book I just bought on how to fly fish. Something I always wanted to try and now I can in retirement.” He then got up and stretched. “But first… do me two favors…” Addy leaned in. “Anything. Just name it.” “First… I want to tell you what I’ve been doing at Juventas,” he noted solemnly. “No more secrets between us. That’s a promise.” Addy nodded but felt a funny feeling down low in her gut about this whole thing. “Okay… and second?” He leaned down back at her. “Please… go for a walk or at least go outside and do something, honey. Weed the garden beds, water the plants, skip a stone… anything. Just… get out of your head for a sec, okay? Trust me… find a way to destress or this job will eat you alive.” Addy glanced outside and saw a few obvious weeds that had popped up over the weekend. “Weeding, huh?” Her dad smirked after taking a sip of some brandy he had just poured. “Yeah. Worked wonders for your mom and I! Why do you think that garden even exists in the first place?” Addy nodded, smirking back a little before going into the other room and donning a quick pair of old overalls and a bandana to pull her hair back out of her face. Ten minutes later, Addie strolled out to her dad’s garden, intent on keeping it neat and bountiful. As a young girl, her dad, at her request, had planted watermelon seeds in the garden. They took forever to grow, but at the end of each summer, it was now something she looked forward to. This year seemed to be no exception with the vines already creeping out right next to the tomato plants and strawberries. As a relatively new little, still new to some things, Oliver still had to look forward to the large produce grown in the summer in this dimension. It was one thing to read about or even see at the grocery store, but as she learned when she was younger as well, it was an entirely different thing to see it grown in your own backyard. She then paused for a moment as she heard the rapturous giggling emanating from inside the house… followed soon by her dad’s gruff voice, likely imitating a giant from one of Oliver’s stories. She could just picture it now… Oliver as the little night going up against her dad, the imposing giant. Being a Big and a Little though… she didn’t have to use her imagination very much. She turned her attention back to the garden. ‘I wonder which will sprout first.’ Her family always used to place bets when she lived here before for which would be the first stalk or vine to bear fruit. ‘I bet it will be the watermelon vine on the left…’ Suddenly, a tremendous thump could be heard from inside. Addy stopped her weeding in the garden and stood up. It almost sounded like distant thunder… if not for the silent clanking of something soon after. Not wanting to be the alarmist caregiver to Oliver, however, she just stood and waited for the giggles to return. They didn’t… and Addy’s heart grew still. “Addy! Addy! Come quick!” Oliver shouted, racing out the door and trying to get her attention. “I think something bad happened! Addy froze for a moment. She had seen enough pranks in her time to know when there was forced fear or something real. One time, her brother ran out of the house and claimed that their dad had shattered a glass over his hand and that he was bleeding everywhere, and he didn’t know what to do. That day, Addie had raced inside, only to find her dad and her brother laughing hysterically at her expense. She didn’t appreciate it at the time. Today though, she saw the real face of fear with Oliver and soon followed him inside the house before saying a silent prayer, hoping that she was wrong and this was just another level of the two bonding and them horsing around. Today, she would gladly be the butt of a joke… if only so that her own fear wouldn’t be true. But as she walked in, she knew it wasn’t. They’re on the floor, she saw her dad’s body… completely still.

I also found the single sentence lines to be very hard to read.  I like the premise of the story, but the fist 16 chapters take about 3 minutes to scroll past.  Even the later chapters that at least have a few sentences have some very odd formatting that leaves large gaps in between. 

Anthony Spilotro was the Outfit's top enforcer in Las Vegas, working alongside Lefty Rosenthal (DeNiro's character).  He and his brother Michael were beaten to death by the bosses in the basement of a home in Bensenville, a Chicago suburb.  Their bodies were dumped in a shallow grave in a field in northwestern Indiana, which the owner quickly discovered and reported to the authorities.